#The Sovereign's Ring game

[anxietytwist]

𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐳𝐞 𝐍𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐥 𝐕𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐲𝐫

“𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞”

[ 𝟷𝟾 | 𝟼'𝟸" | Nonbinary | Biro Demi | 💖𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐚 ]

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⧼𝕾𝖙𝖞𝖑𝖊⧽

“𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩-𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘯”

Everyday:

Formal:

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⧼𝕱𝖆𝖒𝖎𝖑𝖎𝖆𝖗⧽

“𝐏𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧”

𝘋𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺

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⧼𝕹𝖔𝖙𝖊𝖘⧽

𝗦𝗲𝘅➙ AFAB 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘀➙ They/Them 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱➙ 𝘌𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱➙ Scholar

✨️ 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐳𝐞 is introverted & tries their best to avoid “uncontrolled” social situations 😰 (luckily they're able to mask any discomfort their experiencing with a smile... they're “royalty” after all 👑)

✨️ They realized they were trans & began, socially, transitioning when they turned 𝟷𝟹 🏳️‍⚧️

✨️ It was “love at 𝟷ˢᵗ sight” when 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞 met 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐚 (sadly after her correspondence abruptly stopped, their feelings began souring after a period of heartbreak 😔💔)... when they meet once again it takes 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞 a while to fully trust 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐚 again (they always kept their matching 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮 on them, though, despite the pain 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐚'𝐬 absence caused them 🍇)

✨️ They're rarely seen without their mama's 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵 around their neck ❤️‍🩹

✨️ 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐳𝐞 is quite a crybaby... & while they HAVE gotten better at processing their emotions they still have a tendency to cry whenever they experience overwhelming emotions 🥺😢😭 (positive OR negative)

✨️ As much as they love their aunt, they're painfully aware (even as a very young child) that she is NOT a true replacement for their mama ☹️

✨️ 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞 has MASSIVE abandonment issues (𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞'𝐬 biggest fear is that NOBODY will love them enough to stay... & they'll be alone again) which leads to some not-so-healthy thoughts & behaviour patterns 😬 (nothing “extreme” or “harmful” to other parties though, just themself)

✨️ They absolutely adore both of their brothers... even if 𝐀𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡 can be a bit patronizing & 𝐒𝐢𝐞𝐠𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐭 is emotionally distant at times 🙃

✨️ 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐳𝐞'𝐬 favourite hobby is dancing 💃 (ballet, ballroom, etc...), not only does it keep them fit & quick on their feet, it's also A LOT of fun for them

✨️ Despite being so small, 𝐏𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧 often functions as their “emotional support bird” 💕🐤

✨️ 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞 loved their time at the 𝐼𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 & hopes to continue their studies, as well as the research they were assisting with, in the future 🖋📜

✨️ They're a “smile through the pain” kind of person 🥲 (unless someone knows them & their queues well, it's hard to tell when they're actually upset)

✨️ 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐳𝐞'𝐬 hair is styled in a “𝘫𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘺𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘤𝘶𝘵”🪼

✨️ They have no interest in politics (they'll leave that to others while they focus solely on academic pursuits 📚🤔)

✨️ 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞 will never forgive 𝐄𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐤 for his actions in their 𝟼ᵗʰ birthday (especially for what he did to 𝐀𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡) 😒

✨️ They're a very tactile person; their primary way of showing affection is physical touch 🫂

✨️ At the 𝐹𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝐸𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒, 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐳𝐞 bought glass figurines for their family (a fox for 𝐀𝐥 🦊, lion for 𝐒𝐢𝐞𝐠 🦁, dragon for their aunt 🐲, & a unicorn for themselves 🦄)

✨️ ...

𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐳𝐞 means “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦” (Latin)

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𝐼𝐹: @thesovereignsring-if

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Picrew used:

Transparent PNG (Bird) site:

🔞NSFW Notes🔞

Sub Bottom (with –𝟶 experience)

𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐳𝐞'𝐬 brain goes brrrrrrrrrr whenever 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐚 doms them 🥴❤️‍🔥 (something about their height difference, 𝟷 whole foot, definitely makes them buzz)

[thesovereignsring-if]

Welcome everyone! Lili here <3

Read the update here

NOTE: YOU WILL NEED TO START A NEW SAVE FOR THE NEW CONTENT.

The time as come to celebrate the new year with the Festival of Eostre. It will be your first one without your mother, but at least you will have your friends and family with you. Today will be filled with good memories. This will be part 1 of 3 updates for the prologue.

NOTE: The Festival of Eostre is the second prologue that takes place between the introduction and Chapter 1. Until this section is complete, players will not be able to read Chapter 1 anymore. You will also need to start a New Save otherwise your game will break and miss content. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Update Log:

Story:

13+ word update.

Prepare for the festival with your friends and family

Spend sometime with them in 2/4 routes.

Go boating with Alberich and Finn or visit the Markets with Thea and Sieghardt.

Meet Grand Cardinal Lior, the leader of the dominant religion in Nibelheim.

Gameplay/UI Changes:

Dark Theme colours have been slightly adjusted. (If people have a colour theme they wish to see, I'll be more than happy to add them)

Character Creation has been updated and streamlined: (Gender/Pronouns and Sex are separate categories for both adult and child character creations. Attributes chosen during Child Character Creation will be stored as different variables in the event I choose to do anymore flashbacks later on in the story.)

Please note, that choosing after your sex (as an adult) I will assume your character will have the corresponding equipment down there.

Music Credits have been updated.

Fixed typos.

What to expect for the next update:

The remain routes with Linnet and the Empress.

Some Codex Entries + childhood artwork of characters

Have fun! The Festival is only beginning :)

[nerdybookahs]

Still Waiting - Games on my Wishlist

Still Waiting - Games on my Wishlist #Blaugust2023

I saw Krikket write about her oldest wishlisted upcoming games and thought it would be interesting to check mine. I was sure I would have about the same amount that she does but boy, was I wrong. 84 wishlisted items including 2 DLCs. So let’s see about the ones that have been on my wishlist the longest: June 2020: Sovereign’s Will I have not given up hope, but it did decrease over the years.…

[thewertsearch]

You get the Draconian Dignitary on the line. He asks what the hell you've been up to.

Looks like Jack’s still in contact with DD - something which had no reason not to be the case, but is nevertheless a very funny fact.

The guy’s a planet-destroying abomination, but still has mobster lackeys. Weird that that’s happened twice.

He makes sure you're remembering to keep the destructive impulses to a minimum. No more planet exploding or anything like that. You say yeah yeah. He says no point in securing power when there's nothing left to rule.

And DD’s even working to preserve the session! The guy's a bit of an unsung hero here, as we've all seen what Jack did to the troll planets. If he starts blowing up Lands - particularly LOHAC - we're fucked.

I wonder if this is Vriska’s doing, actually. We already know she can influence Carapacians, and she’s already done so to a Dersite Agent specifically.

Lousy stupid dignitary, all keeping your murderous tendencies in check. He's the most terrible guy you almost kind of didn't despise completely.

Jack genuinely cares about DD, doesn't he?

