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fissions-chips · 1 year

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Eldritch AU: ‘Archfey’ and the LEP

While the Fowls currently hold the position of cult-followed deities, they are technically of an ancient species know as the ‘Archfey’. Long before mankind lost its magic, when The People roamed the earth above, these creatures were akin to their ‘natural predators’, preying upon fairykind (whom they call ‘The Little Folk’) and stealing their magic and life to fuel their own. Somewhere between manifestations of magic incarnate and mythical beasts, Archfey possess magical abilities far, far beyond The People’s own- shapeshifting, possession, clairvoyance, and manipulation of the natural world are just some of their traits, with each individual’s own branch of magic falling into their particular ‘niche’ (ex: Artemis the First and The Hunt). They tap into the ‘old vein’ of magic, beholden to no laws such as The Book, and use this capability to rule their respective domains with an iron fist.

Archfey, while able to alter their bodies at will, do possess something of a ‘base form’ that they return to when weakened or at rest, with their appearance usually at least in part dictated by their aforementioned ‘niche’. These appearances do have some things in common- they tend to be extremely large and eldritch in nature, by human/fairy standards, and most have at least some humanoid traits. Each one settles on what they like best (and are usually quite vain about it)- disrespecting their appearance is a surefire way to wind up one’s prey. Another aspect that separates them from the magical races of The People are their need for bloodshed- archfey magic is strengthened by blood, with most are near-or-entirely carnivorous, and they usually enjoy violence immensely. By nature, archfey are exceptionally cunning, brutal, and remarkably intelligent, in part to their nigh-immortal lifespan (the only creatures capable of killing them seem to be other archfey). They can be incredibly deceptive, though that isn’t to say they are entirely incapable of forming connections- the modern-day Fowls are a very close-knit family.

When fairykind first went to war with humanity, the archfey remained largely removed from the conflict, only to then lose their primary prey as The People were forced to retreat underground. Already an incredibly rare species, most hid themselves away deep within the wild to sleep through the centuries, until some great change would enable them to return to their former position- a handful instead directed their attention to a more numerous, if less magical source of sustenance… humans. Positioning themselves as modern-day deities and establishing cults for themselves, this has enabled them to develop their abilities to heights never reached before, through the use of blood magic and rituals- they scorn upon The People’s decision to turn to technology instead.

As time wore on, the archfey became distant figures of lore among fairykind, reduced to bogeymen used to scare children at night. The LEP attempted to take count of those that they could upon their formation, but with archfey being a secretive species outright, nothing could be drawn up- until the later emergence of the Fowls, that is. Beginning with the current Fowls’ grandsires, the family has been waging a subtle and secret war against the LEP, having not forgotten their former relationship with fairykind. While such efforts briefly died during the adolescence of the current reigning Fowls, Artemis the First and Foxworth, the two reignited the conflict upon reaching adulthood and violently usurping their parents.

As it stands today, the Fowls make use of their followers in order to unearth any information they can as to the LEP and their movements, killing those that they can get their hands on. These efforts have again waned slightly with the birth of Artemis the Second, the family largely focused on protecting him from the knowledge of The People until he reaches adulthood, for fear that the LEP would direct their attention to killing the little one before he can fully develop his abilities. While currently the only known active archfey, there are rumors that others exist out there yet unmet, with recent sightings suggesting one stalks the Arctic north, swimming within the irradiated waters of the Murmansk Fjord.

#felt like coming up with some lore lol #while this AU was largely made simply si I could draw the Fowls as giant monsters I did make at least a slight effort to tie it into canon #at least when it comes to The People.#pity all those poor Recon scouts who never make it back underground on account of the Fowl’s meddling #eldritch au

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geges · 2 years

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Hello, thank you for writing that post about racism on how casia is portrayed in media. I’m curious about the “innate connection with beasts/animals: making this a trait associated with specific groups of people, especially tribal societies, is just racist and dehumanizing. this one is self-explanatory” point, I wanted to research on casia and was imagining a fantasy story where casian characters have the ability to contact and summon animals/mythical beasts, where they treat some of their spirits as familiars. After reading your post, would this portray harmful stereotypes? I imagine that the characters who have this magic power respect animals but I would really like to hear your opinion, on what’s okay and not okay when it comes to this specific area. Thank you

um. really dont know how to answer this except please go do some google searches on dehumanising racial/ethnic groups. associating one particular group with an innate connection to animals is an ancient stereotype that presumes one people are "closer" to their bestial, savage nature, and able to commune with their roots. many indigenous groups experience this, accompanied by assumptions that we are "wild untamed savages" who are uncivilised and live like animals. sure, if youre saying all people are connected to animals and your story just Happens to be set in casia, yeah whatever. maybe do a bit more research on casia first, but the animal factor is just a human trait at that point. if you're saying one singular group, especially an indigenous group, is separate from "civilised" humanity and connected to nature....please go do some google searches. also ask yourself why you personally associate one racial group with aniamls. why, when you think about our group, are we intrinsically "animalistic" in any sense, whether it be a connection to animals or our traits?

#any time you single out one group to be 'special' in any way ask yourself Why #why does it have to be one people. why these people. why this trait. many times youll find the answer is rooted in stereotypes!#there is very infrequently a time when fantasy traits cant be a Human thing and not a Central Asian thing #ask #anon #also dont make give ur brown charas animal traits. good god. do not.

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geoffleng · 1 year

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Top 7 NFT Games You Should Check Out in 2023

As the NFT gaming space continues to expand, players have a growing selection of games to choose from, each with its own unique gameplay and features. Some games are play-to-earn, while others are just pure play, so it’s up to you to decide which type of game would be best for you. To help make your choice easier, here are seven of the top NFT games you should consider playing in 2023:

1. Axie Infinity - With 2.8 million daily active players, Axie Infinity is one of the most popular NFT games out there. This play-to-earn game allows players to earn AXS tokens by playing, which can then be used in the platform’s governance. Players start out by buying three digital pets called Axies and raise them to eventually create generations of these creatures. Each Axie leaves its genetic imprint on its descendants, passing down its characteristics, weaknesses, and strengths.

2. Alien Worlds - Alien Worlds is another major NFT game with over 1.1 million users, according to Statista. This play-to-earn game involves earning Trilium (TLM), which is used to gain control in the Planet Decentralized Autonomous Organizations or Planet DAOs and for accessing additional gameplay. In this NFT Metaverse, players can go on missions and discover NFTs, which can then be used for mining Trilium or for fighting battles and going on missions.

3. Splinterlands - Splinterlands is an NFT card game that allows players to earn as they play and has similar gameplay to Gods Unchained. Each card has a different stat, mana cost, level, experience, ability, and Splinter/rarity. Players can trade their cards with anyone or rent them out to other players. They can also combine different cards to gain levels or even convert cards to crypto.

4. Dogami - Dogami is a game featuring an entire “Petaverse,” where players adopt a virtual pet or Dogami and nurture it into adulthood to unlock its full potential. These Dogami NFTs come in over 300 different breeds, each with unique traits of their own. Players can compete in challenges and earn DOGA tokens, the local currency of the Petaverse.

5. Cashbox - Cashbox takes the ancient world civilization as the background and builds a meta-universe parallel to the real world. You can summon Mythical beasts to ally and fight with other teams from other worlds to stabilize the order of the multiverse. Each Mythical beast is a unique NFT who will become uniquely valuable in battle after battle.

6. Illuvium - Illuvium is an open-world exploration game where players can travel through seven extraordinary alien landscapes and collect the unusual creatures they come across. These Illuvials possess unique abilities that can be upgraded as you train them, which will also improve their value. Players can sell or trade these Illuvials on the marketplace along with other NFT items and farmed materials.

7. Star Atlas - Star Atlas is a strategic space exploration game, where players fly their state-of-the-art spaceship across space and build their fortune by setting up mining facilities. The goal is to earn POLIS, the Star Atlas governance token, which gives you a say in the rules and fate of the metaverse.

These are just some of the top NFT games that you should consider playing in 2023. Whether you're looking for a play-to-earn game or a pure play experience, there's sure to be an NFT game out there that's right for you.

#nft games #cahsbox #star atlas #splinterlands #axie infinity #gamefi

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caelestexcervus · 2 years

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Muse Information

Name: Calypso of the Draconids

Many of the characters in the Dragon Ball franchise have unusual names, often associated with food. However, I decided to stick with a celestial and mythology theme and pick a name based on that. The name, Calypso, means “She Hides” in Greek. She recieved her name upon her first meeting her father and clan’s leader: Seth. The nervous toddler hid behind her mother, Artemis, which both amused and endeared the usually weary Kirinite, inspiring him to give his daughter her permanent name.

Though her parents hoped for her to become a fierce huntress and soldier, the hardship of war and a far greater threat overcome the Kirinites and Calypso struggles to hold onto strength and spiritual light. With her struggle to move past her loss and the frustration in her struggle with her heritage and identity, she searches across space in desperation to find her answers.

Her last part of her name relates to her clan name. Clan names come from that of the meteor showers: Draconids, Perseids, Leonids, and Ursids. A kirinite’s membership of their clan can be determined by the arrangement and color of their scales (described below). Their native planet, Shihab, bears an Arabic name, as a large part of Calypso’s inspiration comes from the Middle East and Africa and its meaning, “Shooting Star” refers to the Kirinites’ celestial nature.

Age: Mid to late 20’s during the Dragon Ball Z timeline. Late 20’s to mid 30’s in RPs outside of DBZ.

Species: Kirinite (DBZ); Kirin (Other verses)

The kirinite name is based off a mythical creature with the similar appearance, the kirin, as many of their physical characteristics (description on this page) resemble the creature.

Kirinites are known for their agility, intelligence, and spiritual power. Much of their strength comes from their lower body, and are capable of cracking bone (of those who lack intensive training) with their rock-hard hooves.

Their senses are incredibly sharp, heightened by their connection to their planet. This is strongly linked to their ability to hear the voices of souls passed and can help them detect the aura of living creatures (unless those targeted are trained to hide their energy level). Though they lack the ability to fire ki directly from their bodies, they can harvest crystals from the earth and use their energy and rituals to create illusions, inflict damage and potentially status-related problems (such as sleep, pacifying, or for those who master the skill, copying an enemy’s skill).

Kirinites can also call upon an ability of the Celestial Beast. This creature is believed to be the totem of all born of Kirinite blood. This ability is similar to that of Yamcha’s Wolf Fang Fist, except the aura takes form of a large, maned antelope-like creature as the fighter charges. This empowers their melee strikes, as well as have a chance of burning the opponent with their energy. This power, however, is very risky as it drains much of the user’s energy reserves and can leave them vulnerable if they are not able to dispose of the foe before time runs out. Another limitation is the need to use crystals taken from Shihab’s meteorites to channel their energy and awaken their totem.

