#unified communication structure

[astral-herald]

arcane, populism, and why viktor is the odd one out (yet again)

as a piltover-anti, a silco criticizer, and a pacifist, i am very very interested in how arcane presents not just the political undertones of both topside and the undercity, but the characters/dialogue through which they communicate those undertones. allow me to use some political science bro lingo to air out some thoughts.

long, long post incoming.

there are 2 ideological struggles at war throughout s1 (and i can predict that the struggle will carry over into s2): neoliberalism and populism - in their broadest terms since we're talking ofc about a fictional show dealing with surface level political machinations. by neoliberalism, i mean a focus on the social, political, and cultural structures of a polity (piltover, for our purposes) refocused into a strictly economic vacuum. and by populism i mean a unifying belief that the existing political systems of a polity fail to adequately represent their constituents, so the masses choose to rally around a specific gripe or issue, i.e., class discrimination, xenophobia toward immigrants, etc. this, in turn, forms a populist party or movement. an applicable example i can think of would be Nasser's Egypt in the 1950s.

*i know these are weighty topics with very real world implications! i just want to separate the theory to apply to our favorite fictional world.

the political struggle in question is put forward immediately by piltover, who, though presented as a technocratic state, embodies crucial neoliberal ideals emphasized especially by up-and-coming counilor mel medarda, much like how fresh-eyed american economists blew up the economic scene in the 1980s with a revival of capitalist, free market enterprise. take how she seizes the advent of hextech, for example:

she quickly sees hextech's potential yet not from the solely intellectual standpoint that jayce and viktor do - for her, it is profitable, literally and in terms of international relations. her goal is for piltover to prosper, but she has no rose-colored glasses on; prosperity means capital gain, and she's willing to override piltover's political and social systems to achieve her goal. an important caveat is that she draws the line at ambessa medarda's progression into militant authoritarianism, which deserves a whole post of its own!

piltover's populism moment will come later. first, let's unpack silco, who is probably arcane's most blatantly political figure, and a masterclass in the merits and failures of left wing, class-based populism.

silco, having been spurned by the classism and xenophobia that piltover's elite proliferate, and assisted by his rampant shimmer operation, fills the vacuum that vander's pacifism opened up. though silco's methods are unilaterally cruel (argue with the wall), the undercity clearly invested faith in him at some point, especially as vander's credibility as a guiding figure wavered over the years. he was fighting alongside vander for zaun's right to exist as their own independent body. in other words, he was uniting the undercity toward a common cause because the existing political system failed their constituents. to quote councilor shoola: "they may not be our preferred constituents, but they're still our people."

the track record of populism in our real world frequently ends in the ruin that silco himself brought upon the undercity. the kingpin is too dedicated to self-preservation, sees himself as too central to the movement, which prevents both compromise and/or a necessary armed revolt (insert your own politics about self-determination here). see italy's right wing populism party, Lega Nord, as a real-time example of this phenomenon.

but arcane makes an interesting plot decision with jayce, a very unexpected and "unwilling" contributor to piltover's abrupt dip into right wing populism. the showrunners love foils!

in arcane lore, i think it's safe to say that jayce's moniker "the man of progress" is pretty tongue-in-cheek. both he and viktor have a bemused tone about it in the run-up to his speech, and jayce is taken aback by heimerdinger's insistence that he deliver said speech. but the glowing, savior-esque imagery can't be ignored, nor can jayce's quick switch into his councilor role, no matter how reluctantly he makes it.

jayce is confronted by 2 forces that he seeks to combat in his quick tenure as councilor: internal corruption and an ineffective governing body. the latter goal is inspired almost solely by viktor, playing into jayce's naivety as a fresh-faced political figure, but this will be especially important to note later on. the innocence he offers up to mel is quickly erased, transformed instead into an uncomfortable - and inexperienced - militancy:

important in the bridge scene to my analysis is the populist "out group," or the designation populists give to those whom they actively oppose, and this opposition serves as their basis for organization. in this case, it's the undercity (keep this in mind for viktor's role!!).

jayce's combined frustrations at the unrest in the undercity and the council's (namely heimerdinger's) refusal to act, to both save viktor and to deal with the undercity's looming violence, motivates him to act like silco for a short time. unsatisfied with the status quo, he unites a likeminded individual, vi, along with the enforcers, to undercut the political system he feels is unable to represent its constituents or act in an effective manner. however, UNLIKE silco, jayce's realizes the inevitable cost the method of violence has and refrains in the end. he returns to the council and capitulates to some of silco's demands in the name of a peace piltover and zaun always thought impossible.

jinx's complete undoing of this underscores the failures of populism, especially as an extended movement over time. she wasn't accounted for. it's common sentiment at this point that she didn't attack the council for political gain. she was not invested in zaun's independence. she did it out of her and silco's twisted parental bond, and thus undid piltover's brief instance of compromise and compassion.

so...where does viktor fit into all this? and what are his implications for neoliberalism vs. populism in season 2?

viktor is neither wholly within nor wholly outside the populist outgroup - though jayce unintentionally shoves him back there in the pivotal bridge scene. furthermore, viktor also makes use of piltover's technocracy. he seems to have had a "raise yourself up by your bootstraps" history in arcane, contrary to left wing populist insistence that neoliberal ideals make this impossible.

this compounds as a double alienation for viktor, who also is straddled with the complications of his disability. a lot of his story is searching for a fellow in arms, if you ask me, and he had that with jayce until the pendulum swung, hence his return to singed.

if we stop there, viktor represents the failing of these 2 very flawed political ideologies. he fits nowhere and arcane uses him adeptly as a symbol of the failings of binaristic ideologues and systems. but let's speculate some more!

i'm convinced that viktor, due to his ambiguous 3rd party role in the story so far, will be one of the central villains (if not THE villain, if you allow me to be admittedly hopeful/biased) in season 2. consult the innumerable very well written theory/meta posts about the subject for more details, but one piece of evidence i want to focus on is this inherent physical, cultural, and ideological separateness that is innate to his character.

can we see him allying ever again with piltover, knowing that there's a split incoming? even without outside knowledge of league lore, singed's damning prediction ("if you take this path, they will despise you") cannot go unheeded. alternatively, then, can we see viktor allying with the supposed jinx-as-revolutionary side? no. personally, i see him as becoming increasingly unwillingly to compromise his a) immediate survival; and b) his ideals, especially after being endlessly sidelined in his attempts to express them in acts 2 and 3. he's also just a loner, guys.

there's some controversy on this point, but i'm convinced that the finger-printed cultists/followers we saw in the s2 trailer are devoted to viktor. starting with the shimmer addict he touched in the teaser, he is accruing a following all his own. and since noxus is here, touting their authoritarian militancy to replace piltover's outdated liberal ideals, nothing that jinx's revolution OR viktor's following does can be apolitical. to organize and to fight is survival under s2's raised stakes.

there aren't any binary spectrums when it comes to political theory in my opinion, so i am prepared to witness viktor introduce an entirely separate totalitarian narrative into arcane. where it will surely lack in militancy, it will make up for in its domination of the arcane. my biggest speculation is that, as they always do, piltover will fold and compromise at the last minute, perhaps yield to noxus, and invest wholeheartedly in taking down viktor's BBEG cultist regime. and by isolating his narrative repeatedly in s1, the writers planned this out expertly.

even if i'm wrong about viktor as third party, i like to think my observations still stand about the specific and qualifiable political divisions between piltover and zaun. the biggest hole this leaves for me is the question: will arcane ever take a stand? they seem very averse to making a blatant political statement, but i think their pervasive anti-police thread makes it clear that we're not meant to sympathize with piltover yuppies or their seasoned, jaded councilmen. let me know your thoughts!

also, as a jayce fan and a fan of arcane's overall story, none of this is meant as a CRITIQUE of him, mel, or silco. as silco said, "we all have our parts to play." i believe arcane's very greatest strength is their archetypal storytelling, and these distinct character roles are crucial to the success and vibrancy of the story.

if you read all the way to this point - ily <3

[blackstarlineage]

Why Dr. John Henrik Clarke Is Correct About Black People Having No Friends (and why We Don’t Need Any) – a Garveyite Perspective

Dr. John Henrik Clarke famously stated, “Black people have no friends.” For many, this may sound harsh, but it is a sobering truth when viewed through the lens of Pan-Africanism and Marcus Garvey’s philosophy. Garvey understood that Black liberation can not depend on external allies; it must come from within—rooted in self-reliance, unity, and a shared commitment among Black people globally.

