various personal stuff/art trade stuff. it was dr. luciana cravendish-blackett snaggletooth’s birthday this month, everyone say happy birthday

Title: Fern Hill

Rating: NC-17

Timeline: pre-series

Category: XF/The Fall crossover

Summary: For everyone who asked for a Stella/Mulder prequel from my little prompt ficlet

Author’s Note:

Oh as I was young and easy in the mercy of his means,

Time held me green and dying

Though I sang in my chains like the sea.

The blonde two stools down is eyeing him unashamedly. She’s got on tight jeans and a white cable knit sweater, summer-wheat hair straight out of a Ralph Lauren ad. Eyes like Lake Tashmoo before a storm.

“You’re Phoebe Green’s American,” she observes. It isn’t a question. Her voice is buttery, a burnt-velvet purr that makes the back of his neck tingle. She sips at a rock glass full of something tawny in the subfusc gloom of the pub.

Mulder, intrigued, moves next to her. “What the fuck?”

She blinks, the barest hint of a smirk tightening her lips. “I’m not wrong.”

“I’m not Phoebe’s anything,” he replies. “She stole my Pink Floyd sweatshirt and burned my Knicks hat. She fucked a vegetarian trumpet player.”

The blonde smiles fully now. “You’re marked forever, I’m afraid. You’ve some kind of animal name, haven’t you? Bear, was it?”

He knows she knows his name, this unsettling girl. Somehow, he knows she does. “Bear,” he agrees.

“Stella,” she says, holding out a slim, white hand. “You’re Fox.”

It’s a warm plum in her mouth. Delicious, desirable, something to be proud of. Belongs in the Ralph Lauren ad with her pre-Raphaelite face and flag of golden hair.

“Mulder,” he says, shaking the proffered hand.

“Mulder.” She squeezes his fingers, then withdraws.

Mulder sips his gin and tonic, pondering. “So you know Phoebe socially,” he says. “That must be a hell of a thing. As a woman.”

Stella considers him down the length of her nose. She has the androgynous beauty of a Greek youth. A Roman statue of Minerva.

“Where do you think she got the idea for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s grave,” Stella asks.

He almost chokes on an ice cube.

“If you’re coughing you’re breathing,” she observes, dispassionate, as he nearly hacks up a lung.

Mulder’s heart rate settles back to normal after a moment. He looks at Stella, the hard lines of her cheekbones, her incongruously cute freckles.

He thinks of Stella and Phoebe together. Wonders if he could make that happen, their peony mouths and fine-boned faces. He would be willing to temporarily make up with Phoebe for it. Phoebe would love the theater of a dramatic apology and a threesome.

“Was the grave a hot tip or a shared experience?”

Stella only smiles, sphinx-link. Taps her glass in the bartender’s direction.

“Does it matter,” she asks, watching as her drink is refilled.

Tremendously.

“No. Do people do a lot of Brando impressions?” He clutches his t-shirt with an anguished expression.

She chuckles a bit at that and Mulder feels like the cleverest man in England. In the Northern Hemisphere.

“Plenty,” she says. “Which I like, because it creates a self-selecting population of people to avoid.”

People, he notes. Not men. He thinks of Phoebe again, her dark hair against Stella’s blonde, imagines ringing her up and what he’d say and-

Stella’s hand on his thigh. “Where do you live?” she asks. Her voice is obscene, her high breasts soft against the sweater, slender neck and perfume rich with amber and honey and musk.

He gulps at his drink. “Uni flat. You?”

“Summertown,” she murmurs. “It’ll be nicer than your place.”

Mulder blinks, impressed. His parents give him money but not Summertown money.

“Are you inviting me home with you, Stella?” he asks, low.

She considers him, swirling her glass. “I’m inviting you to my bed. I don’t need you lingering in my home.”

He laughs aloud while wondering if he is capable of falling for a woman who doesn’t have substantial emotional damage. “So you don’t want me to show up with two dozen roses and a box from Charbonnet et Walker?”

Stella sniffs disdainfully. “I’m not interested in the girlfriend role as a concept. I plan to finish school and be a detective.”

He perks up. “I’m planning on the FBI when I wrap up the DPhil. Don’t know that I’m interested in the girlfriend thing as a concept either at his point,” he says, knowing it savors strongly of bitterness.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Stella says. “I think you’d make someone a very nice girlfriend.”

Storm-goddess eyes wicked over her glass.

He pays both tabs and watches her finish the Scotch.

***

Her flat is full of solid wood furniture and good upholstery. Some of the framed artwork appears original, and there’s Cross Townsend pen on her walnut secretary. A stack of leather notebooks that look like Smythsons or Conway Stewarts.

He wishes he could stop this, the eternal analysis.

Her bedroom smells of lemon wood polish and clean cotton and expensive unguents. The queen bed is made, an ivory silk robe draped at the foot of it. There’s no girlish clutter on her shelves, no stuffed bear on the pillow.

There’s a copy of Where the Wild Things Are on the mantel. “Seems a little below your reading level,” Mulder observes.

“It was my favorite book when I was little.” She touches the cover. “Well, one of my favorites at least. I rather wanted to be King of All Wild Things.”

He grins at her. “You wouldn’t have even needed the wolf suit I bet. You’re a bit scary, Stella.”

She snaps her teeth.

Mulder sees the two of them in her gilt-framed mirror, Stella fierce and delicate as a faerie out of Perrault. Her pale throat, her bright eyes. In the moment he wants a cantrip that will bind her.

Her face is serious again. She unbuttons his shirt with focused dexterity, her brows furrowed, her lips pursed. Dior Poison, he sees on the vanity, and gives a name to her scent.

Stella planes her hands over his chest. “Very nice,” she says, peering up through dusky lashes. She pulls her sweater over her head, drops it to the floor. Wriggles out of her jeans and kicks them aside.

He is hard as a fifteen year old.

“I try.” He hasn’t kissed her yet, even though her mouth reminds him of a little Parisian pastry and he wants to nibble at it. Apropos of which, Mulder had expected plain cotton lingerie but it’s all frou-frou lace confectionery trimmed with rosettes and ribbons. Feminine. Delightful. Flawless.

“God, you’re so-“

“Shhh,” she says, pushing him down onto her bed with a single, imperious finger. “I know all that.”

Stella straddles his lap and he’s somehow surprised that such a large presence should weigh almost nothing.

She leans into his grasping fingers, rolls against his tensed thighs. Sighs when he thumbs the front of her panties.

“Stella….”

She leans forward to kiss him, her hard belly against his own. Her clever hands at his fly.

“Let’s see how badly Phoebe fucked up, hmmm?”

***

They had wine from a Thermos and went to bed. She’s lithe and breathless in his arms, spine like worry beads against his palms.

He’d spoken to his father who helpfully reminded him that Samantha had gone missing around this time and shouldn’t he come home to see his mother?

Stella’s fully nude, hair a long braid over her shoulder, and he tugs it experimentally.

Stella makes a liquid noise in her throat, tightens around him.

He unwinds the elastic band and works the plait loose with his fingers. Spools her hair around his hand and pulls down hard until their lips are brushing.

“Fuck,” she hisses into his mouth, and it’s what he needs somehow, the grinding pain of her little teeth and he comes and comes and comes.

***

He’s headed home in six weeks with a DPhil and an acceptance to the FBI Academy and vague praise from his parents.

“Fox,” she groans against his temple. “Fucking hell.”

Mulder nips at her throat, her hair spread behind her like the tail of a comet. “Why did you call me Fox?”

“Why did your mother call you Fox?” she asks.

“She is a very sick woman,” he says into Stella’s patrician ear.

She laughs and bites his lower lip. “Me too,” she mumbles, and her heels dig into his kidneys.

***

They never said goodbye, not really, and he meant to let her go like the tide.

His flight home is in thirty six hours.

“I thought I was ready but I- a pregnant woman,” she says flatly into the phone. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

He lets her use him, her lean swimmer’s legs against his own and her skirt rucked up at her waist and her tailored Met jacket and blouse fallen open along her breasts, lacy cobweb of a bra fighting for its life.

He gazes up at her, pink and silken as rose petals.

White and distant as the moon.

“Hurt me,” she gasps. “Mulder, please, I want-”

He hurts them both.

***

He leads her into the hotel room shower, washes her princess hair while she stands still, staring at nothing.

***

He left bruises along the softest parts of her. The hidden parts, where she asked. The palimpsest of her skin will be flawless again in a few days, and he tries not to think about how else the dark things in her might like to play. He absorbed her pain like charcoal absorbs poison.

“I truly don’t know if I can do this,” she remarks to the ceiling, palms against her eyes.

He tastes her on his lips, oysters and Sauternes. He wants to nudge his face back between her thighs in the way we are called by water. She is primordial and essential and delicate and terrifying. He has an Ivy League degree in psychology, even if it’s only from Pennsylvania, and he still can’t figure her out.

“You can,” he promises, like a faithful acolyte.

“And what does it mean if I can,” she asks and he wonders the same thing about himself.

***

He fucks her against an alley wall, thick with refuse and ennui. She’s gorgeous the way that supernovas and jaguars are gorgeous.

“Stella,” he groans. “Jesus.”

“You’ll miss your flight,” she mumbles, then laughs at the idea that they care.

“You going to see me off?” he pants into her neck. “Kiss me goodbye at the gate?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I told you I have a meeting in 45 minutes.” She hitches a knee up higher. “Oh, god, like that.”

Mulder grinds into her until she cries out, nipping at his chin, his earlobes.

He follows her into the starburst haze of an orgasm, his back shuddering, and Stella hot and twitchy against his chest.

They breathe together for a moment, riding out the wave.

“We both have to go,” Stella reminds him. “A parting of the ways this time, I think.”

Mulder lowers her to the ground. He ties off the condom and shoves it into a garbage can.

He zips his jeans up, watches Stella smooth her uniform, her hair.

“Here’s lookin’ at you kid,” he says, rather lamely.

But Stella smiles one of her rare, full smiles. “One day when you’re a world famous profiler and I’m Commissioner we’ll team up,” she says.

He brushes brick dust from her shoulder. “Why are you running the Met and I’m a lowly Special Agent still?”

She looks confused. “Because I like to be in charge and you don’t. You didn’t want to be King of All Wild Things.”

He palms her jaw, thumbs her cheekbone. He smiles fondly down at her.

“Don’t,” Stella warns.

Mulder shakes his head. “No. Go, run the Met and remember the little people when you ascend the throne.”

She covers her hand with hers for a moment. “Phoebe fucked up badly,” she says. “Now go back to the colonies and teach them how to make a proper cup of tea.”

“We just throw it in the Harbor.”

Stella squeezes his hand before taking it from her face. She walks briskly out of the alley without ever looking back.

***

He makes the plane, though barely. He falls asleep over Dublin. He dreams of sailboats and lonely islands and even in dreaming he knows Stella is right. He wants to be where someone loves him best of all.

Paw Patrol

Fluff/Humour, SAS Rogue Heroes Werewolf AU

Gender Neutral Reader

Outside, Cairo sweltered through the start of a blisteringly hot morning, but inside the hotel it was deceptively cool. ____ yawned and stretched; after a difficult month of sand, sweat and blood, it was nice to be able to relax and take things slow.

____ looked up as Corporal Heaney came sprinting through the hotel lobby into the dining room, weaving around guests and tables until he came to a stop in front of ____.

'What happened? What's wrong?'

'Noth-nothing's wrong, I just-' Heaney paused for air, 'Could you look after the little guy for us? Just for a short time?'

'What-oooohh!'

Tucked into the crook of Heaney's arm was a fluffy, bright-eyed white puppy. Its long ears perked up at ____'s coo, and it started wagging its tail excitedly.

'His name is David' Heaney handed him over and the puppy immediately launched himself at ____, licking them all over their face.

'I've got to go'

'Heaney, wait, does he have allergies-'

Heaney was already making his way back out the door.

'Who does he belong to?!'

'SAS!' he yelled over his shoulder, and disappeared out of sight.

____ sighed and stared at the puppy. 'What am I going to do with you, huh? What-am-I-gonna-do-with-you?!'

The puppy cocked it's head, and licked ____'s face all over, again.

________________________________________________________________

After breakfast ("No, you cannot eat my food! Noo! ...okay, just the scraps"), ____ waited patiently as the clock ticked on.

After an hour, ____ took their new companion on a trip to the alley outside to go toilet. The hotel clerk had conjured up a leash from somewhere and after distracting David with a belly rub, ____ managed to attach it without much fuss.

____ glanced at their watch, and sighed, as David cocked his leg against the alley wall. 'It's almost been two hours now. I don't think they're coming back for you, are they?'

David yipped quietly, finished peeing, and waddled back to ____.

____ scratched David's chin; the puppy whined and leaned into it, closing his eyes and letting his tongue loll out the side of his mouth.

'I wanted to go sight seeing today... would you like to come sight seeing with me, huh? Huh? Would-ya?'

David yipped again, loudly, and took off towards the street. Before he had gone a handful of steps his paws got tangled up in each other and he face-planted into the dirt.

'Oh no! Oh, baby, are you ok?!' ____ rushed over but David was already staggering to his feet, shaking his head and sneezing the sand and dust out of his nose.

'Oh, poor baby!' ____ laughed and scooped David into their arms, giving him a cuddle and a kiss on the forehead. The puppy's fur really was soft; wispy and thick, with a strong musky scent.

'There you go' ____ set David back down and gave a gentle tug on the leash. 'Off we go!'

________________________________________________________________

David was irregularly unsteady on his feet, so after much slowing down and speeding up it became easier for ____ to simply carry him.

____ stopped a few times to chat with friends, as David bounced around their feet, being adorable. Once or twice ____ had to pull him back before he followed an intriguing scent out into traffic, but on the whole he was very well-behaved.

They wandered around the markets; ____ bought a camera and a roll of film, and a red fez a street vendor had ordered for their pet monkey and had never come back to collect. They drifted through a museum, and an art gallery, and went outside the city limits to squat between the paws of the Great Sphinx, gazing up at the sunset as they ate sandwiches together for dinner.

On their way back to the hotel they passed a group of soldiers who insisted on taking photographs of David posing in front of their jeep. After being swamped beneath a collection of oversized berets, helmets and caps, a thoroughly tired David gave everyone one last lick goodbye before dozing off in ____'s arms.

Muffled shouting rent the evening air as they turned onto the main thoroughfare. Peering across the street into the hotel lobby, ____ could see the rest of their squad - Freeman, Yates, Cunningham, Willoughby, Richards, Kent and Heaney - lined up in front of the reception desk while Captain Anderson loomed over them, screaming himself hoarse.

'-UTTERLY IRRESPONSIBLE!! WHEN SOMEBODY CHARGES YOU WITH LOOKING AFTER THEIR MASCOT, YOU DO NOT PASS THE RESPONSIBILITY ALONG BECAUSE IT IS INCONVENIENT TO YOU!! I OUGHT TO LET MAYNE SORT YOU OUT!!'

Anderson hooked a thumb towards a feral-looking blonde man being held back by four other soldiers. ____ shook their head and walked in.

'WHERE THE BLOODY HELL IS THE DOG??!!'

Author's Notes

'Here sir' ____ gently soothed David back to sleep as the puppy stirred from the noise. The soldiers released Mayne, who immediately strode over, arms out.

'We went out sight-seeing; I did leave a note' ____ rocked David into Mayne's arms and unclipped the leash from David's collar.

'He's been very well-behaved all day. He's had plenty of water and lots of food, oh, and this is his-' ____ pushed the tiny fez into Mayne's breast pocket.

'Thanks for taking care of him' Mayne rumbled, calmer now he was cradling the squad mascot.

