#The Arbitrator to the Lost. (Arbitrator.)

[justgiulia]

Echoes of The Abyss

Orpheus!Dan Heng x Eurydice!gn reader

Summary: Dan Heng’s world shatters when you, his only solace, are lost to death. Desperate, he descends into the Abyss to bring you back.

Warnings: Major character death.

Author's notes: This is based off Orhpeus and Eurydice's myth. I hope you'll enjoy this <3

Dan Heng was a sensitive musician and poet who accompanied his verses with the sweet sound of the lyre. At his song, the beasts came out of their dens and became tame and the devastating forces of nature lost their fury. But Dan Heng did not boast: grateful, he thanked the Aeons.

When you had met Dan Heng for the first time, he was a mystery few dared to unravel. Yet, you were persistent, breaking through his carefully constructed walls with your genuine curiosity and unrelenting kindness. Where others saw a stoic enigma, you saw a man carrying the weight of his past in silence.

Over time, he began to let you in. You found solace in his presence, and he found peace in yours. He would read you fragments of ancient poems, his voice low and steady, and play melodies on his lyre that seemed to echo the sorrow etched in his soul.

Then came the day everything unraveled.

A mission gone awry, a poisoned blade and you were gone. Dan Heng had been there, holding you as your life slipped away, the light in your eyes dimming like a candle snuffed out by the wind.

"Stay with me"

He had begged, his voice breaking in a way it never had before.

He called you with all his strength, but you were dead.

The young man, as if mad, wandered aimlessly for days and days. He prayed in vain to the wild beasts to kill him. He sang his anguish to the trees, to the birds, but nothing could calm his pain.

The universe did not bargain with love.

And then, the rumors began—whispers of a place beyond the veil of death, where souls lingered, waiting for those brave or desperate enough to find them. The Path of the Abyss was treacherous, but If there was a chance to bring you back, he would take it.

The Abyss was vast. He walked for a long time and his singing moved the souls of the dead.

Dan Heng kept going, driven by the memory of your smile and the warmth you had brought into his life.

In the center of a dark hall was the throne on which sat the two Aeons Arbitrers, who determined the death and birth of common mortals: Lan and Qlipoth. Dan Heng addressed his invocation to Qlipoth.

"Oh sweet Aeon who from your face emanates the light of the universe" - he began - "have pity on my pain. Cruel fate has torn my beloved from life. I have tried to calm my despair, but in vain. Have pity on me. Hear me, I beg you, give me back Y/n or keep me here too. I would rather die than live without them".

The young man's invocation moved the Aeon to pity, who wept softly, looked for a moment at the other Aeon, and implored THEM in silence. Lan would never refuse THEM and THEY too, becoming tender, exclaimed: -

"You seek to defy the natural order," it intoned, its voice reverberating like the tolling of a bell. "To reclaim what has been taken is to invite suffering upon yourself."

"I don't care," Dan Heng said, his gaze unwavering. "I will do whatever it takes."

"Very well...your song, Dan Heng, has moved Qlipoth and me. I want to please you: Y/n will return with you to the earth. You yourself will lead them out of the Abyss. But be careful: you must neither look, touch nor speak to them until you have reached the light of the sun. If you turn around, you will lose them forever".

The poet, his face transfigured with happiness, bowed to the sovereign and headed towards the exit.

They walked for a long time, but Orpheus' thoughts were on his beloved who was following him. You walked behind him, your presence a fragile reassurance, but the silence between you was deafening. Each step felt heavier than the last, the weight of his fear pressing down on him. With his eyes fixed in front of him, he desperately struggled with the desire to turn and look at your face.

Suddenly a terrible doubt gripped his heart: were you following him or had Qilipoth deceived him?Were you truly there? Or was this a cruel illusion of the Abyss? And just as the sunlight began to filter through the darkness, he could no longer resist. He turned around.

You were standing before him and, with your hands, took off a veil that was covering you. You were more beautiful than ever, but your eyes were sad.

It was an instant. A thick, gray fog enveloped you and you disappeared into the depths forever. Form dissolved into the darkness, your voice a fading echo.

"Dan Heng... thank you for trying."

The young man's pain was terrible; he sobbed, he begged the infernal gods once more, he drew the most heartbreaking notes from his lyre. Lan did not take pity a second time and did not grant him grace again.

He emerged into the light alone, the weight of his failure crushing him. The stars above remained indifferent, their cold light a mockery of the warmth he had lost. He wandered for months through woods and grasslands. Little by little his deep despair found comfort in music, whose notes he traced on a tree bark, but the emptiness within him remained.

In the Xianzhou Luofu there is no singer who does not know that magical music.

[iphyslitterator]

wip wednesday

tagged by @setmeatopthepyre; here's some Union AU

"Good morning," Tommy calls out distractedly when he hears the front door open. Evan pokes his head into the bedroom a few moments later, and Tommy looks up and smiles at him. Evan looks good - gym clothes but freshly showered, very biteable arms on display - even if there's a frown tugging at his lips.

"Is that stuff for my case?" he asks, gesturing at the laptop and neat stacks of documents arrayed around Tommy where he sits cross-legged on the bed.

"Yup. It's coming together," Tommy says, then bites back any enthusiasm because Evan doesn't want to hear the details.

"Shouldn't you be at a table?" Evan asks, drifting closer.

"But I wanted to be in bed when you got here," Tommy says, Evan's lips finally quirking up as he gets in range for Tommy to snag his wrist and tug him into a kiss. Evan laces their fingers together and brings his other hand to Tommy's jaw, gentle, as one kiss melts into three, five, uncountable.

Eventually they (carefully) move Tommy's papers to the floor and Evan climbs onto the bed. "You're home all day, right?" Evan asks as he curls into Tommy's side.

"Yeah," Tommy confirms, burying his fingers in Evan's hair. "You okay?"

Evan's quiet for a while. "I just can't believe we're here, you know?" he says finally, and Tommy smiles and opens his mouth to say Me too, when Evan goes on, "In three days I'm going to accuse Bobby of discrimination in front of a judge. How did I get here?" He sounds lost, and Tommy's smile dies away.

"Arbitrator," he says.

"Yeah, that."

inviting @dharmaavocado @memoriesdays @zeraparker @alchemistc @bucksboobs

[babylon-crashing]

🜄 THE HIEROPHANT – Card V

TITLE: The Ghost Fleet’s Harbormaster / 陰船港主 (Yīn Chuán Gǎng Zhǔ)

MYTHIC ARCHETYPE: The Pirate Monk of the Nine Dragon Sea

TAOIST PARALLEL: Mazu’s Blind Harbormaster, a legendary figure who navigated ships by listening to qi (聽氣, tīng qì), merged with Zhu Bajie (豬八戒)—the oath-breaking, gluttonous monk from Journey to the West, reformed into a sea-priest of penitence.

PIRATE TWIST: He’s the keeper of the Jianghu Code (江湖規矩, jiānghú guīju), a former pirate who lost his eyes to a Dragon King’s curse for breaking an oath. Now he guides ships through fog-locked spirit ports, enforcing sacred pirate laws with a whalebone abacus that calculates karma.

WHY THE HIEROPHANT? He doesn’t preach—he arbitrates. His temple is a floating shrine-junk where warring captains kneel to settle disputes. He teaches that even thieves must honor the tide’s contract.

TAOIST PIRATE SYMBOLISM

KEYWORDS (Upright):

Hǎi shén pàn (海神判, "Sea God’s Verdict")—fair judgment.

"Blood ink vows" (血墨誓, xuě mò shì)—oaths signed with cutlass scars.

The abacus of debts (算賬, suànzhàng)—karma tallied wave by wave.

KEYWORDS (Reversed):

A cut rope (斷索, duàn suǒ)—betrayal at sea.

"Blind fish" (盲魚, máng yú)—willful ignorance of tradition.

The cursed ledger (厄賬本, è zhàngběn)—unpaid spiritual debts.

INTERPRETATION: This card is the law of the outlaw. The Harbormaster knows even pirates need rules—or the sea swallows all.

RITUAL: THE TIDE-TIED OATH (潮綁誓, Cháo Bǎng Shì)

(Inspired by Ming pirate blood pacts and Daoist knot magic)

PURPOSE: To seal a sacred vow with the weight of the sea.

MATERIALS:

A length of seaweed (or hemp rope soaked in saltwater).

Two coins (one copper, one silver).

Your own blood (or red ink).

A candle (blue or white).

STEPS:

Knot the seaweed into a figure-eight (∞), chanting:

东潮宣誓，西潮束缚—— 血与盐使契约磨砺。 The East Tide swore, the West Tide bound—— Blood and salt sharpens the pact.

