#the unnamed ancient capital

[minecraftrelatedrandomness]

Oli, seeing his base gone: My base has been eroded and lost to time and the elements of nature entirely! Woe is me!

Pix, having uprooted the entire damn thing from the beach and moved it to the Museum because he was scared Oli would tear it down:

[dalishious]

Life in Rivain - What We Know Going Into Dragon Age: The Veilguard

For the first time in the game franchise, it has been confirmed that players will get the opportunity to explore Rivain. As such, we will finally be learning a lot more about Rivain upon its release. This piece is about the information we have thus far.

Location & Population

The Kingdom of Rivain, founded in -44 Ancient, is located on the northeastern peninsula of Thedas. Surrounded nearly entirely by water, its only land connection is Antiva.

Those native to Rivain are called Rivaini. Just like any nation in Thedas, there are different racial/ethnic backgrounds who live there – however, the majority of Rivain’s population is Black.

There is also a notable qunari population in Rivain, dating back to when they arrived in Thedas in 6:32 Steel. Kont-aar still exists as a large Qunari settlement in the northern part of the nation – it is regarded as peaceful.

The capital of Rivain is Dairsmuid, which sits on the Rialto Bay. Dairsmuid is the only place in Rivain that has any real Chantry control.

Relations

Because Rivain has a lot of flavour profiles found only in the northern part of Thedas, other nations highly value their food exports. As Rivain is friendly with the Qunari, they are willing to trade in Seheron, too.

Rivain has a “less-than-cordial” relationship with Tevinter. It also has an unserious rivalry with Antiva.

Culture

The Rivaini are traditionally a matriarchal society, believing that women are best suited to rule. Major decisions within a community rest on the head of elder women, who is often a Seer (see: Magic).

Rivain has a currency-based economy. However, there is, generally speaking, a greater value placed in making sure everyone has what they need over monetary gain. For example, if one community has a bad year the neighbouring communities will send supplies and labour to ensure its people do not suffer.

“The Rivaini people trace their roots to pantheist ancestors, and many in Rivain still believe that their god and the universe are one in the same.” —Dragon Age: The World of Thedas vol. 1

Rivain is has the most diverse range of spiritual beliefs in Thedas, because the Chantry failed to become the monopoly like they did everywhere else. The three most common spiritualties are Andrastianism, the Qun, and unnamed traditional Pantheism beliefs.

Daily life for an average citizen of Rivain differs greatly across the nation, because it is such a patchwork of cultures that co-exist in relative peace. Life in Kont-aar for example, is structured by the Qun, where life in a remote village in the southern tip would likely be highly influenced by the Raiders who call Llomerryn home.

Magic

Traditional Rivaini beliefs hold their Seers in high regard. Seers are female mages who specialize in peacefully communicating with spirits and even intentionally invite them into their bodies. They act as wise women and leaders of their communities, for whom people go to for guidance.

Twice a year, the Seers of Rivain gather in Dairsmuid to meet in council, forge trade agreements, and publicly pledge loyalty to Rivain's queen. This is called the Allsmet, and it is a fully celebrated festival with lavish feasts, gift exchanges, ceremonial gatherings, and music.

There was a single Rivaini Circle of Magi, located in Dairsmuid, but it existed largely as a façade to appease the Chantry. Unfortunately, when the Chantry sent Seekers to inspect the Circle in 9:40, they discovered the mages breaking Chantry law. The mages were allowed to freely be with their families, and were training female mages as Seers. The Seekers they invoked the Right of Annulment; they murdered all the mages of the Circle, and destroyed their library of books and artifacts.

Lords of Fortune

The Lords of Fortune are a guild of treasure hunters and dungeoneers, based out of Rivain. They can be identified by the decorations they were all over their body; trinkets they’ve collected over their years of treasure hunting. Sometimes they are hired by others to help out on a job, while other times they seek their own adventure. Anyone of any race can become a Lord of Fortune.

-----

References

Codex entry: Seers and the Allsmet (Dragon Age: Inquisition)

Codex entry: The Annulment at Dairsmuid (Dragon age: Inquisition)

Dragon Age: The World of Thedas vol. 1

Dragon Age: The World of Thedas vol. 2

Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights

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[teriri-sayes]

Reactions to Cale Snow's Chapters 224-225

TL;DR - Some explanation about the mixed blood dragons. Clopeh almost gets mistaken to be Har royalty. Witira fights Jenyu. Witira creates an ice prison surrounding the subjugation force. Cale uses DA, making all mixed blood dragons kneel to him.

Mixed Blood Dragons

For some reason, we got two chapters today. Anyway, there was some background explanation about mixed blood dragons (mbd). There are 4 generations of mbd, and the 1st Knights Order all had them.

Only three 1st gen and four 3rd gen mbd were present here. The vice commander of the 1st Knights Order was a 2nd gen mbd, but was away on another mission. The 4th gen mbd of the 1st Knights Order were still trainees, and currently assigned to defend the capital. Thus, the subjugation force was composed of these people:

Jenyu - 1st gen mbd. Commander of the 1st Knights Order and leader of the subjugation force

One female 1st gen mbd

One unnamed 1st gen mbd

Nine - 3rd gen mbd. Swordsman.

Wei - 3rd gen mbd. Mage.

Two unnamed 3rd gen mbd who are older than Nine and Wei

Other unnamed members of the 1st Knights Order who are not mbd (maybe they're squires or servants?)

Bailey - female Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Har Kingdom

Sam - knight from the Har Kingdom

Bailey's staff and escort knights

Clopeh is Royalty?!

