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olis-inkwell-symposium · 8 days

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For Writers: Incorporating Esotericism into World-Building

Esotericism refers to a broad category of spiritual, philosophical, and mystical traditions that focus on the pursuit of hidden, inner knowledge that is only accessible to a select few.

In this first post, I'll introduce the basics of esotericism and explore how these concepts work together to create an ongoing cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. We'll also set the stage for exploring these ideas more deeply across different cultures and spiritual traditions.

It is about seeking the deeper truths of the universe, reality, and the self—truths that are often concealed from ordinary perception or common understanding. Esoteric teachings often require initiation, self-discovery, and a certain level of spiritual or intellectual maturity to grasp.

Esoteric traditions typically stand in contrast to exoteric religions, which are the outward, public practices of faith meant for all adherents. While exoteric traditions focus on communal worship, rituals, and scriptures available to everyone, esotericism emphasizes personal, internal experiences and insights, often hidden in symbolism, allegory, or mystical practice.

Esotericism offers a wealth of material for creating complex worlds and characters. Here are a few ways to use esoteric concepts in your writing:

Secret Societies and Mystery Schools: Create organizations in your world that guard hidden knowledge, initiate members into mystical traditions, and use symbols to communicate deep truths. These groups might influence politics, religion, or culture from behind the scenes.

Alchemical Symbolism: Use alchemical symbols and the concept of spiritual transformation to enrich your magic systems or character development. Characters could embark on a metaphorical "great work," transforming themselves spiritually as they pursue physical goals.

Correspondence and Cosmic Connection: Play with the idea of correspondence, where events in one realm reflect events in another. Perhaps the movements of stars dictate the rise and fall of empires, or characters must learn to read cosmic signs to guide their journeys.

Mystical Experiences: Characters could undergo mystical experiences that reveal hidden knowledge or spiritual truths. These visions might guide them on their quests or challenge their understanding of reality.

Key Concepts in Esotericism

Hidden Knowledge (Occult Knowledge) At the heart of esotericism is the belief that hidden truths—often called occult knowledge—exist beneath the surface of everyday experience. This knowledge is believed to offer a deeper understanding of the cosmos, the divine, and the human soul. In many esoteric traditions, discovering this hidden knowledge requires initiation, meditation, or the study of sacred texts. Occult, from the Latin word occultus (meaning "hidden" or "secret"), often refers to knowledge or power that is beyond ordinary human understanding, reserved for those who are spiritually or intellectually prepared to access it.

Initiation and Secrecy Esoteric knowledge is often protected by initiation rites and secrecy. Only those deemed worthy or prepared are allowed to receive the teachings. These secret societies or schools of thought, such as the Freemasons, Rosicrucians, and Hermeticists, practice initiation rituals to induct new members into the more profound mysteries. This is why esotericism is often linked with mystery schools—institutions that taught spiritual and philosophical ideas in secret, using symbolism, ritual, and hidden meaning to communicate their teachings to those ready to understand them.

Correspondence and Analogy One of the guiding principles of esotericism is the idea of correspondence, the belief that everything in the universe is connected and that the microcosm reflects the macrocosm. This is best summarized in the Hermetic maxim: "As above, so below." This idea suggests that everything on the physical plane reflects a higher, spiritual reality, and by understanding one level of existence, we can gain insight into the others. For example, the movements of the planets (macrocosm) can correspond to events in an individual’s life (microcosm).

Alchemy and Transformation Alchemy is one of the most famous esoteric traditions, often misunderstood as simply the quest to turn base metals into gold. In reality, alchemy is a complex system of symbolic and spiritual transformation. The actual "gold" of alchemy is the purification and elevation of the soul. The alchemist seeks material and spiritual perfection through transmutation—breaking down impurities and refining elements. Esoteric alchemy draws on the idea of transforming the self through spiritual growth, much as the alchemist refines metals in the laboratory. This process of personal transformation is a central theme in many esoteric teachings

Astrology and Cosmic Influence Astrology plays a significant role in many esoteric systems, as it is believed that the planets and stars influence not only events on Earth but also the individual soul’s journey. In esoteric thought, astrology is not merely a tool for divination but a system for understanding how the universe influences human experience and consciousness. Esoteric astrology emphasizes the spiritual and psychological meanings behind planetary movements, helping individuals understand their soul's evolution and the lessons they are meant to learn in each incarnation.

Mystical Experience and Direct Revelation Unlike dogmatic religious systems that rely on external authorities (like sacred texts or clergy), esotericism often emphasizes personal mystical experience. The goal is to achieve gnosis, or direct knowledge of the divine, through contemplation, meditation, or other spiritual practices. Mystical experiences in esotericism are seen as moments of direct communion with the divine, allowing the individual to transcend the limitations of ordinary perception and access more profound truths about the nature of reality.

