The symbolism in the framing of this shot just gets me every time

Tell me about the corruption arc Bestie

oh bless you are going to get Such a textwall and i do not even care

what i am currently most emotions about is. how Revan's entire outlook shifts so gradually through the war that she doesn't even realize it's changing/changed! like, she gets to this point where she ends up literally not able to completely remember why she went to war in the first place - it was about revenge, wasn't it? wasn't it? hasn't it always been about- saving the galaxy and about destroying the Mandalorians and about winning?

and like! it hasn't! when she first went to war it was out of compassion, it was this determination that she would do the right thing when no one else would, because the galaxy was being BROKEN and no one was stepping up, and what are Jedi if not compassionate, and what are Jedi if they do not stand by the oaths they took when they were knighted? and like- yes, she was determined to win, but she was determined to win so that no one else would suffer the way the Cathar did, so that she could find justice for their deaths, and the line between justice and vengeance can be so blurred at times but there is such a clear difference at the same time and what Revan ended up doing at Malachor- it's the latter, not the former. violence begets violence begets violence and it's a cycle and in committing a genocide against the Mandalorians to make them pay for a genocide of the Cathar it's just perpetuating this cycle, and early Revan would've- seen that, or at least known it wasn't the right way to end this!

but she gets so caught up in her own legend that she loses all of it. like- how to put this into words in a way that isn't just exploring it through prose. she has the mask and it's originally the symbol of her promise, of her commitment, but it becomes this symbol for her and for her victory from the moment she wins her first battle with it, and the Jedi who follow her, who took her name as their cause, they already see her as their leader. and the Republic starts talking about her as a hero and tying this all to the mask, and it just keeps getting worse and worse as she wins more and more because she is being heralded as this savior and she was told from a young age that she was meant to save the galaxy and she'd never thought it was true, not really, but now- well, she starts to doubt. she starts to believe, maybe, that she really is meant to

and like. the sacrifices are such a huge part of this, i don't know if i can completely explain it. Cassus Fett is out here constantly pushing her to see how far she'll go, and the problem is, the strategies work. she uses people as pawns and it's this constant. sacrificing the few to save the many, and it works but it takes its toll on her. it gets her seeking out absolution from Alek and it gets her justifying it to herself as sacrifices are necessary in war because sometimes, sacrifices are necessary for the greater good and war, this war, is for the greater good, so it follows from there, and originally it's a justification but she comes to believe in it because her sacrifices are winning, not just battles but the war, and she's constantly being told by so many people that she is saving the galaxy and it all just- sinks in. and the mask becomes her in all the ways that matter, because she cannot stay human and cope with everything she's done, everything she's killed.

and also! she has to be right at all times. every decision she's made in this war, it has to be the right one, because if it isn't - if she was wrong - she made these choices for her pride and her pride alone, and she can't handle that. she has to be Right and the Mandalorians, especially Fett, have to be Wrong, and she can't see any shades of grey in this (despite Everything she does being this mess of grey) because she can't confront the fact that her own pride is what lets her really lean into this savior thing. she has to be better than the Mandalorians because if she's not-

if she really is the same as they are, then what was all of this for?

and like. she is angry, she is arrogant, she is proud, these are her flaws, her faults, and combined with this desperate need to prove herself that stems from how she was always regarded as too angry and too attached and too dark by a lot of the Jedi growing up, especially a couple certain masters who i will not name but would like to murder, it all just snowballs into this. she has to be the legend because she has to prove herself and also she needs to Win and she needs to be Better and she needs to do all of this and she physically cannot do it as a human. so she makes herself both more than and less than one. and more than this, like! there's this whole thing where. she cannot accept responsibility for her own role in all of this. she cannot lay the lives of everyone she's sacrificed for her victory on her own shoulders, otherwise she will break, because she is twenty-two years old when she goes to war and twenty-five when she gives the order to activate the Mass Shadow Generator and that same compassion that led her to go to war makes it impossible for her handle the Guilt of everything she's done.

so she turns. and she lays it all at Cassus Fett's feet. because he is the one who drives her into these sacrifices and he is the one who pushes her and he is the one who- on and on and on, she turns him into the villain and the scapegoat and like - yeah, the Mandalorians are at least half at fault for all this, but no one is forcing her into this. (except Vitiate, all of this has been Vitiate from the very beginning, and that's why it's all a tragedy because there were no right answers and at the same time Everyone was right and there was never any other way any of this could end - Revan will always go to war and Alek and the Exile will always follow and Malachor V will always burn) she makes Fett into the personification of all her guilt and she turns it all into anger and she declares that she will get revenge on him for everything he's made her do and so she kills her guilt in the dirt on Dxun, stabs Fett through the gut with his own spear and takes the breastplate off his still-living body to turn into her own armor as proof of her victory, and in his final moments he tells her that they are the same and she looks at him and says that is why you have to die because no one, no one can know that in the end, she Is just like them. that when pushed into a war, she fights for the thrill of battle, that she wants the victory more than she wants anything else, that she is no longer a Jedi and she isn't sure what to do with that.

Fett dies, and then Revan turns, with a golden beskar breastplate and a red sash added to her black robes, and she goes to Malachor V and she kills Mandalore and she shatters the Mandalorians into dust for all their crimes (for all her guilt) (for all her rage and bitter determination and the last dying shards of her compassion). a planet dies, the Mandalorians die, and a war is won and the Republic is saved but that isn't enough. it's not enough. she no longer knows how to be at peace, she has turned herself so successfully into the mask and the legend that without the war she does not know how to exist and so she- goes to find a new one, because the galaxy isn't ever going to be saved.

and the worst part of all of this is- there's this moment, this battle. the second battle of Althir. she's been making bigger and bigger sacrifices but she's never directly fired on her own people before, but this battle - it was all a trap, of sorts, and she is losing, and there is this moment in which she has to choose between a strategic retreat to save her fleet and her people, or a victory, or winning even though it means deliberately killing tens of thousands of her own people to do it. and it's sort of this point of no return for her when maybe things could be different - maybe she could turn back, maybe victory doesn't have to be all-important to her - and then they can't, and she can't, and it does. and she gives the order to kill off a third of the ships she has with her for that victory.

and she does not mourn it.

because sacrifices are necessary in war.

and in the end, living up to the legend she's made herself into - being it, completely and utterly - has become the most important thing to her, more important than saving lives.

and this - it's why she falls, in the end. she makes the conscious choice to become Sith (she was very much hovering on the edge of the Dark, but she wasn't completely fallen) after escaping from Vitiate, because the Jedi weren't strong enough to defeat the Mandalorians, and like - it's not the same, but also, yes it is. it all leads here. everything she has ever gone through leads to this moment, standing on Korriban, surrounded by dust as red as the blood that soaked it a millennium ago with the cold wind stretching her cloak out behind her, when she ignites her violet lightsaber and names herself Darth Revan.

(Revan, still, because her name is not a name, it has not been a name in years, her name is a title in the mouths of her Jedi and her soldiers and her enemies, Revan, Revan, save us, Revan, kill us, Revan, lead us to victory.

and she will.)

Everything You Never Knew About The Nazi UFO Conspiracy Theory (it’s a wild ride)

Oil.

You could tell the story of the modern world through oil.

The thick, sticky liquid is the dark glue clobbering the West together. Nations go to war, governments plot and plunder, and innocent people get caught up in the crossfire. All for oil.

But the oil I’m talking about didn’t start a war. It instead leads us to a little known historical tale. A tale that in turn brings us to the front step of a conspiracy theory.

Our story starts in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica.

It’s currently -46 degrees celsius. We are surrounded by soft, white stretches of snow and sharp, mountain-esque peaks breaching the ice.

But some would have you believe there is much more to the land lying just beyond the North Pole. According to some theorists, beneath the frost-bitten ground lies an entire hidden society. And amongst the people gathering in this underground bunker sits technological advances quite literally out of this world.

In 1938, an expedition from Nazi Germany was sent out to take control of Queen Maud Land (known then as New Swabia) in order to supply whale oil for the upcoming war in Western Europe.

Theorists, however, claimed that after the war, the remaining Nazis in Europe fled to New Swabia and may have even kept and developed their advancements in aircraft technology. Yes, it is here they keep and dispatch their UFO technology, helped only by a superhuman race or aliens!

Strap in, kids. It’s time to talk about the messy, mysterious and my-god-this-is-weird-shit Nazi UFOs.

2010 was a pretty tame year by the decade’s standards.

But in late November, a meme was born. A meme that probably relaunched a conspiracy that once thrived in a postwar world: it claimed aliens paid a visit to the guys at the top during Nazi Germany’s heyday and offered up advice for advanced aircraft technology.

Ancient Aliens (season 2 episode 5) gave us innocent viewers the lowdown on the UFOs spotted during and after the war that were supposedly related to Hitler’s regime.

This theory clusters alongside other Ancient Aliens theories - that extraterrestrials have popped down now and then to help construct vast civilisations like Ancient Egypt.

Is it true?

Is it bugger.

But the theories and the evidence put forward frame a unique time in history.

What are Nazi UFOs?

The title of this theory is far from imaginative. The theory claims the Nazis were successful in advancing aircrafts and spacecrafts during WW2. But there is also talk of postwar survival of this technology, whether concealed at the North Pole or hiding in plain sight at NASA.

We know that the Nazis made vast strides in engineering and weaponry. In fact, the ‘evidence’ route forward by theorists relies heavily on accounts from high-up figures in the Axis countries.

Take the Repulsine: this was a specialised engine built during the war. How far was the stretch from this feat of engineering to alien-tech? Is it possible that an advanced race of extraterrestrials stopped by with a few tips and tricks?

Apparently so, as put forward by the claims of the Haunebu flying saucer and the occult-inspired Die Glocke (the existence of both of these aircrafts is, of course, highly disputed).

Nazi UFO believers should get some credit, however - they at least did some research. They got their facts right on three crucial pieces of evidence, before losing control of the wheel and skidding off the track completely.

Firstly, yes, we know they claimed New Swabia in 1938 for the purpose of obtaining whale oil and potentially for imperial pursuits, as well.

And yeah, they researched advanced propulsion tech. They even created a prototype of a circular-winged aircraft that looks preeeeetty similar to your run-of-the-mill UFO.

They even get right that there were flurries of UFO sightings during the war by allied forces.

But as soon as 1950, outlandish claims emerged, mere years after Germany surrendered and the Allies claimed victory. But we need to start at the beginning.

The year is 1944.

The end of the war is just on the horizon. The Allies have liberated Western Europe from Nazi grip. But a new, surprising threat is in the soldiers line of sight, too.

It was a cold, November evening. Lt. Fred Ringwald was in a night fighter piloted by a fellow Lieutenant. As they soared above the Rhine valley, the two american soldiers spotted something in the hills of Strasbourg.

8 fiery, orange lights were staring back at them.

They were sure, as any fighter pilot in that situation, that this was enemy aircraft. And yet nothing showed up on the radar. As soon as they turned the plane to prepare to fight, the orange lights had disappeared.

Many would attribute such sightings to combat fatigue, St. Elmo’s Fire (weather phenomena during a storm where glowing plasma appears near masts) or the fact that pilots would have seen many aircrafts clogging across Europe's skies.

But soon, the sightings began to spread. And fast.

In December, a pilot saw “5 or 6 flashing red and green lights in ’T’ shape.” in the skies near Breisach, Germany. They followed him but quickly vanished.

Days later, two orange glowing lights were spotted by two more flight crews.

They rose from the earth to 10,000 feet before tailing the fighters for approx. 2 minutes. They then stopped following the allied planes and disappeared.

“They appear to be under perfect control at all times”

Keith Chester

These sightings would become so common, they’d be given a nickname:

Foo fighters.

Scientists would go on to investigate them, later decoding them as advanced German aircrafts and weaponry. As they were only spotted by allied forces, it was likely they were advancements such as the V-1 or V-2 rocket.

But after the war, UFO sightings continued to apparently connect the dots:

Project Sign, an official US UFO investigation team, linked the designs of the German Horten brothers to UFO reports. The head of the follow up investigation confirmed some of their findings:

“When WWII ended, the Germans had several radical types of aircraft and guided missiles under development. The majority were in the most preliminary stages, but they were the only known craft that could even approach the performance of objects reported by UFO observers.”

Captain Edward J. Ruppelt, 1959

It was only after the war that accounts from former officials of the Axis regimes appeared to support these claims.

The first newspaper report forging a connection between UFOs and the crushed Nazi regime was written by a former Italian Minister of National Economy under Mussolini’s regime:

"types of flying discs were designed and studied in Germany and Italy as early as 1942"

But this doesn’t suggest aliens airdropped a PDF of flying saucer designs. We know that flying saucer aircrafts can and have been created.

A similar account from a Czeh scientist spurred on another key element of this conspiracy theory.

Die Glocke.

December 9th 1965.

All is peaceful in the small town of Kecksberg, Pennsylvania. That’s about to change.

Six American citizens in Detroit, Michigan, Windsor and Ontario witnessed a fireball score across the sky. NASA later claimed that this was a meteorite or a Soviet satellite crashing back to Earth.

UFOlogists weren’t so sure.

Many claim they saw a large object the size of a VW Beetle spotted with strange symbols, like hieroglyphics, being carried out by a truck from the area cordoned off at the crash site.

UFOlogists believe they recovered The Bell, an occult-alien-hybrid spacecraft.

Apparently, such claims bear a similarity to the designs of an aircraft laid out in a Wehrmacht document about a vertical take-off craft. And then Rudolph Schirever, the man claiming he designed it during the war, gave a statement the same month something crashed to the earth.

He told Der Spiegel that he designed a craft powered by rotating turbine blades. He developed it until April 1945 at BMW in Prague before fleeing to the Czeh Republic, as it is now known. 3 years later, he claimed the designs were stolen.

He thinks Czeh agents nicked his ideas for a foreign power.

Could it have been for an underground society of failed Nazi war criminals stowed away in underground base in Antartica?

(That was a mouthful.)

Many have attached their own take to Die Glocke.

Some believe it was anti-gravitational, others claim it was a time-machine. Some claim a Nazi colonel handed it over to the US military to buy his freedom, and a few even allege that the US forces forced Nazi scientists to build Die Glocke and advance it’s anti-gravity technology.

This stuff is pretty out there.

Quite literally.

But the last bit does fit actual history: US forces did bring over Nazi scientists to advance their space technology.

Postwar Theories

When historians began to reflect on the war decades after it ended, new ideas banking on UFOs followed suit.

In the 1960s, one of these most infamous theories was put forward in the controversial book The Morning of the Magicians.

It made numerous claims about the mysterious and fictional Vril Society which was based on a novel about superhuman-angel-alien beings that lived inside the Earth. In 1935, a German engineer fled to the US spouting claims that the Nazis did indeed have a society dedicated to finding the Vril.

The Morning of the Magicians claimed the Vril Society was a precursor to the Nazi party amongst other ideas. They supposedly created flying disc prototypes and had a secret base on the moon.

Oh, and about that Antarctica underground base?

It’s so the Nazis can vanish into the Earth and meet that advanced race living down there.

Jumping onto this New Swabia bandwagon was Ernst Zündel.

This Holocaust denier (*stares into camera*) wrote many books throughout the 70s claiming flying saucers were secret weapons released from this base. He even claimed he would attempt to locate the base and reveal the Earth was crammed full of aliens this entire time!

In 2002, he let slip that it was a big ruse to bring in more cash for his publishing company.

At the end of the decade, Migeul Serrano gave it a go. He was a Nazi sympathiser and believed that Hitler was the avatar (a deity on earth) of a Hindu god. Apparently he was hanging out with the hyperborean gods (Greek gods that are stowed away at the North Pole) underground until he was ready to release UFOs and bring in the Fourth Reich.

The last, infamous proponent of this theory had physical, real-life consequences.

A year after Serrano made his claims, Richard Chase professed that Nazi UFOs had forced him to commit numerous brutal and bloody crimes under threat to his own life.

Chase is one of the most infamous serial killers in history, earning the title the Vampire of Sacramento due to his reputation for murder, rape, cannibalism and necrophilia. These claims can be traced back to his schizophrenia which prompted him to believe prison officials were poisoning his food as directed by Nazi UFOs.

***

I think sometimes it’s easier for us to frame the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime within the context of something the horror genre would spit out. We’d much rather spin tales of occult rituals and far-out entities than admit actual humans did what they did.

It’s no surprise that following the war, a surge in movies detailing alien invasion emerged. It fit the fears of impending doom from a foreign, fascist government, a reality for many nations during WW2.

What do you think is the craziest claim?

If you liked this blogpost, make sure you like and reblog it. And while you’re down there, hit follow to read something spooky every weekend!

Explaining the Iceberg #6

*Some things aren’t covered, namely things i’ve already discussed or content that I don’t feel is appropriate. And not everything is covered in depth

Tatterdemalion Moon Colonies: A since deleted forum post from MK, discussing the moon colonies of Reman that would later appear in c0da

Tamriel is the Far Shores: Orgnum is the immortal King of the Maormer, also said to be the Serpent God of the Sakatal’ indicating some connection to the Yokudan God of everything, Sakatal. Orgnum’s goal is to conquer Tamriel, this theory states that he may have mantled the Yokudan God and is confusing Tamriel for the Far Shores.

Water is Memory: One of the more difficult concepts to really pin down in these kind of theories, so bear with me. This topic has been brought up a few times in older lore discussions, and once again in ESO quite recently. First there should be clarification that I mean water both metaphorically and literally, just like the towers, there is no distinction between real and fake because this is a video game world. Second thing to note: There’s a lot of conflicting theories and ideas on this, i’m only providing the way I can conceptualize this all. If I provided every theory i’d surely hit some sort of character limit. Do you remember the metaphor about every soul in existence being a singular drop in an ocean? This is looking at the ocean itself, it’s the collective consciousness and memories of everyone out there, past, present and future. But this isn’t a synonym for souls and energy, this is a whole separate process. Sometimes souls are shown to be able to live without their memories (the soul carin), sometimes reflections of people's memories get stuck to places like ghosts (memory stones) When someone dies, their soul/energy and their memories may stick together and go to an Aedra or Daedra, or they might get split apart (like a Vestige) and end up in the Dreamsleeve to get recycled and in the Drowned Lamp which is a name for where all knowledge lost to history goes. This concept can be seen with the Daedra too, when discussing the ‘waters of oblivion’ when they get banished their essence heads back to this beginning place to spring back up. Water is memory also gets brought up quite often talking about Sotha Sil, who Vivec says is the selfishness of the sea, and whose ‘daughter’ is Mnemoli/Memory.

