#but she’s already been susceptible to magic we know this
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The acolytes of the Doodler were not bad people, they’re consumed by their obsessions. They all think that they’re helping the people they hurt, too— minus that one incel with the trumpet he’s just an incel. The only thing that really defines an acolyte of the Doodler is their obsession with something, and in some way coming to utilize power from the Doodler to achieve these goals, intertwining their obsession with their understanding of the Doodler.
Let’s talk about Normal Oak-Swallows-Garcia!!!
We know that the school is on an especially vulnerable point between the worlds after the kiddads become stuck on Earth, with three separate incursions happening within the building in the span of a month. Additionally, all the kids have something they’ve defined their lives around, but Normal is the only one who built his identity around it since childhood and defined himself by it. I don’t want to refer to his love of mascots as an obsession, it’s more like a hyperfixation and one he had before Teen High, but his ‘school spirit’ act is somewhat obsessive. Underneath his love for his school is his desire to be the center of attention, his desperation for recognition, and the underlying feeling that he deserves it. I’m getting that last part from his experience on the Pride floor. Normal is a good kid! He’s a character with nuance! I’m just saying he is susceptible.
Like, incredibly susceptible. As much as I’m not a fan of how Lark and Sparrow handled him being excited about an interest (we remember Sparrow saying he’s not proud of Normal, but Lark in episode one really went ‘does your kid have a friend yet?’ In front of Normal), it Is possible to read some of what they say as concerns that he’s going to wind up Doodlerized. Especially with their innate familial connection to it, and the fact that I also think specifically Lark would incredibly susceptible as well (obsessed with trying to Destroy the Doodler, but hate and love can be easily muddled) were it not for his closeness with Sparrow. I think that’s why both siblings seem to have gone out of their way to interact with Normal in ways that didn’t involve his interests but would still be fun and pleasant (like going to the zoo or the park, Lark taking him out for pizza). Trying to keep him grounded with experiences that are not all connected to one thing, that way it’s harder to pull him off of his supports.
That being said, in spite of Lark’s ‘do not involve the children’ line, I’m pretty sure Normal would have gone down the path of a Doodler acolyte had he not had D.A.D.D.I.E.S. And the teens. Not JUST because Normal is already vulnerable to his obsession with popularity, and his family’s innate tie to the doodler, and a CHUNK of his wobbly support structure has gone completely missing and he is aware of it and nobody will believe him. But also because his obsession is rooted in the school itself. The school that is about to have not one but Three Incursions. Back-to-Back. Plus the mayor is friendly with his mom, meaning she has a direct influence on him. And Hermie’s attempted betrayal would only prove to him that he was right that the mascot— and therefore himself— was something worth protecting without the goal of going to the goof realm to keep him focused. It would just reaffirm the belief. He might even overtake the mayor as the main spokesperson of the doodler because, as we see when he sits on the throne, he Empathizes with it.
If Hero was approached to manage D.A.D.D.I.E.S., which she likely would have been had Hills not assumed that Normal had access to Daddy magic too, she would probably have to confront her brother at some point.
#dungeons and daddies#dndads#dndads season 2#dndads spoilers#dungeons and daddies season 2#normal oak#normal oak swallows garcia#the doodler#long post#Similar thing for Lark if anything were to happen to Sparrow— if he continued his work he would gradually grow to be at risk#the chosen one faces off against a loved one who got corrupted while the chosen one was ignoring them to focus on chosen one duties#<- a trope that I apparently enjoy in this context#funny part of this is that Normal would still be a Cleric
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Susan Kay's 'Phantom' Read: Part IV (Nadir)
I always knew I'd have mixed feelings about this chunk of the book.
I feel like the issues with the rampant Orientalism and just generally how very wrong Kay is about so much of this have been sufficiently commented on by others, so I'm not going to spend a lot of real estate on that. I'm mainly going to focus on what bugs me personally.
Which is... well, several things
Where do I start?
I guess with "Nadir" himself. I don't know who "Nadir" is, but he's #NotMyDaroga. 'Why's that?' You may ask? Well because, in my opinion, he's only tangentially related to his source material. There's a lot here that checks the boxes: Daroga of Mazanderan, reluctant with many of his duties, simultaneously in awe of and terrified of Erik’s genius all of that's in there. Buuuuut
First of all, Kay took the most practical, likeable character in Leroux's work and made him whiny and annoying. All he does for the first five pages is complain. Within those five pages he also refers to himself as "regrettably squeamish". Nothing happens in the course of this episode to show him growing out of that, so how we get the, pragmatic badass who haunts the Paris opera house keeping Erik in check I have no idea (I also have no idea how this is gonna go later in the book).
Not only that but this in particular stuck out to me:
Some of the illusions were positively supernatural, and long before the show was at an end, I was quietly convinced that I stood in the presence of a genie, created from fire more than two thousand years before Adam. I noted uneasily that he was left handed. Every Moslem knows that the devil is left handed--it is for this reason that we always take care to spit to the left. My fingers felt instinctively for the amulets that hung at my neck, an outstretched hand made in silver and the dried eye of a sheep, killed at Mecca on the great day of sacrifice. Both were powerful protective agencies, and I had never felt more in need of their protection. I took care not to meet his gaze, for I already feared his evil eye.
This stands in sharp contrast to the Persian of Leroux:
If I had been a superstitious man or easily susceptible to weakness, I could not have failed to think that I had to do with a siren of some sort whose task was to trouble the voyager bold enough to travel on the waters of the lakeside house; but, thank God, I come from a country where the fantastic is so cherished that we know it to its depths, and in times past I myself have studied it extensively. Anyone who knows the magicians trade can excite the human imagination with a few simple tricks.
Of course you can make the argument that the Persian speaking here has known Erik for years now and is wise to his tricks, whereas Kay's "Nadir" is seeing them for the first time. But I'm sorry. I don't buy it. Leroux's Daroga, though amazed and awestruck by Erik's skills at illusion, never indicates that he has even been so fooled by them as to actually mistake him for more than what he is: a genius, certainly, but no genie.
Which leads me to wonder if Erik's magic tricks in this book aren't a little too fantastic. Granted Kay never leads us to believe that they really are supernatural, but she uses Erik's degree of genius as a bit of a shield to get away with not revealing the secrets to some truly fantastic tricks, while Leroux nearly always explains Erik's mechanisms (whether they would work to the level of efficacy Leroux describes its up for debate, but he at least does have explanations for them all.
I think it's hilarious and contemptible that Kay has, at numerous times in this book, dropped incredibly clunky and gratuitous clusters of architectural technical terms, just lists of them for no apparent reason except, I can only assume, to show off how much research she did on the subject; and then makes it so patently obvious that her cultural research is dubious, negligible, or entirely non-existent.
She goes to great lengths to paint Nadir as a devout Muslim, which is not something Leroux ever did, now that I think about it. I don't doubt that the Persian is, at least culturally, be he seems quite ambivalent to his religion, as a rule. It quite literally (as far as I can recall) never comes up. But Nadir is. Several times she has him exclaim "Allah" much in the way a Westerner would use "God" as an expletive. Not "Wallah" not even "By Allah" just "Allah".
"Allah, how I hated cats!"
And it's not only the things he says but the things he doesn't say that annoy me (though I'm a layman, and very much open to correction). Common Islamic phrases that could easily be used in any of the situations Nadir finds himself in are completely left by the wayside. There isn't even a single "Inshallah" in his entire narrative.
Another problem I have is that Kay's Daroga is a widower with a sick son. A very complex emotional relationship develops among Erik, Nadir, and Nadir's son, Reza, to whom Erik feels an affinity, as the boy is slowly crippled by a debilitating congenital disease. I have a problem with this because its all very... I call it the Michael Burnham effect. That is to say this is a very important and big emotional thing in The Persian's relationship with Erik and I don't believe that this wouldn't have come up in any of the Persian's narrative if it was actually the case. This is a liberty which Kay, in my opinion, shouldn't have taken. It affects Erik's entire relationship with The Persian in ways that strain my credulity. And it's part of the reason that Erik's character here is fully beginning to stray deeper into a musical-based version than the Leroux-version (which I have a problem with, as this book is ostensibly following Leroux's outline). She even goes to far as to have Erik acknowledge Nadir, with complete (if reluctant) sincerity, as his friend. And this pretty much confirms my suspicions of where "Erik and Daroga are friends" comes from. Whatever Erik and The Persian's odd relationship in the book is, I can't call it friendship with how frequently The Persian calls him "the monster".
Note don't get me wrong Erik and Daroga do definitely have a bizarre bond that is, I think, a kind of friendship. Daroga feels sympathy for Erik, and also responsibility for him. He is, in many, ways, more like an older brother than a friend. I could say so much on this subject but that's for another post.
But what I find really baffling and annoying about Erik and Nadir's "friendship" in this book is the drugs.
I can't express how repugnant I find this. I think it's an insult to both Erik and the Persian, the fact that Nadir HIMSELF GETS ERIK HOOKED ON OPIUM. WHY. And then she has the fucking nerve to lampshade with all the "Oh yes Opium's a terrible horrible deadly habit" Only to have Nadir turn right around and give Erik his fix. What the actual fuck.
