#Celestial Calamity (1)

[pen-and-umbra]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Continued:

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

07/07/2024

👋 @pen-and-umbra

[jackalgulch]

AASIMAR IN JACKAL GULCH

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

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

Size. Small or Medium

Speed. 30 ft. 

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

Celestial Resistance. You have resistance to radiant damage.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[emo-eyemakeup-evildude]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[dontcallmethuperboy]

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

RQ=Raven Queen for brevity’s sake

Let’s start with what we know:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[judasgodness]

Why is Bai Wuxiang one of the best villains in literature?

Part 1: Your Story

Obvious: ⚠️ Contains Tian Guan Ci Fu spoilers

Bai Wuxiang has been described as "the sun of WuYong", the kingdom where he was crown prince.

“Without any exaggeration, even within the sea of ​​gods in the celestial realm, he was also like the sun, shining so brightly that others close to him would lose their colors.”

In the words of Mei Nianqing, his former guoshi, Bai Wuxiang was kind and honest with his desire to save his people from the volcano's curse. He tried to build a bridge to heaven to save the people from the eruption, but that took a few years, and during that time, while he needed his people's prayers and belief, he couldn't answer their prayers either. Because of this, the people gradually lost their faith in him.

The bridge had a weak structure when it was finished, so just as people were crossing it, it collapsed.

After the deaths and failure, Bai Wuxiang was banished from the heavens and could only return if he ascended again, but for that he would first need to cultivate. And he tried to cultivate, but it was difficult because of the rejection and the blame he received, and trying to help his people, but he didn't reach the level of the other gods.

With the volcano still active, Bai Wuxiang decided to perform human sacrifices to calm it down. He first wanted to sacrifice only those who would normally be condemned for some crime, but was stopped by the priests.

He and the priests got into fights, so 3 of the 4 priests left for disagreeing with Bai Wuxiang's positions, leaving only Mei Nianqing.

Some time after that, Mei Nianqing discovered that Bai Wuxiang contracted a curse that made human faces appear on his skin and that this only happened because Bai Wuxiang sacrificed those 3 priests to the volcano.

Even later, Bai Wuxiang decided to take to the skies and murdered all the gods at the time to sink the history of WuYong into oblivion, proclaimed himself Heavenly Emperor and created a new identity: Jun Wu, a general who proclaimed himself a king and ascended to the skies after ruling for a while.

Like Jun Wu, he created a new dynasty and formed a new Heavenly Court.

Centuries later, he met Xie Lian, the crown prince of XianLe (and the novel's protagonist), who caught his attention by saving a child during a festival in which the prince played the Celestial Emperor himself. And so, Bai Wuxiang decided to make him his perfect successor.

He tried to approach Xie Lian several times, but was stopped by Mei Nianqing, who was now Xie Lian's guoshi. When Xie Lian went on a mission to kill a malicious ghost and after succeeding, Xie Lian said the phrase "body in the abyss, heart in heaven". And it was with that sentence that Bai Wuxiang decided to test him without having to approach him.

Xie Lian then ascended as a Martial God at the age of 17, and 3 years later, XianLe fell into chaos.

A civil war broke out. YongAn, hitherto a state of XianLe, was experiencing a severe drought and did not receive proper support from the kingdom. And the last straw was when a YongAn family died trying to pass into the Capital, but was stopped by the guards.

In the final stretch of the book, we discover that this family was fake. These people were empty shells created by Bai Wuxiang himself, they were there for the sole purpose of being the catalyst for the war.

And when the war was at its height, Bai Wuxiang, acting as the White No-Face Calamity, cast the human face curse on the capital of XianLe, and as it was unknown, hundreds were killed by it.

Anyway, XianLe was defeated. YongAn had his own kingdom now and Xie Lian was banished from the heavens.

Years later, Bai Wuxiang appears to Xie Lian again. And at a given moment, Xie Lian is drawn to one of his destroyed temples, just like other people were too. And nobody could leave.

Bai Wuxiang appeared, cast the human face curse on that temple, revealed Xie Lian's true identity and claimed that he was immortal.

The cure for the human face curse was murder, so it wasn't long before all those people were on top of Xie Lian, piercing him hundreds of times to get salvation.

“Help me.

Help me, help me, help me.

Help me, help me, help, help, help, help, help, help, help, help, help, help, help, help, help, help me!!!

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts..... it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts IT HURTS!!!!!

Why can't I die.

