#world of self development
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schemelin · 3 months ago
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Palmer and Altairus
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serpentface · 3 months ago
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This was going to be a panel of a little comic but I got too invested in drawing minute background details so, here.
#They are having an argument over 1) whether crops can be grown on the moons 2) what - if any - impact does this have on the feasibility#of an afterlife being located on the moons#Brakul is a partial convert to the Imperial Wardi faith but this mostly entails having adopted the seven faced God (and some#other elements of the belief system) into his worldview and participating in expected rites while retaining his central#ancestor veneration practices completely unchanged and mostly prioritized.#This doesn't actually cause much friction in of itself with the big exception being disagreements on the afterlife#Wardi practices surrounding death prioritize proper handling of the corpse and funerary rites in order to get the dead where they#need to be- death is a fraught transition from one state to another. analogous to birth. The role of the living is to get the dead through#this transition (preventing them from being stuck earthbound as earthbound ghosts - which is the Bad afterlife). Once the dead#make it to the moons that's it. They don't really interact with the living. There's plenty of conceptualization of what it's Like#in the lunar lands but the cultural priority is not even slightly on the Logistics of existence there.#Whereas the CORE of religious practice among the Hill Tribes is ancestor veneration - ancestors remain interactive with the living#and require/desire their continual support. They are conceptualized as having earthlike 'lives' where they eat and drink#and grow crops and herd livestock and they need the support of the living (in prayers and offerings) to do so prosperously.#There is a HIGH cultural priority on the logistics of their afterlife and it's self-apparent that the world of the dead needs fertile earth#to support them.#So like bottom line Brakul thinks there's no goddamn way that the moons could support an afterlife (they are described as#barren rock that was flung into the sky during creation and certainly Look that way)#and that the Wardi are just wrong about their afterlife's location. They probably go to the celestial fields (which are located#behind the moons and stars) like everyone else#And Janeys finds this aggravating and doesn't see his fucking point but has developed a nagging concern that Brakul Could be#partly right in that the celestial fields could Maybe exist in addition to the lunar lands.#So like maybe they aren't going to go to the same place when they die?#He's already terrified that he'll be stuck as an earthbound ghost and really doesn't want to be even further separated so#he figures he should make sure he gets himself dead and cremated at the same time as Brakul so they can navigate the#transitional period together.#Brakul is unconcerned because he figures that if Janeys actually does get stuck on those barren ass moons he can just kinda#Go Get Him#Ancestor spirits fly to the earth all the time and the moons would be a much shorter distance. Probably wouldn't be an issue.#Long story short these disagreements and underlying anxieties result in fights over whether you can grow corn on the moons or nah
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afsosville · 6 months ago
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Listen, ik BingJiu is basically a breeding ground for dead doves but ISTFG that this fandom is just not seeing things the way I do. And so here I am spreading the soft BingJiu agenda coz they both need to be honestly and wholeheartedly loved so fuck canon just let them love each other PLEASE.
Anyways, does anyone have cute BingJiu recs? I can't seem to find anymore so I'm here now lol. Here's all the ones ik:
Lost my heart to you (there in the dark, under the stars) by Saccharinings
You are not alone, not anymore and Goodbye, my past reality by Elis98
Unconventional Baby Trapping and The Father-In-Law is Unknowingly the Bride? I Must Train Hard to Become Best Husband! by Munyusz
Bamboo, fire, and ink by Draconili
Ghost SJ by Unknown103User
Once upon a winter morning by NazakiSama166
Do I really need to give you away...? by Ivy_Aishi
Have a nice day! by Ehann
An easy lie by Nythtak
Rustling leaves by Jeejaschocolate
Two lilies blackened, two lilies grey by Texturralize
Honestly, it's like you've never seen a man and his demon before by Anon
My little baozi and Shen Jiu's options by Airei
Puppy love need not be temporary by Myakachan
Finding home in you and A lifetime with you by Shorimochi
Responsibility by Anon
I have no time for confession | for I'm too busy committing sins by Space_Samurai
Being a girl is great by Anon
When does a ripple become a tidal wave? and Falling, Falling, Falling for You by The_Binding
Unfinished business by Kitsunealyc
The faces you forgot by Probablyaceok
Melodies of the Heart and The Innocence of Spring Blossoms by CrazyNekoChan
Spite my way to happiness by Misto713
How to keep my favourite beast alive by Tomyam
What once was by Revesdelimonade
What Could Have Been by Sleek4410
Sweet dreams by ari_sunshine
The Stallion Protagonist's Villain-Wooing System and Black Lotus Binghe by tpfw01
The Peak Lord Who Didn't Want a Damn Dog by Silver999
To be your Shizun is not my Destiny by SleepySsnail <3
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girlbossagenda · 10 months ago
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+:✿。.゚+:✿。.゚+:✿。.゚+:✿
You deserve compassion for yourself, to feel loved and appreciated, in case anyone haven't told you this today, you matter, and you deserve to put yourself first.