But setting aside that Susan Kay actually said "I'm not just going to make Nadir annoying, I'm also going to make him an enabler!" Is the fact that... I just don't buy Erik doing drugs.
I know Erik is an artist, and artists throughout the ages have been associated with decadent habits like drugs and alcohol to soothe their tortured souls or broaden their minds to ever more fantastic plains blah blah blah.
But Erik is not an every day kind of character. Erik is notable in how uniquely he glories in his tribulations. Erik's music in particular is a manifestation of his pure emotions both good and bad, and I think for him to alter his moods with substances, to him, would sully the purity of his art, which he always characterizes as a spiritual, almost holy thing.
And here's another thing. Part of the reason Erik is doing opium in this book is, yes the horrors of his past, but also the terrible things he's doing in the present... which I do think Erik of Leroux did grow sick of what was demanded of him in Persia (he explicitly says he wanted to put it all behind him), but I don't think he probably felt... that bad about it? I dunno maybe that's just me.
Moving on.
I'll pause here to say that while I think Kay is a bit guilty of "de-fanging" Erik in this book, I genuinely do appreciate her emphasis on his affinity for the weak and broken, and his knack with animals.
So now I come to one of the things that made me look most askance at this section. Again, the conceit of this book (or at least what I was given to understand the conceit was) is that its filling in the blanks that Leroux left vague. And I don't really know if that was Susan Kay's intention, but it's certainly how the Phandom took it. Which is why it bugs me when there are things in here that either don't quite jive with canon or straight up contradict it.
Now in terms of the canon of Leroux's actual book, we're not sure exactly which Shah employed Erik. Leonard Wolf point out that Leroux mentions Erik "[fighting] the Emir" and posits that he is referring to the Afghani-Persian war of 1837. This would put Erik’s age in PotO at about 60, assuming he was very young at the time (in his teens). That would make Erik's patron Mohammad Shah Qajar.
However M. Grant Kellermeyer (and most others writing about this period in Erik’s life, including Susan Kay) favour the idea that Erik’s patron was Mohammed's son, Nasser al din Shah Qajar.
When Erik and the Persian talk about the "Rosy Hours of Mazanderan" they both make mention of the "Little Sultana", who is described by Leroux's narrator in the epilogue as "the Shah-in-Shah's favourite", whose boredom was the Shah's impetus for sending the Persian to find Erik in the first place, and whose delight in bloodthirsty spectacles of torture and execution allowed Erik's talents in those areas to develop into a finely honed art.
Now I would take "the Little Sultana" to mean one of the Shah's wives, concubines, daughters, or even a sister.
But Kay, for some inexplicable reason, chooses to interpret this capricious (and bloodthirsty) female figure--the Shah's favourite--as his... mother.
Now Nasser al din Shah's mother was Malek Jahan Khanom, who, true to Kay's portrayal was Regent of Persia for one month (September 5th - October 5th) in 1848. Also like Kay's "Khanum", Malek was a formidable and politically savvy woman, and definitely not an individual you would want to cross.
I can't dispute the idea of the Khanom being an incredibly powerful figure, and the type you would need and want to keep appeased (she is described by Kay as keeping her son firmly under her thumb), but I have to look at the fact that Kay read "The Little Sultana, the Shah's Favourite" and really said, "Right. That'll be his mom" and squint a little bit.
On top of this, the Khanum is characterized as having a sexual obsession with Erik, very similar to the way Duchess Josiana is aroused by Gwynplaine's facial deformity in Victor Hugo's The Man Who Laughs, and is first irritated, then enraged by Erik's constant indifference. This fact is not lost on the Shah.
I just don't know ya'll. It's...I just... I don't know about this.
M. Grant Kellermeyer speculates that the "Little Sultana" Leroux refers to, to be the seventh wife of Nasser al din Shah, Jeyran, whom he first took as a mistress in around 1850 following a chance encounter during which he apparently fell in love with her on sight. One story of their meeting even asserts that she was one of his mother's servants.
If that is the case it would be one reason why Malek and Jeyran stood locked for years in stark political opposition to each other.
Jeyran was herself formidable and enjoyed many masculine pursuits including hunting and shooting, and not even the Khanom was able to dissuade Nasser from conferring her the title of Forough ol-Saltaneh, or from naming her son the crown prince (though this decision was stuck in political hell for years because of Jeyran's lack of influential blood-lines).
She was his favourite wife until her early death in 1860 at the age of 29.
It's my opinion that Leroux's "Little Sultana" is a composite of Jeyran and her successor as the Shah's favourite, Anis al-Dalweh, who was even more formidable and politically savvy than Jeyran. She was the only one of the Shah's wives known to share his meals and the only one he suffered to publicly criticize him, and she took over Malek's duties as the head of the harem upon her death in 1873.
Masterpost
#phantom of the opera#poto#commentary on 'phantom'#susan kay phantom#the persian#daroga#the rosy hours of mazandaran
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Which of the Princes will be the most susceptible to Dark Magic?
A thought as my brain goes through a plot I hope to write at one point. Here are my thoughts on the matter. This is less of who is more susceptible and moreso how they might be susceptible.
Geordo - I think Geordo, all things considered, can be more easily influenced by Dark Magic depending on how it's done. Geordo is less susceptible to subtle manipulation, but more susceptible to spur of the moment manipulation. He can handle and avoid sly and subtle acts, but if he's already upset or angry (or any intense emotion, such as his outburst in vol. 8), then the dark magic only needs to try and amplify those emotions. Fuel an already existing fire per say rather than start a new one.
Alan - for Alan, I think it would be more or less the opposite of Geordo. He's okay at controlling his emotions in intense moments (being able to control himself enough to not join Geordo in his outburst and rather be one of the first to snap him out of it), but perhaps not too skilled in avoiding subtle attempts. Alan's dislike also leads me to believe that he's getting better at avoiding subtle manipulation (cough, except when it comes to Geordo and Mary, cough).
Geoffrey - here's a fun one, because I do think Geoffrey might be fighting against dark magic somehow in the LN (pointedly Suzanna noting he's been developing dark circles under his eyes). Geoffrey is probably the one strongest against dark magic and least susceptible to its effects. Mostly because he's been likely researching dark magic incidents alongside Suzanna and that he's more aware of the dangers and effects. He probably needs to be whittled down somehow for dark magic to be effective against him..
Ian - and then we have Ian. Who, honestly, with what information we have on him, I think might be the weakest against dark magic. For one, he hasn't been in the sphere of dark magic like his brothers. Geoffrey had been researching it, Geordo had first hand experience during both Raphael's incident and Keith's kidnapping, and Alan had experience during Raphael's incident. Ian's the only one not directly affected or involved in dark magic. Selena was the only target and he only saw her after she recovered. He likely doesn't know the full effects beyond what it can be done through text. Two, how his personality is leads me to this idea as well. He's more reserved, and how he carries himself around Selena early on leads me to believe that there might be weak spots. He might be open to manipulation due how he tried to suppress his emotions during then. He might have some still lingering doubts as well afterwards (since his lack of care around Selena supposedly led to her manipulation by dark magic).
So, those are my thoughts, what do you think?
#bakarina#hamefura#my next life as a villainess#alan stuart#geordo stuart#ian stuart#geoffrey stuart#jeffery stuart#jeord stuart
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currently rereading fe and this thought occurred to me: we know that whenever elena dreams of klaus, these incidents actually happened but she always ends up rejecting him and that’s why he compels her to forget and go to sleep, but is part of his compulsion to go and dream of what had just happened or does she remember these moments in her dreams because she herself possesses some sort of magic that might lessen his compulsion?
Interesting thought!
in FE, Elena has no powers which she can directly access-- her blood is super powerful, but only a witch can channel it-- which sucks for her, because basically her blood's power is the ability to overwrite the Laws of Nature/suspend the need for Balance, and replace all of that with other rules-- this is how, for example, Klaus can be both a vampire and a werewolf. In theory, if Elena were, say, to have been locked up in a creepy manor for years and years of isolation with nothing to do but study magical theory, perhaps she could develop some ideas of how to hijack this power with the help of a sympathetic witch-- but she would still be unable to use it for her own purposes. There are a few small exceptions-- things like objects that are crafted from her blood and thus belong to her, like the bloodstone, or even Klaus himself, she has powerful sway over. She called to the bloodstone, and the bloodstone answered. She can sense Klaus because he is also a creation of her blood-- that is what the nature of their "bloodbond" is-- an awareness of her metaphysical possession of him (although, in this case, he's a living being, and immensely powerful in his own right, so "calling him" doesn't work. probably.) She also figured out how to use this relationship with Klaus to do things like override the blood ward he had set on the room with the coffins-- basically, because her blood was already mixed with Klaus's in the sacrifice, it was still, mystically, flowing in his veins, and allowing him to remain perpetually a hybrid instead of shunting off his werewolf side in favor of the vampirism. And she can sense Dark Objects used in human sacrifice because she has an affinity for them-- basically, I think the magics used in the sacrifice itself sort of... magnetized her to those sorts of objects. But this is basically the extent of things-- she is as susceptible to compulsion and dream tampering as anyone else.