WHY CAN'T I DIE?!!!”

A few months later, Xie Lian's body was completely healed, and when he left the temple, he found the body of the only person who had refused to participate in that mass torture.

When he went home, he sent Feng Xin, his only friend at the time and a former Imperial Guard and Junior Officer, away and the next day found his parents hanged, dangling from the ceiling of the house by a silk ribbon which he used to attempt suicide as well.

He didn't die, and instead the tape became a spiritual weapon. Upon his gaze in the mirror afterwards, Xie Lian saw himself in a half-laughing, half-crying mask and white funeral clothes, the same clothes and mask that Bai Wuxiang wore as the Calamity White No-Face. Xie Lian accepted this identity as her fate and left the house to seek revenge.

But Xie Lian gave up on revenge when he received help from a man who gave him a bamboo hat to protect him from the rain, which made Bai Wuxiang's plan to make him his perfect successor fail.

[sonatahikari86]

ー Love You Seven Times (2023) - Part 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[crescent-cubed]

Alrighty, so a bit of background context!

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

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

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

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

Without further ado, here's the stats!

Ralia

Creature Type: Celestial

Size: Medium

Speed: 30 ft.

Languages: Common, Celestial

Ability Score Increase

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

Psionic Adept

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

Born Defenders

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

Sublineages: Guard or Glaive

Guard

Protective Magic

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

Glaive

Arm Blades

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

Psychic Strike

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

[concealeddarkness13]

My OC Tournament Round 1 Poll 2

Information below the cut:

Picrew 1, 2

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

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

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

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

[dougydoug8797]

Dream Team in their ultimate forms

1. Titan Luz and Calamity Anne

—————————————————————————

2. Celestial Ben and Ultimate She-Ra

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3. Dragon Jake and Dragon June

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4. Phantom Charged Danny and Flaming XJ9

[boundlss]

IMIRAY: PART I

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

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

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

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

BASIC INFORMATION - LOCATIONS.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[docgold13]

365 Marvel Comics Paper Cut-Out SuperHeroes - One Hero, Every Day, All Year…

Team Supplemental - The Inhumans

Millions of years ago, scientists from the space-faring Kree Empire came to earth where they conducted experiments on prehistoric early homosapians; all as part of an effort to create biological weapons for their centuries-long war with the Skrulls.  A small collection of these early humans were collected and altered on a genetic level wherein material gathered from a Celestial was added in to their collective genome.  As a result of the addition of this alien material, exposure to the rare Terrigen Crystals would activate a random set of mutations and super-human powers.  The Kree had originally hoped these super humans could be weaponized, but the experiment was ultimately abandoned and forgotten about.  

Centuries later, the ancestors of these experimented-on humans had become an advanced species who remained isolated in a walled city they called Attilan. Seeing themselves as different compared their human cousins they came to call themselves ‘The Inhumans.’

An early king of these Inhumans conducted experiments with the Terrigen Crystals.  He found that exposure to a gaseous rendering of the Terrigen unlocked tremendous abilities.  Over time it became a custom that every Inhuman child would be exposed to the Terrigen Mist at the time of their adolescence.  Thus Attilan gradually became populated by beings of various shapes and sizes possessing a multitude of different super powers.    

The Inhumans lived in isolation for countless years until the societal advancements of their human cousins made living in secrecy impossible.   Furthermore, the industrialization of the human world made the air progressively toxic to Inhumans.  Aided by The Fantastic Four, the current Inhuman king, Black Bolt, acted to relocate Attilan to the oxygen rich Blue Area of the Moon.  

Over the centuries, there had been various Inhumans who left Attilan in search of a different life outside of the isolated citadel.  The ancestors of these Inhumans possessed latent Inhuman genes that remained dormant for generations.  Aware of the upcoming calamity that ultimately resulted in the Secret Wars event, Black Bolt took the drastic action of releasing a Terrigen Bomb that transformed the mutagenic substances into a pair of gaseous clouds.  Exposure to these clouds acted to trigger Terrigenic transformations in many of the latent Inhumans all over the globe, hence creating a new generation of super-powered ‘NuHumans.’  

And yet the Terrigen clouds proved un-expectantly poisonous to Mutants, ultimately leading to a war between the Inhumans and The X-Men.  Fearing the genocide of all Mutant life on earth, Queen Medusa of the Inhumans chose to destroy the Terrigen Cloud, saving the Mutant whilst dooming the future of the Inhumans.  With the Terrigen gone, no new Inhumans would ever come about.  

