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michelles-garden-of-evil · 3 years

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SP Influences: The Case of Charles Dexter Ward and The Haunted Palace

CONTENT WARNING FOR DISCUSSION OF RAPE (NOT JUST THE FANTASY METAPHOR KIND) AND SLAVERY. ALSO SPOILER WARNING FOR THE HAUNTED PALACE (1963), THE CASE OF CHARLES DEXTER WARD, AND BOTH THE FIRST AND FINAL ARC (INCLUDING THE ENDING) OF STRANGE PARADISE.

Although it never directly copied from other works, the 1969-70 soap opera Strange Paradise appears to have drawn inspiration from several classic works of Gothic fiction. Unlike its more famous cousin Dark Shadows (1966-71), which lifted most of its major plotlines from public-domain horror classics like Dracula and The Turn of the Screw with relatively few changes, the influence of other works on the plot and characters of Strange Paradise generally took a subtler form. Many of the early advertisements and articles promoting the serial compared its protagonist Jean Paul Desmond and villain Jacques Eloi des Mondes (both played by Colin Fox) to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from the Robert Louis Stevenson novel, but--as Curt Ladnier has pointed out--there are only superficial similarities between the plot of the serial’s Maljardin arc and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, making the two works less similar than readers likely expected. Instead, the plot more closely resembles that of another, lesser-known story about a protagonist controlled by his evil counterpart: the 1963 Roger Corman/Vincent Price film The Haunted Palace, a loose adaptation of the H. P. Lovecraft novella The Case of Charles Dexter Ward.

The plot and characters of Strange Paradise have too much in common with those of The Haunted Palace to be mere coincidence. In particular, the character of Joseph Curwen and his characterization in the film strongly resemble the portrayal of Jacques Eloi des Mondes, enough to conclude that Curwen must have inspired his backstory and his interactions with the other characters. While it is likely that Lovecraft’s original 1927 novella The Case of Charles Dexter Ward also directly influenced the serial, there is stronger evidence for indirect influence by way of the film adaptation.

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward

The plot of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward shares a common theme with the Maljardin arc: the evil ancestor from the seventeenth century who returns from beyond the grave and assumes the identity of his lookalike descendant. In both cases, the ancestor was involved in the occult during his lifetime and reviled for his rumored diabolical activities. During his lifetime--which he used magic to prolong--Curwen practiced necromancy, tortured knowledge out of the people he resurrected before murdering them again, experimented on living people, and summoned the god Yog-Sothoth for assistance in his occult activities using spells from the Necronomicon. Two fellow warlocks named Simon Orne and Edward Hutchinson assisted him with his occult studies, and were both still alive when his descendant Charles Dexter Ward brought him back to life. In the early episodes of Strange Paradise’s Maljardin arc written by Ian Martin, Jacques is portrayed as the literal Devil: an accusation about which he often jokes. He has many supernatural abilities, including possession, manipulation of electricity, telekinesis, the ability to magically alter messages written in sand, and--most importantly--the ability to resurrect Jean Paul’s dead wife Erica (Tudi Wiggins), which is why he frees his spirit in the pilot. He has an interest in voodoo, although he himself does not appear to practice it and instead fears its power. Unlike Curwen, no accomplices of Jacques’ return from the dead in the Maljardin arc, although it is possible that Martin intended for the seventeenth-century witch Tarasca, an earlier incarnation of wealthy widow Elizabeth Marshall (Paisley Maxwell), to fulfill this role after possessing Elizabeth.[1]

But these occult matters are not the only common interest that Joseph Curwen and Jacques Eloi des Mondes share. Both character were involved in the more earthly evils of the slave trade. A merchant by trade, Curwen also bought and sold slaves, importing enormous numbers of enslaved people from Guinea into his hometown of Providence, Rhode Island in 1766. He sold few of them, however, and Lovecraft heavily implies that he used most of them in his experiments. The televised version of Strange Paradise never explicitly references slavery (although Jean Paul’s immortal servants Raxl (Cosette Lee) and Quito (Kurt Schiegl) are implied to be Jacques’ former slaves), but the non-canonical book series by Dorothy Daniels does on occasion. In the second book Island of Evil, Jean Paul lists “black gold, another name for the importation of slaves” along with piracy and brigandage as one of the sources of the des Mondes’ family fortune.[2] A flashback sequence in Island of Evil confirms the past enslavement of Raxl and Quito, as well as an African voodoo priest whom Jacques forces to turn Quito into a zombie: the closest event in the Strange Paradise expanded universe to Curwen’s experiments.

Both Jacques and Curwen also met their ends at the hands of locals. In The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, Ezra Weeden begins spying on Curwen because he suspects him of illegal activities including witchcraft. Eventually, he turns most of the prominent figures in Providence society against him and they band together to raid and destroy Curwen’s Pawtuxet farm. During the raid, Curwen dies for the first time, but only after devising a spell for his future resurrection. Likewise, in Strange Paradise, Jacques dies after the natives of Maljardin turn against him, although the trigger and cause of his death are different. When Jacques murders his wife, the princess Huaco, by pushing her off the island’s cliff, a group of natives including Raxl and the Conjure Man band together to kill Jacques using a conjure (voodoo) doll and silver pin. These weapons curse Jacques to throw himself from the cliff and keep his spirit "shackled to the Temple [of the Serpent, Raxl’s god]” until the day he tricks his descendant Jean Paul Desmond into removing the pin from the doll, thereby setting him free.

Jacques’ disappearing portrait from Strange Paradise Episode 12.

Also significantly, both The Case of Charles Dexter Ward and Strange Paradise give the evil ancestor’s portrait a prominent role in the plot. In both cases, this portrait hangs at the ancestor’s former residence and disappears either temporarily or permanently when he takes control of the man who resembles him. When Charles Dexter Ward is researching the history of Joseph Curwen, his sources lead him to an eighteenth-century townhouse at Orney Court in Ward’s hometown of Providence, Rhode Island, where Curwen settled after fleeing Salem, Massachusetts. He hires a restorator to restore the painting, has it moved to his study, and discovers some documents of Curwen’s hidden in the wall behind it. When he finally succeeds in resurrecting Curwen, the painting disintegrates into dust: an end which Curwen himself later meets. On Strange Paradise, Jacques’ oil painting sometimes disappears when he possesses Jean Paul, but the show is inconsistent about this cue from episode to episode.[3] In contrast to Curwen’s painting, Jacques’ portrait always returns after he leaves Jean Paul’s body and appears to be indestructible: when Jean Paul sets fire to Maljardin in Episode 65, the portrait survives and later re-appears in the attic at Jean Paul’s childhood home Desmond Hall in Episode 131.

In spite of these similarities, I should note that the method of resurrection differs from one work to the other. In Strange Paradise, Jacques achieves this by possessing Jean Paul: after Jean Paul frees him by removing the silver pin from the head of his effigy, Jacques’ spirit can enter and exit Jean Paul’s body at will. In The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, the title character literally resurrects Curwen, his great-great-great-grandfather, using his essential salts, after which Curwen murders him. Ward behaves as though Curwen has possessed him--he has the speech and manners of a man of the colonial period and knows extremely specific details about the history of Providence--but the pit above his right eye which Ward did not previously possess and the lack of the olive birthmark on Ward’s hip indicate a different body. When Jean Paul opens his casket in the pilot, he finds only the conjure doll and silver pin; the absence of Jacques’ body is never explained and could be for any number of reasons, which we shall not discuss here.

The Haunted Palace

A lobby card for The Haunted Palace asking the question, “What was the terrifying thing in the PIT that wanted women?” (Source)

In 1963, American International Pictures released The Haunted Palace, a loose adaptation of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward written by Charles Beaumont and directed by Roger Corman. Due to alleged executive meddling (a theme which should already be familiar to regular readers of this blog), the film was marketed as an adaptation of the Edgar Allan Poe poem of the same name, which Vincent Price quotes throughout the film. In the adaptation process, Beaumont made many changes to the source material, the most notable of which was the decision to have Curwen breed human women with the elder god Yog-Sothoth, as alluded to on the lobby card above.[4]

Though an entertaining and visually enthralling film, most of the changes made to The Haunted Palace weaken the plot. In my opinion, Beaumont added too many Hollywood horror conventions during the adaptation process, which did not always work effectively considering the unconventional source material, not to mention left many plot holes unfilled. The dated and sleazy sexual angle which he added to the film makes the cosmic horror of Yog-Sothoth less cosmic and more carnal; whether this makes him more or less frightening depends on one’s personal opinion, but I feel it contradicts his otherworldly characterization in Lovecraft’s works. For the most part, the talents of the director and the actors (especially Price, who is fabulous as always) make up for these problems, but I prefer--and highly recommend--the far more faithful radio drama adaptation by the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society.

The most notable influence of The Haunted Palace on Strange Paradise comes from its characterizations of Charles Dexter Ward and Joseph Curwen. Despite many similarities with The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, the characterizations of both Jean Paul Desmond and Jacques Eloi des Mondes owe far more to the portrayals of the protagonist and villain in the The Haunted Palace than in its source material. In The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, neither Ward nor Curwen shows any romantic or sexual interest in women whatsoever. Lovecraft’s Ward only cares about antiquities, the local history of Providence, and the story of his ancestor; at twenty-six, he is unmarried and either asexual or simply too absorbed in his studies to pursue any romantic or sexual partner. The sexual orientation of Lovecraft’s Curwen is just as much of a mystery: although he took Eliza Tillinghast as a wife during his lifetime and their union produced a daughter, theirs was an arranged marriage for the sake of elevating Curwen’s social status within Providence society.

Both Price’s Ward and his Curwen, in contrast, show a marked interest in women. While their marriage is never outright stated to be a love match, Ward and his wife Ann (Debra Paget) appear to feel mutual love and devotion and have enough chemistry to imply a mutual sexual attraction. Like a dark mirror of Ward, Curwen shows a marked interest in the sexual and sexualized domination of women. In The Haunted Palace, the people of Arkham consider him a threat primarily because he lures local women to his palace to use in his rituals. While possessing Ward, Price’s Curwen rapes Ann--whom he later offers to Yog-Sothoth as well--and resurrects his former mistress, Hester Tillinghast (Cathie Merchant), who assists him in his sorcery in the film’s climax. If Lovecraft’s Curwen never did any similar actions, he does not mention them in his novella.

In Strange Paradise, romantic and sexual desire for women motivates both Jean Paul and Jacques. Jean Paul resurrects his ancestor neither out of an obsession with his history (as in The Case of Charles Dexter Ward) nor by accident (as in The Haunted Palace), but because Jacques’ spirit promises that, if the recently widowed Jean Paul frees him, he will restore life to his beloved wife Erica (Tudi Wiggins). Many episodes show Jean Paul mourning her death and narrating a tape-recorded journal to her, and he obsesses over protecting her cryogenically-preserved corpse from danger. Jacques romantically pursues several female characters over the course of the Maljardin arc--including Erica, her sister Dr. Alison Carr (Dawn Greenhalgh), and the wealthy widow Elizabeth Marshall (Paisley Maxwell) and her 20-year-old daughter Holly (Sylvia Feigel)--and makes many sexual innuendos about them. After resurrecting Erica, she obeys Jacques as though he were her husband and assists him by murdering most of the guests on Maljardin. This makes her character’s role comparable to that of Hester in The Haunted Palace.[5]

On a more superficial note, neither Jacques nor Curwen wears a costume appropriate to his era of origin. In his portrait and in flashbacks, Jacques wears a side-parted 1960s hairstyle and clothing, including a doublet and lace collar and cuffs, more appropriate for the 1630s than the late 17th century when he lived (1660-1689, according to the plaque beneath his portrait). Similarly out of place, Curwen has short hair and a beard and wears a historically inaccurate lace bib in his portrait and in the prologue at the beginning of the film. Unlike the others, this similarity is almost certainly coincidental.

An even greater similarity, however, can be found in the scene forty-five minutes into the film where Curwen speaks to Charles through his portrait.The scene occurs after the second instance of Curwen possessing him, during which he unearths Hester’s coffin and has his fellow warlocks Simon Orne (Lon Chaney, Jr.) and Jabez Hutchinson (Milton Parsons) deliver it to his cellar laboratory. Ann catches him down there and he sends her away, still possessed by Curwen. When Curwen leaves his body, they have this conversation:

JC: (from painting) "Charles Dexter Ward…" CDW: "Leave me alone! LEAVE ME ALONE!" JC: "I will never leave you alone. Your blood is my blood, your mind is my mind, your body is my body. It will do you no good to resist me. Your efforts grow weaker every day." CDW: "No! NO!" JC: "You cannot keep me out, Ward. My will is too strong." (he possesses Ward again) "Too strong for you, Ward. Too strong for you."

Similarly, most episodes from the Maljardin arc of Strange Paradise feature at least one scene where Jean Paul communicates with Jacques’ disembodied spirit, represented by his portrait. In some scenes, they use a shot of the portrait hanging in the Great Hall; other times, they superimpose Jacques’ painted face over that of his identical descendant. One of the earliest examples of Jacques referring to them as one comes in Episode 5, when he taunts Jean Paul about his attraction to Alison. “She’s so delectable a woman. How could I--you--we--ever resist or let her go?” he says, snickering throughout. During another such conversation in Episode 27, Jacques refers to Jean Paul’s body as “our body” and commands him to rest because he is tired. In still another scene ten episodes later, he complains to Jean Paul that he is “waiting for the use of our body” as Jean Paul begs him not to “enter”; the dialogue in the scene has undertones suggestive of fantasy-metaphor rape, which Jacques’ sickeningly sweet tone of voice underscores. These are only a handful of examples of the recurring theme of Jacques viewing Jean Paul’s body as his own and seeking to dominate it completely.

Comparison of a shot of Joseph Curwen glowering in front of his portrait with a similar one of Jean Paul glowering in front of the portrait of Jacques from Strange Paradise Episode 41.

Surprisingly, unlike in the novella, Curwen's portrait does not disintegrate when he possesses Ward. As Strange Paradise eventually started doing with Jacques’ portrait, Curwen’s portrait remains hanging until the end of the film, when it burns along with the rest of the palace (which begs the question of how it is even physically possible for stone to burn). Jacques’ portrait meets the same apparent end when Jean Paul sets fire to the château and flees Maljardin, but later returns to him at Desmond Hall, seemingly undamaged by the flames. It does not vanish for good until the final week of the show (Episodes 191-195), when a group of characters force him out of it by rubbing his brother’s ashes on his eyes and lips; this drives him out of the painting and into Jean Paul’s body, which he leaves at the end of the penultimate episode.[6]

Still another similarity comes from what is, in my opinion, Beaumont’s most ingenious change to the plot: the implication that all the human townspeople in 19th-century Arkham are reincarnations of identical people from the previous century, not just the necromancers. The same actors even portray their descendants: for example, Leo Gordon plays both Ezra and Edgar Weeden, and Frank Maxwell portrays both Dr. Marinus Willett and his ancestor Priam. Implied reincarnation figures heavily in the original outline for Strange Paradise, with Jean Paul, his sister-in-law Alison Carr, and the young heiress Holly Marshall all having dreams about previous lives on 17th-century Maljardin. Much like Jacques who possesses his descendant, Holly’s mother Elizabeth Marshall may have also been possessed by her previous incarnation, the native priestess Tarasca, under this outline, as foreshadowed in the clips in this video. The second Desmond Hall arc (Episodes 131-195), likewise, involves reincarnation from past ancestors (including the return of Jacques), but this final arc otherwise shares little in common with either The Case of Charles Dexter Ward or its adaptation.

Conclusion

There is strong evidence that Strange Paradise drew inspiration from both The Case of Charles Dexter Ward and The Haunted Palace for the story about Jean Paul Desmond’s possession by Jacques Eloi des Mondes. We see elements from both the book and its first film adaptation in the serial: Ian Martin’s characterization of Jacques, the possession, and the talking portrait owe more to the film, while the disappearing portrait and certain elements of Jacques’ backstory are more reminiscent of Lovecraft’s original novella. Despite this inspiration, Ian Martin added many other elements to the story of Maljardin that were not present in either work, including the conjure doll and silver pin, the strange circumstances surrounding Erica’s death, and secondary protagonist Holly’s pursuit by several male characters and victimization by a mysterious spirit. The result is a serial combining the plots of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward and its adaptation with original ideas to create a unique and--yes--strange new story.

Notes

[1] For more information on the aborted Tarasca storyline, see “The Secret of Tarasca“ and the section of my review of Episode 40 titled “The Lost Episode 40.”

[2] Dorothy Daniels, Island of Evil (New York: Paperback Library, 1970), p. 45.

[3] The Paperback Library novels do not just portray this consistently, but portray the other characters as seeing an empty frame while Jacques is controlling Jean Paul’s body. See also my review of Episode 15.

[4] For an in-depth plot comparison, see the blog post “The Films of Charles Dexter Ward” by Fake Geek Boy.

[5] According to an early newspaper summary for Episode 35, Tarasca would have endangered the life of Jean Paul’s love interest Alison, also shows some signs of possible influence by this subplot. See also this video.

[6] Many of the events of the final month of Strange Paradise are unclear and/or unexplained, so this interpretation should be taken with a grain of salt.

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cupofkey · 4 years

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hetalia characters as major arcana! (part 3)

back on my bullshit!! here’s the final part. please feel free to chat with me about these, I would love to hear what you think :)

part 1 part 2

XV The Devil: Belarus.

I love Belarus she is wonderful and a spicy character! the Devil is a really interesting card bc it’s... also spicy lol. it concerns the subconscious, attachments, desires, restrictions, even sexuality/attraction, and I’m sure you can see how that connects to canon Belarus. I find her lack of desire for temporal/spatial awareness really interesting, it definitely has similar Cursed Energy to the Devil and toys with those themes of attachment, along with being something that restricts her. it’s also interesting how she’s interested in the occult since this card tends to have the most occult symbolism in the deck? anyways she definitely has her own demons and her own choices to make (outside of doing whatever makes her feel anything beyond crushing ennui.) [a very interesting card. I’m alright with Russia for this one (he and his sister seem to be the most popular choice by far) but I honestly think it’s very hard to assign to any fictional character. just one of those cards that’s Really out there]

XVI The Tower: Poland.

alright so I gotta say I love this matchup. the Tower is about massive upheaval, turmoil, awakening, and rebuilding, something that’s SO perfect for Poland the “phoenix”. historically and canonically he’s endured so much, especially when it comes to his relationships w other countries, but he’s also extremely resilient. he’s super stubborn and has rebuilt himself time and time again after complete collapse. idk Poland just has SUCH an energy and so much gumption, it’s very in line with the aggressiveness of the Tower? it’s not always a bad card but it’s definitely a very strong one. pulling the Tower (upright or inverted) will ALWAYS mean something big. [another one where I’m not sure the meaning is really understood? I appreciate the Baltics/Finland for this one but other than that idk. I feel it needs a very very strong vibe to make sense, whether it’s in a positive or negative way, and the character needs to have really been dragged through hell and back.]

XVII The Star: Finland.

another fav of mine!! this is such a bright and hopeful card, I always love pulling it in a reading. it’s about openness, hope, rebirth... very good stuff. Finland is another character who’s endured a lot of hardships but has also really grown into himself? it’s quite an optimistic and faithful card which I feel aligns well with Finland’s demeanor and outlook, along with the outcomes of his historical relationship with the rest of the Nordics. the Star comes after the Tower for a reason; it’s the brightest light after the darkest hour, the biggest growth after the worst setbacks... I mean he got annexed and conquered and passed around as an underling, and now hes just vibing, working hard and making weird festivals. king shit [I like a lot of interpretations of this card. any character who embodies hope, renewal, growth... Liechtenstein is another character I really like for this one because of the positive changes in her life!]

XVIII The Moon: S. Italy.

hmm here’s a fun one. the Moon is a very ambiguous card; it’s about illusion, indecision, anxiety, and the in-between, something I think Romano just perfectly shows. he has a lot of internal conflict and issues with parts of himself/his family, along with not being a True Nation. I also feel he has a lot of personal fears and delusions about his role in the world and his history? like his viewpoint on everything is super warped. idk it’s very Duality Of Man. he’s self isolating but craves attention, he’s loudmouthed but cowardly, he just... has a lot going on lol. the Moon is often a sign to reexamine your surroundings and to wait for more clarity, both things that I feel Romano rly needs. [the Moon isn’t exactly 100% mysterious or cryptic, just... more like incredibly anxious and unsure. my other pick is Iceland for similar reasons, and I’m honestly not sure if any other characters really mesh with the card in the way these two do.]

XIX The Sun: Spain.

