godsholyhat

[godsholyhat]

Ask not for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee

[godsholyhat]

a fun item find in KCD2— Žižka's chalice!

as you already know, i love finding and analyzing details hidden in KCD2, and this is one of them.

you can find this item on the dining table in the main hall of the ruthard's palace after the pack moves in (oratores) (thank you @lordgeneralsix for info!)

so why is this silly chalice important? i'm sure you already know the answer is hussites.

the hussites chose the chalice as their symbol to represent their belief that everyone should receive both the body and blood of christ during the eucharist. this idea came from jacob of mies, who introduced it to jan hus. they argued that communion should be equal for all people, not just priests. at the time, the catholic church only allowed priests to receive the wine (the blood of christ), while the laity received only the bread (the body). the chalice thus became a symbol of reform and equality in faith.

(source)

when the hussite movement split into factions, the utraquists adopted various names, including calixtines (chalice, lat. calix). the taborites adopted the chalice as one of the main symbols on their banners.

(source)

bonus image of jan žižka himself with the chalice on the flag of hussites.

a lot of the subsequent hussite imagery was based on the chalice since then. very fun detail from WH indeed!

[godsholyhat]

He's also depicted on the tripytch across on the opposite panel to Sir Divish! (This was a common way for patrons of churches to be depicted.)

The Latin above reads He won the battle in Pribyslavitz — First founder Henry of Skalitz

so. was nobody going to tell me that the frescos in pribyslavitz actually depict henry as the founder of the reborn village?

how wholesome is this???

[godsholyhat]

At risk of being OOC and independent of my ability to draw them consistently, this is my ideal Hansry physique.

[godsholyhat]

Nothing speaks to Hans Capon's character more than the fact that in the middle of an ambush he tries to save the life of a man who days before tried to have him hanged and very nearly succeeded

[godsholyhat]

Looks like I’m obsessed with Hans’ little kisses

[godsholyhat]

i will absolutely not be the one to make a comprehensive or academic post about the detoothification & infantilization of hans capon by fandom or all the reasons why it is a misguided effort to seemingly legitimize a canon m/m romance. but in the interest of providing context to enrich the audience's appreciation of hansry beyond the imposition of heterosexist gender roles: it is useful to understand that hans capon is very much representative of medieval masculinity far more than henry is, from the symbols he is associated with to his dress and general demeanor. medieval masculinity prided athletic pursuit (for knights, aggressive competition between male peers), the sun, summer, heat, strong/bold colors (especially gold, blondness, yellow - all the domain of the sun), bodily health (often sought through and evidenced by appetite and a resistance to illness), a rejection of high medieval asceticism (at least for knights), mastery over wilderness (epitomized by male animals like the stag), literary scholarship (especially as a means of winning/persuading lovers; admittedly hans does not succeed at the latter as a matter of wordplay, not until it comes from a place of sincerity), strong/long legs and hands, a straight nose, shoulders broader than the waist and a defined silhouette / disciplined posture. by general late medieval standards, the least masculine thing about him is, perhaps surprisingly to folks unfamiliar with norms of the period, the amount of sexual socialization he has with women, which was sometimes characterized as feminizing through a sort of sexual osmosis. it is worth noting that historically speaking and among his contemporaries hans capon does not cut an effeminate medieval figure for whatever use that may be to fan artists and writers

[godsholyhat]

Dialogue based on the shit that Galehaut says to Lancelot in Lancelot-Grail.

