#and also maybe Jormungandr if he’s down

[kazieka]

not gonna tack this onto the other posts but here is the most important fact about gow:r

• i would suck and fuck my way through every adult i see on screen

[ceruleancattail]

Hello! How are you doing today?

For the Mystic Au, can i get yandere Riddle or Floyd x reader?

Also since yoy said your open to suggestions Floyd could be a Jormungandr

They fall in the serpent lane but it's close enough to how they wrap their tails around their prey. Riddle could be a phoenix too i think-

Tw: Yandere

Floyd Leech

Jörmungandr - Hailing from Norse Mythology, Jörmungandr is an incredibly huge sea serpent who resides in the world’s seas. He encircles the Earth, sinking his fangs into his own tail. If it ever releases its tail, the world will begin to spiral out of control, hastening Ragnarök, the Nordic Doomsday.

For a serpent who governs the end of the world, Floyd seems rather relaxed about his fate.

What’s the point worrying about all that? The world ends when it ends. He’s just here for the ride. Floyd tends to jump from one interest to another, keeping himself entertained until it’s all gone.

Woe for you, you’re his latest plaything. A Hunter, looking up at his coiled form with those adorable wide eyes…. He just could eat you all up, Master~

The Floyd that follows you around is just a shadow of who he is. A certain percentage of his power, solidified into a somewhat human form. You don’t have the heart to tell Floyd that humans don’t normally have fangs, or a tail. Or scales, for that matter. The real him is still coiled up around the Earth, watching you curiously.

Show him a good time, yeah, Master?

Freed from slumbering in the depths, Floyd’s more content wrapping himself around you instead. Arms snaking around your torso, tugging you closer to him. You often find yourself lost in his embrace, tucked snuggly against his chest.

A little too snuggly, at times. Fingers digging into your flesh, crimson streaks stretching across your skin. If he’s feeling particularly needy, his claws will follow. Sinking into your skin, lining it with scarlet crescents. They blaze alive, sharp pangs of pain stinging with every single breath.

Something to keep him in your mind, even if he isn’t there.

You can’t go anywhere without him anymore. At first, you chalked it up to the natural clinginess of someone introduced into a new environment. He hasn’t been out much, considering his… situation. It’ll be normal for him to be reliant on you for a while.

He reaches for your hand whenever you two are walking together. Fingers sliding through yours slyly, gripping with just a little too much force for it to be considered friendly.

Whenever someone comes up to you, he hisses. A sharp, unnatural flick of his forked tongue. Sometimes, he even growls. Coming from deep within his throat, rumbling out of his mouth.

Primal sounds. The cries of a beast, staking its claim. Marking its territory.

His grip is strong. A little too strong for your comfort. Your veins pop out, skin paling from the sheer pressure of his grip. You had to order him to stop more than once, and even then, Floyd’s reluctant to release you.

You tell yourself that it’s nothing. Perhaps a repressed instinct of a beast. He probably can’t help it. Floyd probably needs more than to get used to the modern world. Maybe he’s not ready to be around other people yet.

Gradually, you find yourself turning down invitations from your friends, avoiding crowds like the plague. Most of the time, it’s just you and him. His arms slings over your shoulders. A playful gesture, a gesture of friendliness.

It’s fine. Floyd just needs time to adjust.

You try not to notice the smirk dancing across his lips. Try.

The cold has become rather familiar, ever since you took Floyd in.

His palms are freezing, pressed against your shoulders. Ice cold, the temperature of the deep blue sea. Indigo depths, where the light trails off into the ebony black of darkness.

He’s always cold. Maybe that’s why he’s so obsessed over your body. Hands always trailing over every curve of your body. His tail is fond of slipping around your thigh, squeezing firmly.

You’ve called him out on it, many times. Asking for some space, just one centimetre of room to breathe-

Floyd always laughs. A deep, husky tone, tinged with venom, dripping off every syllable, hissing like acid in your ears.

“But I don’t wanna, Master.”

A childish whine, lower lip jutting out ever so slightly in a pout. A boyish expression, yet the look in his eyes sent shivers racing down your spine.

His gaze was cold. As cold as the waters he came from.

You just hope he doesn’t decide to drown you in them.

Riddle Rosehearts

Phoenix - A bird, granted the ability of immortality. Its life revolves in a cycle: Life, Death, then Rebirth. It has been documented in various mythologies, inducing but not limited to Greek, Egyptian, and Chinese. The Phoenix is often depicted with the sun, as it is said to rise from the ashes from its predecessor. In some cultures, Phoenixes are often used to represent the beginnings of a blissful marriage.

Riddle liked his rules. He stood by them, lived by them. It was something to follow, clearly defined steps that planned for every outcome.

The first one was to serve you. Under contract, you’re his master. It’s his duty to serve you… until you see fit to release him from his service.

The cooking and the cleaning? Riddle handles it. He’s almost perfect… provided he has a guide. He almost exclusively prepares nutritious meals, save for the occasional pastry. He measures every ounce of food he serves you, calculating fats, proteins, calcium with a laser-like focus.

Now, Master. You do have to maintain a healthy diet. Humans are rather frail, no offence intended.

Just leave it to Riddle. You won’t have to lift a finger, just trust him.

The second is to protect you. As someone who walks the line between the mystical and the physical, you’re at risk of offending one of the two. Or worse, both.

It pains him to see you exit the house everyday. Step out of your door, leaving the safety of his… your nest. Riddle pecks at you sometimes, sharp jabs at how weary you always seem. This… job can’t be good for you, not with those bags under your eyes and your sunken shoulders.

He’ll take your bag, shaking his head at the futility of human labours.

Riddle’s hands stray to your shoulders, a blazing heat warming his palms from the inside out. The first embers, peeking out from kindling. He kneads your shoulders, massaging them gently. Burning away all the knots and tensions in your body, one step at the time.

You can’t help but melt into his touch. Your thoughts tend to be a little fuzzy, the longer he touches you. You find yourself just nodding along with whatever Riddle says. Yet he seems delighted by your agreement, excitement slipping into his tone.

Part of you wonders what you’ve agreed too, but that thought soon vanishes into nothingness as Riddle’s fingers slide down your back tenderly.

It’s Riddle after all. He’ll never hurt you… right?

The company that you keep isn’t quite favoured by the phoenix. Every friend you invite over, he tends to snipe at them. Cold, scattering remarks that just barely manage to toe the line between socially acceptable and depraved.

They don’t come back. That’s fine with Riddle. It’s much easier protecting you, if he doesn’t have to account for the riff-raff.

Riddle pushes and pushes. Everything you try to do is plucked gently out of your hands, with a light-hearted chastening. Now now, why strain yourself, Master?

Riddle’s right here. He’ll take care of everything for you. He’ll take care of you.

Just trust him, okay, Master?

[godsofhumanity]

if you have the time i was just wondering if you had any thoughts/headcanons about sigyn? personally my main one is that she was the one who cut the wire on loki’s mouth after the dwarves sewed it shut

usually it takes me like a month or two to get to hc asks, but this ask is phrased so sweetly and also i adore your hc so i am responding ASAP!!!

in terms of personality, i hc Sigyn to be very meek and humble. i think she is everything Loki is not, and this is fully intentional!!!

i hc that Loki and Sigyn's marriage is arranged by Odin as a way of trying to bring Loki back in line.. to tone him down.

we all know that Odin and Loki considered each other brothers,, but most other gods in Asgard don't share Odin's love for Loki. of these gods, i feel Frigg, Freyja, Tyr, and Heimdallr to be amongst Loki's least fans but these four are also very close Odin and their opinions hold a lot of sway with him.

after all of Loki's antics, i think Odin begins to feel pressure from most of his court stressing that Loki is becoming more trouble than he's worth... of course, Odin does care for Loki and recognises his value, and so, he isn't quite ready to just ditch Loki (it'll take his son dying to make Odin realise just how troublesome Loki can be :// ) and so he comes up with a plan-- if Odin can marry Loki off, maybe, just maybe, he'll become a little more sensible. he'll have someone to hold him accountable, to keep track of him.

that someone? Sigyn.

Sigyn, as i mentioned before, is very modest and sensible. she's enormously kind and endlessly patient. i think she'd have a very friendly, sweet face, always smiling.

i'm not sure where Sigyn comes from-- i definitely do not think she is Odin's daughter or has any blood relation to him,, i think she must've just been one of the ladies of the court. perhaps she was part of Frigg's entourage..

in any case, Sigyn is chosen because she's the exact opposite of Loki and Odin hopes she'll rub off on him.

Sigyn doesn't really want to marry Loki-- i mean, it's not as though she's seen him at court and admires him from a distance. she knows who he is and the kind of trouble he sometimes gets into,, but she doesn't fully comprehend how much of a trickster Loki is.

she thinks, "hmm maybe everyone's being a bit harsh on him."

