#or the temple of the ancients to the temple of trivia

[sephsbat]

The chthonic deities were a group of deities in ancient Greek and Roman religions that were associated with the underworld, the earth, fertility, and the dead.

The term "chthonic" comes from the Greek word "chthonios", meaning "of the earth" or "of the underworld".

Some of the most well-known chthonic deities include:

Hades/Pluto - the god of the underworld

Persephone/Proserpina - the queen of the underworld and goddess of spring growth

Demeter/Ceres - the goddess of agriculture, fertility, and the harvest

Hecate/Trivia - the goddess of witchcraft, crossroads, and the underworld

Gaia/Terra - the primordial goddess of the earth

Worshippers of chthonic deities often conducted their rituals and made offerings at night or in caves, crevices, or other entrances to the underworld. Animal sacrifices, libations (liquid offerings), and burned offerings were common ways to honor these deities. Chthonic cults and mysteries, such as the Eleusinian Mysteries, were also important aspects of ancient Greek religion.

The chthonic deities were seen as powerful forces that could influence the fertility of the earth, the cycle of life and death, and the well-being of the community. As a result, honoring and appeasing these deities was an important part of religious life in the ancient Greek and Roman world.

How people worshipped these deities

1. Sacrifices: Chthonic deities were often worshipped through blood sacrifices, typically of dark-colored animals like black sheep or bulls. These sacrifices were usually conducted at night or in special underground temples and shrines.

2. Libations: Worshippers would pour out offerings of liquids like honey, milk, water, or wine as libations to the chthonic deities, often pouring the offerings into the ground or into cracks in the earth.

3. Mysteries and Initiations: Many chthonic cults, such as the Eleusinian Mysteries, involved secretive initiation rites and rituals that were only accessible to initiated members. Which were a set of initiation rites associated with the worship of Demeter and Persephone.

4. Chthonic Symbols: Chthonic deities were often associated with symbols like snakes, torches, keys, and the color black, which represented their connection to the underworld and the earth.

5. Funerary Rites: Chthonic deities were closely tied to death and the afterlife, and their worship was often incorporated into funerary rites and the veneration of the dead.

[depression-napping]

Hi ❤️ I’ve uploaded FFVII Ever Crisis - Vincent’s Weapon Comparisons in English and Japanese 🔫

I’m almost done translating his weapon info from the original game, from FFVII Ultimania Omega (pgs 330-331).

I think only 3 of his original weapons have made it into the FFVII EC so far, namely:

- Quicksilver (obligatory starter weapon)

- 銀玉鉄砲/Silver Rifle (“Joke weapon” from Temple of the Ancients)

- Randall/Shortbarrel (Found out some fun trivia about this one!)

Enjoy!

[xiyouyanyi]

Welcome!

@ryin-silverfish here, also known as "That person who talks a lot about FSYY and fox spirits".

This is my little LMK AU sideblog, which started off as a bunch of disjointed background notes for my fanfics, but developed into its own gigantic thing over time.

I've said elsewhere that, despite LMK (and many other JTTW adjacent works) lifting certain tidbits wholesale from FSYY——like Nezha's backstory or the Golden Dragon Shears, neither the show nor the fanworks really go into the implications of a FSYY/JTTW combined universe.

(For one, Zhao Gongming's three sisters, the Sanxiao, showing up to kick Jin and Yin's butts for stealing and breaking their treasure would be very satisfying, and also hella badass.)

Well, be the change you want, they said. 

So here it is: Journey of the Gods, aka "LMK, but FSYY is also canon and an extremely influential historical event".

Inspired by @digitaldoeslmk 's By the Book AU.

What even is FSYY?

"Ancient China's bloodiest bureaucracy recruitment program, kickstarted by a king who simped too hard for the creator goddess of humanity and the fox girl she sent to end his dynasty."

"I'll write my own God-Demon novel, with blackjacks and fox hookers and no Buddhist allegories!" ——Xu Zhonglin/Lu Xixing/Li Yunxiang

Okay, jokes aside: Investiture of the Gods(Fengshen Yanyi) is the other big "God-Demon Novel" of the Ming dynasty, written after JTTW. It's about the toppling of the Shang dynasty and its tyrannical King Zhou by King Wu of Zhou——but with more Daoism, immortals and demons helping out both sides, and ten billion magical formations and treasures. 

At the end of the story, almost everyone who died in battle were deified and became the 365 gods of the Celestial Bureaucracy, thus "Investiture of the Gods". 

Here is a link to the only full English translation of FSYY, by Gui Zhizhong.

Here is my overview of FSYY's grand overarching conflict, a.k.a. "Why are all the Daoist immortals fighting?" 

Compared to JTTW, it's a lot more formulaic and suffers from a massive character count inflation problem, but also extremely influential in Chinese folk religion, to the point of some modern temples, like Qingyang Palace, basically worshiping characters from the novel! Like, the western equivalent would be a church worshiping Dante and Beatrice from the Divine Comedy.

(Similarly, it is to orthodox Daoism what the Divine Comedy is to medieval Christian theology, and should not be treated as actual religious scriptures.)

Okay, FSYY happened in the LMK universe. So What?

Well, first, it will really do wonders to fill up that eerily empty Celestial Realm we see in the Spider Queen special, and the Celestial Bureaucracy will no longer consist of a grand total of five people.

Secondly, it can solve some major show-not-tell problems and actually give legitimacy to the grievances of the LMK Brotherhood + Havoc in Heaven, as well as fleshing out the Celestial Realm.

Third, so many cool magical treasures.

Fourth, LBD gets an origin story, with a twist.

Fifth, I delight in quality angst and horror, and FSYY had some seriously messed-up stuff and implications.

Sixth, Celestial Bureaucracy office politics.

Seventh, Nezha kicking asses and winning fights like he should.

Eighth, crazy Xianxia shit, as you’d expect from the great-granddaddy of modern Xianxia genre.

Ninth, infodumps about Chinese mythos and history trivias.

Tenth, Underworld lore.

...As you can probably tell, this is mostly just me nerding out and writing walls of texts. I'm not a very good artist and can't do Lego style, but will probably doodle some symbol/character designs for funsies.

I also derive most of my enjoyment from writing fix-its and worldbuilding, not shipping characters. Like, I love exploring individual characters through relationships, but just ain't a fan of romance.

There will be a lot of OCs, but unless otherwise specified, all of them will be based on actual characters from FSYY and JTTW, with a few folk gods sprinkled in for funsies.

With that taken care of: good luck and happy reading!

[apoptoses]

💖 What made you start writing? 🧠 Marius ! And/or Pandora.

💖 What made you start writing?

wow wow make me embarrass myself right out of the gate here lmao

honestly the answer is YOU, and @hekateinhell and @rainbowcarousels. like i inhaled all you guys's fic last fall and read your meta and stuff here on tumblr and it just looked like you were all having so much fun and being creative? and then i thought maybe if i tried writing and liked it, other people would talk to me about armand and i could make VC friends. and look at us now!!

and i've always been a maladaptive daydreamer, whenever i get a new blorbo i end up playing out scenes about them in my head so i thought maybe writing would be a good outlet for those thoughts. and then instead of being a weirdo who stares into space thinking about armand getting fucked dumb i would be ~plotting~ and my adhd symptom would become something productive lmao

i wish i had some deeper, more inspirational reason but 'i wanna make friends and put my weirdo thoughts to good use' is really all there is to it.

🧠 Marius ! And/or Pandora.

okay okay marius head canons, let's go:

cat guy. like cats were highly respected in ancient rome and as a guy who likes to own fine things, he would not have been down to have pests in the house. so he's always been the type to sit out food for local strays and have a favorite or two he lets wander his home. i like to imagine him giving some philosophical monologue to pandora about how vampires are similar to cats, they're both instinctual killers and pandora being like 'are you really trying to mansplain cats to me in order to justify to yourself how much you enjoy petting the stray that lives in your garden?'

i see him being a really thoughtful gift giver. he has such a hard time expressing remorse and admitting he did something wrong, so he became great at picking out presents to compensate. and besides he just has great taste. definitely the guy everyone in auvergne wants to pull their name the year lestat insists on playing the mortal game of 'secret santa'.

i feel like it would be easy to assume he hates modern art because he's such a classicist. and maybe he did at first, he didn't get the purpose of painting with such a seeming 'lack' of technique until he stood in front of a rothko himself. and with his vampire vision he saw all the subtle variations in red that covered the canvas and he got it, he was deeply moved.

definitely went all in on architecture during the egpytian revival period and had home with a facade that replicated an ancient temple. (this didn't make akasha give him any special attention. not that he would admit to hoping for that or anything, he was just keeping up with the times, obviously)

he and daniel briefly terrorized a pub trivia night by sweeping every category every time they showed up until the owner gently requested they not come back since other patrons were tired of losing. he can't help that he's well read and his companion has a great wealth of knowledge on pop culture, okay?? mortals these days are such sore losers.

some guys are into shoes, some are into watches, we know from canon that he loves gloves and so he absolutely has a pair of bespoke leather gloves in every color for every occasion. driving gloves, white lambskin gloves for formal events, fur lined gloves for winter, he has multiple drawers in his closet for his collection. no i don't need smut with him doing obscene things to someone while wearing these gloves for kinktober why do you ask

i could go on but THERE YOU GO, i hope my niche and useless thoughts about him were entertaining at least 🥰

[elvthron]

What do you find most beautiful about your faith or practice- or, alternatively, what do you wish people knew about it (or you can answer both)?