Rub the coins with blood/ink, press them into the knots.

Burn one knot (for heaven’s record), sink the other (for the sea’s memory).

PARALLEL MYTHOLOGY

TITLE: The Oath-Keeper of the Tides / The Bridge Between Shores

MYTHIC ARCHETYPE: Njörðr (Norse God of the Sea and Sacred Oaths)

REGION: Scandinavia (Pre-Christian Norse Tradition)

FORM: A member of the Vanir gods, associated with the sea, seafaring, wind, fishing, wealth, and fertility of the coasts.

TALE: Njörðr's most defining story comes at the end of the devastating Aesir-Vanir War. To secure a lasting peace, the two tribes of gods exchanged hostages. Njörðr, along with his children Freyr and Freyja, went to live with the Aesir in Asgard. He became a highly respected priest-king, presiding over religious festivals and sacred oaths. He is the living embodiment of a peace treaty, the bridge between two different cultures and traditions, who brings peace and prosperity through this sacred pact.

WHY THE HIEROPHANT? Njörðr is the Pontifex. He is the bridge. His entire existence in the main Norse myths is predicated on being the cornerstone of a sacred social structure (the peace treaty). He teaches that harmony and bounty (the wealth of the sea) come from honoring tradition, keeping one's word, and integrating different belief systems. His story isn't one of wild magic, but of diplomacy, community, and established ritual.

INTERPRETATION THROUGH NJÖRÐR: To draw this card is to be asked what oaths you have made—to others, and to yourself. It is a call to be a peace-broker in your own life. It signifies a time for learning from a trusted institution or mentor, one who can bridge your current world with a new one. Njörðr teaches that the greatest wealth is found not in lonely rebellion, but in the trust and structure that binds a community together.

RITUAL OF THE SALT AND SOIL PACT (For Making a Sacred Vow)

OBJECTIVE: To make a binding, sacred agreement, either with yourself (to commit to a path) or with another person (to seal a partnership or peace). This ritual establishes a formal structure of trust.

MATERIALS:

A cord or rope, about a foot long.

Two small bowls.

A spoonful of salt (or saltwater). This represents Njörðr's domain: the Sea.

A spoonful of soil. This represents the other party, or the "land" of your current life.

AN OFFERING: Mead, ale, good quality beer, or honeyed water. Njörðr is a god of prosperity and festivals; he appreciates a good drink.

STEPS:

PREPARATION: Place the two bowls before you. Pour the offering into a cup. Clearly state the pact you intend to make. Write it down if you need to. Be precise. Example: "I make a sacred pact with myself to dedicate one hour every day to my craft, without excuse."

THE INVOCATION: Hold the cup with the offering. Address the spirit of the ritual. "Njörðr, Oath-Keeper, Bridge Between Shores, you who secured peace with your presence, I call upon you to witness this sacred pact. Be the guardian of this vow." Pour a small amount of the offering onto the ground or into a separate offering bowl.

ACKNOWLEDGING THE TWO SIDES: Place the salt in one bowl and the soil in the other. Touch the salt. "This is the Sea, the new world, the promise I am making." Touch the soil. "This is the Land, my current self, the foundation upon which this promise is built."

BINDING THE VOW: Take the cord. As you state your vow clearly and firmly one more time, tie a single, tight knot in the center of the cord. As you pull it tight, feel the commitment solidifying. This knot is the physical manifestation of your oath.

SEALING THE PACT: Take a pinch of the salt and a pinch of the soil and place them together in the palm of your hand. Mix them together. This symbolizes the joining of the two worlds, the peace treaty being sealed. Say: "As sea and land meet at the shore, so are these two sides joined. The pact is made."

CLOSING: Drink from your offering cup. Keep the knotted cord on your altar, in your pocket, or tied to your wrist as a constant, physical reminder of your vow. The ritual is complete, and the pact is now witnessed.

SYNCRETIC BRIDGE

Njörðr’s Oaths → Pirate Xuèméng (血盟, "blood alliances"): Both bind land and sea through ritual.

Peace Treaty → Hǎi jìng (海靖, "sea pacification"): Ming emperors used pirate warlords as naval peacekeepers.

THE "SCHOLAR'S HEART" MANDATE:

Sources: The Poetic Edda (specifically the poems Vafþrúðnismál and Lokasenna) and Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda (in the Gylfaginning and Skáldskaparmál sections). These texts clearly lay out his role as a hostage, a peace-keeper, and a god of wealth. For the ritual see: 《海盗陰陽術》 (Pirate Yin-Yang Arts), 1796, and Quanzhou’s Maritime Trade Laws—12th-century pirate codes enforced by Mazu’s priestesses.

[writing-whump]

Off Beat

The next morning after the anxious spiral. Isaiah goes to the wolf meet. Things get worse.

When Matthew woke up the next day, the light was still muted. The birds were singing though, annoyingly loud.

Bleary-eyed, he slowly made his way towards the kitchen. The balcony door was open, that's why the outside noises were so loud.

Isaiah was already up. Cause, of course he was. Fresh shirt and pants, hair still wet and combed back.

"Mornin," Matthew said, trying to shake the sleep off like a heavy blanket. When he opened the bathroom door, he scrunched his nose. The smell of disinfectant hit him like a brick. "Eww. What is this—were you cleaning it up all night or what?"

Isaiah shrugged, rubbing at his chest absent-mindedly. He was holding the coffee mug, but wasn't drinking, balancing it precariously on his fingers. "Couldn't sleep. Got up early. Figured I'd do something useful."

"You should do something fun to relax. Sheesh." He brushed his bangs away from his face, eyes still heavy from sleep. Why did he not hear him waking up?

He squeezed his nose, debating whether to risk the bathroom or wait till it aired out a bit more.

Isaiah said nothing, turned away. Still. Kinda too still.

Matthew eyed him. "You okay?" It flew out before he thought better of it.

"Hmm."

Right. What else would it be. "You got that big meet today, right?"

"Yes."

Geez, what a conversation.

"Anything I can help with?" He tried.

Isaiah was silent for a long moment. He still hadn’t taken a sip. Just holding the mug like he was posing for a photoshoot. "It won't take long. I'll take Rip and be done quickly."

Ehhh. Fine.

Matt steered away from the bathroom back towards the kitchen. Opened the fridge, but forgot what he came for.

Something about Isaiah’s stillness was sticking to him. He'd ask again later.

...

The weather was nice so for once, the meet took place outside in the city hall's park.

It was already crowded when they arrived—voices low, bodies drifting in and out of small groups like pieces on a slow-moving chessboard. The sun filtered through the clouds in that pale, washed-out way that made everything look colder than it was.

Isaiah walked a step ahead of Rip. His pace was even, but he couldn’t feel his legs properly. They moved like they always did—strong, measured, trained—but his chest was tight, like someone had wrapped a belt around his lungs and kept cinching it smaller.

The air was thick. Or maybe he was just slow. The trees were swaying gently, and every sound—leaves, breath, murmured greetings—felt like it was happening to someone else.

He offered the usual greetings. A handshake to a human. A nod to a wolf. A still smile that looked right, even if it didn’t feel like it belonged to him.

Someone tried to start a conversation—about a stray dispute at the edge of the west territory, something that might need his arbitration. Isaiah caught half of it, then lost the thread halfway through the second sentence. He should really cut this short.

His head was heavy. His vision felt narrow, like the edges were darkening, like someone had put his focus on rails and pulled it in too close.

He clenched his fist once—then twice. Tried to breathe. In through the nose, out through the mouth.

His heart was beating wrong again. Not fast. Just fluttery, uneven. Like it couldn’t make up its mind whether to race or stop. The edges of his vision blurred, only the center left, pulling tighter like a noose.

It was ridiculous. He could not stop functioning because he didn't sleep well. An Executioner definitely couldn't.

Rip's presence at his back anchored him. When Rip stopped, so did Isaiah. When he turned, so did he. Isaiah wasn't sure if Rip noticed, but he somehow knew when to turn just in time when someone approached, giving him a good heads-up.

He could do this. Just for a bit longer. Then the holidays would take over and he would get a break for a few days. Maybe a whole week. It was important to wrap this up peacefully. The mood was just right, easy, relaxed. The warmth, the spring in the air and his presence, and even wolves could act all civilized.

That's when he noticed Hector. Standing still, alone, looking at him. Directly. Not avoiding. Not trying not to see him or not to be seen.

A chance of pace for sure.

Hector's blond hair sparkled in the light. And amber eyes. He looked like a figure made of gold. It made Isaiah strangely self-conscious about his black suit and hair. Like a gravedigger next to a celebrity.

He had wanted to see him. Until he did.