In the next post, we’ll delve into how different spiritual traditions worldwide interpret culture, from Hinduism and Buddhism to Western esoteric traditions like Gnosticism and Theosophy.

Esotericism as a Path to Hidden Truths

Esotericism invites both readers and characters to explore the hidden layers of existence, seeking deeper meaning in the universe and within themselves. Whether through the study of ancient symbols, the pursuit of personal transformation, or the unveiling of cosmic connections, esotericism offers a profound and mystical journey into the unknown.

For writers, it provides a rich framework for crafting stories that explore themystical, the hidden, and the transformative. Whether you’re designing secret societies, crafting magical systems, or delving into character development through spiritual awakening, esoteric concepts can give your narratives depth, intrigue, and a sense of the transcendent.

Esotericism teaches that reality is more than what we see, and by peeling back the layers, both characters and readers can discover truths that are often hidden in plain sight.

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dailyasiandramas · 2 months

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bethanythebogwitch · 3 months

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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.

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.

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.

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.

#promethean the created #chronicles of darkness #new world of darkness #world of darkness #ttrpg #tabletop rpg #zombie #frankenstein #frankenstein's monster #horror games #self discovery #character development #body horror #alchemy

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vv-ispy · 5 months

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anyway my other venti's history shaping how he is headcanon is that as a wisp he was rarely taken seriously — people are kind to him and will put faith in him due to his being an elemental being, but between a little wind wisp vs a storm god, the wisp isn't doing much they're in the middle of the archon war, great strong gods are getting struck down all the time. (Even later as a god he's seen as the weakest god, possibly the god with the unlikiest of origins out of a group who were gods and powerful being before reaching archonhood)

But the bard treats him not as a contender, not as a god candidate, not even as their hope to take down Decarabian but as a friend.

So he doesn't take himself seriously either, he knows he has the power now yes but habits remain and he doesn't want to be a tyrannt, and in the end the most impactful relationship in his life will always be the bard who treated him not for his role or his potential but as a friend to love and cherish and understand

#diona and venti's interaction during the alchemy event my beloved #local drunkard and alcohol lover is genuinely interested in why the kid? teen? --idk how old diona is-- hates alcohol #diona and her hatred of alcohol has probably also never been taken seriously in the alcohol city of mondstadt #vs venti 'i'll take you seriously i'm interested to know i'll keep you company and help you'#god i imagine the bard and venti had SO many talks and discussions as they grapple with the rebellion #and not just about the rebellion itself but the bard's dreams and troubles and each other and #and teenagehood being the 'developing an understanding of yourself and the world time' vs the micromanaged environment they grey up under #i think all of that influenced venti and his method of ruling a lot #genshin talk #one of my favourite fics also touches on venti-not-taken-seriously via a zhongven relationship kinda #angsty fic. very good #god killer on ao3 #gotta stuff bardven into the headcanon though the bard is the biggest influence in venti's early life imo

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momachan · 5 months

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"I don't understand! Nezha's been imprisioned for millenia! How does he even know who all this heroes and villians are? Or who else to conscript? Alfred, come in! I need you to check the batcomputer! See if anyone's accessed the Justice League servers! -I'm looking now, master Bruce. But I have to say... everything seems to be just as it should be."

Batman/Superman: World's Finest (2022) Vol. 1.

#dc comics #batman #superman #world's finest #batman/superman #the flash #wonder woman #bruce wayne #alfred pennyworth #clark kent #mirror master #dr. alchemy #green lantern #hal jordan #nezha

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starlit-eudemonia · 20 days

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so like the arcana, there’s definitely gonna be a masquerade in game right? lowkey I hope we do something in the realm of their interests for all the love interests.

#like I wanna bake with/for mhin; look at constellations (as a space enjoyer) and be info dumped on #or brawl with ais lowkey win or lose and learn in a foreign language with him #and spy vere’s collection of tea and explode a kitchen #^^ this is also times two for Kuras #but also learn abt their world’s alchemy and steal a book and nerd out with him abt it #Just cozy downtime activities outside of the probably action/thriller/horror packed fanwork #talking in the tags #and whatever my wife Sen likes 🥰#touchstarved musings

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hollowed-theory-hall · 5 months

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I adore your harry potter analyses! idk if you've already answered this, but do you have any theories on how the philosopher's stone actually works?

Thank you so much! 😊

So, there are multiple real-life Alchemy recipes to create the Philosohper's Stone. I'm not going to go through all of them since I believe the Philosopher's Stone in the world of Harry Potter isn’t identical to the real-world concept.

