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cartograffiti · 2 years

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If you want to run a Court of Fey & Flowers Game, dnd isn't what you need

...because it's not what the Dimension 20 cast played, either.

I talked about this a little bit once before, very early in the season, but now that it's done, it's really clear to me that they played Good Society by Storybrewers with a few Dungeons & Dragons elements hacked in, not the other way around. Aabria Iyengar loves Good Society, and it really shows. She merged the systems really beautifully to suit the expectations of D20, and that's why I think players at home will get a better experience by starting with GS materials than by trying to reverse engineer the mechanics Iyengar showed in action.

Things they got from DnD:

-Skill levels/stats.

-Rolling dice to determine success.

-The game master/facilitator (Aabria) playing most characters.

-Some creatures and spells (the dog that has an old man's face, the telepathy spell I can never remember the name of).

-Aabria giving out Inspiration.

Things they got from Good Society:

-The principle of having a character goal that may be kept secret. (In fact, some of D20's specific goals were probably even chosen from Good Society materials. The player character with a secret spouse? There's a card for that.)

-Social reputation tracked by degrees, conferring descriptions and perks. (They did not use GS's exact system. Whether it was a hack or a mix with a game system I haven't played, I don't know.)

-Trading tokens that can be burned to make strong moves. (Again, not GS's exact mechanic--GS uses tokens throughout instead of dice. That game lets you decide what your character is capable of. Tokens make sure everyone has fair chances to act, especially when players have conflicting goals.)

-Additional guidelines and mechanics for agreeing on how the table wants social events to work, as well as how to navigate the varying dynamics of relatives, friends, and rivals.

-Rumors and epistolary phases. (There's a fun post going around about Brennan asking about these because "he wanted to get a good grade in dnd," but I think he was sincerely curious how they worked, because they aren't dnd!)

-The overall cycle of play, dictating the order of phases and pace.

-Some mechanics for the reputations and interactions of fae courts as entities were taken from Good Society's Fae Courts mini-expansion.

-Monologue tokens. (D20 has Aabria as the only one who can use these, GS allows anyone in the game to ask someone to monologue.)

-Additional guidelines for determining world state, character creation, and keeping the story within a consistent style and tone that feels like a recognizably Regency story...even when giant owlbears can get gay married.

-Other flavoring and approach details.

Things Good Society has that Dimension 20 didn't get to show off:

-The ability for players to also choose a secondary character to control, allowing them to participate in more roleplay and experience multiple personalities or social roles in the same game.

-A really rich and thoughtful collaboration phase, before the story begins.

-The ability to share facilitator duties among the table, and to allow the facilitator to play a main character as well as supporting cast.

-Advice and expansions for adjusting the game to various tones, genres, and other historical periods.

So you're looking at buying Good Society:

What you need is pdfs. Definitely grab the base game for $21.00, that has most of what I just described. If you're excited to see their Fae Court specific materials, it's included in the Expanded Acquaintance bundle with many other pieces of content, or there's a bundle of the base game and every expansion they've produced. You do not need to buy the more expensive bundles that include physical books and cards unless professional physical versions delight you, the pdfs are designed to be printable. Storybrewers also made and provide spreadsheet templates for sessions meeting online, so you can all see your worksheet choices.

Good Society is a really fun and flexible system, and it's most of what we loved about how A Court of Fey and Flowers was structured. It's your best route to a recreation, and well worth playing in its original form. I love that it doesn't have stats and dice--if you've never played a ttrpg that doesn't make you do math, this is a great introduction. I'm so glad Aabria featured it on the show!

#Dimension 20 #A Court of Fey and Flowers #D20 #Dropout #Good Society #ttrpgs #Aabria Iyengar #Storybrewers #acoff #acofaf

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transmutationisms · 9 months

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do you feel like SSRIs are mostly pseudoscience? I'm not sure if I should be open to trying them or avoid them at all costs since I'm not sure if they even work or if they will mess me up permanently

a preliminary note that i don't find the category 'pseudoscience' to be useful & would classify SSRI research more as 'methodologically shoddy science' or 'ideologically slanted' or 'part of a centuries-long effort on the part of psychiatrists to secure themselves professional prestige by claiming neurobiological etiologies where none are shown to exist' &c &c. imo the notion of 'pseudoscience' is itself pretty positivistic, ahistorical, and ideologically noxious (particularly apparent in any analysis of epistemological imperialism).

that aside: you raise two major issues with SSRIs, namely whether they work and whether they will cause you harm.

efficacy of SSRIs is contested. a 2010 meta-analysis found that in patients with mild or moderate depressive symptoms, the efficacy of SSRIs "may be minimal or nonexistent", whilst "for patients with very severe depression, the benefit of medications over placebo is substantial". a 2008 meta-analysis found a similar distinction between mildly vs severely depressed patients, but noted that even in the latter population, drug–placebo differences were "relatively small" and argued that the differences between drug and placebo in severely depressed patients "seems to result from a poorer response to placebo amongst more depressed patients" rather than from a greater efficacy of SSRIs. a 2012 meta-analysis found some SSRIs consistently effective over placebo treatments, but several authors disclosed major relationships with pharmaceutical companies. a 2017 meta-analysis concluded that "SSRIs might have statistically significant effects on depressive symptoms, but all trials were at high risk of bias and the clinical significance seems questionable" (emphasis added) and that "potential small beneficial effects seem to be outweighed by harmful effects".

when evaluating any of this evidence, it is crucial to keep in mind that studies on antidepressant trials are selectively published—that is, they are less likely to be published if they show negative results!

A total of 37 studies viewed by the FDA as having positive results were published; 1 study viewed as positive was not published. Studies viewed by the FDA as having negative or questionable results were, with 3 exceptions, either not published (22 studies) or published in a way that, in our opinion, conveyed a positive outcome (11 studies). According to the published literature, it appeared that 94% of the trials conducted were positive. By contrast, the FDA analysis showed that 51% were positive.

meta-analyses are not immune to this issue, either. in addition to the problem that a meta-analysis of a bunch of bad studies cannot magically 'cancel out' the effects of poor study design, the authors of meta-analyses can and do also have financial interests and ties to pharmaceutical companies, and this affects their results just as it does the results of the studies they are studying. according to a 2016 analysis of antidepressant meta-analyses,

Fifty-four meta-analyses (29%) had authors who were employees of the assessed drug manufacturer, and 147 (79%) had some industry link (sponsorship or authors who were industry employees and/or had conflicts of interest). Only 58 meta-analyses (31%) had negative statements in the concluding statement of the abstract. Meta-analyses including an author who were employees of the manufacturer of the assessed drug were 22-fold less likely to have negative statements about the drug than other meta-analyses [1/54 (2%) vs. 57/131 (44%); P < 0.001]. [...] There is a massive production of meta-analyses of antidepressants for depression authored by or linked to the industry, and they almost never report any caveats about antidepressants in their abstracts. Our findings add a note of caution for meta-analyses with ties to the manufacturers of the assessed products.

so, do SSRIs work? they are certainly psychoactive substances, which is to say, they do something. whether that something reduces depressive symptoms is simply not known at this point, though it is always worth keeping in mind that the 'chemical imbalance' narrative of SSRIs (the idea that they work by 'curing' a 'serotonin deficiency' in the brain) has always been a profitable myth. look, any medical treatment throughout history has been vouched for by SOME patients who report that it helped them—no matter how wacky it sounds or how little evidence there was to support it. this can be for a lot of reasons: placebo effect, the remedy accidentally treating a different problem than it was intended for, the symptoms coincidentally resolving on their own. sometimes the human body is just weird and unpredictable. sometimes remedies work. i'm sorry i can't give you a more definitive answer about whether SSRIs would help you.