His chest constricted in that painful, sudden way that almost made him gasp out loud. The blackness threatened to take over his eyes.

He could not do this today.

Isaiah blinked, trying to steady his vision. The brightness made his eyes sting. He forced himself to nod once—to no one in particular—and turned on his heel.

Rip moved without needing a word, falling in beside him like a second shadow.

...

They found a secluded spot near the fence, trees separating them from the gathering. The parking lot was close, though he wasn't sure he could drive.

Isaiah stood with his hands on his knees, not crouching, just bracing. The air stung his lungs, sharp and thin, and his shadow trembled at the edge of his skin. He could feel it pressing, waiting. His heart was fluttering, too fast. Not loud. Just off.

Then footsteps. Familiar weight. Familiar hesitation.

He didn’t look up.

“Are you going already?” Hector asked. The tone was trying to be casual, but there was something more. Tense, tentative. A hand outstretched towards growling teeth.

Isaiah couldn’t answer. Couldn’t breathe right, let alone pretend he could.

“Zaya.” Softer now. A step closer.

And then: a blur of motion, sharp and low. Rip jumped down from the fence. Isaiah didn't notice when he climbed it until he was back. Standing in front of him for the first time.

Isaiah shook his head, trying to register what that meant. His vision zoned out for a second.

“Slow down,” Rip said. It wasn’t loud. It was flat. A warning, without heat.

Hector blinked. Then his lip curled into a grimace on instinct, eyes blazing. A low growl caught in his throat. So easy to anger, as always.

“Fuck off, squirt. You think you can take me? You are 100 years too early to try,” Hector said, just as low.

“You want the top dog spot?” Rip said. “Take it. All yours.”

But he wasn't moving.

Hector's eye twitched. “I’m his brother,” Hector said. His voice didn’t rise as much as it wanted. It wasn’t a shout. But it landed heavy, like that should be enough. Like that should clear the way.

Rip didn’t flinch. Didn’t bare his teeth or react to the challenge. Just… looked at him. Steady and unmoved.

"So?" Rip said. Not sarcastic. Not smug. Just indifferent. Like the title brother was a badge that didn’t mean much if Isaiah didn’t wear it too.

Hector’s brows drew together.

“I have a right to talk to him. You think I’d hurt him? Just back off.”

Rip’s head tilted, just slightly. "Oh? So it's all about what you want?"

Isaiah had not expected that at all. He didn't have a contingency plan for such a thing. This was out of script. Honestly, it was mind-blowing.

Rip looked back at him to check, gaze asking, but still braced for a fight. Still standing in front of him.

Slowly, Isaiah straightened, one arm braced against the fence. His body was tense as a string, his heart hammering in his ears. He didn't want to have such a reaction to Hector's approach. It broke his heart Hector could hear it.

Rip was right. And if Isaiah didn't stop this soon, he would say more and Isaiah didn't want it spoken out loud.

"I can't do this right now, Hex," he said quietly, without meeting his eyes. Without looking up further than up to his legs. Not at that shine. This was the closest he could get to a plea. "Next time. Promise."

...

The noise of the wolf meet faded behind them—too far to feel like it still concerned them. Isaiah leaned against the side of the low brick wall near the parking area, from the other side of the park.

His car was right in front of him, but he couldn't find the strength to get in yet.

Rip stood a few feet away, just far enough not to crowd him. His hands were in his pockets, trying to look casual and neutral, which Isaiah didn't believe one bit after that scene. His mind was still catching up.

His nose was prickling and there was pressure building behind his eyes. It made it hard to think.

Neither of them spoke for a long time.

Isaiah let out a breath through his nose, sharp and uneven. His lungs still burned a little. His shirt stuck to his spine, and the cold air licked at the sweat across his back.

"You didn't have to do that," he said softly, squeezing the bridge of his nose.

Rip shifted his weight. He was facing away. Isaiah slowly realized he was standing guard, keeping the exit from the park in sight. "Didn’t do it for you to be grateful."

"Where did that even come from?" Isaiah said, tone dipped in hysterical amusement.

Rip shrugged. "You looked like you couldn't breathe." He kicked a gravel out of the way. "We could both hear it and he still had the nerve-" he shook his short black hair, looking down. "Sorry."

Isaiah closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the wall. It probably meaning his troublesome annoying heartbeat. "That obvious?"

"No. I was watching closely."

Isaiah let out something close to a laugh, but it caught in his throat. "Since when do you watch me?"

Rip shrugged. "You watch me all the time."

Isaiah looked over. "That’s different."

"Why?"

Isaiah gulped heavily. There was that darkness in his vision again. Was tiredness supposed to feel like this? His chest hurt from restriction, like being crushed under a weight and whenever his heart made that fluttery beat that hurt so much his stomach clenched with it.

He was feeling nauseous, but he had nothing to eat the whole day. It wouldn't be of any help.

Rip bounced on his feet, looking less calm with every passing second. "We should go," he said, glancing at Isaiah uneasily.

If someone caught them, caught him looking like this...this was pretty dangerous.

Isaiah made a move to stand. Rip stepped closer, like pulled in by gravity. "You shouldn't be driving."

There was something so matter-of-fact about Rip's voice. He was not thinking of feelings; he was practical. It made it a little easier to accept.

Isaiah nodded, slumping back down. Like he was just relaxing against the bricks in the sun and not having trouble standing up. "Call Matt to pick us up."

...

"I knew something was off," Matthew grumbled under his nose. He took a taxi to the park so he could drive them back in Isaiah's car.

Isaiah was in the backseat, trying to swallow down the nausea. Little gags were jolting his throat, but he kept pushing against them.

Rip sat beside him in the back, trying not to watch, but his eyes were narrowed and fists clenched. He was too close not to know.

"You just had to go there," Matthew continued. "So classic. Actually, it's getting old at this point."

He leaned his forehead against the window. The sunlight was painful against his eyelids. He was so freaking tired of this day, like a midday deep pulling him under. His skin felt clammy and itchy, like something was crawling up his skin.

The pressure behind his nose was getting worse. The kind of deep sting that prickled up behind the eyes, not down into the throat. He sniffed. Sharp. Too sharp. A flicker of wetness bloomed high in his sinuses, sudden and hot.

He reached up with two fingers and pressed beneath one nostril. Warm. Slippery. He could taste metal at the back of his throat.

The next gag caught him off guard. He leaned over the ground with a sharp retch, with blood-coloured bile slipping out.

"Shit," Rip muttered, undoing his seatbelt to twist closer.

The heaving didn't exactly help, the blood flowing now instead of dripping. He reached his arm over to Rip. "H-help me out of that."

Rip obeyed, wrestling him out of the suit jacket. The blood was basically a stream, too strong for such small openings.

Isaiah gagged, another thin string of stomach acid. Rip braced against his shoulder to coax him back. The blood was running down his upper lip and chin and dripping onto his white shirt.

The vomiting wasn't easing the nausea at all. He felt so sick he thought he was swimming in mud, a painful drum behind his left eye. Breathing felt like dragging air through wet cloth.

The pain in his chest wasn’t sharp. It was deep. Like something buried was swelling outward, pressing against everything else.

"Matt?" Rip's voice sounded far away, though it came right at his ear.

"He shouldn't be bleeding with the meds he's on," Matt said at the front. The car turned abruptly, like he took a turn from one line to the next, where he shouldn't.

"- nearest hospital?"

"...keep him awake."

And then darkness.

[whencyclopedia]

Medieval Icelandic Government

Early medieval Icelandic government, or Viking Iceland, has been termed an incipient form of democracy or democratic parliamentarism, however, the system was actually nothing like its European counterparts, be they medieval or contemporary. Historiography prefers the term 'free state'. As the name suggests, it refers to a freely organized political entity, with some elements of statehood but not quite a state. On the contrary, colonists in Iceland, the heroes of the saga literature, from many points of view created a stateless society. They had a well-defined judicial system and a council of lawmakers (lögrétta), but no king and no one to put judicial decisions into practice. There were differences between chieftains and commoners, but not as big as in many other places. Chieftains had little executive power, and at least in the 10th and 11th century they were not hierarchically organized. Settlers left Norway and other regions to start fresh and arrange their world as nowhere else in Europe.

