High Priestess - Tumblr Posts
AU Idea
So, there's a particular moment in book one, in which Sophie hears a voice, from "somewhere deeper than soul." And, this may be a reach, but I have a theory.
First, look at this:
This is the voice that convinces her not to go along with Rhian's corrupt soul. It says the very same line that both prequel Rafal and later, Lady Lesso have said. It could very well be Sophie's own subconscious, but what if it wasn't? What if it came from outside of her? It could be ghost Rafal's presence, who appears shortly thereafter. The true Rafal. And although this line probably appears in the series four times, at least, the real Rafal is the first person to say it, chronology-wise. So, why couldn't it be him?
Anyway, now, for this AU, we're taking Rafal's "ghost" presence into consideration, not necessarily any variations of his character depicted in canon.
The concept in the screenshot above, about a warlock sincerely believing he's a paladin, a devout holy knight, recalls Sophie's initial denial of her Evil soul fairly well, so in this AU, Sophie could be a high priestess/sorceress (perhaps, like a Morgan le Fay/Lady Morgana figure?), who mistakes herself for Good, as usual.
Meanwhile, everyone else would quite transparently see that that the "benevolent deity" she serves clearly isn't that Good (and neither is she). Thus, again, it's obvious to everyone but her, which makes for staggering comedic potential. Like:
Someone else: Unleash the witch! [said with a similar, booming intonation as "UNLEASH THE HOUNDS!"]
Sophie: Not a witch, darling.
Someone else: Fine, priestess.
Sophie: Indubitably so.
For further context, this Rafal was a vengeful spirit, wrongly slain and never properly laid to rest, elevated to the status of eldritch god by having a patron. So, he tries to coax Sophie's Evil out, little by little, but can't seem to move her to consciousness. And, she's absolutely, infuriatingly irremediable. That false, incurable belief of her Goodness is well-entrenched in the bedrock of her being by this point of her life. So, he continues to work tirelessly to no avail, while she is doing irreparable damage to her psyche, denying her true Evil's emergence, suppressing it, along with his influence. Though, everyone else should be rightly grateful toward the fact that Sophie hasn't awoken the full extent of her deity-derived powers.
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"Who's your deity?" Agatha asked skeptically.
"Rafal of House Mistral, Sorcerer King, Master of the Dark Arts, and Magus of Deception," Sophie stated primly.
"Sophie... are your sure that you're a holy high priestess? That name—it sounds... Evil."
"What tripe!" Sophie rebuffed. "You're just splitting hairs that this point, Aggie, darling. An eldritch god is an eldritch god."
"Whatever you say." Agatha held up her hands in surrender. "I'm not getting between you and that thing of yours."
This "thing" you speak of would not hesitate at murdering you by unpleasant means, a deep, spectral voice seethed from Sophie's lungs.
"Why that's beyond the pale, Rafal! I will not be your vessel for an act like that," Sophie's voice returned to overtake the deity.
You're boring.
"And you're terribly uncivilized," she argued. "Find another follower if I won't do!"
But the other mortals don't understand.
"Then stay dormant when Agatha's around, or speak from the sky or the mists for all I care, not my airways, mind you. And don't let your winds ruin my hair. I expect to look presentable from all angles."
You expect me to use my sorcery for that?
"I won't do my libations for you otherwise. You'll wither before I next restore you."
Fine.
Agatha shook her head. "You need an exorcism."
I am sharing the funniest dnd character idea I’ve ever had bc I know I’ll never get to play them and I refuse to keep a joke to myself
Thanks! First, I will say: I had no plans to write this (though I'm tempted to now), and I do not have much of a plot, so this AU will most likely not become an actual story at all, as of now. I was simply playing with the concept.
Just realized I should’ve tagged you: @maraneedscoffee
It's partly inspired by Greco-Roman mythology, I would say, given how... mercurial in temperament Rafal is here.
I don't have an exact explanation as to who made Rafal into a god, aside from the idea of worship leading to the attainment of godhood, the rule being: no believers, no god. And yet, I'm contemplating using Rhian or Marialena as potential murderers or desecrators of some kind?
I did come up with another vignette though. It explains why they're in the positions they're in:
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"I could’ve pledged myself to a first-rate god, like Nimue or Merlin, but instead, I chose you."
Might I remind you whose bidding you’re supposed to be doing now, and whose will you’re supposed to execute to the letter?
"I don’t see why it couldn’t go both ways,” Sophie objected.
I could smite you.
