#secrets of the obscure (actually)

[achromant]

Since the Commander is busy with wizard issues, the choya have taken over. Theyre not really sure WHAT they took over, but theyre not giving it back.

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[my-name-is-apollo]

Why is Hera so hostile to Leto in a manner that she isn't with the other lovers of Zeus? I can't think of any other woman who was targeted so much by Hera. One could say she didn't want Leto to give birth because her children would be a competition to Hera's children, but why bother her even after she had already given birth? Is it because Leto herself is also a threat to Hera?

Sort of I guess?

I don't think Leto would ever be a threat to Hera's role as the queen of the gods but Hera might see her as a competitor for Zeus' affection, even though I think Zeus would not marry someone else and replace Hera.

The twins are definitely a big reason why Hera begrudged Leto - it is outright stated in the Callimachus Hymn to Delos that the reason Hera especially targeted Leto was because she was told that Apollo would be dearer to Zeus than Ares is. Zeus is very proud of Artemis as well. As he himself puts it, he doesn't mind facing Hera's wrath for children like her.

But the continued hatred even after the birth of the twins (like sending Tityus to rape Leto) could have been for different reasons. This wasn't like one of those affairs Zeus would have with mortal women where he'd leave them behind once the child is conceived. Neither could Hera, despite her many attempts, get rid of Leto like she did with the other lovers. Not only did Leto give Zeus children that he loves dearly, she also stayed on Olympus despite Hera's hatred towards her (which isn't directed to any of Zeus' other divine mistresses, btw). It might have also been because Leto herself is dear to Zeus, if the way she's treated on Olympus is any proof. In the Homeric hymn to Apollo, Leto stands next to Zeus - in the Olympian assembly - to welcome their son. Hera is completely absent from the scene, as if Leto had taken her place even if temporarily. Now you could say this is because Apollo himself is such a powerful and glorious son in a way that no other son of Zeus is, so of course Leto would get such an honor (the hymn itself presents it this way).

But here's another instance - in the Iliad, when Hera goes to seduce Zeus, he is obviously very smitten but before getting into the action, he lists some of his lovers (I believe these were his favorite lovers, as a lot of others are not mentioned):

"for never has such desire for goddess or mortal woman so gripped and overwhelmed my heart, not even when I was seized by love for Ixion’s wife, who gave birth to Peirithous the gods’ rival in wisdom; or for Acrisius’ daughter, slim-ankled Danaë, who bore Perseus, greatest of warriors; or for the far-famed daughter of Phoenix, who gave me Minos and godlike Rhadamanthus; or for Semele mother of Dionysus, who brings men joy; or for Alcmene at Thebes, whose son was lion-hearted Heracles; or for Demeter of the lovely tresses; or for glorious Leto; or even for you yourself, as this love and sweet desire for you grips me now.’ (Book 14, trans. A. T. Murray)

Notice how when talking about most of them, he also mentions the children they bore to him but when Demeter and Leto are mentioned, he doesn't bring up their children at all despite them being some of the most accomplished kids of his. What's more, he takes Leto's name just before Hera's. I mean, this is an interpretation but it looks like not only did Zeus love Leto the most out of all his mistresses - giving her a place second to that of his wife, but also his love for her wasn't necessarily only because she gave him two amazing children.

Nonnus does something similar in the Dionysiaca (but this time Zeus is enamored with Persephone instead of Hera) but more notably, when Typhoeus attacks Olympus and Zeus is discouraged, Nike takes the form of Leto to encourage him and it's pretty telling of what Leto meant to Zeus.

One interesting similarity between Hera and Leto is that they both had a giant try to rape them. Porphyrion tried to violate Hera (Zeus inspired him to do this) and Tityus tried to violate Leto (upon Hera's order). Though both of them were killed, only Tityus got an eternal punishment in Tartarus of having his liver/heart eaten out by vultures so Zeus seems to have taken a greater offense at Tityus trying to assault Leto.

Again, I don't think Zeus would ever take anyone other than Hera as his permanent wife - she is irreplaceable to him. There's an entire myth about Hera leaving him and Zeus winning her back. Their relationship is obviously complex and involves all kinds of emotions including love and hate. But Leto is continually dear to him as well and that's something Hera can't do much about.

[valiant-portabella-pirkko]

ok but i see literally NO ONE talking about this so let me just yell for a second because a QoL this unexpected deserves the attention

all of these can be put into material storage now.

I repeat, even JADE RUNESTONES and ANTIQUE SUMMONING STONES were updated to go into material storage!!

[icebrooding]

Tyria's Sword and Shield

Together, they would be everything their peoples couldn't.

Chapter 1: Rainfall.

The first part of what is a somewhat character study, but mostly just an exploration of Mabon and Isgarren's history together.

[Ao3 Link]

[scribesofcalamity]

I finished the new gw2 patch this weekend and man,idk....

Spoilers under the cut

I'm not usually one to have a major opinion on story releases,I consume, enjoy and carry on for the most part.

I freaking hated the dragon response missions,but I've mostly enjoyed everything else.

