A Collection Of NPCs From Breath Of The Wild. Seriously This Game Has So Many Wonderful Designs It Makes

really long ask lmao

hello! I’m a newcomer to the shin megami tensei series, introduced through smtv at the start of this year (actually finished nocturne just last week along with starting soul hackers and iv lmao). i discovered your tumblr about a month ago and finally mustered the courage to submit something.

(apologies in advance for having a bunch of questions and if you’ve covered the answers to these elsewhere @_@)

1. what is some folklore/mythology you would personally like to see represented in the series, as a demon or otherwise?

2. not limited to smt, what is some of your favorite kaneko artwork overall?

3. what is your opinion on the success of persona compared to rest of the megaten series?

4. how would you describe your experiences with the megaten community in general?

5. last question what would you say your favorite demons are design wise? personally, among the designs i’ve seen, some that stick out a lot are dominion, chernobog, jersey devil, mother harlot and baal.

____________________________

Hello! 👋 Congratulations on taking that first step and welcome aboard! Sounds like you’ve been busy chipping away at what’s available! I’d be happy to answer your questions.

1. Hmm. This is one of those good common questions I have answered many times but at this juncture, knowing how new SMT games add a couple dozen random demons each time, I would go for my tried and true picks from the Goetia. Buer is one such low-hanging piece of fruit.

2. I’m still overwhelmingly interested in Kaneko’s SMT work. My favorites are the pieces “Advancing Army” and “Advent” illustrated for the covers of Kaneko Works I and II respectively:

3. There’s a very obvious difference in appeal. It is what it is.

4. Well… I’ve been around long enough that I’ve had pretty much every experience possible, good and bad. But I have to say that my ask inbox has been overstuffed for years at this point and I would consider that part of a healthy relationship!

5. Nice choices, esp. Jersey Devil! Honestly I wonder if people would be able to guess my top 5 or so demons at this point? Maybe. There’s always some flux but they would have to be Soul Hackers Odin, Zaou Gongen, Adam, Eve, and probably… Baldur.

And a final word: since you seem to be reading my blog, don’t let my (many) criticisms of the series let you down too much. They’ve really only come about after massive amounts of time with the series and having experienced practically everything it has to offer.

Naturally, when you’re in such a position you want to see NEW things and I think SMT is more than capable of delivering them. Most criticisms come from this perspective and how it is not in my opinion living up to that potential, instead recycling past ideas and broad genre tropes. It bums me out and I’d guess you’d say I’m fairly outspoken, lol.

Thanks for submitting and enjoy SMT!

Can we all acknowledge there’s something wrong with Flynn?!😰

Remember this is the narrator saying this by the way😅.

He just casually gets buffed not from god energy like Nanashi but from emotions.

Flynn literally went from not being able to perceive a higher dimensional being in front of him to being able to perceive them then literally kills them. Do you know how absurd of a power jump Flynn literally just had by standing there?! That’s at least by a whole dimensional tier. Flynn’s power jump in these few moments is like the difference between kid Goku and Goku after he did the god ritual.

This is an ability Krishna seems to gain after fusing with Flynn by the way.

Simmer down there, Zamatsu🤣. But yeah again his emotions are still buffing him while fused.

Also what the heck happened when he beat Demiurge?! After beating him he got some sort of buff. Did he absorb his essence?! Is he pulling a Doomslayer?!

In conclusion, Flynn’s genes were always cracked before the demon gene retcon. Flynn must be some sort of eldritch being that just freaking casually jumps whole dimensional tiers and literally gets a whole buff to his stats and sometimes recovers from just emotions😥! Baal’s fear of Flynn is freaking justified!!! (But, yeah seriously what the heck is Flynn?! I’m concerned). Also why many people who call Flynn weak are laughably wrong(they just think he’s a dude with a sword seriously they are naive fools😂). This guy is a freaking monster.

