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bratshaws · 10 months

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through the hourglass.311 brb x oc

a/n: OH BOY, stuff will be answered in the coming chapters (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

/267/268/269/270/271/272/273/274/275/276/277/278/279/280/281/282/283/284/285/286/287/288/289/290/291/292/293/294/295/296/297/298/299/300/301

/302/303/304/305/306/307/308/309/310

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

taglist: @mirandastuckinthe80s @roosterschanelslut @wiipes @lcahwriter @novastories @gretagerwigsmuse @frenchtoastix @lizzie-rdj @fanboyluvr @atarmychick007 @comebacktoearthpls

@peachiicherries @mak-32 @lizziespidiepridie @roosterswifey @ollyoxenfrees @piceous21 @sqrlgrl22 @hofficoffi @lexhalstead3 @lorilane33 @legendarydreamersharkparty @luckyladycreator2

@emilybradshaw @louisahale @leobabbyyy @booklover2sblog @ktjmac @graciereads @bigpoppajes @taytaylala12

@caitsymichelle13 @becks-things @caatheeriinee07 @fanboyswhore9 @jesfreedark @katiemcrae @lilmonstrjedi @hobiismyhopeu @teacupsandtopgun @insominac23 @gh0stsgoodgirl @mygyn @chavivaelisheva @kmc1989 @enchantingharmonyalpaca @callsign-magnolia

The soft glow of morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a warm embrace over the room. Beatrice relished these moments of quiet solitude before the demands of the day unfolded. She sat up in bed, the oversized shirt enveloping her like a comforting cocoon,a cocoon that smelled like Rooster.

A faint smile played on her lips as she surveyed the room, the remnants of Rooster's presence embedded in every corner: a framed photo captured a candid moment of them laughing on a lazy Sunday afternoon, one of the first pictures they took together after getting married.

A half-empty bottle of cologne stood proudly on top of the bathroom sink, its scent lingering in the air like a trace of his essence. Next to it was a small shaving cream and razor, she always made sure to check if it was standing still on the little stand.

Beatrice swung her legs off the bed, the cool floor meeting the warmth of her bare feet. She padded over to the bathroom, the door creaking softly as she pushed it open. The sight of Rooster's toothbrush next to hers brought a soft smile to her face. She reached for her toothpaste, and looked back at the shower stall.

The shower curtain hung loosely, the scent of his preferred body wash lingering in the air even with him being gone for almost a month now. A single towel on the hook, his favorite, was there, clean, of course because…he could come back earlier. She spits the toothpaste off and rubs her eyes before going back to the bedroom.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the nearby trees as she opened the curtains, the sky was that shade of pastel pink and baby lilac she adored so much.

As she stood by the window, a soft ping echoed through the room. Beatrice turned to see her phone lighting up with a message. She knew it was a text from Rooster, a simple "Good morning, love" accompanied by a heart emoji was seen when she picked it up. She couldn't help but smile, typing back a response, “Good night to you,handsome.”

Roos (06:01)

Wish me luck? We’ll leave in a few hours to do the mission.

Beatrice's fingers danced over the phone's screen as she crafted her response.

Bea (06:03)

Luck is on your side, always, Roos. Come back to me safely.

She hit send, her eyes lingering on the screen as if the words could magically reach him faster. The anticipation of each mission never lessened, and the distance between them during these times seemed to stretch indefinitely. She took a deep breath, reminding herself of the routine she'd cultivated to manage the ache of his absence.

With a glance at the clock, she realized she had a few hours before her own mission started. Soon the kids would wake up and she’d have t– there was someone downstairs. She pauses, going immediately still as she hears something falling on the ground. Beatrice headed downstairs, with Jolene right behind her, why wasn’t Eleanor barking if there was an intruder???

Oh my god.

What if they hurt Eleanor??

She grabs an umbrella on the way down, the sudden ‘i must protect my cubs’ feeling came strong and Beatrice chewed on her lower lip. Beatrice felt a knot forming in her stomach. The soft padding of her footsteps on the hardwood floor seemed to echo in the otherwise silent house. As she reached the bottom of the staircase, she hesitated for a moment, listening intently.

Another sound, a muffled clatter, reached her ears, and her instincts kicked in. She moved quietly, taking measured steps towards the kitchen. The familiar scent of coffee lingered in the air, but it was accompanied by an unfamiliar presence. Beatrice's mind raced through the possibilities, each one more unsettling than the last.

She hated being anxious.

Beatrice tightened her grip on the umbrella, her pulse quickening with each step. As she entered the kitchen, her eyes widened at the sight before her. Shells stood there, a sheepish grin on her face, holding a bag of spilled groceries.

"Shells! What the hell are you doing here?" Beatrice exclaimed, a mix of relief and irritation flooding her.

Shells looked up, eyes widening at the sight of Beatrice wielding an umbrella like a weapon. "Whoa, Bea, it's just me! Easy with the umbrella!"

Beatrice blinked, realizing the absurdity of her defensive stance. She lowered the umbrella,furrowing her brows "Shells, you scared the life out of me! Why didn't you just ring the doorbell?"

Shells chuckled nervously, scratching the back of her head. "Uh, I didn't want to wake the kids. You know how they nap."

“Yeah! Because it's six in the morning Shells!”

Shells flashed an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Bea. I didn't think you'd go all ninja warrior on me. I was just trying to surprise you."

Beatrice took a deep breath, the adrenaline slowly subsiding. "Surprise me? At six in the morning with an uninvited entrance? What happened to 'hey, I'm coming over'?"

Shells shrugged, still grinning. "I thought it'd be more fun this way. Besides, I brought breakfast."

Beatrice looked at the spilled groceries and sighed. "Breakfast is on the floor, Shells."

"Yeah, about that..." Shells crouched down to collect the fallen items, her sheepish expression turning into a grin again. "I may have tripped on your welcome mat. It's more of a trip hazard than I thought."

Beatrice rolled her eyes, her initial fear giving way to annoyance. "Breakfast is not supposed to be a surprise attack, Shells. And since when do you bring groceries?"

Shells straightened up, holding the bag triumphantly. "Since today! I figured I'd treat you to a surprise breakfast. You know, to lighten the mood with Rooster away on a mission."

Beatrice sighed, her irritation softening into a smile. Shells, despite her unconventional entrance, meant well. "Well, thanks for the thought, but I hope you brought more than what's on the floor."

Shells grinned, pointing at the bag. "Fear not, babes. I've got eggs, bacon, and all the essentials for a breakfast feast. I'll even clean up the mess. Consider it an apology for the unintentional scare."