This is such a beautiful question and I hope to word the answer correctly!

The thing I love the most about my practice is the connection with the ancient world that it offers me: reading, studying and being hungry for more and more informations about old traditions gives me a wide range of emotions (yes, even negative ones at times); I’m Italian, born and raised in Rome, and my practice is a way to celebrate my roots, origins and ancestors. That is why I’m close to the Roman-pagan culture and I worship Diana, Hecate/Trivia and Pan: because they’re part of my heritage and I can find “traces” of them around me.

A great example is the Temple of Diana, near the lake of Nemi: I’ve been there and it’s really hard for me to describe what I felt when I was physically among its ruins, to have a tangible view of a cult that survived for thousands of years. It’s incredible to think that people were there praising Diana, making offerings and sacrifices in the name of the Goddess, in that very spot where I was wandering around!

(This article is in Italian, but if you can translate it, it can give you an idea of how that temple is still alive, and how it radiates its sacred energy even in our modern times)

So, yes, I think what’s most beautiful of my faith is this feeling of belonging, to my roots, to my ancestors and to a pagan cult that survived years and years of suppression 🤍

[blackjackkent]

Still slowly working on clearing out the nautiloid crash area map, bit by bit. Found the cellar of an apothecary shop in the Blighted Village where apparently a Red Wizard of Thay has been masquerading as a healer while working on necromantic research. Beginning to think maybe this place was kind of fucked up even before the Absolute got to it. We had to fight a bunch of undead guardians and it was a whole thing.

Also of interest in this basement is this strange mirror in the corner, which rather stands out from the rest of everything which is kind of mossy and overgrown.

Hector speaks to it and reveals a spirit or enchantment of some sort inside:

"Speak your name."

One of the dialogue options here is quite excellent:

Luckily, Hector is a nerd and read all the books in the basement before approaching the mirror. (I actually got an achievement down here for having read 100 books in a single playthrough.) So he blew all the dialogue checks here out of the park.

He remembered a name from a journal to identify the Red Wizard working here, and passed a history check to provide an opinion on the Thay lich Szass Tam. He answered a trivia question about balsam ointment (which he'd read elsewhere in the basement was used to clean wounds).

And then the mirror had a final question for him.

"Finally...if you could see anything in me, what would it be?"

The three options here were "I would see my loved ones," "I would see my enemies suffering," and "I would look for a spell to get this worm out of my head." Really only the latter seemed like something Hector would say; he cares for those at the monastery but I'm not sure he sees himself as having "loved ones". It's been made clear already that growing up in a Selune temple comes with a major emphasis on self-reliance and stoicism. And he's not vindictive against his enemies either.

So he says the line about the worm, and the mirror seems pleased. "You seek to survive. You seek power. Be welcome."

Hector isn't sure he likes that analysis much.

Behind the mirror is a laboratory where it appears the wizard has been doing his research on reanimating the dead. This terrifying thing is in one corner behind a locked gate and several traps:

Narrator: The book is locked tight, with no visible keyhole - only an oval recess in the cover's mouth. You try to examine the book, but the longer you stare, the more those piercing amethyst eyes draw you in. You can sense something dark about this tome - something profane.

Gale and Shadowheart were both in favor of investigating the book further, which is all very well for them because they are not currently holding it. Karlach, however, was quite forceful:

"Please don't open the creepy book."

Sorry, Gale, Hector's with Karlach on this one.

Drop the tome, ready to destroy it.

Narrator: You feel better the second the book is out of your hands.

"What are you doing? That's no way to treat a book!"

Gale, your judgment in matters of ancient dark powers is suspect. (And trust me, Hector is just as much of a nerd as you are and isn't thrilled about having to do this either.)

Narrator: The voices return. Louder. Stronger. Commanding you to stop...but they have no hold on you. All you have to do is strike.

Despite the animation in the cutscene, the book is still in Hector's inventory, with this ominous descriptive message:

Drop. Smash.

...It's apparently immune to bludgeoning damage so we hit it with a guiding bolt and it burned right up ^_^

...and then Gale sassed me for destroying a book and then some terrifying shadow creatures spawned out of it.

What is even happening around here.

...They don't have too much HP so I wasn't super worried about this fight but then one of them straight up one-hit-KO'd Gale with something called "Strength Drain." AHHHHHHHH.

Luckily Shadowheart has Revivify now and the rest of the fight went okay. But yeesh. Time for a long rest.

[k7l4d4]

K Reviews and Rants: Miraculous Ladybug Season 5! Episode 2

Hello all! Welcome to my slow descent into insanity as I gradually tear Season 5 a bigger and bigger new one! As always, a Warning for profanity on my part. Seriously, this season got me so mad...

Episode 2: Multiplication 

Oh boy, not even two minutes in and we've already got Su-Han showing up and shouting about how Ladybug has 'failed as guardian.' Oh, and a brief aside about Flairmidable being Felix, not Adrien... I forget, how did she find out about that again? Either way, it makes a later plot point much stupider. 

Now we get Gabriel threatening the Kwami... yeah, THIS is the man that the authors sympathize with. Seriously, no, even with the Kwami being really flat, this is disgusting beyond reason, and there is no excuse for the writers thinking THIS MAN should ever be considered sympathetic. FUCK THAT NOISE WITH A SPOON. 

Su-Han, rightfully pissed off at Marinette's negligence, although I'll throw the writers a bone and at least acknowledge that this was all Felix's fault for being a complete and utter shit-heel... and then Chat Noir and Ladybug just verbally steamroll Su-Han. Okay, we have already gotten this guy established as an aggressive hardass, why in the world did he not just shut them down right out of the gate!? Not giving someone a word in edgewise does not make Ladybug or Chat Noir look responsible, and the fact that all they said about the Rabbit was that they had "trusted it to a holder" makes me face-palm because IT'S NOT AS IF TRUSTING A RANDOM PERSON INSTEAD OF LOCKING THE THING UP AGAIN OR GIVING IT TO SU-HAN DIDN'T BACKFIRE WITH THE FUCKING DOG!!! 

Deep breathes... deep breathes... 

And now Su-Han... collapses and cries about how sorry he is. No. NO. FUCK THAT. Seriously, even if he's a hardass, this man is a trained monk of an ancient order, which I'm pretty fucking sure includes parts about resisting temptation... and he GOT DISTRACTED OVER PRICY SNEAKERS AND PHONES!? NO. FUCK THAT NOISE. SCREW OFF. There is no bigger way to disrespect even a FICTIONAL CULTURE OR ORDER than by portraying someone meant to be a grandmaster of it as someone able to be swayed from their sacred duty, ONE THAT CAN IMPACT THE FATE OF THE WORLD I MIGHT ADD, by "modern gadgets and gizmos." Thomas, you are a fucking HACK who created a lazy cop-out to avoid having Su-Han ACTUALLY ACT AS A FUCKING MENTOR TO THE PEOPLE WHO NEED HIM, and they STILL NEED HIS FUCKING HELP YOU IDIOT!!!!! 

And after his fucking whining the guy runs off "to get some backup from the temple." Instead of, you know... HELPING!? Seriously, the dude is IMMUNE TO BEING AKUMATIZED, he could be a bigger help by STAYING and FIGHTING with the heroes!!! What the fuck is this shit!? For fuck's sake, having Felix trade-away all the Miraculouses was already pushing the forced "you and me against the world" BS to the point of stupidity, but this!? You could not be trying to isolate them more transparently if you TRIED. Ugh... just... onto the next scene. 

Oh boy, NOW we get Felix's actual last name. And... his dad's name is Colt. Ugh... seriously, can I just comment on what a stupid name that is? Because I am. 

And now we get to Adrien saying to his dad "I don't want to be a model anymore!" Like... I get that they are intending for this to be an impactful moment... but have we EVER gotten a serious reason why he doesn't?? Or even why he IS a model in the first place?? 