“ The idea of death doesn’t  faze me anymore, in fact I would welcome it with open arms, still turning into one of them isn’t how I want my life to end … I despise everything about them, their ugly faces,  their irritating sounds and their stinky smells and I can’t imagine myself being one of them, but at that  moment it seemed that there was no running away from that fate…. till she came”   -Weiss 

Zombie AU 1st part 

And this is how they met 

If you have some advises i’d really appreciate letting me know 

Part 2 |part 3 |Part 4 |Part 5 |Part 6

The Insane Power of Flynn: The Defense of Chad Samurai Man

It’s time for the lies and slander to stop. Flynn is not weak and it’s time to set the record straight. This is the defense of the power of chad samurai man. This is a more in depth version of my earlier post questioning why people think Flynn is weak. This goes over all Flynn’s major achievements, compares him to some of the other protagonists, and explains just what he can do. If you disagree on what I say and want to debate me I’m open to it. I’m still new at powerscaling this is based solely on feats of characters and what is stated in the games. I made this because people think Flynn is weak and I simply don’t agree based on what I have seen of him from playing SMT4 and SMT4A.

Edit: I added a feat I completely forgot about.

Preamble: This is a composite Flynn using feats from the neutral route of SMT 4 and SMT 4 Apocalypse. I believe the feats are fair game for Apocalypse Flynn because if the timeline didn’t diverge he would have gone right on to do these feats after giving Masakado the spirit of hope. This includes the side quests and dlcs too.

*Spoiler warning: Major spoilers for SMT4 and SMT4 Apocalypse.*

*Trigger warning: Reading this may trigger intense salt. If you get salty easily or really don’t like Flynn or think anyone without demon power is fodder or if you can’t take jokes (mostly of this is serious but I threw in some jokes for fun) reader discretion is advised.*

This isn’t everything Flynn’s done, just the most impressive stuff he’s done.

Feats (Solo):

-Defeats Lucifer in his true form even after his transformation

In the chaos route he tells Flynn that his form in this game is his true form. After Flynn beats down Lucifer in the neutral route he transforms presumably getting stronger.

-Defeats Sanat and Ancient of Days (dlc)

Both Sanat and Ancient Days are heavily implied to be beings on higher dimensions of reality. These beings couldn’t even be analyzed by Burroughs the AI Steven made. At first Flynn can’t perceive them, but then for some unexplained reason he suddenly can. After this he fights and defeats both of them in their respective quests.

Also, Ancient of Days is a part of YHVH. Flynn defeats a part of YHVH alone.

-Defeats the White

This one is probably the least important because it’s not exactly known how strong they are. What we do know is that the white are the incarnation of humanity’s despair. They had the power to send Flynn to parallel words and even trap him in their own dimension. Flynn is able to escape with Stephen’s help after defeating the white.

-Defeats Krishna very casually (in the bonds route)

After being separated from Krishna who has power comparable to Lucifer or Merkabah he easily defeats him after two sword strikes. You could argue Krishna was weakened, but Flynn is shown here to be perfectly fine even though he was just fused with Krishna. It doesn’t make sense for Krishna to be more damaged than Flynn after all Krishna was in Flynn’s body so if anything he should be more hurt after the battle with Nanashi’s group than Krishna. If you want to say Krishna was weakened then Flynn should be equally weakened too by the damage sustained by Vishnu Flynn.

-Defeats the four archangels separately (dlc)

Mastema recruits Flynn to defeat the Archangels for him so he can seal them. So, he goes through time like samurai Jack and fights them. He defeats each one of them individually so Mastema can capture them. Flynn could have killed them considering the dialogue choice your given.

If you say yes Mastema persuades Flynn not to though it’s very clear if he wanted to, Flynn could kill them.

-Defeats Beelzebub (side quest)

In a side quest he kills the lord of the flies Beezlebub. Beezlebub is a very powerful demon for the chaos faction and was once the deity Baal. He also, like everyone in SMT4A, wants Flynn.

-Defeats Masakado’s Shadow

He beats sense into Masakado’s shadow before the nukes hit Tokyo. Masakado’s shadow absorbs all the elements, physical, gun and resists almighty yet Flynn was still able to damage him.

Edit:-Flynn also tanks multiple lightning bolts from Odin. It is shown that Flynn is faster than lightning because he dodges Odin’s lightning. The only reason Odin hit him to begin with is because Matrieya threatened to kill Asahi. So, Flynn can speed blitz and tank multiple lightning bolts from a God. Also remember Odin was able to completely manhandle Nanashi’s entire group including Isabeau. Even with the rematch Nanashi and his entire group were needed to defeat Odin. I think Odin taking a hostage implies he couldn’t have defeated Flynn fairly because if he could of he would of like he did in his first encounter with the bonds squad.

