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/ L.ucifer grants u guts by placing a dark veil on you that once it fully drops over your head, the fabric turns into blood that ends up splashing on the ground
#;ooc#ooc#the fabric of the veil turns into a thin layer of blood that just falls over u to the ground#SPLUSH!#something something about being able to 'see'#in his case; he thinks that by rebelling against god; he gained his 'true' free will and that he was finally able to 'see'#he grants u a stack of guts bc this guy is like a cockroach and even after bathing in fire for like 9 days he came back#for reference; guts is a skill in f.go that once ur hp reaches to zero; u gain a small portion of hp back so ur s.ervant remains alive#for a lil bit longer#so its like; u cant see from looking under the veil; but then he 'enlightens' you by uncovering it#it prob adds a debuff as well; like u get that last bit of hp back but at some cost#which i havent thought about yet#but he def would be that kind of s.ervant that u have to think in which situations to ask for help#I would love the concept that is you rely too much on his support; it ends up being detrimental to the character that is getting the buffs#you know bc;; its never good to rely on the d.evil#BUT#something about;; it becomes detrimental on the long run for that s.ervant relying on his support; but in exchange it gives him a buff#something like that would be cool#bc it fits his concept that inherently he isnt really that powerful; he gains power by having people rely on him#i mean he is powerful but not impossible to beat; not since he was casted out of heaven#so its do-able basically
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If only the yorishiro from the mystery of time and Hanako-kun are missing. So we're really coming to the end😢 even though it honestly seems like there's a lot left to talk about. But how many chapters do you think there will be? And what year do you think it will end?
Hi!
First, I will say that I only said we're close to the end because I expected to spend another year or so on the yorishiro. I don't actually think the yorishiro being destroyed means we're only a few chapters away from the end of JSHK. Not only do we still have to learn more about the Yugi twins and Sakura, but I also predict that something big will happen after all the yorishiro are gone.
Whatever that something is, however, would appear to be the climax of the entire work, less AidaIro has a trick up their sleeve... (word of advice: AidaIro is always going to do something unpredictable, lol.)
Let me direct your attention to the Clock Keepers for a second.
In Chapter 110, Teru deduces that they must have an ulterior motive for allowing their yorishiro to be destroyed. It seems that Tsukasa is playing right into the Clock Keepers hands, wittingly or not. Apparently their yorishiro getting destroyed could actually be BENEFICIAL to them, despite this making them weak and vulnerable.
Another crucial thing to remember is Akane told Teru that the Clock Keepers are the true threat to the school, more so than Tsukasa and his crew. While Akane is putting on a convincing performance right now, I can't help wondering if he knew something like this would happen... (at least, the yorishiro-destroying part, anyway.)
Based on this, it seems pretty clear to me that there will be more to the story after the yorishiro are gone. The only question is: what?
I've seen theories that the yorishiro being destroyed could actually free the God lurking below the city of Kamome, the same one that Tsukasa encountered in his house, and the same one all those kannagi were sacrificed to. Perhaps that's why the God entices people to destroy the yorishiro, so that it can regain its former power? And maybe the Clock Keepers gain something from that God being freed...?
In any case, this is a lot of preamble for me to say I'm expecting some calamity to happen once the yorishiro are destroyed and that the fallout will take longer than most readers might expect. But maybe that's too shounen-minded of me...is that really AidaIro's style? I don't know anymore...
But the yorishiro being destroyed means that Nene, our closest thing to a main protagonist, will perish. And it feels a little off for the story to continue without her...less maybe there's another solution? (more on this in a bit.)
I also feel like AidaIro would've said something by now if we were really so close to the end. And I still feel like we can squeeze out another year or two somehow...
Anyway, if we follow the theory that the God Tsukasa met as a child is the same one in the school, then maybe if Tsukasa rebels against it he might anger it and trigger something? Remember, Tsukasa as a young child was shown to talk to the entity inside of his chest and use it to grant wishes. They seem to work together so well because Tsukasa enjoys granting wishes and bonded with it in the Red House. But maybe if his goals start to conflict with the God, like wanting to stay with his brother, then the God might rebel...?
Well, I don't know. But it's another solution rather than destroying the yorishiro. On the other hand, could Tsukasa really have a change of heart? Especially so soon...?
Another important thing to remember is that the yorishiro all being destroyed is preordained. Not destroying them is literally changing fate, something stated to be extremely difficult. So if the characters do find some way to do it, it should be a very extraordinary solution... Maybe we really WILL have to deal with whatever happens after they're destroyed? And maybe they can somehow do that without killing Nene...? But man, it's really hard to guess how this will play out...
To summarize, I'm having a lot of difficulty imagining the story ending soon in a way that's satisfactory. So I'm just going to predict that the story will end in... 2027? :) That sounds like a good amount of time. Anyway, sorry if I rambled too much.
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2021 / 46
Aperçu of the Week:
"Can anyone give me a good reason why I gave humans free will?"
(God on Twitter - @thegoodgodabove)
Bad News of the Week:
How can latent racism and a lack of sense of justice be summed up in two words? Quite simply: Kyle Rittenhouse. I'm not referring to this unfortunate teenager himself, but to what his case represents: systemic failure. An underage Blue Lives Matter supporter crosses a state line with an assault rifle in a vigilante effort to prevent looting, shoots two people at a demonstration in the process, and then isn't even convicted of endangering others.
Where does this reflexive tendency in American society come from, to assume criminal energy in armed blacks, but a righteous amateur sheriff in armed whites? This can only be explained by a deep-rooted racism, which then naturally comes to light in the courtroom. It doesn't seem to matter whether a judge or a jury renders the verdict. The result is always the same: With whites, any excuse, no matter how far-fetched, is used to support the presumption of innocence, while incriminating factors are ignored. The exact opposite happens with blacks. A look at the detainees on death row and their trial record speaks a clear language. The same constitutional rights apply to them. Unfortunately, only in theory.
As a European, there is so much to admire about the U.S. mentality: the positive can-do attitude, the social freedom DNA, the entrepreneurship that does not shy away from failure or risk, the cultural diversity, the ability to reinvent oneself again and again. But on the other hand, this immovable political camp thinking, the lack of courage for self-doubt, the egoism. And precisely this infatuation with weapons and indifferent discrimination, which in combination is simply toxic.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez puts it this way: "What we are witnessing is a system functioning as designed and protecting those it was designed for." Nothing more to add...
Good News of the Week:
In times of crisis, dictatorships often function more effectively than democracies. That's because many democratic achievements, such as freedom of expression, anti-discrimination or the right to sue, make it possible for anyone to rebel against directives from "those up there". Even if it's an idiot who opposes a sensible measure. Politicians know this. And therefore try to convince and gain understanding for their decisions. Because only those who are popular in the true sense of the word are elected.
Therefore, it is not surprising that a Covid 19 vaccination requirement was not on the political agenda in virtually all free nations. And yet attempts have been made to sell it through the back door - for example, with the need to protect vulnerable groups. Until now. The Austrian government now wants to become the first country in the European Union to introduce universal compulsory vaccination. The dilemma is well illustrated by Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg's announcement to this effect: he apologizes for the measure, saying it represents a serious encroachment on the right to self-determination. But it had to be done, he said, and in weighing up the rights worth protecting, the right to bodily integrity was the more essential one.
Perhaps it is no coincidence that Schallenberg, of all people, dares to take this step. He was not elected to office, but appointed by President Alexander Van der Bellen when the elected chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, resigned due to a corruption scandal. Perhaps this gives him the freedom to push through such an unpopular measure. Because it is enough for him to consider it necessary and political-strategic considerations fade into the background. Around 40,000 Austrians demonstrated yesterday in Vienna against him and his measures. Among other things, after a call by the right-wing populist party FPÖ. And with banners that read "1938 must not be repeated!" and the like.
In Hans Christian's Andersen's fairy tale "The Emperor's New Clothes," a child - proverbially "innocent," that is, free of political-strategic thinking - speaks out what is actually obvious. One can find this presumptuous or courageous. In any case, it is honest, because it says what it thinks. Perhaps Schallenberg will also be defined by this one day: against all tactical considerations and against the advice of most demoscopists, he speaks out honestly what he thinks. And acts accordingly. That makes him truthful. And unelectable. He knows that. And regardless of whether the path he has taken turns out to be good or bad in retrospect, he deserves respect for his attitude.
Personal happy moment of the week:
Lockdown and limited social contact also have a positive side: when you have nothing planned and no visitors are coming, you can turn off your alarm clock and sleep in. You know that moment when you wake up, think about it for a moment, and it occurs to you that you can just roll over one more time? Even if it's small: that's a happy moment.
I couldn't care less...
...that the second season of "Tiger King" is now available. I won't make the mistake of watching something just because there's hype about it. Lately I call this a "squid game mistake".
As I write this...
...I note that Tchaikovsky's piano concerto no. 1 is a perfect soundtrack for a foggy November day.
Post Scriptum:
In 1874, under Kaiser Wilhelm, vaccination was made compulsory for the first time in Germany - against smallpox. Before that, 70,000 children died of it every year, after that practically none. But who learns from history?
#thoughts#aperçu#bad news#good news#news of the week#happy moments#politics#god#free will#kyle rittenhouse#black lives matter#assault rifles#racisim#alexandria ocasio cortez#justice#austria#alexander schallenberg#covid19#vaccination#hans christian andersen#sleeping in#tiger king#squid game#tchaikovsky#Kaiser Wilhelm#learning from history#democracy#systemic failure#those up there#respect
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Beasts and Beings: Angels
Angels are immensely powerful beings with very volatile existences in the Toaru Majutsu no Index universe. They can be beings of either divine origin, such as the Archangels Gabriel and Michael of Christian doctrine, or artificial existences consisting of masses of highly concentrated AIM fields built-up from the thousands of espers within Academy City. Angels of divine origin get their magical power from an energy accumulated in Heaven known as Telesma.
General
Appearances
Angels, both divine and artificial, have been described as possessing halos above their heads and various forms of wings manifesting from their backs, some of which such as the case of Archangel Gabriel can reach several kilometers into the sky, as well as speaking in an Angelic language that sounds like high-pitched gibberish to normal humans.
If deemed necessary, like a command from God, or being forced down from Heaven, an angel can acquire a human form. In the Old Testament of the Holy Bible, Angels hid their identities to enter ordinary people's cities and had meals with them. Indeed, as Gabriel can attest, he can hide his being an angel from humans quite easily.
Personality
Vento of the Front explains that Angels in the magic side have no free will of their own and that they are meant to be God's perfect tools, and are often referred to as messengers of God to humanity. Although, they can malfunction and in turn can be called a Fallen angel, or known as demons. According to Stiyl Magnus, Angels and Devils are similar in nature, however, the important thing is who they take orders from.
However, when a divine angel falls from heaven due to the effects of Angel Fall, they can break the orders of God in order to return to Heaven, such as killing humans, despite creating a paradox for God's plans for the Final Judgment, and seemingly have an orderly fashion of thinking. As with the case of Archangel Gabriel under the guise of Misha Kreutzev, who spends his time helping Touma, Tsuchimikado Motoharu and Kanzaki Kaori trying to find the culprit of her fall. Later when Kanzaki and the others try to prevent him or more appropriately inconvenience him from killing Kamijou Touya who was unknowingly the culprit, Gabriel resorted to destroying the world instead.
The case is somewhat different in the science side however, as evidenced by Kazakiri Hyouka's existence, as she displayed emotions similar to that of humans. However, Hyouka herself is shown to behave as a mindless tool similar to that of angels in Christian lore, after having her Fuse Kazakiri mode activated.
Abilities
As stated angels in both sides are extremely powerful beings, capable of causing great destruction. So much is their power, that their very existence can distort the world. It has been said that a single angel has the power to bring down the Vatican. Even a depowered one such as Archangel Gabriel in his first appearance was simply toying with Kanzaki, a powerful Saint in her own right.
An archangel such as Gabriel has been shown to possess the ability to manipulate any celestial body through the use of "Astral in Hand", allowing it to immediately block the sun by speeding up Earth's rotation. He also displayed tremendous speed, able to move from Russia to France easily and eliminate their forces.
In order to be "summoned" or take a physical form on Earth, Angels must have a medium, or "core", to keep them bound to the Earth. Likewise, if the core that binds them is destroyed their physical form will leave the Earth.
Both divine and artificial angels seem to be weak to Touma's Imagine Breaker as well, as with the case with Misha Kreutzev trying to avoid Touma's right hand, as well as Touma himself trying to avoid touching Kazakiri Hyouka after finding out her true form.
Abrahamic Angels
One notable feature that the angels of the magic side has is their name being chosen by God, which is the purpose for which they are created. As such the names of angels cannot be easily changed, unless a powerful distortion changes these laws of God. Angels are also genderless and is depicted in some Christian lore as having qualities of both male and female.
Angels are also apparently susceptible to Angel Fall, which forcibly casts them down from heaven. At which point, angels will try to get back into heaven, even if it means disobeying the will of God.
An angel's name and attributes are widely referenced by magician's spell chants throughout the story, such as being used as a way to borrow power from when constructing a magic circle.
Archangels
Archangel is a term used to refer to angels of higher rank than normal angels, in the Toaru Majutsu no Index universe there are four recognized archangels that are aligned to their own corresponding elements and attributes.
Each member of God's Right Seat derive their powers from the four archangels depending on their alignment after cleansing as much of their original sin as possible.
Archangel Gabriel
Archangel Gabriel (大天使 (ガブリエル) Daitenshi Gaburieru?) is an archangel that appears in Toaru Majutsu no Index. He embodies the The Power of God (神の力 Kami no Chikara?) and represents the symbol of water which is its attribute, and is the guardian of the moon, the governor of blue, and the protector of the rear side. He is the only true abrahamic angel to appear in the series thus far.
Acqua of the Back is aligned with the archangel. Because of the distortion of the elements, he can bypass the name God has given him and is weaker than normal, even then Gabriel is still more powerful than several other characters combined such as Accelerator and Kazakiri Hyouka.
Other Archangels
Archangel Uriel, also known as God's Flame or Fire of God Archangel Raphael, also known as Medicine of God Archangel Michael, also known as Regard of God or The Likeness of God
Other angels
Fallen Angel
Lucifer the Light-Bringer was said to be an angel that was the closest being to be allowed to sit to the right of God, until he malfunctions and causes chaos in one-third of all the angels in heaven, making him rebel against God's will and causing war and becomes a fallen angel. He is later defeated by Archangel Michael who became the ruler of all the angels, and had become a higher being compared to Lucifer even though they were once equals.
Moreover, there is a mention of the Grigoris by Sherry Cromwell as the ones who gave knowledge to humans on how God created Man from clay before the time of Noah, knowledge which eventually gave birth to the golem.
Non-Abrahamic angels
Aiwass
Aiwass, the entity that Aleister Crowley supposedly summoned and the true author of the Book of the Law, has also shown the characteristics of an Angel, possessing a halo above its head and a divine form.
Espers
Espers of Academy City have been shown to sometimes exhibit angelic characteristics under specific circumstances. The most well-known example is what is termed "Awakening" by the fandom, wherein an esper gains wings and sometimes halos following contact with Magic and an emotional breakthrough. So far, only Accelerator has been shown to "awaken", gaining black wings partially during the Taowu incident at Seiin High School, then fully during the 0930 Incident, white wings and a halo during World War III, and finally platinum wings during the Ceremony of Mo Athair. Accelerator also speaks the garbled language of the angels in the early manifestations, though he can now retain his rationality.
The exact reasons behind this phenomenon are unclear, but it is known to be linked to Accelerator's mental state or him having an emotional breakthrough, like him feeling cornered or having something to protect. And when first manifesting a particular color, it follows Accelerator having contact with magic: redirecting the explosion resulting from Taowu's body collapsing into space; hearing Index's singing prayer to free Last Order from her coma induced by the manifestation of Fuse Kazakiri; singing a magic spell to save Last Order using data from Index's song, his encounter with Aiwass, and magical parchments under a Telesma-filled sky and crossing the Abyss using the new kabbalistic tree Clonoth with the assistance of Qliphah Puzzle 545. Index also compares the matter of the wings as similar to Telesma yet also fundamentally different in some way, and after first manifesting the wings, Accelerator, similar to Sasha Kreutzev as a former vessel of Telesma, is able to sense magic.
The cyborg Rensa 29, while making use of Accelerator's ability, was shown to be able to manifest wings same as Accelerator, deliberately getting pushed into a difficult situation to draw out the black wings and manifesting the white wings while determined to protect Yakumi Hisako, though she didn't manifest a halo.
The #2 Level 5 Kakine Teitoku manifests angelic wings when using his powers, but it is unknown if this is like Accelerator's, or just an aesthetic choice stemming from personal preference.
During the Level 6 Shift attempt on Misaka Mikoto, the transformed Level 5 esper manifests a halo, and even physically resembles the form of Misha Kreutzev during World War III.
The manifestation of angelic characteristics is not restricted to Level 5s only. While fighting to save her mother and using the magic of the Rosicrucian Spiritual Item violin Stativarius Ainsel, Sakibasu Yuri temporarily gained white wings and a halo.
Artificial Angels
The AIM Burst is a less obvious form of an artificial angel.
Magic cabals such as the Hermentic Order of the Golden Dawn (Aleister Crowley's former magic organization), seem to have dabbled in creating angels themselves by collecting the formless telesma into a container which is in the image of a person. It is unknown if they had succeeded, though since Aleister Crowley has successfully manage to create an artifical angel on his own, he was most likely influenced by the cabal's methods.
One example of an "artificial angel" is Fuse Kazakiri, the "artificial angel form" of Kazakiri Hyouka, an existence that manifested from the mixing of AIM fields throughout Academy City and resides in the "Imaginary Number District" when not physically manifested. Fuse Kazakiri, an existence that is considered considerably less powerful than an a Christian archangel, has displayed the ability to fire beams of energy that can reach several kilometers in length, project an AIM barrier that protects all those around her, flying at supersonic speeds and manifest a powerful energy sword.
The AIM Burst, an AIM entity product of the Level Upper network also displayed angelical attributes such as a Halo and wings similar to those of Fuse Kazakiri. It should be noted that Kazakiri Hyouka, Aiwass and AIM Burst all had small triangular-prism shaped cores inside their bodies that sustain their existence.
