#destiny end dragoon

[trident-dragion]

Over the Nexus Deck Profile: Destiny End Dragoon

Destiny HEROES are the most historically successful HERO archetype in terms of competitive representation. This is, for the most part, not due to the Destiny HEROES themselves, but Destiny Draw and the fact that they're DARK Monsters making them work well with Crush Card Virus and Dark Armed Dragon. The truth is that most Destiny HERO Monsters are not very good, and they work better as means to an End. Fittingly, their ultimate Monster isn't even considered a HERO, that being Destiny End Dragoon. Made using Destiny HEROES Plasma and Dogma, Dragoon is a formidable Monster with built-in removal AND recursion, making it hard to deal with definitively. To make it work, I've taken cues from the Diva HERO Deck in Edison Format by playing Deep Sea Diva in conjunction with Elemental HERO Absolute Zero, which, unlike its compatriots, can be made from any kind of HERO Monster, making it work well with Destiny HEROES. Deep Sea Diva works especially well with Destiny HERO - Malicious and Dark Grepher; discard Malicious to Special Summon Grepher, Special Summon a second copy of Malicious from your Deck, then Normal Summon Diva to Summon a second Diva from your Deck, and then use your four Monsters to make Level 6 and 8 Synchros. Deep Sea Diva also conveniently makes it easier to Summon Destiny HEROES Plasma and Dogma, meaning they have independent utility in this Deck in niche situations. King of the Swamp can't be used as a Fusion substitute for Destiny End Dragoon, but it can search Polymerization and be used to make Absolute Zero. What CAN be a substitute for Dragoon, though, is Elemental HERO Prisma, which copies the names of Fusion material and bypasses Dragoon's restriction. Once Dragoon is Summoned, though, Prisma has a new purpose; reveal the second copy of Dragoon to place more Destiny HEROES in our Graveyard, fueling Dragoon's revival. I don't know if I'd call this a proper Destiny HERO Deck, but this is in my opinion the best way to use them. Here's the list: MONSTERS (23): Dark Armed Dragon x1 Dark Grepher x3 Deep Sea Diva x3 Destiny Hero - Dogma x3 Destiny Hero - Malicious x2 Destiny Hero - Plasma x3 Elemental Hero Ocean x1 Elemental Hero Prisma x3 Elemental Hero Stratos x1 King of the Swamp x3 SPELLS (12): Allure of Darkness x1 Dark Hole x1 Destiny Draw x1 Future Fusion x1 Miracle Fusion x2 Monster Reborn x1 Mystical Space Typhoon x2 Polymerization x2 Reinforcement of the Army x1 TRAPS (5): Call of the Haunted x1 Mirror Force x1 Return from the Different Dimension x1 Solemn Judgment x1 Torrential Tribute x1 EXTRA DECK: Destiny End Dragoon x2 Elemental Hero Absolute Zero x3 Elemental Hero Terra Firma x1 Ally of Justice Catastor x1 Black Rose Dragon x1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier x1 Colossal Fighter x1 Dark End Dragon x1 Goyo Guardian x1 Red Dragon Archfiend x1 Scrap Dragon x1 Stardust Dragon x1

[athena-xox]

Ever after high books + links

Link one (most books)

Link two (other books)

The Main Trilogy (& Other Shannon Hale Books)

The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale

The Unfairest of Them All by Shannon Hale

A Wonderlandiful World by Shannon Hale

Once Upon a Time by Shannon Hale

The Legend of Shadow High by Shannon Hale

Ever After High School Series

Next Top Villain by Suzanne Selfors

Kiss and Spell by Suzanne Selfors

A Semi Charming Kinda Life by Suzanne Selfors

Fairies Got Talent by Suzanne Selfors

Truth or Hair by Suzanne Selfors

Fairy Tail Ending by Suzanne Selfors

Destiny Do-Over Diary companion books to the school series

General Villainy by Suzanne Selfors

Science & Sorcery by Suzanne Selfors

Hero Training by Suzanne Selfors

Once Upon a Pet

A Princely Present by Suzanne Selfors

Candy Wish Fish by Suzanne Selfors

Trouble with Jackalopes by Suzanne Selfors

Next Top Bird by Suzanne Selfors

Hedgehog’s Hexcellent Adventures by Suzanne Selfors

Horse of a Different Colour by Suzanne Selfors

Once Upon a Twist

When the Clock Strikes Cupid by Lisa Shea

Cerise and the Beast by Lisa Shea

Rosabella and the Three Bears by Perdita Finn

Duchess Lets Down Her Hair by Perdita Finn

The Kitty Mermaid by Perdita Finn

The Secret Diary of

The Secret Diary of Apple White by Heather Alexander

The Secret Diary of Raven Queen by Heather Alexander

Diary of an Evil Queen by Stacia Deutsch

Junior Novels

Dragon Games Stacia Deutsch

Epic Winter by Perdita Finn

Activity books

Yearbook

Royals and Rebels

The Sleepover Spellebration Party Planner by Kirsten Mayer

The Totally Tea-RRIFIC Hat-Tastic Book About YOU

Madeline Hatter’s Guide to Riddlish! A Topsy-Turvy Write-In Book by Elizabelle Castle

The Hat-Tastic Tea Party Planner by Melissa Yu

A Spelltacular Year

Plan Your Destiny

Ever After High Activity Book

Spellbinding Activities

Write Fableous Fairytales

Picture books

Welcome, Baby Dragons by Margaret Green

Let the Dragon Games Begin by Margaret Green

Royally Cool Adventure by Perdita Finn

Meet Crystal Winter by Perdita Finn

Colouring/Sticker books

Thronecoming Reusable Sticker Book by Melissa Yu

A Wonderlandiful Doodle Book by Jeanine Henderson

Draw Dream Create Sketchbook

An Enchanted Pop-Up Sketchbook



Other books

Five Minute Stories by Robert Rudman & Ellie Rose

Class of Classics by Leigh Dragoon & Jessi Sheron

The books that don’t have a link are ones I know exist but I couldn’t find on internet archive/other searching.