Sigyn is extremely loyal. first, she is loyal to Odin. that's why she agrees to his plan to marry Loki. but as her marriage progresses, she becomes loyal to Loki because he is her husband and she is a dutiful wife.

i don't believe that Sigyn ever "falls in love" with Loki. she just tolerates him. she finds him a little amusing. she likes the way he's so confident in himself and the way he breaks the mould. even though she wouldn't do it herself. all in all. i don't think she's ashamed to be his wife. and he's not ashamed to be her husband.

i don't think their marriage is unpleasant. Loki is quite amiable towards Sigyn. at the beginning, it's mostly to keep up appearances, but as time goes, it becomes genuine.

i think Loki thinks her to be naive, but there's a purity in her innocence that he knows he doesn't have himself,, so it's like,, pleasing to see in her... if that makes sense?

anyways. Sigyn is not Loki's confidant. i think he's very careful not to detail everything about his exploits or tricks. he keeps her blind and in this way, she's never really at fault for his actions because she doesn't know. in a weird, Loki-sort-of way, it's a kindness to her.

after Sigyn has her boys,, they become her entire world. nothing brings her more joy. i think they are very important to Loki too,, maybe partially because he sees how much joy they bring Sigyn.

as for Sigyn's step-children. i don't think they have much of a relationship; Fenrir, Jormungandr, and Hel are not children in the traditional sense. nevertheless, Sigyn is never jealous of them. she'd speak kindly about them if they ever came up in conversation; that's just who she is.

when everything goes to shit, and Loki gets imprisoned,, Sigyn's children pay the price. brutally. and i think it shatters Sigyn.

it's not like she becomes mean, or cruel. she just becomes.. ghostly. she doesn't talk, or smile. she's mostly mute. she stares off into the distance. sometimes she thinks she hears her boys calling to her.

oddly enough, at Sigyn's lowest point is the time that i think Loki finds the most respect and genuine admiration for her. pride to call her his wife. because even in all of her pain,,, she remains true to her character. she doesn't seek revenge. she knows it's partially Loki's doing that her children are dead, but she still stays with him to protect him. to collect the poison from the snake.

i don't fancy Sigyn to be vengeful. she's gentle, always. it's a strength.

not to talk about my Ragnarok AU again but when Loki gets free finally, i love the idea of him being extremely protective of Sigyn. he makes sure she's safe, not just from his enemies, but from other gods on his own side who might perceive her to be "deadweight". he doesn't abandon her when she becomes frail and incomprehensive. he makes sure that she won't suffer on his account anymore.

i can't comment on how Sigyn feels about this because i think she's so broken she doesn't know how to comprehend the world anymore. she's just a shell.

[saewokhrisz]

hiii!! 3 things..

1) for your mask expression art where goro's mask is confused, you said you took inspiration from atsv? what is that, if i can ask?

2) in persona 4 arena , theres a shadow suppression unit named labrys and she essentially only wears yasogami's highschool uniform so if you look at labrys and aigis, the idea of shadow suppression unit goro works very well because his school uniform is nice enough that he can hide his princely (& maybe later darker?) outfit and appear more human when theyre in public (excluding ears of course.. those can be passed off as headphones however).. i just thought thatd be something you would find interesting

3) in norse mythology there's the myth of loki killing baldr, so skadi traps him below the earth with chains made of what's holding his 1st child fenrir down as well, and poison from a creature (i cant remember the exact creature unfortunately) but he stays there until the ragnarok (the end of the world) and his wife, sigyn, who puts up with all his mischief and the fact that 4/6 (or 4/5, depending on what iteration you look at) of loki's kids are not sigyn's at all (hel, the horse he gave birth to, fenrir, and jormungandr are the ones not sigyn's.. nardi and vali slash just nardi is sigyn's) . but anyway sigyn holds a bowl and catches the poison so loki doesnt suffer, and every once in awhile the bowl fills with poison so she has to go outside to dump it out, and loki withers in pain because while she is gone the poison drips down his head and it causes earthquakes.. but anyway. this all reminds me of engine room (being trapped & in pain, etc) and its also.. loki. so sigyn as akira and loki as akechi art would be super duper cool.. i encourage you to look into both loki and robinhood's myths because robinhood era-myths also include the mention of mordred, the incestous son of king arthur who kills his way to the top yet his revenge fails (reason unspecified, it can be assumed he was killed himself or robinhood took his revenge for him) and his outfit is suspiciously similar to that of the black mask's, from the horns to the black getup.. mordred is akechi, akira is robinhood, and robinhood's merry band of thieves are the PTs.

ty for listening to my rambling :D no one really mentions mordred and i think him and akechi's symbolism is so important.. also! What You've Already Buried by malevolentmango on ao3 touches on a lot of loki's myths and such if youd like to learn about it that way :D

sorry the face i made seeing how long this ask is AHSJGF took me a min to answer

1)ATSV is Across the the spiderverse ! that movie inspired quite a few things about my art style, that also just happen to work really well with p5s visual motifs since the comic book inspiration and heavy use of colour blocks and halftones, as well as they make the spiderman masks eyes emote, since they have them on for a big portion of the film, and its the cutest thing ever

2) Ive seen Labrys' design! she always reminds me of miku if im completely honest BWAHA but yesss he could possibly hide it very well, also the fact that he always wears gloves could hide his fingers too :D

3) havent touched too much into norse myth besides the surface level knowledge of it that i obtained thru osmosis, mostly from friends who were into it. also i loveeeee binge reading wikis and link hopping (did it with gnosticism -> ended up inspired and made the ophiomorphos piece hehe) but its such a spontanious thing for me, i shall keep it in mind tho :D i did wanna at some point read up on hereward more specifically, since out of his 3 personas him is the one i have not a single clue about but i....forgot...i really dont give a lot of love to hereward sobs

[rhythmantics]

Hey, since Kur in "our" universe looks like a giant, iridescent, black serpent with a mane of flaming feathers and antlers (amazing design you came up with, btw), and since the Monday universe takes the normal character designs and skews it a bit to the left (Monday-Fisk has horns, Monday-Zak had his hair colors swapped, etc), what would your Monday-Kur look like?

Actually, I believe Monday!Kur would be a jaguar!

The Smoke Mirror is based on the Aztec myth of the 5 suns, which states that the world has been created and destroyed four times already. Each world is defined by which god acted as the sun; the first sun was Tetzcatlipoca, who - maybe because he lost his leg in an earlier myth - did kind of a crappy job. His sun was dim and black.(We know it’s specifically this myth because the game is “beasts of the fifth sun”)

The Smoke Mirror in the show is explicitly found in a temple dedicated to Tetzcatlipoca, and furthermore, one of Tetz'z epithets was The Smoking Mirror, as mirrors in Aztec times were made of obsidian, which is one of the things associated with Tetz. FURTHERfurthermore, Jay Stephens was active on forums around the time of the show's airing, and he confirmed that the Monday universe is not a MIRROR dimension (as in, Monday!Argost would not be a good guy), but rather, a DARKER dimension. It's kept deliberately vague whether the Smoke Mirror LITERALLY leads to an earlier version of the universe, or whether the mirror ALREADY led to a dark and twisted universe and the Aztec five suns myth sprang up around it.

Now, the reason why this means Monday!Kur is a jaguar to me is because Tetzcatlipoca was traditionally BITTER RIVALS with Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoatl is a big snake, and Kur is a big snake. (For the record, Quetz was the second sun in the five suns myth, and also the reason Tetz's world ended. In retaliation, Tetz ended Quetz's stint as sun. Now some other guy is the sun and these two are just Around).

Tetzcatlipoca is associated with, and sometimes takes the guise of, a jaguar. Hence, if "our" universe venerates Quetzalcoatl (and he is considered a folk hero), and "our" Kur is a big snake, then it makes sense to me for the Mondays' Kur to be aligned with Tetzcatlipoca, and to therefore be a jaguar.

(And in case you need context on Kur being a big snake - at the time the show was created, the Sumerian word "Kur" was believed to refer to a massive serpent that lived in the Netherworld (think the Greek underworld), therefore making it the first-ever recorded dragon in all of human history. This has since been debunked, as it turns out "kur" is kind of a multi-purpose word meaning - among other things - "mountain," "land," and "netherworld."

THAT ALL BEING SAID, there is actually a very interesting thing in Indo-European mythology, where there's a recurring theme of massive cthonic (of the underworld) serpents being slayed by storm gods. Tiamat and Marduk, Jormungandr and Thor, Yamato-no-Orochi and Susanoo, Typhon and Zeus... the list goes on. This points to all these stories having some sort of shared common ancestor (which we have not yet pinned down), and this idea of the quintessential massive cthonic serpent, father of all monsters, directly opposing the gods, embodying primal forces of chaos, is what Kur in the show is based on even if we now know that the WORD "kur" does not refer to one of these serpents. Neat, right?

Also, the show constantly associates Kur with the Hindu god Shiva, if you want some more symbolism to add to the pile. Kur's Tomb is listed in the Field Guide as the Koh Ker archaeological site, which is a temple in Cambodia dedicated to Shiva, whose remoteness meant it was excluded from remodels other temples in the area got when the religion changed. Also, one of Shiva's epithets is "The Destroyer," which Rani Nagi calls Kur when she's drowning Zak. Also, one of his symbols is a cobra (which happens to be a naga) around his neck, which represents Shiva's position as Lord of the Beasts, and Rani Nagi communicates through cobras. Also, the "divining rod" Fisk's lemurian instincts cause him to create is actually Shiva's trident, which represents trinities, like past/present/future, or creation/preservation/destruction. Just some fun trivia for you that you didn't ask for.)

[miirshroom]

Loki as inspiration for Radagon

I have seen it many times where people are able to interpret Marika as having attributes connected to Odin - trickster, hung on a tree and stabbed with a spear, dropped an eye (scarseal) down a well - but less often do I see identified Marika/Radagon's thematic ties to other Norse gods and especially Loki.

From review of the literature Radagon alone is something of an amalgamation of many myths and stories: Loki, Illmarinen/Kullervo, Orion, Xolotl, Gollum/Smeagol, the Rebis and/or a literal interpretation of man and woman becoming "one flesh" as described in Genesis in Christian bibles (and a handful of others). All under the combined names of gods Ra and Dagon. It may even be appropriate to think of him as a mimic on a meta level, given all of these inspirations pulled together.

