#like a physical book i.e. a codex

[gothhabiba]

do you know what we don't talk about often enough? there is no physically comfortable posture in which to read a book

[guardian-of-time-if]

Hello! I was wondering if we could get descriptions about what the races in your world look like? What are leodra? What do they look like? What physical traits to the half-leodra have? Do elves look human except with pointy ears? Do the changelings have a "fae" form/"true" form?

What other races exist in your world? We know about the existence of mages and elementals but what do they look like? What are their powers? Their advantages and disadvantages?

Also if MC is a leodra can she straight up FLY?

So basically I want to inhale all the information about the magical races LMAOGFBUWAO

PS: Also can we get this information in the games glossary, please? That would be really helpful 🙏

IHi Anon. There are a lot of questions here, but I’ll do my best to take them one at a time. And I’ve decided to turn the glossary into a full codex, so all of this information will be added to the codex, and an in story explanation will be given in chapter 3 for players who prefer to find out organically instead of through the stats screen. It will probably not be quite as extensive, but enough for everyone to understand the basics.

What are leodra? What do they look like? What physical traits to the half-leodra have?

So leodra are a race of fairyesque creatures with a strong affinity for magic. They have  about the same body proportions of a human, but tend to be thinner on average. Their skin spans the same range of human skin tones, and sparkles like a permanent body glitter. Their hair is the opposite. It’s generally pretty colorful, but can also be naturally multicolored. This can be one base color with some strands of a different color, or it can be flat out patterned in a way that never changes no matter how short or long the hair gets. (i.e. yellow hair with pink polka dots, or tips a different color than the rest of the hair.) For hair that is multicolored what humans would consider natural colors might appear, they just won’t be the dominant color.  (This is one of the distinguishing traits with half leodra who typically have a natural hair color with some strands on a non natural one). Their eyes are only blue, pink, or purple, but have varying shades. Half-leodra tend to stick to these eye colors. As I mentioned in the book, they have wings which are located around the small of the back and about as tall as the torso. They are a translucent silver. Half-leodra do not have the wings which is the primary marker that they are not full leodra.

Do elves look human except with pointy ears?

Elves pretty much are humans with pointy ears, but tend to be slightly smaller. The average human height is about 3 inches taller than the average elven height, but individuals will vary. Elves also cannot grow body hair or facial hair, only hair on their heads. The only other defining characteristic is that they have different eye colors. When their eyes are blue, green, brown, grey, or violet, they tend to have either gold or silver specks in them, but they can also have eyes that are just pure gold or silver. 

Do the changelings have a "fae" form/"true" form?

Changelings in my world are not considered fae. They are they’re own race, but they do have a “true” form, ish. Their skin ranges from dark grey to black, and their hair is either white or silver. They also don’t have irises, so their eyes are just pools of white. Their actual facial features are either subtle or nonexistent.

What other races exist in your world? We know about the existence of mages and elementals but what do they look like? What are their powers? Their advantages and disadvantages?

Okay, so to start off with, mages aren’t a race. Anyone can become on through the proper study of magical arts. People who are born with inherent magic are just regular people of a specific race who happen to have magical powers. 

Races in Tarken are divided into the “intelligent races”, the “subservient races”, and the “monstrous races”. The intelligent races are comprised of: Humans, Elves, Leodra, Changelings, Dwarves, Halflings, and Elementals. The subservient races consist of: Dragons, Half-Orcs, Mermaids, Sirens, gnomes, and one more I don’t want to list because they are very plot relevant. (sorry) The monstrous races are a little more tenuous because it’s basically everyone who isn’t in the above groups, but it is sometimes fuzzy where the line between “monstrous races” ends and literal monsters begins. Generally, the monstrous races are considered to include: Orcs, Goblins, Trolls, Giants, Centaurs, and Erdholites, an original race I made up that I will not elaborate on because they are a major part of the story. 

Any combination between multiple races, such as half-elves, with few exceptions, are considered to be in the category of the lowest tier race, if that makes any sense. So a half-elf as a combination of two intelligent races, would be legally considered a member of the intelligent races with equal standing, but a mix between an elf (an intelligent race) and a siren (a subservient race) would be considered a subservient race. The most notable exception is the half-orcs, which has been an international dispute for centuries. As a mix between humans (an intelligent race) and orcs ( a monstrous race), half-orcs should be considered one of the monstrous races, but are instead considered to be a subservient race. But generally, that’s how it works, at least in terms of legal issues. How a mixed race is treated socially can vary widely depending on country and social class. (I also consider the world to be constantly changing as I add more stories to it, so I may add to this list as I see fit.)

In the effort to keep this post at least a semi reasonable length, I’ll focus on the high races for now. (But if anyone wants more information, send in a follow up and I’d be happy to elaborate on any of the races listed in the preceding paragraph.)

Humans: As with most fantasy worlds, the power of humans rests in their ingenuity. They have better technology than the other races, and take the best things about the other races and utilize them to their advantage. They are also the most numerous race in Tarken, but they tend to suffer from infighting and only act as a unified front when threatened. Currently, the four most powerful kingdoms in Tarken are all human controlled which afford the humans a great deal of power, but they seem more interested in warring with each other than with the other races. 

Elves: Once they reach adulthood, elves stop aging, so they have the capacity to live forever. Their long life is considered their greatest strength, but they are also often considered fragile by the other races. They are the most persecuted of the intelligent races, and have had to rebuild their kingdoms multiple times in different parts of the continent. Now, they have been reduced to living in smaller separate settlements instead of the great kingdoms of the ancient past. Elves have a strong collectivist mindset and remain connected by a strong sense of cultural unity. They are often considered to be the wisest of all races, and those who believe in the gods, the most divinely favored of the high races. Apart from their wisdom, elves are widely admired for their arts (mostly music, poetry, and woodworking, though occasionally their jewelry and architecture), and archery techniques. 

Leodra: Not much is known about Leodra at all, and even less is known about their societal customs. The leodra are an island dwelling race, but their island is protected by a magical barrier preventing any other race from entering. They have a port just off the island for trading, but the leodra never go further than that port nor do they allow any to come closer. Any leodra seen on the mainland of the continent are social pariahs who have been banished from their home, and thus not truly representative of their culture. Their greatest strengths are considered to be their natural magical affinity, their ethereal beauty, and their charisma. Like elves, they can be considered fragile by the other races and are not as physically inclined. 

Changelings: The obvious strength of the changelings is their ability to shapeshift and assume any form. I should add that changelings can only take the form of living creatures of relatively equal size, so a dragon or a giant would be too large, and a house cat or a gnome would be too small. Changelings also cannot change their voices when they shift forms unless they have a natural talent for it. Due to their powers, they are often treated as outcasts. Non changelings have a hard time trusting them because the limitations of their powers are not fully known, so there is an implicit assumption that anyone acting suspicious might be a changeling in disguise. 

Dwarves: All dwarves live underground. They are naturally more resistant to harm to the body, disease, and pain. In exchange they are heavier and move slower. This makes them very skilled warriors, but more susceptible to something like drowning, which is why they tend to stay in the mountains. They are widely known for their weaponsmithing which until very recently was considered the best in the world. They also mine most of the world’s gold. As for appearance, they are short, and stocky. Typically having more heavyset builds, and span the same skin tones and hair and eye colors as humans. They also all have beards.

Halflings: The majority of Tarken’s food supply is farmed by halflings. While every country has their own farmers, in cases of famine it is the Kalance (a country of halflings) that supplies them with food. Halflings are small which is both their greatest asset and their greatest weakness. They are also extremely insular, more so than elves, but not as bad as the leodra. Halflings tend to be short and thin. They also have pointed ears like elves, and have the same range of coloring for skin, hair, and eyes as humans. 

Elementals: The powers of elementals depend on what element they are: fire, water, ice, plant, rock, wind, or storm. For the most part, elementals seem completely human with one key identifier marking their heritage and an affinity to control that element. The identifying markings for each type of elemental is that fire elementals will have eyes of fire when they get emotional, water elementals have more fluid skeletons if that makes sense, ice elementals have frost covered skin, plant elemental grow flowers in their hair, rock elementals have stones for elbows and kneecaps, wind elementals’ hair floats, and storm elementals have birthmarks that look like lightning on their pulse points such as the neck or wrist. The tradeoff for power over one of the elements is increased susceptibility to another. An ice elemental may be able to control ice and snow, but will burn much quicker than a human will.

Also if MC is a leodra can she straight up FLY?