Feats (w/other people):

-Defeats YHVH

Obviously defeating the creator is a big deal. In the bonds route he defeats him alongside Nanashi’s friends and his fellow samurai. In the Dadga route he defeats him alongside Nanashi and Satan. An important thing to note here is the fact that Flynn aids Nanashi in his victory no matter which route he chooses. Dadga’s whole ideology revolves around the individual and doing things by yourself. He only revived Nanashi to be his Godslayer because only a human can kill a god. The point I’m trying to make is that Dadga would only revive Flynn if he absolutely had to. This implies that Nanashi could not have defeated YHVH alone and that he needed his help to win.

-Defeats Merkabah (a fusion of the four archangels)

In the neutral route he defeats Merkabah with just his samurai companion Isabeau.

-Is one half of Vishnu-Flynn a being on the same level of power as YHVH

This is the power Krishna intended to use to defeat YHVH. Remember this is after all his allies are out of commission so he is confident they can defeat YHVH in their fused state.

-Defeats Satan (a fusion of Lucifer and Merkabah)

Self explanatory he does this with Nanashi in his friends in the bonds route and with just Nanashi in the Dadga route.

Comparisons:

-Nanashi

He also fought Lucifer and Merkabah, but had WAY more help. He had his immortality from Dadga and also the help of Asahi, Nozomi, Hallelujah, Gaston, Toki, Navarre, Isabeau, the people of Tokyo, and Shesha disguised as Flynn. Even then him and his team still had to resort to sacrificing swaffs of Tokyo’s people and distracting Lucifer so Shesha Flynn could stab him in the back.

So anyway the ‘morally unobjectionable’ bonds squad sacrifices a bunch of people to get advantage in a fight like the heartless monsters…*cough* *cough* I mean retarded heroes they are. They neither try to stop the people or even question Shesha Flynn. Why? I dunno because they think he’s Flynn? I guess if Flynn says it’s okay anything is alright? This is how far their simpage of Flynn goes. He’s like a god to these people and they will agree with everything he decrees. On the flip side Flynn not only fought Lucifer alone, but Lucifer even transformed into a stronger form and was still defeated by Flynn. Against Merkabah, Flynn is supported by Isabeau only having the one person as help compares to Nanashi who had support from his SEVEN FRIENDS and the hunters. And even with ALL that support underhanded tactics were still needed to defeat Lucifer and Merkabah. This is in contrast to Flynn who beat them in their transformed states fair and square with little or no support.

Vishnu Flynn is a big point people try to use to argue Nanashi being superior, but it makes no sense. In the bonds route he needs all his friends' support, and Flynn sabotaging Vishnu Flynn from the inside to win while in the Dadga route he just fights him alone. This realistically makes no sense. The feat I just mentioned just happened before Nanashi goes into the cosmic egg with his friends to fight Vishnu Flynn. Nothing between the bonds and Dadga route is different up until the choice where you either fight your friends or Dadga. Afterwards you immediately fight Vishnu Flynn. It makes zero sense for Nanashi to be stronger in the Dadga route since everything would be the same up to that point. Also, an important thing that people don’t bring up is that Krishna is controlling Vishnu Flynn not Flynn. Also, Flynn doesn’t have access to his demons or Masakado’s katana which he would have in a normal fight against Nanashi. Krishna even openly admits that he’s still getting used to the new body so it’s clear Vishnu Flynn isn’t at his peak.

And seriously you’re having a guy who uses a flute to attack suddenly use swords so he’d have no skill in using him which would make a big difference. For all we know Krishna just flails them like baseball bats at Nanashi. This would be very different if Flynn, a trained samurai whose main weapon is a SWORD, was in control. What I’m saying is this fight is not very reliable in determining how Nanashi would actually fair against Flynn. He’s not only not the one in control, he can’t summon, and he doesn’t have access to any of his normal equipment.

-The Hero (SMT 1)

I’m comparing the two since they both fight the archangels. Flynn is obviously above him considering his final boss is Michael and Flynn defeats a fusion of all four of the archangels with Isabeau. Not even best dog Pascal can save him from a guy who can kill beings on higher dimensions.