Chieftains

The colonists (landnámnsmenn in Old Norse) came with political traditions from the continent, and many of them came from the same social class. Iceland gave up the aristocratic layer of continental Viking society and generally the hierarchy of warlords, earls, freemen, and partial freemen. Iceland came to be a society of landowning farmers who were not that enthusiastic about the elites and their roles. Indeed, it might have been what drove them away in the first place. They sought to avoid concentration of power in certain groups and to each have a share of control over the others. Chieftains (góðar in Old Norse) did benefit from some greater authority, but the role was temporary and not territorial. It depended on how many followers they had, if they offered support in disputes, if they could enforce the law, and if they had enough prestige. While in Scandinavia farmers lost rights to the growing authority of kings and other leaders, Icelanders rejected a centralized state. In the words of Jesse Byock, it represents "an example of a self-limiting pattern of state formation" (Viking Age Iceland, 66), meaning that they did not want to evolve but to come back to simpler forms of coexistence.

Local influential men can be seen as leaders but only small-scale ones. Some chieftains but also farmers (bændr in Old Norse) had more wealth and prestige than others, thus being similar to ranked societies. Chieftains could have slaves, tenants or labourers, however, slavery disappeared in the 11th century. Goðar typically competed not only for riches and status but also for followers (thingmenn in Old Norse), who were very important to assert dominance. They arbitrated in disputes, which was risky business that could get you killed, yet perhaps worth the risk, given the economic benefits. They transferred properties, gave loans to farmers, and increased their prestige by offering gifts, a practice that consolidated alliances. They held carefully planned feasts, especially at harvest time, where they displayed their generosity and importance.

It seems that chieftains acquired much less income than we would expect, due to the relatively simple economy and scarce resources. One main source of wealth, besides renting land or cattle, was intervening and settling a dispute. Technically, farmers could also do this, but chieftains were more qualified because they knew more of the law. Nevertheless, social barriers could be overcome, as farmers could become goðar, and rank depended on law and convention. Farmers could switch their loyalties from one chieftain to another, concentration of power was avoided, and authority was a pretty loose concept. This situation would change in the 13th century, once small groups gained more power, stimulated by the medieval Church among other factors.

Continue reading...

[witchyintention]

Deity Study: Forseti

In a pantheon known for thunder, war, and wolfish fate, Forseti arrives like a still pool in the heart of a tempest. While Odin chases knowledge and Thor cracks open mountains, Forseti quietly tends the sacred scales. He is the Norse god of justice, mediation, and eloquent speech—a divine judge whose presence radiates calm discernment.

No dramatic hammer, no cryptic ravens. Just the strength of clarity and the subtle power of a well-chosen word.

He may not be the loudest god in the Norse halls, but he may be the one you need when you’re lost in grey.

Origins & Mythic Roots

Forseti is attested in Grímnismál and Prose Edda, described as the son of Baldur (the beloved, radiant god) and Nanna (his gentle, devoted wife). This lineage places him in a uniquely luminous branch of the Aesir, touched more by peace than by war.

His name means "the presiding one" or "chairman," and his most notable mythic attribute is his hall, Glitnir, said to have silver pillars and a roof of shining gold. There he settles disputes among gods and mortals alike with fairness and grace.

While many Norse gods embody fierce individualism or chaotic change, Forseti embodies order born from understanding. Unlike Tyr, whose justice is martial and sacrificial, Forseti leans toward peaceful arbitration and reasoned dialogue.

Evolution Over Time

Forseti appears in a relatively small number of surviving Norse texts, and many scholars believe his worship may have been regional, perhaps especially strong among Frisian peoples. In fact, some medieval Christian sources equate Forseti with the Frisian legal figure "Fosite," suggesting syncretic overlap or reinterpretation.

With the Christianization of Scandinavia, Forseti’s legal qualities were not as easily demonized or absorbed as other warrior deities, but his cult was quietly eclipsed. His commitment to justice and fairness made him less polarizing and, paradoxically, easier to forget in mythic retellings dominated by drama.

Yet for modern pagans, his quietude and clarity are gaining new appeal.

Symbolism & Associations

Forseti may lack extensive mythic adventures, but his symbolic weight is undeniable:

Glitnir: His radiant hall, a place of fairness, reason, and golden equilibrium.

The Scales of Justice: Though more associated with Roman iconography, the concept fits Forseti well. He embodies impartial decision-making.

Silver and Gold: Reflecting both clarity (silver) and wisdom (gold).

Still Water: Calm, reflective, deep—the emotional texture of Forseti's essence.

Balanced Speech: Words that weigh truth and consequence, neither rash nor evasive.

Law and Mediation: Especially conflict resolution through mutual understanding rather than force.

In personal practice, Forseti may be honored with oaths of integrity, acts of peacemaking, or quiet spaces dedicated to reflection and ethical clarity.

Modern Pagan & Occult Views

Contemporary pagans and Norse revivalists often see Forseti as a divine model for:

Conflict resolution in covens, groups, and personal relationships

Justice work and activism grounded in fairness rather than vengeance

Discernment magic: Enhancing clarity, truth-speaking, and ethical decision-making

Oath-taking and accountability

Sacred speech: Particularly in spells, contracts, and negotiations

He is also a patron of judges, lawyers, mediators, and those who speak on behalf of others. His calm demeanor makes him a balm in times of chaos, and his ability to hold multiple truths without succumbing to paralysis is a skill many witches seek to cultivate.

Pop Culture Presence

Forseti has yet to make major waves in modern media, likely due to his low-conflict nature. He appears occasionally in:

Video games: Referenced in minor roles or Norse-themed content.

Heathen blogs and books: As a model for inner balance and community arbitration.

That said, his lack of widespread fame makes him ideal for personal devotion without pop culture noise clouding the connection.

Reflection/Conclusion

Forseti is not the god you call on to win the war. He’s the one you call to avoid it. He is the god of second thoughts, cooler heads, and truths spoken without cruelty.

In a world addicted to reaction, Forseti reminds us of the sacred pause. Of taking the time to weigh, consider, and choose wisely. His magic is in the moments between conflict and solution—those hushes where understanding can grow.

To walk with Forseti is to become a steward of your own words, a keeper of peace without passivity, and a seeker of justice that heals rather than harms.

And sometimes, that is the strongest magic of all.

Further Reading

The Prose Edda, Snorri Sturluson

Grímnismál, in the Poetic Edda

H.R. Ellis Davidson, Gods and Myths of Northern Europe

Diana L. Paxson, Essential Asatru

Kveldúlfr Gundarsson, Teutonic Religion

May your words be true, your justice kind, and your spirit as steady as the silver light in Glitnir's hall.

[talonabraxas]

"Meditation is not supposed to be the fabrication or the reinforcement of some particular state, but simply the cultivation of the awareness of whatever is arising in the mind." ~Thrangu Rinpoche Buddha Dharmachakra Talon Abraxas The Quiet Awareness Beyond Everyday Noise

In his book "Everyday Consciousness and Primordial Awareness," the Buddhist Master Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche talks about two kinds of awareness: (1) The Everyday Consciousness and (2) The Deeper Primordial Awareness.

Now Everyday Consciousness is what we use and experience all the time - it’s how we see, hear, touch, think, and react. It’s like a busy marketplace - full of sounds, colours, and endless activity.

But… beneath this busyness lies something much quieter - Primordial Awareness. Rinpoche describes it as a kind of natural, unchanging clarity that is always present, like the open sky behind passing clouds.

While Everyday Consciousness is often tied to what we see and feel, Primordial Awareness is like the space that holds all experiences but isn’t moved by them.

So the next obvious question that arises is - if we ever experience this Primordial Awareness in our everyday experience. I think we do - though we rarely notice it because we are always lost in our thoughts rising from our Everyday Consciousness.

For example think of a moment when you were completely lost in a beautiful sunset, where for a brief time, your Mind stopped its chatter. Or when you felt a deep stillness while walking alone in nature. These are glimpses of Primordial Awareness - The Mind at rest, open, and clear.

Rinpoche’s teaching is not about escaping life but about finding this silent space within us, even amidst the noise. By recognizing it, we learn to live with more peace and clarity, letting life’s waves pass without disturbing the deep ocean within. ~Buddha Beings

[notwiselybuttoowell]

In the mountains of Transylvania, a Canadian company makes plans for a vast gold and silver mine. The proposal – which involves razing four mountain tops – sparks a national outcry, and the Romanian government pulls its support.

After protests from local communities, the Italian government bans drilling for oil within 12 miles of its shoreline. A UK fossil fuel firm has to dismantle its oilfield.

Beneath the grey whales and sea turtles of Mexico’s gulf, an underwater exploration company gets a permit to explore a huge phosphate deposit. Before it can begin, Mexico withdraws the permit, saying the ecosystem is “a natural treasure” that could be threatened by mining

Such cases appear to be part of the bread and butter of governments – updating environmental laws or responding to voter pressure. But every time, the company involved sued the government for lost profits and often, they won (Romania prevailed in its case, Italy and Mexico were forced to pay out).

