#;; WHEN THEY DO THAT THEY'RE GOING TO NAME *HER* THE STALLION WHO MOUNTS THE WORLD! THE PROPHECY IS HER'S NOT RHAEGO'S!!

[kaerinio]

this is a reminder for me to finally write about how/why dany is captured by khal jhaqo and how being captured enables her to fulfill the unification portion of the stallion who mounts the world prophecy.

[atopvisenyashill]

so dany is tptwp but why do they feel the need to rectify that in the show 😭

i’m 99% sure dany’s going to have a religious fanatic arc in the books

I'm putting these together because they're kind of related. also i don't want to tag for hotd spoilers because i don't want to invite weird anons to find this or weirdos to screenshot my url so be warned i'm talking about the leaks and my dark dany theories in this one. okay-

So first of all...yes, this is why people compare her to Paul Atreides or even Anakin Skywalker in that the concept of being a Chosen One is going to go to her head in a very bad way and it's going to be a huge part of her story going forward. We're all set for this in the books tbh. We have several schisms happening in the R'hollor faith with people already saying she's a savior, and the fact that R'holloric magic works similar to Valyrian magic (ie uses a lot of fire and blood) is not lost on me. There's several prophecies centered around this Promised Hero In The Face Of The Long Night and Dany is linked to several of them; most notably The Prince That Was Promised and The Stallion Who Mounts The World, but now we have this Azor Ahai connection with the R'hollor priests coming out in support of Dany. And what's more is that Dany is primed to believe in all of this stuff - she hatched dragons and the bleeding star showed up with haste, she's had first the HOTU visions and then Quaithe's warning not to mention the whole Stallion scene and her own weird fever dream-prophecies. There's a whole city state of people who call her MOTHER. Oh yeah, she is ready to take a dive head first into being the Chosen One and make that the center point of her entire campaign. Especially imo after Stannis dies and there's this vacuum of who gets to be the insane "i have the divine right" person; Jon Snow doesn't even want to acknowledge he can warg he is not going to encourage any sort of prophecy shenanigans, and I think that opens the door for a) Dany to step into that role and b) for the followers of R'hollor sans Melisandre to see Dany as their messiah.

The problem in the original show is that they bring this up and then just kind of...drop it. When in the books - whether she is killed by Jon/Arya or ultimately pulls a Nettles - this isn't going to be a positive thing. I've seen some people describe these prophecies - The Stallion, The Prince, Azor Ahai - as warnings rather than prophecies, but to be honest, aren't all prophecies warnings of the future? The thing is the warning isn't just the Long Night, it's about The Actual Prince. Look to the Stallion prophecy-

As swift as the wind he rides, and behind him his khalasar covers the earth, men without number, with arakhs shining in their hands like blades of razor grass. Fierce as a storm this prince will be. His enemies will tremble before him, and their wives will weep tears of blood and rend their flesh in grief. The bells in his hair will sing his coming, and the milk men in the stone tents will fear his name." The old woman trembled and looked at Dany almost as if she were afraid. "The prince is riding, and he shall be the stallion who mounts the world."

I think the prophecy, the dream, the vision, the warning, the legend, whatever you want to call it, is warning that as the Long Night happens, a savior will emerge...but they are a false messiah. They will not bring an end to the Long Night, they will only create more destruction. But the people who had these prophecies focused on Bad Thing Happens -> Powerful Person Emerges From The Ashes and took that mean the powerful person will stop the bad things and not exacerbate the bad things and distract from the original problem.

Now I think part of why D&D did the ending Like That is a) they're lazy as shit and b) Dany took off as a character and they had no idea how to reign it in so they just like....didn't. I think there's plenty of evidence in the show that Dany was going to take a Stannis esque turn but depicting that was too much trouble (think about how they cut all her most banger lines because that would involve trying to get her introspective thoughts into dialogue somehow. instead of figuring it out, they just lazily cut it all out. i still can't believe these dudes got handed this IP when they clearly don't care about the themes, it makes me fucking weep. like, filoni and abrams really fucked up star wars but i think it's clear they like star wars ya know? i don't think d&d really like this series that much, not in the way condal & hess seem to) so they just short cutted to that bells scene which was fairly lazy. Her fall from grace is going to be so much slower, so much more complex, and so much more heart breaking than what was in the show. And a large part of this will center around seeing herself as a messiah to the Poor And Downtrod.

And this fall (again....I don't think it’s out of the realm of possibility that Dany snaps out of it somehow - George has hinted we're going to dig more into the magic and how it works, and perhaps there will be some revelations on the exact nature of what The Promised Prince really is that makes Dany finally reflect on her journey instead of refusing to look back, and fuck off into the Great Unknown in an attempt to erase herself from the narrative others have written for her and write her own at last. I'm serious when I say I think that's about as likely as Jon/Arya killing her after she burns KL). this fall of hers is the crux of the entire series. It's where everything is leading to, this realization that there is no promised prince coming to save anyone, it is the climax of every single story in the books. And we know Condal fucking LOVES that idea because he's been out here in interviews talking about Dark Dany since season 6 iirc but potentially even earlier. I think Condal really loves a tragic evil queen and a fall from grace and he didn't like the way they did Dany's descent. Not only that but I do think the prophecy aspect is fascinating to Condal.