What remained of the Inhumans were later attacked and nearly wiped out by a rogue faction of The Kree.  Black Bolt, Medusa and the few remaining Inhumans have since taken refuge in a secretive, undisclosed haven.    

The Inhumans first appeared in the pages of Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #45 (1965).  

[the-lore-and-art-cave-go-brrrrr]

This isn't really important to anything right now, I'm just trying to keep track of some stuff.

Also I have got to figure out how the years work....

Okay timeline: Anything before [Redacted]'s birth will be marked as B.L. for Before *** (Oh look, I've given the first letter of [Redacted]'s true name!). Anything after I'll marker as A.R., for After [Redacted]. Here we go.

-Before recorded time: Creation of the world by the five gods

-20 billion years B.L.: Theus comes into existance, each group has now been created

-19 billion years B.L.: The chaos corrupt are created by Theus

-15 billion years B.L.: The first calamity occurs, the five gods seal Theus and the chaos corrupt

-14 billion years B.L.: The prophecy is set in place, the five gods return to the celestial realm, allowing each race to begin progressing without them

-20 thousand years B.L.: Ludeius begins the process of creating the five saviors souls

-1 year B.L.: Fultein is born

-year zero (on timeline): [Redacted] is born

-1 year A.R.: Shalara is born, Astris is born

-2 years A.R.: Magrieus is born

-4 years A.R.: Lumen is born

-11 years A.R.: [Redacted], or Glow at the time, comes out as bisexual

-14 years A.R.: Glow begins identifying as non-binary

-15 years A.R.: Astris relays the prophecy, everyone begins preparing

-16 years A.R.: Glow begins to transition, the calamity starts.

*1 months into calamity: Glows family, with the possible exception of Lumen, are killed

*2 months into the calamity: Shalara is killed

*3 months into calamity: Magrieus is killed

*5 months into calamity: Fultein is killed

*7 months into calamity, Astris is killed, Glow ends the calamity, Glow is killed, Glow changes chosen name to [Redacted], [Redacted] is revived by Ludeius.

-17 years A.R.: [Redacted] begins to identify as a trans man, and transitions fully. [Redacted] discovers the data of Oneshot, and begins the simulation. Niko is brought into the simulation for the first time.

-18 years A.R.: The solstice route is finally achieved, Niko is sent home, [Redacted] begins to visit Twm on a regular basis

-22 years A.R.: Twm asks [Redacted] to stop visiting the simulation

-24 years A.R.: [Redacted] and Niko make contact through a computer program, [Redacted] unlocks the ability to universe hop, Niko and [Redacted] are reunited.

-25 years A.R.: Current time. Events of the golden arc, abduction arc, and any other things occur during this time. [Redacted] is killed, and revived by Ludeius again, Niko is granted stronger light powers by Ludeius, and Hoshi is created, though this isn't exactly known by any of these guys yet.

[sketching-shark]

I'm guessing you've seen all of LMK Season 4 (excluding the Special obviously) in English by now. Thoughts, comments, concerns?

Monkie Kid spoilers below:

Thoughts & Comments:

So many of the yaoguai have Cockney accents...

Kind of surprised that no one's mentioned Tang's "I have DEVOTED my life to this man!" in regards to Zhu Dachu haha

And in terms of different kinds of relationships involving the pigman it is pretty neat that Dadsy is definitely canon :)

There were a number of genuinely funny moments.

Super awesome that we got Sun Wukong talking about making multiple regrettable life choices though :(

Also I've got to agree with others in saying that it was a real stretch for Qi Xiaotian to take on all the blame for the calamities in seasons past. In that regard it was messed up of SWK to agree with Qi Xiaotian about those things being his fault. IDK if that's yet another example of "SWK is a terrible teacher" or if he's uniquely terrible to mentor Qi Xiaotian because they share a tendency to blame themselves for things that aren't their fault but I also don't know if that will ever be explored.

Also also super awesome that we got even MORE figures from the Monkey King's past who hate his guts because of the violence he put them through. The plot definitely did seem to be be giving itself enough wiggle room so that their animosity might end up being the result of a massive misunderstanding and/or manipulation of memories and/or SWK being forced to do things through headband torture times. But again I'm not really getting why Azure Lion or even a good chunk of Team Monkie--who it must be remembered have no idea the headband torture even happened--would consider SWK getting trapped in the Memory Scroll a bad thing given what they've suffered because of his decisions and failures. Like wow I've seen people say "He was sorry!" but sorry is not going to cut it when you've trapped your besties in an ink hell dimension for a millennia :[ That said the Monkey King did seem to be given a teensy break in the "SWK sucks" parade in terms of Azure Lion describing his failure to take down the Jade Emperor as a defeat, implying that SWK tried his best even if his best wasn't good enough.

