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y-rhywbeth2 · 7 months

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Gods and Clergy: Bane

Link: Disclaimer regarding D&D "canon" & Index [tldr: D&D lore is a giant conflicting mess. Larian's lore is also a conflicting mess. You learn to take what you want and leave the rest]

Well, I did the murderhobos, might as well cover the deity and daily business of our favourite hot-topic-shopping dictator and co. now? Ahahahahaaaaa There is too much goddamn material on Bane, I'm going to kill Ed Greenwood-

Intro: If you're not consumed with fear and hatred while trying to take over a city which you intend to rule with cruelty and an iron fist then this is not the religion/political party for you. If this is not the religion/party for you, please lower your neck so that I can attach this slave collar to it.

Banites: The hierarchy and rituals and stupid toys of the church of Bane is what you get when Lawful Evil and Lawful Stupid have a horrible, overcomplicated offspring called Lawful Sadistic. Bring me the avatar of Bane I'm going to stab this fucker Also, being goth is mandatory.

Dreadmasters: More teleporting! Bossy, immune to fear and fond of magic rods. Also, do you remember that "divine oath" Durge and Gortash swore...?

The Chosen: Should be way more impressive than what we saw in game. Forging unbreakable oaths! Pet beholders! Detachable shadow spies! Etcetera!

Bane: Boy, the world (and my sanity) would've been a much better off if this dude had gotten intensive therapy instead of divine power!

(This thing is too fucking long and should perhaps be split into two posts but ooooh my god am I not editing this anymore.)

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Bane's clergy often hear their god whispering his dogma in their dreams:

"Serve no one but me. Fear me always - and make others fear me even more than you do. The Black Hand always strikes down on those who stand against it in the end. Defy me and die - or in your death find loyalty, for I shall compel it. Submit to my will, [as uttered by my ranking clergy] since true power can only be gained through service to me. [Spread the dark fear of Bane.] It is the doom of those unguided by me to let power spill through their hands. [Those who cross the Black Hand meet their dooms earlier and more harshly than those who worship other deities.]" - Bane's Dogma [with 14th century addendums in brackets]

Bane is basically the quintessential villain of the Realms. When a person pictures the face of evil, they picture this god and his followers.

The most important thing to know about Bane and his religion, in my opinion, is summed up here:

"The summons [from Ao] had come wearing the face and form of that which each of the gods feared most. [...] To the Black Lord, Bane, the summons came in the guise of absolute love and understanding, its light searing his essence as it carried him from his kingdom." - Shadowdale

You want to give one of the most evil bastard in the pantheon a panic attack? Give him a hug.

Following a brief version of a backstory that has been given for him; the mortal who would be Bane was born on Abeir, Toril's linked twin planet/parallel universe. There he was a nameless battle slave to Maram of the Great Spear - an ancient primordial being of absolute evil whom the Netherese had summoned into the world, where it broke free and started inflicting horrors upon the world. While in the service of said horrifying evil, the young slave nurtured ambitions of having absolute power for himself.

While on Toril he teamed up with his two future frenemies, Bhaal and Myrkul, and they killed (or possibly subjugated) his master and took his power for themselves, before heading off to nag Jergal for his job. After bickering, the ex-slave known only as "the Bane of the Ancients" wins the draw and gets to be what he always wanted - the epitome of tyranny with godlike power. The next step for him is to conquer the mortal world and destroy all the other gods so that none have power and control over him.

Banite religion is founded on the principle of making Bane's dream of global domination possible. Every Banite is a link in the chains of Bane's power. What they rule, he rules. All Banites strive to take over something (village, city, kingdom, army, whatever). All Banites are expected to aid and obey their superiors in this domination.

When in control, a Banite is to use their power to "further the cause of hate, fear, destruction and strife." Doing so within the control of the law is preferable, but chaos is tolerated as long as that chaos is wielded as a tool with perfect control. You can get voted into power by stirring up people's fears of minorities, or start the apocalypse and present yourself as the saviour - but you must not be overwhelmed, or you have failed.

The world is divided into slaves who have no power and exist to serve, and the powerful who command them. Bane is the rightful master of all and all are to serve him, and by extension his followers (those with the strength to seek, take and hold power), willingly or by force. Control is the key virtue in the eyes of the faith. Always be in control and/or be controlled by somebody more capable/deserving of power than you. As their lessers are expected to obey every order perfectly, the superiors are expected to be competent in their leadership and wield perfect command.

Banites pride themselves on being cold and decisive in all that they say and do. They also enjoy cutting sarcasm. It's vital to appear in command of yourself and the world around you - shouting, loss of temper and other outbursts of behaviour that suggest a lack of control/power are avoided like the plague. Two Banites on the brink of killing each other may appear to be in the midst of only a polite, but insistent disagreement.

Bane used to enjoy watching his power hungry idiots backstabbing each other to climb the ranks while overzealous worshippers splintered into factions and started killing each other (most notably a divide between the divine-magic based orthodoxy and the arcane-magic based reformers/"Transformers".) Then Mystra technically killed him during a fight with Torm in the Time of Troubles, and Cyric took over his church. When Bane made a comeback in the 14th century he immediately decided they wouldn't be doing that anymore. Now it's an united rigid hierarchy from top to bottom, and Banites are a well organised, well equipped unit.

The laws of the heathens are irrelevant, but a Banite who gets caught breaking those law trying to achieve their goals is expected to suck it up and do the time for failure - unless they've been doing such a good job that everybody's too far under their control to try and punish them for it, in which case great job. A+ in Bane worship.

