#heretic kingdoms | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

a-god-in-ruins-rises · 2 years

Photo

alright. started a new campaign.

started as an occitan count (of venaissan) in provence, vassal of the king of italy.

roleplay sitrep: roleplaying as leader of the burgeoning “republic of arles”, which has given birth to a new roman-minded people. the people of arles have overthrown their feudal rulers and elected a new leader. the people have a distinct culture (named “arelatian” from the classical latin name for arles: arelate) that embraces their roman ancestors and are attempting to revive their centralized, bureaucratic, republican civilization. on top of that we’ve reformed our “christian” faith which now embraces pagan syncretism and equality of the sexes and sexualities (inspired by catharism but made more explicitly pagan). immediate goal (in no particular order): become king of burgundy and aquitaine (to create occitania) and italy. ultimate goal: restore the roman empire.

first ruler: count of vennaissan. did some wheeling and dealing to become duke of provence. established elective succession (republicanism and all that). king of italy got his shit kicked in, as usual, by the other frankish kings. i tried my best to help but eventually the king of lotharingia came out on top and took italy. whatever. it is what it is. i play nice, pay homage, and work on gaining my new king’s favor. meanwhile i focus on expanding my domain so i can, hopefully, muster enough strength to take either italy or burgundy (or both) from him. over the decades i conquer corsica, then mallorca, and finally sardinia. some interesting stuff happens with italy. the king dies, then the king of west francia becomes king of italy, then he dies and west francia splits into west francia and aquitaine. italy becomes independent (one of the og king’s descendants) and then somehow the king of asturias inherits the kingdom for a while before lotharingia retakes italy. this is about when i finish conquering sardinia and i die.

second ruler (daughter because equality of the sexes and democracy): eventually the new king of lotharingia-italy dies and his empire is split between his three sons. each gets a different kingdom (lotharingia, burgundy, italy). the king of burgundy (my new liege, as duchess of provence) is a child with one tiny county in a kingdom dominated by four powerful dukes. so he’s incapable of ruling. i make friends with all the other dukes and start plotting to fabricate a claim on the kingdom of burgundy. meanwhile i work to reclaim mallorca, sardinia, and corsica (i lost them to my siblings because of confederate partition). finally, i reconquered them all and either replaced or pacified my vassals. then it was time to fulfil (part of) my father’s dream. i pressed my claim on the kingdom of burgundy and made short work of the one-county king. first order of business upon taking the throne: renamed the kingdom of burgundy to “provincia nostra” (latin: “our province”) and held court for the first time.

now the real work begins.

#i like how triangular my kingdom is #our province in the north #mallorca to the sw #and sardinia and corsica to the se #very clean #i think my next target will be sicily #and i'll start my conquest of italy from the south and march north #aquitaine is tempting but it's gonna be a long slog if i just try fabricating claims #so i'm gonna have to figure out a better strategy for aquitaine #but maybe that's just how it's gonna have to be #also i am prioritizing rome for the obvious roleplay reasons #but also because i need to give my new religion a head #so he/she can start declaring holy wars #i also really want to help asturias out in iberia #but they're not really wanting to cooperate with me because i'm a heretic or whatever #lmao

3 notes · View notes

upside-blue · 2 years

Text

am 2 out of three on dnd characters currently transformed by ouside means into vaguely spooky creatures of terror

#my dear darling evil politician witch opened a safe she shouldn't have and now she's a cockroach #do not worry she still retains command of her undead entourage of servants #and my lovely feral elf princess got convinced to turn into a direwolf to menace the townsfolk in order to lure a paladin into the forest #for murder reasons #its because he said her fallen kingdom was heretical actually #now only my dearest merchant is in his human form. but not for long. soon he will transform into a giant metal bird to visit his lover #he made the artefact for it himself :)

2 notes · View notes

canisalbus · 11 months

Note

a few quick questions on Machete, what breed is he? I love the angles of his snout and the proportions remind me of a borzoi though I don't think he is one. Also, does he have a set age for when he's a cardinal? I picture him to be around mid-30s or so. Wonderful art! love your stuff and find you an inspiration :)

He's a fictional breed called Podenco Siciliano, which is closely related to modern day Ibizan Hound (pictured below) and other Mediterranean rabbit-hunting podencos. I usually just default to calling him a sighthound since he's somewhat of a provincial mongrel and not meant to be purebred anyway.

As for the age, mid-30s sounds about right. I think the current timeline goes something like this:

0 - Born to a lower-middle class family in Sicily, father is a tradesman, has three older brothers. Generally considered a runt, is weak and sick all the time, parents suspicious of his unusual colors.

3 - Gets left at a monastery and raised by monks as a foundling. Nervous and meek kid, but the monks think he's endearing and do their best to support him. Is taught to read and write, which is a massive advantage at that day and age, and learns rudimentary Latin through exposure.

9 - Apprenticed to a Neapolitan priest, moves to southern part of mainland Italy (or Kingdom of Naples as it was called, it was ruled by Spain actually). Does chores and runs errands in exchange for education and experience.

15 - The priest gets elevated to a bishop and decides to sponsor Machete's further studies at an acclaimed university in Venice (in Northern Italy). There he studies theology, medicine, arts, law, philosophy and gets fluent in Latin and adequate in Greek. Befriends Vasco but their relationship is short-lived.

21 - Ordained a priest. Leads a parish somewhere in Papal States (Central Italy). Is generally well liked but doubts his career choice from time to time.