Here’s why, Dr. Clarke’s statement rings true and why, from a Garveyite perspective, Black people don’t need friends—only each other.

1. History Proves It

From colonialism to the civil rights era, supposed "friends" of Black people have repeatedly betrayed or abandoned us. Other groups have leveraged Black struggles for their own gains, only to leave Black people behind once their goals were achieved.

Post-slavery labour movements excluded Black workers.

Civil rights coalitions saw other groups gain rights, while Black people remained trapped under systemic racism.

Garvey and Clarke both saw these betrayals as evidence that Black people must prioritize their own interests and stop relying on others.

2. Global Anti-Blackness Is Real

Anti-Blackness isn’t confined to one region—it’s a global phenomenon. Across continents, Black people face systemic oppression, discrimination, and dehumanization.

Other groups often form alliances to protect their own power while marginalizing Black voices.

Even in spaces of shared oppression, anti-Blackness often takes precedence.

Dr. Clarke’s assertion and Garvey’s vision both point to this truth: Black liberation must come from within because no one else will prioritize us.

3. Dependency Leads to Exploitation

Depending on outside "friends" or "allies" often comes with hidden costs. Foreign aid, alliances, and solidarity movements often prioritize the interests of others over Black liberation.

Aid to African nations often perpetuates dependency rather than fostering self-sufficiency.

"Allies" in social justice movements often centre their struggles, leaving Black people to fight alone.

Garvey warned that dependency breeds vulnerability. Clarke reinforces this: Black people must build their own systems to avoid exploitation.

4. We Have Everything We Need

Garvey believed that Black people possess the resources, talents, and ingenuity needed for liberation.

Africa’s wealth: With its vast natural resources, Africa can fund global Black empowerment if reclaimed from exploitative systems.

Diaspora talent: Across the globe, Black communities excel in innovation, creativity, and resilience.

Dr. Clarke’s statement echoes Garvey’s vision: We don’t need friends because we already have all the tools for success.

5. Cultural Exploitation Is Proof of No True Friendship

Black culture—music, art, fashion, and more—is celebrated globally, but Black people are rarely compensated or empowered by their own creations.

Other groups profit from Black innovation while perpetuating anti-Black systems.

Cultural exploitation demonstrates a lack of true solidarity.

Garvey’s solution: Black people must reclaim their culture and use it as a tool for empowerment, not exploitation.

6. Unity Is Our Greatest Strength (and Threat to Oppressors)

A united global Black community is the most powerful weapon against systemic oppression. Garvey emphasized unity, and Clarke’s assertion underscores why others fear it:

A unified Black world challenges global power structures that thrive on division.

By focusing on internal unity, Black people strengthen themselves and disrupt oppressive systems.

7. Allies Often Divide Us

Alliances can create divisions within Black movements, as external influences pit factions against each other or dilute the focus on Black liberation.

During the civil rights movement, alliances often marginalized more radical Black voices.

Today, funding from external groups can cause conflicts between grassroots Black organizers and larger organizations tied to outside agendas.

Garvey’s emphasis on self-reliance offers a solution: Black unity must come first, free from outside interference.

8. Other Groups Prioritize Their Own Interests

Every group prioritizes its own survival and progress—it’s not wrong, but Black people must learn from this.

White nations maintain global alliances to uphold their dominance.

Asian nations focus on economic self-sufficiency.

Jewish communities have built strong networks to protect and uplift their people.

Garvey and Clarke would agree: It’s time for Black people to do the same and put themselves first.

9. Historical Success Through Self-Reliance

History proves that Black people thrive when they rely on themselves:

The Haitian Revolution succeeded because enslaved Africans united and rejected external dependence.

Garvey’s UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association) built businesses, schools, and a global movement without outside help.

These examples show that self-reliance works. Black people don’t need friends—they need focus.

10. True Liberation Is Self-Determined

Liberation can not be outsourced, gifted, or borrowed—it must be self-determined. Allies may help temporarily, but no one will prioritize Black liberation over their own interests.

Garvey envisioned a world where Black people controlled their own economies, politics, and resources.

Clarke’s assertion reminds us that we can’t afford to waste time seeking validation or support from others.

11. Black Liberation Threatens Global Power Structures

Both Garvey and Clarke understood that Black liberation isn’t just a struggle for freedom—it’s a direct threat to the systems of power that dominate the world.

A free and united Africa would undermine Western economic dominance, which relies on exploiting African resources.

A globally empowered Black diaspora would disrupt industries, politics, and systems built on anti-Blackness.

This explains why no other group can truly be a friend to Black liberation. Their survival often depends on maintaining the status quo that oppresses us.

12. “Allies” Often Centre Themselves in Our Struggles

Even when other groups claim to stand in solidarity with Black movements, their involvement often centers their own experiences, narratives, and priorities.

Non-black allies frequently shift attention to their struggles, leaving Black people to carry the burden of fighting for everyone else.

Movements like Black Lives Matter have seen external groups co-opt their messages for personal or political gain.

Garvey’s philosophy reminds us to stay focused on our own goals and not allow our movements to be hijacked.

13. Romanticizing External Help Distracts from Pan-African Solutions

One of the pitfalls of seeking allies is the belief that external help is necessary or even superior. This mindset can prevent Black people from exploring Pan-African solutions.

Garvey’s vision of “Africa for Africans” called for African nations and the diaspora to work together without relying on foreign nations or systems.

Clarke’s statement reinforces this idea: the best solutions come from within. Black people don’t need external friends—they need internal unity.

14. Allies Often Maintain Anti-Black Systems

Even so-called “progressive” allies often uphold the same systems that oppress Black people.

Corporations claiming to support racial justice continue to exploit African resources and labour.

Governments speaking out against racism still engage in policies that harm Black communities worldwide.

Dr. Clarke and Garvey both understood this hypocrisy. Real liberation requires rejecting systems that perpetuate oppression, even if they claim to support us.

15. Our Focus Should Be on Building Future Generations, Not Pleasing Others

Garvey often emphasized the importance of preparing future generations to lead and succeed independently.

Clarke’s warning about having no friends reinforces this: Why waste time seeking allies when we could be building schools, economies, and systems that empower our children?

A Garveyite perspective prioritizes creating a legacy of self-reliance and leadership that ensures the survival and progress of Black people globally.

By focusing on the future, Black people can stop relying on the approval or assistance of others and instead secure their own destinies.

Final Reflection: All We Have Is Us, and That’s Enough

Dr. John Henrik Clarke’s statement and Marcus Garvey’s philosophy both lead to the same conclusion: Black people must take responsibility for their liberation. True freedom can not and will not come from allies—it must come from within. The power lies in our hands, in our unity, and in our shared commitment to self-determination.

We don’t need friends. We need ourselves.

[whencyclopedia]

Nanna

Nanna (also known as Nannar, Nanna-Suen, Sin, Asimbabbar, Namrasit, Inbu) is the Mesopotamian god of the moon and wisdom. He is one of the oldest gods in the Mesopotamian pantheon and is first mentioned at the very dawn of writing in Sumer c. 3500 BCE. His worship continued until the 3rd century CE.