Beatrice couldn't help but laugh at Shells' antics. "You're lucky I didn't hit you with the umbrella.” she says, nodding at the closed accessory, “Also,since when do you cook?"

Shells feigned offense, placing a hand over her heart. "Bea, I'm wounded! I'll have you know that I've been watching cooking shows lately. I'm practically a culinary genius now."

"Cooking shows make you a genius? Well, if you say so. Just don't burn down my kitchen."

Shells mock saluted. "No promises, but I'll do my best, Captain."

As they set about salvaging the groceries and preparing breakfast, the tension that had gripped Beatrice began to ease. The early morning scare morphed into a lighthearted exchange, and Shells' infectious energy had a way of melting away anxieties.

"So, spill it, Shells. What's the real reason for this surprise breakfast?" Beatrice asked, sitting on her chair with her eyes noticing Eleanor chewing on a nice treat outside, “Also,did you give Eleanor a treat so she didn’t bark?”

“Yep."

Beatrice raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips. "Well, that’s fine–”

Shells nodded, her expression turning serious. "I also lost sleep and couldn’t really call aunt Penny so.”

“Oh."

“Yeah…”

“...You..never complained about nightmares.”

Shells sighed, her gaze dropping to the pan as she cooked. "It's just... I had a rough night. Couldn't shake them off, you know?"

“Care to share, or is it classified information?"

Shells chuckled, but it held a touch of vulnerability. "Maybe a bit classified, but you know how it is. The usual stuff."

Beatrice nodded, sympathy etched across her features. "Yeah, I get it. Is it…does it have to do with your m-."

“Nah I never dream about her.”Shells glanced up,lips pursed “She’s dead so, what do I care? No this one was…I guess it’s the overall stress, you know? With the bar and all.”

"I'm sorry you had a rough night. Stress does crazy things to our minds, especially when you're dealing with a lot."

"Yeah," Shells replied, the sizzle of bacon filling the air as she focused on the cooking. "I just needed a change of scenery, you know? And what better way to change things up than surprising you with breakfast?"

Beatrice smiled, appreciating Shells' attempt to lighten the mood. "Well, I appreciate the effort. And for the record, you're not allowed to lose sleep over nightmares without telling me. We're in this together, remember?"

Shells grinned, flipping the bacon with practiced ease. "Got it, babes. No more solo missions into the realm of bad dreams. I'll inform you in advance next time."

As the aroma of breakfast filled the kitchen, Shells set the table with a mismatched collection of plates and utensils. Beatrice couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for her friend's spontaneous gesture. In the midst of the chaos surrounding Rooster's mission and the uncertainties with Mark and Miranda, Shells' presence brought a much-needed moment of peace.

They sat down to eat, the bacon crispy, the eggs perfectly scrambled, and the toast buttered to perfection. Shells raised her fork in a mock salute. "To surprise breakfasts and conquering the nightmares."

Beatrice clinked her fork against Shells', a smile playing on her lips. "To unexpected rescues and facing the unknown together."

Was he surprised the mission was a success?

No.

Was he surprised that Mark was acting weird?

Also no.

The adrenaline that had fueled their dogfight began to ebb away, leaving them with the tangible weight of fatigue. Rooster, standing by his jet, surveyed the tarmac as ground crews worked efficiently to refuel and inspect the fighter planes.

Mark lingered nearby, his posture tense and shoulders squared. Rooster observed him discreetly, noting the way other pilots seemed to avoid direct interaction with him. It was as if an invisible barrier surrounded Mark, isolating him from the everyone else.

Rooster decided to approach, his steps deliberate and his expression neutral. As he neared, Mark glanced up, meeting Rooster's gaze with a guarded look.

"Good work out there, Mark," Rooster acknowledged, his tone even. "The mission was a success."

Mark's response was a curt nod, his eyes flitting away. "Just doing my part."

Rooster furrowed his brow. "Is there something on your mind, Mark?"

Mark hesitated, his jaw tight. "Nothing, sir. Just focused on the mission, that's all."

Rooster regarded him for a moment, weighing the words. "Mark, we're a team. If there's anything you need to talk about—"

"I appreciate the sentiment, Rooster, but I've got it under control," Mark interjected, his tone firm. "No need to worry."

Rooster's gaze lingered, a sense of unease settling in. He decided to press further, despite Mark's resistance. "I've noticed some tension among the recruits. Is everything okay on your end?"

Mark's eyes narrowed, a flicker of defensiveness crossing his face. "Recruits come and go. It's the nature of the job."

Oh.

Rooster’s eyes darkened immediately.

“...How so,Mark?”

Mark's jaw tightened, and a hint of frustration flashed in his eyes. "They're inexperienced. They slow us down. We have to pick up the slack, cover for their mistakes. It's like babysitting sometimes."

Rooster's expression remained steady, though the tension in the air thickened. "Well Mark, they're part of the squadron. We work as a team, and that means supporting each other, especially when someone is still learning the ropes."

Mark scoffed, a bitter edge to his voice. "Supporting them doesn't mean coddling them, Rooster. We have a standard to uphold, and if they can't meet it, they shouldn't be here."

"Training and mentoring are part of leadership, Mark. It's not about lowering standards but helping others rise to meet them. That's how we become a stronger, more cohesive unit."

Mark's gaze hardened, the resentment beneath the surface becoming more apparent. "Maybe some of us don't have the luxury of time for mentorship, Rooster. Maybe some of us have more pressing matters to attend to."

Rooster's eyes narrowed slightly. "What are you getting at, Mark?"

Mark hesitated, as if contemplating whether to reveal more. “I-I…” Roosted flicked his eyebrow and the other pilot gulped, all the bravado disappearing, “Just…the breach and all,we are all…o-on edge.”

Rooster regarded Mark with a scrutinizing gaze. The mention of the breach seemed to hang heavily between them, an unspoken understanding that there might be more beneath the surface.

Rooster decided to tread carefully, not wanting to escalate the tension further.

"The breach has everyone on edge, Mark. I get that," Rooster replied, his voice measured. "But we don’t go letting your anger out on the recruits." he knew it wasn’t that, he knew what McAllister told him was true.

Mark's shoulders tensed, and for a moment, it seemed like he might say something more. However, he bit back the words, his expression hardening once again. "Okay,uh, thank you, Rooster."

“Mhm.”

“A-Are you going to talk to Vice-Admiral Simpson?”

“I might.” Rooster whispered, “He has to know about the mission,right?”