[godsholyhat]

Smooch >3<

[godsholyhat]

One of the best things that KCD does is illustrate just how the nobility are just as trapped by the feudal system as peasants. On the surface Hans has more freedom than Henry: he has money and land, he can enjoy the benefits of others’ hard work while contributing little in return, he can spend his days drinking and whoring with little consequence. But KCD2 shows us how even someone with relative privilege like Hans is trapped by the system he lives in — at the end of the day, he’s just a pawn on the chessboard. Sure, he doesn’t have to worry about being executed if captured in battle — but he will be imprisoned and used as a political bargaining chip. He can run around and fuck anything with two legs but when it comes to marriage he has even less choice about it than Theresa, a peasant girl. For Theresa, at least, she can say no to the arranged marriage because it’s about her future and financial stability. With Hans, it’s not just about him, it’s about political alliance and the stability of his domain. Commoners might belong to their lords, but their lords belong to their people too. Hans is Rattay: his life is tied to his domain, and he can never escape from it without causing significant damage to the people who rely on him. His life is not his own.

[godsholyhat]

WIP excerpt from a Hans/Henry fic set post KCD2 — we are up to 3000 words and have only just had kissing. *shakes them about like naughty pears in the pear wiggler*

—

“They may well kill me, someday,” said Henry. “My luck cannot hold forever.”

The washcloth stilled in its movement over Henry’s back. “I know,” said Hans, all cheer vanished from his voice. “I pray every day that St George watches over you and keeps you safe.” He gave a short laugh. “If someone had told me a year ago that I’d be saying prayers every night for some blacksmith’s boy, I’d have laughed in their face. But enough, you’ve been hogging the tub for too long.” He rose and offered his hand to Henry, who accepted it. For a long moment they stood there, soldier and lord, hands clasped fast. Hans’ palm was warm and strong, his fingers more calloused than any lordling’s ought to be. He caressed Henry’s hand gently, as though Henry were a dog who had been beaten too many times and had not yet learned to accept kindness. He smelled of lavender, faint but sweet, and Henry, unable to withstand another moment of being apart, pulled Hans into an embrace so tight it made Hans grunt, and buried his face in his friend’s shoulder.

Hans chuckled, his hands reaching up to stroke Henry’s bare back. “I wanted to kiss you, you know,” said Hans softly, and Henry pulled back. “When you returned to save us all. I wanted to throw my arms around you, kiss you like any brother knight would, but—”

“Maybe not like any brother knight would,” pointed out Henry, smiling. The image of Hans throwing himself into Henry’s arms like a rescued damsel amused and flattered him.

“No,” said Hans, returning the smile. “If I’d had my way, I would’ve had you there and then.”

“There, in the courtyard? In front of everyone?” The notion was as intriguing as it was scandalous.

“Aye,” said Hans, smiling too. His hands roved over Henry’s shoulders as though admiring the strength of his muscle. “Right there. In front of all the dead Praguers too.” Henry’s nose wrinkled in disgust, but Hans was not finished. “I would’ve shown them all how a lord treats his most loyal and faithful knight.” His eyes were bright with mischief, but there was something far more vulnerable and sincere in his expression that Henry could not name.

[godsholyhat]

something long dead

[godsholyhat]

You know, about KCD in general, something makes me so, so sad. In English, it's reduced – linguistically anyway. In Czech it's much more colourful, the whole game.

All the nicknames Henry uses with Hans are just nonexistent throughout the games in English and it's so sad. The nicknames in Slavic languages are always top tier imo and I just wish we could interpret it somehow into English so everyone would be able to enjoy their double meanings.

[godsholyhat]

I just finished a woman's lot dlc... FUCK

What I wouldn't give for a kcd-sized game with Theresa as the main character 😭😭

She's literally Henry. But better. To me. She has the ability to be very reserved and play within the system, but she can also be, as shown, an insane adrenaline junkie + mad with grief + can whoop Henry's ass at swords and steal his beer and his girl for a walk in the woods. Fucking. Perfect character.

[godsholyhat]

"here, let me help your footing..." no, I did not get tripped up whenever hans would walk over when I was sparring with bartosch

[godsholyhat]

MY UNDYING LOVE FOR AND LOYALTY TO PEBBLES HAS BEEN REWARDED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[godsholyhat]

🌹 The pages of stories smell like roses