as to potential risks: these are significant. SSRIs can precipitate suicidal ideation, a risk that has been consistently downplayed by pharmaceutical companies and studies. SSRIs are also known to contribute to sexual dysfunction and dissatisfaction, again a risk that is minimised and downplayed in much of the literature and in physician communication with patients. further (known) side effects range through emotional blunting, glaucoma, QT interval prolongation, abnormal bleeding & interaction with anti-coagulents, platelet dysfunction, decreases in bone mineral density leading to increased risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis, jaw clenching / TMJ pain, risk of serotonin syndrome when used in conjunction with other serotonergic substances, dizziness, insomnia, headaches, the list goes on.

i don't mean to sound alarmist; all drugs have side effects, some of the ones above occur rarely, and you may very well decide the risk is acceptable to you to take on. i would, though, always encourage you to do thorough research into potential side effects before starting any drug, including an SSRI. more on SSRI side effects in david healy's books 'pharmageddon', 'let them eat prozac', 'the antidepressant era', and 'the creation of psychopharmacology'; 'pillaged' by ronald w maris; and 'the myth of the chemical cure' by joanna moncrieff.

in addition to the above, SSRIs are known to come with a risk of 'discontinuation syndrome'—that is, chemical withdrawal when stopping the drug. this, too, is often downplayed by physicians; many still deny that it can even happen. some patients don't experience it at all, though i can tell you purely anecdotally that SSRI withdrawal was so miserable for me i simply gave up on quitting for over a year, despite the fact that at that point i was already thoroughly experienced with chemical withdrawals from other, 'harder' drugs. again, i am not telling you not to go on SSRIs if you decide these risks are worth it to you! i simply think this is a decision that should always be made with full knowledge (indeed, this is a core, though routinely violated, principle of medical 'informed consent').

ultimately this is not a decision anyone should make for you; it's your body and mind that are at stake here. as always i think that anyone considering any kind of medical treatment should have full knowledge about it and should be making all decisions freely and autonomously. i am genuinely not pushing any agenda 'for' or 'against' SSRIs, only against prescription of them that is done carelessly, coercively, or without fully informing patients of what risks they're taking on and what benefits they can hope to see.

#psychiatry

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gartenofbanny · 11 months

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After I watched HezuNeutral's video and the more I think about it, yeah Hezu was right about Vivziepop lying in this tweet right here.

Notice how Vivziepop says that Hazbin "always" had a heavier emphasis on women-led stories saying as if it was always the case, but it hasn't. She's completely forgetting that she made two comics centered around the male main characters, Alastor and Angel Dust

An entire music video centered around Angel Dust

And she never attempted to expand on any other female characters with the only ones we know so much about being Charlie and Vaggie. Despite Niffty being part of the main cast, she doesn't have much going for her. Hell Cherri Bomb has more depth than Niffty does, but I believe that's only because she's around Angel Dust most of the time she's on-screen in both Addict and the Pilot.

Vivziepop is also forgetting the fact that Velvette exists. Velvette is part of the Three Vs who are the main antagonists of the show and is female. Despite this though she is barely even shown with her last animated appearance being from the pilot. There wasn't a teaser that shows her alongside Vox and Valentino, but there was just a teaser of Vox and Valentino both of those characters being male.

Who has made the most appearances out of the Three Vs? Valentino, who is a male character. Who has made the least appearances out of the Three Vs? Velvette, who is a female character.

Valentino even has his own fanmade music video that Vivziepop liked and who's included in said music video? Vox. Unfortunately, I've rewatched the music video a couple of times, and Velvette only made two appearances in the song. Her second appearance can be easily missed if you don't look closely.

Also, Velvette has the least amount of standalone merch out of the Three Vs. What I mean by "standalone" is that there isn't any merch consisting of that singular character. In Velvette's case, she only has three pieces of standalone merch.

A Tumblr user who goes by Demonic Dear brought up great questions about the recent merch sale mainly regarding Chaz. Why does he get all this merch and other characters like Moxxie's Mom who was introduced and died in the same episode don't? Why does Chaz have as much merch as one of the main female characters of HH already? Who I am referring to in the second question is Niffty.

Chaz has one suggestive mug, two playmats with one of them being suggestive, and a pin. Keep in mind all of this merch is for a dead character that's male. Niffty doesn't have that much merch despite her being part of the main cast of HH, but the new Spring Sale did show a new keychain of her....before her redesign. Come to think of it literally all of her merch consisted of her old design, what's going on with that? But, why is Vivziepop giving a dead character just as much merch as she is one of her main female characters for HH? Well Chaz is a horn-dog male character so that's most likely the reason why and you know this fandom really loves their sexy demons with no depth. All and all the more you think about Vivziepop's numerous tweets regarding criticism, it's noticeable that she just types this shit without thinking about what she's typing or contradicts herself either by her actions or words. But anyway, that's all I got for today. Thank you all for reading and I hope you all have a nice day!

#vivziepop critical #vivziepop criticism #vivziepop #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel critique #hazbin hotel critical #hazbin hotel criticism #vivienne medrano #helluva boss #helluva boss critical #helluva boss criticism #helluva boss critique

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loudclan-clangen · 2 months

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Hey there!

Checking out Loudclan? That's great! Thanks so much!

Loudclan was originally planned to be drawn as I played the game like most other clangen blogs... Then I got frustrated about how slow it was moving and played ahead. Just a little bit, nothing to worry about, only about 1000 moons. So this blog should be running for A WHILE. I also take pretty big liberties with the designs and events. I think it's more interesting that way! Also it's been several real life months since I started playing and some things I just... forgot. Or lost. Either way, it's fun to stretch my creative skills.

As for the mechanics of the blog:

General Content Warnings Include:

Death, Animal Death, (Cat Death specifically), Death in Childbirth, Violence, Murder, Illness, Gore, Bad Parenting, Cheating, Affairs, Drama, Cursing, Language, Dirty Jokes, ECT. (if i missed something please let me know)

Updates are not going to be on a consistent schedule... ever. I'm a college student. I just don't have the time or energy.

The style is going to vary wildly. It's been years since I've consistently drawn cats and I wasn't ever really happy with the way I did it back then anyway. Come along for the ride with me! I'm just as surprised by what my hands create as you guys!

Overview:

Loudclan is set in a fictional location that is based on South Central Alaska. A group of rogues fled up the mountains to get away from the deep snows of the valleys at the beginning of a particularly harsh winter. The clan follows three "Leaders" in the form of the Leader, the Lead Healer, and the Lead Mediator. These leaders will each pass their position on to their oldest heir, the closest related member of their direct family. Issues regarding what happens when two cats have similar claims have yet to be sorted out by the clan, and may never be fully decided... *insert mysterious foreshadowing sounds*

If you are interested in more of a deep dive check out this post: https://www.tumblr.com/loudclan-clangen/748314434606383105/loudclan-lore?source=share

Asks are welcome! I will do my best to answer them quickly and efficiently! I am happy to talk about characters, art, process, gameplay, pretty much anything. (I probably won't be showing sprites though, just because I've played ahead so far and a not insignificant amount of them are just... gone. Lost to the ether. Sacrificed so that my laptop could keep running the game.)

Also fanart/writing/edits are more than welcome! You guys are so cool and talented and I am honored that you would want to make something based on my dumb little pixel cats. Referencing or imitating my style/designs/layout is absolutely allowed, just make sure to mention me so I don't miss them!

I will never complain about anyone "blowing up my notifications" or spam liking. I think it's so neat to see people go through the blog liking as they go. Don't worry about it. I enjoy seeing you enjoy my work!