Mark shifted uncomfortably, a glimmer of uncertainty in his eyes. "I suppose. But I'm sure he's already aware of everything. We did accomplish the mission, after all."

"Accomplishing the mission is part of the job, Mark. But I'm also concerned about the internal dynamics within the squadron. We need trust and cohesion to operate effectively."

Mark's jaw clenched, the frustration evident. "I'm doing my job, Rooster. Don't question my dedication."

"I'm not questioning your dedication, Mark. I'm questioning your approach. We need unity, especially now with the breach. If there's something you're not telling me, I need to know."

Mark's eyes flashed with a mix of anger and reluctance. "I told you, Rooster. I've got it under control."

Rooster's expression remained steadfast. "I'll take that as a temporary answer. But if whatever you're dealing with starts affecting the squadron, it becomes my concern."

With that, Rooster turned away, leaving Mark standing with a storm of emotions brewing within him.

He had to figure this shit out.

Now.

#bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x oc #top gun maverick #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw x female reader #bradley bradshaw x named reader #tgm oc #tgm fic #tgm fanfiction

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yamayuandadu · 12 days

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I have a question regarding a list of gods in Ugarit. Who are Baal-of-Ugarit and Baal-of-Sapun? Which of them refers to the Baal from the Baal Cycle? And especially, who are the other 'b'lm' listed?

Dennis Pardee concludes that Baal of Saphon is probably more or less identical with Baal as a literary character, while Baal of Ugarit would be more or less the same Baal as worshiped in the city itself/its main temple (Ritual and Cult at Ugarit, p. 276-277). Daniel Schwemer (The Storm-Gods of the Ancient Near East: Summary, Synthesis, Recent Studies: Part II, p. 10-11) also assumes that these are two manifestations of one deity, probably worshiped in the same temple. Essentially the same sort of difference as between invoking Inanna in Uruk as “just” Inanna and as Nin-Eanna, as opposed to two fully separate deities. Spencer J. Allen shows some skepticism, since technically no text actually identifies the two with each other (The Splintered Divine, p. 205-207), though he ultimately also admits that it’s probably safe to consider the cult of Baal of Ugarit an offshoot of the cult of Baal of Saphon (p. 212). He also concludes all available evidence confirms Baal of Saphon is Baal the literary character (p. 214).Beyond that, things get progressively more murky. As you probably already noticed, in at least one case (KTU 1.118) we have Baal of Saphon and then six nondescript “Baaluma”. Allen recently summarized some of the past attempts at identifying them (The Splintered Divine, p. 204-205); these include treating them as unspecified hypostases of Baal of Saphon; as a reference to cult images present in the temple(s); or possibly as fully independent deities who just happen to share the same moniker and simply rank slightly lower than Baal of Saphon.

I am not sure if anyone tried identifying the anonymous plural Baals with the two enigmatic non-geographical Baals who appear in some offering lists, Baal-kanapi, "Baal of the wing” (Pardee on p. 276 of Ritual and Cult suggests that this is essentially the Ugaritic understanding of Seth - presumably he means the style of depictions of Seth as a “divine foreigner” modeled on a typical weather god, but with wings), and the completely enigmatic Baal r’kt. I found nothing.

The final and most distinct case is that of Baal of Halab, who is obviously the weather god of Aleppo and rather clearly a distinct deity in Ugaritic imagination; in KTU 1.130 he receives offerings separately from Baal of Saphon. This situation repeats in KTU 1.148, but interestingly there he is listed before Baal of Saphon, as if he was the higher ranked deity. To be fair, in terms of religious and political influence Aleppo would arguably indeed be well beyond Mount Saphon. I think there is no real reason to treat Baal of Halab as identical with the Ugaritic Baal; the two are functionally as separate from each other as they are from Mesopotamian Adad. Hurrian sources from Ugarit recognize Teshub as the god of Aleppo, which matches the cultural "hurrianization" of the city at the time, but I’m not sure if we can necessarily assume that’s what everyone thought of when they took part in rituals referring to the god of Aleppo as Baal. Perhaps the situation was similar to when Zimri-Lim and his contemporaries made offerings to weather gods of Kumme or Arrapha without necessarily even knowing they were locally referred to as Teshub - we may never know.

Some more notes on the weather god of Aleppo and friends (in particular Pidray) below the cut, since they’re not fully relevant to your question.

Obviously, beyond the recognition of Dagan as Baal’s father, there’s little evidence for Aleppine influence on Ugaritic conception of the weather god and his circle, as far as I am aware. Saphon is the residence of the gods rather than an actual personified fully anthropomorphic weather god, there’s no trace of a bull chariot, Hebat, Tenu et al are absent, etc. This being said - there’s an interesting possibility that Pidray might have originated over there which would have huge implications. One of the only references to her from outside Ugarit, the oldest one yet at that, has recently been identified in an Akkadian-Amorite bilingual list by Andrew R. George and Manfred Krebernik, and they suggest she might have specifically originated around Aleppo as a daughter of the local weather god (Two Remarkable Vocabularies: Amorite-Akkadian Bilinguals!, p. 139).

For what it’s worth, the weather god of Aleppo, with a permanent spouse etc., certainly fits the profile of a divine father more than unmarried Ugaritic Baal who at best has friends with benefits (that’s not my interpretation, for clarity, Schwemer wrote this, without using the term “friends with benefits” though); Pidray and her sisters being an awkwardly incorporated part of a different theological system would explain a lot. Also, it feels important for the case of Pidray that no matter how many times they are misidentified as “Canaanite” online, Resheph, Anat and Yarikh were also deities more popular in Amorite areas around the Middle Euphrates (in Yarikh’s case attestations actually go all the way up to Eshnunna!) and largely or entirely (depending on location and time period) absent from coastal areas; so even though the conception of weather god differed, I don’t think the recent shift towards treating Ugarit more and more as a part of a broader Amorite (or, better yet, Hurrian+Amorite) world is unjustified.