Spain is the only character people ever choose for the Sun and you know what? yall are absolutely correct. it’s a card that’s very much about exuberance, new energy, positivity, optimism, fun, etc. and its default imagery involves a child. like it’s very much Spain’s energy?? I mean he’s literally sunny, it just makes sense. the Sun is interesting because it can also mean a joy in the face of hardship, which is 1000% Spain in a historical context, and it has a passionate energy that insists My Way Or The Highway (which is SUPER Spain). he literally couldn’t care less, he’s just tryna vibe and enjoy himself ya know? exactly in line with the Sun’s message of pursuing what you want with full energy. [if I had to pick someone else, N. Italy works too, maybe even America, but idk I feel Spain has such good vibes it’s perfect for this. also the Spain/Romano Sun/Moon duality is kind of iconic]

XX Judgment: Sweden.

this is another card where assigning it to a character is a bit tricky, so I’ve chosen Sweden for some reasons I’ll lay out here. firstly, Judgment is a very conceptual card, evoking both the “last judgment” and determination within choice. basically it indicates a decision that’s almost/already been made after doing some self-evaluation? Sweden imo aligns with this because of his steely nature and decisiveness; he sticks to the choices he makes, he believes in them wholeheartedly, and he doesn’t budge or concede (see: the Kalmar Union, his relationship with Finland, his relationship with Denmark.) this gets mixed up with Justice often, but where Justice is about truth Judgment is a blend of intuition and logic. it’s significantly more emotional (which I feel also fits Sweden well, because he’s a pretty emotional guy.) [I usually find myself confused with who people put here lol. honestly I’d say this is one of the most misunderstood major arcana alongside Death? and I honestly don’t know who I’d pick other than Sweden for this... let me know though]

XXI The World: France.

in my opinion this is the “best” card to pull in the deck!! it ties back to the Fool in that it also has elements of enjoying life 100% and celebrating your successes. I feel France has a very celebratory vibe to begin with (celebrating himself and art and all that) and that plus this card’s “old man looking over his accomplishments” energy... idk it just feels very France to me. he’s done so so much historically and he’s old as fuck, and now he’s just leaning back and relaxing and going to museums, enjoying himself and the fruits of his labors. he’s also very worldly (no pun intended) which ties into the World’s themes of travel/knowledge. [I think any character chosen for this card needs to really be “settled down” to mesh with it. for me, other possibilities include Spain and Finland, but I think France embodies both fast-paced successes and a slower acceptance of life very well. and I mean he’s one of the world’s cultural capitals, his influence is massive.]

anyways that was my Hetalia tarot ramble I would love to talk about this more! anyone hmu if you ever want to ask/talk about tarot :)

#hws #aph #hetalia #tarot #hws belarus #hws poland #hws finland #hws romano #hws spain #hws sweden #hws france #analysis time bby #major arcana

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theparanormalperiodical · 5 years

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The Real Story Behind Suspiria (2018) And The 5 Other Paranormal Places You Need To Know About

It’s the classic Hollywood story:

Girl moves to a different country to pursue her dreams of stardom.

Girl auditions for dance academy.

Girl is selected as the new host for the head witch of a coven.

Oh and there’s some Nazis in there as well!

Okay, so maybe it doesn’t fit in the Netflix Rom-Com section…

But regardless - it is all based on a series of true stories.

It was only last year that a remake of the 1977 art classic - Suspiria (2018) - hit Amazon Prime and a handful of theatres. And joined at its hip was a flurry of top-rated reviews that swooned over its artistic rehashing of the horror genre.

Well, I say top-rated...

For a horror movie it faced a standing ovation, but it was still on the receiving end of many a ‘meh’.

Nevertheless, fit with an intricate plot and fleshed out with garish gore, this is undoubtedly one of the best horror films of this decade.

(It it here that I realise that we are about to enter a new decade and I feel like lying face down on the floor and having an existential crisis.)

And it turns out that it’s twisted plot is actually set against a very real backdrop.

Yet despite the intricate set of stories providing the foundation to this tale, Suspiria rarely wears the ‘based on a true story’ label.

Sure, one of the writer’s own stories is often discussed when it comes to this film, but the reality actually goes much deeper and much further than this.

For the last week I’ve been attempting to keep us with the winding story, but it is little discussed, well, anywhere.

Nevertheless, I’ve brought together everything I could uncover, and present to you this complete guide to the real story behind Suspiria!

Today’s post will cover the essay that served as the main inspiration, the tale it is directly based on, and the paranormal phenomena of magic triangles that support it, too.

Let’s get spooky.

First, Let’s Recap The Plot Of Suspiria

It’s the 1970s. We are in Germany, near the tripoint-border of Switzerland and France.

The main chick from 50 Shades of Grey rocks up to, like, the hottest dance academy to try her hand at being America’s next drag superstar the next big thing.

Problem is, the academy is run by 3 matrons who worship the Three Mothers - a group of witches determined to bring tears, sighs and darkness to the world!

(mwahahaha)

When someone does call them out for being witches, they get tortured and killed.

Oh, and it all happens through the medium of dance!

No, seriously.

All the big moments of the plot coincide with dance numbers.

It’s like the prom scene in films about high schools, or maybe the big game!

Anyway - this new kid gets voted as the host for the freshly elected head witch of the coven. And accurately, the other witch who wanted to be elected isn’t happy.

When one of the dancers gets kidnapped, a fellow student investigates, and finds clues in her journal which leads her to the witches’ inner sanctum.

This is where the witchy stuff goes down.

They #roadtrip it to the inner sanctum, and find the kidnapped student who is being used in a ritual.

And this all happens at the same time as the prom big dance!

The ritual ends up being done incorrectly, and the new kid is possessed by the Jeremy Hunt of the witches.

The possessed new kid then avenges anyone who didn't vote for them.

This witchy-posessy-death-fest ensues and features as a part of the big dance.

Witchy control of the dance academy ensues.

TL;DR - just watch an episode of Dance Moms.

Suspiria Is Originally Based Off The Essay Suspiria De Profundis

The film might be traced back to many paranormal phenomena, but the basis for the film starts here in 1845.

Thomas De Quincey, the author behind Suspiria De Profundis, wrote a collection of short essays which centre on psychological fantasy.

It is even believed that he wrote these essays based on his own visual experience of Opium; this clearly births the artsy-fartsy nature of the film.

However, it was a screenwriter’s use of these essays to create the original 1970s Suspiria which tied all the strings this post will talk about together.

The inspiration from the essay centres on the three witches known as The Three Mothers.

And even though this seems a small literature-based link to the film, Argento expands the focus on the Three Mothers to other paranormal phenomena that mirror this.

And this paranormal phenomena includes The Magical Triangle - a region in Europe where occult communities come together and paranormal events are amplified.

However, it turns out that there is not just one magic triangle.

There are five.

But before we take a roadtrip round all these triangles, we have to discuss the story that directly influenced the film.

Nicologidi’s True Story That Inspired Suspiria

So, we know that Argento’s knowledge of paranormal phenomena directly influenced the film...

But it’s the other screenwriter - Nicolodi - which has a story which directly mirrors the events of the film.

Well, to an extent, that is.

Nicolodi’s Grandmother went to a Piano school in the area Argento is so obsessed with, and the Grandmother claimed that at this school they practiced black magic.

Clearly this is a simple tale not dissimilar to the other films toting ‘based on a true story’.

However, it’s how Argento expanded this to include other paranormal phenomenon that rightly bestows upon it this classic - and often misused - tagline.

Argento’s Magical Triangle

“There’s very little to joke about. It’s something that exists…”

Argento clearly based Suspiria on real paranormal phenomenon.

And it starts here, with The Magical Triangle

It is claimed that the area where France, Germany and Switzerland meet has a history closely linked to the occult.

Whether it’s cursed cathedrals or the collection of occult communities, this triangle was one of the core pieces of inspiration for the flick.

And one of the factors contributing to the occult-focus of this triangle is the teachings of Rudolph Steiner.

(note - this is not steiner in this gif)

Steiner - a social reformer and occultist - created a anthrosophic community in this area. This includes the Waldorf School which was rumoured to have practiced both paganism and satanism, mirroring Nicolodi’s story and the film itself.

Unfortunately, I can find very little information on this triangle itself.

But the other magic triangles I have discovered have received their own fair share of attention.

The 4 Other Magical Triangles You Need To Know About

There are 2 other magic triangles in Europe, alone.

And both actually come together and meet in Turin - a city which is considered a hub of supernatural activity.

The first triangle of these triangles is the Black Magic Triangle:

This includes San Francisco, London, and Turin, and its history dates back to the Roman Era.

Said magic is believed to come from the energetic currents that flow through the cities, with Turin staking its claim as the most magical - and this is because Turin is supposedly suspended between good and evil.

The white magic triangle involves Turin, Lyon and Prague - and all I can find on it is this:

It is claimed that ‘those who know’ go to this area to pay homage to the ‘grand old man’ - make of that what you will..

This magical and mysterious area is further inferred by Turin’s position on the 45th parallel.

“Turin is the place where my nightmares are best.” - Argento.

Yes - that quote is from Argento, confirming the influence of multiple magical triangles in the creation of Suspiria!

And why wouldn’t his nightmares be best here?

This Italian city has witnessed its own history of paranormal events and phenomena, and is even believed to house the hidden gate to hell.

Take the Piazzo Statuto:

Not only has it seen a bloody battle back in the 18th century, it’s angel statue represents the dichotomy between the good and evil Turin allegedly contains.

The angel can also look like the devil, and even bears the mark of a 5 pointed star.

Turin also is claimed to have once housed alchemical labs underground with rumours of metal being converted to gold, a myth relating to the legend of the Philosopher’s stone which has its own paranormal associations.

Ghosts have also been said to roam the streets, such as that of Christine Marie who pushed past lovers into the river to drown.

#brutal

The final paranormal phenomena of Turin I want to discuss is that of Palazzo Trucchi di Levaldigi.

Fit with a hell-inspired door-knocker, this is yet another reminder on the mish mash of magic triangles spread across the world.

Indeed this building is the city’s tarot manufacturer. And the building number? It’s 15.

The tarot card with the no. 15 is the card of the Devil.

The 40,000 satanists rumoured to be lurking the streets of Turin and performing rituals in basements confirms its mysterious existence further.

Our next magical triangle is probably the most famous mystery in existence:

The Bermuda Triangle.

This triangle deserves it’s own post given the sheer volume of evidence, debunking and discussion given to its name. Nevertheless, it further reinforces the reality behind Suspiria.

Also known as the Devil’s Triangle, this is an area from which travellers who sail or fly through often go missing.

The recorded occurrences began in 1950 with the loss of Flight 19.

Whether it’s the claims of UFOs, or the lost city of Atlantis’ technology, this triangle be a spooky one.

Our final triangle is a little less international, and resides in the state of Massachusetts in the US of A:

It’s the Bridgewater Triangle.

Named by paranormal investigator Loren Coleman, this 200 square mile triangle has been a home to many a creature in its time.

From a huge black dog back in 1976, to tall, winged creatures, and even Bigfoot, this is a hub for paranormal sightings.

Weirder occurrences such as mutilated cattle have also been discovered, confirming that Suspiria’s story goes much deeper - and further - than we would like…

The True Story Behind The Three Witches

The last piece of paranormal phenomena we have to discuss is that of the Three Witches. And no, Suspiria isn’t the first piece of pop culture to make note of witches coming in threes.

Sure, Shakespeare beat Thomas to the chase with the Weird Sisters in Macbeth, but three is actually a very spiritual number.

Clearly the most obvious claim to this is the Holy Trinity: God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost.

But mirroring this is the stages of the moon; the concept of Mind, Body and Spirit; and Mother, Maiden, and Crone.

The last trinity points to pagan beliefs regarding the seasons, but also relies closely on their perspective of witches, particularly in British folk religions. Witches were often believed to come in threes, and contained a mother, a maiden, and a crone.

And thus, as triangles have 3 corners and 3 sides, we see how a link is forged between the 3 witches in Suspiria, and the magical triangles already explained in this post.

This is especially true given the importance of a triangle as a symbol in paganism.

Whether its derived from paranormal theory, or sought from the tales of terror lurking around the world, Suspiria isn’t just based on 19th century literature.

Indeed, it has pointed us to a paranormal phenomenon - that of magic triangles - little discussed among us mere mortals.

So - what’s your verdict?

Do you think Turin is haunted by the clash between good and evil?

And who else wants to roadtrip round the triangles with me?

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snidgetsafan · 5 years

Text

Good Omens

Rating: T

Summary: It all starts in a garden...In a world where Heaven and Hell play an ineffable game of backgammon with humanity, an Angel and a Demon have been stationed on Earth since the dawn of time. And after 6,000 years, any being, whether they be ethereal or occult, would go at least a little native. And after 6,000 years of being the only two immortal souls on Earth, could you blame these beings for braving angelic and demonic taboos and growing close?

A Good Omens AU (no prior knowledge of the book or mini-series needed) (on AO3)

Notes: Here is my entry for @csseptembersunshine! Good Omens is my favorite book ever, and the mini-series has reawakened my obsession. I haven’t been able to write anything else, this idea wouldn’t leave me. Just so you know: this was supposed to be a bullet point outline. And here we are, 10k later... I wish I could say I was sorry for all the puns and dumbass jokes, but you know I’m not. Last but not least: a HUGE thank you to @shireness-says, who has edited this fic in two days, cheered me while I was writing, and tolerated both my fixation and puns (and even made one of her own! I’m SO PROUD)

Wordcount: 10.7k

------------------------------------------

It all starts in a garden. No, not a garden – the garden. You could even say the Garden, since it’s currently the only one in existence.

It’s a gorgeous Garden. You could even call it heaven on Earth, because it is.

It doesn’t actually start in the Garden proper, mind, but rather on top of the wall surrounding it, where an Angel is watching the first two humans walk towards an undetermined future. More determined, however, is the lion slowly prowling towards them. A slight breeze brings the smell of ozone from the coming storm (the first storm – God really casting the humans out in style), as well as the slightest whiff of iron. That last smell is explained a few seconds later by the appearance of a huge snake slithering up the wall before slowly taking human shape as it reaches the parapet, as if unsure how to go about the transition. A Demon, then.

And thus the Demon spake unto the Angel, “Well, I don’t think that could have been any more dramatic.”

“I beg your pardon?” are the first words the Angel spake unto the Demon. The Demon smiles in amusement, their dark hair fluttering in the wind as it steadily blows stronger; the storm is growing nearer. They catch a few strands between their fingers, looking at it in puzzlement before shrugging and turning towards the Angel.

Then their smile turns into a frown. “Didn’t you have a flaming sword?” they ask, tilting their head to look behind the Angel, just in case their lanky frame could somehow hide a huge sword on actual fire. Such a feat would have to be quite the mirac– well.

The Angel averts their blue eyes, pretending to be fascinated by the approaching clouds. When they see the Demon patiently waiting for an answer (and isn’t it odd, seeing a Demon display one of the seven Virtues?), they mumble an answer, turning their head away once again.

(Those clouds really are quite something. They’re the first ones, for starters).

The Demon’s serpentine eyes widen. Surely – “You what ?” And then the Angel says Words, words that will shape the next six thousand years of the world, from its very beginning to its end (and its aftermath, too, but more importantly its end).

“I gave it away,” they repeat defensively, not looking at the Demon, unwilling to see the mockery on their face. The Demon is glad that the Angel’s not looking at them; this way, they have time to hide the absolute awe they’re feeling at the moment. It’s not that the Angel has compassion; angels are made of love, compassion is innate for them. No, it’s that this Angel, without even realizing it, has shown free will, has had the complete and utter balls to find and use a loophole in God’s orders.

They’re so awed, they don’t even acknowledge the envy and wrath this realization awakens in them (why didn’t this angel fall, when what they did was worse than what the Demon did – when they only asked questions? )

It’s the first time of many that the Angel will cause the Demon to ignore their very nature, reminding them of Before (before Eden, before Hell, before the fall, before the doubt).

And with the dawn of human history begins the dance of Emraoth and Kiliel (for they do learn each other’s names eventually). Because while “how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?” is quite an interesting question, it would be more appropriate to wonder what an angel and a demon would dance if left to their own devices (or to be more precise, not an angel and a demon, but rather this Angel and this Demon).

For instance, right now, you could say they’re line dancing; following the steps set by the choreography, occasionally facing each other but each staying in their own space, in sync with their side. They meet in Mesopotamia, Etruria, and what will become Australia. They assume their roles at the foot of the Ararat Mountains, though they’re not very good at it (an angel unenthusiastic about the Flood and a demon raving about the children not deserving this fate – what would their ilk think?)

––-

And then Jerusalem happens. Kiliel watches with sorrow in his eyes as God’s Son is nailed to one of the crosses. He knows God’s Plan is ineffable, and that Jesus’ death is a vital part of it, but his heart still bleeds as he hears the man’s cries and whimpers. He oddly feels relieved to smell the whiff of iron, turning his head to see Emraoth suddenly standing next to him (but not watching him - almost never watching him, not since Eden). She is draped all in black with a veil covering her brown hair in the local fashion, and she looks grim, no sign of amusement on her face.

“Did you meet him?” Kiliel can’t help but ask, both out of curiosity and as a way to cover Jesus’ cries of pain.

“I showed him all the kingdoms of the world,” she murmurs, not looking away from the cross now slowly being raised.

“Why?” Kiliel asks, not understanding what temptation she was trying to accomplish. And just like Emraoth’s whole worldview had tilted on its axis on the Garden’s wall, so does Kiliel’s on top of the Golgotha as Emraoth snorts, although there is no mirth in it.

“He’s the son of a carpenter. How else was he supposed to see them before he died?”

And just like Emraoth hadn’t expected to find free will in an angel before the Garden, Kiliel hadn’t expected to find pity in a demon before

They wait in respectful silence for the end after this, feeling Jesus deserves to not be left alone in his last, most terrible moments. Neither of them says a thing when the spear pierces his side; they’ll later get commendations from their respective sides for the act, and they won’t say a thing. What could they say? Could Kiliel say that out of the two of them, it was the Demon who showed mercy? And what can Emraoth say when Hell rejoices in her worsening the Christ’s agony? That it was the farthest from her mind?

So they continue line dancing. While they imperceptibly move out of sync with their sides, their steps start complementing each other’s instead, though no one notices, them least of all.

(God of course notices, just like She’s noticed everything since the beginning, but keeps Her own counsel on the matter).

––-

For once, Kiliel is the one who first spots Emraoth in Rome. She looks dejected, slumped against the counter with her head leaning on her fist. Kiliel feels quite nervous; he’s known Emraoth since the Garden (as much as one can know a demon, duplicity being second nature to them, he thinks, remembering Liamel’s warnings every time he reports in Heaven), but he doesn’t know how to deal with a demon capable of compassion.

But Kiliel is… curious, and he approaches her (and if Emraoth’s abrasiveness settles him into a relative sense of comfort, well, nobody has to know). They eat oysters, of all things. Emraoth hates them, but seems to like the honey cakes he orders for dessert (if the way she gobbles her plate and steals his last morsel while he is distracted is any indication, anyway). And during their meal, they talk. Not of deep things – they don’t trust each other enough for that - but of what they’ve seen. Kiliel talks about the Library of Alexandria; Emraoth mentions seeing it. Kiliel is suspicious until Emraoth snaps that it wasn’t her that burnt it down; Maleficent, one of the Duchesses of Hell, has pyromaniac tendencies.

They part, but something has changed. Both have enjoyed the other’s company, despite their natural enmity. Both Angel and Demon know that if their sides were to know this, they’d – at best – be called back to Heaven and Hell, never to set foot on Earth again. They tacitly agree to keep their acquaintance a secret.

The line dance stops, rearranges itself; they’ve shifted into a tripudium, right in time for the Dark Ages. The Church considers dancing to be immoral, wanton, but how can you stop humans dancing when there’s music? You can’t, so you compromise: people may dance, but under no circumstances should there be physical contact. Touching is impure, a mark of the Devil.

And isn’t that right on the nose for Kiliel and Emraoth.

They continue to meet from time to time (and if they sometimes investigate stories of miracles or curses wondering if they’ll find the other at the source... well, nobody has to know). Human technology and knowledge takes a step backwards after the fall of Rome. Kiliel misses running water and notions of personal hygiene; Emraoth misses good entertainment and good wine. They complain about it to each other over what passes for a drink at that time in inns, taverns, and on one memorable occasion, during a coronation feast.

They meet again in Ireland in the 5th century, and the discussion becomes quite heated over, ridiculously enough, salmon. Heated enough that Emraoth transforms back into a snake out of a frustration that makes her want to hiss properly. And heated enough for Kiliel to, for the first and only time, discorporate Emraoth where she writhes. They certainly didn’t intend to be seen by the locals, and Kiliel certainly didn’t expect it to gain as much traction as it did. He didn’t chase all the snakes out of the island; he just banished the only snake that ever stepped foot on it, is all. Still, he gets a commendation for smiting a demon and bringing Christianity to Ireland. Above is so happy with him that the medal is directly delivered by the Archangel Blue on a rainy Tuesday morning. The meeting leaves him feeling on edge; while he was outwardly rewarded and praised, this felt more like a trial than anything else. Blue’s parting words certainly didn’t help:

“It’s surprising how well you’ve adapted, Kiliel. Be careful not to go too native, though.”

(Emraoth takes her revenge a decade late when she sees Kiliel on the battlefield of Châlons, making sure at least three arrows are miracled to pierce him when he’s distracted. Why she had to make sure one hit him in the arse, Kiliel wonders before he is sent back to Heaven, he’ll never know).

––-

Kiliel joins King Arthur’s Round Table in the 6th century. Above wants to see how all of this quest for the Grail turns out, and he’s been sent to observe it all; Arthur had seemed like such a good lad at the lake when Kiliel had handed him the sword. (Not just a sword, either, but his sword, the one he hasn’t seen since Eden, though it’s not flaming right now. When it’s delivered to him by Blue he keeps a straight face. Nope, nothing to see here).

When talk of a dark sorceress reaches Camelot, Kiliel volunteers to investigate, centuries of habits making him guess who is behind these tales. And just as he thought, he finds Emraoth in the woods, lounging in a mossy clearing. She does look impressive, if a little… surly. Snakes don’t like the cold and the damp, after all. Neither do angels, for that matter. (Or Kiliel, to be more precise. Heaven, while beautiful and peaceful, is cold . Being posted on Earth had been a blessing in disguise; the warm caress of the sun had felt scorching after the chilly harmony of Paradise).

And in the middle of that mossy clearing, as Kiliel’s neck itches under his chainmail, and as Emraoth keeps having to miracle the bottom of her gown dry as they catch up, that clearing is where the Demon vocalizes an idea she’s had since at least Pompeii.

