The Rejection Thereof

There is a demiurge. This is the prologue.

[thievingdemiurge]

miscellaneous thing notes part 1: musings on the symbolism and nature of witches

to clarify, this will only discuss aspects of witches i want to write about, so boring internet witches who never do anything, and “the-witch-as-priestess-of-a-dead-pagan-faith” will probably be touched on only briefly, if at all. 1. the witch as the crossroads of spirituality and the barter economy.

perhaps witches represent the intersection of traditional folk religions (darn! said i wasn’t going to touch on this!) and the barter economies commonly seen in peasant villages. the witch is then a respected figure, but one still fairly approachable to the common folk, rather then the church. the witch as the bringer of miracles that one can’t ask the church for.

2. the witch as the profession.

this ties into the first point, and feeds into the “witch as part of the economy” aspect. witchcraft as a set of skills which can be learned as with any other trade. consider connotations of a “witch’s apprentice”. a human sort of witch, and a witchy sort of human.

3. the witch as a race unto itself.

touhou merges this with 2 quite well. one can be a magician as a profession (marisa), start in that profession and use it as leverage for inhumanity (alice), or be already inhuman by nature and use that as a source for being a witch (patchouli). consider boundaries between “witch” and “not witch”, then destroy those boundaries.

[thievingdemiurge]

fuck it i’m adding more

4. the witch as escapist aspirational

the witch could be a metaphor for a human seizing a power normally denied to humans, and path at once well-trodden and unmapped. the little girl in the cellar desiring freedom. the rejection of humanity in its affirmation.

5. the law of cycles prevents me from making this fifth entry.

6. the witch as brewer

seriously, those hats used to just mean you made beer. look it up.

7. the witch as empty aesthetic

ha! the joke is upon you, no aesthetic is ever truly empty, or it would not be an aesthetic! nevertheless, the “witch-as-halloween-costume” is worth discussing. this is similar to 2 and 4, in that it involves a mundane human attaining witch-ness where none previously existed, but unlike 2, the witch-ness is false (or is it? worth discussing further later), and unlike 4 it is an action rather then a desire.

[thievingdemiurge]

miscellaneous thing notes part 1: musings on the symbolism and nature of witches

to clarify, this will only discuss aspects of witches i want to write about, so boring internet witches who never do anything, and “the-witch-as-priestess-of-a-dead-pagan-faith” will probably be touched on only briefly, if at all. 1. the witch as the crossroads of spirituality and the barter economy.

perhaps witches represent the intersection of traditional folk religions (darn! said i wasn’t going to touch on this!) and the barter economies commonly seen in peasant villages. the witch is then a respected figure, but one still fairly approachable to the common folk, rather then the church. the witch as the bringer of miracles that one can’t ask the church for.

2. the witch as the profession.

this ties into the first point, and feeds into the “witch as part of the economy” aspect. witchcraft as a set of skills which can be learned as with any other trade. consider connotations of a “witch’s apprentice”. a human sort of witch, and a witchy sort of human.

3. the witch as a race unto itself.

touhou merges this with 2 quite well. one can be a magician as a profession (marisa), start in that profession and use it as leverage for inhumanity (alice), or be already inhuman by nature and use that as a source for being a witch (patchouli). consider boundaries between “witch” and “not witch”, then destroy those boundaries.

[thievingdemiurge]

dungeons and dragons notes part 10: morivartacrah the inheritor

morivartacrah, known as ‘the inheritor’ in draconic mythology, and ‘mori’ as he prefers to be known, is the last living chromatic dragon (specifically of black dragon stock), the epitome of acid, a talented archmage, and the ruler of the twelve duchies of the black.

given his status as the last of his kind, and the absence of other dragons to contest his claims, he holds all draconic hoardss, both known and lost, to be his by right, as well as those polities historically ruled over by dragons.

despite being relatively young, mori is an archmage in the colleges of transmutation and divination, and holds similarly high ranks in the colleges of evocation, conjuration, and illusion. because of this, he occasionally moonlights as a teacher at the college of moonrest, unbeknowst to the elves. 

mori spends a great deal of his time in an effeminate humanoid form, and enjoys spending his wealth on fine clothing, food, and other such luxuries. he also enjoys hunting lesser nobles and draconic creatures, who he feels have slightened him in not declaring fealty.