-Demifiend

Both beat Lucifer but Flynn beats a powered up Lucifer and rather than maybe fighting YHVH like Demifiend actually canonically beats YHVH. So, I know this will make people triggered but I honestly think he’s stronger than Demifiend. Not to mention Masakado’s katana bypasses Demifiend being null to everything and can give him a weakness.

Powers:

Masakado’s katana- He can give any enemy a weakness with it. Since it counts as an almighty attack this attack could even work on Demifiend. I mean it worked on YHVH for crying out loud.

Higher perception- He can perceive beings on a higher plane of reality than he is and can even fight them and beat them.

Magic-In Apocalypse he uses almighty magic and has healing spells. In the other version of him in the Diamond Realm dlc he has access to ice, wind, and lightning magic.

Higher tier skills-He can get more powerful versions of skills through demon whisper up to +8 stronger.

Has such samurai skill- He is really good with a sword to the point where other characters compliment him on this including the Gaia member you fight to get into Ginza.

Is a human-Means he can kill Gods and all that other crazy bs they say humans can do in Apocalypse.

Demon Summoning Program-Pretty standard he can summon demons.

Epic Chad Energy-Is so powerful and awesome freaking LORD KRISHNA SIMPS FOR THIS MAN!!! (You know the big bad main antagonist of Nanashi’s game😂) And a bunch of other gods, demons, and humans in Apocalypse. 90% of that game was just everyone fighting over him and his manly ponytail. Even the radical individualist Dadga couldn’t resist having him on his side when it literally goes against his whole ideology and makes him look like a huge dumb hypocrite. The entire population of Tokyo goes from being bloodthirsty sociopaths to his simps because he’s just that awesome. This motherfucker is like the Yu Narukami of mainline SMT everyone wants him. This guy is such a chad in fact he doesn’t need to be given a handout (immortality, demon powers, whatever the fuck is Aogami’s deal (I’m not done with SMT5)) in the beginning and just starts as a casual farm boy who can’t even bait a fishhook to chad messiah godslayer who has every faction simping for him. And yeah I know somebody is gonna say ‘what about Masakado’s katana? Isn’t that a handout?’. First of all Flynn doesn’t receive the katana in any route except neutral and that’s after he’s already defeated countless gods and the literal incarnation of humanities despair so no I wouldn’t call it a handout. He earned that katana after already proving himself to be capable. Other than that Masakado only supports him through letting him fuse his shadow to use in battle.

Conclusion: I would say he’s at the bare minimum above Lucifer. I do think realistically speaking he is stronger than Nanashi. It makes no sense for Nanashi to be stronger and if he was really so above Flynn why does he need his help?! Going off feats I would put him above Demifiend whose big bad boss was Lucifer. If Demifiend solos YHVH in a future Nocturne HD Redux Overlocked: Maniacs Edition I will gladly eat my words till that day comes. I believe the person who beat God is stronger than the guy who beat Lucifer. But, I’m going off what has happened in canon. Especially with his dlc feats I would place him above a lot of characters in mainline. He still doesn’t beat Aleph because he’s a freak. I don’t know about Nahabino because I’m not done with SMT5.

Yep

Reblog if you think Edgelor-I mean Goma deserves Love and Appreciation

Lolth didn't start out as a Misandrist?

This might seem strange, but originally it was presented as unclear if Lolth was a misandrist, was behind the sexism in Drow society, and the misandry among Drow being itself much less severe. As stated from even late 1e AD&D article in Dragon Magazine #129 "Children of the Spider Goddess." (from which I take the main image):

And indeed, the text implies Drow are still less sexist and more meritocratic and egalitarian than many other societies, species and races, while still being an evil matriarchy.

This comes back to the Dark Elves and Lolth's first appearances in "Against the Giants" module trilogy (G1: "Steading of the Hill Giant Chief" and G3: "Hall of the Fire Giant") and Drow series ("D1 Descent into the Depths of the Earth", "D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa", "D3 Vault of the Drow and "Q1, Queen of the Demonweb Pits" (latter all collected into the Supermodule - "Queen of the Spiders") - were Drow Elves who worship the Elder Elemental God, still keep the matriarchal structure of their society.

These being the lore written by Gary Gygax (pretty much the creator or one of the creators of D&D)

It's also further evident in the connected series of modules The "Village of Hommlet"/"The Temple of Elemental Evil", were there is a lead human male cleric of Lolth, Lareth the Beautiful.

