#dungeon i: phobos

[bluedelliquanti]

Before I go on vacation, I present my list of my top books for 2024.

COMICS:

Roaming by Jillian Tamaki & Mariko Tamaki

Bunt! by Ngozi Ukazu & Mad Rupert

Ukazu and Rupert are a powerhouse team, and as an art school adjunct, this already funny GN is even funnier (albeit in a way that necessitates a skull emoji in the educator groupchat)

Tiffany’s Griffon by Magnolia Porter Siddell & Maddi Gonzalez

Phobos and Deimos by J Dalton

Delicious in Dungeon by Ryoko Kui

It's a tough task to reach a satisfying conclusion to a series that was as strong as Dungeon, but I think Kui accomplished it!

Fool Night by Kasumi Yasuda

King in Limbo by Ai Tanaka

Over the last year I've been drawn towards comic series that work with a retro, fixed-width inking style, and King especially informed some recent experiments of mine.

PROSE:

Twins by Bari Wood & Jack Geasland

When I learned Wood was responsible for the book that became Dead Ringers, I knew I had to try it. This is the one that wins my "Oh, shit! Wow!! Okay!!!" award for the year (distinctions previously awarded to Cyteen and Manhunt).

The Bezzle by Cory Doctorow

DS9: A Stitch in Time by Andrew J. Robinson

Those of you who read my journal comic from last August might recall that I met Robinson at a Trek convention! I'd learned from reading these books that Stitch was considered a white whale among collectors, and now I absolutely understand why. If you're a DS9 fan and you want to try any book from the original run of novels, try this one. By which I mean, try the far easier-to-find audiobook version.

Translation State by Ann Leckie

A Woman of the Iron People by Eleanor Arnason

Fellow SBCF participant Erin Roseberry had shared this title as an inspiration for their comic, The Maker of Grave-Goods, and I was especially interested in trying a book by a Twin Cities author. What a serendipitous find!

Arboreality by Rebecca Campbell

For the third year in a row, a book nominated for the Le Guin Prize makes the list.

Always Coming Home by Ursula K. Le Guin

This is another book I always told myself I'd try someday, and was it ever worth it! I spent some time talking about my experience with this story (and its accompanying materials that fill out the world) in my talk with Evan Dahm on his show.

See you in the new year! I've packed some thick books for a long flight, so I'm starting my 2025 reading pile right away!

Reruns of my previous two lists, 2023, and 2022, below the cut.

2023

COMICS:

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou by Hitoshi Ashinano

Out of Style by Devi Putri Megwati

Skip and Loafer by Misaki Takamatsu

The Harrowing of Hell by Evan Dahm

The Infinity Particle by Wendy Xu

Esteban by Matthieu Bonhomme

I covered my ShortBox reccs back in October, but since then I also picked up Pearl Hunting by Hana Chatani when it came to itch.io and adored it.

PROSE: 

So yes, maybe I'm cheating by including Moby Dick since I'm not all the way finished, but Whale Weekly really did end up being a great tool for getting me to crack open my gorgeous Evan Dahm-illustrated copy I've had for a while.

My favorite book of the year is Roadside Picnic by Arkady & Boris Strugatsky. I genuinely did read it the first week of January, but after having it recommended to me for years, I'm thrilled it didn't disappoint. Maybe I am someone who likes Russian novels after all???

Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

Such Nice People by Sandra Scoppettone

Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh (I jokingly placed these three in the "READ 👏 FEMALE 👏 AUTHORS 👏" category because they don't have anything in common other than describing some of the most upsetting/bizarre scenarios I've read this year. Cyteen especially! Wowee!!!)

Brother Alive by Zain Khalid

Glory by Vladimir Nabokov

A Different Trek by David K. Seitz, which I mentioned as my vacation book for the Star Trek convention, but it's given me some great suggestions for more books, both fiction and otherwise. Also, I read... 11 more DS9 books this year. 

2022

COMICS:

Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa

Vattu by Evan Dahm

The Well by Choo and Jake Wyatt

Wash Day Diaries by Robyn Smith and Jamila Rowser

Some ShortBox Comics Fair entries that are graphic novella length and are really good include Food School by Jade Armstrong and The God of Arepo by Reimena Yee et al.

PROSE:

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

The Murders of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson

How to Blow Up a Pipeline by Andreas Malm

Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin

Dead Collections by Isaac Fellman

Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

The Past is Red by Catherynne M. Valente

edit: oh my god I can't believe I forgot Perfume by Patrick Süskind

Honorable mentions from the pile of DS9 novelizations include Revenant by Alex White (for successfully pulling off a Sara Paretsky-style mystery in space) and Dominion War: Call to Arms by Diane Carey (for absolutely unhinged adjective choices).

[lynnbecks-mainblog]

The lore in most '90s FPSes: "Save Phobos from demons!"¹ "Avenge your friends by killing the evil god you used to serve!"² "Aliens have invaded and are trapping women in weird flesh cocoons!"³

The lore in the Marathon games: "Ok so they hollowed out a moon and turned it into a spaceship. There are biomechanical aliens invading said spaceship now, and the AI that opened the doors is now evil. Except sometimes he helps the player, and him being evil is nothing to do with the aliens; that's just something that happens to AIs in this setting. Also there's an elder-god trapped inside a star and it will end the universe if it escapes, and the entire premise of the third game is that you switch between various doomed timelines by finding secret exits in a surreal dream dimension. Also this entire franchise is a sequel to dungeon-crawler about exploring an ancient pyramid, and may or may not also be connected to Halo."⁴

¹Doom (Id Software, 1993)

²Blood (Monolith, 1997)

³Duke Nukem 3D (3D Realms, 1996)

⁴I literally only know about this because of the MandaloreGaming "Bungie Rabbithole" playlist.

[phoboobs]

i need to stop comparing phobos to enki while playing fear and hunger. i also need to put phobos in a scary dungeon

[thenighteternal]

ᴘʜᴏʙᴏꜱ - ɪ

[hazardmatter]

My list of Sexymen!

This is a list of characters I think are sexy enough to be sexymen. By no means is it complete, and I will likely update it over time.

Spoiler warning!!!

There will be spoilers for some things here. If you don't want the following spoiled, probably best to look elsewhere.

Darkest Dungeon, Puss in Boots, Madness Combat, Calamity mod,

• The Ancestor! He's everyone's favorite moustached narrator. With his stylish stache and his relentless curiosity, no atrocities are too terrible for the name of knowledge, to the point where he passes off unleashing cosmic horrors and unethical experimentation off as necessary for his pursuits.

"An impressive haul! If you, value, such things..."

• Bounty Hunter/Tardif. The hired axe with a vendetta to settle. Tardif holds no remorse for taking lives, and has perfected his tactics for it. Cold and stoic, he can take on even the most daunting tasks with just a point, punch, and poke.

