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familyabolisher · 1 year

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Do you think any of the frameworks you've developed for analyzing love in TLT could be applied to Pyrrha's relationship to cam/pal? Since Nona doesn't understand it well, it's hard for me to get a handle on how those characters relate to each other, but I was wondering where it might stand on what the series considers "perfect love," what the significance of its presence/ambiguity is, etc.

I’m really locked on to this idea of illegibility, actually, and the kind of work that gets done in Nona to problematise efforts to easily name, define, & categorise a relationship or set of relationships. I’m thinking of what Muir said here:

It’s a very strange household. And they are a found family, but I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that in the last movement of the book Nona questions what that even means—their motives, what they all truly wanted out of each other, their pretenses: are they a family, or are they all just a psychosexual mess of roleplaying and bad meals? (The answer is yes.)

and like, her suggestion that ‘family’ can plausibly be collapsed into a ‘psychosexual mess of roleplaying’ and that the drive of Nona is less about asking whether Cam/Pal/Pyrrha/Nona ‘are’ a family as much as it’s about asking what it actually means to identify them as such; and particularly to identify them as such in a text which does very significant work elsewhere to identify ‘the family’ as a site of violence, a mechanism by which particular forms of violence can be enacted. I’m honing in on that ‘last movement of the book’ comment to say that, like—so, the two narratives in Nona (the ‘main’ narrative ie. Nona et al. on Lemuria, and the John narrative) are spliced together, right, so it makes sense to try and read them as though they’re in dialogue with one another, and the obvious entrypoint for doing so is the fact that they’re both working as an account of the ‘creation’ of Alecto; first through John literally creating her and then through Nona remembering his having done so and thus rebecoming what she had forgotten she was. What does it mean to ‘create’ Alecto?—what are the conditions that Alecto’s creation ushers in, what are the conditions that her creation does away with? The ‘last movement’ of the book is to ‘create’ Alecto for the second time—so, what does Alecto represent, and what about her ‘creation’ leads the text to ask what it means to describe something as a ‘family’ in the first place?

The reason I’m drawn to this reading of Cam/Pal/Pyrrha as like, ultimately illegible, incoherent in that we as audience cannot coherently put words to it and make sense of it in the language readily available to us, is because I think the text understands these processes of ordering, taxonomising, delineating, and categorising as tactics of fascism. This is a tension also at play in Lolita; Humbert ‘orders’ and constructs his narrative via the available tools of literary discourse and similarly constructs his ‘Lolita’ as a labyrinth of cultural references and taxonomies; but Dolores is a ‘Haze,’ Annabel Leigh is a ‘tangle of thorns,’ there exists a being who is able to remain indistinct and impenetrable in a narrative which enacts violence on her by trying to make taxonomical sense of her. Coherence and legibility are mechanisms of visibility; under fascism, to be easily made sense of can be dangerous. The first two books were all about coherence, legibility, interpellation, and the consequences of Living In A Society; what it means to ‘be’ or ‘become’ a cavalier, what the necromancer-cavalier relationship ‘means,’ what Lyctorhood ‘means,’ how these relations of hierarchised sexuality and the interpersonal relationships articulated within the normative language given to them exist to shore up conditions of imperialism. This question of ‘ordering’ goes right down to eg. enumeration (First, Second, Third, etc.) and pretty tightly contained and atomised cultural associations, and the fact that that enumeration can be traced back to Alecto—

D’you know why you’re really the First? Because in a very real way, you and the others are A.L.’s children … There would be none of you, if not for her.

—which cribs this passage, from Lolita:

‘[…] for I must confess that depending on the condition of my glands and ganglia, I could switch in the course of the same day from one pole of insanity to the other—from the thought that around 1950 I would have to get rid somehow of a difficult adolescent whose magic nymphage had evaporated—to the thought that with patience and luck I might have her produce eventually a nymphet with my blood in her exquisite veins, a Lolita the Second, who would be eight or nine around 1960, when I would still be dans la force de l’âge; indeed, the telescopy of my mind, or un-mind, was strong enough to distinguish in the remoteness of time a vieillard encore vert—or was it green rot?—bizarre, tender, salivating Dr. Humbert, practicing on supremely lovely Lolita the Third the art of being a granddad. In the days of that wild journey of ours, I doubted not that as father to Lolita the First I was a ridiculous failure.

—very evenly ties together ideas of reproduction as imperial sustention figured in the language of sexual assault. The point is: as far as the empire is concerned, processes of ordering and taxonomising are equivocal to the mechanical maintenance of conditions of fascism.

Conversely, Nona is a text about when John’s precise demarcation of the world starts to fail and people have to make sense of themselves between the cracks; from Pyrrha as both failed cavalier and failed Lyctor to Cam and Palamedes and then Paul as if not ‘failed’ then at least a new ordering of necromancer/cavalier-ism to the Tower Princes as John’s kind of scrambling effort to rearticulate hegemony post-losing all but one of his Lyctors. Regarding how we are to read Cam/Pal/Pyrrha, I think it’s pretty clear that the text understands the obligations, normative assumptions and expectations, and material consequences of normative kinship relations identified as ‘family’ as part and parcel with the social ordering of a fascistic imperial hegemony; Kiriona, Alecto, and Harrow make up the three key points of contact for this reading, though it’s pretty diffuse across the whole work. We see kinship relations as structuring imperialist hierarchies and we understand the currency of those hierarchies to be death/abuse/sexual violence/totalised control, articulated most profoundly through Kiriona; we also see the destruction of social formations as part and parcel with conquest—

Palamedes said mildly, “You know we’re conversant with the concept of family in the Nine Houses, right?” Pash seemed genuinely surprised. “Why the hell would it matter to you? [...] You don’t give a fuck about families when you’re carving them up—”

—this of course being in keeping with the general conditions of mixed cultures, mixed languages, variances on kinship structures, refugees seemingly thrown together on Lemuria. The bolstering of the social articulations of the conquerors and denaturing of the social articulations of the conquered is rendered as a tactic of conquest; ‘family’ here is figured as a cudgel of imperialism.

Diegetically, as I said, Cam + Pal + Pyrrha + Nona’s social arrangement is not ‘normative,’ neither in the fact that others on Lemuria can make easy sense of it (and thus attempt to do so by referring to peripheralised and marginalised social relations ie. sex work) nor in the fact that they can coherently make sense of themselves via the imperial taxonomy (is Pyrrha a Lyctor greatest thread in the history of forums). Nor is it normative on our end; relative to the nuclear family structure, it’s the ‘wrong’ number of parents, the ‘wrong’ configurations of gender, the ‘wrong’ configurations of blood relation (Nona is a ‘child’ but not an ‘heir’ to anything and not a blood relation of either; Cam and Palamedes as ‘parents’ are blood-related), even the ‘wrong’ overall kinship relations—I put ‘child’ and ‘parents’ in quotations there precisely because I don’t think they’re conditions uncritically reified by the narrative as much as they’re discursive gestures made for the sake of being problematised. Is Nona their ‘child’ in a text where to be the ‘child’ of someone means to be what Kiriona is to John? Is this a ‘family’ when ‘family’ is the mechanic of imperial refortification? Again, like—what does it mean to call them a family at all?

‘Family’ is a label we deploy to give legibility to relations that we are otherwise struggling to make sense of. Setting aside Paul for the moment because I don’t quite know what to do with them and probably won’t have a Take that I can confidently commit to until after Alecto—I think the kind of difficulty that the text has in articulating exactly what Cam + Pal + Pyrrha ‘had’ between them that we see in that final scene is intentional, and I think it’s best understood left that way rather than wrangled into a taxonomy that the rest of the text is v determined to critically unpack. So to answer your question, I think the ambiguity is key—one overarching theme of the series is how people can love each other and articulate that love when the language available for them to do so carries obligations of disparate power, hierarchy, serves a particular purpose that we come to understand as ethically unconscionable; whether that love has to be made sense of within hierarchy, or contravene it, or try and stake a place outside of it. Cam + Palamedes + Pyrrha become the next stage of development in the unravelling of such a discourse; to try and make coherent sense of them could all too easily mean falling back on the language that the text works to identify as socially constructed and thus as limited, and thus imposing those limitations.

#ask #tlt #nona the ninth spoilers #i have a second thing to add here but i think it works better as its own reblog so i'll circle back

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mercyisms · 1 year

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hello anon and apologies for promptly dropping off of the face of the earth after promising to reply to this. in the interest of trying to be useful, i'm going to dash something off-the-cuff, but i hope it helps! i think this idea is already routinely demonstrable in the text, but tamsyn muir was also kind enough to explicitly spell some of this out in this lovely interview: "That said, the God of the Locked Tomb IS a man; he IS the Father and the Teacher; it’s an inherently masc role played by someone who has an uneasy relationship himself to playing a Biblical patriarch. John falls back on hierarchies and roles because they’re familiar even when he’s struggling not to." one of the ways this is dramatized in the text is, y'know, john shoving some of the earth's soul into a barbie. pygmalion the earth into perhaps the most iconic form of white femininity. it's a move that may be complicated by details such as a) john's indigeneity and b) the queerness implicated in john preferring barbie to any of his more 'masculine' toys, but there's a lot to interrogate here on how john's proximity to systemic oppression (across various lines) is retained and the ways in which they're replicated despite his intentions, or the ways they come through even when certain axes of oppression (gender, race) operate differently in the nine houses than on contemporary earth, or what john prioritizes above altering these systems. so on one hand, thinking about john's affinity to tall blondes might lead you there. however, because the 6ft tall blonde is not just alecto but is, in fact, an enduring role, now you can open up some more questions. for me, these questions might look like: what is the relationship between this role and john and john's empire?

