#even from the Starborn blades

[wingedblooms]

Hi, it's me again. Why didn't Bryce meet elain in cc3? Was it some sort of a spoiler for her next book? Was it because she has hidden starborn powers like Bryce and SMJ didn't want Bryce and Elain meeting for a chance that either Elain os Bryce powers will start to glow when meeting eachother? I want to know your thought on this please 😁

Hello again! 🥰 I’m not Sarah, so I can’t say for certain, but I think there are a few different possibilities.

No such thing as bad press. Sarah and BB benefit from the tension among shippers and the mystery of who is next feeds that tension. It creates free buzz for them and helps them make more money.

Maximizing pay off. In an interview with Eva Chen, Sarah talked about planting secrets in acosf that she plans to pay off in the future. While it would’ve been nice to have seen Elain interact with Bryce in hofas, it makes sense for Sarah to save Elain-specific reveals for her book, where we will be able to fully appreciate her perspective and the hidden layers of her character and powers.

That said, we were given important information that strengthens set-up for her story:

Power: We learned that Rhysand is related to the Starborn and in acosf Sarah explicitly told us that the sisters were a match for him in power. That could mean they possess Starborn magic or raw magic that matches it in might, which might explain why they're marked by Wyrd. Elain's gifts (whatever powers she has, as Amren said in acosf) are mostly unexplored and might just be the answer to the plot threads hofas illuminated.

The Mask: Bryce had a Made object on her body and leveled up her Starborn power in hofas, allowing her to activate the magic of the Starborn blades and use the Mask without issue. Even Hunt was able to use the Mask because he had Bryce’s power in him temporarily. But when Nesta used the Mask, she struggled to come back to herself after killing the wyrm. This should prompt a conversation among the IC: Is this because she returned her magic? Or interfered with a bargain? Or does the Mask have some innate, soul-devouring magic that functions like a curse, as Rigelus warned? @offtorivendell pointed out that Cassian questioned the cost to Nesta’s soul when Amren said the Mask made her unstoppable. It seems there’s something to that and since Bryce returned it at the end of hofas, we will likely learn more.

Starborn blades: We learned that while Azriel has been carrying Truth-Teller all this time, he doesn’t seem to know how to activate its magic. And holding both of these blades at the same time seems to bother him. But we did see Bryce use them together without issue (like the Mask) and based on what we saw of Truth-Teller’s magic, it’s even more likely that Elain activated its magic when she stepped out of shadow, out of nowhere, to kill Hybern with it. In other words, if it hasn't been addressed already, the IC should be asking questions about how Elain used the blade to appear when/where she did, and what that might mean for future exploration and use.

Asteri’s secrets: There are more secrets hidden in the land by the Asteri that will need to be uncovered. Vesperus mentioned the sacred sister peaks, so at minimum, we will be spending time mapping their secrets and rooting out the remaining Asteri influence on the land. As @offtorivendell, @silverlinedeyes, @willowmeres and I have theorized, the Asteri's lingering secrets might be connected to Koschei and his efforts to free himself. Not only does this sound like an ideal plot for a gardener, but Elain might’ve been given her vision and gifts for this exact purpose.

Stone Mother: Mother, Cauldron, Fate = Wyrd. We learned that the Asteri warped her Cauldron form into a tool of destruction. Pure life used to blossom from her womb. This could explain why she loves Elain and, at her core, would never hurt her—Elain is a kindred spirit and might represent what she used to be. Wyrd also used to rest in the heart of the Night Court, which is yet another hint that we will be exploring the mysteries beneath Ramiel.

The Helscape beneath: Bryce noticed a Helscape beneath the land in the cavern illustrations, making us wonder just how entwined these two worlds are and hinting at future interactions (via sight or portal) with the Princes of Hel and their creations (yes, please).

I am not sure exactly where Sarah will start the next acotar book. As @silverlinedeyes theorized, it could be a tandem read that includes Bryce's arrival and discoveries in Prythian. I could also see Sarah starting from an IC meeting where the characters are in an uproar and trying to process all that has happened, which might include descriptions and flashbacks of important scenes. Nesta and Azriel interacted directly with Bryce, so they will be responsible for reporting on those activities. It would make sense for those conversations to include what Azriel observed of Nesta's struggle with the Mask, what Nesta observed of Azriel's reactions to the Starborn blades, what they learned about the Starborn, Asteri, Trove, and Wyrd from Silene and Vesperus.

And once the weapons Bryce took are returned (which is fairly quickly, given the short timeline), Nesta will need to share what Bryce said to her. Personally, I imagine a scene in which the IC discusses (or more likely argues about) what Bryce shared, the Starborn blades aglow on the table. During this exchange, Elain is noticeably distracted, her focus repeatedly drawn to the blades until she finally blurts out, "Can none of you hear them? It's impossible for me to focus with their incessant chatter."

And that’s how we learn Elain can understand the Starborn blades and has been listening to their colorful commentary on everyone in the room the entire time.

#elain archeron #hofas spoilers #she gets all the tea #even from the Starborn blades #Sarah is saving the reveals for her book

[elains]

Azriel's association with Enalius, what it means for his arc and Illyria

This is something me and my friends have talked about off tumblr, but I wanted to write my own post about it and gather my thoughts. But here, I'll discuss a bit Azriel's character and how the revelations we witness in House of Flame and Shadow will be important to his character. (+ a little bit of Emerie).

What do we know about Enalius? From ACOSF, Emerie provides us with a little exposition when they are in the Rite, when the Pass of Enalius is brought up:

Long ago—so long ago they don’t even have a precise date for it—a great war was fought between the Fae and the ancient beings who oppressed them. One of its key battles was here, in these mountains. Our forces were battered and outnumbered, and for some reason, the enemy was desperate to reach the stone at the top of Ramiel. We were never taught the reason why; I think it’s been forgotten. But a young Illyrian warrior named Enalius held the line against the enemy soldiers for days.

Now, from the Crescent City crossover, we learned that Truth-teller and Gwydion are twin blades. They are a pair. According to the Silene History Lesson, the dagger used to belong to her father's (Fionn's) dear friend, slain during the war. A bit later, when they find Vesperus, she confirms that this friend was Enalius:

The Asteri’s eyes flared with recognition at the long blade. “Did Fionn send you, then? To slay me in my sleep? Or was it that traitor Enalius? I see that you bear his dagger—as his emissary? Or his assassin?”

Immediately before that, she also confirms that the Asteri crafted (which can either mean created, shaped forged, but we are going with created) the Illyrians:

The Asteri’s blue eyes lowered to the dagger. “You dare draw a weapon before me? Against those who crafted you, soldier, from night and pain?”

From everything, we can conclude this: Enalius was the original wielder of Truth-teller before Fionn and Theia, a dear friend to Fionn, and someone who pulled the ultimate sacrifice to keep the Asteri/Daglan from reaching the top of Ramiel. He was a traitor to the Asteri, a rebel against his masters and everything they stood for.

Enalius is the hero most Illyrians strive to mimic, the legendary figure who they all hope to one day surpass. He's a symbol of their people, even if so much about him has been forgotten — the fact that he had a dagger, Fionn's friendship, what the battle was for, maybe even how he was as a person. Brave, for sure. Willing to die for the cause.

And it's Azriel who bears his dagger. Azriel, who has such a complicated relationship with his Illyrian heritage and loaths it - and by extension, himself - is the one with this enormous legacy right at this hand. And this matters.

Still in ACOSF, we have Rhys talking with Cassian and wanting him to play Courtier, the following exchange then follows:

“What, we’re doing some role reversal? Az gets to lead the Illyrians now?” “Don’t play stupid,” Rhys said coolly. Cassian rolled his eyes. But they both knew Azriel would sooner disband and destroy Illyria than help it. Convincing their brother that the Illyrians were a people worth saving was still a battle amongst the three of them.

Azriel hates the Illyrians for what happened to him and his mother and his dislike for them is, to a degree, understandable. The thing is that Azriel, no matter how much he loaths it, is Illyrian. Maybe he's more than that (as it's pointed that Az is different in a lot of ways and Bryce wonders if he is Starborn), but at heart, he's Illyrian. Siphons, leathers, fighting, being Carynthian, his wings, his scabbard and the dagger it holds.

It was healthy, perhaps, for Az to sometimes remember where he'd come from. He still wore the Illyrian leathers. Had not tried to get the tattoos removed. Some part of him was Illyrian still. Always would be. Even if he wished to forget it.

Being Illyrian is part of who he is and his deep hatred for them only fuel his self-loathing. He would like to set himself apart, but he is not.

We can actually draw a direct parallel between Azriel and Bryce with how they regard the Fae vs the Illyrians. Bryce loathes the Fae and for most of HoFaS, she believes they are evil, corrupt, power-hungry and quite generally, not worth saving. She would leave them all to burn. Sound familiar?

And Bryce is wrong. Sathia challenges her notion, pointing out that she's laying judgement to all fae and that is hardly fair. What the one who don't deserve it? Herself, yes, but Flynn, Declan, and Ruhn himself? Do they deserve to burn too? Bryce herself acknowledges this:

Urd had sent her there to see, even in the small fraction of their world that she’d witnessed, that Fae existed who were kind and brave. She might have had to betray Nesta and Azriel, trick them … but she knew that at their cores, they were good people. The Fae of Midgard were capable of more. Ruhn proved it. Flynn and Dec proved it. Even Sathia proved it, in the short time Bryce had known her.

And this part here sums up quite neatly:

Fire met starlight met shadows, and Bryce loosed herself on the world. It ended today. Here. Now. This had nothing to do with the Asteri, or Midgard. The Fae had festered under leaders like these males, but her people could be so much more.

There are Illyrians who are kind and brave and break the mold. We see this with Emerie, who is also a woman. We see that with Balthazar, Cassian. The main point stands, though, that you cannot judge or condemn an entire race for the bad apples.

Azriel is wrong, just as Bryce was wrong, and his journey will be also to realise that his people are worth saving. They were created of night and pain (words that Azriel embodies, being a master of shadows and a torturer), but that is not everything they need to be. They can be more than soldiers. They can thrive.

And I believe this was something Enalius himself came to the believe, long ago. His people deserved more than to be slaves to the Asteri, forced to give them their power when need be, bred to live and die for them. They could be more. And Enalius died to free his people from their chains.

Is Azriel Enalius's blooded descendant? I'm not sure, but he doesn't need to be. Azriel is Enalius successor because he will finish what was started. He'll uncover the secrets of the past, what his people were in truth, what Enalius rebelled for, what he stood for, what the Blood Rite truly means - which he only got a glimpse of.

And this is where I think Emerie will also come in. She's s one of ACOSF most relevant characters and the first female Illyrian to be Carynthian. I think Emerie will also become an inspirational figure to the Illyrian women, another of these what they coud be. What they can be. And more importantly and that is just a theory, what they were.

Orestes was a warrior. What if so was Carynth and she was woman? The name always struck me as similar to Carina, which is the name of a constellation and commonly used by women. It would be ironic and another shaking revelation to the Illyrians that Carynth, for whom their greatest warriors are named after, was a woman.

Does that mean all Illyrian women must become Valkyries? No, but some might wish to follow this path whilst their society takes its time to catch up. They already shook the status quo and with Nesta poised to have a big role (andthe Valkyries along her), they will continue to do so.

Azriel will uncovered the lost history of Vesperus offered him all the clues he needed to start looking. His journey to find out this secrets will lead to him facing his own demons, confronting his loathing for his people and, in doing so, he will make peace with himself.

