#do not meddle in the affairs of wizards

[yourplayersaidwhat]

The wizard, casting counterspell: 

“I move my left hand in an arcane pattern while my right reaches for my component pouch while uttering the magic words: nuh-uh”

[tlwebb]

[pherryt]

Do Not Meddle in the Affairs of Wizards    

Rated: Gen Words: 5252 Characters: Geralt, Jaskier and Roach (no ship) Summary

After an encounter with a mage in the woods, both of Geralt's most faithful companions start to act very strangely.

[mundiivagant]

I think I'm gonna tweak Maddys backstory a bit to be completely original lore with just a stranger things verse because I'm like terrified of the actual stranger things fandom.

[utilitycaster]

I will say, pettily, that one of the dumbest arguments in favor of killing the gods as a narrative choice is "how boring would it be to return to the status quo."

Babygirl. There are aliens. From the moon. In the sky. Coming to the planet. I mean even if you ignore that a major political power on Wildemount is almost certainly on the brink of, if not collapse, serious crisis due to its deathly ill (if not weekend at bernie's-ed) king and a schism within the wizard council; that the Unseelie Court is meddling in mortal affairs to an as of yet unforseen degree; that all kinds of sealed things have become unsealed; that at this point you might as well tell everyone about the two previously eaten gods since THAT ship has sailed; and lord knows what other political shit Ludinus has been up to; we still must acknowledge that aliens from the moon we thought was cursed are literally here on the planet. Do you think this is what we'd call a return to normalcy.

[laughingpinecone]

Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are bananas, more or less literally.

I don't know the whole story here but in my heart it turns out to be unbelievably more complex than "the Archchancellor stole my bananas" as the crime was first reported. Not that he wouldn't do that. As for Vimes' looks, I read that "Pratchett says in the companion work, The Art of Discworld, that he has always imagined Vimes as a younger, slightly bulkier version of late British actor Pete Postlethwaite" so I tried my hand at that!

Candyheartsex treat for sharkie335!

[spectralscathath]

Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.

Whitley and Ozpin, the disaster duo. I wanted to make it look a bit more eldritch (and obvious) when the Ozs in Antares were either using magic or switching who was in the driver's seat, so to speak. Also Antares is an Oz!Whitley AU, they're very fun together🕰️☃️

[fibula-rasa]

Lost, but Not Forgotten: What Price Beauty? (1925)

Direction: Thomas Buckingham

Scenario & Story: Natacha Rambova

Titles: Malcolm Stuart Boylan

Production Manager: S. George Ullman

Camera: J. D. Jennings

Art Direction: Natacha Rambova 

Production Design: William Cameron Menzies

Costume Design: Adrian

Studio: Circle Films (Production) & Pathé Exchange (Distribution)

Performers: Nita Naldi, Pierre Gendron, Virginia Pearson, Dolores Johnson, Myrna Loy, Sally Winters, La Supervia, Marilyn Newkirk, Victor Potel, Spike Rankin, Rosalind Byrne, Templar Saxe, Leo White Maybe: John Steppling, Paulette Duval, Dorothy Dwan, and Sally Long

Premiere: None, general release: January 22, 1928

Status: Presumed entirely lost.

Length: Variously reported as 5000 and 4000 feet (more commonly listed as 4000) or 5 reels

Synopsis (synthesized from magazine summaries of the plot):

Mary, a.k.a. “Miss Simplicity” (Dolores Johnson) is a starry-eyed, country-to-city transplant. She works at a beauty shop operated by a glamorous matron (Virginia Pearson) and owned by the young and handsome Clay (Pierre Gendron). 

Mary is in love with Clay, but doesn’t have the nerve or feminine wiles to woo him. The uber-sophisticated Rita (Nita Naldi), however, is chock full of nerves and wile. Rita’s fancy clothes and perfumes and advanced flirting skills leave Mary feeling destined to fail at winning Clay’s amorous attention. 

These feelings sublimate into an expressionistic dream for Mary, where she finds herself transformed into a sophisticate like Rita. Her boss is seen as a magnificent wizard, converting her clients into archetypes of glamour: exotic types, flappers, and sirens. Her competition, Rita, is seen as a bewitching spider.

In the end, surprising Mary, it turns out that her fresh-faced, unassuming charm is more appealing to Clay than Rita’s more practiced charm.

Additional sequence(s) featured in the film (but I’m not sure where they fit in the continuity):

Scene of the trials and tribulations of a fat woman trying to “reduce”

Points of Interest:

Only one quarter of Nita Naldi’s Hollywood films have survived (7 extant titles/21 lost or mostly lost titles).

