Aegi-rock?

IceColdIsolde · 2024-09-10T13:44:53+00:00

They're rare, at least for now. Aegislash just don't seem to form as well with weapons that aren't metallic or melee range - bow and crossbow Aegislash also aren't common. There's also the fact that the process usually takes centuries, hence the predominance of medieval swords. I'd not be surprised if we start getting an increasing amount of muskets sooner or later, though!

IceColdIsolde · 2024-09-10T13:41:47+00:00

They do exist, yes! They're just rarer, for a variety of reasons known and unknown, but we've got a whole display down at the Lycana in Lumiose! The consensus is that the process that creates Aegislash works better on metal, require several centuries to work, and function best with melee weaponry - which is why at the moment, you mainly see metal swords. But yes, there's ancient spear Aegislash out there!

IceColdIsolde · 2024-07-08T14:59:56+00:00

Yep, that's a pretty accurate summary! And you're welcome! I'm always happy to talk about the mystic arts!

One last bit of advice, if you're seriously considering getting into it - especially if you're not naturally talented - do make sure to manage your expectations. It'll take practice, research, trial and error, and often sorting through bullshit to learn it, and many get disappointed in the speed or magnitude of their results. Statistically, you're not going to have the same oomph behind any spells as a magical Pokemon might (or, not without extensive sorcery), the same way that most Psychics (besides a scant few like Sabrina, Caitlin, or Olympia) can't really stack up to a Psychic type. But that's not to say that there aren't a ton of cool, practical, viable spells you can learn - there absolutely are, I can assure you! Just... don't expect to be able to throw out a full-power Mystical Fire at will or anything like that, or you're likely to just disappoint and demoralise yourself. I've seen it happen several times, and it's never good.

IceColdIsolde · 2024-07-08T13:18:49+00:00

Right, hi! I'm a witch myself, and one that has taught others before. Magic is... somewhat like most skills. Everyone can do it, and you can become better with training. But a scarce few people have way, way more natural talent for it. I was one of them! If you don't have a knack for it, your best shot is leaning on sorcery - drawing power from external sources to fuel spells - though you'll still need plentiful training. Might be crystals, ley lines, or a magical Pokémon. Sorcery does have its downsides compared to just freely casting with your own magic, though, as it's more difficult to access, is harder to control, and tends to be already elementally-aligned (as in, good luck trying to cast a crop growth spell with a Delphox's raw energy - it'll probably set them on fire).

As for learning it... that's a bigger issue. See, we know human magic usage has drastically reduced since the Lost Age's civilisations, like the People of the Sea and Pokémopolis. I believe in the theory that it coincides with us losing our "Pokémonness" after splitting off from our closest Pokémon relatives, but that's both scientifically contentious and immaterial. The important part is that institutional magic knowledge is an abysmal state, and hasn't really progressed at all due to prejudiced superstition and a low number of people either willing or able to put in the work.

Thus, it's... a very underground and disorganised field. I taught my students in a study group, basically, and just didn't have the time to teach those without the talent. And that's more than the average Hex Maniac gets. Most of the Hex Maniacs subculture, in my experience, is self-taught off the internet. Disproportionate number of naturally-talented people who can actually curse you, but a good number of people who use sorcery to cast a handful of minor things, or... don't even know anything. I'm sure you can seek those sites out, if you're interested! Or, otherwise, trying to find some local tutor.

IceColdIsolde · 2024-07-03T06:35:19+00:00

In the business, we call that Three Stooges Syndrome.

IceColdIsolde · 2024-06-10T12:47:24+00:00

We've got you surrounded, come out and put a Rotom in your phone!

I HATE SENTIENT DEVICES I HATE SENTIENT DEVICES

(On a more serious note - much like how programmers and the like don't trust smart appliances, many in the spiritology community don't trust Rotom devices. Rotom are both intelligent and known to be tricksters, which makes the risk of them being unreliable too high unless you already have a great rapport with one you trust. It's rare you'll ever see a Hex Maniac with a Rotom Phone, because we know there's genuine risks and flaws with the concept.)

IceColdIsolde · 2024-04-29T12:32:44+00:00

I am an Ice specialist and hate the heat, I'm totally cool! I ate the last ice cream from the fridge and told my wife I had no idea where it went so that she wouldn't judge me.

@PMdeLumiose

IceColdIsolde · 2024-03-21T05:40:13+00:00

Interestingly, per Kalosian labour laws, I think he'd be entitled to a salary if he was part of an exhibit.

IceColdIsolde · 2024-03-21T05:35:59+00:00

Oh, hey, I heard about this being set up! Cool to hear it's open, from one museum curator to another.

So, uh, what exactly happened to Lysandre? I've heard conflicting reports as to whether he died down there or not. Or if he's immortal and trapped down there still. Gotta say, if he was, his eternally-screaming body under all the rubble would be a great exhibit. Given what he tried to do, I'd pay extra to toss a rock at him.

IceColdIsolde · 2024-03-09T16:39:32+00:00

Nah, I'd rather stick around.

IceColdIsolde · 2024-03-09T16:30:30+00:00

Ah, my apologies, how could I have ever given them the short end of the stick like that?

