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tgrailwar-zero · 1 year

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Welcome to the "Theurgical Holy Grail War", a Fate-based Quest run via polls!

The current running poll/update post is HERE.

How Servant HP and MP works is HERE.

Your poll results will impact the story progression in a number of ways, so be sure to talk to your fellow participants, send in suggestions and asks, and keep track of the story!

Banner Art Sources

Party Split/Exploration Rules

SERVANT MATRICES (Updated as the Story progresses):

Endurance, Mana, and Command Spell Gauges are present in each matrix.

ALLIED SERVANTS: Invader | Rider | Caster | Avenger | Saber

However, your Servant's statistics, as well as items you find along the way, may also serve to either help or hinder your choices! Work along your Servant and stay aware of their strengths and weaknesses in order to survive the Holy Grail War! Additionally, all posts after this one will exclusively be on @tgrailwar-zero, instead of being crossposted to @tgrailwar!

Navigation

The Preliminary War (@tgrailwar)

Start the True THGW from the Beginning: (Chapter 1 - phantom/grey messenger)

Start Part 2 of the True THGW: (Chapter 4 - invader/free spirit)

Begin Chapter 6 of the THGW: (Chapter 6 - burning bonds/wildfire)

[ Current Currency: 1170 PPT ]

Master Abilities:

code cast: hack16(); - deal damage and a chance to stun enemy Servants. May be resisted by Servants with a stronger constitution. Reusable.

code cast: thunderous_applause(); - A code cast that can be used to temporarily increase how others perceive your 'Charisma'. A 'beguiling' magecraft. But be careful! Those with a strong understanding of magic/hacking or high Magic Resistance can resist the effects. Can be used once per 'Long Rest'.

code cast: endless_whispers(); - A gift from the liminal space. Allows for other Servants to hear your voices... due to being a gift from a fundamentally evil being, these voices manifest more like dissonant, malevolent, overwhelming whispers to non-contracted Servants. A double-edged sword, if you will.

code cast: check_location(); - Check Servant locations, with more specific detailing if in the same zone, and will alert if close to a Lair Servant's territory. Non-Contracted Servants can be registered. Can be upgraded.

Mystic Code: Runic Tether - Made by the Heroic Spirit Sigurd to give you a quasi-physical form.

Items:

code cast: cure(); - Heal a minor status effect. One time use.

code cast: mpheal(16); - Slightly recovers Servant Mana. One time use.

code cast: gain_lck(16); - Slightly boosts a Servant's luck. You're not sure if this counts as cheating or not at a gambling table.

code cast: heal(32); - Recovers Servant HP (+2 to EG). One time use.

'Chaotic Heroic' Act 1 - Act one of a play. This part is apparently a 'tragicomedy about a starving artist'. There's a dragon with wolf ears on the cover.

'Chaotic Heroic' Act 2 - Act two of a play. This part is apparently about the protagonists being invited to a 'special event'. A blonde woman and a dark haired man stand surrounded by lions on the cover.

'Chaotic Heroic' Scraps - Scrapped pieces from a play. They serve as grim portents as to what waits for you on the Moon's surface...

Mana-Granting Aulos - A strange item crafted by Nero. Once per chapter, blowing into it will cause your entire party to recover 2 points of mana. After that, it can be quickly recharged once more by creating and reciting a poem extolling the virtues of strengths of your Heroic Spirits.

Zone Map - A minimalist map of the major surface 'Zones' within the Solar Cell.

"Little Guy" - A child that you found in the Solar Archives. He's so cute, you could just eat him up! ...Metaphorically, of course.

Camp Supplies - Camping supplies found by Musashi. Allows you to comfortably rest when in between Zones.

Room Key - Key to Nero's ritzy hotel room, using her leverage as a former Lair Servant and putting the expense on her former coworkers. "Don't let me here you say say Emperor Nero didn't treat you well!", you can imagine her saying.