Kirinites feel connected to their planet and believe they can commune with the spirits. They place great reverence to the stars, viewing them as creators of their world and embodiments of all souls that were born upon it. With the use of crystals, Kirinites connect with the ghosts that whisper guidance to them and unlock their powers. The ancient belief was cast into doubt, however, as the Kirinites saw invading ships scream past the stars and collide into their home.

Description:

Kirinites have a humanoid appearance, with several physical traits resembling that of a sable antelope and gemsbok. All members possess cloven hooves for feet, often with feathering on the back of them, with the short bristly fur covering the tops of these hooves and melding into the skin at mid-calf.

Though members of the Draconid Clan bear long, pronged horns that gracefully sweep back from the head, similar to what is depicted for Asian dragons. All Kirinites possess large deer-like ears; claws; heavy, thick, fang-like teeth with large prominent canines (elder, higher-ranked Kirinites will have even larger canines that slide over the lip) and small, light-colored speckles scattered over their skin and scales.

Kirinites also have scales present on the fronts of their hooves and lower leg, hips, base of their tail, the tops of their hands and up their forearms, and up their back. The scales on their backs are thickened and raised like a crocodile’s spines; these are believed to help protect their spines during hunts and battles. These scales are often dark in color, yet have small glistening speckles, similar to stars.

With Calypso’s Draconid Clan, the scales are similar to those of the sunset (coming from the preferred time to view the Draconid meteor shower). Her scales are a gradient of a dark, muted reddish-purple fading into rosy gold at the bottom of the scales, with the silvery speckles being most prominent in the darkest colors. Her scales are in the common places, listed above; however they are in broken patches like what’s seen on a koi fish: a definitive Draconid trait.

Calypso stands at about 5’ 3’’ and has a lean, toned figure.

While drafted in Freeza’s army, she is still wearing the black pants, though her sash and top are replaced with the classic Planet Trade Organization armor, with most of it being black with pale gold padding. White rib-like details wrap around below her breasts (picture coming soon).

On Earth, however, she can be seen wearing midriff shirts. The tops are usually dark colors. Her favorites being a dark gray midriff shirt with a wide collar to show off her shoulder (and thus the scar on her collar bone), and a charcoal heather top with a cave lion skull graphic. She also wears acid washed jeans, or ripped denim capris. She also develops a fondness for hemp chokers and tribal-inspired jewelry.

She is always wearing a crystal of pale gray and pale gold around her neck. This crystal comes from Shihab and is what she uses to channel her ki for attacks and summon the Celestial Beast totem.

Abilities:

Calypso is no exception and possess the standard kirinite abilities as described above, along with being able to let out a thundering bestial roar (sounds like an angry mix between a red deer stag’s and a lion’s) that can echo for miles. However, the blessing of hearing ghosts becomes a curse the day she forsakes her faith in them. If she were to return to Shihab, they would become distorted, distressing wails. Though she may be a great distance away from them, they still tug deep in her mind like a silent, persistent haunting.

When she lands on other planets, this ability becomes even more unnerving as she cannot understand the souls tangled whispers. This only strengthens her fear and hatred towards hearing them, and is further convinced that the stars of her home have cursed her. She is at risk of losing focus, becoming entranced, or reacting wildly midst the most severe hallucination phase. All these can make battle extremely dangerous for the lost Kirinite.

Like her mother’s Leonid heritage, she possesses retractable claws. They can extend at will and are known to be dangerously sharp, able to tear through the thickest of animal hides. Her teeth are also very lion-like, and can crush bones of weaker beings.

My aim for Calypso is for her to learn and grow stronger gradually through training. She will likely lose in battles, especially against powerful opponents, though this is dependent on the verse, where our muses are in their interactions, and what my RP partner is comfortable with. The fun in Dragon Ball Z is watching a character work hard with others to overcome challenges, not winning everything effortlessly.

Personality:

Calypso has an archaic, almost poetic, way of speaking, stemming from her connecting to ancient souls and culture. She struggles with social interactions, especially first-time meetings. Often times Calypso can be seen deep in thought or intently observing from afar. She broods quietly instead of talking about her problems, though if they bother her enough, she’ll voice them in an indirect manner. This is due to her discomfort of asking for help. After all, a Draconid guard must be able to stand on her own two hooves. She also tends to get needy for assurance, something that may manifest as requests for ear scratches.

However, towards those who grow close to her heart, she becomes protective and does her best to be dependable. The Kirinite becomes more playful to those she loves, often sneaking up and catching them by surprise (mostly by pouncing on them). She’ll even goes as far as become touchy-feely with them. She is rather insecure and often looks towards intimacy as a means to help combat with her insecurities.

Family:

As stated earlier, her father’s name is Seth, possibly meaning “Pillar” in Egyptian but also the name of the ancient god of chaos. He is was leader of the Draconid Clan and was considered withdrawn, embittered, and is has a cynical view towards most things, including towards the stars. He was the eldest son of the previous leader and inherited the on-going tensions over the Sacred Lands. Though he does not share the devout beliefs as his predecessors, he feels the need to keep up with the war. Ever since he defeated his siblings and ascended the throne, he struggles constantly with a need to prove himself. This was unknowingly passed to Calypso.

Her mother, Artemis, was a merchant for her natal Leonid clan before her travelling to Draconid territory. She’s always been headstrong and takes pride in being seen as “a rebel for the right reasons”. Artemis is very set in her ways, and is always determined to act for the greater good. This is how she won Seth’s heart (and sometimes cause arguments, particularly when tensions on Shihab begin to mount). The clans began fighting for the Sacred Lands, with the Draconids and Persids allying with one another, and Leonids and Ursids joining on the opposing end. Though most Draconids have come to accept her as one of their own, there is a lingering distrust towards her. Though this subtle alienation wears on her, she remains determined to do all she can to save both her natal clan and her current clan.

Calypso has several half-siblings, therefore being a princess of the clan was not an uncommon status. She is the fourth of the seven potential heirs.

Like most of her siblings, Calypso is a guard and patrols the clan’s hunting grounds and boundaries. She struggles her own faith as she watches how the spirits and the war are affecting her people. The added stress of ongoing competition with her siblings (her eldest sister, Juno, being her worst rival) for the coveted position of High Guard and heir also weighs upon her. Distortion ripples through once familiar voices, she and the others start to grow restless. There is a persistent, eerie feeling in the air, like the calm before a violent storm.

Then during one night, as metal and murderous intent fell from the skies instead of rock and fire, that the spirits, stars, and earth fell silent.

The invaders of different shapes and sizes claimed the planet in the name of Freeza and began slaughtering most of the inhabitants. What was supposed to be a routine rendezvous about the territory’s borders plummeted into a blind run from the invaders’ screaming blaze. She tore for her clan’s center, desperate to warn her comrades and family before fur and scales seared and she was thrown into the air. Her head struck the many jagged rocks of her home, dropping her mind into absolute blackness.

It could have been hours, perhaps even days, when tattooed eyelids fluttered away grit still clinging to her eyes. Her claws tore away chunks of dirt and rock burying her, only to find the once starry skies replaced by a red and lavender haze. Her stinging sight struggled to look all around, only finding splattered blood of her brethren. Seth’s mighty war cry was not heard, nor was Artemis’s fierce woop. Not even the snarl of her rival Juno: a sound she once felt stomach-turning dread for. Now it would have been an immense relief if it sounded. Nothing, no ancestral spirit nor newly departed, called out, all that was left was her and the sprawling grave site. She pulled herself from the pit before one of Freeza’s remaining soldiers seized her shoulder and plucked her roughly from the ground.

Being only a lowly hunter and guard, Calypso swallowed her pride and submitted immediately. She spoke velvet words, despite her trembling voice, playing up her strength and skills honed by years of surviving within the badlands and fighting the monstrous beasts of the land. It was by the sheer grace of whatever deity was left to care that they conceded to let her live, only on the condition that she devotes her life to serving Prince Freeza as a soldier.

The worst was yet to come, as training within the Planet Trade Organization held no mercy for a mere foot soldier. Though bones were broken and tears spilled, the Kirinite held onto determination and struggling faith, choosing to defy them by surviving. One day she will find the right time to abandon the forces and embrace freedom.

In most verses, Calypso has succeeded in abandoning the PTO; she is running from them as well as searching for answers regarding her people’s downfall and her purpose. With muses that are within the PTO, however, she is either still within the lower ranks of the army or crossing paths with them during her going AWOL (I will ask which would be preferred).

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citizen-zero · 3 years

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Thinking about how the Minotaur was considered a monster because of ancient Greek ideas about human superiority over beasts, so anything that was half human but half beast was either a monster (and thus evil/chaotic) or else depicted as less refined or savage (like satyrs or centaurs).

And look at how mortals are punished in the most commonly told versions of the myths. Medusa was given snake hair. Atalanta and her husband were made into lions. Artemis turned a man into a stag and had him killed by his own dogs. Io was turned into a cow. Minos was given donkey ears. So on and so forth. So there’s a clear trend here where becoming more animalistic is a bad thing and a sign that someone has fucked up. I think the only instances where animalistic traits are shown positively or neutrally are when it’s the gods doing it—like Zeus becoming a swan or a bull. Notice how these are beautiful or sacred animals.

Anyway, it’s interesting to contrast that with ideas about the Minotaur I’ve seen lately with the popularity of Hades. I think it’s interesting that a modern audience looks at him the way we look at anyone else—as someone shaped by their circumstances and not by any inherent qualities. Like, what would he have been if he’d been raised like any other son and/or not confined to the darkness of the maze? What if he hadn’t been treated like a monster from the outset?

I think it’s very interesting seeing how views on a mythical figure can change over millennia and I think it’s interesting that like…it’s likely not a totally new phenomenon, but we’re seeing more retellings of old myths that take a fully and unabashedly sympathetic view of old monsters and villains. It’s like the story of Medusa—I’m sure sympathetic versions of the story existed in the ancient past, but the most common telling is ultimately still the misogynistic, demonizing one.

Also the fact that more people are openly monsterfuckers these days and it’s not seen as a huge taboo and allegory for people’s repressed horniness like it used to be. Although tbh I think sympathetic views came first, because from what I’ve seen it’s often (not always but often) not just about fucking the monster but also like having a committed and loving relationship with the monster. Liking the monster for their personality and not just the dick/pussy/etc

God now I really wanna deep dive research this because this feels like a thesis topic and I think it’d be really good

#personal #erika's blog and bar #greek mythology

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hexandbalances · 4 years

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Excerpts from the above article:

The Grimaldi Goddess clay figurine, unearthed at the Neolithic settlement of Çatal Hüyük in Turkey, dates back to about 6000 BC. It depicts an obese woman giving birth while seated upon a throne. Although many have considered this a sure sign of feminine fertility, many scholars have dismissed the two massive dog-like beasts sitting by her side. The focus has continued being about sexual reproduction symbols, rather than her role in dog domestication and dominance over woman’s best and most loyal friend.

