s0n-0f-the-sun

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I read this this morning and oh my gods I started crying, this hurt me. Thank you much Eridian!

ahahahahaaaa suffer

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Very excited to post this! @deliver-the-light and I collaborated on a tarot card piece for No. 12, The Hanged Man. I did the lines and they did the beautiful colors!

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Twitchtip and ares could be so besties do you see my vision

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I love that Ares and Gregor are commonly depicted with this Hiccup and Toothless relationship or Percy and Blackjack but like in all reality this sweet goofy 12 year old is being piggy backed by this hulking terrifying fully sentient adult man that has almost zero moral reservations and is feared by almost everyone and for damn good reason. Ares just carries this kid metaphorically and literally and goes along with whatever bullshit they decide on cause. Like. Whatever, sure, we're bros let's do it.

He's a trained soldier who's been to battle and has killed and will do it again. He saw an infant rat pup and was like 'Oh thank fuck it's defenseless, let's just throw it in the river and be done.' And 'Oh shit it's a baby, my dumbass 11 year old bond with a heart of gold will never allow this oh fuck oh shit please no.'

He's ALSO such an attentive, comforting dude who knows how to handle distressed kids (COUGH HENRY COUGH) and really looks out for them and their peace of mind. Bro keeps his word and bro minds his vows religiously and NOT just out of legal obligation. He is above and beyond ride or die. He shares a braincell with a 12 year old New Yorker. If someone shoved the kid Ares wouldn't give two shits about ending their life. He's a huge asshole who can say things that destroy people but never lets Gregor see that side of him because like. He's Gregor's bond now and as a team they don't do that they gotta be nice. He has very few shits to give and he gave them all exclusively to like four or five people.

Ares is a sweety the way a 200lb guard dog is a sweety.

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underland tumblr (part two)

💦 river-runrun follow

oh u dont like my horny posting? fine. |/ |// ||\ \ /| |||| |// ||\\ \/ |||| |/\ |\ |||\

💦 river-runrun follow

anyway |\\ |||\ |\ \\ /\ \/ |\\ \| \/ \ ||\ // |// ||\ |// ||\\ \\ /| \| \ |\ |\/ |\ || |/\ \ // / |\\ \\ ||| /| // |// |/| \

🩸ripping-red follow

cannot be fucked to decode this right now but i have a horrible feeling that it's about me

💦 river-runrun follow

um. so. So um the thing is.

🩸ripping-red follow

why must i always be right

🐀 gnawgnawnibblegnaw follow

oh god im so out of practice with the code of claw someone else take this pls pls pls

⚔️ smashed-swordsss follow

^^^ someone get the warrior's sister lizzie

🩸ripping-red follow

OR WE COULD NOT DO THAT. WE COULD NOT GET THE LITERAL CHILD TO DECODE AN EXPLICIT POST ABOUT ME.

🪳 temp follow

decoded it, i have, decoded it

🩷 as-i-save-my-life follow

[ID: a screenshot of a translation from the Code of Claw that says "i want ripred to do unspeakable things to me" end ID]

���ripping-red follow

was the image description really necessary

🩷 as-i-save-my-life follow

accessibility is always necessary xoxo

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sometimes i forget wizardposting isn’t a regular occurrence on any other website. what do you mean your posts don’t randomly get taken over my evil wizards casting spells on your peunis

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"Look at the color of his skin Clawfang, dark and rich! You know what they say about the taste of those from above?"

Owen's mind reeled, not just at the danger he faced but also at the Rat's casual bigotry. It was absurd and terrifying all at once, a nightmare conversation he never could have imagined.

"True, Snarltooth. A rare delicacy this one." Clawfang agreed–his yellow teeth bared in a grotesque grin.

"–We should eat quickly though, can't risk more of his kind coming after us."

Greetings Overlanders!

What's up y'all, W.P.P here, (He/Him) and I'm currently looking for Beta Readers/Editors/Fans of The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins. To read/engage with and possibly even shoot some feedback on My Fan Novel/Fic.

It's canon compliant and follows after Code Of Claw.

Ok, pretty cover but what is it about?

Three years (gotta get our boys in that Classic High school setting huh?) After The War of Bane. Fragile peace exists in the Underland. But as is The Underland, one knows peace never lasts. Especially built on deception. When a conspiracy is exposed and the ghosts of beliefs thought lost to Time pervert the ideas of coexistince. Prophecy calls yet again for its Salvation. When you ignore and attempt to reject fate, it tends to mess back. Now, calling for The Seeker. A being who's destiny is forever tied to Bartholomew's hand of war and tribulation, to return The Warrior to The Underland, to save the realm together. However, there maybe key players, manipulating destiny from the shadows. One that will change Gregor's entire view of Prophecy, Regalia and Owen's life forever.