Nameless City Map - A map of the major locations within the Nameless City.

Pizza - A box of pizza. May restore Servant HP and MP upon consumption.

Soda - A can of soda. Slightly restores Servant MP (+1 Mana Charge).

Sandwich (x3) - Three sandwiches. Slight restoration to Servant HP (+1 to EG).

Banquet Cake - Some cake from Sigurd's banquet saved for you by your Servants. It's for you, and you only.

Trigger Key Alpha - The key possessed by Lair Servant Quetzalcoatl. One of the seven needed to reach the Administrative Core of the Solar Cell.

Trigger Key Phi - The key possessed by Lair Servant Asclepius. One of the seven needed to reach the Administrative Core of the Solar Cell.

Crimson Blade - A old, yet regal looking blade made from crimson-colored meteor metal. Currently in the possession of Nero (Caster).

Message Disk, 'Forgotten Blade' - A recording from a Servant that heavily resembles Caster. It seems like an apology of sorts.'

Servant Origins:

'Servant Origins' are items that can be collected from defeated enemies, that can later be used to summon them as allies- or potentially other purposes. While an 'Origin' can be summoned without much fuss, items can be used to alter aspects of the Servant or change the Origin entirely.

Asclepius Origin - The Spirit Origin belonging to the Lair Servant, Asclepius. A standard summon of this Spirit Origin will summon the divine healer Asclepius as a standard Servant.

#mod post #blog navigation #will be updated when needed

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burning-brightly · 1 month

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Anywaaaay, the most important thing to address.

My brand new followers. Gotta remind Lils to do this in parts.

@drcgcnfly - I gueesss you're self-explanatory, Ava. lol. Geez. It's weird talking to Lils to talk at you online. Assuming this isn't just one huge ongoing prank on Lils's part.

@livlaughlovio - So you got introduced as "livio jackass saverem", and I thought it was gonna be awkward cause I thought you were someone Lils didn't like. But when I asked, she seemed confused and said it was actually your name. Sooo I guess I'm so very sorry. Is that Jackass with some sort of weird accent then? Like the name Dumass or something? Or is it that your parents just horribly failed in the naming department? Or is it just an in-joke which I actually suspect. Anyhoop, she says you take care of a lot of kids and run an orphanage, and sometimes some person R goes on the account to talk. She adds that you also like to use a weird symbol that resembles a hat - "a voiced volar impulsive????".

@theurgic-necromancer - Got introduced to me as Sayran, on a mysterious journey to do something underground that involve honest-to-god drow. When I asked what sort of magic you used, she just gave me a confused look. I thought it would've just been what it said on the tin.

Also told me that you lived in a monastery at one point - I'd imagine that'd be stifling with all the rules and crap.

---

@creepy-crowleys - Waaaaait. I'm sure Lils mentioned you before. You hung out with her sister a while back with the whole Northern Docks scandal. I knew it as soon as I heard redhead and hung out with Lev, who is a superhero (well more antihero I guess, I don't think you count as a hero if you enjoy beating up people that much). I'm guessing you're a superhero back in your world or something, even if Lils's description doesn't quite seem that way.

Says you live on an island and that you solve supernatural problems for a living. You own a spider and bees and a cat, and you make good peppermint humbugs? Is that even a real thing? She says you like posting stuff of ancient relics and bugs.

---

@hulizi - I see Lils write Nata this and Nata that every now and then. It's only now that I realize she's talking about you on this site that I'm still not quite convinced is real. She says you're a mom taking care of kids now, so congratulations - In the spirit of happiness and cooperation, I will make the fervent wish that both of them don't grow up to be like me lol.

She says you do the things that involve money. Which does not really help, cause everything involves money lol. She also says you taught her martial arts too and also sent her gifts like these erasers and colored pencils she likes to use and I suspect must be magical cause she's been using them the entire year. She also showed off a ring that made her hair multicolored which admittedly made me a little jealous lol. BUT YEAH, HELLO.