+:✿。.゚+:✿。.゚+:✿。.゚+:✿
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Okay, but what if the entire Cang Qiong mountain turns into silent hill post-PIDW.
Decades after Shen jiu died and the burning of the sect, Luo Binghe, Ning Yingying, Liu Mingyan, and perhaps even Qiu Haitang, visit the burnt husk of what was once Cang Qiong. Only to find themselves trapped in a hell of their own making. Forced to confront their guilt and feelings about the downfall of both the sect and the world they all had a hand in ruining.
Forced to face hard truths about both themselves, and that perhaps everything they thought they knew wasn't entirely true.
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whatsaudreythinkingabout · 1 year ago
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spto coming out has been such a surreal experience bc before it came out i was like. the one roxie kinnie (at least as far as i was aware, i’m not doubting that there were more out there) & now she has like a million stans and half of me is like “FINALLY other people who understand her the way i do” and the other half is like “i liked her before it was cool. my blorbo. mine.”
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inqilabi · 9 months ago
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One time on a first date with a guy, he had asked me why I was so specific about where and how I wanted to meet. I told him, I can always tell whether a man is interested in me from the very first look they give when they walk towards you. And it's important for me that I arrive early so that I can see the man walk towards me. Because they have 1 of 3 looks. 1) is they're just ambivalent and typically they're not attracted 2) the have this awestruck look of interest 3) they are leering almost up and down and it's too sexualized. And they lose interest quickly (and doesn't matter because I'm not interested in this type obviously).
And he asked me which type I found him to fall under. And I told him that he's ambivalent and not attracted. And he was like, nooo that's not the case. But I was like this has never failed me lol. Even though this whole time prior to meeting me, he had built up how attractive he thought I was. Really liked all my pics. And before meeting me and during the date itself, he said Pakistani women are beautiful (he was Bengali). End of the date, he walked me to my car and said let's do it again sometime.
And sure enough, he reached out but kinda mildly, boring - how was your weekend. To which I replied and equally boring response, and it died lol.
I have literally saved so much energy by making sure that I arrive first on a date. This puts me in a more comfortable spot and the guy in a more nervous spot. With you technically "receiving" him. As opposed to the traditional, him receiving you. And in that moment, with him walking towards you there is no pretense. And you can really see their very initial feelings towards you imho.
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katsigian · 6 months ago
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Hey what if we left people the fuck alone when it comes to their ships, yeah? Let people enjoy what they want to enjoy in this bleak fucking world instead of barging in with some lame and unneeded moral grandstanding. "UMM actually here's why your ship is problematic 🤓" how about we stop being judge-y and self righteous instead? What are you a cop? Because policing someone's ship in your 30's is embarrassing
If someone wants to ship their OCs with a certain dynamic or with a specific type of character, then that's FINE. Stop being a clown and vague posting about them. Unless there is something obviously wrong (i.e. underage and so on), your opinion need not be expressed in the most bitch-coded vaguepost
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moiraimyths · 4 months ago
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Before we call anon rude because let’s see it from their perspective, imagine getting an entire feast to eat. That can be pretty hard to start with so much that’s going on, but if they start with one thing they know they’ll like (aka one character they like) that can be the start for them leaping to other characters to finish the story and the bigger story. I struggle the same way to start book series if I don’t have at least one character that drives me to read it, it’s all about what can be the hook to push them through. Sounds like the anon is neurodivergent (just a guess) so they might genuinely not see it as rude and see it as a solution to even play the game to start with.