Woah, OC Alert 🚨 Who's Owen?

Here comes the ✨Boy✨ 🎹

Meet you: Owen. "The Seeker"

15 year old Bronx native. A boxer, thanks to his dad. And quite the cook, thanks to his mother. It was their deaths, and the way the police handled them, that killed any respect for authority the boy had left. Owen is a resilient and resourceful teenager thrust into the extraordinary world of the Underland, where he faces trials that challenge his courage and determination. Despite his initial reluctance, Owen demonstrates a strong sense of compassion for others and a willingness to confront his fears head-on, although it takes him A MINUTE to get there. He possesses a sharp wit and a penchant for sarcasm, which often serves as a coping mechanism in the face of adversity. He also also 🏳️‍🌈 Queer 🏳️‍🌈 let's talk Virtues and Vices?

Determination: Owen demonstrates a strong sense of determination, as evidenced by his resolve to survive and navigate the challenges presented to him in the Underland.

Courage: Despite facing daunting and unfamiliar situations, Owen exhibits courage by confronting his fears and taking action to protect himself and others. Albeit not without some coercing.

Compassion: Owen shows compassion towards others, such as when he expresses concern for the citizens of Regalia and reflects on the consequences of his actions on innocent lives.

Adaptability: Owen demonstrates adaptability by adjusting to his surroundings and learning to navigate the unfamiliar environment of the Underland.

And his vices?

Impulsiveness: Owen's impulsiveness is hinted at through his sarcastic remarks and tendency to act without fully considering the consequences of his actions. This impulsiveness could potentially lead him into trouble or exacerbate conflicts. It is this that sets off the entire Prophecy to begin with.

Self-Doubt: At times, Owen exhibits self-doubt, particularly when he questions his ability to fulfill the expectations placed upon him or doubts his capacity to make a difference in the face of overwhelming challenges.

Guilt: Owen struggles with feelings of guilt, especially regarding the unintended consequences of his actions, such as the destruction of the Prophecy of Time in the Underland. The source of his guilt extends from not being in the car when his parents died. Survivors guilt.

Owen definitely suffers from bouts of Imposter Syndrome and feelings of inadequacy, especially when comparing his experiences to Gregor's.

Oh God, it's not OC X Canon, is it?

Hey now! I'm not throwing any shade at OC X Canon shippers, I have a few ships in other fandoms that are essentially that. But no, Gregor & Luxa's Relationship while will be rocky in it's rekindling, are endgame. Also Gregor isn't remotely Owens type. No, Owen will have his own Underlander romantic interest. In fact, Meet you:

Aiden: Luxa's personal guard, Archer, confidant, and best friend.

16, (what the hell are they feeding them nowadays down there, he's a brick house.) Aiden is Queen Luxa's personal body guard and closest friend. During the years after The War of Bane. When he discovers his family had planned a coup d'etat against the royal family, including catching his father about to kill Luxa, he draws his bow, taking his life and testifying against his family's quest for power. He's jailed for a time before Lord Vikus takes him in admiring his loyalty to the current crown and grooms him to protect Luxa, and to be there for her for when he eventually passes. He's arrogant, showboaty at times, and abrasive, especially when it comes to The Overland Boys. More specifically "The Mouthy Imp" known to him as Owen. He and Luxa are fairly close, to where rumors amongst Regalian council, and teen girls, are suggesting they are to be wed. Yeah, good luck with that ladies. 💅🏽

Oh so he's like Henry?

Some pretty decent comparisons and contrasting elements can be made between the two of them.

Both of them are/Were close to Luxa

Both of them can be described as Arrogant.

Both of them technically betrayed their families and believed they did so for a good reason.

Where as Henry was desperate for power, Aidens only motivation is to maintain peace for the Royal family and the Kingdom Of Regalia.

Personally, I don't believe Henry came up with his idea of Allying with King Gorger on his own. Nor do I think he's the only one after him who thinks that way. Listening to the Return to Regalia Podcast has helped provide some really dope questions about the landscape, geopolitical or otherwise, that are like alluded to, but never really expanded upon. That I wanna use this book to answer. Oona and the Gang have been a godsend for fic writers who are fans of the series.