@unbrcakablc-heart - Welcome to the blog! You got introduced as Vash, guy on a very very long roadtrip with a band of other folk. She says your world is craptacular - okay so Lils is denying that she called your world craptacular and fine she didn't say it, I did. But giant wasteland of a world where there's only tiny pockets of civilization and even less water is definitely worthy of the adjective of craptacular.

She says you have sisters and have also been very helpful in her quest to help out her guardian. And that you try to be kind in an unkind world. Admittedly, I probably would just find some way to scam my opponents to ruin, but I guess I can appreciate people trying to be good. I imagine there's a lot of bullshit that happened in a wasteland world that probably erodes people's trust in each other. So being a relatively stand-up guy means something, probably.

@7wolfmoon - Got introduced as Lark and designated as one of Lils's Minecraft buddies lol. Also heard you like birds and wolves and woodcarving too; I like two of the three with the bigger the better. The third requires too much dexterity for my pitiful hands, but it's cool seeing the wood transform.

She also made an interesting remark about her other Minecraft buddy in regard to you - that you probably would like to fold him up and put him in a trash can, much like Lils's sister does to me whenever I say something she really doesn't like. Wait. Lils can we cut that? Goddamnit.

Also heard that you really really didn't like school at first? But I'm guessing you're okay with it now. That and you don't like worms on a string despite having a picture of a worm on a string? What the hell is a worm on a string?

#post #longpost //#drcgcnfly #livlaughlovio #7wolfmoon #unbrcakablc hcart #creepy crowleys #theurgic-necromancer #(( aeria has no ability to actually see how long her posts actually are lol ))#(( afsdjljasd not sure if Erna is out of commission for the time being DX. ))

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atikdm · 3 months

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Exploring the Depths of Hermeticism: A Journey into Ancient Wisdom

In the vast panorama of philosophical thought, Hermeticism stands as a beacon of esoteric wisdom, offering seekers a profound understanding of the universe and humanity's place within it. Rooted in ancient Egypt and Greece, Hermeticism is a philosophical and spiritual tradition that encompasses a wide array of beliefs and practices, blending elements of mysticism, alchemy, astrology, and theology. Its teachings have influenced various esoteric traditions throughout history and continue to resonate with spiritual seekers today.

For more information click here- Hermeticism philosophy

Origins and Influences:

The origins of Hermeticism can be traced back to the Corpus Hermeticum, a collection of texts attributed to the mythical figure Hermes Trismegistus, often equated with the Egyptian god Thoth. These texts emerged during the Hellenistic period, blending Egyptian religious beliefs with Greek philosophical ideas. Hermes Trismegistus was revered as a wise sage and a master of the occult sciences, whose teachings were said to unveil the secrets of the cosmos.

Central Tenets:

At the heart of Hermeticism lies the principle of "as above, so below," encapsulating the idea of correspondence between the microcosm of the individual and the macrocosm of the universe. This concept suggests that patterns and structures observable in the natural world are mirrored on higher and lower levels of existence, connecting the material and spiritual realms.

Hermetic philosophy also emphasizes the notion of "The All," an all-encompassing, ineffable divine principle from which everything emanates. This principle is often equated with God or the Source and is seen as the ultimate reality underlying the universe.

Another fundamental aspect of Hermetic thought is the belief in the transformative power of knowledge and understanding. Hermeticists seek to attain spiritual enlightenment and mastery through the pursuit of wisdom and the exploration of hidden truths. This quest for knowledge often involves practices such as meditation, contemplation, and the study of sacred texts.

Key Themes and Practices:

Hermeticism encompasses a wide range of themes and practices, including:

Alchemy: The pursuit of spiritual purification and the transmutation of the soul, often symbolized by the alchemical process of turning base metals into gold. Alchemy is viewed as both a metaphorical and practical discipline aimed at achieving spiritual enlightenment and immortality.