Yes. Actually Leodra, weirdly enough, naturally hover about 2 inches off the ground without using their wings. They have to concentrate to walk along the floor which is usually more effort than it’s worth, but when they float, sparkles trail off their feet.

I hope that was enough information to digest Anon! I tried to be both clear and concise, but if there is anything unclear, feel free to send me another ask, and I’ll do my best to clarify the confusion.

[savior-of-humanity]

OKAY here are my Thoughts(tm) about The Ancient Gods part II

ALSO: MASSIVE FUCKING SPOILER WARNING FOR THE ANCIENT GODS PART 1 + 2. BE WARNED THIS IS LONG AS FUCK. TL;DR AT BOTTOM.

In terms of the gameplay: I really liked how it played! The combat encounters weren’t downright vicious like in the first DLC, but they still go out of their way to mix things up (i.e a hallway filled with explosive barrels + blood punch pick-ups + Pinkies, or the double-Marauder encounter that you could ACCIDENTALLY FUCKING BUFF JESUS CHRIST) so it was still fun all around.

The new enemies added - the Cyber-Baron/Armored Baron, Riot Zombie/Chaingunner, Screecher Zombie, Stone Imp, and Cursed Prowler - are...okay. I like the idea of new enemy variants based off pre-existing ones but they felt either really fucking frustrating to fight (particularly the Cursed Prowler and Chaingunner) or were very “simple”, I guess. The Stone Imps, in particular, are a variant of Imp that are very resistant to damage unless you use the full-auto mod for the shotgun, in which they drop even more shotgun ammo if they’re killed by that. Other than that they do a Sonic-style spin-dash and slam into you, which can actually knock you off a ledge. Screecher Zombies are basically just mobile hazards that if you accidentally hit, will act like temporary Buff Totems. Cursed Prowler is fucking awful: basically, if it hits you with a projectile, you’ll be cursed with a debuff that keeps you from double-jumping and dashing that also drains your health over time, and you HAVE to kill it with a blood punch in order to remove the curse. Chaingunners are basically just the Shield Zombie Soldiers, but they shoot faster and have an indestructable shield. And finally, the Cyber-Baron: It’s basically a Baron of Hell, but with indestructable armor that can only be destroyed by shooting it’s mace when it flashes green, or by shooting it with plasma. After the armor is gone you have to kill it as fast as you can before the armor is regenerated, repeat until it dies.

Summoner Ghosts and Blood Maykrs also make a return, which is cool.

The Hammer is cool to say the least. I was hoping to see some glory kills with it but considering that it’s primary use is to either clear out groups of small enemies or to stun larger ones like Barons, it makes sense that they’d omit glory kills from it. On top of that, Marauders now have a mechanic (for the entire game, not just the DLC) where when you shoot them as they flash green, they’ll become stunned (though the sound effects are rather corny and cartoonish, even for the game). Using the Hammer on a stunned Marauder will GREATLY extend that stun, which allows you to just fucking shit on them.

I also really liked the grapple-Hookshot points that you had to use to progress in a level. I’m still not really used to how you’re supposed to move in the opposite direction of the point to swing yourself, but the idea is intuitive, fun, and makes me wish it was in the base game and the previous DLC.

My biggest grievances with this DLC, however, is how it handled some of it’s characters, the story, and the new lore that was implemented in the codexes.

So first off: I want to say that while I still appreciate the DLC, that’s honestly only with the gameplay. The story, much less the lore, is fucking stupid to say the least.

To TL;DR the story: It is, quite honestly, bare-bones as fuck. We continue from where we directly left off from the Ancient Gods Part 1: Davoth/The Dark Lord is being summoned into existence and into his physical form, which for some reason looks exactly like Doomguy except with sick tats, glowing red eyes, and a weird implant in his chest. Doomguy, naturally, tries to spawncamp him and shoots him with his super-shotgun, but nothing happens as “no blood can be spilled in this holy place”. Davoth leaves, telling Doomguy that he’ll be waiting for him in the city of Immora, the capitol city at the very center of Hell.

Doomguy goes to Argent D’Nur. He murder-death-kills shit, as per usual. He goes into this big castle where a hologram of Valen is waiting for him. He tells him that he atones for his sins and gives him the Hammer since Doomguy lifted the curse from his son’s soul. He goes to the Torch of Kings and lights it, marking his journey to the giant crystalline spear that impales Argent D’Nur known as the World Spear. Cue cutscene of a bunch of different Argenta people/Night Sentinel seeing the light of the Torch of Kings from all over Argent D’Nur. Internguy tells him that it’s a day’s walk still from the World Spear, and conveniently a very fucking awesome looking Argenta dragon shows up and gives him a ride to the World Spear.

Doomguy gets to a lake that separates him from the World Spear. The Father says “He is worthy” and then a bridge rises out of the water. Doomguy crosses past some big ass Sentinel ghosts/guardians and into the World Spear. Turns out the inside of the World Spear is like some giant, fucked up ship made out of crystal, with weird figures lining the wall and all that: Internguy even says “This isn’t a crystal at all, this is a ship!” This does not get expanded upon whatsoever in neither dialogue or codexes. Doomguy grabs Convenient Power Crystal and leaves.

Doomguy arrives on Earth through a portal, which is looking substantially better than since its invasion. Internguy tells him that a Convenient Ancient Portal close by is the only way to Immora. Doomguy kills shit, arrives at portal, activates it with Convenient Power Crystal, and leaves.

Doomguy arrives in front of a giant wall surrounding Immora. Davoth walks out, wearing a big ass power suit that looks like something straight out of Warhammer 40k. He’s surrounded by guards in cool red armor with cool spears that look very humanoid. He says some shit and a bunch of Hell-ships and demons and titans start showing up. But then surprise! A bunch of portals open up on Doomguy’s side like it’s fucking Infinity War/Endgame all over again and a fuckload of Sentinels start coming out, with mechs and dragons and spaceships. Valen is there. Doomguy and Valen stare at each other for like 5 seconds before Valen says “Let Hell tremble before our might!” or some shit like that. Doomguy fights, gets past the wall, fights some more inside the city. Again, the usual.

I also want to briefly point out that Immora is basically just a Maykr city but red, and that it’s apparently “Hell’s own technology.” Also, the red dudes in armor are actual enemies but the guns they have (the hell-razor from 2016) do piss-poor damage and they die if you so much as breathe on them.

Doomguy finally catches up to Davoth. Davoth monologues about how he’s going to get his revenge and that it’s inevitable, bla bla bla. Fight begins. It’s basically Marauder 2.0 but if he hits you and/or you shoot him at the wrong time he heals a fuckload of health. And also 5 different health bars. After you knock down 2 or 3 of his bars he stops the fight to monologue for some fucking reason? And then shits out a plot twist that surprise, he’s actually the real God, and that the Father betrayed/usurped his power, and that he will “unmake everything by his hand.” Fight resumes. Doomguy eventually beats him. Davoth asks him if he has anything to say before he strikes down his creator. Doomguy takes off his helmet, stabs Davoth in the heart, and says no in his stupid sexy voice. Davoth dies, his life-sphere emerges and then explodes. Doomguy suddenly becomes weak and falls over. The Father says “He created everything in his image, even you.” Doomguy passes out and wakes up to see 3 Seraphim seal him in a sarcophagus like the one from 2016. Fade to black, with the quote “May the blood on your sword never dry, and may we never need you again.” End game, roll credits.

If you hadn’t read any of the codexes while playing the DLC, the story probably makes little to no sense to you whatsoever. But honestly the codexes don’t expand upon things much and, if anything, just fucking make some aspects of the story even more stupid.

The World Spear is implied in the codex that it contains live Wraiths (“A live Wraith has not been seen in centuries, but rumors persist that some yet remain inside the World Spear itself.”), and while the figures in the World Spear could be Wraiths, absolutely nothing is said about them out of three Codexes related to the level, which honestly just makes me wonder the point of adding this stuff if you don’t even give a single sentence of why the interior of the World Spear is Like That.

The codex entries related to Earth are basically uninteresting as they’re pretty much just “humanity is rebuilding and views doomguy as a hero”. There is one about the Convenient Ancient Portal (Gate of Divum) but all it really says is that it was built and used by the Father to access Immora. Nothing about why it’s on Earth, or anything interesting like that.

However, the real bullshit comes in when we start to look at the codex entries related to Immora and Davoth.

