#you can interpret this as just the game or the creatures themselves

[ghostxboii]

I think Laois Touden would love bugsnax truly

[dokidokitsuna]

Tragic Sky

(very long salty rant ahead (+new Alterna backstory, though! ^^;))

So I've always thought Alterna’s backstory, despite being presented as a grand mystery that’s definitely worth fighting through 90% of the missions to uncover in its entirety…was kinda stupid. :/ I’m all for humanity destroying itself for ridiculous reasons, but trying to launch a rocket in an enclosed space?? Are you serious…? o_O How could the Alternans devote such immense amounts of time and energy to something like that without once thinking, “hey, uh…burning metric tons of high-energy fuel inside of our flammable safety dome might be a little unsafe, idk”.

And it shouldn’t even have been necessary! DX I mean, if they were able to build a dome like that in the first place, wouldn’t they have some sort of scaffolding or elevator system they could use to reach the top and just literally climb out if they wanted to leave that badly?? Had Alterna existed for so long that the technology used to create it was lost to time (seeing as it’s implied that Alterna was destroyed by its SECOND generation, I doubt it)...?? Or, did the writers suddenly realize that coming up with pseudo-scientific lore that explains why inkfishes resemble humanity is wholly unnecessary and adds nothing to the themes of Splatoon…but it was too late to rework the concept, so they just finished off the story with whatever-the-heck and called it a day. ¯_(ツ)_/¯ I guess we’ll never know...

Anyway, my version of Alterna’s backstory starts with a similar premise: humans invented crystal thingies that can manifest people’s desires and whatnot…but this alone caused conflict that eventually doomed Alterna. People began to make their own interpretations of other people’s desires, judging and condemning them for how they manifested. They began treating the crystals’ reflections as compulsory measures of morality and worth, rather than simple expressions of the human heart that exist outside of a good/bad binary. Alterna’s leaders envisioned themselves creating a society of ‘pure truth’, free from the destructive power of deceit and subterfuge…all the while ignoring the destructive power of paranoia and exclusion that they immersed themselves in.

Exclusion escalated to oppression, which eventually spawned rebellion: plans were made to create a rocket that would allow a select group of ‘undesirables’ to escape Alterna for the surface world, destroying the integrity of their safe haven in the process. Despite not knowing what was waiting for them out there, they were willing to take the risk in the name of freedom. Eventually, this secret plan was revealed to the public, resulting in Alterna’s first and last civil war. As the Alternans began to fight and kill each other, the crystals were overwhelmed with the unprecedented ferocity of their clashing desires-- “a violent and terrible chain reaction ensued”, and the energy within them exploded outward. The sky dome, still filled with the beautiful blue of the peoples’ wishes for peace and happiness, came crumbling down, raining fire and shrapnel upon Alterna. The still-poisoned air of the outside world flowed freely into the cavern, ensuring the eventual death of anyone who might have survived.

…Then the crystals fell in the ocean, the sea creatures were imbued with human hopes and dreams, yadda yadda, all that’s basically the same as the canon too. And although I still think it’s unneeded (the mere concept of a bygone humanity in Splatoon carries plenty of weight without all this “lore”, imo), at least now the story isn’t stupid!

It speaks to the way humans actually treat each other, and blames their downfall on their long-established bad habits of cruelty and callousness, rather than morally-neutral traits like ambition and pursuit of the unknown (I would never have expected “curiosity killed the cat” as the lesson of the day from Splatoon, of all franchises. o_O This IS the same game that celebrates individual expression and forging your own path, right…?)

Anyway…I’m gonna be using elements of this rewritten backstory and the theme of “manifesting desires” to flesh out the final boss encounter and Agent 3’s subtle character arc. So please look forward to that~

[strangecloud]

I want to talk about part of the subtext of Ocarina of Time that I don't see mentioned too much.

Obviously the main theme of Ocarina is growing up, right? It's pretty clear that playing as a character who time-travels into the future as an adult version of himself evokes this concept. What I find interesting is how it's executed, and how this theme is expanded to make a point about growing instead.

It's no coincidence that the world of childhood is a stark contrast to the adult world in Ocarina. Young Link lives in an idyllic village in the woods, with fairies and other creatures of whimsy under the watchful eye of a tree deity, which can be interpreted to represent some kind of ancestral or parental figure. The "family tree" metaphor taken literally.

The adult world on the other hand, is very bleak. The very first thing we see as we leave our gateway into this time period is a city in ruins, with harsh winds blowing as an ominous mountain in the distance emits a frightening halo of fire. The undead swarm the city streets and the previously glorious castle is now demonic and evil.

This is obviously very deliberate, and anyone who has been through the process of maturing into adulthood will find this oddly relatable.

It's very easy to perceive the ugliness of the world as an adult. Youth is oftentimes sheltered, and our parents and relatives try their best to shield us from the evil and darkness of the world. Even as they explain to us complicated concepts like death, crime and conflict, among others, our tiny minds aren't exactly fit to grasp these things intuitively, and we default to ignorance.

These things become frighteningly real at some point or another. Eventually, the fantasy of childhood cracks. Some event or circumstance, or maybe time itself if we're lucky, makes the ugly world of adulthood known. I personally really struggle with this, and I find it easy to get lost with how hopeless everything seems. Just like the adult world in Ocarina.

I think the biggest mercy in the story of Ocarina is that Link is given a second chance at childhood. Not so much for his sake, but for the player's. Most people who played Ocarina of Time back in the day were likely young themselves, and I believe the game is meant as a warning, or a lesson.

It aims to give you the tools you need to persevere through all the hopelessness and evil in the world, and to find your way through it. Ocarina can be a deeply frightening game, but the point of scaring you isn't for cheap thrills. It wants you to grow, to master yourself and to not give in to panic even when faced with the worst the game, and the world, can throw at you.

I think everyone should play this game at least once, especially while they're young. It can be a great help in making sense of adulthood and will undoubtedly make you a more mature person for it.

[yellow-yarrow]

did you know that the Insulandian Phasmid quotes from the bible? I got curious if looking at the context of the bible quote would add anything to the interpretation of this scene, and maybe there are some parallels. Meeting the phasmid is like a revelation, just like how in that part of the bible god talks to Isaiah. (I can't belive im reading the bible out of all things for a video game lmao. god damn it.) yeah yeah maybe it's not supposed to mean anything other than the phasmid loves this world but it can be fun to look into it. maybe it is that deep

think of this as more of a web weaving post

You - I exist too. Insulindian Phasmid - Tell me what it's like for you. You - It's *wunderbar*. Insulindian Phasmid - Yes, holy is the lord of hosts. And all the Earth is filled with his glory.

Isaiah 6 BSB

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robea filled the temple.

Encyclopedia - (..)An Innocence is a continuous, compressed event, a sacred human being. It is an honour and a glory to live when one is in office. You - Is one in office now? Encyclopedia - No. We are alone.

Insulindian Phasmid - You are a violent and irrepressible miracle. The vacuum of cosmos and the stars burning in it are afraid of you. Given enough time you would wipe us all out and replace us with nothing -- just by accident. (...) You - Have I always thought this way? Insulindian Phasmid - No -- you're only thinking it *now*. This is a revelation.

Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling out to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook, and the temple was filled with smoke.

In Hebrew, the word saraph means "burning"

Insulindian Phasmid - Tell me what it's like for you. You - Fire, burning.

Insulindian Phasmid - You were right. Little bubbles form on the mouthparts of the creature -- on its segmented lower lip. It looks to be foaming, slowly. The foam is white, then yellowish... Perception (Smell) - The faintest smell, like you've never felt before. Like burnt roses.

Insulindian Phasmid - The foam slowly turns a darker shade, like burnt caramel -- as the insect moves its mouthparts, masticating. The little bubbles begin to burst, one by one... Perception (Smell) - Letting out that same smell, like summer burning.

Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.” (..)

The Deserter - "I've seen the *real world*. In '06. The flags unfolding. Young people marching, being kind to each other. They dreamt of a million years in the stars. This here..." He looks down at the ashes. "Is pale in waiting."

The Deserter - "Straight to Yekokataa for this old revisionist." He gives you a little nod. "At last -- atonement for my sins: revisionism, reactionary ideation, desertion..."

The Deserter - "The material base for an uprising has eroded." He nods and blinks his black eyes. "The working class has betrayed mankind and themselves..."

(? maybe? idk.)

