#magesterium

[selene-kaito]

here we are again

so I'm back from the dead in order to write another magisterium fic, so if anyone is still here enjoy

Call knew what a bad day felt like. He knew the pain that would erupt in his leg the second he left his bed and he knew what the burn in his ankles meant. Call wasn’t unaware that he could just sleep the day away. Master Rufus would surely excuse him, understanding that getting up every morning wasn’t as simple for Call as it was for anyone else.

But that meant admitting that something was wrong. In his lifetime so many things had been held away from him due to his leg. Football, jumping, field trips to parks, recess. He wouldn’t let his leg take this away from him as well. Then he remembered the first time we used air to support his leg to walk. That had been heaven…

I can do this, Call thought as he heaved himself from his bed and held on to the dresser to prevent him from collapsing. He only managed one shaking step before pain shot through his leg and he crumbled to the ground, gasping in pain. But Call had been through worse, he had walked after surgeries, after doctors gently told him to never imagine a life of running and jumping. He had still walked. He could do this.

Call pulled himself up and immediately used air magic to support his leg, the pain still burnt through his calves, but Call showered and got ready at record speed. One glance in the mirror told Call that there was no chance in hell that he would be able to hide his pain from anyone today. Aaron and Tamara were normally the only ones who could recognize when Call was in pain, but today even a stranger could probably see the pain displayed on his face. His lips were pursed tightly, his eyes were red, and Call couldn’t stop himself from clenching his teeth and his fists. But he had already got this far, there would be no point in admitting defeat now.

Call opened his bedroom door and only got about two steps forward before Tamara was gasping in horror and Aaron was beside him pulling Call’s arm around his shoulder. Call didn’t bother fighting his blonde friend as Aaron dragged him to the couch. “What in the world are you doing out of bed?” Tamara demanded sitting near Call’s feet. “Going to class,” Call said defiantly, even as Aaron groaned at the words beside him, “you can’t stop me, this is something that I need to at least try.” They were both silent and Call thought that they were about to tie him down until Aaron began to speak, “If you feel tired, sick, or like you’re about to pass out you need to promise that you’ll tell as soon as you can and let one of us help you back to your room to sleep.” Call felt a wave of affection light up inside of him as he comprehended Aaron’s words, there was nothing more irritating than someone else dictating your own chronic pain. And both Aaron and Tamara seemed to have understood that.

Tamara picked herself up from the ground and settled herself next to Call, lightly tilting his head until it hit her shoulder. “Rest,” she demanded lightly, “we’ve got you, we’ll wake you up when it’s time to leave.” Call’s protest died down the second that Aaron placed his warm hand on his aching leg and the warmth enveloped him. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep surrounded, by his friends.

*** It was lunchtime, and Call was already contemplating his existence, he could feel the exhaustion and pain weighing him down as he lay slumped on the lunch table. Call’s leg was hurting enough that he was willing to display his pain for the whole school to see. He was seeing stars and couldn’t be bothered as Tamara whispered anxiously to Jasper and Aaron nudged a pate to him. Call simply turned his head away and closed his eyes to avoid Gwenda’s worried gaze.

Even Master Rufus, seemed worried as he taught them, sticking to theory and not saying anything when Call laid his head between his arms in the middle of the lesson. Every time he did so, the man seemed compelled to instruct Call back to his room, so before he could even try Call lifted his head from his arms as pain seemed to radiate from his whole body.

Call heard the bustling and noise as students got up to return to classes and Call couldn’t help but let out a pained moan at the thought of putting weight on his mangled leg. Call felt a hand grip his shoulder and pull him up, and Call met the worried brown eyes of Master Rufus, “That’s enough Callum. You’ve tried hard enough. Now it’s time for you to rest. Tamara, Aaron you are both excused from classes today along with young Callum.”

Call didn’t bother to protest as Aaron and Jasper stood on either side of him and basically carried him back to his room as Tamara fluttered nervously beside them. Jasper helped Aaron deposit Call on his bed, before pulling out a heating bed and leaving the room after patting Call lightly on the head.

