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talonabraxas · 4 months

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Yggdrasil:The Sacred World Tree Talon Abraxas

Yggdrasil: Unveiling Mysteries of The Sacred World Tree

Yggdrasil, also known as the Tree of Life, stands at the center of the Norse cosmos, serving as a conduit between the nine realms. Its immense branches extend across the heavens, and its roots delve deep into the great realms, tapping into legendary wells and streams for sustenance. This colossal ash tree serves as a cosmic axis, linking together the realms of gods, humans, giants, and various other beings.

Roots of Yggdrasil

Yggdrasil's roots draw power and sustenance from three different sources. The first root reaches up towards heavens and into Asgard, the realm of the gods, and taps into the well of Urd. Shielded by the root’s magic, by the well stands a beautiful hall that is home to three maidens – Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld – who shape the lives of men and are known as norns.

The second root extends to Jotunheim, the domain of the giants. Here, the root taps into the Mimir’s well, whose waters are coveted by many for containing boundless wisdom and which is guarded by its eternal guardian Mimir. Here, at Mimir’s well, Odin sacrificed his eye for a drink from the well to obtain supreme wisdom and solidify himself as the leader of the Aesir.

The third and final root travels to Niflheim, the icy realm of the dead. This root taps into the wellspring of Hvergelmir, a massive cauldron from which all rivers originate, symbolizing the primordial source of life and creation. This wellspring is a home to many snakes and serpents, with the great dragon Nidhoggr living among them.

Within the vast expanse of Yggdrasil, there exist nine interconnected realms. In addition to Asgard, Midgard, and Niflheim, the World Tree also links to realms such as Vanaheim (abode of the Vanir gods), Alfheim (dwelling of the light elves), Jotunheim (the land of giants), Svartalfheim (the domain of the dwarves), Muspelheim (the realm of fire) and Helheim (abode of the dead). Each realm has its own unique characteristics, inhabitants, and significance within Norse mythology.

Among the Branches of Yggdrasil

Asgard: Home of the Aesir Gods

Asgard, situated atop Yggdrasil's highest branches, is the realm inhabited by the Aesir gods. Ruled by the mighty Odin, Asgard is a place of divine splendor, where grand halls and palaces stand in golden brilliance. It is from Asgard that the gods oversee the mortal realm, engage in epic battles, and prepare for the final battle of Ragnarok.

Midgard: The Realm of Humans

Midgard, often referred to as Earth, is the realm of humankind. Suspended within Yggdrasil's middle branches, it is a world populated by mortals, their settlements, and their adventures. Midgard is constantly influenced by the gods and their actions, shaping the fate of both individuals and civilizations.

Jotunheim: The Land of Giants

Jotunheim, nestled within the roots of Yggdrasil, is a realm inhabited by the jotnar, or giants. These formidable beings range from mountainous brutes to cunning and deceptive creatures. Jotunheim serves as a land of challenges and conflicts, frequently intersecting with the affairs of gods and heroes.

Vanaheim: Abode of the Vanir Gods

Vanaheim is the realm of the Vanir gods, a pantheon associated with fertility, prosperity, and nature. Located within Yggdrasil's branches, Vanaheim is depicted as a lush and fertile land, where bountiful harvests and vibrant ecosystems flourish under the Vanir's watchful eye.

Alfheim: Dwelling of the Light Elves

Alfheim, situated above Midgard, is a realm inhabited by the ethereal and luminous light elves. Known for their beauty and connection to nature, the light elves possess great wisdom and magical abilities. Alfheim is often associated with light, joy, and enchantment.

Svartalfheim: Domain of the Dwarves

Svartalfheim, residing within the depths of Yggdrasil, is the realm of the industrious and skilled dwarves. Known for their craftsmanship and mining expertise, the dwarves forge powerful weapons, legendary artifacts, and intricate treasures. Svartalfheim is a realm of hidden caverns and wondrous craftsmanship.

Niflheim: The Frozen Underworld

Niflheim lies beneath the lowest roots of Yggdrasil, a cold and mist-shrouded realm associated with ice, frost, and darkness. It is home to Hel, the ruler of the dead, and the souls of evil men who passed into this ice realm after traversing Helheim.

Muspelheim: Realm of Fire

Opposite Niflheim, Muspelheim exists as a realm of searing flames and intense heat. Ruled by the fire giant Surtr, Muspelheim embodies the primal power of fire and is foretold to be instrumental in the apocalyptic event of Ragnarok.

Helheim: Abode of the Dead

Helheim is a realm of the dead, located beneath the roots of Yggdrasil. It is a somber and desolate place ruled by the goddess Hel, where souls who did not attain glory in battle or gain entrance to other afterlife realms reside. It represents the acceptance of mortality and the finality of death in Norse mythology.

Inhabitants of Yggdrasil

Yggdrasil is not only a physical entity but is also inhabited by various mythical creatures. Beneath its roots resides Nidhoggr, a colossal dragon who gnaws at the roots of the tree, representing decay and destruction. The eagle perched on Yggdrasil's highest branches looks down on Nidhoggr below, embodying knowledge and inaction. The squirrel Ratatoskr scurries up and down the tree, acting like a messenger between Nidhoggr and the unnamed eagle, fanning the flames of hate between them by spreading nasty rumors and ferrying insults that one has for another. These inhabitants further contribute to the vivid and complex tapestry of Norse mythology.

Symbolism of the World Tree

Yggdrasil is a profound symbol in Norse mythology, representing the interconnectedness of all things in the cosmos. It embodies the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth, underscoring the idea of continuous renewal and regeneration. As a world tree, it also symbolizes the axis mundi, a universal concept found in many mythologies, where the physical and spiritual realms meet.

The image of the tree resonates deeply with human existence, reflecting the innate human desire to seek meaning and connectivity. It reminds us of the intricate web of relationships that bind us to the natural world and the forces beyond our comprehension.

Yggdrasil, the World Tree of Norse mythology, is a powerful symbol that encapsulates the cosmos and its profound interconnections. It serves as a gateway to the realms of gods, giants, and the dead, and its roots tap into the wellsprings of cosmic wisdom and primal creation. As we delve into the mysteries of Norse mythology, we unravel the layers of symbolism embedded in this awe-inspiring ancient tree, reminding us of our place in the grand tapestry of existence.

So, let us gaze upon Yggdrasil, this towering arboreal monument that stands as a testament to the enduring power and enduring fascination of Norse mythology. May its endless branches forever inspire us to explore the depths of our own roots and seek wisdom in sacrifice.

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wordslikesilver · 2 months

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I’m LOVING all of your Elden Ring write ups! I’m curious as to what you think the endgame of Godwyn’s death root is for TLB. Unless the tarnished Elden Lord is able to somehow grant Godwyn’s body its death (or go with the Fia or Frenzied Flame ending), what’s to keep death root from eventually engulfing ALL of TLB at the end of the day? I suppose there would have to be different outcomes for each ending.

(Also RIP Godwyn I cry about your cursed fate as Marika’s son every day)

Godwyn is SO WEIRD because we get so much gorgeous symbolism around him right, he’s LITERALLY Baldur from Norse mythology, golden child loved by everyone whose death brings about ragnarok, even his afterlife is giving Baldur, the ritual needing everyone in the world to weep for Baldur, weep for Baldur! And it’s not enough. But who IS he, why do we know so little about how he lived and what he was like? Every other demigod except MAYBE rykard we know pretty intimately tbh, but Godwyn was friends with a dragon and a hero for those efforts and… what? What else was he? He was kind to Miquella and Malenia, maybe. He evaded being cursed by the hornsent physically, but apparently it was his fate that bore the greatest curse of all. His themes also give Hel from Norse mythology, ruler of the underworld who was literally half alive and half dead, literally like the split was right down the middle of her body. Funnily enough, it was Hel who refused to allow Baldur to resurrect because they didn’t get everything in the world to weep for him, one giantess refused to do so. Anyways, it’s giving Hel because golden boy’s body is alive but the soul is dead within. Half alive, half dead. Super interesting btw that in the mythology, Baldur’s body is perfectly invulnerable except to mistletoe, and Godwyn’s body was perfectly untouched by Destined Death, it was his soul that was slain.