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And with it he touched my mouth and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.”

maybe this one is a stretch (like the others too lol)

You - Lick your finger. Interfacing - It tastes like... sugar. Very faint. The arthropod towers above you, tufts of reeds pointing from limb and head alike. Perception (Taste) - Odourless, mostly comprised of water.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for Us?” And I said: “Here am I. Send me!” And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” Then I asked: “How long, O Lord?” And He replied: “Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left unoccupied and the land is desolate and ravaged, until the LORD has driven men far away and the land is utterly forsaken. And though a tenth remains in the land, it will be burned again. As the terebinth and oak leave stumps when felled, so the holy seed will be a stump in the land.”

Insulindian Phasmid - Everything your eyes touch goes back there -- behind the nerve mirror. What if you blink? Are we still here? (Please don't blink). What if you misplace us all one day -- or just forget? You - Have I always thought this way? Insulindian Phasmid - No -- you're only thinking it *now*. This is a revelation. You - This is the Gloaming I've been waiting for. Ever since I woke up in the hotel room.

Man with Sunglasses - "About *what?* You don't look like a cop..." He inspects you. "You know what you look like?" You - "Like a prophet?" Man with Sunglasses - "Not the prophet shit again..." He looks away.

Evrart Claire - "It says..." He looks in the folder. "Oh yes... very interesting. It says you're more like a mad prophet than a cop. Always rambling about the end of the world... I'm sure these stories are exaggerated."

Cop of the apocalypse (early version from the game files):

or perhaps

Rhetoric - You -- against the atom, the charm and the spin. Where the whole world failed -- matter failed to bend to human will; human will failed to get out of bed and tie its laces -- you alone, single-handedly, will rebuild the dreams of the working class. You are The Last Communist.

well regardless, the quote is another instance of christian symbolism in elysium

[mswyrr]

THG is the only pop culture story I can think of where the heroes (Katniss and Peeta) are disabled* and their happy ending doesn't require that they be "fixed" in order to be happy. IMO, part of why there's such controversy over the ending of the books in particular is that Collins wrote the pov of Katniss as a woman who is content and loves her life and her spouse and kids, but she's still very clearly mentally ill (and arguably somewhere on the spectrum). She has coping strategies and her life is good, but she will never be "normal" and Collins doesn't let the audience think that.

The one part, where she talks about how she handles the darker days, when she's really struggling, never fails to move me:

I’ll tell them that on bad mornings, it feels impossible to take pleasure in anything because I’m afraid it could be taken away. That’s when I make a list in my head of every act of goodness I’ve seen someone do. It’s like a game. Repetitive. Even a little tedious after more than twenty years. But there are much worse games to play. (Mockingjay, 332)

It's hard to express how important that is to me. Someone doesn't have to be "normal" to lead a good life. Someone doesn't have to be "normal" to have a life worth living, to give and receive love in good ways.

And, so, when people look at the villain in the prequel and say "he's just crazy, that's why he's evil. He's just a psycho, he's nuts," it's so out of place, it's so dissonant to me -- I think that's absolutely not the kind of story Collins would tell, given her prior handling of disability.

I don't think she's suddenly turned into a Victorian writer where you can know someone is evil because they're disabled because the writer thinks disabled people are warped creatures incapable of doing anything but bringing evil into the world. And the way people assert this, as if it's the pure, wholesome, most politically advanced reading of the prequel, is just - it doesn't compute for me. I don't understand how people get there.

I studied (for years) the treatment of mentally ill people in the mid-20th Century US. It was horrific. US forced sterilization and eugenics laws actually inspired N/azi Germany's forced sterilization, eugenics, and mass murder campaigns against mentally ill and disabled people. Nice, normal people have repeatedly convinced themselves that torturing and killing disabled people is how they will "purify" their society - they've done great evil in the name of rooting out the people evil is supposedly located within biologically.

Is it so hard to believe that people with normal brains do evil? Is it truly so impossible? Even in a story where the Games are about how a lot of people, the majority of whom are neurotypical, can be brought, via media presentation and entertainment techniques, into taking pleasure in their participation in evil? It's so hard to fathom that evil can't simply be located in someone being "psycho"?

Ballad already has Dr Gaul, who is evil and clearly neurodivergent. If Snow is too then the message starts to get kind of worrying? IMO, Coriolanus is more effective as a kind of “everyman” as an 18 year old - an example of the incentive structures (rewards and punishments) and propaganda that motivate “normal” people to go along. Of course, he will later become something far worse than that, someone who takes control of this thing, who uses his intimate knowledge of it and his insight into other “normal” people to make it worse, but that’s not the part of his life we see the most of. The part the book focuses on provides what I consider a powerful depiction of how ordinary people are acculturated into corrupt societies.

It's fiction so there's all kinds of interpretations that the text can support and exploring those is good. It's a stronger text because it has ambiguities and can be interpreted more than one way. But the intensity of some of the rhetoric is an unsettling contrast to what I've thought, for over a decade, Collins' themes and pov are as a writer.

*Shame on the films for removing Peeta's physical disability, though; in the books he lost a leg during their first Games

[satureja13]

Jack dragged Sai over to his and Kiyoshi's quarters to distract him from his misery - with some games. Skully: "Yes! Slay them into bloody pieces!" And he began to sing growl 'Swing of the Axe' by Power Trip... 'Go on and look at you - today's your lucky day The executioner's here And he's ready to make you pay

Swing of the axe, Swing of the axe Cry all you want, but the blade soars today Swing of the axe, Swing of the axe' "

Sai: "That's a bowling game, Skully..." Skully: "Then put some more effort in it!" Saiwa sighed. But everything is better than mulling over Jeb and their doomed sex life. Even hanging out with Skully. Where does he get those songs from anyway? ö.ö

And then Noxee called! Jack's eyes lit up. He loves Noxee since he first laid eyes on her. And he might have told her how much he's worried about Sai. Sai was so happy to see her. She surely would have some good tips for him. Noxee tamed Greg. She's the Queen of giving relationship advice.

Noxee looked at broken Sai: "Oh honey. That's not how I know you. I didn't raise you like that." Sai just wanted to start rambling about Jeb's revelation and how he's never going to lose his virginity, when Noxee interrupted. Noxee: "Babies. I'd love to chat with you but I have to take Greg to the hospital wing." Sai: "Gods! Did he get into a fight again? Is he severely hurt?" Noxee: "No, no he isn't. Just a physical inspection. A little strip search. A thorough body check. If you know what I mean? *She winked twice - and Greg, in the background, was just standing there, grinning stupidly in anticipation* And then some physiotherapy for this hardened muscle. A proper roleplay never hurt anyone ^^' Love you - bye!"

Well that was disappointing. As always... Sai grumbled: "Noxee didn't raise us at all." Jack: "Oh, I think she has. You don't have to be around someone for years to get an impact from them. And I think she did also gave us some valueable advice." Sai: "How so? She didn't say anything about me and Jeb." Jack: "Just you wait and see. She already showed us that a relationship can work, even under worst conditions, hm?" And Jack tugged Sai along - over to the Security Office, where the latest subscription box from 'Ye Olde Magick Shoppe' waited to be unboxed by curious creatures. Sai: "I don't think Noxee said anything about this?"

Jack: "You are just too deep in your despair to interpret it right. Noxee mentioned role play. And with what do you play with? With toys!" Sai: "I don't think Jeb will let me use them. He'll think they'd hurt me too..." Jack: "That's when her second advice falls in. The pysiotherapy. We've been practising yoga, meditation and tantra for so many months now, it's about time to yield the large crop! And get some profits from it." Sai: "Omg Jack! You and your wild brain. I don't think this was was Noxee had in mind." Jack, who hates Greg: "The only thing she has in mind is that mangily werewolf! We have to work with what we've got." Sai: "But how is that even supposed to help me getting woohooed by Jeb?" Jack: "That's easy. You are starting to play with those toys, some of them look exactly Jeb's size. And you also still have the wand from Kiyoshi. Just go slow and use lots of polish. Simultaneously, you start your one-on-one tantra practise with Jeb. Both of you should leave your ego - and everything else - behind and just focus on the moment - and your bliss. And after a few days - in the right moment - take the toy out and Jeb in - and it won't hurt a bit. And yes, you can thank me later, when you've seen the stars - all of them." And poor Sai is desperate enough to not chase Jack around the ship but to listen to his mad theories. Yes, things already have come this far.

And while Jack stuffs Sai's poor, suffering brain with his nonsense, Vlad and Ji Ho admire the new cargo bay. Jeb and Jack had turned it into a little green paradise for the Little Ones and for themselves. It will be nice and calming to hang out here. Since they aren't able to just walk around in the open air as long as they travel through space.

Ji Ho: "Let's pick our food and eat on the blanket?" Vlad, who'd promised Jack to be more approachable: "Eh - sure."

