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katakaluptastrophy · 3 months

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TLT meta post suggestion: explain the biblical significance of Paul to someone who knows jackshit about Christianity?

Paul is what happens when a clever person with establishment clout has a searing moment of metaphysical transformation that allows them to become a real nuisance...

The very TL;DNR version of Paul in Christianity (Bible!Paul, if you will) is that he was once an observant Jew called Saul who was involved in persecuting the early church. But one day, while enthusiastically doing this, he is struck blind by a huge flash of light and hears the voice of Jesus. From that point on he is known as "Paul", becomes an enthusiastic follower of Jesus, and helps to spread the gospel. Specifically, he is referred to as the 'apostle to the gentiles', taking the teachings of Jesus beyond its early Jewish roots to the wider Mediterranean world.

On a basic level, Necro!Paul being 'Paul' is probably a reference to that blazing moment of transformation - Bible!Paul is both continuity and change: the same passion, but expressed very differently. Well-educated, willing to cause trouble, and energised by something beyond the human norm.

But it's their speech to Ianthe where the Biblical stuff really starts to come through. It's worth noting that letters written by Bible!Paul (or 'written by him') account for nearly half of the books of the Christian New Testament and are hugely foundational in Christian theology.

And Necro!Paul's speech to Ianthe is full of Biblical references:

"I know how hard it is for you to kick against the goad," said the new person. "But there are more worlds than this. Come with us. We are the love that is perfected by death - but even death will be no more; death can also die."

That first line, 'kick against the goad', is a direct reference to Paul's 'Road to Damascus' moment where he hears Jesus:

I saw in the way a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me, and them that were in company with me. And when we were all fallen down on the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me in the Hebrew tongue: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the goad. And I said: Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord answered: I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. - Acts 26:13-15

To kick against the goad (or, in the slightly more colourful language of the KJV 'kick against the pricks') is to engage in an excercise in futility. It's a reference to an ox goad, a sharp instrument used to steer oxen in farming, which would hurt the animal if it tried to kick against it instead of following where it was being directed.

It's an acknowledgement that Ianthe is doing something that rubs profoundly up against the metaphysical grain, that her own proud self-direction will only hurt her in the end.

'More worlds than this' is a reference to Hamlet, which Dulcie of course also quotes in TUG. (Hamlet rather seems to haunt the question of the River Beyond, but that's not what we're discussing right now...)

'We are the love that is perfected by death' is, I suspect, meant to reference two different Bible verses. The first is:

Put me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy as hard as hell, the lamps thereof are fire and flames. - Song of Solomon 8:6

Despite centuries of the church trying to claim that it's about the spiritual relationship between God and man, the Song of Solomon is now generally accepted to be a sexy poem about sex. So that's an interesting thing for the fusion of Palamedes and Camilla to quote... But perhaps more salient here is what's contrasted to the strength of love and death, which is jealousy and hell. Ianthe is being offered a chance at redemption - which is of course Bible!Paul's whole thing - which she summarily rejects. I'm sure, given NTN ending with Harrow going off to, one assumes, er, harrow hell, that this won't be relevant at all...

The other verse that 'love that is perfected by death' may be referencing is:

In this is the charity of God perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment: because as he is, we also are in this world. Fear is not in charity: but perfect charity casteth out fear, because fear hath pain. And he that feareth, is not perfected in charity. Let us therefore love God, because God first hath loved us. If any man say, I love God, and hateth his brother; he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother, whom he seeth, how can he love God, whom he seeth not? And this commandment we have from God, that he, who loveth God, love also his brother. - 1 John 4:17-21

The quotation in the Douay-Rhiems translation (apparently the preferred translation of lesbian necromancers in space, if Gideon the Ninth is anything to go by) is a little opaque, but 'charity' is an old timey way of translating 'love'. Essentially, this passage says that those who love God and are loved by God do not need to fear the day of judgement, and clarifies a bit about what it means to love God.

There are two things that are important.

The first is that this is from 1 John. There are five Biblical texts associated with St John: the Gospel of John, the Book of Revelation, and three Epistles (letters). Revelation is John's vision of the end of the world - and if you're wondering whether it's relevant that The Locked Tomb features a guy called John who ends the world, yes, it is - but the Epistles were written right at the end of his life. And 1 John has two themes that might be relevant to The Locked Tomb: the first is the question of what it means to love god (spoiler: the answer is not 'dinner and a movie'), and the second is whether your actions matter.

The second thing that might be relevant here is that just before this in 1 John 4, there is a warning about not heeding false prophets. Specifically, it warns about the antichrist. You know, the thing Necro!John says he was repeatedly accused of being? The point is that love - love properly understood - can protect you from the wiles of the antichrist. Probably not a relevant theme as we head off into the 'you have not yet begun to witness the horrors of love' book where people are presumably facing down a pretender god...

The final part of Paul's speech to Ianthe - 'death will be no more' - is also Johannine: this time from Revelation:

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away. - Revelation 21:4

This comes from a section where the Biblical John watches as the old world is destroyed and the new Jerusalem descends from Heaven. Death and sorrow are ended, and the righteous will rule with God. The sinful have a less fun time of it, involving fire and brimstone and 'the second death'. If that sounds familiar, it's because Necro!John cribbed that particular bit when making up his shoddy Space Catholicism (TM). (The implications of this really deserves a much longer treatment, so watch this space...)

One of the nice things about Tamsyn Muir's Biblical parallels is they're not generally exact. But it's perhaps relevant to note that amongst Bible!Paul's rather dramatic adventures are quite a few instances of casting demons out of people, starting at least one riot, shipwreck, and an "Incident at Antioch". Also...it's probably not relevant that the writings of St Paul were the turning point in the conversion of St Augustine...specifically a section about how the end of the world is nigh so you'd better get your act together...

All in all, Paul is...a very niche joke about Plato, hopefully not a joke about Dune, and mostly very, very apocalyptic. A new beginning at the end of the world! An offer of redemption to those swimming against the current! A warning to false gods! A sign that the end is nigh! All of which suggests Alecto the Ninth is going to be a wild ride (as if we didn't know that already).

#the locked tomb #tlt meta #tlt paul #john gaius

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yoga-onion · 4 months

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Legends and myths about trees

Celtic beliefs in trees (28)

Ph for Phagos (Beech) - all year around, the Celtic Tree Calendar (Ref)

Stars: Mercury, Saturn; Gender: female; Element: air, earth; Patrons: Ogma, Thoth, Hermes, Mercurius, Odin, Kronos; Symbols: learning + knowledge, wisdom + understanding, prosperity

The beech tree is a tree of learning, a symbol of prosperity and success. When walking through a beech forest, the large trees with the smooth, silver-grey bark and the curves created by the trunk and branches are like a living elephant or rhinoceros, giving you a sense of relief all year round.

In spring, the beech forests are bright and breezy, and the bluebells are in full bloom, the contrast between the dazzling young leaf colours and the blue announces that ‘spring has come’. In spring, the beech spreads soft, translucent, golden-green leaves with a fan-like shape, and in summer these leaves eventually become hard and dark green in colour, changing to yellow, reddish brown or golden in autumn. It is an essential tree for the forest.

The beech tree symbolises the written word, human innate wisdom and ancient knowledge. In olden times, writing was written on beech wood, and the first books were made by binding thinly cut beech wood. Before that, they were scrolls.

The beech tree is associated with deities of wisdom, knowledge and intelligence, such as Odin in Norse mythology, who brought us the runes, or the inventor of the Ogham script; the great warrior of the Tuatha Dé Danann; the monstrous strength of the eighty oxen; and the Celtic god, the sun-faced Ogma. And because of its connection with the creation of the secret code alphabet, it is also a symbol of divination and prophecy.

ケルト人の樹木の信仰 (28)

Ph は Phagos (ﾌﾞﾅ) - 1年中、ケルトの木の暦（参照）

星: 水星、土星; 性: 女性; 要素: 空気、土; 守護神: オグマ、トト、ヘルメス、メルクリウス、オーディン、クロノス; シンボル: 学習＋知識、知恵＋理解、繁栄

ブナの木は、学びの木、繁栄と成功の象徴でもある。ブナの森を歩くとき、その大木は銀灰色のした滑らかな樹皮、幹や枝がつくる曲線はまるで生きた象か犀のようで、一年中安堵感を与えてくれる木だ。

春、ブナの林の中は明るく風もよく通り、ブルーベルが一面に咲き誇り、眩い若葉色とブルーのコントラストに「春が来た」ことを知らせてくれる。春になると、ブナは半透明の柔らかい金緑色の葉を扇状に広げ、やがて夏にはこの葉が硬くなり濃い緑色になり、秋には黄色、赤褐色、金色へと変化していく。森になくてはならない木だ。

ブナの木は書かれた文字、人間が生まれつき備えている知恵、古代の知識を象徴している。ブナの木は、ルーン文字をもたらした、北欧神話のオーディンや、オガム文字を発明し、トゥアサ・デー・ダナンの偉大な戦士で八十頭の牛にも勝る怪力の持ち主、ケルトの神である太陽の顔を持つオグマなど、知恵、知識、知力をつかさどる神々と関連している。そして秘密の暗号アルファベットの創造と関係があることから、占いや予言の象徴ともなっている。

#trees #tree myth #tree legend #folklore #mythology #beech tree #celtic tree calender #celtic belief #ogma #tree of wisdom #art #nature

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practicecourts · 1 month

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@jilychallenge I've struggled with my January challenge but it clearly needed some additional prompts, so thank you @jilymicrofics for the Moody March list. So here it finally is @petals2fish.

I loved your Hungergame AU Catching Fire so I hope you will like this Medieval Jily fic. JilyChallenge January 2024 Theme: Love in Tough Times. Prompt: oh lord, o lord what have I done? I’ve fallen in love with a man on the run, Oh Lord, Oh lord, I’m begging you please, Don’t take this sinner away from me (The devil’s backbone / civil wars) / TS Don’t blame me (Oh lord, save me, my drug is my baby, I’ll be using for the rest of my life @jilymicro-oops || Moody March day 4 || despondent || ca 1250 wrds. Read Chapter one: To Hang... on ao3 thanks @tinyluminaryzombie for last minute beta reading (Chapter 2 will be up sometime tomorrow) ! please check the warnings in the notes !

To Hang...

People enter the city through the guarded gates, most are on foot, some on horseback. A few heavy carts, pulled by oxen with laboured breaths, make their way to the heart of town. The smells of baked goods mingle with earth and mud and unwashed clothes.

Lily has escaped her sister's nagging and moves through the throngs of people who have come to watch the procession later today. Unlike others who have come to their wares at the market or in the hopes of making a good bargain, Lily has come on a fanciful whim. She has met someone, a stranger. Rationally she knows he will be long gone. He’s a man of adventures, a sword for hire, who does not linger in a place like this. Still, she's come today on the off-chance she might catch a glimpse of him.

The sun still hangs low in the sky but she can already tell it will be another hot day.

read on...