the 6 ft tall blonde is always john's bodyguard. that's another key point of comparison. we may consider: when the bodyguard is alecto, she is stylized as a (to really simplify it) romantic counterpart in some ways; she is a caretaker (i'm quite sure there's a line in ntn about how john is unable to sleep unless alecto strokes the bridge of his nose or similar; possibly the only one granted access into the fact that john is afraid); she, based on what we have to go off of, trusting of and ultimately deferential to john's judgment prior to entombment. she is also stylized as a highly, and traditionally, feminine person (see: barbie), though alecto is repulsed by and in conflict with her body and gender presentation. and then you might consider augustine. at the urging of his lyctors, john entombs alecto. john identifies augustine as one of the lyctors most repulsed by and mistrusting of alecto. in her vacancy, the lyctors come into their roles as the emperor's fingers, and augustine, first saint, takes up a particularly key role. we might also note that augustine is staked out by the text as deeply gender ambiguous (g1deon and mercy, among others, are gendered without hesitation. the narration questions augustine's gender), but frequently pivots on misogyny. certainly, he accuses mercymorn of trying to become A.L. bodyguard 2.0 but in a way that a) suggests she is failing and b) while mercymorn and M-- both function as guardians and protecting figures to John, both come to the table with a different texture. augustine (exchanging 'your mom' jokes, etc., with john pre- dios apate minor) and A-- (thinking especially of how john remembers only A-- calling his new eyes 'cool') is also fulfilling a role for john that his other (remaining) lyctors are not. humanizing confidante, perhaps. he is not only a thousand year old friend but a caretaker for a slightly more fallible and human john. augustine also reaches a point where he can no longer support john. where john-as-emperor and the goals and demands of his empire diverge from what augustine sees as morally defensible. and so he's replaced. augustine and john wrestle. they reach an equal impasse. and ianthe -- rather than save her mentor and overthrow god -- chooses to sacrifice augustine and take up his place. of course, kiriona is also present and given some nicer titles, but by the end of nona (see: the tower besties little fight before the tomb is opened) we understand gideon is being used by john, while ianthe is the bodyguard proper, choosing what information to feed back to john (NO new updates on his duplicitous sluts, thanks!) and working very hard to keep john separate from alecto, in order to keep mr. gaius in a state that benefits ianthe and ianthe's goals. ianthe also has some wild and fucky (complimentary) gender shit that may also be fun to track. also, notably, ianthe is not of particular interest to john, who vastly prefers harrowhark. the strain of desire is possibly broken. so we don't just have, you know, a very fun enduring bit of the 6 ft blonde bodyguard, but we also have an interesting progression. we can see how this role evolves. john shaped alecto in one way, and had to set her aside. augustine allowed himself to be shaped by and used by john, up until a point. ianthe is the consequences of john's empires and the decisions or neglect that coalesced into the nine houses' politics and hierarchies, but we've reached a point where john is now (wittingly and unwittingly) in conflict with these hierarchies. the 6 ft tall blonde is not only a signal that certain hierarchies, roles, and systems persist in john's empire, but i think you could compellingly map out ianthe is the logical conclusion of said systems & that provides a really interesting context to read her actions & plots, both in conversation with alecto (and her shifting position) and augustine, but also with john. (and the 'rebrand' john is engaging in during nona, as he moves away from the neo-roman lyctors to tower princes & a flirtation with greater indigenous stylings, ex. 'kiriona' over 'gideon'.) anyway! i hope some of this helped. i know i'm not necessarily spelling out the entirety of my personal reading here, but i hope i've laid out some of the pertinent points of analyses and also some of the 'work' (points of comparison or characterization, etc.) that i think is happening wrt to our tall, tall blondes.

#sorry tumblr wouldn't let me reply to this as an ask?? so here we are #also i sincerely apologize for taking so long! and i hope this contains some of what you hoped to receive #follow up qs very welcome though speedy replies not guaranteed #and also god sorry for any typos but we are just posting no proofing being complete scallywags etc #anonymous #asks #and very loosely but so i can find it later if necessary:#m: tlt meta #ianthe tridentarius #augustine quinque #john #alecto the first

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camplease · 1 year

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on lyctorhood post-nona the ninth

contrary to a lot of popular posts, i actually don’t think it’s a bad thing that ianthe didn’t care about naberius tern and used him to become a lyctor. not from a moral standpoint, just as far as what it means for her future as a lyctor

this goes against what john gaius wanted. but we’ve already been shown that what he wanted was a great deception and wasn’t actually better for anyone or inherently something that needed to be part of lyctorhood. what he wanted has been proven to be an unnecessary cruelty

she may face further consequences, but, ultimately, her decision is a strength that spared her the specific lyctoral trauma that all of her predecessors and, to some extent, even harrow*, experienced. it seems off the mark to imagine that this should be catastrophic for her considering all of this. not to mention the fact that she has the opportunity to explore the nature of lyctorhood from this very unique perspective, which is exactly what we saw her doing in harrow the ninth, and which it’s been hinted at she’s been working towards and planning for for much longer

i have the suspicion that in alecto we will see several possible incarnations of successful lyctorhood, and that none of them will be the same. there will not be another paul, but we will see that john was even more wrong than possibly even he realized

we even know that paul is not a “perfect” lyctor. perhaps such a thing doesn’t even exist, but there is absolutely no reason palamedes sextus in all of his genius and all of his sentimentality would say he and camilla hect’s final form was “almost perfect,” even in spite of their "perfect love" and "perfect friendship," if he didn’t really mean that

this also brings us back to the question of anastasia and samael. what exactly did they do? people have been theorizing for a while that that may have been perfect lyctorhood, and i don’t think we can entirely rule that out yet. but even if it’s not that, their results threatened john’s narrative and his sense of control enough that he could not abide their continued existence, so it’s still a really important piece of this puzzle

*not downplaying harrow’s trauma at (temporarily?) losing gideon, just think it’s worth distinguishing from the form that typical lyctoral trauma takes

#nona the ninth #the locked tomb #alecto the ninth #harrow the ninth #ianthe tridentarius #gideon the ninth #john gaius #harrowhark nonagesimus #palamedes sextus #paul #gideon nav #cw ianthe #htn spoilers #ntn spoilers #†

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veliseraptor · 1 year

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Top 5 fucked up siblings

worried that i always answer this one with the same five, because i'm p sure i've answered this before. but oh well here goes

1. Richard & Lymond (Lymond Chronicles). Somebody just posted an excerpt about them on my dash recently and got me thinking about them again. I love how pretty much every book has Lymond dragging Richard on a rollercoaster of emotion but The Game of Kings remains prime territory in that regard. Just Lymond inflicting emotional terrorism on his older brother. They're not quite as codependent as pretty much everyone else on this list (but that's a high bar); still fucked up. Lymond running away from Richard for a solid few years because a prophecy convinced him that their reuniting would kill Richard is another highlight.

2. Felix & Mildmay (Doctrine of Labyrinths). Speaking of codependent! I feel like the fact that I also put these two on the "fucked up but soft" list speaks for itself here, and also I feel like one could somewhat reasonably pitch Doctrine of Labyrinths as "fucked up siblings in secondary world fantasy: the series." it wouldn't be very informative but it would be accurate.

3. Jiang Cheng & Jiang Yanli & Wei Wuxian (MDZS/The Untamed). And I say again: speaking of codependent! I know Wei Wuxian is not actually "sibling" yes but the weird in-between role he takes is also part of what makes this dynamic so good. And what I love about these three is that you look at them together and you're like "awww they're so cute it's so tragic how they fall apart" and then you scratch a little and you're like "oh no. oh dear. you guys are a mess and your relationship dynamics are a disaster that ain't good" and then you scratch a little more and go "awww. they're so cute in their incredibly messed up codependence triangle" again. they're so tangled up in each other in this messy cobbled together structure, and none of them can walk away from each other, not really. not outside of death, certainly, and not really even then.

love that for them.

4. Ianthe & Coronabeth. Hope we get more of these two in Alecto. I support women's wrongs. Can't wait to see what happens here because I suspect it will be (a) not good and (b) fun to watch.

5. Shi Qingxuan & Shi Wudu. I wavered for a while on this one, thought about going for my old Thor and Loki standby, but decided since I feel like I've talked less about these two...I just find their relationship fascinating. Shi Wudu's overbearing paternalistic attitude toward Shi Qingxuan, particularly toward her favor of her female form but also just in general his...base assumption that he knows what's best for her and is just making sure she's taken care of. All the way down to stealing and swapping fates, which he specifically, deliberately, keeps Shi Qingxuan from knowing about. Which makes sense! because when Shi Qingxuan - fair-minded Shi Qingxuan who was so adamant about Pei Su getting a trial and not getting off lightly just because he's Pei Ming's protege - finds out what happened, she immediately rejects it. She's desperate to throw away her godhood, actively fighting her brother's attempts to "help." She's disgusted by the knowledge of how she ascended.

I figure Shi Wudu would've had some sense of how Shi Qingxuan would feel about it, but he needed to save his baby brother's life and he overturned the world to do so. Which would be sweet and touching in a world where it didn't come so horribly at the expense of someone else's life - but of course it had to.

And at the same time, for all Shi Qingxuan rolls her eyes and expresses exasperation and frustration with her brother and his behavior, she also doesn't hesitate to go to him when he's in need. Or, well, she does hesitate, but ultimately she can't stand back. For all her anger with him for what he's done, and in her name, she still loves him so much, and tries so, so hard to save him, to save them both.

And the fact, too, that Shi Wudu actively provokes He Xuan into ripping his head off rather than choose an option that will cause Shi Qingxuan inevitable suffering (though what he thought would happen afterward, I don't know)...yikes, dude, but also I'm kinda impressed.

I would not necessarily say that I like Shi Wudu most of the time. But I do find him, and the way he interacts with Shi Qingxuan in particular, very interesting. And I love thinking about how Shi Qingxuan wrestles with his death post-canon. (I wonder if Shi Qingxuan feels like she's responsible for both Scholar He's death and her brother's.)

#conversating #anonymous #top five meme #doctrine of labyrinths #the sad queer cultivators show #lymond chronicles #dysfunctional gods and ghost kinks

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emma-whoisleft · 5 years

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GENERAL INFORMATION ➤

Full Legal Name: Emma Esmé Vanity

Emma = “Whole, universal”

Esmé = “Esteemed, loved”

Vanity = “Excessive pride in or admiration for oneself”

Nickname(s): n/a and don’t even try it Age: 18 Gender & Pronouns: cisgender female; she/her Sexuality: Greyromantic and bisexual with an outward preference for men driven by her traditional values and life plans. Date of Birth: March 27th Horoscope: Aries

Strengths: Courageous, determined, confident, blunt, passionate

Weaknesses: Impatient, moody, short-tempered, impulsive, aggressive

Likes: Comfortable clothes, taking on leadership roles, physical challeng individual sports

Dislikes: Inactivity, delays, work that does not use one’s talents

Hogwarts House: Slytherin Nationality: English on her father’s side; a quarter Moroccan via her mother’s. Emma grew up just outside Yorkshire and is very vocally proud of the region, flawed accents and all.

Occupation:

Emma is currently a student, but she has big plans for her future and no doubt that she’ll be able to accomplish them — which isn’t a surprise to anyone who’s ever met her. Not many seventeen year olds purchase, renovate and successfully run a Quidditch camp as a summer project, and very few others have done simultaneous Ministry internships.