If Cale got mistaken as a descendant of Archduke Snow, this time, Clopeh got mistaken as a member of the Har royal family. Minister Bailey knew that white hair and eyes were the symbol of Har royalty, so she was relieved to see that Clopeh had green eyes. 😂

Witira Versus Jenyu

Jenyu accused Bailey of betraying the Holy Empire, and tried to attack her, but Witira blocked his attack with her water whip. Unlike Wei, Jenyu and Bailey recognized her as a whale tribe person. We got some background info that the whale tribe in Aipotu had gone extinct, and the secret mission of the 2nd gen mbd of the 1st Knights Order was to find and kill the hiding elders of the beast tribes.

Moving on, Witira melted the snow into water, creating a water wave surrounding the subjugation force before she froze it. Thus, an ice prison resembling a small amphitheatre was created.

Ending Remarks

Cale finally got to show off his ancient powers! I guess he's not affected by the restrictions? He used his DA and all the mbd knelt down to him and felt suffocated. DA was so excited, while Cale was... feeling cold and wanting to lie next to a warm fireplace. 🤣🤣🤣

And that's it. The double chapters today ended at that part. There was no notice of a hiatus, so I think we'd still get a chapter on Friday. I wonder why the author released two chapters today though. I checked the other sites besides RIDI, and they also had 2 chapters. So here's hoping that there would be a chapter on Friday.

[transfemininomenon]

it's been talked to death about the way that from soft games handle their telling of lore & in particular the use of item descriptions to do so. that in particular has been super interesting to me from the beginning, and so i decided that i was going to do a lil list of my three personal favorite lore twists/implications that come from item descriptions

3. Nomadic Merchant's Set - Elden Ring

the lore twist: mentions of the mysterious frenzied flame show up throughout the entire game in various ways, namely in incantations & areas/enemies that have been consumed by the frenzied flame. it's portrayed as an incredibly powerful but maddening thing, and its origins are mainly left a mystery

also throughout the game there are various nomadic merchants who assist you by offering different kinds of items, as well as some offering little bits of lore & quest hints. they're portrayed as very kind and helpful, and are most notably found by following the sound of a beautiful, somber tune that they all seem to play

eventually, exploring deep, deep underneath the capital of the Lands Between will find you discovering what is in my opinion the most harrowing sight in the entire game - piles and piles of corpses, all in different poses of absolute agony and horror. and as you enter, you hear a familiar, now haunting tune as you find the last few remaining merchants still remaining deep below

you finally come across their armor set at the very bottom of a deep chasm, where the harrowing truth of both why so little of these merchants remain, and also the origins of the frenzied flame

2. Talisman of Beasts - Demon's Souls

the lore twist: would just like to say that anyone who's been a fan of these games for a while knew this one had to be here - it's truly THE original big one when it came to Lore Twists through item descriptions

throughout demon's souls there's mentions of both the Old One and an unnamed God. the Old One is an ancient demon that is the progenitor of all other demons throughout the game and the source of the deep colorless fog that is engulfing the world. this Old One can not be killed - it can merely be lulled back to sleep, and is stirred by use of soul magics, which it is also the source of

the unnamed God, on the other hand, is the source of miracles - divine magic as opposed to soul magic. servants of this God use their miracles to help fight against demons, and view miracles as heavenly acts as opposed to the demonic acts of soul magic, with one clearly good & the other clearly evil

however, this talisman ultimately reveals that the Old One and God are in fact one and the same, and that both soul magic and miracles ultimately come from the exact same source

1. Ringed Knight Set - Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City

the lore twist: disclaimer with this one in that this one is a lot more of a Personal Interpretation & a lot less concretely canon than the other two on this list, but it's my personal favorite of the lot for reasons that i will explain and i simply had to have it

a very big part of the lore of dark souls has to deal with the curse of undeath, with those cursed with it unable to truly die and steadily becoming hollow shells of themselves as they are repeatedly resurrected. this concept of undeath is explored in various different ways throughout the entire series, and the protagonist of each game is some form of undead. all undead are branded with what is known as the Darksign - a burning red circle

the origins of the curse of undeath are left vague throughout most of the three games, though it is claimed that it was created when Gwyn, leader of the Gods that ruled in the Age of Fire, refused to relinquish said Age of Fire to make way for the Age of Dark, an age ruled by men instead of the gods. the full extend of how it was created or how it is transmitted remained a mystery, and at least for me it very much seemed like the curse happened accidentally, all part of Gwyn's desperate attempts to keep going what he felt was right

that is, until, we finally enter the Ringed City - the second DLC for dark souls 3, and the final bit of content for the entire dark souls trilogy. throughout the series the subject of Man and their relation to both the Dark and a thing known as the Abyss are explored a lot, and in the Ringed City it is explored even more, a lot of which is very much meant to be left to interpretation so i won't comment on it much, but amongst other things found in the Ringed City are various enemies marked with a terribly familiar burning red circle

upon finding the armor of the knights of the city, the truth becomes revealed - early man found their own smidgens of life within the Abyss, and the gods fearing this decided to place a brand upon the armor of those men. a brand eerily familiar to that of the darksign, what would later become the signature sign of one cursed with undeath

the implication thus, at least to me, becomes that the curse of undeath was willingly created by the Gods in order to prevent mankind from finding their own forms of life, to prevent them from rising to the same status as the gods who ruled over them. what once seemed like an accidental thing now was revealed to be purposely done, and the sheer weight of that combined with this revelation and answer coming at the very end of the series after the question being established from the very beginning is why it is my personal favorite item lore twists

[blueiskewl]

American Tourist Arrested for Smashing Ancient Roman statues in Israel

An American man has been arrested in Israel on suspicion of “the deliberate defacement” of valuable sculptures at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, Israeli police have confirmed.

The unnamed 40-year-old was arrested after police were called to reports from security personnel at the cultural institution in Jerusalem.

According to the Jerusalem Post, two ancient Roman sculptures dating to the 2nd century CE were damaged.

In a statement Israeli police said: “Yesterday (Thursday) in the late afternoon, Jerusalem District Police received a report from security personnel at the Israel Museum about a visitor who intentionally destroyed sculptures of significant financial value displayed at the museum, causing substantial damage.”