#hofas spoilers #azriel #shout out to yaz for helping me fish the quotes #my meta #acotar #acosf #emerie #illyria

[yazthebookish]

Chapter 23, 24 and 25

(Aka the "holy shit" and "lore galore" chapters)

A sarcophagus made of clear quartz lay in the center of the space. And inside it, preserved in eternal youth and beauty, lay a dark-haired female.

What in the Snow White...

That here, literally right under them, slumbering in that forgotten coffin … Here lay the evil beneath.

Oh shit.

“What have you done?” Azriel rasped, and Bryce twisted to find him on his feet, wings tucked in, Nesta leaning against him as if wounded, Ataraxia dangling from her grip. The male now held the Starsword at the ready, Truth-Teller gripped in his other hand.

He must have had some sort of Starborn blood in him, then—a distant ancestor, maybe. Or maybe his possession of the knife somehow allowed him to also bear the Starsword.

Hnnnnnnnnghhhhhh!!!!!!! Theories swirling right now!!!!!

“I am your god. I am your master. Do you not know me?”

The female’s nails gouged deep lines into the crystal, but the lid held. She searched beyond Bryce, her gaze falling upon Azriel. Her lips curled. “A foot soldier. Excellent. Kill this insolent female and free me.” She pointed to Bryce.

Azriel didn’t move. The caged female hissed, “Kneel, soldier. Make the Tithe so I may regain my strength and leave this cage.”

Oh?

“The female in the sarcophagus was an Asteri.”

Screeching.

The Asteri’s blue eyes lowered to the dagger. “You dare draw a weapon before me? Against those who crafted you, soldier, from night and pain?”

“You are no creator of mine,” Azriel said coldly. The Starsword gleamed in his other hand. If they bothered him, if they called to him, he didn’t let on. Neither hand so much as twitched.

Az is about to find out the Illyrians were the Daglan's creation!!!

The Asteri’s eyes flared with recognition at the long blade. “Did Fionn send you, then? To slay me in my sleep? Or was it that traitor Enalius? I see that you bear his dagger—as his emissary? Or his assassin?”

The words must have meant something to Azriel. The warrior let out a small noise of shock.

TRUTH-TELLER IS ENALIUS'S KNIFE!!! FIONN'S FRIEND!!! Oh this is delightful. What a lore feast!!! Az owns the knife of the first Illyrian!! Let's fucking go!!!

“You may call me Vesperus.” The creature’s eyes glowed with irritation.

She threw a tantrum about the other Asteri being called the Evening Star when she was one Lol.

“We pooled our power, and imbued those gifts into the Cauldron so that it would work our will. We Made the Trove from it. And then bound the very essence of the Cauldron to the soul of this world.”

Solas. “So destroy the Cauldron …”

“And you destroy this world. One cannot exist without the other.”

Behind them, Nesta sucked in a sharp breath. But Bryce said, “You gave this world a kill switch.”

“We gave many worlds … kill switches. To protect our interests.” She said it with such calm, such surety.

So basically the Cauldron is a nuclear button. The Daglan made sure Prythian's existence hinges on the Cauldron. I mean we knew as much in ACOWAR but it's always interesting when we get more history on why. The Cauldron is an entity but the higher divine being is the Mother/Urd.

Vesperus took another step, steadier now, and smiled past Bryce. At Azriel, at Truth-Teller. “You don’t know how to use it, do you?”

Azriel pointed the dagger toward the advancing Asteri. “Pretty sure this end’s the one that’ll go through your gut.”

Vesperus chuckled, her dark hair swaying with each inching step closer. “Typical of your kind. You want to play with our weapons, but have no concept of their true abilities. Your mind couldn’t hold all the possibilities at once.”

Azriel snarled softly, wings flaring, “Try me.”

Vesperus took one more step, now barely a foot from Bryce. “I can smell it—how much of what we created here went unused. Ignorant fools.”

What more can Truth-teller do...?

Vesperus backed up a half step, hissing at the gleaming weapon. “We hid pockets of our power throughout the lands, in case the vermin should cause … problems. It seems our wisdom did not fail us.”

“There are no such places,” Azriel countered coldly.

“Are there not?” Vesperus grinned broadly, showing all of her too-white teeth. “Have you looked beneath every sacred mountain? At their very roots? The magic draws all sorts of creatures. I can sense them even now, slithering about, gnawing on the magic. My magic. They’re as much vermin as the rest of you.”

YO RAMIEL IS THE ONLY UNEXPLORED ONE!! I'm kicking my feet right now!!!

“There are certain places, girl, that are better suited to hold power than others. Places where the veil between worlds is thin, and magic naturally abounds. Our light thrives in such environments, sustained by the regenerative magic of the land.” She gestured around them. “This island is a thin place—the mists around it declare it so.”

A veil between worlds. Oh, this crossover is going to have some implications on ACOTAR5.

The sacred mountains have a core of firstlight under them...

Nesta had plunged Ataraxia right through Vesperus’s chest.

NESTA 👏🏼 FUCKING 👏🏼 ARCHERON 👏🏼

#hofas spoilers #yaz reads hofas

[merymoonbeam]

Spear?

CC3 spoilers

This is just a manifesting post and more connections I found from cc3 🫡

In my wild hunt post I talked about narben being a spear for... reasons.

I think Gwydion and Truth-Teller are inspired by King Arthur's weapons. In myths it is talked about how he has a sword, a knife and a spear...

Other weapons have been associated with Arthur. Welsh tradition also knew of a dagger named Carnwennan and a spear named Rhongomyniad that belonged to him. Carnwennan ("little white-hilt") first appears in Culhwch and Olwen, where Arthur uses it to slice the witch Orddu in half. Rhongomyniad ("spear" + "striker, slayer") is also mentioned in Culhwch, although only in passing; it appears as simply Ron ("spear") in Geoffrey's Historia. Geoffrey also names Arthur's shield as Pridwen; in Culhwch, however, Prydwen ("fair face") is the name of Arthur's ship while his shield is named Wynebgwrthucher ("face of evening").

So other than excalibur Arthur has a dagger and a spear.

To me it looks like

Excalibur= Gwydion

Carnwennan= Truth-Teller

Rhongomyniad= Narben

So why? Lemme explain.

With Excalibur it is about who is worthy to pull it out of the stone.

Excalibur is the mythical sword of King Arthur that may possess magical powers or be associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. Traditionally, the sword in the stone that is the proof of Arthur's lineage and the sword given him by a Lady of the Lake are not the same weapon, even as in some versions of the legend both of them share the name of Excalibur.

Romance tradition elaborates on how Arthur came into possession of Excalibur. In Robert de Boron's c. 1200 French poem Merlin, the first known tale to mention the "sword in the stone" motif, Arthur obtained the British throne by pulling a sword from an anvil sitting atop a stone that appeared in a churchyard on Christmas Eve.[18] In this account, as foretold by Merlin, the act could not be performed except by "the true king", meaning the divinely appointed king or true heir of Uther Pendragon. (As Thomas Malory related in his English-language Arthurian compilation, the 15th-century Le Morte d'Arthur, "whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil, is rightwise king born of all England."[19][d])

And we have Gwydion/Starsword

That your son, not you, retrieved the Starsword from the Cave of Princes in Avallen’s dark heart. That your son, not you, stood among the long-dead Starborn Princes asleep in their sarcophagi and was deemed worthy to pull the sword from its sheath. How many times did you try to draw the sword when you were young? How much research did you do in this very study to find ways to wield it without being chosen? (Hoeab)

So it matches even though at the end it is Bryce who can access the real power of the sword not Ruhn bc it is sarah and we have the females as a main character.

And now the dagger—Carnwennan and Truth-Teller.

In myths the dagger is described like this.

Carnwennan, or Carnwenhau ("Little White Hilt"), was the dagger of King Arthur in the Welsh Arthurian legends

In Culhwch and Olwen, Arthur names it as one of the few things in the world which he will not give to Culhwch. Later, he uses it to slay the witch Orddu, the daughter of the witch Orwen, by slicing her in half.[1] In the Welsh Triads, Carnwennan is listed alongside Arthur's spear Rhongomyniad and Arthur's sword Caledfwlch as sacred weapons given to him by God: "the sacred weapons that God had given him: Rhongomiant his spear, Caledfwlch a sword, and Carnwennan his dagger" (Bromwich's translation).[2]

The fact that Arthur would not give the weapons to Culhwch when we know Fionn didn't give the Gwydion and TT to Theia? Kinda similar.

My father had never shown himself to be giving—long had he kept Gwydion and never once offered it to my mother. The dagger that had belonged to his dear friend, slain during the war, hung at his side, unused. But not for long.

We learned in cc2 that Gwydion and TT are twin blades.(I went into detail about this and how it connects to elriel in several posts > light and dark, sing me, alpha and omega)

The male drew it, and Bryce flinched. Flinched, but—“What the fuck?” The knife could have been the twin of the Starsword: black hilted and bladed. It was its twin. The Starsword began to hum within its sheath, glittering white light leaking from where leather met the dark hilt. The dagger—.The male dropped the dagger to the plush carpet. All of them retreated as it flared with dark light, as if in answer. Alpha and Omega. “Gwydion,” the dark-haired female whispered, indicating the Starsword.(hosab)

And in cc3 we learn that when you use Truth-Teller...there are shadows.

Bryce threw her power into the Starsword, light ripping through the black blade, willing it to tear this fucking monster apart— She willed it into Truth-Teller, and shadows flowed—

Seems...weird that Truth-teller has "shadow powers" and in acowar we have Elain literally stepping out of a shadow. And we never learned the reason why???

But as a black blade broke through the king’s throat, spraying blood, I realized someone else had. Elain stepped out of a shadow behind him, and rammed Truth-Teller to the hilt through the back of the king’s neck as she snarled in his ear, “Don’t you touch my sister.”

So how these connect to Arthur's dagger? (Just gonna add here that @riddlecrux told me about this before so credit goes to her 🫡)

In addition to his other magical items, Arthur had the invisibility granting Carnwennan. The dagger was providing a kind of presence concealment to Arthur or to its wielder. In European folklore, invisibility-granting items are rather prevalent. These are often recognized as caps or invisibility cloaks. The invisibility attribute of Carnwennan was probably the main reason Arthur named his dagger among the things he could never give up for any reason:

Invisibility? Shadows? @silverlinedeyes made a post before how elain could get a cloak made of void? And we know with Gwydion and TT you can make a portal to nowhere—the void.

“The Starsword is Made, as you called it.” He waved an idle hand, sparks at his fingertips. “The knife can Unmake things. Made and Unmade. Matter and antimatter. With the right influx of power—a command from the one destined to wield them—they can be merged. And they can create a place where no life, no light exists. A place that is nothing. Nowhere.”

It had been a gamble. But she’d seen what the Starsword and Truth-Teller had done to Polaris. They had created a void that had sucked the Asteri in—the only sort of prison that might destroy a being of light. The only force in the universe that ate light, so strong no light could ever escape it. A portal to nowhere. To a black hole. Wasn’t that the unholy power that Apollion possessed? The power of the Void. The antithesis of light.

So maybe we are gonna see elain and the void connected?

Also more about the dagger in Arthurian legends:

Carnwennan, or Carnwenhau, meaning "white hilt" was the dagger belonging to the great King Arthur. It is attributed with the magical power to shroud its user in shadow. This dagger, it is said, was one of three sacred weapons given to King Arthur by God. Arthur names it as one of the few things in the world which he would not give to his cousin Culhwch. King Arthur used this very dagger it to slay the witch Orddu ,daughter of Orwen. by slicing her in half. It is also possible that this is the dagger he once used to kill a giant.

