#the lore i have crafted of these two is insane ...

[eurydart]

local farmer is madly in love with beach hermit and they can not be quiet about him

+ bonus ref of my favorite creature of a farmer (aster)

[cup-o-stars]

Relativity Falls!

Design Concepts (and my unnecessary thoughts):

Excuse the the colors, ig my apps are fighting.

I see Mabel finding success no matter what happens to her, but I really like the thought of her running an insane arts and crafts business in GF. Alternatively, if she fell in the portal, she'd come out acting confident as always, but she probably wouldn't realize how much the constant change and lack of family/stability wore her out until she settled back in. In either case, she's a bit cracked.

Dipper is investigative, but cracks easiest under stress and is not as inherently adventurous as Mabel or Ford- so the portal wouldn't treat him well. If he's not the one in the portal, he'd be into stargazing and real magic to share with people, while also warding tourists away from the dangerous stuff. In general, he'd be an unhappy adult if left to his own devices, lol.

Between Dipper and Mabel, I like Dipper being in the portal more. He's a great protagonist, but as a supporting cast member, he needs to be more insane to match the draw that is 'Mabel taking care of children,' ha. I also love the idea of there being no portal / some other looming threat for these two to struggle with (at least because Hirsche has made it clear that Dipper and Mabel are equally smart, and to me it seems like the portal would reopen way quicker with them), but I didn't plan on posting these and I don't know how my followers feel about me posting lore.

Stanford and Stanley:

Pretty much how they are in canon, but now they're in a setting where they can get over themselves, ha. They aren't quite as mature as Dipper and Mabel were at their age, but after coming to GF, they finally found other people to look out for them. Dipper could be a more emotionally available and level-headed role model (I think having people to take care of is calming for him in turn), and they'd both look up to Mabel as the peak of somebody who knows how to socialize.

Fiddleford:

He's a sweet, southern, farm-raised mechanical engineer just like in canon.

Idk why Fiddleford is in GF (visiting an unnamed grandparent?), but I really like his relationship with Ford in the journal. Following that thought, in this AU, he starts out more of Ford's friend than Stan's, and it's kind of a big deal. Unlike Dipper's arc on learning to be a kid, Stan and Ford clearly struggled a lot with interpersonal relationships / finding security outside of eachother, and that's what I think this AU could be about (it's great they realized they need each other in canon, but the part where they had no one else to turn to is also kinda crazy if you ask me).

Ford gets to meet another smart kid in a weird town, which helps him feel more normal. He has a better idea of what friendship is because of it, but also, since I can't imagine Dipper wanting an apprentice so young/vulnerable/impressionable or Mabel asking only one of the twins to stay- he'd have to come to terms with the fact that he can't live in his dream world forever. (Or maybe the apprenticeship comes from somewhere else, just because the conflict around going back to Glass Shard Beach at all, or sending Stan alone could be pretty good.)

On the flipside, I think Stan's initial jealousy of Ford and Fiddleford's friendship would force him to try finding his own friends / hobbies. I like the idea that he fails at first- and a lot- but Mabel notices his mounting frustration (which he is very keen on hiding), and her consistent and unorthodox support makes him realize he wasn't alone to begin with. He can be more open around her, which makes it easier to open up to others, and then he can make friends without having to pull any tricks. He probably starts with some animals, and then at least gets closer to Fiddleford anyways (I feel like they're both more practical than Ford and value human company more, so they'd bond easier once Stan gets over his personal hurdle).

Anyways- because that was way too much- Mabel's exes are a constant source of antagonists and Dipper is stressed about setting a good example.

(I was more of a Monster Falls fan back in the day, but I can't draw animals, lol)

[velvetdolor]

for the thrill of the hunt. (m)

♱✮♱⋆ masterlist: chapter i,

♱✮♱⋆ word count: ??

♱✮♱⋆ pairings: ancient vampire!seonghwa x ancient vampire!reader x prey!wooyoung/poker player!wooyoung (eternal!throuple) LOL (san! x reader—but that’s gets its own story.)

♱✮♱⋆ tropes: murderers to lovers (LOL) y/n and seonghwa have been married for centuries and seonghwa is a very dramatic and whiny husband despite trying his best to be a mysterious vampire + wooyoung’s a methodical airhead!! small amount of a reincarnation trope. there will be elements of fantasy/knighthood and mythology/mythological creatures centered around the medieval ages when we delve into their vampiric lore/backstory. (chapter one only) after the backstory, we will return to the present time—where we are currently facing your dilemma with seonghwa AKA the main plot.

♱✮♱⋆ genres: smut, comedy, angst, fantasy/supernatural, fluff

♱✮♱⋆ warnings: 18+ MDNI—depictions of blood, gore, murder, war, and references to substance abuse, side character death, depression, brief mention of death by sui*cide, and s/h. switch!seonghwa, seonghwa’s quite literally insane, switch!reader, momentarily sub!wooyoung, brat!wooyoung, honestly rude dom!wooyoung, some religious metaphors utilized in sexual situations, threesomes, solo play, regular play(?) some mxm action but everyone’s f**king each other to be completely honest, a F*CK ton of spit, knife play, biting, blood play, a seriously prolonged roulette game, asphyxiation, mentions of an orgy, probably will add additional chapter warnings when the actual chapter is posted, a murder plot gone wrong, and very ancient vampires who still collect coupons and hate rich people despite being rich themselves #neverforgetwhereyoucamefrom #hypocites

♱✮♱⋆ summary: being an ancient vampire sucks sometimes—both literally and figuratively. when seonghwa refuses to feed and forces himself into a deep slumber after declaring that he’s unwilling to face the painful boredom of everyday life, you’re forced to devise a delicious plan that’s heinous enough to awaken your very mopey husband. this is why jung wooyoung— a world star poker player with not only a great mug to pair with his skills, but the world’s rarest blood type, golden blood— gets a big red x on his photo that you shoddily pin onto the wall of your dining room when your frustrated efforts at getting your husband to stop moping grow frantic. your villainous husband— not one to opt out of a well crafted game, rises to join you on this particular excursion. the mission? play an all stakes game of cat and mouse with jung wooyoung’s life—

for the thrill of the hunt.

loosely inspired by the webtoon, MOONSTRUCK by Jellyfish.

♱✮♱⋆ update: might be a short series (five chapters or less) might not —the world may never know because i certainly don’t. updated the fic to angst, since shit got a bit dark when i actually started writing it. first chapter tackles way darker subjects and undertones + is lots of cool backstory! we won’t be getting deep into the comedy/smut aspect until chapter two. please read the warnings of this series prior to reading— as there’s a decent amount of descriptive gore and side character death.

authors note: literally could not resist drafting this at four a.m—seonghwa has been flooding my feed and i’ve been getting too much vampiric inspo for me to NOT write this and writing for wooyoung is always literally such a joy for me. while i doooo say i won’t pick a bias for ateez because my attention fluctuates too much—if i had to pick one it’d probably be wooyoung. <3

posting this eventually, and might drop the chapter the same time i finally drop the first chapter of my other seonghwa two shot series, fatal attraction. LOL

i have both chapters already written (for both series) and planned to have posted sooner but..they don’t feel perfect yet and so i’m still going to take time to edit, cut out, and add until it feels good to post!

[kismets-barista]

Hold onto your Stetson, @ohposhers; have I got some personal HickDory lore for you 😎💜🌟🫧

Excuse the insanity for those who don't feel compelled towards these two

SO!

Hickory and JD met a few good years before the events of the World Tour when Dory was traveling to find Lonesome Flats, got heatstroke and passed out in the desert. Wakes up to Hickory shadowed in the flickering light of a campfire beneath a canopy of the brightest stars he'd seen since the Neverglades, but it wouldn't be until QUITE a few months later until they really started developing crushes against each other. (Cowboy under the stars, you'd think he'd fall right then and there, right? 🌟)

Why was Hickory already in Lonesome Flats, you might ask? Where was Dickory?

In a glue trap, I say in response. Hickory came from Yodelsberg (is there a canonical name for this?) for international study and to learn about new music. He fell in love with country because yodeling and country music are actually quite gorgeous together. She Taught Me to Yodel, anyone?

Delta Dawn obviously didn't take to Dory showing up and around the town, but after some convincing by Hickory and lots of proving himself (plus a vulture attack that resulted in John Dory saving the very young niece of Delta Dawn- Clampers-) he 'earned' a place there and began to work around town.

It was weird for him.

He'd never quite settled down, until then.

(Now, the specific timeline, yearly I mean is a little muddled because I'm still crafting this, but I'll put them out about three years, now.)

John Dory was still living in Lonesome Flats, and he'd started a relationship with Hickory. They loved each other, as my cohort in crime @protagonist-art (CHECK OUT THEIR ART I LOVE THEM SM MUAH) has Hickory tell John when we get write them, "More than the moon loves the ocean." As surely as the tide pulls in and out, so the lovers return to each other.

So Via, what does Hickory think about BroZone?

Oh, my sweet star.

He doesn't know.

After returning to the devastated Troll Tree, John Dory lost a piece of his heart in the damaged pod they used to live in. It was the first time he went grey, and the memories of his brothers started shifting from what was, to what would never be again. He couldn't find it within himself to talk about them, and has his secrets.

But so does Hickory.

Girl wdym stop being so mysterious.

Heh. I know. It's just a glimpse into my dark mind /ref. Anyways, Hickory never told John Dory he was a Yodeler troll. (Another piece of lore that Quizzy and I worked on together and I think it's brilliant.)

Huh? Aren't they in a long-term relationship? Won't this cause issues later on if they don't share these things with each other?

Oh, they love every aspect of each other too much for their bond to truly be broken.

And yet.

One morning, years after just living and loving, John Dory wakes up with a massive headache and nausea.

"Maybe it's that horse that kicked me yesterday, could've gotten me harder than we both thought."

"Lemme check for a knot, Darlin'."

No knots, but there was an egg.

🌟 (Here I'll say that I'm massively in love with the headcanon that trolls conceive through true love- it isn't quite necessary for them to physically do anything unless they want to. Just them, wholeheartedly trusting and putting everything into their relationship and pouring their heart out to their partner.)

