#the galactic horde religion

[freedfromthegalactichivemind]

I’ve been thinking about the religious-imagery / Christian-cult overtones of the Galactic Horde lately.  Something came up on my feed about it tonight, a reblog of something from someone I watch, but I was thinking about it earlier.   Specifically, I was thinking about how I *can’t* talk about it much? Like, it’d probably be awkward because I don’t think anyone would want to read what I’d want to write about it?  Like, I don’t know - I think most of Spop fandom just wants a clear cut “Main villain is Christianity-coded, sending a clear message that Christianity is evil,” while I’m over here with a Christian theology-interest and experiences with different forms and deconstructions of Christianity.  I’m, personally, an ex-evangelical (”exvangelical”) who still *marginally* identifies as Christian because I retain a few core-beliefs, although I’m severely Leftist, non-Hell, non-churchgoing, it’s a personal-psychology-bound thing, I’m decently agnostic, etc.  (I’ve essentially accepted that my personal spirituality is a lot like my asexuality - difficult to explain and most people will not think it it even exists).   I just get a little personal needle-scratch whenever other fans whole-hog equate Prime with “Christianity” flat-out, as if there weren’t a gagillion different types of Christianities (many of which have been at war with each other at different points in history) and my heretical ass wants to pick apart how Prime equates to *some* aspects, but not others, and to specify exactly which sects and or cults his rhetoric resembles, contrasting with those that have the exact opposite theology.   And then I’m sure most of Spop fandom would just be “shut up” at me, because they’d rather have a more generalized villain that represents the evils of religion rather than to have someone with it as a special interest going “Well, actually” at them with an essay about How Horde Prime embodies Calvinism with loads of pedantic links and citations of a book on the rise of theocracy in U.S. politics.   Shut up, Freed. Watch your cartoons.  

#horde prime #the galactic horde #religion #christianity #the galactic horde religion

[cirusthecitrus]

People of the Galactic Horde (the OGs)

Since I'm working on a Horde Prime origin story, it was inevitable that one day I would have to come up with designs for his species aka the original spacebats. And well, it was a fun challenge!

(click/tap to have a better look!) My first attempt at drawing other bats was with the High Priests of the Four Temples - the most influential and powerful people on the planet, also known as Anillis'/Prime's teachers :)

See that last guy? That's the emperor of the original Galactic Horde! Though after his unexpected early death his wife had to become the new Prime. Gladly, Horde World was not left without a future heir to the throne^^

Fun thing is, I never planned on making designs for Anillis' parents, since they never appear in the actual story + even the twins don't remember what they looked like. But idc making fanparents is fun! (In my vision Horde Prime inherited the death stare from his mother and the sly misleading smile from his father >:} )

(I talk more about the characters and worldbuliding in my fic "Violent Youth". U can find the link in my pinned post)

I also had to design tons, and I mean tons of episodic characters of all ages, genders and backgrounds. Now after all this training I'm ready to fill the backgrounds with bats :3

Some general notes on the people of the Horde under the cut

Every spacebat is born with a white face. Any deviations were rare and considered a type of skin condition

Facial markings slowly appear once baby bats hit puberty. When spacebats' white faces were seen as blank canvases, the facial markings were their life journey drawn on said canvases. The markings were seen as the real window to the soul. Having no marks as an adult was simply outlandish, people of Krytis even had a belief that such bats "had nothing behind their soul" and thus could not be trustworthy

Facial markings (as well as ears) came in many forms. In ancient times one could tell in which of the four original provinces a person was born by simply looking at their faces. Nowadays it became nearly impossible to guess someone's homeland this way (mostly everyone are people of mixed descent), but to those curious this is how bats used to distinguish one another by their markings:

North - straight lines across/all over the face (e.g. the emperor)

South - wavy lines across/all over the face e.g. (the High Priestess of the Southern temple)

West - straight minimalistic lines (e.g. horde clones)

East - wavy minimalistic lines (e.g. the empress)

Hair never held much cultural significance on Krytis, so the styling was only a question of one's personal preference and fashion trends. Some bats (mainly from the south) saw no point in having hair whatsoever - those would choose to go bald or shave parts of the head to better show off their markings

Everyone had one set of eyes. Only local deities were sometimes depicted having 3 and more eyes. And yes, their eyes and teeth do glow in the dark

I wanted to make colorful bats to futher emphasise their whimsical and peaceful nature :) Well, if u think about it many poisonous creatures are colorful too...

I wouldn't be myself if I didn't say anything about local fashion. I don't have my own concepts at hand sadly, just references, but my main inspiration for the fashion of Krytis are late 90s-early 00s futurism and cyber aesthetic. Here and there u will also see smth similar to mall goth or streetwear style, but it's mostly something what young blood were into

Some bats like the royal family and council members would wear more classy and regal clothes but still more or less modern looking. Such choice of attire was espeically important to the empress, who, unlike her late husband, stayed far away from religion and magic and made it the main goal of her campaign to weaken the influence of the religious community and push for scientific and socio-cultural progress

If you have any questions about the people of the Horde/Krytis, feel free to ask! I'm always happy to talk more about this AU!

#spop #horde prime #spacebats #kur twins tag #horde clones #the galactic horde #shera #spop au #spop oc #my art #cirus doodles things #sketch #sketch dump #character design #long post #haven't posted anything for this au in a while so why not share some concepts?

[cruelfeline]

I knew that Adora leaving the Horde and getting The Power of Friendship was supposed to be similar to someone in real life deconverting from Christianity with outside help from new people. And it mostly works, but I focused on it so much that I sort of misinterpreted Hordak. Since he was the leader of the Horde, he was, to me, the Christian-coded authority figure to watch out for. He was an angry man who mistreated his subordinates at times, and that was just sort of all I saw of him. And then the bigger, scarier Christian-coded authority figure showed up and stole his kneecaps and there were the other clones and I read some of your posts and... I wish other people could have the shift in perspective that I had. (It isn't that Hordak should be let off the hook for what he did. He shouldn't, he should have to work to make up for everything. But he's way more sympathetic than most people realize).

Have to be honest: I never interpreted Adora's situation as having anything to do with religion at all.

Hordak's? Yes.

Adora's? Never felt that way to me. Never even crossed my mind.

That's like... one of the major differences between the Galactic and Etherian Hordes. And between Prime and Hordak.

Prime fashions himself as a god. He enforces his will as one enforces religious doctrine.

Hordak never does anything even remotely close to this. Adora doesn't see him as her god. And the Etherian Horde doesn't function as a religious cult at all.

The religious trauma in SPoP belongs to Hordak and Hordak alone.

[strangeduckpaper]

E136: Scarabs

The Scarabs are ferrofluidic nanotech “multitools” employed by the expansionist galactic polity known as the Reach. Invented by the “Old Reach” to act as a counter to the Emerald Knights of the Maltusian Empire, the Scarabs were designed to allow the user the widest possible array of weaponry short of the “imaginary” limits of Lantern Rings. 

Two such scarabs would find themselves entangled in the history of the Sol System. The first, Khaji Da, would find itself on Earth in New Kingdom Egypt. It sought to take advantage of the pre-existing scarab imagery present in Egyptian Religion, though both Scarab and wielder would end up fighting on Earth’s behalf during Darkseid’s first invasion. Khaji Da would lose its user and knowledge of its initial purpose in the resulting conflict, eventually disappearing into the sands of time...

Khaji Da’s involvement in Earth’s defense would not go unnoticed by the Empire of Anti-Life, and the Old Reach would find itself ground to dust under the locust hordes of Parademons. The technology to create Scarabs would be lost for eons, the remaining devices becoming objects of reverence and conflict.

With the rise of the modern Reach Authority, the Scarabs would be restored to their initial role as one man armies, arrayed against the more pacifistic Green Lantern Corps. And initially at least, the Lanterns would be found wanting. 

It is during this period when the Scarab belonging to a Reach “Ringkiller”, known as the Emerald’s Bane would meet their end at the hands of Volthoom, the Martian Lantern of Sector 2814 at the time. The somewhat...unscrupulous (to put it it lightly) Lantern would take the Scarab and add it to the pages of Martian folklore as one of his nine great treasures.

But as time passed, the Lanterns rallied and forced the Reach to the negotiating table, and Earth and Mars continued their nigh eternal rotation around a shared sun, the Scarabs of Sol would sleep in obscurity. At least until the 20th century...

The Scarabs initially came in three colors, denoting different roles, though high ranking agents took on custom colorings (Such as the Green coloration taken by Scarab wielders who slew multiple Lanterns, given the name Ringkillers)

Blue-types were scouts and infiltrators, designed to undermine and prepare worlds for invasion. To achieve this, Blue Scarabs given much more comprehensive (and fanatical) onboard AI, enough to earn individual names, designed to override the free will of the beings they bonded too. The most common of the surviving Scarabs, possibly due to their nature as lone operators who wouldn’t have been deployed on the front lines against the Apokalypse.