I'm... honestly surprised that they made Gabriel go just "okay, fine, is that all?" Because dude, you just massively undermined what should have been a suspenseful moment, because I don't know, it's not as if you haven't portrayed (and WILL portray) Gabriel as a toxic, selfish OVERBEARING CONTROL FREAK!? Why in the world is he just giving in so easily!? (I know why, but still) 

Heck, if anything, this just hurts Adrien's character as well because it makes his struggle to stand up for himself seem... petty. Like it's no big deal. It just trivialized all the effort they have insisted he's been putting in to assert himself, and he just... goes about his day. What the hell? No drama? No tension?? Seriously, after stringing along Adrien being a doormat for FIVE SEASONS, you aren't even gonna give his first big step towards independence the respect of having him put up a fight against his dad's control? No, he just rolls over, because WHY THE HELL NOT, RIGHT!? 

...And now we get Alya trying to reassure Marinette at how well she knows Adrien. I'm gonna get to that, but first, I'm gonna talk about Marinette's concerns. 

She's worried that maybe she doesn't know Adrien as well as she thought, because Felix fooled her. Marinette... are you fucking delusional? I am not taking that back, Felix is FUNCTIONALLY IDENTICAL TO ADRIEN aside from his clothing and hairstyle, WHY THE FUCK WOULD MARINETTE BE ABLE TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE!? So on this, Alya actually makes a good point that beating herself up over getting fooled is stupid. 

On the OTHER hand, Marinette questioning herself over Adrien... THAT would be an honestly interesting plot, and could've been interesting to see Marinette analyze her obsessive crush/stalking behavior up until now. Instead... Alya holds up the FLIMSIEST argument against Marinette's concerns I've ever seen. 

They've played video games together... once. Exactly ONE FUCKING TIME that I know of. That's something that he could've done with ANY of his friends, so it's not some fucking sign of how close they are. Adrien modeled Marinette's clothes... BECAUSE HE IS A MODEL. It's literally his JOB to model clothing. It's AGAIN not a sign at how close they are or how well she knows him. And... they went out to the movies, with Marinette being "incognito" for some reason. 

If anything, Thomas, you have highlighted HOW LITTLE THEY KNOW ONE ANOTHER. Of the THREE "stellar examples" given, only TWO of them have anything to do with Marinette being friends with Adrien, and they aren't something that is magically unique to her in the slightest, so why the fuck is attention being called to her going to see a movie and playing video games!? Heck, the third was literally all about Adrien DOING HIS FUCKING JOB, and if the image is any indicator, it's the Pigeon Hat, SO HE COULD NOT EVEN ENJOY IT. For FUCKS SAKE this is stupid. 

You have presented the most tepid, poorly constructed argument to reassure someone of their feelings I have ever fucking scene. By all rights, Marinette should be looking at Alya as if she grew a second head if she thought THOSE examples were supposed to reassure her!! How in the world are three minor examples that he could've done with FUCKING ANYONE supposed to be proof to her?! If THIS is the extent that the two of them hang out together, it looks MORE like Marinette doesn't fucking know Adrien AT ALL. Rusty Spoon Fucking SHIT!!! 

Wait wait wait, NOW we get a fourth example... of Marinette kissing what she thought was a statue. How. In the fucking WORLD. DO these two not realize how absolutely CREEPY that is!? Do they just- just think reality works like a romance novel or something?? At fucking minimum Marinette is embarrassed by it... but I'm pretty damn sure it's not for the reason I hope. 

And now we get into Marinette's ranting over how stupid she is, and to be honest? I'm kinda agreeing with her. Now, I don't blame her for mixing up Adrien for a statue, they were in a fucking wax museum, her not realizing him standing perfectly stock still was the real deal is ALL ON HIM for thinking that would be a funny joke. It's still creepy as hell that she tried to kiss what she thought was a statue of her crush, though. 

This is just another classic case of Tommy and his boys presenting a GENUINELY REASONABLE CRITICISM of the characters... and we just fucking KNOW that they are gonna go "but but wait!" about all this and explain why this is "wrong" and do so in a way that doesn't even bother to fucking address the criticism!! And now we of course get Alya fucking bringing up Marinette's brief relationship with Luka (obviously not by name, of fucking course) as a guise for "not being in love with Adrien," and fucking hell are they seriously treating this as her "not being able to resist him" or some shit like that!? NO!!! YOU DO NOT DO THAT. 

What she had WAS A REAL RELATIONSHIP and it fell apart for reasons THAT HAD NOTHING TO FUCKING DO WITH HER CRUSH ON ADRIEN!!! In what way was her and Luka's relationship ending having to do with Adrien? Explain that to me. Go on. I WILL WAIT FOR YOU TO COMB OVER THE SERIES AND PROVIDE AN EXPLANATION, DUMBASS. Answer? There isn't one. What happened between her and Luka was a lazy copout to get rid of the romantic false leads at lightning speed, and trying to tie it to her crush on Adrien is just in bad taste. Like, are you saying that she was unfaithful to Luka?? That she didn't maintain a healthy relationship with him because she was still obsessing over Adrien, and NOT because the guilt and inconvenience of trying to maintain a double-life was eating her up inside!? How in the world are we supposed to know that!!! 

And... Alya, trying to act as if Marinette putting the safety of fucking Paris ahead of her crush as something she won't be able to pull off, and almost silly. Alya... is not being presented as a good best friend. Quite frankly, she is doing the fucking opposite in that she is going against Marinette's wishes, and it is disgusting. And I KNOW it's gonna get worse. 

And then... we get a scene of Adrien calling, and Marinette's inner spaz kicking in where, instead of just DECLINING THE CALL WHICH WE KNOW SHE CAN DO BASED ON THE SCREEN IMAGE, she throws it at Alya who, naturally, answers, and gets told to tell Adrien Marinette isn't there... for fuck's sake, this is pathetic. They are making it transparently obvious that Marinette "no longer pursuing her crush" is doomed to fail right out of the gate by signaling she's not gonna put in the effort to go through with it. FUCK. THAT. 

And Adrien apparently took Marinette telling Alya to "tell him she's not there" literally. Wow, what a brilliant young man, isn't he? Clearly he can recognize sarcasm! Why don't we all give him a long, slow, round of applause!! And the fact that the show treats him having a short, no-effort confrontation with his dad that resulted in his dad just... giving in, right out of the gate, as a "heart to heart" is depressing, and seriously stupid. 

Now we get Adrien trying to tell Marinette how much she means to him... and I gotta ask. WHAT good advice has she given you that isn't what amounts to common sense!? Now, I get that he wouldn't have a lot of that, given how sheltered he is... but the show treating her extremely minor moments of being a very basic friend to him as her being this irreplaceable figure... again, do these idiots have ANY CLUE how to establish a meaningful relationship? AT ALL?? 

See... this would be sweet... if Marinette's reaction weren't painfully clear that she has no clue what the fuck he's talking about. And the episode is trying to frame this as her being "in denial" or something stupid like that, and immediately has Alya ignore Marinette's wishes by pushing her to pursue him again. Again, NOT BEING A GOOD FRIEND. Friends don't push their friends to pursue someone they've said they don't WANT to pursue. And Astruc, if this little incident was meant to be some kind of joke about Marinette "running from her feelings," it falls completely flat on its face because all you've done is build up a case on just how TERRIBLY the Love Square is put together. If your best efforts to show how well Marinette knows Adrien are two incidents that he could have had with ANY friend of his, one moment of him being on the job as a model, and a moment of Marinette being CREEPY AS FUCKING HELL... then I think that says so much more about your skills as a writer than it really should. 

And after a moment of Adrien's "she's just a friend" commentary getting called out as BS and musing at how "special" she is, we get a scene of Nathalie reappearing (No, Nathalie, don't leave your lunatic boss and expose his crimes to the world, and get his abused child away from him, go BACK, that won't make you look bad AT FUCKING ALL!!) and smiling at a sleeping Adrien. Seriously, why in the fuck is this show trying to set up Nathalie as some kind of mother figure!? In Season 1, she treated him like he was an annoying consequence of her job, and apparently has been getting him pens for his birthday in place of his dad getting him ANYTHING for years... and when a classmate came over, she decided to steal the present and pass it off as Gabriel's. Yeah, THAT is a woman who deeply cares about her boss' child right there!! 