A little bit about me, you can call me "D"! I use any pronouns, I'm pretty ambivalent about them but the majority of people use she/her for me and I'm fine with that. I'm 20, I live most of the time in Alaska and part time on a ranch in Texas and I'm working on my BA in Elementary Education. I started reading Warriors in 2nd Grade and stopped in 6th Grade but the brain worms never die. If you know me in real life no you don't: It took me all of high school to kill the furry allegations I'm not going through that again. Oh, and my main blog is @restinginpiecesofpizza but warning, there's spoilers for Owlstar's family tree for like 8 generations posted on there.

Anyway, thanks for checking out my blog! I hope you enjoy!

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shadow-is-now-sinning · 6 months

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Content: General Horny headcanons. Ganondorf calculations. General Ganondorf .

Kinks and activities mentioned: Size kink, fingering(Ambiguous)

Ganondorf only for now(I was tempted to put stuff for Ganon, phantom Ganondorf and Demise).

Reader: This post his general, gender neutral, without mentions of genitalia. Butt stuff fair game. Reader is refered to as smaller than Ganondorf because no matter the iteration he's at least 7'6" feet<228.6 cm> (Oot source Hyrule Historia) and they keep making him bigger. (Gamespot pixel counted and said Totk Ganondorf is about 10 feet <305cm>) you/your

Pussy having reader version

Dick having reader version

More of this

General Headcanons

Ganondorf's goods

As we all know he's big. Big in every aspect. I don't like to designate specific sizes or details for self projection sake but for the people that asked I'll attempt to describe it for y'all. Despite what people think height doesn't equal bigger dick but ignore this because he a big boy anyway. After some tasteful research. Which means I looked at studies of hand to penile length calculations, looked up some fan estimates he's at least 22.9cm <9 inches> though I'd personally say bigger. Girth could also be wild but I will limit it to 17.78 cm <7 inches> in max because the human anus can stretch to 17.78 cm <7-7.5 inches> if you're into that feel free to go bigger. It's hefty. Hangs down when erect. I'd go with uncut.

Balls are also heavy. They really fill your palm. I see people use breeder balls very often but I think it's an apt description of these boys.

Ganondorf carries more that one great sword 👍 (watch me edit this out at a later date)

Cum wise I imagine him with a thicker consistency. Opaque. Slightly salty. He has no preference where he cums so if you do be sure to tell him.

Ganondorf is a king who takes self maintenance serious. Literally never looks bad or ungroomed. Though I believe there wouldn't be time to shave. He is clean and would most likely trim beforehand if he thinks he'll initiate intercourse.

Muscle lovers are feasting good. Nice ass and thighs with every iteration. Torso changes but I think all of them are pretty good.

Ganondorf is not that vocal during the act. Usually only responding when talked to or the need arises. Confirmation of continued consent or if something is working etcetera.

Ganondorf's kinks

I will say his kinks probably change depending one which iteration you're looking at though some are shared. I'd peg Ganondorf as uncaring of his partner's sex.

-Size kink(all) is an obvious one. He's so much bigger sometimes he doesn't even need to undress to overwhelm his lover as they struggle to take his fingers. Though he also enjoys the reverse of his smaller partner taking control. Just don't instigate a coup on your self.

-Going along with size kink Ganondorf likes to Manhandle. Holding his partner in the air, holding them down and moving them mid bang and some iterations are into being a little rough physically.

-Praise kink both receiving and giving. (All) Oot Ganondorf sometimes leans into the mocking variety. Warriors very sparingly praises but always means it.

-Degradation kink giving only.(OoT, TP, ToTK) Twilight Princess is that classy degradation. Wind Waker would attempt but wouldn't be able to do it long as he feels it's dehumanizing. All you'd really get is the rare times when he's outraged.

OoT makes me think he'd be into Dacryphilia.(ToTK as well but lesser)

Roleplay involving power imbalance. OoT only if he's the higher power, HW he'll humor being the lower power, TP occasionally either or.

ToTK generally refuses to give up power unless you offer in a specific way. Such as it being akin to worship or that he's so powerful he doesn't even bother to give an effort. Stroke both is dick and his ego. Predator/Prey is the only exception you can't convince him to act prey like.

Exhibitionism. Even if an iteration doesn't care for others seeing their partner naked. He is a possessive and jealous man. He revels in showing off what's his and other's knowing they're off limits. If he has access to a throne...

Body worship. Both receiving and giving. He enjoys letting his partner know how much he desires them and vice versa.

Note: I'm not really into Degradation, Daceyphilia, so I can really get into depth as I would like. If you have ideas feel free to send it in. For educational purposes of course.

Reader Insert Headcanons

Regardless of how much you weigh or how big you are. He'd be able to pick you up. He likes letting you know this. So malleable small in his grasp. Sometimes his hand makes it's way around your neck. Not tightly but the warmth makes it clear it's there and how much only one hand wraps around you.

He's patient taking his time, relishing it it even, working you open. OoT and ToTk will more inclined to edge you until he can fully slip in. If you voice annoyance he'll do the opposite overstimulating you until he's satisfied.

Very encouraging of you to make noise. Perhaps say how well he's doing. WW is basically the only iteration who's not overly teasing.

Sessions where Ganondorf's focuses solely on you are mostly non penetrative.(unless you request) Outercourse, and intercrural being the focus.

Adding on to that he finds hit very endearing and cute if during a thigh job his tip peeks out the other side. Those he'd praise you if your thighs cover all of him.

Feel free to ride his thighs to completion. He'll let you go unless you ask for his touch. He doesn't hesitate to join fondling and presses kisses where he can reach without disrupting your ministrations. He waits until either you cum or plea for him to help release your buildup.

Couple things for Anorgasmia

Whether it's just difficult or complete lack Ganondorf doesn't mind if you can't come. If it's difficult but possible and you want to climax, he'll have you guide him. Telling him how and we're to touch to force out that climax.

Otherwise he relies on you informing him of he's doing something that's uncomfortable or painful.

#ganondorf dragmire #legend of zelda #ganondorf x reader #gender neutral reader

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itsabouttimex2 · 2 months

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Hi! I hope you're having a nice evening today! ♡♡♡♡

May I request for a platonic Yandere Chang'e with a son or daughter reader? either by blood or bond I'm ok with it 👍 she's one of my favorites characters of LMK (☆▽☆) Thank you! And sorry if my english it's kinda bad 😅

Moon Rabbits

(Thank you for the request, and your English is just fine, friend!)

Many things have made their way to your mother’s home over the years, she says to you. Offered from thousands of varying sources and souls, a collection of offerings and letters and antiques.

“But you, my little bunny,” your mother says with a loving smile, “are the greatest of all my treasures.”

With practiced motions, she combs through your tangled mop of hair, humming an ancient lullaby whenever she’s not verbally doting on you. It’s an old ritual for the two of you, your mother happily talking about how she had found you years ago nestled on one of her lunar shrines, wrapped in a bundle of blue silk.

“I have no clue who sent you to me, my sweet lop, and I might never… but they have my eternal gratitude, forever shining softly upon them.”

As always, she’s perfectly gentle with you, her hands careful so as to not damage even a strand of your hair or fur. Chang’e sets down the ivory comb and takes up a sapphire-encrusted hairbrush, lifting it to the tips of your leporine ears. She brushes slowly from the top to the bottom, smoothing the soft fur into place and grooming out tangles. Occasionally she’ll pause to softly pull out a tiny bit of soil or foliage- that you no doubt acquired from playing in her bountiful garden.

Occasionally you’ll receive an instruction to turn your head this way or that, allowing the lunar goddess to more thoroughly arrange the pristine fluff of your ears. Aside from that, her words are spent solely on adoring you.