Black-types were frontline warriors and shock troops, often thought of as superior in combat ability to their Blue counterparts, and bonded only to the most loyal and skilled Reach Warriors, vs the “auxiliary” nature of the Blues and thus not given overriding AI. At modern telling, very few Black-types survive, forcing the Reach to fall back on Blue-types, with the remaining Black-types only given to Champions of the Reach.

Red-type scarabs were a breed apart from their brethren, designed with scientific study and research in mind instead of combat or conquest. A precious few survived to the modern day, coveted heavily by the techpriests of the Reach’s mixed religious/researcher caste.

Other types: Gold & Silver(Artificial) Green(Black & Blue type Scarabs given a custom recoloring to denote the device has been used to kill multiple Lanterns. At present, only 20 exist, wielded by the Reach Throneguard).

#DC #DC AU #E136 #E136 Lore #The Reach #Blue Beetle

[apollo-cackling]

and like speaking of the (galactic and etherean) horde, you can sort of piece together the disparate parts of what the show was trying to do with them into something pretty compelling, but it's kind of hamstrung by. hm so:

the etherean horde serves two narrative purposes that are at odds with each other. it needs to be an unalloyed "evil" side so that adora is completely justified in leaving it and it is "good" when ex-horde members leave and bad when they stay (scorpia, entrapta, catra). but it also needs to be just one side/clique in a character conflict where being within it doesn't necessarily reflect on a character's morality, else a bunch of stuff becomes kind of incoherent (entrapta and scorpia in one way and catra and hordak in another) it's mainly the 'the etherean horde needs as an evil conquering force' that's causing the dissonance here? because reading the conflict as interpersonal and the horde as 'bad' and bad to stay in because it's where everyone involved is stuck in and perpetuating the cycle of abuse and leaving is a sign of healing works really well, it's just that the inciting incident causes a lot of dissonance because gives everything an implied backdrop of like. civilians getting murdered

horde prime as like an individual being is like. efficient use of screen time I get why they did it but it also kinda fucks up the metaphor/parallels they were going for with him? yk like he's the embodiment of a concept - religion/empire as homogenising forces that punishes all deviation from the norm as to extract use - and attaching that onto one singular being isn't very fitting. the show already halfway addresses this by making horde prime a concept of sorts yk not any one being with any one body but a disembodied mind that creates vessels to contain himself and can take over his followers' bodies but like ideally he wouldn't be yk an individual but more a... personification of the Horde's hivemind/collective beliefs of sorts I guess?

shrug I love the show for what it is; this is just me musing more than anything else. like a lot of the stuff it does with the etherian+galactic horde as well as the first ones and the princesses in later seasons is very compelling to me, it's just that some of the stuff in earlier seasons is kind of shaky as a foundation

#my rambles #most of the show's thematic muddiness is downstream of the first issue really #spop #spop.txt #idk if this makes sense but like rn the burden of taking the show on its own terms is on you fixing that would take it within the show

[libertineangel]

Over the next decade or so, the bastion at Sym proved many times over that it could, in fact, repel Raltek incursions without the galactic storm, and often without even the nearest Iivarian fleet to reinforce them, for the shipyards were five jumps away and much time was spent integrating the varied advances reverse-engineered by Borin's salvage work, which ranged from rapid-fire light cannons to a silicon-based hull plating capable of restoring its own structural integrity.

The Helvan Nation, unfortunately, could not repel the Raltak Horde, and as it continued to suffer from the invasion it lacked the resources to continue its agreements with the Iivarian Republic, eventually surrendering entirely to become a satrapy of the Horde.

In the south, the Multyx had somehow earned the ire of the Commonwealth of Tanzin, who successfully moved to revoke their (and their vassals') membership to the United Knowledge Cooperative, despite them still being vassals themselves to the Qell'Nudaran. Further south still, at the southernmost tip of the galaxy, Cmdr Alantönen made a series of remarkable discoveries: ancient scrolls in sealed ritualistic containers, bearing a remarkable resemblance to religious scriptures from ancient Iivarian society. There were four scattered across a far-off group of star systems, each corresponding to one of the four gods of old Iivar, and though their language was archaic translators felt an instinctive understanding strong enough to make quick work of them. They spoke of prophecy, and destiny, and greatness to be achieved among the stars - none knew quite what to make of this, seemingly the words of ancient gods long since discarded now returned to them from thousands of lightyears away, with some people turning to the ancient religion for the first time in millennia, though most took a more academic fascination to the findings.

A far more significant societal shift came in a distinctly physical form - seeing the need to adapt to an ever more troubled galaxy, all citizens were offered free procedures to fit them with cybernetic enhancements. This was a great success, though an enormous investment, and the benefits were felt in all walks of life, such that Prime Minister Valhainan's latest electoral victory came in a landslide. Enhancements to life itself were also made in the biological sciences, as genetic research advanced to the point where it was possible to uplift particularly intelligent pre-sapient species to a level of consciousness on par with any other peoples of the galaxy, the first true tests of which were conducted on the Reyubb species of Lortavaara, a sentient form of fungus found on a planet rapidly becoming the industrial hub of the Republic; the Reyubb quickly got their bearings as citizens, and it was hard to remember a time when they were anything else.

The Republic's commitment to peace even when under threat attracted the attention of one Judge Uld Dagr, trained to have deepest reverence for justice and fair use of authority in a far-off society; he was of the age a judge was expected to retire among his kind, but feeling he had no reason to end his work he left to travel the galaxy in search of a society that would allow him to continue. The Custodial Iivarian Republic proved to be that society, and he volunteered to join their ranks as a peacekeeper and tactician.

#custodial iivarian republic #stellaris

[edge-lorde]

now that the long comic is done, my hands are still itching to do something-- would anyone be interested in my ramblings on horde cosmology? i dont think im ever going to make a comic that fully addresses it but i got some time on my hands. its based on christianity so its just one giant blaspheme lol

#shera #spop #horde clones #the galactic horde #the horde #horde prime #rambling #Thoughts #i was raised christian and i dont have any religious trama #so i think its kind of a loving send up #even if jesus is an evil space tyrant #just be clear this does not mean that i ahve the horde being good actually #no its still extremely bad and a cult #but what i mean is im not just dunking on religion and making christianity but evil #i find reading fanatsy versions of my cultural religion very fascinating #and the horde is the prefect opportunity to do that with

[soranis-sunshadow]

Why Hordak and all of his brothers are cult victims suffering from Religious Trauma Syndrome

A detailed (and very, very, veeeeryy long) explanation on why I take issue with dismissing Hordak’s trauma as “daddy issues” that is frequently done as a way to hand wave his background and the context for his actions all while attributing said cultic abuse and indoctrination narrative to a character that, though has a tragic, abuse-laden past has never actually been part of a cult. *cough* Catra *cough*

Lets see how deep the rabit hole goes shall we?

First off: The Galactic Horde is based on a suicide cult, with Horde Prime as its leader.  

That is irrefutable fact. It has been stated by the show runner and there are plenty of in-show examples of religious speak, religious themes pertaining to Horde Prime and his acolytes and even the interior design of Horde Prime’s ship is that of a grandiose Cathedral.

The source of this is an article by Polygon where the show runner breaks down what went into creating Horde Prime. (link in the notes)

Onto The Etherian Horde – though totalitarian in nature, it is not a religious institution – merely a military operation. Though the argument could be made that propaganda is used to instill an anti-princess agenda, no horde members are ever seen spouting doctrine or discrimination against their very own Princess in the ranks – Scorpia. Not only is she not discriminated against, she holds the rank of Force Captain. She also has the respect of her peers.

The only person that seemed to have taken it seriously is Adora, who - due to Shadow Weaver’s personal attention – has been raised with the specific mindset of a self-sacrificing martyr. After learning of the fact that Shadow Weaver has always known about the Heart of Etheria, it is not a huge leap to assume that in her bid for more power, her plan had always been to have Adora unleash the planet’s magic, possibly sacrificing herself in the process. Shadow Weaver had groomed her for this specific purpose.  (It’s one of the reasons for which the subject of Adora’s martyrdom hurts Catra so deeply –she had been witness to the manipulation taking place but was powerless to do anything about it for most of her life)

The other cadets are more well-adjusted and don’t seem to care much about the horde’s ideology or goals, not even Catra who has suffered the brunt of Shadow Weaver’s psychological and physical abuse and has been subjected to her manipulation too.  

