#arcadia worldbuilding

[paranatura-verse]

The planes of the Paranaturaverse

Green - The Crossroad, informally known as the Human Realm. This plane has the weakest connections, allowing beings from other realms to cross through. It is home to Earth, which contains two inactive Gates to Arcadia, and Calcania

Yellow - Blacklight, a plane in such close proximity to the Crossroad that the two overlap. These realms are almost identical, although the Blacklight is an eternal night filled with neon buildings and technicolour residents.

Blue - A cool, bright plane known as Paradise, home to winged humanoids known as angels. The cities are typically built in the skies high above any landmasses, which have been left to nature

Red - Pandemonium, a warm plane home to many malevolent entities that humans refer to as demons and imps. Many of these beings reside in underground cities

Pink - Arcadia, home to the kingdoms of Rhyneris and the Seelie & Unseelie Courts. All reported sightings of fairies or mythical creatures in the Crossroad are residents of this plane who have crossed through, although many are now trapped after the Gates were sealed shut

Cyan - The Spirit Realm, where the souls of all planes are sent after their deaths. It is a dimly lit realm, mostly lit by the soft glow the spirits give off. However, many spirits are unable to find their way to this plane

Purple - Timeline X. Although this timeline branch predominantly impacts the human realm, it does still branch into other planes

Orange - Timeline Y. This timeline also branches into most planes, although it alters the human realm most of all

Grey - The place outside the known universe in all timelines and through all dimensions. Many entities that are worshipped as gods come from this emptiness

[rosemaidenvixen]

Merging the magic systems of Tales of Arcadia and the Owl House

Ever since I added the Owl House in alongside Tales of Arcadia as one of my blorbo shows, I’ve wanted to do a crossover between the two. The trouble is I’m coming up empty with plot ideas, zero, nada, zilch. I want to bring these characters together but I’ve got no idea of what would bring them together and what they’d do when they got together. I still want to write a crossover, but right now I’m waiting for the right inspiration/idea to strike.

Since I have no idea when the right inspiration will strike, let alone when I’ll have anything written. I’ve decided to share my ideas for how I’d reconcile the magical systems between the two shows.

In the Owl House it is repeatedly, explicitly stated that humans cannot use innate magic; and in TOA we have multiple humans using innate magic. So how to make these two incompatible systems mesh without completely throwing out one or the other?

First step is to flesh out the world(s) the stories take place in, using some interpretation and a lot of my personal headcanons. To begin the Demon Realm isn’t really another world so much as another plane of reality to the Terrestrial Realm (aka Earth). If all of reality is a house, the Terrestrial realm would be the first floor and the Demon Realm would be the basement. Another universe would be a whole separate house. The Demon Realm isn’t the afterlife, but humans falling into the Boiling Isles and bringing stories of it back did give rise to myths about the underworld.

Now the two magic systems in these show as they are are completely incompatible, so to make them compatible I’m doing some heavy tweaking to the magic system in the TOAverse. I chose the TOAverse to alter because the Owl House has a lot of in-universe explanations for how the magic system works, while TOA is incredibly vague about it.

What I came up with is this.

Witches can practice innate magic because they have a gland of magical bile on their heart that serves as the source of their magic power. They have these bile sacs because they evolved from the decomposing carcass of an incredibly powerful eldritch god and inherited some of the Titan’s innate magic. Humans did not evolve these bile sacs and therefore have no innate magic. But what if there was a way to bypass the evolutionary middle man and get magic directly?

Because while mature titans may be some of the most powerful deities in existence, they are far from the only ones, and the terrestrial realm has plenty, the Arcane order and many others.

So while humans have no innate magic, by making a deal with a deity they can get some of their powers to use as their own.

Quick aside, in this verse deities aren’t all knowing/all powerful/pure good/pure evil. While they’re immensely powerful magical beings, deities aren’t omnipotent, and have their own struggles and limitations, just like mortal beings. There are almost no deities that are pure good or pure evil, and they often make contracts with mortals for their own reasons or their own gain, ranging from noble to petty.

And a deity giving a human some of their power doesn't lessen the deity’s power. It’s like lighting a torch from a bonfire, the bonfire isn’t reduced by lighting a torch, and it gets to spread its influence without leaving its confines.

The conditions and stipulations that go into such a contract with a deity, and what powers the human gets out of it, varies from deity to deity. An honest person making a deal with an honest deity would get an equivalent exchange, but a foolish person making a deal with a trickster deity might soon find themselves in over their head and little more than a slave. Of course there are plenty of mortals who wouldn’t mind feeding a bloodthirsty god all they desire if they come out more powerful for it. In rare cases if the mortal is clever enough they can trick the deity and come out on top of the bargain.

Every deity is unique and they all have different risks associated with making contracts with them. But making deals with ancient, primordial deities is considered especially dangerous, because while these elder beings are no more pure good or evil than their younger counterparts, their minds are much more alien. And this lack of understanding of human morality can lead to blessings that look like curses, gifts that are more like punishments. One should exercise extreme caution when making a bargain with one of these elder beings.

Now what would this look like applied?

Let’s start with Merlin. I can easily see him being clever enough to trick a deity and a lot of Arthurian myth has him being the son of the devil. So based on this, I imagine in his youth he was able to trick a very powerful, sadistic trickster god, I’m not sure how the specifics of this trick go down, but it ends with Merlin getting all the power he desires and the deity being left with almost nothing. The deity is furious but is bound by their own word.

For Douxie I imagine that a few thousand years down the line Merlin’s trickster made a deal with Douxie as a young child, giving him power with the intention of grooming him into causing Merlin’s downfall. But Merlin outsmarts them again, taking Douxie as his apprentice and teaching him all that he knows. And Merlin’s not immortal, if one day after he dies Douxie steps into his shoes that is just fine with him. Again the trickster is super pissed, but can’t do anything about it.