And of all of those inspiration one stands out as especially synergistic with a mimic character - Loki the Trickster and shapeshifter. Maybe it's a pop culture recency bias of people getting hung up on the hair colour, since the Marvel black hair version of Loki is its own thing while most scholarship on the matter has Loki as either red-haired or (more likely) blonde. But specifically the version of Loki that appears in Wagner's Ring Cycle in the mid-1800's is red haired because Loki is conflated with the fire giant 'Logi' for that production. And on the other hand it also makes some sense to associate Radagon with the explicitly red-haired Thor who wields a hammer (more on that later).

Anyways, the main point is the characteristics of Loki that apply directly and indirectly around Radagon:

Half giant heritage. Radagon hates his hair the colour of fire giants - this one is clear.

Shapeshifter who has had children in male and female form. Radagon has fathered children and Marika has been mother to children. The 8-legged horse Sleipnir does not make an appearance but perhaps a spiritual analogue does: the Royal Revenants are 8-limbed. Godfrey is described as "scion of the Golden Bough" and a scion is a limb taken from a tree, so perhaps it is meant to be that in the empty space of the narrative Marika was mother to 8 children of the Golden Lineage.

Had three children with a giantess: Hela the queen of the underworld who is half dead and half alive (Ranni), Jormungandr the World Serpent (Rykard), and Fenris Wolf who has the most convoluted mythology of the 3 but is most known for having a voracious appetite (Radahn eats corpses and howls at the sky). The twist on the classic here is that none of the three were born into these roles and instead all grew into them.

Loki wagered his head in a bet with a craftsman who forged 3 treasures: a ring for Odin that generates 8 copies of itself every 9 days, a golden boar for Freyr, and Thor's hammer Mjolnir. Again, two of the treasures have direct parallels in the Elden Ring and Marika's Hammer. The third is less obvious but there are indeed boars in the Lands Between. And now a man riding boar in the Shadow of the Erdtree trailer. When he lost the bet the craftsman had planned to behead him, but Loki pointed out that he had not wagered his neck, so instead the craftsman sewed his mouth shut. My main point is that the Preceptor's Mask associated with Radagon's journey to Liurnia has the mouth "sewn shut", and Glintstone crowns in general have associations with beheading.

Was imprisoned for his role in tricking Hodr - the blind Norse god of darkness - into killing Baldr - Norse god of light. Parallel to the death of Godwyn. This has led as least some people to match up Ranni to Loki, which itself is not incorrect because this is an original story and not a 1:1 recreation of myth. But to the theory that Marika/Radagon orchestrated the Night of Black Knives, this is a point in favour.

Is credited in the Prose Edda with inventing the fishing net (same pattern as Radagon's rune). This also connects to an incident just before Loki was caught where he takes the form of a salmon and the gods use his own net to help catch him (Radagon's rune blocking entry to the Erdtree). However, there is another connection to Ranni here as it is said in the more reliable Poetic Edda that Loki actually borrowed the net from Rán, goddess of the sea.

Obtained from craftsmen a wig of golden hair for Sif - wife of Thor - to replace the hair he cut off for a trick by shaving her bald. This one is not explicitly invoked - aside from the tendency for demigods to be shorn of their hair and have it included in their helms. It is more an exercise of extrapolation after identifying a pattern with other Loki stories and also drawing upon that imagery of Radagon wielding Thor's hammer. Imagine Radagon divesting himself of his red hair and replacing it with golden hair as part of becoming Marika as a preferred identity. Sif also was known to wear a veil in the time before receiving new hair - and Marika wears a veil in her church statues. The statue of a bald monk appears to be symbolic of the beginning of Marika's Age of the Erdtree.

Altogether, the point is that there are many ways to understand what it means that Radagon and Marika are the same person. Mythology is one of those ways - so often in myths identities are fluid because they represent a set of stories that drifted in retellings and were later brought back and merged into a single entity by selectively choosing the new canon. The two aspects of a single god are interpreted as two different gods due to language barriers, wander apart for a bit as the stories diverge when told by different storytellers, and merge back together or get subsumed into the identity of another god entirely.

Edit: As pointed out in the reblog, scholarship speculates that Loki originated as a disguise of Odin as Trickster God. However - to nip in the bud a conclusion that could be made from this - I would not say that this indicates that Marika started as a genderswapped Odin who diverged to become a Radagon Loki. Because FromSoft has stated explicitly who most embodies Odin: Gideon Ofnir. Ófnir is a name meaning "Inciter" and attributed to Odin by Snorri. Gideon synergizes well as a Tarnished version of Radagon - representing a previous version of him from a certain point in time. If you like, consider Gideon to be a companion who joined Radagon on the campaign to Raya Lucaria - he had to make an acquaintance of Seluvis at some point after all. Gideon claims to know that Marika wishes the Tarnished to struggle forever, which places him on the same line of thought as Radagon's eternal agonized hammering of the ring (and Gideon's weapon is a type of hammer as well). Radagon has been noted to use only incantations in his fight despite having spent time learning sorcery at Raya Lucaria. These traits of combining incantations and sorcery are instead displayed by Gideon who gives payoff to the characterization of Odin as wizard.

I stick to my original assessment of what it means that "Radagon is Marika" and Radagon is both Marika's other self and yet to become her. Marika is a persona constructed by Radagon in imitation of someone else, and an identity assumed through shapeshifting. He tried to disappear completely behind the persona of Marika to cover his flaws but could not do so because she was a hollow imitation and repressing the core issues instead of confronting them only caused them to fester. It's like the theme of God of War Ragnarok (2022) as in the Detail Diatribe by Overly Sarcastic Productions: generational trauma is the Hidden Hand of Fate. When those festering doubts resurface Radagon as Loki as an offshoot of Odin tries to solve the problem like an Odin: by tortuously hanging on a tree for knowledge, plucking out eyes to drop down wells, and so on. That's the generational trauma bit - it's a cycle of pain. It's why it was important for Ranni to shed her bloodline connection to Radagon in the context of the narrative. And then slay the Hidden Hand of Fate (I.e. Manus Celes). It frees her from the cycle and from continuing the mess of complexes that was Radagon/Marika. She is the queen of the underworld that is represented by the Lands Between and she is doing it on her own terms.

[mask131]

Cold winter: Thor

THOR

Category: Norse mythology

When talking about Norse mythology, Thor is the one god one can’t miss. He was one of the biggest characters of Norse religion (and of Germanic mythology too, where he was known as Donar).

Thor is the son of Odin, king of the gods, and of Jörd, a goddess embodying the earth. He has a wife named Sif, a goddess renowned for her beautiful golden hair, but also a lover, Jarnsaxa, a jötunn who name seems to mean “iron dagger”! Thor also has three children: Thrudr (Strength), the daughter of Thor and Sif ; Magni (Mighty), son of Thor and Jarnsaxa, and Modi (Wrath). Now, the thing is that Modi and Magni are talked about together, without their mother mentioned, in the “Poetic Edda”, hinting at them possibly being twins born of the same mother – while in the Prose Edda, Modi is completely missing and there is only talk of Magni, whose mother is identified as Jarnsaxa. And if this was easy… there’s also the matter of Jarnsaxa. She is identified as a jötunn and the mother of Magni in the Prose Edda – but in the same Prose Edda, Sif, Thor’s legal divine wife, calls herself by two names… one is “rival of Jarnsaxa”, implying that the giantess is indeed a lover of her husband… and the other is actually “Jarnsaxa”. She calls herself Jarnsaxa, implying… that maybe the jötunn mother is just another identity or another personality of Sif herself. It is all a confusing and complicated matter. Note that all of three of Thor’s children are manifestations of traits of Thor himself: he was said to be the strongest of all the gods (Strength, Mighty), but also renowned as a deity prone to anger (Wrath).

Thor is said to live with Sif and his children in a hall called Bilskirnir (Lightning-crack), located in an area called Thrudheim (the realm of strength) or Thrudvangr (the power field), which is Thor’s domain in Asgard, the world of the gods. Bilskirnir is said to be one of the biggest buildings of Asgard, with 540 rooms. Thor also owns three specific items. The most well-known is his hammer, Mjölnir, his main weapons in his various battles, renowned for being the “crusher of giant skulls” thanks to how Thor kept using it to kill jötnar. With one good hit of his hammer, Thor can break an entire mountain in two ; but it can also be a tool of divine blessing as Thor demonstrates in some stories. It never misses its target, can never be lost by Thor no matter how he throws it (the hammer always “returns” to Thor’s hand, figuratively or not depending on how you interpret it), can hit as heavy as Thor desires it to be – and it even can shrink in size until becoming small enough to fit into a pocket! Crafted by dwarf masters after Loki cut Sif’s golden hair (a long story), it only has one default: its handle is too short. His second item is “Jarngreipr” (iron grippers) or Jarnglofer (iron gauntlets), a pair of iron gloves Thor needs to wield his hammer (for unknown reasons). Last but not least is Megingjörd, the “power-belt”, a belt that, when worn by Thor, doubles his already prodigious strength.