Banites typically establish themselves in an area by finding a location out of sight of a civilisation and building a fortress, where they build their power until they are too strong a force to drive off. Taking over an existing fort is also a possibility. The temple is run like a military base: spartan, with only tapestries showing Bane's symbol and religious texts on it for decoration. The courtyard is meant for military drills and rituals, and there's a mass hall for dining and holding prayer. They like pointy architecture. And black. Oh, and the torture basements! Can't forget those. It's also where they keep a variety of trained monsters in pens. You may end up sharing your cell with a displacer beast or something, but don't worry about it.

Banites have a secret network of teleporting spells. The actual "portals" will be any space of stone big enough to stand on, which are magically connected to other points (also stone). If you stand on one and speak the correct password, then it will teleport you to the destination designated by that password. There are no spells or barriers that can prevent the teleporter from arriving at their destination. Banites can bring others along with them if they are physically connected when the password is said. They can't bring more than 100lbs of inanimate matter with them.

All are welcome to convert to Bane. There will be an interview where your intentions are checked, although if it turns out you're not actually evil-aligned you can still join. There's a good chance that they'll use magic to turn you into an "incorruptible champion of evil and uncompromising disciple of order" anyway; "for Bane recognizes the value of those who have seen the lure of good and turned away from it to serve evil."

Or just use dark magic to twist you from a person into a weapon/guard/servant bound to the service of Bane anyway.

Banites are also able to ensure loyalty with a magically binding divine oath called the Dark Promise, cast by his favoured priests (Dreadmasters). It's an old spell, back from the early days when Bane was a new god and his followers were vulnerable, and is not used as often. When the spell is cast and the oath is made, a set of circumstances are set into motion that targets of the spell must follow to the letter. The promise must have Bane's interests at heart and the conditions and stipulations cannot be endanger the individuals' lives. If the oath is violated, it drains the oath breaker's life force. The damage done by this spell cannot be healed, and if the oath breaking does not cease then they will die.

Bane is one of the few exceptions amongst the gods in that his worshippers are all henotheistic rather than polytheistic. Banites consider worship of other deities "foolish," Bane is the only master you should truly serve. All under Banite rule will be forced to convert to the worship of Bane. They are however willing to cooperate with the followers of Loviatar (pain), Talona (disease), Malar (predation), and Mask (thievery) as Bane has terrified these gods into allying with him. From a certain school of Banite thought, this means that they and their followers are part of the chains of Bane's will (the gods/faithful in question probably wouldn't agree). Bhaal was, or perhaps still is, a servant of Bane and he and Myrkul have also been counted amongst Bane's allies in the past, despite their tendency to squabble, so cooperation with Bhaalists and Myrkulites is not unimaginable when it serves both their deities.

Banites do not get on so well with... anybody, but they particularly hate worshippers of Ilmater (compassion), Tyr (justice), Helm (non-Banite order), Lathander (optimism/renewal), Torm (champion of the innocent), Oghma (knowledge) and Mystra. If they get their hands on one they'll usually torture them and leave their mutilated bodies somewhere for the distressed public to find. Bane and Cyric are still at war, both due to humiliation and the fact that they're still fighting over areas of divine power that the other has stolen/reclaimed from the other, and the corpses of Cyricists that fall into Banite hands are usually found with "heretic" branded on their foreheads as a warning to others who worship the usurper.

Banite clergy are expected to always be armed, and it is mandatory that you at least wear something black at all times. For ceremonial purposes, Banites wear black armour or robes with a blood-red cape. Wizards like to enchant their robes so that they swirl and give off illusions of glittering with "black stars" and have blood dripping off the hem. The higher in the ranks you go, the fancier the clothes get. Banites used to have facial tattooing, although this made them rather easy to identify and kill off when Cyric took over and some purges took place. The highest ranking Banites can be identified by a gem that they wear on their forehead. Banites are not expected to wear anything that would identify their religious affiliations if it would get them persecuted, but they do like decorating their clothes with spikes and are are expected to dress in a certain specific colour that I'm getting sick of typing out. When Bane rules the world we will all be dressing as goths under threat of execution...

Each priest has a ceremonial staff denoting their rank, which they will have at these rituals. When a Banite dies they are buried with it. They are unenchanted and purely for ceremony, at most being used to light braziers. It starts with a simple black wood staff [level 1], which at higher ranks has an ivory skull at the top [lvl 2-4]. Higher yet they add silver plating, and the skull is the size of a fist [lvl 5], and the even higher level priests that skull has ram horns [lvl 6]. After that you get real human skulls! [at lvl 7+]! They're allowed to decorate theirs how they like, as well as adding enchantments. So gemstones, magic runes, etc.

Bane's holy symbol is the Black Hand, a symbol of terror recognisable to the entire Realms. Versions include a black handprint, a black claw or a metal gauntlet embedded with jewels. Priests usually wear a replica of the hand as a carved pendant of black stone. There is another Black Hand seen on his high-ranking priests: elbow-length gloves crafted of flexible metal mesh or chainmail, usually worn on the left hand. It emits an eerie dark radiance, i's supposed to be black, and a non-Banite found wearing one can expect every Banite on the planet to hunt them to the ends of the world for this blasphemy (also it's about 50,000gp in value jfc). The gauntlet cannot be damaged by force and absorbs all spells of third level or less. Area of effect spells are not negated, but cannot affect the wearer. It can drain magic out of items, should the wearer touch them with intent to do so. The wearer can then discharge all of the absorbed magic into the body of another by touching them, causing them damage. They can also paralyze undead and living beings via touch.