Lareth, no longer as beautiful as once

Lolth was even stated to be pissed of on whoever harms or kills Lareth:

This was changed in Second Edition of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, Lolth becoming increasingly misandrist (though even there still allowing male priests/clerics, as stated in 1991 "Drow of the Underdark" and 1998's "Demihuman Deities", specifically the latter stating 4% of Lolth Drow priesthood are male priests), though some writers tried to tone it down at least. Though only in Critical Role, Lolth is not as misandrist as in modern lore at least, calling back to her earliest characterization.

Still, I think it is interesting, seeing how the perception of Lolth in pop-culture, is different from how she started out, if due to old lore being forgotten in place of newer one, and also how R.A. Salvatore's very popular Drizzt novel series did portray Lolth as such (though even in some of his novels, till fairly recently, he did hint Lolth exaggerates/fakes how much of a misandrist she is).

Demon WLW in Kabbalah

(note: this contains controversial topics)

As Lilith is now again more on people's minds, as are to a lesser degree the 3 other Demon Queens/Angels of Prostitution (them thanks to the soon coming out Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance and maybe Majo Taisen), I wanted to bring up something about them, that is oddly obscure and underused.

Specifically that in Kabbalist texts, 3 of them (Lilith, Agrat bat Mahlat and Naamah) are characterized as Women Loving Women (WLW).

Lets first discuss the less controversial Agrat bat Mahlat and Naamah, who are described (seemingly) as lovers in Rabbi's Naftali Hertz's "Sefer Emek haMelech":

"Asimon (a demon) rides on Naamah, and Naamah rides on Igrath the daughter of Mahalath, and this Igrath rides on several kinds of spirits and bands of midday-demons;"

("Igrath daughter of Mahalath" is another possible spelling/transliteration as well as partial translation of Agrat bat Mahlat from Hebrew)

To be clear, the term "ride" is used in Kabbalah seems to be a synonym for sexual relationships among demons. The most (in)famous example is Samael "riding" Lilith ("The serpent, Lilith, is ridden by Samael").

Now to Lilith herself...in the Zohar (one of the foundations of Kabbalah), Lilith is described as lusting after and possibly being in love with both Adam and Eve:

"When He created Adam, in order to perfect this world, as soon as Lilith saw Eve affixed to the side of Adam, and saw in them the beauty of the Above, and saw their perfect image, she flew off from there and wanted, as before to attach herself to the little faces. But the guardians of the gates of Above did not Let her."

It also seems Lilith managed to later seduce not only Adam, but also Eve herself. But first to explain some things. As I mentioned above, in the Zohar, Samael isn't really the Serpent of Eden, he just rides it/her, the Serpent being Lilith ("We have learned that the Spirit of Defilement comes from the corrupt serpent, WHICH IS LILIT"). And well, Lilith/the Serpent of Eden is described to have sexually seduced Eve:

"After Adam and his wife sinned, and the serpent had intercourse with Eve and injected filth into her, Eve bore Cain. He had the shape from above and FROM below in the secret of the filth of the Other Side, and from the side below OF THE EXTERNAL FORCES. Therefore, he was the first to bring death into the world, caused by his side, AS HE CAME OF THE FILTH OF THE SERPENT."

This is also repeated in the mentioned above Sefer Emek haMelech:

And the Serpent, the Woman of Harlotry, incited and seduced Eve through the husks of Light which in itself is holiness. And the Serpent seduced Holy Eve, and enough said for him who understands. An all this ruination came about because Adam the first man coupled with Eve while she was in her menstrual impurity -- this is the filth and the impure seed of the Serpent who mounted Eve before Adam mounted her.

("Woman of Harlotry" is a title of Lilith)

And yeah, it means Lilith is described as Cain's "father". (And sometimes also kinda Abel's). Though this is complicated as other parts of the Zohar state Samael is Cain's father, but at other times he is specifically not, only Lilith/the Serpent is. And sometimes Adam, Lilith/the Serpent and Samael are all Cain's "fathers" (meaning the guy somehow had 4 parents). Though this version more suggests Lilith and/or Samael somehow "polluted" Cain in the womb (when seducing Eve), hence they are also his "parents".