It’s a routine you’ve long grown used to, spending each evening in front of your mother's mirror as she tends to your appearance. Chang’e finishes each grooming session with a fistful of sparkly hair-clips, the polished metal studded with glittery beads. Some in the form of rabbits, some in crescents, some mimicking constellations. Each one is carefully clipped into your hair, in part to keep your appearance tidy, in part proof of her influence over you.

It’s only when she presses a kiss to your forehead (because she loves the human part of you) and both of your tall, fluffy ears (because she loves the rabbit part of you) that she allows you to stand up and leave.

Both sides of you, flesh and fur alike, are worthy of being loved, she always reminds you.

Her love is conveyed through more than just physical touch, of course.

Your nature as a half-rabbit being provides you with several impediments, in diet and behavior and clothing. Each of these issues Chang’e tirelessly works to resolve.

On account of your strong leporine ancestry, your stomach struggles with meat. You lack all the proteins needed to break it down properly, which means that eating any leads to having it sit around in your stomach until you throw it back up.

Chang’e keeps an incredibly varied kitchen that never seems to run dry of unique dishes- she accommodates for your dietary restrictions with ease. There’s no end to what she serves up, each meal designed to be both tasty and nutritious. Fruit and veggie platters for snacks, usually cut into the shape of rabbits and stars. (She does this no matter how old you get. Cooking is her personal love language, after all. She never wants you to think of eating as something trivial or unfun.)

In terms of clothing, the only real restrictions you have are with your scut and ears- mild, all thing considered. Most of your wardrobe consists of skirts and shorts to prevent any restriction, and your ears are barely an issue. It's not like you need to wear hats- you live on the moon. You're hardly at risk of getting sunburned.

It's your temperament that proves most infuriating. The rabbit aspects of you go far deeper than the skin- they bleed into your brain, even. You find yourself skittish and easily startled, jumping at the smallest of shadows. Even a mild creak has you bolting off to your mother, who's always ready with a warm hug and a mug of something hot and sweet with a hint of bitter that just barely comes through.

And you’re always so sleepy afterwards.

Waking up on your mother’s bed is a common occurrence, frequently awakening to find yourself bundled under a load of cozy blankets. There’s always a snack on the bedside table, usually a sweet variety of fruit cut into hearts, paired with a refreshing drink.

It’s all so very loving.

So much so that it’s hard to know that something’s wrong. You have no frame of reference for a truly healthy relationship, having lived on the moon for all your known life. It’s only you and your mother and her dozens of bunny drones, equipped with cameras to send constant streams of your current activities back to her phone.

Only you and your mother and her cooking show, you standing in the background and helping her chop veggies, sift flour, stir pots, and decorate cakes. It’s enriching enough that you don’t get bored. It’s fulfilling enough to create a sort of satisfaction.

Is it really so bad here that you’d think of leaving? From what you know, Earth is worse- war, famine, disease, poverty- none of that exists in your mother’s domain. There’s no suffering or pain in your life. You drift through peaceful days with good food and a loving mother.

Is it really so bad here?

#Platonic Yandere #Yandere Lego Monkie Kid #Yandere LMK #Yandere Chang’e #Chang’e #Yandere Mother

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iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia · 9 months

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Hiii! Could you write full headcanon for the M6 with an MC who is the embodiment of the “cute but intimidating” trope please? They’ll smile, wearing cutesy stuff, one second and will annihilate (verbally or physically) someone to defend themselves/their loved ones. I mainly thought of this because I think some of them (Ilya) would be head over heels for someone like that lol

The Arcana HCs: M6 with a cute but intimidating MC

~ I hope you don't mind, anon, but the mental image I keep getting is of a lolita with insane martial arts skills so that's the path I'm taking with these XD - brainrot ~

Julian

As suggested, he is head over heels for you

He loves it when you take the lead. And when that means standing up for him and absolutely annihilating whoever was trying to make him feel small or insignificant all while looking like a snack?

He's proposing. He's proposing today.

He also enjoys indulging any and all of your cutesy habits. He has plenty of (fake) pirate's gold to grab that cute top you were looking at, or keep you well stocked with flowers for your shop/apartment

Will play along with however cutely you act or accesorize

The whole south end knows that their dear Dr Devorak has found The One when they seem him out with you, shamelessly sporting a frilly bow with his usual goth aesthetic and practicing "uwu" speech

(you didn't ask him to do either of those things, he's just whipped)

Somebody did, at some point, mention that you and Portia are very similar in your "looks sweet but can easily destroy you" vibes

It sent Julian into a downward spiral that took a week to get him out of

Asra

They are living for the duality

He's all about free expression, so seeing you be so unashamedly yourself is one of his favorite things in the world

Not to mention that they quite like your fashion sense. They have a bad habit of borrowing some of your clothing items without asking

He meant to ask, he just forgot, and that's why you can't find that Hello Kitty bucket hat. Or those sparkly purple hair clips. Or the tie dye crop top. Or the -

You know what, forget it, they will more than make it up to you by picking up whatever cutesy thing they find on their trips for you

He loves it when people underestimate you because it means he gets to watch you prove them wrong

Exactly the kind of person to hint at a troublemaker's imminent downfall, so that once they confront them about it, they can pull the classic "Oh, I can't hurt you. But they can!" with a shit-eating grin

Likes to make frilly collars/sweaters for Faust to wear so she can be an added intimidating fashion accessory for you

Nadia

She is respectfully intrigued

People at her station tend to gravitate towards aesthetics that suggest power, influence, wealth, or education

It's not that she thinks a cute person can't be any of those things (you are clear proof otherwise), but she's just never seen it done before and she's absolutely fascinated by your design choices

The way you portray one trait while consistently exhibiting another is inspiring and she would like to see more of that please

She is going to challenge herself to design a full combat/training outfit for you, in the cutest design she can come up with

Your sword has flowers carved in the hilt and sparkly gemstones in your favorite colors

She gets flustered every time she remembers you prettying up your sword by tying a hair ribbon on it, only to challenge a noble with it two minutes later for being snobby towards you

You're going to need multiple walk-in closets for all of the cutesy clothes and hidden weapons she's about to gift you

Muriel

He's really not sure what to do with you

He appreciates the softness of your aesthetic, and as much as he likes to grumble, your sweet smiles really brighten up his day

But that kind of shiny can be a little intimidating

And then Morga decided to show you some tough love and teach you how to fight, and oh boy. You're terrifying and it's attractive.

To say that he likes you against his will is an understatement but he will be the first to admit that he's glad it happened anyways

He did like seeing how easily you stood up to Morga, though. He's not used to the feeling of being protected

But as much healthy fear and total fondness he has for you, there is one area of his life that he shares with you which he refuses to budge on

And that is his choice in decor for the hut

You want frilly curtains. Muriel doesn't even want windows

He does find that your embroidered pillow is very comfortable, though, so the bed is yours to decorate as you see fit

Portia

Well aren't you just two peas in a pod

You like cute things? She likes cute things! You like to be friendly to everyone? She likes to be friendly to everyone! You like to put the fear of the unholy into people you don't like? OMG, her too!