“You wouldn’t. I’m your favorite, prettiest, and sole worshipper, of which you have next to none,” she simpered.
You’re not my equal.
"No, you’re unequivocally right—I’m your better. Without me, you’d cease to exist since you have no other followers to your name."
Just complete your rites.
"And would you like to know why you have no followers except for me?"
Enlighten me.
"You’re obscenely fastidious about how you are to be worshipped."
Well, I’m a god. What of that is so absurdly difficult to comprehend?
“Yes, though you’ve denied mortals sanctuary because the coins they left weren't 'the right currency.'"
That’s reasonable.
"You’ve refused burnt offerings because there were no cucumbers to be found."
What else am I meant to put in my sandwiches?
"Anything else!"
I shouldn't have to settle for anything less than ideal.
"It wasn't exactly ideal of you to blow that naval fleet out to sea and trap them in a whirlpool."
It was amusing.
"And the plague?"
I figured fewer worthless humans would mean fewer to irritate me. I could've separated the wheat from the chaff of that kingdom if it hadn't developed new medicinal practices just to spite me.
"I'm sure finding a cure wasn't intentional," Sophie lampooned. "And you burnt an innocent man for playing the flute by your temple."
I had a migraine that day.
"So did I, but I could’ve driven him away without resorting to abject barbarism like you did. I’ve told you time and time again: you’re uncivilized."
I've existed long before any great civilizations rose. What did you expect? A domesticated deity? Restrained divinity? Mercy toward the undeserving?
"How do you explain ordering the slaughter of that hunter the other day?"
He killed one of my sacred swans.
Sophie rolled her eyes. "It was one bird."
Haven’t you ever heard the axiom: an eye for an eye?
"With you, when haven't I heard it?"
If you were a god, you would be the same way.
Sophie pursed her lips thoughtfully. "True…" she mused.
And that’s why I deign to keep you alive, despite my better judgment. No one else understands the nature of my demands. No one except you.
"Well, I hadn’t thought of it like that."
Right. So?
"All right. I'll deliver the false prophecy, depose the emperor for you, and consecrate his lands in your name."
I am sharing the funniest dnd character idea I’ve ever had bc I know I’ll never get to play them and I refuse to keep a joke to myself
@maraneedscoffee Thank you! They're more entertaining to me when they bicker.
No, probably not. Even if he might care for other birds, they're not part of his "domain," I'd say. It's swans specifically that he sanctified as off-limits.
Possibly, but if they did end up together, I'd probably make something like the tale of Cupid and Psyche happen to Sophie because gods are really fickle, even if some actually love their mortal lovers.
No, she wouldn't snap because Rafal's been making her do Evil things in roundabout ways, without her complete consciousness of the acts. That's conflict #1, I suppose.
First, she's technically complicit in everything he does because she doesn't stop him. Second, sending her off to act like a sibyl, fall a presumably peaceful, stable empire and take it for him is another outlet for her to channel her Evil into. She will likely be mad when she catches on, and yet, at the least, he's been, quite kindly, giving her functional immortality (because he doesn't have a replacement for her), in the sense that he's put wards over her, and has kept her from being executed for treason under that mortal emperor. She does succeed by the way, and he lets her have some sway when they craft new laws for that empire:
"We should deem it illegal to not bathe regularly."
And how is that useful to my conquests? Soldiers don't always have access to water sources. Installing a statute like that would slow me down on all fronts.
"It would enable me to concentrate on my duties far more effectively without having to tolerate the unwashed masses, would elevate the empire's status as clean and purged of all disease, and besides, you could just summon rain if need be. You could drown anyone who doesn't follow the law."
Fine. Request granted, but I'm including an exemption for the men-of-war, the old, and the disabled. You don't associate with them anyway.
"Fair enough."
What, no groveling before me on the floor? Mortals these days...
"How about a simple 'thank you.' That should suffice. I'll compose you an epic if you're about to have an aneurysm over me."
I am sharing the funniest dnd character idea I’ve ever had bc I know I’ll never get to play them and I refuse to keep a joke to myself
@maraneedscoffee According to a few sources, in ancient times, swans symbolized "grace, beauty, love, fidelity, purity, transformation, wisdom, and royalty." Several of these apply to Rafal, especially fidelity, and transformation, as it relates to his being a god of deception.
Black swans specifically symbolize "death, destruction, suffering, the devil, chaos, and the dark side of ourselves. However, they also represent uniqueness, rarity, unpredictability, personal power, blessings, transformations, and the ability to overcome adversity. Becoming a victor instead of a victim."
