#redcloak on the other hand...

[dark-night-star-light]

Spirit Animals: The Burning Tide (Reread pt. 12)

DISCLAIMER: WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR BOOKS ONE THROUGH SEVEN IN FIRST SERIES AND BOOKS ONE THROUGH EIGHT.

Masterpost

Chapter 1

“It had started seven moontides before” (1). The Wyrm fell for seven months???

“ . . . signing the question with her black gorilla hands” (1). Do gorillas sign to communicate?

How exactly did the Wyrm fall out of the stars anyway?

Kovo’s relationship to his mom is so sad . . .

 “The world was a vast continent that contained jungles and dunes and mountains and snowfields, all connected together” (3). Canon Pangea equivalent? Also, I love how one continent had every kind of habitat.

“There were thousands of animals, all different species . . . ” (3). So how come there are only fifteen Great Beasts, then?

Oh, so the rest fled when they saw the Wyrm coming.

I love how the Wyrm split the continents. That’s a neat little Easter egg (oh no, a pun).

If only Kovo and the other Great Beasts survived, how did life start again on Erdas?

Chapter 2

“ . . . Hazeel’s spirit animal, Poe. His only friend” (9). That’s so sad . . . 

Hazeel knows the Greencloaks aren’t themselves. He knows that the spirals are controlling them and that they are now slaves. Doesn’t that mean that when the Greencloaks overran Erdas, the people they killed and plundered should’ve also been able to figure that out? That means the last arc is kind of wonky . . .

“‘But I already have a guide’” (11). Uraza hates water??? And also how can she be a guide on a ship? She’s a leopard. 

 . . . Can she still feel Abeke even though their bond is severed?

Chapter 3

“‘I set Kirat to swabbing the latrine’” (14). Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular-

“‘I tried bringing her into passive state . . . ’ . . . ‘At least you have a spirit animal’” (16). Rollan cannot take the hint.

“The boy’s crocodile tears had once convinced her to lead him . . . ” (17). This is such a great, loaded line.

“‘He needs us for something . . . ’” (18). Yeah, doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. 

Chapter 4

“In reply, the lion bared his white teeth and growled. Kirat showed his own teeth, which were chattering in the cold” (20). That’s such a funny image to think about.

Why were the other kids that bonded to Great Beasts willing to leave home to go with the Redcloaks? Is it because they were told they could get their animals back?

“‘King . . . ?’ Abeke said. ‘That’s what you call Shane?’ Stead nodded. ‘He tells us not to, but . . . old habits die hard’” (24). Shane literally introduces himself as King in The Return, though?

“The Shane they knew probably would have forced people to call him king on punishment of death” (24). Not really, in my humble opinion. He tried to make sure that the people he conquered had adequate food and shelter, remember? And also he literally pretended he wasn’t the true Devourer for most of the war, so . . . 

“Karmo’s wide brown eyes were on Abeke, who glared right back at him” (25). This is ironic, because last time they met, Karmo was assuring Abeke that he was on the correct side of the war . . . wow.

This book seems to really hate Rollan in particular. He’s been the butt of the joke at least four times already.

“‘One day I awoke to find I couldn’t summon Grahv from his passive form . . . ” (29). But Shane was released from the Bile by Tellun, so how did this happen to him??? Plot hole???

Chapter 5

Even Shane finds Kirat annoying . . . we stan a king (oh horror, I just made a pun). 

“Yumaris guided the group, running her hands along the walls, sniffing the air, and getting into arguments with the stones” (35). Yumaris: Listen here, you jackass. The ocean is a soup, and I will not tolerate your slander towards the truth! The stone:

“‘He’s clearly got his own way of tracking the Great Beasts . . . ’” (36). Because the Wyrm whispers to him, right? But where does the Wyrm get that information? From the tree?

“‘All I know is what these carvings tell us. They say that the Wyrm’s egg fell from the stars and landed in a place called Sadre, deep under the Earth . . . ’” (39). So the Hellans were told that by Kovo, right? It’s mentioned that some Hellans “exiled” themselves to the Place of Desolation (37). Was that when they created the trap? And why did they create it at the “bottom of the world” (37) instead of near the Evertree???

Chapter 6

Kind of a weird thing I’ve started to notice with this series . . . whenever the authors have a chance to pull an end-of-chapter cliffhanger, they do it so weirdly, because instead of a cliffhanger, then switching to the other plotline, they instead do a cliffhanger, then stay on the same plotline. It’s so strange. 

“ . . . Shane would never change” (42). Shane and change are so close to rhyming that it makes this sentence feel really nice when read.

“ . . . inching away from Shane, who was watching her intently” (43). I love how when Shane drops bombshells he only cares about Abeke’s reaction.

“‘ . . . Shane said, stepping toward [Rollan] . . . ‘Stop fighting,’ Abeke said. She pushed both boys apart” (43). Girl, you literally started them fighting.

Mulop-Niri relationship is severely underdeveloped, in my opinion.

“Even knowing that the leopard was under Zerif’s control, she still wished she could see her spirit animal once more” (46). Foreshadowing?

Abeke and Rollan suggesting Mulop talk to Briggan and Jhi instead of Kovo . . . aww.

Chapter 7

“Meilin dipped a moss sponge into a stone basin filled with stagnant water” (48). Is that what they’re drinking, too? Because that’s not good . . .

“Sacrifices to the Wyrm” (49). Why would the Wyrm sacrifice its own followers??? It needs them to conquer? And fight???

Jhi is barely in this arc at all . . . Not a fan of that.

Chapter 8

“Kovo was almost fanatical about the glowstones. He spent every day maintaining them, searching for new stones to replace those that had begun to dim” (51). Kovo the glowstone guard dog.

“‘You don’t know how important sunlight is until it’s gone’” (52). They could have Vitamin D deficiencies.

“Takoda had always argued that he thought Kovo’s reasons for trying to take control of the Evertree were more complicated than just world domination” (53). Yes, but at the end of The Evertree, it never suggests that. All Kovo talks about is the power he wants for himself and the other Great Beasts. He never even hints at deeper motives. 

“‘We can’t have you pining at the window for your lost crush’” (55). Why do I not remember Meilin referring to Xanthe as Takoda’s crush??? Why???

“‘With a catapult we could launch some kind of missile at the egg . . . ’” (57). That would crack it further, though, wouldn’t it.

Chapter 9

“Meilin nearly choked on her spit . . . If Shane was with them, it could only mean that they were in trouble” (59). The differences in the amount of knowledge each group has is one of the reasons I think the group should’ve spent some of the arc together.

“‘Rollan would like me to ask Jhi what it’s like being bonded to a snotty general’s daughter. Also, he wants to know if stubbornness is a skill you picked up from your fancy tutors’” (60). Love that the inside jokes become plot-relevant. That’s just. I adore that.

Chapter 10

“But before Rollan could say anything, Shane spoke up . . . Rollan gritted his teeth. ‘Why does he get to do all the talking?’” (62). Because the connection is weak and he’s asking the important questions??? Honestly love Shane for that.

“Rollan had trouble imagining a world without humans or spirit animals or Great Beasts. The thought of a world without Essix saddened him” (63). Oh, Essix was there, she just wasn’t a Great Beast.

“‘When the Wyrm landed, it caused great destruction - storms, floods, and earthquakes - that wiped out nearly every living thing for miles . . . ’” (63). At the end of the first arc, the weather was really weird because of something to do with the Evertree, right? So can the Evertree impact the weather or something?

“‘The Evertree is the source of the spirit animal bond. And the Wyrm is the source of that power . . . ’” (64). But isn’t the Wyrm taking from the tree, not giving?

“‘The corruption that fueled every spirit animal bond . . . ’” (65). So Kovo hates humans and spirit animals . . . because the Wyrm?

“‘I would gather the talismans and wrest control of the Evertree, by force if necessary . . . ’” (65). How will that help the Wyrm situation? The tree can’t contain it . . . 

“‘Zerif thinks he’s in control, but he’s being manipulated . . . ’” (66). Zerif can be controlled by a not-yet-hatched Wyrm? Also wow, that is pretty much exactly what happened during the Second Devourer War, with the Bile and Gerathon. 

Chapter 11

“A part of her feared what she would learn if she could hear Jhi’s true opinion of her” (69). Didn’t this get resolved in the first arc???

“She didn’t know how things went in southern Nilo, but in Zhong, people didn’t believe that plants had feelings” (70). But this is the Evertree, not an ordinary plant.

“‘So all we have to do is set it off. How do we do that?’ ‘Kovo won’t say . . . it was clear he wanted to keep that knowledge hidden’” (70). Why, though?

“‘I think he’s afraid of one of us becoming infected by the Wyrm’s parasites and betraying our plan’” (71). He doesn’t, but what if Kovo becomes infected? Then they would all be doomed.

“‘If the Wyrm learns of our plan ahead of time, it might try to destroy the tower before it can be activated’” (74). Not five pages ago, Kovo was refusing to tell them the plan, but then he immediately does???

“ . . . she could see the rotting purple spiral of the parasite . . . ” (76). Isn’t it black? Maybe a lighting thing?

Chapter 12

“He didn’t understand how he knew this. He only knew that anything that tried to stop him would fall at his hand” (77). So when victims fall to the Wyrm, they don’t remember anything about their old lives except things that pertain to the Wyrm? Does this mean Conor overheard Meilin and Takoda talking?

“Truly it was a feeling of peace. The calm that comes from one finally accepting his place in the world” (78). This reminds me of something a Conqueror says to either Abeke or Rollan in the first arc, something like, joining our side is the true right and you’ll feel at peace here.

“He had a vague unease echoing in the deepest parts of his mind. A mournful baying . . . ” (78). I know it’s impossible to fight off the Wyrm’s effects, but I wonder if people with a spirit animal take longer to succumb?

“Conor thought her name might be Meilin, and then he wondered how he knew that” (79). So they remember things from their old life, but feel no connection to it emotionally???

Chapter 13

“He knew her weaknesses . . . he could certainly exploit them” (80). Meilin knows his weaknesses, too, though.

“The red light opened, like an eye . . . ” (81). Red eyes on a villain? That’s so stereotypical.

I feel like in this fight, Meilin should’ve struggled with the idea of fighting the Many, because now that Conor is one of them, she has to hurt him, too. This might lead to an epiphany where she sees that, in this moment, Conor and the other Many are the same. If she isn’t willing to hurt Conor, despite the fact that he’s gone, why is she okay with harming these other people? But there isn’t anything resembling that that ever goes to Meilin’s mind. 

“ . . . Jhi appeared at her side, soaking wet and looking quite proud” (83). Proud Jhi reigns supreme.

“ . . . he was now directing the rest of the Many like a general - pointing straight at the bell tower” (84). They didn’t have a “general” before him, did they? Why do they now?

“But Meilin’s sense of triumph was over as soon as it had sparked when she looked to the bridge where Conor had been standing only a moment before - now a pile of burning rubble” (85). It’s honestly unclear to me whether this is because she thinks Conor died in the fire and is grieving, or whether she thinks Conor escaped and is alarmed.

“‘Conor,’ she whispered, for indeed it was” (86). This kind of “and so it was” type of line has been used so much in this book. It’s such a jarring difference from the last few books.

“It was coming from the direction of the water . . . ’Screamers’” (87). Did they have screamers on the ships? And why? Screamers don’t actually do anything, they’re just a warning mechanism . . . 

Chapter 14

“ . . . using her crystal spear to impale the Many who got in her way” (90). I know that crystal would probably normally be such a poor choice to make a weapon, but like, it just fits with the vibe of Sadre so well.

“There was something about the way Xanthe had said this that made him think maybe she felt the same way about him as he felt about her” (90). I like that this series makes only a half-hearted effort to pair characters into romantic relationships. It’s very funny to me.

“His fingers found what he realized too late was Xanthe’s hand” (90). I don’t remember these tiny Takoda-Xanthe moments at all. 

“The Many were defenseless against the glowing crystalline blades of the Sadreans. Every cut seemed to scald the very flesh of those infected by the parasites . . . ” (91). What are these blades made of??? Pure light itself???

“Conor, who had fought even more fiercely than the other Many, had finally been restrained by two burly Sadrean shieldwardens” (92). For some reason, I seem to remember them fighting all the way until the Wyrm was defeated. Also, did he fight harder because he took longer to succumb? And why did the Sadreans spare him in particular?

“The boy fell back to the ground - unconscious but otherwise unharmed . . . ‘ . . . Tell him if he touches my friend again, I’ll make sure he lives to regret it’” (94). But that helped??? And also, Abeke does the same thing at the end of the first arc to Meilin, so . . . 

