#merchants of ofir

[dukeofdogs]

Merchants of Ofir

Chest 1: The first expedition from Ofir was led by Dulla kh'Amanni, or rather the first one that was well documented by historians. There is evidence, however, in the form of Ofiri weapons and decoctions, that suggests a much earlier expedition took place from the land beyond the sea to the Continent. Besides, Dulla's journey would not be as well-known if it weren't for one detail - knowledge and trade were only a cover for the Ofiri's real goal. He was sent by the powerful king Nibras to find the monarch's son who disappeared during his travels to the Northern Kingdoms. Unfortunately, Dulla was not successful. The king was informed of his son's death and Dulla was stuck at the Upper Mill, awaiting further orders. Tired of the rural surroundings, he longed to return to his country.

Chest 2: According to legend, the Crow Mother is the oldest and most powerful of the living flaminicas. She leads a mysterious druid clan in the Gedyneith grove. No one knows, including the druids she leads, whether she is merely a human that can speak crow or the spirit of a crow enchanted into a human body. Or maybe she was a powerful crow deity once, ousted by Freya and eventually forgotten? The theories differ. But there's no doubt that the Crow Mother's followers are not afraid to peer into the darkness or reach for the most potent Ofiri decoctions, as opposed to the more restrained and, according to them, more cowardly druids from other circles.

Chest 3: The Van Moorlehem family is known for their atypical need for slave labor. Apparently, without it, they would not be able to maintain their prestige or their extravagant lifestyle. It's said in the North that a Nilfgaardian aristocrat will not move a finger until a slave does it for him. On the surface, the Van Moorlehems fit in perfectly. Only on the surface, though, because it's hard to find a servant at their palace. It could be said that after the showy parties, regularly and gladly organized by Ophelie Van Moorlehem - Vincent's wife, the ruler of his heart and co-owner of their fortune - their residence stands practically empty. If, however, a slave happens to somehow wander around the palace grounds, the heir to the dynasty, Philippe Van Moorlehem, takes them for a trip to the woods from where they never come back. Hence the family's high demand for "fresh blood"... They'd also like to try the slaves from Ofir, as long as they bleed as readily as the others.

Scroll 1: The only things a typical Nordling knows about Ofir is what he hears in rumors, so a lot of nonsense and not a whole lot of truth. But most rumor-mongers agree on several points…

Scroll 2: First of all, Ofir's located somewhere at the end of the world, far beyond the seas. Second of all, there are no normal animals there. The horses are either white with black stripes or mean and hunchbacked, while cattle have tails growing out of their faces instead of their rears.

Scroll 3: It's surprising, then, that the Ofiri merchants look like normal human beings - they have one head each, as many limbs as they should and behinds in the right places. Still, they haggle like fiends and create wonders like no Nordling can.

Scroll 4: In the eyes of the Ofiri, the inhabitants of the Northern Kingdoms are simple barbarians. Even the famously progressive Nilfgaardians seem like a largely backward nation to them. Unfortunately, ambushes by the Scoia'tael and the numerous hardships encountered by merchants on their journeys across the Continent only reinforce that viewpoint.

+  Filavandrel Ofiri Vizier Skin

Censored Wraith avatar

[brokenrosesdontbloom]

Paying tribute to my favorite Witcher (and Gwent) expansion characters. The Ofiri merchants 😍🥰

[stillness138]

Since there won't be any more expansions (and i'm a chronic procrastinator), i updated my personal top 10 Gwent card arts into a top 20, including the few sets that came since then and shuffling things around a bit.

It's a long one, hence the cut.

Personal top 20 Gwent card arts:

20: Bone Talisman by Bogna Gawrońska It's still the most festive looking thing i like. My beloved blue-and-bright red fidget spinner. I really can't explain my weird attachment to it any other way; i generally tend to like the item arts, maybe it's the collector brain, maybe it's because after Homecoming and most of the expansion sets since later 2019 onwards, these base set trinket adjacent arts became more prominent to me among a lot of new, more dramatic and bleak character and scenery art.

19: Ceremonial Dagger by Katarzyna Bekus The entire set of strategem arts from Merchants of Ofir is honestly packed, but the dagger is the one i found myself putting in my in-game profile the most. Maybe it's the item hoarder brain again, maybe it's the color scheme i find relatable if that makes sense, most likely it's the premium helping a bunch to make that choice too. The background weirdly fascinates me. Does it have anything to do with The Spiral? I have never attempted to really assign any logical meaning to the strategem arts, they're clearly more symbolic than anything, but it still makes you wonder.

18: Ard Gaeth by Katarzyna Bekus Somewhat related, here's another piece of wonky multiverse lore. And once again, it's the color that first grabs attention; the contrast of teal and this dusty red. Then one starts realizing the implied size and scope, the birds help with that, apart from being a cute composition detail. The shattery effect makes it look volatile, unstable, dangerous. Ominous. Which ultimately makes it fit with the rest of the Wild Hunt archetype in more than just lore.

17: Coup de Grâce by Lorenzo Mastroianni There are two wolves in me, one loves bright colors, the other actually enjoys a lot of the bleaker scenes. Although to be fair, Lorenzo Mastroianni is a big contributor to that. And it's no wonder, when he casually drops stuff like this. It's almost symbolic, lot less than strategems but certainly more than other, straightforward "war sucks" Gwent art. How do you visually represent something sad in a way that makes it hard to look away not just because of the tragedy but because of the beauty put into making that image? You ask Lorenzo Mastroianni, the modern classical artist, to do it.

16: Viper Witcher by Valeriy Vegera I once described Valeriy's art as "where Lorenzo uses a tight color palette, he uses every pencil in the case". This one is perhaps not as obvious an example, the whole piece has a very unified atmosphere especially from afar, but still, there are so many colors especially in textiles and skin. They're harder to register sometimes but it's how Valeriy does texture and shading. And somehow, he bridges the bleak and the colorful world too. Admittedly, this card also had to be here because mr. Viper is my son, and the voicelines are done by an actor with the nicest, smoothest bass i've heard since Peter Steele.

15: Naglfar's Crew by Anton Nazarenko I was surprised by how much i ended up liking this one. It's the implications, i think; enchanted to laboriously upkeep this monster of a ship, this 'and if you see it emerge from a breach in the sky, you know you're fucked' symbol of death and decay. It's dark in a way i find compelling, i guess.

