the hunger of persephone.

As far as women and their empowermentgoes in the religion, they were respected beings, just like men. There were gods that identified as female, and mortals that were chosen to stand in those places.

Yes, there were ‘service girls’, but that was definitely used more for the followers than the gods themselves. In fact, it was very unusual for a human to witness a god, much less casually sleep with them. (For the most part, there was a lot more courting that went on before it.) Women were, in fact, respected much more than a feminist might consider themselves in terms of Christianity or any other modern religions.

Youth was an attractive quality to the gods, but in what religion isn’t that a common theme? Human intelligence*, overall, was what amused most of the gods in the form of any gender, and sometimes friends were more valued that lovers. In fact, jests and bards were quite popular in regular festivals.

Sacrifices did happen, though usually gender was irrelevant when it came to those matters, and the sacrifices didn’t always have to die. There were many men and women who served as sacrifices multiple times, and because of their devotion, were deeply admired by the gods.

As for the founder’s memory, that can of worms has more to do with the current owner of the academy, as well as the man who runs it. To his religious nature, remembrance of the man who dedicated the academy to all students willing to learn is seen more as a member of a different religion than a man trying to make his last will a good one. Thankfully, the Malixolomy class was left intact, but even then, the curriculum suffers a severe cut from what lessons used to be taught within the followers’ circle.

Don’t believe everything you hear from the old sewing circle. Remember the saying: In every lie, there’s always a grain of truth! And please, don’t ever be shy towards picking my brain.

*I urge you to study the Tortured in a more in-depth light. He is a definite example of how valued human followers [as well as humans in general] were to the gods. The main tale of the Tortured versus the Paradigm shows this, but of course I could always enlighten you to a deeper subtext than you’re probably going to learn anywhere else.

Well if women were held so highly in that religion, then I guess it would explain why Lapointe wanted a girls school built after he died, right?

I heard some stuff about how they tried to split the money and make a boys school to go along with this one, but it didn't work out - something about the funding or attendance? - and they eventually just had to shut it down.

Some people say it's karma for going against his last wishes, since he apparently clearly stated that all of his money was to strictly go to a girls school, not a boys. Other people say it was just bad luck, but either way you look at it, it is pretty ironic that our school is the only one left standing.

But still, if you were in charge of a school and you knew there was some controversy surrounding the founder, wouldn't you want to clear it up? Y'know, make him look as good as possible and not leave room for more mysteries and rumors; and trust me, there's a lot of them. People usually try to paint guys like him as saints. I mean, sure, he made his final wish to use the rest of his cash for a school, that's great. But why try to bury everything else about him besides that one fact? The rest is left up to basically town talk and speculation, which isn't always a good thing. I dunno, it all just seems really sketchy to me.

Yeah, we're supposed to get pretty into that case. I know there's a huge debate coming up on it soon - teams haven't been picked yet, but according to Viola it's done every year because it's such a big deal. I know some girls that are already beefing up their arguments, even though we don't know who will be on what side.

And don't get me wrong; it's not that I think the gods see humans as a complete waste of space or something. I mean, I figure opinions vary since not everyone would be in favor of us, but if they all hated humans then there wouldn't be stories of them saving, loving, or working with us. (Besides, if they were real, then they could've totally wiped us out by now if they wanted to.) I guess it's just hard to figure out where everything lands since mythology always seems to be about perception. You can guess and make all of the theories you want, but at the end of the day no one really knows.

Spotlight Happening: The Devil's Vale

Good point, Sawyer. You certainly have thought about this.

Now, what about the why? Why would he put them there? My thoughts are something more along the lines of convenience; he’s already got them prepared for war. When the King put the beasts there, it was a time in which not very many angels could do anything to stop it. After the war, both sides were too depleted to do much about it, and later on nobody wanted to start another one. So, if they were still there, wouldn’t this make it much more convenient for the next war? Especially considering the fact that the angels most likely aren’t expecting it?

How about the loyalty? Instead of a demotion, these soldiers could be very valuable; they’ve been given a place on Earth which is very challenging for those of any darker natures to sustain. Therefore, their positions were clearly fought for. If he really wanted to lock them away, why not just take them back with him?

In heavenly terms, I would say yes, Earth is a demotion. However, in terms of the Malixoth, you can tell by the tales, it wasn’t exactly the dumping grounds for anyone. For heavenly beings, Earth is always accessible; they’re welcomed because their image is holy. For others, their presence is commonly seen as dangerous and in need of extermination, so why wouldn’t Earth be some sort of promotion for lesser creatures?

Seems like a good deal to me; a piece of the angel’s life potentially for free, with the safety of an abode all to yourself. No one to raise pitchforks, no one to curse you all back to Hell - for someone who can’t usually come to Earth without having a bible thrown at them, I’d say it’s something rare and unimaginable, at best.

Thanks for answering. I hope to see more from all of you soon!

But didn't you say that The Devil's Vale was also created for deities that wouldn't behave?

Not saying that the valley wasn't created as some sort of safe place for those that were commonly persecuted by holy beings, but not behaving points to some sort of punishment, right? I mean, I wouldn't think the King (or anyone else, for that matter) would praise rowdy behavior. And if a deity, demon, or any other beast couldn't manage to pull themselves together, then why give them a reward instead of a punishment?

It's very possible that the valley and its inhabitants could have very well been some sort of insurance policy, in a way. Having an area where all kinds of beasts and deities are stored and ready for the next war is a smart move - especially if the other side doesn't see it coming. But being confined to one area, especially somewhere as vast as a place like Earth, seems like it would eventually start to grow on you. There's all kind of places to explore; rivers, mountains, oceans, forests, and you're stuck in a single valley.