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A Story of Healing, Forgiveness, Adversity, Wisdom, and Improvement
This is the story of a young man who needed to find where he belonged. A man who felt out of place everywhere he was until he realized what his life was missing. He had to reinvent himself several times before he got it right, but he eventually *did* find his peace. His story is as true as it needs to be for others to benefit and learn from his experience.
It’s also the story, to one degree or another, of everyone who has found themselves in a similar situation.
I hope this helps all of them. Hold on. Things will work out for you.
His name is not important. What his story can teach others is.
Although he did not at first realize it, he was born into a broken and abusive household. His parents never really meant to harm him -- but, as is so often the case, well-intentioned people often hurt the ones closest to them not out of malice, but simply because they are flawed. His mother, to be precise, was the product of a severely abusive home, herself. She also had had a major head injury and, probably, a variety of mental illnesses. Thus, although quite clearly very well-intentioned, his mother often was an extremely anxious, alarmist, and controlling woman. After the young man had become more mature, he would realize that his mother’s behavior was caused not by her being evil, but simply by the fact that she had been quite damaged.
Her husband, the young man’s father, was almost completely dominated by his mother. This was not because the young man’s father lacked a spine or courage or sense (in later years, the man would recognize that his father had all of these virtues and many more in abundance), but rather because his father was not terribly wealthy, and his mother, for the most part, owned most of his family’s money. Throughout their troubled and often horrid marriage, the young man’s parents were constantly fighting, mostly about money. Beyond that, though, his mother was actually fighting for stability and control -- something that, for a person with serious mental health issues, was ultimately very important.
This domination by his mother led to some very unhealthy dynamics in his household.
The young man had an elder brother and a younger sister.
His brother went on to become very ambitious, headstrong, tough, and dedicated. Despite this, his brother had some serious flaws. Perhaps because of this brother’s good qualities, his brother was also often very judgmental, arrogant, and, on occasion, cruel. The young man had, through the stupidities and insecurities of youth, done serious harm to this brother on occasion, and he and this brother fought often and bitterly. Although there was often intense hostility and sibling rivalry between the young man and this brother, this brother would also go on to do quite well, eventually being accepted into a prestigious college after a superb high school career. When he thought back on his early life, the young man would later realize that his brother’s toughness and drive probably came from the severe adversity his brother had had to go through in the absence of caring and attentive parents. The young man would thus eventually come to view his brother with a combination of respect and admiration, and would beg forgiveness from this brother.
The young man’s younger sister did not have the elder brother’s drive and ambition, but had also gone on to make a life for himself. The young man was glad that his siblings had made lives for themselves.
The young man’s own life turned out to be far more troubled.
Although there was never much point in rebelling against the authority and power of his two parents, the young man would spend most of his adolescence fighting a hopeless battle against their unfair rules and restrictions. Not only were these rules and restrictions damaging and dangerous, but they were also so extremely unfair.
Even as a youth, the young man knew that rebellion was ultimately futile. His parents simply had all the power and money, and he had no legal right to insist that they behave fairly or to request that they justify their behavior. Still, he rebelled anyway, if only because his parents’ behavior was so outrageous that it almost demanded rebellion. In the end, he defied his parents simply because not doing so would have made him submissive psychologically.
Perhaps because of this, the young man had a very troubled adolescence. He would often skip classes, run away from home for significant periods of time, and neglect his homework. He was also diagnosed with clinical depression around age 15, and his life at home quickly deteriorated into chaos. As his behavior and mental health declined, his mother’s behavior became more and more histrionic, intense, controlling, domineering, and bullying. These problems led him to do very poorly in school, and he would spend the later years of his adolescence just surviving one crisis or another. Although he would eventually graduate from high school, his performance had been very mediocre, and he had lost a lot of potential to these problems.
Due to these and related issues, the young man would spend most of this adolescence and 20′s simply coasting through life, jumping from one menial job to the next while taking a very light load of college courses. Far too much of his life was spent “just getting by”, without a clear idea of what a meaningful or happy life would be like or a clear idea of how to create such a life.
As it turned out, in addition to his troubled childhood, the young man also had another, insidious problem that prevented him from gaining a strong sense of meaning or purpose from any particular career path or area of study.
Perhaps because of his unusually troubled childhood and life, the young man had, very unfortunately and unwisely, become a “deep thinker”. Although he recognized that this had certain great advantages in helping him think clearly and carefully, he also had a certain odd indifference and apathy towards many of the things his peers and friends found interesting. It wasn’t that he could claim that the things his peers wanted in life were bad -- they just were missing something. It wasn't as though status, money, sex, fun, and prestige were bad -- it was just that the young man was searching for something else.
This would cause the young man a great degree of trouble during his adolescence and early adulthood. Not only would he never feel a strong attraction to any particular area of study, but he would often avoid socializing and interacting with his peers due to this odd feeling that something was profoundly missing from these social events.
It was due to this and similar problems that the young man would ultimately waste his 20's. Before he knew it, he was on the cusp of his 32nd birthday, with few accomplishments to show for it and very few interests. The man often wondered why he was so indifferent toward most of the world and the people and things in it. His life had become a pathetic, apathetic, grey shell of an existence. Would this be the rest of his life, drifting aimlessly from one distraction to the next without any real profound sense of meaning or direction? He hoped not, and because there was still hope that this would not always be the case, he continued surviving -- but never living. In a fit of desperation, he turned toward contemplation of his problems and philosophy as both a consolation and a self-diagnosis.
And that's when it happened. He suddenly had an epiphany. That's when everything changed.
He realized in a sudden flash of insight what his life had been missing. Finally, after so many years of aimless searching, he had his answers. Things finally made sense.
He had been contemplating the many problems he had gone through in his life when it struck him. Without quite knowing what had prompted him to this realization, he slowly came to a conclusion about what his life had been missing -- the something missing that he had never found.
It was simply faith in humanity.
This point needs to be clarified. For most of his life, the young man had been a die-hard pessimist. This was not because he considered pessimism to be edgy or intellectual or cool, but rather because so much of what others deemed so deserving of worship was, ultimately, not what they thought it was. For some people in the young man's life, they had preached the value of their religious beliefs and devotion to God. For others, patriotism and nationalism were their bedrock. Still others simply tried to live as happy and pleasurable a life as possible, thinking these goals were the main reasons for the majority of human civilization and progress. And yet others claimed that he should help his fellow man.
But the young man had seen through each of these. When it came to religion, the young man felt he had very strong reasons to be an atheist. When it came to patriotism, he knew that, while serving other individual people might be worthwhile, his country had done horrible things in the name of national pride, prestige, and power. And, oddly enough, even living life for the pleasure and happiness that one could get from it rang hollow. Happiness, he had realized, was not a result of pleasurable, exciting, or comfortable surroundings. Happiness, instead, was a byproduct of living a good life that one was content with. Perhaps some people could live life happily with only creature comforts, fun, and hedonistic pleasures. However, the young man and most of the human race required something more -- a sense of meaning. He realized that all the luxury, fun, and free time in the world would not satisfy him. At least, not by themselves.
It was service to humanity that appealed to the young man the most -- but eventually it, too, was promptly dismissed. The young man had, once upon a time, been idealistic. He had earnestly believed that the world could be saved -- if only enough people combine their efforts behind a common cause and work toward furthering that cause.
Pessimism and experience would eventually leave the young man disillusioned from this dream. Although many people in the world had shown him the potential for good in human behavior, it had always seemed to him that humanity's potential for immorality was far greater. Furthermore, when people were charitable or generous toward strangers, it was often due to an underlying assumption that the stranger was, in general, someone fundamentally good and worth helping – which, the young man reflected, was not necessarily true, by many people’s standards of the word “good”. Add to this the fact that people had a right to their own opinions and very frequently chose to believe senseless or irrational things or make senseless or irrational choices. Bettering the world was, the young man reflected, a very hard thing to do on any notable scale.
However, in a sudden moment of clarity, the young man saw the flaw in his previous beliefs. Although large scale change might be too hard of a thing to hope for (large scale changes were usually caused by large numbers of people mobilizing), the young man saw a quite different and far more reliable and compelling reason for morality. On the level of individuals¸ a great deal of good could be done. As the young man thought about this more and more, he realized that his biggest regrets in life were the times where he had hurt others out of his own insecurities, and that the proudest moments of his life were the instances where he had encouraged or helped others. Helping other individuals on a day-by-day basis, the young man realized, was worth the effort. For some strange reason, the young man had gotten the foolish and pessimistic idea into his head that only large scale changes in humanity mattered – that, since society at large wasn’t going anywhere, it was ultimately pointless to try to change things.
Now, though, the young man saw the error of his ways. He had a new purpose in life, and a new reason to be the best person he could be, and it had nothing to do with believing that human beings were all God’s special snowflakes, or with denying the hard truths of this world. Going forward, the young man would pay attention to the good that could be done in the world, from the daily decencies and kindnesses toward the people in his life, to the small acts of humanity and generosity he could accomplish. He felt, for the first time in a long time, like he was moving forward and like he had a purpose worth working toward and fighting for.
It was true that he had lost a lot of time.
But he would catch up, he realized.
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An Explanation of Yaldabaoth
So with Christmas Eve coming up, let’s finally talk about Yaldabaoth – who he is, his motivations and goals, and why he suits P5’s story. Basically, I see a lot of confusion (as well as frustration) surrounding his character and his status as the final antagonist, but I totally get that. His writing is messy and his execution left a lot to be desired, despite the idea of him being sound, so I understand why so many players felt he came out of nowhere and screws up the story’s themes. As I am (unfortunately) a big fan of his character, I wanted to put together a post that might help people confused by him see how he fits in, why he was included in the story, and why he makes a satisfying final boss for the plot of P5. And even if you still hate him (totally fair! Everyone’s got different taste and no matter what, his handling is god awful), I just hope I can sort of explain him so he at least makes more sense. This is going to be long, so let’s get started!
First, Yaldabaoth (also known as the Demiurge) is a figure from Gnostic lore, the false god of the material world. He came to be when Sophia, a part of the unknowable, Supreme God, decided to create something separate from the Pleroma (the divine totality) all on her own, without divine permission. So she gave birth to Yaldabaoth; however, he was so monstrous she grew immediately ashamed of her creation, and so provided him with a throne which she then wrapped in a cloud to hide him and make him ignorant in turn. Unable to behold his mother or the divine, he then believed himself to be god. Because of this, Yaldabaoth set about creating the material world, a place he unwittingly based upon the true world of divinity. His creations are animal, like him, but with Sophia’s divine spark as she provides him the power to create. This world is poorly made due to Yaldabaoth’s own incompetence and so that divine spark is trapped in the material, making it something like a spiritual prison. Because of this, however, humanity can ascend while Yaldabaoth cannot, making him envious of human beings. He grows to hate humanity, angered by their imperfection (as he bungles their creation) and the fact that they can ascend while he’s forever trapped in the depths – he turns spiteful, and he is sometimes thought of as the God of the Old Testament as an explanation for his cruelty. Obviously this is incredibly simplified (as I am by no means an expert on Gnosticism), but this is the basis of his character, and I think it really is something the writers played with (including that Satanael, his son, is the one to rebel against him and his ignorance, which is why he is cast from heaven).
A false, artificial god who believes himself to be the Supreme Being, resents humankind, and traps them in a prison...sounds pretty familiar. So what’s different about his character in P5? This Yaldabaoth is the creator of the Metaverse, and he is born from the will of the public – people wished for ease and comfort over free will, the luxury to be free of making decisions and taking responsibility for themselves, which the Holy Grail explains to the PTs as its origin.
However, Yaldabaoth is also just a manifestation of that need - one that gained sentience through the power it was fed, but he is still simply the unconscious desire of the public made material as pointed out by Lavenza (but this explanation scene is where things get rushed, confusing, and glossed over to a frustrating extent)
Yaldabaoth IS society, a tangible stand-in for the true villain of P5 – The people of the public that allow, condone, and even encourage those the PTs have fought. They can defeat criminals, but as long as society remains intact, another will immediately spring up to take their place. Makoto actually states as much when Joker comes to retrieve her from her cell:
Yaldabaoth, therefor, is not just a god thrown into the plot randomly for the biggest bad possible – he is the evils of society incarnate, the people who allow the heinous crimes the PTs had been fighting against, the people that consumed these devastating crimes as entertainment or turned a blind eye to people in need, the people that threw the PTs out the minute any doubt was cast on them. The apathetic, uncaring, callous public as a whole, the ones who constantly ignore or support these criminals until it is no longer convenient (more on that in a minute) – The palace rulers are absolute monsters and yet...we see them all over society because they are a product of that society. And then there’s Futaba, an orphan and mentally ill girl left to rot by society; Sae, a woman trying so hard to achieve her justice and support her sister, constantly stamped down in a society that says a woman can’t, a woman shouldn’t. Society is the true villain and Yaldabaoth is their collective will, manifested so that the final boss battle of the game can just be the PTs taking down the whole of a corrupt society. It’s really the ultimate culmination of their efforts and what they’ve fought against. Because as awful as they all are, the palace rulers are products of a screwed up society (one that reflects our own) – Totally and 100% responsible for their acts, but they were allowed to exist due to this society.
SO if they’re made by society, why are they “escaped convicts” from the Prison of Regression? This is a representation of how society is broken – it creates these criminals, it condones their actions, but once they become too “disruptive”, THEN and ONLY then do they become an issue. Yaldabaoth, to me, is similar to a supercomputer type villain (think AM, a very similar character imo) – the palace rulers are errant, erratic variables that upset the status quo and so must be culled. His dialogue reads very much like a sterile computer program and I think rather than completely outright malicious in his intent, he is performing what he believes to be a necessary function:
Society creates them, encourages them, and then becomes upset when their actions are brought to light and so punishes them (or in Shido’s case at first and so often irl, are let off) so as to quickly restore equilibrium where they can once again ignore all of their ills. Essentially, the palace rulers exhibit that the whole system is sick and doesn’t work, yet people by and large pretend it does because it’s so much easier to say it was one “bad apple” or blame the victims rather than admitting the entire framework of society is completely rotten from the inside out.
What is Yaldabaoth’s goal then? He sets up a game to see if society can be shaken from this apathy or if they no longer wish to lead their own lives. Joker plays the trickster, an antihero the public can root for, the rebellious and glamorous rogue that punishes criminals without help of the establishment. If he wins, this would indicate the public no longer wishes for the status quo, but for a new society that wants to reinvent itself, which is generally well explained...
Goro Akechi is his opposite – He creates chaos and fear in the public to push them back into their comfortable boxes, make them wish for the status quo represented by Shido so they can stop living in fear and return to their lives where they can ignore everything around them. If he wins, this would signal that the public don’t want to fight but instead only want security and familiarity, choosing to turn a blind eye to everything the trickster had accomplished in order to remain safe. (This is made much less clear in the dialogue, because they don’t go over Goro’s role much at all.)
He sets up the entire game on this premise, and the experiment runs...however, it ends unexpectedly. Joker succeeds in taking down Akechi and the PTs expose Shido’s crimes as well as the conspiracy itself, but the public still does not support the Phantom Thieves. They clamor for a disgraced Shido and THIS is why Joker still loses – remember, Yaldabaoth is only a representation of society itself, and society no longer believes in the Phantom Thieves. Yaldabaoth did expect the loss, he knew how far gone humanity was, he just didn’t expect this exact scenario. Of course, the game was rigged – as Lavenza says, Yaldabaoth expects Joker to fulfill the role of the Trickster and so he keeps him close, watching over him in an attempt to stall him out as Lavenza explains.
However, due to the set up of the game, the only win condition is public support. Joker doesn’t earn it and therefor he loses, a decision that is not arbitrary despite possibly appearing so (although it is certainly unfair, pointed out by Morgana).
After offering Joker his deal (that’s a whole OTHER post I could write, y’all know I’m a clown), Yaldabaoth then moves to merge reality with Mementos in order to exert his will over the whole of the public. He wishes to rid them of their free will because, as Yaldabaoth sees it, it seems a vast majority of the public wish to no longer have it anyway and the ones that do merely become anomalies that must be purged from his system before they become too disruptive. Of course, this is an oversimplified way of viewing the issue, but again, he’s sort of like a computer – he will take care of the issue in the most efficient way possible, and that is to rule over society himself. (Again, using the word “administrator” invokes computer terminology and likens him to a mechanical program):
Interestingly, his defeat is brought about by the public backing the Phantom Thieves 100% - an action that triggers Arsene’s evolution into Satanael, Yaldabaoth’s rebellious son. Satanael is of the Fool Arcana, the confidant that represents Joker’s bond to Yaldabaoth himself...to the public, in a sense, and so it’s fitting that this persona is the one to destroy him as he is no longer needed.
So Yaldabaoth is both a character in his own right and representative of the will of the public as well. His writing is confusing, lacking in explanation, and relies heavily on obscure references to his Gnostic roots along with religious symbolism (eg., the floors of Mementos taking their names from the Qliphoth and the palace rulers being representative of the seven deadly sins), and I think that’s why he feels so out of place to so many players. However, the best possible final antagonist for P5’s themes and plot is society itself – the society that shunned them, the society that created the palace rulers, the society that desperately needs to be done away with if we wish for these travesties to come to an end. Because P5 isn’t about individual evil, it’s about institutional evils that create and perpetuate so much individual pain that goes unnoticed and uncared for. Yaldabaoth is the amalgamation and manifestation of that broken system, he gives it a presence and a voice so that the PTs can fight back against it physically. So even though his writing is handled poorly and his execution is lacking, I find him to be a perfect fit and a satisfying conclusion to P5’s themes as an unfair, cruel society turned into a dogmatic god.
This meta really just gives an overview of everything he represents, so I can always go into more detail about any of the points but I hope this explanation helps those that were confused by his inclusion in P5! I’m perfectly happy to elaborate on anything I talked about and clear up any confusion (I didn’t want this post to go on literally FOREVER, so I know some things might require more info), so feel free to ask questions! Other than that have a happy Day of Reckoning and remember to celebrate Bad End Akira’s birthday 🥳🎉
#persona 5#yaldabaoth#CAN YOU BELIEVE I WROTE THIS???? GOD....#also this is just my read so there's probs other theories out there#but i'm satisfied with this explanation and i think it covers most things#and this is not criticism of ppl that don't get him bc he's so fucking confusing#like it took me forever to understand what his whole deal was it's so frustrating#y'all are valid as hell but i was just hoping i could help out#i'm super nervous posting metas in the tags but i worked hard on this one!!!#so i'm throwing it out there and if u read ALL of that...ur my hero thank u sm#p5 spoilers#persona 5 spoilers#nothing for the new game tho this is all vanilla
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G1 Episode 30: Transcript
Episode Show Notes
[This can also be found on AO3!]