If *insert character* isn't in it, I'm not reading it. 🤬

Guys, Of course Ripred is gonna be in the bo- Look, it's Canon Compliant alright 😅. Ive been listening to the series on Audiobook on loop for the last few weeks as I've been writing. I want to make sure I'm not misunderstanding each characters voices, and how they think and speak. Remembering who was where when this or that happened. But Let's discuss some returning characters!

Boots: Now 6 years old, Boots has become quite the little person! Her affinity for taking animals hasnt gone anywhere, her most recent hyper fixation being a show about Australian talking dogs. A show Gregor has to admit, has it's moments.

Temp: The gangs back together! Thanks to his association with The Princess, Temp has become highly regarded amongst Crawlers. You and Boots will love the Set piece the Crawlers built in her honor.

Hazard: Now as old as Gregor was when he first arrived, The Halflander has been elevated to a role of diplomacy and interpretor liaison for dialogue between Underland Inhabitants. He carries a sword, for defensive combat. A sign of unavoidable circumstances, even with his fathers dying wish. A rebellious streak may in fact land him in potentially fatal trouble.

Howard:Luxa's Cousin and medical prodigy, makes him one of the most skilled Healers of all in Regalia. He's made it a personal mission to learn to Heal every species known to them in the Underland. As of late, he finds himself frequenting visits and courting with one of Regalias nanny's in the Nursery.

Dulcet: Dulcet is one of the nannies that works in Regalia's palace. She was the one that took care of Gregor's sister, Boots whenever they came to the Underland. She was one of Gregor's favorite Regalians. Sweet but embarrasses easily. Nowadays, especially around a certain Regalian healer. She isn't too sure, but he's been quite sweet to her as of late.

Mareth: Mareth has a good heart. He never stopped caring for those under his protection, and even for those that weren't. After his leg was removed, he still maintains his humor and kindness. He'll stick knock you out if you wild out too much. He and Perdita saw Aiden's training through in it's entirety. He's moved emotionally to see Gregor Return, however bittersweet it may be. Designated to be a bit more hands off, he still finds time to train the young soldiers of Regalia. His improved prosthetic affords much more mobility since his last interaction with Gregor.

The rest of Gregor's Family also make an appearance! Lizzie, Grace and Gregor's Dad. (Going with Dr.Elliot/Eli for short) all come back and influence the story in some Capacity.

Why is Gregor White/White Passing?

Gonna level with y'all, I didn't really know about Tumblr like that. I'm a mixed race poc myself, and definitely lack Eurocentric features. I just was honestly basing his look off of what I've seen in the covers and alt editions of the series. Hell, Homie is even BLONDE in the Russian edition. Me and my partner also are a little too far into the story to match him up with the Headcanon of Tumblr. That being said, I do love POC Gregor, and will be maintaining that his dad is a person of color as well. Just have Gregor as yt passing presenting. It could also provide a bit of conflict between He and Owen. As Gregor's first descent is a lot more welcoming, Than what Owen goes through his first time down, staring from his initial Fall.

So do The Warrior & The Seeker immediately hit it off?

Yeaaaaahhhhhhh-no. Wouldn't be much of a story if the two became immediate besties. I couldn't imagine being too thrilled with the guy who's fault it is that you're even in this mess at all. Now who exactly I mean by that is what makes it fun. They need each other to make it through the quest. Over time however, they learn about each other, and how they can truly help one another. Eventually becoming close as their journey reaches its end and inklings of a new ones raises it's head. That being said, when he learns of Gregor and Luxa's relationship, or their past together. Is full team Gregor and Luxa. With Owens dating pool being non existent above and below (so he thinks) ground. He becomes invested in the possibility of Love blossoming at all, mostly to see Luxa pull the stick from out- know what, it's better to read it.

But the video though, what's that about?

For Nostalgia sake, as well as Accessibility reasons, I've been screening several actors and VA actors who would be down to do an audiobook! So it will be releasing as audiobook as well!

Hobbies aren't cheap but I love the series so much that I don't see why not 🤷🏽. I fell in love with the audiobooks so it'd be pretty cool to see it again.

In the same manner as Star Wars novels, where not every book is written by the same author-

I want readers to feel as if the baton was passed from Suzanne to yours truly 😅.

So Overlanders! Fans! If you're looking to beta read, I'm looking for Beta Readers ✨

Hope to hear from you all!

Fly you high! 🦇

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The Crawler's Language

So I'm not a linguist by academic specialty but I am bilingual and fascinated by languages and every time I reread the Underland Chronicles I think about language and especially the Crawler's style of repetitive speech.