In northern Israel, archaeologists discovered the remains of a 12,000-year-old Natufian woman with her hand resting on a pet puppy, at the ‘Ain Mallaha site. This is one of the first known remains related to dog domestication. (The Israel Museum, Jerusalem )

At an excavation site near Lake Baikal in Siberia, the archaeologist and geneticist Andrea Waters Rist from Leiden University discovered two 8,000-year-old skeletal remains of Neolithic Siberian women carrying signs of the parasitic infection known as echinococcosis. This disease occurs when humans have long interaction and contact with canines through the sharing of food, water, and in some instances from being exposed to canine fecal matter. Waters-Rist’s analysis concludes that ancient Siberian women of this forgotten tribe might have been responsible for the caring, feeding, and rearing of dogs. Within every culture, there is distinct evidence that women were significant to the rearing and training of dogs. Shortly after the domestication of the dog, humans lived side by side with these animals, considered them equals, and depended on them for protection and assistance in their everyday lives. According to scholars such as Waters-Rist, it is therefore not surprising that humans would also endure the same sicknesses as well. As time went on, dogs were reared by both men and women, and they eventually became part of the family unit across many cultures. Without the friendship and alliance of dogs, there would be no human civilization. This fact must have been well understood in the ancient world, as there are several goddesses associated with dogs. Could these dog-friendly deities provide clues to the relationship between women and dogs?

Dog-Friendly Deities: Women and Dogs in Mythology

Aside from the Grimaldi Goddess figurine hypothesis previously mentioned, the list of gods who demonstrate a strong relationship with dogs include the goddess Gula, also known as Bau, Nintinugga, and Basat, who was often represented sitting near dogs. The goddess of dogs and healing, in her earliest form she was described as the dogs' controller, but she became associated with spells and healing in later years. Her temples were prevalent in Mesopotamia, Babylonia and Sumer, and stray dogs were allowed to roam within their walls. Altars at her temples were littered with dog statues, dedicated to her in the hope she would provide speedy recovery for loved ones. Her sacred symbol remained that of the dog until she was forgotten over time.

Left; Detail of the goddess Nintinugga, her dog, and a scorpion man from kudurru of Nebuchadnezzar granting Šitti-Marduk freedom from taxation. British Museum. ( CC BY-SA 4.0 ). Right Public Domain )

Other powerful mythical deities and goddesses were associated with hunting. The goddess Atalanta was often painted equipped with a bow, spear, and dogs, not to mention a severed boar head, representing luck with the hunt and fruitful prosperity. As the scholar Adrienne Mayor has mentioned, vase paintings depicted Amazon archers accompanied by dogs as they ran to battle or hunted. The eternal bond between women and dogs, especially on Greek vases, is evidence of an unbreakable connection. The goddess Artemis (Diana) is another deity which illustrates the connection between women, hunting and a feminine command over dogs, wolves, and animals. Another Greek goddess was Hecate, who was responsible for crossroads and entryways, as well as dogs. However, her depiction was far more sinister, as she represented the unpredictability of magic and spells. She was a shapeshifter, described as having three heads and was often responsible for dog barking, since they were obliged to announce her entrance anywhere she went.

Amongst the ancient Greeks, there are a few common themes related to women and dogs, in that their companionship was seen as old and mysterious, but beneficial for all. Much ancient Greek art portrays men hunting with hounds, but the representation of warrior women and ancient hunting deities could help shine a light on a past when women trained dogs for hunting and gathering.

There is not much evidence to speak for this hypothesis, besides some Greco-Roman art and a few Scythian warrior women gravesites with hounds. There is however significant evidence of women rearing and training dogs for the purpose of assisting in hunting and carrying supplies. The most extraordinary evidence can be seen with the ethnographic accounts of early North American Plains Indians as they spoke of the time before the arrival of Spanish horses.

Detail from a Karl Bodmer painting showing a dog with a travois in an Assiniboine camp in the Great Plains. ( Public domain )

Women and Dogs in North American Plains Indian Culture

The most famous account is from the Hidatsa elder Buffalo Bird Woman. In her stories from the past, she discusses the older way of life for women and dogs within the American Plains culture. Her account explains that even after incorporating horses, it was only the more affluent families that could afford to house them. Most families still relied heavily on dog transportation by way of travois, two-pole sleds used by North American Plains Indians to carry goods, and their brutal nomadic way of life.

She states that women were considered the owners of dogs. They were expected to raise them, clean them, and train them. Like in many other cultures, the methods for domesticating dogs revealed a selection process over generations favoring the more complacent over the vicious and mercurial. The most favorable of puppies had large round faces, big legs, and floppy ears. These traits revealed a loyal and happy dog that would grow up big. Puppies that did not meet these criteria were often killed or given away.

Her narrative involves women training the dogs in hauling weights, in order to get an adult canine ready and able to carry between 50 and 70 pounds (22 to 32 kilos) by travois. Once this task was completed, the dog would be used for multiple purposes. In some situations, anywhere from 20 to 70 dogs would be brought on hunts and expected to carry the processed buffalo meat back to camp without being tempted to eat any of it. Women would also take packs of between 12 and 20 dogs to collect firewood and supplies to sustain their families one month at a time. With every task given, it was still customary for a woman to care and equip the dogs, as well as ensure they were comfortable in their tasks.

According to Buffalo Bird Woman’s account, dogs would always follow in single file behind their women owners, and if any of the dogs tired, the women would know how to keep them encouraged. In the summer, women knew not to load dogs as heavily as in winter. This had to do with the heat and the friction from the ground. During winter, the weather and snow worked in a travois-pulling dog’s favor. It was also necessary for women to continue keeping the dogs hydrated throughout the day, for they were always in use.

#hekate #wolf domestication #feminist witch #goddess worship #canine domestication #atalanta #artemis #diana #women's history

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wildborn-witch · 3 years

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“There are tales spoken in hushed whispers, beyond the ears of the Emperor’s Coven, about a tribe of witches who were bonded to spirits—mystical beings born of wild magic. An ancient race they were, said to have been the first children of the Titan when it fell. Taking the form of beasts, they had the ability to heal and speak to the Isles, calling upon its natural power. These gifts they shared with the witches, who took their name in gratitude, and together, they and their descendants settled near the Heart, wishing to live in harmony with the wilderness and their ancestor.’

“Centuries passed, and eventually their neighbors came to wield magic of their own, sparking a new age of discovery. In this time, the original covens were formed, each following one of nine disciplines, yet they all recognized the ancient tribe as the first masters. On their part, the tribe stayed distant from the others, though anyone willing to learn from them was welcomed among their ranks.’

“Everything changed, however, with the coming of the Savage Ages. Chaos reigned, and conflict and unrest divided the land until a new figure arose: a mysterious witch who called himself Belos. Claiming to be an emissary of the Titan, he vowed to bring unity to the Isles, insisting that unbound magic only brought disorder. One by one, the nine covens bowed to his teachings, but the ancient tribe resisted—they saw him for what he truly was, and would not give up the old ways. Their defiance led to their destruction, as Belos and his coven hunted them all down until, at last, only their chief remained. Accused of high treason, he was sentenced to petrification, frozen in stone as Belos took the title of Emperor over the Boiling Isles.’

“It has been thirty years since the tribe’s extinction, and the spirits have fallen silent, fading into myth and legend. But nothing lasts forever, for a new awakening has begun. The old ways will be found once more, and in time, the Isles will see the return of…’

To those who have followed me already on both this blog and my main account, I want to thank you all so much for your patience and continued interest as this has taken shape. To those who are here for the first time, my name is Drekasál, and I’m proud to announce the official master post and FAQ for the Wildborn AU!

I intend to update this as often as possible as I continue to work on new pieces—both artistic and literary—as well as answer whatever questions that may come up in the future, but for now, I figure the basics would be good to start with, first and foremost being…

What is the Wildborn AU?

The Wildborn AU is my personal contribution to The Owl House fandom, centering around my witchsona Tristan O’Connor who is its main protagonist. Taking place after the events of Season 1, it explores my own take on the history of magic on the Isles by introducing the Wildborn—a tribe of ancient witches bonded to powerful spirits of the same name.

Lore

Originating from days long before the Savage Ages, the Wildborn came into being when the Titan first fell, and hold great power over the Isles’ primordial forces. Reflecting their wild natures, their spiritual forms take on the form of beasts, both mythical and mundane.

In the past, the spirits had a rocky relationship with the early witches, whom had not evolved bile-sacs yet and thus relied on harnessing the wild magic of the Isles through glyphs. At some point in history, however, a young witch from an ancient tribe formed a Bond with the Thunderbird, the first of the spirits and their guardian. After that, the two groups grew closer, with more witches and spirits forming Bonds with each other, eventually becoming the Wildborn tribe. Harnessing the power of their spirits, the Wildborn witches did not need to rely on glyphs, and those pairs who developed strong Bonds could Merge to become a new being, a reflection of the spirit’s beast form combined with the traits of their witch.

Regarded as the first masters of wild magic, the tribe was well-respected for centuries, even as other witches eventually evolved bile-sacs and formed the original covens. Tragically, that came to an end during the Savage Ages, which saw the appearance of Emperor Belos and his enforcement of the coven system. Seeing the Wildborn as untamable and a threat to his teachings, he ordered for their persecution, hunting them down and forbidding any mention of them, until at last it seemed they had been wiped out. But the tales still persist, and the spirits live on, waiting for the day their Guardian will return, and restore balance to the Isles...

Inspiration

This AU draws inspiration from both Wolfwalkers and Brother Bear, both of which are beautifully animated movies, but the latter especially I consider a criminally underrated Disney movie. Wolfwalkers mainly inspired the Hellhounds, the secondary group of characters in the AU, but both movies played a part in developing the Wildborn themselves, particularly their powers and portrayal as animal spirits.

The Characters

Tristan O’Connor - Protagonist in the Wildborn AU. He is a faun witchling enrolled in the Beast Keeping tract at Hexside School of Magic and Demonics. Shy yet kind, he has a deep love of nature and the wild, though it is a passion he has been forced to curb up until now due to the rigidity of the coven system. It is revealed later on that he is Bonded to the spirit Anam, making him the first living Wildborn to exist in thirty years.