And then we learn NOTHING about him in the DLC! What?! What the fuck??? He’s got an entourage of death knights who sought the proxies of his corpse that have spread via the roots of the Erdtree and possibly the Scadutree by extension and then we learn fucking dick all about him. It’s so weird! It’s as if Miquella researched how to resurrect a demigod using Godwyn (Miquella of the Eclipse—more Griffith imagery btw) and then after he learned what he needed or perhaps learned it wouldn’t be possible with Godwyn, he moved on to learning about other means that could facilitate using Radahn’s soul and Mohg’s body. It’s SO curious, what IS Godwyn to the story? It’s like he acts as both catalyst and stepping stone to four different people’s grand plan (Marika, Ranni, Fia and Miquella) but he wasn’t even an empyrean? The perfect golden child wasn’t an empyrean wtf??

I believe his body growing the way it is is similar in nature to Scarlet Rot. Godwyn’s very body is becoming an expression of infectious divinity. Its spread feels inevitable and endless and incurable, yes, but by completing the game through any ending in particular, you still affect the state of the world to a degree that it affects the other divinities living within it. This is why Fia’s ending allows him his true ascension and in the others, it can be presumed that his power never achieves its true potential. In some ways, Fia’s ending is practically allowing Godwyn his justice for being a tool to so many, but only in the way that Radahn is honoured by Miquella. He’s still forced into his godhood whilst we are his Elden Lord, it’s like a role reversal of what Miquella does to Radahn. We as Elden Lord wield Destined Death, we would indeed be able to slay Godwyn if we chose to do so. Technically, we wield the very power that made Maliketh the Grim Reaper of demigods himself.

There’s more curious things surrounding Godwyn as well. The wording of Fortissax’s remembrance and the quest steps of Fia’s quest make it sound as if Fortissax is either keeping something alive within Godwyn which prevents Fia from doing her job, or his mere presence after being so corrupted by the death blight is preventing Fia from completing her task. You have to slay him if you wish to obtain the great rune of death, to unlock Fia’s ending but it’s weird. Does Fortissax wish for Godwyn not to come back? Does he perhaps not want Godwyn to ascend as the Prince of Death? You start to wonder if thematically, he’s more of a parallel to an Empyrean’s shadow, a mad dog and dear friend who’s left with only a single, eternal purpose in their life once their sworn charge moves on towards godhood, or is he more like St Trina, begging Miquella not to become a god because of how tragic the life afterwards would be? The most miserable part of ALL of this speculation is that we literally just have no idea what Godwyn would’ve wanted. We don’t know if we’re forcing him into something like Radahn, if he struggled against the Black Knives not to be killed, if he even knew what he’d become. We don’t know if he knelt to the black knives willingly and reassured his mother that this was the only way and he was happy to be nothing more than a sacrifice. If he told Ranni “Take me, if you must have your vengeance on my family.” Or if he whispered to his dearest friend, dread Fortissax, “I’m scared. Please don’t let me die.”

Godwyn FASCINATES me but the sheer lack of what we know about him as a person makes analyzing his story SUCH a headache. That said, he easily has some of the most peak imagery surrounding him in the entire game, right down to his colours being Black and Gold, very constantly recurring colour themes whenever talking about Death (death knights, maliketh armour, death lightning, some others). If only we could learn more, truly. If only, if only.

#my writing #elden ring #godwyn the golden #godwyn the prince of death #shadow of the erdtree #miquella #fia

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deathmetalunicorn1 · 1 year

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Dragon goddess request!

Being crowned the ultimate Milf of Valhalla isn't just a title, it's a legitimate job! As a Milf goddess, you are now considered a divine mother. And with that comes a more power and new responsibilities. But some ( most -- ) of the goddesses that competed for that title didn't think our lovely dragoness mother of 2 ( and soon to be 3 ) deserved that title. They say it's because she looks the part. This sparked quite a heated debate across the heavens, it got even to the point the Direct board of Motherhood ( Hera, Frigg, Mother Maria, Mama Eve, and other Divine mothers ) had to step in. Direct board of Motherhood or the DBOM proposed a rematch, but this time it's going to be different. It's now a more serious competition. Think of it like a lovely mixture of a beauty pageant, the Olympics, and somehow someway ragnarok. Now the darling is going to have to fight for her title, but luckily for her husband the darling wants to complete. She's bored and It looks like fun to her. So how would all the husbands of the Dragon goddess series react to all of this and what would they do?

... Bonus points that after winning the competition and 9 months of waiting for her Coronation, the darling Is officially crossed a new divine mother. Imagine her swimming in the center of the fountain of youth wearing only a special veil weaved ( yes she's basically naked ) by Athena about to, cradlIng her baby bump, waiting to receive her blessings from each DBOM members.

-You were stunned when you received a box after being crowned the MILF of the year, you were so embarrassed when your husband told you what a MILF was, you hid away for several days, too embarrassed to even leave your room!

-The package was information regarding your new position as a Divine Mother, you could only gawk, seeing this and your husband was the same, a hand covering his mouth, “I forgot about this part!”

-However, while you were intrigued with your new duties, others were not, as you were a wild card entry, you didn’t even compete like they had to!

-Many of your competitors went to the Direct Board of Motherhood to contest this, as they wanted to be the new Divine Mother, wanting the power that came with it.

-The current Board included both goddess and humans, Eve, Hera, Frigg, and Mother Maria, and after many debates, it was announced that the contest would be redone, but this time in a different way.

-Most of your competitors said you only won due to your looks and that you didn’t deserve the title based on that alone, so, with the blessings of the other gods, the MILF Competition was announced, part beauty contest, part motherhood challenges, and for the final two mothers, a fight, and with it, the champion would be crowned.

-If you won this, fair and square, you would become the new Divine Mother!

-Your husband and your twins were excited to see you compete, cheering for you when you walked across the stage, wearing the same outfit you wore in your original photo, which was the stipulation for this part of the competition, recreating your original entry photo.

-Your face was a bit red as the crowd roared with cheers, one hand cupping your cheek as the other held a watermelon on your hip.

-You heard your twins calling out to you, “‘MAMA!!’” and you found them easily, blowing them a kiss each, then one to your husband, which made the crowd go even more wild, seeing your affection. It wasn’t for points; you were just happy to see your family.

-Kojiro- Beamed brightly as your boys threw their hands up, seeing you blowing them kisses, at the same time, he was trying to remain calm, hearing the other men around talking about how attractive you were, trying not to kill them.

-Hades- All three of them lifted their hands, catching your kisses, which those around thought was adorable, and you giggled, seeing this. Those sitting around Hades were smart, not saying anything about you, not wanting to incur his wrath.

-Buddha- He lifted his boys up, one at a time to catch your kisses, making those around him laugh, making you laugh as well as he caught his own kiss, all three of them cheering for you, calling you mama. He gave the side-eye to all those around him silently daring them to say anything about you in front of your children.

-Beelzebub- Smiled at your affection while your boys cheered, waving their arms, so happy that you had seen them and that you blew them kisses. He patted their heads as they beamed up at him, “Mama blew us kisses papa!” and, “Did you get one too?” he chuckled at them, assuring them that he got one too. Those around the three were nervous, afraid of Beelzebub, so they made sure to say nothing about you, too afraid of his wrath.

-Tesla- They all beamed brightly, smiles identical as they all cheered, making you giggle, hiding your mouth behind your hand at their enthusiasm, all three of them so happy that you blew them all kisses. Tesla was ready to throw hands if someone said something about you that your boys would hear, no hesitation.

-Poseidon- Your boys cheered loudly, waving their arms while Poseidon hid his face in his hand, trying to hide that he was blushing, which Zeus was quickly teasing him over, before Poseidon had Zeus dangling over the arena, “We wouldn’t be in this mess if it wasn’t for you!!” you rolled your eyes lightly, seeing your husband threatening Zeus again.

-The next part of the competition were motherhood challenges, things like preparing meals for picky eaters and soothing crying children who were either scared or hurt.

-To make things fair, they used random human children who had no connections to any of the remaining women in the competition.

-You were back in your normal dress, a flowing black and gold dress, as you approached your child, a little girl, your challenge was to soothe a crying child.

-She blinked up at you, as she was afraid, being apart from her own mother, as you kneeled, her eyes were quickly sparkling at your beauty as you spoke softly, brushing her tears away, speaking gently to her.

-When you found she wanted her mother, you felt anger bubbling up inside you, feeling angry that this competition was willing to make children upset.

-You picked her up, holding her up on your hip and used your magic to fly up into the stands. She loved flying, thinking it was fun, Hera was going to say something, as you left the arena, but when they saw you returning your child to her mother, the Board agreed to allow it, as you met your challenge, comforting the child.