#ugaritic miscellanea

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girafeduvexin · 1 month

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(Extrait d'un cours au collège de France d'Antoine Compagnon)

Qu’est-ce qu’un classique ? Suivant l’étymologie populaire, un classique est un écrivain qu’on lit en classe, comment Roland Barthes disait que la littérature, c’est ce qui s’enseigne. (…) Faisons pourtant attention. Un écrivain pour l’école, ou même pour l’université, c’est en quelque manière un écrivain qu’on ne lit pas, ou qu’on lit autrement : « Pour la semaine prochaine, vous lirez de la page 133 à la page 277. » On l’étudie, on suit des cours sur son œuvre, on fait des explications de ses textes et des dissertations sur ses sentences, par exemple celle-ci, qui résume la Recherche, ou du moins Le Temps retrouvé : « La seule vie pleinement vécue, c’est la littérature. » (…) Mais un classique, de façon moins sociologique cette fois, plus historique, plus critique, c’est aussi un écrivain dont les qualités principales sont, dit-on, la raison, la concision, l’ordre, la mesure, la réserve, l’équilibre, l’harmonie, la simplicité, la modération, etc. C’est du moins ainsi qu’on a l’habitude de le définir : « l’œuvre d’art classique, jugeait par exemple Gide, raconte le triomphe de l’ordre et de la mesure sur le romantisme intérieur. » Et Henri Peyre, dans un essai sur le classicisme qui a compté, décrivait le classicisme comme « un art de mesure, de lucidité, d’ordre, d’équilibre, en face d’un art que l’on juge excessif et violent, mystérieux et obscur. (…) Le classique, disait encore Peyre, se soumet aisément à son public, il s’efface devant le sujet qu’il traite ; il cherche en effet à devenir banal. Aussi son œuvre demeure-t-elle d’abord inaperçue. Car elle ne vise point à différer en tranchant sur la production contemporaine. (…) Mais, en vérité, qui cet effacement, cette soumission décrivent-ils correctement ? Racine, l’hyperclassique, l’homme aux 1800 mots, a lui-même eu des ennemis lors de la création de ses tragédies. On ne naît pas classique, on le devient, comme, avant Valéry, Stendhal le soutenait dans Racine et Shakespeare en 1823. Les classiques, disait-il, même Euripide et Sophocle, ont été romantiques en leur temps ; on devient classique, concluait-il, parce qu’on a été romantique : « Je n’hésite pas à avancer que Racine a été romantique ; il a donné, aux marquis de la cour de Louis XIV, une peinture des passions, tempérée par l’extrême dignité qui était alors à la mode. » (…) Ainsi, si Proust est à mes yeux un classique, et même le classique, ce n’est pas, ou pas seulement, au sens du canon, de la classe, du panthéon scolaire et universitaire, et ce n’est pas non plus, ou si peu, au sens du classicisme historique, comme recherche de l’ordre, de l’équilibre, de la réserve, de l’effacement. Mais c’est au sens où chaque génération renouvelle la signification et la portée de cette œuvre, l’enrichit, en prend possession, sans doute parce que cette œuvre n’est pas parfaite, pas close sur elle-même, pas achevée : « Le livre de Proust, disait judicieusement Reynaldo Hahn, n’est pas un chef-d’œuvre si l’on appelle chef-d’œuvre une chose parfaite et de plan irréprochable. » L’œuvre classique n’est pas parfaite. C’est parce qu’elle n’est pas parfaite, pas canonique, si vous voulez, c’est parce qu’elle est creusée de différences qu’elle a le pouvoir de devenir classique.

#j'adore ce texte #proust #livre #l'imperfection rend l'œuvre parfaite

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jonquilyst · 6 months

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277. Chapter 9, Episode 31

*PLACES THIS HERE AND RUNS AWAY GIGGLING* Yea, I saved the best for last for you all 💖 This is the final episode for Chapter 9. Chapter 10, the final chapter (minus the epilogue) will begin on Wednesday

Previous | Story Page | Next

Transcript:

(Pink text = Megyn)

(Blue text = Jayden)

Megyn (chuckling): Yeah... I guess you did...

Jayden: There's... actually something else I've been wanting to do, but... I'd need your permission first. I wanna make sure you're completely okay with it.

Megyn: What is it?

*Jayden whispers something inaudible in Megyn's ear*

Megyn (surprised): ... Really?

Jayden: Yes, Megyn...

*THEY SHARE THEIR FIRST KISS TOGETHER AAAAAAAAAAAA*

Megyn: Next time, I'll take you out to dinner.

Jayden: I'd love that very much.

#sims 4 #ts4 #simblr #sims blog #sims 4 story #ts4 story #sims story #sims storytelling #The Runaway #Megyn Rodham #Jayden Kane

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speaker-of-the-void-cats · 8 days

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Let me tell you a secret...

...lean in closer. No-thing is watching.

It is done. The magnum opus, my most delicate, intricate post|patch|work, everything I couldn't stop thinking about since Shadowkeep until this very moment. But now, I can't remember a time when I didn't know it deep inside. I've always wanted to create something beautiful that lasts, that makes an impact in the waves and touches the hearts of those who will listen. Make them beat harder, faster, better, stronger. Give them a ring of spears in which to grow. Something that harmonizes and shares how the tales and tunes of old and new have moved me, made me feel. Something from my heart that draws it's power from yours. But I couldn't even begin to imagine how. I was lost in the Deep. I had no voice; barely a whisper.

This is the way. This is how we find the words. The light of action and self-realized purpose in the darkness of suffocating, deterministic thought. Thus we are truly unveiled.

The post broke the tumblr text editor more times than I can count, but I had to make sure it resonated and so I poured my heart into this one. It's been an enormous struggle against limitations, doubt, and failure, but I hope I made it work. One last word of advice, it is best viewed on a tablet or anything that doesn't occlude your view.

Even if it's not the truth, I share this in hopes you can find some of your own shining|singing|echoing back at you from the dark. Forget about me entirely. The clockwork is waiting, it just needs the trigger mechanism. The spark. The fuel.

It just needs you.

Go deeper. Don't slip. Find the cord and hold on for dear life. Tune your strings. Crank it up to 11. Keep your one-and-only mind sharp and true. Go all out within and refract the radiance. I'm not trying to confuse you, but do feel free to let yourself become vexed. Sometimes there's just no other way to understand a thing than to say and do it, no matter how imperfectly. Be a fool, call me senselessly woken if you must. Call me mad, delusional, over the top|edge|precipice. You'll have to excuse my morbid excitement, but there's simply nothing sweeter in the darkness than harmony.

Sometimes plants wither, even with care, if the atmosphere is unfair and the soil goes to rot. But the greater sin is for those who are called to care for it to instead turn a blind eye, or worse, rage against it.

ACCESS: RESTRICTED

DECRYPTION KEY: 2CA9SXUO2C$IKO-006

REP#: 011-PSYCHOMETER-TEST

AGENT(S): TRU-135

SUBJ: PSYCHOMETER FIELD TESTS

1. The new version works. Love all the knobs and antenna; very analog. I took readings off a hatch control out here on Europa and Cowlick was able to retrieve badly distorted voices in some kind of distress. I don't know if it's doing exactly what you Warlocks want, but it's doing something all right. Cowlick says it's probably tapping into her scrutiny, if you permit that term in your ivory halls.