Very confused with Qi Xiaotian's deal in terms of him maybe coming from the same stone as Sun Wukong but also maybe not. We'll see if this changes but I actually kinda liked it better when he was just some guy :]. That said it is a kind of neat idea that the stone itself regenerates & produces more monkeys besides the Monkey King; it could explain where the other World-Wreaking Monkeys come from.

Honestly out of everyone it was Sha Dali who was my favorite this season. That blue giant is so cute :3

Kind of seemed like this season was making some digs as Xiyouji's set-up and maybe people who have said that season 1 was their favorite given that the "monsters-of-the-week" format was repeatedly mocked...

I am wondering if and when they're going to explain why Li Nezha seemed to think keeping the old Jade Emperor on his throne was worth more than his own life...given that the sky started to crack after he was killed it seems like that celestial might have literally been holding the heavens together. Although if that's the case haha wow not sure how they'll manage this situation where an oppressive figure was literally necessary for the functioning of reality. Maybe that will give that mysterious hooded figure who instigated all of this a chance to step in...I have seen some people predict that it's Erlang Shen, and that could potentially be interesting if he managed to arrange things so that the uncle who killed most of his family was deposed through the demigod's manipulation but not by his hand, thus leaving Erlang Shen to reclaim heaven from a mere rogue yaoguai. And also with the one guy who was his equal in strength locked away in ink hell world.

Wild that the Six Eared Macaque finally achieved his dream of replacing the Monkey King lmao

Concerns:

Same as usual for me, so that would be: worried that they might just keep doubling and tripling down on what a thoughtless failure SWK is; worried that we're going to get 'end of the world' fatigue soon in terms of the relentlessly high stakes; concerned that the 'revolutionaries against a legitimately unjust system are going to have their actions condemned because they 'went too far' and/or made everything 1000 times worse' trope is going to be recycled here; are we ever going to get bonding moments between SWK and Qi Xiaotian again

---

EDIT: So it does need to be noted that I was being too harsh on the Monkey King with my wording implying that Sun Wukong agreed completely with Qi Xiaotian about the calamities being only his fault so I'll take the L on that. Even so, and even if Qi Xiaotian messed up in a couple of things, I still wish SWK had pushed harder against the idea that all of the catastrophes were only because of his tudi's actions like Qi Xiaotian seems to believe, which I guess he kind of does by noting that the Demon Bull King, Spider Queen, and Lady Bone Demon were angry at the Monkey King first with Qi Xiaotian getting caught in the crossfire. I think he could have done more to point out that these villains were their own agents, or if we got some more down time I think it would be nice to have a shifu-tudi bonding moment of them going through strategies on how they might work together to halt potentially world-ending calamities before they get that catastrophic. After all, making a mistake is one thing, but when it's in the context of "the entirety of the world could end" situations one right after another that does call for some contemplation on what you could do differently!

[det2x-fanfic-dump]

SATAN'S HC Bio:

Headcanon of Obey Me! Satan's character Bio: [Repost from AO3 + Descriptions cuz why not] This Bio is basically as reference in the fanfic. Series Link is found at the end of this post.

Warning: Most of them are based on the game and actual general info about demonology stuff// I didn't look into much

Name: Satan             

Human Name: Samuel

[A normal sound name instead of Samael which is another call for Satan]

Nickname:

Note: Satan is called Samuel mostly by people and Tan-tan as a cat)

Tan-tan [Just like in the canon]

Samuel [ By those who don't want to call him 'Satan' cuz demon name]

Cata-nya [In the fanfic, he transform into a cat most of the time]

Powers and Abilities:

Satan heavily depends on his magic skills rather than strength. He mostly do magic even without chants and incantations except for curses because there should be conditions.

[Note to self: Levels are based on how big of a power they will need... For example: Level 01- a passive skill...no magic required means they can do skills without use of magic energy. Level 02 - Magic power is needed but less use Level 03- Full magic source is needed ; Needs a host if necessary.]