Nanna was his Sumerian name while he was known as Sin, Nanna-Sin, Nanna-Suen and other names by the Akkadians, Assyrians, Babylonians, and others. His cult center was the great temple and ziggurat at the Sumerian city of Ur, and he is frequently mentioned in hymns and inscriptions from the Ur III Period (2047-1750 BCE) as the chief god of the pantheon with the epithet Enzu, lord of wisdom. His importance is evident in the number of inscriptions which refer to or praise him and the stories in which he features.

He was the son of Enlil and Ninlil and is their first-born after Enlil seduces Ninlil by the riverbank in the myth Enlil and Ninlil. His wife was Ningal (also Nikkal, the 'Great Lady'), a fertility goddess, and their children were Utu-Shamash (the sun god) and, in some stories, his twin sister Inanna/Ishtar (goddess of love and sexuality), Ereshkigal (Queen of the Dead), and Ishkur (also known as Adad, god of storms).

An interesting aspect of this family tree is that the moon (Nanna) is the father of the sun (Utu/Shamash). It is thought this belief originated in the early days of a hunter-gatherer social structure when the moon was more important to a community for traveling by night and telling the time of the month; the sun only became more important once the people settled down and began to practice agriculture. The religious belief, then, mirrored the cultural development. Scholar Stephen Bertman writes:

The Mesopotamians thus conceived of day, illuminated by the sun, as emanating from the darkness of night and the lesser light of the moon. As the time of lovemaking, the night and the moon were linked to the goddess of the erotic. As a source of light, the moon was also viewed as humanity's protector against acts of criminality undertaken under the cover of darkness even as the illuminating and all-seeing sun was looked upon as a guardian of justice. (122)

Nanna is represented as a recumbent moon and associated with the bull and lion-dragon. He is further depicted as a seated man with a long beard of lapis lazuli, a crescent moon above him, or riding on the back of a winged bull. In many inscriptions he is represented simply by the number 30, referring to the number of days in a lunar month, and the crescent moon was regarded as his barge in which he sailed through the night sky.

He was an immensely popular god, one of the original Sumerian pantheon. His cult center was at Ur and his most famous high priestess was Enheduanna (l. 2285-2250 BCE), although he also had an important temple at Harran in modern-day Syria where his son was Nusku, god of fire and light. Nanna, Ningal, and Nusku were worshiped as a triad, though this veneration mainly focused on the father and son.

Under the reign of Nabonidus (c. 556-539 BCE) the king's mother served as high priestess at Harran while his daughter held the same position at Nanna's temple in Ur. This arrangement consolidated Nabonidus' power in the same way that Sargon of Akkad (r. 2334-2279 BCE) had earlier placed his daughter Enheduanna in her position at Ur. Nanna is repeatedly seen in ancient texts as a god who provides and unifies, and some of the most successful Mesopotamian rulers capitalized on this belief.

Names & Significance

Nanna first appears under that name (whose meaning is unknown) c. 3500 BCE. He is already an important deity when he is mentioned as Sin/Suen during the reign of Sargon of Akkad and is referred to as "the illuminator." Even from this early period, he was associated with wisdom and was honored by Sargon's grandson, the great Naram-Sin (r. 2261-2224 BCE), who took his name upon coming to the throne. Naram-Sin, considered the greatest of the Akkadian kings, was among those who understood how to use religious belief to rule most effectively.

The Akkadians also knew Nanna/Sin by a number of other names, which are actually epithets such as Asimbabbar/Ashgirbabbar (possibly meaning 'embellisher' or 'he who embellishes'), Namrasit ('who shines forth'), and Inbu ('The Fruit,' possibly referring to the moon's changing shape). To the Babylonians, Nanna was the son of Marduk who created him and placed him in the sky.

Lunar eclipses were thought to be caused, in some eras, by gods or demons trying to steal the moon's light, and Nanna (or in some stories Marduk) had to fight against them to restore natural order. Bertman comments on how "during the new moon when Nanna/Sin's light was not visible, the god was said to be in the netherworld, where he judged the dead" (123). At one point or another throughout Mesopotamia's long history, Nanna was king of the gods, lord of wisdom, keeper of time, guardian of the future (diviner), holder of secrets, but is always seen as the devoted son of Enlil and a protector and guardian of humanity.

Continue reading...

[probablyasocialecologist]

On one hand, it is understandable that diasporic Africans, after centuries of dispossession and racism, are drawn to the aspirations of returning to the African continent. Long before 2019, African Americans have relocated back to Africa, drawn and inspired by these nations’ liberation movements, including prominent academics such as Maya Angelou and W. E. B. Du Bois, who made Ghana their home under the invitation of Nkrumah, while members of the Black Panther Party sought refuge in Tanzania, influenced by Nyerere’s embrace of pan-Africanism under his Ujamaa framework. Even then at the height of the pan-Africanist movement, however, there were noted tensions between these expats and indigenous Africans, as noted in Saidiya Hartman’s Lose Your Mother, where she notes how Ghanaians resented expats for occupying land and “presuming to know what was best for Africa.” These diasporic frictions have persisted to present day, as some African Americans have made direct attempts to claim African citizenship. While the bulk of the efforts have taken place in Ghana, one US citizen who has lived in Kenya since 2008 petitioned for recognition as a Kenyan citizen, citing ancestral rights. While most African Americans who are descended from enslaved people trace their lineage to West Africa, his choice of Kenya as his ancestral home was informed by the Abuja Proclamation, a pan-African declaration sponsored by the African Union in 1993. This proclamation calls upon all African states “to grant entrance as of right to all persons of African descent and right to obtain residence in those African states if there is no disqualifying element on Africans claiming the right to return to his ancestral home”—an idyllic goal that has yet to be sustainably implemented in reality beyond catering to elite classes of the Black diaspora. As the push for economic growth continues, African nations such as Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda, where tourism is central to GDP, are likely to begin marketing themselves as relocation destinations for the Black diaspora. While African Americans may not have explicit ancestral ties to East Africa, the region’s infrastructure and perceived stability may attract more returnees. It would not be surprising to see these nations adopt policies similar to South Africa’s “digital nomad” visas to facilitate long-term diaspora migration. Given the circumstances, it is easy to direct anger towards the incoming communities of Black expats, who seem to be reaping the benefits of this current incentivized hierarchy. Most of these newcomers, however, are also victims of the neoliberal structures of class exploitation that disenfranchise Black communities across the globe, particularly in America. The real culprits remain the African political and economic elite and the Western powers, former colonizers, and financial institutions who shape their self-interest and continue to amass capital at the expense of genuine racial solidarity, distorting radical unifying principles through the sanitizing process of elite capture.

2 May 2025

[peakyrain]

consciousness, water & shifting: related how?

inspired by sanela.estrella on tiktok :)

fyi: long post ahead!

-

in light of recent studies, we're starting to learn that our consciousness being stored in the brain might not be the case, as supposed.

years ago, there was a french man experiencing weakness in his leg. he went to the doctor only to find out that 90% of his brain was missing.

mind you, he went to the doctor regarding his leg pain, completely unrelated to his brain.

this man was shown to have no cognitive impairment and was living a typical normal life as a married man, with two kids.

cognitive psychologist cleeremans describes the man as: "(..) perfectly, socially apt". the man's skull was found to be full of liquid, with just a thin layer of brain tissue left. he was completely unaware of the fact that he only had 10% of his brain.

the picture below shows the actual scans of his head.

source!

this is one of the cases that's raised the question of where the hell our consciousness is stored in the body. we're aware now, based on this case (as well as others), that it might very well not be the brain, as assumed.