Astrology: The study of celestial bodies and their influence on human affairs. Hermetic astrology emphasizes the interconnectedness between the cosmos and the individual psyche, viewing planetary alignments as reflections of deeper cosmic principles.

Magick: The practice of harnessing natural energies and forces to effect change in accordance with one's will. Hermetic magick draws upon rituals, symbols, and ceremonial practices to tap into the underlying currents of the universe and manifest desired outcomes.

Theurgy: The invocation of divine powers and intelligences to facilitate spiritual ascent and communion with the divine. Theurgic practices often involve rituals, prayers, and invocations aimed at aligning the individual's soul with higher spiritual realms.

Legacy and Influence:

Throughout history, Hermeticism has exerted a profound influence on various philosophical, religious, and mystical traditions, including Neoplatonism, Gnosticism, Kabbalah, and Renaissance occultism. Its teachings have inspired countless seekers on the path of spiritual enlightenment, offering profound insights into the nature of reality and the human condition.

In the modern world, Hermeticism continues to resonate with individuals seeking deeper meaning and spiritual growth. Its timeless wisdom invites us to explore the mysteries of existence, unlock the potential of the human spirit, and awaken to our true nature as divine beings in a vast and wondrous universe.

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rpgsandbox · 4 years

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Fading Suns returns with a glorious new edition!

The classic far-future passion play role-playing game is back in spectacular color!

The three Core Books for Fading Suns are the Universe Book, Character Book, and Gamemaster Book.

These three hardcover books contain everything your group needs to start playing Fading Suns:

The Universe Book (112 pages) presents the setting for Fading Suns: its history, society, and astro-geography. Herein you will encounter nobles, priests, guilders, aliens, psychics, cyborgs, and more.

The Character Book (272 pages) presents the game system and player characters for Fading Suns. This book includes character creation rules for all the major factions, as well as technological equipment, starships, psychic powers, and theurgic rites.

The Gamemaster Book (96 pages) presents people, places, and plots for Fading Suns. Herein are guidelines for creating dramas for the player troupe and how to populate them with all manner of non-player-character allies, rivals, and foils. An example drama is included, as well as a roll-by-roll description of play.

In addition, we have a variety of books and accessories to help you fill in whatever you need at your table:

The Faction Book (96 page hardcover) presents the minor houses (from Eldrid to Xanthippe), minor sects (from Chorali to Preceptors), and minor guilds (Apothecaries to Wranglers) of the Fading Suns universe. Herein also are the pagans (Zuranists and Gjartins), the sentient alien species of the Known Worlds (from ascorbites to shantor), and the Changed, the genetically altered mutants scorned by the superstitious populace for their wondrous endowments.

Intrigues & Escapades (112 page hardcover) unveils the conspiracy customs among nobles, priests, and merchants, showing how some are raised from birth to scheme while others learn from hard knocks. Presented are two detailed dramas involving troupes in such dirty dealings, along with a host of drama hooks that gamemasters can develop with their own twists.

The GM Screen & Token Set includes the most useful rules and charts: sequence of play, VP costs, Resistance ratings, environmental conditions, weapon traits, and more. Also included are punch sheets with a plethora of victory-point and wyrd-point tokens, making it easy to gain and spend these action resources during play.

The Imperial Dossiers for the House Hawkwood, Reeves Guild, and Urth Orthodox factions (64 page softcover) examine in-depth the main factions of the Fading Suns universe. Each book serves as a primer on a single faction, commissioned by the empire for its diplomats, bureaucrats, soldiers, star-sailors, Questing Knights, and their Cohorts, with commentary from the Imperial Eye. Each book also includes a “factbook” about a topic closely related to the dossier’s faction, and a rules section that includes new callings, perks, equipment, and even alien creatures.

If you're returning to Fading Suns as a veteran player, make sure you head to our website to catch up on all of Bill's designer diaries!

