#metaphysical predators

[monkeyandelf]

Who Are the "Shepherds" of Humanity? Unmasking the Hidden Controllers of the Human Race

On https://www.monkeyandelf.com/who-are-the-shepherds-of-humanity-unmasking-the-hidden-controllers-of-the-human-race/

Who Are the "Shepherds" of Humanity? Unmasking the Hidden Controllers of the Human Race

For centuries, humanity has grappled with the idea of freedom, evolution, and autonomy. Yet the deeper we dig into history, psychology, and spirituality, the clearer it becomes: something — or someone — has been manipulating the trajectory of human consciousness from behind the curtain.

While ancient mystics whispered of such entities, and modern researchers trace inexplicable patterns in history, a profound and disturbing theory is coming to light — humanity is not at the helm of its own destiny. Instead, we may be a carefully herded species, guided by forces few dare to name. These are the “shepherds” of humanity.

History Is Not What It Seems: A Manufactured Narrative

Around a century ago, pioneering thinkers began noticing peculiar patterns in the course of human events. Cataclysmic world wars, pandemics, civil unrest, and sweeping societal changes seemed too coordinated to be purely accidental. Digging deeper, some uncovered evidence that our official history — taught in schools and written in books — might be a cleverly crafted illusion.

Entire epochs, civilizations, and global shifts appear choreographed. The narrative we’re fed through education and media often serves to veil a hidden truth: humanity may be living within a pre-designed script — and those directing the play are not human in the way we understand.

The First Layer: The Visible Shepherds

Most people, when asked who governs the world, would name presidents, religious leaders, or billionaire technocrats. These visible figures — politicians, corporate moguls, media tycoons — certainly exert influence. Yet, more inquisitive minds have long questioned whether these figures are merely the pawns of a deeper game.

In recent decades, discussions about the “global elite” and “supranational rulers” have become increasingly common. Terms like globalist, technocrat, and even Satanist get tossed around in forums and documentaries, often in connection with digital control systems, engineered social chaos, and the ever-looming threat of population reduction. But are these players truly the architects — or are they just middle management?

Enter the Hidden Architects: The Creator Gods

Above these elite networks, some researchers propose, exist even more powerful beings — the so-called “creator gods.” These entities, described in ancient myths and religious texts, are believed to have manipulated human genetics to create a subservient hybrid race. These hybrids, while outwardly human, are hardwired for domination, greed, and emotional detachment.

They are the ideal rulers of humanity — perfectly designed to exploit, control, and extract emotional and energetic nourishment from the masses. Their allegiance is not to humankind but to their creators, whose motives are as alien as they are ancient.

The Ultimate Parasites: Flyers and Demonic Entities

But the story doesn’t end there. According to the teachings of Carlos Castaneda, and more specifically his teacher Don Juan Matus, even these so-called gods are controlled by an even more sinister force: the Flyers — parasitic, non-physical entities that feed on human consciousness.

In modern terms, you might think of them as interdimensional vampires. Dream hackers — advanced students of Castaneda’s teachings — describe them as shadowy, winged shapes that hover at the edge of perception, especially noticeable during twilight. They feed not on flesh, but on emotions — especially fear, pain, suffering, rage, and even euphoric highs.

The Brain Hack: Kundabuffer and the Hijacking of Human Consciousness

How did they take control of us? Dream hackers and esoteric mystics believe that, sometime in ancient history, possibly during the era of the Sumerians, a neural “device” was implanted in the human brain — known in mystical traditions as the kundabuffer. Located between the hemispheres of the brain, this construct acts as a filter and transmitter.

Its purpose? To suppress higher knowledge, block spiritual awakening, and allow flyers to project thoughts into our minds — thoughts we mistake for our own. Have you ever questioned your potential, felt unworthy without cause, or been suddenly consumed by destructive urges? These may not be your thoughts at all.

We Are the Food: Emotions as Energy Currency

These flyers consume the energy generated by our emotional responses. Suffering, in particular, is their gourmet meal. But they don’t stop at negativity. Sudden bursts of joy, uncontrolled euphoria, and emotional highs are just as palatable — they milk us dry, leaving just enough life-force for us to stumble forward and generate more.

Even our romantic agony, jealousy, and heartbreak become feasts. Every tragic love song, every manipulated social trend, and every media-fed panic attack — all are harvests. In this parasitic ecosystem, humans are the livestock, and our emotions are the milk.

The Path to Freedom: Escaping the Parasitic Grid

But is escape possible? Castaneda’s teachings and the practices of his followers suggest a path: the path of self-mastery. This means dismantling the kundabuffer, silencing the internal dialogue, and achieving a state of inner balance — the “golden mean.”

The key lies in detachment from emotional extremes. This doesn’t mean rejecting all emotion or living in numb apathy. Rather, it means cultivating calm, stable positive states — joy without mania, peace without passivity. Emotional balance starves the flyers. It cuts the cords that feed them.

Why Flyers Fear Your Awakening

The last thing these entities want is a population of awakened individuals. That’s why the media, entertainment, and even spiritual trends often swing us between polarities — despair or delusional ecstasy. The more you swing, the more you leak energy.

But those who find their center become invisible to the flyers’ radar. Like a fish calmly navigating a net instead of thrashing in panic, you can slip through unnoticed. This isn’t fantasy — it’s metaphysical survival.

It’s a Choice: Remain the Herd or Walk the Path

Ultimately, not everyone will choose to walk the path of self-awareness. Many find comfort in distractions, in being part of the “herd” — gossiping, binge-watching, drinking, chasing fleeting pleasures. And that’s their choice, respected by the universal law of free will.

But for those who seek more — clarity, sovereignty, truth — the path is narrow but attainable. It leads away from parasitic manipulation, toward a life fueled not by reaction, but by intention. The flyers won’t let go willingly. But they can be escaped.

The question is: will you continue to feed them, or begin the journey to reclaim your energy, your mind, and your soul?

[eyeballplanets]

this is still so crazy to me. like we don't talk about this enough. if fandom bloggers were like 5% less misogynist people would want kirkman's head

[dia-oro]

For the Harry Potter fans I wonder who was their favorite villain in a fanfic? Like Voldemort is a cliche already but what of others ? Others that are no Ron or Severus with a Ron the death eater trope (the bashing was so powerful that Ron have his own trope for so much making the bad guy) but like…. Have you see fic with greyback so twisted but same as a villain?? Bellatrix surviving Molly hex and going for revenge ? Even Sybil done with everybody mocking at her for being a ‘fluke seer’ just can be pretty refreshing to read..

for me a sane but still twisted greyback is great, I remember reading a kiss from a rose (it’s a post war snamione but hear me out this shit is goood) and just feel refresh with a villain that cannot be sympathize like zero quality but also sano no matter how twisted? A villain that have his feet in the present and know very well what he doing ? Plotting and seeing how everyone of the good side just underestimate him? Or how is minions no matter if they managed to make you feel pity for them they just- just make you stay in silence for a moment and say ‘well, I would feel sympathy for him/her but now I just hope they are catch soon’ moment? I just there with a headache and just have this revelation in how so much everybody relies in Voldemort, Lucius, RON or even Severus (if the era of Harry parents usually) and boi… there are some good villains there like even a dumbledore blind with his ideals can be good material… just no in the way so many would like, but still.

do you know the greyback of the fic i mentioned just put in almost jaque mate from almost the middle of the fic at almost all people in the story? Some really good plot armor was needed to counter his move and still till the last chapter he virtually win till author say ‘this was so not suppose to happens no Nope’ and win… with a 30 minutes death snape? but hey at the end he fall but was a good villain fall. You know when you feel a weight lif from you ? Seeing it death was that…

Forget it I’m only a person with a big headache but just there thinking how sometimes the greatest villain can be a ignored one.

[evilminji]

Hey Minji! A thought for your Star Wars things!

Who ever said the SI-OC was the only one to get dumped in SW? Just. A Creche that has several Reincarnations/Transmigrants.

Oh? My god? Just... the FIRST thing that popped into my head? Was the image of one of those "we are so Unbelievably Overworked We No Longer Fear You Nor Death" Sort of office workers/team of workers(nonspecific)?

Just... fuckin EVERYBODY knows Star Wars. Not everybody focused on the same PART of it, but the DO know it. So OBVIOUSLY? The Force decided it should bring in an A Team.

It Did Not ASK the A Team.

They are... like? 4. And sitting in a soft foam, brightly colored Creche, in their lil Jedi rompers, all sitting in a circle, looking at each other like... ( -_-) (-_- ) you too, huh?