Yes, I would say he could manipulate the sky, lightning, the winds, and precipitation. His name is Mistral after all, which refers to a dry, cold wind that accosts the mediterranean regions.
Also, according to beliefs in certain regions of the world, winds turn people insane, and invert their behaviors, bringing on twice the level of irritability, like the Santa Ana winds superstition for instance. They are also called the Devil Winds, harkening back to the hot breath of Satan apparently. The European equivalent is the Foehn, causing illness and melancholia, even increased traffic incidents and suicide.
Ha, thanks!
Additionally, if some version of the tale of Cupid (Eros as his Greek counterpart) and Psyche happened, Evelyn Sader could easily be Aphrodite/Venus, meddling.
I am sharing the funniest dnd character idea I’ve ever had bc I know I’ll never get to play them and I refuse to keep a joke to myself
@maraneedscoffee Oh, definitely. His duality is unmatched. And besides, many Greek gods were known to have dark sides.
I've come up with another plot point to explain his two-sided nature and how it emerges, also involving him as predominantly an air element, exactly as you claim.
You might be pleased to find that the storyline slightly resembles that of Cupid and Psyche, if you had been wondering about your previous question: whether they ended up together. (In the future, if I ever run out of ideas, I may write an AU that I have partially outlined, which is even closer to the myth of Eros and Psyche.)
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First, I shall begin by saying that Rafal and Evelyn Sader are natural rivals. They oppose each other in their approaches to war. He's more... nuanced, even if they may be equally as bloodthirsty.
It all began with an event that was partially his own fault. He had sent ill winds that drove some people to be more intrepid than usual. And the event that follows was also indirectly Evelyn's fault for not stopping her cult from taking action against Sophie.
You see, some people in the empire need a scapegoat, someone to shoulder blame. As of late, the empire had been prosperous, but some dissidents decided to do away with their tyrant's earthly mouthpiece, his priestess.
By this point in time, many subjects of the empire Rafal had conquered had also pledged themselves to him. So, he was the patron god of their city. And although he wasn't quite conscious of it, Sophie still remained his favorite mortal. Of course, some people didn't like him, for he had overall been a just yet harsh ruler, indirectly, by his decrees. (Again, Sophie, among other government officials, were his mouthpieces. Usually, he wouldn't have had much of an earthly presence at all.)
Some of the dissidents happened to be worshippers of Evelyn, a goddess with a similar role as Rafal's. If this comparison helps: think of Athens versus Sparta. In this case, Rafal would have to be the equivalent of Athena, and Evelyn would be Ares. For reference, think of book two, of how Rafal disparaged Evelyn for her call to arms regarding the Girls, and also, notably, the brutish, crude business of slave Boys, as Rafal puts in in TLEA. So, she's more irrational and hot-headed, and he's colder and more strategic. It depends though. Arguably, he's just as temperamental, with volatility as in flux as the winds themselves. (I had to reverse the male-female dichotomies to work with their individual personalities.)
This excerpt I found might help clarify more:
"It is helpful to start with what we already know from ancient and modern references—whereas Ares embodies strife and slaughter, Athena is the goddess of strategy and forethought. This is fitting as Athena, like most of the goddesses, seems to occupy a large part of her time with making plans and developing strategies to later having male gods or mortals execute them. On the other hand, Ares engages directly in combat. As a result of Ares’ and Athena’s different habits and viewpoints, honors were given to them by different parts of the society. Athena is usually regarded as the goddess of military leadership, protection and strategy, whereas Ares would be the deity that regular warriors prayed to for inspiration and bravery by soldiers."
Anyway, this is what happens:
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Pillagers, temple robbers specifically, pay his temple a visit, and worse, foreign invaders (from the city Evelyn is patron of) are involved. They have joined the local cause to violently evict Sophie from Rafal's principal city, their motive being: if the god doesn't have a priestess to enact some of his curses and plagues and other sinister activities, well then, they'll be rid of their misfortunes! Right? Basically, the locals don't like Sophie for her role and the foreigners don't like any follower of Rafal's on principle because of his rivalry with Evelyn, so it's become both personal and state business.
Rafal's temple had been seeing more foot traffic recently because, by this point in time, Sophie isn't his only follower, which means there could've been witnesses. Yet, astoundingly, there were none. Not one local witness because the pillagers had selected a quiet hour.