[thievingdemiurge]

dungeons and dragons notes part 9: the grand chasm

the book of vile darkness, as previously discussed, erodes surfaces upon which it is placed without respect for material, given enough time to do so. there is no limit to this effect, and so the demithurugn (an theological manuscript from an early moth civilization with similar properties as a book of vile darkness [possibly the work upon which such books were originally based]) now resides at the bottom of the grand chasm, a miles-deep pit in the world. the scroll has not been removed from this place because the wards placed upon it by the moths hold strong, but some explorers venture into the depths to copy its wisdom into their own notes.

the pit itself descends about five miles into the land, but continues to deepen every year. the pit is connected to multiple cave systems, possibly produced by the demithurugn, the topmost of which (within a mile of the surface) are largely inhabited by mundane animals. going deeper (between the end of the first mile and the beginning of the fourth) a surprising quantity of Beastes can be found, though they appear to be based off of subterranean creatures, which is abnormal for such entities.

the bottom layer is profoundly unstable, and rockfalls are frequent, as are planar breaches to the abyss. it is in places infested with demons, and otherwise devoid of life entirely.

[thievingdemiurge]

dungeons and dragons notes part 8: corvids, harpies, and their ilk

On this night of Twelfth Octrest, Sixty-third year of our Most Great and Noble Empress Taircine III, the college of Moonrest hearby dilineates the following categories of Birds and Bird-like creatures:

First, those of Highest Birds Possessed of Some Mortal Faculties and Flight: Including such creatures as Harpies, Wyverns, Dragons, and their sort. This category defines itself on basis of true flight and possession of some intellect in the general vicinity of those mental capacities apparent in a sound-minded Elf.

Second, those of High Birds Possessed of Bestial Cleverness and Flight: Including such creatures as Corvids, Parrots, and Noble Birds such as Eagles and Hawkes. This category defines itself on the basis of true flight and wits enough to be trained for the use or service by Elfkind.

Third, those of Birds of Service Possessed Not Of A Noble Character or Intellect: Including such creatures as Pheasants, Fowl, Rock Doves, and other Birds kept by Elves for food. Fourth, those of Birds who do not Serve, yet are Possessed of Flight: Sparrows, Magpies, Bats and the Like, Birds which are not typically kept by Elves and which are capable of Flight.

Fifth, those of Least Birds, incapable of Flight: As yet, only the Okodo bird is known to charactize this category.

[thievingdemiurge]

dungeons and dragons notes part 7: the fox-ear parasite (part 1)

the fox ear parasite has been around for about as long as the great forest, though unlike the forest, some still doubt its existence. in brief, the parasite is a sort of plant that infects humans and a few other related species (primarily half-elves) and warps their forms and psyches into a new and unique race, colloquially referred to as “foxgirls”, though they prefer “yi-chitil”.

in its dormant form, the parasite appears as a small amount of white or orange fluff, light enough to be blown about on the wind. in this state, it was usually no larger than one’s small fingernail, and could often go unnoticed until later stages. if it comes into contact with an eligible host’s head, it will slowly take root in the next hour and a half, and swiftly progress to a first stage infection. it must be noted that this hour and a half window is the only time in which the parasite can reliably be removed from the host by mundane means, higher stages require magical healing, and a completed infection cannot be healed at all.

the first stage of infection is largely internal to the host. parts of the parasite’s roots break off inside the host body and travel about, rendering it more vulnerable to the parasite’s insideous magic, while other parts slowly worm their way into the brain. while the parasite cannot meaningfully control the host’s thoughts at this stage, mood swings are not abnormal as the parasite begins to manipulate parts of the host’s endocrine system. this stage lasts for approximately three hours, and while it normally goes unnoticed, some hosts do experience nausea and headaches.

the second stage of infection is more blatant than the first stage. through a combination of transmutative magic and the parasite’s own accelerated growth, the host’s ears gradually shift to the top of their head, taking on the appearance of fox ears (usually those of a red fox, but others have been noted). the host’s mind is also altered to some extent, while their broad personality and knowledge are preserved, they gain a rudimentary understanding of the foxgirl language and customs, a feeling of kinship for others infected by the parasite, and a staunch refusal to be treated or cured by magical means. any effort to heal the patient must now contend with the patient’s utmost resistances. this stage takes another three hours, and is thankfully bereft of sickness.

[thievingdemiurge]

Miscellaneous Rantings

“Mortality gives meaning to life by virtue of the limited time!” they said!

“You won’t regret this!” they said!

Can’t become a psychopomp now. Mortality fucking sucks.

[fujifingerz]

I’m back in Meguca HELL

[thievingdemiurge]

There is no false happiness, Lalonde.