To question or disobey a superior is to question or disobey Bane himself, and is answered by torture, disfigurement and/or death. The word of a Banite of superior rank is law, and you will do literally anything they ask you to do.

Banites have invented a magic whip (a mystic lash) that does all sorts of fun nonsense in case that happens. It's made of glowing red energy. If the priest needs their hands free then the whip can actually wield itself (need to scourge that annoying initiate, but you don't want to look up from your book? Then good news!) If the wielder choses, a lash of the whip may cause one of the following; paralysis, memory loss, seizures, extra damage plus the disintegration of equipment, or electrocution.

One is expected to greet those of higher rank by kneeling in front of them and kissing their boots

At the bottom of the hierarchy are the novices, who are addressed by the title of "slave." If they're good enough, Bane will send them a dream vision or manifest as a voice speaking from one of his altars - he will name them, and they are allowed to enter the first rank of the priesthood… of which there are 12 ranks with their own unique addresses, which everybody is expected to memorise. Disrespect to a higher rank will, as mentioned, involve insulting Bane and lead to torture, disfigurement and potential death.

The only time you're not expected to use the titles is when in the presence of heathens, Banites will address each other as Brother/Sister Faithful (when speaking to an equal/lesser) or Dread Brother/Sister (when addressing a superior).

Banites do not refer to each other by name, only by the name of their rank (unless there are too many individuals of the same rank. In the case you had a room full of Black Fangs, you would address them individually as Black Fang [Surname].) It's generally impossible for eavesdroppers to learn the names or personal details of a Banite.

The rankings are determined by character level, and are as follows:

Watchful Brother/Sister/Sibling

Deadly Adept

Trusted Servant

Willing Whip

Hooded Menace

Black Fang

Striking Hand

Vigilant Talon

Masked Death

Dark Doom

Higher Doom

Deep Mystery

The Deep Mysteries include the Deeper Mysteries… which have their own ranks! Secret, higher levels which are unknown to those of the first 11 levels who must address all higher ranking Banites as "Deep Mystery." There is no official means by which a Banite is bestowed this title, they bestow them upon themselves if they believe they should have the rank. The test lies in the fact that in order to keep the title their fellow Banites must also begin using them - in other words if you are not a pretender and truly have the power and authority to hold this title, then your siblings in the faith will follow.

The ranks of the Deep Mysteries, in order of authority, from lowest to highest:

Vigilator

Lord/Lady of Mysteries

Lord/Lady of the Hand

Imperceptor

Dark Imperceptor

Grand Bloodletter

High Inquisitor

The High Imperceptor is the Banite of highest rank of the Deep Mysteries, supreme living servant of Bane, and unlike the prior titles this one cannot be self-bestowed. I haven't seen any explanation for how it is bestowed, but I imagine Bane decides.

Banites don't bother with set holy days. We will have a holy day whenever the leading priest decides we're having one, and it will be called whatever they decide it is. This usually means a) somebody fucked up, time for a public punishment; or b) we've got an enemy/traitor, time for human sacrifice.

Rituals are to be held in as close to pitch darkness as is possible, gathered around the Black Altar (a wood table covered in a black cloth, a block of black stone - whatever, just so long as it's black so we can give it an ominous name). The Black Altar is to be made holy by having a replica of the Holy Hand of Bane floating above it (this too has to be black in colour). This is a levitating 6 foot tall stone hand that can sense alignments within a 60 foot radius, and it will attack good-aligned people on encountering them. When not in use it patrols Banite locations, seeking out spies and intruders and killing them.

And that the Seat of Bane will be placed in front of the Black Altar. The chair is black, its back is carved into the shape of a hand. Senior clergy sit in the throne when acting as Bane's voice for the rest of the congregation. So the leader of the area's Banites sits in the chair, and that means Bane is sitting in the chair. While sitting in it, the seated can read the thoughts of all beings within 90 yards. it can project a forcefield around the chair; can nullify magic in the area; allows the seated to see through illusions and invisibility; know the alignment of everyone present; allow the seated to speak with dead; and also conjure walls of fire. If the chair is knocked over, it causes a massive explosion of fire that kills everyone around it.

Then the party. With minimum partying and maximum solemn, ominous chanting and deep, heavy drum beats. Those guilty of disobedience or other failures will be chained to the altar and whipped in front of the congregation. And then there's the human sacrifice: "Sacrifices had to be humiliated, tortured, and made to show fear before dying to be acceptable to Bane, and they usually met their deaths through slashing, flogging, or being crushed by the Hand of Bane."

The traditional power base of the Banite faith was Zhentil Keep, the base of operations for the Zhentarim. The Black Network has once again been taken from Bane by Cyricists however, after the death of Fzoul Chembryl a few decades back - Fzoul was a Chosen of Bane and basically his favourite servant (who has since been made into a quasi-deity bearing some of Bane's divine power, that he may continue to serve) and Zhentil Keep is currently in ruins. The loss of the Keep (for a second time) destroyed Zhentarim power, and now they're mostly just a bunch of mercenaries with good connections on the black market trade routes (slaves, drugs, weapons, etc) as far as I can find.

The Dreadmasters are Bane's specialty priests, making up 10% of all Banites. Dreadmaster is a unisex title. They spend their time doing all the spellwork and making all the delightful inventions that have been giving me a headache. They have a stupid number of spells given to them. Nobody else's specialty priests have this many fucking spells.