-Your husband couldn’t help but smile, seeing you do this, as he knew you were a wonderful mother, and the cheers that echoed around were almost deafening, after the crowd had seen what you had done.

-The final challenge was a fight, similar to Ragnarok, only without the death of one of the competitors.

-Your opponent was a fertility goddess, one of the women who was the most furious with your win, she wanted to make you pay.

-Frigg was going to oversee the match, speaking to both of you, “Before we commence the final challenge between you two mothers and crown our champion, is there anything either of you would like to say?”

-Your opponent shook her head, ready to fight, but you spoke, “I forfeit the match!” the crowd roared with disbelief and your rival was furious, demanding to know why.

-You smiled softly at her, then to Frigg before you turned up to your husband and your twins, “I am not going to fight, as it would hurt our little one.” As you said this, you put your hand on your belly, announcing to not only your family, but to all of Valhalla, that you were pregnant.

-The cheers were near deafening as you announced this, your husband stunned before he grabbed your boys, jumping down to the arena before all three rushed to you, hugging you tightly, spinning you around before you kneeled, hugging your boys.

-Your rival was stunned that you were pregnant, and that you weren’t going to risk the safety of it, and she smiled, admitting defeat, and she turned to Frigg, forfeiting and Frigg smiled softly, bowing her head softly, “Y/N is our winner!!”

-You were stunned, turning to see the two mothers smiling at you, your rival conceding to you and you smiled softly, bowing your head in thanks.

-Your husband had to deal with the repercussions of you winning the MILF contest again, but he was beyond happy to learn that you were pregnant once again.

-Just shy of eight months later you were in the middle of the Fountain of Youth, wearing a flowing sheer gown of the lightest material you have ever felt, pure white in coloring, holding your baby bump fondly as you breathed through another contraction.

-You wanted your husband here for the birth of your third child, but as the newest Divine Mother, only the Direct Board of Motherhood were allowed to be there in this holy place, bless not only your but your child as well.

-Your duties as a Divine Mother had kept you busy and active, going around to visit other expecting mothers, blessing the children around Valhalla, and being doted on as you were pregnant yourself.

-Eve held your hand, letting you lean back into her as Frigg was before you, guiding you through your labor until your child was born, a sigh of relief leaving you as you fell back into Eve, who giggled softly, patting your head.

-After you and the fountain had been cleaned up, after the blessing the other mothers bestowed upon your baby, you were taken to a room to rest, and your husband and sons were summoned.

-When they entered your husband froze at the door, seeing the bundle in your arms, seeing the glowing radiance around you as your boys ran over, quickly crawling into the bed with you, stars in their eyes, seeing the baby, making you smile gently, sitting up to show them.

-Once your husband was sitting next to you, he pulled you into a soft kiss, his thumb stroking your cheek, praising your hard work before he looked down at his third child.

-You smiled warmly at your husband, “Would you like to hold your daughter?” they all froze, jaws dropped before your boys squealed over having a sister while your husband flatlined, making you giggle, knowing he would react like that to receiving the news of a daughter.

-You knew that she was going to be well protected, between not only her older brothers, but her father, and your father and brother as well.

-You leaned back, resting a bit more, smiling at your family.

#ror x reader #record of ragnarok #ror buddha #ror poseidon #ror hades #ror beelzebub #ror kojiro sasaki #ror tesla

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imustbenuts · 1 year

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Reading Grima as an Abrahamic god stand-in in the world of Fire Emblem, and how that is filling in gaps in the narrative.

Preface: this is one possible interpretation out of many, and I will be talking about this pov as a person who resides in SEA.

To get to understand this worldview though, some very dry explanations need to be done, but I'll do my best.

First, an overview of Grima.

Grima in FE: Awakening's story functions as a god of annihilation/death. They are worshiped and brought back into the world by the Grimleals, an extremist religious group in Plegia, which is visually middle eastern desert-ish.

Meanwhile, their Japanese name is actually Gimlé, a reference to the Norse mythos of the place where survivors of Ragnarok (an end of the world apocalyptic event where gods duke it out way too hard) are foretold to live. It's a super pretty place, almost heavenly.

So there is some credence here to hint that Grimleals are the extremist sect, and that Grima inherently isn't good or evil, but possibly a death god closer to the likes of Anubis or Hades. This can then explain why Plegians who aren't extremists are said to be pretty chill.

Anyway, moving on, because I need to explain the next bit to really highlight how much he looks like an Abrahamic god to a someone like me.

FE's world is structurally polytheistic. Or, Shinto Buddhist.

On the surface, FE puts forth the idea of polytheism in the form of multiple Dragons, without a singular clear, definite distinction for what threshold exactly qualifies one to be a legit God vs just-a-dragon. In fact, it can be summed up as "this one is powerful enough to do things, and/or because we decided so" by the people.

So, that tracks with the belief system in place in Japan and really, the whole of Asia in general. Polytheism is the norm, rather than mono. In this view, any being which are not human all belong into the classification of supernatural, so the question of how god-like they are matters after they are able to pass a certain threshold of power or worshiping status.

A popularity contest of spirits/gods, if you want to put it that way. In fact, lots of eastern gods irl are like this. Power often doesn't factor into things, since these gods are very closely associated with nature in some form, and their popularity in history is very dependent on events.

In fact, Japan follows Shinto Buddhism, a polytheistic belief. Technically made of 2 parts.

Shinto supplies the idea that Gods (or rather, kamis) in general cannot be perceived, and that they must be loved and nurtured to gain their favor. Disregarding them brings instead disharmony and destruction. Shrines are one such places where the love and nurturing or the disregard can be seen/done. (Thebes labyrinth, anyone? 😉👌)

The other, Buddhism. Also polytheistic due to reframing gods as just other beings trying to break out of the cycle of samsara. Buddha is technically not a god, but a title, and an idol to look to to remember the teachings of how to break out of this cycle, by understanding suffering and how to end it.

In some ways, Naga, the biggest defacto "god" which is treated as the 'proper' God by the narrative, is actually more of a Buddha. Her voice lines in FEH even points to this:

Meanwhile, Libra uses the plural, gods. Frederick's famous crit quote is "Pick a god and pray."

That is what I mean by FE being structurally Shinto Buddhist.

Meanwhile, Abrahamic religion is monotheistic.

Without getting too deep into the details and scholarly debates of it, or even the multiple branches of religion, the singular God in this family does not want his followers to turn their eyes towards other false gods. One is meant to devote themself entirely to this God, follow his teachings and live a life he deems worthy to live with him in the beautiful, heavenly afterlife.

Failure to do so will mean a divine retribution of sorts, but often in the form of eternal damnation.

Another noteworthy bit, Abrahamic religion originated from the place we call the Cradle of Civilization, also known as the Middle East. Which, you know. Deserts.

And now, the pieces of Grima being a Abrahamic god stand-in starts to form. And that then explains a lot of other mundane unexplained bits too.

Basically, Grima is the patron deity of the Plegians, who reside in the harsh desert.

If we assume that normal Plegians are pretty chill despite Grima being associated with straight up annihilation, then a pretty good extrapolation would be that Grima is a watcher type deity of the afterlife for their worship. This type is typically popular as they soothe the anxiety of what happens to a person after death, explaining that there is something else other than pure emptiness, which frankly can kick many people's existential dread into overdrive.

Which, if one really thinks about it, the Abrahamic religion and their God kind of is this.

God watches a human, then judges them for their actions in life when their time is up. In some interpretations afaik, God can also be seen as a 'system' or a 'higher conscious', but the idea of being able to join with him is still the same. This is still the ultimate honor and bliss, ie, heavenly.

But in order to do so, one must wholly devote themself to him. Spread his word. Ignore all other Gods. You know how it goes.

With Grima, this bit manifests in how Grima kills Naga in the Future Past DLC. Even Tiki became a target, who wants to become the next Naga in it. (Which btw this wouldn't make sense unless one treats the word, Naga, as a title, which tracks.)

So. In conclusion.

What I'm trying to say here is that Grima is easily read as a monotheistic, or even a Christian god to many people on this side of the planet. Because there has been precedent in extremism when it comes to religion associated with Abrahamic religion, and this is how it's being expressed through the writers when they create FE.

And yet, because either the world of FE is structurally shinto buddhist, or the writers are, this is the result, and why I have interpreted Grima as this.

There are also elements of that mistreatment of a god narrative going on in FE:A that I think is worth talking about for Grima, too. I'm almost certain that the writers are not saying Grima is inherently evil, in fact, the narrative of good and evil in FE is often easily explained by characters being dreadfully flawed, and even human. And because of how Gods have this piece of humanity in them, it's possible for so many narratives to be the way they are.