Btw absolutely adore the game, the complex and rich characters making them all so unique is amazing. The art is so pleasing to the eyes I love it!! I’m waiting for it all to get out at once so I don’t get too impatient. Shae however interests me the most, which routes will have the most lore for them? Will there be routes that give more lore in general based on decisions you make or do they all share the same amount? (I mean general lore not just Shae lore)
Apologies; we are not trying to accuse any asker of being rude! We are simply explaining our perspective as the developers / are trying to broadly encourage folks to dip their toes into other areas of the story outside of the main route(s) they're interested in, especially considering some routes will be made available sooner than others, and these other routes will likely contain additional scenes/lore of everyone's fave(s) regardless! We want to give each main cast member an equal amount of love (and lore) regardless of their overall popularity, so our goal is not to tut-tut anyone for having strong preferences for one character over the others, but rather to explain that you may be surprised by how much *more* you learn about your preferred characters in the other routes. That's all!
For Shae... Well, they were a foot soldier for one of the worst periods of the War. Lore wise, any other story that touches on the War will likely have content relevant to them and their experiences. ^^
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#ask#clotho answers#edit/final note: we got a *few* asks on this subject and will not likely answer all of them for the sake of our followers' dashboards#but we also want to note that part of our encouragements here come from the fact that Flan/Keagan are our most popular characters by a lot#and we want to do what we can to gently nudge folks who may not want to romance the fem / nb characters into checking out their stories#despite not being into them romantically. this is half of why we have platonic routes to begin with#we recognize veterans to the dating sim world may feel less inclined to romance characters that don't align with their irl orientations#this isn't a bad thing. some people steer clear of dating sims altogether because they're aro or just not interested in romance stories etc#but the unintentional side effect of this is it has a chilling effect on developers even in the indie sphere to make less diverse stories#if Flan and Keagan are our most popular characters then they will be our most *profitable* characters in the long run#and as much as we would love to not care about money and just produce the story we want to tell#we live in a society (tm) and need to eat#if at the end of ndm's development we see that 90% of our engagement went toward the boys it is hard to ignore the financial incentive#to redirect our energy toward leaning into the 'tried and true' formula that assures we can buy groceries and make rent#basically what i am candidly saying here is capitalism is pretty bad for creative liberty unless you're already rich / able to self finance#which we are not. and currently none of the core devs make *anything* from ndm#it would be nice if it does turn a profit but that isn't a guarantee - which the team has accepted as a normal risk in game development#anyway this is getting rambly but the Point is that this goes beyond us wanting to make sure all sides of our story are equally appreciated#it is *partly* that - we do want players to experience the entirety of our artwork#but it's not just for our egos - it's so we can keep making art like this#i considered including this in the body of the post but money talk suuucks man#and i don't want anyone to think we're glaring at them in a holier than thou 'ah-ha! you don't want to play maeve's route because she's a#woman!' sort of way because i think that's a reductive way to look at things#people like what they like and there's nothing intrinsically wrong with that#but if you like that we're making a diverse story#with masc routes fem routes and nb routes#even if you don't personally want to romance x or y#it would help us if y'all play the platonic routes#we are trying our very very best to make the fem/nb routes interesting for Everyone so those stories don't get sidelined#and if you don't like them for their own sake - fair enough! can't win em all and we'll deeply appreciate that you tried anyway!
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rizzzcat · 1 year ago
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Enot and Arti visit metropolis!
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moggettt · 10 months ago
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HERE IT IS!! after Many moons of chipping away at this OC song comic for my scifi-noir android character Whitney and his bodyguard Bast, it is finally as complete as it shall ever be;; I’m proud of the work I put into this one! Pretty niche, but maybe some folks out there will enjoy UuU
ps: there's also a video for easy viewing!
