#devil in the details lore

[sleepimali]

Some lore for these babies from my comicverse:

Stove bunnies (or braskaniner in Swedish) used to be a massively popular pet back in the day in the Devil in the Details universe due to them being friendly to humans and being able to control their flames, so they would be great to cuddle for warmth in the colder seasons. On top of that, they quite enjoy living in people's wood burning stoves, which was a huge help for heating and cooking.

If you want to take care of a stove bunny however, just don't mistreat them or the people they love. If they get angry, they can and will burn your house down. For safety, if you see one of these little guys start turning blue: Run! That means they're incredibly angry. (But this is thankfully extremely rare.)

With that said, there's another fact about them that perhaps is a bit counterintuitive, which is that they also are excellent guards against accidental fires. You see, they enjoy consuming flammable things because it strengthens their own internal energy - and for that reason they're also happy to consume actual fire.

Nowadays, with magic being an every day tool for humans, as well as times changing, the practicality of having this cute fiery rabbit around has greatly diminished. But people still love having them around as pets and familiars.

(PS! If you want these as an A5 print and sticker set, as well as getting a personalised doodle, you can get them by subscribing to the Big Dreamer tier on my Patreon ❤️)

[ruushes]

NEW POE?????

but with first person gameplay…? a finger on the monkey’s paw curls inward… 😔

[astrxlfinale]

So naturally! With the series, I can proudly say I'm diving in to be a certified HSR lore nut now. As thus, all the content has to get checked out.

Which also means these distinct, horrible implications of what's to come. (Found from one of the readables you can discover!) Though, instead of a book, this was a full on voice tape.

Which I believe gives a dire, grim premise of what's actually going on and being kept under wraps. I say think of it like a siren song, beautiful, attractive, but ultimately a trap formed to draw the indulgent meals (Dream forms, actual people?) into a henious demise. From what I'm perceiving it's that the state of Penacony at the Dream Edge. Violent deaths have been taking place here.

Not to mention??? It sounds like the Phantasmagoria may potentially either host or is a living entity that actively kills people? From how it's being told, it feels like there's a distortion taking place. The grim truth being layered over by the 'fantasy' which would make people eager to check what's ultimately an ill conceived lie.

Also let's be real. If there's a free opportunity here, such as this expensive place allowing a kind service after you get a taste of the city life? It just reeks of a set up in my book.

Clockie has shown us to be an altruistic brand of figure. There's been multiple adventures we've shared (amidst side quests) that come to show that power. Though, this does lead into an interesting note to take in here. Say this was an illuison of Clockie meant to falsely lead others in this scenario. Where could the actual article be?

I'MMMMMMM JUST SAYIN'.

Given how the Clockie Cartoon, the Boss Hanu series (which was actually inspired by a Penacony prison break) and the Boss Croc may potentially be involved? We may be looking at not just frame stories, but genuine warnings of what loosening the illusive threads of Penacony may release. It'll get certainly worse before it gets better.

[jitterbugbear]

.

[clumsyraccoon]

So, I’m trying to put all the info together to understand more (and make my own lore) about the demon world, but I can’t wrap my mind around some things…

like, in the opening of the dmc3 manga they say that the world was born from darkness and then later came a ray of light that split the world in demons realm (darkness) and mortals realm (light). Question is: if the world was originally born from darkness, it means that the very first forms of life were demons. Does this make humans some kind of subspecies of demons that evolved to live in the light? Or were they created brand new when their realm came to existence? In this case, who created them? And following this train of thought: how came that first ray of light?

I know Capcom doesn’t shine when speaking of deep lore and congruence, but I crave the world building xD

[ayselluna]

Ascendant Astarion Recommendations!

I'm a fan of both Spawn and Ascendant Astarion so I do enjoy reading both. But if you want to explore and read some good shit~ Ascendant fics well here you go~

I've read a lot so bear with me, These are my TOPS~ I LOVE ALL OF THESE:

A Gift, A Curse by @elemit - This updates daily most of the time, the author is getting busy IRL but it should be back on a daily update again soon I think. This is one of the darker theme of Ascendant Astarion "50 shades of 'FCKNG LITTLE TWAT' Ancunin" as one of the comment says haha some scenes are "traumatic" but the rollercoaster ride of emotions you'll get on this story is one for the books! ONGOING!

Fangs and Fractured Hearts - by @fangsandfracturedhearts - This one's one of the softer sides of the Ascendant, the dynamic of Tav and Astarion here is exquisite! The cliffhanger on this one just uggghhhhh. i love it!! ONGOING!

Hellish Rebuke by @bluedaze - this one's a classic! the details on this story is so genius I swear. Also I think a lot of Astarion fanfic writers got inspired with the Devil's dealing here. Also Tav here is effing smart and just chef's kiss! such a great heroine! ONGOING!

His Star - His Queen [Originally titled Across Stars and Time] by ARandomIntrovert - Now this a bit different, What if multiverse exists? Now there's two Astarions fighting over you, Spawn VS Ascendant, where do you think this would go? :)) Story's definitely amazing and unique! I easily got invested. haha ONGOING!

In Another Life by @locallegume - Definitely a softer side of the Ascendant but Tav and Astarion's dynamic here is one of my fave! <3 Tav here is not the overly good role model we usually read, she's troubled too and definitely has effed up issues. but sometimes you just need to find your own freak and be together forever. ONGOING!

Pieces Still Stuck In Your Teeth - by @howlsmovinglibrary / @wetcatspellcaster - The amount of Banter and D&D Lore on this one is superb! you have to watch out for the writer's notes! I love how I get to learn more D&D stuff and godssss how many times I almost got so swayed by the Ascendant here! good thing Tav's so good at bantering haha ONGOING!

Whither is thy beloved gone? by @brabblesblog - It has a sequel!!! - that's how good it is! <3 also The Ascendant here is my favorite! The confrontations are just so real and so true I caaaaan't. He wrote the Ascendant so good I actually sided with him more than Tav! A lot of smut ngl but I got into the characters more that I should have. you're missing out if you haven't read this. COMPLETED!