The actual Alchemical process of creating the stone itself is also one that transforms the Alchemist. To quote Paracelsus: "Yo will transmute nothing if you have not first transmuted yourself". So the process of making the Philosopher's Stone, in itself transforms the person making it into the perfected version of themselves and humanity. Because that is what the stone is — the most perfect, noble, and pure material there is

Now, let's see what we actually know about the Philosopher's Stone in HP? Because the stone Harry sees in the first book isn't necessarily the real thing, it could just as well be a fake, so I can't really count on it. I mean, if you had a Philosopher's Stone why would you keep it in a vault at Gringoots and not where you'd actually need it (the stone can make gold, so you could buy a vault at home)? And even worse, why would you let it be used for an obstacle course in a school?

The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Sorcerer’s Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal. There have been many reports of the Sorcerer’s Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight).

(PS, 159-160, from a library book Hermione reads. Also yeah it's the American edition)

So we know the stone should:

turn metal into gold

produce an elixir that makes the drinker immortal

Now, if we look at the immortality part, I want to discuss what kind of immortality. When I think of an Elixir of Life that cures every illness (as in the real-world concept), I expect the immortality caused by it to also keep the user young, essentially like Rapunzel's hair in Tangled. I mean, old age is the result of cells dying and not regenerating, so a cure-all elixir should be able to cure old age and keep you young and healthy. This would also explain why you need to continue drinking the elixir and not just drink it once to become immortal, since you constantly need to heal yourself from aging.

The only problem with that is that it doesn't really seem to be how the Elixir of Life works.

In the Fantastic Beasts movies, Nicolas Flamel is depicted as old, frail, and decrepit. Now, I don't really consider these movies canon, but the intention seemed to be this even in the first book:

“But that means he and his wife will die, won’t they?” “They have enough Elixir stored to set their affairs in order and then, yes, they will die.”

(PS, 213)

And it was stated on JKR's site before Half-Blood Prince came out that Flamel died before the summer of 1996. It means that the Flamels aren't healed of old age by the elixer, since they die the moment they stop drinking it. If it healed them of old age, it'll take them longer to age and die. So the elixir of life probably acts more similarly to unicorn blood, in that it extends your life, forcing you to remain alive, without actually healing you.

(Which makes me think that even if Voldemort got his hands on the Stone it wouldn't have really helped him)

If we assume Flamel didn't fake his death and the stone works similarly to unicorn blood as I illustrated above, we have a stone that can turn metals to gold and create an elixir that keeps you alive without actually healing you. With how similar the elixir is to unicorn blood and the fact unicorns are considered the purest of animals, like the stone for minerals, unicorn fowls are also colored gold... I think unicorn blood is an ingredient of the Philosopher's Stone in the Harry Potter universe.

In the real-world Alchemical recipes, gold, which is considered the purest noblest metal is one of the ingredients to create the Philosopher's Stone in all the recipes I read. The process of creating the stone then releases and amplifies the powers and purity of the gold into the stone created from it. So, I think, in the HP world, the process is similar, starting from the two most noble and pure ingredients — gold and unicorn blood — and then amplifying them in the process of making the stone.

In Alchemy like in the magic of Harry Potter, intent and intention are just as important as the incantation you recite. So blood taken by force from a unicorn wouldn't work, it's tainted, it isn't noble or pure in the way it was received, so it won't work to create a stone. I think the blood needs to be given from a living unicorn willingly, which I don't think is common. Also, it shouldn't be given just to anyone, if you say buy willingly given unicorn blood, you still won't be able to make a stone out of it. Because the blood wasn't given to you to use. It's all about the intention, I think.

Beyond these two ingredients, it would probably follow a similar recipe to one of the real-world ones. Specifically, the recipe written by the real Nicholas Flamel and is actually referred to as "The Flamel way".

(This method is also called "Star Regulus of Antimony")

There are two ways to create a Philosopher's Stone in this method, but I'm choosing the one that fits with unicorn blood best. Basically, the process is to create a purified spirit of antimony (this is the regulus of antimony), said antimony will be united with gold through long digestion in a closed container with an alkahest (an alkahest is a solvent). In the original recipe this solvent is based on urine, in the HP version it'll be an alkahest made from willingly given unicorn blood. This stone would go through the three stages of color that almost all methods to create the Philosopher's Stone illustrate: black to white, and finally to red.

In the original recipe, the alkahest is referred to as "mercury" (spirit), or the "secret fire", both words that refer to life and the concept of life in Alchemy. So unicorn blood fits well as the life-giving alkahest in the process of creating the Philosopher's Stone.

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