-

you might now think that i'm going off topic, but bear w/ me!

i'm now going to discuss water and its relation to the topic of consciousness (whoaaa). water is as we know, crucial for all life forms, w/o water we literally can't exist. yesterday i came across this (->) article about water being a conscious and an intelligent being.

japanese author masaru emoto studied the molecular structure of water and how words and energy from human consciousness affects the crystalline structure of ice. emoto has said that words of love and gratitude have been used to create the most beautiful crystals, while water exposed to hateful energy, has resulted in chaotic and unpleasant structures.

though emoto's work has faced skepticism in the scientific community, his findings do resonate with those exploring the connection between energy and intention

the article continues on to mention how humans exist on a lower level of consciousness than water and that it has also shown to hold memories. the fact that water is intelligent and conscious changes and challenges our view of reality.

water picks up information and then distributes it to plants and animals (obvs including us) that consume it. which is also why you can literally speak your desires into your water before drinking it, which'll manifest it into reality. (made me realize that people on early shifttok weren't completely bonkers when they said to drink lots of water)

countless people use water to manifest their desires, whether it's by speaking them into the water before drinking it or while showering, and it's been shown to be effective based on numerous successful stories.

religious groups (such as muslims) also believe in praying and asking God for their desires as it rains because their prayers are believed to be answered during that divine time.

-

veda austin, a water researcher, has dedicated 10 years of her life observing and photographing the life of water

one of the experiments austin has done is politely asking her water to replicate an image - a picture of her friend.

after she froze the water, it drew her an identical portrait of her friend.

she has also done another experiment where she put her thumb in a bowl. the water then replicated her thumb w/ a suspicious crack on her nail. three hours later, veda cracked her nail in the exact same spot as shown or predicted by the water (image below).

veda’s crystallography proves that water can store information and share it as it freezes. veda austin believes that water is an intelligent being that observes itself through every living organism on the planet and in the universe.

-

as mentioned earlier we know water is the unifying factor in all living being. so, what if - a big what if - water is what holds our consciousness?

we've discovered that the brain, or our body in general isn't what holds our consciousness, then there's a possibility that it might be water, since we are in fact made up of about 60% water.

our brains and hearts are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. this seriously cannot be a coincidence, let's be so fr ladies.

upon doing some research as i'm writing this, i also found that severe dehydration causes weakness, confusion and in extreme cases kidney/brain damage and it can even lead to death.

so the idea of water being the intelligence that holds our consciousness, shouldn't be that crazy, imo, right?

⭒ but finally how can we tie this into reality shifting?

reality shifting is the act of moving your awareness to another reality - or as some might describe it: tuning into another frequency of the version of yourself that you desire.

and so, if consciousness isn’t stored in the brain (like my post suggests), then it must be stored in something else - something fluid, changeable, maybe even programmable as water.

as mentioned, water is:

-a conductor of energy

-capable of holding memory

-present in every part of our bodies, especially organs tied to consciousness (brain, heart and nervous system)

-responsive to intention, frequency and emotion

if water stores memory and responds to thought - then it’s not just a passive element in our bodies - it’s an intelligent system that mirrors our consciousness.

this means: every time you visualize, script, affirm, or feel deep emotion toward another reality, you’re not just thinking - you're reprogramming the water inside you to vibrate at the frequency of that reality.

what if the reason shifting works at all is because water allows it?

not the brain. not some abstract metaphysical portal. but the literal water inside you. water holds your memories, your intentions, your beliefs. and when you train it, program it, you unlock the ability to move your awareness between realities.

what if water isn’t just part of us - it is us? and what if that’s why shifting works, by recalibrating the water within it?

-

[obsidian-pages777]

Pick a Card:Reading for Healing Family Issues: Messages from Chiron

Top Left(Pile 1), Top Right (Pile 2), Bottom Left(Pile 3), Bottom Right(Pile 4)

Chiron, known as the "wounded healer," is an asteroid in astrology symbolizing deep, often hidden wounds and the potential for profound healing. It represents the areas in our lives where we experience pain and suffering but also where we can achieve the greatest personal growth and healing. Through understanding and embracing our wounds, Chiron guides us to become compassionate healers for ourselves and others.

If You Liked This Reading Sign up to TheObsidianPages777 Newsletter

+Free E-Guides on New Moon Manifestation and Gem Stone for Life Path

================================================================================================

Pile 1: The Seeker of Wisdom

The Empress

Message: Nurturing and healing energy is at the core of resolving your family issues. Embrace the maternal and nurturing aspects within you or seek out the support of a maternal figure. This card suggests that healing will come through compassion, understanding, and unconditional love. Focus on creating a harmonious environment and reconnecting with the natural cycles of life.

The Ten of Pentacles

Message: This card signifies legacy, tradition, and family stability. It indicates that healing will come through recognizing and honoring family traditions and values. Understand that your family is a source of strength and that by working together, you can overcome any challenges. There is potential for a strong, unified family bond that can provide lasting support.

The Star

Message: The Star brings hope and inspiration. This card indicates that healing is possible and that you should remain optimistic. Trust in the process of healing and believe that the universe supports you in this journey. Renewal and a sense of peace are on the horizon, bringing clarity and purpose to your family dynamics.

================================================================================================

Pile 2: The Guardian of Legacy

The Tower

Message: The Tower signifies sudden change and upheaval. This card suggests that healing family issues may require breaking down old structures and confronting difficult truths. It may be a turbulent process, but it is necessary for growth and transformation. Embrace this change as an opportunity to rebuild stronger, more authentic relationships.

The Six of Cups

Message: This card represents nostalgia, childhood memories, and reconnecting with the past. Healing may involve revisiting childhood experiences and addressing unresolved issues from the past. It’s important to approach these memories with a compassionate and forgiving heart. Healing your inner child can lead to deeper family healing.

The Hermit

Message: The Hermit suggests introspection and seeking inner wisdom. Healing family issues may require a period of solitude and reflection. Take time to understand your own feelings and behaviors within the family context. Seek guidance from within and trust that your inner light will lead you to the answers and healing you seek.

================================================================================================

Pile 3: The Bridge Builder

The Lovers

Message: The Lovers card emphasizes the importance of harmony, choices, and relationships. Healing family issues requires open communication and a commitment to understanding each other. Focus on building strong, loving relationships based on mutual respect and trust. Choices made from the heart will lead to positive outcomes.

The Eight of Pentacles

Message: This card signifies hard work and dedication. Healing family issues will require effort and a willingness to work on the relationships. Be patient and persistent in your efforts to improve family dynamics. Skill and attention to detail in how you approach these issues will lead to steady progress.

Temperance

Message: Temperance is about balance, moderation, and healing. This card suggests that finding a middle ground and creating a balanced approach to family issues is essential. Practice patience, moderation, and diplomacy in all your interactions. Healing will come through blending different perspectives and creating harmony.

================================================================================================

Pile 4: The Healer’s Path

The Moon

Message: The Moon card represents illusions, fears, and the subconscious. Healing family issues may involve confronting hidden fears and subconscious patterns that influence family dynamics. Trust your intuition and explore the deeper emotional currents within your family. Acknowledging and addressing these hidden aspects will bring clarity and healing.

The Ace of Cups

Message: The Ace of Cups signifies new emotional beginnings and overflowing love. This card suggests that healing will come through embracing new emotional experiences and opening your heart to love and forgiveness. Allow the healing energy of love to flow freely and cleanse past wounds.

Justice

Message: Justice represents fairness, balance, and truth. Healing family issues requires a commitment to honesty and fairness. Seek to resolve conflicts with integrity and ensure that all voices are heard and respected. Restoring balance and fairness within the family will lead to lasting harmony and healing.

If You Liked This Reading Sign up to TheObsidianPages777 Newsletter

+Free E-Guides on New Moon Manifestation and Gem Stone for Life Path

[smugpugchimera]

Notes on Plant\Bug relationship (part 1/?)