Crassius Curio, Time traveller: Another variant on the Crassius Curio plagiarism theory, accounting for why the lusty argonian maid is in ESO.

The Republic of Hahd: Mentioned in the Pocket Guide to the Empire, a group of people who claimed they lived off the coast of summerset, in an underwater civilization called Hahd. The only point in history that they became relevant was when they received tariffs for the transport of ‘mnemolite’ from the people of Hahd to the people of Nahd, and nearly sparked war between the Empire and the Altmer as they tried to figure out what was going on. Hahd and Nahd were both made up, thought to be by a group of psjjic students, as the island of Artaeum disappeared in that same year again.

Leaper Demons: Another name for Mehrunes Dagon, before he was cursed to become Dagon. Named this because of his ability to jump from Kalpa to Kalpa

Zero Stone: This is related to the towers, it’s the ‘heart’ of the tower, the piece that keeps it stable and functioning, essentially like a cornerstone. For the Red Tower and Walk-Brass this was a literal heart (the Heart of Lorkhan), but sometimes it’s other things like a fruit, or a person.

Tiber Septim Awoke Dagoth Ur: In the same short time as the Tiber Wars, where Tiber Septim was attempting to conquer all of Tamriel, Dagoth Ur awoken in Morrowind, which eventually forced ALMSIVI’s hand in signing the Armistice that would make Morrowind a part of the empire, hand over the Numidium, but allow Morrowind to largely keep it’s sovereignty. This theory suggests that Tiber Septim purposefully awoke Dagoth Ur as a long-term strategy, rather than trying to defeat ALMSIVI in wars. If not done purposefully, Dagoth ur may have been awakened by the presence of Tiber Septim (whose thu’um seemed to have came from Wulfharth, a survivor of the battle of Red Mountain and associate of Dagoth Ur)

Akatosh’s Shadow: MK mentioned Peryite as Akatosh’s shadow. Akatosh/Auriel largely introduced stability into the chaos of the Dawn Era as the God of time. Peryite has a similar function, that being natural order, where he micromanages Oblivion and Nirn. There’s more to this theory that i haven’t included due to sake of brevity  https://www.reddit.com/r/teslore/comments/4zct3i/the_shadow_of_aka_peryite/

The people of Et’Ada: Mentioned in the books The Light and Dark and Sithis, the people of et’ada are the descendants of the clash between Anu and Padomay, the original spirits that would give up their forms to become mortal

The Dwemer became their creations: A thought that instead of the commonly accepted Numidium Skin Theory, the Dwemer souls are the ones powering their automatons. 

Lefthanded Maomer: An in-universe theory that the Lefthanded elves and the Maomer are related. Evidence for this may exist in Orgunm being ‘Sakatal’

Skyrim getting Colder: A theory that says Skyrim is entering the ice age because of the recent snowfalls and the presence of Sabertooth cats and mammoths.

Anti-Magik Zones: Probably taken from D&D, areas where magic doesn’t work for some reason or other.

The Greedy Man: Another name for Lorkhan due to him ‘stealing’ the divinity of his fellow Et’Ada

Vvardenfell Lesbian Anomaly: The prescence of a large amount of wlw npcs in ESO and the presence of Tel Mora, an island full of women and Mistress Dratha who says she hates men. While the ESO one i’d argue that there’s a fairly equal spread of same sex couples, and Tel Mora is certainly the original developers adding in something ‘strange’ by having an entirely female island, various Lgbt fans of the games have made their own theories on this. @boethiah has proposed that Tel Mora was established as a safe place for lesbians, and Telmoran is the in-universe equivalent to ‘lesbian’ 

Prism Textract: A reference to a book from the mod Legacy of the Dragonborn

Ruptga: The chief god of the Yokudan Pantheon, people debate on whether he’s equivalent to Akatosh or Magnus, if he’s even equivalent to any god. He was the first god to figure out the Walkabout, and taught the other gods how to survive Sakatal (God of everything) shedding its skin.

The Elder Council world control:  References a theory that the Elder Council is an incredibly powerful political entity that controls the entire world. (looking at how things were handled in Oblivion, doubtful.)

Tiber Septim Shapeshifting dragon: Ingame theories that Tiber Septim was a shapeshifting dragon based on the empire’s affiliation with them. (source seems to originate from GT Noonan, pre-Oblivion and Skyrim) Could be an early idea for Dragonborns, or perhaps just a wild conspiracy theory.

Insane Time-God: Another MK text, et’Ada Eight Aedra, Eat the Dreamer. States Aka has gone insane due to how many names he has

The Staff of Unity and Chaos: The object you need to assemble in tes Arena. Is able to open gateways to other realms, near instantly kill people. In some of the early drafts of the main quest of ESO, a similar relic was proposed called the Staff of Towers, and would have been similar to the main quest of Arena.

Dracocrysalis: Mentioned in the Nu-Mantia, it’s largely unknown what this means apart from ‘it keeps elder magic bound so it can’t change into something lesser’ based off wording it probably means something akin to changing into a dragon.

Telescopic Aurbis: Refers to a quote from MK A single Wheel? More like a Telescope that stretches all the way back to the Eye of the Anui-El, with Padomaics innumerable along its infinite walls. Essentially this refers to the cycle of Kalpas, all wheels lined up with one another would make a telescope-like shape. The focal point of the telescope would be Mundus, ascending upwards you hit oblivion, then Aetherius surrounding that, and then lesser, more chaotic realms beyond that. This is also mentioned in the Murkmire book ‘Lost tales of the Famed Explorer.’

Gaenor is Sai: Gaenor is said to be one of the hardest bosses of Morrowind, in the Tribunal expansion you can give him gold and allow him to become an incredibly strong warrior. He has incredibly high luck (770 points) making him difficult to hit. This theory states that he is either Sai, the god of luck himself, or a champion of his.

Haskill is the Actual Mad God: This might be a couple different theories. 1st: The events of the Shivering Isles is a trick played on the player character by Haskill/Sheogorath, and the Sheo you see and interact with is just a projection. 2nd: From a loremaster interview from ESO, Haskill states he’s the ‘vestige’ of Sheogorath, the mortal remnants of the person who mantled the mad god in the last greymarch.

Moraelyn=Nerevar: Moraelyn of the King Edward books was likely an early draft for Nerevar. Both have association with roses, both are from House Mora and are considered a champion of the Dunmer. He probably participated in the War with the Nords, being described in the 36 Lessons.

Tsaesci Vampire Language eaters: From MK’s And we ate it to become it and another interview. https://www.imperial-library.info/content/fireside-chats Tsaesci feed on language, he doesn’t state if this is metaphorical, or literal (if that even matters in these games)

Scarab’s transformation: Refers to Scarab that Transforms into the New Man, or Amaranth. The Scarab is a metaphor for godhood. (Scarabs are symbols of divinity in Ancient Egypt) and the New Man is a person achieving Amaranth and creating a new dream/universe.

Trinimalarky: A fun name for Malarky. 

King Dead Wolf-Deer: A Bosmer transformed by the Wild Hunt. Lived from the first era until the beginning of the third.

Multiple Underkings: Another statement by MK, general consensus seems to be this refers to the existence of the Underking as two people, Wulfharth a nordic general from the 1st era who held the title. Zurin Arctus, who may have taken up the title after the 2nd Era, when Tiber Septim turned him into an undead being. Or both of them sharing the same body known as the ‘Underking’

Thot-Box: https://www.c0da.es/thotbox/7b10359a40bba7d2e654bc10226f694a68009f15 the worlds worst choose your own adventure. From what I understand of KIMMUNE, a thot-box is some sort of AI

Baar Dau is Shit: Pretty well known at this point. One myth states that Malacath got into a disagreement with Vivec and pooped on Vivec City..

Nu-Hatta: In reference to the person, they’re an ancestor cult member. Otherwise this is used to refer to the Nu-Hatta Intercept written by MK. The text in question seems to be a list of the various ways mortals have achieved divinity. 

Talos brought back dragons: Not sure about this one, there’s too many results to filter through to find what this is specifically about

Lyg’s Numidium: The thought here is that if Lyg is the parallel to Tamriel, then it should also have a Numidium that reinforces time and makes events a reality.

Dawn Era Ideological warfare: From UESP, Quote: The Dawn Era was a period during which time followed an incomprehensible nonlinear path and the very laws of nature remained unset, making a timeline an artificial fabrication. A conflict was simultaneously a mere ideological difference of opinion and a manifest war. What this means in simple terms, all possible outcomes in the Dawn era were simultaneous. This might also refer to the Ehlnofey wars where the wandering ehlnofey (ancestor of men) and the old ehlnofey (ancestor of mer) differed in opinion about the existence of Mundus and went to war.

Vivec destroyed Yokuda: A reference to the 17th lesson of Vivec, where Vivec states For a year they studied under their sword saints and then for another Vivec taught them the virtue of the little reward. Vivec chose a king for a wife and made another race of monsters which ended up destroying the west completely. In a literal sense (not that this means much in context of the lessons), this seems to indicate that Vivec created the sword saints, who ultimately ended up sinking Yokuda with the Pankratosword technique. Vivec also said malewife rights.

Ayrenn KIMMUNE: Another MK text. This one states Queen Ayrenn is actually a 9th era cyborg from the future. This was written after MK read an early draft for the Dominion quests and wanted to make it cooler. The writers of ESO have stated they don’t consider this canon.

Tiger Guars: A bit of old morrowind lore, Imperials would mistakenly call Guars, ‘tigers’

Hermaeus Mora is a failed Elder Scroll: Two theories here: 1st: The Black Books are Mora’s failed attempts to create Elder Scrolls (The first pages reference concepts such as the Dreamer and CHIM, Elder scrolls are fragments of creation) 2nd: Hermaeus Mora himself is a failed Elder Scroll. The Census of Daedric Princes describes him as ‘born of thrown-away ideas used during the creation of Mundus’

SITHISIT: the Ehlnofex word for Sithis

Khajiit Tattoo theft: Rajhin the thief god was said to steal a tattoo off Empress Kintyra’s neck as she slept. 

Mythopoeia: irl, it’s essentially a term for ‘world-building’ In the context of the elder scrolls, it means the ability to affect reality using belief or the will to change (similar to CHIM) In morrowind Yagrum uses it to describe the enchantments Kagrenac placed upon the tools. 

Dragons Biological Time-Machines: In the early drafts for dragons, MK described them as Biological Time-Machines. While this isn’t entirely reflective of what they are now, some truth holds. Being shards of Aka, dragons inherently have some ability to alter time itself.

Argonian Tits: I can’t keep doing this.

The Elven Lie: From what I gather, it seems to relate to the idea that the gods are infallible, when in fact they have weaknesses and flaws.

“The Republic of Armenia is a small country, roughly 11,500 square miles and just barely bigger than Massachusetts. Yet, every day in Armenia reminds you that Armenians not long ago inhabited a far wider geography. The restaurant advertising “Adana-style” cuisine, recalling a city by the Mediterranean; the “Kilikya”(Cilicia) beer, named after a region in southwestern Turkey; the mosaic on the street in Gyumri that depicts the city of Kars, 80 miles away, across a closed border; the news item about the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, located in Turkey’s capital; the television documentary about the Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross on an island in Lake Van; and, of course, Mt. Ararat, the national symbol of Armenia. Standing at an elevation of nearly 17,000 feet, the volcano literally looms over Armenia in a way that photos do not capture. Once you see Ararat in person, you immediately understand why Armenians adopted it as their national symbol and reproduce its image everywhere. Yet, Ararat too, lies outside the borders.

As these daily reminders suggest, Armenians have inhabited lands outside the republic for centuries, particularly the highlands stretching from the Caucasus to Anatolia. Their distinct language, unique alphabet, and separate Christian church set them apart from their neighbors. For much of their history, they maintained a precarious existence on the periphery of far larger and more powerful entities such as the Roman, Byzantine, Parthian, Ottoman, Safavid, and Russian empires. ... Armenia regained its independence some 71 years later when the Soviet Union fell apart. The Soviet collapse coincided with the outbreak of a war for the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region. Soviet authorities had initially assigned the territory to Azerbaijan as a nominally autonomous region. In the final years of the Soviet Union, the ethnic Armenians of Karabakh moved to have the territory reassigned to Soviet Armenia. The conflict grew violent and evolved into a war. Backed by the Republic of Armenia, the Armenian Karabakhis eventually prevailed. The ceasefire of 1994 marked their triumph.

The Armenian victory was enormous. Karabakhis had consolidated control not only over Karabakh but also over seven adjoining Azerbaijani provinces, or 13.6 percent of Azerbaijan’s total territory. The psychological dimension of the conquest was no less consequential. Armenians draw little distinction between Azerbaijani Turks and Anatolian Turks. Many accordingly saw the victory over Azerbaijan as a redeeming win at the end of a century marked by calamities. Once at an academic conference of Turks and Armenians that I attended in 2005, a non-academic observer from the Republic of Armenia who was bemused at the proceedings stood up and exclaimed, “We Eastern Armenians are so different from you Western Armenians! You always see yourselves as victims! But we know ourselves as conquerors!”

Yet, no matter how great Armenia’s victory in 1994 was, it could not be decisive. They had won the battle for Karabakh, but they lacked the means to compel Azerbaijan, a country nearly three times larger in territory and population, to concede all that they wanted. Moreover, their victory violated the principle of territorial integrity, a pillar of the international order. Azerbaijan thus had four U.N. Security Council resolutions calling for the unconditional withdrawal of occupying Armenian forces from the seven Azerbaijani provinces. Absent Azerbaijan’s consent, Armenia could never legitimize its gains in the international arena. This led to a bizarre predicament whereby Yerevan declined to recognize the Republic of Artsakh as a state, even as it supported Artsakh in all imaginable ways and called on others to recognize Artsakh’s sovereignty. A conclusive solution to the Karabakh conflict would require the Armenians to agree to some form of compromise. Ultimately, they proved unwilling to do that.

To facilitate a negotiated solution to the war, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe created the so-called “Minsk Group” co-chaired by Russia, France, and the United States to host peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan. As the victor in possession of both Karabakh and seven surrounding provinces, Armenia had tremendous leverage, and in the Minsk Group it had a relatively favorable environment. Armenia’s strategy was simple: As a recent report from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe put it, “maintain the status quo while stalling until the international community and Azerbaijan recognized Nagornyy [sic] Karabakh’s independence.”

Time, however, was one factor not in Armenia’s favor. As a small landlocked country largely bereft of natural resources and with outlets only through Georgia and Iran, Armenia’s prospects for economic growth were limited. Further crippling Armenia’s economy has been its dependency on Russia for security, a reliance dictated by Yerevan’s uncompromising stance on Karabakh. Yerevan is a formal treaty ally with Moscow, hosts Russian military bases, and has Russian troops guarding its borders with Turkey and Iran. That security dependence, however, has carried with it a parallel energy and economic dependence that has constrained Armenia’s development. An anemic economy has caused as much as one-third of Armenia’s population to leave the country in search of employment abroad, further undermining the country’s long-term prospects.

By comparison, Azerbaijan’s future prospects were bright. Just months after signing the 1994 ceasefire, Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev inked the so-called “Contract of the Century” to develop Azerbaijan’s Caspian oil fields with a consortium of international oil companies. In the 1990s, Baku hoped the attraction of its energy riches would prompt the West to pressure Armenia to compromise. After those hopes fell through at negotiations in Key West in 2001 and in Rambouillet in 2006, Baku turned to the military option. Its oil and gas exports enabled it to boost its military spending 10-fold between 2006 and 2016. Whereas Armenia’s commitments to Russia bound it to purchase virtually all its arms from Russia, Azerbaijan had the freedom and means to acquire advanced and innovative weapons systems from Israel and Turkey, among others, as well as from Russia.

Baku never sought to camouflage its intention to rearm and retake Karabakh by force if negotiations failed. To the contrary, Baku publicized its buildup with words and images. In the parade celebrating the centennial of Azerbaijan’s armed forces in 2018, the Azerbaijanis showcased their new weaponry, including Israeli drones and Russian thermobaric rocket launchers. Nor did Haydar’s son and heir, Ilham Aliyev, leave any question for parade watchers as to why Azerbaijan was acquiring so many weapons. “We want the conflict to be resolved peacefully,” he announced, but “[i]nternational law is not working.” With the arsenal on parade, Aliyev would show “to the people of Azerbaijan, to the enemy and to the whole world” that Azerbaijan’s army is “ready to restore Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity at any moment.”

Baku’s warnings were not limited to rhetoric. In April 2016, the Azerbaijani armed forces initiated a four-day skirmish. Aliyev took the opportunity during the fighting to air his frustrations. Armenia, he growled, “want[s] to turn this into a never-ending process. They want negotiations to last for another 20 years.” The combat was intense, and deaths were well over a hundred on each side. The Azerbaijani army managed to seize a small amount of territory, some two to three square miles.

Some in Armenia saw the clash as a wake-up call. In May 2016, Samvel Babayan, the former commander of the Karabakh army, implored his listeners to understand that Armenia simply could not compete with Azerbaijan in either financial or human resources. Boasts that in the event of war Armenian soldiers would be “drinking tea in Baku” were idle. More likely, Babayan predicted to his compatriots, the Azerbaijanis would be drinking tea in Yerevan. Another warning came from the journalist Tatul Hokabyan, who said the 2016 skirmish should be “a cold shower for Armenian hot heads.” But others dismissed such criticisms, and only three years later did the Armenian government undertake a half-hearted effort to review combat performance.