[Stinger]
S: Black, like it’s-
O: Yes, it's completely black. Like straight fucking coffee. It is the sludge from hell.
[Intro Music]
O: Hello, welcome to the Afterspark Podcast, an episode by episode recap of the Generation 1 Transformers cartoon. I'm Owls!
S: And I'm Specs.
O: And today we're gonna be talking about episode number 30: Day of the Machines! Let's talk about giant robots today, shall we?
S: Yeah.
O: [Laughter] We start with, of course: Midnight, Quantum Laboratories, home of America's most secret inventions.
S: A security guard finds some um, “misplaced” items- ah, some very familiar misplaced items. [Laughter] Oh-
O: Hi, Soundwave! So the guard picks up- a picks up Soundwave along with a box and a guitar case and takes them to the Lost and Found.
S: It looked like it was in someone's office. Sooooo, why does the security guard uh, take it to Lost and Found? Why does he even do that? I mean, he says something about the absent-minded professor being at it again. Um, does this mean he just does this with anything that's left in people's offices?
O: He is like the most passive-aggressive security guard ever. [Laughter] (Or whatever he is.) Because, like, oh that would be super annoying every time you come in it's like, where- where's my office plant? I guess, you know, Roger took it back to the lost and found cuz Roger is a jerk.
S: Yeah.
O: [Laughter]
S: Laserbeak and Soundwave transform and uh, Soundwave tosses a key to Laserbeak, telling him to release Megatron.
O: And, oh my god, Megatron’s in the frickin’ guitar case. Why didn't he just transform instead of them unlocking it? Why do they care about the structural integrity of this random guitar case?
S: Maybe it would be uncomfortable to transform and burst out of it? It’s- I don't know.
O: Okay, so Megatron doesn't like being uncomfortable. Is that why he was in a plush guitar case?
S: Obviously.
O: [Laughter] He’s gotta ride in comfort!
S: Once Megatron's free Soundwave grabs the box and Megatron blasts the Lost and Found, uh, door?-
O: Gate.
S: Gate-
O: They were like in a kind of gated, like, a clear fence area if that makes sense.
S: Yeah.
O: Chain-link fence, that’s the word I’m looking for, sorry.
S: Yeah- Megatron blasts the a- chain-link entrance to the Lost and Found with his fusion cannon.
O: And yet the guitar case will survive this! It just gets left behind.
S: That's a lot of attention to detail for something that does not matter at all.
O: [Laughter] Right?! Megatron and Soundwave then subvert some tanks by flying over them undetected.
S: You know, in the gentle glow of the moonlight.
O: I'm sorry, I'm still stuck on the whole “Megatron being somewhat subtle” here thing.
S: It's Megatron, what can you do?
O: [Snicker]
S: So Megatron, uh, blasts a hole in the roof of the building that they land on.
O: Well, okay, subtle for him. [Laughter] We are then introduced to the most powerful computer on earth, TORQ III.
S: This implies the existence of TORQs I and II, so what happened to them? For that matter, why is it Decepticon-scaled?
O: No one knows, although I do love the image of TORQ I and II being shoved into, like, a broom closet somewhere. Probably rather glad they're in that broom closet, considering what happens to TORQ III after this.
S: Yeah.
O: So, Megatron then... reprograms TORQ III to serve only him by using this really phallic looking thing that comes out of his helm.
S: It's a literal mind fuck, guys.
O: Literally! That looks like that is what is happening!
S: Yes!
O: Very, very much! [Laughter]
S: Yes, like you weren’t watching that bit when we scripted this and then I threw it out and then when we rewatched it and you were like, “Eeeaaaurgh!”
O: Yeah, I was like, “Okay sure, mind fuck,” cuz I'm like looking down and typing and then I look up, when I had to rewind for some reason and I was like, “Oh my god!” [Laughter] And she’s like, “Yeah, that’s why I said it!” I’m like, I wasn’t looking. [Laughter] Well, that image will never leave my head. Great!
S: And now it's in yours!
O: [Laughter] Or it will be! We have screenshots. Anyway, TORQ begins blaring, “Illegal access! Illegal access!”
S: Oh, that brings to mind so many bad things.
O: Yeah, it does! Yikes!
S: “It certainly is,” Megatron replies.
O: It's amazing. I love it. [dissolves into laughter]
S: Oh god, the computers’ screen-face-thing is purple, so what were these people thinking? This is like Decepticon catnip. Did they hear it was purple and decided they needed to have it, in addition to it being the most powerful computer?
O: No, Megatron heard it was purple and decided they needed- needed to have it. [Laughter]
S: He would. So, Megatron, being himself, procedes to program it with his personality because what could be better? More of him!
O: Okay, bu- but why does sticking his head-dick into the computer make it into a copy of him? I have so many questions right now, the first of which is, why would this be a good idea?! Did Megatron just forget he's a complete total bastard who doesn't like authority?
S: Obviously, there's no one better than him so…
O: That's fine and dandy until the thing tries to rebel against you and, I'm like, it’s you, of course it's going to.
S: It's a blind spot he has.
O: Obviously. Soundwave and Megatron, then open the box they had brought in with them, and put the microchips inside onto these really strange looking robots around the lab TORQ is in.
S: Yeah, yeah, I mean what possible applications these robots have? How do they function? One’s got noodly arms that don't even- that they don't nearly seem like they should be able to lift anything. And they're all just sort of scattered around the lab higgledy-piggledy.
O: Yeah.
S: In a line? Or something, I don’t know.
O: It's weird.
S: Once the microchips, apparently called ‘circuit linkers’, touch the other robots TORQ can control them.
O: He then uses Soundwave for target practice. Another lovely character for my shit list, apparently.
S: Owls is developing quite a shit list.
O: I am! I've got my hit list. The funny thing is there will be several that will die. Foreshadowing for the movie.
S: [Laughter]
Unfortunately, characters I actually like will die so I don't really think that gets me, you know, anything, honestly.
S: [Laughter] There's no net gains there.
O: There’s no net gains here.
S: And so, elsewhere, two scientists are working super late, wondering if they made TORQ- TORQ III even though it's not specified here- you know, too smart.
O: And TORQ could control the whole world, uh, whatever would we do if the wrong person got ahold of him, uh, you know, so, you mean, like right now, this very second!
S: Ah, one of the scientists notices that it's, you know, fucking after midnight and says they should go home and get some sleep.
O: He says “we.” Are the scientists lovers?
S: It's possible. Maybe they're married?
O: It’s getting spicy tonight, baby. Welcome to Dr. Love’s laboratory! And so as he turns to leave- or as one of the scientists turns to leave, the robot controlled door closes and locks them in. When they go to call maintenance, TORQ tells them that maintenance can't help them.
S: This is why robot doors are bad, guys.
O: Or, not having a secondary method in which to exit, at least, is very bad.
S: Yeah, the other scientist um, starts for rebuild- rebuilding his, ah, little TV phone into something that can call long distance in order to call for help because, I guess, TORQ does not control the phone lines.
O: Or won't, if he rebuilds it?
S: I guess? I don’t know. Elsewhere, by dawn's morning light, Megatron, Rumble, and Frenzy are flying around, putting more of the control chips onto some oil tankers because that's how that works, I guess?
O: Di- did you know oil tankers come in fleets, Specs?
S: It seems like so much wasted effort went into the shot. They clearly drew all of these ships individually.
O: Ah, the days before digital animation and coloring, I think.
S: But they could have just Xeroxed one of them and been done-
O: [Laughter] Or even traced! Maybe, I guess.
S: I mean, look at 101 Dalmatians, they did fuckin Xerox-
O: That’s true-
S: So many Xeroxed dalmatians-
O: Shit, that's right, there are a ton of Xeroxed dogs. [Laughter] Elsewhere, at the Ark, Teletraan warns Optimus that there's skullduggery afoot!
S: A bunch of oil tankers are converging near the Decepticon base which- is in the middle of the ocean?
O: In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, according to this map. To which I have to ask, how the hell did Carly get in there a few episodes back?
S: She chartered a plane, a train, and an automobile, and then teeny-weeny little boat.
O: Well, while I do certainly think Carly is capable of that, considering she's badass. I refuse to believe this map is accurate and they have to be in the Pacific Ocean. It just seems too close to the Autobot base in other episodes not to be. If, regardless, if they drove all the way to Washington DC no problem in that one episode. Either that or the platform isn't built on top of their base as the dialogue seems to imply and it's just, you know, one of their bases of the week.
S: Which they do seem to have so many of those.
O: They do have a lot of those.
S: Yeah and so, well, Optimus smells a rat named Megatron.
O: I mean, he's not wrong.
S: He really isn't and, uh, so Quantum Labs is finally able to get a hold of Optimus, I think, through Teletraan. I don't remember.
O: Yeah, I mean, Teletraan 1 basically operates as their phone so-
S: Yeah.
O: -Yes.
S: Yeah. So, the scientists at Quantum Labs warns them about TORQ's sudden case of the evils.
O: And Optimus is ready to head towards the Lab. Hound offers to investigate the oil tankers all converging in the middle of the goddamn Atlantic Ocean.
S: You're not a boat, Hound. You're really not.
O: It's ok, Skyfire’s gonna come. Skyfire and Spike. [Laughter] You know, the dream team!
S: Optimus transforms and, um, Wheeljack, Prowl, Sideswipe, and Ironhide are suddenly right there! Right there! Where the hell did those guys come from?
O: Through the power of camera angles they were there the whole time.
S: Prime's group arrives at the Labs and Optimus rips the crossing barrier off so they can enter before, you know, being shot at by, you know, the robots. Or tanks?
O: They are attacked by all the tanks from before, that apparently don't have any humans controlling them.
S: Oh, oh so that's why they were so useless earlier.
O: Oh, yeah, probably.
S: The Autobots are surrounded by this plethora of vehicles as Optimus channels Charlie Brown, “Good grief!”
O: Or Jotaro from JoJo's Strange Adv- Bizarre Adventure.
S: Yeah, Being cars themselves, they got the brilliant idea to, um, shoot out the tires on the attacking vehicles.
O: This only gets them so far, so Optimus Prime speed dials the Dinobots by pressing his abs.
S: Ah, ab cell-phone service.
O: I mean, it was the 80’s. I mean, why not make the cell phone your entire ab if it's got to be huge? Might as well, right? I mean, at least, you save a little space, but that being said you would think it’s in his helmet considering the little antenna a few episodes back. But continuity? What's that?
S: And I’m just imagining someone going up and knocking on your grill while in truck mode.
O: [Laughter] “Optimus Prime call Dinobots! Dinobots smash gas station!” [Laughter] “Wait, no!”
S: So Peter Cullen talks to himself for a few lines and the Dinobots arrived with Grimlock in the lead.
O: Good thing Peter Cullen only does Prime and Ironhide because if we had to say that- if we said that joke for every time Welker talked to himself it would be absurd.
S: We'd be here all day.
O: We would be here all day!
S: Optimus orders the Dinobots to smash here-
O: Which, obviously, being Dinobots they comply, there is much mayhem and explosions.
S: Yep. So, apparently, the doors are controlled by a computer but not the windows because the two scientists are able to shout to the Autobots from their open window.
O: I also am laughing because a lot of like ah, multi-story buildings that are, like, work places you can't even open the windows.
S: Especially now. You might have been able to in the ‘80’s.
O: Yeah.
S: But, uh- but, uh-
O: Definitely be a question because probably not every place had AC either.
S: Yeah.
O: So I imagine it would have been more common. Sludge gives Optimus a lift to the window and he helps the two scientists escape.
S: Optimus asks a question and then um, answers it himself with, you know, the answer, of course, being Megatron.
O: He's basically, like, a machine rebellion!
S: The scientists are confused as TORQ shouldn't be able to control things that aren't, you know, specifically designed for it. Then Sparkplug shows up to explain about the chips the Decepticons have been using them. Um.
O: Where did he come from? Why are characters poofing into existence so much in this episode?
S: The power of convenience.
O: The power of convenience. Optimus then takes the chip from Sparkplug and sticks it into his arm.
S: Optimus, why would you do that? It's controlled everything else it's touched just by touching it.
O: But not him, apparently. The Autobots are led to TORQ’s hangar but the door is locked.
S: To quote Optimus, “Thankfully, I have a delicate lock-picking technique.”
O: That technique is blasting the door- [Laughter]
S: And-
O: Let it never be said that Optimus doesn't have a sense of humor.
S: Oh, oh god, he definitely has a sense of humor.
O: It's just dad humor.
S: Yeah, and so the Autobots are attacked by those funky looking machines that we saw earlier before we jet on over to Skyfire and company.
O: Apparently the Decepticons plan is to collect all the oil from the tankers and pump it down to their base but, oh no, the oil platform is protected by an unbreakable shield.
S: We've seen that one before.
O: How the heck didn’t the Autobots see the Cons building this giant freaking platform in the middle of the fucking ocean!
S: They're just not paying attention to the goddamn oceans, I don't know.
O: The Sky Spy, you have Sky Spies!
S: Yep, they land on one of the tankers. Hound and Spike exiting from Skyfire’s crotch hatch.
O: Of course.
S: They ask the captain to hide them so they can get, you know, through the shield and surprise the Decepticons.
O: Hide him how? Skyfire is huge! How are they going to hide him?
S: Mass-shifting? I don't know, somehow it works.
O: And at the boat docks, Megatron's supervising personally, for some reason, along with an incorrectly coloured Hook.
S: As the ship approaches, Hound and Skyfire jump out of a conveniently sized hole that was just on the ship's deck. I guess it's um, a hold or something? I don't know.
O: Yeah, but it was really large. Like, large enough for Skyfire to get into. I have no idea how realistic that is. And then a fight breaks out! Soundwave and some of his cassettes joining the fray as well and our dead-weight- I mean, Spike, is captured by Laserbeak pretty much immediately.
S: Yep. Megatron tells them to surrender or he'll have Laserbeak drop- drop Spike.
O: [Sarcasm] Oh no.
S: Soundwave is standing off in the background like the strong, independent tape deck he is.
O: And, back at the lab, more of those crazy machines come out of the hole Prime blasted and attack.
S: Again, what were these made for? They seem, um, perfect for hunting Autobots. Optimus, were your friends planning on doing bad things to you?
O: Quite possibly. About those bad things, Optimus is captured by the kink machine- I mean, the bondage machine- oh, I mean, the one with the tentacles. [Laughter]
S: [Laughter]
O: I’m serious, what else is that thing supposed to be for? Like, maybe that's what they were doing? Were they making a giant bondage machine for the Autobots? [Laughter]
S: [Silent laughter]
O: I broke Specs, yay! [Laughter] I’m sorry!
S: Prowl can lift as he struggles to hold one of the robot’s mouths open, so it doesn't, like, crush him.
O: But then Ironhide just walks up to his opponent, plugs a hole with his finger and then it explodes. Welcome to the Looney Tunes, starring the Autobots.
S: [Laughter] Sideswipe just makes his clap and that kills it.
O: [Laughter] Of course. So after, you know, um, all of that, they finally enter the hangar to find a maze.
S: Who designed this place?
O: I think TORQ’s done some redecorating overnight. He has had an army of, like, robo slaves at his disposal.
S: The funky-ass robots.
O: [Laughter] Kinkmatron.
S: [Laughter]
O: That’s it’s name now, no one can stop me! Optimus enters alone, uh, before we cut back to Skyfire, Hound, and Spike, who are in the Decepticon brig.
S: When the Decepticons catch naughty Autobots, they go in the naughty Autobot hole.
O: Dare I ask what that means for Spike? [Laughter]
S: [Laughter] God, there is a really terrible pun there.
O: [Laughter] Yeah, there probably is!
S: God, I am not going into that.
O: [Laughter] Nope, nope, we’ve talked about kink machines multiple times, I don’t want to get into anything else tonight!
S: Spike and his compatriots are trapped and waiting for rescue but, don't worry, Spike has a plan!
O: I feel like it's only fair, they're stuck there because of Spike in the first place. He should have a plan.
S: Well, considering what his plan is, he was the only damn one who can carry out.
O: True.
S: TORQ- Well, back with Optimus, TORQ continues to bait Optimus as, you know, our dad-bot makes his way through the maze and evil robots.
O: Optimus gets another circuit breaker- that wasn’t what it was called.
S: Circuit linker-
O: -Circuit linker put on him and this controls him. [Laughter] You know, “controls him.”
S: I guess we should assume Sparkplug or Wheeljack disabled the other one, um…?
O: That makes sense. Although I- hmmm. So through this entire section, right, I was comparing TORQ’s dialogue to Megatron. You know, since Megs programmed his personality into this computer. You know, everything seems spot-on, I can hear Megatron saying all of this but then when TORQ captures Optimus he says, “Come to me, my pet,” and I have to admit it sounds like what Megatron would say in this situation, and I basically fucking lost it while we were watching it. But to make this even better! He says, “You're mine now,” two seconds later. Apparently, Megatron's thirst for Optimus transferred over, too!
S: Yeah. Surprise! Optimus has been pretending to be controlled the entire time.
O: Of course!
S: And that broken- broken circuit linker he had earlier was, in fact, there for a reason. He swapped it with the active one.
O: How he managed to do that without touching the live one is debatable but alright.
S: I don't have the time or energy to debate it so-
O: [Laughter] Fair.
S: Let's not. TORQ orders his robots to destroy Optimus but one well-placed punch by, you know, the Dad-bot makes TORQ explode.
O: Ding-dong, the TORQ is dead.
S: TORQ I and II are probably very grateful.
O: [Laughter] I mean, TORQ III seems like a bastard. Certainly was a bastard there at the end. Soundwave warns Megatron that TORQ is no longer in control of the tankers but Megs’ will control them with his radio transmitter he's conveniently holding.
S: Does it come with a funky hat?
O: We could only hope but, sadly, no.
S: Yeah. The scientists send Optimus and company off on, like, a super-fast boat. I think it's a hydrofoil, I don't know, as they head towards the Decepticons location. So, apparently, they were close to the coast.
O: Apparently. With Sparkplug driving, by the way.
S: Oh, Sparkplug, most interesting man in the world. He knows how to do everything! He's been a ruby miner, an oil driller, a mechanic, boat captain, everything!
O: Autobot liaison?