In fact, the reality that Elena is essentially just an ordinary human with like, this really psycho streak that is a personality quirk unlocked by crazy circumstances as opposed to a supernatural ability is one of the reasons I find her so interesting-- yes, she has this super-power, but it's totally inaccessible for her even as it also makes her a Major Player. It's actually her wild gambits and her cunning and ruthlessness combined with her fierce love (for certain people) that makes her so compelling. (And also, the sense that she would have been a totally normal person if she hadn't had her brushes with the supernatural? I think Elena-- like Katherine or Tatia-- is someone who doesn't know how far she will go until she is pushed, and then it turns out there is nowhere she won't go, and it's a horrible realization for both the one doing the pushing and for Elena herself).
Anyway, so what really did happen is this: Klaus would make a move on Elena, or tell her something intimate, and then he would either compel the memory away altogether or compel her to forget and instead to dream up what if it had gone differently... vampires can control dreams, and he does that a lot. He really is as pathetic as he suggests when they first reunite in Nola 2.0, although, we find out later that he really does take things all the way to having sex with her and then changes his mind mid-act because it's not actually satisfying him to have a doll that looks like Elena, he actually wants Elena. (The fact that Elena accepts what happened here the way that she does once she remembers is definitely definitely a side effect of her extreme trauma, and a reflection of the self-harm of going along with these vampires-- she gets to a place where she accepts harm without processing it as such.)
Now, Elena, just like anyone else with a strong mind, might be able to build immunity to compulsion, the way we saw Bill Forbes did on the show. She's been working on it for a few months now in the FE timeline. You'll have to wait to see how that turns out though!
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Here was my theory about Arazan’s Wolves. Yes, John Flanagan said Alyss is dead and would stay dead. Royal Ranger is my favorite book, her death made the great ending possible. I was sad Alyss died, but it worked well for the plot. Now Will has not had any character development at all since (and let’s be honest, Maddie hasn’t either) so to bring Alyss back would be a great way to change and grow him as a character. Here were my reasons as to why it was possible:
1. No body.
This one is not the best, given the givens, but an inn fire could not have burned hot enough to completely incinerate a body.
2. The inn was likely partially made of stone, which was common in the area (South Araluen, this will be important later) so as the fire flared up in front of her, she could have fallen through the floor and a combination of roof beams and the stone walls could have protected her.
3. If she was alive, why didn’t she go back home to Will? Head injury causing amnesia and massive change in personality (will be important later)
4. She was in Southern Araluen, very near Celtica where the sorceress was. Not too far to walk.
5. The sorceress controls Wargals. We know from Siege of Macindaw that Alyss was susceptible to hypnosis, and her head injury could have changed her enough to make her even more receptive to the mind control magic system in the books to control Wargals.
6. Head wounds can cause severe changes in personality making Alyss want to rule the world.
7. To rule the world, what one has to do is this: control the Wargals to make the locals mine silver for you, buy a bunch of land in Gallica, take over Gallica, and from there take over the world.
8. The Sorceresse’s name. Arazan. In Nihon-Ja, because the locals couldn’t pronounce her name, Alyss went by “Ariss-san” pronounced identically to Arazan.
Personally I think my theory was far better than the book itself. Comments or questions?
I've never been a fan of 'return from the dead' scenarios in general. but honestly, I think it perhaps could work for in this scenario. Perhaps also because arazan's wolves is set a few books after the royal ranger so the twist doesn't feel as cheap. imagine if will and maddie came back home after the entire jory rhul thing just for halt to be on his doorstep and be like 'uhm your dead wife is alive and evil now, sorry.'
I love the idea of alyss becoming an antagonist with no way to ever get her back to her 'normal' state, which would mean that she would have to die or they will never be together again. and I love traumatizing will further than he already is and also indeed bring some much needed character development.
what i would change about your au is maybe the world domination plot point.
Alyss survived a fire, we can safly assume she will have some pretty bad scarring all over her body and/or face. from the the sorcerer of the north we know the people of araluen aren't the most accepting of people with physical differences. so this alyss who is very badly scarred, has no idea where or who she is and is also being ostracized by the communities she asks for help leaves the country.
maybe she saves a direwolf or a direwolf saves her which leads to her forming connections with them or mind control she's unaware of. this would be the first time after the fire incident she would feel loved and safe.
she can create a stronghold in the mountains somewhere in celctica were she can live in peace because at this point she way to traumatized by people, and just let her dire wolves kill everyone who comes to close which would in the end lead to the same thing that happens in arazans wolves; will gets called to fix their issues, and angst ensues.
the similarities between arazan and the ariss-san is SUCH a cool observation. it would mean that alyss, somewhere deep down, can n remember her past, but it's distorted and layered in contexts she can't understand. ouch.
But how do you see this ending on the evil alyss route, who kills her? does will try and can't bring himself to do so which means madelyn has to step in? what happens after?
#rangercorpstherapy#rangers apprentice#ranger's apprentice#alyss mainwaring#you should write this rn
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Quick warning, it's a rough draft.
---------------
"-And then he had the nerve to tell me that I was using too much pink, and I just wanted to scream at him, because, I'm sorry, are we even looking at the same design right now? Cause I'm pretty sure I'm not the one copying that neon pink eye gouger of a clown dress completely, right, DYLAN?! Ugh, sorry, you already have to deal with this most of the day and now here I am talking your ear off at almost one in the morning."
"It's perfectly fine Gabe. I admit that it's rather nice to see you let yourself be passionate about your work again. However, I feel like you've been dodging what's really been bothering you."
Gabriel looked to the side, he had been avoiding the reason he was still awake at this ungodly hour but he was running out of distractions. Perhaps it was time to face the problem.
"...It's about Queen Bee."
"You mean the mayor's daughter? What about her?"
"You recall that during yesterday's Akuma there was a small accident during the fight that caused her to venom Chat noir?"
"I didn't see that on the ladyblog live stream, did that really happen?"
"Yes, and while she did figure out to undo the magic, she took it quite hard. I found her on that houseboat on the Seine, the one owned by the… Coffees, was it?"
"Couffaine, sir. Their daughter is in Adriens class, the one you said might make a good model for the gothic line once it gets approved for production."
"Right, her family's boat. I tried talking to Queen Bee but she believed it was fully her fault for what had happened. I wasn't quite sure what to say so I ended up repeating a speech from one of Adrien's favorite movies."
"Let me guess, Mr. Silver's speech to Jim?"
"Was it that obvious?"
"The Akuma you mentioned was pirate themed, you were on the so-called 'Pirate Queens' ship and Chloè was in emotional distress about an accident she had no control over. Seems fitting to me."
"Fair enough. It played out almost the same way from there. It was at that moment that I realized just how… how small she was."
"She's just a child, Nathalie. A child I was going to make into a monster all because I couldn't let go of a grudge against those damn heroes."
"It never stopped you with Akumatizing all those other people"
"That's different. Akumatiztion is temporary, undone simply by breaking the item or recalling the butterfly. I never had to know who they were, or what their life was like, just that they were distressed and susceptible. Actively manipulating their thinking to be a villain for the sole reason of hounding that blasted duo? It's not something you can just handwave or lucky charm away."
"Sir…?"
"... I'm done, Nathalie. Done with it all. I'm giving myself till hero's day to keep trying, but If- no, When that fails, then it's over. Hawkmoth dies on hero's day."
"... and what about her?"
"There's more magic out there, we'll just have to keep looking for now. A labyrinth has many deadends, but there's always an exit."
"Sir."
"Sorry, it's become something of a-"
"Sir!"
Gabriel finally looked up at Nathalie to see her looking over at the windows. As he followed her sight, he saw what had her on edge.
Purple sand, flowing though the gap in the windowsill.
YES!!!!!!
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Aggghhhh I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS I LOVE HOW YOU WROTE THE LORE— anyways, how did zombies or skeletons come to be? Or have they just.. always been there? Do people always die and come back as an undead, or is through a kind of sickness? Where did the sickness come from? How do zombies hybrids like Cleo come to be anyways? Sorry if this is way to many questions but I’m so so curious-
ohoho good questions!! :D Thank you so much I'm glad you enjoy <3
So it was hinted at a few times, but Zombies and Skeletons were not always around. They've been around since at LEAST the First Ones (who were not, in fact, the first civilization in this world, but is the oldest one they can find evidence of/references to), but they are the results of a disease, basically- Zombies a biological disease, Skeletons a magic one. Thus why they're called the Infection and the Curse, respectively. They predate the Ancients and, though the characters in our story will never know this bc we're talking ~50k+ years, the Infection and the Curse were introduced with the fall of the very first society in this world- the First Ones' ancestors. Which was, of course, ended by the very first Warden to be... created. :)
Not everyone who dies comes back as an undead- only people who have the Infection or the Curse will come back- the Infection is spread through a Zombie's body juices (AKA if they bite or scratch you, you can get infected) and the Curse can be spread through, well, magical means. Luckily Skeletons can't spread it once they're completely skeletized, but people who end up Cursed can spread it while they're still flesh and blood, through general, common, daily magic interactions (such as.... name magic :) ).