If you have any links to these missing books, or books that I don’t have PLEASE lmk. Or if you have higher quality or pdf links (since some of the books are just screenshots of pages that I put together on a doc…)

The last two books in the once upon a twist series don’t exist.. they were cancelled or only a few copies were made (and those who have them aren’t saying anything). But I’m hoping to find them somehow if I have to message perdita finn myself. I believe there are a few chapters up somewhere so I’ll try to compile all that’s available

Any title that is coloured with a link means I don’t have a pdf or full copy yet but I have a preview

Because this is getting so much attention make sure to check my pinned post that has more eah resources!!

There are also diaries that went along with the dolls that you can find on @everafterhigharchive’s page who is also responsible for most of the links here

(Also one of my interconnect libraries has meet Crystal Winter so I’ll upload that onto internet archive + add it on here once it ships)

[carnelianwings]

Since I'm not sure if I'll ever get the chance to properly touch on this in a fic because it's more character analysis than something I can properly include in dialogue/exposition without it being very awkwardly out of place and telling not showing, I figured I'd just dump it here. It's something I think about a lot whenever I write for post-Seed Destiny Athrun in a fic, because in so many ways, this is actually something of a non-magical "Ideal (Fake) Reality" situation that Durandal very nearly succeeded in pulling off, but ultimately failed at because Durandal overplayed his hand and underestimated Athrun's loyalty to his friends Kira, who was pulling triple duty opposing Athrun because Kira himself didn't agree with what Athrun was doing, protecting Cagalli, and supporting Cagalli at a time when she was powerless.

It's a trope I very much love in magical/sci-fi settings because it says a lot about the character and the lengths they'll go to get what they want (the willingness and determination to take the longer, harder path to make the dream reality vs the instant gratification option even if it's fake), and also just gives me so much to work with when I write when it comes to character motivation/dialogue/actions.

I feel like a lot of this gets missed in all the memes that he's (somewhat deservedly) suddenly a part of after Seed Freedom, because while Seed Freedom Athrun is very self-assured and confident in his course of action, he definitely took a long hard road (with more downs than ups, in my opinion) between Seed and Seed Destiny to get there.

(Rest behind the cut because there's a reason Athrun Zala is my favorite Seed character, and not just because he's got a lovely voice - thank you Ishida-san for that - and is easy on the eyes.)

When Athrun re-enlists in ZAFT and "continues" his life again as himself, he's given a choice thanks to Durandal's string-pulling: Resume the life that was planned for him by his parents and PLANT (his "destined" life, if you will), or find his way back to the life that he's chosen for himself (with Cagalli and Orb).

If he chose his "old" life, he would've had it all - the glory of being a decorated war veteran, a post as a FAITH member (resuming the role he'd previously gotten thanks to his father), a "Lacus Clyne" for his fiance, and the honor of being the pilot of the Legend (while being something of a "legend" himself). Durandal saw to it Athrun would've seamlessly resumed that life to all external appearances, even if it would've been an absolute sham behind closed doors. Athrun might be a decorated war veteran, but that came with a lot of trauma and grief - trauma from having to fight and kill at such a young age, grief at being the one to survive when those he'd called friends die around him, plus all the unresolved emotional turmoil and grief of having never been able to properly resolve things with his father and his genocidal ideals (because Patrick Zala, too, was a man who never got over his grief at losing Lenore during the Bloody Valentine Incident, and only became the way he did because of that). He might've had a highly coveted position within FAITH, but that power would ultimately be in service to Durandal (a head of state Athrun alternates between wanting to agree with and being directly at odds against). Durandal needed more capable "Yes men" ace pilots like Shinn Asuka to spread and enforce his plans, not people capable of thinking for themselves like Athrun (at least, Athrun got there after Operation Angel Down). The "Lacus Clyne", is, of course, Meer under the best cosmetic surgery money could buy, but she is nothing like Lacus Athrun knows and cares for as a friend and whose cause he had once lent his power to (and would again at the end of the Second War).

And the Legend? It might fit Athrun in name only (in the sense that he's the "legendary pilot who helped end the first Earth-PLANT War) but the entire suit (even if it had an updated OS for the DRAGOON system) doesn't even play to Athrun's core strengths as a pilot. It's almost comedic how Durandal didn't even bother tailoring the Legend to Athrun - the Saviour is more Athrun's style both as a spiritual successor to the Aegis and weapons load out, yet it's coincidental that it would end up in Athrun's hands. There's no way Durandal could've known and planned for the Saviour to go to Athrun, but Durandal arguably had that time with the Legend. In the episode where both the Destiny and Legend are revealed, Durandal made a point of telling Shinn the Destiny was fine tuned to him, but neglects to tell Athrun much about the Legend beyond the DRAGOON system and the updated OS for it (the closest Athrun arguably ever came to a DRAGOON system was flying right past Kira and Rau's duel in front of Genesis at the end of Seed).

On the flip side of that, there's the life Athrun had chosen for himself after the first Earth-PLANT War. It's not an ideal life, not by any means - the fact he's essentially a powerless civilian with no means to reach for his ultimate goal chafes him to no end, especially when there's the ever-looming threat of Cagalli getting taken away from him due to circumstances neither of them want nor are able to deal with. Cagalli can't get out of the arranged marriage, Athrun as "Alex Dino" has no claim to power and as "Athrun Zala" would only invite larger scale international problems - even if Athrun himself has no political ties to PLANT, his family name says plenty. Athrun is patient, yes, but even his patience has a limit, and seemingly losing Cagalli to someone he doesn't respect and she doesn't love (in a reversal of Athrun's situation with Lacus and Kira) pushes him to action out of desperation. And while it puts him at odds with Kira and Cagalli (including lashing out at both of them when Cagalli finally breaks down and gives in and gets coerced into going through with the arranged marriage), it does also get him to realize that he's not the same person he was before the war - he's no longer capable of living that same life he had before, where he would fight where his country tells him because that's the fastest way to end the war. The easy (destined, if you will) option is no longer an acceptable choice for him, because it's not the one that ultimately leaves him fulfilled and truly happy with the one he loves in the end.