2. Now, I'm not much for gadgets, so I won't ask you how you rigged this thing. But I am one for gossip. Weren't we closing in on some kind of workable theory of exactly how our Ghosts resurrect us? One which was, if I am not mistaken, based on research by the Future War Cult? Did any of that work survive Lakshmi?

3. You know they did try to recruit me once. The Cult. Over a game of poker. Fifty-two cards in a deck don't seem like many, this hard-ass Titan told me. But there are 80 658 175 170 943 878 571 660 636 856 403 766 975 289 505 440 883 277 824 000 000 000 000 different possible shuffles of 52 cards. You could walk back and forth across the observable universe faster than you could count all those possible shuffles. A lot faster. That's life, she said, and she had daisies impaled on the spikes of her skull. Life is endless permutation. So many possibilities. But the rules are what matter. Who cares how the deck shuffles if you don't know the rules of the game? We play this game over and over. Life and death. Light and Dark. But the only way you learn the rules, the only way you're ever gonna get one of those Truces you're named for, is if you come inside. Come into the Cult. Come on in and see. But I didn't.

4.Another thing she told me is that you can play poker with just three cards and two players. Jack, Queen, King. Ante one, max bet one more. High card wins unless one player folds. And in this game, there are many strategies available to the first player, but very few to the second, who acts to exploit the choice made by the first. Many possibilities against few. Sounds like you'd rather be the first player, huh? But if both players play perfectly, that second player wins in the end. Mathematical inevitability. Ain't that something? But I said, your game's just a toy. It's just a contrivance. That's not life. Life isn't one player always exploiting and beating the other.

5. Anyway, back to testing. Might go back to Cocytus and aim this thing at the gate. See how wild it goes. If you never hear from us again, you know Truce and Cowlick finally found something too spooky.

MESSAGE ENDS

_If the Light forgets while the Darkness remembers, then why does a Ghost's power of determination let it access latent memories imprinted in the dead? That's paradoxical. That should be a property of Darkness. How can such fundamentally opposed forces do the same thing?

Am I as shallow as those Guardians arguing over power levels? Trying to force a simple binary upon a complex spectrum… ? The Drifter talks about "spectrums of Light"—powers his Ghost can access because of its modifications. Forcing the metaphor, I thought. Light is not light. It doesn't have frequencies or spectra.

But if we are all constrained by our internalized ontology, by our tacit understanding of how the world works… maybe the circumstances of extreme survival compelled the Drifter to explore a new ontology. Maybe his Ghost achieved a new way to think about the Light.

Keep your eye on the Conductor's baton

Get ready to sing of sorrow|forgiveness

It's all up to you

But dread not

For destiny awaits us

//SIGNAL TETHERED TO UNKNOWN SOURCE

VEXSIG:MSDUND12

Transmitting....

I leave you this now, when it is too early to act. Before you have the faculty to understand it's gravitas. You were offered the age you've fought to restore. Everything we've lost. You won't find it on this narcissist's station.

I will set it in front of you, finely crafted and tuned. You mistakenly label it hubris, and resist. As you know ...

Failure is a catalyst. It breeds invention.

I was only trying to change your mind. To help you see a better future. That exchange... Did not always end in your favor. It does not have to still.

You believe my ideology... virulent.

All right.

Know that I have bled across time, and under the skin of the cosmos. My knowledge became its fabric, filled it's vessels, through its minds.

Humanity is scattered, yet to see a collective. But in the infinite forest of this infinite network the Vex have created... There is only one answer.

A Golden Timeline. With a heavy cost.

Come. Drink your fill. Let me change your minds.

Choice is the ego, raging against the inevitable.

You may not see a choice, but I make my own fate.

Don't ever let anyone else tell your story for you.

I can only make you look. Perhaps, in time, you will see.

Bpm jmab dwqkma - dwqkma bpib bzctg uibbmz - vmdmz ittwe bpmuamtdma jm pmizl. Bpqa tmaawv qa ewzbp tmizvqvo ioiqv ivl ioiqv.

Nwzmdmz.

Gwcz dwqkm uwdma ia i epqaxmz, uczuczqvo qvaqlm tizomz eqvla. Wvtg bpm bzcabml nme kiv ijawzj epib qa vmkmaaizg. Eqam ivl atg ivl xmznmkb, gwcz qvabzckbqwva lzwx, tmidqvo vwbpqvo jcb bpm pizl aemmb zqum wn mvtqopbmvumvb. Bpm xibp qa amb. Gwcz dwqkm qa cvtmiapml.

The living and breathing Alternate Reality Game we play in our heads and hearts every single second makes us trip over our feet in real reality. Cut open both and find your rhythm within.

Secant Filaments

The nature of the secant is to intercept a curve, a role all human relationships likewise fill.

Better think to remember your compass and protractor. You're gonna need 'em both at one point or another.

In this treatise, I plan to revisit earlier mathematical theorems and revise them considering our new observations on the Light, the Darkness, and lifeforms imbued with those respective powers. But before I do so, I must preface it with a personal note. Despite high-minded assumptions, mathematics is not an intrinsic language of the universe. It is how we describe the portions of the universe that we can observe. While numbers can track the abstract and find pattern in chaos, they cannot account for fundamental aspects of reality such as compassion or justice. The existence of the Lucent Hive, and Hive Ghosts in particular, may expand our understanding of causality, but they themselves are not "new"—the only thing that is new is our awareness and observation of them. These Ghosts have already been living alongside us. They've traveled with us. Endured with us. What we see is the mushroom, the fruit of the fungus. The fungus itself is a vast mycorrhizal network of filaments growing and working unseen below the soil, often barely connected to the fruiting bodies we observe. Similarly, we have observed Ghosts—Hive Ghosts included—without understanding the nature of the unseen filaments that may guide us. In our eagerness to understand the universe, we must not assume our observations are complete, or objective. Otherwise, we blind ourselves to possibilities… like the possibility that an unnoticed faction among us may be one temptation away from betrayal. Or that what drives our creator is no more than the same base desire for survival that drives all living things. —On Secants, Introduction, Ophiuchus

It's okay to be puzzled. It's supposed to be a hard and winding road. But we'll figure it out eventually. You've just gotta remember; take it one fragment at a time.

I dive to understand.

You get all that?