They were absolutely ECSTATIC, and rightfully terrified in their own ways. Neither of them were looking for children but not against it, and after resting for a few days they began to plan. A nursery in the house, baby books with millions of names scattered on the coffee table, toys and cute little baby clothes for when the little one hatched.

Wanna know two of the names John Dory had in mind? Rhonda and Dolly.

They were ecstatic until the night John Dory woke up absolutely ill and with a pit in his stomach.

They lost the egg, and it was the second time John Dory went grey in his life.

A week after this had happened, John Dory left a bundled lock of his hair at Hickory's nightstand and did what he knows how to do all too well. He ran.

Hickory never went too far out of Lonesome Flats in the hopes that John Dory would come back. He couldn't imagine what would happen if his love came back and didn't find him there.

The events of World Tour come about, Hickory meets Branch, and travels for the first time since John Dory left.

John Dory continued to travel, until the events of Band Together.

But don't worry, dear readers, for as surely as the tides come in, so will the lovers meet again. 🌟

Aaaand BOOM! That's it! 💜 I've got lore behind the names Rhonda and Dolly as well, and am SO down to answer any questions about them that anyone has. For you, Posh, thank you for asking and helping me to share a story I've been working on, and for everyone else that read this, thank you kindly! I hope that everyone who made it this far has quite a lovely day, or if you didn't, have a lovely day anyways!

Remember to take your meds, drink water, eat something, and stretch!

💜🌟🫧

[evieelyzabethh]

Streamer Jayce definitely seems like a LOL player who’d heavily grinds the game, and would *know* the lore extensively, even better than the devs/writers themselves. And in a world where LOL is the exact same, even with game Viktor and Jayce remaining unchanged, streamer Jayce would also definitely make jokes about himself and modern Viktor related to those game characters

oooh I've sorta been imagining a slightly separate AU where the streamer AU is still modern, but reader and the gang blow up before League of Legends was released their characters and bases the visuals off of them. Jayce and the Machine Herald were both introduced in like 2011/2012, so the slightly less modern streamer AU would take place circa late 00s early 2010s which is silly because that's such a different landscape.

You start out on Youtube, playing the original Minecraft, Sims 1 and 2, Bioshock, the old Resident Evil games and Silent Hill, Jayce playing WoW and LoL, the old Zelda games, Halo, and Assassins Creed. Your aesthetic looks quite different, pink and black foam sound mufflers decorating the back of your space, pink glass beads covering the door behind you, a fluffy pink rug on your floor, PlayBoy throw pillows next to your cheetah print stuffed animals on your hot pink velveteen bed. Don't even get me started on your closet. Juicy tracksuits galore, so many roll over leggings and matching tube tops, sparkly halter tops, low rise jeans, gold and silver hoops, a collection of belly button rings, and so many Chanel heels. You also definitely had one of those bedazzled BlackBerry's.

Viktor is more present in this AU, you both having a separate series on the channel called Multiplayer Monday where you and him film videos playing together. I wouldn't say he fits into the emo-boy look. Think less Rodrick Heffley and more season 1 Spencer Reid with less greasy looking hair. Lots of sweaters, lots of button ups and academic prints like argyle or plaid, lots of beat-up converse, old messenger bags, and comfy oversized jackets. He's still just as sassy, but he really does get into the games. I see his day job being something like an early day's computer scientist who really gets into the craft that goes into coding a game.

You and Jayce only really blow up because shipping culture used to be even more insane than it is now and everyone couldn't wait to see you two together, never mind the very real boyfriend you had. You and Vik still get a lot of attention, but shipping wars definitely break out over who you're going to "end up with". There are so many, fanfics don't get me started. You know how 1D started the "I Got Kidnapped By..." trope, you three definitely started some freaky shit in fanfic spaces. In fact, you really originated Fuck or Die fics, specifically a smutty twist on the Hanahaki disease trope where you have to fuck to prove that you love one of them so they won't die and prove which side of the shipping war was right once and for all. Also, so many Youtube edits of you and Vik to Kesha's, Your Love is My Drug.

Despite not being the greatest at the games he played, Jayce's deep love for the lore eventually got him noticed by Riot, who invite him, you, and Viktor to one of their events and plan a partnership with you three, which is how Jayce and the Machine Herald get introduced into the game. You also get a character, but we all know how well adding female characters to male dominated gaming spaces goes. It would be a completely terrible mischaracterization of who you are and what your channel stands for, your tits would be huge and popping out of your outfit, your waist would be the size of your head, your weapon would be some sort of Cupid's arrow gimmick, and the character would eventually be retired and a piece of lost LoL history. You get a few references made to your character on Valentines Day, though!!

Viktor is more pissed about it than you are, and out of spite, he remodels your character and makes a little platform game for her as a present to you on Valentines Day. It's a really cute small release where you battle a bunch of magical creatures on your adventure to find the Ring of Happiness. While you usually take the wheel when it comes to more creative endeavors like character and world design and story board creation, it's still a very cute game. When you beat the game, you do also receive your own real-life Ring of Happiness.

Besides the little hiccups, Jayce and Viktor think it's very cool to be in a video game. Jayce is definitely the type to main his own character no matter what while Viktor likes a little more variety. The cosplays would also go insane!!! Does Jayce lose his fingerprints with the ungodly number of times he burned himself trying to hot glue his hammer together? Well, yes!!! Does Viktor nearly dye himself with the black body paint he uses? Yes!!! You cosplayed Viktor's version and are the only one who comes out unscathed. From that point on, you leave the cosplaying to the fans and stick to playing the games.

ps. sorry for the lack of my big headcanons. tumblr hates me and wont save my drafts so i literally have no way of writing and posting them :(

[bforblitz]

favourite little headcanon/s across TES series ? :D

~@thaliendir

it took me a while to actually compile this, I couldn’t decide which were my favorites :3 some of these are tailored to fit in canon while others are just some bs I made up.

All Bosmer can naturally grow antlers. When shedding season comes around, it’s common for public places in Valenwood to have sanitation stations to clean up any bloody velvet. If a Bosmer gifts someone a craft made from their antlers, it’s considered extremely personal and a sign of deep respect or affection

Argonians have two separate birthdays, with the first being when their egg was laid and the second being when they hatched. The first celebrates the labor of the parents, the second celebrates the aging of the child

Dunmer are not only expected to introduce their partners to their parents, but also to their ancestors (to varying degrees of success)

Big fan of Dremora purring

Bosmer and Khajiit are the origin of the tes-equivalent to the cilantro soap gene

I love the bit of lore where Xivilai feel an unstoppable urge to attack their own reflection, and I think it’s because they just don’t pass the mirror test. They can’t recognize themselves in the mirror. Insanely funny

Dunmeri honorifics (sera, serjo, muthsera) have very specific uses and connotations and I hate the fact they gendered sera and muthsera in eso

Altmeri beauty standards has white hair and gold eyes as the most desirable traits. They’re both recessive (or like the tes equivalent of that. idk if dna exists in tes it probably doesn’t)

[callingofstars]

i’m going absolutely insane over a Ride the Cyclone x Amphoreus au, somebody hear me out .anybody hear me out. (taps mic) is this thing on

“Mydeimos, the angriest boy in town”

his upbringing has similar themes to Mischa’s, neglect in the form of his mother weeping, and father casting him away. consumed by rage and unloved by the world, he uses outlets to make himself feel as an embodiment of glory . (in his case strength in battle, in Mischa’s case rapping.)

he falls in love with someone imaginary, sees them but can never quite reach them, visions of showing them his culture and spending their lives together - yet it can never come into reality. sort of like..him with phainon.

“Anaxagoras, the most imaginative boy in town”

minus the suggestive themes in Ricky’s song, the idea of conjuring and dissecting the intricacies of a world that (to others) doesn’t exist, which is seen as an elaborate dream, fits the idea of their characters? likely more intuitive that imaginative, he’s a Swingin’ Space-Age Scholar !!

also being a rather socially isolated character, who is often shunned or misunderstood, when they get a chance to speak they will take it and they will be the strangest little guys (/pos I love them dearly).

I could also see it this way -

“Cifera, the most imaginative girl in town”

In a similar form of imagination, crafting the world as she sees it and holding up reality with her vivid fantasies (I like to think the reason there are cats in Okhema was because of her reality-altering as well).

she is the one who drags behind others and laments at the state of the world, crafting an ideal city so vivid that it seeps into her reality. also I kindly omit the suggestive themes of Ricky’s song because. never let these two meet. ever

“Hyacinthia, the nicest girl in town”

being the person who feels like she’s responsible for everyone else’s happiness, the line between a true smile and one put on for reassurance begins to blur. and after everything she’s been through, she still has an overwhelming love for the world.

soaring in the sky at the moment of her death and looking down on the world with a burst of happiness, comparing her death to a sugar cloud. being unashamed of who she is after time has passed and knowing it’s okay to be happy.

“Phainon, the most romantic boy in town”

lore-wise he would be more like Jane Doe, but hear me out on this one. what if “I embrace a new man every night” and constantly imagining himself in a different world is him reminiscing about all the lives he never got to live with Mydei. becoming obsessed with the tragedy of it, that they’d die either way and in every universe but have something perfect each time. His lament is that they could have so many lives and loves and deaths, but in this universe he didn’t get that, he’s alone.

there could be an alternate reality where he didn’t have the weight of the world, he could be fucked up and imperfect and most of all loved.

“Castorice, the unidentified body”

tethered to the concept of death, her sense of identity fractured from the sacrifice of her other self (Polyxia serving as a parallel to her severed head), she will be eternally in death and unknown.

other characters are afraid to touch her, a somber demeanor that casts people away and makes them uneasy. the canonical mention that she sleeps with plushies is also similar to Jane’s doll.

Jane Doe’s ballad also mentioned themes of flowers withering to feed rot, searching for her missing soul, as well as “time eats all these children in the end” (Karnak’s prediction of death to the choir on the rollercoaster being similar to the chrysos heirs’ prophecy). also just their vibes are so so similar.

