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wraith-caller · 16 days

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Hi, Wraith! Lemme just start by saying that I ADORE your lore posts. Your mind is incredible and I love reading your thoughts, speculations, extrapolations, etc. Which brings me to a question I’m dying to hear your thoughts for: How did Iji die? I’ve been scouring Reddit and any other forums I can find and everything I’ve found is cyclical non-answers. The obvious answer is Black Knives- because their bodies are scattered around him. This tracks because Blaidd, when you find him in front of Ranni’s Rise, is also surround by Black Knife corpses. However, this does NOT track for several reasons. First: Iji is drenched in black flame, a sorcery (power?) used by the Godskins, not the Black Knives. I’ve seen lots of people say it’s probably just an oversight on FromSoft’s part. Altogether possible, but would make me sad and I deeply want to believe it’s intentional. Second: The Black Knives are (were?) RANNI’S assassin’s. While she’s self-serving and stone-cold, she claims to love Blaidd and Iji (and tells you to tell them). I find it hard to believe she’d have them killed. MAYBE if they were only found near Blaidd (in preparation for his coming madness), I could buy it, but I’m not sure I can get onboard as it stands. Now I did find two interesting thoughts. One, someone said the Nox were recruited as the Black Knives and turned on Ranni when she killed her own body, because the plan was only to kill Godwyn and plant one of their own on the throne. I’ve never seen or found anything in my own playthroughs to support or indicate this, but it would make a lot of sense. Two, and I feel that this hinges heavily on one, someone soeculated that Gideon killed Iji. They pointed out that he uses black flame sorceries, and he definitely tries to kill any threats to his ascent to lordship. Anyway, this got WAY longer than I meant for it to be. But IF it’s a topic that interests you, I’d love to hear your thoughts! (And if not, no problem at all!) There’s definitely plenty I don’t know/understand and if I’m incorrect in any of my points above, I’d be really interested in knowing what I’m missing. I feel obligated to sign this, too, since it got away from me 😂😅 -nightingale-ghost-writer

@nightingale-ghost-writer sorry to answer this way, tumblr's not cooperating with answering asks lol. Hi!! Thank you for the kind words haha I'm happy my ramblings are of interest to others! I do hope you really enjoy a ramble bc your question sorta set me off on one here lol

I've thought about Iji's death now and then, and found some of the same answers you did about the black flame effect around his body. It may simply be a mistake by the devs like people frequently say. Especially since, iirc, there's no deathflame animation analogous to the blackflame one left on Iji. It could have been a 'close enough' kind of thing, which yeah I agree would ultimately be disappointing! However someone in this reddit thread had something interesting to point out:

"There's a weird detail, possibly an oversight: if you use a Blade of Death weapon art (for example Maliketh's Black Blade or the Gargoyle's Black Blade) on a troll, the effect looks like black flame rather than the usual red and black flame. I doubt there's a lore reason, but maybe something about how that enemy type is coded causes that effect to appear like black flame, and that also extended to Iji who uses the same model."

I haven't tested this myself, but if it's true, it lends more support to the idea it's just an unintentional effect. However, in that same thread, a few folks point out that Godskins were spotted in various places relevant to Destined Death - in the Volcano Manor and Divine Tower of Liurnia. Rykard has a piece of the Death rune, and Ranni's corpse is on the tower, along with her cursemark. It may be that they are searching for the Rune of Death themselves. Their presence in Farum Azula may suggest they were seeking to free the rune and restore the true power of the Black Flame. So while I still believe it's the Black Knife assassins who killed Iji, I suppose there is room to argue the Godskins have a stake in his death, too, in that Iji stands between them and Ranni.

While the Black Knife assassins worked with Ranni, I'm not sure that they were necessarily under her command. I think they collaborated as they both thought they could benefit from each other. Ranni would get to shed her flesh through the ritual, and the assassins of the Eternal Cities, who have beef with the Golden Order, get to strike down one of the GOs most shining and noble icons and throw the world into chaos. As you've said, they have their own agenda with ushering in the Lord of Night, who may either be an outer god or an envoy/vassal to one. This Lord may also have some connection with Ranni's Black Moon and, strangely enough, the Tibia Mariners who, in Japanese, are referred to as "Night King's Kin"(more info in this Zullie video here). The Mariners hold deathroot and raise up Those Who Live in Death, so I have been under the impression they only came into being after Godwyn's curse spread, which is of course a direct consequence of the assassination.

So while Ranni and the Assassins stood to gain from each other in this plot, their ultimate goals are sort of actually at odds. Ranni, while devoted to her Black Moon, seeks to remove the influence of Outer Gods from TLB and leave everyone to their own devices. Meanwhile, the Nox/Assassins are seeking to deliver a new one to the throne. We see indications of this struggle in Alecto's imprisonment in the evergaol at the Moonlight Altar and, if you are partial to the theory that Miquella collaborated with Ranni, in Ordina. Then there's the further evidence of the Assassins coming for Ranni's group to kill Blaidd and Iji. So I agree, I don't think Ranni had Iji killed. Like you, I could potentially see her ordering them to kill Blaidd, as she knew he'd be fated to try to destroy her. While it is cold and calculating, she does express her sympathy for him. But she is ultimately dedicated to sacrificing everything to achieve her goals. When we do find Blaidd with the dead assassins, he's not saying anything about them. He's frantically denying that he could be a danger to Ranni, as if their attack on him is connected to that. So I do see how people could connect the assassins coming for him with them being ordered by her to kill him.