In fact, Armenia’s self-confidence was hypertrophying into a pride that echoed the hubris of 1920. Yerevan and Stepanakert (Karabakh’s capital) began openly to advance maximal claims. The seizure of the Azerbaijani provinces outside Karabakh proper had been incidental to the struggle for Karabakh. Kelbajar and Lachin, which ensured connection to Armenian proper, were considered strategically vital, the lands between Karabakh and Iran as valuable, and those between Karabakh and Azerbaijan as dispensable. Stepanakert initially made no definite claims to the lands outside Karabakh. Not unlike Israel that used the Sinai as a bargaining chip with Egypt in 1979, the Armenians initially intended to trade land for peace.

In 2006, however, the Republic of Artsakh formally assumed jurisdiction over all seven adjacent regions. Thereafter, the government began settling Armenians in and around Karabakh, with the goal of consolidating their gains by creating “facts on the ground.” In 2018 the Armenian air force flew the Armenian professional poker player and playboy Dan Bilzerian on a helicopter to Karabakh as part of a planned major investment project. The consensus regarding the adjacent occupied regions changed radically, and the notion of ceding land for peace went from axiomatic to unthinkable.

Feeding Armenian overconfidence was a disbelief in Azerbaijanis’ attachment and commitment to Karabakh. Armenia owed its battlefield success in the first war to greater national cohesion and higher motivation. Asserting sovereignty over Armenian-inhabited lands resonated with a communal memory centered on the loss of such lands. Azerbaijan lacked a comparable sense of mission and urgency to galvanize them ― they were fighting to preserve a status-quo they had taken for granted. Azerbaijani nationalism was still in formation as the Soviet Union broke apart, and internal political divisions and infighting sapped the Azerbaijanis’ war effort.

Armenia, pointing to such things as the semi-nomadic past of many Azerbaijanis and their historically lower rates of literacy, was already inclined to see Azerbaijani nationalism as thin and artificial. As a result, it tended to dismiss the Republic of Azerbaijan as a khanate run by the Aliyev clan, not a nation-state. Some in Armenia assured themselves that Azerbaijan’s inability to effectively mobilize its people and resources reflected an underlying indifference to Karabakh as well as a collective incapacity.

Since 1994, however, the Azerbaijani government has pursued a steady campaign to build a sense of national identity among its citizens. The loss of Karabakh and the need to avenge that loss have been focal points of this nation-building project. The very presence inside Azerbaijan of between 600,000 and 800,000 people displaced by the conflict, or nearly one out every 10 Azerbaijanis, reminded Azerbaijanis daily of their loss. Official channels such as schools, popular culture, and music further drove the message home. In time, the need to reclaim Karabakh became one matter on which all Azerbaijanis could passionately agree.

Disaffecting the Patron In the spring of 2018, Nikol Pashinyan, a journalist-cum-politician, tapped into widespread discontent in Armenian society to lead a series of popular protests that spurred the collapse of the governing coalition and led to his election as prime minister. Pashinyan dubbed the tumult and his rise to power as Armenia’s “Velvet Revolution,” recalling the so-called “color revolutions” and their promises of more open politics at home and a more pro-Western approach abroad.

The desire to extricate Armenia from the political and economic ruts into which it had fallen was the proper instinct, but given the country’s limited resources, military and economic dependence on Russia, and the clearly growing threat that a better-armed and increasingly frustrated Azerbaijan posed, the achievement of that goal demanded political acumen and sagacity, qualities that Pashinyan lacks. Although Pashinyan outwardly reaffirmed Armenia’s pro-Russian orientation, and the Kremlin responded in kind, by the end of the year Moscow had become alarmed about trends in Pashinyan’s Armenia. The repeated arrests of former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan, whom Putin described as “a true friend of Russia,” irritated the Kremlin. More substantive moves, including the curtailment of intelligence ties with Russia and Pashinyan’s replacement of pro-Russian personnel with thinly experienced loyalists, only upset Moscow further.

Meanwhile, anti-Russian rhetoric was percolating in Armenian circles. Karabakhi leaders grew dismissive, telling their Russian contacts, “We don’t need [you] Russians at all, we can walk to Baku without you.” When the Second Karabakh War erupted, prominent Russians gleefully repaid the contempt, branding Pashinyan a “pro-American marionette” and predicting Armenia would pay a steep price for Pashinyan’s alienation of Moscow. Given Pashinyan’s inconsistency and confusion on foreign policy matters, it is possible that he was not actually pursuing a policy to delink Armenia from Russia for the sake of the West. But his carelessness certainly gave Moscow that impression, which was just as damaging.

While antagonizing Russia, Pashinyan and his Cabinet indulged in maximalist claims. In March 2019, his defense minister, David Tonoyan, famously announced that Armenia’s policy was no longer “land for peace” but “war for new territories.” If Azerbaijan dared to initiate another war, Armenia would take more Azerbaijani territory. Parliamentarians warned Azerbaijanis that if there were to be another war, “We will go all the way to Baku!”

Pashinyan doubled down on maximalism when on a visit to Stepanakert in August 2019 he asserted, “Artsakh is Armenia, and that is it!” A desire to outflank political rivals inside Armenia and Karabakh may have motivated Pashinyan’s call for unification, but it was an incendiary declaration. It amounted to an unequivocal rejection of Azerbaijan’s position and thus the very idea of negotiations.

Pashinyan threw logic and prudence aside entirely а year later in a speech he delivered on the centennial of Sevres, declaring that the treaty is a “historical fact” and “remains so to this day.” The head of the Armenian government was reviving the claim to eastern Turkey but disregarding the fact that Turkey famously nurtures a national paranoia on the theme of Sevres and is 25 times larger than Armenia. As Gerard Libaridyan, a foreign policy adviser to Armenia’s first president, put it, Pashinyan’s address amounted to “at minimum, a declaration of diplomatic war” against Turkey. In addition, as Libaridyan noted, Pashinyan had recast the Karabakh question from one of self-determination into one of Armenian expansionism, another colossal error.”

- Michael A. Reynolds, “CONFIDENCE AND CATASTROPHE: ARMENIA AND THE SECOND NAGORNO-KARABAKH WAR.” War on the Rocks. January 11, 2021.

First of all, you are my absolute hero for having an entire tag dedicated to he Padmé and Ophelia similarities and I would pay quite a bit to hear literally any and all of your thoughts on those parallels, if you are comfortable sharing them. (Also, I just love how organized your blog is. Your tags are a work of art.)

Ha, I do try to use my tags in an organized fashion and I am really quite touched that someone a) noticed, b) thinks I am doing a good job and c) took the time to say so. So THANK YOU for that. 

As for Ophelia, omigosh I have so much to say. There’s this book, Ophelia Speaks, that came out the same year as The Phantom Menace. It’s a collection of writings by teenage girls in response to an earlier book, Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Teenage Girls, that is a dissection of teen girl traumas written by a therapist. The editor of Ophelia Speaks felt that it was a good enough foundation but since it was written from the pov of an adult it didn’t represent the teen girl experience. 

Both of these books have a lot of flaws, I don’t really recommend them beyond the context of their cultural impact. But in my tenth grade English class Ophelia was described as a gentle soul who had a crush on the wrong boy and was driven mad by his ennui. She was a silly little girl, she was a victim, she was dead. Reviving Ophelia said she (and all teen girls everywhere) had worth beyond the men in her life and Ophelia Speaks tried to give her (and all teen girls everywhere) a voice.  

Padmé spends so much of her story trying to get people to listen to her. Sometimes she succeeds - in TPM she stops an invasion and thwarts Palpatine’s carefully constructed plan, Anakin pays attention to her counsel in AOTC and Clone Wars - but most often she is dismissed, manipulated, pitied and treated like a hysteric. Exactly like Ophelia. 

(And lbr, Anakin and Hamlet are hysterical af and waaaaaaaaaaaay more so than Padmé or Ophelia.)

I talk about Padmé’s connection to water here. Ophelia died by drowning. After falling into the water from a willow tree, she floats in clothes that drag her down and is too heartbroken to notice, her lungs fill with water and she can’t breathe. This clearly has a lot of parallels with Padmé beyond the fact that her funeral dress was literally designed to reflect Ophelia’s death. 

Padmé’s wardrobe is a huge part of her characterization. It is elaborate and intricate, often heavy and requires help to get in and out of. 

Both Padmé and Ophelia are suggested to have “lost the will to live”. 

Willow trees are known for bending and not breaking, but Ophelia’s willow branch breaks. It is perhaps a stretch to find parallels between that and the Fall of the Republic, but I do. Throughout the prequels the Republic, the Senate, the Order, and individual people compromise their values and beliefs, they bend and bend and bend and then suddenly break and Padmé is at the frontlines for it all. 

Whether you think Padmé gave up living, Anakin choked her, or Palpatine stole her life essence to save Vader - she died of an inability to breathe.

There are suggestions of forbidden love and/or sex between Hamlet and Ophelia throughout the play. She is introduced being told she can’t marry the prince, regardless of attachment. Polonius shames them both for their feelings and behavior but also tries to use the situation to his advantage. Hamlet is borderline abusive in his attempts to show her affection. And in her “mad girl” scene she passes out herbs and flowers and keeps only rue for herself. The symbolic meaning of rue is ‘regret’ but it can be used medicinally to induce a miscarriage. All of this adds up to an intense, ill-defined, secret relationship that may have included a pregnancy. 

Finally (for now), I have to mention that Ophelia and Padmé are not only mistreated in the text, they are mistreated by the audience. As I said above, Ophelia got no respect from the teacher or the readings in my English class, and Padmé has long been dismissed by the media and fan discourse. However, they both also have a very passionate and determined following who are slowly but surely drowning out the negativity and I applaud it. 

Thank you for the question! I kinda want to do something creative with this meta now I’ve taken the time to write it all out.

7 or 10, or if you like, a combination of both, please?

A/N: I’m so sorry this took so long, but this one was a challenge! (and also, I kept writing other stuff) This is the last of the requests I got from the smutty prompts list—which I opened almost a year ago for Valentine’s Day 😅I’m not going to pretend I don’t do this literally every time. Anyway, you guys are free to keep sending me prompts from that list and I’ll do them in between other projects if you don’t mind the wait. The rest of this collection can be found in this tag, ao3 and ffn.

7. coming untouched and/or early + 10. having to be very quiet for fear of being overheard 

Fantasy

Han’s self-satisfied smirk dropped in a partly-acted scowl.

‘What’d you scoff at?’

Leia didn’t even pause as she gathered their empty dishes from the table.

‘Um, what you just said.’

‘Which part, the bit they call Han a natural sex symbol, or the testimony?’ Luke chimed in, barely holding in his laughter behind his glass.

‘Hey! You are just jealous,’ Han said, pointing a condemning finger.

‘Why would I be jealous? They call me a golden boy and… other things I won’t repeat.’

‘That ain’t the same as being a sex symbol and you know it,’ Han said, gathering the knives and forks. Luke just shrugged.

‘Well, to answer your question, even though the whole thing is hilarious, I was scoffing at the testimony.’ Leia turned in the tiny kitchen in her and Han’s apartment to put the dishes in the sink as she quoted the holozine article they had been discussing. ‘“Han Solo is so hot, I can guarantee you he makes people come just by looking at them”. That’s a bit much, don’t you think?’

‘Those rags are getting racier, that’s for sure,’ Luke said darkly, getting up to help carry their empty glasses.

‘Aw, don’t worry, sweetheart, you’re the only one I wanna look at,’ Han said with a big grin and a very deliberate wink as they stopped in front of each other. 

‘You know it takes a lot more than that,’ Leia said, rolling her eyes. Luke groaned and squished past them. The initially harmless conversation was turning into more than he seemed willing to handle, and doing the dishes appeared like a suitable escape even if it didn’t take him too far out of earshot. ‘No matter how hot you are.’

Han draped the dishtowel over a shoulder and looked smugly at her. ‘So you do think I’m hot, huh?’

‘No, I just think keeping you around is handy. Chores get done in half the time.’

The conversation moved on as they finished cleaning up. They hadn’t seen Luke in over a month: he had resigned his position in the New Republic even before Han on a quest for knowledge on the Jedi Order. He’d long given up keeping a place of his own in Chandrila, so even though their apartment was minuscule, Leia always insisted he stayed with her and Han on his visits.

After brushing her teeth and setting her brother up in the sofa, Leia closed the bedroom door behind her and began to undress. She looked up halfway through, one of her legs still in her pants, to find Han staring at her from the foot of the bed. He was clad only in his underwear and the look of someone who had a winning Sabacc hand. 

Amused, she raised an eyebrow. ‘Enjoying the show, flyboy?’

‘Always.’

Leia hung her clothes from a rack and walked over to him. Accepting his offered hands, she climbed into his lap, her knees pressing down on the mattress at each side of his thighs. She had been looking forward to the weekend, to having more time and energy for him, and he was looking at her in a way that almost made her believe that magazine’s statement. With Luke in the next room, though, she had almost decided they’d have to put it off for tomorrow but… if she was honest, part of her needed to be with him right now because of that article.

She rose on her knees and tilted his head back, her hands tangling in his hair.

‘I don’t mind that other people see you the way I see you,’ she said quietly, staring back into his hazel-green eyes.

‘But?’ Han asked, stroking her back.

‘But I’m not crazy about reading that they picture themselves with you,’ she admitted.

‘If it helps, seems I do nothin’ but look at them and that does it.’

‘Oh, come on,’ she said, rolling her eyes at his smirk but smiling despite herself. ‘You think that I used to come to the mental image of you fixing the Falcon? Eating a sandwich?’

‘No, but now I’m very interested in knowin’ what was it you pictured, sweetheart,’ Han said, sliding his hands down to her ass and kissing her neck.

‘Something like this, but lower.’

He moved down to her collarbone, sucking and biting gently towards her left shoulder.

‘Yeah? Like this?’

‘Mm, I think it was lower,’ she sighed.

His nose shifted against her skin as he caught hold of her bra strap with his teeth and slid it off her shoulder, repeating the process on the opposite side. Leia’s breath hitched as he pressed her flush with him, making her stand taller on her knees, and his mouth dipped between her breasts.

‘This any closer?’

‘Getting warmer,’ Leia said with a breathless laugh over his head. She unhooked her bra and let it fall on the floor. Han’s hands left her ass to cup her breasts, large thumbs circling over her nipples, but he lifted his head and, getting the message, she met him in a kiss, letting her tongue return the favour. One of his hands moved away to run circles in a particularly sensitive spot on her lower back, nails barely scratching the skin in a sensual tickle, and the combination of that with the massage on her nipple and the hardness stuck between her legs made her whimper into Han’s mouth.

‘Shh,’ he whispered, breaking away. ‘You don’t wanna be overheard, do ya?’

‘No,’ Leia gasped, writhing her hips against his to stoke up the ache in her own center. She pushed the flats of her hands against his chest and pushed him down into the mattress. Her long braid fell over her shoulder as she rolled his nipples between her fingers, using the leverage to rub herself more energetically against him through their still unshed underwear. She kept her moans trapped in her throat, but they still came out faintly. They turned into a squeak when Han half rose to catch her and bring her down onto the bed next to him. Leia clamped a hand over her mouth as Han did a shushing gesture.

‘What happened next?’ he asked.

‘Next?’

‘In that mental picture of yours.’ He half-sat and trailed a hand down her leg, then back up, and she locked her thighs tightly to trap it there.

Leia grabbed a pillow and laid her head on it, arms luxuriously stretched upwards.

‘I felt guilty about it at first, you know,’ she told him. ‘I kept having dirty dreams about you, and I’d wake up with my hand like that.’

He turned the heel of his hand and pressed it against her pubic bone, making her roll her hips. 

‘Like this?’

‘Yes,’ she breathed in relief.

Leaning over her, he pressed kisses over her thighs and her hips, then swiped his tongue just beneath the waistband of her underwear as she kept stroking herself against his hand, biting the corner of her pillow to muffle her cries. It was equally frustrating and satisfying to feel him doing that to her, like she desperately needed him to give her release but thought she would die of deprivation should he ever stop.

His mouth closed hotly over one of her nipples as his free hand squeezed her other breast just right. Leia opened her eyes in time to see him raise his head and pulled him down for another deep kiss, letting it muffle her sounds as she came.

She wasn’t sure if she had been the one to uncross her legs, and when that had happened, but Han was inside her before the ripples of pleasure had faded, bending her legs to tilt her hips up. He stayed low over her, grinding his hips in a circular movement as he rocked them forward and back, and the friction of her clit with the base of his erection was quick to rekindle her orgasm before it was fully gone. Leia panted into a mouthful of his upper arm, teeth closing over the flesh. Her hands clutched his buttocks as he increased the pace and finally spilled himself inside her, her name escaping his mouth to be swallowed by the mattress.

Moments later, as she grabbed the water bottle from the nook next to her side of the bed, Leia realized he’d never taken off her underwear. She dropped her last item of clothing on the floor and curled up next to Han, passing him the bottle.

‘Maybe I can’t make you come just by lookin’ at you,’ he said, pausing to take another swig, ‘but I can do it in a lot other ways.’

‘Show-off,’ Leia told him. He left the bottle and lay down next to her with a satisfied, sleepy expression.

‘I was doin’ numbers yesterday,’ Han began, scratching the inside of her arm soothingly. ‘I think we got enough now to look for a new place. A bigger apartment, with a spare room and a ‘fresher two people can fit in at the same time. A kitchen with a table for all our friends. Not a government handout, a place we like. What d’ya think?’

Grinning, Leia leaned in and kissed him, touching his cheek.

‘Let’s look for a new place, then.’

Han yawned and wrapped an arm around her waist as she laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

‘You know what would be fun to have in a bigger apartment?’ he asked after a moment. Leia looked up. ‘A sex swing.’

She pressed her lips and patted his chest.

‘Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.’

Holozines could say what they wanted; Leia knew that what she and Han had was much, much better.