Something about that tiny spark of warmth is really getting to me. It's one thing to be facing a corrupted game character, but Jack's starting to seem like a person - and people tend to be more dangerous villains than NPCs.

lmfao

You attempt to humor the Sovereign Slayer's demands diplomatically. There's a narrow line to walk between obeying the orders of a clear superior and blindly facilitating a perfectly useless genocide. It takes a very savvy breed of psychopath to pull it off.

Ah, so DD knows exactly what he’s doing here.

Honestly, his cold, calculating style might make him more dangerous than Jack. I'm starting to suspect that if he got the Ring, the Players would already be dead, and the session would be on total lockdown.

The Slayer is yapping about some girl. Probably one of the young players who can no longer provide any serious threat to your rule.

Or not, since he apparently thinks the Players are no threat.

Like - really, Droog? The Sburb Players are no threat? The game's protagonists are-

Ah, I'm wasting my breath. The game probably forces Dersite Agents to underestimate the Players, so they don't just assassinate them in their beds.

You say fine, just send the droll after her.

Delegating the one murder you can't commit is a genuinely excellent idea...

There's a moment of radio silence. He says you mean the COURTYARD Droll? He wants to be sure this is the same droll you're talking about.

...which has already been ruined. Even Jack knows that the Deuce is more likely to help Jade than kill her.

[crazerk]

This demo has lived rent free in my brain for the last 24 hours bestie !!! All the origins are so fun! I’m particularly drawn to the noble tho 👀And as for a basic question: can we please get some fun facts about the ROs ? TY <333

This comment made my day! I’m glad these characters aren’t tormenting only me now lol.

Fun facts under the cut!

Kaz

As a child he pretended to be afraid of the dark for years because his mother would comfort him with stories from her homeland. She still thinks he is and asks the servants to keep some candles burning at night, even though they annoy him. He considers this karma for the lies.

He has a massive sweet tooth. He might project the image of a stoic, serious emperor but that man loves sweets. He doesn’t indulge too often in public though. He’d rather sneak into the kitchens at night and once frightened a poor cook half to death when he stumbled upon his sovereign eating honey straight from a jar at like 2 am.

He’s a remarkable artist. He draws a lot. Really into architecture too.

He fidgets with his signet ring when he’s nervous. He does this unconsciously most of the time, and those who aren’t familiar with his mannerisms might assume he’s just deep in thought. But really his mind is spamming the panic button.

I’m not sure if this is a “fun” fact but he enjoys bloodsport. His father’s reign was criticized for this and his friendship with Fang has given him a different perspective on how slaves in the fighting pits are treated so he’s distanced himself from it. But it bothers him a bit, how much like his father he can be.

Fang

He has talent for juggling and often uses it to entertain children in the marketplace.

He’s quite the pirate fanboy. He wants to be a pirate so bad and dreams of owning a ship and just sailing around the world someday. Fang once won a drinking contest against a notorious pirate captain, earning him a place on the crew if he ever felt inclined. Fang thinks about that offer everyday.

He learned how to read and write from his master and has a hidden stash of romantic poetry that he's written over the years, inspired by his various crushes and lovers. He's never shared these poems with anyone, as he fears they might ruin his roguish reputation.

He doesn’t have a home. He has enough gold stockpiled from his fighting days to live comfortably and Khazunef has made it clear that he’s welcome at the palace but he prefers to just… wander around. He claims it’s because he likes not knowing where he’ll end up, and that every day is a new adventure. But really it’s because when he thinks of home he remembers a time long ago when he was a boy, before the raiders, before the slavery and before the fighting, when his mother would cradle him by a warm hearth and sing a lullaby. He can’t recreate that feeling. He’s terrified even trying to.

Persa

She loves to play pranks. Her favorite involves sneaking into rooms while their occupants are away and rearranging their furniture just slightly, enough to make them question their own sanity when they return.

She has a photographic memory, which comes in handy for her favorite pastime: gambling. Do not under any circumstances challenge her to any games of chance, as she can easily remember cards played or patterns in a game. Several guards have lost months wages in this manner.

Shes the definition of having a green thumb. She has a fondness for winter roses, a flower that grows in the snowy peaks of her native land. She managed to cultivate them in the desert. Persa tends a small garden of these roses in the palace as a reminder of home. She’s skilled herbalist and often disappears into the palace gardens for hours at a time, gathering plants and herbs for her potions and remedies.

Persa is a gifted singer, but she only sings when she thinks no one is listening. Her voice is hauntingly beautiful, and it's said that even the birds fall silent to listen it. Something she finds herself humming tunes of the songs from her home, but she can never quite remember the words.

Ignasia

She absolutely detests spicy foods. Yes she knows, it’s ironic that a fire priestess can’t stand the heat. You can only make that joke once. Do it again and she might curse you.

Despite her serious demeanor, Ignasia has a wicked sense of humor. She loves to tell jokes with a straight face, leaving others unsure whether to laugh or not.

She has a talent for mimicry and can do impressions of almost anyone including fellow priestess, imperial courtiers and advisors. She won’t confirm or deny if she’s used this skill for dubious purposes.

She pretends leaving her noble family behind to become a priestess was a great sacrifice. In truth it was her greatest pleasure.

Sometimes, she tells people that she sees things in the flames that aren’t there. She tells herself it’s for the greater good. To give hope to the man who asked if his daughter’s sickness was fatal, to prevent a young lad who asked if the gods will protect him if he sought out his sister’s murderer from getting killed or simply because the truth was too heavy. She tells herself it’s for the best, and the flames wouldn’t mind. Right?

[iwashieonhiatus]

"𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑛 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝 𝑎 𝑓𝑜𝑜𝑙 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒"| 𝐵𝐿𝐿𝒦

📌 ft. Karasu Tabito, Oliver Aiku, Barou Shoei, Eita Otoya

➸ When they realize you're the only woman for them and silly marriage proposals. f!reader, pro players (20+), 20+ characters.

⇦ KARASU TABITO ⇨

He doesn’t know when it started exactly. You came quietly into his life, as a co-worker, friend, then came laughter and looks that he was sure meant something until you asked him out and you two kissed, from that day on he acted like a teenager next to you, heart-shaped eyes. He fell in love more when you defended him, getting into fights, playing football with him, taking care of him like they hadn’t done in a long time. He was totally in love with you and made sure everyone knew, always saying he would marry you and would have children who would be the perfect copy of you two, making you laugh out loud. “If I score three goals in this game, you’ll marry me.”, “That wasn’t a question, was it?”, “No, it wasn’t a question.”, “Three goals and I’ll marry you, handsome.”

⇦ OLIVER AIKU ⇨

This man swore he was bewitched. Nothing and no one could bring old Oliver back. It was you and only you in his life. It started with a kiss at a party and suddenly he couldn’t forget you; He humiliated himself to his friends to get your number and be able to ask you out, choosing a place that hadn’t already taken other women or risked meeting his exes. He didn’t know what was so special about you, but he sighed when he watched you. He blushed when you complimented him. His heart beat so hard that he was afraid you would listen. He keeps fresh in his memory your first date, the outfit you chose, what you ate, what you said and asked, the laugh and kiss that made his knees weak. Oliver didn’t want to hear about another woman anymore, for he had found you and would ask you to marry him; He was sure of this as he watched you picking fruit at the market. “Then you came, love... I just want you and nothing else.” 