Ultimately, Emma wants to work at the Ministry of Magic’s Department of Magical Games and Sports. This is made easier by the fact that her father is the Vice Head of the department and her godfather is the Head, but she genuinely wants to build her career upon her own merits. She plans to start as a Junior Regulations Analyst with a seat on the International Event Coordination team. Her goals are currently to change the relationship the Ministry has with corporate sponsors and private companies to increase the funding ceiling and strengthen key partnerships.

Then, within five years, her goal is to create her own, new position (Executive Liaison, final title pending!). Through that, she believes she would run her own staff as a department-within-a-department and be the official point of contact for team owners, sponsors, donors, private partner companies – such as her camp and similar programs – and key suppliers of equipment, uniforms, brooms, balls, etcetera.

She plans to use whatever downtown is leftover to work on the Department’s overall public relations strategy and inter-Ministry reputation.

Summarized in One Word: Headstrong

APPEARANCE ➤

Faceclaim: Phoebe Tonkin Height: 5′4″ Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Brown Noticeable Features: Resting bitch face, and the ability to instill a primal fear in someone with nary a glance.

Typical Outfit or General Fashion Sense: Emma is usually dressed for capital-B Business. her wardrobe consists of black, grey and other neutrals and she opts for simple lines, minimalist looks and the simple intimidation of clear wealth. Streamlined, with hints to reclaimed masculinity; she has more blazers than any eighteen year old should, but she can seriously rock a little black dress, too.

HISTORY ➤

Hometown:

The Vanity family has always have a longstanding history of residing in the North Country of England, on the outskirts of Yorkshire and the Humber. Although grand in scale like most pureblood manors, the inside of the estate is considerably warmer; it features dark-paneled wood instead of marble and walls painted in warmer hues than one might normally see. The untouchable artifacts that one might find in other homes have largely been replaced with Quidditch memorabilia, family photos, and bookshelves.

There is a grande ballroom for throwing events and the foyer is invariably pristine, but the layout contains several dens stocked with comfortable couches, ever-burning fireplaces, and shelves of whiskeys and wines brought up from storage in the basement. Everything is sleek and kept up to a standard of perfection, but the family and all those who lived there before them worked hard to ensure that the place seemed approachable to newcomers. Charms ensure that the house always smells of sharp vanilla, burning wood, and pine.

The grounds feature a lake surrounded by willow trees and a trail that leads through a hedge maze into what used to be a prized garden and have since become home to a miniature Quidditch pitch used by Emma as a child learning to fly; the hoops now stand only as tall as she is, but it remains there as a tribute as the flowers grow back around them.

The home is conveniently located only two miles from the practice grounds of the Appleby Arrows, the former team of Eoin Vanity and a family favorite for the last eight generations.

Financial Status: Upper class Spoken Languages: English, and a little bit of German. Enough to have a conversation, but not enough to consider herself fluent. She’s working on some Arabic, having taken an interest for Antonin and Tazie’s sake. Dream Job: Decision maker of the entire world Bad Habits: Emma will tell anyone who asks that she has none...because of course she will. What she means by this, however, is that she has no "traditional vices” like smoking or drinking. Bad habits, though, she has plenty. Despite holding herself to a strict schedule, she is late for nearly everything. She is also a bit of a packrat; her bag is filled at all times with disorganized papers and lists that make perfect sense to her, and that she won’t just get rid of on the off chance she one day needs them again. She’s also a fairly close-minded person. She’s not curious and prefers to stick to what, who and where she knows best.

FAMILY BACKGROUND ➤

Mother: Yvette Vanity Father: Eoin Vanity (neé Shaper) Sibling(s): n/a Pet(s): n/a Cousin(s): Amycus and Alecto Carrow (second cousins)

MAGICAL ABILITIES ➤

Wand: Alder, 9 ¼ inches, mermaid hair core, inflexible. Information on the core can be found here [x] and here [x]

Patronus (and which memory they’re currently using to cast a patronus if they can, or which one they’d use if they could):

Although she has not yet been successful in casting it, Emma’s patronus would take the form of a camel. Camels are symbolic of perseverance and stamina. People with this patronus are often superbly adapted to their own situation and personal element, but clumsy or inflexible in situations that are unfamiliar. The camel is a symbol of a strong work ethic and a stubborn attitude. While those with a camel patronus are often short tempered with small annoyances, they have almost limitless patience for life’s most difficult hurdles.

Eventually, Emma will use the memory of holding her firstborn son Gus in her arms to cast the most successful patronus she’s ever been personally capable of. For now, her selections oscillate between Quidditch Cup wins, opening day of her camp and her New Years Eve vacation to Russia with Lucinda.

Boggart: An oversized, string-bound marionette doll. At face value, it is a very real fear of hers: dolls have caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up since she was a child. Even as a little girl who had not yet discovered the joys of Quidditch, Emma wouldn’t allow dolls of any sort to be allowed in her playroom– including, to the dismay of her mother, the collection of Victorian-era china dolls that she was supposed to take under her wing. On a deeper level, however, the boggart represents so much more: the fear of not being in control of her actions, of being a puppet of her family, of everything in her life coming with strings attached.

OWLS: Ancient Runes, History of Magic, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Potions, Arithmancy, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures NEWTS: Transfiguration (A), Arithmancy (E), Herbology (E), Defense Against the Dark Arts (E); Charms (E); History of Magic (O); Potions (INCOMPLETE)

What Kind of Magic do They Excel at: (OOC NOTE, this ended up becoming more of a pro/con thing than an ‘excel’ thing, but I like it so I’m keeping it oop)

Emma’s grades have always been stable and in the mid-range. However, she’s always known that her career path leads through to the world of sports somehow and that knowledge is enough to bolster her through any lower points in her academic career.

Nonverbal spells are Emma’s specialty, as she has never been one to show her cards and depends on the elements of mystery and surprise when she’s looking to make an impact. She is heavily guarded when it comes to her arsenal, and so she stared making nonverbal spell-casting a priority. Her constant need for control over situations has lead to her holding her wand too tightly; it makes her wrist movements less fluid than they should be.

Along those same times, the type of magic she is most gifted at is defensive magic, an interest that’s only increased in the current political climate. She can pull a shield, she can deflect, she can make herself a smaller and less easily seen target. It’s not about winning for her; it’s about surviving, just knuckling down and making sure that the crossfire doesn’t decimate her. These spells being largely nonverbal is an added boon for her safety; they draw less attention and can’t be as easily combatted.

Personality wise, Emma is abrasive and that’s a quality that has carried over into her magic; when she tries spells, they are a bit harsher than intended. For instance, she knows a thing or two about first aid spells but if she had to heal a teammate’s broken nose on the pitch, there would be more of a crack to it—and, likely, leftover bruising—than if anyone else had tried.

Outside of dueling/magic situations, when Emma is on the offense, she prefers to do it through soft influence: with her words, with her power over people, through other channels other than violence. She knows her limits as well as the limits of others, and she’s never been able to stomach using violent magic against someone else…not that she’s ever tried, to date.

If she ever did have to make a show of physical power, her years on the Quidditch pitch have given her a predisposition to do it with actual physicality, not her wand. She has no problem smacking an unwelcome hand away or giving a well-placed shove.

In terms of subjects she does NOT excel at, Emma is terrible at cooking and by that same logic she is terrible at potions. She doesn’t have the precision, intuition, or gentle touch for the subject.

PSYCHOLOGY ➤

MB Type: The Logistician

Few personality types are as practical and dedicated as Logisticians. Known for their reliability and hard work, Logisticians are good at creating and maintaining a secure and stable environment for themselves and their loved ones.

Yet Logisticians can be easily tripped up in areas where their practical and methodical approach are more of a liability than an asset. Whether it is finding (or keeping) a partner, learning to relax or improvise, reaching dazzling heights on the career ladder, or managing their workload.

As parents, people with the Logistician personality type are often the most comfortable. Their sense of responsibility and honor blends well with a tradition that has been in place since time immemorial: to raise one’s children to be respected, contributing members of home and society. As with most commitments, Logisticians do not take their roles as parents lightly, and will make it their work to ensure that this tradition is upheld to the highest standard.

Logisticians approach relationships, as with most things, from a rational perspective, looking for compatibility and the mutual satisfaction of daily and long-term needs. Blind dates and random hookups are not Logisticians’ preferred methods for finding potential partners. The risk and unpredictability of these situations has Logisticians’ alarm bells ringing, and being dragged out for a night of dancing at the club just isn’t going to happen.

Logistician friends are not spontaneous. They are not talkative, or particularly playful in their affection. What Logistician friends are is loyal, trustworthy, honorable and dependable. Logisticians are a very methodical personality type, and this loyalty isn’t given away lightly. Often slow to make friends, Logisticians usually end up with a smaller circle, but they consider that circle to represent a promise to be there for the people they care about, and Logisticians’ promises are not easily broken.

When it comes to the workplace, Logisticians are almost a stereotype for the classic hard-working, dutiful employee. In all positions, the Logistician personality type seeks structure, clearly defined rules, and respect for authority and hierarchy. Responsibilities aren’t burdens to Logisticians, they are the trust that has been placed in them, an opportunity to prove once again that they are the right person for the job.

Enneagram: ISTJ [read more]

ISTJs are responsible organizers, driven to create and enforce order within systems and institutions. They are neat and orderly, inside and out, and tend to have a procedure for everything they do. Reliable and dutiful, ISTJs want to uphold tradition and follow regulations.

ISTJs are steady, productive contributors. Although they are Introverted, ISTJs are rarely isolated; typical ISTJs know just where they belong in life, and want to understand how they can participate in established organizations and systems. They concern themselves with maintaining the social order and making sure that standards are met.

+ Perseverance + Planning + Detail Orientation – Stubbornness – Tactlessness – Resistance to change

Moral Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Archetype:

45% Athlete - The Athlete's focus and drive are unparalleled. Staying healthy and being fit are paramount to them (as for winning, that doesn't hurt, either).

44% Royal - When the Royal walks into a room, they command attention. They are the one in charge, and they enjoy reaping the rewards of their hard work.

11% Intellectual - The Intellectual is the ultimate dinner-party guest. Engaging questions and thoughtful debate are their trademarks.

Temperament: Choleric

#tag: inspo #tag: character development #plot prompt friday #***#tag: headcanon

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legatumrpg · 6 years

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We want to start off by thanking everyone for applying. There were some tough decisions that needed to be made, especially when each and every application we received was so unique in their own way. Congratulations to everyone under the cut, your applications absolutely floored us. Each application presented their characters with such nuace or complexity, sometimes even both, we know that you all will bring magic to our little roleplay. Please see our CHECKLIST for further instructions.