Yeeeeeep. (God does Jerry want a cigarette. Jerry gave them up in his 20s. But he's KINDA GOING THROUGH IT, okay?!) (Sarah is hyperventilating in the corner. Her KIDS! Oh GOD. Her KIDS! She was on the way to pick them up from SOCCOR PRACTICE!!!)

Just? This whole ass team of "yeah, we know the LORE, but buddy, pal, we had LIVES! What the FUCK. Star Wars was a HOBBY!" Type adults? No one is happy and everyone wants to choke the metaphysical concept of The Force with their itty, bitty lil baby hands.

They may RIOT.

And like? Do to sheer NUMBERS? They make up ALMOST a full Creche?

Almost.

There is like... one? Maybe two? Actual Jedi Babies™ in their group? It's A Team... plus our collective children. Whom we parent. The MOST baby of babies. Also the spokesperson when they want to fool anyone into thinking they're "normal".

I want Jerry to have a fake cigarette. He's looked up death sticks and like FUCK is he putting that shit in his body, but dear LORD are the oral fixation and mental effects of a past addiction still both real, and a pain in the ASS.

If you try and TAKE his fake ass, hand made, bespoke not-a-cigarette from his itty bitty lil baby hands? He will take your KNEES. These FUCKERS won't even let him have COFFEE. Let him HAVE THIS. *hisses from the walls*

I want them to be ☆~Nightmare Children~☆

They have the power of The Force, various past life skills, an uninterrupted access to the galaxy's BIGGEST LIBRARY, close proximity to FAR too many senator AND their living spaces, and? An actual negative number of fucks to give. They can take shifts. Tag team. Be creepy, horrible, terrible, God awful nightmare creatures climbing out from your WALLS.

Somehow they keep escaping.

Down through the lower temple as they examine the hidden tunnels and escape routes. Through the vents. Forcing other jedi to become VERY familiar with where those pathways are. Sure hope THAT won't someday save your lives! Ya ungrateful, "you're grounded, stop sneaking out younglings" BASTARDS! So rude!!

The camp out in the Corrie Gaurd office. Bring the babies.

Here, you seem stressed, random gaurd. Hold a Jedi Baby. They radiate sunshine and good vibes. Are literally the Anti-Old-Man-Sith. We brought caffeine and food from the temple. Are willing to follow you around like "adorable ducklings" on patrol under the excuse that we're "training" for when we get our own soilders.

Sure is INCONVENIENT for all these asshole senators to has a witness, huh?

You gaurd my back, I'll gaurd yours. And if a certain long neck trips near the stairs? You didn't see SHIT. I'm BABY. How could I POSSIBLY have the control to do that? Now excuse me... we need to practice our "we Jedi Children can stare into your SOOOOOULS, we See All Your Sins." Wide Eyed Unblinking Predator Stare.

(O.O) (O.O) (O.O)

[selkiesstories]

As promised all the antisemitic tropes associated with the Greens in House of the Dragon because I guess when you double down on the divinely ordained Aryan as heroes you need Jewish coded villains. Please note that I am not accusing anyone including Condal or other producers of secretly sympathizing with Nazis or antisemitism if for no other reason that I suspect they are simply too ill informed to realize what their playing with. (for a better understanding about the metaphysical role Jews played in Nazism see Alon Confino's A World Without Jews: The Nazi Imagination from Persecution to Genocide)

Let's start with casting:

And Alicent is the embodiement of the Beautiful Jewess- curly dark reddish hair, and big beautiful eyes ( It's over a year since I read Höss's complaining about how his officers were susceptible to Jewish women and their "beautiful eyes" and I am still not over it.)

Moving on-

1) Alicent and by extension the Greens are portrayed as religious. This religion is implied or certainly interpreted by fans to be oppressive towards the Targaryens (Valeryians) notably by setting rules and thus bringing them to the level of mortals. Hitler considered Christianity to be a Jewish invention that was a “scar” on the German race by imposing a conscience.

2) The Hightowers and the Citadel/maesters are implied in the fandom to be running a conspiracy to bring down the Targaryens. Some fans have them poisoning Viserys and/or responsible for all the Targaryen stillbirths, and dismal maternal and infant mortality rates. The Protocols of Zion are an old debunked many times conspiracy theory about how Jews secretly work to run the world. Jewish doctors were accused of damaging Aryan women. The Doctor’s Plot is actually Soviet where Jewish doctors were accused of poisoning Stalin.

3) Heleana who coincidentally fits the Targaryen aesthetic is considered the only redeemable one so long as she supports Rhaenyra (and marries Jace- who according to Rhaenyra and therefore the show/fans is a Targaryen- and raises her children to be loyal to the true Targs). Nazis would sometimes accept a half Jewish woman if she was married to a full German and had his children whom she raised with no connection to her family/faith (sometime a man but a woman was more likely since they were seen as more passive and therefore less of a threat to the all sacred race)

4) the Greens are portrayed as both overly sexual and sexually repressed. The Nazis were obsessed with sex and variously accused Jews of being sexual predators or of being unnaturally restrained which tied in with (1).

5) Aegon is an alcoholic and Aemond is implied to have an opioid addiction. Jews were associated with drugs especially morphine (for a summary of the Nazis relationship with drugs see Norman Ohler’s Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich)

5) The men on the Greens are either dangerous predators or emasculated "simps" or "mama's boys". Jewish men were variously dangerous predators or unmanly men who were dominated by their women.

6) Alicent is either sexually repressed or a slut who sexually entices good Valyrian men to their doom. (1) and (4)

7) Alicent is an overbearing mother. She occasionally seems to overstep her designated feminine boundaries to assert her opinions over men's.

8) the Greens are either too close knit or they betray each other. Höss described Jews as both extremely attached to their families to the point where news of their death had a fatal effect and as eager to betray their families even at no benefit to themselves.

9) Alicent schemes to betray the righteous Valyrian princess and supplant her with her own sons. She is considered redeemable only when she serves Rhaenyra and places her on a pedestal even at the expense of her and her children's well being. This is the basis of many Jewish female characters in literature

10) Alicent's children are never considered to be real Targaryens. In F&B Aegon and Helaena are described as plumper and less striking than most Targaryens, Jaehaerys has extra fingers/ toes and Jaehaera as neurodivergent. Jaehaera dies and is replaced by the perfect Valyrian girl.

I'm open for asks and DMs. For context my MA was set in Nazi Germany and I took several courses on the subject.

[almostgotforgotten]

Something weird about the petscop analysis videos ive seen is they dont really bring up how downright sinister rainer was to tiara. They tend to praise rainer for being the upstanding guy who put the evil child predator in his place. Except, he attempted rebirthing too, fucked it up, blamed it on ‘belle’ and then just abandoned her. for 17 years. 

I dont think people understand how badly tiara was abused by rainer because its rainer who made the game. he's the one who’s telling the story. he gets to downplay what he did to tiara. could you imagine getting the whole story about care from the perspective of marvin? People understand what happened to care because rainer literally spelled it out with the a, b, nlm, states that also affect how she looks. compare that to rainer giving tiara an unfinished, reused sprite, with a big happy smile that never leaves her face. a failure who’s so content with existing in a literal cage.

Between rainer drawing her smiling and insisting that she's belle, its like hes trying to pretend nothing happened. There’s no belle a, b, or nlm because he ‘didn't do anything’ to her. because hes nothing like evil marvin, it was her choice to be uncooperative! She’s a quitter! (He just victim blames her. theres no justifiable reason for anyone to design the literal quitters room and still be in the right.) 

Him saying “If you hadn’t given up halfway, you would be Tiara,” is so fucking crazy to me because he literally fucking says she wasnt the one playing the needles before that. (“I put you inside the machine, and played[...] the Needles.”). So then there wasn't anything for her to ‘give up’ on??? AND THEN he admits he fucked it up?? (“I played it wrong, but that would have been okay.”) Like, it just reads as rainer saying it was okay for him to fuck up an incredibly important part of the process. and somehow SHE’S the reason it didn’t work??? Its just, combined with the adoption metaphor (through its reference to the Newmaker case), where the parents dont like the way the child is. and they try this experimental ‘therapy,’ to change her. And it does change her, she gets so traumatized it breaks her off from who she was before, forever. They still get to call her belle, even when they were the ones who destroyed belle. How could she ever be ok with being someone so unwanted? She’s smart. She knows what they want. They wanted to hear her say she's tiara. Except, to them, shes exactly the way she was before. A disobedient, broken girl who cant just act the way they tell her to. So she spends the rest of her life copying someone else. Calling herself tiara. If she says what they want to hear (“I love you newmaker”) then she’ll stop hurting. If she acts just right, they'll accept tiara and she wont be a quitter anymore.

