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385bookreviews · 5 months

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1.71.3 A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas

SPOILERS

Pages: 699

Read Time: 11 hours and 47 minutes

Overall Rating: ★★★★★ Storyline: ★★★★★ Dialogue: ★★★★★ Characters: ★★★★��

Genre: Fantasy/Romance

TWs for the book: War, violence, s*xual content, death, blood/gore, death of a parent, injury/injury detail, grief, torture, vomit, kidnapping, body horror, toxic relationship, domestic violence, cursing, fire/fire injury, emotional abuse, genocide/colonization, mental illness, gaslighting, panic attacks, misogyny, slavery, s*xual assault, child death, medical content, abandonment, r*pe, animal death, biphobia, homophobia, su*c*dal thoughts, alcohol, child abuse, eating disorder, infidelity, racism, incest (implied), self harm

POV: First person; Feyre/Rhysand

Time Period/Location: The Night Court, The Spring Court, The Autumn Court, The Dawn Court, The Summer Court, The Winter Court, The Middle and the human lands of the fictional continent of Prythian

First Line: The buzzing flies and screaming survivors had long since replaced the beating war-drums.

After being brought back to the Spring Court by Tamlin, Feyre plays the part of Tamlin's fiancé in order to bring down the court from the inside. She also gathers information from the presence of Brannaugh and Dagdan, two Hybern commanders, and Jurian, the crazed, resurrected human commander from the war 500 years ago. The commanders search for a way to bring down the Wall using the Cauldron, and Lucien and Feyre accompany them on their journey to find the hole. During this time, Feyre sows seeds of discord and mistrust throughout the court, and finally makes her move to leave and return to the Night Court. She encounters Lucien, however, being assaulted by Ianthe, and she orders her to smash her own hand to pieces. Brannaugh and Dagdan reveal that they knew what she was doing the whole time and have laced her and Lucien with faebane, a stone that negates faerie magic. She kills them regardless, and flees with Lucien to the Autumn Court. While there, they are confronted by Lucien's brothers, and manage to escape into the Winter Court to be rescued by Cassian and Azriel. Rhys and Feyre are reunited, and she goes to the House of Wind to see her sisters that have now been turned into High Fae. Nesta is enraged at the situation, not for herself but for Elain, who is withering away from grief at losing her chance at being married to Grayson, the human boy she was in love with. Despite Lucien being her mate, she shows no interest in him. Cassian and Feyre plan to unleash the Bone Carver, a death-god kept in the Prison, in the upcoming war, but he demands a mirror called the Ouroboros from her that is kept in the Court of Nightmares. The Court of Dreams (minus Cassian, Elain, and Lucien) go to the Court of Nightmares to ask for the mirror and request Morrigan's father Keir to promise is Darkbringer legion in the coming war. Rhys offers a deal with Eris, the eldest son of Beron, High Lord of the Autumn Court, and Morrigan's former betrothed, to Keir for his forces. Keir demands that the Court of Nightmares also be granted access to Velaris. Morrigan is appalled and begs Rhys not to agree, but he does, and Keir also agrees to part with the Ouroboros, but only if Feyre can take it by looking into it, which is rumored to drive the person mad. Mor and Rhys have a brief fall out after this encounter even though he assures her that he has taken precautions to ensure Velaris won't get ruined. Rhys demands a meeting of all of the High Lords. Elain begins speaking in riddles. While waiting on a response, Amren, Nesta, and Feyre all delve into research about a way that Nesta can maybe repair the holes in the Wall. When Nesta went into the Cauldron, she took a piece of it's power, and it wasn't strong enough to bring down the Wall on its own. Nesta and Feyre are in the library when the King of Hybern's "Ravens" attack. They are saved by a mysterious, terrifying creature at the bottom of the library named Bryaxis. Bryaxis and Rhysand kill the Ravens, and when they return to the townhouse, they realize that Elain had warned them of the attack before it happened, and they realize she is a Seer. Elain also reveals that the sixth human queen was sold to a death-god on the continent and he cursed her to be a firebird by day and a human by night and that she was sold out by her fellow queens. Lucien agrees to go and search for her in case she can make a difference in the upcoming war. Adriata, the capital of the Summer Court, is attacked by Hybern, and despite the blood rubies on their heads, Rhys, Feyre, Mor, and a unit of Illyrians go to try and help Tarquin defend his city. He is still angry at them for stealing his half of the Book of Breathings, but doesn't have them killed and agrees to come to the meeting of High Lords.

The meeting takes place in the Dawn Court, and all of the High Lords attend, even Tamlin. A lot of bickering ensues, and Tamlin claims that he intended to betray Hybern the whole time, but was now weakened by Feyre destroying his court from the inside. Feyre ends up attacking Beron, causing him to flee the meeting, but the other six High Lords stay the night and agree to reconvene the next day. That night, Nesta says there is something wrong, but the rest of them, unable to sense anything, stay. The next afternoon, Nesta begins profusely vomiting and they all feel a huge blast wave. Nesta then explains that they are too late and the King of Hybern used the Cauldron to bring down the Wall. They immediately leave and prepare for war. They first go to the Summer Court to beat back Hybern's invading forces, and then go north to ensure they don't reach the Winter Court. It was a trap, however, and the mass of Hybern's army went and invaded the human lands. Elain is kidnapped by the Cauldron, and Azriel and Feyre infiltrate their camp to retrieve her. They barely make it out alive with the assistance from Jurian and Tamlin, both of whom were double crossing the King of Hybern, and rescue a human girl named Briar while there. The final battle begins in the human lands with Hybern holding the high ground. Feyre reveals that she went and retrieved the Ouroboros mirror and freed the Bone Carver and Bryaxis, and Rhys reveals he freed the Weaver of the Woods to fight for them. The battle is going alright until Nesta feels the Cauldron about to wipe out the Illyrian forces. She screams for Cassian and he rushes to her, just in time for him to avoid being incinerated by the Cauldron. The Bone Carver is also wiped out. Their forces begin to lose, only for the Autumn Court army, the remaining Spring Court army, and a human army led by Grayson and Jurian to join the fray. Feyre, Amren, Nesta, and Elain plan to neutralize the Cauldron, but Nesta is damaged by the affects of the Cauldron being used, and Elain was too shaken. The rest of Hybern's army appears on ships, largely outnumbering them. But then another fleet appears, along with an aerial legion from Rhys' long lost friends, Miriam and Drakon. The ships belong to the sixth firebird queen, Vassa, who was temporarily freed from her bond to the death-god by none other than the Archeron sisters' father. The tide starts to turn in their favor, and Nesta and Cassian agree to be distractions for the King so Amren and Feyre can neutralize the Cauldron. Nesta is about to kill the King, but he had captured her father and kills him, making Nesta lose focus on her powers. Cassian is brutally injured, and they are about to die when Elain stabs the King through the neck and Nesta finishes the job by beheading him. At the Cauldron, Feyre realizes that Amren lied to her about neutralizing the Cauldron. Amren uses Feyre as a conduit to free her from her High Fae form and she becomes the creature that she came to Prythian as 15,000 years ago. In one fell swoop she kills the entirety of Hybern's army and then fades away. Her doing this breaks the Cauldron into 3 pieces, and reality begins to unravel and be sucked into a void. Feyre uses Rhys' magic to heal the Cauldron, but it kills him. She begs the High Lords to bring him back to life as they did with her, and they all agree, except for Beron, who is forced to by Mor. Even Tamlin steps forward, and wishes Feyre to be happy, and agrees to bring him back. Amren also appears in the Cauldron, except only High Fae this time.

The High Lords and humans and all other remaining factions meet and discuss a new Treaty. It doesn't go badly, but also doesn't go well, but they all have a path moving forward.

Feyre Archeron (Feyre Cursebreaker): The one thing I especially love about how Feyre is in this book is that she makes mistakes. In the first part of the book she is so angry and hellbent on revenge against Tamlin (rightfully so) that she doesn't consider that destroying his court would make it easier for Hybern to take hold. While she doesn't necessarily apologize to Tamlin for this (because he acts like a real asshole), she does realize her mistake. Also, after she looks into the Ouroboros, she tells Rhys that she loves and forgives everything she saw in the mirror, all aspects of herself, the good and the bad, and I found that to be really beautiful character development from her and a lot of growth from the self loathing she felt in A Court of Mist and Fury.

Amren: There has definitely been a lot of speculation of what Amren really is but my favorite interpretation (and one I think might have been confirmed?) is that she's a biblically accurate fallen angel. Which is so cool and makes her ten times more awesome and scary in my opinion.

Tamlin: Tamlin became even more unlikeable than I thought possible in this book, but the ending really leaves it open for him to get a redemption arc. The scenes with him in it can definitely be difficult to read if you've ever had an abusive ex though.

Storyline: Once again, Sarah J Maas did not disappoint with the plot twists and heart stopping scenes. I've reread this series more times than I can count but Rhys' death and then subsequent resurrection at the end still makes me shed tears. There are a few minor plot holes and convenient occurrences, but in my opinion it doesn't do much of anything to take away from the story.

Representation: Madja, Tarquin, Varian, Cresseida, Helion, Rhysand, Cassian, Azriel, Miriam, Drakon, Vassa, and quite a few other characters are described as being POC. It is revealed that Lucien is mixed, as his true father is Helion, not Varian. Lucien still has his mechanical eye, Nuan, an alchemist from the Dawn Court, is an amputee with a mechanical arm, and Nephelle, a Seraph from Miriam and Drakon's land is described as having malformed wings. Morrigan is revealed to be bisexual (or perhaps a lesbian, it's left a little unclear), Thesan has a male lover, and Nephelle has a wife. Mor also mentions that Rita, the owner of the club she frequently visits, is also "like her".

Summary: This was a great end to the first part of the ACOTAR series. The plot was always compelling and kept you sucked in, and all of the characters, while flawed in their own ways, are deeply loveable and you are rooting for them the whole time.

#book review #book blog #books #book reviews #fantasy #acotar #a court of thorns and roses #a court of mist and fury #a court of wings and ruin #a court of frost and starlight #a court of silver flames #sjmaas #sjm books #sjm #sarah j maas

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tzeentchseternalconqueror · 10 months

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SCOURGE, ETERNAL CONQUEROR

A fallen Farseer, ostracized by their people, and welcomed with open arms by the Changer of Ways.

Year of Birth: M32.826

Year of Ascension: M38.744

Grief is a powerful force, moreso when amplified by the intensity of Aeldari emotion. Once the respected leader of Craftworld Zio-Bahn and a White Seer, the being that would become Scourge suffered the loss of their childhood friend and life partner and their righteous path wavered. Ravenous ideas of resurrection swirled in their head, and the Path of the Seer did not offer the knowledge they craved.

But something else did. Something tantalizing and forbidden.

The Great Conspirator.

After their ejection from the Black Library for their initial brush with Chaos, the Farseer gave themself over to the Powers, a desperate bid to protect their exiled soul from She-Who-Thirsts. And in their service to Tzeentch, they became one of his most devout servants, their form becoming more change-blessed to reflect this. This child of Isha was twisted into a many-eyed, feathered creature, with crystals sprouting from their skin. A preview of the apotheosis to come.

As the Scourge of One-Thousand Stars, they carved a flaming path through the Lachris Sector, sowing the seeds of treachery and inciting psyker revolutions on hundreds of Imperium-held planets and returning their sorcery to the Impossible Fortress. For these actions, they were deemed worthy of Princehood and control of a Daemon World. For the next two centuries, Scourge continued their machinations, terraforming their planet to their liking, amassing great amounts of knowledge for their stronghold, covertly assisting their former craftworld, and grudgingly having brushes with the 15th Legion.

These encounters reached a breaking point when they were summoned by an Exalted Sorcerer to assist in an assault on an Exodite colony. Enraged, they slaughtered the small detachment of Thousand Sons, vowing to confront the Crimson King to make this indignity right. Of course, this ended up taking a far different path than they expected. A shaky alliance was formed between the two champions of Tzeentch, which slowly turned into cooperation, and finally to the gifting of a Sect of Heretic Astartes and an alliance.

Thousands of years and an unlucky banishment later, the Sect of the Glass Spire stands as one of the most renowned bands of the 15th, netting their Arch Magister yet another honor. A seat at the coveted Rehati, as Magister Templi of the Cult of Mutation.

In M42, they spend most of their time assisting in the War of the Prosperine Rift and driving Imperial settlers off of Maiden Worlds, leading their viciously loyal Thrallbands to bloody victory after bloody victory.

Character Traits: Full of hubris, determination, and fierce loyalty to their allies. Always upholds their word, though often twists the process to their advantage. Vengeful to a fault.

Abilities: Creation of "living" warp constructs, biomancy, planetary and environmental alteration, Zio-Bahn blood magic, Bonesinging

Affiliations: Cult of Mutation. Sect of the Glass Spire.

Wargear: Staff of Permutations, a powerful staff hewn from wraithbone, imbued with the touch of Chaos. Opalescent Veil, a crystalline set of armor that sprouts from their own body during combat, providing a disorienting, mutating aura to nearby enemies.

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eponymous-rose · 5 years

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The Briarwood Arc: A Summary (with timestamps!)

With all the excitement over CR’s new Kickstarter stretch goals including an animated series covering the first campaign’s Briarwood Arc, I thought it might be handy to have a little reference for folks wanting to jump in at this point (which, as it happens, is a great jumping-in point for the first campaign). This arc is a fan-favorite because it really marks the starting point of a lot of the more serious character development in the show, while setting the standard for bringing a character’s backstory front-and-center into the main plotline. It also happens to contain a ton of especially cinematic moments.

If you just want to jump in now, the Briarwood Arc is generally considered to be episodes 24-36 of the first campaign. Be aware that earlier episodes contain the chat (often a bastion of complaints; a strategically placed post-it note on the screen goes a long way) and also a player who leaves the show permanently after episode 27 (more info here). While there are good moments and context provided earlier on, it actually works just fine to jump in on episode 28 as the start of the arc.

If you’d like a summary of the arc, complete with timestamped links to key moments, read on!

The Briarwood Arc is tied in with the backstory of Taliesin Jaffe’s character, named (deep breath) Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III.

Before meeting up with Vox Machina, Percy spent most of his time inventing and tinkering. One night, the de Rolos took Lord Sylas and Lady Delilah Briarwood in at their castle in Whitestone, invited them to stay for dinner... and the Briarwoods promptly started killing everyone, with the help of some of those inside the castle. Percy’s younger sister Cassandra helped him escape the attack, but she was shot down in a hail of arrows, and Percy barely survived by jumping into a freezing river. Not long after that, Percy started having dreams where a cloud of black smoke demanded vengeance... at which point he promptly woke up and started designing his first gun.