14: Serpent Trap by Marta Dettlaff Back to the bright ones, i liked this art ever since i discovered it as Nature's Gift in post-Midwinter beta. The card saw play in Scoia'tael spell decks, and to me it became linked to Francesca Findabair for their shared spectral snake thing. But that all aside, the art is just so pretty. Vibrant, yet not oversaturated. And like the item arts, needed to balance out the cool and badass and the dramatic and tragic. Looking at it now, another point comes to mind; it's still grounded? The way Gwent art at large is grounded compared to other card games. Like it's not trying so hard (both this piece and the game's art in general). That's refreshing.

13: Chort by Bartłomiej Gaweł It reminds me of the first game's main menu. The Witcher 1 main menu is, to me, one of the most accurate representations of this universe, its atmosphere. Even if the "you kill cows, you get ambushed by the fucking baphomet" is a meme game mechanic, something about it is...witchery. Superstition, folk legends, and ultimately, monsters. Or that's my takeaway, anyway. But the Chort art, beside being on the more rare side in-game, has always weirdly drawn me in.

12. Oneiromancy by Lorenzo Mastroianni This was the Novigrad expansion key art before they turned it into a card, and i sure am glad they did. Lorenzo can get a bit weird, as a treat, someone said. Are they Condwiramurs and Corinne? Possibly! But i'll abstain from the schizo theories now. It's a gorgeous, well composed and executed surrealist piece. Inception if it had strong palpable atmosphere.

Denis Villeneuve > Christopher Nolan. but Lorenzo beats both

11: Funeral Boat by, you guessed it, Lorenzo Mastroianni One final yippee for the last card set. And my god it's beautiful. Tight composition can get surprisingly hard to coordinate and make decisions for, but this is so well-balanced. The left end of the boat is closer to the frame, but right side has the most noticeable color, the character's face, and of course the bird to even it out. As if to defend the title i gave him earlier, Lorenzo references Isle of the Dead in a way that, even if symbolic, fits into the universe perfectly. Someone stop me before i start rambling about similar concepts in different mythologies.

10: Dana Méadbh (now the token spawned by Call of Harmony) by Anna Podedworna The most famous Gwent artist enters the list. With a piece made around two, when you think about it very bold choices. The goddess of nature and life, glowing with inhuman light in a black and barren forest. Obscured by thin, bare tree trunks. But to make her emerge and stand out, that was necessary. And it's working wonders. A lot of the Scoia'tael faction is obviously green, all kinds of green, but even a simple choice like making it pop out of black makes the card art stand out among others.

9: Circle of Life by Oleksandr Kozachenko It has everything i usually look for in Gwent art; nature, color, atmosphere. A certain tranquility, perhaps. A little bit of story - the orange badge is the Kerack coat of arms. It's that environmental storytelling thing gamers keep talking about, complementing the character and faction drama of the rest of its card set.

There's a slightly changed, extended version, too, and somehow it's even better.

8: Gezras of Leyda by Bogdan Rezunenko As much as i tend to dunk on Bogdan for having played Blasphemous once and making it his entire personality, Gezras is easily the best school founder card art of the set. Once again, the choice to have these prominent arts on the more symbolic side paid off, and the result is a stalking nocturnal animal out for revenge, backed by a giant image of what simultaneously did him irrepairable harm and gave him the means to defend himself. The premium doesn't disappoint either.

7: Rioghan the Undying by Daniel Valaisis To nobody's surprise, the atmosphere, once again, got me hooked. I love the cold color, the dramatic flow, the big imposing silhouette of a ship in the background. Poor boy is the picture of misery. It's pure melancholy (something not that common in the Skellige faction by the way, which is a point in favor of Funeral Boat too), that i, of course, am inevitably drawn to.

he's just like me fr...

6: Witches' Sabbath by Michal Lisowski Did i craft this card already or not? The realist's complaint towards near-greyscale card art. I share this sentiment, if only for the comedy of it, but with a few notable exceptions, and this piece is the main one. The Robert Eggers comparisons were made already i'm sure, but it really is a take on the last good Witcher 3 quest with a dramatic, more dreamy, or you could say cinematic quality ramped up to 11. Gone is the fanservice present in the game and the unnecessarily grotesque depictions of fatness of other parts of this card set, and what remains is a beautiful, ominous callback to folklore and classical art.

5: Tinboy by Valeriy Vegera This is a baroque painting. The drama. Tinboy doesn't take that scarf off, ever. And here this poor soul is, their last will to live dragging it off him. On purpose? On accident? Probably both. The pattern marking Tinboy as a gang member staining with blood of a victim, something something symbolism. All in Valeriy's signature 'which pencil should i pick up next' style. Underrated piece.

4: Lara Dorren by Toni Muntean They finally got our girl. And once again, despite heartbreak, it's gorgeous. Soft, sweet colors with a necessary hint of melancholy (the lighting suggests it's sunset?), and a pure, painted quality without the need for texture assets. A scene like this is better left a comparatively simple and laid back tribute. Beyond the technicalities, i also really, really applaud Toni for the outfit design. This is the Aen Elle princess, dressed well but for the weather. And the fact her mostly blue clothes with yellow sleeves mirror Cregennan's yellow jerkin with blue details, and her red brooch above the heart might, beside contrasting with the blue, very well reflect his fatal wounds... well. As much as death on card art isn't always done the best, Lara is represented together with that which mattered to her the most. Despite being categorized among the Wild Hunt, she remains herself.

3: Lydia van Bredervoort by Igor Klymenko The joy i felt when this was the art of Lydia they managed to get into the game. It's easily one of the best contest pieces and on par with the best Gwent has to offer - it has mood, and that ever present air of groundedness, realism, and in that, unfortunate tragedy. But similarly to Lara, it shows Lydia being her own person; doing what she loved and was good at without sight of Vilgefortz despite her being known as his ever loyal assistant. Likewise, it doesn't sensantionalize her condition, but references it in a subtle, tasteful, and even clever way. I also love her dress and the overall color palette. Igor understood.