But then we get into the matter of why they'd be ordered to kill Iji, and I just can't think of a good one. He's clear-minded, and not fated to betray her in the way Blaidd is as her shadowbound beast. I've seen people claim it's a matter of 'tying up loose ends' but I can't imagine in what way he'd be a 'loose end' given that he's entirely faithful to her. Loose ends are tied up because they pose a threat. What threat is Iji to Ranni and her goals if he is emphatically supporting her to the very end? And then when I think of Alecto in the evergaol, I'm really inclined to believe it's purely a matter of bad blood between Ranni's group and the assassins after the conspiracy was through. It may even be that we led them to her, as her whereabouts were previously unknown until we found her(though you'd hope people would uh check her home before declaring her missing?? lol).

That being said, I kind of like your idea about Gideon's involvement. Some elements of that make sense. I'm not sure how much he knows of Ranni, since he says they don't actively seek her out due to her having cast off her rune. While he generally seems to send lackeys to go do his dirty work, the Carian Manor could be a pit stop he made on the way into Leyndell. He may have somehow or other learned of Ranni's whereabouts, learned she was behind the conspiracy, but what I struggle with is him learning her motivation for it. She reveals this to us only after we've spent some time in her service. So did Gideon suspect her of being after the throne? Would he have known she wanted to rid the world of all the troubling influences of the Outer Gods? If he did, would that be much of a threat to his desire to become a lord? While he wouldn't be an Elden Lord, there'd still be power to be had in a world without the Golden Order. And the power vacuum left in the wake of Ranni achieving her goals would seem like a good opportunity for him to position himself in a leadership role. But I'll be honest, I don't fully understand him and his revelations about Marika's will, and how that effects his perspective. By the end of it he seems to think vying for Elden Lord is a futile struggle and that the whole thing is just a meat grinder that Tarnished are being fed into. So does he even still want that power by the end, if he believes it to be utterly unobtainable? Still, it's not entirely unbelievable that he would eliminate potential threats to that power before he comes to that fatalistic conclusion.

Okay, anyway, I hope all of this makes some sense!! Thanks for the interesting ask and for sharing your theories about this strange little mystery!!!

#war counselor iji #ranni the witch #blaidd the half wolf #gideon ofnir #elden ring meta #wraith meta

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anemoidevotions · 1 year

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The Anemoi

Hesiod, Theogony 869 ff :

"Notos (the South Wind) and Boreas (the North Wind) and clear Zephyros (the West Wind). These Winds are a god-sent kind, and a great blessing to men."

The Anemoi are the gods of the winds, especially the main four, but there are up to 24 different winds. Eight of these winds appear on Wind Towers, like the one in Athens, and act as both a devotional object, as the winds were often worshiped together as the Anemoi, and as a directional tool.

The Anemoi are all ruled by Aeolus, son of Hippotes, who was appointed to this position by Zeus. The winds themselves are the children of Eos, goddess of the dawn, and her husband Astraeus, an astrological god also associated with dusk/twilight.

In mythology and poetry, they often appear as tools of the Olympians, especially Zeus and Poseidon, who can command the winds to help in their endeavors, though they do appear helping other gods as requested. However, the witch Medea also calls on the Anemoi to aid in her magic.

Ovid, Metamorphoses 7. 192 ff (trans. Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) :

"[The witch] Medea . . . in the deep stillness of the midnight hour . . . To the stars she stretched her arms, and thrice she turned about and thrice bedewed her locks with water, thrice a wailing cry she gave, then kneeling on the stony ground, ‘O Nox (Night) [Nyx], Mother of Mysteries, and all ye golden Astra (Stars) who with Luna (the Moon) [Selene] succeed the fires of day, and thou, divine triceps (three-formed) Hecate, who . . . dost fortify the arts of magic, and thou, kindly Tellus (the Earth) [Gaia], who dost for magic potent herbs provide; ye Venti (Winds) [Anemoi] and Aurae (Airs) . . . be with me now! By your enabling power, at my behest . . . my magic song rouses the quiet, calms the angry seas; I bring the clouds and make the clouds withdraw, I call the winds and quell them.’"

From this, other ancient magical practioners took inspiration.

Pausanias, Description of Greece 2. 12. 1 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :

"In Titane there is . . . an Altar of the Anemoi (Winds), and on it the priest sacrifices to the Anemoi (Winds) one night in every year. He also performs other secret rites [of Hekate (Hecate)] at four pits, taming the fierceness of the blasts [of the winds], and he is said to chant as well the charms of Medea."

The Ruler of the Anemoi - Aeolus

Aeolus is the God of the Winds and the king of the island of Aeolia. He was appointed as Keeper of the Winds by Zeus. Aeolus supposedly kept the most brutal of winds trapped in a cave on Aeolia. He was sometimes petitioned to let them loose to aid in some cause, by both gods an mortals. He is sometimes portrayed as a face in the sky blowing on some object, a trait he shares with all of the Anemoi. His sacred animal is the kingfisher.

His most famous appearance by far is his role in Homer's Odyssey:

Homer, Odyssey 10. 1 ff (trans. Shewring) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) :

"[Odysseus tells the tale of his wanderings :] We came to the Aiolian (Aeolian) island (nesos Aiolios); here lived Aiolos (Aeolus) Hippotades (son of Hippotas); the deathless gods counted him their friend. His island is a floating one; all round it there is a wall of bronze, unbreakable, and rock rises sheer above it. Twelve children of his live in the palace with him; six are daughters, six are sons in the prime of youth; moreover the king has given his daughters as wives to his sons. These all hold a continual feast with their dear father and much-loved mother; countless dainties are there before them, and through the daytime the hall is rich with savoury smells and murmurous with the sound of music. At night they sleep, each with his own chaste wife, on inlaid bedsteads with coverlets over them.