<Snort>

• Big Jack Horner! The chief chef, the pie president, the bakery boss. An imposing figure like he deserves the fitting amount of cosmic power. With his bottomless well of cruelty and complete disregard for any and all lives but his own, he's just the absolute worst.

"Can't bake a pie without losing a dozen men."

• Death. HOOH MAN this guy had me squealing in the theater. This dashing depiction of doom is sinister and cruel, showing joy in hunting down his prey to end them, and to be honest he's just absolutely awesome.

"Everyone thinks they'll be the one to defeat me. But no one's escaped me yet."

• Director Phobos. Nevada's tyrannical ruler, the god emperor himself. He's a large figure with an even bigger ego and a sense of superiority to the point he nearly destroys the world to become a god.

"Bear witness to THIS!"

• Sanford and Deimos!!! Yeah, a pair of people is kinda unfair, but it would be rude to split this dynamic duo of dopes up, they've got the best bromance this side of Nevada. (Yeah, better than you Jebediah and Hofnarr.) Sanford is the big buff bomb buddy, while his pal Deimos is the tiny technician twink teammate.

"More orifices than I can count!" - Sanford

"There you are~" - Deimos

• Yharim/The LORDE. Wow, I have a thing for people who ruin everything. Ancestor, Phobos, now him? Yharim is the orphan tyrant of the Jungle kingdom, which made him a bitter and ruthless leader that literally destroyed several civilizations.

"Auric man is always useful, dead or alive."

• The Devourer of Gods. Okay, a worm. I'm starting to get off the rails here, huh? The DoG is cocky and rude, willing to eat any powerful being to gain their strength, and seeing basically any living being as prey.

"Are you honestly that bad at dodging?"

•Any TF2 Merc aside from Scout. To be honest they're all awesome. My personal favorite is Medic, with his sadistic nature, cleverness, and mortifying genius. Scout though, ew.

• Caine. I don't know him much yet, but this circus showhost is without a doubt going to catch my heart. He's charismatic, classy, and fun as hell. I love him already.

"Are you ready to see something INCREDIBLE? . . . Well too bad, you're gonna see it anyway!"

[radiant-and-terrifying]

NAME. Phobos

ALIAS(ES). None, at the moment.

AGE. Appears to be in her early twenties.

GENDER & PRONOUNS. Female; she/they

SEXUALITY. Pansexual

CLASS. Prisoner

LINEAGE. Nox, dwelling from the Eternal City of Nokstella.

▶ P H Y S I C A L

PHYSIQUE. Average at best, slender at worst. In their days wasting away in the dungeons of Stormveil, they’ve lost a generous amount of body weight.

EYES. An uncanny shade of violet, often narrowed in suspicion

SKIN. An ashy shade of night-gray.

HAIR. Sleek and dark as midnight, cut just below her chin - is what she recalls. It’s been so long since she’s had the mask off, who knows how long her hair has grown?

FACE. Conventionally attractive. She’s been called beautiful many times before, in that way one might call a porcelain vase beautiful. Superficial. Insignificant. She can’t say she cares for it much. A smattering of small white freckles adorns her temple.

GENERAL. An ugly, misshapen metal mask is welded over her head, covering nearly everything but the gaze of a single violet eye. Her clothing is haggard and dirty, and the skin of her hands and feet is weathered - although not calloused - by now. She’s often scratched or bruised in some condition despite her desires to stay away from injury - they just seem to appear.

▶ P S Y C H E

LOYALTIES. Frighteningly little. Phobos is loyal to her brother, of course — but with him gone, she must form her own beliefs, and that’s rather a daunting task, isn’t it?

RELIGION/BELIEFS. I will survive. I have to. Phobos has lost all faith in the gods and the Order after they took her brother from her.

PERSONALITY. Phobos has spent much of her life seeing herself as little more than an accessory, and is likewise still discovering aspects of her own personality. She can seem quite emotionally detached at times, drifting along pathways and through poisonous swamps with nothing more in mind than a distant memory or two. Upon being approached, she is often both cautious and extremely reserved, holding a distrustful attitude to almost everyone she finds herself meeting on her travels.

She may come across as rather standoffish in her reluctance to let go of her dagger when talking with others, or even to sit down at times. It takes a lot to break down the complex wall she’s woven herself out of the shards of her fragile past - but once broken, one would find an uncertain, yet admirably persistent young lady who wants nothing more than to find her place in the world.

Upon entering new and unfamiliar situations or places, Phobos is almost always on her highest guard. Weapon held at the ready, eye piercing through her mask at anyone who might look her way - despite the suspicions that her act might raise in others.

NOTABLE. Although her last encounter with him may suggest a rather grisly end, Phobos is convinced that somewhere, her brother is waiting for her. She wanders aimlessly, convincing herself that she wishes to find him - but is that really the reason behind her travels?

… Upon a more personal level, Phobos supposes she’d rather like this ugly mask off of her head, one way or another. She’s made it a secondary goal of sorts to find someone powerful enough to shatter it once and for all.

—————-

[randomsnakesimp]

Okay. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna take the leap and say: Phobos is the victim (sorta).

Quick disclaimer: I am going to abuse plot holes and cartoon logic for my cause in a very nitpicky way. If you dislike that, I can completely understand, and I hope this warning will save you a lot of reading.

Also, this won't go into just headcanon territory, I'll put those in a separate post. Everything here I'll try to keep based on actual information from the comics and what I made of them.

That said...

Let's take a look at this scene:

(for a quick translation of the important part, the mother says: "No, Phobos, Meridian is meant for your sister. That's the law. The crown is hers.)

What we can see here are a few very important things:

1. Phobos is at most 5 years older than Elyon.

2. The name "Phobos" is not an edgy nickname he gave himself. Five-year-olds don't go around calling themselves Phobos. So his parents, for some reason, gave him that name.

3. His mother is very adamant about him not even touching the crown and reminding him of his sisters' birthright.

So, after establishing what I would call more or less facts, what else can, relatively savely, be deduced here?

- Since Elyon never noticed anything weird about herself, she can't have aged slower than earth children. So neither can Phobos. This would mean that, as she was kidnapped after her mothers death as a baby, he would have been five. So, he either tried his best to rule at age five, or the council we see as Elyon rules stepped in for him for a while

- this would then mean two things: we need an explanation as to why Miriadel, Alborn and Galgheita fled explicitly from Phobos (I'll give my explanation a bit further down) and second, Phobos' reign of terror wasn't even thirteen years, and a lot of that time he was a child/teen and could not even have been mature enough to rule.

- This also means that Kandrakar pulled up the veil when Phobos was at most five, likely younger, and that the so called "Seal of Phobos" also existed at that time, as both the veil and the seal are seen in the flashback depicting Elyons abduction. For Kandrakar, this, too, I will try to explain soon, but as for the seal, I find it most plausible that the theory @ror-witch used in their fanfiction, of the seal being a royal heirloom and named after each ruler, is true.