Thor’s numerous and many adventures throughout Norse mythology are mostly him wandering about, hunting/fighting/killing various monsters, ranging from hostile jötnar to Jormungandr the “world-serpent”. Always excessive and terrifying in everything he does (thanks to his prodigious strength and wild nature), he is renowned as both a prodigious eater of great appetite and the best drinker of all of the gods, able to gulp down a LOT of liquid, be it ale or sea-water. Physically he is usually recognized by three facts: one, his red hair and beard, two, his largeness, three, his eyes that are burning, fiery, fierce, fearsome – in one word, terrifying. His chariot is drawn not by horses, but by two goats: Tanngrisnir (“one that has gaps between the teeth”) and Tanngnjost (“one that grinds teeth”). Whenever Thor travels around the world, and when he needs to eat, he simply camps somewhere and kills his goats, cooking and eating their meat. He keeps however their bones preciously, because in the following morning he just has to use his magical hammer to bring them back to life in full health and shape. It is due to this unique ownership that Thor is called the “lord of goats”. Oh yes and if a chariot pulled by goats doesn’t seem impressive… one should add that when the goats starts to swiftly run, mountains burst and earth is covered in fire where the chariot passes. These goats are also the reason for the presence of two children alongside Thor: Thjalfi and Röskva, a boy and a girl, children of a peasant in whose house Thor was hosted for one night. As the poor family didn’t have enough to feed Thor, the god simply killed his goats to make a supper for everybody – but Loki, who was alongside Thor in the house, tempted Thjalfi into breaking one of the goat’s bones to suck its marrow. As a result, in the following morning, when Thor resurrected his goats, he noticed one of them was now lame due to the broken bone – and he entered a wild and furious rage. But upon seeing how terrified the humans were, he calmed down, and explaining the situation, he reclaimed as a compensation the two human children, that became his servants and companions for his future adventures.

Apparently, according to Odin, every day Thor wades through two rivers (Körmt and Örmt), and then through two more (the Kerlaugar, or Kerlaugs twain) to go to some sort of council or court held at Yggdrasil, the World-Tree, and there he sits as “judge”. There is also another fascinating myth showing Thor acting as a father: apparently during one of his travels he met a dwarf called Alviss, who is about to get married, and as they chat Thor realizes the dwarf is about to marry… Thor’s very own daughter. And Thor gets pretty angry because apparently this marriage agreement was made between the gods while he was away, and he finds the dwarf really repulsive. So to trick him, Thor reveals his identity as the father of the bride and forces the dwarf suitor to prove himself to him – by revealing all that he knows about all the different worlds he travelled in. So the dwarf, to prove himself worthy, listed at Thor his encyclopedic knowledge of everything and everyone… but as it turns out, it was just a ploy to gain time until dawn – for dwarfs turn to stone is they are touched by sunlight, and Thor kept Alviss busy enough for him not to notice the incoming sunrise. This story is one of several that actually can be used to disprove a common misconception about Thor: Thor is not stupid. Yes he is a mighty brute and a “hit-before-talking” type of guy renowned for crashing everybody’s skulls – but he is never said to be an idiot or slow-minded. In this story and others he can actually become tricky when the situation calls for it, though he is not known by nature as a cunning god ; and he is able to hold an insult-contest with Odin, which requires a lot of knowledge and intelligence (though he ultimately loses because Odin is Odin). In a similar way, yes he is a destructive and terrifying warrior prone to bursts of violence… but he is also a good god who makes his best to not frighten humans too much and usually only kills threats, dangers and evil people.

- - - - -

All of that being said… WHAT is Thor the god of?

Well… of lightning you may answer. This was an aspect of the god that was pushed hard by Marvel, but it is true that Thor is heavily associated with lightning and storms. His hall is literally called “lightning-crack”, while his name and its variants (Thor, Thunor, Thuner, Thunar) gave birth to the modern word “thunder”. It was recorded by medieval chroniclers that Thor was thought to be the god ruling the sky and was explicitly compared with the Roman Jupiter: Thor was said to be the god who ruled over lightning, thunder, winds, storms, and weather in general. Jacob Grimm, in the 19th century, for his reconstruction of Germanic mythology, pointed out all of the (then) modern expressions linking Thor/Donar to thunder: in Norwegian lightning is “Thor’s warmth”, in Swedish thunder is “Thor’s rumble”. Swedish expressions such as “the ride of the god” and “the good old fellow is taking a ride” are used when there is a storm, implying that Thor’s rides through the sky caused thunderstorms ; and the Scandinavian folk belief of trolls and giants being scared of lightning might be a leftover of Thor the jötnar-killer. Finally, in North Frisian a traditional curse is “Let the red-haired thunder see to that!”).

But fascinatingly the Romans did not associated Thor with their own thunder god Jupiter… Donar, the Germanic Thor, was associated with “Jove” (another name of Jupiter) but only by Germans in the post-Roman era and early Middle-Ages, where the sacred oaks of Donar were called “Jove trees” and the name “Thunor” became a synonym of “Jove” in texts. The Romans themselves, when they encountered the Germanic and Nordic people and identified their gods with their own, rather associated Thor with Hercules – because both were crazy-strong monster-killing heroes wielding a form of mace. We also know that Thor was considered by Nordic people and Vikings to be a sort of fertility and health god, as he was given offerings whenever there was the threat of a plague or a famine – though it might have more to be with Thor’s “protective” nature. Indeed, well after the old Norse times, well after the Roman times, all the way to the Vikings and even well into the Christian times of Nordic countries, Thor’s hammer was a very strong folkloric symbol. The stylized hammer, sometimes covered in runes, was worn as an amulet or pendant by people as a way to protect their owner, warding off evil spirits and bad things.

The name of “Thor” stayed also very popular despite the Christianization of Northern Europe, resulting in “Thor” or its variants appearing in various first names, family names and location names across ancient Norse countries. Heck, even one of the days of the English week, “Thursday” is named after Thor, as it is in truth “the day of Thunor”, Thunor being the name of Thor in Old English.

[high-dragon-bait]

Dreadwolf is Ragnarok: Why It Makes Sense Thematically For Fenris To Return

Hello.

If you speak to me about Dragon Age for more than five minutes you'll learn that I really like Fenris. Like. REALLY like Fenris. Then you'll learn that I really, really want him to be in the next game.

I really want him to be in the next game

And I'm going to explain to you in a comically long post explaining a super crackpot theory about why I think it makes thematic sense for him to be in the next game.

So, let's talk about Norse mythology! More specifically, let's talk about Fenrir!

Fenrir is Fenris' namesake. With Fenris being a slightly less common/alternative translation of the name (Fenris Wolf being the full translation) Fenrir's role in Norse mythology is essentially that he's a huge fuckoff wolf who breaks from his bonds and kills Odin, the god of knowledge and king of the gods, which causes Ragnarok, the end of the world

If you don't know, Fenrir was bound by Odin, and the really really abridged reason for doing so was basically that Fenrir was getting too big and scary for Odin to handle. So he bound him up, which caused Fenrir's hate for Odin, and in turn caused him to kill him and caused him to start Ragnarok.

Does this matter to Dreadwolf? Probably not all of it! I doubt Solas is directly responsible for Fenris being enslaved, but anything is possible, the important part here is really: Fenrir breaks free and kills Odin

I have seen people argue that Solas is not a good Odin parallel, because the Dread Wolf as a character and Solas' betrayal/trickery of you is more Loki, but I think Odin has been a bit mischaraterized by Marvel in pop culture. Odin is not a wise, ancient father of the gods. Odin is a trickster, Odin is a betrayer. Odin will do whatever it takes to gain all the knowledge he can. And this is often a fatal flaw in the legends

Norse mythology is too long to summarize here so you're just gonna have to trust me, Odin does a lot of shitty things mostly in the name of gaining more knowledge. Which is an extremely Solas thing to do and would make Solas a good Odin figure

But, Loki is still a connection, because in the legends, Fenrir is Loki's son

Now... do I expect Fenris to be Solas' son? No! That's cursed! And makes my FenHawke fankid possibly getting with one of my Solavellan fankids really uncomfortable! But I do think there could be some interesting parallels there. Maybe not "son" in a literal sense, but you could do a lot with an inherent connection between them. Maybe the lyrium markings connect them somehow, maybe Fenris has some Magic Elf Blood in his veins that connect him to Solas, maybe just BEING an elf is enough. I don't know! I'm just saying that this could also be a connection and would be fun to watch.

(Loki also has... a lot of kids. Many of whom are animals. We've got Fenrir (a wolf), Jormungandr (really big snake), and Sleipnir (eight legged horse). Fenrir and the snake have a mom that's basically Just A Woman but Sleipnir's dad is straight up a horse and Loki is the mom. No I will not explain I just need you to know that)

BioWare could also combine Odin and Loki and give Solas parallels to both. It's important to mention that I don't expect any of these parallels to be 1:1, this is not a retelling, this is a parallel, and sometimes parallels aren't exact.

All that's important is this:

Solas/The Dread Wolf is a god of wisdom, pride, and trickery. Three things that are very important to Odin's character

Fenris is named after Fenrir. A huge wolf, who hates Odin for what he did to him and kills him, initiating Ragnarok

Now, like I said, we don't know if Solas had anything to do with what Fenris went through. That is honestly not important, because regardless, Fenris would HATE Solas' plan.

Fenris would not want the veil to come down! He would not want the world to be filled with inheret magic! That would HORRIFY him! And yes, perhaps if Hawke is in the Fade, his feelings may change. But I have a sneaking suspicion that any promise Solas make to bring Hawke back would be a hollow one. Remember, Odin, and Solas, will do ANYTHING to get what he wants

And if he lied to Fenris about getting Hawke back... I can't imagine Fenris would be happy

(Disclaimer: Character choices would matter, I'm not saying all of this will be unchangeable narratives, just possibilities. Though I do think Dreadwolf will have a lot of hard character-death based choices, I'll elaborate on why later)

Just to cover my bases, it is important to note that Solas already has some connections to being Fenrir himself. Mainly, also being a huge fuckoff wolf and the whole "ending the world" thing. But there is another one that I'm kind of surprised I've never seen mentioned before.

A very important bit in Fenrir's lore is that he bites off another god's hand

This god is Tyr. Tyr is the god of war and bloodshed but also of order and justice.

And well. Solas kinda bit off the hand of someone who could be representative of war and bloodshed, as well as order and justice didn't he?