The suspect, an American citizen, was taken in for questioning at the Moriah station in the Israeli capital, police said.

The police statement continued: “During the initial investigation, it was revealed that the suspect carried out the act because he considered these sculptures to be ‘idolatrous’ and contrary to the Torah.”

But the man’s lawyer denied that he had been acting on fundamentalist religious belief, saying instead that he was suffering from mental illness.

The suspect appeared in court on Friday where magistrates extended his detention until Monday while the police investigation continues.

The man’s lawyer, Nick Kaufman, requested that his client’s name not be disclosed. The magistrate rejected this request but postponed the decision on whether to name him until Sunday morning.

In an email Kaufman said: “The suspect did not act out of iconoclastic fanaticism. His acts prior to the incident and general demeanor suggest that he is suffering from a well recognized condition known as the Jerusalem Syndrome.

“With his agreement and that of the police, he was referred for psychiatric evaluation with the expectation that he will be released from pre-trial detention on Monday.”

Jerusalem syndrome is a rare condition in which tourists become so overwhelmed by the city’s history and power that they dissociate from reality and believe themselves to be biblical figures.

The incident comes during the week-long festival of Sukkot and just days after Israeli police arrested five people on suspicion of spitting in the vicinity of Christians or churches in the Old City of Jerusalem.

By Lianne Kolirin.

[sillovn]

The World Before #1: The First Age of Gold

Was originally planning to write a long series on how a crisis in Farum Azula was the catalyst for everything that happens afterward. Then, the new Vaati video drops and more or less says ~50% of what I was going to say anyway. So might as well just post it now (not sure how many entries this will take, just assume many parts). all entries -> #worldbefore

1.1 The Greater Will Makes Contact

Deep in the past, a golden star falls and brings with it the Elden Ring. Beasts discover the Elden Ring and become sentient (see. Cinquedea).

Ill make an argument that the mark of the Greater Will *is* sentience, physically manifesting as a 5 fingered hand (note. Ancient Dragons have 5 fingers, Flesh Dragons do not). That said, there are several types of beings with 5 fingers, sentience, and clearly associated with other Outer Gods (see. Rot Kindred, Giants). This is probably not an issue; mortals can serve/abandon Outer Gods as they choose (eg. Frenzy Flame).

Perhaps the history is that Giants etc. once were raised to sentience by The Greater Will and were later abandoned?

1.2 First Golden Capital

At some point in history, Beastmen found the city of Farum Azula. Central to their culture is the worship of great stone dragons. There are reasons to think Farum Azula's society served the Greater Will and thus represent an older form of the Golden Order.

The Elden Ring appears in architectural depiction (see. Maliketh’s room). Gold as material features on Beastman artifacts and the bodies of Ancient Dragons.

Placidusax was Elden Lord - a title tied to being consort to a ring-bearing god (ie. it would not make sense to be Elden Lord without an Elden Ring). Therefore the ‘fled god’ of Placidusax is Marika’s predecessor (note: Enia calls Marika a god), and not an unnamed Outer God.

1.3 Stone-skinned Ancients

So what does the worship of Ancient Dragons have to do with the Greater Will?

The stars are said to carry traces of ancient life, and clearly beings do arise where stars fall (Astels, Fallingstars etc.). Or more specifically, stars seem to breathe life into matter where they land (see. Onyx/Alabaster Lord’s Sword). With the Onyx Lords, the *implication* is that they are created as a result of meteors; and not that meteors carry/are Onyx Lords. Also note their title of "stone-skinned ancients".

With this in mind, did gold-fleshed Ancient Dragons come to life where the Elden Star struck the earth?

Stars potentially hold primeval blueprints for different body plans - life from stars can either be human-like (Onyx Lords) or insect-like (Fallingstars, Astels). One could say - stars carry souls. With this in mind; take note of the Elden Beast's multi-winged, fire breathing form.

1.4 An Immortal Presence

So why worship ancient dragons? I think the reason is quite straightforward - their scales bend time. Placidusax is surrounded by burial niches; the honor to have one's remains preserved eternally.

One could go further and suggest that the city (with ancient dragons entombed in it's foundation and all) prolongs life. For the Beasts, to worship dragons in Farum Azula is to live long in an earthly paradise. In light of this, note how Marika's aim was to remove death and grant the Land's Between unending life.

----------------------

This is all for today

TLDR: Beastmen/Dragons are Greater Will's original followers in this world.

next gonna try explain the concept of Wormfaces and Numen. Also why Marika probably came from Farum Azula.

[idrisofficial]

drop some kilia and/or seren lore

whoa okay there is very little so you’ll have to bear with me as i make shit up as i go. i feel bad for the two of them, they never really took off or integrated into the story, but they kind of exist in my brain anyways.

killia came from a family who got rich off of a bunch of illegal shit. usually the income came from taking part in organized crime (wooo idrisian mafia), but pretty much anything substantial that made them discreet but solid money they would take up. so killia grew up wealthy, but of a low social class and therefore extremely unlike any of the other wealthy characters.

he was also exposed to a lot of anti-government sentiment by proxy when he was young. his parents had little personal opinion on the government and were mostly negligent in their parenting. but the proximity to illegality lent itself to dissent, and killia absorbed what was around him like a sponge. as he grew up, he became increasingly outspoken; this posed a huge problem for his parents, who couldn’t give less of a shit about political justice, but were endangered by their child drawing attention to himself. so when killia was sent to reform school, which basically fucks you over for life in idris, his parents just left him to rot. obviously this only fueled killia’s sedition, and within reform school he was able to meet likeminded people, i.e. rowen and evander. this is tangential, but i like to say that killia and rowen dated for a few months while they were there before the experience made them realize they were both gay. anyways. he was super important in r&e’s plan to burn the whole prison school down, and after they did he just kind of stuck around with them. he’s known them for about a decade now and they’re all really close friends. killia is much more bookish and sensitive than either rowen or evander, but he’s also really damn passionate and dedicated to the cause. he’d go down fighting.