He’s been traveling with the rest of the group for some time now, studiously ignoring what’s been going on in the north and mostly trying to keep a low profile.

Things start taking a turn when, in episode 14, the party has a meeting with Sovereign Uriel Tal’Dorei, one of their most powerful political allies. Uriel casually mentions the Briarwoods’ names in passing (1:02:49). Percy manages to rally from that moment of shock and takes Uriel aside to fish for more details (1:25:28); he requests that any further information about the Briarwoods be sent his way.

Radio silence ensues until the party returns to Emon in episode 23, when Seeker Asum Emring (Uriel’s spymaster) approaches Percy to let him know the Briarwoods are coming to town in a week for a feast in their honor, celebrating the opening of a new trade route with the northeast (3:04:45). Asum’s clever enough (and has by now had enough northbound spies “mysteriously retire”) to be suspicious of the Briarwoods and is determined to keep an eye on them.

The start of episode 24 has the party finally talking about all this as a group; Percy explains his past history with the Briarwoods (0:20:48), and reveals that his Pepperbox revolver has names scrawled across five of the six barrels: the Briarwoods, plus three individuals who’d helped them in their slaughter. He mentions that he’d already tried to confront one of the three, Dr. Anna Ripley, but that her guards threw him into prison before he could even get close enough to see her face, which is how he wound up in the jail cell where the party first met him. Vox Machina pledge their support (0:28:47) to a tearful Percy, and start preparing for this unknown confrontation with the Briarwoods.

The plan (such as it is) is to have Scanlan turn Vax invisible during the feast, so he can do some snooping around. Percy will enter the feast disguised as Vax, just in case he gets put in a position to be recognized. They’ll play it by ear from there, following Percy’s lead.

The party runs into Asum at the main gates, and he instantly sees through Percy’s disguise when he doesn’t quite manage an imitation of Vax’s voice. (2:49:30) Asum mentions that Vax should meet him in the foyer while the feast’s underway to help him out with his reconnaissance.

Vox Machina watch as the Briarwoods make their appearance (2:59:10); they seem extremely self-possessed and charming, and a very tense dinner ensues. In the suspense, Vax completely forgets about going to reconnoiter with Asum, and then decides to follow the Briarwoods to their room at the end of the night to see what he can find out (3:39:00). After dispatching their guards, he opens the door to their chamber... only to see both of them looking directly at him. (3:43:10).

Episode 25 picks up after that cliffhanger, with an increasingly desperate Vax trying to talk his way out of the room (0:14:00). Sylas reveals himself to be a vampire, and he and Delilah attack. Vax manages to jump out a window and yell a warning to the rest of the group through the Earring of Whisper, but soon finds himself bleeding out alone at the Briarwoods’ feet (0:39:15). The rest of the party arrives in the courtyard just in the nick of time (complete with a legendary couple of rolls from Vex - 0:58:48) to rescue Vax from the brink of death, and to pull a baffled Asum out of the effects of a charm spell. In the battle, Vex is nearly killed in one shot by a particularly powerful spell from Delilah.

During the confrontation, the Briarwoods recognize Percy (1:16:38). They attempt to flee via carriage, then successfully flee via magic, but invite Percy and the rest of the party to join them in Whitestone, casually mentioning that it would be nice for him to visit his family once in a while (1:52:50).

Frustrated by the Briarwoods’ departure, Percy brutally interrogates the Briarwoods’ carriage driver, a terrified young man named Desmond (1:55:10). The party decides to lock Desmond up in their keep, mainly for his own protection. On a little side venture to help out Lillith, an ally who emerged unexpectedly during the fight, Percy snaps and completely annihilates a baddie (3:06:15), which understandably worries the group even more.

Unfortunately, after this big Percy-centric episode, Taliesin unfortunately is too ill to participate in episode 26, and Percy spends it working feverishly in his laboratory. For the rest of Vox Machina, the order of the day is having to explain to Uriel Tal’Dorei why they attacked important allies out of nowhere, which doesn’t go over super well (0:39:31). Asum reveals to the group that he’s keeping an eye on things and is trying to act like he’s still under the Briarwoods’ charm. In a frustrated attempt to improve their image by helping out some farmers, shit gets a little weird for Vox Machina (2:34:38).

Episode 27 opens with Percy waking up from a horrific nightmare about his family being slaughtered... that promptly takes form when he goes to check on Desmond and finds him being strangled by an invisible presence in the cells (0:17:07). Luckily, with Trinket’s help (and the rest of Vox Machina returning home at an opportune time), Desmond is saved and the ghostly presence is defeated, but it’s clear that there’s only one way forward: the party starts on the road to Whitestone.

In episode 28, after battling a behir along the way, the party arrives in Whitestone and cautiously scopes it out to find a city composed of an exhausted, downtrodden populace working in fear of the “new nobles” (1:39:00), with zombified giants patrolling the streets. The party’s plan right now centers around the city’s central symbol of hope: if they can bring the Sun Tree, a holy tree to the sun god Pelor in the town square, back to its earlier splendor, they hope to be able to thwart this vampiric assault on the city.

Unfortunately, as they get closer, they realize the Sun Tree has become a gallows. And the bodies are a very specific message. (2:39:13)

From an underground hideout, Keyleth uses her druidic abilities to attempt to commune with the Sun Tree, but discovers that it is, in fact, dead (2:54:05). Welcome to Whitestone.

Episode 29 starts with Keyleth attempting to resurrect the Sun Tree (and Travis and Laura battling traffic to get to the show), while Percy, Scanlan, and Vax check out a temple Percy remembers from his youth, the Zenith (0:26:27). This is the start of Vox Machina’s epic battle against doors, as it takes the three of them multiple spells and half an hour in real time to defeat... an unlocked door.

Once inside, they find the remains of Father Reynal and square off with a banshee that nearly kills Percy twice before Scanlan manages to finish it off (1:07:45). They discover that this temple has become a laboratory for someone who lost their hand attempting to replicate Percy’s firearm technology. At Percy’s request, Vax carves the de Rolo family crest into the altar, along with “Pelor lives in Whitestone”.

The party reconvenes and decides on the next course of action: attacking one of the “new nobles” of the town, one of the names on Percy’s List. Kerrion Stonefell. The party spends the night in their underground hideout, and Percy emphatically Does Not sleep well (1:29:45).

Before scoping out Stonefell’s mansion, the party decides to sow some seeds of rebellion in the city and chats with Keeper Yennen, a religious leader in the city, at his temple, the Lady’s Chamber. Percy doesn’t outright reveal his identity (the party’s been proceeding in disguise), but makes ambiguous statements that pique Yennen’s interest (2:04:30).

The party proceeds to Stonefell’s mansion and manages to infiltrate completely successfully, surprising Stonefell and launching into a vicious battle with perfect timing before he can set up his defenses (2:31:40). When Stonefell sees Percy’s weapon, he’s immediately confused and utters, “Ripley?”, revealing her to be the one who has been experimenting on Percy’s technology. Throughout the battle, dark smoke begins pouring from Percy’s body, and things get decidedly creepy as he dons a bird-faced mask to make the final blow on Stonefell (3:21:55). He promptly huddles in a corner of the room and tries to carve Stonefell’s name off his Pepperbox.

Meanwhile, the rest of the party brings around Vouk, Stonefell’s lieutenant. They try to get some information from him, and Vouk offers to take them to the Briarwoods’ “project room” below the castle in exchange for his life, which they decide isn’t very valuable information and is more likely a trap. Percy, coming out of his stupor as he discovers that Stonefell’s name has actually vanished from his gun, decides it’s best to set Vouk free, on the condition that he is marked and his tongue taken. Grog is only too happy to oblige, and Percy brands him with his gun (3:45:17). Grog and Scanlan are on board with this violence. The half-elves (Keyleth and the twins) are getting increasingly unnerved. The party carries the survivors out of the building, and Keyleth lights the mansion on fire once they’re out.

Episode 30 (which features everyone’s Halloween costumes) begins with a much-needed heart-to-heart among Vox Machina in their underground hideout about the nature of morality and trust (0:16:30). Their sleep that night is interrupted by a vampire attack that is in part thwarted by... Scanlan pissing on one, because running water (1:00:45). Even after the party relocates away from directly under the Sun Tree for the rest of the night, Percy has another restless night’s sleep, awakening with an even more heightened sense of corruption and sadism (1:31:08).

The party meets up with Jordana Whisk, the daughter of Simon, an enchanter Percy once knew who’s now working in the castle for the Briarwoods. They reveal that Percy is alive, although he can’t drop his illusion in front of her; she gives them some supplies and recommends they return to the Lady’s Chamber to speak further with Keeper Yennen. They do so, and wind up in a private conversation with Yennen and Percy’s father’s former chancellor, Archibald Desnay.

In front of these two allies, Percy finally reveals his true identity (2:35:20). But there’s another bombshell ready to drop: Archibald reveals that Percy’s sister Cassandra is alive, and has been secretly helping with the rebellion from her seat in the castle.

The party splits up past this point; there are three more nobles’ mansions remaining, so the party sends Scanlan alone to one to create a distraction while they attack another, leaving the fourth mansion for last. Scanlan... promptly turns into a triceratops (2:58:45).

Episode 31 opens with a truly epic segment in which Scanlan, working alone, just... annihilates the mansion through an increasingly bizarre sequence of events (0:14:55). It’s a glorious and surreal half-hour that culminates with the goliath Duke Goran Vedmire, one of the Briarwoods’ allies, getting thrown off a flaming rooftop in the middle of a thunderstorm. As you do.

The rest of Vox Machina, meanwhile, attacks Count Tylieri’s mansion, and discover the Count to be a vampire. Not to be outdone, Trinket rips off his head in the battle that ensues (1:32:00). The party starts interrogating a surviving guard, but when they discover that these guards were responsible for killing the people strung up on the Sun Tree, including a child, Vax slits his throat (2:07:55). Vex, meanwhile, confronts Percy, who still has smoke swirling around his ankles (2:11:32).

Once again, Keyleth burns down the mansion, and as the party reunites, they find people rising up in the streets, townsfolk beginning to hack down the zombie giants. This, it seems, is a point of no return: the rebellion has begun. Vox Machina make their way to the Sun Tree, where they find that the bodies have been cut down. In the midst of the storm, though, they see dozens, hundreds of skeletons approaching; the Briarwoods’ answer to the nascent rebellion (0:49:47).

Episode 32 opens with the unexpected return of a friend in spectral form: Pike crashes into the battle and starts annihilating skeletons (0:24:55), doing what a cleric does best. The party then splits into two groups to help the townsfolk deal with the remaining zombie giants. These dispatched, they regroup and learn that Pike’s been having visions of Whitestone, particularly of Percy; thanks to her goddess Sarenrae’s aid, she’s been sent in this spectral form to assist the party.

Heartened by the return of their friend, the party starts toward the castle itself. They find the hidden passage Percy and Cassandra used to escape during the attack and start in toward the castle. Very conscious of her friends’ concerns, alongside her own, Pike casts a restoration spell on Percy, who isn’t completely recovered, but seems a little less shaky (2:32:30).

Resting for the night in the tunnel, Percy and Vax have a heart-to-heart (2:42:45). Percy dreams again that night, this time hearing an ominous voice: “Don’t forget our deal.” (2:47:10)

Moving ahead the next day, the party emerges into the castle’s dungeons, where they find an old woman locked in a cell. After some awkward questioning, the group decides it’s probably best to come back for her later. At the old woman’s insistence, Vex pretends to try to pick the lock, and when she messes it up, the woman grabs her with both hands... except she doesn’t, because one of her hands is an illusion (3:32:40). Vex remembers that Anna Ripley lost a hand trying to reproduce Percy’s technology.

Coming off that realization, episode 33 begins with Vex revealing what she just figured out to the party (0:14:55). Keyleth dispels the woman’s illusion, revealing Anna Ripley, who immediately wants to join the party in taking the Briarwoods down. She explains that she helped the Briarwoods kill the de Rolos and seize power five years ago, but was just brought in to help out with some sort of mysterious construction project under the castle. When the work was finished, she claims, the Briarwoods were finished with her and locked her up to languish in the cell. Percy, bolstered by magical means, convinces her to lead them to Cassandra and further demands that she tell them how to find Professor Anders, his former teacher who turned on the family in the attack (Anders, Ripley, and the Briarwoods are the remaining names on the barrels of Percy’s gun).

When Percy reveals his identity to her, Ripley is frightened, but also unabashedly delighted (0:31:45). Unfortunately, around this time, Pike’s astral form dissipates.

The party, shaken and uneasy, allows Ripley to lead them to her chambers to get some of her things. Ripley reveals her latest project: a firearm she’s created based on Percy’s designs, working based off secondhand accounts. The party confiscates that, as well as a few potions, but lets her keep her armor in case of trouble.

They continue on to Cassandra’s chambers, where they find correspondence with Archibald Desnay about the ins and outs of several failed rebellion attempts. Percy starts to get impatient that they still haven’t found Cassandra (1:06:30). Ripley reveals a little more information: the Briarwoods have been working on some sort of distillery, used to melt down and focus the eponymous whitestone found in the region into “residuum”, which has powerful magical properties. The Briarwoods are using this residuum to do something with an old Ziggurat located beneath the castle, but she knows nothing more about that side of it beyond that it involves some third party. She hazards a guess that the Ziggurat is located right underneath the Sun Tree itself.

When the party expresses an interest in skipping over Anders and going straight for the Briarwoods, Ripley starts baiting Percy, reminding him that Anders was his sister’s keeper, and convinces him to go after Anders instead (1:11:55). Vex, frustrated and keeping an arrow nocked at Ripley’s throat, tells Vax to sneak ahead and check out the study.

As Vax gets close to the study, he sees a frantic-looking Anders holding a knife to Cassandra’s throat. As Vax jumps in to intervene, Cassandra calls out that it’s a trap (1:19:46). Anders promptly slits her throat. The rest of the party hastens to catch up, with Vex tasking Trinket to hang on to Ripley. Keyleth heals a very confused Cassandra (a detail the party misses: when Cassandra is healed, there’s suddenly no more blood on her skin or clothing). Grog gets caught in a Dominate Person spell and is ordered to kill Vax, which he nearly succeeds in doing; a couple more hits from magically animated suits of armor take Vax near to death, but Keyleth and Vex bring him back from the brink.