Jack told them just a few minutes ago he'd already set the table for them with their meals in the Crew Mess. But when they entered, their plates were empty. Someone ate their food. And it even looks like the plates had been licked clean. What the hell?

A little later, when Jeb and Kiyoshi finished their shift at the bridge, they built a - hopefully - secure container for the meteorites. The glow effects even intesified with time... They weren't able to measure any harmful radiants, so they just hope it's safe enough until they have time to research further. After they'd finished, it was upon Kiyoshi to distract poor Jeb from his misery. Well, Kiyoshi has decades of experience in not woohooing Jack...

From the Beginning 🔱 Underwater Love 🔱 Latest

Current Chapter: starts ▶️ here Last Chapter: 'Here comes the Sun' from the beginning ▶️ here

📚 Previous Chapters: Chapters: 1-6 ~ 7-12 ~ 13-16 ~ 23-29

Outtakes

Meteorites going crazy

[robinnsblog]

✨Who did it?✨

Or, as an alternate title:

I can’t believe I have to play Devil’s Advocate for Ozzy…

Yes, your honor, he did haunt Elise until she passed away, ruined Roman’s life as collateral, sort of kidnapped Henri and almost murdered Goldia. I can’t deny that he is, in fact, the main villain in Pocket Mirror and sole responsible for the events in that game.

However!

In Little Goody Two Shoes, he isn’t the only schemer behind the scenes. Our second player is Walpurga — and I don’t think we’re giving her enough credit. It’s easy to misjudge her as a secondary threat in Elise’s path when, actually, she’s the main instigator.

I dare to say that she’s even the one to start it all, the one who led Elise to her eventual downfall! Ozzy just took the merit after she was out of the picture.

But before I go through the events of the game, let’s review what some characters have to say, in special when it comes to the lore. We’re going to be judging…

… their credibility.

Our dear Rozenmarine here is talking about Ozzy by the way, and we have already established that he is, in no shape or form, a benevolent entity. Nonetheless, she’s the most truthful character towards Elise: she even warns her of the heavy price she’ll have to pay for her wish. Not even Walpurga, who is the first one to mention all of this information, alludes to such a thing; in fact, she even outright lies about it when she says that the Gifts will be “all that’s requested in return”.

The other character that gives the most exposition is Father Hans, and like Rozenmarine and Walpurga before him, we have to take his words and judgement with a grain of salt — in special when it comes to Walpurga and her sanctification.

Case in point: if a witch is a human woman and Walpurga is the consciousness of the woodland surrounding Kieferberg, can we truly call Walpurga a witch? Or is a human woman a forest now?

Despite the flaws in his logic, Father Hans doesn’t question much the nature of what he’s trying to summon and when he does, briefly worrying about the possibility of Walpurga being a demonic entity masquerading as a witch, he foolishly believes he’ll be able to take care of it. If you’re aware of one of the endings, you know how well that went.

His judgement, therefore, cannot be trusted.

On one hand, the demons themselves refer to Walpurga as a witch as well — and it’s likely they know more about this than our two faced priest. On the other, they also don’t hide their contempt by calling her creature and wretched thing, so it’s just as probable they’re insulting her and refusing to respect her as a fellow “patron saint”.

Meanwhile, in one bad ending, Rozenmarine is way more respectful and names her “old god”…

Either way, my previous statement about Father Hans still stands. However, does that make the demons a more trustworthy source of information? Several characters —mostly Golden Maidens and Walpurga, who has ulterior motives— disuade Elise from listening to them, and to tell the truth, they don’t reveal much about themselves or their reasons to not raise suspicion. In a twist of irony though, they do reveal the deceit of others more than being deceitful themselves: it’s Murim who points out Walpurga disguising herself as Rozenmarine and being the actual culprit behind the horses and Apfel’s disappearance, after all. And it’s also Ozzy who lets Elise know that Walpurga had been misleading her from the very start — although far too late, at the very end: “You’re yet to pay for what you truly desire! That witch made you think otherwise, did she?”

In conclusion, we can’t take what they say at face value — or at least, not all of it. Still, they do offer important insight into the lore if you know who and what to believe.

An interesting bit I want to highlight and that gives a different interpretation of the game is related to Walpurga’s true identity: if she isn’t a witch, but a being similar to Ozzy and his Marquises, her inactivity during the 18 years Elise was alive could be linked to the need of a witch of her own, since they act as a sort of medium between realms.

Although that raises the question: who could be Walpurga’s witch? Let’s review the story from the beginning first.

Around the time of Elise’s birth, in a far away place, Rozenmarine and her dreams of fate were born as well, while one of the last remnants of Walpurga’s cult was being burnt at the stake — that, instead of Elise being conceived, might have been what truly weakened Walpurga.

Later, during their pilgrimage, her granny taught Rozenmarine everything she knew, including Ozzy’s folk tale. Like His name being lost to time, the reason his story was spread about in Rozenmarine’s coven could also had been forgotten; Elise did mention it sounded like a cautionary tale and perhaps, it originally had been — do demons like competition, I wonder.

As previously said, Elise’s genesis had fascinated Walpurga. She wanted back what was taken from her and also recreate what Ozzy had done that day to no avail. No matter how much that ate at her, in 18 years, she didn’t target Elise yet.

Not even Father Hans, perturbed by Granny Holle’s dead bed confession 10 years ago, acted upon his suspicions until both demons and Walpurga made themselves known in town. Or maybe he did, if Elise saying she felt ostracized after her granny passed away is anything to go by.

It’s when Rozenmarine reached Kieferberg, when everything happened all at once again: she met Flocke and her fateful dreams stopped; Elise got attacked by roots in her own home, but never again, and she dreamt of Ozzy’s realm even before getting the shoes; and a windstorm hir town, stirring Father Hans into action, believing it was the result of Granny Holle’s pact with the demons years ago.

Suddenly, everybody had a bone to pick with Elise. What changed? Rozenmarine.

This scene here is what makes me think Rozenmarine is Walpurga’s witch. In the bad endings where Walpurga kills and possesses Elise, she does so by impaling her with roots or branches like the ones that appear here. Not to mention, it all occurs next to a St. Walpurga’s statue, like it were a macabre foreshadowing of her involvement in the plot. If she could always have done an attack such as this, why then and not before? Elise had been alone for years, living in a house far away from town — nobody would have heard her scream for help. It’s, however, easily explained if Walpurga required of an intermediary to physically manifest.

The curious thing is, like I mentioned earlier, that it doesn’t happen again. For some reason, Walpurga doesn’t get a second chance to attack Elise within her own home. Coincidentally —or not—, in the next morning, we are introduced to Flocke, who mostly stays around the house with Rozenmarine.

That incident, and Rozenmarine’s dreams about fate coming to an end, I believe are related to Flocke’s presence. It would be in Ozzy’s best interest, if Rozenmarine was supposed to aid Walpurga, that she were to be as much confused as possible about her true purpose in Kieferberg — lo and behold, depending on the ending, she has a different idea about what that purpose was.

Thus far, we have a back and forth between Ozzy and Walpurga, and it keeps going: unable to go after Elise directly and following the demon making his move to snatch her first —the shoes—, Walpurga lures the girl into venturing the woodland by telling her about the Gifts.

You’ll think that Ozzy would be pleased with the idea, after all, it played in his favor. But, judging by this mysterious line of his: “Although you didn’t quite need them (the Gifts), did you?” And the look he gives Elise after she returned with the basket, maybe things weren’t going according to plan at all.

This is going to be pure speculation, however, it’s undeniable that Elise and Henri have certain parallelisms between them: their isolation and desire to escape it. Perhaps it goes further than that and Henri’s fate was supposed to be Elise’s as well: I don’t think he had to go through the Trials or sacrifice The Good Company, after all, he wouldn’t have followed her mother’s footsteps had there been someone in his life to alleviate his solitude, and it’s highly doubtful Elise would have told him about the Gifts to begin with. Like Henri, maybe she would have died in her sleep after the deal was sealed and she gave her name as payment, becoming Ozzy’s new loyal servant.

Furthermore, it could be possible that Ozzy only asked for her first born to spite Walpurga, who had been a sore thorn in his side through the whole game. Failing to procure Elise, she lost her only chance to become a woman and bear life in her womb, so what better way to twist the knife than to ask for a child with the sole intention of eating it? Because then, I don’t know how to explain the presence of the moths in the bad endings where he wins otherwise: did Ozzy kill Walpurga offscreen and steal her familiars? Maybe so.

As I said, it’s pure speculation, like Ozzy slowly grooming Henri into a demon, treating his name the same they do their own —with mystery— and giving him duties that eerily resemble what Murim and Aziel are tasked to do. So, in other words, let’s get back in track.