i know even less about seren than i do about killia whoa!

seren grew up in a small, isolated community of adherents to idris’s Ancient Religion which is currently unnamed and undefined. i know extremely little about the religion’s practices or history, but followers of it in present idris are an extreme minority who are shunned by society. the fringes of people left who still live according to it are mostly concentrated in communities like the one seren grew up in, secluded in the mountains or forests.

seren speaks very little and gets a lot done. he’s still an avid believer in Ancient Religion and practices on his own, but after suffering extreme mental illness and childhood trauma because of the community’s isolation, he made the decision to leave for idris’s capital halcyon city at about 17.

living in the capital was also very traumatic at first. he had no experiences or skills suited to an urban setting, and his mental illness and fear of persecution prevented him from integrating. he met killia purely by chance, whom he did not trust at all at first, but after killia invited him to stay and heal with him for a time, they grew a lot closer (wink wink). their relationship is complicated but very tender, and they bring out the best in each other. seren is sharp and insightful and challenges killia with perspectives so far from anything he’s ever considered. killia is imaginative and knowledgeable and encourages seren to find joy and love.

to put it bluntly, seren still has no idea what he wants out of life, but working to take down the system that has taken so much from him and his people gives him a practical purpose and somewhere to put his values for the time being. he doesn’t care about the rebellion at heart nearly as much as killia does, but killia is kind of all he has, and his devotion is worth a lot to him. seren would hate to die for the revolution, but he doesn’t have the healthiest relationship with death either; if he can’t live among better circumstances anyways, he’d rather die in service of justice than inevitably by his own hand.

that was super fucking dark! really, most of that was a psychoanalysis of seren’s blackest qualities. he doesn’t seem all that depressing even the majority of the time, just quiet. he keeps busy. he’s solution-oriented. he’s a fantastic asset to the revolution even if he doesn’t live and breathe its ideals, because he’s highly unassuming (great for stealth) and very practical. seren will do basically anything the revolution needs him to, though he’s hesitant to resort to direct violence in any capacity. he’s much better friends with evander than he is rowen. he also has somewhat of an affinity for alya, because his religion is essentially a derivative of hers. but mostly he’s pretty asocial.

[ohvalleys]

( oscar isaac, forty five, cis male, he/him ) ☼ i know it’s a small town, but i run into CONRAD REYES every time i go to THE WIZARD'S TOWER. it’s like they practically live there and not THE MOUNTAINS for FORTY FIVE YEARS. it must be because they’re ARTICULATE and SELFISH. come to think of it, that’s probably why they’re a LIBRARIAN/TEACHER too. but i did hear they want to IMPROVE THE VALLEY, and sometimes they like to MINE. rumor has it they also like GOAT CHEESE, but dislike CHOWDER. what do you think?

meet conrad, your local pretentious librarian. he's valley born and bred, from a mother that's been in the valley for generations and a father that fled city life to join her and her family in the valley. they were quiet, and older parents, and his father was a big reader, so conrad spent many days indoors or at the valley's library. the greatest days of his childhood are when he got to go to zuzu city and visit its museum

went to the capital for college and then travelled around the ferngill republic AND the gotoro empire AND other countries that are unnamed because I don't know any more canon ones, and he will never, ever, ever shut up about his travels there. like a study abroad guy but worse.

eventually got a bachelors and then a masters in library science and settled back down in the valley with his parents because he loved it and them. he has an inflated ego about how smart and educated he is now, and has plenty of ideas about how to improve the valley. he talks to the mayor — and anyone else who will listen — about his ideas all the time. 

eternal bachelor, manwhore extraordinaire. thinks because he's self aware about it it doesn't count as an issue. fuckboy who will break ur heart :( but swings all ways :)

huge joja supporter and wants to expand and build in the valley to make it a more viable farming town or a vacation town without losing its charm. thinks it could be revitalized and wishes to see it be more bustling. unafraid to butt heads with his neighbors over this. including his own mother, who is ancient. 

deeply, deeply insecure and that's basically why he is the way he is. depressed sad man. loves the valley so very deeply and wants to do right by it, just has a bit of a pretentious capitalist man mindset about it. do you think you can fix him? vote in the poll below. 

a teacher in town to all the valley's wonderful children, and damn good at it, in spite of all his other issues. he's charismatic, he's passionate, he treats the kids like they're capable. loves to take them on field trips around the valley so they can do things hands on, and is MILITANT about vocabulary and making sure they read plenty.

anti tv. doesn't own one. says it melts your brain. inexplicably watches movies. 

pretentious loser. always has a book on him. smokes a pack a day and has a bit of a stardrop saloon problem, if you catch my drift. desperately needs to learn when to shut up. will quote pretentious quotes at you. performs his own original indie music at the stardrop saloon with his acoustic guitar. i wish I was joking too, y'all.

has a pet goat named yoba. but like, ironically...  he makes and sells his own artisan goat cheese.

[sakura-otome]

Currently Playing

Matsurika no Kei -kEi - Tenmeiiniden

マツリカの炯 - kEi - 天命胤異伝

NO-SPOILER OVERVIEW OF SETTING AND CHARACTERS

SETTING

The game is marketed as Sino-fantasy and “Mature” romance. It takes place in this fictional country Gekka no Kuni (月下の国), quite simply the “country under the moon” and, the surrounding unnamed countries and small villages and peoples. It’s sort of like the greater Han Chinese culture plus the small ethnic groups like those in Mongolia, if we were to make real life comparisons. The vibe is very much an ancient society that is brutal and shit’s unfair, but that’s how it is. The caveat is that magic is real. Mystical Beasts are very real and known to exist, as well as people called Senkou (仙虹), or Sages, who are ordinary humans who, through many years of intense training and study, become very long-lived or immortal and gain essentially magical abilities. 