1. A Little bit of Every Elemental magic but has the highest Affinity for Pyrokinesis (Level 2)

[Satan can do a bit of everything his brothers can do element-wise . For example: He can make rocks out of thin air or shoot offensive elemental spells.

However since fire in mostly inclined to very strong emotions and destruction, fire magic is his strong suit.]

Reason: In real life, Satan is the universal name to refer a demon so I think it's nice to have him the same power as the rest of his brothers. Imagine that his elemental magic is a basic version of what his brothers can do. This is also a reference that he is created from Lucifer so that means he's just like Lucifer.

2. Elemental Powers/ Natural Calamity (Level 3)

[This is just the stronger version of the first ability with the condition that he's mad. Satan can manipulate the elements found in Earth or can conjure natural calamities if given that he is very mad. For example: He can make thunderstorms, tornadoes, Floods, etc.]

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

3. A Master of Curses (but mostly cat-related curses) (Level 2)

[He is an expert of curses. He knows a lot of incantations and curses such as changing physical appearance or make you do stuff. It's self-explanatory that most of his curses are cat-based anyway cuz he likes cats]

Reason: He always read grimoires and magic books in the canon game.

4. Telekinesis (Based in Obey me wiki) (Level 2)

[He can control every objects or any individuals. Imagine Sans from Undertale lol]

Reason: Based on the Obey Me Wiki and I think it's pretty unique too so I added it.

Powers and Abilities with Limitation:

Reason why there's Limitations: This is a reference on the general information about demons in real life. These abilities shows how demons can affect humans and how they interact with humans.

5. Control a Human's Anger and Wrath (Lv. 1)

[Satan can influence a human or mortal's emotions whenever and whatever mood he has. He can make someone angry for no reason or take away their wrathful energy if he so chooses. ]

[Limitation: This only works in the Human World and to mortal beings such as Humans and animals. Fellow demons and angels are not allowed. ]

Reason: He's the demon of Wrath.

6. Possession (Lv. 1)

[Just like any other demon, he has the ability to possess a human or animal and control them against their will. Demons can go in and out whenever.]

[Limitation: The human or mortal must have no magic affinity and must not be blessed by angels or in a holy sacred land connected to heaven/ celestial realm.

If the human have magic affinity, this will serve as protection.

A human with magical that has made a pact with a demon have the option to be possessed since this is also a way to borrow magic or strength.]

Reason: It is a reference to real life exorcism and demonic possession. Reason/Limitation why MC cannot be possessed.

MC has magical affinity...they can do magic like in the canon game.

They're surrounded or protected by angels like Luke and Simeon.

Unless given consent, they can either be possessed or use Karasu (Like in game gacha--idk how to add this to my fanfic//crai)

Unless MC loses their magic or has no celestial beings in their presence. They can be possessed.

In TWST x Obey Me Fanfic: Yuki in a Twisted Wonderland Series

Link:

https://archiveofourown.org/series/3813811

For some reason, upon arriving in Twisted Wonderland, Satan cannot be able to do magic and was turned into a cat at anyplace except Heartslabyul.

Given that he's the fourth born, he requires to depend a host for magic needs in the human world.

Dormitory: Unofficial Member of Heartslabyul

[He stays in that dorm instead with MC ]

Title in Night Raven (Until Heartslabyul): The Cat-warden of Heartslabyul  and Riddle Rosehearts' cat.

[quantumfiddlesticks]

Hello! Fellow worldbuilding enthusiast here to invite you to infodump about the national flags you created cause 1. they are SO COOL AND PRETTY, 2. I'd love to learn the symbology behind them, and 3. what program did you use to make them?

Hi!!! oh man I’m excited to talk about all these. I’m doing this for a shared high fantasy TTRPG setting called Cahyali, and each country takes some heavy inspiration from real world places (so it’s not as much heavy lifting as completely original settings, but I’ve been in the trenches researching 1800s history all over the world). I’m refreshing this setting and not creating it from scratch, so there’s definitely some toponyms that don’t totally make sense but I gotta work with what I got :,)

I’ll go in the order the flags were made to explain them! They’re all hand-drawn using ProCreate (though I did trace and reference from medieval drawings and national crests for some of the more complex designs)

Green flag with flower and two dragons: The flag of Ruefang, a country based on China and Japan. The flower is also the emblem of the country’s central governing body, and stands not only for that government’s five divisions but also for the five classical elements of Chinese philosophy: fire, earth, wood, metal, and water. The dragons (aside from being significant in Chinese culture) have history in Ruefang, as they rescued the land from an infernal invasion several centuries ago and pushed the land into a golden age.