One might ask how this can be the case with Lilith, Agrat and Naamah being described as engaging in sexual acts and relationships with other women? Well, it's because it's portrayed as sinful, (in the eyes of the writers) as part of the three's sexual perversion, with the three being succubi, even their queens. This is another reason I described this as controversial, and wasn't sure to post it on June/Pride Month. Still, I think there is a lot of value with making this more known, and one can say Lilith, Agrat and Naamah can be reclaimed.

Why isn't this well known? Well, works of Kabbalah were not easily available in past, especially translated from Hebrew and Aramaic , there often being mostly excerpts or summaries in books describing them. And the authors of these, often overlooked or downplayed the WLW aspects, due to them being even more controversial in the past, due to greater homophobia then. This also why Lilith, Naamah and Agrat being WLW was not often or at all used in fiction.

Still, I hope people reading these found it interesting, and I apologize though if it was offensive for others.

My Miraculous Ladybug Salt, Maribat & Adribat Requests and Prompts - Masterlist

All Miraculous Ladybug Works

—–

A Visit to Princeton Academy

Summary: Miss Mendeliev and Bustier’s class take a trip to the expensive private school Princeton.

Wait, the principal there is your best friend’s uncle? Wow, Lila, that’s amazing!

—–

A Grandfather’s Love

Summary: Curious as to why his granddaughter missed one of their weekly baking sessions, Roland Dupain decides to figure out why.

—–

The Assassin - The Protector

The Protector’s Vengeance

The Protector’s Entrance

The Protector’s Plan

The Protector’s Battle

The Protector’s Defeat

The Protector’s Past

The Protector’s Aftermath

The Protector’s End

Summary: He was tasked to assassinate the girl.

Not devote himself as the Protector of her and her best friend.

Fox!Felix (Arctic Fox) Art by @i-will-be-your-ace

Arctic Fox Redraw by @krissykat0207

—–

Listen

Summary: Ladybug has had enough of Chat Noir’s pestering for a date.

Too bad they argued about it in public.

—–

Disappointed

Summary: Alya remembers the time she was severely disappointed in Marinette.

But she didn’t expect the tables to turn - and a strong sense of déjà vu when they did.

—–

I’m Surprised You Don’t Recognise Me

Summary: Lila decides to blame Marinette for prank calling the Fire Department.

Luckily her friends and family are ready to defend her.

—–

Angel in Disguise

Summary: Lila’s a demon.

Luka’s an angel.

One wants to steal souls - the other, protect them.

It just so happens the two are targetting one soul in particular.

—–

Cupcake?

Summary: King Monkey, or Kim.

The boy with a crush on one Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

And hero that is terrible at keeping his identity secret.

—–

It’s Your Birthday

Summary: Adrien knows she’s been tormented by the whole class - all thanks to a liar.

Wouldn’t you know, it’s Marinette’s birthday, and he has the perfect present.

The downfall of Lila.

After all, Princesses deserve to spoilt.

—–

Of Brothers And Beverages

Summary: Marinette, along with her co-worker Adrien, notice an exhausted teen at the coffee shop they work at.

Naturally, they decide to see if he’s okay - leading to a sibling-like friendship between them and Tim.

It’s no surprise that the delicious pastries Tim bring home catch his brothers’ eyes…

…and they decide to investigate.

—–

Domestic Anniversaries

Summary: As a surprise for their anniversary, Damian takes Marinette to the local pet store to adopt some animals.

And man, do they adopt.

—–

An Awkward Reveal

Approvals And Explanations

Headcannon

Summary: Who can blame Edward Nygma for being protective over his adopted daughter?

The very daughter who was dating Damian Wayne right under his nose.

It was only a matter of time until Marinette’s dad and uncles found out, along with her boyfriend’s family.

Now they want to meet her in person, much to the annoyance of the Riddler’s overprotective instincts.

—–

I Expected Business, Not…Babies?

Summary: Tim only wanted to complete his work in Paris - easily, peacefully, and most importantly, safely.

He didn’t expect to come across a villain turning people into kids.

Or one of those very kids thinking of him as their “Bwuda”.

—–

A Familiar Melody

Summary: Luka can hear a heart’s tune.

And can tell who’s is who’s - with or without the mask.

—–

Crazy Coffee Conspiracies

Summary: A theory about Ladybird and Red Robin dating…

…and both being aliens?

All it takes is an oblivious Adrien Agreste and one sleep-deprived Tim Drake to prove the theory true.

If it is indeed true, that is.