What followed was that the pillagers, apparently by popular vote amongst themselves, intended to carry out the tradition of pharmakós.
"A pharmakós in Ancient Greek religion was the ritualistic sacrifice or exile of a human scapegoat or victim."
Or
"a person often already condemned to death, sacrificed in ancient Greece as a means of purification or atonement for a city or community."
So, they intended to "purify" the city by ridding it of her.
⸻
The next day, when Rafal shows up at his temple, it's been ransacked. Then, he panics because what happened to his priestess? She's vanished.
All the while, he searches around, and overhears gossip among the other gods about some of Evelyn Sader's rogue followers doing something to swans. And come to think of it, the sacred swans have disappeared from his hallowed grounds recently too... This must be connected. Isn't it?
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Meanwhile, Sophie had been captured and was being prepped to become a human sacrifice, to Evelyn. Frankly, Evelyn wouldn't have cared one way or the other—it was more the mortals' fault, and yet, that wouldn't keep Rafal from blaming her.
Under the usual circumstances, a human sacrifice would have been a slave, a cripple, or a criminal, but the dissidents of the anti-Rafal faction thought Sophie was the source of their misfortune.
These sacrifices or evictions would usually occur either by burning someone alive or throwing them off a cliff. The dissidents decided on both, to better their chances of getting rid of the misfortune supposedly associated with her.
Again, they needed a scapegoat to blame and (somewhat symbolically) displace their own sorrows and suffering with. (Though, the less severe option would've been simply running Sophie out of town.) The theme of blame is very prominent here, even among the gods themselves.
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While all this is going on, the gods have begun to prepare for war and they take sides as they anticipate Rafal blowing up at Evelyn.
No one thinks about intervening because, to be honest, they're all greater than mortals, larger-than-life. What difference would a singular mortal life make? Saving Sophie doesn't even cross anyone's mind because, to them, priestesses are replaceable! The other gods are literally just here for whatever entertainment they can derive from the ant-like mortals. Often, they have a great time watching wars unfold.
Rhian Mistral, August Sader, Adela Sader, and Midas root for Rafal.
Rhian (from TCY), Callis, the Pan, and Marialena root against Rafal on principle, and thus, are on Evelyn's side.
Japeth, Merlin, and Nimue don't side with anyone.
And twelve makes an Olympian pantheon.
⸻
When the moment of the sacrifice arrives, the dissidents throw Sophie off a cliff, where, if she hadn't fallen to her death, she would've been broken and burned alive at the bottom.
At least, she thinks, as she surrenders to her fate, breaking her spine from the fall immediately probably would be preferable, compared to what happened to the last scapegoat, who was whipped by green fig branches and stoned, but ah well... pain is pain. There's nothing she can do about it now. And she's outright sobbing the entire way down.
⸻
At long last, during his search, Rafal discovers ten, dead swans that were already impaled and strewn about, and his mind jumps to the correct conclusion.
He personally involves himself in these mortal affairs, and catches Sophie from afar with his winds and sets her down somewhere safe. Luckily, she'd only ended up sustaining a few scratches from the cliffside branches.
And that is evidence of his decently benevolent, sympathetic side. Luckily, he had shown up just in time, so Sophie hadn't died.
The foolish mortals should've known: you can't foil a god.
Naturally, that is precisely when his duality presents itself:
He flies into an inexorable rage, goes absolutely berserk. These mortals, they've incurred his wrath. Mass destruction is on the horizon. They did the one thing that could've resulted in their complete and utter annihilation as Sophie, a fragile mortal, who obviously has a physical body as well as a soul that is capable of dying, had been his figurative Achilles Heel all along.
(Rhian thinks Rafal's "temper tantrums" are cute, but only to a point. Often, they're more "childish.")
Regardless, in maniacally steaming the dissidents off the face of the earth, as they crumble to ashes and their screams ring out, in becoming genuinely upset, he discovers that he actually cares about Sophie.
Even further impassioned by that display of his power, he decides to punish the capital of Evelyn's empire, resolving to punish them all no matter how long it takes, anyone who could've been involved when Sophie was stolen.
This malevolence as a response is basically just a fraction of his dark side. Many of the Greek gods had a dark side to them, being vengeful beings.
He's an avid proponent of disproportionate, not just equal retribution as punishment, as in, "You do this, I'll do much worse in return, I swear by my troth."
Ironically, the dissidents had brought misfortune upon themselves!
By the time he returns, this time in his visible, humanoid form, not as the winds, Sophie is waiting and for once, isn't in imminent danger.
