Fourth Curse

[bondsofsuffering]

[Anonymous Text]

Subject: Notes
Attached file: amd.doc

For those of you who do not wish to stand in ignorance.

During the time Visitors have arrived, certain events have been observed relating to earth's Astrology, or the constellations found in the sky as they correspond with different times. During these events, changes in personalities as well as the appearance of powerful demons are common.

In order to prepare for more of these events in the future, the above document was made listing any information known about the signs themselves as well as the effects of the events on individual signs. If you are unsure of which sign you are, the city ID you were provided with should have this information.

This document is a work in progress. Anyone who has access to this document can also edit it with any corrections or other findings they may come across.

As with the previous time, this post may also be used as a forum for discussion. Newer arrivals who have questions about these events are encouraged to ask, and Visitors who have been here for some time are encouraged to provide whatever answers they know.

[Video; 4 hours later]

[After leaving the network alone for a while, he makes an unassuming post with his name attached and everything.]

Hey! So a while back, this demon gave me this sword...

[He pauses to hold up a sheathe, pulling a rather nice looking sword out a bit for the camera.]

...Buuut, I don't know how to use it at all. And it seems like a huge waste, considering how nice it is.

[And the fact that it lights itself on fire every thirteenth hour is also pretty spiffy in its own unique way.]

So anyway, I was wondering if anyone here has time to train a guy in swordsmanship! I heard about some people who had a school or something a while back, but I don't know if any of them are around.

[And then, a grin.]

But anyway, if you think you could teach me or know someone who could, drop me a line here! I can pay at least a little, and I'm a fast learner, too!

((OOC: As noted in the post itself, there is a section for forum discussion where characters can discuss, anonymously or not! Characters are free to make their own sub threads for topics and threadjack as they please.))

Comments

text

[unbroken_chain]

So, here's a question - these things, do they effect people based on the signs from this world, or the ones from their own worlds? Because just from looking over that list, there are a lot of differences from what I know.

[terminally_clever]

This world's signs. Look up 'Western astrology' for more information on how the system is organized. Your own zodiac sign under this system should be listed on the government ID you received on the day you arrived.

[unbroken_chain]

I already know the equivalent - my card says Libra - it's just that back home my sign, Lampent, is a Fire sign and connected to Summer.

So there's no...overlap between any of the different traditions, then? It seems kind of weird for something as nebulous as astrology to be sticking to a single system.

...kotoha, those puns

[terminally_clever]

[She'll be largely glossing right over the puns, though if Kotoha's looking, she will see Fumi's eyebrow twitch.]

The strongest overlap tends to be the elemental associations. Traditional Chinese astrology uses three of the same ones - earth, wind and fire - but also wood and metal. And instead of being associated with a specific sign, these elements are linked to specific birth years.

For example, under Western astrology I'm a Cancer, which is a water sign and represents the crab. Under Chinese astrology, my birth year corresponds to the sign of the horse and the element metal. The arrangement is completely different, with specific animal and element combinations repeating themselves every 60 calendar years.

Video

[unbroken_chain]

Kotoha switched over to video specifically to see Fumi's reactions to the (terrible, terrible) puns, so she did indeed see that twitch. She will mentally note this down as a victory and continue with the conversation. A brief check of the astrology document and she's managed to translate 'Cancer' into something more normal.

"Cancer...that's July, then? Under our system, you'd be a Crustle, which is an autumn sign associated with the elements of Rock and Bug."

Anon text

[bondsofsuffering]

hey wasnt someone saying a while back that they dont even have signs where there from

guess that makes sense tho cuz not everyone has the same stars or animals

text

[unbroken_chain]

That's kind of the weird thing, though - we have the same stars, as far as I can tell, we just don't see the same things in them.

anon text

[bondsofsuffering]

cuz of different animals and beliefs rite

[terminally_clever]

...Bug isn't an element.

[This bothers her more than it should.]

[unbroken_chain]

Kotoha blinks.

"Sure it is. The seventeen elements are Normal, Fire, Fighting, Water, Flying, Grass, Poison, Electric, Ground, Rock, Psychic, Ice, Dark, Bug, Ghost, Steel, and Dragon."

[terminally_clever]

I can't even start to explain the problems I have with calling half of those things elements.

[But she will anyway.]

Several of them are nothing more than physical acts, at least two are completely redundant, and even more are names of animals.

[unbroken_chain]

Kotoha shrugs a little.

"I'm not pulling this stuff out of a hat, you know. Those are the seventeen recognized Pokemon types in my world. Been that way since the founding of the first Pokemon League."

[terminally_clever]

[THE POKEMON LEAGUE IS STUPID AND YOU'RE STUPID]

...I see.

[unbroken_chain]

"Maybe we could talk about it later? I'd be happy to explain in-depth sometime!"

[terminally_clever]

Yes, maybe another time.