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lootthekey · 8 months

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My “Shot in the Dark” Prediction for Magic’s Next Year of Story

Wilds of Eldraine

We already know this story, but its contents are worth revisiting in order to have context for the rest of the story. Ashiok has helped Eriette, seemingly the aunt of Rowan and Will and a truly devious witch, prolong the sleep curse that was used to put all the Phyrexians invading Eldraine to sleep. Now, the curse is spreading and the Kindly Lord of the fae, Talion, is enlisting the help of others to correct a mistake they made by brokering a deal with three witches to construct this curse.

Talion enlists Kellan, a half-fae child and one of the main protagonists of the next year of story at least, to defeat the three witches they worked with to construct the curse. Kellan wishes to know who his father is, so he accepts this quest. Meanwhile, Rowan has been deeply traumatized by the loss of her parents during the Phyrexian Invasion, and is slowly descending into a mad lust for power. And not just any power, but the power to change the world around her as she pleases. She hates how Will, a much bigger pacifist than her, is handling the whole situation, and has decided to take matters into her own hands.

Her quest eventually leads her to Eriette, who convinces Rowan to join her so that The Realm can live happily ever after in their dreams forever. After a climactic battle involving Rowan, Will, Eriette, Kellan, and Ashiok, The Realms are saved from the curse of slumber. Eriette is defeated by Kellan and Ruby, a companion Kellan met along the way who assisted him in defeating the various witches in his quest. Will plays as a game of Magic against Rowan, using a Control strategy to survive her Aggro strategy, so that he could stall until he had an opening to force Ashiok to flee by sending a bolt of ice at Ashiok’s chest. Rowan is then forced to flee.

Kellan, having completed his quest, eventually learns that his biological father is Oko, the bastard from the previous Eldraine set that famously turned King Kenrith (and most of Magic) into an elk. He then finds an Omenpath and unknowingly likely leaves Eldraine for a long time, having been transported to a different plane with no easy way to return. It is then implied that Eriette, after being broken out of jail by Ashiok, does the same.

Lost Caverns of Ixalan

Now we get into the realm of speculation as we venture into the next set: Lost Caverns of Ixalan. We know little of this set except that it is a “Race to the Center of the Earth” style of story that will also have us meet various mythical figures from Ixalan’s mythology. However, there are three particular, currently unconfirmed characters I want to speak about appearing in Ixalan, as their presence is either very significant for the remaining story or was hinted at in earlier sets.

Vraska was last seen on Ravnica, recently compleated and sent off by Elesh Norn to do the same to the rest of Ravnica. However, she was defeated by Ral and then mysteriously vanished after having a vision of Jace flash within her mind. Seeing as Ixalan is where Jace and Vraska’s love for each other first blossomed, I believe it is likely the last remains of uncompleated Vraska’s instinctively planeswalked to Ixalan as she was defeated by Ral. Due to the fact that Phyrexian planeswalkers were compleated likely through corrupting their sparks, the loss of her spark could cause Vraska to revert back to her normal form on Ixalan. This is important as she has both a role to play later and a familiar enemy to face.

Azor, the one responsible for the Guildpact system of Ravnica, the creator of the Immortal Sun, and one of few characters who were once planeswalkers still alive to possibly rival Bolas as far as meddling goes, is currently still on Ixalan. However, with the appearance of Omenpaths, Azor has a new route to renew his meddling ways and potentially even return to Ravnica. Well, its a good thing the next set isn’t set on Ravnica yeah?

Finally, Quintorius was last seen on Arcavios defeating the Phyrexians who invaded Strixhaven. At the end of his own quest, Quint sparked. While his role is yet to be seen, a set themed entirely around diving down to uncover the lost history of Ixalan sounds right up Quint’s alley.

Murders at Karlov Manor

Oh would you look at that, the next set actually is on Ravnica. Someone has been murdered at Teysa’s manor, which, for a family most well known for turning into ghosts, isn’t particularly crazy sounding to me personally. However, it’s still a big deal as someone is going to get framed for these murders, and Ravnica is going to need a judge to decide who is guilty. Who could fill that role…

Oh right. I think it’s likely Azor and Vraska return to Ravnica, only for Azor to meddle and attempt to put the blame on those he sees as the most chaotic for Ravnica, being Vraska and our favorite demon…

…Rakdos. Whether they actually did it is meaningless, as this leads to the finale.