26 - Becomes a part of the Papal Court in Vatican, mostly because of the recommendations of his former mentor and professors, good reputation, excellent track record and sheer luck. Still a priest but assists bishops, cardinals and the pope himself directly. Moves to Rome. Becomes pope's unofficial confidant due to his obedient and hardworking nature and because of his lack of prestigious family connections that would render him a threat. Slowly starts to gain wealth.

30 - Created a cardinal (which is the second highest position in the church after the pope, and it's at the sole discretion of the pope who becomes one). Is also a bishop as a technicality. Handles administrative jobs, tons of paperwork, at some point he's in charge of a lot of the political correspondence and diplomatic missions. Still the old pope's trusted advisor but disliked by the majority of the cardinals, who see him as an outsider, sycophant and a potential disruptor of the status quo.

34 - Meets Vasco again. Vasco has become a succesful politician in Florence, he's married with three children.

38 - The pope dies and Machete's status falters. He starts to work with the Roman inquisition more. Oversees trials, torture, excommunications and executions of heretics, witches and most of all, protestants (since we're reaching Counter Reformation times and the Vatican is Very Worried about the spread of Luther's ideas). Isn't having a good time at all but keeps up the appearances. Gets infamous. The beginning of the true villain era.

40 - Grows increasingly more disillusioned with life and his ideals, as well as the corruption of the Curia. Burned out, paranoid and desperate. Uses scare tactics, extortion and legal trickery to expose and undermine his enemies, but gains them faster than he can keep up. Employs spies, thugs and assassins. Feared and loathed.

43 - Gets assassinated and dies in disgrace.

#answered #jaydenchapstick #sorry this turned out sorta long #and kinda bummer too #all of this is subject to change if I end up thinking of something better #not set in stone just the current grand picture #the ages are approximate #the history of Italy and the workings of the catholic church are both such clusterfucks holy moly gosh darn #I've done research but don't rely on my word that this is all accurate and feasible in the end it's fantasy rules #whenever you see him wearing any red it's a sign he's at the cardinal phase these positions are color coded like that #Machete

877 notes · View notes

vlepkaaday · 11 months

Text

A switch would definately be a heretical device in 41st millenium. With Legend of Zelda leading the heretical pack. I am a couch player of the new game as my GF is going through this:D

Here’s sister Agniah enjoying her time with Tears of the Kingdom and spotting heresy in the Purah character.

#digital art #art #warhammer #sci-fi #warhammer40k #legend of zelda #tears of the kingdom #botw purah #purah fanart #heresy #sister of battle

404 notes · View notes

iridiss · 8 months

Text

I want a (non-canon compliant) Narinder whose gentle.

I want a Narinder who was once a kitten, newly crowned immortal, under Shamura’s careful mentorship. Who grew up the hard way, who learned you have to be rough, loud, mean, manipulative, and maniacal, you have to be bloody and violent and cruel, in order to survive in this world. In order to survive against Leshy and Heket’s brutality and Kallamar’s back-handed cunning. He learned from a family cruel and cold that love was a fool’s game, that sentiment was insignificant, that caring was weakness. So he scoffed at caring for anybody at all and learned how to break and toy with people as if they were dolls, made only for his own consumption and desire. That’s what his siblings told him, that’s what Shamura told him, that’s what his subjects and the fight to survive told him.

But he never saw his toys fit for anything more than the most necessary use, he never let them come any closer than professional arms-reach business, and he made sure to throw them away the second they were no longer strictly necessary. And he hated the cruelty of his siblings. He hated how they treated him, he hated how they made him fight for his fair share. And then he kept rebelling against the doctrine of the Old Faith. He would take the cruel, old, traditional rules of how one was supposed to act, and he would take them more as loose suggestions than anything severely concrete that you had to live by. He would start making up his own rules, or ignoring other rules that he simply didn’t like or deemed “inconvenient.”

He quickly became the black sheep of the “family.”

And then the Gods of The Old Faith betrayed him. And everything he was ever taught became a horrible lie. Everything became unjust. Everything turned into a false, corrupted kingdom that had to be torn down, that he could fix, that he could replace with something better. He tore it all down, violently lashing out against the family he had trusted, the family he had followed to the end of the road at his own expense, tearing them apart with his own two hands, because the scars he bore over the years became far too fucking loud to bear. Because everything had been a lie all along. Everything had been wrong, this whole damn time.

And they killed him for it. He screamed so loud about their lies that they simply had to smother the sound. They murdered their own brother—if he was ever a real “brother” to them at all, or nothing more than another religious heir to a crooked throne.

He was a God turned exiled heretic.

So he’d make his own fucking kingdom instead. He would undo everything, and start anew, following the doctrine he always knew was better. What he thought was superior. But problem is, it’s not that easy to shake off the entirety of one’s religious upbringing overnight. He was still clinging on. He would scream and shout about the incongruities and arrogance of The Old Faith all damn day—but then he’d keep Aym and Baal, a gift from his old mentor and oldest sibling, close to his side. He would call them fools and tyrants and wretched liars, but he’d remember the Darkwood flowers with a fondness, yearning to stand in his brother’s flower fields again someday. He would stay in the Lamb’s cult, when he could easily become a constant dissenter and leave like any other follower, when he could attack them, maybe even kill them, at any given moment. He doesn’t. He stays. He clings on to the fondness. He never fully let go of that old sentimental feeling.

I want a Narinder who doesn’t understand what love looks like, because the closest thing he’d ever known to true, honest love growing up was the scraps he’d receive from a withdrawn and uncertain Shamura. Those rare moments where Shamura was kind, warm, gentle, full of love, when he’d listen to the lullabies and the poems that they would weave to put him to sleep, when he’d be wrapped up in the blankets of their webs and their nests. When they would give him gifts.

