#divinity: fear

[dailyadventureprompts]

Deity: Tergrid, God of Fright

"Terror is the natural state of a child, they know they are small, vunrable, glass fragile. It is only once we grow that we delude ourselves into thinking we are safe, that we are strong, that we have control over the world we live in. Show a grown man how little control he really has, and you will see the child he always was: pissreeking, repentant, and pleading for his mother. " - Gerheart, village executioner

A goddess for those who hold close to the light dreading the unknown or those who wander gleefully into the dark seeking it, Tergrid is a deity of imagined horrors and terrible omens.

Depicted as a young woman always bearing a lantern, myths speak of Tergrid's shadow as a monstrous, murderous thing with a will of its own. Unable to kill the goddess due to the light she carries, it vents it's directionless wrath on those who linger beyond the lantern's glow. This duality, as both as the victim of fear and the source of it defines the brightmaiden's worship; as she is both threat and saviour to those who draw her attention.

Adventure Hooks:

The party arrive at a country roadhouse at dusk, only to find the inhabitants have nailed shut every door and shutter as if preparing for a siege. They say some horrid murderous things are lurking just off the road, and as the light wanes they refuse to let the heroes inside. The roadhouse's residents are terrified and are willing to fight to keep the party out, half convinced the party are themselves the things they should be afraid of... which isn't to say there ISN'T anything else waiting for that door to open. After negoitating their way inside (or forcing the issue) the heroes discover the roadhouse residents were warned of the danger by a mysterious woman who passed through earlier, though none can remember exactly what she looked like.

A knight renowned for his fearless deeds wanders the street in a waking nightmare, seeing threats everywhere and lashing out at phantoms and passersby. Even after being subdued it’s clear he won’t awake, and many suspect interference from jealous rivals in the upcoming tourney. The knight’s meek squire asks the party to help investigate the causes and possible cures of her master’s madness, never suspecting that her suppressed resentment at his recklessness might’ve manifested as a curse.

In desperate need of answers, the party consults an oracle dedicated to Tergrid who has them undergo trials of fear and phantasm so that they might know the truth. Chiefest among these is battling in a dark cave full of shadow monsters, while flickering visions of the future are cast on the wall by the guttering lantern light. The longer they can endure, the more they will know, but that isn't likely to be long unless they fight harder than they ever have before.

Inspiration: Tergrid is a shameless lift from Magic the Gathering's Kaldheim setting, which I've never played but apparently keep returning to as a consistent well of inspiration.

Fear both as a mechanic and motif is something I think is underutilized in D&D which is odd considering it's a game about venturing out into the unknown to face potentially deadly challenges. Fear and risk are what our heroes must endure to experience the wonder and rewards on the other side of their journey. As such it makes sense for a goddess of fear to play a role in the thematic weave of the stories we end up telling.

Speaking in less lofty terms, I also think using the lantern as a symbol for being frightened fucks hard. It's a tiny, fragile, and temporary respite from an ocean of darkness and the threats it contains.

Worshippers: The lost and abandoned, Unseele Fey, Shadowcasters and other denizens of the shadowfell. There is also heavy overlap with the worship of the night goddess Nyx.

Signs: Nightmares, unnatural or living shadows,

Symbols: A Lantern, often surrounded by a circle of darkness.

Artsource

[bungledown-chim]

i cannot explain how much kristen needs to change her marketing tactic

she keeps going around and saying that cassandra is the goddess of mystery and doubt and the night, but thats not quite true. cassandra is the goddess of finding safety in the unknown. of not being afraid of doubt.

she is the belief that even if you don't know where you are or what to do, if you are lost and alone in a dark forest, there will be something on the other side, and all you have to do is get there. Cassandra is the goddess of staring into the cold, uncaring void and feeling a warm hand clasp your own, of a whisper in your ear saying youre going to be okay. you aren't alone. it is going to be scary and hard and uncertain, but you will never be on your own because i am here with you. you will never be lost because i know where you are

[stqrlightv]

[adviceformefromme]

8 TIPS FOR A WHOLESOME SUMMER

1] PRIORITISING SLEEP. You’re sleeping with your mouth closed, because you’ve learnt how open mouth breathing affects your jaw, posture and overall health. You’ve got those little sticky mouth strips from Amazon to help support with keeping your mouth shut during the night and as a result sleeping like a baby. 