Peecy ("player characters" gettit? Gettit? .... they're the humans who are not Testifica (villagers) or Illager) are less susceptible to Infection and Curse than Testifica but are not immune like the Illager are, but when they do get Infected or Cursed they have anywhere between hours and months until they start showing signs.... by the time of which they'll have probably spread it to multiple other people.
By the time Midnight takes place, it's mostly under control (again), with Zombies and Skeletons and other Mobs banished to the very outskirts of villages. The Infection, ofc, can be cured in a very small percentage of people..... but that's information that has been lost.
As for how Zombie and Skeleton Hybrids can happen- like Cleo! Cleo, specifically, is the result of an incomplete transformation. Scar doesn't know much about Cleo's past, but I'll go ahead and reveal since it won't really come up in much detail- but Cleo was also a Turned, who was super fucking loyal to her Sire while they were alive, because she was Infected as a Human. When they started showing signs and symptoms of being Infected, in a time when there wasn't much that could be done about it, their village/family turned them out into the wild outdoors to die far away where none of them would have to see or possibly fight her. They were found by their Sire partway through their decay, maybe days or weeks away from death, and oh MAN was Cleo angry and hurt, feeling betrayed and abandoned... but their Sire saw a fire in her eyes and knew, looking at her, that she would make an excellent Lord one day. So they Turned Cleo, resulting in our part-Zombie Vampire Lord we know and love today. Which, uh... considering what their magic is....... Mumbo and Grim aren't the only Turned Vampires with scarily strong magic :)
Other Zombie (and Skeleton!) Hybrids can end up being born/created in a few different ways- either they get Infected and start taking on attributes of the Mob, but abruptly.... stop dying, or one of their parents was Infected/Cursed when they were conceived or born. For example, if your parent is pregnant with you and gets Infected, there's a chance you'll be born already Infected (and with such attributes) and maybe even already somewhat zombie-d. And there's like a 50/50 chance that you just.... won't die/fully transform. Which is a terrible thought but ya know-
Anyway, hope this ramble answered any questions, thank you for asking~! This was fun to talk about :D
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omg okay so:
One of the accounts I follow on twt, and someone on here made a theory about Crowley and I just wanna...add my own interpretation. Okay so the theory went that "piece of my world" might have spoilers involved with the full song, which you don't think about sounding like Crowley, right? Wrong. Well sorta at least. I noticed it recently but the way the first part of pomw is written kinda sounds like how we've heard some people's UM be written/said. Getting into the actual theory however, they had theorized that Crowley is doing rare faerie magic called "realm dominance" which is how the dormitories are made. Now at first I was kinda like "mmm???" But the more it's thought of, the more it makes sense. I'm not sure about on here, but my friend and I were always just-pissed when Crowley handed his responsibilities over to students during overblots. However, what would STYX want with Crowley, because the ONLY way they'd ever be involved with him is if he overblotted or if he has information about overblots for them. The thing IS though, we can infer that if you overblot once, you can overblot again. But why would Crowley overblot? Even though he's a fae, he's still susceptible to overusing his magic, and we know NOTHING about Crowley's past so for all we know, he could have fought in the war against humans after Lilia was exiled from the capital and thus the fae army. The tutorial had us fight what looks like Grim (I think the whole Fandom agrees on that, right?) And you notice how the background just looks-god awful? What if Crowley had created a new dimension of where NRC wasn't burnt and broken? What if he had made us have the visions before someone overblots so we know what we're getting ourselves into? What if Crowley brought us there for a reason, not just to be a beast tamer? What if we are the key to undoing what has already been done so that way they know how to destroy grim JUST ENOUGH to where he has his humanity back? The first few verses of "piece of my world" roughly translates to "will you look beyond the door? I'm waiting for you let's go to wonderland." (According to one posted lyric video ofc, it's just a rough translation do please do correct me) which I think means that Crowley already knew we were there. He's not looking for a way to get us home because there's something we bring to the school which makes killing overblots and phantoms easier. If you think about it, the manga protags all are almost the opposite of the dorm wardens: yu? Tall and sure of himself, he's a kind leader that makes sure you know when your wrong but actively helps you work on what you need helped with. Yuuka? She's strong and independent, active and an all around great leader as well-I'm not caught up with the Savanaclaw manga so PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong. Finally yuuta, he's another kind person who is what Azul used to be and look like. So we already mirror the housewardens in that department, which goes back to the first part of the song being a spell.
I feel like this went off the rails-way too many times, but to make a long story short: Crowley knew that we would be able to help in some way so he brought us into twisted wonderland via magic and the first lines of the opening song are the spell he used to get us there.
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I think that the fact Maud hasn't done anything sus at all before ep 6, probably just means that she's a mastermind scammer or a part of something elaborately planned. To the point we weren't expecting it of her as viewers, and it's skillfully done because we're experiencing it through Oscar's lense in a way. It's totally not how JF has usually written things, but it's gonna add some emotional impact to it when Oscar finds out he's been scammed.
It would def be a significant departure from how JF usually writes things but, as some have pointed out, not for big HBO shows necessarily - so that would be interesting if he's picking up network storytelling habits
I think whether or not it's skillful is a matter of debate though - I am writing a big post about this, but from what I know now, I don't think it is the best outcome to suit Oscar's story from a narrative perspective so I'll probably be disappointed. What's the purpose of all that screentime, especially for a character that had a mixed and largely critical response in the first season? I said this at some point, but we don't actually get to know Oscar's personal motivations the way we did last season when he was telling them to John outright, and Oscar's behavior is not the best representation necessarily of what Oscar is trying to do.
To say nothing of Maud as a character in her own right having her own motivations that we, if she's done this episode and never comes back and it was all lies all along, don't get to see. Despite having two scenes that did [seem to] give Maud some inner complexity. If she just shows up to scam Oscar and leave then what was the point of that in the context of the story (other than to mislead the viewer) (which if I have not made clear I prefer to be multipurpose!!!). I would rather have seen something that does point to Maud's actual motivations because I want her to be a character-person who feels like she exists and not like a tool that is intended to throw me off the ultimate outcome.
This is definitely biased because I am a fan of Oscar. But I would rather this tie in meaningfully to his story and like, what are we learning about him if it's a just your average run of the mill confidence scam, how are we moving his specific storyline forward? He's not the main character. The main person telling him & the audience anything about Maud is Aurora, who is one of Oscar's family members and a person he has no reason to doubt, so we're not even seeing him being particularly susceptible to Maud specifically. He's already shown himself to be shortsighted. We know he makes poorly thought out choices. We know he likes money. We know he thinks everything will magically be ok if he can just do this one thing. Where is this taking us for Oscar?
If it isn't taking us anywhere for Oscar, then it's only taking us to the Ada-Agnes power dynamic shift, and I would rather it do more than one thing at a time!
To be clear I am by NO MEANS saying that I do not want Oscar to lose money or make stupid financial decisions. I am looking forward to seeing this! What I am saying is that I think it's boring and a cop-out if they get there by this being a straightforward recognizable-to-twist-happy-21st-century-audiences scam for all characters involved.
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OUAT: Lilith's story deserved better writing
With Once Upon A Time, you get two messages. At best, people can change. At worst, everyone was a hypocrite of various degrees (forgivable to unforgivable). And nothing hits more with Lily, Emma "The Savior" Swan's foil. Everyone remembers her, right? The daughter of Maleficent, who was kidnapped by Snow White and Prince Charming because they didn't trust (raising) Emma to be a good person and put potential darkness inside Lily, which she would feel for the rest of her life even if she had no name for it.
In essence, the Darkness inside Lily deserved a plot of it's own. We knew she was the daughter of a villain, but just as Emma had a path, so did Lily. Like Yin and Yang, both girls had a balance of good and bad - and we basically found out Snowing unhinged that balance, making that darkness more favorable. But what did that mean? Is her morality permanently skewed, making her more susceptible to bad choices? Did Emma's darkness (Savior Darkness) draw dubious figures to Lily that encouraged the devil on her shoulder? Or did that Darkness (low-key magic in itself) create an aura around her that made bad things happen?
Or if I'm not being clear: How much of Lily's life was in her control and how much was the Darkness influencing it?
The show writers were making it seem like she was always bad and blaming her darkness for it - which is bad writing for the rabbit hole they were trying to go down. But that Darkness was Emma's first. They wrote Emma (as a good person) making bad life choices yet having helping hands to guide her down the right path. Yet, here's Lily, essentially left out in the cold and would have been a forgotten afterthought had she not been needed. (Same level as Blue Fairy enabling Regina's role as the Evil Queen by denying her a fairy godmother.)
Emma always had a purpose - to be needed/wanted, Lily's was to be used and forgotten.
What was Lily's identity in Fairytale Land?