When they gave him their final gift.

He doesn’t understand love. He was trained to view it as weakness. He still feels deeply, severely insecure about showing said weakness, he doesn’t want to face the severe and violent consequences of welcoming it. There’s a part in him deep down that understands devotion, that already internally understands what real trust, respect, loyalty, and integrity looks like. But it’s buried deep, under layers upon layers of indoctrination, manipulation, fear, insecurity, doubt, ungodly amounts of pain, and rage. He has enough of a natural moral compass to be able to tell when someone’s entire belief system is flawed or fucked up, and he has enough justice in him to want to tear the entire damn world apart from the ground up. Even if it’s just in the name of avenging the kitten in him that was forced to die all those centuries ago.

He isn’t aware of it. He doesn’t understand what’s going on inside of him. He’s never even taken an introspective glance at himself and why he feels everything that he does, he’s never even asked himself why everything hurts so much beyond the simple “my siblings betrayed me, therefore they all must die as they killed me” surface level. Frankly he’s too scared to look, so he pushed it all away and easily leans on the grinning, devilish, mean mask he always depended on before.

Then I want a Lamb that’s everything he ever needed. Literally, yes, as the vessel prophesied to save him, but also emotionally.

The Lamb had everything taken away from them by The Old Faith. They were killed and thrown away to Narinder’s feet like a broken toy. They want to destroy the doctrine of the Old Faith, they want to rip the world apart from the ground up and completely start anew. They share Narinder’s moral core, his drive for justice, his drive for revenge.

But they also learn, through their own cult, how to rule with love and mercy. They save and spare each follower individually, they marry their own followers, they cook for them, clean for them, house them, decorate for them, they love their followers. They learn that there is value and strength in utilizing the “sentiment and care” that the Bishops deemed as weakness. Literally: one of the best and most overpowered mechanics of the game is building your friendship level with your followers. You can’t live without them. You are their servant as much as they are one to you.

And when Narinder demonstrates his upbringing at its fullest by betraying Lamb and throwing them away like they were nothing more than a toy—The Lamb spares him, too.

I want to express to you how much that means, especially to him. I mean, hell, Narinder wasn’t spared by his own family. But instead, this tool, now proven Almighty God, gave him a level of grace that he wasn’t even allowed to fathom before. There couldn’t be a stronger, faster way to take a wake-up-sledgehammer to someone’s childhood manipulation. The Lamb was sent to destroy every last trace of the Old Faith, and I don’t think Narinder ever considered the extent of what that entailed.

He’d been lied to his entire childhood, being told that heart was weakness, that kindness would be his downfall, that sentiment was heresy. And yet here was a God besting him and every other deity/bishop in the land, and still cleaning up their servants’ shit with a broom. And I like to think that Narinder would undergo a massive change during his time in the cult.

He’d start off hostile and vicious and mean, because he’s still convinced that the Lamb betrayed him and “betrayal” is kind of a very emotionally heated topic for the guy right now. Even if the Lamb actually did the opposite of what his siblings did to him. He’s also terrified, confused, lost, and he certainly doesn’t trust any of the flowery, overly friendly mortals getting all touchy-feely with him.

But maybe he starts to show a little more wistfulness and nostalgia through his side-quests, maybe he’s trying to gauge how trustworthy the Lamb is by asking them to bring him special items from his childhood, and when they follow suit, he dips his toe in the water and shows just a little bit more of his heart, a tiny, itty bitty fragment. And then they don’t hurt him for it. They treat him with the same kindness they give to all of their followers.

And over time, he starts to see that the Lamb’s dominion is one of safety. All of their safety had been violently torn from them in the hunt for the last lamb, so now they do everything in their power to make their cult a home. And they welcome Narinder into that home, and Narinder is safe, and he’s loved, and he’s taken care of, and he’s respected, and he becomes one with the community. The Lamb is able to rule like this and still keep their power. And actually, their power is tripled by their bond with their people! Their kindness literally becomes a strength, and Narinder has never seen anything like it before, but they pull it off! In fact, the Lamb literally defied and beat Narinder into the ground because they weren’t willing to give up their home and their people.

I think he’d come to see The Lamb very differently over time. He’d go from seeing them only as an insignificant weapon for someone else’s use (possibly projecting a lot onto them), to bring in total awe of them, to learning that they’re trustworthy and safe, to seeing them as an equal.

I think they’d be two halves of the same whole. They understand each other in ways that no one else ever will. They’re the Gods of Death, past and future, they belong to the same power. They sit on this throne together. They teach each other everything they ever needed. They’re immortals together. Lamb once served Narinder in total devotion, then Narinder served Lamb in total devotion, and now they’re equals in every conceivable way. They have literally trusted each other with their lives. They were forged in very similar religious trauma and bloodshed, they were there at each other’s darkest time, working as a team. They’re vengeance-bonded. They saved each other. They spared each other, gave the other a second chance. They made each other better. Bonded in blood, divine vows, death, and resurrection. They are THE POWER TEAM.

As their bond grows, Narinder would end up letting his repressed soft side shine through. I can see him allowing himself to be kind for the first time, learning to recognize that not only is it safe for him to care here, it’s fully embraced and encouraged. The Lamb will punish him if he’s too mean to one of their followers. He can be gentle here, he can let his guard down and unwind. So he does, and he becomes a whole new cat. The Lamb eventually trusts him with leadership positions in the cult, until they’re ruling side by side, as they should. Narinder moves on from any desperate reach for power, because he’s secure enough in himself to know he doesn’t need to fight for it anymore. He would fight and die for Lamb as much as they would fight and die for him. They’ve given him true sanctuary, true family. True devotion.