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afsosville · 3 months ago
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I'm tryna come up with a cute nickname for Shen Jiu and one that doesn't involve 'Jiu'. Anyone's got ideas? I've come out of the woodwork to finally start writing a fic yippee
It's a BingJiu fic where both of them are around the same age and are childhood sweethearts. I've already come up with a nickname that SJ uses for LBH, which is Xiao Lian, meaning little lotus. SJ only uses it in his head, but LBH will definitely pester him with his nickname and use it everywhere!
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galaxythedragonshifter · 1 year ago
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The feeling when you want to make your own fantasy world and you've tried so hard you've gotten to the point where you have no idea what you want
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bethanythebogwitch · 6 months ago
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The TTRPG about self-discovery and zombies
Promethean: the Created is a game in the Chronicles of Darkness game line about learning about what it means to be human and persevering in the face of incredible adversity. Chronicles of Darkness is a line of tabletop role-playing games that share a setting (but can be played independently of each other), each of which focuses on playing as some kind of supernatural creature that lives in secret amongst humanity. Promethean is basically CoD’s take on the story of Frankenstien. You play as monstrous mockeries of humanity, doomed to be feared and hated by all you encounter, learning who you are and what it means to be human so you can escape your torturous existence. While Promethean is the kind of game where you can have plots about fighting radioactive zombies and mad scientists at the behest of a three-faced angel with seven flaming wings, it is ultimately about character growth and development over a long journey of self-improvement and -discovery. 
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Central to Promethean is the practice of alchemy and alchemy is the magic of change. All alchemy is powered by the cosmic force of change that is the divine fire Pyros. Pyros is further divided into Azoth (change as a creative force) and Flux (change as a destructive force). There are many alchemists worldwide that study the power of Pyros, but all agree that the Magnum Opus of the craft is the creation of life from death. Those who attempt this feat will ultimately create a Promethean. Prometheans, more commonly known to themselves as the Created, are corpses brought to life and infused with raw Azoth in place of a soul. However, this is not true life and the Created are abominations against life itself. The Azoth that fuels them leaks out constantly and inflicts wild changes on the world around them. If a Promethean stays in one place too long, the people and even landscapes around them are twisted by their presence in effects called Disquiet and Wasteland. Disquiet alters people’s minds, causing them to ultimately come to fear and hate the Promethean who caused the effect. Wasteland alters the local landscape, environment, and weather into unnatural conditions. Thus the Created have to constantly be on the move, doomed to never stay in one place too long lest they ruin the land and trigger hate mobs out for their blood. It is a miserable existence, but there is a way out. Every Promethean is born with instinctual knowledge of the process called the Pilgrimage, a process where, by learning what it is to be human, a Promethean can transmute their Azoth replica of a soul into a true soul and become human. This journey is long and hard and no matter how bad things get, that bit of hope is always there. 
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Prometheans are created from human corpses, but they are their own unique individuals, retaining no memories from their body’s former life. They are born with no real understanding of anything and must quickly learn or die. Fortunately (or not) for them, they are incredibly durable, able to take immense amounts of damage, heal themselves with exposure to electricity, and they even get one free resurrection. Their powers are called Transmutations, which let them spend some of their pool of Azoth to alter themselves or the world around them. One transmutation all Created share is the ability to project an illusion around themselves to appear like a normal human. This helps delay the onset of Disquiet and allows one to actually interact with people without the problems that come with looking like a walking corpse. There are many ways to make a Promethean and the Created are divided into Lineages based on which method was used to create them. Lineages are named after the first Promethean made using each method. Lineages affect how Prometheans think and what Transmutations they have access to. Each Lineage comes with its own Disfigurement, the physical tells of their origin, and Torment, mental compulsions the Promethean suffers. In addition, the different Lineages cause their own variants of Disquiet and Wasteland. Curiously, staying in proximity to Prometheans of different Lineages reduces the effects of Disquiet and Wasteland. This encourages Pormetheans to seek each other out and travel together in groups called Throngs. Even if this effect didn’t happen, the Created would still seek each other out. Loneliness is a burden all Created must carry and as they are immune to the effects of Disquiet, other Prometheans may be the only beings a Created can actually spend a lot of time with. There are five common Lineages and three rare ones.