The way those video essayists (mr goon, et al.) will just fixate on marvin saying she's played the needles. and then jump to the conclusion that tiara was the one who gave up on playing the needles. Even when rainer himself literally said she wasnt the one playing!!! Also, they’ll see her call herself tiara and be like “hmm… what if the rebirthing actually worked 🧐” which is NOT the conclusion i would draw from the game about child abuse. I dont think the intent of petscop was to give the concept of rebirthing any functional credibility, failed or not! Like, it just reminds me of how in cases of abuse, people almost always take the word of the abusers over what the child has to say (which is also filtered through the abuse). its just devastating to see.

If you had to ask me, I think rebirthing in petscop's narrative isn't there for people to sincerely discuss if metaphysically reviving someone works. It's not a representation dedicated to the horrific, real life concept of rebirthing. Instead, 'rebirthing' is a shorthand designation for all of the moving parts in the type of abuse that happens in the story, along with how it affects everything afterwards. The ‘reality manipulation’ also works as a metaphor for how people take advantage of having control over the story.

I dont know if you can tell, but rainer’s whole explanation in petscop 12 just makes me feel violent. He literally says, 17 years? “That seems dubious to me. What do you think?”. I dont fucking know, she probably has no concept of time and is probably completely disassociated from reality by that point. Also, something i noticed from p12 is that tiara takes longer than paul to read the messages. The amount of time is roughly about how long it takes to read them aloud. Idk. something about that is heartbreaking to me. im 100% reading too much into it, but when was the last time she read something that wasn’t “quitter’s room?”

I could’ve written this better but UGHHHHH. I hope this makes sense. theres so many other details about this that i didnt write about (irl belle, tiara helping paul, tiara becoming tiara leskowitz, etc). This is definitely only a subsection of the story petscop was telling, but its still so detailed. Unless i got something wrong, then it presented a case of a child being abused, and the abusers getting to tell the story. Which resulted in the audience believing the abusers. Idk if that means petscop is so good it literally replicated that, but in the end, i do think people need to reevaluate how biased the story is and how it affects the events. TIARAAAA you deserved so much better.

disclaimer, im not trying to discredit the general reality warping theories in favor for hard realism and a “it’s all just a big metaphor” reading. Petscop is intentionally ambiguous, and it doesnt really care about straightforward reality. its premise is about a digital and real life world so connected that its hard to tell where the line is. Ignoring that completely neglects the structural mysteries of petscop. i just wanna say this essay comes from the way i interpret petscop. I tend to focus on the parallels between the fantastical elements and the mechanics of irl manipulation/grooming/abuse.

[aventurineswife]

since sahsrau is open, heres mine :)

sagau and sahsrau: creator constantly writing unsent letters to someone they clearly love/admire, even being very poetic (lemme quote dua lipa here) “I see in blue, see in blue, see in blue, oh, how you see everything in red.” Maybe this can reflect the differences in personalities between creator and the person they admire. I imagine the sahsrau and sagau cast would go mad tryna piece together who it is (though I think it would be someone who is not from either world) lol

Oh this is the kind of angst-laced poetry that devours both SAGAU and SAHSRAU from the inside out—slow and graceful, like getting wrapped in silk only to realize it’s a noose. The Creator, someone divine and powerful, quietly writing unsent letters, dripping with longing and poetic intimacy? It shakes them. Not just because of the vulnerability, but because the letters are so clearly not for them.

And worse?

They can’t even figure out who they're for.

SAGAU

They stumble upon these letters—maybe one slips from your notes, or they catch sight of it while you’re “communing” with the world (aka writing irl). The prose is beautiful. Haunting. There's something so achingly mortal about the way you write:

"I speak in stars, you dream in fire. I see in blue... oh, how you see everything in red."

The Archons feel shaken by the sheer emotional weight of it. Venti especially is a wreck—he lives for poetry, for lyrical confessions—and now he’s realizing your love is already somewhere else. Zhongli reads them like sacred scripture, trying to decode, convinced it’s a long-lost being or entity that predates Teyvat. Ei? Quietly furious—your words belong to someone else and she doesn’t know how to cope with that.

Albedo and Lisa, etc are immediately trying to uncover patterns. “Who sees in red? Who walks in flame? Is it Diluc?” “No, no, not fiery enough in spirit—too brooding.” They start cross-referencing every line with historical and metaphysical profiles.

Diluc, Kaeya, Cyno, etc. assume it must be one of the others. They won’t admit it, but it eats away at them. Diluc stares longer into the fire now. Cyno pretends not to care, but his jokes get worse. Kaeya pretends to laugh it off, but then drinks alone more often. The worst part? You never send them.

Because they're not meant for this world.

SAHSRAU

The HSR crew? Oh, they spiral quick. There’s already an undercurrent in this AU of “Creator’s presence = profound cosmic weight,” so when you reveal this soft, aching part of yourself… it ruins them.

Caelus is just sitting there in stunned silence. “Wait. You love someone? Already?” He's hurt, but doesn't even know why. You’re a being above worlds—but your heart is so human. He starts wondering if maybe he should try to be more like them, whoever they are.

Kafka and Silver Wolf? Investigate mode: ON. They’re like—

"Red symbolism. Cold imagery. You’ve written thirty-seven letters over the past month, all with this cryptic flavor. Who the hell is it?"

They start theorizing it's an Aeon. Maybe someone you lost in a previous cycle. Maybe Akivili? Maybe the Garden of Recollection holds your memories of them?

Dan Heng reads one of the letters and has to leave the room. That kind of intimacy—that quiet, soul-baring ache—he doesn’t know how to handle it. It’s beautiful, and it’s not for him. That kills him more than anger ever could.

Jing Yuan? He smiles... a little too softly. That wise, “I understand more than I say” smile. But he watches you closer after that. “What kind of god mourns?” he wonders. And then, “What kind of man would you mourn for?”

Phainon? Oh he despises it. Not because he’s jealous—though, okay, a little—but because he feels your ache in his chest. It’s the kind of love that consumes quietly. “Why didn’t they ever write back?” he wonders. “Or worse… what if they never existed to begin with?”

What messes them up the most isn’t the poetry or the mystery.

It’s the loneliness.

Because these letters?

They’re unsent.

Unshared.

Unread.

Like you're holding onto a love that no one else could ever possibly understand.

And that means there's a part of you no one in Teyvat or the Astral Express can ever truly reach.

So they try harder.

They look for red. They paint skies blue. They echo back your words when you least expect it.

Because if they can't be that person…

They’ll try to be the one who finally gets a letter meant for them.

[thecreaturecodex]

Yule Cat

Image © PBS, by Samuel Allen. Accessed at his ArtStation here

[Part 3 of this year's Christmas series, following the Yule Lads and Grýla. I love this image; it's good at stressing that this is a giant domestic cat, not a "big cat" like a pantherine, indicates scale delightfully, and is a very recognizable feline behavior. Although in context, much more sinister. Bad kitty!]

Yule Cat CR 13 NE Magical Beast This creature resembles nothing so much as a fluffy domestic cat the size of an elephant. Its fur is gray with white mottling, and its eyes are wide and yellow.

Once upon a time, on a distant planet, a god of strength was challenged to perform seemingly simple tasks by a trickster titan. These tasks were all impossible but disguised with illusions, and one of them was to lift the giant’s cat—in actually, the Midgard Serpent, a primordial beast that encircles that globe. When the god tried to lift the serpent, and managed to get one paw off the ground, a kitten was born that was a metaphysical echo of the immovable cat. That kitten kept growing and growing the more she ate, until she was the size of a wagon. This is the Yule Cat.