The above exchange proves that even if there had been any indoctrination in The Etherian Horde, it has failed in affecting Catra’s judgment. I am legitimately surprised on how little credit her own fans give her and on how her perceptiveness and intellect is dismissed to have her fit into this “brainwashed victim“ agenda for more “sympathy points”.

With that having been said I’ll start this off with a bit of a definition: Religious Trauma Syndrome is a common experience shared among many who have escaped cults, fundamentalist religious groups, abusive religious settings, or other painful experiences with religion.

The symptoms of Religious Trauma Syndrome are comparable to the symptoms of complex PTSD. The symptoms are as follows.

(link in the notes)

I will discuss all of the symptoms and causes by turn and expand upon them.

1)      Cognitive: Confusion, poor critical thinking ability, difficulty with decision-making,

negative beliefs about self-ability & self-worth, black & white thinking, perfectionism,

Hordak’s whole misguided crusade on Etheria is an act of confusion. What on green Earth had ever convinced him that it would work in proving his worth to Prime? Hordak had been confused on the reason of his rejection, self-delusional even.  Hear me out:

Despite what Hordak himself believes, he wasn’t excommunicated because he was useless, he was abandoned for being born defective, aka for existing as he was created.

His inborn defect, by nature of being an unchangeable fact was not something that he could overcome in order to earn back the acceptance of his Maker. To a certain degree, he was aware of this but had refused to acknowledge it and as such, he has framed it to himself as “his defect makes him worthless”.

By overcoming uselessness and proving his competence in furthering Prime’s goals, he had convinced himself that he would be welcome back into his brother’s flock.

He had convinced himself that by proving his usefulness, it would erase his defect. He had given himself a reason for rejection that, unlike an inborn one, could be overcome - worthlessness.  His logic being that Worthless=Defective, if he were useful, he wouldn’t be defective anymore.

He has framed his accidental stranding on Etheria as a trial of faith, not a chance at freedom or bid for power and self-actualization.

In his confused reasoning, he had not realized that by attempting to prove his worth to Horde Prime, he would be in essence, proving that Prime had been mistaken about his deficiency. This was anathema to Horde Prime’s own doctrine – that Prime is all knowing, all powerful and Horde Prime is Never Wrong. His attempts were always destined to fail from the start, the premise was flawed at the core but Hordak’s own wishful thinking prevented him from seeing the fault in his mission.

This is how Hordak sees himself:

This defect => useless => worthless mentality can be observed when he projects onto Catra. I swear, everyone projects onto everyone else in this series.

This is an example of him emulating the only leadership he’s ever known  - that of Horde Prime and exerting Prime’s judgment over a supplicant or Prime – In this case Catra (what Prime would have done to him in the same situation). He imitates Prime’s way of speaking and even his facial expression during Prime’s “speeches” (look at position of his ears in this scene and that little dimple damnit!!!)

(yes, *sigh* I did a spacebat ear position diagram)

Horde Prime has that ear position even when possessing his little brothers to give his grandiose speeches:

Hordak’s and other little brother’s “default” ear position:

It’s worth adding that perfectionism is not only part of a symptom of his cult trauma but also a tenant of Prime’s doctrine making it a double whammy.

2). Emotional: Depression, anxiety, anger, grief, loneliness, difficulty with pleasure, loss of meaning

As they say, a picture says a thousand words…

To call Hordak depressed is like calling the ocean mildly humid.

He is alone, on a planet of primitive aliens (from his perspective) surrounded by potential enemies and in an incredibly vulnerable position due to his illness with no clear end to any of it in sight. He feels nothing for this world other than irritation at his inability to leave it. His only meaning and purpose is returning to his congregation, a purpose he is no closer to fulfilling than he was when he had started a few decades ago. The only open displays of emotion he manifests are that of anger, self-loathing., frustration, fear – in the blanket scene before he comes to his senses completely and starts masking the fear with anger… at the blanket… there was nothing else in the room to be angry at… ridiculous spacebat.

After Catra deceives him about Entrapta, he openly manifests grief and apathy as well.

3).   Social: Loss of social network, family rupture, social awkwardness, behind schedule on developmental tasks, sexual difficulty (no snu snu for religiously repressed spacebats... yet  *wink wink*)  

This one is self-explanatory.  He is in essence an exile on Etheria, away from all he has ever known. He is the only one of his kind on the planet, even Imp - his attempt at replication is not a proper replacement for the community provided by the Hive mind.

From a social perspective- he is a recluse and is not seen interacting with anyone in anything but a “professional “ manner.  The only exception to this is Entrapta’s interaction to him. Due to her indifference to his posturing, she is immune to his attempts at self-isolation. “Get out!” and vague threats of reprimands don’t work on her. Their shared interest in science allows Entrapta to force the interaction on him. (At least in the beginning of their collaboration)

Later, after having become accustomed to Entrapta’s companionship and having that ripped away, he tries to form a connection – at least of commiseration – with Catra:

 Even after she did this to him:

he still tried to form a connection through their shared need to prove their own worth.  

Did you catch that little detail? : “Victory is ours” not “mine”.

4.) Cultural: Unfamiliarity with secular world; “fish out of water” feelings, difficulty belonging, information gaps (e.g. evolution, modern art, music)

…                                

Do I really need to expand on this one? *Sigh* … he is literally an alien to this world, “fish out of water” would be an understatement.

 As we have established, he fits the bill of Religious Trauma Syndrome to a T. He presents all of the symptoms.

Now let’s move onto the causes of it:

 1). Suppression of normal child development – cognitive, social, emotional, moral stages are arrested

This one is self-explanatory. The horde clones and by extension Hordak are severely stunted in their psychological development and that is by design. They are deliberately kept from developing an adult mentality so as to never become a threat to Horde Prime or ever be able to break away from his control. Prime keeps them in a child-like dependency on him as a way to exert his power over them.  Should they ever develop even a budding sense of self, their indoctrination compels them to submit to correction and erasure ensuring that they never surpass this state of learned helplessness. Horde Prime encourages this self-flagellating behavior, deeming it a mercy, even a favor to be granted – to suffer in His Name.

Hordak shows almost no emotional coping mechanisms and manifests child-like tantrums of frustration as an only outlet for his emotions throughout the show. He attempts to hide any other attempt at emotion, with differing degrees of success.

Wrong Hordak is emotionally unstable and is prone to fits of crying. (However, due to the comedic fashion in which his arc is written, I suppose that this could be taken with a grain of salt)

The clones are not only prevented from growing and maturing mentally, they are also robbed of childhoods –having been born in adult bodies and with the necessary knowledge to serve Prime literally programmed into them so as to make them able to serve efficiently from their first breath. As such, they are robbed of their formative years where one individual grows and develops naturally. Those precious experiences are replaced by Horde Prime’s literal programming through the hardware they have installed in their bodies to facilitate Horde Prime’s control over them (without their consent).  In essence, they are a people born pre-”chipped”

Regardless of their actual age, and despite the fact that they are intelligent, capable and responsible individuals, I see the clones as having the emotional maturity of toddlers.

They never had the chance to develop any emotional coping skills, they were never allowed to have emotions to begin with.

2). Damage to normal thinking and feeling abilities -information is limited and controlled; dysfunctional beliefs taught; independent thinking condemned; feelings condemned

This is The Galactic Horde’s core belief:

Along with:

Incidentally, Hordak does his version of this speech trying to puff himself up in front of his soldiers… buuut Catra pushes the Failure button and that snaps him out of his little Prime impersonation moment.  

More dysfunctional beliefs:

Condemnation of independent thinking:

Results in this:

No further explanations are necessary…

3). External locus of control – knowledge is revealed, not discovered; hierarchy of authority enforced; self not a reliable or good source

Prime exerts his dominance throughout S5 by force,

and coercion:    

He is even petty and vindictive enough to force himself into Hordak immediately after his speech and to kill Entrapta with Hordak’s own body.

As for the self not being a reliable narrator… Hordak believed this about his former position.

He is not prone to exaggeration or deception being woefully incompetent in the latter – both perpetrating and spotting it.  We have to assume that this is the way he saw his position in the Galactic Horde.

Season 5 revealed that all of the clones are equally disposable and interchangeable, there are no ranks. They are all equal tools whose sole purpose is furthering Horde Prime’s agenda. Horde Prime has no need for generals or delegating since he is able to inhabit his little brothers and be in more than one place at the same time. Hordak’s job in S5 was that of hall monitor and planetary acquisitions guy…

@cruelfeline​ goes into detail about the dissonance between what Hordak believes and what is actually his position in The Galactic Horde. A link to it is in the notes because Tumblr is being fussy. 

4.) Physical and sexual abuse – patriarchal power; unhealthy sexual views; punishment used as for discipline

Some people have seen this, ugh… form of penetration… ugh again… as rape allegory.