Before Murim was sent to meet Elise, Walpurga had kept herself busy with Eugen’s horses. We later find one, twisted into an enormous monstrosity —inspired by Mari Lwyd, maybe?—, which attacks Elise. It could have been Murim’s doing, however, he had already given Elise the Testament, meaning she had passed the Trial and was free to leave — like in Aziel’s domain. Not only that, the monster only appeared after the reason our heroine stayed —a disguised Walpurga—, finished her creepy monologue.

Walpurga apparently had something to gain if Elise died within the woodland, or else she wouldn’t have forced her back in Murim’s grove to rescue Apfel. In this second incursion, she also made an interesting revelation that supports this theory.

She always wanted the Gifts for herself — like Rozenmarine had explained at the start of the game, they represented Elise’s whole being. If she were to get her hands on the Tender Flesh, she gets Elise’s body; if she gets the Sweetest Nectar, Elise’s blood; and if she gets the Good Company, Elise’s love. And it illustrates so wonderfully why the endings happen the way they happen: if the Tender Flesh and/or Sweetest Nectar are offered, she can’t possess Elise and would rather she died in a pyre or have her turned into a tree; if the three Gifts are correctly offered, Elise is untouchable, the parts representing her under the protection of demonic sigils; and if Elise failed to offer any Gift, because they’re on her person one way or another, Walpurga gets to wear her like a costume.

Why the demons would do nothing after technically being offered and accepting the Gifts in the good endings, is a mystery on its own. Perhaps the commitment they were all on about, was the commitment to love? That brings us to Aziel’s grove and all of its mixed messages.

The next morning Elise rescued Apfel, Flocke can be witnessed throwing a tantrum and promptly leaving — Ozzy obviously displeased with Walpurga interfering so brazenly. The back and forth between the two beings never stops, even if Walpurga makes no further appearances —thanks to Aziel— other than in the endings and those branch attacks inside of Ozzy’s realm which, judging by his sigil after they have already crossed the portals, perhaps he’s trying to dispel instead of summon — the mist is also suspicious, being almost identical to that which follows the moths.

While in her domain, Aziel kept insisting to Elise that she should indulge and dive deeper into her desires, while pointing out that she has yet to discover what they are. It might be a red herring, but after Elise had confessed her wish to the old hag in the beginning of the game, Rozenmarine warned her with urgency that she shouldn’t disclose it to anyone. We’ve got to remember that one of Father Hans’s documents also describes how the woodland —Walpurga— harbored people’s wills, wishes, desires and sins in the past. Was Aziel trying to make our heroine know that her desire had been tampered with? Truth be told, Elise seems to yearn leaving Kieferberg more than riches, giving weak excuses as to why she doesn’t: “… if only it was that easy.” It is, in fact, since in the good endings she just does that. So, it could be possible.

The mixed messages, however, made themselves present during Aziel’s boss fight. After encouraging Elise to pursue her wish until then, Aziel asked to be shown how much Elise cares for her love interest. And if that wasn’t enough, she one-hit kills her if her answers didn’t prioritize her paramour —heavily foreshadowing the requirements for the good endings— while giving her this quote:

“Rather self-serving, aren’t you? You’re not worth my time, let alone His!”

Recalling the scene with the Golden Maidens, you can’t make me believe that some of them truly loved anyone in their lives, lest pass this Aziel’s test. Like, between the three first Golden Girls, who was supposed to be The Good Company: the one being murdered or the one thrown under the bus? The main one fitted the self-serving moniker perfectly and yet, Ozzy was to await for her in his banquet.

The fact that Ozzy would allow the Golden Maidens prowl around and warn Elise left and right is suspect as well. In his defense, he does say that they’re hard to tame.

Did the demons want Elise to succeed? Or perhaps they were quite content with Walpurga losing. If it’s the former, what a plot twist!

Nonetheless, I believe we have answered the original question quite well: who did it? The one who kickstarts the whole conflict is Ozzy, being responsible for Elise’s very existence to begin with, but the one who actually makes the first move to snatch our gal and keeps the pace of the game is Walpurga. Father Hans is also there, aiding Walpurga by ruining people’s livelihoods, when the demons only pulled what amounted to pranks in comparison — crows standing around menacingly and stealing some grain, and floods that caused no lasting damage.

🦋Still, I hope you enjoyed my descent to insanity and that you now appreciate Walpurga as the proactive villainess she is — not everything was Ozzy’s fault, even if he would love you to think so.🦋

[winters-rose-daughterofcain]

Part 2 of Everlark and their parents lets go Peeta your turn now.

Now this one is harder. We know very little explicit information about Peeta's family so a lot of this will be inference and my own personal interpretation of the family and their dynamic based on what we do see, what we don't see, and the way Peeta acts, so if you disagree with me that's all good lol.

So first, Peeta grew up in an absuive household. That's not a debate that's explicitly canon. Him mother not only hits him, implied to be with something, but also calls him a worthless creature when he burns the bread for Katniss. No matter that circumstance that is not how you treat your eleven year old child, that is not how you treat any child period, and this clearly isn't a one off or first time. Even though we personally see very little of the abuse on page, I at least think its impact of Peeta is very clear.

This boy has abysmal self esteem, when he discovers Katniss and Haymich have hidden things from him again he feels as if they view him as weak and stupid and too dumb to get it, that's the automatic assumption even though we know that's so far from the truth it's laughable. But for a child that grew up being consistently insulted and belittled it's not that far of a jump to make.

His ability to lie, also I think is relevant here. That kind of ability with words doesn't come from nowhere, that doesn't just happen that's something practiced. A theme with Katniss and Peeta's talents throughout the trilogy is that even the things they are good at and that help them were born from necessity. Katniss is so good with a bow and practical survival skills because she had to be, because even though she grew to love hunting, she and her family would have died without it. Peeta's skill with art comes from working at the bakery it comes from years worth or practise and labor he put in as a child, and I think his ability to lie, manipulate, mask his true feelings and talk his way though things stems from a similar place. His mother is called 'the witch' colloquially, we see she clearly has a temper and resorts to violence and insults quickly. A lot of children who grow up in abuse grow to be very charming, they learn how to lie and manipulate the situation to get themselves out of trouble and to keep themselves and potentially their siblings safe. At least to me Peeta's unmatched ability to impact and morph a situation with just his words could very easily be linked back to his childhood. We all love that Peeta is such a good manipulator but only ever uses it for good, and I think this is partially why, because he doesn't even want to be necessarily, it was a skill born for survival. His mothers cruelty is also shown very much to not be reserved purely for him, she chases starving children away from their empty bins, speaks awfully about the seam and the people from it.

His father is a complicated man. he clearly dose have love for Peeta and is shown many times to be a kind man at his core. But he is passive. He may bring Katniss cookies and make generous trades, he may have been the one to impart that inherent kindness we see in him onto Peeta, and may have been the only safe adult in the house, but he is passive. We don't know the extent of how much he steps in when his wife starts acting out, but from what we can see of her effect of Peeta clearly not enough. He also doesn't come to live with him after the games, none of them do. And while I understand practically that might not be the most reasonable situation, a newly disabled, traumatised sixteen year old boy was still left to live alone. His family may have visited often, they still talk we see him going to dinner with them, but I think their lack of mention speaks more than anything else here.

The relationship between his parents was also not exactly the best model to grow up observing. When he is five years old his dad tells Peeta is was in love with another woman, he points out her child to him, explains how he lost her. There is no addendum of how much he loves his mother now, how it was in the past. Peeta grew up with parents he was acutely aware did not love each other and from what we see and here, don't even pretend to act like it.

Now how dose this relate to Katniss. This first part is more my own speculation so ignore me if you disagree, but Katniss in the first games mentions Peeta doing certain things with her she remembers her parents doing, and wondering where he learnt it from, thinking surely not his own parents. And I think she's right, I think he learnt it from hers. Peeta is observant, I think after his father pointed out Katniss and her mother he payed attention, not just to Katniss but to her parents as well. I think he was a little fascinated by this family, these parents who clearly adore each other these children with skin clear of bruises who have never been made to feel like nothing from there parents who clearly think the world of them. There was six years from when Peeta noticed her to Mr Everdeens death, that's six years for him to observe this family and their love. Not obsessively, not even knowingly, but I think it happened. I think the Everdeens weren't just Katniss's reference for a relationship but Peeta's as well. I don't think she was the only one drawing comparisons, even if he didn't completely realise what he was doing.