We know Emma: Daughter of Prince Charming and Snow White, a symbol of Happily Ever Afters, an assured Hero with a history of crimes and mistakes. Or at best, Emma was Emma. Her name itself was her only identity tying her between both our world and the Fairytale Land. It was the name her parents gave her which was stuck by her as a foster kid in our world.
But what about Lily?
The mostly unknown dragon egg only a few knew about. She hatched in our world and was abandoned by the only two figures from Enchanted Forest that knew her - using her eggshell to keep themselves young. Even when she was found, she was adopted and given the name "Lily" (or Lilith, of the Pages we're the proper type). That should have been it, but the parents who adopted her would later abandon her. And she would run with unsavory characters who put her in bad situations with no one to show her the way, forcing her to believe that's all her life would amount to.
Once you get with the program, Emma growing up without parents is quite fitting as much as Lily being adopted and thrown out. It mirrors an idolized want vs a brutal reality, which is ironically reinforced with their second meeting. Emma parted ways with Lily under the assumption Lily idolized being an orphan, yet a prospective foster family gave up on Emma easily. By those standards, if Lily left empty-handed & the money went missing with Emma still accused, the issue lies with the family.
If Lily's adopted family abandoned her and the "picture perfect" foster family easily gives up on you, then this should have been a moment both girls realized families aren't as cracked up to be. Because if they were, they'd never abandon or give up on you for your mistakes.
And then there's how the Author (Issac) plays in. If the show writers wanted to go the route of Snowing being manipulated into kidnapping Lily, they made it out to believe Issac had already written everything out and he role-played the peddler telling the couple about Mal's egg. I think it's sloppy as any writer would leave a moment of suspended belief. It would have been preferable if he wrote it out that he gave Snowing a CHOICE. By that, Snow and Charming could have either stolen Mal's egg or a newborn from a peasant in a nearby location and it would still ring true to the heart of the crime. Issac could've said he gave them the option of targeting Mal and her daughter, leaving the choice in their hands, and the ramifications just as heinous because they CHOSE to go through it anyway. But by saying he MADE them choose to steal Lily in canon, he absolved them - if by some portion - of responsibility for their actions.
And honestly, there should have been more development in this alone. Once news of this got out, there should have been more consequences. When heroes that everyone helped and rooted for since the beginning learned they did something just as cruel as the villains they fought against, Storybrooke should have been conflicted on how to treat them. And if Lily was going to live in the same town as her kidnappers, she should have been allowed to lash out more and even Emma couldn't have stopped her then, and only then, would we have known if Lily was always a villain or if she was capable of goodness that outweighs the darkness they left in her.
(Which holds the last, unspoken question: Was the spell that unbalanced Lily's moral compass impossible to reverse, or would it have taken a higher power to set things right? Therefore, could Lily have discovered she could have been a hero or was she a second-generation villain with an early start?)
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How does the emperor’s sigil differ from the other sigils? Eda still seemed worried about it affecting Lilith’s health but is it less harmful than the other sigils since it doesn’t restrict magic?
The Emperor’s Sigil may still allow Witches to cast all types of magic, but it restricts their power output. Think of it like this: Lilith’s magical capacity is a water tower. Before she was inducted into the EC this tower flowed freely, supplying the buildings (types of magic) with steady pressure. Once Lilith was marked, the water tower’s pipes become clogged.
If she were in any of the other nine covens, say Illusions, eight buildings would no longer have water. Only one would be receiving H2O and even then the water pressure isn’t as it once was. Over time the constant build up of pressure strains against the pipes and eventually they will burst.
The Emperor’s sigil is similar, while all buildings still have a connection to the tank, the tank and pipes have been modified. The basin is much smaller and so are the pipes. Each building suffers.
In medical terms The tank is the Bilesac and the pipes are the veins/arteries. With the Emperor’s sigil being a permanent valve restricting output. Because of this restriction, the heart and bilesac is under more strain than it should be, not good for the long term!
Remember the silenced Healer in the first Codex Entry?
G - keep this information to yourself for now.
O- what? surely the head witch should know about this! the [redacted] coven sigils have on a witches' health need to be documented!
G- the head witch has already been informed.
O- then they have seen my studies. the statistics about our shortening life span, [redacted], children are getting marked for titans' sake!
G-we will speak no more of this. [redacted] has told us that this is all part of the titan's will. cease your studies healer.
Then Eda explaining to Luz in Chapter 4:
“Congratulations new Coven initiate! You just severed your life span in half and gave yourself a one way ticket to Magical Erosion!” Gold eyes glance down at Luz. “In human terms, they’re more susceptible to heart attacks. The sigil is like a big old moving clot. Limiting your growth and weakens your sac.”
Yes, all sigils are bad.
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A Deadly Education, Chapter 1
So, this is a book series that people in a chat I’m in are into (which is one of the reasons that I’m reading it right now. They’re the same people that got collectively into Silmarillion and I read that too. I still haven’t played Wrath of the Righteous so I’m not completely susceptible to peer pressure.)
Most of the things I knew were part of the basic premise, how the character are in a dangerous school without adults because it would be even more dangerous to not be there, El has a destiny and for some reason it’s very important what languages the characters speak. I also know that El and Orion are the main ship, but that was honestly pretty predictable. The path from hating to loving someone means they’re still the most important person in the room, the reason just changes.
I really like El already. Her character came through in this chapter incredibly strongly, and while she wouldn’t make a good friend in my opinion she’s someone it’s great to read about. And her being this prickly makes perfect sense, she’s been rejected over and over.
I can see how she loves her mother, but at the same time she hates how her mother has a very different outlook on life. And it makes sense, if her mother finds it easy to do magic that helps others and the universe seems to bend to her will, while everyone, even her grandmother, hates El. Although, I don’t even know if people actually instinctually hate El because of her destiny or if she just feels like that because she’s a teenager.
In the same vein, we don’t know if the life of the magic user is as cut-throat as El makes it seem, or if she’s an unreliable narrator.
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I feel so weird saying this but I genuinely believe that the Templars are the better option to side with in inquisition.
Before you raise the pitch forks and torches: hear me out.
I think the mages should be free. What the Templar order and chantry have done to mages is horrible and inexcusable, and a lot of Templars are truly evil people to the mages under them.
But in inquisition, the rules of Thedas are no longer what we have had up until this point. The circles are gone. There is no divine. There is no Seeker order, and the chantry is close to falling apart altogether. It's just you, a random gaggle of intelligent and skilled people along with the two remaining hands of the previous divine, and the other kingdom leaders up against
• a horde of demons,
• an ancient magister,
• and the literal collapse of the fade (aka the breach and the open rifts spread throughout everywhere)
So why side with the templars despite their terrible treatment of mages and historical corruption and brutality?
Templars are trained specifically to fight / dispel magic. Mages know magic yes, but they are taught how to control their magic to keep it from being a danger to them and others (specifically circle mages). Templars are also trained to fight demons. They know all about the different types of demons and their weaknesses and the best ways to defeat them.
And what is coming out of every hole in the face across thedas during inquisition? A fuck ton of demons.
After various conversations with Cassandra, you find out she desperately wants to rebuild the Seeker order to be what it was meant to be. She's frustrated with the corruption and how they've strayed from the path of what they were supposed to stand for. And Barris feels the exact same way with the Templar order.
And that's the thing-- if you side with the Templars during the game, most of them die. And most of those who do die, are the red ones, and you spend the rest of the game killing then, no matter who you side with before Corypheus shows up.
And if you make the right war table choices, you can make Barris the leader of the Order. Within 5 seconds of meeting this dude, you can already guess he could flip the order on its head. He has no tolerance for political bs, and makes so many comments about how too many Templars these days are too susceptible to corruption and cruelty and laments how horrible he finds it when Templars can't or don't protect the mages under their watch.
So wouldn't you rather save the remaining Templars from corruption (who are specially trained demon hunters as well as dampening or dispelling magic--which if you've played the game comes in very handy when trying to close fade rifts) who actually want to do what a Templar is supposed to do, and protect the mages? Protect the people who don't know how when magic gets out of control, because it is dangerous and very deadly in the hands of the untrained or corrupt?
And if you go to the Templars, you stop the majority of the red ones getting out into Thedas. Less red lyrium out in the world is starting to look like a very, very good thing considering ever since Hawke and Varric brought the idol out from the deep roads, Thedas has been getting worse and worse. And BioWare has already confirmed that the idol is gonna be a big part of da4's plot.
No to mention, that we now know how to heal both abominations AND Tranquility.
Mages are made tranquil to avoid becoming abominations. But according to Asunder and Cassandra's discovery that the Vigil Seekers undergo is actually just the rite of tranquility, but then followed by touching the fade -- which is how you heal abominations.
Cassandra said that Seekers are immune to being possessed as well as blood magic mind-control because of the Vigil. So if instead of the harrowing, mages are put through the Vigil, they can literally avoid the entire issue of why mages are confined to the towers in the first place -- they would no longer be able to become possessed ie; no more abominations.
So if you side with the Templars, you are left with a small bunch of trained fighters, who know how to dispel magic, know about demons and how to hunt them, and who have the morals and beliefs of what Templars are supposed to stand for. Protectors.