- His and his mother's relationship was neither as bad as some assumptions go, but neither was it that good, probably, or at least it wasn't in his perception. See how his memory is of her cradling the baby the entire time and talking more about his sisters birthright than about what he has/can do? Yes, it's only a short memory, but I think it's clear that it's a summary of what he remembers of his mother.

- Phobos desire to rule Meridian does not stem from something deeply sinister, but rather from a childish spite. Five year old Phobos probably just wanted the crown cause it looked nice and shiny, and he was fabulous even back then, but after his mothers words, he sulked and decided to show her. That's his motivation.

So, now let's go a bit further and look at some other things we can deduce from the rest of the comics:

- Phobos has a huge dungeon, a wall of roses that turn people into more roses if they touch it and his plan for the annihilation of Meridian is "Well, Cedric and I hide in the castle and...we'll see". He hates the people of Meridian, but he doesn't seem to have it in him to directly attack anyone until Elyon is there and even here, when he has her knocked out in their duel or locked up as Endarno, he isn't unnecessarily cruel. He's not evil in nature, he's more of a very dangerous child throwing tantrums. ( Cedric is kinda similar, and they both start losing it toward the coronation, but I sincerely believe that before that, there would have been a chance for them to come around )

- The only person he ever tortures or even hurts directly is Cedric. Because one, he likes Cedric and so gets more extreme emotions around him, and two, Cedric never says anything, and just plays it of afterwards, so I don't know if he even fully realizes what he's doing, like a child hitting someone. If Cedric ever just said "Stop it, you're hurting me", Phobos would probably need an entire week to process that input.

- Phobos is VERY reclusive, and he doesn't want anyone to have even pictures of him, and while that could be a God complex, I get some highly insecure vibes out of it, in a vulnerable narcissist kinda way, in that he is massively overcompensating. I gotta admit, though, that I cannot put my finger on why, so maybe take this with a grain of salt and decide for yourself if you agree.

- Kandrakar never orders the guardians to help Meridian in any way, just to make sure nothing oozes out. They likely pulled up the veil for their own protection, so Phobos wouldn't be able to spread far enough to become a real danger, rather than to protect innocent people, as clearly the Meridian people mean shit to them

- while the guards are widely feared in Meridian, Cedric seems to be viewed as... not very frightening or important, as some random merchant feels comfortable clinging to his cape (and rightfully so, apparently, as Cedric just tells him to piss off and doesn't care any further). This further leads me to believe that Cedric is rather unhealthy devoted to Phobos and his tantrums while their shitty ass reign leaves a lot of free space for unsuited people to become guards and tyranize the people.

- the King and Queen seem to have died in rapid succession, and shortly after the scene shown above, yet she looks perfectly healthy in that scene.

Now, what do I make of all this?

I believe the line of events to be as follows:

I don't think Phobos traveling back in time is a viable theory for mainly two reasons: I think his mother would be less chill around him if she saw/heard about his reign herself, and I believe that it would have been mentioned somewhere along the way if that were the case. Instead, what I believe happened is that the oracle had a vague vision of Phobos nearly taking over Kandrakar. Deciding in their random mood swings that today was a day of action, they had the people of Meridian informed that the next male born to a queen would become a dangerous tyrant, pulled up a veil and set their guardians to make sure nothing oozed out.

The veil, of course, made the people of Meridian feel trapped and a horror of the unborn prince who would ruin their lives spread.

So, when Weira gave birth to that prince, a full blown panic spread, so much so that she, in a fit of hysterical emotion, named him after that boust of panic. Of course, people tried to kill the prince basically from the moment he was born, and he was met with barely concealed resentment.

Soon after, Weira and her husband died - whether they were killed, or fell ill, or died in an accident, I have no idea, but I wouldn't completely rule out an assassination either aimed at Phobos and accidentally hitting them or the strain making at least one of them fall terminally ill.

Either the people rioted and Phobos' magic panic reaction or the leftover loyal guard was enough to fight them back, or the people succumbed to their fate at this point, slumping into the state of despair seen throughout the comics. But in the end, five year old Phobos had to be handed the throne. I assume the council still had some say at this point, but he did manage to get all pictures of him destroyed - this order was likely due to the fact that they were mostly caricatures.

So he grew up with the very volatile combination of a shitton of power and no one able to tell him if he was being stupid on one hand, and feeling unloved and unwanted on the other. He withdrew, likely also due to countless assassination attempts or things he perceived as such, and went into a negative feedback loop of being unable to mature and take responsibility, therefore being a shit ruler, therefore being hated, therefore having no one to help him, therefore being unable to face and grow from his mistakes, rinse and repeat.

So, Meridian was plunged into chaos, yet he seemed fine more or less just sitting in the new playroom he made for himself in the gardens, sporadically giving out an order or two and having generally no idea about anything that didn't directly concern him.

Enter Elyon. Now, she send him of the rails, as she was a danger to his lifestyle AND a reminder of all the sentiments he'd be drowning in alcohol if he wasn't too much of a recluse and education denier to know of that option. He doesn't even try. He just lets Cedric, the one person he trusts, handle her, like everything else, and somewhat plays along sometimes, when he feels like it. This is where he passes the point of no return and starts actually trying to kill people, culminating in him creating an army to wipe out Meridian. I still believe that even at this point, in his head, what he's doing is just throwing a nice toy out the window just so his sister won't have it.

[ccliffjumperr]

Pinned post time!

Hi, I'm Birdie or Cliffy, read my bio for all the basic facts and stuff. I used to be @ jestlingnest!

Fixations and other interests!!!

Right now my interests are very focused on one thing. Transformers. But Psychonauts 2 is my special interest. A game I adore and you should play RIGHT NOW.

My interests include...

Fixations: Horrorvale

Obsessed: TRANSFORMERS, Psychonauts, Splatoon, Darkwing Duck, Team Fortress 2, It Steals, Yume Nikki

I like a lot: Half Life, Cryptid Crush, Jazzpunk, Ultrakill, the Upturned, Greener Grass Awaits, Lethal Company, We Were Here Series, Madness Combat

Past Fixations: Kirby, Hollow Knight, A Hat in Time, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, Bendy and the Ink Machine, Pizza Tower, Minecraft Story Mode

Stuff I like but I'm normal about: Fallout, Gregory Horror Show, Ducktales

and some more things that may show up on my blog now and then. If you ever want to shoot me an ask about any of these, do not hesitate! I love talking about them.

Other Facts!!