——— ——— ———

What Price Beauty? was the first and only film produced under Natacha Rambova’s own company. Coordinating production for the film was the business manager for Rambova and her husband Rudolph Valentino, S. George Ullman. The couple met Ullman when he was working for Mineralava beauty products, the sponsor of their 1922-3 dancing tour. 

When Rudolph Valentino entered into a contract with United Artists, said contract reportedly stipulated that Valentino-Rambova were not a package deal. Therefore, Rambova could not collaborate with Valentino on his productions for United. Possibly as consolation, Ullman funded a production for Rambova while Valentino worked on The Eagle (1925, extant).

For Rambova, What Price Beauty? was meant to be a proving ground for her idea that an artistic film could be made on a modest budget. She also wished to remind people that she was a skilled artist in her own right.

In an interview in Picture Play Magazine from August 1925, Rambova asserts:

“…I do not want the production in any sense to be referred to as high-brow or ‘arty’. My reputation for being ‘arty’ is one of the things that I have to live down, and I hope by this picture, which is a comedy—even to the extent of gags and hokum—to overcome that idea. “A woman who marries a celebrity is bound to find herself in a more or less equivocal position, it seems, and her difficulties are only increased when she happens to have had some artistic ambitions of her own before her marriage. I am afraid that those who have accused me of meddling in my husband’s affairs forget that I enjoyed a certain reputation and a very good remuneration for my work as well before I became Mrs. Valentino.”

“What I desire personally is simply to be known for the work which I have always done, and that has brought me a reputation entirely independent of my marriage.”

There isn’t a vast amount of information on what exactly prevented WPB from gaining release in a timely fashion. If the film was truly nothing more than a ploy to separate Rambova from Valentino, that would be an absurd waste of time, money (~$80,000 in 1925 USD), and talent—Rambova employed soon-to-be famous designer Adrian for costumes and William Cameron Menzies for set decoration. Not to mention that, in front of the camera, Nita Naldi was still a popular star and the Rambova discovery, Myrna Loy, made her quickly hyped debut. 

When Pathé finally purchased WPB for distribution in 1928, they did very little to promote the film. Naldi had moved on from the film industry—as had Rambova. And, while Loy hadn’t become the huge star we know today by January of 1928, Warner Brothers had already given her top billing in a number of films. Pathé barely mentions Loy’s role in the little promotion they did do.

To put WPB’s release in the context of Rambova’s personal/professional biography (which you can read more about here):

June/July 1925 – WPB is completed, Rambova and Valentino separate (in July according to Rambova’s mother as quoted in Rambova’s book Rudy)

August 1925 – Rambova leaves Hollywood for New York City, reportedly to negotiate distribution for WPB. She and Valentino would see each other in person for the last time. Rambova leaves NYC for Europe.

September 1925 – Valentino draws up a new will disinheriting Rambova

November 1925 – Rambova returns to the US to act in a film, When Love Grows Cold (1926, presumed lost), a title which Rambova objected to

December 1925 – Rambova files for divorce

August 1926 – Valentino dies 

January 1928 – WPB is finally released with no fanfare by Pathé

In my research for my Rambova cosplay, the suspicious production/release history for this film stood out to me. I hoped that I might find some reliable evidence of whether WPB was a consolation prize and/or a scheme to keep Rambova and Valentino apart. Honestly and unfortunately, circumstantial evidence does support it!

After poring over what few contemporary sources cover WPB, there seemed to be no plan in place for distribution as the film was in production. United Artists, at whose lot the film was shot, claimed to have nothing to do with its release. Ullman had a news item placed about negotiating the distribution rights in the East. However, in Ullman’s own memoir, he admits that when he travelled to New York with Rambova, it was in a personal, not professional capacity—navigating the couple’s separation. (Ullman’s book contains many disprovable claims and misrepresentations, so anything cited from it should be taken with a grain of salt.) That said, Ullman’s failure to secure even a modest distribution deal for WPB in a reasonable timeframe speaks to how ill-founded Valentino’s and Rambova’s trust in his business acumen was.

WPB cost $80,000 to produce, which converts to $1.4 million in 2023 USD. While that wasn’t an outrageous budget for a Hollywood feature film at the time, especially one with such advanced production value, it’s certainly an absurd cost if the goal was only to separate a bankable star from his wife and collaborator.