3] YOU ARE IN YOUR ‘NO’ ERA. Saying no to absolutely anything that doesn’t align with your truth. No to the boozy party because you’ve quit drinking, no to the consuming voice notes and calls with your ‘still’ friends (still broke, still complaining, still getting no where). The more you say no, the more you are creating space for what is meant for you. 

4] ENJOYING HOBBIES. You start pouring more into activities that fill you up. The yoga workshops, dance classes, painting, cycling, running, making fermented foods. You're becoming more wholesome, and its from a place of truth and love. 

5] LOOKING AND FEELING YOUR BEST. You’re not worried about dropping a little cash on some key items for your summer wardrobe, because you know looking good will only amplify your radiance. This starts at home, sleeping in your best night dresses, wearing the kimono robe around the house. Ensuring your nails toes are clean and groomed, even if this is a weekly at home job. You prioritise looking and feeling your best even if this means waking up a little earlier to get ready.

6] LISTENING TO MUSIC THAT LIFTS YOU UP. Not the songs that keep you in the trap of overthinking him. Spiritual songs, songs of praise, affirmation songs, music with soul. As result you feel more connected to God, your truth, and grounded.

7] MAKING ACTUAL PLANS FOR THE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO THIS SUMMER. That means booking the flights, the train tickets, the restaurant you’ve been wanting to try. Pull out your diary and make the plans. Go live your life. Even if you do this alone, the most important thing is you don’t let this summer pass you by. You live it, you breathe it, you make it as fulfilling and exciting as possible. 

8] READING. Having a physical book to read, to travel with, to have close to your heart is the perfect way to expand your mind and take a much needed screen break…Fiction, or Non-fiction, go to the bookstore or library and enjoy the feel of the recycled paper on your finger tips as you indulge in something of interest. 

9] REDUCE SCREEN TIME. Whatever your current screen time, the goal is to reduce it by 50%, so if you’re currently on 4hrs per day, get it down to 2hrs. The less time on your phone, the more time in the real world, you’ll find you become more present, and enjoying life instead of being a slave to your device. 

[lucabyte]

Hmmm just gonna spit this headcanon out in text post form since A. I don't think I could exposit it well enough in image form and B. It's not actually textually/thematically substantiated and I don't like actually staking my stuff on just vibes alone*

But anyway. I'd say it's pretty evident that all the islanders forgot their names, right? King obviously. Because why the hell else would he do that, but also Siffrin No Middle Names No Last Name.

They're 'pretty sure' they've 'always' been 'Just Siffrin' 'as long as they can remember'. It's a pretty cruel twist of the knife to say that they don't even get to keep their birth name as a memento, which is why I'm saying as such.

My utterly unsubstantiated claim is I think it'd be cute to say that Sisyphus *is* the name Siffrin initially picked, assuming the myth of King Sisyphus is recontextualised as idk, just a play or something in the setting. But I like the idea of Siffrin going 'oh shit 🫵 he's just like me fr' at a tortured fictional character long before the irony kicks in.

As for how Sisyphus -> Siffrin. I think that chronic mumbler and emotional doormat Sif just did not correct people who misheard the name during their time travelling, and went through enough places with incompatible phonologies (pronounceable sounds in the language) without ever really writing it down that it just got kinda. Changed until it was unrecognisable, and Siffrin just went with it until the earlier pronunciations slipped out of their swiss-cheese brain. And they just kinda don't remember any of that.

Also, something something the horrid realisation that Siffrin also named themselves after a King. Just not as blatantly.

*(though I think there's something here about Siffrin, a guy from a belief system that seems to thoroughly disincentivise autonomy and self-motivated choice continuously having their hand forced to make changes/choices they don't want but have no choice but to... It's not solid enough to really back this up tbh, but it informs it.)

Anyway.

[succulentsiren]

Don’t get caught up in the fear of failure and insecurities. You must become a solid person within. Let nothing come in a shake you. Stay centered. Face this reality with optimism, persistence and courage. Never quit and move as if you’ve already won.

[bunabi]

I love that there's a massive choice with impact on the story and characters. That's good replay value. I'll take any crumb of choice-driven role-play I can get. I just think it should've happened differently. 😭

In early Act I Rook is a nobody with zero connections and on stress leave from their faction. It felt too soon. Imagine asking Hawke to side with the mages or templars ten hours into DA2. Brother I just got here, and I'm the temp hire, and there's a rude guy in my brain, let me breathe damn.