Chapter 15

“Meilin started at the Wyrm, unable to look away . . . Takoda could see dark and slimy tendrils . . . Meilin heard a groaning sound . . . ” (96). This chapter had a clear lack of editing. It switched perspectives twice and the first line isn’t in all caps like the rest of the chapters.

They made the Wyrm such a stereotypical monster . . . I don’t know what to think about that.

“ . . . the Many grabbed hold of Sadrean soldiers and dragged them to the Wyrm as live offerings” (98). Would they offer themselves, too, or not? Probably . . . 

“ . . . she knew what had stopped Kovo and Xanthe . . . ‘The Wyrm,’ Meilin whispered. ‘It’s got Takoda’” (100). But wouldn’t hitting the bell stop the Wyrm and save Takoda anyway? Why didn’t Kovo just hit the bell?

Chapter 16

“When Xanthe had been lost in the burned-out remnants of the Arachne Fields, alone and defenseless, it had been Takoda who kept her alive” (101). Ironic, considering he blamed himself for that incident.

“It was as if she could see all of Erdas - the aboveground world she had only dreamed of - shining in his dark eyes” (102). They really amped up the Takoda-Xanthe romance in this one.

Wow, Kovo really showed the Wyrm who’s boss.

“Her voice was cold and without emotion, and Xanthe wondered just how much war this girl had seen in her lifetime” (104). But she’s right? The bell is the only way to stop the Wyrm and help Takoda . . . 

Chapter 17

“The floor in the center of the city was drawing back like the folds of a paper fan . . . ” (105). I don’t remember this plotline at all . . . 

“The snare had stopped” (107). Yeah, I remember nothing about this climax, wow.

“ . . . the Wyrm slithered forward and melted into the darkness” (107). What??? Into a bottomless hole???

“’Still. Thank you. Leaping out from the tower to save Takoda . . . I didn’t think you had it in you’” (109). Kovo-Meilin bonding(?) moment!

“’Do they know about the bell?’ . . . Kovo lowered his hand, shaking his head . . . ‘ . . . let’s hope they figure it out fast . . . ’” (109). That’s what they bank on??? Hope? doesn’t sound like Meilin at all . . . 

Chapter 18

SHANE CHAPTER, CAN YOU HEAR ME HOLLERING.

“It wasn’t a fist that had won him the Greencloaks’ talismans. Sacrifices had” (110). True . . . 

“He was gratified to see Abeke purse her lips in an attempt not to laugh at her friend” (111). That’s cute.

“‘You can hear Meilin?’ . . . ‘Is she talking about me? . . . ‘Or, um, Abeke? Any of us really? Forget I asked’” (111). What is this . . . while I don’t like it, I have to admit that’s pretty realistic for the age group.

“Shane knew it was a mistake to give someone like Rollan direct orders . . . ” (112). Why’s that?

“He slowed, fixing his eyes on her. ‘I promise.’ Abeke sighed, not meeting his gaze. ‘I’ve heard that before.’ Shane nodded, feeling the sting of her words” (112). I like Shane, but he deserved that.

“He wondered how many times he would have to save her life before she began to believe that he was truly changed. As many times as it takes, he silently promised himself” (113). This is so sad . . . 

“And somehow these two sets of ruins contained enough power to stop the Wyrm” (113). So they have an inkling of an idea how . . . interesting.

“Shane gave her a smile that he could only hope looked herolike” (115). Pfffffffft, this will never not be hilarious. He’s actually such a golden retriever. 

“ . . . javelins made of ice . . .” (115). Bro, what??? Those are gonna shatter . . . 

“Why did this kid have to question his every order?” (116). Rollan is, like, a few months younger than Shane . . . also Shane himself is a kid. Also, can you imagine being an adult Redcloak being bossed around by this thirteen-almost-fourteen-year-old child. Just. Wow. 

Chapter 19

“ . . . some of them sounding more animal than human when they spoke” (118). How would that even sound??? Probably a lot like a Great Beast . . . 

“‘I tried to tell them they had to stay, but . . . but he wouldn’t listen’” (119). So she cried??? I know they tried to make Tasha seem younger and less mature than Abeke and Rollan, but that seems too far. Why didn’t she just get them?

“‘They only care about our precious spirit animals’” (121). This is ironic, considering Rollan was exactly like this in the first book, but less spoiled.

“‘I don’t need a spirit animal anyway - all he did was lie around and take up space’” (121). Giving major first-book-Rollan energy.

“‘If Zerif wants Great Beasts, he can have mine. I’ll turn Cabaro over myself in exchange for my life’” (121). Zerif will just immediately infect him . . . also wow, this guy is spoiled and stupid.

Cordalles’s main argument is that Abeke and Rollan have spirit animals, but Abeke doesn’t and Kirat does . . . how come she’s still willing to side with Kirat after that???

Also, after Kirat carelessly says he’d turn Cabaro over to Zerif, why do the other kids still side with him??? That’s so dumb. They should feel betrayed.

“‘He was not raised to take orders, he was raised to lead . . . ” (123). This is so dumb. In an earlier book, didn’t someone tell Meilin that the best leaders know when to follow??? Wasn’t that a crucial part of her arc??? Why are we throwing that theme away for one incredibly spoiled kid??? I don’t like Kirat, and one of the main reasons is that he was a massive waste of potential.

“‘We owe you an apology’” (123). I hate this will all my heart and soul . . . no, they don’t. Kirat owes them one, and he never delivers.

“‘These others won’t listen to us - we’re wearing the same cloaks as the army that’s coming this way . . . ’” (124). What makes them think that Kirat will listen to them?

“‘ . . . watching your father build and protect the greatest fortress in all of Nilo by inspiring thousands of subjects . . . ’” (124). If by “inspire” they mean “abuse”, sure. 

I think it’s dumb that an amulet changed Kirat’s mind, even if it was his mom’s. Like . . . of all things??? Really???

This whole chapter . . . just . . . ugh.

“‘Better to live a coward than die a hero,’ said Dawson” (125). In the last book, the opposite is said by Atalanta and I thought it was said by Devin in a previous book . . . well, I was wrong.

“‘How can we possibly fear a thing like death, when we’ve nothing to live for?’” (126). I have to admit, the line hits hard. It hits less hard when you realize that everything Kirat says is a direct contradiction of his two-minutes-ago self. 

“This was a whole new Kirat” (127). Yeah, his development happens way too quickly . . . but whatever.

Chapter 20

“He . . . wondered what it would feel like to be so high above the world” (128). Convinced this is the moment the authors came up with the ending of the third arc. Foreshadowing???

“Rollan, Abeke, and Howl all looked at Kirat, who blushed” (130). Well, that’s new, at least.

“She always had more of a killer instinct than he did” (131). Does Abeke really??? Does she???

Chapter 21

“ . . . she had been afraid that Howl would insist that she belonged with [the other Great Beast summoners]” (133). She can just . . . disobey him. Shane is in charge, and Shane would no doubt back Abeke up.

“‘Who died and put you in charge?’ Talon said . . . ‘No,’ Shane said, stepping to Abeke’s side. ‘It’s a good plan’” (134). Talon appears to be jealous of Abeke already. Also, what’d I tell you? Shane will side with Abeke.

“Shane’s astonished smile at this meager paise sent a tremor of guilt through Abeke’s chest. He looked like she'd just kissed him on the cheek” (135). I’m telling you, Shane isn’t gonna cross Abeke. Also, wow, no need to feel guilty. He’s still the (former) Devourer.

“ . . . Abeke watched as the Expiator burst into splinters and sank into the cold water” (135). I genuinely cannot remember how they get out of this place.

“‘I’d hate to have you as an enemy,’ he said weakly. ‘Again’” (136). I love this line. It perfectly encapsulates Shane-Abeke relationship in this moment. 

“But whatever anger she felt toward Shane ws tempered by her memory of their time together among the Conquerors” (136). I have found an even better line. What interests me so much about this line is that it mentions that Abeke’s reason for trusting Shane was not that he had changed, but because of their time together when he was knowingly deceiving her. In other words, her positive past memories of him outweighed his present redemption arc, and I think that’s such an important piece. Deep down, Abeke truly enjoyed her time with Shane, so she wants to forgive him. And here, she slips and mentions it.

“The icy tower in the middle of the volcano was slowly rotating . . . ” (137). So it’s clearly the same trap. Did the Hellans just duplicate the traps wherever they could?

“ . . . Shane, who was staring at her, his expression unreadable. ‘I . . . can’t breathe,’ she said” (138). Ten out of ten answer right there. Also, all these Abeke-Shane moments went right over my head during my first time through.

“And somewhere in that horde was Zerif himself. She adjusted her grip on the end of her arrow” (140). I know Zerif dies to stop the Wyrm and that’s significant or whatever, but our girl Abeke has been trying to shoot him dead since Against the Tide and I, for one, believe she should’ve been the one to do it.

“ . . . fifty Greencloaks huddled on the eastern shelf . . . The entire shelf splashed into the ocean . . . they had reduced its numbers by a quarter” (141). There are only two hundred Greencloaks??? But there were six ships, each of which carried more than a hundred Greencloaks each, and Mulop only destroyed two ships, so there should be at least four hundred . . . 

Chapter 22

“‘How much stronger?’ Shane said, readying his bow” (147). Since when does Shane use a bow???

“He had cast aside his bow and drew his saber” (148). Oh, thank goodness.

“ . . . the sight of her former comrades fighting tooth and claw against Shane’s desperate forces stole her breath away” (149). Imagine if this line was like “the sight of her former comrades against her former enemies” . . . would’ve been better, in my opinion.

“‘Meilin will love it.’ . . . ‘Who said anything about Meilin?’” (149). I have simply passed away.

“Abeke remembered how the rotating tower had stopped abruptly. ‘It got jammed’” (150). Okay. So. This sentence implies that the snare under the Evertree’s roots and the snare in the Place of Desolation are connected somehow. But . . . why??? Like, the Wyrm can only be in one place at a time, so why is that useful???

“Kirat really did sound like his uncle . . . ‘He’s been like this since you left’” (152). Yeah. He did a complete one-eighty and it feels like it came out of nowhere.

Chapter 23

“‘Deep down, I know you don’t want to hurt-’” (153). I get that Abeke has emotional stakes in this, but I gotta say, that was pretty dumb. Understandable, but dumb.

Shane-Cabaro parallels: both saving Abeke from Uraza. Except one dies . . . 

“The arrow plunged straight through Uraza’s leg” (154). I mean . . . better late than never???

“She had been summoned into passive state by her new master” (154). From that distance??? The Wyrm is that powerful?

“He did not move again” (155). Despite being emotionally prepared for this, it’s still breaking me. Noooooooo . . . Shane . . . 

Part of what makes Shane’s death so meaningful is that Abeke’s own spirit animal kills him. Like. Uraza. Uraza does that. And the other part is Noooooooo, Shane.

Shane dies in Abeke’s arms . . . in front of a whole-ass group of people.

“ . . . but I could sense - deep down - that you had the instincts of a killer” (156). Didn’t Zerif say that Abeke was the most pathetic person ever (or something like that) in a previous book???

“‘A creature of raw and infinite power - power that will soon be mine’” (158). I think this is the heart of my problems with this arc. There’s no motive at all. It’s just “oh, there’s this ancient power that’s pure evil that fell from the sky and now wants to devour the world, and this guy with no motives is trying to control it”. Like, it’s so cartoonish??? Where’s the reason??? The backstory???

“‘The parasites . . . ’. . . ‘They’re part of the Wyrm’” (159). Did they just figure that out??? I thought that had been established? Wait, maybe that was just in the underground plotline.

“‘This is not what was supposed to happen!’ Zerif screamed, kicking out his legs. ‘I command you! Let go!’” (159). Love Zerif’s little temper tantrum. Also, wow, this man is so stupid. He really didn’t even think about where the parasites had come from before using them???

“‘I am fully borrrnnnn.’” (160). So to be fully born, the Wyrm had to . . . pour itself into Zerif??? 

Chapter 24

They just described Raisha’s hands as “scaly” . . . what.

“ . . . holding them both aloft over the gaping pit” (163). Genuinely can’t remember how Rollan and Essix escaped.

“Hanging from the ancient rafters was something dark and heavy and made of iron- A bell” (164). Okay, normally, I’d be so pissed off that the bell appeared conveniently when it was needed, but it had the appropriate amount of foreshadowing and we’re even told why: because the ice melted away to reveal it, so I’m okay with it.

“And quick as a flash, she raised her bow over her head and let fly” (165). Giving Katniss-Everdeen-kills-Coin energy.