#Narinder my symbol and my sponge for all religious trauma #tw religious trauma #tw religion #tw religious abuse #they are ‘wow I’m not crazy’ by AJR #true devotion #cult of the lamb #cotl Narinder #cotl lamb #narilamb #but it also works for a platonic or other relationship between them #cotl headcanons #iridiswrites

224 notes · View notes

deathmetalunicorn1 · 7 months

Note

Hello! Could I please request Ragnarok characters with a Joan of arc reader? If you don't know, Joan was a powerful female warrior and commander in the 15th century in France, she was the reason why France won the 100 year old war against the United Kingdom, she was also described to be very passionate and open minded, she won her first battle at 14 years old but after her win against the British Empire, at 19 years old, she was accused of being a witch and then she was burned alive

Romantic: Thor, Lu Bu, Poseidon, Jack the Ripper, Heracles, Shiva (? Maybe, you can choose with him), Raiden, Buddha, Hades, Qin Shi Huang, Nikola and Leonidas

Platonic: Odin, Zeus, Adam, Zerofuku

I also feel like Brunhilde would choose her to fight in Ragnarok because she is quite strong, and also has great strategy (because of her being a commander) and during the battle reader absolutely DESTROYS her opponent, but is still very respectful

That's all! Thank you very much if you do my request! (Sorry for bad writing, english isn't my first language)

-You had only been 19 when you died, being burned at the stake at the hands of your enemies, deeming you a heretic while you were only following God’s will, serving and saving your country.

-You were immortalized as one of the greatest heroes of all time, despite your age, and many respect you for what you had been able to accomplish in your life.

-In Valhalla, you were welcomed with a grand feast, many praising your hard work, but you surprised them with your humble, almost shy, nature, thanking them so sincerely.

-You learned the hard truth, after meeting God, who had spoken with you, that he didn’t care who died for him, only caring about spreading his name, as he brushed you off when you asked to do more for him.

-It was hard for you, learning the cruelty of gods, not just your god, but other gods as well, learning how they liked to toy with humans, treating them as mere playthings.

-There were gods that you met during your time that weren’t like that, ones that were truly kind people, but there was always good with bad, and gods were no exception.

-Many looked down on you, as you were just a human, but many grew to respect you, seeing you demand respect, not for yourself, but for others, calling them out on their cruelty, they were the ones who created humanity, and those in power should never abuse those who look up to them for guidance and protection.

-You gained a reputation of a human warrior who never backed down for what was right, even putting yourself at risk, but you never shied away, and for that, many of the gods did come to respect not only you, but other humans as well, seeing their dedication and determination despite the adversity.

-When Ragnarok was announced, you were disappointing in the gods for wanting to take the easy way out, but there were some who spoke against the destruction of humanity and were willing to give humanity a chance, but they were outvoted.

-Brunnhilde approached you to be a fighter and while you are not one for violence, you accepted, determined to save humanity, because you knew that there was good in humanity, just like with the gods.

-You surprised everyone by requesting to fight first, as you had a challenge to put to the gods and when you walked out, holding a sword and shield in full armor, you stunned all by immediately kneeling, showing respect to your opponent.

-As you stood, you spoke, issuing your challenge, “I will fight for humanity, but I beg the gods to show mercy if I am able to prove that humanity deserves to live on!”

-Zeus, intrigued by your dedication, allowed you to continue on, coming down into the arena, and you spoke, “If I win, give humanity another chance and call this tournament off. Senseless death is not the way to settle things. And if I am destined to fall, then you gods may decide our fates from there, just as you always have, I just pray that you don’t turn your back on those who looked up to you.”

-Your words rang out around the arena, hearing your challenge and hearing your jab at their poor treatment and management of humans.

-The humans were quick to rally behind you, cheering loudly for you, chanting out your name as the gods looks stunned, seeing the fire in your eyes.

-Shocking everyone, Zeus agreed to the terms of your challenge, filling the arena with a lot of shouts of shock and outrage.

-You kneeled down, showing him the respect he deserved, thanking him for his kindness, he said nothing to you before leaving the arena to face your opponent, Eris, Goddess of Chaos.

-Despite being a young maiden, you were a warrior, a champion for humanity, and you were ready to give everything to give humanity this one chance at survival.

-Eris mocked you, calling you and the other humans weak, but her mouth dropped at your clap back, “You gods made us that way. If we weren’t weak, you wouldn’t be able to push us around. This is why we fight back, to prove that we are stronger than you made us.”

-She charged and you quickly went on the attack, your moves sharp and precise, showing the years of hard work and training you’ve put into being a warrior, easily beating back Eris, stunning all, showing that just because you had power, if you didn’t know how to use it, it was useless.

-In the end, you stood over Eris, your sword at her throat, eyes ablaze and she swallowed hard, not wanting to die, but you had bested her in every way and she stunned all by submitting, forfeiting the match to you.

-Eris was a prideful goddess, she would never admit defeat to anyone, and for you, a human, to make her do that in front of everyone, you very quickly proved that humanity was truly strong. You then stunned her, offering her a hand up and she looked up at you in shock, thinking you were mocking her, but there was no trace of that in your eyes, you truly wanted to help her, and for that, she took your hand and you pulled her up and she gave you a small nod in thanks.