But... this might not be a connection, at least, not yet. Two reasons for that

Tyr placed his hand in Fenrir's mouth as a bargaining chip. Fenrir was not easy to bind, the gods tried multiple times disguising it as a game, Fenrir "winning" each time by breaking from those binds. But when someone keeps trying to tie you up you get suspicious. The last time he was bound, he asked a god to put their hand in his mouth, and if he were unable to break free and the gods didn't free him instead, he would bite off their hand. Tyr volunteered, and Fenrir bit off his hand. There are no parallels to this story and how the Inquisitor lost their hand.

If Solas is thematically Fenrir and not the guy literally named after him I will be annoyed

But it is something to keep an eye on, because it could be important in the game. This leads me perfectly into the next section of this post which is: Doesn't mean anything now but COULD mean something in the game

It's really just one point. There's a post floating around rn joking about how maybe Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is called DA:D because Solas is, in fact, a dad!

This is where we get really crackpot

See, thing is, Fenrir doesn't survive Ragnarok. He's fated not to from the beginning, maybe he knows this, maybe he doesn't, it's kind of hard to say. But, after he kills Odin, he is killed by Odin's son Vithar

If the theory that Solas has children trapped behind the veil and if one of them chooses to avenge their father should you kill him, then we may be looking at a possible bad ending for the game, or perhaps not even a bad ending, maybe just an ending or even THE ending of the game.

Now you might be kind of freaking out reading this, because optional or not, this looks like A LOT of character death. I want to bring up a point with you that my friend reminded me of: Dragon Age is looking at a serious case of character bloat.

Without counting anyone twice (and giving me room for error cause I'm bad at basic math), Dragon Age has 27 companions, it has 29 if you count the Inquisition advisors, and it has 33 if you count the Awakening companions.

That is JUST the companions, that is not counting major/prominent characters that are not companions (Scout Harding, Sandal and Bodan, Arl Teagan), and it is CERTAINLY not counting anyone from the books and comics yet to be seen in the game (Vaea, Maevaris, Rys and Evangeline), and, obviously, not counting the soon to be four player protagonists

Because while the point of "Some of these characters could be dead" it is equally true that "All of these characters could be alive," nearly all, anyway, which can be very hard to juggle.

The point is: That's a lot of characters. You will notice that in most series that have large casts (The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, ???, Warrior Cats) also have a large percentage of those characters that die. So what I'm saying is: Brace yourself, Dreadwolf might be part character cull.

There has been a lot of time between Inquisition and Dreadwolf, there's going to be more time, it might well be a ten year gap. Dreadwolf is going to be a soft reset of the Dragon Age franchise at the very least. To draw in new players and to show the old players something new. Regardless of your feelings on that, if that is indeed the case, a reset is a good time to cull characters

Now... how much do I actually believe my own post here? To be honest with you, not much, I'd be surprised if even 5%, maybe even 1% of this post is correct, but I do think there are some things here. Specifically the Ragnarok parallels

Another point to remember about Ragnarok is it's not actually the end, there's a lot of death and destruction, but a new world is created out of it. Like I said, Dreadwolf is likely going to be a soft reset of the franchise, and if they do choose to have Ragnarok parallels, then it ends with the perfect way to do that: A new world. Reborn out of all that chaos, and ready to be explored anew.

So that's why Fenris should be in Dreadwolf

[promiseiwillwrite]

I thought briefly of apologizing here, but I shall refrain, on account of I don't owe anyone my presence, words or entertainment.

The last few weeks have been unreasonably demanding of me as a human, to the point that yesterday I really had to think about whether or not I was safe behind the wheel to make the commute home. No alcohol was involved, I was just that exhausted.

At the beginning of the month I made a blood offering to a world-ender, and he asked me what I thought safety should cost. I made another on the 15th, and asked for aid in achieving an ambition, which is something I have been much too straight laced to do in the past. (Please save room for getting over yourself, dear ones.)

It is thus, in my mind, no coincidence that I was promoted.

Jormungandr just fucking delivers, critters and creatures.

The cost is high, from what I can tell. Maybe it is coincidence that the stress has been through the roof, rest has been sparse, disconnected and scarce. Or maybe it is not.

I also started interacting with another human in a romantic way... when I thought that part of my life was just over. I didn't ask for it. But these things always sneak up on you when you aren't expecting them.

I have had neither the time nor the spoons to actually parse or learn anything from all this... Though I think some things are starting to stick together down in the back.

I also started writing the story I have been thinking about for ages. My little icon creature has a project now.

Perhaps if time allows, I will have more in these last days of April, as I bring it back around.

[pof203]

A Summoner Birthday

Previous post: https://pof203.tumblr.com/post/721708958032740352/a-summoner-birthday

Story (Chapter 4 Part 3)

Boundless Tail!!

With one strike, you defeat the wicked witch, freeing her from the influence of the distorted tale.

FLASH

Oh my! What was just happening?

Whew! She's back to normal.

Boogeyman's Voice: (laughing a bit) Who can tell?

And I thought the rough seas were this intense.

But in the end, we did.

We all did it.

FLASH

Whew! I have to say, that was a real tackle we just did.

Lupin: (holding Wakan Tanka) Just don't push yourself too hard.

Wakan Tanka: (holding you also) I know, My Lupin. Thank you.

Hogen: So, I take it you were on the Internet before you appeared here.

Christine: Well, yes. I was posting some videos of my Guild's highlights, then I'm here.

Jormungandr: Well explain it on the way. But right now, we should be finding the breaker.

Jambavan: Maybe it's over there.

He was pointing to a painting of what was suppose to be Jambavan as some kind of perfect prince. You go over to the painting and you find that it opens like a door. On the other side is the breaker.

Lupin: Just like before: Push to open. Push to charge. Crank up the energy.

Kuniyoshi: One.

Hogen: Two.

Jormungandr: Three.

Wakan Tanka: Four.

Lupin: ... Push to close.

After pressing the green button, the alarm goes off. You all take cover as a force of energy blasts through the room. Then it ended as quickly as it started.

Jormungandr: That takes care of that.

Hogen: Three down, four to go.

Kurogane's Voice: Great! Come back now.

Christine: I hope you will tell me what's going on.

Boogeyman's Voice: We will.

And so, you left, with only four breakers left to activate.

Welcome back. Care for a candied apple? Poison free, I promise.

Hey, you're wearing the same clothes you wore when you thought you were the wicked queen.

Like I said, I was inspired. I couldn't let an opportunity like this, and such wonderful designs, go to waste.

Well at least you're not on a murderous rampage to be the fairest of them all.

Tsukuyomi: I'm not saying I'm not trying to be the fairest... But I'm not saying I am. *wink*

Lupin: Oh boy.

Ah, you made it. I guess I better start explaining.

Christine: That would be nice.

You all be ready for your next mission to find the next breaker.

End of Chapter 4.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I actually goofed up. The story that we were suppose to go in this chapter was Sleeping Beauty, but I accidentally used Beauty and the Beast instead. But don't worry, Sleeping Beauty is the next one.

[queensconquest]

@anomieheld​ said: Cue the little wendigo trotting closer to Fenrir in her human form after spending minutes sniffing herself in confusion. " Uncle Fenfen... do i really stink ?" One could easily see the confusion and concern in her round blue eyes ( Ely to Fenrir, have fun explaining, Dad ) 

   Initially  ,  Fenrir  hadn’t  cast  much  thought  towards  the   wendigo  sniffing  herself.  Was  it  odd  ?  A  bit  ,  but  youth  of  any  species  were  prone  to  such  behavior.  He  didn’t  linger  on  it  any  further.  But  his  head  turns  when  she  starts  to  walk  closer  to  him  as  he  lounged  against  a  fallen  log.  How  much  he  ached  to  shed  this  small  form  (  small  ,  at  a  212  cm  height  ).  

   “  What  ?  “

   Fenrir  opened  an  orange  eye  to  stare  at  her  confused  expression.  What  had  brought  up  that  question  ?  Did  kids  ever  wonder  about  such  a  thing  ?  He  wouldn’t  know.  His  own  childhood  had  been  ripped  away  by  cowardly  ,  cruel  gods.  Jormungandr  certainly  hadn’t  nor  had  he.  Hel  .  .  .  might  have  ?  Fenrir  lowered  his  head  a  bit  to  meet  Elyon’s  stare.  He  could  imagine  Hel  asking  that  -  as  well  as  the  shame.  Her  being  half-skeleton  had  terrified  many  before  any  of  them  truly  understood.

   Maybe  it  was  a  reasonable  question  after  all.

   Fenrir  shakes  his  head.  “  No.  You  don’t.  “  Uncle  Fenfen.  It  was  such  a  strange  thing  to  hear.  He’d  helped  young  pups  before  ,  but  they’d  all  had  someone  to  return  to.  And  though  Fenrir  was  every  bit  the  beast  and  monster  the  legends  said  ,  he  also  could  not  simply  leave  a  young  pup  without  anyone.  Life  had  taught  him  cruelty  ;  he  would  not  let  life  teach  another  of  its  cruelty  while  so  young.

   “  Everyone  has  their  own  scent  and  smells  different.  “  He  explains  ,  gesturing  for  her  to  sit  down.  He  had  a  feeling  this  might  become  more  than  a  simple  question  conversation.  “  Like  .   .  .  different  plants  smell  different  so  you  can  identify.  Because  of  what  I  am  ,  I  can  smell  the  difference  better.  It  is  not  bad.  It  simply  identifies  you.  So  in  the  dark  or  fog  someone  can  follow  that  unique  scent  and  know  it  is  you.  “  He  continues  on  to  explain.  Did  that  make  sense  ?  His  gaze  watched  her  to  try  to  see  how  she  reacted  to  the  news.