And it's this that ultimately brings him back to Cagalli and the (Infinite) Justice, metaphorically reclaiming his sense of justice (ha ha). He's always going to be looking for a cause to serve, and a just cause by his own terms, because he's dedicated far too much of his life serving in the military to just stop doing that and he's spent too much time around Lacus to just mindlessly follow whatever the higher ups say, anymore. So this leaves the only way forward: serve under a head of state whose ideals he can agree with, with the freedom of choice to act according to his own sense of justice, and to that end, there's only one choice for him - return to Orb and Cagalli.

[theroundbartable]

Hi! I want to share a merthur prompt that's been on me mind for a long time, but cannot write cause english is not my first language and I'm afraid to make mistakes. I would love for you to write it, but if you only share the prompt for someone else to do it, it's fine too.

You know how in the arthurian mithology Arthur wasn't raise as a prince to begin with but was discover later? Not only that, but Utter was the one who order Merlin to hide him, so he took him and made other family raise him.

Well, inspired on this I though what if our BBC Merlin did this? I imagine inmortal Merlin after the events of camlam, mad with grieve, tired of waiting for Arthur and cursing destiny and fate, would come to the conclusion that it was the prophesy he tried to fulfill that ended up killing and condeming Arthur. So, as soon as he learns how to, he travels back in time just when Arthur is about to be born. He kidnaps baby Arthur and gives him to a nice couple in Ealdor who he knows can't have children and will raise him well. He doesn't care about destiny anymore, he just wants Arthur to be happy and safe.

Obviously this has consecuences: Utter's hate towards magic becomes worse because he did not only lose his wife to a sorcerer but his son and heir as well. Search parties look for the lost prince for years without success and Utter is force to acknowledge Morgana as his daughter since he refuses to marry again, let alone have another heir. He won't stop looking for his son though no matter how much his council pleads him to.

Meanwhile, little Arthur meets little Merlin and become inseparable friends. Merlin from the future smiles, watching them from afar. He's been looking after Arthur all this time, making sure he won't be found and that he's safe. Suddenly he notices his body is starting to be less solid and realise that sooner or later he's going to disappear because there can be two Merlins coexisting in the same time. Not wanting to leave Arthur unprotected, he decides to orquest secret encounters with his younger self in the woods disguise as Dragoon/Emrys to start giving him magic leasons so he can control his magic better, ergo protect Arthur when he is not around. However, Arthur follows Merlin one day to see where he always goes of to and he discovers his best friend has magic. He takes it well though and even asks "Emrys" to teach him too. "Emrys" says something along the lines "You don't have magic I can work with but you defenitely have strength and courage. I can teach you to be a Knight" and he does. From then on he gives them not only magic and knight leasons, but education in general.

The day "Emrys" knows he is going to die/disappear he meets with Merlin, who is a teen by then, privatly one last time. With all the power he has left he transfers all his memories to Merlin. Overwhelm but over all angry teen Merlin shouts at adult Merlin, who is not in disguise anymore, "How dare you! You had no right to take that away from him! His right to the throne! He could've have better life, he could...". Adult Merlin argues back "Being prince is what made him miserable and got him killed in the first place!". They fight a little more, but in the end Adult Merlin says "Look, if you think is best to bring Arthur back to Camelot and reveal he is the lost prince is your choice. I already gave you all the information you need to be beware of the dangers and consecuences. Don't let any prophesy lead your choices and protect him" and he banishes soon after. Teen Merlin is left without knowing what to do.

He doesn't have to do anything though. Essetier kingdom falls, maybe do to war or a plague, i don't know, and Merlin, Arthur and their parents are force to flee to Camelot. They arrive at the Citidel and... that's all I got 😅 Sorry. I suppose at some point Arthur is discover and chaos ensues, but I don't know how it would happen.

OP, I just want to say.... i already know you're underestimating yourself. This summary looks awesome. I love the idea. And I have no doubt that you can flesh this out.

I'm not going to write it, because you can make this a 300 k story and people will absolutely read it and they will love it. I know this, because I absolutely would. Don't worry about your English, it's more than fine. (There are some spelling mistakes, but that's to do with typing, not actual problems with grammar.)

Look, I'm not an English native myself. I'm German and I started off with stories that made little sense in consistency. I was 12 when my first comment (my brother) told me it sucked. And he was right but that didn't stop me. The level on writing I see in this little summary is what I would have aspired my writing to become at the time. You have nothing to be insecure about.

Don't be afraid to write your own story. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Trust me on this. You will do better than you think. And if you want, you can always message me if you need any help. I would love to read your version of the whole story.

Seriously, I mean it. You've given me enough text to see it. It would be a great gift to the fandom if you tried. :)

[scales-claws-and-thorns]

(Count)Down to Dawntrail Free Day :V

Look at me, actually doing all seven days, woo!

Considering one of the options for the free day was "talk about how the game and the people you have met have made an impact on your life", I'm going to go with that.

This is going to be a long one

I started playing FFXIV back in the ARR open beta. At the time, I didn't have a good gaming PC but I did have a PS3 and I saw XIV as an opportunity to play a game with my then-GF and roommate. I picked lancer because it would become dragoon and I really dug the armor. The character was a male keeper because fangs. I even dug up a picture.

Look at him. Obviously this is not lancer but of the few pictures I do have at the time this is probably the clearest one haha.

I had also picked Adamantoise as the world to be on :V

At some point, I joined an FC called .. I think it was Order of the Wild Rose? And I followed some of the people who were members of that FC on tumblr. This is important.

Anyway, I played off and on (I was terrible looking back lol), sometimes I would talk with other FC people, sometimes I would just .. do quests and try to figure out what I should be doing. But, my then-partner quit and so did my roommate and I just.

Okay, so, to try to get myself more attached to the game, I decided to try RP. I made a character on Balmung :) I joined a new FC :) and I even had my first ever RP with them!! And then I deleted the character.

:D

I don't know, I had this problem of becoming suddenly self conscious and afraid that I was doing things wrong and I would rapidly pull out of whatever I had tried to do. This was definitely not the first time I'd done this.

At that point, I had decided I might quit FFXIV. I didn't feel as connected as I wanted to and so maybe I would just let the sub lapse and move on. But! I did transfer that moon cat up there onto Balmung first because there was a brief thought of maybe trying RP on him. Which I didn't do. But now he lived on Balmung.