So, Immora is the central - and oldest - city in Hell. It’s described as such: “Once a paradise at the dawn of creation, Immora now survives as a stronghold where the Dark Lord resides. Sustained now by the essence of Hell's victims, the people of Immora experience life eternal. Regular infusions of Hell energy have prevented them from transforming into the demons found outside the boundaries of the city. Ancient technology defends Immora from invaders, the high walls impenetrable to those who would bring harm to the last people of the first world.“

Yeah. So not only did Hell have high-tech technology all this time, but also the red guys in armor? Those are Immorans. Which is weird to me, because if Hell had this super advanced technology that’s also ancient, and thus around for a long time, why the hell are we only seeing it now?

Also, surprise! Turns out the Book of Seraphs is a complete fucking lie according to the very first codex entry related to Davoth! (”Our research shows that Maykr history and lore holds truths that are not consistent with passages found in the Hell Priest texts, revealing the true origins of Hell and all surrounding dimensions. This revelation would explain why Hell is the single dimension that connects to all others, and why it is the oldest in existence - the first world.”)

The real truth is that Davoth is the real Creator/God, and that Jekkad was the very first realm, not Urdak. He still sought immortality for his people, so he created the Maykrs to figure it out for him. They did, but decided it would be too dangerous to give Davoth that information, so they basically said “fuck you” and sealed Jekkad/Davoth while re-writing their own records to hide the truth. Obviously, this pissed off Davoth. So much so that he basically became super angry and emo and became the Dark Lord from all the vengeance and hatred (which also turned Jekkad into Hell.)

Another surprise! Turns out that Davoth had a hand in the creation of the fucking Doom Slayer! Because he wanted to get revenge against the Maykrs, he started to manipulate a bunch of people while he was trapped as a life sphere I guess. He started with the Khan Maykr, convincing her that there was a “chosen one” who would threaten her rule and thus making her paranoid as fuck. He then guided her into creating the Divinity Machine using a fragment of himself that had been sealed in Urdak. Then he manipulated Samur, by convincing him that “the Khan Maykr will lead us all to ruin.” He was then controlled and compelled to release a stranger from his prison (Doomguy) and empower him using the Divinity Machine.

As you can probably guess, he got his revenge since Doomguy would go on to utterly fuck Urdak/the Khan Maykr (as well as Samur), and ever since he knew that his “Beast” would come for him.

Listen. I don’t really mind the idea of Doomguy being used or even manipulated by different godly powers. Or even Davoth being the real God or whatever. But this new lore and story just feels... really sloppy and poorly executed, especially since it directly conflicts with the fucking base game. If he manipulated the Khan Maykr and wanted revenge against her, then why did he scream “NOOOOOO!” when Doomguy killed her?

And, if anything: Why the fuck does Davoth even look like Doomguy in the first place? Is it some form of mockery? Or did id just decide to fucking retcon the Doom Slayer being the same person as the Doomguy from Doom 1/2 with the Father’s line of “He created everything in his image -- even you.”

And, on top of that, the DLC just left more open questions than answers: what the fuck happened to Samur, since he isn’t even so much as mentioned beyond the codexes? Who is the Wretch, the being who had supposedly forged Doomguy’s armor back in 2016? What is the fate of Earth/Hell/Urdak/Argent D’Nur after the Slayer’s victory? What the fuck happened to the Demonic Crucible, the one from 2016? What about the ARC Carrier and the Fortress of Doom?

Finally, Valen, Internguy and the Father should’ve been far more involved in the story beyond just being either convenient voices telling you convenient stuff or (in the case of Valen) being a convenient guy to give you convenient weapon that also conveniently shows up with a giant army that doesn’t actually do anything but look cool in the skybox.

TL;DR The new lore and story of the DLC is basically garbage, and since I highly doubt id will change it I’m going to completely disregard it, write my own, and also take up Davoth as a muse because it seriously pissed me off that much.

[tanadrin]

(Warning: talking about things I have no expertise of, or indeed any kind of comprehensive knowledge)

I’m interested in the way our perceptions of magic differ from actual magic, and in general, how different the pseudo-historical “ISO Standard Fantasy Setting” differs from the thing it supposedly imitates. What it actually imitates is, of course, a certain genre of Romantic literature recycled through D&D (or through Tolkien then D&D again, or Tolkien, his imitators, and D&D), and closely related works. The conventional tropes of modern high fantasy were established in a relatively short period, even compared to hard SF, in the middle of the 20th century. They don't much resemble either their immediate predecessors (Dunsany, for instance) or their supposed source material (actual medieval literature) except in very very superficial ways--knights on horseback, for instance, things called faeries.

Sometimes there's back-contamination, where our erroneous impression of the past as conveyed by pseudo-historical settings in fantasy literature (Medieval Tymes, if you like) color our perception of *actual* historical periods. The video game Crusader Kings 2, for instance, feels much more like an ISO Standard Fantasy Setting that happens to be set in Europe than it does the actual Middle Ages (and this is before they added the admittedly silly Monks and Mystics expansion, which adds a whole new level of tongue-in-cheekness to a game that already played around a lot with its source material). There's very little use of medieval art or architecture in CK2, or even direct imitations of it; even less medieval music. THere's a lot of imitation, though, of what we *think* the middle ages should look like based on fantasy literature and its derivatives--which is why the Elder Scrolls and Song of Ice and Fire mods work so well with the base game's style, since in a way they're truer to the spirit of CK2 than actual history is. Both those works--Martin's especially--are firmly embedded in pseudomedievalism, and built on the ISO Standard Fantasy Setting in different ways.

But let's talk about magic in particular, which is a mainstay of the fantasy genre outside high fantasy, but which I feel, as a reader, tends to be treated in common ways across very diverse works of genre fiction. Here I'll include video games like the Elder Scrolls, traditional games like Dungeons and Dragons, novels of low fantasy (The Dresden Files, Harry Potter) and novels of high (Chronicles of Amber, China Mieville's Bas-Lag books, Discworld, Codex Alera). Every one, I contend, against our intuitions on the subject, while formally fantasy resembles science fiction in its treatment of magic; that is to say, magic is treated as an element of the world, and bears far more relationship to our modern conception of the natural order and of the natural world than any traditional form of magic. Magic is gone; magic has been killed stone dead. With very, very few exceptions, anything we think of as "magic" in film, books, TV, comics, etc., is really a form of not-magic, a kind of exotic naturalism, and at some point between the Renaissance and the industrial revolution, our cultural understanding of the world shifted so much that we (read "the people reading this post, not every human alive") became unable to conceive of magic as it was traditionally understood.

First off: in anthropological and philological terms, magic is a broad and vague label for a huge variety of practices from various cultures in various times and places, founded more or less in common quirks of human psychology, and without a single coherent definition. It's a collection, not a system; "systems" of magic are modern inventions, though there are definitely various kinds of magical traditions from different cultures. If you pick up a book like "The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment" (Penguin, 2016; ed. and trans. Brian Copenhaver), you can look at a nice cross-section of different references to and discussions of magic from Biblical, Classical, Persian, Medieval, and Renaissance sources. Obviously, there's a lot going on that's different in each text, but a couple common themes emerge, I think.

First of all, you can classify most forms of these "magics" into discrete categories: divination through randomness or omens (entrails, crows, smoke, dreams, the stars); theurgy, or appeals to higher powers like angels (or accusations of appeals to powers like demons), which is big in medieval magic; speaking with the dead or with spirits (e.g., necromancy); and medicine. None of these are distinct, and none of these are distinctly magic, by which I mean many or most of these categories blend into one another and to other activities like cooking, worship, healing, or scholarship, and a strong "natural" versus "supernatural" dichotomy does not seem evident, especially in ancient sources like Plato, Pliny, and the Old Testament.

I think it's important to remember that a systematized explanation for how the world works was lacking for most of human history; you might see salt dissolve in water and precipitate out again, and fire burn things and acid eat them away, but knowing nothing about atoms or chemical reactions or the various electromagnetic and atomic forces which govern most human-level behavior of particles (to say nothing of the gravitational forces which dominate the heavens), it makes perfect sense to speak of the material universe being sustained and governed on an ongoing basis by the direct intervention of God, or spirits, or gods, who act according to consistent principles; in these circumstances, a denial of free will and a statement of absolute Divine control of the physical world isn't just a philosophical position, it's a productive explanation of minute details of life that otherwise lack compelling ones. Even if, as Plato and Pliny, you are more systematic about things and posit that sympathy operates between objects and can produce effects at a distance, much as one musical instrument can be caused to resonate by another, absent understanding of sound (and air molecules) or light or the particles and fields which mediate the electromagnetic or graviational forces, you still need to posit things like daimons and spirits as the actors which actually transmit such connections; and there is inevitably a tendency to personalize such things, even if you're not entirely anthropomorphizing them.