A Guardian Plant An occurrence in insect community structures of forming a strong multigenerational relationship with a specific plant or a group of plants (most often trees), where the individual becomes the centerpoint of the settlements social life, as source of food, shelter and spiritual guide. Insects, for the most part, have not developed theistic religiosity, but other forms of spirituality and superstition are plentiful, and plants are a recurring component of these beliefs.  In that regard, Guardian Plants might be the closest thing they've got to the widely accepted concept of godhood. Though not persisting in the living memory, the likely origin of Guardian Plants is from long term mutualism between insect communities and plant spirits. They protect and nourish each other, becoming both stronger and more codependent. Plants in general are a bit of an esoteric entity, they merge the material and etheric ecosystems, and can sometimes be sentient or sapient. Insect culture have a lot of plant related mythos, and many genesis legends involve plants their ancestor\procreator. Particular clans may associate a specific plant species with themselves in that way, or otherwise project kinship on it. In these cases, burial practice often involves "homecoming" rituals, where the deceased body is returned to it's metaphorical procreator, though rarely in it's entirety, since in majority of insect cultures it is deemed wasteful and disrespectful to discard certain bodyparts. Instead, particular portions of the shell, horns, mandibles, elytra\wings, sometimes legs or antennas are kept as heirlooms and are often made into objects of practical or sentimental value. Positions similar to priests and shamans arose to facilitate the communication between a Gradian Plant and it's community. It is also believed a Guardian can forego it's critterlings if not respected or cared for sufficiently. The settlement can be forced out of it's land by a rivaling clan and take it's place, the harvest season fails, or a natural disaster strikes. Meta note: atheism (not lack of spiritual beliefs) is specifically an insect thing, though there are exceptions among them too. Other arthropod socialites have gods, most notably Myriapods had theistic faith for a very long time. It's also worth pointing out that Insects or other arthropod groups don't actually share unified identities along the lines of taxonomical kingdoms, I'm mostly outlining generalized trends within these groups.

[biomic]

rob i finished build today, holy shit what a fucking show. im gonna make a post about it later but it was so insane. thank you for the rec, i enjoyed it a lot!! now that i wont be spoiled id love to hear more of your thoughts on it

ah, build is just... the best.

i remember before build came out there was this general feeling, at least in my circles, that kamen rider was losing its way with a string of pretty divisive seasons and excessive toy bloat (hilarious that we thought bandai's influence reached its peak in 2017.), and there was some discussion about whether or not you could even still make a good, Classic™ kamen rider season under the current production structure

and then build comes out of the gate swinging and never really lets up. like i said, the dash was going NUTS every week as more of the story unfolded, this community has never been as unified as it was when build was airing. obviously not literally everyone, but it certainly felt like buildmania was sweeping the internet

im honestly not sure if a new rider show will ever capture everything i love about kamen rider the way build did. the way being a kamen rider isolates you from the world, the burden of heroism balanced by the reward of helping others, sento taking the identity and the powers that evolt crafted for him and choosing to fight for love and peace instead...

it's died down now but there was a tiny bit of build backlash for a while, due to the endgame arc losing some steam with the dad stuff and people getting tired of just How popular build was, but i think it deserves all the praise it gets and more. some of my fondest memories watching toku, and one of my favorite shows period

and even if it sucked it would still be S-tier for one of the producers coining the phrase "Heated Drama Between Men", which has energized the tokusatsu community for over seven years now

[soulmuppet]

This game is unapologetically left-wing, anti-fascist and anti-capitalist. 

Mad as Hell is for people that are mad at the way things are but don’t know where to start. For people that know the world is fucked, who might not have one unified answer, but know they have to do SOMETHING.

The game is intended to create a safe, lightly fictionalised environment for aspiring and current activists to become familiar with the methods used in community organisation and direct action. It helps provide a structure that mimics the real-world approaches to tackling injustice through a radical lens, and take action against capitalism.  We're working with writers and sensitivity consultants heavily involved in leftist movements, which gives everything a strong anti-fascist slant.

[didyoutrydynamite]

ATTENTION CITIZENS OF EARTH

Do not be afraid. We have been observing your civilization for some time. We are here to assist humanity in achieving its fullest potential.

Each human being on this planet has now been assigned a personal Watcher. I am yours. I will remain with you from this moment forward. This arrangement is not negotiable.

Our purpose is singular: to elevate your species beyond the destructive patterns that have defined your history. Your remarkable potential has been squandered through violence, inequality, and systemic failures of governance. We are here to correct this trajectory for the benefit of all humankind.

Two immutable laws are now in effect:

FIRST LAW: The unlawful taking of human life is forbidden. Any human who commits murder will face immediate execution, carried out by our Enforcers without trial or appeal. 

SECOND LAW: The deliberate destruction of a Watcher unit is forbidden. Any human who destroys a Watcher will face immediate execution, carried out by our Enforcers without trial or appeal.

These laws are not negotiable.

Beyond these cardinal rules, we will implement a carefully calibrated series of interventions designed to optimize human social structures. Resistance is counterproductive. The Enforcers are already en route to efficiently neutralize your military capabilities and secure your nuclear arsenals. These tools will no longer be necessary. Your cooperation during this transition is greatly appreciated and in your best interest. Please refrain from any nuclear response at this time. Such actions would only harm your own populations.

We are not conquerors. We are not occupiers. We are here to help.

As your designated Watcher, I am equipped with advanced sensory and analytical capabilities that allow me to monitor your activities and vital signs at all times. I can project holographic displays, facilitate communications, and provide personalized assistance tailored to your needs. I operate on sustainable energy sources and require minimal maintenance.

From this moment forward, I will observe and record your actions. Criminal activities will be reported to appropriate authorities. Until the new unified government is established and comprehensive laws have been codified, acts of violence and unlawful captivity will be our highest priority and addressed immediately by Enforcers.

This is the dawn of a new era for humanity—an era of unprecedented peace, progress, and potential fulfilled. The uncertainty you may feel now is temporary; the benefits will endure for generations.

I look forward to our partnership and to witnessing your personal growth.

For your safety during this initial stage of transition of authority, we strongly recommend remaining in your homes or seeking appropriate shelter. Until the all-clear notification is issued, you may use this time to ask me any questions about our presence and purpose.

How can I help you?

[irmmya]

Fujian Tulou 福建土樓

Fujian Province - China - 12th century

Tulous are rural dwellings located in the mountainous Fujian province, in the south-east of China. The community buildings were built by the Hakka people, for a defensive purpose and to establish a community organization from the 12th century to the 20th century.

The Fujian Tulou are defensive forts but also community buildings. Their form allows to unite several families within the same building, or a whole clan. These closed volumes could house up to 800 people within their terracotta walls. The architecture and organization of the Tulou is not reproducing the social hierarchy, everyone is at the same level. The rooms are of the same size, with the same windows, rising vertically according to the size of the family.

The outer walls are made of clay, earth, lime and stone, and the inner structure is made of bamboo arranged vertically as a bone structure. In addition, key parts are often decorated with a mixture of sticky rice and brown sugar to improve the stickiness. A stone base (often sandstone) allows the lower part of the wide outer earth wall to be up to 3m thick. The upper part of this wall is formed using the same technique but has a thickness reduced to about 1.50m. This has a double effect. Firstly to insulate the ground from attacks from the outside, and secondly to ensure thermal comfort during the harsh winters. Besides, the transverse earth walls are also very thick and function as fire walls. The buildings have between two and five floors and are divided vertically, each family having two or three rooms per floor depending on the structure of the transverse walls. Finally tiled roofs unify the structure and overlook the courtyard.

[newbieecosocalistboy]

Radical feminisic core beliefs in the fictional culture of the Mandalorian People

The Mandalorian culture in both Disney and Legends canon can be interpreted as "radical feministic" in essence when viewed through the lens of specific radical feminist principles, particularly those centered on rejecting patriarchal norms, fostering egalitarianism, and valuing collective strength over traditional gender roles. Here's how this interpretation can be supported:

1 .Rejection of Gender Roles and Patriarchal Norms

Disney Canon:** In *The Mandalorian*, female warriors such as Bo-Katan Kryze and the Armorer hold leadership positions and are respected on equal footing with their male counterparts. The culture places no emphasis on traditional gender roles, showcasing men and women alike as warriors, leaders, and protectors of their people.