- number 1 V2 fan in the world (exaggeration. i just really like V2)

- i like birds so so so much

- fictional jesters are my favorite

- all i can do is play video games (and writing and art once a month like a werewolf)

- oh and i can also edit things too i do that a lot

Blorbo Collection

John Ward (Faith)

Helmut Fullbear (Psychonauts)

V2 (Ultrakill)

Pizzahead (Pizza Tower)

Pitaya Dragon Cookie (Cookie Run)

Lukas (Minecraft Story Mode)

Grant Cohen (Bendy and the Ink Machine)

Magolor (Kirby)

Lemm (Hollow Knight)

Commander Peepers (Wander Over Yonder)

Starscream (Transformers)

Blurr (Transformers Animated)

Cliffjumper (Transformers)

Phobos (but like, hate blorbo) (Madness Combat)

Astro (Dandy's World)

Glisten (Dandy's World)

Mothman (Horrorvale)

Other blogs!!

Other blogs to follow include my artblog ( @psi-kings-sensorium ) my psychonauts blog ( @feel-mobile ) my CR sideblog ( @marbl3br3adcooki3 ) my Darkwing Duck blog ( @negaduckie ) and my tfa blog ( @tfa-headcanons )

And I guess I'll add more stuff if needed! Have a Magolor plush and some images

[wrathfuldissonance]

Limit Break 3

Because I'm a nerd and was thinking about it!

Writer of Histories / Seeker of Hidden Truths / Secret Finder

Endwalker and post-Endwalker, Grim mains DNC, but is functionally an all-rounder with DRK and AST as his other semi-primary classes.

The only warning was that he abruptly stopped giggling, skittering back just enough to get the entire pack in his sights. Both chakrams raised, beautiful ribbons of silvery-blue and darkest green wove through the pack, before abruptly constricting, imploding with cosmic energy. The sound of the ribbons slicing flesh into screaming shreds broke through the sound of battle, ringing in the silence left behind by the screams.

Sweet Dreamer / of the Swirling Abyss / Echo of a Fallen Star

Dove mained DRK through Endwalker, with secondary classes of NIN and RPR. They are not an all-rounder, due to lack of healing class, but their DPS class shifts depending on the dungeon/encounter.

"I tire of this farce. Have your feast, my friend." Twin knives flashed behind the boss, stilling with as they thrust one into the ground, raising the other above their head. The eldritch glow of the symbols around them bled onto the arena in a sudden flood of suffocating darkness. It concentrated under the boss, a deadly pool that reached up with clawed hands to drag it down into the maw of an unseen force.

The Fourteenth Seat / Successor / The Heart's Beat

Enyo's classes - outside of their Harmonia verse - are WHM, WAR, and NIN.

"FALL!" Staff raised high, flowers burst into bloom as briars rose to entangle the enemy. Sweeping down in a cutting stance, they dug deep, leaving poison behind in the bleeding wreck should they survive.

Secret Keeper / Chief Mourner / A Requiem for Heroes

Phobos' class most resembles a staff-wielding RDM.

Staff raised high, then slammed down. "Peace take you!" Butterflies, moths, dragonflies, and beetles, all in colors seen only in the most toxic of creatures burst from the staff, swarming the mob with bursts of light. The damage is overwhelming, explosive, leaving behind a field of glowing lilies before they, too, faded away.

[ziegenkind094]

technomancer anon here (a bit late to the party): congrats! on finishing the game, not the tablet, that is a shame. if i may ask what your final impressions were (and your end choices)?

I’m still in awe with how beautiful the environment and each city and dungeon in this game is tbh. I really enjoyed exploring each section and just looking at all the details in every nook and cranny while listening to the fantastic soundtrack! But I gotta admit that I’m a bit disappointed in the story itself, as i was looking forward to the whole��‘contacting earth’ storyline (interested me more than the Viktor stuff) and then it turned out to be.... this. 😭 😂 And I was a bit confused about how anticlimatic and easy the Viktor fight turned out to be lol.

BUT i still had lots of fun with the game and i’m glad I finished it! In the end I decided to side with the mutants and stayed in Mutant Valley while telling everyone the truth about earth! Oh and I romanced Andrew. :) He, Phobos and Amelia were my fav companions.

[poobit]

oc-tober days 1 and 2: First and Latest OC

as a kid i had a strong fixation on women from fighting games n anime so my brain said “your first oc self insert will be a disgruntled anthro sexy bunny , she has powers and its kind of goth” . Bears strong resemblance with Twinkel.

my latest oc was prompted by a AI Dungeon story i was doing when the AI decided to give me a lost little brother for my character, so i decided to develop him as a side character that its not seen in my main Abbadon story but probably will be in the future, his name is Phobos and hes an archer (but i didnt wanna draw an arch lol)

[onceklaudiaspiechowicz]

Greek Underworld / Tartarus

“In mythology, the Greek underworld is an otherworld where souls go after death. The original Greek idea of afterlife is that, at the moment of death, the soul is separated from the corpse, taking on the shape of the former person, and is transported to the entrance of the underworld. Good people and bad people would then separate. The underworld itself—sometimes known as Hades, after its patron god—is described as being either at the outer bounds of the ocean or beneath the depths or ends of the earth. It is considered the dark counterpart to the brightness of Mount Olympus with the kingdom of the dead corresponding to the kingdom of the gods. Hades is a realm invisible to the living, made solely for the dead.”

“In front of the entrance to the underworld live Grief (Penthos), Anxiety (Curae), Diseases (Nosoi), Old Age (Geras), Fear (Phobos), Hunger (Limos), Need (Aporia), Death (Thanatos), Agony (Algea), and Sleep (Hypnos), together with Guilty Joys (Gaudia). On the opposite threshold is War (Polemos), the Erinyes, and Discord (Eris). Close to the doors are many beasts, including Centaurs, Scylla, Briareus, Gorgons, the Hydra, Geryon, the Chimera, and Harpies. In the midst of all this, an Elm can be seen where false Dreams (Oneiroi) cling under every leaf.”

“There are six main rivers that are visible both in the living world and the underworld. Their names were meant to reflect the emotions associated with death.” “The souls that enter the underworld carry a coin under their tongue to pay Charon to take them across the river. Charon may make exceptions or allowances for those visitors carrying a Golden Bough. Charon is said to be appallingly filthy, with eyes like jets of fire, a bush of unkempt beard upon his chin, and a dirty cloak hanging from his shoulders. Although Charon ferries across most souls, he turns away a few. These are the unburied which can't be taken across from bank to bank until they receive a proper burial.”

Tartarus

“In Greek mythology, Tartarus is the deep abyss that is used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as the prison for the Titans. Tartarus is the place where, according to Plato's Gorgias (c. 400 BC), souls are judged after death and where the wicked received divine punishment. Tartarus is also considered to be a primordial force or deity alongside entities such as the Earth, Nightand Time.”