Now Zoe. There’s pretty much nothing in canon about her powers but I’ve seen a lot of cool fanart of her with electricity powers, so I imagine she made a bargain with Thor, god of thunder, to get lightning based magic. Thor really didn’t ask for much in this bargain, as he likes giving mortals power just because he has fun seeing them running around kicking ass and taking names.

Claire actually did what few dared to do and made a bargain with one of the oldest beings in existence, Nyx, goddess of the night and primordial darkness. No one’s sure what exactly Claire promised in exchange for power over shadows and darkness, only that Claire herself goes gaunt whenever asked and refuses to say.

Rather than being a human that made a bargain for power, I see Morgana as being a demigoddess with innate magic of her own, the child of Uther Pendragon and a powerful fae and Arthur’s half sister. Being a demigoddess makes her incredibly powerful, and killing her…complicated.

So contracts are how “typical” human magic users get their power, but when Luz goes to the Boiling Isles she discovers the glyphs, the titans’ language, and a way to use the titans’ power without a contract or a bile gland. Speculating down the line, once King learns of his true heritage and the Collector enters the scene, this opens up the possibility of Luz making a contract with one of them, but this has its own set of risks. While King and the Collector are friends and allies, the two of them are children, and while they might never intend to harm Luz they could easily end up making a contract with devastating side effects without even trying to. They’re so young they simply don’t know or understand all the subtle intricacies that go into making a bargain with a human.

That’s all I’ve hashed out for now. Like I said, any crossover story will stay in limbo until I get a good idea for a plot. And if anyone wants to incorporate any of the ideas I wrote about here into your own stories feel free. Thanks for reading my rambles!

[sparrow-orion-writes]

welcome to arcadia; installment four; education

Prev instalments: | Government | Blue Oak Forest | The Landscape of Sight

Education in Arcadia

It's mentioned a few times throughout the series how education is heavily gatekept throughout Arcadia as a whole. Part of this is to do with the nature of its origins. The majority is to do with class and power. As Arcadia initially started with people surviving under specific - and often stressful - conditions, skill sets that were tailored to those areas were passed down through generations. For example, April never attended any form of organised education, but is an incredible chemist. He can hardly read or write, but still understand both how to kill someone and save their life. This is because of a skill that was passed to him from a member of his community, who in turn recieved those skills from a member of his. On another hand, Ari is clever academically. He studied in school - maths, english, physics, chemistry, and was accepted into the university, which in itself is extremely difficult. However, he's terrible with general survival skills such as cooking, or keeping places clean. This is partially due to the fact his parents never taught him things like this, and it wasn't taught in school. Education is few and far between in the way we would perceive it. April, who is also dyslexic, would not have seen a real book until he left Blue Oak. At 20, Ember does most of the reading on his behalf because he gets so frustrated trying to do it himself. Ember, who grew up in extreme poverty, taught himself how to read - neither his mother nor sisters can read. He reads slowly but with more confidence than April. Ari, however, reads perfectly, because it was taught in school, and his hometown of Sight is one of few places with an organised education system.

Sight, Cyber, and the Police Academy

There are three training academies in Arcadia, this is separate from the singular university. Sight, Ari's hometown, has a full education system that is funded by their government. He had a specialized education up until the age of 16, before he left. Usually, residents will then go on to work in a specific environment, similar to our apprenticeships. Cyber is the technology hub of Arcadia, currently operated by the unusual Overhead Technologies. Their training is from the age of ten years old, and is technical, based around being a technician or engineer, with some other 'simple' jobs such as cleaning, or general maintenance. Is not particularly rewarding and many 'employees' end up 'disappearing'. The Police Academy is as you'd expect. It's based in the heart of Arcadia - the precinct. A good physical fitness is required, and an ability to degrade your own emotions slowly over a course of time. This is funded by the government. Most human enforcers have a life expectancy of 30-35. And the intelligence of a snail.

The University

The university is funded by the government for some elements, the rest is funded by applicants. There is a cost to study at the university, and all entrants must be able to pass a series of examinations in maths, language, and their chosen subjects. There are few students who get in, and even fewer who graduate.

Upbringing Vs Education

Best represented through the characters themselves. Ari and April are opposites in many ways, but especially in the places they were raised. April's hometown has no formal education, because they have no money for it. Blue Oak has all but been left to rot, for its people to starve, and sickness to spread. When a large amount of trade moved away from Blue Oak, the usefulness of its people became lesser. He learned through observation and interest, largely powered by his ADHD. Ari's hometown is well-funded for many reasons. The first is that it was directly founded by a member of government, meaning there are ties in place to keep the place running. The second is that it is a well of knowledge, which was designed to be locked up by the founder. Due to religious practices, they don't share information with 'outsiders', so if someone wants the end product, they have to buy it. Because they have regular income streams ranging from medical to agricultural, they have a well looked after community. That totally doesn't end up costing them or anything. Part of this is a formal education system designed on the religious practices and the needs of the community. Other places see a variety between these two ends. Edward, for example, grew up being read to, so he learned how to read. He didn't have a formal education, but his community kept hold of traditions and aspects of their ancestry that educated him in other ways. For example, his father's trade with Cyber taught him about electric and how it can be generated, manipulated, converted into energy. Whilst his mother's talent regarding plants taught him about poisons and food.

Additionally

Most people will have had an oral or practical education. They will have learned about their community and the things they can do to help it. They will have learned skills from their parents, family, or community elders. They will not have gone to school. This does not make them unintelligent. Edward and April are two of the most intelligent people in the books. They never went to school. April is so clever that the people that hate him enlist him to help them. Edward is clever enough to know, intuitively, how to fix broken items, identify poisons, and design entire solutions. Ari's schooling doesn't often serve him in many meaningful ways. He is very intelligent. He can't function in society for the life of him. No one can teach a person how to love, or be loved, and he lives in constant anxiety because he does not understand the people around him.