And... Ladybug... AUTHORIZED... Alix's dad to spill the beans. Heh. Heheh. HEHEHEHAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!! YOU KNOW WHAT'S FUNNY!? ESTABLISHING REPEATEDLY WHAT A MASSIVE DEAL IT IS FOR A SUPERHERO'S IDENTITY IS TO BE SECRET, AND THEN HAVING IT BLOWN FOR THE WORLD TO SEE, INSTEAD OF ESTABLISHING A BASIC FUCKING COVER BECAUSE HOW IN THE FUCK WOULD THEIR CLASSMATES KNOW!? HECK, IN THE BURROW, SHE CAN EVEN RESEARCH THE COVER STORY ON HER OWN TIME TO MAKE IT CONVINCING!!! YOU ARE JUST SETTING THIS MAN TO GET FUCKING TARGETED TO LURE HER OUT YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOTS!!!!!!!!!!! 

Just... fuck this ENTIRE load of shit altogether. Fuck it good and slow. 

...And after a brief round of the class being "worried," we get Chloe being used as the strawman to insult Ladybug and Chat Noir so that her claims that they are all in danger because of their incompetence is nonsense. Like, it's still more Felix's fault then theirs, but this shit ONCE AGAIN just highlights how absolutely fucking stupid the Love Square has gotten. FOUR FUCKING SEASONS and Marinette still cannot get her shit together regarding Adrien, and it lead to a disaster!! A disaster she had no fucking way of predicting, BUT STILL A FUCKING DISASTER!! You don't use a Strawman to attack complaints against your characters, IT MAKES YOU LOOK LIKE A LAZY CHILD WHO CANNOT PUT IN THE WORK TO SHOW SOMETHING MORE COMPETENT!!! GAAAHHHH!!!! 

Okay, and then we get a scene of Lila encouraging the class (well, "encouraging" the class) to support Ladybug, while also taking lowkey digs at Ladybug and Chat Noir's age and experience (didn't we have an entire episode in the past based around Ladybug obfuscating her actual age to conceal her identity!?). 

And we get a montage of the groups trying to suppress negativity... which I would like if it weren't interspersed with Adrien attempting to repeatedly kiss Marinette. Like, I don't care if they are meant to be French. Cheek-kisses are a thing, but given he is aiming for her lips, THIS IS NOT A CHEEK KISS SITUATION, and more scenes of Alya refusing to accept Marinette's choices by pushing her in Adrien's direction. Astruc, AGAIN, THIS IS NOT HOW YOU PORTRAY A RELATIONSHIP!!! Oh, and we learn WHY Gabriel was so cool with no longer having Adrien as a model... he's intending to use his image without his approval or consent. And Then Nadja jumping to "is Paris free from Monarch!?" leading up to Ikari Gozen making a return shouting about making Paris a "modern city." 

Like... okay, a villain goes silent, WHY does that equate to a villain no longer being a threat exactly...? 

Ugh... And... I do not even GET why Ikari Gozen is talking about Ladybug and Chat Noir being outdated and needing more "modern heroes" because they haven't even been active for TWO YEARS!!! 

Also, why in the world is Marinette immediately jumping to the Akuma being in the same place it was last time!? 

And how are Ikari Gozen's Mouse Miraculous powers STILL GIANT SIZED!? Seriously, they should be smaller than the size of her FOOT!!! That's how it was when Marinette AND Mylene used it! Ugh... 

And now we get Marinette giving Tomoe a useless Magic Charm... and the reveal that Tomoe is Gabriel's accomplice because WHY THE FUCK NOT, AM I RIGHT!? Seriously, this is idiotic. And now we get the reveal of the Alliance Rings... THIS is gonna be a fucking fiasco. Seriously, not even remotely subtle about this. AT ALL. 

Seriously, AGAIN, why are we supposed to sympathize with Gabriel IN ANY FUCKING WAY WHEN HE PULLS SHIT LIKE THIS!? He cannot be stupid enough to not get that using his son's image without his permission is no fucking different from being a model, especially since he didn't even TELL Adrien about it!! GAH!!! And apparently either Felix showed up back home sometime since Chat and Ladybug went to look for him, or he was there the whole time and Amilie lied through her fucking TEETH. I'm willing to bet it's the latter... YUP it's the latter. Seriously, protecting your son from the consequences of his actions DOES NOT MAKE YOU A GOOD PARENT!! Heck, he literally could've LIED TO THEM and they probably would've BELIEVED HIM BECAUSE THEY CLEARLY WANT TO TRUST HIM!!!

[youkaigakkou-tl]

The Kyoto Arc Analysis Post (Part 1)

In other words, “OP has been consumed by wikipedia rabbit holes for the past 3 months”

Starting writing this in September, now it's November. Also this thing is nearly 7000 words.

TLDR: This is basically a crash course on ancient Kyoto, the mythology then, and stuff that details in this arc points to. Chinese philosophies and mythology are mentioned too, when relevant.

Spoilers for chapters 82 to 94.

I keep hitting image limit so this has been split into multiple posts

This part covers the urban planning of ancient Kyoto, what the four gods are, and some locations shown in ch 83.

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4

(If you want to read the whole thing in a google doc, here's the link)

Warning: I’m not a historian, just some rando on tumblr, I’ll probably get some details wrong. If you have anything to add or anything to correct, please do, also don’t get too mad at me.

Also, if this shows up in the searches for some of the other mangas I namedrop, I’m sorry!

If there’s a concept you’re interested to know more about, just google it. I’m bound to leave out stuff bc not everything is relevant (and there’s already plenty of irrelevant stuff in here sobs), people write whole books about this stuff, I’ll be here for 1000 years if I were to bring up all of it.

I Don’t Know How To Start This

I guess I’ll recommend some other manga that have to do with gods, Shinto, that stuff.

Well. Everyone knows what Noragami is. If you don’t, go read/watch it. If you do, go read/watch it again. It’s probably better than you remember it being. That’s the curse of monthly manga, it feels like there’s pacing problems when you read it once a month, but usually when you binge it you find it’s structured pretty well. Strangely I don’t find this with youkaigakkou, but maybe because I think about it 24/7.

Touge Oni, or “Primal Gods in Ancient Times”. This manga leans heavily into ancient Japan, Shinto creation myths, stuff like that. Tonally it’s kind of like Mushishi, in the way that powers beyond human comprehension just do crazy shit. Anyway, great manga, highly recommend.

Wow, The Actual Manga, Right

Just some trivia to start with. This is going to wander quite a bit, because there’s a lot about history and mythology, which means everything is connected to everything else. You know how it is.

Shinto shrines are called shrines, 神社 -jinja, meaning “place of the god(s)”

Buddhist temples are called temples, 寺 -dera or -ji.

The temple they’re staying at is called “Bonnou-ji”, or "worldly desires temple". As far as I can tell, this isn’t a real place, nor could I figure out what temple it’s based on just from the scenery we get to see. (We don’t even get a general location of what part of Kyoto it’s in.)

Heian-Kyo

You may have noticed South is oriented at the top on this page.

I have a guess, but I can’t be sure it’s right.

Why does it matter? First of all, we have to talk about the other thing Seimei mentions about Kyoto: It’s built in a grid.

(By the way, this is an insane thing to say. What does he mean?? Does he mean “ah yes city was built like this over 100 years ago so one day someone could use this specific spell involving a grid to subdue a giant booba monster”?)

Also, the word he uses for “grid” here is “碁盤目 (gobanme)”, which in the literal sense means “shaped like a Go board”, which is cute. I want to see them play Go.

Heian-kyo (the name for Kyoto back then), like Japan’s previous capital of Heijo-kyo (now Nara), was modelled after the Chinese capital of Chang’an (now Xi’an).

For the record, they probably didn’t call themselves “Heian-kyo” back in those times, and started calling themselves Kyoto around the 11th century. It’s kinda like how we call it “ancient Japan” but they didn’t call themselves that. To them it was just “now” and “the capital”. Why make a name for “the capital” when there’s just one capital that will be capital forever? Makes sense.

(Just for reference, the layout of the streets and where Heian-kyo would be compared to modern Kyoto.)

The emperor’s palace is in the northernmost part of the rectangular city, with the main street Suzaku-oji going down the center of the city to the southern gate.

The reason behind that is the idea that left (east) is more important than right (west), and that the emperor should sit with his back facing the north star (Polaris), so that the sun rises from the left (east) and sets on the right (west).

What Heian-kyo and Chang’an are both based off is the urban planning fengshui idea of “shijin-so-o”, which translates to “four gods topography”, which is the very same four gods we’re talking about this arc.

There are two very similar versions of this philosophy, the original one and the one derived from that.

The original version is based off the idea of “zofu-jusui” meaning storing wind and water. There is to be mountains in the North, hills in the East and West, and a body of water in the South, creating a sort of jug.