Aedh - Deuteragonist in the Wildborn AU. He is a member of the Hellhounds, a pack of wolf-like fire elementals who live hidden beneath the Titan’s skull. Daring and adventurous, he doesn’t have the same bitterness against witches like his elders, having not been born during the time of their persecution, and he welcomes Tristan warmly as a friend. He proves vital in helping the witchling adjust to his Wildborn powers, teaching him how to be a Hellhound when he is Merged with Anam.

Anam - Tritagonist in the Wildborn AU. He is Tristan’s Wildborn spirit, originally being the soul of a Hellhound pup born with “too little fire”. As the AU progresses, it is discovered that he is Aedh’s younger brother and littermate, thus making Tristan, through his Bond with Anam, Aedh’s spiritual brother and and a member of the pack.

Tuft - Supporting character in the Wildborn AU. He is Tristan’s pet griffin, getting his name from his tufted ears uncommon to his kind. A frequent companion of the witchling, he is fiercely loyal and protective, accompanying him on his adventures in the wilderness.

Eleri O’Connor - Supporting character in the Wildborn AU. She is Tristan’s mother and a member of Bard Coven, stated to be well-respected as a master of her craft. She is shown to be a caring and loving parent, though she constantly worries about her son, partly due to her frequent absence in the household, as well as her fear that Tristan might never fit in and suffer for it. Although she is Adar’s daughter, she is not Wildborn herself, having never Bonded with a spirit.

Adar O’Connor/The Thunderbird - Supporting character(s) in the Wildborn AU. Adar O’Connor is Eleri’s father and Tristan’s grandfather, and was the last great chief Bonded to the Thunderbird before the extinction of the Wildborn tribe. When Adar was sentenced to petrification, the Thunderbird permanently Merged with him to save his life, and they act as guides to Tristan and his allies as the AU unfolds.

Arduinna “Rina” Ward - TBA

Arwain the Seeress - TBA

This list will be updated as new characters are developed and added!

Are the main cast of The Owl House involved?

Yes, actually! Their roles are still being developed, but I do intend for Luz to play an important part in this AU, given her rediscovery and usage of glyph magic, and she becomes one of Tristan’s close allies. Eleri herself has had interactions/relationships with Eda and Lilith in the past, when they were attending Hexside together as teenagers.

Is this an open AU? (Can anyone participate/make connections?)

I definitely wish for the Wildborn AU to be as open-ended as possible, as I love making potential connections with the stories/characters of other creators in the fandom. Fair warning, however, that this AU is still in constant development, so things are liable to change! Don’t be afraid to reach out if you have ideas you want to run by me!

Is fanart/fan fiction allowed?

Y E S. Fanworks are 1001% allowed and would honestly make me the happiest person ever ;;V;;

Master List

Eye of the Storm - Lore of the Thunderbird.

No Mercy - Hellhound lore

Reassurance - Aedh welcomes Tristan

Locked or Free - 100+ follower Instagram DTIYS

One Being - Tristan describes the Merge

Dumb Animal - Tristan and Aedh encounter Boscha’s gang at the Knee

Tristan’s Beast Form - Reference sheet

Forces of Nature - Wildborn lore

The Thunderbird - Official model sheet

Adar Concept Art

Hellhound Reference

The Last Wildborn - Official banner

Healing - Gift art/animation for @sobsinfrench

«—•—»

If you have any more questions for me, don’t be afraid to submit an ask, and my inbox is open if you want to reach out to me directly! I also post artwork and occasional updates to my main blog @drekasal, so be sure to follow me there as well! Thank you all so much for reading through this, and have a wonderful day!

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frightfurtabby · 3 years

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HimiKiyo Week 2021: Day 1- Creeping Darkness

//HimiKiyo Week 2021 is finally here! Took a little bit tonight to finalize edits and come up with a title. Look forward to more each day for the next week~

I’m proud, this is one of my longest singlechapter fics ever if not the longest

Links to other Platforms:

Amino: https://aminoapps.com/c/danganronpa/page/blog/himikiyo-week-2021-day-1/5B58_R2MsVulaQEnXkXVBzYlGjd3mXnP3Z

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/34119466

The seaside village Himiko moved out to was more out of the way than the usual cities and suburbs. Apparently, her mentor couldn’t come. It was going to be a pain being out in that little house all alone. Who knows, maybe he’d sent another student of his the same kind of message?

To her disappointment there wasn’t anyone else, still not a single other apprentice known to her. She decided that after not doing anything yesterday but unpacking and eating and sleeping she would go over to the shrine marked on the local map. If nothing else she could pray for good luck before really getting down to working.

The course of this assignment and her whole life changed the moment she saw that strange figure at the offerings box while nobody else was around. They wore a long green kimono with beautiful dark hair almost matching that outfit in length. They looked to be glowing ethereally, with pale white skin akin to a porcelain doll.

Their hand was in the offerings box. At first she assumed they must be giving their own prayers and as such stayed back so as to not intrude. She noticed then that the figure was taking something *out* of the offerings box and that’s when she wondered if they were a thief.

“Fret not, these offerings are for me, dear human.” a voice came to her, seeming at first separate from the figure still several feet ahead. Someone addressing a person as “human” and saying it was their offering… She’d never seen a kami before, but that was the sole explanation that made everything make sense about them.

“Then you’re a kami?” she asked, quirking her eyebrow.

“That I am, I am called Shinguji. This family name refers to residing here, at the True Temple. My given name Korekiyo means just and pure”

“I-it’s a beautiful…” The mage was torn in half between the word ‘name’ and the word ‘place.’ The brook not far behind the pair was babbling audibly and birds were chirping. The water went past the trees and out to the river, which fed it almost directly into the ocean.

Even if something wicked this way was coming there was nothing yet to taint the natural beauty. She wasn’t sure if it would even be able to with a keeper this pretty.

“A beautiful what?” The spirit gently prodded her with the question. They had noticed her biting her lip in uncertainty.

“Name, your name is pretty. Uhh, and I’m…” she was too flustered to easily find any of the necessary words.

“You are Yumeno Himiko.”

“So you knew that already?” It was not that surprising in hindsight, but in that moment she was caught off guard, focusing on trying not to be so tense in their presence like she had been up to that point. She worried she was giving off the wrong message.

“I intuited it, but I don’t blame you for being surprised. Most humans think of us Kami as mythology, but I’ve known these old figures, and dealt with many creatures as my neighbors in my centuries of life.”

“In that case then are you able to intuit why I’m here?” The mage tried hard not to sound too much like a schoolgirl talking to her popular crush.

“I could. It would be easier if you told me. Whatever it is, you seem particularly stressed out by it.” They tilted their head slightly, a very human gesture, and it was clear they were reading deeper. Either humans had gotten it from the ancient gods or vice-versa. One of those things nobody would ever be able to remember the origin of.

It was better to answer the question than get too off track wondering about that.

“Well, my master who is a magician told me there was something that was going to go wrong here. He gave me the mission to stop it.”

It was Kiyo’s turn to be concerned.

“Well, I have been given whispers that a nasty yokai is approaching this land. It comes from the far north and wishes to sap power for itself. Very few claiming to be survivors of this have shown up, and we’re all so isolated these days...”

That was a bad sign.

“Is it because of us?” If her master had worried so much about it then there was no doubt in her mind that this thing would be going after humans if it hadn’t already started.

“Not all of you, but some who are greedy have broken many natural connections and scattered the so-called mythical creatures and spirits away. In a way it’s beautiful, the circle of life even. Although, it is believed perhaps negative energy has attracted this beast from its home and onto its rampaging path.”

A realization hit her. In her research she found that even things that you would not expect to have a soul or a consciousness did at least have the same kind of natural energy as things that did. So objects and anything/everything else with a soul would be susceptible to producing negative energy.

“So it's a cycle of things feeding into it.”

“Yes. I fear if it gets to a certain point it’ll have enough momentum that there will be no stopping it. So you should think about what you will do to face the possibility.”

Something about those words felt familiar. Even though it was a serious topic, Himiko was comforted.

“And you need someone like me to stand a chance?”

“The more the merrier, of course. There are things even I may have missed and for that you can be an extra set of eyes and ears. We’re going to train and prepare.”

The rest of that afternoon was spent, at first guided by Kiyo and by the end on her own, getting more used to the area and learning some specific landmarks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Starting the following day, Himiko started up a routine to come back every day, which would last for several months. Each day she learned new things about the old times that had only ever been guessed about from artifacts. She learned that even Kami had a cutoff point in memory, even if it did happen to be thousands of years stronger than mortals. The only truly omnipotent beings were those that had created earth eons ago, who were as elusive as ever.

She also trained. Oh, how wonderful it was to train again. And with a more formidable opponent than most people she would ever encounter normally. After each session she was told more about the species of yokai, and which were more likely to be dangerous foes that needed preparation for.

They would pray and make wishes for having strength and safety at the lucky rock on the path along the brooks. Kiyo allowed Himiko to take and keep a bit of power from it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It happened when she thought it was going to be just another day of what they had been doing. It was not.

There was something off in the air. And it wasn’t just the dead trees, those were normal for winter. What wasn’t normal was the small patches of rot in them already, the rot had even spread to the grass and other plants on the ground. There was a trail of it and it reeked of a nasty yokai. A being only interested in death and destruction.

Even worse was that Kiyo was nowhere to be found. They had made a game plan about that, Himiko was to check somewhere inside the shrine in order to find clues. Inside the prayer chamber proper it was a mess just like it would be in the case of any other type of break in. The rot hadn't set in because the room was blessed and was better able to resist, but there was a distinct trail of slime that showed its movement and the room.

She could picture Kiyo weaving around it and dodging attacks to have a chance to hit back at it. The fight had torn up the screens and the ancient art it depicted, and even punctured holes in the inner walls and flooring. An extra band of beads like one Kiyo would often wear was left behind. The signal was received.

Something wasn’t right, however. A presence that was too strong to be explained by the evil residue. It seemed like what they were working against had minions left behind, for the exact reason that someone like her was in the area and had to be stopped. The question was how many were there?

Five of them came up from either the ground or one of the holes puncturing the walls, one right before her and four circling around, forming seemingly out of the shadows and the goo. They quickly solidified into dark shapes that were much like werewolves, though she recognized among them different animal traits expressed. One even had bunny-esque lop ears.

Himiko took out her wand and started muttering some spells under her breath, making a broad sweeping motion to keep all at bay. The one closest was pushed back and stumbled in surprise. Trying to charge her led to an acrobatic maneuver: it leapt over onto its back and she whipped out a stage magician-like string of handkerchiefs and pulled it up to start choking the beast out.