They are among more than 1,400 cases analysed by the Guardian from within the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) system, a set of private courts in which companies can sue countries for billions. There have been long-held concerns about ISDS creating “regulatory chill” – where governments are scared off action on nature loss and the climate crisis by legal risks. Now, government ministers from a range of countries have confirmed to the Guardian that this “chilling” is already in effect – and that fear of ISDS suits is actively shaping environmental laws and regulations.

In April 2018, New Zealand banned new offshore oil exploration projects, but stopped short of an outright ban or revoking existing concession. James Shaw, who was climate minister at the time, said it was because of the risk of being sued by foreign oil and gas companies. “When we implemented the ban on offshore oil and gas exploration, we had to construct that incredibly carefully in order to avoid the risk of litigation. The way that we did that was to leave existing permits in place,” he said. As a result, New Zealand was unable to be a full member of the Beyond Oil & Gas Alliance.

Toby Landau, who has been a leading arbitration lawyer for 30 years, said acting in accordance with the Paris agreement could result in “very significant claims” for countries. He said: “It matters hugely because of the climate emergency that we are in – we’ve got an imperative under the Paris agreement to act quickly and decisively.”

The idea that this does not create a chilling effect is an “outdated and inaccurate view”. He says: “My impression from working closely with governments is that ISDS is now increasingly on their radar, that is it’s increasingly an issue for them to consider: whether implementing a particular policy might give rise to claims.

“We’re left with two regimes that conflict: the Paris agreement requires (broadly) that fossil fuels be phased out, and the ISDS regime provides guarantees for investors that protect their investment – even if it is a fossil fuel investment. That’s the conflict – it’s as simple as that.”

Rob Davies, who was minister of trade and industry of South Africa from 2009 to 2019, withdrew the country from a number of treaties with ISDS clauses from 2013 onwards. He says ISDS posed “significant risk” to the government’s legislation.

“Companies have got the right to challenge any policy … that will impact their expectation of profitability in the future, no matter what the regulation is, no matter what its motivation is, no matter how well designed it is or anything,” he says. Davies believes more recently fossil fuel companies are using the ISDS provisions to “thwart regulations on green transition”. He says: “It has a chilling effect, particularly on developing countries.”

In 2021, the International Energy Agency released a report saying the 1.5C pathway requires no new oil, gas or coal. But the issue of regulatory chill has been acknowledged by a number of international bodies, including the 2022 IPPC report on climate change. “Numerous scholars have pointed to ISDS being able to be used by fossil fuel companies to block national legislation aimed at phasing out the use of their assets,” the authors wrote. The UN, Council of Europe and European parliament have all raised similar concerns about climate action being delayed or watered down by ISDS.

“There can be astronomical costs associated with these cases,” says Kyla Tienhaara, an associate professor at the School of Environmental Studies at Queen’s University in Canada. Countries are afraid of implementing environmentally friendly policies because they can’t afford the cost of ISDS, says Tienhaara. “Governments don’t even have the funding to deal with the case in the first place.”

The Guardian investigation into ISDS reveals $84bn in payouts from governments to fossil fuel companies. More than $120bn of public money has been awarded to private investors across all industries since 1976. The average payout for a fossil fuel claim was $1.2bn.

Some cases can cost countries a significant portion of their total annual budget. For example, in 2015 Occidental Petroleum received a $1.1bn payout from the Ecuadorian government. The country’s budget was $29.8bn in 2016. Honduras faces 11 claims, with one seeking damages equal to 30% of the country’s GDP.

The problem is increasingly being discussed by climate ministers and heads of state. On the campaign trail in 2020, US presidential candidate Joe Biden said he opposed ISDS clauses in trade agreements because they allow “private corporations to attack labour, health and environmental policies”.

The Danish government set a deadline to stop fossil fuel exploration by 2050 as opposed to 2030 or 2040 because it would have had to pay “incredibly expensive” compensation to companies, on top of lost revenue for the Treasury, then-climate minister Dan Jørgensen said.

A 2023 UN report by David Boyd, the special rapporteur on human rights and the environment, found Denmark, New Zealand and France had limited their climate policies because of the threat of ISDS, with the Spanish government saying it has slowed its transition away from fossil fuels over “fear of being sued by a foreign investor”. The report stated that this threat has become a “major obstacle” for countries addressing the climate crisis.

[wibben]

What's in a Name?

Just some early morning thoughts I had to get out of my head before I could even consider functioning today. Vampire!Higuruma is hot, but y'know what else is hot? His unhealthy dependency on his occupation as his sense of self and identity! I just really love the idea of such a tenuous source of self built on structures that couldn't survive eternity, and then losing that self alongside a fragile grip on humanity? A man with just enough sense of pre-furbished morality that he knows he ought to remove himself from society, or live on its fringes at most? God, I love my men a little existential. (I'm also picturing him showing up to his own funeral. It's dramatic enough to suit him, but I think it would be to satisfy a morbid sense of curiosity. I wonder if there'd be many visitors, and if not [I reckon not] if that sense of 'what was it all for?' would transmute into 'all for nought' and might contribute to further mental obliteration. A long and slow descent into eventually giving up on being 'good' because it hardly served him well in life, why continue in undeath? villainvampire!Higuruma... mmmmm.)

Have talked about vamp!Higu at length with a friend and I just... Ugh. What a brain worm.

----------------------------------------------------------

Hiromi Higuruma doesn’t survive the bite.

It's not the fangs or the hunger — he can stomach those.

It’s what comes after that kills him.

Because Higuruma was just a man, mostly tired. He was a defense attorney. That was the whole of him. Justice, order, the thrill of the argument -- he breathed it; and it became him.

So when he can’t step back into a courtroom without wanting to tear out the judge’s throat, when his reflection disappears and his license expires and the world starts calling him dead—

He realizes he doesn’t know who he is without the job. Just a bloodsucker. Not a new moniker, occupation proceeding. And no, the irony isn't lost on him.

Night court’s out of the question. Arbitration smells too much like blood. And every client seems more saintly than ever before, like they know what he’s become and feel kinship. Or pity. God forbid that.

Now, every ten years or so, he walks into a graveyard and pilfers a name -- any will do. Picks one off a stone like fruit from a tree.

He wears it until it stops fitting, until it starts to rot, and then he finds another.

One decade, a reclusive student of philosophy in Vienna. The next, a cryptic archivist in Hokkaido.

Joseph Crane. Elias Ward. Takeda Minoru. All of them fit, for a while.

Even if he still had a reflection, he's not sure he'd recognize who was looking back.

Was it still the face he was born with? Or did he hang that one up forty odd years ago, trade it in for thirty pieces of silver and a harder jawline, a different set of teeth?

He doesn't even particularly miss being human. He misses being certain he was never anything else.

The sun, no longer meant for him, spills across floorboards, and he doesn't step into it; he never did like the spotlight.

Hiromi Higuruma doesn't survive the bite. There's not enough left of him to count.

[silvyysthings]

Silvy, let’s face this he was totally forced - I am not sure why people don’t get what ironclad contract is and him getting bankrupt if he doesn’t fulfil it. I know not everyone is a legal expert but can the general public please use their brains for once?? Yes, he signed up for it and agreed, so technically it is somewhat his choice but this was not his choice in the sense of if he could chose he wouldn’t have her there or have to do this but life is life. Bottom line is don’t sign anything kids if you have not read the small print and definitely think twice before signing ANY legal document.

Truly, I am not sure what everyone is expecting him to do? Breach contract and go to arbitration (it won’t go to court as there are very likely NDAs involved, so they would have opted for private out of court arbitration)? Pay a hefty penalty (yes, contracts have penalties and damages that can run into millions) and go bust/bankrupt? Yes, he earns a lot but also he has high expenses - high taxes, house maintains and probably mortgage, his leeching team, hair, makeup, travel, hotels, producing investments etc. He is actually not that rich as people seem to think. I know this because I know truly rich people and I know how much it costs to maintain this lifestyle. Spoiler alert - it’s a lot. And he cannot afford it or to get out. Period.

have we not learnt anything from Armie and his situation?? He wouldn’t be living in a small flat and driving that car if he could afford it. Even with his inheritance from this dad he is not living a lavish lifestyle. He has talked about it. He is not poor in the sense of people on the streets but he is not rich.