A close friend and employee of Valentino and Rambova, Lou Mahoney, recalled in Michael Morris’ Madam Valentino:

“The picture was previewed at a theater on the east side of Pasadena, and Mahoney remembered the audience reaction as positive, but, thereafter, What Price Beauty? was consigned to oblivion. Mahoney knew why: ‘No help came from anyone, no thoughts of trying to get this picture properly released. No help came from Ullman, Schenck, or anybody else. Their whole thought was that if the picture were a success, Mrs. Valentino would be a success. She would then start producing under the Rudolph Valentino Production Company. But this nobody wanted—except herself, and Mr. Valentino.’”

——— ——— ———

The few reviews from 1928 that I was able to find are not very complimentary of WPB. The critics seem thrown by the film’s tone or genre—reading it as a drama. (Part of that is Pathé’s fault as they listed it as one.) But, according to sources contemporary to WPB’s production, it was intended to be a farcical satire of the beauty industry and social expectations of feminine beauty. Given the simple story, the intentional typage of characters (“The Sport,” “The Sissy,” and “Miss Simplicity”), and the over-the-top-but-on-a-budget art design of WPB, all signs point to high camp. In 1925 as well as 1928, the stodgier side of the critical spectrum would likely fail to see its appeal.

It’s a true shame we can’t find out for ourselves how good, bad, or campy WPB was as of yet, but here’s hoping the film resurfaces!

More about Rambova

GIFs of some of her design work on film

☕Appreciate my work? Buy me a coffee! ☕

Transcribed Sources & Annotations over on the WMM Blog!

[edenmemes]

lotr: fellowship of the ring (book) starters

❝ it is perilous to study too deply the arts of the enemy, for good or for ill. ❞   ❝ not all those who wander are lost. ❞   ❝ nothing is evil in the beginning. ❞   ❝ peril is now both before you and behind you, and upon either side. ❞   ❝ i wish you would trust me, as you used to. ❞   ❝ i’ll do as i choose and go as i please. ❞   ❝ you still mean to come with me? ❞   ❝ the world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair. ❞   ❝ there is more about you than appears on the surface. ❞ ❝ i am very weary. i must rest here a moment. ❞ ❝ i cannot thank you as i should for all your past your kindnesses. ❞ ❝ do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger. ❞   ❝ i don’t know what has come over you. you’ve never been like this before. ❞   ❝ many that live deserve death. and some that die deserve life. ❞   ❝ may it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out. ❞   ❝ short cuts make long delays. ❞   ❝ what do you want, and where do you come from? ❞ ❝ it is going to be very dangerous. it is already dangerous. most likely neither of us will come back. ❞   ❝ i see there is some shadow of fear upon you. ❞   ❝ all i ask in return is: take as much care of yourself as you can. ❞ ❝ if i’ve done any harm, i’m sorry. ❞ ❝ why the disguise? who are you? ❞ ❝ you can keep your secret for the present, if you want to be mysterious. ❞   ❝ i am sick of my doings being noticed and discussed. ❞   ❝ you ought to go quietly, and you ought to go soon. ❞   ❝ i wish you would tell me what happened. ❞   ❝ have you been eavesdropping? ❞  ❝ i am bruised and in pain, but it is not too bad. ❞ ❝ we surely aren’t staying here for the night, are we? ❞ ❝ my name and my business is my own. ❞ ❝ you do not understand and cannot imagine what lies ahead. ❞   ❝ i haven’t got any courage to keep up. ❞   ❝ go back to the shadow. ❞ ❝ if there’s any help i can give, you’ve only to name it. ❞ ❝ i think you are not really as you choose to look. ❞ ❝ i am not safe here or anywhere else. ❞   ❝ i have never known you give me pleasant advice before. ❞   ❝ i am glad to see you safe and sound. ❞   ❝ perils known and unknown will grow, but we must go on. ❞ ❝ faithless is he that says farwell when the road darkens. ❞ ❝ you doubt that you will find what you seek, or accomplish what you intend. ❞   ❝ we are not going through the village tonight. too many ears pricking and eyes prying. ❞   ❝ i am going. i am leaving now. goodbye. ❞   ❝ what did you blush for? ❞ ❝ it would be death of you to come with you. ❞   ❝ even the smallest people can change the course of the future. ❞   ❝ the wide world is all around you. you can fence yourself in, but you cannot for ever fence it out. ❞   ❝ if by my life or death i can protect you, i will. ❞   ❝ being fearless, ruthless...this alone will achieve victory. ❞ ❝ i am weary in body and in heart. ❞ ❝ it is no good trying to escape you. ❞ ❝ there is mischief about. i feel it. ❞ ❝ have your weapons close at hand. ❞ ❝ how wide and empty and mournful all this country looks. ❞ ❝ don’t adventures ever have an end? i suppose not. someone else always has to carry on the story. ❞   ❝ even the very wise cannot see all ends. ❞ ❝ let us hope that no evil has come here yet. ❞     ❝ i am weary in body and in heart. ❞ ❝ a madness took me, but it has passed. ❞   ❝ what’s done cannot be undone. ❞ ❝ if you don’t let me go with you, i will follow on my own. ❞ ❝ in every wood, in every spring, there is a different green. ❞ ❝ i don’t ever remember feeling so wretched. ❞ ❝ i hate this place, too, and i am afraid. ❞ ❝ you are worn with sorrow and much toil. ❞ ❝ i wish i had never come here. ❞ ❝ it is plain that we are meant to be together. ❞