The expanded version is:

Seiryuu to the left, flowing water in the East Byakko to the right, thoroughfare in the West Suzaku to the front, lake in the South Genbu to the back, mountains in the North

Basically, a city is to be bounded by mountains in the North, a river in the East, a road in the West, a lake to the South. Also, again, left and right in this definition is based off the emperor’s perspective, which could explain the direction labelling on that page.

In any case, both of these definitions apply to Kyoto.

Also, Chinese maps traditionally were oriented with south at the top, I can't say for certain if Japanese maps did too, but it's likely!

However, if you look at maps today, you may find that there’s no major body of water south of Kyoto.

In the past, there used to be the Ogura-ike pond south of Kyoto, which symbolised Suzaku. (Despite being called a “pond”, it was more the size of a lake, 4km by 3km). In the 1930s, it was filled in because of land reclamation, to create more farmland.

In a sense, Kyoto had “lost Suzaku”.

Intermission

It’s also BECAUSE of this very philosophy that Kyoto nowadays gets abnormally hot in summer (above 35 degrees celsius for 15 days a year on average, compared to 5 days everywhere else).

Because it’s inland and blocked by mountains on all sides, on hot days, cool air can’t flow in from elsewhere so it just keeps getting hotter. Sounds like a stupid trade-off for stupid philosophy, but the practical reason behind the philosophy was probably that surrounded by mountains, Kyoto would be harder to invade.

Suzaku-oji

The main street, Suzaku-oji, also gets its name from the four gods. The main entrance to the palace, connected to Suzaku-oji is also called Suzakumon, or Suzaku Gate.

Speaking of Suzakumon, it shows up in the manga!

It’s where Byakko brings the gang when they go to the Seimei shrine. (Albeit a surreal version) The text on the plaque over the door is hard to read on this manga page, but it’s clear in this chapter promo art.

I believe it’s also where Shutendouji appears in ch 89. The text over the door is even harder to make out, but the building itself looks just like in that promo art.

Back to Suzaku-oji. Looking at modern Kyoto, you may notice that there's no major road down the center, instead there’s that major road to the right (in yellow). Zoom in! Enhance! What’s that road called!

Karasuma-dori street. Corresponding to Karasuma-koji of Heian-kyo, and has replaced Suzaku-oji in modern times as a main street of Kyoto. You know, like Karasuma Ranmaru. (launches myself out the nearest window)

So anyway, what gets me hung up about why south is at the top in that page, is that it just does not correspond to the map under it.

Left side is a miniature model of Heian-kyo, it’s basically a perfect match. And you can see Suzaku-oji right there on the miniature model, that big wide road, stretching from the palace gate towards the south, which would mean that south should be at the bottom of the page instead of north.

So why is it like that? idk

ALSO, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS PANEL FROM CH88, WHERE IS THE MAIN STREET???? This panel drives me insane. YOU KNOW WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE? If you took that top half, the palace, and just pasted it at the bottom. And also the sides. DID THEY THINK NOBODY WOULD NOTICE? You know what they had a point. Canada “most sane yohaji enjoyer”, OP of this blog, who spent 2 months looking for sources on ancient Japanese and Chinese urban planning in 3 different languages, is an outlier and should not be counted.

What does this have to do with Kuji-kiri?

Honestly? I don’t know! There’s not a super obvious connection.

Kuji-kiri is the grid thing Douman does, “kuji” means nine words, “kiri” means cut. It’s a version of the kuji-in (nine hand seals), where the kuji-in is nine hand signs paired with nine words or phrases, the kuji-kiri is 5 horizontal and 4 vertical lines, drawn alternating, starting with a horizontal line.

It’s said to be derived from the principle of yin-yang in Taoism, which Onmyoudou as a whole comes from. (Onmyou and yin-yang use the same kanji)

Specifically, the 5 horizontal slashes are yang and offensive, the 4 vertical slashes are yin and defensive.

Worth mentioning, Onmyoudou also incorporates the philosophy of gogyo (five elements). Will elaborate on that later.

9 is a symbolic number in Taoism, said to be the perfect number in divination for yang, or the nine planets, or the seven stars of the big dipper plus two guardian stars, believed to be the gateway to heaven. There is the most tenuous of connections here, in that 9 was an important number in Chinese philosophy, where an ancient Chinese urban planning guide states “9 li x 9 li squares” (“li” is a unit of measurement) and “9 vertical and 9 horizontal streets in the city”

To that end, I assume the connection is simply that Kyoto is grid = Kuji-kiri is grid.

Four Gods

Four gods, auspicious beasts, symbols, guardians, whatever. The idea originated from China, and didn’t change all that much when they got to Japan. They don’t have this many names in Chinese, it’s just called “si xiang”. “Si” means four. “Xiang” doesn't have a great exact translation.

Not to be confused with any other mythical figures that come in fours that China/Buddhism/whatever seem to love so much, for all that “four” is an unlucky number.

Like a lot of other Chinese mythical things, while associated with Taoism, the four gods didn’t really originate from any religion. In that sense, I think they occupy the same cultural space as Japanese youkai, in that while sorta connected to religion, they’re not the focus.

They’re not gods of any religion, so what are they?

They’re constellations.

In Chinese astronomy, much like the western zodiac, the night sky is split into parts corresponding with the Earth’s position throughout the year. (Albeit, based off the moon rather than the sun.)

The night sky is split into 4 quadrants and 1 middle section, the middle around polaris symbolizing the emperor, and each quadrant is one of the four gods.

As said before, this is relevant because it’s part of the fengshui stuff behind the layout of Chang’an, which was inherited into the layout of Heian-kyo.

What does this have to do with Abe no Seimei?

Well. Onmyoudou is just divination, which is just astrology.

The four gods are very much tied to the Gogyo (five elements), which is half of the basis of Onmyoudou (the other half is yin-yang).

We know it's specifically the Taoist Gogyo and not the Buddhist Godai (another thing with 5 elements), because Seiryuu specifically says his domain is “wood” and “wood” is not present in the Godai.

If you’ve seen other media with Abe no Seimei, you may have heard of the 12 divine guardians (or divine whatevers, you get the idea). They’re shikigami employed by him, four of which are these four gods. I’m not entirely sure if it’s these four gods themselves, or if they just share namesakes.

(Also not to be confused with whatever other figures in Buddhism/whatever that come in twelves)

These 12 divine guardians also each correspond to a direction and the Chinese year zodiac.

The idea of the four gods is oddly extremely tied to Abe no Seimei, I assume because of the astronomy and astrology connection, so much that the gate to the Seimei shrine is the “shijinmon” or “four gods gate”, and also the pillars with the four gods carvings that show up in the manga as well.

Abe no Seimei tangent! According to legends, Abe no Seimei's mom was a white fox, Kuzunoha, often considered a youkai, but also sometimes said to be the envoy of a god or is a god herself.

In other words. What I’m trying to say is. I want to see fox Haruaki. (OP's worldly desires)

Also, look at this fun story about how Seimei died.

Tbh, I don’t know how much of this is common knowledge. I’ve seen a pretty big variety of people reading youkaigakkou, from people who are hearing about youkai for the first time to people who know absolutely everything about onmyoudou and onmyouji. I guess in this essay so far, the Abe no Seimei stuff is more towards the “everyone knows this” end of the spectrum and the Heian era urban planning is “who the fuck knows this”.

Youkaigakkou Geoguessr

That was a lot, so here’s me messing around on google maps for a little bit.

This panel was changed slightly in the volume release, but these are the Toji pagoda, the Fushimi Inari Shrine torii gates, and Kyoto Tower.

At the start of ch83, they’re at Nijo Castle.

When Haru hears Byakko’s voice and runs off, this is probably where this panel is. I can’t get an exact angle from google street view, but it probably looks like the panel if you’re on the sidewalk. The parking sign, tree, and road sign line up almost exactly, and the building looks roughly right. (Seimei shrine also marked on the map for reference)

Mans casually sprinted 1.5km. You go king.

Seimei shrine is pretty cool. Sensei got to go there for photo references. It never really occurred to me how weird featuring real places in a manga would be, as cool as it always is, all the paperwork you probably have to do. (They have a link to apply for that on the website) They have a wall with Ema (wooden plaques) written by actors, authors, filmmakers and mangaka that feature the shrine in their works. I wonder if Tanamai sensei got to write one.

This page was also changed in a pretty big way in the volume release.

I mentioned this in my TL note, but this is referencing the reports of taxi drivers ferrying ghosts, especially after major natural disasters.

Yasaka shrine, roughly 3km straight line distance from Seimei shrine, 5km on the road. I’ll take the manga at its word as the closest Ebisu shrine lol. That panel in the manga specifically would be the west gate, which lines up with the road they probably took (straight south and then east).