“and, she’s asking why, lord? this is no way to die, lord” referring more to the cruel fates of other people than to herself, pleading with fate to erase death from her touch.

Bonus: Flame-Reaver as Virgil, given their shared theme as the silent executioner, also it’s funny.

(Gonna be honest. i have no idea who Ocean’s parallel would be bc she doesn’t truly fit Tribbie or Aglaea.)

[hockeyisforthegays]

if jjk were influencers what would they influence. i think yuuji would be some fitness person and nobara could do smth with sewing/repair/plushie making but idk

this is more of a general social media/content creator au and less specifically "influencer" but.

pondering this pondering this. upon thought idt yuuji would be posting about fitness actually, because like, yeah hes strong and all but its mostly natural strength? hes actually kind of a couch potato. i think he would be like a movie reviewer actually and unintentionally amass an army of fitness bros who keep asking about his nonexistent routine (todo is this) (also its either like joint review show with junpei or junpei is his mutual) ill also repeat naomhan here and agree that yuuji has big twitch streamer energy so there's that too. (now MAKI is a fitness grindset influencer for sure...)

nobara i think would be a beauty/fashion content creator like it seems too easy to say so but i do think if she were gonna chase clout thats the avenue she'd take. i think what would eventually make it big for her would be like. 'get ready with me,' doing her makeup while roasting the SHIT out of someone for... some reason. she accidentally pressed record while gossiping with someone off frame? someone wrote in her comments asking for advice in dealing with some huge jerk? she's reading AITA posts? either way the first time was not particularly meditated, but blew up so she kept doing it and its her niche now. her disses are just too hot

is megumi a booktoker.... no he hates attention he has a private tumblr blog where he posts his book reviews that get 3 notes (1 like and 1 reblog from yuuji and 1 reply from nobara) and hes happy that way. as far as anyone can tell. either that or something about animal care. if this is an AU then maybe he's the reluctant face of some wildlife rescue's social media page. i think thats cute. he was just a volunteer in the bg of a bunch of insta pictures and the internet made up lore about him & hes just stuck with it now

gojo is the most classic #influencer type like just posting pics of whatever insane over the top dessert or opulent scenic vacay vista and all his followers are just there cuz they wish they had his life. or they wanna fuck him. one of the two

yuuta is a small time vlogger - it's basically just a video journal, doesnt have a big following - inumaki is a twitch streamer OF COURSE, panda is writing rpf. this is canon.

ijichi has like a aesthetic studyblr/organization and productivity type channel. VERY popular HUGE following. yaga craft channel. shokohime has a baseball podcast shoko is her indulgent co-host who knows far far less about baseball but they play into that well. all of the kyoto students listen to it.

nanami has the worlds driest advice podcast that has 1 regular listener. nanami only bothers to record and post episodes when that 1 listener sends in a question. the listener is yuuji.

suguru has a cult.

[riacte]

🥁 Welcome to the first ever "Choose an unhinged Renchanting moment" ✨ALL STARS EDITION✨!!! 🥁

In which winners of the previous nine (!!) polls and the Last Life burning tower scene will battle it out for ULTIMATE UNHINGED RENCHANTING MOMENT!! Deliberately made to cross over from 2023 to 2024 to wish for a new year full of Renchanting <3

If you don't want to read my lengthy and dramatic sports guy commentary you can skip to the poll right at the end.

Now, let's introduce our beloved competitors! With some clips sponsored by @ani-craft, thank you as always <3

Starting from Round 1, the OG, the beginning of this series in Feb 2023— congrats to "Ren calling Maidtyn "very very sexy" completely unprovoked"!. Now, fellow Tumblr users, this is a historical moment because the Maidtyn trend was the Tumblr response to Martyn being active on Tumblr, and it snowballed into the Mint Mistletoes of MCC19 wearing skins of maid dresses (and a butler suit). This is the tangible impact of the Tumblr fan community on MCC. And of course it's about maid dresses.

Round 1 was quickly followed up by Round 2, and narrowly winning by FOUR votes is... [drumroll] "r/place (2022) when Martyn helped place a pixel of blush on RK Ren"!. Truly a chaotic moment that somehow became a highlight even in the overall chaos of those few days.

But the numbers really peaked in Round 3, aka. the Limited Life edition when Martyn's lore stream repeatedly dropped bombs on us. 100% of these moments are from Martyn, by the way. But which unhinged moment was the most unhinged? Which moment will win like Martyn? Unsurprisingly, the most popular option are those two words that basically sum it up— "UNGUIDED HAND". An unhinged moment that won with a whopping 404 out of 1913 votes.

Things did not calm down after Limited Life. Some might say the moments only became more unhinged. 2.5 months after LimLife ended, Round 4 began. Most of these moments are also from Martyn. Most unhinged of all: "Martyn declaring in a low voice: 'Third Life never ended for me'." Yeah it sure didn't, buddy.

Fast forward to September 2023. Treebark Week 2023! Surely the perfect moment for a poll! Also, I need to add that I was so excited about Round 5 that I posted it before TBW ended and... let's say it immediately got worse the day after I posted the poll. My hubris for assuming it was the end... Anyways, Martyn's Tumblr shenanigans kick in once again. Congrats to "Martyn saying nothing about an ask that claims his character is in love with Ren", which also ended up being a significant post to Scurvyblr. For reasons.

Two months after TBW, the pining gets exponentially worse. And I do mean exponentially. Enter Round 6, which has a lot of insane moments, but there was one clear winner, a moment that swept with 32% of the votes— everybody clap and cheer for "Martyn's 50 word 3L AU drabble - "Luck be with ye.... Hand"!! At the time of writing, that post has 4.1k notes. Martyn's just like us. He's writing fanfiction and that's so real of him.

Merely ten days later, fires are crackling, demons are giggling— it's the Decked Out open day! And we got a Renchanting feast! Round 7 emerged from That Iconic Burning Stone Box and was dedicated to moments the stream day. With 39% of the votes, the unhinged moment that swept was "Ren to Martyn: You have very fine lips there and a wonderful neck for kissing". Honorable mentions go to Martyn's Twitch chat (for surviving), Martyn's viewers (for clipping it with varying degrees of "what did he just say??"), and of course, False (for locking them in and kickstarting whatever the improv demon roleplay was).

A few weeks later, the flames have died down— or have they? Round 8 enters with a steel chair and Ren has more unhinged moments now. Martyn's Tumblr takes home another win with "Martyn reblogging a post that calls Ren his “Minecraft boyfriend”!! This is the third win that's from Martyn's Tumblr blog. You love to see it.

Last but not the least, Round 9 from last week! It's finally Ren's turn to dominate. Our winner is.... "Ren mentions going to sleep and dreaming of Martyn’s 'beautiful, beautiful eyes'"!! Appropriately clipped with the caption "Insane".

But that's not all! In Round 1 + 2, I purposefully excluded the altar scene and the burning tower scene because I felt those two would sweep. Now, I think the altar scene is still untouchable but the burning tower seems almost normal now. (As normal as an unhinged moment could be.)

A new unhinged moment has appeared! Challenger approaching! Last Life Ren purposefully sets his tower on fire after knowing Martyn is watching him and Martyn runs to save him while screaming "Ren, what are you doing to yourself! Stop burning yourself!".

Okay, okay, my dramatic commentary is done. Hey, I'm not a Renchanting fan for nothing. Here's the poll. Have fun :D

Much love to all of you <3 here's to another year of unhinged Renchanting moments!

(Also sorry the r/place should be in 2022 not 2021)

[mumms-the-word]

Hi! This might be stupid but I am still a little confused how everything connects. The titans and the Evanuris and the blight especially.

Are you able to explain at little at all?

Oh dear sweet anon don’t worry, I’ve got you. I spent days trying to make sense of everything in my head so there is no shame for being confused—I was also confused for a minute because Veilguard blasts new lore at you with all the speed and quantity of a water from a high powered water hose. It’s a LOT.

So buckle up and I’ll explain briefly thoroughly but with humor, because I have not much to do this Christmas Eve (for the first time in a while). But if you're interested in a full lore dive with pictures and so on, like I've done with BG3 lore dives, let me know!

Under the cut for spoilers!

Okay so most of this comes from Solas’s murals in the lighthouse, which they show us out of order because the first three basically confirm what we learned in Trespasser, and then the next two really drop the lore bomb on us. There’s other stuff we learn from codexes, too, but the murals and the debriefing sessions from the companions tell us the majority of the information.

So, briefly: In the beginning there were mortals, spirits, and Titans. Some spirits, like Elgar'nan (formerly Tyranny or something) decided they wanted physical bodies, but they wanted their physical bodies to be powerful and capable of great feats of magic. So they stole the blood of the Titans (aka lyrium) to build their bodies.

Keep in mind, the Titans were probably one of the first primordial beings in Thedas and they are huge. They're the size of mountains; the lyrium veins that run through mines and caves in Thedas are their literal blood vessels. And (this gets into some codex hints and is partly headcanon) it sounds like lyrium in a pre-Veil, pre-war-with-the-elves world must have been INSANELY powerful and capable of all sorts of wonders. Like building physical bodies to house spirits and make them powerful people, as one example. Powering eluvians is another example.

Now, I imagine that casually stealing someone's blood is bound to make anyone angry (and isn't it so interesting that some of the first magic in Thedas was technically blood magic? but I digress). But it sounds like the first elves, the spirit-born elves like Elgar'nan and Mythal, didn't just take the blood, they straight up killed Titans, too. According to Elgar'nan's concept art way back in the early development stages of the game, the red crystals on his collar (he has them in the game too) are trophies from every Titan he's killed. That's a lot of Titans.

So we have a war between the elvhen (those who used lyrium to build bodies for their spirit selves) and the Titans (who are reasonably angry because they keep getting hurt and killed). Things get desperate, the Titans are winning, and the only way for the elves to win the war, according to Mythal, is to craft a relic and a ritual capable of mass-lobotomizing the Titans. If you can't kill them, neuter them. Or...something.

So that's what she and Solas do. Together they make the blue lyrium dagger (yes THE dagger we keep hauling around) and Solas says that with the proper ritual they can use it to sunder every Titan from their dreams.