Call couldn’t find himself to be angry about the pat not as the heat was placed on his aching leg and the fiery red hot pain disappeared for a more manageable aching pulse sensation. Before he knew it Tamara and Aaron climbed into the bed and settled on either side of him. “You’ll be okay, just rest,” Tamara commanded stroking her fingers through Call’s raven locks.

“You’ll feel better in the morning,” Aaron comforted and even though Call knew that the statement probably wouldn’t be true he felt comforted in that moment surrounded by his friends and a new life where his leg didn’t limit him, and instead of being irritated everyone, even his enemy were willing to do whatever it took to ensure his comfort.

And in the blissful, quiet moment Call felt himself drift off to sleep.

[aziraphale-is-a-cat]

I just want gay fanfic for my childhood rebranded for publishing drarry wbwl fanfic with sad boy cal and his totally not Draco enemy but his bf is blond superman book series ):

[bannedwheatandwheatbyproducts]

HOLY FRICKITY FRACKITY FUCK THERE'S A MAGESTERIUM FANDOM ON TUMBLR???????

did i misspell it the last time i looked??????????? did i forget?????? how did i not know???

this is great news

hi yall!

[mxrisacoulter]

spotify wrapped meme: his dark materials + 13 (requested by @dykejaskiers)

dreamland by glass animals

[thatvampireenthusiast]

*shows up to the finale a day late with take out*

WOW was this. a ride. i went through. SO MANY EMOTIONS and also that boss fight was *oof* it took me a few tries though not as many tries as magical girl transformation jaania

but!!! just!!! the mage trio!!! who we have to leave behind!!! who is depending on us to get them out of there!!! aequillibria and everything it entails!!! i'll be glad to slow down with dragonfable for a bit now that i've caught up (except for everything with roirr and the first weaver stuff i didn't actually. get to that. but i will. i have Theories about what exactly happened there given it's placement in the timeline or rather, what the consequences of it were (aka i think i know what broke the magesterium or at least who broke the magesterium)), but i'm also super excited for what may come next!!!

we've got all these new tiny fissures, we've got the rift still open in the deadlands, we've got aequllibria to figure out, there's of course several open-ended side stories that still need closure like the fear saga and six heroes... and there's so much more of lore to discover! obviously there's more of the continent across the sea, but what about the lands to the south? the other side of the world where uaanta and notha come from! so many possibilities!!

but also the finale itself was so satisfying. it tied up some more threads, left other stuff open for the epilogue and for the future book 4, made me cry over the mage trio and then made me lose my mind over cysero and his big red (reset???) button (dragonfable devs please you can't keep doing stuff like this to us you've put so many mechquest references in book 3 we're gonna lose it (i still actually have to. play through mech quest. hopefully in a more sedate manner than i have torn through dragonfable). duality of video game, tonal whiplash my beloved

...i don't know where i was going with this but in conclusion i love this game and i'm still having emotions about everything

just. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[vaalthus]

The Mana Core (Spoilers)

Oh boy have things escalated quickly.

I have to say I like the brief gander through the Project Casca laboratory. It reminds me all too well of sequences in other video games, in which, characters finds themselves in dreary or primitive settings only to find highly advanced sterile white rooms indicating they are in the presence of something that completely contrasts the settings they've been in prior that tells them immediately that something is either very off or that the world around them is much bigger than they realize.

Unfortunately, in the case of the Magesterium's little white room, we learn that we should very much be in a state of unease when learning the consequences of their use of this facility. To learn that the Mana Core is not self-replenishing is very concerning, as it makes manaphages more terrifying, and it's alarming that the Magesters are more than fine with continuing to take pieces of the Core if it means they can have a stranglehold on their empire and how far it reaches if no alternatives can be substituted for the Core. I'm curious as to whether or not they would have brought Lore to the very brink before giving up on this resource and I feel like we already know the answer to that.

and speaking of alternatives...