#jily micro oops #jilychallenge january chapter 1 #medieval AU #james potter #lily evans #under the gallows #jily #jily fic #day 4 Moody March

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abstractednotebook · 2 months

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Slavic Spring Deities (Post no.1)

Vesna and Kresnik (Vesnik)

Vesna

(VEES-nah) “Lady Spring”, “Lady of Spring Resurrection”, or “The White Maiden of May”

There are about 15 other names for this deity, the ones that I will focus on in this post in particular are:

Vesna

Name that means Spring

Derived from the Proto-Indo-European “wésr” meaning Spring.

Zlata Maja

Name means “Golden Mother of Life”

Zlatogorka

Name means “Golden Hill”

Marjetica

Name means “Daisy”

Fun fact! The daisy is also a sacred flower of the Norse goddess Freya!

She is a glowing radiant goddess, often described as having long golden hair. Vesna is also associated with the day that the Swallows return on approximately March 9th called Strinenija. At this point in the year, another goddess named Striga(Mora, or Morana) would be reborn as this Spring Goddess. The dates however, will vary depending on the climatic differences in the various Slavic countries.

She loves music, dance and song; as well as sensual pleasures (intercourse). She bedecks herself with a flower crown, and the land itself with beautiful flowers. She may be found naked dancing in a meadow, happily surrounded by birds and butterflies.

Like all the tales of Slavic Deities, she too can change her form to the animals she most connects with. These animals happen to be white birds, rabbits, or singing larks. These are also her messengers!

Quick Facts!

Does she have a sacred day? Time? Holiday?: Yes! They are Fridays, the entire month of May, and especially May Day!

Sacred Space(s): Literally; any flowery meadow, garden, or hill!

Sacred Animals: Rooks, Robins, Cranes, Mice, Shrews, Cuckoos, Fire-flies and Glow worms.

Sacred Plants: Maple, hawthorn blossoms, and wild roses.

Offering ideas: Honey cakes, flowers, apples, goat’s milk, flower crowns, bird sculptures (especially of her sacred birds).

Kresnik

(kre-ES-nik) “Living Fire”, “Lord of Spring Resurrection”, “The Lord of Life-Giving Light”.

There’s about 11 names for this Deity!

In folktales, Kresnik can transform into a bird, or really any shape he pleases; or become invisible! He rides in a golden carriage across the sky on a winged horse. We see him in Slovene folk tales wielding a “golden axe” and causing lightning.

Like his female counterpart (or in some tales she is his partner or twin), he too has golden hair (and mustache), he is bright and radiantly handsome; however he is sometimes described to have golden hands (sometimes going as far as to have golden wings).

Oh! And, he lives on a golden mountain where there grows an apple tree; but it’s not just any old run of the mill apple tree—it holds the golden apples of immortality! (Are you sick of the word “GOLDEN” yet?)

The firefly is a sacred animal to him, and I’ll let you guess why.

Quick Facts!

Sacred day, time, or holiday: Spring Equinox, May 6th, Summer Solstice (June 21 or 22), and oddly enough, December 6th and the Winter Solstice. In short, the Winter Solstice was considered his “birthday,” and then he was celebrated at the Summer Solstice with bonfires!

Sacred spaces: Hills.

Sacred Animals: Roosters, goats, red cows, bulls, bears, wolves, boars, oxen, dragons, horses, flying horses, dogs with white spots (specifically over their eyes, but any white spots will do just fine), woodpeckers, and lynxes.

Sacred Plants: Apples, yellow “corn marigolds,” grapevines, buckwheat, blackberries, red cranberries, asparagus, wheat, hay, and various other fruits.

Sacred Objects: Spoked “sun wheels”, flutes, fiddle, a golden hand (think Thanos), a winged white horse, a candelabrum, golden axe, or a club.

Offering ideas: Yellow apples, wine, cooked buckwheat, grapes, candles, incense, Frankincense, wheat sheaves, cranberries.

END POST

P.S: If you have any questions, always remember to ask them!! If I personally cannot answer it, I'll find sources that could help you out!

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kvetchlandia · 4 months

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G. Frank Pearsall Walt Whitman, New York City c.1872

The negro holds firmly the reins of his four horses, the block swags underneath on its tied-over chain, The negro that drives the long dray of the stone-yard, steady and tall he stands pois'd on one leg on the string-piece, His blue shirt exposes his ample neck and breast and loosens over his hip-band, His glance is calm and commanding, he tosses the slouch of his hat away from his forehead, The sun falls on his crispy hair and mustache, falls on the black of his polish'd and perfect limbs.

I behold the picturesque giant and love him, and I do not stop there, I go with the team also.

In me the caresser of life wherever moving, backward as well as forward sluing, To niches aside and junior bending, not a person or object missing, Absorbing all to myself and for this song.

Oxen that rattle the yoke and chain or halt in the leafy shade, what is that you express in your eyes? It seems to me more than all the print I have read in my life.

My tread scares the wood-drake and wood-duck on my distant and day-long ramble, They rise together, they slowly circle around.

I believe in those wing'd purposes, And acknowledge red, yellow, white, playing within me, And consider green and violet and the tufted crown intentional, And do not call the tortoise unworthy because she is not something else, And the jay in the woods never studied the gamut, yet trills pretty well to me, And the look of the bay mare shames silliness out of me.

-- Walt Whitman, "Song of Myself, XIII" c.1867

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clouseplayssims · 4 months

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Oregon Trail Challenge

To begin with, randomize 8 families. One of these households will be the Leader and will pick one of the options below. You may choose to play all the households in rotation or play solely the Leader and install Story Progression to have the other households move forward.

It is advised that you install CC such as wagons, oxen, horses, etc. but not required. You can go full Mad Max if you want to - you do you!

It is advised to set up identical lots, place families, and then set family funds. There are no rules regarding the beginning lot.

Select a career for the Leader

Banker

Start off with $5,000 simoleons.

Carpenter

Start off with (3) wood planks, (3) nails, and all sims in household have 4 logic skill points.

Start off with $1,000 simoleons.

Farmer

Start off with extra fridge.

Once a career is selected sims can purchase supplies at Matt's General Store - oxen to pull the wagon, food, clothing, ammunition, and spare wagon parts.

Start off with $800 simoleons.

THE CHALLENGE

The challenge will take 16 sim days to complete. Due to delay mechanic, these will be referred to as tiles. Sims have 20 days to reach the end of the trail before winter sets in.

There are several landmarks such as a river crossing or a fort. Each landmark has different choices available to the player, such as purchasing supplies at a fort, talking to fellow travelers at a geographic landmark, or choosing how to cross a river.

Rivers can be crossed by fording the river, caulking the wagon and floating across, or in some cases by paying for a ferry; the chance of crossing without failure, which can result in losing supplies or damaging the wagon, depends on the state of the river and the weather.

As the party progresses further along the trail, the prices for supplies rise. At two landmarks, the player can choose to take a "cut-off", or shortcut; these paths are shorter but bypass the next landmark, a fort.

Sims have 20 days to reach the end of the trail before winter sets in. Once winter sets in, Winter Handicap applies.

Roll d6 every day to determine if a random event occurs. An odd roll means an event occurs - roll for event.

Sims may hunt any day on the trail, however hunting delays by 1 day.

THE TRAIL

Pre-Trail Matt's General Store Tile 1 - Trail Tile 2 - Trail Tile 3 - River Tile 4 - Fort Crumplebottom (5% markup on supplies) Tile 5 - Jail Rocks Landmark Tile 6 - Trail Tile 7 - River Tile 8 - Chimney Rocks Landmark Tile 9 - Fort Goth (10% markup on supplies) Tile 10 - Independence Rock Landmark Tile 11 - River Tile 12 - Fort Lothario (15% markup on supplies) Tile 13 - Trail Tile 14 - Trail Tile 15 - Fort Caliente (20% markup on supplies) Tile 16 - Trail

You've reached the Pleasantview Valley!

RIVER CROSSING

---Fording the River

Roll a d10 for survival. D1 is an automatic drowning. Having a body skill level of 4 or higher automatically ensures survival.

---Caulking the Wagon

Roll a d10 for survival. D1 is an automatic drowning. Having a body skill level of 3 or higher automatically ensures survival.

---Ferry

Costs $100 simoleons per wagon.

LANDMARK

Sims have an option to visit the landmark and talk to other travelers. Max motives to be used on all sims within the wagon train. Visiting landmark does delay by 1 day.

WINTER HANDICAP

If the wagon trail hasn't completed all 16 tiles after 20 days they will be handicapped.

Change all seasons to winter.

RoS to be rolled for all households every day.

If it snows in game, delayed an additional day.

HUNTING

If the player chooses to hunt they should go to community lot set up with Sun & Moon hunting objects. Must use ammunition (use whatever you'd like to represent this - for example, I used a deco rifle as an example for a day's worth of bullets) and remain on lot for 24 hours. Will delay wagon train by 1 day.

OTHER PENALTIES

There is a penalty for losing all livestock - it will take 2 days to complete 1 tile.

RANDOM OCCURRENCE SCENARIOS

Roll d6: D1/D4 Injury/Sickness, D2/D5 Event, D3/D6 Delay. Optional: roll D6 again for delay - odd the delay stands, even can disregard.

Injury/Sickness (d12)

1 Buffalo Stampede

Every sim has to roll a d6 for survival. Rolling a 1 means the sim will die. Drop energy of all impacted sims to 25%. -Having a body skill level of 4 or higher automatically overrules survival roll.

2 Hypothermia/Frostbite Every sim has to roll a d10 for survival. Rolling a 1 means the sim will die. Change sim temp to freezing. -Having a body skill level of 4 or higher automatically overrules survival roll.

3 Heatstroke Every sim has to roll a d10 for survival. Rolling a 1 means the sim will die. Change sim temp to heatstroke. -Having a body skill level of 4 or higher automatically overrules survival roll.

4 Accidental Gunshot Roll to determine which sim was shot. Roll a d6 for survival. Rolling a 1 means the sim will die. Roll d6 every day for the next 5 days to determine if infection sets in. -Having a body skill level of 4 or higher automatically overrules survival roll.

5 Animal Bite Roll to determine which sim was bit. Roll a d10 to determine extent of injuries. (1 extreme to 10 mild) Rolling a 1 means the sim has rabies. Roll d6 every day for the next 5 days to determine if infection sets in.

6 Mild Sickness (Cold, Flu) Roll to determine which sim is impacted, give them a cold via game mechanics.

7 Burned by Campfire Roll to determine which sim was burned. Roll d6 every day for the next 2 days to determine if infection sets in.

8 Broken bone (arm, foot, hand, hip, or leg) Roll to determine which sim was injured. Roll d6 every day for the next 2 days to determine if infection sets in. Impacted sim must rest in bed for the duration. Optional: use CC cast to indicate injury.

9 Serious Sickness (Cholera, Consumption, Diphtheria, Dysentery, Grippe, Malaria, Measles, Pneumonia, Scarlet Fever, Scurvy, Smallpox, Typhoid Fever, Water Poisoning) Roll to determine which sim is impacted, give them a pneumonia via game mechanics.