Not a hard thing to do since Prime himself is rape personified and he consistently forces himself onto and into his little brothers, Catra and later, the chipped Etherians.  Prime does nothing but "bad touch" people all of S5 and is particularly enjoying his disciplining of his "wayward little brother", the most unworthy and unlovable amongst his brothers. (According to the extended scene)

Here’s some more of Prime’s touching with rape subtext:

Here’s more of Prime forcing himself into his little brothers – they all seem to fight it and find it painful to some degree despite the fact that they have been conditioned to accept it and welcome it. Prime’s touch is a good thing, even when it hurts them.

Ironically, the one who fights this violation the least is Hordak himself. (this could be either because he’s extra repentant and wished not to further draw Prime’s ire or that his condition of chronic illness has raised his pain threshold)

The process of possession is not seamless and some of the clones appear to be unsettled by it after prime retreats from their bodies.

As much as this Utter Disaster of a clone wanted to finish his little speech about dirt and as much as he was gleefully enjoying it, after Prime was done with him… he just wanted his task over with…

            The very nature of their indoctrination makes them unable to escape what has been done to them nor change their whole world view without outside intervention – which is exactly the help that Wrong Hordak received immediately after being abducted from the collective by people who slowly de-indoctrinated him and offered him a supportive environment for all of that growth and healing to happen.

When the Best Friend Squad kidnapped him, he was ardent about his service to Prime and he only followed them because they deceived him in believing they were servants of Horde Prime.

By providing clear irrefutable evidence of Prime’s fallibility, deceit and the squad’s (mostly Entrapta and Glimmer)  moral support throughout this moral crisis, they (just Entrapta here *coughs* ) were able to wean him off of his programmed behavior and offer him an informed choice.

This is information none of the other clones, not even Hordak were privy to.

Even with this information, Wrong Hordak is still in emotional turmoil (though the show plays it for laughs – yuck)

The closest Hordak ever gets to walking away from Prime’s doctrine is this moment:

He was considering indefinitely putting it off to stay here, with her, and her worldview that he could be worth something, imperfect as he is. He is offered her emotional support and guidance.

Unfortunately... Catra nipped that in the bud before it could lead anywhere.

 After convincing Hordak that Entrapta betrayed him, her message of inherent worth was rendered null, to him - her unconditional affection and the notion that he could to live apart from Prime were a manipulation. This further radicalized him in his faith and need to prove his worthiness.

Not only did Catra remove Entrapta’s influence over him, she goaded him even further with this cursed little speech and her whole “yass queen moment!”. you know the one...

“Get.Over.IT! You don’t need Entrapta. You never did. You don’t need a Princess in your life telling you what to do. Look at what you’ve done without her. You’ve build an army. An empire! You and me, we don’t need anyone. Forget them all. No one matters, nothing matters but this mission. You want to prove yourself, prove your worth? Then do it! You and I are going to conquer Etheria. And then, they’ll all see!”

Both of them were in clear downfall in S4 and they amplified each other’s most negative tendencies. I will not hold this against her. 

             The last thing I want to mention is that for cult victims, it is incredibly hard, if not, almost impossible to leave their cults by themselves. The first step for leaving a cult in the real world is looking for outside assistance.

It takes enormous amounts of strength – an almost imaginable degree of resolve – to leave a cult, particularly when you may have been born into one and have no friends or connections on the outside world. Cult survivors are often ostracized by everyone they have ever known who remain within the organization. To a cultist, the world outside the cult is a hostile, sinful and dangerous place. The assistance of someone from the outside is crucial.

Only with the assistance of a “friendly outsider” or a support group can the former cultist change the world view with which they had been indoctrinated with (sometime since early childhood).

A cult and set of beliefs warps your whole world view to the point of delusion. Faith in the cultic creeds is more important than factual evidence. As  a matter of fact, the evidence in itself is evil, a contradiction to the creeds of faith and successfully denying it is an act of faith fulfilled. This mentality is encouraged in cults.

Many people in this fandom have claimed that Hordak, once pulled through the portal was free to do as he pleases. (he didn’t chose to come to Etheria – his arrival on the planet was accidental)

This is not really the case. Hordak never decided to leave the cult. He was still part of the cult when he was sent to his death on the battlefield for his defect and he was still a believer when the portal delivered him to Etheria.

In essence, Hordak didn’t leave his cult so much as he was forced apart from it, physically. In spirit, he still believed in Horde Prime’s dogma.  His experience is the equivalent of a religious man getting stranded on an island in the middle of the ocean. He is apart from his church, but his faith is still with him. Hordak’s faith hadn’t waned in the decades of separation. His purpose had always been returning to Horde Prime –hence the focus on building a portal and not on levelling towns with an arm laser cannons. He has proven in S4 that, had his main mission actually been conquest, he could have done it with not much difficulty – He wasn’t half bad at it actually. Instead, he delegated the conquest to his underlings and focused most of his attention on attempts at reuniting with Horde Prime via investigating rogue portals and trying to build one of his own.

Due to the nature of his “upbringing”, Hordak’s whole world view is warped. He has not had the benefits of a “moral” education from a human’s standpoint. Why would training cadets to become soldiers in your army be morally reprehensible when you, yourself, had been bred for war and have served your God with your first breath?

This was Hordak’s idea of a “normal” childhood:

What could he possibly know about the healthy raising of children?

Why would conquering a planet be a morally reprehensible thing when his God did this to places?

And this:

Before one ascribes evil motivation, for the sake of evil – one should bear in mind that these creeds were literally programmed into him. This is not a life he has chosen for himself– this is something he was born into, literally manufactured for, this is something that was done to him.

And for those that would have wanted him to regret his actions on screen, keep in mind that it will likely  take a lot of therapy and reeducation before he even comprehends the nature and magnitude of his crimes on Etheria.

(besides the fact that he had spent 99% of season 5 in an amnesiac daze doesn’t help with the whole remembering his crimes bit either)

The show runner has declared in one of her post show interview that he will make reparations for the damage he’s caused.

What more do people want from a person born and flung into an impossible situation besides his head on a plate?

Phew!

Long post was long

#hordak #horde prime #catra #spop discourse #spop meta #cultic indoctrination #religious trauma #will you stop calling them daddy issues now?

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

Humans are Space Orcs, “I Have Seen.”

Wrote something easy and more similar to my original stories today. I hope you like it. 

I have been thinking about taking a couple days off from writing these stories, since I have been working non stop on this and the book for over a year now, so I am considering taking a break for about a week so I don’t burn out. I haven’t decided yet, so we shall see, but I hope you all have a great day.

I have a job no one knows about.

I don’t think anyone would be surprised if they heard about my job. I don’t even think they would care all that much.

None of this explains why my work station is in the basement of a nondescript government bunker on a death planet…. A!36. I can’t explain why I need three codes to get into my office, or why I go through five locked doors, or why I am not allowed to tell anyone what I do on pain of termination and imprisonment. 

You would assume, perhaps that I am a spy, and involved in some covert cloak and dagger espionage against other species and nations: you would be wrong.

You might assume I am a weapons developer, but you would also be wrong.

Perhaps you think I spend my time wire-tapping on important calls between species and recording important information.

None of this is really the case.

In fact, what I do is quite safe and relatively simple, plenty of other non-humans are doing it of their own accord and plenty more humans do it on a regular basis. What I do is not illegal, it is not espionage, it wouldn’t even phase you.

If that is the case.

Why do so many of my coworkers go missing?

Why are there absent desks every few months?

Why can I not make any lasting friends?

Management always give excuses to those of us who are left.

They left for mental health reasons.

THey moved on to a different job.

They are moving up in the company.

They had to be let go.

All things generic and all things that wouldn’t generally raise suspicion… unless they happen so frequently as us.

You may be wondering at this point, what it is I do for a job.

Perhaps, you think, it is very boring and unfulfilling that I would go insane from sheer boredom.

No, I actually find my job quite interesting.

Perhaps you think my job forces me to watch very disturbing and violent things…. And I suppose that could be close to the truth, though no one forces us to watch the videos if we don’t want, and no one makes us read the material if we cannot handle it. In fact, there are those of us who specialize in that sort of thing.

I do.

I am a specialist in historical xenopsychology.

I study human history.

When I say that I study human history, I do not mean as in a passing fancy. I do not simply read their school children’s textbooks and accept everything I see as truth, no, every day , I come into work and it is my job, to learn about everything that has ever happened in human history, to the best of my ability.

It is my job to know the good, the bad, the ugly, and the monstrous.

I work from day to night, cataloguing and filling my brain with all the information I can before recording it as a lecture on aura drives, which are then stored away for future use in a deep backup system under the surface of this planet.