The problem with all of this is like.......you can't rewrite the ending of GOT to have that aspect of the story as much as he wishes he could. You can't rewrite GOT so it had 12 seasons instead of 8. I think what he wants to do is really hint at the prophecies in the future and play with the concept of prophecy being untrustworthy but he's been boxed into this weird corner where interacting with the main story line of the books/the main show is nearly impossible because everyone hated it and george will never finish the books but this prophecy affected much more than we realize and also, He Likes It, he thinks it makes for a richer story. IDK how he fixes this, IDK where he goes from here, because having Daemon have a vision of Dany hatching eggs and realizing the prophecy was right, they DO need a Targ on the throne because a Targ will save Westeros IS imo a really interesting change that more or less fits with the story in F&B. BUT it looks like pandering, and it doesn't engage with the ultimate end game which is that Dany is not going to be happy with being the Chosen One. It's not a gift, it's not even a responsibility, it's a horror she's being forced to take up that could eat her alive. How do you even engage with those themes when the original show went Like That?

[dreamstorym]

A few artists that I follow are jumping on the world-building train and I thought I would too! I've been wanting to share some species lore on centaurs for quite some time but just haven't gotten to it.

What you are about to read applies to centaurs in my universe, you may use my lore but please remember to give credit!

This has proven more difficult than I had anticipated though...

Anywho, if you can get through this upcoming word vomit, I hope you enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Centaurs are a demi-human race with the upper body of a human and the lower body of an animal though, this is not limited to horses. This lore post is primarily referring to horse centaurs.

The hair on their head is usually the same color as their tail. A centaur’s lower body varies in the same color patterns of any horse from base colors of bay, chestnut, black to duns, appaloosa patterns, roans, champagne variations, pinto patterns, and greys. The hair on their body tends to gently fade out when meeting with their raised torso. Most Centaurs' upper bodies are hairless, excluding facial hair and the hair on their heads. Few male centaurs have chest hair.

Centaurs are herbivores; Their diet mostly consists of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and eggs. Meats are hard on their stomachs.

They particularly love anything salty and adult centaurs love wine.

Biology -

The average height of a centaur is 8.8 ft. but heights can vary drastically between different subcultures, genders, breeds and species. So it's not really an average.

The average lifespan of a centaur is 70-100 years of age. They are commonly air longevity is caused by and toned their diet and healthy lifestyle.

If a Centaur were to gain too much weight, they wouldn't be able to wipe their own bottoms after using the toilet.

There are many different kinds of centaurs: Ponies, deer, zebras, horses, donkeys, ponies, etc.

There are also more mythical variations such as unicorn centaurs, aka Centicorns. Scientists aren't entirely sure if there are pegasus and alicorn centaurs though.

The following terminology is used to describe centaurs of various ages:

-Foal: Offspring of either sex from birth to 4 years old

-Colt: A male centaur from the age of 4 to 17 years of age. Yep, it's a pretty wide gap

-Filly: A female centaur from the age of 4 to 17 years of age.

-Mare: A female centaur 18 years and older

-Stallion: A male centaur 18 years and older

History -

For centuries, centaurs were a violent, militaristic race that lived around the art of combat. While Stallions developed into being muscular, vulgar, violent beasts who only saw raw strength as valuable, Mares favoured technique and became refined, though prideful, warriors.

When they were first discovered by humans, they were quickly enslaved

In history, they were mostly unconsidered as humans in society and were commonly treated like enslaved farm workers and mounts.

In later years, they took deep pride in the art of archery. Colts often used it as a way to show off their skills and strength in front of potential mates.

Centaurs also served as soldiers and knights. They also continued to work on farmers even when they weren’t in captivity.

Clothing -

Now, the age old question: Should Centaurs wear pants? And if they should, how would they put them on? Well, for all of you who have been wondering and still haven't gotten your answer, this video(youtu.be/n5ESSI2U48g- you only need to watch till 0:22) demonstrates a centaur filly successfully putting on her pants.

Centaurs commonly prefer to online shop for their clothing because shops that tailor to Centaurs aren’t very common.

Centaurs can wear tops from any store as their upper bodies are human and they can therefore fit human shirts and jackets..

The most common choice when it comes to bottoms are shorts and skirts as they still offer enough liberty to run, unlike pants that cover the joints and dresses that they may trip on

For horseshoes, the most common, everyday material is rubber. Elders and more old-fashioned centaurs may wear metal horseshoes and there are gold horse shoes for special occasions. Centaurs are also capable of wearing special centaur boots that come up to the knee.

Centaur Equestrian -

The sport of Centaur Equestrian is much more popular nowadays that regular equestrian.