Basically? He made every Titan Tranquil, but worse than Tranquil, because he sort of stole their entire minds and separated them from their bodies. That's even worse than being Tranquil. Imagine if your entire consciousness was forcibly ripped from your physical body and them sealed away in a cage. That's what Solas and Mythal did to the Titans.

Now, we're still in a pre-Veil world, so the physical world and the Fade are overlapping and all the same and so on. Basically, everything is magic and magic is everywhere. This includes the Titan Dreams, which are now some kind of living, magical force no longer anchored to a physical body. Also, their dreams were stolen in the middle of a war, so you can imagine that these dreams are probably not pleasant or peaceful to begin with. Cage up these angry dreams, leave them to stew for a few centuries, and you just know they're bound to turn into something bad.

Well, that's exacty what happens. As Solas says, these dreams will go on to become a "disembodied blight of pain and anger." Therefore, we have the Blight. The Big One. The Mother of all Blights.

But! Somehow, when they first sunder the dreams from the Titans, they seal away this Mega Blight. Problem solved! The Titans are quiet (lobotomized, not-quite-dead, etc) and the elven people are safe. And the Blight is sealed! All is well.

Except, well, no, the elven people are now being enslaved by Elgar'nan and some of the other Evanuris who are a bit drunk on power from killing one of Thedas's most powerful primordial forces. Solas is like "Sorry this isn't actually what I signed up for" and rebels against all of them, including Mythal. Rebellion ensues. Solas becomes Fen’Harel. Elvhenan grows into an impressive empire for the elves.

But the Evanuris still want more power! One of them, Andruil, stumbles upon the Blight again (according to a Dalish legend which may or may not be real, but we're going to pretend it is). Mythal steps in and it gets resealed and sorted, but now the Evanuris have had a taste for what the Blight can do for them.

So now they're actively looking for ways to break into the Blight so they can use it for themselves. Solas catches wind of this, goes to Mythal, and is like "I know we're on opposite sides here, but the other Evanuris will listen to you, and if they don't, you should join me instead." She's like "Don't worry, babe, I'll talk to them."

And then they stab her with her own lyrium dagger and she dies.

And also they might have released...a tiny bit of the blight? Because we see Ghilan'nain messing with it during Solas's rebellion memories.

So, shit, now they have the Blight, and they're using it, and Mythal is dead, and things are REALLY REALLY BAD NOW.

So Solas is like "There's only one thing I can do here" and he stages an attack on Elgar'nan's citadel so he can steal the dagger back (this is the third Solas memory in the Crossroads) and then prepares a ritual to seal all the remaining Evanuris into one big glittering golden palace thing along with 100% of the Blight and use the life forces of the Evanuris to create the cage that will trap them there.

The goal? Cut them off from the Fade, seal them up with the Blight, let them get corrupted and rot for eternity, the end! Evanuris get stuck in a small bubble with no Fade and all Blight, the rest of the world gets the Fade and peace.

Yeah that…didn’t work.

What actually happened is the ritual failed somehow and instead of locking 7 wackos in a singular little prison with no Fade, Solas trapped them and the Blight in the pretty golden palace and also trapped all of the Fade in a very BIG bubble with the Veil between it and the rest of the world.

This is how he created the Veil. By accident.

So now we have the Blight and the Evanuris in a golden city and we have the Veil.

Also, he trapped the Evanuris, but he didn't trap the dragons they had bound their souls to. These dragons, which would go on to become the Archdemons who run the Blights in Thedas for several centuries (and five Blights), went into some kind of hibernation. I think? But also they became the gods that the Tevinter Empire worshipped, so maybe they weren't in hibernation yet. No idea! Point is, their dragons/The Archdemons were still around in Thedas, and the Tevinter people were like "those guys are rad, they are our gods now."

And also at some point the dragons went into hibernation below the ground. Unclear when.

Now fast forward a few centuries. The Evanuris have been whispering to the priests who worship these dragons/Archdemons and tempting them to break into the Golden City (unclear if they think the Maker built the Golden City by this point or if that came later, I'd have to check the timelines, but it doesn't matter right now). Eventually several magisters/priests are like "yeah! we should do that! Let's break into the Golden City and claim untold levels of power!"

Except what they actually did was break into a Blight Prison with seven Evanuris wackos, get immediately zapped by the Blight, and cast back out into their own world. We know this from the Chant of Light.

These magisters became the first of the early modern darkspawn, the pests we've had to fight for three and a half games, and thus the First Blight began.

So, long story short, Solas and Mythal created the Blight by separating Titans from their dreams and then letting those dreams fester in a cage for a while. Then the Evanuris tried to use the Blight and Solas got Mythal to try and stop them. But they killed Mythal and kept using the Blight. So Solas used their life forces to trap them and the Blight in the Golden City, and also accidentally created the Veil when he did so. And then a while later the Tevinter magisters broke into the Golden City and started the slow chain of events that led to Veilguard.

Hope that helped?? 😂 sorry it was so long winded

[lovewhiteflower]

• A little bit of thougths about Pop Culture Deity Work:

Since I am in the perfect and safe space to do this... I want to share a little bit of my thoughts about this practice that I have been doing a lot of research and reflection of...

I have encountered TES deities and spirits that leaned me to study hard about this very interesting subject, thanks to Loki (one of my main patrons) and finally thanks to all of the TES pagan comunity here that allowed me to express myself and feel noticed when... I really don't know anything about this.

I am a traditional witch in all senses. I practice traditional paths, have traditional guides and bounds and I perform traditional spells and incantations. Started from green witchcraft and followed to Ceremonial Magic(k), Invocation, Conjures and Meditation, Spellwork, Spà/Spàe and more. So it is kinda strange to me to find that it is actually possible to connect with other kind of spirits and deities that are not created by a divine source (in the traditional sense), but it is created thanks to human imagination, intention, hard work and canon/non canon lore.

In the comunity that I am currently, this deities are called egregores... usually associated with not so good intentions at all. From my perspective, I wasn't in a healing space or in a good space the last five years... and today something came to my mind: why did I had to listen to the same people that did a lot of harm to me with their actions, bad use of magic and poor knowledge of something so sacred? People that are not in a good place in their lives and get their own space so dirty energetically and physically all the time. People that betrayed me and bullied me a lot inside of the comunity... are the same that tries to pretend that their witchcraft and magic is better than mine. So, a lot of mistakes and pride are in between the Hispanic comunity of witchcraft. The same that set rules that I followed for so long. In that spectrum I always have been afraid of being rejected by them (that happened anyway). And when I entered to this space I felt safe. Not just that, but I noticed that it is pretty common to PCD pagans to respect and support each other practices, educating in mental health too and sharing all of their knowledge to create a safe place for all.

Neurodivergent people in the comunity are the best, even if I only read posts and I am not actively talking with anyone... it is beautifully insane the amount of respect and love that they show, not just to us, but for their own deities too. So, this is a post about my questions, thoughts and conversations that I had with TES deities.

Enjoy the ride, dearies!

• ¿What is pop culture deity work to me? •

— This is a hard question to do, to me, today... For I am not always sure about me or my craft (I suffer from a very bad lack of self esteem and panic). So I will talk about the practical aspects of it first, then I will talk about my personal belief system from a very specific culture.

| Practical Aspect |

Pop culture deity work is based on two spiritual and magical systems;

† Animism: considers that every single thing, being and force has/is a spirit itself. With consciousness, power, intelligence and inherent wisdom to share. Animism is the base of witchcraft and the base of every spiritual practice that involves energy manipulation or energy work. So, in this aspect a stone, an herb, a cloud, a tree, the stars, the sky and the 4 elements are a spirit, ancient, alive, with eyes/ears/sensitivity. They are capable of communicate with us, perform a change on this earth and hold influences in us and in the cosmos. The second part sets that every object that exists... possess or is an anima. A spirit that can be awakened or it is awake. They can interact with us through ideas, symbols, emotions, signals and events. A knife, a cup, a crystal, a stone, a wand, a candle or even a house can be very alive. And awake their spirit through energy work and sacred chants. So, everything that surrounds you and me, breaths. Shamans, healers, witchers, sorcerers, etc. know this perfectly.

† The mind CREATES: you can change your world, reality or situation through the power of the mind and the good direction of your intentions and emotions. You can charge energy into something that you want. Give it form, shape their bases, construct the psyche of it and give it a name and a porpoise. We are made to create, preserve and destroy as humans (not gods or deities) in our little square of life. Like a shape-shifter, we can modify the aspect of things and the way that we do things with time, practice and being humble.

— So, with those basic principles (I know that pop culture deity work involves more than this) we enter to the concept of egregor. Settled in chaos magick by the 80' decade. Even if the concept was very well scripted in ancient cultures like Egyptian Hermetism and modern ones like the Golden Dawn comunity. Also I believe that the Greeks and Norse people settled their own construction about "guardian spirits". Platon says that we all come from a realm called "The Ideas Realm" or the invisible one, from up to down we awake our divine spirit in our path on earth. So, it is not weird to think that if our mind is divine (daemon greek concept), our ideas are inherently divine too. For, everything that we think and throw can make a severe impact in the astral realm and in the spirit world, connected to us.

That makes me think a lot. The egregoric form of a lot of deities and forces become independent from us, as the egregores of spirits, characters, ideas and more. An egregore is settled like an illusion, but a real one. An energy with a specific form feeded by the thoughts and emotions of a great comunity of people that believe in it, shaped the form, gave it offerings until they reached a higher state of consciousness and freedom to move away from their source and expand their spirit (anima) away from us. Reaching a new level of emotional experience in their interaction with the existence. Call it people, adoration group, things, animals, astral spaces or whatever. An egregor is not necessary bad or harmful, it depends on the energy and the way that it was formed... so, like they are bad spirits, they are also good ones! And here the pop culture deity concept arrives.

• A deity is inherently good, even if it's chaotic or presented as amoral or inmoral in a way. It doesn't mean that is going to do bad because of pleasure. It means that they understaning of the world is different and their concept change and evolves as the society does so. That it means, the ancient cults are not the same cults as we know here, in modern times. We can get close, very close! But it will never be the same in their nature.

