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xerith-42 · 2 months

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Redesign the Nine

[This post is very long. Just a heads up.]

I'm a member of the Jury of Redesign, proud member of fleshing out previously left to rot or forgotten content. It's a hobby. A passion. I have and will continue to go into entire novellas to describe the inter personal relationships of characters we know next to nothing about, but what about characters we know literally nothing about?

We know only 6 members of the total 9 that belong to the Jury. Technically seven if you include Garroth, but that last for like twelve seconds, that doesn't count. And one of them is only made known as a member in Rebirth (which I really like and I like Rebirth). That means there's three entire characters just waiting to happen! How have I never thought of this before?!

This idea really struck me when I was looking at the Jo9 wiki page and saw this comment

The rest of the comment goes on to their whole theory about Ein killing Blaze, but I am mostly against the idea of killing Blaze because nobody ever gives it enough story significance, weight, and meaning. Only I get to kill Blaze, you all lost your privileges.

That's not what's important though. What's important is that I actually love Teony and Ein. I think they're some of the most wasted Aphverse characters, and that's saying something considering how I literally never shut up about Blaze. So let's flesh them out in a... different setting.

Teony

I imagine Teony being in a very similar situation to Katelyn and Jeffory. She has someone she deeply cares about that Zane knows about and is threatening to put in danger. For Jeffory and Katelyn, it was family. For Teony, it's similar, but just a slight flavor different. A gay flavor different.

Teony belongs to a high ranking noble family in O'Khasis, like one step below the Ro'meave family. Originally the plan was for her to be married off to one of the Ro'meave heirs (probably Zane), but then she did something weird. She uhh... She started training to be a guard. And got strong enough fast enough that nobody could really stop her because Teony would just challenge them to a round of armed combat about it despite being literally 12.

So she was allowed to go to guard academy and go through full training. She was never going to be a lord, and she could still easily join the Jury and serve the same purpose with less arranged marriage. Also if they tried to arrange Teony into a marriage she might just pull a sword on them about it. She learned very quickly that her parents wouldn't be allowed to abuse or control her if they feared her. Caused a different kind of trauma compared to the other children of nobles.

And then she found out she was gay. While she was at the academy the person who was writing the Jury recruitment list was the newest member of the Jury herself; Ivy the Venom Scythe. Teony fell in unending sapphic love from first sight. Even if she had become wise to her parents controlling nature in search of power, she still respected and revered the Ro'meave family, and the Jury of Nine. She was set up for it, and she wanted that. And now that she was finally experiencing love for a member of the Jury of Nine.

As always, things in Teony's life were set up for perfection. And she was such an overachiever, are you kidding me? Top ranks in all her classes even though she didn't need to. She would half ass it sometimes and still get the highest scores on every test. When she put her all into something, there wasn't any competition. She was just showing off for Ivy, and she did not hide that in the slightest. Ivy was fully aware that Teony was not only showing off, she knew that Teony was in love, or at least lust with her. Teony is not subtle at all, it's just not a concept to her yet.

On the last day of her training at the academy, Zane Ro'meave himself shows up. I imagine Zane and Teony were almost sort of childhood friends. Zane didn't really like having friends, but he and Teony were personable and able to get along when they were forced to spend time together by their parents. He has a sort of fondness for Teony in a "I'll see where you're going with this" sense. He's heard how passionate she is about fighting and being a guard. And he knows it's not for a violent sake, but because of that nobility that is her bloodline and the baseline of her identity as a person.

She may be overzealous, she may be a know-it-all, she may be a show-off, but Teony always fights with honor. She always showers her classmates a great amount of dignity and respect when they fight her. To her combat is an art form, one that she takes very seriously. She won't attack unless provoked, and more often than not will just skip the talking it out phase and just jump to the dueling stage because that's the part she understands best.

She's autistic. That's what I'm saying. Teony is an autistic lesbian. Look at her go! However, Zane is terrible and evil and so is Ivy. When telling him the candidates, he brings up that Teony is a no brainier. Which is when Ivy tells him that Teony is in love with her and was fighting to earn her attention. She willingly threw away some of her nobility in the name of love. Which means she can do it again if provoked to.

What better way to provoke her than to give it to her and then threaten to take it away? Zane and Ivy literally manipulate Teony, putting her on the Jury, assigning her to work with Ivy, and Ivy starts actively feeding into it in a rather coy way just to drag her along. And right when Teony is ready to fess up, her parents show up at the Ro'meave manner. Teony remembers what they expect of her. That they don't know the truth about her.