____ smiled, and gave a sharp salute.

'Any time.'

Thank you Lt_Aldo_Raine for the names 😄

i dont waste energy hating closed species And You Can Too!

alright you asked for it

Claim 1: “Closed species limit creativity in the art community by locking off certain concepts.”

No, they don’t. If you believe that, then you also must believe that copyrighting in general-- or just generally the fact that making a design exactly like someone else’s is viewed as kind of wack-- are stifling creativity. Why? It’s easy to accidentally make a concept that is similar to someone else’s, because there are literally just not that many Things That Exist. There will ALWAYS be repeats. Generally, if a design coincidentally looks like another, there will be a mixture of backlash from people who believe it was an intentional ripoff, and total acceptance from people who understand that it was an accident. Ultimately, the correct way to live is to understand that 1) these coincidences can happen and should not be punished, but 2) intentionally ripping off someone else’s work is wrong. It isn’t black and white, you must process 2 or more concepts at once.

Species owners understand this. I have never seen a species owner come after someone for accidentally making something similar or inspired. This is a myth. Species owners are busy as fuck, generally Normal People, and simply do not have the time or energy or desire to moderate things outside their community. Please talk to literally any of them for more than two minutes and you will discover this. Every species owner I have met is friendly and kind and I’ll go into detail on exactly how bullshit this stereotype of them chasing people down for similarities is later.

So, given that some randos will get upset and harass people over harmless inspiration/coincidence but most will not in ALL cases of accidental over-similarity: this is NOT a species-specific problem and happens just as often--if not MORE often, because of how much people fucking despise closed species-- with non-closed-species characters.

Secondly, species owners do not create a closed species with the goal of closing off a concept from use. They do it to create a community they can manage and share a concept they have created. 

Take the world of Nephfei, created by the artist Queijac. The closed species of Nephfei are called Spinxyn, and they are very much sphinxes. They are not a brand-new concept Jac is claiming to have come up with, they are intentional and very direct references to sphinxes. What sets them apart is their species LORE, WORLD, and COMMUNITY.

[image ID: a screenshot of the Spinxyn species guide on deviantart, created by queijac. Text reads “IMPORTANT NOTE: Spinxyn are a species OF sphinx. Yes, they are sphinx, and yes of course anyone can make sphinx characters and designs using similar appearances! I claim no ownership over design aspects! Spinxyn as a CS community, however, which offers social art related activities, world building, themed events, etc., to use the characters in, simply relates to my own PERSONAL WORK and how i want to enrich peoples experiences with it! Please understand this, thank you!!!”]

This species is not closed so that Jac can copyright the idea of a sphinx. It is closed so that Jac has some control over the world and lore they have created. Were anyone able to create a Spinxyn without an approval process, not only would the community become too large to manage too quickly, but all sorts of Spinxyn with aspects that don’t fit the lore would pop up. 

[Image ID: screenshot of a message from Queijac in the nephfei official public Discord server. Text reads: “theres just a total disconnect that 99% of ppl making closed species are making. a Group...... its about.... the community....... and building the community around One concept that someone makes and puts rules in place for so that they can actually. U kno. MANAGE THINGS... and make a cohesive group experience....... the reason CS have so much popularity is because they come with a community, not because theyre 100% unique never before seen or heard of concepts”]

Jac explicitly acknowledges that sphinxes do not belong to them and even says that borrowing some spinxyn-specific appearance details is okay!!! The ONLY thing off-limits here is a WORLD, COMMUNITY, and LORE.

Except it isn’t. Because Nephfei also hosts not one, not two, but THREE open species of intelligent beings, plus NINE official species of non-intelligent animals, so that anyone can participate.

Claim 2: Species owners harass and police people who make similar concepts.

I touched on this already re:species owners are busy as fuck & Jac openly encouraging people to make sphinx characters and even borrow spinxyn-specific traits, but this note from ground-lion/seel, the creator of Chimereons, really does it for me.

[Image ID: a DeviantArt note from ground-lion to me. Text reads “hello, thank you for showing me this! we don't actively do anything to police offbrands, since it causes more trouble than i think it's worth. i like to avoid drama wherever possible, and it seems like most people who participate in offbrands are just looking to press people's buttons so we can't/won't do anything to these people, i think it is best to just try and ignore it and move on.”]

Here you have the owner of one of the arguably most shit on and hated species saying outright “we don’t bother doing anything about intentional ripoffs”. For context, this WAS 100% intentional, I had noted ground-lion about a user I saw posting adoptables that were LABELED “offbrand chimereons” (so if anyone was hArAsSiNg PeOpLe oVeR SiMiLaR cOnCePtS here, it was me, calling attention to intentional and stated copying). 

Sidenote: I think it’s shitty to intentionally steal a concept. Ground-lion has also said there is no issue with making anthropomorphic chameleon characters, just that chimereons were inspired by a set of traits, a word, lore, a desire to create a community, and their own personal stylization of anthro chameleons. It’s fine to take inspiration from how someone else stylizes an animal, but the degree to which people do it-- just outright copying every aspect of Seel’s work-- rubs me the wrong way. Not enough to say anything because that is only my personal opinion and because I do not have time for that shit.

The Dainty mod team + owner (Pajuxi-Adopts) also have a section stating that to make a design no longer a Dainty, all that’s needed are the following changes: 

[image ID: screenshot of Dainty species ToS. Text reads “ Visual edits must be made for discontinuation, here is our standard discontinuation options: - remove the stockings completely and give them fur like an actual satyr - keep the stockings and give them human legs - make them an anthro - keep the stockings but they MUST start at least a quarter to halfway up the bottom portion of the deer leg with a clear divide between the stocking and leg with fur poking out underneath - you are free to suggest your own edits as well! “]

This may be speaking specifically about discontinuing a former Dainty due to the context we found it in, but this means that a design is not considered a dainty if, for example, its stockings show fur underneath and are not part of the body. That’s it. That’s all they ask. Pajuxi is not saying “this is my closed species of SATYRS WITH SOCKS and if you DARE make a satyr with socks i will COME FOR YOU!!!”, they clearly state that satyrs with socks are an acceptable Not A Dainty. I personally think the lore behind the stockings being physically part of the body and all the specific rules they entail is interesting and original and I do not think it’s such a wild ask to say “hey, please respect this and if you see it, don’t rip it off on purpose. You can take inspiration in all these valid ways but I want to have some control over the concept I came up with”.

Claim 3: Species owners are rich elitists making small artists suffer.

Species owners are small, independent artists. Artists being hated the instant they get even moderate success (that’s still usually BARELY A LIVING WAGE) is its own huge discussion and internalized issues + capitalist brainwashing you all have to deal with on your own damn time, but I want to emphasize that someone making a living or even comfortable wage from their art is Good, Actually, and is something we should all be happy to see and want to see more of. 

Furthermore, no one is being taken advantage of. CS characters are a luxury item. You do not NEED one. If you absolutely will die without a sock deer, make one where the sock isn’t part of their body. If you will die without a chimereon, make an anthro chameleon and use your own ideas. If you will die without a sphinx character, I’m overjoyed to inform you that fucking nobody ever asked you not to make one. CS involvement is voluntary. If you don’t like them, don’t participate in them, but keep in mind that someone saying “hey, please don’t blatantly copy this design concept I spent time creating” is The Same Thing as someone asking you not to copy their individual character designs. You could live without stealing character designs. You can live without making something exactly like an existing CS. 

Claim 4: CS put concepts behind a paywall and make them inaccessible.

Again, these are a luxury item. Most closed species MYO slots cost $10-$45. That is not a ridiculous amount to aspire to. Closed species owners WANT people to participate in their species, so there are a ton of ways.

- Chimereons hold First-Time Owner flatsale slot raffles every single month to ensure people who are new to the community have a greater chance of nabbing a slot than existing participants - Dainties have an art prompt every month, which rewards every participant regardless of skill level one prompt point (the art can be visual or written). Six prompt points can be used to buy an MYO slot for free. If you desperately need a dainty and are flat broke, you can get a free one by writing 150 words a month for six months or doing one drawing each month. Skill level doesn’t matter, ALL participants get a point if they follow the rules. - I joined a raffle for a free pre-made Spinxyn. I did not win the raffle. Jac randomly decided to give out 7 MYO slots too, one of which I won. I entered a raffle that DID NOT HAVE MYO SLOTS AS A PRIZE and got one for free anyway. CS owners want people to participate, I promise. - Dainties just had a 24-hour turn-in event (that they warned about a month in advance so folks could prepare designs), meaning every single person who submits a design in that 24hr time frame gets a slot. Normally slot sales are limited in number and sell out in seconds. - Jac sporadically draws quicker, messier Spinxyn designs which always cost $5 and raffle-flatsales them on Discord. $5 is not a gatekeepy price. - Tomoyokis recently had a free-for-all event where everyone could claim either a free common slot or a $10 uncommon slot. These are just specific examples I remember of easier or free ways to get CS. Non-specifically:

- art = reward systems are common, so again, just writing or drawing enough can equal a free MYO slot or entry into a raffle for a pre-made design - many many species that are relatively new have FREE turn-in events or giveaways to build a community - free FTO slot raffles - paid but discounted FTO slot raffles - random free design giveaways - trading art for a CS character or MYO slot (I’ve gotten a dainty and two dainty MYO slots this way, and I realize not everyone’s art gets accepted, which is why this is a whole list of ways that don’t require artistic skill whatsoever)

So getting your hands on one isn’t the worst thing in the world. You might need a little luck (as in, you have a completely fair chance that is equal to everyone else’s) or a little dedication (6 months of wanting one, or having to have a design ready within a limited time for a free turn-in event).

Also, there’s a reason CS prices cannot change much: this causes issues with the value of all existing CS characters. Dainties will ALWAYS be $35. The MYO slot price will NEVER increase. If it did, all previous dainties would be worth less, or would have to have their worth increased, which is logistics hell. Inflation doesn’t affect CS the same way it does everything else.

Claim 5: ok but legally nothing is stopping me from making one lmaoo

That is true. It’s also true that there’s not really any effective laws in place to protect artists when they say “Hey, please don’t quote retweet my art on Twitter” or “Hey, please don’t repost my art even with credit”. Sometimes, we just respect artists and do what they ask because we are Nice Fucking People, but apparently, species owners are a whole different thing, evil, and do not deserve the same basic respect.

IN CONCLUSION

Talk to a CS owner. They’re reasonable and kind people. There’s an exception to every rule, of course, but what I’ve found overwhelmingly is that they’re literally just people like you and I who were excited to make something cool and share it with people. The emphasis is HUGELY on community. I used to dislike the idea of CS too, but since participating in them and talking a ton with the owners (who are super down-to-earth and active in their servers-- Jac helped me with a confusing horse video game and gave me a Free Horse in there), I’ve realized that the caricature of CS owners as greedy and bitchy, laying claim to basic concepts like A Cat With Wings, is just bullshit. The stereotype that CS community members are an angry mob who will roast you over a fire if you draw a chameleon on two legs is bullshit. The idea that CS are impossible to get, are for the bourgeoisie, and cost thousands of dollars is bullshit (I bet you’re thinking about scarfoxes right now. Hot take: I think it’s great that an artist is selling their intellectual property for that much. I think we all should be able to. I think if someone chooses to spend that much on a design they think would make them happy, that is literally not a fucking problem, and since it was their choice and their money no one is being taken advantage of unfairly. Let people buy the shit they want to buy, I promise you will fucking survive).

I like CS, I think they are neat, I wish people would give the owners a break. They are just independent artists like me. They get lied about and stereotyped over this stupid drama bullshit and they’re so tired and saddened when the subject comes up. They literally do not police anyone-- they don’t have the time or the desire, and it wouldn’t work anyway.

I won’t post CS content here anymore. But I like participating voluntarily in these communities. I don’t understand why that’s something YOU get to have a problem with.

Stay out of my inbox. Thanks.

The Child Bastet Pt 2 (Hakuno, Ozymandias, Mash, Gudako)

Previously: One 

_

Mash wasn’t one to back down.

Gudako was looking out for her best interests as well. She couldn’t get after them when they shoved her behind them and began to attack the pharaoh. The two of them were going all out, the servants under their command rushing forward as the blasts from the pharaoh’s staff were raining down upon them.

She could feel that strange prickling at the back of her senses.

Her feet were moving before her mind was catching up, rushing through the fray of servants and sphinxes. The beasts were moving behind her, blocking the path for the others.

The Former American president, Cu Alter, was raging towards the pharaoh that was ahead of her, the man’s lance spreading and preparing for his noble phantasm. She could hear Gudako’s voice beginning to call out the command.

“STOP!”

Cu wasn’t stopping though. Gudako was stopping her command to shout for her, but she was already moving faster, her arms reaching out before she could think better of it.

“STOP,” she shouted again.

Her arms wrapped around the pharaoh, knocking him off his feet. The sphinxes were crying out, but she couldn’t see what was going on. There was just so much noise, columns crashing and a pair of arms wrapping around her.

She was moving.

Before she could get a word out, she was pressed against a steel like chest. Her body was cradled in the other’s arms.

“Bastet…”

Hakuno frowned finding herself swallowed within white fabrics. She was moved, although the blue fur that she found herself against was not what she had thought to see when she opened her eyes and pushed at the fabric around her.

“While disrespectful, I will forgive you this once,” the pharaoh’s voice exclaimed from nearby. “And now that I have the holy grail, I- Whoops.”

Whoops?

Hakuno lifted herself up, finding the task a challenge with this heavy cloak around herself. The jewelry piece keeping it around her shoulders was an anchor.

“NITOCRIS!”

“Yes! What do you require, Pharaoh?”

“I do not feel well! Normally, I would deign it appropriate to move my body a bit, but I have other tasks at hand. Call some of your legion to handle the task at hand!”

“Yes!” the woman- Nitocris’ voice replied.

“I particularly enjoyed your silence just now. However, the grail belongs to me, as does my child. We will have to fight again, if Nitocris cannot handle this task.”

“My Pharaoh!”

But Hakuno found the large fur mass she was on lowering, the pharaoh climbing around her and holding her close.

“This task if yours, Nitocris! As only a pharaoh can stop those who wish to take what is ours. Do not falter!”

Hakuno turned, going to argue when the beast moved.

The wall was closing in, the man behind her’s laugh echoed in her ears. As she cried out, the wall burst apart, rubble and dust flying everywhere.

The laugh continued before Hakuno felt something bop the back of her-

Was that his head?!

She looked back, gaping a little as the man propped his head back up and fixed his shirt.

“Singularity problems,” he called, “we are relocating for now. You need rest, Bastet!”

It was Hakuno…

A flash of something went through her thoughts though. She wasn’t sure why, but she moved to wrap her arms around his waist, opting to hold onto the back of his shoulders at the last minute. She could feel his chest against her cheek, the rumble of his laugh shaking her slightly.

“You have not changed at all,” he purred, his head leaning in close. “We will find a place for rest soon. Sleep soundly with Tutu until then, my kitten.”

M21 New Cards

There are some interesting choices, and some cards that are obviously just Commander bait (but that did not stop Field of the Dead from running rampant. This is a long list so it is under the read more:

First I really want to mention what a good card this was to put into Standard and print in general to deal with the effects of WAR and those terribly designed planeswalkers. Plunge: Instant- Destroy target Creature or Planeswalker with Converted Mana Cost 3 or less. It is simple, but it helps to stop how oppressive the many planeswalkers that are stax effects stapled to value engines. And it is joined by:

A solid body with a key 4 toughness and Planeswalker protection. Casting it does cause you to lose out on card advantage and it getting countered will feel miserable, but this card also helps fight back against planeswalkers and it importantly can’t just be bounced by Teferi. It is a solid PW hate card though it clearly belongs in a sideboard rather than the main deck. Will definitely do wonders against the 3 cost WAR planeswalker menace and the new planeswalker problem...