-Zeus couldn’t help but smile, bowing his head to you, agreeing to his side of the bargain and he spoke, giving a passionate speech about how the gods need to be the gods they claim to be, they need to guide and care for their creations, they wanted the humans to truly believe in them and give them a reason to believe.

-You couldn’t help but smile, tears welling in your eyes as the stadium cheered loudly, cheering for you and Eris for the fight, cheering that humanity was safe and the gods were going to be the gods they always should have been.

-While appreciative of your actions and hard work, there were some who were disappointed that they didn’t get to fight, as they had been hoping for a real challenge and this competition was going to give them that. However, your drive was impressive, and they respected you for that, it made them want to know a bit more about you, they wanted to know what drove you to fight so hard. However, they were stunned to find that despite your level headed approach to combat, fighting with ferocity and precision, you were still a young maiden, one that was a little shy when it came to relationships and flirting. This made you all the more alluring to (Love) who found this to be cute, wanting to see what other sides there were of you.

-Shiva, Thor, Lu Bu, Raiden, and Leonidas

-Was impressed with you, as he had never met someone like you before, especially a woman, but found himself drawn to you, wanting to know more about you. He was respectful to you, as you had respect for him, something he did appreciate, and he didn’t push the idea of a relationship with you until he got to know you more, mainly because he initially wasn’t thinking about it, he just wanted to know more about you. He found your shyness with romance endearing, thinking it was cute, as you were always such a confident person, both on and off the battlefield. It awoke something in him, finding it alluring, wanting to see more of that cute shy side that not many would get to see. He wanted to keep it all for himself, not hesitating to tease you to see it, finding you adorable, but he knew, if you wanted to, you could probably kick his ass. You were truly a unique person.

-Hades, Poseidon, Qin Shi Huang, Jack, and Odin

-Immediately sought you out after the fight, wanting to know if you were okay, as you did take a couple of hard hits, but wanted to congratulate you for your hard earned victory, and to thank you for what you did for humanity. He was stunned by your drive, seeing your motivation to protect humanity, willing to give your life to give them a chance. While a bit disappointed for not being able to fight, as he was curious on who he would have fought and if he would have won or not, he wasn’t going to complain to you, not after all the hard work you put in to make it happen. Was stunned to see that despite everything, all your hard work and dedication, you were still so humble, thanking him for his kind words with a shy smile on your lips. He was not expecting to see your face turn bright red when he asked you out for a drink, to thank you for your hard work, but he couldn’t help but grin, you looked so cute!

-Hercules, Nikola, and Buddha

-Came to you after the fight, seeking you out in the infirmary as you had taken a couple of hard hits, and Brunnhilde told you to get checked out, not wanting to risk your health or safety. Immediately came over and put his hand on your head, like you were a child, asking if you were okay (for Zerofuku he dove into your arms, hugging you around your waist). You assured him you were okay and he was relieved, but silent for a moment before he sat beside you and quietly praised you, telling you that you were an amazing person for your dedication. Your cheeks warmed at his praise, but you thanked him before you smiled, “I just wanted to give everyone something to believe in.” He patted your head again, smiling softly, “You’re a good person, Y/N.” you smiled again, getting cleared from the nurses and he spoke, “C’mon- the other warriors who were going to participate set up a feast for you- to thank you.” You were surprised, but immediately smiled, thanking him warmly.

-Zeus, Adam, and Zerofuku

#record of ragnarok #ror x reader #ror hades #ror poseidon #ror qin shi huang #ror jack the ripper #ror odin #ror heracles #ror nikola tesla #ror buddha #ror zeus #ror adam #ror zerofuku

169 notes · View notes

eggsaladstain · 1 year

Text

so i thoroughly enjoyed season 2 even if it was extremely rushed and the fact that it’s not a 1:1 adaptation is genuinely so fun to me.

like i get it, things are different from the books, the characters have developed in way they did not in the books, but the books still exist. the show canon does not negate the book canon in any way - we just have twice as much canon now and honestly i fail to see the downside to that.

book/show spoilers under the cut.

let me start with the not so good before i get to the good.

the crows really got shortchanged this time around and most of their storyline definitely felt more out of place this season compared to the first. and as satisfying as it was to see kaz beat pekka, all the wesper and kanej moments, and have 5 of 6 crows all together (sorry matthias, better luck next time buddy), the show was not nearly as successful integrating the crooked kingdom plot points as it was the storm and siege and ruin and rising ones. but i get it, the crows were always going to be secondary to alina.

that said, i do love the idea of taking this heist most of us are already familiar with and turning it on its head with these new character dynamics. imagine an empowered and free inej returning to ketterdam to help a less burdened, less haunted kaz plan the heist. imagine jesper in his element, confident and proud of his grisha abilities now that he’s made peace with his past. imagine wylan and jesper openly flirting at the most inopportune moments. imagine nina and matthias presumably actually getting some screen time together?? the possibilities are endless and i can’t wait to see where they go with this.

now, onto alina’s storyline, which has the biggest departure from the books.

the show ends with alina killing mal, amplifying her power to singlehandedly destroy the fold, bringing mal back to life with merzost, and then killing the fjerdan intruder with the cut summoned from shadows instead of light and seeming to enjoy her newfound shadow power. this is the story of a savior who becomes a saint who finds herself turning into a heretic - dark alina arc let’s go!!