10 Food Poisoning Roll to determine which sims are impacted. Roll a d6 for survival. Rolling a 1 means the sim will die.- Having an interest level of 4 or higher in Health automatically overrules survival roll.

11 Snakebite Roll to determine which sim was bitten. Roll a d6 for survival. Rolling a 1 means the sim will die. Roll d6 for the next 1 day to determine if infection sets in. -Having a body skill level of 4 or higher automatically overrules survival roll.

12 Poison Ivy Roll to determine which sim is impacted, give them poison ivy via game mechanics.

-----INFECTION Infection sets in if a 1 is rolled. There are three levels of infection. If I sim rolls for an infection and reaches level 2, they must roll and go back down to 1 before getting better.

Level 1 - mild, fever/chills. Give sim cold via game mechanics.

Level 2 - more severe, all motives to drop by 50%.

Level 3 - death.

Event (d10)

1 Prairie fire Every sim has to roll a d6 for survival. Rolling a 1 means the sim will die. -Having a body skill level of 4 or higher automatically overrules survival roll.

2 Strangers Approach Roll a d6 to determine if this is a positive (odd) or negative (even) event. -Having a charisma skill level of 4 or higher automatically overrules negative roll.

Positive - roll to see what the party gains. 1 $100 in Simoleons 2 Wagon 3 Oxen 4 Food 5 Clothing 6 Equipment

Negative - roll to see what the strangers take from the party. 1 $100 in Simoleons 2 Wagon 3 Oxen 4 Food 5 Clothing 6 Equipment

3 Abandoned Wagons Roll d6 to determine which abandoned wagon they find. ***You may other create 6 abandoned wagon lots or randomize from buy mode what is found.

4 Missing Person or Livestock Roll to determine which sim or animal is missing. Can choose to delay travel and roll to look or to move on. If delay is chosen, roll a d6 to determine if sim/animal is found - rolling a 6 means the search is successful. -Having a logic skill level of 4 or higher increases chance of finding lost sim/animal by +2.

5 Theft Roll to see which sim gains thief trait. They must attempt to swipe an item every day they are on the trail.

6 Wild Fruits/Vegetables Gain d6 amount of food.

7 Death of Livestock Roll to determine which livestock die.

8 Drowning (almost) Roll to determine which sim is impacted. Drop energy to 25%.

9 Spoiled Food All meat has spoiled and must be removed from inventory.

10 Found Fresh Water Roll d10 to determine how many buckets to put in inventory.

Delays (d6)

1 Severe Weather (thunderstorm, fog, duststorm, hailstorm, etc.) Roll d4 to determine how many days the wagon train is delayed.

2 Quicksand Ahead Roll d4 to determine how many days the wagon train is delayed.

3 Obstructed Path (fallen rocks and boulders) Roll d4 to determine how many days the wagon train is delayed.

4 Livestock is injured. Can choose to delay or to put animal down.

5 Animals Exhausted Delayed 1 day.

6 Wagon accident (Tipped Wagon, wagon caught on fire, broken parts, Wagon stuck in mud or deep sand, etc.) Delayed 1 day. Must use wagon parts to repair or wagon must be abandoned. -Having a mechanical skill level of 4 or higher always wagon to be repaired without parts.

#oregon trail challenge

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sundove88 · 1 month

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Can ya do headcanon infodumps on ALL of the Holiday related Cookies?

Carol:

She has a natural singing voice and one of the biggest dreams of her childhood was singing for a live audience.

Whenever she sings, animals flock to her, knowing that they’re safe in her presence. She’s basically a Disney Princess!

And speaking of which, she also collaborated with other singers like Rockstar, Poppin’ Candy and The Cake Pops, and Shining Glitter.

Pinecone:

They can store who knows how much food in their cheeks, and they’re proud of it!

They love planting seeds, they always mark the places where they put them, and give each tree to be a name before they even sprout.

Pancake Cookie is one of their best friends because they share acorn jellies together when the sun is out.

Eggnog:

He knows the names of every kid cookie on Earthbread!

He considers the elves that work for him his family as well.

He knows how to wield a sword without being afraid of getting hurt. (RoTG reference)

Tiramisu:

Some of his favorite animals are musk oxen, reindeer, and snowy owls!

He loves those super big jackets that obscure you when you’re all wrapped up.

His favorite movie of all time is Klaus.

Lollipop:

Some of her favorite toys to design are Barbie dolls- cookie versions of them!

One of her favorite things to do is to make concept art for toys.

She donates any toys that don’t get delivered to kids who need them the most.

Butterbear:

He spoils Lollipop with the most beautiful toys you can ever imagine.

Some of his best works are probably some of those super complex robot toys.

Whenever it comes to spare toys, he donates them to kids who need them.

Stollen:

She carries around a bag of holiday glitter to spread around.

Her antlers may be decorative, but she takes good care of them.

Her snowman making skills are only matched by Snow Sugar.

Strawberry Cream:

He’s always lived in the woods his entire life- not only was he raised by the foxes, but he knows which berries are poisonous and which ones are safe!

The name of his most loyal sugar fox is called Chantilly!

He smells of Berry compote and sugared cream.

Chestnut:

His tricycle was a Christmas gift from Eggnog.

He lives above The Cookie Herald in a small apartment for one.

But he always saves up every penny to buy new things.

Pudding:

She loves making paper dolls out of her leftover crafting supplies.

One of her fave songs is “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”!

She enjoys having snowball fights!

#livi’s asks #my Headcanons #cookie run #cookie run kingdom #crk #cookie run Ovenbreak #crob #Carol cookie #Pinecone cookie #eggnog cookie #tiramisu cookie #lollipop cookie #Butterbear cookie #stollen cookie #strawberry cream cookie #chestnut cookie #pudding cookie

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orthodoxadventure · 3 months

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Because people seemed to like the original post so much, here are some more examples of chumak iconography.

Iconography on dried fish began to be painted in the 19th century by Ukrainian fish and salt merchants, called “chumaks”. They brought their goods from the Black and Azov Seas using carts pulled by oxen, and then sold them at street markets. Chumaks spent a lot of time on the road. They attached such images to their carts, probably as travel icons, in the same way as some modern Christians place icons in their cars It is possible that chumaks chose fish as the material for their icons not by chance, since the fish is one of the oldest Christian symbols. In Greek, ichthys is an acronym meaning “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour”. It is also possible that the traditional wooden base was much more expensive than dried fish and quickly deteriorated under the influence of sun and precipitation

#Ukraine #Iconography #Art #Christianity #Orthodox Christianity

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astrolaurical · 10 months

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THE ULTIMATE BTS ASTROLOGY ANALYSIS: MOON SIGNS- JHOPE

BTS moon signs masterlist

Jin, Jhope, and Namjoon all have their moons in their 1st house, so I wanted to put them close together so as you are reading, you can see how the SIGN (Aries for Jin, Taurus for Jhope, Sagittarius for Namjoon) can change, making the PLANET (moon) act so different from person to person.

For reference, Here is what planets, signs, and houses mean. For all things astrology, go here. The moon is your emotions and how you react and handle your feelings in day- to- day life. The house and what zodiac sign your moon is in will affect how you handle your emotions compared to someone else.

JHOPE

Moon In Taurus 1st House

Namjoon has said before that if he wasn’t the leader of BTS, that J-Hope would be the next best option. His Taurus moon in his 1st house really highlights his leadership qualities. I often view J-Hope and Jin as kind of the rocks of the group. Every group has one; that one member that if they aren’t around, the other members seem lost. I always think of Mark from GOT7, Blackpink’s Jisoo, and Seungkwan, Joshua, and Jeonghan from Seventeen. They are always quietly supporting their members and just seem to be super observant. Hell, Mark has flown to his bandmate’s shows in other countries tons of times to go support his maknaes even though they always make fun of him. Notice how Bambam posts birthday wishes for ONLY Mark on instagram? Ride or die type stuff. That’s how I view Hobi as well.

Hobi himself has shown those qualities countless times, as members have spoken that he always agrees to a late night drink on the spot, and always drops by solo shoots to support his members. He even did it most recently in Jin’s Suchwita episode!

Hobi’s Taurus moon give him the qualities of stability, security, strength, and sensitivity. Taurus is an earth sign represented by the bull. I always imagine bulls like oxen- very heavy and sturdy; reliable and strong. These attributes fit well with Taurus. What makes this earth sign different from Virgo or Capricorn is that Taurus is ruled by Venus, making this zodiac have a more sensual and luxurious feel. Have you ever met a Taurus that doesn’t like the finer things in life? They work hard to get those expensive items, and that certainly applies to J-Hope as well, as he is a well-known fashion lover and goods collector.

The moon is emotions, so when combined with Taurus, it makes the person like to stick to what they know. Basically they are not big fans of change. Hobi does have an INFJ MBTI (same!) and is probably a homebody like me. A Taurus moon definitely likes a cozy familiar environment. I just imagine his house to be filled with throw pillows and the comfiest blankets.

A Taurus moon is actually exalted, meaning that the moon is the most comfortable in this zodiac sign, so lucky J-Hope! Basically, this means that he has control over his emotions. His strong constitution and emotional stability help him keep his cool in stressful situations and contribute to his success.

Taurus Moon Square Aquarius Sun

If you are an old ARMY like myself, you remember all of the hate Hobi received in the beginning of BTS’s career. There were even smear campaigns to get him to leave the band. The hate got so bad that Jimin had to post that photo of him spelling out Jhope's name on Twitter (rip their old account when they used to actively use it) to cheer Hobi up :(. This hate can be seen most clearly through his Taurus moon square Aquarius Sun: it was written in the stars for him to go through these hard life lessons to become who he is today. This aspect tells of success that does not come easy and is only achieved from hard work. (He learns this wisdom and applies it via his Taurus Moon Square Aquarius Mars which we will talk about next.)

Hobi’s ego (sun) and his emotions (moon) are not aligning. While he may be strong willed (Taurus moon), he may not have all the resources and support systems readily available for him (Aquarius moon). We all know that J-Hope is very close to his family and had to move to Seoul from Gwangju to be a trainee. He even said that he quit BigHit and only came back because Jungkook begged him. It seems after that experience he really buckled down and made some thoughtful plans about how to execute his path forward so he could achieve his goals. His determination, stamina, and discipline paid off as all the work he did back then has made his life easier now.

Taurus Moon Square Aquarius Mars

J-Hope took the wisdom from the hard lessons he had to learn as a trainee and applied it to pursuing his goals. His Taurus Moon (strong willed determination to get what he wants) being square to his Aquarius Mars (drive and passion that inspires others) helped him to debut and go on to become one of the most famous dancers in K-Pop history. He continued to practice and improve his dancing skills by uploading Hope on the Street videos, showing off his determination to improve himself.

