Ember is the 4th character in the Shadowlands collection, based on science fiction writings by the the author who commissioned the doll.

Ember is an empath healer with the gift of Sight. We find her on a desert planet oasis, dressing the finaries of her tropical island home: a flowing spidersilk gown and jewellery to adorn her body. She wears little bells around her ankles that tinkle as she walks.

The OOAK art doll is Inamorata 2.0 Charo with Busty body in Latte resin. Her pale skin is sunkissed and covered in freckles. The mohair wig is deep red has a complex braid pattern and gold hair ornaments. Her costume consists of a translucent silk gown of cream interwoven with gold threads, with matching sandals, a golden body harness decorated with natural stone beads, and the emerald green lingerie decorated with gold rings and beaded with Japanese glass beads.

This is doll is a commissioned artwork and not for sale.

Allie's instagram: www.instagram.com/tiny.empath/

Taken at the August 2019 Street Meet/

Mission Log # 11 – Second Planetary Survey of Ingemar

Star Date: 2551.06.10 11:00 hrs

The mission commenced at Resilient Base Briefing Room with the following crew present:

• Fazzy Constantine

• T5 “Tinman”

• Chastian Necrosa

• Noah Constantine

• Bansealgair

• Eric Regulus

The mission parameters were clear and simple:

1) Continue the investigation of the base discovered on Ingemar, which was evidently

abandoned by a group who were known to be collectors and concealers of large life forms.

2) Determine the age and function of the clearly older – and now submerged -- habitations

discovered on the first survey.

The team departed Resilient aboard the upgraded Kodiak and proceeded to the landing pad

on Ingemar. The flight was completed without incident, and the crew, consisting of all but

Tinman, departed the Kodiak for the base interior. They proceeded to the moon pool, where

the team appropriated one of the submarines discovered on the prior mission. The intent was

to better explore the submerged portions of the complex surrounding the base, using the probe

deposited on the last mission as a guidance beacon.

Upon submerging, it was clear that a much

holder habitation had been built, and given its configuration and construction, it was built with

the intent to be underwater. Brass-and-rivet beams around large panels of quarter-meter silica

glass were configured into at least two habitations, with what appeared to be a Jeffries tube

connecting them.

Much of the complex appears to be underground, but the submarine was not

equipped with scanning technology beyond SONAR. This would require more extensive

inspection, likely with EVA.

Aside from the underwater habitat, several other geological formations were encountered

including two caves, and at least two abyssal trenches. Life forms were encountered including

jellyfish, rays, tube worms, coral, and various marine flora. One configuration of coral appeared

to have several orbs embedded into it, similar to the ones recovered from Jasper McFudd, and

housed in the laboratory on Resilient. It was at this point that the survey took something of a

turn.

The submarine experienced a number of mechanical failures, with loss of propulsion and

buoyancy control. No cause could be identified within the submarine’s systems, but Bansealgair and Commander Constantine both felt a large presence nearby. At this point,

Chastian activated some portable shield generators to protect the crew. The submarine was

disabled, and oxygen and power supplies were running short. A moment later, from one of the

abyssal trenches in the sea floor, emerged a leviathan. Following a brief but loose collective

bowel movement from the crew, communication was commenced with the gargantuan

intelligence. The leviathan communicated. Listed below is the collection of remarks made:

• Humans. I know your kind. And you. Empath. You are in the wrong place. You cannot

begin to fathom our very existence.

• Impossible to leave now. You are under my serving. My servants, Thralled to control as I

please.

• Those orbs. Are my windows to the galaxy. I have watched your arrival. Your departures.

You fumble in the dark like small creatures. With each passing moment, you have no

doubt become experienced.

• [After the Commander requested assistance with our disabled submarine] My help?

There's nothing I can do for you.

• [After the Commander advises that the leviathan’s “brothers are still alive.”]

Impossible. There is...wait. It cannot be. You bear the insignia of the Shepard.

• I realize you have more orbs in the dwelling in space you call home...but my kind is

alive? We were the apex race. We will be once again.

• Very well. I will let you go. If you fight my creations...then you have my support. But I

am only doing this to see my brothers once more.

At this point, the leviathan receded into the abyss, with power and control of the submarine

returning quickly thereafter. The crew performed an emergency ballast blow, and surfaced

immediately. Once at the surface, the top hatch was opened and the crew had breathable

atmosphere. The vehicle, now depleted of battery energy, was abandoned and the crew swam

for the generator-level pad at the base, then ascended to the landing pad where Kodiak was

boarded for the return to Resilient Base.

Other Conclusions:

• The orbs recovered from Jasper McFudd appear to be palantíri, seeing stones, that allow

one to observe the activities surrounding all of the other stones. This was likely how the

leviathan was able to observe our actions. The orbs were destroyed, along with the

fume hood that housed them.