Information about the Courtiers

So, here we are. This is a huge post with all the information I could possibly gather about the Courtiers. The idea for this post was born out of sheer interest in this kind of stuff and the desire to know more about it, and I figured other people might as well be interested in it. Some of this might be far-fetched, so I would like to say that this isn’t a theory in any way, shape or form. It’s just a collection of information that caught my eye or facts that I found particularly interesting. Some parts involve me drawing conclusions or making assumptions. This is how I interpreted these things. You are allowed to disagree with me, but please be respectful. More might be added to it at a later date. If you see anything that isn’t correct (including typos/spelling mistakes), or would like to add to this, make sure to contact me! If you’re missing something here and have a question that you would like answered or a thing you want to see explained, don’t hesitate to shoot me a message either. Finally, I would like to thank @gummy-vitamin-gobbler​ for being my proof reader. I honestly didn’t want to put anyone through reading this entire thing and I’m super grateful you volunteered. You’re the best <3 Proceed with caution as this text does contain spoilers!  This post is in alphabetical order based on their names, with a few general facts at the bottom of it.

General information Vesuvia’s royal court consists of five members. Their titles were given to them by Lucio when he became the Count. As reported by Valerius, the other four Courtiers were present on the night of the murder outside of Lucio’s room, thus making them key witnesses.  Quaestor Valdemar is the palace’s head physician and Julian’s former boss. They seem to be obsessed with the Red Plague and delight in the chaos the disease brought to the city of Vesuvia. Not much more is known about them. Consul Valerius, as his title suggests, is a consul to the royal Palace and reportedly a key witness to Lucio’s murder. A tarot reading done by the apprentice reveals that Valerius has his own agenda, despite seeming supportive of Nadia and her aims at first. Praetor Vlastomil, besides serving as a judge, was Lucio’s business partner. He is an eccentric man obsessed with insects, particularly with worms, and has entire rooms dedicated to them at his manor.  Procurator Volta is in charge of the city’s food supply and was essential during the Plague according to Nadia on account of her being able to smell the Plague off of people and other things. She is always hungry and never seems to be satisfied. Pontifex Vulgora is described by Nadia as a warmonger who has won many battles in Vesuvia’s name. They are extremely aggressive and obsessed with destruction, often threatening others. Quaestor Valdemar Name • Valdemar is a Scandinavian masculine name that finds its origins in the Old High German name Waldemar. It consists of the elements wald (meaning “to rule”) and mar (meaning “fame”). This German form was introduced to Scandinavia as Valdemar in the 12th century with King Valdemar I of Denmark. It’s particularly famous for being the name of many Scandinavian monarchs, and is sometimes considered to be the equivalent of the Slavish name Vladimir (meaning “of great power” or, in folk etymology, “ruler of the world”). The Old Norse form is Valdamarr (or Valdarr), which occurs in many tales and sagas.   Title • A quaestor, back in Ancient Rome, was a public official. The term quaestor translates to “investigator”. The position served many different functions that differed per time period. In the Roman Kingdom, the quaestores parricidii (quaestors with judicial powers) were appointed by the king to investigate and handle murders and capital crimes.  Headdress • The type of wrapped, horned headdress Valdemar wears is called a hennin. It was worn by European women of nobility in the late Middle Ages, and although it’s not clear what distinct styles of headdress the word hennin specifically referred to at the time, it has been recorded to be used in France as far back as 1428. However, the word wasn’t used in the English language until the 19th century. There are many different styles, such as the conical hennin generally accompanied with a veil (which is called the cointoise), the escoffin (a more heart-shaped hennin), the truncated hennin (with a flat top), the divided hennin (which was often covered in white cloth), the beehive hennin and the related Lebanese tantour headdress. The particular style worn by Valdemar seems most inspired by the butterfly hennin (thank you for this suggestion @gummy-vitamin-gobbler​!) Appearance • As stated on the Arcana Wiki, Valdemar has dirty blonde hair (as can be deducted from the color of their eyebrows) and red eyes with slit pupils, like a cat. It is to be noted that their facial structure seems very similar to that of Nadia (and her sisters), with the same nose shape and eye color, and what seems to be the same skin undertones. It is a possibility that Valdemar is from Prakra. They wear a white lab coat with an overlapping mandarin collar on which they wear their beetle brooch, shoulder length gloves, a black waist apron and a white surgical mask. While there is no existing labcoat design that looks like Valdemar’s, the buttoning style is somewhat similar to the “Howie” style lab coat, although it might be a bit of a stretch. This is a variant of the basic lab coat adopted for the added safety. The Howie coat was named after J. W. Howie, who was the President of the College of Pathologists. This style has the buttons on the left flank, elasticated wrists and a mandarin collar.  Tarot card • The card Valdemar represents is Death. Death is ruled by Scorpio, suggesting that their zodiac sign might be Scorpio. There is, however, a discrepancy at play here, considering Valerius’ sign, which we will come to later. The number of the card is 13, which is a number sacred to the Goddess as there are 13 full moons in a year. In Asra’s tarot deck, Death is portrayed by a skeleton horse. It’s not clear whether Valdemar represents the upright or reversed card meaning. Considering Valdemar’s seeming inability to let go of the Red Plague and desire for it to return, one might argue they represent Death Reversed.  In traditional decks, Death is often portrayed by an armored skeleton riding a white horse and carrying a banner. The armor is symbolic for the fact Death is invincible and unconquerable - no one can triumph over him. The white horse stands for purity, as Death is the ultimate purifier, and doesn’t discriminate between age, race or gender.  This card is probably the most feared and misunderstood out of all of them, as people often take the meaning of it far too literally. Upright, it is actually a positive card that stands for significant transformation, change, transition and new beginnings. Reversed, Death reflects reluctance to let go of the past and a refusal to accept change. 

Consul Valerius Name • A masculine name of ancient Roman origin. This was a patronymic family name derived from the Latin valere “to be strong” or “to be healthy”, and was the name of several early saints (this ties in with him representing the Hierophant card). The Valerius family was prominent from the very beginning of the Republic to the latest period of the Empire, and a lot of its members were among the most celebrated statesmen and generals. This even went as far as several of the Roman emperors claiming to be descendants of the Valerii. It’s also to be noted that there were a lot of consuls who bore the name Valerius.  Valerian is also an herb with sweetly scented pink or white flowers that has sedative and anxiolytic effects. The name of the herb is derived from the verb valere, just like the name Valerius. It has many other names, one of which is all-heal. This name is also used for plants in the genus Stachys, although one of the nicknames for this specific plant is lamb’s ears. Nicholas Culpeper, a seventeenth century astrological botanist, said that the herb was of special value against the plague.  Title • Consuls, back in ancient Rome, were magistrates comparable with prime ministers or presidents. Apart from the oldest, it was also the most important position in the cusus honorum or “course of offices”. Consuls always came in pairs and served for only one year to prevent corruption. They were the chairmen of the Senate (which served as a board of advisers), commanded the army and exercised the highest juridical power in the Roman empire. Consuls had the right to interfere with the decisions of praetors and quaestors.  Appearance • Notable about the Consul’s clothing is the golden ram brooch he wears on his shawl. In the tarot deck used in The Arcana, The Hierophant is represented by a ram. Valerius is also the only courtier who doesn’t wear a red beetle brooch, so this makes it an exceptionally remarkable feature.  Valerius wears his ombre hair French-braided and draped over his shoulder. Ombré, literally meaning “shaded” in French, describes the gradual transition from one hue to another, usually from dark to light or vice versa. Ombre was popular in fabric printing as far back as the early 19th century.  His underclothing seems to consist of what is either a jumpsuit-like one piece or two separate pieces with gold trim on the cuffs and collar.  On top of this he wears an asymmetrical, taupe, frock-inspired, tunic-like overcoat with three-quarter bell sleeves, a golden cord in the front and what seems to be some kind of button and loop fastening, also called “frog fastening” or “Chinese frog”. This is a type of ornamental braiding of sorts consisting of a button and a loop and serves for fastening the front of a garment. This particular type of closing is often found on clothing of Asian design. Frogging was also a popular type of fastening for military uniforms from the 17th to the 19th century. His shoes have gold decoration, red soles and spool heels. The hand that Valerius keeps near his body also seems to be lighter than the rest of his skin, leading me to believe he wears a glove on this hand.  Tarot card • The card Valerius most likely represents is The Hierophant. The Hierophant, in Asra’s tarot deck, is depicted as a ram. Valerius’ ram brooch seems to allude to a connection between the two. There is however one problem concerning this theory, namely that The Hierophant is ruled by Taurus, and not by Scorpio, which happens to be Valerius’ canon zodiac sign. This would make him the only known character in the entire story representing a card that does not match their zodiac sign.  The card’s number is five and it is commonly depicted as a religious figure sitting on a throne. The three elaborate vestments of his office that he wears represent the three worlds. He wears a crown and his right hand is raised in benediction - this is the same hand that the Magician has raised, but where the Magician draws raw power from the universe and manifests it on the material plane, the Hierophant channels his power through society (in the form of religion). The crossed keys of the Hierophant represent a balance between the conscious and subconscious mind, and are used to unlock mysteries.  Upright, the Hierophant means religion, group identification, conformity, tradition and beliefs. Reversed, it means restriction and challenging the status quo.  What is interesting to note is that the Hierophant is also known as the Pope, the High Priest (as a masculine counterpart to the High Priestess), the Shaman, and Chiron. Chiron is a comet with an erratic orbit. In astrology it symbolizes the “wounded healer” in the natal chart. Chiron represents our deepest wound and our efforts to heal it. In Greek mythology, Chiron was a centaur who was a healer and teacher who ironically enough could not heal himself. The symbol for Chiron is a key, much like the keys that the Hierophant himself holds, used for unlocking secrets.  The wounds of a Chiron in Scorpio native are nihilism, sexual addiction, power struggles, jealousy and obsession and trouble leaving bad relationships.  Praetor Vlastomil Name • While Vlastomil isn’t an actual name (I know, I was surprised too), Vlastimil is. It’s a common Slavic masculine name consists of the elements vlast (meaning “homeland”) and mil (meaning “favor”). This however is the modern meaning of these words and it should be said that they are derived from volsti (power, government, rule, sovereignty) and mil(a) (kind, loving, and gracious). The Latin form of this name is Patrick (I have no idea how). Patrick can be found as a name derived from the Latin Patricius, which means “nobleman”.  Title • Praetors served as judges of the Roman Republic and, in the absence of the consuls, commanded armies. It was a title granted by the government and was inferior only to senators and consuls. One could only become a praetor after serving at least one term as a quaestor. The Praetor Urbanus acted as the chief administrator of Rome and wasn’t allowed to leave the city for more than ten days. They were the main magistrate responsible for trying the people of Rome. Hat • Vlastomil’s feathered cap is called a beret. It is a soft, round, somewhat floppy, flat-crowned hat for both men and women that originates in France and Spain. It fits snugly around the head and can be shaped in a variety of ways. There are many different styles of berets and aside from it often being seen as headgear in the military it was very much beloved by European nobility and artists throughout history. The Basque style beret, which is probably the most well-known and most simple style of all, was first commercially produced in the very South of France in the 17th century. The beret that Vlastomil wears seems to be inspired by berets worn during the Renaissance, and in particular those worn by the German Landsknechte. The Landsknechte (a word combining land “land/country”, here in the sense of “lowlands”, and knecht “servant/vassal”, here in the sense of “foot-soldier”) were mercenary soldiers who were an important military force in Europe during the 15th and 16th century, consisting mostly of pikemen and foot soldiers. They wore large, slashed berets (sometime referred to as starfish hats) that, when puffed out, showed a different color fabric underneath, and were adorned with big feathers.  Although it doesn’t have much to do with the hat on itself, it should be said that the Landsknechte had a reputation for unprincipled, ruthless violence and were infamous for the fact it wasn’t unknown for entire regiments of Landsknechte to swap sides in the middle of a battle if they were offered more money or to desert en masse when there was no more gold to pay them. Appearance • Vlastomil has grey hair and white eyes with slit pupils, much like the other Courtiers minus Valerius. A very striking feature is his one visibly pointy ear with a golden earring in his stretched earlobe. There seems to be another gauge right behind the first one, but he doesn’t wear any jewelry in it.  He wears a gown that is most likely inspired by traditional ceremonial court dresses/judicial robes, although I don’t know enough about these to be able to determine which one exactly it is most similar to. The open puff sleeves with white insets are reminiscent of the slashed style of his beret. They seem inspired by the paned sleeves that were popular during the 15th and 16th century European Renaissance. Furthermore he wears fabric chausses, worn in the 14th century when they served as leg armor made from chain maille. These could extend to the knee or cover the entire leg. Tarot card • Vlastomil’s card is Justice, ruled by Libra and bearing number 11. It was in fact confirmed by the devs that Vlastomil’s zodiac sign is Libra. In Asra’s deck, Justice is represented by a boar. The traditional depiction is that of Lady Justice sitting in a throne, holding a sword in her right hand and her scales in the left. The sword signifies impartiality and victory, and the scales show that logic must be balanced by the intuition, as the left hand is the intuitive hand. It is to be assumed that Vlastomil represents the reversed meaning of Justice. Justice upright symbolizes fairness, truth, cause and effect and law. Reversed, it stands for unfairness, lack of accountability and dishonesty. Considering the Praetor’s course of action during Julian’s trial, it’s evident why he would be Justice Reversed. The card shows an unwillingness to understand, refusing to take responsibility for one’s actions and blaming others for your mistakes. It reflects a very judgmental, biased, black-and-white view of the world and under-handed behavior, all of which is incredibly dangerous while swinging the sword of justice. Procurator Volta Name • Volta isn’t an actual given name either, but there are a lot of things that is is. In a poem, the volta, or turn, serves as a rhetorical shift in thought and/or emotion. It has gone by many different names such as fulcrum, modulation, torque, swerve. Leslie Ullman called the volta the poem’s “center”, which is largely the poem’s dramatic and climactic turn. Phillis Levin said that “we could say that for the sonnet, the volta is the seat of its soul”. It’s interesting to note that the stomach was once thought to be the seat of the soul, instead of the heart or the brain (particularly in Buddhism if I am not mistaken). The Volta also a quick-moving Italian dance that was mostly popular during the 16th and 17th centuries.  Title • Procurators were officials who were in charge of the financial affairs of a province in ancient Rome. Although they worked alongside the imperial governor they were not subordinate to him and reported directly to the emperor. The procurator had its own staff and agents and had a few primary responsibilities, such as the collection of taxes and rents and the distribution of pay to public servants.  Headdress • The headdress Volta wears is a cornette, which is essentially a type of wimple. A wimple is a large piece of cloth worn around the neck and chin and covering the top of the head. The wimple was popular in early medieval Europe, where during many stages of medieval Christian culture it was unseemly for a married woman to show her hair. Originally the wimple was creased and folded in prescribed ways. Later, elaborated versions such as the cornette were supported by wire or wicker framing. Both the wimple and cornette are perhaps most famous as a headdress for nuns. Like the horned hennin, the cornette was folded in such a way as to create the resemblance of horns. In the mid-17th century, it was worn by the Daughters of Charity: a Roman Catholic society consisting of women that took care of the sick and poor and attempted to resemble ordinary middle-class women as much as possible in their clothing.  Appearance • Volta has curly, reddish-brown hair and brown eyes, although one of them is invisible due to what seems to be a lazy eye. One sharp snaggle-tooth sticks up from her bottom row of teeth. She wears what seems to be some sort of nun dress, or a habit, which were traditionally plain garbs worn by members of a religious order. The reason for this uniform outfitting was that nuns and monks had to be recognizable as such. Considering the cornette Volta wears (which is tied to the Roman Catholic society Daughters of Charity as explained above), it is most likely that her dress was based on the typical Roman Catholic habit. Ironically enough, the habit was a symbol for living a sober life in poverty and consecration, all of which seem to be the opposite of the tarot card Volta represents (as described below). Her dress has puffed sleeves and, considering the shape of it, probably an empire waist. Her shawl is clasped in the front by her beetle brooch, and she wears what seems to be a tasseled fabric and a lace fabric draped over her dress. Finally, she wears fingerless lace gloves.  Tarot card • Volta represents Temperance Reversed, as seen during the lunch scene with Vulgora and Volta in Nadia’s route where the apprentice can read the cards for one of them. Its number being 14, it is ruled by Sagittarius; traditionally the teacher of truth, enthusiasm, tolerance and beauty.  In Asra’s deck, Temperance is depicted as a dove, but traditionally it is a winged angel we can see on the card. The angel, being a child of Hermes and Aphrodite, is both male and female, symbolizing a balance between them. One foot stands on dry land (the material world) while the other stands in the water (the subconscious). It represents a need to “test the waters” before jumping headfirst into unknown circumstances. The angel carries two cups with water that are being mixed, thus mixing the sub- and super-conscious minds.  Upright the card means balance, moderation, patience, purpose and meaning. Reversed it is imbalance, excess and lack of long-term vision. As Volta is known to be extremely hungry and greedy when it comes to food, it’s clear what the element of imbalance and excess is. This conflict creates a lot of stress and tension. Temperance Reversed is also about people you are dealing with proving to be uncooperative. It may feel as though your interests are in conflict or competition with each other, and solving this may seem like an impossible feat. Although not consciously, one might still realize something isn’t quite right, and it may lead to role reversal.  Pontifex Vulgora Name • In Roman mythology, Fulgora was the female personification of lightning. She is a minor goddess and the Roman equivalent to Astrape. Astrape was a shieldmaiden of Zeus, and was given the task of carrying his thunderbolts together with her sister. She is described as “flashing light from her eyes, and raging fire from heaven that has laid hold of a king’s house”. There isn’t a lot of information to find on her, sadly. Another possible origin for Vulgora as a name could simply be the word vulgar, meaning “not suitable, simple, dignified or beautiful” or “rude and likely to upset or anger people”.  Title • The pontifex (literally “bridge builder”) was a member of a council of priests. The college of the pontifices was the most important Roman priesthood, responsible for regulating the relations of the community with the deities recognized by the state, called the jus divinum. They fulfilled duties such as for example regulating expiatory ceremonials needed as the result of pestilence or lightning. The pontifices were probably advisors of the king in all matters of religion and all held office for life.  Headdress • Like Valdemar, Vulgora wears a hennin - albeit a perhaps somewhat more historically accurate version without the fabric wrapping. Their headdress seems to be slightly more similar to an escoffin in general shape but features the same horns as Valdemar’s hennin instead of the open-centered top a normal escoffin would have. Aside from that, their hennin is veiled with a sheer cointoise attached to both steeples. They wear a neck-covering wimple much like Volta’s, making their headdress into what seems to be a combination of these three styles. Appearance • Vulgora has red hair and yellow eyes with slit pupils. They seem to wear some sort of diamond-quilted knee-length tunic with a fabric waist tie and a tasseled golden rope on top. The red-and-gold striped, puffed sleeves are alike in size to gigot sleeves. Introduced to the English court by Anne of Cleves (one of Henry VIII’s wives), these sleeves were extremely wide over the upper arm and narrow from elbow to wrist. Once more, and much like the clothing of the other courtiers, Vulgora’s garbs seem to be Renaissance-inspired in design; specifically by the Tudor clothes worn during the reign of Henry the Eighth. Back then, the type of tunic Vulgora wears was also called a petti-cote; technically a waistcoat with sleeves. Furthermore, they wear a skirted, somewhat flaring, sleeveless cloak lined with gold near the bottom. These particular pieces of clothing were worn to make physical proportions appear larger, with padded shoulders and stuffed sleeves enlarging the figure. This was done to accentuate manly features that made the wearer appear bigger and stronger.  It is hard to tell what the lower half of their arms might look like considering the clawed silver gauntlets they wear. Gauntlets like these were worn as armor, made out of hardened leather or metal plates protecting the hand and wrist. An interesting fact is that the term “gauntlet” is used in the idiom “throw down the gauntlet”, meaning “to issue a challenge”. A gauntlet wearing knight would challenge another to a duel by throwing one of his gauntlets on the ground. Picking it up meant that the challenge was accepted by their opponent.  Tarot card • The card Vulgora represents is The Tower upright. It is ruled by Mars (the planet named after the god of war), which in turn rules Aries and Scorpio. It is assumed Vulgora is an Aries to tie in with their theme of war and strife. Its number is 16.  In Asra’s deck, the Tower card shows a stag surrounded by red beetles (also note that Vulgora’s masquerade mask was a red stag beetle mask). Traditionally it is depicted by a tower aflame, tormented by lightning strikes. People are seen leaping off of it in desperation, fleeing from the destruction and turmoil. The Tower is generally one of the more negative cards in the deck. It signifies physical darkness and destruction as opposed to spiritually, and represents  ambitions built on false premises. It is however important to note that the destruction of the tower also signifies the creation space for something new to grow in a sudden, momentary glimpse of truth and inspiration.  Upright the Tower means disaster, upheaval, sudden change and revelation. Reversed it symbolizes avoidance of disaster and fear of change.  The Tower is about the destruction of inadequate foundation of false thought, belief and action. It is humbling, frightening, but necessary. It is often descriptive of a major upheaval, disruption, emergency or crisis, and is likely to bring chaos in the aftermath of such an event. Only after this will come change and regeneration. Beetle brooches All courtiers, except for Valerius, wear a red and gold beetle brooch on their clothing. As we know, these pieces of jewelry are shaped after the red beetles that are occasionally seen and mentioned in the story. They are found in a specific room in Vlastomil’s manor, as well as burrowed in the ground beneath a spring nearby Nopal and kept in a well by Valdemar in the dungeons beneath the palace. Nadia mentions that the beetles were once used to dye fabric a bright crimson red, and in Asra’s route, a local named Saguaro tells a story of how a giant red beetle was once defeated by Lucio before turning into thousands of smaller red beetles that then hid in the ground. Finally, the red beetles appear on the Tower card in Asra’s deck. They seem to play a significant role in the spreading of the Red Plague.  Judging by the general shape of the beetle, it is assumable they are based on scarabs. Scarabs held great meaning to the people of Ancient Egypt, who saw the them as symbols of creation, life, rebirth and immortality. The scarab-headed god Kephri was responsible for rolling the sun across the sky every day, where it died at night and was reborn in the morning. The sacred beetle also had protective abilities that they lend to its wearer.  The scarab beetle was also sacred to Khepera, the god of creation, resurrection and immortality (all of which seem to allude to Lucio, the ritual, the apprentice and perhaps the Arcana). It is a highly spiritual bug that carries messages that bring our attention to renewal, spiritual maturity, and the powerful influences of the invisible side of life. When a person died, it was believed that their heart was weighed by Ma’at, the goddess of truth. If the heart was heavy with sin, the spirit of the deceased was not allowed to move on to the after life. In an attempt to convince Ma’at that a person was good and deserved her mercy, scarab beetle amulets were placed over a mummy’s heart.  With the update of Lucio’s tale I feel like it’s safe to draw a few careful conclusions here. Lucio is from a wartribe referred to as the “scourge of the South”, depicted as red beetles on the tapestries that tell their tribe’s story, and referred to as “the swarm” by Lucio himself. In fact, Lucio describes his tribe as “a plague of voracious beetles, leaving nothing but bare bones in our wake”. It must be noted that the beetles kept in a well in the dungeons by Valdemar were used to dispose of the bodies of their deceased patients, as the insects were “[...] so effective at disposal” according to them. It is hinted that Lucio contracted the Plague from a beetle bite while fleeing from his mother after he failed to kill her. As stated previously in the story, the Plague is directly tied to Lucio’s life and will follow wherever he goes - as are the last words of his tale.  The Four Horsemen In my previous Arcana plot theory post, I mentioned and quickly explained the Four Horsemen theory. While you could go and read it there I will here once more explain what exactly this theory is about.  Quite a while ago when the Valerius sprite first was released, the devs jokingly mentioned that the Courtiers were the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and that Valerius was the fifth Horseman. While I do not remember the precise context or interactions that took place, this was the gist of it.  At multiple points in the story it is mentioned that the Courtiers (minus Valerius) are not exactly human, or as not perceived as such by the apprentice. They are frequently described as “[having] a presence like a dark chasm” (Valdemar), a “beast” (Volta) and “not necessarily human” (Vulgora). Last but not least, Vlastomil’s manor is described by the apprentice as “confusingly designed [with] doors that lead to nowhere [and] halls that suddenly stop in dead ends, as if the manse itself were trying to disorient us” (Nadia’s route: Book VIII).  It seems as though the four Courtiers represent the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. This idea is now further supported by the wyrm in Lucio’s tale introducing himself as “the worm of pestilence”.  The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are described in the Book of Revelation - the last book of the Bible’s New Testament. The chapter says that God holds a scroll in his right hand that is sealed with seven seals. The Lamb of God, or Jesus Christ, opens the first four of the seven seals, which summons four beings that ride out on a white, red, black, and pale horse. The four riders are called Pestilence (on the white horse), War (on the red horse), Famine (on the black horse) and Death (on the pale horse). The colors of the horses also match the color schemes of the Courtiers. The Four Horsemen, as harbingers of the Last Judgement, set a divine Apocalypse upon the world.  We can now with (near) certainty say that Vlastomil is Pestilence, Vulgora is War, Volta is Famine and Valdemar is Death.  During the Last Judgement, the dead will rise from their graves after which the Second Coming of Christ (the Lamb of God) occurs. Everyone will then be judged, and will “receive what they deserve” depending on how they have lived their life. What goal this serves story-wise we can’t say just yet. 