M21 you were doing so well, and then you give us this. This card is pushed as hell. Even though it does not generate card advantage it can be used on each player’s turn meaning it essentially pluses by 2 each turn cycle in a normal game. It is able to be reactionary phasing out creatures making dealing with your finishers a nightmare. The looting will be nice if there are more graveyard synergies but the fact he continuously blanks removal and threatens to get out of control if unanswered is definately in my opinion a combination that will make him a dominant force in Standard. leaning on this being a mistake that will cause problems from first impression.

This is more of the power level of a planeswalker that I expect to be strong but not oppressive. She is a mix of some of the best parts of Liliana of the Veil and Liliana of the Dark Realms with an ult that is as hard to combat as Liliana the Last Hope. The mana cost of 4 makes her less of an early than than LotV but the fact that she combines both hand attacking and is a win condition which LotV could not do is a nasty mix. I see her being a strong contender for the best midrange Planeswalker for the traditional “Jund ‘em Out” style deck. Hell, I am tempted to try this is Pox builds due to how good she is at attacking both the hand and field and acts as a solitary win con. Depending on the environment of Standard she might be too strong, but I am leaning on the side of her being strong enough to be meta defining but not needing action to stop her.

Hmm, he is interesting. he serves a completely different role than the Gideons of old did. He supports creatures instead of applying pressure by himself. That -2 is brutal in a go wide strategy and he might be just the nail in the coffin for any control player who needs time to set up. I like this design because he is pretty useless on his own which means he can;t just be plopped down on turn 3 and then the game is constantly a game of catch up. He makes a good finisher rather than an enabler or value engine, and he is costed to allow aggro decks to make good use of him. Of curse, wraths and not having your pressure first makes him pretty weak so he is definitely an interesting design.

This card is just cute, what can I say? Also the legendary Cog vs Hound debate has been answered. This card seems like it will be a fun commander though there are a decent amount of cats in standard and pioneer.

Hey, now we know why there was a buyout of Exquisite Blood despite there being no revealed support for the card that would have caused that mysterious price spike. I’ll talk more about that later but Vito is an efficient way to turn life gain into pressure which is a good thing. its activated ability is half of a Vault of the Archangel and combined with his other ability creates a pseudo unblockable and double strike for creatures. Solid though a 3 drop 1/3 is hard to justify in an aggressive deck where Ajani’s Pridemate provides pressure from a similar angle.

New Sphinx’s tutelage that exchanges a mana sink for an immediate effect. Decent, but the main thing is that this allows those strange Sphinx’s Tutelage combo decks to run more than 4 copies of their win-con. Not really too much to talk about aside from that.

Everything that could be said about Mangara already has been said. White has gained a card that gives it legitimate card draw.

Just some Commander bait as a legendary Enchantment even with that strong effect will be awkward, but I just want to point out that these two cards combine to form an Enter the Infinite. I need both of them for Commander, but I can see some against the odds jank involving these and Thassa’s Oracle. I will mention btw, if you have an odd amount of cards in your library you will die to this combo if you don;t have a Lab Man or Lab Jace. Overall, M21 is looking to be the first set that has made me excited for MtG in a while, and oddly enough it is just a core set. I am pessimistic though, how will WotC break standard this time? Also, from the flavor text of Peer intothe Abyss, new card for Braids? Reprint of Cabal Minion? I want a Smokestack in Standard.

Euron Greyjoy "Ice or Fire"

Selam, hello! :)

Today I want to discuss Euron Greyjoy's side with you. Usually peope thinks Euron works with ice side. Because ice side is bad guys and Euron is bad guy too... But first... I need explain something.

I wanted open another topic about it but for now a brief summary is more appropriate.

Who bad who good?

As readers, we tend to see the ice side as bad and the fire side as good. We think this story is a classic good and bad story. That's how it was done on TV Show. But the show is the world of D&D. ASOIAF is the world of GRRM. And GRRM's perspective is very different from D&D.

GRRM believes everyone can do bad and good thing at the same time. We can be heroes and also bad guys. We can be racist but also we can be anti-war. In stories, we do not need dark lords anymore.

Men are still capable of great heroism. But I don’t necessarily think there are heroes. That’s something that’s very much in my books: I believe in great characters. We’re all capable of doing great things, and of doing bad things. We have the angels and the demons inside of us, and our lives are a succession of choices…[Woodrow Wilson] was a racist who tried to end war. Now, does one cancel out the other? Well, they don’t cancel out the other. You can’t make him a hero or a villain. He was both. And we’re all both.

Much as I admire Tolkien, and I do admire Tolkien — he’s been a huge influence on me, and his Lord of the Rings is the mountain that leans over every other fantasy written since and shaped all of modern fantasy — there are things about it, the whole concept of the Dark Lord, and good guys battling bad guys, Good versus Evil, while brilliantly handled in Tolkien, in the hands of many Tolkien successors, it has become kind of a cartoon. We don’t need any more Dark Lords, we don’t need any more, “Here are the good guys, they’re in white, there are the bad guys, they’re in black. And also, they’re really ugly, the bad guys.”

Ruling is hard. This was maybe my answer to Tolkien, whom, as much as I admire him, I do quibble with. Lord of the Rings had a very medieval philosophy: that if the king was a good man, the land would prosper. We look at real history and it’s not that simple. Tolkien can say that Aragorn became king and reigned for a hundred years, and he was wise and good. But Tolkien doesn’t ask the question: What was Aragorn’s tax policy? Did he maintain a standing army? What did he do in times of flood and famine? And what about all these orcs? By the end of the war, Sauron is gone but all of the orcs aren’t gone – they’re in the mountains. Did Aragorn pursue a policy of systematic genocide and kill them? Even the little baby orcs, in their little orc cradles? The war that Tolkien wrote about was a war for the fate of civilization and the future of humanity, and that’s become the template. I’m not sure that it’s a good template, though. The Tolkien model led generations of fantasy writers to produce these endless series of dark lords and their evil minions who are all very ugly and wear black clothes. But the vast majority of wars throughout history are not like that.

You can also see traces of these words in books. For example Aemon said these words.

"Many good men have been bad kings, Maester Aemon used to say, and some bad men have been good kings." "Better men than Stannis have done worse things than this."

So we can say ice or fire side are not pure evil or good. They are both; like a Stark and like a Lannister. I'm a Stark but i can say Stark side ise not pure good and sinless. We saw all. We read it.

This reason do not think fire is good and ice is bad. Probably both sides have their own justification for fighting. There will be people and houses fighting and dying for both sides.

The question is which side will Euron be on?

For the above reasons the majority said ice. I think the opposite. Actually, my main idea is that Euron is on its side. In alliance with the side that he thinks is strong for personal ambition and interests. And I think this side is "fire"

Euron is a sociopath narcissist. Someone who sees himself as a god, worships himself. He wants power, he wants to rule. If you are such a narcissist, you will go wherever you find power. I don't think such a person would want to die.

Euron says he went to Asshai and Valyria. The Valyria part may be a lie, but not the Asshai part. Even if we take it all right, these two cities are on the fire side. The magic of these two cities is based on fire and blood. Most of the wizards of Euron use these spells. So Euron is close by weight with these spells.

I believe the R'hllor faith comes from Asshai. AA legend and prophecy comes from that city anyway. I have no doubt that Euron has learned all this and more. If this ( https://clankingdragon.wordpress.com/2017/09/26/might-makes-wight-qarth-and-asshai/) theory is true which i belive it is, then Euron saw fire wights in Asshai. Then he knows now that there is a way not to die and he wants it.

Do not forget the word in their (iron born) faith. It also points to a wight incident. "What is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger."

HINTS

1- When Euron came back, he went after Dany and his dragons. If he was working with the ice, he would have wanted to kill Dany and Dany's dragons. He didn't have to go back to Westeros for that. Somehow he could have gone to Meereen to kill Dany. And if Daario = Euron theory is true, he has had the opportunity many times. As a result, if he wants to have it instead of killing her ... It makes more sense to return home if he wants to be there for her. He even captured wizards who wanted to kill Dany.

Moqorro*: Others seek* Daenerys too. Tyrion*: Have you seen these others in your fires?* Moqorro*: Only their shadows. One most of all. A tall and twisted thing with one black eye and ten long arms, sailing on a sea of blood.* “So are the contents of my chamber pot. None is fit to sit the Seastone Chair, much less the Iron Throne. No, to make an heir that’s worthy of him , I need a different woman. When the kraken weds the dragon, brother, let all the world beware.”

2- Euron is now attacking Reach. Why is that? He is not interested in the North or Dorne or Lannister lands, or Storm land, or even the river lands. Reach is very rich right but Euron is not one who loves money. He doesn't care. Places like the old town are under serious threat. Reach's army was very vigorous, they did not see war properly. Rich and powerful. Now, because of the Lannister-Tyrell alliance, Reach will fight against Dany. Euron can weaken them. Also, according to Sam, if the old city falls, the realm is torn to pieces. This is definitely beneficial for Dany. At first, even Varys was trying to do something similar. We all know that Euron can't sit in the Iron Throne because he killed the Lannisters. He needs Dany.

3- Aeron's dreams...

There are very important signs.

He showed the world his blood eye now, dark and terrible. Clad head to heel in scale as dark as onyx, he sat upon a mound of blackened skulls as dwarfs capered round his feet and a forest burned behind him.

A dark onyx reminded me of black stones

. (Also could be Euron's Valyria armor) "blood eye" interesting, like fire and blood? Or Bloodstone Emperor? Euron's personel sigil is a red/blood eye... And the Emperor was worshiped those black stones. He killed her sister and took her throne, like Euron did.

Impaled upon the longer spikes were the bodies of the gods. The Maiden was there and the Father and the Mother, the Warrior and Crone and Smith … even the Stranger. They hung side by side with all manner of queer foreign gods: the Great Shepherd and the Black Goat, three-headed Trios and the Pale Child Bakkalon, the Lord of Light and the butterfly god of Naath.

The Emperor took down all his gods. Euron did same thing (Black Goat, The Stranger are God of death of FM, the great other). Remeber Euron clad head to heel in scale as dark as onyx, he looks like black stone. Euron worships himself.

Beside him stood a shadow in woman’s form, long and tall and terrible, her hands alive with pale white fire.

Whoever this woman is must belong to the fire side. Northern gods and others hate fire. They prefer cold and snow. If the Euron was on the ice side, this woman would have ice instead of fire.

And most important to me. This...

“The bleeding star bespoke the end,” he said to Aeron. “These are the last days, when the world shall be broken and remade. A new god shall be born from the graves and charnel pits.” Then Euron lifted a great horn to his lips and blew, and dragons and krakens and sphinxes came at his command and bowed before him. “Kneel, brother,” the Crow’s Eye commanded. “I am your king, I am your god. Worship me, and I will raise you up to be my priest.”

Dragons, krakens and shpinxes(we saw Valyrian ones, half human half dragon but this could be half dragon half kraken like he wanted) bowed him with horn. He uses those powers.

The bleeding stars(dragons, fire...)... last days (the war is coming)... the world shall be broken and remade (after war someone will do this)... a ned god (he thinks himself) will born from the draves and charnel pits(from dead, he means).

"Her. Daenerys?" Haldon nodded. "Benerro has sent forth the word from Volantis. Her coming is the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. From smoke and salt was she born to make the world anew. She is Azor Ahai returned … and her triumph over darkness will bring a summer that will never end … death itself will bend its knee, and all those who die fighting in her cause shall be reborn …" "Do I have to be reborn in this same body?" asked Tyrion

R'hllor side (except Melisandre) thinks Dany is AA. She will make the world anew (world shall be broken and remade.) and death itself will bend its knee(ice side will lost) and her men will rise again from dead ( born from the graves and charnel pits)

So Euron believes fire side will win, Dany is AA and if he would be with her, he will be reborn and became immortal. Even he became a god and king... So yes, Euron chose fire side because he thinks fire side will win.

So, what do you think?

Moon / Luna Masterpost

! DISCLAIMER: The following informationc are may wrong. If you see any misinformations, let me know, but not in the harsh way please! The links where the infromations (mainly) are from, are at the bottom. There are everything assosiated with the sun, use, what is helpful !

Note: i’m starting to post things like this. Mainly about astronomy, green witchery, kitchen witchcraft, zodiacs and more. If you are intrested or it was helpful please let me know!

The moon has been captivating people since the beginning of time. It’s guided our way on the darkest of nights and pulls at the tides as well as our emotions. There are myths and stories about the moon from every ancient culture, and it is still a central part of many pagan religions and spiritual paths. Here we break down the basics of lunar magick into easy-to-digest chunks including the moon’s phases, magical properties, correspondences, and more. Lunar energy is great for divination and dream work and to counteract Mars and Sun influences. Stones that correspond to the energy of the moon tend to be white and/or luminescent. Luna reflects the light of the Sun and is the closest sphere to Earth: the abode of physical form. It does not generate its own light as the Sun does, but serves as a filter for it, refracting and reflecting it in a coarser, more obfuscated manner.

The Female Body & The Moon

Just as the moon is reborn, grows, reaches its fullest potential, then wanes again, so do our bodies. For thousands of years, women have noticed their moon cycles (menstruation – the syllable men meaning moon/month) syncing up with the moon’s phases. This is lunar magick at its core. Just as the moon waxes and wanes, so too does the womb. This is why the moon is often associated with the Goddess in forms of neopaganism and Wicca.

The Triple Goddess & Our Lives

Wiccans associate the Triple Goddess with the moon’s phases: the maiden (waxing moon), the mother (full moon), and the crone (waning moon). We all go through these phases in our lives (both men and women) corresponding to our youth, adult child-rearing years, and our elder years. So we are all attuned to the moon phases and lunar magick, it’s just that most people don’t realize it.

The Moon in Mythology: Most Lunar deities in Western Tradition are female, though male lunar deities are found throughout the world as well. Lunar deities are often associated with Motherhood or the Sea.