Outlaws of Thunder Junction

This is where fates collide. Vraska and Rakdos flee through an Omenpath to the wild west, where they meet Oko and, eventually, Kellan as well. After joining with two other individuals, the “Magnificent Six” will face off against the cruel face of corrupt law, Azor, and change all of their fates forever. Eventually, Azor will be defeated, and likely flee to his other unfinished business partner, Ugin. This leads to the next story arc: the Dragonstorm Arc.

#mtg #story #spoiler #quintorius #oko #kellan #vraska #azor #rakdos #eriette #ashiok #wilds of eldraine #lost caverns of ixalan #murders at karlov manor #outlaws of thunder junction #omenpath arc

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donnerpartyofone · 11 months

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I'm learning to Hack Transcendence y'all! Or actually I'm looking at this fashionable astrology app to scratch some sort of ego itch. I'm one of those people who both knows a lot about astrology and enjoys it AND is deeply suspicious of it, the psychology of which I don't feel the need to get into. Things like astrology usually sustain themselves by offering analysis general enough that anybody could see themselves in it, and this is a rare case where half the time I was reading this I thought, Damn this is completely wrong and I have no idea what it could be talking about! I mean a few of the above notes really get me. When I was already into dark shit as a very small child I wish I could have told my annoyed parents that I was just just Confronting Human Mortality. And I definitely do have trouble with the Creation of Personal Meaning...which is almost certainly the whole reason I'm interested in things like this in the first place. But then like, it seems to think that I chronically engage in machiavellian power struggles with loved ones who I treat like enemies because I don't know how to be honest with myself or anyone else. Which is like...for most of my life the whole problem has been boundary issues that allow other people to get away with murder, that cause me to take too many people at face value, and that lead me to tolerate all kinds of abuse because some part of me thinks I deserve it and that everyone but me has the right to do whatever they want all the time so I should just shut up and take it. I'm like barely beginning to get over this mentality, as an adult. For better or worse I react by sinking deeper into solitude, my very favorite vice. Which makes the astrology app's diagnosis of me as a codependent person who gets all of her security from mindless social interaction and material overindulgence, like, really confusing to me.

But uh anyway "This makes no sense" is just one reaction I could have to this. Another response would be that we each contain our opposite, and we're always looking for that opposite in the outside world in order to feel complete, to kind of consummate with our more subliminal parts; i.e. somewhere in me is this vicious predator persona, and that may be why it seems to be mirrored by various people in my life. This is garden variety Jungian anima/animus stuff, but it's a pretty useful way to reflect on your relationships both real and desired. The funniest take on this principle is the LaVeyan Personality Synthesizer.

This appears in Anton Szandor LaVey's crazyass book The Compleat Witch, Or What to Do When Virtue Fails. If you only read one book by or about LaVey, make it this one; it's supposed to be an instruction manual for how anyone can become a powerful seductress, but it's really like a charmingly unconscious expression of LaVey's personal hangups and fetishes, of which there are many. But anyway he says that you've got a private inner self, a social outer self, and in between you get the Demonic Minority Self (love that name) which tends to have the opposite gender energy of your Majority Self, and which is very much the opposite of your main identity in general. You're supposed to start figuring out your Majority and Demonic Minority Selves by using this somewhat eugenicist schedule of archetypal qualities:

And then if you wanna be a Compleat Witch you use this information to figure out how to seduce whoever you want by trying to resemble that person's Demonic Minority Self. Which actually seems like it could be pretty effective in theory, while the truth is that most people aren't as extremely black and white as LaVey liked to think. In any case it's at least entertaining to read about.

A lot of the book is just LaVey trying to sell his own peccadilloes as universal truths; for instance women shouldn't wear pants or flat shoes, they should perfume themselves only with their own BO and menstrual blood, they should kinda act like sloppy bimbos to maximally manipulate men, and then there's also stuff like, if you enjoy certain kinds of salad dressing it means you're a homo. I'm several years into a research project on LaVey (that I keep hoping I can formally announce the fate of but this kind of thing is VERY slow), and one day I attended a talk with the current High Priestess of the Satanic Church, who wrote the introduction to the last edition of The Compleat Witch and who was lecturing on its contents. I asked her if she thought LaVey had any awareness that, while he was writing what he believed to be applicable to all of humanity, he was really exposing extremely intimate details of his own unique personality, and man she Did Not Like That. But that's exactly what's good about the book, that it's this kind of subverted memoir; if you read The Satanic Bible you only find out that LaVey really liked Nietzsche and Ayn Rand, but if you read The Compleat Witch, then you know everything about him.