So there is that.

And lastly we have the spear—Rhongomyniad.

There is not much we can use from the myths because the only things we have are its name and it was given to Arthur by god.

Rhongomyniad, or Rhongomiant (variously translated as "Slaying Spear," "Cutting Spear" or "Striking Spear"), was the spear of King Arthur in the Welsh Arthurian legends. Unlike Arthur’s two other weapons, his sword Caledfwlch and his dagger Carnwennan, Rhongomyniad has no apparent magical powers.

In the Historia Regum Britanniae, Geoffrey of Monmouth calls Arthur's lance Ron,[2] presumably an abbreviation of the original Welsh name. Layamon also calls it this in his Brut. Geoffrey states that Arthur carried this lance with him at the Battle of Mount Badon. Layamon states in a passage (without naming the weapon) that Arthur's spear was forged in Carmarthen by a smith called Griffin. He also adds that it formerly belonged to Uther Pendragon.

The wiki says it has no magical power but...if sarah took inspo from Excalibur for Gwydion and the dagger for TT...I wouldn't put it past her to use the spear as an inspo for Narben... especially with her love for 3s.

Also like the spear we dont have much to go on for Narben either. We have so little information.

“Amarantha destroyed one,” Amren said. Cassian started. “I never heard that.” Amren amended, “Rumor claimed she dumped one into the sea. It would not come to Amarantha’s hand, nor the hands of any of her commanders, and rather than let the King of Hybern attain it, she disposed of it.” Azriel asked, “Which sword?” “Narben.” (Acosf)

"Narben was even older than Gwydion,” Rhys said. “Where the hell was it?” (Acosf)

Narben’s powers had not been the holy, savior’s light of Gwydion, but ones far darker. (Acosf)

Rhys studied her blade. “Narben is a death-sword. It’s lost, possibly destroyed, but stories say it can slay even monsters like Lanthys.” (Acosf)

So that's all we know.

Another point...Fionn connection.

In myths there is a HUGE part about Fionn using a spear to defeat a giant.

Also known as the Spear of Fiacha (or Fiacail), Birgha was an enchanted, venomous spear. The warrior Fiacha, a follower of Cumal (a leader of the Fianna), gave the spear to Cumal’s son Fionn mac Cumhail so that he might defeat Aillén, an evil creature/former member of the Tuath Dé Danann who resided, three-hundred-and-sixty-four days a year, in the Otherworld. Each and every Samhain the monster—nicknamed “the burner”—would wreak havoc on the royal residence of Tara (also: Teamhair) with his fire-breath after lulling its defenders to sleep with enchanted music. Specifically, Aillén plays—or weaponizes, I should say—the suantraí (lullaby) strain of ancient Irish music, which is frequently deployed by gods, druids, and other musicians in the myths in order to incapacitate opponents. That’s where Birgha comes into play. In Lady Gregory’s version of events, Fiacha teaches Fionn how to unlock the power of the spear, instructing his pupil as follows: “When you will hear the music of the Sidhe, let you strip the covering off the head of the spear and put it to your forehead, and the power of the spear will not let sleep come upon you.”

Just saying...with all of a new character singing...having some effects on others...IDK. WEIRD. 🫣

Another point is Four treasures of Tuatha de danaan. ( @offtorivendell made a post about them before )

Dagda's Cauldron

pretty self explanatory...cauldron.

Claiomh Solais (the sword of light)

Gwydion.

The sword may be rendered in English as the "Sword of Light", or "Shining Sword".

The Sword of Light or Claidheamh Soluisis a trope object that appears in a number of Irish and Scottish Gaelic folktales. The "Quest for sword of light" formula is catalogued as motif H1337.

The Starsword sang with light, her power flowing into it. Activating it. And nothing had ever felt so right, so easy, as plunging the blade into the bony chest of the wounded Reaper. It arced, bellowing, black blood spurting from its withered lips. (Hosab)

Narben’s powers had not been the holy, savior’s light of Gwydion, but ones far darker.(acosf)

Lia Fail Stone

My whole wild hunt post is about this. You can read it there. Basically I think this is the inspo for the stone on top of Ramiel.

The Spear of Lugh

And here is the reason I think Narben might be a spear.

Lugh's spear (sleg), according to the text of The Four Jewels of the Tuatha Dé Danann, was said to be impossible to overcome.

Interesting that Amren said this about Narben in acosf:

“I don’t know, but she found it, and when it would not bend to her, she destroyed it. As she did all good things.” It was as much as Amren would say about that terrible time. “It was perhaps in our favor. Had the King of Hybern possessed Narben, I fear we would have lost the war.”

More info for Spear of Lugh.

In a full narrative version called [A]oidhe Chloinne Tuireann (The Fate of the Children of Tuireann),[51] from copies no earlier than the 17th century,[52] Lugh demands the spear named Ar-éadbair or Areadbhair (Early Modern Irish: Aꞃéadḃaiꞃ) which belonged to Pisear, king of Persia. Areadbhair's tip had to be kept immersed in a pot of water to keep it from igniting, a property similar to the Lúin of Celtchar. This spear is also called "Slaughterer"[53] in translation.

Narben is a death "sword"

Rhys studied her blade. “Narben is a death-sword. It’s lost, possibly destroyed, but stories say it can slay even monsters like Lanthys.” (Acosf)

Also the spear of Lugh is connected with lightning.

Lugh's projectile weapon, whether a dart or missile, was envisioned to be symbolic of lightning-weapon.

Also known as the Lightning Spear, or simply Lugh’s Spear, the Gae Assail was one of the Four Treasures or Jewels of the Tuatha Dé Danann

And to me it is interesting that Ramiel means "god has thundered" maybe there is a connection?

Lugh's sling rod, named "Lugh's Chain", was the rainbow and the Milky Way, according to popular writer Charles Squire.[57] Squire adds that Lugh's spear which needed no wielding was alive and thirsted so for blood that only by steeping its head in a sleeping-draught of pounded fresh poppy leaves could it be kept at rest. When a battle was near, it was drawn out; then it roared and struggled against its thongs, fire flashed from it, and it tore through the ranks of the enemy once slipped from the leash, never tired of slaying

So thanks for reading.

I NEED A SPEAR 😭😭

#elriel #give elain a spear #narben #cc3 spoilers #hofas spoilers

[fangbangerghoul]

W I P W E D N E S D A Y S

Hello one and all and welcome to my wip wednesday post.

I've been jumping back and forth between a few wips but the one I am sharing below has been calling to me more than the others recently.

(gif credit to @bearlytolerant)

I saw a character authority post the other day and it inspired me to make sure the word was out for Delgado lovers. I have my own Delgado Masterpost that will have more added to it soon.

tagging for wip wed and adding fic recs:

the grandfather of Delgado content:

@spookyspecterino ao3 Check out the fic that inspired Fleeting Pleasures and my unending obsession for the Pirate King: New You also 100% suggested Pieces of Me, Locked Away

the muse of Delgado content:

@bearlytolerant ao3 Not only does she take the best screenshots but she has an amazing series called Split Skin. Not only does it has delicious Delgado content but that was where my favorite OC of hers Valentine Blanche was born.

Even more Delgado enjoyers/writers:

@staticpallour - ao3 Renegade Hearts (on hiatus but worth the read): Starborn choosing a different path with Delgado (she also writes incredible OCxHadrian fic) @toxiclizardwrites - ao3 Love and Rage : Based on the UC SYSDEF quest with a bit of drama (lots of del content on their Ao3) @atonalginger - ao3 The Ranger and the Deputy : Delgado in an AU, "dirty cop" vibes (if long format is for you, they got it)

“Fuck you.” She hissed as she faced him, she noticed how he was leaning in to steal her lips. For her amusement she slipped from him with the smoothness of a cat and continued into the open doorway. She heard him curse under his breath at her impulsiveness before she was 3 steps ahead. His irritation fueled her in a special way. There was something about it that was addictive. Ghoul steps were soft and barely made a patter as she slinked into the room. The occupants had yet to notice her presence even as they talked amongst themselves aware of enemies on their ship and the fact their ship was in disrepair.

Ghoul decided to use the surprise to her advantage before Delgado ruined it. She braced herself before using her left foot to launch herself from a seat and into the air. Her body vulnerable, flying towards the enemy. She landed on the closest of the four and chaos ensued. There were sounds of shots being fired, grunts, shouts, and weak threats as she swung the body over her as she hit the floor with them. The man above her was heavier than she anticipated but she did not let that stop her from using them as a human shield. One of her hands freed and unsheathed a blade to slit his throat before she threw it at the man that was furthest from her. There was a rip at her green tasseled hair as all four were focused on her. Once it seemed they stopped firing shots she used her legs to propel the dying body off from her and sending it away to trip up whoever was in its path.

Ghoul’s side burned and her thigh felt a shatter of pain as one of the men managed a few blows. She elicited a growl and as she pushed herself up the one who ripped at her hair had his arm around her throat before she stood. The constriction around her throat made her insides burn with fury and lack of oxygen. Her hands grabbed for the man’s arm that was around her throat and with precise movement she used his weight to flip him forward. The strain in her own arms stinging silently. He groaned and before the other could come after her again there was a loud bang and the man slunk to the ground, dead. Delgado was now in the room firing shots at those who still moved. Ghoul had successfully distracted them, so they did not expect the Crimson Fleet leader to appear with vengeance.

Everyone was subdued within minutes and even though she was still on the ground her breathing was heavy, feeling the weight of the lack of oxygen on the ship. Ghoul’s head felt light and dizzy, and it took her longer than she cared to realign herself. During this small moment her eyes were closed and once they opened a gloved hand was reaching out towards her. Her eyes stared at the hand and then up into the pirate’s syrup eyes before deciding to give in to his offer. She gripped it with might and as he lifted her up, she felt the tenderness in the pressure he returned. Though they had successfully taken out the last of the passengers, Delgado’s nostrils were flaring.

Last night this chapter was published! Feel free to check out the rest the series on Ao3! Heavy Metal Lover. Chapter 1: Metal Coffin WC: 2762 Ghoul and Delgado are back! Ghoul is stealthy, aggressive, indulgent, and stubborn as hell. Delgado is rough, creative, intimidating, and a manipulative Crimson Fleet leader. These chapters will be windows into Ghoul's Crimson Fleet life if the ending of Fleeting Pleasures never happened.

#starfield #starfield fanfiction #the coemancer crew #fang writes #delgado #starfield delgado #ghoul vibes only #wip wednesday

[order-of-the-eye]

OC Introduction

Tagged by @silurisanguine from the Coemancer Crew - thank you!

Introducing: Kanan McCarthy

Fandom: Starfield

Role: Spacefarer, Captain

Basics

Full Name: Kanan McCarthy

Nicknames: Cowpoke, Kane (really only ever referred to as such by their twin sister)

Pronouns: They/them, not strict on pronouns though.

Sexuality: Pansexual

Occupation and Titles: Freestar Militia Infantry (formerly), Shaw Gang Outlaw (formerly), Argos Extractors Miner (formerly), Smuggler and general criminal (currently), Constellation Member (currently)

Birthday and Age: At the beginning of the game (May 7th, 2330) Kanan is 37. They turn 38 shortly after. They were born on May 27th, 2292 in Akila City.

Physical Description: Kanan stands at exactly six feet tall (about 183 cm). They are physically active and as such have a sort of athletic build.

Clothing Style: Kanan wears masculine leaning clothing and mostly sticks to more "wild west" themed apparel. They are often seen in their signature red poncho and cowboy hat.