   “  But  ,  if  you  are  worried  about  smelling  ,  you  can  always  bath  in  rivers  or  lakes  every  day  or  two.  “  Fenrir  adds.  “  I  know  some  use  flowers  or  plants  to  change  their  scent  ,  or  I  can  get  you  something  from  one  of  the  stores  in  town  ,  or  you  could  pick  one  out.  “  It  could  perhaps  be  a  good  teaching  experience.  Although  he  might  be  doing  a  lot  of  grabbing  by  the  scruff.

[geekgemsspooksandtoons]

My likely plans for The Mask Rebirth Part 3

This is something I told Kaijuguy earlier that I’m gonna write this. But I’m not gonna make it yet. Because I’m still wondering about it. And also on Thursday, me and my family are gonna go to Universal Studios. And we’ll be back on Saturday. I will likely have my phone. But I may not post a lot or...it depends.

Part 3 is something I’ve really wondered about. Including having some inspiration from, “The Hunt For Green October”. But instead of shoving Ray Tuttle and his daughter’s story into this. I’ve decided that...may be part 4. So those jokes I said to Kaijuguy are likely gonna be a thing.

Anyway, I strangely want to make this seem like a leaked plot details thing before a movie comes out. You know that kind of shit right? I think I just want a reaction of how people may feel towards it. Before I officially make the thing.

Including I just wanna mention what I did with part 2. It strangely felt like an adult extended The Mask Animated Series episode in a sense...that was something I had thought long ago...but let’s get to the point. Of what the direction for this story was.

I have said characters like Owen Big Head, Stanley Big Head Killer, Davida Steelmine, Walter, and Pretorius are involved with this. And I may just reveal the secret behind Pretorius that I have kept secret. If I want to go through with it.

The story may take 6 months after part 2. With Edge City in a much better position after crime has seriously lowered down. And I’ve been thinking part 1 takes place in January. Part 2 takes place in June. And finally, part 3 takes place in December. So in a year, Owen has had the Mask Of Loki for nearly a year.

With Edge City actually being in a more peaceful state. But this doesn’t take place during Christmas. It’s before it. Owen’s mother, Anna, decides to take her son and their roommate Tina on possibly a two week vacation. With Leonor joining them. With the vacation taking place in either Finland or Sweden. Very likely Finland. Despite knowing he needs a much needed vacation. He brings the Mask Of Loki in case. Practically bring Loki along as well.

But during those 6 months. Stanley was thought to be dead after his body wasn’t found. But in fact, he had survived and tried to start a new life with a new name in Edge City. Mainly due to the possibility the police and Big Head may try to look for him. Stanley is more anti social and angry at life. Keeping to himself, like a hermit. Until an unknown man gives him a mysterious gift. A green mask of sorts. 

Having kept his memory of wearing the Mask Of Jormungandr. But weary of Davida’s deception of him. He accepts the strange gift.

During this as well, after 6 months of being in prison and everyone against her. Vicky Pratt, mostly known as Davida Steelmine has escaped prison. With a new goal of exacting vengeance upon Owen Heffernan. But first going to the young man’s house, sneaking in, and taking the Mask Of Hel. And finding out he’s in Finland. She wants to start a new life. But she’s angered by having been exposed for who she is. She wants payback first.

Back to Stanley, when he wears the mask. He turns into what appears to be Big Head. But looking different. But to Stanley, this is the greatest thing ever. And possibly better than being Serpent Man. He embraces the terrible nature of the mask starts using his newfound powers by killing the Butcher gang first. Which had beat him up much earlier. And while I question if I wanna make Stanley’s rampage one night or two. 

Compared to Owen’s first outing as Big Head. Which was mainly fun mischief. Stanley goes on a killing spree against people that have wrong him in anyway. Even such as the car mechanics, a man who owned him 60 bucks. Which also results in him killing many police officers trying to stop him.

But there’s a goal in mind that Stanley has. To find Vicky/Davida, Tina, and finally Big Head himself. The goal to finally kill all three. The ones that hurt him the most. 

Yet during a situation where it’s only Kellaway and Stanley. Kellaway is confused and horrified by what seems to be Owen going on a random savage rampage. He tries to talk to him and calm him down. Asking him if something is wrong, instead of getting angry at him. But to Kellaway’s shock, Big Head tells him, “Who the Hell is Owen!?” And asking why is Kellaway calling him that and maybe Stanley revealing who he is, likely not. Which results in both realizing two different things.

Kellaway realizing, horrified, but strangely relieved that this Big Head isn’t Owen. And to Stanley, he’s shocked and remembers Owen Heffernan, he puts it together. Realizing Owen is very likely Big Head. 

After escaping the police, and going to a place where he could hide. Stanley is met Walter, and the two fight. But the same man who gave Stanley the mask tells Walter to stop fighting him. Revealing Walter is with this unknown man. He reveals himself to be Septimius Pretorius. A very secretive man that the crime lords of Edge City would send traitors or anyone they hated to be tortured. But due to his secretive nature, and no one exactly knowing who he is. Most people didn’t like talking about him. As some gangsters would tell others stories about Pretorius to scare them. Along with Dorian when he was alive having met Pretorius in person before, and praising his work.

I’d like to admit, I got this idea form @kaijuguy19 I tried to remember. So thank him. On the part where I talk about Pretorius and Walter being strangely friends in a way.

And the biggest thing that made people strangely afraid of Pretorius. Despite he never made an attempt to be a crime lord. He was the one who made Walter who he is. While Walter was strong and huge already. He met Pretorius earlier in life, and Septimius has told others he merely improved Walter. 

He reveals he created that duplicate mask for Stanley personally. To help him achieve his revenge and give him want he wanted. Despite Stanley’s hesitation to trust someone again. He gains Stanley’s trust by telling him that Vicky/Davida and Tina/Kathy are in Finland. But also telling Stanley what he has been wondering. Confirming that Owen Heffernan was his hero, Big Head. Who is in Finland as well with Tina too.

While not considering Pretorius or Walter as new friends. Stanley joins them, with Pretorius giving them a private plane ride to Finland.

Back to Kellaway, who tells Lionel that this Big Head isn’t Owen. And he believes him because of how radically different this Big Head dresses and sounds. The two go to Owen’s house. But realizing Davida has snuck in and stole her old mask. What horrifies the two more is the catch that she’s gonna be possibly going to Finland as well. 

Wanting to confront the Owen himself instead of calling him. They take a plane ride to Finland. With possibly trying to come up with a reason why the Big Head Killer is going there. But also maybe Davida. I’m not sure about this. And I may change this. Such as trying to call them. But they don’t have their phone numbers.

So in this case.

In Finland. Owen as Big Head and others are gonna have to face off Davida Steelmine who wants revenge. Walter, who wants payback as well. But also Stanley as a new Big Head, who desires the same thing. But against Davida and Owen. With Pretorius in the background.

In what is said to be the happiest country in the world....holy shit.

Now Pretorius. This was this the idea I felt was crazy. So I’ll just reveal it. The idea that Pretorius was one of the survivors of Ragnarok. And was responsible for killing Sigyn. The wife of Loki, and the one keeping Ragnarok at bay. With Sigyn’s killer never found, her death was the final kick in Loki’s becoming ultimately evil. Presuming the gods had killed her. Thinking the gods want Ragnarok to happen. And becoming more nihilistic, resulting his fate within the mask.

Along with the other idea combined with that Pretorius was one of the survivors who had imprisoned Hel into her own mask. But also being the one who had come up with the idea to imprison Loki and his family that they felt caused Ragnarok. But due to this, his existence was ultimately covered up by the survivors of Ragnarok. And he didn’t mind that. Not a god, but merely someone able to use magic in a similar fashion like science.

Having lived throughout history with humanity for so long. He came to Edge City because of it’s horrible nature with crime. And one of the only people who seems to have developed a sort of friendship with Walter. Mainly both respecting each other for their talents. But also Walter respecting Pretorius for making him stronger than before.

Having believed the masks have been lost to time. Until Big Head showed up. He was curious, yet confused. But when Dorian had become a giant werewolf in a way. He started to wonder if humans have finally found the masks. His suspicions were confirmed when it was revealed Davida Steelmine and Stanley Ipkiss had been using the mask of Hel and Jormugandr. But also even learning the Mask Of Loki before all this, was found in Africa before. Yet it was stolen and never found again. With smaller stories of an similar Big Head like figure causing mischief. But he suddenly disappeared.

Having kept in the shadows, trying to figure out who was really Big Head. And why wasn’t the wearer gone insane. He eventually found out, but didn’t act on anything. But what he had learn is that Stanley Ipkiss to him, should’ve been the one that found the mask and not Owen. Believing the young man had tainted the mask, and possibly changed Loki.

After 6 months, trying to create what he felt was a better mask. Using whatever magic he had left. With the inclusion of voodoo involved. The Death Mask, a duplicate of Loki’s mask and soul.

I think I’ve said enough...hope you folks like this. Mainly you Kaijuguy lol.

[yggdrassilfam]

Jormungandr, what are your thoughts on your brother, Fenrir?

"My thoughts on Fenny? Oh man, where do I start?!"

"He may be my older brother, but I sure teased him like I was the older one. I mean, I am bigger so technically I am Fenny's big brother, haha."

"His super serious schtick never matched how cute he was and I found it hilarious. All of my siblings were really serious, but Fenny took it to another level. Also, the way he talks, he practiced a lot. If he told you that's just how he is, he's lying. When he thought he was alone, he'd always try talking like his former hero, our uncle Thor, well, how Thor presented himself anyway. Fenny tried to hide it, but I know all about him wanting to become a 'cool wolf.' "

"Nowadays, he still seems like the brother I knew, but, he looks happier. That face may be hard for others to read, but I can tell. Fenny's having a good time here in Tokyo, just like Skoll and I am!"