They surprisingly weren’t as vicious as she’d imagined from how each of them had shown up. It couldn’t do any of its special moves. Unfortunately, its friends could, and they did. They rushed and she let go for a moment, tripping up one and using its momentum in a way it crashed into the first one before it could recover.

Swinging off it allowed her to jump up and kick a third before lashing a whip of electricity from her wand, yanking the fourth and gaining momentum by bouncing off it with a drop kick right about where the lungs were.

Watching them struggle, she realized they had once been animal spirits for sure, only to have been corrupted. They weren’t just something conjured by their boss.

Hesitation for even one second almost cost her when one swiped claws, just barely missing her and taking her hat instead. The advantage of being shorter than the monsters was they’d miss like that. And much like the stage magic she pretended to use in daily life, the hat was spring-loaded with some friends for them to play with. A magic box that was shattered by the attack let out doves of magical energy that distracted each as well as a jack-in-the-box dummy that took her place as a target for just long enough to take one out.

Even though the trick had been figured out, she could tell from their expressions changing the exact instant of the realization there wasn’t much the poor things could do when the tide had been turned. The rest of them were dispatched with a quick volley of attack spells. She sprinted out, conjuring another hat loaded with a similar trick from her storage at home, just in case. It was more physically exhausting than mana draining so she borrowed from her reserve to recover breath and catch up sooner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She crossed her fingers that those things weren’t going to be much more of a problem on the way over. The trail grew cold on her about a dozen times already the past 4 days but each time she doubled back to a previous checkpoint, there was another sign she’d accidentally glossed over. Each time something was left in an obscure place: a back alley or a bush only to be dragged out by a cat, occasionally right to her.

Whether it was an order from Kiyo or someone else, she wasn’t sure, but all the help was appreciated.

It seemed to be that when it took someone, it had to complete a loop back home. It was much faster than she could follow on foot. So the mage took to various buses and trains when she needed to.

Himiko hadn’t slept in nearly 24 hours by the 4th night, and all the past nights had been similarly lacking in rest. She’d set alarms to go off within a few hours of very scattered naps so she’d at least run decently when it finally came down to it.

She snuck out of an inn somewhere very rural and very cold in the northern reaches of Hokkaido. She could just feel the cave system nearby was definitely the origin point of the attacker.

Before she could even begin the climb upwards, an upright, tall figure came barrelling down in her direction, diving from above off of a rock and gliding down gracefully, coughing and panting, falling to their knees after the taxing stunt. That fall easily could have killed a human, plus most people couldn’t fly without magical objects.

“We need to get back up there, hurry!”

“Kiyo!”

However, before the first shape could speak further they were interrupted from behind Himiko. Just a few feet downhill a second Kiyo was standing.

“Don’t Himiko! That thing can become other entities!”

The first Kiyo to arrive chuckled and shook their head. “Well, that’s true, clever of you to tell her first.” A deep sigh later, they continued. “Shame I’ve heard of that little trick before and prepared something for this kind of thing.”

“A double cross is it?” the second Kiyo asked. “It’s quite a claim you have there, being the real me, having planned for your own deception.”

Whichever Kiyo was the real one, it was hard to tell at first. The two auras had been in close proximity so a mage in training would have a hard time pulling apart which was which. Then the first Kiyo cleared their throat again.

“Well then, I have a proposition.” they said, turning their attention back to Himiko. “Yumeno Himiko should be able to ask a question, then see how both of us answer, and she’ll know which of us is real.”

“Of course, after spending so long with me she’s bound to know the real one. I’d be crazy to decline,” the beast said.

Kiyo knew this thing would do anything to avoid being pegged as suspicious. It was a double bind for the beast. The only way this was ending was fighting it. This was part of that plan. Delaying it just a tad until the right time.

Himiko cleared her throat, glancing between the two one more time before she closed her eyes. It was nerve wracking but as long as it wanted to not out itself, the yokai would never blindside attack her.

“My question is very simple: What is it that I was training to do?”

The creature nodded. “Understood. This one is easy. We were going to stop the one who’s taken all those others and stop them from taking enough power for its plan.” It turned to Kiyo, giving a taunting glare. “And before the monster tries any trickery, to be specific, we were practicing your magic and got you a mana boost. It’ll help the new technique not be so taxing on you.”

That was almost entirely correct. Kiyo knew then their suspicion was right and something in the area had been spying and relayed all its gathered information back to prepare this creature for any threats that may spring up. That’s what attacked first, the helpers that Himiko had to fend off to get here.

“Alright. My turn.” Kiyo remained characteristically calm face to face. “We were training. So I don’t have to repeat what the other me said, I’ll agree. However, there was something missing from that answer.”

“Missing? What, pray tell, did I miss?”

“The mana boost served as a test to see if you were already there. And I felt something that may have been a minion performing recon.” Emphasis on the last word. That was something Kiyo had been anticipating. Before they had been taken, she was given a code word. They only mentioned it to her in a whisper on the day that they felt a presence leave to the north with no other context. ‘Recon’ was that word.

Eye contact was made, Himiko gave a slight nod to show that she understood and it was off to the races. She went on ahead, up one path leaving the Kiyos behind. It was a signal to the real Korekiyo. And so, the two fought again, much like they had when the faker had invaded the temple and kidnapped them to try and complete the ritual.

They weaved in and out, sometimes further to one side away from Himiko and her destination when Kiyo was having their way and closer, forcing her to duck and use repulsion spells to avoid being caught up in the scuffle. Kiyo’s attacks looked like needles when they flew at their enemy, so she even gave those attacks a boost. She heard the cries of anger and pain when one managed to hit just the right place.

The yokai was a resilient one though, it would just pluck them right out and fire back energy attacks of their own. One of them hit Kiyo and sent them tumbling back down the mountain some distance, dropping several dozen feet to a thud.

They got back up almost instantly, knowing how much danger the girl ahead was in, and pulled out a pair of scythe to quickly dig into the mountain’s side and climb up to a point where they could launch up and gain enough momentum to catch up right behind that yokai.

Faster than ever, Himiko ran. It seemed being tired was starting to slow both down the further up the mountain the climb went. She dove and rolled right into the cave and the faker caught up, confirming even further that it was the yokai when it dove to try and stop her from entering, the disguise melting away grotesquely. She didn’t even have time to be offended at it ruining and distorting those beautiful features because of how fast it barrelled back into the base.

All she could do was point her wand directly in its face and say the words. Like a bullet, red light with a pointed tip struck right through an already gaping hole that showed the black flame-like matter that was its heart. The evil and corrupt soul was pierced.

It could barely re-shape itself anymore with its wounds. It stared at her with half its true features and half rippling nothingness as the face it wore sloughed off and dissipated like a puddle under sunlight. Even the animal-like maw began falling off, fangs first.

Then Kiyo wrestled it from behind and wrapped it in chains of light. It was likely already dying. But part of its corrupt nature would linger in this spot if it was not sealed and purified.

“What no! Nooooo”. It started shrieking when the shock of being blindsided had finally worn off and it found itself in chains, being dragged away towards the cave’s inner chamber. It was powerless to do anything but watch these interlopers ruin everything.

“Unfair, unfair, unfaaiiiiir.” Most of the thrashing came in the form of weak kicks. It was truly pitiful for something that had beaten kami before. .

“What a childish temper tantrum.” Kiyo scoffed at it, only briefly turning a shoulder to pay it any mind as they continued towards the end of the mission. It was so mad, and nipped away trying to bite its captor in spite of there being no chance of succeeding now. .

Himiko came to a strange spot on the back wall and Kiyo lifted the beast over their shoulders and used its paw to unlock a big room full of artifacts, a bunch of seals on them to keep its victims contained. Many tomes of black magic and scribbles showcased a plot to steal power from all the shrine deities to build a “Domain of Darkness”. In which it plotted to prevent the sun from ever rising above Japan, and the whole planet after long enough, ever again. This would remove power from any being who got magic from natural resources and would kill billions of mortals.

Himiko looked at the plans and laughed nervously, sweating a bit.

“So um… you don’t think that this would have worked?” she asked, desperately wanting this to just be the pipe dream of an arrogant monstrosity.

“Absolutely not. I’m by no means the strongest of my kind, and you’re still training. It took prisoners, yes, but this is delusional. We won in part because we were underestimated. That kind of fatal mistake would have doomed this plan eventually.”

A sad whimpering came from it, laying on the ground in defeat.

Himiko was tasked to watch over it while Kiyo performed the unsealing rituals. Each one she spared glances at, admiring them from her spot in the center of the room. She could almost feel a tinge of jealousy among the defeat and anger emanating from their felled foe. It was way more interesting watching Kiyo work and chat with each spirit that was freed. Each time they agreed instantly to help get the rest out, which hastened the process.

Each one helped before some left to make sure their shrines were fine. The remainder, led by Kiyo, thanked Himiko. Their hands warm around hers. Kiyo felt every little soft spot on her hands and even some slight callusing, presumably from the fighting. Even those bits were lovely.

“You can go home now. It’s getting late but we need to stay for now. I will return to you with the important news.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Himiko got home first, since that was decided as the meeting place. It was far enough from the shrine that it wouldn’t be immediately obvious if that entity came back for another round. She got on her knees in front of her bed, elbows firmly leaning into the mattress so she could clasp and pray. She was exhausted.

“Please let it be gone once and for all.” She trusted Kiyo could do that much.

Then she was awoken by footsteps and sat upright to who was joining her. Her door had opened and glowing in the moonlight, Kiyo came in, closing the door behind them.

“I have seen to it that this chapter is done.” The spirit held a hand to her cheek and gently brushed a long finger across part of her face. “Thank you, your journey has only truly just begun but you can relax for now.”

Himiko was flushed a bright red.

“I was struck by your beauty from the moment that I walked to your shrine.” Her heart raced. They’d touched a couple times by now but this was the most breathtaking and close. The most intimate. She raised a hand of her own and touched Kiyo’s arm gently.

A soft smile spread on the spirit’s lips. “Oh, I could tell. I could also tell that there was a pull here. Some call I needed to answer for you and it's only become more clear that there was more to it than that.”

Time felt like it slowed down to a stop as the two maintained soft eye contact.

Then they kissed her. A warmth emanated from them, pulsing like a heartbeat.

“More to it?” she asked, even though the kiss gave her a very good idea of what they were going to tell her next.

“I love you. And so… I want it to actually be *our* journey.” They heavily emphasized the word indicating that the adventure would be shared. It already was, it had been since the day she came to this place.

“Would it really be okay? For you to leave your shrine I mean. When it comes time for that.”

“No worries about that, I can find someone for that when that’s necessary.”