The Fool’s Journey in the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy - Part 4

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4 // Part 5

Summary: The Hermit // Wheel of Fortune // Justice // The Hanged Man

The Hermit

It doesn’t get much more blatant than that.  The Hermit card is also called The Monk, The Sage, and Time.  He stands on a mountaintop.  This mountaintop should also remind you of the mountains in the background of The Fool as well as the mountains pictured on The Lovers and Strength.  Those mountains are the heights of Ahch-To.  As the Fool, Rey dreamed about this place.  Meeting her lover on Takodana, she is reminded of it again.  And she is probably remembering her dream again and how Kylo Ren pulled it from her during her battle in the snow.  Now, we are finally on this mountain.

I think the symbolism is pretty obvious.  A Hermit or Monk is someone who isolates themselves to exclusively pursue knowledge of Heaven/God/Spiritual Realities.  The Fool, upon realizing that such things even exist, and upon realizing that he is sensitive to these things, seeks rigorous knowledge of how to interact with these things.

Ben’s line echoes here.  “You need a teacher!”  Rey has learned that, not only is the Force real, she is very sensitive to it.  She needs the advice of someone who has trained and studied the ways of the Force.  So she seeks Luke Skywalker, not only to bring him to the resistance, but to get his training and advice.

Luke, in The Last Jedi, is on a very anti-religion rant.  There is a difference between religion and spirituality.  One adage I like is “Religion is a man in church thinking about fishing.  Spirituality is a man fishing thinking about God.”  Religion, for me personally, is “I do XYZ so God will love me.” while Spirituality is “God loves me so I’ll do XYZ.”  Religion puts the cart before the horse so to speak.  The Jedi were no different.  The Jedi, having eschewed all attachments, lost their whole purpose for being.  They took the Force, boxed it up, imposed an unnatural structure on it and then wondered why it exploded in their faces.

Even before The Last Jedi novel came out, I noted the basic similarities between the old Jedi Order and General Hux’s stormtrooper program.  They both took children from their families, brainwashed them into absolute loyalty, and actively discouraged attachment.  The end result is that everyone looks the same, talks the same, thinks the same.  Think of the stormtrooper armor as the whitewashed tombs that Jesus talks about in the Gospels.  Pretty on the outside but dead on the inside.

Unfortunately, Luke comes to this realization a little too late.  Another nasty part of Religion is that it ultimately ends in death.  “You failed/sinned/fell away so now you must be stoned/burned at the stake/executed.”  Luke sensed the darkness in Ben, interpreted it as a personal failure on Ben’s part and was tempted to end it.

Rey ultimately learns from the experience that she is an instrument of the Force, not the other way around.  The Force is there to mold her and guide her and teach her.  She is not there to mold or guide the Force to her will.

The Hermit carries a lantern lit by the Star of David.  Now a traditional symbol of Judaism, it wasn’t always so.  It is another duality.  The star is made by joining two equilateral triangles.  One pointed up and one pointed down.  The most basic duality this represents is sexual union.  I mentioned before that Ahch-To is full of sexual imagery.  The basic idea of sex is the union of opposites.  Male/Female, God/Man, Heaven/Earth, Light/Dark, etc…

Wheel of Fortune

With this card, we finally talk about Finn (and Rose).  While Rey is off discovering the ways of the Force (and sexuality) and having secret communion with her Emperor, Finn and Rose have their own journey.  Our High Priestess sends them off to Canto Bight to find the Master Codebreaker in order to infiltrate the Finalizer.  Fitting that our High Priestess makes an appearance as this card again references the Torah just like the scroll she was hiding in her own card.

This card is packed with symbols.  The wheel itself contains 1) TARO, 2) TORA, 3) ROTA as well as the Tetragrammaton (the Hebrew letters in between the English letters).  The Tetragrammaton is the inexpressible name of God found in the Torah, YHVH.  The wheel also contains the alchemical symbols for Sulfur (East), Mercury (North), Salt (West), and Water (South).  The wheel itself is comprised of three wheels.  There are four creatures inhabiting the corners representing 1) the four elements, 2) the four creatures in Ezekiel’s vision of Heaven (along with angels that are just wheels within wheels), and 3) the zodiac signs Aquarius, Scorpio, Leo, and Taurus.  You can also see Typhon on a downward trajectory and Hermanubis on an upward trajectory.  We see the sphinx again speaking to the cycles of life.

The alchemical elements mentioned are considered the building blocks of life.  Mercury, Suflur, and Salt are symbolically Spirit, Soul, and Body with Water (the feminine) being the avenue through which it all comes into physical being.

At this point in the story, we have discovered that the Resistance is being tracked through hyperspace.  Hux explains his tracking system this way: “Our tracking system’s computer network contains millennia worth of data: every after-action report from Imperial history, as well as many from the Republic’s Judicial Forces and Planetary Security Forces. It contains astrogation reports, briefings from scouts and commercial guilds, Separatist intel—” and “Our sensors pinpoint the target’s last known trajectory, and tracking control analyzes it against our data sets. Trillions of potential destinations are sifted and reduced to hundreds, then dozens, and finally one.”

Hux’s philosophy is that the universe is completely deterministic.  That is, the wheel within the wheel within the wheel can be modeled using previous data.  There are so many algorithms that govern our lives that it would take several lifetimes of study to understand them all.  Some are intuitive and some involve complex statistical models.  (Hux being a statistician just makes too much sense.  Statistics is the dark side of Mathematics.:D)  Hyperspace tracking is the equivalent of “How did Facebook know I was thinking about that?”

As always, the universe loves to throw curve balls.  The universe contains no true randomness but is also not completely deterministic.  Maz continually talks about luck in The Last Jedi novel.  Rose and Finn meet by “Luck” and Maz sends them to a casino.  The universe turns and turns.  Sometimes you’re moving up.  Sometimes you’re moving down.  Sometimes you’re stagnant.

Rose’s message to Finn is that things change.  Rey will be a different person when she comes back.  She’s not romantically jealous of Rey.  She’s angry that Finn is not focusing on the big picture.  Rey is but one person and the galaxy is burning around them.  Rose has lost her home and her sister to war.  She can’t afford to narrow her focus to just one person.

The theme of the movie was failure.  Sometimes, things happen no matter how prepared you are.  The universe’s curveballs can send you spinning in any direction.  The name Canto Bight can be defined this way.  Canto, like incantation, can mean words or song which is also one way to define the word “universe”.  Bight is a geographical term for a curve or recess in a coastline.  It can also mean a curve in a length of rope.  Canto Bight is literally a curve in the universe.  It’s lesson is to roll with change and to be flexible.

Justice

While the Wheel of Fortune spins, Justice comes along to make course corrections.  Here we have a figure in a red robe sitting in front of a purple veil.  This echoes the High Priestess imagery.  The sword in her hand represents victory and the scales represent balance.

Admiral Holdo is dressed in purple but her people traditionally wear red.  Her and Leia (another High Priestess archetype) are best friends.  With our High Priestess incapacitated, she steps in to lead.  Her style is very different.  She takes Poe’s demotion very seriously.  She does not forget those who died on Poe’s reckless destruction of the dreadnought.  In her speech, she tells us, “Look around you. Four hundred of us on three ships. We are the last of the Resistance, but we’re not alone. In every corner of the galaxy, the downtrodden and oppressed know our symbol and they put their hope in it. We are the spark that will light the fire that will restore the Republic.”

Several times, Poe remarks that she doesn’t see the hopeless look on the crew’s faces.  Justice is blind.  Justice has a plan.  Justice needs everyone to do as they’re told.  The character is frustrating, not only to Poe, but to those who want a flashy action movie.  However, people miss the fact that this is modern myth, not a simple shoot-em-up narrative.  Myth requires our heroes to learn something in their adventures, not just slay the dragon and go home.  Poe is learning patience, restraint, and to let someone else lead.  Sometimes you make the plans.  Sometimes you just need to follow orders.  Balance.

It is at this time in the movie that Rey is learning about Luke’s betrayal and begins to understand Ben.  Finn is learning about the child slaves on Canto Bight (and elsewhere) and begins to find a purpose for his life.

The Hanged Man

The story of the Hanged Man is that of changing your perspective.  The card pictures a young man hanging upside from a cross made of living wood.  The cross evokes the World Tree with roots in the underworld and branches that stretch to the Heavens.  The young man is enlightened by the experience.  This card is associated with Neptune, god of the sea.

Rey, after her conversation with a certain shirtless space prince and her illusion of the perfect and wise Master shattered, decides to investigate the cave she saw during her first Jedi lesson.  Luke had told her it was the dark side calling her.  But Luke was turning out to an unreliable narrator.  She cautiously approaches the opening of this cave but as she bends down to peer inside, she is pulled in.  She is plunged into a deep pool of water and emerges to see a translucent wall, a dark mirror, almost like the background of the card.

She had been told the dark side would give her something she wanted.  And all she wanted was to see her parents.  She wanted to know where she came from, where her powers come from, what her place is in the unfolding story of the First Order and Resistance.  And the answer that comes back is less than satisfactory.  This card is about the dissolution of ego.  Rey wanted to say that she came from a long line of force sensitives like Luke, that she was a lost princess like Leia.  But the answer is that she is just…  here.  And her place in the story is whatever she decides.

I’ve been writing an Esther/Hadassah AU.  Esther was a Jewish girl kidnapped and forced to marry the King of Persia.  But she finds out about a plan to commit genocide against her people and decides to persuade the king to stop it.  I’m reminded of Mordecai’s speech to Esther as she prepares to speak to the king.  “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

Like Esther, Rey’s story is not set in stone.  She has a choice to make.  She is not bound by familial/royal obligations like Ben is.  Yes, she is the response of the Light to the growing Darkness.  But the Light could call any number of people.  If Rey hides, the Light will just call another forward.  But Rey herself, as well as the Resistance, would likely perish.  This is not about who came before you or who will come after you.  What will YOU do with the power you’re given?

We’ll see her response to this in the card called Temperance.

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A Father’s Day road trip, kids optional

(CNN) — With obligations surrounding kids, partners and work, sometimes it’s hard to get away — actually, it’s hard pretty much all of the time. But fortunately, the one day a year that it’s dad’s turn to cut loose has come around again, so you can afford to go a bit crazy.

This Father’s Day, why not plan an adventure-fueled fantasy road trip?

Here are a few exciting, strange and fascinating stops and destinations to suit every dad, from artsy to outdoorsy and everything in between.