Chapter 25

“ . . . struck the edge of the bell with a light ting!” (166). So, I apparently didn’t read very well the first time so I didn’t realize the bell was a huge bell, I had been picturing it as a small baby bell and the “light ting!” didn’t help my visualization.

“Redcloaks and Greencloaks alike scrambled to find stable ground around the perimeter” (167). This line mirrors another line: “The Sadreans and the Many screamed, running to safety around the edges of the town” (105). I don’t really have anything to say except the parallels make me happy.

I like the perspective shifts within the chapter. Very neat.

“This is what people must mean by an out-of-body experience, he thought” (168). Foreshadowing bond token plotline in third arc???

“For the first time in his life, he felt truly free” (169). Yeah, definitely foreshadowing him bonding further with Essix.

“She felt an overwhelming desire to care for every person suffering . . . ” (169). More bond token foreshadowing?

“The wriggling parasite no longer burrowing into his flesh. The Wyrm’s voice no longer hissing in his mind” (170). Does that mean Briggan-in-Conor’s-body will be affected by the parasite?

“ . . . she caught a slight flash of hazel” (171). Zerif has hazel eyes???

“What was a hero but someone who had chosen one time to do the right thing?” (172). I hate this line. It implies that you can do one right thing and still be considered good.

There are so many italicized words in this book.

“The Wyrm was truly gone” (174). Huh. It just fell in lava and died??? Interesting.

Chapter 26

This book has been from Abeke’s perspective since Chapter 21 (with the exceptions of the short passages from each of the other three’s perspectives for a few paragraphs in Chapter 25). And this last chapter is also from her perspective. It’s just. It feels. So strange. I don’t like it.

“Every blade of grass and flower and tree became a smaller version of the Evertree” (176). This needs to be explained in more detail.

“For the first time in centuries, the Sadreans and the people of Erdas met and communed with one another” (177). Wonder if any Sadreans besides Xanthe decided to stay topside.

“When Abeke finally saw Conor and Briggan waiting for them at the shore, she leaped clear off the edge of her ship onto the decks and sprinted toward him at a full run” (177). Based. Also, her leaping overboard is iconic and I can’t believe I missed that the first time.

“Rollan and Meilin were surprisingly awkward upon seeing each other again” (177). Maybe they didn’t meet again during the course of the entire arc so the writers could give us this gem.

“The eyes held her gaze for a moment, and then a sleek golden leopard poured out from between the leaves” (180). Poured out . . . like soup. (Sorry, my brain has shut down from the Uraza-Abeke moment.)

Final thoughts and rating:

The tiny Shane-Abeke moments live rent-free in my head, and while I’m sad about Shane’s death, from a writing standpoint, it had to happen. The only way for Shane to redeem himself was to give his life for Abeke, and it was done beautifully, not only giving his life, but giving his life for their bond, which he helped foster. It’s an amazing end to his arc and I will talk about it more during my Shane analysis. I absolutely adore Kovo jumping from the tower to save Takoda from the Wyrm without a single thought for his own safety. I also love that the inside jokes were plot-relevant, what a fantastic way to tie that in. I also like what I’m going to interpret as the slight foreshadowing of the bond token plotline when the spirit animals and humans switch bodies. During the next paragraph, I really, really go hard on this arc, but the emotional moments in this book were just. Some of the greatest ones in the entire series. The Shane-Abeke moments and Meilin-Kovo bonding and Xanthe returning and Shane’s death and when the group reunites and Uraza and Abeke “rebonding” . . . all of these tiny moments were just. So well done. So despite what I’m about to say in the next section, I would say this book was a positive experience overall for me. 

Starting with the elephant in the room, I have to talk about Shane a bit. While I love the reintroduction of his character, his entire existence is a plot hole. Tellun frees Shane from the Bile at the end of The Evertree, so how could he have merged with Grahv? There are two things that could’ve happened: Shane’s bond being severed completely or Shane’s bond being turned natural. Exploring the first option, Grahv should’ve been unable to go into passive state from the moment Tellun freed him. Now, delving into the other alternative means that Shane shouldn’t have merged with Grahv at all, because his bond would be a Nectar bond now. Between these two alternatives, it is impossible for the events of this series (with Shane) to occur. Ignoring that, this arc in general was a bit of a hot mess. We’re told the Wyrm sucks power out of the Evertree. Then, we’re randomly told it is the heart of the spirit animal bond and that it provided the Evertree with the fuel necessary for that. How is that possible? Is it taking or giving? It feels completely all over the place and threw me for more than a couple loops. I haven’t talked about this much in my other rereads, but I absolutely despised Conor in this arc, aside from the first book. He doesn’t do anything! He displays none of his changed personality, does nothing to further the plot, just gets sicker and sicker (which I’m not blaming him for, by the way). What was the point of having him in the story in the first place? Because fans would want him there? Instead, they should’ve made Takoda be the infected one. This opens up quite a few opportunities the writers could’ve taken advantage of. First of all, Kovo and Xanthe are the two people that are least opposed to leaving Conor behind because of the infection. They also happen to be the two people that are closest to Takoda. There could’ve been an arc of them getting over that to show Takoda they loved him, but it’s completely wasted on Conor. Think about that scene where Kovo jumps from the tower and single-handedly takes on the Wyrm in Takoda’s defense. Now imagine if that scene had taken place after Takoda had been infected by the Wyrm. Kovo has a love-hate relationship with Takoda, made worse by the fact that Takoda is infected, and it climaxes when he fights the Wyrm. It would’ve been so powerful. Conor’s presence in this arc is pointless and I hate it. The last five chapters are all from Abeke’s perspective, and the staggering of the climaxes just. Got to me. The point of having multiple perspectives is to use all of them, and this book severely lacked Conor, cementing my point about Conor’s uselessness. The Wyrm being a literal power-hungry monster that is just there to consume the world and enslave everyone with no motive or thought is just. So dumb. I hate it. It has no substance, no emotion, no point. Same thing with Zerif. Literally just wants power. Why? We don't know. My last gripe: Kirat. I hate him. His character development is so sudden and out of nowhere and he was so spoiled that it’s impossible to like him. His arc feels like such an afterthought. 

Rating: 8/10

#draeyem rereads spirit animals #the burning tide #spirit animals series #spirit animals books #sa spoiler #abeke #conor #meilin #rollan #shane #xanthe #takoda #kovo #zerif #the wyrm

[song-of-oots]

Thoughts on Strip 1218

Ahhhh so many questions!!!

Are we gonna get to finally see behind one of the doors? Will the Order and/or Team Evil find monsters behind their chosen door? Are we really going to get the OotS vs TE battle so soon? Will the IFCC decide to step in and claim V’s soul? Where is the Monster in the Dark and will he play a role in the fight? Assuming there even is one??

I don’t know! But just generally: much squee! Very excite!

And I concur with Minrah - it’s nice to see the Order communicating well and working together. A somewhat ironic statement of course, but nevertheless true, and all the more powerful for it. It feels like they’ve really earned it.

Plus I liked V’s quizzical eyebrow raise when Roy turned to Elan for input. That was a nice background detail.

#order of the stick #oots #strip 1218 #i hope oona survives #and the order of course #including belkar #i don't think it's his time to go yet #redcloak on the other hand... #if he died now that could be interesting

[copperpieceharlot]

Bud I’m sorry to swing into your inbox uninvited like this but my soul is having an OOTS renaissance thanks to your content in the tag and did you say Leverage AU

haha holy SHIT this got Long. but yes. i’ve been. Thinking. (also literally Never feel like you have to apologize for sending me messages. i was Hoping someone would ask me about this. now i have an Excuse to share EVERYTHING ive written abt it :3)

Obviously, Roy is the leader/brains of the outfit. He grew up having some Strong Opinions abt what’s Legal versus what’s Right due to tragic backstory involving the death of his little brother which was definitely SOMEONE’S fault for negligence but since there technically wasn’t any illegal behavior, there were no consequences for it. Also he’s still angry at his dad bc he thinks his dad is also partly culpable (and also also just a dick). He’s the Moral Backbone of the team (alongside Durkon, more on that later) in basically the same way Nate was in og Leverage. He’s actually not the best at figuring out what people want (that’s Haley and, shockingly, occasionally Elan), but once he has that info, he is the absolute best at figuring out the ideal plan of attack to use in any given case.

Haley is still a thief. I mean she maps to Parker almost PERFECTLY. Her dad was a thief & a conman, her mom wasn’t but knew about it and mostly accepted it, but she died tragically in a mugging gone wrong or smth, which made Ian crank the paranoia WAY up and taught Haley to do the same in the name of “safety”. Let’s keep the “Ian is in Trouble and Haley needs money, Fast” which is why she signs on to the first job in the first place. She’s less acrobatic than Parker, tending towards finding (or making) weak spots in security, but she can still make a tumble check when she needs to.

Elan is the grifter who is somehow an Idiot but also not???? It baffles everyone. When he’s playing a part for a con, he’s FLAWLESS, but then the rest of the time he’s just. No Thoughts Head Empty. He probably gets lured in initially because he’s decided to try his hand at being part of a full team, rather than the two-man cons he’s been running that invariably end w his partner conning him as well and stealing half of his take. Also he likes the idea of being Crime Friends. He’s that tweet where it’s like, Roy: “after the heist is over, we split up and never communicate again” / Elan: [about to unveil his Crime Buddies Forever Friendship Quilt Puppets]: “never?”

Vaarsuvius is the hacker/gadget person. They have a Vaguely Snobby Yet Unidentifiable accent, dyed(?) purple hair (nobody has ever seen their roots) and nobody knows who they “really” are or where they came from, but they’re good at what they do so everyone just accepts the mystery. They probably got suckered into the team by their initial employer (who I’ll get to Eventually, lol) framing it as a challenge to their intellect, like, “oh, I see, you’re not smart enough to make this team work for you...” to which they were like Fucking Watch Me and also melted his computer. Anyways. They are joined (digitally) by their Intrepid Friend And Co-Conspirator (his words, not theirs), a fellow hacker known only as Blackwing, or, on certain forums, Blackwing_Bird. (In the first season, V only occasionally references him when saying they’re “calling in extra help” or smth for a particularly complex hack job. He starts showing up a little more in s2 and eventually by the start of s4 is a regular & established presence, but only appears as actions in a computer interface or output.) Elan is convinced he’s an AI, Belkar doesn’t think he actually exists, Haley pretends she doesn’t think he exists, and Durkon and Roy try not to think about it too hard, as long as B and V still get the job done.

Belkar is the hitter. He is on the team bc their initial employer got him out of jail for it. He doesn’t have a tragic backstory, he just likes doing violent crimes. As the series progresses, he grows some empathy & stuff, but really only for people who actually deserve it. Assholes still get decked. It’s all very touching. (Also he has dwarfism caused by achondroplasia. It doesn’t actually bother him and is useful in fights bc his opponents frequently have no fucking clue how to approach him, but he likes Pretending to take offense at stupid things just to see how far he can go with it.)

Aaaand last but not least, Durkon is the least involved member of the team. He’s actually a career criminal and Roy’s mentor, and wasn’t a member of the initial team that [redacted, I’ll tell you later, PROMISE] put together for a couple of reasons, the main one being that he’s Officially retired in order to spend more time with his family, which consists of his mom, his friend (not girlfriend) Hilgya, baby Kudzu, and a truly stunning number of aunts, uncles, and cousins. Roy frequently calls or visits him for advice and he Occasionally shows up to help out on local jobs, but generally he avoids doing crime if he can (as part of a deal with Hilgya, who is also a career criminal; basically, they’ve both cut back on the crime in order to provide a more stable home environment for Kudzu. But sometimes, you gotta do a little crime, and in those cases, Sigdi enjoys spending time w her grandson.)

NOW. THE BIG REVEAL YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR. Who got the team together in the first place?!

The answer: Lord Shojo (or whatever Normal Person Name you want to assign him). Now this is where it gets tricky: he had them do a thing that they thought was good, THEN they thought it was BAD, but then when they confronted him he revealed that it Appearing to be bad was actually a test of character and would they consider working as basically internal investigators for him? But then he had a heart attack, so, rip. But THEN it turned out that he’d left them a bunch of money anyway and they were all feeling kind of Inspired so they formed the Order of the Stick, LLC (which, no, i am not coming up with a new name, actually, because I just don’t care. someone else can come up w a justification for that name, tho, i’m sure it’s possible). Also Miko was there and was unhappy abt their actions, and also their general existence.

Moving on. Villains!

Redcloak is the Sterling replacement, because that DEEPLY amuses me.