And maaaybe why they decided to put Grima in a cat costume for Halloween banner with all the funny lines that comes with them. I think.

And that's about it, really. Ask is always open. Thanks for reading! 🎃🎃

#fire emblem awakening #grima fe #grima fire emblem awakening #analysis

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mrnicekisser · 2 months

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[Street Gacha] Chapter 1

Written by 木野誠太郎

Ruka Tsukinaga: Ah~, sweet and delicious!☆

This crepe has a lot of nice ingredients and is baked just fine. It's a great treat that you can't find for this price often ~ ♪

Suzu Kuromori: Ah. This shop is quite popular. I'm not really interested in snobs like that. All my classmates were praising it's unique taste. I was curious so I bought one.

Ruka: But Suzu-senpai. Did you like it?

Light music club activities are quite expensive, and since we don't have enough money for the club, we make it through the part-time jobs for our seniors, right?

Suzu: Hey. No need to be shy. We are fallen angels (Lucifers) with broken wings, but sometimes even we need a break, right?

I am thankful to you for working hard in club activities... I would be happy if you could enjoy it as an offering for my dear comrade, Ruka.

Ruka: Wah, as expected of Suzu-senpai! I admire her so much for her dedication...

Suzu: Fufu... While i was suspended from school I caused a lot of trouble for you and Shizu, so this is just a piece of cake.

And yet. When I got to Shizu, she said she couldn't come today because she had something to do with her family.

If you're running away from my invitation, doesn't that mean that we fallen angels aren't monolithic after all..?

Ruka: It can't be helped. Shizuku-chan's family seems to be going through a lot of trouble...

That's why I admire Suzu-senpai! ♪

I’m going to hug Suzu-senpai’s gorgeous body~! Gyuuuu~♪

Suzu: Can you please stop?.. It's getting hard to breathe.

Ruka: Gah~!

Oh, also if you don't mind, Suzu-senpai can also try this crepe!

I think Suzu-senpai bought only one for me because she didn't have enough money... But I think it would be happier if we shared it together rather than having it all to myself.

Suzu: Thank you. Ruka is so kind... She's younger than me, so I don't have to be shy.

Well, then I'll be grateful! ♪

Ruka: R-Ruka can feed you! Say a~h!

Suzu: *takes a bite.*

Yeah, it's not that bad after all. Although it was sweet, it was just the perfect amount of cream that didn't take away from the original taste of the ingredients. No wonder the whole Kimisaki Academy were talking about it.

Ruka: That's right! ♪ You can eat more~ ♪ There's not so much left, so please take it all. ♪

Suzu: Hm. Well, I'll take the advantage of Ruka's kindness and take this crepe.

Ruka: It feels like I'm baiting Suzu-senpai... It feels a bit immoral... ♪

Suzu: So. After finishing with the crepe, let's go to the music store. Ruka wanted an instrument for practice, am I right?

Ruka: Oh, yes. Right now I'm allowed to play the instruments in the club room, so I'm practicing little by little.

It isn't too expensive if it's for practice, so I thought I'd buy my own instrument and play at home...

Suzu: That's a great idea, and that's why you're perfect for the light music club.

But what instrument do you play? I believe you have tried a lot of different ones, but was there one that struck a chord with you?

Ruka: Let me see... I haven't decided what instrument I want to play yet, I'm sorry...

Suzu: Hmm. Let's go to a music store and think about that. The instrument and the performer may be attached to each other.

I'm sure that practicing with an instrument that I'm attached to will help me feel more motivated, and the "Evil Genocide Dragon" that I borrowed from Seira fit in my hand as if it were my own guitar.

Ruka: "Evil Genocide Dragon"... That's the guitar that Suzu-senpai has been entrusted with by the club president. That's nice, I'd love to have that same fateful encounter...♪

What should I name it? I'm thinking about things like "The Divine Spear Sleipnir'' and "Dark Ragnarok'' are cool.

However, I think it would be best to decide on the name after seeing the actual instrument. I think the impression changes depending on the color and shape.

Suzu: You're full of ambition. It's like that day when I went to buy an instrument for the first time.

Seira came with me to help that time. Today it's my turn to play Seira's role.

As with anything, the beginning is the most important part. I definitely want Ruka to have a perfect fateful encounter...☆

#ensemble girls #engirls #ruka tsukinaga #suzu kuromori #happy elements bring my girlies back #story translation #Street Gacha

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otwdfanfic · 6 months

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Was watching one of the pirates of the caribbean movies and got to wondering, do the sea faring folks in the otwd saga got any myths and legends about the sea? Like things they're deadly afraid of or spirits they think are dwelling the waters?

(Very specific ask but i got curious LMAO <333)

I've definitely thought about different myths and superstitions since so many of our characters are sailors! Their #1 legendary sea monster is the sea serpent Jormungand, since he's basically their version of Godzilla and his arrival would be a sign of Ragnarok. Krakens are another great monster to be feared. Those are both pretty practical fears, since other giant monsters exist in their world, but they also fear (and adore) sirens, just like any good sailor aught to. They believe they're the daughters of Aegir and Ran, two sea gods who love to drown sailors. Njord is a friendlier sea god favored by fishermen, and Thor controls the weather. There's different rituals that can be done to appease those gods.

Shooting at seabirds like albatross and cormorants is unlucky, as is killing a white whale (since they can speak norse and curse you!). Bloodying the bow of a new boat before it's put in the water is good luck. Magic is usually considered unlucky in general for vikings because it's sly, tricky, and unmanly as opposed to brute strength, but they separate magic up into a lot of different types (religious rituals for example aren't magic, divination magic is fine for women, runic good luck charms are fine) so there's a lot of nuance but black magic/curses are a big No across the board. Ghosts of all kinds (ghost ships, ghost crews, drowned sailors, evil spirits) are popular stories.

Not everyone is very superstitious or believes in everything mentioned here, and there's some differences in beliefs between sailors, fishermen and raiders. Gustav certainly doesn't believe in most of it because he thinks dragons are behind all the legends. Ragnall on the other hand is a highly superstitious sailor (probably because his tribe the Thunderheads are even more sea-focused than most vikings) and his use of magic charms to protect himself is controversial with the crew.

Sorry it took me so long to respond! I LOVE pirates of the caribbean and now I want to rewatch those movies...

#httyd #how to train your dragon #httyd headcanons #I can't remember if theres any specific superstitions mentioned in the books but I should go check

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h0ney-gl0ws · 1 year

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Please may I ask for a Griss x reader who gets badly injured in battle and he goes all protective killin everyone and trying to help cause unlike himself and pain he don’t like the reader in that type of pain

Of course you may! You didn’t specify whether you wanted headcanons or a one shot, so I went with a one shot, I hope that is alright as I’m pretty happy with how it turned out! :)

Thanks for the request and be mindful of the content warnings!

Cws: Griss, Violence, Blood, minor character death

Word Count (Approx): 972

The cries of the corrupted rang out as they charge into battle. The sounds of swords clashing against swords. Distant explosions from various spells. It was all so melodic. After all it was the sound of pain.

Griss let’s out a strained laugh after a particularly good hit from an opposing soldier. Spitting out some blood, he says darkly, “You hit well, but not well enough, a pity really.” before casting nova upon the poor soldier. Swiping a bit of blood off of his lip, He shakes his head as he watches the soldier disappear in a flash of light.

The four hounds were currently infiltrating an obscure village, by order of Lady Zephia, there’s apparently an artifact that will assist them greatly in their upcoming toils with the divine dragon. Of course, the villagers will not part with their precious artifact without a fight. Delaying the process significantly. Griss does not mind too much, though, at least he’s getting his fix of pain out of this. Being able to relish in the agony of a battlefield is worthwhile!

Griss was just about to rush in again ready to strike another victim when he heard the one and only scream that brings him terror instead of pleasure. Yours.

He turns just in time to see an enemy soldier pulling their sword out of your body. A dark crimson dripping from the weapon…

The same red pools in his vision. Pain was all fun and games when it was his. He took pleasure out of agony, he’s the one who always yearns for more suffering, but seeing you fall limply to the floor clutching your side, an expression of absolute torture on you face. That was not amusing to watch.

The next moments went by in a flash, literally. The brightness of the flames of ragnarok fill the air. Griss could hardly register the villager’s panic as he tore through their pathetic excuse of an army. He stood among the fallen panting heavily, only snapping back to the reality when he hears you release a pained grunt.