The creation story plays a pretty big role in the story as a whole, with different individual components being highlighted in each of the routes (that I have done thus far). The creation story says that 999 years ago, the land was being terrorized by Shikyo (四凶), or the Four Calamity’s, which are Mystical Beasts. They were defeated by the Shiseijuu (四聖獣) or Four Holy Beasts, also Mystical Beasts, who worked hand in hand with a great sage Ko Unyou who went on to create the country. 

Now, our MC, “Naya” is from a small and very mystical village “Matsurika”, which lies just outside of Gekka no Kuni in the mountains north of the capital city. This village is very unique, being hidden behind a strange mist deep in the mountains, only accessible to the villagers and a special merchant who has the official seal of a Flame Merchant. Anybody who doesn’t fit these requirements would simply get lost in the mountains if they walked past the line of Red Jasmine Flowers and into the mist. If you try to take the Jasmine that grows there out of the village, it turns to dust the moment you step past the line of Red Jasmine. It only grows in Matsurika village, and nowhere else. 

In this village that is shut off from the rest of the world, they don’t worship the Shiseijuu. Instead they worship Keisei (蛍聲), who dislikes fire, which makes it so that it’s impossible to start a fire in the village. Due to this, they must purchase fire from the Flame Merchant every three months, as no matter what they do, the flame always dies out after three months. As they don’t have money, they barter with uncut gemstones referred to as Hougyoku no Genseki (宝玉の原石), which can only be differentiated from ordinary rocks with the use of the Keigan (炯眼), which are essentially magic eyes (think Naruto). The Keigan is an ability that only manifests in the girls of Matsurika village, and there is only ever one user at a given time. It is not genetic, and if the current holder dies, it will be passed on at random to any of the other girls of the village. It is our MC that has the Keigan.

THOUGHTS ON WORLD BUILDING

I think it’s very fantastical, and feels a lot like I’m reading the inner details of a mythological story. All of the characters feel very much “of the setting”. Naya, the MC, is raised in a very safe and sheltered village receiving a lot of love and care growing up, but the outside world is harsh and unforgiving. Gender roles are deeply embedded in the culture, and the importance of marriage and having and raising children is just a part of life. A small village like hers needs all the people they can get, and they all celebrate and raise children as a village. 

On the other hand, Gekka is a very big country with many people and places within the country that suffer from the usual: poverty, illness, starvation, cruelty, discrimination, etc., and it isn’t uncommon for children to be abandoned or sold. 

I really feel that they did a very good job of incorporating the reality of the kind of deeply held beliefs and prejudices that lead to awful treatment of people for unfair, but very human reasons. The people of Gekka regard tribes and people like the White Wolf Tribe and Matsurika Villagers who don’t worship the Shiseijuu as “Kizoku”, who are essentially heretics or “unbelievers.” Matsurika Village has a belief that “mixed blood” children – children born from a Matsurika woman and an outsider – bring calamity and curse the village. They are taught from childhood to never ever mingle with outsiders or leave the village. They chase both mother and child out of the village, should it happen, and they have a deep disgust and fear of this. 

I will say, the overall tone is very serious which given the setting is understandable, but I kind of wish they incorporated a little more humor and lighthearted moments. There just aren’t very many mental breaks from the harshness of life. 

CHARACTERS

PROTAGONIST

System Default Name: Naya

She is one of five young women in Matsurika Village to become 18 and reach the age of majority at the Keisei Festival. As the holder of the Keigan, her job is to assess the stones gathered for valuable gemstones, which is essential for Flame Trade. She has a lot of pride in this position, and a deep sense of responsibility, as her mother was the previous Keigan holder, before she passed away in childbirth and passed the Keigan on to her. This is noted to be very unusual, as the Keigan has never been passed directly from a mother to her child in this manner. She was raised by Agedo, the village leader alongside his children, one of which is the game’s LIs, Fei. 

I think her design is very cute, and I love the aesthetic of her and Maturika Village’s tribal attire. I’m not generally into heterochromia, but it doesn’t look bad at all on her. She’s not particularly headstrong, but she’s a sweet and earnest girl that outside of her magic eye is honestly just an average village girl. She honestly deserves better, oml. 

THE LOVE INTERESTS

Age: 21 VA: Okamoto Nobuhiko Route Restrictions: Must clear Ruwo, Seirin, Zebenera, and Enrai routes.

The main man. His route is locked behind the four other LIs, so you know it’s a big deal. He is the only son of the Village leader, and apparently harbors some secrets/fears regarding his duties as a man of the lead family that makes him hesitant to act on his feelings towards Naya. 

Personally I find his design to be the most appealing, and it’s interesting to see Okamoto play a character that’s more ~ fresh ~ and youthful, rather than deep, threatening and smexy loll. 

Name: Ruwo Age: 23 VA: Yamashita Seiichiro Route Restrictions: None

The Flame Merchant, and the only outsider permitted to enter the village on a consistent basis. He’s very friendly and flirty, but he keeps people at arms length and doesn’t want to let anyone close to him lest he lose his drive to accomplish his goal. As a player of Twisted Wonderland, I very much compare him to Ace because of them having the same VA, and they have the same easy going attitude. I like his design fine, but I’m not particularly struck by it. It’s ok.

Name: Zebenera Age: 25  VA: Hatano Wataru Route Restrictions: None

The King of the White Wolf Tribe, who live in the snowy mountains north of the mountain where Maturika village is. He bears the burden and responsibility of keeping his dying people alive. He’s generally a quiet guy who isn’t good at conversation, but you can see that his actions all have a deep underlying kindness. I generally love white haired characters, and I think his fit is cool, and while I feel his design is good, it’s nothing special.