Xykon is a season-long main villain, probably one that Redcloak finds himself working for but then “teams up with” (read: blackmails) the Order to bring him down bc even Redcloak finds Xykon distasteful. That’s season 3, let’s say.

Tarquin is another season villain, say season 2. Nale probably shows up pretty early in s1, actually, as another recurring antagonist like Sterling but uh. Less good at it. Anyways the s2 final 3 eps deal with them (accidentally) discovering that Tarquin runs some Evil Empire Company, then trying to outplay him and take him down. Idk if Nale still dies in this version tbh.

Tsukiko is a one-off s1 villain who returns briefly in s4 alongside Miko, who has gone well and truly off the rails.

Season 1 finale has to do w Roy finally getting Vengeance for his little brother.

The vampire squad is the s4 finale villain who do smth terrible to Durkon and then get the Mother Of All Revenge served up to them by the Order.

I envision the show as being 5 seasons (like og Leverage) but I’m not going to sketch out s5 because I think it should be based off whatever happens in the current story arc, possibly involving some legacy of the OotSquiggle.

Other stuff!

The Order of the Squiggle is a legendary criminal team from the 60s who stole a BUNCH of famous shit & then proceeded to legendarily implode. This has no bearing on the plot I’ve sketched out, I just think it’s fun.

The Sapphire Guard members should probably be reworked as FBI. I don’t care about most of them but I do think that Lien and O-Chul could be like, FBI agents who Choose to look the other way while the Order does their very-much-not-legal-but-still-fair Justice Crime, and maybe even help them out on occasion.

So, the Final season-by-season outline, based on everything I’ve written so far:

s1 e1: getting the team together, doing a con for Shojo, then at the end he dies and the gang is like “dang what now?" and intend to split up except then they Don’t.

mid-s1: Nale shows up and tries to trick the Order, but then gets beat like a drum.

late s1: Tsukiko is an underling of the Villain Of The Week, winds up in police custody. But She’ll Be Back.

s1 finale: Roy’s Vengeance: The Vengeaning. also we meet Redcloak as an antagonist.

s2 e1: the truth abt Haley’s father comes out

early s2: The Two Live Crews Job but it’s the Order vs the Linear Guild and the Linear Guild ARE all bad guys.

mid-s2: Redcloak returns. ugh.

late s2: the sapphire guard FBI makes its first appearance, hello O-Chul and Lien.

s2 pre-finale: once again they’re in conflict w Nale over smth, he spends the whole episodes making Cryptic Remarks, they basically beat him (like a drum!) but then the stinger at the end is that Tarquin reveals himself and Elan is like “Dad?!”, roll credits.

s2 finale, part 1: Elan is hanging out w Tarquin bc he’s DEEP in Denial, the Rest of the team tries to take Tarquin down, but it doesn’t work.

s2 finale, part 2: Elan finally gets a clue and they manage to beat Tarquin. still haven’t decided if Nale dies or not, but I’m leaning towards yes. also they rescue Haley’s dad.

s3 e1: fuck dude idk.

early s3: Redcloak shows up, AGAIN, everyone groans. he has blackmail on them, he wants them to take Xykon down.

mid s3: The Rashomon Job but it’s about stealing the Talisman of Dorukan and it turns out that Nale was there too (“oh!” Elan says. “I was wondering why I looked so weird in all those mirrors! But it wasn’t my reflection, it was Nale’s!” “Sweetie, that wasn’t Nale’s reflection,” says Haley. “Huh,” says Elan, “so the mirrors were broken?”, cue eye rolling from everyone else.), and the Successful thief was Hilgya, who’d nabbed it from the owner before it even went on display.

s3 finale: they beat Xykon, actually factually, because he deserves to get his ass Thoroughly kicked, even if only in AU form. Lien and O-Chul are there, so are some other less helpful FBI people. There’s a bit where O-Chul Exact Wordses his way out of telling his superiors about the Order’s less legal activities without technically lying. King shit.

s4 e1: doesn’t really matter. maybe smth to do w some legacy of Tarquin’s company to set up the drama w Malack & Durkon later.

early s4: Durkon gets SENT TO PRISON. Malack approaches the Order abt this because sure they have Different Ethics but they’re still Friends. (Roy is surprised and a little hurt that he’s never heard of Malack, but he ignores that in favor of Let’s Get Whatever Fuckers Did This To Our Friend.)

immediately after that: Miko and Tsukiko return as a Team, preventing the Order from working on the Durkon situation

mid s4: Redcloak makes another unexpected & unwelcome appearance but he’s maybe a little less of a dick? the Order collaborates with Malack & his Crime Buddies (hello, Vector Legion) to pull one over on him tho, because “less of a dick” does not mean “a pleasant or decent person”, and also he was mean abt Durkon being in jail, so he totally deserved it. he still gets whatever he wanted tho, just takes a blow to his pride. also prevents the Order from helping Durkon. they’re having a LOT of setbacks wonder why that could be, not to make sure the season fills its whole length or anything, no sirree

s4 finale: something something taking down the organization, headed by Hel (yes that’s her real name), which framed Durkon for their Big Crime. Durkon goes free and Extra Firmly retires, For Good, He Swears, but says he “met someone new” who might be an asset.

s5 e1: minrah joins the team! and the episode is set in like, somewhere really snowy. that’s all i got.

the rest of s5: don’t know, don’t care, it’s open-ended until the comic finishes up.

#mine #ask #corvidcorgi #order of the stick #oots #leverage #leverage au #oots au #au #outline #haha this thing clocks in at 1.9k words because i am LITERALLY incapable of shutting up #hope u enjoy it bc i spent Way Too Much Mental Effort mapping out how the OotS plotlines might play out in a leverage setting #and then promptly ignored Most of that in favor of making it funnier & dumber & more villain-of-the-week #(bc lbr the comic is Good but it's got an overarching plot form that the Leverage story style does Not jive with) #i'm not tagging all these characters lol

[weecherylita]

Some further musing about Order of the Stick, particularly Durkon’s mission and Redcloak… (includes more hints at Start of Darkness):

Seemingly there is a lot riding on the success of Durkon’s mission to get Redcloak on board with saving the world. We know that this is the best, perhaps the only opportunity the gods will have to permanently contain the Snarl. We also know that if the mission fails, Loki is likely planning to somehow screw up the vote at the godsmoot, which will mean the end of the current world. That’s a lot of pressure. It also seems like Redcloak is the only person qualified to carry out the mission. Thor specified that we need the donation of a ninth level spell slot with the Dark One’s quiddity (which means you can’t just get a different goblin cleric to help with Thor’s plan, because there simply aren’t any others who are capable of casting ninth level spells). All in all, it seems a lot like Redcloak’s participation is essential to there being a happy ending to the story (which is one of the few things we know we’re going to get... for some, at least).

But a lot of people are still skeptical that Redcloak would ever willingly work with the Order. I mean for a start, with a setup like that it seems almost too obvious that Redcloak will help; how else will we get the happy ending? I think lots of people are expecting a few curve balls along the way, and not without good reason. There are still a lot of unknowns in the story, including:

 the mystery of the Snarl – what’s with the planet in the rifts, why is it acting differently than expected?

 the IFCC – they are clearly planning something big, we just don’t know what

Both of these plot-lines have potential to shift the whole outlook of the story once they come to light, and they could negate the necessity or exact details of Thor’s plan (and there’s probably more alternative scenarios I haven’t even thought of). On the one hand, I doubt Rich Burlew would have created this special mission for Durkon only for it to turn out to be completely irrelevant. On the other hand, I think the most important aspect of the mission isn’t necessarily whether it is completely successful. It is important because attempting to negotiate with Redcloak will likely showcase two of the major themes of the overall story. Those themes being:

a) Exploring the moral implications of treating certain ‘monster’ races as simplistically evil disposable villains who it’s fine to kill on sight, despite the fact that they are sentient beings with free-will. Redcloak’s history and motivations cut right to the heart of this message, but so far, you’d need to read Start of Darkness to get a full appreciation of why he is so disgusted with player races and gods alike. Giving Durkon a mission to negotiate with Redcloak on behalf of his deity provides an opportunity for these issues to come to light (and hopefully, the Order of the Stick and the gods themselves will have to actively engage with them)

b) The importance of communication rather than violence as a means of resolving conflict. Which isn’t to say the comic pushes the idea that violence never has a place (particularly in a D&D universe where evil, world-destroying monsters actually exist) but the comic does repeatedly make the point that the instinct to use violence as a first resort is not a good thing. In fact, it’s part of the whole reason the goblins came up with their desperate, Snarl-wielding plan in the first place.

Hmmm, controversial opinion I know, but that last point is part of the reason why I think Durkon’s tactics for reaching a truce with Redcloak have a higher chance of success than Roy’s. Not necessarily saying Durkon will be successful (there are plenty of examples of characters who were just too unreasonable to reach a compromise with, and Redcloak could still end up being one of those). But I still think Durkon’s approach is more likely to succeed. Roy’s tactics are completely understandable given what he knows, but they unfortunately confirm all of Redcloak’s worst assumptions about player races. Whereas Durkon is probably going to challenge those assumptions (and breaking through those prejudices is essential if Redcloak is going to trust them enough to do any kind of deal). I don’t expect success right away, but he might plant enough seeds of doubt to get some kind of pay-off in future…?

#order of the stick #fandom stuff #durkon #redcloak #oots meta

[loopy777]

do you think Order of the stick will end with the Goblins establishing a permanent, lasting nation built on the ruins of Azure City?

SPOILERS FOR OOTS ‘BOOK 5′ ABOUND

I’ve wondered about this. Given the sympathetic handling of Goblins in general (compared to individual goblins), I can’t imagine that OotS isn’t going to end with some kind of positive fate for the species. The Azure City settlement was established by Redcloak, though, and I don’t think the story is going in the direction of validating his ‘ends justify the means’ approach. To me, that says he has to lose the gains he made through his compromises, and sticking with Xykon is definitely the biggest compromise of his quest.

On the other hand, things seem to have resolved neatly for the Azurites, with them establishing a new home and the resistance in old Azure City wiped out now. I’m not really sure where else their story could go at this point, except to somehow make peace with the Goblins, but I don’t think enough work has been done towards that end yet to sell it. But we apparently have a long final act, so maybe we’ll see some progress on that front.

If so, perhaps the Azurites get their city back when they agree to share it with the Goblins. So there wouldn’t be a full Goblin nation, but they’d be treated as equals within the existing nations. That would be a happy ending, and also not what Redcloak is envisioning, so it would fit the themes.

However, I’m not sure how what Blackwing saw through the tear is going to play into things, so we might get a rather unexpected ending. Perhaps the Snarl becomes a new god of the Goblins, they populate the world being formed in the other dimension, and the existing world has to make its way without Goblins to kick around anymore?

#thekingofwinterblog #loopy reads oots

[independent-fictional-mbti]

The Order of the Stick MBTI: Team Evil

Xykon ESTP (The Troubleshooter)

ESTPs are outgoing, straight-shooting types. Enthusiastic and excitable, ESTPs are "doers" who live in the world of action. Blunt, straight-forward risk-takers, they are willing to plunge right into things and get their hands dirty. They live in the here-and-now, and place little importance on introspection or theory. The look at the facts of a situation, quickly decide what should be done, execute the action, and move on to the next thing.

ESTPs have an uncanny ability to perceive people's attitudes and motivations. They pick up on little cues which go completely unnoticed by most other types, such as facial expressions and stance. They're typically a couple of steps ahead of the person they're interacting with. ESTPs use this ability to get what they want out of a situation. Rules and laws are seen as guidelines for behavior, rather than mandates. If the ESTP has decided that something needs to be done, then their "do it and get on with it" attitude takes precendence over the rules. (Personality Page)

Redcloak INTJ (The Investigator)

INTJs are analytical problem-solvers, eager to improve systems and processes with their innovative ideas. They have a talent for seeing possibilities for improvement, whether at work, at home, or in themselves.Often intellectual, INTJs enjoy logical reasoning and complex problem-solving. They approach life by analyzing the theory behind what they see, and are typically focused inward, on their own thoughtful study of the world around them. INTJs are drawn to logical systems and are much less comfortable with the unpredictable nature of other people and their emotions. (Truity)

The Monster in the Darkness ESFP (The Energiser) 

ESFP is definitely a spontaneous, optimistic individual. They love to have fun. If the ESFP has not developed their Thinking side by giving consideration to rational thought processing, they tend to become over-indulgent, and place more importance on immediate sensation and gratification than on their duties and obligations. They may also avoid looking at long-term consequences of their actions.