Remember ye not the former things by @brabblesblog - THE SEQUEL!! It focuses more on the aftermath and them working out their relationship, a lot more TAV bg story but gods, Astarion here , I just want to smother him with cuddles and kisses, TAKE MEEEEE ONGOING!

Most of these are still ongoing but I am updated w/ each, along with other Spawn Astarion fics :)) They are all good! some more soft than the others, some darker and evil :))

Let me know if you guys want to get some Spawn Astarion fics recommendations!

[drchucktingle]

tingleverse lore: tingle types

recent post on the four tingler types has got buds talkin about TINGLEVERSE LORE so i thought it would be nice time to talk on the ways of dinosaur, unicorn, bigfoot and living object, since there are some new buckaroos who are just jumpin in the tingleverse deep end OK HERE GOES

four tingle types is not something chuck just now made up it has been that way since beginning. anyway theres several layers of reality in infinite stack and the EROTIC TINGLEVERSE is a group of CLOSE layers (outside these layers is THE VOID but we dont need to talk on right now)

the HORROR TINGLEVERSE is part of the same stack but farther away. it is a separate group of layers with a few similarities to erotica layers (mainly dealing with THE VOID and the consequences of weaving timeline layers) but otherwise a different space within tingleverse stack

anyway back to the erotic layer. the thing that makes these layers unique from our own is the incursion of four sentient species which are the ones listed. i will now go over what each group encompasses because it might not be what you think

first of all, DINOSAURS is not just reptilian creatures it also means ancient mammals (sabertooths and mammoths) and even prehistoric squids and sharks

next is BIGFEET. in the tingleverse bigfeet are a broad species that also includes mothmen and jersey devils and some other cryptids. this is discussed in the the books they are featured in in more detail

UNICORNS are next. unicorns are pretty much just unicorns what the heck can i say. of all the creatures inhabiting the tingleverse they have the least variety but the most beautiful mane and i think thats worth something

last is LIVING OBJECT which a lot of buds seemed confused by in quiz. in the tingleverse, living abstracts concepts fall into the living object category because once they physically manifest they BECOME a living object. so thoughts and ideas that are sentient are living objects

LIVING OBJECT is the most broad group because it can encompass ALL THINGS. it is also the most existential of the species as i think some buckaroos discovered on the TINGLE TYPE test.

i suppose i should put link to the test here also if you do not believe this has been master plan for nearly a decade of worldbuilding rules here is an old shirt with the tingle types on it. one of first shirts chuck ever made

alright buds hope you enjoyed this tingleverse lesson. LOVE IS REAL

[thearcanagame]

What are the consequences that the characters received after the ritual?

Some details in the old lore docs (dated 2017-2018) were updated/changed over time. Lots of plot points were never used, multiple versions of the same backstory contradict each other. Anyway, this is the gist of it:

Lucio

Gave: Old body and orchestrated the dinner but did a bad job

Received: His body was burned up by the devil, the new one got swiped by Asra because Lucio didn’t follow through, and Asra technically can claim Lucio’s soul. He is stuck in liminal space as part goat part ghost.

Asra

Gave: his memory of that night’s spell to the Magician, and Lucio’s soul to the Devil. Split his heart and gave half to resurrect MC.

Received: New body for MC 

Nadia

Gave: Her memories of the last 6 years

Received: Regained prophetic dreams

Julian

Gave: memories that burdened him

Received: ability to heal and to take other people's wounds

Muriel

Gave: his fear

Received: the ability to be forgotten

[the-nerd-beast]

I believe Carmilla Carmine to be a fallen angel

As well as the fact that she has daughters when sinners can't reproduce there is an important detail I can't believe no one has brought up.

Look at her, I mean really look at her, what is something you might notice? Other than her stunning beauty

An amazing lack of features she has. She has no wings, no shark teeth, no monstrous/bestial features, no horns (I was surprised to learn that her buns weren't wrapped around horns), no inorganic parts like Vox or what have you and she shares this trait with her daughters Odette and Clara. The only arguably inhuman trait are her large hands, which are not exactly a very defining trait especially since they moved away from her pilot design of having claws.

Look at the denizens of Hell:

They are incredibly diverse in form, having taken on features influenced by personality, sin, time period and cause of death. Even most "basic" sinners still look like generic devils.

(I used Mrs. Mayberry from Helluva Boss because she is the best shot of a "devil" sinner but they are seen often as background characters in Hazbin Hotel as well).

Now there is an exception to this though: Velvette

Now with her, I believe that is less a lore reason and more an artistic design choice since it is apparent her outfit and hairstyle is going to be different in every appearance she has so they left out any extra features to make that easier for the animators.

She is essentially a blank canvas for the animators to play dress up doll with, but she does still lack a nose which makes her a little less human looking than Carmilla.

Now getting back to Carmilla's daughters, even if Odette and Clara also died at the same time as Carmilla which is why they are together in Hell, the chances that they wouldn't have enough variables to have any unique features of their own feels slim, did these three really have so little variation in personality and sin one of them wouldn't look a little more monstrous?

Some have pointed out the horns they have are probably fake, with Odette's being her hairband, which with Carmilla's hair buns seem to almost be an attempt to "fit in" with the sinners.

Overall as many have brought up, the Carmines have more in common with Vaggie design wise with how few unique features they have, and we all know what Vaggie's deal turned out to be.

Anyway that's my two cents and I'd love to know your thoughts if you have any.

[sleepimali]

Candlelight spirits 🕯🔥

If you wanna get these as a print and sticker set, you can do so until the end of May over on my Patreon by pledging to the Professional Napper tier or above <3

Or if you just wanna read about these little friends, that's more than okay too 🥰

Candlelight Spirits Lore:

First off, don't worry, that mouse can pop in and out of the lantern at will, it's not trapped :)

If there’s one thing candlelight spirits know, it’s that the best stories are the ones told in the light of flickering candles and around campfires. And so fire became the very essence of their being! They burn bright, curious and passionate, with an appetite for good tales.

Back when humans and magic folks were at war, they used to hide to listen to the stories of both sides, which was not always the easiest. As a fire elemental they could hide within the flames themselves, but in the face of interesting stories, it was terribly hard for them to not burst out of their hiding spot and ask a thousand questions.