Name: Ko Seirin Age: 17  VA: Tachibana Shinnosuke Route Restrictions: None

The one and only prince of Gekka no Kuni. He appears to be very sheltered and naive to the ways of the world, as Naya first meets him getting in trouble for having accidentally stolen food from a vendor because he didn’t know that he needed to pay for it. However, he has deep self awareness of what is expected of him and his place in the political landscape, and struggles with a deep sense of loneliness. I’ve never found the beautiful type characters immediately attractive, but I don’t dislike his design. It’s very ethereal, and the voice acting does a great job balancing that soft lightness and hints of darkness. 

Name: Ku Enrai Age: 27  VA: Horie Shun.  Route Restrictions: Must clear Ruwo, Seirin, and Zebenera routes.

The head of the Ku clan, which is a powerful family with the longstanding trust of the Imperial Ko family. He is the designated educator of the prince, Ko Seirin. He is a very intense guy with deep loyalty to Seirin, and wishes to see him become a great leader and King. His clan has an old, long standing desire that is very close to being realized. I wasn’t that into his design at first, but it grew on me pretty quickly. Also has major Sasazuka vibes, with him being an asshole and a manlet.

COMMON ROUTE

The story begins with the approach of the annual Keisei Festival, and the sudden inexplicable extinguishing of the flame just one day after it was purchased. Naya, having a map given to her by Ruwo, makes the decision to go to the capital of Gekka breaking the rules of her village, to buy another flame and come back before this incident is discovered by the rest of the villagers and in time for the Kesei Festival. 

From there we begin to branch out into two major story flows, which further break down into the individual routes. One gets her involved with the Imperial Love Interests, and the other has her leading into the rest of the routes.

Without revealing too much, Naya ends up fucking really going through it. Like it’s super fucking depressing. The end of common route is just. Man. If you want to feel the full impact of it though, I suggest going through either Zebenera or Ruwo first. It still happens in the leadup to Seirin's route, but it just isn't as visceral and personal as it is in the lead up to either Zebenera or Ruwo routes.

[silverysnake]

10 first lines fanfiction game

Rules: share the first line of the last ten fics you wrote and tag some people :)

I wasn‘t tagged but I saw @neverland-in-space do it and took that as an invitation. Also I do apologise in advance to all my non-german followers because some of my most recent fics are all written in german

1. Unnamed Tatort Saarbrücken/Polizeiruf mit Vincent crossover (not published but I‘m working on it)

Er hat nicht gedacht das es ihn doch noch mal nach Saarbrücken verschlagen würde.

2. kannst du hören wie die stille lauter wird? - Tatort Saarbrücken - WIP

Nach ihrem langen Gespräch über alles was passiert war, mit Roland Schürk, mit dem Geld und allem was in der Zeit passiert war in der Adam nicht in Saarbrücken war, dauert es nicht lange bis alles wieder den Bach runter geht.

3. you‘re still standing at my door - Tatort Saarbrücken

Nach Adams Rückkehr hatte Leo irgendwie die Hoffnung gehabt das alles wieder gut werden würde.

4. it was never meant to end like this - Stranger Things

The Upside Down had slowly made its way into Hawkins, bit by bit.

5. i guess there‘s no point in hiding it - Stranger Things

Robin did have to admit that she was confused with a capital C.

6. two ghosts by his side - Umbrella Academy

He didn't even notice them at first, not amidst the chaos of everything else that was going on.

7. can you imagine when this race is won? - Stranger Things - WIP

He didn’t remember much from before.

8. when this secret gets out - Stranger Things

It was supposed to be easy, and it was supposed to stay easy like that.

9. Everyone Deserves a Happy Ending - Umbrella Academy

Allison slammed down the button not sure what would happen but absolutely sure that she would see the people she loved most in the world on the other side.

10. Someone Else‘s Heaven - Umbrella Academy

Klaus didn’t expect to end up in a brawl with Luther after five minutes of being dead.

I think going through my ao3 does reveal very fast what I was obsessed with at what point in time. It was definitely interesting to see what I do with my first lines in fics bc I generally think they‘re important to get the reader‘s attention

Tagging: @ancient-namess (always interested in what you‘re writing even if it isn‘t published) @castiel-kaesi-kaestiel (not sure if you were tagged in this but I remember reading one of your fics recently so I thought I‘d tag you) and anyone else who sees this and wants to do it :)

[parakaryote]

I drew a map of Kenor, the country where the Verdantland Trilogy takes place.

Kenor is the birthplace of the Tachytely. The name comes from Kenorland. It is loosely based on Western and Southern Europe (as a whole), and has a subtropical climate.

As you can see, most of its area is comprised of grassland. The yellowish strips around the coast are Mediterranean-type scrubland.

Only places that appear / have been mentioned in the story so far are shown here. The eastern half of the country isn’t as empty as this map makes it look.

The two bordering countries and the surrounding ocean are unnamed.

Quick explanations of the settlements under the cut:

Eopolis: The capital, as you’ve probably guessed. One of the five cities that have a population of over a million (the other four are Marnela, Rigopi, Dallenis, and Ulra).

Chicory Vale: A small farming town (one of very many). Taryn is from here.

Neupen: Large town that does a lot of trade.

Nantopia: A ruin site from the ancient Pilkarpian civilization. Abandoned millennia ago.

Pernior: A town currently surrounded by a forest of altered rhodophytes. Historically a port town.

Paropi: The big trans-Verdantland railway lines go through here.

Marnela: Largest city in the Verdantland. Sometimes referred to as the forest’s “capital”, though this is controversial due to certain implications.

Mussel Cove: Tiny seaside village (location on the map isn’t quite accurate for the sake of visual clarity). Florence (no ref link for her because it’s outdated) is from here.

Acropora: A settlement of pelagics (marine-adapted humans) built on a coral reef. Florence’s mother is from here.

Ulra: Known for its stunning architecture. Taryn’s family is originally from here.

Rigopi: Home to a big pro-Verdantland organization.