Frankenstein is the youngest of the common Lineages and yes, the Victor Frankenstein was responsible for creating this Lineage. A guy called Mr. Verney claims to be the original Frankenstein’s Monster and he’s still around. He also inspired Mary Shelly to write the book. The ritual to create a Frankenstein requires parts from at least two bodies, which are attacked together through stitches, prostheses, or whatever other inanimate materials the creator has available. Then, Azoth is supplied to the body by electricity. This has traditionally been done through lightning strikes, but power plants work just as well. All Frankensteins experience constant pain through their existences and have naturally violent tempers. Unlike the other Lineages, Frankensteins began as a failed attempt to create a human and this sense of failure and rejection haunts them. Theri Disfigurements reveal the patchwork nature of their bodies. Their Torment compels them to lash out in rage and destroy the things they love. Their Disquiet causes them to become the scapegoats for anything that goes wrong. Their wastelands are dry and hot, with increased chance of fire and lightning. 
Galatea is a lineage that dates back to ancient Greece with the story of Pygmalion. Creating a Galateid requires an unmarred and beautiful corpse to be bathed in wine vinegar, pearls, and herbs. The final ingredient to bring one to life is a kiss that imbues the body with Azoth. Galateids are created as objects of desire, usually by lonely and artistic progenitors. They have to struggle with conflicting instincts, their desire for freedom contrasting with an innate urge to be loved and kept. Galateids tend to be vain and the most socially adept of the Lineages. Their Disfigurements make them appear as artificial mockeries of beauty, with skin like marble and glassy eyes. Their Torment makes them obsessed with obtaining people they love and see as beautiful. Their Disquiet makes people simultaneously obsess with and repulsed by them. Their Wastelands are marked with storms and extreme winds. 
The Osiris Lineage claims descent from the Egyptian god Osiris, who was killed and cut apart by his rival Set, then brought back when his wife reassembled the pieces. Osirans are often compared to mummies but as actual mummies exist in this setting (the game is Mummy: the Curse), their creation ritual may be an attempt at recreating the origin of true mummies. To create an Osiran a corpse must be immersed in river water, then cut into thirteen pieces with a bronze knife. The smallest piece is discarded and the rest are spat upon and sewn back together with flaxen threat. Finally, the creator places a handful of Azoth-laden rose petals in the body’s mouth and the new Promethean will chew and swallow its first meal. Osirans consider themselves to be the closest thing the Created have to royalty, being allegedly descended from a god. They are indisputably the oldest Lineage. Osirans tend to be inquisitive and struggle with deadened emotions. Their Disfigurement makes them appear withered and mummified, with the missing piece being very obvious. Their Torment drives them to be callous and manipulative. Their Disquiet makes people obsessed with learning how they work, to the point of capture and vivisection. Their Wastelands turn the land into desert. 
Tammuz is the Lineage born from the ancient Semitic tradition of making golems. The ritual for making a Tammuz is the easiest of all the Lineages. A body is selected and the progenitor writes an instinctually-known work on a slip of paper that is placed under the tongue. The body must then be marked as a slave. This can be through tattoos, brands, manacles, or a number of other methods. The body is then buried in bare earth and abandoned. When the new Promethean is ready, it will dig itself out. The Tammuz were created as servants and they chafe at bondage. The Tammuz desire freedom above all else. They do enjoy helping people out, but if a Tammus feels taken advantage of, they will become furious. Tammus are naturally pessimistic and melancholic. Their Disfigurement makes them appear earthen, with skin of cracked clay and stones for eyes. Their Torment drives them to be submissive and subservient. Their Disquiet causes people to become depressed and static. Their Wastelands are wet and sad, with rainstorms and animals becoming too depressed to survive. 