#HimiKiyo #Himiko Yumeno #Korekiyo Shinguji #himikiyo week #fanfic #writing #ao3 #amino #danganronpa #danganronpa v3

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raeynbowboi · 4 years

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DnD 5e UA Subclass Concepts

With the sheer onslaught of new content we’ve gotten from Wizards of the Coast recently, I felt it’d be fun to throw out my own ideas for potential subclass ideas. Some are admittedly a little more fleshed out than others, but it’s still a fun exercise just to flex my creativity.

ARTIFICER

Cybertronics: Perhaps too much of a retread of Warforged, the base concept is an Artificer who has replaced parts of their body with artificial substitutions.

Interfacer: Geared towards spying and information gathering, the interfacer is a hacker who is skilled at disabling security, causing machinery to malfunction, and can turn a building’s security cameras into their eyes on the inside. But might rely too heavily on a technologically advanced world.

BARBARIAN

Hero’s Soul: Your body is host to a legendary warrior. Upon raging, you surrender control of your body to this paramount champion, allowing you to fight like a demigod.

Bleeding Heart: Rather than only gaining power through rage, a Barbarian with a Bleeding Heart can form an attachment to mementos as they level up that remind them of intense emotions, with each emotion having different benefits at different levels. So, you could have a memento for every powerful emotion, or you could choose to only keep mementos that trigger a single powerful feeling, such as fear, sadness, or joy.

BARD

Wilderness: Your song has the ability to attract the attention of woodland critters, and beast creatures will be less hostile toward you. At higher levels, your song can soothe even the most savage beast, making one intelligent creature passive toward you once per long rest.

Humor: Laughter is the best medicine, and keeping the morale and vitality of your allies high is the primary concern of this bardic subclass. A successful performance check will revitalize friendly creatures. When you’re not lifting your friends’ spirits with your gambols, you’re making yourself a distracting target so that your friends won’t get hurt as much with you around.

CLERIC

Love Sea Fire Shadow/Darkness Evil Plague Music Secrets Fate/Destiny Luck Chaos Time

DRUID

Unity: You have literally become one with nature. You select a terrain and bond so deeply that the world has started to live in you. Whether birds nest in your hair, barnacles and coral has begun to sprout out of your body, or your hair has turned into leaves, your bond with nature has reached the pinnacle.

Menagerie: As you level up, certain parts of your body will be given the option to permanently morph into having bestial traits. For example, you might choose the predatory eyes of a hawk, the keen smelling of a dog, the superb hearing of a cat, or the gills of a fish as a facial mutation.

Xenomorph: Very similar to the Menagerie, except instead of looking like a freaky gene spliced chimeric beast, you instead become more and more alien until you look like something out of Lovecraftian horror.

Shaman: Your spirit animal is given shape through your understanding of magic, and it aids you in ways a physical animal could not.

FIGHTER

Achilles: You have trained like a Greek hero and have honed the mythic power of the gods. You are stronger and tougher than is normal for your race at the cost of having a weak spot that expands the chances for enemies to land a crit on you.

Dragon Knight: At level 1, the dragon is a tiny creature that can ride on your shoulder and try to help you in a fight. By level 20, it will be a full-sized mount that you can ride on. As you level up, you can decide where to focus its training, whether you want it to throw its weight around, focus on its breath attack, or make its scales sturdier and more resilient. How you train your dragon will determine the kind of fighting style that works best for you.

MONK

Mystic: Your enlightenment and understanding of the universe has become so sagely that you have learned to convert your ki into spell slots. Casting with Wisdom, you have learned how to tap into the Wizard’s spell list of 5th level or lower spells.

Animal Style: Choose an animal’s martial arts style between Tiger, Monkey, Snake, Crane, Mantis, and Dragon. Tigers hit harder and more ferociously, Monkies are more agile and excel in mobility, Snakes strike faster and are more adept at stunning and can cause poison conditions, Cranes have superior balance and can fly short distances, Mantises are better at not getting hit and going unnoticed, and Dragons are better adept to fighting large groups of enemies on their own.

PALADIN

Fairytale Knight: Able to resist magical damage, magical charms or fears, and being adept at slaying magic-users and dragons makes this the quintessential hero in story-telling. Of course Remove Curse is among their subclass spells.

Reaper: You have sworn an oath to the laws of death, which are finite and absolute. You roam the land ending the lives of those whose time has come to perish. This subclass is neither intrinsically Good or Evil, as it can be used as a normal part of the natural order, or for carnage and murder.

Vigilante: Donning a mask and cowl, you bring about justice outside of the law.

RANGER

Pack Bond: You forge a bond with an animal companion of your choosing. While in the wild, you can attempt to tame other animals of the same kind with your Animal Companion serving as the Pack Leader. Among wild groups of your Animal Companion, you and your traveling companions will be trusted enough to be welcomed in their dens, receive a share of their hunt, and be protected by them from other hostile creatures.

ROGUE

Viper: An expert in poison and disguises, the Viper is a stealthy killer who uses poison and pragmatic tricks to put their opponents at a disadvantage during a fight. What they lack in sheer power they make up for by having ways of weakening their foes.

Tomb Raider: You’re an experienced graverobber who has developed a knack for exploring ancient temples. Your past adventures have given you a keen eye when detecting traps, solving puzzles to advance through dungeons, and the ability to set up camp inside a dungeon without being at risk of hostile encounters.

SORCERER

Infernal: Your power comes from a Fiend ancestor.

Fey: Your power comes from a Fey ancestor

Entombed: Your power comes from an Undead ancestor.

Demigod: Unlike the Divine Soul Sorcerer, you are the literal progeny of an actual deity. Select a Cleric Domain your divine parent belongs to and receive unique features through your divine birthright.

WARLOCK

Nature: You have made a pact with a powerful force of nature, be they a Nature God, an elemental, or a powerful druid, you are given the ability to harness the forces of nature in return for protecting nature with your life.

Shadow Society: Rather than getting your power from an extra-dimensional being, your power was granted by a group of mortal castors to use you to do their dirty work. In return for your service, they have given you a portion of their power.

Artifact: This patron isn’t sentient. Rather, it is simply a powerful magical relic which you use to channel energy from in order to cast your spells. While this subclass comes without the burden of indentured servitude to a usually malevolent being, the artifact can be lost or stolen, and with it, your powers.

WIZARD

Arcane Lore: When you choose this subclass at 2nd level, select another casting class. Whenever you have the option to learn a Wizard spell, you can select a spell from that class’ spell list. You may only select one spell list to select from and they become Wizard spells for you.

I hope this was fun for you guys. And if any of these suggestions really sound interesting, I might just turn them into proper Homebrew posts. I’ve already covered the Love Domain Cleric, so I’m not opposed to covering others in the future. Which ideas were your favorites, and are there some that you’d love to try and use in a future campaign?

#dnd #dungeons and dragons #dnd 5e #unearthed arcana #UA #dnd ua #dnd 2020 #WoTC #wizards of the coast #homebrew #subclass #dnd fifth edition #dnd 5th edition #fifth edition #5th edition #d&d 5th edition #d&d fifth edition #dungeons and dragons 2020 #unearthed arcana 2020

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thecreaturecodex · 4 years

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Demon Lord, Zevgavizeb

[Commissioned by @monstersdownthepath. I haven’t read the Extinction Curse Adventure Path, a series of Pathfinder 2e adventures that deal with Zevgavizeb’s cult, but I did read through the Pathfinder Wiki article, which draws heavily from that source. So this version might not be 100% canon approved. ]

Demon Lord, Zevgavizeb CR 26 CE Outsider (extraplanar) This hideous monstrosity is the size of a building. It looks vaguely like a carnivorous dinosaur, being a biped with a fanged maw and long tail, but bat-like wings grow from its shoulders and instead of arms it has tentacles tipped with extra, slime-dripping mouths. The stench is appalling, almost a physical presence.

Zevgavizeb, Lord of the Troglodytes CE male demon lord of caverns, reptiles and troglodytes Domains Animal, Chaos, Evil, Strength Subdomains Demon, Ferocity, Resolve, Saurian* Favored Weapon spiked gauntlet Unholy Symbol a twisted tentacle ending in a talon Worshipers chaotic evil lizardfolk, morlocks, chaotic evil saurians, troglodytes Minions fiendish dinosaurs, fiendish giant reptiles, phantosaurs For information on his Obedience and boons for his worshipers, see Book of the Damned *Zevgavizeb’s followers can use the Saurian subdomain to modify the Animal domain

Zevgavizeb is the Lord of the Troglodytes, a demon lord of great power but little ambition. In ancient times, he was a powerful qlippoth, but was transformed into a demon lord by a chorus of proteans who infused him with soul energy half as an experiment, half as a distraction. He dwells in the Gluttondark, an Abyssal layer consisting of multiple strange hollow worlds filled with cruel and wicked monsters. The residents of the Gluttondark wage war in his name, for once a realm is defeated, Zevgavizeb visits it to consume all of its denizens down to the smallest insect. When not feasting, he slumbers fitfully, lashing out at anything in his path if his rest is disturbed.

Zevgavizeb is immensely strong, and he enhances his natural weapons with magic before charging into battle. The fluid that oozes from his body is filled with supernatural venom, and creatures that succumb to its stench are nauseated forever unless treated by magic. He can summon demons and demonically warped dinosaurs to fight on his behalf, and usually uses these to soften up foes for a few rounds while studying their tactics and learning their weaknesses. If his natural weapons are insufficient, Zevgavizeb can vomit forth an army of the ghosts of the greatest beasts he has eaten, and conjure meteors and walls of lava to crush and burn his enemies.

Zevgavizeb cares little for his worshipers except for as a source of sacrifices, but desires them to dominate other races in their strength and devour the weak as he does. Evil reptilian humanoids are his most common worshipers, with the species of troglodytes having been a fulcrum of his religion for eons. As Zevgavizeb retreats from actively nurturing his cult, his form has grown even more bizarre and debased. In addition, qlippoths are known to tolerate his worshipers instead of attempting to murder them on sight. Some scholars suggest that Zevgavizeb may be regressing into his original qlippothic form, whereas others insist that such a transformation is impossible.