(Likewise, if you notice study of the heavens is capable of predicting things like eclipses and the tides, you may reason that it's capable of predicting other things, like whether you're going to win this war--after all, the moon seems to have an effect on the tides, why shouldn't it have an effect on human beings? Astrology isn't just primitive astronomy; it blends with astronomy in a perfectly seamless fashion.)

*How* magic works is not distinct from *what you do to make it work*. The two are the same; the former does not exist as a separate concept. A spell is performative, not in the sense that it's fake, but in the sense that saying "I take you to be my husband" actually marries you to the person standing next to you if the circumstances are valid.

So substances might have inherent properties; how those properties interact with one another and with the body is going to belong to the same category of knowledge as how the planets affect individual persons or spells affect your neighbor's cow, i.e., the fundamental mechanisms remain mysteries. Thus, medicine blends seamlessly with other kinds of magic, with ritual and with religion. Praying for your son to get better and putting a salve on his forehead aren't entirely distinct actions; thus, medical treatments from the middle ages contain a mix of what seems to us like perfectly sensible actions (mash up this plant and eat it) and insanity that nobody could possibly believe helps (then bury the rest in a cornfield and say verses from the Bible over it). And because other kinds of magic can help or harm, and medicine can help or harm, medicine is prone to being viewed as a kind of malicious magic: it's no coincidence that our word "pharmacy, pharmeceutical" comes from the same Greek word used to translate "witch," as in "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live": pharmakeos, i.e., a poisoner. In fact, all the vocabulary around magic-users is a pile of confusion, a conflation of different kinds of action that don't fit neatly with modern notions of A Wizard. "Witch" is from a word originally meaning "diviner;" in the Middle Ages and early Modern period it seemed to be understood as one who invokes the power of supernatural beings to do evil things--note that the crime of witchcraft was because witches necessarily consorted with the *devil*, not because they used magic per se (presumably, power from God or the angels was OK--and indeed, grimoires like the Lesser Key of Solomon talk about magic from these sources, and emphasize the necessity of moral purity in order to get the spells to work). "Maleficium," in Latin, originally just meant "evildoer," however that evil was done; likewise, mekashefah, the word (originally feminine) which "witch" translates in the above Bible verse. The "witch" of Endor is not at all a crone; she's an apparently respectable woman capable of furnishing Saul and his men with a decent meal, and the term the Bible actually uses is "sho'el 'ov" - i.e., one who knows how to ask ghosts questions.

(With the exception of necromancy, little distinction is in fact made in the Old Testament between kinds of supernatural power; e.g., in Exodus the magic of the Egyptians is depicted as illegitemate, but no less efficacious for that. Magic plainly works, even if it's wrong.)

Charms, spells, and incantations are more often than not about invoking a specific power: gods, in Greek and Roman magic, God and his angels in Christian. (Pliny divides magic into medicine, astrology, and religion; the first two, he says, produce predictions which corroborate divination--as stated above, astrology is not entirely distinct from divination for obvious reasons.) Later, alchemy begins to produce actual theories of matter; but it's still not at all distinct from the kind of magic that involves invoking higher powers.

So what *isn't* magic? That's considerably easier to answer than what is: when you look at the kinds of things that look like magic to us moderns, it becomes easy to recognize the ways in which scientism has so preoccupied our way of viewing the world that it becomes inextricable even from our supposedly "magical" fantasy.

Magic isn't sufficiently advanced technology, for one, or a highly refined and subtle art (Tolkien; he knew this, obviously, and wasn't going for magic-qua-magic). Magic isn't *energy*, or a *force* or a *field*; these things are the language of *science,* of electromagnetics and gravity and atoms (contra Jim Butcher, Terry Pratchett, and every video game ever). It's not local variations in the natural law (as a distinction between natural law, human law, and especially moral law actually *isn't* that clear cut). It's not telekinesis or ESP, however those are caused! Remember, these are pseudo-*science*, they were invented in the scientific era. If you're an ancient using magic to make objects move, you're not "moving it with your mind." You might be invoking spirits to move it for you, but *you* are not doing it with some invisible arm. Magic isn't beams of light or deadly green lasers. It's also not some kind of metaphysical illusion. Sure, magicians have been denounced as tricksters and illusionists all throughout history, but if there's deception in magic, it is good old-fashioned sleight of hand--maybe your court magician replaced his staff with a snake when nobody was looking. It's not a ghost-snake you can put your hand through, though.

A fantasy story using traditional notions of magic would involve attitudes pretty alien and unsatisfying to a lot of modern fantasy readers: a close connection between the physical and moral world, little attention to *how* things worked, and more attention to what you *did* to make things work, nothing like a systematized, sciencified magic, and a blend so close between magic, religion, and nature that they are entirely indistinguishable.

None of this is to say that the traditional F&SF conception of magic is wrong or bad somehow; it fits our modern sensibilities quite nicely and makes for compelling stories. But don't make the mistake of confusing these functionally-distant reinterpretations of history for how people actually used to understand the world.

[ageofdragon]

Chateau d’Onterre, The Haunted Chateau

Disclaimer: Most of this is completely canonical knowledge. Speculative information is labelled as such. There are sources for the canon information and I’ve gathered from every source that I could. This includes: Codice (Lord d’Onterre’s Journal, Superstitions, and A Torn Diary), In-game Texts [Not filed in the Codex] (An Apology, Cook’s Diary, Lord d’Onterre’s Beast, A Reminder, and Secret Reading) and Dragon Age Inquisition: Chateau d’Onterre Quest. Nothing is taken from an unreliable sources (i.e. Wikipedia).

As the story of the Chateau is rather vague, this post does contain speculation on some of the fuzzier details and is marked as so. Though I try to be as close to canon as I can. And while I tried my best to make this easy to read and comprehend, the events themselves are a bit hard to explain and so the event explanation might be choppy or weirdly worded in parts. For that I apologize.

Warning: Mentions of Child Abuse and drowning below the Read More

Location Chateau d’Onterre is located in the Dales of Orlais, specifically the area known as The Emerald Graves.

The d’Onterre Family The d’Onterre family was a noble family with a very pristine reputation and name.They were also known for their extravagant parties and unyielding faith in the Chantry and The Maker (as seen through their many painting, statues, and altars).

Known d’Onterres

Jeanette d’Onterre, Matriarch of House d’Onterre

Nanette d’Onterre, Beautiful Rose of House d’Onterre

General Mathieu d’Onterre, Feared by Dog Lords

Antia Chayeau, Beloved Grand’mére (Grandmother)

Abel d’Onterre, (Speculation) Lord d’Onterre and Father of the Child*

Colette d’Onterre, Lady d’Onterre and Mother of the Child

*Abel d’Onterre is the only d’Onterre portrait that does not come with an explanation and appears several times, most of the time in crucial locations (The Study). This leads me to believe, he may be the current Head of the House.

Summary of the Events The d’Onterres were blessed with a daughter, but cursed by their daughter’s magic. After years spent torturing her emotionally, mentally, and physically in hopes to smother her magic, their daughter was given a talisman. Though the talisman was meant to protect their daughter, it instead lured in a demon that threatened to possess the child. Which would result in the deaths of the family, their friends, and their staff.

Leading Up To The Events of Chateau d’Onterre

Around 9:27 Dragon, the daughter of Colette d’Onterre and her husband began to show signs of a magical talent, worrying her parents. The d’Onterres were considered a family of great standing and the presence of a mage/mage blood within it would soil their name.

In response to the worrying signs, the d’Onterres would do their best to seek answers, ways to silence their daughter’s blooming abilities. It is suggested that they followed or at least considered the “remedies” found in a book of Superstitions.

Such methods would have included leeching the child, holding the child under water till she gasped for breath, and simply placing Embrium beneath her pillow. While there is no indication of the first two methods ever being done to the child, the presence of an abundance of Embrium in the Formal Garden speaks to the last “remedy” being tried.

Despite their efforts, the child still grew into her magic, leaving her parent’s faith shaken and their belief in the Maker questioned. Still they sought a way to stunt and hide their daughter’s magic.

The d’Onterres resorted to hiring a Templar to bring a Circle Mage to them, the mage would place a very powerful seal.