To their city and noble palace we now came, and for a whole month Aiolos gave me hospitality and questioned me on all manner of things, Ilion [i.e. Troy] and the Argive ships and how the Akhaians (Achaeans) sailed for home. I duly told him all he desired; then in my turn I asked his leave to depart and begged him to help me on my way. Nor was he unwilling; he set about speeding my return. He gave me a bag made from the hide of a full-grown ox of his, and in the bag he had penned up every Wind (anemos) that blows whatever its course might be; because Kronion (Cronion) [Zeus] had made him warden of all the Winds (anemoi), to bid each of them rise or fall at his own pleasure. He placed the bag in my own ship's hold, tied with a glittering silver cord so that through that fastening not even a breath could stray; to Zephyros (the West Wind) only he gave commission to blow for me, to carry onwards my ships and men. Yet he was not after all to accomplish his design, because our own folly ruined us.

For nine days and through nine nights we sailed on steadily; on the tenth day our own country began to heave in sight; we were near enough to see men tending their fires on shore. It was then that beguiling sleep surprised me; I was tired out, because all this time I had kept my own hands on the steering-oar, never entrusting it to one of the crew, for I wished to speed our journey home. Meanwhile the crew began murmuring among themselves; they were sure I was taking home new presents of gold and silver from Aiolos.

One of them would say as he eyed his neighbour : ‘What injustice! In whatever city or land he comes to, this man wins everyone's friendship and regard. He is taking back a mass of fine things from the spoils of Troy, while we who have journeyed with him from the first to last are returning home all empty-handed. And now come these latest gifts that Aiolos in his hospitality had indulged him with. Come, let us look without wasting time. What are these gifts? How much gold and silver is there inside the bag?’

Thus the men talked among themselves, and the counsels of folly were what prevailed. They undid the bag, the Winds (anemoi) rushed out all together, and in a moment a tempest (thuella) had seized my crew and was driving them--now all in tears--back to the open sea and away from home.

I myself awoke, and wondered if now I should throw myself overboard and be drowned in ocean or if I should bear it all in silence and stay among the living. I did bear it and did remain, but covered my face as I lay on deck. My own ship and the others with it were carried back by raging storm (anemos thuella) to the island of Aiolos (nesos Aioloios), amid the groaning of all my company.

There we set foot ashore and drew water, and without delay my crews and I took our meal by the rapid ships. When we had had our portion of food and drink, I chose to come with me one man as my own attendant and one besides; then I sent up to the place of Aiolos, and found him feasting there with his wife and children. We went in and we sat down at the threshold by the doorposts, while the household asked in deep amazement : ‘Odysseus, how is it that you are here again? What malicious god has set upon you? Surely we did our best before to speed you upon your way, meaning to reach your own land and home or whatever place you might desire?’

So they spoke, and I said despondently : ‘Faithless comrades were my undoing, they and the slumber that betrayed me. But you are my friends; you have the remedy; grant it me.’

With these humble words I made my appeal to them. They remained in silence, except the father, who answered me : ‘Away from this island, away at once, most despicable of creatures! I am forbidden to welcome here or to help send elsewhere a man whom the blessed gods abhor. This return reveals you as god-forsaken; go!’

And with these words he drove me forth despite my pitiful lamentations. Then we sailed onwards sick at heart."

The Four Cardinal Winds

Boreas (Roman name: Aquilo/Septentrio)

Of all the Anemoi, Boreas is the one we have the most information about. He is the god of the north wind and is associated with cold temperatures and the mountains in the north of Greece, and therefore, the element of earth. From his name, we get the term aurora borealis. Boreas was famous for his strength and temper. He is often depicted with shaggy hair and beard, with a billowing cloak and a conch shell in his hands. His sacred animal is the horse.

He is represented on ancient compass roses in the north with the name Septentrio.

In mythology:

Boreas delivered Leto to Poseidon by order of Zeus, so Poseidon could take her to the island of Ogygia where she would be safe to give birth to Apollo and Artemis.

Boreas was said to have kidnapped an Athenian princess he had taken a shine to named Orithyia. Originally, he had attempted to convince her to come with him, but when she refused, he kidnapped her instead, showing the temper he was well known for. She did not consent, but their children include sons Zethes and Calais (of Argonaut fame), Chione, the goddess of snow, and another daughter named Cleopatra (unrelated to the Egyptian queen). It is through his relationship with Orithyia that he came to be a "son-in-law" of Athens and the Athenians.

In another story, Boreas competed with Pan for the affections of a nymph named Pitys. Boreas tried to prove his might by uprooting all of the trees. Unfortunately, Pan only laughed at Boreas' show of strength and his joviality won Pitys' affection. Angered by her rejection, Boreas threw Pitys' off a cliff, where she died. Gaia took pity on the nymph and transformed her into a pine tree.

In an Aesop fable, Boreas competed with his uncle, Helios, to get a travelling passerby to remove his cloak, in an attempt to prove which god was strongest. Boreas tried to blow the cloak off the man, but the harder he blew, the tighter the man wrapped the cloak around himself. Helios instead, made the sun shine bright and heat the land. The man removed his cloak when it got too hot. The moral of the story is that persuasion is better than force.

According to Pausanias, Boreas blessed Musaeus of Athens with the gift of flight.

Pausanias, Description of Greece 1. 22. 7 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :

"I have read verse in which Musaios (Musaeus) [the poet] receives from Boreas the gift of flight, but, in my opinion, Onomakritos (Onomacritus) wrote them."

[N.B. Musaios and Onomakritos were both Orphic poets.]

There are many claims that Boreas, in the form of a stallion, impregnated mares across the ancient world, and variations on these stories appear in Homer's Iliad and Virgil's Georgics 3.

In the Orphic Hymns, Boreas is also listed as a god of the season of winter.

Orphic Hymn 80 to Boreas (trans. Taylor) (Greek hymns C3rd B.C. to 2nd A.D.) :

"To Boreas (the North-Wind), Fumigation from Frankincense. Boreas, whose wintry blasts, terrific, tear the bosom of the deep surrounding air; cold icy power, approach, and favouring blow, and Thrake (Thrace) awhile desert, exposed to snow: the air's all-misty darkening state dissolve, with pregnant clouds whose frames in showers resolve. Serenely temper all within the sky, and wipe from moisture aither's splendid eye."