Fast forward ... I don't know how many months later and HW was releasing. I was still following some people I had followed back in that old FC and knew they had also ended up on Balmung. And I saw all of them be rather excited about the new expac coming out (you know, kind of like right now).

At the time, I was dealing with what would become my diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis and couldn't work. I desperately needed something to do and people to talk to because otherwise I would just be kind of alone sitting at home.

I decided I had three options: Elder Scrolls Online, FFXIV, or return to Destiny with a vengeance (I had played a ton of it and even was in a clan, I'd just quit by this point).

I ended up landing on FFXIV because... well, I was following people who played it! Technically, I had an in! Maybe I could even join that new FC of theirs! They seemed to be having a lot of fun!

So I get myself a sub, boot up the game, and fantasia that moon cat into a Xaela. And this is when Tai arrived!

It wasn't until I had gotten into Ishgard and then leveled Dark Knight that I started RPing. And it wasn't until a couple months after that where I did end up joining The Riskbreakers. But I did, in fact, end up joining that new FC of theirs. It turns out, they remembered my old character's name!

I met a lot of cool people through that FC. And many of them helped me out a ton a couple years later when I ended up becoming homeless for a time. I am forever grateful for all of their help.

But that isn't all of the cool people I met.

At the end that same year I joined the Riskbreakers, I joined another RP group called Rendezvous of the Stars. And it is through this group that I would meet my current girlfriend of .. it'll be eight years in July.

Several years after that during Shadowbringers, I would end up (through more connections) meeting my boyfriend as well! Along with one of two awesome roommates.

The other roommate was technically also through the Riskbreakers later down the line.

Man Risk has done a lot for me haha

I need you all to understand that if not for this game, my life would look so much different. I like to say that it saved my life, in fact. Maybe not directly, but through all the wonderful people I met who made such an impact on my life.

I can imagine that I will be continuing to play this game until they stop updating it entirely and then even then I'll probably still pop in from time to time until they shut down the servers.

It is just extremely important to me, in all sorts of ways. From the two best partners a guy could ask for, to every single fantastic friend along the way, and even to all the brief connections with strangers..

I don't think I could ever really put into words just how much this game means to me.

I hope to see you all in Dawntrail!

[mdhwrites]

Frieren and the Timelessness of Fantasy

I am not about to talk about the themes of Frieren. I am not about to talk about what it does differently than other fantasy shows. I will not try to call it subversive or groundbreaking for I do not believe it is actually either of those things. It is oftentimes smart, clever, inventive and fun but it is still at its core a fantasy adventure.

The thing about fantasy adventures though is that the best, those that resonate with an audience, don't need to do anything new. They just need to be good. Frieren is one of the best.

It's no one singular thing either. Harry Potter is not going to rot into the next generation's brain because of just one thing. Lord of the Rings has no lasted over a century because of one element that stands above all other fantasy literature. Even Lovecraft still outshines most modern takes not because he was the first to think of fish people but for how he decided to mix that with a dozen other elements. Yes, all three of the works I have stated also have come under, justifiably, scrutiny for the underlying beliefs, messages, allegories, etc. like that but does that mean they have stopped resonating?

No. For a scared, powerless child will always want a story about how they can rise to greatness or had a secret destiny or even just can escape to a place that seems so much greater than the world they live in and that they can potentially conquer and fight back in. A person will always wish to believe in the nobility of a good heart and the power of a band of people coming together to overcome a darkness that seems bigger than them all but can never devour the light which is friendship and determination in the face of evil. People will always be afraid of things they cannot describe and connect with others who feel powerless to voice those fears except to scream at nothing and wish that some greater force than their own mind can be blamed for the madness that writhes within.

And for Frieren, people will always wish to both be able to go on an adventure and experience all of its joys, while also reminiscing about the past and the joy it has brought them. It is, more than maybe any other fantasy work I've ever seen, the story I've seen that truly loves what a fantasy world is from back to front. From its most ancient origins to its freshest faces to all the times inbetween, it will resonate for all of those who wish to seek a trip with those they care about and connect with them as each step we take, we know others take with us, whether now or before.

This is something I genuinely love about the fantasy genre. That which resonates is so often divorced from so much of reality and our time period that it ends up actually forming a purer bond than something more closely tied to the troubles of the day. Not to say those works do not have their place, they're potentially more important than timeless fairytales, but that does not mean we should not have these works that will always comfort. That will always scare. That we can pass from hand to hand like a folk spell and believe that they have power just because that is how we perceive them. That the same joy a man fifty years my elder enjoyed can be one I find the exact same joy in.

I imagine almost every fantasy fan has one fantasy work they consider to be this for them that they don't say is under-appreciated but that it is under-consumed. For me, I have two main ones. I adore the old RPG Legend of Dragoon and think it tells a very compelling tale of interwoven destinies, of how our worlds can expand so much faster than we expect but also of how the strength we draw from our friends and loved ones can help us face those. My other is the Ranger's Apprentice (at least before Royal Ranger). The excitement of not just flashy combat but of the grand majesty of war, of knights and rangers who are larger than life while also being all too human. Of how we can grow and become even better than our masters and change the world just by never being willing to stop dreaming of a day when we can be more than what we appear to be. That determination is truly all it takes to make it someday. It is to this day still my favorite book series.

And for fantasy anime? I don't know when I'll find one I think that is going to beat Frieren for me, not quickly at least, but I look forward to when one can sit next to that old elf and begin telling its tale too. Not to best it but to sit in the same circle at the round table of all the other works that still inspire to us to this day.

What works do you personally consider deserving of that table? Let me know and see you next tale.

======+++++======

I would argue that the reverse of this blog btw would be me talking about how much I find the 'subversion' of fantasy tropes tired and tedious because subverting the genuine, human connection that most of the best fantasy stories include is just going to make your story look immediately dated and annoying. At least to me.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[karamazovim]

A personal pet peeve of mine is the take that Arthur’s mistake in 5x05 was trusting Merlin over his own better judgment, meanwhile Merlin was acting purely out of a desire to protect Arthur (as his friend) at the cost of any chance at magic going free.