“If I’m here to wile, and you’re here to thwart, and all we do is cancel each other out all the time… wouldn’t it be more sensible to just… go home?” the Demon asks, her serpentine eyes fixed on Kiliel’s, “What’s the point of staying here in the damp when what we’re doing won’t have any impact anyway?”

Kiliel entertains the idea for a second (that chainmail really is itchy, and the less said about his braies, the better) before he sees through Emraoth’s attempt at sloth.

“No!” he exclaims, “what’s wrong with you?” Emraoth just shrugs, miracling her dress dry once more. She hadn’t even been trying to tempt the Angel; it would have just been more practical for both of them to go home, that’s all.

Oh well.

It only takes a decade for Kiliel to see Emraoth’s point as he takes Arthur to Avalon on his final trip, once again appearing as Viviane, the Lady of the Lake. That mess with Lancelot and Guinevere really soured Kiliel’s time in Camelot, and he feels that Arthur giving back Excalibur and dying marks the end of his time at the Round Table.

(He can’t help but feel a little responsible for Lancelot. He did have a hand in his upbringing, after all, and may have been a little heavy-handed in his lessons about love).

He has half a hope to be able to keep his sword at the end of it all, but it’s whisked away by Blue minutes after Arthur has breathed his last, nattering about how it’s going to be needed later on. He finds Emraoth still in the same mossy clearing, and the Arrangement is born. Instead of fighting fruitlessly against one another, one of them can accomplish both the blessing and the temptation.

And if the other one stays home… well, no one has to know.

––-

And so they now seek each other out, meeting in inconspicuous places: gardens, balls, markets, and isolated clearings. Kiliel is the one who goes up to Iona in the 9th century to inspire some Vikings into attacking the monastery there. He is also the one who helps the monks flee to Ireland. During the trip, he happens upon a gorgeously illuminated book, and is absolutely charmed. He helps the monks settle, and decides to stay for a little while, just to make sure the monastery stays safe (and the books, because there’s a second one ). A little while ends up being five decades. It’s in that time that he decides to adopt the name the locals have given him: Killian. It’s close enough to his real name, and attracts less attention than his foreign-sounding one.

During this time, Emraoth goes to the continent to wreak a little havoc. She has way too much fun nicknaming the successive kings of that period. Kiliel empathizes with Charles: being constantly mocked for your hairiness by being nicknamed King Charles the Bald must have stung something fierce.

When Emraoth comes back, she tells him she now goes by Emma. He guesses he’ll get used to it, even if it’s been almost five millennia of calling her by her demonic name. And if Emma doesn’t meet his eyes when she tells him she just liked the name when she heard it, Kiliel won’t call her out. Just like he won’t mention having read about the angel Immanuel in the Book of Isaiah (although he can’t – he can’t remember ever meeting her before the Fall. So is the curse of the Fallen, that their annihilation from Heaven be so complete that their very existence is banished from Heaven’s memory).

The Arrangement continues and strengthens with time; the dancers get closer and closer, until there is at last, some measure of trust; they touch, even if it is still hesitant. The dance once again changes, the parudium leaving its place to a stately minuet, where the dancers twirl around each other, growing closer then separating in order to come near again. (And if the dancers twirl closer and closer, well, again – no one has to know).

Kiliel learns not to tell Emr– Emma that she is nice, or kind, because she will spend the next decade trying to prove she is not . He spends all of the 10th century protecting the Kells library from different pillaging attempts because the Demon knows he loves those two books and is being spiteful. The monks there comment that it’s a miracle the two manuscripts always seem to survive the attacks on the monastery. Kiliel (or brother Killian, as he’s known there) smiles nervously and changes the subject every time.

Years, then decades, then centuries pass in this fashion. Neither Heaven nor Hell seem to catch onto their ruse. Quite the contrary, in fact; the commendations both from Above and Below become more frequent. The only downside to the Arrangement is that Kiliel sees Blue much more often than before, and every meeting leaves him feeling out of sorts, as if he’s missing something, as if Blue’s hiding something behind her affable smiles and azure garments. Kiliel can’t help but feel guilty after each meeting for doubting his superior; Blue knows what she’s doing, and if she weren’t following God’s Plan, then surely the Almighty would have already taken care of her.

Emma absolutely loathes the 14th century, and she makes sure everyone around her (especially Kiliel) knows it. Her drunken rants about all the evils of the era become legendary in their length, virulence, and irony. The last straw is when the umpteenth bout of plague decimates the village she is staying in; she decides in a fit of pique to sleep the rest of the century away. Kiliel does not miss her. He had just grown unaccustomed to only speaking to mortals, that’s all. Plus it’s nice not to have to protect what has become known as the Book of Kells from constant attacks because someone was annoyed and feeling childish.

(Emma has been a constant in his life since the beginning of human history; truth be told, he sees her more often than those on his own side. Of course he’s grown accustomed to her).

As time goes by, Kiliel grows more and more fond of books in general. Even though the Angel loves illuminated manuscripts and thinks them objects of art, no one is more excited than he about the advent of the printing press. He is quite proud, in fact, of having inspired the first sentence to be typed. “Fiat lux” – let there be light – had, indeed, been quite enlightened of him, he thinks. It helps balance the quite scandalous things that print will be used for. Being able to produce several books a day will certainly help spread not only the Gospel, but also stories and histories to people who didn’t have access to them before. And if more people can read, then more people can write books. That’s a win-win situation for the discerning angel looking for new material to read, after all.

Libraries start popping everywhere around Europe. Kiliel is all in favor of giving people free access to books; it’s just that books deserve respect , deserve to be handled with care, and so many of these humans seem unable to grasp that fact. They are precious, not only because they are rare, but because of the knowledge they hold. Even he will admit that he went a bit far in the Hereford Cathedral’s library. Chaining the shelves was frowned upon both by the Archbishop and by Above; he’s supposed to influence humans to do God’s will, not miracle the chains himself during the night. He had received a strongly worded letter the following week; phrases like “more judicious use of your grace” and “try to deal with less trivial matters in the future” were used, making Kiliel grimace in discomfort. Head office was not happy.

Emma comes back from her jaunt in the Carribbean with a tan and a new accent and laughs herself silly when he tells her what happened. Kiliel didn’t know demons could laugh. They snicker, cackle or chortle ominously, but Kiliel had no idea they could make such delighted (and delightful) sounds. And if he thinks that laughter really suits Emma, much more than her customary smirks... well, no one has to know.

A century later he is more careful in Dublin; chains are too obvious to protect the books. He just makes sure to devise a system that makes it near impossible to find specific volumes. After all, arranging them by weight and size is logical and practical when you think about it. So little space, so many books. And well, if the Book of Kells finds a privileged place in the college’s library, then that’s just a coincidence, isn’t it?

(His classification system serves as inspiration again when he opens his bookshop at the end of that century. Again: so little space, so many books ).

As Kiliel slowly sets up his shop at the end of the 18th century (he finally found the perfect place, a corner shop in the middle of Soho deserted by its previous owners due to the latest plague outbreak), he hears that the revolutionaries in France are requisitioning all the belongings of the nobility and selling them. He thinks of the libraries of the Versailles palace, of Paris, of Brittany. He thinks of all that knowledge being dilapidated and lost and can’t bear the thought. He needs to do something .

So the Angel travels to Paris with his pockets full of écus , and starts making enquiries. Except that the situation is so... peculiar in Paris these days that a rich well-dressed man automatically translates to aristocrat. And nobles aren’t very popular in Paris right now, except on the guillotine platform. And so an Angel finds himself chained in a cell in the Bastille. He’d miracle himself free, but he’s not supposed to be in Paris (he should be blessing away in Norwich, but Emma had drawn the short straw this time) and he doesn’t want to attract Above’s attention. And he’s sure he can explain himself to the court; their Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen sounded perfectly reasonable when he’d read it the previous month, very progressive and full of good sense. He might even suspect Heavenly influence, if it weren’t for the fact that he’s the only angel in Europe right now.

It turns out the French are not reasonable at all, especially when they see the content of his pockets and decide it would look better in their coffers. Really, he shouldn’t be surprised; they’re a pretty uncouth and smelly bunch and would be unsalvageable if it weren’t for their cuisine and wine. Kiliel finds himself in a new cell, one in which he can hear all the poor souls being decapitated to the cheers of the crowd. Nothing Heavenly about this, he thinks. Hell must be the ones behind this. He hopes Emma was not involved (and doesn’t dither too much on why he doesn’t want her specifically to be responsible).

He barely waits an hour before the executioner arrives, looking decidedly too cheerful for a dealer of death. Under his jolly appearance and upbeat tone, Kiliel can sense a man rotten to the core, who takes pleasure in making heads roll. No reason nor help coming from this side either, then. Getting discorporated is going to be such a bother, Kiliel thinks, disgruntled. At this rate, he should really use a miracle to free himself; he’s going to be reprimanded anyway, but at least he won’t have to fill the paperwork to get a new body.

“I really don’t understand how you can behave like such animals while pretending to fight for freedom,” Killian grumbles while raising his hand to snap his fingers, not realizing Jean-Claude has stopped moving entirely.

“Animals don’t use clever machines to kill each other,” sounds a voice from behind him as he realizes the crowd outside has grown silent. Emma . He turns around, smiling delightedly, never happier to see the Demon. She’s wearing the local garb, Phrygian hat hiding her brown curls, smoked glasses firmly planted on her nose to hide her serpentine eyes. Her hands are also on her hips, and her eyebrow is raised in the universal sign of annoyance.

“What the heavens are you doing here, Angel? Don’t you have a bookshop to open?”

While it might be surprising to see an angel lectured by a demon, it’s important to remember that this is not just any angel, nor any demon. So Kiliel tells her everything, ignoring the way she rolls her eyes so hard her head follows the motion. Explaining to Emma why he hasn’t freed himself is a little trickier, though (a lot more embarrassing, more like). Where he expects Emma’s laughter, or her anger, he’s only met with fond exasperation as she shakes her head, looking at him over her glasses. Emma can’t hold time prisoner for long, though, so she switches Kiliel’s clothes with Jean-Claude the executioner’s just in time for two soldiers to come fetch the “English pig” to take him to his date with Madame Guillotine. Both men ignore Jean-Claude’s protestations that he’s French, which probably has something to do with the fact that he’s suddenly forgotten how to speak French. The Angel doesn’t feel guilty about Jean-Claude’s fate. After all, it’s divine retribution for his crimes; he will die as he lived, on the scaffold – only this time, he’ll be the one with his head on the block.

After getting out of the Bastille and breathing in the relative fresh air (Revolutionary France really was letting itself go in terms of waste disposal and personal hygiene, not that it had been this stellar to begin with), they go to a café and have some crêpes. Between Emma riding on the high of a successful rescue and Kiliel feeling relieved at not having had to resort to any miracles, the tone is jovial. They joke around, Emma telling him about Norwich, Kiliel telling her about his latest purchases. After the first bottle of cider, Emma finally teases him about his coming to Paris, making the Angel smile (he’d been waiting for it; after almost six thousand years, he was starting to know the Demon).

They end up walking in the Tuileries after dark among canoodling couples and groups of friends. It would be hard to guess from this sight alone that the city was in the middle of the Reign of Terror. They stop on a bench overlooking the Louvre. Amusement and the alcohol they’ve drunk make Emma relaxed, and that the flimsy little glasses she wears keep sliding down her nose as she talks animatedly. Kiliel looks at her, finding her positively charming, her flushed cheeks and relaxed brow making her appear younger.

(Than usual, that is, not than her actual age. Any breathing body automatically looks younger than six thousand years. To be honest, any body looks younger than six thousand).

Fresh air and Paris and wine as well as a good time had with a friend make Kiliel unable to keep his thoughts to himself. “You have the most beautiful eyes, love,” he blurts out, emboldened by being able to see them for once, no smoky glasses shielding the serpentine orbs. Ever since she had discovered smoked glasses, she almost always had a pair over her eyes, the most notable exception being when she’d turned into a snake in Ireland (and hadn’t that encounter ended spectacularly badly).

And yet, even as the words escape his mouth, he knows he’s making a mistake; those glasses are an armor for her, one behind which she can hide and upon which she’s based her whole persona, her whole shell. Her face closes off immediately, and in another two minutes she’s gone, pretexting a temptation in Orléans. It’s only after she’s disappeared behind a row of trees that he realizes he’d never asked her how she had known where to find him.

Neither of the dancers notice, but Paris in 1793 marks a significant change in the dance, as the minuet slowly becomes livelier, sharper, more challenging. Both dancers prod at each other, enter each other’s space to see if they’ll take a step back, twirl and walk and collide in a fiery facsimile of a fight. Though it hasn’t been invented yet, the angel and the demon are the first to dance a pasodoble.

Kiliel doesn’t hear from Emma for 10 years. She waltzes back in his life one Tuesday morning in 1803 as he’s trying to convince a gentleman that no, he doesn’t want to purchase that Shakespeare folio, that it’s not for sale even if yes, it is on display in a bookshop. The gentleman is quite insistent until Emma snaps her fingers and he seems in a hurry to get… somewhere else. Kiliel doesn’t want to know. He’s just glad to be rid of the man, as he had quite odd ideas; arguing that bookshops have to sell books, how preposterous. It’s taken him more than three centuries to amass his collection, he’s not going to start squandering it. He didn’t nearly die in Paris for this.

That first meeting is all business, as she has a new pet project in Manchester (or, to be more accurate, the pet project is Manchester). They make a deal: Kiliel will ignore what’s happening in Lancashire, and Emma will steer clear of County Mayo in Ireland. Not that it’s a sacrifice for her; she still hasn’t forgiven him for what happened there in the 5th century. But if Emma plans on influencing a whole city, then Kiliel should definitely do the same, just somewhere else. He remembers popping by Cathair na Mart two decades ago for a blessing, inspiring the lord of the place to rebuild the village he had destroyed to extend his grounds, instead of just turning the inhabitants into the streets. A second blessing on the architect ensured that the new town would be decent; he’s particularly proud of the promenade along the river.

So Kiliel starts spending more time there, dusting off his Killian moniker and encouraging the citizens to do good. His efforts show, as four churches open. More importantly a proliferation of missions and charities begin to operate in and around the city. He hasn’t often concentrated so much on one place, and he finds he quite likes it, even if he misses his bookshop (though his frequent absences help establish him as a particularly difficult merchant, a reputation that he is far, far from resenting, as it keeps most customers away).

What he doesn’t expect, however, is to enjoy sailing so much. Oh, he’s already sailed before in his long existence – after all, you can’t travel from England to the rest of the world without setting foot on a ship (he could fly, but the air currents over the Channel are a nightmare to navigate) – but this, this is different. Sailing directly from London to Cathair na Mart is quicker and more practical than traveling by land, and for the first time since the invention of the caravel, he actually sails on the open sea, and he finds it exhilarating . When the wind is behind them (and it always is, he makes sure of it), it feels like flying, the ride smooth and swift. He loves it so much that he acquires his own ship, a small brigantine named The Ethereal Swan which employs eight sailors (but which he usually sails by himself if he can help it). He makes sure that a dock is always miraculously free for him both in England and Ireland.

He finds he can’t wait to show his ship to Emma. They are… friends, after all, are they not? They’ve been exchanging letters this whole time (even if months or even years could pass between each one), ostentatiously to continue with their Arrangement, less officially to catch up.

(Emma still refuses to step foot in Ireland; considering the utter mess she’s wreaking in Manchester, that’s probably a good thing. Kiliel can’t approach Manchester now without the stench of evil making his eyes water. They’d meet, but they’re afraid that both of them being absent from their cities at the same time would raise some suspicion).

He thinks he might get a chance in 1835, when Emma sends a message to his bookshop (he’s been spending more and more time there, his work in Mayo County slowly coming to an end) asking him to meet her at St James’ Park, not far from Buckingham Palace. It’s become a privileged meeting spot for them since the 1660s, but they haven’t been there since the canal had been transformed into a lake. Kiliel is quite eager to see the changes (and even more to see Emma; it’s been too long, despite the letters). They catch up with each other while walking the new avenues, Emma telling him all about the mischief she has been up to in Manchester and the commendation she’s gotten for it, before Kiliel talks about Cathair na Mart and Emma tries not to roll her eyes at the sentimentality (well, not too much). Kiliel softly smiles whenever she does so; he knows what she looks like when truly annoyed, and this isn’t it – this is just a front. The Demon Emraoth can be quite soft when she wants to be, although Kiliel isn’t stupid enough to voice that thought (not anymore, at least – he doesn’t know where she’d find Vikings to attack Trinity College, but he trusts her to somehow manage it).

It’s while they’re sitting down in front of the new lake, looking at the new facade of Buckingham House (“Palace, Angel, get with the times”) that Kiliel finally broaches the fact he bought a ship. “You what?” Emma laughs, looking delightfully surprised (just as she had on the wall of Eden, at the very beginning, and Kiliel is proud to still be able to surprise her). So he invites her to Rotherhithe where the Ethereal Swan is docked, planning on taking a cab to go there. Emma stops him, bringing him to a black buggy which she drives with… unabashed enthusiasm, a part of Kiliel tries to think diplomatically (though the rest of it is screaming that she’s driving like a madwoman). Between sharp turns and exhortations for Emma to watch the road, Kiliel performs six minor miracles to ensure there are no casualties to Emma’s driving, while the demon snaps that pedestrians know the risks when they venture onto the streets. It’s with the greatest relief that Kiliel finally glimpses the masts in the marina, and directs Emma as close to the Swan ’s dock as possible.

He suddenly feels bashful as he guides Emma onto the gangplank, ridiculously wanting her to approve of the ship. He can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief as soon as he steps on the deck, feeling more at home than anywhere else (even more than his shop, and he’s lived there for the last five decades, longer than anywhere else). Emma has already started exploring, climbing on the upper deck to see the wheel and peer over the railing, before coming back towards him. Kiliel waits patiently for her, watching her walk around his ship, the sight oddly right.

They end up in the captain’s cabin, sharing a bottle of rum Emma miracles. She had brought back some from her time in the Carribean, and Kiliel had developed quite a taste for it. “Plus,” she smirks, ”it’s quite appropriate to toast the ship with some naval rum, wouldn’t you agree, Captain ?” Kiliel just smiles while sipping his drink, letting the alcohol and the company warm his insides.

It’s as she leaves that Emma plants a seed in Kiliel’s mind, looking around her at the books littering the window’s edge and the furniture.

“If you feel so much at home here, why do you even bother with your bookshop?”

(And isn’t that the way of demons, sowing seeds and making sure humans grow them all by themselves? Ironic, when you consider how hopeless Emma is with plants.)

At the time, Kiliel just smiles, but the wheels of fate have already started turning, even if he’s not aware of it yet.

––-

After that, they start meeting more often, always following the same pattern: they meet in the park, and end up either in his bookshop or on his ship (and always, always with Emma’s mad driving in the middle, regrettably). Excepting the infernal rides, Kiliel likes this new development. Even though she is supposedly his mortal enemy, he feels a kinship with Emma born of almost six millenia spent on Earth and of their own alchemy.

This state of harmony comes to an end on a stormy Tuesday morning four years later when Blue herself graces him with her presence, stepping into his bookshop as he waits for Emma’s arrival. They’re planning to go eat at Claridge’s. Apparently, his achievements in Cathair na Mart have earned him a medal, as well as a promotion. A promotion that means he’s being summoned back to Heaven, permanently . Something which he definitely doesn’t want, but can’t really say to Blue, now can he? Kiliel tries to argue that he is an asset here on Earth, that he knows the enemy and manages to thwart them quite effectively, but to no avail. She doesn’t seem to care at all that if he were to go, Hell would be left to roam Earth unchallenged, even enjoying the thought. And this promotion doesn’t feel like one either. What did Petrarch used to say? “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer”? Kiliel somehow doesn’t feel like a friend there. He manages to win a little time before he has to leave, just enough to sort his business here (just enough to say his goodbyes).

But it doesn’t come to that, as Blue comes sulking back two hours later, this time with Gabriel in tow. The head Archangel looks perplexed (which would translate to frantic agitation in any other person or angel). Apparently, Kiliel’s promotion has been postponed, as he is considered far more useful on Earth than Above – but he can keep the medal, thank you and goodbye. Blue doesn’t look perplexed or alarmed; instead, she looks frustrated, her mouth turned down into a subtle frown that Kiliel somehow catches. Her insistence on his being on Earth as merely temporary is also odd; it’s almost as if she wants to get him away from Earth, and not up to Heaven.

He sits at his desk, puzzled, when he realizes that Emma never came. It’s as he’s wondering where she is that she appears, as if summoned by his thoughts. She listens as he recounts his morning before rolling her eyes behind her glasses (she unconsciously rolls her neck at the same time, which Kiliel does not find cute; if Emma knew what he was thinking, he’d be discorporated on the spot) and inviting him to lunch. They don’t talk about it any more, and at the end of their lunch Emma heads off to Camberwell to officiate a blessing for Killian on her way to Croydon.

(Kiliel is not amused by the result of this blessing; young John William Bean was supposed to feel divine inspiration to bring change to his life, but not by shooting at the Queen. Emma is, however, and keeps arguing that the gun was full of coffee, anyway, the worst that could have happened was that Her Majesty’s dress would have sported a suspicious brown stain)

The incident stays in his mind, however, and he realizes with a certain shock that he can’t trust Blue anymore, that she doesn’t seem to have either his or Earth’s best interest at heart. The thought scares him, as an Angel is not supposed to question his superiors (is not supposed to question anything, really), and he knows that several of his former brothers and sisters have fallen for just this reason. He fears this will be his fate, until he realizes that it’s not God he’s questioning (he still has the utmost Faith in Her, doesn’t doubt Her Great Plan), but rather a particular Angel. The thought saddens him, as angels are not supposed to be suspicious of each other, but it is what it is.

