#Celestial Calamity (1)

[dwarfhorse]

p 1/??

Rune factory Guardians of Azuma

alrighty so this is gonna be a little lengthy because a lot was shown recently! however I'm typing on my tablet which is dying as I type and the sites won't load, forgive me for image sizes as I can't make them smaller.

first off, here's the new rune factory guardians of azuma trailer. accompanied with a release date of May 30, 2025. the game alone is 60$ USD while the limited edition is 100$ USD.

I'll get into characters in a minute, but we are seeing town building as well as being allowed to pick NPCs jobs (im assuming they're just store running NPCs with no storyline). and the trailer kind of gives pokemon graphics with genshin inspired mechanics. some mechanics also remind me of Pokemon legends Arceus. Keep in mind this is a sideline game, if I remember correctly they are working on 6, a mainline game. They are trying a totally new formula with this game and farming will still be included but not a main focus.

It seems there will be 2 romance routes locked behind dlc, and for the first time in a long time, the mcs will have their own distinctive personalities and the opposite of you pick will be romanceable.

Story: The Celestial Collapse — a calamity caused by a colossal object crashing into the eastern lands known as Azuma. The devastating impact sent fragments of terrain to the skies above and the seas below. With the earth shattered, the power provided by the runes ceased to flow. The gods of nature vanished soon after. Mountains crumbled and fields withered, leaving the people with nothing…not even hope. You awaken, startled by a dream of dueling dragons. You don’t remember how or why, but a voice resonates within you. "Accept the power of an Earth Dancer. Use this power to save the land.” Thus begins your lengthy journey to restore the gods…

now for characters:

Subaru (male mc) and Kaguya (fem mc)

Left his cold village in the northern part of Azuma on a mission to save the land. Childhood friends with Kaguya, who hails from the same hometown. Usually relaxed and easy-going. Enjoys gazing at the sky. While generally not a fan of battle, he has a strong sense of justice, and will fight fiercely to protect his friends and loved ones.

Left her cold village in the northern part of Azuma on a mission to save the land. Childhood friends with Subaru, who hails from the same hometown. Loves being in nature, especially interacting with animals and observing flowers. Although usually calm, she despises evil and resents any acts of injustice.

Woolby (mascot /sidekick)

The protagonist's loyal partner and guide. A bit of a braggart and a klutz. His gluttonous nature makes him susceptible to sweet bribes, especially dango.

Romance options, there are 16!

Iroha

The owner of Iroha's Teahouse in Spring Village. A friendly, caring young woman who dreams of revitalizing Spring Village and returning it to its former glory.

Murasame (they beefed him down in game sadly)

A samurai who wanders Azuma with the goal of becoming the world's greatest swordsman. Master of the Munen Muso sword style, which means "free from empty thoughts." Spends his days training and keeping his sword in good condition.

Hina

A half-human, half-fox were-animal who arrives in Azuma on an airship with Mauro. Claims to be an archaeologist. Childhood events instilled her with a strong desire to help others.

Mauro

A self-proclaimed treasure hunter from a foreign land who came to Azuma by airship in search of a legendary treasure. This sentimental soul is easily moved to tears.

Ulalaka

Azuma's kind, gentle god of spring and merriment. Her benevolence knows no bounds, and she simply wants everyone to live happy, peaceful lives.

Matsuri

Azuma's carefree god of summer and swords. Enjoys physical activities of all kinds. Despite being a master of the blade, she tends to solve problems with brute force instead.

Unfortunately I've hit the picture limit, so I'll have to make a part 2.

[det2x-fanfic-dump]

Satan's Powers and Abilities

Disclaimer: This is my headcanon and basically as reference for my the fanfiction and is a repost from my last year's post because there's a lot of changes and additions. This is just inspired from my knowledge of the game and does some stuff to spice up.

Celestial creatures such as demons in the Devildom and Angels in the Celestial Realm are indeed strong in both magic and strength but have you ever thought on why demons requires to be in a pact with humans or angels needs to be a human's guardian angel?

Because in the human world, they require a mortal host to be able to do certain magic in the human world.

UNIQUE POWER AND ABILITIES:

Satan heavily depends on his magic rather than physical strength. He mostly does magic even without chants and incantations except for curses because it requires conditions that needs to be said. Satan is the fourth born out of the seven brothers so based on hierarchy, he is stronger than his four younger brothers and weak against the older three.

LEVEL 01 Abilities: These are passive abilities that demons can do easily that affects human lifestyle.

Control a Human's Anger and Wrath

An ability that Satan can do as the wrath demon. Satan can influence a mortal's emotions whenever and whatever mood he has into rage. He can make someone angry or moody for no reason or take away their wrathful energy if he so chooses.   This includes him making someone be blinded by rage allowing someone to do dangerous things out of anger or cause a lot of tantrums.

LEVEL 02 Abilities: These are abilities passive abilities that demons can do that is inclined to magic. It may require someone's magical energy.

 A Little bit of Every Elemental Magic but has the highest Affinity for Pyrokinesis

Each of Satan's brothers except Lucifer masters one element but Satan can do everything his brothers can do. You can even call him the Avatar. Fire is mostly inclined to very strong emotions of wrath and destruction hence, fire magic is his strong suit.

Reason:

(1) In real life, Satan is the universal name to refer to a demon so I think it's nice to have him the same power as the rest of his brothers. Imagine that his elemental magic is a basic version of what his brothers can do.  

(2) This is also a reference that he is created from Lucifer so that means he's just like Lucifer.

A Master of Cat related Curses and Other Curses

He is an expert of curses.  Satan is a big fan of the feline specie. He can curse someone to change into a cat or have yourself worship a cat or be obsess with one or have an army of cats go against you. He may also give someone a curse that involves elements, mind control, etc. For example, one is cursed to have a raincloud to follow them or have you dance until he's satisfied.

Telekinesis

[An ability to control objects, making it fly and move on its own out of his command.] Reason: Based on the Obey Me Wiki  and I think it's pretty unique too so I added it.

Level 03: These abilities require a lot of magical energy, has to rely on a human's magic and their life. Highly dangerous as this may affect their sanity.

Elemental Powers/ Natural Calamity 

This is just the stronger version of the first ability with the condition of having strong emotions of anger or energy from either himself or his human catalyst.  Satan can manipulate the elements bringing natural calamities such as floods and earthquakes, and fire that can't be taken out.

TELEKINESIS:

A much stronger ability where Satan can throw you like garbage. Imagine Sans from Undertale.

Reason: 

 He is the Avatar of Wrath so  of course, natural disasters are his motif.  Causing Natural disasters is one way to express his madness.