They cannot feel fear from sources other than Bane

They can, however, project the feeling of absolute terror into every being within 10 feet of them, usually causing everyone to run screaming.

They can completely destroy the souls of the dying

Create extra evil undead

Create powerful, still sapient undead servants from dead Banites (from ghouls up to vampires)

Create animated suits of armour that serve the Banites, powered by people's souls

Make a warding symbol drawn with a mixture containing three drops of blood from a collection made by sacrificing 30 people. The ward is invisible and cannot be detected, and when activated it drains the life out of everyone present.

They have a supernatural knack for reading other's true moods and intentions They have a supernatural level of charisma and authority over their servants, who cannot help but be fanatically loyal

They are exceptionally skilled in the artificing of magical wands, rods and staves. When they use them the magic of the items is increased.

They're the ones who cast the stonewalk spells that make the teleport network run.

They're also the priests responsible for binding the Dark Promise.

"The Chosen of Bane are tyrants in every sense of the word, consumed with the quest for absolute power. Hand-picked by the deity of tyranny and fear, [they] are both charismatic and filled with hate [...] They seek only to rule with absolute, unchallenged authority over every living and undead create across the world."

They are unbothered by temperature, both hot and cold, as well as resistant to being burned or electrocuted.

They do not age, though they will still die at an age where they would've died if they did age.

Supernatural insight into motives and emotions, and a massive boost to their charisma.

They can mind control people, are immune to fear, can share this immunity with others or increase the fear they feel.

They can also cast gaes, which is basically exactly the same as the Dark Promise, but doesn't necessarily have to benefit Bane (blasphemous as that sounds).

They can summon undead beholders to serve them

They can grant their own shadows independence as an undead creature of the same name (shadows), While separate the shadow is free-willed, though the two remain telepathically linked.

They are served by a retinue of their own master's servants including: doppelgangers; helmed horrors; beholders; undead Banites; hell hounds; imps; displacer beasts; Banelar nagas (evil snake things with human faces)

Bane doesn't like using avatars, if he needs to manifest on Toril he just possesses people in positions of wealth and power who transform into handsome, yet "oily" looking black haired men as long as he's inhabiting them. The souls of these people are forced to watch as the god does what he wants. Once the body is "worn out" from all the punishment he puts them through (mortal shells, so fragile) he'll move to another evil or neutral mortal via touch.

If he strikes out with his gauntleted hand, then there is a good chance that the person stuck will drop dead.

In combat he warps the face into a more beastial visage. His hands become talons capable of "rending flesh and bone" and in the Time of Troubles when he was first forced to manifest as a normal human he immediately started editing the body into a more demonic visage although that might've been because he'd just crash landed in his own temple and destroyed it, and only had a few moments until his torture happy zealots turned up to find what seemed to be some random dude standing in the wreckage. He was in kind of a panic trying to make sure they saw Bane, God of Tyranny not... that.

His other manifestations as a pair of blazing red eyes staring out from the darkness, and a black, taloned hand which was the temperature of ice to the touch. They work exactly like his other manifestation.

Bane sometimes announces his presence, and that he is paying attention to you, with the sudden manifestation of the giant footprint of a boot, scorched into the earth. He shows his approval of his followers through their sudden discovery of a black sapphire. His disapproval is shown through the sudden appearance of red carnelian, ground into dust.

He is served by various devils, beholders, death tyrants (the undead remains of beholders that failed him), black dragons, banelar nagas and pride incarnates

Bane can cast any spell at will, save those that heal or create.

Bane was slain in the Time of Troubles. After his death his followers had an even bigger row between those who were loyal to Bane (orthodoxy) and those who worshipped his portfolio instead of the god himself and switched to Cyric. Many of the Orthodoxy began worshipping Iyachtu Xvim the Godson, son of Bane (whose mother was either a fiend or a fallen human paladin, nobody's sure).

Xvim was doing a pretty ok job in his nascent godhood up until 1372 DR, when Bane hijacked the essence of himself he'd left in his son and destroyed him - being reborn within his body and immediately regaining the rank of Greater Deity. About a few years following the Bhaalspawn Crisis, the year where Bhaal was supposed to be reborn from the death of his kids but failed.

Bane went on to continue being one of the most infamous, powerful and dangerous gods on Faerûn up until the Second Sundering, when suddenly we've got confusion.

In BG3 canon, the Dead Three are clearly greater than quasi-deity status. Due to new rules that WotC pulled out of their ass, gods of lesser deity status or higher cannot manifest avatars. Bane can still empower clerics and have Chosen, so he's most likely still a Greater Deity in BG3.

In Descent into Avernus, the Dead Three are apparently quasi-deities now, forced to exist in permanent avatars on Toril and unable to grant spells of have Chosen.

I think this nicely explains what I mean when I say D&D has no fucking "real" canon, it's all just a mountain of everyone's headcanons.

#Bane doesn't need to torture people; having to learn all the stupid details in his religion is already hell #enver gortash #long post #baldurs gate 3 #bg3

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ghostlyschwarbage · 7 months

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Fun fact: David Carradine, who voiced Clockwork, the Master of Time in Danny Phantom, also played Tempus, the Demon of Time in Charmed (1998)

#charmed 1998 #danny phantom #david carradine #I'm not going anywhere with this #I just think that's neat

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all-eyes-lead-to-the-truth · 2 months

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All Eyes Lead to the Truth | Season Four Master Post

Season four is one of the most beloved seasons of The X-Files, and we had a lot of fun exploring the background characters that helped make it so special!