So what about the lyrium issue? The potential for Templars to turn red if exposed to red lyrium? Well guess what -- Seekers can do basically everything that Templars can do without the lyrium.
To avoid the potential for new red Templars, and to solve the problem of all Templars basically being drug addicts to lyrium, wane them off it like Cullen until they no longer need it, and then make them complete the Vigil. They'll be immune to mind control via blood magic as well as possession.
So my point: You get to keep the good Templars, saving them from a horrible death or forced corruption, and therefore keeping generations of knowledge on how to fight against magic and hunt demons (both of which are major problems in the world during dai) and basically with certain other decisions later in the game, can set up a world where Templars are no longer easily corruptible and no longer dependent on lyrium.
Plus, you get Calpernia as your enemy instead of Samson.
1. Calpernia is actually not really a villain. You can basically redeem her by completing her questline prior to the Temple of Mythal by finding out Corypheus is just using her by lying to her.
2. Calpernia spends her life freeing slaves. She was a slave herself. If you convince her not to fight you, she'll leave. And then just continuing freeing slaves. Everyone should be doing what she's doing.
3. Samson dies either way. Also, imo, Calpernia's story is so much more interesting than Samson's. Samson left the kirkwall Templars bc of corruption then ran straight into Corypheus's arms to further corrupt the Order and himself? Okay BioWare. Nice character continuity.
Also if your argument is that siding with the Templars will just make the mages prisoners again, that's not a thing.
Even if you rebuild the Templars, if you make Leliana divine, she disbands the Circle. She makes mages free.
• Vivienne brings back the basic idea of the Circle if Leliana is Divine, but makes it more like a college than a prison. A place for mages who want to learn, and who want to know how to keep their magic in control.
And if you Make Cassandra divine, she brings the circles back, but if you've saved the Templar order and made Barris it's leader, there's so much less of a chance of the Templars ending up like the corrupt cops they are at the start of inquisition.
((Not to mention, if you side with the mages you find out even with Alexius using time magic to get there sooner, Fiona choose to become indentured to him and the Venatori. Literally, it's basic Fereldan gossip that most Tevinter magisters are fucked up and evil and the second that Fiona is introduced to one she decides to off-brand enslave all of her people to a Tevinter magister??))
I just think siding with the Templars in inquisition makes more sense than going to the mages. Based on what we face in the game and how we can reshape the world with the knowledge we find and the choices we make, it seems like a better option than asking a bunch of students who likely haven't even left their towers your allies in fighting the magic holes spitting demons in the sky.
Plus, if you still can't get past the poor treatment of a lot of mages by the Templars, you can instead 'save' them and then just be like nope. You're my prisoners now, and then your character has total control over what happens to the remaining Templars for punishment. Idk.
#dragon age#dragon age meta#if you read this whole thing regardless of agreeing with me or not I'm giving you a kiss directly on the mouth#dragon age inquisition#champions of the just#in hushed whispers#don't kill me for this post please ✌🏻#dai#lavellan#adaar#trevelyan#cadash#inquisitor#mage rights#mages vs templars
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Day 11 does not have much to offer. Larxene is technically Roxas's magic mentor, but she has no intention to teach her, and generally whines through the mission. Interestingly she complains about Demyx, so I guess this was the set up of their character dynamic in KH3.
Logically Vexen should have been his initial mentor instead of being the Day 12's mentor, but I guess Nomura defaulted to "magic equals female".
We didn't talk about much of this, but patterns of the castle in TWTNW seem to be similar to ones in Keyblade Graveyard, and some of the interplanetary ruins in Gummi Ship levels in various main titles, which is I guess Xehanort's equivalent of bragging about his ability the pre-Foreteller civilizations. It is like a linguist bragging to another linguist that can speak various old Latin dialects that he can speak phonetic Sumerian.
****
Some other tidbits:
Roxas of course only wields one Keyblade right now, since he has one heart right now, Ventus. Once he absorbs Xion, he will be able to wield two.
We already discussed the retcons involving this. Original KH2 script implied Roxas can wield two Keyblades because of being two people's Nobodies (Sora, and Kairi, both whom can wield Keyblades), and having connections to Riku, and Kairi. Days implies he was born a special Nobody who could grow a heart of sorts that later on absorbed Xion's, then BBS would retcon that he never had his own heart until refused with Sora, he was freeloading off Ventus (which implies Ventus can wield Kingdom Key, which is, uhh... has implications).
Sora's ability to dualwield without Roxas is bit simpler, though also full of retcons. Original KH2 script implies since Sora, and Roxas have the same soul, Roxas's abilities became etched to him. However, BBS retcon implies Sora always had that ability since he took in Ventus's heart, but that then causes the issue of why Sora can still dualwield after losing Ventus. As we discussed before, the implication seems to be that either it is because Sora has Vanitas's heart, and/or he has yet another heart(s) we don't know about. Presumably both will come true, since people like dualwielding, and Nomura likes his easy twists.
One thing that is less confusing is the fact that Roxas's default ability is Anti-Light (%10), even though he is the Light-elemental Nobody. We saw him using Dark Corridors in KH2, so we know he could canonically use darkness, which means his status as a Nobody makes him more susceptible to darkness, much like Sora's Anti-Form due to his status as a heart without a body back in KH2 (though both issues have long been fixed now).
(This assuming localization is correct, of course.)
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Hand of the Executioner Chapter 1
'Are we ready to proceed?' The woman's voice came in an impossibly hoarse rasp, bearing an accent that grated the edge of his patience. Doubly aggravating, seeing as he had considered it pleasant the first time it had found his ears. They had spoken in person only once and he had vastly preferred communicating with her without the use of magic.
Though, perhaps there was something to be said for not needing to be physically near One very much. He found her already fragile patience much more susceptible to fraying when she was actually close enough to choke whoever she was speaking to.
Two bit down on a crude retort. Telling her not to nag would only net him a nasty glare and three hours spent listening to her as she explained again what the stakes were. Failing to display complete and utter attention during that lecture would earn him, at best, a cantrip that would cause him searing pain or, at worst, a demand that he meet with her in person so that she could beat him bloody.
One was not a patient woman and as much as it pained him to admit it, he was nowhere near a point where he could openly challenge her.
Still, it was largely of no consequence. He could at the very least thank his lucky stars that their business would likely conclude soon.
'Almost,' he answered back. 'Things are going according to schedule. Be assured that there haven't been any major delays or any other...breaches.'
She scowled at him through the magical mirror, appearing as little more than a floating mass of smoky tendrils with two hexagonal blue gems for eyes. Just looking at the magic that was used to conjure her hurt his own eyes but he refrained from looking away.
One would not appreciate the display of weakness.
'Ah, assurances,' she mocked. 'You assured me that you were confident in Four. Now you use that exact same wording when you tell me that things are going properly. Need I remind you that the boy made a habit of snooping for knowledge of our operations beyond what he needed to know?'
Two gritted his teeth, thankful for the hood that hid his face. Thunder struck outside and the storm momentarily seemed to worsen, harsh hail pattering against the windows of his office.
'Four was an unfortunate situation.'
'Need I remind you that he also got cold feet and attempted to cut and run? That cleaning him up and ensuring that he was unable to do anything foolish was a complication I didn't appreciate having to manoeuvre my way around?'
Two sucked in a breath in. 'I understand your apprehension. I vouched for Four and he turned out to be less than trustworthy. This does not mean that he was not useful. No one was more qualified to handle procurement than—'
She raised a single threatening hand from inside the mirror and he knew better than to keep talking.
One sighed, the spell making it sound like angry wind coming over coals.
'You are lucky that I think I might have a soft spot for you, Two. Understand that the last days of something like this are the most fragile. Considering this reality, I dearly hope that Three's patience is not coming unthreaded. That girl's name should have been Reckless.'
Rich coming from her. Two felt the tiniest pinprick of courage press itself into his stomach. He might not have been stupid enough to casually tempt a woman who could kill him without even needing to be in the same room as him, but if anyone else had snarked at him about the woman he loved like that, they might have already found themselves with a curseling embedded in their intestines.
'Three is as passionate as ever and dislikes the waiting. This much has not changed. Neither has her intelligence nor her understanding of the situation.'
'Bring her in here and say that again. She might let you get lucky tonight,' One snarked, waving a dismissive hand.
Two found himself proud of his own patience, that yellow lightning didn't begin to crackle from his fingertips at that.
'Will there be anything else?' he asked instead, flinching a little as the thunder seethed outside. One noticed.
'Scared of the rain?' she mocked.
'Scared of the things that hide in the rain.'
'Not yet. They will soon. No need to prematurely grey your hair before then, Two.' One's gemstone eyes narrowed with cruel mirth.
Soft spot his hide.
'We have less than a month before the city falls,' One continued on, taking the matter back to business. 'After this has occurred and I have taken my seat on the Mournful Throne, you and Three will be rewarded accordingly, as promised.'
He found himself again concerned with the knowledge that One almost certainly intended to betray them as soon as it was feasible to do so. He reminded himself for the thousandth time that even One would have a distinctly unpleasant experience fighting both him and Three at the same time and that other contingencies had been put into place besides.