ABILITIES THAT SATAN CAN GIVE TO MORTALS AS A DEMON IF MADE A PACT:

The Gift of the Elements.  The Mortal can control the elements of the earth with Satan’s blessings.

Telekinesis. Includes flight and floating.

[pen-and-umbra]

Jenova, Minerva, LOVELESS, The Queen and the Gi connection, pt. 1

Another foray into theorycrafting. Here, you will find detailed notes exploring the intriguing connections between Jenova, Minerva, LOVELESS, the Gi, and other characters.

This line of thought was sparked by the holographic sequence in the Temple of the Ancients, as discussed in my previous analysis. In the vision recounting the Cetran battle against their "celestial adversary," Jenova transforms from a tentacled monster into a winged angel-like being resembling The Goddess, as portrayed by Jessie in Gold Saucer’s LOVELESS play.

This transformation hints at a strong connection between Jenova and The Goddess from LOVELESS, suggesting they may be the same entity. However, it contradicts the established lore in Crisis Core, which implies through Genesis that the Goddess from the epic is Minerva, the planet’s spiritual avatar.

While this could be a mistaken belief held by a desperate man, there may be more to it (more on that in the upcoming pt. 2).

Exploring the temple’s carvings reveals a depiction of Jenova, complete with her distinct, misshapen wings. The mural shows Jenova in the midst of transforming into a humanoid figure, or possibly the reverse transformation.

Interestingly, this humanoid silhouette bears a striking resemblance to (queen/princess?) Rosa from the LOVELESS play, particularly the dress and starburst-like headpiece.

Even more chilling is the Nibelheim flashback in Rebirth, which depicts the creature in the tube suspended in a state of partial transformation, half humanoid, and half monster, mirroring the imagery in the temple’s carvings and holograms.

These connections raise intriguing questions about the relationship between Jenova and the other characters, prompting further exploration. Did Jenova imitate the goddess to sow discord among humans? Is this yet another example of her shapeshifting and deceptive nature? Does the character of Rosa from LOVELESS bear any ties to this entity? Did Jenova somehow transform into Rosa’s character prototype, or did Rosa’s character prototype transform into Jenova? These fascinating possibilities are worth considering.

These theories, however, do not completely elucidate Jenova’s true nature beyond that of a celestial calamity.

Yet an intriguing parallel emerges as we explore the Cosmo Canyon region. According to Cetran lore, Jenova arrived with a meteor that had hit the world's northernmost region. This is also likely how Gi arrived on the planet (at the very least, there's no indication that Gi had once been a technologically advanced space-faring race). In an uncanny coincidence, Gi and Jenova have comparable visual characteristics. Both Jenova and the Gi share similarities in their blueish/grayish skin and pink eyes.

Jenova’s eyes in the tube appear cloudy and overheated, indicating exposure to high temperatures ("those who look with clouded eyes…" huh?).

Both combat versions of Jenova and the Gi appear to be wearing something like skull masks (??), or otherwise exhibit distinct skeletal features.

Sephiroth’s reading of excerpts from Gast’s journal in the mansion provides a glimpse of Jenova’s body, which was supposedly discovered at the dig site. Its bone structure is strikingly similar to that of a Gi, with elongated, claw-like fingers.

Cetran holograms depict Jenova and the Gi as tall and large entities. It is possible that size conveys importance (as the ancient Egyptians depicted their gods as giants). Moreover, not far from Northern Crater (the Crater itself and Whirlwind Maze), where Jenova is said to have landed, there dwells a (Gi)gas monster, adding to the strangeness. Similarly, the entity is tall and blue.

Did Jenova travel with the Gi on that meteor, which may have been the last fragment of the Gi’s dying world? If so, was Jenova once a member of the Gi tribe? Did Jenova somehow inhabit or infest the body of a Gi specimen? Were Jenova's actions responsible for the destruction of the Gi's home planet? Gi Nattak's description of their world's catastrophic demise seems to parallel the devastating effects of Meteor's impact, as well as Jenovaroth’s alleged merging of timelines to create "infinity."

"The earth shook, seas boiled, skies shattered, and time stopped."

"Earth shook, seas boiled, skies shattered" is strikingly similar to the looming Meteor illusions or hallucinations induced by Jenovaroth in both FFVII Remake and Rebirth. All the while "Time stopped" strikes uncomfortably close to how FFVII Rebirth emphasizes the alleged time dilation effects experienced by Zack and Biggs in one of the branching timelines.

Moreover, the Gi village contains a number of peculiar effigies, one of which is located in the water near the shore. This effigy resembles Minerva in full armor, holding a shield, and either a glaive or a trident (or whatever that weapon is).

As one ascends the trail, an unsettling discovery awaits them: a massive, creepy stone statue with fanged jaws that resembles one of Jenova’s skull-like forms. This imposing figure is situated directly behind the area where Gi Nattak guards the Shrine of Oblivion.

The site appears to be a sacrificial trail, where the effigies and petrified figures are meant to follow the path before reaching the shrine’s end, symbolized by the fanged statue. There's a peculiar video shared by deltasyn that explores the area.

Continued:

Jenova, Minerva, LOVELESS, The Queen and the Gi connection, pt. 2

07/07/2024

👋 @pen-and-umbra

[tagamantra]

THE PEOPLE OF THE WARRIOR KING. LORDS OF RESSEN-NALENJI, BARON OF INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL the ratenese culture, 1 of 50 from SUNDANG LANGIT, the dharmapunk spirit cultivation ttrpg KILL GOD LOSE EVERYTHING, LOSE EVERYTHING KILL GOD

text below the cut

Ratenese

The people of the far western Refuge of the Gnostics, otherwise known as the Sunset Archipelago.

Their cultural identity circles around the return of their King Arsaraten (Warrior-King in Ratenese), the Bear King. Before nationalization under King Arsaraten, they were the Free Peoples of the Known World, who had had to feud and survive against the Witch-King before becoming united under the single Bear King Crown.

The Ratenese culture underwent a bloody revolution during the turn of the 11500, during the Decades of Carnage, which led to the expunging of the Aristocracy by the Ratenese Bourgeoisie (more importantly, the Drakoneran Trading Guild).

They turned Raten and surrounding kingdoms into democratic nations and installed the Trading Officials as presidents and prime ministers.

During the Decades of Carnage the disparate nation-states and corporations banded together to create a confederation of merchant-kingdoms with the rest of the great Nilatpa Island known as the Ressen-Nalenji Confederation, for the sake of protecting their own interest (which includes the most valuable asset, people).

Their name arises from the primary export of Raten (Ressen, a cowbreed that has fed millions) and Soreh (Nalenji, a rice-like grain substitute that can grow without the need for excessive humidity and water. Goes great with oranges).