The Yule Cat is a predator of small game, like any domestic cat, only due to the Yule Cat’s size, “small game” is Medium and Small humanoids. The Yule Cat prefers the taste of succulent young flesh, but hates the taste of newly made clothing. Thus, she preferentially attacks the impoverished and already suffering. In places where the Yule Cat roams, children are given gifts of clothing in the winter in order to make them less palatable to the great cat. The Yule Cat cannot be moved unless she wants to, and can be an impassible obstacle if she decides to set herself in front of a door or bridge and just wait for prey to pass by

The Yule Cat is “owned” by the fey troll Grýla, but like all cats, is as much an associate as a dependent. The Yule Cat stays in Grýla's cave for most of the warmer months and goes off hunting in the colder ones, but always manages to be by Grýla’s table in the winter to demand a portion of her finest human stews. Of Grýla’s children, the Yule Lads, she likes Stumpy the best, and will occasionally let him ride her. Rumor has it that the Yule Lads, Grýla and the Yule Cat once all lived on a distant world called Earth, but a ritual spell intended to force that darn cat to get up and move had the unforeseen consequence of sucking the whole monstrous clan through a portal and depositing them on Golarion. That said, the actions of gods and monsters can send distant ripples throughout the cosmos, and reports of “jotunn cats” may indicate that the Yule Cat is merely the most prominent member of a whole species.

Yule Cat CR 13 XP 25,600 NE Huge magical beast Init +10; Senses clothing sense,darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +12, scent

Defense AC 28, touch 14, flat-footed 22 (-2 size, +6 Dex, +15 natural) hp 175 (14d10+98) Fort +16, Ref +15, Will +9 DR 15/magic; Resist cold 20, fire 20; SR 24 Defensive Abilities immovable

Offense Speed 50 ft. Melee bite +21 (2d6+9 plus grab), 2 claws +21 (1d8+9) Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks pounce, rake (2 claws +21, 1d8+9), swallow whole (Medium or smaller, 2d6+13 bludgeoning, AC 17, 17 hp)

Statistics Str 27, Dex 23, Con 24, Int 8, Wis 17, Cha 12 Base Atk +14; CMB +24 (+28 grapple); CMD 40 (60 vs. bull rush, overrun, reposition, 68 vs. trip) Feats Acrobatic Steps, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Nimble Moves, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception) Skills Acrobatics +16 (+24 when jumping), Climb +17, Perception +12 (+8 if target is in new clothes, +16 if target is in old clothes), Stealth +12, Survival +6 (+2 if target is in new clothes, +10 if target is in old clothes); Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +4 Climb, +8 Stealth, +4 Perception and Survival if target is in old clothes, -4 Perception and Survival if target is in new clothes Languages Giant (cannot speak)

Ecology Environment cold mountains and forest Organization unique Treasure incidental

Special Abilities Clothing Sense (Su) The Yule Cat gains a +4 racial bonus on Perception and Survival checks to detect or track a target wearing clothing six months old or older, and can detect and pinpoint these creatures at twice the normal distance with scent. The Yule Cat also suffers a -4 racial penalty on Perception and Survival checks to detect or track a target wearing clothing a month old or newer, can only detect these creatures with scent at half the normal distance, and cannot pinpoint such targets by scent. Immovable (Su) The Yule Cat can become nearly impossible to move as an immediate action. When it does so, it freezes in place, even in midair, until it decides to move again. When frozen in this way, it can still attack, but cannot move from its square unless it chooses to render itself mobile as another immediate action. The Yule Cat gains a +20 racial bonus to CMD against bull rush, overrun, reposition and trip combat maneuvers (this bonus does not require an action to activate or deactivate).

[vorthosjay]

With our upcoming return to Tarkir, has it been established anywhere what exactly the dragon tempests are? Originally, Ugin was conceived (but not canonized) as a Tarkir native, making the connection between the Spirit Dragon and the Flights (and their subsequent extinction without Ugin's power to supplement the storms) an inherent facet of the plane. Since learning that Ugin is from Dominaria, where does that leave the Tempests? Are they a natural phenomenon on Tarkir that Ugin took advantage of, or did he create them on Tarkir because he thought adding an apex predator into an ecosystem was a good idea (or some other third thing)?

Ugin is bonded to Tarkir in a metaphysical way, it happens when he arrives in Chronicle of Bolas. While he isn’t from Tarkir it IS his plane. So all the old stuff is still true.

[serpentface]

SPIRITUAL POLLUTION, THE GESTURES AGAINST EVIL, AND ABLUTION: A POST

The concepts of spiritual purity and pollution are central to the Faith of the Seven Faced God (and similar takes on the concept predate it throughout and beyond the immediate Wardi cultural sphere). There is no clean cut distinction between physical and spiritual health in this belief system (these concepts exist as a heavily overlapping venn diagram) and many methods intended to cleanse spiritual pollution address both realms.

The word for the concept referred to as spiritual pollution is 'mesechitse', which can translate to 'blockage' or 'severance' depending on the context (its underlying meaning is a pathway that has been stopped in some capacity).

At its core, spiritual pollution is a corruption of the living spirit (which is carried by/IS the blood). It causes both physical and spiritual problems. Polluted blood flows improperly and does not maintain the body’s natural stasis or integrity, causing or allowing disease or other bodily dysfunctions to occur. Many ailments are seen as wholly physical and internal in nature, occurring directly due to polluted blood flowing improperly and affecting key organs. Other diseases (particularly contagious or infectious disease) are known to be caused by dagi, which are harmful spirits that enter the body through orifices or wounds. A limited number of ailments (most notably pronounced schizophrenia-spectrum disorders or cognitive disabilities, unfortunately) are thought to be caused by possession by more powerful evil spirits.

At its worst, severe spiritual pollution is thought to impact or sever one's connection to God. Summarized very basically, severe pollution = blockage of flow between one's own living spirit and the greater spirit of God, which deprives a person of God's blessings and protection, severs them from the natural cycling of life and death (and prevents their necessary participation) and can put their afterlife in jeopardy.

Some degree of corruption to the living spirit is seen as completely inevitable and managed by the body, which physically expels some polluting agents via urine and feces, as well as menstruation (thus all of these substances are themselves dirty and polluting agents). It is reckoned as impossible for any living body to exist in a Completely spiritually pure state. The goal of cleansing (and broader practices revolving around spiritual integrity) is rather to maintain stasis of the body's natural cycling (and by extension a connection to God's living spirit) and to keep pollution contained and minimized.

If one's immortal soul successfully reaches the afterlife, it is then reborn into a spiritually pure existence incapable of being 'severed' from God in any capacity. God Itself is a spiritually pure being, but Its body and living spirit (the world and its cycles, manifested as Faces) is vulnerable. The purity of God's living spirit (and therefore the life-sustaining functions of the world that all beings depend upon) must be sustained, protected, and restored through right practice, which is what much what the public religion revolves around.

Spiritual pollution is a separate but overlapping concept with:

-Metaphysical vulnerability, the word for which is 'namne couyibase' (literally ‘lacking integrity of Being’). This is a state in which the body and living spirit is considered vulnerable to great change, for good or for bad. These states can have vital and positive uses (they are utilized in many rituals, and it is what allows for conception and birth), but must be entered with caution and intentionality. Uncontrolled namne couyibase can otherwise leave one open to forms of spiritual harm. -Curses, which are targeted infliction of harm (of all sorts- bad luck, evil spirits, etc) onto a person, place, or thing. A spiritually polluted body is has less resistance to curses, and curses can intensify this pollution. -Possession, which is when evil spirits attach themselves to or inhabit the body. In the vast majority of cases, possession does not mean an evil spirit is Controlling the body, merely harming it. A spiritually polluted body has less resistance to possession, and possession can intensify this pollution. -Ritual uncleanliness, which is a state of intensified spiritual pollution that requires complete prohibition from a person from entering sacred spaces or participating in certain rituals until they are made clean. The most common reasons for ritual uncleanliness are active menstruation, being in the mourning period, or having performed a known dirtying action without its required ablution (see below).

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Multiple levels of religious-medical practice are centered around maintaining the body's stasis and cleansing it of mesechitse whenever possible. The methods are both active and passive.

Passive methods include the wearing of protective objects/amulets or having the motifs on household items or as decoration (the most ubiquitous are charms like the pelatoche (lit: '(ocean) eye') or odatochent (lit. 'Gods eyes'), the skimmer woman, or phalluses, and the wearing of gull feathers), in addition to other beneficial/protective iconography (guardian lions are most common, though physical representations of each Face of God have beneficial functions).

Active methods cover a broad swath of rites and behaviors (which is even broader in non-doctrinal folk practices). I'll be focusing here on the two main everyday methods of protection/cleansing (rather than more specialized rites) that are supported by core doctrine and may be performed by anyone, rather than being restricted to priests.

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Gestures against evil

These are the absolute most basic protection methods, comprised of three core gestures.