The Moon in Astrology: As the moon moves across the sky, it passes through the various zodiac signs, primarily affecting our moods and reactions. Those who have a sun sign align to the water element will feel this effect most strongly. The moon travels through each sign every month, staying in each sign for up to three days before moving on. At the New Moon, she will be in the same sign as the Sun and at the Full Moon, she will be in the opposite sign.

zodiac: cancer metal: silver day: Monday other names: Luna, The Moon, The treause house of images tarot: The High Priestess (II) associations: 3, G, Gimel(Camel) mantric sound: „A” colour/s: white, blue, silver, rayed sky blue, cold pale blue, indigo numbers: 9, 81, 369, 3321 stone/s: moonstone, selenite, obsidian, silver, mother-of-pearl, aquamarine, gold beryl, topaz, emerald, clear quartz, coral, pearls planetary qualities: Cyclicity of manifestation. Waxing and waning. Liminal states. Potentiality of manifestation. Healing. Psychicism. Dreaming and sleep. Lunar Herbs: Lunar herbs tend to be juicy and lightly sweet and with a sweet (sometimes cloying) fragrance. Either they produce watery fruits, or they have succulent leaves or both. Many moon herbs relieve mild pain and/or gently induce sleep. Many moon plants open at night and close during the day or release their scent at night to attract nocturnal pollinators. Moon plants often grow near water. White or silvery plants tend to correspond to lunar energy and sometimes these plants bear the mark of the moon even more strongly. Sedative, hormone-balancing, tonic to the brain or stomach, narcotic or painkilling plants. Cooling and moisturizing plants. Plants with moon-shaped parts. Plants with high water content. Medicinal plants affecting the emotions, sleep, or the female reproductive system. Often have a rotten or sickly sweet smell . Herbal/Plant Moon Correspondences: vervain, moonflower, jasmine, lemon balm, cabbage, camellia, camphor, chickweed, moonwort, grape, lemon, turnip, potato, pea, cucumber, pear, peach, mountain ash, mango, wallflower, rowan, cactus, eucalyptus, coconut, lotus, myrrh, gardenia, sandalwood, orris, ginseng, Evening Primrose, Night Jasmine, melon, bitter, almond, agave, milkweed, passionflower(sedative), mallow, Willow(pain), poppy (sedative, pain relief), Gooseberry, Goat’s beard, Mugwort, Wild Yam(hormones), Iris, acanthus, adder’s tounge, alum root, arrowleaf, astible, banana, bear’s breeches,  blue hibiscus, blue nepal poppy, blue water lily, califronia poppy,  chamomile, clary sage, coral bells, cuckoo flower, devil’s trumpet, dog rose, flowering currant, flowering rush, fluellen, fungi, fuschia, gooseberry, green calla, hazel, heart leaf, heuchera, high malow, himalaayan blue hybrid blue, hydrangea, iris, italian aurm, japanese poppy, juniper, leafy vegetables, lettuce, loosestrife, madonna lily, moly, mouse-eared, hawkweed, mushroom, nigth blooming plants, norfolk-island hibiscus, oyster plant, peacenlily, wild pear, pickerel weed, pumpkin, purslane, ranunculus, round cardaom, St. John’s flower, saxifrage, sea holly, seaweed, soma, star anise, stonecrop, strawberry, geranium, sweet pea, tibetan blue, tomato fruit, tree anemone, watercress, water lily, water gladiolus, waterhyacint, white anthurium, white rose, wintergeen, yucca Lunar Fragrances- Incense, Oils and Fumigation Herbs: Almond, clary sage,  Banana, Calamus (herb, essential oil), Camphor, Chamomile, Clary Sage, Dark of the Moon Oil, Dreamworld, Incense, Full Moon Oil, Leaves of Moon Incense, Melon, Menstrual Blood, Orris, Poppy seeds, Rose, Sandarac Storax, Sweet Virginal odors, Waning Moon Oil, Wintergreen, Yesod Oil Incense: Star Anise, Mugwort, Wormwood, Lavender, Mullein, Dittany of Crete, Jasmine, Camphor symbols: the high priestess (tarot card), the chariot (tarot card), bow and arrow, crab, cat, turtle, sphinx, owl body parts and disaeses: Lymphatic system; SAD, PMS, structural brain problems, like tumors drugs: Sedative, hormone-blanacing, tonic to the brain or stomach, narcotic or painkilling, juniper, pennyroyal, emmenogogues, valerian Animal Moon Correspondences: owls, rabbits, wolves, deer, cats, moths, bats, spiders, raccoons, opossum, cows, frogs, dogs, crabs Deities Moon Correspondences (of clairvoyance, divination, maidenhood, cycles, fertility): Sophia, Thoth, Blodeuwedd, Man in the Moon, Rabbit in the Moon, Khonsu, Sina, Gabriel, Aine of Knockaine, Al-Lat, Al-Uzza, Alcyone, Alphito, Anahita, Anat, Andraste, Anu, Aradia, Arianrhod, Artemis, Asherah, Atargatis, Callisto, Cerridwen, Ch'ang O, Chons, Circe, Coatlicue, Coyolxuahqi, Diana, Don, El, Hathor, Hekate, Hera, Inanna, Ixchup, Jana, Juno, Kali, Khensu, Kuu, Luna, Rhiannon, Selene, Siva Somantha, Tlazolteotl moon beings: lemures, ghosts influences: gratitude, friendliness, safe travel, physical health, wealth, protection from enemies, deception, illusion, women, emotions, healing, dreams, prophecy Moon Signs:  The moon sign in your natal chart reveals your feminine side. It governs your deepest fears, your emotional needs and your intuition. Magick: Cycles, emotions, secrets, divination, divine feminine, your feminine side, the subconscious, dreams, and dream work, finding a path, hidden intentions, White tincture, Clairvoyance, Divination by dreams, Bow & Arrow, Controlling or working with cyclical events, Watery, cold, or static states, Good against Sun or Mars influences, Works targeting the emotions, astral travel, subconscious 

Moon altar:

Moon altars are sacred, magical spaces that you create to honor and harness the different energies of the lunar cycle. Like all altars, a moon altar is a place where you can focus and direct energy through your witchcraft. You can perform spells or meditations at your moon altar or simply send your gratitude up to the moon for shining down on you night after night. I want to start by saying there’s no wrong way to make a moon altar. You can set it up inside or outside, elaborate or simple, and everything in between. Though there are certain magical tools that you can include on your altar to add power and focus, there’s no specific set of directions to set up a moon altar. That means you can get as creative as you like when setting up your moon altar. As long as your altar feels sacred, special, and powerful, you’re good to go!

Traveling Moon Altars: You can take your witchcraft with you wherever you go! A popular way to do this is to use a small drawstring bag, an altar cloth tied up to make a pouch, or an empty mint tin to store the magical tools for your moon altar. Put travel-friendly magical tools in your altar containers such as small crystals, tarot cards, birthday candles, colored ribbon (for knot spells or color magic), or any other objects that you feel belong in your moon altar. These altars are great if you love to go hiking and want to set up an altar outside under the moon.  Stationary Moon Altars: This is what people typically think of when it comes to altars. These are the altars that are set up on a dedicated space in your home or outdoor area. Some witches will keep these altars up all the time; other witches will keep their tools in a box or drawer when not in use. These altars are great because you can deck them out with all kinds of trinkets and tools and not have to worry about losing or damaging these items during travel. Mental Altars: This is a more unconventional altar option that might appeal to you if you love visualizing. You can actually make a moon altar using only your mind. In your mind’s eye, visualize a sacred space in any location in the world and include any magical tools you’d like to use on your moon altar. Visualizing an altar is a great meditation on its own or combined with other moon rituals like taking a moon bath (in lunar light) or performing divination magic under the moon. If you don’t have the time or energy to set up an altar, you can sit outside under the moon or by a window and simply visualize your moon altar.

representing the moon on the altar: chrystals (Some witches believe that moonstone is best used during the waxing moon phase because all the other phases of the moon deplete or dilute its energy.), with plants, herbs, flower Candles to Represent the Moon: Any kind of candle can represent the moon because candles are tools that provide light. White tea lights are ideal for moon altars because they’re inexpensive, and they’re round like the moon. They also make black tea lights which are nice to use during the new moon. Use your moon candle for spells or divination methods like scrying and candle gazing. You can burn intentions with your moon candle if you like. You can also try lighting your candle for the waxing moon and full moon phases and keeping your candle unlit for the waning moon and new moon phases. Unusual Tools to Represent the Moon: egg, marshmallow, sugar or salt, ribbon, a mirror

Water of moon

associations: the chariot VII, Het, Homakhu, Apollo hte Charioteer zodiac: cancer stones: emerald, cat’s eye, pearl, moonstone, amber plants: lotus, moonwort, papaver somniferum, passionflower, water lily, white poppy, white rose colors: pale blue, viler, pearl, white, amber, dark greenish, brown, rich bright russet, maroon animals: crab, turtle, sphinx body parts: stomach beings: vampire scents: onycha, rose, lotus drugs: watercress magick: Power of casting enchantments; weapon is the furnace; figures are Populus and Via 

Where my informations are from(for credit):

!Please look up the links, because some thins I already writed down before, that things have been left out. https://otherworldlyoracle.com/lunar-magick-beginners/ https://witchipedia.com/astrology/moon/ https://www.alchemy-works.com/planets_moon.html https://luxsaturni.com/planetary-magic/luna/ https://thetravelingwitch.com/blog/how-to-create-an-effective-moon-altar-for-your-magic

More articles and informations:

Luna I - Lunar Consciousness and Identity – Contemplation in the Sphere of the Moon Luna II - Correspondences in Luna – Altar and Physical Foundations Luna III - Symbolism in Luna – Meditational and Initiatory Foundations Luna IV - Lunar Magic – The Cyclicity of Manifestation Luna V - Continuance of Lunar Work - Eclipsing the Ego Luna VI - Lunar Astrophysics – Advancing the Art

"

"Do the thing, do the thing!" the little elf whispered to their twin.

The twin grinned, both childrens' eyes dappled with sunlight from their hiding place and sparkling with mischief as the one cast Mimicry - the sound of a great rumbling beast echoed through the clearing. The travelers jumped to attention, looking around the clearing for any sign of the supposed beast, calling to each other in Common as they drew their weapons.

From their hiding place, the twins snickered before the first one playfully pushed the second one and insisted they continue. The second one nodded, then looked back at the clearing and focused. Opening their mouth, they threw their voice and -

"Who dares enter my lands?" a deep voice rumbled in Common from all around the clearing, causing the travelers to spin in all derections to try and pin the source.

"We are… travelers," one called out - voice was deep and strong, full of authority; of merchant class at least, based on the good quality of their armor. Their hair was black, long and tied back with beads strung through, and they looked to be of at least partial drow descent - "adventurers, passing through to find the Misted Woods and hoping to help aid in the rumored turmoil there. We mean you no harm nor disrespect by traveling through your lands, and ask for safe passage."

One of their party members hissed something at them, and they responded in kind until the voice returned.

"Safe passage…" it echoed —

"…What do we do?" the second twin asked the first.

The first one thought for a second, then quickly suggested: "Questions!"

— then gave a laugh, low like the scraping of stone against itself. "Very well. Answer these questions, and you may pass."

There was more hissing among the party, but eventually the drow said quickly-

"We'll do it."

One member seemed upset at their acceptance of the deal, and the party bickered once more until the rumbling resumed. The second twin had casted Mimicry once again, and this time, from the southeast end of the clearing, the far left from the hiding position of the twins, a Sphinx emerged from the rubble.

"Your first question," the Sphinx rumbled as it pawed forward: "who are you?" the Sphinx asked the drow as it settled, cocking its head to the side.

"I am Alex Rosworth, pronouns he-him-his," the drow said.

The Sphinx hummed in acknowledgement.

"Your second question: what is your function?"

There was a slight pause as Alex muttered to himself, confused, but then shook his head, seeming to find his answer.

"I am a fighter," he responded.

"Your third question: where are you from?"

"I hail from Juülpo, in the north."

"Your fourth-"

"Um, excuse me?" one of Alex's party members piped up. They were perhaps gmomish, noticeable only by their pure white clothes with gold edges and pink hair. "How many questions does he-?"

"Silence," the Sphinx bellowed, baring its teeth as it spins into a defensive position. "I ask the questions here," it snarled. "Interrupt again and I will eat your bones." After a stretch of silence, the Sphinx huffed and settled once again.

"Your fourth question: when the Tyrant King of Quimberfell was slain-"

"We're supposed to know history for this?!" the same party member cried.

"Aliese!" several party members groaned.

From their hiding place, the first twin burst into giggles, trying to keep themself quiet so not to disturb their sister or the adventurers before them.

The Sphinx popped back into its defensive position and pulled back its teeth into a fearsome snarl, its fangs sharp and probably as large as Aliese themself, its face twisted in deadly anger.

"I will eat your bones, small one!" It boomed, and then kept forward and bounded across the open space in a mater of seconds.

In that span of time, Alex had pulled out his sword and now swiped at the Sphinx as it approached - …swinging at air as the illusion dissipated upon first contact.

"Oh no," the first twin muttered. "Quick," they told their twin, "cast it again before-!"

"I can't!" the second twin exclaimed in a whisper. "I can only do it twice a day, remember? I did it for the rumbling, I did it for the big thing-!"

"…Hello?" one of the party members called out. "Is anyone out there?"

"As I said before," Alex chimes in, "we mean you no harm."

"Bit," the first twin whisper-asks, "what do we do?"

"I don't know," Bit whisper-shouts, "this was your idea, Emmy!"

"Well I-!"

"Hello?" another voice calls, now more towards the direction of their hiding hole. The two freeze as the voice seems to address them, or at least their direction.

"I think I heard voices," that same voice says to their party, pausing as if to gesture, "in that direction."

Footsteps.

The twins could feel the blood beating in their chests. The first twin took a deep breath, then looked out their hiding hole.

Two amber eyes poke out from a hole in the ground, large ears standing straight up. A moment later, a second pair of eyes and ears joins them. They watch the party, who paused when the first eyes appeared and who pause now.

"We mean you no harm," says the third voice gently, belonging to a young-looking elf with oak-brown eyes and blue markings.

They see the elf is right. None of the party members have their weapons drawn - they all have their hands visible and extended open-palmed, with only three closer than the rest, the elf among them and the closest, crouched low to the ground.

Slowly, the first set of eyes and ears emerge, the second following, and soon two twin elves with long caramel-colored hair and lots of freckles stand before them. One grabs the others' hand and holds it tight.

"Hello," the elf says softly, giving them a small smile. "I'm Kelzuli, pronouns ze-zir-zirs. Who are you?"

"Ze reminds me of Yama," the second one whispers, cupping their hand to the first ones' ear.

"Should we bring all them over, then?" the first one whispers back.

"Well we haven't been attacked yet, so maybe they're all decent people?"

"That's not the same and you know it."

"They still haven't though. Maybe just take them through the front?"

Before the twin could respond, the first one extended their hand.

"Emmy, pronouns she-her-hers."

The second twin made a sound of protest, the sighed and stuck out their hand as well.

"Elizabeth, pronouns she-her-hers."

Kelzuli smiled at them as ze cris-crossed zir arms and properly shook both their hands at the same time.

"It's nice to meet you both," ze said.

"

Little Buttercups

A.N: I’m Undertale trash. And I’m TCR trash.

For those who don’t know the Flowerfell AU, every time Frisk dies, a flower grows on their body. This AU had garnered a big following, but all big followings come with danger.

Because I do not want to upset one of the original authors, I won’t be tagging this as “Flowerfell”, but instead as “Little Buttercups”.

If there ever is more writing of this TCR AU, it will always be tagged as “Little Buttercups”.

I also want to strictly say, this AU belongs to no one, and the original author does not owe anyone anything.

If you enjoy something, do not ruin it for anyone else.

And don’t go harassing anyone.

Please enjoy what little of this I’ve written.

I dedicate this to @nanenna

His eyes were a sick yellow and red, slit like a cat’s and set against sickly pale skin. Fur surrounded the human face, like a sphinx from the legends she read as a child. Only this one looked like it didn’t want to ask her riddles.

“Well hello there, sweetheart. Don’t you know how to shake a friend’s hand?”

She was shaking, holding the sentient flower close to her chest. Her hand came forward and touched against a feverish palm and sharpened nails and dug into her flesh. She felt fire burn through her.

***

The sparkling SAVE was what she woke up to. Her head felt a little heavier, and her bangs didn’t block her vision. She reached and touched the petals, noticing the strands of silky brown caught in the bloom and stem.

She came down the path again, and when the eyes greeted her again, she shook harder. When the hand came forward again, she refused, arms wrapped tight around the flower’s boot and her chest. He frowned, staring at his empty palm, before a sly grin crossed his lips.

“Smart.”

He didn’t say much else, the sick eyes staring right at her soul, small but strong, and glowing red.

She swallowed, wetting dry and cracked lips. She took a step forward, making her way past him. He didn’t stop her, frozen in place, the same smile still stretched across his face.