He rushes to your side in an instant sliding to his knees to get on your level, “Hey- hey! Don’t be moving around like that! You’re going to make the pain worse!” He scolds.

You tsk, “That’s rich coming for you-“ you wheeze pausing to try to breath, “I thought you loved this kinda thing? Aren’t you envious?”

“Don’t even joke about this right now, even on the brink of death you are still just as much as a pain…probably why I love you so much…” Griss doesn’t smile at you as he says this. Instead he casts his eyes downward and attempts to pry your hand away from the wound.

You hiss as the cold air of the outside breeze hits your open wound. Your hand is sticky…you don’t even wanna look in fear of throwing up. From the way the world around you is spinning you might do that anyways.

You feel a pressure against your cheek, and a voice? Griss? You should listen…

“Hey! You gotta stay with me! I do know some healing spells but you are going to have to stay awake! Focus ‘kay?” Griss shouts.

focus…

A sharp sudden burn against your abdomen nearly causes you to jolt up reflexively. You cry out instead.

“m’sorry, this is the only way I know how to heal, it’s gonna sting…a lot.”

Another flash, another agonizing piercing sensation.

“AH! Ah, Griss, stop, STOP!” You shout pushing his hands away. You wrap your arms around yourself again trying to soothe the lingering ache. To your dismay your fingertips come back still stained red.

“I’m going to need you to cooperate with me here, I know it hurts, believe me, but I’m almost done. Please…let me heal you.” You look into his eyes, he’s pleading with you.

“When did you become so soft Griss?” You tease.

He rolls his eyes playfully, painfully smiling as he once again pries your hands away from your wound. Within the next few minutes your were mostly healed, although very, very, sore.

Griss aids you to your feet, and catches you as you stumble. You squeak as the sudden movement hurts more than you expect.

“I did the best I could in the moment, you’re still going to be out of commission until you get the chance to fully heal up.” He says.

You look up at him, “Thank you Griss…really…you saved my life-“ you pause getting a good look at the surrounding battlefield, you whistle lowly, “And you really did a number on these soldiers.”

“I guess, seeing you in pain affected me more than I thought. I honestly don’t remember much after hearing your scream…” he laughs.

“Awww, but I thought you liked pain?”

“Please I never want to be hurt by seeing you like that again, but everything else is fair game.”

You giggle, quickly regretting the decision by remembering the discomfort in your abdomen. Settling on giving Griss a kiss on the cheek you say, “Looks like you’ll have to be my new guard dog from now on.” Punctuating the statement with a wink.

“Only if you punish me for a job well done.”

“It’s a deal then!” You say playfully tugging a strand of his hair, “now let’s hurry up and grab this artifact so we can go home and rest. I really need it.”

“Anything for you, rosebud.”

#griss fire emblem #fire emblem engage #griss x reader #oneshot #request #h0ney gl0ws works!#light angst #fluff #comfort #fire emblem x reader

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afoolandathief · 2 years

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✨Mythology & Folklore Retelling Writeblrs Masterpost ✨

So remember a couple months ago when I put out a survey to make a list of writeblrs with myth-retelling/myth-inspired WIPs? Well, I finally put all your responses together!

Below you can find blogs with projects or published works weaving in mythology or folklore, whether it's a retelling or inspired by it. Keep in mind, except for some formatting, I copied these entries directly from the survey.

If anyone does still want to add their WIPs, I'll leave the survey up for now:

Mythology and Folklore Writeblrs and Their WIPs:

@flowerprose

WIP(s): Namesake, a Hades and Persephone myth retelling in which Hades is a skeleton, stripped of his godhood and powers, and Persephone is a young flower maiden, in search of her missing mother. WIP intro, Writing tag

Mythology(ies): Greek Mythology

@violetcancerian

WIP(s): The Dragon and the Herald, Tales of Tirinth, A Song of Three Hundred Spears

Mythology(ies): Arthurian, Irish, Norse, old English

@writeblrfantasy

WIP(s): Queen Artura and the Knights of Arrinshire, a series of stories inspired by the King Arthur tales! I don’t post about it that much, though

Mythology(ies): The King Arthur tales

@lockejhaven

WIP(s): Fable: Servant to Dragon and King

Mythology(ies): Arthurian retelling

@ambiguouspuzuma

WIP(s): I did a three part retelling of the Furies and various Ancient Greek heroes here:

Deianira’s Fury

Ariadne’s Fury

Andromeda’s Fury

I also post regular short stories dipping into other mythology and folklore, featuring golems and sirens and others, including this mash-up of various figures from British mythology: Pantheon

Mythology(ies): Various, mostly Greek

@fearofahumanplanet

WIP(s): The Serpents They Stone - In an alternate version of our world where gods lived alongside humankind and brought them to a new level of technological prosperity, the dreaded World Serpent Jörmungandr reveals herself to have survived Ragnarok while rescuing her villainous old flame, the Phantom Queen Badb. Quickly finding herself pursued by the entire world for the prophecy that promises she will end the world, Jörmungandr dedicates herself to saving Badb from the "Black Pharaoh" that enslaves her - even as Badb is forcibly driven to remain sinister and create chaos.

Miasma - Based on the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland & the later Black Death, the island of Ériu is besieged by the foreign Anglii and their High King is killed. His daughter, Hail, dies with him, but she is resurrected by the serpent goddess Corchen with one objective - to kill King Godric across the ocean, no matter the cost. Her mission soon intertwines with that of a mysterious plague doctor's, who seeks to stop an oncoming plague - one that could spell the end of all life.

Mythology(ies): All, but predominantly Norse, Egyptian, Aztec, Celtic (mostly Welsh/Irish), Greek, Japanese, Chinese, Greek, Sumerian, Mayan, Slavic, Hawaiian, Christian, etc.

@nikkywrites

WIP(s): Maidens and Monsters: sapphic retelling of Scylla’s monsterization, in which she is so beautiful, the ocean (and it’s patrons) cannot help but be drawn to her and too much divine attention in one place always leads to ruin.

Light and What Lies Below: In-between of Maidens and Monsters and OH, in which Calypso makes a deal with Hades, creating Davy Jones’ locker before the sailor is even born.

Ocean’s Heart: Dual POV retelling merging Ogygia Calypso with Davy Jones Calypso, in which when he binds her to a mortal body, he binds her to the island as well.

Her Name is Kore: Persephone/Hades retelling in which Kore knows, even as an unannounced goddess, that she is destined to be something more than just Demeter’s daughter.

Mythology(ies): Greek

@abookishdreamer

WIP(s): Kingdom of Ichor (A YA fantasy series) A modern retelling of classic Greek myths with the gods and goddesses being a focal point. Each book in the series will be told in dual POV following a potential couple. I don't know how long I want the series to be, but I do know it's gonna be pretty expansive! The first book is titled Of Flowers and Darkness, which will be a retelling of the myth of Hades & Persephone.

Mythology(ies): Mainly Greek mythology!!!

@galaxialdarktale

WIP(s): A Prophecy Most Divine (only one on my blog atm)

Mythology(ies): It's a made up mythology set, but I've been obsessed with myths since I was like able to read. I have another one that's not yet on my blog that is a retelling of Norse

@wherearetheplants

WIP(s): Fuck Gods (also referred to as WIP MILF). Life has not been kind to those at Nueva Vida Institution, a residential facility for “deeply disturbed” individuals. The institution seems normal from the outside, but a group of friends on the inside think that there’s more to this place than meets the eyes: they think it’s a end-of-life sacrificial home for those the gods have chosen, and that their life-forces are being drained. They’ve decided that before the gods can get to them, they’re going to complete their life-long goals of getting closure. And to do this, they plan to kill some gods.

Mythology(ies): Greek myths are retold through the character arcs and through parallels. Achilles, Sisyphus, Medusa, Icarus, Pandora's Box

@ladywithalamp

WIP(s): (1) A Casting of Lots (2) Where the Blackbirds Roost [both are linked to my pinned post!]

Based on: Greek mythology for ACoL but I've toyed with hints of Slavic mythologies in WtBR though it isn't as fleshed out

@nicola-writes

WIP(s): the other ones, a horror story about a forest that steals your memories and the monsters waiting within.

Mythology(ies): icarus! contains heavy icarus symbolism, and the main character's arc is directly based on that of icarus'.