i love this direction for the show because it’s incredibly consistent with alina’s journey and the way she is constantly presented as a foil for the darkling, following in his footsteps even without realizing it. she has tremendous power and a desire to protect those she cares about, and she’s clever and cunning and willing to do whatever it takes to reach her goal, whether that’s burning a set of maps so she can join mal in his trip across the fold or agreeing to a political engagement to give ravka hope for the future. though she has mal and nikolai and her other allies, this is really her journey and hers alone - her journey of discovery to embrace her own power, even as she becomes that very evil she worked so hard to destroy. the message of the show is that power corrupts, and it corrupts even those with the best of intentions, perhaps especially those with the best of intentions.

in contrast, the book ending is pretty much the exact opposite - alina fights the darkling’s forces inside the fold alongside both the first and second army. she kills mal to amplify her power but ends up losing it altogether. instead of amplifying her, the amplifier gives her power to the first army soldiers and other non-grisha around her and they, an army of sun summoners, destroy the fold once and for all. alina then kills the darkling, mal is resurrected using regular grisha-means, and alina and mal live a quiet life running the orphanage in keramzin. this is the story of a savior who is allowed to die a saint and live a quiet, happy life afterwards - poetic cinema, beautiful in its subtlety and restraint.

there’s a lot of criticism about the way ruin and rising ends and i get it, i really do. was it necessary for alina to lose her powers in order for the other sun summoners to gain them? why is her love for her power seen as something greedy, something to be punished and taken away? god forbid women do ANYTHING. but i will defend this ending with my last breath because it’s such a wonderfully subversive way to conclude alina’s story and i really don’t think it deserves most of the hate it gets.

the original trilogy started out as a pretty generic story about a chosen one who was destined to defeat a great evil and ended instead with a group of ordinary soldiers and orphans being the heroes instead. call me sentimental, but i ADORE how it comes full circle - alina was, after all, an ordinary soldier and orphan when we first met her. throughout the books, we see how she struggles under the weight of her power and the burden of her responsibilities, and i just really love the way ruin and rising said no, you do not have to do this alone, you are not the only light in the dark, here are your fellow countrymen to support you in your greatest hour of need. so often, these stories end with the heroine saving the world and then being expected to continue keeping watch with the knowledge that they will be called upon again the next time the world needs saving. and ruin and rising again says no, you have done your duty, let someone else stand guard, you have earned your rest and you deserve it.

all this is to say that i loved alina’s ending in the books, and i love that it’s different in the show. we get to explore the other paths her story could have taken, we are not just limited to the one. i love the crows as they are in the books as well, and i don’t entirely mind how different they are in the show for the same reasons.

this is an adaptation that knows when to pull from the source material and when to create something entirely new. it was never meant to replace the books, it was created in addition to them, and i hope we get many more new stories after this.

#sab meta #shadow and bone #sab season 2 #six of crows #grishaverse #alina starkov #kanej #wesper #helnik #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #wylan van eck #jesper fahey #matthias helvar #nina zenik #malina #meta

414 notes · View notes

road-kill-eater · 16 days

Note

What WERE those superfluous aspects of Tonitrui historical culture?

Before the death of their own creator, tonitrui culture was as vibrant and varied in custom and belief as any other you see among humans. Most of the hunter-gatherer tribes worshiped seasonal gods, with each population attributing different names and characteristics to these figures.

For some the winter was kind, a god of slumber and rejuvenation, of making tight knots and steadfast bonds, of art and music and story. For others winter was a god of trials, of enduring punishment after punishment like a rain of whips, this god could be the sternest of them all, but yet remained a teacher in how it brought light to shadowed flaws and weakness. And while it is obvious the gods of summer would often be distributors of bounty and respite, sometimes this god would also be a devil of its own, raising fiery tempers, striking blight and drought, and sparking wars and murder.

Each season demanded its own sacrifice, ofttimes in fall it would be hair, in winter it would be food (especially rendered fat to be burned in intricate conflagrations), in spring it would be flowers plucked before they could fruit, and in summer it would be blood of the unborn and born both. But the whims of these gods could change, they might demand a more indulgent gift one year, or an entirely different sort the next.

Those that traveled a solitary and nomadic path as soothsayer were simultaneously adored and feared and hated, and rarely spent more than a few years with one tribe before fortune drove them on again. The most renowned of them were known to have great wars fought over them, or were bribed with all the material gifts that could be offered, but they were never harmed nor threatened, for the lie of a soothsayer was the greatest of curses.

Pic: Nilgai wearing a reconstructed soothsayer mask and burning tallow candles. Amidst civil war, plague and famine, there has been an increasing resurgence in heretical practices

As the coastal tribes transitioned into more sedentary and permanent villages which gave rise to agriculture and monarchism, their spiritualism calcified into finite forms. A myriad of interpretations and faces and names for the gods all informed by the specific culture of a tribe as well as their history and the lands they hunted were progressively funneled and congealed until but one absolute form remained. Of course bitter debates and battles were raged over the particular aspects, but once the custom of kings began, the ever changing became shackled to the earth. It was known that each god had one name and two heads, one of ill and one of fortune, and when they walked upon the land, the kingdom must attract the attention of the glad countenance, and distract the cruel face so it looked away. Much was said on the folly of dividing the gods in this way, that the cruel aspects were just as vital as the supposedly kind, that it would make the kingdom weak if it was never tested with raging wildfires nor floods nor plague.

When their creator came to walk among them, belief in the divine quartet could hardly stand up to miracles made flesh. This centralized religion was quickly shattered, and the result was a cultural maelstrom, with the god-king standing within the center. After the murder of the tonitrui creator, there was a spiritual void. The very idea of worship became distasteful after such betrayal and grief, and for most it would have been hollow belief, and so the old gods became childrens stories, and spirits to sometimes wish to for luck, but little else.