Zevgavizeb CR 26 XP 2,457,000 CE Colossal outsider (chaos, demon, demon lord, evil, extraplanar) Init +8; Senses blindsense 200 ft., darkvision 120 ft., Perception +35, scent, true seeing Aura cloak of chaos (DC 26), frightful presence (150 ft., DC 33), impossible stench (30 ft., DC 33) Defense AC 41, touch 14, flat-footed 33 (-8 size, +8 Dex, +27 natural, +4 deflection) hp 635 (31d10+465); regeneration 20 (deific or mythic) Fort +29, Ref +31, Will +32 DR 20/cold iron, good and epic; Immune ability damage, ability drain, charm effects, compulsion effects, death effects, electricity, energy drain, petrification, and poison; Resist acid 30, cold 30, fire 30; SR 37 (43 vs. divinations) Defensive Abilities abyssal resurrection, cloak of chaos, fortification (25%), nondetection, unstoppable Offense Speed 50 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 30 ft., fly 120 ft. (average) Melee great bite +42 (4d6+19/19-20 plus grab), 2 tentacle bites +42 (2d8+19 plus poison), 2 wings +40 (2d8+12 plus trip), tail slap +40 (4d6+12 plus push) Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft. Special Attacks fast swallow, iron stomach, push (10 ft.), spectral stampede, swallow whole (AC 37, 63 hp, 4d6+21 plus 4d6 acid), trample (4d6+21, DC 44) Spell-like Abilities CL 26th, concentration +34 Constant—cloak of chaos (DC 26), greater magic fang (+5, all weapons), nondetection (self only), true seeing At will—cloudkill (DC 23)M, dispel good (DC 23), greater dispel magic, greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. only), mind thrust VI (DC 24) 3/day—earthquake M, finger of death (DC 25)M, fluid form, empowered psychic crush IV (DC 26), quickened strong jaw, summon demons and dinosaurs, word of chaos (DC 25)M 1/day—clashing rocks (DC 27), dominate monster (DC 27), meteor swarm (DC 27)M, wall of lava M = Zevgavizeb can use the mythic version of this spell-like ability in his realm Statistics Str 48, Dex 26, Con 40, Int 19, Wis 29, Cha 27 Base Atk +31; CMB +53 (+57 grapple); CMB 75 Feats Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Empower SLA (psychic crush IV), Exhausting Critical, Fatiguing Critical, Great Cleave, Hover, Improved Critical (great bite, tentacle bite), Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Power Attack, Quicken SLA (strong jaw), Stand Still Skills Acrobatics +34 (+42 when jumping), Climb +48, Fly +33, Intimidate +31, Knowledge (arcana, dungeoneering, nature, religion) +27, Knowledge (planes) +30, Perception +35, Sense Motive +35, Stealth +30, Swim +48; Racial Bonus +8 Stealth Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Draconic, Undercommon, telepathy 300 ft. SQ demon lord traits, no breath Ecology Environment any land or underground (Abyss) Organization unique Treasure incidental Special Abilities Impossible Stench (Su) All living creatures within 30 feet of Zevgavizeb must succeed a DC 33 Fortitude save or be permanently nauseated. A creature that succeeds its save is immune to the impossible stench of Zevgavizeb for the next 24 hours. This is a poison effect, and the save DC is Charisma based. Iron Stomach (Ex) Zevgavizeb’s stomach has his full natural armor bonus to AC. If a creature cuts its way free of Zevgavizeb’s stomach, it can use swallow whole again the next round its regeneration is functioning. Poison (Su) Bite—injury; save Fort DC 40; frequency 1/round for 10 rounds; effect 6d6 acid damage and 1d8 Con drain; cure 3 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution-based. Spectral Stampede (Su) As a standard action, Zevgavizeb can create a stampede of spectral dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts that fills an area 30 feet across and 100 feet long, starting from a square adjacent to him. All creatures in the area take 15d12 points of force damage (Ref DC 33 half). Any creature that takes damage from this ability must succeed a DC 33 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1 round. Zevgavizeb can use this ability three times per day, and must wait 1d4 rounds between uses. The save DC is Charisma based. Summon Demons and Dinosaurs (Sp) When Zevgavizeb uses his summon demons ability, he may also summon dinosaurs with the half-fiend template. Unstoppable (Ex) If Zevgavizeb starts his turn suffering from any or all of the following conditions, he recovers from them at the end of his turn: blind, confused, dazed, deafened, dazzled, exhausted, fatigued, nauseated, sickened, slowed, staggered, and stunned.

#zevgavizeb #pathfinder 1e #demon lord #commissions #demon

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caitlinsmithfmp2 · 3 years

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The Origins of Dragons

A Dragon is a type of legendary creature, often described as large, serpent like reptilian creatures, they appear regularly in classic folk law world wide and originate from many ancient cultures. Each country has a different variation of dragons, in some cultures they are winged and can breath fire (such as in the High Middle Ages era) or as limbless but still capable of flight (such as in Chinese culture). Some of the earliest appearances of Dragons in myths resemble giant snakes, first described in the mythologies of the ancient East and appearing in ancient Mesopotamian art and literature, snakes were often villainized in stories from other cultures such as the Norse “World Serpent” and “Apep” in Ancient Egyptian mythology.

Western variations of Dragons popularised them, mixing imagery from other cultures beliefs and poor illustrations of snakes that could be seen as a more lizard like creature, the Western Dragons were seen as beasts to tame or defeat by heroes, formidable looking creatures with mythical powers. Winged and four legged, this type of Dragon would live in caves, hoard gold and breath fire, this is one of the main variations seen in more modern Wester literature such as “The Hobbit” and “Harry Potter”.

The origins of these creatures is very interesting, its strange how anyone could mistake a snake for a dragon but as they originated from so long ago, it is hard to get a direct read on when and where they began to be created. However, if I had never seen or heard of a snake and saw one for the first time, I could see how it could be misunderstood for a dangerous creature, and how the vast amount of input from others could effect how they are seen. African and Eastern Cultures have many more snakes and other reptiles then other countries, this is likely why the myths originated from these countries and although western culture has created its own slightly unrealistic versions, they are still very cool. I also suspect that many dinosaur bones, discovered by early civilisations could also be misinterpreted as giant dragon bones.

Dragon traits are often a variation of avian, feline, and reptilian features, snakelike features, reptilian scaly skin, four legs, spinal nodes running down the back, a tail, and a serrated jaw with rows of teeth. Some modern scholars believe huge extinct or migrating crocodiles bear the closest resemblance to Dragons, especially if encountered in forested or swampy areas.

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arahul-abyssia · 4 years

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The Endless Cycle

My second story for @starprincesshlc and @jklantern ’s Nintember event! This one sees another entry in story as ancient as a certain kingdom, but there’s... well, let’s say a few twists...

~~ Treasure, Sword, Adversity, Growth, Evil ~~

All his hard work was being undone right in front of him. As far as the eye could see, the storms were clearing and the waters were brightening, the mountains were becoming calm again and the trees were regaining all their bright colors. The day before, the shadowy miasmas that emanated from his fortress were spread from border to border across the kingdom; now, all that remained of them was a thin mist around the walls, and they were still visibly receding as the sun shone brighter and brighter. It was clear to him that his defeat was fast approaching.

Hmph. As if that’s at all surprising…

He was no mere would-be conqueror of the Kingdom of Hyrule; he was Ganondorf, one of a long series of incarnations of the ancient Curse of Demise, and it was his destiny to fight against and be defeated by one who bears the Spirit of the Hero and wields the Master Sword and one who carries the Blood of the Goddess. Such was their never ending cycle. Such was the way it always had been, was, and always would be.

It was not as though he had not tried to find an alternate route, but no creature can win against the hands of fate. He had tried to cast aside the shadows that lingered around him wherever he went, he had tried to guide away the monsters that watched him from the wilderness, following him in hardly-veiled secret and prostrating themselves before him when no civilized creature was looking, and he had tried to ignore the dark impulses within him that told him to bring destruction and ruin to the land.

He had tried, and he had failed. Eventually, he realized that it was no use trying to avoid his fate, and so set about casting his incarnation of terror upon Hyrule, so that a Hero and Princess may arise and bring his downfall. If he could not have peace in life, perhaps there was peace in death, or banishment, or being sealed away or turned to stone, or whatever his incarnation of defeat was to be.

To some extent, he regretted the problems he had caused. He knew firsthand the consequences of using tainted waters and having one’s home and shelter destroyed. Were things truly up to him, not one of his blights would ever have been manifested. But, fate and the Curse had other plans for him and the kingdom, and he could only hope that, after they brought his downfall, the Hero and Princess could make things right again.

The steadily loudening tapping of boots upon stone told him that his adversaries had passed every obstacle he had laid for them within the fortress and were now rapidly ascending the wholly unblocked spiraling stairwell that led to his room at the top of the highest tower.

In five… four… three… two… one…

With much unnecessary force, the door to the chamber burst open, revealing the two who were to be his end, their eyes filled with the fires of determination and quiet-yet-righteous fury. In the Hero’s hand, the legendary Master Sword, glowing with a power that could banish and strike down all evil that dared cross its path, and in the Princess’s hand, the mythical Bow of Light, glowing with a divine radiance that could pierce the shadows themselves.

“So, the saviors of Hyrule have finally arrived… to defeat the source of the evil that plagued your land, to bring about the return of peace and prosperity, to—”

An arrow of light grazed his shoulder, exploding into a gleam burst upon the wall behind him.

“Cut the crap, Ganondorf! We didn’t just march our way through your uninventive puzzles and rehashes of dungeon protectors for you to spew some fancy words about what we already know. Shut up and ready your weapons already so we can fight you and defeat you!”

Ganondorf closed his eyes and sighed. It seemed this Princess Zelda had not changed in the slightest. He had come across her once before, on a trip to the castle in the early days of his fall to the darkness. He did not remember the exact details of the event, but he remembered vividly that she did not care one bit to act like royalty, much less one who is said to hold divinity in her veins. Her gait was casual, her language was coarse, and she had nearly no respect for the norms of nobility. Though she cared for her subjects, no one would think her a princess if not for prior knowledge or her clothing.

“If that’s the way you want it, so be it.” He thrust his hands out to his sides, a double-ended trident materializing in his right and a long curved blade in his left, then moved into a fighting stance. Though he had no formal training whatsoever with one-handed wielding or dual-wielding, something told him that he would find no struggle in doing either.

The two heroes shifted their stances as well, and their battle began. The dark powers within him allowed Ganondorf to shift through the shadows in the room, throwing blasts of dark energy at his opponents between profanely empowered strikes of his weapons. However, their skills and coordination far outmatched his own, and within a short few minutes, he could feel their blows beginning to take their toll. He felt a change in his darkness, as though the curse itself demanded a change in his tactics and spells, and he moved to the room’s center, taking a defensive position and wreathing himself in shadows.

“It seems you two are quite powerful indeed. What a shame it is that we must fight…”

“If you’re so uninvested in this battle, why not just admit defeat now and make this a whole lot easier on all of us?”

Ganondorf began channeling dark energy into a great sphere of shadow. “Because fate does not work that way… I have no choice but to stand before you two as your enemy, in another incarnation of the eternal cycle. No Link, no Zelda, and no Ganon in all history could avoid their place in their incarnation, and each and every time, no matter what it put before the heroes, the darkness always fell to the light in a climactic final confrontation. Why should our story be any different?”