For the ESFP, the entire world is a stage. They love to be the center of attention and perform for people. They're constantly putting on a show for others to entertain them and make them happy. They enjoy stimulating other people's senses, and are extremely good at it. They would love nothing more than for life to be a continual party, in which they play the role of the fun-loving host. (Personality Page)

Jirix ISTJ (The Inspector) 

The ISTJ is extremely dependable on following through with things which he or she has promised. For this reason, they sometimes get more and more work piled on them. Because the ISTJ has such a strong sense of duty, they may have a difficult time saying "no" when they are given more work than they can reasonably handle. For this reason, the ISTJ often works long hours, and may be unwittingly taken advantage of.The ISTJ will work for long periods of time and put tremendous amounts of energy into doing any task which they see as important to fulfilling a goal. However, they will resist putting energy into things which don't make sense to them, or for which they can't see a practical application. 

Tsukiko INFJ (The Guide)

But the INFJ is as genuinely warm as they are complex. INFJs hold a special place in the heart of people who they are close to, who are able to see their special gifts and depth of caring. INFJs are concerned for people's feelings, and try to be gentle to avoid hurting anyone. They are very sensitive to conflict, and cannot tolerate it very well. Situations which are charged with conflict may drive the normally peaceful INFJ into a state of agitation or charged anger. They may tend to internalize conflict into their bodies, and experience health problems when under a lot of stress.

Because the INFJ has such strong intuitive capabilities, they trust their own instincts above all else. This may result in an INFJ stubborness and tendency to ignore other people's opinions. They believe that they're right. On the other hand, INFJ is a perfectionist who doubts that they are living up to their full potential. INFJs are rarely at complete peace with themselves - there's always something else they should be doing to improve themselves and the world around them. (Personality Page)

Right Eye ESFP (The Energiser)

ESFPs are likely to be very practical, although they hate structure and routine. They like to "go with the flow", trusting in their ability to improvise in any situation presented to them. They learn best with "hands-on" experience, rather than by studying a book. They're uncomfortable with theory. If an ESFP hasn't developed their intuitive side, they may tend to avoid situations which involve a lot of theoretical thinking, or which are complex and ambiguous. For this reason, an ESFP may have difficulty in school. On the other hand, the ESFP does extremely well in situations where they're allowed to learn by interacting with others, or in which they "learn by doing". (Personality Page)

#oots #rich burlew #order of the stick #mbti #tsukiko #xykon #redcloak #jirix #mitd #estp #istj #intj #infj #esfp

[thetygre]

30 Day Monster Challenge 2 - Day #10: Favorite Goblin/Orc

1.      Uruks

I wanna’ tell you a story, folks. It might sound a little familiar, but stick with me. Once upon a time, there was a farm-boy. A simple lad, who had high hopes for a life of adventure beyond the town. He wasn’t the brightest, but what he lacked in brains he made up for in bravery. One day, as you do, farm-boy was working out in the field with his family when a monster attacked. The local guard piled on to the monster, but they just couldn’t bring it down. It tore through soldier after soldier after soldier, just for the fun of it. Our farm-boy knew he would probably die, but he didn’t care. He had his chance and took it; he picked up a stick, ran at the monster, and brought it down. Our farm-boy became a hero.

That farm-boy’s name was Kravitz the Marked One. He was an orc slave working in the fields the first time he killed me. The warchief promoted him on the spot and gave him a set of armor. The second time he killed me they gave him a caragor to ride. The third time he was given command over a company of hunters. I got him on the fourth time, though, and recruited him to the Bright Lord’s army. I was going to make him Overlord of Nurn, and raise him up to sit at my right hand, a real rags-to-riches story. He helped me take the Overlord’s fortress, riding with me at the siege. But poor little Kravitz took a mortal wound there, one I couldn’t save him from. And as he lay there, dying in my arms, he looked and me and he said, “Remember this moment, Tark. Remember it for as long as you live.” And I always did.

There’s a lot of other stories I could tell you. About Ugakuga the Maddest One, who saved my life, or Kellec the Tree Killer who communicated only in screams, or Flug the Ghul Lover who would track a matron across Mordor just to protect her. Uruks are rambunctious, and violent. They fight with each other even if you get them on the same team. They’ll betray you at the drop of a hat for the smallest slight. They pick fights with warriors and monsters that can kill them in one hit just to make a point.

But when they’re your own, you love them.

2.      Greenskins

The greenskins are the puncline to the grimdark joke that is Warhammer. While they’re in both the fantasy and 40k settings, they really stand out in 40k. Warhammer fantasy still has halflings, dwarves, and typical fantasy shenanigans to pick up the slack; 40k NEEDS some comic relief. The Orks aren’t concerned about empires or Chaos or the greater good. The Orks, pure and simple, are in it for the fun. They’re work is at its finest when its fast, loud, and in flames. Put together, they can generate a kind of psychic field that makes their beliefs a reality. This power is not used to reshape the fabric of the cosmos, but to enforce much more important principles like ‘things go faster when they have flames painted on. In the grim darkness, the orks are a pie to the face filled with C4.

3.      Order of the Stick

The goblins in Order of the Stick are kind of different from how they’re commonly depicted, but not too unrecognizable. They’re a monster race, living in the wilderness, trying to eke out a living, though they’re a bit taller and smarter than standard goblins, about on par with humans. But the thing that makes them stand out is Redcloak, and Redcloak is pretty great, both as an antagonist and a character in his own right. Redcloak has made decisions, bad decisions, decisions that he could have not made but he did because he felt he had to. And it’s interesting to watch him now, filled with regret, committed to this course, and wondering what will happen next.

4.      Nyambe

Nyambe-Tanda was an African campaign setting for 3rd. Edition D&D that not a lot of people remember. They should, because it was pretty great, both at representing an underexplored area of fantasy and also for its own setting features. Somehow, it blended West African mythology and post-modern tabletop fantasy masterfully. One of the best examples is its orcs.

You’ve got your standard narrative; at the beginning of time, there were the various races, and each of the gods favored one race over the others. Originally, the gods only divulged so much to the races because they wanted to keep things fair. But the orcs were having a hard time of it, living in badlands and scrounging for food. So their god, Ogun, the god of war, decided to give them a little boost. He made them stronger, faster, tougher than other races. But Ogun wasn’t just the god of battle; he was the god of blacksmithing. So the orcs of Nyambe learned how to mine and forge metal while the other races were still wearing leaves and furs. And by the time the other races figured out bronze, the orcs had iron.

From there, things went about as well as you would expect. The orcs swarmed out, conquering the continent one region at a time. The other races barely had metal, much less iron; any resistance was like bring a stick to a gun fight. Even after Ogun withdrew his patronage from the orcs, they turned to worshipping dark gods and demons, adding sorcery to their arsenal. The orcs set up a dark empire across Nyambe-Tanda, and it took nothing less than an alliance between all the races, the dragons, and God to stop them. The dumb orcs of Nyambe today are the cursed remnants of that empire, and their demon-haunted ruins still litter the continent.

Just think about all that. Look at how much the orcs did in this setting. And they did it for themselves; not for any god or Dark Lord, but because they wanted to. The Evil Empire that the plucky last-ditch rebellion had to stop didn’t use orcs; it was MADE by them. They fundamentally shaped the setting. In Nyambe, orcs are legendary and feared. Even the few remaining half-orcs are watched closely and with fear, looking out for any sign that the old powers might return. And that’s just such a massive departure from the norms of fantasy while still staying true to certain elements; I love it.

5.      Pathfinder

Pathfinder’s goblins are clearly descended from Warhammer’s; cheerful, incorrigible pyromaniacs who enjoy arson, butchery, and singing adorable little songs about how much they hate horses. Even their designs are cute; oversized head, constant grins, beady little eyes, big flappy ears, and a shark-like nose make them look more like gangrene bats than monsters. When Pathfinder was first released, it was decided by the Paizo team that they wanted their monsters to stand apart from the standard D&D variants of monsters, remaining true to certain aspects while inventing new ones. Goblins were the first example, and are still the most beloved. They became mascots of the system, and even a playable race. So much malevolent charm has been poured into Pathfinder’s goblins that you feel almost bad for killing them. You’ll have to though, because they really don’t feel bad about killing you and then burning your house down.

6.      Eberron

Eberron orcs are another attempt to experiment with the standard formula, seeing what can be retained and what can be changed. An orc on Eberron can still be a wild berserker, but they’re more likely to stick to one of the villages they live in as a farmer. Orcs in Eberron are the oldest species on the planet, predating humans and all the other races. It gives them this kind of grouchy veteran persona that pervades the whole race, and they tend to look down on the younger peoples. Eberron orcs are also a lot more spiritual, trying to live in tune with the land and spirits. It was the orcs’ druids that saved the world from extradimensional horrors long ago, and most of them stick to that tradition. They don’t want any praise or to be raised up as heroes, though. They mostly just want the young races to listen to them when they say important things like, “Don’t poke the fabric of reality” and “Don’t trust elves” and “No, ma’am, I would not care to do that with you.”

7.      Warcraft

It was inevitable that Warcraft orcs would be on here. There’s no escaping them; by now they’re probably more popular than Tolkien orcs. They actually have a fairly complex history and lore; addicted to demon juice, tricked by an evil shaman, warring with the goat-people. Thrall is still the coolest shaman in anything ever, even if it is kind of hard not to just call him ‘orc Moses’. Even their explanation for the green skin is cool; an eternal curse for drinking demon blood in wars past. Honestly, though, I loved the orcs best in Warlords of Draenor. The Iron Horde is what elevated the orcs from ‘kind of cool’ to full-on ‘Metal’. It was a shame to see them go, but that’s just how it is.

8.      Rankin Bass

My first orcs. I watched the Rankin Bass Hobbit films when I was a kid, so these were the first time I met goblins who didn’t come out of a fairy tale. They were scary more than cool, but they also had a kind of dorky charm to them. The original Hobbit goblins with their gaping mouths and giant fangs are still a classic. They seem like perfect fairy tale monsters to me, and fit right in to the Hobbit’s original tone. Also got to love those classic goblin hits like ‘Funny Little Things’. The orcs in Return of the King had way more variety in shape, and there was even some blurring between them and the trolls, but no particular design stuck with me. You know what did stick with me? The best damn song in the entire world, that’s what.

9.      The Wolverines

Stan Nicholls’ Orcs series is more in the vein of the Black Company or the Golden Age of Berserk than it is any other kind of orc story. It follows the exploits of a mercenary band of orcs while they traipse around first one fantasy world, then more. By the second trilogy, they’re freedom fighters for orc supremacy on whatever world they can find them. All the while, they never stop being just unapologetically bastards. You get a feel for the commanders and the soldiers, while taking in that whole mercenary life pastiche. Not anything groundbreaking yet, but still a good band.

10.   Goblin Slayer

Credit where credit is due, Goblin Slayer tries its damnedest to take goblins and make them horrific, intimidating monsters. Does it succeed? Ehhhhh... I don’t want to keep saying ‘Berserk did it better’, but it really is hard not to compare the goblins to the trolls from Berserk. Still, there’s stuff to applaud here. These are some nasty goblins, even in terms of design, with jagged shark teeth and dead frog eyes. If nothing else, it’s interesting to see the kind of hierarchy usually reserved for higher-powered monsters like dragons and demons given to the ‘cannon-fodder’.

#30 Day Monster Challenge #30 Day Monster Challenge 2 #orc #orcs #goblin #goblins #lord of the rings #warhammer 40k #world of warcraft #pathfinder #dungeons and dragons #long post

[bladealvis]

karmo has a job as a cashier in a book store, which is adjacent to a small coffee shop where devin works and raisha works from home, she makes shit and puts it on ebay- (to sell it, she adds whimsical to the desc of the product, she heard devin say it once and was like,, "holy fuck more hipsters will buy this shit"). she also has an unfortunate habit of bringing snakes into the flat. they live in a city.. where do the snakes come from

(cont) raisha also has a habit of dumping chinese food out the window onto this one guy who lives below them, devin perches on the fire escape and laughs his ass off. karmo feels like the only adult among all of them. He actually got them on a child backpack leash once, it was hilarious. imagine his 6ft self wearin his pastel jumper and sipping a drank, with devin's leash in one hand and raisha's in the other. hes,, tired. devin will nap everywhere- so blankets are always present in their flat 

and by anywhere- i do mean, anywhere. raisha found him passed out on the balcony and laughed at him. then she put a sweater over him because it's cold, not because she feels regret, nope. stop laughing, karmo. their couch was ruined because someone thought tickling devin was a "good idea" and a "harmless prank, karmo, he wont even care"

SDFKSFKDJ ALL OF THIS IS AMAZING holy shit i love this new au

karmo is an actual hipster and he loves his two children, devin is the lazy furry friend that both of them lowkey have a crush on, raisha tries to put some “fun” into the boys’ lives (by playing pranks with her snakes and almost getting them kicked out of their apartment...several times)

also plot twist, all of the redcloaks live in the same apartment building, and shane and alix/stead live below them (karmo doesn’t know if they’re dating or not but he’s going to Find Out, since shane is his best friend)

#spirit animals #Anonymous

[nobodysuspectsthebutterfly]

Presumably, Renly was planning on telling Robert about the incest. So...why didn't he? What was he waiting for? I know Marg wasn't in King's Landing yet, but given her family's wealth and power and her alleged beauty, I'm sure Robert would agree to marry her sight unseen.