Check out this thread to see all the characters we got to meet this season!

Herrenvolk (4x01) | X

No one would remember him, and if they did, they would struggle to remember a name they were never told. The memory of his existence would remain occluded by the shadows he lived in.

Home (4x02) | Sheriff Andy Taylor

For protection, his father had said, as he pressed the unfamiliar cold metal into Taylor’s warm hand. To keep your family safe.

To keep your home safe.

He shuts the drawer. He isn’t ready for this reality, not now. Not yet.

Teliko (4x03) | Special Agent Sean Pendrell

With them, it was never something simple. It was a computer chip so fragile he could barely study it. It was a complex string of numbers and letters tracking a smallpox vaccination program for reasons he couldn’t even begin to fathom.

This was what he went to school for.

Unruhe (4x04) | Gerry Schnauz

Gerry knew she needed his help the moment they met. There was a howler inside of her head — a black mass invading her body and mind.

The Field Where I Died (4x05) | Melissa Rydell Ephesian

Melissa struggled with the idea of reincarnation, but dared not show it. And as it turned out, a broken link in the chain of her faith led to more broken links.

When she first saw Vernon hurt a child, the chain shattered.

Sanguinarium (4x06) | Dr. Theresa Shannon

The face on the computer had looked just like Jack, but that had to be impossible. The science of surgery hadn’t come that far. To spread the eyes further apart, change features completely… and besides, she knows him. Knows the person he is…

Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man (4x07) | Albert M. Godwinkle

All Albert M. Godwinkle wants today is to read a halfway decent manuscript that puts a smile on his disgruntled face. Today is not that day.

Tunguska (4x08) | Alex Krycek

If looks could kill, Alex would be a dead man. But he thrives off this, off making Mulder squirm. It’s just so fucking easy.

Terma (4x09) | Senator Albert Sorenson

He was a staunch proponent of holding insubordinate witnesses in contempt when the court was not being respected, and no one, not even a government employee, was immune to that.

Paper Hearts (4x10) | Addie Sparks

The little girl he loves is gone, and she is never coming back.

Just like me.

El Mundo Gira (4x11) | Migrant Worker

At the simple mention of El Chupacabra, the shack erupted in a cacophony of worry, as if merely saying the name might summon the beast.

Leonard Betts (4x12) | Michele Wilkes

Even through the panic she felt screaming through her that nothing about this was okay, she felt a moment of relief wash over her. Maybe it had all been a dream. Maybe her partner hadn’t died while she was at the wheel.

Never Again (4x13) | Ed Jerse

Deadbeat. Loser. Failure.

He’s heard it all, and he has had enough. No one humiliates Ed Jerse anymore. No, not now. Never again.

Memento Mori (4x14) | Kurt Crawford

What is destined for a creature borne of fluid and test tubes, guided by the hands of cruel men?

Kaddish (4x15) | Ariel Luria

Someone else’s hatred had taken her true love away. Just like that, in an instant, like it was nothing. But it was not hatred that led her to the gravesite that stormy night.

Unrequited (4x16) | Special Agent Kent Hill

Hill slides in his earpiece, watching as their eyes lock. His wife would call it eavesdropping, but as he steps closer, tilting his head just right to better hear their hushed voices, Hill simply calls it satisfying a long-standing curiosity.

Tempus Fugit (4x17) | Bartender

The man tried to fluff the pink ball back into shape after presumably squashing it in his pocket. “The woman I came in with— it’s her birthday, and she loves these things. I was wondering if there was any way you could ask someone in the back to put it on a plate and bring it out to her?”

Max (4x18) | Sharon Graffia

Sharon Graffia isn’t a liar. She’d only done what she needed to in order for people to believe her. All she’s ever wanted was someone to believe her.

Synchrony (4x19) | Jason Nichols

Naïveté and a complete lack of understanding of the consequences of their work had been their downfall. But how could they have known?

Small Potatoes (4x20) | Eddie Van Blundht

It didn’t take him long to realize he’d initially misread the situation when he saw them at the clinic. Based on the look Dana Scully shot him when he tried to hold her hand at the airport, he knew he was navigating territory Fox Mulder had yet to conquer.

Zero Sum (4x21) | Billy

He slowly twisted his neck to the right, and was horrified by the sight before him. In the next bed over was David from his class, his face covered in gross red bumps. He looked dead.

Billy didn’t know what else to do. He started crying.

Elegy (4x22) | Lauren Heller

She had an exam in the morning. Her mother’s birthday was the following weekend. She had plans.

Demons (4x23) | Amy Cassandra

As she speaks, the deep wound in her skull throbs, reminding her that that was true, until weeks ago when she’d traded the nightmare of one penetrating drill with the reality of another.

Gesthemane (4x24) | Father McCue

Her faith had come from God, yes… but it had also come from another, less expected source. Perhaps it still did.