Rather interesting to learn that the Exalted did, as suspected, come across MQ based technology and incorporated into their own works. What I find interesting is that one of these remnants was used in the creation of the Exalted Artillery. It certainly explains why the Exalted were able to forge a weapon capable of harming the Aequilibria to begin with as there has been a bit of consistent theme of mechquest related structures, or entities, being able to kind of just break the rules of reality. I wonder, in looking upon this revelation, if Notha would be proud she followed in similar footsteps of the Exalted when it came to incorporating and manipulating technology.

Which of course explains why Akanthus can't be bounded by the rules of magic in this world and is incredibly strong. Not only is he accessing the vast well of mana that the Magesters so desperately wanted to tap into for themselves one day, which grants him a strong body, but he is also slipping past the laws of the magic that governs Lore. Or perhaps more accurately, those laws are overlooking him so to speak. Either way, the world just doesn't know what to do with something like him or rather what he's been connected to.

I genuinely do love the amount of self-pitying Akanthus does in this moment. Yes, it does suck that Sobieslav was effectively raised up alongside other children to be experimented upon until they achieved a state that they were rendered effectively magicless in a world defined by magic and that they might just fade into the Ether once they die but it doesn't justify all they did after they were exiled by the Magesterium. It doesn't justify all those he killed or allowed to be killed in the Land of Dragons nor all the suffering he caused under the guise that he was achieving the peace the Rose claimed it offered.

He implies his lack of mana is what made him a monster, inhuman, but it's not. It was his selfishness, brutality, and apathy towards the lives of others. You were human Akanthus. You just chose to be the worst of what we had to offer.

For a moment, I thought this was going to be the most terrifying moment in this quest...

I even thought perhaps this was going to be that moment, but no there was something much worse waiting to happen. Also screw this guy for putting his hands on the dragon child!

*Ahem* No what was actually terrifying was this moment.

The Aequilibria, the gods of this universe, reawakened. Imagine my utter horror at the fact that it wasn't Jaania trying to weave herself into the Core or the doom bomb being the cause of this moment but us bringing Draco, one of its creation, being the reason why the gods woke up to see what was going on in their world.

Curiously enough, they bare the face of Sk'aar prior to turning back to the eight elemental stars we can see at the top of the Exaltia tower when fighting the Engineer in the Inn. This seems somewhat odd given that Sk'aar seemed to be implying they wanted to awaken a separate entity alongside us which seemed to be the Aequilibria itself.

I just love how this moment proved my suspicion that the eight eyes of Sk'aar we saw in AdventureFriends were supposed to be representative of the Elements which makes sense given the only reason we had that dream in the first place is because the love potion we drank had Quintessence in it, something that clearly contains all eight prime elements within it.

Curiosities on the visage of Aequilibria aside, what follows next is a pitiful sight.

This seems a narrtively fitting end for Akanthus if he can't be harmed. For the longest time, Akanthus viewed himself as an abomination cheated out of his rightful place in the world alongside everyone else and committed countless atrocities in his quest to regain that place. Going as far as waking up the gods of this universe to grant him his way. Upon awakening, they confirm that he is indeed an impurity to the natural order of the world but they do not grant him the connection he seeks. No instead, they remove him even further from the world itself and they contain him in a way only a god can when killing isn't an option. I don't know if this farewell for good to Akanthus since his soul still exists but if so I say goodbye and good riddance to bad rubbish.

With Akanthus finally neutralized, we turn our attention to the elephant in the room:

Our gods are analyzing the state of their creation.

And they are not pleased with the current status of Lore one bit.

All of Lore has just been marked for death because a frozen arch magus and one big metal butthead couldn't leave stuff alone.

Interestingly enough it seems like Aequilibria was referring to the twin cycles when they asked if it was time to start anew. This makes me wonder if Draco themselves aren't necessarily the true destroyer that is meant to wipe clean Lore but merely responsible in alerting Aequilibria when it times to refresh the system and Fluffy in turn is meant to alert them when its time to create life again. It seems somewhat unlikely, especially if they meant they were only waking up because the cycle has gone so wrong, but the Aequilibria makes it sound as if they were supposed to be woken up at set intervals.