You’re sure? Even considering the last beautiful woman with a powerful wealthy family that Robert agreed to marry sight unseen was Cersei?

What I think Renly was planning was to bring Margaery to King’s Landing (or alternatively get Robert to Highgarden), get her in bed with Robert, and have Robert fall in love with her. With her beauty and charm, she would become his official mistress, undercutting Cersei’s connection to and influence on Robert. More Tyrells and their people would come to the capital, to have a significant power base against the Lannisters there (all the redcloaks and other appointees, etc). Renly also needed to be in position to seize Joffrey and Myrcella and Tommen (as he told Ned to do), when the moment came for him to make his accusation of adultery against Cersei, so that they couldn’t escape Robert’s vengeance justice. And with Robert’s love for Margaery and debt to Renly for introducing them, plus the Tyrell army, the Lannisters would be gone, just like that. And then Robert would marry Margaery, sunshine and rainbows for everyone forever.

Basically, you can’t bring a Tyrell army to King’s Landing without Margaery to convince Robert he needs them, and you can’t bring Margaery to King’s Landing without an army (of family and actual armed men) to support and defend her from Cersei, and you can’t be sure Robert will believe Renly’s accusations against Cersei unless he’s already in love with Margaery. It’s complex, and convincing the Tyrells to go along with this with their only daughter would be very tempting, but also dangerous enough that it’s not surprising Margaery didn’t go to the capital right away. (Possibly Loras was attending the Hand’s Tourney partially to check the lay of the land.) But Renly was getting all his pieces together, planning to entice Robert with the idea that Margaery looked like Lyanna, etc; however, Cersei struck first, and so “the boar got Robert and [Renly] got Margaery” instead.

@eidetictelekinetic​ reblogged your post “Presumably, Renly was planning on telling Robert about the incest. So…why didn’t he? What was he waiting for?”

You think Robert would go the official mistress route? He’s always seemed more Edward IV than Francois I or even Henry VIII (or Aegon IV, tbh) in terms of his infidelity; he certainly doesn’t hide it but mostly his lovers are of the lower classes, and short-term. In fact he seems to prefer brothels over seducing common women (a thing that was at least attributed to Edward), which is definitely not indicative of anything long-term. In fact, Delena appears to be his only highborn fling. A long-term, noble mistress is very much out of his usual MO, so if that was Renly’s plan, it’s shaky. And also a serious risk on the Tyrell side. Robert is fickle; if he tires of Margaery before they can finish their Anne Boleyn Plot*, she’s ruined. In fact, Renly is probably better off if they go full Boleyn, where Margaery seduces Robert but holds off on the final conclusion, as it were. Which is not to say the actual mistress thing isn’t Renly’s plan; it just might not be the best plan.

*While the chain of events would be similar, of course, Renly’s plot begins with the aim of a new queen, whereas Anne was likely making the best deal out of what today we’d call sexual harassment in the workplace.

Note I never said Renly’s plan was a good plan, nor that it would necessarily succeed. (My “sunshine and rainbows forever” line is generally a very sarcastic keyphrase.) The risk for the Tyrells there, as I said, is the reason why the plan was moving so slowly, why Margaery didn’t make it into Robert’s bed before Cersei had him killed. As for Henry VIII, GRRM himself compares him.

Nevertheless, how I know it was a mistress plan rather than a full Boleyn “no huggee no kissee until I get a wedding ring” plot:

“The Knight of Flowers writes Highgarden, urging his lord father to send his sister to court. The girl is a maid of fourteen, sweet and beautiful and tractable, and Lord Renly and Ser Loras intend that Robert should bed her, wed her, and make a new queen.” –Varys, AGOT, Arya III

Note the order there – bed then wed. Also note this is Varys talking to Illyrio in (assumed) privacy, so there’s no possible layer of pretense (as if he were talking to Ned), this is what he really knows and really feels. And if anyone has knowledge of what Renly was really planning, it’s Varys…

#rantingandravenclaw #asoiaf #asoiaf meta #renly baratheon #margaery tyrell #robert baratheon #cersei lannister

[dark-night-star-light]

Spirit Animals: Broken Ground (Reread pt. 10)

DISCLAIMER: WILL CONTAIN SPOILER FOR BOOKS ONE THROUGH SEVEN IN FIRST SERIES, BOOKS ONE THROUGH FOUR IN SECOND SERIES, THE BOOK OF SHANE, AND TALES OF THE GREAT BEASTS. 

Masterpost

Chapter 1

This is a great intro chapter. Very mysterious and attention-grabbing.

“But the gesture made Stead uncomfortable - his loyalty to their leader was absolute, unflinching - so he’d opted for Stead” (3). In The Book of Shane it’s mentioned that Stead was the first person that Shane brought into the Redcloaks, right? But other than that, he had no reason to be that loyal . . . 

So they just creepily watch Tasha for a length of time . . . okay, then.

Chapter 2

“ . . . if he didn’t focus, the nightmares could slip so easily out of his dreams and into the darkened tunnels around them” (7). Is Conor scared of the dark? Or just another panic attack?

“He felt like they were going in circles. Spirals” (8). Okay, first of all, they did a great job of tying Conor’s fear of regressing to Conor’s fear of the Wyrm without ever saying either. Also, circles could represent cycles, which was kind of the theme of The Evertree. So connection to that, too???

“Kovo and Meilin each let out a skeptical sound . . . then shot dark looks at each other” (9). I forgot how funny Meilin and Kovo’s relationship was in this book. It’s so funny.

“ . . . Conor wondered if her insistence was because she didn’t think Xanthe really knew where they were going, or if Meilin simply didn’t like relying on anyone else for help. Probably both” (9). Yeah, sounds about right. Also, Meilin did learn to rely on the team in the first arc, right?

Wow, they really were quite animalistic in Sadre with the whole leave-kids-to-fend-for-themselves thing, huh?

“It was the parasite working its way through his body” (12). How can the parasite make him physically weak? Doesn’t the Wyrm whisper strength into its slaves? Doesn’t it make them stronger?

“Takoda brought his hands together and whistled into them . . . ” (14). Takoda and Xanthe’s relationship in this book is so good???

Wow, Kovo is jealous again. It’s kind of funny . . . but also extremely toxic.

“Weakling, said the crimson gaze. Straggler” (15). Kind of wondering why Kovo didn’t just let Conor fall. He knows Conor is (almost) infected, right?

“And then . . . he saw the stars” (16). This writing style is so neat. Like normally authors would say “he thought he saw the stars” because Conor was wrong. But here, they just said “he saw the stars”, which I think is such a neat touch.

“The cyrix wasn’t many things. It was one” (17). Then why’s it called a cyrix nest, instead of just a cyrix?

“ . . . but the monster was everywhere!” (18). This exclamation point does not fit here . . . it’s so odd.

Chapter 3

“And the even scarier question, Why? . . . ” (22). Yeah, Zerif’s doing this because the Wyrm is influencing him, right? But the Wyrm is just a power-hungry monster. It doesn’t have any reason???

What happened to Anda??? Did they send him back to his tribe?

Oh, he’s still with them??? Don’t they send him back to his tribe?

“They . . . had to deliver Anda to Greenhaven, even without his spirit animal, Tellun” (25). Oh, so they are still taking him.

“ . . . but to lose Uraza entirely?” (25). Foreshadowing.

“‘What’s the point?’ whispered Anda, so softly she almost didn’t hear” (25). He’s depressed. So that’s the feeling of losing your spirit animal. Just crushing depression.

“If the elk had been in its passive state, would it have been safe?” (26). Probably. But now that it gets brought up, wondering what would happen if the human partner is killed while the animal is in its passive state. Would it die, too? Or would it reappear alive?

“Even though Abeke knew the only thing Rollan really cared about finding there was Meilin” (27). Indeed.

Wait, so where’s Anda now??? He isn’t here? It’s just Rollan and Abeke . . . where did they leave him???

Oh wait, they did bring him . . . oh wow, he’s really just dead inside.

“‘Why on Erdas not?’” (31). HA.

“‘I’m all about redemption . . . ’” (31). Genuinely forgot how Rollan reacts to the Shane-is-the-Redcloak news.

“‘I’ve never seen anything like it,’ added Abeke. ‘Not from Meilin, or my people or even Zerif . . . ’” (33). I like how she listed Meilin as her first comparison.

“‘He came asking for the Keeper . . . ’” (33). We still haven’t met this mysterious Keeper, who apparently gathered five talismans in the original series, and apparently is on another mission now.

“‘As soon as he’s strong enough, we’ll return him to Amaya and help him find his tribe’” (34). What??? Just like that??? That’s so stupid. This is exactly why the Greencloaks are losing allies.

Chapter 4

“He . . . spit over the edge of the battlements” (36). Imagine if that was the same one Conor had sleep walked all over in The Evertree.

Rollan would rather go to Artica than Stetriol . . . the same Artica where they all almost froze and/or starved to death?

Stetriol is also apparently referred to as “the land at the edge of the world”.

“In fact, every encounter Rollan had had with Stetriol and its people had been unpleasant” (37). He’s only had one encounter with Stetriol???

“‘Stetriol is now a post, occupied by Greencloaks’” (37). Wow. That’s . . . interesting.

“Not that he’d say that to her face. She’d probably just tease him if he did. Or maybe she wouldn’t” (37). Ah yes, the central question: to tease or not to tease?

“Meilin the warrior. Abeke the tracker. Conor the loyal leader. What did that make him?” (38). This is the second time that three of the four have been listed out like this. The first was in Hunted by Meilin. I just thought that was interesting. Also, doesn’t that mean that Rollan is the jester?

“‘Besides, abandoning Stetriol is what got the Greencloaks into trouble last time’” (40). Indeed, and I like how this series has morally gray bad and good characters. At least the original series did . . . 

“ . . . he’d dreamed of fresh air and freedom, and life aboard a ship afforded both” (41). Privateer Rollan? Maybe?

“Her sleeves were rolled up, revealing a parrot tattoo . . . ” (42). Isn’t she Niloan? Are there parrots in Nilo?

“He’d never met married Greencloaks before. Now he could see why” (43). Why? It’s probably common to meet someone while training . . . right? Also the woman is Niloan and the man is Euran . . . Conor and Abeke parallels?

Wow, Olvan is old.

Chapter 5

“It was even, featureless, save for the slits through which he saw and breathed and spoke” (46). Why? Why no crocodile???

“ . . . it was a testament to the force of the blow, that it even broke the skin . . . ” (47). Right, because he has crocodile-skin, right?

“A message was bound to its leg with a single piece of dark red cloth” (47). Wait, at Greenhaven, Olvan had piles of messages and some of them were tied with red cloth. Were the Redcloaks anonymously messaging the Greencloaks?

Chapter 6

“Still, Meilin clung to that comfort and resisted the urge to scream” (50). Claustrophobia . . . how do the Sadreans deal with it?

“Kovo and Meilin rolled their eyes at the same time, then caught each other and glared” (50). This image is too funny.

“Kovo growled and wrapped his arms protectively around Takoda” (51). I wonder if Kovo truly cares about Takoda, or if the spirit animal bond forces a level of protectiveness instinctively.

“‘But until then, he stays with us.’ . . . ‘Even if that means you won’t’” (52). Kind of wonder what Kovo’s thinking about all this. Did he know about Conor’s infection?

Oh yeah . . . both Meilin and Conor get controlled against their wishes.

The color scheme of the underground world is so cool . . . the greens and pinks and yellows and muted purples and bright blues on a dark background . . . just seems so glowy.

Kind of lowkey want to see a snarle or a gallor. This is perfect foreshadowing.

It’s funny that the reason Meilin went with Conor was to slow the parasite with Jhi’s healing, but never does that at all in the first book. She barely even lets Jhi out of passive.

Meilin saw the Wyrm trapped in the Evertree’s roots in her dream, so can the Wyrm communicate through dreams, too?