Stay tuned for more perspectives coming in Season Five!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

We spend so much time deliberating and chatting about who to use in a given episode or where certain characters would be best utilized in the series, and we'd love to hear any opinions or predictions you might have! Do you have a favorite minor character? What episodes do you think would be best for our favorite recurring characters? Your feedback is one of the most enjoyable parts of this project (and sometimes hearing other perspectives can help inform the decisions we have to make). - @admiralty-xfd, @fridaysat9, @monikafilefan, and @gaycrouton

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annielocalgodkisser · 3 months

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ok what if the creatures of temps had tumblr. i think that’d be funny. like

⏱️ time-fanatic 🔄

🕚 timebomb Follow

dude imagine if the tyrant could fucking WALK we’d all be done for

⏪️ reversal-of-time Follow

what are you fucking on about

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🪨 cave-dweller Follow

WHY IS OOMF DEFENDING OPHANIUM’S ACTIONS. WHAT.

#like #he literally tore down towns???

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🔭 sci-master 🔄

🖤 trinket-finder Follow

DUDEEEEEE I JUST FOUND THE MOST SICK LOOKING GOLDEN HEART LOCKET

🖤 trinket-finder

where am i

#FUCKKKKKKK

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❌ death-denier Follow

she raphael on my von till i tempus

2,506 notes

❔ the-questioner 🔄

👁️ tyrant-of-chaos Follow

howg dopip i tyepe

#THIS HAS TO BE A PARODY RIGHT. #THIS CANNOT BE THE FUCKING TYRANT OF CHAOS ON TUMBLR. THE FUCK.

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📚 book-worm 🔄

🔃 its-rewind-time Follow

does anyone know where i can find (and possibly talk to) the author of the “how to control your rage” (idk the exact title, haha) book? it’s really well written!!!

‼️ alert-fan-303 Follow

i have some bad news for you man.

#in all seriousness though #(even though it’s hilarious that op doesn’t know about the burning village) #rest in peace to perseus. he was a really nice guy #hope his partner is doing fine even after so long

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uhhh i ran out of ideas. most of these probably aren’t all that serious but yk . Enjoy

#sekaiju #sekaiju a world of creatures #annie ramblez

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niyogreatandsmall · 22 days

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Id pack or tips for the Idris (The Tardis)?

Sorry that I'm a tiny bit obscure, I may show up in every episode, but I only get to talk in one, which has always been quite sad for me.

Certainly, friend Idris! It's under the line :]

Chronos

Tempus

Kairos

Horatio

Era

Meridian

Epoch

Aeon

Zaman

Celerity

Kalenda

Tardin

Syros

Relia

Minutia

Stundis

Vectis

Taris

Quantis

Flux

TimeTraveler21

QuantumLeap

ChronoMaster

EpochExplorer

TemporalNomad

FutureVoyager

TimeWarped

PastSeeker

TimelapseHero

ContinuumRider

Keeper of Time

Guardian of Epochs

Chrono Sentinel

Temporal Sage

Master of Moments

Epoch Voyager

Timekeeper

Temporal Oracle

Chrono Navigator

Epoch Alchemist

Time/time's/time/time's/timeself

Chron/chron's/chron/chron's/chronself

Temp/temp's/temp/temp's/tempself

Flux/flux's/flux/flux's/fluxself

Epoch/epoch's/epoch/epoch's/epochself

Kai/kai's/kai/kai's/kaiself

Era/era's/era/era's/eraself

Merid/merid's/merid/merid's/meridself

Aeon/aeon's/aeon/aeon's/aeonself

Quantum/quantum's/quantum/quantum's/quantumself

Past/past's/past/past's/pastself

Future/future's/future/future's/futureself

Tard/tard's/tard/tard's/tardself

Rel/rel's/rel/rel's/relself

Vect/vect's/vect/vect's/vectself

Continu/continu's/continu/continu's/continuself

Warp/warp's/warp/warp's/warpself

Moment/moment's/moment/moment's/momentself

Tense/tense's/tense/tense's/tenseself

Instant/instant's/instant/instant's/instantself

#kin #kintype #kin stuff #kin care #kin help #kin request #kin blog #kin account #open requests #id pack #id kit #kin id

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lawful-evil-novelist · 2 months

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So those bg3 classes for the Do'Urden run.

If you're curious about the hypothetical Lolth-Sworn versions, don't hesitate to ask!

Zaknafein: Battle Master Fighter

Briza: Devotion Paladin (Amaunator or Tempus, still deciding)

Nalfein: Enchantment Wizard

Dinin: Assassin Rogue

Vierna: Light Cleric (Selune)

Maya: Life Cleric (Eilistraee)

Drizzt: Beast Master Ranger

#bg3 do'urden run #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 tav #legend of drizzt #legend of drizzt au

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neverunderestimatea711 · 7 months

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Doppelgänger was FABULOUS! The character and plotlines were super interesting as well

SPOILERS BELOW

I loved Machina X Flayon/Abandoned Automaton plotline. It was my favorite out of all the routes.

An abandoned machine, who loves his master despite not having a human heart. The expression of his emotions through the frustration of his "master" trying to leave him again results in a very tragic and violent end.

The character building in such a short amount of time was so impressive. You could really feel the anguish and the mechanical nature of the Automaton.

The voice acting was also excellent, as expected lol. The passion Flayon showed through his voice lines were spectacular.

The Josuiji Shinri/Huntsman route was also incredibly tragic and beautiful. I love sacrificial love displayed in fiction, and The Huntsman delivered.

There was a great deal of storytelling and worldbuilding in his route in particular, bur it was never confusing to understand. He was such a sweet character and gave up everything to see the MC live. Although I knew him for only a short time, his route was incredibly impactful plot-wise and emotionally. The Huntsman route is my second favorite route.

I wonder how the game will influence Tempus lore, because members of Guild Tempus were involved in the plot somewhat.