—–

A Mother And Her Instincts

Summary: It’s a mother’s instinct to protect her children.

And if said children happen to be Paris’s heroes?

Well, that only means that there’s more to protect them from.

—–

The Teeter In Your Tune Is Destined For Disaster

Summary: For as long as Luka could remember, he had possession of an ability that no one was aware of.

It was both a gift and a curse.

—–

You Were To Babysit, Not Abandon

Summary: Lila thinks that babysitting Alya’s sisters is a great way to manipulate the reporter.

Too bad she doesn’t realise what little devils they are.

Nor how a certain Adrien Agreste is so keen on keeping his friends, and their relatives, safe from her.

—–

A Bat Protective Of A Cat

Summary: Bruce Wayne, as the godfather of Adrien Agreste and practical brother of Emilie, takes it upon himself to save the boy from Gabriel and his emotional neglect.

Only, he didn’t anticipate the ladybug-themed heroine to barge in and try to bring back the partner that she thought to have been kidnapped.

—–

The Bad Get Outed In Bad Ways

Summary: You know the saying: ‘Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire’?

An akuma strikes Lila, with their goals unknown to most. It comes as a big shock to all when said saying ends up being true.

After all, she is a liar.

—–

The Demon And Her Angel

Summary: The demon Marinette Dupain-Cheng comforts her angel boyfriend after a falling out with his father.

And perhaps gives him a reason to think about if he truly wants to stay in heaven.

—–

Her Boyfriend, My Girlfriend

Summary: Marinette’s class is insistent on her turning up to a date with Adrien that Alya prepared.

What they don’t know is that she already has a date, with a boyfriend that none of them would expect.

—–

A Frisbee Flying At A Fiancée That Fled

A Dinner And Domestic Discussion With A Designer

Headcannon

Summary: Marinette and her partner Kagami flee Paris in an attempt to escape Adrien Agreste, and find themselves relaxing in a Gotham park not so long after.

Only for a stray frisbee to disrupt their date.

—–

My Cousin

Summary: By accident, Marinette and Adrien change Harley Quinn into a young teen using their magic.

What follows are shenanagins involving a jester, a liar, a dumb class and two hyenas.

—–

Queens Have No Need For A Prince

Knights Are The Ones That Save Royalty

Summary: Queens don’t need a prince.

What they want is a king.

—–

A Hidden Hades Hunting For (Hopefully) Her Husband

A Willing Persephone Is Welcome Whenever

Summary: He said he’d love her no matter what domain she ruled over - so why did he leave? Why did he not return to Earth?

Marinette makes the decision to make sure he does, and who knows? Maybe he’ll be okay with that.

—–

Sharess was originally a good aspect of Shar *and* Lolth?

...and perhaps the fragment of remaining goodness from both evil goddesses, with all three being possibly originally the same entity? (At least in late 1st and early 2nd edition AD&D lore)

Depictions (from left to right) of Shar, Sharess and Lolth, from 2003's Faiths and Pantheons

It might be a bit obscure, but rather than Bast merging with/absorbing the goddesses Felidae and Zandilar the Dancer; Sharess was originally intended to be a Chaotic Good aspect of Shar, as seen in her very first description in the original 1987 "Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting": "Sharess, a CG aspect of Shar worshipped in Calimshan, Waterdeep, and by idle rich or decadents all over the Realms. Sharess is a goddess of lust, free love, and sensual fulfillment, and is worshipped in prolonged fests with scented baths, music, good food, dancing, and other gratifications."

This when asking one of the writers/editors, Matt Sernett about this, he confirmed that Sharess was actually meant to be a benevolent aspect of Shar, and this not being a misdirection as presented later in lore.

This was basically repeated in 1988's "Empires of the Sands", as well as in the 1993 2nd edition Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, though the latter further suggesting Sharess' benevolent nature might be an act, or that Sharess became a separate being from Shar by this point: "The true nature and identity of Sharess is unrevealed. She may he a direct part of the evil Shar, preparing her following for despair and loss. Or she may be a new thing entirely: a goddess of excess."

This starts to become even more interesting with 1991's "Drow of the Underdark", in the section with the short dictionary of Drow language. There "valsharess" is explained as meaning "Queen", and "Quarvalsharess" "(the) Goddess" in Drow language, specifically and only meaning Lolth (other goddesses are are written as quar'valsharess, and not starting with a capital letter).