But alas, that was what they had to do. Humans were wary of magic folks and creatures of any kind, and the magic folks did not like that the candlelight spirits would not disclose information about the humans.

But how could they pick sides when they have hearts that melt as easily as wax, and when they knew that if either side won, millions and millions of stories would be lost forever?

So for them, it was heaven when the Long War finally came to an end. There was an abundance of tales like never before, and they did not need to hide any longer.

However, as society started to advance, the introduction of electricity and magic lights ended up thinning out the opportunities they had in the end. And even more sadly for them, storytelling was no longer the primary method of entertainment, at least not in the same way.

From a time where fire was the source of all light in the night, to one where it’s rarely used at all… The poor spirits are nowhere near as common now, given that their presence is tied to the flames, which act as portals for them to come into the same plane as us.

But they persist! Because as long as there are people, there will be good stories to tell.

And if you want to find them, your best bet is arranging a cosy candlelit dinner or campfire night with loved ones, or you can go to a temple or church, or sometimes even a restaurant – any place where there’s always some kind of fire burning.

However, tragically enough, candlelight spirits are banned from the places they adore the most; libraries. This is for understandable reasons, as they cannot control their flames, unlike other flame elementals such as stove bunnies. After all, they came into existence at a point in history when books had not even been invented yet, and fire was what brought people together. And yes, sadly this ban applies even to candlelight spirits in the protective casing of a lantern.

An endearing fact about the candlelight spirits is that they’re shapeshifters from birth, their forms flickering between different shapes much like the flames themselves, but at some point their bodies become stable and stop shifting. In the end they take on the form of whichever character first truly resonated with them. So for that reason it is very common to see candlelight spirits resemble storybook characters, or a storyteller’s loved one.

Sometimes this can be a little bit strange for those who tell their stories to suddenly come face to face with a tiny version of a member of their family or beloved, but it’s usually strangely soothing.

Some who have had these little spirits take on the appearance of their loved ones who’s passed say that instead of being upset, it makes them cherish the memory of that person even more. After all, they took on that form out of sheer love for the person they were in the storyteller’s heart, rather than being disrespectful to their memory.

The candlelight spirits are also excellent storytellers themselves! Who wouldn’t be after listening to so many tales for decades and even centuries?

And they share those stories with joy, which is why a lot of the time historians in particular love them, even though stories are just stories and may not be entirely truthful. But regardless, they’re a goldmine of information from the past.

However, as much as historians love listening to the tales of the candlelight spirits, the love isn’t always mutual. They’re more than happy to tell their stories, but they’re not as excited to hear what the historians have for them. Why? Because they’ve already heard those stories long ago, over and over again, and more accurately too. So they would rather be somewhere else.

Or at least that’s how it used to be. Because in a plot twist this caused a lot of historians (and academics in general) to turn into absolute party animals and adventurers and extroverts in general to appease the spirits’ appetite for good stories so they’d hang around more. It’s to the point that the history department in any given university now has a reputation to be the wildest one there is.

(Please note, this is not to imply historians are boring, I know few people who are more interesting than folks with a passion for history😂)

[lopposting]

The major question of the story that we are now asking:

Why, exactly, does Carlo never "wake up"?

[long post]

[Spoilers ahead]

Well, simply put - Because he is dead.

OK, that seems like too obvious an answer, but I'll elaborate, and bear with me here. I want to recap some elements first so you know where I'm coming from, but I'm also trying not to completely explain everything because that's way too hard and would be too long.

[Currently, we don't understand everything about the story or its meaning. Because of some of the shrouded nature of the lore and narrative, it leaves much mystery. But from viewing these questions and the story from a thematic standpoint, something unexpected and really cool happened. I found that the story and the lore opened up in reverse.]

The easiest way to explain the plot (in my opinion):

It was my impression that Geppetto never “started” the puppet frenzy. The puppets were NEVER breaking the grand covenant, interpretably they are protecting humans by stopping the spread of the petrification disease, it’s just that everyone in the city was infected by that point. 

Now with the puppets killing everybody in a city where everyone was infected (ergo being the result of the disease) Simon can go around harvesting all that ergo and Geppetto presumably plays him by letting Simon collect the Ergo first, and then sending P to kill him. [again, these details may not be completely accurate, but bear with me here]

Why create P in the first place?

He's made in Carlo's image so to speak because Geppetto hopes that Carlo's spirit will awaken. This is also why P is never bound to the covenant (it seems that not being bound to robot laws makes puppet egos awaken faster, since awakened puppets can break the grand covenant). So that is the two functions of P, to destroy puppets for ergo to harvest and so Carlo's consciousness can restore. I was just guessing that the arm of god was enough to get Carlo to revive, and Carlo's mental spirit reviving would be helpful but not entirely necessary. But for reasons we don't understand, Carlo never does regain consciousness.

Geppetto bitterly tells us that we don't seem to have inherited Carlo's memories. There is no big moment where Pinocchio or Pino or P reawakens, fully, as Carlo. He isn’t treated by the story as him. During the course of the game, P struggles to forge his own identity, to become a real boy, despite starting as a copy of the original. It’s a very fitting parable for the genre identity of a soulslike.

However, there are other successful re-incarnations of people through puppets, namely Sophia at the end of the Rise ending. We ask, for consistency's sake, why are puppet-form Romeo and puppet-form Sophia assumed to have retained their original identities, but not Pino? This is just my personal interpretation of why Carlo just couldn't or doesn't wake up. It isn't really based any lore or deduction from story details, this is from more of a philosophical point of view. And it isn't just the luck of the draw.

I had some initial thoughts about Carlo's failure. Romeo was made with intention of continuing to fight against the disease, as it's told that he "made a deal with the devil". Sophia may have been a special case, as she is a listener (Arlecchino even refers to her as the goddess in the tower), she may have had an ergo identity so strong that her essential self could retain this process. But either way, the implication is that Pino may have been able to recover her not long after that final fight. Look at the nameless puppet. The state of Carlo's body is so poor, that more than not his body seems to have been replaced with puppet parts. I think the implication was that Geppetto had been replacing parts as they rotted away. Maybe he had simply been dead for too long. But again, this isn't exactly why I think he couldn't awaken.