Amazing game! Shout out to the Tempus boys and all the managers who were involved in this project.

#holostars #tempus #holotempus #doppelganger #doppelgänger #holostars doppelganger #holostars doppelgänger #hallowtempus #josuiji shinri #machina x flayon #banzoin hakka #gavis bettel #axel syrios #regis altare #my post

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massiveluxuryoverdose · 5 months

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Parmigiani Fleurier's "Tempus Fugit"

The Tempus Fugit, inspired by the legend of the Dragon and the Pearl of Knowledge, stands as a testament to Parmigiani Fleurier’s expertise in restoring antique clocks. Rooted in traditional Chinese culture, the dragon swimming with a pearl, the carp leaping over the Dragon Gate, and the Dragon Emperor pursuing the Pearl of Wisdom are all encapsulated in this unique timepiece.

The dragon’s body, sculpted in wax and cast in three sections, required over 5,800 hours of work by prestigious master craftsmen. The 150 green jade stones, along with white gold claws, ruby eyes, and a carnelian tongue, contribute to the dragon’s resplendent appearance.

The Pearl of Knowledge, a solid white gold sphere surrounded by golden flames and encased in a cameo of precious stones, is equally breathtaking.

The base, representing the river the carp ascends, is crafted from transparent rock crystal, revealing the intricate movement within. With almost 1,000 components, this one-of-a-kind timepiece is a masterpiece of watchmaking art.

Michel Parmigiani’s direction ensured the collaboration of the most skilled craftsmen to bring the Dragon and the Pearl of Knowledge to life.

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thesopwithcamel · 7 months

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A Hat in Time: Aniphobia and the ARG.

A Hat in Time: Aniphobia (AHIT:ANI/ARG) is a future/au of A Hat in Time in which Hat Kid finds herself in Keithman county 2006 during the anime invasion, the location of the roblox game 'Anhphobia'. Hat Kid is forced to fight anime girls to try and survive in this county, she also is forced to use firearms to survive which is something she thought she would never have to do.

Hat Kid is able to escape this hell after 17 years of hardcore combat but then finds herself trapped in the twisted shennanigans of the A Hat in Time moleman arg in which she is forced to fight against the founders as things go downhill at a rate she expected, Hat Kid is transported back to her timeline just before the first Times End and she winds up back in her ship which is hovering above Earth...fun.

Hat Kid in this au is transformed from an innocent but mischievous little girl into a 6ft 1in killing machine who learnt the hard way that sometimes violence is the only option, she also is able to knock out Keeper APC's with some impunity since the shadows don't have anti tank weapons and those human resistance groups have very little anti APC capabilities.

Hat Kid's exploits however do have consequences:

Cultists and T-dolls go as far as sending assassins after her, sometimes they cause her to respawn, sometimes they don't. Other fighters and the US goverment take interest in her with the latter designating her in a file with Hat Kid herself gaining the designation XRAY-17.

Hat Kid speedruns the Founder's patience and despite Hat Kid's best efforts to contradict this she cannot fight experienced Keepers in any capacity (since they would just kick her arse) however following the destruction of two cruisers by Hat Kid she became the target of Keeper special forces (including her almost getting killed by Tempus with the latter putting in little effort).

#AHIT:ANI/ARG #a hat in time #hat kid #ahit hat kid #ahit au #ahit headcanons #hat kid with a gun #moleman arg #moleman1111 #anime #roblox #a hat in time au #master tempus #Hat Kid can kill countless anime girls but some old alcoholic chainsmoker can beat her into a pulp.#Times End

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nem0-nee · 1 year

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𝐁𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

There was once a clockmaker who was the master of his craft. He had completed his magnum opus; an astronomical clock. It was like no other, as it aired such a breathtaking magnificence. To keep such a creation unique, his previous commissioners burned his eyes, confiscating his sight and skill. The clockmaker was now unable to create anything at all.

His helplessness and overall inability drove him mad, causing him to throw himself into the gears of his creation. With this, his death cursed the clock, dooming anyone who dares to repair it.

TEMPUS EDAX RERUM.

Everyone has their breaking points, and Mayuu had already broken past that for the nth time. Yet, the blot just can't stop flowing.

Isn't it only fair to strike back? It was this damn bastard who caused all this, the one who claimed to help her; her so-called fairy godmother.

The thought angers her. Snatching away this being's pinky finger, she takes back their "promise."

She views such a strange act as one of vengeance. Though, deep down she knows this changes nothing.

But, who cares?

It's all over anyway.

#twst oc #twst #twst yuu #twisted wonderland #twst mc #twst overblot #Kairyn Saint #my art heh #lord this took so LONG....#if anyone needs me ill be sobbing #this was a contest entry for my school #never again #yes this is based off the prague astronomical clock curse #anyway overblot mayuu WOOOOOO

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blackjackkent · 4 months

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Tolna Tome-Monger of Sorcerous Sundries, I hope you are prepared for the absolute juggernaut of combined nerdery that is Hector and Gale coming to talk to you about magical history.

"Literature department. Can I help you?"

She's whispering, which Hector immediately finds charming. Reminds him of the head librarian in the monastery, a wizened little old woman who happily listened to Hector chatter away about his latest discoveries in the ancient tomes he read through every day. He lowers his own voice accordingly.

"I'd be interested in any especially rare tomes you might have," he whispers back.