Here at the end and beginning is a gift from me to you, originally from another lost to the waves. Save your background, if you wish, for they verily do inform who we are. Clothe yourself in truth every day. Remember your past, the forsaken and the fallen. Fight to preserve their memory and possibility, and in the light of their truths we will seek evolution beyond this imperfect stasis.

Like you and I and everything, this amalgamation and its seed are ever changing as the wind. Living documents. If you feel any pull here, any resonance—any at all—if you drift or come undone, simply return to this place and remember who we are. Remember why we fight. Let your doubts become questions, and the answers you seek will be found in the map of your heart. In darkness or in light, your destiny will inevitably find you. Be ready.

We are, always and forever, Guardians of all existence. How will you decide to walk that vermicular path? Be careful.

I need a break before the third act. See you starside, my family in love|war. Be brave.

—MG

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pathfinderunlocked · 4 months

Text

Urobutcher - CR17 Humanoid

A commissioned high level boss, an armored necromancer with significant melee capabilities.

Artwork provided by client.

This creature is technically CR 16 / MR 3, which is very similar (arguably identical) to CR 17.5. It's mostly just an excuse to give the monster less XP. If you're using the mythic system, treat the Urobutcher as CR 16 / MR 3 and give him the lower amount of XP. If you're not using mythic ranks, treat him as CR 17 and use the higher XP value.

He has three unique mythic abilities - Hook and Pull, Fetid Cloak, and Energy Drain. On top of being mythic, he has PC-level wealth and a high stat build, which are factored into his challenge rating, increasing it by 1. On most creatures that would be enough to increase the CR by 2, but his multiclassing and his melee sorcerer build cancel out some of the benefits.

The Urobutcher is a half-giant with rune giant lineage, tainted by the rot of undeath but not quite undead himself... yet. He's armed with a massive cleaver, a meathook attached to a long chain, and armor which increases his size to match that of his giant ancestors.

Generally, he should be walking around with blood boil cast into one of his weapons and some other debuff touch spell cast into the other one. Although he has Power Attack, he should only use it when fighting a target with very low AC; inflicting debuff spells through his weapon attacks is a big part of his strategy. If he gets a chance to retreat and recast them mid-battle, he'll do so, letting his undead allies and minions get attacked in his place for a round or two.

This is a commissioned creature which, if I'm being honest, is significantly more complicated than I'm likely to ever make again. It uses multiple different sources of third-party content. One of these, the flesh to ice spell, comes from 3.5e and was written by James Jacobs; the spell was bumped up from 5th to 6th level when adapted for Pathfinder by Obsidian Twilight, so that's the level I put it at in this monster's spell list.

Urobutcher - CR 17 (or CR 16 / MR 3)

This giant butcher is clad in hulking, powerful armor, and is wielding a massive cleaver in one hand and a meathook attached to a long chain in the other hand. He wears a rope belt with severed humanoid arms dangling from it.

XP 102,400 (XP 76,800 if using mythic rules) Unique necrocasting boss, simplified, half-giant, spellblade 1, necromancy tradition sorcerer 9, eldritch knight 5 NE Large humanoid (human, giant, mythic) Init +8 Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +10 Aura fear and screams aura (60 ft., DC 22), stench (60 ft., DC 21)

DEFENSE

AC 32, touch 20, flat-footed 28 (+6 armor, +2 deflection, +2 Dex, +2 magic vestment, +4 natural, +5 profane, +2 simplified template, -1 size) hp 277 (9d8+1d10+5d12+75+30+90) plus 24 temp hp Fort +24, Ref +16, Will +19; +2 vs. disease; +4 vs. enchantment; +2 vs. mind-affecting Defensive Abilities necrocasting boss, negative energy affinity, resist death's touch DR 10/epic Resist cold 5, fire 5 Immune energy drain SR 28

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft. Melee +3 urobutcher's meathook +23/+18 (1d8+13/x3) (see text) Melee +4 urobutcher's cleaver +24/+19 (2d8+14/19-20 plus energy drain) (see text) Melee unarmed strike +18 (1d6+10) Two-Weapon Fighting Melee urobutcher's cleaver +20/+15 (2d8+14/19-20) and urobutcher's meathook +19 (1d8+8/x3) Space 10 ft., Reach 15 to 30 ft. with meathook (see urobutcher's meathook); 10 ft. with cleaver; 10 ft. with unarmed strike Special Attacks channel death, energy drain (1 level, DC 22), hook and pull, mythic power (3/day, surge +1d6), necroweakening

Racial Spell-like Abilities (CL 15th; concentration +20) 1/day—charm person (DC 16)

Cord of Grasping Flesh Spellcasting (CL 8th; concentration +13) Spells (5/day)—catatonia (DC 19), curse of befowled fortune (DC 19), inflict serious wounds (DC 19), monstrous extremities (DC 19), touch of bloodletting (DC 19)

Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 13th; concentration +18) 6th (4/day)—flesh to ice (DC 21), unwilling shield (DC 23) 5th (7/day)—blood boil (DC 22) 4th (7/day)—greater false life (already cast on self and companion) 3rd (7/day)—haste, mythic vampiric touch Note: If using the FFD20 MP rules, the urobutcher has 72 MP.

STATISTICS

Str 30, Dex 15, Con 20, Int 11, Wis 18, Cha 20 Base Atk +7; CMB +20; CMD 39 Feats Additional Traits (Reactionary, Squire of Abraham), Arcane Armor Training, Arcane Armor Training (Mythic), Combat Casting, Eschew Materials, Greater Spell Focus (necromancy), Improved Initiative, Power Attack (-2/+4), Somatic Weapon, Spell Focus (necromancy), Two Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (meathook, cleaver), Weapon Focus (Mythic) Skills Climb +16, Intimidate +20, Knowledge (arcana) +13, Linguistics +4, Perception +10, Sense Motive +10, Spellcraft +11, Swim +8; +2 on other skill checks from heroism; Racial Modifiers -4 Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Perform vs. giants Languages Common, Giant, Necril SQ arcane armor training, powerful build, two-weapon casting, undying companion Gear urobutcher's meathook (78,300 gp, see text), urobutcher's cleaver (32,300 gp, see text), combat exoskeleton (96,500 gp, see text), headband of mental prowess +4 (Cha, Wis), bodak's eye, Cord of Grasping Flesh, Fetid Cloak (0 gp, see text), wand of magic vestment (level 12, 12 charges, already used on self and companion), wand of heroism (level 12, 12 charges, already used on self and companion), wand of greater magic weapon (level 12, 12 charges, already used on urobutcher's meathook and companion's scimitar), ruby dust worth 1000 gp, onyx gems worth 2000 gp

EQUIPMENT ABILITIES

Bodak's Eye The urobutcher has a bodak's eye grafted into his body; this magic item cannot be removed from him. The bodak's eye allows the urobutcher to make a death gaze attack once per day as a standard action, targeting a creature within 30 ft. with the gaze. The target takes 1d4 negative levels; this is a death effect. A DC 15 Fortitude save negates the effect. Unlike an actual bodak's death gaze, a target that dies from this attack does not transform into a bodak 24 hours later.