She knows beyond a shadow of a doubt they'd disown her. Jury members aren't supposed to have family anyway. For a minute she thinks about outing herself to sever her ties. But then she learns that her mother is pregnant again. She... She has a little sister on the way. And if she cuts ties with her family now, she'll never get to meet her. She doesn't know Zane invited them at first, but when he talks to her later, she pieces it all together.

Zane says he'll let her family live, even let them be known as her family if she wants, but she isn't allowed to be with Ivy in any non-professional manner. Otherwise she'll give herself away, and while he doesn't exactly threaten it, Zane makes it very clear he will out Teony to her parents if she doesn't do as he orders from now until the end of time. It's then that Teony realizes she's trapped. She went from one gilded cage to another.

Until it got to be too much for her. Remember how Jeffory was apparently on the Demon Warlock Island in Gal'ruk? And it was literally never explained. What if he was there to find her? What if it became too much for Teony after meeting her sister, and she ran away? Zane doesn't know what happened when Teony met with her younger sister, but it was enough to shake her that she barely responded to Zane's taunting when she returned. And then she left that night.

Jeffory was sent to follow her trail. And he actually found her before she managed to break the Demon Warlocks curse. On a completely different continent, no guard escorts, and no way that Zane can hear them, they talk openly. They confide in one another. And they work together, as friends, to break the curse and get themselves back home. Teony moves to a different island in Gal'ruk, and tells Jeffory to give Ivy a letter the next time he sees her.

And he's not allowed to let it leave his hands unless it's Ivy taking it. No messengers. No leaving it somewhere she'll find it. Jeffory never learned the contents of that letter, but he did manage to deliver it to Ivy. Only she and Teony knows what's contained in those pages.

(Final note, idk what her funny anime villain name or her weapons would be. I would love council/jury/anyone to give input here. Same for the next member)

Ein

Ein being a big heroic softie is the best thing ever to me you don't understand.

Much like the doll anon, this anon changed my life. I love this idea so much. Listen, I like unrelentingly evil characters, just look at Zane. But that's the thing. Zane's already there. And so is Janus. And Ivy. And probably Lilian. And another character I've yet to get to. And even more characters when we get out of the Jury. We need more innocence that becomes corrupted in the Jury, everyone likes being evil too much.

So I want to make Ein a big ol' softie. He grew up in the Brightport Wolf Tribe with his best friend eventually turned lover Blaze. They mostly stayed within the confines of their tribe, which was small, but spacious enough for two wolf children prone to rough housing to get their energy sufficiently out. It was only when they were older that they started waking up to the... less than ideal circumstances of their relationship.

After being friends and being incredibly close and physically affectionate, when the two started thinking about mating and all that dumb romantic nonsense, it just made sense that they would be with each other in that way too. It's how they got through everything else in life. It was at the ruiner and creator of gay romances, that Irene forsaken Guard Academy that things got... worse.

Because Ein is definitely a very well rounded fighter. He's decently studious, wanting to keep up on speaking both the werewolf language and the more common language, and making sure that Blaze does the same. But Blaze finds these things to be dreadfully boring and doesn't put in more effort than Ein makes him. This is fine when they were kids and their plans weren't more ambitious than protecting their tribe. But their Alpha wanted to see if humans and werewolves could truly get along.

If anyone could prove that werewolves are just as human as they are, it would be these two dorks. But uhh, people are racist. And homophobic. So it doesn't go great. Couple that with the fact that the academy prioritizes individual excellence over collective greatness and suddenly things are just doomed to go wrong for these two. Ein naturally excels, and Blaze who's used to having someone to rely on starts falling behind without the consistent support system.

That was his emotional support nerdy jack of all trades boyfriend! How could you take that away from him? And Ein is stripped of his absolutely pure of heart dumb of ass boyfriend. They don't even get to stay in the same bunks as each other, and barely have any classes together. It's just awful. But Ein finds... something else. After doing particualrly well on a certain test, one of the teachers pulls him aside and tells Ein he might be able to qualify for the Jury of Nine position. Or at least be their bench warmer.