"Bold!" she says softly with a bright grin. "You might've heard that our library has a collection other shops would lack the skill to curate. Between us - even Master Lorroakan was reluctant to house them in his tower. The pen is mightier than the magic wand, apparently." She gestures around her dramatically. "They're locked away here for their and our customers' safety. Our finest reserve includes the 'Tharchiate Codex,' 'The Annals of Karsus: A Netherese Folly', 'Sights of the Seelie', and 'The Curriculum of Strategy.' Do any of those interest you?"

Ultimately the one they're interested in is The Annals of Karsus, but Hector's curiosity about the others is immediately roused as well. He is definitely bouncing excitedly on the balls of his feet as he asks about each - rather in the way Karlach did when she found out they could go to the circus. (She is standing watching this unfold with affectionate bemusement - but loving seeing him so excited about something.)

"The Tharchiate Codex," he says politely.

Her eyes widen and she leans forward slightly. "Interesting choice..." she whispers. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you might have 'The Necromancy of Thay' in your possession... I'd advise tremendous care with the 'Tharchiate Codex.' The cost of unlocking its mysteries is... onerous."

(A/N: Oho! Hector does NOT have The Necromancy of Thay, as he smashed that book into tiny pieces back when we found it in the Blighted Village. (Gale was NOT happy, and even less so when a bunch of shadows emerged from the smashed book and one-shot him.) But I will have to keep this in mind for my other playthroughs where I kept it.)

Hector decides to let that pass for now, and asks next about 'Sights of the Seelie.'

"Its author was a spectacularly talented halfling," the bookseller says soberly. "She was, allegedly, able to establish contact with members of the Seelie Court. Can you even imagine what wonders the fey pantheon might've revealed? Incredible!"

What about 'The Curriculum of Strategy'?

"You've heard about the Red Knight, I trust?" she mutters intensely. "Devout strategist, made exarch of Tempus. This treaty is a compilation of her own design, kept here on the Material Plane for the benefit of us mortals. Quite rare."

Hector is listening to all of this with rapt attention, his eyes very wide. Finally he comes to the main point of their visit. 'The Annals of Karsus: A Netherese Folly.'

"It is said," the woman intones softly, "to be written by Lord Karsus himself, the Netherese arcanist who attempted to replace the goddess Mystra, failed, and was banished for the attempt. Great magical knowledge lies within those pages - but not many can withstand it."

"That's it," Gale hisses excitedly. "That's what I need."

Narrator: The Annals of Karsus would no doubt have much to say about the crown's true nature - if only you could read them.

Well, Hector probably can't, but Gale certainly can.

"Sounds perfect," he whispers. "How much for me to buy it from you?"

She lifts her eyebrows, visibly startled. "Buy?" she says warily. "Books as temperamental as these are not on sale. They are secured in our vault, where none can harm them, nor can they do any harm. Consider yourself lucky to have learned of such a book's existence. And then forget about it - the Annals of Karsus are best left unread."

She's probably right, in the grand scheme of things - but they do need that book, which Hector is mildly glad of, because it means the correct thing to do here is to indulge his suddenly desperate curiosity to see that vault, which would be a thoroughly ill-advised choice in any other circumstance.

[PERSUASION] "Isn't it your job to share knowledge, not keep it locked away?" he asks earnestly. "At least tell me where the vault is..."

She tips her head to one side, studying him. Perhaps she sees a kindred spirit in him, the side of him that has been so buried under violence and pain of late, the boy from Silverlight Monastery who eagerly devoured every historical tome in the place and always hungered for more. But if she does - it is not enough to sway her from her implacable certainty that the books are not to be troubled. "Customers like you are why I prefer the company of books," she says wearily. "The only way to gain access to the vault is through my office. And before you ask - no, you are not allowed in there either."

Well, Hector and company have long since learned that locks are only a temporary annoyance if they really need to be somewhere. But as Hector prefers an honest solution if one can be found, he asks, "Surely there's some amount of gold that could convince you to part with the book?"

She narrows her eyes at him. "Psht. I already told you," she whispers fiercely. "It is locked in our vault. And with good reason. Imagine if a tome so dangerous were sold to someone with such poor comprehension."

Behind him, he hears Karlach swallow a snickering laugh, and resists the urge to grin himself.

"Thank you. I've learned more than enough," he says politely and turns away.

"You certainly has," the bookseller hisses at his back. "Even simple knowledge of these tomes is enough to stimulate most."

------

"That was cute, Hec," Karlach says with a wide grin as they walk away from the counter. "I don't think I've ever seen you that excited before."

"The collection of wisdom and knowledge that woman clearly has in her possession," Hector says. He's still visibly energized, his fingers twitching excitedly. "You were right, Gale. This place is incredible."

"I told you," Gale says with a soft chuckle. "A collection of magical lore with no equal on this plane of existence, I dare say - and certainly well worth our time to explore even in less dire circumstances. But... we will still be pursuing the Netherese book, yes? In spite of her objections."

"We will." Hector nods. "One way or another, I'll see to it that we find what you need."

"I might have to pick up a few books too," Karlach puts in.

Hector raises an eyebrow at her. "Sudden interest in magical lore?" he asks mildly.

She smiles playfully. "No, but I've got a very vested interest in anything that gets you excited. Or stimulated, as that woman put it."

Jaheira snorts. "Yes - it is well known that such books are tremendously romantic, is it not?" she says dryly. "Then again..." She shoots Hector a sideways look and then laughs. "I forgot who I was speaking of."

#bjk plays baldur's gate 3 #hector carlisle #in which hector is a huge dork and i love that for him

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