“Jhi made a small sound and rocked slightly, and if Meilin didn’t know better, she’d think the panda was being smug” (60). I bet Jhi is guilt-tripping Kovo. Yeah, get his ass.

“With Jhi’s help, and a few hours of sleep, at least his fever was down again” (61). He had a fever???

Chapter 7

Oh ho ho, here comes my favorite Abeke-Rollan moment in . . . the entire series (first and second). 

“‘Don’t say that,’ warned Abeke . . . ‘You’ll jinx us’” (64). That’s funny, though. That she seriously believes in that.

“Abeke glared at Rollan. ‘Tenavo!’ she repeated . . . ” (66). I imagine her throwing her arms out dramatically.

“ . . . and obviously waiting for him to say something” (66). Abeke is really guilt-tripping Rollan for a storm, lol.

“Abeke glanced up, the ghost of humor in her eyes” (67). OH MY GOD, BEST PART COMING.

“‘We normally use flowers, but these will have to do.’ She plucked a few colorful herbs and stuck them in Rollan’s wet hair. ‘Now you get up, and hold out your arms and bounce up and down on your toes five times, then move your hips on a circle, all while saying, ‘Forgive me, Great Tenavo. I am a foolish boy’” (68). *sounds of laughing* *sounds of wheezing* *sounds of crying* *sounds of slapping the floor* *sounds of heart stopping*

“‘Someone must have challenged the sea.’ . . . ‘Arrogant thing, the sea,’ continued Arac . . . ‘Can’t help but rise to a challenge.’ . . . ‘Gotta be careful what you say around it.’ ‘It was my fault, okay?!’ announced Rollan. ‘I did it!’ ‘The other Greencloaks shot him a variety of looks, some amused, others annoyed, all damp” (69). Arac literally guilt-tripping Rollan without even realizing it is the funniest thing . . . 

“‘They don’t want to erase the past, Rollan. They just want to move on . . . ’” (71). Indeed.

“‘The storm,’ he said. ‘It’s over’” (72). HA.

Chapter 8

“Just then the ship rocked heavily, as if hit sideways by a massive wave” (75). Does Zerif have infected creatures in the water?

“‘We’ll have to unfasten the harnesses from the whale’s end.’ Abeke was already swinging a leg over the side . . . ” (76). Like Meilin and Kalani!

Okay nevermind, it was Nisha, and she literally swims under the whales . . . 

“How long would she last?” (81). Conor lasted pretty long, even before Jhi came, and the parasite went into his wrist, as well.

Chapter 9

“ . . . Xanthe didn’t want it in her eyes, said it was too “red bright,” whatever that meant . . . ” (83). Maybe it looks red to Xanthe?

“[A language] as old as the world itself” (84). Does the Wyrm speak a language???

“ . . . the root - all the roots - were moving” (85). The roots are from the Evertree, right? Is it moving to keep the Wyrm in its roots?

“She was already plunging into the tunnel on the left, and the group had no choice but to follow her into the dark” (86). She’s probably picking the tunnel with less dangers, right???

“And if that meant Meilin needed to follow instead of lead, then all right . . . Xanthe may be the one who gets us to the Wyrm in one piece, but once we’re there, I’ll be the one to defeat it” (87). That’s so contradictory . . . wow.

“The creature spun on its assailant, and the two went down in a shuffling mess of limbs” (90). They don’t care about their own kind? Doesn’t the Wyrm whisper to them that it needs more soldiers?

Okay, I was right . . . Xanthe did pick the tunnel with less dangers . . . which is dangerous all on its own. Fun.

Chapter 10

“The sounds of the fight had rung out through the ship, most of the words lost . . . ” (93). They fought so loudly the entire crew could hear . . . ? Okay . . . 

“ . . . she was losing the fight. Slowly, yes, but faster than Conor” (93). Why’s that? What determines the speed of the parasite? Conor should’ve been fully infected soon without Jhi, right?

“But there was no malice in the people’s faces that she could see. No distrust. Only curiosity, and here and there, even a smile of delight” (95). Yeah, in The Evertree isn’t it mentioned that the Conquerors kept the Stetriolans in a state of fear? So, they would be happy that they’re defeated, right?

“Everywhere she looked, the kingdom was flowering” (97). Feliandor wanted to grow plants in Stetriol and failed. Is this symbolism for how Stetriol is flourishing without any Devourers?

“ . . . men and women . . . planting row upon row of trees” (99). I thought Stetriol had unfit soil for trees?

“Shane himself stood at Drina’s shoulder, his painted blue eyes looking down at Abeke” (99). Canon Shane eye color?

“The giver of Nectar, so long withheld from Stetriol” (102). Did Ninani live in Stetriol as a Great Beast? Kind of makes for an interesting dynamic . . . 

“As if they were waiting for their young king to come home” (105). Foreshadowing?

“Where Shane’s had so often drawn into a smile . . . the boy’s mouth was a stern line, his eyeshawkish and sharp” (105). Shane was said to have cold features after his betrayal, though?

“It was becoming even rarer to have a spirit animal . . . ” (106). Why, though?

“ . . . Barnabas had the audacity to swat a small paw at the leopard’s face. It was roughly the size of her nostril” (106). Don’t spirit animals always arrive as adults? So that means Barnabas is just a small cat . . . also this image is so cute.

“ . . . a layer of ivy covering the remains of a cage . . . ” (107). If I remember correctly, that’s the same one that Shane imprisoned Zerif in, right?

“ . . . the silvery wood of his featureless mask” (108). I wonder if Shane saw Abeke see the cage that (sort of) started the war that made them become friends (and enemies).

“He was covered head to toe, every inch hidden from view except the faintest glint of pale eyes, and in them, recognition” (108). I forgot Shane’s eye color changes to ~crocodile~ yellow.

Chapter 11

“But when it was obvious that Meilin had hurt Takoda’s feelings, the ape signed a word that she didn’t know” (110). Oh, I love this next part. So funny. But oof, I feel bad for Takoda. He was just trying to lighten the mood.

Kovo using “cranky” as Meilin’s name . . . so funny.

Aww, Kovo calls Takoda “little friend” instead of shoving him. How sweet.

“‘What does that mean?’ asked Conor when Takoda didn’t translate. ‘Cursed,’ whispered the boy at last” (112). Genuinely read that as “cured” the first time . . . 

Still don’t understand the music . . . how???

“ . . . but she did not like spiders” (115). They should’ve talked about Drina’s death a little here at least, in my opinion.

“Their music is meant to guard the way against evil” (115). How??? 

The way the web influences the music is such a cool concept . . . just wish it were explained better.

“ . . . then immediately took it back, remembering a lecture Abeke had given her once about inviting bad luck” (119). Wow, when was this, and how did it happen without Rollan being there?

Meilin slips but doesn't fall . . . and Conor helps her up, in a pretty emotional sense. Somehow I remember her slipping and falling and then Conor helping her back up literally.

Chapter 12

Wow, Abeke can feel the weather coming???

“‘There’s never been a Greencloak from Stetriol’” (126). For realsies??? Not even after the war???

“The longer it took for a storm to break, the worse it would usually be” (127). Symbolism for this book? Things are going well . . . meaning when bad things strike, it’ll be even worse.

“ . . . looking not like Greencloaks, but ordinary kids” (127). But people can still see their green cloaks, right?

Aww, Rollan helping the homeless kid!

Kind of wondering whether Ninani coming to Stetriol means they’ll change their symbol from a serpent to a swan.

Chapter 13

“ . . . like he knew every crack in the ground, every twist and turn, every way to disappear” (135). Yeah, I get that Shane lived in Stetriol, but he was a prince, right? When did he come out and have time to explore the marketplace? Maybe this was after he became a Redcloak . . . 

Why didn’t Rollan use Essix’s vision to tail the stranger instead of climbing up to the roof? Would’ve been faster . . . riskier, but faster.

Oh, okay, he does look through Essix’s eyes . . . from the rooftops.

“‘We seek to protect the future from the past’” (139). Shane is so dramatic.

“This is how his mind came back to him, in drops of rain” (141). Wow, the storm lowkey helped them.

Oof, Zerif’s here.

Chapter 14

How thick exactly are these web strands? And how stable?

“Briggan snarled back, an alpha trying to subdue a member of his pack . . . ” (145). The alpha theory has actually been disproven. But the image is funny.

This fire plan is gonna burn the web somehow . . . 

The bonding pain is actually giving us a good approximation of how the two storylines line up.

“ . . . the wolf sprinted away across the silver web, looking less like a Great Beat and more like a spooked dog” (149). Briggan??? Ran across the web??? Oh god . . . for real??? I don’t remember this.

“The wolf’s return hit him in a wave of energy and relief. Briggan’s wild strength surged through Conor . . . ” (150). Can’t you only use your animal’s power during the active state?

Wait, so Takoda, Meilin, Conor, and Kovo fall over the edge??? I thought it was Xanthe that fell?

Chapter 15

Okay, so they fall . . . right into the Sulfur Sea. Wow. 

So, I guess Xanthe didn’t come after them? That’s pretty strange . . . 

Chapter 16

The parasites need time to reach the forehead, right? How did this all happen so fast? If the parasite is lodged in, say, the leg, it would need more time to get up, wouldn’t it?

“The infected wore an array of colors, but the clothes meant nothing to them now” (159). I’m wondering if the infected can tell other infected apart from everyone else, not by looking at the spiral on the forehead, but just with blind instinct.

“‘Aim for the heart or the head,’ . . . ‘Nothing else will stop them!’” (160). What about the throat? Also, do injuries not affect the infected at all?

They refer to this guy as “a lanky teen” then a paragraph later he’s “the lanky man” (162). Hm.

“‘Worthy! Stead! Shadow!’” (167). Worthy’s here? What happened to the Keeper?

“‘We are the Redcloaks’” (168). The Greencloaks should sue them for copyright infringement. 

Why are Nisha and Arac still on the ship? Didn’t they come aboard to Stetriol?

For some reason, I remember the fight with Nisha and Arac to be much earlier in the book and also much longer.

Chapter 17

“He spent the long hours of the stormy night trying to decide how he would recount Stetriol . . . ” (172). I kind of want Rollan and Meilin to journey to Stetriol together after this.

“ . . . then where was he?” (173). There are several battles during the first series that Zerif isn’t in, though?

“It wasn’t an ordinary raven. It was Wikerus” (175). Why did Essix attack Wikerus??? Didn’t she recognize him?

“Or had Lenori borrowed the raven to send word?” (175) But Lenori is in Nilo, and Aidana is in Amaya???

Chapter 18

“No, these whispers were like those of a king to his trusted knight” (178). This reminds me of that scene where the person that freed Gerathon saw how she controlled the wombats into helping her and convinced himself that his loyalty to her wasn’t the same. Parallels? Especially if that person was Zerif (though I don’t think it was).

“Zerif had learned in his many years . . . ” (180). How old is this guy?

The italicizing of hands every single time is getting weird. It was good the first time, but every single time??? Really???

“ . . . said Zerif to the thing beneath the world” (186). Something something, the fact that Zerif has climbed to the second story and is talking to something far beneath the ground is symbolism for the distance between them and foreshadowing of the Wyrm’s betrayal, something something. 

Final thoughts and rating:

This book was a character-building/relationship-building book for sure. There were a lot of silly moments between characters as we got to understand them better. Especially for the under-the-ground plotline, you see less plot and more character building. I think the Redcloaks were built up quite nicely and the chapters from their perspectives really make the reader wonder what their motive is, whether they were truly on the heroes’ side. I liked the less perfect side of the Greencloaks being shown: how they turned Anda away as soon as he lost Tellun. Meilin’s relationship to Kovo was completely and totally hilarious, which I enjoyed. The moment between Rollan and Abeke was very funny, as well. 

Meilin felt a little strange in this chapter, not gonna lie. She kept going back and forth between two extremes and it was incredibly inconsistent. The parasite lore is strangely inconsistent. At first, its established that the parasite will only work when it gets to the forehead, so if it’s farther, it’ll take the victim longer. But then we learn that some people succumb slower or faster??? Why’s that??? It makes no sense. I also didn’t like the underground plotline in general. I think for this entire arc, having the team split up was a terrible idea, because then we only experience two dynamics out of the six total ones. But besides that, the underground plotline was incredibly boring compared to the topside one. It’s mostly walking and talking, and while I don’t mind some character bonding and building, the entire plotline appeared to rely mostly on that. And Takoda and Xanthe, while good characters, still felt empty to me. 