If you're brand new to Fading Suns, check out the Ulisses International YouTube Channel for our current actual play series. You can also subscribe to our Twitch channel if you want to catch our actual plays live! Fading Suns streams on Thursdays!

Kickstarter campaign ends: Wed, April 15 2020 2:00 AM BST

Website: [Ulisses Spiele] [facebook] [twitter]

#RPG #kickstarter #Fading Suns #Ulisses Spiele

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twitchesandstitches · 5 years

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Ideas for the MILF Fleet: Tamm (Deltora's Quest) She's the exact opposite of her daughter, Thaegan, and is a very beloved lady who helps people, (She was eaten by Thaegan when she was turned into a raven). Persephone (Greek Mythology) SHE'S THE IRON QUEEN, BABY! SHE'S GOING TO THROW THE HAMMER DOWN!. Hades (Greek Mythology) Contrary to popular belief, he's most know for being the most sobber minded and calm of the greek gods, also one of the friendliest, he's also a giant nerd and a soft boy.

Tamm sounds a decent match! Since she is described as a wise woman, I see her as having a shamanistic role, practicing theurgic magic and doing all kinds of magical things; designing new magic techniques, decoding ancient puzzles, that kind of thing. She might also enjoy being a caretaker of the fleet’s vast numbers of children!

Because of the blackbird associations, how about this for making her look cool: she has a strong raven like appearance; her hair is a big mantle of long black feathers that go all the way down her back and shoulders, perhaps with arm-wings to boot. Long claws but gentle hands, and her legs may be bird-like. She can turn into a raven, or a giant monstrous dinosaur-like raven! Or a monster girl variant thereof, if she pleases.

Persephone and Hades would be fun additions! And you know I always would rather employ the mythological takes of famous entities like them rather than use modern pop culture takes. Hades gets treated SO BAD by them. These two have an interest in the fleet’s affairs, mostly Persephone (dreaded and frightful as she is). HAdes, being a Good Boy, mostly just goes along with whatever she thinks is a good idea.

I’d like to use more mythical characters but for religions that are still practiced today, it feels very inappropriate to directly use them in an AU of this type; consequently I would be open to basically giving them different names and tweaking them a bit, to fit the ‘its not all about humans’ vibe of this AU, give them a more universal feel. If so, I might bring in figures from other mythologies as background characters or gods of importance?

#/#//#///#////#/////#character suggestions #crossthicc AU #queued #mythology #deltora quest #Anonymous

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securitybreach · 7 years

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Loki’s fighting skills

Loki’s Knives

I just read this great post about Loki’s knives and why the idea that Loki is physically weak and no warrior at all is so popular while all his fighting scenes in the movies just prove the exact opposite.

Honestly, I wouldn’t like to cross that guy.

I think it’s a scam Loki and Thor have made up, and somehow the idea of Loki not being a skilled fighter got stuck in people’s minds.

So I wrote this ficlet to explain how the rumour got started...

Loki and Thor are ambling along a lonely, possibly dusty road. They had to sell their horses because the quest they spend several months on went wildly wrong, and the brothers have found neither fame nor fortune on their way.

Honestly, with this recession going on even dragons are hard-up, and the last lair Loki and Thor had tried to raid turned out to belong to a nice elderly lady-dragon who had very few jewels left, and offered them tea instead. She roasted a few slices of toast on her own flame for them which turned out to be just a bit stale, and only a little charred.

It had been one of their better days.

Now the problem is that Odin’s birthday (name day, coronation anniversary, whatever) is approaching, and the idea of the quest was to find a really special gift for him. Since this has gone awry, it’s only logical that there’s a lot of bickering. Also, several attempts at blame-shifting are being made. Furthermore, nightfall is near and there’s not enough coin left for an inn. Thor is very miffed about missing supper, and Loki moans for his daily bath. Both hate the idea of having to sleep behind some hedge again:

Thor:

Well, Loki, if you hadn’t wasted so much gold on that bloody useless magical artefact, we’d be better off now.