The whole world is terrified of you, especially after Nadia saw fit to give you two a ship and significant governmental power with the purpose of establishing Vesuvia as a relevant nation

You also only serve to intensify each other's love of aesthetic cuteness

Portia's cottage has reached a whole new level of "cottage core." You have crocheted napkin rings and matching frilly aprons now

You made cookies shaped like cat butts together and Pepi was so offended that she sulked for a whole 20 minutes

The ambassador ship has sunset sails with flowers painted on them (courtesy of Asra)

Oh, and you've started a fight club in the ship's hold for any sailors interested in testing their mettle against the two of you after the day's duties are finished. You and Portia have an unbroken tie

Lucio

You are a person after his own heart

What, you think he doesn't support being extra and scary at the same time? Please, just look at his golden arm. It does not need to have that much detailing but here he is and he's fabulous

And so are you! Between his mother's tribe, being part of an army, and then being a count, he hasn't spent much time around people who are "cutesy" but he finds that he really likes it

Do not take him to look at accessories with you. This man is a magpie and you are 87% of his impulse control. It is a Bad Idea

If it sparkles and it matches you he will wear it (even if it clashes)

He is also very, very attracted to powerful people. He discovered a whole new level of simping the first time you defended his honor against someone who kept mentioning the "ex-count of Vesuvia"

He will now try to lean into any situation that could potentially end with him getting insulted so he can watch you do that again

He will let you put bows in Mercedes and Melchior's fur

#ask arcana brainrot #the arcana #the arcana headcanons #the arcana hc #asra the arcana #julian the arcana #nadia the arcana #muriel the arcana #portia the arcana #lucio the arcana #the arcana game #the arcana fluff #the arcana crack #asra alnazar #julian devorak #nadia satrinava #muriel of the kokhuri #portia devorak #lucio morgasson

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its-a-me-mango · 4 months

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Hi welcome to my blog!!!

ART TAG #mango art ASKS TAG #mangos mystery ask box

MANGO REF SHEET-> HERE <- IT'S THERE

HEYA I'm Mango! All my info can be found in my blog description! I'm here to post and reblog SMG4 content because this silly little series has a vice grip on my brain and I can't get out lol. I don't know how active or consistent I'll be with posting here but this is my special place to do it in!

About me:

💊 I've been a fan of SMG4 on and off since 2014, basically anytime I have a Mario hyperfixation, I get back into SMG4 LMAO.

💊 I am also just a normal Super Mario fan so I may occasionally reblog/post about it, but this blog is primarily for SMG4 content. Well it should be, if I start posting more Mario than SMG4 don't even worry about it.

💊 My favourite SMG4 characters are SMG3, Karen and Tari! Mario is my favourite Mario character overall so he doesn't count as a fav SMG4 character, I always love Mario. :3

💊 I don't ship a lot of characters but I think SMG34 is pretty neat. I don't take shipping too seriously, not it a negative way just in a silly goofy way, so any posts I make towards any ships are entirely light hearted and for fun.

Blog info:

💊 Please don't be afraid to contact me if needed! I don't bite, I'm not the best at conversations but I'm happy to receive asks and DMs!

💊 I will be keeping everything on this blog SFW but I may make jokes or references to more mature content so please keep this in mind! I'll never post or reblog anything explicit and I'll alway tag any suggestive content, however if I don't then I've likely forgotten to do so, you're welcome to message me for any tagging corrections!

💊 You are more than welcome to draw any of my OC's, AU's or designs! You don't have to ask me, I'd appreciate if you tagged me in a post instead of sending them to my ask box but I don't mind either way! Get sillay with it lol.

💊 I don't really take art requests as I just don't have the time to do them all, but I'm more than happy to receive suggestions! Obviously please don't expect me or pressure to do everything sent in, I'm here to have fun!

💊 Additionally, please don't take it personally if I don't answer your asks and/or messages! I do read every one that is sent to me but I don't always have the energy to respond to them all! You don't need to send any "have you seen my ask/message" comments because yes I have seen it, just not responded lol!

💊 Again, my activity here will fluctuate purely based on where my interests are, I have ADHD so I tend to bounce around interests pretty quickly, but I'm always happy to answer questions and stuff even if I'm not active so never be afraid to interact with this blog at any point!

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE REBLOG ART!!! LIKES DO NOTHING, THIS ISN'T INSTAGRAM OR TWITTER!!! PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU THIS ISN'T JUST FOR ME THIS IS FOR EVERYONE, IF YOU LIKE SOMEONES ART REBLOG IT!!!

ENJOY YOURSELF, PEACE

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jotun-design-party · 11 months

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on fandom orientalism, ft. a quick visual example:

the example on the right is something i drew solely using references of the top results i saw on pinterest upon searching "jotun loki." please don’t roast my inconsistent handwriting

south asian cultures are often jumbled together for white artists of all kinds (authors, artists, movie directors) to create a sense of mystery and make things look "more foreign."

note: this doesn't touch on the antiblack racism in canon jötun designs; this post is primarily about fandom-sourced fetishization. i heavily encourage people to reblog and add onto this post anything i may have missed or added nuance

cut: links on orientalism, in-media examples, how this manifests in fandom-made content

i'd like to start off by saying that this post is a white person telling other white people how to spot orientalism in relation to fiction. i am by no means an expert on any of this, but my goal here is to start creating a less ignorant space that doesn't push people out of fandom.

i'm just trying to stir up more conversations about this and get other white people to think more critically about how they engage with the content they consume. nerd shit should never come with a sacrifice and it's extremely upsetting to see people of color consistently forced out of fandom communities, especially when modern superhero comics began as a way for jewish people to have a voice.

if this post upsets you, i don't want to hear it. don't tell me, "it's not that deep," or, "keep politics out of comics." it is that deep, and superhero comics have always been political. if you have the urge to leave a comment or send an anon about how you don't think it's a big deal, feel free to block me instead, because i don't care and you'll just get blocked anyway 👍

with that out of the way,

there are countless ways to design a character in a way that makes it clear that they are an alien, or to make them sexy, and there is no excuse to perpetuate stereotype that put real-life people in danger to do so.

"Orientalist paintings and other forms of material culture... depict an 'exotic' and therefore racialized, feminized, and often sexualized culture from a distant land." [¹]

there are so many examples of this in loki fic and art. it's extremely common to see loki depicted as a feminine object of desire. they may have longer hair. clothing that serves more as an accessory than an outfit, that isn't suited to protect them from either the harsh cold of jötunheim or the sunburns one might get when surrounded by reflections of the sun off the snow. draped in jewelry, and in a compromising position.

i'm sure you can imagine how this can get especially out of hand in relation to thorki. i would speak more on thor's presence as both the white aesir prince or the strong barbaric jötun, but as i'm not comfortable consuming thorki content, i don't have enough context to speak on the stereotypes used outside of the art pieces i've seen while searching for jötun loki fanart.

i am, however, confident in saying that orientalism often serves as a device for fan creators to show a contrast between Asgard's white-viking-british-accent-magic-science-elegance. jötunheim, in the comics, is often portrayed as a less intelligent, cutthroat, barbaric, and bloodthirsty culture.

"There was always something unknown and uniquely different about Orients which reinforced the distinction between the European 'us' and Asian 'them.'" [²]

the green link in particular comes with a helpful tool for anyone who might be inexperienced in spotting racist themes in media. if you have trouble being confident that the media in question is orientalism, this link comes with a checklist scale to score how likely it is to be an offensive depiction.

an example that most of you will be familiar with is Disney's Aladdin (1992). the green link goes much more in-depth about the intricacies of Aladdin's orientalism, and i heavily HEAVILY encourage you to read it, as it will help fully grasp the way fetishization and demonization go hand in hand in orientalism.

here, i'd also like to use it as a comparison to show why this loki stuff is honestly... egregious.

by now, even the visuals here should seem very familiar.

the source goes on to use arranged marriage as an example of a common "trope" in orientalist fiction. as previously stated, i don't consume thorki fiction. however, i am EXTREMELY confident in making the guess that it tends to be a common theme when jötun loki is paired with an aesir thor.

i'd also heavily recommended this article and this wikipedia page, both on the negative and stereotypical portrayals of romani people; loki is a magic user, and i suspect that one of the reasons there is such heavy use of these appropriated, exaggerated, and fetishized themes and visuals is because of the demonization of romani people as tricksters, thieves, and witches.