“While according to Greek mythology the realm of Hades is the place of the dead, Tartarus also has a number of inhabitants. When Cronus came to power as the King of the Titans, he imprisoned the one-eyed Cyclopes and the hundred-armed Hecatonchires in Tartarus and set the monster Campe as its guard. Zeus killed Campe and released these imprisoned giants to aid in his conflict with the Titans. The gods of Olympus eventually triumphed. Cronus and many of the other Titans were banished to Tartarus, though Prometheus, Epimetheus, and female Titans such as Metis were spared (according to Pindar, Cronus somehow later earned Zeus' forgiveness and was released from Tartarus to become ruler of Elysium). Another Titan, Atlas, was sentenced to hold the sky on his shoulders to prevent it from resuming its primordial embrace with the Earth. Other gods could be sentenced to Tartarus as well. Apollo is a prime example, although Zeus freed him. The Hecatonchires became guards of Tartarus' prisoners. Later, when Zeus overcame the monster Typhon, he threw him into "wide Tartarus".”

I feel the Greek underworld is the most well known one as well the one with the most lore, people have researched and expanded on it for years and now you don’t even need to study or research Greek mythology to know about Hades, Cerberus or what Tartarus is because it’s became common knowledge at this point. I like how this world is known so widely it has specific geography based on where you are from the River Styx to the gates of the underworld, Tartarus as well as Isles of the Blessed and so on. It feels like it’s own world and it’s so amazing that this is ‘just’ the underworld and Greek mythology is so expensive further than just this with Olympus as well as all the stories from the mortal realm. It was definitely worth looking into.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_underworld

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartarus

[krchar]

Hey, i remembered, in issue 15, where Cornelia tries to bring Caleb back and at a point he looks kinda human-like, but green and lifeless, Luba tells her "Caleb will end up in one of the dungeons of the fortress with the other whisperers" - but i dont know if they mentioned it ever again and how much they thought this through actually..

Anyway, oh yes, murmurers/whisperers are wild really.. i always loved how Phobos could be an extremely creepy villain.. this, the sweet but cursed roses, how he entered the scene as a saint with blinding light.. our creepy evil boi

I wonder what happened to the murmurers after Phobos was defeated. Like… did Elyon make them disappear? Did they gain consciousness like Caleb? Did they return to their base form of plants? Were they just left to rot away in abandoned garden, without stolen life force to fuel their existence?

[jackbeiste]

heart of glass [jack + sebastian]

characters: jack beiste and sebastian smythe (@sebastiansmythejoie)

date: october 26

note: jack tries to figure out where he stands with sebastian and it doesn’t go very well

warnings: mentions of alcohol and sex

sebastian

It had been a long day for Sebastian but eventually day one of Lacrosse tryouts were over and all he wanted to do was flop down on his bed and sleep. A thought interrupted his dreaming of sleep as he reached his apartment; he had made plans with Jack tonight. Sebastian sighed. Not that he didn't want to spend time with Jack, he did, but the thought of having to leave again once he was home was exhausting. Seb pulled out his phone as he stripped down to shower.  "Long day, can cocktails come to me?" Seb typed quickly, throwing the phone down on his bed and heading to the shower. Bas revelled in the feel of the heat streaming down his body; relaxing all of his muscles from hours of tight posture and fast moves. He let his eyes fall shut and his mind wander; imagining Jack in there with him, the shorter man flush against him, hard cocks pressed together, the sounds of Jack panting as Seb fingered him open... The sound of his phone buzzing with a response pulled Seb from his day dream and he grinned, quickly stroking his own cock to completion. There was a knock at the door and he hurried to finish dressing in just plain jeans and a t-shirt since he wasn't going out and it wasn't like he had to dress up for Jack; the man had seen him naked so many times now. Seb walked over to open the door; hair still wet but a grin on his face. "Hello handsome."

jack

Jack was waiting for Sebastian to finish try-outs, spending the time playing some Odyssey. It had been a while since he’d last played; he’d been too busy with school, D&D, figure painting, and well, boys. It was nice, he liked to just roam around ancient Greece like this. But he couldn’t stop thinking about how nice it would be with Sebastian next to him; studying his law books, Jack’s legs draped over his lap so the books would be resting on them and… he frowned, watching Alexios and his horse run right off a cliff thanks to his foolish distraction. He looked away, not quite able to admit the day dreams he’d been having of late, but also not quite able to bear the sight of Phobos dying. Odyssey truly made the death of the horse so brutal, especially in contrast to Alexios’ seeming inability to get injured from anything but a fight, and he couldn’t help the ‘sorry’ that slipped his lips quietly. He felt relief when he checked his message from Sebastian, happy to get away from his room and the day dreams he kept having of Sebastian in there. Collecting his stuff, he quickly got dressed to make the journey to the older man’s apartment, going over the drink recipe in his head. The sight of the brunette in just jeans and a t-shirt was surprising – he was always so well-dressed – and so… breath-taking. He looked so beautiful like this. Jack was almost glad the guy preferred to dress preppy most of the time. “Hey,” he murmured, stepping inside quickly while he could still tear his eyes off of Sebastian.

sebastian

Seb chuckled at the way Jack still seemed almost nervous around him, the way Jack so clearly walked by him without meeting his gaze. "So what are you making for this hard working teacher," he grinned, "I've half of todays turn out was entirely disappointing, I have a few hopefuls though," he commented, hopping up on a bar stool at the island in the kitchen, watching Jack; eyes roaming from his face to his ass.

jack

"Don't laugh... it's called Dicksch... Dicksucker," Jack admitted with a heavy blush. It had been introduced by one of his best friends, finding it hilarious at first, but they'd all ended up loving it. It was sweet and very effective. He unpacked his bag, glancing around. "Glasses?" He asked, rather sure Sebastian probably had fancier glasses than just water glasses for things like this.

sebastian

Seb actually laughed out loud, which wasn't a noise that was heard from his mouth often. "Dicksucker hm, well that sounds good to me. What's in it, or is it supposed to be a surprise." He winked. Seb moved over to a cabinet by his little dining table and pulled martini glasses, they were the best for cocktails in his opinion, "these are rather special, the blue glass is from a set I found on a trip to France at an arts market." He set them on the counter and jumped back on his bar stool; eager to have a front row seat to the gorgeous man.

jack

Jack gestured to his loot; pear vodka, blueberry schnapps, soda water and 7up. "Oh, cool," he said, studying the glasses carefully. They were definitely beautiful, but the 'rather special' made him a bit nervous. Still, he filled them with the ice he'd brought, putting the rest in the freezer before starting to mix the actual drink. "No ing.. injuries today?" he asked, glancing up at Sebastian. He'd been debating wether to try-out but he'd ultimately decided not to. He didn't really have time for it with all the D&D and figure painting as well as class and seeing friends.