His voice was suddenly by her ear, bites of frost down the side of her neck and down her spine in the form of pure terror.

“Good luck. Don’t worry, I won’t tell my sister you’re up ahead.”

She swallowed again, her stomach twisting knots. But she nodded and whispered, “thank you” to them. The flower whined out distrust, but she held her head high, held it strong.

She saw the swish of a cape.

***

The SAVE point burned her eyes, bright yellow against bone white snow. Her head felt heavier, left eye having a little less sight.

***

“Good luck.”

“Thank you.”

Another death, another save point, another flower.

***

Her left eye was gone.

***

His face changed each time she came back trough. Sometimes it was still a smirk, but more it was a glower. As he wished her good luck yet again, and she knew she’d head to her death again (maybe we’ll make it past this time), she looked at him again.

And smiled.

“Thank you.”

He lost it.

***

There was a flower on her neck.

***

“Why do you keep saying that?”

He was calmer this time. Confused, concerned, curious, but calm.

She looked conflicted for a moment before she shrugged. Her little flower scoffed, glaring at him, wrapping around her wrist instead of the boot. Like being physically attached to her could make a difference.

“Always be kind.”

He frowned at that answer.

“Even after all that I’ve done? Even after I’ve told Louise?”

She nodded, her voice a whisper.

“Always be kind.”

There were echoes in her head, more whispers, more pleading, more sayings of “always be kind, kind, kindness is all we have, kindness is all we can give, kindness is enough”.

He chewed on his lip enough that it bled, and he took her hand.

“C’mon. I know a shortcut.”

***

They barely passed by Louise, more Beast than Beauty. Her fur was like her brothers, though her face was more skeletal, and eyes deadlier.

He held her close, reaching around to press her against his back. She didn’t dare breath, SOUL pounding with her heart in an unsteady rhythm. His breath was sharp, watching as his sister marched down the snow-covered path towards his station.

He growled out a, “Wait here”, gone in a flash. She stayed frozen where she was, willing herself to become like the snow-covered trees. Her flower quivered against her chest, pressed against the warm flesh of her neck.

Voices wafted on the breeze, soon becoming shouts that sliced through the silence. She stifled her shivers, unsure if they were from the cold or fear. Footsteps crunched down the path again, and she didn’t dare look. A hand wrapped around her own, and his voice was by her ear.

“Stay with me, sweetheart, and I’ll get you to the castle and out of here.”

Her flower whispered fear and distrust, but she simply ran her fingers over their petals in the hopes of calming them. This was her only chance.

She looked at his extended hand, offered to her in peace instead of malice. She took a deep breath and took his hand.

“I trust you.”

Egypt Day 3- Giza

Upon waking up this morning I had a brief opportunity to meet my "roommate". A sweet woman from Melbourne and it turns out I DO relate to someone in my tour, however she is in a different group. I suppose it's better this way as it allows me to be with my thoughts and still have someone to talk to when the opportunity arises. I'm glad that everyone's nice on the surface so we are all getting along at least. No clashing personalities. But I'll be honest, I find it hard to leave my judgements behind when someone only eats the western food and refuses to try the local cuisine. Seems strange to me to go halfway around the world and eat spaghetti Bolognese when there's plenty of Egyptian meat and veggie options. Personally, I avoid the food that looks familiar to me. And thankfully there's plenty of exotic things to try. We had an early start at 7 AM and made straight for Saqqara. It was my first time seeing hieroglyphs in their home land and again I was overwhelmed with emotion. I have waited my entire life for this experience. It was only 8:30 but the sweat was already falling in rivulets from my face so the chill of the tomb was a nice reprieve. The walls were covered from floor to ceiling and the ceiling was covered in stars. It was a true spectacle and I had to stare in wonder at the level of ingenuity and sophistication it must have required so long ago. The quality of the work is so good that the paint and carvings are still intact in many places. The art is incredible, telling stories of daily life for the Egyptians, rituals, and how they perceived the world. Absolutely magical. After wandering around for a couple of hours we headed back to Giza to view the great pyramids and the Sphinx. While I was there, I wanted so badly to have a time machine so that I could see it in its original magnificence. Even though the pyramids are slowly crumbling you can still clearly see how at one point it was entirely smooth and polished, almost reflective white, and the tour guide confirmed that it was at one point capped in gold at the tip. He also confirmed that hardly anything has been found within. I find it hard to believe that these were built as tombs if no bodies were retrieved from them, especially after seeing Saqqara with the meticulous and ornate hieroglyphs of the tombs there. My skepticism was confirmed when the guide informed us that there are two "ventilation" shafts on either side and they meet in the middle. In this chamber, the guide said food does not go bad and if you put a dirty old razor in there for a few days it will come out looking brand new. If this is true, then there is something else clearly at work here. I'm not an expert and I have no room to provide theories but some things just aren't adding up. Then you look at the Sphinx. It's easy to be mesmerized by its intense stare and the blank expression is a reminder that it will not give its secrets easily. What I would do to be able to go underneath and explore the chambers within. I could have remained there all day and on a future visit when I'm not burdened by a group and time constraint, I believe I will. After we wrapped up, we went to the market and older post of the city for a traditional lunch. Buffet style. The food is incredible but I ate it as quickly as possible so that I could go and make a quick visit to Kamal before I go. He was sitting there, teaching his niece to read and write when he saw me approaching and came over four a warm embrace and a welcoming smile. I was home again. I didn't have long but I sat and had some tea with him and a brief conversation. He told me he had a dream about me- That I was sitting in his home by myself thinking and staring and he was wondering how I got there and what I was thinking about. At that point the Swedish architect walked in and we had a moment of camaraderie before we were interrupted from my tour guide coming to retrieve me. I was so sad to have to say goodbye but gave Kamal, his niece, and Mr Sweden a big hug and thanked them. As always, they told me to come back whenever. Anytime I'm in their area, I most certainly will. After being shuffled back on the bus w went to a traditional Egyptian "perfumery". The owner would scold me for calling it that but I don't know hire else to describe it. But it certainly isn't perfume. These are essential oils, the base of all perfumes, meticulously concocted over long periods of time. They are a family company that has been around for 3 generations since the early 1920's. The Temple Flowers Essences is a clean and dimly lit shop with the family living upstairs. Glass shelves line the walls with colorful glass perfume bottles in all shapes and sizes and the floor along the walls has large pillows that serve as seats for their patrons. They kindly offer us Turkish coffee, tea and water and begin to tell us about the process for extraction and the ingredients used to create these oils. They have zero chemicals and are made using traditional methods. The primary components are a wooden box or jar, sand or dust, water, and a flower or combination of flowers. They only use the center petals when it is in full blossom. They then combine all these ingredients and bury it under the warm sand for an extended period of time until the porous wood and hat from the sand start to evaporate the water. The sand or dust pulls all the petals to the bottom and what you're left with is a pure essential oil. They found jars of essential oils in King Tutts tomb and even after centuries had not lost their aroma. The oils are like the ones Gouda has but a much more vast variety. The owner asks us what our favorite perfume or cologne is and we all start naming brands from around the world. One by one he pulls down glass jars with various colored oils inside. Viva la juicy, Chanel, Brittany spears, Victoria's secret, Chloé, Aqua di Gioe (?), cool water, all here and in their purest form at a fraction of the price. He explains that perfumeries use these essential oils mixed with alcohol or ethanol. These are not good because they get absorbed into the skin or evaporate and the smell can be quite overpowering. The oils are pure, subtle, and slowly absorbed by the skin without pulling toxins into the body. They can also be put into an oil burner and burned for incense that will last quite awhile. I bought a box of six different ones. I don't think I'll ever need to purchase perfume again. We finally wrapped up and headed back to the hotel to grab our belongings to hit the road for our nine hour drive to Luxor. I'm writing this from the bus and we should arrive around midnight.

Amonkhet God Cycle

It seems that all of the new Gods have been spoiled so let’s do a run down of strengths and weaknesses.

Unlike the previous god cycles, we currently only have one per color.   This is ok, we are in Ancient Egyptian culture so there will likely be more, maybe here, but more likely in the next set (Hour of Devastation).

Amhonket Gods overview:

Pros:

Can crew larger vehicles on their first turn for only a low mana investment.

Indestructible avoids most removal.

Activated abilities are all relevant to standard play.

Cons:

As they are always creatures they can be force sacrificed to Edict style effects.

In a format that cares about multiple card types (looking at you Delirium), they only have one.

No static abilities.

Ok so first I will rank the current Gods and then a little compare and contrast to the older Theros gods.

Coming in last place is, number 5 is the White God, Oketra the True.

http://mythicspoiler.com/akh/cards/oketrathetrue.html

This one is tough.  Someone has to be in last place and I picked Oketra. This doesn’t mean I don’t like her.  At 4 cmc with a 4 cmc activated ability, assuming you have no creatures in play before cast, she is a 16 mana investment to swing.  That being said, that scenario is unlikely in such a creature heavy meta.  

While she has doublestrike (which is sweet), that also means that her power is artificially softened.  This means she is less useful than say Kefnet in the world of Vehicles.  Unlike Kefnet and Bontu,  Oketra doesn’t have true evasion so that is a minus there.

Her activated ability is potentially amazing however.  In the right conditions, we know that a non-tap activated ability to make tokens can be abused with a mana engine.

Best case scenario she is a 3/6 indestructible doublestriker for 4.  

Worst case scenario she is a 4 cmc indestructible token producer.

While the deck doesn’t exist yet, I would be interest in seeing Oketra in a tapout control build with every boardwipe in standard.  Just wipe and then make more tokens and attack with smaller vehicles.

In my number 4 slot I have the Blue God, Kefnet the Mindful.

http://mythicspoiler.com/akh/cards/kefnetthemindful.html

In my opinion, he is the slowest attacking God on his own and has the most expensive activated ability with the least value.  This doesn’t mean he is useless.  Just being blue is an advantage for the card, plus like all the other current gods he can crew vehicles.  He does have card draw built in so he gives card advantage, but honestly I don’t see Kefnet as being relevant in our current Standard meta unless a true control build or landfall mechanic is being abused.  

At 3 cmc Kefnet is played before a critical turn in most Standard games but does nothing to stop 4 color Saheeli on the draw.  Kefnet rewards careful long play, which isn’t really the standard meta right now.

Best case scenario he is a 5/5 indestructible flier for 3.  

Worst case scenario he is a 3 cmc indestructible Mobilization.

Number 3 is Hazoret the Fervent.

http://mythicspoiler.com/akh/cards/hazoretthefervent.html

At a 4 cmc we get a 5/4 body which crews most vehicles and has haste, which makes makes her a much better mid-game drop.  She favors aggressive players who play cards quickly.  Her activated ability is where she shines in my opinion.  In a format where there are so many graveyard mechanics (Delirium, Embalm, Aftermath, activated/triggered recursion like Scrapheap Scrounger/Prized Amalgam) a discard effect that causes a life point swing is pretty good.  I would like the ability more if it cost 2 or allowed you to direct the damage at creatures, but this is pretty good.

I am uncertain if she will see much constructed play, but I think with the colors in the top decks there is a good chance.

Best case scenario he is a 5/4 indestructible haster for 4. 

Worst case scenario he is a 4 cmc indestructible Stormbind like effect. 

Number 2 for my list is Bontu the Glorified.

http://mythicspoiler.com/akh/cards/bontutheglorified.html

This Anubis inspired guy has a lot going on.  At a 3 cmc he can crew anything you play at that early stage, but missed the top slot for me due to being below 5 power.  His trigger is easy to make unlike a lot of the other Gods, but hard to maintain unless you are running recursion, which is fine because he is in the right color for that.

He is the only God that can activate himself if you have another copy of him in your hand.  His  activated ability is also the only ability that is guaranteed to trigger his attack.  The 2 point life swing is small, but can be really good if you are running recursion and/or token generation.  

That being said he belongs in a certain range of decks and does need to be built around a bit.

Best case scenario he is a 4/6 indestructible meanacer for 3.

Worst case scenario he is a 3 cmc indestructible Gnawing Zombie effect.

Number 1 on my breakdown is  Rhonas the Indomitable.

http://mythicspoiler.com/akh/cards/rhonastheindomitable.html

Alright, so…. I don’t like this card.  Just want to put that out there.  I think it is the most well positioned card to do well in the current meta for Standard.  That’s it.  Currently Aggro is king and Green is everywhere.  That’s what he is.  The Status Quo.  Boring regular old creature damage.  

On the plus side, at 3 cmc he comes out early and can likely swing on turn 4 provided you have a bear on turn 2.  He can crew almost anything, he even gives other bigguns trample at  instant speed as a combat trick.  He is green aggro personified.  But boring.

Old Gods vs New Gods

In Theros a lot of attention was paid to set mechanics and it seemed that there was not much help from the FFL.  We ended up with some amazing mechanics on some of the strangest bodies ever seen. Mechanically, the Theros Gods are way better as they give static abilities/effects plus activated ones.  Even the concept of Devotion was well thought out, as a God they couldn’t affect anything unless enough ‘followers’ were on the battlefield.  There only real downside on most of them was the cost.

Not all of the Theros Gods were affected by this of course. In this analysis I am sticking to the just the mono-color Theros Gods.  I am sure we will see more in Hour of Devastation and we can revisit this.

Take Thassa, God of the Sea vs Kefnet the Mindful for example.

There is a good bit of similarity on the bodies of both cards, 3 CMC, 5/5, Indestructible.  But the power level between the two is immense. Thassa provides passive card advantage as a static ability, when Kefnet wants you to invest to gain it.  While neither can attack on their own, Thassa provides very little assistance toward it as her Devotion is only at 1.  Kefnet will eventually be able to attack on his own, but based on the average flux of cards it is likely both will take the same amount of turns to be active.  Kefnet does have a slight favor in this scenario.

The biggest gap in power level (ignoring the lack of a force sacrifice weakness on the Amonkhet God cycle) is the activated ability that is on Thassa.  She has the ability to not only give evasion to her ‘Devotees‘ she can also make herself unblockable once she is a creature.

Let’s look at Erebos, God of the Dead vs Bontu the Glorified next.

CMC isn’t too different, power and toughness are oddly similar, and (shocker!) they both deal with life loss.  Now Necropotence he ain’t but Greed like abilities like this are usually pretty powerful. His static ability is better suited for Red, but isn’t bad at all considering the type of decks you could find Erebos in. Bontu on the other hand, just like Kefnet did, feels like the younger bother of the Theros God.

I am beginning to suspect that this was intentional.  Some of this is covered in MaRo’s article here. As far as design goes, I’d say that Bontu wins this one.  He can attack more often and much sooner.  Erebos is too suicidal to feel very oppressive unless you already had control of the game.  #Winmore

Finally let’s look at Heliod, God of the Sun vs Oketra the True.

Again we see a very similar take on the old God.  Same CMC, same toughness, even the Activated Ability is almost the same.  The Static ability on Heliod makes him a lot more like Mobilization, but both cards trigger to attack around the same count of creatures.  The only difference is that Heliod can never activate himself. As with all of the ability trade-offs the new Gods lost their static abilities for a regular creature trait like doublestrike.  No clear winner here for me, but I feel Heliod still has the edge.

Overall, I am excited about the new Gods.  I think they will fit into their meta just as well as the Theros Gods did.  I am not sure if they will persist into eternal formats as of yet, but as they are mostly under 4 CMC I think it is possible.

Design of the new cycle is solid, but feels a little too rehashed to me.  I would have appreciated a more Amonkhet themed set of static abilities, like giving Embalm to doods in your graveyard, or maybe some Sphinx riddle action, maybe even a hat tip to the Theros weapons in having the Gods represented unlock a static ability when you control their shrine.