Zelda braced herself to dodge or deflect the attack.

“...It already is…”

This was enough to give them both pause. The dark warrior dismissed his spell and the princess loosened her posture as both turned to stare at the latter’s companion, his infamous silence broken.

“What do you mean ‘it already is’?”

“Our story… is very different… from the legends…” It was clear to Ganondorf that this Link was not accustomed to speaking longer thoughts or giving extended explanations. “Like… our bodies… we are not… what the legends… say we should be.”

The boy gestured at the three in the room. The dark wizard looked down at himself instinctually, realizing that the boy was right; in the legends, the Hero and Princess were Hylians, and Ganondorf a Gerudo, with flaming orange hair and skin tinted a sickly green by the evil within. But it was he who was Hylian now, with untouched dark skin and hair the color of the night sky, and his adversaries showed no signs of Hylian blood; the boy before him held the Master Sword in a scaled, clawed, webbed hand, a trademark trait of the Zora alongside the fish-like tail attached to each of their heads, and the girl glared at him down a beak that could only belong to a Rito, her bow held in hands that much resembled the feathers on her wings.

“And… the legends… have little technology… compared to now. Even the times of the Divine Beasts… we have so much more than them.” He turned his head to look out the window at the sprawling Kodai City, its staggering towers glowing with blue and orange lights. Even Ganondorf’s own fortress and tower incorporated some amount of the splendors of Sheikah technology.

But it doesn’t matter… It can’t matter… right?

“So what if things are a bit different from the legends? That doesn’t change the fact that there’s an evil person, right in front of us, that we need to defeat, so things can go back to normal! I’m getting tired of having to be ‘Zelda.’”

Ganondorf stared at the girl. If her name wasn’t actually Zelda, then that meant that—

“Don’t give me that look! I’ll bet your name isn’t even Ganondorf! Mine certainly isn’t ‘Zelda’, and his isn’t ‘Link’!”

The Princess was correct; he had taken the name as a sort of title when he realized what his purpose was, what the shadows of fate wished him to do. It hadn’t crossed his mind that the same would apply to the two sent to defeat him.

“Ugh… now that you’ve mentioned this, all I can think about is all the other stuff you’ve told me from those musty old books of yours. Wasn’t there something about a previous incarnation having the genders or roles all mixed up, or whatever?”

“Yes… one version of ‘Zelda’ was a prince, and his ‘Link’ was a girl. Another one had a Hero who only wielded the Bow, and the Princess held this Sword.”

“And no one talks about this?!”

“People don’t like to talk about the legends these days… they think it’s dwelling on the past…”

The dark wizard stared in awe as his adversaries discussed the history of the Curse, and the many apparent changes from the very first legends that far preceded his own oddities. If the Curse had deteriorated so, then perhaps…

Perhaps I do have a chance…

The two turned their attention back to Ganondorf. Perhaps they had come to the decision on their own, or perhaps they saw some change in his eyes or posture, but they began to approach him, Link slowly extending his hand. “So, Ganondorf… would you like to return to the light?”

“Obviously you won’t be forgiven immediately. There’ll be a long list of reparations for you to do, since, you know, you blighted every single region in the kingdom and caused harm to countless innocents, and those reparations mean a lot paperwork for me, which I really don’t want to do…” she stopped for a moment and took a deep breath, “...but I was taught to try to avoid solutions that involve violence and murder, so if that’s the trade off, I am all for it.”

Maybe it was as though they had pierced and torn down a veil in his mind, or perhaps flipped a switch he thought broken beyond repair, but he, almost without thinking, stretched out his own hand to the Hero’s, prepared to join them in a life of light.

And then a burning pain filled his chest.

Surprise and panic filled the eyes of the two before him, the Hero’s hand faltering. As a fiery haze began to build in his vision, he was dimly aware of the wreathing shadows beginning to writhe, not only covering his flesh and clothing, but passing into them, too. He collapsed to his knees, dimly aware of Zelda shouting something at Link and him responding frantically in return, but in far too much agony to properly comprehend it.

You will not escape your destiny.

The voice that filled his mind was old and cruel, like the very concept of darkness and evil given a voice. He tried to shut it out, but it wriggled its way through every tiny weakness in his defenses, growing ever louder and drowning out the shouts of the youths. Now on all fours, he lifted his hand toward them one final and desperate time, then collapsed as a golden light, brighter than anything he had ever seen, shone before him, and the haze and voice gave way to utter silence.

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

When his senses returned to him, Ganondorf found himself lying prone on the stone floor of the chamber, his head aching. After a few seconds, he attempted to push himself up, but he found that his limbs felt far weaker than they had only moments ago. He tried and failed several more times before other hands, two far smoother than his and two far softer, pulled him into an upright position on his knees. Slowly, he looked up, and found two familiar faces staring back at him, their mouths twisted in bright smiles that anyone could mistake for mocking glee.

“What… what… just happened to me?”

“Well, if the dark stormy figure outside is anything to go by, I’d say we just expelled the shadows from you.”

“...Stormy figure?”

The two proceeded to duck under his arms and lift him to a proper upright posture, supporting him on their shoulders, then guide him onto the tower’s balcony. Above it was a great storm made of darkness, shadows, and evil he could feel permeating the air. A black whirlwind twisted down from it to the field below, where at its base stood a humanoid form with glowing red eyes, glaring up at the three in the tower with nothing but hatred and malice.

Ganondorf looked between the two. “But… how?”

At this, Link and Zelda merely smiled and pointed to his hand. On each of the three was a fading golden triangle composed of three smaller ones.

“The power of the treasure of the Golden Goddesses... the legendary Triforce… it can work miracles when united, and directed, toward a common goal…”

“Most think the power is lost, buuut the versions of us seem to have a knack for stumbling across it again and again and again.”

The former dark wizard looked from his hands, to those of the heroes, to the heroes’ faces, to the storm, to his hands again. He felt like his mind was trying to process this sudden turn of events at high speed while he couldn't even think at normal speeds, and having weakened limbs and a lingering headache was far from helpful.

“Alright, rest here, you’re way too weak to help us in this fight right now--Link, come on, we have an ancient evil to defeat, once and for all!”

And as the two vaulted off the balcony and glided to the field below, Ganondorf--no, that was no longer his name or title--the newly purified man could not help but let his face drift into a peaceful, genuine smile.

#the legend of zelda #tloz #nintember #my writing

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sciencespies · 3 years

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Dire wolves may have been lonely survivors of an ancient lineage

https://sciencespies.com/nature/dire-wolves-may-have-been-lonely-survivors-of-an-ancient-lineage/

Dire wolves may have been lonely survivors of an ancient lineage

The ancient, extinct dire wolf may have been among the lonest of the wolves – so genetically distinct from its closest wolf relative that it could no longer interbreed, forcing it into an evolutionary dead end when it died out 13,000 years ago.

That’s the finding based on a new study, the in-depth analysis of DNA retrieved from ancient dire wolf bones from across North America. Once dire wolves (Canis dirus) diverged from grey wolves millions of years ago, they seem to have never mingled since.

In fact, so different is their genetic lineage from other canids that the research team proposes that dire wolves be placed in another genus completely – that they be reclassified as Aenocyon dirus, as was first proposed all the way back in 1918.

“Dire wolves are sometimes portrayed as mythical creatures – giant wolves prowling bleak frozen landscapes – but reality turns out to be even more interesting,” said palaeobiologist Kieren Mitchell of the University of Adelaide in Australia.

“Despite anatomical similarities between grey wolves and dire wolves – suggesting that they could perhaps be related in the same way as modern humans and Neanderthals – our genetic results show these two species of wolf are much more like distant cousins, like humans and chimpanzees.”

Dire wolf remains can be found in the fossil record from 250,000 to around 13,000 years ago, and seem to have dominated the carnivore scene during the last Ice Age in what is now North America.

In the famous La Brea tar pits alone, excavated dire wolf individuals outnumber the slightly smaller grey wolf (Canis lupus) more than a hundredfold.

But how they diverged, evolved and ultimately went extinct towards the end of the Last Glacial Period, about 11,700 years ago, has been challenging to piece together. So an international team of scientists set to work on one of the only clues we have: bones.

“Dire wolves have always been an iconic representation of the last ice age in the Americas, but what we know about their evolutionary history has been limited to what we can see from the size and shape of their bones,” said archaeologist Angela Perri of Durham University.

But sometimes palaeontological remains can contain other information inside: DNA preserved well enough to be sequenced. And that’s what the team investigated.

They obtained five samples of dire wolf DNA from over 50,000 years ago to 12,900 years ago, from Idaho, Ohio, Wyoming and Tennessee, and sequenced them.

Then, they compared them to genomic data from eight canids that are living today, obtained from a genomic database: grey wolf, coyote (Canis latrans), African wolf (Canis lupaster), dhole (Cuon alpinus), Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), Andean fox (Lycalopex culpaeus) and grey fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus).

They also generated new genome sequences for the grey wolf, the black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) and the side-striped jackal (Canis adustus).

They found that, unlike other wolves that migrated between regions, the dire wolf stayed put, never straying out of North America.

And, fascinatingly, even though they shared space with coyotes and grey wolves for at least 10,000 years, they never seem to have interbred with them to produce hybrids.

“When we first started this study, we thought that dire wolves were just beefed-up grey wolves, so we were surprised to learn how extremely genetically different they were, so much so that they likely could not have interbred,” said molecular geneticist Laurent Frantz of Ludwig Maximilian University in Germany and Queen Mary University in the UK.

“This must mean that dire wolves were isolated in North America for a very long time to become so genetically distinct.”

In fact, according to the team’s analysis, the dire wolves and grey wolves must have diverged from a common ancestor more than 5 million years ago. When you consider that dogs and wolves diverged between 15,000 and 40,000 years ago, that’s a very long time indeed.

Interbreeding between canid species whose territories overlap is quite common. The hybrid of a coyote and a wolf is so common that it has a name – coywolf – and wolf-dog hybrids aren’t unknown either (although breeding them as pets is extremely controversial in the US). So for dire wolves to have spent so long in proximity with canids without interbreeding is highly unusual.

And, although the team did not explore this possibility, the genetic isolation could have contributed to the ancient beast’s eventual demise, as it was unable to adapt to a changing world with new traits.

“While ancient humans and Neanderthals appear to have interbred, as do modern grey wolves and coyotes, our genetic data provided no evidence that dire wolves interbred with any living canine species,” Mitchell said. “All our data point to the dire wolf being the last surviving member of an ancient lineage distinct from all living canines.”

The research has been published in Nature.

#Nature

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