sebastian

Seb grabber the bottle of pear vodka and smelled it before taking a small swig making a hum of approval. “I’m more a dark liquor person but this could be interesting.” He watched Jack intently as he mixed the drinks, not caring that he was blatantly staring. “No injury today, I was surprised by how well benji did I thought he was joking about trying out,, even with that frat party last night I survived so we have a few going onto the second day of try outs.”

jack

He could feel Sebastian's gaze on him, and he blushed as he glanced up to meet it. As he finished the first drink, he quickly started on the next one. "He seemed eks.. excited," he nodded, gently pushing thr first glass over to Sebastian after finishing his own drink too. "Fens... Fencing hungover?" He raised an eyebrow at him. He knew the swords had a special tip or whatever, but still... that seemed risky.

sebastian

"Damn Beiste, I don't think I've seen you make a drink this fast." Sebastian teased, he wasn't exactly in the mood to rush their night even with the second day of try outs tomorrow he had fun with Jack and had no intentions of rushing their fun. "Nothing much in the way of a hang over, frat parties tend to consist of cheep beer so it's the crap content that gets me more than the volume of alcohol." Seb shrugged, it really was no big deal to him to drink American light beers. "It was a fun time though."

jack

"Was it with your fre.. frat?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He wasn't entirely sure which frat he was in, it might be Gabe's frat. Sebastian didn't strike him as the frat party type, but then again, he more or less stated that he wasn't. Even with Gabe as a frat president though, that was still most of what he knew about frats. "Yeah?" He'd been to a few big parties, but he still preferred the casual parties, if you could call it that when it was just a bunch of friends sitting around, playing Dungeons and Dragons while getting drunk. "I've only been to one. I like... uh, party parties," he settled for, unable not to smile at his own joke.

sebastian

"No, sadly your big brother has turned it into the lamest frat on campus now it's his little daycare." Seb rolled his eyes, what was the point of a frat house if not a place to party. "I need to start a rebellion, he's not been throwing the mixers we need to make contacts out there in the real world for our careers. That's the only useful part of a Frat, well, that and the house full of easy lays with all the drunken guys wanting to explore there sexuality now they are away from their parents and judgy high school friends." Seb laughed. "What do you class as a 'party party'?"

jack

Jack just shrugged innocently at that, not knowing what to say. He understood that the rest of the fraternity maybe weren't too pleased that their president was suddenly a parent, and had to keep his surroundings safe and appropriate for a baby. But that also pleased him, knowing his nephew's needs weren't in any way neglected or compromised. He sipped on his drink, still waiting for Sebastian to try it, waiting for his reaction with nervous anticipation. The thought of him with some other guy hurt, even though he has never assumed anything different. But lately, the thought actually bothered him; and he took a sip to hide the slight frown on his lips as he couldn't quite block out a mental image of Sebastian having sex with some drunk undergraduate, some other Jack. "Don.. Dungeons and dragons."

sebastian

Seb watched Jack seem to shrug off his words so rather than commenting further he took a long drink. "Sweeter than I normally go for but a refreshing change." He nodded in agreement. Though if he was talking about the drink or Jack who really knew. Seb raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "Dungeons and Dragons counts as a party? You sound like that kid from last night."

jack

Jack did smile a little at that, pleased that the other man liked the drink. It made him relax even though he hadn't quite realised he'd been just a little tense as he waited for Sebastian's verdict. He frowned a little at the mention of whoever Sebastian's had hooked up with last night, but he couldn't help but feel a bit curious too; not sure whether he was interested in who it was or if he was slightly hurt that it didn't bother Sebastian much to be with someone that was a lot like Jack... without being him. "Yeah? Do you know his name?"

sebastian

Sebastian played with the straw in his drink surveying Jack. Tonight the young man didn't seem quite his usual self. Most nights he was gushing about something nerdy he was into or flirting up a storm with Seb but tonight he seemed tense. The two had fallen into an easy back and forth over the recent weeks but here now it was more like their first time when neither of them knew what the other would do. Seb narrowed his eyes, he felt like somehow this was a trick question. "Yangi, didn't catch his last name. Nerdy guy, hot too."

jack

Yangi. He felt his chest tighten and sweeped the rest of his drink as he tried to collect his thoughts. There was no doubt that it was the same Yangi. He wasn't sure what pissed him off the most - that Sebastian had gone for Yangi because Jack had to admit he had a small crush on him or because Yangi didn't seem like the kind of person who would be interested in the kind of relation Sebastian offered. It made him feel weird about the two of them too. "Seriso.. Seriously?"

sebastian

Sebastian chuckled. "Seriously, the kid hadn't even had a first kiss yet if you can believe it so I didn't get much. He may be hot but you're more fun." He winked, teasing Jack and enjoying his drink. Bas didn't think much of sharing his escapades with the younger man; it wasn't as if they were anywhere near monogamous. They were both sleeping with Val and who knew how many others. They had never discussed being exclusive or defined their relationship in any way. To Sebastian they were friends who enjoyed each others company and bodies. The concept of friends was even relatively new to Sebastian; he had family and team mates and the brotherly yet sexual relationship with Val but beyond that his relationships with Marley, Ariel and Topher he had developed over the last year or so were still so new to him he had no idea what this thing with Jack was.

jack

Jack just stared at him, a shaky hand placing the glass back on the table. "You... first kiss?" He asked, the last coming out as a hiss. Of course, Yangi was more than free to do what he wanted to do, and if he wanted Sebastian to be his first kiss, then Jack didn't have a problem with it. But he had a feeling he hadn't quite grasped who he was getting involved with before that kiss. Jack still regretted his first time, not because it hadn't been good, it had felt really good, but it hadn't been special. He couldn't even remember the guy's name. He knew it wasn't Sebastian, but looking back, Jack doubted he was much different from the man sitting in front of him. When he got involved with Sebastian, he had been confused but he knew what he was getting himself into; Gabe made sure to warn him more than once or twice. He knew, and still... he felt like this. It made him worried about Yangi, but mostly angry - especially as Sebastian was sitting here, with that god damn smirk on his face as he told the funny story about the nerdy freshman whose first kiss he'd taken. Did he talk about Jack like this with others? About how eager he was for a shy boy, how he would let Sebastian fuck him so hard he was all sore the days after, or how he kept wanting to see him? Did he chuckle, and say, 'I can't turn the poor thing away. And he's a decent fuck, so...' ? Jack swallowed hard, suddenly not sure wether he was more mad about Yangi or sad over the realisation that all he was was just another fumbling but eager freshman in Sebastian's eyes, the latest entertainment? Until the next one? When Gabriel had warned him, he had assumed it was because Sebastian never went further than fuck buddies. He hadn't expected it to be because Sebastian was just looking for another play thing.