LEO IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF SIRIUS BLACK ! For all that he pictures capturing his cousins, he can’t picture killing them. Nor can he picture Bellatrix or Regulus killing him. And maybe it’s his subconscious failsafe against hysteria. We had three amazing applications for Sirius, so this was one of our hardest decisions, but it was the way you wrote his flaws that really had us decided. The complexity of who Sirius is and how he got there was so interesting to read and we loved seeing just how much his past still affects his life.

ZED IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF SEVERUS SNAPE ! In many ways Severus was changed drastically from the quiet, caring person they had always been to the cold, cynical person they became. We loved seeing the change that occurred which caused Severus to become who they are today. The fact that Severus faith in the Death Eaters being shaken due to the extremes that they don’t believe in and how the Marauders, in a way, reminds them why they chose the side is gold.

ALEXA IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF ROMAN MULCIBER ! In the end, Roman was a young god, leaving a trail of scorched earth in his wake. Terror was beauty and war was terror after all. This application is exactly how we envision Roman through all of their temptation, entitlement, and complexity. Everything about the application screamed Roman and none of us wanted to stop reading about them. We know that wherever you take Roman, we’ll not so secretly be rooting for them.

MANU IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF RITA SKEETER ! However, Rita always knew she was meant for more. And she shall get everything she always wanted. Fame, fortune and especially recognition. Rita is one of my personal favorite characters and the way you made them come alive is just absolutely beautiful. We know that they are going to do amazing things, even if those things are harsh or twisted. FACE CLAIM CHANGE TO ANA DE ARMAS IS APPROVED.

LUISA IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF REMUS LUPIN ! His first memories became those of tearful full moons, of clutching at his mother’s skirt and sobbing, begging her to fix him, falling to his knees in front of the Crucifix on the parlor wall and demanding that she tell him why God had let him become a monster. This application just left us shook. Adding a religious aspect to Remus’ life is something we haven’t seen before and we absolutely love it. We love the idea of Remus being allowed into the werewolf clan and seeing how that plays out.

CAITLIN IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF REGULUS BLACK ! After all, a frightened animal is the most dangerous. That line alone had us wanting to accept the application immediately. You really want into the portrayal of Regulus and made him your own. We could go on all day talking about how much we loved your application for Regulus and we really cannot wait to see what happens next to the dear.

MANU IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF MOLLY WEASLEY ! Then, a hatred started to grow inside Molly’s chest. the otherwise sweet and caring mother to all was facing a feeling she could not quite process – anger. Molly is so many things; a mother, a sister, a friend but they are also are a person who isn’t without their flaws. We know that you are going to do wonders and we are at the edge of our seats to see Molly going down a darker path.

SKY IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF MARLENE MCKINNON ! Hogwarts was a battleground for Marlene; not one where she encountered bloodshed or death, but one in which her knowledge would be tested. Marlene is a character of force. They are always sure of themselves and when things don’t happen as they plan, they can get a bit heated. We absolutely loved how you portrayed Marlene and how they are even more drawn into the cause due to the recent deaths. We cannot wait for Marlene’s fight to come alive.

LARA IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF MARY MACDONALD ! Even broken dolls have sharp edges. We could have quoted anything from this application and it would have been exactly how we imagine Mary. The way you handled Mary’s attack was written just so beautifully and the way that you controlled her emotions and response which left so much room for development with the other players involved is just wonderful. We are so excited to have you with us! FACE CLAIM CHANGE TO COURTNEY EATON IS APPROVED.

SASS IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF LUCINDA TALKALOT ! Blood separated them, but superficially she saw herself as an equal. The way that you describe how exactly they feel when it comes to blood and their doubts that they keep hidden away is just so beautifully written. As our admin Neetu pointed out, it’s like being dropped in the middle of shark-infested waters and constantly wondering where your next attack is coming from but instead of physical attacks, they are verbal and underhanded. This reminded us of Icarus, just without the disastrous end...yet.

AL IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF LILY EVANS ! Starting off, she was only assigned to puff pieces — aimed towards teenage girls, and housewives — slowly, but steadily, she took to spinning them in a way that she could talk directly to her audience, sending off strong messages about the world and situation they are living in. A way of voicing her opinion. Lily is such an icon and we really feel like you managed to capture exactly that in your biography. You really show that Lily has a lot of passion for many different things which ultimately left them wanting to send messages, to get their voice across to those who may have the same thoughts as them. They really are a force to be reckoned with.

ERIN IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF JAMES POTTER ! Even in the midst of a war, he can’t shake his wholehearted belief in the inherent goodness of the world. This application gives us more than the bully narrative of James back in Hogwarts. It shows that yes, James made mistakes, and yes he was, and on still levels still is, immature but James has grown so much since their years at Hogwarts. They are more than their mistakes and this application really shows that aspect of him.

MARIE IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF ISABELLA WILKES ! There are many downfalls to infinite wealth—but as Isabella Wilkes will frequently note on, “it’s also really fucking fun.” We cannot describe a better quote other than this one that just has Isabella’s name written all over it. We are absolutely living for Isabella and the tragic mistake they made resulting in actual consequence. The biography gave us a look at their entire life and we just absolutely love it. We know that you are going to be an amazing Isabella!

HOLLY IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF GILDEROY LOCKHART ! Anyone with a pulse and a Daily Prophet subscription can tell that war has arrived, but even with the future of the Wizarding World at stake, he struggles to care about something unless it involves him personally. As admin Neetu stated, ‘ I stan a man who stans himself. ’ This application is just beautifully written and shows every single aspect of Gilderoy and their big head. We cannot say anything but nice words about the application as we believe that you completely nailed them.

JEN IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF EVAN ROSIER ! Like an eagle crowned with the Rosier insignia, Evan soared. We absolutely loved every bit of this application. The fact that they came into the deadly elite group with distrust in their hearts? Golden. We absolutely love how Evan seems like they don’t really want anything to do with the cause but rather they want safety from the people involved.

JO IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF CHARITY BURBAGE ! All her life, she was sweet Charity. Soft Charity. Shy Charity. Charity ‘can’t-make-her-own-choices’ Burbage. She wants to be strong Charity. Wow. This was very much a different take with Charity than we expected and we absolutely loved it. We loved how their parents want them to be a good pureblood and don’t approve “joining the Muggles”, really we just loved every bit of it! FACE CLAIM CHANGE TO BAE SUZY IS APPROVED.

HAYLEY IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF ARTHUR WEASLEY ! You see, they use very thin strips of hard material connected by ropes to cover their windows instead of curtains. Isn’t that fascinating? We absolutely loved this far more than just what JK Rowling wrote. You have captured everything that is Arthur and honestly, we cannot find one single flaw in this application? Arthur has captured our hearts not just by being a loving husband and father but also due to their curious eye and warm spark in their soul. We really hope that he discovers the function of a rubber duck. AGE CHANGE HAS BEEN APPROVED.

G IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE AMYCUS CARROW ! The golden boy, the perfect child, the heir to his family’s legacy — the one thing that finally made his father believe he had made something good. The whole thing about their parents wanting to save their heir was honestly so beautifully written. As you said, Alecto was just as loved, but Amycus was worshipped. And the fact that Amycus believes themself as equal to Voldemort? Just, all around wow.

ALEXA IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF AMELIA BONES ! Justice might as well as have been her first spoken word, because young Amelia Bones refused to yield for any form of injustice she witnessed though at the time injustice for Amelia meant not sharing a toy broomstick with the rest of the group. Okay, you absolutely nailed Amelia. The quote alone just screams her name. We loved the fact that Amelia struggles to understand the cause of Death Eaters and how focused they are on justice. Everything about this application is just solid.

LIZ IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF ALICE FORTESCUE ! Her only option now is to find the answers herself, regardless of the danger that might put her in. This was another hard decision, four applications and all of them amazing. Alice’s edges and raw anger came across so vividly and we cannot get over it. The writing of this application is absolutely beautiful, we are so excited to see the trouble she stirs up.

DANI IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF ALECTO CARROW ! Alecto can so easily remember the day she was approached by the Dark Lord in her dreams, with his promises of allowing her to have the powers that she so deserved and had been craving yet would never have because she was not the heir. Everything that we envisioned about Alecto goes back to her parents. Her anger, her power, her desire to be better and this application really reflected on that. We loved the fact that she’s never going to forgive her parents for thinking she’s inferior, it really just screams like Alecto!

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halysrp · 6 years

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with halys, we wanted to go back to basics with member groups. characters will be categorized as either a full-fledged member of the order of the phoenix, as a member or ally of voldemort’s death eaters, or as a civilian. peep more after the cut!

ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

Founded by Albus Dumbledore in 1970 as a response to the rise of Lord Voldemort, the Order of the Phoenix is a secret resistance organization that covertly works with the Ministry of Magic to oppose purist, anti-Muggle, and anti-Muggleborn sentiment within Wizarding society.

Because of the highly secretive nature of the Order of the Phoenix, membership is extremely limited, with members hand-chosen by Dumbledore himself for specific skillsets, as well as personal traits and temperaments. Outside of the Order, almost all civilians are unaware of the Order’s existence, though they likely pass around whispers of various resistance groups—including the known terrorist resistance organizations (more on those later).

a note on aurors:

While the Ministry of Magic officially views the Order of the Phoenix as a “renegade” group, among its ranks are several Aurors, who alongside other members of the Order participate in secret, sudden attacks on the Death Eaters and their sympathizers. The Ministry is unaware of their involvement with the Order, and as a result, their missions at work and in the Order will sometimes converge or even oppose each other.

Known Aurors in the Order: Alastor Moody, Frank Longbottom, Alice Longbottom (nee ---)

DEATH EATERS

The Death Eaters were formed out of the Knights of Walpurgis in the 1950’s, and include Lord Voldemort’s followers from his early days at Hogwarts as well as more recent recruits. They are a radical, pure-blood supremacist group that employs heavy use of the Dark Arts in their goal to take over Wizarding Britain and reign above Muggles. Death Eater activity at this time includes stealth attacks, espionage, mass murder, and torture—of Muggles and wizardkind alike. When examining the hierarchy within their ranks, a few distinct groups begin to emerge.

grunts

The Death Eaters vastly outnumber the Order of the Phoenix, and most of their ranks are built from grunts: purebloods, Sacred Twenty-Eight and otherwise, as well as like-minded half-bloods. These members follow orders and take directions without being involved in the higher planning. In addition to zealots looking to move up the social ladder, this group includes pureblood upper crust types without the magical knowledge or skill to be useful in the inner circle, amongst others. Regardless of their standing, there is an unwavering support for the vision Voldemort has built for them: a Britain in which they are superior to the Muggles who currently run the show—an enticing prospect for certain witches and wizards who may not have much else left to lose.