@stuck-in-this-mortal-form

WIP(s): Children Of The Prophecy aka a story about half demon children, loosely based on various mythologies and urban legends

Mythology(ies): Slavic, bit of Japanese urban legends & other stuff

@maguayans

WIP(s): Elementalia Chronicles: A fantasy series of five books—Maharlika, Charmed, Sunshower, Waves, and Hiwaga—featuring the lore and creatures of Philippine Mythology. Set in the fictitious province called San Andres, following the lives and misadventures of related characters, all while uncovering the secrets of their ancestors and the land. The expanding universe of the series is affectionately named, Elementaliaverse (@elementaliaverse).

Fair Waters: A novella set in Elementalieverse. | The story follows Elias Hernandez, a photojournalist, and aspiring news writer. He finds himself traveling to the northernmost province of the archipelago after discovering the mysterious case of one of its islands. Soon, he realizes the mystery he’s trying to unravel goes as deep as the ocean. And himself, a pawn to more malicious affairs.

Mariang Makiling: A retelling of the legend of Mariang Makiling. | A group hikes across the inland territories of Maquiling to visit its apparent hidden waters. Failing to reach their destination in time, they camp near a burial ground. There, they would discover something ancient and vile.

Mythology(ies): Philippine Mythology

@fanficwriterblockblog

WIP(s): Just Another Fairytale: 12 kingdoms with 12 “princesses”, facing sociopolitical and mythic problems, especially when their pantheon throws them a curveball. A series of 13 novels, each from a different “princess’s” point-of-view, with myth retellings and fairytale retellings

Mythology(ies): Arachne, Odysseus, etc (too tired to think of the others in there, but it’s not just Greek)

@constellationapex

WIP(s): Most Holy

Mythology(ies): As of this moment, I’m mostly tampering with Greek and Roman gods, but I want to expand to Norse folklore soon!

@literallylore

WIP(s): Glass Gods - a thousand years after Ragnarok, Norse deities are reborn on Earth and must fight to protect their world from an army of frost giants set on conquering the planet.

Mythology(ies): Norse

@fruitbatwoman

WIP(s): Tröll, Álfar, Hestar: 3 Magical Short Stories Inspired by Iceland — What if all the myths and legends surrounding Iceland are true? What if there is a troll under every bridge, elves hidden behind the veil, and wicked horses lurking in the water? In this adventurous, romantic, and magical collection of three short stories, fantasy collides with reality, as tourists and travelers experience a modern take on Icelandic folk tales.

Mythology(ies): Icelandic folk tales, Nordic folk tales, Trolls, Huldufólk, Nykur

#writing #writeblr #writblr #writers of tumblr #mythology #myths and legends #myth retelling #folklore #folklore retelling #scheduled

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finalshaper · 1 year

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fuck this i wanna infodump here's some random things abt my fic thingy.

Dark Cacao

-- trans male, gay, he/him pronouns. pv is his silly husband that he loves a lot that fusses over him a bit too much sometimes. old man yaoi every day all day.

-- somehow got top surgery. literally left and came back and Titties Were Gone. probably some magic or shit like that because this was before said surgeries were developed. he has tattoos over the scars he has from the procedure too, which implies that it's not entirely magic, which could very well have been the case. he has a very "that's for me to know and you to find out" responce.

-- i advocate for seahorse dad cacao rights so he was actually the one who went through The Process when it comes to choco (and subsequently custard too)

-- He doesn't look like it or act like it (frankly he strikes me as someone who would listen to black metal and almost exclusively black metal) but his guilty pleasure when it comes to music is pop music. he is obsessed with it. only the other Ancients and his sons know. His favourite of all the musicians he listens to is that of Parfait, but you wouldn't catch him dead at one of her concerts. Yet when he met her he WAS silently fanboying like an idiot but didn't want to disclose how huge of a fan he was of her.

-- He named his sword Skysplitter after the battle with the two dragons that led to the establishment of his Kingdom. Their battle was so great that it was as if the very heavens were shaking in awe.

-- His voice is, rather than Patrick Seitz, Christopher Judge. Christopher Judge, who played Kratos in God of War 2018 and God of War Ragnarok.

Affogato

-- genderfluid, possibly also on the bisexual/pansexual/etc spectrum, doesn't really think too much of it. she/her and he/him interchangeably, but she doesn't really give too much of a shit abt what pronouns you use to refer to him. masculine, neuter and feminine terms interchangeably. not picky at all when it comes to how she's addressed.

-- she is espresso's biological aunt on his mother's side.

-- He does not serve as an antagonist in my fics!

-- Rather than having a soft spot for sweets, she has a deep love for savoury foods instead, even though he treats it more like a guilty pleasure, right alongside things that are super simple rather than extravagant and decadent.

Caramel Arrow

-- she/her, just general overall queer and doesn't really identify with any particular labels.

-- She's a dragon!! Her role in my fics is that of the divine guardian and custodian to Dark Cacao's heavenly throne and mortal throne, protecting and serving him in both the heavens and the mortal world. After Dark Cacao entered a four-thousand-year slumber, she took to wandering the mountains in her dragon form in silence akin to the dragons from BOTW/TOTK. It's unknown why she didn't just return to the heavens but rather stayed hanging around. Some theorize that it's because she's guarding not only the location of her King's tomb but also the location of his aforementioned sacred sword, Skysplitter.

-- It's believed that Caramel's origins is that she is the daughter of the Light and Dark dragons or at least somehow connected to them, albeit this hasn't been confirmed and has only been considered local folklore.

-- She serves sort of as Dark Choco's godmother, and believes that is part of her holy mission given to her by her King to help care for his son. After Choco's corruption, she believes that she failed this duty, and this is a possible motivation for her distancing in the mountains.

-- Brown sugar boba is in fact her second favourite, her number one favourite is matcha. Even though you'd never get that out of her.

#caydeposting #cookie run #cookie run kingdom #dark cacao cookie #affogato cookie #caramel arrow cookie #fic tag pending

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kingoftheblacksun · 2 days

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The Wolf Fenrir is a little known dark feminine, and the bindings are narratives of lies they agreed to out of naive devotion.

This is how males feel internally, and females feel externally. We are bound by falsehoods, unable to act righteously, and what binds us are words of illusion. To destroy illusion, we must confront truth.

Here is truth: females experience consciousness internally, and males experience it externally. Without knowing this, you will always miscommunicate, as you have been doing for many lives.

'Masculine' and 'feminine' are both nonbinary as neither know what those words mean. The two sexes do not experience reality the same, and thus the lies that bind you are tied differently.

Get this in yo' head: nonbinary != nonbinary. There is no equivalence in the unbound. Thus differences do not invalidate Sovereign presentation. I am still trans femme, still she/her, despite my carriage having a male tail. It's fine, we are simply not words.

Patriarchy requires division. As painful as it is, we must confront the loathing of masculinity, perpetuated by 'feminism', is maleficent. The loathing of men is patriarchy. What society is calling 'feminism' is the inner masculine loathing the external masculine - how's that loathing serving you? Please stop it.

Fenrir still loves Tyr. When they embrace, there will be a sacred union across the world, and all corruptions will tumble.

I'm just a trans girl Gomez looking for my Morticia bride. She will be delightfully internally masculine, like I am externally, even if I'm also feminized. Yet, I am internally feminine, just as she is - externally. This is how we delight each other, by being amazing reflections of our partner's inner majesty.

God is a love story. ❤️‍🔥

#queer discourse #queer community #nonbinary lesbian #nonbinary #genderqueer #sacred union #dragon romance #true romance #trans girl #spiritual awakening #feminism #divine feminine #divine masculine #adams family #fenrir still loves tyr #ragnarok #kalki #consciousness #true love

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talonabraxas · 1 month

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Yggdrasil: The Sacred World Tree Talon Abraxas

Yggdrasil: Unveiling Mysteries of The Sacred World Tree

Roots of Yggdrasil

Among the Branches of Yggdrasil

Asgard: Home of the Aesir Gods

Midgard: The Realm of Humans

Jotunheim: The Land of Giants

Vanaheim: Abode of the Vanir Gods

Alfheim: Dwelling of the Light Elves

Svartalfheim: Domain of the Dwarves

Niflheim: The Frozen Underworld

Muspelheim: Realm of Fire

Helheim: Abode of the Dead

Inhabitants of Yggdrasil

Symbolism of the World Tree

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agnerd-bot · 1 year

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Rematch of Ragnarok Round XIII Intro:

The battlefield of the gods had been restructured yet again in the aftermath of the battle between the wicked god and damned human. Where there was once hanging skulls and pillars of bones, now there stood an arena of regality. Banners were posted at both the god and human entrances, flying majestically in the wind. On the side of the gods, red banners bearing the image of a golden sun radiating light. On the humans' side, a green and white banner bearing the image of a dragon hung in opposition to the divine sun. The arena itself was different from the simple stone and sand of the previous battles, instead being an intricate and beautiful garden, with a gentle river running between the trees, and a path throughout being paved in cobblestone. Many in the audience looked on in awe at the sheer regality that emanated from the arena, a battleground truly worthy of the divine.