Black flag with blue stripe & caduceus: The flag of Dahabu, based on Egypt and Turkey. This nation actually colonized the entire world millennia ago, and spread their pantheon of fourteen primary gods across the world. They fell due to a magical calamity that also scorched their homeland, and water has since become an extremely valuable resource. The central blue stripe represents a life-giving river, the black is fertile soil on the banks, and the emblem in the middle includes a caduceus for the goddess of life (Dahabu’s highest goddess) as well as the shape of a papyrus plant.

Red and black flag with firebird: The banner of Pthora under the Ember Army dominion, based on Russia. This emblem is directly referenced from the real-life Russian crest, and not only represents fire giving life in the cold but also the future-seeing powers of firebirds in this setting, and the ability of Pthora to return from disaster. The Ember Army are… not good folks, mostly maintaining power through fear and propaganda. The red and black are the army’s colors.

Black flag with ouroboros and five circles: The banner of Itlan-Youali, an underground civilization based on the Aztecs. The serpent is a depiction of their god, a deity of cycles - day and night, life and death, past and future. The five circles are five “suns”: these are actually unique crystal formations within the caverns that have been carved to deliver light down below like fiber-optic cables. The colors on the circles represent day and night, and the serpent’s colors represent blood and soul.

Blue flag with six-winged dragonfly: The flag of Ley’Ork, based on America. The colors are just picked from the US flag, and the dragonfly (stingfly) is an animal that exists in the country and is known for its ingenuity in hunting and survival; it was chosen for the Ley’Ork national symbol due to the country’s value on ingenuity (though recently that value has just become Capitalist Dystopia Supreme). The 21 stars are the country’s 21 states.

Purple flag with three eyes: The flag of Ulos, based on Polynesia and Indonesia. This country is democratic and places a huge value on the pursuits of magic and wizardry. The eyes represent the people as well as the three branches of their government, and the celestial symbols surrounding it (stars, moon, rays, etc) are symbolic of the magic that’s so central to the culture.

Pink flag with unicorns: The flag of Arenti, based on France, Italy, and a bit of Spain. This country’s culture is INCREDIBLY romantic (in the classical sense) and places value on art and expression. The full goblet represents abundance, and the unicorns represent the artistic spirit. The rose and other plant life around the edges represent tenacity and the strength of the human heart. Finally, the pink and peach backdrop represents values of respectability and gentleness, respectively.

I’ll be making more flags in the future! This is just above half of the countries that exist in this world :,D much work to be done

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Bowen's Daily Meditations by Rev. George Bowen

"This is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another." — 1 John 6:23

We have here not two commandments, but one. Faith is naught without love; and love without faith is not the love that is here commanded. "Love believeth all things;" and faith " worketh by love," exhibits itself in love. Selfishness is the grand impediment-of love; but faith is that which gets the victory over selfishness, by showing a man his utter unworthiness and the perfect folly of living unto himself Faith makes us acquainted with the love of Christ, and in fact introduces it into the soul; and this love begets love. Faith enables us to contemplate the truth that Christ and his people are one, and that in loving them we are responding to his love. Faith shows us what there is of Christ in them, and what they are to be hereafter. We have seen the crowns, the royal robes, the celestial dwelling-places now in course of preparation for them. The Holy Spirit in us is the author of faith; and he will not tarry with us unless we love. If they have sins, faith teaches us so to pray for them as to obtain their deliverance there from. And faith also teaches us how to do good - not to be always saying smooth things; not to leave their faults unheeded; not to aim that they may be always comfortable in mind. But as it teaches us that the leaving of God’s will undone, or the doing of what he willeth not, is the greatest calamity for ourselves, so it teaches us that this is their greatest calamity; and it keeps us more intent upon their growth in grace than upon their momentary pleasure, though even this we cannot overlook unless there be a necessity. Christ did not take it as a kindness when Peter said, " Far be it from thee, Lord, to go up to Jerusalem, the city of thine enemies!" Any one that attempts to love without faith will be sure to make wretched work of it. For there will be no tendency in his love to draw the object of it near to him who is the only fountain of happiness, but rather to draw it more and more away. A great deal that is called love is fatal and withering toward the loved one. Pour the light of God’s truth on what are called romances, and what melancholy ghastly things do they become.