Background

As I don't want to spoil things, I'll keep this vague. Kanan was born and raised on Akila in Freestar space. Them and their family lived on the McCarthy Homestead just outside Akila City walls.

Kanan took part in the Colony War at a young age, having gotten caught up in the war propaganda. As such, they lied about their age in order to fight for the Freestar Collective. The Colony War took a huge toll on both Kanan and the McCarthy family as a whole.

Kanan went to college after the war and earned a bachelor's degree in engineering, having majored in engineering and minored in astronomy. They fell into a life of crime afterward, having joined the Shaw Gang for some time and then branching out on their own.

As seen in my fic titled The Man in Red, Kanan joined Argos Extractors about a year before the story of Starfield after encountering an odd bounty hunter in the Red Mile who wanted them alive.

They joined Constellation after encountering the Artifact on Vectera, and their story is currently being written in my fic titled Event Horizon.

Combat and Skills

Preferred fighting style: Kanan prefers mid to close range combat with guns, though they are not against getting very close and engaging in close quarters combat with melee weapons or hand-to-hand.

Favorite Weapon(s): Kanan carries a modified razorback revolver named "Penumbra." Kanan also carries around and prefers shotguns, but also keeps a sniper rifle handy as well as small blades.

Special Skills: Like any wild west gunslinger, Kanan is highly skilled at using pistols. They also use Starborn abilities (although they are not Starborn themself). Kanan is charismatic and knows just the right buttons to push when it comes to enemies, but also which words to choose when trying to de-escalate a situation. As they went to college for engineering, Kanan is well versed in various means of engineering, which includes spaceship building and design, outpost construction, weapon handling and management, and spacesuit technology. They are an excellent pilot as well, capable of coming out on top in even the most dangerous dogfights.

Relationships

Family: Kanan's father is James McCarthy, a former Freestar Ranger and former member of the First Cavalry mech division. Their mother is Charlotte McCarthy, a scientist and astronomer. They had an older brother named Owen who was also apart of the First Cavalry mech division during the Colony War. He was killed in the later years of the Battle of Niira. Lastly, Kanan is a twin; their twin sister is named Senya, a ronin by trade who currently lives with and takes care of their father at the McCarthy Homestead.

Kanan would later consider Constellation as their own "found family."

Love interest: Sarah Morgan. Before Sarah, Kanan rarely ever had any serious relationships out of fear of commitment. Instead, they often wandered from lover to lover and held many "friends with benefits" type relationships. One night stands are not uncommon for Kanan, though their more promiscuous behavior settles down once they end up in a serious relationship with Sarah.

Best Friend(s): Kanan is very close with all the members of Constellation, but finds a close friendship in both Andreja and Matteo.

Personality

Positive traits: Passionate, caring, ambitious, loyal

Negative traits: Stubborn, tends to isolate, reckless, greedy

Likes: Nature, animals, astronomy, books, Old Earth relics, exploration

Dislikes: Most governments and politicians, corruption, spacers, high-horse attitudes, cops, Neon

Fears: Being lonely forever, losing their family (both found and blood family), losing those they care about, another war

Guilty Pleasure(s): Smutty novels, Old Earth spaghetti western movies, whiskey

Hobbies: Playing guitar, exploring, reading, collecting Old Earth trinkets and relics, listening to music, cleaning weapons and armor, building spaceships, and somehow managing to herd ashta.

#tag games #oc: kanan mccarthy #starfield #starfield spoilers #stfu cloud

[psychee92]

Why Elain giving back TT is significant [ACOSF & CC Spoilers] 

In ACOFAS, we learn what happened after Elain used TT to stab (or kill) Hybern.

“You honestly think he’d ever give up Truth-Teller?” “He gave it to Elain,” Mor said, admiring a moonstone necklace in the counter’s glass case. “She gave it back,” I amended, failing to block out the image of the black blade piercing through the King of Hybern’s throat. But Elain had given it back—had pressed it into Azriel’s hands after the battle, just as he had pressed it into hers before. And then walked away without looking back. Mor hummed to herself.”

I have seen many people using this argument against Elain having a connection to TT—when, in fact, it means the opposite, especially considering what we learn in both ACOSF and (most importantly) HOSAB.

But first, let’s recap what we know about Elain’s (alleged) connection to TT:

Azriel had never before let another person touch that knife—until Elain.

Elain, who had never used a weapon, accepted it, despite having rejected other options before (remember, Cassian had offered her a weapon prior to her accepting TT from Azriel).

Elain actually used it—and by using it, answered Feyre’s plea for help, thus saving Nesta and Cassian’s life.

When using TT, Elain stepped out of a shadow, something we have only ever seen Azriel do.

And by using TT, Elain ultimately changed the course of the war.

What is also interesting is that we see this scene through Feyre’s eyes—and the Cauldron’s, so we get a glimpse of how the Cauldron feels about Elain.

Now, at the end of HOSAB, we learn that TT is connected to the Starsword.

And what do we know about the Starsword?

That it actually answers to two people, not one. It recognizes and chooses both Ruhn and Bryce.

Yet Cormac glowered at the Starsword peeking over Ruhn’s broad shoulder. “Rumor has it that the sword sings for my bride, too.”

Ruhn seemed to force himself to look at Bryce as he said, “It’s true.” So he’d seen her glare, then. “The sword’s as much yours as it is mine.”

The Starsword deemed Ruhn worthy, and recognized Bryce as kin.

“That your son, not you, retrieved the Starsword from the Cave of Princes in Avallen’s dark heart. That your son, not you, stood among the long-dead Starborn Princes asleep in their sarcophagi and was deemed worthy to pull the sword from its sheath.”

Her sword—it was her sword, and Ruhn’s. And with that light in her veins, with the star that slumbered inside her heart, the Starsword had recognized her not as a royal, worthy Fae, but as kin. Kin to those who had forged it so long ago. Like called to like.

So we now know that TT can also have two owners: one deemed worthy, and one it recognizes as kin.

Because what else do we learn about these weapons?

“That sword belongs to Theia’s female heir. Not the male offspring who corrupted her line.”

These weapons are passed down the female line, not the male.

I am still surprised when I see readers connecting Bryce to Azriel through TT, when we know from HOSAB that the weapons belong to the female descendants of Theia, NOT the male.

Also interesting to note: Bryce does not want the Starsword—does not want to claim it.

“I don’t need a fancy sword to add to it.” “But I do?” “Honestly? I think you don’t know how special you are, Ruhn.” His blue eyes flickered. “Thanks.” “I mean it.” She grabbed his hand, and light flared from her chest. “The sword came to you first for a reason.”

The sword came to Ruhn first—just as TT came to Azriel.

And even more interesting: the scene where Bryce uses the sword.

The Starsword sang with light, her power flowing into it. Activating it. And nothing had ever felt so right, so easy, as plunging the blade into the bony chest of the wounded Reaper. It arced, bellowing, black blood spurting from its withered lips. The others screamed then. So loud she thought the sewer might come down, so loud she nearly dropped the blade to cover her ears.

Which mirrors the scene where Elain uses TT:

But as a black blade broke through the king’s throat, spraying blood, I realized someone else had. Elain stepped out of a shadow behind him, and rammed Truth-Teller to the hilt through the back of the king’s neck as she snarled in his ear, “Don’t you touch my sister.”

The Cauldron purred in Elain’s presence as the King of Hybern slumped to his knees, clawing at the knife jutting through his throat. Elain backed away a step. Choking, blood dribbling from his lips, the king gaped at Nesta.

Unlike with Bryce, however, we do not have Elain’s POV of the events leading up to this scene, or how she felt during it, so we do not know if the knife responded to her in the same way.

But it does make you wonder: did it feel as right to her, as it did to Bryce? Given how afraid she had been up until that point—vomiting from terror—she appeared as an avenging angel in this scene, almost as if she’s done this before, almost as if it felt right.

Also similar is the return of the sword and knife to the men who found the weapons first, who were deemed worthy to possess them. Despite Bryce using the sword, it returns to Ruhn, and stays with him until he asks her to take it with her.

Similarly, Elain returns TT to Azriel after using it. Will TT find its way back to her? Will Azriel, like Ruhn, offer it to Elain again?

Remember: when Azriel picks up the sword in HOSAB, it does not react to him. We do not see a change in him when he touches it, nor do we see any change in the sword when near the other IC members.

The male’s face didn’t soften as he picked up the sheathed Starsword, then gestured for her to step closer.

Elain is, of course, absent, and I am 99.99% sure that Sarah hinted at her being somewhere nearby (bread and roses) for a reason. Could this be it? Will the sword react to her the same way it reacts to Bryce? The same way the Cauldron reacts in Elain’s presence?

Could Elain activate the Starsword? Did she activate TT the way Bryce did, the way Nesta infused other swords with her power?

“Yes,” Amren said. “Only the Great Powers could do that—Gwydion was given its powers when the High Priestess Oleanna dipped it into the Cauldron during its crafting.” Cassian’s blood chilled, waves rippling over his skin. “One touch from Nesta’s magic while the blade was still hot …” “And the blade was infused with it.”

I still think that Nesta losing most of her powers at the end of ACOSF was done on purpose, to make Elain take center stage in future events. At this point, she is the only being alive who has Cauldron-given powers, similar to the Starsword and TT.

“You stole from the Cauldron,” I said to Nesta, who seemed ready to jump between all of us and Elain. “But what if the Cauldron gave something to Elain?”

And what does Bryce need at the end of HOSAB?

And she had no way to get home. Unless Aidas or Apollion knew how to use the Horn. Had magic that could charge it.

Bryce ends up in Prythian because she is looking for someone who can help. Sarah mentioned during one of her interviews that her ending up in Prythian while looking for help is not a coincidence—help is in Prythian.

With Nesta’s Cauldron-stolen powers mostly gone, Elain is the only one who can both use the Horn and the only one who has the power to charge it.

“Once, the High Fae were more elemental, more given to reading the stars and crafting masterpieces of art and jewelry and weaponry. Their gifts were rawer, more connected to nature, and they could imbue objects with that power.”

“When Briallyn was Made, it likely removed from her the Dread Trove’s glamour, for lack of a better term. Recognized her as kin. Where she might have glanced over a mention of the items before and never thought twice, now it stuck. Or perhaps called to her, presented itself in a dream.” All of them, all at once, looked at Nesta. “You,” Amren said quietly, “are the same. So is Elain.”

#elain archeron #elriel #hosab #maasverse #maasverse theories #acotar 5 #pro elain

[a-cosmic-elf]

(I should have posted this ages ago, but for some reason, I just left it in my drafts. But I regret not posting now because of the renewed surge in ill-informed Starfield hate due to it winning the Steam award. If you’re curious about what Starfield does that is so different, you might want to continue reading. This game surprised me in ways I was not expecting).

And just like that, she was starborn.

My thought on the ng+ under the cut. **massive spoilers ahead**

Sorry, it’s a long post, you might wanna grab a drink and get comfortable.

I think Starfield just taught me a valuable lesson…

I spent 425 hours on my first playthrough. I attempted to experience everything this game had to throw at me. I was also very distracted by all the pretty scenery, so some of that time was spent exploring and taking photos.

I completed every quest I came across during the game. I thoroughly looted every location I found. I spoke to every single NPC I encountered. I read every book/slate I picked up. I collected every single plushie and plant (it did get a little silly). I ran every research project and collected an obscene amount of resources. Dabbled a bit in decorating, outpost and ship building.

