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we are all sinners

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Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition on Steam!!!??? Oh my, finally! *КРОДУСЬ* *ЖДУСЬ* *Happy chaotic sounds of nwn fan*

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aditya (@adityajainart)

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The Bridge on the Vulchar

"Yes, I was the one who burned the bridge. Yes, I was the traitor. And I too was the one who first reached out to a new age and became a bridge between the past and the future. A future without a king and superstitions."

—Dr. Al-Muthlem to Saint Molis, when confronted at Matira Bay 755 BC

An art for my fic in progress. Taliq was there when the Requiem occurred. And Tyndarus was the very few cleric of the Eternal Order not in the Grim Fastness because he wished to offer shelter for the people against the upcoming Darkest Night. He saw the explosion from afar.

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我喜歡的作者去世了，但真安靜啊，各社媒上都只能看到官媒和非洲學者發文哀悼，幾乎沒多少人討論，儘管我喜歡的其他事物也都如此。。最不想做“冷圈姐”的時刻，有很多同好到底是什麼樣的感覺

隱隱地也有點討厭霸佔了話語權的白人文化，沒有直接關係，祇不過是我會聯想到同等成就的白人作者去世時媒體是什麼樣子的

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where are the snows of yesteryear?

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A night before the Darkest Night in 750 BC, Death had returned to the Rex as his "most trusted assistant" at long last.

Plain colour version

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Il nome della rosa | Teatro alla Scala, 2025 (photos: Brescia - Amisano)

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Emerald Spectacles from India, c. 1620-1660 CE: the lenses of these spectacles were cut from a single emerald, and the original, uncut stone weighed more than 300 carats

These eyeglasses are also known by the name Astaneh-e ferdaws, meaning "Gate of Paradise," based on the symbolic associations between the color green and the concept of spiritual salvation or "paradise." Those associations, which are rooted in Islamic tradition, were especially common in Mughal India.

The lenses were crafted from two thin slices of the same emerald. Together, the lenses have a combined weight of about 27 carats, but given the precision, size, and shape of each lens, experts believe that the original emerald likely weighed in excess of 300 carats (more than sixty grams) before it was cleaved down in order to produce the lenses.

The emerald was found at a mine in Muzo, Colombia, and it was then transported across the Atlantic by Spanish or Portuguese merchants.

Each lens is encircled by rose-cut diamonds, which run along an ornate frame made of gold and silver. This diamond-studded frame was installed during the late 1800s, when modern stylistic elements were incorporated into the original pince-nez design.

The "Gate of Paradise" spectacles are often accompanied by a second pair of eyeglasses that were created during the same period, and they were almost certainly commissioned by the same person; these other spectacles are known by the name Halqeh-e nur, meaning "Halo of Light," and they feature lenses that were cleaved from a single diamond.

It's estimated that the original, uncut diamond weighed about 200-300 carats, which would make it one of the largest uncut diamonds ever discovered.

The lenses are so clear and so flat that they sometimes seem almost invisible.

Both sets of spectacles date back to the mid-1600s, and it's believed that they were commissioned by a Mughal emperor or prince. The identity of that person is still a bit of a mystery, but it has been widely speculated that the patron was Shah Jahan -- the Mughal ruler who famously commissioned the Taj Mahal after the death of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan ruled as the Mughal emperor from about 1628 to 1658.

The emerald and diamond lenses may have served some symbolic, sentimental, or cultural purpose, or they may have been chosen simply because they're pretty and extravagant. Their original purpose and significance remains unclear, but there is evidence to suggest that the spectacles were actually designed to be worn by someone.

Mystical properties have long been attributed to these spectacles; it's believed that they can promote healing, ward off evil, impart wisdom, and/or bring the wearer closer to enlightenment. Those beliefs mostly stem from Indic and Islamic traditions that associate each of the gemstones with specific spiritual qualities. Emeralds are associated with spiritual salvation, healing, cleansing, and eternal life, while diamonds are associated with enlightenment, wisdom, celestial light, and mysticism.

The "Gate of Paradise" and the "Halo of Light" spectacles were both kept in the collections of a wealthy Indian family until 1980, when they were sold to private collectors, and they were then put up for auction once again in 2021. They were most recently valued at about $2 million to $3.4 million per pair.

Sources & More Info:

Sotheby's: Mughal Spectacles

Architectural Digest of India: At Sotheby's auction, Mughal-era eyeglasses made of diamond and emerald create a stir

Only Natural Diamonds: Auspicious Sight & the Halqeh-e Nur Spectacles

The Royal Society Publishing: Cleaving the Halqeh-Ye Nur Diamonds

Gemological Institution of America: Two Antique Mughal Spectacles with Gemstone Lenses

Manuscript: From Satan's Crown to the Holy Grail: emeralds in myth, magic, and history

CNN: The $3.5 million Spectacles Said to Ward off Evil

BBC: Rare Mughal Era Spectacles to be Auctioned by Sotheby's

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帕維奇的書看一眼就跟喝茶走一樣能讓我腦子五顏六色地清醒起來，可怕

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Momento Mori (Working Title), 2024, digital painting by myself, Liz Pence

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Borgias

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"You're all yourselves. I can bind you. Let you come within one another's souls. One-from-many."

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Luce conviviendo con todos en el Vaticano 🐢

La adoptaron entre todos jsjs

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by Max Pinckers

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"The people hanging from the tree. Eighteen of 'em. Last I counted, anyway."

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Solomon and Sheba (1959) costume appreciation: 3/∞

costume design by Ralph Jester

Period dramas | costume appreciation: 23/∞

Gina Lollobrigida as Sheba