Whatever else you wanna say about Anton LaVey, he was definitely very good at the Creation of Personal Meaning, which may be why I'm compelled to study him. I mean I could just read Viktor Frankl instead, but where's the fun in that?

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live-chaotically · 5 months

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"Alice Project"

1.) What is my player's name? Do they have the same name as myself or do they take on a different name? Khaos

2.) What do I do? I’m a big gamer and a practiced witch who’s just getting back into it after a year out. I draw tarot cards that guide anyone I read for and I’m starting shadow work. I’m big on house cleaning and keeping up with myself.

3.) What do I want my life to look like? My vibe is wicked, confident, and focused while still being feminine and approachable. I have my shit together and I look it. My energy is cross between Catherine from “The Great”, Persephone, and Medusa herself . I’m intelligent, well-read, I take care of myself, and people are drawn to me. My spiritual magical practice is helping me to be more of my true self. Fear doesn’t rule my life.

4.) If I was the most ideal version of myself, what would my day-to-day entail? My partner and I live comfortably with our cat, Cujo in a small house. I get to go to the gym every day at 7 am to get in my regular workout and I look forward to it. I get to read each day because I no longer need to smoke weed so my mind is clear. It’s clear enough that I get to continue my practice as a witch. I get to work my way through Simply Clean workbook and take care of my home making it look how I want and I have time to do all of that because I’m organized, healthy, and my mind is open. After a little over a year of having my third eye closed off it’s finally been opened again. I’m calm and relaxed in my practice and I am once again a master at tarot cards and cleansing rituals. My deities respond and listen to me in the ways they used to.

5.) How would I respond to situations of importance, and what character traits are associated with those responses? If the situation is important is has to be dealt with right away. Cunning, compassion, focus, and intelligence are all important character traits that are needed to deal with important impending situations. Break the more general questions down to more specific questions:

1.) What kind of clothes would I wear? My clothing aesthetic is a mix of dark and light romantica. I’m a fan of corsets, skirts, linen pants, and flowy tops. I like a lot of necklaces, especially pearls. My hair is a very light blonde and it’s growing out into a Joan of Arc cut.

2.) What time would I wake up every day? I wake up at 7 am everyday unless I have an even early doctor’s appointment that I have to get to.

3.) What do they consistently eat? Compleat Vanilla by Nestle and blonde espresso with whipped creamer

4.) In an ideal world, how often would I work? I’m going to omit this question as I can’t work because I’m on disability and in an ideal world… I don’t work

5.) What habits do I have? I have a fantastic skincare routine, I shower and brush my teeth regularly, I am happily on the 75 Medium Challenge, I make time for my craft daily, I am good with money, I never pick my skin, and I practice the violin.

#alice project #self improvement #level up #glow up

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lenguagesforaina · 2 years

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Fall/winter lenguage goals

So I'm starting school again in less than a month, and with my re introduction to a rutine and the academic world, i want to set myself a more consistent scheduale for my lenguage learning, since i dont feel like im improving that much right now. I'm starting by setting a list in each one of my tl that i will try to achive in the upcoming 4 months before christmas.

DUTCH:

(I'm lower intermidate, been studiying it for a yean now)

Take 6 italki lessons

Keep a consistent daily diary

This I've already been doing and its working wanders, so I'm keeping it up and trying to writte at least a page a day every single day.

Find a lenguage exchange partner

(If you speak dutch and want to learn some spanish or catalan hit me up!)

Read 2 books

I have 2 books in dutch witch are for children but quite above my level rn, one about orangutans and one about witchcraft.

Go trough 4 magazines

I use magazines (children's ones, about animals and with lots of comics and games) to practice intensive reading, so i go trough them very slowly and paying attention to every single word.

Watch 25 hours of movies/tv in dutch (minimum)

Right now i'm watching My little pony , Tangled the series, and i want to start Wie is de mol

Watch dutch youtube in class

I study art and most of my classes will be studio time, so i'll try to chose youtube videos to have as background noise instead of music whenever i can use my headphones.

Master the 10.000 most common words

I'm planning on using Clozemaster for that, but i still need to get the premium version. Also my flashcard app of choice: Duocards. And compleating a vocabulary list notebook i bought recentley.

Learn to conjugate like a pro

I'll probablly be investing on buying a grammar book, but even if i can't get to that, i want to focus on learning conjugation well with videos or websites, more than eny other grammar point at this moment.