The cult of Boreas:

Boreas was worshiped as a protector of Athens and sacrificed to when the city needed protection, though it is unknown exactly what these sacrifices were.

There are a few different accounts, but the main plot is this:

The Athenians received a message from an oracle that to protect the city, they should call on their ally who was a "son-in-law" of Athens/the Athenians. Boreas was considered a son-in-law of Athens because of his marriage to Orithyia, who was an Athenian princess. The Athenians made sacrifices to both Boreas and Orithyia in the hopes that they would destroy a barbarian fleet threatening them. The fleet was destroyed and a special district dedicated to Boreas was created.

Notos (Roman name: Auster/Australis, Notus when the Greek name was retained with Latin spelling)

Notus is the god of the south wind and is associated with winds from the sea to the south of Greece. He is usually depicted pouring water from a vase, like rain on crops. The winds he brings are hot. He is also said to be responsible for the storms of late summer and early autumn in Ancient Greece and Rome, indicating that his winds are both hot and moist, carrying moisture from the Mediterranean sea to the south onto the continent to the north, corresponding to the element of water. He was also feared as a destroyer of crops. On ancient compass roses, he is represented by the name Australis, from which the name Australia is derived. Notus does not have any sacred animal mentioned for him alone, but the horse is sacred to the Anemoi as a group.

The Romans associated him with the clouds and harsh winds and storms that would blow in from the south.

In Mythology:

Notus does not appear prominently in mythology outside of helping the other gods when called upon, usually with his brothers.

In the Orphic Hymns, Notus is associated with the season of Summer.

Orphic Hymn 82 to Notus :

"To Notos (Notus, the South-Wind), Fumigation from Frankincense. Wide-coursing gales, whose lightly leaping feet with rapid wings the air's wet bosom beat, approach, benevolent, swift-whirling powers, with humid clouds the principles of showers; for showery clouds are portioned to your care, to send on earth from all-surrounding air. Hear, blessed power, these holy rites attend, and fruitful rains on earth all-parent send."

Euros (Roman name: Vulturus/Volturus, but Roman poets often retained the Greek name with the Latin spelling Eurus)

Euros is the god of the east wind and dwelt near the palace of Helios, his uncle. He is said to bring a hot wind, and with his close proximity to Helios, is associated with the element of fire. Little else is known about Euros, as he is the least mentioned of all the Anemoi. Euros is depicted as a bearded man holding a heavy cloak. No animal is known to be sacred specifically to Euros, but horses are sacred to all of the Anemoi as a single group.

In Mythology:

Most references to Euros in mythology are passing. Most of what is attributed to Euros comes from the poets of the time, including Homer, Virgil, and Ovid.

One source lists Euros as the "Savior of Sparta."

Greek Lyric V Folk Songs, Frag 858 (from Strasbourg papyrus) (trans. Campbell) (B.C.) :

"Send a breeze then, over the fields . . . soft wind . . . Euros (East Wind) : Euros, saviour of Sparta, may you come with victory at all times! Ie Paian, ieie Paian!"

Euros is unofficially the god of Autumn. He fills the fourth seasonal slot most modern people associate with autumn, however, the ancient Greeks only recognized three seasons. There are no mentions of him in the Orphic Hymns.

It is important to note that Euros sometimes appears as the god of the southeast wind and Apeliotis as the east wind. Apeliotes also has associations with autumn.

Zephyros (Roman name: Favonius, Zephyrus when the Greek name was retained with Latin spelling)

Zephyros is the god of the west wind and is depicted as a beardless youth scattering flowers from his mantle, often with wings, associating him with the element of air (though, arguably all of the Anemoi are related to air). He and his winds were said to be most gentle and provided ships with favorable winds for sailing. He was known as the fruictifying wind and the messenger of spring. He is sometimes depicted as carrying a basket of unripe fruit. His sacred animals are his offspring, the horse and the tiger.

In Mythology:

Zephyros most famously appears in the myth of Apollo and Hyacinthus. Both gods were in love with a Spartan man named Hyacinthus. Apollo and Hyacinthus often spent time together, and one day, started a game of discus. Zephyros spotted them, and in a jealous rage, blew the discus off course, which then struck Hyacinthus in the forehead and killed him. Apollo, in his grief, turned Hyacinthus into a flower (either an iris or larkspur, depending on the telling).

Zephyros vied with his brother, Boreas, for the love of the nymph, Chloris (Flora in Roman mythology). Boreas, however, stole Orithyia from her father's home instead, allowing Zephyros to pursue Chloris uncontested. He married Chloris and made her the goddess of flowers.

Zephyros also had a relationship (or marriage, depending on the source) with the messenger of the Olympians and goddess of rainbows, Iris. Sometimes, they are listed at the parents of the Erotes: Pothos, Eros, and Himeros, though other accounts list their mother as Aphrodite. In other accounts, Eros was the son of Iris and Zephyros (or Aphrodite), and Pothos and Himeros the children of Eros, making them the grandchildren of Iris and Zephyros (or Aphrodite).

In the story of Eros and Psyche, it is Zephyros who delivers Psyche to the home of Eros.

Through the harpy Podarge, Zephyros was the father of the horses of Achilles, Balius and Xanthus, mirroring his opposite brother Boreas's association with horses.

Roman mythology gives him the additional domain of plants and flowers

In the Orphic Hymns, Zephyros is associated with Spring.