And that’s where Kiliel starts to plan. Because whatever Blue’s goal is, it involves him not being on Earth, and he has no intention of being a part of it if it’s not the Almighty’s Plan. So he needs some sort of… deterrent. But what can an angel do against an archangel? There’s only one answer, and it’s a terrible, unthinkable one. Which is why Kiliel chooses to unthink it for a decade, pretending everything is fine as he conducts blessings as usual, interspersed with the occasional temptation for Emma.

But really, the thought keeps nagging him despite his best efforts; Hellfire is the only thing that can kill an angel. And he’s not talking about a simple discorporation, your mortal vessel dies, whoops, Up Above you go, please fill these forms to get a new one and don’t let us see you again. No, death by Hellfire would mean complete annihilation of the body and the soul; you’d be burnt away from existence, with no hope of resurrection whatsoever. It is an abomination, made even more abhorrent by the fact that it’s a weapon kept solely in the hands of their mortal enemies – just like the Heavenly Host has Holy Water. The stakes are balanced, each side having the means to destroy the other.

(While God’s Plan is Ineffable, this part is pretty clear, the balance perfect. They’ll see which side tips the scales when Kingdom comes.)

And yet, it’s the only solution. And as far as he knows, there’s only one way to get some Hellfire, and that’s through a demon.

Good thing he knows one.

Except the meeting doesn’t go as planned. They meet at St. James’ Park, feed the ducks, then head to the bookshop (which he keeps mostly closed these days; he’s getting tired of fending off customers) like usual. He makes his request after a few drinks, but Emma flies off the handle, categorically refusing to even give him an ember.

“I will not give you the meansss of destroying yourself. I need sssome time, Kiliel,” is the last thing she tells him, hissing her s in a rare show of true anger before leaving his shop, not looking back despite Killian calling after her.

He doesn’t hear from her for 64 years.

For the first time since the beginning of the world, the Angel and the Demon dance separately. The Demon has walked away from the paso doble, leaving the Angel alone on the stage.

And so, lonelier than he’s ever been, the Angel dons a mask that hides his face, and performs the steps that ensure he doesn’t stand out from the ensemble. He begins a Kabuki performance that will last until November 14th, 1941.

––-

Kiliel (or Killian Jones, as he’s come to be known by mortals) should really have realized this operation was too good to be true. He’d been contacted the previous week by a Captain Teach, who’d told him some Nazi agents were looking to obtain his collection of books of prophecy, and that the SOE wanted to use this occasion to root out the cell. He had readily acquiesced, always eager to thwart evil coming from demons and humans alike.

The Nazis has indeed contacted him, proposing a substantial sum of money to convince him to part with his precious volumes. He had accepted and called Teach back, giving him the time and place of the meeting. He thought it was quite fitting that they were to be brought to justice by an angel in a church, but he guessed that it made sense to meet in a place that was public but usually deserted, and which wouldn’t be crowded in case of an air raid. However, he didn’t like that Her house would be used for such nefarious purposes, but guessed that the ends justified the means in this case.

Except that it turns out Captain Teach is only a pseudonym, and that he’s really a mercenary who doesn’t care where the money is coming from, as long as it’s hard cash. Kiliel is fuming as he stares down the nozzle of the gun pointed right between his eyes; he can’t believe he got swindled by these half-witted Nazis .

His execution is stopped by colorful swearing and the off-rhythm staccato of heels hitting the church’s stone floor. The men turn as one to see a woman hopping quickly towards them. Kiliel can’t believe his eyes; he hasn’t heard this voice in 64 years (nor seen these calves since Ancient Greece, if he remembers correctly).

“The notorious Emma Swan,” Teach breathes next to him, sounding astounded.

“Swan?” Kiliel asks in confusion, ignoring the humans behind him.

“Yeah, what of it? I had to think of something,” Emma grumbles, coming to a stop near them, sitting on a pew and taking her feet off the ground with a sigh of relief escaping her red lips. Kiliel tries to hide his smile, flabbergasted she’s here, in front of him, after all this time, and that she walked on consecrated ground to come to him. Turns out it’s not the only miraculous thing to happen today, though; she explains to Teach and the Nazis that they’d better run if they want to avoid getting killed by the bomb that’s heading their way. She mentions that only a miracle would allow someone to survive the explosion, looking meaningfully at Kiliel over her glasses, who understands her meaning and prepares to use his Grace at the right moment.

Teach is the only one who heeds Emma’s advice and scampers out, running out of a side door. The Nazis don’t move, thinking that Fraulein Swan is bluffing, even as they can detect the buzz of planes coming nearer. They only realize she’s definitely not when they hear the tell-tale whistle of a bomb heading towards the ground at breakneck speed. Kiliel walks closer to Emma before blinking and making sure their little corner remains untouched by the blast and the debris, allowing only a warm breeze to ruffle their hair. When the dust has settled, Kiliel turns his head towards the Demon. She looks regal, draped over the pew, her black outfit untouched by the dust as flames reflect on her sunglasses, making her appear absolutely diabolic. She’s never looked more beautiful to Kiliel.

And then he realizes he completely forgot about his books. They’d been in the Nazis’ hands before the bomb had fallen, and they must be completely crushed under the rubble, or even burning, he thinks with dismay, sighing noisily. They had been among his most prized possessions, some of them even signed by their authors (he especially loved the dedication by Nostradamus – such a nice man, if somewhat misguided). But then Emma gets up, heading towards the biggest pile of rubble and picking something up before tossing it to him. Caught by surprise, Kiliel fumbles to catch it before looking down and seeing that it’s his satchel, untouched by the destruction around them.

“Little demonic miracle of my own,” Emma says as she passes him, gingerly walking towards the exit, the ground still consecrated even if the church doesn’t exist anymore.

Kiliel doesn’t follow immediately, floored by the thoughtfulness of his friend as his heart soars and his stomach swoops and – oh . How could he have been so oblivious? Angels are beings of love: they are made of it, and they thrive in it. An argument could be made for his love for Emma blending into the love he feels for all creatures, high and low, but that’s not it, is it? He doesn’t merely love Emma, he’s in love with her. He doesn’t just want to see her happy, he wants to make her happy. If he could give her back even a tenth of the bliss she elicits in him just by existing, then he’d be satisfied.

He’s jarred out of his thoughts by Emma calling after him to hurry up. With a soft smile, he follows her to the street, where she heads towards a parked car, clicking her tongue at the gravel and dust covering it. Stepping on the sidewalk, Kiliel blinks once more, and the car is sparkling clean. Kiliel is surprised to see that it’s more yellow than black – a surprising color scheme for a demon but then, when has Emma been remotely conventional? It’s surprisingly her , he thinks fondly. His smile is soon wiped away, however when he sees her get behind the wheel, the passenger door opening on its own in a wordless invitation to get in as he hears sirens in the distance. Surely she’s calmed down on her driving, right? What with the different vehicle and the risk of rubble on the streets she’s going to be more prudent, he’s sure. Kiliel gets in, clutching his satchel.

He was wrong. She’s even worse than before, the maneuverability of the vehicle allowing her to do more daring stunts, like taking turns on two wheels, or slaloming between craters at top speed. Kiliel is glad Soho is not far from the church, as he would surely have discorporated if he’d had to stay in the car for five more minutes, either from an accident or from his heart giving out on him (Emma scoffs when he tells her that, reminding him that he actually doesn’t need a heart, stop being so dramatic, it’s not cute at all ). The only good thing about the ride is that since they’re in the middle of an air raid, there are no pedestrians on the street.

Emma stops when she enters the bookshop, looking at the empty shelves with amazement before turning to Kiliel, silently waiting for an explanation. It’s simple, really; what with the Blitz raging over London, he wanted to make sure that both his ship and his books would be safe. He went with the most practical solution, which was to put the books in his ship, and his ship in Cathair na Mart. He doesn’t understand what’s so funny about it, but Emma is highly amused (and if her mocking allows him to hear her beautiful laugh, then it’s a small price to pay).

They spend the evening drinking, catching up, and not mentioning their last meeting at all. The Angel asks about Emma’s new name, and has the pleasure of seeing a slight embarrassed flush bloom on her cheeks as she mutters that she needed a new name and that was what came to her – it’s not her fault demons have no imagination. Kiliel charitably doesn’t say anything more, as they both know Emma can be quite creative when she wants to be, choosing instead to ask about her car. That launches her into how she got it and the modifications she had done to it.

Kiliel keeps expecting to feel different about Emma, but apart from having identified his feelings, it’s just like any meeting they’ve had before. It’s comfortable, familiar, a breath of fresh air after more than half a century of her absence.

When Emma leaves, it’s with no promise that she’ll be back. And yet, Kiliel somehow knows he won’t have to wait 64 years to see her again.

––-

The Demon comes back to the dance floor, and the pasodoble resumes, even more intense than before. But the dynamics have changed; they don’t push against each other as much, choosing instead to move together. The posturing is just that, now: a facade for the audience.

Another change: they barely look away from each other.

Kiliel’s books never go back on the shelves of the bookshop, despite the ship coming back to its place in Rotherhithe after the war. A seed Emma had planted a century before finally blooms, and he realizes that he is much better on his ship alone with his books rather than trying to fend off rude people not understanding that they’re not for sale (“customers, angel, they’re called customers ”).

Arranging his collection to his satisfaction takes some time (and a miracle or two, both angelic and demonic) until he’s satisfied. The whole cargo hold is transformed into a new library, with only his most prized books in his cabin. With this new organization, Kiliel finds himself with a lot of room below deck empty; he uses it to store bits and bobs, such as nautical maps and instruments, his old clothes (though his toga doesn’t survive the trip, and miracling it whole wouldn’t be the same), and various furniture and decorations (and if the pew on which Emma had lounged in 1941 finds its way to the galley… well, no one has to know).

Once he’s satisfied with his organization, in 1952, he invites Emma aboard to show her. He’s a little miffed by her laughing fit, because he’s not a proper pirate now, whatever she says (though her laugh is still as delightful and precious as ever, even more so now that he knows how much he loves her. For a few minutes he thinks mission accomplished , he’s made her happy).

Emma is so amused that for the next fifteen years, she only refers to him as Captain and asks him every time they see each other how his pirate booty is doing. Kiliel feels like he is the butt of the joke in some way, though he’s yet to find how.

They also see each other more frequently, approximately once every couple of years. They don’t mention it, but Kiliel is glad; he missed Emma before, and in a world that has become so fast changing, it’s reassuring to have a constant, even if she insists on following human fashions, making each meeting a lesson in the zeitgeist of the time.

On a foggy Tuesday morning, Blue comes to visit Kiliel at his old bookshop. Though his collection has been relocated, he keeps the shop to maintain a base of operations in Central London, now filling it with much more recent books that he is willing to part with (though he keeps his hours as erratic as before; he doesn’t mind selling these books, but even he has his limits when it comes to customer service). She wants to ask him what he knows about a heist that took place in Mayfair’s Christ Church. Apparently a door was broken down, but nothing was stolen – except, oddly enough, all the Holy Water vats were emptied, not a single drop remaining. Kiliel hadn’t heard about this, and plays it down as probably a local homeless man wanting a dry place to sleep for the night and who was thirsty. Blue almost seems disappointed by his explanation, asking him to look into it nonetheless; they can’t have Holy Water falling into the wrong hands, after all.

Kiliel diffidently agrees, even though he can feel his anger rising. He knows. A quick visit to the church confirms his suspicions; a slight scent of iron betrays that a Demon has recently come here and burnt her feet on the consecrated ground. Though why would she take such a risk, knowing that even a mere handful of liquid could do her serious harm, even kill her if she were splashed?

How dare she take such a risk, Kiliel thinks angrily, when she could just as easily have asked him to – oh.

Oh, the hypocrisy .

While Kiliel has adapted quite well to the human world, he remains at his core an angel, and while angels are known for their benevolence, they’re also known for their righteous fury when provoked.

And Kiliel? Oh, Kiliel feels provoked alright.

He heads to her new apartment (she wasn’t even subtle, just went to the closest church, that damned serpent) and barely restrains himself from literally knocking down the door, but only because he can feel human eyes on his back and he doesn’t want to cause a scene. So he pretends to have a key and miracles the door open, striding into the living room. The Angel can feel that Emma is absent; there’s no one in the flat, so he sits down, and waits. He waits until the sun has gone down, and until it goes up again, his anger feeding on itself to remain a burning fire in his chest.

When Emma finally shows up, she enters her living room cautiously, already knowing he’s there. Kiliel doesn’t even let her open her mouth to talk, laying into her immediately. Because beyond the anger, he is hurt , hurt that she wouldn’t trust him, hurt that she’d do the exact same thing she had refused him the previous century, and hurt that she would risk herself in such a way. And beyond the anger, beyond the pain, he is afraid, because what could a demon want with Holy Water?

“That’s none of your business!” Emma exclaims, her eyes flashing behind her sunglasses.

“None of my business? Are you kidding me? It is my business when a demon does what no other has ever done and sneaks into a church to steal Holy Water ! It is my business when that stupid, stupid act attracts the attention of the archangels, and they ask me to investigate! And whether you want to admit it or not, it is my business when my friend takes ridiculous risks to obtain something that could obliterate her from existence, and refuses to tell me why!”

“We’re not friendsss ,” Emma hisses, as if the word is the ugliest swear she’s ever uttered, “I don’t even like you.”

Of all that he said, that is the thing she chooses to respond to? Infuriating woman, he doesn’t understand how her animal traits are not those of a bull; she’s the thickest-headed being he has ever had the displeasure to meet.

“Yes you do ,” he snaps back, at the end of his rope. He doesn’t know when he stepped closer to her, but he is now towering over her smaller form, forcing her to raise her head to look him in the eyes (and despite the glasses as a barrier between them, he’s not fooled by her) but for once he will not back down. This is too important. “What’s going on, Emma?”

He can see her wavering, senses it in the way her breathing hitches, how her body shifts as if she wants to slither away, forgetting she’s in human form for a moment. But she rallies (because she wouldn’t be his Demon if she didn’t) and answers his question with another one. “Why did you want Hellfire for anyway? Quite hypocritical of you to rake me over the coals, so to speak, for something you tried yourself barely a century ago.”

Kiliel doesn’t let her barb get to him and instead decides on honesty, knowing that this will catch her off guard. “Because I need… something to defend myself with, just in case,” he says simply.

“Defend yourself? From angels? What the fuck is going on, Kiliel?” Emma almost never uses his name, preferring one of the numerous nicknames she has for him, so he knows she’s rattled.

And so he tells her everything: that while his faith in God has never wavered (quite the contrary; seeing Her hand in the wonders of the world, both big and small, has only strengthened it), he has started to have doubts about Blue, finding her actions and words quite peculiar. He tells her about his fear of Falling for doubting his superior, and that the fact Blue herself hasn’t Fallen means that she is still faithful to God, and the incident that triggered his request for Hellfire. He’s surprised, however, when she snorts as he recounts Blue’s change of mind.

“Yeah, I know, I was there,” Emma says, smirking. “I heard her when she was at the bookshop with you, so I took action.”

What kind of action exactly, she will not say. Kiliel is mystified: not only had she known about Heaven’s plans, but she’d actually thwarted them with no one being the wiser, the clever, clever woman. Doesn’t like him, right .

Emma then opens up to him; demons don’t trust each other by nature, but Hell has been even more tense recently. Something big is brewing, although she doesn’t know what yet. More demons have been making noise about coming to Earth, too, even high-ranking ones, such as two of the Duchesses of Hell, Maleficent and Cruella. Nothing has stirred Hell like this, ever ; even the Great Flood hadn’t excited demons in this way.

Something wicked this way comes , Kiliel can’t help but think. Good old William – he’d heard Kiliel tease Emma back at the Globe, and he’d run with the line. He doesn’t know what’s better: being the inspiration behind Macbeth ’s most famous scene, or Emma’s offended face when she had seen the three witches for the first time.

But they have no idea what it is, so all they can do is prepare as well as they can and agree to keep each other in the loop from now on. Kiliel manages to get a promise from Emma that she’ll get some Hellfire for him, which he hopes she’ll honor.

Neither of them talks about the fact they are actually plotting against their own side, choosing their mortal enemy (though just one in particular) over their own brethren. But they have been here on Earth so long that it has started to feel more like home than Above or Below ever have; they have spent so much time together that they feel more kinship to each other than to their own kind.

The next day, Kiliel finds a lantern glowing with an ever-burning fire on his cabin’s desk. It ends up in his safe, warded against any accidents, whether external or internal. Emma is not the only one who’s paranoid.

––-

Months pass, then years, then decades. The Angel and the Demon see each other more frequently, though not regularly, in order not to arouse suspicion. Short, short, long, go the intervals. Quick, quick, slow, goes their rhythm. They fly across and around and over the world in an otherworldly foxtrot as Earth evolves around them, faster and faster, busier and busier. But the world can’t go on accelerating; it’ll need to either stop turning or rotate right out of its orbit, both outcomes meaning its downfall.

––-

On a perfectly fine Tuesday morning, Blue visits Kiliel in his used bookshop, startling him from his inventory (he had to do something with the space, after all, and filling it with books that have been loved by previous owners creates a warm glow that warms him from inside; he is an Angel, after all, and angels thrive on love). From the start, the Angel knows that something is different. Blue is positively glowing, her eyes sparkling and the corners of her lips seemingly permanently turned into a slight secretive smile.

The secret, for once, is quickly spilled; the Archangel seems delighted to announce that the Antichrist has been delivered to Earth, and by none other than the Demon Emma, as if it’s Kiliel’s personal fault. She doesn’t elaborate on this theme, however, preferring to tell him that he had best put his affairs in order, as eleven years will pass quite quickly. Her parting words - that he should also start training for the War, that he seems to have gotten quite out of practice, if his reflexes are to be believed – hit their mark, despite Kiliel’s best efforts not to let them. He used to be one of the Host’s best soldiers, after all, his exploits earning him a post at one of Eden’s gates.

But six thousand years on Earth have changed him; he doesn’t want to fight anymore, doesn’t see the point in it (and he doesn’t want to face even the slimmest possibility of finding himself opposite Emma on the battlefield). And yet, the arrival of the Antichrist shows that the Ineffable plan is going along, that it is God’s will.

So be it.

On a perfectly fine Tuesday afternoon, Kiliel stands at the prow of the Ethereal Swan , looking unseeingly over the water, when his phone rings. Without pulling his gaze away from whatever it is he is seeing, he answers the phone, already knowing who’s on the other end.

“Emma. I suppose you’re calling about…”

“Armageddon, yes.”

Well.

––-

The music stops, and so do the dancers, their hair and their clothes snapping around them as they lock gazes, lost in their own world. A world that’s coming to an end.

Welcome to the End of Times.

#captain swan #cs ff #cs fic #ouat #septembersunshine #snidget writes #good omens

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hellenic-devotional · 5 years

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52 Deep Ass Witchcraft Questions >.<

What draws me to witchcraft? What draws me to witchcraft? Maybe the sense of belonging I feel, maybe it is the comfort I gain when I practice. I have always been drawn to the occult ever since I was a child. I cannot explain why I love it so much. It just feels right. I was lost when I was young. In the sense that I had lost my sense of family friendship and love (especially self-love).

How do I see the divine? I see them as wonderful companions and beings that I can learn and find guidance from. Lots of times they appear to me like shadows or shimmers like glittery blobs in front of me. Other times they chime into my head like ringing a doorbell or whispering in cryptic images, words, and sounds.

What in witchcraft makes me happy? I love how I feel about all of it. I love the craft and the darker sides of magic. I especially love the ways I have connected more to others and especially myself through it all.

Do I want to follow a path that has to do with a little nature or a lot of nature? I would rather stay away from any kind of nature besides dirt, sea water, moon water etc since I have this insane ability to kill any plants in my care or near me.

What areas of witchcraft would I like to learn more about? I would like to learn more about energy healing, soul work, conjuring, sea magic, and spirit work. I already work with most of these but I always want to collect more and more information.

Where do my witchy talents lie? I’d say I am confident in my dream interpretations, scrying, and sea magic.

What kind of deities, if any, do I want to honour? I honour Hades, Poseidon, Selene mainly, but any other deity who asks for help or an offering is welcome in my space. I also have a small altar planned for my spirit companions and such.

How do I believe magic works? I believe it is a combined mix of supernatural forces, your own intentions, practice, faith, and energy.

Simple or elaborate spells/rituals? Why? I really love elaborate spells and rituals, however, I am not in a position to perform them with money, time, and having to keep my craft a secret being a constant issue. So I perform simple spells regularly XD I love them just as much as elaborate spells.

What are my views on cursing/hexing? I am the biggest Pro Curse witch. I practice cursing, hexing, and jinxing on a regular basis. I love it! Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and I honestly couldn’t care less if someone hates me or my craft because I approve of curses. It is none of their business what I do.

Do I want to practice something similar to my ancestors? I have not considered anything with my ancestors, my family is a mess and I’d rather not dig into their history.

What are the basic morals and ethics I feel I should live by? To strive to live to your fullest (arete), keeping duty, promise, and reverence toward the gods (eusebia), having moral purity; doing what is right always and keeping a strong moral compass (hagneia), live to gain wisdom and knowledge from everywhere and everyone (sophia), having self-control; denying temptations etc (sophrosune), practising hospitality, generosity, and courtesy always (xenia)

What in nature am I drawn to; the ocean, animals, the trees, etc? I am drawn to the deep earth, it’s minerals and gems, the ocean, sea, any body of water really, the moon, flowers, and old trees.

Which (witchy) holidays, if any, would I like to celebrate and how? Currently I do not celebrate any witchy holidays. But I plan to incorporate some into my practice soon (mainly Hellenic and Buddhist holidays).