The main deity enshrined there is Susanoo-no-Mikoto, but there’s a bunch of shrines on the grounds dedicated to different gods, one of which is to Ebisu.

Specifically, it’s the “kitamuki-ebisu-sha”, or “north facing Ebisu shrine”. Because it… uh… (checks compass) faces north… I guess…? The interesting trivia about this is that Ebisu is written like “蛭子” instead of “恵比寿” (though it’s read as “ebisu” all the same)

蛭子 is more commonly read as “Hiruko”. (Anybody watch Summer Time Rendering here?)

Ebisu is thought to originate from the first child of Shinto creation myth big names Izanagi and Izanami, Hiruko, meaning “leech child” because he was born without bones, and was cast into the sea and floated ashore somewhere. In a popular version of the story, he washed ashore in Hokkaido, to be raised by an Ainu guy called Ebisu Saburou. (Or sometimes this guy is an Ainu deity? I cannot find a reliable primary source for this. This name comes up fairly frequently but I can’t pin it down.) I’ve also seen claims that “Saburou” is a generic name meaning “third child”, and since he is definitely the first child, that the “first two” are Izanagi and Izanami.

In any case, this would make him the older brother of Susanoo-no-Mikoto, who I’m not saying has any connection to any Mii-kuns we know of, but you know.

I got to the image limit, so the post gets split here.

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4

[arctic-hands]

My dad tried blowing my mind last night with historical trivia facts like Shakespeare and Pocahontas were alive at the same time, MLK and Anne Frank were born in the same year, the last recorded wooly mammoths were around by the time the first Great Pyramid was being built, and that we're closer to Cleopatra in time than Cleopatra was to the building of said pyramids... and I didn't have the heart to tell him that I had also seen the historical graphic he had just seen on facebook... years ago. On tumblr.

But my father and I have, for all thirty years of my existence, always tried to one-up each other in random shit, so he had to read multiple large messages of how woefully inadequate I was in in knowledge of the long history of Ancient Egypt but I was fascinated by the twenty-year period of Atenism, when Pharoah Ankhenaton (Nerfertiti's husband and also potential father to Tutenkhamun–previous name: Tutankhaten) instituted a monotheistic sun-based religion and eventually shut down and persecuted the polytheistic temples and followers of the old pantheon but when he died he was so reviled by the people for this that he was pretty much obliterated from the records and this legacy was part of why Tutenkhamun was nearly forgotten too until the discovery of his tomb in the twenties, and it's disappointing that the only accessible non-academic books available on Atenism are one written by an egotistical archeological couple who parade around Egyptian sites posing in nineteen twenties garb and he was her professor when they started dating and she got her position at the same university because of him and he was eventually banned from the university for ten years because of this and the reviews for said book on how Ankhenaton and Nerfertiti as a "ancient power couple" said that the authors are totally projecting themselves on said power couple, and the other book was written by an actual nineteen twenties British Egyptologist and written in the style of such where the opinions of Sir White British Dude's opinion on the subject as irrefutable fact and is thus woefully useless as a source but I'm still looking for a good book about it to learn more and

At which point my father conceded that he had to google everything I had just said because he had no idea what the hell I was talking about and that I won this round

[goldenchariotirctc]

Luxurious Train Journey India: Packing Tips for Your Golden Chariot Adventure

Boarding a luxury train journey India in the golden chariot promises a glamorous and luxurious experience that will never be forgotten. Here is a comprehensive packing guide to help you make the most of this opulent escape:

Golden Chariot Luxury Train Details: Ensuring a Seamless and Stylish Journey

Embark on a luxurious journey through the Golden Chariot luxury train details, where every moment has been made for luxury and beauty.

Take the trip of a lifetime and ensure a simple and luxurious experience from start to finish.

· Glamorous outfits: Choose stunning fabrics for daytime walks and elegant bands for evening events. Transition effortlessly from leisurely sightseeing to fabulous dinners by prioritizing comfort without compromising style.

· Shoe options: Grab sturdy shoes for exploring and comfortable shoes for partying in the Golden Wagon. Make sure your shoes strike a balance between comfort and sophistication.

· Dress Up: Look forward to formal occasions by packing at least one fabulous outfit to earn an edge for special travel events, whether it’s a tailored outfit or a fancy dress.

· Tools needed: Capture the beauty of your surroundings on camera and share your experiences on social media using the designated hashtag #goldenchariot. Remember to bring back-up batteries to keep your devices running throughout the trip.

· Must-have accessories: Protect yourself from the sun with sunglasses and a comfortable hat while embracing light, eye-catching accessories. Take a compact backpack on a non-rail trip and pack a pair of binoculars and a nature book and get involved in helping the local community.

· Travel documents: Keep your important travel documents, including passports and train tickets, in a safe but accessible place. Consider making copies of these cards as a precaution.

Put on the Golden Chariot for an unforgettable journey Experience luxury travel with IRCTC luxury train details. Offering a blend of luxury, comfort and itineraries, these well-designed itineraries promise to redefine your holiday experience.Let's explore what makes Golden chariot tour packages so extraordinary:

Tour Itineraries:

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· Pride of Karnataka: Delve into the rich heritage and cultural diversity of Karnataka while exploring the royal splendor of Mysore and the architectural wonders of Hampi This tour explores the fascinating treasures of Karnataka

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The IRCTC luxury train packages cater to couples looking for a romantic getaway by offering a honeymoon journey that promises luxury and romance beyond comparison. Whether you are looking for hidden gems or traveling from Bangalore to Goa, every season of Swarna Rath is full of luxury and adventure

So, why wait? Embark on your dream vacation and let the Golden Wagon redefine your idea of ​​luxury travel. Check out Golden Chariot train fares for Indian and international passengers and start your special journey with IRCTC’s Golden Chariot today. 

Source: - luxury train journey India

[crazyriders]

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[roopvibess]

Crafting Captivating Travel Captions: Inspiring Journeys, One Word at a Time

In the digital age, where a single picture can tell a thousand stories, travel enthusiasts around the world turn to Instagram to share their adventures. However, a picture alone doesn’t always capture the essence of the moment; that’s where a compelling travel caption comes into play. Crafting the perfect caption is an art, a skill that transforms a simple image into a memorable narrative. Let’s delve into the art of travel captions, exploring the techniques that can transform your Instagram feed into a tapestry of wanderlust and inspiration.

1.  Evoke Emotion: A great travel caption should evoke emotions that resonate with your audience. Whether it’s the exhilarating rush of exploring a new city or the tranquil calm of a beach at sunrise, let your words paint a vivid emotional landscape. Engage the senses, describe the aroma of local cuisine, the sound of waves crashing, or the feeling of the sun’s warmth on your skin. Emotional connection through words enhances the impact of your travel posts, inviting your followers to experience the moment with you.

Example: "Lost in the narrow alleys of Kyoto, where the scent of cherry blossoms hangs in the air and ancient temples whisper tales of centuries gone by. 🌸✨ #Wanderlust #KyotoAdventures"

2.  Incorporate Quotes: Incorporating quotes adds depth and wisdom to your travel captions. Whether it’s a line from a famous explorer, a renowned author, or a timeless poet, a well-chosen quote can encapsulate the essence of your journey. Quotes resonate universally, offering a perspective that goes beyond your personal experience, making your travel stories relatable and inspiring.

Example: "As Mark Twain said, ‘Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.’ Embracing the vibrant tapestry of cultures in Marrakech, one adventure at a time. 🌍❤️ #TravelQuotes #MarrakechMagic"

3. Share Personal Insights: Your travel experiences are unique, and your captions should reflect your personal insights and reflections. Share the lessons you’ve learned, the challenges you’ve overcome, or the unexpected encounters that left a lasting impression. Authenticity resonates with your audience, creating a genuine connection that goes beyond the surface of a picture.

Example: "Chasing sunsets around the world has taught me that endings can be as beautiful as beginnings. Each sunset reminds me to embrace change and find beauty in every transition. 🌅✨ #SunsetChaser #EmbracingChange"

4.  Create Intrigue: A touch of mystery can captivate your audience, prompting them to engage and inquire. Craft your travel captions in a way that piques curiosity, leaving your followers intrigued and eager to know more. Pose questions, share anecdotes, or hint at upcoming adventures, inviting your audience to be a part of your journey.

Example: "A hidden gem nestled in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. Can you guess what mythical creature is said to dwell here? 🌿✨ #AmazonAdventure #MysticalJungle"

5. Educate and Inform: Travel is not just about exploration; it’s also an opportunity to learn and grow. Use your captions to educate your audience about the destinations you visit, sharing historical facts, cultural insights, or interesting trivia. Informative captions not only engage your followers but also enrich their knowledge and appreciation for the places you explore.