Meanwhile, Percy, bird-shaped mask concealing his face, wreathed once again in black smoke, confronts Anders (2:00:00). It does not end well for the professor. Anders’ name flares and vanishes from the barrel of Percy’s gun. Vex grabs Percy by the hand and tells him to take off the mask (2:09:15).

When the last enemies are dispatched, the party realizes that Ripley’s making an escape; Grog, Scanlan, and Trinket nearly catch up with her, but she uses magic to evade capture and disappears. A badly shaken Vax approaches Keyleth: “You know I’m in love with you, right?” (0:04:00)

Percy castigates and then thanks Vax for his rash action, then turns to Cassandra for the first time in five years. “...hi.” (0:17:57) Cassandra reveals that the Briarwoods took her in after the arrows felled her, healed her, and set her up as a caged figurehead in the castle to earn them legitimacy. They talk about the Briarwoods’ plans, and Cassandra insists that she’ll be accompanying the group, wearing her mother’s armor, especially since she’s been working against the Briarwoods by aiding rebellions for so long. She and Percy have a great little sibling moment (0:21:30). On their way down into the cellars of the castle, Cassandra reveals that Delilah isn’t a vampire like Sylas, but is instead an extremely powerful human necromancer. The two of them speak frequently of this third party, “The Whispered One”.

The party fights spirits of the de Rolo’s ancestors on their way down; one ghost comes very close to killing Percy outright. Scanlan heals him, then literally mocks the ghost to death... again. (1:59:30)

Episode 34 has the party at a crossroads, with one path leading toward the acid pits used in the residuum distillation process (Pike has also returned, in spectral form). The party finds a bronze room with several small gemstones built into the floor. After some experimentation, with each member of the party touching a gemstone, Cassandra finds a gemstone next to a door nearby and touches it... and two large walls of green glass slam down, trapping Vox Machina in the room.

Behind Cassandra, the Briarwoods walk through the door. Vax immediately notices a placard behind them and uses his magical cloak to teleport to it, slamming one hand on the button. The Briarwoods are amused as the button, horrifically, causes acid to be pumped into the room containing the rest of Vox Machina... (1:19:14). Lord Briarwood promptly uses charm magic to pull Vax to their side, and they bring him with them as they leave Vox Machina to be dissolved.

And Cassandra? Cassandra confronts Percy through the glass: “Your sister left us the day those arrows found my chest. She did not die from those wounds, but to watch you leave me there in the snow. I have a new family. I am a Briarwood, and I have a destiny with the Whispered One.” (1:26:40)

Once Vox Machina have been left alone, Pike notices that the acid melts whitestone, and that the ceiling of this room is made of whitestone. Using a flying potion confiscated from Ripley, Vex manages to turn the tubes delivering the acid so they burn an escape route into the ceiling.

As the party begins to trail after the Briarwoods, Cassandra, and Vax, Percy realizes that there’s a new name on the previously blank barrel of his gun: Cassandra de Rolo. (2:07:42)

The party manages to surprise the Briarwoods on the stairs leading up to the top of the ziggurat, and the fight begins in earnest. In the fray, Vax manages to break out of the charm spell, and while Cassandra begins the fight on the Briarwoods’ side, she eventually drops her sword, torn and uncertain. Keyleth nearly annihilates Sylas with a couple of well-placed Sunbeam spells, and Scanlan thwarts Delilah’s attempt to teleport him to safety with a Counterspell.

Percy manages to shoot Delilah, but Cassandra runs to her with a healing potion. Keyleth and Pike take that moment to destroy Sylas Briarwood once and for all. (3:44:46)

Delilah is devastated. “You can’t... I broke the world for us! No...” (3:47:11) She uses short-range teleportation to get out of the immediate line of fire. Vax and Grog knock out Cassandra and tie her up, to confront later.

Still able to fly thanks to the potion she took earlier, Vex gets a bird’s-eye view of the inside of the ziggurat: a room with the shape of a hand carved into the floor. Delilah’s standing at the center of it, reading some sort of scroll.

The party jumps into action, taking shots at Delilah from the top of the wall into the room, but she’s focused on her spell and splashes some of her own blood on a black orb in the center of the room.

The orb starts to spin. (4:04:30) All around Delilah, the walls are covered in a tapestry of hundreds of dead bodies, each missing their left hand and/or left eye, and they begin to writhe.

Vex, still flying, dives down to try to get the orb out of there. Delilah turns and casts the same spell on her she did back in episode 25: Finger of Death. (4:13:49) Vex comes within 1 HP of being permanently killed by the spell.

Delilah turns back to the orb, which spins faster and faster... and suddenly flashes, in an instant, down to the size of a dime. Her terrified anticipation turns to horror. “It can’t be too soon.”

The writhing walls stop. In fact, all magic within the ziggurat stops... including Vex’s flying spell. (4:16:40) She hits the ground with enough force to knock her out, and it takes the frantic party a moment to realize that they can’t heal her with magic, and she’s now bleeding out. Percy shoots Delilah, but manages not to kill her outright, instead shooting off her arm. Fortunately, Vex stabilizes on her own.

A terrified Vax stays with his sister while the rest of the party drags the unconscious Lady Briarwood away. Keyleth stays behind, experimentally poking a piece of residuum glass into the orb... and promptly takes a massive amount of damage and is nearly sucked into it (4:33:21). Vax realizes she stayed behind and runs back toward her... but she recognizes that her initial plan of collapsing the ziggurat isn’t going to work if she can’t use magic. The party flees.

Episode 35 starts with Vex being revived and healed outside the antimagic effect of the orb. A dazed, exhausted, and overwhelmed Cassandra explains her part in all this: the Briarwoods didn’t just keep her around for legitimacy, they kept her around to find out about and quash rebellions like the ones that Archibald attempted. (0:40:38) She finally makes eye contact with Percy, realizing that even with the (magically and non-magically) charming influence of the Briarwoods and her fury and fear at how Percy left her for dead, her family deserves to be avenged.

The familiar black smoke begins to billow out of Percy’s sleeves, and the smoke entity that’s been speaking to him begins demanding revenge. (0:41:30) Percy points the gun at Lady Briarwood’s head and demands that the entity take Cassandra’s name off the gun. “Did I even want revenge before I talked to you?”

The party’s very unnerved by this entire conversation, especially considering they can only hear Percy’s side of it and they see him occasionally putting the gun to his own head. Percy fires the gun at Lady Briarwood’s hand, revealing that the gun was broken in the fight. “I’m not satisfied. I want my money back.” The entity tries something, but Percy shrugs it off.

Lady Briarwood regains consciousness and Percy demands answers, creating the illusion of Sylas’ death to torment her (0:46:00). Delilah, boiling with fury, just mutters that the Whispered One gave her Sylas back, and Percy took him from her again. The group knocks her out again.

Pike and Scanlan recall some information about the Whispered One: it’s a phrase used to refer to the name “Vecna”, a powerful archlich, who once, hundreds and hundreds of years ago, tried to ascend to godhood and was halted in that process.

As the conversation continues, Percy begins to reach for his rifle, but pushes away the urge, and actually manages to expel the strange smoke creature from his body (0:59:19). The party very literally battles Percy’s demon, and Grog and Trinket manage to destroy it (2:02:05). A little remnant of darkness remains in Percy, but the creature is destroyed.

Percy defers to Cassandra when it comes to executing Delilah (2:03:50). Cassandra stabs her. “You took them away from me. And now we’re taking everything away from you.”

The party walks back past the acid pits. As they do, Scanlan uses magic to convince Percy to hand him his gun, the Pepperbox, and promptly throws it into the acid (0:05:26). That last little nugget of darkness in Percy’s chest vanishes as the gun is melted. Percy is somewhat more alarmed at how expensive the gun will be to replace.

Vox Machina emerge back into the city of Whitestone, where the townsfolk have gathered up the last of the Briarwoods’ powerful allies (minus Ripley, who is nowhere to be seen). Grog executes a Countess Jazna Grebin, but Vedmire (who survived his fall off the building) is kept alive, in keeping with Percy’s determination that Whitestone is now a city of mercy. Vox Machina also discreetly let some people know about the horrific scene below the castle, and start gathering people to study the orb and its antimagic effects.

Keyleth goes to check on the Sun Tree, and determines that the tree isn’t so much dead as dormant, and is now starting to awaken again. Vax finds her there, and after some awkwardness (mostly out-of-character flailing by the rest of the group), tells her that he’ll give her all the time she needs to process his confession: “If you’ll have me, I’m yours.” (0:59:14)

The sun finally sets on a clear night in Whitestone, and the rebuilding begins. (1:05:34)

(Episode 36, you ask? Episode 36 is Whitestone celebrating its first Winter’s Crest Festival in a very, very long time.)

#critical role #critical role spoilers #long text post

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closetdwellertales · 4 years

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a heart more loyal

Whoever finds this, please know: I was a knight, once, and the land had not known a heart more loyal.

My friend (I hope I am allowed to call you so, for your hands will soon grant me the greatest gift), I know the purpose of your visit. I know what is coming, but I cannot find fear within me. My hand writes these lines as steadily as always, and the quill shivers, its trusty iron end almost dulled down. It has followed me through victories and failures. It has written my story in orders and signatures under the death sentences. I never cared to leave another memoir, for I never desired fame – and I do not desire it now. Please, read carefully, as it is a will; and even the worst of the worst are allowed a death wish.

I was a knight, once. You do not know my name, yet I had one, and it was spoken with respect. I never desired fame, but it followed me like a loyal dog: it slept by my bed and licked my hands. I was among best of the best. I dined with kings and made friends with jesters. People and beasts alike feared the cry of my horn. I had a bleeding heart, you see, easily driven to sympathy. Never did I ignore a reaching hand, a cry for help; never did I pass a battle, either.

I entered maturity under the welcoming glow of my lucky star. I did not know strife past what a heart may bear, nor did anguish touch my soul in times of struggle. Respected by most, loved by many, I basked in peace; and I knew that, should the age make my limbs leaden and my eyes weak, I would spend the rest of my days as a relic of a troubled past, amusing my children and grandchildren with the tales of my glory. No regrets, no shame would follow me into the old age. Perhaps at times I would glance at my armor, still shiny but abandoned, and feel a rush of blood, a useless quickening of the heart longing for another battle; but the pain would be soothed, and hollowness filled, by the warmth of my loving home.

I was a knight once, but the armor and the shield are no more. They were never displayed with pride, telling many a tale of courage and victory. Instead, forgotten, they rusted away. The dust under your feet may as well be the sad remnants of their shine. I took a piece of my broken sword and forged it into the iron tip for my quill, and it remained just as deadly as when it had been glistening at my hilt. The feasts and fights of my glorious youth are but a bleak memory. They thundered away and fell silent, only a distant echo still ringing in the vacant halls; and not a soul is left to listen.

My dear friend, I know the surprise you must feel. Now you must be looking with anger and confusion at the results of my toll: the dark towers of my castle, the blood-soaked fields of the land I once called mine, the rising smoke that threatens to overcome the heavens above. I am a beast among beasts, a plight among plights, a demon among men. In a dark fortress I sit, ruling over my domain with iron and fire, and not a heart may turn to me in sympathy; no lips may utter my name without disgust.

If I truly was a knight, you must say, what could have brought such a descent? What made me turn away from worldly pleasures and seek satiation in pain and suffering? Had it been a bitter love, a broken heart? Had it been revenge against a mightier foe? Had a friend betrayed me in times of need, or a liege robbed me of what was rightfully mine?

No, my friend, none of these were the reason of my fall from grace. My love stayed faithful, my friends loyal, my patrons generous; and no foe was mightier than the hand that brought them down. No, there is no need to seek the root in other places, for me myself was the reason.

Perchance you have heard of the old fairy king of the Losol forest. Know that it was my sword that brought him down, and my dagger that drew the last drops of blood from his stilling heart. Yet the old beast did not die at once, for the other folk does not live as we do; and, before his eyes closed to the daylight once and for all, he managed to utter a curse; and what curse!

I was born under a lucky star, but I did not know that its light was to shine no more. I took his crown from him, and it turned to useless twigs in my hands; I took his gold, and it turned to leaves. Oh, it was a dreary day when the fairy king cursed me. Ever before, he said, my life was a blessing; now it was to be torture. Ever before my every wish would come true; now, the curse would twist my fate and give me the opposite of what I sincerely desired. I took his life, he said, and so I was to live no more.

I was reckless, young; I did not believe the dying beast. Yet, since that dreadful day, my victories turned sour, my gains bitter. The kindness of my heart turned poisonous. When I desired peace, war would break out; when I wished for love, animosity would slither in. My old friends were thrown into poverty and grief, and their wails rang clear over the ashes. I wanted my loved ones to feast and celebrate; instead, a different feast was prepared for them, and only vultures attended. My home was broken, my beloved land in disarray. Oh, how many times I cursed my pitiful existence! Not even the fairy king could hate me more, dying, than I did still alive.

In vain, I tried to break the chain that fettered me. I turned to magicians, old wizards, witches who dabble in light and darkness both; but none of them could vanquish the curse that was sealed with a dying breath. The more I wished it gone, the stronger it remained. I despaired, I fought, but all for nothing. In the dead of the night, I could hear the voice of the dead fairy king; he laughed, he rejoiced in my pain!

Thus, I had only one way left; and I forged salvation from misery.

I taught myself to hate, to despise everything good and light; I learned fury, I planted seeds of darkness within my soul. Oh, how it ached, how it resisted! – but I was just as relentless with myself as I used to be with my worst enemies. I gave myself every repulsive habit, every deep and twisted desire that I knew in those dead by my hand. I fled from company. I threw curses at those approaching me until I was shunned from everywhere. I looked upon my past friends and lovers with repulsion; I kept reminding myself of every bit of luck they had until envy burned out love. I tore away my heart and replaced it with bronze. I weeded out every sprout of sympathy. I ached for love and friendship to blossom, so I denied myself both and bore the torture of seeing my familiars prosper. What a miserable, pitiful creature I was!

Yet I was not done; for my love brought endless destruction that my hatred could not so easily correct.

I sought souls as dark as mine; I found unity in them. I sowed the hatred and fed on the harvest. They were naturally repulsive; tender from birth, I had to learn their ways; and experience overcame nature. They obeyed me easily. Dirt commanded dirt, and the disease spread. I was repulsed; I gained respect. I wished them ill; they prospered. Knowing the art of battle, I gave them much and promised them more, and my troops brought me victory after bitter victory.

I ached for peace, so I commanded war.