What concerns me most though is the way they speak. Others have already pointed out that they talk very robotic in nature, very similarly to how Sk'aar spoke in one of the AdventureFriend routes, and their decisions are very straight to the point and seemingly without any trace of nuance.

Connections to MQ aside, this is very much a being that expects order and nothing but order in the system they have created and if it deems its creation has deviated too far from the system it will conclude to destroy it. I do not have high hopes for being able to reason with such an entity. It took the resources of all the Exalted to force this thing out of commission for a period of time so we are in some serious trouble.

[mydaylight]

Marisa Coulter + Antigone, Sophocles: Antigone faces Creon // Marisa faces Hugh McPhail

Antigone: So for me, at least, to meet this doom of yours is precious little pain. But if I had allowed my own mother's son to rot, an unburied corpse— that would have been an agony! This is nothing. And if my present actions strike you as foolish, let's just say I've been accused of folly by a fool. (Antigone, Sophocles)

Marisa Coulter: There's probably a great deal that's mysterious to you, my Lord President, starting with the relations between a mother and her child. If you thought for one moment that I would release my daughter into the care--the care! --of a body of men with a feverish obsession with sexuality, men with dirty fingernails, reeking of ancient sweat, men whose furtive imaginations would crawl over her body like cockroaches--if you thought I would expose my child to that, my Lord President, you are more stupid than you take me for." (The Amber Spyglass, Phillip Pullman)

[cyraen-ae]

Random Frostval theory time

So in the latest Frostval quest there was this reveal

Don't know about you all, but my first thought was... What if Holly and Tinsel are responsible for Moroz staying frozen

Not that they're doing it on purpose, but I'm sure a part of them must wonder, worry, that maybe Jacek is only staying with them because, with his father frozen, he has nowhere else to go. That maybe if Moroz was unfrozen, Jacek would leave and they'd lose their new friend.

Of course they're not wishing for Moroz to remain frozen, but the Frostval magic doesn't seem to require outright wishing to come into effect, so it doesn't feel out of the question that it could easily feed off of intrusive thoughts and insecurities.

[tmae3114]

SO OSTROMIR REALLY TOOK RAVEN'S WORDS TO HEART, HUH

(end cutscene screenshots borrowed from the TheRuinedShadow video for the quest bc I just. cannot beat the Zadd fight again. I tried so many times XP)

[livvyofthelake]

this is what i was referring to the other day btw.... she literally said well you people were annoying last time so fuck off i'm not doing it anymore.... and i stand with her <3

[sunsetofdoom]

I am so incredibly exhausted from writing that fic WHY in the name of god does my brain want to plan a sequel

[howlingforcookies]

I feel like I often see two types of reincarnation in media (though there are probably more that i'm just not thinking of)

One is the kind of reincarnation where that is you, your soul, your strengths your weaknesses, but it's not really you. It's the distinction between yourself and this new version of you that also isn't really the same. The best example of this I can think of is atla, where you have the avatar as the reincarnation of all the past avatars but they're all distinctly different people. They're ghosts and reminants watching over their present self but still seperate.

The other is the kind where it's you, it's always been you, but it really isn't anymore. Where a character is reincarnated into someone new that may share the same similarities, habits, maybe even personality, but they don't remember yet. And when they do, and their past life starts to come back, they find that they are the same person, but they also really aren't. They've changed with different experiences, different choices. And maybe fundamentally they're the same, but in a different shade or slightly to the left.

Not to say these are mutually exclusive because they really aren't. And it might not matter since this is somewhat incoherant, but maybe you understand my sleep deprived rambles and if you do then do with it what you will.