The Ulgan Lineage claims descent from a Siberian shaman of the same name who could rip himself apart and then put himself back together. The creation rite requires a body (alive or dead) to be sunk into the state of Twilight (the in-between state between the regular world and spirit world first introduced in the game Werewolf: the Forsaken), where spirits are summoned to rip the body apart. The progenitor then recovers the pieces, reassembles them, and vomits ectoplasm over the body to bring it to life. Ulgans are spiritually aware, able to sense spirits and uncontrollably drawing spirits to them. Ulgans tend to try to learn from the spirits, becoming shamans and mystics who seek out the mysteries of the occult. They are typically the least social of the Prometheans, but companionship is good for them as it keeps them from becoming totally shut off to the world. Ulgan Disfigurements appear as deep, bloodless gashes in the body that spill forth darkness. Their Torment drives them to isolate themselves and grow detached from the world. Their disquiet makes people paranoid and suspicious. Their Wastemend weakens the barrier between the world of matter and the world of spirits, eventually allowing spirits to pour through into reality (and if your Game Master is playing a game that acknowledges the other gamelines and this happens in werewolf territory, you better have that free resurrection lying around because your ass is turbofucked). 
Unfleshed is one of the rare Lineages, though it is not really a Lineage in and of itself but a common name for any promethean not made from a corpse but from inanimate objects. There is no common creation rite amongst the Unfleshed. The only requirement is an artificial object in the general shape of a human and it needs to have been made with a function in mind. Unfleshed can be created from statues, mannequins, toys, robots, and even artificial intelligences. The Unfleshed are created as tools and have an even harder time than the other Lineages learning what it is to be human. They tend to be very logical and emotionless and need to learn how to accept being emotional and imperfect. They despise being treated as mere tools. Also, the Colossus of Rhodes was a giant, immobile Unfleshed that was part of a magical network focused around the seven wonders of the world that kept godlike fairies out of the world. I’m not making this up, it’s in the lore. Their Disfigurement reveals the artificial nature of their bodies. Their Torment causes them to become emotionless and inhuman. Their Disquiet makes people treat them as tools and objects. Their Wasteland causes the world to run like clockwork, with no room for disorder. 
Zeka is one of the rare Lineages and the youngest Lineage of all. They first appeared in 1945 and while there is no common ritual for creating one, the birth of a Zeka requires large amounts of radiation. It is also possible for radiation to corrupt the creation rite of another Lineage, resulting in a Zeka instead. The Zeky did not appear until the development of atomic weapons and their very existence seems to be a reminder of the horrors of nuclear radiation. They are born in constant agony and secrete radiation wherever they go, poisoning the land they walk upon and the people they meet. The Zeky live an existence of even more pain than other Prometheans, so it is not much of a surprise that not one of them has ever completed the Pilgrimage. Their Disfigurement makes them look like victims of radiation, covered with tumors and keloid scars. Their Torment makes them lash out at the world in rage and pain. Their Disquiet makes people paranoid and insular, the worst of Cold War-era paranoia. Their Wasteland poisons the world with radiation.
Extempore is one of the rare Lineages, though it’s not actually a Lineage but the collective term for Prometheans born not from the actions of an intelligent progenitor, but through random chance. Pyros exists throughout the world and whenever enough of it comes together near a corpse, a Promethean can be born. This is usually a result of natural disasters or other cataclysmic events, as such events are wellsprings of Pyros. Each Extempore is effectively a lineage of one, though there have been cases where events are so widespread that multiple corpses can be animated in the same way, creating mini-Lineages. Two examples of this are the Faceless, born from the bodies of World War I victims of poison gas who were struck by lightning, and Hollows, who were victims of dehydration during the events of the Dust Bowl. In both cases, once the events that caused their creation ended, no new members of the mini-Lineage could be born, dooming them to extinction. Extempore Disfigurements, Torment, Disquiet, and Wastelands are unique to each individual. 
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The ultimate goal of any Promethean following the Pilgrimage is to become human, an event called the New Dawn. Upon achieving the New Dawn, the power of Pyros will rewrite history, making it so the Promethean in question was always human, even if others can still remember their pre-New Dawn self. Their new life will be shaped by their experiences as a Promethean, even though they will remember none of it. Reaching the New Dawn requires Vitriol, a substance produced by the Created that is effectively a physical representation of their development along their Pilgrimage.Vitriol can also be stolen in an act called the Lacuna that is considered a monstrous crime. Because it is very useful in alchemy, some alchemists will attempt to hunt the Created to steal their Vitriol. Losing Vitriol sets a Promethean back on their Pilgrimage. Vitriol is generated when a Promethean completes milestones, specific steps along the journey to humanity. Some milestones are universal to all Prometheans while others are more personal. One important milestone is called multiplicato and it requires the Created to leave a legacy. The most common way of doing this is creating a new Promethean of the same lineage. There are other ways, but this is the most common. This is an issue for Extempore as their creation is often unreplicatable. The idea of dooming another in order to the miserable life of a Promethean rarely sits well, but many will end up doing it as the other options are either unknown to them or out of reach. Most milestones are gained through Refinements. These are roles a Promethean acts out to better understand humanity and themselves. There are 11 refinements, 5 common, 5 complex, and 1 forbidden. Changing between Refinements is important as staying static will eventually burn out the Azoth within and reduce the Promethean to a mindless automaton called a Petrificatus. The Refinement system means that Promethean is a game where humans roleplay monsters roleplaying as humans. 