I had over two million in credits. I amassed such a vast inventory my save slots were reduced to ten or so on the series x. I’m assuming just because of the sheer size of my game save since that issue has suddenly evaporated in ng+

By the way, this is normal player behaviour for me. I’m not a total completionist. I haven’t visited every single system and maxed out every single survey. But I would do that for almost every location I visited during the natural progression through the game. I just can’t seem to leave a site unless everything in the area is done.

It was fun. I had a whale of a time. I wouldn’t have done it if I wasn’t enjoying myself.

But this ng+ thing. Walter was right. You can’t take it with you.

And I find that ridiculously ironic, considering I’m usually such a hoarder in these games and how, in Starfield, your companions constantly nag so much about how much loot you’re carrying. It now feels like it wasn’t them talking at all but Bethesda breaking the fourth wall.

They enabled players to collect even more by not reducing our movement to a crawl when over-encumbered. So I pinched everything, and then I reached the Unity, and you know what? If you decide to go into ng+, they were right. None of it mattered.

Unlike some players, I like what they’ve done here. I think it’s clever. I like how they’ve taken known facts about their hardcore player base and turned them into a feature. How in previous bethesda games, the fans would always play multiple times. Here, they’ve gamified that by writing it into the lore.

But it’s had an unusual effect. Because is this going to affect how I play on a ng+? You bet your arse it will. No more over-looting for me. No more bothering with vast collections of books, plants or plushies.

I like playing as a Starborn. It’s a different dynamic. I feel free of all that collecting nonsense. I left all of that behind. I feel powerful yet disconnected. I know I don’t belong here. It’s not like starting a whole new game. It’s a different way of experiencing the story—a new perspective.

I’ve heard there are multiple possible narrative changes, too, which is always welcome in branching narrative games. I want to be incentivised to play again and the possibility of a changed experience is a massive draw to play again. How many games actually do that? Very few, and that’s what makes Starfield so different.

Because of the higher skill stats, I’m playing differently. I’ve stuck a load of points into melee and running headlong into battle, using void form and slicing pirates up with the blade from behind. I rarely use a gun, and it’s a lot of fun! I feel like a space ninja.

At first, I was a little upset that I couldn’t respec my character traits, and this became very apparent as soon as I landed in New Atlantis, and the adoring fan turned up again and spoke about things I hadn’t done in this playthrough.

Or did I? What happened to this universe’s version of me? I have so many questions.

Mainly to do with what is the Starborns’ long-term goal. Their main incentive seems to be to ‘reach the unity again’ at all costs, almost like it’s a drug they can’t give up.

With exception of The Emissary, whose goal seems to be to guide the worthy to the Unity.

But what happens when you reach a saturation point, and everyone is Starborn? What is the end goal of all of this? Where is it heading?

Or is this game again just asking you how far do you want this to go? At what point does your character think, ‘You know what, I need to retire and just pick a universe to sit back and relax in and become the Pilgrim’?

How will Bethesda build on this in future? Because what more can be said about being Starborn?

Sure, they’ll add more expansions, quests, areas, and Starborn content. Even before I started playing, I could appreciate how much Bethesda could just keep adding to the game, now not just spatially but also new alternate universes.

I have issues with it narratively speaking. In Mass Effect, for example, the stakes were way higher. You tore yourself away from everyone you loved to save the galaxy. Not because you were just curious.

Personally, I can’t understand why someone with loved ones who were happy would choose to throw that away to roll the dice again on a whim. I just don’t think that I would. Especially if a child was involved, how could the kid be physically and emotionally mature enough to be cast into the multiverse alone? What kind of future nut-job are we creating there?

ng+ just feels like a nice feature that I might use every once in a while. Otherwise, it cancels out all the collecting and building you do in any regular playthrough.

The point of a Starborn playthrough seems to be not want can I loot/collect, but ‘what has changed.’

Also, I will want to experience the other player traits, which means a whole new game and leaving this one for good, at some point.

Why do I feel like I’m going to need a spreadsheet to keep track of all my playthroughs? Ha.

I’ll leave you with some parting thoughts. People say Starfield doesn’t do anything new. They’re wrong.

Starfield is much deeper than people realise, and it’s true: back on day one, when I first started the game, I felt that I was standing on a precipice. I just wasn’t aware of exactly how deep this rabbit hole goes.

Whether playing as Starborn, or starting out again from scratch, over 400 hours in and I’m still having an absolute blast.

EDIT: I’ve since gone through the Unity a second time, and I love love love how the Starborn ship upgrades and the suit changes each time, too.

My second Starborn suit is very nice, with a different helmet and gold accents. It will be interesting to see how they continue to evolve with further trips through the Unity. The only other game I can think of that did something similar was Journey - which was universally loved, even though you play through the exact same game over and over again (because that was the point in Journey - the circle of life and all that jazz).

Starfield does so much more than people realise. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

#starfield #starfield critical #bethesda #starfield spoilers #these are just my thoughts I’m putting out there #don’t feel like you have to comment not everyone is going to feel the same way #and that’s okay

[nikethestatue]

the leader from the other side just posted her acotar 5 theories and i have to laugh. first, she included the shared plot points between nesta and azriel as (and this was listed before any) “the valkyries”. she also included “gwydion”. except what i think (and apparently half her comment section) is just sooooo interesting is that maybe nesta being sisters to elain and azriel being in love with elain maybe means that elain is a bigger shared plot point???

also if we’re gonna include gwydion as a shared plot point even though nesta herself hasn’t wielded gwydion. you know who has wielded a Made blade? one that was created alongside TT? elain? but how convenient that she just “forgot” to include that 🤭 i do think her reign is nearing the end though since there are so many casual readers and elriels in her comments pointing out everything she purposely didn’t include

Oh boy...Elain got lost on the way to the ball, as usual....

Listen, the bottom line is this. NONE of these 'theories' are original. In any manner.

The whole 'Illyrian Plot' was there, right after ACOFAS, for Azriel and....Emerie. BIG name Nessians basically postulated that Azriel will go to Illyria, will meet Emerie, and they'll start a relationship and will also deal with the issues in Illyria. This was all post ACOFAS, before ACOSF and the existence of Gwyn.

At that point, it was a reasonably feasible idea, though of course ACOFAS was riddled with Elriel moments, but if you are an Elucien and a Nessian, you could think, okay, this Illyrain woman is introduced, we are talking about unrest and issues in Illyria AND we have Azriel saying in the same book that 'Illyria needs to be disbanded'. So if you are a believer in the mate bond, and you think that Elain will end up with Lucien then Emerie x Azriel was a reasonable assumption.

Someone came post ACOFS and just lifted those theories, quickly exchanged Emerie for Gwyn, and boom! Gwyn and Az are born, and they are 'redeeming' Illyria. None of this is original. None of this is new.

Now, there are just added points that we've learned in other books/HOFAS. Let's throw a sword in there, let's throw a 'Gwyn is Starborn'--it's convenient, and seems like a good thing to add, but not because it has any validity.

(there are receipts for the original 'Illyrian Plot' theories by Nessians, which are about Emerie and Az.)

[heyovivi]

[SPOILERS] HOFAS Part 1

Read Along with No Context

Okay is Cormac alive? Because Ruhn is describing these shadows that watch him and Cormac is the only one in this universe who has Shadowsinger-like abilities.

Never mind.

—

Sooo Azriel just be playing hide n seek

—

“Give me one reason not to bury this knife in your spine.” 😍😍😍 Azzy baby

—

DID NESTA JUST REANIMATE ALL THE BONES IN THE CAVE TO DEFEAT THE WORM💀

—

“You’re dead to me.” 🥲

—

So Azriel’s siphons focus his powers to make weapons…can he make weapons of bondage 👀

—

Not Azriel being afraid of a flash light 😂

—

“He wanted many things with her. A normal, happy life. Children.”🥲

HUNT IS KILLING ME WITH HIS DREAMS OF THE FUTURE

—

Theia: I wonder what the home I built and fought a war over will be like in the years to come…😌

Rhys: welcome to the Prison where we keep the deadliest bastards around 😀

—

Wait is Azriel star born?

—

So we don’t like Theia?

—

lol if Azriel is star born I bet his mom may know something about it

So I’m thinking he’s probably not related to Silène but Helena— because I think the words only protect or welcome members of Silene’s lineage

But then, again, the blades are supposed to have specific abilities. And if Azriel has just been using truth teller as a regular dagger, maybe he isn’t starborn, because only starborn people can tap into those abilities. So in the hands of Ruhn or Rhys it would be very different.

Then again it would explain why he also has shadowsinging abilities

—

Ighhhh my ship is going down 🥲🥲🥲

But they also didn’t have much to start with

—

is it Ethan of Eye-than

—

BOOOOFJFHDHDHRHR. IS WOLF MYSTIC DEAD FUCKS FUCKS FUCKS I HATE THIS I HATE UOU SJM AGGGG

IM IN PAIN

I think my wolf baby has just gone through too much, he deserves a little happiness, even if it is from a bossy and bitchy wolf

I’m just assuming…does killing an alpha make you an alpha??

—

I’m not saying that what Theia did was right, but I feel like it could be argued that using multiple troves at the same time probably messed with her mentality… like, look at what the mask did to Nesta, just the mask, it made her kind of like a puppet to its whims. I can’t even imagine what all the troves put together can do to one person.

So…High Ladies did exist

—

I think this goes to show that Rhys should definitely not be high king and he should not be able to have power over multiple troves. I know in pass books he kind of has this cool exterior, but I feel like going into this book and knowing the spoilers ahead, he is kind of going down this path of insanity. I’m not saying that he’s going to go full on insane, but the worries he has for his court and family added with the need to protect them can lead down a similar path of that of Theia.

—

Bryce can be really…troublesome

I’m kindve got annoyed but I understand her distrust

But like girl—you just hear from your ancestor that she locked up monsters of all kinds there and your bright idea was to shake the place and wake them up 🧐

—

Also idky but I think…Jesiba is Helena

—

Ngl but I was hoping for Nesta to use her signature move to kill the Asteri

Nvm she did

So I guess Nesta is also a Starslayer

—

Holy shit she took Azriel’s Security Blanket

#houseofflameandshadow #crescentcity #cc hofas #crescent city 3 #cc3 #cc3 spoilers #hofas spoilers #bryce quinlan #Azriel #nestaarcheron

[nomorefstogive]

I now cannot get the image of Lumine pulling a Radahn phase 2 to the Archons xd

Anyways, hi again! Thanks for the ask--amazing by the way--and the addition to the Ranni!Reader post.

Always nice to see another Tarnished; I tried to keep myself away due to my horrible internet that likes to work only when it wants to but, alas, with two certain bosses I had to xd

Goes to show that even if my cringe is free from judgement, I still need to have help I guess ;-;

Skdkdkdkd sorry, I'm terrible at conversations ;-;;

It's alright, I'm am probably worse at them lol. Asperger's and social anxiety are a hell of a pair eh?

Also, since you mention being a fellow yuri fan, and I apologize for the shameless self-plug, I am writing a pair of yuri fics on my Ao3, one for AL and one for Genshin, if you are curious the link is: TheGreatestShow

As for Lumine...

Admittedly I have three differing ideas for her. I will have to send them in separate messages but here is the first one.

The first being: Eldritch/Cosmic being Lumine. With her being somewhat based on the Elden Beast.

P.S. Also I am going to put the read more link below this because holy shit this wound up being longer than I thought it would be lol.

Not quite a god, but certainly a being removed from mortal comprehension and existence. The human form we see is merely the equivalent of a porcelain shell, designed to protect her more vulnerable, yet also more powerful, true form, something she would kill to keep secret.

She is less interested in the politics of Teyvat and more in regaining her power and either finding Aether and beating him into a coma for abandoning her, or departing the world and returning at full power to settle her score with Asmoday.