Following this, tonitrui culture became far more imperialistic. Kings were gods unto themselves, their words infallible, their arms as long as the march of their soldiers. The remaining nomadic tribes in the southlands were eaten up by conquest, and a generations spanning war was held between the southern kingdom and the loose coalition of tribes in the north. After many years the kingdom won out and occupied the land, forcing its many customs upon the inhabitants and stomping down on the old beliefs, which were now seen as foolish heresy that must be replaced with complete obeisance and worship to the king. Seasonal sacrifices were replaced with taxes and military drafting, and belief in the quartet gods was limited to underground communities which met in secret, or the most isolated of northern tribes.

These three great shifts in tonitrui society progressively stunted the culture of its own people. Many customs were abandoned or stamped out alongside the gods, and only remain as sanitized vestiges, with little memory as to their original significance. Before tail docking became all but compulsory, marriage rites were taken by tying a couples tails together with an intricate knot that must be slowly unwound day by day for a week. Tail dancing or flagging similar to ribbon dancing was also commonplace, and some even had their tails broken and set in specific positions to indicate their role in society.

Pic: Newlyweds with tied tails

Horns, meanwhile, were always used as pedestals for artistic expression. The buds of children could be split down the middle to create the illusion of four horns as they grew, each one bearing its own prayer to a god of the quartet. They could be carved or notched or woven with thread between each horn to indicate social rank, or to display a number of feats such as how many lives a warrior had taken in battle, or how many children one had (by their nature tonitrui have a low birthrate, high infant mortality, and slow maturation, children aren't named until their first birthday, and fertility is seen as one of the most important aspects of ones role in society).

Pic: A woman with split horns

There were also snout flutes, made by carving holes through the nasal bone, and played through a series of snorts. Tonitrui are already predisposed to a number of nasal infections which can sometimes lead to flesh eating disease in coastal territories with high humidity, so this custom was thoroughly stamped out for fear of the necessary body modification exacerbating such a condition.

Monarchistic tonitrui culture is quite focused on preserving the body as a tool for society, either in its role as a soldier, for procreation, or production, all with the goal of keeping a healthy population for which to secure and expand its territory. As such there is a cultural preoccupation with cleanliness, nutrition, and general health, with a strong distaste for anything considered too indulgent or gratuitous. The body must be kept whole, for there is no veil between the physical and mental self, and when one harms their own body in any permanent or unnecessary way, they also alter their own nature. Scars and significant injuries are seen to fracture the wholeness of oneself, and can lead to unstable temperaments. These traits are only admired in soldiers, whose physical sacrifice to the state purifies any subsequent metaphysical harm. The body must be kept healthy specifically so that the monarchy can choose when it can be broken. Thus the oldest tonitrui tradition of sacrifice is perverted, stripped of its intrapersonal narrative.

#tonitrui #i did not proofread this

52 notes · View notes

medievalfantasyqueen · 2 months

Text

As a long term reader of Dune (I have read up till Heretics of Dune), it warms my heart to see the words Bene Gesserit and Kwisatz Haderach now being used by many more people around the world, and people walking into zoos' kangaroo mouse / jerboa habitats and going Muad'Dib.

Meanwhile, I also hope that in spite of the similarities - ie house versus house and politics - Dune is not A Song of Ice and Fire. There is a poignant difference, while ASOIAF was historical fantasy fiction, while Dune is a massively, sprawling story across not just years and kingdoms, but millenia and galaxies. Additionally, Dune is Herbert's nuanced attempt at tracing the possibilities of not only human exploration and colonisation of non-Earth planets outside of the Milky Way Galaxy, but also a tracking of how human history, politics, religion, cultures and languages would grow and converge and diverge and develop over time. You will see the characters speaking in variations of Arabic, of French, of English, of course - and with vestiges of Latin and Hebrew. The religion is a converged and developed mixture of Buddhism, Catholicism variants and Buddhism; you see Hadith being referenced, you see Bible books being referenced.

BOOK SPOILERS AHEAD ------

------------------------------------

Dune: Messiah is one of my favourite books because there is Duncan Idaho, there is Chani and the twins, Paul's blinding and sight at first and then the emotional pain of Chani's loss making him lose that sight, and then Paul walking away into the desert. Alia Atriedes, Jessica leaving in full realisation of the horrors she has unleashed and so damn much. And Paul being increasingly aware of the Tleilaxu plots.

#dune #dune part 2 #dune messiah #books #paul atreides #chani #leto ii atreides #ghanima atreides #duncan idaho #book spoilers

60 notes · View notes

nevertheless-moving · 20 days

Text

stormlight au number 35 (help me i'm lost in the sauce)

Jasnah, Dalinar, and Renarin (surviving Kholin Radiants) travel from End of World all the way to right after Gavilar's death.

Vengeance pact still happens, but plays out very differently. We don't need absolutely every man in the kingdom to join the army, alright Elhokar? And we're making sure Dalinar is there to accept their surrender, actually win in reasonable time frame and 'conquer' them (no Alethi want to live out there anyway, and as long as they send gemhearts in tribute we won't enslave them. actually elhokar, your sister wanted to talk to you about slavery—).

Honestly, just an excuse for:

A) Adolin to have a breakdown that his entire family has been replaced by voidbringers, before eventually accepting with relief that they're still his family, they've just become voidbringers, but its ok because he loves them and will protect their increasingly heretical actions with his life. Hugs his glowing red and green eyed little brother a lot.