Those likely included in this group: --- Avery Jr, Alecto Carrow, Amycus Carrow, --- Crabbe, Evan Rosier, --- Goyle, Igor Karkaroff, --- Macnair, --- Mulciber Jr, --- Travers, --- Wilkes, Corban Yaxley

inner circle

Lord Voldemort’s inner circle are branded with the Dark Mark and can be thought of as his war generals, lieutenants, and most valued assets. These members often have greater influence within the Ministry of Magic and other Wizarding institutions, whether because of monetary ties or a family history of involvement. Some, if lacking in influence, are simply magical prodigies.

Ultimately, every member of the inner circle has a purpose to their being there, skills to contribute, and a vision to see fulfilled. The expectations are high and the stakes are higher: to fail Voldemort at this level carries a death sentence.

Those likely included in this group: --- Avery Sr, Regulus Black, Barty Crouch Jr., Antonin Dolohov, Bellatrix Lestrange, --- Lestrange Sr, Rabastan Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy, --- Mulciber Sr, --- Nott Sr, Augustus Rookwood, --- Rosier Sr, Severus Snape

creatures

A number of creatures—giants and werewolves, mostly—fight on behalf of the Death Eaters, though none are honored with the Dark Mark or inclusion within the ranks of the organization proper. This group includes free agents who may be assisting Death Eaters because they see a Death Eater victory as inevitable, and some who truly believe that Lord Voldemort will reward them for their service with fair treatment after the war.

This group also includes Fenrir Greyback’s pack of werewolf followers, who like him believe that werewolves are superior to humans - magical and non-magical alike - and, in some cases, believe that humans should be turned as young as possible. Fenrir Greyback is particularly ruthless, punishing victims with wolflike attacks even in his human form, going out of his way to be near potential victims when the full moon strikes, and seeking any means of attaining more prey.

CIVILIANS

While civilians are, by definition, not affiliated with the Death Eaters or the Order of the Phoenix, the fact is that there is never truly a “neutral” position, in any situation, but particularly in times of war, where questions of basic dignity and humanity are on the line. While civilians may or may not be fighting, they do all have a position, an angle, a perspective. The personal is political, and the spectrum is wide.

While they may not have been invited to the Order of the Phoenix—or may have turned down an invite even if they had been—many civilians are sympathetic to Muggles and Muggleborns. (After all, remember that there have been several pro-Muggle Ministers of Magic in recent memory).

Some pro-Muggle civilians are forming their own resistance groups, without the magical and political power of the Order of the Phoenix. These resistance groups vary in their missions: some provide relocation assistance to Muggles and Muggleborns who feel unsafe in the current environment. Some attack purist civilians, looking to cut off anti-Muggle sentiment at the source using any means necessary. (More to come here—stay tuned.)

Most Muggle sympathisers are sympathetic to the cause but frightened about putting themselves and their family at personal risk. They instead go along with the status quo, assisting Muggles, Muggleborns, and resistance organizations if and when they believe they can do so unseen. Some may funnel resources to the Order: funds, space, services such as medical care or wand repair. Witches and wizards who know Albus Dumbledore likely have an idea that he is doing something behind closed doors and want no direct part of it, but if one of his soldiers needs help, they will assist.

Some witches and wizards consider their allegiance to be to the Ministry of Magic and to its authority. These folks are most interested in combating the rise of the Death Eaters through legal and government-sanctioned means, especially via raids through the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. (These tactics would be more efficient if these people weren’t also seeking to appease major donors within the wizarding community—including Sacred Twenty-Eight families with known purist leanings, and if the Ministry didn’t have a number of moles, plants, and defectors to the Death Eaters.) Maintaining order is the top priority for these people, sometimes at the cost of justice, civil rights, or personal conscience.

Purists may come from Sacred 28 families or from other pureblood stock, or may even be halfbloods. They may align themselves with purist ideology for a number of reasons: they might genuinely believe that magic makes them superior to muggles. They may not have that opinion, but see a benefit in aligning themselves with purist culture, whether that reason is material (for instance, access to more historically powerful families and their business assets) or personal. Given the state of the war, some folks may see a Death Eater victory as inevitable, and are seeking to ally themselves with the winning side sooner rather than later. Many people assume purist types all come from a upper-class background, and while that stereotype may has a grain of truth (with historically pure families taking advantage of connections to the Muggle upper-class to secure status, like the Malfoys), it’s also worth noting that some witches and wizards from less-esteemed backgrounds may turn to magic as a marker of superiority compared to their lower-class Muggle peers. These witches and wizards, desperate for the higher status and privilege they have been denied and looking for a scapegoat, are also more likely to point fingers at Muggles as having a part in their misfortunes.

Your character may not fit neatly into any of these groups, but chances are they have an opinion—lacking a clear stance, after all, is a stance all its own. As always, if you have any questions or need clarification on anything, just let us know.

#halysrp #marauders roleplay #marauders rp #marauders era #update #member groups #*#hp rp

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matthew-trs · 7 years

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Part 6: Various Names

These are all bullet-pointed, and the first part will be translated in Kaga’s own voice, since that’s how they’re written.

I also decided to include my own notes on the origin of various names. This post is also crazy long, and mostly just exists so I can keep all my ideas and facts straight.

Berwick Saga

The “Bren” (ブレン) of Brenthunder (ブレンサンダー) and the Bren Crossbow (ブレンクロスボウ) is from the famous English Bren Light Machine Gun. Military enthusiasts probably immediately recognized this.

Gorzevalus (ゴーゼワロス) was named by the designer who wrote that map’s scenario. I don’t know where he got the name, but he’s a very serious person, so I doubt he intended it to be funny.

A derrick (デリック) is a type of large crane. Since they can be used to lift heavy items as well as help survey undersea wrecks, I wanted Professor Almuth’s first name to give the impression of historical site exploration.

Things like Critical Knife and Wallenstein were simply abbreviated (クリティカルナイフ > クリテカルナイフ, and ヴァレンシュタイン > ワレンスタイン) due to a 7-character limit we had early in development. I must’ve simply missed them when I double-checked later. Similarly, we abbreviated Composite Bow (コンポジットボウ > コンジットボウ).

[Note: this won’t apply to the translation patch, since there’s no character limit.]

Sherpa (シェルパ) are a tribe of mountain guides at the base of Mt. Everest. I chose the name to parallel “Highlanders.” As for Highlanders (ハイランダー), they’re a historical ethnic group from Scotland who were renowned as brave warriors in history. I’ve been told that the Sherpa’s appearance closely resembles the hero of a certain manga, but I’ve never read it, so it’s just a coincidence.

I chose the name Kramer (クレイマー) because it’s close to “climber,” since he’s got a natural gift for climbing cliffs as a skill. I’m on the fence whether it should be to be a nickname or not... I guess it’s probably a nickname he picked himself.

Sapphire (サフィア) and Ruby (ルヴィ) are named after the precious stones, naturally.

Names like Roswick (ロズオーク), Vanmilion (バンミリオン), Shirrock (̪シロック), Quescria (クエスクリア), and the like I just made up. I didn’t take them from anywhere in particular.

[Note: in the patch, “Shirrock” will be Sherlock, which is a real name.]

Faramir (ファラミア) and Olwen (オルウェン) are from The Lord of the Rings.

[Note: I’m not sure which LotR character Olwen is supposed to be. The closest one it matches is Arwen (アルウェン), but that’s a woman...]

Faramir’s class name Wanderer (渡り戦士) is borrowed from a certain manga. Sorry, Ms. Hikawa!

Sylvis (シルウィス), Larentia (ラレンティア), Pfeizal (ファイサル), etc. are mythological/historical people; I also sometimes used the names of mythological weapons for people, too.

Most other proper names are original or just common names, like Lynette, Reese, Bernard, etc.

TearRing Saga

It’s hardly worth mentioning, but Katri (カトリ) is just a plain ranch girl’s name. Back in the day, a lot of people thought it had something to do with baseball pitching. It’s from an old anime based on a very old children’s story from Finland, so it’s natural people wouldn’t recognize where it came from.

[Note: I have no clue what Kaga means about the baseball thing.]

Ente (エンテ) is German for “duck,” while Möwe (メーヴェ) means “seagull.” In other words, it’s an play on words where if you add eyes (メ) to a duck (カモ), you get a seagull (カモメ), meant to parallel that when Ente awakens to her true self, she becomes Möwe. Naturally, there’s also the added meaning that she wants to fly in the skies freely like a seagull, not be a duck that hides itself underwater.

[Note: I had these names as “Enteh” and “Maeve” in the TRS patch. The official romanization of エンテ is definitely “Enteh,” too. Oh well...]

Neyfa (ネイファ) was the name of a character in a short story I wrote a long time ago.

Tia (ティーエ) is from Aul Toba Tieh (アウル・トバティーエ), a character from a certain fantasy novel.

Lionheart (レオンハート), of course, means “lion-hearted.” Historically, it was the epithet of the King Richard I of England. While being Lionheart’s name, this was also the source of Richard’s title the Lion Prince of Mahl (マールの獅子王子)... though I will admit now that this was pretty lazy naming on my part.

The mamluks (マムルーク) were medieval Arab slave warriors renowned for their elite archery, who later conquered Egypt and Syria. Therefore, by calling Lionheart’s class “mamluk,” I wanted to convey the imagery of a strong, elite horseman leading his own unique regiment.

[Note: this was “Nomadic Trooper” in the TRS patch.]

Translator’s Additions

Names of People:

Playable:

Aegina: Αἴγινα, a nymph in Greek myth, the great-grandmother of Achilles and Ajax the Great.

Paramythis: Paramythia (Παραμυθιά, “comforter”) is an epithet of the Virgin Mary.

Perceval: also spelled Percival; knight of the Round Table

Bosses/NPCs:

Cordova: Cordova/Córdoba, a city in Spain that was historically the capital of a large Islamic state, the Emirate (and later Caliphate) of Córdoba.

Arcturus: a star in the constellation Boötes; called the “bear-watcher” in Greek astronomy, and むぎぼし (“wheat star”) in Japanese astronomy. Kaga says these names are meant to represent Arcturus’s character as both strong and reliable.