She does not go out of her way to attack the Fatui, something that will be a re-occuring theme amidst these ideas, and even offers to aid them in exchange for their help in regaining her powers.

She is also considerably more ruthless than in canon, her battle with Dvalin almost ending in her killing the dragon over the skies of Mondstadt until Venti removes his power out of fear for his friends life. Her clash with Childe ends with Dottore having to perform surgery to reattach the youngest harbingers arms and repair his damaged organs, after Signora grabs him and bails after he staggers into the bank half dead after she gets the gnosis.

Her clash with Osial ends with her attempting to drain the god's power to fuel her own return to full strength, something which is only adverted when Osial removes one of his own heads to stop her from draining him into nothing before he is hit with the Jade Chamber.

As for Inazuma...That is the point where her patience reaches its limit.

Her first meeting with the Shogun end with her vessel being damaged and her being forced to flee, anger and humiliation that a mere doll managed to injure one of her kind swelling within her veins to match the disgust at the blatant attempts at emotional manipulation done to sway her to the rebels side.

But one does not live for eons without learning when to hold their tongue and blade, and so she smiles and joins Sangonomiya's rebellion, waiting...waiting, until she waits no more.

The delusion factory, the remains of gods and demons bent and warped into a power source...a power source she can drain.

Scaramouche barely escapes with his life, and Miko is likewise almost killed as the Starborn devours the power of the factory and at last manages to shatter some of the seals upon her own power, her smile widening as she obliterates the area before ascending, wings of nebulae and galaxies at her back as she gazes upon Inazuma.

Madness and rage swirl within her, the lingering malice of the delusions clouding her mind and amplifying her own rage towards this land and its people, who have dared to humiliate her so, as she calls forth her power and descends.

Kujou Sara staggers into the Shogun's chamber, drenched in blood. Her bow clatters to the ground as the Anemo Boxer holding her up staggers to his knee, blood leaking from both a gash on his side and his lips as he looks at the startled face of both his lady and the Shogun with dread.

The Tengu general manages to stammer out these words-

"...Encampment...destroyed...only...survivors...Monster...coming..."

Before she fades into unconsciousness, the last thing she hears being her Shogun call out her name as explosions begin to rock Inazuma.

From on high the winged being watches as rifts and tears into the cosmos form, meteors and asteroids pouring from them and laying waste to not only the harbor of Ritou, but to the city itself.

Her smile widens as she sees the resistance soldiers, consumed by madness and mania due to her aura having enveloped them, running rampant, maiming and butchering and mutilating to their hearts content.

Faintly she hears Paimon begging her to stop, but she ignores her, her gaze now fixed upon that loathsome Island in the sky as she reaches up a hand to part the heavens and summon forth-

A lightning bolt strikes her hand.

A snarl of rage leaves her lips as he turns to the Shogun, summoning twin greatblades to her hand as she surges forward to at last settle their score.

The battle is vicious, and even within the Plane of Euthymia, Ei is pushed to her limits, divine blood staining the sands as she struggles against her merciless foe.

Eventually she managwes to deal what should be a fatal blow, the Musou no Hitachi tearing a path straight across the Starborn's chest and sending her flyting into the distance.

Yet just as Ei takes a deep breath, she feels the air grow dense.

The sound of shattering pottery fills the silent realm as Lumine begins to rise to her feet only to stagger forward, her form breaking apart like a fallen vase and revealing not but an ever growing stain of darkness that soon envelops the remains and much of the surrounding land, pulling them into stygian depths.

From the depths emerges an arm, stygian in color for but the briefest of moment before light swells and dances within it, stars and galaxies of colors known and unknown forming within the endless expanse of darkness as the limb pulls out of a double Helix shaped blade, the light of the cosmos seeping from it.

With the arm their comes a body, female in form, yet devoid of all other features save for the swirling galaxies and cosmos within, that is until twin orbs open, blazing with the light of twin stars as wisps of comet trail form under a galactic veil upon the beings head.

Above them forms a halo of asteroids and meteors and comets, swirling and dancing amidst a field of stars, a black hole posed at the center and yet not devouring them as it should.

The being rises without legs, it's body seeming to end in the ever growing stain as tendrils and additional limbs rise from the morass as the command of the Starborn.

"You crave eternity...then behold the eternity of the cosmos."

Comes forth a voice that echoes from all directions, light and wispy, yet dark and crushing as well.

Desperation fuels the following battle, even the Shogun is barely able to match the monster she faces, one arm lost and an eye carved out as she is flung to and fro by the being.

Electro meets the blazing Cosmos as the heavens are rent and the plane of Euthymia falls away to reveal a burning city, the two titans continuing a duel that spans the length of the island and then some.

Mountains fall, and canyons are carved, the heavens are rent and reforged a dozen times over as they clash without respite or hesitation until, at last.

The Starborn seizes the Shogun and casts her down into the ground before the Statue of the Omnipresent Goddess, smiling as she rears back her arm to deal the deat-

An arrow slams into her stomach.

A snarl of rage tears from her lips even as agony assails her senses as she turns to regard the one that dared to strike at her.

Ebony wings are unfurled, bandages yet being soaked crimson as muscles and wounds are pulled to tight, as a general stands defiant to protect her goddess from the being that looms above them.

Stalwart and loyal she steps forward to meet the being that looks upon her in confusion and disbelief, though there is something else that likewise burns within those orbs, a faint hint of...respect as she descends to meet her foe.

Desperately the Shogun reaches out for her general, only to see her vision fade in and out as the two clash, the injured Tengu matching the beast as she sheds her human form and brings forth the full extent of her cursed blood, though even that falls short.

Two blades tear through her stomach as she is lifted into the air before being flung across the city and into the ground, the Starborn actually panting in exertion from the effort of the battle before she turns to-

A scream fills the air.

Lightning writhes and dances the Tengu forces herself to her feet, a hand holding her entrails in her as she does so.

"I...will...not...let...you...hurt...her!"

A roar of lightning descends as a Vision shatters, wings of ebony feathers now burning with violet electro as a bow of lightning forms within the Tengu's hands.

Apotheosis. Ascension into godhood, and all done in the name of loyalty.

The Starborn feels her respect match her anger as she calls forth her own power once more to meet the newly born god in a battle that shakes the island again.

Her victory is certain, yet still she admires the being that fights against her with such fervor and fury that she can feel corruptive power of the delusions and the bloodcraze it brought upon her fade away from her midn as she fights for her life against the being before her.

At last their battle ends, the Starborn wounded and yet still living, her blade raised to deal a death blow before...she stops.

"What is your name?" She asks the panting Tengu, who looks up at her and responds.

"Kujou Sara."

"The name of a clan of cowards who tried to leave you to die does not fit you, noble one." Comes her swirling voice as she sets the Tengu down.

"Let it be known that I, Lumine of the StarBorn, hearby dub you the 'Storm Born' of Inazuma for your birth into your new childhood came from the storm of rage and loyalty within you."

With that said the Starborn turns to look at the Shogun, who has been aided to her feet by a fearful Ayaka and weary Kokomi as they look upon the being before them.

"A pity you were not made Shogun of these lands, a far better job than this witless coward you would have done." The Star Born says as she delicately brushes aside a blood soaked lock of hair from the Tengu's face, watching as the new born god falls into slumber but a moment later.

"Now then," She turns to the Shogun and her fellows, "Shall we discuss the terms of your surrender child?"

Well, what do you think?

I like the idea of Lumine being a more eldritch or cosmic being, and her taking the civil war a bit more seriously and this was the result.

Another version of this idea has her being soulmates with all of the women in Teyvat, well more like the central pillar of a vast soul bound polycule whose arrival triggers its forming, and her being brought to a mortal level was a few members of Celestia's bid to use her to unite the world against the Abyss.

The bond only becomes known when her true form is revealed and the soul marks are made apparent, needless to say it leads to all sorts of chaos lol.

#genshin impact au #lumine #Cosmic Lumine #Eldritch Lumine #genshin impact #Nomorefstogive answer #BAMF lumine #genshin #genshin lumine #raiden shogun #kujou sara

[shitwillnotbegiven]

Some questions about Crescent City that i can't find the answers. If someone remember something i might have missed, feel free to answer to this post.

Do the Starborn only have light powers ? Because there's this line in Hoaeb and Hosab about Helena that says she has both light and shadow powers :

“Night-haired Helena, from whose golden skin poured starlight and shadows."

There's an emphasis on the starlight powers in the books but wouldn't this line also indicate that the Starborn Fae also have shadow powers ?

Did Pelias and Helena's line continued only in the Valbaran Fae ? I mean except that one time where the Valbaran Fae line and Avallen Fae line crossed ? Do we know which of Cormac's parent ancestor have this 2 bloodlines ? It seems it is Cormac's father, King Morven (Bryce calls him "Uncle Morven"), but i'm not sure.

Also, Cormac says this when he was asked about his teleportation powers :

“Where did you inherit the ability from?”

Cormac squared his shoulders, every inch the proud prince as he said, “It was once a gift of the Starborn. It was the reason I became so … focused on attaining the Starsword. I thought my ability to teleport meant that the bloodline had resurfaced in me, as I’ve never met anyone else who can do it.” His eyes guttered as he added, “As you know, I was wrong. Some Starborn blood, apparently, but not enough to be worthy of the blade.”

He is part of the Starborn bloodline and his shadow powers are different from Ruhn's (whose powers come from the Avallen Fae line). Does this mean that Cormac's shadow powers come from the Starborn Fae line ?

Cormac's powers are really similar to Azriel's and people have already theorized even before Hosab came out that Azriel could be a descendant of the Dusk court. The Starborn Fae originated in Dusk's truth and if the theory that Theia's second daughter came back to Prythian to close the portals is right and that she continued Theia's line with the Illyrians, that would mean the Dusk court theory is true. Azriel also has the twin dagger of the Starsword. If the Starsword is charged by light, Truth-teller could be charged by shadows. And if the Starborn Fae have both light and Shadow powers, it would make sense that one of them was fulled by light and the other by shadows.

I've tried to make a descendants chart for Fionn and Queen Theia (i have included Azriel even though it's just a theory) but i feel like i'm forgetting something.

#azriel #cormac donnall #hosab spoilers

[govindhtech]

Enhance Your PC Starfield Graphics

PC Starfield Tweaking Guide — Mods and Tweaks

After receiving positive reviews, Bethesda Game Studios’ new RPG debuted on Steam with 245K concurrent users today, including owners of the $100 Starfield Premium Edition until September 6th.

BGS games have always inspired PC modders, and Starfield is no exception. Even though the official modding tools won’t be published for a few months, the community has come up with several changes and proto-mods to improve the experience. We’ve included the most significant community improvements below.

performance

Starfield doesn’t stutter like other current PC games, but its nature makes it hefty. Thus, performance optimisation should be sought wherever possible.

We haven’t verified reports that manually activating Resizable BAR for NVIDIA GeForce GPUs improves performance. This is the overall method if you want to attempt.

Bulwarkhd created a Performance Texture Pack to reduce VRAM usage by lowering the typical texture resolution from 2K to 1K or even 0.5K for those with a configuration near the minimal requirements.

In a recent post, Nexus Mods user Erok posted optimised graphic preset.ini files for Low, Medium, High, and Ultra to boost PC frames.

Starfield’s visuals are enhanced by Bethesda’s newest Creation Engine, which the makers claim is the most advanced technology in their game. The most notable changes from Bethesda games are the animations and Global Illumination lighting.