2: Eldain by Anna Podedworna Couldn't help it, this asshole has me in chokehold and he's enjoying it. In my defense, this piece highlights everything Anna is known for, because she's damn good at it. Incredibly sharp main subject of the piece contrasted against a blurry background, which allows for insane details like the strings extending from the top of the lute. To add more fun to it, Eldain isn't even in the absolute foreground, but the piece is still composed smart, so he remains the main focus. His silly red collar on mostly green helps. On top of all that, the art tells a little story, something Anna often does too, and in this case it delightfully sums Eldain up. It's also the best premium in the game.

look at his little red ears from sitting against the sun aww

Honorable mention: Lake Guardian by Anton Nazarenko Like the following #1, this card has sentimental value to me as my second card reveal and artwork i made my best emote of. It was a perfect match, bird gals and all. It's a Sirin, bringing in a more obscure but not unwelcome mythology reference to the universe. And I love her vibrant, marble-like eyes.

1: Dol Blathanna Sentry by Lorenzo Mastroianni ...remains my favourite card art since that fateful day sometime in January 2018. I was just discovering what there was to know about Witcher, downloading Gwent in the first place out of need for more content as i was slowly reading through the first book. Gwent has done a lot to explore and build on this universe, and it has helped me contextualize a lot of things early on. I remember scrolling through the deckbuilder, seeing this art, and being struck by its mood, this aura of secret and wonder. "Oh, so this is what Dol Blathanna looks like..." It's quintessential older Lorenzo. Very much admitted brush work, fog, tight color palette. The little specks of blue in flowers and face paint work just right. Maybe it's a reference to Arthurian myth and Avalon, maybe to Greek myth and Hades, or maybe, as is often the case and was the case later (or earlier in this list), both. It spoke to me and my sense of wonder back then. It speaks to me when i search for comfort now.

now, time to tear Karol Bem to shreds in the top 20 least favourites xd

[cookingwithroxy]

The witcher games included some nonwhite people in a very appropriate way: In the Hearts of Stone DLC for 3, there are some Ofiri people - but because Ofir is far away and beyond difficult borders, these guys couldn't have just wandered in, and had a clear mission: To find a lost prince, and to trade goods. I think they were two different groups since the prince-seekers arrived by boat but the merchants did not go home with them

There is a thing where there is a difference between 'someone is here for a reason, and everyone understands because that reason' and 'the culture is a non-homogenous melting pot of people from distant lands during a time where travel is limited.'

[tsukikoayanosuke]

Still in a Harvest Moon mood, I decided to give all of the characters in HM64 full names (except the sprites).

Also decided to challenge myself to use pick one for each alpabeth. Well, tried, but then divided into major and minor character. So, none have the same beginning letter in their surname except when they're one family.

Meanings under the cut (in alphabetic order; bold for major character, italic for minor character):

Akana (Hawaiian): A common Hawaiian last name and the meaning of the name is "bright".

Amito 網戸 (Japanese): Means "doorway with an insect net" in Japanese.

Bakhuizen (Dutch): Means "bakery" from Dutch bak "bake" and huis "house", an occupational name for a baker.

Bouvier (French): Means "cowherd" in French, from Latin boviarus, a derivative of bos "cow".

Chevalier (French): From a nickname derived from French chevalier meaning "knight", from Late Latin caballarius "horseman", Latin caballus "horse".

Chigusa 千種 (Japanese): From 千 (sen, chi) meaning "thousand"and 種 (shu, -gusa, tane) meaning "class, kind, seed, species, variety"

Desrosiers (French): Means "from the rose bushes", from French rosier "rose bush". It probably referred to a person who lived close to, or cared for a rose garden.

Dufour (French): Occupational name for a baker, from French four "oven".

Eccleston (English): Denoted a person from any of the various places named Eccleston in England, derived from Latin ecclesia "church" (via Briton) and Old English tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Fils-Aimé (Haitian Creole): Means "beloved son" from French fils meaning "son" and aimé "love".

Gagnon (French): Derived from old French gagnon "guard dog". The name most likely originated as a nickname for an aggressive or cruel person.

Gallagher (Irish): Anglicized form of the Irish Ó Gallchobhair meaning "descendant of Gallchobhar".

Hickey (Irish): Anglicized form of Irish Ó hÍcidhe meaning "descendant of the healer".

Jernigan (English): Possibly derived from the old Breton name Iarnogon meaning "iron famous".

Kaufmann (German, Jewish): Means "trader, merchant" in German.

Keller (German): Means "cellar" in German, an occupational name for one in charge of the food and drink.

Langenberg (German, Dutch): From various place names meaning "long mountain" in German and Dutch.

Morifuji 森藤 (Japanese): From 森 (mori) meaning "forest" and 藤 (fuji) meaning "wisteria".

Munakata 宗像, (Japanese): From Japanese 宗 (mune) meaning "religion, doctrine, creed" and 像 (kata) meaning "figure, image, form".

Nussbaum (German, Jewish): Means "nut tree", derived from the German Nuss "nut" and Baum "tree".

Ophir אוֹפִיר (Hebrew): From the given name Ophir. Ophir (or Ofir) is originally a biblical place name. In the days of King Solomon, Ophir was metioned as the name of a land, full of abudant natural treasures such as gold, silver, etc.

Pellegrino (Italian): Means "pilgrim, traveller" in Italian, ultimately from Latin peregrinus.

Rye (English): Topographic name. It could be a misdivision of the Middle English phrases atter ye meaning "at the island" or atter eye meaning "at the river". In some cases it merely indicated a person who lived where rye was grown or worked with rye (from Old English ryge).

Seaver (English): From the unattested Old English given name Sæfaru, derived from the Old English elements sæ "sea, ocean" and faru "journey".

Strickland (English): From the name of a town in Cumbria, derived from Old English stirc "calf, young bullock" and land "cultivated land".

Van de Vliert (Dutch): Means "from the elderberry" in Dutch.

Wakabayashi 若林 (Japanese): From Japanese 若 (waka) meaning "young" and 林 (hayashi) meaning "forest".

Yoxall (English): Originally indicated a person from the town of Yoxall in Staffordshire, itself derived from Old English geoc "oxen yoke" and halh "nook, recess".