⇦ BAROU SHOEI ⇨

He knew exactly when he fell in love with you. It was hard to forget the person who treated him like a normal person and didn’t bow down to King Barou. He swore he would bring you to your knees and accept him as sovereign, showing you the power he had over anyone. He would show off to you at games, in interviews, at parties, even on normal days he would come to your house. The tables turned and suddenly the obsession turned into passion; he kissed you so gently, fearing that you would reject him, as if he wasn’t worthy of being with you. He asked for advice from the women in his family, devised the entire plan to make you fall madly in love with him, still aspiring to be recognized as a king. But he realized it wouldn’t be fun to be king, to win the world cup, to have everyone at his feet, if he didn’t have a queen next to him, so he kneeled in front of you in the middle of the field, the cup of the world cup serving as a ring that he didn’t buy. “Woman, you’re on my mind like a damn drug, so be my queen.” 

⇦ EITA OTOYA ⇨

He remembered when he fell madly in love with you. All it took was a ‘I’ll kill you if you cheat on me’ and he’s never been as good as he is now. He deleted all the conversations and numbers of women he didn’t like, and published that he was dating you after two months of dating. He already liked you from the time you treated him like another one in your life. He couldn’t help but like women who treated him with contempt. And when he begged you to go out with him and you said you would only go out if it was to date and from dating to marriage, you said ‘I’m better be the woman of your life’, he didn’t hesitate to tell his family that you were the woman of his life. Everyone knows you boss him around and he couldn’t be happier. It was worth giving up the life of a womanizer if it were up to you. Otoya would do anything to make you happy because you made him happy, a better man, so at the end of the game he took you in the middle of the field and the fans of his team held up signs that read ‘will you marry me?’ kneeling next to you with the most beautiful engagement ring you’ve ever seen and making the stadium go wild. “If falling in love is stupid, then God helps the idiot here who wants to marry the woman of his life.”

© iwashie 2023, please do not translate, modify or republish my works

[pen-and-umbra]

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

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

The most astounding lore connection, however, is found elsewhere, concealed within one of the mini-games. At a certain stage, Queen's Blood becomes a fully fledged side quest, and the now-deceased creator of the game, Lidrehl, contacts Cloud to relay an intriguing story behind it.

(“Once, there lived a queen of peerless beauty and compassion. She loved her people, and in turn, they loved her. But one day, a change came over the queen. In a blink of an eye, her love turned to hate, her compassion to cruelty. Fair and beauteous though she remained, her heart became black as pitch. Conquest was now her cause, her subjects mere fodder to feed her boundless ambition. And so her kingdom grew as her subjects perished. Until, that is, a ray of hope appeared – a sorceress who would be their salvation. The Emerald Witch they called her. And with her arcane powers, she led the people into rebellion, captured the queen, and put her to death. Yet from the tyrant’s body spilled blood as dark as shadow. And from this wicked ichor, the myriad fiends of the world were born. And that... is the story of the Shadowblood Queen. Some call it a parable. A myth. A fairy tale. And I wish it were! But she is as real as you and I! And she is coming. Her resurrection is nigh.”)

“In a blink of an eye, her love turned to hate, her compassion to cruelty. Fair and beauteous though she remained, her heart became black as pitch”—this passage describes the metamorphosis Sephiroth undergoes during Nibelheim flashback to a tee. The language used to depict the queen's transformation - "in a blink of an eye, her love turned to hate, her compassion to cruelty"— parallels Sephiroth's own shift from heroism to villainy. “Conquest was now her cause, her subjects mere fodder to feed her boundless ambition” — anything rings a bell?

“This planet is my birthright! [FFVII Remake & Rebirth]”, “What I want, Cloud, is to sail the darkness of the cosmos with this planet as my vessel, just as my mother did long ago. Then one day we'll find a new planet. And on its soil, we'll create a shining future [FFVII AC]”, “My dominion shall reach into infinity” [FFVII Rb], “I am the chosen one. I have been chosen to be the leader/ruler of this Planet [FFVII OG]”. Birthright, dominion, and leadership are all expressions associated with the concept of a ruler or sovereign, much like a king or queen. Similarly, the excerpt stating "her kingdom grew as her subjects perished" signals a conquest and the losses suffered by the queen's people as a consequence.

Lidrehl's story thus appears to be the first case of Jenova infestation, offering a plausible explanation for the origins of the “female” entity known as Jenova. A female ruler of an unnamed people (possibly the Cetra or the Gi) appears to have had an inexplicable change of heart and embarked on a path of destruction. It is conceivable that this entity, possibly the ruler of the Gi, descended on the planet via a meteor (“subjects perished” = perhaps the Gi old world perished as a result of their queen's conquest? This implication is discussed in pt.1) in order to pursue its “boundless ambitions”. This mirrors the plan Sephiroth outlines to Cloud before their confrontation in Advent Children, emphasizing the parallel between the two narratives. “<...> …to sail the darkness of the cosmos with this planet as my vessel <...> Then one day we'll find a new planet. And on its soil, we'll create a shining future”.

On the other hand, the ruler could be Cetran, and whatever caused her to change bore virus-like nature (think of how AC! Sephiroth released Geostigma, which infected people with Jenova's organics). It's somewhat puzzling that the Temple of Ancients makes no mention of their supposed queen when referring to the malicious “celestial adversary”. Then again, it could be reflected in the account of their “enemy” being a shape-shifter who wore the faces of their deceased to spread discord among people.

In fact, the supposed queen may have been killed by this alien entity and wound up dead (as human Sephiroth was after Nibelheim), but the alien entity was impersonating her (again, much like Jenova at various points takes the form of Sephiroth in OG and Remake). Whatever corrupted the queen came with the meteor (the Gi connection again?). Incidentally, the Northern Crater is sitting on the same continent where the Forgotten Capital is located. If there was an alien virus-like substance there, it could have potentially reached the city — a detail that also resonates with Shiva summon lore, as she allegedly froze the impact region to “staunch” the wound.

“An ice-elemental entity and ruler over the world of ice. It is said that she once saved the planet from certain destruction by staunching a great wound with a glacier.” [Loading screen description of Shiva]

Conversely, the ruler of Cetran people could have taken measures to address the disaster, and got infected or killed on site. 

“Until that is, a ray of hope appeared—a sorceress who would be their salvation. The Emerald Witch, they called her. And with her arcane powers, she led the people into rebellion, captured the queen, and put her to death”. Given that the Cetra are described as being more attuned to magic and the arcane, it is reasonable to assume the Emerald Witch was indeed a Cetra. Furthermore, the term “emerald” directly alludes to the color of Mako and the Lifestream. When Aerith pacifies the Lifestream at the Temple of Ancients, she effectively becomes a Lifestream whisperer, or a sorceress.

Therefore, it is reasonable to assume the powers the Emerald Witch possessed were likely linked to the ability to manipulate Lifestream energy on a grand scale. Not too dissimilar to what Aerith does in the original ending, huh?