FRENCH:

(Used to be advanced but lost a lot of it, so im revivifying it step by step)

Master the 5.000 most common words

Sadly i've forgotten a lot of vocab so i want to start from the bottom again to solidify the basics in my brain

Get a grammar book and start it

If i can find it i want to dig up my old high school grammar book or find a simalar one secind hand.

Watch 6 movies in french

They'll probablly be Gibli films, since i find french really armonizes with the Gibli aesthetic.

Start reading a bit every day with apps

There are apps that show you a bit of art history, fun facts, or a history event that happened on that day every morning. You can set those in your tl and then you have a bit of reading every day provided to you in a subject you like!

Writte 1 or 2 short stories/texts every month

I dont want to writte as much as in dutch but i still want to practice my spelling, so ill be filling in 1 or 2 pages every other week with watever i feel like writting about.

Listen to more music in french and start analyzing song lyrics at least 1nce a week

Music is my main motivation to learn french so i'm gonna dive into it as much as possible

INDONESIAN:

(-0 beginner, haven't started yet)

Learn the 150 most common words

The basics: greetings,colors, animals, 10 common verbs, etc...

Get to the 1st checkpoint on Duolingo

Learn to introduce myself

Learn the basics of the grammar and save up for a grammar book

I'll probablly gift myself an indonesian textbook by christmas. Until then ill watch a lot of videos to famirialize myself with the grammar points.

Start a childrens tv show in indonesian

Also music! Instead of doing a lot hardcore studying i'll be just doing a lot of pasive learning and listening a lot

#lenguageleraning #lingblr #dark academia #learn dutch #travel #lenguages #studyblr #study blog #polyglot #dutch #indonesian #french #learn french

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spreadtunes22 · 2 years

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Freak out, absolutely free, we're only in it for the money, lumpy gravy, cruising with Ruben and the Jets, mother Mania, Uncle Meat, hot rats, burnt weeny sandwich, weasels Ripped My Flesh, chunga's Revenge, Fillmore East June 1971, 200 motels soundtrack, just another band from LA, Waka Jawaka, The Grand Wazoo, Overnite Sensation, Apostrophe, Roxy and Elsewhere, One Size Fits All, Bongo Fury, Zoot Allures, Zappa In New, Studio Tan, Sleep Dirt, Sheik Yerbouti, Orchestral Favorites, Joe's Garage, Tinseltown Rebellion, Shut Up N Play Yer Guitar, You Are What You Is, Ships Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch, The Man From Utopia, Baby Snakes Soundtrack, The Perfect Stranger, Them Or Us, ThingFish, Francesco Zappa, The Old Masters Box, Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers of Prevention, Does Humor Belong In Music, the Old Masters box II, Jazz From Hell, London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. II, Guitar, You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol I and II, Broadway The Hard Way, You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol III, The Best Band You've Never Heard In Your Life, Make A Jazz Noise Here, You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore IV, V, and VI, Playground Psychotics, Ahead Of Their Time, The Yellow Shark, Civilization Phase III, The Lost Episodes, Lather, Frank Zappa Plays the Music of Frank Zappa: A Memorial Tribute, Have I Offended Someone, Mystery Disc, EIHN (Everything Is Healing Nicely), FZ:OZ, Halloween, Joe's Corsage, Quaudiophiliac, Joe's Domage, Joe's Xmasage, Imaginary Diseases, Trance Fusion, Buffalo, The Dub Room Special, Wazoo, One Shot Deal, Joe's Menage, Lumpy Money Project/Object, Philly '76, Greasy Love Songs, Congress Shall Make No Law, Hammersmith Odeon, Feeding the monkies at Ma Maison, Carnegie Hall, Understanding America, Road Tapes, Venue #1 , Finer Moments, AAAFNRAA Baby Snakes: The Compleat Soundtrack, Road Tapes, Venue #2, A Token Of His Extreme, Joe's Camouflage, Roxy By Proxy

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darksideofthemoonbot · 1 month

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Five Colours

Turns out I am represented in all five colous of Magic the Gathering.

Phyrexian is the only way you're gonna get me to play white. And the addition of some black helps. I too spread the good word of perfection through compleation! ф

I love the number 13. Prime numbers in general I tend to like. Especially 3, 5, 7, and 13. 11 is good too, but not as thrilling. And I am also totally the type to cut off hands and nail them to a clock. Everyone needs a hobby.