Visuals

There are methods to improve the visuals even at this early stage of its public release. Many players noted the yellow/green tinge and high black levels first. Both may be part of the developer’s creative vision, but the gamma cannot be changed in-game.

The settings usually darken evenings. Depending on the ReShade setting, performance may drop by 5% or 10%. You may always use the ReShade option to deactivate shaders unrelated to colour fixes if you like.

Epiphany Absolute is developing the first Starfield HD Texture Pack mod. The author revealed that AI upscalers are doubling texture resolution from 2K to 4K. Of course, this effort is ongoing. Currently available upscaled textures: Aquatic, bladed, flowers, forest, rocks.

Epiphany Absolute posted another ship HD Texture Pack mod a few hours ago. The installation is identical. Remember that only Discovery, Hopetech, Pirate, Ship Common, and Starborn have been revised.

Gameplay

While playing Starfield, I realised that stealth is more harder than in prior Bethesda games. The devs may have overtuned NPCs”senses’

Thanks to two modifications, they may be adjusted. Zzyxzz’s ‘Better Out of Line of Sight Sneaking’ reduces foes’ hearing accuracy when you’re hiding behind obstructions. According to the creator, the game’s default setting is 0.4, but the mod lowers it to 0.33 like earlier BGS games.

Also, transfer SneakSoundLosMult.txt from the mod to the Starfield folder.

Gameplay Tweaks and Fixes by Ixion XVII reduces NPC view cone detection (from 190 to 170) and opponent visibility in exteriors (by 5%) in Starfield.

It functions similarly to the previous mod. StarfieldCustom.ini’s [General] section needs the following command:

Zzyxzz, who made the first mod in this area, also released a Less Spongy Enemies mod that decreases NPCs’ health gain when they level up. The default amount is 20, but this mod may change it to 15, 10, 5, or 0.

Quality of Life

Starfield, like other BGS games, is complicated. Sometimes that shows in the User Interface or other ways the game may be more accessible or responsive. Quality-of-life changes will aim to solve it.

First, how to enter the game faster. The ‘Undelayed Launching’ mod by Seb263 skips the Bethesda logo and health warning messages by tweaking StarfieldCustom.ini and adding a new file.

Increase the spaceship’s Field of View optionally. Again, adjust the value to your liking.

Want a more immersive interface? You need franchfroise’s ‘Immersive Tactical Hud’ mod. It eliminates opponent health bars, names, hip-fire crosshairs, compresses crosshairs and the level-up indication, changes the experience bar, and improves hit marks and crit notifications. Installation is same to above.

However, Stentorious’ Simple Compact Inventory adds 12 displayed items and an optional file to organise goods by Value:Mass ratio.

TomLikesGuitar added this option and a beneficial Value:Weight ratio sorting mod.

In both circumstances, extract the Data files into the main Starfield folder and check StarfieldCustom.ini:

Last but not least, McGuffin’s IconSortingTags adds additional icons to Starfield’s inventory and loot window to help players see what they have. Same installation process as above.

The iceberg is merely the tip. Stay tuned for years of coverage of the finest Starfield modifications and improvements!

#govindhtech #technology #technews #news #gaming #pc #graphics #nvidia

[acourtofthought]

Hi! Here to respond :)

I think the disconnect on the "Dusk Court Knife" is that ancient fae prophecy is not limited to the Starborn. It is a prophecy for all of the fae in Midgard. The Valbren, The Avallen, and the Starborn--who exist amongst both. The fact that Truth Teller is the pair which unites the fae does not automatically mean it is a Starborn weapon. It could just as easily be a weapon of some other group of the "First Fae" in Prythian, which is why I ruminated on the dagger being a relic of Night because they are similar to the Avallen fae. Could be Autumn as well, or both, or neither, who knows. Knowing SJM, it's not even possible to limit this to ACOTAR because she could very well go into TOG here. And, as Thought mentioned, the Sword was made by the Priestesses--not the fae of Twilight/Dusk Court/etc. Not the fae of any one court--but I'll get into that later. It is not a given that Truthteller is Starborn, and neither is it a given that Truthteller is of Dusk.

What logic tells us about Elain and her book is that she will be involved with Koschei, and freeing Vassa and the Swans. And while you're free to draw affiliations to/from the Slavic legends about Koschei, when it comes to ACOTAR, it is fanon to believe that means she will be involved with the Dusk Court. Especially given what we know of Elain's character and motivations, and those of Vassa, Jurian and Lucien, who are all also tied to Koschei and (currently) have much stronger motivations to attain and destroy his soul. Doesn't mean it's a bad take or impossible, but it does mean it's not the "indisputable fact" you claim it to be.

Now, considering Amren tells Bryce she does not know Apollion, does not know of such people as the Princes of the Pit and that Prythian is not Hel, but she does know about the Starsword--no. No, it cannot be assumed that the Princes of Hel are involved in the Dusk Court. At all. Go figure.

As for shadow powers in Midgard, it is not being Starborn that gives that power to some of fae, but Avallen Heritage:

Another reason his father resented him: beyond his Starborn gifts, the bulk of his magic skewed toward his mother’s kin—the Fae who ruled Avallen, the mist-shrouded isle in the north. The sacred heart of Faedom. His father would have burned Avallen into ashes if he could. That Ruhn did not possess his father’s flames, the flames of most of the Valbaran Fae, that he instead possessed Avallen abilities—more than Ruhn ever let on—to summon and walk through shadows, had been an unforgivable insult.

The Valbren fae have flames. The Avallen fae have shadows. But shadow singing--the teleportation, darkness, smokiness of those shadows--is akin to something totally different. Cormac believes it is a gift of the Starborn--and, coincidentally, states this right before he claims that he is, in fact, the only one of his kind:

“It was once a gift of the Starborn. It was the reason I became so ... focused on attaining the Starsword. I thought my ability to teleport meant that the bloodline had resurfaced in me, as I’ve never met anyone else who can do it.”

This is a very important distinction. Cormac knows this is something different than Avallen powers. My personal theory is it's not a gift of the Starborn, but of Hel, considering it's rarity, description, and similarity to the powers of Lorcan Salvaterre. And, for what it's worth, Bryce also calls out how Cormac's shadows are different from typical Avallen shadows even before she knows he can teleport:

Shadows ran down Cormac’s arms, trailing like smoke from his shoulders. Like Ruhn’s shadows—only darker, more feral somehow.

Very similar as to how Azriel's shadows differ from Rhys's:

Azriel’s dark breeze was different from Rhys’s…It cut through the world like a blade

His shadows were different. Born in a lightless, airless prison meant to break him. Instead, he had learned its language.

“Azriel can winnow all the time, though.”

“Az is different. In many ways”

Honestly, I like your take on the connection between the solar courts, but the reason I affiliate the Starborn with Day is the depictions of Helion's light & flame, and how we see the Starborn powers manifest in Ruhn.

"Direct a beam of your starlight through this"...Ruhn opened his eyes to find the starlight dancing at his fingertip, refracting through the prism...His Starborn abilities were little more than a sparkle of starlight in his palm

Burn it--with the Power of the Sun...Helion's flame was a pure, blinding light.

The ground slid out from under Hunt as the light between her hands, the star she’d drawn from her shattered heart, flared as bright as the sun.

She’d never done it before—wholly removed the star itself. She’d only glowed and blinded, never summoned its burning core from inside her.

What blinds an Oracle? Light. Light the way the Starborn had possessed it.

Sounds a lot like Sunlight to me. Similar, yes, to Yrene and Hypaxia, but much more so to those Day fae we have seen. Light which flares and burns, and blinds. The light of an older, larger star. The light of Day.

And you're right, I did mention the mask, because I believe the Horn to be the suspected fourth mystery item of the Trove. That the fae entered Midgard through the Northern Rift before the courts were made, something further solidified by the fact that the Trove went missing around the same time as Gwydion/The Starsword. Something Amren has told us. Something which actually suggests the Starborn were not limited to any one court of fae--be it Day or Dusk. What I suspect is that what "Starborn" power remains in Prythian is most highly concentrated amongst the Day Court.

At no point did I mention anything about who will or could rule the Dusk Court. To be honest, I don't really care about who will rule it so long as the characters I adore have fulfilling and heartwarming ends to their stories. And again--the prophecy is not solely about the Starborn, but all of the fae in Midgard and ACOTAR. Perhaps it is better to say it is a prophecy about the First Fae, those who ACOTAR characters call The Old Fae, because that is who it is about reuniting. They are the people who were split. And perhaps that character who will come to rule them will not be tied to any one court, but instead sit as the "High" King, or even High Queen. Now as to who will have that right? I'm looking forward to finding out.

🧼💖

I know the response wasn't really meant for me but I really enjoyed reading it regardless!

Just so I understand something, did Cormac originally think he had a power like Ruhn and Rhys (which was a Starborn power) but based on the fact that his shadows were something different (more feral) it means that maybe he's not completely sure where his gift of shadows came from? But we as the reader might connect it to what Az has?

#acotar theory #crossover acotar

[collective-remnants-rwby]

RWBYTREK HCs Part 2

Jaune-Henrí Arc

Human, from southern Correze, France. (There’s more to France than Paris, assholes!)

Distant Vulcan ancestry and a mild empath as a result. 

If he hears one more Jean-Luc joke he’s gonna start killing. Or at least stop using anesthetic.

From a long line of Starfleet officers whose chain broken by Jaune’s father, a farmer.

Sponsored for Officer Training by G’Lyn, surprisingly enough. (She served with his great aunt Iris)

Entered Command Division, but was briefly the definition of a Redshirt. He proved adequate but normal at most subjects he studied.

But it turns out he’s a medical savant. Got one of the fastest times on the Hyperspray Maru (If you know that joke, you know) since McCoy. Injected himself, of course. This would serve as a prelude to a pattern of risk taking behaviour.

MACO training revealed surprising aptitude for bladed weaponry.

HEMA enthusiast and Wyss’ fencing partner. 

Still a capable leader, ended up shooting through the ranks on the Beacon.

Kinda moody these days. Obviously.

Knows a guy. Deeply embedded in the Starfleet black market

Post Fall reassignment: Medical Officer on Starbase 19.

Current Rank and Role: Cmdr, Chief Medical Officer, though technically he’s the second highest ranking officer on the Beacon-D.

Nora of the Valkyrie

Human, Starborn. Due to the conditions of her home ship (The Valkyrie), she’s actually a Heavyworlder.

Ship was docked on Betazed when it was invaded during the Dominion War. It left her behind when it fled, but it was blown out of orbit regardless.

Was taken to a surface labour camp but managed to escape, eventually meeting Ren. The duo would exist as thieves until the occupation ended.

Sponsored for Officer Training by Pehter Po’ort.

Entered Operations Division, more specifically Tactical. She even undertook a full MACO training course.

Specialized in weapons combat, heavy weapons and explosives. Explosives were also her mechanical expertise.

Also took counselor’s courses.

Has the yell of a drill instructor, possibly because of hearing damage.

Had a bad habit of getting zapped while working ships, gets called “Lightning Rod” a lot.

Post Fall reassignment: Security/mechanical officer on Starbase 19.

Current Rank and Role: Lt Cmdr, Chief Tactical Officer.

Pyrrha Nikos

Illyrian Human, born in Kokkino City on the colony world of Sparta Nova.

Moved to Earth (Old Sparta) as a child. Lived as a “regular” human for most of her life.

Sponsored for Command Division and Officer Training by Azerpin Ozm.

Excelled at everything and anything she approached, a least concerning Command and Operations roles. 

Was considered to be the next coming of Kirk.