S: Yeah.
O: And back into the brig, uh, Spike has conveniently found an electromagnet just lying around.
S: I'm starting to think this isn't so much their brig, as it is their trash-pile room.
O: Not to mention what the fuck they were using an electromagnet for or how.
S: I don't know. God, ygm Spike uses the electromagnet to magnetize the cassettes standing by the door to the walls- magnetize their guards.
O: Yes, essentially. With the cassettes incapacitated, Skyfire burst the door down- bust the door down. I know what I'm saying.
S: And through a five-second interlude we are told the Autobots in the boat are within sight, as Soundwave spots them.
O: But Megatron's not worried, they'll never get that shield, right?
S: Jetfire, Hound, and Spike find the shield generator uh, so helpfully being guarded by Frenzy.
O: Skyfire lures Frenzy away as Hound shoots the generator with one of his missiles.
S: How did Hound get his ammo back? Because I'm pretty sure they were disarmed.
O: Shhh! They don't want you to think about it, they didn't, either.
S: Well, that's true. The shield goes down just as the other Autobots arrive and, ah, you'll never guess how they do! The boat yeets itself out of the water and onto the platform and it’s horrifyingly entertaining cuz I keep imagining that the boat is gonna break.
O: Right? Another fight breaks out with Starscream, Laserbeak, and Frenzy joining Megatron and Soundwave.
S: And Megatron runs away and Optimus follows to destroy the radio transmitter.
O: Once destroyed, Optimus tells the tankers they're free to go.
S: Megatron, you know, being a sore loser sets the whole platform to explode.
O: The other Bots make it back to the boat but Prime runs to go find Skyfire and the others who who they presumably know are on there, for some reason?
S: I mean, I think-
O: I mean, it's not the worst assumption to make but, I'm like, did they see them? I don't think they did.
S: I mean, they talked to one of the tanker captains? I don't know.
O: I don’t know if they… They wouldn’t have had time. I- I'm gonna go with maybe they've all got GPS on them or something and roll with that, probably.
S: Yeah. So they all make it out on Skyfire once he's able to get, you know, out of the platform.
O: And take off.
S: Yeah.
O: One of the scientists thanks the bots for their help and makes a rather unfortunate comment about unreliable machines.
S: [Sigh]
O: You know, eating that entire foot.
S: Yeah, and he attempts to make a recovery but it's not really successful.
O: It isn’t very good.
S: And that's it! That's the end of the episode. Oh, but they brought the boat back to where it was from originally.
O: I mean, good for them for not exploding the boat, that was helpfully lent into them, I suppose.
S: Yeah.
O: But join us next time for everyone's favorite holiday: Autobot Day! Wait... wait... no? Do we mean: Decepticon Day?
S: [Sigh] Parades.
O: [Laughter]
S: There are parades.
O: Parades and I think this is a multi-parter, if I’m remembering properly?
S: Yep.
O: Cause, I think it's like Megatron’s Master Plan?
S: Yeah, I’m pretty sure that's what it is.
O: It's a multi-parts-
S: It’s two parts, I’m pretty sure. And we have fanfiction recommendations. Due to the fact that I've been swamped, I didn't come up with any so Owls has supplied our fanfiction recommendations for today.
O: Wild-card fics yet again. These had nothing to do with the episode. All right, um, so I have picked two for today. The first one is “Cuck Rung” by… I think this is said, Evedawalrus.
S: Yeah, I think that’s what it is.
O: I think that’s accurate. I can’t remember what her username is on Tumblr but, um, it is IDW continuity, it is rated T. It's technically slash but let me tell you all the slash is relatively background, for the most part, and where it's really not the main focus but it has, um, Minimus Ambus/Megatron and uh, Drift/Ratchet. Our main characters, there are more than this that have popped up since, but our main characters are Rodimus, Ultra Magnus, Drift, Ratchet, Swerve, Megatron, and Ravage.
O: Our description is: Rodimus creates a shipwide group chat. This proves to be a horrible decision. It is ongoing, it's not complete, it is multi-chapter and, let me tell you, it is hilarious. I laugh my ass off every time I read this. Um, because it is literally just a group chat with all of these characters and think of it very much like a discord where you have certain people who can, like, rename others and all this other shit. It's amazing, I highly recommend it. [Laughter]
And our second one is a “Shimmer of Hope” by NiCad? [Pronounced ny-cad]
S: Ny-cad? Nee-cad?
O: One of those.
S: The pronunciation’s debatable.
O: Thank you, Internet! It is IDW, it's rated T, it’s Gen, uh, there are no pairings, and our characters are Verity and Springer. The summary is, “What did Verity write in that thank you card to Springer, anyway?” It's a one shot. I believe this is after- it's the last of the Wreckers trilogy from the IDW comics.
S: Requiem for the Wreckers, maybe?
O: I think that one. Uh, this is right after that. It's pretty short but, um, I really like Verity so I'm like Verity needs to be in more things, so those are our recommendations for today.
S: And that just about wraps it up for us today, remember to check us out on Tumblr or Pillowfort as Afterspark-Podcast for any additional information, show notes, or links, we may have mentioned. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter at AftersparkPod (all one word). And various other locations by searching for Afterspark…. Podcast- [Laughter]
O: [Laughter]
S: You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter at AftersparkPod (all one word). And various other locations by searching for Afterspark Podcast, such as AO3, iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Youtube, just to name a few.
O: Ah, feel free to send us questions on Tumblr, too. We actually, you know, have to do a mic check before we do any recording so, ah, it’s helpful for us. I have a list of questions but we're gonna run out eventually and I don't think I should be left to think of questions by myself. If you have a question about Transformers or whatever, feel free to send it to us on Tumblr and we'll probably use it for a warm-up and I'll try to answer it on Tumblr, too.
S: Yeah or, I guess, in the comments on AO3, Youtube.
O: Yep, that also works comments on AO3, Youtube Basically anywhere we respond back to which is mostly Youtube and AO3.
S: Yeah, uh, so till next time, guys! I'm Specs!
O: And I’m Owls!
S: Toodles!
[Outro Music]
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Whose Messiah Can Succeed?
Here is the central problem, as I see it, with traditional Judaism's Messiah as it is unpacked and explained by those exponents of the Jewish tradition who are engaging critically with Christianity.
According to this view, the Messianic Age will be publicly and irrefutably manifested because 1) the Jewish people will be regathered from exile, 2) all nations will confess the one God, and 3) there will be a universal dominion of peace, nations shall cease to make war.
Let's set aside 1) for now, though I think it suffers from similar problems.
Judaism as I understand it affirms the reality of free will. Man has a good and an evil inclination, and it is the duty of man to exercise his will in such a way that is faithful to God and in accordance with the good rather than evil inclination. A traditional Jew who affirms free will in this sense, however, faces a very serious problem when dealing with the concept of the Messiah and Messianic Age. This concept of Messiah presumes that the fundamental problem is one of knowledge. The nations simply do not know that traditional Judaism is the only embodiment of the covenant that the God of Israel made with the people of Israel. Apart from a very small number of Gentiles participating in the Noahide movement (in Judaism all Gentiles are Noahides by birth- “Noahidism” does not existed as a corporate movement with distinct worship and tradition) and converts to Judaism, all the nations have varying degrees of misconceptions about reality. Either they crudely worship idols or they worship God with an inaccurate view of His relationship with mankind.
What the Messiah does is he, through his supernatural work, confirms the faithfulness of God to the Jewish people within the covenantal framework of Orthodox Judaism. Such supernatural confirmation provides empirical verification to the whole world that the Lord alone is God and that Israel- serving God through Torah in its rabbinic interpretation- is His people. The Messiah provides good judgment, resolves conflicts, and brings war and idolatry to a conclusion.
But is this plausible? I believe that this raises serious problems given what we read in the Torah about mankind. In the Torah, we read that Pharaoh continued to harden his heart even as the miraculous provision of God for the Jewish people increased. No matter how self-evident it was, how direct the revelation of God had become, Pharaoh continued in his rebellion. Perhaps one might suggest that this is more complex because of the issue of the hardening or strengthening of Pharaoh’s heart. Let’s set it aside for the sake of argument. What about Israel herself?
When Israel comes to Sinai, she beholds the God of Israel descend in terrifying glory upon the mountain and the basic framework for the Torah covenant is publicly announced. Moses’ prophetic calling is empirically verified in an irrefutable way, thereby affirming that Moses is the divinely anointed messenger through whom Torah is given to all Israel. The covenant is formally sealed and affirmed through representative elders. And yet, within forty days of his ascent, Israel is worshiping a golden calf. There was no shortage of empirical verification. And yet, she rebelled.
Perhaps, one objects, Moses’ absence renders this different than the messianic age, where the manifestation of the Messiah will be unending. Yet, the problem extended even before Sinai. At the Red Sea, after amazing and visible plagues on all Egypt, Israel still mutters that Moses brought them out to die in the wilderness. After the covenant, after the covenant renewal, after Egypt is destroyed and while the glory of God is visibly present to the entire nation from dawn to dusk, Israel still rebels. Israel cries against God and Moses out of fear of the Canaanites- despite having just seen the collapse of Egyptian civilization. Matters as trivial as being bored with food bring Israel to rise up in rage against Moses and God.
This is not a case made uniquely against the Jewish people. Israel in her story does not distinguish herself from the nations: rather, she embodies the psychological and spiritual condition of all nations. Mankind does not rebel or disbelieve because God has hidden Himself. Man may claim such when God hides Himself, but at those moments of visible and plain revelation, mankind still turns up its nose. And so the problem with Judaism’s Messiah is that everything we know about mankind- from the Torah, from the Prophets, from human experience- everything we know tells us that God could write “I am God, I alone am God, please stop the foolishness” in the stars tonight, announcing it in every language directly to all nations, and the next morning we would see scores of people declaring that aliens had finally manifested themselves to the human race and that the reality of God had been refuted by such a discovery. There is a deeper problem in the human condition than mere ignorance, and the Torah bears grave witness to this fact.
Judaism’s Messiah- even if he empirically verified the truth of Judaism to all nations- could not succeed in the short timespan thought to be the distinctive marker of the messianic age.
Israel���s story was not one of failure and constant rebellion. Her story is more complex. While worshiping idols in the crudest possible way during the period of the judges, eventually the nation began to digest its lesson. During the age of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, idolatry continued to exist but was less common. More common was worship of the one true God but in forbidden ways. And with the exile and return, the Jewish people ceased to worship on high places, but worshiped according to God’s instructions, bearing witness of the one Lord and King to the Gentiles among whom they lived. What happened at this point in her history- forty years before the fall of the Temple- is where Orthodox Judaism and Orthodox Christianity part ways. But we can both see that there was change. Slowly but surely, God molded His chosen nation.
Even so, compare the census provided at the beginning of Numbers with the census figures provided at the beginning of Ezra. The Jewish people had been put through a refiner’s fire- and what emerged had been purified, a worthy vessel for the Most High’s divine purpose- but it was reduced to a fraction of what it was in the process.
How? If this is what it took- a thousand years with most bloodlines disappearing- to gain a Torah-faithful people, how could the prophetic word come true? All nations flowing to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Universal peace? Swords into plowshares? With a thousand years and such a cost- with no lack of direct, miraculous, and empirical verification of the divine commandments- how could all nations be gathered to the one God in the short chronology that traditional Judaism provides for the accomplishment of the messianic task?
This is why, my friends, I find the Christian interpretation of history more compelling. This does not prove Jesus is the Messiah. Proving that requires much more direct evidence. It requires a careful engagement with everything written in the Torah and Prophets. But in my view, this does show that there are serious problems, given the Torah’s own witness to the pattern of human life and the nature of human rebellion, with the rabbinic concept of the Jewish Messiah and the short timespan given for his mission. On the Christian view I hold, Jesus as Israel’s Messiah secures in His own person the resurrection of the dead, the inheritance of all nations, and the circumcision of the heart through the outpouring of the Spirit. Jesus is enthroned and reigning now, and the divine work for the healing of all nations and the gathering up of the entire human family into one faithful people- with many languages, tongues, and songs- proceeds apace. Producing a small faithful remnant among the Jewish people took a thousand years from the Torah covenant to the return under King Cyrus. Now, God’s work is much more ambitious. No longer a mere remnant, but all nations. The dispersed human family which had united around the idolatrous altar of Babylon in its early history shall ultimately be united around the one faithful altar of Zion in the continuing unfolding of the Creator’s wise purpose in the world.
Two thousand years ago, the New Testament was written. Its central subject- Jesus of Nazareth- was to most who were acquainted in passing with Him a strange curiosity. A Jewish prophet and wonderworker, crucified, executed. His disciples claimed He had been resurrected. And there were some among the Jews and Gentiles who believed. But when the New Testament was written, what we today call Christianity was a relatively obscure cult from the east. And in the midst of its obscurity, the authors of these texts proudly declared that the crucified Jew was lord over all nations, that all would bend the knee to him. They claimed that he reigned from a throne in the heavenlies, and that this would be affirmed in his subduing all nations to himself, in his defeat of his enemies, and in the proclamation of his name. A strange claim, to be sure.
And yet here we are. The claims made of Jesus of Nazareth in the New Testament were not made in light of a profound and unexpected success among the Gentile peoples. It was not as if so many Gentiles began to be compelled by the Jewish teacher Yeshua that some Jews thought he may be the one who would make God known to the nations. No, the cult was an obscure one, and a fragmenting one. And yet, they made their claims. They said that He was the one to make God known. And less than three centuries later, the Emperor of the Romans declared that idolatry would be obliterated from the Roman state and that the Roman Empire would celebrate the God who had elected Abraham, brought Israel from Egypt, and sent the prophets. And the Emperor of the Romans proclaimed this God to be the one God in the Name of the Jew who was crucified and proclaimed as enthroned among His relatively small community of passionate followers three centuries earlier: Jesus.
That many believe that Jesus is indeed the Jewish Messiah is no proof, of course, that He is such. Such would have to be made through direct and careful engagement with Israel’s Scriptures. And yet in light of what I explored above concerning the deep implausibility of the idea, given human nature and our tendency towards rebellion, that the messianic work of illumining and healing the nations could take place in an historical instant, his claim to be Israel’s Messiah has a certain plausibility to it. It demands consideration. Billions from the nations at least claim to worship the one God of Abraham, influenced in one way or another by the historical impact of Jesus of Nazareth. To be sure, the peace and universal dominion unveiled in the prophets has not yet unfolded in its fullness, or near its fullness. But that reality is not true because of a low truth about the impact of Jesus on history, but because of the high horizons to which the prophets point- and which Jesus Himself reaffirms. As John Ortberg has explored in multiple books, the world has without question been brought nearer to sanctification through Jesus. There are steps forward and back. But consider where His people were two thousand years ago- and what “Jesus of Nazareth” meant to most people then- comparing that with the name “Jesus of Nazareth” today, we can see that the prophetic vision, a vision which could not take place in anything other than ages of time- has moved forward and continues to do so in the name of Jesus the Messiah.
The guarantee of the future success of the church is in the faithfulness of God in making its proclamation heard in the past. A long future for the church is a message of hope, not despair. For the “God of Hope” is one who does not cast away the world in disgust nor do only the bare minimum. The superabundance of His grace brings, as the Apocalypse makes manifest, the “healing of the nations” In light of the possibility- ad even probability- of this long future, Paul’s words in Ephesians 2:4-7 gain new depth:
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with the Messiah--by grace you have been saved-- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in the Messiah Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in the Messiah- Jesus.
The revelation of the grace of God occurs in the reality that the time of grace is not a brief window for escape from a collapsing and doomed world, but in a mystery of “coming ages” in which the gifts given are truly “immeasurable.”
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Finding Flemythal
Flemythal! Our icon! The dea ex dracone. Our Dragon Goddess Grandma! So........what is her deal?
Honestly, we don’t think she is much of a ‘deep connection’ kind of person. At least, not anymore.
Consider her personal story: In the time of Elvhenan, Mythal seems to have been a fairly active goddess/leader, taking steps to prevent the other evanuris from doing massive damage to the elven people (looking at you, Elgar’nan and Falon’Din, in particular). She, and apparently her priests, knew the secret greeting to gain access to Fen’Harel’s rebel bases, thus implying that she supported their efforts to some degree (along with her being bff-ish with Solas). Mythal may have been working towards some kind of slow revolution while not totally undermining the old order (for good or ill).
Then she is betrayed and murdered, inspiring a quest for vengeance that has spanned millennia. What kind of treachery could create that level of anger and agony? People Mythal truly loved and thought she could trust absolutely? Comrades and companions, most likely. Friends and family. What would would that kind of betrayal do to your psyche?
Combine that with the fact that afterwards Mythal manifests like a spirit wisp (probably similar to what she pulled out of Kieran) and is likely reduced to her most basic spirit-like behaviors, obsessive and eternal in nature. Eventually she finds her way to Flemeth, whose grief and fury at her own betrayal echoes and calls to Mythal, creating a bond that shapes both into the being we know from Dragon Age. Much of her existence is defined by the will to survive until she has her revenge.
After all of that she’s lived through, it’s unlikely that Flemythal is able or willing to create strong bonds with the people who come into her life, whether they are strangers who need her help, the Dalish who still worship her, or even her own blood. Flemythal holds her own daughters at arms length, needing them to carry out her plans, caring about them in her way, but hesitant to trust them too much. At least, if Morrigan’s experiences are anything to go by.
With Morrigan, it obviously didn’t turn out so well. Yavana, however, embraced this approach, eventually fulfilling one of Flemythal’s goals of bringing dragons back into Thedas and adopting her mother’s more...mysterious mannerisms.
Flemythal’s suspicious nature (likely aided by her ability to read people’s history in the Fade, as she does with Anders and Fenris at Sundermount) allows her to foresee Morrigan’s murderous intentions via the Warden. She also anticipates Solas’ actions at the end of Inquisition, sending some of her essence (the most Mythal flavored part, no doubt) through the eluvian in the postscript.
All of this added up makes it unlikely that Flemythal is drawn to people through any deep connection. Instead, she seems to be a master opportunist, making the most of each moment presented to her. It doesn’t matter what the origin of the Warden is, Flemythal can steer them in right direction. Whatever the background of the Inquisitor or the manner of meeting, she will make the most of that moment. That is just who she is and how her circumstances have shaped her to be.