Taurus Moon Opposite Scorpio Jupiter

This placement makes Hobi willing to take risks and go for it (Scorpio Jupiter) but because it is opposite his Taurus Moon, his emotions can cause him to doubt himself. A perfect example would be Run BTS episodes where he is afraid of heights or to stick his hand in the unknown box. He wants and needs the feeling of being passionate about his daily routine and feels it is invested with his later goals or mission. He is so committed to BTS and perfecting their dance, that the members are “scared” of him when he goes into dance teacher mode. He needs to make sure that he isn’t so invested in work that he stresses himself out, though. Having practical strategies to deal with emotional distractions, like hobbies or someone to vent to would be good for someone with this placement. This aspect also makes him extremely likable! Other people admire and look up to him (Taurus Moon) and enjoy his friendly nature, optimism, and generosity (Scorpio Jupiter).

Taurus Moon Trine Capricorn Uranus

Yoongi and Hobi both have this placement since entire generations will have the same Saturn-Pluto since they are slow moving planets. These qualities demonstrate differently in these two men because of their different moons. A good rule of thumb for remembering Uranus is that it is ruled by Aquarius. Aquarius= all things eccentric, alien, weird, out of the box. Hoseok’s Capricorn Uranus is positively aspecting his Taurus Moon. Remember his infamous acorn pouch? This is where his love for all weird fashion things comes from! Others are intrigued by his personal style and freedom of expression. He may be the weirdest or most unique person in the room (and he certainly has had an interesting fashion evolution over the years), but it has zero impact on his confidence. He is sure of who he is and he is elated to share it with the world! That is why he is so fun and exciting to be around.

Taurus Moon Trine Capricorn Neptune

Hobi also shares this same placement with Yoongi, except their moon signs are different. This will make the way the planets affect slightly different. Hobi sees the big picture in everything and has a talent for finding a way to get there, whereas Yoongi is a little more black-and-white (although over the years he does seem to be getting wiser with age).

J-Hope has incredibly strong empathy for others, making him extremely trustworthy and easy to get along with. He might also see the best in others when they may not deserve it, and may need to take caution to make sure this doesn’t backfire. Like, not spilling his guts to someone he thinks is a friend who then goes and blabs to the media type of thing. Jimin has said he has lost friends because of situations like this. I’m curious to see if he has this placement.

Taurus Moon Opposite Scorpio Pluto

Hobi’s exalted Taurus moon faces difficulty as it is opposite Scorpio Pluto. Scorpio (transformation, death) and Pluto (transformation) are a killer combination for the ego. Emotions come from the deepest parts of Hoseok’s being and are not always easy for him to understand. It could have been especially hard in his early life where it might have felt as if his emotions controlled him and they manifested themselves ferociously and unfiltered. He might have had terrible tantrums or was labeled “sensitive”. Over time and with more life experiences, he learned how to control his emotions and was probably able to strengthen his intuition with wisdom.

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ariel-seagull-wings · 4 months

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THE SNAKE WHO WAS A PRINCESS

@tamisdava2 @adarkrainbow @themousefromfantasyland @the-blue-fairie @princesssarisa @faintingheroine @softlytowardthesun @grimoireoffolkloreandfairytales @professorlehnsherr-almashy

(Brazilian Folktale)

In ancient times there was a Kingdom that was not happy because its Queen had never had a child. The King was sad seeing the day when he got old, died and couldn't leave a person of his blood on the throne. The people made promises, the queen prayed, and the much-desired heir never appeared.

One day, at the sound of the Hail Marys, the Queen lost her patience and said something she shouldn't have said:

“God my Lord!”

She said:

“Grant that I have a child, even if it's a snake!”

After a while it seemed that the Queen was actually going to have a child. The King ordered the news to be celebrated with parties that didn't stop. Night and day the people danced and sang in front of the palace.

No one paid any more taxes, the King walked around with his teeth bared in contentment, satisfied, treating his slaves with kindness.

And it was like that until one stormy day, with thunder and lightning cutting through the clouds, the queen gave birth to a girl, very beautiful, with blue eyes, blonde hair, a beauty. But the girl had been born with a snake wrapped around her neck.

Everyone in the King's house was disgusted. When the Queen looked at her daughter, she burst into tears. And no one wanted to go near the crib for fear of the snake. Doctors from other kingdoms came, doctors, prayers, diviners, and the more they did to remove the snake from the little princess's neck, the more the snake stuck to the beautiful girl.

And the years went by. And the years went by. And the princess created a sisterly affection for the little snake, which was green and had a head with human eyes. For whole hours the princess would spend playing with the snake by the sea.

And when the snake saw the waves of the sea, it liked to get out of the princess's neck and walk happily through the waves. She was so far from land that her friend didn't even see where she was going.

And that's why she started to cry, afraid that the little snake wouldn't come back. She cried so much that the snake returned to the girl's neck, curled up, joined her friend, and the two returned together to the king's palace, where no one knew about these games on the beach. But one day, the snake entered the sea, going further than the other times. The princess cried, cried a lot, until she came back to say:

“My rich princess, my day has come, I'm going far away, far away, to a land that is a thousand leagues lower than the bottom of the sea. You will be alone, my sister, but I will not abandon you, I will help you whenever necessary. My name is Labismínia. Scream for Labismínia, and you can rest assured, I will come to your aid.”

And having said this, the little snake ran into the sea. The princess stood on the edge of the beach crying. So many tears flowed from her eyes, like a stream of streams. Then she fell silent. Labisminia, her sister, was gone. And she was alone in the world, alone.

At home, when Princess Maria arrived, without the snake around her neck, there was a commotion. The king danced with joy, immediately ordered a great party to be prepared, and called the kings of the other kingdoms.

The people ate cake, they killed oxen and sheep for the people. And the slaves worked without shackles on their arms and feet. But Princess Maria was sad. It didn't even seem like it was all for her.

Every morning, when the sun rose, she went to the seaside to see if Labisminia appeared. And the sun arrived from far, far away and brought no news of Labismínia. In the afternoon, the princess returned to the beach where she played so much with her friend. She wanted to see if the moon said anything.

The moon could tell if she had seen Labisminia, if she had passed through her sister's land. The moon was floating so much above the waters of the sea!

But nothing. Neither the moon nor the sun gave news of Labisminia, which was in a land that was a thousand leagues further away than the bottom of the sea. Then the princess cried.

Would God grant that she would go to the land that was a thousand leagues below the bottom of the sea…

Oh! If she could descend like a fish, escape the world and meet Labisminia again! Her neck was already used to the snake. And it went on like this, until one day the whole kingdom became sad.

The King ordered the slaves to be shackled again, the king forced the people of his kingdom to pray. The Queen had started to get sick. There was no doctor who knew what it was.

Doctors came from all corners of the earth, sorcerers from all corners of the world. And when the Queen felt she was going to die, she called the King and, in front of the entire court, said to her husband:

“When you have to get married again, she said, taking a ring off her finger, it can only be with the princess on whose finger fits this ring that I give you.”

The king cried a lot, but after so much crying, he began to think about his marriage.

And for this he sent messengers to all sides of the earth. First for the princesses of Castille. And the ring didn't fit on anyone's finger. Then, to the daughters of the French peers. Anything.

The king then sent to speak to the sovereign of England. And no princess appeared for the king's ring. In the Austrian court it was the same thing.

And so it took a long time. The King was already convinced that he would no longer find a girl to marry, when he remembered his daughter, the Princess, who was the greatest beauty in the world.

Who knows, he thought, if that snake around Maria's neck might not be a sign from God for him to marry his own daughter?

And thinking so, he sent for the Princess. And the ring fit on his daughter's finger, as if it had been made for her.

When the princess learned of her father's intentions, she ran to the edge of the beach and began to cry loudly, crying so much, shedding tears like the eyes of water from a mountain range.

“Labismínia, Labismínia!”

She shouted:

“Come and help me!” And when she saw it, it was a noise that came from the bottom of the sea. A big wave hit her feet, and the little green snake, with human eyes, appeared in front of her, magically, saying to her:

“Why is the beautiful princess crying, my sister?”

Maria told her whole story. She was the most unfortunate girl of all the girls in the land, as she would have to marry her own father.

“There's nothing, my sister.”

Labismínia told her.

“I will save you from everything. Ask the king that for you to marry him he needs to give you a dress the color of the field with all its flowers.”

Then the sea made another fearful noise and a wave carried Labisminia into the depths.

Princess Maria returned home comforted and told her father what she wanted. The king was surprised by his daughter's request, but he was not disappointed. Messengers, servants, slaves went out into the world looking for the dress. The princess, in the palace, was already resting, when her father appeared with the requested dress, which was the color of the field with all its little flowers.

“I give you the dress of your desires. It cost me more than the Kingdom I won in the battle with the Moors.”

The princess looked at the dress, which was a beauty like she had never seen. But as soon as she thought about the wedding, she started crying again. And with that agony in her heart she ran to the beach shouting for the snake:

“Labismínia! Labismínia! Come save me!”

Then the sea gave a groan, and a wave brought the little green snake with human eyes to the princess's feet.

“Labismínia, the King my father sent people through the hollow of the world looking for the dress that was the color of the field with all its little flowers. It's beautiful, Labismínia, but I don't want to marry my father.”

“There 's nothing.”

Said the little snake:

“There 's nothing. Ask him for another dress, a dress the color of the sea with all the fish.”

Princess Maria consoled herself again. And a big wave, all white foam, took Labismínia to the bottom of the sea.

The King, when he found out about the princess's new request, put his hands on his head. Where to find a dress like that? But he had to marry his daughter.

And he sent his messengers out into the world again.

One day the sea-colored dress arrived with all its fish, and he gave the dress to his daughter. The princess found it a beauty, much more beautiful than the other. She dressed up with him, looked at herself in the palace mirrors, but when she remembered that she had to marry her father, she found herself crying. And she went to the beach after Labisminia. And the little snake didn't take long to arrive to console her sister.

“There's nothing, my sister Maria. There's no need to cry so much, Labismínia has to find a way. Go back and ask your father for a dress the color of the sky with all the stars. There's no need to cry, my dear sister.”

And she reassured so many good things that the princess returned home happy with her life. She immediately went to talk to her father. She wanted a dress the color of the sky with all the stars. The king gave in to despair. Where to find a dress like that? So he called his vassals, called his treasurer, opened his chests and said:

“Damn you for the world. Bring me this dress, even if it costs all the gold I won in the war with the Turks.”

And the messengers went out into the world. The princess, happy, sang. She went out through the garden, walking among the rose bushes, which smelled so much as if each one were a bottle of scent.

And the birds in the trees sang. Many came to play at the feet of the princess, who was the happiest creature in this world. Princess Maria played with the birds, happy, content, in the trust she had in her sister Labismínia.

And times went by.

But one day the King arrived in her chamber.

Behind him came a hundred slaves who carried in their hands the dress she had asked for from her father.

The stars in the sky on the blue silk sparkled as if it were made of diamonds. The train of her dress went so far that she couldn't even see the end.

“My daughter…”

The King said to her.

“I bring you the greatest wealth of all the kingdoms on earth. For this dress I gave all the gold and all the stones that I brought from the wars with the Turks. Now, my daughter, let's set our wedding day.”