Example: "Did you know that the Great Wall of China is visible from space? Standing atop this ancient marvel, I felt the weight of centuries of history and marveled at human ingenuity. 🏰🌏 #HistoryBuff #GreatWallAdventures"

Forn More Info:-

sad quotes of life

quotes on friendship

good morning images for friends

motivational quotes on life

[thesafariquest]

Boutique Hotels & Resorts for Family in Mysore - Safari Quest

Safari Quest’s nature-inspired stays are perfect for wildlife enthusiasts and weekend explorers. With customised itineraries, we ensure you have a best of both worlds experience – the sights and sounds of the historic and culture-rich city of Mysore as well as the wildlife safaris and related soul nourishing nature activities. Enjoy a delicious meal at Drongo cafe, swap stories around a bonfire at Best Kept Secret, relax with a glass of wine at the Mysore Room or enjoy a therapeutic massage at the Amay Spa before you embark on your next adventure. Spice up your holiday with adventure. See more and do more at Safari Quest.

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Discover all the beautiful and famous sites of Mysore and taste local delicacies on this fantastic curated experience. Discover the marvelous buildings, colorful markets, temples and beautiful palaces across the city. We have designed this beautiful garland of all the places, an unmatched heritage experience with awesome stories to understand a city’s existence, culture and local trivia.

To know more: https://thesafariquest.com/

[worldtouradvicetravel]

RADAMIS II NILE CRUISE

RADAMIS II NILE CRUISE

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Radamis II Nile Cruise Tours, Experience the magical atmosphere on board with Luxor and Aswan Nile Cruise; discover beauty of Luxor and Aswan attractions, first you will visit East Bank Temples such as Luxor Temple which is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex and was built by Amenhotep III but completed by Tutankhamun and Horemheb and then added to by Rameses II.

 Radamis Nile cruise Holidays,If you want to have an amazing and wonderful tours to explore the most historical sites in Egypt; World Tour Advice is offering Nile Cruise Luxor Aswan where you will have the chance to choose your Nile Cruise between different fancy Nile Cruises with high facilities. Sail between Luxor and Aswan and enjoy the nature of the Nile River while exploring the main sightseeing between the two great cities.

Radamis II Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan or vice versa, a distance of 220 kilometers on board Radamis II offering 3 , 4 or 7 nights depending on Radamis II Nile cruise schedule,Unlock the mysteries of the Egypt history and trivia during Nile cruises Tours : 3 nights From Aswan every Saturday,4 Nights from Luxor every Tuesday, If Egypt Nile Cruise are a dream of your life time, It is unthinkable to wait, Join our Nile cruises holiday with Radamis II and reveal secrets of the history of Egypt across the serene Nile, this is your chance as World Tour Advice presents the best Nile cruise packages ever! From great value Nile cruise holidays deals to the extreme luxurious Nile voyage experience, we have a range of Nile cruises ships and itineraries to fit every budget and every type of probing trave

Sailing Schedule time :

All Mondays:  Radamis II start sailing from Luxor to Aswan for 4 nights/5 days

All Fridays: Radamis II start sailing from Aswan to Luxor for 3 nights/4 days

Itinerary

Radamis II Cruise 4 nights

Every Monday: Radamis II Nile Cruise Itinerary – 4 nights from Luxor to Aswan

Day 1: Embarkation in Luxor Meet and assist by World tour advice Tours representative upon your arrival at Luxor airport, train station or Luxor hotels. Then a direct transfer by private air-conditioned vehicle to board MS Movenpick Radamis II Nile cruise. Enjoy your first Lunch meal a board, then meet your tour guide, start a guided tour to visit the biggest temples ever erected in the world Karnak complex and Luxor Temples. Back to your ship for afternoon tea and dinner,at night free time to walk in the city or Sound and light show in Karnak temple, overnight stay on board in Luxor. Day 2: Luxor Nile Cruise Tours Breakfast on board the Radamis II Nile cruise boat, followed by a guided tour to Luxor West Bank, go to visit the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple at El Deir EL Bahari, ruins of Amon Hotep III mortuary temple including the Colossi of Memnon, Back to the ship for lunch and an afternoon tea during sailing towards Edfu. Dinner and overnight a board MS Swsiss In Radamis II in Edfu. Day 3: Edfu & Kom Ombo Nile Cruise Tours Breakfast on board the MS Radamis II Nile cruise ship, then your tour guide will take you in a guided tour by horse carriage to go to visit Horus Temple in Edfu, Back to the board, sailing to the south to Kom Ombo. Enjoy Lunch on board. A guided tour to visit the temple shared by the two gods Sobek and Haroeris ( Kom Ombo temple ). Sailing to Aswan, dinner and overnight stay. Day 4: Aswan Nile Cruise Tours Enjoy your Breakfast on board the MS Radamis II Nile cruise, then enjoy an early tour to visit Aswan sightseeing, Aswan High Dam, Hatshepsut Unfinished Obelisk in the very old Egyptian granite quarries, tour to the majestic Philae Temple on one of Aswan beautiful islands, you will arrive it by sailing by a small motor boat,then visit the Botanical Garden on Kitchner island. Overnight stay on board in Aswan. Day 5: Aswan – Disembarkation Disembarkation after breakfast aboard MS Radamis II cruise. If you want to add an optional tour to visit Abu Simbel from Aswan Transfer to Aswan airport, train station, Aswan Hotels.

Itinerary 3 Nights

Day 1 Aswan - Embrace Aswan and Nubia culture - Nile Cruise Holidays

Embarkation to Radamis II Nile cruise ship before Lunch, start an amazing tour to scout the fabulous High Dam, the Granite Quarries where you will see the unfinished obelisk of Hatshepsut, Feast your eyes by watching the glory of Philae Temple, sailing on the river Nile by Felucca around Kitchener's Island & Agha Khan, finally return back to your Radamis II Nile Cruise, Relish your yummy lunch on board Afternoon tea, Enjoy music in the cruise lounge, Dinner and overnight on board Radamis II Nile Cruise.

Day 2 Kom Ombo Edfu - Nile Cruise Holiday

Now it is time not only to taste the flavor of a tasty breakfast on board, but also to feast your eyes at the time your Cruise Sailing to Kom Ombo, scout the striking Temple of Kom Ombo, The temple is shared by two gods Sobek & Haeroris in Kom Ombo proceed sailing to Edfu, Unleash your inner adventure and visit the ravishing Temple of Horus in Edfu visit the  Temple Lunch will be served during sailing time to Esna afternoon tea, Dinner on board, Enjoy Galabeya Party show, Overnight in Luxor.

Day 3 Luxor West Bank tours - Nile cruise holiday

Enjoy your yummy tasty  breakfast on board, sailing from Esna to Luxor, Unleash your soul during your excursions to unblock secrets of Pharaohs, Tour to Valley of the Kings, Next visit to Valley of the Queens, proceed to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, known now with the name of El-Deir El-Bahary, finally Worldtouradvice tours guide will escort you back to Radamis II Nile Cruise, Lunch included on board, Afternoon Tea, Belly Dance Show, Enjoy music in the lounge, dinner and overnight on board Radamis II Nile Cruise in Luxor.

Day 4 Luxor East Bank Tour

Disembarkation from Radamis II  Cruise after tasting the flavor of your yummy breakfast on board, it is the time to beguile your eyes by a tour to the fabulous Karnak Temple with its huge Pillars hall known as the forest of pillars, then stir t scout Luxor temple, then worldtouradvice will transfer you to Luxor airport or railway station for final departure

For more info

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·         https://www.worldtouradvice.com/

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·         002 01090023837

[senatushq]

“Everyone knows I hate the senate as much as anyone else. I hate that the vampires sit in palaces sipping bloodwine while people starve and fight outside their walls. I hate that good people have died in senseless conflicts over who gets the fancy chairs. Still, it’s better to have them on your side than not. They’re the real dogs, all of them, but even the primped and powdered ones have teeth.”

-An entry from the journal of Elena Montoya (The Voice)

The Closing

The festival went on without incident, Mercuralia drew to a close bringing in a record breaking amount of funds for the restorations of the city. Peace secured, the people once again piled into the auditorium as Marzia addressed the crowd and thanked everyone for their generosity. The funds would be more than enough to rebuild the parts of the city that had been destroyed, additionally, in partnership with The Eye the hospital would further invest into the research, understanding, and treatment of rare diseases. An obvious nod to the supernatural community that had been underrepresented in medicine for centuries now. 