“Yet from the tyrant’s body spilled blood as dark as shadow. And from this wicked ichor, the myriad fiends of the world were born”—this is highly reminiscent of the Negative Lifestream from Advent Children or the dark essence Kadaj was using to infuse water at the Forgotten Capital. Or even the Geostigma.

Viewed in a broader context, this suggests the passage is referring to the manner in which Jenova's cells spread to infect individuals and animals, potentially reflecting its virulent nature or hinting at the deliberate experiments conducted by ShinRA.

The Shadowblood Queen card bears striking resemblances to the wall depictions of Jenova in the Temple of the Ancients, including hidden eyes, flowing locks, and a hairstyle reminiscent of a meteor shape. The latter, in turn, oddly echoes Rosa's portrayal in LOVELESS, the headpiece in particular.

Conversely, the Emerald Witch card shows similarities to the Goddess Materia statue (the cowl) in Crisis Core, suggesting a possible association with Minerva. The Cetra connection is further solidified by FFVII Remake's ShinRA HQ VR tour. It highlights the traditional Cetra white robe and a cowl when touching upon the subject of harnessing Lifestream's power [through creation of Materia].

As the Planet's avatar, Minerva is an ideal candidate for being a sorceress capable of manipulating the Lifestream. This implies that Minerva may have once been a mortal Cetra, the Emerald Witch. Furthermore, the flower-garland garment on the Emerald Witch card shares surprising similarities to the one Aerith wore while performing her song in the LOVELESS play.

Interestingly, the flowers depicted on the card are of the yellow variety, which provides a nod to the flowers associated with Aerith throughout the franchise. This might hint at Omni!Aerith's new role and mission, drawing a direct parallel between the Emerald Witch card and Aerith's mission.

There's another dead giveaway that connects the Shadowblood Queen and Jenova. As Lidrehl wraps up his story, we are given a glimpse of a robed figure putting their arms threateningly over him. There's no mistake here, as the robe sleeves bear the telltale tears and tatters of “failed clones”. To highlight this, the figure vanishes with distinctive purple/magenta effects similar to those of Jenovaroth and Jenova. 

What's more, when relaying the account of Shadowblood Queen, Lidrehl uses a very specific language, used only by Aerith to describe Jenova in the first part of the Remake.

Lidrehl: “That foul thing is the source of this nightmare <...>” Aerith: [before Jenova Dreamweaver battle] “The source. Of everything.”

Lidrehl’s final words are full of grim promise. 

(“Some call it a parable. A myth. A fairy tale. And I wish it were! But she is as real as you and I! And she is coming. Her resurrection is nigh”.)

Her resurrection. Not Sephiroth's. It is Jenova who will come back.

This detail lends more weight to Sephiroth's cryptic speech about his “fragmented mother” in the Temple of Ancients.

(“My fragmented mother, these errant worlds… All shall be one again.”)

From a broader perspective, the purpose of the Reunion remains the same: to bring Jenova's cell bearers together, but this time the meeting will span across timelines to make the “fragmented mother” whole again [as extensively discussed here], thus fulfilling Lidrehl's prophetic statement of Shadowblood's Queen resurrection looming. Additionally, Sephiroth's message about creating infinity/eternity to rule all the creation forever aligns with Jenova's boundless ambition for conquest, as described by Lidrehl: "Conquest was now her cause, her subjects mere fodder to feed her boundless ambition." In fact, the godhood aspiration that Sephiroth exhibits in the original game can be seen as a reflection of Jenova's/Shadowblood's own limitless ruling ambition.

(“It shall encompass worlds unbound by fate and histories unwritten. <...> My dominion shall reach into infinity”)

In essence, the Queen's Blood game retells an ancient myth about Jenova's origins and supposedly the Cetran victory over it. Lidrehl's story also seems to reveal the original identity of Minerva, suggesting that the Emerald Witch's true identity and arcane knowledge could hold a key to defeating Jenova. Whatever the case may be, Lidrehl was unquestionably killed for this knowledge, as evidenced by the threatening presence which appeared by the end of his speech, and generally we can surmise as much from the card game quest. Based on the earlier discussion, it seems that the LOVELESS play is another aspect, a precursor, or perhaps a (human?) perspective of the same story. Although some details may have been altered or mixed up over time, the similarities remain. As such, Rosa's character prototype may have once been the Queen who became corrupted. Similarly, the character Aerith portrays during her vocal performance might have been inspired by the Emerald Witch, who I believe was the mortal form of Minerva.

Lidrehl's story also seems to point in the direction of Jenova's resurrection, with Jenova being an active, sentient and autonomous agent that has a history of mindjacking other living beings. The account of a fair and kind Queen suddenly and inexplicably becoming corrupted serves as a deliberate parallel and a precursor to Sephiroth's case of a renowned hero drastically turning wicked and cruel. FFVII Rebirth's version of Nibelheim flashback further corroborates this idea, from strongly emphasizing Jenova-esque glitches Sephiroth experiences to outright superimposing Jenova's face over his, thus conveying a sense of possession.

If Jenova was indeed once a Cetran ruler, or more accurately, if it once actually infested a Cetran body like a virus and NOT shapeshifted into one, then this brings a layer of paradoxical irony to ShinRA's early findings. They were not wrong to classify the being as an Ancient. This would also lend more weight to Jenovaroth's ability to bend and control the Whispers, as he would have some of the Ancients' blood in him, much like Omni!Aerith supposedly does with White Whispers. The “choking” and “corroding” of the Lifestream to overpower and command it does evoke the Cetran characteristic relationship with the Planet, albeit twisted in nature.

This also raises intriguing questions about Sephiroth's biological makeup and may offer a clue to defeating Jenovaroth. If the Jenova substance was foreign to the Cetra's ruler own organism, then it is equally foreign to Sephiroth. If the being we know as Jenova is merely an infected Cetra, then Sephiroth was implanted with Cetran cells harboring something else. Therefore, to eradicate the Jenovaroth threat permanently, the party may need to devise a method not only to defeat Jenovaroth in battle, but to “cleanse” the infection, thereby severing the symbiotic/parasitic grip Jenova has on living organisms. This approach echoes how Aerith purged the Geostigma infection in Advent Children.

.......

Screenshots courtesy of Mapocolops comprehensive video on Queen's Blood quest. Other reads:

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

Jenova being awake & Was Sephiroth possessed?

Jenova resurrecting itself across timelines?

👋 @pen-and-umbra

Jul 26, 2024

[zareleonis]

Since all the Oceanids in Genshin are named after real Oceanids from Greek myth, here are some of my favorite Oceanid names that I think could’ve been Furina’s name before she became the god Focalors:

Adrasteia: goddess of “inevitable fate,” representing “pressing necessity” and the inescapability of punishment. scarily on the nose for Furina’s story.

Beroe: mentioned in Virgil’s Georgics as the sister of Clio—“Clio and Beroe her sister, daughters of Ocean both, both arrayed in gold, and both in dappled hides.” Technically all the Oceanids are sisters but I like that Beroe is specifically mentioned alongside Clio, the namesake of the fictional Oceanid whose story mirrors Furina’s.