This seems straightforward enough. I am a witch. I am conceited. Enough said.

I'm just saying: aliens have definitely visited Earth. They don't secretly run the government, but governments probably have no idea what to do about it. Nor did they build the pyramids (or anything else from ancient history), but I wouldn't be surprised if large construction like that got their attention if they were already observing the planet. In fact, the notion that "top men" are quietly working for off-books organisations to manage aliens is more likely a psi-op to reinforce the idea of our government having power enough to deal w-

Om nom nom nom

#mtg #magic the gathering

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thecompleatwitch · 2 years

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The Owl, by English painter Valentine Cameron Pinsep (1863)

#witch aesthetic #occult #dark aesthetic #art #occultism #witchlife #witchyvibes #hail satan #occultist #satanic #the compleat witch

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dblackthorne · 3 years

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#The Satanic Witch #Anton Szandor LaVey #Church of Satan #The Compleat Witch #Witchcraft

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basicallyanotherwitchesthing · 2 years

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The Compleat Witch page from Cosmopolitan, November 1970

#witches #compleats #occult #vintage #cosmopolitan #1970 #november

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churchofsatannews · 4 years

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Reading Aloud LIVE - The Satanic Witch - Part 6

Reading Aloud LIVE – The Satanic Witch – Part 6

Watch Monday, April 13th at 6pm MST LIVE on YouTube

Reverend Campbell will be performing another episode of his Reading Aloud LIVE project on his YouTube channel. He will be completing his ongoing The Satanic Witch series with episode 6 where he will cover divination, magic and PR.

The Satanic Witch YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVvV0kw_6B9j2toLH_yPtSAuwrnw1R5zQ Re…

View On WordPress

#anton szandor lavey #Reading Aloud LIVE #Reverend Campbell #The Compleat Witch #The Satanic Witch

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beastly777 · 7 years

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Lie and give pleasure. Lie and soothe consciences. Lie and supply the food for the ego that truth can seldom provide. Lie and become a hero, for whatever lies are popular will always win votes. Lie, but be not yourself deluded by your lies, lest you lose control, for he who loses control over his own motivations can never progress to a proficiency in sorcery.

Anton Szandor LaVey, The Compleat Witch or What to do When Virtue Fails (Dodd, Mead & Company, New York, pg199)

“The suitors discover Penelope’s ruse for avoiding their persecutions.”

Illustration: John Flaxman’s “Pénélope et les prétendants” for Homer’s Odyssey - L'Odyssee d'Homere gravee par Reveil d'apres les compositions de John Flaxman (Paris, 1835)

#Anton Szandor LaVey #The Compleat Witch #homer's odyssey #john flaxman #satanism #sorcery

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centuriesofdreamsunending · 6 years

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✨ Astrology books I use ✨

⭐️ The Compleat Astrologer, by Derek Parker & Julia Parker, was the first astrology book I read when I was a kid, though I didn't understand a single shit (obvsly). I thought the illustrations were beautiful (and they are!!) and was obsessed with them. With this book, when I grew up, I learned how to properly calculate a birth chart.

⭐️ Dictionnaire Pratique d'Astrologie, by Catherine Aubier, is the book I carry literally everywhere, EVERYWHERE, everywhere, EVERYWHERE! I'm always reading it and meditating about it. It is probably my favorite book, because it's the one that is part of my daily life, really.

⭐️ The Only Way to Learn Astrology, by Marion D. March & Joan McEvers

⭐️ Technique of Solar Returns, by Alexandre Volguine

PS: There’s also another book by Marion D. March & Joan McEvers that I use but I can’t find it’s original title anywhere!!! Anyway, in Portuguese it was published as ‘Seu Horóscopo, Seu Destino’ (literally ‘Your Horoscope, Your Destiny’), just in case anyone wants to know.

#what witches do on Saturdays #astrology #derek parker #julia parker #catherine aubier #marion d march #joan mcevers #alexandre volguine #The Compleat Astrologer #Dictionnaire Pratique d'Astrologie #The Only Way to Learn Astrology #Technique of Solar Returns #witchcraft

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vargakona · 2 years

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“In his work ‘A Restitution of Decayed Intelligence” published 1605, Richard Rowlands wrote:

‘The were-wolves are certaine sorcerers, who having anoyntd their bodyes, with an oyntment which they make by the instinct of the devil: and putting on an enchanted girdle, do not only unto the view of others seem as wolves, but to their own thinking have both shape and nature of wolves, so long as they wear the said girdle.’