Things are never what they look like on the outside - we have said this many times. Now, can people please remember this and stop dramatising things. No, he cannot get out of this until he fulfils his obligations, so buckle up and pray that he has finally ticked the checklist and this can be over. M

you are giving those whores exactly what they want - allowing people to think this is a legit relationship (allowing them to abuse Tim - mental abuse is still abuse) and giving them satisfaction of pissing off his fans. Congrats, the KarJenners are delighted at this dramatic effect. They trive on attention and you are giving them just that.

sorry anon I respect your point of view and as you see I publish it but he put himself in this situation by choosing it fully. As I have already said several times I will not stop loving a person who in my opinion has completely lost himself from what he was, I don't forget the beautiful feelings he gave me, I will continue to do so, loving him , but I will stop justifying him after 2 years 1/2 of this and I will always say my opinion on this blog, it wouldn't be right to lie . People here are free to think independently from me , we are a fam here but with very different point of views and we respect each other ❤

[satoshi-mochida]

SHUTEN ORDER launches September 5 - Gematsu

SHUTEN ORDER, the newly announced multi-genre adventure game from Danganronpa creator Kazutaka Kodaka, will launch for Switch via Nintendo eShop and PC via Steam on September 5, publishers Spike Chunsoft and DMM Games, and developers Too Kyo Games and Neilo announced. Pre-orders will open on May 22.

Here is an overview of the game, via Spike Chunsoft:

■ About

SHUTEN ORDER is a multi-genre adventure game created through a collaboration between DMM GAMES and Too Kyo Games, led by Kazutaka Kodaka (best known for the Danganronpa series). SHUTEN ORDER allows players to experience five different game systems within a single game, including stealth action horror and multi-perspective visual novel systems. Publishing for the Steam version will be handled by Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd. and the Nintendo Switch versions in North America and Europe will be handled by Spike Chunsoft, Inc.

■ Story

“Happy New End…Have a good end” “168 remaining until the end of the world…” Humanity is approaching its end. In a world steeped in despair and chaos, a strange religious organization called Shuten Order emerges, yearning for the end of humanity. The group rapidly gains followers, eventually forming a small nation state called Shuten. Then one day, someone murders the Founder. Following their death, the Founder is resurrected as Rei Shimobe (protagonist), by a miracle known as “the Power of God.” However, the resurrection is incomplete—their memories are gone, and their life limited to a mere four days. Two self-proclaimed “angels”, God’s messengers, arrive and declare to the protagonist that to achieve true resurrection, they must overcome “God’s trial”: identify and kill their murderer. Thus begins a high-stakes, four-day hunt for the truth, with their own life and the fate of the world at stake.

■ Characters

Protagonist: Rei Shimobe

Founder of the Shuten Order who was resurrected in a “temporary body.” All memories prior to being murdered were lost. “Rei Shimobe” is a temporary name to hide their identity as the Founder. Disguised as a detective to find the murderer within the given time limit: dawn, four days from now…

Angel: Himeru

One of the two self-proclaimed “angels,” God’s messengers. Seemingly, their role is to guide Rei…? Impatient and prone to panic, she is the driving force that compels Rei to move forward when reluctant. For some reason, she has clear malice and hatred toward Shuten.

Angel: Mikotoru

One of the two self-proclaimed “angels,” God’s messengers. Seemingly, their role is to guide Rei…? Calm, knowledgeable, and highly analytical, he steadily guides Rei. However, he deflects when asked questions that get to the core of the matter.

Minister of Justice: Kishiru Inugami

Head of the Ministry of Justice, which administers the law. A free spirit who often says random things and acts spontaneously. He is a knowledgeable and flexible thinker, unrivaled when it comes to resolving disputes. Also known as the “Ghost White Arbitrator.” Addicted to legal drugs.

Minister of Health: Yugen Ushitora

Head of the Ministry of Health, which is in charge of medical care. Also the director of Shuten General Hospital, a medical institution under his control. Known as the “Gatekeeper to the Afterlife” because of his proven medical skills. He appears to be hearty and compassionate, but pathologically meticulous. He loves his younger sister.

Minister of Science: Teko Ion

Head of the Ministry of Science, which controls all aspects of science and technology. Though charmless in both words and action, he is a genius with an unmeasurable IQ, and in charge of designing most of the country’s technology. Also known as the “Prodigy.”

Minister of Education: Honoka Kokushikan

Head of the Ministry of Education, which is in charge of education and information. Nicknamed the “Conjurer of Words” for her ability to manipulate information and confuse the public. Many things about her, including her true face, are shrouded in mystery. She’s typically quiet, but there are rumors about her ambition to become the next Founder…

Minister of Security: Manji Fushicho

Head of the Ministry of Security, which maintains public order. Short tempered and aggressive. Particularly hostile to heretics (enemies of the order) and is known as the “Queen of Heretic Hunting.” Wishes for peace in this country more than anyone and tries to protect it.

■ Multi-Genre Adventure: Five Different Game Systems

The suspects are five ministers who control the Shuten Order’s government. Depending on who you suspect, both the storyline and game system can diverge 5 different ways.

Ministry of Justice: Mystery Adventure

During investigations and interviews, use the “Snapping” feature to closely analyze suspicious statements and intriguing objects. Piece together evidence and make brilliant deductions to find the murderer.

Ministry of Health: Extreme Escape Adventure

A dark and unnerving 3D maze… Intellectual puzzles that obstruct exploration and kill indiscriminately if left unsolved… Immoral rules that pit participants against each other. Sometimes, fighting is needed, and other times, teamwork, in order to survive this death game and escape from the mysterious locked space.

Ministry of Science: Multi-Perspective Visual Novel

A visual novel adventure featuring differing points of view and differing agendas. Make use of the flowchart and survive to the end of a scenario filled with multiple chronologically branching routes.

Ministry of Education: Romance Adventure (?)

After being poisoned by Honoka Kokushikan, the protagonist Rei is led to a certain school and meets three girls calling themselves “Kokushikan.” To unmask the real Honoka—who has the antidote—increase each girl’s Affection and make a successful confession of love.

Ministry of Security: Stealth Action Horror

Freely explore a 3D map while evading and hiding from the wandering killer, Nephilim. Deal with numerous gimmicks with one goal in mind: survive.

■ Digital Deluxe Edition ($64.99)

Set includes:

Game

SHUTEN ORDER Visual Art Book

SHUTEN ORDER Mini Soundtrack

*Neither the Visual Art Book nor the Mini Soundtrack is available for individual purchase.

Note: All images for illustration purposes. Design, content, and names subject change without notice.

■ Nintendo Switch Exclusive Pre-Order Bonus

Pre-order SHUTEN ORDER (digital or Digital Deluxe Edition) and receive a Tookyo Games original digital novel supervised by Kazutaka Kodaka, “Before the Murders – case: Manji Fushicho” which serves as a prequel to the main game.

Original Digital Novel Synopsis

Set five years before the events of the main game, this novel tells the story of Manji Fushicho, before she became Minister of Security. She is captured by heretics and subjected to a brutal “awakening test.” At the end of this harsh trial, she makes a decision. This is the origin of the woman who would eventually become feared as the “Queen of Heretic Hunting.”

■ Staff

Watch the announcement trailer below.

Announce Trailer

English

Japanese

[imsobadatnicknames2]

top 5 ttrpgs for beginners

Sorry that this one took me a bit longer to answer than all the other Top 5 asks :p i wanted to explain a bit of my reasoning behind it and this gave me q chance to ramble a bit about something that bothers me lol

So, first of all I want to talk about what TO ME makes something a good beginner RPG.

Ramble:

I've talked a bit in the past about how I have sort of a bone to pick with the way so many people, when asked for recs for beginner TTRPGs, immediately decide to recommend extremely rules-light/minimalist/one-page RPGs (Hacks of Lasers&Feelings in particular seem to be somewhat popular on this front), when IMO these types of RPGs are at their best when played by an experienced group (or at the very least with least one very experienced player/GM who can provide some guidance to the others). I think a lot of ppl seem to have the impression that simpler mechanics inherently make a game more beginner-friendly, and that thus the most beginner-friendly games are inherently gonna be the ones with the simplest mechanics. And while this is true to an extent (a 700-page RPG with tons of complicated mechanics to remember is obviously gonna be inaccessible to beginners), when you consider that mechanics exist to DELEGATE decisions about the fiction away from the players and the GM so that they don't have to manually arbitrate them every time, there is point where less mechanics are gonna make harder for new players because it means there's more thing they're gonna have to find a way to arbitrate on and decide by themselves, and that's a skill that takes time to develop. An experienced group can probably get a ton of mileage out of a system that essentially ammounts to "the GM describes the world. The players describe what their characters do, and the GM describes how the world reacrs. When the outcome of a player action is uncertain, then [simple resolution mechanic]" but a beginner group is gonna be a little lost. Especially if the game, like many of these types of games, includes practically nothing in terms of GM tools. So I think recommending beginner RPGs solely on the base of how simple they are is well-intentioned but misguided.