sebastian

Seb furrowed his brow “yeah first kiss, that a problem? You think he should be saving himself for marriage or something?” He chuckled he didn’t believe in love and marriage and was perplexed that his fuck buddy would be judging him for kissing a guy he just met, or judging that guy for kissing Sebastian. Wasn’t like he could talk he was fucking Seb more than even Val these days.

jack

"Oh, fuck you," Jack spat out. "Yangi is my friend. He... You can't just kiss him." His words came out weird, but he didn't care. He was surprised he could get them out somewhat decently considering how he just wanted to cry right now. "You don't care, do you?"

sebastian

"I prefer to fuck you, he winked. "I can't just kiss a man who is willing an able?" Seb laughed, he was so surprised at Jack who never seemed to have a problem with Seb kissing him. "I care that it was a good kiss, what more am I supposed to care about? It was his first kiss so  have to marry him? Or should he be saving himself for marriage like you are?" Seb growled back, not missing the malice in Jacks tone.

jack

"What if it wasn't just a kiss for him?" Jack hissed back, but took a step back at the last of Sebastian's words as if he'd been punched. Suddenly, he didn't know what he was doing. His one night stand had been surprising, but it had been the result of him trying to just... go with the college flow. But what the fuck was he doing, continuing to see people like Sebastian? There wasn't just fuck buddies in Jack's world. He grew attached. And he had. To Sebastian and Valerian both, even if it happened to be in different ways. Yet, the man he'd wanted to confess his crush - or was it more than just a crush at this point? - to just minutes ago... the same man seemed to not give a fuck that he'd kissed Yangi, a shy and soft boy, without any thoughts on even talking to him again probably. "Am I just a fuck?" He asked quietly.

sebastian

"It was a frat party we talked and made out of course it was nothing more don't be so ridiculous, I'm Sebastian Smythe, if you're kissing me you know exactly what you're getting into, or not getting into as the case may be. There is nothing more to it. You and I? We fuck and yeah we hang out but what else could it possibly be. You know who I am." Seb growled, not meeting Jacks eyes because all of these questions were so much more painful than he knew how to handle. A life time of repressing feeling left Seb with no idea how to process the idea of someone being more than just a fuck. This was his life and whether or not he was happy with it was no matter.

jack

Jack shoved his shaking hands into the pockets of his jeans, staring down at the counter. "Not everyone knou.. knows who you are," He said, his tone more mocking than he'd planned. How could he have possibly convinced himself that there was something between him and Sebastian? Even Valerian, with his indifference, treated him better than this. He sniffled, feeling tears welling up in his eyes. There was a lot he wanted to say still, but he didn't know how, or even where to start. And he didn't feel quite sure he wanted to know the answers to his questions. "Would you care if I stoo.. stopped coming? Or wa.. would you just find someone else?"

sebastian

Seb laughed, "everyone knows who I am if they are in a position to be kissing me Jack." He taunted, not letting Jack's tone get to him, or appear to get to him at least. "As long as we are fucking you wont stop coming." He winked. "You're not the only person I'm fucking, you realise that don't you." Seb raised an eyebrow, wondering what Jack thought was happening between them.

jack

"Val isn't you," Jack said quietly. "I'd miss you, even if I saw him," he added before letting out a weak, hollow laugh. Had he really thought that was a mutual feeling? He reached a hand up to wipe away his tears, feeling his cheeks burn with humiliation; both for the tears but... this. Was it really too much to ask to be someone to Sebastian? He just couldn't bear the thought that he was just a current fuck whose name the older man would eventually not even remember. "Is that it? Jo.. just enjoying to see how many stuph... id freshmen you can add to your count? You're just a fucking Shelob." If Sebastian had even thought about it, about anyone but himself and his stupid fucking dick, he surely would've seen that kissing Yangi had been a dick move. "Just... fuck you," he spat out, shaking his head as he rushed out of the kitchen, slamming the front door shut behind him as he left.

sebastian

"What does Val have to do with this?" Seb scoffed, "I prefer my freshman with at least half a brain thank you," He chuckled but taking a step back away from Jack as he saw the other man wiping tears from his eyes. He wasn't accustomed to crying people, especially not  men he was fucking. The anger and hurt in Jacks face made him feel like he was going to throw up and he had no idea why or what it meant. "Fine if you have such a problem with my actions don't bother coming back." Seb shouted as Jack rushed away. His shoulders slumped once the door to his apartment slammed. All the fight left him and all he felt was empty.

[frostiifae]

what does the wfo cast think of minecraft? what are their playstyles?

thanks for my life i love this ask

everybody loves minecraft! 

rei is a very methodical, thoughtful builder. she thinks up storylines for the builds she’s working on and commits very thoroughly to them. she prefers to play in creative, but almost everyone else plays survival so she joins them there instead because she wants to be a good sport. has a tendency to forget that mobs exist and has lost a lot of lives to creeper explosions, phantoms knocking her off of scaffolding, etc. she also does a lot of technical builds and lends her redstone/game mechanic knowledge to everyone else, but that means she tends to start huge personal projects and then never really gets the time to finish them : (. she most readily compares to xisumavoid on HC. 

naomi is a big adventurer. she loves seeking out dungeons, fortresses, end cities, strongholds, mineshafts, mansions, etc. she thinks mob grinders kind of ruin the fun of the game and prefers to get all her materials by hand but hasn’t put it together that that’s how rei and eliza can do all of their crazy scale builds. she kinda tries to make castles everywhere she goes because they’re cool but she’s not very good at it, but fuck it she’ll do her best anyway! maybe she’ll get better one day! naomi fucking LOVES ultrahardcore and/or Super Hostile maps and is fantastic at them, but she likes minecraft especially for its cooperative nature and how it feels like she’s working together with her friends!

eliza is a redstone mad scientist and an architectural genius who puts hours upon hours upon hours of casual thought into the biggest craziest superstructures you can think of. despite her building-oriented playstyle, she swears by survival because there’s “no point” to building in creative. she makes a big show out of not caring what anybody else is doing on the server, but also makes sure that any farms she needs for her builds are community available and does upkeep/fixes/quality of life changes if anyone finds them hard to use, so everyone knows that she’s actually happy to help out. it’s just as a general rule she spends most of her time doing something batshit crazy out in the middle of nowhere and you’ll only really appreciate her talent once it’s finished. she most readily compares to docm77 on HC.

gwen makes landscapes and cozy builds and befriends lots of sheep and cows and wolves. she likes to roam around with her wolves and pretend she’s in a wolf pack, though she feels silly about it if anyone ever finds her and makes up something else to be doing. she tends to get kind of lost in lategame minecraft because she’s easily pleased by simple builds, but she’s happy to help out on larger scale projects when asked. has a special talent for landscaping, not unlike scar, which both eliza and rei frequently make good use of. she is also the most likely to start a prank war, but all her pranks are really silly and harmless and she also helps you clean them up.