Calypso: means “she who conceals” or “like the hidden tide”

Ceto: means “sea monster” or “whale”—I like the irony of this being Furina’s Oceanid name when the prophecy is caused by a giant whale monster

Clymene: means “fame”

Eurynome: means “wanderer” or “ruler”

Galaxaura: means “calm” or “the charmer” or “like the refreshing coolness of a shady stream”

Iache: means “cry” or “shout” or “shriek”

Peitho: means “persuasion” or “winning eloquence”

Perse/Persa/Perseide/Persea/Perseis: means “destroyer”

Phaeno: means “appear” or “reveal” or “shine”; I really like the idea of Furina’s Oceanid name starting with F/Ph like her other names.

Philyra: means “linden-tree,” which is a kind of tree found in Fontaine. This tree has symbolic significance in many cultures, even being associated jurisprudence/justice in Germanic cultures. And for some big delusion, in the medieval poem Nibelungenlied—one of the inspirations for Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, from which the Dragon Sovereign King Nibelung’s name is likely derived—the hero Siegfried gains invulnerability by bathing in dragon blood, but a single linden leaf sticks to him in the process, creating his sole point of invulnerability. A fitting name for the former Oceanid who has a reincarnated Dragon Sovereign with a very big soft spot for her.

Theia: means “divine”

Urania: means “heavenly”; this is actually used in game as the name of the “Hateful Oceanid” enemy we fought during the Legend of the Vagabond Sword event, so in truth it probably can’t be Furina’s name. What makes it intriguing to me is the location on Erinnyes called Loch Urania, which is no doubt named after the Oceanid Urania, whoever she is.

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

About Meghan's coat of arms (CoA).

Firstly, i'm sure by now you know that it is out of date. She needs to write to Lord Chamberlain or the college of arms to request an updated version. 

The CoA she put up doesn't acknowledge the new reign. It's showing the coronet of the son of the heir to the throne. Boy does she want to tie herself to William..lol i kid!! But point remains. She needs to get th coronet of the son of the Sovereign. 

Secondly, while the CoA was created for her, it is a royal CoA with elements of the royal standard and royal accroutrements which as we know from 2020 is a no no. You can't use 'royal' for your tacky commercial deals. 

The only people who can use their royal CoA are the Monarch, PoW and their spouses. That jeans KC, QC, PoW and PssoW. In a strange way, in this modern age, a personal royal CoA is useless except for those 4 people because they are the only ones allowed to use it. At best you get a signet ring with it stamped in the ring to show off the fact that you have a personal CoA. 

In this case, Meghan dusted off her CoA to use because in her mind she is equal to Kate and if Kate is going to start using her arms then so shall Meghan. 

It's PoW investiture viewings at BP all over again except we don't have Major Nana and Ed Young to see them off. Ditto every other time Meghan has tried to claim something that Kate had by right of her position as the wife of the heir or in general gecause Meghan covets everything Kate has. 

And Charles is playing reindeer games instead of letting the Lord Chamberlain do his job and send a cease and desist letter to the Sussexes which he would have done by now if it was The Queen in charge. That office was very robust under her tenure. Didn't need explicit instructions to do their job. And they policed the use of royal CoA very strictly. 

Reminds me when Fayed went around telling the world that Philip had ended Diana and Dodi, Harrods lost the royal CoAs the store proudly carried for over 30yrs. Starting with Philip's CoA. Harrods still doesn't have any royal CoAs even though Fayed sold it over a decade ago. 

[foiazoli]

Current Genshin lore predictions people are making make me feel like I'm smoking crack even though my theories also seem perfectly logical. Why are we not paying attention to the significance of us literally replacing stars in the sky during the summer event???

Things we have been told so far about stars/the sky

the sky is fake

stars and constellations determine fate

fate cannot be outright defied, it must be tricked

We learned about the fake sky theory all the way back in like 1.1 with Scaramouche and Mona, and as the story has progressed it's been all but confirmed. Mona is also an astrologer, who is able to read people's fates by looking at "their" constellation. This practice gets a little wonky and off-balance when dealing with the traveler, Paimon, and Venti. The traveler isn't from Teyvat and thus doesn't have a constellation at all, Paimon is still a mystery, and Venti is an archon. When Mona tries to read his constellation, she doesn't see anything and then the wind starts blowing on her very harshly, suggesting Venti is actively trying to prevent her from looking more closely. Mona's predictions and readings when she can get them are otherwise perfectly accurate, and her voicelines about various Mondstadt characters ring perfectly true. Therefore, the stars and constellations really are able to tell people things about the fate of certain people.

Going back to the sky being fake, part of the justification for this other than it being said again by Dottore in the Sumeru archon quest, is the fan theory that Teyvat is upside-down/inside-out. Tighnari states that deep underground, Irminsul trees grow upside-down, and when progressing through the spiral abyss the deeper floors have stars above them, indicating that going down is actually going up. The Abyss order is frequently seen inverting things and being upside-down, when "abyss" is frequently seen as a thing that is deep down. So, if everything is inverted, a new sky has to be created for everyone underneath/inside in order to trick them into thinking they're still in the same place. Who would do such a thing? The general accepted answer is Celestia, given that they're the ones who set up everything else concerning the current state of humans archons and dragons.

Okay, so what? Celestia flipped everything and made a fake sky, but why would they do that? Why would they care? Celestia's motivations are still a little murky at this point in the game, but some of their actions have been explained as they wanted the planet of Teyvat to be hospitable to humans. That's why they stripped the dragon sovereigns of their power and gave it to the archons, whose job it is to nurture and help out humans. But what just happened in Fontaine? Focalors deceived Celestia in order to kill herself and destroy the position of the hydro archon, returning that power to the hydro sovereign dragon, Neuvillette. That's not only not what Celestia wanted to happen, it was a way to circumvent the prophecy that all of Fontaine would drown, killing the people and leaving the archon alone, crying to herself. And prophecies are fate! Focalors defied fate! It took her 500 years and tricking literally every single thinking being on the planet and trusting that simply living amongst Fontainians would convince Neuvillette to help save them, meaning it's a damn difficult thing to do, but still technically possible. (There's another theory that half the reason this worked is because Celestia is asleep but we're not getting into that right now)

So. Fate exists, and is tied to the positions of the stars, which are fake. Fate and prophecies are said to be immutable, but if you do unimaginable amounts of set-up, trickery, and rules-lawyering, you can get a different outcome. What if you could alter these fake stars, like we did in the Simulanka summer event? Every past summer event has foreshadowed something for the next patch cycle, and I think Natlan's archon quest is going to be about altering the stars in order to alter fate.