A deity can be a guide, a mentor, a companion a teacher who provides hard but necessary lessons for own own evolution, learning and healing path. Even if it tough they remind me of this Buddhist Quote;

—Master, why do I feel pain?

—Because you choose the cure and not the anesthesia anymore.

So in this case, I think it applies.

1. If we associate a deity with wisdom, good, a high level, a high emotional intelligence and capacities... it is settled on the spiritual world, that we adore a spirit as a deity or we create a deity (even if we don't know that we do it) we are going to have a good experience (even if it not always comfortable, because hard work requires discipline and getting a little uncomfortable sometimes and that's okay). Also, they are not associated with harm to humans in any way, so everything that we consider divine is good for us (no matter if they are associated with chaos, dark, death, crossroads, light, sins or war), because it is not human. It is more, it is better, it is safe, it will makes us reach up a better level of enlightment.

2. With this, settled up. A pop culture deity is a form of energy that started being an egregor with with time they reached a higher level of divine consciousness and approach to humans/mortals, helping us with the path and the way of living to do it better. So, the kind of experiences are not always bad, but sometimes is different to we can experience with a traditional deity.

A. For example, I can be very close to Sheogorath but he understands that I am not ready to accept him fully because of my own ignorance (I am just starting in this). And he is going to be like, in a second plane and try to do things at his own way but in a comfortable pace. Not like Loki. Because I have another relationship with Loki and I accept him as a fully primordial god and my dear one. So, Loki is going to be more open than Sheogorath.

B. Probably the first signals of Sheogorath are not going to be just in an astral of energy form at first because I will think that I am delusional. The same happened with my main traditional deities at first. Since I suffered bad mental illnesses, the first step was connecting me with people that actually do this for me to feel safe. So, in that case first Sheogorath is going to introduce me to the social media comunity, teaching through posts, people, images and sending virtual signs. Not like my deities that can appear in dreams, send very physical signs and show in my astral plane or in my house very often.

C. My conclusion is: they are no difference in the sense of... interactions. Since Sheogorath is a good talker like me and other gods. So, they will have a different approach than traditional deities. Not because one is an egregore and the other is divine (this is absolutely relative and I will explain why), but because it is easier for us to connect in a virtual space than in a physical space (for the lack of information and books about this). And since our psyche is USED to see them as cartoons... at first , maybe we will have the feeling that we are living in a cartoon or fictional world. And the last things they take it so light and so well, but also can be uncomfortable... — until our brain take this as a reality. —and that last part is important.

With him, I sensed at first the thing of "theatrical" thing, for is a kinda eccentric spirit. Why the pop culture deities guides us with the social media? Because there are no official books or studies that can allow the practice like in blogs or pages on internet. So, here are the questions that I will be answering.

• 1 • ¿There is a difference between TES pop culture deities and traditional deities?

— DISCLAIMER: Look, I will be only talking about TES deities because I only had experiences with them. I thought I saw Grell from Kuroshitsuji once, but it was just once and I was walking in the street. I thought it was too much and it gone immediately. So. I can't talk about pop culture deities in general because I don't feel like I have the place to do so.

ANSWER: yes and no. The only difference that I found was the origin of their spirits. Since traditional deities have a more divine and cosmic origin and pop culture deities have a human origin. This means a simple thing: a human creates an idea, gives it a form, concept, personality and nature. The fandom around can change the same personality and add their own things. The funny real question is... when this spirit became a god? When it awakened as a god or as a highly intelligent figure? (So much more than we humans). I don't know, but in my belief system I believe that the gods did it, to make sure that we humans don't have a bad experience with the energy form, in their first developed. Like, the creator maybe was like: "Oh, I am going to create this fictional god called Sheogorath! It is going to be like this and it is going to act like that. His favourite food is... and his story, realm, personality is going to be like that, etc. So, we can say that, while the gods are a creation or other primordial forced or awakened before this earth was even formed... Pop deities was created by a human or a bunch of humans. And then, their own fandom made the rest, as the cosmic laws of correspondence, animism and chaos. As simple as that. Like, we don't even know who was the first magician to encounter Sheogorath and have a magical experience with him (the game is not that old as traditional deities who hold literally thousands of years).

In the sense of practical magic, emotional intelligence, divine essence and approach I see no difference between a traditional god and. TES god. Like, they are like the same high force but with different origins. Just that.

BELIEF SYSTEM: in my eastern philosophy I believe that everything that surrounds us is inherently divine. Not everyone and everything is a god, but all is certainly sacred and divine. If we humans can became divine, sacred, saints, angels or even daemon spirits and guardian spirits, protectors and we can literally evolve... so the mind, so the human mind creation. And I also believe that good and love is one of the main things that will give you the higher aspects the divine aspects and the power of change reality and have a soul. So, I also believe that any pop culture deity that can love, guard, guide and show empathy can develop a soul and also that gods can give a soul to a being that deserves it. To continue their path, interact with us and shaping the form to reach even more higher states.

• 2 • How is the TES pop culture deity approach and what is the difference with the traditional deities?

ANSWER: this is a very good question to make. For I see a very common difference... and that is the TES gods understand the limitation of the human mind. They notice when a thing it is literally too much to believe. So at first, they can be there and do literally nothing. Like, they wanted to me to be sure of their presence and to know that... their presence represents no risk to me or my mental health. It is pretty common that a lot of people can feel like they are being crazy/delusional. So a traditional deity (understanding that we literally normalized their existence) can be more abrasive. More open to us, more confident in the interaction with us, humans. In exchange, a TES deity at first is going to be quite, like a whisper, like an idea or an emotional. And I remember feeling a lot of nostalgic and connected with a lot of primordial forces. I sensed them a little bit shy, at first. But with time, they can be more open until you are ready. Not because they don't know how to approach to us. They know it very good; but because they understand that I don't know how, not always at least. And they wait until my brain is ready to accept their full existence and my nervous system feels safe at least.

a. A traditional deity is more open, more abrasive, more clear, more noisy in their signals, more warm and talker.

b. A TES deity (at first) stands there, studies your sistem, your beliefs, your mental state, your spiritual and evolutive level. Just making sure that you are ok and not talking to much.

b. A traditional deity literally takes Space, is confident, is there and you know it. A TES deity waits for you to give them space. And they settle when it is time to be and talk and when it is time to go and give the human brain space to accommodate oneself. And you Need that time and space, not forcing anything. In fact, they have been away for a long time because I simply wasn't ready at first and in my emotional state I took it to the extreme of overthinking and obsession. So they stopped and I was like; alright. No I understand that I need to work in the difference that I am creating.

c. A traditional deity can handle everything by their own, because you have faith and your brain has accepted the spirit or divine figure as a real god. A TES deity usually asked a traditional deity for help, to make sure that my own brain was accepting their existence as real gods, step by step. Like I don't know. Nocturnal is in my space, so Hekate is and she handles me while handles the situation and checks (thanks mother).

d. A traditional deity (in my case after years of connections, trust and practice) accepts my emotional feelings and love. TES deity says: calm, I know you admire me and want to be a devotee, your heart knows what your mind is not ready to process. So I am not taking this. Give it time.

For example: I am not even ready to perform a ritual with Nocturnal. I would not have an emotional bond with Lord Mora or accept a guidance from Lucien Lachance all at once. Because I couldn't handle, would start overthinking, etc. I perform witchcraft almost every day (it is my current work) but I am human and I need to respect my own limits.

The only differences that I note are that.

DISCLAIMER: this is only my experience and this it serves like a grimoire and like a good place to start if you are also in pop deity work.

— An advice is: "don't force your mind to process everything at once; even if your heart knows the path"

• 3 • Since you are a romantic and devotional godspouse, do you believe that is possible to have a romantic gp with pop culture deity work?

ANSWER: yes and no. It depends. Like, I wouldn't worship all of the fictional characters that I see because I have more appreciation for mental health and the energy and spiritual realm in the human unconsciousness is tricky as fuck. And my mind can change a lot to now until years ahead. But today, my answers is: it depends. It depends on your mental health, rooted scheme of your psyche, what it conveys you to your own good and the limits that you can handle and you cannot handle! TES gods never offered something similar to me (I am like a baby TES pagan so it has all the sense). But I know of a few people that had/has godspousing with Pop culture deities (don't know them personally or talked with them) (not TES deities).

If a pop culture deity is interested in you in that way (no matter the kind of gp, if its romantic/devotional/parenting/religious/platonic/etc.) it will wait until there is a solid bond between you and them. Like any other spirit. Because they can be gods and deities, but our brain maybe can't process that because their origin is very different. So. It is possible based on your own personal circumstances, understanding of life and spirituality. I believe that the first thing is trust and confidence. Not just in them, but in you! In your own skills, mental health, capacity to be a safe space for yourself and being absolutely nature with what you're doing.

For example: I was very confused at my very first beginning with Lord Hermeaus Mora. He is not like the... bunch of eyes and tentacles of the canon lore. No, he is like a Daemon in many aspects. Well dressed, well looking, with a strong presence, a lot of knowledge like an Ancient Spirit would have. And he was my mentor during my first encounters. But I was starting to feel confused because of attachment. I didn't receive any signals of him wanting to go beyond the "knowing" spectrum. But also I didn't felt rejection or uncomfortable feelings when he sensed my emotions and confusion. He didn't took a step back but also didn't made any approach beyond that.

What it also made me thing was... the energy between us shifted slowly. It was different, it was more close to Satan or Lucifer when I received my first court for gp. But with the passing days maybe decided that was enough and that I wasn't able to practice that and that, it was too much. Definitely.

• CONCLUSION: even if it's weird, maybe you can practice that but is totally personal. I wouldn't recommend that if you are a baby pop culture magician, witch or witcher. No matter how years you spend on godspousing and traditional magic.

• Every

• Single

• New

• Subject

• Is

• A

• Path

• That you start

• From Zero.

You become a novice, a child in the good sense, following the basic principles and understanding the same three or four concepts until your brain PROCESS them and you get to really know your deities and they get to really know you. So, wait until you are ready to accept those kind of sacred practices. Not just with godspouse, but also with Priest/Priestess, Oracle or Shamanic Charges.