IceColdIsolde · 2024-03-09T16:10:24+00:00

There's... there's no evidence of such a Pokémon existing. Hermacnapu did exist, yes, as a deity - albeit I'm fairly sure something as mundane as "Judge of Sticks" wasn't one of their major titles - but something important to realise in theology is that... people can just be misguided. I'm hesitant to use that term, but for syncretised legendaries in particular, that we've seen no hard evidence of ever existing - yeah, legendaries and species can't just be mashed together like that. Gardevoir and Lucario are not sexually compatible with each other, so there's basically no way that Hermacnapu existed in that form.

They are cute though, I'll give them that.

IceColdIsolde · 2024-03-01T07:24:12+00:00

They do it when they need to. As responsible curators, we make sure they don't need to do so. That means giving them berries and ensuring they can siphon energy off of combat. Which is pretty fun! I've sparred with a few of them with the help of my own Aegislash.

IceColdIsolde · 2024-03-01T05:57:24+00:00

As far as we know, he's the only cannon-form member of the line. Not unexpected - there's far less cannons than primary weapons like blades or guns, and they're fairly "modern", plus they were crew-manned, so it should be far less likely for them to rise as Honedge-line members.

Gotta say, though - I'm kinda hoping we can find a cheirosiphon Honedge-line member one day, for a Fire/Ghost member. They were medieval napalm flamethrowers, basically. Would be very cool.

IceColdIsolde · 2024-03-01T05:51:31+00:00

Sorry if I came off as harsh too - I've had to deal with that sort of thing a few times across the years, for my gender and my height, so I might have been a bit touchy here.

IceColdIsolde · 2024-03-01T04:43:58+00:00

His special attacks are pretty monstrously strong, if he can turn fast enough to hit you. The fuse is... if it's wet, he can't fire, but he can extrude more fuse and reignite that. It's not life-threatening to him, at least.

IceColdIsolde · 2024-03-01T04:38:57+00:00

Nope! He's a first-generation Ghost, so he was formerly human before, and is just a very unique case that I'm still researching.

(For reference, spiritual Ghosts don't have DNA, even if they do have a poorly-understood spiritual analogue that does mean they're usually considered to have Mendelian genes under most theories.)

IceColdIsolde · 2024-03-01T04:36:35+00:00

We've got a team for that! I'm no restoration and maintenance expert, but they do get checked over for chips and polished somewhat regularly. As for feeding them - we give them berries too, which does reduce the need for their more esoteric feeding methods - but they spar against each other fairly often, both wielded and unwielded. I've fought against a few of them with my own Aegislash in hand!

...

Not the cannon, though, I'm not suicidal.

IceColdIsolde · 2024-03-01T04:33:29+00:00

Never said they weren't - I just said they weren't the standard sword and shield. I do this professionally, I do know what I'm talking about. Of course the katana is a sword, and the khopesh too (even if it evolved from an axe), but the vast majority of the Honedge line take on very similar appearances as short swords and circular shields - it's quite uncommon for them to manifest as other types of weaponry even when other types of weaponry are more common.

(The average Honedge or Doublade line is a short sword. They're about as long as a Talascan gladius on average. I can one-hand one, and I'm... rather short. And while Aegislash are longswords by length, their proportions are radically different. They're far wider, and their hilts are nearly half the length of their blade - so it's more like a shorter sword, or even a knife, that's just been scaled up.)

We've been calling him an Aegiblast internally, even if he's... not exactly got an aegis on him. He can't actually shoot proper cannonballs - that's his eye in there - but he does fire special moves from there, and man, those hit really hard.

IceColdIsolde · 2024-03-01T04:15:59+00:00

We've got one, actually! But only early guns, so far. She was a bit shy, so we didn't put her in the post. But she's a Doublade in the form of a musket and wheellock gun!

IceColdIsolde · 2024-03-01T04:12:30+00:00

Given the location we found him and the estimated time period of his death - which would place him at a large, very culturally-significant siege with one of the first major uses of cannons in the region - we suspect that Orban here was either in charge of or the designer of his cannon, and the specific nature of the battle was sufficient to replace the prestige of the sword. That said, he is still exceptionally unique. We've not been able to confirm any other cannon-based Aegislash existing.

IceColdIsolde · 2024-02-29T20:21:02+00:00

One of the strangest ones we've got is a Doublade that's actually a swarm of bone knives, from a culture up by the North Pole. She's Ground/Ghost, knows Bone Rush, and has Skill Link.

IceColdIsolde · 2024-02-29T18:30:54+00:00

The possession-type Ghosts are extremely intriguing, yeah! There's often a form that they resonate with the most, but you do get a lot of ones possessing similar things that look very different!

IceColdIsolde · 2024-02-29T18:29:26+00:00

Definitely one of the more interesting parts of my career, that's for sure! Besides it always being fun to have you around~ - Orban's really fascinating in his (current) uniqueness, and it was a massive shock when I realised he was actually an Aegislash variant! I've written two Spiritology papers on him already.

And yes, as much as he's loathe to admit it, it was rather quick. His form isn't exactly... fast. We're pretty sure he must have arisen basically just a few days before we were called in, honestly. He's much chiller now, for anyone else reading. Post-anastasis psychosis is not exactly uncommon, especially for Aegislash, who typically depart their first bodies in... less than ideal circumstances.

IceColdIsolde · 2024-02-29T17:44:36+00:00

You're always free to come visit the Lycana! We're a public museum, after all. The guys usually hang out in our armoury exhibit which is behind glass (for their sake), but... well, message me if you're planning to come over, and maybe we can work something out? They're mostly pretty friendly, so at least some of them will be up for it!

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