[pokespe-rainbow]

Tales of Arcadia, Rise of the Titans: Canon Rewritting and Worldbuilding

Okay, lets start this burning the original concept of what we know about the Arcane Order in a gigantic phyre and spreading the ashes in the void of the space and then replace it with something i like

(None of what I writte next it's fully Canon, just me messing with the story and "upgrading it")

It's said by Blinky, and most of the fandom, that the Titans created the Universe.. Pffft, yeeaah right, like that happened. You want to tell me 3 gigantic jaegers made of ice, fire and forest created all the life in the Universe of Tales of Arcadia, and then proceed to that omnipotent beasts to be defeated (after some importat deaths) by a bunch of teenagers and boomers? Lol nope, i'm scratching that

Lets going to pretend that's a error commited during a great part of the human history, that is beliving the Earth is the center of the Universe, when Krel stated and mocked at the idea saying that the Earth is pretty far away from the center of the Universe, just he doesnt say that im the movie for being in a serious situation

So the Titans only could reset the planet Earth by they reaching the primal heartstone, good enough

Now let's pretend the Titans arent just elemental jaegers and actual sentinent beings, or in that case, gods, like Seklos and Gaylen are stated

Aja mentioned that in Akiridion-5 they have no magic, makes me think that magic is something universal that could happen in some planets, but we really never see any alien, sorry, extraterrestian, casting magic, so, made me coming to the conclusion that, magic exist and is widely known, at least in Akiridion-5, and is something only a few planets manifest but is often enough to be known by the princess of Akiridion-5

So, magic isn't originary from Earth, or it is it?

Powerfull mages as Merlin or Douxie have staffs with a glowing stone that stores magic, ignoring the alien language symbols in Merlin staff, we'll get there, some kinds of stones hold the capacity to store magic, of the Universe itself or from a living being, just like the Heartstones, said magic was absorbed by Gunmar, not before it was destroyed by Morgana, but stills stores power enough, or the capacity to doing so, by the Titans of the Arcane Order

Now it's stated the Titans created the Universe, or the Earth because they don't give a shit about other planets or races in the Universe, they ultimatly want to destroy humanity and magic creatures

The question is.. Why? Why, if the Arcane Order created Earth, they want to destroy their own creation? Probably because main of the creatures in Earth are "violent" and they're probably dissapointed, but not here

There's only 3 Titans and 3 Genesis seals, that resemble each one of the Titans, but it's said the Genesis Seals contain the magic from the Universe, but it's actually only from the Earth

So, i stated, in that case, why did they need the Heartstone? Or more like the Primal Heartstone?

That's when I trow the Canon trough the window and let my imagination took control

The Arcane Order Titans don't created Earth, they put the conditions to the life on Earth exist, and being the mayor sorces of magic

I'm going to base the next part in Transformers Prime, and a little on the Akiridion-5 Lore

In the legend of Seklos and Gaylen, they crushed the stars and use that to create Akiridion-5, thing that i belive are exagerating. The power of crush the stars and still Gaylen core was ultimaletly destroyed by the forces combined of Aja and Krel's parents, so, or the Akiridion race core, or mostly royal cores, hold an enormus power at life cost, or Akiridion-5 history is exagerating their power and they helped to create the life in Akiridion-5 planet, just like the Titans

King and Queen of Akiridion-5 said that Gaylen was originated from Earth, and looking back, Gaylen holographic form looks pretty much like a troll, or one of the Arcane Orden members inhuman features

So maybe Earth and Akiridion-5 we're created by similar entities, and seeing the power that the Gaylen's core hold long after his death, probably mileniums or eons later, and Gaylen having a core after being said that he comes from Earth... Makes me think

Seklos and Gaylen are stated being born from Titans, but only Gaylen coming from Earth, i doubt the Arcane Orden created Gaylen... and then what? Let him run around in the Universe when they never considerated life outside from Earth? What if the Titans, not the Arcane Orden members, and Gaylen, we're created by the same being or coming from the same source?

The Titans have a predecesor that created the Earth, or most likely... Is the Earth's core (remember, this is a Canon Rewritting made out of my own imagination, just for entretainmet pruposes), more like, it's what remains from the Titan.

The Earth core is the Titans Predecesor Core that stayed dormant in Earth and after that in a process of eons, its formed a cover of rocks and dirt that it's the planet Earth, and the Heartstones around the world, that are said the sorce of life of trolls and other magic creatures, are pieces of the core that grow near the Earth surface and ultimatly gave life

At some point before the firsts bacterias were formed, 3 Titans we're given birth thaks to their predecesor death

Then started a cicle of reborn and death in which every few eons the Titans reseted Earth, one Titan each time, the Fire Titan being the one that caused the extintion of the dinosaurs, the Ice Titan the one that caused the ice age, and the Forest Titan the one that created the life in Earth as we know

In some point a 4th Titan was born, a lesser version of their predecesors, one that took the looks of some creaturs that inhabitated the planet. The Titans we're creatures that hold knowledge behing living beings comprehension, only existing for their original pruposes, the natural cicle of life on planet Earth. Gaylen was more sentinet that their predecesors, but born with a similar prupose on their existence, leave the Earth and traveled across the Universe, ultimatly meeting Seklos, another sentinet Titan like they, Seklos being a Titan born from the stars but having not known any other Titan like the Earth Trio. Gaylen being their... "Mentor" of sorts, teached Seklos of their duty of creators of life and it's cicle, creating Akiridion-5, based on their image, but instead or organic beings, they we're made of energy, what give them a longer lifespawn and more time for explore the knowledge of the Universe, in less time having reached a higher form of sapience that every Earth known creature, in the eyes of Gaylen, having reached the end of the cicle, and proposing to reset the planet. Seklos oposed that, but Gaylen was firm on his statement, happening the events of the legend of Seklos and Gaylen, Seklos destroying Gaylen's body at the cost of their life and core, with Gaylen's core being guarded by the royalty of Akiridion-5, until the events of the series and giving back Gaylen's core to the Earth