Purity of intent: the hand is held with the palm facing upward, the pointer and pinky finger extended and the thumb and inner two fingers pressed together. This is the most directly ‘cleansing’ gesture, it attempts to bind uncleanliness within the body and thus to prevent inevitable background level spiritual pollution from the body infecting a pure environment or another person. You mostly perform this gesture while entering/leaving a protected or vulnerable space (literal or figurative).

Protection of spirit: the hand is held with the first two fingers pointed together, held upwards for generalized use or pointed for directed use. This is the simplest of apotropaic gestures, aiming to protect the body and spirit from outside harm. This is commonly used before or while entering contexts seen as physically and/or spiritually dangerous, or to un-aggressively counter an evil eye curse.

Dispelling of evil: The hand is held with the first two fingers pointing together, touched to the lips, and flicked away from the body. In practice, this is most commonly used to prevent attachment by malicious or otherwise harmful spirits that may have been evoked (you might perform this after you speak of someone believed to be an earthbound ghost or refer to an evil spirit directly, or immediately after touching a potentially contagious sick person (ideally followed by ablution)). This will not help you if evil spirits have fully Attached themselves to you, but can remove ones that have been attracted to you. Doing this gesture and flicking in the direction of another person is very rude.

These gestures have separate uses, but will often be performed in conjunction (usually in the order given) as a quick means of protecting oneself and the spaces around them. It is not considered a doctrinal replacement for ablution as it does not actually cleanse the spirit, but it attempts to reduce harm (both sustained and produced by the user).

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Ablutions:

Ablution is spiritually and physically cleansing the body with clean water. The metric for clean water is fairly expansive- ocean water, any flowing water, any clear lake, shallow water sources that are clear and free of (obvious) polluting elements such as animal corpses or unclean animal feces, any clear collected water.

The core requirement of an ablution is for the hands to be cleaned in all circumstances, and for other body parts to be cleansed in addition if the situation requires it. One must fully wet the hands/other affected areas and scrub thoroughly, and then use fresh water to rinse. If you have to clean other parts of your body, you save your hands for last (as they will be used for the cleaning).

It is appropriate to perform ablutions cooperatively, but the person assisting you should participate as well (ie- if you have someone washing your back, they should scrub and rinse their own hands after). Someone considered to be in a ritually unclean state that ablution will not immediately fix (the most common are actively menstruating or being in the midst of the mourning period) should not perform ablutions on others.

Note that there is no Hard distinction between bathing for spiritual cleanliness and bathing for physical cleanliness (there is a separate set of cultural standards for physical hygiene, but most hygiene expectations are Covered by ablution). In most circumstances, ablution is just a regular, sometimes tedious everyday activity rather than a solemn or special occasion.

The ritualized requirements denote that only the hands + any given affected body parts Must be washed, but ablutions will often be an aspect of a full-body bathing routine to meet other hygiene standards. (ie: someone performing ablution before making offerings or eating a meal is only Required to wash their hands, but will very often wash their whole bodies and clean their hair- offerings and a meal are (typically) daily activities, so this is a good time to just get a full bath in while you’re at it). It may additionally involve washing the skin with oil or soap, moisturizing the hair with oil, scraping away dead skin, and applying perfumes. This is not a ritual requirement and is performed because generally, people like to feel clean and smell nice.

The hard physicality of cleansing WITH WATER is KEY to this practice. Per core doctrine, there are no DIY cleansing methods that replace washing with water. If one does not have access to clean water for ablutions, they should not perform offerings whatsoever (but are allowed to pray) until they can be cleansed, and accept that they are receiving spiritual pollution by performing ablution-required tasks in the meantime. A blessing from a priest is the only doctrine-supported spiritually cleansing replacement for water ablutions. In practice many people will use the gestures against evil as a replacement (which is not supported by doctrine and is more common in folk religious practice), and virtually everyone will find ways to get physical contaminants off of their body either way (if you step in dog shit and don't have any water nearby, you're going to wipe it the hell off even if that doesn't make you ritually clean).

Times when such an ablution is generally considered a hard requirement:

Before bloodletting in prayer or making other offerings

Before meals

Before assisting in a birth

After menstruation ends

After receiving penetrative sex

After defecating

After urinating (this isn't as ubiquitously seen as a hard requirement, in a lot of cases people interpret it as 'only if you actually get pee on your hands')

After touching urine

After touching feces (many lines of thought make exceptions for the excrement of cattle and khait due to their clean and sacred status- this makes life a easier for the majority of people who have to use dry dung as fuel)

After touching a dead body (human or animal)

At the end of your mourning period for dead kin (traditionally as part of a larger ritual involving full body submergence in flowing water, rather than as a common ablution)

After touching someone else's blood (aside from rites that require it, in which the blood is expected to be clean and the cross-pollution of living spirit is intentional) (technically includes semen but this does not come up very often)

After touching most sick people (particularly with contagious diseases or any skin ailments)

After recovering from an illness (ablutions will be performed as an aspect of treatment as well)

Before entering most temple's inner shrines (and some temples altogether)

Also a requirement for participation in certain specific rites and/or festivals

The exact nuances on how hard these requirements are sometimes vary, particularly in instances revolving around touch. Official doctrine is that any unclean touch requires ablution, but in common practice this is sometimes reinterpreted as only a hard requirement when the touch occurs to the hands. Most practitioners do not perform an ablution immediately after an unclean touch occurs (if you're a field laborer and step in dung, you're probably going to wait to wash until you retire for the night), and not everyone performs ablutions every single time they 'should'.

Only drawing I have related to ablution under the cut (nudity)

This is one way to do it

[emanation-aura]

So we've got Meetings in the Outrealm: Series V (for those of you who've forgotten, it's the "beat a boss in co-op" set of the achievements) now, and I think it's a good time to look back on the five Outrealm achievement namecards we've got and their connections to lore.

(Long post warning. Go grab a snack and some water, like I forgot to do when writing this post)

Achievement: Reunion - We shall meet again someday.

Released in Version 1.0. Pointedly, predates Chapter I Act IV: We Will Be Reunited (Version 1.4), but carries the exact same theming— the Traveler twins will meet again.

So we'll meet again. Though we need not rush, (brother/sister). I have more than enough time to wait for you.

It's my belief that, from this point forward, all the "Meetings of the Outrealm" achievements foreshadow, or at least echo, the themes of the Traveler Archon Quests, as well as other relevant Traveler lore we learn.

2. Achievement: Gate - What encounters lie on the other side of this door?

Admittedly, this one immediately breaks my presumption because it bears very little resemblance to anything I can remember of Chapter II Act IV: Requiem of Echoing Depths. The door depicted in the namecard (released Version 2.0) is obviously the loading screen door, which is located in the same sky-heaven area (suspected to be Celestia but we're not sure) in which the twins encountered the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles by trying to leave Teyvat.

There is one crucial difference between the two depictions, which is the four-pointed star/primogem present on top of the door in the namecard. It's not present on the loading screen (I know the screenshot above is night-time which makes it hard to see, but I'm pretty sure the symbol is different). The symbol is obviously so well-known and thematic everywhere in Genshin that I'm not surprised it's here; notably instances of its use, apart from in primogems and Khaenri'ahn eyes/neck, includes: the "eye" in the Traveler's original wings, the logo of WWBR (representing each twin) and on the front of Lumine's dress/back of Aether's cape.

The fact that the same symbol now hangs over the door that brings us into the world of Teyvat raises several questions and possible ideas that aren't within the scope of what I want to say. In this context where the Outrealm achievements are very clearly Traveler lore-themed, I'll just suggest that the door to Teyvat with the four-pointed star represents that the purpose of our journey, at least in Teyvat initially, is to search for our sibling (this becomes less relevant later on, but is still generally true).

Also, Rudolf Koch's Book of Signs suggests that the four-pointed star "is a phenomenon carrying a grave and solemn warning", so there's also a more sinister outlook to the door in the namecard.

I think the link with Requiem of Echoing Depths might be loosely based on "encounters on the other side of the door" theme. Dainsleif emerges from a portal (a more metaphysical 'door') at the beginning of the quest, just as our twin disappeared into one at the end of WWBR. The door is a symbol and gateway of both the unattainability of our twin, and the regular encounters we have on our journey in Teyvat.

And, if you want to stretch it a bit further into the future, the door to Khaenri'ah in Hangeh Afrasiyab, released in Version 3.6, carries on this theme of doorways and encounters— you cannot enter it at the moment of writing, but the existence of such a door is a reminder of Khaenri'ah. What sort of encounters did your sibling have behind this door, in the kingdom underneath the ground? You don't know, and that's part of the mystery that separates the two of you, and why in Requiem, you two share such differing beliefs on why or why not the purification device should be activated.