And from the Ignition teaser on youtube, we have "what our eyes see, ought to be our fate. But now, close your eyes and feel. For with our blood... we will forge our true fate." from Mauvika, who is probably going to be our Pyro archon. So. There will definitely be SOME kind of changing of fate, and I'm just connecting these two dots to predict the method. My prediction for how feelings will come into this is that we the traveler will again "power of friendship" our way into a power-up for the final deciding moment and no I'm not kidding. In Inazuma, we were getting our ass beat by Raiden until Yae showed up and enabled us to connect with the wills of the people of Inazuma, at which point we started doing better. In Sumeru, we got our asses beat by Scaramouche until Nahida tapped into the power of the akasha, which was feeding on the power of the people of Sumeru, and we finally won. The traveler has a history of "power of friendship"-ing their way through the most difficult fights is all I'm saying. As for where blood comes into it, I'm not sure yet. There is the blood-moon dynasty of Kaenri'ah, but considering Natlan is supposed to be the nation of war, it's also possibly just literal blood. we shall see.

I've seen several other theories about how the summer event could possibly be predicting the events of Natlan and I really like Ashikai's video "What Simulanka Tells Us About Natlan" on youtube but I've seen NOBODY talking about the stars so I had to get this out there.

[kiwiana-writes]

for the AU fun facts game? Secret relationship taken to the next level: sercretly married AU

You have come to the RIGHT PLACE my friend because I once wrote fake divorce for another fandom lmfao

ONE: It's 2024, and nobody knows they're engaged.

Every milestone they've had as a couple has been splashed about for public consumption, dissected in thinkpieces and turned into quirky 'Times FirstPrince was just like every other early 20s relationship: a thread' social media posts. This is theirs, and they want to keep it that way for a while.

Just for a while.

TWO: The thing is. The thing is.

Technically, Henry is still in the process of giving up the title and removing himself from the line of succession. Everyone knows it's happening, and everyone and their dog has an opinion about it (David, Henry is fairly certain, feels quite positively about the whole thing); but the machinations of government are slow, and as it stands right now, Henry is still legally an HRH and fourth in line to the throne.

And as such, he can't marry without the sovereign's permission.

Ironically, the only punishment for doing so would be his (and his future children's) removal from the line of succession, the very thing he's in the process of doing anyway. It seems like it should be a win-win. But he's sure that once the media get wind of the engagement, the UK media narrative will focus even more strongly on how Henry's abandonment is That Evil (Brown) American's Fault, and he'll do everything in his power to protect Alex from as much of the blowback as they possibly can.

So they'll wait to tell everyone until Henry is no longer HRH Prince Henry George Edward James Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, but instead just Henry Fox, fiancé of Alex Claremont-Diaz.

THREE: They really don't mean to let it get as far as they do. They intend to tell Alex's family at Thanksgiving, but Oscar and Ellen start sniping at each other earlier than they usually do, and it kills the whole mood. Then Mary dies, and no family news can be announced during the mourning period unless absolutely unavoidable—and Henry doesn't want to burden his mum with news she can't share. Horrible old bigot or not, Mary was still her mother, and now Catherine is Queen Catherine I. She's got enough to deal with.

They'll try again in 2025.

FOUR: Bea announces she's pregnant at the end of January, and the rings go back in the drawer. She'd never ask them to delay announcing just because they know it will shift focus entirely, and that's exactly why Henry wants to.

"She took such a media beating for years," he tells Alex, his head resting on Alex's stomach, Alex's fingers running through his hair. "She deserves to enjoy all the positivity instead. But Christ, I want to be married to you."

Alex's hand stills for a moment. "I mean... we've kept secrets from the media before."

FIVE: Eleven weeks. They last eleven weeks before people start figuring it out, and Henry's fairly certain that's only because Nora is too busy with her job to piece it all together.

June nearly kills them when she finds out.

[Send me a potential AU and I’ll tell you five fun facts that would happen in a story.]

[thesovereignsring-if]

Daria/Darius Straymon Naeara (Concept)

Daria/Darius is the bastard child Duchess Thyra Naeara and a wealthy merchant. A shy and lonesome child. Often found trailing behind his/her older half-brother, Eirik, like a shadow.

I'm sick with the stomach flue this week and it's kinda killing my productivity to write TTwTT. Please accept this artwork of Daria/Darius, your final love interest, in the meantime! I've spent weeks trying to churn out something I actually like.

[welshoot]

Genshin Impact Timeline: Analysis and Theory (Part 1: Ancient History)

So the timeline of Genshin Impact lore is questionable at best and straight-up confusing at worst. However, I’ve been working on a fic series thingie that may never see the light of day that required me to do some digging, so here I am. I put the rest under-the-cut because it gets rather lengthy. Also this is all largely theoretical and gained from the process of analysis. I used the game itself and the Genshin Impact wiki to help me along. I will possibly add to this as updates with new information or information that corrects past misunderstandings crop up. There are definite spoilers below for pretty much all of the Genshin Impact storyline  and this is a VERY long post so please beware!

The Seven Sovereigns

So, apparently at the start of everything in Teyvat, there were the Seven Sovereigns which apparently were the seven strongest elemental dragons for their respective element [Book: Byakuyakoku Collection Volume 2]. As a heads up, we do not have names for the majority of these dragons. These Seven Sovereigns had a king (who was first introduced as a plot point in Nahida’s second story quest) known as King Nibelung. (It is worth noting here that the name “Nibelung” likely comes from Wagner’s opera Der Ring Des Nibelungen but is also a name that appears in Norse legends and Germanic myths). These dragons ruled Teyvat and had elemental ‘Authorities’ until they were defeated by an individual referred to as the ‘Usurper’. It is highly implied that this ‘first usurper’ is the Primordial One. Notably, the Primordial One is often implied to be the Heavenly Principles, though, so far as I know, this has not been confirmed, though it is not a bad theory. Supporting this theory is Neuvillette’s comment that the first usurper (i.e. the primordial one) was the one who bested the seven sovereigns, while Focalors said it was the Heavenly Principles that stole the Seven Soverign’s authority. However, for the sake of simplicity, I will continue referring to this character as ‘The Primordial One’ rather than ‘The Heavenly Principles.’

The Primordial One apparently appeared out of nowhere and is highly implied to be an outlander, and as Nahida suggests at the end of the Sumeru Archon quest, the First Descender and thereby from another world, similar to the Traveler. A scribe in Enkanomiya used the name ‘Phanes’ for them and described how “the eternal throne of the heaven’s” appeared at the same time as the Primordial One [Book: Byakuyakoku Collection]. No matter where they came from though, they did battle with the seven sovereigns for what is implied to have been a lengthy period before they at long last won and, upon doing so, took part of the seven authorities from themself and their ‘4 shining shades.’ (NOTE: The best I can figure is that these ‘shades’ were created by the Primordial One from the Primordial One and are thus aspects of the Primordial One, though it is mentioned in some sources, such as the Byakuyakoku Collection, that the Primordial One would work the shades, implying that perhaps these shades were more like children, or helpers to the Primordial One.) These shades are/were able to operate separately from one another, as evidenced by Istaroth, a shade who held dominion over time and wind, coming to assist Enkanomiya when none of the other’s could hear the cries of the people of Enkanmoiya [Book: Byakuyakoku Collection Volume 2]. Additionally, these shades are implied to be of a ‘higher power’ than the Archons with Istaroth being labeled as a ‘higher power' than Raiden Makoto in Ei’s second story quest. Additionally, these shades may have even helped create at least some of the archons, as the thus far unnamed Shade of Life assisted in creating Egeria after the Sovereign Dragon of Water was defeated [Item: Fontaine Wind-Glider]. 