Alas shoulda coulda woulda.  Good Job guys and gals at Wizards, set seems solid so far.

image credits:

https://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/comments/248e5c/theros_gods_wallpaper_i_made/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz8mHOAGYaw

Storyteller: The Labyrinth AU Part 6

“So my brother’s at the gates.”

“Hmm? Oh, right. Sorry about this,” Katara added, distractedly encasing Azula in a crystal. “You are the bait if he makes it to the Escher room.” With the mortal sister safely tucked away, the Goblin Queen donned a more imposing outfit and took her place to observe the battle in the city. She could feel magic being tossed about, but before she could cry foul, the intent of self-defense reached her - and she realized the magic did not belong to her friends.

“So Azula, you may not have lost your brother after all,” she mused aloud.

Zuko was getting pretty good at battle magic, he thought.

The three Underground natives had stressed the importance of intent with magic, especially here. The Underground was about wishes, so pure want would do more for him than anything else. Aang stressed wanting to defend themselves, as that would clear their path and keep the goblins from harm, and might keep Katara from looking too close.

He felt more alive than he ever had before. Flames easily bat away the goblin ammunition and sent them running - unscathed - to hide away as he carved a path to the castle gates.

He didn’t see his allies exchange glances with every pointer they give him.

The Goblin Queen didn’t seem to be mounting any serious effort. The goblins rushed them with no strategy, no coordination. They just didn’t adapt to his tactics, and the few precious years he spent as his father’s heir came roaring back.

When Zuko found himself in a throne room, no Goblin Queen or sister in sight but the sense he is meant to race through a doorway, he turned to the three who followed him all this way.

“I think you have to stay here.”

“What?”

Zuko just looked at Aang, who took a step back and shrunk under that gaze. Zuko mentally promised to feel bad for that later. He looked at Toph, who seemed unfazed, and Suki, who considered him like a puzzle or prey.

“This is the way these things are done, right? The hero has allies who help him along, but in the end, he still faces the dragon alone.”

At that, Suki chuckled. “I promise you, Zuko, the Goblin Queen is not a dragon.”

He shrugged. “Whatever metaphor works.”

Zuko turned to leave, but Toph added, “If you need us, just call. We’ll be there, and we’ll help. Promise. Even Aang here. Hell, especially Aang.”

“That was uncalled for.”

“Oh really? Well-”

He hurried through the doorway, leaving them bickering away.

The stairs wound upwards, a spiral that coiled like a spring, and just when Zuko might have exploded in frustration, the staircase opened into a strange room full of more stairs. Trying to follow any one possible path soon twisted beyond his ability to follow. Gravity didn’t work like that - couldn’t work like that. He took a few steps forward, hoping things would clear but they didn’t. It was Escher’s dream, and Zuko had half a mind to turn around and quit when he heard laughter.

Azula, across the room, raced up a staircase and along another, running parallel to the ground, and vanished behind another staircase.

He didn’t think; he just ran. He didn’t think about how the room defied logic, he just chased his sister. She was always agonizingly beyond his reach, laughing, spirited, happier than he’d seen in a long time. She never reacted to his calls, so he chased the phantom with growing desperation.

The Goblin Queen lingered in the room as well - always near but out of reach, watching, waiting, her face devoid of expression or emotion. Zuko tried to pay her no mind, his attention solely on what would get him and Azula out.

This was new - a fear caught in this throat. It knotted itself into an angry ball at the base of his neck, curling on itself as he pushed himself farther and faster up and down and across and under impossible staircases. He wasn’t going to leave her, not without a fight. Each thump of his heart and laughing view of Azula just beyond his reach started to feel like the tick of a clock, of time slipping through his grasp.

When Zuko stood practically five stories up, looking down at his sister giggling just above the ground at the very bottom, he almost collapsed. How was he supposed to get to her, when this very structure seemed to change to suit its pleasure?

Almost as soon as he gave into despair, determination roared to life again. He did not slip his way past sphinx and out of oubliette just to give up now. There was magic at his fingertips, and maybe he was untrained, but fire seemed to like him. Maybe there was a way to harness that, to speed his chase.

Zuko looked over the edge, and realized the obvious. He did not even glance at the Goblin Queen as he threw every inch of will into getting his sister back as he stepped off the stairs and jumped.

He heard Azula laughing brightly and an agonized cry as the stairs exploded away. Air seemed to grab at him, slowing his fall as he came to easily rest on a platform that wasn’t there before, sandstone pillars in states of disarray ringing it. Of course, it also seemed to be floating in midair as far as he could tell with soft clouds obscuring any further line of sight, though a fancy clock with thirteen hours hung in the clouds between two pillars.

The Goblin Queen, in soft tans and white, paced like a caged lioness, cloak fluttering behind her.

“You absolute, suicidal, unthinking fool!” She rounded on him, gloved hand angrily tossing the cloak aside. The bones holding it to her shoulders rattled. “Do you have any idea the magic it takes to do this? To save you from death?”

Zuko smiled grimly, resolute, and straightened his shoulders. “I was confident you wouldn’t let me die.”

She hissed back, “So you gamble with your life and your sister’s? I ought to rig the game in my favor. But it doesn’t matter, you won’t be able to leave, anyway.”

what.

Katara managed to keep the smirk off her face at his expression. This was a serious issue and while she would collect what humor she could, he needed to know this was not a laughing matter.

“Don’t think you can hide your magic from me. I’ve felt it brush my goblins aside and I sense it now, humming under your skin.”

“What does that have to do with breaking the deal?”

“Aboveground, Earth, whatever, it has no magic, but it used to. We once wandered alongside you - my grandfather kept a summer home Above. But when all homes went Under we took the magic with us, and Earth remembers. She still feels that hole and seeks to fill it. She will suck the magic from your very bones, and, since it's tied to your life, when you fail to replace a millennium's store of magic, she will take that, too. Untrained, you have a month, tops."

His eyes narrowed, and she continued, "Your sister likely has such an aptitude. You both can stay, if you like. I won't force her to be adopted out. However, I can't in good conscience let you leave to wither and die."

Zuko seemed to be mulling her words over, and then he glanced at the clock. “You’re trying to distract me.”

“No, I’m not; I swear by-”

“It won’t work. See, I’ve read the stories. I know how these things must be done.” He leveled a gaze at her, and Katara really wanted to kidnap him. “Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way-”

“Don’t you understand? You’ll die if you go back! I am trying to save you!”

“-to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child stolen-”

“Don’t you care about your own life? You won’t be a prisoner, not at all.”

“-from me. For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom as great-”

“I am offering you training!” Katara took a step forward, hand out and offering, desperation beginning to creep over her features as emotion finally started bleeding into his as he recited The Words. He paused, listening. “I am offering you a new life, magic and power, fame, whatever you want, your heart’s desire-”

She thought of a slender man with golden eyes and cut off, flinching.

Zuko did not stop the pained sneer from curling across his lips. “What do you know of my heart’s desire?” With his shoulders squared he looked her dead in the eyes. “You have no-”

There came a roar and the ground beneath them shook as the entire system of defenses for the Underground were attacked, even the small pocket world Katara had created. She stumbled under the onslaught, and then suddenly Zuko’s arms were around her and they were falling to the side. She noted, briefly, that he had just shoved her out of the way of a falling pillar. That second of consideration was all she took before wrapping the two of them up in the sense of home, and they were deposited without ceremony in the throne room in time for another rolling earthquake.

“What’s happening?”

Azula crouched by the throne, and Zuko immediately ran to her. Katara did not miss his warmth as she stood, centering herself in the Labyrinth. With its ruler in place, the kingdom’s defenses were naturally strengthened, as was her magic. She tossed a crystal back towards the siblings, letting it land on the throne.

“My kingdom is under attack. In accordance with a deal made with my brother, I forfeit in your favor as it is no longer safe for you to remain. Take the crystal and you will both be returned home, time reordered so it will be as if you never left. Do not think I have forgotten about your magic - I will come for you once the dragons or trolls or whatever have been dealt with.”

With a fortifying breath, the pale outfit faded away to more practical battle armor. She looked back at the siblings, still staring at her. “What are you doing? Go!”

A hand around his sister’s wrist, Zuko reached for the crystal. However, at that moment another attack was launched - magical, if it was trolls they had help - and in the quake the crystal rolled off the chair. Zuko started after it, but this time the quake was accompanied by an intelligible roar, echoing from all sides.

“Goblin Queen!”

Her mind tried to match the voice to one she knew, and she had some vague ideas. Confident Sokka would know, she sent a crystal to summon her brother, and with that movement she was surprised to see the siblings still there, frozen, pale with shock.

Now she was getting frustrated. “What?”

Azula replied, her voice timid with awe and fear, “That’s our dad.”

14 Top Tips for Visiting the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt: The Ultimate Guide

These 14 top tips will answer all your questions about visiting the Pyramids of Giza so you’re well-prepared for the magical day when you see the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

If seeing the Pyramids of Giza isn’t on your bucket list then I don’t know what is. The Great Pyramid of Giza is an incredible example of human engineering and construction. Its sheer size and scale rivals any structure built within the last few hundred years. As one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it is the only monument on the list that is still standing today.

I realised my own personal lifelong dream when I visited the Giza Plateau. I loved it so much that I went twice during the same trip! Here are my best tips to help you plan your visit to the Pyramid Complex of Giza.

Looking for something in particular? Use this table of contents below to jump around using the links.

Table of Contents

Map of Egyptian Pyramids of Giza

This map shows you all the locations mentioned in this guide. Click on the pins for more information.

Tip: For a larger view of the map, click on the icon in the top right corner. If the icon is hidden and you’re viewing this on your phone, go to landscape mode. Technology, eh?

Why were the Egyptian Pyramids of Giza built?

Nearly 5,000 years ago, Giza became the royal burial ground for Memphis, which was then, the Capital of Egypt. Within 100 years, three successive generations of the ancient Egyptians built the three pyramid complexes to serve as tombs for their kings.

When were the Pyramids built?

The Pyramids of Giza were built during the 4th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom from around 2613-2498 BC. The oldest and largest of the Pyramids, the Great Pyramid, was built by the 4th-Dynasty king, Khufu (2589-2566 BC.)

Who built the Pyramids of Giza?

For a long time, it was believed that the Giza Pyramids were built by slaves. This theory dates back to the Ancient Greeks, however, the idea that the Pyramids were built by slaves is a myth and has never had any archaeological proof.

It wasn’t until 2010 that an archaeological team led by Dr. Zahi Hawass discovered several new tombs that belonged to the workers who built the pyramids of Khufu and Khafre.

Archaeologists now agree that the men who built the pyramids were, in fact, highly-skilled workmen, not slaves.

These tombs were built beside the king’s pyramid, which indicates that these people were not by any means slaves. If they were slaves, they would not have been able to build their tombs beside their king’s.

Dr. Hawass

Where are the Pyramids?

The Egyptian Pyramids are located within the Pyramids complex on the Giza plateau approximately 25km (15 miles) south-west of Downtown Cairo.

These pyramids include the Great Pyramid of Khufu (aka Cheops), Pyramid of Khafre (aka Chephren) and the Pyramid of Menkaure (aka Mycerinus) and the smallest of the three main Pyramids of Giza.

The pyramids were purposely built on the West Bank of the River Nile because the Ancient Egyptians believed that the East side of the Nile (East bank) was for the living, because the sunrises there, whilst the West Bank was for the dead (where the sun sets).

As you travel around Egypt, you will notice that all tombs are located on the West Bank of the Nile.

14 Top Tips for Visiting the Egyptian Pyramids of Giza

1. When is the best time to visit the Pyramids of Giza?

In general, the best time to visit Egypt is during the winter. More specifically, the best time to visit the Pyramids of Giza is after the morning rush of tourist buses. I recommend going to the Egyptian Museum first thing in the morning, this was you’ll miss the tour buses which arrive at the Pyramids between 9:30 am – 10:30 am.

Another the benefit of waiting a bit longer is that it will give more time for the haze of pollution to clear up a bit. Yes, Cairo is very polluted, particularly in the mornings.

2. How do I get to the Pyramids?

The Mortuary Temple of Khafre

Giza Pyramid Complex is only about 18 kilometre from Downtown Cairo however, Cairo is a heavily trafficked city. Using the public transportation available in Cairo, there are three different modes of transport you can use to reach the Pyramids.

Taxi

Taking a taxi to the pyramids is by far the easiest option as there is very little effort required on your part. From anywhere in central Cairo, you can flag down a taxi on any main street and ask to go to the ‘Haram’ (this is what the pyramids are locally known as).

The only downside to taking a taxi is that you might get stuck in traffic. On a good run, it will take thirty minutes to reach the entrance to the Giza complex. Worse case scenario it could take closer to an hour if not more. There are three different kinds of taxi services available in Cairo:

Black Taxi – Black taxis are the oldest of the three. Don’t be surprised if they don’t have a meter or air-conditioning. White Taxi – White taxis are the modern version of black taxis complete with a fare meter and air-conditioning. Yellow Taxi – Yellow taxis are the most expensive, professionally serviced and can be pre-booked over the phone.

Tips for taking a taxi:

I always recommend taking a white taxi. Before you get in, make sure you agree on a price and don’t be afraid to bargain hard for a good rate. Expect to pay around 40 LE (Egyptian Pounds) from anywhere in Downtown Cairo.

If you prefer, it is possible to pay extra and have the taxi wait for you until you’ve finished visiting the Giza Pyramids Complex to then take you back to the hotel. While the option is there, keep in mind that the complex is huge and you could easily spend all day there. Plus, you don’t necessarily need to do this as there are plenty of taxis servicing both sides of the complex from the main entrance and exit near the Sphinx. I did, however, choose to pay extra for a taxi to come inside the complex and drive me around. This came in handy when I wanted to go around to the panoramic lookout which is far away.

Uber

Uber is the best, most convenient and still a very cheap option. The best part is that you won’t have to worry about haggling for the best price. Expect to pay around 60LE to the pyramids from central Cairo.

Public Bus

An even cheaper (yes, it’s possible) way to get to the Giza Pyramids from Downtown Cairo is by taking the public bus. The buses are comfortable and some have air-conditioners. Tickets are only 2.50 LE.

If you’re visiting the Egyptian Museum in the morning (which I highly recommend), located on the main road behind the museum are buses 355 and 357 which will take you to the Giza Pyramids complex.

If you’re staying near the Tahrir Square area it’s good to know what these buses also pass through here.

Micro-Buses

Locals, aka Cairenes, take the microbus (pronounced ‘mee-kro-bas’) these small vans are usually crowded, uncomfortable and can only seat 12 passengers.

Since no destinations are signposted, it can be tricky to use them at first. They do, however, then to depart from normal bus stops.

Microbuses are useful for major routes such as reaching the entrance to the pyramids from the Giza metro station.

Micro-Buses will only stop if there is an available seat on board. The fare will vary depending on the distance you need to travel. This can be anywhere from LE2 to LE5 and is paid once you take your seat on board.

Metro

The Cairo Metro, like any metro, gets really crowded during peak hours (7 am to 9 am and 3 pm to 6 pm). Avoid these time by starting your day early and returning after the rush.

Plan your journey by using www.cairometro.gov.eg and clicking on ‘English’ in the top left corner.

Cairo’s Metro Network doesn’t cover the entire city, but for a visitor, it’s perfect as it includes all the major tourist attractions. It’s efficient and very cheap. All single trip fares are LE 2.00 no matter how far you travel. There are four metro stations in central Cairo: Attaba, Md. Naguib, Sadat and Naseer that will take you to the closest station to the Giza Pyramids complex. After a 15-20 minute journey, get off at El-Giza station. From here it’s another 10 km to the pyramid complex entrance.