In the center of the garden sat Heimdall, the steel-faced dwarf kneeling down in the midst of the garden, sipping at a cup of tea serenely. "Ahh... That hits the spot." Immediately, he hopped to his feet, holding his Gjallerhorn to his mouth as the spotlights of the arena all turned to face him. "Indeed! What a beautifully serene battleground for Ragnarok! To think that the quiet of this arena will soon be disrupted as the battle between Creator and Creation rages on! In the second half of Ragnarok, the gods were quickly able to capitalize with two vicious victories back-to-back, but a surprise shut-out lead to Humanity shattering any attempt at a winning streak! Will Mankind be able to continue pressing on this advance?! Or will the Gods take vengeance for the loss of one of their own?! Well there's only one way to find out! FIRST UP! REPRESENTING THE GODS!"

youtube

At Heimdall's words, the sun began to shine bright over the heads of all present, man and god alike. The heavenly body's intensity was enough to nearly blind those who looked up at the sky.

"AAAAACK! MY EYES!" Goll cried out as she began to rub at her face, having been one of the many unlucky ones who found themselves staring too hard at the heavens.

"HERMES! HELP! I'M BLIIIIIIIIIIND!" Ares cried out, the bumbling god of war yelped in panic, stumbling around the gods' half of the arena while his brother merely sighed and held his face in his hands.

"When the Shinto Pantheon was young, the gods Izanami and Izanagi divided the world into three parts, one for each of their children!" As Heimdall spoke, a staircase of pure light began to form beneath the shining sun, and a pair of geta sandals began to touch down on them, the footsteps of the goddess ringing out throughout the arena. "The raging seas were gifted to the tempestuous and wild youngest brother Susanoo-no-Mikoto! The dim and mysterious nights were given to the cold and heartless middle child Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto! But the bright and joyful days, and the heavens themselves?! They fall under the reign of the eldest sister of the Three Great Kami!"

The source of the light was revealed: a shining bronze mirror that floated behind the goddess's back, gleaming with the intensity of a thousand suns. Hair as dark as pitch ran down to the small of her back, tied off into a ponytail, and upon her head was an ornate tiara that gleamed in the light her heavenly mirror produced. Draped over her body was an ornate kimono of white, gold, and red, and hanging around her neck were several jade magatama. A body and demeanor befitting the empress of the heavens.

"Haaaah… What a pain, what a pain…" a man muttered as he looked on the sight, lazily scratching the back of his head. A massive sword with several notches carved within it hung off his back and a straw hat was perched atop his messy black hair. "Just looking at her like that hurts my eyes, don't you agree, brother?" The god of the storms Susanoo-no-Mikoto turned his head towards his elder brother with a grin.

"Tch…" A second man, both hair and kimono hair of pure white, merely scoffed at the words. "Don't try acting all cool, Susanoo. You know most of all what's likely to happen in a Ragnarok like this." The god of the moon Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto stared forward at the battlefield, hand gripping his shoulder taut. "So tell me… How do you like our sister's chances here?"

"Ehhh, hard to say, Tsuki," the god of the storms muttered as he stroked his beard in thought. "Mankind's definitely got fighters that shouldn't be underestimated, you saw that for yourself. But then again… Ammy's always been full of surprises, hasn't she?"

"I thought I told you to stop giving us those inane nicknames, Susanoo."

"Must've slipped my mind, Tsuki."

"Where there is darkness in this world, she will arise to bring it to light! Where there is evil in this world, she will descend to exterminate it!" The Watchman of the Gods roared out before the arena. "Such is the way of the supreme goddess of the sun!"

The goddess of the heavens finally reached the bottom of her stairway, hand reaching downward towards her side. With a single movement, she unsheathed her weapon, an ornate blade nearly as long as she was tall. The Kusanagi no Tsurugi, the famed blade of the Supreme Ruler of Japan, gleamed like a precious jewel within the light. Despite her seemingly slight frame, the goddess swung the massive straight sword around as if it was nothing more than a simple blade of grass. As the winds and the light swirled around her, she stood, unerringly calm.

"All beings, man and god alike, bow before her majesty as she descends upon mankind to punish their heresy! Bow before her, for she is the eldest of the Three Great Kami! Bow before her, for she is the Mother of the Emperors of Japan! Bow before her, for is the Supreme Goddess of the Shinto Pantheon! BOW BEFORE HER, FOR SHE IS NONE OTHER THAN THE GREATEST GODDESS WITHIN THE HEAVENS!"

The goddess planted her blade in the garden, her hair flowing in the winds as the audience all cheered for her. She opened her eyes, revealing two golden orbs that shone with the intensity of the sun itself, as if to gaze within the sinful souls of all humanity.

Supreme Heavenly Radiance

"AMATERASU-ŌMIKAMI!"

God's Representative

Ragnarok Round XIII

Amaterasu(Japan)

"YEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" The side of the heavens erupted in cheers and applause upon the descent of the goddess of the sun. "Go, Amaterasu!"

"The Indomitable Sun Goddess is here!"

"Show those humans what it means to rule as a god!"

On the humans' side, several people began to pale in fear at the sight of the goddess of the sun. "S-so that's Amaterasu… They say she's a Chief God like Shiva and Zeus…"

"Can we really defeat a god as strong as that?"

"No way… There's just no way! We'd have to have an absolute monster to even think of challenging someone that strong!"

Heimdall raised his arm, immediately silencing the audience, god and man alike. All eyes were now on him as he raised his Gjallerhorn high. "And now, to introduce the human who will be challenging the Goddess of the Sun in Ragnarok!"

youtube

RUMBLE...

"Hm?" One of the gods looked up at the sky in confusion. "What's going on…?"

DRIP… DRIP…

"…!"

"THE SUN!" the god cried out in shock. "W… WHERE DID THE SUN GO?!"

Indeed, just as quickly as the sun had arrived to shine down on the arena, so too did it disappear. Without anyone, god or man, noticing, the arena had been covered by a massive storm cloud, and rain now started to drip down on everyone present. Nearly everyone looked up to the sky in terror and fear, barely able to believe the sight before their eyes.

"No way…!"

"Did the human do this?!"

"That's impossible! This has to be a prank by Susanoo!"

Said storm god immediately got a smug smile on his face at the immediate change in weather. "Well now… This looks like it's gonna be fun!"

"Tch…" The Great Divinity Illuminating Heaven merely rolled her eyes of the dark clouds rumbling overhead, before using her mirror to dry up any raindrops that got near her. "Of course it had to be another storm-wielder…"

"The representative for mankind, aiming to blot out the Heavenly Light of Amaterasu, and rain down her vengeful thunderstorm on the sun itself!" Heimdall cried out, holding his hand up to the now-cloudy skies above. "In the eras of sword and sorcery, it is said that the most good and righteous king to have ever lived was none other than Arthur, the Once and Future King of Camelot!"

Within the stands, a man wearing chainmail armor grit his teeth at the words Heimdall spoke. "I knew it… She's the warrior the Valkyries chose to represent mankind?" The Champion of Camelot, Lancelot du Lac, snarled. "A monster who sought to destroy a perfect age of chivalry… And we are to expect her to be our hero?! And over our king, no less?!"

"Calm down, Lancelot," an older gentleman chuckled as he stroked his beard. "After all, she's fighting to save us all, is she not?" The great sage of Camelot, Merlin, looked onto the battlefield with a grin. "I must say, it is an honor to see my student on the battlefield of the gods..."

"Pah, as if I'd believe that," the knight scoffed "This has to be another of her wicked plots!"

"Perhaps, perhaps not," the brilliant wizard laughed. "But should you not follow the example of your king? What say you, Arthur?"

A blonde man, bearing a golden crown and a well-kept beard, merely sighed at the squabbling before him. King Arthur leaned back in his seat as he looked over the rumbling heavens. "I know Morgause has done us wrong… She's done all of us wrong before. But if she is fighting for mankind's salvation, then I shall not begrudge her actions. No matter how much I fear this may be another of her games…"

"But every hero must have his villain! Every righteous good shall be followed close behind by a wicked evil! Every knight will meet a dragon that he must slay! So too did Arthur's Camelot have a vicious and cruel tyrant that sought to bring it to its knees! And the monster that sought to destroy everything the King of the Britons stood for was none other than his own sister!"