The famous warlock’s belt of wolfsking, which must be three fingers wide wit a nine-tongued buckle, is a magical symbol of the whole Hamr or shape of the wolf and to wear this enchanted girdle was, in effect, to be enveloped in the entire form and skin of the beast. This belt, it’s inner side inscribed with crooked and sinister runes was said to be given to witches and wizards by the Devil, the Great Horned Master of the Beasts . . .”

- Compleat Vampyre; The Vampyre Shaman, Werewolves, Witchery & the Dark Mythlogy of the Undead, Nigel Jackson

#wolf cult

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apothecarinomicon · 3 years

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Spring week 3, part 1

I felt much better this morning. I suppose whatever sickness fairy visions impart is strictly transient—or maybe dealing with reagents has given me a good immune system.

When I went outside, I found that I’d somehow managed to plant the foxsocks in the garden. I don’t know how I could have done it in my feverish state and I certainly don’t remember it, but there it is. The foxsocks seem to be thriving already, or at least to have a solid foothold. As I’d hoped, they should be reliably available from here on out.

As I stood there, sleepily puzzling over the garden, I heard a screech from above. Looking up, I saw what at first appeared to be a large bird circling down towards the ground. When she landed, though, I saw she was a woman with wings instead of arms, talons instead of legs, and a feathered tail, wearing a khaki uniform—a postal harpy. She greeted me while balancing on one leg and asked me to confirm my name. I told her and she introduced herself as Liùsaidh. She indicated I ought to retrieve my mail from her talon (it’s polite to wait for their permission). She asked if I might be sticking around and I said I thought I was. She said she’d see me next time I got mail and flew off.

What she’d brought was a letter, with a return address listed as “The Gleoclas J. Ledgerwood Muſeum of Magicke.” It was a single handwritten (actually, impressively calligraphed) page. The spelling and grammar was, shall we say, characteristic. It’s easier to just stick the letter in between the pages than copy it down, so that’s what I’ll do.

To whom it may concern:

It has come to our attentionne at The Friends of The Gleoclas J. Ledgerwood Muſeum of Magicke that ye are a practicing vvitch reſiding in the hamlet of Greanmoore. We would like to congratulate ye on your appointmente and hope you find the positionne both fulfilling and rewarding. We had brief correspondence with your predeceſsor and were glad to learn of yovr presence.

The Gleoclas J. Ledgerwood Muſeum of Magicke is among the premiere magical muſeums in northweſternne High Rannoc. It has one of the moſte exhauſtive collections of magical materials, svbſtances, and hiſtories native to High Rannoc in the vvorld. Academicks, travelers, and school field trips regularly reference and reſearch the Muſeum’s collections in their purſuit of more compleat knowledge.

As The Muſeum of Magicke does not have a repreſentative in Greanmoore or the surrounding areas, we have a requeſte to make of ye if you are willing to fulfill it. We pride ourſelves on the compleatneſs of our Magickal Components collectionne, but we are miſsing many of the species native to Greanmoore and its svrrounding locations. We humbly ask that ye help vs remedy this deficiency. If you are willing to do so, we woulde requeſt that ye send one of each magickal componente available in the area to the Muſeum, at the returnne addreſs listed above. Should you do so, ye will receive compenſationne.

We hope ye will partner with vs in this endeavor. Your contributionne to societal knowledge shall be greatly appreciated by generationnes of reſearchers, thinkers, and touriſts.

Eagerly avvaiting your reſponſe,

The Friends of The Gleoclas J. Ledgerwood Muſeum of Magicke

[A plain text accessible version of this letter is available here.]

Obviously, the spelling is horrendous. This might have been forgivable a few decades ago, but the shape of the ‘s’ (that is, it not being that odd ‘f’ looking thing sometimes) and the distinction between ‘u,’ ‘v,’ and ‘w’ have been standardized since before I was born. Not to mention, the Ledgerwood Museum is associated with the University of Arcbridge—so there must be someone there who knows better.

The thing is, for a long time the only people who could write were those who received higher education, so the vast majority of documents that exist throughout history have to do with academia. So, even as reading and writing became more accessible and spelling and grammar more standardized, that outdated irregular styling retroactively became associated with education, with decorum, with genius.

I’ve never really had much respect for that kind of posturing—I think that if you’re brilliant the content of your writing ought to speak for itself. You shouldn’t have to so explicitly climb on the shoulders of those who came before you, especially not by intentionally making the mistakes they made or using the outdated styles they used.