Ein's ambitions in life never went too far beyond the borders of their childhood home. He was the one who always pressured Blaze into going further than they were allowed, but Blaze was easily convinced anyways. But Ein was always an ambitious person. He just didn't know enough about the world to realize them. The highest he'd ever gone was thinking "Wow, it'd be cool to be the Alpha." And like that's it.

Suddenly he's told that if he somehow gets better than he already is he could hold one of the highest positions in the entire fucking continent. It's a no brainier. He has to go for it. He doesn't realize it means he's only being further isolated, pulled away from his few meet ups with Blaze to study, to practice, to do something that only a top student does and a near drop out student doesn't.

In fact the last time they see each other is, like with Teony, the day before the Jury posting for their class. Ein is sure he's on that list. Maybe not the top spot, but defiantly in the top five. Just as he's about to go introduce himself to Zane Ro'meave, try and make a good impression to sweeten his chances, he gets intercepted by Blaze.

Who just hands him a letter. And he whispers a single word under his breath as he's leaving; "Goodbye."

Ein reads the letter immediately, heartbroken to read that Blaze flunked out and is going back home without him. Blaze says he's proud of Ein for being able to go so far, and hopes he gets on the Jury. Ein knows he's lying. He tries to chase after Blaze, to try and make it up to him, but then suddenly Zane's there. He's caught Ein in a dangerously vulnerable moment, and while Ein manages to recover, he never gets the chance to wipe the tears from his eyes.

He never learns what rank he got on the Jury list. Just that he was one of the two who were filling vacant seats from this class. It's painfully bitter sweet. It's everything Ein wanted, but he realized that he never made room for Blaze in these dreams of grandeur. He tried to help Blaze at first, but Blaze eventually rejected his offers. And Ein couldn't even blame him. He'd been ignoring and neglecting the most important relationship in his life. And if Ein keeps going down this path, he realizes he'll destroy it even more.

In spite of that, he accepts the invitation and starts working as a Jury member for Zane. One month into his stay at the Ro'meave Manor as Zane's personal body guard, Zane asks him an odd question. A name he's apparently heard Ein muttering to himself and in his sleep. "Blaze."

Ein tries to say it's nothing, just an old friend he was thinking of reaching out to. That's when Zane makes it clear that Ein has absolutely no control here. Because he saw what happened between them. He asks if this old friend happened to be the one that gave him "that love letter". Ein tries to find it where he keeps it tucked into his armor, but Zane is holding it. He knows everything. And he's known the entire time he's had Ein in the Jury. It was all a test of loyalty.

If he reaches out to Blaze, he will fail. And again, Zane doesn't directly state what the penalty is, but he makes it abundantly clear that it's death for both Ein and Blaze. Ein was always easiest controlled when he was isolated. After this he was only paired up with two members of the Jury Zane trusted enough. Lilian, and the last member of the Jury. We'll get to him in a second.

As a result, Ein desired but never sought freedom. He knew Blaze was capable of a great life, he had a future, and was probably going on incredible adventures without him. He never forgot where he came from, and who he accidentally left behind. When Zane and Lilian disappeared... Ein was set free. His leash was just dropped for the first time. Mr. Mysterious wasn't even there to pick it up.

And he ran straight home.

There's only one threat that's unknowingly standing in the way of Ein's happiness. And his name is

Zachary the Plague

Nobody knows where the title came from. They don't want to. Zachary is one of the oldest members, sometimes referred to as the "shadow member" of the Jury. He's rarely seen, and scarily little is known about him.

And that's because he doesn't directly work for Zane. Unlike the others, who were all put under Zane's command after the other Ro'meave heirs died, Zachary stayed under the command of Garte. He did work for Zane here and there, Garte didn't get out much and was content to leave it all to Zane. And Zachary took a liking to Ein when they met, and when he requested that Ein train under him for some time, Zane wasn't in a position to object.

The only people who would be able to give more insight into Zachary are Garte, Janus, and Ein. Garte won't talk. Ever. Zachary is his most trusted guard, and that is all anyone needs to know. Janus just says they respect Zachary. It says enough given what it's known that Janus values. Ein freezes when he hears the name. Even when he says it.

He's only told Blaze what he knows, and neither one will willingly give up this information. He's a quiet fear in the back of Ein's mind, but Zachary stayed with Garte. Even when Zane disappeared, he stayed with Garte. He was never relieved of his duties officially or unofficially. The reason he abandoned Ein is because Garte told him to. He always followed orders.

It's unknown where he or Garte are now.