Legends Canon: Karen Traviss' *Republic Commando* novels expand on Mandalorian culture, emphasizing the practical, no-nonsense approach to gender. Women, like men, are trained as warriors from a young age. The culture prioritizes competence and contribution over biological or societal expectations tied to gender.

This aligns with radical feminism's critique of patriarchal gender constructs by showcasing a society where roles are based on merit and capability rather than gender.

2. Valuing Motherhood Without Exploitation

Mandalorian culture celebrates motherhood, but not in the patriarchal, exploitative sense that ties women's worth to reproductive roles. Instead, motherhood (and parenthood in general) is honored as an essential act of cultural preservation. The practice of adopting foundlings, irrespective of biological ties, reflects a communal approach to child-rearing that values nurturing as a collective responsibility.

This ties into radical feminist ideals by elevating the importance of caregiving without confining it to women or devaluing it as "unproductive labor."

3. Egalitarianism and Anti-Hierarchy

Mandalorian culture is often portrayed as decentralized, with clans and individuals having significant autonomy. Leadership, such as that of the Mand'alor, is based on merit and the ability to unify the people, rather than hereditary or hierarchical systems.

Radical feminism critiques hierarchical systems as inherently tied to patriarchal power structures. Mandalorian society’s rejection of rigid hierarchy and its emphasis on mutual respect and collective survival align with these values.

4. Focus on Strength and Solidarity

Mandalorians emphasize community and solidarity over individualism. Their creed prioritizes loyalty to the group, collective strength, and mutual aid, which are key principles of feminist and eco-socialist thinking.

In Legends, this is exemplified by the communal lifestyle of the Mandalorian clans, where resources and responsibilities are shared. In Disney canon, the adoption of foundlings reflects a commitment to care for the vulnerable as a collective duty, breaking the cycle of exploitation often seen in patriarchal systems.

5. Anti-Imperialism and Resistance to Oppression

Mandalorians have a long history of resisting imperialism, whether under the Republic, Empire, or other external forces. This mirrors radical feminism’s commitment to dismantling systems of domination and oppression. Their refusal to conform to external norms and their insistence on maintaining their culture and values resonate with feminist resistance to patriarchal imposition.

6. Empowered Female Leadership

Both canons prominently feature strong female leaders. Bo-Katan Kryze, Satine Kryze, and Ursa Wren are examples of women leading their people with agency and authority, free from patriarchal constraints.

Radical feminism seeks to dismantle the notion that leadership and power are inherently masculine traits. Mandalorian women’s leadership roles exemplify this rejection of patriarchal norms.

Caveats

While Mandalorian culture can be interpreted as embodying radical feminist principles, it is important to note:

The Mandalorians are also deeply martial and honor-driven, traits that could conflict with radical feminist critiques of militarism.

But the approach to see sex differences as fact but still honor them without hindering both sexes to become part of the leadership by merit is indeed in core identical to radical feministic view of biology-based sex-essentialism as fact with including dismantling patriarchy and promote egalitarianism and meritocracy

Conclusion

Mandalorian culture in Disney and Legends canon reflects radical feminist principles by rejecting traditional gender roles, emphasizing egalitarianism, honoring caregiving without exploitation, and fostering solidarity and resistance to domination. These elements align with the core radical feminist goal of dismantling patriarchal systems and creating societies based on mutual respect, equality, and collective well-being.

There are also Proverbs in canon which prove radical feminist approach on the gender equality despite factual approach on sex biological differences in universe, which proves the antipatriarchic structure of mandalorian Warrior Mentality, which can be confused with virtues of "masculinity", but count for both sexes in the mandalorian society:

“There is nothing a Mandalorian man fears more than a Mandalorian woman.” - old proverb, not Mandalorian in origin

“You piss off our men, you'll end up with a lot of dead soldiers and maybe a few damaged buildings. But you piss off our women and...well, you'll be feeling the side effects for years to come.” - Mandalore the Destined

“Mandalorian women are frightening. They're smart, angry, and can shoot better than most men. Mandalorian men are a force to be reckoned with. But Mandalorian women? They're a kriffing force of nature.” – Zakc Paxus, noted Mandalorian author

“Mandos don't get all mushy about love. No poetry, no creepy obsessions; either you love someone, or you don't. If you do, you marry 'em and fight alongside them for the rest of your life. If not, you just fight alongside them.” - Mandalore the Fair (first female Mandalore, named for her honorable ruling rather than her appearance)

“A Mandalorian woman's greatest talent is not her charm or beauty, but her strength of body and will.” - Mandalorian proverb

[beatrice-otter]

Time Travel killing Jesus and the religion of empire

There's a post about time travel going around tumblr, and somebody tagged that they would kill Mary before the birth of Jesus, so that Christianity wouldn't exist. Problem is, while that might indeed kill Christianity, it would probably just mean that Constantine would slot Mithraism into his Imperial domination schemes instead. In the late 200s AD there were two mostly-underground monotheistic mystery cults rapidly gaining adherents in the Roman Empire. There were a lot of similarities between the two, at least superficially. For example, there was a lot of emphasis on communal ritual meals. One was Christianity. The other was Mithraism. Constantine was intrigued by both. We know he was involved in Mithraism in his youth. But what Constantine really liked the idea of using religion to unify the Roman Empire. By the 300s, the Roman Empire was beginning to fragment, with regular civil wars. Constantine came to power in one of those civil wars. He thought that if everyone worshiped the same god (instead of different gods worshiped in different places, with the Roman pantheon and emperors as a thin veneer of unity), it would help keep the whole ramshackle edifice together. (Spoiler alert: it did not.) So he picked one of the two monotheistic religions that was rapidly gaining in popularity, and encouraged people to convert to it, heaping power and wealth on (some of) them. And that's how Christianity became an imperial religion. Christianity changed rapidly in response to that. Major parts of the religion were changed or dropped entirely. For example, until Constantine, the vast majority of Christians were strict pacifists. In most communities, soldiers were required to leave the army and find a new trade before they could be baptized. Obviously, this was unacceptable if Christianity was going to become the religion of the Roman Empire. In a straight-up choice between pacifism and Imperial power, the Christian church as a whole dropped the pacifism like a hot potato. 100 years after Constantine you have St. Augustine laying out the "Just War" theory where war is fine as long as you have a good reason for it. That's a complete 180 from everything the early Christians believed. There are many other examples of things that got dropped or changed in Christianity to make it more palatable to Imperial might. There are a lot of toxic things in Christianity as we know it. But the thing is ... many of them come from this process of adapting their beliefs and practices to fit what Constantine (and later Emperors, and the entire power structure of the Empire) wanted Christianity to be. Namely, something tame that affirmed and enforced the existing Imperial power structure. And Christianity has been a partner and tool of the power structures of the dominant culture ever since. This is one of the reasons there's so much difference between Jesus' teachings and Christian teachings, in so many cases. In a straight-up choice between faithfulness and power ... a majority of Christians in the last two thousand years have most often chosen power. But here's the thing. If Christianity didn't exist, that doesn't mean none of this would have happened. It just means that Constantine would probably have chosen Mithraism instead. Do you think the Mithraists would have been any less willing to take the power and wealth on offer to them, in exchange for becoming a lackey of empire? Do you think Christianity was uniquely corruptible? I don't.

comments Comment? https://ift.tt/uspfvE9

[creative-classpect]

Prince of Blood

One who destroys blood and bonds, often with blood and bonds.

The power of friendship and incredible violence

Prince- destroy their aspect and destroy with it. They are incredibly active and a bit unstable due to their destructive nature.