How my soul grieved! – for every soul grieves its own death. I dissected it, replacing its very nature, and the seams never healed. Yet I was getting used to my misery. I delighted in things most unholy; what should have brought anguish, made me laugh. I ordered this fortress built, and from its heart I sent away the doves of fake treaties and ravens of attacks. I spilt blood to obtain and burned the spoils. I learned the art of magic, and the terror of my reign grew stronger. Even my very servants learned to fear me, for the darkness of my soul overshadowed theirs.

Yet I was not done.

I ordered every story about my knightly days burned; I took down memorials; I tore away pages. I threw my very name into the waters of oblivion and watched it sink. Who would suspect that such a grisly figure had known days of camaraderie, of love and fame? The knight was gone; only the king remained.

Even so, after all these years, my soul ached. Sometimes, after a day of dark madness, I would see a single ray of light come through the heavy clouds and weep; useless, empty tears! – like the rotten and disgusting ichor seeping from a fevered wound. I wished for love and respect; I obtained hatred and repulsion. I wished for salvation; I saw the entire land unite against me. I saw heroes rise to strike me down, the cries of their horns making my heart stir. Their steeds trampled my burned fields, their swords stroke down my armies. Young hearts, reckless hearts; I cursed every one of them, knowing that my curses will never come true. I wanted to take them down; now I see my armies broken, my fortress besieged. You must be one of them, my friend. I heard your horn at the gate; I must hurry.

For, as you see, lately I tried very hard to wish for life.

I spent hours upon hours, seeking enjoyment in my existence, thinking of the smallest blessings, the bleakest gifts; and now I want to keep living more than ever. Just as a single ray of sunlight finds its way through the storm clouds and lights the silenced battlefield, the sunset of my life is lit up with sublime clarity. I know that, with my death, this land will finally enjoy peace and happiness. My heart trembles with bitter bliss. Please, hurry, my trusted quill, for I will be needing you no more; you have served me well, you may lay to rest. Please, hurry, my friend; let your sword be as sharp as mine was when it cut down the fairy king, and let your luck be mightier. Don’t hesitate; deliver the greatest gift you could have given me; I am here, I am waiting.

My friend, if I may ask for a single favor: erase all my victories, all my bloody gains. Take down my kingdom, destroy my fortress, don’t leave a sign of anything that misery constructed; let dust and grass cover the battlefields; let rust eat away the obsolete swords. Oblivion is the highest reward I could ask for; let the terrors and fire wash away as a heavy dream before the dawn.

Farewell, my friend! My heart aches for rest; please, bury it in the ground of my beloved, hated, tortured land.

I served it well, and it had never known a heart more loyal.

#storytime #fae #fairy #knight #magic #original story

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queerdraws · 5 years

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Ineffable Husbands playlist

For anyone looking for an ungodly long playlist that is probably going to be under construction forever: Here You Go

I also want to plug this playlist while im at it because I absorbed a lot of songs from it & it’s very good. much more concise FULL CURRENT TRACKLIST, 41 songs (as of 7.6.19) UNDER THE CUT Including: tally hall (an absurd amount), hozier (of course), frank sinatra, the mountain goats, sufjan stevens, queen, elbow, velvet underground, mitski...etc.

Frank Sinatra - The Best is Yet to Come

Out of the tree of life I just picked me a plum You came along and everything started in to hum Still it's a real good bet The best is yet to come

Best is yet to come and babe won't that be fine You think you've seen the sun But you ain't seen it shine

A wait til the warm up's under way Wait til our lips have met And wait til you see that sunshine day You ain't seen nothing yet ... Wait til your charms are right for these arms, to surround You think you've flown before But baby you ain't left the ground

Hozier - From Eden (obligatory)

Babe, there's something wretched about this Something so precious about this Oh what a sin

To the strand a picnic plan for you and me A rope in hand for your other man to hang from a tree Honey you're familiar like my mirror years ago

Idealism sits in prison, chivalry fell on it's sword Innocents died screaming, honey ask me I should know I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door

Tally Hall - You & Me

Off again we go Another seed to sow Another part to keep in proper order

What have I begun? Get away undone I have seen the signs and I ignored them

Now it's you And me Divine A circular design (do do-do do-doo) Time, and place, and mind Points along the line (do do-do do-doo)

Sitting in the park Carefully remark Everything is better when you're learning

You were in the dark And I was in the dark Everything is made to keep on turning

Barenaked Ladies - It’s All Been Done

I met you before the fall of Rome And I begged you to let me take you home You were wrong, I was right You said goodbye, I said goodnight

It's all been done It's all been done It's all been done before

I knew you before the west was won And I heard you say the past Was much more fun You go your way, I go mine But I'll see you next time

It's all been done It's all been done It's all been done before

The Strokes - Under Cover of Darkness (the times between meetings)

We got the right to live, fight to use it Got everything but you can just choose it I won't just be a puppet on a string

Don't go that way I'll wait for you

And I'm tired of all your friends Listening at your door I want what's better for you

So long, my friend and adversary But I'll wait for you

Conor Oberst - To All the Lights in the Windows (Crowley POV, Aziraphale not quite meeting him half way wrt The Arrangement. Talks about various biblical events throughout time, like they’re meeting up there)

Jesus off in the water, standing on His feet Yeah, that's the thing about charisma it makes everyone believe But there is nothing impossible When I'm with you and when you're with me I got a sad sinking feeling that, that can never be

But I'm going to do what I can for you, I will make a plea To all the lights in the windows, the puddles in the streets And all the lovers that you've been teasing from your balcony May they carry you far from my memory

Light a Roman Candle with Me (Crowley POV)

Light a roman candle with me Just a roman candle, you can wear your sandals And I'll pour you just one cup of tea. Then you can go and rest You haven't seen my best, so

Just spend an evening with me Just a lazy evening, then you could be leaving Or we could stay and talk until three. I will think it's magic and I'll hope you'll agree, so

Light a roman candle with me. Just a roman candle. Just a perfect apple.

If we were honest and both wrote a sonnet together A sandwich with everything on it, At least we would know that the sparks didn't glow But we owe it to ourselves to try, So we aim and ignite! So often I call and I plead with you: "Give me a chance!" It's not often that I understand The ins and the outs of what's wrong and what's right So don't think of tomorrow tonight.

Oh, I know, it goes on, it gets old But for now we're young, we smell good, we're alone

You look for a legend, I'm looking for common ground. Your heart isn't breaking, And mine isn't making a sound.

Oh I know, it goes on, it gets old Oh I know, it goes on, it gets old

Light a roman candle with me. Just a roman candle. Just a perfect apple.

Tears for Fears - Head Over Heels (mmm pining)

You keep your distance with a system of touch And gentle persuasion I'm lost in admiration, could I need you this much? Oh, you're wasting my time You're just, just, just wasting time

Something happens and I'm head over heels I never find out till I'm head over heels Something happens and I'm head over heels Ah, don't take my heart, don't break my heart Don't, don't, don't throw it away

Throw it away Throw it away

Mother Mother - Problems

You and me, we're not the same I am a sinner, you are a saint When we get to the pearly gates You'll get the green light I'll get the old door in the face

Doo, doo, doo I'm a loser, a disgrace, yeah

I've found love in the strangest place Tied up and branded, locked in a cage I say I'm gonna stage a great escape Let loose and love all But baby we're out of place

Doo, doo, doo I'm a loser, a disgrace You're a beauty A luminary, in my face

I got it all, and not a lot, I got a lot less than a lot I've got problems, not just the ones that are little It's those people problems, it's something to consider When you come for dinner at my place

The Mountain Goats - New Zion (sort of a flashback to the garden, i don’t like to put really mellow songs at the very beginning of playlists so this was the best place i could fit this one in)

There were signs up in the sky When we gathered by the garden wall Everybody on his best behavior Listening for the altar call

High priest of Salem in his robes Ranting of the coming of the day Ravens at the gates Frightening all the visitors away

I lay down by the water Dreamed a dream of where I come from Old things made new Waiting for you

There were wooden wind chimes rustling In the trees above the anthills on the dunes On the high winds, we could hear them Old familiar tunes

The little bit of faith we had once Like the memory of a movie They got burned up in the great fire Reassembling itself slowly by surely

I lay down by the water Dreamed a dream of where I come from Old things made new Waiting for you

Tally Hall - Who You Are (Aziraphale POV)

Maybe there's something to being the one who you are Holding the thoughts in as you pull away in your car I get to thinking a little too often & All that I want is a little aloft & Maybe it's all too much thinking and not enough heart

How is it all of the people can know who you are? Off in the distance emitting a glow in the dark All of it subtle and all of it very bizarre How is it all of the people can know who you are? I see you Not too far

Armed to the teeth You will sit at the fireside We are the ones who have chosen the other side It was easy to see You were ready to be And it all falls down

You rose up and rode away underground Alone us finding our way to found

Catfish and the Bottlemen - Longshot

Go, ahead and tell me you got all you want Fiver says you're wrong And I suppose you've come down to help me Move things along ... Listen, the distance between us, could've took a while Once we closed that difference, you turned up like a friend of mine Every once in a while, the little things make me smile As if one of our longshots paid off One of our longshots paid off

So yeah, go, ahead and tell me something real Come on, how'd you feel? And I suppose you've come down to help me Answer to the riddle To the riddle

Why we laughed it off and we're wise enough, who knows?

Queen - You’re My Best Friend (obligatory)

Oh, you're the best friend that I ever had I've been with you such a long time You're my sunshine and I want you to know That my feelings are true I really love you Oh, you're my best friend

Ooh, you make me live

Ooh, I've been wandering 'round But I still come back to you In rain or shine

Apples in Stereo - Baroque

In the moonlight I see my memories In a new light, they seem so real to me I remember You know I remember And the starlight tripping in the sky Come on, we can still go there tonight I remember You know I remember We haven't changed We just feel a little strange We haven't changed We're just a little bit deranged

Umphrey’s McGee - Made to Measure (Crowley POV, “’you go too fast for me???’ what’s that supposed to mean??”)

Please excuse this I know it's rude But I was just trying to satisfy someone who requested mine You're hard to please And no one knows just what you need If you won't ever ask for help then how am I to tell? Uncomfortable You wear it well The sooner that you come around, the offer's waited to be found Anytime you need it I am already there and waiting What's yours is mine but you’re inclined to hesitate to try Don't get me wrong here I just want to make my intentions clear There's no room for reading into deep, if things aren't written down As soon as I've been told That you will not be sold Then we could all move forward here, and find our endings well You need a break It's hard to take the time When things will just move faster and we're never ever slowing down Anytime you need it I'm already there and waiting What's yours is mine but you’re inclined to hesitate to try And after all the bullshit shuffled, piles up inside There's only room for you and me And what we've left to try

Hayley Kiyoko - What I Need (”I’m going to alpha centauri and I won’t even THINK about you!”)

All the back and forth getting complicated Running me around got me frustrated No, that's why I been laying low If you wanna make it work, baby, gotta say it Need a little more than participation Oh, I could go be on my own ... What I need, what I need, what I need Is for you to be sure

The Mountain Goats - San Bernardino (Az POV, unsure of timeline placement on this one but it’s very tender)

We got in your car and we hit the highway Eastern sun was rising over the mountains Yellow and blood-red bits Like a kaleidoscope

And flaming swords may guard the garden of Eden But we consulted maps from earlier days Dead languages on our tongues Holding onto our last hope

And the day was bright and fine And the highway sign Said "San Bernardino Welcomes you!"

I checked us into our motel and filled the bathtub And you got in the warm, warm water I pulled petals from my pocket I loved you so much just then

Sufjan Stevens - To Be Alone with You (another tender, possibly Az POV song)

I'd swim across Lake Michigan I'd sell my shoes I'd give my body to be back again In the rest of the room

To be alone with you To be alone with you To be alone with you To be alone with you

You gave your body to the lonely They took your clothes You gave up a wife and a family You gave your goals

To be alone with me To be alone with me To be alone with me You went up on a tree

To be alone with me you went up on the tree

I've never known a man who loved me

Elbow - Starlings (Crowley POV)

How dare the premier ignore my invitations? He'll have to go So too the bunch he luncheons with It's second on my list of things to do

At the top I'm stopping by Your place of work and acting like I haven't dreamed of you and I And marriage in an orange grove

You are the only thing In any room you're ever in I'm stubborn, selfish and too old

I sat you down and told you how The truest love that's ever found is for oneself You pulled apart my theory With a weary and disinterested sigh

So yes, I guess I'm asking you To back a horse that's good for glue and nothing else But find a man that's truer than Find a man that needs you more than I

Sit with me a while And let me listen to you talk about Your dreams and your obsessions I'll be quiet and confessional

The violets explode inside me When I meet your eyes Then I'm spinning and I'm diving Like a cloud of starlings Darling, is this love?

The Cure - Why Can’t I Be You?

You're so gorgeous I'll do anything I'll kiss you from your feet to where your head begins You're so perfect you're so right as rain You make me Make me, make me, make me hungry again

Everything you do is irresistible Everything you do is simply kissable Why can't I be you? ... Everything you do is simply delicate Everything you do is quite angelicate Why can't I be you? Why can't I be you?

Hozier - It Will Come Back (Crowley POV, don’t be kind to me i’ll get attached oh shit oh shit it already happened aughh)

I know who I am when I'm alone Something else when I see you You don't understand, you should never know How easy you are to need

Don't let me in with with no intention to keep me Jesus Christ, don't be kind to me Honey don't feed me I will come back

Can't be unlearned I've known the warmth of your doorways Through the cold, I'll find my way back to you Oh please, give me mercy no more That's a kindness you can't avoid! I want you baby tonight, as sure as you're born

You'll hear me howling outside your door Don't you hear me howling babe?