#orientalism #racism #fandom culture #jotun loki #jötun loki #marvel #jötun loki contest #jotun design party

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nobody-nexus · 5 months

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So I finally got on the 'Insane Ragatha Variation' train, so I give you...

Ragavamp!

An insane, but VERY intelligent, variation of Ragatha! It took me a little bit to really mak a design that was inspired by other designs I saw WITHOUT being just a copy of them! I'm proud of the results :D

Here's a close up of all of the doodles + a bunch of lore dumping that I've cooked up whilst making her design (Plus this lore's for something me and others are making but that's for later <3)

So I think this Ragatha basically partially abstracted, however survived from it due to having a VERY big natural resistance to abstraction. However, as a result of this- very much supernatural aftereffects occurred alongside her quick descant into insanity. Using her new powers, she attacks Caine and ends up firewalling him in a small room. As an AI- he can't escape the firewall, but people stuck WITHIN the circus and move through it just fine

Now she runs the circus with questionable rule, Ragatha considering Sun and Moon as her "Knights" and everyone else aside from Pomni as "peasants". But she doesn't treat them with any cruelty- or at least any NORMAL cruelty. She's a bit of a ticking time bomb, able to overpower most in the circus thanks to her new powers, and most catched this almost disease of partial abstraction, some better off then others

Some of Ragavamp's abilities include:

-Turning into an abstracted bat (Picture above) -Summoning abstracted wings out of nowhere -Able to drink blood (HAS to drink blood to keep the abstraction at bay) -Sudden bursts of energy -Heightened sense of smell and hearing -Abnormal (yet inconsistent) levels of strength

Due to her partial abstraction, her legs kind of got fucked up to the point where stitching won't help. She has a limp, so she has a cane to help her walk (note that this cane is also a cane sword, so she's not defenseless in case you were wondering)

Personality wise, it's VERY different from canon. It's actually never consistent or permanent, her abstracted form constantly fighting her in her own head. Sometimes she's her normal self before the abstraction, sometimes she's similar to Kinger, sometimes she's intimidating and very cryptic- and there's even points of complete and utter dissociation from everything- just standing, sitting, or laying while she stares to nothing. Pomni finds it depressing and she feels terrible for the woman, who's in the end just trying to help everyone. She managed to find a way to save the others that had totally abstracted, however the cost was simply more of her conscious mind

She also can read people like an open book. Even things never admitted out loud she can know about. It's unknown if this is because of the abstraction or not

Here's a reference of her full design in case you're curious!

If you have any questions, either for this Ragatha or any of my AUs, I'd be happy to answer them! My inbox is nice and open after all!

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y-rhywbeth2 · 5 months

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Gods & Clergy: Jergal

Bone Man's turn!

Clergy: Death and Taxes.

Jergal: He's either a sad alien insect man or a master manipulator and a villain who will end us all, and I don't trust him. At least he's a cute bug.

Backstory: The Dead Three and Cyric had to get it from somewhere. Also why do you need two backstories??

"Each being has an eternal resting place that is chosen for them at the moment of creation. Life is a process of seeking that place and eternal rest. Existence is but a brief aberration in an eternity of death. Power, success, and joy are as transitory as weakness, failure, and misery. Only death is absolute, and then only at its appointed hour. Seek to bring order to the chaos of life, for in death there is finality and a fixedness of state. Be ready for death for it is at hand and uncompromising. Life should be prolonged only when it serves the greater cause of the death of the world. Undeath is not an escape or a reward; it is simply the duty of a chosen few who serve the Lord of the End of Everything." - Jergal's dogma

Jergal is the god of Fatalism, and former god of Tyranny, Strife, Death and the Dead. He has two backstories given for him, and is the root cause of just so. Much. Mess.

What there is to know about his followers is rather short, so let's get that out of the way first.

Amongst the living, Jergal only has a handful of worshippers. Many don't even remember his existence. However, a significant amount of his clergy still remain, continuing as undead. Primarily mummies of lawful evil and lawful neutral alignments. Strictly speaking, as a servant of Kelemvor, Jergal is not supposed to be employing undead. Jergal has neatly settled this conflict of interests by simply totally omitting it from all his reports so that Kelemvor never finds out.

His clergy are known as the Scriveners of Doom, and his specialty priests who worship him to the exclusion of other gods are the Doomscribes.

It was Jergal who came to the priests of the human ancestors of Netheril, and led them to build their empire under his design. Once Netheril fell, and Jergal fell from power, he only really saw a following in highly militaristic, regimented societies.

What few temples remain are just stone mausoleums and dusty crypts - although they do have a nifty ambient side effect where they drain the life out of plants and animals and cause people to rapidly age if they stay there.

The priest in charge of the temple is the First Scrivener of Doom, and there is no other rank or title. The priesthood consist of a mix of clerics and monks.

His mummified priests pass eternity, sat at a desk in the crypts while Jergal whispers in their ear; passing to them the names, deaths and fates of mortals as they go, for the scribes to write down. They will be there, doing this until the end of the world, so the story goes. These undead are largely pacifistic, and will ignore intruders unless they are fated to die in this encounter. If the intruders attempt to disturb their work then they will attempt to drive them off, and only attempt to kill them if this doesn't work.

From the perspective of the Jergali faith, everything has an appointed time to die, and it makes no difference what you do or what precautions you take. You will die when you are meant to die, no sooner and no later.

The few living worshippers he has perform much the same task as the undead, but they have day jobs as scribes, funerary workers and morticians. As scribes they keep records of births, deaths and taxes for their employers.

Priests wear plain grey robes and long white gloves. They always have a bag on their person, containing scrolls, ink, quills and a sealed human skull containing the ash and bone mixture used in the Sealing (which also happens to be their holy symbol). Priests also shave all hair on their heads.

The Jergali priesthood has no patience for grandiose holy days or rituals. They have one holy day and one very small ritual called the Sealing; every time a person's name, death and fate is inscribed the scribe they sprinkle a little ash and powdered bone over the wet ink to blot it. If one of them must kill somebody, they usually harvest the bones to make more powder.

Their one holy day is the 30th of Nightal - the end of the year. They celebrate this by spending all night reading the names of everybody who died that past year, culminating in everybody declaring "One Year Closer!" (to the end of the world) and then they burn all the records, ready to start again.

Back when Jergal was important, his priests could be hired to create undead work crews for things like construction jobs. The Companions of the Pallid Mask were an order who specialised in combating and commanding the undead, and were tasked with destroying undead existing outside of service to Jergal.

The Hand of Jergal were a militant order who hunted down members of other faiths who resurrected the dead without paying tribute to Jergal or those who violated tombs and graves that were under the protection of the church.

Doomscribes:

There is a chance that a Doomscribe will become a mummy upon death. The priest has no say in this, it is purely up to Jergal and whether or not he feels he still requires their services.

They can tell by looking at a person which plane their soul is destined to go to upon death. They can also send the souls of the undead to their destined afterlife.

They're resistant to paralysis and to the life draining effects of undead like spectres and vampires.

They can use magic to make it seem like they're dead, and inflict fatigue and weakness on others.

They can chose to see the world the way some undead do: as a black void with points of light where living beings are, allowing them to detect the presence of the living.

They can paralyse the living with a touch, and while they are paralysed read their mind to discover what faith the target belongs to and how true to that faith they have been. The accomplishments of which they are proud, the things that bring them shame. How well the individual has used its strengths through its life, or if it has been ruled by its flaws.

They can also just create a portal to the Negative Energy Plane (also known as the Plane of Death - a world of absolute nothingness and entropy).

Lord of the End of Everything; Scribe of the Doomed; Seneschal of the Crystal Spire; the Pitiless One; Doom of Four Claws; Chi’kraltaar, the Sand Slayer; The Silent Slayer, Bringer of Strife and Embodiment of Death; The Forgotten One

Or just Jergal.