(Speculation) What the mage sealed is unknown, there are references to a talisman, but Lord d’Onterre makes it sound as if the Chateau itself was sealed. Which would make sense, as later, Veil beings could not exit the Chateau and their daughter felt uneasy to do so.

What is certain, is that Lord d’Onterre felt sure that his daughter could not break the seal, as she had no training and that as long as she did not go outside and leave the Chateau everything would be well. It was not.

Still after the sealing of whatever the d’Onterres wished sealed, the Templar who had helped them used their knowledge of the mage child and unsanctioned Circle help to blackmail the family for their fortune.

The Child

The state of the d’Onterre Daughter was known by most of the d’Onterre staff, the Cook especially taking to her and calling her “my sweet”. The exception to this was a new servant, known only as Danielle. Other than being an unknowing victim in the following events, she seems to have no involvement.

The Daughter had a strong want to interact with the outside world, her parents would host parties and keep her away from the guests. Barricading her upstairs and in her room.

As mentioned above, they presented her with a talisman. A box that they hoped would trap any power around her, only telling their daughter that it would make her feel better. The origins of the talisman are very suspect, though it was known to be enchanted and implied to draw in all kinds of power (having done so before). No other information would be given about its abilities or origins, and it seems the family never sought any more out.

After being given the box, the child is said to have a change in mood. The Cook mentioning her have good days and bad days. The Daughter, herself, does not recognize these changes within her, but does notice the Cook’s reaction to them. Claiming that the Cook seems more scared of her than wishing to loyally inform her parents of her change, the child also says that the Cook seems to feel guilty.

(Speculation) Though the guilt the child views is never pinned down as one thing, whether it be the treatment of the Daughter, the Cook’s vow of silence, or the fate of Danielle (who the Cook feels bad about roping into the family’s issues).

Regardless, within a short time the Daughter finds herself in the presence of a new “friend”. The friend is a “She” and will make things fair for the little girl at last.

(Speculation) The identity this spirit/demon has taken on could in fact be that of a human woman killed in the Dales. The Girl in Red Crossing tale is found in the library among the research for the Daughter’s magic, which could imply the spirit could have taken on the same appearance of the woman in the tale. Either because it was a form the Daughter knew from the story or if the woman was a real woman, then perhaps the parents were trying to match the tale to the spirit they’d see. It could also be irrelevant.

During the time in between the meeting of this new friend and its appearance in front of everyone, a friend’s husband experiences night terrors beneath the d’Onterre’s roof. Though the terrors are not detailed, meaning they cannot be linked specifically back the child, the “friend”, or just the failing Veil itself in the Chateau.

Eventually the child would work up the nerve, with the help of her “friend” to crash one of her parents’ parties. 

(Speculation) Again it is unclear of the specific events, but it appears, with the help of her friend, the Daughter manipulated the guests into dancing until exhaustion. Which seems to imply they either passed out or were killed from said exhaustion, death seeming more likely with the events that followed.

The child’s parents were spared during the party though. They quickly retired to their room possibly out of fear. The child then checks in on her mother and mistakes her mother’s fear and sadness for tears of happiness, offering her mother the talisman to “make it better”.

This is where things spiral so far out of control, the recollection of the events almost drops off completely. Almost.

Though what does remain consistent is that the child still fears and feels unsettled about leaving the Chateau entirely.

The next event that gets described is by an unknown writer, that could be the parents or part of the staff. What can be garnered is that the “friend”/demon has grown in power. The writer is hearing “Her” thoughts, which could be the demon’s or the child’s possessed by the demon. All they are sure of is that “They lied, she lied.” Seeming to confirm the child and demon are technically one.

The subject of this note turns out to be the talisman, the box. That the talisman doesn’t help at all and seems to be the cause or focus of the demon. Which can be supported by the appearance of it when the Inquisitor comes across it, as well as the behavior of it (summoning the abomination) when touched.

The last known event is described by the Daughter. She talks about having to make her own breakfast, implying that the entire staff is dead or gone at that point. She also says she gets upset looking upon her parents, which implies they too have been killed. This all ending with the demon telling the child there are ways to be less alone and having many more “games” to play. At which point it seems the Daughter loses herself completely to the possession of the demon.

The Inquisitor

The Inquisitor upon entering the abandoned Chateau reawakens the demon, which has been done in the past by looters. However, unlike the looters, the Inquisitor does come out alive from the experience.

The state of the Chateau, the Inquisitor comes across, is a rather well condition and almost frozen in time; except for the bodies of the dead looters. Which besides the self-lighting candles is a pretty good indicator from the start, what is being dealt with.

The fact that the demon’s power remains confided to the Chateau, as said before makes it seem like the Chateau itself is sealed against magic. It is only when the Inquisitor enters far enough into the Chateau does the spirit become aware of a foreign presence.

Cole’s ambient directly confirming it, when he states “It knows we’re here.”

More evidence pointing to the Abomination being the possessed d’Onterre Daughter, is that fact upon the Arcane Horror’s death, the Inquisitor can pick the d’Onterre family crest from it. It should be noted that it could not be any of the other d’Onterre members, because Arcane Horrors are abominations bred from a possessed mage only (not all mages become Arcane Horrors, but all Arcane Horrors are possessed mages.)

An Elven Artifact?

This is reference to the literal Elven Artifact found in Chateau d’Onterre, not the talisman/box mentioned in the above events. There is one of Solas’ artifacts found in a room off the side of the Ballroom.

(Speculation) How it got there can be as simple as the d’Onterres bought it or obtained it from the local Dales, to be used as a conversation piece.

That isn’t the importance of it though. For starters, when activated it is supposed to strengthen the Veil and put barriers in place to ward off demons. Which means, had it been activated at the time of the d’Onterres’ demise, said demise might have been avoided. That could also have contributed to its acquisition, but the family found they lacked the ability to put it to use.

However, it could also have caused a great deal of the problems itself or contributed to them. 

If we say the artifact was in the family for a while or acquired before the birth of the Daughter, its presence could have heightened the child’s chances of being a mage or developing magical abilities. As Elven artifacts contain and exude an amount of magic in and of themselves (see the foci giving a non-mage Inquisitor, magical power over reality and the Fade). 

It could also be responsible for weakening the Veil in the Chateau, even with all the safety precautions in place. An artifact as such could easily have lured or called out to the spirit just as much as the box/talisman did, both could even have worked in conjunction with each other to lure out the demon.

There is even the possibility of the artifact of protection agitating the magic and possible spirit attached to the box/talisman when it entered the Chateau, turning an otherwise harmless or protective spirit into a twisted version of itself.

Magic being as fragile and easily manipulated as it is, especially in artifacts and objects.

Thus the story of Chateau d’Onterre.

[awesomeblockchain]

This piece is the third in a three-part series that explores the potential art-world impact of cryptocurrency. It proceeds as if the reader is already familiar with the core concepts and related terminology covered in Part I and Part II. If cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology are new to you, we highly recommend starting from the beginning.

To hear any true believer tell it, blockchain technology will quite literally change everything about how we as a society do business, and the art industry will be transformed as a part of this wholesale reformation. The questions are only how and when it will do so.

Timing is the hobgoblin of every revolution. The right idea pursued at the wrong moment tends to be no more effective than the wrong idea at, well, any moment. To have the most fruitful discussion about the blockchain's possible effects on our business of choice, then, let's burn the calendar and shine the light on the three most promising use cases being pursued today, so that we can evaluate their solutions on the merits.

PROBLEM 1: THE LINGERING MYSTERIES OF PROVENANCE & AUTHENTICITY

Relatively few artworks today offer the air-tight security of a certificate of authenticity backed by an unbroken chain of title. Gaps in the provenance paper trail undermine both sides of the market, with collectors often left to wonder if they're being presented looted works or outright fakes, and sellers sometimes forced to accept lower offers due to buyers' hesitance over the uncertainties.

Tracing the provenance of artworks looted during the Nazi era has been a major topic of public discussion: World Jewish Congress president Ronald S. Lauder delivering a speech on the issue of Nazi-era looted art, at the Kunsthaus in Zurich, February 2, 2016. Photo courtesy Michael Buholzer /AFP/Getty Images.

BLOCKCHAIN SOLUTION: DECENTRALIZED TITLE REGISTRY

Most readers know that hundreds of databases for provenance information already exist in the industry. Every responsible gallery, auction house, institution, and major collector runs software to systemize their inventory and its history. So why would a blockchain-powered update be transformative?