Combat Exoskeleton The urobutcher wears a mithral combat exoskeleton, technological armor which functions as medium armor (but is reduced to light armor due to being made of mithral). It grants 6 AC, has a maximum Dex bonus of 3, and has an ACP of -5. It has a 50% arcane spell failure chance, although the Urobutcher ignores this penalty. It provides a +4 enhancement bonus to Fortitude saves, Strength checks, and Strength-based skill checks, and a +2 enhancement bonus to Reflex saves. It grants the wearer resist cold 5 and fire 5. The wearer is treated as being Large sized. His unarmed strikes are treated as armed weapon attacks and deal 1d6 lethal damage. These bonuses are already included in the statistics above.

A combat exoskeleton requires a power cell to operate and grants no bonuses without one. If disrupted, the wearer is pinned. Once per day, as a swift action, if this armor is disrupted, the urobutcher can bring it back online.

Cord of Grasping Flesh Five times per day, as a standard action, the urobutcher can chose one of the following spells to cast from his belt: catatonia, curse of befowled fortune, inflict serious wounds, monstrous extremities, or touch of bloodletting. The DC is 16 plus the spell level. These spells can be cast into the urobutcher's meathook (see Spell Well, below).

If the urobutcher fails the attack roll or concentration check when casting one of these spells, or the target succeeds on its saving throw, the wearer can spend another daily use of these spells as an immediate action to force a reroll, taking the new result of the die in place of the old one.

Fetid Cloak The urobutcher wears a cloak of stitched-together human skins which, when worn by him, grants him the Stench universal monster ability, except that the radius is increased to 60 ft. When worn by another creature, the fetid cloak provides no benefit.

Urobutcher's Cleaver The urobutcher's cleaver is a unique Medium-sized 2-handed martial weapon with a +4 enhancement bonus which deals 2d4 damage. The urobutcher can use this weapon one-handed due to his half-giant heritage.

The urobutcher's cleaver is immune to rusting, tarnish and similar effects.

Whenever the urobutcher confirms a critical hit or damages the same creature twice in the same turn with this weapon, the target takes 1d4 bleed damage.

The urobucher's cleaver has the following magic weapon quality:

Necrofeed The urobutcher's cleaver has the necrofeed magic weapon quality. The weapon can channel the wielder's necromantic touch spells and can hold one touch spell without discharging it, allowing the urobutcher to cast other spells for a duration of one hour per caster level. It can also channel energy drain and ability drain dealt normally by the wielder's natural attacks. Effects channeled through the meathook resolve after damage has been dealt by the weapon. Energy Drain In the hands of the urobutcher, the urobutcher's cleaver inflicts 1 temporary negative level on a target on a successful hit. This ability only triggers once per round, regardless of the number of attacks the urobutcher makes. The DC to prevent this negative level from becoming permanent is 22.

Urobutcher's Meathook The urobutcher's meathook is a unique Medium-sized two-handed martial weapon with a +1 enhancement bonus (typically improved to +3 by greater magic weapon). The urobutcher has a maximum 30-ft. reach with this weapon, but the weapon does not threaten this area and cannot be used for attacks of opportunity, similar to a whip attached to the end of a Large-sized polearm. The urobutcher cannot make attacks against enemies within 10 ft. of itself with its meathook, similar to a Large-sized reach weapon. Although a two-handed weapon, the urobucher's meathook gains no bonus damage from being wielded two-handed. The urobutcher can use this weapon one-handed due to his half-giant heritage.

This weapon can be used to cause a target to be entangled. To do so, the urobutcher must make a ranged touch attack (typically +14) with the meathook. If he succeeds, the target is entangled, but the urobutcher loses hold of the weapon and can't wield it for as long as it remains entangled to the target. The entangled creature can escape by making a DC 20 Escape Artist check or by breaking the weapon (the weapon has 10 HP, 10 hardness, and requires a DC 26 Strength check to break, similar to a Large-sized chain).

The urobucher's meathook has the following magic weapon qualities:

Major Undead Creation The urobutcher's meathook has the major undead creation magic weapon quality. Any suitable creature killed by a major undead creating weapon rises 1 round later as a wight under the wielder's control. In addition, wielding this weapon adds an additional 10 HD to the total amount of undead that the wielder can control at any time. A wielder without the ability to command undead can control up to 15 HD worth of wights created through the use of this weapon. Spell Well The urobutcher's meathook has the major undead creation magic weapon quality. The weapon can channel the wielder's touch spells and can hold one touch spell without discharging it, allowing the urobutcher to cast other spells for a duration of one hour per caster level. Effects channeled through the meathook resolve after damage has been dealt by the weapon.

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Channel Death (Su) 8 times per day, the urobutcher may channel negative energy as a standard action to either heal undead or damage living creatures within 30 ft. for 1d6+4 hit points. Living creatures can make a DC 19 Will save to halve the damage. This counts as channeled energy. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Fear and Screams Aura (Su) Creatures within 60 ft. of the urobutcher must succeed on a DC 22 Will saving throw or be panicked for 1 round. Creatures panicked in this way scream in terror and cannot use their voice to do anything else while the fear effect lasts. The save DC is Charisma-based. Once a creature has succeeded or failed on this saving throw, it is immune to this aura for 24 hours.

Hook and Pull (Ex) Once every 1d4 rounds, when the urobutcher hits a target his own size or smaller with the urobutcher's meathook, as long as he has at least 1 use of mythic power remaining, he can make a drag combat maneuver against that target as a free action after the attack resolves. The urobutcher's meathook is used to make this combat maneuver, which gains the weapon's reach, enhancement bonus, and related feats such as Weapon Focus. This combat maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and he gains a +4 bonus on it (typically for a total of +29).

Necrocasting Boss (Ex) Similar to a half-undead creature, the urobutcher gains a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease and mind-affecting effects, and is immune to energy drain.

Additionally, the urobutcher gains a +90 bonus to its hit points and a +5 profane bonus to its AC and saving throws. These bonuses are already included in its statistics above.