By the end of it all, Rafal decides to take Sophie as his bride. She gladly accepts, and yet wonders where this came from all of a sudden? It took her brush with death for him to make his feelings known...
Thus, he appeals to the other gods and procures immortality and eternal youth for her, so they can wed as equals.
⸻
If anyone has questions, feel free to ask.
I am sharing the funniest dnd character idea I’ve ever had bc I know I’ll never get to play them and I refuse to keep a joke to myself
This reblog is fairly late. Sorry. It's been rotting in my drafts for so long.
Someday, I have got to finish my long Adela Sader analysis post (which is more predicated in canon than this AU), but for now, I will say: it may not have entirely been her fault, how things went askew ever since Rafal obtained knowledge of the prophecy, because Rafal's own genre-savviness betrayed him when it came to his "true" identity.
Evelyn, here, could be a goddess of something like duplicity and hypocrisy in the men below, and of course, Rafal has a low tolerance for anything short of "the" (read: his) Truth, meaning he'd viscerally hate what Evelyn stands for, even if he's easily all in favor of duality and complexity himself.
In the context of this AU, I think, at the time, I just felt like Adela wouldn't know Evelyn too well personally, (and there's their clash of the hearing the present ability with seeing the future) so of course, Adela would pick Rafal, the more sensible option in the petty "war" and maybe, the rationale backing Rafal held up better too. Who knows? No one can know her mind. (I probably didn't have that much reasoning to begin with since I was going for symmetry and a vague sense of familiarity in who sided with who.)
Haha, I'm glad that end satisfied you.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if he never proved that trope wrong. I mean, he does sacrifice himself for Rhian in canon during one life-or-death scenario while all along he struggle to display the slightest bit of high regard for Rhian during their everyday lives. So—I don't know what to tell you. Rafal's supremely awkward like that, by my interpretation too.
I am sharing the funniest dnd character idea I’ve ever had bc I know I’ll never get to play them and I refuse to keep a joke to myself
Io Moth for the High Priestess.
nymph being råped / being changed / still called by the Priestesses
@thesirenisles
Major Arcana - 2. High Priestess
Please like and reblog if you find this information useful! 🌸🎀💕
The ultimate symbol of balance and manifestation
Astrological sign or planet - The Moon
Element - water
Key meanings - secrets, wisdom and the spiritual world
YES card
represents the principle of the divine feminine
her gift is wisdom
2- she lives in a dual life
unseen change, tides, and seasons, going with the low, spiritual law
patience
♦ Qualities of the card - mystery revelation, secrets, the veil between worlds ★ Associated object and location - a curtain, a border crossing objects associated with the occult, a book, tall pillars
❃Upright meaning
hidden knowledge
time for incubation or privacy
confidentiality - keep your plans secret
a sign to follow your intuition
home - quiet time, relations between family members may be calm but a little distant
relationships - being single for a time; if you are in a relationship you or the partner choose to keep a part of his life secret/separated
career and money - success is coming but contracts and new work takes time to nurture - you can only be patient
health - it is necessary to focus on matters such as reproductive health
❃Reversed meaning
inappropriate mentor
choosing the temporarily wrong path
you might be listening to bad advice
love - attraction is set to high heat, but like flying too close to the sun, this lust comes with its own complications
family - it can highlight an undercurrent of discontentment within the family home
work - If you are currently considering making a big financial commitment, make sure you have full clarity and disclosure before proceeding
health - If you have already had a medical check-up recently you should seek a second opinion
you are too cautious in your decisions
Reflections
+ Queen of Swords = strength of will, following your path
+ 8 of Pentacles = study, knowledge, reward
A commission for Celysiel on Argent Archives.
High Priestess
Upright: Intuition, sacred knowledge, divine feminine, the subconscious mind.
Reversed: Secrets, disconnected from intuition, withdrawal and silence
Whew! Between my health issues and university humdrum, this piece has taken me a long time to complete. Thanks for commissioning me, it’s been a pleasure!
to be able to connect with spirit, you must be able to wade the waters of your deepest shadows and come out without drowning 🌊
meditation can become your best friend if you face what is within 🧘🏽♀️
- “venus with the ethereal pumpkin”✨
✨📖Noor, goddess of knowledge📖✨
🕯️the high priestess says you have all the answers you seek🕯️
there will be hard work ahead, but the oracle sees you coming out victorious 🔮
to become one with the moon, one must expose themselves to their emotional core 🌙