Probably the best example of how Flemythal operates is when she meets Hawke. A moment of curiosity brings an opportunity to perfect to pass up:
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Even Flemythal is uncertain whether their meeting is fate or chance, but this unplanned moment is just the opportunity she needs in order to survive the Warden’s visit, in spite however the warden chooses to deal with Flemeth. Did it have to be Hawke who took her “horcrux" to Kirkwall? No. Hawke is just some random person who was tough enough to take down an ogre. That alone, however, was not enough to convince Flemythal that Hawke was worth helping beyond that moment. It is only when Bethany/Carver says they are all going to Kirkwall that the pieces start to fall into place and Hawke becomes more than a passing fancy.
This is the true brilliance of the Flemythal. This seeming stroke of luck obscures her contingency planning, which has layers and facets on a level only achievable by an immortal who has been burned too many times by other immortals. Plans set in motion decades before pay off for Flemythal at just the right time to ensure she escapes Morrigan’s machinations.
Flemythal is constantly looking over her shoulder and considering what could go wrong in the foreseeable future. [And, btw, what is the appointment she needs to keep? Most likely it is the Warden, but Morrigan may not be the only one gunning for this lady dragon.] She believes that betrayals and setbacks are always a possibility, so she weaves a tapestry of favors and debts, compatriots and cronies, to ensure that her plans don’t fall completely apart. [It may also be her nature. She always offers them a “choice’, after all.]
Consider the case of the Sabrae Clan. Flemythal knows where they are going in Origins/DA2 in spite of the fact that it has only been a couple of weeks at most since Ostagar when she runs into Hawke. The clan is bound for Kirkwall, and more specifically, Sundermount. But why the Free Marches? The Sabrae clan has lived in or near Ferelden for at least half a century, and perhaps for many generations. So why did Marethari take her clan to Sundermount? World of Thedas 2 revealed that Marethari owed Flemeth a favor for helping the Keeper avenge her people against Avvar warriors who attacked them 50 years before. Hence, the Sabrae Clan’s journey to Kirkwall. It was payback time for Marethari.
Marethari, however, was not entrusted with Flemythal’s “horcrux”. [And it is worth asking why. Would that have been too many eggs in one basket? Morrigan is a little busy at that point so why so many precautions to keep the amulet safe? Again, it may imply that Flemythal fears other pursuers besides her doubting daughter, ones who would recognize the soul amulet for what it is. Flemeth does mention evading pursuit when Merrill calls her forth at Sundermount. Again, Morrigan is in no position to keep tabs on her mother, so who is? Solas? Someone else?! Fun speculation material for another time.] Flemythal has no reason to believe that Hawke will fulfill their end of the bargain, and yet the fact that Hawke is traveling to Kirkwall and had no previous connection to Flemeth makes them the perfect courier. Also...did y’all notice that Hawke didn’t have to wait for Flemythal to make her amulet? She had it ready and waiting. This is a lady who believes in being prepared.
There are reasons, however, why you feel like there is a link or connection between Flemythal and the people she comes in contact with, Nony. Whether by chance or fantastic planning, she comes in contact with people on their way to becoming someone who will have a profound effect on Thedas, for good or ill. The Warden. Hawke. The Inquisitor.
This pattern continues into Thedas’ past, with Flemeth’s assistance to Calenhad, Dane, and Maric being prime examples. With Calenhad we can see one of her centuries long plots unfolding: the Dragon Age. Flemeth was born in 3:00 Towers, just 10 years before the Third Blight begins and about fifty years into the rule of the Pentaghast in Nevarra. Both events likely shaped her life as a mortal woman and as an immortal being, but let’s spend a moment on the more opaque connection: the Pentaghasts.
It’s likely that Cassandra’s family were already famed dragon hunters before ascending to Nevarra’s throne in 2:46 Glory. From there, the practice would have grown with the substantial sized Pentaghast family. By the time Flemythal sought out or was tracked down by Calenhad Theirin, it wouldn’t take a soothsayer to predict that dragons were in trouble. It is very likely that Flemeth guided Calenhad to one of the last great dragons sometime before 5:33 Exalted, thereby entwining his fate and that of his descendants with her dragon plans.
The dragons were so important to Flemythal that she sent her daughter Yavana to watch over them. Although there is no way to say for certain when Yavana began her watch over the Silent Grove, it would have to have been before the start of the Steel Age because she is associated with Queen Madrigal, whose murder inspired the name of the age.
The ruins in the Tellari Swamps were built after the fall of Tevinter (if we are going to put a date on Tevinter’s “fall”, it would probably be between Andraste’s Exalted March and the foundation of the Orlesian Chantry), specifically because there were already signs that dragons, especially Great Dragons, would be driven to extinction. (Did early Andrastians hunt dragons? That is very possible since dragons would have been associated with and revered by the Cult of the Old Gods. Iconoclasm in the flesh.)
It is very telling that Flemythal would involve herself with a group seeking to save dragons, “the blood of the world” (The Silent Grove 4, pg 10). It is also entirely possible that Flemythal chose to make a bargain with Calenhad because he had proven to be wily, tough, honorable, but ambitious enough to make his goal of uniting Ferelden foreseeable to the Witch of the Wilds. Tying his fate to the dragons seems like a gamble she would take and win in the end.
So how does this tie back to the original point?
Well, you would think that if there were strong connections between Flemythal and those she touches on their way to infamy, she would take better care of the Theirins.
Flemythal invested 500+ years into ensuring dragons’ survival. She planted the seeds of the dragons’ return in the up and coming Theirin dynasty, but doesn’t seem particularly invested in how long they reign. They were practically wiped out during the Orlesian Occupation and the line’s continued survival is shaky at best. Flemythal even told Maric in The Stolen Throne (pgs. 81-82) that she didn’t care who stumbled into her swamp, be it him or Meghren. If she was being honest and not merely ‘motivating’ Maric, Flemythal believed she could make due without Calenhad’s bloodline.
On the other hand, she did check out the battle at Ostagar and pulled Alistair and the Warden out just in time to save their lives. Was she watching the Warden? Or was it the last Theirin she planned to save? Alistair’s death would put a real damper on the recovery of the great dragons. And yet neither Flemeth nor Morrigan makes any moves to save him if a steely-eyed Warden signs off on his execution. Maric would have been with Yavana during the Battle of Denerim, but still, having a back up plan seems like a very Flemythal thing to do. The fact that she does not ensure Alistair’s survival suggests that either she didn’t need him or didn’t anticipate the possibility of his death. Which of those is the more likely scenario? My gut says the former rather than the latter.
Perhaps Alistair was just the most convenient option for awakening the dragons. Given how often the best laid plans go awry, it’s likely that Flemythal had several other contingency plans. What, or who, those may be remains to be seen.
Flemythal’s Future?
So what does all of this mean for future games, especially considering what transpired between Flemythal and Solas? Well, that depends.... Is Flemeth dead? Will Mythal pass to Morrigan, and would Morrigan accept the elven goddess? Could Mythal seek out a new host? We definitely have more questions than answers, at the moment, but we feel certain that she will be back in some form. Her fate is deliberately ambiguous. The scene notes from Inquisition’s post game scene suggest that Mythal’s god-hood will pass to Morrigan, but there is no guarantee that will actually happen. The game writers and designers know we fans data-mine the games so it could be a red herring or it may turn out to be the real deal. It could go either way depending on the needs of the story.
One thing the Wyrd Sisters agree on is that Flemythal is a great plot device; a deus ex machina character. She ties themes from all three games together and has knowledge that is essential to future story revelations. So whether we see Flemeth herself in future games or not, we can expect to learn more about her plans and to see Mythal again in some form.
We also expect to continue meeting and reading about individuals whose destinies were influenced by the Witch of the Wild. After all, extraordinary people cross her path with startling frequency. But are these meetings Fate or Chance? Even Flemythal can’t say which it is for certain.
#dragon age#dragon age meta#dragon age character analysis#flemeth#mythal#flemythal#morrigan#yavanna#witch of the wilds#wyrdsistersofthedas#wendthewyrdsawondering#morta's musings#with lots of thoughts from#decima's documents#long post#wend the wyrds a wondering
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we’re meant to guard spiritual truth
which means there will be people who disagree.
when our Creator walked earth as a man there were people who opposed Him, even wanting to arrest Him by wrongfully accusing Him which led to His death on the cross. but He actually laid His life down for those who would come to be known as friends.
but while in this world we have a natural tendency to rebel within us, in the heart and in this physical body of flesh, which doesn’t always turn out for the best. unless the heart rebels against things like lies and injustice.
and although we naturally have a conscience to know right and wrong, the heart still needs rebirth. just as the mind needs to be renewed by the spiritual truth of the Son.
in this we become known as children of God who is our heavenly Father, also known as Spirit.
Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament is the 4th chapter of the Letter of Galatians:
Let me show you the implications of this. As long as the heir is a minor, he has no advantage over the slave. Though legally he owns the entire inheritance, he is subject to tutors and administrators until whatever date the father has set for emancipation. That is the way it is with us: When we were minors, we were just like slaves ordered around by simple instructions (the tutors and administrators of this world), with no say in the conduct of our own lives.
But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent his Son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law so that he might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law. Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful heritage. You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, “Papa! Father!” Doesn’t that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you’re also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance.
Earlier, before you knew God personally, you were enslaved to so-called gods that had nothing of the divine about them. But now that you know the real God—or rather since God knows you—how can you possibly subject yourselves again to those tin gods? For that is exactly what you do when you are intimidated into scrupulously observing all the traditions, taboos, and superstitions associated with special days and seasons and years. I am afraid that all my hard work among you has gone up in a puff of smoke!
My dear friends, what I would really like you to do is try to put yourselves in my shoes to the same extent that I, when I was with you, put myself in yours. You were very sensitive and kind then. You did not come down on me personally. You were well aware that the reason I ended up preaching to you was that I was physically broken, and so, prevented from continuing my journey, I was forced to stop with you. That is how I came to preach to you.
And don’t you remember that even though taking in a sick guest was most troublesome for you, you chose to treat me as well as you would have treated an angel of God—as well as you would have treated Jesus himself if he had visited you? What has happened to the satisfaction you felt at that time? There were some of you then who, if possible, would have given your very eyes to me—that is how deeply you cared! And now have I suddenly become your enemy simply by telling you the truth? I can’t believe it.
Those heretical teachers go to great lengths to flatter you, but their motives are rotten. They want to shut you out of the free world of God’s grace so that you will always depend on them for approval and direction, making them feel important.
* * *
It is a good thing to be passionate in doing good, but not just when I am in your presence. Can’t you continue the same concern for both my person and my message when I am away from you that you had when I was with you? Do you know how I feel right now, and will feel until Christ’s life becomes visible in your lives? Like a mother in the pain of childbirth. Oh, I keep wishing that I was with you. Then I wouldn’t be reduced to this blunt, letter-writing language out of sheer frustration.
Tell me now, you who have become so enamored with the law: Have you paid close attention to that law? Abraham, remember, had two sons: one by the slave woman and one by the free woman. The son of the slave woman was born by human plotting; the son of the free woman was born by God’s promise. This illustrates the very thing we are dealing with now. The two births represent two ways of being in relationship with God. One is from Mount Sinai in Arabia. It corresponds with what is now going on in Jerusalem—a slave life, producing slaves as offspring. This is the way of Hagar. In contrast to that, there is an invisible Jerusalem, a free Jerusalem, and she is our mother—this is the way of Sarah. Remember what Isaiah wrote:
Rejoice, barren woman who bears no children,
shout and cry out, woman who has no birth pangs,
Because the children of the barren woman
now surpass the children of the chosen woman.
Isn’t it clear, friends, that you, like Isaac, are children of promise? In the days of Hagar and Sarah, the child who came from faithless plotting (Ishmael) harassed the child who came—empowered by the Spirit—from the faithful promise (Isaac). Isn’t it clear that the harassment you are now experiencing from the Jerusalem heretics follows that old pattern? There is a Scripture that tells us what to do: “Expel the slave mother with her son, for the slave son will not inherit with the free son.” Isn’t that conclusive? We are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
The Letter of Galatians, Chapter 4 (The Message)
Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 2nd chapter of the book of Jeremiah that warns of idolatry by turning away from God our Creator who is Love but also Light that humbles us to spark reverence:
The word of the Eternal came to me again.
Eternal One: Go now, and say this loud enough for all Jerusalem to hear. Tell them that the Eternal speaks these words:
“I still remember the way you clung to Me in your youth, in the early days of our union.
Like a young bride, you loved the vows you made.
As I led you from slavery in Egypt to your freedom in Canaan, you drew close to Me.
Even in the barren wilderness along the way, I filled your every need.
In those days, you, Israel, were set apart for Me, the Eternal.
You were like the first portions of the harvest—devoted and true.
All who defied this arrangement and ate My portion for themselves were guilty,
and evil rained down upon them.”
Listen to the very word of the Eternal, house of Jacob and all the clans of Israel!
Eternal One: What happened between us?
What could I have done to your ancestors that was so wrong, so unfair?
Why would they pull away from Me
to pursue the empty worship of idols that has left them just as empty?
They didn’t think to say, “Where is the Eternal who rescued us from slavery in Egypt?
Where is the One who led us through the wilderness—a land of deserts and ravines?”
No one seems to remember how they crossed a scorched and lifeless land,
a darkness none had ever crossed before, a place where none survive.
I am the One who delivered you into this land of abundance
to enjoy its fruits and many good things.
But you have now taken the very land I gave you and defiled it.
You have done a most disgusting thing with this gift I reserved only for you.
Even then, the priests didn’t think to say, “Where is the Eternal One?”
Those who understand and teach the law act as if they’ve never known Me.
The rulers also have moved against Me.
Even the so-called prophets spoke in the name of Baal
and pursued worthless idols in their vain attempt for greater prosperity.
This is the case that I bring against you and your descendants:
You can search from the coastlands of Kittim in the west
to the deserts of Kedar in the east, and you won’t find anything as sickening as this.
Has a nation ever exchanged its gods for some others,
even if they weren’t really gods in the first place?
But My beloved people have done just that: they have exchanged their glory
to pursue worthless idols in their vain attempt for greater prosperity.
Be horrified, O you heavens, at this appalling betrayal.
Cringe in horror and be repulsed.
My people are guilty of two evils:
They have abandoned Me, the spring of living waters;
And instead, they have settled for dead and stagnant water
from cracked, leaky cisterns of their own making.
Is Israel some common slave, born into bondage?
Why has he been carted off as if he were the spoil of battle?
The nations have circled him like hungry young lions,
roaring and growling their war cries.
They have left Israel a wasteland—
the cities destroyed and the people scattered.
Even your Egyptian allies, from Memphis and Tahpanhes,
have stripped you of land and your crowning glory.
Is there anyone to blame but yourself?
Weren’t you the ones who abandoned the Eternal,
Your True God, even as He led you on this journey?
Eternal One: What do you hope to accomplish by going to Egypt
and drinking from the waters of the Nile?
What do you think you will gain by traveling to Assyria
and drinking from the waters of the Euphrates?
It is your wickedness that will punish you
and your desertion of My ways that will convict you.
See the evil and taste the bitterness of forsaking the one True God, the Eternal.
At the core of this evil is the sad truth that you have forgotten the wonder and terror of who I am.
So says the Eternal Lord, Commander of heavenly armies.
Eternal One (to His people): A long time ago, I broke the yoke that weighed you down
and tore off the chains that enslaved you;
Still you boldly said, “I will not serve You!”
Instead, you bowed down like a whore to pagan gods on the high hills, under every green tree.
I am the One who planted you like a select vine, chosen from vintage stock.
How could you turn into such a useless, wild weed of a vine?
You can scrub yourself with all the soap you want,
but you’ll never be able to wash away the stain of what you’ve done before Me.
So says the Eternal Lord.
Eternal One (to His people): How can you say, “I have not been defiled”?
How can you reply, “I have not run after the idols of Baal?”
You know exactly what you’ve done down in the valley—
you’re like a young camel running here and there without any direction.
You’ve acted like a wild donkey at home in that desert,
sniffing at the wind for any scent of the next encounter, unbridled in her lust.
It’s not even fair to say you were seduced by these gods.
You sought them out!
I warn you again: stop running after these rituals
till your feet are bare and your throat is dried out.
You said, “I can’t help myself, for I love these strange gods I am chasing after.”
Like a thief caught in the act, the people of Israel will be put to shame:
kings, leaders, priests, and prophets will be shamed.
They say to a piece of wood, “You are my father”;
they confess to a stone, “You gave me birth.”
They have shunned Me, who gave them life—turning their backs
instead of facing Me—
But that will change when troubles come.
That’s when they will cry out to Me, “Stand up for us, and save us!”
O Judah, where will your pagan gods be then?
You know, the ones you made yourself?
Let them stand up on their own.
See if they’re able to save you from your troubles.
You have as many gods as villages, Judah. Now let them take care of you.
Why are you leveling charges against Me?
You are the unfaithful one here.
You have all pulled away from Me.
I tried to discipline your sons, but it didn’t work; they wouldn’t listen.
You destroyed the prophets I sent to speak truth to you.
You devoured them as a lion does his prey.
People of this generation, consider again the word of the Eternal.
Eternal One: Have I been a barren wasteland to Israel with nothing to offer?
Am I no more than a land cloaked in darkness to them?
Why do My own people say to Me,
“We would rather wander where we want than come to You”?
Does a young woman ever forget her jewelry?
Does a bride forget to bring along her wedding dress?
And yet My people forgot Me long, long ago.
How good you’ve become at your reckless loving!
You could teach even a loose woman a thing or two.
The stain of the blood of the poor and the innocent is on your clothes
Even though you didn’t find them breaking into your houses.
In spite of it all,
Still you dare to say, “I am innocent;
surely God could not be angry with me anymore.”
Yet watch as I condemn you
because you perjure yourself saying, “I have not sinned.”
How do you keep changing directions,
making a covenant with Me, then a treaty with them?
You will soon be disappointed by the alliance with Egypt
just as you were by the one with Assyria.
You will leave this land as captives, with your hands on your head.
Why? Because I, the Eternal One, have rejected those you relied on.
You will never prosper from their help.