The Mountain Goats - So Desperate (Az POV)

We were parked in your car In our neutral meeting place, the Episcopalian churchyard I had things I'd been meaning to say But in the dazzling winter sun that late, I could feel them melt away

And through the warm radio static I couldn't hear my stage directions And the fog on the windshield Obscured our sad reflections

I felt so desperate In your arms I felt so desperate In your arms

We were parked near some trees And the moonlight soaked the branches in ever deepening degrees Had my hand in your hair Trying to keep my cool until it became too much to bear

When we cracked the windows open Well, the air was just so sweet We could hear the cars ten feet away Out there in the street

I felt so desperate In your arms I felt so desperate In your arms

Velvet Underground - I’ll Be Your Mirror

When you think the night has seen your mind That inside you're twisted and unkind Let me stand to show that you are blind Please put down your hands 'Cause I see you

Mitski - Strawberry Blonde (pining)

I love everybody Because I love you I don't need the city, and I Don't need proof All I need, darling Is a life in your shape I picture it, soft And I ache

Ok Go - Last Leaf (Crowley POV, i will go as slow as you need me to)

If you should be the last Autumn leaf hanging from the tree I'll still be here waiting on the breeze to bring you down to me

And if it takes forever Forever it'll be And if it takes forever Forever it'll be

And if you should be the last seed in Spring to venture forth a leaf I'll still be here waiting on the rain to warm your heart for me

And if it takes forever Forever it'll be And if it takes forever Forever it'll be

Coldplay - Til Kingdom Come

Hold my head inside your hands I need someone who understands I need someone, someone who hears For you, I've waited all these years

For you I'd wait 'til kingdom come Until my day, my day is done And say you'll come and set me free Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me

In your tears and in your blood In your fire and in your flood I hear you laugh, I heard you sing I wouldn't change a single thing

And the wheels just keep on turning The drummers begin to drum I don't know which way I'm going I don't know what I'll become

White Lies - A Place to Hide (mixed POV, apocalypse starts)

I've been searching through my books to try and find some truth Perhaps disguised as a mysterious way And if I made a promise Could I stay by your side? Would you guarantee my safety And say that I'd be all right?

But if Judgment Day started tonight at least I'd know I was right And I'd be laughing at the end of the world Take my hand tonight I'll think we'll be alright, girl

And I can see it on the TV, there's an air attack People of the mountains screaming I'll be back And I'm banging on your door so come on and let me in Need a place to hide, I need a place to hide before the storm begins

If I told you all the times when I'd done wrong Could you bathe my soul and wash it all away? I can't forgive the things that I can still remember So I think my friendly sins are here to stay

New Pornographers - Adventures in Solitude (Somebody killed my best friend)

Balancing on one wounded wing Circling the edge of the never ending The best of the vanished marvels Have gathered inside your door

More than begin but less than forget But spirits born from the not happened yet Gathering there to pay off a debt Brought back from the wars

We thought, we lost you We thought, we lost you We thought, we lost you Welcome back ... I know you want to run far away From one more and that it's comin' at a bad time Some cold place heartless ways for all we know

I know you need to breathe through Come back, come too but it's comin' at a bad time Tangled day, for all we know

I know you want to run far away from one more And that's comin' at a bad time Some cold race heartless ways for all we know

I know you want to breathe through Come back, come too but it's comin' at a bad time Old scarred face survivor's guilt, for all we know

Snow Patrol - The Lightning Strike (What if This Storm Ends?) (Crowley POV, you’re back! oh god i could’ve lost you forever.)

What if this storm ends? And I don't see you As you are now Ever again

The perfect halo Of gold hair and lightning Sets you off against The planet's last dance

Just for a minute The silver forked sky Lit you up like a star That I will follow

Now it's found us Like I have found you I don't want to run Just overwhelm me

What if this storm ends? And leaves us nothing Except a memory A distant echo

I want pinned down I want unsettled Rattle cage after cage Until my blood boils

I want to see you As you are now Every single day That I am living

Painted in flames All peeling thunder Be the lightning in me That strikes relentless

Grandaddy - A.M. 180 (the apocalypse is over. please still hang out with me? we can do anything, no need for serious plans. whatever together.)

Don't change your name Keep it the same For fear I may lose you again I know you won't It's just that I am unorganized And I want to find you when Something good happens

If you come down We'll go to town I haven't been there for years But I'd be fine Wasting our time Not doing anything here Just doing nothing

We'll sit for days And talk about things Important to us like whatever We'll defuse bombs Walk marathons And take home whatever together

Whatever together

My Chemical Romance - The Only Hope for Me is You (okay maybe we have a little trauma abt the apocalypse, anyway i love you?)

Where were you when All of the embers fell I still remember there Covered in ash Covered in glass Covered in all my friends I still Think of the bombs they built

If that's the best that I could be? Than I'd be another memory Can I be the only hope for you? Because you're the only hope for me And if we can't find where we belong, We'll have to make it on our own Face all the pain and take it on Because the only hope for me is you alone

How it should you be Many years after the disasters that we've seen What we have learned Other than people burn in purifying flame

I say it's okay I know you can tell And though you can see me smile I still Think of the guns they sell

Delta Spirit - Yamaha (Az POV, I’m sorry about the wait, I love you too)

I've been alone too many nights Too proud to tell you when you're right A little patience would have helped me then A lot like the break has been the common standard All the angels above the earth I prayed Said this message right into her head There's certain things in life I cannot take And I will wait

I hope you know I care I hope you know I care

So cold, I know you can't believe it Sometimes you gotta face the feelin' You don't care if you don't get up again There's a thousand things I will not understand (I hope you know I care) Now you're dealin' with the hell I put you through If I had my way I would be right there next to you There's certain things in life you cannot change There's certain things

I hope you know I care

Tally Hall - The Whole World and You (Crowley POV?)

There's lots of pretty people here Sharing soltries and passing letters and

There's lots of questions answered and Metaphysical astronomical songs

Words printed all on papers That seemed too mystical It's so magical

People that dance and compute that No one's better then you ... I hope you're happy now I've revealed the truth I've even written this whole song about you And not about me And not about me

Please don't just laugh and clap right now This is serious I'm not delirious

I've waited very patiently Just to let you know Who should run the show

Cause we all know these are the facts Nothing to retract Nothing too abstract

Concluding in the song I'll say No one's better than you

Ashley Eriksson - Island Song (South Downs cottage)

Come along with me To a town beside the sea We can wander through the forest And do so as we please Come along with me To a cliff under a tree Where we'll gaze upon the water As an everlasting dream All of my affections I give them all to you Maybe by next summer We won't have changed our tune I still want to be In this town beside the sea Making up new numbers And living so merrily All of my affections I give them all to you I'll be here for you always And always be for you Come along with me To a town beside the sea We can wander through the forest And do so as we please Living so merrily

The Mountain Goats - Genesis 30:3

I remember seeing you, my tongue struck dumb When you first came here from wherever it was you came from The power in your voice, your rough touch You keeping care of me, keeping watch ... For several hours we lay there, last ones of our kind Harder days coming, maybe I don't mind Sounds kind of dumb when I say it, but it's true I would do anything for you

Open up the promise of the day Drive the dark things away I will do what you ask me to do Because of how I feel about you

The Civil Wars - C’est La Mort (stay with me forever?)

Swan dive down eleven stories high Hold your breath until you see the light You can sink to the bottom of the sea Just don't go without me

Go get lost where no one can be found Drink so long and deep until you drown Say your goodbyes but darling if you please Don't go without me

C'est la vie C'est la mort You and me Forevermore

Let's walk down the road that has no end Steal away where only angels tread Heaven or hell or somewhere in between Cross your heart to take me when you leave Don't go, please don't go Don't go without me

The Magnetic Fields - When my Boy Walks Down the Street

Grand pianos crash together when my boy walks down the street There are whole new kinds of weather when he walks with his new beat Everyone sings hallelujah when my boy walks down the street Life just kind of dances through ya from your smile down to your feet

Amazing he's a whole new form of life Blue eyes blazing and he's going to be my wife

Sufjan Stevens - With My Whole Heart

And you're all I want (I fell in love, I fell in love the moment that I met you) And you're all I need (I give my life, I give my love, promise I will protect you) And you're all I've got (I will not rest until I know the best is always with you) And I still believe (I confess the world's a mess but I will always love you)

Tally Hall (edu) - Nowhere Else

There’s nowhere else I’d rather be Than in this moment you and me No place else I’d rather go No one else I’d rather know ... When the daylight turns to dusk Our energy a cosmic dust Trust with that in which you feel Love til the end ... love the lost and love the loved live below and love above love the earth and love the trees love those who give their lives for peace love all you call your family love you found a place to be love the ones with whom you fight love the ones who spend the night love the rich and love the poor love for want and want for more love the smile and simple things like those who want to live to sing love the ghost of what has passed love the trying till the last love the sick and love the strong love all who'll learn to get along

Frank Sinatra - I’ve Got a Crush on You

I'm your big and brave and handsome Romeo How I won you I shall never never know It's not that you're attractive But, oh, my heart grew active When you came into view I've got a crush on you, sweetie pie All the day and night-time hear me sigh I never had the least notion that I could fall with so much emotion

Could you coo, could you care For a cunning cottage we could share The world will pardon my mush 'Cause I have got a crush on you

Miracle Musical - Dream Sweet in Sea Major

Children born of one emotion Our devotion's deepest ocean No division reasoned we'll be Free

To know We are beyond a bow And lo, the hues arrange to show It's perfectly clear

You look quite divine tonight Here among these vibrant lights Pure delights surround us as we sail Signed, yours truly, the whale

Joy mirage's kingdom come No one left at stake Now that existence is on the wake Let's see what we can make

Apart is wholly ending A line in any final song So long so far

We will be atoning At last eternal through the past Above a blinding star

#playlist #ineffable husbands #good omens #aziraphale #crowley #i listen to it while drawing and reading fic so the goal is for it to be as long as possible #ive already added more songs to this as of 7.17.2019 #don't expect this to be a stable playlist lol

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romera-rp · 5 years

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WORLDBUILDING POST 009: LOCATION; KHAGGON

Khaggon was built thousands of years ago by dwarven miners who carved out a massive underground cave in the Drumgamau Mountains for the city to sit in. It has always prided itself on being one of the most defensible cities in Romera. If someone was able to hike their way through the cold, hazardous climate of the mountains while facing any dangerous beasts they would still find themselves up against a very solid, bolted door at the peak. King Rolland is extremely confident that if the war is to become extremely dire he will be able to defend his people within the city as no army will be able to make it through the mountains. Any people that the King and council has approved, including many of the adventurers helping the war effort, have been granted permission to use the teleportation circle which is the main way in and out of the capital. However, what the King doesn’t know is that the thieves guild is using a massive underground river that runs through Khaggon and out the mountains to Dustspire to smuggle people in and out.

CAPITAL OF HEGAEHEND: This is the residence of King Rolland II COUNCIL MEMBER: Thazmoug Greyborn DOMINATE RELIGION: Berronar Truesilver, Goddess of Safety and Truth OTHER RELIGIONS: Erathis, Aureon, Auril, The Raven Queen

PLACES:

TRUESILVER TEMPLE - The temple is clearly the most prominent building within all of Khaggon as it is built upwards into the wall of the massive cavern the city is set in. It towers over the rest of the buildings with its multiple tiers of enormous, thick stone pillars that make up the front, each tier disappearing further back into the stone of the mountain. The ground floor is dedicated to worship, piles of offerings of silver and white flowers starting to form on the hard marble floor. The entire back wall is covered by a mural of the Mother of Safety carved out of stone. It shows her looking over this very mountain as she bestows the martial plane with her Thunder Blessing. Those lucky enough to ascend upwards to the next floor will find a museum of Dwarven artifacts and history. Even higher you will find the Council Chambers and the residence of Thazmoug Greyborn and King Rolland II.

ACADEMY OF THE ARCANE - The Academy, ran in conjunction with the Temple of Aureon, is the original and therefore oldest university and archive of knowledge. Taking up a portion of the city the multiple halls of the campus is filled with dusty, ancient tomes detailing all the knowledge Romera has from the last several thousand years. A person can find anything from the best time of year to sow the right seeds to who the knight was that defeated the notorious ancient red dragon in 1845 AT. As Aureon is of a lawful alignment and most of his teachings focus on law, the Academy of the Arcane is also where you will find the Courts, the priests attempting to deliver justice to any that may need it.

HIDDEN ENTRANCE - A massive underground river runs through the centre of Khaggon before disappearing off into the stone. Those who know the right people will know that this is the same river that exits the mountain at Dustspire. This has been made into a very convenient secret passage put into use by the thieves guilds in either city. Exiting, you will be lead down to a small cavern off Khaggon where you will board a small, rickety, wooden boat on the river before enduring a journey down the fast moving rapids. Many people have been warned to keep their head down to mind the stalactites. Those who don’t listen, arrive in Dustspire with no head. If that doesn’t sound bad enough, attempting to journey the reserve can be even more daunting as the thieves have required magic that sends the boat flying backwards.

FIGHT CLUB - The Fight Club is yet another enterprise run by the thieves guild. Being trapped inside a mountain, even in such a massive city as Khaggon, does leave people craving the adventure of the outside world. As such, the thieves guild decided to create a fight club in an abandoned construction site in the slums of the city. Despite the unsavoury location, the club still attracts people from all across the city and all walks of life looking for the adrenaline of a fight, or just for simple entertainment. Although it is all in good nature it can get quite competitive as there is a leaderboard of the top 20 fighters. Matches between people in the top spots will be advertised on posters across the city and bring in massive crowds and gold for the thieves guild.

THE DEAD NIGHTINGALE - As the most luxurious and popular bar in the city The Dead Nightingale draws in its young, prominent clientele through their large menu of unique drinks. Not only will you be getting any combination of exotic flavours, but in a world with such notable amounts of magic, you can expect all types of effects to be flying around the dimly lit room. With their most popular drink, Citrus Ale, it wouldn’t be uncommon to see people walking around with bright pink or green hair as it changes it to your favourite colour, while some more hidden drinks on their menu offer effects such as growing a beard, forcing you to tell an embarrassing story or give the person a supernatural boost to their confidence.

THE MINES - As the city was originally created by dwarven miners it shouldn’t be surprising that the large dwarven community who still reside within the city keep to their typical professions. Each day the sprawling mass of tunnels under the city gets larger as minerals, gems and other materials are brought up out of the darkness to be traded. Despite being a very profitable job it is also one of the most dangerous as very often the miners find themselves breaking through a wall into the upper levels of the underdark, releasing all types of horrific monstrosities into the mines. This as a result provides plenty of work for adventurers and bounty hunters who happen to find themselves in Khaggon.

VULANAVI FAMILY BLACKSMITH - With access to such precious materials from the mines and the knowledge of traditional dwarven blacksmithing techniques, the Vulanavi’s, a family of goliaths, have been famed not only in Khaggon but all across Romera for their great crafts. What sets them even further apart from normal blacksmiths is the ancient runes carved into their anvils, allowing them to create powerful magical weapons as long as you have the gold to back it up. The newest addition to the family is Laylo, the owner’s thirteen year old daughter, who has already been seen weighing a hammer and creating weapons that would put most other blacksmiths to shame for several years now.