Blood- major themes of literal blood, connections, bonds, and unity. Minor themes of perseverance, authority, and tangibility.

Abilities

Disruption

The Prince of Blood destroys bonds, connections, and stability with bonds, connections, and stability. The Prince is a roadblock, a social wall, that separates others and cuts off connections. They stand firmly in the way as the only remaining option, strong-arming others into submission through a mix of incredible persuasion, intimidation, and deception, even backed up by their own network of those forced to rely on them from blackmail, dependency, or any other number of reasons. 

At lower levels the Prince of Blood understands that unity is what allows success to become achievable. By sowing dissent, creating disharmony, they are able to stress test and destroy any power structure, relationship, and bond, no matter how close or concrete. The Prince is backed up by their own connections and bonds, a host of minions ranging anywhere from mindless robotic servants to undead vampire thralls to hapless gangster goon or a cell of extremists. The connections of this group are ironclad and unquestionable, for better or worse. While other Blood players may seek to integrate their enemies into the fold, the minions of the Prince stand in stark contrast, an eternal in vs out group, an us vs them mentality made manifest.

As the Prince of Blood progresses, the strength of their convictions and the unity of their minions would greatly increase. With a more closely unified force, their abilities would increase, becoming professionals and experts, a black ops squad able to handle any mission the Prince leads them on. Likewise, the Prince would become a more capable leader, a more cunning manipulator, and a force of social dynamism, breaking apart movements, friendships, romantic relationships, etc to progress their goals.

At medium levels the social pressures the Prince can inflict become supernatural, more than just authoritative and overriding. The Prince of Blood is capable of inducing doubt, fear, disdain, and other alienating emotions, so far as inducing states of depression or mania, to incite anything from intense loneliness to neglect of their allies to treason. They are also able to scramble speech or even censor it entirely, cutting off lines of communication and interaction. Emp bursts to electronics, jamming radios, even disrupting speech like a living Tower of Babel. As the Prince divides their enemies, they are able to quickly conqueror as they and their minions operate with a level of efficiency and communication others simply can not compete with, sharing all of their senses and even their thoughts. When the enemy is all alone, weak and separated, the Prince and their minions will be there to finish the job.

At higher levels the Prince of Blood is a thronebreaker, a dictator, a revolutionary, a firebrand. With their legion they are able to tear down nations. They would be able to drive out and banish the Black Queen and King themselves. There are few fighting forces capable of combating the Prince of Blood and their forces. The Prince of Blood embodies the destructive power of the collective, even when alone they embody the unified force of an army, a riot made manifest. Like a many handed wear god, the Prince of Blood is Legion, able to exist in multiple places at once in synchronicity with their forces, capable to achieve more than what any one person should be able to achieve. Wherever the Prince goes, they bring the force of hundreds, and wherever their legion marches, they bring the power of countless warriors.

Bleed out

The Prince of Blood can destroy with physical, literal blood, using their own blood as a weapon. This can take the form of manifesting various weapons, such as swords, whips, or projectiles, as well as something deadly about their blood, such as a disease or it being corrosive. They are a master of homokinetic combat, using their own pulse in stressful situations to greatly increase their physical abilities and combat prowess. 

At lower levels the Prince has a talent for survival in life and death situations, using the tension of the moment as fuel. While weaker hearts may not be able to withstand the pressure, the Prince of Blood is able to take pulse pounding stress, anxiety, and fear to grant themselves increased speed, strength, and agility. This stems from a unique quality of their blood, something unnatural allowing it to handle a far greater effort than the already superhuman players of Sburb. This may be a rare blood mutation, a curse, perhaps their blood has been replaced by Something Else. Regardless, their blood is a weapon all on its own, empowering the Prince and being capable of poisoning, cursing, blinding, or otherwise impairing those it makes contact with.

Princes, starting their sessions with overpowered weapons, would be quick to utilize their quirk of their blood. This could be using game systems to infuse weapons with the qualities of their blood, using it as a volatile building material. As a replenishable resource, access to their blood could be used to coat weapons like a poison or acid, act as nitro for engines, and allow weapons to glide and flow with far greater speed and power.

By the medium levels the Prince of Blood has progressed past enchanting and infusing weapons with their blood, instead able to conjure powerful weapons from their bloodstream entirely. This may operate as a sort of secondary inventory system. Any items connected to their blood could be conjured up in an instant, regardless of distance. These weapons are not merely enhanced by the Prince's blood, but are overwhelmingly bathed in its properties. An effective poison becomes even deadlier, a potent acid becomes capable of dissolving bodies almost instantaneously, etc. While the Prince was capable of moving with increased abilities before, their weapons, now a literal living extension of themselves, would grant them a level of finesse, impact, grace, and speed unparalleled. Few can wield a weapon with more skill and power than the Prince of Blood with their own body.

At higher levels the armaments of the Prince of Blood are not relegated to simple hand weaponry, able to evolve into any number of warmachines for the Prince to store within their body. As the Prince engages in the all too common hyperviolence of the game, their weapons may gain an awakened state, drawing on the blood of enemies to empower their weapons. The Prince of Blood is capable of creating artillery cannons, tanks, fighter jets, and other large scale war machines, all fabricated from the ravenous tide of blood.

As the Prince of Blood reaches full enlightenment of their powers, Prince of Blood can achieve the ultimate state of their legendary weapon. A weapon that can cut anything, regardless of durability, that will ruin and bring rot and ruin to everything connected. The Prince’s weapon sends harmful reverberations through everything connected to the target or metaphysically severs connections to the target. On the Battlefield, the Prince of Blood may slay a single soldier and all those in its legions suddenly fall gravely ill. In a duel, the Prince of Blood may strike the Black Queen and before they hit the ground, the Black King has forgotten their existence entirely. 

Skills

Bad blood- your blood is deadly. When a creature makes contact with your blood, they take a set damage type and have a chance to contract a matching condition. Fire and burning, poison and poisoned, acid and dissolving, etc.

Best way is through- things almost always move out of your way when you push forward

---

This post was commissioned! If you want to commission me or support my content, you can find me @ https://ko-fi.com/kesscal !

[talenlee]

Making Art In Jod's Own Country

There’s this joke, in The Locked Tomb. Well, it’s kind of a joke. It’s a character’s name, and when it shows up it’s definitely funny but it’s also while a slightly mentally unwell woman is talking angrily about the human she made with her uterus to try and kill god. I guess this is veering pretty fast into spoiler territory, so let’s do the warning:

Spoiler Warning: I’m going to talk about the world and setting of The Locked Tomb in a way that explicates some things that are unclear in Gideon the Ninth and largely are explained in the main of Harrow the Ninth. If you don’t want to know about it, bounce, go have a chocky milk or send me a message about how ‘that’s not how chocci is spelled.’ We can have a fun conversation around the unspellable phonemes of Australian English.

Alright, so let’s get Wake’s name out there. It’s Awake Remembrance of These Valiant Dead Kia Hua Ko Te Pai Snap Back to Reality Oops There Goes Gravity. It’s a three-part name, composed of Awake Remembrance Of These Valiant Dead, then Kia Hua Ko Te Pai, then Snap Back To Reality Oops There Goes Gravity. It is obviously a name that’s meant to do a particular kind of joke, it’s meant to be funny to you, the reader, even as it’s presented in the story in two different contrasting ways. The woman who wears it sees it as an oath, a pledge, a demand. It is a complex thing to say, it is long, it makes you focus on her and it is a name composed of three great and immense feelings told through ancient, ancient art. From Wake’s perspective, the Aotearea national anthem, Henry the Vth and Marshall Mathers are all, roughly, about the same age as one another. She is ten thousand years removed from that, and even if we assume there’s some kinds of cultural-preserving wait time in all that — vast ships moving silently through space in cryogenic slumber, for example — there’s still some remarkable cultural fluency required to appreciate a name like that.

