Garden of Souls
There are people who, when they die, do not really want anything else. No reincarnations or second chances. People who did not wish to stay longer than necessary.
When they die, the universe usually grants their wish. And a flower is born in the Ghost King garden. Pariah Dark never paid attention to all the flowers (each one unique in its own way), and left them to die. Although many of them prevailed, a lot of souls were lost.
Danny was different. He loved and cared for each of the flowers. His own sister had become one of them after all. Every day the King went out to the garden and closed his eyes, listening to Jazz's voice speak to him, he watered the flowers and smiled. Danny knew that his sister was no longer in the Realms, that she was resting, but her memories were imprinted on the flower, and her soul had become something beautiful. It was nice to talk to what was left of her.
That is why when John Constantine dared to step on one of the flowers in his garden the King was enraged. The Justice League had reached the Infinite Realms, investigating about it; What at first was a casual conversation turned into a fight as the heroes became fascinated with his garden, one of them daring to pluck one of his beloved flowers while Constantine unceremoniously stepped on another.
Although they had just discovered the dimension, Danny didn't plan to receive them again for a long time. No more help or peace deals, no one messed with his garden, the poor souls must have been terrified.
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10/27/2023
Another quote from "Story of a Soul"!
And so ends our little October of the Little Flower... but St. Thérèse will return!
JOKE-OGRAPHY:
This cartoon is based, one more time, on a passage from "Story of a Soul", St. Thérèse's autobiography. In the book, Thérèse responds to her father by saying that, if he entered politics, he'd be made king, but be miserable, so she's glad he doesn't. In the cartoon, I've used those same lines but made it seem like she's debating with herself. Holding one opinion very strongly, then talking yourself into the opposite opinion, is larious of the absolute HIGHEST order. HIGH-larious.
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The "tragedy" of the ascension.
No, another word beginning with "T".
Triumph of Evil. confide a secret This is Great.
I rate this story as a Triumph of Evil, which however does not mean tragedy for the evil character.
Such an assessment requires a basis within the canon.
Original Astarion, describes his story to the Bosk bear Act 1:
Astarion: Tell him your tale - wealth, power, vampires, crypt...
He remembers what he once had and what was taken from him.
He has several goals depending on how much strength he has and how successfully he plays the cards of fate: defense, free, revenge, power. \get the hedonistic pleasures debauchery but that's another topic.\
A little analysis of Astarion's path of evil to triumph.
I'm more interested in the latter (Power), as it's where the complex moral begins.
These are not all examples, but these are the ones I liked this time.
Astarion: What's not to enjoy? I can walk in sunlight, trespass upon any home, manipulate minds - I'm the most powerful vampire in the Realms!
Astarion suspects that the parasite may have negated some of the downsides of being a vampire spawn. Perhaps his master has no power over him anymore.
I can only add 10 audios :[
Astarion: No, I'll be safe when I'm powerful enough to grind Cazador into the dust. Powerful enough to do whatever the hell I want.
Astarion: But I'd have to climb so many stairs. Anyway, I already have my eye on a palace in Baldur's Gate.
devote. NodeContext: 'palace in baldur's gate' Cazador's palace.
Astarion: Now that's what I like to see an elf at the head of an army. Even a Sharran one.
This shows the dialog over cult control very well.
33 Phrase only when the player hesitates.
In other cases 31, he says: it sounds fun (it's useful to have and fun)
It is well crafted depending on the player's play style. I analyzed that structure here.
Astarion: I'm just saying there's an opportunity here. If we can control the tadpoles, we can keep ourselves safe and liberate the world from this evil.
devnote. NodeContext: pause be 'liberate' as he considers what would sound good to a goody-two-shoes player. Astarion was thinking less liberate, more dominate
Astarion: I'm just saying there's an opportunity before us. If we can control the tadpoles, we can keep ourselves safe and enjoy a little world domination on the side.
Astarion: You can't tell me that doesn't sound fun.
Important to note that Astarion is cunning enough to realize: There's a chance that he won't get any help, a vampire spawn, outcast.