The natural world and also maybe not so much

Grand Prismatic Spring: Teton County, Wyoming

Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone, one of the world’s largest natural springs, has a rainbow of colorful rings that shift in hue as the temperature chages.

Courtesy Dan Hottle

It’s a shimmering rainbow pool that stretches out over the span of a football field. It makes for a fun road-trip stop as long as you don’t dive in — swimming in the hot spring is illegal and can lead to serious steam-related injuries.

Petrified Forest: Arizona

The Petrified Forest in eastern Arizona is home to one of the world’s largest formations of petrified wood, fossilized logs whose tissues are slowly being replaced by stone; trees here date back over 200 million years. The ancient forest climbs out of the hills of the Painted Desert, which rise and fall in waves of saturated rock.

Petrified logs lie scattered across the sand, glimmering quartz in place of wood at their core. The rocks are beautiful, but visitors should keep in mind they aren’t souvenirs for the taking — the sight in and of itself is enough to warrant a drive west.

Centralia mine fire: Centralia, Pennsylvania

The site of one of the US’s worst coal-fire breakouts, Centralia, is now home only to desiccated buildings and cracked, graffiti plastered roads, and, of course, the fires burning below.

Take route 61, 54 or 42 to pass through the eerie ghost town for a most unusual experience and dinner stories galore afterwards!

Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail: St. Charles County, Missouri

Anyone can sightsee in Las Vegas or gape at the Grand Canyon’s golden valleys; however, climbing a cement mountain of entombed, highly toxic nuclear waste? Now that’s adventure.

Today people can climb the hilltop as part of this rather ghoulish attraction, and literally stand on the crest of nuclear waste mountain.

Bragging rights are the sole purpose of the trip, because really, how many people can claim to have done the same?

Art, road stops and other oddities

The president of Molossia, Kevin Baugh (a retired sergeant of the US Army) at Molossia’s Department of Customs, shows visitors around.

Republic of Molossia: Nevada

Never heard of the ‘micro-nation’ Molossia? You’re not alone. Lying 20 miles east of Carson City, Nevada, this self-proclaimed nation has its own Navy, government and president.

From a railroad to cemeteries, national parks to a bar and grill, it’s clear Molossia has most of the basics covered. You know, apart from actually existing. If you’ve never ventured outside the US, here’s your chance to do it closer to home — consider it the “international” option.

And yes, they will stamp your passport if you ask.

The Rockport Paper House: Rockport, Massachusetts

This house’s walls, furniture and doors are made completely of newspaper (insert Big Bad Wolf joke here). Built in 1922, the house is held together by flour, water and apple peels, which work together to plaster 100,000 newspapers to the building’s frames.

You can actually still read some of the headlines at this off-the-beaten-path destination. Find more details here.

Carhenge: Alliance, Nebraska

Carhenge is a sculpture created by Jim Reinders as a replica of England’s Stonehange and a memorial to his father.

Courtesy Friends of Carhenge

Who needs Stonehenge? It’s really not all that hard to replicate, as proven by Carhenge art installation in Alliance, Nebraska.

Mimicking the formation of the actual U.K. Stonehenge with vehicles scavenged from farms and dumps, the sculptural piece consists of gray spray-painted cars piled on top of one another.

Admission is free, and the site is open every day during daylight hours.

Whether you’re a fan of art, a Nebraska native, or someone who’s just always wanted to see Stonehenge, take a trip to Alliance — if you squint, you might even be able to convince yourself it’s the same thing.

Eiffel Tower (no, not that one): Paris, Texas

Yes, there’s another Eiffel Tower located in Paris — Paris, Texas, that is. This watered-down replica of the famous French landmark may be a bit (or a lot) underwhelming in comparison, but it has a sense of humor, what with its big brown cowboy hat and all.

Who knows? Maybe you’ll even manage to fool some people into believing you finally took that Europe trip.

Bubblegum Alley: San Luis Obispo, California

Okay, so this one’s pretty gross. But for the more quirky adventurous spirits, a stop in San Luis Obispo to see an alleyway literally covered top to bottom in old gum might be a must.

The alley is a 65 feet long, and both visitors and locals have attempted to cover every square inch. The purpose of this attraction? Take a guess. Just be sure to bring your own gum.

The Classics

Mount Rushmore: Keystone, South Dakota

The Mount Rushmore National Memorial, the nation’s historic mountain face carving located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, features plenty of tourist-friendly activities.

It’s a place you have to visit at least once in your life, but if you also happen to be allergic to physical activity, this is probably a pass.

Times Square: New York, New York

Times Square in New York City is a famous hotspot for sightseeing and shopping, most noted for its New Year’s Eve celebration that can have crowds of up to a hundred thousand people.

DANIEL SLIM/AFP/Getty Images

It seems no matter what day, circumstance, or time of year, Times Square is always lit up and brimming with life (and a lot of noise).

If you’re in New York City, or even passing through, it’s worth a brief intermission to see the square in its full glory, either to shop at one of its dozens of stores, have a particularly amusing session of people watching or snag discount tickets to a Broadway show.

Liberty Bell: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Liberty Bell is the heart of Independence National Historical Park, where visitors can see the symbolic artifact and learn about it’s history.

Another one of those classic, you-have-to-see-it-once spots, the Liberty Bell in Philly should be a landmark on everyone’s road-trip bucket list.

All you have to do is grab tickets the day of your admission, or reserve them before hand for $1, but be warned that they go quickly.

The French Quarter: New Orleans, Louisiana

The French Quarter is an iconic cultural hotspot in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Home to musicians, artists, countless street vendors and enchanting historical sites and attractions, The Quarter is a bustling city within a city, drenched in history (and sometimes booze). The site is known for its numerous bars and infamous Mardi Gras Parade, which passes through the city in a flurry of color and sequins and takes it’s place on many a bucket list. Be warned though — not all spots are kid friendly, and whatever you do, steer clear of Bourbon Street, especially if you have any young companions with you.

The post A Father’s Day road trip, kids optional appeared first on Tripstations.

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36 Hours in Berlin – The New York Times

On Nov. 9, 1989, the East German government made a surprising announcement: It was easing up travel restrictions on its citizens. East Berliners flocked to the nearest border crossings at the Berlin Wall, especially at Checkpoint Charlie, the famed crossing between the divided Berlins. Not long after that, Berliners from the east and west began chipping away at the literal and metaphorical wall that had separated them for nearly three decades, since the Soviet-backed East German government erected the concrete slabs that split the city in two. The Cold War was over. Well, sort of. Today in Berlin you can still go back to that world by eating and drinking in restaurants and bars dedicated to the German Democratic Republic — G.D.R. for short, or D.D.R. in the local parlance — as well as learn about the former East Berlin via fascinating museums, architecture and shops.

Friday

1) 3 p.m. Communists, nudists and dissidents

Ever wonder why East Germans had a proclivity for hanging out in public stark naked? Or what it was like to drive a Trabant — the cult East German-made automobile with a Formica-like Duroplast body — around East Germany in the 1980s? Or what an interrogation room looked like? You can find out at the DDR Museum, a fascinating, immersive, hands-on experience that serves as an excellent introduction to life in East Germany. The museum, which opened in 2006 and is housed in a modern building on the Spree River, recently welcomed its six millionth visitor. Admission: 9.80 euros, or about $10.80.

2) 7 p.m. The ‘People’s’ restaurant

Named for the “People’s Chamber,” the lower house of parliament in the G.D.R., Volkskammer tries to revive East Germany on a daily basis by cooking up gruel for the odd local with a case of “ostalgie” — nostalgia for the old East — and curious tourists willing to punish their palates with hearty slop like Falscher Hase, or counterfeit rabbit: a dense, gravy-smothered meatloaf hiding a hard-boiled egg and cured pork knuckle with kraut. Dinner for two is about €50, including beer or wine. If you can’t stomach Soviet-era cuisine, try nearby Michelberger (in the hotel of the same name), which serves up excellent farm-to-table, uber-seasonal fare such as venison pie or wild boar schnitzel with pumpkin. Dinner for two is about €75, with wine.

3) 9 p.m. Red hangover

Opened in 1992, just three years after the Wall fell, Die Tagung, a bar in the Friedrichshain neighborhood, celebrates the G.D.R. with a sense of humor. The owner, a longtime Friedrichshain resident, scoured a local abandoned train repair complex for former East Berlin-era signs that now grace the walls, along with tapestries bearing the image of Karl Marx, and a large bust of Vladimir Lenin who was, on a recent visit, sporting headphones and aviator glasses. There are also enough red stars and hammer-and-sickle symbols to inspire a collective May Day parade. Imbibe a Russian Cocaine, €3: a shot of vodka that comes with a slice of lemon coated with sugar on one side and coffee grinds on the other.

Saturday

4) 10:30 a.m. A Stalinist stroll

Built on the rubble of World War II, the wide boulevard known as Karl Marx Allee started life as Stalinallee, Stalin Boulevard, but was renamed after Marx in 1961. Between Frankfurter Tor in Friedrichshain and Alexanderplatz — just under two miles — the 300-foot-wide street is lined with monumental, wedding cakelike, Stalinist-style structures, built to be “workers’ palaces,” a place for East Germany to showcase the glories of Socialism. The Italian architect Aldo Rossi called it “Europe’s last great street.” Placards are positioned along the way to explain the history of noteworthy buildings, such as Kino International, a still-working movie theater and a gem of functionalist architecture, and the duel towers, Frankfurter Tor.

5) Noon. Snack break

Named for a popular G.D.R.-era magazine, Café Sibylle is one of the few businesses on the Karl Marx Allee that still exists from the Cold War days. About halfway along the boulevard, the cafe is nicely positioned for a rest. After taking in the permanent exhibition on the evolution of the boulevard, complete with text, photos and household objects from the 1950s and 60s, plant yourself at a table and sip coffee or a beer and graze on a salad or a sausage. The wooden tables and high ceilings invite visitors to stay awhile. Lunch for two costs about €25.

6) 3 p.m. Shop like a Socialist

Good news, comrade! Both ends of Karl Marx Allee — or at least between Frankfurter Tor and Alexanderplatz — are book ended by Humana Second Hand & Vintage shops. The outlet at Frankfurter Tor is the largest secondhand shop in Berlin: four floors of vintage and used duds. The top floor focuses on clothes from the 1950s to the 1990s, and there are often select racks for G.D.R. clothes at either or both locations. If you like your Socialist souvenirs even more kitschy, head to Ampelmann, south of Alexanderplatz, a shop that sells images of the “traffic light man,” an East German symbol that has become iconic since the fall of the Wall, on everything from golf balls to coffee mugs to T-shirts.

7) 5:30 p.m. Walking the Wall

The East Side Gallery in Friedrichshain; the long stretch of the Berlin Wall that is clad in colorful iconic images; and the Wall Museum near Checkpoint Charlie: These sites all get ample visitors. But the most sobering way to get a sense of what it was like to live in Berlin during the time of the Wall is at the Berlin Wall Memorial in Prenzlauer Berg. This portion of the wall and the harrowing section known as the “death strip” — with its booby traps, armed guards, towers and trenches — allow visitors to see the most preserved swath of the remaining wall complex. Admission is free.

8) 8 p.m. Vodka shots and soljanka

Opened in 1994 and located in the former East Berlin neighborhood of Prenzlauer Berg, Restaurant Pasternak serves dishes from around the former Soviet Union, particularly from Russia and Ukraine; many of the options have an Eastern European Jewish bent. The restaurant is named after the Nobel Prize-winning Russian poet and author of “Doctor Zhivago,” Boris Pasternak. Start off with a bowl of soljanka, a creamy, dill-spiked soup that has Russian origins, but was one of the most popular dishes in the former East Germany; then move on to sautéed calf’s liver and latkes accented with a spicy apple jam. And don’t forget to have a few shots of the house vodka. Dinner for two, about €85 with wine or vodka.

9) 10 p.m. House party

You could go to the Museumswohnung, a three-bedroom apartment so perfectly preserved you’d almost expect the Stasi, the official East German state security apparatus, to be bugging the place. Or you could spend your Saturday night dancing at Salon zur Wilden Renate, a techno club that took over an abandoned apartment building in Friedrichshain and sort of left things as they were, including 1970s wallpaper, couches and beds. Opening times vary, so check the club website before heading out. Entrance is €10 to €15, depending on the night and event.

Sunday

10) 11 a.m. The lives of others

The Stasi’s main job was spying on ordinary people who were not in line with party policies and values, hauntingly depicted in the 2006 German film “The Lives of Others.” The Stasi Museum is in the agency’s former headquarters in Lichtenberg. The three floors hold hundreds of artifacts, such as bugging devices, hidden cameras and lock picks, as well as placards detailing nearly every aspect of the organization, including the fact that up to 180,000 East German “unofficial informants” were working with the Stasi by 1989. The tour ends on the third floor at a cafe and bar — after the museum, you might need a stiff drink. There are free 90-minute guided tours in English at 3 p.m. on Thursday to Monday. Admission is €8 and the tour is free.

11) 2 p.m. Schnitzel and schlock

PILA is a restaurant on Friedrichshain Volkspark that also bills itself as a museum dedicated to the former East Germany. The interior is bedecked with all manner of G.D.R. minutiae — enough East Berlin flags and portraits of former dear leaders to bring tears to the eyes of those nostalgic for five-year plans and collective farming. This is a place for those craving dishes like schnitzel atop fusilli pasta with a few splotches of ketchup-spiked tomato sauce and plus-size plates of currywurst, which is better than you’d think. Even the light, flimsy forks and spoons are legit G.D.R. throwbacks. Lunch is about €40 with beer.

Lodging

A Stadtbad, or public bathhouse starting in 1902, this ornate building in pretty Prenzlauer Berg became a hotel in 2016. Hotel Stadtbad Oderberger (Oderberger Strasse 57; +49 (30) 780 089 760; www.hotel-oderberger.berlin; doubles from 117 euros per night) has 70 rooms, five suites and two apartments. Rooms have oak floors, TVs and coffee makers. The bathrooms have rain-shower heads. The handsome in-house restaurant, housed in a former thermal power station, cooks up German dishes with modern flair and offers a fair number of vegan and vegetarian options. And don’t forget your swimming suit. The original pool is now the hotel pool.

Ostel (Wriezener Karree 5; +49 (30) 2576 8660; www.ostel.eu; doubles from 42 euros per night) is an East Berlin-themed hotel near the Ostbahnhof, or East Railway Station, in Friedrichshain. The 36 single and double rooms are, as one would expect, dripping in Communist-era kitsch, complete with groovy, colorful wallpaper and bedspreads. All rooms have G.D.R.-era radios. But be careful! It would be easy to think that the Stasi is secretly listening to you. Some rooms have shared bathrooms.

If you want to go the private apartment rental route, base yourself in pretty Prenzlauer Berg where studios and one-bedroom apartments may cost around €75 per night.

Sahred From Source link Travel

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Why You Should Listen to: Ekatarina Velika's ‘Ljubav’

Daniel Lester

November 14, 2018 

Welcome to the weekly-series “Why You Should Listen to”, where we will discuss great albums worth every music lover’s attention. In today’s society, while we do have all the possible access to everything and anything on the Internet, it can often happen for us to miss some music we would love to hear. That’s why, every Monday, we will try to help you discover some awesome music in this series of articles. The focus will mostly be on studio albums, be it classics or underrated gems and records that have been forgotten by time. Our focus will also stretch out across the world, from the USA and UK to the African continent, Latin America and even the Balkans. Today, we’ll talk about the legendary ex-Yugoslav band Ekatarina Velika (Ecatherine the Great) and their classic album "Ljubav" ("Love"). NOTE: Since this album is not in English, the translations will most likely be literal and possibly inaccurate at certain points.

The 1970s and 1980s new wave movement may have originated in the UK and US, but it quickly spread all over the world and influenced countless bands from many different countries. It also reached the now-defunct country of Yugoslavia (or as it was fully named the Socialistic Federative Republic of Yugoslavia), which was going through many changes at that time, which would ultimately lead to its demise. The ex-Yugoslav pop culture was quite influenced by what was going on in the UK and US at the time. In the 1970s, the predominant genre was hard rock fused with some traditional elements, dubbed "shepherd rock", a sound created and popularized by the, arguably, most popular ex-Yugoslav band Bijelo Dugme (White Button). While it had a gigantic following, the younger generations wanted to rebel against the primitive sound and silly themes of that genre. The emergence of punk and new wave gave many young bands from the former Yugoslav countries a new theme and a new idea of what kind of sound should be popular. With new wave came many great bands such as the iconic band Idoli (Idols) and many pivotal releases, one of them being the highly lauded new wave compilation album "Paket Aranžman" ("Package Deal"), often considered the best former Yugoslav album. On that compilation, one could hear the cult band Šarlo Akrobata (Charlot the Acrobat, which was how Yugoslav people referred to Charlie Chaplin), the band that would lead to the formation of Ekatarina Velika. It was a young new wave band of rebels Dušan Kojić "Koja" (who would later on form his own influential band Disciplina Kičme), Ivan Vdović "Vd" and Milan Mladenović (who would later on become the founding member and frontman of Ekatarina Velika). After their incredible and critically acclaimed debut album, the band fell apart in 1981 and the members went their own separate ways. Milan and Vd would become part of a new band known as Katarina II with Milan's guitarist friend and band co-founder Dragan Mihajlović "Gagi". Between 1981 and 1984, many line-up changes occured and the band's final core line-up consisted of Milan Mladenović (guitar, lead vocals), classically trained pianist Margita Stefanović "Magi" (keyboards, vocals), Bojan Pečar (bass), with the drummers constantly changing. In 1984 they released their debut as Katarina II, an album that did not reach a wide audience. After a name change to Ekatarina Velika (further referred to as "EKV", as fans of the band liked to call them), the band's next two albums would bring them a dedicated fanbase and critical acclaim, but also some rivalries with other post-punk and new wave bands of the time. EKV is often compared to the likes of Joy Division, The Cure and Talking Heads. They reagrded themselves more as a European band, rather than a Serbian band and were influenced by the likes of Elvis Costello, XTC and Joe Jackson.

from left to right: Bojan, Milan, Magi and drummer at the time Ivan Ranković "Raka"

Since EKV is not a very well-known band around the world, it might be appropriate to introduce the band, in the line-up that recorded their fourth studio album "Ljubav" ("Love"), as we will talk about it in detail.

