#archeologist in the making

[historicalhues]

Ethical Archaeology MATTERS!

[uncanny-tranny]

The thing that gets me about history and humanity is that you never know what is immortalized, and the things that will be immortalized are things you would never think.

I saw a person sharing a new tattoo, and it was one of Onfim's drawings. A boy who lived so long ago he is barely a blip now, but his drawings meant so much to people that somebody is now permanently marked in their skin with one of those drawings. Do you ever look at the things you make and just sit there and wonder if this is the thing that future people look at? Do you ever look at your art, your writing, your schoolwork, or anything that is yours and just wonder who will find it, who will fall in love with a piece of your humanity and become overwhelmed with emotion over? It's not unlikely. It's not totally unlikely that somebody will find a piece of you in the distant future and devoid of any other context of who you were will still love you because you were here. You were here, and you are still here, even hundreds or thousands of years later. Treat yourself with the same love that so many have for dear Onfim.

[soranatus]

Dan Garrett in Blue Beetle (1964)

[bbdoll]

[liquidstar]

after a long pause i finally finished my newest oc batch ^_^ this time for owl feather: the scholar's guild. the members are more or less different types of academics, or just nerds, with their own different niches. as usual, more specific info+closeups under the cut <3

Name: Mercury

Name Origin: The planet named after the messenger god

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 28

Guild rank: Guidmaster

Weapon: Caduceus

Ethos (Power): Aileron (Enhanced speed and levitation)

Flaw power is based on: Her evasiveness- Though her power has evolved (the levitation) once she became guildmaster as she became a pillar for her guild, and successor to the former guildmaster.

Notes: I can be your angle... or yuor devil

Name: Keid

Name Origin: A star whose name means eggshels

Pronouns: He/him

Age: 19

Guild rank: 3 star

Weapon: Chicken sickles

Ethos (Power): Computative prognostication (He can calculate the outcome of events in his own head, but he can’t see outcomes beyond the one he calculated)

Flaw power is based on: His overly cautious and ruminative habits, though he tries to play it off like he's way more chill and not constantly existentially overthinking

Notes: But which came first...?

Name: Alasia

Name Origin: A star whose name references Idalion Tablet, one of the oldest known contracts

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 15

Guild rank: 2 star

Weapon: Shovel

Ethos (Power): Erudition (Psychometry- The ability to read the past of any object by touch)

Flaw power is based on: Her extreme curiosity, while her inquisitiveness on it's own can be admirable she can often get obsessive about it.

Notes: She's an archeologist <3

Name: Dimidium

Name Origin: Exoplanet whose name means "half"

Pronouns: He/She

Age: 22

Guild rank: 4 star

Weapon: Double-ended flail

Ethos (Power): Vice-versa (Healing and reverse healing)

Flaw power is based on: His simultaneous obsequiousness and brashness- Two extremes that she fluctuates between in a way that's both unpredictable and unhealthy.

Notes: Generally stoic either way so it's hard to tell...

Name: Navi

Name Origin: Informal name for γ Cassiopeiae- A navigation point for Apollo 1

Pronouns: He/they

Age: 19

Guild rank: 3 star

Weapon: Arm

Ethos (Power): Kefi (Energy direction- He can channel his energy into powerful attacks into his weapon of choice, which they designed to be their own arm)

Flaw power is based on: Their over-zealous nature. Though passion is a good thing, their ferventness can absolutely make him lose track of himself.

Notes: A weaponsmith who’s figuring out more technological approaches

Name: Talitha

Name Origin: A star system, whose name means "Spring"

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 13

Guild rank: 1 star

Weapon: Plastic wand

Ethos (Power): Metamorphosis (Magical girl transformation. She can shoot beams out of her wand now.)

Flaw power is based on: Her extreme tendency for escapism, especially in idolizing fantasy.