TARJTEIR FARMER’S MARKET - Many people would assume that most of Khaggon’s produce would be shipped into the city via the teleportation circle considering most harvests and livestock would struggle underground with the lack of sunlight. However, they would be wrong. As the city grew over the years, new resources and magic became available to the residents meaning massive farmers were formed ran by druids. Next to such farms is the Tarjteir Farmer’s Market. Tarjteir, meaning a place of happy gatherings in dwarvish, perfectly describes the sense of community within the marketplace as it buzzes with new life each morning. If you are a local this is exactly the type of place each person would make an effort to know your name and greet you as an old friend.

#romworldbuilding #fantasy rp #magic rp #supernatural rp #fairytale rp

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douxreviews · 5 years

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Game of Thrones - ‘The Iron Throne’ Review

And now their watch has ended.

In what was supposed to be Supernatural's final episode – but turned out to be a full ten years too early – writer Chuck bemoaned the fact that 'endings are hard'. And they really, really are. I can think of so many finales that have disappointed me in various ways over the years. And just this week, I've watched two endings that have been a long time in the making (the other one was the end of twelve years of The Big Bang Theory, which I quite liked, for the record).

And in the end, I think I'd put this in a fairly favourable spot in my all time Worst - Greatest Finales ranking list. It wasn't perfect (only Sex and the City has managed to stick a perfect ending, and they wrecked that with the movies). But it was pretty good, generally speaking, and there were moments of true greatness.

Daenerys and Jon

So, I didn't hate last week's episode for its developments in Daenerys' storyline. I haven't exactly loved her descent into the Mad Queen, for all the same reasons as everyone else – the show is dangerously close to implying all female rulers are lunatics, Dany's descent into madness and tyranny has been rushed and doesn't quite feel earned, and it's a bit saddening to watch a character we've loved so much for so long become a villain instead of the powerful, wise ruler we all hoped she would be.

Having said that, I do think the seeds for this have been planted since the beginning – it may be rushed, but it hasn't come out of nowhere. Daenerys has been promising the Dothraki that they will pillage the Seven Kingdoms, raping, burning and killing (which we have been told numerous times is what they do) ever since Season One. We all loved Khal Drogo because he was cool, but he was not a fluffy bunny and nor is Dany. She crucified the Masters in Meereen, and while her execution of Sam's father and brother could be justified on the grounds that they refused to bend the knee, it wasn't her only option, nor did she have to do it immediately, on the battlefield, by dragon fire. So while it makes me a little sad – and makes my "I'm not a Princess, I'm a Khaleesi" shirt a bit dubious – I can see that this has been where Dany's story has been heading all along, and I can understand it, and I'm OK with it.

I was a bit disappointed that Jon ended up killing Daenerys though. I was sure Arya was going to do that – it almost feels like their big kills ended up the wrong way around, with Jon the soldier denied the chance to kill the Night King and Arya the ninja assassin denied the chance to kill the dangerous tyrant. But Jon is truly a son of Ned Stark (by adoption) and if he has decided someone has to die he will swing the sword himself – though perhaps it's the tricksy Targaryen side, or the trained undercover agent of the Night's Watch, who does it by taking advantage of her (and Drogon's) trust.

Drogon's reaction was interesting. It felt like perhaps even Drogon thought what he had done with Dany went too far, and that his mother had been corrupted by her desire for this hunk of metal. (When she touched it, I said out loud I thought she should sit in it quickly if she wanted to - we were denied a shot of her actually on the throne, after all that!). Presumably that's also why Drogon let Jon live. Of all the individual character endings we saw in this episode, I think Drogon and Grey Worm's were the saddest - they've both been through so much, and they're both totally alone.

Tyrion and King Bran

I don't like the 'Bran the Broken' title, as appropriate as it might be for a pseudo-medieval society, so I'm just gonna call him Bran.

I have to confess, I really didn't see this one coming. Since he became the Three-Eyed Raven, Bran has been emotionless and rather difficult for either audience or in-universe characters to connect with. His warging ability hasn't really come into play since the death of Hodor, so the power he has doesn't seem to have played much of a role in the last stages of the wars, and the implication that he has some knowledge of the future makes him kind of a dick for letting the entire population of King's Landing get torched (was this a Dr Strange-style one chance in 14 million situation? If so, we haven't been told that).

From a books-reading point of view there's a certain sense to this. The first book in the series, A Game of Thrones, opens (as they all do) with a Prologue from the point of view of a character who immediately dies, then shifts to the first main character point of view chapter – Bran's. Bran, like Jon, is such a traditional fantasy character it almost hurts – a noble but disabled boy who suffers and undergoes lots of hardship, but discovers he has magical abilities which give him an advantage over his enemies and eventually allow him to triumph.

But the television show – oddly, considering Benioff and Weiss have known the ending all along - has never really focused on Bran's story in that way. He's an important character, sure, but not all that significant - he disappears for an entire season! And whatever happened to "I can never be Lord of anything, I'm the Three-Eyed Raven", Bran's statement to Sansa in Season Seven? Now he's King of all the remaining kingdoms? Really? I will defend their attempts to sow the seeds of Daenerys' madness throughout, however clumsily, but the television series really hasn't prepared us for this one, and it really doesn't feel earned.

The most satisfying aspect of the resolution to the leader of the Now-Six Kingdoms, though, is the new Small Council, which is a thing of beauty. The new political set-up – essentially an oligarchy with a lifelong selected leader – is Tyrion's creation, finally fulfilling the political and diplomatic promise he showed way back in Season Two. Tyrion is Hand of the King once again, but this time without dragons or his psychotic family around him, and that gives us hope that he will do a good job. Brienne as head of the Kingsguard makes me very, very happy, almost as much as Bronn, Lord of Highgarden and Master of Coin. Davos as Master of Ships makes perfect sense and it's great to see him survive too, while the only possible objection to Sam as new Archmaester is that Maesters are supposed to be celibate and Sam has a partner and nearly two children to support - but perhaps, as Archmaester, he can change that rule.

The only sad part about this scene is the huge space where Varys ought to be. There is no Master of Whispers for the moment, and his absence is really felt. Plus it would have been awesome to see Varys serving under yet another King as the eternal survivor. Of all the deaths this season, Varys is the one I would change if I had the power. He deserved better, Tyrion.

The Starks

The most satisfying moment of this episode by far for me was seeing Sansa, looking like Elizabeth I (long red hair, white dress), crowned Queen in the North. For one thing, this was absolutely essential to avoid the implication that women with power are all utter lunatics who need to be assassinated. But it was also a truly fitting and satisfying end to not just her character arc, but that of the Stark siblings in general. The Starks belong in the North and Robb's crowning as King in the North was one of the great punch-the-air moments of Season One. Jon kinda made a mess of the job, but to see Sansa take up the reigns was a great moment. And whereas a war with Daenerys would likely have ended in disaster, with her brother on the throne in the South, we can hope the two kingdoms will work closely together from now on.

Arya's ending was probably the least satisfying of the three (Bran is barely human any more, never mind a Stark). There was nothing wrong with it, exactly - she's gone off to discover America, we guess. (Let's hope this universe *has* an America and she's not just going to keep sailing until she starves to death!). It just came a bit out of nowhere, and seemed rather a shame after she went to so much trouble to recover her identity as Arya Stark. Jon's was the most predictable, but no less satisfying for that. He belongs in the true North, with Tormund. I think it's safe to say, from the look on his face as they rode away, that Jon won't be returning to Castle Black (and I don't think he ever intended to stay there – that's why he told Tyrion he would never see him again). He and Ghost will run wild in a land without kings or titles and be much happier for it.

And so there we have it – it's been a wild ride, but now it's all over. Some endings were great (Sansa, the Small Council), some were fine (Jon, Arya) some were baffling (Bran) and some frustrating (Drogon, Grey Worm) but while the series may not have entirely stuck the landing, for me, it hasn't crashed and burned either.

Coming up with an ending everyone was going to be happy with was always going to be completely impossible, so while I may not agree with all their decisions, I want to give a shout out and all our thanks to Benioff and Weiss. They've created a phenomenal series with a great cast, fantastic production values and absolutely amazing music. (Seriously, go back and listen to both the musical score and the sound design on this season. It is phenomenal. Ramin Djiwadi's music is as beautiful and astonishing as ever and the eerie, disconcerting sounds that play as Daenerys attacks King's Landing are incredible. The use of the series' themes has been great too, from playing out Cersei's downfall with 'The Rains of Castamere', to the theme tune playing as Daenerys approaches the Iron Throne in this episode).

Bringing these sprawling books to the screen has been a huge achievement, and carrying on when the books ran out to give us a conclusion to this story is no less an achievement for the fact that it hasn't entirely satisfied everybody. Perhaps it's unfortunate that this aired within a month of Avengers: Endgame, which managed the end of a saga a little better - but Endgame has its detractors too. I'm not sure any of us will really know how we feel about this ending until we've had time to let it sink in, but for now, I say thank you Benioff, Weiss and Martin - thank you for the ride, and thank you for all the gory, sexy fun we've had along the way. More than anything, thank you for making an epic fantasy show one of the biggest on television! For someone who still remembers when reading The Lord of the Rings in school made you a social outcast, that means a lot.

Grumpkins and Snarks:

- RIP: Daenerys Targaryen, Stormborn, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Protector of the Realm, Lady of Dragonstone, Mother of Dragons. Sniff.

- I didn't expect the scene where Tyrion finds Jaime and Cersei's bodies – that was truly heart-breaking (and kudos to Peter Dinklage, as ever). Oh Jaime, my love, I so wanted you to die a hero. At least you didn't die a villain, which is something.

- Grey Worm was really under-served by this finale, and this whole season. At least he lived, I guess?

- The final straw that really drove Jon to kill Dany was his desire to protect his sisters, both of whom would have been dragon meat in the long run because he had told them about his parentage. Just how much of what happens on this show has been caused by attempts to protect Arya and/or Sansa? And sometimes Bran. Which worked out, I guess?

- The two noblest, most honour-obsessed characters (Jon and Brienne) both became Kingslayers (Daenerys and Stannis). Which, unlike rain on your wedding day, is truly ironic.

- I'm so happy that Brienne didn't turn out to be pregnant. If the most awesome female character on the show ended up reduced to Lannister baby mama in the finale, I'd have been really pissed off.

- Look how much Robyn Arryn has grown up! I'm absolutley amazed his character made it to the finale, and seeing the kid who first appeared on screen being breastfed as an adult is definitely disconcerting!

- I was disappointed by the lack of Hot Pie, but choose to assume that means he's still alive and happily cooking pies in the busiest inn in Westeros.

Final analysis: Hey, it's still less divisive than How I Met Your Mother's ending! Three out of four dragons.

Thanks to all who've read our Game of Thrones reviews and articles and joined in the endless conversation and speculation over the years. It's been epic!

Juliette Harrisson is a freelance writer, classicist and ancient historian

#Game of Thrones #Jon Snow #Daenerys Targaryen #Tyrion Lannister #Sansa Stark #Arya Stark #A Song of Ice and Fire #GoT #Game of Thrones Reviews #Doux Reviews #TV Reviews

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cyberneticlagomorph · 5 years

Text

Your eyes are burning, nails rimmed with dirt and blood and gold. Your lab is in ruins, pots and glassware broken on the floor, shining among the black soil and purple lights. You taste the sickly butterscotch sweetness of pain and vaguely register the shards of glass stuck in your paw pads. You're trembling as you stand and limp to your bedroom, leaving a luminescent trail of bloody pawprints behind you. With each heartbeat, your anger fades and the pain in your paws grows stronger. By the time you get to the bathroom you're crying again, a filthy, bloody mess of a rabbit that slides to the floor with his back against the wall. For awhile you just sit there, bleeding, softly sobbing into your dirty hands.

After a moment you open your chestspace and start rummaging for a tissue or some wetwipes. Anything to clean yourself up with. Your fingers brush cold glass, and close around the object without a second thought. You draw from your chest a bottle. The bottle is empty. You stare at it in your hands for a bit, rolling it between your fingers. Its small, a simple eye dropper bottle that once held the emetic you've been taking for some weeks now. Prescribed to you by none other that Vlad Dracula Tepes, the Hunter King himself. He hates that title, thinks it glorifies and infantillizes his actions the same way people making flower crown edits of serial killers does them.

He's never been proud of what he's done or why he did it. He says he did it for love, to avenge his Lisa. A witch, like you. She died at the hands of her own kind and he was helpless to stop them, until the Wyrm-Tyrant told him how. Satan, they called it, a great goat-headed beast that sowed rot and suffering everywhere it went. It taught him how to hunt those that took his love from him, it made him the First Hunter. And so he taught others how to hunt witches, to use their own magic against them. He showed them how to mangle cattle and blight fields, poison wells and steal children, only to blame it all on the local witches.

He taught them how to feed. How to drain the essence from their pray, how to become immortal. The dragon failed to tell him what curses the taste for witch-flesh can carry. He watched his disciples become beasts, ravenous and feral as their souls were corrupted and thus corrupted their flesh. He too became a monster in time, even his vast stores of knowledge stolen from those he consumed were of no help to him. His act of vengeance became a genocide that divided the worlds of Magic and Mundane forever, a bloody stain on history that no one would ever forget.

Still, he helps you. Makes you medicine and tolerates your return visits over the course of your treatment. Secretly, you want him to eat you, to let you into his mansion one evening and never let you out again. Him preparing you to be a future meal made more sense than him doing this out of the kindness of his old and broken heart. But still you like him, you sit with him in his lonely mansion, drink his tea, fell asleep in his big arm chair as if you were old friends. Not a hunter and his prey. He worries about you, you can see it in his eyes whenever you visit, whenever he examines you and inquires about the progress of your treatment. He doesn't look like a monster when he worries, he looks like someone's father trying to shoo an over affectionate cat out of his garden, lest it get caught in the rosebushes again.

You look at yourself in the bathroom mirror and drop the weak glamour you've placed on yourself. You look terrible, face streaked with dirt, blood and snot. Hair a tangled mess, your clothes are an even bigger disaster, but not so much as your poor paws. The crystal is back with a vengeance, resurrected through your own gross overuse of magic, you'll be berated for that later, but first things first. You wince as you extract the glass and drag yourself into the bathtub, after a moment's fumbling you strip and turn on the shower. It hurts to move but the warm water soothes away the worst of the pain, you lie there on the bottom of the tub, even after you're clean and the water's gone cold. Getting out of the tub sucks ass so you just settle for perching on the rim until you can fish a nanoject from your chest. You pull the cap off with your teeth and stab it into your thigh like an epipen, it takes a minute for the nanos to heal the cuts in your feet but its not like you can do much else but wait until they're done.