Loki:

Is that so? Pray tell me then, brother, who spend the change on ale and wenches?

Thor:

Just a bit of fun...

Loki: ...

(sulks, because he had not been invited along to join the party)

Suddenly they see a group of five bulky men approaching. Thor hides Mjolnir under his cape. He hopes that he and Loki won’t get recognized, and that the strangers will leave them alone.

No such luck, though.

The strangers turn out to be genuine bullies who do not recognise the princes and try to pick a fight soon enough. But they look wealthy, so Loki gets closer to his brother and whispers four words into his ear: ‘meal tickets’, and ‘remember Vanaheim’. Thor grins, and grabs Loki by the neck.

“Ah, brother,” Thor says. “Always ready to do a runner, are you not?”

Loki smiles embarrassed. His shoulders drop by an inch, and he is slouching now while his eyes are wide open in his best deer-caught-in-a-headlight impression. Thor is impressed.

“What did he say?” One of the bullies asks (he probably looks a lot like Volstagg, Fandral or whoever you like least in the MCU) (making him actually look like Odin would probably be a bit too much).

“My brother feels that a little fight would do him some good,” Thor answers, a nasty smile on his face.

The strangers look at Loki, who is no longer only in distress, but obviously about to panic. He whimpers, and manages to get behind Thor where he puts his arms around his brother’s waist while trying to hide under his cape at the same time.

It’s a stupid idea, and does not work at all.

The bullies watch the graceless performance in silence. Then they start to grin.

This is beginning to look like fun.

One of them tells Thor that, although they are warriors and far above such simpering mollycoddles like his brother, they feel it’s their duty to teach him a lesson.

At this point, Thor suggest a bet. “My brother fights one of you. If he wins, you’ll let us pass, if he loses, you’ll get this.” Thor shows them a well-filled leather pouch. Yes, Loki’s up to his old tricks and has cast an illusion.

“Could be copper,” one of the strangers says.

Thor opens the pouch and lets the bullies see a handsome collection of gold coins. He can almost feel how greed is taking over the other men’s brains.

Good. This means that Loki’s plan is working.

“Very well,” another stranger says. “Why don’t we take this off you right now?”

The God of Thunder lifts his cape a little and lets them have a short glimpse at his war hammer. “Because of this.”

This changes everything. Although the bullies do not recognize Mjolnir, Thor’s celebrated theurgic weapon, they know that a big, determined guy with a large hammer can do a lot of damage before getting overwhelmed. So they back off a little.

“It seems a bit unfair, though, that only one of us is allowed to have some fun.”

Thor laughs. “Don’t get greedy, friends. I don’t feel like carrying my brother all the way home.”

Everybody (except Loki) laughs. “Done that before, what?”

“All the time,” Thor says and drags his squealing brother in front of him. “Just take a look.”

BTW: Loki is putting on a great show. There’s just any amount of whimpering, wailing, sobbing, begging even.

The bullies look at the pale, scrawny man with the drooping shoulders and bad posture. Loki is trembling, and looking firmly to the ground. His long hair is covering his face.

“Looks ergi to me.”

“Ah, I’ve heard that before. Let’s just say he’s a disappointment to our family in many respects.”

“So we all could have some fun afterwards?”

“And why not? You know the type. It’s all the same to them,” Thor tells the strangers. He knows he’s playing with fire here, risking perhaps even more than Loki has bargained for. But hey, he’s the Mighty Thor, the God of Thunder, and he’s got Mjolnir on his side. He can always punch their way out, so why not?

Loki is down to pleading now. “Brother, please...”

But apparently his golden sibling refuses to listen.

The strangers are drawing straws while Loki desperately clings to his brother’s arm in a last attempt to safe himself.

“Does he have a weapon?” Asks the bully who has drawn the short straw.

Thor shrugs. “Do you carry a weapon, brother?”

“Fruit knife,” Loki sobs.