(Additional evidence for this pointed out by @intellectual-punk in Mockingjay Haymitch tells Katniss the doctors showed Peeta the propo of her singing The Hanging Tree and he recognized the song and Katniss says she doesn’t know how he could as he never heard her sing it. Haymitch says he remembers her father singing it as their fathers traded. Peeta hasn't heard this song since he was 11, he’s 17 at the time of remembering it. So for him to remembering it after so long after last hearing it and clearly not hearing it around the house we can imagine that her father must have sang it near every time the two men traded and that Peeta was either specifically listening to his singing as he knows from his father that that is how Mr Everdeen won over Mrs Everdeen or he was just generally paying attention to the man either on his own or in relation to Katniss.)*Found in notes {Thank you so much for this}

I also think, going back to people seeking out the familiar, that Katniss reminded him in certain ways of his father. They're both quiet, both people associated with providing food in one way or another. I think he see's her in the way that while they both clearly love him, they both struggle to show him, leaving him to question it for a long time. But where his father fails to protect him, Katniss doesn't. Katniss doesn't have his fathers passivity, far from it, Katniss Everdeen is anything but passive. She actively works to protect him and others, she speaks out loudly when she finds something wrong, she still has that kindness, but it never gets in the way of what's necessary.

This is also where I see his mother come in, I think he dose see some similarities there. In their tempter, in the sharp way they can use their words, in the way she underestimates him in the beginning and even hurts him on occasion, shoving him into the vase (I think?) and cutting his hands after the first interview. But in so many ways Katniss is the opposite. Peeta may have developed a crush because of her voice, but he falls in love because of the way she helps people, because he knows her intrinsically and intrinsically Katniss is someone who cares. He always comments on her healing ability, even if she finds it lacking it's clearly something he loves about her, hands that heal instead of hurt. His mother was cruel to everyone especially those less fortunate, meanwhile Katniss would give everything on her to those who need it more. He see's the similarities yes, and unconsciously that familiarity might be a small drive towards her, but ultimately he loves Katniss for the ways in which she is different from his mother, the ways in which his mother failed, for the ways in which she stepped in where his father fell short. As well as for a lot of other reasons of course, but I think his parents impact is definitely something to consider.

[shkika]

i've been curious about how iterators in your interpretation ascend exactly, since they seem to be unable to get off the string!

is the process more metaphorical/spiritual in nature? or is it entirely physical?

also!! i really really love your art and interpretations tee hee pleading face emoji

This is a pretty good prompt to talk about how I think ascension works! I'm gonna try to be thorough even if some information may seem basic! To me ascension feels like it's meant to be spiritual.

DETAILED EXPLANATION OF UH...

1. Ancients and ascension throughout time.

2 . Iterators and ascension

3. What Saint is and how he works.

I think some people may not realize the concept of leaving the world behind was a thing before the void fluid revolution, before our ancients discovered the ruins of the race that came before them that led to the void sea. Those were the times of those gravel eating monks.

I think ascension is supposed to be a process experienced by old creatures. It works by abandoning all your earthly desires after having been through the cycles again and again. So as you detach yourself from the world eventually.. leaving it behind and ending the samsara.

It became something worth working towards. If you didn't guide your soul to spiritual relief... you'd get stuck in the cycles. Which was painful and scary.

When the void revolution came and a much easier and faster solution was found, of course they took it. It was an answer to getting stuck, finally they would have a guaranteed method of escaping the cycles.

Turns out you can't cheat yourself out of the cycle.. if you are attached to the world too strongly, you become an echo. Which made rumors spread.

So we need another solution. Another effortless way to escape. And so iterators were made! They were designed with a few things in mind . They would be a constant in any cycle, they can't escape.. they can't ascend.. they can't die. Their taboos would make sure they don't try anything themselves and they tough bodies keep them from completely losing function.

This way they could work basically forever on the great problem.

Alright here we go!! The question! How do iterators ascend then. They shouldn't be able to, they weren't meant to do that on their own, but one allegedly managed.

Well a GOOD hint imo is Moon's dialogue in the Saint campaign.

By this we can guess there is a solution. But it is one right answer among infinite faulty ones. And it's completely indistinguishable or was there a way to safely test it.

Once you discover it and you execute it. You're a goner.

Kind of.. how it happened with Sliver of Straw..

Kind of how Saint's ascension works too.

Sliver basically was the only iterator EVER who accidentally stumbled on it and executed the task. And ascended herself before she could do anything more than send the triple affirmative signal.

And that was it. It probably happened completely out of nowhere in a flash. And she was gone.

This is also a reason why I think she is saint. The way Saint ascends creatures is... by just giving them the solution she discovered. The moment they know it, they end up in the void.

Saint is the only one who can do this. The only one that came back.

OH also quick note.. I love how Pebbles and Moon do not understand what Saint is, unless they discuss him together. Very underrated part of the game's writing. Anyway.

Saint's purpose is to continue their endless cycle to save others. Pebbles says that by definition no one who knows the answer can venture outside.. except Saint. It's why Moon tells him to wake up.

He's the only one that can.

[synthwayve]

The Micolaurence text post ever.

Shoutout to the people in my replies, I blame all of you in the most positive way possible.

Poorly formatted “essay” about the connections they have that make my brain spin because yes :} new years is a time of lawlessness impulsivity: keep in mind I don’t own the actual game to confirm some things, most of this is compiled from item descriptions, cut content, reading the wiki over and over, and my own analysis. I could be totally wrong about some things + this is just my own analysis/interpretation**, have mercy upon my soul 🙏

The biggest thing about them, and the thing I simply do not shut up about if you happen to hear me talk about them, is that both Micolash and Laurence’s respective obsessions/virtues/main associated game mechanics (Insight and Blood respectively) directly influence each other. Not only do they influence each other, they also relieve the negative effects of the other stat. Why is this such a big deal to me? WELL:

Beasthood, the negative effect of taking too much blood, scales negatively depending on your Insight. The more Insight you have, the less Beasthood, and vice versa. Contrarily, Sedatives, crafted from blood(yes, Sedatives are stated to be thick ‘human’ blood and will reset your Beasthood as well, but this does not necessarily reduce it- more on this later*)

Will relieve Frenzy as their primary purpose, which is the main negative side effect of having high Insight i.e going mad.

I think this is very intentional outside of just pure game mechanics and design: there is a running theme in Bloodborne, that being that every enemy you face has succumbed to one side too heavily. BSB, the half-beast Yharnamites, Gascoigne, Amelia, Laurence, and all the other beast enemies you face have relied too much on the blood and fallen to its curse. Brainsuckers, Rom, Winter Lanterns, Micolash, and arguably other insight-heavy enemies like the Celestial Emissary are heavier on the Insight side. What makes YOU, the player, different? It is your ability to balance both.

The creatures that have gotten closest to ascension are ones that we can assume have undergone the effects of blood and insight, but still haven’t gotten there all the way. Rom is probably the biggest example, along with other Kin/Great One enemies. They are physically transformed, as the blood will do, but they are not beasts. Rather, they often have the numerous eyes that are granted with Insight.

The ending that allows the Hunter to ascend reads to me as an ending where you have successfully balanced both mediums: using Blood to tame the negative effects of Insight and vice versa. What I interpret from this in regards to Micolash and Laurence specifically is that they could have come SO CLOSE to achieving what they wanted!! If they had just worked together, and the schism hadn’t happened, perhaps Micolash would not have gone insane with steady treatments of Blood and Laurence would not have transformed with the help of his Insight being steadily raised.

Maybe it’s just me being insane but I don’t know, there’s something pretty gay to me about being in charge of/cursed by an obsession with something that only someone equally as obsessed with its opposite can cure.

I honestly think Micolash and Laurence might have even ended up in a sort of prisoner’s dilemma situation: they both think their own method is correct, and refuse to give in to the other’s perspective. In doing so, they actually end up royally screwing themselves over at the same time whereas cooperation would have led to the best outcome. Laurence, the general posterboy for the blood in general(and most other blood related things) is not someone who I imagine would be keen on giving up his faith in the substance. Especially when he’s being told this by a man who’s sanity is hung by a thread. But if only Micolash listened to HIM, his insanity would be relieved and he would go back to the mostly sensible man he might’ve been- only of course, Micolash would not see it that way. Why would he take something that is quite literally killing Laurence? I find it interesting that Sedatives are a hint of insanity(like with Edgar) yet Micolash doesn’t drop any. Perhaps he’s not the type to invest in Blood, especially if he had to watch it slowly chip away at Laurence’s health who was too stubborn to listen to him instead. You see where I’m going with this- around and around they go.

*while Sedatives are stated to be thick human blood, I have three theories about this.