phobos: *walls off a section of tunnel, puts down torches + furnace + bed, throws a bunch of eggs to make a small chicken farm* cabe hous : )

aplistia probably enjoys minecraft the least. she has the same sense of grandeur and scale as eliza does, but is too spazzy to hold on to a mental image of her designs for very long and has trouble expressing them in reality, so even in creative she isn’t really able to make much. she’s a little too prideful to ask for help and a lot too prideful to let a half-finished or low-quality build stay, so she tends to go through cycles of “build something / tear it down / brood for a while / repeat”. if someone offers to help her, though, she readily accepts because she loves spending time with friends and she treasures any part of a build that someone else contributes to. she will get better at minecraft… it just might take her a while!

parias is the third, softest-spoken master player. she has decent redstone knowledge but an excellent sense of architecture and block placement. however she doesn’t build houses, or at least not for herself; she builds roads, pathways, waterways, etc. she admires the natural beauty of a freshly generated world or a pure landscape build just fine, but to her, she feels happiest when others use the pathways she builds and enjoys them, and she gets much more out of that than building an enclosed structure that people only have to go into every once in a while. if you look around the area where you’re building and can’t find any pigs, it’s probably because parias has been nearby recently and needed to eat. 

[sorcerouss-blog]

An Atmospheric Black Metal Primer

Atmospheric black metal was my (and many other people’s, or so I've heard) entryway into the genre, and has always held a special place in my heart. Through years of recommendations and trying to get friends into the genre, I've compiled a primer for those who are curious or trying to get deeper in the genre.

Row I: The Greats

I feel like there needs to be a preface. Unlike other black metal subgenres, the US has always been a force to be reckoned with in the atmospheric black metal scenes. With precursors to the genre such as Weakling, the illustrious (and now sadly defunct) Agalloch and Wolves in the Throne room, America has always been a frontrunner when it comes to atmoblack. Additionally, Bergtatt seems like an easy choice and one of the earliest examples of the genre. Addaura's Burning for the Ancient has racked up some devout followers, and Forteresse's Themes Pour La Rebellion is a fantastic release from the equally prominent Quebecois black metal scene.

Weakling - Dead as Dreams

Agalloch - The Mantle

Wolves in the Throne Room - A Diadem of 12 Stars

Ulver - Bergtatt

Addaura - Burning for the Ancient

Forteresse - Themes Pour La Rebellion

Row II: The Folky

Since its inception, the subgenre has been deeply tied with elements of folk music, if for nothing else but the fact that the genres work so well together. Ukranian heavyweights Drudkh and Nokturnal Mortum have been mainstays in the genre and were no-brainers to include. China's Zuriaake is more of a newcomer to the scene and imparts some interesting oriental flair, while Italy's Selvans is great if underrated for showcasing folk at its best. No conversation about regional folk influences is complete without Panopticon's earthy, bluegrass-inspired sounds and the soaring bagpipes that recall Saor's homeland of Scotland.

Drudkh - Blood in Our Wells

Nokturnal Mortum - The Voice of Steel

Zuriaake - Afterimage of Autumn

Selvans - Lupercalia

Panopticon - Kentucky

Saor - Guardians

Row III: The Spacey

If nature is an obvious subject to turn to while on the subject of atmospheric black metal, then it only stands to reason that the cosmos would also garner some interest within the scene. Australia's one-man project Midnight Odyssey conjures vast cosmic spaces with Midnight Odyssey, while Darkspace ups the dread of the void just a little more. Earth and Pillars evokes similarly icy atmospheres, and Mare Cognitum turns up the melodic aspects to showcase the vast, triumphant beauty of space. Alrakis is a gentler, more atmospheric take on the cosmos, and Mesarthim imparts more of a dreamy feeling with gut-wrenchingly beautiful melodies.

Midnight Odyssey - Funerals from the Astral Sphere

Darkspace - Dark Space III

Earth and Pillars - Pillars I

Mare Cognitum - Phobos Monolith

Alrakis - Alpha Eri

Mesarthim - Isolate

Row IV: Lighter

If you've read this far, it should come as no surprise that there are myriad variations upon variations in black metal. While the genre is characterized as a whole by frigid, chaotic atmospheres, there are those who tend towards the more beautiful and the more positive. Russia's Trna blends post-black atmospheres like a warm blanket into the icy depths of black metal, and Bloodbark plays a stripped-back, similarly tender and dreamy sound. Vvilderness, with origins in post-rock, creates comforting soundscapes tempered slightly by melancholy, while Summoning, famed for its references to Tolkein, is closer kin to the dungeon synth genre. Caladan Brood and Sojourner both play what can only be described as "epic" black metal - gargantuan folky atmospheres that could form the soundtrack to a fantasy battle.

Trna - Earthcult

Bloodbark - Bonebranches

Vvilderness - Devour the Sun

Summoning - Old Mornings Dawn

Caladan Brood - Echoes of Battle

Sojourner - Empires of Ash

Row V: Heavier

Naturally, the subgenre leads towards heavier tunes as well. Whether that's in terms of vocals, distortion, production or melody, these following releases are chaotic, icy, and grating, in the best possible way. Burzum's Filosofem is arguably the genre creator, and full to the brim with raw production and repetitive riffing. Fuath shares a sole member with Saor, but takes a turn for the harsh and icy in comparison. Yellow Eyes brings chaotic, stifling atmospheres to the forefront, while Ash Borer and Altar of Plagues bring the heavier, less melodic side of atmospheric black metal. Nattens Madrigal is the harshest and most unyielding of the legendary Ulver's black metal triumvirate of albums.

Burzum - Filosofem

Fuath - I

Yellow Eyes - Immersion Trench Reverie

Ash Borer - Cold of Ages

Altar of Plagues - White Tomb

Ulver - Nattens Madrigal

Row VI: Miscellaneous

Even within a subgenre of oddities, there are those that stand out, and gain notoriety for doing so. One such example is Batushka, a Polish band whose Eastern Orthodox-inspired sound and aesthetic made waves when their album first came out. Similarly, Fyrnask takes a ritualistic approach to atmospheric black metal, but it is more primitive and occult. Botanist weaves the sound of hammered dulcimers into bright plant-themed black metal, while Night Heir drenches clean vocals with a heavy dose of drama. Urfaust continues on the tradition of ritualistic sounds, but with a unique vocal twist.

Batushka - Litourgiya

Fyrnask - Forn

Botanist - IV: Flora

Night Heir - Wind in My Dream, Mist in My House

Obsequiae - Aria of Vernal Tombs

Urfaust - The Constellatory Practice

I hope you've enjoyed my list and found some gems. I urge you to keep exploring and discovering; black metal is a genre as vast as it is diverse, and this is only the tip of the frigid Norwegian iceberg.