This earns him another round of laughter.

Without showing any signs of mercy, Thor pushes his younger brother forward.

Everybody’s silent now, and Loki looks up very, very slowly. Anything that seemed submissive about him only moments ago has gone. He’s wearing a wide, nasty sneer and has got a wild, almost feral expression in his eyes. Even his hair manages to look somehow aggressive.

Moreover, he’s holding a vicious looking blade in his right hand.

“That’s a fruit knife?” The stranger asks stupidly.

Loki looks at the knife like he is noticing it for the first time. “Well, yes,” he says. It’s the knife he uses for pilfering from Idunn’s garden, and oh boy, the Goddess of Spring and Youth knows how to grow a mean fruit. Some of them fight right back.

Loki attacks, and of course he downs baddy #1 within seconds. Then he beats the crap out of the remaining four just for the hell of it.

Thor watches him with a proud smile. Yep, that’s him. His little baby brother.

“You know, brother,” Loki says. “I think my armour got a little soiled while I was busy teaching this lowly scum a lesson.”

“In that case I think we should demand a modest fee for your trouble.” Thor meets exactly zero resistance from the fallen warriors as he starts to collect their coins.

It’s a good haul, and the brothers sleep in an excellent inn that night. There’s even enough to buy an appropriate gift for Odin, but that’s Chapter 2. I’m more than willing to tell you what follows, just not today. Sorry.

*****

Thanks to @mosellegreen for suggesting that Loki could slay anyone while being armed with only a fruit knife.

#loki #thor #loki fanfiction #thor fanfiction #crack #loki's knives #loki's knife #loki's fighting skills #trickster loki #trickster #my fic #meta #ficlet #loki ficlet #loki and thor

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blog1984705 · 4 years

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Lecture 7 on mysticism

Lecture seven was given about Ibn ‘Arabi, who is a famous mystic. The reason why he is included in this philosophy class is because of his criticism on philosophy as well his fondness of mystical experiences and the sufi way in Islam. He used the philosophies from before him and converted them to fit into his own beliefs and faith.

When we speak of mystical experiences and mystical philosophies we are speaking of mystical experience that appears in the mind or in the part of the body where the soul resides. For philosophers it means something different than to mystics or theologians. For mystics, like Ibn ‘Arabi it is a para-sensual phenomenon that offers a reality that is beyond the human senses. This means for example the experience of God, the afterlife or the experience of death. There is also for example categories within psychics, like fortune telling or talking to the death.

These experiences are aiming to go beyond the limits of human perceptions. What does it mean to have a unitive experience, why is this a mystical experience? It is a unitive experience because you experience nothing but the ontic reality of that very experience. You learn to dismiss all other things that happen outside of this experience. This is called phenomenal de-emphasizing of multiplicity. The term mysticism includes all practices, discourses, experiences, institutions and traditions that are associated with this unitive experience.

Another type of experience is the numinous experience and unlike the previous explained experience this is a non-unitive experience. This is an experience where the subject does not de-emphasize the world around him. He rather experiences a more profound and intense external reality outside of his knowing of the world. This could lead to new insights, fears or emotions that will have effect on you in the real world. Because of this experience happening outside of you it feels more as an actual experience.

There are two categories of mystical experience namely dualistic and monistic experiences. In the dualistic experience the subject maintains a distinction between himself and the object and of what is disclosed in the experience. Where a monistic mystical experience is a extreme experience where this distinction is not there anymore. You don’t experience the seeing of things or the things speaking to you, rather you feel an intense unity with the experience. All duality dissolves and everything seems to be the experience including yourself.

Another two categories that need to be explained are the theurgic and the non-theurgic mystical experience. How does one start to experience these experience. Do you have to trigger these experiences by performing certain rituals or not. Once one has to use amulets or make use of prayers to experience mystical experience these are theurgic experiences. Non-theurgic experiences are not triggered naturally, but happen unintentionally beyond your control.