1. “Derived” from Byrgenwerth implies to me that the formula has undergone some modifications. I would not be surprised if holy blood is used as a thickener.

2. I imagine most “human blood”, at the point that Sedatives are distributed more abundantly, is already tainted with holy blood. I mean, come on. This is Yharnam. Blood is the name of the game.

3. Sedatives reset Beasthood, but for you the PLAYER, your beasthood remains at more of a net neutral than your Insight which the game relies on to progress the story. I imagine that for a scholar like Micolash, who does not fulfill the role of a hunter or a soldier, beasthood would be less of a concern.

OKAY THAT ONE POINT GOT REALLY LONG I’M SORRY so I’ll rapid fire some other things about them:

-Micolash seeks to abandon his humanity in his boss form, Laurence seeks to retain it in his boss form. Micolash seeks a blessing from Kos like that which was granted to Rom, you know, the giant very not human spider. Laurence wants his memories and his head back. Neat!!

-while there seems to be clear animosity between Mensis and The Healing Church later in the timeline, I think it is often overlooked that they DID work together at some time. I can imagine The School of Mensis to be research and science heavy: looking for ways to perfect ministration technology, understand the specifics of the blood, and research what else can be made of it to further humanity. The Healing Church distributes it, covers. The School’s reputation(presumably), and uses that research to further their own ideas of ascension. Bloodborne likes to do things in threes: Willem, Laurence, and Micolash are respective leaders/founders of Byrgenwerth, The Healing Church, and The School of Mensis. Interesting note that the latter two originate from the former, who is the only still “living” character amongst the 3 as far as I can gather. He warned those morons and it meant absolutely nothing LMAO.

-There is something so satisfying to me in how Micolash is generally associated with the dark and dim: Kos- a goddess born from the watery depths, an infinite labyrinth of dust and old tomes, and dark robes of Byrgenwerth. Laurence, on the other hand, is associated with all that is bright: fire, a bright pale moon, white and blue robes of the Choir, and the candlelit cathedrals that are more wax than they are pews. Parallels! Beloved!

-fellas is it gay if we both destroy a city for our own ends. YES yes Old Yharnam specifically was destroyed by the Powder Kegs- but I have a complete crack theory that Laurence saw the Ashen Blood poisoning go down, thought “ah, that is terrible for our reputation”, and sent the then-still loyal Powder Kegs to kaboom the issue away. The Powder Kegs then begin to protect the very beasts that Laurence is trying to sweep under the rug(because panic never leads to anything good), so the Healing Church Workshop as a whole denounce them as heretics.

…but also crack theory aside I still hold him half-responsible for the fall of Yharnam as a whole. And Micolash fucking obliterated all of Yahar’gul so. Yeah. Do NOT let these 2 work together, I think they would destroy all of Yharnam if they could.

-Consider: academic rivals that end up side-by-side, foraying into the brand new promising field of human ascension with matching ambitions and stars in their eyes. That is, until a cost that neither is willing to pay(the health of the other) shows up, and they end up splitting apart in a violent schism that brings them right back to where they started. CONSIDER. For me 🥺

-The Mensis cage obscures everything BUT the eyes, the uniform of the Choir allows for mobility (even enough to fight- like with Yurie) but it blinds the user. Also: Micolash, weird crazy guy who was probably not adored, or at least not as adored as Laurence, dies surrounded by people. Laurence, the guy who put Yharnam on the freaking map, dies completely alone in a big empty room. At least, that’s how we find their bodies in the nightmare!

- “We were friends! How could you?” Is tragic to me in any interpretation

-WHY DOES MICOLASH HAVE A CALL BEYOND. That is a CHOIR SPELL TO THE CORE!! And also, iirc, shared only amongst the higher ranks. I understand him having stolen it from Laurence is the general interpretation- but I like to think that perhaps it was a gift. A show of good faith, even? 😏 to wield the very stars in one’s hands seems like a very apt gift for a guy who is obsessed with the cosmos.

-Laurence 100% stole some of Micolash’s homework on contacting Great Ones imo and the effects of insight. I don’t actually have anything to back this outside of speculation I just think it’s very funny. Endless loop of copying homework. Micolash has more insight naturally, Laurence uses this to learn of the ritual, Laurence does his ritual, Micolash copies his ritual. No credit in sight.

-Micolash has an interesting line of cut dialogue where he claims he “was the head…of this treatment church”. I don’t have the original Japanese text, but I wonder if perhaps Micolash was meant to be an NPC, still fulfilling his role as both the headmaster of Mensis AND the main scholar overlooking all scientific and arcane research on behalf of the Healing Church? If he was the head of the healing church, did an earlier version have Laurence fulfilling his theorized role as a re-incarnated hunter?

-Micolash’s ritual, which I gather(and this is where my knowledge is the most shaky so BEAR WITH ME) summoned the blood moon, seems to be a direct copy of Laurence’s ritual to summon Flora. Whereas Flora took Gehrman as a host, Mergo took either Micolash as a host, or sacrificed the rest of the school in his place. Keep in mind: The Moon rune(found at the bottom of the stairs in Micolash’s boss arena, also eerily similar to the Communion Rune that I imagine would be a big hit with Laurence) DIRECTLY states that the Great Ones are sympathetic in spirit, and answer when called upon. I don’t think Mergo nor Flora are intentionally malicious. I just think these two idiots didn’t know what they were bargaining for, or with. Fellas is it gay if we both change the sky, both sacrifice something we didn’t necessarily mean to, and both suffer in the Nightmare for our sins? Asking for a friend.

-Micolash’s first move is running away from you, Laurence’s first move is to lunge directly at you. Ah, they would have made such a horrendously destructive pairing if the divorce hadn’t happened.

-bonus note!! I have ANOTHER crack theory that the “Moon” and “Communion” Runes have some neat parallels :smear:

Moon Rune is blood red like Micolash’s blood moon, Communion is pale white like Laurence’s pale moon. Moon allows for more blood echoes, Communion for more vials. Moon focuses on the Great Ones answering when called, Communion focuses on Blood Ministration. Moon has the eye in the center surrounded by lines, almost forming another circle(perhaps, and this is a stretch, even the dias that the catalyst is meant to be at the center of?), Communion is surrounded by 3 distinct dots(Laurence, Gehrman, and…Flora? Still not certain who the 3rd dot would be). Reading runes is fun! “Beast’s Embrace” may be closer to Laurence as a character(I mean, you obtain it from him) but since Micolash has no rune to drop as a counterpart(probably because he isn’t a DLC boss), I went with striking parallels between Communion and Moon instead.

-Fellas. Final question. Is it gay if my mild interest in that which lies beyond humanity (POSSIBLY) turns into a rapid obsession/a race against time to save you from yourself and reverse the effects of this poison you so adore, only to realize you won’t hear me, you will never hear me, and it is too late for both of us to turn back? Just wondering. JUST. WONDERING. Maybe trying to stop the other’s descent got too frustrating, Micolash and Laurence both sort of strike me as stubborn pricks in their own ways. Hence the big divorce. “If you won’t see things my way then you can sit with the consequences” (said both of them, equally suffering from consequences). I can only imagine Micolash did not expect for Laurence to prove him right so soon. (It’s funny, because they’re both dead, so really neither was right.)

**(Also I just like relating my headcanons back to canon for fun, I’m not trying to say how ‘canon’ something is should influence how people make hcs. Bloodborne’s not a very romantic game in a traditional sense so this is all mostly me rambling around anyway x,D)

OKAY SORRY IM FINALLY DONE. HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYBODY. I THINK THEY HELD HANDS MAYBE. I also think they would actually literally maul each other to death if given enough reason.

[beesmygod]

old hunters DLC also highlights some themes of colonial violence and exploitation too, imo. what’s been done to the fishing village and kos ties the beast thing up with this idea that like, the impulse to Conquer and Dominate another leads directly to the Curse. It’s not enough to understand the old ones and the blood and all that, they needed to control it, to take it for themselves, and exploit it however they can. And now there’s wolfmans everywhere.

And this is in the core gameplay loop itself, we extract all the vials and blood echos and blood gems that we can in order to become strong enough to conquer more and more powerful prey. When we’re hit, we hit back harder and take back the life that was taken for us. Sure it’s ostensibly to Break the Curse and seek Paleblood and all that, but we know why we’re really doing it. Because it’s sick as hell, and feels awesome to best these monsters. The old hunters knew that too, and it turns them into giant horse creatures unable to do anything besides violence. That thirst for violence and power makes hunters turn into beasts, now only functioning as a cog in a perpetual violence machine. They lose their humanity not through repeated death like in Dark Souls, but through taking life. It turns the characters into monsters, and the players into wiki editors and lore theorists (aka monsters) bc we also can’t let go of the feeling Bloodborne gives us.