The 5 common refinements are:
Aururum, Refinement of mortality. Followers of this Refinement attempt to learn about humanity by living amongst humans and acting like them. They will pick up human behavior, try to communicate with people, get jobs or attend schools, and develop a sense of empathy. These roles must ultimately be short to avoid Disquiet and the Pormethean must remember that they are learning to be human, not just imitating human behavior. 
Cuprum, Refinement of self. This Refinement focuses on the Promethean understanding who and what they are. They tend to be loners engaging in meditation and other forms of self-knowledge. This allows them to understand the mutability of their forms and hopefully the process by which they can transform their Azoth into a soul. Many adopt this Refinement after Disquiet forces them away from other people. 
Ferrum, Refinement of corpus. This Refinement teaches that since the body is the seat of the soul, understanding and perfecting the body is a vital part of obtaining a true soul. Thus, they train in martial arts, strength training, and other forms of exercise. Those following this Refinement tend to adopt the lifestyle of an honorable warrior who fights not just to fight, but to prove their strength and protect others.
Plumbum, the Refinement of source. This Refinement teaches that to escape the Promethean condition requires understanding it. They study the abilities and origins of the Created and especially the effects of Wasteland and Disquiet. They also tend to have the most knowledge about Promethean history, lore, and the nature of Transmutations and Legacies. 
Stannum, the Refinement of torment. This Refinement is all about believing that avoiding pain and Torment is impossible. The practitioners turn their rage and pain outwards, lashing out at the world around them. Most Created will end up on this Refinement eventually, as the torment of their condition drives them to the end of their rope. 
The complex Refinements are rarer and require a greeted understanding than the common ones. They are:
Aes, the Refinement of aid. This practice teaches that in order to proceed on your Pilgrimage, you must help others on theirs. Prometheans on this Refinement protect other Created and give them advice and help on their mission. It is all about learning to put others before yourself. On the other hand, you also must learn that some people don’t want help and how to avoid being taken advantage of.
Argentum, the Refinement of mystery. These Prometheans seek to learn about humanity by studying other supernatural creatures. Many of these beings (eg. vampires, ghosts, changelings, mummies, werewolves, mages) either were once human or are still part human. Those following Argentum believe that by studying the transformation from human to monster, they can learn to reverse the practice. Other supernatural beings (eg. spirits, demons, angels, etc) were never human and Prometheans hope that by studying them , they can learn what humanity is not. 
Cobalus, the Refinement of impurity. Similarly to Plumbum, this Refinement is about learning what the nature of a Promethean is. They engage in experimentation with Disquiet, Wastelands, Torment, and Transmutations. They also do not shun Disquiet and Wastelands, but encourage them so they can openly deal with the consequences and in doing so, find out how to master the Promethean condition. 
Mercurius, the Refinement of Pyros. This Refinement is all about studying the divine fire of Pyros and learning its abilities and limitations. They practice alchemy and delve into deep lore on Pyros and Azoth. They also learn how to amplify their Transmutations and control the fire within. After all, how best to learn how to turn their Azoth into a soul than to learn how to control it?
Phosphorum, the Refinement of ephemerality. These Prometheans can’t wait for the New Dawn, they want to be human now. Thus they indulge in vice and thrill, all while pushing the limits of life. Many take on this Refinement after a failed attempt to reach the New Dawn out of despair and a desire to forget their pain. However, by living life to the fullest, they can learn more about humanity and even the nature of death.