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roxxie-spirt · 2 months

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Alright…. Big big post mainly just drawings

A drawing of Leona! Dell ( Brendan’s and Issas little girl grown ) and the twins! Leona loves her cousins and siblings so much

A myst post as well??!! Ofc! Because this is the only universe where jakes alive and well. This was just for funzies Jake(6) with his baby bro zenith 💞

Now for a relationship chart for my main next gen’s canon and fanon. I did forget to add dell so that’s why there’s extra… my canon babies are all grown up…

Malachi Levin Lilith Alina Elliot - laurmau

Zenith - goey/garzo

Gregory- vylacey

Leona didi Zachary - zanki

Trevor - Travlyn

Justice- Locinda (Lo x Lucinda for those who don’t know)

Dell -brendan x issa ofc

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mskathy0724 · 3 years

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Somebody needs to see this today. It's posted outside the Zachary McD. https://www.instagram.com/p/COOFmIunzBo/?igshid=14zutvjgv5ba9

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mcdonoghwriters-blog · 5 years

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A Second Home for Swimmers

McDonogh’s pool in all its glory. The 25 yard pool in the back and the 20 yard pool in the front with the movable bulkhead dividing the two pools is not just a home for the few but a home for the many.

By: Zachary Smith

As you walk through the double silver doors leading you on to the McDonogh pool deck, you get a strong whiff of chlorine, hear hands and feet hitting the water, and swimmers laughing as they roll and stretch their muscles to get them ready for the upcoming training.

“It's kind of a place where I can come and just forget everything else, like when im at the pool it’s just about swimming and my teammates and what I’m doing in the moment not school or anything else.”said Kelsey Cashman, a McDonogh swimmer ‘20’ [and student].

The McDonogh pool wasn’t always the Olympic sized beauty that it is today. In fact, before it was renovated in 2005, it was a basic six lane pool; serious swimmers would have to travel to a different pool in order to get their training in.

Coach Danny Russell who coaches the McDonogh women's swim team said, “There was a major renovation around 2005 where they had a 5 to 6 lane 25 yard pool.”

Practices with the old pool had ups and downs as training in a pool with only fie or six lanes is challenging. With the amount of swimmers on both the girl and boys teams having a small pool didn’t help them with space to practice. Also having a pool outside didn’t help the swimmers either. After every practice the team would have to make a run for the locker rooms and be sure to have brought out their towels and coats so they would not get sick. Between having limited space to practice and a chance of getting sick after every practice, the aquatic center was a tough place to be.

Coach Scott Ward who is the head swim coach here at McDonogh said, “It was tough teaching and coaching due to poor air and water quality, lack of space for our classes and teams.”

With the pool area struggling due to poor air quality and being far from the locker rooms, it was time for an upgrade. Construction of the pool was scheduled to take one whole year and end on November 17th, 2006. Coach Ward was able to supervise and attend each of the construction meetings, he also had a huge say in what the pool was going to look like.

“I was fortunate to be able to attend all weekly construction meetings with the architect and general contractor”. said Coach Ward.

Coach Ward was proud of how the pool turned out, he said there were a few things he’d wish he could change but really it's amazing.

“The best thing about this pool is the increased size has allowed us to expand our McD programs such as PE classes, MS and US water safety plus JV and Varsity swimming.” said Coach Ward, as he walks over to grab a pack of fruit snacks cause he didn’t get a chance to eat lunch because he was so busy coaching practice.

But it's not only Coach Ward that's noticing how amazing the new pool is, students began to notice the beauty of the pool.

“ I like just how beautiful the pool is, said Cashman. “McDonogh has probably one of the best pool in the entire league. Its so big and there is so much space, and the water is so nice.”

The renovations allowed for more swimmers in the pool at once, more meets hosted by McDonogh, and it eventually drew more people to the pool [to swim or just to watch]. This new pool also came with a shallow end for classes and a deep end for our McDonogh water polo team. With the students now seeing the new pool in all its glory, they start to want to be apart of it.

“The pool has definitely attracted a lot more girls to the swim team, it's a lot bigger team then Freshman year and it seems like at the past few meets there has been a lot more cheering and involvement.” said Cashman.

With more people attracted to the pool and joining the swim team, its all hands on deck. Meaning the coaches have more swimmers to take care of while the actual swimmers have to be in the water practicing everyday after school. The pool starts to become a second home for the swimmers and coaches, it becomes a happy place away from the world.