Though ostensibly called a Confederation, the Ressen-Nalenji is a veritable merchant empire, fully embracing liberal values after the fall of the God-Kings and embracing colonization as a means of "peace" after the failure of the Second World Revolution. Through control over trade routes, resources, and being ruled by corporations, the Confederation has burgeoned into one of the most powerful geopolitical entitites of the Post-Calamity Era, rivalling the Holy Amatsu Empire and the Celestial Shennin Society.

[jackalgulch]

AASIMAR IN JACKAL GULCH

In Jackal Gulch, aasimar are created. Members of the clergy of Pholtus each hope that during their baptism rite, they will be claimed and recognized with an Archangel's Blessing and become an aasimar. There are many theories about what qualifies one to be an aasimar, whether it is at the mere whims of each Archangel or whether they see their strengths within a mortal and give them the tools to further their prowess. Some parents try to mold their children in specific ways to fit the virtues and value of a specific archangel in hopes that their child will be baptized and blessed as an aasimar.   Aasimar that turn against their blessing, the path of Pholtus and his angels, and fall to sin become Apostates. Additionally, those who were once blessed by the fallen Zariel have become Apostates, those who were once blessed by the deceased Rachel have lost their blessings.

Ability Scores. Choose one of: (a) Choose any +2; choose any other +1 (b) Choose three different +1

Size. Small or Medium

Speed. 30 ft. 

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.

Celestial Resistance. You have resistance to radiant damage.

Archangel's Blessing. You have been blessed and chosen by a specific archangel and bear an aspect of their power. You choose Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma as your spellcasting ability for your cantrip. You choose which ability when you select this lineage. Each blessing is accompanied by an awakened essence of their power you can draw out known as a Celestial Revelation, which you gain at 3rd level. You can use a bonus action to unleash the celestial energy within yourself, gaining the benefits of that revelation. Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. Once you transform using your revelation below, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest. Choose one of the following blessings: 

Blessing of Ananiel. You are blessed by the Angel of Calamity. You know the Lightning Lure cantrip. In addition, you have resistance to lightning damage. 

Celestial Revelation. When you manifest your Celestial Revelation as a bonus action, a dust devil engulfs a 10 ft. radius around you. As a bonus action on your subsequent turns, you can force creatures within the tornado to make a Strength saving throw. the DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + the ability modifier you chose for your cantrip. On a failed save they are pushed 10 ft. away from you. Until the transformation ends, once on each of your turns, you can deal extra lightning damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra damage equals your proficiency bonus.

Blessing of Cadriel. You are blessed by the Angel of Valor. You know the Sword Burst cantrip. In addition, you can choose to gain proficiency with martial weapons or medium and heavy armor. If you have proficiency in both, you gain a fighting style from the Fighter class. 

Celestial Revelation. When you manifest your Celestial Revelation as a bonus action, searing light temporarily radiates from your eyes and mouth. For the duration, you shed bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet, and at the end of each of your turns, each creature within 10 feet of you takes radiant damage equal to your proficiency bonus. Until the transformation ends, once on each of your turns, you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra damage equals your proficiency bonus.

Blessing of Daniel. You are blessed by the Angel of Innovation. You know the Mending cantrip. In addition, you gain two tool proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make with them. You cannot gain expertise with these tools in the future. 

Celestial Revelation. When you manifest your Celestial Revelation as a bonus action, two luminous wings sprout from your back temporarily. Until the transformation ends, you have a flying speed equal to your walking speed. In addition, while transformed, as a reaction you can grant you or an ally within 10 ft. a bonus to an attack or saving throw equal to your proficiency modifier. 

Blessing of Hadrien. You are blessed by the Angel of Patience. You know the Light cantrip. In addition, you learn Shield of Faith, and at 3rd level, you learn Arc of Light. You can cast each spell once per day without expending a spell slot.  You can also cast these spells using any spell slots you have of the appropriate level. 

Celestial Revelation. When you manifest your Celestial Revelation as a bonus action, two luminous wings sprout from your back temporarily. Until the transformation ends, you have a flying speed equal to your walking speed.

Blessing of Neriah. You know the Guidance cantrip. In addition, as an action, you can touch a creature and cause it to regain a number of hit points equal to your level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Celestial Revelation. When you manifest your Celestial Revelation as a bonus action, you shed bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. At the start of your turn, you and allies within 10 ft gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. 

Alternatively, some aasimar after turning their back on their faith become an Apostate, the setting's version of a Fallen Aasimar. Replace the Archangel's Blessing feature with the following:

Apostate's Burden. You know the Thaumaturgy cantrip. Your status creates both fear and respect depending on where you walk and who you are with. You have Proficiency in Intimidation and Persuasion. Additionally, your sense of conviction is unmatched. You have advantage on saving throws against being Charmed or Frightened. 

[singthesongsofsin]

@themosthatedbeingg, as stated! Below the cut are some of the passages describing Hell from book 1 of Paradise Lost by John Milton. Text taken from the John Milton Reading Room.

TLDR: Hell is dark, and somehow on fire, smells like sulphur, and there's nothing there as it was untouched by God! When the demons arise, they create things, but it's nothing original, so much as an inverted form of what was lost to them in Heaven.

With hideous ruine and combustion down To bottomless perdition, there to dwell In Adamantine Chains and penal Fire, Who durst defie th' Omnipotent to Arms. Nine times the Space that measures Day and Night To mortal men, he with his horrid crew Lay vanquisht, rowling in the fiery Gulfe Confounded though immortal: But his doom Reserv'd him to more wrath; for now the thought Both of lost happiness and lasting pain Torments him; round he throws his baleful eyes That witness'd huge affliction and dismay Mixt with obdurate pride and stedfast hate: At once as far as Angels kenn he views The dismal Situation waste and wilde, A Dungeon horrible, on all sides round As one great Furnace flam'd, yet from those flames No light, but rather darkness visible Serv'd onely to discover sights of woe, Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace And rest can never dwell, hope never comes That comes to all; but torture without end Still urges, and a fiery Deluge, fed With ever-burning Sulphur unconsum'd: Such place Eternal Justice had prepar'd For those rebellious, here thir Prison ordain'd In utter darkness, and thir portion set As far remov'd from God and light of Heav'n As from the Center thrice to th' utmost Pole. O how unlike the place from whence they fell! There the companions of his fall, o'rewhelm'd With Floods and Whirlwinds of tempestuous fire, He soon discerns, and weltring by his side One next himself in power, and next in crime, Long after known in Palestine, and nam'd Beelzebub. To whom th' Arch-Enemy, And thence in Heav'n call'd Satan, with bold words Breaking the horrid silence thus began.

[...]