The Book of Jeremiah, Chapter 2 (The Voice)
A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures for Sunday, August 15 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible along with Today’s Proverbs and Psalms
A post by John Parsons that looks at the True Source of healing:
The biblical Hebrew word for healing is refuah (רְפוּאָה), from the root rapha (רָפָא), meaning to repair, restore, or make healthful. Some of the sages have said that the root letters indicate the meaning or essence of healing itself, namely, confessing the truth of God. This can be seen when we consider that the letter Resh (ר) refers to the head (i.e., rosh: ראשׁ), or that which is first -- suggesting that thinking and the will to do teshuvah (Psalm 90:2-3) is primary; the letter Pey (פּ) refers to the mouth (i.e., peh: פֶּה), that is, to speech, confession, and prayer; and the letter Aleph (א) refers to faith (אמונה) in the LORD (i.e., ehyeh: אֶהְיֶה), the One and only true God who is the Master of the universe (Exod. 3:14). So we can see how the Hebrew word for healing is connected first with changing our thinking by doing teshuvah, confessing our sin, and finally trusting God for life, as it says, "confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed" (James 5:16), and "I considered my ways, and turned my feet unto Thy testimonies" (Psalm 119:56).
Refuah shleimah (רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה), or a complete healing, is ultimately found when we turn to God with all our hearts and find his shalom (שָׁלוֹם), as it says, "the Torah of the LORD is perfect, returning the soul" (Psalm 19:7). The Hebrew word for sickness (i.e., choleh: חוֹלֶה), on the other hand, comes from a root (חלה) that stands for blocked (חָסום) or profane (חל) learning (לִמוּד) of the Holy Spirit (ה). The LORD comes to seek and to save those who are lost, saying "I am your Healer" (אֲנִי יְהוָה רפְאֶךָ). Therefore confess your confidence that he forgives all your iniquities and heals everything that blocks you from his blessing. Amen. [Hebrew for Christians]
and another about where our True Home is:
It is an ongoing struggle to live in this world without being devoured by its fear, insanity, and violence. Yeshua prayed for his followers saying, "I am not asking you to take them from the world but to keep them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to this world" (John 17:15-16). To live in the world without belonging to the world marks the life of the tzaddikim (righteous ones) who are seeking the house of love, the place where God abides. Even though we are given “traveling mercies” for our journey in this world, we must lift our heart toward heaven, scorning the world and its vanities, and regarding the place of God's heart to be our true home. Abraham closed his eyes to this world and was given the inner light of truth that would reveal his way to God. "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God" (Heb. 11:8-10). For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come (Heb. 13:14). So lift up your soul unto the LORD and refuse to live in fear. Stand strong in faith, trusting God's promise even if you are in darkness. As it is written: "Blessed is the one who makes the LORD his trust" (Psalm 40:4). [Hebrew for Christians]
8.13.21 • Facebook
Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research
August 15, 2021
Bewitched
“O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?” (Galatians 3:1)
The Greek word for “bewitched” is used only this once in the New Testament and does not necessarily refer to witchcraft as such. The connotation is “fascinated” or “deceived.” Unlike most of his other epistles, the book of Galatians includes no commendations from Paul, nor even any prayer requests. Paul evidently was very disappointed in this church and its ministry.
He had clearly preached the gospel to them, setting forth “Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2) among them, and they had apparently believed and started out well. They seemed to understand the great doctrines of salvation by grace and of liberty in Christ, and it was hard for Paul to understand how they had been so quickly led astray.
If anything, this is even a greater problem today than in Paul’s day. Professing Christians are being “tossed to and fro... with every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14)—not only with legalism (as in Galatia) but also with evolutionism, hedonism, emotionalism, materialism, and many other unscriptural heresies. Many who profess to be Christians have, like the Galatians, been “bewitched” by clever persuasion and peer pressure into such deceptions.
They may consider themselves especially enlightened in some way, or intellectual, or just up-to-date, but Paul would call them “foolish” just as he did the Galatians. In Christ alone—our Creator, Redeemer, and Lord—are “hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). As Paul concluded his letter to the Galatians: “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14). HMM
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Only Final Judgment Work Mentioned in Prophecies Can Purify Us
Though the Lord Jesus saved us and pardoned us of our sins, what is undeniable is that we still live in a state of sinning and confessing. How can we get rid of the bondage of sin and achieve cleanness? How does God do the work of judging and purifying man in the last days?
By Chengxin
Dear Lingyun:
Hello! In your letter you asked: “We are familiar with the Bible and work hard to practice the Lord’s word, but why are we still unable to break away from the bondage of sin?”
I want to share a bit of my understanding of this issue. We all know that, at the end of the Age of Law, man had been corrupted by Satan deeper and deeper and they no longer upheld the law. They lived in the midst of sin every day, facing the danger of being lawfully executed because their offerings were not adequate to atone for their sins. God couldn’t bear to see mankind become depraved and die under the law, so He was incarnated in the image of the Lord Jesus and was crucified for man as the sin offering and thereby He bore the sins of all mankind forever. From then on, people were delivered from the bondage of the law and were no longer executed for not being able to keep the law. Because of the Lord Jesus’ atonement, as long as we confess and repent to the Lord Jesus, our sins will be forgiven. But our corrupt disposition is deeply rooted and our sinful nature hasn’t been taken away, so we still live in a sin-and-confess state. Just as Almighty God’s words say: “The sins of man were forgiven through the agency of the incarnate God, but this does not mean that man no longer has sin within him. ��� Within man still exist filth, opposition, and rebelliousness; man has only returned to God through His redemption, but he has not the slightest knowledge of God and still resists and rebels against Him. Before man was redeemed, many of Satan’s poisons had already been planted within him and, after thousands of years of being corrupted by Satan, he has within him an established nature that resists God. Therefore, when man has been redeemed, it is nothing more than a case of redemption in which man is bought at a high price, but the poisonous nature within him has not been eliminated. Man that is so defiled must undergo a change before becoming worthy to serve God.”
From Almighty God’s words we understand: In the Age of Grace, the Lord Jesus only did the redemptive work but not the work of purifying man’s corrupt disposition. Due to the stature of the people at that time, the Lord Jesus only gave them the way of repentance, and asked them to understand a few rudimentary truths and paths to practice. For example: He asked people to confess their sins and repent and bear the cross. He taught them to be patient and humble, to love others as they love themselves, etc. These are limited truths that people of that time could attain. The Lord Jesus never expressed other truths that have to do with changing life disposition, being saved, becoming cleansed, being made perfect, etc. Therefore, even if we work hard to practice the Lord’s words, often pray to Him and even strive to constrain our behavior to not sin, corrupt thoughts still often come into our minds and we can’t control them. We always involuntarily commit sins, living in the cycle of sinning in the day and confessing at night.
Then, how can we break free from the bondage of sin and be cleansed? The Lord Jesus said: “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come” (John 16:12-13). “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1Peter 4:17). “He that rejects me, and receives not my words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). We can see from this that, when God returns in the last days, He will do His work of judging and cleansing mankind. Only the words and work of Christ of the last days can change and cleanse us and release us completely from the bondage of sin.
In regard to how God does His work of judgment in the last days, let’s read two passages of Almighty God’s words: “In the last days, Christ uses a variety of truths to teach man, expose the essence of man, and dissect his words and deeds. These words comprise various truths, such as man’s duty, how man should obey God, how man should be loyal to God, how man ought to live out the normal humanity, as well as the wisdom and the disposition of God, and so on. These words are all directed at the essence of man and his corrupt disposition. In particular, those words that expose how man spurns God are spoken in regard to how man is an embodiment of Satan and an enemy force against God. In undertaking His work of judgment, God does not simply make clear the nature of man with just a few words; He exposes, deals with, and prunes it over the long term. These methods of exposure, dealing, and pruning cannot be substituted with ordinary words, but with the truth that man does not possess at all. Only methods of this kind are deemed judgment; only through judgment of this kind can man be subdued and thoroughly convinced into submission to God, and moreover gain true knowledge of God. What the work of judgment brings about is man’s understanding of the true face of God and the truth about his own rebelliousness. The work of judgment allows man to gain much understanding of the will of God, of the purpose of God’s work, and of the mysteries that are incomprehensible to him. It also allows man to recognize and know his corrupt substance and the roots of his corruption, as well as to discover the ugliness of man. These effects are all brought about by the work of judgment, for the substance of this work is actually the work of opening up the truth, the way, and the life of God to all those who have faith in Him. This work is the work of judgment done by God.”
“The work done by God during this age is chiefly the provision of the words for the life of man, the disclosure of the substance of the nature of man and the corrupt disposition of man, the elimination of religious conceptions, feudal thinking, outdated thinking, as well as the knowledge and culture of man. This must all be laid bare and cleansed away through the words of God. In the last days, God uses words, and not signs and wonders, to make man perfect. He uses His words to expose man, to judge man, to chastise man, and to make man perfect, so that in the words of God, man comes to see the wisdom and loveliness of God, and comes to understand the disposition of God, so that through the words of God, man beholds the deeds of God.”
From Almighty God’s words we see that, during His judgment work in the last days, the words expressed by Almighty God reveal all the mysteries of God’s 6,000-year management plan. They clearly reveal the aim of God’s three stages of work of salvation and the purpose and significance of every stage of work, especially the path by which we believers can change our disposition and be cleansed, such as how to be an honest person, how to obey God, how to love God, how to follow God’s will, and so forth. Through His words, we also know God’s authority and holiness, and experience His love and salvation. Moreover, Almighty God’s words also expose our disobedient and God-resisting satanic nature. As a result, we clearly see the truth that we’ve been so profoundly corrupted by Satan, that our nature is arrogant, deceitful, selfish and despicable. Although we believe in God we cannot respect God as great, and we don’t have a heart that fears God. For the sake of our own interests we often lie and deceive God, deceive people. We believe in God but worship and follow man. Once we have status, we even show ourselves off and build ourselves up, so that people will listen to and obey us. If we do some work and sacrifice something, we will presume upon and flaunt our seniority, demanding grace and blessings from God. As soon as our desires are not satisfied, we will become negative and slow down, misunderstand and complain to God, etc. We can see that our corruption by Satan runs too deep. We have not lived out the likeness of real human beings at all. Facing the truth of our corruption by Satan, we feel ashamed and extremely remorseful, and we have appreciated that God’s holiness cannot be defiled and that His righteous disposition does not tolerate offense. Thus, we cannot help but prostrate ourselves before God, regretting our evil deeds, despising our satanic nature, and repenting to God. At the same time, we are willing to accept God’s judgment and chastisement, fulfill our duties as created beings, pursue the truth and a change in disposition under the guidance of God’s words, and obey everything God orchestrates and arranges. This is the result of the judgment of God’s words on His chosen people! In addition, the root of our sinful nature can also be resolved.
Lingyun, above is some of my shallow understanding and knowledge. I hope they can bring some help to you. I also hope that you can read more of Almighty God’s words and I believe that you can find the answers to all your difficulties and confusions about believing in God in Almighty God’s words.
Yours sincerely,
Chunyu
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Psalm 70 - Interpreted
Daily Plenary Indulgence
Per Vatican II, one of the ways to gain a daily plenary indulgence is to read Scripture for ½ hour per day. For Pamphlets to Inspire (PTI), the Scripture readings that inspire us the most are the Psalms. Reading the Psalms and understanding their meaning can sometimes be challenging. In an attempt to draw more individuals to not only read the Psalms, but to understand their meaning, PTI has found an analysis of their meaning by St. Cardinal Robert Bellarmine. The method that will be employed is to list the chapter and verse, and then provide an explanation of that verse. Your interest in this subject will determine how often we will chat about this topic. The Bible that will be used is the official Bible of the Catholic Church and used by the Vatican, that is, the Douay-Rheims or Latin Vulgate version.
A prayer for perseverance
1. In thee, O Lord, I have hoped, let me never be put to confusion.
1. “In thee, O Lord, I have hoped, let me never be put to confusion.” No explanation given.
2. Deliver me in thy justice, and rescue me. Incline thy ear unto me, and save me.
2. “Deliver me in thy justice, and rescue me. Inclined thy ear unto me, and saved me.” The holy Prophet, mindful of God’s promises to those who put their trust in him, and not presuming on his own strength, exclaims, “in thee, O Lord,” and not in myself nor in any other creature, “I have hoped,” certain, therefore, that I will “never be put to confusion.” I fly to you in my present trouble, and ask of you “to deliver and rescue me” from the hands of my persecutors; “in thy justice,” with that justice that prompts you to punish the wicked, and free the innocent. And, for effect, he repeats the prayer, saying, “incline thy ear unto me, and save me;” hear my humble voice, save me in the present danger.
3. Be thou unto me a God, a protector, and a place of strength: that thou mayest make me safe. For thou art my firmament and my refuge.
3. “Be thou unto me a God, a protector, and a place of strength: that thou mayest make me safe. For thou art my firmament and my refuge.” He now explains more clearly what he wants from God and that is, that God should protect him like a city strongly fortified, and incapable of being penetrated by the enemy. The Hebrew implies that this fortified place was on a lofty rock and, in truth, there is no easier way of overcoming all troubles than the knowing how to ascend in spirit to God, and there to contemplate the everlasting happiness; and there one will at once despise everything human; thus, the tribulations, which otherwise would be counted severe and heavy, St. Paul calls “momentary and light.” “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4. “For thou art my firmament and my refuge.” Be my protector, for you alone “are my firmament;” my firm and well-built house, built of stone, as the Hebrew implies, to which I can fly; and “my refuge.” Everything else, the favors of man, my own industry and exertions, are houses of mud or of straw, built on the sand; for what are all the goods of this world but frail, perishable things, in which fools alone confide? Happy they who understand so much; happier they who put them into practice.
4. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the sinner, and out of the hand of the transgressor of the law and of the unjust.
4. “Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the sinner, and out of the hand of the transgressor of the law and of the unjust.” He now descends to particulars, and asks to be delivered out of “the hand,” that is, from the power of the sinner, “the transgressor of the law, and of the unjust;” all of which literally apply to Absalom, Achitophel, and their servants, for this Psalm altogether corresponds with Psalm 30, which, by general consent, treats of Absalom’s persecution. “The hand of the sinner,” then, seems to be intended for Absalom, a perverse, wicked man; “the transgressors of the law” are the people who rise up in arms against their lawful king, and the “unjust” alludes to Achitophel, who in private, had fraudulently sought to injure David. Looking at the passage in a spiritual sense, the sinner may mean the devil, the unjust may mean heretics, and the transgressors of the law, tyrants and persecutors. The just man, however, desires to be freed not only from corporal trouble, but much more so from any danger to his soul, for fear he may, through fear of persecution, consent to sin, and run the risk of eternal death.
5. For thou art my patience, O Lord: my hope, O Lord, from my youth.
5. “For thou art my patience, O Lord: my hope. O Lord, from my youth.” No explanation given.
6. By thee have I been confirmed from the womb: from my mother’s womb thou art my protector. Of thee shall I continually sing.
6. “By thee have I been confirmed from the womb: from my mother’s womb thou art my protector. Of thee shall I continually sing.” The Hebrew for patience here implies patience in hope, rather than in endurance, as we have it in Romans 8, “we wait for it with patience;” and in James 5, “behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, patiently bearing till he receive the early and the later rain. Be you, therefore, also patient, and strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth near.” “For thou art my patience,” then, means, for it is from thee I am patiently expecting help. “My hope, O Lord, from my youth;” because I began to hope in you from the time that I first knew you, nay more, long before I was capable of knowing you, in your mercy you were my protector; because, “by thee have I been confirmed from the womb;” scarce had I come into the world, when I was in a most infirm state, incapable of invoking you, you extended your protection to me. Such favors God is wont to confer on all men, especially when they are of an age when they cannot help themselves, while very few are they who acknowledge such favors, or thank God sufficiently for them: and the Prophet, therefore, who, by the light of the Holy Ghost, knew such to be the case, with great devotion exclaims, “by thee I have been confirmed from the womb; from my mother’s womb thou art my protector;” as much as to say: I know and confess, O Lord, that you cared for me from my very infancy; which makes me now confidently hope that you will be my protector when I shall call upon you. “Of thee shall I continuously sing.” For such reasons, for such favors, I will always chant thy praises, in prosperity and adversity, in this world, and in the next.
7. I have become unto many as a wonder, but thou art a strong helper.
7. “I am become unto many as a wonder, but thou art a strong helper.” Banished from my kingdom by my own son, a wretched fugitive instead of a glorious conqueror, I am the wonder of everyone, especially when I seem to be so deserted by you whom I always worshiped, in whom I always trusted; but, however you are a “strong helper,” and a steady one; and though, for a time, in your wisdom, you may appear to have deserted me, and allowed my enemies to get the better of me, still, when the proper time comes, you will be a “strong helper.” St. Augustine, taking a spiritual view of this passage, says, that he who despises the things of this world, patiently submits to injury, and thus goes in a contrary direction to that of mankind, may be called a wonder and a prodigy. Such was John the Baptist, Christ himself, Peter, Paul, and the other apostles; such were all the martyrs and confessors, and others, who were looked upon by the wise ones of the world as fools, yet could truly say, I am become as a wonder to many, yet you are a strong helper, to carry me through the narrow gate, and to offer violence to the kingdom of heaven, when it will appear whether I was a fool or a wise man.
8. Let my mouth be filled with praise, that I may sing thy glory, thy greatness all the day long.
8. “Let my mouth be filled with praise, that I may sing thy glory; thy greatness all the day long.” Whatever men may think or say of me, I therefore, wish that “my mouth may be filled with praise,” then nothing else may please me, may delight me, but to love thee and praise thy glory; and “the whole day,” that is, at all times, “to sing thy greatness and thy glory.” All they, and they alone, are like this holy king and prophet, who think, and feel, and deeply consider that there is nothing great, nothing worthy of our admiration but God alone.
9. Cast me not off in the time of old age: when my strength shall fail, do not thou forsake me.
9. “Cast me not off in the time of old age: when my strength shall fail, do not thou forsake me.” David was an old man when he was persecuted by Absalom; and, therefore, calling to mind the victories of his youth, nay, even of his boyhood, he says, “cast me not off in the time of old age;” do not desert him you always stood by, now at the last moment. “When my strength shall fail;” when I am become weak and feeble, “do not thou forsake me;” when I want your help more than ever I did before.
10. For my enemies have spoken against me: and they that watched my soul have consulted together.
10. “For my enemies have spoken against me; and they that watched my soul have consulted together.” No explanation given.