Grant Kay, a club swimmer for McDonogh said, “Its a vacation from your life because when you’re at school and have to think about school but then you go to practice you don’t have to think, all it is is swimming with your closest friends.”

These vacations at the pool not only help clear the mind from school work and other extracurricular activities. But at the same time it helps people get connected and closer with each other.

“Not only have our membership numbers grown but our energy to strive for greater heights has also risen each year.” said Coach Ward, as he hungrily throws another fruit snack gummy into his mouth.

With the team still growing, it's nice to be able to connect so quickly and easily. The setting of the pool allows them to build strong bonds that they all share.

“Coming into Mcdonogh I didn't know anybody except for the swimmers so the pool has kinda made me really close friends with all the swimmers I feel like and I wouldn’t necessary have made connections with a lot of them outside of swimming”, said Cashman.

With great connections and friends comes a strong community. A strong community is key to safe places, even for swimmers outside of McDonogh.

“I don't go to school here so it helps me get connected with not only McDonogh kids but with public school kids too… you can kinda meet people, swim with your friends, and it makes it a pretty safe place to be.”, said Kay

The McDonogh pool isn’t only affecting students here at McDonogh but students in other schools. They find it not only a safe place to be with friends but a cool place to swim and race against their friends.They appreciate the camaraderie of the competitive environment here at McDonogh.

Heading to his car after a long tiring day of practice, “I like competition and doing it at McDonogh is a pretty amazing place to do it at, and i’m so lucky for that.” said Kay.

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xerith-42 · 1 month

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What if we would actually include some minecraft mobs in mcd rewrites?

We talked about Endermen being called void creatures, or maybe voidlings

And then we have zombies, and skeletons.

Although creepers would prove to be difficult, and there's also the question of why are zombies a thing?

Shadowknights are undead beings, and we see ghosts. But what about zombies? Why would they exist? Maybe because of magic in the ground? Causing some area's to be infected with zombies and skeletons and the sort. With this magic possessing dead biodies. Maybe they're shadow souls attempting to possess a dead body?

Shadow souls are such an unused and overlooked part in mcd to be honest.

Either I leave out creepers, or they could be smaller creatures. Like a big bug. That explodes when it dies due to some kind of chemical reaction. (And sometimes leaves ice cream behind/J)

YES YES YES YES IM SO GLAD WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS

I've wanted to figure out how to adapt mobs into my writing for so long and you just hit the nail on the head!! Zombies could come from like a graveyard or burial sight that gets hit with magic or even fully reanimated by a necromancer type beat. Nana uses her magic to control dolls. Who's to say maybe Ivan or Zachary couldn't have the control magic to rise an army of the dead?

Obviously it isn't easy, takes a lot of training, and a lot of physical strength, but it would be so cool to see! And maybe one of the skeletons they raise gains a level of autonomy to start acting and thinking and existing on their own. And they start talking. Just saying.

As for creepers, I always like taking the og Game Theory route and saying that they're a spore. A mushroom that once only grew in maybe the Ygadrisil forest, with the unique ability to sap away at the life force of the creatures it's bonded with in order to strengthen its own hive. Infected plants or people can be severed from the connection, but they still have that life force in their body. Maybe that's why Malachi experimenting with the sampling gave him life again.

And when that along with Aphmau planting one happens, the spore starts to spread but takes on a different form. A form of a wandering creature faintly reminiscent of humans, but distinctly not. And when aggravated, they explode to damage the thing aggravating them, and to respread a reduced number of the spores. So they can either lie in wait, or reform.

And maybe one part of the hive gets really into ice cream or somethin idk

#so so so happy we're having this conversation #this anon left me two other asks #and I will be replying to them with haste #this is something I am very excited to ramble about #i rewrite minecraft worlds a lot #so I have quite a bit of experience and ideas #aphblr #minecraft diaries #text post #aphverse #mcd #answering asks

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xerith-42 · 22 days

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Redesign the Nine Part 2

That's right babey, we're doing a part 2! Because I went outside and sat in the sun but the brain rot still consumed as it does and I had premonitions about more of the Jury members. Before we discussed ones who were completely new, reworking characters from MyStreet into MCD. This time I want to take a closer look at three Jury members who we know were part of the Jury, but lacked on screen appearances, or depth portrayed in the appearances they got.