It is possible? I don't know, I am not a godspouse. But it is, it requires time.

Is real? Probably yes.

It is recommended? It depends on you.

• 4 • Do you need a chaotic wizard/witch/witcher/magician to perform pop culture deity?

Yes... you need to be. In the specific case of TES paganism, it is not only chaos magick... but also folk magic of Nirn, literally. So, in that case you can learn Daedric Magic, Wizard College Magic, Nine Divine Magic and even follow the different cults. The Black Hand cult, the Mythic Dawn Cult, the different cults from the different Daedra. Create your own cult or practice, etc.

Like, I don't want you to believe that you are actually a dunmer, a khajjit, a nordic, etc. You will be human like everyone else. You don't live in Nirn and their provinces. But you will use the concept of the realms and follow their own culture while you adapt it to your own. Like, it is pretty common for chaotic magick you make you lose your sense of personality and you can harm yourself if you let the fantasy get it too much inside of you. Besides, TES gods absolutely don't want that. You can love something without letting that thing be corrupted at all. So. You will need to understand this.

a. Trust your gut: trust your gods, deities, guides or spirits in the folk magic of the fictional world. They know best than you, don't try to take the canon lore too literal (the same applies with the traditional deities). But first of all, trust in yourself. You don't have to change your identity or think that you need to imagine that you are from a specific race from a specific place. This is not a fanfic, this can be very real and very earthly.

b. Learn about chaos magic. Story, foundation, the people that discovered it, rules, what type of chaos magick is allowed for us humans to practice.

c. Learn about the lore, in this case, TES lore. Start with the simple, pages and fandom. Then go to the actual witchcraft community.

d. Learn to separate the game from the magic work... you can spend hours watching and gaming, but when it comes to magic is another thing. The astral realm is yours and the practice is yours. You can take things from the game and adapt them to you. But also, if you play games and don't practice witchcraft with them, but still want to perform devotional acts, gaming is a good way.

It is a way if you are not okay to perform witchcraft, is a good way to be devotional and connect with their personalities and it is a good way to have fun and enjoy the ride!

On the other side, The Magic Is Not The Game... so, it becomes a serious thing. With their own rules, methods. Blah, blah, blah. Not exactly as mine or other people, but as yours.

For example: I am gaming Skyrim and completing Lord Mora missions. Lord Mora character is not the same as Lord Mora guide and pop culture deity. So I don't expect real harm or manipulation. Another example. I am playing and completing Namira missions; so I don't expect that after that I need to eat people. You get me? The same with the others. I am completing Dark Brotherhood missions... well, I don't expect Lucien Lachance coming to me and saying: "Hey I have a contract for you, light a candle and slay this person".

Because that it is not going to happen!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

So... this is all for now! I hope you like the reading. If you got more questions about this topic I would love to start a debate with you, feel free to express yourself! Also, I am just starting. The next post is going to be about me sharing experiences with each one of them.

Plus: I haven't confirmed those kind of experiences with other witches or magicians...

So this is not a confirmed reality. This is just a diary with thoughts, experiences and practical studies that I have been done for myself and that only me confirmed. Since I don't have the correct space to do ask anyone else about this. But my best friend has been accepting of this in the past. If you know of someone that can sell services to confirm (a pop culture pagan) also feel free to share the contact.

Bless day!

[wanderingblindly]

hi liquid i have a very strange ask beware

my friend asked me to make a powerpoint presentation to explain the basics of F1 (like rules, race weekend schedule, etc.) when i asked if she wanted me to include a list of all the 2025 drivers, she said “yes, i need to know name, age, nationality, and which other driver they have a homoerotic relationship with”.

and now i’m spiralling because like which ones do i tell her about?! because obviously there are endless rpf ships between the drivers, but in terms of drivers being actually incredibly weird around each other in real life?? i’m thinking brocedes (obvs) but not sure which other relationships i should analyze for her entertainment.

basically if you have any suggestions i would love to hear them thank you in advance ❤️❤️

HELLO I really wanted to go through and find individual clips but if I’m honest — the state of My City has been hell and it’s taken more out of me than I thought. I hope this is an adequate response even though it’s not up to my usual (neurotic) snuff :(

Ok so obviously there are a million ships, but I think there are two main categories: those who are compelling based predominantly on Lore™️, and those based around their F1 behavior specifically.

For the Lore, the obvious choices are:

1. Brocedes

There’s so much here…. Nico’s inability to eat anything but their favorite cereal before the deciding race of 2016. The theme of yellow in their helmets (started in karting, Nico ditched the yellow when their relationship when sour, Lewis has retuned to the yellow now that he’s left the team where they fell apart). The story of them on keke’s yacht, promising to make it to f1 together. Them sneaking out for ice cream ((Nico’s wife now having a vegan ice cream brand.)). You could analyze this for years. Years.

2. Lestappen

Though all these fuckers have raced each other for ages, Charles and Max are weird in how often their paths intersected despite not always racing in the same category. One that specifically comes to mind is Max recommending Charles for the seat that he left open when he moved up the ranks; this vocal awareness of and respect for his craft is brought up often when people show them racing wheel to wheel.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the second category, too:

1. Maxiel

it’s objectively INSANE how often Max and Daniel joked about making out. Like at some point — AT SOME POINT — you have to wonder why they’re both so comfortable with that bit, right? Beyond their weird behavior, their dynamic is extra interesting when you consider that Daniel was Max’s first Red Bull teammate: he was almost too young for f1, a bit socially odd, terrifyingly talented, and yet here’s this gregarious man that laughs at everything he says (yet has to remain wary of his threatened career)…. Formative experience.

2. Carlando

This one fascinates me threefold. First of all, there’s their online history. Baby baby baby Lando was constantly in Carlos’s comments and mentions as he moved up through the ranks — he clearly idolized him. To the second point: baby rookie Lando has him as his fucking teammate. Young and naïve, giggly and infatuated Lando got so close with Carlos so quickly, it’s almost nauseating. And then after they were no longer teammates!!!! Carlos is still one of the first people he seeks out to celebrate with (Singapore 2023 hug, forever famous,,,) he goes out to dinner with his FAMILY (Mexican gp 2024,,,,), it’s insane.

They’re clearly still so connected to each other despite no longer having any formal ties — they can’t break their orbit. (Also, why did we stop talking about Brazil 2023 when they rented a house together and everyone’s pretty sure they cheated either with each other or the same model????? Hilarious)

3. Landoscar

This one is fun to analyze for the progression and the new dynamic it presents. Lando’s always been the junior teammate despite being the number one driver — and he acted accordingly. But now he’s in a leadership position after a weird inter-term implosion, and it’s just Some Guy??????? But the way they warm up to each other, the way Oscar starts to understand how to read Lando during their PR videos, THE HESITANCY AND DELICACY OF ONE OF THEIR FIRST TOUCHES (Silverstone fan stage 2023), the way that they allude to their private interactions without ever actually showing them????????

They’re infatuating to analyze in the same way that a Victorian romance is — the details are so small and drawn out that it makes everything feel heightened, scandalous.

4. Piarles

The TRUE childhood friends to lovers angle is criminally underrated in this fandom; we get an approximation from so many of the drivers, since they all grew up racing, but Charles and Pierre went on family vacations together. Pierre calls Charles nicknames that no one else does. He constantly brings him up in interviews, they’re always gossiping before races, they hang out at private events in the off season!!!!!!!

It’s further compelled, I think, when you consider the different level of notoriety they have. Pierre is often out of the spotlight, he has nowhere near the cult following that Charles has garnered. When it comes to someone you’ve known and loved your entire life, how do you deal with that, you know????

[trashbag-usa]

it feels like a lot of people have given up on fully connecting ISWM/Engie Mark to the wider lore (aka WKM) since IRL Mark straight up told us he wasn't Actor.

but not only am i a stubborn son of a bitch, but yknow what Mark also said?

"Engineer Mark isn't Actor Mark, but Actor Mark just might be Engineer Mark."

so hear me out, y'all.

preamble; if you saw this in a yt comment section, no you didn't. (that was also me i didnt steal this i prommy-)

i have this entirely insane theory about iswm that Engineer Mark is actually Damien, but only sometimes.

the most obvious places i can spot him is in the abandoned ship with the candles ("captain needs their sleep" and whatnot), as Old Mark (specifically in the empty diner), and most definitely as the "Mark" we see as part of the finale, the one who realizes he was wrong.

Actor is allergic to admitting fault so I Don't Believe That's Him.

this explains the thematic focus on sleep and rest in these scenes, things told to Damien and told to US by DARK several times.

("Don't remember" anyone?)

speaking of Dark, it explains why he isn't there. we DO however see the suspiciously Darkiplier-esqe Ms. Whitacre, which it isn't controversial to say atp is CLEARLY Celine.

that is, until the universe does its final kablooey and Dark as we know him, Damien attributes and all, comes to take the warp-crystal.

and besides, think about it.

given Actor's whole goal in all this, as laid out in the Damien Project, do you REALLY think he would write a story in which all problems arise from HIS OWN NEGLIGENCE? NO!

that would make him a villain, and all he ever wants is to be portrayed as the hero, literally for eternity!

but you know what i think he would do? set up a farce for the most troublesome of his "co-stars".

you, the viewer, want genuine choices? you want to have some real control over the story? some responsibility? FINE.

everyone looks to you, but under your leadership everything goes wrong, no matter what. you don't know why, but you're actively villinized and the harder you try to go back and fix things, achieve an "ending" on your own, the more people HATE you. the more the thought that maybe there IS something wrong with you specifically will stick in your mind as a possibility.

all these options, but none of them "right", creating MORE suffering instead of fixing it just to find that ever elusive end.

damien wants control of the narrative? he wants his old friend, you, the District Attorney to be released from his eternal story and given back to him? FINE.

here's his role back in earnest, given the possibility to engage and choose instead of intrude and twist like usual.