"I hope he'll come down here to the Battle Bubble, maybe we can spar like we used to."

[doomedandstoned]

SOLAR SONS Show Their True Colors on ‘Chameleon’

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

Album Art by Keir Murdoch

One of the most played songs on our new compilation 'Doomed & Stoned in Scotland' (2021) is "Jormungandr" by SOLAR SONS, and when you give it a listen you'll understand immediately why. The Dundee band, formed in 2014, has a peculiar style that blends spirited progressive metal with heavy metal bombast, virtuosic guitar solos, and the occasional stylings of regional folk music, making this a solid contender for the Scottish Rock exhibit.

However you describe them, Solar Sons are anything but predictable. Formed in 2014 by Rory Lee (bass, lead vox), Danny Lee (guitar, backing vox), and Pete Garrow (drums, backing vox), the band got serious right away and built a home studio that doubles as a rehearsal space. I bet that would be a fun place to be a fly on the wall when jamming is in session.

DIY to the core, it's not surprising to find them also producing their own records, with each album being self-released. Hell, even their music videos are a personal labor of love.

Like many of us who sat in our houses shellshocked at the beginning of The Great Lockdown, fear gave way to boredom and boredom to creativity.

Solar Sons became separated, as so many other people were during the pandemic. The extra time was put to use and the band began working on new material. Passing each other song ideas and jams, this kicked off an intense period of creating the music from the new album. One song spurring on the next, until late-April/early-May 2020, nine to ten brand new tracks had taken serious formation.

Once things eased up a bit in July, Solar Sons set to work developing the lyrical and vocal parts of the songs, having quite a bit of fun learning to play the songs as a full band.

The album is called 'Chameleon' (2021), and I didn't know until I'd given it a good, thorough listen, how appropriate that title is to the album content. A chameleon is an Old World Lizard renowned for its ability to change color.The album before us is the band's fourth and showcases the diverse command of Solar Sons has over a plethora of rock and metal styles.

Each song is a concept of its own. We gallop gallantly out of the gate with "No Idle Blade," a breathlessly-paced song which references the classic Hiroshi Inagaki film Samurai Saga (1959). It's as much a sweeping love story as it is a heroic clash of swords.

Live by the code, honour to the warriors oath Morality means less to me than duty to the sword Make savage the hand and strong of the mind Must blood be spilled in the fields tonight Many before and many ahead Those who where terrified just turned and fled Swords slashing down, we race to the end

This romping NWOBHM number is an adrenaline rush, full of thematic urgency as played out by the Solar Son's expert sword 'n skins crews who are simply electric in their heroic execution of the rhythm and riffs. Pair this on a playlist, immediately following High on Fire's "Bastard Samurai."

"Timelord" is another heavy hitter, but transports us into another world -- the realm of Doctor Who, to be precise. It continues the frenetic pace of its predecessor, with skilled drum and bass work creating a kind of vortex transporting the evil timelord 'cross the constellations to wreak havoc on the good Doctor (which in my mind will always be my first childhood connection with the word "cool," the Fourth Doctor Tom Baker).

The evil timelord he has come for us all Brought back from the past to walk among us Set forth his reckoning and spread fear among us We dare not stand alone, it is nearly upon us The hour is here, the time is now

This song races to the finish with a jazzy swirl of psychedelic picking, slowly fading away. And...scene.

As the album progresses from this point forward, the rhapsodic progression through different styles becomes all the more apparent. It's hard to believe we're even listening to the same band in the funky, "Back Again" until the Solar Sons chime in unison the chant: "Visions in my mind / The pieces fall apart."

"Molten Mountain" is a wonderful prog interlude with beautiful guitar and bass tone. I refer to it in my notes as "The Continuing Adventures of Whale & Wasp" (Alice in Chains devotees will get the reference). It's worth noting that frontman Rory Lee moonlights as bassist with King Witch, another favorite band of mine from out of Scotland.

Every well-rounded album needs contrasts. Light and dark, fast and slow, exciting and chill. Enter: "Reflections," which the band characterises as a kind of contemplative ballad.

"Captive" continues in a similar mood. As it begins, it stirs up memories of the melancholic "Soma" by The Smashing Pumpkins. Don't be lulled into a depressive sleep, though, this too has the stirring fight and might of Solar Sons written inside and out (the band calls it "the anti-ballad").

With "Revenant" the band has decided to show off what it can do as a purely instrumental outfit. Lovers of progressive rock will relish in the effortless psychedelic and math-driven passages. This is why you practice your scales and runs, guitar students. So you can one day aspire to play with the effortless style, grace, and beauty of Danny Lee. I'd love to see these guys jam with my Northwest pals Zirakzigil sometime! What a blast it would be to have the two of those bands on the same bill, maybe opening for Earthless

"Test of our Times" awakens me from my daydreaming, probably because the singing is so out of character from what we've heard up to now. The band call it a "seventies rock shuffle." It's freewheeling spirit might deceive you into thinking this is a carefree song, were not the lyrics handy.

Feeling alone as the days they slowly pass Too much time on my hands I should not complain for I know it will not last And it's easy for me A prayer to the souls who are fighting for their lives And the ones who gone And those who give care you are heroes of our time And we will not forget

Starts to surround can you feel it closing in Pressure it builds now the time is near Fork in the road with a choice unclear how Can we maintain so much doubt and fear Break in the clouds see it light it by the sun Can't go so far for this all to be undone Gathering now we breach into the night Test of our times will unite us in the fight

We're at a point in the album where the Chameleon is shifting into all kinds of far out color. Next up, "The Wolf'' returns us to the savage tone that opened the album, though this is a notch sludgier than we've encountered so far. And no wonder: it's about The Wolf of Badenoch, whom Solar Sons characterise as "a nasty bastard in Scottish history and folklore." This will likely end up a favorite of many of our listeners, with the gruff chanting of pawns. will. fall. for. Badenoch. juxtaposed with exciting guitar filigree.

"Beyond the Stars" really endeared itself to me on my second listen through the album. We're told it's about alien abduction -- "the good kind." Certainly, there's something transcendent about it. I'm reminded of similar climactic epilogues in Mastodon's 'Crack The Skye' (2009), Yob's 'Clearing The Path To Ascend' (2014) and 'They Come from the Future' (2009) by Biblical Proof of UFOs. And what a sublime ending! Breathtaking.

Fans of Mastodon, Spirit Adrift, Haunt, Age of Taurus, and Zirakzigil will dig it, for damn sure. And now, one day before the release of Chameleon by Solar Sons, Doomed & Stoned is bringing you the full album stream so you can get well acquainted. If you dig it, show the band some love.

Give ear...

Solar Sons - Chameleon (2021)

Follow The Band

Get Their Music

[peaceisadirtyword]

Camping trip (Modern!Ivar/Reader)

A/N: This anon probably hates me💔 I’m really sorry, I have some requests that wanted to post much sooner but I was afraid of doing them when I still had the writer’s block, because I would do something really bad, and you don’t deserve that... I did it now, though! Nothing special but I really hope y’all like it😘

Btw, I'm so sorry for being so annoying with the norse mythology... I’m reading a lot about it lately and I'm just in love with that culture💞

Warnings: fluff (an attempt), very little smut, Ragnar and... My writing?

Words: 1569

"The dead will rise, and Fenrir, the wolf, will release himself from the chains, and will run until he stands before the sun and the moon, and will eat both of them mercilessly... Yggdrasil will tremble, and the nine worlds will convulse" his voice was soft, low and intense in your ear, his breathing hit your neck, and it made your tremble and bit your lip "Jormungandr will come from the bottom of the sea, and will fight Thor, who will kill the serpent but also die right after, Odin will perish between Fenrir's jaws, and Tyr will also be eaten, but by Garmr, the dog of Hel, and will be able to stab the beast's heart from the inside" 

You jumped when suddenly he bit your neck, chuckling at your reaction. Then he kissed your cheek and leaned his head on yours again. 

"Your father told you these stories when you were a child?" You asked softly, a smile dancing on your lips. 

Ivar hummed, nodding. 

"Yes; my father, my mother, Floki... I always asked them to tell me how Ragnarok will be"

You turned around to look at his pendant, the one that hang from a lace around his neck with the shape of Mjölnir, Thor's hammer.

"Well, that explains a lot" you smirked, and Ivar rolled his eyes, though his lips curved upwards "But if we ever have children, I'd prefer you wait until they're old enough before telling them someday the dead will rise and all of that, I don't want them being psychos like their father"

Ivar raised an eyebrow and looked at you, amused, as you kissed his lips softly and turned around again, resting between his arms. 

It was nice, to relax on Ivar's arms, sitting on a fallen tree trunk with a small fire burning next to you, wrapped on a comfy blanket Ivar had packed for you -unlike him, you weren't viking and you actually felt the cold-, with no other sound than the soft breeze, some crickets and the crackle of the bonfire.

And Hvitserk snoring, inside one of the tents. 

The Lothbrok Anual Camping Weekend, as Ubbe called it, was one of the few non-religious traditions the Lothbroks actually followed. It had started when Ivar was little, when Ragnar had some free days and decided to take his sons for a weekend away, to spend some time with them. Ivar had confessed to you it used to be his favorite time of the year, as he loved to spend time with his father, and sometimes Floki joined them. They always drove away from the city, and stopped somewhere near the sea, far enough from the closest town. Ivar told you they would eat, drink and talk for hours, telling stories about the Gods, or sometimes remembering embarrassing things from when they were children. 