Back to the Gates of Heav'n: The Sulphurous Hail Shot after us in storm, oreblown hath laid The fiery Surge, that from the Precipice Of Heav'n receiv'd us falling, and the Thunder, Wing'd with red Lightning and impetuous rage, Perhaps hath spent his shafts, and ceases now To bellow through the vast and boundless Deep. Let us not slip th' occasion, whether scorn, Or satiate fury yield it from our Foe. Seest thou yon dreary Plain, forlorn and wilde, The seat of desolation, voyd of light, Save what the glimmering of these livid flames Casts pale and dreadful? Thither let us tend From off the tossing of these fiery waves, There rest, if any rest can harbour there, And reassembling our afflicted Powers, Consult how we may henceforth most offend Our Enemy, our own loss how repair, How overcome this dire Calamity, What reinforcement we may gain from Hope, If not what resolution from despare.

[...]

Is this the Region, this the Soil, the Clime, Said then the lost Arch-Angel, this the seat That we must change for Heav'n, this mournful gloom For that celestial light? Be it so, since he Who now is Sovran can dispose and bid What shall be right: fardest from him is best Whom reason hath equald, force hath made supream Above his equals. Farewel happy Fields Where Joy for ever dwells: Hail horrours, hail Infernal world, and thou profoundest Hell Receive thy new Possessor: One who brings A mind not to be chang'd by Place or Time. The mind is its own place, and in it self Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n. What matter where, if I be still the same, And what I should be, all but less then he Whom Thunder hath made greater? Here at least We shall be free; th' Almighty hath not built Here for his envy, will not drive us hence: Here we may reign secure, and in my choyce To reign is worth ambition though in Hell: Better to reign in Hell, then serve in Heav'n. But wherefore let we then our faithful friends, Th' associates and copartners of our loss Lye thus astonisht on th' oblivious Pool, And call them not to share with us their part In this unhappy Mansion, or once more With rallied Arms to try what may be yet Regaind in Heav'n, or what more lost in Hell?

[...]

At which the universal Host upsent A shout that tore Hells Concave, and beyond Frighted the Reign of Chaos and old Night. All in a moment through the gloom were seen Ten thousand Banners rise into the Air With Orient Colours waving: with them rose A Forest huge of Spears: and thronging Helms Appear'd, and serried shields in thick array Of depth immeasurable: Anon they move In perfect Phalanx to the Dorian mood Of Flutes and soft Recorders; such as rais'd To hight of noblest temper Hero's old Arming to Battel, and in stead of rage Deliberate valour breath'd, firm and unmov'd With dread of death to flight or foul retreat, Nor wanting power to mitigate and swage With solemn touches, troubl'd thoughts, and chase Anguish and doubt and fear and sorrow and pain From mortal or immortal minds. Thus they Breathing united force with fixed thought Mov'd on in silence to soft Pipes that charm'd Thir painful steps o're the burnt soyle; and now Advanc't in view, they stand, a horrid Front Of dreadful length and dazling Arms, in guise Of Warriers old with order'd Spear and Shield, Awaiting what command thir mighty Chief Had to impose: He through the armed Files Darts his experienc't eye, and soon traverse The whole Battalion views, thir order due, Thir visages and stature as of Gods, Thir number last he summs. And now his heart Distends with pride, and hardning in his strength Glories: For never since created man, Met such imbodied force, as nam'd with these Could merit more then that small infantry

[...]

Less then Arch Angel ruind, and th' excess Of Glory obscur'd: As when the Sun new ris'n Looks through the Horizontal misty Air  Shorn of his Beams, or from behind the Moon In dim Eclips disastrous twilight sheds On half the Nations, and with fear of change Perplexes Monarchs. Dark'n'd so, yet shon Above them all th' Arch Angel: but his face Deep scars of Thunder had intrencht, and care Sat on his faded cheek, but under Browes Of dauntless courage, and considerate Pride Waiting revenge: cruel his eye, but cast Signs of remorse and passion to behold  The fellows of his crime, the followers rather (Far other once beheld in bliss) condemn'd For ever now to have thir lot in pain, Millions of Spirits for his fault amerc't Of Heav'n, and from Eternal Splendors flung For his revolt, yet faithfull how they stood, Thir Glory witherd. As when Heavens Fire Hath scath'd the Forrest Oaks, or Mountain Pines, With singed top thir stately growth though bare Stands on the blasted Heath. He now prepar'd To speak; whereat thir doubl'd Ranks they bend From wing to wing, and half enclose him round With all his Peers: attention held them mute. Thrice he assayd, and thrice in spight of scorn, Tears such as Angels weep, burst forth: at last Words interwove with sighs found out thir way.

[...]

There stood a Hill not far whose griesly top Belch'd fire and rowling smoak; the rest entire Shon with a glossie scurff, undoubted sign That in his womb was hid metallic Ore, The work of Sulphur. Thither wing'd with speed A numerous Brigad hasten'd. 

[...]

And Strength and Art are easily out-done By Spirits reprobate, and in an hour What in an age they with incessant toyle And hands innumerable scarce perform. Nigh on the Plain in many cells prepar'd, That underneath had veins of liquid fire Sluc'd from the Lake, a second multitude With wondrous Art found out the massie Ore, Severing each kind, and scum'd the Bullion dross: A third as soon had form'd within the ground A various mould, and from the boyling cells By strange conveyance fill'd each hollow nook, As in an Organ from one blast of wind To many a row of Pipes the sound-board breaths. Anon out of the earth a Fabrick huge Rose like an Exhalation, with the sound Of Dulcet Symphonies and voices sweet, Built like a Temple, where Pilasters round Were set, and Doric pillars overlaid With Golden Architrave; nor did there want Cornice or Freeze, with bossy Sculptures grav'n, The Roof was fretted Gold. Not Babilon, Nor great Alcairo such magnificence Equal'd in all thir glories, to inshrine Belus or Serapis thir Gods, or seat Thir Kings, when Ægypt with Assyria strove In wealth and luxurie. Th' ascending pile Stood fixt her stately highth, and strait the dores Op'ning thir brazen foulds discover wide Within, her ample spaces, o're the smooth And level pavement: from the arched roof Pendant by suttle Magic many a row Of Starry Lamps and blazing Cressets fed With Naphtha and Asphaltus yeilded light As from a sky. The hasty multitude  Admiring enter'd, and the work some praise And some the Architect: his hand was known In Heav'n by many a Towred structure high, Where Scepter'd Angels held thir residence, And sat as Princes, whom the supreme King  Exalted to such power, and gave to rule, Each in his Hierarchie, the Orders bright. Nor was his name unheard or unador'd

[...]