Meanwhile on Earth, mages, trolls and other magic creatures rise on Earth, developing some human to have great magic habilities beyond their time. One of them, being a middle aged Merlin Ambrosius, and probably other mages of which names in not going to bother with. They studied the stars, other species, the planet itself and found about the Titans, and get to the conclusion, the end or this cicle was close, so, using the knowledge of the stars (*wink wink*), it's probably they have develoment a magic anulator like in the future, more rustic and enough to not to kill the Titans, that was a near imposible mission, but to put them in a slumber that could last aged before another solution will come. The price to pay for the creation of the Genesis Seals? All the ancient wizards vital energy, only surviving Merlin to the process, and that's why Merlin looks like an old man despite reaching inmortality.

The Titans fall, but not with a last trick, they created 3 sapient demi-gods with the prupose of finishing off their jobs. That's why the Arcane Orden wants the Genesis Seals and Merlin have them

And this is the end of my version of the origin of the Titans, the Arcane Orden, Merlin, and Seklos and Gaylen, when i feel inspirated i writte more about this Rewritting of the Canon, starting of what the heck we're doing the wizards during all the Tales of Arcadia timeline

[generic-whumperz]

Republic Of Arcadia Hierarchy

Hierarchy explanations below

Apocamerica Masterlist

Overview: The Republic of Arcadia (ROA) remains shrouded in mystery and thus shielded from US military personnel and lawmakers' scrutiny. From what little is known, it appears to be a dystopian police state born from chaos, blending elements of a medieval feudal system with a simplified modern military command structure. Functioning under a rigid top-down hierarchy, it offers security along with oppression, as the ruling Baron and Commander overlords protect at the cost of the lower classes' freedom. Vassals, merchants, and slaves work the land under close supervision, living in a state of monitored survival.

Rumors suggest the ruler of ROA is none other than the former United States vice president, Thelonious Rousseau, who has assumed the role of authoritarian leader of Arcadia. Rousseau—thought to be slowly descending into madness, driven by personal tragedy and ambition veiled under vengeance—blames his predecessor for the apocalypse and has taken the self-proclaimed title of Archon of Arcadia. By using fear and propaganda, he maintains control over the populace. The former President is villainized and held responsible for the nemaxys outbreak, while Rousseau positions himself as the savior of humankind. This narrative serves to justify his harsh rule and the feudal system put in place to control citizens and manage production. With the people yearning for security, they reluctantly yield their rights in exchange for military protection, further solidifying the Archon's stronghold over the lives of the reluctant Arcadians.

Once obstinate in its refusal to engage in diplomatic or trade relations with the remaining United States sectors, the ROA has since softened its stance. Following the US’s formal recognition of its sovereignty, communication channels have opened, facilitating the possible exchange of vital resources between the two nations.

Hierarchy (bottom to top)

Vassals, merchants, slaves: Farmers, fishermen, tradespeople, grid workers (sanitation, plumbing, electricity, etc.), small business owners. People who did not have trade skills or were refugees or prisoners were now slaves owned by Commanders or Barons. Vassals and merchants are contractually bound to Barons but are technically free citizens of Arcadia.

Constables, Stewards: Lower ranking Envoys. Basically cops. Patrol frequently are stationed everywhere. “Protect civilians.” Are the on-the-ground eyes and ears of Arcadia.

Envoys (ranking order): Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Major: The soldiers & military force. Very powerful, Arcadia’s biggest asset and how they keep borders protected. Envoys are the muscles and protectors keeping this house of cards from crumbling. Primarily protect borders and guard shipments and higher officials.

Commanders: Resource management, controls trade and import/exports, and manages & deploys Envoys. Lays the laws of the land as set forth by Barons & Bishops.

Barons, Bishops (& other clergymen): “Lords,” overseers, former town mayors, and spiritual/religious leaders. In charge of the lands and deploying the Envoys. Own the slaves and direct the vassals of the land. Acting Emissaries of Arcadia.

Archon: Supreme ruler, likened to a King or President. Keeps a close council of 5, referred to as first, second, and so on. Secretive, inner circle dealings. Unknown location. Untouchable. Has a harem of Mystics used to keep power, sway the influence of Barons & Bishops, and keep away enemies (including USA) and aggressors.

[scratchandplaster]

Tales of Arcadia - Interactive

[Masterlist]

So, now that this arc is over, I thought of how to go forward. I wanted to give Sam the chance, being a newcomer to the settlement and all, to have many interactions with the members. That's their main motivation after all - collecting content and hopefully revealing dirty secrets to share with the world.

But, because I'm lazy, I thought this could be a great opportunity for you guys to step into their place and become a journalist (even if it's just for an underfunded podcast) yourself.

Here is my idea: ask the different members of the settlement (Shepard, Ben, Birdie, Otis, Shawn, unknown member #24, whoever) any question you like and I'll write a drabble about it as if Sam is asking

In the end, it will be a collection of many interview snippets and not chapters like in the past, but I think this could be very fun for all of us!

[gl1tchxr]

i love making designs and backstories for 40 million characters who have zero impact on the plot and are lucky if they even meet a main character

[many-gay-magpies]

idk how trolls reproduce and due to the existence of gronk-nuks i have a feeling it is at least somewhat sexual, but i also really like the idea of them just being completely asexual beings that reproduce via finding chunks of gem or stone, carving children out of them, and giving them "life" via some ritual or another (troll/heartstone magic?)

