Making a mental note to myself to post here first then elsewhere lol
So, one of the things I like doing when I write or draw my characters is that I like listening to my favorite songs. I like listening to songs that fit the characters or their stories thematically. Recently, I finally got back into writing a rough skeleton outline for Gwuenevere's story.
Ah, since I haven't posted literally anything related to my worldbuilding project in a while, here's Gwuenevere.
She's a living cloak who does Threadmancy and makes needle swords with magic ichor thread. Yay!
So like, while writing Gwuenevere's super rough character moodboard, I started thinking about the concept of Maiden Mother Crone, the Triple Goddess in the realm of Neopagan spirituality.
To be brief, the concept of the Maiden Mother Crone is the divine feminine: the Maiden is her youth, beauty, and new beginnings, Mother is the fertility and fulfillment gained from motherhood, and the Crone is wisdom, endings, and death.
There are various interpretations on this topic, for example this short essay by Moth-Kissed-Witch on their views on the concept of Maiden Mother Crone beyond what I just described.
So, what this has to do with Gwuenevere? Well, due to a few changes to her lore, I realized that I like the concept of Maiden, Mother, Crone for Gwuenevere. Here's a note I have written recently about Gwuenevere and the associations I built between her and the Maiden, Mother, Crone:
Maiden Mother Crone
In reference of her growth from a naive altrice, to the Mother of the Abbey, then a powerful Fragile-mage.
Maiden - cared by Mother Ella as a curio, grew up in an abbey among other curios, later becomes an altrice, trained her Thread under the tutelage of Mother Ella. Constantly wrestled with the mystery of her own origins since she was found outside of the abbey as a just-hatched curio. Was different from her peers, with a dull ache of something that was taken away from her.
Mother - as the eldest of the altrices who grew up with her, Gwuenevere becomes Mother of the Abbey and becomes the leader of altrices. Becomes experienced in her abilities over time and more experienced in handling both the chaotic nature of the abbey, altrices, and the curios they care for. Early on, is forced to learn a hard lesson on effort, responsibility, and care for those she defended and care for. Learns to face challenges head on, even at the risk of her abbey and her compliance of her own kingdom’s laws.
Crone - grew into her own independence as her own person and master of her Thread magic, fully reclaimed her former humanity by [big fuckass spoiler]. Renown as Fragile-Mage, Lady Blade, Thread Teacher. By this point, she carries the weight of years of struggle, pain, determination, and strength honed by the many memories and adventures she experienced throughout her life. At the end, despite all she went though, is able to commit herself to a final act heroism to save both her homes, families, and friends.
I am the voice in the fields when the summer's gone
The dance of the leaves when the autumn winds blow
Ne'er do I sleep throughout all the cold winter long
I am the force that in springtime will grow
I am the voice of the past that will always be
Filled with my sorrow and blood in my fields
I am the voice of the future, bring me your peace
Bring me your peace, and my wounds, they will heal
I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain
I am the voice of your hunger and pain
I am the voice that always is calling you
I am the voice
I am the voice of the past that will always be
I am the voice of your hunger and pain
I am the voice of the future
I am the voice, I am the voice
I am the voice, I am the voice
The Voice was written by Brendan Graham and first sung by Eimear Quinn, released in 1996 (Wikipedia). This was my favorite Irish song growing up, along with Siúil a Rúin and Dúlamán. While I'm not Irish, I'm a very autistic Black person, I really enjoyed listening to Celtic music and researching a bit on its history and the meaning behind the folk songs lyrics.
Listening to this, I imagined Gwuenevere fitting into each part (forgive me, I have no knowledge of songwriting so uh yeah).
Gwuenevere's Youth, her unknown troubled origins and undiscovered inner humanity
I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain
I am the voice of your hunger and pain
I am the voice that always is calling you
I am the voice, I will remain
Gwuenevere as Mother, her growth as a leader and protector
I am the voice in the fields when the summer's gone
The dance of the leaves when the autumn winds blow
Ne'er do I sleep throughout all the cold winter long
I am the force that in springtime will grow
Gwuenevere as Crone, her reclamation of her humanity, her shouldering the weight of her experiences throughout her life, her eventual sacrifice to bring peace
I am the voice of the past that will always be
Filled with my sorrow and blood in my fields
I am the voice of the future, bring me your peace
Bring me your peace, and my wounds, they will heal
And yeah, this fits her well.
But wait, there's moar!!
So while I was listening to various versions of The Voice, I found Celtic Thunder's Voices, released in 2013.