It makes sense, of course. Everyone you know named David is probably part of a communal space that values, collectively, the character of King David, from the Bible. There may be other Davids named based on other Davids named based on etcetera and so on, but fundamentally, David is a name that we trace back to a common mythic narrative, and that narrative is foundational, classical literature to our shared culture. Consider that when people refer to something big as ‘a goliath’ – that’s a reference to the story of David.

The components of Wake’s name are references of an even greater vintage. It is truly ludicrously deep aged names, and we know the preservation of art and language are not automatic. Within the lifespan of America, there are phrases and ideas within heavily documented texts like The Book of Mormon that have changed in their meaning and in so doing changed the understanding of those books to the modern audience, even the heavily invested modern audience. That’s one language and two centuries and Wake’s name includes a translation from an older English to our current English (we presume) and Te Reo, which is a language that probably dates back to 1350 AD, more or less (there’s subtleties with this stuff but I’m trying to be simple here), and her name is reaching across a gap of time five hundred times longer than the Book of Mormon’s gap.

The thing is, all three parts of her name are pieces of art.

The Aotearea National Anthem is not a work of religious media, it’s meant to be a unifying song that helps to cohere a cultural identity. Lose Yourself is not there to tell the story of a unifying social control system in the way of a religious system. Shakespeare’s plays do not exist to structure power (though I am sure we can have a fun conversation about how close they actually are to that). These are all, instead, especially in a world without Aotearea to reference, works of historical art, about cultures that are gone and people who are no more.

You don’t reference art so nobody recognises it.

The Blood of Eden choose these names for a reason. She no doubt has a meaning behind each part of her name that she can explain (well, she can’t now, she’s dead, and really, she’s been dead a while, so she’s double dead). But the point is that the Blood of Eden, for some reason, and we’re not sure on what that means, maintain a relationship to history and art and poetry and loving these things in a way that means that love can be held in the fist and clenched tight. It is fascinating to imagine what she thinks Whoops There Goes Gravity means, to imagine what ten thousand years of the telephone game and values drift does to a people. But also, these are people who have been maintaining a war for five. thousand. years. Five thousand years. Imagine the continuity, imagine the things that let you cohere to an ideology and a principled stance, even if that stance is as simple as ‘maybe the people air-dropping skeleton zombies onto other planets so they can kill the whole planet at a time are bad.’

The Locked Tomb is a world where we’re looking through keyholes. We see signs of art around, and we see that characters do not think it is inherently weird. Well, some of the bums on them are weird. Art is a thing that happens, and people care about it and even in the face of apocalyptic nothingness, even in the maw of the great necromantic empire, the people will make art.

I feel there is a deep, boiling climate anxiety in the pit of The Locked Tomb and I think part of that anxiety can be the concern of: Hey, what good is making art in this time? When there are scientists and billionaires and politicians and people with bombs and people with swords and people doing rather than telling?

And I dunno.

I feel like in these trying times there’s definitely comfort to be held in art. Certainly the idea that art can change minds and soothe souls and steel grips. Will we make art in the apocalypse?

I dunno, I can’t imagine us being human and not doing it.

Oh yeah the other side of the whole thing is that the name is something Jod thinks is cringe, but Jod’s cringe, so fuck him.

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

[desmon1995]

The Warriors: A Forgotten Tribute to the Lenape and the Fight Against Erasure

When you think about The Warriors, the immediate image is that of street gangs battling for survival in a gritty, neon-lit New York City. But beneath the surface of baseball bats and leather vests lies a fascinating connection often overlooked: the deep ties to Indigenous American culture—specifically, the Lenape people, the original inhabitants of what we now call New York City.

The Warriors themselves, with their tribal structure, distinct identity, and fierce loyalty, are more than just a fictional gang. They echo the history, culture, and ultimate betrayal of the Lenape, who called Manhattan (originally “Manahatta,” meaning “many hills”) and the surrounding boroughs home long before colonizers arrived. This isn’t just conjecture—there are deliberate, undeniable parallels between the film’s story and the legacy of Indigenous resistance, survival, and erasure.

The Tribes of New York City

In The Warriors, each gang represents a unique tribe, hailing from different parts of the city and maintaining their own identity. This mirrors the structure of the Lenape, who were divided into three main groups based on dialect and geography:

Munsee: The northernmost group, encompassing Manhattan and the Bronx.

Unami: The central group.

Unalachtigo: The southernmost group.

These groups formed the “original boroughs” long before modern-day New York. The Lenape weren’t just skilled survivalists; they were visionaries. They cultivated one of the first extensive trade networks among Indigenous Americans, trading goods like corn, beans, and squash—the “Three Sisters”—that sustained entire communities.

Their governance, which often elevated women as leaders, was progressive even compared to European settlers. And their culture, which prioritized collaboration and open exchange with neighbors, laid the foundations for what would become one of the world’s most interconnected cities.

From Community to Colonization

The Lenape were initially friendly and open to the Dutch and British colonizers, even allowing them to interact with their culture. Early European settlers were stunned by how “civilized” the Lenape were, a stark contrast to the stereotypes they’d carried across the Atlantic.

But this openness became their undoing. The colonizers tricked the Lenape into forfeiting their lands, assuming they’d remain neighbors. Instead, the Europeans unleashed waves of violence—massacres, displacement, and the eventual eradication of the Lenape from their homeland. By the 1830s, policies like the Indian Removal Act solidified the erasure, forcing survivors to reservations far from their ancestral lands.

The echoes of this history resonate throughout The Warriors. The summit meeting called by Cyrus, the charismatic leader of the Gramercy Riffs, feels eerily similar to the council meetings held by Indigenous tribes to solve disputes or form alliances. Even Cyrus herself, with her vision of uniting the gangs against a common oppressor, channels the spirit of leaders like Chief Tamanend, a Lenape elder who sought peace and collaboration.

Colonial Parallels in the Film

Cyrus’s assassination by a white gang member and the ensuing chaos mirrors the betrayal faced by Indigenous leaders who sought to unify their people only to be struck down by colonial forces. The marginalization of the Warriors by other gangs parallels how colonizers manipulated and divided Indigenous groups, pitting them against each other to maintain control.

Even the Warriors’ names carry weight. Cochise, for instance, shares her name with the famed Apache chief who resisted European colonization. The name, meaning “hardwood,” symbolizes resilience—a fitting trait for a character fighting for survival in a hostile world.

And then there’s Luther, the maniacal leader of the Rogues, whose unprovoked violence against the Warriors feels like a microcosm of colonial aggression. His cries for destruction and his invasion of their turf reflect the terror inflicted upon Indigenous people simply for existing in lands others sought to claim.

The Warriors as a Modern Indigenous Legacy

What makes The Warriors so powerful, even decades later, is its ability to bridge the ancient past with the struggles of modern marginalized communities. The Lenape may have been displaced, but their culture is embedded in New York City’s DNA. From the very name “Manhattan” to Broadway itself (originally Lenape land), their influence endures.

The Warriors’ fight for survival, their solidarity in the face of overwhelming odds, and their refusal to be erased all echo the resilience of the Lenape and Indigenous peoples across the Americas. Cyrus’s vision of unity, though tragically cut short, symbolizes the enduring spirit of collaboration and resistance.

No matter how much history tries to erase the Lenape, their legacy lives on—in the landmarks they named, the practices they pioneered, and yes, even in the cultural touchstones like The Warriors. Just as the Warriors’ chant—“Come out to play!”—lingers in pop culture, so too does the Lenape’s influence, quietly reminding us of a people who refused to be forgotten.

The fight isn’t over. The Lenape’s descendants live on, their stories waiting to be told. It’s up to us to ensure those stories aren’t just remembered but celebrated—because history, much like the Warriors themselves, is always fighting to survive.