I have followed human history since the beginning of time.

And I have marveled at it.

Much of my research is flawed, I know. Human history has always been biased, history being shaped and molded by the winners of conflict. Much of what else I know stems primarily from scholarly work humans have done on their own species, looking back the centuries and making assumptions about what they were doing.

While this is a good insite -- humans trying to explain the behavior of other humans-- it isn’t necessarily correct.

For this reason, it is my job to study every piece of information that comes across my desk.

Due to a government agreement between the galactic assembly and the United Nations of Earth, I was given access to the rebuilt library of Alexandria and all of its electronic files which include photos and information on the original documents that they keep in sealed vaults below the library.

I have read every account of human history, and every second hand interpretation of human history that I could possibly find in my time working here.

I have read Darwin and his early theory regarding evolution. I have examined his evidence, which include images and diagrams of the human body spanning centuries. My determinations were made just the same as the rest of them. Humanity was a tree-living species that found its evolutionary niche through walking and the use of opposable thumbs.

This ability to walk, in tandem with the use of hands eventually gave rise to the slow swelling of the brain in comparison to other animals. Human evolved primitive tools, and even more primitive religions, societies and rules.

They developed art early on, painting on the walls of their caves, in the darkness of night surrounded by their fires.

I have read about their befriending of animals in that same darkness. Man’s slow molding of the wolf into the dog - a species designed specifically for the needs of man.

I have attempted to read every account of every atrocity ever inflicted on humanity.

I have read of wars, and battles, Marathon, Thermopylae, Kadesh, D-day, Vietnam, Korea, Russo-Japanese, World wars I, II, III,  and IV and the Panasian War. 

I have witnessed in images and first hand accounts the chilling discoveries of natural disasters gone back thousands of years. Pompeii, Mt. St Helens, Katrina, Tsunamis, earthquakes, the fire of london, 1887 yellow river flood, the 3130 California earthquake, and Haiti earthquakes. 

And I have studied and witnessed every atrocity man has ever committed on its own people. The Mongol hordes, the crusades, Mayan and Aztec sacrifices, The Armenian genocide, the Holocaust, mustard gas, 9/11, slavery in the America, the Trail of Tears, The Bataan Death March, the Berlin wall, Civil war, the French revolution, Nanjing, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

I tore a hole in humanity and looked inside to see your rot. 

I study the maggots that crawl under your skin.

Don’t confuse me with someone who fears you, or is even disgusted by you. You have committed thousands of horrors, yes this is true. But humanity is not a polished gem, it is an uncut stone marred by dirt and debris, but beautiful in a way that can hardly be explained.

You scrub away the rot only to find more underneath, yet you continue to scrub, in a futile attempt to better yourselves.

It is a beautiful thing if not in vain.

I do not judge you for your crimes because I have also seen your achievements. I watched you survive  the dark ages, I learned your philosophy from the greek world which brought the beauty of democracy and equity in later forms. I watched the enlightenment of the Renaissance, and have seen your beautiful artwork from each period of time. 

I have witnessed your great nations and empires rise and fall, Assyria, Byzantine, Rome, Britain, Egypt, Mongole, Aztek, Soviet Union, The chinese Dynasties and the Communist parties. The United States, and the Asian Co-Prosperity Collective

I have seen your bravery and your loss.

I have learned about the good that walks your earth.

Humans who stood up to tyrants.

I have even examined your stories of creation, of deities who molded humans from clay or dust, watched your world come into form in seven days, or ride on the backs of giant animals. I have seen the gods gift you with fire and learned the teaching of your martyrs over the centuries. Men and women slain and stoned or pulled away by spirits. I have learned of crucifixion, death and rebirth as well as reincarnation and a return to the very fabric of the universe itself.

I see everything.

I see everything. I see it all in my dreams laid out before me like a tapestry following each woven thread through the ages. I thought if I looked back, I could know as much as I possibly could. If I dug deep enough, I would be able to see your secrets.

And I have discovered you.

I see you hiding in there.

I know what you are.

Come out, come out.

And I won’t stop until it is all over and your cities crumbled into dust and bone.

…

…

I am being called into my manager’s office. Perhaps I too am ready to go up in the company.

...

I will be back soon…

Deus 

#humans are insane #humans are space orcs #humans are space australians #HUMANS ARE WERID #humans are space oddities #earth is a deathworld #Earth is space Ausralia

[entrapdaknation]

Loaded Language in the Galactic Horde

In his 1961 book Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism, psychiatrist Robert Lifton lists "loading the language" as one of the characteristics of brainwashing in high-control groups. "Loading the language" involves changing the meaning of words and phrases so as to alter followers' thought processes.

Many high-control groups use loaded language, but fundamentalist Christianity is notorious for doing so. Readers who are familiar with American evangelical Christianity will be familiar with how its adherents play fast and loose with word definitions. Pressuring others to convert is "love". God's commands to commit ethnic cleansing in the Hebrew Bible are examples of his "justice". A husband dominating his wife is "serving" her, and the patriarchal norms behind this practice are deemed "servant leadership". Any affronts to Christian nationalism are branded as "persecution". "Flesh", a neutral term for the body's soft tissue, becomes shorthand for demonized appetites that must be repressed. The "world", a neutral term for describing Earth and its inhabitants, becomes shorthand for all non-Christians, who are imagined as monolithic and hostile to Christians.

Horde Prime's cult, which resembles a fundamentalist religion and borrows elements from fundamentalist Christianity, uses loaded language throughout seasons 4 and 5. Words that mean one thing to the audience mean something very different to Horde Prime and his clone-slaves.

He ridicules Hordak, a clone exhibiting normal individuality and self-determination, as an "abomination", a word evoking something unnatural.

He and his clones refer to Glimmer as a "guest" when she is clearly a prisoner.

He describes his empire as one of "light", a word that evokes illumination, enlightenment, and clarity. His empire, which destroys or stunts the civilizations under its heel and deludes its chipped victims, is the opposite of "light".

He insists that his empire spreads "peace and order", when it only spreads death, destruction, and oppression.

In the purification ritual scene, he conflates "purity" with emptiness, forgetfulness, and conformity, as if memories and individuality were contaminants.

He tells Adora that his clones "lend" him their life force, when in reality, he takes it from them. Their consent is immaterial.

He addresses his clone-slaves as "little brother" and Catra as "little sister", shortly before chipping her. He appropriates terms used to describe warm familial relationships to refer to relationships of cold oppression.

To distort his victims' perception of reality, Horde Prime distorts their language. However, some of his victims resist this use of loaded language, and in doing so they reclaim truth.

Glimmer does this repeatedly. After she is taken captive on board the Velvet Glove, Glimmer incorrectly interprets Horde Prime's talk of "peace and order" to mean that he will "leave us alone". Later, she remind him that planets he brought "into [his] eternal light" were worlds he destroyed. She points out that his "peace" will leave no one left in the universe.

Hordak asserts that "I am not your brother!" when he rebels against Horde Prime.

Language shapes how we see reality, and those who wish to obscure the truth of reality will twist language to do so. Horde Prime deludes himself and those around him with loaded language, and some of his victims rebel by taking back clear language.

#hordak #glimmer #adora #hordeprime #horde prime #hordeclones #horde clones #shera #spop #fundamentalism

[freedfromthegalactichivemind]