All of the species in the Underland have different speech patterns. The bats speak rarely, quietly, and in short sentences because it is physically difficult for them. The spinners speak through vibrations. The rats as a species are associated with humor, they're most likely to use sarcasm and constantly make jokes. But when all of these species do speak, they use the grammar and syntax common to human Underland English.

The exception is the crawlers, who have a distinct verbal quirk, saying things like: "Smells what, so good, smells what?" In this essay I am making basically two arguments:

The crawlers word order is completely normal for Underland English.

Often, when discussing the crawlers, the book narration will make a point of Gregor or others having to mentally re-order sentences to understand the bugs. But if you take out the repetition, Crawler sentences become things like:

"Smells what so good?" "Be she the princess?" "Hates us, the Overlander?" "Unless this be not the Cradle"

And this order that goes Verb-Object or Verb-Pronoun is not unusual for standard Underland English. Human and other characters throughout the books say things like: "Stop you. Stay you. Slow your hearts." (Ripred, Book 1) "Meet you Mareth and Perdita" (Dulcet, Book 1) "Gather us here for we must discuss" (Vikus, Book 1)

It's even baked in to the standard Underlander farewell, "Fly you high".

So the crawlers are speaking correct sentences in Underland English, just repeating the first phrase at the end. Which brings me to my second argument.

The repetition serves a grammatical function

In paying attention to the crawler's speech, I found a pattern. The repetition is not present in every sentence. Crawlers often make simple declarative statements without repetition:

"You look much like but smell not like" "Temp will share her food with me" "Rats give many fish"

The repetition specifically happens with questions:

"Ride you, ride you? Run you, run you?" "Give you five baskets, give you?" "You so say, you?"

Even Vikus takes on this particular grammatical feature. When speaking to the Crawlers, he says "We will give four baskets, and one for thanks" but later asks "Take us to your king, take us?" when asking a question.

There are exceptions to this, but to me they seem to be in cases of emphasis or explicit confirmation:

"Only the Princess, Temp serves, only the Princess" "Hate warmbloods, cutters do, hate warmbloods"

I have no idea if this was Suzanne Collins intention, but for me personally, it reminds me of how questions are structured in American Sign Language. In ASL, a question is indicated by raising or lowering the eyebrows. Signs for question words like who/what/where/why exist, but aren't always necessary. One of the structures common with ASL is to put or repeat the question word at the end, so you can sign a longer phrase or sentence normally, and only have to worry about the question facial expression for the last word. Bill Vicars at Lifeprint/ASL University has a more in-depth explanation, comparing it to English questions structured as "You go to [X university], don't you?" or "You like engineering, do you?" But basically, in ASL, a perfectly grammatically correct way to ask if someone is Deaf is to sign: YOU DEAF YOU?

It is also worth exploring why, in my opinion, the crawlers are the only species who have this visible difference to the audience, even though all species are speaking English as a second language. And at a meta-level, it contributes to the basic assumption that the crawlers are dumber than the other species. Gregor has the most to adjust to, but even long after he's accepted that the Underlanders aren't primitive, and bats/rats are intelligent, he still has a kind but condescending outlook on the crawlers. And even other insect species (like the fireflies) look down on them. Having the crawlers speak differently from anyone else emphasizes their alienation from all other species in the Underland. And it reminds me of how some accents or dialects, like AAVE, are associated with stupidity or assumed to be "incorrect" English when they have perfectly valid and functional structures and meaning.

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I think anyone who liked PJO and the Hunger Games should read The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins. It has the “young kid goes to find his father in this crazy new world and meets a very intense girl his age that insists he’s sent by some prophecy” of Percy Jackson but also the emotional devastation and underlying understanding of how war and trauma affects children of Hunger Games. It’s my favorite series, I think everyone should read it

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hello TUC community and merry christmas to all who celebrate <3 got a new TUC book for my collection (a signed/stamped advance copy of gto!!! my mom very generously purchased for me from someone off ebay lol) as well as a @returntoregalia Ares and the Fliers shirt 😎🥳