These are members who's stories are far more shrouded in mystery. Even the elements of it I know feel... incomplete. Because characters like lying to me and refusing to let me tell their damn story.

Let's get into it.

Lilian The Silver Tongue

That's right, she isn't going to be another scythe user, that's boring as hell. Let Ivy slay with that. Instead Lilian is a rather enigmatic member of the Jury because... She didn't go through the same process. Janus, Zachary, and Ivan were all members when Zane inherited the Jury, and everyone else went through the process via the Guard Academy. But Lilian...

Lilian was found by Zane. It was a routine trip to Nahkra, just checking in on the village so close to O'Khasis' borders. A simple trip, so he only took Janus with him. While the two were in the market place, Lilian called out to Zane from her barely functional stall. What mattered was that she had a deck of tarot cards on the table, and a peculiar look about her. [proceeds to pull out my tarot cards and do a divination or two]

She didn't know anything about Zane. Lilian wasn't from Ru'aun, she was a runaway from Gal'ruk. She didn't know about Zane, or O'Khasis, just that she saw a nobleman and his guard and had a distinct feeling about them. The reading she got of him was even more fascinating that her gut feeling. She didn't even know his name and he didn't know hers but she knew there was a great mystery in front of her.

The Seven of Cups, the Five of Cups, and the Reverse Nine of Swords. Over ambition, sorrow of a loss, and the potential for time to heal.

Zane was never superstitious, but he believed in the Divine. In other realms. In the supernatural. Who's to say a deck of cards couldn't be used to predict the future, or read the inner parts of a person? These cards were accurate enough to give him pause at the explanation. Enough to make him stop and listen to the odd hooded woman who was suddenly speaking words the public had yet to hear of. They didn't know Zane's brother was dead yet, or that he had inherited O'Khasis. But her cards knew his loss.

It made Zane pay to get a better reading from her. A deeper look into him, this time with six cards that he pulled himself at her instruction. She didn't know the question Zane asked the cards, but when she read out the result, it was chilling. The question was simple; "Will my father's health get better?" The answer?

Past: The Chariot, Reversed Queen of Cups. A successful, balanced, triumphant man comfortable in his life, and a beautiful but perverse woman, not to be trusted.

Future: Reversed Fool, Knight of Wands. A hasty and impetuous man will offer a key choice, and The Seeker, be that Zane or the subject of his question, will make a foolish and disastrous choice in response to this offer. Tread with caution.

Present Attitudes: Justice, Two of Swords. A well balanced mind, body, and heart will be key to future successes. If one can keep their mind open, emotions calm, and thinking balanced, then great fortune awaits.

Lilian never gave Zane her own analysis of it, just the meanings of the cards. She left it all up to his imagination. And this was before Zane wore a mask. Even if she didn't know what he was thinking, she could see the gears turning in his head. She could see his reactions. She was piecing together who he was through these cards. He left after her reading, in an unsure position.

It was days later, when Lilian was preparing to leave and travel to another city that Zane found her again. He asked her for another reading. A simple yes or no question he wanted answered. And due to her fascination, she didn't even ask for payment. She gladly did it for him. This is a reading he didn't even let Janus witness, asking that his back be turned, and that Lilian not give him any explanation. Let the cards speak for themselves.

The answer Zane got was unsure. But he acted upon it anyway. He asked, and the cards answered. Lilian was to be the newest member of the Jury of Nine.

"What in the name of the Divine makes you think I want that?"

Lilian's retort was the final nail in the coffin. She came from nothing, she was nothing, and came to Ru'aun for nothing. Zane could offer her a proper life, an identity, a purpose. She used those cards to learn about others so she could imitate being human, and her lack of knowledge was an advantage she was keenly aware of. One Zane wanted to understand how to utilize himself. He and Lilian went back and forth for a while, but in the end he convinced her. In the end, Lilian was the first member of the Jury Zane ever assigned, and he didn't even recruit her properly.

And she instantly joined the rank of his most trusted ally at the time.

Janus the Silver Death

Janus was a member of the Jury when Garte held control, yet before that he was always assigned to help Zane. When Janus joined the Jury, he was the youngest member, the first to be freshly out of the guard academy and into the Jury. Garte preferred to bring in already hardened veterans, but he saw a ferocity in the way Janus fought, and a willingness to kill when told to do it. He was loyal and fierce. But he was young, spunky, and in need of discipline.