I sent back a letter inquiring about the specifics of compensation along with a sample of my foxsocks.

I’m going to the library.

────⊱⁜⊰────

The Greenmoor Public Library is near the center of town, not quite in the square but on Market Street directly off of it. It has some interesting architecture: it looks as if it was originally three separate buildings the size of single-family houses, that were all connected up at a later date by a circular addition between them so that the final building looks like a cog with three spokes. Each section of it is made up of a different material—exposed stone, lime render, and brick for the original houses, and cement for the central cylinder—but it all works together in a quirky, oddball way.

There are no internal walls in the library—even where there must have been external walls in the original houses. They must have knocked them down (I don’t envy that job). Every wall is lined with bookshelves from floor to ceiling, and in each of the spokes there are many close-set freestanding shelves besides, with only narrow aisles left between. At the center of the center is a circular desk, and around this are scattered tables with benches and clusters of armchairs for convenience of reading and research.

The library is owned and run by Donella and Saundra Glasford, an older couple. Saundra is actually the schoolteacher, but she helps with reshelving and organization on weekends. I know this because Donella explained it to me in detail. As soon as I walked in the door she stood from behind (within?) the circular desk and approached me, insisting that she give me a tour of the library. In addition to a survey of the entire space and what kinds of books it contained, this ‘tour’ involved a hefty amount of insight into the daily lives and routines of the Glasford family.

They have a kid named Muiredach, who’s very interested in ancient things at the moment—giant skeletons and the like. Donella has lived here her entire life but Saundra moved here forty years ago. Saundra’s expertise is in thaumatology (specifically thaumatozoology, the study of magical animals), in which she has a degree. Meanwhile, Donella has extensive knowledge of literary and epistemological history, though she received no formal schooling past twelve.

After she finished showing me all the different sections and layouts of the library, Donella told me I should feel free to poke around as much as I wanted. She added that I wouldn’t find any secret passages or hidden rooms, and that they had nothing to hide.

I hadn’t realized before she said that what this was all about.

I told her that the rumors weren’t true, that I wasn’t some Government spy or anything like that (I heard Saundra mumble something like “well you’d also deny it if you were a clype, wouldn’t you?”). Donella quickly assured me that she believed me, but then said “better safe than sorry,” so I’m not quite sure she actually did. I told her I didn’t understand where all the suspicion was coming from. Saundra piped up, saying that I was a stranger who came to a small, isolated town I had no prior relation with to fill a position whose previous occupant had mysteriously disappeared, and asked if I understood how that looked (not in quite those words—her accent and dialect was rather strong). I told her I’d been summoned directly by Mòrag McKinney, and had the paper trail to prove it. I asked if she thought Mòrag was involved in some conspiracy, too. She shrugged and said she was just saying how it looked.

Donella said regardless that I should feel free to use the library—it was for the public, after all—and pointed me in the direction of the section on rune magic. Thus, the conversation ended, but my uneasiness didn’t entirely abate. Still, I’d come to the library for a reason.

The rune section was limited, but I didn’t need to know any more than the basics. I’d only ever been taught one way to create runes, and it was clear my predecessor used a different one—all I needed to do was to figure out which and I could reverse engineer the runes’ meanings.

I found that she used a combination of the witches’ circle and magic square methods, which are both apparently very popular. I wonder why I was never taught them. Both systems derive the shape of the sigil directly from the letters of the intentions they’re meant to invoke. It’s traditional to remove the vowels before doing so, but luckily for me my predecessor chose not to do that.

So, with a bit of work I was able to determine that the sigils I copied down meant: life, autonomy, gentleness, congeniality, and empathy respectively. It was clearly built to be a very kind golem. Now that I know that, I’m going to try to create my own sigils and charge them, and see if that helps.

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While I was at the library, I also collected a few of the greatest works of modern literature—Lord of the Midges, Beathag’s Choice, To Kill a Gull-Drake, et cetera. The next morning I packed the books into the rucksack I’d used to travel to Greenmoor and set out to take them to Morna, heading to Hero’s Hollow by way of Moonbreaker Mountain.