Not "Hello, my name is Astarion, give me whatever I want".
So he adds logical, understandable, honorable goals.
He benefits from emphasizing honorable one, especially for a good player. He also does the "puppy eyes" thing.
Goals like his desire for protection and freedom.
Power - that he tries (at least a little) to soften.
Softening and logic - it will help us, it will protect us and save us. It makes sense. In my opinion he is absolutely right. No one wants to be tentacles, gnomes at duergar or Arabella's parents.
Power is a nice thing in Faerun to have.
However, his goals are diametrically opposed to the good.
Because he tends to have a brutal power style and finds it fun. (this pie wouldn't mind owning the world) depending on the style of play with the evil player, he's more open.
And those goals that are half-false - to liberate the world.
There is logic in "liberate the world" since mind flayer is a worldwide threat and changing the world as they please. Not Good.
Astarion, however, harbors a desire to rule - a city minimum.
Which incidentally was his character before slavery, Magistrates do become Magistrates for a reason. Astarion's reason is wealth and power.
There are so many moments. Even if you poke at the globe.
Moments aplenty are some of the ones that show his "Evil" by DND traits. Evil in DND is selfishness, doing what I want even if it's harmful, greed.
Let's get back to genres.
Tragedy implies the death of the hero. This is the meaning of tragedy and the difference from drama.
Drama - combines the comic and the tragic. Unlike tragedy, drama can have a positive ending.
Since when is a tragedy when a character has everything they've ever dreamed of, enjoys and doesn't give a fuck?
This is the arch to the beginning - wealth and power. More greater.
Astarion rather doesn't change in his Ascension. It's Astarion who has a Christmas present dropped on him in the first act. And it makes him euphoric, considering "feeling alive" for the undead is quite a thing.
It's important to realize that Astarion isn't exactly an ordinary character. He's an evil character. Which for Wyll is hell. For Astarion, it can be considered fun when it's not happening to him. Watching someone fight to the death like on a show, for example.
Do I have to include a screenshot here? XD
"Astarion Approves It" is the title of a crime book.
There's something light, certainly, otherwise it's not interesting.
Astarion's dark side is luring.
But the book is still on the top shelf, in the "evil" section.
Curious how he perceives eternity.
Astarion: Immortality is only as good as the life you're living. An eternity of luxury sounds a lot better than an eternity of struggle.
Astarion doesn't like the downsides of vampirism - it's mirror, sun, hunger, and for spawn, lack of power. But the very idea of Immortality, like eternal beauty is tempting.
Ascension - it's a vampire cheat, he feels alive, the vampire depression of the Vampire Lords eternity won't work for Ascension, that's the point of it. A Vampire's dream can't just be the same vampirism.
Here's a great video everything we know about Ascension and how it works.
Immortality without the downside. Power, life of luxury.
Astarion approves. It's Great. It's a Triumph.
And it is the Triumph of Evil. (selfish, hurtful to others, greedy payment)
BG3 Epilogue. Original God Gale. Lord Astarion.
Astarion: You can't be serious. You miss being weak? Falling ill? Ageing?
devnote. NodeContext: Slight stress on 'aging'
Astarion: We can be honest with each other, Gale - one immortal being to another: this is great.
devnote. NodeContext: "this is great" as if confiding a secret.
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اسْتَفْتِ نَفْسَكَ اسْتَفْتِ قَلْبَكَ الْبِرُّ مَا اطْمَأَنَّتْ إِلَيْهِ النَّفْسُ وَاطْمَأَنَّ إِلَيْهِ الْقَلْبُ وَالْإِثْمُ مَا حَاكَ فِي النَّفْسِ وَتَرَدَّدَ فِي الصَّدْرِ وَإِنْ أَفْتَاكَ النَّاسُ وَأَفْتَوْكَ
Consult your soul, consult your heart. Righteousness is what reassures your soul and your heart, and wrongdoing is what wavers in your soul and puts tension in your chest, even if the people approve it in their judgments again and again.
— Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Sunan al-Dārimī 2533
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