Seemingly, in the course of the forty year war between the Primordial One and the Sovereign Dragons, the Primordial one emerged victorious[Book: Byakuyakoku Collection Volume 2]. Most information states that, after the Seven Sovereigns were defeated, the Primordial One created heaven and earth in preparation for humanity [Book: Byakuyakoku Collection Volume 2 ]. Humans apparently came onto the scene approximately 400 years after the first appearance of the Primordial one and made a covenant with them [Book: Byakuyakoku Collection Volume 2 ]. The contents of this covenant are unfortunately unclear, though it is mentioned that the Primordial One had a plan for humans and that there was apparently one taboo: Succumbing to temptation. Interestingly, volume 2 of the Byakuyakoku Collection also mentions that the path to temptation is sealed. It is possible that ‘temptation’ refers to forbidden knowledge or something of that sort.

The Second One Who Came.

At some point in time, while Enkanomiya was still part of a single unified human nation that spanned the entire world and after the creation of humanity, but before the Archon war, ‘The Second One Who Came’ (also referred to as the ‘Second Throne in Heaven’) came from ‘beneath the firmament” [Book: Byakuyakoku Collection Volume 2, Artifact: Flower of Paradise Lost- the Amethyst Crown]. It is worth noting here that the second one who came is referred to as ‘Invaders’ indicating a plural group rather than a singular person in the Amethyst Crown artifact from the Flower of Paradise Lost set. It is possible that, since Apep implies Nibelung was revived or returned after defeat, that the Second One Who Came and King Nibelung joined forces against the Primordial one and that this is when the divine nails were used for the first time, but that is merely conjecture. However, we do know that King Nibelung apparently gained access to Forbidden Knowledge and seemingly introduced Forbidden Knowledge to Teyvat in an attempt to beat the Primordial One and “gain the right to shape this new world” [Nahida’s second story quest, Book: Byakuyakoku Collection Volume 2]. While The Second One Who Came ended up fighting the Primordial One for unclear reasons, this war ended up ravaging the heavens and earth, with the Primordial One apparently ending up victorious. It was during this war that Enkanomiya sank beneath the waves [Book: Byakuyakoku Collection Volume 2]. After emerging victorious from this battle, the Primordial One used Divine Nails (like the ones in Dragonspine and the Chasm) to heal the land from the damage done by the Forbidden Knowledge. This could be when the divine nails were sent into Dragonspine into the ancient civilization of Sal Vindagnyr, the Chasm, Tsurumi Island, and the Eternal Oasis. However, if that is the case, then Khaenr’iah would have been appearing around this time since the ‘Scribe’s box’ item from the Dragonspine quest mentions ‘a new nation without gods’ and Khaenr’iah is the only nation without gods that is known to have existed [The Scribe’s Box: Dragonspine quests].  Interestingly, during this war, the Primordial One’s Authority that had been initially taken from the Seven Sovereigns ended up getting damaged, making it so that they could no longer suppress the original order of the world. In order to “continue to subdue and control the resentments and loathing of this world,” the Primordial One was forced to create the gnoses with the assistance of someone referred to as ‘the one who came after’ [Neuvillette’s Character Story: Vision]. It is worth noting here that it is unclear if ‘the one who came after’ is the second one who came or yet another descender, possibly the third one whose body has been suggested to have formed the gnoses [Fontaine Archon Quest]. Interestingly, the people of Enkanomiya did attempt to return to the surface, which is when they learned the Primordial One had been victorious. However, they also learned that the Primordial One had supposedly placed a ban that sealed Enkanomiya from the surface. An NPC in Enkanomiya called Eboshi asserts that the Primordial One/Heavenly Principles did not want anyone who knew the true history of the world to be on the surface, hence the ban. However, the ban is only referred to as a ‘heavenly order’ and the Second One Who Came was apparently connected to the heavens as well, meaning the order may have come from them rather than the Primordial One.

[archduchessgortash]

Banite Ranks

For my fics, I'm reworking Banite lore, the church ranks in particular.

In the established lore, after Bane was killed in his mortal form, Cyric stole most of his worshipers and wiped out nearly all of the rest (Circa 1361 DR). During this time, the High Imperceptor of the Church of Bane was on the verge of converting to open worship of Cyric. There had already been a schism, and the church was kind of a mess. An offshoot group began worshipping Iyachtu Xvim, Bane's son, and Bane would eventually use him for his own resurrection. Upon reclaiming his portfolio, I imagine the Dark One would have been none too pleased with his faithless previous High Imperceptor.

Fzoul Chembryl, a Chosen of Bane, helped bring about Cyric's downfall and aided greatly in restoring the church of Bane, but I haven't found reference to Chembryl having the rank of High Imperceptor. He was so loyal that Bane raised him up as an Exarch for his service.

Fast-forward the age of Bilbo Baggins at the start of the Fellowship of the Ring (111 yrs for the unlettered, spoken in a Gale-like voice), and we have the Banite-laden plot of Baldur's Gate 3, without a single character I can find using the rank names in the previous century's lore for the church. Because of this fact, I arbitrarily decided, for the purposes of my fics, that Bane recreated all the positions in his new church so I could have rank names to use that felt less off than incorprating the old ones. Deleting the entire rank system that included the unfaithful feels like a Bane thing to do, ya know?

I decided that since, in more recent years, the church fosters cooperation to gain power and influence, I'd create a small ruling body with new titles, incorporate the titles found in-game into the ranks and flesh those out a bit.

Thus was born the Black Hand of the Church of Bane...

The Black Hand includes the Chosen and four others, or the Chosen may sit above all five ranks if they prefer to be less hands-on (pun intended). Should they wish to be part of the Hand, the Chosen is granted the highest rank, whether or not that seat is currently occupied. What happens to the current occupant is entirely at the whim of the Chosen.

The Chosen's rank will be the Prime Digit, Black Sovereign, or Dread Patriarch/Matriarch. All these names are the same rank/person. The leader of the cult (the Chosen in this case) selects their preferred title.

The Chosen corresponds to the thumb of the hand. It is the digit without which a hand loses the most versatility. Hence, one of the names for the top rank in the cult is simply the Prime Digit.

The other four are the 1st - 4th Digits and are sometimes called the Fingers of the Hand. They have titles as well. They work in conjunction with one another and report directly to Gortash. He doles out the orders, but status reports, etc, go to his assistant.

The thumb is the Black Sovereign (Gortash).

The first finger/digit is the Black Claw.

The second is the Black Gavel.

The third is the Black Binder.

The fourth is the Black Needle.

Sometimes, we drop Black from the titles.

For Gortash, when he isn't called simply the Chosen or Director, he prefers Sovereign and Prime. The leader he replaced in my fics preferred Patriarch, and to say Gortash did not get along with him is putting it lightly.

Classes:

The Claw and Gavel are usually high-level fighters or clerics.