The princess didn't even wait for her father to leave her room. He soon fell to the ground, crying. She had been deceived by Labismínia! And at the edge of the beach she went to call for her companion, screaming in pain. Tears flowed from her eyes like water from a casagrande toe.

“Labismínia, Labismínia, where is my heart’s little snake?”

A noise was heard coming from the bottom of the sea. And the green snake with human eyes approached the crying princess. Maria told him everything. It was okay, said the little snake.

“Go home, pack your bags, with all the dresses your father gave you, and go back to the seaside. Here where I am, you will find a ship that will take you to a beautiful kingdom, far away from this world where you have suffered so much, my little sister of the heart. But look carefully: when you're on the happiest day of your life, scream for me three times, so that I can become disenchanted and become the princess I am again.”

No sooner said than done. Princess Maria fled with her dresses on the ship that Labismínia had sent for her.

The King had gone out on a hunt.

And the princess filled the ship with her suitcases. And she was gone into the unknown realm.

Once there, she did everything as Labismínia had told her.

She jumped ashore, and when she noticed, she no longer saw the ship, nor did she see the suitcases with her dresses anymore. She was changed into a servant, a poor girl, the poorest girl on earth.

And arriving in the unknown kingdom, she went to ask the Queen for a job, who, seeing her so poor, ordered her to take care of the chicken coop.

Maria slept among the chickens, dirty as she had never seen one of her father's slaves.

At night she cried, seeing that Labismínia had lied to her.

Poor her, she was the poorest girl in the world!

Even so, Princess Maria still gave thanks to God. Better to sleep with the chickens than marry her father.

Where was the prince that Labismínia had promised her? After a while, they started talking in the kingdom about a very big party that they were going to give in the city near the castle.

And on the day of the spoken party, in the early evening, Maria began to notice the carriages that passed, clinking along the road. So, after wrapping up the chickens, she thought about life. She was the poorest girl in this world of God.

Everyone went to the castle party, the poor and the rich, and she alone stayed there, smelling the dirt from the king's chickens.

But all this was better than marrying her father.

She had this thought in her head when she heard a voice coming from far away:

“Take your carriage, Maria, and go to the party.”

Suddenly, she saw herself in her dress the color of the fields with all its little flowers. A carriage with a silver harness, with six black horses, was waiting for her. And that's how Princess Maria went to the most talked about ball in the city. When she entered the hall, she admired everyone. They had never seen a richer and more beautiful princess. Her dress filled everything with beauty. It was as if the most beautiful field on earth had entered the room, with all its perfumes, with all its colors.

The King and Queen immediately wanted to meet that Princess of such distinction. And the one who noticed Maria most was the king's son, a very handsome Prince, with black eyes. But the Princess didn't stay until the end of the party. When the roosters began to crow, she returned in her carriage to her corner in the castle. The other day, it was what everyone was talking about, in the king's palace.

What kingdom could that Princess be from, with such beautiful clothes, with such blond hair, with such blue eyes?

The Prince only talked about her with his mother. I didn't want to know anything else there, other than that girl in the dress that was the color of the field with all its little flowers.

The next night there was another dance in town.

Along the way to the city, Maria saw people passing by in carriages.

Very sad, she was seeing so many happy people, so many loved girls, and she was there among the chickens, so poor and so alone.

Despite this, everything seemed better than marrying her father. Soon she heard a very familiar voice:

“Maria, Maria, take your carriage and go to the party.”

Waiting for her was a beautiful carriage with golden harnesses and two pampas horses.

And with her dress the color of the sea with all the fish, the unknown princess entered the room, amazing.

The people's astonishment was even greater than the other night.

Where had that girl gone to get such a beautiful dress?

The Queen's dress, next to Maria's, looked like a poor man's outfit.

And wherever Maria passed, there was a wave of smell. Her golden hair, her blue eyes, were unnatural, they were so beautiful.

The Prince didn't take his eyes off her.

There was a buzz around the room. Where did that girl come from?

And the coachmen at the palace door stared open-mouthed at the carriage.

With its golden harness, all made of glass, Maria's carriage far left the king's cabriole, which looked like a poor man's car next to hers.

The huge horses had never been seen so big in that area. And the coachman dressed like a court grandee.

That was wealth. And when the roosters crowed, the princess retired to her room, where she went to sleep among the filth of her chickens.

The other day, at court, all the talk was about the beautiful princess.

The Prince did not sit still.

Spies were already on every corner of the road to see where the most beautiful Princess who had ever crossed the royal roads was coming from and passing by.

In her corner, Maria didn't even show a sign of pride.

Mixed with her chickens, she was dirty like the poorest girl in the world and still giving thanks to God.

Better all that than marrying her father.

And in the afternoon, when she was taking her chickens to the pigsty, she saw the black-eyed prince standing on the road.

“Where did you come from, chicken farmer?”

He said looking at the girl's face.

“Yesterday I saw a princess at the city party who looked just like you!”

Trembling with fear, Maria replied:

“Who am I, your Highness, to look like the most beautiful princess at your party?” But the Prince left bowing his head.

That day was the last night of the party.

Maria, sitting at the door of her room, looked at the moon coming out of the sky, very round, covering everything with silver.

A wind came from afar and blew the Princess's enchanting hair.

Along the road, carriages rushed to the ball.

Then she heard Labismínia's soft voice:

“Maria, take your carriage and go to the party.”

A carriage with diamond harnesses, with six white horses, waited for the most beautiful princess in the land. When Maria gave faith, she was wearing her dress that was the color of the sky with all the stars.

In the large ballroom, everyone stopped to look at her. The dancing stopped, the music stopped.

The Princess entered and all you could see were people admiring the beauty she brought.

The Prince was so filled with love that he ran to the princess and fell at her feet, kissing her dress, with tears in his black eyes.

“My beautiful Princess, keep this token with you …”

He said.

And he gave Maria a beautiful jewel. Just as the roosters crowed, the princess returned to her room. And the Prince, with so much love for her, fell ill in bed. Nothing existed for him, he didn't eat, he didn't sleep, heaving sighs for the princess who had left.

The Queen called all the doctors in the kingdom to see her son in that state. But no one knew what he had. Poor thing, he didn't even want to drink a cup of broth. From no one's hand did he accept food or drink.

The poor mother asked others to see if her son received from anyone what she did not want to receive from her hands. But the Prince refused.

He wanted to die, telling everyone that only the beautiful Princess at the party existed for him.

The Queen called, one by one, all the women in her court.

She called the princesses, she called the wives and daughters of her vassals, and the prince didn't want to look at any of them.

That's when they remembered the girl from the chicken coop.

Maria was called to the palace.

The Queen immediately ordered her to take a broth to the Prince's room, which he didn't want to take from anyone's hands.

“My rich lady, who am I to deserve so much honor from Your Majesty? All I can do is prepare a broth.”

The Queen accepted, she was so distressed. Maria prepared the broth and put the jewel that the prince had given her at the party into the cup.

And when the prince put the spoon in the cup and saw the jewel, he got up from the bed, shouting to his mother:

“Mother, I'm fine. Order the creature that prepared the broth to be brought here.”

They sent for the chicken farmer.

And when the messengers arrived from the chicken coop, they found the princess of the party, in her most beautiful dress, with a hundred slaves to serve as her servant, with a thousand suitcases of clothing, with three large carriages.

And Princess Mary married the black-eyed Prince …

But on the day of the wedding feast she forgot to call Labismínia three times, as she had promised.

And the poor princess was not disenchanted.

She remained a snake for life, with those human eyes. And that is why even today the sea moans so much, screams so much, makes so much noise.

It is poor Labismínia who, from the bottom of the sea, calls for her ungrateful sister who did not remember her on the happiest day of her life.

#brazil #folklore #folktales #fairy tales #fantasy #literature

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sgiandubh · 5 months

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Today's apocryphal Sun Tzu quote

We owe very little to people whom we don't know, but quite a lot to ourselves.

Han Huang - Five Oxen. Tang Dynasty, 8th c. AD

#sun tzu #shitshow

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script-a-world · 2 months

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Submitted via Google Form:

Hi, I'd like to build a planet with land across the entire planet that is mostly an alpine. I'm thinking that the majority of the land will be tall mountains with almost all shorelines being tall cliffs so even areas close to the ocean can quickly become tall mointains. Places near the equator will have the highest mountains to offset being closer to the sun. How about resources though? What would be abundant, what puld lack? How about other geographical features and conditions that allow a planet to look like this?

Tex: What happens when the tectonic plates meet? Mountains are created via only one type of plate movement (Wikipedia), but due to physics the opposite side of that plate would create the opposite result (Wikipedia). In order to dissipate the forces caused by a plate causing convergent and divergent boundaries, the horizontal movements of a transformation fault would develop (Wikipedia).

Resources can be boiled down to approximately two things: what grows in water, and what grows in soil. For the former, oceans, seas, lakes, and related areas would need to exist and be large enough to develop life of higher trophic levels. For the latter, it would need enough erosion of rocks to create soil, and be propagated by bacteria to facilitate a healthy environment to propagate photosynthetic life and the upper trophic levels that rely on it. (Birds exist, but also birds must roost, so for all intents and purposes they rely on what grows in soil.)

Anything that has above-water places high enough to create what we would subjectively perceive as mountains would have to be an extremely geologically-active planet, where the plates are constantly moving. This would mean things like lots of volcanoes, and likely an atmosphere saturated in gases like sulfur. Extremophiles can grow in these conditions, but because of energy conservation in a geologically-hostile environment, they’re not likely to grow very big.

If you wish for something different, it might be a “dead” planet, in which there’s little geological activity and the state of things like mountain ranges and placement of oceans are effectively locked into place. This would mean an inert core, and possibly a dying planet or else one in a solar system where it’s faced with a dying sun or outside the goldilocks zone of a reasonably active sun.

Addy: So, resources. That's my jam. If you've got a heavily alpine area, you're generally on mountains or mountain slopes, which generally means you're going to be on a whole bunch of rock. That rock could be sedimentary or metamorphic (igneous is also possible, basalt mountains do exist), but it's still rock. Things that rely on heavy amounts of soil - sand, clay, loam, otherwise - will struggle to form into industries.

You might have 3-4 feet of soil ("soil" includes sections that are mostly gravel – if you're looking for dirt, probably only a foot or two). Looking at a couple examples, I'd say you're probably going to get sandy loam, loamy sand, and gravelly loam. Great drainage, not good for food crops. Since you're alpine, that's going to mean you're above the tree line, so timber is going to be scarce as well. Neutral pH to somewhat alkaline, if that matters to ya. Also, above the tree line, the winds get to be very, very harsh - harsh enough that most plants can't survive up there, so crops are doubly not an option.