Tl;dr: Bloodborne is like if Spec Ops had any subtlety or desire to leave itself up to interpretation (probably helped by the fact that very little of what I’m talking about is likely intentional and I’m just insane)

OKAY im back from my appointment and finished my little treat. anon ("anon" @chicknparm who should get credit for these good thoughts) i could not agree more. i mentioned this in a previous post but finding a strand of commentary about the evils of colonialism made me worried i was becoming dangerously online, but it's a relief to see someone else mention this idea. i think you are absolutely right that one of the overt messages in bloodborne is that spilling blood for your own benefit leads to ruin. its actually kind of shocking how, in spite of the combat being the draw to these games, the message of most fromsoft games is a message of anti-violence. like, how many times do we end up fighting something that, in hindsight, needed to be put out of its misery. oh. shit. thinking about it, our player character is explicitly an outsider. the role of hunter of hunter is filled by outsiders...

also lol you are so right about the wiki based insanity but i think that's the consequences of insight poisoning. literally every once in a while while trying to edit this stupid bloodborne doc i think to myself "oooeergg too many eyes" and take a break for a few days

anyway, turning this back around to the colonialism theme, hear us out ok: watching/reading the sekiro lore videos/posts by shetani of shetani's lair helped introduce a lot of esoteric buddhist and shinto concepts that were totally novel and unknown to be as a baka gaijin. now these ideas are impossible not to see in all of from's other works.

i did a few days of research on "shinshi" (mostly a lot of stuff that turned out to not be relevant, but interesting) after becoming aware of them and found they shared a lot of qualities with the augurs (or "phantasms", invertebrates that act as intermediaries to the great ones) of bloodborne. realizing this, i thought about the great ones not in the context of a christian god, as the MODERN yharnam does, but as kami. kami are numerous, everywhere, hidden, and are thought of as actively controlling or influencing the terrestrial world. the re-translation reveals that the "great pthumeru chalice" had some nuance lost in translation: "祀る - Means to enshrine or worship, but has connotations of doing it to appease spirits so they may reach nirvana or Buddhahood and avoid becoming evil"; this is simply translated to "deify" which is technically correct but the original feels like it's much more pointed about finally revealing to the player that the "gods" as we've been lead to believe them to be are not what they seem.

the healing church, a product of georgian to victorian era western beliefs, razed pthumeru, loran, isz, and the fishing village (and probably yahar'gul too) in the quest to become like their newly discovered gods. the framework by which they related to pthumerian culture was completely wrong and misunderstood the nature of "gods" as all knowing or all powerful and, thus, something aspirational. the reality was more that they are just another type of creature in the world with different limitations than a human. and they're still mortal.

[arx-aru]

look i don't care i refuse to buy that Malenia's second phase is "the rot god" and not her. it's totally still her. and i think there's more than sufficient textual evidence to make that case

1: Most importantly, the wings: other rot creatures, barring her knights(resolutely sworn to her), don't have them--and wings are referenced again and again as her thing. Her having wings upon apotheosis can't read as anything besides Malenia. The game flat-out says "wings symbolize Malenia." If the Goddess of Rot isn't her, then her most prominent feature upon achieving apotheosis should not be wings; rather, if she were overtaken by a "rot god," she would have the (hypothesized)scorpion features to match. But she doesn't.

2: The Scorpion Stinger does not say that there's a pre-existing rot god. It only says that there is a sealed outer god in the shape of a scorpion, the stinger of which is "glistening with scarlet rot." It does not say that said god is the god of scarlet rot--just that a dagger fashioned from it has scarlet rot on it. There's not even any reason to believe scarlet rot was the original "venom" of the thing, nor that the dagger still functions like a stinger(how would it?).

3: Literally just her presentation. If the second phase is her having given in, then why would she strike a heroic pose? Why would the game present her like that? Surely, if she were "defeated" and "overcome," her body language would reflect that. We can contrast this transformation with the second phase of Morgott, Radagon, or Godfrey--the game is deliberately portraying her second phase differently from others. It is more likely, in fact, that the presentation is heroic because it is meant to be. Her apotheosis, defending the Haligtree, is a moment of triumph.

this isn't what defeat looks like.

4: Cleaning up a few glaring counterarguments:

Her dialogue in the second phase is actively malicious as opposed to the first phase's calm and composed reiteration of her identity as seen by others? Yes, she's mean during her second phase because you forced her to sacrifice the humanity she valued. Because you invaded her home, killed her people, and--if you defeat her--rob her corpse to the point of collecting her very body parts to use and wield as weapons. You even take her hair. Of course she's acting "unhinged," the game forces you to be the bad guy if you play through the Haligtree content, and a very very twisted one at that.

Her followers that view her as the Goddess of Rot as opposed to the Blade of Miquella are presented as creepy and gross? The key is that they're presented this way on the surface; in reality, they are no different from followers of other religions in the Lands Between. Prayers and tithes are par for the course. The Servants of Rot literally baptize themselves--so what if they in so doing choose to grow rot on their bodies? That's their choice.

The theming is weird? Definitely! The scarlet rot is decidedly messy to analyze on a Doylist level because it serves as metaphor for many different concepts. Usually, it's disability--and so it is certainly easy to view the Goddess of Rot as Malenia having given in to the apathy that comes with disability... but it can also be interpreted as her accepting something of an identity in her disability and struggles. As her being okay with being differently abled and choosing to take on a world that'll view her as grotesque in spite of it.

Also, the scarlet rot at times isn't used to refer to disability--often it serves to strip away the pleasant fantasy veneer of the setting's other parties--it is a deliberately visually grotesque presentation of the standard of the Lands Between. Her apotheosis in that figurative lens, then, is her overcoming her bias to accept an identity she was groomed to loathe (as it violates Marika's worldview). But yeah it's muddy, on a Doylist level. I still believe it's an equally correct Watsonian interpretation, though, and that it can have valid and positive readings.

The Outer God plotlines would make this reading too easy? I choose not to care about this. She had an offscreen anime metaphorical battle in her head with the mean outer gods and beat them with lasers and the power of love and miquella on her side. there's no reason to think Marika's inability to overcome the outer gods is indicative of it being impossible. Ranni's questline proves this, and her master plan was so disrespectful to the outer gods' presumed power level and intelligence that u have to love it

in conclusion: rot me mommy

anyway. curious what others think. i probably missed plenty of stuff

[maverick-werewolf]

Hi! I suck at sending asks so I hope I don’t come off in any kind of bad way

I know you very briefly mentioned Van Helsing (2004) in one of your ‘Vampire vs Werewolf’ posts, but I wanted to know your thoughts on the werewolf designs in them. I was doing research for one of my characters, and I’m not really sure if drawing inspiration from their designs would fit/work with the actual folklore.

Maybe you could even list some of your favorite designs or good places to reference from, if you know any?

— House 🩵 (I love your blog so much it’s a literal godsend for Vamp and Wolf research)

Not at all a bad way; thank you for sending in an ask! And I'm so glad you enjoy the blog, thank you for the kind words! :D

I actually love the werewolf designs in Van Helsing, overall. They're very cool - they're big, scary, muscular, and wolfish (all traits I personally love), but they are also varied according to character...

This is concept art from the film. Notice how they all look like wolves and have a coherent common design while also having unique and characterized features and builds. I really love that. You may not have even noticed it a whole lot in the movie itself (I did, though), but it really makes them feel more like an individual turning into a monster instead of just someone turning into a standardized creature like a transform ability in a video game.

I'd say they're a good starting point for any werewolf concepts that want to go for the big wolfish humanoid look while still being scary and characterized!

Designing werewolves after folklore can be tricky and even odd, given folklore varied very widely and also wasn't always very specific. Most werewolves in folklore turn into wolves, which leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Some also had paws they used as hands (does that mean they had hands? etc) and other variations. Some even looked quite ridiculous and not even very wolfish, with things like a tufted lion tail and red hindquarters! It got wild in folklore.

Personally, I wouldn't restrict yourself to trying to stick too closely to folklore specifically. Design something cool, and most importantly, have fun with it and make it yours. My recommendation is just to stick with what you like and think looks cool and things that look wolfish in some way. Don't do like a lot of designers and tell yourself that a wolf is the last thing you should be drawing reference from; that's just silly. They're still werewolves. Granted, since you're interested in folklore and enjoy my blog, I doubt I need to say that, lol. I have other personal preferences, but at the end of the day, that's my advice to others.