Notes: She's a magical girl 💖💖💖

Name: Misam

Name Origin: A star whose name means "wrist"

Pronouns: They/them

Age: 28

Guild rank: 5 star

Weapon: Wrist blade

Ethos (Power): Rigor (Enhanced precision)

Flaw power is based on: Their surprisingly to-the-point, often cold-blooded nature.

Notes: Nerds can be cool too, guys.

Name: Perwana

Name Origin: An exoplanet whose name means moth

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 27

Guild rank: 5 star

Weapon: Lantern

Ethos (Power): Callous luminance (Physically palpable hard light, created from her lantern)

Flaw power is based on: Her tenancy to place the burden of guidance onto herself- Literally a guiding light for others. Mostly in regards to erudition, the symbolic connection between illumination and knowledge. She wants to illuminate everyone. But this can be at the cost of herself.

Notes: These are her summer clothes.

[oifaaa]

I thought timmy was left home months on end without supervision and without proper food?? I mean he had the money but does a smol tiny skronkly child know how to cook proper meals?? Pls correct me if im wrong lol

Yeah no not what happened it's mentioned a few times that Tim was either in boarding school or had a nanny looking after him while his parents were gone it definitely wasn't a matilda situation were tim was just expected to look after himself he had adult supervision one way or the other

[tanadrin]

there is no video game with an "archeology" minigame whose archeology minigame does not suck ass.

[yournextflame]

Children of the Erdtree

Recently I've been thinking a lot about Tarnished Archeologist video, where he suggested that during the Marika's age all people were born from the Edtree. And while I disgree with his main statement, I think there is certain truth when it comes to... Empyreans. As crazy as it sounds, there are plenty of evidence that Empyreans are plants spawns of the Erdtree, especially in Japanese.

Those born at the foot of the Erdtree are blessed. At least, that is the enduring belief of the people of the plateau (Golden Rune [6]) 黄金樹の麓に生まれた者は特別である 高原の民は、未だそう信じている

This description in English draws connection to the blessing of the guidance, but JP doesn't use "blessed", 特別 means "special, extraordinary, unique". This word is also used in the description of the amber draught that Seluvis made to seduce Ranni, Radagon's seweing kit (unique item made to alter demigod attire) and plenty of other items associated with demigods, which in my opinion implies that people born at the foot of the Erdtree are divine beings.

Upd: it can be translated as "blessing" and used as such in the description of the Erdtree's flavor.

In one of my recent replies I suggested that Melina (I was born at the foot of the Erdtree) is a secret Empyrean, who born after the Shattering and, unlike Ranni or M-twins, she was directly spawned from the Erdtree. However, description of the Golden Rune states that this phenomena of people coming from the Erdtree is widely known to the regular folks as well as the special status of people born this way.

Before dwelling deeper into the mysterious lore of floral Empyreans, I want to explain why in my opinionnot not all people and demigods were born from the Erdtree; and this pattern is not an evidence for this statement, it's simply a genealogical tree of the Golden Lineage. The demigods are all directly related to Queen Marika's/Only Godric, the grafted one, is a distant descendant…/The runt of the litter, his divine blood sorely diluted (Enia) The issue with original theory is that such a thing like Godrick's diluted blood wouldn't exist in a world where everyone is Marika's or Erdtree's offshoot, not to mention logistics of childbirth would raise a lot of questions, how would people determine which child-bud is their child? The game makes it very clear that people are coming to the Erdtree to die, but nothing points that majority of population were born from the Erdtree, otherwise Melina's situation wouldn't be presented as something unique and people, who were born at the foot of the Erdtree, wouldn't be viewed as extraordinary entities, and brother D wouldn't boast that no child will came from Fia's rotten flesh anymore. While I believe that Marika definitely screwed to concept of motherhood by her decision to remove the Rune of Destined from the Elden Ring - that's why Formless Mother is an outer god, "Bat Song" - a song about motherhood is the only song with real Latin lyrics; and why Marika has no luck with children, I don't think that it was screwed to the extent of people being fully dependant on the Erdtree to reproduce. [cut content alert] Turtle meat is said to boost virility, but none in the Lands Between seem to have much appetite for it these days. In Lands Between, the urge to reproduce has waned long ago Going with Elden Ring's based idea of life being intertwined with death, I think immortal people simply lost interest in reproduction, but since this description was changed, I don't have a hard evidence to support this idea. That being said, there is no hard proof for anything, but there are plenty of interesting connections between Empyreans and plants, and I want to talk about it.