Orphic Hymn 81 to Zephyrus :

"To Zephyros (Zephyrus, the West-Wind), Fumigation from Frankincense. Sea-born, aerial, blowing from the west, sweet Breezes (Aurai, Aurae), who give to wearied labour rest. Vernal and grassy, and of murmuring sound, to ships delightful through the sea profound; for these, impelled by you with gentle force, pursue with prosperous fate their destined course. With blameless gales regard my suppliant prayer, Zephyros unseen, light-winged, and formed from air."

The Cult of Zephyros:

There were two known temples to Zephyros, one on the Isle of Rhodes, and the other in the town of Laciadae. It is also said that the Argonauts made an altar to Zephyros, among others, while preparing to depart on a voyage.

The Lesser (Tertiary) Winds

These wind gods cover the tertiary directions and are featured on wind towers and early compass roses, but little is known about them.

Lips (Roman name: Africus)

Lips is the god of the southwest wind and is depicted on the Tower of the Winds in Athens as a winged man holding the stern of a ship. He was a favorite of sailors.

KAIKIAS (Roman name unverified)

Kaikias is the god of the northeast wins and is portrayed as a bearded man with a shield full of hail-stones. These hail stones may reference severe, destructive storms.

APELIOTES (Roman name unverified)

Apeliotes is the god of the southeast wind and is depicted as a clean-shaven man, holding a cloak full of fruit and grain. He is associated with autumn and sometimes switches places with Euros.

SKIRON (Roman name unverified)

Skiron is the god of the northwest wind and depicted as a bearded man tilting a cauldron, potentially signifying the onset of winter. He is also associated with violent storms and winds.

#hellenic polytheism #helpol #anemoi #venti #religio romana

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archangelgca · 9 months

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Character: Full Name: Akira Arka Gender: Female (She/Her) Status: Alive Species: Light Dragon

Appears in: The Rise and Fall of Raphael - The Glitch Second Names: Sunflare Bright Age: Unknown (She declares an age that isn't real of 44 years)

Your support is very important to me. If you enjoy my content, don’t hesitate follow me, repost, and support me. Thank you so much.

Notes: - She is the sole light dragon in the first realm, a rare and powerful breed. - Her origins are shrouded in mystery, from the lands of the Everlasting Flame kingdom. - She fears her own potential but faces any external threat with courage and confidence. - She has the ability to form vision connections, seeing through the eyes of others and communicating with them telepathically. - She can decipher prophecies from the stars and from enigmatic voices in her mind. - She doubts the existence of the Bright City, but she hopes that it is real. - She has never met Zeno. - Before receiving special training from the masters at the temple, she attended the academy like any other young dragon.

Allies: - Nox - Fyrenthos - Will be updated during the release of the story. (Avoiding spoilers)

Neutral: - Will be updated during the release of the story. (Avoiding spoilers)

Enemies: - Will be updated during the release of the story. (Avoiding spoilers)

Dislikes: - Will be updated during the release of the story. (Avoiding spoilers)

Fun facts: - She resembles a fallen angel in dragon form, enduring a harsh destiny. - Will be updated during the release of the story. (Avoiding spoilers)

Short Description: Akira Arka is the sole light dragon in the first realm, a mysterious and enigmatic being with no known parents or origin. She appeared in the lands of the Everlasting Flame, but her memory was repeatedly wiped by Erebus for her own protection. She eventually recovers her memory with the help of the Frozen Crystal and learns the truth about her past. She rebels against her masters, who exploited her for their plans, and joins forces with Fyrenthos during the Rise and Fall of Raphael - The Glitch. She forms the Sunflares with Fyrenthos, a group of dragons who can travel to the lands of the hidden shadows without being detected. She wields light weapons that can inflict various effects on her foes, not just death.

___________

Important:

- The character is free to use in any of your arts, works, or stories, but please don't make anything NSFW unless I explicitly allow you to (which I probably won't), and you should give credit for using it (a mention is more than enough).

- This character is not for sale.

- The Rise and Fall of Raphael is a work-in-progress story, and the character may be subject to changes at any time.

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I'm open to comments about new things to do and/or improve. You can contact me here or on Discord. Have a nice week!

______________________________ Feel free to visit the Work-In-Progress Discord: (Where I release some work-in-progress art.)

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#art #digitalart #dragon #fantasy #drawing #dragons #elements #magic #mystery #light #yellow

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a-shy-blueberry · 2 years

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Chapter Three: Aftermath

Fandom: Star Wars the Old Republic

Pairing: F! Cipher Nine x Theron Shan; F! Darth Nox x Lana Beniko

Genre: Romance, Action, Smut

Chapter Summary: Consequences are revealed in the morning after and Kalida continues to ponder the familiarity of a certain cipher.

Warnings: Swearing

Word Count: 1.6k

Series Masterlist || Previous Chapter || Next Chapter

Chapter Three: Aftermath

Nar Shaddaa

The Morning After

Nine had had a perfect night’s sleep. No messages to wake her up, no attacks on her ship, not even nightmares of Jadus or Watcher X, truly blissful sleep. She awoke with a smile; when was the last time she had done that? Curling up, she glanced out the window over the bustling city. The windows of her Nar Shaddaa apartment overlooked the Red Light Sector, but not even spice addicts or gangster stabbings could ruin this morning. It had always been hard to tell day from night on the smuggler’s moon so most places came with timed shades. It had to be around 8 because her curtains were already starting to filter in light.

Theron began to shift in reaction to the light and she pressed her legs together in memory of the night before. She had plenty of one-night encounters, granted usually they were for work but, when a girl is trained in the art of seduction, she never had to go far to get laid. The brunette gentleman in the red jacket had been an unexpected bonus.

Gradually as not to disturb him, she got up and put on her robe. Walking around the room she noted the clothes strewn about. The red jacket thrown over a chair was a unique piece, which gave her some solace, obviously not intelligence, a piece like that demands too much attention, maybe spec force?