Milan Mladenović (1958 - 1994) - legendary frontman of the band, who was also the guitarist and main lyricist of the band. He was known for his deep and cryptic lyrics, strong moral values, recognizable and powerful voice that could emit the most blood-curdling and banshee-like shrieks and screams, but also some very smooth and emotive vocals, as well as minimalistic, but integral guitar-playing. While he spent most of his life in Belgrade, he also lived in Zagreb and Sarajevo in his childhood, due to his father's military obligations, which gave Milan a strong connection to his Yugoslav identity. He died of pancreatic cancer in 1994. Margita Stefanović (a.k.a. "Magi") (1959 - 2002) - the second most-known band member, known for her fantastic musicianship and anthemic synth and piano lines. She was loved by fans and bandmates alike, and recognized as a kind and unique spirit. She appears on the front cover of the album. Magi died after being diagnosed as HIV positive, due to intravenuous drug use. Bojan Pečar (1960 - 1998) - was known for his incredible bass guitar skills and iconic basslines. He was a very proficient musician and contributed to the grooves and dynamics of the band's music. He is remembered as the third core member of the band, despite leaving the band in 1989 to move to London, where he also died of a heart attack in 1998. Srđan Todorović (a.k.a. "Žika") (born 1965) - was the band's drummer at the time, and is one of their most well-known members. His primary career is in acting, and is one of the most famous ex-Yugoslav actors, who is still active today. The album "Ljubav" was the band's fourth album. It came after the band's sophomore album "S' Vetrom Uz Lice" ("With the Wind Against My Face") that gave them the necessary and well-deserved mainstream attention in Yugoslavia. While some critics accused them of "selling out", fans approved of their success and continued to support them throughout. The recording of the album started in the summer of 1987, and was completed in one month. It was produced by Australian gutarist Theodore Yanni, and carried the band's signature new-wave and post-punk sound to new heights.

The opening track, and also one of their most well-known, is "Zemlja" ("Land"). It is a song driven by a flanged guitar playing a very anthemic and repetitive riff, while the bass and drums carry the groove and set the foundation for Milan's voice and lyrics. Magi's keyboard playing is present, but is a bit more subdued on this track. Milan's lyrics seem to symbolize unity, brotherhood and love, making this song one of the more brighter cuts in the band's often dark discography.

The title track is also a fan-favorite, opening with a punchy and loud drumbeat that welcomes the rest of the energetic instrumentation, in the form of the ever-dynamic bass and quite punkish guitar riffs. Magi's synth lines add a light melody that makes the energetic track more refined and help Milan delve into the topic of love not being as its advertised to us. Lines such as "I boli, i boli, i boli/Boli nas ljubav" (And it hurts, and it hurts, and it hurts/Love hurts us) or "Uz lažni smeh/I naše reči od milja su navika/I naša imena od milja su navika" ("With fake laughs/And our nice words are just a habit/And our sweet nicknames are just a habit"), clearly paint Milan's idea of love as being just a habit, rather than a true and constant feeling, meaning that relationships aren't always pure and genuine as we want them to be. The vocal harmonies in the chorus make this energetic, yet bittersweet track all the more worthy of listening.

Rare Photos Inside the United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus

In September 2018, I was asked to travel to Cyprus and photograph the Buffer Zone (or Green Line) in Nicosia. It was an exclusive opportunity since this area is not accessible for civilians — it’s a demilitarised zone (DMZ), patrolled by the United Nations.

The goal of my visit was to take photos of the endangered architecture within the zone, and also bring the social aspect into the frame. In an attempt to bring the divided parts of Cyprus together again, the photos will be exhibited in the Center of Visual Arts and Research in Nicosia. This exhibition opened on the 23rd of October 2018.

The Buffer Zone in Nicosia is part of the 7 Most Endangered Programme from Europa Nostra. My visit to Cyprus has been made possible thanks to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United Nations, and Europa Nostra.

This article is a documentary of the current situation of the Buffer Zone / Green Line with mostly exterior shots. The historical and architectural value is very high, and I’m thrilled to share this exclusive view with you.

The Buffer Zone has now literally become a ‘Green Line’. The trees you see in this photo are in the Buffer Zone. The buildings around it are mostly outside of the Buffer Zone.

Walking by the Buffer Zone

Before I was escorted by the United Nations through the Buffer Zone, I had time to walk by the Buffer Zone in the center of Nicosia. One of the first things I noticed is how weird it feels that all the roads, with a few exceptions, have been closed with barrels and/or barbed wire in an attempt to keep you from crossing over to ‘the other side’ or into the Buffer Zone.

Some of these roadblocks are even guarded by young soldiers. These posts and soldiers were not to be photographed.

Road block.

The roadblock you see on the photo above is close to Ledra Street. Ledra Street is the major shopping street in Nicosia. It is also the site of the former Ledra Street barricade, across the United Nations buffer zone. The barricade symbolized the division of Nicosia between the Greek south and Turkish north. The barricade on Ledra Street was removed in April 2008, and thus became the sixth crossing between the Southern part of Cyprus and the Northern part of Cyprus.

As a foreigner, I had to show my passport on both sides to be allowed access. By the way, the first crossing for Greek and Turkish Cypriots opened in 2003. Just imagine that you’re not able to see ‘the other part’ of your country and city for 30 years.

This is a road block right around the corner of my hotel. Forcing me to walk around it for 20 minutes to cross to ‘the other side’.

Houses and workshops built on the border of the Buffer Zone.

While in and around the city, I talked to locals from around my age. In the meantime, I had already crossed the border to the Turkish part of the island. The locals I talked to, never had. They started asking me questions how it’s like on the other side of the border. That just felt so strange. They didn’t want to cross. Because of for example principle, or even their parents not allowing them to go. Nicosia, also known as Lefkosia, is the last divided capital in Europe.

The most striking thing I experienced, is that you can see and feel that both sides have developed separately and you’re in different countries. Architecture, food, culture, people. Everything was different.

An unmanned guard post at one of the road blocks in the city.

The Escort Through the Buffer Zone

The United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus is a demilitarised zone, patrolled by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), that was established in 1964 when Major-General Peter Young was the commander of a “peace force”, a predecessor of the present UNFICYP. After stationing his troops in different areas of Nicosia, the general drew a cease-fire line on a map with a green pencil, which was to become known as the “Green Line”.

The zone extended in 1974 after the cease-fire of 16 August 1974, following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, and de facto partition of the island into the area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus (southern Cyprus save for the British Sovereign Base Areas) and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the North.

The zone, also known as the Green Line, stretches for 180 kilometers from Paralimni in the east to Kato Pyrgos in the west, where a separate section surrounds Kokkina. The zone cuts through the center of Nicosia, separating the city into southern and northern sections. In total, it spans an area of 346 square kilometers, varying in width from less than 20 meters to more than 7 kilometers. Some areas are untouched by human interference and have remained a safe haven for flora and fauna.

Buffer Zone east entrance.

I met the people from the United Nations at Ledra Palace. Once this was one of the largest and most glamorous hotels of the capital city. The hotel was designed by the German Jewish architect Benjamin Günsberg and was built between 1947-1949 by Cyprus Hotels Limited at a cost of approx. €410,000 (~$467,000). It now serves as the headquarters for Sector 2 United Nations Roulement Regiment part of UNFICYP. It’s a very important location, and I was lucky to have a peek inside.

The state of the building is still very good. After that, we drove to the east part of the buffer zone where we entered through the gate you see on the right. This is where the walk through the Buffer Zone starts.

Within the Walled City of Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, the buffer zone is a strip of land that runs along the east to west axis, forming part of the United Nations-controlled green line. This line divides the island of Cyprus and the city of Nicosia in two, keeping the two major communities – Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots – apart, for more than three decades.

The effects of this separation have been devastating for the city of Nicosia, the last divided capital of Europe, especially for its historic center, which composes a unique core of high archaeological, architectural and environmental values. Within this highly restricted area historical buildings together with newer structures, are suffering from physical decay neglected for more than 30 years. This present situation has negative effects on the old city’s urban fabric and contributes to the degradation of the historic center as a whole, leading to its physical, economic and social decay.

Ayios Kassianos school. If you look closely you can see bullet holes in the wall.

Ayios Kassianos school.

The first buildings I saw and photographed were the Ayios Kassianos schools. Ayios Kassianos schools comprise a very interesting complex of two neoclassical buildings of the beginning of the 20th century and a later one which is known to be the nursery. The two schools, boys and girls, are identical in their original layout but bear later interventions. Their characteristic neoclassical elements recall the architectural style of other examples of schools within the city of Nicosia. Their importance for the area and the city as a whole leads to the urgency for their immediate support and restoration. In the same building complex as the schools, Ayios Georgios church is located.

Ayios Georgios church.

Ayios Georgios church is also a very important monument in the walled city buffer zone area. It dates back to the 17th century, built in ashlar stone, with later interventions. It is part of a building complex including the neoclassical boys and girls’ schools of Ayios Kassianos. Its’ southern wall lies on Ayios Georgios street, where the main entrance to the narthex opens. The internal walls of the narthex bear signs of bright colors and of stone decorations. It is of high importance that this church is documented and restored immediately; otherwise, one of the most important monuments of the area will be lost. Across this church, you will find ‘Annie’s House’.

On the left you see ‘Annie’s House’.

Annie refused to leave her house, which is located in the Buffer Zone, after the Buffer Zone was established. UN diplomacy could not dislodge her. She continued living in her house, and UN patrols regularly escorted her on shopping trips to get groceries and such. When UN patrols hadn’t noticed any movement in her house, they entered the house and found she died. Annie’s family had broken contact, and she had no-one to arrange her funeral. Annie was 90 years old when she died, and UN soldiers paid and arranged her funeral. Her story is still alive.

Ayios Iakovos church.

Continuing the road, I came across Ayios Iakovos church. Ayios Iakovos church is one of the most important monuments, included in the buffer zone area, dated back to the 15th- 16th c. with later interventions, such as the steeple, built in fine ashlar stones. It’s a Byzantine type of church covered with two intersected barrel vaults carrying the cupola, with eight windows. The arch of the Holy Place is semi-circular. Louis Salvator of Austria visited Nicosia in 1873 and gives a description of this church, as “… a small building with four-barrel vaults …The Iconostasis curved of wood, bears the Russian eagle…”. The church is part of a building complex, referred to as the monastery of Ayios Iakovos.

Door of Olympus Hotel.

At one point, we crossed the Buffer Zone at Ledra Street. A very busy crossing, and just a day before I walked through the street and faced the big fences and gates on both sides. Today, these gates opened to cross from the east side of Ledra Street to the west side of Ledra Street. On the corner, the well-known Olympus hotel is located — one of the most important hotels of the Walled City, some decades ago.

The richness of its architectural elements, as well as the grand halls in the interior and its large rooms reveal the importance of this building and its significant role in the heart of the economic and probably the social life of the city. Built in the beginning of the 20th c., (1914–1933) in load-bearing masonry, with classical elements decorating the facades. The ground floor was built for commercial use, with simple elements of decoration while the first floor was occupied by the Olympus Hotel, with much more complicated decoration elements such as pilasters, balconies, and cornices with modillions.

Both the facades are formed according to a combination of the classical Greek ionic order with a Roman-Corinthian cornice with modillions, along with neo-baroque elements on the corner of the building. Since 1974, the building was abandoned to the ravages of time. Today, the part that faces Ledra Street, has been beautifully renovated and looks amazing.

Example corner building.

Throughout the Buffer Zone, there are several corner buildings. This is a special type of building which appears on the corners of commercial building complexes, on the crossroads, in the heart of the commercial center, in the area of Phaneromeni. There are six of these buildings in an area of 500 meters long. These buildings are identical in layout, square in shape, with rounded corner. Neoclassical architectural elements decorate the facades. On the right, you see an example of such a building. Below, you find one of my personal favorite shots of my visit. This is a corner building that’s being completely reclaimed by nature.

Example corner building, being reclaimed by nature.

Maple House entrance.

One of the buildings that I was able to enter, is called ‘Maple House’. Maple House was used as a platoon house for UN soldiers. It wasn’t a very luxurious base and has been abandoned for a number of years as part of the general force reduction. Above is a photo of the entrance to the building. On the wall is a plaque of a former gun shop that was located inside of the building. Maple House was originally a small arcade type shopping center with an apartment block. The building itself has been mostly stripped, yet it is still in good condition. One of the other shops located in this building used to be a car garage. A lot of cars have been left behind in the showroom and the cellar of the building.

The cellar of the building is filled with cars, and some of them even have as little as 40km on the clock. A small number of cars were removed from the basement by the UN and are better preserved, but most of them have been left behind. In 1974, these cars were imported through the gate at Famagusta and driven to the basement in Nicosia, a distance of around 40 kilometers. The drive-in entrance to the basement is in the Buffer Zone. Over the years the cars have been stripped of their internal fittings and smaller engine parts and, although technically ‘new’ can no longer be described as being in ‘mint condition’. Thieves have provided themselves access to this storage area, with all the risks involved, to strip the cars.

Cellar filled with ‘new’ cars.

Cars that have been left behind in the showroom, a floor above the cellar, can be seen below.

Close to Maple House, you find the ‘ten-minute yard’. This is a very sensitive location because there were numerous protests about the amount of time Turkish soldiers spent in the area of this yard. It was agreed with the UN that Turkish soldiers would only be visible in the yard for ten minutes in each hour. However, to make a point the Turkish soldiers would appear at 10 minutes ‘to’ the hour and then continue to stay for 10 minutes of the next hour, thereby visible in the yard for 20 minutes. This was obviously seen as a gesture of provocation.

Right next to the ‘ten-minute yard’, almost attached to it, the remains of a yellow car are lying on the ground. Near the end of the fighting in 1974, this yellow car was destroyed and both the Greek and Turkish sides dispute the exact position of the CFL (Cease Fire Line). The Turkish believe that the CFL should be drawn at the south point of the car, while the Greeks believe the CFL should be drawn at the northern point of the car. The dispute was settled by the UN by painting two lines; one at the northern end and one at the southern end of the car. Thereby, the UN created a ‘Buffer Zone’ within the Buffer Zone.

The Yellow Car.

The photo below gives a good indication of how close the Greek and Turkish soldiers were fighting with each other. Greek soldiers on the left and Turkish soldiers on the right. This is a photo of Spear Alley. It was here that a Greek soldier fixed a bayonet to a long pole and stabbed a sleeping Turkish soldier to death through the window on the opposite side of the road. Imagine that…

Spear alley

Here are some more photos of my walk through the Buffer Zone in Nicosia:

Corner building.

Building remains.

House remains.

Maple House.

Car storage.

Sandbags and bullet holes.

House remains.

About the author: Roman Robroek is a Netherlands-based urban exploration photographer. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. You can see more of his work on his website, or by following him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This article was also published here.

source https://petapixel.com/2018/10/24/rare-photos-inside-the-united-nations-buffer-zone-in-cyprus/

Rare Photos Inside the United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus

In September 2018, I was asked to travel to Cyprus and photograph the Buffer Zone (or Green Line) in Nicosia. It was an exclusive opportunity since this area is not accessible for civilians — it’s a demilitarised zone (DMZ), patrolled by the United Nations.

The goal of my visit was to take photos of the endangered architecture within the zone, and also bring the social aspect into the frame. In an attempt to bring the divided parts of Cyprus together again, the photos will be exhibited in the Center of Visual Arts and Research in Nicosia. This exhibition opened on the 23rd of October 2018.

The Buffer Zone in Nicosia is part of the 7 Most Endangered Programme from Europa Nostra. My visit to Cyprus has been made possible thanks to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United Nations, and Europa Nostra.

This article is a documentary of the current situation of the Buffer Zone / Green Line with mostly exterior shots. The historical and architectural value is very high, and I’m thrilled to share this exclusive view with you.

The Buffer Zone has now literally become a ‘Green Line’. The trees you see in this photo are in the Buffer Zone. The buildings around it are mostly outside of the Buffer Zone.

Walking by the Buffer Zone

Before I was escorted by the United Nations through the Buffer Zone, I had time to walk by the Buffer Zone in the center of Nicosia. One of the first things I noticed is how weird it feels that all the roads, with a few exceptions, have been closed with barrels and/or barbed wire in an attempt to keep you from crossing over to ‘the other side’ or into the Buffer Zone.

Some of these roadblocks are even guarded by young soldiers. These posts and soldiers were not to be photographed.

Road block.

The roadblock you see on the photo above is close to Ledra Street. Ledra Street is the major shopping street in Nicosia. It is also the site of the former Ledra Street barricade, across the United Nations buffer zone. The barricade symbolized the division of Nicosia between the Greek south and Turkish north. The barricade on Ledra Street was removed in April 2008, and thus became the sixth crossing between the Southern part of Cyprus and the Northern part of Cyprus.

As a foreigner, I had to show my passport on both sides to be allowed access. By the way, the first crossing for Greek and Turkish Cypriots opened in 2003. Just imagine that you’re not able to see ‘the other part’ of your country and city for 30 years.

This is a road block right around the corner of my hotel. Forcing me to walk around it for 20 minutes to cross to ‘the other side’.

Houses and workshops built on the border of the Buffer Zone.

While in and around the city, I talked to locals from around my age. In the meantime, I had already crossed the border to the Turkish part of the island. The locals I talked to, never had. They started asking me questions how it’s like on the other side of the border. That just felt so strange. They didn’t want to cross. Because of for example principle, or even their parents not allowing them to go. Nicosia, also known as Lefkosia, is the last divided capital in Europe.

The most striking thing I experienced, is that you can see and feel that both sides have developed separately and you’re in different countries. Architecture, food, culture, people. Everything was different.