Yukiyama 幸山 (Japanese): This surname combines 幸 (kou, saiwa.i, sachi, shiawa.se, yuki) meaning "blessing, fortune, happiness," with 山 (san, sen, yama) meaning "mountain."

[doberbutts]

"If any of the kingdoms are diverse it would just be Nilfgaard as the southernmost kingdom"

1: why is the only place "allowed" to have POC required to be in the south?

2: ah yes Nilfgaard, the clear allegory for Nazi Germany, the kingdom with a canonical obsession for thinking of themselves as the master race and finding all others incredibly expendible, one of the most disliked kingdoms in this universe due to it's often bloody and brutal wars, which the games universe expanded to a bloody genocide and imperial march through the entire continent, and whose actions sort of kick-started the literal end of the world. That Nilfgaard. That's the only place that diversity can exist.

3: idk why I need to keep saying this but the Continent is, in fact, not Poland. It's not even Europe. It's a different world entirely with different geography that humans were magically transported to during the Conjunction. It looks like this:

Idk about you but I'm seeing an awful lot trade routes along the Great Sea which means all of these kingdoms could have access to some of the biggest drivers of human immigration: merchants and slaves.

Additionally, Ofir and Zerrikania aren't even on this map yet we bump into people from these places during the books and the games, meaning it's incredibly possible to cross those mountains along the edge of the map.

I find it really interesting that it's supposedly more plausible that Nilfgaard can get all the way up to Redania [in the games] with very little effort than it is that ethnic diversity happened due to trade and travel.

There's literally a mountain pass between Toussaint and Geso that people can cross vs how many enemy kingdoms in the way of Emhyr's ambition???

[ofwraithsandwords]

s y n o p s i s // ❖ More Hellsing short fics featuring, but not limited to: platonic relationships, the 30 year time skip, original characters, Sertegra (Seras x Integra), and/or Alucard's struggle with the Cat's powers ❖ The slow, but steady continuation of my Hellsing long fic, Plutonian Sun ❖ New Witcher long fic to come some time this year inspired by Sapkowski's book series and CD Projekt RED's The Witcher 3, NOT the Netflix series ❖ Possible Interview With The Vampire short fics exploring the characterization/pasts of Louis, Lestat, Claudia, and Armand. ❖ Possible Dracula short fic featuring a male reader/character of sorts.

Happy New Year's, everyone!

In hopes of keeping things fresh and different, I'll be tackling a few writing projects this year.

h e l l s i n g //

For better of for worse, Hellsing (specifically Hellsing Ultimate) has always been my biggest guilty pleasure and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon. As such, I will still be making content for it. I'm especially interested in exploring the (mostly platonic) relationship dynamics in the Hellsing Organization, such as Integra's relationship with her staff and soldiers, that we don't get to see very often.

I'm also interested in exploring Alucard's newfound powers that he unwillingly received from Schrödinger. I don't typically see a lot of people theorizing how it effects him upon his return or how he navigates it, so this will be something I'll be exploring in Plutonian Sun and possibly in shorter writing pieces.

Speaking of the long fic, I am still plotting and writing it, chapter by chapter. I'm not fast at uploading by any means, but I still intend on continuing it. I know it's not everyone's favorite since it doesn't feature any of the most prominent fanon ships and includes original characters, but I am writing for a more specific audience, anyway. I always appreciate it very much whenever someone leaves a comment of a kudos—it helps me know that maybe I'm doing something right!

t h e w i t c h e r //

Probably to come later on in the year, but I am brainstorming a Witcher long fic. Even though I've had thoughts about doing this anyway, I became motivated to put this project to paper after watching Netflix's The Witcher: Blood Origin. I didn't actually watch the whole thing—I could barely stand to sit through a single episode. It's bad. Really bad. And I figured, "well, I can probably do better than this." So here we are.

Once I am done reading my current book, I will be reading The Last Wish, at least for a start. I may also take inspiration from CD Projekt RED's "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt"—I played the full game with DLC a few years ago. Unfortunately, with how old my laptop is getting, the new gen update has made playing "The Witcher 3" less possible, though not impossible.

Though the story will include many well-loved (and hated) characters from the books, the main protagonists (Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri) will not be present for at least the majority of it. In order to usher the forth a new perspective, I will be making original characters of my own. Such characters include: — an old bruxa who makes a living as an alchemist in Toussaint — a good-natured halfling who's prone to bar fights and loves to cook — a soldier-turned-merchant from Ofir with "extraordinary" luck . . . and likely many more.

I'm still trying to think of a good title, but once I figure that out and the general theme/plot for the fic, I will start giving updates on its progress.

i n t e r v i e w w i t h t h e v a m p i r e //

I've seen the first season of Interview With The Vampire on AMC+ and I absolutely love it. Admittedly I've never read any of Anne Rice's books, but that may change some time in the foreseeable future. For now though, my interpretations and works will be influenced by the AMC+ series. Stories will include the exploration of Louis, Lestat, Claudia, and Armand's personalities/relationships and possibly their pasts. There will especially be an emphasis on how delightfully toxic these blood suckers are to each other.

d r a c u l a //

I've briefly mentioned this a while ago, but I've been thinking about making a fic with a male reader/character who meets Count Dracula (or "Mr. De Ville") shortly after he reaches England. Though Van Helsing and the others likely won't be present in this work, perhaps I will include other side characters from Dracula. I may even have Djamilah (or Ibrahima at that time) make a short cameo. A self-indulgence, if you will.

If anything comes up or there are any changes, I'll be sure to make an announcement. Until then, this is what I have on the roster for this year.

Cheers. ✭

[sunfishsiestalah]

a wandering scholar from ofir who became a spice merchant for the sole reason of wanting to skip the bureaucratic nonsense at every kingdom's borders

[thirstyforred]

✦ thirsty's fav gwent cards (652/∞) Radeyah

" Beautiful is Ofir, but of dangers full. "

[epicgeek]

Merchants of Ofir: nova expansão é lançada para GWENT

[hadesbeast]

Artist Lorenzo Mastroianni…Merchants of Ofir - Gwent 😈 ~ßεศş†~ https://www.instagram.com/p/CdP3pxpFWXe/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[dukeofdogs]

Gwent: The Witcher Card Game | The cards that could’ve been 38/?