You shuffle back into your room on tender paws and dress in your warmest clothing, leaving the Warren soon after to pay Mr. Tepes a visit. He won't be happy to see you, you're sure of it. The trip there is slow an cold without your magic, but you're grateful for the solitude. The mansion looks abandoned and belly deep in snow but you've been here enough times to know that its all just a heavy glamour to ward off prying eyes. There's a path cleared for you, you can't see it, but you know its there and are happy to not sink in the drifts of half-melted mess on the lawns. You're halfway to the door when you smell him, he has you pinned to the ground before you can even gather your magic.

A white wolf with eyes as golden and glowing as the sun has its paws on your chest, teeth bared and maw oozing spittle inches from your face.

"Who are you?" it-- he snarls, snapping his jaws a hairs breadth from your nose. You don't answer, your fingers are buried in the damp earth, forcing what seeds lay dormant there to sprout into writhing green beasts with thorns for teeth. They knock the wolf aside before he his time to recover. You roll to your feet and bolt for the door, a sword whizzes past your head and embeds itself up to the hilt in the door, slicked with viscous green fluid. You hesitate to look back and find a slim, pale stranger in fine clothes standing triumphant on the bleeding wreckage of your creatures with nothing more than an irritated frown on his handsome face. His mouth is full of knives when he speaks, his lupine ears flicking in annoyance, tail lashing.

"You'd do well to answer my question, Witch, while I still have some patience left to spare on you."

#ic #action post #ask to tag #blood #injury #mr tepes #awoocard

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meshugana1 · 6 years

Note

A villain has enlarged Raven's ass and Starfire's tits to ridiculous proportions, and on top of that, has made the two heroines fall in love with each other's enhanced assets to the point of obsession.

Raven clutched her arm as the pain trickled through the rest of her body. A massive crater opened in the earth when Starfire’s body collided with it. Even Trigon didn’t put up this much of a fight. Beastboy, Robin, and Cyborg were still too far away to help, and the situation here was getting direr. This monster had come from seemingly nowhere, a shriveled human figure, ancient and beyond powerful. Even Starfire’s strong form was flicked aside, and every bit of magical energy Raven sent at it was actually being consumed by it.

It advanced slowly, with a confident shamble. Starfire waited for nothing and dug her feet in, launching herself with such speed that would make even a Kryptonian sweat. This monster, however, lunged forward almost in defiance of Starfire’s efforts. It was on her so fast, and it’s bony fingers gripped intensely into her breasts. Starfire never experienced an attack like this, and before she could strike it released her and her muscles beneath her chest began to violently spasm. Her hands tried to quell the mounting pressure, but all her strength was useless as her chest expanded violently and a titanic amount of tit flesh poured out of her in a single burst. So extensive were they, that even as she stood fully upright, they still dragged along the ground.

The weight was incredible, she struggled to float even a few inches off the ground. As she did, the creature turned its hollow eyes to Raven and in a flash, it was behind her digging its fingers into her pale ass. It took even less time for her, and before she had yet fallen to her knees, her ass was exploding outward, forcing her to a standing position with its sheer size. The creature quietly stood there, watching as its twisted actions bore fruit.

Raven was, to say the least, confused. In all her study she had never seen nor heard of magic like this. She turned to her friend, expecting to see her preparing to launch a counter-attack, but instead, Starfire’s eyes were filled with lust, and they were pointed directly at Raven’s ass. Raven hardly needed her empathic powers to tell what her friend was thinking, she found herself feeling the same thing as she started at the round, full, incredible breasts her friend had attached to her body. Raven’s mouth was salivating unceremoniously as she levitated her ass toward Kori and Kori floated her beautiful beachballs toward Raven. They met, and their lightning fast hands worked to discover each and every detail of their lover's new form. As they went, the shriveled creature watched. With each second, the creature came to resemble something more human. It fed on the obsession it had created in them, renewing itself. After a time, what stood there was no longer a monster. It was six feet tall, decorated with corded muscle, and had an angelic face. “I do apologize for our poor introduction, my fair ladies, and I thank you for your assistance on restoring myself. A ten thousand year nap takes a lot out of a god of lust, now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll let you two enjoy your new forms. I’ve quite a few seeds to sow, seems this world has gotten quite repressed since I’ve been away. Tata!”

Hope Y’all like it!

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sweatycherryblossomnight · 3 years

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Heretic For Mac

Heretic Macos

Heretic For Mac Download

Heretic Mac Os X

Heretic Mace

Heretic Game Online

Heretic For Mac

Though somewhat forgotten these days, Heretic was an important milestone for the FPS genre. Using a modified version of the Doom Engine, Heretic offered a number of significant improvements and advancements in FPS gaming, including interactive environment elements, an inventory from which a player might use any number of weapons or powerups they had collected, and, importantly, the ability.

Heretic is a tool that is able to record user events, such as mouse clicks and keys, into a C/Java. Like script, and play that script either once or repeatedly.

Games like Heretic II for Mac OS X in order of similarity. Our unique A.I considers over 10,000 games to create a list of games you'll love!

Heretic Macos

(Redirected from Heretic (computer game))

HeXen: Beyond Heretic - While you were battling the evil forces of D'Sparil, the other Serpent Riders were busy sowing the seeds of destruction in other dimensions. One such dimension is the decaying world where Hexen takes place. A world littered with the mangled corpses of nonbelievers and inhabited by the undead followers that executed them. Only three humans &endash; a warrior, a mage.

Heretic For Mac Download

HereticDeveloper(s)Raven SoftwarePublisher(s)id Software GT Interactive(retail)Director(s)Brian RaffelProducer(s)John RomeroProgrammer(s)Ben Gokey Chris RhinehartComposer(s)Kevin SchilderEngineDoom enginePlatform(s)MS-DOS, Mac OS, RISC OSRelease

NA: December 23, 1994[1]

Shadow of the Serpent Riders Genre(s)First-person shooterMode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Heretic is a dark fantasyfirst-person shootervideo game released in 1994. It was developed by Raven Software and published by id Software through GT Interactive. The game was released on Steam on August 3, 2007.[2]

Using a modified version of the Doom engine, Heretic was one of the first first-person games to feature inventory manipulation and the ability to look up and down. It also introduced multiple gib objects that spawned when a character suffered a death by extreme force or heat. Previously, the character would simply crumple into a heap. The game used randomised ambient sounds and noises, such as evil laughter, chains rattling, distantly ringing bells, and water dripping in addition to the background music to further enhance the atmosphere. The music in the game was composed by Kevin Schilder. An indirect sequel, Hexen: Beyond Heretic, was released the following year. Heretic II was released in 1998, which served as a direct sequel continuing the story.

Plot[edit]

Three brothers (D'Sparil, Korax, and Eidolon), known as the Serpent Riders, have used their powerful magic to possess seven kings of Parthoris, turning them into mindless puppets and corrupting their armies. The Sidhe elves resist the Serpent Riders' magic. The Serpent Riders thus declared the Sidhe as heretics and waged war against them. The Sidhe are forced to take a drastic measure to sever the natural power of the kings destroying them and their armies, but at the cost of weakening the elves' power, giving the Serpent Riders an advantage to slay the elders. While the Sidhe retreat, one elf (revealed to be named Corvus in Heretic II) sets off on a quest of vengeance against the weakest of the three Serpent Riders, D'Sparil. He travels through the 'City of the Damned', the ruined capital of the Sidhe (its real name is revealed to be Silverspring in Heretic II), then past the demonic breeding grounds of Hell's Maw and finally the secret Dome of D'Sparil.[3]

The player must first fight through the undead hordes infesting the location where the elders performed their ritual. At its end is the gateway to Hell's Maw, guarded by the Iron Liches. After defeating them, the player must seal the portal and so prevent further infestation, but after he enters the portal guarded by the Maulotaurs, he finds himself inside D'Sparil's dome. After killing D'Sparil, Corvus ends up on a perilous journey with little hope of returning home.

Heretic Mac Os X

Gameplay[edit]

The gameplay of Heretic is heavily derived from Doom, with a level-based structure and an emphasis on finding the proper keys to progress. Many weapons are similar to those from Doom; the early weapons in particular are near-exact copies in functionality to those seen in Doom. Raven added a number of features to Heretic that differentiated it from Doom, however, notably interactive environments, such as rushing water that pushes the player along, and inventory items. In Heretic, the player can pick up many different items to use at their discretion. These items range from health potions to the 'morph ovum', which transforms enemies into chickens. One of the most notable pickups that can be found is the 'Tome of Power' which acts as a secondary firing mode for certain weapons, resulting in a much more powerful projectile from each weapon, some of which change the look of the projectile entirely. Heretic also features an improved version of the Doom engine, sporting the ability to look up and down within constraints, as well as fly. However, the rendering method for looking up and down merely uses a proportional pixel-shearing effect rather than any new rendering algorithm, which distorts the view considerably when looking at high-elevation angles.

As with Doom, Heretic contains various cheat codes that allow the player to be invulnerable, obtain every weapon, be able to instantly kill every monster in a particular level, and several other abilities. However, if the player uses the 'all weapons and keys' cheat ('IDKFA') from Doom, a message appears warning the player against cheating and takes away all of his weapons, leaving him with only a quarterstaff. If the player uses the 'god mode' cheat ('IDDQD') from Doom, the game will display a message saying 'Trying to cheat, eh? Now you die!' and kills the player character.

The original shareware release of Heretic came bundled with support for online multiplayer through the new DWANGO service.[4]

https://sweatycherryblossomnight.tumblr.com/post/643232336034611200/remote-control-iphone-app-for-mac. This iPhone app is exclusively designed to remotely control your Mac computer. The TeamViewer remote control app. for iPhone and iPad allows you to access other devices using your iOS device when on the go: Access Windows, Mac and Linux PCs. Easily access computers and servers remotely using an iPhone or iPad. Access and transfer saved documents. Use software installed on the computer. Transfer audio or video files. Download free helper app for Mac / Windows that enables your iPhone / iPad to be used as remote control, keyboard and mouse for your computer. Turn your iPhone or iPad into the ultimate remote control for your Mac. Take full control over your Mac - use your iOS device as a trackpad and keyboard or launch any app from anywhere within your. Remote for Windows app is helper tool that enables apps on your iPhone or iPad to control your Windows computer remotely. Download Remote for Windows helper app uses Apple Bonjour for automatic discovery of computers on your network.

Development[edit]

Like Doom, Heretic was developed on NeXTSTEP. John Romero helped Raven employees set up the development computers, and taught them how to use id's tools and Doom engine.[5]

Release[edit]

Shadow of the Serpent Riders[edit]

The original version of Heretic was only available through shareware registration (i.e. mail order) and contained three episodes. The retail version, Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders, was distributed by GT Interactive in 1996, and featured the original three episodes and two additional episodes:[6]The Ossuary, which takes the player to the shattered remains of a world conquered by the Serpent Riders several centuries ago, and The Stagnant Demesne, where the player enters D'Sparil's birthplace. This version was the first official release of Heretic in Europe.[6] A free patch was also downloadable from Raven's website to update the original Heretic with the content found in Shadow of the Serpent Riders.

Along with the two full additional episodes, Shadow of the Serpent Riders contains 3 additional levels in a third additional episode (unofficially known as Fate's Path) which is inaccessible without the use of cheat codes.[7] The first of these three levels can be accessed by typing the cheat ('ENGAGE61').[8] The first two levels are fully playable, but the third level does not have an exit so the player is unable to progress further.

Source release[edit]

On January 11, 1999, the source code of the game engine used in Heretic was published by Raven Software under a license that granted rights to non-commercial use, and was re-released under the GNU General Public License on September 4, 2008.[9] This resulted in ports to Linux, Amiga, Atari, and other operating systems, and updates to the game engine to utilize 3D acceleration. The shareware version of a console port for the Dreamcast was also released.

Reception[edit]

Reception

Aggregate scoreAggregatorScoreGameRankings62%[10]Review scoresPublicationScoreNext Generation[13]PC Zone78%[11]Maximum[12]

Heretic received mixed reviews, garnering an aggregated score of 62% on GameRankings[10] and 78% on PC Zone.[11]Heretic and Hexen shipped a combined total of roughly 1 million units by August 1997.[14]

While remarking that Heretic is a thinly-veiled clone of Doom, and that its being released in Europe after its sequel and with Quake due out shortly makes it somewhat outdated, Maximum nonetheless regarded it as an extremely polished and worthwhile purchase. They particularly highlighted the two additional episodes of the retail version, saying they offer a satisfying challenge even to first person shooter veterans and are largely what make the game worth buying.[12]

It extends great support towards numerous video file formats, transition effects, compositing support, keyframes animation and titles editing, etc. It also supports to unlimited file formats, transitions, effects, titles editing feature and customizable interface. Its recent update has brought so many interesting and modern features for beginners and professionals. Vegas pro 13 for mac. The recently updated versions of Kindelive support multi-track type video editing. We can say that a wide range of features is available here for free.5.It is designed to serve with all stable and cross-platform facilities for video editing needs and is working amazingly since 2008.

In 1996, Computer Gaming World listed being turned into a chicken as #3 on its list of 'the 15 best ways to die in computer gaming'.[15]

Next Generation reviewed the PC version of the game, and stated that 'If you're only going to get one action game in the next couple of months, this is the one.'[13]

Legacy[edit]

Heretic has received three sequels: Hexen: Beyond Heretic, Hexen II, and Heretic II. Following ZeniMax Media's acquisition of id Software, the rights to the series have been disputed between both id and Raven Software; Raven's parent company Activision holds the developing rights, while id holds the publishing rights to the first three games. Until both companies come to an agreement, neither will be able to make another installment in the series.[16]

Further homages to the series have been made in other id Software titles; In 2009's Wolfenstein, which Raven Software developed, Heretic's Tomes of Power are collectible power-ups found throughout the game. The character Galena from Quake Champions wears armor bearing the icon of the Serpent Riders.

References[edit]

Heretic Mace

^'Heretic (video game)'. Retrieved 1 July 2012.

^'News - All News'. store.steampowered.com.

^'Heretic (Video Game 1994)' – via www.imdb.com.

^Kushner, David (2003). Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture. Random House Publishing Group. p. 186. ISBN0-375-50524-5.

^planet rome.ro: Apple-NeXT Merger Birthday!Archived 2007-03-05 at the Wayback Machine

^ ab'Latest Version of Heretic with Two New Chapters! Can You Overcome the Demonic Curse of D'Sparil?'. Maximum: The Video Game Magazine. Emap International Limited (4): 34–38. March 1996.

^'Heretic Developer Interview – HereticHexen'. Retrieved 2020-06-29.