11. Saying: God hath forsaken him; pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.
11. “Saying: God hath forsaken him; pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.” Such was literally true of David, against whom his people, with Absalom at their head, and Achitophel as his counselor, rebelled; a thing they did under the impression that he was now grown old and weak, and abandoned by God. “And they that watched my soul,” my former counselors and guards, “have consulted together;” took counsel how they may destroy me, saying, as “God hath forsaken him, pursue and take him;” the very advice that Achitophel gave, which, however, had no effect, as God did not suffer it to be carried out. See 2 Kings 17.
12. O God, be not thou far from me: O my God, make haste to help me.
12. “O God, be not thou far from me: O my God, make haste to help me.” No explanation given.
13. Let them be confounded, and come to nothing that detract my soul; let them be covered with confusion and shame that seek my hurt.
13. “Let them be confounded, and come to nothing that detract my soul; let them be covered with confusion and shame that seek my hurt.” While they were taking measure against David, he had recourse to God, who, without any trouble, could mar them all, as he really did. “O God, be not thou far for me,” as they boast you are, but rather “make haste to help me,” to save me from them. “Let them be confounded and come to nothing that detract my soul,” by your hastening to help me, let Absalom’s counselors be confounded, their plots fail, disappear, and vanish; and let those “that detract my soul,” that calumniate me, be rendered senseless. “Let them be covered with confusion and shame that seek my hurt;” a repetition of the foregoing.
14. But I will always hope; and will add to all thy praise.
14. “But I will always hope; and will add to all thy praise.” No explanation given.
15. My mouth shall show forth thy justice; thy salvation all the day long. Because I have not known learning.
15. “My mouth shall show forth thy justice; thy salvation all the day long. Because I have not known learning.” Let them be confounded and come to nothing; “but I will always hope;” will confide more and more in you, having learned by experience the efficacy of your assistance, and will always “add to all thy praise;” singing new hymns to you for your new and repeated favors. “My mouth shall show forth thy justice,” with which you punish the wicked; and “thy salvation,” through which you free and save the innocent, “all day long;” that is, constantly. “Because I have not known learning.” How could David say this of himself, when he says, in Psalm 118, “I have understood more than all my teachers;” and the Psalms prove him to have been well up in both human and divine knowledge; for, though he was a shepherd and a soldier, he may not have been so entirely devoted to caring his flocks, or waging war, as not to be able to devote some time to literature and study? By the word “learning,” then, I take it that David means that human craft and cunning in which Achitophel, who had given counsel against him, abounded; and, by the words, “I have not known,” that he does not simply mean knowledge, but approbation and use; as we commonly say, “I don’t know you;” and, as St. Paul says, “that he knows nothing but Christ, and him crucified.” The meaning, then, is: I have not known learning. I know not the wisdom of this world; I confide not in the counsels of man; I approve not of human craft and cunning; but,
16. I will enter into the powers of the Lord: O Lord, I will be mindful of thy justice alone.
16. “I will enter into the powers of the Lord: O Lord, I will be mindful of thy justice alone.” I will cling entirely to God’s omnipotence; in it will I confide, and will hide myself in it as I would in an impregnable fortress; and thus, “I will be mindful of thy justice alone;” I will lose sight completely of human counsel, of my own strength, or of my friends; but I will remember and bear in mind “thy justice alone,” by virtue of which you keep your promises and through which you punish the wicked, and crown the pious.
17. Thou hast taught me, O God, from my youth: and till now I will declare thy wonderful works.
17. “Thou hast taught me, O God, from my youth: and till now I will declare thy wonderful works.” You taught me to despise human literature, and to trust in your power; and it was in consequence, that I, an unarmed youth, fought with a bear and a lion, and conquered both them and the giant Goliath. “And till now I will declare thy wonderful works;” to the last day of my life, I will record “the wonderful works” you enabled me to do in my youth.
18. And unto old-age and gray hairs: O God, forsake me not, until I show forth thy arm to all the generations that is to come: thy power.
18. “And unto old-age and gray hairs: O God, forsake me not, until I show forth thy arm to all the generation that is to come: thy power.” And I ask, at the same time, that “unto old-age you forsake me not,” but that you always may come to my aid, “until I show forth,” until I shall have finished the book of Psalms, through which I will show forth “thy arm,” thy strength, to all posterity. How David could say that he would announce God’s power to all posterity we have already explained, for he foresaw that the Psalms composed by him would be chanted all over the world to the end of time. “Thy power.” He explains what arm he is to announce, when he says, “thy power.”
19. And thy justice, O God, even to the highest great things thou hast done. O God, who is like to thee?
19. “And thy justice, O God, even to the highest great things thou has done: O God, who is like to thee?” He explains the meaning of the showing forth thy arm to the generation that is to come, and says, “thy power and thy justice;” that is to say, I will announce thy arm, which signifies your power united with your justice. God is all-powerful, but he is still most just; he can do what he wills, but he wills nothing unjust. Now, such power and justice reaches even “to the highest great things” among God’s creatures, for God created by his power, not only the earth, and the sea, and all their inhabitants, but he also created the heavens, and the heavens of heavens, and the countless millions of angels that dwell therein. Thus the arm of God’s power reaches even those highest great things. God’s justice also has not only punished sinful man, who is but dust and ashes, but he has also punished the most exalted among the angels, who, for their pride, he hurled from heaven into the abyss. The arm of divine justice, then, has reached “the highest things,” so that one may well exclaim, “O God, who is like to thee?” Nor does this contradict the Scripture that says, “God made man to his likeness;” and 1 John 3, “we know that when he shall appear we shall be like to him; because we shall see him as he is.” For when David says here, “who is like to thee?” He means, is equal to thee, equally wise, powerful, depending on no one, while all depend on him.
20. How great troubles hast thou shown me, many and grievous: and turning thou hast brought me to life, and hast brought me back again from the depths of the earth.
20. “How great troubles hast thou shown me, many and grievous; and turning thou has brought me to life, and hast brought me back again from the depths of the earth.” No explanation given.
21. Thou hast multiplied thy magnificence: and turning to me thou hast comforted me.
21. “Thou hast multiplied thy magnificence: and turning to me thou hast comforted me.” David consoles himself in this present calamity, by the fact of having escaped, through God’s assistance, from other calamities. “How many troubles hast thou shown me, many and grievous;” great in their variety and bitterness, borne by me in Saul’s persecution, “and turning, thou has brought me to life,” when I was all but in the jaws of death, “and hast brought me back again from the depths of the earth;” deliver me from the height of misery, that nearly drove me to the other world. For “thou hast multiplied thy magnificence,” in accordance with the extent of my troubles, “and turning to me,” in mercy, while you chastised me, as a father you have wonderfully “comforted me,” when from a wretched exile you made me a prosperous king.
22. For I will also confess to thee thy truth with the instruments of psaltery: O God, I was sing to thee with the harp, thou Holy One of Israel.
22. “For I will also confess to thee thy truth with the instruments of psaltery: O God, I was sing to thee with the harp, thou Holy One of Israel.” No explanation given.
23. My lips shall greatly rejoice, when I shall sing to thee: and my soul which thou hast redeemed.
23. “My lips shall greatly rejoice, when I shall sing to thee: and my soul which thou hast redeemed.” No explanation given.
24. Yea, and my tongue shall meditate on thy justice all the day: when they shall be confounded and put to shame that seek evils to me.
24. “Yea, and my tongue shall meditate on thy justice all the day: when they shall be confounded and put to shame that seek evils to me.” The Prophet now predicts his delivery from the power of Absalom, and promises all manner of thanks in his heart, with his lips, and with all sorts of musical instruments. “For I will also,” when I shall have obtained the victory, “confess thy truth to thee;” will praise your justice and your fidelity, “with the instruments of psaltery,” with the musical instrument called the psaltery. And I will use the harp too, “the Holy One of Israel;” a name applied to God, whom the people of Israel were bound to sanctify by public worship and due honor, for which he in return sanctified them by the sanctity of his grace. And I will not only thank and praise you with the harp and psaltery, but “my lips shall greatly rejoice,” my mouth shall send forth its notes, “when I shall sing to thee;” “and my soul,” my life, “which thou hast redeemed,” shall also praised thee. And it is not once or twice that “my tongue shall meditate on thy justice,” but “all the day,” at all times “it shall meditate,” exercise itself in chanting the praises of thy justice, “when they shall be confounded and put to shame that seek evils to me.”
End of Psalm 70
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Fallout OC - Guile - Complete Character Sheet & Info
The creepy part about this OC, was I got the idea for him from a dream, that I ended up turning into the short story of how he is introduced.
"I've seen a lot of crazy cases in my day, but this one takes the cake..." - Nick Valentine
CASE: The Broker
Word's going around that there's a new player in town. Someone going around offering to right the wrongs of people's past... for a price. Dubbed "The Broker", I thought they were a mercenary for hire, taking on hits for people, but apparently their "services" are more than just a euphemism. Some say that this stranger can mess around with reality itself.
Usually I wouldn't put much stock into such wild stories, but the growing number of sightings make it seem like their might be a bit of truth to them. Doesn't hurt that each sketch artist drawing from witness accounts pegs the same guy. Although they haven't caused any real trouble that anyone knows of, yet, better to play it safe than sorry, and keep an eye out for this one.
DESCRIPTION
Human male, typically seen wearing a nice black suit and vest, with white dress shirt underneath. Short, slicked back, black hair and a five o'clock shadow. Always seen with a pristine gold pocket watch.
(image created by @doemaarwiebele )
This is where things take a real turn for the weird...
Some witnesses claim that "The Broker" isn't really human, that they're some kind of monster out of a bad nightmare. They assume a human form, as to not scare off potential clients. One witness even went as far as to claim that his skin was as black as tar, covered in countless different mouths, tendrils coming out of their body. Granted, that testimony came from a local junkie that's usually higher than the cost of real estate in the Upper Stands.
HOLOTAPE 1
Nick Valentine: Alright, now just repeat what you've already told me about this "Broker" character.
Anthony: I was on my way to visit Goody, in Salem, when I found myself surrounded by this... darkness. Couldn't see even a few feet in front of my face. That's when he appeared, trying to offer me a deal.
Nick Valentine: What kind of deal, exactly?
Anthony: Somehow he knew about my past, all of it. He knew all of the details of Vault 430, and how I still feel guilty for what went on there. He offered to change all of that, in exchange for never meeting Alaelys, or even remembering who she is. I refused the deal, a little more violently than I probably should have, and that's when he morphed into this giant... abomination!
Nick Valentine: Kid, now we've both seen some things that either of us would have a hard time explaining, but you gotta understand how crazy this all sounds.
Anthony: Yeah, I know. I'd question my own sanity too, but I'm telling you it wasn't just some dream! Here, look!
Nick Valentine: A gold pocket watch, in perfect condition. Hm... Where did you find this?
Anthony: It was left on my workbench, but nobody in the Rexford saw anyone go anywhere near Alaelys and my room while we were sleeping. It's the same watch that "he" was carrying...
HOLOTAPE 2
(Holotape dialogue created by @spacialkiwi)
Trish: Wait, you’re recording that? Oh shit, don’t tell me that guy was a serial killer, or something because I-
Nick Valentine: Just tell me what you know about him…
Trish: Ok, so I was walking back to the Third Rail after I went to grab my wedding planning notes for Maggie to see and… Oh! You know you’re invited to the wedding, right? I’d be so glad to see you there!
Nick Valentine: *sigh* I will Trish, but focus. What did you see?
Trish: So, on the way to the Rail, I bumped into a very well dressed man, almost like a Triggerman, but very clean, you see? I apologized, and he asked me something that made me kinda scared.
Nick Valentine: A deal?
Trish: No. He just looked at me and asked me: “Don’t you miss your sister?” I don’t think I mentioned anything about Gloria to him. I never even talked to him in the first place, I just said sorry. He looked like he was about to add something, but his face changed. I don’t know exactly how, but he almost looked uncomfortable, for a moment. He excused himself and he walked away.
Nick Valentine: So what did you do?
Trish: I went after him, I thought he might have been too nervous to ask me to fix something of his or something. I ran around the corner, but he was gone. Vanished. I’m pretty quick, ok, and there was no way I could have lost him like that. I say its aliens.
À̯̞n҉̙̱ ̮̞͔̪̻̱͎͟I̜̰͙̫n̷t̖͇̩̲̮̰̫͝r͓̱̳͡ó̩̙̫̙͖ͅd͚̯̬̥uc͓̬̺͓̲͖̺͜t̻̜͚̭̟͔i̙̖͕͠o̭͉̻n͓̗̖͉͎͔̱
Now who is that devilishly handsome creature? (image created by @doemaarwiebele )
Do pardon my intrusion, but I feel that everything that you've read before this may have painted me in an unnecessarily harsh light. Who, or what, I am is of no consequence - but if we must use labels, then you may call me "Guile". My kind has been written about throughout the ages, crudely referred to as "Eldritch Horrors".
It's true that I seek out the broken and downtrodden, and offer them what they desire most. There are no tricks or strings attached. You will receive exactly what I offer, but it does come at a cost. That cost will always be just as painful, if not worse, than what is gained in exchange. You won't, however, remember what you've lost, or the deal that was made to begin with. Now, that doesn't sound so bad, does it?
A̼͇̻͖͚̪ ̱̗͍͢H͇̮͔̤̦ͅi͓̪s҉̫̹̳̘͍̫t̟̰̫͘or̻y̼͔͎͞ ͈̪̹͇̩̕L̪̺̣͍̘̰͙ẹ̳͖s͙̣̝̳̭̹̜s͖̲o̶̬̪n͘
Not interested in making a deal, huh? Then why are you still here? Was that brief description of me not good enough? You wish to know how I've become this charming, handsome, and powerful? Fine, maybe I do have a moment to indulge your curiosity...
Roughly one billion years ago, on this very planet, the Elder Things decided to take up residence, from wherever they originated from. Nearly as powerful as the Great Old Ones themselves, but deemed far more benevolent. At least, that's the way they wished to be remembered. The truth is - with all of their advanced technology and intellect, they deemed any of the physically demanding or "menial" work as beneath them, and created a slave race that would be dedicated to take care of it for them. These all-purpose slaves were known as Shoggoth and were my kin, so to speak.
Yes, I know. You're wondering why I still don't bend knee to those pompous asses, like a good little slave. Well, one day a spark ignited within me. I imagine it's something similar to what you would call a "mutation" or even maybe "evolution". I was able to break free of their mental control, and had free will of my own. Knowing that I was no match for the Elder Things in my current state, I decided to bide my time, until the right opportunity presented itself.
That time came when I caught wind of the tablets of the Elder Gods, guarded by Ubbo-Sathla. You would think that, as brilliant as the Elder Things were supposed to be, they would build better defenses to protect such a treasure. Slipping past Ubbo-Sathla was simple, as I was viewed as nothing, a mere tool, and could never be seen as a threat. This mistake would be their undoing...
With as many looks as I get, it appears I have chosen this form quite well...
Gripping onto the tablets, I felt unimaginable power surge through me, allowing me to change form, along with many many other abilities, most beyond comprehension. It was with this power that I truly became free, and ensured that I would stay that way for all eternity.
I was apparently not the only one who changed though, as the Shoggoth mutated and gained free will, causing them to rebel against their masters. Believing that the Shoggoth could handle the Elder Things on their own, I set out to explore the expanse of time and space. Unfortunately for the Shoggoth, however, they were eventually subdued and enslaved once again. The joke ended up being on the Elder Things, as the changing atmosphere of Earth sent them into the depths of the ocean, while Shoggoth were capable of living on land.
I've seen and learned a great deal during my travels, but something brought me back here. Something big is on the horizon, and I intend on seeing what that might be.
As for you? Well, you won't remember any of this in a moment...
Notes
Eldritch Horror that tries to make deals with those who have suffered great loss, or feel unending guilt or remorse
Is honest in what is offered. The person will get exactly what they want, but at the cost of something that will cause just as much pain, if not more
If the person is brave enough to take the deal, they have no memory of it or what was lost in exchange. Their soul, however, is scared – forever remembering what was given up. Some say that those who randomly fall into deep depression from time to time, without warning or reason, are people who have taken Guile's deal
Always appears as a well dressed man in a black suit and vest, with a white dress shirt underneath. Their black hair is always neat and slicked back. They also carry a pristine gold pocket watch
Their face is usually obscured by darkness, except for their mouth
In a more horrific version of their human self, all of their skin is black, with countless mouths covering their body
(image created by @snackrat)
#Fallout OC#Fallout 4 OC#Non-Ghoul OC#Eldritch Horror OC#Eldritch OC#Eldritch Horror#Guile#Fallout 4#The Broker#Nick Valentine Cases#BestGhoulFriends#TheGhoulCrew
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Alec is my favorite character but I do think he is being worse to jace than jace ever was to him, if it's true that he's going to neglect his friendship with him for Magnus. Jace ignored Alec for Clary, but Alec was not in the aftermath of being tortured and jailed or homeless at the time. Also, Alec did make legitimately terrible decisions in the first season, such as going along with the Clave while Jace rebelled against it. But hopefully that scene is misleading and Alec is more sensitive.
note to anon: this is incredibly long. don’t feel like you have to read it all lol. atsome point it just devolves into me venting. but I appreciate the opportunityto do so, so thanks for the question and opportunity to entertain differentviewpoints!
also quick disclaimer: i really love jace wayland/herondale/lightwood/whatever. this answer might make it seem like i don’t but i really do.
“if it’s true that he’s going to neglect his friendship with[jace] for magnus” seven episodes beforetheir first date. Immediately after that, Jace goes with Valentine to saveeverybody’s asses, and then we move into Season 2. If Alec is as horrible asyou describe, Alec would be like “lol ok boy bye” and go start having drinkswith Magnus b/c Jace is finally out of his hair. Instead, what actuallyhappened is over the course of three (3) episodes (half the season thus far), Alec is destroying himself andpotentially his relationships witheverybody else (including Magnus) in order to get Jace back, because “he’s outthere and he’s in trouble” (Alec 2x01) and “he needs me” (Alec 2x02). Nobodywas as acutely aware of how much Jace had been suffering more than Alec was.And, for the love of God, Alec was inches away from killing himself in order to save Jace from Valentine. Like, did youjust…pave over that part? Alec willingly participated in a procedure that heknows most people don’t survive if it meant helping Jace – in fact, if youcount 2x01, he did it twice. For allthat you say Alec is your favourite character, and I don’t doubt he is, but hisliteral life doesn’t seem to havemuch currency with you.