If you've got a freeze-thaw cycle, then the ground is going to sprout rocks every year in the spring (literally, the freeze-thaw cycle pushes rocks up towards the surface from under the ground, so you get new rocks in your fields every spring as it starts to thaw), so stone for walls and homes will be plentiful. Insulation will likely come from packed earth (e.g. Icelandic turf homes) or animal hides (e.g. yurts). Without good soil for growing, you're going to likely see a lot of animal husbandry - yaks, goats, oxen, and sheep. Maybe small horses, but no large horses; large, Western horse breeds don't do well if they're only grazing - they generally have feed grown for them. Draft horses are large enough that they have to have food grown for them. But ponies are an option.

Your sand will likely be difficult to get separated from the loam/gravel, so glass will be a tricky industry. Clay will be hard to find, so pottery is limited. Also limiting those industries is a lack of easily available fuel - without timber or peat, you've got limited options on what you have available to burn.

If, by alpine, you're also talking about mountain slopes (and maybe valleys?), then you'll have lots of timber. Lots and lots and lots of timber, so long as you don't clear-cut. Berries will be plentiful in the spring and fall, you'll generally have a decent supply of water, you can grow crops if you're careful about your growing seasons (and the ground acts as a refrigerator, so root cellars and similar structures act as a way to preserve food through the winter months), and you've got wild game to supplement.

Animal husbandry is still an option, though you'll almost certainly need to grow feed to keep them fed over the winter. Goats would do better than sheep, I think, but birds (chickens, ducks, partridge, geese) would probably be the easiest animal to raise. With birds, you'll also get down, which will help for quilts and bedding to keep yourself warm at night. Sheep/goats will get you wool, which will be good for clothing to keep warm. If you've got different animals, whatever birds/mammals they've got nearby that can fill the niche.

For fuel, you've got wood and charcoal. Charcoal is made from wood, and it burns hotter and cleaner than wood. Good for large kitchens… or for kilns. Or for metalworking. Or for writing/art. Wood is easier to get, and more suitable to everyday use.

Valleys tend to accumulate clay, gravel, or sand, depending on how fast the water flows. Steep slopes mean fast water, so you'll mostly get gravel. Mild slopes mean slow water, so you'll get a lot of clay (such as many river deltas, where they meet the ocean). Moderate slopes mean medium-speed water, so you'll get sand (or sand with gravel). River sand may not get you high-quality glass, but you can still make basic glass out of it. When the rivers freeze in the winter, you'll have lots of ice. That can be stored underground in ice houses, so that you have ice year-round.

For lime/quicklime, you'll need shells (so beach) or limestone (so depends on mountains type). Lime is used for a variety of things - making mortar for bricks, removing impurities when making iron, making concrete, etc - but you need limestone (or shells, like oyster shells) and fuel to make it. So that really depends on the type of stone the mountains are made of.

Salt may or may not be plentiful, depending on what the mountains are made of. You've got very little ocean access (since cliffs), so drying out seawater for salt isn't going to be effective for large-scale production.

Either way (with or without trees), trade will be difficult. Overland trade will have to deal with snow, ice, and uneven terrain (plus possible food issues for pack animals). Sea-based trade would have to deal with getting goods up or down those massive cliffs without damaging or dropping them.. and also getting people down there, too. Huge altitude changes.

Wootzel: If your main concern is having your planet chilly, you could look at Earth during the last ice age as inspiration. This would probably result in having a planet with a LOT of nigh-unlivable area near the poles, but it could be a way to make most of your land quite cold without having to rely as heavily on high altitudes, if that’s something you want to look into.

#google submitted #planets #biomes

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sweetestofchaos · 1 year

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Blackthorn Ch 1 | M.YG

Pairing: Crown Prince Dragon!Yoongi x Crown Princess Impundulu!Keena Genre: Soulmate AU | Arranged Marriage AU | Fantasy AU | Fluff Word Count: 6.1K Warnings: None...very soft entry chapter Rating: PG16

Hello Princess - Princess Keena and her envoy enter the Min Empire. There, Prince Yoongi and the Princess meet face to face.

a/n: Shout out to the great @sailoryooons for being my beta/banner maker! Also huge thanks to @nabiolive and @jessikahathaway for yelling at me to keep a special part of this chapter’s ending.

Taglist: @thickemadame

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A sherbet colored sky, kissed with endless puffs of white cotton went for as far as the eye could see. Below, the land a mix of forest greens, sandy browns and deep greys were cracked with bottomless shades of blue. The air was crisp; it called to mind the bite of a fresh picked apple on warmer spring days. Light, weightless, disconnected from the turmoil left behind in a land a nation away. A given name, a title that held more power than any amount of gold sat coldly in a chest that heart was beating faster than the wings of a hummingbird. This was for the good of the people, the good of the nations; two different worlds coming together as one.

Beautiful ruby red and white klei eagles flew in a tight formation around a giant cape teal duck, its wings were a glossy muted grey with browner ones on its back. A spot of bright yellow hovered in the air, one single pale yellow eye peered into the modified gama attached securely to the back of the duck. The purple curtains were pinned down to keep the cool air from freezing the occupant tucked away inside. As the sun graced the sky with its warmth and bright light, a demure and soft silhouette was cast against the light fabric. The Citron Crane’s voice sang and echoed across the sky as the Min Empire’s shoreline came into view. Below on the coast, a small envoy of royal guards and emissaries waited with bated breath as the large cape teal, the size of four oxen, descended from the sky and sank into the water. The eagles formed a tighter barrier around the duck as the Citron Crane flew ahead while the duck paddled in the water towards the shoreline.

The crane stood at the water’s edge, its soft yellow wings reflected off the water’s surface before it shifted silently. A large man with rich oakwood skin and yellow topaz eyes, stood before the Min Empire’s envoy. His hair was twisted tightly in neat ropes of thick braids with gold and yellow feathers clipped to a few to show his high position in the Escistan’s royal guard. His robes were vibrant, fiery red and yellow, stitched together by careful hands. A large golden medellin rested in the center of his chest, a hamerkop with a bolt of lightning behind it carved into the metal, the royal sigil of Escistan. The head of the Min Emperor's royal guard stepped forward and hit his chest with a closed fist, a common greeting among soldiers.

“The Min Empire welcomes you with open arms.” The man had fair skin, scares littering his hands and face. His outfit was muted grey, cream, blue and peach while his brown hair was pulled into a topknot. “I am Daehyun. General of the royal guard. I will take you and your company to the palace.”

“I am Aga, second in command of the Escistan army -” Aga crossed his arms over his chest and bowed his head. “-the Princess looks forward to her audience with his Majesty.”

Aga turned his attention to the duck behind him as its webbed feet slapped against the ground. The eagles around the duck shifted and in their place stood six large men dressed in the same armor as Aga without the golden medellin around their necks.

“Bese kò ou.” Aga commanded over his shoulder to the duck.

The cape teal duck settled on the stony beach and four members of Daehyun’s group stepped forward to lower the gama from the duck’s back. Aga held his hand out with his palm facing outward and the small group stopped.

“No need.”

At his words, all heads tilted upward towards the sky and Daehyun was shocked to see a small formation of large brown birds still in the sky. The birds flew towards the ground, openbill storks, and shifted easily into servants all dressed in different shades of tans and yellows. Aga nodded his head and four servants walked over to the cape teal. Aga watched as they easily untied the gama and situated it over their shoulders without the Princess being jostled too much.

“Ale lakay.”

Aga waved his hand towards the sky and the duck flew away with a soft quack that whistled. He reached into the brown pouch on his hip and pulled out a small, smooth, round bead, the size of a walnut and the color of fallen snow. Daehyun watched as Aga threw the bead to the ground and it split in half with a small spark. In its place, between the broken halves a black Vlaamperd horse stood strong and unphased.

“A Charoite bead? I’ve never seen one in person.”

“Many in our lands,” Aga pulled himself onto the horse's back and motioned for his company to do the same. The members in Aga’s party pulled a Charoite bead from around their necks and threw it to the ground. Ten Vlaamperd horses stood in place and waited as their riders jumped onto their backs. Aga fell into Daehyun’s formation with the rest of his own people. He kept his eyes on the Princess’ gama as he passed and took his place at the front of the formation. “Lead the way.”

The journey to the palace was silent, the steady clip clop of horse hooves acted as a cadence. The path to the capital was filled with wide planes of grass, wheat and wildflowers. Farmland stretched on for miles, different crops created a colorful backdrop as the empire came into view. Women and men alike stopped their daily chores as the procession passed by. The outskirts of the capital were well taken care of. The people weren’t dressed in the finest of robes but they weren’t dirty or covered in rags. From his place above the ground, Aga took notice of a large box that many of the younger villagers sat in. It seemed to hold sand from the beach for them to play in.

Horns and drums signaled their arrival as they passed the gates to enter the capital and the townsfolk were lined up on the side of the marketplace, pushing each other to get a better glimpse of the passing procession. A large golden dragon, the sigil of the Min Empire, embroidered on the banners of the procession gained everyone’s attention. Deep blues, vibrant purples and radiant golds dazzled the common folk as a single gamma was carried past by four strongly built men, not from this region of the world. They were outsiders, their dark skin tones a stark difference to the lightly tanned faces shielding them. They were honored guests being led to the palace by the Emperor’s very own royal guards.

Aga rode with a purpose and once he passed through the town, he let himself breathe properly for a moment. Once at the palace gates, the procession came to a smooth halt and Daehyun announced the arrival of their foreign guests. As the gates opened music started to play and the procession continued to march into the palace’s open courtyard.

The stonework was inviting as it led towards the steps of the emperor’s throne room where he sat proud with his wife - the empress - and his only son, the crowned prince by his side in front of him. As drums banged out a traditional greeting as the procession came to a full stop in front of the steps and Aga unmounted from his horse.

The gamma was lowered to the ground and Aga walked over as the curtain was pulled back. From his seat at the front of the throne, the crowned prince, Yoongi, watched as the man held out his hand. A breeze blew through the palace, freshly fallen dogwood petals caught in the current. As a small dark hand, rich and smooth like the brown obsidian gems in the north, poked out from the gamma, Yoongi’s dragon growled low in his chest. Princess Keena emerged from the carrier and the petals seemingly danced around her. Yoongi couldn’t get a good look at the young princess, for her face was covered by a bold orange veil that only showed her warm brown eyes, lined in thick charcoal. She was stunning and Prince Yoongi couldn’t look away.

As the guard led the Princess up the steps, the rest of the procession followed before the head attendant announced the Princess’ arrival at last. Her royal garb was bright, brighter than any sunrise Prince Yoongi remembered seeing. The clothing was different, two main articles, a skirt and blouse joined together by short and long pieces of fabric wrapped at the Princess’ waist while a large strip of woven fabric rested across her left shoulder. A matching headdress sat on the Princess’s head; braided fabric twisted and piled into a crown with the veil attached neatly.

Princess Keena removed her hand from the guard; golden bangles and rings caught the light as she crossed her arms over her chest with her hands on opposite shoulders before she offered an eighty-degree bow, her eyes downcast to the floor. Beside her, the guard dropped to one knee and crossed his arms over his chest as well, lowering his head.

“The nation of Escistan gives thanks to the Min Empire. May the sun grant you many bright days ahead.”

