#zosimos

His work is preserved across dozens of manuscripts in a half-dozen old languages, and no modern scholar has translated them all in one place. His writing is especially strange, full of oblique, quasi-religious imagery, encounters with gods, and chemical processes personified as men being tortured. He is difficult to study. Scholarly works on Zosimos are often forced to focus on a single work in a single manuscript. Because of this, it is easy to get a one angle, but difficult to get the whole picture. 

Zosimos of Panopolis dreamed of alchemy.

Due to some nonsense with ties, Zosimos (Monster Sanctuary) will be automatically advancing to round 3.

There Was a Celebration. No One Told Me Why. 🎆🐸

There was a celebration.

No one told me why.

No one told me when.

And, most concerningly, no one seemed to think I needed to know.

The frogs did, though.

Of course they did.

They arrived dressed.

Not casually dressed. Not “oh I found this by the river” dressed.

Formally.

Intentionally.

Organized.

There is, it should be noted, a frog in a robe who appears to be in charge.

No one has confirmed this.

No one needs to.

We gathered by the water.

Which is, apparently, where one goes when one expects the sky to begin exploding.

And then—

it did.

Light split the air.

Color rewrote itself.

The sky behaved in ways that strongly imply it has made a decision I was not consulted on.

The frogs clapped.

One of them waved.

At the sky.

I would like to emphasize this.

Something unknown is detonating reality overhead—

—and the frogs are being polite about it.

So now I have questions.

Several.

Many, in fact.

An uncomfortable number.

Who organized this.

Why the frogs are prepared.

Why there is a structure.

Why there is a leader.

And why—

no one is even slightly alarmed.

Because I have reached a conclusion.

This is either a festival.

—or it is a warning.

And the frogs do not appear to know the difference.

Which is unfortunate.

Because I am beginning to suspect—

they are celebrating the wrong thing.

I’m back with more Lodgetembr, folks! At long last, I can have the excuse to draw more art with Anne-Marie and Zosimos! I know Anne-Marie is not technically a Lodger but she does live at the Society in my story. Although, I guess since she’s technically adopted, wouldn’t that make her the first lodger…?

Fun little tidbit about Anne-Marie, supernatural creatures love her. Well, the ones at the Society do. They all have the sudden urge to crawl on-top or cuddle with the girl. And considering supernatural creatures are her favorite subject, the girl has an absolute blast. You bet she helps Jasper out with taking caring of his creatures, she’s his little assistant.

Also, I couldn’t do Pets and not include Anne-Marie’s own pets! Everyone, meet three of Anne-Marie’s doll collection, Sam, Thrasher, and Cy! A collection that may or may not be alive and scares the ghost/spirit experts of the Society. They’re slightly territorial, hence the reaction of Jasper’s creatures.

Zosi is the only one not afraid of them. He was here first when Anne-Marie began to collect them and he has an ongoing truce with the Dolls. Both parties want to protect the girl, so they’ll leave each other alone.

Also, I’m so sad I couldn’t draw Lovelace and Curie on Anne-Marie! Those two love to use her as a heating rock. Fun fact, they’re one of the few creatures that aren’t scared of the dolls.

[image ID: he first image is of Zosi, a black dog that may be a scottish terrier. his fur is disheveled, and his eyes are red. his ears look like they have have been torn in places. some of his inner muscle is visible, and 3 out of 4 legs and his tail are just exposed bone. he's being held up in someone's arms. the second image is of the dog from Teletubbies, a large, chunky dog, toy-like in appearance. the fur is mostly golden color, with a black back and tail, similar to an airedale terrier. end ID]

At least for a while.

One of the central concepts in alchemy was the idea of the four elements: earth, air, water, and fire, which were believed to be the basic constituents of all matter. Among the alchemists, there were those who specialized in the element of fire, and they were known as the philosophers of fire. These alchemists believed that fire was the primary agent of change and transformation, and that it had…