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(sorry aftg/dc mutuals i'm underland chronicles posting again :/)

the "i'm not a violent dog, i don't know why i bite" audio from isle of dogs makes me think of gregor from books 2-4. does it really apply? no. but the way he is so consistently freaked out by being a rager/every time his rager-ness kicks in while he fights (ex. the snakes in the jungle where he is LAUGHING while killing them) makes me think of him when i hear it bc he really is trying to not be a violent person?? and his body is primed for violence in a way?? idk if this makes sense to anyone but me but like!!! he is so scared of the fact that he's a rager for a good chunk of the books!! (i don't think i'm misremembering him being scared of being a rager but please correct me if i'm wrong, my last reread was a while ago)

maybe i was overthinking it but in more recent rereads to me it almost seems like he's walking on eggshells constantly bc he's scared of that side of himself?? also idrk how old he was but like the oldest he could possibly be at the end of the series is barely 14 and thats just,, so much for him to be dealing with :(

and like. it makes me wonder if as an adult he tries to isolate himself from most of the world,, because he thinks he's dangerous and he knows he's covered in scars but he can't go back to the one place that is dangerous enough that he fits in perfectly.. i feel like he just really wants to go back to the underland, but not to the reality of it-just to a version of it that exists in his mind as a place where he can exist without stares or really worrying about his instincts kicking in if that makes any sense?? like in reality the underland is terrifying and is filled with mercilessly violent people who definitely managed to colonize a place that didn't have humans, but it was also a place where gregor was more or less accepted, at least in the palace.

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Another thing I really appreciate about the Underland Chronicles is how it's both grounded but still having a bit of fun. There's SOME thought given to practicality, logistics, and realistic inspiration, but that's held in the same hand as a healthy dose of rule of cool. The people ride on bats and they have acrobatics themed fighting styles that utilize triple bladed swords. Is that practical? Does it even make physical sense? I don't care.

It's grounded in the sense that no one casts a spell, and the nature of free will is left up in the air, but there are prophecies and there are dinosaurs. It feels real but it never feels embarrassed to be fantasy (like SOME OTHER SERIES I WON'T NAME). Sometimes you get scientific justifications for things, and sometimes you don't because it's not important. How do apple trees grow underground? Moving on! No lamp-shading! L+ratio+use your imagination.

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Ep 22 - Prophecy of Bane Ch. 24-25

Oona and John discuss chapters twenty-four and twenty-five of The Prophecy of Bane, in which Gregor and Ares crash Nerissa’s coronation and get arrested. Other topics of discussion include state capitals, living on borrowed time, and Regalian lawyers.

PS: We have merch now! Check out our T-shirts, stickers, magnets, and pins: redbubble.com/people/ReturntoRegalia.

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One thing I really appreciate about the underland chronicles is that they don't forever worry about being discovered. Gregor's family has to keep a secret, but it's more that they're afraid no one will belive them and the kids will be taken away. No one is trying to protect the underland from being discovered Artemis fowl style and it's just SO refreshing. No one ever tells Gregor he has to keep it a secret, they don't ever have scares of the authorities almost finding out and having to cover it up. The whole urban fantasy masquerade trope can get so exhausting, I love how Suzanne Collins just barely gives it the time of day.

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Dear everyone.

Ripred isn't 6ft tall. He's that tall sitting hunched over like a shrimp. And guestimated at 6-700 lbs. He's not the size of a large human.

You know what IS that size?

THAT'S A BIG FUKKIN RAT.

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underland tumblr (part two)

💦 river-runrun follow

oh u dont like my horny posting? fine. |/ |// ||\ \ /| |||| |// ||\\ \/ |||| |/\ |\ |||\

💦 river-runrun follow

anyway |\\ |||\ |\ \\ /\ \/ |\\ \| \/ \ ||\ // |// ||\ |// ||\\ \\ /| \| \ |\ |\/ |\ || |/\ \ // / |\\ \\ ||| /| // |// |/| \

🩸ripping-red follow

cannot be fucked to decode this right now but i have a horrible feeling that it's about me

💦 river-runrun follow

um. so. So um the thing is.

🩸ripping-red follow

why must i always be right

🐀 gnawgnawnibblegnaw follow

oh god im so out of practice with the code of claw someone else take this pls pls pls

⚔️ smashed-swordsss follow

^^^ someone get the warrior's sister lizzie

🩸ripping-red follow

OR WE COULD NOT DO THAT. WE COULD NOT GET THE LITERAL CHILD TO DECODE AN EXPLICIT POST ABOUT ME.

🪳 temp follow

decoded it, i have, decoded it

🩷 as-i-save-my-life follow

[ID: a screenshot of a translation from the Code of Claw that says "i want ripred to do unspeakable things to me" end ID]

🩸ripping-red follow

was the image description really necessary

🩷 as-i-save-my-life follow

accessibility is always necessary xoxo

[s0n-0f-the-sun]

I'm working on a conversion of the Witcher tabletop rpg for Gregor the Overlander! I've been at it for a bit, and I wanted to ask you a few things about canon and, more importantly, your thoughts about the expanded world beyond just what we see out of Gregor! Are you interested?

y’know what? Hmu I love talking about TUC