An unmanned guard post at one of the road blocks in the city.

The Escort Through the Buffer Zone

The United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus is a demilitarised zone, patrolled by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), that was established in 1964 when Major-General Peter Young was the commander of a “peace force”, a predecessor of the present UNFICYP. After stationing his troops in different areas of Nicosia, the general drew a cease-fire line on a map with a green pencil, which was to become known as the “Green Line”.

The zone extended in 1974 after the cease-fire of 16 August 1974, following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, and de facto partition of the island into the area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus (southern Cyprus save for the British Sovereign Base Areas) and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the North.

The zone, also known as the Green Line, stretches for 180 kilometers from Paralimni in the east to Kato Pyrgos in the west, where a separate section surrounds Kokkina. The zone cuts through the center of Nicosia, separating the city into southern and northern sections. In total, it spans an area of 346 square kilometers, varying in width from less than 20 meters to more than 7 kilometers. Some areas are untouched by human interference and have remained a safe haven for flora and fauna.

Buffer Zone east entrance.

I met the people from the United Nations at Ledra Palace. Once this was one of the largest and most glamorous hotels of the capital city. The hotel was designed by the German Jewish architect Benjamin Günsberg and was built between 1947-1949 by Cyprus Hotels Limited at a cost of approx. €410,000 (~$467,000). It now serves as the headquarters for Sector 2 United Nations Roulement Regiment part of UNFICYP. It’s a very important location, and I was lucky to have a peek inside.

The state of the building is still very good. After that, we drove to the east part of the buffer zone where we entered through the gate you see on the right. This is where the walk through the Buffer Zone starts.

Within the Walled City of Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, the buffer zone is a strip of land that runs along the east to west axis, forming part of the United Nations-controlled green line. This line divides the island of Cyprus and the city of Nicosia in two, keeping the two major communities – Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots – apart, for more than three decades.

The effects of this separation have been devastating for the city of Nicosia, the last divided capital of Europe, especially for its historic center, which composes a unique core of high archaeological, architectural and environmental values. Within this highly restricted area historical buildings together with newer structures, are suffering from physical decay neglected for more than 30 years. This present situation has negative effects on the old city’s urban fabric and contributes to the degradation of the historic center as a whole, leading to its physical, economic and social decay.

Ayios Kassianos school. If you look closely you can see bullet holes in the wall.

Ayios Kassianos school.

The first buildings I saw and photographed were the Ayios Kassianos schools. Ayios Kassianos schools comprise a very interesting complex of two neoclassical buildings of the beginning of the 20th century and a later one which is known to be the nursery. The two schools, boys and girls, are identical in their original layout but bear later interventions. Their characteristic neoclassical elements recall the architectural style of other examples of schools within the city of Nicosia. Their importance for the area and the city as a whole leads to the urgency for their immediate support and restoration. In the same building complex as the schools, Ayios Georgios church is located.

Ayios Georgios church.

Ayios Georgios church is also a very important monument in the walled city buffer zone area. It dates back to the 17th century, built in ashlar stone, with later interventions. It is part of a building complex including the neoclassical boys and girls’ schools of Ayios Kassianos. Its’ southern wall lies on Ayios Georgios street, where the main entrance to the narthex opens. The internal walls of the narthex bear signs of bright colors and of stone decorations. It is of high importance that this church is documented and restored immediately; otherwise, one of the most important monuments of the area will be lost. Across this church, you will find ‘Annie’s House’.

On the left you see ‘Annie’s House’.

Annie refused to leave her house, which is located in the Buffer Zone, after the Buffer Zone was established. UN diplomacy could not dislodge her. She continued living in her house, and UN patrols regularly escorted her on shopping trips to get groceries and such. When UN patrols hadn’t noticed any movement in her house, they entered the house and found she died. Annie’s family had broken contact, and she had no-one to arrange her funeral. Annie was 90 years old when she died, and UN soldiers paid and arranged her funeral. Her story is still alive.

Ayios Iakovos church.

Continuing the road, I came across Ayios Iakovos church. Ayios Iakovos church is one of the most important monuments, included in the buffer zone area, dated back to the 15th- 16th c. with later interventions, such as the steeple, built in fine ashlar stones. It’s a Byzantine type of church covered with two intersected barrel vaults carrying the cupola, with eight windows. The arch of the Holy Place is semi-circular. Louis Salvator of Austria visited Nicosia in 1873 and gives a description of this church, as “… a small building with four-barrel vaults …The Iconostasis curved of wood, bears the Russian eagle…”. The church is part of a building complex, referred to as the monastery of Ayios Iakovos.

Door of Olympus Hotel.

At one point, we crossed the Buffer Zone at Ledra Street. A very busy crossing, and just a day before I walked through the street and faced the big fences and gates on both sides. Today, these gates opened to cross from the east side of Ledra Street to the west side of Ledra Street. On the corner, the well-known Olympus hotel is located — one of the most important hotels of the Walled City, some decades ago.

The richness of its architectural elements, as well as the grand halls in the interior and its large rooms reveal the importance of this building and its significant role in the heart of the economic and probably the social life of the city. Built in the beginning of the 20th c., (1914–1933) in load-bearing masonry, with classical elements decorating the facades. The ground floor was built for commercial use, with simple elements of decoration while the first floor was occupied by the Olympus Hotel, with much more complicated decoration elements such as pilasters, balconies, and cornices with modillions.

Both the facades are formed according to a combination of the classical Greek ionic order with a Roman-Corinthian cornice with modillions, along with neo-baroque elements on the corner of the building. Since 1974, the building was abandoned to the ravages of time. Today, the part that faces Ledra Street, has been beautifully renovated and looks amazing.

Example corner building.

Throughout the Buffer Zone, there are several corner buildings. This is a special type of building which appears on the corners of commercial building complexes, on the crossroads, in the heart of the commercial center, in the area of Phaneromeni. There are six of these buildings in an area of 500 meters long. These buildings are identical in layout, square in shape, with rounded corner. Neoclassical architectural elements decorate the facades. On the right, you see an example of such a building. Below, you find one of my personal favorite shots of my visit. This is a corner building that’s being completely reclaimed by nature.

Example corner building, being reclaimed by nature.

Maple House entrance.

One of the buildings that I was able to enter, is called ‘Maple House’. Maple House was used as a platoon house for UN soldiers. It wasn’t a very luxurious base and has been abandoned for a number of years as part of the general force reduction. Above is a photo of the entrance to the building. On the wall is a plaque of a former gun shop that was located inside of the building. Maple House was originally a small arcade type shopping center with an apartment block. The building itself has been mostly stripped, yet it is still in good condition. One of the other shops located in this building used to be a car garage. A lot of cars have been left behind in the showroom and the cellar of the building.

The cellar of the building is filled with cars, and some of them even have as little as 40km on the clock. A small number of cars were removed from the basement by the UN and are better preserved, but most of them have been left behind. In 1974, these cars were imported through the gate at Famagusta and driven to the basement in Nicosia, a distance of around 40 kilometers. The drive-in entrance to the basement is in the Buffer Zone. Over the years the cars have been stripped of their internal fittings and smaller engine parts and, although technically ‘new’ can no longer be described as being in ‘mint condition’. Thieves have provided themselves access to this storage area, with all the risks involved, to strip the cars.

Cellar filled with ‘new’ cars.

Cars that have been left behind in the showroom, a floor above the cellar, can be seen below.

Close to Maple House, you find the ‘ten-minute yard’. This is a very sensitive location because there were numerous protests about the amount of time Turkish soldiers spent in the area of this yard. It was agreed with the UN that Turkish soldiers would only be visible in the yard for ten minutes in each hour. However, to make a point the Turkish soldiers would appear at 10 minutes ‘to’ the hour and then continue to stay for 10 minutes of the next hour, thereby visible in the yard for 20 minutes. This was obviously seen as a gesture of provocation.

Right next to the ‘ten-minute yard’, almost attached to it, the remains of a yellow car are lying on the ground. Near the end of the fighting in 1974, this yellow car was destroyed and both the Greek and Turkish sides dispute the exact position of the CFL (Cease Fire Line). The Turkish believe that the CFL should be drawn at the south point of the car, while the Greeks believe the CFL should be drawn at the northern point of the car. The dispute was settled by the UN by painting two lines; one at the northern end and one at the southern end of the car. Thereby, the UN created a ‘Buffer Zone’ within the Buffer Zone.

The Yellow Car.

The photo below gives a good indication of how close the Greek and Turkish soldiers were fighting with each other. Greek soldiers on the left and Turkish soldiers on the right. This is a photo of Spear Alley. It was here that a Greek soldier fixed a bayonet to a long pole and stabbed a sleeping Turkish soldier to death through the window on the opposite side of the road. Imagine that…

Spear alley.

Here are some more photos of my walk through the Buffer Zone in Nicosia:

Corner building.

Building remains.

House remains.

Maple House.

Car storage.

Sandbags and bullet holes.

House remains.

About the author: Roman Robroek is a Netherlands-based urban exploration photographer. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. You can see more of his work on his website, or by following him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This article was also published here.

from Photography News https://petapixel.com/2018/10/24/rare-photos-inside-the-united-nations-buffer-zone-in-cyprus/

36 Hours in Berlin – The New York Times

On Nov. 9, 1989, the East German government made a surprising announcement: It was easing up travel restrictions on its citizens. East Berliners flocked to the nearest border crossings at the Berlin Wall, especially at Checkpoint Charlie, the famed crossing between the divided Berlins. Not long after that, Berliners from the east and west began chipping away at the literal and metaphorical wall that had separated them for nearly three decades, since the Soviet-backed East German government erected the concrete slabs that split the city in two. The Cold War was over. Well, sort of. Today in Berlin you can still go back to that world by eating and drinking in restaurants and bars dedicated to the German Democratic Republic — G.D.R. for short, or D.D.R. in the local parlance — as well as learn about the former East Berlin via fascinating museums, architecture and shops.

Friday

1) 3 p.m. Communists, nudists and dissidents

Ever wonder why East Germans had a proclivity for hanging out in public stark naked? Or what it was like to drive a Trabant — the cult East German-made automobile with a Formica-like Duroplast body — around East Germany in the 1980s? Or what an interrogation room looked like? You can find out at the DDR Museum, a fascinating, immersive, hands-on experience that serves as an excellent introduction to life in East Germany. The museum, which opened in 2006 and is housed in a modern building on the Spree River, recently welcomed its six millionth visitor. Admission: 9.80 euros, or about $10.80.

2) 7 p.m. The ‘People’s’ restaurant

Named for the “People’s Chamber,” the lower house of parliament in the G.D.R., Volkskammer tries to revive East Germany on a daily basis by cooking up gruel for the odd local with a case of “ostalgie” — nostalgia for the old East — and curious tourists willing to punish their palates with hearty slop like Falscher Hase, or counterfeit rabbit: a dense, gravy-smothered meatloaf hiding a hard-boiled egg and cured pork knuckle with kraut. Dinner for two is about €50, including beer or wine. If you can’t stomach Soviet-era cuisine, try nearby Michelberger (in the hotel of the same name), which serves up excellent farm-to-table, uber-seasonal fare such as venison pie or wild boar schnitzel with pumpkin. Dinner for two is about €75, with wine.

3) 9 p.m. Red hangover

Opened in 1992, just three years after the Wall fell, Die Tagung, a bar in the Friedrichshain neighborhood, celebrates the G.D.R. with a sense of humor. The owner, a longtime Friedrichshain resident, scoured a local abandoned train repair complex for former East Berlin-era signs that now grace the walls, along with tapestries bearing the image of Karl Marx, and a large bust of Vladimir Lenin who was, on a recent visit, sporting headphones and aviator glasses. There are also enough red stars and hammer-and-sickle symbols to inspire a collective May Day parade. Imbibe a Russian Cocaine, €3: a shot of vodka that comes with a slice of lemon coated with sugar on one side and coffee grinds on the other.

Saturday

4) 10:30 a.m. A Stalinist stroll

Built on the rubble of World War II, the wide boulevard known as Karl Marx Allee started life as Stalinallee, Stalin Boulevard, but was renamed after Marx in 1961. Between Frankfurter Tor in Friedrichshain and Alexanderplatz — just under two miles — the 300-foot-wide street is lined with monumental, wedding cakelike, Stalinist-style structures, built to be “workers’ palaces,” a place for East Germany to showcase the glories of Socialism. The Italian architect Aldo Rossi called it “Europe’s last great street.” Placards are positioned along the way to explain the history of noteworthy buildings, such as Kino International, a still-working movie theater and a gem of functionalist architecture, and the duel towers, Frankfurter Tor.

5) Noon. Snack break

Named for a popular G.D.R.-era magazine, Café Sibylle is one of the few businesses on the Karl Marx Allee that still exists from the Cold War days. About halfway along the boulevard, the cafe is nicely positioned for a rest. After taking in the permanent exhibition on the evolution of the boulevard, complete with text, photos and household objects from the 1950s and 60s, plant yourself at a table and sip coffee or a beer and graze on a salad or a sausage. The wooden tables and high ceilings invite visitors to stay awhile. Lunch for two costs about €25.

6) 3 p.m. Shop like a Socialist

Good news, comrade! Both ends of Karl Marx Allee — or at least between Frankfurter Tor and Alexanderplatz — are book ended by Humana Second Hand & Vintage shops. The outlet at Frankfurter Tor is the largest secondhand shop in Berlin: four floors of vintage and used duds. The top floor focuses on clothes from the 1950s to the 1990s, and there are often select racks for G.D.R. clothes at either or both locations. If you like your Socialist souvenirs even more kitschy, head to Ampelmann, south of Alexanderplatz, a shop that sells images of the “traffic light man,” an East German symbol that has become iconic since the fall of the Wall, on everything from golf balls to coffee mugs to T-shirts.

7) 5:30 p.m. Walking the Wall

The East Side Gallery in Friedrichshain; the long stretch of the Berlin Wall that is clad in colorful iconic images; and the Wall Museum near Checkpoint Charlie: These sites all get ample visitors. But the most sobering way to get a sense of what it was like to live in Berlin during the time of the Wall is at the Berlin Wall Memorial in Prenzlauer Berg. This portion of the wall and the harrowing section known as the “death strip” — with its booby traps, armed guards, towers and trenches — allow visitors to see the most preserved swath of the remaining wall complex. Admission is free.

8) 8 p.m. Vodka shots and soljanka

Opened in 1994 and located in the former East Berlin neighborhood of Prenzlauer Berg, Restaurant Pasternak serves dishes from around the former Soviet Union, particularly from Russia and Ukraine; many of the options have an Eastern European Jewish bent. The restaurant is named after the Nobel Prize-winning Russian poet and author of “Doctor Zhivago,” Boris Pasternak. Start off with a bowl of soljanka, a creamy, dill-spiked soup that has Russian origins, but was one of the most popular dishes in the former East Germany; then move on to sautéed calf’s liver and latkes accented with a spicy apple jam. And don’t forget to have a few shots of the house vodka. Dinner for two, about €85 with wine or vodka.

9) 10 p.m. House party

You could go to the Museumswohnung, a three-bedroom apartment so perfectly preserved you’d almost expect the Stasi, the official East German state security apparatus, to be bugging the place. Or you could spend your Saturday night dancing at Salon zur Wilden Renate, a techno club that took over an abandoned apartment building in Friedrichshain and sort of left things as they were, including 1970s wallpaper, couches and beds. Opening times vary, so check the club website before heading out. Entrance is €10 to €15, depending on the night and event.

Sunday

10) 11 a.m. The lives of others

The Stasi’s main job was spying on ordinary people who were not in line with party policies and values, hauntingly depicted in the 2006 German film “The Lives of Others.” The Stasi Museum is in the agency’s former headquarters in Lichtenberg. The three floors hold hundreds of artifacts, such as bugging devices, hidden cameras and lock picks, as well as placards detailing nearly every aspect of the organization, including the fact that up to 180,000 East German “unofficial informants” were working with the Stasi by 1989. The tour ends on the third floor at a cafe and bar — after the museum, you might need a stiff drink. There are free 90-minute guided tours in English at 3 p.m. on Thursday to Monday. Admission is €8 and the tour is free.

11) 2 p.m. Schnitzel and schlock

PILA is a restaurant on Friedrichshain Volkspark that also bills itself as a museum dedicated to the former East Germany. The interior is bedecked with all manner of G.D.R. minutiae — enough East Berlin flags and portraits of former dear leaders to bring tears to the eyes of those nostalgic for five-year plans and collective farming. This is a place for those craving dishes like schnitzel atop fusilli pasta with a few splotches of ketchup-spiked tomato sauce and plus-size plates of currywurst, which is better than you’d think. Even the light, flimsy forks and spoons are legit G.D.R. throwbacks. Lunch is about €40 with beer.

Lodging

A Stadtbad, or public bathhouse starting in 1902, this ornate building in pretty Prenzlauer Berg became a hotel in 2016. Hotel Stadtbad Oderberger (Oderberger Strasse 57; +49 (30) 780 089 760; www.hotel-oderberger.berlin; doubles from 117 euros per night) has 70 rooms, five suites and two apartments. Rooms have oak floors, TVs and coffee makers. The bathrooms have rain-shower heads. The handsome in-house restaurant, housed in a former thermal power station, cooks up German dishes with modern flair and offers a fair number of vegan and vegetarian options. And don’t forget your swimming suit. The original pool is now the hotel pool.

Ostel (Wriezener Karree 5; +49 (30) 2576 8660; www.ostel.eu; doubles from 42 euros per night) is an East Berlin-themed hotel near the Ostbahnhof, or East Railway Station, in Friedrichshain. The 36 single and double rooms are, as one would expect, dripping in Communist-era kitsch, complete with groovy, colorful wallpaper and bedspreads. All rooms have G.D.R.-era radios. But be careful! It would be easy to think that the Stasi is secretly listening to you. Some rooms have shared bathrooms.

If you want to go the private apartment rental route, base yourself in pretty Prenzlauer Berg where studios and one-bedroom apartments may cost around €75 per night.

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