Powerful a witch as One was, she had nothing near the material resources Two was able to command. At least not without arousing the most significant and damning kind of suspicion.
'What will become of Five?'
'Ah. Have you become attached to the creature?' One's smoky face split into a wide grin, revealing a mouth of yet more gemstones broken into vicious shards.
Two sighed again, not rising to the bait.
'It is useful to me. That is my only concern.'
'If you are able to keep it under control, do with it as you will.' One shrugged. 'It is of no consequence to me.'
That was fortunate. Five was unstable and delighted in carnage even more than One did, but it was extremely good to have on your side, if you could placate it with wine and bloodshed.
Two again resisted the urge to flinch, feeling himself become painfully aware of how much time he had recently spent using wine and bloodshed as tools of diplomacy. How much more so ever since certain significant events involving Three had occurred...
'Do you plan to stay in Adelstrad?' One asked suddenly, pulling him from his thoughts.
'The province or the city?'
'Either or.'
He frowned, giving her a look. 'You know the answer to that question already, One. There is nothing here for me.'
'And Three?'
'Feels the same way.'
She regarded Two for a long moment, tilting her head at him.
'Curious. I have known one or two budding witches in my time, Two. It is a rare one that doesn't feel much urge to rule over the survivors of their first tragedy. Some even hold the memory close to their hearts. Some of them believe that, much like lovemaking, you never forget your first. The desire to prolong it can be...intoxicating.'
Two didn't verbalise that all the witches One knew were, much like the woman herself, utterly insane. The chances were high that she would simply find the comment amusing, but even high chances weren't good odds when it came to needlessly baiting the lunatic he was speaking to.
'This has never been about petty retribution, One.' Two decided to deflect the question, not liking the sudden change in topic.
He expected her to offer him another nasty grin for that, truly he did. Instead, One was uncharacteristically short of either mocking laughter or dire insinuations.
'I will take my leave now,' One declared without confirming if he had anything he needed to ask of her.
'One month, Two. One month and you will be free of this place.'
The magical mirror shattered into a thousand pieces, spilling shards all over the floor as thunder sounded a third time outside. They stayed motionless for just a few moments, then vibrated on the floor.
They zipped rapidly back into place, clinking softly against one another as the artifact reformed good as new before him. More importantly, there was not a single sign that the mirror had just hosted magic used to plot the city's downfall.
Two smiled despite himself, deciding to trod over to one of the windows and unlatch it. He pushed his hood off and pressed his face out into the cold, completely uncaring of the hail that battered his head. Two ran a calming hand down his nose, rubbing his eyes. He only now realised how hot it had been with the anxiety and agitation that meetings with One always brought.
Any yet, it would all be worth it soon. They were near the culmination point. Adelstrad would burn and he would be long gone from this wretched place.
* * *
The goblin's head left its shoulders in a single swing of Viktor's axe, landing with a squelch in the disgusting brown muck of a nearby mud pool.
The body wobbled for a few seconds, then toppled over backwards and splashed into the water, gushing crimson from its stump. The blood mixed into the sloshy, half frozen stream, spilling a disgusting ooze into the flow and onto the surrounding snowy streambanks.
Viktor sighed, pulling a black boot out of the suction of the mud and holding a dark-gloved hand against the old bark of a nearby tree to stabilise his weight as he did the same with his other foot.
It was a schlep coming down here into the Black Forest to hunt for greenskins but the coin was good and it wasn't a bad way to pass the time if you were in a mood to kill something. That said, the fact that the area managed to be at once frozen over with winter chill and still muddy as all hell was actually slightly impressive.
Winter may have coated every dark tree in at least a moderate amount of snow and the ground might have been white with the stuff, but the flow of the streams kept them from freezing over completely. Something about the soil from the area created a distinctly gloopy mud when it became wet enough. It was like wading through some baker's dough mixed with treacle, at once watery enough to get everywhere and yet viscous enough to suck a man to his death like quicksand if he wasn't careful with his footing.
Viktor reached into one of the pockets in his studded leather vest, careful not to catch himself on one of the many spikes he'd sewn into the black fabric.
He pulled a knife out and slowly trundled his way over to the goblin's corpse, turning it over in the muck and ripping into its crude jerkin.
As always, Viktor found it distinctly creepy to be looting the body of something so small, feeling like he was desecrating the corpse of a child. But no, it was simply rare for a goblin to reach more than four feet tall. At least in this part of the wilderness.
Besides, a hungry man couldn't put sentimentality on his plate.
The goblins one could find in the mountains of Adelstrad Province tended towards being larger and more aggressive, but the forest goblins had more of an appreciation for shiny things. Hence, they made their home in the wetter areas of the Black Forest, hoping to find human caravans to waylay.
Viktor's hand fished around the small creature's pockets, but he frustratingly found nothing of any great value on it. The executioner resisted the urge to growl in irritation.
'No good fish today?' End asked from the dirty tree she was perched in, little more than a shadow attached to a pair of pale, dextrous hands. The tone of her voice was somewhere between mocking and genuine, though the way she idly flipped through the pages of the small black book she had brought with her told him it probably landed more towards the latter.
'I came here with black trousers and a grey tunic, End. Now both are brown, and I smell like shit. What do you think?'
'I told you that there were easier ways to make money, didn't I?'
'You did.'
'I'm amazed you even found a part of the forest that wasn't too frozen over to hunt in. I was expecting that we'd have to dig the little shits out of their dug ins with our bare hands.'
'We would have, if we were closer to the caravan roads that crisscross the forest. The ground is sturdier there and safer to travel. Faster too. Hence why they built the roads where they did.
'Right now, we're relatively close to one of the distributaries of the Riling River, which is why we're in a wet frozen shithole forest instead of just a frozen shithole forest. We aren't quite in the real fucking swampy bits where you'll find the giant mushrooms and the drowned undead, but it's getting there. East and south parts of the forest are where you find that nonsense, apparently.
'I heard a rumour that the tribes that live in this area of the region stay a bit more active this time of year, seeing as they can't really dig burrows and wait the winter out like some of the others can.'
Viktor gestured around at the muddy, snowed ground around them.
'Hence why we're looking around here and not going along the roads with spades. I grant that it's wet and fucking cold, but the coin's better this way. Who knows, maybe we get lucky and find a set of tree houses? They nest in those, apparently.'
A pale hand pointed to the small pouch of goblin ears he'd asked her to carry for him, resting at her side on the dark branch. 'These won't fetch more than, what, fifteen coppers per set? I'd hardly call the money good.'
'We aren't all light enough on our feet to make it in the Thieves' Guild, woman. Besides, it's not as if my current situation as it stands leaves me with much room for sudden changes of profession, now does it?'
He pointed a somewhat irate finger at the loose black hood that was the ceremonial mark of his profession.
'Grumpy sod,' End shot back. 'You know, I don't need to be here in this shithole forest.'
'You sort of do.'
'Oh? How's that?'
'Because you'd worry about me if I went hunting alone. If I died to a giant frog in the haunted forest, who else would you bitch to about stupid work problems? Our relationship is a symbiotic one of equal bitching and an equal share of goblin ears.'
Viktor sloshed through the stream and clambered onto the riverbank, dodging under the small stone End threw at his head. Eventually, after much time spent digging through the muck, his hand brushed against the goblin's head.
He pulled it up, finding himself staring at the wide, red eyes of an impressively ugly creature with a hairless head and two slits instead of a nose. Viktor narrowed his eyes at the shade of its skin, being a lighter green than he was used to finding in this part of the province. Almost snot green, actually.
'Oi. Is it just me or is the colouring on this one a little off? Do you think it's diseased or something?'
'I doubt it. Goblins don't take well to disease. They tend to rot. You'd know if this one was afflicted with something. Might be a plains goblin.'
'What, from the western parts of the province?'
'They migrate sometimes. The forest tribes like to settle down in relatively permanent areas and the mountain goblins love caves, but you sometimes get some clans crossing over from Westrom. I think I remember someone saying Westromite gobbos look a little like this one. Any ritual scarring?'
'No, but he's got an iron ring in his nose. I don't suppose the Guild of Monsters is offering more for the foreign kind?'
'Ugh, no. Like I said earlier, they aren't offering any bounties for goblins. Too many of them and not worth the cull. Merchants find it easier just to hire an extra guard or two to exterminate them when they're encountered on the road. The Church are the only people who care enough to offer coin for the damned things. And as I said, it's chump change.'
'Maybe for a woman who's gotten too used to the finer thefts in life.' Viktor produced a shank he had stolen off someone at some point and began sawing the goblin's ears off.
He almost felt the dry look End gave him as he battled with the sinew.
'How's work?' he asked boredly, raising his voice to be heard as he hunched down into the muck, finally pulling the first ear free.
'I don't have any new titbits for you just yet. Maybe in a few days. You'll find it in the usual spot.'
'Not what I meant. I'm just asking how you are doing.' The second ear came free faster, seeing as he worked the blade more aggressively.
'Mickey is running me a bit ragged lately,' End admitted. 'Break-ins, messages that need delivering, marks that need to get scratched into spots.'