My advice might also sound a little bit canned, but that's how I feel. My werewolves in Wulfgard have a variety of designs per individual and other factors in the story/world itself and many other elements; their designs are something I have hashed out over the course of literally my entire life, so it isn't something to rush. I like a variety of designs, and curses are complicated in my world, and I've adapted that into the entirety of werewolf designs themselves. I'm really proud of what I came up with - be sure to check back to my blog in November for some big news in terms of my own werewolves and their designs... Sorry - shameless plug! I've got a big thing coming.

Hope this helps, and hope you're having a great day! :)

[kateis-cakeis]

"No, it must go free."

"Dragons cannot be used like that! They must be left unshackled, free to roam the earth."

"Dragon’s are magical creatures! They belong to no man! They are for the benefit of all!"

These are Merlin's lines during his confrontation with Borden (34:50 S4Ep4)

I know many in this fandom assume that Aithusa was under Kilgharrah's care after they (using they/them here because of the canon 'he' vs the fanon 'she') were born. But there's nothing to actually suggest that's true.

Instead, with Merlin's lines here, it heavily suggests dragons raise themselves. They go free, unbound from men (even Dragonlords it seems), and are left unshackled - in a world that lets them.

And this is directly seen in S4Ep13 as Aithusa seems to just be hanging about when they fly down to heal Morgana (and while they do fly away after, maybe they just felt the need to check in and got attached to Morgana at some point :P so I don't think it was an explicit betrayal)

Likeeee, let's say this was the Triple Goddess's way of prophecy being like yeah no, to letting Morgana just rot on a forest floor :P

But based off this, I think it's more than likely that dragons in BBC Merlin mirror many lizard species - where they just lay the egg and leave. This seems true and coincides with how Aithusa's egg ended up in a tomb to be protected (hundreds of years before the Great Purge).

And because a Dragonlord is needed to hatch it, this very much seems to be the case - that dragons are not raised but rather left to the wild to fend for themselves.

So Kilgharrah was never looking after Aithusa, and Merlin was never meant to either. Both left Aithusa to their own devices because that's how a dragon is meant to grow and live. On their own.

I know from the deleted scene in S4Ep1 that Daobeth was destroyed by dragons, suggesting that dragons can work together and be known to one another - so it's not like they're entirely solitary.

But I don't know! I think this is one of those things where it's like there's an assumption that's turned into a kinda blame game. (A bit like how some people believe in that Kilgharrah theory that feels sooo out of place to canon and the real story of the show).

Anyway, here's a different interpretation that doesn't put the blame on Merlin, or Kilgharrah, or Aithusa. Little dragon is allowed to make mistakes!

And hell, Kilgharrah's theory about Aithusa doesn't have to be wrong, 'the light of the sun' being a positive and fitting meaning could simply be about a new dragon at all. It could be about post canon even. There's a lot there, Kilgharrah only had a theory, he literally says 'I believe'. Cut him some slack!

sdfhhsdf all this to say, I think you can do some fun worldbuilding with dragons based off canon, and this is just one example of that.

Dragons roam free and have no parents :D It's fine, that's nature and magic ;)

[fishysplayhouse]

I should probably explain my theory on how Headspace Resets connect to artificial selection!

According to google, artificial selection is "the identification by humans of desirable traits in plants and animals, and the steps taken to enhance and perpetuate those traits in future generations." While thinking about the game's canon lore from a simpler point of view, this might be harder to understand or think about. If you look at Sunny's Headspace through a biological point of view you might see the connections clearer. Traveling through Deeper Well, you'll encounter many unfamiliar creatures each with different direct callouts to the Dreamer and his repressive tendencies. One of these creatures, Blank, says "Your memories are not free. To gain a

memory, another must be shrouded." When humans artificially select a plant, animal, or some kind of organism, it's to perfect it and bury it's former self into the past. Although this is a bit of a stretch, it's only one interpretation.

A second observation made is the many resets of Headspace and/or Dreamworld. Deeper Well was a place mostly pushed back and forgotten by Sunny, but other locations like the Abyss, the Dungeon in Sweetheart's castle, and many Blackspace Areas/Rooms have evidence of how Resets affect the current Headspace we know now.

In the Abyss and the Dungeon, four skeletons resembling the party can be found. One skeleton wears Aubrey's bow so it can only be assumed that that is her. These skeletons are likely the friends who have perished in previous adventures, and every time they died they were left forgotten and replaced by better and stronger versions of themselves.

(I could go ON AND ON about Blackspace for days but for simplicity purposes I'll choose two areas for this) Blackspace Areas like Disco Area and Reef Area both places with qualities of resets/loops. Disco Area is similar in apperance to Neighbor's Room; both having large and colorful yet mysterious cats and bright colors. Most memories regarding the truth, or simply just things not good enough, or too ridiculous are thrown into Blackspace which is the deepest part of Sunny's mind. Disco Area is likely Sunny's first attempt after the incident at creating a place of peace like Neighbor's Room. Though, it clearly failed. (This part of the theory was inspired by something else someone had said about Disco Area and Loquacious Cat being an earlier generation of Neighbor's Room. I wish I could credit that person but I forgot the account >_<)

According to the Omori Fandom Wiki for Reef Area, it is said that "In the game's files, the faceless characters are referred as MANNEQUINS, implying that these versions are a product of BLACK SPACE or remnants from OMORI's previous adventures before resetting HEADSPACE multiple times." Another thing mentioned in the trivia section is "As the heads that are stuck in the walls are the only version of the HEADSPACE friends in the area to have eyes and appear to be asleep, it can be inferred that the REEF AREA is the place where new bodies for the HEADSPACE friends are mass produced in case of an event in which they all die." Through speculation it can be inferred that every version of the Dreamworld friendgroup are "produced" in some kind of unnatural way.

In conclusion, the way Sunny's Headspace works is very fantastic in a strange sense. Omori, or Sunny's consious/imagination is so strong that it can repurpose, enhance, and saturate people, places, and objects to even better and more useful versions of themselves. His will to erase anything relating to Mari's death and the truth is so strong that all of these events have taken place, and Omori selects things for their most perfect traits.

This is just a silly little theory though, and i'd like to here your thoughts, opinions, or additions to this! I hope this helps you when you learn about artificial and natural selection in biology class :D

[This is from 2023 and I posted it on my instagram originally! I know this analysis may have flaws but its nice to compare my biggest hyperfixation and my favorite childhood interest together.]

[aquaquadrant]

I know it has nothing to do with htp but now I am buzzing about the watcher lore you guys made. Any hints or things your up for sharing? Also obsessed with the idea that to be a watcher you lose your original eyes like that and that just makes me side eye (heh) Lunar's Grian design. Cause those aren't his original eyes ya'll!!!! And when his eyes are weeping purple?!?!?! Also imaging Martyn's and Grian's reunion and their individual eye horror is very interesting

MKAY BUCKLE UP. here’s my interpretation of watchers.

- watchers are beings that exist on another plane of existence from players (we’ll call this the aether unless minecraft ever actually adds that realm to the game)

- watchers can spectate any world in the universe from the aether and can travel between them in an instant

- in the aether, watchers have no physical forms (think spectator mode) but they can briefly manifest themselves into solid form when they travel outside the aether

- when watchers are in their physical forms, they’re quite horrifying (large amorphous creatures with big claws and lots of eyes in random places, except for where eyes should be)

- watchers were originally intended to be impartial observers, mere conduits for the universe to better know its many worlds and players through

- some watchers have grown bored of this and try to instigate drama by whispering instructions to listeners, the rare players that can hear them, or by talking through speakers, the even rarer players that can channel them

- watchers don’t literally feed off the emotions of players like in martyn’s lore (they’re sustained by the universe and thus don’t need to eat), they just crave entertainment

- all watchers used to be players, and whenever they find a player who seems like a good candidate, they’ll try to take them

- in order to become a watcher, a player has to lose their eyes. they’ll be replaced by watcher eyes (the floaty glowy purply eldritch horror kind of eyes, you know the ones) but that doesn’t make the process of losing their physical eyes any less terrifying or painful- something most watchers have forgotten about, as they’re detached from player mentality.

- players also lose their username when they become watchers, receiving a watcher name in galactic

- when a player becomes a watcher, their hels is usually unaffected (and vice versa)

- any given player can only be encountered by a watcher once. the watchers have one attempt to try and convert the player; if they aren’t willing, they go back to their life unchanged, with only vague recollections of the encounter (revisiting the same player would fry their tiny little player brain)

- some watchers aren’t good at taking no for an answer though, thinking they know better than the player, and as a result they can do quite a bit of damage (as grian and martyn can attest to)