Zephyrus: Ζέφυρος, god of the western wind in Greek myth. Kaga notes elsewhere that this pseudonym was chosen for Friedrich because of the character’s desire to eventually return home to the west, even though it was impossible for so long.

Rasputin: Grigorij Yefimovič Rasputin (Григорий Ефимович Распутин), Russian mystic and advisor to Emperor Nicholas II, later assassinated by nobles worried about his influence, especially over Empress Aleksandra Fjodorovna.

Red Baron (Richthofen in the translation): Manfred von Richthofen, German lord and fighter pilot from WWI, nicknamed “the Red Baron” due to his status as a Freiherr (”baron”) and his plane that he famously painted red.

Wallenstein: Albrecht von Wallenstein (Albrecht z Valdštejna), supreme commander of the Holy Roman Empire’s military during the Thirty Years’ War

Krishna: कृष्ण, god of love and compassion in Hinduism. Also the name of a character from TearRing Saga 1.

Sakhalin: an island just north of Hokkaido, currently owned by Russia.

Shagaal: Chagall (シャガール), king of Agustria in FE4.

Chebyshev: Pafnutij L’vovič Čjebyšjov (Пафну́тий Льво́вич Чебышёв), a Russian mathematician.

Fermat: Pierre de Fermat, a French mathematician and lawyer.

Lebesgue: Henri Léon Lebesgue, a French mathematician

Palitzsch: Johann Georg Palitzsch, a German astronomer

Weyl: Hermann Klaus Hugo Weyl, a German mathematician and physicist

Euclid: Εὐκλείδης, an ancient Greek mathematician

Jung: Carl Gustav Jung, a Swiss psychologist

Grimm: possibly from the Brothers Grimm, German linguists and authors of Grimm’s Fairy Tales

Gibbs: possibly from Josiah Willard Gibbs, American physicist and chemist

Rodin: François Auguste René Rodin, a French sculptor

Wagner: possibly Wilhelm Richard Wagner, German composer, writer, and director, most famous for Der Ring des Nibelungen.

Windsor: the currently reigning dynasty of British monarchs, ultimately descended from the Germanic House of Wettin

Pizarro: Francisco Pizarro-González, Spanish conquistador

Eisenhower: Dwight David Eisenhower, general and 34th president of the United States.

Cromwell: Oliver Cromwell, major leader of the Parliamentarian side of the English Civil War

Rockefeller: John David Rockefeller Sr., American business magnate and philanthropist, and inflation-adjusted richest person in modern history.

Goebbels: Paul Joseph Goebbels, Minister of Propaganda for the Third Reich.

Goering: Hermann Wilhelm Göring, Vice-Chancellor of Germany during the Third Reich.

Mahatma: Mahātmā (महात्मा, “venerable”), a title most associated with Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Gomorrah: עֲמֹרָה‎‎, one of the legendary cities destroyed by God in the Biblical book of Genesis.

ha-Yadh (”God Hand” in Japanese): הַיָד, Hebrew for “the hand.”

Enoch: חֲנוֹךְ, ancestor of Noah in Genesis, said to have “walked with God” rather than died. Subject of several apocryphal books.

Gilgamesh: 𒄑𒂆𒈦, a semi-historical ancient king of Sumer and protagonist of the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Nazgul: Nazgûl, the ringwraiths from The Lord of the Rings.

Manaclir: corruption of Manannán mac Lir, a sea god in Irish myth.

Urbanus IV: Urbanus (anglicized as Urban) has been the papal name of eight different popes.

Arless: Ares (Ἄρης), god of war in Greek myth

Alecto: Ἀληκτώ, goddess of unstoppable rage in Greek myth

Names of Places

Berwick Isle: Berwick-upon-Tweed, a historically long-disputed territory on the border between Scotland and England

Altesia (what the Lazberians call the continent of Lieberia): Artesia, the Latin name for the county of Artois, France.

Izmil: İzmir, the Turkish name of the city classical known as Smyrna

Leoglard: corruption of Beograd, the native name for Belgrade, the capital of Serbia

Diana: goddess of the moon and hunt in Roman myth, equivalent of Greek Artemis

Valemtine: corruption of Valentine, anglicized form of the name Valentinus

Mineva: possibly from Minerva, goddess of war and wisdom in Roman myth, equivalent of Greek Athena

Sinon: possibly from Sinon (Σίνων), a Greek spy from the Iliad who helped convince the Trojans to move the Trojan Horse into their city.

Danae: Danaë (Δανάη), mother of Perseus in Greek myth

Ausonia (one of the five marches): Αυσονία, the ancient Greek name for the southern Italian peninsula

Badonia: possibly from Badon Hill (Latin Mons Badonicus/Badonis, Welsh Mynydd Baddon), the legendary location of a battle of King Arthur against the invading Anglo-Saxons.

Lombard (one of the five marches): the Lombards, a Germanic tribe who conquered parts of Italy during the 6th century.

Anatolia (an unidentified location where certain wines are from): also called Asia Minor, an ancient region corresponding with modern central and western Turkey.

Wallachia (mentioned in the description of the Tiger Pelt item): one of the three major constituents of early Romania, alongside Transylvania and Moldavia.

Pyrene: the Pyrenees, a mountain range separating the Iberian Peninsula with the rest of continental Europe

Seydlitz: Frederich Wilhelm von Seydlitz, a general serving under Frederick II of Prussia; or the German WWI battle cruiser named after him, the SMS Seydlitz.

Fort Remagen: Remagen, a town in Germany famous for the Battle of Remagen in WWII, where Allied forces temporarily captured Ludendorff Bridge, one of the last bridges over the Rhine.

Myuhen: possibly from München, the German name of Munich.

Ruan: Rouen, capital of the Normandy region of France.

Ishs: possibly from Isis, goddess of motherhood and nature in Egyptian myth.

Item Names: Original (may or may not overlap with translation)

Knives:

Vespa: Latin for “wasp”

Crotalus: the scientific name for the rattlesnake genus, itself from Greek κρόταλον (”rattle”)

Swords:

Holy Sword Vritra (”Vritra” in the translation): serpent and adversary of Indra in Hinduism.

Sakushīdo/Succeed (”Nothung” in the translation): likely from the English word “succeed.”

Dangerous Blade Albatross (”Albatross” in the translation): from the legend about a sailor shooting an albatross, a bird thought to signify good luck, who was forced by his shipmates to wear the dead bird around his neck to ensure that only he received the bad luck from killing it.

Grimhildr: queen of Burgundy in Norse myth.

Lord Gram (”Gramr” in the translation): sword of the Germanic hero Sigurðr, used to kill the dragon Fáfnir.

Harperia: possibly from harpē (ἅρπη), a type of sickle-like sword in Greek myth, most famously used to castrate Cronus and kill Medusa.

Holy Sword Vajra (”Vajra” in the translation): means “diamond” or “thunderbolt”, the weapon of Indra in Hinduism

Adrasteia: Ἀδράστεια “inescapable”, the name of two different characters in Greek myth: a nymph who nursed Zeus, and a daughter of Ares and Aphrodite.

Balmung: the name for the sword Gramr (see above) given in the Nibelungenlied.

Spears

Brionac: a spear of the god Lugh in Irish myth

Phalanx (”Doru” in the translation): a type of ancient Greek heavy infantry famous for their battle formation, where shields would be arranged to make a wall lined with protruding spears.

Wotan Spear (”Angon” in the translation): Wotan, Old High German name of the god Odin (Óðinn) from Norse myth

Axes

Gigas Axe: γίγας, Greek for “giant.” Suitably, it’s only usable by Gigas Knights in the game.

Būji (”Bhuj” in the translation): possibly from bhuj (भुज), also called an axe-knife, a type of short- but wide-bladed weapon with a very long grip.

Thorhammer (”Mjollnir” in the translation): Thor, thunder god in Norse myth, who wielded the hammer Mjǫllnir.

Gullveig: a figure from Norse mythology who is killed three times, then reborn the third time as the powerful shamaness Heiðr.

Bows/Crossbows

Holy Bow Rossweisse (”Rossweisse” in the translation): Roßweiße, German for “white horse,” one of the eight valkyries in Richard Wagner’s opera Die Walküre.

Sylph Bow (”Killer Bow” in the translation): Sylph, wind elementals from classical alchemy, invented by Paracelsus.

Magic Bow Apeiron (”Apeiron” in the translation): ἄπειρον (”limitless”), a concept in certain ancient Greek cosmologies and philosophies.

Apollo Bow (”Argyrotoxus” in the translation): Apollo, god of light in Greek myth, twin brother of Artemis, goddess of the hunt

Otinus Crossbow (”Ollerus” in the translation): possibly a faux-latinization of Óðinn

Magic

Pallas Leia/Serenia/Riana: Pallas (Παλλὰς), an epithet of the Greek goddess Athena

Starlight: from Starlight in FE1/FE3

Janura (”Nosferatu” in the translation): from the Japanese words ja (蛇, “snake”) and nurunuru (ヌルヌル, “smooth, slippery”)

Scylla: Σκύλλα, a monster in Greek myth

Bau Crash (”Kishar’s Wrath” in the translation): possibly (but not likely) from Bau (𒀭𒁀𒌑, also called “Gula” by the Babylonians, among other names), goddess of healing from Akkado-Babylonian myth.

Shields

Ajax’s Shield (”Sakos Aiantos” in the translation): the shield of the Greek hero Ajax the Great in the Iliad, made of seven layers of oxhide and one of bronze. Most famously, it could even block the javelin of the Trojan hero Hector, which pierced only the first six layers.

Aspis: ἀσπίς, a heavy wooden shield used by ancient Greek infantry

Flame Shield Hestia (”Hestia” in the translation): Hestia, goddess of the hearth and architecture in Greek myth

Materials

Celica Steel (”Zerika Steel” in the translation): possibly from Celica, a protagonist in FE2/FE15

Toneriko Wood (”Ash Wood” in the translation): とねりこ, Japanese for the Manchurian ash tree, Fraxinus mandschurica.

Jugud Wood (”Yggdra Wood” in the translation): a reference to Jugdral, itself a reference to Yggdrasil, the world-tree in Norse myth

Tilia Wood (”Linden Wood” in the translation): Tilia, the genus name for linden/basswood trees.

Ichii Wood (”Yew Wood” in the translation): いちい, Japanese for the Japanese yew tree, Taxis cuspidata.