A solemn Councel forthwith to be held At Pandæmonium, the high Capital Of Satan and his Peers: thir summons call'd From every Band and squared Regiment By place or choice the worthiest; they anon With hunderds and with thousands trooping came Attended: all access was throng'd, the Gates And Porches wide, but chief the spacious Hall (Though like a cover'd field, where Champions bold Wont ride in arm'd, and at the Soldans chair Defi'd the best of Paynim chivalry  To mortal combat or carreer with Lance) Thick swarm'd, both on the ground and in the air, Brusht with the hiss of russling wings. As Bees In spring time, when the Sun with Taurus rides, Pour forth thir populous youth about the Hive In clusters; they among fresh dews and flowers Flie to and fro, or on the smoothed Plank, The suburb of thir Straw-built Cittadel, New rub'd with Baum, expatiate and confer Thir State affairs. So thick the aerie crowd Swarm'd and were straitn'd; till the Signal giv'n. Behold a wonder! they but now who seemd In bigness to surpass Earths Giant Sons Now less then smallest Dwarfs, in narrow room Throng numberless, like that Pigmean Race Beyond the Indian Mount, or Faerie Elves, Whose midnight Revels, by a Forrest side Or Fountain some belated Peasant sees, Or dreams he sees, while over-head the Moon Sits Arbitress, and neerer to the Earth Wheels her pale course, they on thir mirth and dance Intent, with jocond Music charm his ear; At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds. Thus incorporeal Spirits to smallest forms Reduc'd thir shapes immense, and were at large, Though without number still amidst the Hall Of that infernal Court. But far within And in thir own dimensions like themselves The great Seraphic Lords and Cherubim In close recess and secret conclave sat A thousand Demy-Gods on golden seats, Frequent and full. After short silence then And summons read, the great consult began.

[maicolgoldlion]

Sunless Odyssey - Devlog 1: Dark

In this first devlog, I'd like to analyze the various choices I made in creating the Lite version of Sunless Odyssey. This is a simplified version that I wrote in a few hours, summarizing the 39 pages I had managed to write. Unfortunately, I signed up for the jam late, and even with the addition of a few days, I couldn't finish in time, especially since the project turned out to be extremely ambitious!

Here you can find the game downloadable for free:

The first column refers to a worldbuilding phase that also serves as the back of the pamphlet. Here I have written six settings that I have created over time playing other games or that I have prepared for Sword&Sorcery campaigns. In reality, I hope to be able to reuse each of these settings in a game of its own.

Roll or Choose together the Legend from which your world will originates from:

A battlefield wrecked by horrors left behind by a celestial war.

Ruins of a great empire roamed by its ghost servants.

The palace-tomb of a dead God fighting to escape one more.

A land devastated by the many magical calamities unleashed by one wish.

Baronies ruled by fools and knight-kings on the verge of a pointless war.

Placid isles and villages of the Realm under the full moon, now ablaze.

All or some of the above.

he third part contains a very brief summary of the exploration rules. Obviously, I didn't have the space to include all the mechanics I wrote, but I must say I'm satisfied with what I included. My main inspiration for games where a pointcrawl map is created during the game is On Mighty Thews. The idea of creating a map of influences on the territory allows you to have reference points to tell what is there and the distance from the center acts as a second factor, both visual and intuitive. I've always found this mechanic brilliant and, as simple as it is to explain, it can be included in minimal games like this one.

The second part, on the other hand, is inspired by The Golden Sea, which, however, has deeper insights into how to build points of interest. While I limited myself to opening the creation of stages to dialogue through questions and answers with the Lorekeeper. I used the last part to insert the Encounter mechanic that I thought of for the finished game. Even though I couldn't include a part on Shrines, I'm happy to have given space to the various types of encounters, which are inspired by the structure of 5-room dungeons.

This flap can be folded to be read next to the Lorekeeper column on the other page, so you have everything you need for the exploration phase in front of you.

Now, before we move on to the second page, a small ad from our sponsor: Water

Drink water Unclench your jaw Drink water

On the second page, we have character creation in the left column, the main resolution mechanics, and finally a section on death and the GM/Lorekeeper.

I am a big fan of Laser & Feelings' character creation, which shows us that complex parameters are not needed to make a character unique. So I built the characters on two very simple pillars: Skills and Class, to which I later added a deeper look at objects (consumables, of course).

Specifically, the Skills part was inspired by reading those of Gubat Banwa, one of the games I used as my main inspiration and which I will talk more about in a future devlog. The idea of having High/Low Skill comes from there. To be clear, Gubat Banwa doesn't use a minimal approach at all, but there's a chapter where it describes what it means to have a high or low value in them, and when I read Wrath as a skill I was already in love.

For the classes, I was inspired by D&D, it's a low blow I know, but I recently read some articles about the identity of the classes and I wanted to use those smoky thoughts to write a list of classes and move on to a more fun part to write.

Here in Italy, D&D is as famous and played as it is in US, remaining firmly the most played game. But there is also a significant number of DMs who have tried to adapt it to their style and I am no exception. One of my most extreme homebrew rules is to treat race, class and background as traits without using any parametric elements given by the manual. What does it mean to be an elf? What can a paladin do? I don't know, you're the elf paladin, tell me and if it helps you in this situation you have advantage or +2/+5 on the roll (like M&M 3e, kinda).

While for the objects I used a very simple structure with traits that give a lot of freedom but which I think also pushes you to think about how the objects you choose. Since these can have traits that you don't attribute to them, the player has simple restrictions that can give impetus or make you think more creatively.

Immediately after skills, class and items are consolidated in the game through mechanics on their use during a test and the character receives further color through simple questions.

I would have liked to add something more about the role of the group but I have few reference tropes since souls-like games are generally individualistic and I had already run out of space.

I've already written a lot and I don't want to make this devlog too long. There's still a lot to cover and I feel like I could talk about the system for hours, so I'll leave that for the next post!

Now on my to-do list before I pick up this project again:

Make an Italian translation

Propose some one-shots

Create a layout and find some suitable art

Complete the itch page

Side quests:

Work on the other Jams this month

[novemquadragintillion]

I just finished ⚠️ chapter 1003 of Circle of Inevitability, ⚠️ and all I can say is, WOAH. I don't understand tbh!! But what a rollercoaster!!!