'In my experience, Mick likes to overwork the people she trusts, rather than risk someone she doesn't fucking something up. Might be something there. She might not even notice that she's working you like a mule. She's too upbeat to intentionally be a dick to her men.'
'Don't remind me. That woman smiles too much. It's unnatural.'
'Maybe I smile a lot under this hood. You don't know.'
'Not a single person in Adelstrad believes you ever smile, Viktor. The closest I've ever found is that evil laugh you do when something goes your way or you think a horrifying situation is funny.'
To illustrate the point, End emitted a dark, mocking warble that admittedly was a pretty decent approximation of Viktor's own villainous chuckle.
He stood up and then immediately packed himself into a damned tree branch. End snickered at him as he recovered and approached, tossing the ears up with one hand and wiping more mud off his vest with the other.
'The sun's going to set soon and my shift is coming up. Buy you a drink sometime tomorrow when you're awake enough to function? You did sort of do all the actual hunting work. Again.'
End gently jumped down the tree, landing with such a minimal amount of sound that he wouldn't have noticed her move if he hadn't been looking at her already.
There was little illumination in the Black Forest, even when there should have been. The trees had a habit of swallowing all the light up and the winter sun didn't offer as much light as it could have, leaving her little more than a dark blotch against some more dark blotches.
End still didn't approach the light of the torch he had awkwardly balanced against a different tree, again only letting him see her hands.
He didn't take offence. Viktor had learned some time ago that End was more comfortable in the shadows.
'I would, but I've got work nonsense as well. Lauter says he wants me for something tomorrow. Said nothing about what, just that I need to wake up early for it.'
'I'm surprised. The last watch captain didn't exactly like your face very much. The new one seems to think you're a lot more useful than Drought did.'
Viktor let a breath out, idly wiping the muck off his axe using a nearby dead tree. An owl sounded from somewhere above them and he found himself grumbling. The Black Forest was more creepy than it was dangerous most of the time, but the exception to the rule could get you killed if you weren't paying attention and ready to either fight or fuck off at a moment's notice.
There were far worse things than goblins hiding among the trees and the mud.
'Lauter's unorthodox,' the executioner answered. 'Especially when you measure him against Adelstradian standards.'
'Hmm. Whenever Drought made you get up early for something stupid, you always had a storm to swear up about it.'
Viktor shrugged. 'I'll take the new man's bullshit over what I had to deal with when Drought was calling the shots any day of the week. You've seen some of the other guild heads in the Lowers. I'm sure you feel the same way about Mick, much as she truly earns the occasional bitch behind her back.'
End nodded, waving the bag of ears meaningfully.
'I'll make sure to send you your cut in the next drop.'
From the Author: I dearly hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you'd like to support me, kindly consider buying a copy of the full book at your preferred ebook retailer.
I also accept Ko-fi donations on my website, if you're feeling exceedingly generous.
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Ch7 Hero
AN: Sorry for posting so late, I got COVID and I honestly thought I was going to die, but I didn’t which is kind of sad. Anyway, here’s the next chapter!
Ignitus concluded the recounting of their people's history, and when he glanced over, Spyro was slumped at the desk, fast asleep. With a gentle yet urgent tone, Ignitus called out, "Spyro! Were you even absorbing any of that?"
Rubbing his eyes and blinking against the lingering drowsiness, Spyro mustered a tired yawn. "Honestly, history was never my forte back in the day. I'd always drift off during those lectures."
"You must pay attention, Spyro. This information is crucial. You, Malefor, and Cynder are destined to engage in an eternal struggle unless the curse is broken."
Perking up, Spyro asked, "Wait, did you say Cynder?"
"Ah, the magic word is spoken, and suddenly you're all ears," Ignitus teased, shaking his head. "No offense, but you tend to perk up whenever a girl's mentioned."
"No, it's not that," Spyro protested. "I know her. She's my friend."
"You've reconnected with her already?"
"Well, sort of. I'll admit, I don't remember much about my interactions with her from the show."
"Spyro, if you've found her, then it won't be long before Malefor finds her too."
"He already did. She's his daughter."
"She's... the Dark Lord's daughter?" Ignitus's expression was a mixture of surprise and concern, perhaps even a touch of disappointment. "This is not good, Spyro. If she's related to Malefor, who's to say how deeply corruption runs in her veins?"
"Hey!" Spyro's voice rose in defensive as he stood tall. "She's an incredible Skylander, and she's been battling against her dark past. Just because her father is a villain doesn't define who she is."
"You're not grasping the gravity of this, Spyro. She's inherently inclined to struggle against the darkness within her. If the light in her heart wanes, she will always be susceptible to evil."
"I turned to the dark side once too. It's not just her, any of us can."
"Spyro, you must heed my words. To defeat Malefor, you must master each of your elemental abilities, starting with fire."
"Thanks, Oldman, but I've got fire under control." To demonstrate, Spyro unleashed a blaze of flames at Ignitus.
However, Ignitus remained unimpressed. "Impressive for your age, but let me show you true fire." With a powerful breath, he sent forth a roaring inferno that dwarfed Spyro's attempt. The heat was intense, prompting Spyro to swiftly evade the searing flames.
"Whoa!" Spyro exclaimed once the display concluded. "That was seriously cool. Alright, count me in. I want to learn that. What do I need to do?"
"First, you'll need to pick up a pencil and study."
Spyro flopped his head down on the desk with an exaggerated groan. "I think I'd honestly prefer a swim in a volcano."
- Scene Change -
“Skylanders! And Skylanders in training, please gather around I have grave news!” Master Eon was in the colosseum that they have as both Peril’s and Stealth Elf’s team were there. “Malefore is teaming up with Kaos to attack the dragon realms and they must be stopped!”
Peril's keen ears twitched, her imagination already painting vivid images of dragons in her mind. She couldn't help but feel a thrill at the prospect of encountering more of her kind. Meanwhile, Stealth Elf's curiosity bubbled up, seeking answers in the midst of the impending crisis.
"Wait, there's an entire realm of dragons? Is that where Spyro is?" Stealth Elf inquired, her eyes shining with intrigue.
Master Eon's reply carried a somber note. "Most likely not, for Spyro's kind has long vanished. These dragons have carved their own history, choosing to remain apart from the Skylands. Nonetheless, we keep watch over them, to safeguard against such threats."
Under the warm sun, Cullen's voice cut through the tension, echoing the unspoken question in everyone's minds. "How do you know about this, Master Eon?"
Another voice came from behind. “Because I was there.” Cynder appeared behind Master Eon. Peril's heart raced as she caught her first glimpse of Cynder, the enigmatic dragon from another realm. Her scales seemed to shimmer with an ethereal light, and her presence was nothing short of captivating. Peril couldn't tear her gaze away, drawn in by Cynder's commanding presence and the air of mystery that surrounded her.
Master Eon spoke up. “She’s been watching over her father for me as a spy and came back just today.”
Pop Fizz asked a question. “If she’s a spy, why are you telling everyone in Skyland about this? What if one of us is a spy as well?”
Master Eon chuckled, as if he already knew Pop Fizz was going to asked him that. “If Malefore somehow discovered our plans than that most likely means one of us is a spy. No one besides us knows that Cynder is working as a spy, so if Malefor ever finds out, than that means one of us is a spy.”
This time, Coco spoke up. “So, what’s the plan Master? Go over to each of the realms and inform them about Malefor?
“That, Coco, will be reserved for the more experience team. You and your team will need to be under intense training, with Cynder as your guide. Cynder, please go say hi to your new team.”
With the introduction of Cynder as their guide, a new dynamic entered the fold. Peril watched in awe as Cynder moved, a symphony of power and grace that left her breathless. Shadows danced on her scales, each one a testament to battles fought and won.
Cynder's introduction was laced with a touch of humour, a glimpse of the person beneath the powerful exterior. Her voice, resonant and commanding, carried a subtle vulnerability that resonated deeply with Peril.
"I'm not the best at making friends, and I tend to just fly away... a lot," Peril mused inwardly, finding an unexpected kinship with the enigmatic dragon.
“Guess you’re not the leader anymore eh, Peril?” Coco told her with a joke as she gave Peril a pat on her back but quickly remembered that Peril’s intense heat burned her. Peril was to mesmerised by Cynder to noticed Coco hurt herself.
Master Eon spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear. “Stealth Elf, you and your team will be heading to the dragon realms but lets also not forget that we are short staffed as well so I’ll need at least one of you to stay here at a time so you can train the new recruits. Cynder, make sure you train your team well and fast. We might not have a lot of time until everyone is needed to play their part.”
First Chapter: https://www.tumblr.com/anonymous149/730023312048177152/unspoken-hearts-ch1-friend-or-foe?source=share&ref=anonymous149
Chapter 5: https://www.tumblr.com/anonymous149/732025366914433024/ch5-war?source=share&ref=anonymous149
#ao3 fanfic#ao3 writer#cynder#cynder the dragon#fanfic#fanfiction#legend of spyro#peril wof#spyro the dragon#video games
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