As I skirted the base of the mountain, I heard a voice call out from above me, crying “hey, you! Groundling!” It was clearly far above me but somehow also quite loud. I looked up and saw, blotting out the sun, a great hot air balloon. I’d heard vague stories but had never seen one in person before. The most striking part of it was the balloon itself, made of canvas patterned beige and blue and larger than a house. The top half of it (as I was informed later) was enclosed by a net, which had metal rings on its edges attaching it to a tangle of myriad ropes and cords. These in turn held aloft the basket, which was not the simple platform I’d seen described in books but rather looked like a small sailing boat, complete with railings, rotors, and a steering wheel.

The voice announced that it hadn’t seen me around before and that I ought to climb aboard. A ladder with metal rungs unfurled over the side of the boat, just low enough that I could reach it if I jumped. I did so after making sure my rucksack was firmly on my back and shut, and climbed up to reach the aircraft.

The man onboard was only slightly taller than me. His white shirt was rumpled and stained with oil, and his left suspender was fraying. The thick goggles on his forehead, held together with large bolts and screws, were the only thing keeping his thick black hair from whipping in all directions with the wind (mine, in contrast, had already become hopelessly tangled). His sleeves were rolled up, but his forearms were covered by brown leather fingerless gloves, with metal studs that flashed in the sunlight as he hauled the ladder back onto the balloon. He wore a mask over the lower half of his face, with a cylindrical chamber marked “O2” sticking out from each cheek. Directly in front of the mouth was a clear window, so that I could see his lips moving when he spoke. He offered me a similar one and I accepted—the air was rather thin so high up. I could see him say something that was drowned out by the wind, and then he beckoned me towards a door. Given the shape of the craft, I wasn’t surprised to discover that it led to a kind of captains’ quarters.

Inside, the wind wasn’t quite so brutally loud and I could actually make out what my host was saying. He introduced himself as Captain Akash Majhi, aviator extraordinaire, and asked if I needed a lift. I said it might have been a bit late to ask since I was already on the balloon, which made him chuckle. I said that since he’d offered, I was headed to Hero’s Hollow, and he replied that that would be no problem. I noticed as we conversed that he only made eye contact when he was speaking—when I spoke, he instead watched my lips.

As Akash turned to pull a lever on the wall, I asked where he was from. He didn’t respond. With the lever pulled, a large strip of the ceiling rotated so that a piece of what had been the floor above—the piece to which the steering wheel was attached—became the ceiling of this room. Akash then tapped what seemed to just be a wooden accent covering a swath of the metal wall above the desk and bed. The wood slid to the side, revealing a bay window through which he could see.

He took his place at the wheel, positioning me in his field of view, so I asked again where he was from. He told me he was a proud resident of the Cloud Isles. I told him I’d never heard of such a place, and he said I really must be new to the area. Belatedly, I told him my name and that I had in fact only moved here a few weeks ago. He told me that the Cloud Isles were just that: islands in the clouds, with wildlife, ecosystems, and culture. At the center was a great city that, yes, was attached to the clouds, but had mostly been built flying between and amongst them by generations of architects, donors, engineers, artists, and aviators like himself.

I asked him where the city was located and he vaguely waved his hands. “Here and there.” He said that as the clouds drifted so did the Isles, but that the city itself never strayed too far from Greenmoor—otherwise, mapping and resource-gathering from the ground below would be difficult or impossible.

I asked him how I might visit the Isles, and he told me I’d need to be able to fly. He said the general ethos of the residents leaned towards mechanical solutions, but he had heard that there were magical ways of flight as well. I said I would have to look into that. He handed me a business card with his name, “balloonist | engineer | aviator extraordinaire,” an address, and a smoke signal pattern to use to contact him. He said if I was ever in the city he’d be happy to show me around. Then, he announced that we’d arrived.

We went back onto the deck and he unfurled the ladder over the edge. I went to hand him the oxygen mask back but he told me to keep it—they were expensive, but he had plenty and I’d be needing it when (and he did say “when”) I visited the city. I thanked him, shook his hand, and started descending the ladder.

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I made it back to the ground (the hop down from the ladder was smaller than the hop up had been), and smoothed my hair down before setting off into the Hollow. I’d only barely made it into the skull when my plans for the afternoon abruptly shifted.

It was just around midday, so the guards must have been on break or between shifts. Hurrying out of the dungeon was a group I recognized—it was the Lows, the mining family. Angus was carrying the son in his arms. The boy was clutching his thigh, and even from a distance I could see blood seeping through his fingers.

Crystal spotted me and immediately called out to me, thanking the gods for my arrival. I hurried to them and guided them back to the cottage, where I knew I’d be able to better determine how to treat the issue. Morna would have to wait—I had a patient to tend to.

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