Regarding fictional religions:   All of the discussion I was just in regarding the Galactic Horde...  Yeah, that’s how you do a religion in fiction.  You get one that’s interesting enough for people to talk about!  One that has enough parallels to one or more real life Eath-religions for the audience to understand it, but enough little tweaks to make it its own thing.    I feel spoiled with this in She-Ra, like it’s one bit of worldbuilding they actually got right.  Spop doesn’t have much worldbuilding at all - it’s more character-focused and there are a lot of loose threads (where’s my minotaur-princess, Light Hope?  Where is she?!!!) but the Galactic Horde sketched out as a cult - it’s done “just enough.”  It’s not very worldbuilt as we do not know specific details about it, such as where Horde Prime even came from or whether or not they have an afterlife-concept (it is common fanon that they do not, since it is never mentioned).  It’s never called a religion, per se, but It’s just...incredibly obvious.  And that’s what makes it scary - this is not a standard army.  The Horde is on a Holy Mission.  I compare and contrast this to some other religions I’ve seen in fiction that are... lacking?  Like, not long ago, I was re-playing The Legend of Zelda: Age of Calamity - the real-time tactics war-game based after Breath of the Wild.  There was a cutscene telling the story of the villain of that, Astor, showing the...Ganon cult? that Astor was in, worship the Malice-infected gear from the corrupted Terrako.  All they were into were “The future has been foretold!  Destruction to Hyrule!” and I was all... “Okay, I wish to learn more about this cult.”  And it’s like... we didn’t get any more.  The Malice killed all of the cult-members except for Astor, who decided that he was “chosen” and that was it.  He just went off and eviled all over the place, harvesting souls from dead Yiga to feed to Ganon and trying to kill Link and all of that.  No explanation.  I was left with WHY are you worshipping Ganon?  It was just “standard evil cult” and there was no reason why.   And I’ve played Fire Emblem: Awakening.  (Please, no questions in this in my askbox, Vezouta, if you are reading this.  I’ve already discussed to Hell and back about this game with you and I’m not really interested right now in the ins and outs of the other religions in other FE games and the origins of the mutual Ylisse / Plegia persecutions or whatever).  In the context of the game, we’re given very little explanation as to just why the Plegians are all gung-ho in giving their souls to Grima and trying to raise Grima, other than maybe revenge on Ylisse.  But, it’s like.. “Why do you see Grima as the Divine Dragon when you know they just bring death and destruction?”   And I just want to see more from cults that worship destruction, you know?  Is there something in it for the followers, like escaping destruction?  Being an elite few?  Being on a holy mission to civilize the cosmos? Is destruction a part of the destruction-rebirth cycle?  I mean, in Fallout, I really like the Children of the Atom - if you mosey up to Confessor Cromwell in Fallout 3, he explains the religion and the weirdest thing is that, to me, it actually *makes sense.*  It makes sense to me that some shocked and awed survivors of nuclear devastation *would* develop a religion around that destructive power and decide that all of the devastation split people’s atoms to give birth to countless new universes.  In Fallout 4 (where they are less harmless weirdos and become actually militant) it is explained that their worship comes from the concept of change and the change that Atom brings via destruction and mutation.  It’s all very fascinating and also a great way to do a cult in fiction, I think.  A bit of old Biblical-language there, too.  “Behold!  He is coming with the clouds!”   And I tend to think of the Galactic Horde as being like that.  Broad-brushed a bit, few details, but they don’t just say “Here’s an evil cult and they’re doing evil for evil’s sake” but, instead, actually have a basis to it.  It makes at least as much sense as Fallout’s Atom-cult.   It’s a fresh breath from seeing stuff like the Ganon-cult in Zelda (Why)?  

#horde prime #horde clones #spacebats #the galactic horde #the galactic horde religion

[silverwhiteraven]

One With the Role - A Double Trouble She-Ra One-Shot

Smol take on @sheblah‘s Chipped Double Trouble AU!

(Do not read if you’ve yet to see S5 of She-Ra!)

Double Trouble followed in perfect, practiced sync with the small group of clones that had been summoned to appear before Horde Prime on his flag ship. They had been barely a scrap of boredom away from leaving the ruse behind when the summon happened, and their interest was piqued. Finally something much more interesting was happening, and to see the mastermind of the whole galactic-takeover operation for themself? Not an opportunity to pass up. They will leave once it’s over, of course; beyond whatever the summon was for, the whole charade was a bore.

No alarms blared when Double Trouble arrived on the other side of the teleporter, and they considered that good. Clearly Horde Prime’s security wasn’t as tight as it seemed if it couldn’t even detect when someone wasn’t what they seemed. None of the surveillance drones even scanned anything already considered part of the Horde, so one fake clone was a breeze to pass by as. 

The halls of the ship seemed looped and endless, like a hall of mirrors, and as much as they admired the intended illusion caused by the design, Double Trouble was glad to not be alone, let alone the one leading the way of the group. They were the center in a group of five, the four clones around them set in a perfect square formation. It wasn’t ideal for a quick escape as being one of the back corners would have been, but it did allow for them to show off their skill in perfect synchronization with the clones. Of course, Double Trouble was the only one who could admire the feat, but internally praising themself was just as good as someone else doing it.

They and the clones entered the central hub of the ship, fully set with the observation screens around what Double Trouble assumed was the Horde’s equivalent of a throne As much as the whole place and the Horde screamed extreme religion, they could admit the themes, style, and even those lovely stained glass computer screen were on point.

The clones around Double Trouble stopped and so did they, right on cue. They didn't allow themself to externally gloat, not even a twitch of a smile, focused on maintaining the illusion. 

In a moment of beautiful and classic cliché, Horde Prime’s seat turned about to face them, with the man himself seated poised on his high tech throne. Double Trouble made a mental note to admire the moment later when they were home free and out of the role of clone.

“Welcome, little brothers,” Horde Prime’s voice rings clear in the room as he stands, and Double Trouble admires the presence he has, the ability to command the room with barely more than a greeting. Granted, he also seemed to have a strange mind control thing going, so that may have helped quite a bit on the intimidation scale as well as the actual control of the room. 

Then it registers as Horde Prime’s self-proclaimed all-seeing gaze rests on them. A harsh prickle runs down Double Trouble’s back. 

He had put emphasis on ‘brothers’. not just a normal emphasis of addressing the clones, no. He was welcoming only the clones.

They stay perfectly still and composed, not even blinking in response to the realization. Horde Prime’s eyes stay trained on them, center of the pack, the only one out of place.

The formation Double Trouble stands in the center of no longer feels like a regular formation.

It felt like a stationing of guards around a prisoner, and Double Trouble was playing the role of the captured spy.

“As you know, our grasp on Etheria and its rebellion is not as tight as it should be, and I’ve brought you here to announce a new task for our forces stationed there.” Horde Prime’s eyes had left Double Trouble as he spoke, but they remained tense. He was addressing the clones around them, yes, but as his gaze continued to sweep over them and the clones, they knew there was something waiting to be said, just for Double Trouble.

And it came far too soon.

Horde Prime’s eyes focused back on them. He stepped down from his place in front of his chair and approached. The two clones in front of them stepped aside, and this time Double Trouble doubted their tension was fully concealed as their gazes locked on each other.

“But first, I have a special offer to make,” he mused as his steps came to a stop in front of Double Trouble.

“I see all and I know all, little sibling,” he smiled, though it radiated an air of superiority, and an eerie sense of having won a game only he knew the rules of, “and I saw you.”

A flicker of light behind Horde Prime catched Double Trouble’s attention, the pretty fanned out stained glass coming to life with images. They flickered to various scenes and different perspectives, all moments captured from interactions of clones. Most of the screens go blank again, all except four. 

Each of the four was a different perspective point of the very room they stood. Each of the four was focused on a single clone in the center of a formation of five, with Horde Prime standing before them. 

Double Trouble knew without a doubt they were caught, all eyes settled on them. They swallowed their nerves and forced themselves to relax and smile nonchalantly right back at Horde Prime, breaking from their act, though not changing their appearance or voice as they do.

“So, my jig is up, I’ve been found out, congratulations,” they reply with a soft clap of their hands, feigning good sportsmanship. “I assume you know who I am?” they quiz, settling into a casual stance of a jutted hip and hands resting on their waist. 

“Of course. You are Double Trouble, shapeshifter and performer for any who require your services. For a price, of course,” he adds, his eyes narrowing and smile growing just a little sharper.

They stay tense, though emotionally they feel relaxed as they instantly fall into the familiar back and forth of deal making. “Are you making an offer, Horde Prime?”

“Indeed I am. Anything you desire shall be yours; money, protection, a home to come back to, among my ranks. And more if our goal is successfully reached. All I require is you and your skills.”

The deal sounded like one they would take in an instant. It was tempting beyond measure. But they hesitated for just a moment, hand to their chin in thought as they finally shifted out of the clone form and into the one that belonged only to Double Trouble.

“You certainly seem like one who can pay up on such an offer. What exactly do you need from me, anyways? I need to know what I'm getting myself into you know.”

His expression seemed deceptively understanding as he nodded. “I plan to put Etheria under control and in its place with a little help from technology I've developed over the centuries. Nothing harmful, just a little trinket that puts everyone at peace, with themselves and the rest of the universe.

“In fact, you won’t need to consciously do anything at all,” Horde Prime mused, looking them over, a gleam in his eye that Double Trouble couldn't quite place. “I can do all the work myself, you won't be lifting a finger on your own at all.”

“And just how will you do that?” Double Trouble asks, curiousness rising high.

“Simple, all you need is accept the gift of a new accessory.” His grin was amlist smug, like he knew he caught his prey.

He reached out his hand in offering, and all they had to do was shake on it, and the deal would be done.

It all seemed like a trap. 

Double Trouble felt like a free bird walking right into a gilded cage. 

“In that case, I’m all yours.”

And yet they took his offered hand anyway.