(Ramble over)

So, some of what, to me, makes something a good beginner RPG is

Rules provide enough support that the group won't have to constantly be figuring out how to adjudicate stuff on the fly, but they're simple and flexible enough that they're easy to remember and learning them doesn't feel like a daunting task like it does with a certain game (*cough cough* D&D)

Relatively short and uni timidating. Maybe between like 20 and 100 pages. Players should be able to read through the rules and mechanics in one sitting.

Plenty of examples of play, often a good example of play is what makes a game's rules really *click* for a new player.

Relatively quick and painless to start running for the first time. Character creation should be quick and snappy, and if possible a short pre-written adventure (hopefully with some room to be expanded into something larger) should be included within the same book and ready to run out of the box. Even if your group doesn't like using prewritten adventures, having a *good* prewritten adventure can be a huge help in understanding how to write/design them.

Solid set of GM tools and resources (if it's a game with a GM, of course)

Optionally, plenty of compatible material to either use or take inspo from.

So, I think my recs would for beginner games would be...

Mausritter

If any of you have EVER heard me talk about RPGs you knew Mausritter was gonna be here TBH. I've repeatedly talked about it being one of my favorite RPGs and also that I consider it pretty much an ideal introduction to the hobby. I think the woodland critter theme is extremely charming and attractive for people of any age, while the slightly darker elements that rear their head from time to time keep it from feeling too childish.

The mechanics are simple and flexible but still provide enough structure that even a new GM will rarely if ever be at a loss about how to resolve a particular action. They're familiar to anyone who's played a dungeon game while still being extremely streamlined. 3 stats with the main action resolution being roll-under tests, no classes, characters are defined mostly by their inventory, all attacks auto hit and initiative is extremely streamlined, which keeps combat quick and dynamic, etc. And the mechanics are pretty short and esy to digest too, the players' section of the rulebook only takes 18 pages, including stuff like inventory tables and examples of play, and the website features a handy one.page rules summary (which also comes with the box set)

It's super easy to get running: character creation takes a couple minutes at most, and it features both a simple adventure and hexcrawl that can be used right out of the box with plenty of interesting directions to expand for further adventures.

Now, Mausritter takes most of its mechanics from Into The Odd, so a lot of its virtues come to it, but I think the few changes it made DO make mausritter most beginner-friendly, such as its inventory system which makes inventory management into a genuine challenge without having it devolve into a slog of tedious book-keeping, and the incorporation of a streamlined version of GloG's magic system, which manages to still be simple and easy without being as loose and freeform as the magic system from a lot of OSR games of similar complexity (which can be initially daunting to new players)

But what REALLY makes mausritter shine IMO is the extremely solid set of GM tools. In just a few pages mausritter manages to provide simple rules, procedures, generators and advice for running faction play, making an engaging hexcrawl, making adventure sites, and generating stuff like treasure hoards, NPCs, an adventure seeds and overal just a ton of useful stuff that takes a huge load off of the shoulders of any beginner GM.

Cairn

Lets say you're into Mausritter mechanically but your players aren't into the whole woodland creature theme and want to play something more traditional. Cairn is also built on Into The Odd's system, and takes inspiration from some of the same sources, so it's very similar mechanically. It does feature some significant differences regarding magic, character advancement, and how injury and healing work, but overall it's still mostly the same system under the hood, so a lot of what I said makes Mausritter a great introduction to the hobby mechanically still applies here (quick and flavorful character creation, dynamic and streamlined but dangerous combat, etc). It's also a classless system that features msotly inventory-defined characters, but aside from the option to randomly roll your gear, the game also offers the option of picking a gear package in case you wanna emulate a particular fantasy archetype.

Now, Cairn is a much more barebones document, and doesn't even feature examples of play or an explicit GM section with resources for running the game, which breaks with the things I said I look for in a beginner RPG. However, in this case I'm willing to forgive this because, first, Cairn's website features a plethora of first party and third party stuff that isn't featured in the book itself, including examples of play, GM procedures and tools, modular rules, and a wealh of conversions of creature stat blocks and adventures from D&D and other fantasy adventure ttrpgs.

And Second, something different that specifically distinguishes Cairn as a good example of a beginner RPG is how it explicitly outlines its philosophical and design principles, and the principles of play for both the GM and the players before it even shows you any rules, which is something that I think more games and ESPECIALLY begginer games should do. IMO the whole book is worth it just for that little section.

Troika!

Troika is a game built on the Fighting Fantasy system (which originally was less of a TTRPG system and more of an engine for a series of choose-your-own-adventure books) with a really interesting pseudo-victorian space opera weird gonzo setting which is a load of fun. It has very simple 2d6 mechanics, with characters having three stats (Stamina, Skill, and Luck), and being mostly defined by their inventory and the special skills from their background. Character creation is quick and snappy. The game gives you 36 weird and extremely creative character backgrounds, but creating a custom background is as easy as coming up with a concept and the names of a couple special skills that support that concept. It also has a very unique initiative system which might be a little divisive but which I DO find fun an interesting.

While it lacks many of the GM tools I praised Mausritter for, it makes up a little bit for it with an initial adventure that does a wonderful job at naturally introducing the weirdness of the setting, and which at the end presents a ton of opportunities to segway into a variety of urban adventures.

Now, a lot of beginners come into RPGs specifically looking for a D&D-type fantasy game (which is a problem because D&D is a pretty bad option for a beginner RPG) so for those types of players I would recommend

The Black Hack

The Black Hack is probably my favorite game for doing D&D-style fantasy roleplaying. It's a game that at its core uses the original 1974 white box edition of D&D for inspiration, but modernizes, reimagines, and streamlines every aspect of it to be one of the most simple yet elegant D&D-like experiences out there. For example, TBH uses the six stat array that all D&D players know and love, and with the same 3-18 point range, but does away with the attribute score / attribute modifier dichotomy, instead building its entire system around the attribute scores, with all rolls in the game being roll-under tests for a relevant attribute (including initiative, attack/defense rolls, and saving throws). It also innovated some extremely elegant mechanics that went on to be very influential for other games, such as its Usage Die mechanic as a way to streamline keeping track of consumable resources. Basically, it's like if D&D actually played the way it looks in cartoons and stuff: character creation doesn't take 3 hours, every combat encounter doesn't take five hours, and you can place some emphasis on resource management without the game making you want to tear your hair out with boring bookkeeping.

And one of the coolest things about it is the way it handles compatibility. Despite taking loose at best mechanical inspiration from D&D and playing very differently from it, TBH is intentionally designed to be compatible with a wealth of old-school D&D material. While it very clearly stands as its own distinct game, it's designed in such a way that you can prety much grab any creature stat block or adventure module written for any pre-3e version of D&D and use it in The Black Hack with little to no effort in conversion required.

The first edition of the game is a pretty barebones 20-page booklet that just describes the basic game mechanics, since it was assumed you'd probably be using D&D creature stat blocks and adventures with it anyway, but the second edition was significantly expanded with a bestiary, expanded GM procedures and advice, and tool for creating anything you could want: Hexcrawls, towns, dungeons, quests, treasure hoards, NPCs, dungeon rooms, traps, secrets doors, etc. plus a short premade adventure and even a few premade unkeyed dungeon maps that you can take and key yourself if you're in a pinch for a map, which as you all know, I think GM tools are an important part of a beginner game.

The game only includes the 4 basic classes from old-school D&D (fighter, thief, cleric, magic user) but the community has made several supplements adding back more modern classes.

Now, if you're that type of player that wants a D&D-like experience and you want an alternative that's still beginner-friendly but doesn't deviate as much from D&D's design, I would suggest:

either Basic Fantasy, or Old-School Essentials (or any good retroclone of Basic D&D tbh)

BF and OSE differ a bit from each other but at their core they're both attempts to repackage a relatively faithful but slightly modernized version of the 1981 Basic/Expert D&D set, retaining mostly the same mechanics while ditching a few of the aspects that might seem counterintuitive to a modern audience (such as descending AC, which I personally don't mind but I udnerstand why a lot of people find it confusing). I'm recommending these bc I think if you're gonna play any actual D&D product, the B/X set represents D&D at its most beginner-friendly (character creation is at its quickest and simplest, combat flows faster and remain itneresting due to doing side initiative rather than individual initative, the mechanics forsurprise, stealth, and dungeon exploration actions such as looking for traps are streamlined to simple D6 rolls) while still being recognizably D&D and these retroclones put in a bit of an extra effort to make them even more accessible to modern audiences.