Rating: 8/10

#draeyem rereads spirit animals #broken ground #spirit animals series #spirit animals books #sa spoiler #abeke #conor #meilin #rollan #shane #king #redcloaks #tasha

[akissatmidnight]

And the list goes on! I only thought there would be one post, but more and more people kept asking about their own clan and potential family history. You can see part one here and part two here, to see if your clan had been included before this. There was so much interest, a part four is also in the works, so if your clan wasn’t included here, let us know in the comments and I’ll add it in!

Clan Graham

Motto: Ne Oublie- Do Not Forget

Let’s read a little bit about the Grahams!

The Grahams originated, supposedly, from a single man named Greme, who broke through the Antonine Wall, helping to drive the Romans out of early Scotland.

The Grahams were close with the Wallace clan and a certain man named Sir John de Graham was literally BFFs with William Wallace, himself and if known as one of the heroes of the Wars of Scottish Independence.

The Grahams didn’t participate in the Jacobite uprising, staying decidedly neutral in the matter.

Love the kilt? Then thank James Graham, who was instrumental in getting Parliament in repealing the Dress Act of 1746, which made it illegal for anyone to wear any form of Highland dress.

James Graham did the Lord’s work.

  The Morrison Clan

Clan Motto: Teaghlach Phabbay- Family of Pabbay (the name of a castle)

This is actually a varient of a MacKay tartan

This is most likely the actual Morrison tartan

Here are a few things to know about the Morrisons:

The clan descends from the Normans and received their name form the regular, family, last name of Morris, or Maurice in France and Normandy. However, their lineage has been notoriously difficult to trace.

There were many small small clans with the name Morrison throughout Scotland that weren’t related, and they only unified under one chief in 1965. That made it very hard to create one clan history, as many other, more unified, clans have.

They were generally a peaceful people, but were often involved in feuds with the more aggressive Macaulay clan, who was always off stealing the Morrison cattle.

Bell Clan

Clan Motto: Signum Pacts Amor- Love is the token of peace

Bell of the Border tartan

Bell South tartan

The history of the Bells is difficult to place and map, and they’re not the size of the larger clans, but are known as a “Armigerous clan”, one that has no chief and is not recognized by any Scottish law. Still, let’s see what we can find about them…

They most likely originated from France, their name meaning “beautiful”.

The Bells were first noted as supporters of the Clan Douglas, a larger and more powerful clan. But when the Douglases fell from power, the Bells struck out on their own.

The last Bell chief died in 1628, leaving the clan without leadership. It lapsed and no one took up the title until the 1990’s, but it still chiefless. A fun fact about the last chief is that he was named William “Redcloak” Bell because he took an opposing leader’s cloak in battle and sometimes wore it around as big “F you”.

Clan MacThomas

Clan Motto: Deo juvante invidiam superabo- God help overcome envy

Let’s get a little history lesson!

They originated in the 15th century from Thomas Macintosh, who was grandson of the chief of the Macintosh clan. At that time, Clan Chattan, which we talked about in Part Two, was so large, Thomas decided to strike out on his own.

Numerous names are encompassed under the MacThomas name, such as MacCombe, Thomas, and Combie. Even the MacThomas chiefs weren’t always a “MacThomas”. For example, one chief, John McComie, was a total badas*. He once killed a man for being rude to his wife. And another time, he runs off a group of tax collectors that are harassing a poor widow. Also, he is said to have loved wrestling bulls and even fought his own son to make sure he wasn’t raising a wimp.

Clan Anderson

Clan Motto: Stand Sure

This is another Armigerous clan, and is a sept of the Macintosh, as well as members of the Clan Chattan.

They took their name from Saint Andrew, the parton saint of Scotland. Anderson means “Sons of Andrew”. The name MacAndrew is also covered under the Anderson name.

The Andersons are also closely associated with Clan Ross. Because of this, the Anderson history was pretty much sucked up by the this larger clans.

The Cameron Clan

Old Clan Motto: Mo Righ ‘s Mo Dhuchaich- For King and Country

Current Clan Motto: Aonaibh Ri Chéile- Let Us Unite

Clan War Cry: Chlanna nan con thigibh a so’s gheibh sibh feoil- Sons Of The Hounds, Come Hither And Get Flesh (Giving me Game of Thrones flashbacks. Anyone else?)

general use tartan

hunting tartan

No one knows 100% where the Camerons came from. But it’s widely thought that they descended from a Danish prince, who was nicknamed “cam-shròn”, which is Gaelic for “Crooked Nose”. BTW, it’s been shown that a ton of Scots from Northern Scotland carry Viking blood in their veins.

Their main enemies were the Chattan clan and the Mackintosh. This was mainly over land disputes, as each group was large and kept trying to gain more territories.

The Camerons were instrumental in the Jacobite uprising. Their chief was great friends with Charles Stuart and the clan was on the front lines at the Battle of Culloden. But, since the uprising failed, the Camerons lost their lands to the government for several years, before being handed back in 1784.

Clan Broun/Clan Brown

Clan Motto: Floreat Majestas- Let Majesty Flourish

Broun, or Brown, is a very common name and probably refers to the colorings of the original Celts that made up a portion of their clan.

There was one part of the clan, the Brouns of Colstoun, that were descended from the royal family of France. Because of this, they received favor from the Scottish nobles and enjoyed the benefits of intermarrying other royals.

As a whole, they weren’t particularly active, as a clan, meaning they do not have a “pedigree” of sorts to widely trade. This is again highlighted by the fact that many Highlanders took on the name”Brown” when they were forced to abandon their own names. So, if you identify as a member of the Browns, you might actually be a from another clan, like the MacGregors!

Clan Kincaid

Clan Motto: This I’ll Defend

The name was more locational, then a reference to a particular person. But in the 12th century, when the Earl of Lennox was granted the Kincaid lands in the 12th century.

A castle was added to their crest after they retook Edinburgh Castle from the English in 1692 and continued to maintain their seat at the castle as constable.

A large portion of them stayed out of the usual raiding and battles that most of the clans participated in, focusing mainly on farming, after the failed Jacobite uprising of 1715.

The Mackay Clan

Clan Motto: Manu Forti- With a Strong Hand

They are descended from the Forbes and the Farguharson clans and the first chief was recorded in 1210. However, they maintained a strong relationship with the Forbes, strengthened by their mutual long-standing feud with clan Gordon.

They were one of the most powerful clans for the better part of their existence, rarely going very long between battles. They even supported the royalists against the Jacobites. But their power and number all ended because of the Sutherlands…

The Mackay’s seat was north of the Sutherland lands and in the Highland clearances in the early 1800s, their lands were sold to the Countess of Sutherlands due to debts, and the people were forced off their lands to make room for sheep.

Clan Drummond

Clan Motto: Gang Warily- This phrase means “Go Carefully”. It was said to members of the clan before departing and also meant as a warning against their enemies.

Alternative Motto: Virtutem coronat honos- Honour crowns virtue

They came from a Hungarian Prince named George, who was on the run from William the Conqueror. He took refuge with Scottish king Malcom III in the 1000s and married one of the king’s sisters.In fact, the Drummonds continues to marry into the royal family for generations, keeping them powerful and in royal favor.

The name refers to the Scottish phrase “dromainn” which means a “ridge or high ground”. This is a nod to the place the Drummonds settled; Drymen in the highlands.

This clan were firmly in support of Scottish independence from the beginning. They even were among the first in Scotland to use “caltrops”, a deadly spiked item that would be liberally spread in the lands to injure horses and men on foot during battle.

They didn’t get on with Clan MacGregors all that well, as highlighted here…

In 1589, some of the Drummonds captured some members of the MacGregors, who were caught poaching. The head of forestry in the lands, John Drummond,ordered their ears cut off. Well, that pissed the MacGregors off. so they rounded up some MacDonalds, kidnapped John, and cut off his head….but wait, there’s more! They went to John’s sister Maggie’s house with the head, gussied up like Thanksgiving turkey, and slapped it right on her kitchen table. Think that’s over? Not so fast. Maggie was super pregnant and upon seeing the bloody head of her brother set up like a roast, she freaked the hell out and gave birth to her son James in the forest. Well, I guess James Drummond Stewart grew up pretty pissed that the MacGregors poached on his family’s lands and took massive revenge on their punishment, driving his mom into insanity. Can you blame him? But he took the long con, rising through the ranks of the Scottish military, biding his time, until he saw his chance for revenge. When it came time for King James VI, who was super pissed at the MacGregors for always fighting against him, to ban the name, James Stewart finally got his chance to give the MacGregors the shaft and helped enforce the terms of the ban.

Fun fact! Drummond Castle was used in the filming of Outlander season two as a placeholder for the gardens of Versailles!

The Mar/Marr Clan

Clan Motto: Pans Plus- Think More

They are also known as the Tribe of Mar, descending from the Mormear, the Earlship of Mar, which dominated an area ruled by the ancient Picts in Aberdeenshire.

The Mars supported Robert the Bruce’s claim to the throne. In fact, Robert’s first wife was a Mar, and her brother married Bruce’s sister!

They supported the Jacobites during the uprising, but their lands were later returned in 1824.

The MacMillan Clan

Clan Motto: Miseris succerere disco-  learn to succour the unfortunate

old tartan

dress tartan

hunting tartan

Here are a few little fun facts:

This clan originated from the Celtic church, whose early priests were allowed to marry, before the 1000s. They wore their hair in a specific style, as Saint John, who was called Mhaoil-Iain in Gaelic, was said to do. This made the clan MacMillan.

They supported Robert the Bruce and even sheltered him while he was on the run. But their relationship wasn’t awesome with Robert’s son, David II, who ended up exiling from their lands in Loch Lay them due to their alliance with the Lord of the Isles. But it’s okay, because the Lord of the Isles gave them new lands.

They weren’t particularly active in the Jacobite uprisings, with only random small groups participating on either side of the fray. On company of MacMillans from Tulloch actually surrendered to the English, after begin promised protection, and were send to the Caribbean to be sold as slaves.

Fun Fact: Gwyllyn the Bard from Castle Leoch was placed by a man named Gillebrìde MacMillan

Clan Keith

Clan Motto: Veritas Vincit- Truth Prevails (Also used as their War Cry)

Alternative Motto #1:Quae amissa salva- What has been lost is safe

Alternative Motto #2:Veritas vincit– Truth conquers

The Name “Keith” comes from the Welsh word “coed”, meaning “wood”.

A good deal of the Keith lands were acquired through advantageous marriages and royal favor. Marrying landed heiresses was somewhat of a hobby for the chiefs of the clan and their close relations.

George Keith, 5th Earl of Marischal, is the one who hooked up King James VI of Scotland with Princess Anne of Denmark.

The Elliot Clan

Clan Motto: Fortiter et recte- Boldly and rightly

A fire in their main castle in the 1700s destroyed all the clan records, making it relatively impossible to see where the Elliots actually came from. But the name was originally “Ellot, with the “i” being brought in the mid 1600s.

Recent DNA testing of the Elliots showed that they are of Celtic-Brittonic origin and settled along the borders.

The Scott Clan

Clan Motto: Amo- I love

The Scotts may have come from Ireland, as the Latin “Scotti” was originally used as a name for the Celts.

They were one of the, if not the top, most powerful border clans in Scotland during the 15th century, which came in handy since they were constantly at war with the Elliot and the Kerr clans. It also allowed them to hold a respected place in the eyes of the English. King Charles the II even married one of his illegitimate children to a Scott heiress, who took on the Scott name.

Michael “The Wizard” Scot was a medieval philosopher and astronomer whose medical knowledge and ability to foresee the future made him a figure that commanded both respect and fear. He traveled Europe and the Middle East, teaching about his skills or at the courts of kings. It’s speculated that he also dabbled in black magic, but it’s uncertain, as is the date and way of his death…anyone else smell a possible time traveler??

  That’s all the names I have room for today! You guys have been great at interacting on our social media pages, and it’s great how excited you all are to hear more about your clans! There is a part 4 in the works now, so if you didn’t see your name, dinna fash, just let us know what you’re looking for, and I’ll try tofit it in next time, or even do a part 5 if it comes to that! And, remember to read all out Outlander posts here!

And see who’s hot for teacher in Sarah’s contemporary romance series here and learn about Kelsey’s contemporary and Scottish romance series here!

An Outlandish Clan History Part3 And the list goes on! I only thought there would be one post, but more and more people kept asking about their own clan and potential family history.

#am reading #antonine wall #armigerous clan #Bell #blog #Blogger #bloggers #book #book series #brave heart #british history #cameron clan #catholic saint #claire fraser #clan anderson #clan bell #clan cameron #clan chattan #clan drummond #clan elliot #clan graham #clan mackay #clan macmillan #clan mar #clan morrison #clan wars #clans #diana gabaldon #dress act of 1746 #drummond