#double trouble #Chipped AU #horde prime #Double Trouble as Horde Prime's new host body #she ra #spop #willowbendt #thats my personal tag #plz dont mind it

[cruelfeline]

As a survivor of an evangelical xtian cult (yknow, the kind of thing that the galactic horde was Based Off Of) I honestly do not trust people who say that hordak shouldn't be redeemed or forgiven or even sympathized with. "Oh but he tried to conquer all of etheria!" Yeah and I was indoctrinated since birth to try and convert everyone I came across to xtianity! Sure it's not a one-to-one comparison but I was terrible! 1/4

"He abused x person!" And I gave people nightmares because I was convinced they were going to hell so much that they started to wonder if I was right! I did so much bad stuff and I regret what I did every day of my life but I see it all reflected in hordak's actions. Even when I got out of my cult it wasn't like a switch was flipped. Hell, I've been out a while and still struggle with the indoctrination. Leaving a cult like I have (and like he has) leads to some gnarly cognitive dissonance. 2/4

What the cult taught vs what is the truth. Who the cult made you vs who you want to be. And eventually, knowing that you hurt people while also knowing that you were programmed to do so and didn't really have a choice. Maybe I'm sinking too much personal meaning into hordak but to see some people's bad takes on him just makes me wonder what they'd think of me if they knew how many people I'd hurt while doing what was seen as good in the eyes of my church. 3/4

Like obviously I can't speak for all exvies or ex-cult people but personally I just get so uncomfortable seeing people with such bad takes on hordak because it makes me nervous that they would hold the same views towards actual real life cult survivors like me who did awful things that they had been made to think were right, or good. I just. I don't know. I'm trying to be better, and I think hordak would be trying too if he had been given literally any chance to. 4/4

Thank you sincerely for sharing your thoughts, anon. They are valuable in this fandom. I don’t think you’re sinking too much personal meaning into Hordak; rather, it sounds like you are a person that relates to him significantly because the experiences he represents are similar to what you went through.

And I understand your negative feelings towards people who provide these bad Hordak takes; hard to say, whether said takes would translate into real-world animosity, but it’s concerning. I can imagine that it might make it hard to feel comfortable in certain portions of the fandom. I also imagine that people who say these things don’t even slightly consider that there are fans who deeply relate to Hordak’s story in this manner and thus might be hurt by their poor takes. Hm.

Something that I wonder, anon, is whether or not people who say such things regarding Hordak, who minimize a situation that you know full-well is dire, just... have no concept of it?

I have this sense that they hear “religious trauma” and watch the show and assume that like... I don’t know... that Hordak is the equivalent of some person who trots off to church on Sundays and uses the resulting religious affiliation to support bigotry or somesuch. And what they don’t understand is that this isn’t the equivalent of... like... “normal” religion.

This is (and obviously correct me if I’m off, anon, as you have the experience, and I do not) a situation where there is nothing else. There is no “rest of the week outside of church.” The church, or rather, the cult, is everything. It is Hordak’s entire life. It is all he knows, all he interacts with, all he sees and understands. It goes so deep that it alters his understanding of how the universe works. It is so pervasive, so ingrained, so foundational in his life that demanding that he just leave it behind and “snap out of it” is akin to demanding he step out of his skin. It’s just not that easy and not that simple.

I also wonder if... if some people think that their concept of how the world works, particularly in terms of morality, is like... this obvious, universal thing. And they don’t realize that said concept is truly a result of their lifelong socialization. It’s not automatic. It’s not instinctive. It feels like it is, but it’s not. It’s just so ingrained that they don’t realize it.

And because of that, they can’t fathom how another might have a different concept. And, as a result, assume that such an individual has to be bad or wrong in some way. Hm.

Thank you again for sharing, anon. I hope you are doing well; dunno if it’s worth much, but I acknowledge your experiences and wish you happiness.

#tw: cults #Anonymous

[askvectorprime]

Dear Vector Prime, who are the Mystibots? You briefly spoke about them a long time ago, but never gave us any insight on who or what they are.

Dear Mystic Master,

I have, in the past, touched upon my species’ strange relationship with magic. We are no strangers to the world of the supernatural—we have worshipped and battled gods, venerated holy talismans, and dispatched otherworldly horrors all over the multiverse—but there are vanishingly few Cybertronians who can be said to have truly mastered the mystic arts. Indeed, in many universes, magic is fatal to our kind; its mere touch causes Cybertronian matter to crumble and die. 

Such was the case in the universe I now relate to you. In this reality, a careless Decepticon research team had discovered the corrosive powers of Angolmois during the height of the Great War. Their first experiments with Angolmois merely sowed hatred and disharmony among soldiers and civilian prisoners alike; as they synthesized more and more, however, a terrible transformation took place. Mere arguments escalated into fights, fights became riots, and those riots became something far worse. Across the length and breadth of the city-state, the rioters froze where they stood and then collapsed on the floor, dead... but not for long. Slowly, each Cybertronian rose to its feet, their sparks snuffed out and replaced by a terrible half-spark, a parody of a living Cybertronian. The shambling hordes of the Creeping Sparks began their dread advance, transforming more of their kind into gruesome undead monsters. It was a terrible war, a war that the miraculous super-science of Cybertron could not fight. The Creeping Sparks shrugged off advanced energy weapons and ignored scalding acid concoctions; antimatter bombs could reduce them to their component molecules, but not fast enough to stem the infectious tide, their numberless hordes clawed through energy shields and overloaded generators, and no nano-chemical concoction in the galaxy could counteract the forces of raw disharmony and hatred that had birthed them.

It was, perhaps, fortunate that the Autobot commander Perihelion and a team of archeologists happened to be off-world at the time. Perihelion had long been an open-minded student of alien religions and alternate belief systems, and when the first reports of the “living dead” trickled out to those remote Autobot command posts, Perihelion and her team—impulsive Convex, ingenious Lathe, wise Downpipe—quickly realized that this was a threat that atheistic, materialistic Cybertronian philosophy could not defeat. Thinking quickly, Perihelion and her team set course for a distant region in the galactic rim, where rumors swirled that science had fallen out of favor and magic reigned supreme. If anyone could help, she reasoned, perhaps it would be them.

As Perihelion and her comrades studied ancient disciplines and harnessed magic artifacts sourced from many worlds—Prysmos, Tri-Ceti, even the forbidden texts of the Dire Wraiths—it became clear that the transition from regular Autobots into the newly-dubbed “Mystibots” would not be an easy one. Raw magic was just as virulent against Cybertronian life as ever, and early experiments with basic spells proved that they would not be able to simply cast spells by waving their hands. Instead, Lathe was able to devise a sophisticated armor upgrade that safely dispelled magic energy while “earthing” any residual energy to the ground. In place of standard cybertanium alloys, they adopted heavy stone armor etched with protective runes; in place of blasters, they wielded enchanted swords and mystic hammers, consecrated by a dozen priests on a dozen worlds.

Their ship full of flaming grimoires, sentient staffs, daemonic familiars, spells of protection, transmutation, and obliteration—the Mystibots returned to Cybertron hoping that they had covered every base. They returned not a moment too soon, for the Creeping Sparks had broke the perimeter the Autobots had established and threatened to destroy neighboring cities. The ensuing battle to liberate the stricken city was a truly awe-inspiring one. The inscribed tesla wheels of Convex dropped bolts of supernatural lightning on her foes; Lathe’s alchemic waves transmuted more into motionless lead statues; Downpipe crushed his foes between impenetrable mystic barriers. But it was Perihelion who was the most awe-inspiring; as her sigils flared, she surrounded herself in the outline of a fiery phoenix and simply burned the impurities away, a sight visible for many miles. Even this might not have been enough. As the numberless hordes threatened to overwhelm the stalwart foursome, Perihelion made a final suicide move that would cauterize the infection at the source—using the last spell she had to drain her very spark to power her final blast. The magical explosion destroyed Hexima completely, including the three Mystibots… but her sacrifice, the willingness to lay down her life for the greater good, dissipated the dark spiritual hold of the Angolmois over Cybertron and its storm of negative emotions. For the first time, the sun shone, a freshforged laughed... and Cybertron was saved.

#ask vector prime #transformers #maccadam #mystibots #angolmois #great war #creeping sparks #perihelion #convex #lathe #downpipe #prysmos #tri-ceti #dire wraiths #hexima #crossblades

[ravageknight-eternal]

Reptilians/Saurians - Ancient earthly civilization of intelligent dinosaurs. Master manipulators of biology and genetics, dwell mostly underground or in jungle/desert environments. Utilize biotechnological advances made from living organisms, strictly hierarchal and warlike, but honorable, and intelligent.

Architects/Ancients - Mysterious constructors of immense megaliths on Earth, across the System, and across the galaxy. Structures seem to activate for various purposes, and are extremely advanced, almost magical. No one has ever observed an actual Architect..