[sunflowerwizard]

Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, particularly while within fireball range.

[yourplayersaidwhat]

Context: My party went into a haunted shop to find clues for our quest, and I play an Infernal Genie Warlock Tabaxi.

DM: Suddenly, a book drop to the floor. Do you pick it up?

Me: I do— NO! Fuck, wait! Can't be too careful if it's curse.

DM: Do you have mage hand?

Me: I do.

DM: You mage hand the book... and the book suddenly opens on its and own and flap its pages like wings. All the other books began slip out of the shelves and fly as well. You know these are common pest known as Flying Books. And they will start you attack, what do you do?

Me: I grab the book in my mage hand and cast Create Bonfire, then tell the books, "Come, I dare you."

DM, pulls hair in frustration: Roll an intimidation check... with advantange... goddamit

Me: Oh, and the book gets 8 Fire Damage btw.

DM: ... 16 damage, motherfu... All the books freeze in place, before slowly and surely go back to their shelf lile a scolded child.

[mstrickster]

What occult figures could you see the Ducks being? Like, who would be a witch/wizard or who would be a werewolf or vampire?

Thank you for the ask. I tried to match the Ducks with the occult figures they would be. I didn't think any of them fit into witch, werewolf, or vampire. However, I hope you aren't disappointed by my answers.

Luis is a Norse elf. In the original folklore elves are powerful and beautiful creatures. Normally they are uninterested in the affairs of men however they will occasionally interact with exceptional humans. Given that Luis is the pretty one of the group and has great speed, I’d say he fits the powerful and beautiful. Also, he isn’t introduced until D2 when he is put on a team with exceptional other people. So, I think this fits him well.

Russ was the easiest one to choose. He would be a pisky/pixie. Pixies are mischievous sprites who are not good or evil. They often meddle in the affairs of man. Their favorite was to steal horses and confuse travelers in the moor. Given his snarky personality and smart mouth I feel this fits Russ pretty well. He isn’t malicious but does know how to use what he’s got to fuck with people.

Julie was actually quite hard to pinpoint. She is powerful, but she’s not unkind. However, I think the creature that best fits her is a nymph. The book passage that solidified this for me was “As spirits of nature nymphs were wild, unpredictable, and very dangerous if crossed.” This is very Julie. She is cunning and plays her cards well. She will also retaliate if crossed. Like we see her do in the original script of D2 when she duck-tapes Goldberg to the bench.

Adam is an interesting one. I actually got help from @kaymardsa for him. I feel he best fits with the character of a golem. Golems are humanoid creatures created to help the person who created them. According to Kay a lot of Jewish stories are golems being created to help but causing a bunch of chaos for those who created them. As Adam is used in the first movie and only brought on to help the Ducks win the similarities are there. Kay also pointed out he may actually feel like the golem himself because the team only brought him on because they needed him not because they wanted him. He also is like a golem because he tries to help, but ends up getting hurt or targeted. Adam just wants to do well, but he is only used for his skills.

These next few were hard to place but I tried my best.

Guy was a hard one. He is kind, friendly and handsome. However, he is also protective and a good friend. I eventually settled on Havmand for him. In Danish folklore, Havmand is a merman that lives off the shore of the land. Unlike many other merman in folklore, Havmand is described as handsome and friendly to those he meets. There is one story of a Havmand kidnapping a maiden to be his wife, however there aren’t many creatures in myth who didn’t. However, despite them mostly being known to be good-natured creatures. I think it can still fit Guy.