How do I believe divination works? I believe divination comes through deep within yourself, the universe conversing with your spirit, entities, spirits, and deities communicating through the tools, and the energy through the devices themselves guiding the reader. When reading the signs, symbols, and images seen through divination there are so many secrets being told and unveiled at the hands of the reader.

Would I like to work with a group some of the time, all of the time or not at all? I would love to have a permanent and stable coven who is really casual with the craft and rituals. Although I do like performing spells alone, three people would be the strongest.

Which aspects of witchcraft appeal to me most, which the least? The aspects that most appeals to me are the ability to express oneself, the openness for all possibilities, and a validation of my personal character. What I like least is the discourse it creates in some places and the prejudices against those who practice, and even the prejudice between groups of people who practice different crafts. I very much dislike the negative stigma that has been highlighted by social media, society, and most Hollywood productions.

What do I believe happens to us when we die? I believe that in death our souls will be able to travel to the afterlife that we deserve. We will be judged on our actions in life and placed in one of the hells, heavens, sanctuaries, or be reborn to learn the lessons we missed during our time on earth.

How do I see mythological creatures? I see mythological creatures as those who once had physical forms and some who still exist in the physical but are hidden from our naked eyes. Those who have become spirits still interact with the world but in a much different way than what they would have when they had physical forms.

When do I feel most magical? I feel the most magical when I am divining, speaking to my gods, and performing spells/curses...

How much is witchcraft woven into my daily life; is this too much, too little or just enough? I would like more of my craft to be a daily thing. So far I just discuss it and share information between blogs and friends. And the occasional ritual every so often.

What kind of witch do I feel I am? I am rather eclectic, I mainly focus on divination, sea and watercraft, and hedge magic.

Which texts/quotes best describe my current path?

Do I like to research and gathering info, or do I like things handed to me? I love researching and finding out new things about witchcraft. Though it is also nice when people give me information as well.

Which things about witchcraft worry or scare me? What worries me the most in the craft is mainly messing up a ritual or reading and upsetting someone I am doing a spell for or a client who asks for a reading. I’m afraid of failing people,,, especially since this is something I say I am good at.

What is my favourite element? My favourite element would have to be water.

How do I see gender (roles) in witchcraft? I don’t even know why this is asked. Like any other place in life a person’s gender shouldn’t affect anyone’s opinion of them.

Am I interested more in magic or spirituality? I think I have a more focused interest on the occult,,, however my practice is closely tied to my religions and culture so who is to say which I prefer more.

Do I like to be told how to do things, or would I rather figure it out on my own? It really depends on the situation. If I were to find myself capable enough to figure it out then sure, I would do that. However, if it was a situation in where I have no expertise or capability than I would much prefer to have someone instruct me.

What rules, if any, do I live by when it comes to witchcraft and magic? (1) never disrespect anyone else in the community, (2) always return what you are given, (3) deities, entities, spirits, and other beings are just as entitled to rightful treatment as you are so treat them with respect, (4) do not be closed minded; gather what you can from around you and use it to the fullest, (5) never use magic for ill intended personal gain, (6) curse all that you want, but never ever try to harm anyone’s life …

What do I gain from witchcraft and magic? I believe that I can gain a peace of mind when I practice my craft. It also becomes a whole new place for me to express myself, and to find my identity.

Formal or informal rituals/spells? Why? I believe both can be utilized in places where they are needed. Structure of my craft follows as its name intended,,, ride with the currents and adapt to the shape of the situation

What subject do I love to study? I like learning about ghosts, spirits, deities, entities, demons, dark spirits, curses, hexes, jinxes, sea/water magic, astrology, divination, interpretations, and potion making.

What is my favourite type of magic; candle, sympathetic, sigils, etc? I don’t think I really have a favourite?? However I do enjoy some nice summoning, conjuring and so forth.

What would my perfect witchy day be like? Sleeping in, brewing some home made magic tea, writing some curses, conversing with my guides and deities, taking some time in the day to make some successful future spells, going on a witch supply run with a fellow witch.

Would I want to be dedicated/initiated? I don’t really follow those rules? I’m a pretty secular witch as it is,,, I wouldn’t want to be initiated into a group where I do not completely trust those people.

Who do I honour (ex: deities, ancestors, myself, etc), and how do I, or would I like to, honour them? I honour my patrons (Hades and Poseidon) and matron (Selene) with libations, burning foods as offerings, practicing magic with them, studying where they tell me I need to work on,,,

How do I create a sacred/witchy space? I begin with cleaning the area, clearer space a clearer mind, then I bless it with rosemary and celery seed incense, I set up my tools and altar, then I meditate and ask for the powers of my guides and patheon to aid me in blessing the space. I am trying to keep an aesthetic for my altars and still have to plan them,,,

What do I believe is needed for a successful spell/ritual? I believe that the right amount of energy and focus is needed to complete a ritual perfectly. However I have not done many official rituals so I’d have to do that and come back to add more to this.

Which cultures do I draw from in my witchcraft? I draw from the Hellenic culture to my craft, I draw great inspiration from the Hellenic deities and stories.

What is my learning style; books, websites, videos, more hands-on? I like learning from all sources of information, though I’m not very fond of videos since I like to absorb the material at my own pace.

What, if anything, in my mundane life influences my witchcraft? I believe my emotions and lifestyle really influence my craft,,, because I am not allowed to practice such craft in my home I have to keep it secret from my family members and am forced to take other means of crafting and establishing a place to craft.

What are my hobbies, how do I (or can I) incorporate them in my witchcraft? I love to sleep?? So I do a lot of dream interpretations?? I really don’t know what kind of hobbies would mesh with witchcraft? I do like aesthetics so I strive to do everything to the aesthetic appeal.

Where do my non-witchy talents lie, how do I (or can I) incorporate them in my witchcraft? I am fairly good at planning large events and managing people, I believe I could do a great deal in organizing rituals, craft affairs or other occult like events.

What would my dream witchy life look like? What steps can I take to work towards it? My dream witch life would be me working amazingly at being a wedding and event planner, while owning my own supernatural and metaphysical store. Steps I could take to work towards it? Hmmm. Well I would have to finish school as one, secondly find and establish a place for myself in the wedding and events industry, then plan further to open my own cafe/supernatural/metaphysical store. (which I have made great plans for,,, however I have no idea which plan I would choose first).

What would my dream sacred space/witchy home look like? What steps can I take to work towards it? I would love to live in a multi floored old semi detached town house. Where there is a fine kitchen, a grand bedroom, a study and an office space where I could work on both my passions, witchcraft and wedding planning. I would like there to be a terrace as well, mainly for whatever artistic urges find me and I need a safe place to art it out. There would also be a reading area within the study where I place my alters and magic working area, in the study there would be a small stove as well so I can brew potions. I would like a bit of closet space in this house for all of my herbs, gems, and divination tools to be stored and protected. And of course a nice comfortable living space for my cat Nico to roam and make his domain. I would need a hella lot of money and good credit

What symbols correspond with me; runes, animals, flowers, gemstones, etc? Large serpents, Storms, Dreams, Blood, psionic abilities, Peaches, Moon and Sun, Twin flames

Am I an open and proud witch, or do I (need to) hide my craft? I need to hide my craft from my family, though everywhere else I am a big prideful witch who doesn’t shy from sharing about the craft.

What are my favourite witchy items/tools; divination tool, ritual tool, décor, clothing, etc? My favourite tools are my mirrors, pendulum, and tarot cards.

What is holding me back in my craft? I really think it is my own living situation, familial situation, and my financial situation that holds me back from truly exploring my craft. Alongside my growing mental and health issues.

What is my pre-spell/ritual routine? It really depends on what kind of spell I am working on. It can take up to a whole day to a few moments.

What are my ultimate witchy goals and how can I work towards them? My ultimate goal right now is to find my own place in the world before I really work hard on the plans I have for my craft. I needed to strengthen myself before I can do much more than what I am already doing as of now. My goal is to have enough funds to actually make a good enough alter for my deities and spirits, to someday own my own shop/cafe, and to finally find myself through my practice.

#jeepies this took so long to write #personal #ami speaks #witchcraft #witches #spellcraft #sea witch #sea magic #sea witchcraft #magic #spells #curses #hexes #jinxes #witch questions #52 craft questions

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verdanteffigy · 5 years

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A collection of witchcraft in the series 4/4

Under the read more is everything supernatural and witchy that I could find in the comics and books. Contains spoilers for The Wyrmwood Deceit, The Corroded Man, The Return of Daud, The Peeress and the Price, and The Veiled Terror. Collections 1-3 are everything supernatural and witchy that I could find in Dishonored 1/DLC, Dishonored 2, and Death of the Outsider.

The Wyrmwood Deceit

“It’s a curse on us Void-touched. Cruelty runs through us like a warp through a plank of wood.”

- Esmeralda Duggins

Esmeralda Duggins claims that “Void-touched” can do a lot with just a name of their victim once it’s been offered to them.

Esmeralda Duggins can seemingly divine information through touch of a relevant object with the help of spirits.

“I let her touch the mark on the piece of canvas. She mutters forbidden words and names as her finger traces the shape of it. One of the names I’ve heard before. As a child in Serkonos, I remember some poor soul screeching to it for mercy as an Abbey mob stoned him to death for witchcraft.”

- Martha Cottings

Broken Tom, a man that has bone charms embedded in his flesh and in a suit he wears, uses an arcane eyepiece that can detect where Corvo will blink to.

Delilah and her coven can conjure living creatures by painting them, can alter existing people by painting them in their likeness, and can peer into the memories of others.

“A boy - a nephew - concocted out of dreams and paint and made real by Delilah’s witchcraft and an aging man’s yearnings for his long lost sister. Delilah’s craft has grown that she’s able to make such a thing.”

- A witch

The Corroded Man

Everyone who comes into contact with the Twin-Bladed Knife has received a vision of the Great Burning.

The Twin-Bladed Knife somehow teaches Zhukov how to create corroded bone charms. These charms, like magic granted by the Mark of the Outsider, produce abilities that reflect the user’s personality, desires, experiences, and surroundings. These charms come at the cost of corroding both the charm and the user over time, eventually depleting the charm and making the user weak and physically ill. Corroded bone charms granted Zhukov an ability to transverse through reflective surfaces, an ability that produces a disorienting and nauseating aura that he can increase in intensity and cause other people to have visions, and an ability like telekinesis (he displays this when manipulating the Black Mirror shards). Corroded bone charms granted the new Whalers a normal blink transversal. The abilities these charms provide are unaffected by the Overseers’ ancient music.

Deep Watchers are unusually large whales that are described by Zhukov as “A creature of myth and legend, leviathan of the boundless depths. A creature of power. And a creature of magic.”, “-an abyssal leviathan, a so-called deep watcher. They live far away from the world of man, in the farthest, darkest places of the world. There they weave their own kind of magic, channeling a power that comes from within their very bones, the current flowing through them like a living battery.”

Zhukov and Galia used a transposition ritual once owned by Delilah to transpose themselves and a Deep Watcher whale’s jawbone from the Boyle vault back to their base of operations. This ritual’s ingredients were four fat, short, and orange beeswax candles, white chalk to inscribe geometric shapes that overlapped or connected by arcs and tangents, a “witchcharm” (the skull of a Brigmore witch) and corroded bone charms as sources of fuel. The chalk lines somehow repelled nearby blood.

A whale oil vat of “red-orange liquid”, the Twin-bladed Knife, the Deep Watcher’s jawbone, and presumably the sacrifice of Galia were the ingredients that crafted the Black Mirror. An artifact that allowed the sight of all potential pasts, presents, and futures.

“Unfortunately, a sacrifice was necessary. That artifact was from another time and place, a world that existed before this one, tethering me to it. I needed to unlock its power and pull on that tether, bringing that world closer to this one.”

- Zhukov

From within the Black Mirror shard and after it was pulled out, the knife was golden. Reaching inside the mirror and grabbing the knife healed Emily’s hand.

“Sometimes when I sleep, I dream, and in those dreams I am many things. I am an adventurer, a traveler. I am a hero and I am a tyrant, a beggar on the street, the ruler of the world. And sometimes in those dreams I see a light, bright and shining, red and golden white, the light of a fire that burned so very long ago, when one world ended and another began. And when I wake the dream is gone but the feeling remains, the echo of a song ringing in my ears, the warmth of a winter hearth and the shine of light on a distant unknown horizon.”

- The Ashen Veil

The Return of Daud

Maximilian Norcross possesses an arcane eyepiece that allows him to detect magic. He uses it to determine if runes and bone charms are real. But he discovers that he can also see the Mark through Daud’s glove with it.

“The witch toppled to the ground, dead. Burning lines began to run along her skin, blackening her clothing-- the remains of some occult tattoo that Daud did not quite understand, though he’d seen other sorcerers employ similar tricks.”

“Thick, viscous black liquid poured out of the wound. Again, lines of fire streaked along her back and shoulders as the strange marks burned away.”

The Twin-bladed Knife is said to no longer have the power of Void Strike.

Daud became terminally ill when he touched the Twin-Bladed Knife. The veins in his hand and arm turned black, he became tired, nauseous, and he found it harder to breathe.

“When I came back the first time, it crystallized this moment, making it part of history. Now, no matter what I do, no matter how many times I try, I can’t change it.”

- Billie Lurk

“- as Daud drew on the rune’s power, the artifact grew hotter and hotter, the glow from within the whalebone soon a blinding light. He fell to his knees, screaming in rage. It was a terrible roar from the very depths of his being. He felt the pain from the Outsider’s Mark flood over him like boiling oil, until he felt like he was enveloped in a cloak of fire. The rune in his hand exploded. The shockwave shattered the glass cabinets and knocked Daud back to the floor. The tower room was filled with exploding glass; Daud rolled onto his front, shielding himself as the debris rained down. His eyes were screwed shut, but he could see a blue light, so bright it was blinding, and all he could hear was the guttural roar of his own voice as he screamed and screamed again until his throat felt shredded. What had gone wrong? Had he forgotten how to use runes? Or had it been too long--had something changed as he had aged? Or had he simply lost control? Rather than channeling the power of the rune into himself, perhaps he had reversed the process, diminishing his own power and overloading the artifact?”

"It is nothing more than a story, but then, so much of what we know of the powers of those who proclaim knowledge of witchcraft comes from such stories, sometimes no more than whispers and rumors. That we must rely on such unreliable sources of information is unfortunate, but learn what we can, when we can. It is claimed that those touched by the Void employ servants, under some form of mesmeric influence, living for the singular purpose of serving their terrible mistress or master. Further, it is said by those who have born witness that the connection between sorcerer and servant is comparable to familial love, although to say this perverts the very concepts of family or community.”

- On the Witch's Most Devoted Servant

Challis, a man implied to be spellbound by one of Delilah's witches, formed long-distance communication with a magical device that violently drew power from his mind.

Lucinda and Caitlin instantly grew their nails into claws to kill Challis.

Lucinda trapped Daud in his own mind with a mesmerizing spell, an Oraculum lens, and the sacrifice of Challis.

The Peeress and the Price

“I learned how to turn your power against you. There were some very old notes at the Academy of Natural Philosophy. And a dying scholar there made something for me in his last days. Reversing the Void energies of bone charms. What would a bone charm that’s had its energy reversed do?”

- Luella Price

Pink bone charms introduced in this comic have magic nullifying abilities like the Overseers’ ancient music.

The Veiled Terror

Billie is no longer able to use Displace and Foresight. She can’t summon the Twin-bladed Knife until much later in the book without a horrible pain and going unconscious. There is no mention of Semblance or Rat Whispers.

Billie’s Black Shard Arm creates frost on surfaces she touches.

The Sliver of the Eye can now only detect magic.

After the “fall” of the Outsider, everyone across the empire began to have nightmares every night.

Months after the removal of the Outsider, Void rifts began to appear. Void rifts slowly “shear” the world. Inside the Void rifts are parallel worlds called the Void Hollows, places of any timeline. The first Void Hollow Billie travels to is one in which construction for the Leviathan Causeway is complete, whereas in the real physical world, it was still in its early stages. Inside the Void Hollows, with specially made runes, one can teleport to any location within it. And one can enter and exit a Void Hollow with these altered runes.

The removal of the Outsider is what caused the Void to become unmoored from the physical world, slowly departing. But it wasn’t until months later when Emily dissolved the Abbey that they began to appear. Billie speculates that the Abbey was performing a ritual to the hold the Void in place.

After the removal of the Outsider, the Overseers generally “fought amongst each other in the street, became rabid, insensible, and highly dangerous.”

Hayward Woodrow, a former Overseer, stabbed himself with a Voidrite knife and carved lines into his flesh. He became entranced while his face began to twitch and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He chanted “Yram da haal, yram da haelt, tilb mal, yram, yram” and “Eco, lazar, lapolay, yram. Eco, lazar, lapolay, yram.” By doing this, his target victim fell paralyzed, began to convulse, and foam at the mouth. This also caused a repelling area of effect that Billie struggled to get through while shelves began to shake violently and glass broke nearby.

"The Outsider has fallen and has taken his magic with him. Oh there are other magics, certainly -- oh yes, I saw the fuss that young Overseer made at the apothecary's-- but as one divinity falls, so others compete to take its place. With the Outsider gone, those who carry his mark are no longer linked to him, and they have no power."

- Professor Dribner

The drug that Billie uses, “Green Lady”, somehow weakens her connection to the Void.

“I must insist that you give up your Fool’s Fancy(Green Lady). It may be painful, but you need to let the parts of you that are part of the Void be drawn fully to it. That herb dulls not only your senses, but also your tether to the Void. If you are to be of any use, you must clear your mind entirely. Only then will the full potential of your connection be useful to us.”

- Professor Dribner

Billie is described as being more linked to the Void than any of the Marked were.

Bone charms are used in protective clothing to ward off the corruption of the Void while near Voidrite.

"But strangest of all was the bone charm set into the base of each mask, directly below the porthole. Smaller than the circular runes Billie knew the guards had on their belts, the bone charms were irregular pieces of magical scrimshaw, held into a circular cutout in the metal of the masks by two crisscrossed straps. Each of the four guards had a different charm in place."

Voidrite, the black stone we see in the Void, releases an anti-gravity gas when combusted.

Like the Eyeless and the Envisioned, people near the Voidrite began to physically and mentally change. Unlike the Eyeless, everyone who came into contact with the Voidrite over extended periods of time became near-mindless. These people eventually became creatures like the Envisioned, but their bodies were different and were used as miners to mine Voidrite with their claws.

Queen Eithne knew about Billie’s past, including things not even Billie knew (the names of her parents), by traveling through Void rifts.

Billie is outside of time and can control Void rifts.

The Outsider’s Altar is described as being one of the two most powerful artifacts in existence, the second being the Twin-Bladed Knife. By placing oneself on the altar, one can project themself as a “Void Shadow” entity. As a Void Shadow, one can open and close Void rifts at will and have abilities that allow one to shapeshift the body to focus strength or length of a specific body part (like lengthening claws), an ability to generate smoke that burns the eyes and nose of those nearby, an ability to become a whirlwind that can kill multiple people instantly, and the ability to crawl on walls and ceilings.

“She wants the Sliver and the arm. Partly, yes. But combined with the artifact she already has, she’ll have full mastery of the rifts. She’ll be able to travel through them corporeally, and the changes she makes to time will crystallize, become fixed points on which the world pivots.”

- Billie Lurk

“The only thing stopping you from summoning the blade is your own fear. You think you’re different, that your powers have changed, and the Knife knows that.”

- Billie Lurk

By placing King Briam on the altar next to Queen Eithne and slashing open their chests with the Twin-bladed knife, the Void Shadow engulfed the altar, the bodies, and the Knife to become more of a “metallic collection of geometric shapes”. In this form, the Void Shadow fed on Voidrite to become even more powerful.

#Dishonored #The Wyrmwood Deceit #The Corroded Man #The Return of Daud #The Peeress and the Price #The Veiled Terror #I know it's a mess #A collection of witchcraft in the series

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thesilentinquisitor · 5 years

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About Evren

Basics

Name: Evren Tanith Anubis

Aka: Lady Anubis, Lady Inquisitor, the Emperor’s Jackal, the Silent Inquisitor, the Bone Witch. Aunt/Auntie Evren to many. Known to the Neverborn as the Fourteen-Eyed Jackal and the Crowned Devourer In Golden Chains. Evy or Eve to some.

Originally: Evren Tanith Burakgazi.

DOB: 21st December, 989.M1 (Sagittarius). Appears to be in her late twenties or early thirties.

Gender + Sexuality: Agender/demigirl. Poly-panromantic greysexual, with slight preference towards women when it comes to relationships and men when it comes to casual flings.

Origin: Liverpool, UK, Terra. Mixed Egyptian and Turkish, identifies as English.

Rank: [30k] Grand Inquisitor. Officially, she is the seeker of traitors and rebels, acting as a scalpel to cut out the cancer before it grows large enough to warrant calling in the Space Wolves or Night Lords. Unofficially, she seeks out artefacts, creatures, and people of great power and destructive potential and contains them, sometimes neutralising them or turning them to the use of the Imperium. These include Chaos or Warp-powered artefacts, xenotech, creations from before the Age of Strife, items from alternate universes, and things of stranger, more obscure origins. Her mission and means are highly secretive, with few beyond the Emperor and Malcador the Sigillite being aware of her true mission.

[40k] Loyalist Renegade/Inquisitor: After the Tomb Jackals were banished and wiped from the records at the end of the Heresy, they spent several centuries engaged in a Repentance Crusade in the Eye. However, they soon emerged and began engaging with the Imperium again, albeit under false names with false histories. Evren uses a fake Rosette to pass as an Inquisitor of Ordo Hereticus or Malleus.