Was the CO of Kobayashi Maru-esque scenario that Ruby won. Let me repeat that. RUBY won Pyrrha’s exercise.

Needless to say, there were some issues going on behind the scenes.

Transferred to Operations, specifically Tactical.

Still ended up as the official highest ranking member of RWBYJNPR on the Beacon, even joining Senior Staff as a Lt Cmdr.

Confirmed KIA during the destruction of Beacon, attempting [REDACTED]

Posthumously promoted to Commander and awarded the Starfleet Medal of Honor. 

Liendruius Ren of the Ninth House of Betazed

Betazoid, full Empath, born to one of Betazed’s Great Houses.

Lived in comfort. At least until the Dominion attacked.

His mother was killed in the opening hours, but his father Linindreies led a rebellion for months until he was tracked down and killed, a fate shared by the entire Ninth House save Ren himself.

The trauma literally caused his powers to shut down.

Entered Academy as Command Division, sponsored for Officer Training by Pehter Po’ort.

Specialized in negotiation, linguistics & even counseling. MACO specialties included stealth, recon, subterfuge and martial arts/CQB.

Actually transferred to Sciences and Medical on the Beacon, after acting as a junior Comms officer.

Wants to propose to Nora, but is very afraid.

Post Fall reassignment: Junior Counselor and leave of absence on Starbase 19.

Current Rank and Roll: Lt Cmdr, Ship’s Counselor.

PENELOPE “Penny” Polendina

Synthetic Lifeform created in Alpha Proxima Labs by Pietro Polendina.

Sponsored for Officer Training by James Ironwood.

Ironwood wanted her to enter Command Division, but ultimately decided against it.

Entered Operations as an Engineer. Proved especially adept in robotics systems.

THE robotics expert on any ship she’s on, actually helps out with cybernetics in Sickbay on occasion.

Also knows a guy. Surprisingly also deeply embedded in Starfleet’s black market.

Constantly tinkering with the ship’s computers.

Previous Assignments: Engineering Assistant on the USS Atlas, Junior Engineer on the Beacon.

Her body was destroyed during Beacon-C’s destruction, and it was only recently rebuilt.

Lt Cmdr, Chief Engineer, though she switches duties as the Bridge officer with Yang. 

Oscrae Ozm

Joined Trill, but grew up on a farm in Dubuque, Iowa. Born as Oscrae Epinin.

Sponsored for Officer Training by Ezri Dax.

Command Divison, Stellar Navigation and piloting.

Previous assignment: Stellar Navigation Assistant on the USS Aventine.

Was escorting the Ozm Symbiote when it took a turn for the worse and he had to be implanted with it.

Dax sees a lot in common with them.

Was pulled off the Aventine following the implant.

Current Rank and Role: Ensign and Helmsman/Navigator.

Qro, son of Branhwn

Half Klingon, Half Human. Suffers from a form of genetic atavism that makes him look like a TOS Klingon.

Was once a Comissioned Officer, lost it following Dominion War, where developed horrible PTSD.

Rumoured connections to Section 31 during and after the war. This fact and the one above may have something to do with each other. 

Re-enlisted as a NCO with Azerpin’s influence.

Is in possession of a particular set of skills. Is the aforementioned guy people know. Unofficial ringleader of the Beacon’s segment of the Starfleet black market.

Post Fall assignment: Officially ‘Shore leave on Risa’, in actuality [REDACTED]

Current Rank and Role: Master Chief Petty Officer and Chief of Security.

Wūkong Sun of the Wūkong

Human, Starborn. Enhanced agility due to upbringing and the fact he’s double jointed.

Sponsored for Officer Training by Admiral Theodore.

Entered Command Division, surprisingly enough. Specialized in piloting and navigation

Post Fall reassignment: Resigned commission and relocated to Romulan Free Space. Intelligence suggests he’s affiliated with Romulan agent Blake “The Belladonna”

Current Rank and Roll: Petty Officer and Helmsman

Ciel Soleíl

Human, born in Vichy, France.

Penny’s former roommate at Academy.

Previous assignment: Nurse on the USS Atlas

She and Jaune like bitching about the crew’s recklessness in French together.

Current Rank and Role: Lt and Chief Nurse

#RWBY #Star Trek #RWBY AU #RWBYTREK AU #Team JNPR #Jaune Arc #Nora Valkyrie #Pyrrha Nikos #Lie Ren #Penny Polendina #Oscar Pine #Qrow Branwen #Sun Wukong #Ciel Soleil

[amxthystiine]

Sorry for it being a while since I've last loredumped about my lore for once but yeah new lore!!

And now, for something completely different! (But trust me, this becomes relevant and important. Happens a little while after last loredump’s events. This and all other loredumps happens before the actual beginning of a conceptual comic/show, and the ending is the setup for said conceptual comic/show

A bespectacled brunette sighed on his way back from school, fiddling with a pen he held in his hands as he finally reached their- no, his house.

This boy’s name was Thomas, and he was currently walking down the stairs he’d hidden as he reached his underground lab that he’d made out of the…strangely big and already stocked basement.

He and a close friend of his, Lucy, a blonde, nimbus-wearing starborn with elegant, sunlit wings, were working on a little project of his inspired off of a national legend’s breakthrough - replicating and then documenting info on the process of time travel.

Well, that’s what he was hoping for, anyways. However, he couldn’t get the feeling that Lucy was only humoring him in his endeavors, despite what the Time Reaper had achieved.

The first thing he’d do is finally bring whatever happen to him to light, because while everyone else gave up on the concept of finding the legendary quartet of fighters, Tom just felt as if…as if this was different. Like he was the only one who could pull this off!

Turning back to his little room in the corner where he stored all his findings in the matter, he scanned the last of Alexander’s notes on the blade that he saved, determined to be the one to crack his case wide open.

Why was he so confident that it was supposed to be him, you ask?

Tom gazed up at the portrait of the man himself hanging above him at the back of the room, feeling like the piercing the blue eyes of the painting were judging his every move.

Because, well, who better to uncover the mystery of what happened to the Time Reaper than his own son?

Thomas Pascall had known about his father’s identity ever since he broke the news to his wife, which in turn got to him, and ever since he held him in high regard, constantly telling himself he’d be like him one day until he disappeared.

Just. Like. That.

He's always assumed that someone finally killed him, which, to be frank, is probably what happened, but something wouldn’t stop nagging him at the back of his mind, the weird feeling that this wasn’t it, that there was more to this story.

So, to kill two birds with one stone, Tom decided he’d be the one to not only take up the reins of his father’s legacy AND discover what happened to him. With time travel!

After another slow afternoon for progress Tom eventually gave up for the day, going to bed.

When he fell asleep at long last, however, his dreams felt…off.

Instead of a strange montage of situations this dream was more consistent, and it felt less like a dream and more like randomly appearing somewhere.

This somewhere was this huge facility, where some figure he couldn’t remember how it looked for the life of him would propose the same damn deal with him with the widest grin on his face, claiming all he had to do was shake his hand and it’d become true! He would give him the answer to his current puzzle!

Tom, not being an idiot, denied the deal, as the way the man(?) worded the deal was very vague and confusing and, well, desperate. It’s not like he could do anything to him. He was just a figment of his dream.

Or, well, dreams, apparently.

He had the same dream, night after night, beginning to dread the the evening when he’d be dropped back in that stupid building again with that stupid damn man-

And after 2 weeks of his sudden case of reoccurring dream, Tom gave into the deal, not wanting to fear every time he closed his eyes. Lucy had already called him ten times this week to check up on him, having clearly picked up on his lack of sleep. So, better to get it over with, sooner than later, right?

Besides, it’s just a dream after all. And, he could get some much needed answers out of it on a silver platter!

He shook the man’s golden arrow (Why did he remember that specifically? Out of shock? Tom didn’t know at this point…) as he started energetically explaining how he would grant Tom’s wish once he woke up.

“Ww-woke up?”

Thomas decided to brush that little comment aside, but a lingering feeling of dread still hung over him.

The next morning, he woke to a scythe leaning against the frame of his bed and -

"holy SHIT IS THAT THE TIME REAPER SCYTHE?????"

Leaping out of his bed while almost falling out of his bed, Tom grabbed the thing immediately, eyes starstruck as he cradled the weapon of his father in his hands. I-it’d gone missing and wasn’t explicitly stated in the will, having been lost to time… but here it was!

Doing a few test circles in the air, he found that the scythe worked like a charm…at making and closing up time rifts, at least. He’d have to train for years to use the scythe to its full potential weapon wise…but, now that he had a bunch of free time he usually spent researching, he could make a dent in that number!

For the moment being he decided to keep this a secret from Lucy, wanting to surprise her when the time came.

Time went on and everything seemed to be just fine, like maybe his dreams may have gotten worse, each one feeling like a lesson of what not to do, but that was a small sacrifice for time travel! And they WERE good lessons in how bad the butterfly effect could be! A-and maybe he was having blackouts, perhaps he was seeing strangely familiar shadows behind him as he brushed his teeth, and he might have new strange golden flecks in his usually bright blue eyes, but what does that matter? M-maybe he was having horrible memories dredge up after each blackout that weren't his but that was irrelevant! That was sleep deprivation!

Also, he was now living up to his father’s legacy by taking a leaf out of his book and helping a local hero! She did treat him like a side kick, but hey, this is the Midnight Mage we’re talking about!

Now dedicating his afternoons to using his new weapon, Tom started cutting himself out from the world more often, leading to Lucy slowly becoming more concerned for Thomas as she saw him less and less, wanting to confront him about his sudden recluse.

At least, that’s she thought it was.

Eventually, she finally caught him strutting into the lab like he owned the place (well, she guessed he really did own the place, but that didn’t stop it from pissing Lucy off), after having not seen him for what, almost a month now?!

He was holding an unfamiliar weapon and his expression was uncharacteristically confident... But it was Thomas nonetheless, and she had to confront his sudden disappearances. She stormed up to the guy, pointing at him quickly and gesturing wildly as she interrogated Thomas about his absence, the guy looking unfazed during the whole conversation, almost annoyed. When she'd finally finished, Lucy could immediately tell something was off. Something was wrong, very wrong.

He leered into her face and smiled wider, eyeing Lucy's wings with his golden eyes, asking:

“Is that all?"

Lucy could tell by his tone that she was in danger. Oh god.

But before the panicked planning of the girl could bloom into an escape plan, Tom swung his scythe in a perfect arc,

Slicing straight through poor Lucy's back.

Her majestic, sunlit wings slid clean off as crimson blood pooled of the floor, Lucy’s eyes widening as she paused mid breath.

“I-I- Wh-“ Lucy collapsed, tears dripping down her face as she tried to process what had just happened. She hadn’t just lost her pride and joy. Nonono. This was just a bad nightmare, a hallucination, one due to caffeine overdose! It had to be!

Tom’s cruel, taunting, golden eyes have haunted Lucy Franklin from that moment onwards,

and Thomas Pascall was never seen in that town again.

Tom ran from the lab, the houses, the streets, the town, having just come to terms with what that thing had done. What he had done.

He didn’t know where to go, but all he knew is that he needed to get out of here. He wouldn’t let anyone else fall victim to what he had done to poor Lucy, even if it meant creating a whole new identity for himself or even closing himself entirely from civilization.

He wouldn’t let it happen again.

A couple years pass by, everyone drifts away, until fate brings them together to a new town where a new life would begin for the duo and a lot of other troubled teens, alongside a new school year...

At least, that's what he'd like you to think.

What really were the chances of that many powerful teens with double lives going to that damn school anyways?

#ocs #oc #amethyst’s oc dumps #amethyst’s little rambles #lore