With the love (or at least interest) that some of these gods and creatures seemed to have for Earth, it's possible to say that maybe this wasn't necessarily a bargain for everyone involved. I think there's the possibility that maybe it was some sort of split; some were sent as punishment, while others had earned and/or fought for the right to be there. This is all just a guess of mine, but maybe those that wanted to be there were in charge of keeping the prisoners in line.

After all, someone would have to keep them from escaping, right? And I figure the King wouldn't want just anyone to do it, especially since there's a million things that could turn sour if the wrong people were picked for the job. So what better way to ensure that you've not only got able guards but also loyal guards keeping these beasts in line? You have them fight for it - earn their right to be on Earth, and then the chance for an incident of some sort decreases.

That way, everyone wins. The more problematic of the creatures are locked away safely, the King knows he has trusted subjects working to keep them in line, there's a secret weapon for the next war, and those unholy beings that just want a safe place to land without judgement or persecution finally have somewhere to be. Hitting several birds with one stone, I guess you could say!

Like I said, this is completely a guess of mine. I could be totally wrong, but I figured I'd share my input.

#caugustine #mdiscussion

Spotlight Happening: The Devil's Vale

Good morning, ladies!

During the war, it was said that the King sentenced many risen beasts into a valley which he carved into the Earth himself. This included demons, hellhounds, and even deities who would not behave. Later on, it was dubbed ‘The Devil’s Vale’.

What ever happened to the valley? Do you think it’s still around? If so, where? Why did he make it on Earth? Do you think there were other plans for it? Are the creatures that were sentenced there still there?

Personally, I think the spot could very well 'exist', just not in the way some may think.

It's common throughout many mythologies to find stories of gods creating natural landscapes; whether it be a trench, a river, or maybe even an entire mountain, usually there's some sort of text to retell such a feat. It's also very common that later down the line, we humans tend to try and peg these spots.

Maybe it's because at one time (and some cases, it's still there) we had such a devout love for certain gods, or maybe it's because we're always searching for something that's bigger than us. It doesn't matter if it's aliens, ghosts, Jesus, or other gods themselves, humans are almost always trying to prove that something beyond the mundane existence of humans is out there. And when it comes to religion especially, people will go to some pretty interesting lengths to prove that their god(s) is real.

The main reason for this, at least in some aspect, most likely has to do with the fact that if there's even a shred of truth to the fact that their god(s) or chosen deities exist, then there means that there's a shot at some sort of life after death. Whether it's some version of Heaven or Hell, or maybe even reincarnation, it means that for us, there's more waiting then just... Well, nothing.

Anyway, I think it's possible that The Devil's Vale could indeed be a very real thing, though it may be under a different name now. There are many famous valleys all over the world, and it'd be easy enough for followers of the Malixoth to find one and potentially determine that this is where the King carved said valley, seeing as how it's not uncommon for followers of many religions (i.e., Christianity) to do something similar. After all, back when these events supposedly took place, Earth didn't exactly look the same as it does today, so figuring out where these landmarks may be is a bit tricky and pinning them down really boils down to some serious estimation.

Obviously since Malixolomy isn't a widely known religion and science tends to explain natural landmarks and happenings for most of the population, the likelihood of The Devil's Vale being referred to by a completely different name is high. However, if you were to ask a follower of the Malixoth or an expert on the religion, they may tell you a completely different story, who knows?

Do I think that the creatures that were put there are still around? No, probably not - I'm not even completely convinced that they ever did. As far as the King picking Earth goes, it's commonly been almost a dumping ground in many lores for the gods unwanted and/or troublesome counterparts. In some stories, being cast down to Earth was seen as some sort of demotion, so it doesn't surprise me that the circumstances seem to be similar in this particular tale.

#sreid #mdiscussion

Yes, the previous owner of the land and academy was part of the Malixoth’s following. However, the building’s image was not that of an academy until his unfortunate death. For whatever reason, he specifically asked for an educational temple rather than a historical one, you could say. Maybe his plans were more for a lively museum than that of a museum for the dead. Hence, Malixolomy class.

One does wonder how the academy would function if he were alive and running it, though. Never hurts to use your imagination!

As for Mr. Lapointe, sadly there isn’t a lot of criteria geared towards his memory; most of that is for the true researchers of the cause.

Or maybe they want to prepare our fresh, young minds - and bodies - for something bigger.

At least, that's what I hear. Not that I buy into any of this stuff, but rumor has it that prepping girls for gods used to be a huge thing. Apparently if you know who to ask, some of the old ladies in town will tell you all about it. Of course, they could just be losing it, but I overheard Erie say that other cults have done similar - if not worse things, so whatever.

Either way, from the way some people talk about it, it seems like either these people were picking girls out to 'service' the gods or they were basically meant to be sacrifices - which I'm definitely not up for.

But if he was the founder and so loved, why wouldn't they have more info on him? I mean, most schools usually have some sort of plaque or memorial - something to remember them by and educate future generations, so why only leave that stuff for the die hards?

nicreotaevozoths:

Sadly, there is a lot that has yet to be brought to light. If you have a more specific question, please do ask.

Oh, great - as if this school couldn't be any more cryptic. I mean, didn't the founder used to be in some weird cult or whatever? Or is that just a stupid rumor?

So they're pretty quick to teach us about this 'hidden' lore, but the history of the school is still pretty foggy - at least for me, anyway. Care to clue us in?