Like, first of all, Arthur’s ‘better judgment’ was not telling him that magic should be free. That whole speech leading up to him asking Merlin what he should do was all about the harm magic has done and how it’s taken everything from him, and then at the end he tacks on “but idk maybe it’s not pure evil”. It’s a somewhat weak (from his perspective) rationalization for saving Mordred at the cost of “magic reigning in Camelot once again” - something he fears.

Could Merlin have convinced Arthur to accept the Disir’s deal? Maybe, maybe not. We’ve seen throughout the show- and even just in this episode- that Arthur takes Merlin’s advice to heart sometimes but also often dismisses it out of hand, or hears him out but still ultimately disagrees. Which is fine and normal, but it means that just saying “Merlin should have convinced him” ignores Arthur’s agency in making the decision.

I think it’s noteworthy that Merlin spends the majority of the episode before that point trying to get Arthur to take the Old Religion seriously. He warns him not to bring weapons into a sacred space. He points out that Osgar- a sorcerer- absolutely could have killed Arthur but chose not to. He smiles for the first time in three days when Arthur asks if he should take the Disir seriously and Merlin replies that he already is.

And speaking of Merlin’s goals: Obviously, his treatment of Mordred throughout this season is both deeply unfair and highly counterproductive; I’m not arguing that point. But I simply don’t understand the reading that it’s driven solely by his love for Arthur (whether romantic or platonic) and not at all his faith in their shared destiny. Because I don’t think that his feelings towards Arthur are extricable from Arthur’s prophesied role in bringing about the Golden Age and returning magic to the land.

I understand that “magic has no place in Camelot” is a very hard-line statement — one that undoubtedly sets back the pro-magic agenda. He didn’t have to do all that. But I still don’t necessarily believe this signals him “giving up” on ending magical oppression in the long term. He’s banking on the sequence of events the prophecies have supposedly laid out: [1] keep Arthur alive (by removing perceived threats), [2] show him tangible evidence that magic can be used for good (see: Dragoon, the Dolma, etc.), [3] Albion!!

Arguably the most significant part of that plan is that Arthur genuinely comes to believe in magic’s potential for good. Which is not what would be happening if he was forced to legalize it for Mordred’s sake. Doing it that way would provide very little security for magic users because [a] it could easily be undone (especially if Mordred did end up killing Arthur) and [b] it means Arthur would have very little incentive to actually enforce any new laws protecting sorcerers.

So, yeah, Merlin is a dick to Mordred. He loses out on chances to connect outside of a very few rare moments and repeatedly leaves him to fend for himself in dangerous situations. I hate that; I wish it didn’t have to be that way, even though it makes sense that the deeply traumatized and paranoid Merlin we see in S5 is making these calls.

But Merlin is not selfishly and single-handedly responsible for throwing away the lives of all his fellow oppressed magic-users out of blind love for Arthur Pendragon. He’s not innocent, and he’s certainly not without flaws, but he’s not That either.

[yugiohcardsdaily]

D - Tactics

"During the Standby Phase: You can have all 'HERO' monsters you control gain 400 ATK (even if this card leaves the field). If a Level 8 or higher 'Destiny HERO' monster(s) or a 'Destiny End Dragoon' is Special Summoned to your field (except during the Damage Step): You can banish 1 card from your opponent's hand (random), field, or GY. If this card in the Spell & Trap Zone is destroyed by card effect: You can add 1 'Destiny HERO' monster from your Deck to your hand. You can only use each effect of 'D - Tactics' once per turn."

[voidsentprinces]

10 Fandoms, 10 Characters, 10 Tags

Basic rules: choose 10 fandoms that you are part of/support, and choose a favorite character from each of those. Then, tag ten folks!

Tagged by: @eorzeanflowers

Tagging: @under-the-blood-moonlight @placesyoucallhome @meatball-headache-part-2 @ashenbun @eriyu @windup-dragoon @strawbebbynya @disciple-of-frost and uhh...Viewers Like You. Do it. DO IT OR I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN WITH ATHENA! Or don't...I haven't unlocked Pandaemonium yet...or probably ever.

MELON LORD!

An obscure character who doesn't appear until the Finale of Avatar the Last Airbender. They are the deadliest opponent Team Avatar ever faces including Ozai later in the finale. And like any good villain instead of fracturing the force to make them go off on their own and leaving Aang alone. The Melon Lord forces the Team to work together and utilize their strengths. And makes Aang face his doubts about defeating Ozai and killing him. But also brings out that the rest of Team Avatar have no qualms about Ozai falling even Zuko. Which is why it falls to Aang to find another solution of his own. Truly the Melon Lord is the series most iconic villain even if they are only briefly in the series. But if anime like say DeathNote has taught me anything, a character can show up for 5 seconds and get an entire backing behind it.

2. Kanaya

She's a lesbian alien vampire with a fashion sense and a chainsaw and she uses the blood of her enemies as her lipstick. What the fuck isn't there to like?

3. Kanji Tatsumi

He's just a REALLY GOOD GUY, okay? Dude is just trying to make it out of here alive and live his life. After experiencing gay panic by being attracted to a masculine presenting person.

4. Astarion

The sexiest character all through the alpha pre-release, is the only person not trying to sleep with me. He's there for if I want to murder a son a bitch or if I was to take another path out. Dude has been nothing but a supportive bro from the onset. Respect.

5. Makima

We here on this blog respect women's rights and women's VERY WRONGS

6. Haurchefant Greystone

TAKE ME DOWN TO THE HEAVENSWARD EXPY WHERE THE STONE IS COLD AND THE ELEZEN ARE PRETTY OH WONT YOU PLEASE TAKE ME HOOOOOMMMEE!

7. Arthas Menethil

The walking embodiment of a sunk cost fallacy turning a hero into an iconic villain.

8. Mae Borowski

Man I knew a few people like her, so she is kind of like a nostalgic friend.

9. Ranni the Witch

In every FromSoft game, I find at least one character who I put my entire all behind. But is the first time, there was an ending that felt worth while in pursuing who I was happy to follow til the ends of the earth. It didn't feel like I was fulfilling my destiny but helping someone else fulfill theirs. Even if she is the reason the game started to begin with.

10. Samwise Gamgee

What is there to say? Just Samwise Gamgee.