As of 1496 DR he is also now known as: Withers; Bone Man; That Sorry Excuse For a Skeleton, and Jerky.

Insofar as anyone can tell, the one and only thing Jergal cares about is the end of the universe. He finds life to be a momentary, meaningless thing that precedes the eternity of death and takes no interest in the living except to record their fates.

Scholars who've studied Jergal often note that his behaviour is not unlike somebody who is aware of their oncoming death, and has accepted it and is focusing on getting their final affairs in order.

He has an overly formal, archaic method of speech. His tone is always flat and emotionless, and his voice is dry and seems to have an echoing disembodied quality. Every word out of his mouth is cynical and fatalistic. Mortals find his presence upsetting, and being close to him seems to drain the energy out of them.

Jergal is loyal to the office of God of the Dead, apparently it's something inherent to his very being. However he couldn't give less of a damn about whichever individual holds that office, and if he thinks that they're not up to the task he has no problems undermining them. That means Cyric specifically, and Jergal holds Cyric's Chaotic Stupid/Evil behaviours in utter contempt. He seems happy enough with Kelemvor so far.

In fact the only other being Jergal's ever been known to show fondness for is the ancient Netherese Sun God Amaunator, who had a love of order that Jergal appreciated. He also has a dislike for Velsharoon, patron god of necromancy, who undermines the natural order of death and actively works to combat the other god's efforts.

Jergal's duty is to keep records of all the petitioners (dead souls) who pass into the City of Judgement to be placed into their afterlives.

In life Jergal was a member of a species called the Spellweavers, six armed insectoid aliens with colonies spread across the worlds. When seen in his true form, Jergal appears much as he was - a mummified humanoid that appears much like a human-sized praying mantis. His skin is grey and stretched tightly across his frame. He has "bulbous, yellow, lifeless eyes and insectoid mandibles." His body is covered in a black cloak that seems to fully absorb all light that touches it (because it's a portal to the Negative Energy plane) and he wears long white gloves over his "elongated, claw-like hands and forearms" and he's always carrying a quill and a heavy scroll written in a language nobody understands.

Jergal can read a person's entire life and future simply by looking at them, and there are no magical protections capable of preventing this. The experience is described as "something cold and inhuman slithering across the mind and burrowing into every memory." If Jergal writes a person's name on his scroll he can force their eventual fate to happen immediately, forcing them to leave to their appointed afterlife from whence they will never be able to return.

His touch can cause fatigue and weakness in the living.

When he manifests on Toril, he can chose to take the form of any undead creature or take the form of an ancient and wizened human man. When a mortal who has extended their life through unnatural means dies, Jergal often causes the sound of a book snapping shut to sound in the vicinity. Because even he has his petty little joys.

His divine servants and messengers include vultures and undead - although those last ones he's using a little less with Kelemvor in charge... he still uses them though. It's amazing what never goes on the reports.

Jergal has two backstories; in both he was one of the last of his kind, and entirely alone. One has him live to see his people's civilisation (Eril) on Toril destroyed, and later to feel his entire people be wiped out as he is bound and helpless for centuries. The other has him be born after all his people are ashes (Spell weaver reproduction is odd, and their offspring are born fully grown with the shared memories of their parents and ancestors).

In the version where Jergal was not a newborn, he woke up after centuries of being trapped beneath a desert, buried in sand; alone, undead and a new quasi-deity - and screaming. He went on a years long homicidal rampage, killing anything within reach that left such an impression on the locals their descendants remember it over 30 thousand years later.

In both versions, his people destroyed themselves in a ritual that attempted to elevate their entire race to godhood, which backfires and kills almost all of them, leaving a fledgling spark of divinity in the survivors (including Jergal) in the latter version this is how he is born. The disaster itself is referred to as the Disjunction.

In both versions, Jergal is a master manipulator and tyrant with an insane body count who terrifies mortals. Roll the Dead Three into a single god and there he is. Even though he isn't exactly widely known, he's still the source of several periods of ancient strife and generational trauma.

The primary tactics of the ancestral spell weavers, when working towards their goals, was to subjugate other mortals that can be subjugated and made to serve, while handing civilisations that threaten them power with which to destroy themselves from within. Jergal was not an exception, and he had a hand in many of Faerûn's ancient societies. He manipulated useful people and civilisations until they had accomplished whatever goal he set for them, and then once he was finished with them he destroyed them.

After the loss of his people, Jergal's first ambition was to use the Code of Revision - ritual instructions left by the spell weavers in case the spell went wrong, in order to reset time to before the Ascension went wrong. Unfortunately for him, the backlash had scattered the magical gems which stored the information.

To accomplish this, he planned to nurture the divine spark in him into full strength by accumulating worship. He began appearing to early humans living in villages along the Narrow Sea, terrifying them into worshipping him, building a cult and leading his priests to rule their villages. They grew into the kingdom of Netheril, and Jergal began to teach them necromancy.

In one version of the story, Jergal's ascension to full godhood erases his mortal desires as he becomes God of Fatalism, Tyranny, Death and the Dead, and he abandons ideas of restoring his people in favour of godly concerns like embodying his portfolios, gathering more worshippers and growing in power.

Netheril's growing magical power and hyperfocus on dark magic under the leadership of an evil deity was kind of concerning to nearby civilisations. The elves of Eaerlann started teaching the humans alternative (less evil and destructive) magics, so that the early Netherese mages had more avenues of power and study and would be less under the control of Jergal's cult. Jergal's response to this was to bring an army of orcs down on them (which backfired when Netheril allied with the Eaerlanni to fight them off) and then, thoroughly annoyed, to leave dark magic in the elves' midst. That was a little more successful, but also caught the attention of a nearby lich king of the sarrukh (ancient lizardfolk). In one version he catches onto Jergal because a rival nation of sarrukh was responsible for the death of most of Eril, and Jergal did his usual thing of wiping them off the map with his machinations in response.

This dude disguised himself as a human (under the name of Arthindol, called "the Terraseer" for his knwoledge by the Netherese) and began to sabotage Jergal from within the empire, sharing more lore with the mages and guiding them even further away from Jergal's control.

Other people who got on Jergal's nerves were the neighbouring dwarves of the kingdom of Delzoun. So he manipulated a lich into setting up shop nearby, and left the dwarves with generations of war against the undead, to keep them busy so they'd keep their nose out of his business. They first pissed him off before his ascension to true godhood, when the dwarves accidentally dug too deep and discovered his lair in the ruins of Eril. They unknowing stole one of the gems that Jergal required to unlock the Code of Revision and Jergal hunted them across the mountains, back to their homes, killing in a bloody, vengeful rage before he was eventually beaten back by the dwarven hero Delzoun (who died in the process).

In the version where godhood didn't erase his mortal desires, Jergal eventually realised that some of the gems he needed were lost forever he was forced to change his original method of saving his people and embraces his position as the Netherese God of the Dead (and the other stuff).

In -939 DR, Jergal had a new plan, where he would chose six mortals, guide them to great heights of magic and then have them perform a ritual which would transfer his memories, essence and divinity into them (this is part of how spell weavers reproduce, it's very odd). To these six chosen he promises a share of his godhood. The first candidate was a baby Karsus, and when he was old enough Jergal had five more promising children apprenticed to him. In one version of the story one of them - Tharlaguant Bale "the Spellslayer" - is the guy who will be Bhaal. (In another Bale is a separate individual, and the future Lord of Murder is a man called Arabhal - chief assassin and spymaster for one of the Netherese flying cities. In both versions, he is one of Jergal's mortal pawns.)