Novigrad (??), Merchants Of Ofir (Lorenzo Mastroianni), Way Of The Witcher (Valeriy Vegera), Once Upon a Pyre (??), Harvest of Sorrow (??)

[msxr]

The Religion plays a strong part in many peoples' lives in the known world ranging from the worshipping of prophets to mythical beings and cults.

Known religions

Imperial Cult of the Great Sun  (  Warmth, life, humanity, ruling dynasty, emperor, army )  The cult of the Great Sun was formerly only one of various religions in the Empire, popular only in its core regions. This situation changed during reign of the predecessor of Emperor Fergus, about a hundred years ago, who initiated a series of major reforms. The ruler was looking for a symbol which would unite the realm better and more permanently than only the ruling dynasty. By skillfully managing with cash and giving priests his monarchic favor, he made the cult begin to gain a new crowd of followers throughout the whole Empire. In exchange, the Emperor demanded absolute support for his policies from the clergy, practically making priesthood another form of civil service.Then the monarch issued a special decree called "March 8th Edict" which granted the cult the status of official state religion. Though during reign of the Usurper its rights were diminished, its position increased after Emhyr var Emreis and his army overthrew the usurper. The cult has its roots in the Elven cult of nature. The primary deity is the Sun, giver of warmth and life, protector of humankind, but also capable of being cruel and destructive. Since the "March 8th Edict" it has also been the patron of the ruling dynasty. The most important holidays are the Equinoxes and birthday of the current Imperator, currently July 26. The central ceremonies are held in the capital, performed by the Imperator acting as the High Priest, head of the religion.All holidays are celebrated with great pomp, to the accompaniment of solemn music and in the presence of all major officials, commanders, and aristocrats. After official ceremonies, folk games with food and beverage take place.  It is noteworthy that a number of customs related with the holidays are derived directly from Elven tradition. Priests of the cult wear white raiments embroidered in gold and silver during devotions, celebrations, and holidays; as casual clothes they wear black civilian dress.

Nordling Pantheon Nordlings believe in a vast pantheon of numerous gods, goddesses, mystical powers and local forces, as well as human Prophets and Saints. Their religion is not as organized as the Imperial Cult of the Great Sun – it lacks of one head above the whole cult, instead being centered around regional hierarchs, archpriests of given deities and charismatic leaders such as Grand Masters of knightly orders and self-proclaimed Prophets.Settled priests usually follow a single deity but acknowledge and respect others while the wandering ones tend to invoke all the gods.[2] Some of the deities are known as the Immortal Ones.[3]It should be noted that while most of one deity's followers believe in the existence of another one, they do not necessarily worship the latter in the same way as the primary one – and, in extreme cases, can even hate it and its followers, as in case of the persecuted Coram Agh Tera cult. Deities Aesculapius Shani's necklace. Aesculapius is a mythological figure after whom the Rod of Aesculapius on the Merchant Street is named. Shani wears an amulet depicting its symbol, a snake entwining a staff.TriviaAsclepius was a hero and the god of medicine in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Coram Agh TeraFor the full article, see Coram Agh Tera. DagonFor the full article, see Dagon .Epona?For the full article, see Horse deity. HuldraFor the full article, see Huldra .KreveFor the full article, see Kreve. LilvaniFor the full article, see Lilvani.Lyfia For the full article, see Dana Meadbh.Melitele For the full article, see Melitele.Morrigan For the full article, see Morrigan.NehaleniFor the full article, see Nehaleni.Pereplut? Priests of this deity are common in Ebbing. They have a wooden temple in Claremont and while they protest against harming animals in the Arena, they do not mind harming humans. At the square in front of the temple Bonhart tortured Ciri with the riding-whip, the priests did not intervene.TriviaThere is an area in Ebbing called Pereplut Swamps. It is the name of a god of rivers and dance in the Slavic mythology, so it is possible that this Ebbinger deity is called Pereplut as well. SednaFor the full article, see Sedna. UroborosFor the full article, see Uroboros.Veyopatis For the full article, see Veyopatis.Verna Many people living in Velen worship a deity called Verna the Merciful, whose shrines are often desecrated by blasphemers trying to make a point, like in the quest Defender of the Faith.

Ofieri beliefs    Lands of Ofir have different deities and beliefs, depending on the region. They believe that important matters should be discussed outdoors with gods for witnesses. In contrast to the Northern Realms, the faith doesn't conflict science, and many clerics are great scholars valued by people for wisdom. z

Skellige Pantheon The Gods of the Sea and goddess Freya are chief objects of worship throughout Skellige. Undoubtedly, the latter is revered by the Islanders above all other deities, and she is a central figure in their religious system. They grant her the venerable title of the great modron, meaning "mother" in their tongue, for Freya is the patron of fertility, love, and beauty. She also poses as the patron of soothsayers, clairvoyants, telepaths, as symbolized by her sacred animals: the cat, which sees and hears while being unseen, and the falcon, who watches everything from the sky, and by her jewel: the necklace of foresight Brisingamen.]Apart from these, Islanders revere mythical hero Hemdall,[9] his mistress Heulyn, and their children, founders of the most powerful clans and the first alleged rulers of the archipelago: Grymmdjarr, Modolf, Broddr, Otkell, Sove, and Tyr.[2] They also trust and believe in local druids, who are seen as wise men and act as diplomats, royal advisors, warriors, and wielders of magic.[ There are also two forgotten deities: Svalblod and Melusine. Svalblod was worshiped by a cult cast out of Skellige, for even in a land of violence-orientated culture, these worshipers practiced rituals so drastic that they repulsed the minds of many. When it got too far, jarls brought an end to it and by 1272 only the henge in Fornhala remained standing.Melusine was a siren but was so strong, large, and different from the others that some Islanders worshiped her as a semi-divine being. She hibernated in a cave at the southern cliffs of Spikeroog, leaving at times to hunt. The locals feared her enough to worship her and even built a massive shrine in her cave, remembering her as the mad and dangerous Lady Melusine of the Depths

Zerrikanian beliefs Zerrikanians are known to worship dragons and make sacrifices before images of the said creatures.The religion is founded upon a legend of the golden dragon Zerrikanterment and how he created a protective barrier around Zerrikania by burning forests around and thus turning them into deserts and wastelands.They believe that before the dragons there was no other god, that they are the creators and rulers of the world. The priestesses are in charge of the worship. They explore all religious knowledge, are fluent in writing, and use the heavenly gift, meaning that they use magic drawn from dragons who are the only creatures apart from cats that are known to absorb magical energy.