^'Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders Cheats, Codes, and Secrets for PC - GameFAQs'. gamefaqs.gamespot.com. Retrieved 2020-06-29.

^'Heretic / Hexen - Browse Files at SourceForge.net'. sourceforge.net.

^ ab'Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders for PC - GameRankings'. GameRankings. Retrieved August 4, 2015.

^ abCharlie Brooker (April 1995). 'PC Zone - Issue 25' (25): 70. Retrieved June 22, 2015.Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

^ ab'Maximum Reviews: Heretic'. Maximum: The Video Game Magazine. Emap International Limited (4): 156. March 1996.

^ ab'Finals'. Next Generation. No. 5. Imagine Media. May 1995. p. 93.

^Staff (August 7, 1997). 'Activision to Buy Raven'. PC Gamer US. Archived from the original on October 12, 1997. Retrieved January 13, 2020.

^'The 15 Best Ways To Die In Computer Gaming'. Computer Gaming World. November 1996. p. 107. Retrieved 25 March 2016.

^Stead, Chris (12 September 2016). 'Id Software talks Heretic, Hexen and Commander Keen - finder.com.au'.

Heretic Game Online

External links[edit]

'Heretic (1994)'. Raven Software. 2016. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2019.

Heretic at MobyGames

Heretic at Curlie

Heretic For Mac

Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Heretic_(video_game)&oldid=981564661'

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elementenchanter · 7 years

Text

Yule

Yule begins on December 20 or 21 depending on the time. It is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year yet the longest night of the year. It begins to get colder. Yule is the celebration of Winter and the rebirth of the sun. It is a celebration of the birth of the Sun King and nature’s renewal.

At Samhain, the Goddess followed the God into the Underworld and the Earth began its long winter slumber. As the Wheel turns to Yule, the Goddess is with child and gives birth to the tiny Oak King, God of the waxing Sun. The Old God or Holly King is defeated and returns to the Underworld to rest until Summer Solstice when he will again be reborn as Lord of the waning Sun.

At Yule we mourn the passing of the Old God who is the Lord of Winter. This ancient God has many names beside the Holly King, including Cernunnos, Odin, Harlequin, and of course Santa Claus. This God is portrayed as an old man, majestic and often jolly. Sometimes He is shown as a King in ermine trimmed robes, other times He is shown as a Jester and called the King of Fools. The Old God is the Lord of Death and of the Spirit World and magic. He is the God of the forest, of animals, and of the hunt. Often He is shown with antlers or horns.

Lighting a Yule Log is the highlight of the Solstice. In tradition, the log must have either been harvested from the householder’s land, or given as a gift, never bought. Once dragged into the house and placed in the fireplace, it would be decorated in seasonal greenery, doused with cider or ale, and dusted with flour before lit with a piece of the Yule Log from the previous year. The Log burns throughout the night, then smolders for 12 days before being put out ceremonially. The traditional wood is Ash. More modern practices include lighting candles specifically for Yule for an entire night with proper care & safety.

Bonfires were lit in the fields, and crops and trees were "wassailed" with toasts of spiced cider. Children were escorted from house to house with gifts of clove spiked apples and oranges which were laid in baskets of evergreen boughs and wheat stalks dusted with flour. The apples and oranges represented the sun. The boughs were symbolic of immortality (evergreens were sacred to the Celts because they did not "die" thereby representing the eternal aspect of the Divine). The wheat stalks portrayed the harvest, and the flour was accomplishment of triumph, light, and life. Holly and ivy not only decorated the outside, but also the inside of homes, in hopes Nature Sprites would come and join the celebration. A sprig of Holly was kept near the door all year long as a constant invitation for good fortune to visit tthe residents.Mistletoe was also hung as decoration. It represented the seed of the Divine, and at Midwinter, the Druids would travel deep into the forest to harvest it.

Further Symbolism

Hope after darkness

Lights to bring back the Sun

Rebirth of the Sun

Wheel of the Year, Eight-spoked Wheel

Wreaths

Yule Tree

Yule Logs

Snowflake

Sleigh

Reindeer

Mistletoe

Plum Pudding

Correspondences

Animals:

Bears

Deers

Owls

Phoenix

Reindeers

Snow Geese

Squirrels

Stags

Wrens + Ravens

Squirrel

Stag

Sow

Tiger

Eagle

Snow Goose

2. Gods & Goddesses:

Aphrodite

Brigid

Demeter

Fortuna

Gaia

Hel

Holle

Ishtar

Isis

Apollo

Attis

Balder

Bacchus

Dionysus

The Green Man

Helios

Lugh

The Oak King

Odin

Sol

3. Herbs:

Bay Laurel

Blessed Thistle

Chamomile

Cinnamon

Evergreen Trees

Holly

Ivy

Juniper

Mistletoe

Oak Leaves

Pine

Pinecones

Poinsettias

Rosemary

Sage

Wintergreen

4. Colors:

Gold

Green

Red

White

Silver

Yellow

Orange

5. Oils:

Cinnamon

Ginger

Orange

Pine

Wintergreen

6. Incense:

Cedar

Cinnamon

Clove

Frankincense

Juniper

Myrrh

Orange

Pine

7. Gemstones:

Bloodstone

Clear Quartz

Diamond

Emerald

Garnet

Ruby

8. Food:

Apple Cider, spiced

Cinnamon cakes and cookies

Dried fruits

Egg nog

Gingerbread

Mulled wine

Roasted meats

Spiced meats

Roasted apples

Warm and warming drinks

Wassail

9. Zodiac:

Capricorn

Sagittarius

10. Activities and Spell Types:

Caroling

Wassailing the trees

Burning the Yule log,

Decorating the Yule tree,

Exchanging of presents,

Kissing under the mistletoe,

Honoring Kriss Kringle the Germanic Pagan God of Yule

Happiness

Hope

Love, unconditional

Peace

Strength

World Healing

World Peace

Sources:

x . x . x

#tips from chase ;#the sabbats ;#yule #winter solstice #sabbats #correspondences #wheel of the year

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noblecrumpet-dorkvision · 7 years

Text

Druid Week: New Druid Circles

image credit: parallelodrome

Circle of Blight

A Circle of Blight druid is a mockery of other druidic orders. They believe only in the death of all nature and life. Perhaps they were abandoned by nature or spurned by their gods, but they have turned against protecting nature and now seek its end. They leave a swath of burned and spoiled land.

//While making this class it originally felt very flavorful but very situational, so I ended up giving them Animate Dead Animals at 6th level in addition to speaking to them. If you have access to dead animals (perhaps by seeking them out and killing them) you can have consistent team of four undead animals. The once-per-day requirement prevents you from ever becoming as competent a necromancer as other classes that can cast Animate Dead, but you have some minions. Darkseed is usually useless, Deforestation is more of a crutch than a power, Undead Wild Shape is situationally useful, and Plague is more for story or intimidation than combat, so the druid’s main abilities are having a more powerful Blight spell and undead servants. Fair enough. WOuld make a great villain, though!

Deforestation: Beginning at 2nd level, you must absorb life force from the surrounding landscape to fuel your spells. All plantlife in a 25 ft. radius per druid level ceases to absorb sustenance and withers into dry, brown husks within 24 hours. This ability can be used once per day, and you cannot cast non-cantrip spells if you have not used this ability within 24 hours.

Undead Wild Shape: Beginning at 2nd level, when you use Wild Shape to transform into an animal you instead transform into a zombie or skeleton version of that animal. Your type becomes Undead and you are immune to poison damage, the poisoned condition, the charmed condition, and exhaustion.

Darkseed: At 2nd level, you can implant a necrotic seed into a plant or plant creature, dealing one damage to it every hour. This usually kills tiny inanimate plants after one hour but can take days to kill bushes, trees, or plant creatures. You can use this ability at will.

Speak with Dead Animals: Beginning at 6th level, you can cast Speak with Dead on a dead animal. You can understand the animal’s speech. You cannot use this ability again until you finish a long rest.

Animate Dead Animal: Beginning at 6th level, you may target up to four skeletons or corpses of dead animals (or on skeletons or zombies which you wish to reassert your control of) and cast Animate Dead on them once per day.

Blight: At 10th level you are always considered to have the Blight spell prepared. When you cast the Blight spell, it deals a bonus 1d8 damage in addition to any increased damage from higher level spell slots.

Plague: Beginning at 14th level, once per long rest, you can summon a plague of your choice.

Plague of Vermin: You summon 3d4 swarms of bats, rats, or ravens, or 2d4 swarms of insects, rot grubs, or quippers that attack all creatures they encounter in a 1 mile radius (except for the druid). They last until destroyed.

Plague of Disease: You infect all creatures you designate in a 5 mile radius as if with the Contagion spell.

Plague of Blight: You destroy all plantlife in a 5 mile radius and all water in the area becomes foul and brackish. No plantlife can grow there ever again unless a Hallow spell is cast at the location for 7 days in a row.

Plague of Darkness: You cause dark, stormy clouds to block out the sun in a 10 mile radius, shrouding the area in pitch darkness for 7 days.

image credit: Vance Kovacs

Circle of Ruin

This druid circle is one that abhors civilization of all kinds. Nature was not meant to be disturbed; not meant to be forged to the will of mortals. The Circle of Ruin druid attempts to undo what mankind has done, destroying buildings, destroying objects, and sowing chaos wherever they go. They have the power to inspire savagery in otherwise civilized people with Crown of Madness and Confusion added to their repertoire of spells. They are resistant against charm spells that would force them to follow orders and law.

//This class took a bit from the Circle of the Land druid by having additional spells, but I restricted what cantrip you had to choose and didn’t give them Natural Recovery so they have less spells per day. Nature’s Vengeance is like Conjure Elemental but for plants, and half as powerful, so I thought it would be fair. Their key ability is Nature’s Reclaim as it makes this druid a pivotal addition to an adventuring party as they can circumvent a variety of obstacles in a man-made dungeon, which is why I only allowed it every short rest.

Nature’s Reclaim: Beginning at level 2, you may destroy up to a 10 ft. cube of inanimate, nonmagical material. The target must be synthetic, manufactured, or otherwise unnatural. For instance, you can destroy a section of a dungeon or castle stone wall, but not burrow into a stone mountain. You cannot use this ability again until you finish a short rest.

Thunderclap: Beginning at level 2, gain Thunderclap (Elemental Evil) as a cantrip.

Circle Spells: At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th levels you gain access to new druid spells that you always have prepared to aid you in the upset of civilization:

3rd level: Crown of Madness, Shatter

5th level: Erupting Earth (Elemental Evil), Plant Growth

7th level: Confusion, Freedom of Movement

9th level: Destructive Wave, Conjure Elemental

Nature’s Vengeance: Beginning at 6th level, when you destroy an object with Nature’s Reclaim, you may also summon 1 Vine Blight, 2 Needle Blights, or 4 Twig Blights which obey your mental commands for up to 1 hour.

Spurn Law: Beginning at 10th level, you can’t be charmed by spells.

Beginning at 14th level, you may cast Earthquake, but only to target a Structure. Once you use this ability, it can’t be used again until you finish a long rest.

image credit: Matt Cavotta

Circle of the Beastlord

The Circle of the Beastlord druid cannot wild shape, but instead gains an animal companion to aid them in battle. They form a strong bond with their companion, even taking on new abilities based on their companion. When the druid is worse for wear, their companion enters a barbarian-like rage, resisting damage and dishing out more damage with every attack. The druid even learns to befriend other animals they encounter with their natural affinity for beasts.

//Taking away the druid’s Wild Shape undermines a lot of the druid’s versatility. This class is therefore more oriented towards combat. The companion effectively gives you an additional attack, and your choice of companion and their relative totem power usually grants some sort of either minor combat or utility bonus to make up for the lack of Wild Shape. You don’t dish out as much sustained damage as a ranger, but you can still cast far more spells than a ranger. If the class feels too underpowered (I don’t think it will) I would give them one use of Wild Shape per long rest instead of their Totem Power at 2nd level.

Animal Companion: At 2nd level, you gain an animal companion at the expense of your Wild Shape class feature. You learn to use your magic to create a powerful bond with a creature of the natural world. With 8 hours of work and the expenditure of 50 gp worth of rare herbs and fine food, you call forth an animal from the wilderness to serve as your faithful companion. You may select a companion from among the following animals: an ape, a black bear, a boar, a giant badger, a giant weasel, a mule, a panther, or a wolf. The companion has an Intelligence of 4 or it’s current INT score (whichever is higher) and can communicate telepathically with the Druid. This ability otherwise functions like that of the Unearthed Arcana Revised Ranger’s Animal Companion and Companion’s Bond abilities.

Totem Power: Beginning at 2nd level, you gain an ability based on your chosen animal companion.

Ape: You count as a large creature when determining your maximum carrying capacity.

Black Bear: Your maximum hit point pool increases by 5+your level.

Boar: You deal an extra 1d6 damage when you travel at least 20 feet before hitting with a melee attack.

Giant Badger: You gain resistance to poison damage.

Giant Weasel: You add a bonus equal to your proficiency modifier to Deception checks. This does not stack with the Expertise class feature.

Mule: You gain advantage on STR and DEX saving throws against effects that would knock you prone.

Panther: You add a bonus equal to your proficiency modifier to Stealth checks. This does not stack with the Expertise class feature.

Wolf: You have advantage on Shove attempts.

Animal Affinity: Beginning at 6th level, you may cast Animal Friendship. When you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a short rest.

Blood Bond: Beginning at 10th level, you and your companion share an even greater bond. Whenever you cast a spell with you as the only target, you may also target your animal companion. In addition, whenever you fall to less than half of your maximum hit points, your companion’s damage increases by 3 and they gain resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

Greater Totem Power: Beginning at 14th level, you gain another ability based on your chosen animal companion.

Ape: You gain a Climb speed of 40 ft.

Black Bear: You may use a bonus action on your turn to make an extra melee attack against a creature within 5 ft.

Boar: When your hit points are reduced to 0, your hit points are reduced to 10 instead. You cannot use this ability again until you finish a short or long rest.

Giant Badger: You gain a burrow speed equal to your movement speed.

Giant Weasel: You can force a creature that succeeded at a saving throw against one of your spells to reroll their save and take the new result. You cannot use this ability again until you finish a long rest.

Mule: When you travel at least 20 ft. before making a melee attack, your attack deals a bonus 1d6 damage and knocks the target prone if they are Medium or smaller.

Panther: When you hit with an attack roll against a creature for the first time each turn, if you had advantage on the attack roll, add 2d6 to the damage roll.

Wolf: You gain advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.

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