Up within the black skies, a single speck of white could be seen darting about. A woman clad in white robes sat atop an ivory staff, looking down at everyone, man and god alike. Despite the raging storm, not a single drop of water so much as touched her pristine dress. She raised a single finger and pointed it down, unleashing a bolt of lightning at her opponent.

KSHHNNNG!

In one single stroke, the sun goddess split the thunderbolt in twain with Kusanagi, the two halves of the lightning arcing harmlessly behind her.

"HEY! WHAT THE HELL?!" a god roared out in outrage. "HOW DARE YOU TRY AND HIT OUR SUPREME GODDESS BEFORE THE FIGHT EVEN BEGINS?!"

"Damn humans, cheating again!"

"You're despicable! You should be disgusted you even thought of harming the Chief Goddess of Japan!"

The witch merely smiled at the boos and jeers of the crowd, eyes shining at the anger her actions incurred. "So, another perfect angel has made herself known?" she whispered to herself. "Good… I'll enjoy tearing her down and seeing her beg for my mercy…"

"Oh, brother…" a woman in black robes sighed out in exaggerated frustration as she held her hand to her face. "I shoulda known it was her when the clouds started to roll in, the big ham…"

"Well, at least we know she's still as confident as ever, right Morgan?" a younger woman replied. "I know that you, Arthur, and her all had your differences, but she's fighting to save mankind. That's got to count for something, right?"

"Fighting to save mankind… Hah!" the woman known as Morgan le Fay scoffed at the notion. "Please, Elaine… We both know that she's only in this for herself."

"Mankind forgot her in ages past, but today, she has chosen to enter the Battlefield of the Gods, and carve her name into the very souls of God and Man alike!" Heimdall roared over the crowd. "She is the Witch-Queen of Orkney! The Wicked Witch of the Medieval Age! The eldest of the three half-sisters of King Arthur! But as she aims to conquer the heavens themselves, she will etch but one name within history!"

The woman in white touched down on the ground, light as a feather, revealing a tall and elegant woman with hair as white as the clothes she wore. The witch slammed her ivory staff into the ground, stilling the rumbling heavens in a single motion. The Downfall of Camelot smiled as she looked down at her opponent with murder in her eyes and a wicked smile on her face.

Queen of Witchcraft

"MORGAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSEEEEEEEEE!!!"

Humanity's Representative

Ragnarok Round XIII

Morgause(Wales)

The arena was silent as the two combatants stared each other down, both queens sizing the other up as everyone in the audience nervously looked at the other side.

"So… This is the Supreme Heavenly Light of Japan, hm?" the Downfall of Camelot grinned as she spun her staff around in contemplation. "Well, 'God'…"

CHAK!

Morgause pointed her staff towards Amaterasu, eyes narrowed. "Prostrate yourself and bow before me… Or die broken and beaten at my feet."

"Hmph…" While many within the godly audience flinched at the words coming from the Queen of Orkney, the sun goddess was not so easily cowed.

K-CHK!

Amaterasu raised her blade, taking a stance as she pointed the Kusanagi blade at its next victim. "You're not the first arrogant blowhard that I've put in their place. And you certainly won't be the last."

"It's Elder Sister VS Elder Sister! Queen VS Queen!" the Watchman of the Gods roared as the tension in the air reached an all-time high. "Will the Queen of Air and Shadow take home another victory for mankind and drown the light of the sun in her darkness? Or shall the Top God of Japan burn away the wickedness of humanity's most terrible witch and avenge the loss of the previous round?!" Heimdall leapt back as far as he could from the two terrifying queens, raising his hands in the air. "East VS West! Light VS Darkness! Sun VS Storms! The thirteenth round of Ragnarok will decide here and now!"

"FIGHT!"

#source: genzoman #source: misakura aoi #record of ragnarok #shuumatsu no valkyrie #rematch of ragnarok #amaterasu #morgause #i'm gonna be honest #this is probably the battle i'm most excited to write for #alongside maxwell vs sol #sigurd vs [redacted]#and jason vs [redacted]#i both love and hate hyperfixations don't you?#Youtube

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styrmwb · 11 months

Text

Favorite Final Fantasy Music (FFXI - Wings of the Goddess)

Expansion #4, the time travel one baby!!!!! The story for this one is neat, as it brings back what the base game had of choosing a nation and having missions based off that nation specifically, but also having a lot more of a unified storyline. You get to meet a lot of familiar NPCs from the past, but also get to revisit the base world, with slight changes. The entire world is at war, and all of the cities you're in are more like military forts. It's all very cool. The official soundtrack for this is weird; cause it includes Iron Colossus and Ragnarok, which are Aht Urhgan songs (Ragnarok being the final boss of that expansion (also fucked up that Odin is Iron Colossus and Alexander is Ragnarok)), but doesn't include its actual final boss theme, cause that was put in a different soundtrack later. I am not 1-to-1 following the official soundtrack for this list for this exception (spoilers whooaaaaaaaaa)

5. Snowdrift Waltz What if we made a song using the sound of throwing a rock against a very very large landmass of ice? That's this song. Which works! Cause it plays in a frozen tundra. I really feel like the title of this song fits it in particular, a lot more than a lot of songs; cause that's literally just what it is! It's a nice waltz that sounds like snowdrift. I don't have much to say other than it's a really good melody with a very unique sound in the back, perfectly fitting its purpose.

4. Run Maggot, Run! We've done a lot of parts for one game. The pro of this is I get to share a lot more songs that I enjoy because the game is so big. The cons of this though, are a few of the songs are just going to fall under the same general reasoning for why I enjoy them, because XI has that XI sound that I really like. This is ultimately, another XI battle song that kinda fits that same mold previous entries have, so I won't go too in depth other than I love the cool pan flute, the more intense than usual percussion, and the melody when the muted cymbal and starry noise come in.

3. Under a Clouded Moon This song was a lot like Tough Battle #2, where I hated it at first because of the really weird rhythm it had; but then I started really listening to it and I was able to find where the song was (does that make sense?). I love the strangely buzzy echo the song goes into when giving the main hits a break, especially when it adds the artificial choir sound on the second go. Finally, the part that plays right before that repeat reminds me of Dragon Quest IX's grottos, which makes me really happy cause I love that game.

2. Goddess Divine Hey remember when I made a whole paragraph saying that the actual final boss theme wasn't in the soundtrack? Here's that theme now! I feel like it's been a minute since I've put an actual final boss theme in the lists; RotZ's was good, but the first half is a little repetitive. And I never really cared for CoP's or ToAU's. But this one felt different. It's a lot more subdued than the previous examples. I love the choir in the start, giving you that same heavenly vibe that part 4 of Dancing Mad does, fitting the fight. The melody is beautiful, yet I wanna say the minor key it's in (I might be wrong on this) and the heavy strings/percussion bring in that sense of sorrow and tension that really reminds you 1) this is a fight for your timeline but also 2) this is essentially a fight against your friend. The final part of the song brings back that heavenly sound with the XI flair, and making the bells/glockenspiel an actually tolerable instrument! (middle school band has left scars on my heart) I also really liked the Dissidia NT version of this song, giving it a very techno feel.

1. Wings of the Goddess It's been a minute since I've used a final boss theme, and it's also been a minute since I've used a title screen theme. Other than Vana'diel March, Wings of the Goddess is my second favorite title theme. Whenever one of them starts playing as I boot up the game, I get nothing but a big smile on my face. While it has very similar percussion to a lot of the game, something about the snare in this one gives me more of that drummer boy to battle vibe than Vana'diel March had, befitting this expansion taking place during a war, but still giving you that hopefulness, that freedom, and that happiness in its main melody getting you ready for this open world. My favorite part is the final part of the song, with the horn solo playing off, and the flute repeating itself almost like it's fading away the song, telling you to start the game up already! It's a really nice composition that I love for a lot of the same reasons as Vana'diel March, but making it different enough to give its own story.

Honorable mentions this time are: March of the Allied Forces, Flowers on the Battlefield, Griffons Never Die, Echoes of a Zephyr, Thunder of the March, Royal Wanderlust, and Troubled Shadows.

#final fantasy #final fantasy xi #textpost #jared's final fantasy music opinions

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