Dallenis: Popular tourist destination. Also seaside. Known for its unique crop of “night-wheat”, among many other things.

[minecraftrelatedrandomness]

and here we have the ever-elusive desert duo, also known as the grian and the goodtimeswithscar, rummaging through the caskets in the catacombs as though they were not in a crypt for long-dead people of the lore...

[readyforevolution]

#Makeba

The Queen of Sheba, (Arabic Malekat sabaa ملكة سبأ, Ge'ez: Nigista Saba ንግሥተ ሳባ, Yoruba: Ayaba ile Seba) (Hebrew Malkat Shva: מלכת שבא), referred to in the Bible books of 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles, the New Testament, the Qur'an, Ethiopian history and even the tribal traditions of the Yoruba people of West Africa, was the ruler of Sheba, an ancient kingdom which modern archaeology speculates was located in present-day Yemen or Eritrea, Ethiopia.

Unnamed in the Biblical text, she is called Makeda (Ge'ez: ማክዳ mākidā) in the Ethiopian tradition, and in Islamic tradition her name is Bilqis. In some books she is referred to as Belkis. Alternative names given for her have been Nikaule, Nicaula and Bilikisu Sungbon. She supposedly lived in the 10th century BC.

She is better known to the world as the Queen of Sheba.

In his book, "World's Great Men of Color", J.A. Rogers, gives this description: "Out of the mists of three thousand years, emerges this beautiful story of a Black Queen, who attracted by the fame of a Judean monarch, made a long journey to see him."[citation needed]

The Queen of Sheba is said to have undertaken a long and difficult journey to Jerusalem, in order to learn of the wisdom of the great King Solomon. Makeda and King Solomon were equally impressed with each other. Out of their relationship was born a son, according to the Ethiopian Book of the Glory of Kings, Menelik I.

This Queen is said to have reigned over Sheba and Arabia as well as Ethiopia. The queen of Sheba's capital was Debra Makeda, which she built for herself.

In Ethiopia's church of Axum, there is a copy of what is said to be one of the Tables of Law that Solomon gave to Menelik I.[citation needed] According to a king list presented by Ethiopian prince Tafari Makonnen, which draws on numerous Ethiopian traditions, Makeda supposedly ruled Ethiopia for 31 years from 1013 to 982 BC.

The story of the Queen of Sheba is deeply cherished in Ethiopia as part of the national heritage. This African Queen serves as one of the exclusive group of people that appear in the traditions of several different religions, with her being mentioned in two holy books- the Bible and the Koran.

#proudly_afrika

[protectxthem]

CHRISTOPHER ARGENT

Full name: Christopher Jacob Argent Nickname | Aliases: Chris, Mr. Argent, Argent Age: 41-45 Birthday: 1970 Gender: Cisgender Male Pronouns: He/Him Sexuality: Bisexual Species: Human | AU verse: Werewolf (Born) Occupation: Hunter Languages Spoken: English, Spanish and French Skills: Animal Tracking, gunslinger, hand to hand combat, Knife skills

FAMILY

Mrs. Argent ( mother ;; status unknown ) Gerard Argent ( father ;; deceased ) Kate Argent ( younger sister ;; deceased ) Allison Argent ( daughter ;; Verse dependent ) Victoria Argent ( wife ;; deceased ) Cooper Argent ( nephew ;; alive )

Affiliations: Michael Hale, Peter Hale, etc.

MISC

Zodiac: N/A Looks: Short dark blonde/gray hair, bright blue/gray eyes, fair skin, medium height and athletic build, clothing is form fitting, boots when he’s out hunting or out relaxing. Height: 5’10” Faceclaim: JR Bourne Hobbies: N/A Interest: N/A Fandom(s): Teen Wolf, Wolf Pack, Supernatural, The Walking Dead, TLOU, open to crossovers

BIOGRAPHY

Christopher Argent, commonly referred to as Chris Argent or simply Argent, is a supporting character on Teen Wolf. He is the son of the late Gerard Argent and an unnamed mother, the brother of Kate Argent, the nephew of Alexander Argent, the husband of the late Victoria Argent, the father of Allison Argent, and a descendant of Marie-Jeanne Valet and Henri Argent.

Argent was first introduced as an antagonist in Season 1 and Season 2 due to his status as a prolific Werewolf Hunter, and he, his wife, and his sister spent the entirety of the first season hunting down "the Alpha," who was later revealed to be Peter Hale. In Season 2, he began to train his young daughter Allison to become a Hunter as well while their clan tracked down the Kanima and sought revenge for Kate's supposed death.

A short time following his wife Victoria's decision to kill herself as per the Hunter Code after she was inadvertently bitten and turned into a Werewolf during a battle with then-Alpha Derek Hale, Argent and Allison left the Hunter life, unwilling to lose any more loved ones to the supernatural world. However, it wasn't long before both Argent and Allison were pulled back into the paranormal drama in Beacon Hills, first to battle against the Darach and the Alpha Pack, and then again to fight against the Oni and the Nogitsune. Unfortunately, the latter battle ultimately led to the death of his only daughter, Allison, at the hands of an Oni much to Argent's devastation.

He took a sabbatical in France to mourn Allison's death, but soon returned once again to help defend the supernatural community of Beacon Hills to fight against the Deadpool assassins, Peter, and his sister Kate, who had, unbeknownst to him, been turned into a Werejaguar when Peter attempted to kill her and was intent to get revenge on Scott McCall for what she believed was his role in the decimation of her family. Once these threats were dealt with, Argent left with the Calavera Hunter family to continue hunting Kate, but he returned in the second half of Season 5 to once again help the pack in Beacon Hills, this time to fight against the Dread Doctors and the so-called "Last Chimera."