Rather than siloing analog provenance data with individual players, blockchain technology provides an opportunity to build a publicly searchable, fully collaborative, tamper-proof title registry for artworks. This database would securely track more than just ownership changes. It would also verify and aggregate every other event that affects an artwork's value, such as professional appraisals, conservation treatments, inclusion in museum or gallery exhibitions, and much more.

Just as with cryptocurrencies, the blockchain's decentralized nature prevents provenance data from being either falsified or lost. If a bad actor tries to manipulate the ledger on one computer, the rest of the network hosting and verifying the blockchain would detect the deviance. And since the ledger exists in the cloud (i.e. the data is distributed across multiple servers in multiple places), it can't be lost or accidentally destroyed by a single record-holder. This makes a proper blockchain title registry more trustworthy and more durable than any centralized database tracking the same information, let alone physical archives or other analog records.

Furthermore, a blockchain provenance ledger could also be both far more robust than and, paradoxically, just as private as traditional alternatives. In an optimal structure, anyone who knew anything of value about any registered artwork could help fill out the database. At the same time, the information flow could also be designed so that the identities of participating informants remained anonymous to the public-as long as they are known and approved by the registry's creator.

Think of it like a book recommendation: If the end-user trusts the judgment of the go-between, they can be comfortable with the content even without knowing anything about its original source.

The outcome of this process would be two-pronged: a vast collection of blockchains, each one verifying, time-stamping, and digitally preserving every provenance event in the life of an artwork; and a publicly searchable database containing the data from those same blockchains, anonymized to protect privacy and incentivize participation within a frustratingly secretive industry.

In theory, then, a blockchain title registry would dramatically amplify the amount of confidence in the art market. Since the provenance for any registered piece would be thoroughly vetted by a neutral third-party and legible to anyone interested, this innovation should lead to more buyers willing to pay more money for the added layer of security.

As Nanne Dekking, co-founder of blockchain title-registry startup Artory, explained to artnet News, -The product is data integrity." With Artory and other players, including Codex and Verisart, actively building out decentralized provenance networks, developers seem convinced that the product could be lucrative.

Sotheby's employees pose with Tim Noble and Sue Webster's $. Image courtesy Adrian Dennis//AFP/Getty Images.

HOWEVER...

There are still significant challenges ahead of any blockchain title registry.

First, collecting and digitizing thousands of years worth of analog data on existing artworks is a gargantuan task, even if everyone in the market desperately wants to participate. If many people resist, though, the task could quickly slide into the realm of the impossible. So this solution may be best for newly created works, particularly those born digital.

Second, even if an artwork boasts a flawless provenance on the blockchain, it needs an equally secure mechanism for keeping the blockchain connected to the artwork itself in the physical world. Otherwise, a fraudster could detach one from the other and -verify" a fake by tying the forgery to a legitimate (block)chain of title.

Third, the viability of the project depends on buyers demonstrating that they are willing to pay a premium for data integrity. If the industry produces a robust title registry for artworks, but existing collectors refuse to pay more for the pieces it tracks than those it doesn't-and/or if the database's existence fails to motivate a significant number of new buyers to enter the market-then the value proposition of a blockchain title registry withers and dies.

PROBLEM 2: THE WEIGHT OF THE TRADITIONAL FINANCE SYSTEM

No matter how much old-fashioned money you have, a slew of transactional problems still clings to it like a musty thrift-store scent to a great vintage dress. These annoyances mostly take the form of fees and regulations. Banks generally charge their customers for everything from sending wire transfers to converting between currencies, while some federal governments apply internal restrictions to their own citizens (see: China) and/or provoke external sanctions from abroad (see: Russia). All of the above discourages, or outright precludes, some participation in the art market.

-When I came out as a gallery that accepts cryptocurrencies, that move was to open borders," London gallerist Eleesa Dadiani, who has heavily promoted her own use of Bitcoin, told the Cultural Frontline podcast, boasting about her ability to circumvent centralized law. -That way we struck a dialogue with Russia, with China, with many countries that find internal money transport difficult due to internal sanctions or any other thing that restricts the ebb and flow of money."

An IRL opening at Dadiani Fine Art in London. Image courtesy Dadiani Fine Art.

BLOCKCHAIN SOLUTION: TOKENIZED PAYMENT

Cryptocurrencies bob and weave around these obstacles through decentralization. An art seller merely has to set up and maintain a relatively simple digital infrastructure, called a cryptocurrency wallet, to accept blockchain-based payments. Without thrusting your entire head into the jargon swamp, cryptocurrency wallets can be either software or hardware that connects users to the network(s) of computers maintaining the ledger for various cryptocurrencies.

It's popular to analogize these wallets to virtual bank vaults or safety deposit boxes. Instead of old-school combination locks, users access them through a password known as a private key. To facilitate transactions, wallet owners hand out a public key-essentially an account number-to clients who want to pay them in cryptocurrency. From there, the rest of the transaction plays out in broadly the same way as a wire or ACH payment, with the blockchain ledger updating the new token exchange based on matching keys.

However, the crucial difference from these traditional payment types is that the exchange takes place entirely between the buyer and seller, i.e. completely free of intermediaries and centralized oversight. There are no banks to slow the exchange and charge exorbitant fees for services, like the standard three percent cost of currency conversion. (Cryptocurrency transactions sometimes still incur fees, but most can be executed for a few cents to a few dollars, and many others at no cost.) There are no government regulators to prevent the funds from changing hands, either. So transactions can happen faster and cheaper than through legacy channels, and the market benefits.

A user scans a QR code on their smart phone, allowing bitcoins to be transferred into their digital wallet, while using the world's first bitcoin ATM on October 29, 2013 at Waves Coffee House in Vancouver, British Columbia. Photo courtesy David Ryder/Getty Images.

HOWEVER...

Two big questions linger over tokenized payment: buyers' scale of need, and sellers' willingness to adopt the technology. Codex CEO Mark Lurie told artnet News that there are -innumerable new millionaires and billionaires" with cryptocurrency holdings anxious to enter the art market by -paying the ways they're used to paying." That's the same sentiment that Dadiani Fine Art has picked up on, and generated plenty of media attention as a result.

But for art sellers on the outside of the crypto community, the size and hunger of this underserved market remains mysterious. The only way to learn more is to take a leap of faith into blockchain-based payments. And the continued volatility of cryptocurrencies makes that leap seem all the scarier to many, if not most, traditional dealers.

In the apparent absence of a contract defining the terms of sale, Alec Baldwin's attorneys had to rely on email correspondence and other evidence in a 2016 civil suit against dealer Mary Boone, who Baldwin alleged sold him a new Ross Bleckner painting posing as an earlier work he had been chasing for years. Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images.

PROBLEM 3: THE BURDEN OF TRADITIONAL CONTRACTS

Even in fields that heavily rely on formal agreements, writing and executing contracts is a tedious, expensive process-one that often requires spending days or weeks working to hone the language with a counterparty, all while paying a knee-buckling hourly rate to an attorney. Worse, if the counterparty later violates the finalized contract, the only way to enforce the terms (short of vigilante justice, anyway) is to spend many more hours and thousands more dollars back inside the legal system.

The art world complicates matters even further, as the industry's longstanding aversion to contracts means that a potential deal can disintegrate if one side even proposes adopting a formal agreement.

BLOCKCHAIN SOLUTION: SMART CONTRACTS

Smart contracts are somewhat abstract, so an analogy is helpful. Near the end of Stanley Kubrick's Cold War black comedy Dr. Strangelove, the motley crew in the American war room learns that the Soviet Union has secretly assembled a nuclear deterrent called a Doomsday Machine. If an aggressor were to try hitting the USSR with a pre-emptive nuclear strike, the Doomsday Machine would nuke right back, even if the entire human military apparatus had already been vaporized. Strangelove explains that the device is -designed to trigger itself automatically... under a specific and clearly defined set of circumstances... programmed into a gigantic complex of computers."

14th March 1963: Filming on the set of Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, directed by Stanley Kubrick. Photo courtesy Express/Express/Getty Images.

A few decades before the blockchain's emergence, the Doomsday Machine basically ran on a smart contract: a digital agreement between parties where the terms-what is to be done, when it is to be done, and how-are all hard-coded in advance. After reading and executing the agreement, individuals can no longer disrupt it. Nor is an intermediary (see: the legal/judicial system) needed to monitor fulfillment, making the smart contract more secure, more efficient, and vastly cheaper than a traditional one.