There is also a difference in describing the mystical experience, these are called apophatic and katapathic. Once you describe them in words, you limit them so within apophatic ways of describing it one would be describing them in negative terms. If one would for example say that something is not good, one cannot limit the amount of goodness it exists of. The kataphatic way is a more of assertive way of describing the experience.

Sufism is a branche within Islam in which devoted Muslims withdraw themselves from the secularization of life. It was an active rejection of all materialism. They were known for their imitation of prophets to become as close to God as possible and their meticulous contemplation on revelation. They engaged voluntary poverty and had a distinct dresscode of simple woolen clothes, this is also where the name sufi comes from because that is the Arabic translation of wool. This dresscode and way of life is supposed to be humble and not out of the ordinary. They lived according to the Tariqah, which is the path to God, the Shari’a, which is the law of God and they aimed for the ultimate truth named haqiqa through mysticism. This haqiqa was a form of awakening. These three things were insisted to follow for one to name oneself a Sufi. The Tariqah and Shari’a are still very important terms in the modern Islamic world. The Shari’a specifically is still very important within the making of regimes in Islamic countries. The haqiqa is still very important for the Sufi’s of today.

One can achieve several spiritual states within sufism, each rank is a sort of higher degree in the relation to God and to others. It is based on a drastic reassessment of the self and includes for example moral understanding and ignorance. There are also several spiritual stations, where one can reach elevated ranks through strenuous effort and self-exertion. These states are transient and unstable. There are different states within stages, so one is allowed to achieve different ranks not just vertically but also horizontally.

The Tariqah has two goals, namely Fana and Baqa. The state of Fana is a state of annihilation, which is literally a stage where one destroys their human ego. In this stage epistemology because meaningless, which brings only one ontological union. The mystical experience, where they would unintentionally begin to utter things. The state of Baqa is the state wherein one can remain that state of self consciousness. To make the state sustainable makes one a perfect human being.

It is not the coming together of human and divine, you do not become God or one with God, as some sufi’s state. Rather you gain full realisation of your insignificance and realisation of your reliance on God. You exert all consciousnesses including your own and only think within the frame of God’s consciousness. Then again, Baqa is holding on to that state.

Now we have come to Ibn ‘Arabi, who came to the realisation that everything contains a form of truth. So as seekers of knowledge we are obliged to give everything that has truth it’s truth.

He says that the self also owns this truth to the self. Everything of the self as a right to this and we must give it. This means that the self has a right over you, you don’t allow it to see evil things, you allow it to learn and you allow it to seek God. This right does not only go over the self but over everybody. The seekers of knowledge have this obligation to everything and therefore one must give each and everyone their right.

Ibn ‘Arabi also states that the guiding principle of all knowledge and activity, and the highest goal to which human souls can aspire is to recognise this truth. As where philosophers often believe that this lies in the quest for wisdom and transformation of the soul.

Ibn ‘Arabi distinguishes this in two terms, tahqiq and taqlid. Tahqiq is already explained above and is the realisation that leads to the reception of intellectual knowledge and it’s duty to recognize everything within their truth. The latter one, taqlid, is the imitation that leads to transmitted knowledge. Taqlid is the way of the philosophers, they imitate each other's methodologies and logical reasons. They just try to achieve the knowledge that is already attained by their predecessors. It does not necessarily aim for the knowledge that is in oneself.

What Ibn ‘Arabi tries to achieve is to strive to become characterized by the divine names given by God. Other philosophers see the nature of human beings to strive for achieving the perfect soul to the extent of human capabilities. These 99 names that are given to and by God are named in the Quran. These names or attributes include names like the most beneficent, the peace giver or the most merciful. To strive for these names to attribute to oneself is to become closer to fully utilise your human capacities. I think this way of thinking could be compared to Aristotle's virtue theory. However what Ibn ‘Arabi states is based on theology and the word of Allah (swt.)

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