Adding a read more because I don't want to accidentally spoil anyone

Let me get this straight... Since Mr. Fool entered the Door of Light at the end of LotM part 1 in order to enter a dream with Celestial Worthy, it means the entrance and beginning of the dream is at the Door of Light. So it makes sense that the dream's leak/ infiltration point where the other evil gods exhert their power through would be at the Door of Light's entrance. So when Franca fell into the abyss of underground Mushu Hospital, she was falling through the trauma of Celestial Worthy, Mr. Fool, AND the leakage of the evil gods that squeezed through the leak. Once she got through all that, and met the gray fog, she met the dream's entrance: the Door of Light! (Where she finally finds out the truth :'o )

To find Franca, Lumian lit the corpse wax candle and completed a contract with that hidden power within the well full of blood. What could be in that well? Why did it cause a vortex (does it have to do with the Vortex Project in the previous arc?), and why was it powerful enough to cancel out the multi- corruption in Mushu Hospital? Lumian guesses that the power within the blood well was at the level of Celestial Worthy and Mr. Fool, so my guess is that what Lumian just made a contract with might've been the remaining power of the previous owner of the above the Sequence 'Calamity of Destruction' throne. Or maybe it's the remaining corruption caused by the Primordial Demoness and the Blood Emperor who tried to get to the Calamity of Destruction throne in the past. If it's neither of the two, then I have no idea. If there was a previous owner of the Calamity of Destruction throne, who was it? What happened to them? I'm still kinda confused about what's going on (and what has already happened) with the Primordial Demoness, Blood Emperor, and the Mirror People. Maybe I should read the wiki more

Meanwhile: What will happen, now that Lumian has dripped his blood into that well? I'm a bit worried about Lumian to say the least, haha. Is it connected to Sealed Artifact 0-01? What does the somewhat modern city that surrounds that well (and the tower that houses the well) represent? Is it Fourth Epoch Trier? But why did it have electric cable cars?

I have so many other questions sjsjjssjs don't mind me

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

What are near-Earth asteroids made of?

In the vast expanse of space, an estimated 1 million near-Earth objects (NEOs), also known as near-Earth asteroids, are constantly orbiting close to our planet. Every night, astronomers track NEOs and discover new ones, noting how fast they're traveling, how large they are and where they're headed. Because of their work, world leaders could get advance warning if one of these celestial objects is on a collision course with Earth, helping them prepare for calamity.

But there's one thing astronomers don't yet know, something that could be key to defending Earth from dangerous collisions: how to quickly identify what an NEO is made of.

That's where David Trilling and Remington Cantelas come in.

Trilling, a professor of astronomy and planetary science at NAU, and Cantelas, a doctoral student in astronomy at NAU, will spend the next three years analyzing the makeup of 1,000 NEOs using cutting-edge telescope technology at observatories in Hawaii and Australia. Their work will provide one of the largest surveys of NEO compositions to date, helping astronomers defend our planet more effectively and helping scientists better understand the diverse makeup of the universe.

"When an asteroid is coming our way, we need to know as much as we can about it before it hits," Trilling said. "We already have the tools to find out where it might impact. But what we don't know is, is it a rock, is it a loose pile of gravel or is it a solid block of iron?

"Without that information, we don't know whether to launch a missile to change its trajectory or whether to let it be. We don't know whether it's going to cause mass destruction or a nice little meteor shower."

Information on the material makeup of NEOs is lacking because, until very recently, analyzing them was a painfully slow process.

"The traditional way is called spectroscopy, and it's very comprehensive and very slow," Trilling said. "You come up with the composition of each asteroid by looking for light absorption features and matching them with the light absorption features of different minerals. With the spectroscopy method, you can observe a few dozen asteroids in a year."

Cantelas, who is leading the research project, will use a new camera called MuSCAT—short for Multicolor Simultaneous Camera for studying Atmospheres of Transiting exoplanets—to move at a comparatively breakneck speed, turning out more than 300 asteroid observations in the span of a year. While this approach gives Cantelas the benefit of speed, it does sacrifice some detail.

"Instead of splitting the light into hundreds of wavelengths, we split the light into four wavelengths," Trilling said. "We go 100 times faster, but we gather 100 times less information. We'll only be able to tell you if the asteroid is iron, if it's a rock or if it's something else entirely."

But by gathering a large volume of information, the pair of researchers will give astronomers a broad understanding of the different types of asteroids that are orbiting near Earth—something they haven't had before.

"Someday, when an asteroid is coming toward Earth, we'll have a catalog that says, 'It's this percent likely it's this material and that percent likely it's that material,'" Trilling said. "That's going to be very valuable."

Planetary defense isn't the only thing driving the pair's work. By combining information about an asteroid's orbit with information about the asteroid's material composition, Trilling said, astronomers can develop a richer understanding of the solar system and its material diversity.

"What's cool about NEOs is they were all formed somewhere else in the solar system before they came near Earth's orbit," he said. "If you know what they're made of, and you know how to track their paths of orbit, you could potentially map out the entire solar system without leaving Earth."

The pair's work is already underway. Last year, Trilling said, Cantelas led a pilot project observing a random sample of 10 asteroids using MuSCAT technology. She and Trilling expected to find that most or all of the asteroids were made of the most common types of rocky material in the solar system. Instead, they got a surprise.

"The compositions are all over the map," Trilling said. "Half of them are what we expected, but the other half are really bizarre compositions we never thought we'd find in this survey, and their mineral signatures are really pronounced. What if the solar system has more 'oddballs' than we thought? Where did they come from? How did they get here? There will be lots of mysteries to solve."

[emo-eyemakeup-evildude]

Hi friends! Here's a thought that's been rattling around in my head for a minute

I was planning on using November to work on Astor-related projects I've been neglecting, and I thought I'd expand it into something everyone could join. More info below

I'm envisioning this working like a combination of Linktober and Astor Week, since Astor Week hasn't been announced for 2023. Make and share whatever you'd like! Art, crafts, photography, writing, memes, cosplays, etc. Each week has a theme and each day has a prompt, so feel free to create something for every day, once a week, one thing for the whole month, come and go as you please.

Week 1: Prophet of Doom, generic character/aesthetic prompts 1. Prophet 2. Celestial 3. Divination 4. Jewelry 5. Braids 6. Robes 7. Makeup

Week 2: Backstory, give us the info we should have gotten in the dlc 8. Malice 9. Astrolabe 10. Circlet 11. Hometown 12. Fortune Teller 13. Cult 14. Chosen

Week 3: Age of Calamity, fandom week for the game that gave us our cardboard man 15. Harbinger 16. Calamity 17. Demon King 18. Monster 19. Thread 20. Blood Moon 21. Doom

Week 4: The Future of Hyrule, headcanons and theories about Astor in the larger Legend of Zelda universe, plus less specific bonus prompts 22. Post-Calamity [Peace] 23. Time Travel [Crossover] 24. Breath of the Wild Universe [Wild] 25. Tears of the Kingdom Universe [Ruins/Zonai] 26. Victorious AU [Victory] 27. Redemption AU [Redeemed] 28. Barbie Astor [Headcanons]

Week 5: Wednesday 29 & Thursday 30, the final days. Show us your favorite companion. Canon, non-canon, and original characters all welcome! And a free day, do whatever you'd like or share your visions for what Playable Astor could have been 29. Companion 30. Free Day [Playable Astor]

All creative works are welcome, as are all subjects. Just make sure everything is posted on a platform that will host it, and make sure everything is appropriately tagged so other fans can avoid things they do not want to see.