Simon and Geppetto

Lies has two main antagonists, although one isn't completely revealed until the last section. Both Simon and Geppetto are the perpetrators of Krat's destruction, but for what seems like different reasons. Simon is trying to be reborn, and Geppetto is trying to revive his dead son, Carlo. Interpretably, they are both trying to become Gods. Simon by grasping the supernatural, cosmic power of one, and Geppetto by raising the dead. They have destroyed Krat in their attempt to become a god, or more succinctly put, attempting to become God, singular. Geppetto's goal is, in essence, the same as Simon's goal - Because bringing back the dead would make him God.

That's why it seemed all so confusing. Haven't Geppetto and the alchemists already raised the dead, as Pino does at the end of the Rise ending with Sophia? Sophia, Romeo, and Carlo were all afflicted with the disease. Their Ergo were all made into puppets, but there's a minor but important distinction here. Sophia is still alive in her condition and actively suffering, this is the reason why she asks us to end her life. It seems as though Romeo lost his friend to the disease, and then made a "deal with the devil" to continue fighting, this implies being made into the king of puppets. We collected Sophia's ergo while she was alive, which we then used to animate the puppet. So the three of them were afflicted with the petrification disease. Sophia perished, Romeo perished, but Carlo died.

Now if we see the sand memories section of the beach, the stalker's words start to gain some clarity. If Carlo died from an incurable disease that the stalker couldn't prevent, why is she too late? Perhaps the goal was never to "save" Carlo's life. She laments; That she was too late, NOT to "save" him, but for him to be able to be restored. The stalker seemed to understand that whatever procedure needed to be done would be useless past the point of death.

I have to admit that there was something that I thought could override my theory. It seems as though the alchemists already were able to bring back both Champion Victor and The Eldest of the BRB, and from the dead no less. We read from notes in the Grand Exhibition that Victor had caught the disease, died to the despair of his adoring fans, but then miraculously made a comeback somehow stronger than ever. But maybe - he had only appeared to be brought back from the dead to the public, as Victor sought the help of the alchemists. And when it comes to the Eldest in the coffin, I'm wondering if he was actually only mortally wounded, leading the brotherhood to consult with the alchemists. [The way he was carried out by his brothers too (shouldered on either side) isn't typically the way you would expect people would handle a dead person]

Mirroring Sophia, Romeo, and Pinocchio, who were made into puppets: There is Champion Victor, The Eldest, and Nameless Puppet. We can see the former three as Geppetto's method of "cheating" God (cheating Death), and the latter three as alchemists' method. Only "Carlo" has a form in either one - The Nameless Puppet and the player, P. The Nameless puppet appears to share a similar undead quality with Victor and The Eldest of the BRB (including the tubes). We know that the collected Ergo can animate puppets, They are puppeting around their own dead bodies.

I feel like the Nameless Puppet tells us in a poetic way that Carlo is gone. My thoughts on this are more abstract. Again, this isn't from a factual analysis, but more of from viewing the Nameless Puppet itself as a metaphor. The Nameless puppet has qualities similar to the other undead bosses, yet the game doesn't describe it like it does Victor and the Eldest. It's not a body. It is a puppet [Human on the outside, mechanical on the inside - the inverse of our protagonist]. And straight in the text, we are told this is "The Nameless Puppet". But we know who Carlo was. His name was Carlo. We split open its head, and there are only cold, mechanical parts, instead of what we in the modern world now regard as the very most essential self (the brain). Because there was nothing to recover, there is no one there. Carlo's spirit had long, long since departed the world.

We are also told through one of the game's narrative devices that the Nameless puppet was the first puppet fitted with the organ. Ostensibly, Carlo's body was being prepared for whatever procedure that needed to take place, but Carlo died before that could happen (perhaps thankfully), and Geppetto pushed forward with his plans anyway, perhaps past the point of no return.

There are two forms of revival and we represent one of them, as in, there was the puppet form of Carlo and the undead form of Carlo. Presumably, the undead form was incredibly destructive, and thus stored away; We are the second try for Carlo's rebirth, this time in the puppet form, but we cannot even wake up without the aid of Sophia.

Lies, God, and the Finality of Death

But doesn't Geppetto actually succeed in one of the endings? Simon fails to become a god, (well, presumably only because we kill him in the process of doing so) and then we confront Geppetto. If we hand over our heart, Geppetto actually does revive Carlo. We see the resurrected Carlo, but with one simple smile we realize this isn't the Carlo the game has been leading us to believe existed. This ending leaves us with distrust and unease rather than a sense of peace and resolution. Simon fails to become a god, and at the bad ending - even if he "wins" - the game makes us wonder if So does Geppetto. No matter what, Carlo could NEVER be truly, and in both senses of the word, honestly, be revived.

[Simon Manus - like Simon Magus, the biblical figure who tries to buy into the supernatural power of God. And Geppetto, of course alluding to the 1883 italian novel The Adventures of Pinocchio - a puppet master, a creator indeed, but of wooden imitations of life, and a poor imitation of God]

So, why I think Carlo could not wake up? Because whatever needed to happen could not be done after the actual point of death, and Sophia and Romeo's hearts were both transferred before they actually died. His spirit had long gone from this world. Krat has methods of eternal life, but these transfers happened while they were still alive. While the alchemists and Geppetto could certainly cheat death (as we maybe even would with modern day medicine), they could not defeat it. Carlo can no longer wake up, Carlo can never wake up again, because he is dead.

[chronic-escapixt]

KAI PARKER MASTERLIST (NSFW):

content warnings/tags ~ Dark fiction, CNC, dubcon, non-con, yandere, murder, abuse, trauma, stalking, dacraphilia, smut, rough sex, degradation, spanking, age gap, size kink, unhealthy dom/sub relationship, punishment, bondage, knife kink, blood, choking, kidnapping, breeding, unprotected sex, overstimulation (specific warnings will be listed on each post) Minors DNI

summary - His anger only festers over the decades, all plans of revenge seemingly hopeless until she arrives. Rose Bennett made a choice to save her sister, ending up in the 1994 prison world where she’s unknowingly at the mercy of Malachai Parker. He woos her with his charm, determined to use her power for his freedom and her body for his darker desires...