The princess raised to her full height and the guard behind her did the same before he rolled his shoulders. A small group of emissaries came forth, carrying large chests filled with a cornucopia of rare goods from the foreign nation. One by one the chests were opened before the royal family and the Princess looked on with a smile hidden behind her veil as the Emperor's piercing copper eyes shined brightly.

“My father sends well wishes and hope for endless joys in the days to come.” Princess Keena, motioned to the large man beside her, “- Aga, is my father’s testament to our nation's strength. He will teach your army the way of our warriors.”

The Emperor smiled, a single dimple sunk deep into his skin. He clapped his hands, covered in small jade and pearl colored scales, as he looked at the gifts before him, his blood red robes swayed around his wrists.

“Your tributes are as beautiful as they are rare. I hope our alliance with Escistan will only grow stronger during your stay, Princess Keena. The Min Empire welcomes you with open arms!”

Emperor Min stood from his seat, and everyone dropped to a bow while the Princess lowered her head, with her hands clasped in front of her. Emperor Min offered his hand to his wife and helped her stand before he turned his attention to the Princess again with an unknown light in his eyes.

“The Empress has hand selected your attendants; they will help you settle into your chambers at once. We shall hold a banquet in your honor tonight and welcome you once again to the Min Empire!”

The Emperor’s eyes crinkled at the corners as he stared at the princess, and he ran his tongue over the sharp fangs in his mouth.

“Your attendants will be shown to their quarters and will teach your new hands the customs of your nation. Do you have any requests for me?”

“Thank you for thinking of my comfort, your Majesty. I have no requests.”

Satisfied with the Princess’ response, the Emperor exited the throne room with the Empress on his arm. Prince Yoongi stood to his full height and walked down the set of steps before he stopped in front of the Princess. Prince Yoongi kept his face neutral as he offered his arm to the Princess.

“Allow me to show you the way to your chambers, Princess?”

Princess Keena bit her lip to keep from laughing at Yoongi. He was much more serious than she thought he would be. She nodded her head once and placed her hand on the Prince’s forearm, the fabric of his red gangsapo the only thing that kept their skin from touching. The remaining members of court bowed deeply as the Prince and Princess exited the throne room and Aga stayed six steps behind the pair. Hoseok, Prince Yoongi’s personal guard fell in step beside him and the two exchanged a simple nod in greeting.

“Did you have a pleasant time during your travels?” Prince Yoongi stared straight ahead as he spoke and the Princess thought about her trip. It was pleasant enough, no one had been hurt or gotten sick.

“It was a long but safe journey, my Prince.”

Yoongi’s dragon coiled tightly around his heart when his title rolled off the Princess’ tongue. It was a pleasing sound. Yoongi nodded his head and spoke no more as the pair walked down long corridors that turned every which way. Guards, servants and council alike all bowed low as they passed. Some looked at the Princess for longer than was deemed polite and Hoseok kept a running checklist in his mind to report on later.

The Princess took the chance to glance at Yoongi’s profile. He was not what the Princess expected. The words he shared with her in his letters were the rawest form of his soul. He was rose petal soft and fruit with honey sweet but there in front of her, Prince Yoongi had a firm jawline enhanced by patches of black scales. His eyebrows were a dark contrast to his blond hair and the Princess wondered if that was a trait given to everyone or just dragons. What she had imagined to be dark brown irises were the blackest pits of tar that reflected the sun and shined just right behind small triangular eyes. Prince Yoongi was jagged, rough around the edges, but his written words told the Princess of a much softer, warm summer days side to him.

“Here are your personal chambers, Princess.” Yoongi stopped in front of two armed guards. They stepped to the side to show a set of large red oak doors with a blackthorn tree in the center of a beautiful hand carved and painted black dragon. “I hope you find everything to your liking. Please, do not hesitate to ask for anything during your stay.”

“Thank you, your Highness.”

The Prince fought the muscle on his face. He didn’t like that the princess had called him by such a formal title. He stared at the Princess for a moment and she stared back. Her eyes told him everything her words could not. She had changed his title because others were around. Yoongi moved his arm, turnt right side up before he pulled it back and allowed for the Princess’ hand to slide into his. Their palms touched and warmth filled the Princess’ cheeks. The Prince’s hand was hot, liquid heat ran beneath his skin and his nails were long, the tips filed to a blunt point. The Prince hadn’t broken his stare with the Princess and wrapped his fingers lightly around her hand.

“Will you allow me the honor of escorting you to the banquet tonight?”

“It would be my honor, your Highness.”

Yoongi bit his tongue and kept from speaking out while Princess Keena slowly pulled her hand from his. Her own nails lightly scratched Prince Yoongi’s palm and the Prince nodded his head as he took a step back, a shiver crawling up his arm and down his spine.

“Would you allow me to send a small welcome gift?”

“It would honor me, so.”

Prince Yoongi bowed his head and Princess Keena repeated the motion.

“Rest well, Princess.”

The Prince walked away with Hoseok right behind him while Aga grabbed the Princess’ attention. He looked at the doors and Princess Keena nodded her head, “Ou mèt tcheke, Aga.”

The guards pushed open the doors and the servants inside all rushed to stand in a single file line as they heard the doors open. Aga walked into the room first and the Princess stepped inside after. She watched as Aga searched the room for any hidden dangers while the women cowered away from his stoic face. Aga nodded to the Princess and placed a hand over his heart before he bowed his head.

"Mwen pral-" Aga started to complain, and Princess Keena shook her head.

"Ou pral tcheke chanm ou yo epi tounen yon fwa ou fin etabli, Aga." Princess Keena smiled as she motioned towards the women in the room and Aga sighed knowing that the Princess was right, she was in good hands. "Mwen nan bon men. Montre fanm sa yo respè yo merite.”

Aga pressed his mouth into a firm line at the Princess’ words and turned towards the four women in the room who were all equally confused by their shared words. Aga bowed quickly and left the room. Once the door shut behind Aga, Princess Keena turned towards the women and bowed her head.

“I am Princess Keena, daughter of King Baasi and Queen Tiali. Please lend me your hands and forgive me for I do not yet fully speak your mother tongue.”

The four women all bowed deeply and smiled softly at the Princess. Her dress was something they had never seen before, and it was beautiful. However, it was not something that the Princess could wear to the banquet tonight. The tallest of the four women stepped forward and introduced herself as Kim Yongsun and the others were Byulyi, Wheein and Hyejin. Yongsun explained to the Princess as she spoke slowly that they were to bathe and dress her for the banquet that night as well as give her a small lesson on their etiquette.

“I would like to learn your etiquette first. My attendants will be with us shortly to help with my undress.”

“As you wish, Princess.”

Yongsun led the Princess to a table that sat low to the floor where Hyejin sat with a small smile on her face. As the Princess sat and started her lesson with Hyejin, the other women bustled around the room as they put away the Princess’ possession. A knock at the door grabbed Byulyi’s attention and she rushed to the door. She opened the door and bowed a quarter of the way as she stepped back to allow Princess Keena’s servant to enter the room.

Izaso, Keena’s head servant crossed her arms over her chest and bowed her head. The four other women did the same as Princess Keena stood to her feet. “Nou la pou ede. Ki kote ou ta renmen nou Princess?” Izaso questioned as she looked around the room.

“Izaso, sa yo se medam yo ki pral okipe bezwen mwen isit la nan palè a. Tanpri montre yo etap dezabiye mwen pou aswè a.” Princess Keena explained to Izaso and the other servants that they had to work together to get her ready for the banquet tonight.

Princess Keena watched as Yongsun lined her women up and Izaso did the same. Yongsun started the introductions and Izaso allowed for the servants under her to speak first. Alinafe, Fatsani, Limbani, and Chimika introduced themselves in broken Laibic and the Princess was proud. She had spent a few days prior to leaving her nation teaching her servant how to say simple Laibic phrases so that they could ask for help if they needed any.

As the women spoke, the Princess acted as the translator and together the nine women started the long process of readying the Princess for the upcoming banquet. When the Princess’ crown was removed, Wheein was surprised to see that the hair wasn’t straight like her own. Princess’ Keena had hair that reached down towards the floor and stopped at the small of her lower back. Her hair was darker than any ink within the palace and it smelled of the sweetest fruits and flowers. It was twisted into tight braids only a blueberry in diameter with golden metal wire wrapped around different braids. Small golden jewelry with different gemstones were also attached to the braids.

The shock on Wheein’s face wasn’t hidden fast enough and Chimika laughed before she showed the young woman how to carefully wrap the Princess’ hair so that it wouldn’t get wet while bathing. Once Princess Keena’s hair was piled on top of her head and wrapped messily in a headscarf, it was Fatsani and Hyejin’s turn to bathe the Princess. The private washroom was huge, smooth stones covered the floor and dipped down into a wide open pool of water. Rocks of different sizes lined the wall that blocked the inside from anyone who would have tried to look in. It was beautiful and the Princess felt excited at the thought of bathing.

Hyejin reaches out to untie one of the wraps on the Princess’s waist and Fatsani was quick to stop her. Hyejin looked confused and Princess Keena smiled softly, she knew what Fatsani was afraid of. The Princess cleared her throat and focused solely on Hyejin as she spoke.

“Do you know of the Impundulu, Hyejin? It is known as the lighten bird in my nation. The Impundulu has ruled Escistan since the first rainfall.” Princess Keena motioned for Fatsani to remove her iborun and pele. “The mark of the Impundulu is a sign of royal blood. Every blood born Impundulu has these marks somewhere on their body.” Princess Keena thought over the words that would best explain her feelings and she cleared her throat.

“The mark of the Impundulu isn’t always pleasant to look at but it is a mark I wear with pride…I hope that these marks do not frighten you.”

Once the Princess was finished talking, Fatsani allowed for Hyejin to help with the undress and made sure that Hyejin stayed in front of the Princess at all times. Hyejin folded the clothing and placed them on a wooden cart to keep from getting wet and when she turned back around, she covered her mouth, her startled gasp muffled. Princess Keena was faced away from Hyejin, her back fully exposed. Hyejin could see dark scarring that resembled ice crystals in the shape of wings. It was a beautiful and terrifying sight, the scars weren’t raised, they were placed directly along the slope of the Princess’s back. Hyejin thought back to what she had been told about the Impundulu and all that came to mind were Hamerkop's wings.

Hyejin made no comments on the Princess’s scars and Fatsani offered the Princess a hand to help her into the waters. When Princess Keena stepped into the water, she was surprised to find that the rocks on the bottom were heated which kept the water warm.

“Fire stones, Princess.” Hyejin had explained when she saw the Princess pause in her steps. “There are many magic stones and gems in the palace that make life more practical.”

Fatsani and Hyejin showed each other their methods to cleaning and Princess Keena enjoyed the extra attention. She had been worried that Hyejin would no longer want to be her attendant, but Hyejin showed no sign of leaving.