[brightblurr]

I've been rewatching Gundam SEED/DESTINY and FREEDOM and found something that kind of irritated me about Kira Yamato and Shinn Asuka.

I am a huge, huge, huge fan of Kira in the GAT-X105 Strike. For some reason, during Gundam SEED's first half, Kira was an absolute genius in an underpowered mobile suit. He could handle difficult situations, with pressure from multiple units, and take advantage of his machine. In the Strike, Kira was an absolute monster of a pilot. He knew the machine inside out within minutes, he didn't need complex artillery to scare his enemies.

It feels like, once he received the ZGMF-X10A Freedom, he somewhat lost that edge. He continued to be an amazing pilot until the middle of Gundam SEED DESTINY, where it became apparent that he relied on the extreme firearms power of the Freedom. The Strike Freedom was even worse. We no longer see Kira, the version who could pilot the Strike to such an extremely good level. We just see Kira who abuses higher end mobile suits to do one off dragoon blasts and destroy his enemies.

Gundam SEED FREEDOM makes this even worse. Kira in the Strike knew how to take down multiple enemies even if he was entirely alone. He didn't need the most advanced mobile suit ever to do it. The Strike was not the best. The Freedom wasn't either. But now, Kira needs to upgrade the already powerful Strike Freedom to the Mighty Strike Freedom, which is basically a flying nuke. He needs to be able to absolutely obliterate his enemies to be able to do anything.

Why did they dumb down a character who started off as being known for being battle intelligent? Such a huge let down.

The opposite happened for Shinn Asuka, the DESTINY protagonist. He was shown to be similar to Kira in the Impulse Gundam. When he received the Destiny, initially, it set him back to being worse. It took until Gundam SEED FREEDOM to fix how awful his Destiny Gundam performance was. The key difference is, there was almost no changes to his machine. Instead, like the Shinn from early Gundam Seed Destiny, Shinn pilots as if he knows his machine well and does not need to rely on an ultra powerful dragoon or nuke to destroy them. He actually uses his machine.

I really feel like this movie just made Shinn and Athrun (who has ALWAYS been a good pilot) out to be better pilots than Kira. They defeated their enemies without the need for the Gundam equivalent of nuclear weapons. Shinn, especially, showed that he was a capable pilot.

[demifiendrsa]

Final Fantasy XVI - “Ambition” trailer

Japanese version (with subtitles)

Final Fantasy XVI will launch for PlayStation 5 in Summer 2023.

“Ambition” trailer stills

Latest details

■ Trailer Description

Who shall claim their fading light? From a single spark, will the land ignite A new shadow rises to fall upon the Dominants, painting their destinies black as night.

It has been fifteen hundred years since the fall of our forebears, and Valisthea has been slowly dying ever since. Darkness spreads as day gives way to twilight, the Mothers’ flame now all but a flicker. And as the fringes fade, the people flock to the Mothercrystals.

■ Messages from the Producer and Director

Message from Producer Naoki Yoshida

“Greetings everyone!

“I’m happy to announce that our newest trailer—Ambition—is now live. Rather than focusing on action as we did in our last reveal, this time we wanted to give the world a more in-depth look at Final Fantasy XVI‘s lore and its rich cast of characters—with the Dominants front and center.

“The flames of war spread as Valisthea enters an age of twilight. Where will fate lead the Dominants and what future awaits the realm at the end of this bitter conflict? There are still many more questions to be answered, many more truths to be uncovered.

“With regards to development, the team has turned the corner and entered the home stretch, and is currently concentrating its efforts on debugging, tweaking, polishing, and optimization. As for promotion, over the next few weeks, myself, main director Hiroshi Takai, creative director Kazutoyo Maehiro, and localization director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox will be taking part in interviews with multiple media outlets from across the globe to bring you even more information, so make sure you keep your eyes out for those out as well!”

Final Fantasy XVI Producer Naoki Yoshida

Message from Director Hiroshi Takai

“Hello!

“Our third trailer is finally here and jam-packed with exciting new information that provides a better picture of how the game’s setting, lore, and characters tie in with our compelling narrative. Hopefully it was worth the wait!

“As the game edges closer to completion, the team has turned its full attention to debugging and final adjustments. Now that things are starting to come together, the game is sizing up to be something truly special.

“We know you are all hungry to see more, but for now we hope that this little peek into the world of Final Fantasy XVI is enough to keep you both satisfied and (of course) speculating until our next big reveal.”

Final Fantasy XVI Director Hiroshi Takai

■ New Characters

Dion Lesage

Crown prince of the Holy Empire of Sanbreque and leader of its noblest and most feared order of knights—the dragoons. Dion is loved and respected by both his people and his troops, not least for the many times he has turned the tide of battle in their favor. Indeed, songs of the heroism of the warrior prince and his Eikon Bahamut, King of Dragons, are never far from the lips and lutes of Sanbrequois bards. But all is not well in the empire, and the gathering shadows may yet be enough to quell Bahamut’s light…

Barnabas Tharmr

Arriving on the shores of Ash as a landless and titleless wanderer, it was Barnabas’s skill with a blade that won him a kingdom. And though the local beastmen were to rise in revolt against his rule, Barnabas called on the power of his Eikon, Odin, to quell their rebellions nigh single-handedly, bringing the entirety of the eastern continent under the Waloeder banner. Now he has an army and navy that rival any in Valisthea at his disposal, yet still the king is drawn to where the fighting is thickest—riding into battle atop his spectral steed and sundering foes with his fabled black blade, or merely observing the unfolding chaos from the sidelines, a grisly gleam of fascination ever in his eyes.

[ninjapotatohead]

What do you think about each Megaman X’s main games?

These may not be my in-depth thoughts on the X series, but if you want the gist anyways...

• X1 was (and still is) a fantastic first impression from both a gameplay and story standpoint. Makes me all the more salty that Capcom thought that making Maverick Hunter X a PSP exclusive was a good idea. In all seriousness, it accomplished what it set out to do (being the start of a MegaMan series for the next generation). Oh, and the OST slaps.

• X2 was a pretty damn good follow-up to the first game. Opens up strong (RIP Green Biker Dude), and the X Hunters provided that extra layer of tension in rebuilding Zero before they do. Oh, and the OST slaps.