History

Abilities:

Flawed Perpetual: Requires energy and biomass to regenerate lost body parts; she must eat an arm’s weight to get an arm back. Large healings leave her weak and sleepy from hours to days after; regrowing more than 50% of her bodyweight will cause her to fall into a coma. Will regenerate from the largest part remaining or the one with her head. Other parts die after an hour and are usually consumed to regain biomass. Never ‘dies’ but will lose consciousness if sufficiently injured.

Living Cancer: Thanks to her mother’s hasty dying pact and Malal’s sick sense of humour, Evren can best be described as a sapient infectious cancer. Her cells are constantly regenerating and can revert back to stem cell level to allow her to regenerate limbs or organs. Her cells replace any foreign organic material inside or added to her body - grafted-on limbs will change into copies of what she lost - which means she was never able to bear a child, even before she removed the required organs. Given sufficient time and material, she can convert corpses into copies of her or, if a live cell sample is placed in a nutrient broth, grow a new body from scratch over a period of roughly two and half months.

Gamma-level Psyker: biomancy/physiokinesis/chloromancy, telepathy, telekinesis, kine-shields. Studied and mastered necromancy from the post-Heresy-era onwards. Has an incredibly precise control over her magic and a long list of memorised spells, though her range is middling to poor. Good at sensing fluctuations in the Warp.

Biomancy: Her first and strongest discipline. Though she was first trained as a healer, Evren has turned what she learnt to the causes of torture and interrogation, shaping flesh and bone like wet clay. She knows dozens of methods for instant killing, as well as how to keep a victim alive long after they should have died. Her speciality is the draining of energy from victims, leaving them dried-out husks.

Chloromancy: An offshoot of biomancy devoted to the control of plants. She can create fully-grown plants from seeds in seconds, even if said seeds are inside someone’s stomach at the time. Evren’s presence enlivens plants - grass lengthens in her footsteps and flowers bloom where she uses her magic.

Necromancy: At the price of another life, Evren can bring back the dead - either has barely-sapient drones or exactly as they used to be. Those too damaged or rotten to be brought back properly are made into corpse-constructs - shambling creatures made from mismatched parts, sometimes with dozens of eyes or arms for legs - or as disposable troops. Can also summon, banish, and sense ghosts or spirits - not via any natural ability but the use of charmed props and equipment.

Daemonology: Has studied the lore of daemons, so can summon, banish, restrain, and otherwise deal with daemons. After her pact with Malal, she can access their Chains of Binding, which can make most daemons her slaves.

Strengths/Weaknesses:

+ Biology, genetic manipulation, botany: Excels in the sciences of life. Can create new species of plants, animals, and bacterium in her lab, for everything from relieving famine or curing diseases to bioweapons. Has an almost instinctive knowledge of cell function and makeup. + Occult knowledge: Widely read in the nature of magic and the Warp. Has memorised many spells, curses, and cantrips; draws protective sigils and wards with ease. Knows secrets that would drive many insane, which has had an impact on her sanity. + Resistant to pain and torture: Both thanks to experience and her ability to use biomancy to shut down her pain receptors, she can resist most interrogation techniques. When put under great stress, she will put herself into a coma. + Stealth and terror tactics: Can become all but imperceptible thanks to a combination of magical and mundane techniques. Trained in tracking, assassination, sabotage, recon, torture and interrogation, intelligence gathering, and item/personnel retrieval. + Shapeshifting: Disguising herself as others, of any height, weight, or bodyshape, is easy for Evren thanks to her biomancy. She deeply dislikes changing her skin tone and avoid it whenever possible. ~ Evren has autism, what was formerly known as Asperger’s Syndrome. - Suffering mentally: Her traumatic life experiences and knowledge of the universe has given Evren a depression and PTSD, both of which seem resistant to treatment. She suffers from panic attacks, nightmares, and is psychologically triggered by enclosed spaces, the colour yellow (especially hooded robes), pregnant women, and the sight of certain religious artifacts. She uses various meditation techniques and marijuana for her anxiety. - Cannot see into the future through dreams, visions, or third-party methods: she cannot scry, cast runes, or use the Tarot. To seers, her future actions are shrouded in darkness. Some report hearing the roar of static and feeling the attention of something dark fall on them, heralded by seeing dozens of blank, white eyes in the darkness. Others see dozens of extremely disparate futures to the point of being overwhelmed. - ’Perpetual’ nature causes her body to reject all non-organic implants, such as the Black Carapace: organic implants and transplants can be accepted via biomancy. - Must have a source of energy/food or healing abilities slow. Must have a source of energy/food or her healing abilities slow until they cease to work entirely, due to the high energy demands of her body, leading to wounds remaining open even after an ordinary human would have healed. Starves at the rate of one unenhanced, though her enhancements allow her to consume many things considered inedible. - Weak to things that destroy cells/atoms, i.e. atom bombs, strong radiation, gauss flayers, fire, being thrown into the Sun. Deeply fears Necrons for this reason. - Highly affected by Blanks. Cause painful rashes/skin peeling, bleeding from the eyes/nose, intense migraines, and seizures depending on closeness/length of exposure. Her healing factor is deadened to the point where one could kill her with a knife and a bit of patience. - Bad at spelling and mental mathematics, to the point of dyscalculia.

Personality:

+ Loyal, protective, generous, loving, charitable, friendly, patient, determined, optimistic, intellectual, courageous, devoted, flexible, playful, artistic, imaginative, trusting, forgiving.

- Liar, braggart, snobbish, patronising, glutton, literal-minded, coddling, depressive, zealot, hoarder, hypocrite, merciless, sadistic, vengeful, spiteful, stubborn, nosy, impulsive, selfish, clingy, melodramatic.

- Evren’s motivation in life is the protection and wellbeing of humanity; to this end very few actions are considered ‘too much’ or ‘too far’. Like the SCP Foundation before her, she will inflict pain and death on hundreds or thousands to save millions or even billions. - Highly curious, she is full of questions at all times and loves to explore. - Friends and family mean a lot to her; she values her brothers’ happiness highly and possesses an undying loyalty to the Emperor, even if she often doubts him. - She still has great faith in humanity and believes that most people are good - Has a 'better the devil you know’ attitude, used to enduring horrible things if it meant keeping humanity safe from even greater horrors or even annihilation - She has a deep-seated disdain for religion and identifies as a misotheist, having never met a 'god’ worth worshipping. Secretly she dreams of toppling the gods and perhaps even taking a little of their power for themselves - she’s sure she would use it better. - Due to the fact it was the last time she felt 'normal’ or 'like herself’, Evren is obsessed with the culture of the 1980s to 2020s and has gone out of her way to preserve artifacts from that era, including her favourite popular media. She enjoys cartoons and anime. - Despite, or possibly because of, living through the millennia-long suppression of magic by the Foundation, Evren is openly, unapologetically proud of being a psyker and campaigns for the better understanding of her fellow magic-users. - Secretly, she is somewhat of a coward and flees from anything she is sure can kill her, though she once managed to explore a Necron tomb with her Legion. - Often overwhelmed by her duties, she is full of doubts and often second-guesses herself - Is a hopeless romantic, in love with love, but treats sex casually - to her, it’s just another fun thing two or more people who like each other can do together

Likes/hobbies: Magic and studying magic, archaeology, history, exploring ruins or nature, tomb-raiding and grave-robbing, botany and gardening, cartoons comics, horror books/movies, making clothes and jewellery, puzzles/riddles, cooking, coffee/recaff (the more elaborate, brighter-coloured, and highly-flavoured the better), Turkish and Egyptian cuisine, dancing, singing, playing the piano.

Hates: Chaos-worshippers, the Chaos gods, religion in general, not being able to know things, traitors and backstabbers, letting down a friend, enclosed spaces, going hungry, wasting food, offal, eye contact, people who take advantage, corrupt officials, people who don’t care for others, Astartes who look down on humans, almost all Commissars not named Ciaphas Cain, the fact she has to remove all her body hair to wear her bodyglove comfortably. After the Heresy, she despises Iron Warriors and Word Bearers to the point where she’ll drop anything to kill them; it’s her dearest dream to sacrifice Erebus and Kor Phaeron to Malal.

Looks:

Height: 5′7″ (original) / 8′3″ (current). Can and will change her height with biomancy.

Eyes:

Golden with hints of brown. Dark rimmed irises like a wolf (or a chicken). In the 40k era, they turn white with black sclera when channelling the power of Malal.

Wears kohl eyeliner in the ancient Egyptian style, eyeshadow in shades of blue or red with a streak of gold. Long lashes usually enhanced with mascara.

Well-groomed, s-shaped eyebrows with a ‘hook’.

Possesses a unique, prototype in-built ‘prey-sight’ that allows her to see into the infrared spectrum and track targets by body-heat. Unfortunately, it also reduces her ability to see detail such as writing/screens and people’s faces, turns the world into a blobby mess of colour, and gives her crippling migraines if she uses it for more than five minutes. Her pupils are dilated and her eyes appear glazed during use.

Has a transparent, protective nictitating membrane.

Skin:

Brown, vaguely russet. Blushes easily, freckles in strong sunlight thanks to the Jackal geneseed. Some moles – aka ‘beauty spots’ - across her body and limbs.

No scars or wrinkles save for a line of small, round scars along her spine and faint marks on her stomach as if something with five claws slashed her from ribs to hip.

Removes all hair below the neck with biomancy, to keep it from catching in her armour and bodyglove; without that, she has dark body hair and a ‘treasure trail’.

Tattoos in gold ink of runes across her ribcage, arms to elbows, and on her stomach, spelling out incantations of warding and banishment; intricate magical diagrams and sigils cover her back from shoulders to hips. These act as protection against daemons, increase her magical abilities, and make her touch painful for any with above a certain amount of Warp energies inside them. Designed to ward off danger and interrogating Chaos worshippers, she cannot touch Sanguinius or Magnus with her bare skin without causing burning pins-and-needles tingling. Touching a daemon causes them severe pain, like touching a red-hot poker.

In the 40k era, she bears the brand of Malal on her stomach; the black-and-white skull mark only appears when she’s channelling the Outcast God’s power or consumed with thoughts of vengeance. At all other times, it’s invisible.

Sensitive to touch and ticklish, especially around the - ahem - chest.

Body:

Lean but muscular with long limbs/torso. Broad shoulders, slim waist, and powerful thighs. A six-pack and strong arms. Often compared to an Amazon or Valkyrie.

Disproportionate on close inspection, with her arms almost as long as her legs; can give an Uncanny Valley effect. Long stomach/spine between ribcage and hips; has three more lumbar vertebrae than normal. Long fingers, toes, neck.

Small chest - ‘small but perfectly formed’ as she sometimes says.

Highly flexible and double jointed, capable of impressive contortionist acts. Often cracks her joints to the point of sounding like an old man; is prone to aches and pains after too much flexing, which she eases with long baths.

Possesses all Astartes organs aside from the Mucranoid, Melanchromic Organ, Black Carapace, and Lyman’s Ear; her Sus-an Membrane has a malfunction that, whenever she activates it, plagues her hibernation period with horrific nightmares.

Lacks the Black Carapace and interface ports thanks to her Perpetual nature, so she syncs with her custom-made Power Armour (Mark IV variant, replaced by a Mark VI variant post-Heresy) via a series of needles that pierce her spinal cord.

Has several experimental organs not used in the final Astartes model: Angius Ligament (lets her stretch her jaws like a snake), Tanax Gland (produces a sticky, glue-like saliva that dries quickly on contact with air), Pera Organ (a second stomach), and Runco Node (a gland in the brain that, at times of great stress, releases hormones and chemicals to dull her feelings of pain, fear, and despair; in some circumstances, Evren goes into a trance-like state where she can only think of killing enemies and lacks morality, mercy, or a conscience. She never remembers her actions afterwards and the Jackals have sworn never to tell her).

Face:

Greatly resembles her Papa. They have the same eyes, brow, nose, and cheekbones. Diamond-shaped face with a strong jaw. Beauty spot near left eye.

Eight canine teeth; all teeth sharper and more pointed than normal.

Long, flexible tongue. Unsurprisingly, she’s also a very good kisser.

Wears a brown or berry-coloured blush and lipstick in maroon, berry, navy, or black.

Faceclaim: Jessica Penne.

Hair:

Black, glossy, falls in loose curls. Naturally thick and heavy. Soft and silky.

Shoulder-blade length and worn parted at her left side with a side-fringe.

Doesn’t often change her hairstyle, but she has experimented with various styles and lengths. Tends to go between straight and curly on a whim.

In battle, it’s braided and curled into a bun under her helmet.

Clothes:

Linen tunics, tight cloth trousers, long waistcoats, and long, fur-lined (often leather) coats. Soft leather knee-high boots, leather boots, flats, and ankle boots – never heels. Doesn’t wear socks. Wears black, white, gold, shades of red but usually crimson or maroon, and shades of blue from navy to turquoise.

Gold, copper, and bone accessories – from her kills, both animal, xenos, and human. Usually hand-made. Loves rubies, aquamarine, lapis lazuli, coral, and sapphires. Likes Egyptian, jackal, space, floral/plant, and skull/bone motifs.

Wears lots of rings, bracelets/bangles, and necklaces when off-duty.

Has a large hat collection, with hats for every occasion, but she most often wears a wide-brimmed black hat with the brim tilted just so. Hat never falls off because it’s held in place with a hatpin topped with a silver skull.

Attitude/Bearing:

Due to her autism, she rarely makes eye contact, has dulled facial expressions/RBF, tends towards a monotone voice, and stims by twining her hands, playing with her hair, or pressing her palms together. Looks at people’s noses or ears, as a rule.

Stands and walks with almost unnatural grace and flexibility. Very light feet. Will casually bend her limbs backwards to reach something or turn her head like an owl.

Has a faint Liverpudlian accent and a deep voice; the accent is a deliberate affectation and vanishes during times of stress, replaced with a Terran accent.

Daemon-Princess of Malal Form Evren can ‘summon’ small parts of her daemon form into her human body, such as horns, claws, eyes, and wings; her most common trick is to summon wings, pure black and flat as paper, the feathers razor-sharp.

Soul: To psykers and daemons, her soul appears to be glowing with a bright golden light that can be almost blinding. There’s an impression of many wings, eyes, and teeth and a burning crown. Her tattoos appear as literal golden chains and the influence of Malal as a spreading darkness centred around her solar plexus.

Equipment

Mark IV/ Mark VI Corvus Power Armour: Adjusted to her disproportionate frame, the biggest change is around the joints of the armour; plating has been re-shaped and in some cases removed to allow a much higher degree of flexibility. Instead of the classic ‘beaky’ helmet it has the white jackal mask worn by the Legion’s command ranks. The inside is coated with runes and sigils of protection, purity, and banishment. The pockets and waist pouches are much bigger on the inside than the outside.

Force Sword (Asurludu): Designed and built for a user who places speed and flexibility over strength, longer and lighter than the usual model. The hilt and blade show some influence from ancient Turkic designs. The blade is decorated with an ‘evren’ - that is to say, the dragon from Turkic mythology - and the grip is bound in dark blue.

Daemon Sword: A black-bladed daemon sword with an ornate gold hilt, decorated with obsidians and moonstones, and a scabbard decorated with many eyes. Contains Snuffer Of Faith’s Candlelight, a Guardian of Contradictions who displeased Malal and was sentenced to eleven thousand year’s imprisonment within the sword. Screams and wails when wielded. Can and will devour mortal souls and daemons alike.

Various grenades: Krak, frag, flashbang, and ‘Banisher’ - produced and equipped solely by the Tomb Jackals Legion, they contain blessed salt, iron, silver, and holy water. Evren often forgets they’re there or to replenish her supply, to the annoyance of her armoury staff. She retorts that her throwing arm is so bad they’re all but useless anyway.

Dataslate: Connected to the Weigher’s central database and intranet, Evren can call upon thousands of years of information in seconds. She can also connect to others’ dataslates and send messages to their ships or voxes. It can fold in half like a book and be used in either orientation. Most files are in Esceapian or Turkish; anything sensitive is protected with instakill memetic agents that cause fatal seizures and brain haemorrhages in any who haven’t been through the right psycho-programming.

Combat Knife: Carved with runes, it has a devastating effect on daemons and other creatures of Chaos. The default combat knife wielded by all Tomb Jackals and Shadows.

Bolter: She once owned a master-crafted, artisanal-made Crusade-pattern Bolter that was destroyed just after the Heresy, during their Crusade in the Eye, and never replaced. Since then she’s owned a variety of firearms, either losing them or giving them away. Her current weapon, as of 40k, is a Godwyn Mark Vb Pattern.

Snacks and drinks: Since both magic and healing drain a great deal of her energy, it’s important for Evren to stay well-fed. She keeps a supply of high-protein, high-fat, and high-sugar rations in the form of bars and drinks, fortified with iron and calcium, as well as more normal foodstuffs such as jerky, candy bars, and bottles of water.

Inquisitors’ Rosette: Before the Heresy, this took the form of the Emperor’s personal aquila in gold, with the SCA symbol on its breast, as a badge or a pendent. In the 40k, Evren wields the rosette of the Inquisition when going undercover. Kyete acquired it, as well as the official papers and paraphernalia, from a Custodian who owed her a favour. The rosette takes the form of the stylised I bearing the winged skull of a jackal.

First Aid Kit: For minor wounds she can’t or won’t heal with her biomancy.

#[ooc post]#[evren's personnel file]#[legion documents]

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mountain-of-divine-fire · 5 years

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Crystal skulls. Whats the appeal? & Their ancient, phony history. 💀☠️💀☠️

Disclaimer: Most of my posts about magic are my personal craft, and my opinions. I hope they inspire you in your craft, but as always, they are just opinions. my word is not the authority , and neither is any other blog post.

The history

If you want some well sourced and better written information on how these skulls came about, I suggest the wikipedia article for crystal skulls.

In the early 1900′s, there was a trend of the occult, adventuring, archaeology, and treasure. This resulted in a lot of fake artifacts that people produced solely for fame and fortune, and a lot of frauds. (similar things come to mind, like the Ica stones, Ectoplasm photography,The trade of shrunken heads, and pretty much anything to do with Ed and Lorraine warren, in my opinion at least.)

Tldr, think about stuff like the plot of the disney tarzan movie. White dudes, trying to make money off of some culture theyre actively harming.

Theres a lot of “history” about them being Mesoamerican artifacts, important in aztec, inca, and whoever else they've decided to pass it to’s religious practices and magical rituals, but this is simply not true. There probably have been skull shaped idols/icons in the past, but these perfect, “ancient aliens” style , magical, all knowing , perfectly carved crystal skulls were made up purely to sensationalize them. Anything about getting “all 13″ or however many together for some ritual,, i call BS.

Most modern carved skulls might have had these older ones in mind when they were made, but truly, have nothing to do with them.

(a modern skull that was originally passed off as an artifact, who resides in the British museum)

So whats the appeal of modern skulls?

First of all, from a lapidary standpoint, skulls are challenging and fun to carve! having a style, giving it an expression, the markings that end up on it from the inclusions in the stone, all very fun for someone who cuts stones. Its simply art, even if you dont use them for anything else. alot of the time, due to the quality of the materials, and the effort that went into their creation, they end up higher end of the price range. Its worth it if youre willing.

In magic, the skull shape is symbolic of many things. of the self, mankind, of consciousness, maybe a memento mori, or a figure to represent death or the cycles, for retaining knowledge, or maybe just for ancestor worship. (And probably more im overlooking.) They have so many uses and are very versatile just for their symbolic meaning. Skull candles are also very good for magic no matter what kind of magic it is.

This next part is something ive learned/realized in my work~

The skull shape also gives the crystal spirit a stronger personality. by giving the crystal a Human-ish shape, or one that represents us at least, it can easier express itself in terms a human can understand. Crystal skulls a lot of the time are more talkative and opinionated than regular crystal spirits, simply because now they have a link, and a way to relate to humans a bit better. Another part of this is because a human put work and effort into making it, and the love that comes with the craft contributes to its personality and strength.

These skulls are known to be knowledgeable. If you have questions, try asking a crystal skull.

A lot of skulls have their own likes and dislikes, and relationships. One skull might name itself the protector ,mother, or leader of a group of skulls. They might have likes and dislikes concerning the way you cleans them, what music to listen to, who should be put where, And the fairness of house spirit rules.

(my sisters skull, the dumortierite with the mask on the left there, wasnt fond of my rules when i put them into place. just try and work it out with them if they have any scruples.)

Crystal skulls are good to have as companions for those who want to start spirit work, but start somewhere kinda small. Theyre a step up from plant spirits, but are probably easier than more complex spirits. They help in divination and meditation because of their opinions, and in general, theyre just really fun. Even if you start out off put by the imagery of a skull, try adding one to your family. You might just find that youve fallen in love. I didnt buy my first skull, it was given to me as a gift,i never considered getting one. But ever since then my family has steadily grown.