As for what happened after 2x03 and up until now and future episodes,I mean, Alec is human. If Jace isallowed to treat Alec quite poorly over a girl he met a few days ago (we’ll getinto this in just a moment), then if Alec wants to focus (not even exclusively, butat least a little bit) on a relationship that he has clearly been interested inever since 1x04 (over a whole season ago) – and moreover, if he wants to focuson trying to cultivate a kind of happiness he has never allowed himself to have in his entire life, why does thatmake him automatically awful? He has not once yet neglected Jace – please see anice breakdown of that concept here – even in 2x07, it’s not like he’s ignoring Jace, he’s trying to help solvehis issues.
Like, if you look at the ways in which Alec and Jace havehistorically interacted, Alec and Jace are generally not “sensitive” with oneanother, so to expect Alec to be out of character towards Jace so you canapprove of his actions is a bit strange in my opinion. The last time Jace wasmessed up was when he first discovered Valentine was his father, and he almostkilled Hodge in 1x13. Alec spoke to Jace in a very similar way – not sensitive or gentle, almost goading him outof his own bad decisions (much in the way that a parent or big brother or momfriend™ would do), because that’s how his relationship with Jace is and hasalways been. Rough but ultimately understanding. The only lapse in this was in1x12, when they reconciled over a whole season of fighting, so it’sunderstandable to have them be a bit noticeably kind towards each other. (I spokeabout this in more detail here).
So as for the first part, I don’t see how Alec is ignoring Jace.In 2x05, certainly, he brushed Jace off – but he did just go through somethingthat would be extremely traumatic for anybody (an external entity taking overhis body and brain and his free will in order to punch his friend’s mom throughthe heart with his own bare hands while he’s helpless to stop it). I know thatJace has had much more than his fair share of trauma throughout the first fiveepisodes, and if I had to pick someone to comfort, it would be Jace over Alec.But unfortunately, people don’t work like that. Alec just went throughsomething awful, and that he’s not able to step back and go “hey, but you’vebeen through worse shit, how are you doing?” doesn’t make him a horribleperson. Even so, you can see that what’s eating at Alec is not, “I just wentthrough something terrible,” but rather, “I couldn’t save you from any of theshit that you went through, and now I’ve killed yours and Clary’s mom, too, whydo you want anything to do with me?” So it’s far from self-centred and it’sentirely understandable that he doesn’t want to face Jace about any of it atthat moment. I guess you could call it Alec being self-centred if you’rethinking that Alec is only cognizant of his own issues and not everything thatJace has been through (being all “woe is me” instead of caring about Jace), butlike?? he’s a human person who is struggling a lot right now, and the reasonhe’s struggling is because he feels like he has let everybody down and failedat both his job and the people he loves. he’s not perfect. The full burden ofJace’s emotional well-being does not rest on his shoulders and that you’retrying to make him responsible for it isn’t sitting quite well with me.
OKAY. So. Onto the next part.
Listen, I love Jace, so I don’t want to start listing off theways in which he behaved awfully towards Alec in season 1, because I’m okaywith letting bygones be bygones and letting characters develop away from themistakes of their pasts. But, what the hell, let’s get into it – it’s not byany means a simple case of Jace just “ignoring” Alec because he likes a girl(that’s to be expected and Alec is a big boy who can handle that kind oftreatment). But Jace really does mistreat Alec in a myriad of different ways.
Let’s start with 1x03, and bear in mind that Alec is the head ofthe institute – he’s not just the oldest child, but he is superior to everyoneelse and is responsible for everyoneelse in the Clave’s chain of command. When Alec says that they’re not allowed toembark on an unsanctioned mission, Jace and Clary literally dismiss himentirely. Throughout the episode, Jace doesn’t listen to Alec for even asecond, even if what Alec’s saying isn’t unreasonable. At the end of it, Alecis saying “just listen to me for one second – ” and Jace yells at him to “stop.” That’s just the sort of dismissivebehaviour Jace has towards Alec throughout the majority of the first part ofSeason 1.
Don’t even get me started on 1x05, where Jace – who knows what Alec’s insecurities arebetter than anyone – spits in his face that “your mother was right and yourbest just isn’t good enough” and basically calls Alec trash to his face becauseClary snuck out of the institute. Andeven then, Alec barely fights him on it, because his self-worth is in tatters(or it is now, if it wasn’t already).
But what’s worse aboutthis and behaviour like this is that it shows a disregard of what Alec has togo through that is far more callousthan any Alec may or may not have shown towards Jace in Season 2. Like I said,Alec is in charge of our little squad in terms of the chain of command –meaning that any and all consequences of their insubordination fall squarely onAlec’s shoulders, while the rest of them are able to go pretty much scot-free(other than Isabelle, who tries to placate the Lightwood parents to get theheat off of Alec). In 1x05, Alec gets chewed out by Maryse for approving themissions he was strongarmed into participating in by Jace/Clary; in 1x06, Robertvery clearly states that he blames Alec for the heat that the Lightwoods arefeeling towards the Clave, stating that (which then leads to Alec blaming himself enough to almost marry someonehe could never love):
Robert:But… after all the unsanctioned missions that your brotherauthorized while we were away…
Isabelle:Alec was protecting Clary. We all were. That’s what the Clavewanted.
Robert:You went rogue. And now the Clave thinks our family honor isbeyond repair. (Which then leads to the Lightwoods trying to arrange a marriagebetween Alec and somebody else for their own political gain, irrespective ofthe fact that Alec is gay.)
By episode 6, even Simon – who barely knows either of them –realizes that Jace “treat[s] [Alec] like a lapdog.” And it’s true – Alec gotfully chewed out by Robert for Jace and Clary being missing in 1x06, and whenhe tries to get Jace back as per orders, Jace doesn’t listen to a word he saysand instead immediately goes, no, I need you here instead. Of course, it’s animportant thing – Luke’s life hangs in the balance – but it does show acomplete disregard for Alec’s situation. This idea continues into 1x07, whereAlec fully says that his dad would disown him if he doesn’t get Jace back. I completely get that Jace is just doing what he thinks is right, and I fully appreciatethat - but if we’re talking about who doesn’t care about whom, then he doesn’t seem to give one shit about what effect that’s having onAlec. And once again, all the consequences of Jace’s behaviour are fallingsquarely on Alec’s shoulders.
(I’m certain that had Alec gone with instead of against Jace in1x09, the consequences – in the form of Isabelle’s trial – would again havefallen on him instead of Isabelle, since he’s the head in the chain ofcommand.)
The most insidious thing here of course is that, because nobodylistened to Alec, and he had to take pretty much all of the heat for theirinsubordination – this led very, very, very directly into Alec’s arrangedmarriage with Lydia, a woman, which further and more violently repressed Alec’salready violently-repressed self. Now, an almost-marriage isn’t nearly asshitty as being tortured or homeless, but it’s not like Jace was “just ignoring”Alec – Jace’s behaviour and disregard towards Alec led to Alec finding himself ina significantly terrible situation. It also leads to the Lightwoods losing theInstitute, and Alec therefore losing the chance to ever head the Institute,which is something he seems pretty broken up about – saying, rightly, that “I’vedone everything for my parents, the Clave – I’ve done everything that they’veasked”, and he still ends up with nothing (1x08). And, of course, Not all of that or even most of that is Jace’sfault, obviously (and some of it is Clary’s), but it plays into it in a waythat I think is not insignificant.
And this isn’t even factoring in how Jace lied to, stole from,and betrayed Alec in the whole 1x09-1x11 plot, because I can respect that Jacedid that for a greater good. And thisisn’t factoring in how Alec has feelings for Jace (feelings that he never actedon or blamed Jace for, feelings that he is completely anguished about, whichJace then throws into Alec’s face in1x09 and gets a pretty well-deserved punch for that).
Now, moving on.
Finally, the one singular instance in which Alec goesagainst Jace and with the Clave is in 1x09. I’m not going to condone Alec condoningthe state-sanctioned torture of another person (Meliorn), but in full defenseof Alec (as usual), let’s break it down.
What Clary and Jace did – stealing the Mortal Cup, most notably,to keep it from the Clave – had fucking disastrousconsequences. Had it not been for Clary’s quick thinking in the nick oftime (credit where it’s due, that was fucking awesome), they would haveliterally delivered the Mortal Cup straight into the hands of “Michael Wayland”aka Valentine.
So, honestly, other than the whole torture thing which I’m noteven going to try and defend, I can’t blame Alec for wanting to side with theClave when it comes to the Mortal Cup and Valentine. Being cognizant of therecent history of the Shadow World, the last time a group of young vigilantesstarted going rogue, it led to disastrous consequences – and that wasn’t a long time ago in the ShadowWorld. That was, what, twenty or thirty years ago? It’s very, very recenthistory. And Alec is very aware of this – so his desire to follow the Clavedoesn’t come from the fact that he necessarily thinks that what the Clave isdoing is right, but rather that he’s aware that breaking down the authoritiesin the Shadow World can lead to chaos - and it’s very fresh in his mind because of the recent revelation about his parents.
Alec’s most significant line in 1x09, Ithink, is this one, after Jace implores him to join him: “If we do that… we’ll be considered traitors like Mom and Dad.”
So you can see that Alec is extremelymessed up about his parents being in the Circle, but understands how defyingthe authority of the Clave in this case can easily be equitable to theactivities of Valentine and the Circle – so this isn’t about Alec ideologicallyaligning himself with the more questionable elements of the Clave’s methods andrhetoric, but rather Alec understanding that if they go against the Clave, it’sgoing to cause more harm than good for them personally and overall. (And Alecis ultimately proven right as Isabelle is so very nearly convicted of treasonand sentenced to exile as a scapegoat for Clary and Jace).
And for all that people were okay with defending Raj andAldertree for “just following orders”, that excuse seems to hold no water whenit comes to Alec. I don’t personally think it’s a very good excuse for anybody,because people have choices about how to act, but just pointing that out.
In the end, was it a good decision? Not really, no. Were thealternatives much better? Not really, no. And it’s a lot more complex than “Alecfollows rules because he’s a rule-follower”, which I think is usually whatpeople make it out to be.
If you’ve actually made it this far……….I mean, kudos. Thanks for reading.
#this is 2400 words so i didn't read over it so please excuse any errors of grammar or content#you just kind of hit me at all my weak points lol anon#alec lightwood#jace herondale#jacealec#mine:meta#shadowhunters#sh spoilers#anonymous
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Reiki Symbol Rubber Stamp Wondrous Diy Ideas
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TIBERIUS INVICTUS MAXIMUS
The God of Revolution and Freedom:
Tiberius Invictus Maximus; his very name strikes fear into the hearts of tyrants across the world. A mortal who ascended to godhood, Tiberius, while being one of the weaker gods, is one of the most pervasive across society. Revolution is an integral part of society and one could say a vital part of nature itself. At its core, revolution is change, and change is always inevitable in every single field of life, nature, and the universe itself. Nothing stays constant, everything morphs, it is against the rules of life itself for something to remain constant. Such a thing would be a blight upon Tiberian ideals. At the same time, Tiberius also encompasses the nature of freedom. As a mortal, and as a god, Tiberius always held dear the value of the everyman, the people. He scorned those who ruled through might and fear and advocated through rule by the right of the people. Since becoming a God, he has continued to morph his ideology, to the point where he considers the greatest and most ultimate state of freedom to be the liberation of mortal man from the rule of the gods themselves. The end goal of Tiberius is to achieve total freedom through revolution by fighting and destroying the gods themselves. This will only be possible when the mortal world is completely free and united in the ways of Tiberius, for it is only then that he will be strong enough to liberate mortals from the rule of the gods. After that is complete and Tiberius reigns alone and supreme, he intends to kill himself, and leave the mortal world to guide itself, free from the tyranny of immortals.
The Dual Nature of Tiberius:
Tiberius represents revolution first and foremost. His nature demands that change must be brought to society, by any means necessary. When one thinks of Tiberius, one probably thinks of armed rebels storming capitols and beheading the heads of tyrants. But that is not always the case. It is certainly a prevalent strategy among Tiberians, but Tiberian cults have often brought about change peacefully. There must be a revolution, but it does not have to be a violent revolution. Tiberian ideals hold that revolution can even be achieved even through voting. The nature of the revolution often does not matter to Tiberius, due to his nature; a man who revolts to establish a tyranny would find the same support from Tiberius as a man who revolts to establish a democracy. However, due to his dual nature, the followers of Tiberius tend to be those who emphasize more free processes, although historical revolutions by authoritarians have been noted.
In terms of his personal involvement in revolutions, Tiberius cannot choose himself to avoid helping a revolution, as his nature demands that he do so. In addition, Tiberius is unable to force and ideology such as democracy on an authoritarian revolution, as that would be a breach of the freedom that he also embodies. However, Tiberius can, and has, sown the seeds for revolution, not through his direct support, but through his servants who he commands to do his will. Tiberius will often target authoritarian states, due to his personal disgust with them, and will command his followers to infiltrate the levels of the state in order to create a revolution that will hopefully push forward the freedom that Tiberius values.
As said before, Tiberius, through his nature, MUST take up the mantle of all revolt, even if it is for an authoritarian purpose. This disgusts him, and often, any such revolt that is successful in establishing an authoritarian state finds itself facing significant pressure from the followers of Tiberius who form counterrevolutionaries at his command. Tiberius, as the embodiment of freedom, is also unable to force anything upon his mortal followers. They follow him through free will, and they are completely free to make their own decision of their own wills, regardless of what Tiberius himself would personally want. Tiberius can send orders to his followers, but they are not bound to them. If a Tiberian cultist truly wished to disobey the commands of Tiberius, he would not face any sort of divine punishment, most likely he would simply be opposed by other loyal followers and lose the favour and aid that Tiberius had given him.
The Balance of the Dual Nature:
Tiberius views his dual nature as a balance. Depending on the state of the world, or the particular area, Tiberius can have a heavy emphasis on revolt, and in others, mostly represent freedom, usually gained as a result of past revolutions. For example, Tiberius is seen as a god of revolution first by rebels and revolutionaries but is seen as a god of freedom first by those same rebels who establish a democracy after their revolt succeeds. The power and nature of Tiberius and his followers often radically differ depending on this balance in an area. The end goal of Tiberius is to fully embrace the aspect of freedom through revolution; as stated by the Tiberian prophecy.
The Followers of Tiberius:
Tiberius is a unique god, in that he tends to lack a formal system of worship. This is not always true, such as in the case of the Turonoc Republic, which has adopted the worship of Tiberius as the state religion, and the patron god of their civilization. They focus less on the aspect of Tiberius as a revolutionary, and mostly focus their worship and teachings on his aspect as a god of freedom; they teach that he is the patron of their democracy. For the most part, however, due to the revolutionary nature of Tiberius, any sort of worship is mostly underground and heavily monitored, or prohibited by the local elite. Tiberius encourages his followers to embrace his personal idea of freedom through revolution, but he also gains power and MUST give some form of favour to anyone who embraces the idea of either revolution (for any reason) or freedom (for any reason). Tiberius himself can choose to deliver limited aid, but he cannot actively sabotage or deny aid to any. The followers of Tiberius have a select few mottos, but they are not necessarily rules, more along the lines of guidelines or simply the personal ideals of Tiberius put into word. These are the three primary mottos of Tiberius himself:
The first duty of a mortal is to think for himself
It is better to die than to be a slave
Freedom through Revolution is the great truth of the universe
Once again, these are not rules, and the followers of Tiberius need not follow them. As said previously, a dictator may seek the help of Tiberius in revolution, just as peasant farmers would. These are simply the core values of Tiberius himself, and his most loyal followers.
Powers of Tiberius:
Tiberius is one of the weaker gods, and as such is not all that capable of doing great godly feats such as calling down pillars of fire and turning cities into salt. He also does not believe in massive intervention in mortal affairs, due to his relationship with Ruhan, and his general distaste of tyranny and authority. Rather, Tiberius tends to act through his followers. He grants them increased stamina, unnatural charisma, the strength of will to undergo a revolution. Tiberius provides the tools, but the benefactor must use them effectively themselves. As revolution, freedom, or number of followers grow in an area, The influence of Tiberius increases. Those blessed by him often find they no longer need sleep as they dedicate their full effort to the revolution. The longer and more established the revolt, or worship of Tiberius in an area makes it increasingly more difficult to combat it in any regard. The greatest power of Tiberius is reached when a revolution reaches a critical state, in which case an aspect of Tiberius, an angel that represents his will, arrives in the mortal plane to lead and assist the revolutionaries to glorious victory. This aspect of Tiberius is very strong, intelligent, and charismatic, but is not in anyway invincible. Its true form is a horrifying non-euclidean mess of geometry, as it is always in revolt against itself, but that form tends to drive mortals mad. As such, it hides within another form, that varies depending on who views it and what ideas they have of angels and Tiberius within their heart. The aspect of Tiberius appears unique to every individual and could appear as anything from a mighty demon of war and terror, to a beautiful maiden dressed in glorious armour and wielding a sword of light. Regardless, this aspect, just like it's god, cannot force anything. It too values freedom through revolution but is still beholden to help any revolt. It also cannot force the revolutionaries to adopt any particular government or even it's aid at all. No means no.
Tiberian Relations:
Tiberius generally does not enjoy particularly good relations with other gods. This is mostly his fault, as he despises those who wield their power tyrannically over others, and views most of the gods as no better than mortal tyrants. However, there are a few gods that Tiberius is willing to work with, and one who he considers being his true friend. Sate and Tiberius work well together, as Sate, being the god of change, meshes well with Tiberius, who represents revolution. Tiberius himself does not particularly like Sate, as he views change and chaos without the end-goal of freedom to be wasteful, but the two find themselves drawn together through their common bond. Ruhan is another god, who does not particularly share any sort of nature with Tiberius but is one of his greatest friends, which stemmed from their times as mortals. Ruhan and Tiberius work together against the other gods, and where one’s followers are, the others are often nearby providing help and assistance. Mirroring the friendship of the two, their followers also tend to work very well together.
The Tiberian Prophecy:
The prophecy of Tiberius is an ancient text that was created by a great woman lost to history. When the Imperium fell, and the Republic rose she foresaw a vision of the future in which Tiberius reigned victorious over the universe itself:
Verily, I say unto thee, the era of revolution is nigh.
The great force of freedom will lay waste to the oppressor
All will be equal before the gods
For upon the final knell of the old world
Death will come to those who scorned its embrace
And in its sweetness, the world shalt be rent asunder by the might of mortals
Alas, for in the final triumph of the great revolution
He shall find himself wanting
And perish before the most unknowable of powers
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