I don't claim ownership of The Vampire Diaries or its characters. All credits go to the rightful owner(s). I only own my original character(s). I suggest you read the details post because it includes the background of our main characters and important lore specific to the fic.

Table of contents:

Details

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

**status: work in progress**

Dark Kai Parker x POC reader imagines & oneshots:

I prefer to use Rosalina (nickname: Rose or Rosy) Bennett as a placeholder for Y/N. They both serve the same function as the only relevant descriptions of the characters are that she is POC and a Bennett witch.

Mine Forever - heretic!Kai x vampire!reader - Kai forces an unwilling reader to turn so he'll never have to lose her

A Deal with the Devil (Part 1) (Part 2)- witch!Kai x Bennett!reader - dubcon, cnc kidnapping

Sweet like Candy - witch!Kai x innocent!reader - foodplay

Bad at Love

[ozthedm]

Vampire Ascendant Ramblings!

I love Baldur’s Gate 3. I love the vampire genre. I am particularly fascinated with the concept of the Vampire Ascendant for a number of reasons that mainly boil down to “what does it mean to be the Vampire Ascendant and what is the true cost of this power?”

This post is essentially a collection of my observations, thoughts, and headcanons regarding the ascension ritual. Think of this as fanfic inspiration material. Get ready folks, because we’re about to dip a toe into 5e lore and get existential.

What does the Rite of Profane Ascension actually do?

Raphael explains the ritual as thus:

“If he completes the rite, he will become a new kind of being - the Vampire Ascendant. All the strengths of his vampiric form will be amplified, and alongside them he will enjoy the luxuries of the living. The arousals and appetites of man will return to him, and unlike Astarion, he will have no need of a parasite to protect him from the sun. But the ritual has a price, as all worthwhile things do. Lord Cazador will need to sacrifice a number of souls including all of his vampiric spawn if he is to ascend… Your soul will set off a very wave of death, bringing Cazador his twisted life.” 

TLDR: If Cazador offers up the souls of 7000 vampire spawn, then maybe he’ll feel less like shit.

Other specific perks include:

The hunger for blood that plagues all vampires will no longer affect him.

His heart will beat again (Could he even be considered undead at that point?)

He still gets to remain immortal in the sense that he will never age

He can choose to extend his protection from the sun to his spawn, but this protection can be revoked

He can be reflected in mirrors.

There are some details that remain unclear, so here’s where we step into headcanon territory:

Running water will no longer harm him

A normal wooden stake won’t be enough to paralyze him. You’d be better off with a magical weapon

Although he will still need an invitation to enter homes, His enhanced vampiric charm practically makes it a nonissue

And now a couple of notes on Mephistopheles and the contract itself:

“Devils bargain with mortals to upend the divine order. They stake claims on souls that would otherwise go to the gods or be cast adrift somewhere other than the Nine Hells. If you are already a creature of Law and Evil devoted to no other entity, your damned spirit is of meager value.”

  - Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

Mephistopheles is an arcane innovator. His realm, Cania, is essentially a giant laboratory where he conducts extensive experiments. 

When it comes to souls, Mephistopheles prefers quality over quantity. He mostly acquires the souls of highly accomplished wizards and sages to help him with his research. To demand the souls of 7000 vampire spawn seems uncharacteristically beneath him (especially for the power he’s offering) 

My thinking is that Mephistopheles is working on something that specifically requires vampiric energy and lots of it. The 7000 spawns are nothing more than fodder.

A devil’s deal never ends well. This is repeatedly stated throughout the game. Considering what we know of Mephistopheles and how little Cazador cares for his spawn, this whole contract sounds far too good to be true. So what’s the catch?

A few possible ideas as to the downsides:

Mephistopheles is always watching. After all, this is a completely new kind of being that warrants study. 

The Ascendant’s hunger for blood is replaced with a different hunger. A hunger that is indescribable and insatiable. He will always yearn for more. More power, more control, more anything. He may even return to Mephistopheles in an attempt to fill the void. 

The Ascendant’s own soul is included in the price, albeit differently. Where the other souls were simply consumed by the ritual, his will serve another purpose. (Not gonna lie, this one sent me on a whole existential journey trying to figure out what is means to have/lack a soul)

I might post more thoughts later, but this is enough for now

[wordsvomit101]

(I probably only do this with cards I like in the future)

It is part 2 of Juno L Card, here is the original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6e7GQxiTuY&rco=1 (credit to @shyanimeboi on X)

... I feel like I'm being accused of something I'm not. Defamatory, slander, the audacity of this guy

This is lore-accurate MC BUT STILL, how dare-

I wouldn't mind being a cat for a day you know, so I just lounge around wherever and being treated like those ancient royal Egyptian's cats is a must.

Oh?

Okay Juno, didn't know you could have the green tea energy but keep cooking

This is where I got the feeling that his fans must be watching somewhere behind the rubble like I just got that gut feeling they're watching and having ovaries overload or combusting on the spot right now

I almost believed him BUT THEN

HE REALLY GOING MEAN GIRL ON ME

If I were MC I would poke his eyes- Cause ain't no way you saying that to me with that face boy

So he DOES have mean girl energy in him. I like it, to observe it, but he better not use it on me because I will not take him seriously if he wants intimacy later, I'm not built like that

Yeah, dude what ya think??? I have a job and a house on there, unfortunately an achievement in this economy (I remember MC still has a house, they just chose to stay with Minhyeok because they didn't want to be in a space where their parents died, which is valid)

So his regular head tilting as a red chewing gum is actually mean it like this??? Damn ok-

I can't believe they have Satan and Gehenna making a move with Minhyeok before MC.

I still didn't forgive Satan for kissing Minhyeok before MC could

Sir????

Ignoring Ppyong's being a smug little bastard, it is actually really nice that they show how close MC is with Minhyeok and how much they care for each other. If they don't get together, it's fine by me, at least let them be platonic soulmates.

??? How much time did you spend time with Minhyeok on Earth? Either Minhyeok's scent was mad strong and lingered easily or they had been all over each other-

I KNOW IT IS HIM! Tell me how you got his scent on you! Spill the tea sis!