Good ole grainy pic of my little family. Left to right, Doomy, Princip, Seft, Jasper (whom isnt a jasper), And Tibbs! theres still room for more on my shelf, too~

~~~~~~

Like the ideas in my Crystal spirits post ,Which you should totally check out if you dont know how to work with crystals, btw, These skulls work the same way as regular crystals. once you get to know them for a while, ive found most of the time they WILL give you their name, if they have one. If you have problems trying to work with crystals, get you a skull. they seem to be much stronger.

Certain crystals might have preferred roles. Some like to work in healing magic, some like to help in divination, some may help in grounding/warding/protecting, and some may just like to hang around with you just for fun.

There are also other shaped skulls, some looking like aliens,some being bird skulls, some having decorative carvings on them, or druzy body horror aspects (my seftonite up there, the big guy, has a snake on his head~)

Im sure other folk use these crystals in different ways, but personally, thats how i work with them.

What if I think skulls are spooky and gross, and i dont want them in my craft!

Dont be scared when i tell you this, sit down for a sec. Grab your own hand. Poke at it a bit, Feel that? The hard stuff? That means youve got a skeleton in you, Right now! Dont be scared of them, we all have one. Theyre pretty neat.

Im mostly jokeing, but being grossed out by something that helps you live is kind of funny~

I know skulls are given a bad rep. some known as “deaths head”,and in the instance of one crystal skulls in specific, “the skull of doom” . Because they can be used to do hexes/curses, and predict/cause deaths. But most of this is because of the aforementioned sensationalism. Skulls bring up ideas like death and decay, evil, and general bad omens. some people just dont like looking at things that are considered “gorey” or “macabre”. but let me sway you to think about it on both of the sides. Anything symbolizing death also comes with the ideas of rebirth and regrowth. Anything negative must be analyzed to find the positives. Even if you “CAN” theoretically use them in negative magic, you dont HAVE to.

💀☠️💀☠️ 💀☠️💀☠️ 💀☠️💀☠️ 💀☠️💀☠️ 💀☠️💀☠️ 💀☠️💀☠️

If youve found this post as a magic user who was unsure but curious about skulls, i hope youve come away with some more knowledge on how to work with them/their history.

If youve stumbled upon this post somehow because you are a parent, and are concerned for your kids obsession with “morbid” things, or possibly that they are a practicing magic user, just be aware they are probably just exploring their creativity and bringing positivity to the world.

A lot of things you can use crystal skulls for, is the same or similar as candle skulls, and real bones. (the discussion of bone magic and the ethical problems with owning actual remains, whether human or animal, is for another time, and definitely not for this post. I only work with crystals and candles and therefore dont have a dog in that fight.)

And after all, if you dont WANT a skull. you dont absolutely need one. But i would definitely recommend trying them at least once. most of the time they are friendly, and willing to help. I hope this post made at least a little bit of coherent sense.

Admin Fifa~

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kog0ruhn · 5 years

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A Layman’s Guide to My Stupid Clan Lore (Which is Still Very Long and Stupid)

So, because of the fact that I realize I talk about the history of my clan’s conflicts and I… haven’t finished writing the actual arcs so I know it makes no sense, I decided to pull an Elder Scrolls and do a Pocket Guide to Irthskaar so that anyone who wants to know what I’m talking about can read it and have it make sense. I know it’s probably just two people (me included), but what the hell, you know? This helps me keep my mind straight, too.

(Haven’s memory problems and need to write everything down is based solely on how bad my fibrofog is, after all.)

Anyway~

A Pocket Guide to Irthskaar

Irthskaar is a canyon that is technically part of the Greatwyrm’s Breach, located to the northwest of the Pillar of the World. It’s equal parts fissure caused by the impact of Shade remnants hitting the earth, eroded further by a river that flows through the area. It’s verdant around the banks of the river and more arid the farther you stray from it, but despite being a rather nice place for dragon clans to live (easily defensible since there’s only one way in/out on foot, with fresh water and vegetation to boot), it’s been mostly uninhabited. Until The Abandoned took hold there, the most traffic it saw since the Second Age were the occasional Snapper troop who’d set up camp temporarily and transient Beast Clans. Neither population tended to last long since many believe the land is cursed.

And it is. Oh man, you better believe it’s cursed. It’s a canyon partially caused by the Shade slamming into the ground so hard that it left a dent big enough for fifteen clans to live. Anyone with a nose for magic can smell the devilry that’s coating that place like a spiritual mucus.

Anyway, because of the fact it’s been mostly uninhabited, most of the structures within Irthskaar are of Second Age make. There’s ruins and statues, ancient altars, and even an entire city (called Omen) that have been repurposed by The Abandoned after they took up residence. Since The Abandoned has moved in, surrounding clans and Beast Clans have started to take renewed interest in the area and keep slipping closer and closer. Traders actually come through nowadays and allied Serthis, Harpy, and Longneck tribes have permanent to semi-permanent residences in and around the canyon.

The Abandoned

The Abandoned is actually called The Alliance of Those Who Were Abandoned, a dramatic name that was meant as an inside joke by the founders. Then, they couldn’t think of a better one. It’s a confederation of clans who, for some reason or another, wound up in Irthskaar and was originally founded by a trio of clans: Clan Elsewhere, The Wolves, and the now-defunct Council of Kain (a.k.a., The Council). Other tribes and clans ended up there by happenstance or because they had existing alliances with clans that were in the area, and soon Irthskaar had a healthy population of dragons. The leaders of these clans formed a council known as The Fifteen (as the original incarnation of The Abandoned had fifteen clans), and while the number of dragons who are a part of The Fifteen has dwindled to twelve, the name has stuck in honor of those who have fallen.

The different clans of the current alliance are Clan Elsewhere (former Plague dragons who are the economic and political powerhouse of The Abandoned), The Outlanders (a gathering of oddball outcasts and innovators who are the second most wealthy clan in The Abandoned), The Sixth House (a collection of powerful and ancient sorcerers), The Lorekeepers (a clan of librarians, historians, and writers), The Coalition of Magicks (a scholarly council of Arcane mages), The Keepers of the Sigil (a clan formed of survivors of previous calamities), The Graveborn (raiders-turned-protectors), Revelations (also raiders, and one-time enemies of The Abandoned), Umbra Ruinam (a coven of necromancers), and The Wolves (the “police force” and standing army of The Abandoned). There’s also Saija, a lone Gaoler who has forced her way into The Fifteen despite being unaffliated with any clan.

Previous clans (destroyed or defunct) include The Council (who originally owned the land in Irthskaar), The Infected (Plague cultists who moved north due to a family emergency), The Followers of the Pillar (a clan of pacifists and philanthropists), The Shards (essentially doomsday preppers), Clan Carnate (a small clan of roaming oddballs), The Twisted Scales (a tribe of displaced dragons), One-Clan-Under-Moon-and-Star (loyalists to a repeatedly reincarnated warlord), Shelcoof (a bunch of Lightning dragons who were long-time allies of Clan Elsewhere), Goetia (doomsday preppers with occult knowledge), and the Myrian Six (a tiny clan of Shade-hunting dragons who wound up in Irthskaar for obvious reasons). Some of these evolved into new groups, some left voluntarily, and others were destroyed during conflicts, with previous members now integrated into new clans.

And Now for a Segue Before I Get Into The Flauros Incident

I know I talk a lot about The Flauros Incident, but to really understand The Incident, you need to understand these five jerks:

Lich is a rogue necromancer living in the Scarred Wasteland, who works with his assistant, Falx, to figure out ways to create life out of nothing. The closest they’ve got is using concentrated Shade energy that’s dormant within the land to mimic lifeforms that already exist. They call these creatures “demons,” and summoning them usually requires a sacrifice of some kind, though they’ve figured out how to “bud” more demons from existing ones by borrowing energy. Lich has amassed quite an army, and Falx sacrificed one of his previous mates, and they show no signs of stopping. Uh, nor do they really realize how much trouble their pet project is causing.

Lich is just very isolated, one-track minded, and only really cares about things if they affect his research adversely. Falx is probably aware in some capacity, but he’s also an evil bastard who doesn’t care.

Now, remember how I said that summoning a “demon” requires a sacrifice? That’s where you get the ugly, bloody guy in the middle row. That’s Bifrons, the only dragon to ever survive one of Lich’s procedures. He was abducted and had part of the ceremony performed on him, but managed to get away before anything could be completed. It had a devastating effect on his physical body (which you can tell by looking at him), but a worse one on his soul. You see, the ritual was never finished, but it was finished enough that he wound up cursed with a half-complete “demon” bound to him.

That demon is Flauros. She used to look like a Guardian, but she’s unstable and changes pretty frequently. She’s a bit harder to control because she still has some primordial will in her, and the bindings on her were never completed; she can technically be stolen by any sorcerer who is clever enough to make a spell strong enough to bind her. She can think and reason and behave autonomously once given orders which is, well, unheard of for the bulk of her kind, and her more troublesome powers haven’t been cut off to make her more pliable. She is capable of doing some really messed-up things. She’s the physical embodiment of a demonic poltergeist you see in those horrifying “based on a true story” horror movies.

And at the very bottom, we have Hashakgik. Hashakgik (a.k.a. Dahaka) is a dragon who’s learned to use primordial, non-elemental magic to make himself a being of many faces, names, and allegiances. He has an extensive criminal record, has left a trail of destruction in his wake, has changed his form a dozen times, and is incredibly hard to get rid of. He’s a power-hungry and extremely dangerous cockroach in a dragon’s body who could probably crush you with his mind. Nobody in The Abandoned knew this when he showed up.

And that’s a good lead-up into The Incident itself.

The Flauros Incident

So, we know Bifrons wound up with Flauros bound to him because Lich couldn’t do his job right. What happened after that? Well, he also wound up with a handful of hirelings and followers who he brought on with the sole purpose of containing and eventually dispersing Flauros. This entourage began to be known as Goetia.

Goetia wound up in Irthskaar at the suggestion of Azimuth, one of Bifrons’ hirelings, who said the latent magic in the area could lend itself to their goal. Bifrons joined The Fifteen, Flauros was kept contained in their lair, and things went pretty okay for a while. The problem is that this was all a part of a plan on behalf of Azimuth and Hashakgik, who were old friends who hatched a plan to make themselves as powerful as possible to take over as much of Irthskaar as they possibly could. You see, Hashakgik was already in Irthskaar because of a clan he joined to lay low (The Infected), and he knew enough about magic to tell the canyon was special. It was holding some crazy power, but he needed a way to secure the territory for himself so he could figure out a way to tap into it.

Enter Azimuth, who originally came into service of Goetia honestly but then became convinced that Flauros would be a pretty easy, subversive way to achieve this goal. She and Hashakgik developed some spells to “steal” Flauros from Bifrons and tether her to something new (an amulet, which seemed like a no-brainer option; they could swap it back and forth to take control of her as need be), and then used her to start picking off or otherwise incapacitating powerful dragons in the alliance one by one. It worked well until they tried to target Snap, leader of Clan Elsewhere and Bad Bitch You Shouldn’t Mess With™, who immediately figured out that Flauros was responsible and set about retaliating by declaring an emergency, electing herself warleader, reorganizing the clans into an army, and then turning the whole goddamn thing on Flauros and anyone who decided to follow her.

Pictured above: a dragon you don’t wanna fuck with. (Thanks, doki!)

Azimuth panicked. What began as sneaky assassinations and corruption turned into her wildly throwing Flauros at anything that posed a threat, even exposing herself as a mastermind when she felt cornered. For a while, things went her way--she destroyed a couple of clans, killed a lot of dragons, and even swayed followers to her side with promises of power and safety--but it all changed when one of her subordinates decided to trick the majority of the Coalition of Magicks into raising an Emperor, citing it would be the only thing powerful enough to fight Flauros. The follower in question, Baphomet, justified it by saying she was pretty sure she figured out magical bindings that would allow her to control it.

Yeah, no. She didn’t have a goddamn clue what she was doing.

So now, Azimuth and her enemies had to contend with something worse than Flauros making short work of both sides of the conflict, after which Hashakgik decided that enough was enough. He wrenched control of Flauros back from Azimuth, basically cut her off from doing anything else, and then decided he’d go down swinging. He amassed an army of demons like Flauros, having figured out how to create them, took his army of defectors, and marched right on Snap’s war camp with the intention of killing everything in sight.

Between the battle, the Emperor, and then their battling again, the loss of life was insane. Right when things seemed to be ending in Hashakgik’s favor, though, Azimuth found herself dead and Hashakgik found himself sans Flauros. Shriek--leader of The Outlanders--had spent the whole squabble doing her own research, consulting the right people, and following leads behind everyone’s back, and nobody really noticed because nobody ever took her seriously. She figured out the amulet controlled Flauros and just… stole it while Hashakgik wasn’t paying attention. The Abandoned won the fight because a loud, obnoxious Spiral swiped a necklace and used said necklace to steal a demon. To say Hashakgik was surprised when his own weapon was turned on him by a dragon he barely knew existed would be an understatement.

Pictured above: The face of somebody who shouldn’t have won.

It ended in a fight between Flauros and Hashakgik, and the clash of their magics turned the treacherous Mirror into stone.

The Abandoned now use him as a decoration for the entrance to the canyon.

The Aftermath

Recovering from that kind of excitement is hard. Clans were destroyed, survivors were adopted into new clans, and they had to find ways to circumvent the loss of some very valuable and resourceful dragons in the alliance. Thankfully, some of this was taken care of by the introduction of Sitael, a wealthy traveling merchant with an eye for business and a heart of gold. He came seeking new customers, stuck around to bring in supplies, and became a permanent resident of Clan Elsewhere when he realized his expertise could bring in the gold and resources necessary to rebuild. He’s attracted quite a lot of money, donates a fair chunk of change to the other clans, and makes sure there’s always necessities around for anyone who needs it. His network is borderline insane, too, so if you want it, Sitael can get it.

He’s a good Pearlcatcher, Brent!

In time, things began to fall into place. A lot of dragons rendered homeless by The Incident joined The Wolves so they could protect their home, and the Keepers of the Sigil was formed by the displaced patriarch of another clan with the sole purpose of defending against the dark arts (Remus Lupin would be proud). Others stepped up their game to provide services and resources where others had fallen. New dragons filtered in who took the place of those who had died.

One huge point of contention that remained, though, was that Flauros was still around.

You see, Hashakgik and Azimuth may have been responsible for the whole sordid affair, but Flauros was their face and not every dragon really understood that blaming her was akin to blaming the gun instead of the shooter. Even those who did understand were wary of it happening again. Shriek’s decision to not hand over the amulet and let the Coalition of Magicks figure out a way to destroy Flauros caused quite a few waves, and left a bad taste in the mouths of just about everyone.

This would only come to a head when Elder showed up.

Who is Elder?

Elder is an asshole.

But Why is He An Asshole?

Well, he’s Hashakgik’s mentor, for one. And if you took Lich and Hashakgik and threw in a massive god complex, you’d get the four-meter-long package of destruction and chaos that was (is?) Elder. The only thing he cares about is power, his magical practices have made him so distant from dragonkind that he barely registers the dragons around him as people, and he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to getting his way. He’s small, but he’s strong and he’s smart and he’s utterly cold blooded, and he could, would, and will crush you underfoot if you stand between him and something he feels he deserves.

And if you think the fact he’s a teeny, tiny Spiral will save you, you are dead wrong. And also probably just dead.

The Elder Conflict

Elder wasn’t stupid. In the wake of The Flauros Incident, he waited and bided his time and watched from a distance, knowing The Abandoned would eventually show a weak spot. You see, he was aware from his doomed protege that there was dark and powerful magic in those hills, and that the only thing standing between him and that power was a bunch of broken clans. He wouldn’t make the same mistakes as Hashakgik, though. Charging headlong into a fight under the wrong conditions with the wrong tools was suicide.

He did try to bolster his initially poor numbers by forcing the clan, Revelations, into subservience, though. A clan of raiders, he kidnapped the daughter of the ruling pair and held her ransom, with the payment requested being as many dead inhabitants of Irthskaar as they could drag back. They were cannon fodder that he never expected to return, though they proved strangely effective. Not only were they good at destroying Sitael’s trade caravans, mopping the floor with stragglers, and even occasionally carrying out raids inside the canyon, they had the unintentional side-effect of inciting new and exciting forms of panic. Revelations, you see, is run by a pair of renegade Gaolers and has been even before the Seekers were reinstated and Gaolers resurfaced.

Fresh from The Flauros Incident, The Abandoned became convinced that Revelations was controlled by monsters. Monsters like Flauros. They didn’t have a clue what a Gaoler was. Obviously, those things were demons.

This started a massive political upheaval within The Fifteen. While the general public started blaming Flauros and, by extension, Shriek for the raids, Snap was hard at work making a case for the exile of the entirety of The Outlanders for their continued support of their leader and her pet demon. The Outlanders’ reputation worsened as dragons began to go missing, including members of The Fifteen, leaving no trace behind as to where they went. This had to be the work of Shriek, Flauros, and those creatures that kept raiding their lands, obviously.

And so The Outlanders were exiled. It was fairly unanimous when faced with the evidence Snap accumulated, with her essay of grievances carrying more weight than Shriek screeching she didn’t do anything wrong. Oddly enough, Snap’s mate sided with The Outlanders and went with them as they left, leaving a pretty sizable rift in Clan Elsewhere who--if you don’t remember--is the most powerful and influential clan in the alliance.

Oh, look. Elder found his opening.

Political instability is a hell of a thing. With The Outlanders gone, Flauros out of the way, and Clan Elsewhere reeling, the attacks began in earnest. Snap had her hands full trying to repel the incoming invasion, while Shriek and her clan were oblivious outside of the canyon. The only reason they even discovered that their old home was under attack is because they found the “missing” dragons whose disappearance she was blamed for. Turns out that they had an inkling of an idea that something bad was on the horizon, Snap wouldn’t listen because she’s too stuck in her ways, and they decided to take matters into their own hands. One of them, Kain, even know about Elder from previous scuffles and was pretty sure that he’d be sniffing around Irthskaar after finding out his old pupil had killed himself trying to tap into some good ol’ primordial Shade energy.

So, Shriek decided to help them. She put Flauros to use in subverting everything Elder tried to do, and even tried to make amends with The Abandoned to get them to back the “resistance” and allow her clan back into Irthskaar. Snap turned up her nose each and every time (mostly out of stubbornness because, let’s face it, Snap is very flawed), but eventually had to cave when The Outlanders, fresh from being attacked, came back uninvited and Elder figured, “Hey, everyone’s harried into the same hole in the ground now. Let’s just end this already.”

Elder--utilizing his necromancer slave, Mortanius--launched a full-scale attack on the barely prepared alliance, using swathes of undead, Revelations, and his own loyalists to lay waste to everything in his path. Things were going his way until Flauros entered the scene, Coalition of Magicks mages figured out how to undo his slave bindings on Mortanius (who, understandably, took the opportunity to scram, leaving his necromantic creations frenzied, directionless, and doing as much damage to Elder as The Abandoned), and the leader of Revelations took an opening mid-battle to turn on his daughter’s kidnappers. Even then, Elder almost held his own, stopped only by Shriek and Flauros as he tried to escape into a cave for cover.

They, uh, brought the cave down on him. They’re pretty sure he’s still alive, somehow, but it will be a long, long time before he figures out how to get out. If he ever does, the Keepers of the Sigil have moved their lair right outside, so they’ll be waiting for him. It will not end pretty.

So What is The Abandoned Up to Now?

Rebuilding. Again.

The good thing is that Elder’s onslaught didn’t do as much damage as Flauros did, so it’s been a bit easier to return to normalcy. The worst of it has been political restructuring such as the addition of new clans (Revelations, for one; Mortanius returned with his clan as well, hoping to seek sanctuary), the reinstating of Shriek into The Fifteen and The Outlanders into the alliance, rethinking policies and procedures, renegotiating trade deals, and redistributing power since Snap has this nasty habit of assuming direct control of things as soon as danger rears its ugly head. It kind of defeats the purpose of having a democratic council at all if the same dragon just overrides everyone consistently.

Oddly enough, Flauros is now regarded as a hero as well. It’s hard to argue with the fact that her swooping in out of nowhere and handing Elder’s ass to him is probably the only reason The Abandoned still exists, so they’ll give credit where credit is due. This mostly just means they stop talking about dispersing her, though.

Most everyone still doesn’t want to actually interact with her.

And why would you? I mean, she’s scary af.

#clan lore #this was fun to write

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spellbounding-slytherin · 5 years

Text

So, talking about my Novels a bit more....

Hey there its Vira!

Thought I would talk about my novels a bit more, just so you guys know what you all would be getting into.

So, lets talk about Novel 1.

The Rings of Gallilea: Sworn to Rebirth

(Aka: TROG/ TROGSTR)

So here are the main plot points of the novel:

It is the sacred duty of the Celestial Trinity (the Sun, Moon and Earth) to protect the life in their solar system from outside alien threats

An imperial speciest race known as the Cantillians dub Humans inferior to them, thus sparking a war between them the Celestial Trinity.

The nine planets ally themselves with the Celestial Trinity to protect themselves from a God-destroying weapon created by the Cantillians known as the Catalyst.

The Rings of Gallilea are formed in an attempt to protect the solar system.

The goddess of the moon utilizes their influence on humanity to create a re-birthing curse. As long as humanity shares legends of the gods they will not die.

During a battle with the Cantillian emperor (known as the Serpent) Earth is hit by the Catalyst, destroying his physical form.

One-by one the Rings of Gallilea and the Celestial Trinity fall.

Eventually it is only Mercury The god of knowledge, Moon, the goddess of magic and Pluto rhw God of Alchemy left

In order to save humanity, Moon forces Mercury to give her an "unforgettable" curse so she will retain her memories as a goddess.