[dontcallmethuperboy]

CR’s Raven Queen, the old god of death & the Empyrean: A History & Theories Part 1

RQ=Raven Queen for brevity’s sake

Let’s start with what we know:

We know that RQ was a humanoid mortal, but maybe not exactly human as her race has never been confirmed ("Omens Above" (3x19) at 33:50).

The old god of death and RQ were “partners” at one point ("Duskmeadow" (1x57) at 57:06).

We know the old god of death didn’t share everything about his past with RQ, as she didn’t know what Tengar looked like. (Downfall: Part One)

The old god of death was considered tyrannical, as opposed to RQ’s rule ("Duskmeadow" (1x57) at 57:06).

Asmodeus also describes the Schism being over one of the “paper dolls” being too precious for the Prime deities to destroy, though never explicitly says this references all of mortaldom ("Fire and Ruin" (E3x04).

The old god of death had an Empyrean child (Empyreans as written in Monster Manual are celestial children of gods and other gods). A “half son” who’s other parent isn’t named. The Empyrean was imprisoned in Pandemonium during the Age of Arcanum as a punishment for something. ("The Search For Grog" (OSx28) at 4:37:00.)

The old god of death never released the Empyrean because RQ ascended and destroyed him before he could. This left the Empyrean abandoned, and he became corrupted into a spider-like creature found later by Vox Machina ("The Search For Grog" (OSx28) at 4:37:00).

RQ ascended on an apogee solstice 120 years before the Calamity ("Bitterness and Dread" (E3x02) at 1:11:49).

We know the old god of death had to be a Prime deity during the Schism because they were not sealed like Asmodeus, thus allowing RQ to ascend before the Calamity (we know this because Vespin Chloras said the only way for him to ascend to the place of a Betrayer god was by first releasing them from their cage, again "Fire and Ruin" (E3x04).

In the midst of Calamity, during Asmodeus’ monologue about mortals, he describes leaving the pit only to find out that a mortal has replaced his sibling, the old god of death ("Fire and Ruin" (E3x04).

While the Betrayers hold the old god of death’s destruction against RQ, the Prime Deities seem to be willing to work with her, at least in Downfall. (Downfall: Part One)

The Dawnfather is convinced that the old god of death wouldn’t have been able to die unless they wanted to (this was in the Downfall: Part One’s Cooldown, Nick Marini thank you for this tidbit). 

RQ believes that she legitimately killed the old god of death (Downfall: Part One).

RQ was not permitted to claim the old god of death’s entire portfolio "Duskmeadow" (1x57) at 57:06.

I feel I can safely posit that at some point the old god of death had another god as a romantic partner whom they had a child with, but whose relationship didn’t end well prior to the Calamity. This first partner either died (I’m not dismissing those 2 mystery gods that Pradaethos ate) OR was sealed during the first Schism as a Betrayer, leaving the old god of death as the prime caretaker.

I'm not gonna add in the Prime Deities as an option because I really can't see them letting their child get sent to Pandemonium without their knowledge unless this was a REAL bad custody battle we don't know about.

I also slightly doubt the Betrayer angle because like, if I got broken out of my cage and knew I had to pick up my kid from the detention of a millenia that’d be like numero uno on my list. But I wonder if the knowledge of the Empyrean's location was lost when RQ ascended. And that's also why the Betrayers don't like her, because she 's why they lost the key to get back their kid. But also who’s to say the Betrayers are good parents? Maybe they forgot about him too, or put it off too long before they were resealed by the Prime deities during the Calamity. 

OR maybe this child with his punishment to Pandemonium had been kept a secret, and it's just a horrible tragedy that RQ ascended when she did.

Either way the Empyrean really is the most post-divorce-coded child of all time.

[sonatahikari86]

ー Love You Seven Times (2023) - Part 1

"They say love is so powerful that it can make death not scary at all." ― Xiang Yun

The captivating notion of "I'll continuously fall in love with you across every universe" is what captivated me about this drama. And its execution certainly didn't disappoint. The portrayal of their characters, former lovers grappling with forgotten pasts, reuniting and rediscovering their love, truly resonated with me.

Xiang Yun, a celestial matchmaker fairy, unexpectedly crossed paths with the enigmatic God of War, Chu Kong. While her initial purpose was to find a match for him, the threads of destiny wove their intricate tapestry, uniting their fates. This union propelled them through numerous lifetimes, which each replete with the trials of their love's journey.

Amidst these trials, they unearthed a poignant revelation: they had been ardent lovers since 30,000 years distant. However, a calamity tore them apart, erasing Chu Kong's memories of their shared existence.

Meanwhile, Xiang Yun transformed into a secluded cloud dwelling deep within the abyss, her primordial spirit rekindling a mere 3000 years past, reborn as a low-status fairy. Through the intricate weave of destiny, theirs paths converged once more, defying the shadows of the past that had clouded their memories and allowing their hearts to once again entwine.

I admire the way their story unfolds across the second and third lifetimes, with one of them losing their memory as an immortal from the heavenly realm. Yet, their love persists undiminished. Mortal Lu Chang Kong, without Chu Kong's memories, remains unforgettable for his sincere affection towards Xiang Yun, which gradually thaws her heart.

Immortal Chu Kong's feelings for Xiang Yun mirror this devotion. Upon returning to the heavenly realm, Xiang Yun recognizes her true feeling first, while Chu Kong grapples with doubt, unsure if his feelings are his own or Lu Chang Kong's. The turning point arrives during the third lifetime when Chu Kong carries his immortal memories. This time, he comprehends his genuine feelings, even ready to sacrifice himself for Xiang Yun's safety.

The fourth lifetime, though brief, exemplifies their unwavering commitment to safeguard each other, even in separation.

[crescent-cubed]

Alrighty, so a bit of background context!

I got into home brewing D&D lineages a long while back, and I've been on and off it for quite a bit!

Recently, however, I've finally figured out my own system of balancing traits to the point that I'm pretty comfortable saying that they won't be overpowered compared to most other lineages.

This puts limits on how much I can work with some ideas, but that's part of the fun! Plus, it gives me the opportunity to create lineages based on things I like from other media!

For example, one of my favorite lineages I've ever made, the Ralia! They're a species of celestial humanoids that live deep in the Far Realm after calamity forced their kingdom into it. They're inspired by Gardevoir and Gallade, and their traits reflect that!

Without further ado, here's the stats!

Ralia

Creature Type: Celestial

Size: Medium

Speed: 30 ft.