What?

Wait-wait-wait they actually serious?!

Excuse me, how the hell do you think I can do it??? Ya'll devils must be having some goofy as-hell imagination if you think I can do it

Oooh more detail to take note on

So anyway, they end up touching each other and live up to his kink, because they are be TOUCHING. And there are some details of how Minhyeok and MC used to touch and caress each other heads and how MC feels at ease just by the familiarity of it which is really really cute (இ‸இ`｡)

I am actually surprised how I got a lot of Juno's personality spot on in my two fics of him and he is already my favorite, but I like him a lot more now that we got to know him more than just a silly little red dough.

Please watch the rest in Hiki's (@shyanimeboi) YouTube video that I write down at the top (they're the actual angel here) and thank you for listening to me ramble, I will do this again once Minhyeok, Paimon, and Selaphiel L cards come out... But if they got the same paywall treatment then I might open my wallet if I really like it.

[youremyheaven]

Vedic Astrology Symbolism & Recurring Motifs

other have already made posts about punarvasu's connection to butterflies but i thought id add to it

Miranda Kerr (Punarvasu Moon)

Drew Barrymore (Punarvasu Moon) with her famous butterfly tattoo

Drew with butterfly wings, from the movie "Ever After" (a unique Punarvasu interpretation of Cinderella)

Dita Von Teese (Punarvasu Ketu), walking for Jean Paul Gauthier

Margot Robbie (Punarvasu rising) in a Chanel butterfly print dress.

Dua Lipa (Punarvasu moon) wearing a dress with butterfly detailing. Dua has a well documented obsession with butterflies and her current ig pfp also features a butterfly. Her recent collection La Vacanza with Versace heavily features butterflies!!

Shakira (Punarvasu Moon) wearing Dua's butterfly shirt from her La Vacanza collection

Previously mentioned Pisces' connection to butterflies and here's Revati Moon, Angelina Jolie wearing a butterfly top!!

2. Here are a few more examples of Pisces rashi folks playing mermaids/aquatic roles

Gemma Ward, played Tamara in the Pirates of the Caribbean. She has Revati Moon & Jupiter (her atmakaraka) and Rahu in UBP

dont ask me what this look has to do with mermaids, to me its just a very mermaidcore look 🤣🤣🤣 and Emrata is UBP moon

3.Gana in Vedic astrology represents one’s nature. There are 3 types of ganas: Deva Gana (Divine), Rakshasa Gana (Demonic) and Manushya Gana (Human). now obviously not everyone with deva gana naks are going to be the nicest people ever, your gana is about what you project, people with deva ganas are perceived to be good people whereas those with rakshasa gana are either known for being shrewd and cunning or in some cases, have a really terrible reputation/other generally dislike them or may see them as "fake".

Rakshasa Gana: Ashlesha, Krittika, Mula, Dhanistha, Chitra, Magha, Vishakha, Jyestha and Shatabhisha

Deva Gana: Mrigashirsha, Ashwini, Revati, Punarvasu, Pushya, Swati, Hasta, and Anuradha.

Manushya Gana: Rohini, Bharani, Ardra, Shravana and Purvaphalguni, Purva bhadrapada, Uttarabhadrapada and Uttaraphalguni 

Actors who have played Angels in movies often have deva gana nakshatras.

Tilda Swinton plays Gabriel in Constantine and she has Swati Sun & Punarvasu Mars (amatyakaraka)

Buck Henry, who plays an angel in Heaven Can Wait has Pushya Moon, Punarvasu Jupiter & Revati Rahu

Christopher Walken plays Gabriel in The Prophecy. He has Revati Sun & Punarvasu Jupiter

Henry Travers, who plays an angel in Its A Wonderful Life. He has Hasta Moon, Revati Mars atmakaraka and Ketu in Swati

Alan Rickman plays an angel in Dogma. He has Swati Moon, Punarvasu Mars & Saturn (his atmakaraka) and Rahu in Mrigashira

Emma Thompson, plays an angel in Angels in America. She has Ashwini Sun, Punarvasu Moon, Hasta Rahu and Revati Ketu.

Emmanuelle Beart plays an angel in Date with an Angel. She has Revati Jupiter amatyakaraka and Rahu in Punarvasu

4. Actors who play the Devil often have rakshasa gana nakshatras

Peter Stormare plays the Devil in Constantine and he has Magha sun and Ashlesha mercury & mars (his atmakaraka & amatyakaraka respectively)

Shatabhisha sun Peter Fonda plays the Devil in Ghost Rider

Magha sun Robert De Niro plays the Devil in Angel Heart

Vishaka Sun Tom Ellis plays Lucifer in Lucifer

Chitra stellium, Viggo Mortensen, plays the Devil in The Prophecy

5. Mrigashira & Rohini both have serpent yoni. the lore of UBP and Ashlesha also features serpents heavily. needless to say, these natives are often depicted with serpents in the media.

In vedic astrology, your yoni animal is said to represent the way you express your sexuality and sexual desire. Serpent yoni natives are known for their intense, hypnotic sensuality and they crave for very passionate, fervent and often, extreme sexual experiences.

Elizabeth Hurley has Mrigashira sun & mercury with Rohini jupiter and rahu.

Jennifer Lawrence has Ashlesha sun & Mrigashira moon

Devon Aoki has Ashlesha sun. She has also spoken about growing up with pet snakes.

Salma Hayek has UBP moon and Ashlesha venus atmakaraka. speaking of filming this scene, Salma has often said that due to her phobia of snakes, she went into a trance to perform her sensuous dance. if you've watched this scene, you'll see how her performance has an almost serpentine quality to it, she moves in a very hypnotic and captivating way.

Rohini sun, Mrigashira mercury atmakaraka, UBP mars, Angelina Jolie with a snake.

Jolie has openly spoken about experimenting with BDSM and how much she likes knife play and what-not. Serpent yoni, sexual freakishness at its best (add to it, her Revati moon, another nak known for being sexually strange lol). She also had pet snakes growing up.