• X3 was an okay game. Not spectacular, as it did fall short of the first two, but you also never forget that moment where Zero bursts in from the ceiling and - OH SHIT, I'M PLAYING AS ZERO?! Shame Zero was implemented so haphazardly after all that hype from X1 and 2, tho. Anyhow, I've played X3 the most out of the early X series to the point where I can name off every single X3 Maverick by heart. Always thought that Dr. Doppler was neat, too. Oh, and the OST slaps.

• If playing as Zero in X3 was only an appetizer, then him being fully playable in X4 is the creme of the crop! I always admired that Capcom stuck to their guns and kept X4 a 2D game instead of just diving headfirst into 3D (we would eventually have Legends for our 3D MegaMan fix). Gameplay was fantastic (if a little on the easy side) and I never brought this up before, but I love X4's selection of weapons the most. The story of X4... not gonna lie is kinda dumb in retrospect. Okay, I'm gonna TRY and talk about X4 without bringing up its... "infamous" English dub, but I just can't empathize with Repliforce (except maybe General's sacrifice at the end) because their situation could've easily been avoided. Not that X and Zero were much better, given that Zero shouldn't have attacked Colonel if the latter just wanted to talk, and X... let's be real here, X got completely shafted from a story standpoint because the interesting story beats (and I use that term loosely) happens in Zero's campaign. Well, at least this game gave us Magma "HE BETRAYED THE IRREGULAR HUNTERS AND HID HIMSELF IN A VOLCANO" Dragoon, and the armors you can get for X are fun to mess around with. Oh, and the OST slaps.

• X5... Hoo boy, X5. You know the saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"? Well, X5 feels like the result of someone who didn't quite get that memo. It's not a bad game by any means, but it does a myriad of questionable things (oh hey, Alia). I always wondered what it was about Capcom making the 5th entries in their franchises the most handhold-y yet also most frustrating games ever (oh hey, Dual Destinies). Not to mention the Enigma cannon having a chance of failing even at 100% completion. As a (at the time) finale to the X series, it stumbles in places, but it's an okay send-off, in my opinion. Even has a celebratory vibe to it from the moment you boot the game up. Oh, and the OST slaps.

PS,

• X6 was a headache and a half; doomed to fail from the start since it was greenlit (and against Inafune's wishes, no less). Also, Zero's back now! Never you mind that he was just an arm and a talking torso the last time we saw him; he hid himself while he tried to repair himself, clearly! In all seriousness, this game was very slapped together to make a quick buck off of brand recognition, and it shows. Even the plot feels like little more than a first draft (how much of that is due to the game's REALLY poor English localization if it had any, who knows?) The Nightmare was poorly thought out too, and the bosses? What can I say? They suck too. At least the OST slaps.

• What can I say that hasn't been said already about X7? It controls like molasses, the 3D sections were forcibly tacked on, the voice acting (while not nearly as bad as X4's imho) was stiff and atrocious, X's portrayal in this game (though I didn't mind it as much as most people did) is infamous for a number of reasons, and the less said about one particular fire-based Maverick, the better. If anything good came from X7's existence, if you asked me... it's Axl. No seriously, I remember being one of the few people on the planet who actually liked Axl as a character (not sure if that's changed any in recent times, though). At least the OST still slaps.

• X8 was a decent (if a little mis-timed) pallette cleanser after X7 came and went. Although, weirdly enough, it's the only game in the X series I played from beginning to end once, and then never touched again. I can never remember why, though. Oh, and the OST slaps.

[radioinactivity]

Your ZenosWol art makes me go feral in the best of ways. Do you have any lore you've made up for your WoL that hasn't been shown in one of your comics yet?

sob sob thank u so much i'm glad people like my blorbo and all of her capital P Problems. as for additional Retica lore, other than her family, her legs, and her everything with Zenos... 1. Her actual specific combat style is Garlean Lancer that's been influenced by Ishgardian Dragoon techniques over the years. But Garlean Lancers are their own breed of crazy, an extremely aggro and physical form of spear combat that usually involves some kind of gunhalberd (see: Nael van Darnus's Bradamante). You're just as likely to be kicked in the teeth or shoulder checked across the room by a Garlean lancer as you are run through by a spear. It takes a very specific kind of lunatic to become one because the training is grueling and the techniques are hard on the body - a lot of flinging yourself into the lion's maw that means people generally wash out of it. Retica is an exceptionally talented Lancer... which made going to Eorzea and pretending to be a starry eyed adventurer in the lancer's guild in Gridania very funny and very awkward lol. 2. She is nine times rejoined. The memoriate crystal in the Lunar Subterrane held Golbez's memories, ether, and essence... So at the end, all of that was folded into herself. 3. It's been mentioned in passing here and on twitter (I am also @radioinactivity there btdubs) but the Azem Memory Crystal was a poison pill that not even Emet-Selch was aware of. Azem's magic was a weird and special beast that involved "tying" her destiny to the people that swore their friendship and loyalty to her - which in turn allowed them to be summoned by her essentially plucking that thread of magic woven between them. When she was Sundered, those threads remained - equally sundered across the Shards, giving any wielder of the memory crystal a functionally infinite number of souls to call upon. The drawback is that every time those threads are plucked, a little more of Azem's aether flows back into the summoner. Retica, being eight times rejoined, is already Pretty Azem By Volume. So there's a contamination effect happening, where more of herself is being supplanted by Azem. All it would take to stop it is simply not using the crystal and hucking it into the nearest ocean... But that would mean she wouldn't have the ability to surmount the insurmountable anymore, she'd essentially stop being the Warrior of Light, and she can't accept that. She wants to help people, she wants to put some good into the world. She's TRIED to do it without the Crystal -- she 1v1'd Rubicante and it almost killed her. So she's still using it and hunting for a way to halt any additional contamination, accepting that she can't undo the damage that's already been done. I'm toying with the idea, if 7.0 lends itself to it, that Dawntrail is about that for Retica - going to the new world in search of a way to fix this. lol i could probably keep going but that's enough for now i think

[jefarawol]

Iceheart introduced us to the leader of the settlement Marcechamp. In turn we learned her given name Ysayle, they were friendly with each other unsurprisingly. It would make sense having a place far enough away from Ishgard to run if needed. He warned us of the local tribes causing trouble on the road and the restlessness of the dragons. But if we were insisting to move on, we were welcome to rest in Tailfeather when needed.