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3. Achievement: Fated Encounter - One day, our encounter at this moment shall shine like a star of reminiscence in our hearts.

4. Achievement: Orbits - "O Almighty Sovereign, the Universitas Magistrorum has provided the predictions you requested: The two stars have been captured by the world's gravity… After a lengthy orbital period, today their paths shall intertwine once more."

I'm putting these two together (released in Version 3.0 and 4.0 respectively) because I think the corresponding Traveler acts, Caribert (Version 3.5) and Bedtime Story (Version 4.7), correlate inversely with the release dates of these namecards.

For example, Orbits and 3.X lore:

In Version 3.3's Archon Quest Interlude Inversion of Genesis, we indirectly hear the words of Pierro (a Khaenri'ahn) on the topic of our sibling, retold to us through Scaramouche.

The reason why there are records about your (‍sister/brother‍) in Irminsul… It might have something to do with Khaenri'ah. Apparently, Khaenri'ah was (‍her/his‍) first destination when (‍she/he‍) arrived in this world. Plus, (‍she/he‍) only came to this world because the heavens responded to the summoning.

Later on in Caribert, Chlothar Alberich, Khaenri'ahn and founder of the Abyss Order, tells us:

We once believed that you [the Traveler's sibling] would bring new strength and hope to Khaenri'ah. To us, you were the Abyss... A wondrous mystery far beyond our imagination and comprehension...

Setting aside debates on what the Abyss actually is, all of the above dovetails with Achievement: Orbits, which clearly depicts two primo-stars representing the twins in 'orbit', and the Khaenri'ahn organisation Universitas Magistrorum talking about them, suggesting they are somehow scrying the fates of the two who have been 'captured by the world's gravity'. Given that it is all but directly stated that Khaenri'ah summoned the twins (or, perhaps, just the sibling depending on how you look at it), the namecard is basically the Khaenri'ahn perspective of everything we learn in Version 3.X.

Perinheri (a book released in 4.5) also tells us that Khaenri'ah awaited the arrival of beings who could transcend the gods, and this dovetails nicely with Orbits and Chlothar's statement to support the hypothesis that the twins were summoned, or at least, scried on and waited for. The implication that the 'Almighty Sovereign' (explicitly, a royal, likely the king, in CN) requested this scrying almost confirms it.

While the text obviously means that this hypothetical comment must have been made when Khaenri'ah still, well, existed, it also thematically resonates with all quests where the Traveler does reunite with their sibling in some form, most prominently in WWBR, but also Requiem of Echoing Depths (via mirage), Caribert (via memory and shattered mirror), and Bedtime Story (via Caribert's realm, and subsequently forgotten).

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Meanwhile, Achievement: Fated Encounter ironically suits the themes of Version 4.X Traveler lore better.

Let's get the big one out of the way first. Chapter IV Act VI: Bedtime Story is a cruel, cruel subversion of the namecard's theme— because no. Your reunion will not shine like a star of reminiscence in your heart. You will not remember it at all. Narratively, I find it neat that 13 versions after Rukkhadevata's wiping from Irminsul, the audience is now thrust into the same position as the Traveler: as the only one who 'remembers'. As the witness to something wiped from history. (Can you tell this makes me emotional?) As an audience member, this moment is for you, you will remember it, and nobody else. Even the phrasing of "one day..." suggests that only at some nebulous point in the future will this reunion become remembered.

Hell, the namecard is two hands hovering over a four-pointed star. Given the symbolism of the primo-star as representative of both "your twin" and "warnings of an encounter" (roughly), it is basically a perfect set-up for Bedtime Story; not withstanding that the symbolism also suits the events of Caribert, where we're jumpscared with our twin in a shattered mirror, suiting the portend of an omen (the first and last quests in Caribert are named Destined Encounter and Portended Fate, neatly tying this together as well).

Of course, Fated Encounter's text harkens back to WWBR itself, as both the 'fated encounter' and becoming the moment upon which we reminisce.

The reason I think it fits better with 4.X Traveler content is because of where else we get moments of reminiscence of the Traveler and their twin: notably, in Wriothesley's SQ, Reborn in the Land of Grievances, and Xianyun's SQ, A Thousand Moonlit Miles.

For context, recall that Wriothesley's SQ is about a 'fear gem', which the villain is using to control a society of people to do his bidding by injecting them with liquid fear. Traveler and Wriothesley pick up the gem containing this liquid at the beginning of this quest, and touching it causes unpleasant flashbacks of, essentially, moments that create fear. For the Traveler, these four images are shown when they touch the gem:

Top left is vs Sustainer from the opening of the game when their twin is taken away. Top right is from Caribert, where Traveler realises they have been experiencing a memory from the perspective of their twin. Bottom two are images from the Defiled Statue room in WWBR, including the dead Grand Thief.

It is almost self-explanatory why these are a record of moments when Traveler felt 'fear'. I think this works particularly well as a thematic reflection of Achievement: Fated Encounter because this is a negative-context reminiscence of said 'fated encounters'. Here, Traveler is recalling these moments with a very strong negative association due to fear.

Compare and contrast with Grus Serena Act I's ending cutscene, where due to Xianyun's 'positive dream' Suspensus Somnium Mechanism, we get this lovely scene with the Traveler dreaming of reuniting with their twin:

Now, this is explicitly a dream, which isn't real and hasn't happened. I would argue, however, that regardless of whether this is real, this is the second important Traveler scene in Version 4.X before the release of Bedtime Story, serving to both set the emotional stakes, and as the positive counterpoint to the theme of reminiscence touched on in Wriothesley's Story Quest.

Thematically, this is the other side of the 'star of reminiscence' in Achievement: Fated Encounters. While the scene in Xianyun's SQ is a bittersweet dream, ending up with the Traveler waking up in tears and thus is not a straightforward positive happiness, this melancholic nostalgia for a more innocent existence in Grus Serena Act I still contrasts with the sharp burst of fear we're served with the images of our past experiences Cerberus Act I. They are two sides of the same coin and a reflection of the conflicting myriad of feelings the Traveler has about their twin— longing, heartbreak, fear, confusion— exploring what the memory of their twin means to them. Shine like a star of reminiscence in our hearts much?

Also, you encounter the gem of negative reminiscence at the beginning of Wriothesley's SQ, and the dream of positive reminiscence at the end of Xianyun's SQ. You could possibly stretch this to reflect the journey as a whole— which begins with fear, loss, and confusion, and ends with bittersweet happiness. Wait, shit, does that mean one of the twins is going to die—

Essentially, it's all about memory. Which also echoes Bedtime Story and how Caribert attempts to connect with others, however briefly, through his incomplete Loom of Fate, trying to 'live' like a real person even though he cannot exist as anything but a memory in people's minds— I would make a slight tie with Nara Varuna (the twin, as referred to by the Aranara), but I'm running out of short-term memory storage to load Aranyaka lore, so I'll try again later.

(Cheekily, the four-pointed star in Achievement: Fated Encounter is actually part of the co-op mode symbol, which is the star plus radiating waves resembling a WiFi symbol. You could point to this just being an acknowledgement of the fact this namecard is obtained from playing in co-op mode, but apart from what I've discussed, I can add a suitably unhinged suggestion that the co-op mode icon contains lore. It's a modification of a WiFi icon, which popularly depicts a dot as a broadcast origin, and concentric waves surrounding it as the signal broadcasting from it. Simple, but Genshin replaces the dot of broadcast origin with a four-pointed star, ostensibly just representing the game's version of connectivity. And yet, the four-pointed star broadcasting a signal outwards can also use the symbolism of the Traveler/the Twin as the point of origin as a reach for 'connection', both reaching for their sibling, and as a general harkening back to the theme of the Traveler being a 'connector' of people's wills, a la Liyue finale, Inazuma finale, Sumeru finale— wait, I'm sensing a pattern here...)