Antilope Skin (”Antelope Pelt” in the translation): Antilope, German for “antelope”

Schwein Skin (”Boar Pelt” in the translation): Schwein, German for “swine”

Stier Skin (”Bull Pelt” in the translation): Stier, German for “steer”

Löwe Skin (”Lion Pelt” in the translation): Löwe, German for “lion”

Tigris Skin (”Tiger Pelt” in the translation): tigris, Latin for “tiger”

Lúkos Skin (”Wolf Pelt” in the translation): λύκος, Greek for “wolf”

Simurgh Feather: sīmurğ (سیمرغ), a bird from Iranian myth

Ariadne Thread: Ἀριάδνη, a woman from Greek myth who helped Theseus traverse the Labyrinth using a spool of thread

Eye of Balor: Balor, king of the Fomorians in Irish myth, who had a third eye on his forehead that wrought destruction on any it looked at.

Item Names: Translation

Swords

Succeed → Nothung: the name of Gramr (see above) given in Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen. “Succeed” is a crappy name for a sword, and it’s Reese’s final weapon, so I wanted a theme naming with his earlier personal sword, Gramr.

Spears

Phalanx → Doru: δόρυ, the type of spear that Greek hoplites utilized in phalanx formation. Changed, naturally, because “phalanx” is a military formation/unit rather than a weapon.

Wotan Spear → Angon: Angon, a type of javelin used by Germanic peoples. I would’ve used “Gungnir,” since that’s the spear of Wotan/ Óðinn, but the Wotan Spear isn’t a high-tier weapon, or even the strongest thrown spear.

Bows/Crossbows

Sylph Bow → Killer Bow: I didn’t want to use “Sylph,” since there are wind-element weapons in Berwick Saga, but this isn’t one of them.

Magic Bow Aperion → Abaddon: Assuming “Aperion” is indeed a corruption of “Apollyon” (see above), I prefer the sound of the Hebrew name, Abaddon.

Apollo Bow → Argyrotoxus: Ἀργυρότοξος, an epithet of Apollo meaning “of the silver bow.”

Otinus Crossbow → Ollerus: Assuming “Otinus” is indeed a faux-latinization of “Óðinn,“ I didn’t think that Óðinn was a very fitting god to associate with a bow. Instead, I chose Ollerus, which is the latinization of the name of Ullr, Norse god of archery. As a bonus, Ullr/Ollerus is closely associated with Óðinn: during the episode where Óðinn is exiled for ten years for not being manly enough, Ullr is the one who rules the gods temporarily in his stead (during which time Ullr even uses the name Óðinn).

Gatling Bow → Chu-ko-nu: Following the tradition of the TRS1 translation, since guns aren’t in TRS, and Richard Gatling isn’t a TRS character.

Bren Crossbow → Rapid Crossbow: Similarly, guns aren’t in TRS, so “Bren” is out.

Dora → Espringal: While “ballista” and “scorpio” are both names of siege weapons, I have no idea what a “dora” is supposed to be... so I chose an actual one.

Dark Magic (I wanted the names of these spells to all be mythological references like they are in FE)

Black Meteo → Wormwood: a falling star that ruins the waters of the Earth in the Biblical book Revelation.

Berserk → Lyssa: Λύσσα, goddess of mad frenzy and rabies in Greek myth.

Sleep → Oneiroi: Ὄνειροι, the gods of dreams in Greek myth

Bau Crash → Kishar’s Wrath: Kišar (𒀭𒆠𒊹), the personified Earth in Babylonian myth. Since Bau (see above) is a goddess of motherhood rather than the earth, Kishar is more appropriate. I chose Kishar rather than the more ancient and well-established goddess Ki (also an earth goddess), since the name Ki is too short for players to reasonably identify. Even though I’m probably misunderstanding バウ as the goddess Bau, I stuck with it.

Janura → Nosferatu: to fit in line with FE’s Nosferatu; from adaptations of Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Tumahann → Saehrimnir: Sæhrímnir, the beast killed and eaten--then resurrected--by the Æsir and einherjar every evening in Norse myth. I wanted to use something bestial or related to eating, since this spell drains the EXP of its victim.

Hellworm → Jormungandr: to fit in line with FE’s Jormungandr; from Jǫrmungandr, the serpent surrounding Miðgarðr in Norse myth

Shields

Perushīda → Perseid: I’m not really sure what Perushīda is supposed to be, so I picked something that sounded close. The Perseids are a meteor shower occurring in late summer; named after the Perseid dynasty said to descend from the mythological hero Perseus

Ajax’s Shield → Sakos Aiantos: σᾰ́κος Αἴᾰντος, Epic Greek for “Ajax’s shield.” Fun Fact: Ajax’s shield in particular is called a sakos (”leather shield”) rather than an aspis (the general word for “shield”) in the Iliad. I didn’t want to use the English words, since I didn’t want to assert that Ajax was a person in the TRS universe. I’m even considering making it just Sakos, actually.

Fire-God Shield → Kojin Shield: Sanbō-Kōjin (三宝荒神, “wild god of the three treasures”), or just Kōjin, a Shinto god of fire, cooking, and the hearth. I used “Kōjin” rather than “Kagu-Tsuchi” (the god of fire in general) in order to nicely parallel the names of the related Fūjin Shield and Raijin Shield.

Accessories, etc.

Sun Charm → Dawn Charm: While the original name is a reference to the skill FE Sol, that name doesn’t fit with what the charm really does. It gives +10 Hit, so it makes it easier to see, hence “dawn.”

Meteor Charm → Dusk Charm: While the original name is a reference to the FE skill Astra, that name doesn’t fit with what the charm really does. It gives +10 Avoid, so it makes it harder be seen, hence “dusk.”

Moonlight Charm → Vanish Charm: While the original name is a reference to the FE skill Luna, that name doesn’t fit with what the charm really does. It activates the skill Hide, hence “vanish.”

Purgatory Bracelet → Gambler’s Brace: This brace lowers Hit and Avoid by 10 but increases Strength and Defense by 2, so it’s risky. I assume “purgatory” was meant to refer to the in-between-good-and-bad-for-you stat bonus given. The thing is, nobody who’s non-Catholic seems to understand that purgatory is a good place; hence, the old name is just plain dumb.

Ligan/Ishian Racehorse: These horses increase your Movement, hence “racehorse.”

Ligan Warhorse: This horse increases your Damage, hence “warhorse.”

Ishian/Sinonan Stallion: This horse increases your Speed, and the word “stallion” evokes an imagery of a wild, quick horse.

#yes i know this is disorganized and crazy you don't have to remind me

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freedomfromwithintheframe-blog · 6 years

Text

Moving art across disciplines

One of the most compelling things about an exhibition like this is its possible wingspan – it can reach very far. And of course, we are looking into the past, looking into the history of art education, however, each little detail, to a certain extent, lends itself to a wider discussion – to move across disciplines and across time. In accordance with that, we can take the conversation into the contemporary realm, and that conversation is as multifaceted as they come. Only recently, for instance, we had the pleasure to discuss the capacities and intricacies of art education today with Jeremy Till, Head of Central Saint Martins. And now, placing a focus on notions interference and a cross-over mentality, we can open up this conversation in yet another direction, but keep it grounded in today’s day and age.

The gateway into the following discussion, another little detail full of interpretative potential, if you will, was William Johnstone’s creative and somewhat practical approach to art (next to his advocacy for intuition and experimentation). In response to his times, fine art practices were overlapping and informing design practices; the point being that this line of thinking renders art, and art practices in any shape or form, inherently intertwined with life. Ergo, art is way more than something to simply look at and admire. Art is part of life, everyday life even, it engages, responds and transforms.

We spoke to Damian Hebron, who runs the arts programme at Cambridge University Hospitals – better known as Addenbrooke’s – to explore this entanglement of art and life, but this time under a different light, namely what art can offer in the Health Sector.

Addenbrooke's Arts is one of the country's leading hospital arts programmes. Established in 1999, they deliver a multi-disciplinary arts programme for the patients, staff and visitors of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Perhaps the concept of an arts programme at a hospital seems strange to some, especially at such a rather large scale, however, this is going against the idea of strict borders of disciplines and the realm in which they are expected move, and ultimately it is unlocking immense potential. ‘People are in hospital at critical moments in their lives – moments of change and challenge and it is at these moments that art can speak in a way that isn’t possible in traditional arts spaces. That is the philosophy which underpins our work,’ Damian explains.

Addenbrooke's Arts manages a collection of over 5,000 artworks and has two exhibition spaces with a rotating programme of new exhibitions by emerging artists and community groups. The collection includes original paintings by John Bellamy, Piers Browne, Quentin Blake, Elaine Pamphilon and many others, as well as the most significant collection of Alecto prints in the world.

A little bit of history: the key moment for the hospital’s art collection came in 1987 with the purchase of over 2,000 original modern art prints. These prints were purchased in bulk and were the residual stock of Editions Alecto – a printmaking company which had flourished in the 1960s and 1970s before closing in the early 1980s. Alecto worked with leading artists of the time and the collection included a number of sought after works alongside less valuable prints, some signed and limited edition, many hard to attribute or assign. The purchase was made at the cost of £1/print and arranged by Dr John Stark. This was accomplished with finance from the Hospital Trustees who were a standing committee of key staff which met to allocate ring-fenced, charitable funds which had been donated to the hospital. The Hospital Trustees allocated £3,000 to Dr Stark, which ultimately funded the purchase of the prints.

Damian is a big fan of Jennie Lee’s 1965 White Paper for the Arts, which set the parameters for arts policy for the next 50 years. What is key to understand here is that Lee, the first Arts Minister, argued that the arts needed to be opened up and that access to the arts was to drive arts policy: “The exclusion of so many for so long from… our cultural heritage can become as damaging to the privileged minority as to the under-privileged majority.” Lee, of course, was married to Nye Bevin, the Labour Health secretary largely credited with founding the NHS in 1948.

‘Opening up’ and ‘access’ are aspects that are widely discussed today, and moreover, need that constant engagement and rethinking. The overlaps we see in pretty much all aspects of life hold immense potential.

Yes, this specific connection of the Arts in Health and our exhibition Freedom From Within The Frame is an unexpected one. Nonetheless, drawing this line – very much outside the box, or even better, the frame – can perhaps be seen as invitation to ponder the ways in which art plays a role in life, directly and indirectly. And subsequently think about questions of how we value it, who has access to it, who makes it and facilitates it, and what all of these things say about an art education. In fact, do listen to our most recent episode of our podcast series, where we discuss art education today and the challenges it faces with Jeremy Till.