Souls Seed, Japanese lore-blogger, pointed similarity between the oval shape in the center of mural on the Erdtree's entrance and Miquella's cacoon, but I decided too add Rennala's amber egg as I strongly suspect that this thing produced Ranni. This mural was always interesting to me, the meaning of the lower part is easy to understand, the Erdtree sprouts from the Elden Ring as it is said on Kadokawa JP site, but the upper part is more abstract. What is this oval object? What are those lines are supposed to symbolize? According to the Soul Seed's theory, this mural is showing the blood watering Empyrean cacoon born from the Erdtree (or the Erdtree being watered with blood and producing Empyrean). The Empyrean was thus used as a name for the firmament, and in Christian literature for the dwelling-place of God, the blessed, celestial beings so divine they are made of pure light, and the source of light and creation The very name of Empyreans says to us that they are very special, in Japanese they are 神人 "god-person", they are indeed a level above an average demigod. And I really dislike that EN translation dropped that the birth of Empyreans means that the age of current ruling god is ending. 神人とは、通常のデミゴッドとは異なる存在

エルデンリング、即ち女王マリカの時代が終わったとき

神となり、新しい律を掲げるべく、尊く生まれ落ちているのです

An Empyrean is different from an ordinary demigod.

When the Elden Ring; the Age of Queen Marika ends,

an Empyrean is preciously born to become God so they can establish a new Order (Sage Gowry)

If you haven't read my close reading of Marika's echoes, I'd recommend you to do it as in that post I explained in details why this verb 掲げる is so important. It's used in the description of the Dectus and Rold medallions, which are mended by Tarnished, it's used in the description of the Mending Runes, and it's used... by Marika when she sends Tarnished on the Long March.

Then, after thy death, I will give back what I once claimed. Return to the Lands Between, wage war, and brandish the Elden Ring. そして、お前たちが死した後、いつか奪ったものを返そう 狭間の地に戻り、戦い、赴くままにエルデンリングを掲げるがよい Just to be clear, I don't think the Shattering was a rebellion against the Greater Will as Marika planned that the Elden Ring would be 掲げる in the end. Me general idea is that it was a succession war between Marika and Empyreans, but this theory always had two giant plot holes named Malenia and Miquella, who were born after the beginning of Tarnished campaign. However, no matter in which theory you believe the birth of Miquella and Malenia wouldn't make sense, not to mention the whole selfcest thing. Unless the birth of the Empyreans is something that Marika can't fully control because they aren't born in classic way, they are spawining from the Erdtree.

Floral theme is very important in the imagery of gods and Empyreans. Marika/Radagon and the Erdtree, Miquella, his lilies and the Haligtree, Malenia and Scarlet Aeonia. The only Empyrean, who isn't associated with plants, is Ranni, but I think this Miyazaki's interview explains why:

What can represent these rules and order but also not be absolute? That was the question that ran through my mind when I created this image. And the tree really fits the bill nicely for that because the tree is something that's alive, it's something that grew, it's something that will eventually wither and die. And this really fits the role of something that can then bestow this order, control these rules, and enforce these rules on the world. Because these too are things that will grow and will change and will wither and die as well. So I feel that the tree this time is something that fits those elements both visually and thematically. But saying any more than that would definitely go into spoiler territory.

[Miyazaki's interview to gamesradar explains lore better than 150hr long game 🤦‍♀️] Those big, magic plants, the Erdtree, the Haligtree that was supposed to replace it, they are embodiements of the Order. The Erdtree used to be an object of worship, Haligtree played the central role in Miquella's plant. The Scarlet Aeonia would be worshipped too if Malenia was interested in the Order of Rot.