[gauntie-o-dimm]

Gaunter O’Dimm | Fate

Prompt: “I never want to see you again.” Word count: 2600+ Warnings: Smut, swearing, soul-selling

Fan-fucking-tastic, this entire event. After helping Geralt out with fighting the Toad (-Prince! Olgierd hadn't mentioned that shit!) we found ourselves trapped on a ship to what seemed like Ofir, at least, according to the man that was imprisoned with us. He could speak a small word of their language. His name was Phelippe Calagrande and made for some interesting company, telling stories about Oxenfurt, which did not really interest me to be honest, but it was something to listen to on the way.

The thing that bothered me most about this capture honestly, was that I had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sure, I helped out Geralt to attempt killing the toad, but the original plan had been that I'd been long gone before this so cursed prince came out to fight. Things turned out differently, causing me to be taken prisoner alongside the Witcher, on our way to our death. All could have been prevented, but something seemed to have meddled in our affairs... At least Shani had managed to get away. 'Is there someone else around here who can speak Common?' I asked as I became bored of Phelippe's endless rant about how he "knew the city better than his own breeches". Geralt was asleep, and I just wanted to talk to someone else. 'No offense, Mr Calagrande, but I want to hear another voice for once.' 'Like mine?' An all too familiar voice made the hairs of my neck stand on end. No, he couldn't be... I didn't dare turn my head to face him, but his looming presence told me he really was there. 'Did you miss me, (Y/n)?' 'I thought we agreed upon you not coming to look for me again.' I could simply feel him smirking at me. 'No, you said it, but I never agreed. And when there is no contract signed about that, then I do not have to keep track of any desire of yours.' Just now I had enough courage to look at him. He was smugly standing there, his features just lit up enough to be recognizable - and handsome - I shook my head to shake the thought away. 'Remember what I told you? I still have the contract for you.' Gaunter O'Dimm waved his hand, a piece of parchment appearing in his fingers alongside a quill. 'You know the deal. I will leave you alone for the rest of your life, but when you die, you and I will be ever reunited.' I stared at my bare feet, biting my lip. 'I know you simply can not stay away from me, (Y/n).' 'Excuse me?' I turned my head to him, sincerely offended. 'You're the one that keeps pursuing me !' He let out a low chuckle, a small shake of his head accompanying the sound. 'Then I just have to call you delusional, sweetheart.' I felt my heart drop in my chest. 'Why do we just keep stumbling into each other, then?' Rubbing my eyes, I let out a sigh. 'If I believed in it, I would say it is fate. But then, I am not someone for things like that.' 'You are just doing it on purpose, aren't you?' 'Hm?' 'You're so fucking omniscient, you knew where I am at all times, and whoops, it's fucking fate! You can't fool me, Gaunter.' He put up his hands in a defensive manner, stepping closer. 'You are acting as if I mean nothing to you.' 'You don't.' 'Not only delusional, but a liar too. And still, I choose to spend my valuable time with you.' 'For you, time is not valuable. You can stop it at any time.' He grinned. 'Well, you got me there, (Y/n).' I stood up to my feet when he suddenly appeared on my side of the cell. 'Can they hear you?' I gestured towards the two men next to me. Gaunter raised an eyebrow. 'I am not one for slip-ups, (Y/n).' He halted when he was about an inch away - and I did for some reason not back off. His breath on my face was just enthralling to me... I had to fight the urge to reach for him. And his familiar scent, it was enough to make my knees weak. 'I am omniscient after all, and I know the desires of your heart. You can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to me.' I thickly swallowed, looking down a bit. 'I know what me being so close is doing to you...' He gently put his hand on my cheek, stroking it, '...How much you want to give in.' Feeling embarrassed, I wanted to both turn away and stand in place. I did the latter, my gaze fluttering up to meet his. My lips slightly parted, wanting to say something, but it was as if he had put a spell on me. 'I can hear your heart beating.' he whispered, his hand sliding down towards my neck, collarbone, resting on my heart for a moment before he cupped my breast. 'Your blood pressure is rising. Hm, would you smell that... Aroused already, (Y/n)?' Just now I noticed what the pit of my stomach was doing. 'Gaunter, I...' His gaze was so intense and I wanted to- I grabbed his collar and kissed him.

He barely reacted and after a few seconds, I pulled back. 'You what?' he grinned. 'I want you.' 'I know.' He pressed his mouth to mine again, exploring it with his tongue like it had many times before. I let out a small hum, sounding desperate for him. He was right. He was so. fucking. right. I had craved him, longed for his touch on lonely nights, and part of me was so pissed at him for just looking on at those moments, watching me come undone on my own fingers while his name slipped past my lips instead of appearing like I always hoped-

-But I also wanted, no, wished that I was able to hate him, because I knew that he was far from human and far from good. In the end, I could get hurt, since why would he stay with me anyways? As soon as I was old and slipped into a slumber that would be forever, he would throw me with his other mortal toys in a pit full of eternal neglect. And yet here I was, breathing through him as if all I knew was how to kiss him. He would devour me one way or the other, but I would moan in pleasure on my way there.

'Why are you thinking so much?' he whispered against my lips, slipping a hand under the thin shirt I was wearing. I noticed how tightly I was pressed against him, how my fingers were gripping on his shirt like a final life line. 'I... I just...' 'Just stop stuttering and tell me what is wrong.' 'I don't know how to put it, okay? I am just afraid that... That once I am dead, that I will be a nobody to you.' Gaunter traced my mouth with his thumb, letting out a low hum. 'You really are a sweet woman, you know that?' 'Oh, why?' 'Because you think you are not the only one... But you are. You have always been.' 'No offense, Gaunter, but I don't believe that for one second.' 'Believe what you will. But you know that I can get you out of this ship.' 'Oh, I know.' I responded, 'Otherwise you wouldn't be here.'