[aziraphale-is-a-cat]

I AM HAVING FANDOM THOUGHTS ABOUT A FANDOM THAT DOESNT HAVE A FUCKING FANDOM SO GET READY TO HEAR ABOUT A CHILDREN'S BOOK THAT WAS ORIGONALLY HARRY POTTER FANFICTION AND HAS A DISABLED MAIN CHARACTER

[strawbeb]

custard creams are the worst biscuits. plain sainsbury’s brand digestives are the best, followed by lotus biscuits, malted milk, and bourbons. rich tea is second worst. this is infallible by the way

[theloverofdragons]

“…Is that it?”

“I’m sorry?” Zvezdana blinked abruptly and looked back at the trio she had been leading round Outpost Yeden; the Hero from Smocha Gwova, the old warrior from Lye’shiac, and the scientist who was currently regarding her surroundings with a rather disappointed expression. “This is some of the height of Magesterium technology!”

“Oh yes, and I’m sure you did your best,” the scientist - Notha Ly’ehr she said her name was (something about the surname nagging in the back of Zvezdana’s mind) - shrugged one shoulder, tapping her finger to her chin. “But when you mentioned ‘inspired by Exalted technology’, I was expecting something…more.”

“Wh- How would- Is she always like this?”

“Oh yes,” the Hero responded cheerfully, looking deeply amused. “It’s safe to say that Notha is an expert in all things Exalted.”

“It still smacks of heresy,” the warrior, Uaanta Fayt, grumbled under her breath.

“I…well…the Will of the Shapeless-”

“The Shapeless, yes, that’s something else I want to see! How does one lose control of their, ahem, god?”

“It’s rather more complicated than-”

“And it clearly has a shape! Mind if I scan this building a sec?”

“I…n-no, there’s secret Magesterium projects in there!”

“Oh that’s a shame. But you said this design is also Exalted inspired? I can assure you, even the Celestials and their penchant for embellishment wouldn’t have gone for this look!”

“You knew exactly what would happen by bringing her here, didn’t you?” Uaanta turned to the Hero as Notha took off towards a domed building, a gobsmacked Zvezdana trying to keep up.

The Hero grinned. “Yeah, I did. Look certain people here are nice enough, but the Magesterium does have a tendency to…look down on the technology of the other lands of Lore. It’s quite funny to see the shoe on the other foot.”

****

For @wisp-of-the-willow who requested: Notha visits Outpost Yeden

[daemonanalysis]

Witches, Sensitives, and Separated daemons [Journal Entry]

My mother has witches on both sides of her family, and most of my mom's side of the family are sensitives, including myself. What does this mean? We can detect the presence of spells and have a small amount of "magic" that takes many forms. My mother has a way with words and can eerily convince anyone of anything. I can find lucky clovers whenever I look, and animals seem to be attracted to me. Though my partner has no known witches in his ancestry, I suspect he does because cats seem to flock to him.

Witches are separated from their daemons traditionally. Daemon separation has an eerie history. There is record during the reign of the Magesterium of children being separated from their daemons, and during the holocaust and other genocides prisoners being forcibly separated from their daemons for "experiments." I have met holocaust survivors who are separated from their daemons; it is worse than Alzheimer's. They have no desire to live or desire to die. They are in a kind of purgatory.

That is forcible separation. When a daemon and human agree to separate and use distance rather than an blade like those historical examples, they still maintain their connection. Both of my parents voluntarily separated from their daemons, for different reasons. My father had a massive Kodiak bear, and both agreed it would be easier to live if they "stretched" their connection. They are not fully separated, but worked up to a point where they can be in opposite sides of a building and still be okay.

My mother and her gyrfalcon are fully separated, and did so during a ceremony of the Appalachian witch clan my great grandmother was a part of. She offered to accompany them, and they accepted. I suspect it was for reasons of self-preservation: I know my mother was around abusive people as a child. Few realize my mother and her daemon are separated since they do not appear apart in public.

Only around 20% of the population in the US (where I am from) and the UK are separated from their daemons in any capacity. I took the route of my father and stretched my connection with Nada, but we have considered approaching the witches and seeing if we can fully separate. It is a deeply personal decision, and one that will have you shunned by more religious groups who say it is against god.