But Ranni choose to walk the shadow path and the main idea behind her ending is that there wouldn't be a god and Order to worship, in that case a symbol of the Order shouldn't exist. In the light of theory that Empyreans blood is a source of life, her slaughter of the body would also makes sense because... the blood of gods and Empyreans is a source of life and a lot of problems.

I always thought that Millicent story is a missing piece of puzzle to solve one of the greatest mysteries of the Elden Ring - Marika/Radagon. Of course, Malenia is posessed by Rot, but I think the key principle between the birth of Malenia's daughter and Radagon's existence is the same. Notably, Millicent is always descibed as a flower (as well as her sisters and Malenia herself) The despair of sweet betrayal transformed Millicent from a mere bud into a magnificent flower. And one day, she will be reborn—as a beautiful scarlet valkyrie The girl, Millicent. She is a bud. Green and undeveloped, waiting to flower into magnificence/In truth, before her, I'd never seen a bud of such superior quality. She might very well outshine her sisters. However, Millicent believes that she is blood-related to Malenia. In which case, allow me to explain myself. I am of Malenia's blood. But in what capacity I know not. I could be sister, daughter, or an offshoot…

Recently I've been asked to translate official Malenia vs Radahn story board and found out something interesting on this panel - according to the trailer director Malenia uses the weight of her body to push the sword deeper inside Radahn's body and mix their blood. The result comes immediately - Radahn blooms with the Aeonia flower. Considering what happened in the trailer and later in the story, I can suggest this formula:

Malenia's blood -> Scarlet Aeonia flower -> Malenia's "daughters" or:

Empyrean's blood -> magic plant -> Empyrean's offshoot The latter is partially supported by Miquella's lore. We know that he was fertilizing Haligtree with his own blood: The surcoat bears the crest of the Haligtree. Though watered with Miquella's own blood since it was a sapling, the Haligtree ultimately failed to grow into an Erdtree A popular theory also suggests that Miquella has his own offshoot - St. Trina, but without cut content we can rely only on visual similarities between their lilies and spirit/dreamwrold connections.

Speaking of which, I'd like to pay ettention to the base of the St. Trina's lily. Unlike Miquella's lily, this one doesn't have roots, and the base of it looks similar to the rootless Haligtree sigil. Applying the pattern that I mentioned above, we can see how blood/plant thing works for Miquella:

Miquella's blood -> Haligtree ->St. Trina [confirmed in cut content, speculative in the current lore] However, I wonder to which extent Empyreans can control creation of plants/people from their blood. Malenia definitely bloomed on purpose, but it seems that Millicent and her children were born without Malenia's awareness. Same goes for the St. Trina. Does their shape is so uncertain (some say she is a comely young girl, others are sure he is a boy) because Haligtree was still growing or and wasn't fully formed or is it result of Miquella's connection to the dreams, a realm of abstract imagery?

Quite often when it comes to Radagon's lore we can only pray use visual design as an evidence. And Radagon is always surrounded by plants. He has 11 portraits in the Roundtable Hall and almost all of them are paired with the Erdtree's painting. His talisman depicts him with the stamens of Miranda's flowers and if Miranda's prayer wasn't cut from the game, I would definitely draw parallel to the Floral Crucible. Finally, his statue shows him T-posing ohgodwhy over the roots or... the growing Erdtree. Following estabilished formula: Marika's blood ->the Erdtree -> Radagon

Rennala got horny for a plant. Of course, there are a plenty of wonky parts in this theory. Why is Radagon=Marika, a fully functional male counterpart capable of carrying the Elden Ring, but Millicent is not even a demigod. Maybe because Malenia herself wasn't a real god at this moment, let alone a ruling god on top of the Order:

When Malenia ascends to godhood, Millicent too shall be reborn. As a scarlet valkyrie. Alternate explanation is the influence of the Rot, but I think what matters in the end is that Empyrean's blood can create plants that are birthing people.