Necrosplosive Grafting (Su) Once per day, as a standard action, the urobutcher can cause living and undead creatures within a 60-ft. radius burst to explode into gore, dealing 15d6 damage to each target. A DC 22 Fortitude save halves the damage. The urobutcher regains hit points equal to 20% of the damage it deals in this way, as the gore and blood from its targets is sucked onto the urobutcher's body and merges with it. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Necroweakening (Su) Against targets suffering from any kind of fear effect or physical ability score damage or penalty, the urobutcher gains a +4 bonus on attack and damage rolls, and a +4 bonus to the DCs of its spells (including spells cast from the Cord of Grasping Flesh).

Negative Energy Affinity (Ex) Though a living creature, the urobutcher reacts to positive and negative energy as if he were undead—positive energy harms him, while negative energy heals him.

Powerful Build (Ex) The physical stature of half-giants lets them function as if they were one size category larger. Whenever it would be advantageous to do so, a half-giant treats his size category as if it were Large instead of Medium, such as during bull rush, trip or opposed grapple checks. Half-giants are also treated as one size category larger for when determining how a creature’s special attacks would affect him, such as the improved grab or swallow whole abilities. Half-giants may also use weapons one size larger than their size category without penalty. However, his space and reach remain the same for a medium-sized character (or whatever his current size category is). Half-giants also calculate their encumbrance as if they were large creatures instead of medium. This ability stacks with spells or special abilities that can alter the half-giant’s size category.

Resist Death’s Touch (Su) The urobutcher gains a +4 bonus to any saving throw versus death effects, negative energy drain or damage, fear, or other spells or spell-like abilities from the school of necromancy. This is already included in its statistics above.

Two-Weapon Casting (Su) The urobutcher can perform the somatic components of spells while wielding a weapon in both hands. If either hand is holding something other than a weapon, he cannot perform somatic components without a free hand, as normal.

Undying Companion (Su) The urobutcher has a single medium sized animated humanoid skeleton that follows his commands. The undying companion is mindless and undead but otherwise functions similar to an animal companion. Its statistics are below.

Undying Companion

NE Medium undead Init +7 Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +2

DEFENSE

AC 24, touch 12, flat-footed 22 (+4 armor, +2 Dex, +2 magic vestment, +6 natural) hp 277 (6d8) plus 24 temp hp Fort +7, Ref +10, Will +4; +4 vs. enchantment Defensive Abilities devotion, evasion DR 5/bludgeoning Immune cold, undead immunities

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft. Melee +3 scimitar +13 (1d6+9/18-20)

STATISTICS

Str 18, Dex 16, Con —, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 10 Base Atk +4; CMB +9; CMD 22 Skills no skills; +2 on all skill checks from heroism Languages Necril (understands only; cannot speak) Feats Improved Initiative SQ link, share spells Gear mithral chain shirt, mwk scimitar (improved to +3 with greater magic weapon)

#d&d #pathfinder 1e #humanoid #undead #npc #sorcerer #eldritch knight #fighter #commission #mythic

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one-flower-one-sword · 8 months

Note

why do you think there were no more creations like ruoye even after Coffin Time? like the stake becoming something similar...

Hi Anon! that's a fantastic question, thank you for sending it!

I honestly don't know if I can give a satisfying answer though - I've been trying to stay within the realm of characters/themes/narrative parallels+contrasts analysis because I don't feel confident enough to speak on the mythology (and philosophy) aspects of the story. for one, I'm not far enough in my learning yet, and also I don't want to talk over people who have the appropriate cultural background and related knowledge. (Of course, these topics are all interconnected and can't be neatly divided, but just to explain why I'm trying to be careful here.)

I don't want to leave you hanging though, so in order to answer I'm going to stick closely to what the text is saying. If I got anything wrong or someone has a more thorough and knowledgeable answer, everyone is free to add/reply to this post with it and help Anon out.

This is what the text is saying regarding Ruoye's origin:

Yet he trailed off when he realized that the white silk he used to cover his face had been untied. He was trussed to the altar by that same white silk [...]

(Vol 6, page 237)

It had been dyed with Xie Lian's blood, had hung two royals to death - if Xie Lian could die, then it would have been three. Saturated with such deep resentment and evil, it would be stranger if it didn't turn into a spirit.

(Vol 6, page 277)

For the stake - or, more precisely, the peachwood nail - we get this:

Xie Lian's heart was pierced by the peachwood nail, and the blood that flowed from the wound dyed the silver mask of the coffin red. [...] Lang Qianqiu had killed him for revenge, and Yong'an's old king had certainly died at Xie Lian's hand. Nailing Xie Lian into the coffin was an eye for an eye. [...] At first, he didn't even try to move a muscle, but later, he felt regret despite himself and pounded wildly at the coffin lid, desperate to break out. In the end, he allowed himself to sink into the boundless darkness once more.

(Vol 8, page 316-319)

So, from this I would extrapolate that it's the presence of strong resentment in Ruoye's case versus the absence of it with the peachwood nail that makes a huge difference. Resentment is one of the strong emotions that keeps ghosts from moving on, or, in Ruoye's case, plays a part in causing an object to develop its own spirit. But Xie Lian doesn't resent Lang Qianqiu for nailing him into the coffin, more than that, he thinks it was a justified "eye for an eye" because of the circumstances of Lang Qianqiu's father's death. Xie Lian lets Lang Qianqiu drive the nail through him, and he doesn't even try to escape at first. Even while suffering tremendously inside the coffin ("there was pain, blood loss, hunger, hallucinations") he never feels resentment for his predicament or the one who did this to him.

The footnote in my edition also explains that peachwood was used to ward off evil, so I would assume it would be a material unlikely or even unable to hold evil and resentment within itself.

By contrast, Ruoye was used to tie Xie Lian down while he was being horrendously tortured and violated, all the while begging for it to stop, and then as a means of suicide by his parents. It plays a part in two of the instances that traumatized Xie Lian the worst and brought out all the emotions within him that drove him to a point where he almost unleashed Human-Face Disease himself. So, the circumstances and the feelings surrounding these two objects are very different, as well as the nature of them by themselves, even though they were both used for violent purposes and drenched in Xie Lian's blood.

Hope that helped answer your question, Anon!

Like I said above though, please don't take my word for gospel since I don't feel all that knowledgeable regarding these topics. If I got something wrong, I appreciate corrections!

(I also don't want anyone to feel discouraged from asking questions though - that's how we all learn after all. If I truly don't feel able to answer, I would still post it so that other people have the opportunity to do so/tag others that I think might be better suited to answer.)

#tgcf #answered asks #ruoye

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