• Orbs or not, we are likely under the surveillance and possibly the control, of the

leviathan. It cannot be ruled out that this leviathan was behind our movements from

Idun, to Baldur, and the voyage to Tyr. The signals we have received from these various

destinations all may have the same creature as the origin.

• A return mission to explore the habitation carries additional risk of the leviathan

changing its mind.• There is an increasing probability that we may have to demonstrate our commitment to

“fight” the leviathan’s “creations” to remain free of the leviathan’s influence on the

team and to maintain its “support.”

Casualties: Two – Commander Constantine and Engineer Necrosa both suffered anterior

epistaxis. Paroxysmal cephalgia was reported by other crew members, but self-corrected.

Damage: None

• The submarine will need to be towed and/or recharged, but it is undamaged.

Follow-on Actions:

• More extensive review of the signals received from Tyr, Ingemar and elsewhere for

consistency and possible common origin.

• Increase telemetry with the undersea probe.

• Finish repairs to the fume hood in the laboratory.

• Library Computer research on leviathan history is indicated.

Ember is the 4th character in the Shadowlands collection, based on science fiction writings by the the author who commissioned the doll.

Ember is an empath healer with the gift of Sight. We find her on a desert planet oasis, dressing the finaries of her tropical island home: a flowing spidersilk gown and jewellery to adorn her body. She wears little bells around her ankles that tinkle as she walks.

The OOAK art doll is Inamorata 2.0 Charo with Busty body in Latte resin. Her pale skin is sunkissed and covered in freckles. The mohair wig is deep red has a complex braid pattern and gold hair ornaments. Her costume consists of a translucent silk gown of cream interwoven with gold threads, with matching sandals, a golden body harness decorated with natural stone beads, and the emerald green lingerie decorated with gold rings and beaded with Japanese glass beads.

This is doll is a commissioned artwork and not for sale.

With the ever looming threat of Brexit and constant mishandling of institutions like the NHS, some have started to think that this is the beginning of the end for our green and pleasant land and although I reckon that is a bit of an overstatement it's certainly a worrying prospect.

Karen here has a superpower. She is a supremely sensitive empath and just can't handle all these negative emotions swirling around the nation. She's stopped looking at the internet, stopped watching TV, stopped listening to the radio, hasn't read a newspaper in months and now just completely refuses to talk to anyone in case they overwhelm her with their dark emotions. In fact the only thing she does nowadays is volunteer at a cat sanctuary run by cats although she can only just about handle it when the kittens start play-fighting. Can't we all just be nice?

Cheers

id-iom

Purchase signed print here.

chancenkosigomez.com/shop/you-are-not-an-island

As a child, I struggled with asking for help when I needed it the most. There was an overriding feeling of not wanting to bother or disturb anyone with anything I had going on. The simple truth is that a closed mouth won’t get fed. That you and I are not an island. I reflect on the six weeks I spent in the Himalayas at an ashram learning how to strengthen my sadhana, or spiritual practice. How intensive the schedule was at first. Our days started at 6 a.m and ended at 9 p.m. What made it easier was seeing how committed all the other yogis were in accomplishing the same goal I had. To be disciplined enough to achieve something for ourselves, together. Unity is strength. I’ve personally experienced unexpected blessings because I dared to speak up about what I needed in the moment. When I’ve taken a single step towards my goals, something greater has delivered what I needed through the actions of another. This portrait of Chi was taken in 2024 at her communal village. I was experimenting with Leica’s M-10 Monochrome for the first time. I knew that strong black and white portraits would be produced that day. When I began editing this still stood out to me. Because nudity is already a charged art form its almost too easy to produce striking photographs. I do my best to capture nude subjects in relation to their environments while also conveying different ways of non-verbal communication. I see a timid mystery in this photograph as Chi’s back is turnt to the viewer and we are only getting a fraction of her face. I feel as if there’s something to be said by our subject that’s not being communicated. Maybe that’s the empath in me wanting to be available as a listener to another.

I never asked for any of this. The powers, and the pain it brings. To me, and to everyone else. It takes so much, to make sure I don't ever lose control. I just wanted to have a normal life... Be normal. But ever since I was born, having a 'normal life' was off the table. Especially with who, or rather, what I was. The daughter of the demon.

I was born in the year 1987, in the Crescent City itself, New Orleans. At least, that's what I originally thought. That I was born here. I would later learn that wasn't the case.

On that night, she was the one to find me. Natalia Nevarro ​, my foster mother. Wrapped up in a purple blanket, and left on her doorstep in the French Quarter district of the city. Out of the kindness of her heart, she brought me inside. She would be the one to raise me, along with her daughter, Maxine. It didn't take me very long to realize that I was different.

It all started with the nightmares I had as a child. It was this one reoccurring nightmare that would play out in my mind over the course of my childhood. The nightmare was of this red monster, with six glowing yellow eyes, chasing after me. It towered over me, as though I was a small ant compared to it. No matter where I ran, it would continue to chase after me.