Ivar stopped liking the camping trip when Björn, Ubbe and Sigurd started bringing their respective girlfriends. Hvitserk brought a different girl each year, and it wasn't fun anymore when they were all making out. 

But this year he invited you. 

After some months dating, and after being completely sure his family wouldn't embarrass him too much in your presence -though you knew Hvitserk, with whom he lived, and that was probably the worst part-, he decided to introduce you to them. And then he invited you. 

He expected you to say no, maybe frown and press your lips together, thinking he was too much of a weirdo for inviting you to a camping trip with his father and brothers to tell stories about nordic mythology. 

But once again, you surprised him with an excited smile and a tight hug. 

"Should we go to sleep now?" He asked you softly, noticing your eyelids were heavier and you had relaxed even more against his body.  His fingertips had been caressing your arm, making you sleepy. 

You were the last ones sitting next to the fire. Ubbe, Margrethe and Hvitserk had gone to their tent just after Björn and Torvi left for theirs. Sigurd had stayed, playing guitar and dedicating some songs to his girlfriend, Blaeja, as Ragnar sat with Ivar and you, telling you stories about the trickster God, Loki.

Eventually, all of them went to sleep, but Ivar and you stayed a bit. You enjoyed looking at the stars as he told you his favorite; Ragnarok. He was excited while talking, eager to share his culture with you, and that warmed your heart. 

"I don't want to move" you muttered "It will be cold if we move"

Ivar chuckled. 

"It's not even cold, Y/N"

"Yes it is, it's freezing, I'm not a viking like you"

"You're more viking than you think" he smiled, kissing your temple "But we'll freeze if we stay here the whole night"

You whined in protest as his arms abandoned you. The cold breeze made you shiver. 

"Come on, let's go to the tent" Ivar chuckled as you stood up, taking his crutches so he could stand up. 

After pouring some water on the bonfire to extinguish it, you both crawled into the tent. Ivar left the crutches aside and grunted softly as he took off his braces. You shivered and hissed in cold as you changed into your comfy pajamas. You envied Torvi and Margrethe, who wore cute little pajamas that were too sexy to be warm, but they didn't seem to feel the cold either.

When Ivar finished taking off the braces and changing into his sleeping clothes (some sweatpants and a basic t-shirt) and turned around, you were already under the blankets, with your hair in a messy bun and shivering. 

He chuckled as he crawled to you, rolling his eyes when you whimpered in protest as he got under the blankets. Immediately, your arms went around his waist and your head leaned on his shoulder, sighing when you felt his warmth. 

"It's nice" you spoke after a few moments, making Ivar open his eyes to look at you "All of this. I was worried your family wouldn't like me, or something like that... Or that I would ruin the mood being the stranger"

Ivar scoffed. He was nearly sure his family liked you more than they liked him. 

"I'm glad you're enjoying it" he whispered "But please, stop saying nonsense, Hvitserk already adored you, and even Sigurd likes you" he rolled his eyes "And my dad"

You smiled. You already got along very well with Aslaug, and to know that Ragnar hadn't disliked you, knowing how much Ivar loved them, made you happy. 

"Thank you for inviting me" you moved your head to kiss his cheek "Though I'd recommend a warmer place to go camping next time" 

Ivar couldn't help but laugh softly.

"Come on, get some sleep" he whispered, sighing in pleasure when you pressed your body against his and closing his eyes. 

___________________________________

You woke up when the sun was still raising. The sudden bright and the warmth woke you up, wrapped on Ivar's arms and with your face hidden on his neck. You tried not to move too much to avoid waking him up, but instead you relaxed with your eyes opened, looking at Ivar's face, with your hands absentmindedly playing with the Mjölnir necklace that rested on his chest. You didn't know how you got so lucky to call that man your boyfriend, but it seemed unreal. When the sunlight started bothering him, he grunted and moved in his sleep, his hands now cupping your ass and pressing your body against his. 

Smirking softly, you brought your lips to his jaw, kissing his skin and traveling down to kiss his neck, easily finding his sweet spot. 

Ivar moaned, and woke up immediately. His gorgeous blue eyes opened slightly. 

"Good morning" you whispered, your lips against his skin.

"Yeah, good morning indeed" he moaned again.

Chuckling, you raised your head to kiss his lips. His hands gripped your ass even more and you smiled into the kiss, as Ivar pulled you on top of him. You cupped his face with your hands and deepened the kiss, while his surprisingly warm hands traveled under your shirt, caressing your waist and reaching your breasts. Moaning against his lips, you moved your hips against his. 

"You'll be the death of me, woman" Ivar was breathless as you broke the kiss and your lips travelled down his neck again. He was already hard, and just when your hands roamed down his body to reach the hem of his sweatpants, the entrance to the tent opened, and Ragnar's voice startled you.

"Dad!" Ivar scoffed, sitting up with you still on his lap. 

His head peeked out from the entrance; he had a playful smile on his lips.

"Sorry" he cleared his throat, though his smirk didn't show any regret. You blushed, hiding your face into Ivar's shoulder, embarrassed "Just wanted to tell you that breakfast is ready... And Hvitserk is awake, so I would hurry up... Now, I'm leaving" he chuckled "Enjoy"

"I can't believe him" Ivar sighed, rolling his eyes as his father closed the tent again "Gods, I'm sorry" 

"Don't worry" you chuckled, still blushing and thinking about how you were going to look at Ragnar in the eye from now on "Are you hungry?"

"Yes" Ivar shrugged, tilting his head with an innocent smile "But not for food, so... Take off your clothes, love"

______________________________________

Tags: @mblaqgi @alicedopey @lol-haha-joke @hallowed-heathen @naaladareia @tephi101 @captstefanbrandt @love-hate-love​ @titty-teetee​ @readsalot73​ @moondustmemories​ @thevikingsheaux​ @therealcalicali​ @chimera4plums​ @blushingskywalker​ @awkwardfangirl02​ @gruffle1​ @justacripple​ @love-dria​ @heartbeats-wildly​ @letsrunawaytotomorrow​ @inforapound​ @sallydelys​ @hellogabysblog​ @winchesterwife27​ @hecohansen31​ @youbloodymadgenius​ @xinyourdreamsx​ @funmadnessandbadassvikings​ @eteramfools​ @tgrrose​

[culture-robertosn]

Scottish Legends

Just like all places in the world Scotland has no small amount of legends/myth that come from many times and areas, stories of ghost, demons and monster. Most of these tales sprout from mythology and fear. I have decided to research these mysterious stories and I will make my own artwork of some of these entities, as well I shall explain what they “creatures” are.  

Unicorn

The unicorn is actually Scotlands national anime if you didn't know but why is that? Unicorns have been featured in many cultures all over the world, the body of a white horse with a single spiralling horn atop its face, in the Celtic mythology unicorns are a symbol of purity, innocence and power. There are legends that say the horns can cleanse poisoned water such is the power of their healing properties, maybe if these creatures were once real it could explain why Scotland has such pure waters. These untameable and proud beasts are fiercely independent and are almost impossible to capture/conquer, perhaps that is why they are Scotlands national animal as their unbreakable will is like so many of Scotlands heros of old.  

Kelpie

The kelpie is a supernatural water horse that is said to haunt the lochs and lonely rivers of Scotland. Described as a horse but with the power of taking human form, some tales state the kelpie retains its hooves even in human form this also links to the Christain idea of Satan. The victims would be approached by a dark grey or white pony but would always have a soaking wet mane constantly dripping, its target would be lured almost hypnotised to ride the horse and would be dragged down to a watery grave. There is one story that speaks if a captured Kelpie, Laird of Morphie captured and harnessed the power for his own. He made the kelpie carry heavy stones so he could construct his castle and when finished he did release the horse but many believe the kelpie cured his line and explains the extinction of the Laird family.  

Loch Ness Monster “Nessy”

Likely Scotlands most famous legend, this is a large dinosaur-like creature suspected to be that of a Plesiosaurus this creature is believed to live in Loch Ness. The first record of “Nessy” sightings was almost 1’500 years ago when a huge beast was seen leaping out of the lake and devoured a farmer and from that day on the legend of the Loch Ness monster was born.  1934 a doctor from London manged to take a photograph that seemed to show the monster emerging from the water, many sightings have been reported since then and yet no creature has been found however in 2009 loads of people claimed google earth had found proof of “Nessie” existence but nothing came of this. Loch Ness hold an estimated 263 billion cubic feet of water, more than all the lakes and rivers in the whole of England and Whales combined, its believed that Loch Ness’s deepest pint is over 800ft deep just for a comparison this is twice the average depth of the North Sea. So given how deep the Loch is perhaps “Nessy” lives at the deepest depth and is just waiting to strike once more.  

The Stoor Worm

A gigantic evil sea serpent in Orcadian folklore, capable of contaminating the earth and destroying anything in its past with only its putrid breath. It sounds like an Orkney variant of the Norse world serpent, Jormungandr. Jormungandr is a child of Loki and is so massive its entire body covers the entire worlds oceans and he bites down on his own tale, he is described to be like a sea dragon hence the comparison to The Stoor Worm. At sunrise on Saturday the Stoor Worm would wake and yawn nine times then would demand seven virgins to feast on, a king of one country threatened by the Worms arrival was advised to offer the seven scarifies however the king would suffer this beast no longer. In a desperate attempt to end the monster he issued a proclamation offering his entire kingdom, his daughter’s hand and a magic sword to anyone who could slay the Worm. The youngest son of a local farmer, Assipattle took up the challenge and slayed the creature as the monster died its said its teeth fell out to become the island of Orkney, Shetland and Faroes, its body became what would be known as Iceland.  

Note: The symbolic artwork is interesting as it tells the story of the Stoor worm and I like that type of art style its good when the art tells a story.