(yes, i do think Damien/Engineer is genuinely going down his own hopeless path while we find our own. in one of the descriptions leading to the final "Hold On/Let Go" confrontation, it says "you're not the only one making choices. you're not alone, you never were".)

he is allowed to fight for the safety of others, side by side with his closest companion, just as they did when they were alive.

BUT, the twist is Damien becomes a genuine villain. in his quest to do the altruistic thing and help at all cost, he is personally responsible for the death of LITERALLY EVERYONE EVER.

this is a personal hell for someone like Damien, as seen from WKM, all he ever seemed to want was help others and guide them towards peace.

for his actions/leadership to fail so unthinkably catastrophically, seems like the exact hell a bitter Actor would want to subject his "old friend" to for meddling. :/

Actor sets the stage for a theatrical punishment game. Mayor and Attorney, together again, taking an impossibly long stay in a personally crafted hell for the horrendous crime of ever even thinking they'd be worthy of ✨️staring roles✨️.

Actor turns you two against each other, and once Damien is brough down to the depths of despair and you have finally learned that true responsibility can lead to catastrophic, painful results, we're brought back to our proper places.

you go to a proper ending, with the Engineer role now being played by Actor once and for all, and Damien once again becomes part of Darkiplier, pocketing the warp-crystal to plant on the box in Heist.

Engineer isn't Actor, it's a role he plays when it suits him and his goals, to make his enemies suffer. he's willing to be Damien's understudy, if only for this purpose.

but at the end of the journey, Actor becomes Engineer to take in the fruits of his labor. ..and maybe invite you to a Heist while he's at it.

BUT HEY, THAT'S JUST A

very long winded """theory""" that is pretty much only insane fanfiction-

[crazy-hazy-sims]

After today im here to tell you please do not take the easy route and rely on big chain stores or big stores for your repairs please do everything in your power to find a small shop/business for any of your needs, because no where else are you going to get the beautiful human experience of finding a humble but insanely Skilled person that will fix your stuff start on it the moment you hand it to them without costing you an arm and a leg AND ALSO have the wildest stories to tell you while they fix your stuff??

I went to a computer repair shop today it was this tiny shop that's tucked into a corner of an old dusty mall

i went there because the big repair store said they needed to order replacement parts for my laptop without even opening it to check what's going on and that i need to pay upfront like 3 times my life savings,

anyway the IT guy in this dusty small shop was the most smart dressed person i have ever met, was very kind and very patient

did not judge me when i said i dont know what bringing in my laptop for cooling meant and Patiently explained that i need to bring it in once a year to get it cleaned and maintained,

did not judge me when i told him mine hasn't been touched since i bought it a few years ago,

he sat down and patiently cleaned every part he had a freaking tiny toothbrush and tweezers and went to town on all the crevices there all while cheerily chatting with me ....TWEEZERS!!! AND HE WAS WEARING WHITE?? cleaning a 3 year old laptop while wearing a crisp white sweater to me is superman behavior

He explained how fans work and how thermal pastes work, he told me so much about each component and where they are manufactured just for fun

And when he showed me the build up of dust and hair inside i was very embarrassed he told me its okay its normal he knows how electronics can get especially with long hair and pets

Then he dropped the most insane lore on me appearantly he used to have 33 cats at his house just chilling!!!!

YEAH 33!!! I was stunned and then he said it was so much fun they basically were the unofficial owners of his house and he just visited them for two hours at night after he closed shop !! He named trained and fed and took care of each one of them and almost all of them lived a long life with him

I asked why and how did he obtain 33 freaking cats as i dont even think i've seen this many in my lifetime and this is kinda my dream, i was kinda suspecting a breeding operation of sorts but no IT guy appearantly rescues stray cats and at the time he was starting out still and had trouble setting a limit for himself as to how much he should rescue at a time so he ended up rescuing 33 cats just because they looked sad and he couldn't not take them in😭😭

Anyway after becoming the most interesting guy in the world he handed me my laptop back to test i opened Baldur's gate 3 cause that one strains my fans and he called me a hardcore gamer lol but guys my laptop now runs better than when i freaking bought it ??? I can now play bg3 without even hearing the fans when they used to sound like an airplane taking off??

Oh all this was happening while he was working on someone elses busted laptop screen and also got it to work in an hour at the same time!!

Insane skills insane stories amazing passion for his craft quick service humble fun person and i have decided this guy is gonna be my IT guy untill the end of time fuck literally everywhere else

So guys PLEASE find a guy TM for your thing if you can i promise you its worth it!

[fatratinatophat]

Hiatus update, the future of the blog, and my plans for summer (For the blog obviously

“Wow Crumb I’m so glad you’re telling us this I missed you so much, I missed your art” said nobody but whatever, here

There’s a TLDR at the bottom if you don’t wanna listen to me yap.

So I’ve been on hiatus for a while, mainly because I’ve been sick and thus not at school and we just had April vacation, and I draw most of my art during my classes not at home so I haven’t been drawing. This hiatus SHOULD end soon, I’m currently drawing things I want to draw right now, but I WILL KEEP MY PROMISE of my first update being a New Craft page, I’m just getting back into the swing of things and finding the motivation to do so. But I need to talk about something else first:

If you haven’t noticed I’ve had like 0 motivation to do any art things for a long time

The constant hiatuses and lack of NC updates aren’t random, it’s because I dread drawing them. And I believe I’ve figured out why: The fucking schedule. I’ve noticed every time while drawing today that I end up rushing through and drawing stuff I don’t particularly want to just to fill my stupid quota and get my stupid drawings done to shove them in my queue. The result is rushed art, lack of experimentation and thus things getting stale, and dreading having to do it so taking breaks. Also the barrage of boring, transparent background bs.

This also causes a lack of notes, especially for some reason after DW became trending I’ve seen to become a bit less popular for whatever reason, getting less notes per post. NC seems to be the only thing that gets me good notes (Other than that stupid fucking Goob post I did forever ago I spent like maybe 10 minutes on that blew up, that’s STILL getting notes) and do I even have to mention any posts with my ocs on it that aren’t sketch pages that also include DW ocs, that get like- less than 10 every time.

So uh yeah not much motivation and an unhappy Crumb, but I’m here for solutions not to bitch. So, I’m NO LONGER going to have an upload schedule for my art. I’ll try and upload once weekly at least but I’m sick of rushing on everything. I’m also going to try and stop making posts with no backgrounds and just one or two characters standing around (Ironic cause I’m drawing another one but that’s more for study than to make something peak) I will however continue to do my asks that have been sitting in my inbox since LAST FUCKING YEAR (I’m slow as HELL, also all my recents have been One Forsaken request and daily fucking Gaza posts from someone I suspect to be a bot since they’re always on anon???) so that won’t change

But yeah, that’s for the general blog but now we need Crumb lore.

So, for the past 18 years of my life, every summer, I either hardly draw at all or DO NOT AT ALL for the entire few months. It helps me basically “reset” and be able to more easily dump the stuff I don’t like about my art. This has never been an issue before this cause I’ve never had actual fans and more than like 10 followers that aren’t friends before now (Insane how much I’ve grown in one year)

So the summer uploads are a bit iffy but I have 2 ideas:

-Upload nothing all summer, reblog some posts here and there to show I’m alive and return once I start college or sumn

-Upload less frequently and use the break to be REALLY experimental with things, I’ve also been toying with the idea of making a comic surrounding some of my ocs and then would be the perfect time to plan it and make it IF I DO, I dunno what I’d do and if I’m ready yet so it’s unlikely

No I’m not asking what I should do I’m saying what I could

I’ll decide later what I want I guess and of course give you guys a heads up what I’m gonna do once that time runs around. I have like a month left of school and maybe I’ll get into a rhythm and wanna keep going idk. We’ll all have to see.

Also, I WILL FINISH FUCKING NC BEFORE I DO THAT. I will upload them one after a fucking nother if I have to I want this stupid comic off of me, I’ll explain why once I’m done with it. Also chapter 2 is cancelled.

Also my Discord server is basically dead (Died after I had One Palworld hyperfixation) and I think most of them all lost interest in DW so if you guys wanna join please do I’m lonely there’s like 3 people who actually talk now help

But yeah I think I’m done. I bet like maybe 3 people read this entire thing. Anyways time for your TLDR:

-I have zip motivation for anything lately I’m trying to fix it

-I WILL BE MAKING THAT NC PAGE

-NO MORE UPLOAD SCHEDULE, it’s killing me. I’ll try uploading once weekly but don’t count on it

-I’ll try stopping the boring no background one guy standing there posts and make my posts more interesting and dynamic

-I may stop posting art over the summer, may be more experimental and upload less, might even make an oc-based comic idk

-Before I go on my summer hiatus/low uploads, I will finish New Craft, also chapter 2’s cancelled

Ok I’m done my head hurts ow

[mysaldate]

Lilith should go back to what they had before

Crossposting from Reddit because I am tired of how the new AFK Arena writers keep trampling over incredible lore.

This is gonna be long so TLDR: Anything from ALucius onward has been one continuous middle finger to the lore community with insane retcons that ruined both characters and the world of Esperia and I just wish the game went back to what it had before.

Okay, now with the TLDR out of the way, let me preface this with brief history of my involvement with the game (just to avoid any comments accusing me of not knowing the game): I've been playing on and off pretty much since launch (missed about two or so weeks at launch) but got really into it before the Overlord collab. One thing that kept me invested for years to come was the lore. Lilith has done an incredible job crafting an interesting varied world full of all kinds of people and characters. I've been creating fanworks, crafting theories with my fellow lore nerds, bought the artbook as soon as it was announced, and also got invited to the official dev and players meeting in Germany last year. I adore old AFK lore because it is the most well-crafted world I've ever seen in a mobile game and it was definitely the main reason I've stayed for so long.

However, things shifted around the time ALucius released. His story completely retconned Lucius' original story which is what made him so lovable for me and a lot of my lore-interested friends. Lucius isn't someone who didn't join the army on a whim because he didn't want to. He was deeply traumatized as a child and even tried the military before realizing it just wasn't for him. No, instead now he's more like a petulant child who just didn't want to follow the family tradition. And let me tell you, it didn't get better from there on out. The biggest offender though, of course, are the Draconis.