[thekingofthenameless]

Whenever I see you on my dash I always think your icon is of jesus/god (I am combining them because I don’t think about it intentionally enough to have a clear idea) or black santa XD sometimes I remember who it actually is and sometimes I just roll with it

That’s hilarious lol 😂

For anyone who doesn’t know, my pfp is my version of ToA Merlin! He’s a very different person from Canon!Merlin, in character and design, so he’s technically-ish an oc? Both @draal-the-deadly and @donkeyklone have called him one, so I’d say it counts!

I suddenly wanted to talk about this, so you get some lore about him! (It’s going to be an important plot point).

First off, here’s two ways how changeling biology is different from Merlin’s!

Changeling biology:

1. While most changelings have two forms, human and troll, their human forms are technically a “fake” form, while their troll forms are their true ones.

2. Changelings don’t feel any pain when changing forms, no matter what size; because while some of them are pretty slender as changelings, and only gain a few inches of height, some have the physique of an average troll. It could be because of Morgana’s magic?

Merlin’s biology:

1. As a cambion, (specifically half-demon, half-human), both his human form and demon form are his true forms. He was born in his human form, and he didn’t start transforming into his human form until puberty, where his non-human side began to show more. As a result, he was already more used to being human. It’s also the form that’s much, much less of a giveaway of being magic. Mortals knowing you’re magic is one thing; looking like magic is another.

2. His transformations are painful. Since he was the first cambion, he was born before the demons creating them figured how to make the transition to a different form painless. He was a test to see if demons and humans could even procreate, besides them wanting to make him the Anti-Christ.

When they happen, he collapses, biting back a scream as his bones started cracking and lengthening. His skin turns red, his facial markings appearing; his teeth becoming fangs. His blue eyes change to red, his pupils becoming slits before his horns, claws, wings, and tail all burst out of his body.

After, he stays where he transformed, panting, waiting for the pain to at least die down enough for him to breathe.

Fortunately, he has a healing factor, which thankfully nullifies the pain pretty quickly.

Unfortunately, if he’s tired, it won’t work nearly as quickly, or at all. (It also doesn’t take away the dread.)

Over his lifetime, he’s never been able to figure out a way to make his transformations less painful, so he tries to limit them to when a fight has made him pretty desperate. But his body has other plans. It wants him to balance his two forms, so if he doesn’t transform in a while, it does it for him.

His body being in pain also makes his magic go insane. It thinks he’s in danger, so it tries to protect him; but it actually makes him have to strain to control it, and force it to not burst out of him.

And at the start of EE, he’ll run himself into the ground before he even thinks of taking a nap, so he’s constantly exhausted.

He knows this won’t bode well for him when his body forces him to transform, but he can’t rest now. There’s too much to do, too many lives to save, too many futures to prevent…

Thanks for the ask!

[acircusfullofdemons]

Cherry for a celebration

[ ASK GAME ] || I'm gonna describe the Arcadian holiday, Suinter, since that has the most info rn.

Suinter is celebrated twice a year, during Aestas/Summer & Briemis/Winter. It's celebrated during the latter two moths of each season.

Aestuenta 19 – Aestuenta 24, ending on the summer solstice.

Brieuenta 19 – Brieuenta 24, ending on the winter solstice.

It's celebrated as a tribute to the goddess Rythsti (aka Mother Nature), and her journey to visit her son, Zagreus (god of death), in The Beyond/Afterlife. The holiday lasts for 6 days, to represent the 6 months Rythsti will be visiting. During the celebration, Spirits are allowed to traverse wherever they please without punishment. Reapers are also given the time off and given their own offerings as thanks for keeping The Beyond running. It is also custom to refrain from growing anything for the entire holiday.

[sonicasura]

The most chaotic and funniest thought just hit me.

Mario and Tales of Arcadia could exist in the same universe.

Let me explain. The Super Mario franchise had their own cartoon in the 90s called the Super Mario Brothers Super Show. In it, the brothers can travel between Brooklyn and the Mushroom Kingdom via a green warp pipe located somewhere in the sewer systems.

Basically no one else knew about this pipe nor the hidden universe(I'll call the Mario World we know as the Hidden World from this point afterwards) except the Mario Brothers. Then you also consider there is more than one warp pipe. And thus this glorious idea.

For setup, the Hidden World could be considered the Promised Land to all Trollkind. A realm where sunlight nor lack of being near a Heartstone DOESN'T turn them to stone and bears many treasures of peculiar power but also a potential second home should their realm fall apart i.e what will become the Darklands.

Some trolls left to seek out the Hidden World but never came back. There had been only one account of someone finding the mythical 'Green Channel' that leads there. However the troll discoverer in question was branded as a liar and label an outcast. This explorer writes a journal of his experiences before eventually disappearing. 'Beginner's Guide To The Hidden World' was the only thing left as no one knew the writer's fate.

A book of a madman's ramblings and gone unfound inside Arcadia's Trollmarket until the first human Trollhunter been made. You don't expect Jim or Toby to not look through the books in Blinky's library especially if a problem arises. It bonks the poor Trollhunter on the head and our favorite book troll practically flips out once he sees the guide.

Whether the major plot point is such as Battle of Two Bridges, find Gunmar's weakness or handle Angor Rot, it doesn't take much convincing to look into this Hidden World. Now since sewers weren't prevalent in the middle ages, no Troll thought the 'Green Channel' could be a giant sewer pipe. Modern human thinking leads to Team Trollhunters rediscovering the Hidden World and it's unique flavor of insanity.

(Jim seriously needs a huge break from being the universe's drama dump. Why not throw a very long overdue albeit super goofy bone? Plus I know some of you guys want to see Draal put on a Cat Bell, Jim in a Tanuki Suit and Toby in a Penguin Suit.)

Now for some worldbuilding!

Trolls born in the Hidden World have natural immunity to sunlight. An occurrence that is half adaptation and half magic revelant. They can also survive without the presence of a Heartstone but are unable to use powers up unless they return or have a special item.