The same sourcebook, details the syncretic She-Spider cult - who seemingly consider Lolth and Shar to be the same goddess. The cult was opposed by both goddesses, which is curious, seeing Shar's eagerness to subsume other deities. Though Lolth did latter possibly send her priestess (Malabeth Tr'rudena) to infiltrate the cult.

A card from TSR's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Trading Cards, depicting Malabeth.

This is a proof (along with the mention Shar worship is relatively popular among Drow), of such syncretic cults between the two goddesses existing, as well as one of the hints Shar and Lolth are or were to a degree aspects of each other. Similarly how Sehanine Moonbow in both 2nd edition and 4th edition, was stated to be aspect of Shar's sister, Selûne, most notably first in the above mentioned 2nd edition Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting: "Sehanine: Sehanine is an intermediate power among the elves of the Realms, for they refer to her as an elven version of Selûne, the mortal goddess of the moon."

Indeed, Sharess herself might had been a hint at the connection between Lolth and Shar.

There appeared more hints overtime, like similar antagonism between the 2 pairs, Shar and Lolth becoming both connected to the New Moon, and even more in late 3.5 edition and 4th edition/Nerath lore. For example, it was stated at the very end of 3.5th edition that the god Mask is Shar's son, mirroring Vhaeraun being the son of Lolth. The two gods are very similar, both being gods of thievery connected to shadows, as well as Vhaeraun being called the "Masked Lord", "Masked Mage", "Masked God of the Night". Furthermore, both gods share near identical titles - Vhaeraun being called the "Lord of Shadow" and "Shadow Lord"; Mask being known as the "Lord of Shadows" and "Shadowlord". Both having a similar to near identical symbols. With there being theories, and hints before this reveal, Mask and Vhaeraun might be connected, maybe even aspects of each other, Mask even kinda hinting in one novel (1998's "Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad" by Troy Denning) he is the same as Vhaeraun.

Symbols of Vhaeraun (left, from 1998's "Demihuman Deities") and Mask (right, from 1996's "Faiths and Avatars")

Pictures of Vhaeraun battling his son, Selvetarm (left, from 2004's "Player's Guide to Faerun"), and of Mask (right, from 2003's "Faiths and Pantheons") On Nerath, in turn Lolth and Sehanine are described as sisters, like Shar and Selûne are. So the (at least initial) opposition to the She-Spider cult from both, being possibly from not wanting for their connection to be revealed; or alternately be merged back by the power of belief.

Though to be clear, this could work either way if Shar and Lolth are or were aspects of each other, or not. As Sharess, in her original lore, possibly sprung into existence from the worship of the syncreticism of Shar and Lolth, that arose among drow, and then spread to other races/species, possibly originally named "Quarvalsharess"; before the name became shortened/corrupted among non-drow into just "Sharess". Or even started out named already Sharess among even drow, shortening from Quarvalsharess, to emphasize the "Shar" part.

It's probable Shar at least had more control over the Sharess aspect than Lolth (seeing Sharess was directly stated to be connected to her), and possibly the new goddess, in part absorbing or mirroring whatever benevolent aspects the two goddesses had, became an independent being. This quite probably being at least in part also caused by "Time of Troubles", when gods were forced into singular avatars, this event would have cut-off Sharess from both Shar and Lolth. Especially seeing the possibility of Sharess being an independent entity, was first mentioned not long after the Time of Troubles (ie when 2nd edition Forgotten Realms setting was set).

Depiction of Sharess, from 1995's Polyhedron #109

Soon though, Sharess was given a different origin (first in 1995's “Forgotten Deities: Sharess” in Polyhedron #109, then further developed with some changes in 1997's "Powers and Pantheons" and 1998's "Demihuman Deities") , if still being connected to Shar, and (more indirectly) to drow, and being an amalgamation of aspects of multiple goddesses (but different ones); it's still though an interesting possibility/alternate origin for home campaigns.

Or perhaps even theorizing some part of Shar or even Lolth did get into the divine merger that was Sharess. ("Was", as in 5th edition lore, Sharess was basically split back into Bast and Zandilar).

Part 1 I Part 2 I Part 3 I Part 4 |  Part 5 | Part 6

RWBY Zombie Apocalypse Part 4