[serene-sun]

𝕾𝖍𝖆𝖉𝖔𝖜 𝖌𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖑

Read chapter one

Chapter two of my series, “𝕽𝖔𝖘𝖊 𝕲𝖆𝖗𝖉𝖊𝖓 𝕱𝖚𝖓𝖊𝖗𝖆𝖑 𝕺𝖋 𝕾𝖔𝖗𝖊𝖘”

Summary: After a multitude of wrong doings at your catholic church, you and four other nuns are sent on a mysterious transfer to a ministry nobody dares speak of. On behalf of the Count Copia, you are welcomed after a suspenseful journey.

Chapter summary: your first night there, you have a strange nightmare. You decide to take a walk to get rid of the paranoia when the beast from the nightmare shortly introduces himself…not like a gentlemen tho…

warnings: LOTS of sexual stuff but no smut, details of a wolf eating a sheep, sexual harassment (its Swiss flirting), ghoul beef, creepy spiritual activity, nightmares, virginity kink, prey/pred, reader doesn't wear underwear to bed

a/n: shadow ghoul is Swiss, quintess ghoul is omega. This is chapter two of my new series! be on the lookout because chapter three is going to be heartfelt lore.....oh, I wonder if it has anything to do with the cliffhanger...

A loud bang erupted from your sleep, you quickly turned on the lamp beside your bed. A sigh is heard from the other women in the room as they watch you.

“What are you doing? It's the middle of the night?” They say, also turning on their lamps.

You step out of the bed, long nightgown falling to the floor, and the white lace pools around your feet. “I-I heard a loud crash, did you not hear it too?” You say, a shaky voice cracking as a shiver washes down your spine.

“No? Are you sure you're not just paranoid?” One says as she stands up from the bed, she walks over to you and places a hand on your shoulder.

You jump at the touch, “Maybe…I just…I swear I heard something…”

The girl sighed, she let her breath draw out until it abruptly stopped. You could feel her own eyes go wide behind you.

“D-do you see that?” She says chillingly as she points at one of the dressers close to the door. 

“See what?” You ask as you focus on the dark room, but all you see are shadows until your eyes adjust, making a clear outline of a black shadow of a man.

“What the f-uck.” You say as you stumble back, ‘What the hell is that???” 

The shadow doesn't move, it stays still until loud and quick footsteps run across the room, the furniture shaking with them.

Your breath runs out as you run cold, you're speechless as you feel a draft of air come across your face and neck. You feel something sharp like a scratch against your back and neck before a scream rings directly into your ear.

That's when you jump up from your bed and quickly turn on the lamp again, awakening from what seemed to be a nightmare. You catch your breath, surprisingly not waking the others as you pull your hair back, staring into the blanket pattern as to regain thought.

You drag yourself from the bed and take one of the candles, lighting the way out of the room and into the hallway. Your footsteps are silent against the obsidian floor, bare feet patting against the cold crystal lightly as you walk your mind off. 

As you venture farther down the hall you take in the paintings, how they all show stories that would usually be in the bibble but from the other perspective. You took the moment to take in the fact that this was now your home, people, and soon to be your religion. Holding your finger, you don't notice the eyes that begin to appear from the eerie sides of the hallway. 

Your candle suddenly blows out and you gasp, “Hello? Is someone there?” You say, holding yourself closer to the wall in a panic.

But as your back hits the safety of the wall you realize it's no wall at all but rather the torso of a being. You screech, dropping the candle holder as it falls to the floor. A slender and clawed hand covers your mouth as you’re held against the body. Your screams are muffled as you struggle against the figure. Your hands reach about, as the devil's hands slide up your nightgown. Quickly, you use the rosary that was wrapped around your wrist and stab the demon's arm.

They let out a loud groan as you're released.

You stumble onto the floor and crawl away, “Leave me alone! You ratchet devil!” You yell, pulling your knees to your chest.

The beast slowly walks closer with his hands out putting distance between the two, “I'm not going to hurt you, who are you? It's far past curfew.” The voice says, rusty like a blood moon.

Out of the moonlit streek of the hall, his pure black hands show as he gets closer, and two pure white sparkling eyes peer through the night.

“I- I….why did you attack me?” You say franticly as you stand up, grabbing the candlestick and pointing it at him threateningly.

“Woah now…be careful with that thing..” he says, taking a step back as you urge it closer, “you do not know how sharp tha-” He says before you press it to his stubbled chin, even tho you can't see anything or any part of him you can smell cigarettes and sandalwood from him.

“Hey….you best be careful with that thing lady…or we can have some real problems.” He says, placing a hand on your’s griping the gold metal. He suddenly pulls back his hand in agony as he sharply gasps, “Fuck!” The demon holds his hand, angry eyes looking down to the silver cross ring on your finger. 

“Who are you? Why are you here? Why do you have that?” The nameless ghoul grabs your wrist, making you drop the stick.

“Y-you scare me….you attacked me!” You defend as tears bubble up.

“You're obviously not from here….you must be one of the new play things….” The beast shadow says as it softens his grip, “My apologies for being so rude, we just have strict rules here regarding curfews…” 

“I…apoligize too….” You couldn't believe you were saying sorry to a hellish creature but perhaps he was like the first ghoul you met, “Please explain the curfew…”

“Well for one…they put you in the wrong part of the ministry…this is too close to the northwest wing for comfort.”  he says, “You must be in your rooms for the rest of the night before midnight….usually any guests breaking this rule gets a harsh verbal beating from the sister imperator…” He says, hand sliding down your arm and pushing the lacey sleeve up, “But If you have special permission from one of the upper clergy men….your safe.” his touch is soft and almost addicting, his eyes shiny like the moon behind him. It makes you want to faint like you must consume him whole before he's gone like the wind.

“Why…..why is there such a curfew?” You ask, thoughts being drained as you wander off into the endless range of his eyes.

“Because….here…after the sun leaves us we demons roam.” He says, hand softly tracing up your shoulder and collar bone to your chin to hold, “Everything not behind a closed door after midnight belongs to us….” He caresses your cheek.

You feel a wave of heat wash over you like a fever, except this was no simply cured one. What was this plaguing love that filled you? Was this admiration? Fondness? Jealousy? What sin had tainted your heart so black that it coils up like this? To make your veins run empty and your lungs frail. What could possibly have your head pounding so hard you can feel your eyes unfocus and blur out as your mouth runs dry? 