It takes four hits to make a Hidden World troll lose their active power up, two for Changelings and three for a normal troll. Although those who possess the Amulet of Daylight, like Jim, can take four hits no matter the species. They have a major kingdom located somewhere near the Seaside Kingdom known as Stoneheart and are neutral territory. Koopa Troopas are considered rivals specifically the royal ones like Bowser.

Trolls came up with 'Action Filming', a maybe Mario canon(my memory is rusty) where the games/series is a play while the characters are actors and friends offscreen. You know they would make a concept like that as they're still a warrior based race.

Quite friendly to outsiders and visitors, a good chunk of Hidden World trolls are travelling freelancers in their own expertise. The most common are traders, bodyguards, to of course any occupation that revolves around geology or architecture. Gunmar is considered the Hidden World Trolls' Boogeyman, a story to teach young whelps to behave.

If proven real then Jim definitely has an army willing to help him out as major threats are taken quite seriously in the Hidden World. I can say that Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, Partners in Time, and Bowser's Inside Story are the only games mostly based on true events. You can't expect three major incidents that affected three different kingdoms, ESPECIALLY their royalty, weren't taken seriously nor have a huge impact on everyone else.

Hidden World Trolls rarely eat cats or any other pet considered animals. I think the reason why they limit themselves in canon is because a missing cat ain't gonna draw major attention unlike cattle and other farm animals. Although I bet a grocery store that accepts or can keep trolls' existence a secret would be a godsend. But yeah, their food options aren't limited in the Hidden World.

Finally for the last bit, there have been some unique adaptations that tend to crop up with Hidden World Trolls. These can range power up based ones such as species with Penguin Suit or Fire Flower traits, environmental like those raised in Lake Lapcat have feline characteristics, to seemingly random ones like shapeshifting. Yep. A natural born Changeling who doesn't need a familiar to transform is a possibility.

That's it for now! Until next time folks, I'll see you at the warp pipe between Arcadia and the Mushroom Kingdom!

[rsam4444]

Fragments

I decided to post some ideas I've had for awhile about this species that might need rewrites and was hoping for ideas to improve on them.

Fragments of the Sacred Source, Eternal Star Nor.

⁃ Fragments are special stars created by a Sacred Source with the purpose of storing excess energy. After being fully formed they fall out of orbit and enter a random planets atmosphere.

They are then drawn towards a random planet by a powerful gravitational pull. The fallen stars are then given a form, with the purpose of enabling survival in the unknown.

Fragments if choose to will live amongst the species born into and have at their disposal abilities received from their Source. (The most common often deals with reality manipulating.)

Below are some documented Fragments and their abilities of the Sacred Source along with the World/stories they're found in.

⁃ Jun -from Cherry Contract-

A Fragment with the ability called True; the borrowing of another demon's power twice a day and in his hands, is able to amplify it's effects to the fullest (true) potential. The ability on works on those he's bonded with and becomes ineffective once that bond breaks or the other dies.

Constant use of another's power especially if their natural strength is greater than his, will create a strain on his naturally weak body often resulting in nosebleeds and blackouts. (Jun is small in terms of size not due to miscalculations when his body was being made, but due to lack of care he received growing as a domestic slave.)

⁃ Elior -from Heroes are Villains Too: A Hero's Origin-

Fragment who has a slight control over one's moral compass. He's able lead an innocent down the dark path by tainting the door to their heart with illusions of his victims deepest desires. (He can essentially cloud or blind a person's judgement and the way they veiwed the world.)

Elior was in fact created through the mind of the toddler, Min Nolan who possess immense mental power. He started out as her imaginary friend, a replacement for the deceased grandmother who left a huge hole in her life, but ended up a corrupt guide, leading Min down the dark path.

Since his existence is inside the mind of another, he is unable to physically interact with human world unless willed by said creator.

⁃ Calen Grey -from Guarded By My Man-

A Cursed/Blessed entity with the irresistible charisma of a god, unrivalled beauty, eternal youth and infinite spiritual energy. He's said to be the most favoured of all Fragments by their Sacred Source.

⁃ *The First Ultima Wolf (undocumented) - from Wolves of Throne and Storm- was gifted a heritable ability known as The Storm. It's grants the power of Indomitable Will. It's an amplification of whatever drives the hosts. The users of this power can manipulate energy formed from their ambitious strength and willpower allowing them to achieve a number of what would be impossible accomplishments.

⁃ Renaya 'Angel' Kreo - from Arcadia -

The descendant of a Fragment who possessed the Bloodline Talent, Illustrated Reality. (Talent in this world is just another word for magical ability.)

Her variant of this Talent is called Phasebreak; The power to achieve supernatural feats by completely rejecting certain aspects of reality. She can become indestructible by denying physical damage, deny the laws of physics, and even become immortal by denying the concept of death/aging.

This is one of the weaker Talents by Arcadian standards.

⁃ Gin Hashida - from BLOODSTREAM -

After his DNA was fused with that of a Kaiju (monster) containing Fragment pieces, he gained an automatic and continuous supply of good luck. Gin has no control over this power as things considered "lucky" randomly and unexpectedly happens to him despite any predetermined fate or logical reason. His luck is often brushed off as a joke.

Nothing bad will happen to Gin or if it does, his power will sort it out no matter how impossible the situation is or how high the odds are against him, allowing him to always be in complete context in whatever situation he's in, to be untouched and ineffective to the laws of causality.

This ability only takes effect whenever he's fighting a Kaiju.

⁃ Evan -from Doctors Of The Sun-

A Fragment with the curse of transmigration into a new universe everytime he completes the task of assisting a main character or the main cast. He is immortal in the sense that when he does die, he won't stay dead. This is the result of instant resurrection, being reborn, transferring one's mind/soul into a clone, etc..

Evan was given this gift by the Author... He can still die from various causes, like physical trauma, but he will always come back to life only if the task given isn't completed. If it is that a task was successful, he's immediately killed and sent to the next world.