Adolin: do I — should I also learn to read?

Jasnah: do you want to?

Adolin: not really, no.

Renarin: to be honest, it's probably for the best if you just focus on being, well, a good Vorin Alethi. One of us probably should be, if we don't have a desolation as a distraction.

Adolin: ok! sure! I can do that. Also thought id mention that if possible, I would personally appreciate *not* having a desolation.

Jasnah: it may prove necessary.

Adolin: I know, i know. Just thought I'd put my feelings out there.

Dalinar: and we'll need you to produce Kholin heirs. Neither Renarin or Jasnah are likely to, and I'm not remarrying a younger woman.

Adolin: Sounds good!

B) Kholin family to have way too strong a reaction to this random darkeyed surgeon in training when they visit Kharbranth, scaring the absolute shit out of said darkeyed surgeon. Adolin walks into a wall when he sees Kaladin. He doesn't even know about the Radiant thing, it's just that

C) Kaladin dresses really hot in this au. Ok. I lied. this is actually the main reason for this au. It — there's a whole chain of events. I – don't look at me like that. The character development works, alright?

A lot of it boils down to distracting people from groping the female medical trainees.

He realizes that breathing in a certain way, while it makes you focus better and move faster, it also makes you more...present somehow? people pay attention to you, for better or worse. Some of the ladies teach him that there are different ways to channel people's focus on you, if they're looking anyway.

And apparently, for the first few years Kharbranth medical students, light and dark eyed alike, have basically no protections from wealthy patients or Lighteyed chief's of staff who are a bit too interested in teaching you to use your safehand, and its not like Kaladin can challenge them to a duel - he doesnt know how to fight, and it would get him and the person hes trying to protect kicked out of the program. So much for honorable lighteyes being real.

But I mean. If wearing some eyeliner, and a gemstone in your hair, if taking your right glove off first after an exam, conspicuously leaving the left on while talking, if bending over to pick his clipboard up in a certain way... if it gets people to not focus on his friends...

...one could probably get pretty angsty with this concept, ngl.

The Stormlight understanding and oaths come in time. There might also be some Radiant Disguise Superhero hijinks, havent fully decided but it's not really a major stretch from canon to say that Kharbranth struggles with violent crime. Also Kaladin gets to learn about institutional racism in school. It's great. I have a lot of Kaladin thoughts but so does everyone in this au so its ok.

Kholins visit Kharbranth:

Jasnah: you've been moping for days. Is your new fixation of the week not responding to your advances?

Adolin: I don't want to talk about it

Dalinar: son, you've clearly been in a mood—

Adolin: look, I'm not — the individual is not suitable for my station, alright? I'm not courting someone I could never actually marry, because that would be stupid.

Jasnah: while it would complicate matters, you know your brother and I have plans to alter the alethi codes around eye color, considering they're clearly a crude derivative of radiant mythologization

Dalinar: I thought we agreed that was low on the priority list

Jasnah: You said that uncle, Renarin most certainly did not agree, and his arguments are sound

Adolin: He's just some surgeon, alright! He's not just darkeyed, he's a darkeyed man. I said I'll get over it! I always do.

Dalinar: ah.

Jasnah: ...did you say surgeon?

Adolin: Yes? Why?

Dalinar: why does it —

Jasnah: how did you meet?

Adolin: He was — he was with this group of women at a winebar, and he was dressed like – but it turned out he just goes to protect them from - and it was so — why are you asking me about this?

Dalinar: Oh! A darkeyed surgeon. Protecting, you say? He sounds...honorable.

Jasnah: Very honorable.

Adolin: He is! He volunteers at this house for injured soldiers, and you wouldn't believe he'd never been to war, I mean his spear Katas — he's – it's like he was born for it —

Dalinar: He sounds like a fine young man. Perhaps you should bring him to meet us.

Adolin: I — while I appreciate that father, I really do, I thought I was the one who was supposed to well. I mean my role in...all of this is to produce heirs and look proper, right?

Jasnah: Hm. when you put it it that way...

Dalinar: I mean, Navani and I might be able to...

Jasnah: Don't be ridiculous. I'm perfectly capable of producing a child, should it prove absolutely necessary,

Adolin: Jasnah?

Jasnah: Provided the man you're courting is of worthy quality.

Adolin: We're not — I haven't been courting! I didn't think it was an option! I don't even know if he's interested! From what I can tell he has people throwing themselves at his feet all the time!

Jasnah: An abnormally honorable darkeyed surgeon, natural warrior, magnetically charismatic personality...yes that might make a worthwhile addition to the family.

Dalinar: I can write to Elhokar at once, recommend that he and Aseuden —

Jasnah: Uncle we've been over this — this is exactly the sort of thing that led to me insisting you come with me on this trip! If we cripple his ability to lead—

Adolin: Are we — are we moving into the discussing the future part of the evening, because I can go guard the door—

Dalinar: wait, when you say produce a child, you don't mean through soulcasting, right?

Jasnah: I don't see why I should answer that question.

Adolin: Yeah, i'm just going to go guard the door now

#stormlight archive #my au #stormlight au #nevertheless cosmere #stormlight au no 35 #adolin kholin #just to be clear adolin fully believes his family is voidbringers now he's just ride or die #they kept the time travel thing secret at first and then when he hysterically confronted them they explained kind of badly.#Dalinar: we're not—well technically we are the voidbringers. but that term is widely misunderstood!#and once Adolin was convinced they were still the same people he stopped asking religious questions

53 notes · View notes