Could this possibly be lust? Such an evil intrusive need, invading like wolves on a sheep farm. You can feel the wolf's eyes stare you down, and that shiver runs up your spine as his position gets lower. Like a star, he pounces and lets his fangs dive deep into your flesh. Blood spills everywhere as small pieces of wool spill from the unsilent night like snow. How innocence was instantly turned into nothingness, to the abyss, how life so quickly faded into the blackness of violence. To death. 

Except you were no sheep, no little lamb a child could lie on. And this beast, claws, tail, eyes, and motion like a wolf was not one. Perhaps he would have the same intentions, to devour what has been lazily left into the night. Forgotten, lost, innocent, and vulnerable you were in this dark mysterious presence. It would be child's play for him to ruin you, to take every ounce of life and dignity away. 

You let out a soft moan, your eyes opening softly as you realize you have lost yourself. You stand faint in his arms, his tail wrapped around your parted legs. The soft nightgown bunched up to your hips, exposed legs and genitals, how you could feel your nipples harden at the cold gust of breath fan across the fabric so daring to fall down your shoulders. The top four buttons were undone and tampered with like they were viciously pulled apart. His claws dig into your thighs, one slender black finger caressing high enough to just barely touch the hair hiding away your wet folds.

Your so out of it, this plague was more a drug than any impulse. You feel limp, like your half out of blood and oxygen. His other hand wraps around your throat, and that feeling becomes a reality as he softly squeezes. 

Your eyes slowly fall shut from the lack of oxygen till the lust-filled demon jolts, a voice across the hall coming from two fierce black eyes. Their aura is even stronger than this one, overwhelmingly strong and relevant to the first nameless ghoul. You could tell they weren't the same, just by the voice this one was far more dominant and older. 

“Shadow.” He says, deep voice trembling your heart rate it almost snaps you back into reality. 

“Quintess…lovely to see you…” The captive-holding ghoul says behind you, his grip getting tighter as the hand around your thrat goes to pin your waist against his. 

Were these their personal names? Perhaps it would be easier to give them all names instead of calling them all nameless ghouls.

“Let her go..” Quintess says arms crossed as he steps into the moonlight. 

Your eyes are wide open now, standing up straight as you see the first look of what a ghoul is. He has white hair, pure as snow that's brushed back and slightly wavey. His eyes are normal besides the white slit of his pupil. He has two chipped twisted horns that look to be made of lapis llazul, they glow and sparkle even with their harsh rugged used look. His face is soft, and round, and has a nice defined chin and jaw. His skin is also white but has a hint of purple and grey. Two scars ride from his pointed ear to his lips, which look like claw marks from some kind of fight. His tail is particularly long and has a furry end. He's in a black uniform, it has a hood but is pulled off, it has a large belt with symbols on it and a crucifix necklace. You feel safe by his look, he has the same energy and intentions as the nameless ghoul.

“Why…you know as well as everyone else that what's left to the dark belongs to us,” Shadow says, seductive voice gesturing to the lamb trapped in his arms.

“You and I both know that if she denies you sex you will go back along your night with no second thoughts, You're only trying to look strong and powerful because she's new. You were delighted to see that she wasn't one of the usual sisters of sin roaming around because they wish to either die or be filled with your cum. So of course why not ruin this catholic virgin before one of the fires does.” He says simply, your a little embarrassed but you try to escape his grip.

Shadow growls, “I do not have to worry about if she wants it tonight or not, she will come to my chambers one of these nights, swarmed with thoughts and dreams of me pounding her delicious tight cunt because that's what lord Asmodeus wants out of her and that's what she wants.” he bites back, “There is no escaping the lust she will feel for me, just wait your time and ill send you a letter soaked in her orgasm and signed with her blood sweat and tears explaining how she loves being whipped and bitten to oblivion.”

You tremble at his words, unsure of what any of it mean.

His arms let you free and you stumble to the other side of the hallway, thankful for this white ghoul.

“T-thank you..” You breathe out so heavily it hurts, you want to hug him for his kindness.

“Go on, shadow. To find a seeking victim.” Quintess says as the shadow ghoul disappears, even before you get to see any part of him besides his eyes and arms.

“Are you ok? Did he hurt you in any way?” The ghoul asks as he looks you over, strong demeanor coming down as he softens. His face fills with worry, and concern as he fixes your nightgown and buttons the top back together.

“No, i….I'm dearly sorry…I seem to be causing trouble here.” You apologize to another demon, “Forgive me…”

“Oh, child, no concern needed your very very new and you have much to learn.” He says, fixing your hair as well, his hand acting as a brush with his claws as he wipes the strands of hair from your forehead. “Come let me get you back to bed..”

“No wait…I” You say nervously, “There…was something in there…it doesn't feel safe..” 

“Hmm? Is there a ghoul in there?” He asks,

“No…I just...I mean not to be childish but I feel a dark entity in there and I felt it watch me as I sleep..” You answer you had always felt spirits, another reason for your removal from the church. 

“That's alright, I understand, we do have wondering spirits here.” He says, hand placed on your back to guide you down the hall, “If you don't mind, you can sleep in my room tonight, I won't be using it.” he offers

“Oh, that’s very kind of you, I don't want to barge you out though.” You say as he leads down the hall.

“Don't worry, I'll be sleeping with a friend tonight anyways.” quintess says as he soon opens the door to his chambers. 

It's nice, a cozy and warm look with a made bed in the corner between bookshelves and a few storage boxes on the other side of the room. There was a cold and cobwebbed-covered fireplace. The room had obviously not been used for quite some time, but you stayed quiet. 

You sit on the bed, feeling over and noticing there is something under the pillow. You grab it, only to realize that it is a lock of black hair tied together with a silky purple ribbon. 

The quintess ghoul quickly takes it, “I apologize, that wasn't supposed to be there.” he says

You nod, “Sorry…i'll go to sleep now..” You say before he leaves. You can't helo but stay up even later wondering what the lock of hair was, and why he was so tense about it. It was so black, like night, and it was so little of it….

like it had been scavenged pieces found across the floor.

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