The Binder is invariably the most powerful magic-user in the cult.

The Needle is always an alchemist.

Black Gauntlets are the most numerous Banites in-game. I've placed their ranking directly below the Hand, as the stronger ones act as Gortash's guards in Wyrm's Rock. Low rank Banites wouldn't be given that responsibility, though some Iron Consuls are considered his bodyguards, so I put them directly below the Gauntlets. I've decided that Black Gauntlets are similar to high-ranking military, and the Iron Consuls are lower ranking but still are officers of a sort.

For my purposes, I've decided that the strongest Black Gauntlets can obtain a rank on the Black Hand. Thus, some in-game Black Gauntlets will have Hand ranks in my fics.

Almost every Banite we fight is a cleric or a fighter, and this feels truly silly to me. (Though I do love how laughable their clerical powers actually are, befitting Bane's current status as a quasi-deity). I've also seen no instances of them using healing magic. It makes sense from a might-makes-right deity, but it also makes his clerics comparatively weak.

I've created additional consul ranks for more variety in function.

The new consul ranks I've added are as follows:

Iron: Fighters (and the uncleric-like clerics), Rangers & Monks

Bronze: Rogues & Warlocks

Gold: Wizards, Sorcerers & Bards

Obsidian: non-combatant thinker types (Gortash's assistant is this rank)

Malachite: bottom rung office workers

Below these are the Fists of Bane.

I'm debating whether it was Bane who changed the rank names or if Gortash did it instead. His memoir notes say he re-established the Banite cult (though I have beef with so much in that document's timeline, particularly in how it deviates from the tiny bits of Durge's actual memory that come through in narration). The scrunkly tyrant is arrogant and ambitious enough to have arbitrarily decided to alter a hierarchy that had been in play for thousands of years. He's going to rule the world, after all.

[residentialrabbit]

Virtues Seraphim (left) and Envy Sovereign Satan (right)! Info dump below!

Not to be confused with Lucifer, Satan is the reigning sovereign of the Envy ring. Along with being the leader, Satan is also an A-list celebrity. As a changeling, it has an extensive library of human AND demon forms it can take making it known as "The Demon with 1,000" faces.  Changelings can take the form of anyone it's ingested the blood of and can keep changing into that form for about 100 years. It was able to befriend many other iconic figures and utilize their appearances to the roles it’s played for the past 3 centuries. Satan also stars in the lead role of Heated Passions, Ramon's favorite show.

The name "Satan" is a fairly recent name change from this century as the name blew up in popularity. In general, this demon likes to do things that would make it more popular, both for better and worse.

Design by @TECHYTECHYYY

Illustrated by me

Virutes is the Seraphim of everything that is virtuous and virtuoso. Though she's prioritized one over the other as of late. Virtues by far has the most beautiful kingdom filled to the brim with color and magnificent architecture.

Many virtues angels obtain their name later in life when they've discovered what holy characteristic they embody or the talent they show. Such as "Charity" or "Rhyme".

Virtues angels that are proficient in artistry are also the ones trusted with reshaping an angel that wants to improve their appearance. Be it something small like gaining an inch or two in height or gender affirmation.

Virtues herself often holds and is invited to parties/celebrations! The parties she throws are extravagant and often last several days of nonstop elation! She also likes games/contests and is willing to fulfill the wishes of winners.

The theme for this month was.... uhhh... I didn't have one actually. Perhaps the ones most theatrical?

[illarian-rambling]

Unity and Nace for the Illari ask game?

Unity - Describe a stroll down the street of the largest city in your world.

Well, doing Unity itself would feel cheap, however, I don't think I've ever done a written description of Sepo’s home, so let's take a little swim through the ocean's largest city: Seluthena!

Even in the depths of the ocean, there are stars. Or, something close to it anyways. Clouds of luminous algae swirl like seabound galaxies above this regimented matrix of a city.

Poking up into the glowing miasma are the ribs. Or, that's what people call them anyways. The titanic curved columns do indeed resemble the ribs of a felled giant. It calls to mind a whalefall, the sirens of Seluthena playing the roll of latecomer scavengers. Buildings rest where lungs might have once pumped air, or a stomach the size of an island formerly digested gallons swallowed whole. The siren architecture is curved, crowded, and coral-like. Homes and businesses lean and crawl over the top of one another. Much of the design would be oddly foreign to human eyes - built on a 3d plane as it is. The community would not be foreign, though it might be unexpected. Sirens - ship-killing, brainwashed zealots that they are - swim along chasms that take the place of sidewalks, off to a job they still feel underqualified for, delivering sweets to their friend, or escorting their children to a park. Sirens do have parks, you have to understand. Even ship-killing, brainwashed zealots are still people.

Above it all, haloed by the starry algae, is a spiraling horn of purest mother-of-pearl. You'd think it a palace, and you'd be right. Or, close enough anyways. This is the watching eye, the beating heart, the clenched fist - this is the Saryimastra Seat. It is as grand as you would ever imagine the home of a god. The reflected glow of the algae almost seems to shine from its sheer walls like the light of an anglerfish's lure.

Below it, cast into shadow even without light, is a ruin. This is the palace of the Silver Sovereign. Or, it was, anyways. It burnt many years ago on a night of white magnesium fire. There's just an ashen stain left now, but it's stubborn. The ground won't easily let such hatred be forgotten.

Whew, I got a little poetic with that one! The only other description of Seluthena I've done was during a dnd game, so I really ought to figure out how to work it into one of my written stories. I think I'm proud of this one :)

Nace - How does organized crime work here? Who is currently on top of the criminal underworld?

Illaros's criminal underworld divides pretty nicely into east and west, with the line being Iarl's western-most shore. On the east is the Veiled Fleet. They're pirates, but are known to be a fair sort so far as pirates go. They don't traffick in flesh and will generally not go out of their way to kill people aboard the ships they commandeer. They are led directly by one Veiled Queen. No one knows her identity due to a veil she wears, but given how long she's been in the game, most guess she's an elf. She started the Veiled Fleet and still manages its day to day affairs without the use of intermediaries.

In the west, you've got the Tunnel Wasps. This smuggling ring is far more brutal than their eastern counterparts. They traffick in anything under the sun, but specialize in magical items. They also rely on caravans as well, expanding their reach inland as they tighten their grip on the sea. Tunnel Wasp leadership is far less consolidated than the Veiled Fleet, with lesser captains able to make their own calls and business dealings, but ultimately, everything goes back to Undeta Idansib. She's the second leader of the Tunnel Wasps after her mother, Idan Hedalsib, founded the organization. Undeta is said to be a frighteningly pragmatic woman. Rumors abound concerning her mysterious magical enforcer. It's said a trip to Undeta's flagship will leave you with half the memories you came aboard with, and that any stolen shipment will dissolve into acid once placed in the hull of your ship, sinking you to the bottom of the sea.

There are smaller gangs too, but a lot of them are beholden to one of these two somewhere up the line. Really, Unity is the only place left with its own independent, home-grown organized crime. What luck for Detective Ivander.

And that's all I got! Thanks for the asks <3