In Season 6, Argent assisted the McCall Pack in their fight against the Ghost Riders of the Wild Hunt and Garrett Douglas, the Löwenmensch who sought to control them for his own ends, all the while developing a close friendship with Melissa McCall that would ultimately develop into a romance. In the second half of the season, Argent and the pack once again was fighting a war on two fronts, with the ancient Anuk-ite inducing fear among the townspeople, giving Gerard and his new protégée Tamora Monroe to capitalize on this fear and create an army in hopes of ending the supernatural after all. The series ended with Argent happily in a romantic relationship with Melissa and still an active ally to the pack, free from his father's influence.

Thirteen years since the death of his father Gerard and the temporary defeat of Monroe's Army, it is a mystery to what Argent had been doing in the last years. He tracked down Scott and Deaton, who had settled down in Los Angeles, and explained that he had been having visions and nightmares of Allison crying out for help, coming to the conclusion that she trapped in the Tibetan gap between life and death, Bardo. He suggested a ritual to help her soul find peace and was shown to have retrieved the Oni sword that was stained with his daughter's blood. Deaton managed to figure out that this was part of a plan elaborated by the recently-freed Nogitsune and freed Argent from his possession. Argent had an emotional reunion with his daughter, who had been brought back to life by the Nemeton, and both joined forces with their packmates and allies to end the Nogitsune once and for all.

Argent is a member of the Argent Family of Hunters, is an ally of the McCall Pack, and is also currently working with the Calavera Family of Hunters.

[fontaineclafoutis]

Rex Incognito: Vol. 4

It was a time when countless exotic curios and items would flow into Liyue Harbor.

This night, Min’gui, mistress of Xigu Antiques, was researching relics and narrating ancient stories with an unnamed son of nobility.

The focal point of their debate was a jade plaque.

As many knew, creating a counterfeit jade item was not a matter that cost much capital in Liyue. Creating a beautiful fake might be a shade more expensive, but it was a cost that most merchant houses could absorb. The real trick lay in weaving an intricate but spurious tale.

Like a jade smith wandering deep into the mountains, or the youth of the fisherfolk whose habits are strange, those considered deviant often in fact strike closer to the heart of things.

Rex Lapis laid down rules and contracts, but never forced the ordinary folk by his authority to live by them as a perfect template, for he knew that laws and stipulations were a means, not the end. The timeless balance lay, in truth, in a person’s awareness and their ability to make choices for themselves.

The harsh boss of the fishing vessel did not understand this principle, and so earned the fear and mockery of his hired help.

As humans are, so too are antiques. Artistry, quality, rarity and perfection are limiting factors, yes, but the true worth of the relic lies in its backstory.

The picky young noble seemed not to wholly perceive this idea, and so had no qualms about calling the jade plaque a fake, denigrating its value.

But if all of Xigu Antiques’ treasures were to be scrutinized with such a piercing and empirical eye, their worth would have been ground into dust.

Like the tears of a maiden for her captain, which became eternal pearls, or a mortal king who himself carved a portrait of his deceased queen, before sealing his own soul into it…

These stories, these legends that should have faded with time were preserved, and thus teemed with life under the outer husk of those relics.

“A fine story. I’ll take this fake, then.”

The noble son nodded, his golden eyes smiling.

“After all that, you still think this is a fake?”

Min’gui sighed lightly.

“Of course,”

The young noble could not help but smile and indeed had never seemed happier since entering her shop.

“After all, the story you told about jade plaques being ancient currency – it’s nonsense. Nonsense that I made up.”

[titanomarchy]

My favorite boss fight in Conan Exiles, from a story perspective is the Barrow King. Gameplay wise he’s just a tall human with a longsword. But in terms of his role in the story, he’s much more interesting.

Originally the area that would be called the Exiled Lands was ruled by one of the Elder Races, ancient beings long before humanity existed. These were the Giant Kings. Their capital in the Exiled Lands is the “Unnamed City”. I’m sure they had a name for it, but I think it’s unnamed in the sense that it had a name, and that name has been removed.

The Giant Kings were ruled by a triumvirate. The Archivist was essentially a historian. The Warmaker was in charge of the military and protecting the species. Last was the Priest-King, in charge of spiritual matters, such as their religion that worshiped Set, the Old Serpent. Their worship of Set allowed them an alliance with their Elder Race kin, the Serpentmen of Valusia. This will come into full effect later.

When humans, survivors of the sunken continent Lemuria arrived at the Exiled Lands, they sought help from the Giant Kings. A deal was made, a certain amount of land allotted to the humans, along with special bracelets that would translate between languages. But humans reproduce much faster than Giant-Kings, and much more. War started between the species, especially when the humans discovered the Serpentmen in the volcano, ancient ancestral enemies.

It is unclear if it was through sorcery or more mundane means, but the Priest-King had a son through a human. Tyros would grow to be the first human to slay a dragon in the Giant-King’s arena. Eventually, Tyros fell in love with Telith, the daughter of the leader of the Lemurian humans. The halfbreed, along with his entire Silent Legion, would defect from the Giant-Kings and side with humanity during the war.

This culminated in the battle between Tyros and the Priest-King. The two battled somewhere in the region that became known as the Mounds of the Dead. While even Tyros was dwarfed by the Giant-King, he was successful in defeating his foe. As the Priest-King lay dying, he cursed his son. Eternal life, or rather undeath. The entire Silent Legion, the Priest-King, and even the dragon buried beneath the arena would never rest.

The curse must have taken some time to take hold, as the Barrow King had a tomb built for him, and sealed with Giant-King blood. Tyros retreated to the Black Keep with his Legion, where they remain to this day, watching their sanity drain day by day.

When you approximate the blood of a Giant-King with demon blood, you are granted access to the tomb. You are greeted with a statement, a question and disbelief. “Awoken, by a mortal?” Throughout the fight, the Barrow King will continue to taunt you “We were your GODS!” and “Your kind was always a pest”

The actual fight is a push over though, as he is weaker than the Cimmerians and Wights in the area around him.