[I think now I know what's deal with M-children and butterflies, they are attracted to the flowers]

More over, there are a plenty of mentions of how a single creature became a progenitor to entire specie:

Greyoll was the mother of all dragons, dwarfing all who stood before her like a looming mountain (Greyoll's Roar) Shield featuring a vividly painted twinbird. The twinbird is said to be the envoy of an outer god, and mother of the Deathbird (Twinbird Kite Shield) The Gloam-Eyed Queen cradles newborn apostles swaddled in this cloth. Soon they will grow to become the death of the gods (Godskin Swaddling Cloth/there was description that she was their mother, but I can't find it it)

Blue silver is a metal born from the same mother as the archers themselves, and provides protection from magic and frost/Tall oval shield made of metal carried by young Albinaurics. The ornamentation represents the primordial drop of dew from which they are said to have been created Doesn't it remind you of something? Please make certain that little Millicent goes unharmed. Like her mother, she has the stuff to be a great warrior

Strictly speaking, there is no hard evidence that Greyoll or Twinbird were Empyreans/gods, but I wouldn't deny the possibility, given Twinbird's connection to the outer god and the fact that dragons previously ruled the Lands Between. Is this why Misbegotten are called Radagon's children in game files and 1.0 description of Winged Misbegotten ashes called them Radagon's chimeras? Sadly, those lore bits didn't made it in the game, but idea that all this time Radagon was experimenting with his blood in an attempt to create Empyrean child is fascinating.

As I said before, the biggest issue with this theory is the difference between basic offshoots like Millicent, Empyrean children and Empyrean alter-egos. What draws the line between them? So far I can suggest this explanation: alter-egos - byproducts of Empyrean/god growning a new governing plant, offshoots - random sprouts, unwanted children, but the nature of Empyrean children is still rather mysterious. Were they born from M/R blood or because the Erdtree felt like it? What I've found especially interesting is that the state of the Erdtree possibly influenced M-twins. I've been writing a lot about the fact that the Erdtree is dying and it is confirmed by Miyazaki himself in the interview that the Order and the embodiement of it are not eternal. A lot of descriptions in game are talking about it:

The Erdtree once flourished with abundance—yet it was only for a fleeting moment. Such is the course of all life

Malenia and Miquella are feeble and sickly chiildren, who need a special treatment. Malenia should bloom 3 times before becoming a goddess. Miquella was growing himself into Haligtree.

They are premature babies. It's commonly believed that M-twins are cursed because EN translation of Malenia's remembrance invented things that don't exist in JP, but I think they born so messed up for s different reason. The Erdtree was old and dying and produced a pair of fragile Empyreans.

In this post I was rambling about divine blood and its connection with the different plants and I almost forgot about Warrior Jars. Sadly, in my current save I wasn't able to finish this questline as I finish Volcano Manor's story before From patched Diallos. All I can say is that this quest line only strengthens connection between blood and plants, but I don't know how to interpret it futher. Was it tradition invented by Marika to prolong her age by sending people to water the Erdtree with their blood or was it something that people decided to do following god's example? Could it be that the quality of god's blood is why Two Fingers are changing them?

Contrapoints to this theory: I don't know where to fit that Marika is Numen, who came from another world. Maybe in the times of the Crucible, the rules were different and the birth from the Erdtree is exclusive to the Golden Order age.

I don't know how to explain why Radagon and Marika stats are polar opposites based on their scar/soreseals as if they were spliced in two beings (my OG theory). If he is an offshoot, why is he so different from Marika (unlike Malenia's "daughters")? Of course, this theory is written under assumtion that Melina is Empyrean herself, which raises another question, - why is she burned and bodiless? Is her state reflecting the state of the Erdtree, considering theories that it was burned before - either by Bernahl or Vyke, and now is a spirit? And now when I typed this, I'm almost certain that the Erdtree was burned by Vyke and this is why Melina hates the Flame of Frenzy so much. This theory indeed seems like a missing piece of the puzzle to me.