Exit the station and head down to Al Haram, this is the main road leading to the pyramids. Cross to the other side and catch either bus 900 or 997 or a microbus to the pyramids. All buses will drop you one kilometre from the entrance.

Tips for taking the metro:

Metro stations are clearly marked with a large red ‘M’ in a blue star.

Keep your ticket until you complete your journey, you’ll need it to feed into the turnstile when exiting

The metro opens around 6 am with trains running every 5 minutes until closing at 11.30pm.

Ladies, there are two carriages located in the centre of each train reserved for women only (men will be kicked out). Look for the blue ‘Ladies’ signs on the platform so you know where to wait to get on the right carriage.

Since the roads will be chaotic, the bus driver may forget to tell you when to get off, so it’s a good idea to ask a friendly passenger to alert you just in case.

Tips on getting to the Pyramids of Giza:

Most Egyptians don’t understand the word “Pyramids”, so make sure you learn the Arabic word for them, especially if you’re taking a taxi there. Haram also means. The strict translation of the Arabic word ‘harim’ means (a prohibited place) and is from the verbal root ‘harama’ (prohibited), designated as ‘haram’ (a pyramid). (Source)

There are two entrances to the pyramids complex. One entrance is near the Great Pyramid of Giza, the other is near The Sphinx. You can enter via either, but if you catch a bus, you’ll arrive closer to the Great Pyramid of Giza entrance.

3. How long does it take to get to the Pyramids of Giza?

If you’re travelling by road, the journey can last anywhere between 30-90 minutes. Cairo is a heavily trafficked and congested city so be prepared for severe delays. The best time to leave is either side of rush hour.

If you’re travelling by train then bus/microbus, allow 45 minutes.

Going to Egypt? Get my free Arabic travel phrase guide.

4. What are the opening times of the Pyramids of Giza?

The Giza plateau is open 8 am – 4 pm daily. The Giza Pyramids are open 8 am – 4 pm daily (5 pm in summer). The Solar Boat museum is open 9 am – 4 pm daily (5 pm in summer).

5. How much time do you need to visit the Pyramids of Giza?

How much time do you have? Haha No, but seriously, time will fly once you’re inside the complex. I recommend allowing most of the day to explore the entire pyramids complex. I arrived just before 11 am and left right on closing time at 4om and I still didn’t want to leave.

My advice? Soak it up. Don’t rush your time here. Find a quiet spot and enjoy the view. Who knows when you’ll be back to see them again.

6. How much are tickets to the Pyramids of Giza?

Tickets to the Pyramids and Sphinx area costs 120 LE (60LE for students). To go inside the Great Pyramid, it’s an additional 300 LE (150 LE for students).

If you are taking a tripod inside, you’ll need to purchase a tripod ticket for 20 LE. This is standard practice all over Egypt.

7. Can You Go Inside the Pyramids?

Yes, you absolutely can! You can go inside The Great Pyramid of Giza, Khafre’s Pyramid, Menkaure Pyramid, and Mers Ankh Tomb. Included in your ticket is a free visit to the middle pyramid of the three satellite pyramids of the Queen of Cheops.

While most people, including local guides, will try and talk you out of going inside The Great Pyramid of Giza, saying it’s not worth paying 300 LE (USD$16) for, I still recommend going inside. But it all depends on how interested you are in the pyramids.

For me, I had to go inside. After all, I travelled all that way, so why not, right? Located in the core of the pyramid is the King’s Chamber. While there’s nothing to see in the King’s Chamber per se, other than an empty sarcophagus, it’s the experience of walking through the 9 metre (30 ft) high Great Gallery and seeing the inner workings of such an incredible monument.

If you’re not already planning on going, I highly recommend going to the Egyptian Museum to see the mummies and beautifully decorated tombs. Don’t miss the Royal Mummy Room!

Tips for going inside The Great Pyramid of Giza:

The Great Gallery inside the Great Pyramid of Giza is very narrow and you may feel claustrophobic. Reconsider going inside if you suffer from claustrophobia.

Allow 30-40 minutes to complete your visit inside The Great Pyramid of Giza.

Cameras, including phones, aren’t allowed inside. You can leave your items at the entrance with the guards. They will give you a ticket in exchange. Don’t lose it! You’ll need it to collect your belongings afterwards.

It’s super humid inside the King’s Chamber, so take some tissues with you to mop up that forehead.

8. Camel and Horse Rides

As I mentioned in my things to know about Egypt guide, the camels and horses at the pyramids are malnourished and badly treated, so it’s up to you if you choose to go on a ride anyway.

If you do decide to take a camel ride, make sure you’re not hassled into paying more than the fair price. In order to crack down on scamming tourist, signs have now been put up showing set prices for camel rides which are 50 Egyptian Pounds for 30 minutes.

9. What should I wear when visiting the Pyramids of Giza?

Also in my Egypt travel tips guide, I explain how you can pretty much wear anything you like in tourist areas such as the pyramids. However, you might find it more comfortable to wear breathable material like linen so you don’t have to put sunscreen all over your body. These linen pants are a great option (these are cute too) or a maxi-dress if you prefer.

Definitely wear a hat. Your head will catch the sun and tender for a few days afterwards.

Perhaps the most important item will be your footwear. You’ll be walking a lot, mainly through sand and dirt, so wear comfortable and breathable closed-toe shoes.

10. What should I pack when visiting the Pyramids of Giza?

It’s can get really hot whilst visit the Pyramids complex. It’s dry, dusty and since it’s a dry heat, it won’t be as obvious how much fluid you’re losing through sweat. I highly recommend taking three litres of water per person and keeping some in a thermal bottle to keep it cool and drink later in the day.

Take sunscreen and apply it before you go out in the sun. Wear sunglasses, a hat and take an umbrella just in case you need some shade; because there is none!

11. Can you buy food inside the Giza Pyramid Complex?

There is only one (but very good) place to eat in inside the Giza Pyramid complex. This outdoor buffet restaurant is located right near the Sphinx with excellent views. From here you can enjoy a delicious meal in the shade under the watchful eye of the Sphinx.

Before you leave, make sure you order an ice-cream from the ice-cream stand next to the buffet. It might take some time to prepare your order, but it’s totally worth it. Choose your flavour and toppings and watch as the proud ice-cream man whips up the best ice-cream you’ll have on your trip!

If you still can’t get enough of the pyramids,  after you leave the Pyramids complex, head to the top floor of the Pizza Hut. Located just outside the pyramids complex directly in front of the Sphinx and watch the sunset over a pizza.

12. Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids

Go back in time and see the history of the Ancient Egyptians and the Pyramids in the daily Sound and Light show located near the Sphinx. Booking a ticket is essential, however, you can also watch the show for free if you stay at a nearby hotel with a rooftop terrace such as Pyramids View Inn Bed & Breakfast or Panorama Pyramids Inn.

The Sound and Light Show runs at 7 pm, 8 pm and 9 pm during the winter and 2.5 hours later during summer.

13. Solar Boat Museum

Don’t forget to see the boat! What boat I hear you ask? Oh, just the boat that was buried at the foot of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

It’s unclear if it was used to carry the body of Khufu from Memphis to his tomb, (markings suggest it had been sailed before) and was buried for the pharaohs own journey across the heavens or it was buried for the sun-god himself.

Either way, this impressive full-size ancient Egyptian boat took 14 years for experts to put its 1,200 pieces together.

14. Bonus tips for visiting the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt

Climbing the Pyramids – Once upon a time you could climb the pyramids, however, this is no longer the case. But then again, it also depends on who’s working that day. A guard let me climb up just long enough to take the photo above, but that was it. It any case, it’s best to ask.

Toilets – There are toilets near the Sphinx and at the entrance to the pyramids complex before going through security.

Panoramic Viewpoint – There is a panoramic viewpoint you can go to but it’s a bit far to walk in the heat so you may want to get a lift there. Either take your taxi which you paid extra for (like I did) or take a horse or camel. This viewpoint is where all the tourist buses stop, so it gets busy. While it’s a nice spot, it’s not the best perspective of the pyramids. To get a more iconic shot as seen in this photo, you’ll need to walk out into the dunes for about 15 minutes. Hardly anyone does this so ita ’s nice opportunity to just take it all in without being interrupted.

View from the panoramic viewpoint

Conclusion

I hope this guide has answered all your questions and helped you feel more prepared for your trip to the Pyramids of Giza. If you still have any questions or concerns, please reach out and leave a comment below. I’d be happy to help where I can. If not, then I wish you a wonderful trip! Shukran for reading!

Planning a trip? Don’t risk it. I never travel without getting travel insurance. I used World Nomads for my trip to Egypt.

Let me remind you again why Egypt is amazing and watch my Egypt vlog below.

Like it? Pin it for later

Sources Independent UK | Eyewitness Egypt

Over to you!

Which of these tips did you find the most useful? Is there anything you would add? Tell me below! Let me know using the comments section below or join me on social media to start a conversation.