Moon uses what is left of her magical power to trap the Cantillian emperor in a diffrent dimension, before she is killed.

Moon falls to earth taking on the form of a human infant.

She is found by the son of a former cult leader and raised moon aware of her godly identity.

Out of gratitude, moon grants her new father figure the "Power of The North Star" and shares a magical bond with him

Their mission now, is to locate the fallen Gods and prepare them for the fight against the looming Cantillian threat.

In summary:

The Rings of Gallilea is a magical Sifi adventure, with sub themes of romance, and drama. The message of The Rings of Gallilea is self-sacrifice, defying fate, humility and mercy along with second chances.

Lets meet our cast!

Luna Abyss- our female lead, Luna is the Goddess of the moon and Magic. Before what Luna refers to as "The Fall" she was regal, elegant and refined. Growing up on earth with her drunkard guardian Victor, and running from government officials who seem to pick up on Luna's signals wherever she goes changed her quite a bit. Luna uses her twin blades Artemis and Frigga to fight off the Cantillian forces sent by recon forces. Luna likes dancing to loud music at ungodly hours, getting fast food at midnight, dogs, and exploring places she probably shouldn't.

Terra Greenwood- Our male lead, Terra is the God of Earth, Nature and humanity. Terra grew up with his Grandma after his dad walked out on his drug-addicted mother. Terra is a member of the Apache Indians, and lives on a reservation in Greenville New Mexico. Terra, despite struggling with depression and minor anger issues, dreams of living a normal life. Getting a good education, a well paying job, taking his grandma and moving far away from Greenville....that Is until Luna shows up. Terra fights with his magic spear Gia, and can command Earth and Nature on a whim. While his abilities are still weak, with some training there is no doubt that Terra can return to his former Glory. Terra enjoys driving his old pickup truck down town, while listening to the hard rock radio station, helping his grandma take care of her garden, and hanging out with his best friends Mitchel and John.

Stella Brighton- our rich mean girl archetype. Stella is the goddess of the Sun. Stella grew up in her mother's mansion sheltered away from the middle and lower class, until one day she forms an unlikely friendship with Terra. An Unlikely friendship turns into an unlikely crush and an unlikely romance. That is until Stella's hopes and dreams are crushed when she discovers her mother and Stepfather have planned an arranged marriage for her. Stella breaks off her relationship with Terra and keeps her head held-high. Stella fights with her fiery bow, Apollo, and can spark a wildfire wherever she pleases. Stella enjoys shopping, traveling, taking selfies, and flaunting her status as Student Council President.

Mitchel James- the Nerd boy archetype, Mitchel is the God of Mercury, Knowledge and Communication (arguably revenge as well) As a young lad, Mitchel idolized his dad, who was in the military. Oftentimes it would be him and his mom while his dad was on deployment. Mitchel took a liking to computer science and technology, because thanks to that he was able to keep in touch with his dad even when he was far away. When Mitchel was 8 years old his dad died in active duty, and it wasn’t long until his mom took to a Sugar Baby lifestyle to try and provide for Mitchel without having to get a job. Mitchel is bullied at school for being the scrawny nerd boy, and takes revenge on his bullies by hacking into their computers and leaking their search history. After Luna rolls into town Mitchel's world is flipped upside down. Suddenly he isn’t armed with just brain-power but physical power. Mitchel fights in a way that is unique to the Rings of Gallilea. Mitchel can create Angels to fight as champions for him. He also uses a Chackram named Athena. Mitchel enjoys hacking into local security cameras to see whats up around town, exploring the dark web, arguing with radical political activists on-line.

John Kingsman- The play-boy Archetype, John is the God of Jupiter Kings, and lightning. John lives what is arguably the best life of anyone in the rings. His parents breed police dogs. Meaning his house is always full of puppies. John's dad is a former military officer, and both him and his mom are current police force members. John is the baby in his family, but is held to high standards. Be home before 7, get good grades, and take care of the dogs. John fights with his Claymore Sword, Odin, along with special abilities like lighting and psychological manipulation. John, obviously enjoys taking the dogs for walks, playing basketball, and going to the shooting range with his mom.

Hotaru Kawaguchi- The goth archetype, and Goddess of Saturn, Time and Death. Hotaru's parents immigrated to the United States after the death of Hotaru's older brother, Hikaru. They came here to give the intellectually gifted Hotaru better opportunities as she grew older. To help support her, the family opened a restaurant in the down town area that quickly became one of the most popular spots in town. Hotaru never really got over Hikaru's death, and took comfort in the macabre. Over summer, Hotaru picks up a second job to earn enough money to afford her dream car, working in an occult shop. She also finds herself involved in an unlikely summer romance. Aside from being able to freeze time and communicate with the dead, Hotaru fights with her staff, Hades, that can transform into a scythe. Hotaru loves books and quite sunny spaces, she likes painting, meditation, watching Elvira specials, and helping her mother and father learn better English.

Aries Vailakis- the Jock archetype, God of Mars and war. Just like Stella he too grew up with rich parents. His family comes a from proud Greek heritage, and own a chain of Mediterranean style restaurants. Aries is a star member of the football team, and is expected to take over the family business when he gets out of college. Most people think there isn't much to Aries other than food and football, sometimes Aries thinks that too. But being a competitive teenage god, can lead to some intense shenanigans. Especially when family, love and blackmail are involved. Aries fights with some seriously thick brass knuckles that spit fire. His brass knuckles can also transform into a large shield, Neiro. Aries likes cooking, working out, watching horror movies with his S/O, and very secretly likes looking at minimalist homes in the Greek countryside in homeowner's magazines.

June Smith, the flip Archetype, Goddess of Venus beauty, seduction and battle. June's mom divorced her dad to be with another man when she was young. Years later June would find out she died of cancer without telling her or her father. Needless to say June had a rough start in life. Given that her dad was the high school principal, she couldn't even act out and punch some nerd in the face. In the day light June masquerades as the nerdy turtleneck loving teacher's pet kinda girl. At night June flips ditching her turtle neck for something low cut and preferably leather. Sneaking out under the ruse of sleep or studying, June slips out to hang out on the edge of town with the local biker gang known as the Black Cat Bikers. Junes got the best of both worlds, her dad wrapped around her finger, and her legs wrapped around the back of her boys bikes. June fights with the sword Atalanta, and can change into any weapon June sees fit. June can also manipulate peoples hormones, making them fall for her or anyone. June will never admit it, but she likes wearing pink fluffy sweaters, she also loves getting fucking drunk, going out to see drag shows, sleeping in until noon, and playing with makeup.

Serena Paisley- The hippy archetype- Serena is the Goddess of Neptune, the ocean and family. Serena is the younger twin sister of Heath. Serena grew up close to her mother, who was somewhat of helicopter parent. Serena’s mother owns a brewing company, and is heavily involved in the Greenvile political scene. growing up in a spotlight Serena wanted to use her spotlight to encourage others to do good, and can often be found doing charity work. One big secret Serena has, is that she is a big fan of smoking weed. being a politicians daughter was a stressful job after all. Serena, can command any body of water and has great people skills. Her very loyal weapon is her trident, Namaka. Serena’s hobbies include Yoga, smoking weed, collecting crystals, playing the pan-flute, and thrift store shopping.

Heath Paisley- The rich boy archetype- Heath is the God of Uranus, Ice, Snow and Vengeance. Heath, is the polar opposite of his sister. He grew up chasing the affections of his long-distance father, who is an actor in Hollywood. Heath has a cold demeanor, and takes a some-what sadistic pleasure in controlling others. He is the student council president at the private school he and Serena attend, Hayden Heights Academy. Heath is secretly insecure about his sexuality, and is in denial about being attracted to men. Heath spends a majority of his time covering for his sisters ‘distasteful shenanigans” in student council meetings, or following in the footsteps of his politician mother. Heath has the power to control Ice, and cold temperatures, he can also force criminals to admit their deeds.Heath fights with twin sickles Poli’Ahu and Endymion.His hobbies include: casual business luncheons, bossing his underclassmen around, and he secretly likes it when his S/O leans over his shoulder while he is trying to work.

Romeo Barns- The rebel archetype- Romeo is the God of Pluto, Alchemy, and Transformation. Romeo has always felt like a social outcast, specifically because he discovered his godly powers at a young age. Romeo lives with his overly preachy preacher uncle, who believes in only one good god above. Romeo, being a sarcastic little shit, decides he needs to be everything his uncle isn't. Romeo sells weed for the Black Cat Biker Gang, his true "Family". Which is how a filthy little grunge rat like him became friends with Serena Paisley. Roemo's godly body grows organic blade-like structures which he can use to defend himself. His clawed-gauntlets, Thanatos and Cerberus add an extra punch. In his spare time Romeo can be seen around town riding his motorcycle. At night he is out spraying unique and vulgar messages on billboards. At school he likes to read the "boring unpopular books" like Catcher in The Rye and Lord of The Flies, and strumming along to his favorite songs on his base guitar

And thats just novel number 1! I'll make a second post about novel number 2 since this is already a quite lengthy post.

Let me know what you guys think, and if you wanna see more.

See ya later

- Vira!

#novel #novelist #writers #writing #writblr #author #sifi #fantasy #meet the characters #gods and goddesses #plot #magic #ocs #oc #oc fanfiction #oc facts

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veryangryhedgehog · 5 years

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“Lion Heart” an Ede Valley story by Hedgehog.

Sonia’s head ached. It had been doing that a lot lately. But ever since the escape from St. Adelaide’s three days ago, it had been a non-stop, nearly incessant throbbing. She’d tried ibuprofen, maybe more than she should have as she got more desperate, but even four pills at once had done nothing.

Maybe it was her lack of sleep. The past two nights had been spent on Aurum the dragon librarian’s couch, amidst her hoard of ancient artifacts. The couch itself was lumpy and simply not designed to accommodate a sleeping human being. Being surrounded by ancient tomes of dark power, blood-rusted weapons of cursed aspect, and other items of various historical and occult significance certainly didn’t help either. But worst of all had been the dreams.

They had become even more vivid since the headaches began. Some were the same as usual: the city beneath the waves, the singing. But some were of a wholly different nature. She would dream that she was trapped somewhere cold and dark, where there was nothing and no one there. She would scream and scream, but no one would hear her.

Sonia would wake up in a cold sweat, sometimes even sit all the way up in bed—er, couch.

The others noticed her deteriorating condition quickly. The witch Cindy, her brother who had not been allowed inside, and two other men who she didn’t know, one with very pale skin and one who always seemed to be smiling, had come in every day to meet with Aurum and her small assistant Servus. They attempted to include her, as she was the only one among them who really knew the school and its layout.

But for the most part she was in too much pain to be any help. And she kept seeing things out of the corner of her eye. Sonia didn’t know what was happening to her, and it scared her.

Then, on the third night, it must have been worse than before, though when she woke up, she couldn’t even remember what her dreams had been. All she was left with was an utter feeling of loss and hopelessness and the tears streaming down her face. She must also have been making a lot of noise, because she wasn’t the one who had woken her up.

Servus, the small, expressionless boy, was shaking her. He didn’t say anything, he hadn’t uttered one word since she’d gotten here, but he almost looked concerned.

“Oh, I am sorry,” Sonia apologized, wiping away the tear tracks on her cheeks. “Did I disturb you?”

He just stared at her, as if pondering something. Then, in one small, awkward movement, he turned, and gestured to her.

“Do you… do you want me to follow you?” she asked.

Pausing, he turned back, waiting. Sonia stood, and after hesitating slightly at the sight of all the various sharp and/or dangerous things surrounding her, staring at her through their glass cases, she followed him.

The whole library seemed to be circular; the collection-cum-hoard spiraled downwards into the earth, and Sonia wondered if it ever actually ended. Just how deep could a thirst for knowledge be to have so many artifacts, books. The history of the world seemed to be contained here. Scrolls of papyrus were displayed next to Japanese tapestries. A roman gladius shared a case with an old Winchester. On and on it went, down down down into the earth.

She followed Servus until the walls ceased to be walls anymore, but raw stone. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Servus stopped. Not just stopped, froze. Like a statue.

Sonia followed his gaze, and her eyes fell upon a sword, encased in a slab of stone. Though the sword itself was only mildly impressive, with a few designs carved into its hilt, the reverence with which a spotlight had been placed upon it made it seem more so. What was even stranger was the huge, round chunk of stone around it, as if it had been carved from the floor of some cave and moved here.

She felt herself drawn to it, like some sort of magnet. Servus watched Sonia as she approached the sword, fascinated. “What is this?” she asked him, but of course, he didn’t respond.

Quite without conscious effort, Sonia found her feet moving her towards the sword. She scrambled up and over the rock, hovered there for a second, then put her hand on the sword’s hilt.

And nothing happened. The hilt was cold to the touch, but nothing more. She wasn’t sure why she had thought something would happen at all. Sonia sighed, made to turn, and screamed.

There, in the corner of the room, watching her, was a woman, glowing blue around the edges. Not just a woman, the woman, the one who had appeared to her several times now.

She didn’t react to Sonia’s scream, just glanced up at the sword with a hopeless expression on her face.

“Ti onw’t rokw,” her words were garbled and non-sensical.

“Why can’t I understand you?” Sonia asked. “Who are you?”

“Rmeuni. Npissrce fo Latnaist. Het elas sah relaayd eneb orebkn. I ma utske.”

“Interesting. Very interesting,” said a new voice, and Aurum emerged from the shadows. “Servus, did you lead her down here?”

The automaton blinked once.

Sonia almost let go of the sword, but Aurum threw out her hands. “Nonono! Don’t let go. Your contact with the sword is the only thing allowing me to see her.”

“Her?” Sonia’s eyes widened. “You mean, you can see her too? I am… I am not crazy?”

“I’ve sensed a strange presence ever since you’ve come here,” Aurum continued, approaching the figure. “But I never imagined…”

The figure didn’t seem to notice her. She just kept staring at Sonia.

Aurum didn’t seem to care. She grabbed a book from who knew where and began flipping through it. “If I’m not mistaken, that sword was the one used to seal away the Truth all those years ago, so if you touching it has summoned this spirit, then…”

Sonia had no idea what she was muttering about.

The dragon flipped the book to a specific page and held the book up to the figure’s face. “Yes!” she continued, laughing in near hysterics. “I can’t believe it. Yes!”

“What?” Sonia asked, growing nervous.

“Can you understand her?” Aurum insisted. “Do you know what she’s saying?”

“I… I-no, it is, it is just gibberish.” Sonia shook her head. “What is going on?”

“That sword, and that spirit, are very powerful,” Aurum said. “They could help us find the Truth.”

“The Truth?” Sonia blinked. “I am so confused.”

“You may be a vessel for an ancient hero,” Aurum said plainly. “That hero.” She pointed a long, red fingernail to the figure. “Tell me, do you know anyone who calls himself a… oh, what was it?” she muttered, glancing down at the page again. “Ah yes, a ‘warlock’?

“Gil!” Sonia’s eyes widened. “He’s my… my friend.”

Aurum practically jumped in the air, then grabbed Sonia by the shoulders. “Would you allow me to perform an experiment?”

“I… uh…”

“You won’t be in any danger. At least,” she blinked, “I don’t think you will.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Communicate with it. But I need your cooperation.”

“Al… right.”

This time she did jump into the air, then grabbed Servus’ hands and spun him around. He looked decidedly nonplussed. “I need a witch,” she said, half to herself. “A proper witch. I know! I’ll call Cindy. I… hope she’s not in bed yet.” She whipped back around to Sonia. “Could you meet us in the main room in twenty minutes?”

Sonia nodded numbly. She had absolutely no idea what was going on. And here she was about to be a guinea pig to two women she barely knew. Sonia wished that Niko wasn’t in the hospital, that she wasn’t surrounded by strangers, and that her damned head wasn’t trying to kill her. She almost collapsed right then and there from the stress of it all.

But then she saw the figure staring at her, a concerned expression on her face. “Why are you following me?” she asked. The figure did not respond, yet with a start, Sonia realized that now she might have a chance to get some answers. She just had to keep going a little while longer. As scary as it was, she had to put her life in Cindy and Aurum’s hands.

By the time she found her way out of the depths of Aurum’s hoard and back up to the library, Cindy was already there, her pajama bottoms peeking out from under her coat. She looked grumpy, but curious, and had apparently already been briefed on the circumstances. When Sonia emerged from the back rooms, Cindy was down on the floor, drawing an ornate circular design with chalk while Aurum was scrambling to and fro with a book in each hand, muttering half to Cindy and half to herself.

“There you are!” Aurum grinned, as she saw her enter. “Are you about ready, Cindy?”

“You’re not very patient, are you?” Cindy replied as she bit her lip in concentration.

“I can’t help it,” Aurum beamed, her glasses sliding an inch down her nose. “I never thought I’d get an opportunity like this. Imagine! The chance to speak to an actual Atlantean, especially one who was so close to the Truth.”

“Why didn’t you just ask Lucius to help then? I know he’d be more than interested.”

“Because he can’t make a magic circle.”

“Excuse me,” Sonia interrupted. “But did you just say ‘Atlantean’?”

Aurum approached her, drawing her closer to the chalk circle. All of this was frankly seeming more than a little insane to Sonia.

“Yes, dear. That’s where the sword is from.”

Sonia didn’t know why she spoke next, she had never told anyone about her dreams, not even Gil. “I’ve been having dreams, about lights beneath the sea. Like city.”

The librarian’s eyes grew so wide that Sonia was afraid that might pop right out of her skull. “Have you now?” she asked. “That’s brilliant. See, Cindy? I told you, didn’t I?”

“Whatever you say.” Cindy stood, and dusted off her hands. “Alright, it’s all ready.”

“What are you planning on doing?” Sonia hesitated.

“Just a magic-assisted trance-state,” Aurum waved the question off as if a “magic-assisted trance-state” was a perfectly normal response. “Sit right here in the middle of the circle, close your eyes, and listen to my voice.”

She did as she was told.

“Cindy, the incense please.”

Cindy snapped her fingers, and the candles around the circle came to life as a strong, musky smell filled Sonia’s nose. She closed her eyes, and Aurum began to speak.

She talked in a low, soothing voice, and as Sonia listened the incense began to make her feel light-headed. Cindy righted her once as she almost swayed into the candles. And then, at some point, she was someplace else.

It was one of her dreams. Sonia floated, a few feet above the water of an endless ocean. Below the surface, hundreds of blue and purple lights were coming to life. She watched them for a moment, mesmerized. But then, something happened which had never before occurred in one of her dreams. Someone spoke.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

Sonia looked down, and much to her surprise, replacing her reflection in the water was the woman, the figure who had followed her for months now.

“I haven’t seen those lights in so many years.”

“Is it… Atlantis?” Sonia’s tongue finally unstuck. “Did you live there?”

“Aye.” The figure nodded, her pale face glowing in the depths of the water. “My name is Muirne, Princess of Atlantis.”

“Aurum… er, friend of mine thinks that you are… hero of some kind.”

“I don’t know about that,” Muirne smiled sadly. “When you’re responsible for the destruction of an entire continent, most people don’t call you a ‘hero’.”

“What happened?”

She took a breath in, slowly. “My compatriot, a warlock named Gilveidan, and I faced a terrible evil, and in the process of sealing it away, sank the whole continent of Lemuria under the sea. Those lights you see? No one has lit them, they come to life as soon as the sun sets, automatically. They’re the last remnant of a great empire. Just ghosts, nothing more.”

But Sonia hadn’t even heard many of her words. “Gilveidan,” she said, instead. “You… know him?”

“Aye. And you seem to as well.”

“He’s my friend. He is just normal boy named Gil Trenton though. He likes to pretend he is powerful wizard.” Sonia smiled at the thought, before a frown crept back into her features. “But, he isn’t pretending, is he?”

“The man you know is not Gil Trenton. That boy died years ago. Gilveidan is just… using his body.”

Sonia looked down at the lights for a second. She knew that something had happened to that dorky, asthmatic boy she’d met all those years ago in that cave. Now she finally took a second to mourn Gil Trenton, probably the only person who ever had.

“I… am sorry,” Muirne said. “But you know what has to happen now, don’t you?”

“Gil Trenton was Gilveidan’s vessel,” Sonia replied. “And I’m yours.”

“It should have happened years ago,�� Muirne confessed. “Before you’d had time to grow up, form wishes and dreams and friendships. That’s why your head feels like it’s going to split in two. You weren’t meant to last this long. If you go on much longer, you’ll die. And I can’t let that happen.”

Sonia hesitated. “I… I understand. It’s just that… I don’t want to go.”

Muirne blinked in sympathy. “None of us do. And I have no right to tell you what to feel. But Gilveidan is lost, I can feel it. And I know that I can save him.”

Drawing in a shaky breath, Sonia let out a small, choked noise. “I know,” she said. “I am not strong enough. I can’t do anything. But you can. Is it…?” she implored the water. “Is it selfish to keep hanging on? Even when you know it’s over?”

“Not at all.”

Sonia sobbed, her tears forming ripples on the ocean’s surface, making the lights dance. “Just. Promise me one thing.”

“Anything,” Muirne said.

“Tell Gil that I… I—” she broke off into a sob. She hugged herself, alone in this dark void. Would she be here forever? Alone, lost, with only the ghost lights for company?

Muirne nodded. She understood what Sonia meant. “I will. I promise.”

“Okay.” Sonia took one last, shuttering breath. “I’m ready.”

“Then come to me,” Muirne told her.

And as she had tried to do so many times in her dreams, Sonia reached down towards the water, towards the lights so far below as Muirne reached up to meet her. But this time she got closer, closer. Her hand broke the surface…

And everything stopped. From a long ways away, back in the library, the smell of incense burning her throat, she felt herself being stripped away. Her fears, desires, feelings, everything, consumed by a soul much stronger than her own.

And then there was nothing. For a time, there was void, and dark, and cold.

But through the nothing came a flash of red hair, and a voice:

“Do not be afraid. Follow me.”

~~ o ~~

Cindy, Aurum, and Servus watched Sonia for a good hour. Suddenly, the girl began to spasm, her eyes rolling back into her head. “Aurum, what’s happening?” Cindy stood.

“I… I don’t…”

But she didn’t have a chance to finish. Because just then, Sonia stopped, and lay still for a moment. Then, she lifted her head, and opened her eyes. They could tell immediately that she was not Sonia anymore.

But who was she? The answer came from a most unexpected place. Servus, who had never before done much of anything of his own accord or uttered a single word, kneeled in front of her, blinked once, and nearly smiled.

“Muirne.”

#Ede Valley #writing #story #sonia borozovna #Muirne D'Irn #aurum #cindy miller #Servus

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