The forbidden Refinement is Centimani, the Refinement of Flux. This is the path of Prometheans who have given up on the Pilgrimage. In their mind, if the world treats them as monsters, they might as well be monsters. Those driven to despair by the pain, loneliness, and failure can fall to become twisted monsters with no hope of ever escaping their torment. Because Centimani is the path of rejecting the Pilgrimage, those on the path cannot generate Vitriol and must perform the Lacuna to steal it from other Prometheans to avoid becoming a Petrificatus. It is very rare but possible for a Centimanus to leave the Refinement and return to the Pilgrimage. The majority of Zeka are Centimani. 
There are many enemies of the Created: humans (or worse, other supernatural beings) caught in Disquiet, monster hunters, Alchemists out to steal their supply of Azoth and Vitriol, other Created eager to perform the Lacuna, and so on. The ones they fear the most, however, are the Pandorans. These monsters are the result of the creation of a Promethean gone wrong. Instead of being filled with Azoth, the body is filled with Flux. This causes the body to tear apart, each piece becoming a Pandoran. These monsters require Azoth to live and excel at hunting and devouring Prometheans for their supply. When deprived of Azoth, the Pandoran will become dormant and assume the shape of an inanimate object. Anything from a rock to an ornate sculpture could be a dormant Pandoran just waiting for the presence of a Promethean to awaken it and turn it into a vicious predator. While they possess a predator’s cunning, Pandorans are not sapient beings. However, if one manages to devour enough Vitriol from its prey, it can transform into a Sublimatus. These beings have all the power of Pandorans with a human-like mind and endless hunger. They frequently lead packs of Pandorans and human cultists in search of their own goals and precious Azoth. As terrifying as they are, Sublimati are victims of tragedy as well. They are just as inhuman and tormented as Prometheans, but there is no New Dawn for them. The only end to a Sublimatus’s misery is death.
The strangest beings Prometheans encounter are the Qashmallim. These angel-like beings are born directly of Pyros and can represent either Azoth or Flux. Each Qashmal is born with a mission and a limited supply of Pyros. They will attempt to fulfill this mission above everything else and only last until the mission is completed, they are destroyed, or their supply of Pyros runs out. Most Prometheans consider them to be either help or hindrances on the Pilgrimage, but Qashmallim can enact great change in the world. 
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celebrate-lesbianism · 1 year ago
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When I dressed feminine, I got teased for my height, but it was never mean spirited. Since finding myself and embracing the masculine style I've always wanted, I get made fun of for being short. People say things to me or people like me with the intention of putting us down and making us feel bad about ourselves.
Stop acting like butch and masc women under 5'10 are weird and ugly! The average height for women is literally 5'4, and it's perfectly normal to be shorter than that. We look good af.
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mean-scarlet-deceiver · 9 days ago
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Oho, 17 and 18 are both interesting ones~ (Your favourite character to write this year? & The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?)
Ask game
17. Your favorite character to write this year?
Hmm...! Toby and Donald have both been super rewarding. I know I carped about the process of working with them a lot - I felt pressured because my problems with them emerged only after I started publishing a fic that people were reading. But! I did enjoy the "problem" of working with them. I'd never written them very much before but they wound up with more screentime cos I found I really liked them.
They wound up adding a lot of depth to the story, cos neither wishes to get dragged into #Drama. But they're also both quite well-equipped to handle it, when they are. 😈
18. The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?
I was having some difficulty with Thomas and Gordon early in the year, specifically sketcing out where they land at the end of Small World. They had to be quintessentially #Them, even though they're in an alt-timeline and some heavy stuff has gone down and their relationship can't be the same as how we know it. But it still has to be recognizable. Very so.
Was pulling out my hair for a few weeks, but once I finally produced good copy for them I was basically ready to start my second draft/publishing!
Ironically, Toby with Henrietta was a also bit of a speed-bump. Too straight-married-couple coded for my blood! Again, once I got the hang of it things were fine (writing Henrietta's reaction to Toby's two near-fistfights in Ch. 5 was fun) but it certainly required a few runs before I got my wheels under me.
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