We settled for the night, but I was restless, so was Estinien. He found me out at the stables, chocobos weren't the same as karakul but there was an odd peace that we both felt. · · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·  

"You saw it, didnt you?" "I'm not quite sure what it is I saw." Estinien leant against the stable wall. "Six crystals, six events that woke within me the power of my blessing. Stripped and sealed by Midgardsomr..." She turned away from the chocobo stalls and walked out towards the river. Estinien following behind. "That a crystal should ignite again, it means my blessing will return." "Why did I see it?" Estinien dropped to the decking next to the Warrior of Light, both of them looking out over the river flowing gently by them.

"I don't know, I thought the Eye connected me to your power, seems its working both ways..." "That might be true..." Estinien looked away from her. "Something is different, when I am with you. Before we met, every dragon I slayed, I felt its death as if it were my own. Its pain and suffering, but when we felled Vishap, I barely felt it." I wager you felt nothing too?"

"Nothing..." She tried to recall how she felt but nothing but the victory they shared." "Did you know Alberic is the only Azure Dragoon to live after taking the eye?" "What?" she looked up at him as he turned slightly back to her. "They all died in battle. Consumed by their kills." he sighed, she could already feel the weight of his next words, but he had to say it out loud to her, she deserved the truth of it. "It's my destiny to die." He heard her intake of breath. "If I kill Nidhogg, I will die in the attempt." "No!" She threw her arms around him holding onto him tightly. "I won't let that happen." "Jefara..." "No! I'll give you my strength, whatever it takes!" She felt his hand cover hers squeezing it gently. "I won't let you die." "It will be easier if you let me..." He turned a kissed her cheek softly. "Aymeric loves you. He'll take care of you." "Stop it." "It's my destiny-" "Then we will change it." He smiled at her determination, he wanted to believe her, to believe her power would save him. But deep down his fear rested, even as they walked back to their bunks to rest. She would not accept it, and she would fight with him, for him, until the bitter end.

[pdutogepi]

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX - Duel Box 14: Booklet Lineart 3 - Jinzo - Lord - Destiny End Dragoon - Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV4 / Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6 - Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8

[aurelienjardineaux]

Truth, Honor, Kinship

After a harrowing experience with a group of heretics, young Aurelien de Jardineaux had always known that his destiny lay in knighthood. As a young boy growing up in Ishgard, he had been captivated by the stories of brave knights who fought against the enemies of their city-state and protected the people of Ishgard from harm. Though a youth, Aurelien had joined the Order of Our Knights Most Heavenly, determined to do his part in representing House de Jardineaux’s martial roots, and in the pursuit of filling his father’s shoes. It was after the closing of the Final Verse of the thousand-year-Dragonsong-War, he climbed to the rank of captain of a unit that had only just lost its leader at the hands of a draconic adversary. was beloved by his unit, who looked up to him as a mentor and friend.

The Company’s Knight-Lieutenant was an esteemed warrior, his method involved swinging an axe than the graceful beauty of the halberd or sword. Ser Lucien de Archambeaux. Though Ser Lucien was a staunch traditionalist who often disagreed with Ser Aurelien, he couldn't help but respect his captain's unwavering commitment to the well-being of his knights. One particularly gelid morn, the 14th Company was called upon to defend the nearby Central Highlands from an attack by a rogue dragon. Ser Aurelien, who oft chose to suffer the same hardship as his men, led his knights into battle wielding his sword with the same grace and skill as ever.

Easily distinguished in a sea of twinkling maille was Ser Julien, a Knight Dragoon who had lent his aid to the fervent unit for many years. Ser Julien was an irreplaceable dragoon of the See, known for his fierceness in battle and his unwavering loyalty to Ishgard. Despite his gruff exterior, Ser Julien had a deep respect for Ser Aurelien, who had always treated him with an unexpected sense of empathy.

The dragon swerved wildly in the air, war machina flinging magickal ammunition toward it in an attempt to slow the beast down. Archers, halberdiers, and chocobo cavalry made up the 14th unit, Surprising to none but to himself, Ser Julien tore through the heavens and struck true his holy weapon into the dragon. His mastery of the lance was unparalleled, and his courage in the face of danger inspired his fellow knights to fight harder than ever before. With Ser Aurelien at the helm and Ser Julien on the front lines, the 14th Company emerged victorious, successfully arresting the advance of the dragon menace.

It was this momentous event that earned the then squire, Emeraude de Cadieux, her knighthood. She is the sole knight to hail from her noble house who earned substantial prestige after the imminent end of her squireship under Ser Aurelien. Though her wounds her great, she had persevered and proven to not only the stubborn Knight-Lieutenant but her immediate family that she belonged within the Order under the Fury and that her place was with her brothers and sisters ever-vigilant—bannered under peace or not. A people’s conditioning would never be so easily forgotten.

In the aftermath of the battle, Ser Aurelien gathered his knights—greenhorn squires in tow— and spoke to them with his characteristic altruisme. He praised their bravery and skill, but also reminded them that they were more than just soldiers - they were comrades-in-arms, bound together by a common purpose and a shared sense of duty.

“Brave is the man who displays valor, wise is the man who acknowledges the strength of his compeers. Our verity reinforces the solidarity within our small number. May hope, strength, and faith in Her divine judgment ever guide us. It is my belief that She smiles upon us from the snow-laden skies above. Naught shall divide us—come what may!” 

As the 14th Company Temple Knights returned to their respective hearths within the barracks that eve, they returned with renewed fervor and a sense of pride swelling within their armor. They were part of a brotherhood of knights who stood together against any foe, led by a captain who was as kind as he was fierce, and whose heart was as stalwart as his stance. Even the hard-headed Knight-Lieutenant, Ser Lucien let the smallest curl form on his mien, as if in acknowledgment of Ser Aurelien’s influence on the unit. He was not smiling, however, no—it was a mere trick of the light.