Broadly speaking, smart contracts operate by the same underlying mechanism as cryptocurrencies (AKA -smart money"). Today, their main platform is the blockchain network Ethereum. Although Ethereum hosts its own cryptocurrency, called Ether, its architects designed the distributed ledger to be open-source-and capable of tracking more than just debt. This means Ethereum users can write code to automatically govern anything on the blockchain that is definable in simple contract terms, such as transfers of digital goods or services, as well as trigger events for those transfers.

Smart contracts could have multiple benefits to the art industry. By streamlining the administration and minimizing the costs of implementing legal protections, they could simultaneously increase the professionalization and the fluidity of art sales. Smart contracts could also be written to integrate longed-for (yet still controversial) advancements like artists' resale royalties, seamlessly.

Founder of Ethereum Vitalik Buterin during TechCrunch Disrupt London 2015. Photo courtesy John Phillips/Getty Images for TechCrunch.

Even more potential uses exist when the lens expands from art sales to art services. For example, Codex's Biddable app will leverage smart contracts to allow new buyers to do something unprecedented in auction history: register to bid as an anonymous party. Thanks to a -deposit-escrow system" built on the Ethereum network, any interested party with the resources can use cryptocurrency to pay a deposit amount set by a participating auction house for their desired lot. And since that payment is hard-coded to be lost to the bidder (or in the language of Codex's white paper, -burned") if they renege on the winning bid, the house can feel comfortable handing over a (virtual) paddle without resorting to the traditional process of first auditing the new bidder's identity and liquid assets through an invasive, inefficient document review.

HOWEVER...

John Watkinson, co-founder of Larva Labs and blockchain collectible sensation CryptoPunks, told artnet News that a smart contract -only achieves its ideal when you're dealing with digital assets or pure digital structures. As soon as the real world gets involved... it gets more complicated."

Examples of CryptoPunks, tradable digital icons based on Etherium. Image courtesy Larva Labs.

Watkinson calls this limitation the -blockchain air gap": the void that a smart contract, or any other crypto-solution, can never bridge IRL. So a smart contract could brilliantly streamline the marketplace for, say, certain new-media artworks. But if you used one to buy a house, the blockchain would be powerless to help you on move-in day if the home wasn't in the condition it was promised to be, or if the original owners decided to barricade themselves inside with your money.

Developers and entrepreneurs in this space are well aware of blockchain air gaps, and most are hard at work on minimizing the number and size of those voids.

Whether inside or outside the art industry, though, decentralized technology's transformative effects will depend on more than just coding skills. They will also depend on how the average citizen reacts to the imperfections impossible to eliminate from the technology. As history tells us, few revolutions hold without winning the hearts and minds of the common people.

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[rhovanels]

Letter for the Chocolate Box fic exchange.

I’m always thrilled to receive anything that someone has created for me, so don’t worry, I’ll be happy with whatever you come up with! Also, please feel free to send me an anonymous ask if you need anything clarified.

General likes:

- mutual pining-happy ending narratives

- I’m equally happy with fluff and angst - don’t feel like you need to hold back on either

- women with various types of strength and agency and power

- sex is absolutely not a requirement for my pairings, and I particularly like sex that’s based in emotion, or is more implied rather than explicit. 

- I love plotty dramas, but I equally like quiet, small character moments - go where your muse takes you

- characters who are competent and unapologetic about who they are

- relationships based in communication - talking, challenging and testing one another, wordy declarations of love

- tonally, my favourite emotional register is sad and sweet, but I’m happy with humour and excitement too

- slow burn friends to lovers (although I don’t really expect that for an exchange of this length)

- EPISTOLARY RELATIONSHIPS.

- tropes and general things I like (in no particular order): declarations of love; banter and bickering; one person suddenly realising they’re in love with the other person; huddling for warmth; hurt/comfort; there’s only one bed; ‘holy shit they’re hot in that outfit’; fake dating; bittersweet endings; found families; poetry

Art likes

Honestly, if you’re drawing me something I will probably backflip out the window, because I have no artistic talent and am constantly in awe of what other people produce.

- non-sexual intimacy between characters

- mundane, slice-of-life moments

Dislikes:

- nothing too smutty because I am tame, and no PWP.

- no A/B/O dynamics

- no professor/student (or a similar dynamic) relationships

- no non-con or dub-con

- no character bashing

- no non-canon compliant levels of homophobia, racism, sexism, transphobia

- no abuse (physical or emotion)

Most importantly, have fun - if you’ve enjoyed creating this, I’ll enjoy receiving it.

Onto my specific requests! 

A Little Life

God, I love this book. It is the most life-affirming, poignant, utterly devastating book I have ever read and I cannot in good conscience recommend it to anyone, because it seriously messed me up. I will never get over just how much love there is between the characters, and love in all sorts of different shapes and forms (particularly love for Jude).

Jude St. Francis & Harold Stein; Jude St. Francis & Harold Stein & Julia Stein: Found families are my JAM, and this one breaks my heart beautifully. I’d love to see something earlier in their relationship, before or around the time of the adoption. Possible prompts: holiday or celebration - a birthday party, a Christmas (Jude gets a Christmas stocking!!!); Jude reacting to being casually claimed as family in public (I’m crying just thinking about it)

Jude St. Francis & Andy Contractor: The relationship between these two is probably my favourite in the whole book. I’d love something outside of Andy’s examination room, a moment in which the two of them relate to one another as friends first, rather than doctor/patient. Possible prompts: a late night phone conversation; a surprise meeting on the street; aAndy taking Jude somewhere - a gallery, a park, the cinema, etc

Jude St. Francis/Willem Ragnarsson: Show me a missing scene from “The Happy Years”. A slice of life moment, a trip, a momentous occasion - as long as it’s happy. Possible prompts: a surprise airport reunion; a special meal; a third party commenting on how happy they seem together

Jean-Baptiste "JB" Marion & Willem Ragnarsson & Jude St. Francis & Malcolm Young: I’m up for anything with the four of them - again, just show me a happy and cared for Jude. Possible prompts: adventures on the subway; a moment from one of their holidays at Harold’s house

Provenance

Provenance has two of my favourite things in spades - politics and heists. I fell in love with these characters and I’d love to see what happens to them after the events of the novel. I really wanted more resolution in Garal’s storyline than Leckie gave us, so I’d particularly like something that features em. Maybe they all work together to try and reform Compassionate Removal - Ingray and Taucris provide the political backbone, Garal and Tic the street smarts. But really, I’m happy with whatever you come up with, dear author. Just let Garal be happy!

Dragon Age

Cassandra Pentaghast/Varric Tethras or Cassandra Pentaghast & Varric Tethras: Oh, I adore the relationship between the two of them, and how it evolves over the course of the games. By the end of Inquisition, there’s such a genuine sense of affection and fondness between the two of them. I’d love anything that explores how much they really care for one another, underneath their banter. If you’re taking a romantic route, I would particularly adore a prickly Cassandra being courted by Varric (maybe it starts as a joke or a bet and then Varric realises he’s in way too deep). Possible prompts: Fake. Dating. If there was ever a pair that was made for this trope, it’s these two; They’re also made for an epistolary romance - Varric’s skill with words meets Cassandra’s careful and hesitant prose; Post-inquisition meeting the family/friends - either Cassandra ends up in Kirkwall, or Varric meets up with Cassandra in Nevarra; Bonding/coming together through their shared faith - I’ve always found it interesting that Varric is Andrastian

Leliana/Cassandra Pentaghast; Leliana & Cassandra Pentaghast: From the opening in Haven to the end of Trespasser, these two (and their trust in one another) are the heart of the Inquisition. Show me the respect these two women have for one another, and why they work so well together. If you’re writing post-Trespasser, I would prefer a world state in which Leliana is Divine. Possible prompts: quiet moments of shared faith; competing against one another in an Inquisition tournament (I’m thinking of that archery competition codex); a post-Trespasser reunion

Female Hawke & Aveline Vallen Female Hawke/Aveline Vallen: I love the “exasperated fondness” dynamic between these two. Show me it in action - maybe Aveline dealing with Hawke’s rash behaviour and having to rescue her time and time again, maybe Hawke rolling her eyes at Aveline’s romantic rituals. Possible prompts: Aveline breaking Hawke out of jail (OR Hawke breaking INTO jail to get rescued by Aveline); arguing while camping; a Wintersend gift exchange (this could be sweet or could be utterly hilarious, your call)

Isabela/Josephine Montilyet: I don’t have much for these two beyond that I think they’d have a fascinating dynamic, so I’d love to see it explored in any shape or form. But maybe with pirates. Possible prompts: a dangerous trade agreement; masked encounters with a final reveal 

Dorian Pavus/Solas: Remember that time Varric told Dorian that “just because two people dislike each other doesn't mean they're about to kiss, Sparkler”? Varric, you have never been more wrong about anything in your life. This is my current rarepair and I am dying, and I will take basically anything with them - enemies to lovers, bickering and sexual tension, established relationship fluff, even Trespasser angst - whatever takes your fancy. My only request is that they’re equals in their relationship - no d/s or mentor/student-esque dynamics, please. Possible prompts: Being sent out alone together solve a magic problem by the Inquisitor and realising they may have misjudged the other; One of them leaps to the other’s defence when that person isn’t around, but then they find out about it later (or overhear); I have no idea how you’d get fake dating to work with these two, but if you can think of something, I would eat it up with a spoon

Dorian Pavus/Iron Bull: I spent a lot of time in Inquisition wandering around trying to trigger this pairing and it never happened for me. I like them together, but it's never been a huge ship for me. So this isn't so much as a prompt as a challenge: convince me, convert me, make me fall in all-consuming love with this relationship.