Lalonde recently proposed that the setting in which Puella Magi Madoka Magica takes place could be divided into two layers and three emotional characters. This is bullshit, and I shall lay out her idea herein (adding additional layers as a i please), and then correct it.

The First Layer: The mundane world the show takes place in appears to be comfortable, and either broadly utopian or wealthy enough to create the illusion of utopianism. Most characters start out decently happy in this world, barring those who have been wronged in some way (Kyosuke) or are on the path to becoming magical girls (Kyouko). The emotional character here is false happiness. The people are happy, but it is not difficult to step into the second layer from here, or otherwise lose your happiness.

The Second Layer: The world of magical girls and witches, as first experienced by Madoka and Sayaka. The emotional character of the first layer splits, here. The wonder of newly-discovered magic, or a heartfelt wish allows for greater degrees of happiness than the first layer can likely allow, but the inherent danger of the profession can make it easy to enter the third layer. The bottom parts of this layer are often when wishes begin to go wrong.

The Third Layer: The origin of witches is now apparent, and with this comes a sense of newfound despair and desperation. The knowledge of one’s inevitable fate serves as a dampener to one’s happiness, as does the pressure to maintain that happiness, lest one hasten their own doom. This layer may also contain those who know of their doom by other means, such as Homura or Oriko, where the fear is less of becoming a witch and more of failing to achieve their goals outright. Most magical girls linger here for a time, then die.

The Fourth Layer: This layer is characterized by apotheosis, rebellion, and peace. This is the layer where some magical girls arrive, where they either stubbornly retake their happiness from their doom, perhaps by radically changing the world in which they live (Madoka, and then Homura), or at least manage to find a way to sustain their own happiness in a system fundamentally meant to harm them. They have pierced through the false happiness of the first layer, and survived the second and third layers, and now they are battered and bruised and quite frankly traumatized, but at least able to now begin to try and create a true happiness.

Now then. This is obviously utter nonsense. What could ever differentiate a “true” and “false” happiness? The emotional experience is the same. The only difference between the happiness of the first and fourth layers is how easy they are to gain and to lose. Congratulations, Lalonde, you have based your affair upon nothing of value or meaning.

[thievingdemiurge]

dungeons and dragons notes part 6: the lady-protector

a great many of the human and dwarven nations towards the north of the continent are ruled in practice as republics, but are in truth monarchies with empty thrones. the lady-protector is known by a number of titles and names, though “lady-protector” or “her resolution” are most common terms to refer to her.

the lady-protector burned with the same radiant fire of the beastes, but held it in the palm of her hand. her resolution saw to it that the old kingdoms burned to ash, and that the tyrants of the past remained in the grave.

paladins follow her. they do not know she yet lives, in a palace in the furthest reaches of the north.

[thievingdemiurge]

quite tempted to join the wings of the magius

[thievingdemiurge]

Why yes, I am being sad about a cat that died years ago

I can’t protect anything I love.

[thievingdemiurge]

When compared to other people in my age group [18] (and indeed a great many younger than me), I have accomplished nothing of value.

I think my only hope of redemption would be to end the world, but I can’t do that.

[thievingdemiurge]

Considering using my setting for a system other than D&D, simply because I don’t want to use maps for combat.

[thievingdemiurge]

might still use 5e.

[thievingdemiurge]

Considering using my setting for a system other than D&D, simply because I don’t want to use maps for combat.

[thievingdemiurge]

dungeons and dragons notes part 5: the faith of the foxes

given the unusual way the vulpine folk reproduce, it would be understandable for their religions to be an eclectic mess of various faiths, but this is in fact rather far from the truth. in reality, most foxgirl priestesses engage in monolatry. they acknowledge the existence of other gods, but only routinely worship one. it isn’t abnormal to see a priestess perform minor rites to her former gods, alongside the major rites to her true goddess, especially when one considers that most priestesses are drawn from the priesthoods of other faiths. foxgirls have also been seen practicing a sort of animistic syncretism with their traditional faith.

the vulpine folk tend to be rather secretive about the nature of their deity, though scholars generally agree that this deity is likely some manner of goddess of decay or parasitism, possibly with ties to the fey planes.

additionally, it may be noted that all settlements of foxgirls have at least one priestess, often with two or three apprentice priestesses, usually converts from another faith. a village which loses its religious leadership will invariably dissolve and take to nomadism, or join up with another village.