With further excitement, Mayor Bianchi called the head of The Eye’s research division, The Future to announce the upcoming plans for the coming months. A particle accelerator, the largest the world had ever seen, spanning over 30 kilometres, would be turned on come late summer. With it Rome would be at the forefront of cutting edge technology, clean energy, fabrication, and advances in physics and medicine that would propel them significantly into the future. Construction had been halted considerably as it was impossible to dig anywhere in Rome without finding some ancient crypt or library, but it was with an enormous amount of pride that their goal was so close to fruition. 

Marzia took to the stage once more and moved to address the crowd, though as she did there was a rumble that mirrored one that had happened weeks prior. 

The Conflict

Deep within the Otherworld, Trivia, Keket, Melpomene, and Michael marched towards Necromanteion. Magic that dispelled its presence was subverted by Michael’s energy manipulation as Trivia showed them the way - led by the tether between herself and the coven that had been channelling her for the better part of the last month. The Asphodel’s power had grown exponentially, leaps and bounds from their already individual formidable strength. When the four aspects reached the ancient temple’s grounds, it loomed above them, palatial and sprawling. Gardens that acted of their own accord, sentinels that patrolled, gargoyles that sprang to life at the intrusion, and the reanimated dead - previously frozen in place - snapped their attention towards them. 

Others waited as well, The Exile, enthralled by their oath to the necronomicon waited at the gates - volatile and loyal. A demigod, The Secret, with power over the mind lingered on the fringes alongside several other Asphodel loyalists that had joined The Pythia since their declaration at the Halloween Massacre. 

Within the temple the Asphodel were in the midst of a ritual, one that was the purpose and culmination of their amassed power. The ephemeral and rare stones harvested by the drow, the power of the Otherworld goddess and queen of the crossroads, the ancient eldritch power of the necronomicon - and the union of eladrin, druid, and witch. The Pythia presided over it all, incensed by the true Goddess of Death, Persephone who whispered through her loyal subject even now - fed them the invocation that wove its way through the crowd of necromancers. 

Hindered by the creatures and temple guardians, Trivia only possessed the strength of a regular witch, while the introduction of moly to Rome’s water supply had left Michael weaker than usual. The pair of them contended with the sentries, doing what they could to defeat them with their muted power and keep them at bay while Melpomene and Keket pressed forward. The Secret spoke, his magic found its way into the former hollowborn’s mind as he uttered a single word: Keket. The demigod was upon her then as Melpomene tossed the volatile lycan, The Exile to the side. Despite the iron that laced the door, the goddess' magic over the aether shattered the magic that sealed it. Melpomene left the restricted Keket to the whims of the lycan and the hollowborn, focused solely on disrupting the ritual within.

There, the necromancers in the throws of their spell were left vulnerable. Melpomene possessed no power to destroy the book, but she hurled the weight of her magic at it all the ame. With a great eruption that shook the foundation of the Otherworld and rocked all of Rome, the Asphodel vanished in a flourish of immense light. The last of the sentries were cut down as Keket the hollowborn and the volatile vanished alongside the coven. 

For a moment, they were left alone with the necronomicon in its temple. Seraph blade in hand, Michael surged forward, intent on destroying the book and himself in the process. But the blow never landed, the quake began again as the Otherworld seemed to bear down on them, a gravitational pressure that forced the aspects to the floor - across Rome this experience was felt universally. Gut Wrenching strength that pushed the mortals and supernaturals alike to the brink as it grew exponentially, weighing down upon them as all consciousness was lost. 

The Time Warp

2000 BC Knossos. Manipulation of time brought the practitioners of necromantic eldritch magic over four-thousand years into the past. The ancient Cretan civilization was in the first palatial period, a sprawling civilization and primary power of the Mediterranean world. It was here that they revered Ulthar with vigour, playground of the gods and site where the architect Daedalus first built the labyrinth. Deep within an unseen door the Otherworld paralleled this ingenious construct, where the minotaur Asterion guarded a spring child: The Mystery. 

Dressed in attire relevant to the time, the Asphodel appeared throughout the city - scattered due to Melpomene’s interruption of their ritual. Across the ages The Pythia had seen them stretched, all these years into the past they had travelled for a clear purpose. It was here that The First, Oztalun and creator of the druids had last been seen. A great festival was to be held in the name of the Golden Seal, the horned dragon who was a bringer of storms and well-regarded as the ancient guardian of beasts and humanity. 

It was here that the Asphodel had resolved to kill him. 

The necromancers, however, were not alone. Joined by their followers, Melpomene’s interruption and infusion of aether magic had pulled practitioners of the four elements from the modern world to here. Druids of every degree: acolytes to keepers, archdruids to chimeras were drawn back to the age. A festival which, historically, Nettelia and Dionaeia had solely attended as their siblings were still between reincarnations. Other druids who may have attended it at the time lost their memories of the festival, but it may feel familiar to them. 

The Collapse

Reality bent, its fabric folded in on itself as those who remained in the mortal realm were drawn into twisted mirrors of varying labyrinths. An elementary school, a haunted house, a funhouse, the inferno, an industrial factory, a castle and the underwater reflection of this castle, a hedge maze, a darkened forest similar to the Otherworld, a prison, a laboratory that echoed that of The Eye, and the catacombs. While there were an infinite number of labyrinths that formed, these twelve drew in a number of people across all of Rome. Stairs that led nowhere, doors that would open and bring travellers back to where they started, mirrors that screeched and shrieked and beckoned people forward. Paths that shifted and warped, these labyrinths were slowly collapsing in on themselves, taking those that it devoured with them.

People, however, weren’t the only things drawn into the labyrinths. All manner of creatures from the known bestiary, and even those still unknown, were drawn in as well. The people of Rome awoke in pairs, twisted threads of fate brought together enemies, jilted lovers, and overall comedic amusement. Reality was closing in on itself, and those trapped within would need to find an escape before it did. 

See the pairings and assigned labyrinths here.

ooc info:

Oof, that was a lot, huh?

All druids, members of the asphodel and those loyal to them have been pulled back to Knossos in 2000 BC.

Everyone else has been pulled into one of the twelve labyrinths. Everyone has been matched up in pairs, this is the character that your muse will start with. If you are in the same labyrinth as another pair, it’s possible to encounter them. Additionally, there are NPCs that you’re welcome to come across. 

Creatures from the bestiary are also in the labyrinths. For all details on the labyrinths in question, what you can expect and encounter are detailed in the location-specific links above. 

You are still welcome to post starters for pre-plot drop event things, however we’ll put a hard stop on all event starters June 5th. 

The inspiration for the labyrinths is very much from this painting, so you might see someone walking above you but not be able to get to them. Laws of physics etc don’t apply in the same way. 

For the above reason, spells are also not working as it should. For the most part think of it as “opposite day,” if you want ice you’ll get fire, but then when you think you’ve figured it out and try to make ice to get fire you’re going to conjure a hot dog. 

Vampires, spirits, and demons may have been returned to life, those who have cannot use their abilities and those who have not will begin to age and weaken. Lycans are either unable to shift or stuck in wolf form, they can use their senses either way. 

Creatures capable of conjuring weapons can still do so, but they will not be magical in any way. 

The labyrinths are not magical, so ghouls cannot use anti magic to escape them. Additionally, due to the nonsensical nature, clairvoyants who rely on their ability will only be misled. 

There is no “getting back” to the mortal realm or to a normal reality, for those in the labyrinth you may escape your own with the clue provided but you will only end up in another.

Octavian, Aren, Nettelia, and Dionaeia are the only druids aware that The First was last seen at this festival, other druids would have an impending sense of doom. 

For those in Knossos, the Asphodel’s spell will end at dawn, so they have until then to kill The First, or be stopped by the druids in the process. When the spell ends, reality will return to normal.

[jackdelaney40]

12/22 The end nears as we arrive in Singapore tomorrow morning. This has truly been the experience of a lifetime. Hard to believe it has been more than a month and we are not the least bit tired of it. Sad to see it end, although we still have 4 days in Singapore. We've formed some nice friendships on board and will miss them. Yesterday we took quite a tour of Penang, Malaysia, a far larger city than we expected. The ancient Chinese clan homes on the docks, various temples and city sights were the highlights. Really hot and humid, so we were happy to retreat to the bus when we could. Fascinating place with the typical complexities of an Asian city in terms of population groups, religions, history and cultures. It cooled off as we returned to the ship and a cold beer....... always available everywhere. Not sure I mentioned it earlier, but they stock your cabin with any beverages you wish and never a charge. Love this life! We enjoyed a great dinner last night with our ten member trivia team. Good food, many laughs and more than our fair share of drinks. Final competition is shortly today so we shall see. Hope to add some photos to this site in Singapore.