[radi0dontt]

he is the physical embodiment of ^_^. to me

[herebecritters]

Y’all have no idea how much I love ancient history, prehistory and natural history like hhhhghhh

You also have no idea how much I loathe ancient alien theories and young earth creationist theories it’s the stupidest ass shit ever

[uncanny-tranny]

Something I love about art is, often, you won't be able to tell who made the piece of art - no matter what, no matter one's background, gender, or anything - people want to surround themselves with beauty, creation, something which stirs ones emotions, warmth, fear, care, and love. There's something special about that.

[thisisntreaver]

Why am I allowed to fuck the zombie but not the archeologist? Why is that who they chose to be a romanceable npc???. Let me kiss Belle, I want to kiss Belle!!!

[absolutely-normal-about-x]

X’s relationship with the Casketts cause important reasons.

Barrel Casket

It’s sort of complicated on one hand he owes Barrel for taking him in when he found him in nino ruins. Helping him and the guardians to be registered as citizens and the guardians signing up as Diggers (and boy do they have to make the most eleborate story of how the fuck him and the guardians are Volnutt’s family without revealing some…sensitive information) But on the other hand Volnutt isn't really considered a part of the Casketts. He’s just an apprentice so the boy never felt or experienced what it's like to be a part of a family. He respects the old man, having long conversations about topics of archeology, Terra’s history and some philosophy, while having some tea. He sympathizes with him about what happened to roll’s parents and wishes him the best.

Barrel is one of the very few people on Terra that knows the truth about X and the Guardians. Especially X, he’s a literal walking piece of ancient history that dates back before everything! He would obviously ask him a lot about what the world was like before the floods. He answers with reluctance and others with a hard no, there are parts of history that are better off forgotten. But Barrel learned that there are parts of X’s life that he doesn’t want to bring up, so he eventually respected his privacy. On rare occasions X would ask Barrel for any information about Terra’s history and accompinate him on some of his expeditions as an assistant.

Roll Caskett

Being Volnutt’s best friend, he looks out for her as well. Like Volnutt, he mentors her, but in reverse engineering and ancient technology. He’ll often let her talk about how much she misses her parents and comfort her. They fucking love to technobabble when it comes to tech from different eras (Tron does eventually join in) so much that it looks like a whole other language. She reminds him a bit of Alia.

Absolutely gave her a scolding of a lifetime when he learned that she charges Volnutt ridiculous prices for upgrades, then gave her a lecture on the importance of teamwork and maybe selling her inventions to folks who might need them because, technically, she and Volnutt share the money, so he finds it completely unfair that he pays her. So yeah, since then, she just needs proper materials to make upgrades..

[everymadara]

Chapter 646

[lin-iva]

THE SIBLINGS !!!

And yes Louise is the eldest of the quadruplets. And yes, not all the barons names are humbert, i hope you guys don’t mind this AU name changes for the Barons. 

Louise as the oldest, considers herself to have more power amongst her brothers, so she can call them whatever she likes such as to call them by their first or middle names. BUT, if any of her brothers calls her by her first name or anyone in that matter, they will be facing some terrible consequences later on  (she still hates her first name)

Humphrey, like his sister does not like to be address by his first name, he rather like to be called by his middle name ‘Hugo’. 

Humbert, ever since he was little hates his name, but as he matures he just accept it. (He prefers to be called Humbert by his siblings but he won’t admit it)

Huntley, like Humbert has also grown fond of his name. Although, he prefers to be called ‘Hunter’ or ‘Hunt’ (’Wolfie’ is a special case for someone)

All of the siblings do have charm, but put them together in a room, they’re just one braincell.

enjoy ;)

P.S.

If there are people who came across this post with the same name, i hope you are not offended and i am sorry in any way. I believe you guys are awesome people and i hope you have a great day. ;)

[hauntingblue]

Try not to make fights between two women look homoerotic challenge level impossible