The journey to the Min Empire was long and the air quality wasn’t always the best. The Princess felt dirty enough that the extra fussing didn’t bother her. Once out of the bathing waters, Princess Keena was quickly patted dry before Fatsani helped her into a thin cream and gold dressing robe. In the main room, Byulyi and Alinafe discussed the best way to style the Princess’ hair for the banquet. Alinafe wanted to do a traditional style from the Escistan kingdom while Byulyi thought it best to do a hairstyle in favor of the Min Empire. Limbani was smart enough to suggest that they mix the two styles and when there was a knock at the door, Yongsun was quick to rush and answer it.

Hidden behind the white Hanji partition with golden leaves painted along the border, Princess Keena stood nude while Limbani massaged citrus and sweet scented oils to her skin before the Princess slipped her robe back on. While hidden, a male servant entered the room with a large box in his hands. He set the beautiful, decorated chest on the ottoman by the bed and left with a small bow of his head. Yongsun clapped her hands and called for the Princess.

“His Imperial Highness has sent you a gift, Princess.”

Princess Keena couldn’t stop the smile that danced on her lips. She stepped from behind the partition and walked over towards the large platform bed. The chest in front of her was no bigger than a large shoe box and it was decorated in gold paint and jade gems.

“What do you think it is, Princess?” Izaso wondered out loud and the Princess had no clue. She thought back to the letters exchanged with Yoongi and one thing came to mind.

As careful as she could, the Princess opened the chest and everyone’s eyes widened at the items inside. A delicate pair of matching golden hair pins sat on top, a cluster of blackthorn flowers replicated by mother of pearls, yellow apetites and jades shone in the soft sunlight that came into the room. Underneath the hair pins a pouch rested neatly. Princess Keena picked it up and was shocked by the craftsmanship. The pouch itself was light weight, a little larger than the size of her fist. Its body was round with a squared neck that would be cinched by black silk strings. The purse was a soft lilac with a black dragon embroidered into the center, around the bottom of the bag golden flower petals lay while the dragon rested beneath a large blackthorn tree.

Princess Keena traced over the blackthorn tree and smiled. How many times had she spoken of her favorite flowers? The Prince remembered and that made the Princess’ heart flutter in her chest. Attached to the pouch was a gold tassel that had a large white moonstone encased in a beautiful cross stitch. When the Princess looked at it more, she saw that the moonstone opened and inside was hollowed out and stored two rings with thin gold bands and three white scolecite gems on each. “What is the name of this?” Princess Kenna asked and Byulyi answered that the pouch was called a Duru-Jumeoni and the tassel was called a Norigae.

Princess Keena set the Duru-Jumeoni aside and laughed, the chime like bells loud and clear as she stared down at the Min dynasty inspired Dashiki. Prince Yoongi had asked many questions about the type of clothing the Princess wore, and she had sent him a few pieces to see for himself in person. A Boubou in black and gold, colors that the Prince had stated he liked and a Kente, in red, black and gold to contrast the Boubou if he were to ever wear the two together. The Dashiki was lilac, white and a darker purple with gold and black beading embroidered along the rounded neckline and colorful patchwork on the arms and bottom. Princess Keena was impressed, the Prince had taken notes and put them to use.

“Do you like it, Princess?” Yongsun had asked and Princess Keena touched the garment lightly, the smile still on her face.

“These are very thoughtful. I’ll be sure to thank his Highness at the banquet.”

“Would you like to wear the hair pins tonight?”

“Oh! They would look wonderful with your hanbok!” Byulyi gushed and the women all nodded their heads in agreement.

Princess Keena allowed for the women to use her new hair accessories and she sat before the mirror while Byuyl and Alinafe applied mint and argan oil to the Princess’ scalp and hair before they started to style it together. Izaso and Yongsun took their time as they applied lip tint, eye liner and rouge to the Princess’ face.

“Èske rad yo pare?” Izaso looked away from the Princess’ face towards where the other women were smoothing out a lilac colored hanbok that had many more pieces than the Escistan Iro ati Buba that the Princess wore earlier. Wheein giggled as she grabbed the matching socks and shoes. Everything was ready; they just needed the Princess's body.

Fatsani spoke up and answered Izaso’s question that everything was ready. Satisfied with Princess Keena’s hair, Izaso and Yongsun each placed a hair pin neatly in place before they led the Princess over to the bed and stepped back to allow for Fatsani and Hyejin to handle the dressing. Princess Keena removed her dressing gown and followed the simple instructions that Hyejin gave while Fatsani assisted with the unknown garments. The Princess counted in her head each item that was placed onto her body, and she was surprised that seven items didn’t feel heavy at all. Her range of motion was still flexible and when Izaso placed her dressing gown back on, the Princess sighed.

“There are five more pieces that need to be worn,” Wheein had explained. “However, we will get back to your etiquette lessons until it’s time for the banquet.”

Once again, at the desk with Hyejin, Princess Keena started her lessons while the rest of the women tidied up the room. Limbani came over the small desk and suggested that the Princess take a break and enjoy some refreshments that were brought in. Princess Keena agreed and Lambani carried a tray of small sweets over.

“What you have in front of you is Yakgwa, a honey pastry -” Byulyi pointed to the deep fried treat. “- Bukkumi, a rice cake dumpling with sweet red beans -” Byulyi again pointed to another treat that was shaped like white half moons with colorful edible flowers on them “- and lastly, we have Dasik, a tea cookie!” Byulyi beamed, as she offered the plate of small colorful cookies to the Princess.

“These all look wonderful. Thank you for sharing them with me.” Princess Keean tried the Bukkumi first, and she enjoyed the soft and chewy texture. While she ate and practiced her etiquette, Princess Keena offered the treats to the women, and they all agreed that it was best to partake so that the Princess could show what she learned.

Once the treats were eaten, Yongsun called for someone to take the empty trays away and Princess Keena started to get restless. The sun hadn’t set much, it was just past midday which meant there was still a lot of time that needed to pass before the banquet.

“Would you like to rest before the banquet?” Yongsun offered and Izaso had started to protest when Yongsun motioned towards the bed.

“May I step outside for some air?” Princess Keena requested and Yongsun looked towards the door.

“I will ask for a guard to guide you.”

Yongsun stepped out of the room and Wheein jumped to her feet. “If you are going out, we need to finish getting you dressed, Princess.”

Princess Keena nodded her head and watched as Wheein and Hyejin rushed about the room, a different hanbok in their arms.

“So that your hanbok for the banquet doesn’t get dirty during your walk, Princess.” Byulyi explained as she grabbed matching socks and shoes.

"Izaso, Alinafe, Fatsani, Limbani, ak Chimika, yo ranvwaye ou. Tanpri repoze byen epi jwi aswè a."

Princess Keena’s servants crossed their arms over their chest and bowed their heads before they took their leave and soon after Yongsun came back into the room while the other women were dressing the Princess.

“Minho has been tasked with escorting you, Princess. Your guard Aga is outside as well.”

“Thank you, Yongsun.” Princess Keena smiled brightly and held onto Hyejin and Wheein while Byulyi helped her into her footwear. The hanbok that the Princess wore was cream colored with light and dark shades of pink throughout that tied everything together. Princess Keena waited while Yongsun opened the door and Aga stood tall in a fresh new uniform that matched the guard beside him. "Koulè yo kostim ou, Aga."

Aga smoothed down his new uniform and grunted before he offered Princess Keena his arm while the guard beside him bowed deeply. “I am Choi Minho and it would be my honor to lead you through our gardens, Princess.”

Minho was charming, he had a strong face and eyes that were very expressive. He was older than Aga and that made the Princess trust him more. Princess Kenna bowed her head as she placed her hand on Aga’s arm.

“I leave myself in your care, Minho.”

Minho led the way through the palace with the Princess, Aga, Wheein and Hyejin in tow, Servants and guards alike all stopped and bowed when the Princess passed by. She kept her head held high and once outside in the fresh air; Princess Keena inhaled the flora scents around her. Many scents she had not smelled before and it was all a little overwhelming. Wheein stepped away to grab another round of refreshments for the Princess while she enjoyed her time outside. Minho led the Princess to a small gazebo that was on the edge of what looked to be a cherry blossom garden. Each breeze lifted fallen petals into the air and Princess Keena watched with sparkling eyes as the petals waltzed around her. Princess Keena sat on the pale green bench and stared out at the cherry blossom trees, as a million different thoughts swirled in her mind.

“Princess, would you care for some tea?” Hyejin offered as Wheein stepped into the gazebo.

Princess Keena nodded her head in thanks and waited silently as a cup of tea was poured for only herself.

“Minho?”

“Yes, Princess?” Minho turned to face the Princess and watched her with wide eyes.

“How many gardens are on the grounds?”

Minho thought for a moment, of course he knew the answer, but he had to check with himself to make sure. “Six gardens, Princess. I have been told that a seventh garden is in the process of being added.”

“This is a beautiful place. It’s peaceful and offers a sense of comfort.”

“Her Majesty is very fond of cherry blossoms.”

Princess Keena turned her face upward, reached out a hand and a cherry blossom petal fell into her palm. Aga watched with a fond hint of some memory in his eyes as the Princess closed her hand into a fist and pulled her hand to her chest. She whispered a quiet wish to the petal and opened her palm with a soft smile on her face. The breeze blew; up, up and away the petal went as it carried the Princess’ unknown wish.

The petal was carried on the wind, lightly and surely as it soon found home on the shoulder of Prince Yoongi. He sat by his window, the sunlight warmed him from the outside in, with his eyes closed. When the petal landed on his shoulder, Yoongi’s eyes opened slowly, and he glanced at his shoulder. The petal stood out, small, pink and fragile against his blood red robes and he carefully plucked it between his fingers.

Prince Yoongi stared at the petal silently and turned his attention back to the sun outside. He sighed and reached his hand out the window, before he parted his fingers and let the petal continue its journey. He watched the petal as it flew alone, and he frowned to himself unsure why he felt a sudden rush of longing.

“Hoseok!” Prince Yoongi called out and shortly after, Hoseok appeared beside him right outside of his window. “Where is the Princess?”

“Princess Keena is in the cherry blossom garden.”

Yoongi blinked slowly at the information and stood from his seat. “Let’s go.”

“Wait! Your hair!” Hoseok grabbed the sleeve of Prince Yoongi’s gangsapo and climbed through the window. “Her Majesty will have my head if I let you walk around with your hair like this.” Hoseok pushed the Prince towards his vanity and quickly fixed his topknot before he deemed the Prince good enough to be seen outside of his chambers.

Together, Prince Yoongi and Hoseok left the bed chambers and made their way to the cherry blossom garden. In the distance Prince Yoongi saw the Princess under the gazebo as she chatted away. Prince Yoongi fought the smile that tugged at his lips and the moment Minho saw him, the older man cleared his throat and bowed deeply. Princess Keena looked in the direction of which Minho was bowing, and she rose to her feet while the others around her bowed.

Prince Yoongi stood before the Princess and she gave him a pleasant bow before she greeted him with that charmed smile of hers. The Prince stared at the Princess and bowed slightly, “Hello, Princess.”

#soc yoongi #blackthorn ch 1 #dragon!yoongi #bts fantasy au #bts royal au #bts yoongi

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