He wasn’t imperial, his accent made that abundantly clear, she’d place him as someone who lived in one of the Core Worlds but, had moved there later in life. Just muddled enough to know it was real, an operative would stick to a specific planet’s dialect, making sure it was clear they were Republic. For her own safety, she had concealed her accent, going with the Balmorran twang she had picked up when trying to join the resistance.

Nine moved into the kitchen area to brew some caf, pouring her own mug, she sat at the table, savoring the delectable beverage.

In the bedroom she could hear a faint rustling noise, he must be up now, she thought and she poured another mug. After a few minutes, she entered her room.

“Why hell…” she stopped short, her room was empty, the clothes and Theron were gone. She popped in the refresher to check if he was there, ducking her head in the closet. After a thorough inspection, she still hadn’t been able to find him.

Nine walked over to her holopad and pulled up security footage. There weren’t cameras in her room of course but, maybe he had snuck out while she was distracted. Flipping through the footage, she flicked from the kitchen to the living room to the hallway and still didn’t see anything. Her bedroom door only opened when she had left to make caf, and when she had entered just minutes earlier. The only other access point was the windows. Surely not, she thought to herself and flicked to the outside footage. Yep, there he was climbing out of her window several stories above ground. Was he really trying to avoid me that much?

Anger began to rise in her chest, she couldn’t believe he had left, he had used her! Wait, but wasn’t that her intention, a quick one-night stand to blow off steam? She shouldn’t be this concerned with him leaving, it actually made things easier but that didn’t quell the hurt she felt. Nine shook her head, she was acting crazy, last night meant nothing, it was nothing and the ache in her heart was just because it had been a while. Yes, that was all there was nothing special about him. Nine tried not to notice how she was refusing to think his name.

5 minutes earlier...

Theron woke to an empty bed.

He was a little disappointed at first but when he heard her humming in the kitchen and smiled. Theron cozied back into bed to wait for her when he received a message marked urgent. Jonas had forwarded it to him.

----------Forwarded Message--------

From: SIS Analytics [email protected]

Subject: Urgent: Republic’s Most Wanted Location Found

To: Agent Balker [email protected]

Cipher Nine, Ghost of the Empire reported on Nar Shaddaa. The subject is armed and extremely dangerous. Apprehend with extreme prejudice. Permission granted to Kill on sight.

Attached to the message was a dossier.

Name: Cipher Nine

Age 25-35

Species: Human or Humanoid (Unconfirmed)

Hair Color: Light Brown?

Build: Slender

Height: Average

Theron perused the file, his eyes caught a grainy image attached. No…it can’t be. Theron recognized the smirk on her lips, and the curve of her back. The humming in the kitchen seemed to grow louder. Theron was beginning to panic, he was at a disadvantage, he wasn’t armed and he was on her turf. He glanced wildly, the bedroom was bare of course, it would be. She hadn’t climbed to the top of Imperial Intelligence by leaving herself open to attack. She had likely tagged them in the cantina. Separating them was a smart move and he had been clueless to her plan.

Theron cased the room again, there was a single door that led to the rest of the apartment, led to her, his body ached at the thought of her, her body pressed against his, her lips, her touch. Theron shook his head, snap out of it, he needed a plan. There were windows covering the wall adjacent to him. That might work, Theron always kept climbing gloves on him so the height shouldn’t be a problem, now he just had to gather his clothes, get dressed, exit the window, and not making any noise at all as to alert the Empire’s greatest operative who would likely kill him without hesitation. Okay, let's do this.

Theron only ended up with a singular noise when shutting the window, granted he only used one hand to shut it, and he was clinging to a wall 4 stories up. The climb down was easy, and soon enough he had made it to an SIS safe house, taking 4 different trains to avoid anyone tailing him. When he shut the door behind him, a wave of relief rushed over him. His implant beeped another message.

From: <unknown>

Subject: [Redacted]

To: <[email protected]>

I’ve found them, it’s time. Meet me on Manaan.

Well fuck.

Kalida had always been a capable warrior. She had to be in order to make it as the Emperor’s Wrath. She had bested far tougher opponents than the weakling Jedi defending the temple but, she was seriously distracted.

Nali?

How was someone supposed to react when they see their dead sister across the room? It’d been months since the Korriban and Tython assaults and Kalida just couldn’t stop running it over in her mind. Of course, it wasn’t Nali. Just someone who looked… exactly like her. Darth Nox was always saying that humans all looked the same, the Wrath was starting to believe her. The Cipher didn’t even react to her. Her face was expressionless, shut down. It wasn’t at all like the bubbly little sister Kalida had left when she went to Korriban.

She had only seen Nali briefly before she was killed in action on Dromund Kaas. They had both been stationed on the stormy planet they called home. Kalida was newly apprenticed to Darth Baras, and Nali had been selected to serve Darth Jadus for a special assignment. An assignment that would get her killed during the terror attack on the Dominator. Her parents had been so proud. Their daughters were home, safe, and successful. Their parents had both been Lords of the Sith, but they were never stereotypical in their behavior. They were warm and loving, and fiercely afraid for their daughter's safety. When Kalida began manifesting force sensitivity, her father had wept, terrified of what would await her at Korriban.

Nali was different. She was supposed to survive. Force-blind, she had enrolled at the Imperial Academy and quickly rose through the ranks as a capable officer. Her successes had put her parents at ease, Nali could take care of herself and for the first time, her parents stopped fretting over the dangers of the Empire.

They were never the same after Nali’s death. Hollow shells of the people that had once loved life so fiercely.

When Baras had attempted to kill Kalida on Quesh, rumors of her death had reached them. The last straw in their sanity had been pulled and they broke. On Corellia, Kalida had discovered the news. Her parents, mad with grief, flung themselves off the edge of the Colossus. Kalida was now alone.