Jesse strikes me the most as a fae. He is a very strong friend and his passion knows no bounds. However, like the fae if he is crossed he is a dangerous force. Jesse demands respect but he will also give respect if you earn it. This is very fae like to me. Lastly, Jesse is a firey person and it is best not to cross him, such as it is best not to cross a fae.

Goldberg reminds me most of the Cluricaune, a household fairy of Irish folklore. However, unlike some household fairies, The Cluricaune hangs out in basements and wine sellers. They are known to play tricks which is a very Goldberg thing to do. However, they aren’t malicious, just tricky.

Charlie is another one who could fall under the fae title however, I decided to go an different route. I focused on his leadership. Charlie is often trying to be the mediator. He is the one who offers reassuring words. Also for better or worse he brings the team together on tasks. Because of these traits I found him most like the lyre bird. In Australian aboriginal myth, when the animals had a falling out. It was the Lyre Bird would encouraged peace and reconciliation.

Averman is a gremlin. Gremlins came into being during the first world war, when the Royal Navy found that certain things kept going wrong with their equipment. Gremlin lore expanded in WW2 where they grew in their cunning. Often being described as annoying and doing everything they can to cause trouble. If that isn’t Averman I don’t know what is.

Connie is a mermaid. Mermaids are often seeing as beautiful women. However, like Connie they are not to be underestimated. Mermaid folklore is full of mermaids luring unsuspecting people into the water. Connie is a lovely person but she’s also a Duck and will fuck you up given the chance.

Kenny makes me think of a shapeshifter. This is mostly because he easily transfers from figure skating to hockey. He is also someone who is often underestimated due to his size. However, he can and will eff you up if you mess with his friends.

Dean seems to relate most to the Pooka/Puca. Pucas are mischievous half-animal sprites in Irish folklore. They are known to punish graverobbers but have been known to help rescue beasts that have fallen in the bog. They also have been known to help in households. They also curse fruit to be inedible. So, with this combination of sweetheart and menace, I think it fits Dean well.

Both of the creatures Fulton remind me of are technically mine sprites. They are Karzelek and Knockers. They are helpful in protecting the miners and finding ore. They are generally friendly but can be deadly and cave in tunnels if disrespected. Knockers were described by miners as imps or demons. However, they are not harmful creatures at heart. This makes me think a lot of Fulton.

Dwayne was one of the easier ones. I stuck to his general cheery disposition when finding a creature for him to relate to. I settled on a Dobie for him. A Dobie is a British house fairy. They are very helpful and like to join in with tasks taken on by laborers. However, the Dobie can be easily confused about tasks. I feel like this fits Dwayne pretty well.

[wizzyone1]

Do you think after seeing what happened to Dasein, the wizard will start to consider their own place in the spiral? Since they were a child they were always made to do others’ bidding, jumping for one world to the next, narrowly saving each one. But for what? Just to be told they’re “meddling” in affairs that don’t concern them, just because they aren’t *from* the Spiral? Maybe they deserve something for themselves, just a bit (or a lot really) of rest. The spiral can survive one disaster without them

…

little idea I think would be fun to write more about later :D

[mundiivagant]

Did I stay up till almost 5 am watching D&D? Yes, yes I did. Was it worth it and am I super tired today as I’m getting ready to go on a trip? Also yes.

[is-it-mungojerry-or-rumpelteazer]

'Hullo!' said Merry. 'So that's what is bothering you? Now, Pippin my lad, don't forget Gildor's saying – the one Sam used to quote: Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.' 'But our whole life for months has been one long meddling in the affairs of Wizards,' said Pippin. 'I should like a bit of information as well as danger. I should like a look at that ball.'

Pippin has a point here!!! They are very much meddling in the affairs of wizards. They are in the affairs of wizards up to their necks. Their mere existence is an affair of wizards by now.

[domes]

part, 12

Prompt: "Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger."

Fully awake and invigorated by all the activity, the prairie dogs whoop and jump into the walls of the box until they knock the whole thing over. John and Odie take laps smelling all the new ankles while Nermal stays cuddled with the naked one. Rubbing his temples while watching the excited prairie dog mayhem Seth says, "I have like two or three days before I really need to start in on some actual maintenance, but seeing as these horrors have likely wandered these mountains since before recorded time, figure we can wrap this up today, huh?” Odie lifts himself up against Seth’s chin and points his head to receive chin scratches. Rilke says, “Do we already have a plan?” K shows her the notebook while Seth explains, “Start by heading up above the tree line, and we should go nowish, so we have as much daylight as possible, it’s unbelievably cold at night.” Seth gets up and starts rounding up supplies starting with prairie dog harnesses.