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Eddard

Eddard Stark rode through the towering bronze doors of the Red Keep sore, tired, hungry, and irritable. He was still ahorse, dreaming of a long hot soak, a roast fowl, and a featherbed, when the king's steward told him that Grand Maester Pycelle had convened an urgent meeting of the small council. The honor of the Hand's presence was requested as soon as it was convenient. "It will be convenient on the morrow," Ned snapped as he dismounted. The steward bowed very low. "I shall give the councillors your regrets, my lord." "No, damn it," Ned said. It would not do to offend the council before he had even begun. "I will see them. Pray give me a few moments to change into something more presentable." "Yes, my lord," the steward said. "We have given you Lord Arryn's former chambers in the Tower of the Hand, if it please you. I shall have your things taken there." "My thanks," Ned said as he ripped off his riding gloves and tucked them into his belt. The rest of his household was coming through the gate behind him. Ned saw Vayon Poole, his own steward, and called out. "It seems the council has urgent need of me. See that my daughters find their bedchambers, and tell Jory to keep them there. Arya is not to go exploring." Poole bowed. Ned turned back to the royal steward. "My wagons are still straggling through the city. I shall need appropriate garments." "It will be my great pleasure," the steward said. And so Ned had come striding into the council chambers, bone-tired and dressed in borrowed clothing, to find four members of the small council waiting for him. The chamber was richly furnished. Myrish carpets covered the floor instead of rushes, and in one corner a hundred fabulous beasts cavorted in bright paints on a carved screen from the Summer Isles. The walls were hung with tapestries from Norvos and Qohor and Lys, and a pair of Valyrian sphinxes flanked the door, eyes of polished garnet smoldering in black marble faces. The councillor Ned liked least, the eunuch Varys, accosted him the moment he entered. "Lord Stark, I was grievous sad to hear about your troubles on the kingsroad. We have all been visiting the sept to light candles for Prince Joffrey. I pray for his recovery." His hand left powder stains on Ned's sleeve, and he smelled as foul and sweet as flowers on a grave. "Your gods have heard you," Ned replied, cool yet polite. "The prince grows stronger every day." He disentangled himself from the eunuch's grip and crossed the room to where Lord Renly stood by the screen, talking quietly with a short man who could only be Littlefinger. Renly had been a boy of eight when Robert won the throne, but he had grown into a man so like his brother that Ned found it disconcerting. Whenever he saw him, it was as if the years had slipped away and Robert stood before him, fresh from his victory on the Trident. "I see you have arrived safely, Lord Stark," Renly said. "And you as well," Ned replied. "You must forgive me, but sometimes you look the very image of your brother Robert." "A poor copy," Renly said with a shrug. "Though much better dressed," Littlefinger quipped. "Lord Renly spends more on clothing than half the ladies of the court." It was true enough. Lord Renly was in dark green velvet, with a dozen golden stags embroidered on his doublet. A cloth-of-gold half cape was draped casually across one shoulder, fastened with an emerald brooch. "There are worse crimes," Renly said with a laugh. "The way you dress, for one." Littlefinger ignored the jibe. He eyed Ned with a smile on his lips that bordered on insolence. "I have hoped to meet you for some years, Lord Stark. No doubt Lady Catelyn has mentioned me to you." "She has," Ned replied with a chill in his voice. The sly arrogance of the comment rankled him. "I understand you knew my brother Brandon as well." Renly Baratheon laughed. Varys shuffled over to listen. "Rather too well," Littlefinger said. "I still carry a token of his esteem. Did Brandon speak of me too?" "Often, and with some heat," Ned said, hoping that would end it. He had no patience with this game they played, this dueling with words. "I should have thought that heat ill suits you Starks," Littlefinger said. "Here in the south, they say you are all made of ice, and melt when you ride below the Neck." "I do not plan on melting soon, Lord Baelish. You may count on it." Ned moved to the council table and said, "Maester Pycelle, I trust you are well." The Grand Maester smiled gently from his tall chair at the foot of the table. "Well enough for a man of my years, my lord," he replied, "yet I do tire easily, I fear." Wispy strands of white hair fringed the broad bald dome of his forehead above a kindly face. His maester's collar was no simple metal choker such as Luwin wore, but two dozen heavy chains wound together into a ponderous metal necklace that covered him from throat to breast. The links were forged of every metal known to man: black iron and red gold, bright copper and dull lead, steel and tin and pale silver, brass and bronze and platinum. Garnets and amethysts and black pearls adorned the metalwork, and here and there an emerald or ruby. "Perhaps we might begin soon," the Grand Maester said, hands knitting together atop his broad stomach. "I fear I shall fall asleep if we wait much longer." "As you will." The king's seat sat empty at the head of the table, the crowned stag of Baratheon embroidered in gold thread on its pillows. Ned took the chair beside it, as the right hand of his king. "My lords," he said formally, "I am sorry to have kept you waiting." "You are the King's Hand," Varys said. "We serve at your pleasure, Lord Stark." As the others took their accustomed seats, it struck Eddard Stark forcefully that he did not belong here, in this room, with these men. He remembered what Robert had told him in the crypts below Winterfell. I am surrounded by flatterers and fools, the king had insisted. Ned looked down the council table and wondered which were the flatterers and which the fools. He thought he knew already. "We are but five," he pointed out. "Lord Stannis took himself to Dragonstone not long after the king went north," Varys said, "and our gallant Ser Barristan no doubt rides beside the king as he makes his way through the city, as befits the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard." "Perhaps we had best wait for Ser Barristan and the king to join us," Ned suggested. Renly Baratheon laughed aloud. "If we wait for my brother to grace us with his royal presence, it could be a long sit." "Our good King Robert has many cares," Varys said. "He entrusts some small matters to us, to lighten his load." "What Lord Varys means is that all this business of coin and crops and justice bores my royal brother to tears," Lord Renly said, "so it falls to us to govern the realm. He does send us a command from time to time." He drew a tightly rolled paper from his sleeve and laid it on the table. "This morning he commanded me to ride ahead with all haste and ask Grand Maester Pycelle to convene this council at once. He has an urgent task for us." Littlefinger smiled and handed the paper to Ned. It bore the royal seal. Ned broke the wax with his thumb and flattened the letter to consider the king's urgent command, reading the words with mounting disbelief. Was there no end to Robert's folly? And to do this in his name, that was salt in the wound. "Gods be good," he swore. "What Lord Eddard means to say," Lord Renly announced, "is that His Grace instructs us to stage a great tournament in honor of his appointment as the Hand of the King." "How much?" asked Littlefinger, mildly. Ned read the answer off the letter. "Forty thousand golden dragons to the champion. Twenty thousand to the man who comes second, another twenty to the winner of the melee, and ten thousand to the victor of the archery competition." "Ninety thousand gold pieces," Littlefinger sighed. "And we must not neglect the other costs. Robert will want a prodigious feast. That means cooks, carpenters, serving girls, singers, jugglers, fools . . . " "Fools we have in plenty," Lord Renly said. Grand Maester Pycelle looked to Littlefinger and asked, "Will the treasury bear the expense?" "What treasury is that?" Littlefinger replied with a twist of his mouth. "Spare me the foolishness, Maester. You know as well as I that the treasury has been empty for years. I shall have to borrow the money. No doubt the Lannisters will be accommodating. We owe Lord Tywin some three million dragons at present, what matter another hundred thousand?" Ned was stunned. "Are you claiming that the Crown is three million gold pieces in debt?" "The Crown is more than six million gold pieces in debt, Lord Stark. The Lannisters are the biggest part of it, but we have also borrowed from Lord Tyrell, the Iron Bank of Braavos, and several Tyroshi trading cartels. Of late I've had to turn to the Faith. The High Septon haggles worse than a Dornish fishmonger." Ned was aghast. "Aerys Targaryen left a treasury flowing with gold. How could you let this happen?" Littlefinger gave a shrug. "The master of coin finds the money. The king and the Hand spend it." "I will not believe that Jon Arryn allowed Robert to beggar the realm," Ned said hotly. Grand Maester Pycelle shook his great bald head, his chains clinking softly. "Lord Arryn was a prudent man, but I fear that His Grace does not always listen to wise counsel." "My royal brother loves tournaments and feasts," Renly Baratheon said, "and he loathes what he calls ‘counting coppers.' " "I will speak with His Grace," Ned said. "This tourney is an extravagance the realm cannot afford." "Speak to him as you will," Lord Renly said, "we had still best make our plans." "Another day," Ned said. Perhaps too sharply, from the looks they gave him. He would have to remember that he was no longer in Winterfell, where only the king stood higher; here, he was but first among equals. "Forgive me, my lords," he said in a softer tone. "I am tired. Let us call a halt for today and resume when we are fresher." He did not ask for their consent, but stood abruptly, nodded at them all, and made for the door. Outside, wagons and riders were still pouring through the castle gates, and the yard was a chaos of mud and horseflesh and shouting men. The king had not yet arrived, he was told. Since the ugliness on the Trident, the Starks and their household had ridden well ahead of the main column, the better to separate themselves from the Lannisters and the growing tension. Robert had hardly been seen; the talk was he was traveling in the huge wheelhouse, drunk as often as not. If so, he might be hours behind, but he would still be here too soon for Ned's liking. He had only to look at Sansa's face to feel the rage twisting inside him once again. The last fortnight of their journey had been a misery. Sansa blamed Arya and told her that it should have been Nymeria who died. And Arya was lost after she heard what had happened to her butcher's boy. Sansa cried herself to sleep, Arya brooded silently all day long, and Eddard Stark dreamed of a frozen hell reserved for the Starks of Winterfell. He crossed the outer yard, passed under a portcullis into the inner bailey, and was walking toward what he thought was the Tower of the Hand when Littlefinger appeared in front of him. "You're going the wrong way, Stark. Come with me." Hesitantly, Ned followed. Littlefinger led him into a tower, down a stair, across a small sunken courtyard, and along a deserted corridor where empty suits of armor stood sentinel along the walls. They were relics of the Targaryens, black steel with dragon scales cresting their helms, now dusty and forgotten. "This is not the way to my chambers," Ned said. "Did I say it was? I'm leading you to the dungeons to slit your throat and seal your corpse up behind a wall," Littlefinger replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "We have no time for this, Stark. Your wife awaits." "What game are you playing, Littlefinger? Catelyn is at Winterfell, hundreds of leagues from here." "Oh?" Littlefinger's grey-green eyes glittered with amusement. "Then it appears someone has managed an astonishing impersonation. For the last time, come. Or don't come, and I'll keep her for myself." He hurried down the steps. Ned followed him warily, wondering if this day would ever end. He had no taste for these intrigues, but he was beginning to realize that they were meat and mead to a man like Littlefinger. At the foot of the steps was a heavy door of oak and iron. Petyr Baelish lifted the crossbar and gestured Ned through. They stepped out into the ruddy glow of dusk, on a rocky bluff high above the river. "We're outside the castle," Ned said. "You are a hard man to fool, Stark," Littlefinger said with a smirk. "Was it the sun that gave it away, or the sky? Follow me. There are niches cut in the rock. Try not to fall to your death, Catelyn would never understand." With that, he was over the side of the cliff, descending as quick as a monkey. Ned studied the rocky face of the bluff for a moment, then followed more slowly. The niches were there, as Littlefinger had promised, shallow cuts that would be invisible from below, unless you knew just where to look for them. The river was a long, dizzying distance below. Ned kept his face pressed to the rock and tried not to look down any more often than he had to. When at last he reached the bottom, a narrow, muddy trail along the water's edge, Littlefinger was lazing against a rock and eating an apple. He was almost down to the core. "You are growing old and slow, Stark," he said, flipping the apple casually into the rushing water. "No matter, we ride the rest of the way." He had two horses waiting. Ned mounted up and trotted behind him, down the trail and into the city. Finally Baelish drew rein in front of a ramshackle building, three stories, timbered, its windows bright with lamplight in the gathering dusk. The sounds of music and raucous laughter drifted out and floated over the water. Beside the door swung an ornate oil lamp on a heavy chain, with a globe of leaded red glass. Ned Stark dismounted in a fury. "A brothel," he said as he seized Littlefinger by the shoulder and spun him around. "You've brought me all this way to take me to a brothel." "Your wife is inside," Littlefinger said. It was the final insult. "Brandon was too kind to you," Ned said as he slammed the small man back against a wall and shoved his dagger up under the little pointed chin beard. "My lord, no," an urgent voice called out. "He speaks the truth." There were footsteps behind him. Ned spun, knife in hand, as an old white-haired man hurried toward them. He was dressed in brown roughspun, and the soft flesh under his chin wobbled as he ran. "This is no business of yours," Ned began; then, suddenly, the recognition came. He lowered the dagger, astonished. "Ser Rodrik?" Rodrik Cassel nodded. "Your lady awaits you upstairs." Ned was lost. "Catelyn is truly here? This is not some strange jape of Littlefinger's?" He sheathed his blade. "Would that it were, Stark," Littlefinger said. "Follow me, and try to look a shade more lecherous and a shade less like the King's Hand. It would not do to have you recognized. Perhaps you could fondle a breast or two, just in passing." They went inside, through a crowded common room where a fat woman was singing bawdy songs while pretty young girls in linen shifts and wisps of colored silk pressed themselves against their lovers and dandled on their laps. No one paid Ned the least bit of attention. Ser Rodrik waited below while Littlefinger led him up to the third floor, along a corridor, and through a door. Inside, Catelyn was waiting. She cried out when she saw him, ran to him, and embraced him fiercely. "My lady," Ned whispered in wonderment. "Oh, very good," said Littlefinger, closing the door. "You recognized her." "I feared you'd never come, my lord," she whispered against his chest. "Petyr has been bringing me reports. He told me of your troubles with Arya and the young prince. How are my girls?" "Both in mourning, and full of anger," he told her. "Cat, I do not understand. What are you doing in King's Landing? What's happened?" Ned asked his wife. "Is it Bran? Is he . . . "Dead was the word that came to his lips, but he could not say it. "It is Bran, but not as you think," Catelyn said. Ned was lost. "Then how? Why are you here, my love? What is this place?" "Just what it appears," Littlefinger said, easing himself onto a window seat. "A brothel. Can you think of a less likely place to find a Catelyn Tully?" He smiled. "As it chances, I own this particular establishment, so arrangements were easily made. I am most anxious to keep the Lannisters from learning that Cat is here in King's Landing." "Why?" Ned asked. He saw her hands then, the awkward way she held them, the raw red scars, the stiffness of the last two fingers on her left. "You've been hurt." He took her hands in his own, turned them over. "Gods. Those are deep cuts . . . a gash from a sword or . . . how did this happen, my lady?" Catelyn slid a dagger out from under her cloak and placed it in his hand. "This blade was sent to open Bran's throat and spill his life's blood." Ned's head jerked up. "But . . . who . . . why would . . . " She put a finger to his lips. "Let me tell it all, my love. It will go faster that way. Listen." So he listened, and she told it all, from the fire in the library tower to Varys and the guardsmen and Littlefinger. And when she was done, Eddard Stark sat dazed beside the table, the dagger in his hand. Bran's wolf had saved the boy's life, he thought dully. What was it that Jon had said when they found the pups in the snow? Your children were meant to have these pups, my lord. And he had killed Sansa's, and for what? Was it guilt he was feeling? Or fear? If the gods had sent these wolves, what folly had he done? Painfully, Ned forced his thoughts back to the dagger and what it meant. "The Imp's dagger," he repeated. It made no sense. His hand curled around the smooth dragonbone hilt, and he slammed the blade into the table, felt it bite into the wood. It stood mocking him. "Why should Tyrion Lannister want Bran dead? The boy has never done him harm." "Do you Starks have nought but snow between your ears?" Littlefinger asked. "The Imp would never have acted alone." Ned rose and paced the length of the room. "If the queen had a role in this or, gods forbid, the king himself . . . no, I will not believe that." Yet even as he said the words, he remembered that chill morning on the barrowlands, and Robert's talk of sending hired knives after the Targaryen princess. He remembered Rhaegar's infant son, the red ruin of his skull, and the way the king had turned away, as he had turned away in Darry's audience hall not so long ago. He could still hear Sansa pleading, as Lyanna had pleaded once. "Most likely the king did not know," Littlefinger said. "It would not be the first time. Our good Robert is practiced at closing his eyes to things he would rather not see." Ned had no reply for that. The face of the butcher's boy swam up before his eyes, cloven almost in two, and afterward the king had said not a word. His head was pounding. Littlefinger sauntered over to the table, wrenched the knife from the wood. "The accusation is treason either way. Accuse the king and you will dance with Ilyn Payne before the words are out of your mouth. The queen . . . if you can find proof, and if you can make Robert listen, then perhaps . . . " "We have proof," Ned said. "We have the dagger." "This?" Littlefinger flipped the knife casually end over end. "A sweet piece of steel, but it cuts two ways, my lord. The Imp will no doubt swear the blade was lost or stolen while he was at Winterfell, and with his hireling dead, who is there to give him the lie?" He tossed the knife lightly to Ned. "My counsel is to drop that in the river and forget that it was ever forged." Ned regarded him coldly. "Lord Baelish, I am a Stark of Winterfell. My son lies crippled, perhaps dying. He would be dead, and Catelyn with him, but for a wolf pup we found in the snow. If you truly believe I could forget that, you are as big a fool now as when you took up sword against my brother." "A fool I may be, Stark . . . yet I'm still here, while your brother has been moldering in his frozen grave for some fourteen years now. If you are so eager to molder beside him, far be it from me to dissuade you, but I would rather not be included in the party, thank you very much." "You would be the last man I would willingly include in any party, Lord Baelish." "You wound me deeply." Littlefinger placed a hand over his heart. "For my part, I always found you Starks a tiresome lot, but Cat seems to have become attached to you, for reasons I cannot comprehend. I shall try to keep you alive for her sake. A fool's task, admittedly, but I could never refuse your wife anything." "I told Petyr our suspicions about Jon Arryn's death," Catelyn said. "He has promised to help you find the truth." That was not news that Eddard Stark welcomed, but it was true enough that they needed help, and Littlefinger had been almost a brother to Cat once. It would not be the first time that Ned had been forced to make common cause with a man he despised. "Very well," he said, thrusting the dagger into his belt. "You spoke of Varys. Does the eunuch know all of it?" "Not from my lips," Catelyn said. "You did not wed a fool, Eddard Stark. But Varys has ways of learning things that no man could know. He has some dark art, Ned, I swear it." "He has spies, that is well known," Ned said, dismissive. "It is more than that," Catelyn insisted. "Ser Rodrik spoke to Ser Aron Santagar in all secrecy, yet somehow the Spider knew of their conversation. I fear that man." Littlefinger smiled. "Leave Lord Varys to me, sweet lady. If you will permit me a small obscenity—and where better for it—I hold the man's balls in the palm of my hand." He cupped his fingers, smiling. "Or would, if he were a man, or had any balls. You see, if the pie is opened, the birds begin to sing, and Varys would not like that. Were I you, I would worry more about the Lannisters and less about the eunuch." Ned did not need Littlefinger to tell him that. He was thinking back to the day Arya had been found, to the look on the queen's face when she said, We have a wolf, so soft and quiet. He was thinking of the boy Mycah, of Jon Arryn's sudden death, of Bran's fall, of old mad Aerys Targaryen dying on the floor of his throne room while his life's blood dried on a golden blade. "My lady," he said, turning to Catelyn, "there is nothing more you can do here. I want you to return to Winterfell at once. If there was one assassin, there could be others. Whoever ordered Bran's death will learn soon enough that the boy still lives." "I had hoped to see the girls . . . " Catelyn said. "That would be most unwise," Littlefinger put in. "The Red Keep is full of curious eyes, and children talk." "He speaks truly, my love," Ned told her. He embraced her. "Take Ser Rodrik and ride for Winterfell. I will watch over the girls. Go home to our sons and keep them safe." "As you say, my lord." Catelyn lifted her face, and Ned kissed her. Her maimed fingers clutched against his back with a desperate strength, as if to hold him safe forever in the shelter of her arms. "Would the lord and lady like the use of a bedchamber?" asked Littlefinger. "I should warn you, Stark, we usually charge for that sort of thing around here." "A moment alone, that's all I ask," Catelyn said. "Very well." Littlefinger strolled to the door. "Don't be too long. It is past time the Hand and I returned to the castle, before our absence is noted." Catelyn went to him and took his hands in her own. "I will not forget the help you gave me, Petyr. When your men came for me, I did not know whether they were taking me to a friend or an enemy. I have found you more than a friend. I have found a brother I'd thought lost." Petyr Baelish smiled. "I am desperately sentimental, sweet lady. Best not tell anyone. I have spent years convincing the court that I am wicked and cruel, and I should hate to see all that hard work go for naught." Ned believed not a word of that, but he kept his voice polite as he said, "You have my thanks as well, Lord Baelish." "Oh, now there's a treasure," Littlefinger said, exiting. When the door had closed behind him, Ned turned back to his wife. "Once you are home, send word to Helman Tallhart and Galbart Glover under my seal. They are to raise a hundred bowmen each and fortify Moat Cailin. Two hundred determined archers can hold the Neck against an army. Instruct Lord Manderly that he is to strengthen and repair all his defenses at WhiteHarbor, and see that they are well manned. And from this day on, I want a careful watch kept over Theon Greyjoy. If there is war, we shall have sore need of his father's fleet." "War?" The fear was plain on Catelyn's face. "It will not come to that," Ned promised her, praying it was true. He took her in his arms again. "The Lannisters are merciless in the face of weakness, as Aerys Targaryen learned to his sorrow, but they would not dare attack the north without all the power of the realm behind them, and that they shall not have. I must play out this fool's masquerade as if nothing is amiss. Remember why I came here, my love. If I find proof that the Lannisters murdered Jon Arryn . . . " He felt Catelyn tremble in his arms. Her scarred hands clung to him. "If," she said, "what then, my love?" That was the most dangerous part, Ned knew. "All justice flows from the king," he told her. "When I know the truth, I must go to Robert." And pray that he is the man I think he is, he finished silently, and not the man I fear he has become.