"You cannot hide from me, Raven. I will always find you. Our fates are intertwined. You belong to me." The monster's voice would boom. Every time, that's where the nightmare would end. Being so scared at the time, my powers would activate for the first time. A shadowy bird, emanating from my body, that would end up destroying my room. Hearing the noise, Natalia, and Maxine would come in, to make sure I was okay. The first couple of times, the bird disappeared before they came inside. But I still remember, when I was 8, and the nightmare happened again. This time, I could see a woman, dressed in white robes, off in the distance. Anyways, my family would see the shadowy bird in all its glory for the first time. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I knew exactly what they were feeling, even though they both put on a brave face. They were afraid. Afraid of what I could do, if left unchecked.

I could feel the pain once again, with the passing of Natalia's sister, Vivian. It was radiating off both Natalia and Max. At the time, I felt useless. I thought, what could I do for them, to have this just stop. I just wanted them to feel better. As I placed my hands on their shoulders, I felt an excruciating pain, that I hadn't felt until this point. It was as though I was taking their pain away from them, as they would stop crying moments later, each with a look of relief. Like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders. Unfortunately, taking on the pain of others is never easy, and took its toll on me. It was yet another reminder, that I was different.

Natalia would search day and night, for any answers as to what was happening to me. Even sending me and Max to see a card reader. Suffice to say, it didn't end well. I scared the reader, Miss Eliza's cat. The reading itself was less than positive. Though, she did mention something about me being an empath? Which as it turns out, was spot on. Not that I believed her at the time.

Next thing I'd try was meditation. Azarath Metrion Zinthos was a mantra I'd use, to try and calm myself down, so that I wouldn't hear the thoughts of my classmates or feel their feelings on a daily basis. Almost like a shield protecting me from their thoughts and feelings. Though I have no idea where those words came from. They just sort of came to me..

Anyways, I would end up amassing quite the book collection, including several grimoires while I was searching for answers. I didn't think magic was real, just something you'd read in a fantasy novel or something. Like one story, involved these sorcerers from the city of Modora, defending the town against this dragon, Malchior. But what else would explain the strange things I could do? I mean sure, maybe I was one of those metahumans. But it felt, different from that. It wasn't until I was 16, that I would learn the truth about my family.

One night, there would be a knock at the door. Of course, mom was out of the house at the time, so it was just me, and Max. Max was on the phone with Eman, one of her friends, and she was clearly happy. I'd get up off the couch, and answer the door, sensing whoever it was, was terrified. In front of me, as I opened the door, was the woman in white, from the nightmare.

"Rachel, we have to leave, now. They're coming!" Her voice warned, but I was just confused, more than anything.

"How do you kn-"

"We don't have time for this! Rachel, I'm your mother, now come with me. Your life is in danger." She interrupts

"No, no you're not.. She's out right now, doing errands." I replied, trying to deny it all. But deep within my heart, I knew. That's when it all clicked together. There was this strange sense of familiarity I couldn't shake. The woman took my hand, and we would disappear.

I would finally get the answers I had looked for all these years. Even though the truth is worse than I ever could have imagined. I was the daughter of the demon, Trigon, and Angela Roth, a cultist from the Cult of Blood, born in Gotham City. My mother was ready to kill herself the night I was born.. But she was transported to Azarath, a pacifist realm existing between planes of known reality. I'd be born, and Angela Roth would be given the name Arella, her perspective changing in the process. Unfortunately, mother was scared that her former leader, Brother Blood, and his followers in the Cult of Blood, would find me. This led her to bringing me to New Orleans, while also protecting me with magic she would learn in Azarath. Unfortunately the magic wouldn't last, and with that, the Cult would come. They wanted me, as I could bring my father, Trigon, back into the human realm. They would capture me and my mom the moment we came back to New Orleans. And so, their ritual would succeed, bringing my father back to wreak havoc on the world.

My mother, in a final act of sacrifice, used all the magic she had, to send me and Trigon to a parallel dimension, at the cost of her own life. I had no time to grieve, as I was in for the fight of a lifetime.

I was finally facing the monster that haunted me for all my childhood. I wasn't going to run away this time, no matter what pain it costed me. I was going to make sure that he never terrorized an innocent soul again. It took two very long human years, of fighting. No matter what I had learned, my father consistently had the upper hand. An all-powerful demon. But I wasn't going to let that stop me. After wearing him down, little by little, I would eventually win, trapping him inside the red gem that sits on my forehead. I had finally conquered the demon that terrorized me for so long.

I'd be transported back into the human world, and life would go on, as though nothing had happened. But I had lost out on two years, in the fight against my father. I have all this power, and yet my birth mother's gone.. Sacrificed, for me. A girl who is seemingly void of any feelings or emotions. Even though I can feel everything from everyone around me, plus my own feelings. I can't say that I've fully gotten over it, but I'm trying. One day at a time, I'll get there. I'll be known as something other than the daughter of the demon. This may not be the life I want for myself, but it's the one I've been given. So I'm going to make the best of it.