(Rules interpretations: Foxgirl Divinity - N Intermediate Deity - Trickery, Foxgirl Animistic Syncretism - CN - Lesser Deities and Demipowers - Trickery, Nature, Tempest)

[thievingdemiurge]

dungeons and dragons notes part 4: an insultingly brief history of the moth peoples (which is full of holes, unsurprisingly), from the first empire to the present day

-1600 IMC - it is unknown under what circumstances the first moth empire came about, but at their height they covered all but the most northerly lands of the continent, and had many small colonies settlements on far-flung islands.

-1400 IMC - the beginning of the archon war, in which a great many angels took it upon themselves to destroy the first moth empire. the empire technically survives, through the development and deployment of mothforged soldiers (upon whose remains modern dwarven warforged are based!) and the invention of artifice. most of the heirs to the empire are slain in the fighting, however, leading to the eventual collapse of the empire in -1389 IMC.

-1200 IMC - the nation often considered to be the second moth empire was technically a republic, largely confined to the eastern parts of the old empire’s territory, and aside from seeing the gradual ascendancy of artificers in increasing roles of societal and political important, wasn’t terribly relevant until -1117 IMC, when the republic was overthrown by the imperial faction, and the third moth empire was declared.

-1117 to -948 IMC - the third moth empire continues much as the second, albeit in a more autocratic and expansionist faction, reclaiming much of the old territories of the first empire, and seeing the resumed production of mothforged in large numbers.

-947 to -650 IMC - this era marks the age of high artifice, when some of the greatest works of mothkind were constructed. advances in mothforged technology and biological magics lead to the creation of orcs, and eventually high orcs, which replace the now outdated mothforged as the primary defends of the empire. towards the end of this era, moth artificers tear a hole in the center of their empire and bend the planes to create the great forest. their intentions in doing this remain unclear, but it ushered in a new era.

-649 to -132 IMC - The High Lady of the Fae (who shall be honored) discovers the damage to her plane. the fae are made aware of the existence of the material plane and proceed to blight the empire, bringing famine, civil war, and (according to some less reputable scholars) the fox-ear parasite (though this is a dubious theory, as mothfolk are among the few races this parasite cannot infect). the empire slides into a long decline.

-131 IMC - a mage, whose name has been lost to history, plays a trick (whose specifics have likewise been lost to history) on the fey, somehow limiting their influence in the material plane, and keeping them from entering the great forest. this is, however, insufficient to stop the decline of the empire, which collapses into numerous moth states less than a decade later.

0 IMC - a collection of villages in the southern archipelago band together, and in the coming years, they will reforge the moth empire. the imperial calendar marks this as 0 IMC, the birth of the fourth moth empire.

144 IMC - this year sees the foundation of the long death order of monks in the imperial capital. it remains a minor player in imperial politics for some time, until a monk is hired to kill off the emperor in 156 IMC. this cements the monks as a useful order of assassins, and they see frequent use to advance various political agendas in the coming years.

188 IMC - an instance of scholar’s apotheosis is formally documented. while the ailment had been observed before, this year marked an unprecedented degree of study into the phenomenon (and thus an uptick in cases).

206 IMC - the fourth empire collapses overnight. no one can remember what happened to cause it, and the stars are in different places than they were the night before.

403 IMC - the fifth empire is refounded as a republic, and lasts less than a month before the stars move again, and it collapses.

628 IMC - the sixth empire is founded, despite warnings by the church of the stars. unlike its predecessor, it does not collapse, though it is far smaller than any previous empire, having little territory outside of the archipelago. it also sees a great degree of decentralization, in an effort to stave off the jealousy that led to the widespread use of long death monks in previous years.

634 IMC - the stars shift for the third, and final (to date) time. the empire sees a period of brief instability, and the church of stars is made the state religion, but the empire does not collapse.

722 to 805 IMC - the few moth holdings on the mainland are lost to the ascendant human kingdom of aeland.

971 IMC - a schism in the church of stars, long the patron church of the royal family, sees the sixth empire thrown into civil war. the war is eventually won, not through force of arms, but through the wise diplomacy of prince tefflehan, who is crowned emperor tefflehan iv the next year.

986 IMC - emperor tefflehan iv achieves scholar’s apotheosis, inadvertently vaporizing the entire imperial family and triggering the succession wars of the sixth empire.

1000 IMC - the order of the long death ends the wars of succession by killing every noble claimant. they declare the empire dissolved, and centralize the warring islands under a new monastic theocracy.

1036 IMC - a few smaller orders splinter off from the long death, citing various problems of governance and monastic practice. they are denounced as traitors brought about by baleful foreign influences, and the theocracy’s borders are tightened.

1061 IMC - present day. the archipelago is a theocratic dictatorship, and most of the lands of the former empire are occupied by human and dwarven kingdom.