Languages: Common, Celestial

Ability Score Increase

Monsters of the Multiverse Rules: +2 and +1 to two abilities, or +1 to three abilities; all lineages listed on here will follow this unless specified.

Psionic Adept

You have resistance to psychic damage. In addition, you may telepathically communicate ideas to creatures that are within 30 ft. of you that know at least one language. This trait does not allow creatures to respond telepathically.

Born Defenders

You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened and ending effects that are making you frightened.

Sublineages: Guard or Glaive

Guard

Protective Magic

You learn the blade ward cantrip and the shield spell. When you cast either of these spells, you may choose a creature within 30 ft. of you to benefit from the spell instead of you. Additionally, shield may be cast as a reaction to another being hit with an attack roll. You may cast shield through this trait without spending a spell slot, but you can not do so again until you complete a long rest. You may still cast shield with any spell slots you have.

Glaive

Arm Blades

You have two long blades that protrude from your forearms. These blades count as simple weapons with the finesse and light properties. You are considered proficient with your blades, which deal 1d6 slashing damage on a hit.

Psychic Strike

Whenever you deal damage with a weapon attack, you may activate this trait to deal additional psychic damage equal to your proficiency bonus. You may activate this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses after completing a short rest or long rest.

[concealeddarkness13]

My OC Tournament Round 1 Poll 2

Information below the cut:

Picrew 1, 2

Mal (they/them): They are from the Trio Story. They were born to a family who believed in the Celestials of this world (which by the title of the worldbuilding post should show that that's not advised). Their full name is Malice, but they hate that name, so they go by Mal. They learned that they were supposed to be a weapon that will cause a calamity, so they ran away from their family and started a new life. Since humans are thought to be extinct on this world, they have had to hide that they are human. They work as a servant for the different species, and when they're off, they go around, exploring ruins from the original calamity to try and figure out how it happened and how to stop it from happening again.

They are very proper and quiet. They've learned manners from working as a servant, and they had to be unassuming to make sure the species they worked for wouldn't figure out that they're human. They're a chronic insomniac, choosing to explore ruins instead of sleeping. And they truly are scared of being a weapon, even if they don't show that outwardly.

Shine (they/them): They are from Bring Me That Horizon. They are the engineer of Triel's ship, keeping everything running and staying down in the engine room most of the time. They're deaf, but the crew learned sign language, and they're good at reading lips, if needed. They're a brilliant engineer, and I love them (showing my bias).

They're snarky and will make fun of you in sign language. They will even make fun of Triel, who just makes fun of them back. They really do care about the crew, but they show it by throwing spare parts at them when they do something foolish. They just don't have a huge backstory like all my other characters, so that's why this info is shorter.

[dougydoug8797]

Dream Team in their ultimate forms

1. Titan Luz and Calamity Anne

—————————————————————————

2. Celestial Ben and Ultimate She-Ra

—————————————————————————

3. Dragon Jake and Dragon June

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4. Phantom Charged Danny and Flaming XJ9

[boundlss]

IMIRAY: PART I

Part 1 of a hopefully pretty extensive series of posts detailing the world in which my homebrew DND campaign is set! This one will probably just be the basics and listing important locations / setup things ... Anyway, I know people don't often read longer posts about things that aren't relevant to them, but I like talking about things!

Imiray is an isolated planar world that was originally created as a "gift" for the Old Gods who won their way out of the infinite layers of the Abyss. Steeped intrinsically in magic of Celestial and Abyssal influence, Imiray exists as one of many interconnected planar spheres in the complicated web of worlds given to Abyssal creatures powerful enough to become Gods.

It is, however, unique in that the Gods who won the world no longer rule over it---instead, Imiray boasts a much less stronger pantheon of twelve deities who preside over the land and the people in it.

The world, largely run by humanoids, is divided into six major geopolitical players. Each of these nations has their identity represented in the form of a dragon or dragon-like creature, though the identity of any people can manifest itself physically like this.

BASIC INFORMATION - LOCATIONS.

AIVA. Once a large and sprawling nation with beautiful land and prosperous people. Because of a calamity that happened a century ago, though, most of the land was rendered untreadable, and infected with a vicious disease known only as The Fading, which rendered people both physical and mental ghosts of themselves at its worst. Shaken by the calamity, most of the remaining population of Aiva crammed southward into its capital city of Aerath, securing the help and support of the nearby Avariel Elves on their floating islands and the Tritons and Sea Elves who lived just off its coast.

EPHELION. A cold dictatorship where research and progress are valued above all else. In the past, they tended to favor those with innate or learned arcane prowess, but recent developments in technological advancements have changed the focus of their culture at large to be focused on "improving the ordinary human"---though there are large swathes of the common people who disagree with this. Their calamity-causing attack on Aiva in the past has taught others not to mess with them, but they continue to relentlessly pursue advancements in competition with their tense political ally, Oskolda.

OSKOLDA. A sprawling desert whose civilizations have largely migrated underground, mutating due to the influence of the sprawling underdark. Only its capital city remains on the surface, a strange and vibrant cacophony of light and noise from the surface-dwellers who consider themselves the last true Oskoldans and sell their souls for a chance to stay on top even despite the strange and unnatural heat. Their charming and benevolent God offers protection to the surface's residents if they can only pay the right price---and if not, hopeful survivors will always have a chance to try their luck.

VASKAL. The most newly formed nation from a revolution against Oskolda. The residents of Vaskal are secretive, owing in part to the strange crystal relics that were erected there in a past conflict between gods that seem to ward off every school of magic. The hierarchy of Vaskal is slow to trust, and its still-reigning Queen forbids the use or word of these anti-magic crystals to reach further than the borders of Vaskal. Most passing through would be forgiven for mistaking Vaskal as entirely empty, but the people who walk through the shadows have their own clandestine technological empire brewing under the surface.

MIRI. A nation very few enter and even fewer leave. No one outside knows what goes on in Miri, only that control of its government was seized five hundred years ago by a laughing God who bent the nation to its whims. Rather than the semi-tropical paradise it once was, Miri is a microcosm of the Feywild contained neatly within the country's borders, owing to the Archfey on the throne. Those born there are unable to leave, and the Mischief-Maker who calls himself Queen sees to the personal extermination of nonbelievers.

HANAZIRA. Formally known as the Free People of Hanazira, they are a collection of nations who formed an alliance to better stand up against global powers such as Ephelion. Outsiders criticize Hanazira for its roots sunk deep into traditional ways of living, but Hanazirans adapt what the rest of the world creates to suit their own needs. However, their way of life has been steadily more endangered by a strange chasm in the ground housing what they refer to as The Beast, which haunts the minds and torments the souls of anyone who steps near---and its influence is beginning to spread.