Not much information will be given on each character, unless requested as there are a lot more to their stories.

[rosemaidenvixen]

A while back I posted that in the sunshine au each of the kids will have a signature color, and I thought I'd go a little more into detail about what that means for one character in particular.

Darci.

Her color is green, the color of both envy and harmony.

After the Battle of Two Bridges Blinky decides that in order to give his human charges an advantage in their struggle against the Janus order, he'll let them handle several magical artifacts that Vendel has in storage in the hope of awakening some form of Wizardry in them.

Because learning magic is a lot like learning music. It doesn't require any special innate factor, and with practice and hard work almost anyone can become skilled at some form of it.

Jim is barred from using the artifacts, due to his "curse" interfering with any outside magic, but for the rest of the kids it's wildly successful.

Claire awakens her magic first, darkness flickering at her fingertips and shadows bending to her will. Toby discovers his magic in the stones he spent his life studying, finding power in the heat and pressure of the earth itself. Mary's magic burns bright and hot, much more volatile than the others', able to summon an inferno on a whim.

Then there's Darci, who tries as hard as she can but is never able to summon more than a flicker of power.

That's when they learn that while most people can learn some form of magic, a few people are the magical equivalent of tone deaf. And that no matter how much work and effort they put in they'll never be able to master anything but the most basic of spells.

Darci falls into this category.

She's utterly crushed at learning this but tries to keep her spirits up and be happy for her friends. After all this isn't their fault, and they'd happily give her the ability to practice magic if they could. And while Jim does have special abilities of his own he paid a terrible price for them.

The other kids know how left out Darci feels and make a point to never exclude her and to not rub their talents in her face.

But as sympathetic as the others are and as much as she tries to force herself to stay positive, Darci can't help but look at all her friends growing into new, fantastical powers and feel the sharp sting of envy.

As time goes on Darci find herself more and more torn between her support for her friends and her growing bitterness. But then something unexpected happens that sends everyone reeling.

The arrival of someone who's also known for wearing green.

[sparrow-orion-writes]

Welcome to Arcadia; Instalment Two; The Landscape of Blue Oak Forest (otherwise known as: Poison)

Prev instalment: | Government |

The Landscapes of Blue Oak Forest

Blue Oak forest is the setting of the first book of the series, the home village that the protagonist - April - returns to after many years away. Blue Oak is known by others in Arcadia as "poison" or "the poison forest" due to its unique ecosystem.

Blue Oak gets its name from the collection of large oak trees placed curiously at the centre of the forest. These trees are perhaps the oldest in the forest and stretch so far above the ground that from the base it’s hard to see the tops. At the base of these trees are blue flowers that convert radiation into carbon dioxide, they’re rare, symbiotic to local fungi, and very hard to get to.

There are very few grasslands within the forest, with one being close to the entrance, which is where the village was built – on fairly muddy and not so stable conditions. There are a couple to be found within the expansive forest itself, but few have ever made it all the way through the forest and back, alive.

There are some main things to consider of the landscape:

The deeper into the forest a person endeavours, the more poisonous the plants become. This is because many of the plants underwent forced evolutionary growth for scientific study before the radiation became a natural part of the plant's life-cycle. The flora, fauna, and fungi seem to live symbiotically, feeding into each other perpetually. Because their survival depended on it, the radiation is – instead of purified – has become part of the norm for some areas of the forest, depending on the plants and animals found there.

Some of the animals we’re familiar with exist within Blue Oak, deer, bears, foxes, squirrels – yet all are mutated by the radiation. Some of the animals are more predisposed to mutation genetically, so some seem utterly normal, others are depicted rabid, foaming at the mouth, dragging themselves along mindlessly with shattered back legs, or completely feral. This also extends to insects, with overgrown spiders, engorged millipedes, and flies that spew radioactive bile.

Blue Oak existed before the war broke out, Arcadia was built around it – with the forest initially serving as a greenhouse, complete with protective shield. The shield has since cracked, with pieces missing, but due to its size it still holds a slightly different climate to the rest of Arcadia.

The Sky

‘April watched the embers of the cigarette burn against the sky. The sky here was so clear, clear the way the smoke and heaviness of Obsolete never could be, clear in the way that felt – horribly – like home. The stars clustered so far from his grip, and he wondered had they been there before humanity had eaten itself alive, would they be there long after they were gone? Or was he staring at a graveyard, wondering why the place felt so haunted?’

>ask me questions, so I can develop it further.

[bestiarium]

The Crawfordsville Monster [modern cryptid; urban legend]

As far as modern urban legends go, most sightings of cryptids and creatures tend to fall into one of several recognizable categories: a lake monster, a flying saucer, an ape-like creature, etc. But every once in a while you have something weirder or unique:

On April 5, 1891, a supposed monster was sighted in the skies above Crawfordsville, Indiana, in the USA. A local pastor, Reverend G. Switzer, left his house to get some water from the well in his backyard when he supposedly experienced a strange feeling somewhere between dread and awe. Uncertain what caused this feeling, he looked up to see a large serpent-like being flying through the sky. The snake moved quickly even though there was no wind that night, and seemed like it was about to land, only to change its mind and take off again.

The paster and his wife were not the only witnesses, for that same day the apparition was seen by two workers about to haul ice on their wagon. They were so frightened of the creature that they took shelter until it was out of sight.

The size of the creature varies between stories, putting it somewhere between 16 and 20 feet (5 à 6 meters). It did not have wings – although other accounts added several fins or fin-like structures – but was able to fly by means of writhing movements, not unlike those of a real snake. The monster was white and had no head, or at least no clearly visible head, but it did have a large, brightly burning eye. Despite the lack of a visible head or mouth, the monster emitted a wheezing noise.

The Crawfordsville Daily Journal named the creature ‘the Midnight Wraith’ but today it is more commonly referred to as 'the Crawfordsville Monster'.