Of course, let me not forget to mention that Achievement: Orbits is also relevant to Bedtime Story and some of 4.X. That quest is where Dainsleif casually drops the Five Sinners of Khaenri'ah on us, so it ties in with the disembodied quote we get about Khaenri'ah addressing the twins. We also learn about the Universitas Magistrorum from the Narzissenkreuz WQ series beginning from 4.0, where it is stated that they 'inverted the alchemical stages' (likely referring to how, in real life, the alchemical stages of Magnum Opus, the process of creating the philosopher's stone, were Nigredo -> Albedo -> Citrinitas -> Rubedo, whereas from Albedo's ascension voicelines, we know his Art of Khemia, originating from Khaenri'ah, inverts Citrinitas and Rubedo, suggesting that the irl Magnum Opus is actually the lore-accurate method as opposed to what the Art of Khemia says about Rubedo -> Citrinitas. But that's a story for another time). While unrelated to twins lore specifically, the gradual addition of Universitas Magistrorum lore might serve a purpose like the continual drip-feeding of Qiaoying Village pre-4.4, as well as Dornman Port and Blackcliff Forge now, building up to eventual relevancy. For now, there's no way of knowing.

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...wait, why did I make this post again?

(nervously checks notes) ah right, to dissect the Outrealm achievement series. So, let's look at what we have for 5.0.

While I won't suggest we can predict the plot of the next Traveler Chapter through this namecard alone, we can go through the themes and plot points brought up by this namecard, and see where it gets us.

Obviously we are tying back with Bedtime Story here. That is where we first learn that the "Sea of Flowers at the End" is a real place (and not just Travail's artistic concoction of the finale of the game)— both the title of Achievement: Endpoint and the depiction of Inteyvats reinforces that this is where our journey will end.

You: Why... Why can't we continue our journey together? Sibling: At the end of my journey, I arrived at a place known as "The Sea of Flowers at the End." Do you remember? A long time ago, when we traveled between worlds together... You told me… You wanted to find a place in the universe where that one flower was in full bloom. To have a place like that suddenly appear before me…  Well, would you think of that as a coincidence?

It is all but outright stated the reason our sibling cannot move on from Teyvat and travel with us is (aside from the war with the Heavenly Principles) because Teyvat contains the true endpoint of their journey, not just the journey through the land itself but their journey through the cosmos at large— the Sea of Flowers, which is the location we will reach at the end of the game.

The Sea of Flowers is a field of seemingly-endless Inteyvats and, contrary to my belief before 4.7, an actual physical (or at least metaphysical) location. Achievement: Endpoint says of this place "a sea of blossom awaits the return of a single flower, anticipating the day when both hearts and petals shall become soft and tender".

Breaking this down, we can identify that the return of a single flower should refer to Lumine, regardless of whether she is your Traveler or your twin, since she wears the Inteyvats in her hair. This creates two completely different narratives about the game depending on who you picked, which seems mostly antithetical to how Genshin has written the siblings thus far. (Well, she wears Inteyvats plural on her hair, so the single flower thing shouldn't apply.)

So let's skip that and contextualise the rest. If the Sea of Flowers is waiting for an Inteyvat to 'become soft and tender', then there is a condition we need to fulfill. Recall Dainsleif's words in Requiem of Echoing Depths about the Inteyvat:

But if you were to pluck one and take it out of Khaenri'ah, the petals would stop growing and turn hard. Only when it finally returned to its home soil would the petals grow soft once more, and finally turn to dust... So the Inteyvat is a symbol for a wanderer far from home, signifying the tenderness of the homeland.

The symbolism is incredibly blatant. The Sea of Flowers awaits the day when the return of a single Inteyvat, because only when the flower returns to its homeland will it grow soft.

Here's where we resolve the Lumine problem. The name of this flower is the Inteyvat. Prefix in-, which English borrows from Latinate words, where the prefix was used in a variety of ways but in our case, to mean "not-". Therefore Inteyvat, as in "not-Teyvat", or more fancifully, "not of Teyvatian origin".

If the returning flower is an Inteyvat, it is not actually about who carries the flower, but what the name of the flower represents: "not-Teyvat". Which means it should be your chosen Traveler, regardless of gender, because your twin has become "part of this world" for a reason unknown to us, and no longer counts as an external being, or Descender— we learn as such from Inversion of Genesis.

Nahida: Irminsul does not keep records on the Descenders. Anyone who comes from beyond this world is not counted as part of Teyvat. Scaramouche: The reason why there are records about your (‍sister/brother‍) in Irminsul… It might have something to do with Khaenri'ah. Apparently, Khaenri'ah was (‍her/his‍) first destination when (‍she/he‍) arrived in this world.

Essentially, this is a giant lore teaser for: you're going to the Sea of Flowers at the end, and everyone will be happy again...

Or, not?

Because Endpoint tells us that it awaits the day when both hearts and petals shall grow soft and tender. This is a yearning for the softness and happiness of reuniting without anything standing in the siblings' way, except... Dainsleif explicitly tells us that after the flower returns, it doesn't just go soft— it turns to dust.

This is why, earlier, I suggested that theory about the emotional overtones of our journey, as derived from Wriothesley and Xianyun's SQs. Without the supporting evidence of the Inteyvat's dissolution implied at the end, it's just crack; but now, I think it's going to compose the bittersweetness of the reunion or ending we're promised, like Xianyun's SQ depicts.

(I want to be clear that this isn't a prediction of Traveler or twin dying. While it certainly isn't outside the realm of possibility, I wouldn't lock in the Inteyvat dissolution symbolism into that event alone; it's also possible, for instance, that one or both of them lose their memories, etc, or they lose something else dear to them. We can't even be sure the story will end on such a note anyway, so this is purely extrapolation on extremely limited connections.)

As a mini-prediction: we could either get more Sea of Flowers lore in Natlan's Traveler Chapter (unlikely, doesn't seem Hoyo's style to follow-up so soon, we still don't understand the Defiled Statue etc.), or we could follow the emotional beats implied by the namecard description. Or, like Achievement: Gates and Requiem, it could have loose or no connections at all.

This post is mostly an excuse for me to talk about my favourite lore in the game. I'm going to bed

[neptunes-sol-angel]

Hot Take: The Law of Attraction and the Law of Assumption are real...they just aren't the girl that people think that they are.

These coaches and femininity gurus are one in the same. In astrology, the 11th house rules over fanbases AND it rules over wish fulfillment. What is one of the fastest ways for someone to build their following? It's selling people a dream. Stop telling your collective that they can get whatever they want. Because it's NOT true.

Yesterday, I saw way too many belligerent examples of people that make me want to side with people who criticize spirituality and the occult, because they have absolutely no respect for it and their main intention is to find ways to abuse it on other people and talk in circles to justify it.

I told a person that basically with EITHER method because apparently they think that one over the other makes a difference (it doesn't)

Use these "laws" to end genocide, poverty, racism, sexism, etc.

Not to discredit these concepts of manifestation, but to make a point that there are indeed limitations with it. It's the same with magic, too. I notice that this typically happens with people who try to transition from Christianity to occultist practices or those who try to merge both, tend to have this mentality that there are no rules. There ARE rules. We just don't call them sins.

You cannot believe in past lives, karma, ancestors, spirit guides, or deities and see yourself as a limitless being.

And you can't get rid of the 3D (no matter how ghetto it is) because you disagree with it. That's not manifesting, that's spiritual bypassing and living in delusion.

These "laws" don't give you the right to stalk and harass a person because you want them to be your "SP".

I don't give a shit what kind of power that you think you have, but it doesn't negate another person's free will and no, YOU DONT own that person or the right to overstep their boundaries for a "plot". It's beyond scripting. It's beyond mood boards. It's beyond visualizing. You are now a predator who's one step away from being filed a restraining order on or behind bars because you think that manifestation overrules morals and ethics.

You do not need to claim a specific person to get the love that you want and deserve. You don't need to cyberstalk them, collect their pictures, talk to people or even THEIR people about "being in a relationship" with them when YOU know they aren't. You don't need to write smut or obsess over another person to manifest something. It is always people who take these things too far and claim that they are powerful beings. If you have to live your life in your head, or on some words written on a piece of paper, and act like every single person around you is an NPC, then I'm sorry you are simply just not that.

Believing that you have to go to such extremes to stay focused on assuming your reality is a fallacy.

Looking at it from a spiritual perspective:

Your paths in life have already been decided for you. The most successful way for you to manifest is by working with what has already been provided for you.

Looking at it from a psychological perspective:

That mindset is ableist. People who have trauma (sexual, systematic, domestic abuse, etc), anxiety, ocd, cptsd/ptsd, mood disorders, personality disorders, cannot think positively all of the time. It doesn't mean that they cannot still manifest and it doesn't mean that their negative thoughts will become their reality or that bad things happen to them because they didn't "assume" and think positively enough.