This is the moment we know that the moment is here
Why is it we are here?
Where is it we will go?
Will we just disappear?
Answers we don't know
Where will the future lead?
What will the future show?
How are we to proceed?
Answers we don't know
Why is it we are here?
Where is it we will go?
Will we just disappear?
Answers we don't know
Where will the future lead?
What will our future show?
How are we to proceed?
Answers we don't know
Voices call from the old days
Voices tell from the past
Ancient laws and ancient old ways to recast
Voices call from the future
How will our future last?
Voices call from the future
Is the future past?
Why is it we are here? (Why is it we are here?)
Where is it we will go? (Where is it we will go?)
Will we just disappear? (Will we just disappear?)
Answers we don't know
Where will the future lead? (Where will the future lead?)
What will our future show? (What will our future show?)
How are we to proceed?
Answers we don't know (We don't know)
We don't know (We don't know)
Is there a better way? (Why is it we are here?)
Do we go with the flow? (Where is it we will go?)
What is the price we pay? (Will we just disappear?)
Answers we don't know
Is there a judgement day? (Why is it we are here?)
Is this the final show? (Where is it we will go?)
When will the piper play?
Answers we don't know (Answers we don't know)
Answers we don't know
The voice is calling
The voice is calling you
So, there's three characters who Gwuenevere will meet: Arch Luther, Arch Wulfherd, and Arch Reynold. These three will challenge each other and Gwuenevere throughout her story. They will also face their own trials as well.
Note to those who been following my work for a while on other socials: Luther was a prince and Reynold was a lord. There's been a few changes in my worldbuilding as of late, so yeah.
Oh, yeah, what they look like:
I don't have concept for Arch Wulfherd yet, but I do have very early art of both Luther and Reynold:
The Voice song sounds like the feminine power sounded powerful and certain of her path, but in Voices, the male power sounds uncertain about his path and seek answers from his ancestors, while fearing the possibility of disappearing himself.
From my current notes on what I call the Ekaterinic Arch Cabinet: Arch Wulfherd, Arch Luther, and Arch Reynold, these three rulers of Erdestra are the last of their family after three centuries of wars and plagues. Without going into a very long backstory, these guys are anxious about their future, their kingdom, and their paths as individuals. And all this anxiety affected how they lead their kingdom. This also affected how they treat Gwuenevere, too.
That last part I'm still developing but yeah, that's my thoughts. Also, I ran out of things to say oh no.
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wait...there's no space for the em-dash here, how 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Best outcome, next few years suck, trump gets out, dems and whoever gets in, rollback on all the bullshit
Worse outcome, next several years suck worse, trump gets out, republicans and whoever gets in, bullshit gets reenforced
Also Worse and really bullshit outcome, next several years suck, trump gets out, dems get in, but bullshit stays for a long time until a significant social and political change force hands - which while inevitable (something got to give) will also suck, but things will change but not as they were
Anyway, I had a good cry today about current times. A month ago, I had a minor epiphany that all we had to do is survive the next few years with the bullshit and just get trump out and get past this era and fix things and we will be - still hurting - but at least escape the worst of it.
But now, I'm not sure about anything anymore.
I'm sure you have heard about the Mastercard and Visa censorship, UK's Online Safety Act, USA's KOSA and SCREEN Acts, and so on. I have no words. This is disgusting, dangerous, privacy violating, destructive censorship that will strip many adult and child users of the internet and of their rights. This is not about protecting women and kids (hint: I'm AFAB, and I reject these censorships btw they don't speak for me), this whole thing is about controlling what information we can see, what can we buy, what can we make, and what can we say.
So, now that my grief for the current free internet is out of the way, let me say this:
If you have the means to do so, the money and time, I suggest becoming an archivist. Save as much as you can, learn how to do backups properly, join archival groups to keep track and save information out there. Especially of LGBTQ+ Rights and Culture, Civil Rights, Human Rights, and so on. If you have to sail the high seas, do it. Download a copy of your bookmarks (if you don't have any saved in your browser, start saving now), on articles use print then send to PDF to save a copy, maybe get something like Joplin, Obsidion, or other local notebook to save information as text and back that up, both through local storage and cloud.
Text docs are light, rendered text docs are a little heavy, images and videos get heavy quick. Backup your backups your backups.
You don't have to save everything, but at least small bits of pieces here and there if you could. Remember the 3-2-1 rule: three copies of data, two in different media, 1 offsite either in another location or on the cloud.