He smirked, pressing his forehead to mine. 'You know me better than I thought. But first, I need to do something else.' He guided me backwards and I gasped as I felt the iron bars of the cell against my back. Gaunter kicked apart my legs and rubbed his thigh teasingly against my core. I deeply whimpered, much to his amusement. The Man Of Glass started kissing my neck, sucking and biting the (s/c) skin as he made quick work of getting my lower body naked. I rolled back my head as he slid his finger against my soaked folds, parting them as a moan came from my throat. He nibbled my collarbone, lowly humming as I bucked my hips against his hand. 'You needy thing.' he said, reaching for his pants to undo them. I wasn't surprised to find him completely limp - his body wouldn't be affected by pleasure until he wanted to. He raised an eyebrow at me and I immediately knew what to do. I sank to my knees, the wood painfully rubbing against my knees, but I didn't care. 'See it as a payment for helping you out.' he mused, lacing his fingers in my hair. 'Hands on your back.' I obeyed, folding them behind me as I pressed my nose against his crotch, nuzzling him. A satisfied sigh left his lips - a noise which I deemed the most delicious in the world - and I started working him with my mouth. I felt his length bob underneath my tongue as I let it lick across the base, slowly starting to become erect. I closed my eyes as he let himself slide into my mouth and I wrapped my lips around his cock, sucking him in whole. 'Fuck.' he hissed, pushing his pelvis in my face. I gagged, but resisted the urge to pull back. Looking up at him, I saw him in a state of pleasure and possessiveness. 'Yes, you naughty thing... Isn't this what you wanted?' I nodded and he saw it as his cue to start thrusting into my face at a rapid speed. He sucked in a breath as I started making noises that were too lewd to let any soul on this ship know of. After a good twenty seconds of deep-throating me, he pulled himself away from me, snot and tears running down my face as my tongue was soon back on his shaft. 'Fuck... You look so deliciously filthy right now...' I licked the strings of saliva off his throbbing member, waiting for my next order. Gaunter took my arm, hoisting me to my feet. He pressed me against the iron bars of the cell again, the feeling of the metal cold against my ass. He lifted my leg over his hip, pressing the tip of his cock against my entrance. As he entered me, the feeling of the barrier behind me painfully forced against my spine, I let out a loud whimper. The Merchant Of Mirrors just chuckled, watching me as I broke down into a mewling mess all in the same thrust. Perhaps I had needed it so bad that he could almost make me cum already - and I felt myself close around him instantly. He wasted no time, not that it mattered of course, and started fucking me. The rusty iron squeaked from the movement, my back arching into him as he moved his pelvis towards and away from me. It was soon that I could feel my juices run down my thighs and I moaned, one of my hands around his neck, the other fondling my clit. I would much rather see him fuck me in a proper bed or against a somewhat more comfortable wall, but the thought of what actually was going on around this ship made the feeling of him just fully taking me right now so much more exciting, even though we would never be caught.

'G-Gaunter, I...' 'Hm?' He increased his speed and smirked, pressing a teasing kiss to my jaw. 'What is it, darling?' How did he have this much self-control?! I let out a cry, pulling my leg closer around him. 'Can I cum?' 'Have I told you you can yet?' I lazily shook my head, my head rolled back and mouth slightly open to let out the most wanton of sobs. 'N-No...' 'Do you want it to be like in your own bed, when you are alone, huh? Do you want to make yourself cum? Come on, use those fingers of yours on that straining clit.' I increased the speed of the circles I was rubbing on it, my toes curling. I was too weak to stand, nearly falling onto the deck, but Gaunter caught me right in time. He let out a dark laugh, his pumping in me never tiring out. 'I am going to count to three, yes?' 'Ah, hurry... I-I won't last long!' 'Well, if you keep talking like that, it will only take longer. One...' 'Gaunter...' 'Two...' 'Fuck, just make me c-' 'Actually, I don't think that one counts, since you're blabbing through the moment. Let's start over again.' I could actually strangle him out of frustration right now. 'One.' I sobbed against him, wailing as he twitched inside of me. Oh, he was already having his high, and it drove me crazy. 'Two... Count with me, (Y/n). Say it.' 'T-T... Two-oh...' 'Hm, what comes after two again? Four?' He knew what he was doing and man, it made me mad. I already felt his seed leak out of my stillunsatisfied cunt. 'It's... It's three...' 'Well done, (Y/n). I hereby grant you the permission to--' I came around him, loudly moaning while holding onto his shirt for dear life, tears staining the orange fabric. I shuddered, losing all control over my own body. Gaunter just stood there, holding me in his arms. He was just so full of himself, and I of him... Quite literally, actually. As soon as my high was done, he set me on the ground, but my footing was still wobbly. Extremely calm and collected, he tucked himself back in his pants, smiling at me. 'Well, (Y/n), I must say that it was quite a fuck.' 'Will you help us out, now?' I said, still completely out of breath. I was surprised at how coarse my voice sounded. 'Of course, but first... I need something to remember you that there will be a payback for all this in the future. You have already fulfilled it, but Geralt hasn't. And trust me, I have a different plan for him.' He looked at the Witcher, who was sitting a little away, clearly sunken in thought at the moment that Gaunter had stopped the time. Without anything causing it, a nasty scar appeared on the side of the White Wolf's face. 'You can tell him that later. I want to meet him at the crossroads of Yantra at midnight.' I weakly nodded. 'Gaunter, I meant to ask you...' I whispered. 'Why me? Of all mortals, why have you chosen to interfere with me?' He smiled. 'Well, that is a secret you will never know.' I looked at him, pondering. What we were doing was just so wrong... The path I was choosing with him was so wrong. He knew everything about him, and after all of our rendez-vous, I had still no idea who he was. To him, I was one big, live contract. He was a dangerous man. Perhaps it was best to cut ties with this man before it all went wrong.

'I never want to see you again.' I tried to sound determined, but the exhaustion made my voice too shaky to be taken seriously. 'I don't even want you to find me again. It's wrong, you know.' Gaunter let out a chuckle, shaking his head. 'Ouch, after that great orgasm I just gave you?' He pretended to be hurt for a moment. 'Oh, (Y/n). You know that something will keep bringing us together. Whatever you say, you know that we will eventually meet again.' I rolled my eyes, reaching for my undergarments. His dark eyes lingered on my body, bottom lip slipping in between his teeth. 'I will see you later, dear.'