And if I can be pedantic and nitpicky: that wouldn't happen to Minrathous. Why would this battle-ready mage state able to fend off the most technologically advanced nation in Thedas for centuries — who also closed the first and worst Fade breach themselves ok period — fumble so badly? Especially with the Qunari leadership & Antaam in disarray? Not to mention their close ties to Kal Sharok and god knows what enchanted doohickeys they gain from their ancient blighted Dwarf alliance.

Not saying it's impossible or that I'm incapable of suspending my belief to enjoy the ride, it's literally fiction it's made up do whatever's necessary to tell a fun story, but there should be some ingame justification to give the concept ground to stand on. Because as it stands I'm sorry beautiful Neve, my princess who is yelling at me, but your hometown is too uniquely positioned for worst-case scenarios.

Maybe if they approached it from another angle? Like whichever city you choose to save is actually the one that gets destroyed? Both attacks are 'bait' meant to lure the Veilguard out of hiding in the Crossroads, and they annihilate whichever city Rook appears in to get the dagger? Do you see my vision or am I onto nothing?

[heavenlyghostchild]

and just when you think you’re at your absolute lowest a blonde motherfucker comes along and makes everything so much worse

[cremeshake]

meet my two pcs: perrine and deacon! <33

perrine's character inspiration was taken from an orchid mantis hence why there's a lot of pinks and greens. they're not a menace per se, but they SOMEHOW manage to find themselves in the middle of trouble.. or maybe they're a magnet for it? 👀

deacon is definitely troubled! looks aloof and disinterested but he has the biggest heart and the warmest hugs at the ready. monsterfucker

perrine's lis: robin (potentially?), alex (potentially!), sydney (?? potentially)

deacon's lis: robin, great hawk

horrible trauma aside, they're my favorite silly duo because they're always throwing hands at each other but are still very much ride or die for each other.

[bambi-eyes444]

༘⋆♡⸝⸝🌾⊹ 𖦹 °˖➴

[dollettesarchive]

౨ৎ‧₊˚ i want to love without consequences for someone elses hatred

[sacredfixation]

[headcanons] LOKIUS (loki vs domestic living)

Mobius: It’s a laundromat. Just put the quarters in.

Loki: This machine rattles like Fenrir’s jaws before battle.

Mobius: It’s just unbalanced.

Loki, pressing his forehead to the glass as it spins: I understand you now, little drum. You rage because you are caged.

Mobius: Did you microwave the tea?

Loki: No. I warmed it in the Box of Radiance.

Mobius: The microwave.

Loki, dramatically turning to face it: It hums with forgotten power. I gave it a sigil.

Mobius: That’s a sticky note that says ‘BURN WITH HONOR.’

Mobius: You can just throw the sponge away.

Loki, cradling it: He has served us. Faithfully. Tirelessly. He has absorbed our filth. He deserves rest. A memorial.

Mobius: It smells like mildew.

Loki: So do ancient kings, Mobius.

Mobius: did you sort the laundry?

Loki: All fabric is equal in the eyes of the gods.

Mobius: You shrunk my favorite sweater.

Loki: Then it was weak and did not deserve you.

[isolate-ignore-ibuprofen]

guys meet my new celebrity crush—ran takahashi

he’s so fine and pretty it hurts😭

[ultrataintedviolence]

deepthroating a bottle of cherry coke rn

[fenrysmoonbeamswife]

any book recs where the plot is actually intriguing, with no toxic male love interests?

thanks anon i live for giving recs🩷 prepare to be bombarded I'm sorry

• House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

• Everything by Adrienne Young

• Fear the Flames by Olivia Rose Darling

• Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

• Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater

• Threads That Bind by Kika Hatsopoulou

• Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

• The Dragons of Deepwood Fen by Brad P. Beaulieu

• Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross (actually everything by Rebecca)

• One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

• A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

• Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

• The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

• The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni

• The Maiden Ship by Micheline Ryckman

• Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier

it doesn't get any less toxic than them:

• Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent

• A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

• Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

• Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

f/f only no toxic men in sight🫶🏻👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩:

• Bad Graces by Kyrie McCauley

• The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

this is my "hear me out" section, it could maybe be argued that they're toxic but I don't think so and my standards are through the roof let me tell you:

• Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan (he is toxic but they literally all are in the best way)

• Wildblood by A. J. Vrana (you could say Kai is toxic but he's also in therapy and heals a lot throughout)

• The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

• Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (ok this probably really doesn't need to be a rec but i have to add my boy Xaden)

more cutesy and mysterious than intriguing but so good:

• The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

• The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

[yashley]

a betrayer god choosing not to mess with imogen like. she's the character. i'll stop saying it when she stops being it but she literally can't.