In one version Arthindol manages to poison Karsus with hubris, and when the ritual should've come to pass in -339 DR, Karsus' Folly instead causes a backlash that destroys the ritual, Jergal's plans, Netheril entire, several other empires, the Weave, Mystryl... yeah, it's a mess. In that version, Jergal embraces the nihilistic aspects of his portfolio and enters a depressed period.

In another Arthindol manages to convince one of the six - Telamont - into turning away from Jergal, who is then forced to seek a replacement. Said replacement is a young peasant girl called Mystra with great magical potential (she's also a chosen of Mystryl, but he doesn't know that). Karsus' idea to make himself the new god of magic is actually part of Jergal's plans in this version (Karsus is unaware of this) and Jergal plans to redirect Karsus' Folly to trigger the Ascension. Unfortunately, Mystra was only young girl and hadn't been trained to handle this level of magic, and she couldn't take in her fragment of Jergal's divinity. In a panic, she instead grasps the essence of the now dead Mystryl (who sacrificed herself to save the Weave) and becomes the second incarnation of the Goddess of Magic. Karsus dies, leaving behind some of Jergal as the god we know. Collectively, Jergal, Karsus, Bale, Nakasr, Arlochar, Elah-Nydra and Mystra (the second one, not the current one) are known - to the few who are aware of them - as the Lost Gods.

Somewhere out in the world, Bane and Bhaal team up and eventually run into Myrkul, who is looking for more power because being crown-prince isn't good enough for him. The three adventure together, seeking divinity. Ancient gods are slain, horrors are unleashed, a king is assassinated... and then they find their way to Jergal's throne in the planes.

Again, there are two versions of what's happening here: Version One: Jergal is genuinely emotionally exhausted and has grown tired of the world and his duties. He willingly abdicates to the Dead Three, ready to fade into the shadows and await the end of the world and of himself.

Version Two: Jergal has been steering Bane and Bhaal through visions imparted on them through their nightmares, and every step the three took getting to him - and their idiocy as the Dead Three - are simply further steps in his 30,000+ year old master plan to reverse the Disjunction.

#Where is my insect man Larian? WHERE??#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 withers #withers #long post

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flonautilus · 18 days

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Thinking about the way vox positions his brand and his own image -- his company stands for perfection, for innovation, for trustworthiness and progress; how hard he probably works to maintain a respectable image while wangling Val's whims. This is a man who, in a hell that respects pure brute power over anything else, created an empire based in consumer trust and playing on the human instinct to follow the herd, don't fall behind, keep up.

We know that alastor made a name for himself by almost deliberately playing a provocateur, upturning the status quo, framing himself as an unpredictable threat, and it's fairly consistent in behaviour patterns as well -- Alastor relishes in disturbing other people's sense of comfort; he turns to fear and intimidation as his first weapon.

Both of them use reputation as a tool but in completely opposite ways, and even in their personal relationships as well (another interesting point -- Alastor is much more genuine with people he does consider friends, like Mimzy and Rosie, but Vox never seems to fully let down his persona even with Velvette and Valentino? He has that big fake smile on with Velvette in ep2, and with Val he drops the smile but still plays the charming, reasonable, logical business partner -- at least until Valentino gets under his skin by mentioning Alastor. There's technically ep8 but I'm almost certain that's an exceptional case?) And both of them know very well how to play to their audiences

Well there isn't really a conclusion here but I find it really funny that in one season we're sorta already seen both of them break their own image to an extent? Vox obviously showing a total lack of composure on live tv, but also, Alastor's loss to Adam. Like I've seen some people say it's not a big deal because Adam is so strong, but the problem is that Alastor's reputation relied on the mystery of his power ("no one knows where he came from; he just started toppling overlords one day, and not small ones either"), and losing to Adam puts a definite upper limit to his power.

Basically he went from unknowable eldritch monster to like, powerful overlord sinner, but still a sinner.

Thoughts about recent leaks under the cut

You know what else is interesting? Vox's biggest asset is not his personal power (though it's almost certainly not small either) but rather the trust the people of hell invests in his brand. It makes me think that actually the primary conflict of season 2 will not be a physical battle (Adam) but a battle over the narrative. And who's the people of hell going to trust more, the overlord that's been providing them with technology and protection(?) for decades, or the princess of hell who's not here visible in public eye for ages, and heaven, who's been trying to kill them since who knows when? (obviously charlie stopped the exterminations which is a big plus on her record but that wasn't exactly a show of redemptive power was it? The strength to resist and unite yes but also the power of having hell's big daddy on your side)

And okay I'm not super sure still what vox is planning to do with hypnotizing the whole of hell, but I wager rather than any aggressive action (not his style) it'll have to do with convincing people that they really are irredeemable, that hell is the status quo and come on, do you really think those angels believe in redemption? Do you really think you can be redeemed after everything you've done? Pentious was an exception; he wasn't all that bad to begin with, and you don't think the princess' silly hotel can actually help you, do you?

And y'know what putting it this way it's suddenly clear to me why the vees are designed that way (because obviously they were planned to be one of the main villains way ahead of time) -- they represent respectively mass entertainment/social media/porn and drugs, all possible means of addiction and soft control and getting people to basically surrender to their own vices (more than hell already does of course) (gambling is another addictive means and I'm hopeful but sceptical that they'll explore it through husk)

But anyway. The Vees have much to lose if redemption succeeds (technically all the overlords do but eh). It's why I'm sorta hopeful that S2 and maybe S3 will feature a much more in-depth discussion of the topic of redemption? Who can be redeemed, what does redemption involve (beyond literally sacrificing yourself?), are there any limits to redemption?

Though putting it this way makes me think none of the vees aren't going to meet good endings ahshdd or at least they'll have to fall very very far to even get a chance at it bc why tf would you even consider redemption if so much of your power depends on people just giving into hopelessness and dependency? Not that any of them would ever want to be redeemed but...idk. and really that's a huge conflict in the show right? Charlie doesn't fundamentally understand why some people wouldn't want to be redeemed not just bc of addiction or other reasons, but the ones who benefit from the status quo (Alastor, vees, the overlords to some extent or another). And heck like Rosie and cannibal town helped stop the extermination but how much do they actually care for redemption vs getting a chance to eat angel meat? The show makes it pretty clear it's the latter. Charlie struggles to understand even Angel and it's why it's husk who gets through to him, cuz they can understand each other (but it doesn't mean Charlie's efforts are insignificant, they created the space for redemption in the first place)

And that's I think the central conflict of the show? That heaven (at least the side represented by Emilie) and Charlie believes everyone will to some extent want to be redeemed, it's just the lack of opportunities; Adam and lute and sera's side, who disdain and fear that if provided any opportunity, hell will always rise up and overturn heaven (ngl heaven and hell in Hazbin always reminded me of gated communities?); the vees who want hell under their control and in extension to convince that redemption is too far out of reach to bother; and maybe like Lilith too who I sorta suspect doesn't actually care for redemption as much as overturning heaven's authority? (But all we know of her is like a few minutes/seconds so like...)

Final thoughts but I was admittedly disappointed in the presentation of episode 6; for redemption to be worthwhile you need to show why heaven is so good, not just why hell really sucks, and imo the welcome to heaven song isn't really that convincing? It's a clever mirror to like a happy day in hell, but you can't just tell me everyone is happy every day in heaven and call it a day, like what's life actually like in heaven, rlly it just looks like a metropolitan city but in pastels?? Do people in heaven ever have personal conflicts; how are those settled; what does social life look like; happiness isn't just the lack of like addiction, poverty, pain, etc tho that goes a long way.

#inane ramblings #hazbin hotel #vox #alastor #might delete and rewrite later #it's a mess but i just wanna throw it out first #also inspired by like that really good post about alastors and voxs portrayal of power

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