Of course. Of course he'd come back. He was a man of his word after all.

'Wait.' I could sense him smirking. He looked over his shoulder, a pompous grin on his features. 'Yes?' I was silent for a moment before biting my lip, daring to ask the question.

'That contract... Where do I sign?'

[gertlushgaming]

Merchants of Ofir expansion now available for GWENT

Merchants of Ofir expansion now available for GWENT

Merchants of Ofir introduces over 70 cards themed around Ofir — a mysterious and exotic land within the world of The Witcher, whose inhabitants players had the chance to interact within The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Hearts of Stone. New additions include both Neutral cards for use across all GWENT armies, as well as faction-specific ones, along with Stratagems. This new card type, when included in…

[roach-of-rivia]

About Cyberpunk's controversy

Important: Im going to give my opinion here, so i ask you guys to kindly respect it and i invite you to open my private chat and i will gladly and respectfully debate about it with you.

The begginig

The last CM of the Cyberpunk Twitter account made a joke about assuming someone's gender.

("Did you just assume their gender?")

Personally, I don't find it offensive. I enjoy dark humor as hell.

Also, here in my country, Spain, there are some ppl going mad about the gender pronouns stuff. At a point that is so ridiculous even trans people laugh at them. So it's kind of a meme here.

Next

This person was fired, and i really disapprove this decision.

None should ever be fired bc a joke. This was a joke made with good intentions. This person wasn't meant to hurt trans ppl. Although, I understand it was made in a inappropriate situation.

So, I wouldn't have fired this person, but instead make them to apologize and be more careful next time.

The end

CdPred apologized for that and now here's another person controlling the account .

Ps: even if it was a bad joke, one person (and more a CM) doesn't represent the whole team.

Now, about the racist accusations towards The Witcher 3.

The skin colour of npcs

They're white bc the games happens exclusively in Nordic countries.

And in the medieval ages.

So, why there aren't black ppl in the game?

There are, but why so few? Bc these countries (which would be Poland-Germany for Novigrad, Velen and White Orchard, Italy(?) For Toussaint, and Iceland for Skellige) are very very far from Africa and the southeast of Europe (I mean countries like Turkey, in which ppl have mostly brown skin).

So:

There's multiple times we are asked where are we from, and if we answer "Kaer Morhen", we will always (as long as we are outside Novigrad/Velen and White Orchard) get "That's so far away!" As a reply.

So, despite of being from the continent we are told we come from far away lands.

Now imagine: how would it be for ppl from Africa (for example) to get from there to Toussaint? (Which is the one most to the south) In world full of danger, like monsters or bandits; a world in which even white ppl are racist to other white beings just bc they're shorter (dwarfs) or have long ears (elfs), how a black or brown person could survive? Or worse, who would want to go there?

So, of course bc climate there can't be black ppl growing out of nowhere.

Not only climate changes between maps; accents, customs, music, npcs tasks, clothes, swords, armors...and animals does too.

Why are animals important here? Bc as we humans change our bodies in order to survive better in different climates, animals do too.

So, it's not like CD Pred ignored this.

They acknowledged it both with animal and human npcs.

We find different type of wolves, bears, rock trolls and horses in Skellige we can't find anywhere else. (Plus, sirens can only be found there)

There are unique monsters (Archerspores, Shaelmaars, Silver Basilisks, Wights, Giant Centipedes, dracolizards, scurvers, and all the expansion vampires) animals (panthers, peacocks, pheasants) and even plants (like the tulips) in Toussaint.

As in each map there can only grow certain species of animals, happens the same with humans.

And that's the reason why "there aren't" black ppl.

The actual black ppl in the game

There are several dark skin characters.

-By the fault, we encounter a black succubus as protagonist in a secondary quest in Novigrad.

-In the dlc

°Hearts of stone: (SPOILERS AHEAD) We get captured by a group of ofiris (One mage, at least 5 ofiri warriors and the dead prince).

Then, near Olgierd's mannor, we get to meet an ofiri merchant and an another ofiri mage (I'm not sure if he was really a mage..)

°Blood & Wine: In Madragoras party we get to see another Ofiri magician.

(End of SPOILERS, you can now continue reading)

So in total we have: 11 brown npcs.

What I like about Hearts of stone: it feels well implemented, it feels right with the dlc theme (as we get introduced to ofiri sabers thanks to Olgierd). It feels like true diversity.

We we get to chat with the ofiri merchant, one of the first things we say is "You are so far away from Ofir". He even tell us about the beauty of his land.

It feels really nice talking to him, it's a very interesting and friendly chat. That's why is so cool, bc is a unique character, with a unique story line (also they have unique accents and facial features).

Summary: the npcs are very aware of distance between 'maps'. That's why it is not racism, it is following the world's logic.

If it were racism, Hearts of Stone would be a lot different.

Also, one of the important members of the (CD Pred) team is a black man so..

What does this have to do with Cyberpunk?

There were a lot of ppl calling CD Pred racists bc of this TW3 matter.

Now that Cyberpunk trailers and gameplay has been revealed, we can see all human races mix together in the same city.

Why? Bc in the future (or even now) it's completely normal and logical to be npcs of all skin colours and genders.

This shows that CD Pred aren't racists, they just make logical (and high quality) worlds and eviroments.

One matter solved.

Now, the transgender ad controversy.

First of all, I don't find offensive at all, the opposite, I think is good that trans ppl are shown in games as normal as cis ppl.

Also, the artist explained why their penis is so visible: they wanted to show how corporations sexualize and milk to the last drop everything, they wanted the ads to be as much aggressive as possible. The wanted to give players the feeling that corporations control everything, even us. (You can find out more googling for interviews)

So it is not transphobic.

It make offend some ppl, but it wasn't meant to be offensive.

They also let us customise our character the way we like (like the sims), it can be as you want.

CD Projekt Red isn't a transphobic or racist studio!

Thanks for reading me.

Ps: I'm sorry if I have grammatical mistakes, this is not my main language.

Update:

If you still believe they're transphobic after this.. then i dont know what would make you change your mind..

Tweet here