To that person who thinks that just because I'm a tarot reader and a reiki healer (you blocked me before i could light your ass up!), that I have to conform to people enabling mentally harmful behavior for the sake of metaphysics:

Absolutely! I think this way and I'm okay with it. Whether me cussing people out for justifying stalking is judgemental and coming from "the ego". I'm okay with that! I'll always have the opportunity to balance it, but in either shape that you think is not aesthetically pleasing as a spiritualist, my magic works. The difference between me and you is that I don't have to avoid reality to live a role that I was blessed with, nor does it change my impact because I don't choose the "love and light" persona.

[askvectorprime]

Dear Vector Prime,

I'm fairly new to knowing about your kind, so forgive me for asking a dumb question you've probably answered some time in the past but...I'm a little curious...I've never heard about any of the primes being medics...so...what happens when one of you guys gets injured during a fight?

Dear Medic Monitor,

It is true that none of us have "medic" as our official function. We Primes were originally created as soldiers, meant to rid the universe of the scourge of Unicron… but things are rarely so simple.

In war, injury is inevitable—and in a war as catastrophic as the one we fought, a single wound could change the fate of creation. We could not have a single dedicated healer among our ranks, for if they fell, so too would the rest of us. Instead, each of us brought our own talents to bear when one of our comrades was wounded, working together to ensure the Chaos Bringer could not lay us low for long.

Alchemist put his studies of the physical and metaphysical worlds together, letting him see wounds to both our bodies and psyches, and know how to repair them. Solus may have primarily put her Forge to work in creating tools, but she knew how to fix things as well, including her siblings. Alpha Trion may now be famous as a sage and advisor, but his knowledge has given him a keen grasp of Cybertronian anatomy and how to upgrade and repair others. Energoa saw the conduits and meridians that ran through our bodies and souls, and ensured they flowed freely to restore us to health.

Quintus loved life, and preserving said life was something he instinctively felt drawn to, leading him to further develop medicine. On the other hand, though Mortilus's domain was death and the ending of things, he knew how to hold off those ends until their appointed time—and speaking of time, I myself have been responsible for turning back the clock more than once, restoring my injured siblings to full functionality. Predator may be the mask of a hunter, showing Onyx weakness to exploit in his prey, but so too could it show where one's own herd is vulnerable; where to intervene, and where to let nature do its work uninterrupted.

Micronus was always willing to share his strength with others. Nitro was the ultimate first responder, there to help before we knew we had been hit. Nexus had a knack for seeing how things came apart, and how to put them back together. Sentinel was unshakable, his hands never trembling as he patched our armor. And of course, it's been said of one of my siblings that if he had been on Earth, he'd be a doctor, a mechanic, a scientist, and a warrior. But to us, there is no great difference between those professions.

That, ultimately, is our great secret. Unicron was a blight, an infected wound on the cosmos that needed to be cut out and sterilized. We Primes were made to save lives—sometimes that takes a sword or blaster, and sometimes it takes a laser scalpel.

[taran-wood-beast]

Rewatching The Woman Who Fell to Earth and like, its not an all-timer or anything but fuck me, if they Chibnall era could have even maintained this level of quality it would have been a significantly better time.

Theres so many genuinely tasty details and bits of texture that the Whittaker era loses so quickly.

The real sense of place given to Sheffield. Maybe it's because I'm from Pittsburgh, which is the American version of Sheffield, but I really felt THERE

The Doctor being just a genuinely delightful weirdo. Her interrogation of Yaz's police procedures. Gleefully tazing herself with an iPhone. Her extremely metaphysical description of regeneration.

All the beautiful little juxtapositions of the low-rent with the fantastical. Salad man. Duct taping a digital camcorder to a support beam.

Graham being a bus driver. I wish they remembered Graham was a bus driver. It's one of my favorite things about him.

"Doctor Who version of The Predator" is a perfectly solid concept for a shitty low-stakes post-regeneration villain. Had no business returning for the finale, but that's another matter.

Really like a solid 7/10. As first episodes go I'm willing to say I like it better than Time and the Rani, The Twin Dilemma (obviously) or The Christmas Invasion. Definitely more than the TV movie. Suggested way more juice than the era ended up having

[illegiblewords]

Silent Hill's God

I've been a fan of Silent Hill for years, but haven't contributed to the analysis before because frankly other people have done a stellar job covering it. If I don't have something to add, I'm not going to force it you know?

There was an analysis video that sparked me thinking seriously about the cult's deity and what created the metaphysical situation in Silent Hill. I cannot for the life of me recall which analysis it was, but will link if I remember. I do know that it pushed me into finally understanding though, and after almost twenty years of loving the games I feel ECSTATIC.

So for anyone who might be interested:

There was a god of the land that later became Silent Hill. This god did not predate humanity, and humanity at that time knew only pain and hatred. This god naturally was not a human, didn't understand humanity or suffering or good or evil.

A man offered prayer and a serpent to the god (referred to as the sun) asking for salvation from the world. A woman offered a reed and a prayer for joy to this god as well. It's worth noting that the serpent likely ties to the tempting serpent in Genesis while a reed was notably used as punishment to beat people in history. The god attempted to satisfy these prayers, but again--the prayers themselves were tainted by pain and hatred that colored the entire world. The serpent offered highlights the concept of sin committed by man, seeking to be saved from the sins committed by humanity and past bad actions. The reed signifying punishment is then tied to joy, and specifically joy in punishment.

Already, the nature of Silent Hill as a place that punishes visitors for their own perceived sins by externalizing them and reflecting them back makes sense. Confronting the memories and actions within that the individual considers sinful is the only way to find salvation, since sins have to be accepted to be dealt with in any capacity. Additionally, god created linear time. This allowed cause-effect to be understood with regard to sin, and a path forward afterward instead of being trapped permanently in the moment of transgression. This is exemplified in trauma or even PTSD flashbacks, specifically applied for people who blame themselves for said trauma. On a collective human level it's the idea of humanity being forever punished for consuming the fruit of knowledge of good and evil, but individually it's the individual belief of having done evil and warranting punishment for that perceived evil. Linear time means that a path does exist in the wake of sin.

God also stripped humans of immortality in answer to the prayers to make death possible. Joy is meant to be in accepting and addressing the sin to find salvation, whether through moving on with different and non-sinful choices or death as a close to suffering from that sin. In either scenario, it is considered addressed and not something to continue torturing that person with either internally or externally from Silent Hill.

Relief from self-hatred and joy in punishment were the prayers. Externalizing the sin and self-hatred is what that god sees as answering those prayers and helping. It's a scenario where the idea is that god created a kind of hell purely because the supplicants desired hell, with the idea that after going through that and finding closure they'd feel better.

Part of what is so interesting and striking to me is the idea that the god wasn't inherently evil or malevolent. If the broadly human self-loathing (or even individual self-loathing) and associations with pain while asking for joy hadn't been present in those prayers, maybe Silent Hill as we know it with the horrific and psychologically symbolic monsters wouldn't exist. There might have been approaches and prayers with genuinely pleasant results. But when entreating an entity whose entire mode of thinking was alien with that darkness attached, the god did the best she could to provide accordingly. Silent Hill's god isn't a judge, she's a mirror.

[superscrub323]

A thought occurs to me...

tw: Discussion of SA (even by greek mythology standards)

Epic!Calypso's Island is to sexual assault what the ship of Theseus is to identity metaphysics*

Like OG Mythology Calypso is unambiguously a predator, PJO Calypso is cursed, but Epic!Calypso and her island is the set up for a string of perfectly aligned things for the textbook case of dubious consent.

Like in Epic!verse Calypso is trapped on her island alone, but isn't cursed to fall in love with Odysseus she's just incredibly lonely, it's implied that Calypso couldn't let Odysseus leave even if she wanted to (and even if she's could or wanted to Poseidon is waiting for Odysseus the instant he gets anywhere far from the island), she never sexually touches him (as helpfully confirmed in Athena's and Hera's disco sequence), but that's because it's implied to outright stated that a few years, a decade, maybe even a century will break even Odysseus down to where even he will eventually sooner or later go into Calypso's 'loving embrace'. Now thankfully we never get an answer as to where Odysseus breaks until Athena plays Zeus's morbid game for his freedom.

But I in turn have a question for you all...If Athena never rescued Odysseus and he eventually broke down and fully submitted himself to Calypso after a...century of living on her island (and didn't get to succeed in killing himself because Calypso had eyes on him 24/7 ever since the first time). Would that be sexual assault?*...Also I'm sorry..

*Which I totally knew what that was before watching WandaVision