She never blamed them. The fault for their deaths fell on Baras and Baras alone. Her grief became fuel for her rage and it had empowered her in her duel against Baras.

Now alone, Kalida was clearly losing her grip. This Cipher Nine looked similar but, it had been years since Kalida had seen her sister, a woman who didn’t even recognize her back was hardly enough to go around digging up graves.

Focus on the task at hand. You can hunt for ghosts later.

Kalida tried to clear her head but, an ominous feeling was beginning to grow.

“Malavai?” her husband snapped his attention to her, immediately making her feel silly, she knew if she asked he’d spend every waking moment looking into this for her but she needed to know, needed to be at peace. “See what you can find that connects Cipher Nine to Agent Nali Zane,” Quinn didn’t press at the mention of her dead sister, giving her only an understanding nod before returning to his holopad.

“Of course my love, you’ll have my findings as soon as I can compile something together.” With that, Kalida felt her entire body relax, Malavai would find whatever connection there was, and if it turned out the cipher was just using the face of the dead, Kalida would make sure for her sister that that crime did not go unpunished.

Do not interact with 18+ works if you are under the age of 18, do not copy or repost my works, or share on other platforms. All characters belong to Bioware. Do not follow if you are under the age of 18 or do not have an age in your bio or if you have filled out the age verification form

#swtor #star wars #star wars the old republic #theron shan #lana beniko #shadow of revan #swtor fanfiction #theron shan romance #lana beniko romance #cipher nine #darth nox #swtor sith inquisitor #swtor sith warrior #swtor agent #swtor fic

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noxvee6 · 5 months

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Mikey's Sacrifice

I'm still not over this chapter (Shhhhh I know Mikey doesn't have long hair at this point but it looks cooler shhhhhhh)

Characters are from @somerandomdudelmao 's Apocalypse series :)

Close ups under the cut ↓

#rottmnt #rottmnt fanart #rottmnt au #rottmnt mikey #rottmnt donnie #cass apocalyptic series #cass fanart tag #rottmnt future mikey #rottmnt future donnie #noxvee art #dec 2023 #my treasures #nox rise art

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quinntamsin · 2 years

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Catch all my content early on my patreon!

"Hmmm," she reflected over the runes pulsate along her Hextech powered hammer. A smile came to her lips as she cocked her head, "Hmmm, yeah this is for those fucking Enforcer bastards."

---

Holy, fucking, shit, I was a fool to wait till early July to watch Arcane. Yup straight before I pulled a bloody 37 hour work week I binged the entire series. I can say I liked it, and here are my thoughts on it. Arc 1, which focuses on the build up of our young heroes. Vander is obviously a man trying to hold shit together. His adoptive daughters are making their way in the world and their friends are doing their best to help. Right away we get immediate foreshadowing of Jinx's future with her tinkering and her obvious mastery of Chemtech. Even more so we see how they mirror Violet's combat skills with an entire fucking scene of her punching someone. Now sliding in Jayce here was interesting, I like how both he and Jinx get a tie with their fixation with Hexgems. He will create a new magnificent technology and Powder creates a fucking bomb. In a lot of ways it shows two sides of intelligence. Jayce's was nutured, Powder while backed by her found family lost that connection. Plus instead of handling her trauma with support she fragmented and became umoored from reality. Playing of the ancient feud was Silco was also a nice touch. The scenes of the mutate Shimmer users really does lay all the groundwork for what we'll see later on. Violet while our primary protagonist really is here to show Jinx's transformation from Powder to her truly unhinged self later on. Arc 2, wow, straight away we see how Ekko has evolved his friends and started the Firelights. The scene where they all just drift out of the sewer work was ominous. Jinx going on to full JOKER level murder them all with her quirky bombs was another layer of psychosis of our kids. Here we got one hero trying to create a semblance of stability and safety. And one who is just fucking angry at the world. All the while the cartel under the control of Silco simmers along. Wow, shifting back to Piltver we are rushed immediately into Jayce's rise to power. We learn more about our major characters such as Elora and how she came to be. By the time her mom pops up our connections are more than just pretty faces and simple politics. The council is a vibrant cast of characters painted before our eyes in Arcane's unique almost Spiderverse influenced art style. I ended up reading a lot on Runeterra as I watched this series. I helped me understand more about Nox and Ionia. And the influences that led to the creation of Piltover in the first place. Now, as we see Caitlyn release Vi and the deep dive into undoing Silco's cartel more comes to the fore. First, Silco is a solid villain kingpin with a clear agenda and one we can connect too. The story of the underdog, and how yes, to create peace his "brother" basically betrayed him. Flashing back forth between his and Powder's own loss and sense of betrayal. Wow, it really hits home how family's can be torn apart through actions. If Vi had not hit her sister, she would have kept a stronger bond. If Powder had listened instead of rushing, the entire gang and vander would still be alive. These actions as well as the advancement of Hextech all show how much has missed as she delves back into the Undercity. Zaun is now a fully cyber / magicpunk slum filled with neon glowing chemtech and smoking addicts. Her father's own bar has been subsumed and taken over. Even as they both head deeper, the pressure on everyone increases. Jinx is busy building new toys and ends up murdering a few people for a gem. Vi's tunnels vision with her own sister means that a lot of actions that could have stopped Jinx arent' considered. Honestly, this story is at its best when everyone is blinded by their own prejudices. Jayce and Eliora try to see eye to eye as Jayce steps onto the counsel. Eliora pushes back against her mother's arrival in the shadow of her own exile. When we see what Ekko and the Firelights have done it only brings us back. An astonishing work of Chemtech that merges the growth of plantlife in a manner that doesn't extinguish the heart of Zaun. When Heimdinger sees it later in the series it made me smile as he admires the ingenuity of it all. Now, as this is my thoughts on Arcane Season 1, I'm not going to go totally in-depth on it. Conclusion Arcane was the literal fucking gay tension filled series I've wanted. While, I would love to do a super reaction episode by episode take on this series, I haven't the energy. I watched Arcane this July when I had a supreme bout of anxiety and was trying to write my next short. I will however, be putting off character profiles on my favorites as well as my thoughts on the Caitvi ship later on! I really am hyped for season 2 and I'm already loving the wave of new fanfic I get to read! Gay Thoughts Yeah, so I have to add this. I read a pretty good Alpha Omega story with a Norwegian Conductor Vi and Caitlyn as a Pianist from London. It was this pairing that finally pushed me to watch the series. The story builds really well, and yes I am totally on the Caitvi ship as she sets sail! Also, I want to write Ekko as a trans-kid dating a very - very awkward trans Powder! Need to add that to my fucking list of future stories. Honestly,, if Riot wasn't such a questionable country I'd drop some money on them. Still iffy on how I stand on them. Hottakes:

So - simple but straight forward foreshadowing with Jinx and her origins as Powder.

Killing off Sherrif Grayson was pretty straight forward, but was kind of a waste IMO.

Violet, you fucking foolish gay you.

I adore Caitlyn's tooth gap.

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lirri-eats-eyes · 11 months

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skyborn shitposts part 4

wow it’s no hatcher

part 1

part 2

part 3

#skyborn #skyborn: sparrow rising #nox hatcher #skyborn icara #👁️ art

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lanseax · 2 years

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Magog an Obelisk Dragon (Flight Rising)

#Flight Rising #Dragon #Art #Digital Art #Fan Art #Dragons #dragon art #drawing #illustration #creation!art #nox creates #misc: flight rising

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cinlat · 2 years

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I actually worked on a thing! Thanks @starknstarwars for the tag. I legit have no idea who is writing or drawing atm because my life is utter chaos, so I’m going to throw some names into the wind. If you’d like to use this as an opportunity to share your WIP, please use me as a tag.

@dingoat @kunoichi-ume @dimigex @chaosandwonder @sleepswithvillains and anyone else who wants one

Now calmer, Fynta walked into the room where Aric sat on his bed, legs folded and eyes closed. He still wore military fatigues, and Fynta eased onto her bed to watch the rise and fall of his chest. He looked at peace, which is probably why she’d never been good at the meditation part of wielding the Force.

The caf maker chimed, and Aric’s ears twitched. Fynta watched the Cathar inhale deeply, then sniff the air. Finally, his eyes opened. “Caf?”

Fynta chuckled. “I assume you want some?”

Aric answered in a yawn, then rubbed his face with one hand. “How long until Taris?”

“Just waiting on landing permissions.” Fynta didn’t move from her spot, watching the way Aric’s muscles relaxed into his posture, how the stress from their earlier disagreement had faded. “Does meditation actually work?”

The Cathar blinked at Fynta, then down at the hands resting in his lap. “I guess. Never thought about it. Meditation is something all Jedi are expected to master as Padawans.” When his gaze drifted up, Fynta felt the weight of it. “Is that not something Sith do?”

“Of course.” Fynta waved a hand and found a reason to look somewhere other than at Aric. “I believe I’ve already explained that I was a terrible student. Never could get the hang of sitting still that long.”

The low rumble sent a chill up Fynta’s spine, and she cut her eyes back to Aric. It had almost sounded like a laugh, but the man’s mouth never opened. Pulling her legs into a position to match Aric’s, Fynta offered a bemused stare. “Tell me your secret, Jedi. What makes meditation so important?”

“It calms the mind,” Aric answered with the immediacy of indoctrination. Then, his lips quirked into a smile. “Something you might benefit from.”

Fynta knew that Aric was referring to their brief encounter on Rishi, where she’d dropped her defenses with enough speed that he toppled into her thoughts. It had been a childish thing to do, a way to scare him away. The damn Cathar had only become more determined to join her on the quest to kill Nox. Now that they were well into the journey, Fynta was glad that he had.

“Okay, so what do you think about when you meditate?” Fynta straightened her spine and propped her hands in her lap. “Teach me your ways, oh wise one.”

Aric’s scowl didn’t budge, but he did answer Fynta’s question. “The goal is to clear the mind. Don’t actively think of anything, but reach for peace in the moment.”

“Peace is a lie,” Fynta quoted, though her joke only earned an eye roll from the Jedi. She cleared her throat. She cleared her throat and beat down her amusement. “Sorry, what do you do with this peace once you find it?”

Instead of answering Fynta, Aric closed his eyes. “Do as I do and listen to my breathing.”

Fynta obeyed, schooling her features to match Aric’s and expanding her senses to reach him. Each breath drew longer, and Fynta felt her muscles relaxing. The galaxy gradually drifted away, leaving Fynta weightless with only Aric’s presence as an anchor. She felt the air in his lungs as if it was her own, the stretch and relaxation of each muscle with the effort. Cool serenity surrounded Fynta, and it sparked a memory of the pool she and Theron had discovered on Rishi. They’d decided to bathe and wash their clothes, then one thing had led to another and—

Aric snarled. “Damn it, woman.”

Fynta realized her mistake too late and peeked one eye open to find the Cathar glaring at her. “Oops.”

Unfolding himself, Aric shoved from his bunk. “I can see why you never mastered the art of meditation. Your thoughts are like a herd of manka cats.”

“Yeah,” Fynta agreed. There was no defense if it was the truth. Slapping her hands on her thighs, Fynta pushed herself upright and headed for the other room. “It was worth a shot, how about that caf?”

#wip whenever #sith fynta #jedi jorgan #sith fynta/jedi jorgan au #whiskey & tihaar #look i working on a thing!#I don't know how these two manage to flirt and bicker in every scene #EVERY SCENE!

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