Elders(?)- Another very old civilization. Considered the progenitors of mankind. Very obviously related to us, and often adopt lofty personas and behaviors to lord over their creations and their worlds. Excessive, gluttonous. Prone to destroying the life they create out of spite when they are surpassed. Essentially vampirish and elvish, but from space.

Formics/Colony/Brood - Galactic locust-horde, wandering across the stars, hungrily consuming all matter to make more of themselves. Live in gigantic swarms of moving converted planets, vessels, asteroids, comets, etc. Despite their seemingly mindless conversion, the Brood demonstrates complex and intelligent behavior that showcases a deep hive-minded structure coupled with intensive, adaptive individual personalities that manifest as exceptional beings within the colonies. These individuals seem separate from the basic drone-worker rank and file with personal behaviors, ornate armor, and more. The amassing of their species on Earth and bizarre defensive structures pointed skyward seem to indicate they’re running from something with a bigger appetite than themselves..

Greys - Small, seemingly cybernetic brings that are known for abductions. Common on Earth, and considered a basic phenomena in the daily lives of people on Earth, even prior to Contact. Small Greys, Tall Greys. While rarer, it is known that an organized, or supposedly militaristic, faction does exist, with uniforms, weapons, and all. Their exact purpose on Earth seems to be hidden from those they take, as it is known and common for Greys to often mislead those they abduct. The immense hatred of Greys by nearly all extraterrestrial factions on Earth seems to speak to some vast, horrid crime or agenda. Huh.

Overlords - Despite the name, Overlords are generally diminutive beings, smaller than the average Homo Sapiens Sapiens. Despite their almost laughable size, Overlords are the ultimate psychic and psionic brings. Their manipulative minds can shatter even the powerful psychological technology of the Greys with utter ease. They are considered nightmarish thought-beings, creatures that harvest the minds and consciousness of intelligent species for nefarious, unthinkable processes that remain unseen in the depths of their labyrinthine configurations. It is known that beyond them is a colossal apparatus at work across the cosmos, hungrily draining the terrors, thoughts, and minds of every thinking world in their path..

Automatons/Machinations/Constructs - The churning clanking and clattering of these living devices is an unsettling roar across the most desolate regions of the Earth. No one actually knows how, or when, or why these mechanisms have manifested on Earth. Their complex, orbiting, flowing metal-light bodies crackle with lightning and plasma. They bear weapons that can effectively, completely erase one from existence, particle by particle. Their structures gnaw at spacetime; clockwork fortresses that summon colossal automaton lords. As of now, everyone leaves these guys alone.

Aurora/Essences - Living energy beings, and worshipped by crystal-clutching clergies and cults. Although they’ve got a quirky following, the Auroras are essentially harmless wanderers, living and thinking particle winds that have seen billions and billions of worlds across immense eons.

Nordics/Arayans - Bone-pale, beautiful, immortal blonde haired people from beyond the stars. And genocidal annihilators who gifted Nazi Germany horrific weaponry against the Allies. When they finally learned of the defeat of their Earthly Champions, the Nordics decided they would finish the job Adolf couldn’t. Their lyrical, lovely voices are simply a poetic distraction from their omnicidal campaign they’ve carried out across the Orion Arm. Currently, they occupy much of Russia, working with the secretive Fourth Reich to eliminate all unclean from the Urals to Siberia. Extremely wanted war criminals by the Federation.

Atlanteans/Lemurians - Magical, prehistoric precursor humanity who dwells on sunken continents in the Indian and Atlantic oceans. Their technology manipulates the fundamental physical structure of water and ice, remaining unseen (and undisturbed) for millennia on the Earth.

Imperials/Royals - A collection of alien races from around the Milky Way currently in a severe civil war after the split between their Empire (the Void Emperor) and a ruthless royal family (The Line of Cygnus). Most species are non-human, and non-humanoid as well, via their origination outside of the Creator Sphere. The Royal Occupation of Earth has actively manipulated numerous earthly nations to support their battle against the Empire, promising technological magic and “enlightenment” for genetic material, resources, et all. Meanwhile, the Empire occupies a portion of at least every major body in the Solar System, almost laughably massive, but hasn’t attacked yet. Bureaucratic talks with the Federation continue.

Federation - Another collection of interstellar aliens. A well-to-do and extremely altruistic, but commanding, organization that does its best to manage galactic affairs. While their actions may be slow via lengthy paperwork and diplomatic organizing, the Federation is no laughing matter when it comes to business. Many galactic forces of serious ability defer to the Federation, and countless alien factions on Earth have come to at least attempt to respect the might of the Federation. Humanity generally likes these guys.

Holy Terror - A fanatical religious nightmare that slips through the Galaxy aboard gigantic, gothic Cathedral-Ships. Damp, gnarled interiors illuminated by black fire burning candles. Hallowed tremors echo, the music of terrible choirs. The religion of these horrid beings is poorly understand, but one thing is known: they will convert your civilization, or erase it. Conversion is a horrific process of mutilation, parasitic infestation, and outright consumption by undying powers housed deep in the bowels of those grotesque vessels. Erasure is equally brutal, with terrifying abominations unleashed to completely eradicate all life. The Fleet at Earth is said to be commanded by their God itself, and by the foul, obsidian flames that orbit that behemoth ship: it seems the stories are true..

Blue Sphere Alliance - “Spiritual” aliens who care about consciousness and freedom of their fellow Blue Sphere inhabitants. Funny enough, the Blue Sphere is a reference to a singular location in the Milky Way Galaxy almost entirely inhabited by multiple, intelligent, humanoid aliens. We, and almost all alien factions on Earth, represent natives to the Sphere. The Alliance desperately wishes to rejoin the Creator, the fabled maker of intelligent and humanoid beings in the Galaxy. On Earth, the Alliance is well-liked because of its physical efforts to ensure order and freedom continue to exist. Thanks to their intervention, things like cancer and malaria are memories of the past. Sadly though, war remains. Still working on that one.

Daemons/Demons/Archons - The Nine Archons. The ultimate evil currently present on the planet. Vast, unified hatred that commands a limitless army of demonic horrors who hunger for every soul and mind on Earth. The Dragon Army. Shivering, painful creatures who serve a terrible immensity older than time itself. Their ziggurats loom up out of the Mesopotamian desert, black as night, with gigantic triangular warships. Countess worshippers praise on those endless steps. Human and Alien alike fear what dwells in those leviathan tombs..

#short stories #science fiction short stories #scifi #space #worldbuilding #aliens #notes #bullshit #interstellar #milky way galaxy #inspired #endless aliens

[israeljosephmakonneni]

The Earth is a warm wild grass burning in a galactic desert. A signal fire of illustrious black smoke waving from the sky to the loss of humanity & the heart of the careless.

She eats her children whole as Titans Cronus. Rebelling against the destructive moss like Dean on a motorbike. Garvey by a speech. Angelou in a poem.

We are blind to a wrath she harbors like a child she gives birth to the paradigm nouveau. Choking all that asked her for everything yet returned nothing to her.

She conjures storms against her enemies like Prospero. Her trees crash

like the scolding staff. She dons her cloak & attacks by night sending Ariel, moving the pieces like chess towards an end.

What is written in her book? How is her religion founded? Our nakedness discovered we pull at trees. We are chastised by the mother. The sun roasts like a silver pan on a hot stove. Like the doorknob to a fiery room. An lava red brand on a slaughterhouse farm. A active fuel rod.

They conspire like two thieves slithering in the evening bush. They wait deep into the tourmaline. Into the onyx from which place comes forth vipers made of wolf skin and eagle's claws.

The menace may not be stopped by men's attributes. These are they which come to stone the ice & melt the iron of mountains. The red blood opus stone flowing into cauldrons of boiling judgment. Unquenchable fire and liquid steam.

We are worms. We are soft caterpillars against the raven's beak. We are ants in honey. We enter the Duat of the end spoken. She obeys not the commands of the milk-fed hordes. She places

coral in a living room & an octopus on

a roof.

She melts the tires and send dust like

bees from a hive to attack the airplanes that dare not her wake.

She is awake in a burning fire, thirsty for liberation she sends water as her trade. Thunderstorms as her gifts. Lightning as her offering. Fire as her solution. She sends her smoke signals. We do our best to ignore her as our sandals melt to the streets to the sidewalks of the city & the oceans send sea monsters inland.

~ Israel Joseph

#writers on tumblr #writer #twcpoetry #spilled thoughts #spilled ink #poemas de amor #writers #prose #poemsofinstagram #poems on tumblr #my poems #poemsofig #my poem #haiku poem #love poem #poem #writerscreed