I did enjoy the main release of SoTo. It was fun seeing the tower and Zojja. I liked most of the new characters introduced apnd it was fun running around with Peitha in our head.

That being said, I was SO underwhelmed with this new release. The story was slow, I found myself not really paying attention to the dialouge. The map seems empty and nothing really caught my eye. I hated that the story audio for the meta kept played so I heard about Ramses before I ever actually met him on the story chapter. (Edit: im just a silly little guy and totally overlooked our first meeting somehow lmao whoopsies) I didn't really get Igna?? Or the little kryptis we picked up who then immediately died (and I felt nothing about that). The achievements were bugged, the story was abysmal with the time Length it actually took to finish it, and the fights and area were just meh. I felt no connection to any of these new characters or their weight in the story/world.

I HATED that Zoija took the plunge without us really getting to interact more. She just spoke again to Taimi and now she doesn't remember anything or anyone. I was pretty sad about that.

Idk, I'm actually really disappointed. I'm hoping things pick up in the next patch, but I miss the intensity of previous story patches were I couldn't wait to get on and play.

[doodle17]

Finished Sonic Prime last night and you guys I am so okay

[dan-crimes]

I love it when I'm not actually as invested in something as others are yet I'll still spend. 10+ hours just watching content about it cuz I still have to know about it like I might not have brain rot or anything but I gotta have that info in my brain

[ambrosiagourmet]

One thing about me is that I love foreshadowing so very much and if i don’t set up at least 2-3 things in every chapter to pay off later then I explode

[marsbotz]

this was my realest post ever but i regret posting it every single day bc it got like 1k notes (big for ninjago textposts.) and never seems to die

[achromant]

Inner Nayos hits like a truck in terms of color palette. so fucking beautiful.

I wish we could dye weapons. The Defiant Glass weapon set is MADE for this T-T

Also, weirdly sexy Oneiros Spun Armor? Well, count me IN dangit. I'm SO gonna do a slutty, slutty painting of the full set at some point!

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[awordbroken]

help the counterplay cards are funny as fuck

[blufox3542]

POV You're Peitha and the Wayfinder wants to talk

[bxtonpxss]

Village Secrets || Headcanon || Time Period

Iinuma is not very straightforward when it comes to info dumping. Although the series is complete there are still many things I have questions for that will never be answered. One of the biggest ones being what time period is Itsuwaribito set in! Since we never get an outright answer I just have to guess and play it by ear.

Here's a very vague info dump on some established things I can recall to help get an idea of what era Utsuho and the gang are from.

Utsuho gets a lot of his information through scrolls. It was he who suggested they make a hot air balloon to get off Nadeshiko Island, Neya on the other hand had never heard of such a thing until he mentioned it.

When Yakuma is first introduced he's stationed in a small village trying to help their leader who is very sick but initially refuses to allow Yakuma to operate on him due to surgery being very new and unfamiliar in japan at the time.

The center of Japan is referred to as 'the capital'.

the currency used is mon (bronze and silver metal pieces) and ryo (gold koban-like coin pieces)

Guns exist in the form of bulky shotguns and aren't commonly used but are known, other weapons such as canons, arrows, swords, kunai, and crossbows are also still utilized.

For now all I can assume is that the series is set somewhere between the Muromachi and Meiji eras, or it's like some mash-up of feudal era japan.

[blujayonthewing]

had an unexpectedly visceral response to a haha funnie video of sam reich telling brennan about how he thinks nat1s are better than nat20s because failure is so much more interesting, and brennan, obviously, being like 'OH you like failure? sam likes failure?? I wouldn't have guessed?? do you like it so much you'd rig a whole gameshow to make winning impossible???? HUH. WHO KNEW'

and like man I dunno, just, something about the specific intersection of having spent my entire life trying as hard as I know how and it still never being good enough and failing everything I touch no matter how important it is or how much I care about it, but also what it's like feeling like you're getting singled out and then punished for being good at something, how frustrating it is in dnd when the DM manufactures a failure out of what should have been a clear success because, well, you're just too good at perception but I thought it'd be more interesting if that ambush happened anyway haha, how it makes me feel like a whingeing spoiled child if I point out that doing a good job and being rewarded with success just fucking feels good, how at a certain point if you're too smart or too good at something people will start getting lowkey mad at you for it

and like maybe it'd be one thing if it was just 'oh yeah I love it when trying your best is frustrating and unfulfilling and never good enough' OR 'hey if you know too many bird facts too many times then everyone's gonna be gunning for you to get taken down a peg about it you smug clown bitch' but man it had to be both

[valiant-portabella-pirkko]

on one hand, I am fully aware that these guys are an easter egg referencing the 'Commando' profession April Fool's joke from ages long past, but on the other:

these guys are dead ringers for the Tideturners' scouting parties that routinely travel into parallel Tyrias for recon purposes and explore fractals to obtain resources for the Turnabout, so I'm just gonna headcanon that they're a recon squad from the Tideturners who got very, very lost.

[viovio]

what are you guys gonna be for halloween? I'm debating between patrick bateman or daan von funger