When researching this sighting, I came across some very weird UFO theories. While they tend to strain credibility, I admit that it’s fun to theorize about, in a fantasy worldbuilding kind of way. For example, the last source I listed here mentions a theory about atmospheric creatures that live in the clouds of our planet and stay afloat because of their extremely low-density bodies. The Crawfordsville monster, supposedly, could be such a creature.

Several explanations have been put forth. Some claimed it was a spirit. Professor Robert Burton assumed that the witnesses might simply have been under influence of alcohol or drugs. A later sighting in the same location put forth a simpler, albeit anticlimactic, explanation: two men followed the flying ‘monster’ around until it came close enough for them to identify it as a giant flock of killdeer birds: local birds with a distinct white belly. There were several hundred of them in the flock, and the birds’ erratic flight pattern might have been caused by their confusion from the electric lights, and the many moving ‘fins’ of the monster would have been the wings of the different birds. Perhaps exhaustion in the early hour, combined with the dark night sky, caused the ice haulers and the pastor to mistake the flock for a monster.

Sources: Clark, J., 2005, Unnatural Phenomena: A Guide to the Bizarre Wonders of North America, Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 408 pp., 160 pp., p. 87-88. Zach, K. B., 2003, Crawfordsville, Athens of Indiana, Arcadia Publishing, p. 140-141. Hunt, C. M., 2023, Ghosts & Legends of Crawfordsville, Indiana. Haunted America, Arcadia Publishing, 160 pp., p. 12-18.

(image source 1: Mart, T.S. & Cabre, M., 2021, A Guide To Sky Monsters : Thunderbirds, The Jersey Devil, Mothman, and Other Flying Cryptids, Indiana University Press, 174 pp.) (image source: Enshohma on Deviantart)

[leelarots]

DECA STUFF

this is a master post about my au/fic canon for the deca. i will link this in my deca posts in future, so i don't feel like I have to explain stuff every time. thank you so much to this sub-fandom for making me feel so welcome!

current lineup:

6/10 drawn, design ages frozen at 18-25

to do: vansell, drax, mortimus, jelpax

basic info from left to right:

Magnus | 6'4 | Oakdown | hazel eyes, black hair

Ushas | 6'0 | [?] | 'black' eyes, dark brown hair [portrait]

Koschei | 5'7 | Oakdown | blue-grey eyes, black hair [portrait]

Theta | 5'8 | Lungbarrow | brown eyes, light brown hair [portrait]

Millennia | 5'3 | Brightshore | hazel eyes, blue hair

Rallon | 5'10 | Stillhaven | brown eyes, black hair

[other info on the fic(s) below cut]

current word count: 2.3k

the fic:

will be separated into different 'books', each focusing on a select few characters and one main plot each.

will have theta as a regular gallifreyan instead of half human or another species. however, it's worth noting that for the narrative, I am going to make all 'freyans have some human genes due to past inbreeding

(with luck!) will be partially illustrated

won't be an attempt at following the incredibly messy canon. godspeed to those who try.

won't be centred around thoschei. as much as I wish it was, writing worldbuilding for gallifrey and fleshing out other members of the deca is also enjoyable to write about

other notes on my worldbuilding:

at this point in time, time lord households do not refer to parents or siblings. the hierarchy goes from bottom to top cousins -> aunts/uncles -> granny/grampas -> kitriarch

theta may not be half human/the timeless child, but I aim to still make him 'adopted'. he knows who his father is, but his mother is not of rank, and left him as a baby outside of the lungbarrow household. the connection between him and braxtiel is that they were both left with a note in the same handwriting, addressed to their father.

koschei's 'hypnotic' nature and high telepathic ability is a rare genetic condition. most gallifreyans have a weak latent touch telepathy, trained up in the academy. hypnosis is a different story, but koschei can carry off a potent version of hypnotism without training. he is only in the academy because of his condition.

related to the above's last sentence, becoming a time lord is somewhat class locked due to the initial exam for joining the academy requiring training only supplied by expensive tutoring. if you are not born into a time lord family, it is very difficult to get in.

a main theme of the fics will be around the stagnation that occurs when people in power do not change. as the occupants of the high council live for so long, they have the ability to enforce only their beliefs/beliefs of a small bubble, refusing to move with the times or address changing circumstance.

looming has only just come into existence during the fic canon. none (or at least most) of the deca are not loomed.

'shobogans' are the occupants of the capitol's surrounding slums. this may change.

religion is banned/illegal, but I aim to portray that as being hypocritical—time lords started out as a religious sect. the cloisters are indeed remnants of the original religious building, buried underneath the capitol.

a large portion of gallifrey is not optimal for human-like life. the largest part of the planet's gallifreyan population is centred in the glass globe cities, such as arcadia or the capitol.

humans regularly trade with gallifrey, although the trade lines go: widespread human trade lines -> undocked spaceships around gallifrey -> permanent human settler-traders on the planet. it is not permitted for anyone to go to and from gallifrey freely without a specific, hard to obtain permit. time lords can obtain a permit more easily.

related to above, this is my reason as to why gallifrey has cats and other human items. some human plants and animals are considered invasive.

human-gallifreyan marriage is somewhat taboo. theta is commonly rumoured to be half human without basis because of his being 'different'. once again, the fact most gallifreyans are part human is to show that they are hypocritical.

I could go on, but I won't lol this is long

I am aware of how ambitious this project is. for that reason, I can never promise that the whole fic series will be completed. drawing and sharing my headcanons is enjoyable for me, though, as the deca is my current favourite thing. it's been years of me tinkering about with them in silence, I'm rather hoping I can find others who like my ideas.

my ao3 is soupsmog

want to know something specific? want to talk? pop me an ask, comment on my deca related posts, or join this academy era server, where I'm pretty active. dms are not really open because they make me anxious, sorry!