Now, just like The Black Hack, these retroclones are limited in their race/class choice to the classic old-school D&D human/halfling/elf/dwarf and fighter/cleric/thief/magic user, but in the case of Basic Fantasy, the community has made several race and class supplements, some of which are showcased on the official website, and in the case of OSE, the OSE: Advanced addon reintroduces many of the modern classes and races that were originally introduced in the Advanced D&D line.

Have in mind that this list is pretty limited by my own tastes and experiences. I'm very aware that the very specific type of game I tend to play and like and experiences inroducing some of my friends to the hobby completely color the scope of what I can recommend as a good beginner RPG, and that that scope is significantly limited. I also like more narrative storygame type stuff, and I don't doubt that some of them would also make a fantastic introduction to the hobby (some PbTA stuff like Ironsworn, Dungeon World and Monster of the Week comes to mind) but my experience with them is not significant enough for me to feel confident in telling which of them are good beginner RPGs.

Also note that there are several games that I consider to be more MECHANICALLY beginner-friendly than the ones I listed here, but that I avoided mentioning specifically because they offer extremely little to no support in terms of GM tools, which I think is an important and often overlooked aspect of beginner-friendliness for any game that includes a GM! But they still might be worth checking out. These include games like DURF, FLEE, OZR, A Dungeon Game, Bastards, Dungeon Reavers, Knave 1e, and Tunnel Goons.

[unsoundedcomic]

I get the feeling that Tittybird and the Man (this sounds like a detective show) made a much more sophisticated change to the world than her story to Sette really let on. Is that true?

Of course. Sessine wasn't going to explain the intricacies of it to an unlettered Sharteshanian pocket-picker. Sette got the yadda-yadda version.

Heck, it took her long years to teach the fundamentals required to do it to her man-friend, and he was no slouch. They had to design their own version of what a human soul should be, they had to exempt major events before the point of the Man's death from revision to avoid paradoxes (this pained the Man greatly because it meant certain souls were lost), they had to restrict big chunks of revision to memory only because re-executing reality with the changes in place then was too risky, they had to rewrite certain khert processes to allow for memory collection while not hampering its other arbitration processes and starting fires. It was complicated, sophisticated stuff!

Duane's going to be battling with himself over whether to believe any of this because it's gross heresy, and over being fascinated by the idea of it and what it means in terms of what's possible with the khert and with the deepest levels of pymary. Rewriting the khert is the kind of thing all Composer-level spellwrights secretly think about, but it's madly heretical to even suggest. Because the khert is holy, it's eternal, it's the great arbiter. Should men alter it before Ssael says it's time?

Imagine!

[confessionconsensus]

I know this is the website where you're supposed to be all unhinged and obsessed about your blorbos, favorite characters, etc. that's what tumblr helps with.

But my fandom had a recent official (put out and regulated by the creators) poll about the best character and someone, upon realizing that their favorite character lost it, declared that they "are going to quit the internet as soon as the poll is over" and "hate people", because their fave lost.

While I am of course no arbitrator of what counts as too into a fandom, I now think of this person as unhealthily online and too invested in the fandom (this is my sin to judge), even though it might be hypocritical of me to judge them for really loving a character.

[jacki-daytona]

i’ve lived in a brain fog this year, i’ve lost the ability to play sudoku on hard mode, i’ve forgotten a bunch of important things - and this ties into my upset around my inability to articulate my upset around the bullshit holier than thou attitude from certain factions of the bucktommy community.

it happened a bit with the eddie discourse too, mocking those who were triggered by the kitchen scene, as though we can decide what people are upset by.

we don’t get to be the arbitrators of triggers and sitting back and congratulating each other on being more morally correct isn’t really the win you think it is.

full disclosure, i read the snippet in question and even liked it after it was posted here! you know why? cuz i read it knowing full well ALL the warnings! i read it after following a link from a (public *open* community) server. because i read it after following a link knowing what it was, i didn’t actually realise the full implications of people reading it cold - as in, reading it on tumblr NOT getting the warnings i did - reading the snippet where it originated with full warning as to its contents- and i kinda feel like a lot of people are missing that context and maybe being unfair as to its potential triggers on others - also, since when is it OUR place to decide what is triggering to others?

mocking people for being triggered by content doesn’t make you more mature or edgy or kinkier, it just makes you an asshole.

so, i actually won’t be apologising for bringing attention to something that’s causing harm in our fandom space.

also like: on a personal note - i’m new to chronic pain, i’ve been crying for approx 4 days after not doing that for literal years so. i kinda feel like everyone can see me crashing out but that might just be a symptom of something something.

[starr-angelofnarnia]

Accidental Hate

I’m certain I’m going to get hate for this, but I’ve been thinking about something a lot since coming to terms with the election results. Overall, I would say the democratic party, leftists, progressives, whatever name you have for the group is far more empathetic than the opposite side of the political spectrum. The term “bleeding heart liberal” always makes me laugh because it’s said as if it’s an insult. You’re looking down on me because I care about others? That’s not the flex you think it is.

But there is a concerning trend within the democratic party in the U.S. that I honestly think has a MONSTROUS impact on why we are where we are today. Plain and simple, a bad habit has developed of labeling things as -ist or -phobic when they just aren’t. I’m going to share some examples and I’ll start with the most immediate example that has me considering this in the first place.

“Kamala Harris lost because Trump supporters are sexist and racist.” No. I’m sure there were some voters who voted against her for being black and/or a woman. But that’s not the majority. The number one reason cited for voting Trump over Harris was the economy. THE ECONOMY. People are struggling to afford basic needs and they don’t think Harris is going to address that. Now, this is a problem with corporate greed (which Republicans escalate) rather than the economy. But that’s not an issue of race. That’s not an issue of gender. That’s an issue of more and more people struggling to put food on the table.

“But they want greater border control. That’s also racist.” Yes. It can be. But remember that fear about the economy? Most people assume that money that should be going to Americans is going to support people who enter illegally. And immigration in general is very nuanced because you have people here legally but temporarily, people here legally who overstay their welcome, naturalized citizens, people seeking refuge and probably more I’m missing. Concerns that borders need to be closed are coming (mostly) from people who are losing their jobs and struggling to survive. Assuming these people are racist ends up being classist because these concerns are coming mostly from the poor and undereducated.

“Jordan Chiles lost her medal because of racists.” Again, no. Anti-American, possibly, considering the nuances of international sporting competitions and human bias (because the US has dominated women’s gymnastics for decades now and other countries want to break that record). But it’s not racist. And anyone who thinks it is, clearly didn’t watch the competition in question. The medal issue is a problem with the International Gymnastics Federation, the International Olympic Committee, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport. And again, there are so many nuances here (it should not be impossible to earn a perfect 10) that makes it difficult. But to call it racist is a stretch. Especially considering Romania (the team that ended up with the bronze), has called for FIG to give Chiles’ medal back, as it was a clerical mistake.

“I can’t believe people stopped buying a brand of beer because the company chose a trans woman as a spokesperson.” This one really ticked me off because Dylan Mulvaney became popular by making videos with disgusting stereotypes of women. I’ll give her the respect she deserves by using her proper pronouns, but she did cause harm with some of the stereotypes she used. Some of the backlash was transphobic. A portion of the backlash were women who felt their voice was being taken away by someone making a mockery of them.

“J.K. Rowling is trans-phobic.” I don’t know her. Maybe she is. (I mean, fuck, she DEFINITELY crossed a line in her criticism of Imane Khelif). But she’s also had some valid points. There are biological differences in men and women that can be dangerous to ignore. A trans-woman can be killed by testicular cancer. A trans-man can die from uterine cancer. Meanwhile, I’ve been trying to learn about a chronic illness that impacts the uterus because I fear I might have it. And finding information on it has been difficult because it has been wrapped up as a trans-gender issue. A person with the illness might be trans-gender, but to even be diagnosed, they would have absolutely been born a woman. Trans-issues are real, but they shouldn’t be wrapped into women’s issues. Both are dangerously under-represented. And quite frankly, I don’t want to be known as a “person who menstruates either.” Again, it’s complex.

Hatred toward people based on their sexuality, gender, race, ethnicity, religion and so on are very real problems. Behaviors and rhetoric that are harmful to minority groups absolutely need to be called out and blasted. But these problems are being over-labeled, slapped on an issue that is more nuanced. And in this habit of over-labeling behaviors as hateful, we’re exposing ourselves as harboring our own kind of hate: hatred toward the lower class, toward the uneducated. By crying “racism”, “sexism”, “homophobic”, “trans-phobic”, etc. for nuanced issues, we’re unintentionally othering, and being classist and educational elitists.

Bottom line: we cannot fight hatred with hatred. And for a significant percentage of the United States, the declaration of democratic policies are anti-poor and anti-undereducated.