The Draconis as a whole are a mess. Firstly, they completely retcon Dura's involvement in the Age of Arcana which completely breaks the world. To explain a long story very quickly, Dura gave humans magic which led to an arms race between the humans and the gods, making the gods send Annih to deal with it, leading to the creation of the Ya who would later split into Maulers and Wilders, which then led to the Cinder War where humans basically turned on each other, Quaedam was one of the powerful mages who died during this time, and finally, it made Annih the scapegoat for when the post-war mortals found out about what the gods (or rather, just Annih in their eyes) did, and of course, Annih then created the Hypogeans. If you take Dura out of the equation, there's no arms race because there is no need for it. If you remove her involvement, 4/6 factions in the game wouldn't even exist in the world. This seemingly insignificant detail (that was only edited to make Dura seem better anyway) completely breaks the world but oh boy, we're just starting.

During the Cinder Wars, dragons were nearly driven into extinction. According to the old lore, the last few remaining dragons hid underground and fell into a deep slumber to recover their strength. In their dreams, they created Tasi to guard them and ensure their safety. This was true up to when Gavus and Eugene were added into the game as they literally had a run-in with a dragon in its underground lair. These dragons also have a deep-rooted hatred for humanity to the point where even seeing two babies is enough to send them into a blind rage and try to kill them. They would've gone into hibernation before year 1 CE, meaning at least 35 years before the first Hypogean invasion even began. Instead, in the new lore, Dura took the dragons (but not the other enslaved and tortured races) and dropped them on a random island with the condition that they would "help when the need is worst" or something. And the dragons now also fought in the first Hypogean war which now supposedly happened before they were taken to the island? And nobody has any records of them fighting in it at all? And of course, they are totally fine helping out humans (let's also not forget that originally, it was Dura who gave humans the means to enslave dragons in the first place and we've seen from Gavus' story and the Chains of the Covenant comic that the dragons have little respect for the Celestials exactly because of that). There is also the idea that the dragons have always been noble and protectors of humanity but that is far from the truth too. During the Floating Isles Abyssal Expedition season, we got confirmation on what was already suggested earlier – the dragons of old were slavers themselves, kidnapping entire settlements to serve them and viewing every other race except the gods as beneath them. Given that some of the dragon characters we get in the game are supposed to have lived through that era, it certainly casts them in a very different light.

But let's not forget, the Draconis lore isn't even consistent within itself. For example, it claims that young draconis cannot control their transformation well, yet Gwyneth was supposedly able to turn fully human as a newborn baby and keep up her disguise for sixteen years (because yes, despite getting plastic surgery to get massive boobs and ass, she is supposed to be sixteen) and it only started showing because a wyvern (another retcon) suddenly got close to the capital… even though she already killed a wyvern before with no issues popping up. The Draconis lore also claims that many on the dragon isle were around during the Age of Arcana and yet, their enslavement is supposedly a secret so closely guarded that they would lock people up in isolation if they found out about it? Cassius supposedly found out through careful study and it was such a big deal he had to go on a hunger strike before Hildwin appointed him a scribe for the dragon council but in the Dwyneth webcomic, Cassius is already a scribe and Hildwin has to take him to a secret island off the dragon isle and tell him about all the history.

Let's also talk more with Dwyneth. Her story, once again, retcons what we've known about her and what made her so interesting. By making her a part of the king's hunting party who went to look for the wyvern, they got rid of her quick thinking and rather impulsive nature. And let's not forget that this wyvern was now supposedly a part of a whole group of wyverns terrorizing a nearby city? Wyverns and any draconids are supposed to be extremely rare in Esperia for reasons I'll get into later. The original story had the king's party be on a stroll and accidentally waking up the wyvern from its slumber because they didn't even know it was there. Gwyneth's quick thinking and strength gained her the respect of the king and she was subsequently allowed to join the Royal Garrison. That is not even mentioning that Gwyneth was heavily implied to be a child of the robbers Hendrik killed before he adopted her. Her strength was strange, sure, but it never needed an explanation in a world where squirrels can turn people into acorns and undead mermaids float in the sea. And then we get to her actual awakening story…

Listen, if you need to kill an NPC to make your new waifu seem cool, I will already think it's cringe. But if you kill the single most popular NPC your lore community has, one with insane history and all that, it just starts to look like you hate your own content and/or audience. Kane's death makes no sense. He is a battle-hardened warrior with elemental powers (heavily implied to once have been the elemental guardian – we'll talk about how the draconis mess those up later) with a dragon mount (demoted to a wyvern because we can't possibly have an evil dragon now) who has been around since long before the first Hypogean war. Not only is he killed by a sixteen-year-old girl, she also only just got her powers and has supposedly no idea how to use them. And she also bested him in close-quarters combat despite being an archer and Kane being a legendary swordsman. Sadly, this was not the last time a Draconis-related storyline decided to kill off an important NPC with no regard for their lore.

Next we get to Antandra. Once again, the story retcons her entire backstory, events, and personality. It actually makes her more in-line with Journey's Antandra than Arena's which is a whole another can of worms I will not get into right now. Instead of Antandra being the tribute to the temple, she now apparently chose to go and become a temple warrior. After she was banished from the temple, she apparently never saw Satrana again (retconning her union story with Satrana as well as multiple time-limited and permanent events). She is also apparently a mother figure to a lot of children living around where she is staying… which should be the Land of Exiles since she was, you know, exiled and banished. There shouldn't be any children there, it is by far the most dangerous part of the desert. The idea that there's a whole tribe of children who see Antandra as their mother figure just running around is kind of stupid to be honest. Let's also ignore that she is probably the one who gave Dwyneth her new chest because Antandra's went the opposite direction. Let's also compare how previous awakened characters got their powers vs how Antandra did: Thane and Baden went on a huge journey to learn about cooperation and self-sacrifice and took immense risks to protect their loved ones. Safiya nearly died in a game of 5D chess against one of the deadliest enemies in the desert and destroyed an entire clan's kingdom. Antandra? Well, she girlbossed extra hard and Hildwin gave her a gem for it.

Eironn's story is baffling to say the least. Not only is it copy-pasted from Journey's beta where that was pretty much the exact backstory for Bryon (before they decided they don't want a disabled character to be playable) but it doesn't fit Eironn's character. It presents Eironn as someone who chases after glory and thrill of the fight and doesn't care about the people around him. However, Eironn has never been this person. He'd been awkward and struggled to rely on others, yes, but he would never abandon his comrades to chase after a powerful enemy. And of course, he doesn't even get to be cool in his own awakening story, Dwyneth has to swoop in after deciding he was "worthy" and save him at the last minute. At least there aren't any giant retcons to his backstory I guess.

And then there is Thoran and oh boy… So remember when I said Kane wasn't the only NPC who got done super dirty and killed just because the writers could? Same thing happened with Quaedam. Forget the fact that Thoran and all the other graveborn who made a contract with Quaedam are supposed to be like a hivemind that Quaedam can tap into and read at any time. Forget that Quaedam doesn't have a body or anything material and is a spectral entity on a similar power level to the Celestials at this point. Forget also the fact that Quaedam has the Eldritch Council – a whole line-up of similarly powerful necromancers who have been working for him since the Cinder Wars. Forget the fact that Quaedam most likely had enslaved dragons and thus would absolutely be stronger than them. Forget the fact he doesn't have a material base due to his immaterial nature. No, instead, Thoran makes a deal with a dragon behind Quaedam's back, steers the Hypogeans into Quaedam's base, and then strikes him down with a single swing of the sword. Oh, and let's also not forget, the necrodragon isn't supposed to just be out and about. It was a minion of the god of the hunt, Adrax, kept in a pocket dimension of his private hunting grounds.

The other characters who have released since ALucius have been a huge hit or miss but I won't get into each of them individually because that would be way too long (I say like the post already isn't) but to quickly summarize: Raoul is mostly fine aside from the fact where he doesn't look anything like what a character from Esperia would look like. Villanelle retcons Quicksand Claws to make them more stereotypically perpetrators of all evils and sins when they should be a very directly focused mercenary group. Misha's story mentions some "Wilder goddess" who has never existed or, if they mean Dura, was everyone's goddess. Journey, however, does have some Wilder-specific gods (and they suck and break the world further). It also mentions some incursion "decades ago" which… makes no sense? There hasn't been any incursion mere decades ago. Timelines don't timeline with this one. Randle is mostly fine but retcons Niru and how the Whispering Doom (I refuse to call it Doom Spire, stop changing good names, Lilith) works. Aurelia is fine except for the part where her story makes Flora into a lazy bum who doesn't want to do her job. Knox is kinda okay except for the part where his story suggests all Hypogeans are an organized monolith. Most of the Draconis stories are already involved in what I talked about so I will just point out the biggest offender on the list is Lan and no, it is not because she has the vibes of a self-insert Mary Sue. It's because she makes the elemental guardians completely obsolete since dragons can control the elements and direct rain and wind and whatnot.

I've heard from an inside source that pretty much the entire writing department got sacked and the game was handed off to new writers, around the same time it happened with Journey as well, and I have to say, it certainly does feel that way. Between the retcons of huge world lore and warp of pre-existing playable and non-playable characters beyond recognition, it definitely feels like a spiteful rewrite where someone is trying to erase the original and do it "better" except they just end up ruining everything they touch. I'm just frustrated because I invested a lot of time and money into everything AFK-related, bought merch, commissioned art, wrote fanfiction (even won a contest by Lilith with one of my works), started running a DnD campaign set in Esperia, and more. Seeing it all go up in flames like this makes me sad and I just wish things could go back to what it was before. The War of Truth storyline was one of the peaks of AFK's storytelling ever so to follow it up with tis makes it even more jarring. The lore community right now is basically non-existant. Most of my friends left the fandom entirely or only pop in to make fun of how badly the new characters are written. Lilith killed their own lore nerds and it's a damn shame.

But anyway, that's just my rant. If you read everything, thank you a ton, I know this was long and I apologize. Please let me know what you think, if you noticed any more retcons and mistakes, etc. If you don't care about lore, this post is probably not for you so I apologize for wasting your time with it.