Black Sails

If it’s not clear from the pairings I’ve chosen, I love Charles Vane more than life itself. He’s dramatic, reckless, a total trash bag, but his heart is ultimately in the right place.

Anne Bonny/"Calico" Jack Rackham/Charles Vane (Black Sails): Oh, these three. Their bond is volatile and fraught, but it’s eternal. I’d be really interested to see some of the history between them - adventures on the Ranger, etc. I particularly like their dynamic as a found family.

"Calico" Jack Rackham/Charles Vane (Black Sails): For someone who grew up as an indentured child labourer, Vane has a weirdly poetic way with words. Perhaps everyone's favourite dandy had a part to play here? Maybe Jack woos an oblivious Vane, maybe he teaches him poetry and then Vane uses it on him, maybe there's an epistolary romance?

Captain Flint/Charles Vane (Black Sails): I’m fascinated with the way that Vane always leaps to Flint’s defence - first at Charlestown, then again in the duel with Teach. Show me why Vane is so determined to protect him.

Eleanor Guthrie/Charles Vane (Black Sails): They really have a tragic romance, and I’d love to see anything that explores two people who can’t live with or without one another (although a fix-it is always welcome too).

Also, if anyone wanted to make me a space AU (i.e. they’re captains of spaceships) I would probably die of happiness, but it is absolutely not required.

Star Trek: Discovery

My favourite thing about Disco was the science, which puts me in a little niche, I know. But basically I’m all about people being good at what they do, about people learning how to see and to respect one another’s skills and competence. In space! Show me some scenes with these characters working together to solve problems and learning from one another. Bonus points if there’s a time loop, because that episode was a damn masterpiece.

OH MY GOD, author, I don’t know if you’re up to date, but the big reveals of the mid-season return have BLOWN MY MIND and I would adore something from this part of the season. I’ve included some ideas under “Mirror prompts”. 

Michael Burnham & Paul Stamets: Science bros! I love dynamics in which prickly professional distrust turns into mutual respect and admiration, and these two fit the bill perfectly. Possible prompts: moments in which they’ve realised they’ve misjudged the other; geeking out about science together

Michael Burnham & Saru: I find their relationship fascinating. It’s always been prickly, filled with jealously and competition and distrust. But there’s a genuine sense of care in there too. I’d particularly like to see something more positive between the two of them, a moment of forgiveness or healing (not complete of course, it’s not that simple, but a step on the road). Possible prompts: a rescue scenario; a shared moment of empathy (particularly for non-human life - I love Burnham’s empathy for the Tardigrade and Saru’s for the Pahvans) 

Michael Burnham & Sylvia Tilly: I really love the development of their friendship, from awkward and prickly to a genuine sense of respect and mentorship. Possible prompts: Tilly teaching Burnham something (a hobby or a game, perhaps); a future story in which Tilly makes captain. Mirror prompts: a showdown between captains!

Sylvia Tilly & Paul Stamets: Another dynamic I love! Like Burnham and Stamets, I love prickly professional relationships that hide a stronger sense of care.  Prompts: Stamets defends Tilly against a third party; general science geekery; a discovering a shared passion or hobby.  Mirror prompts: a hurt/comfort scenario

Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets: God bless Disco for giving us such a strong queer relationship. I love their gentle bickering, I love their mutual respect, I adore queer love in space! Possible prompts: an off-ship date (or an on-ship one); Stamets trying to set up the best possible date within a time-loop; talking while dancing. Mirror prompts: break my heart, dear author.

Gabriel Lorca & Ash Tyler: I really loved their dynamic while fighting their way out of the Klingon ship, and I’d love to see some more action scenes with them. Possible prompts: competition in the battle simulator; a regular shared workout; they get stuck in a lift and have to break their way out.

Sylvia Tilly & Ash Tyler: I love how Tilly’s natural openness and empathy meets Tyler’s reserve. I like friendships with a talkative and taciturn pair! I feel they have a lot of common ground between them, such as their shared sense of doubt and inadequacy. Possible prompts: doing laps of the Discovery together; party planning (possibly a surprise for Burnham); a regular shared meal date. Mirror prompts: shared fears over becoming the enemy (argh, this show is going to BREAK MY HEART)

A note on Tyler: references to his PTSD are fine if they fit into the story naturally, but please keep the details vague, and no reference to rape.

Star Wars Sequel Trilogy

Amilyn Holdo & Leia Organa; Amilyn Holdo/Leia Organa: That exchange between the two of them (“May the Force be with you, always”) made me think that this is something they’ve said to one another many times before. Show me one of these times - maybe a daring mission, maybe a formal farewell, maybe a quiet moment.

Leia Organa & Luke Skywalker: There is nothing quite as unconditional as the relationship between twins, and I don’t think the films do enough with it. I’d love to see something that explores this further, particularly in their later years. 

Paige Tico & Rose Tico: Again, I adore strong sibling relationships. Show me how these two relate to one another as sisters - all the love and jealousy and bickering and utter devotion that goes with the territory. I’d prefer if this wasn’t a fix-it - I’m happy for it to be a bit bittersweet and sad. Possible prompts: Paige teasing Rose about her hero-worship of the young pin-ups of the Resistance;  shared love of animals; quiet midnight conversations

Poe Dameron/Finn: Honestly, I just want the tropiest, most romantic thing you can throw at me. Fake dating? There’s only one bed what do? Holy shit you look hot in that outfit? A now or never kiss? Mutual pining-happy ending? Go wild, dear author.

Poe Dameron/Finn/Rey; Poe Dameron/Finn/Rey/Rose: The dream teams! There is so much potential with these pairings, and the films will never follow through because cinema is allergic to polyamory. I don't mind how you choose to interpret the dynamics of the poly relationship, but I'd prefer if sex wasn't the focus. Possible prompts: a card game; solving a problem that involves each of their individual strengths

Horizon Zero Dawn

Aloy/Talanah: I LOVE THIS SHIP. Show me these two badass women being awesome together. Maybe how they reform the politics of the Hunters Lodge, or Aloy taking Talanah with her to meet the Nora, or anything from a wild hunt adventure to a quieter moment between them.

Aloy/Vanasha; Aloy & Vanasha: "I don't think I know you at all. But I'd like to." Aaaand I screamed and backflipped out the window. I am a sucker for spies and intrigue and politics, and for relationships that develop with two people dancing around one another and trying to see through each other's performative surfaces. This pairing has so much potential. Possible prompts include: undercover as lovers (!!!), a masked encounter, talking while dancing.

Aloy & Erend: Aloy and Erend's friendship ended up being surprisingly moving - although I see it as strictly platonic. Show me some lighter moments with the two of them - maybe they get drunk together, maybe Erend finally shows her around Meridian, maybe Aloy takes Erend back to her homeland.

Aloy & Rost: Oh, these two broke my heart. I'd like to see some exploration of their dynamic when Aloy is older (i.e. around the time of the game), rather than a child Aloy. This could be set post-game - maybe one of Aloy's visits to his grave - but I would also be 100% happy with a fix-it if that's where your muse takes you.

Aloy/Nil: This is my trash ship and I kind of hate myself for being into it, but oh boy am I into it. Possible prompts include: they have a standing date once or twice a year; a prison break; continually encountering one another while on missions/travelling.