As was Garte's at the time youngest son, a teenage Zane. So despite attaining the best position a guard in Ru'aun can attain, Janus was given the job of babysitting body guarding the youngest Ro'meave. Awesome. He was so happy about this and it did not piss him off at all. But in spite of a... let's say less than great first impression, Janus still took the job with stride, and put his all into ensuring that Zane would be trained properly in combat.

It uhhh, didn't go that way. Instead Zane was a nerd who learned about magic and relics n shit, and Janus couldn't really stop him, but he still wanted to do his job. He still wanted to help Garte in that goal of making Zane into a potential successor for him. Janus never verbalized any confusion as to why Garroth wouldn't be more fitting of this training. In achieving this goal, Janus just encouraged Zane's interest in well, whatever nerd shit Zane was interested in. He doesn't understand any of it but Zane's clearly passionate and makes a solid case for why this is useful knowledge to have.

And when Zane becomes High Priest while Garroth is off at the Guard Academy, he selects Janus to be his top advisor. Zane hasn't even inherited the Jury yet, but he and Janus have just been doing shit together for long enough now that it just makes sense. When Zane does inherit the Jury, when Garroth fakes his death and Zane is officially named successor, Janus becomes his most trusted ally. But why does Zane trust Janus so much?

Because he doesn't ask questions. Janus was taught to be devoted to a fault, to not question his superior, and to take what he is given. When Zane asks him to go pick up the order from the butcher, he does it. When Zane asks him to help him run scenarios of taking over villages through subterfuge, he does it. When Zane asks him to slaughter an entire village while holding a probably cursed amulet so it can absorb their remaining life force or power, he does it. Unlike Zachary or Ivan, Janus wasn't loyal to Garte for very long. He is loyal to Zane.

That's why he and Lilian share the title Silver. It's a sign of loyalty to Zane, as it's his favorite color. The two members of the Jury that Zane trusts to know him on any personal level are given this title in common, even before he fully trusts either of them. He makes it mean that. I firmly believe that Zane saw almost every other member of the Jury as a pawn, or outright disposable. But Janus and Lilian? Those aren't just Jury members. Those are Zane's friends. Zane's fucked up and evil friends. Zane's friends who would help him commit war crimes.

Truly the ride or die friends of all time.

And uhh, then there's this fucking guy

Ivan the... bitch

I don't actually have a funny clever name for Ivan, I just think he's a little bitch. A little warlock bitch. I think Ivan's sick warlock powers let him get into the Jury easier, but his bitchy cocky attitude did not exactly work well with others. He was a respected fighter, but didn't often play nice with other members of the Jury, particularly Zachary who he got into a lot of fights with, and later Ivy when she joined. He was infuriating to be around, partially because he's just a massive jackass, and partially because he's so good at what he does that he gets away with being a massive jackass.

I don't have a lot to say about Ivan, I will admit. I don't have some dramatic backstory, no deeper connection with anyone, no family that's being blackmailed. Just an entitled bitch of a man. However, I did have a really interesting take about his relationship with Lucinda.

Hear me out on this; Zane finds out that he's potentially going to have to marry the heir to Pikoro. Wanting to avoid the disaster that happened when they tried to ask Garroth to marry someone he'd never met, he sends Ivan undercover into Pikoro to learn more about Lucinda and report back to Zane about his findings. His job was to just observe Lucinda, maybe talk to her once or twice, figure out what kind of person she is and whether she's actually compatible with Zane, or if this marriage is really going to be a sham.

Ivan ends up seducing her and telling Zane that she's a disloyal harlot of a witch. Because Ivan sucks. But y'know, Lucinda doesn't know about any of this, and when Ivan disappears, he lies to her. He leaves Pikoro saying that he's going back to the Academy to be a teacher there, and promises to see her again. In reality he just goes back to Zane, back to normal life, only occasionally sparing a thought for the beautiful witch he met.

And when Zane disappears with Lilian, and the Jury starts to slowly disband itself, Ivan thinks of where to go. What does he want to do with his life? Lucinda.

Good choice honestly. Prick.

That's all for today. See you losers next time when the brainrot really takes over and we tackle my favorite Jury members, who don't necessarily need redesign, but do need some fleshing out. Especially Ivy. See you then ;)

#minecraft diaries #aphblr #text post #jury of nine #jury of redesign #janus the silver death #mcd lilian #mcd ivan #mcd zane

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