To listen to the podcast click here

#basic design #central saint martins #education #healthcare

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bloodroyalsrpg · 6 years

Photo

RABASTAN LESTRANGE

♕ II: CHARACTER INFORMATION ♕

FULL NAME: Rabastan Haverill Lestrange

FACECLAIM: Gaspard Ulliel

DATE OF BIRTH: 10 April 1950

HOGWARTS HOUSE & YEAR: Slytherin 1961 to 1968

GENDER & PRONOUNS: Male. He / Him / His.

SEXUALITY / SHIPS / ANTI-SHIPS: Aromantic Bisexual. Much as I should probably put Rabastan/Chemistry here, the fact of the matter is that Rabastan fully expects and accepts the fact that sooner or later some poor pureblood brood mare is going to be thrown at him so that he can do his duty and populate the world with more little Lestranges etc etc etc. So Rabastan/Convenience is the ship to sail.

OCCUPATION: Socialite (albeit one less keen to be discussed in the gossip columns than his peers). He is an amateur architect and was a professional boxer up until his 25th birthday.

ALLIANCE: Death Eater

POLITICAL VIEWS: Unabashed and volatile purist. Might as well have “Magic is Might” tattooed on his chest.

Hilariously, Rabastan, entirely straight facedly and with the blase of one remarking on the color of the sky, has frequently stated that he’s not biased. However it is often the case that those who feel the need to qualify that they “aren’t prejudiced or anything, but...” tend to be just that. Overall, it’s a spectacular lie, though not a deliberate one and therein betrays the empiricism with which he thinks about the world. In Rabastan’s mind, prejudice has nothing to do with the way he regards “mudbloods, muggles, and blood traitors”, it’s an issue of bald fact and therein are his protests and his vocal purism able to co-exist. Muggles are sub-human. End of story. In the case of one, Rabastan H. Lestrange, arguing that muggles are on the same level as wizards would be as successful as advocating that animals are on the equal standing as humans. Rebuttals that have feelings and build civilizations and cities are pointless; to draw from a exchange once held, “ants can build an anthill, that doesn’t mean they’re not insects.”

When one has other’d muggles as thoroughly as Rabastan Lestrange has, muggleborns are an unacceptable infringement upon the natural world order. They shouldn’t exist. Certainly, they shouldn’t be inducted into the ranks of wizard-kind with open arms and all acceptance as if they were due a place here. Their blood is tainted and their inclusion in society is a contagion.

On down the hierarchy...if pureblood are the template, half-blood are a mold with something subtle blemished in it. Unconsciously he’ll attribute any fault and flaw in talent or body with that hereditary dilution. His ideas about half-breed follow similar patterns. He doesn’t approve of werewolves and vampires and other “creatures” being brought into the ranks, and thinks it’s a joke to give them the idea that they have any sway.

KNOWN FACTS:

TRUTH. Rabastan was expected to enter the Ministry after Hogwarts, but rebelled against paternal orders and entered the realm of sporting fights instead. He abruptly retired in 1970, after the death of his mother.

FALSE RUMOR. He was supposed to marry Andromeda Black, but was jilted when she eloped with the muggleborn Theodore Tonks.

TRUTH. He has an extremely contentious relationship with the Head of the DMLE's Auror Office and has been a prime suspect in several cases though never ones with substantive enough evidence to even warrent a questioning, let alone anything more definitive.

BOGGART: Rodolphus’ corpse.

In the interest of heading off any sentimentalists, it must be emphasized that this has nothing to do with affection or brotherly love. For all that Rabastan frequently can’t stand the old nag (or rather, one of the reasons for why he can’t), younger brother sees elder brother as invincible. Utterly. A frustrating but inescapable constant. A dead Rodolphus means something has gone very very wrong with the world.

AMORTENTIA: Kindling after the fire's been put out. Air after it just snowed. Expensive perfume.

PERSONALITY TRAITS: At least four detailed personality traits

Cruel

Much of Rabastan’s perceived fanatical hatred of muggleborns springs from his tendency to be particularly cruel to anything less than pureblood. This is a textbook case of misattribution. Rabastan is cruel. Period. The fact that channeling his considerable penchant for ruthlessness into the offensive against "mudbloods and muggles" is more productive in the grand scheme of his ultimate goals is just convenient happenstance. One need look no further than his hard handling of Alecto Carrow to see that, when given license, Rabastan's brutality is enthusiastic and undiscerning. He naturally favors violence as a course over any other and while he knows that blood and pain isn’t always the best option he stands by the position that it’s always the fastest option.

Temperamental

Beneath the brittle veneer of gentility bred into him by generations of self-proclaimed aristocrats, Rabastan is all sound and fury. As a Death Eater, he is a force of nature. Titanic boundless emotion and unashamed to show as much. With violence as his domain to control, it'd be simple to assume reckless, berserker rage on his end when it comes to fighting and leave it there. He's nothing so straightforward, so pat. Reality proves Rabastan to be a muddled study in duality. War itself is rarely anything personal; holding a grudge is not characteristic to Rabastan, nor niggling over personal annoyances. His moods and impulses are changeable, fickle, and rarely static.

Irreverent

He lacks in respect or reverence for anything; even the Cause, his Lord, and his own narrow world view. Nothing is sacred, not even the things that he holds most important. He is sacrilegious and thoroughly stubborn. With few exceptions, trying to tell Rabastan what to do is a study in futility. Even asking him to do something for you is a useless endeavor unless you have a very excellent reason why he should, presented lecture style complete with well calculated statistics and visual materials.

Charismatic

If he were capable of letting himself out of his own head space a little more, Rabastan would make a superb leader. When he means to be, he is good with people. His social intuition and charm are one of the few edges he has on his prodigal brother. Young school aged Rabastan was a master of charming professors, but even when not exerting considerable effort, he has a magnetism that often comes pack and parcel with the irreverent and the impulsive. Broad grinning, good humored, and quick to laughter in the way that Rodolphus is decidedly not, when he’s in one of his oddly good moods Rabastan is an easy creature to get along with. At least until, eventually ( inevitably ), that latent brutality bleeds through.

Loyal

One is not elevated into the ranks of The Dark Lord’s inner circle without at least a certain degree of demonstrative fanatical devotion. For all that he is fickle and bitter, mocking and disrespectful, Rabastan is faithful down to the bone. If there is a sin in his own self-centric religion it’s betrayal. While it's a fair fear that Rabastan might stab you, one can at the least rest easy in the confidence that he won't stab you in the back.

SPECIAL SKILLS: Rabastan is thoroughly a fighter, with magic and without. He excels, particularly, in wandless magic; something he considers the most primal example of proof in the power of pure blood and raw impact. He’s a remarkable artist (surprise!) and a mathematical savant, particularly in the areas of cartesian geometry.

BIOGRAPHY: It was decided, even before he was delivered screaming into the world, that the second child to come of Odilia and Rivalen Lestrange's union would be claimed almost entirely as his mother's. The firstborn, Rodolphus, was his father's son and the family's heir, and what maternal instincts Odilia had were not sated by the time her husband usurped his upbringing. And so Rabastan became hers rather than the family's; the mother-son bond was quickly sparked and forged into something so durable that the years did little in the way of lessening the attachment. His father, a hard disciplinarian, had denied Rodolphus such mothering, seeing it as a form of affection that would no doubt soften both the mind and constitution of the boy, and so automatically saw his second son as something inherently weaker due to an upbringing he himself had allowed to continue unchecked.

And thus the family lines were drawn. He's a greedy little brat, of course -- one who ultimately turns into a greedy bastard. (Though not little. Definitely not that.) Their father's attention is tantamount, is the moon to their mother's sea, the pull to all their tides. Rabastan demands their father's eyes, nudges Rivalen with baby-strong hands, callous adolescence, and finally sullen respect. He makes himself impossible to ignore by dint of being an obnoxious shit, grinning as though he owns an entire set of especially bad secrets, even as he bows his shaggy head and offers deference in place of snide asides. Deference from the younger Lestrange would look like rebellion on anyone else; he doesn't just walk the thin line, but bounds down its path: sure-footed, cocky, smiling the radiant smile which all but forces others to return it in kind.

The template of Rabastan's relationship with his father was set; so too that of the fraternal dynamic, with Rabastan going on to make an art of swiping, prodding, and testing just how abundant Rodolphus' supply of stony-faced patience really was. Rivalen tries to whip it out of him. Second son laughs and laughs, smirking through rivulets of blood and tears to further rankle his father. Why? Because he can. Because he cares. Because insolence tastes coppery-sweet, and if he can't be the favorite son, then he'll damned well make himself unforgettable. In those long days of disobedience, he escapes by diving into his mother's cold heart. His first war is with his father. His mother, though -- soft but flinty Odilia -- she teaches him to reconcile for the greater good. He hides their lessons in his windstorm heart.

His tenure as a Hogwarts student was a matter of public record. Slytherin was both relief and annoyance, Rodolphus' own wearing of the green factoring into both, and Rabastan proceeded to forge a scholastic career in which he maintained the barest minimum of a relationship with his brother and while his instructors seemed at first reluctant to forget that he was Rodolphus’ younger sibling, but caved to the younger Lestrange’s unique brand of charm and incivility. He got into fights often and was immune to attempts at correction, but completed school for 5 NEWTs under his belt.

The question of his future thereafter was a terse discussion at family dinner table. A jeering statement that he was waiting for elder brother to set the standard and mother’s elbow jutting into the space between father and youngest son to keep them from crossing proverbial battle lines. True to his dedication to obstinacy, Rabastan’s course veers deliberately away from any trajectory intended by father or brother. Except in one area and that was swearing fealty to The Dark Lord.

CONNECTIONS:

Rodolphus Lestrange

As a babe and a boy, Rabastan assumes Rodolphus knows the way only a parent knows: everything, and everyone. He makes effort to be an occasional thorn in his brother’s side, a point of provocation and frustration because breaking that poker face would be the ultimate achievement. But in the end it all boils down to admiration, to idolization. In his own contrary, heavy-handed way, he needs his brother's grounding presence more than he will ever care to admit. At the end of the day, should he ever take his antics to far he’ll bend his pride enough to go to this man who will ever be the favorite, the wise one, the safe and strong one. Says "I'm sorry," says "brother", and they are mended.

Regulus Black

It seems like unsubstantiated suspicion, but Rabastan is all gut and instinct and his say Regulus Black lacks in conviction and cut-throat both. This generation of Blacks has as many traitors as they do members who stayed on the proper path and he’s waiting to see which way their no-longer-spare heir will tip the scales.

#sample app #rabastan lestrange

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