If it helps, here's something from my most recent journal entry.
The cost of data storage goes up, especially for cloud. There are other options.
As of 7/30/2025:
Wasabi $7.00 per TB per month pricing as you go
Backblaze is another option starting at $9.99 per month, Backblaze B2 Hot Storage $6/TB/Month
Storj.io starting at $0.004/BG/Month ($4/TB/Month)
CrashPlan Professional unlimited backups $7.33 per user/month
Idrive.com $9.95 per month for Personal
pCloud $9.99 2TB or $19.99 10TB - Lifetime $399 ($599) or $1190 10TB for life
AWS S3 Glacier Deep Archive - $0.00099 per GB - Warning, known to have expensive egress and additional charges.
I'm thinking about learning encryption, too, for more sensitive stuff.
I currently have a, unfortunately a basic and low paying, job and access to at least two survey sites that give me some small amount of pay. After getting a new tablet in Sept, I plan to get at least two 2TB drives, sort through the files I have either collected or made, back that up, and create and maintain my History Keeper folder for collecting a few snapshots of recent events. Then backup to cloud, something hopefully more secure than Google Drive (any affordable recommendations is welcomed).
It's a start. I'm gonna try to keep the folder below 50GB, so I'll limit the amount I collect over time. Goal is to keep track of what's going on, as long as I have access. If things shake out a little where information is limited but not horribly erased or censored, okay, but I rather be safe than sorry.
I'll search for archival groups to join or at least support them if I want to contribute. Outside of this, the backups are also for my art and stories, just in case.
I'll still work on my art and stories. I want WOR to be reality and all its stories, too. I want to get back to working on Eightenate and creating new 3D models of my characters to test the look for my comics or whatever media I decide to put this in. I do feel bad for not having a consistent period of work and not being successful artist, but I refuse to let my creative light die. I will make something out of this, one way or another.
But yeah, I'm deeply scare of the future. I'm scared for everyone. There's so much art, blogs, forums, servers, and other places I hate to see disappear from the internet or censored to the point I can't see them.
And while I do not believe this forever - this entire censorship thing is not sustainable at all and is very unpopular across the countries this will affect - there is a possibility if it gets through, this will have staying power depending on future leadership for the next few decades.
A brighter world is out there. Keep fighting for it in anyway you can. Resistance is always possible, even when things get dark. Sometimes, some take it easy and other take it hard and fast, damn the risk and consequences.
Very late for Artfight, but here's updated art of Gwuenevere with her magic Thread and her Woven Blade.
Gwuenevere prepares an attack with a flourish of magical splendor. Sprouting from her fingers are thin thread, flowing together into long cords of crystalized ichor which is then molded into a blade. Woven by thousands of magical Threads, the blade takes on a piercing shape. Like that of a sewing needle, it displays an eye by which Gwuenevere's Thread flows through.
It seems to be made with precise attention, but it is short and deceptively brittle. While Gwuenevere 's Woven Blade does not cut well, it is made to puncture. To quickly dart and dig into the enemy's core and out again. The blade carries her Thread into their wounds, which its strands then burst into a painful cluster of metal crystals. With their interiors made from Gwuenevere's ichor, these crystals bleed themselves deeper and grow more of themselves from within.
A devastating sight to witness. Yet many witless War-Fitted would find themselves bearing ichor scars from their battles with Gwuenevere. Some, if very unfortunate, would face their demise by her blade. Those crystals creep deep, damaging the integrity of one's ichor structure, leaving a wake of destruction that corrodes throughout.
A four panel comic of two siege-status war-torches, Thermite (the five horned torch with reddish toned ichor) and Caelestis (the two horned torch with purple toned ichor). The comic is set within a worn decorative blue and gold panels with golden background behind the two brother torches.
Thermite just flown into the first panel, teasing his annoyed brother on his low mood.
"Oh, my dearest hatch-brother," Thermite said with sly smile on his wooden face and a finger upon his chin, "Thou look so glum!
Caelestis makes no response to his brother's jest, but Thermite continues, turning to his brother with his fingers interlocked.
"Hast thou lost someone important? Mislaid a lady blade?
Caelestis seems to finally take note of his brother's incoming joke as Thermite, struggling to keep back a laugh with a squirming smile.
"Thou appearest...
His face breaking into a exaggerated cartoony smile, Thermite lands his punchline.
"BLADENLESS!!!"
"Please cease talking to my sword wyfe," Caelestis retorts with an angry glare as his ichor shifts from a cool purple to a harsh red.