Equestrian is very common and more popular than traditional equestrian. Most Centaurs get into sports when they’re young and compete in teams of 2, the mount and the rider.

Riders and Mounts generally tend to be in close relationships such as best friends or lovers.

Equestrian organizations are very wary when it comes to teams made up of an adult and a minor and generally don’t allow such combinations. If a team like that were trying to compete, they would organize an investigation to look into the matter and make sure there was no slavery or traficking invovled.

Though these sorts of situations are more common when colts or fillies are involved, they still may organize investigations for suspicious activity even when two adults are involved.

There are 3 subcultures of Centaurs: Stags, Countryfolk, and Wilds

Stag Customs-

One of the questions I'm most frequently asked(for Special Week in particular) is: Can I ride her?

The answer is a big, fat NO! Stags see the act of riding(especially bareback) as a sacred thing, as sacred as sexual intercourse. If word got out that a Stag was bribed into letting a biped ride them bareback, they would be labeled as a whore or a pimp.

They believe that only a bipedal spouse should be able to ride bareback and if riding for sport, there must be a saddle separating the rider and the mount.

Stags are the most domestic, civilized, and modern of the centaur subcultures. They are the smallest subculture of all the groups.

Males are required to wear bottoms to cover their manhood(if they don't want to go to jail).

Females are a different story though. If a female's tail is long and voluminous enough to cover her womanhood, she is not required to wear bottoms. Though if her tail is cut short or her menstrual menstrual period is on, she will then wear bottoms., usually pants.

Most stags work as soldiers in the military, compete as as equestrian athletes or in centaur pageants, or join a breeding program and mares may become wet nurses. They do perform modern jobs as well.

Countryfolk Customs-

Countryfolk are more southern, traditional centaurs. They are the largest subculture of the Centaur race.

The countryfolk filly shown is @hubedihubbe 's OC, btw.

Now as for countryfolk, they don't see riding as such a big deal. In the country, any biped can ride as long the centaur is okay with it.

Countryfolk commonly live on farms in the countryside.They usually work as farmers and/or pull wagons and carriages.

Centaurs from this subculture make up the majority of the athletes in the centaur equestrian circuit, especially in rodeo.

They wear shirts and other tops but go bottomless. They most commonly wear old-fashioned metal horseshoes.

They are firmly set on traditions of hard work and can be pretty stubborn at times and look down upon beings who are lazy.

Countryfolk and stags don't primarily get along as they live by different values and beliefs. Countryfolk scoff at the stuck-up, hoity-toity stags that become lazy and too domesticated.

Countryfolk courtship traditionally involves gifts. As they value the harvest, gifts tend to be flowers or food. To give a present you grew or made yourself is a very meaningful gift indeed. Centaurs in love may bake treats, write songs, arrange bouquets, plant gardens or build houses-- all specials gifts for that special somebody that's caught there eye!

Wild Centaur Customs -

Wilds are, as their name suggests, wild centaurs. They're the second largest of the Centaur subcultures in the world.

Wilds are somewhat hostile towards outsiders who aren't centaurs, especially scientists.

The knowledge that is currently known about Wilds is commonly provided by centaurs who grew up in wild herds but then became Stags in adulthood.

They greet others with subtle nods and gracious bows to the highly admired.

Wilds wear no clothing at all, not even horseshoes but mares and fillies wear clothing on their chests to reduce movement if needed.

The wild filly shown up above is an example of the varied results that often occur between Centaurs as of result on a very wide gene pool. She is partially based off of Pocahontas and Rain from Spirit, you know, the horse movie about the wild mustang.

Wilds live in nomadic herds of 5-30 centaurs. The leader is the strongest of all the stallions and he protects the herd. The lead mare(either the lover of the lead stallion or the strongest mare) leads the herd and chooses locations.

Being the biggest and strongest, the leader has first pick when it comes to mares. Mares have the chance to decline if not interested, thought this rarely occurs.

Wilds encourage rogues and lone centaurs that may be roaming about to join their herds. They encourage the new blood and genes that the new centaurs bring.

New Stallion members are allowed to challenge the leader for his spot. They compete in a series of challenges and duels and the winner becomes/stays the leader.

If the new member loses, he is allowed to stay within the herd but most stallions don't in order to avoid embarrassment and hostility.

Male and female members of most herds may go as they please and some herds even allow them to return.

Wild herds do not have schools and fillies and colts are taught how to survive in the wild by an appointed instructor within the herd.

Mares most commonly find the strongest, largest stallions as the most attractive(usually the leader), though--as with all races--there are obviously different preferences between different mares.

Weddings -

Traditional Centaur weddings are very similar to modern ones. The slight difference is that instead of rings, the bride is given a headpiece and the groom receives an ear cuff that is permanent unless the couple should divorce.

Centaurs from all the subcultures usually incorporate these traditions in their ceremonies.

If there is a marriage within a wild herd, the honeymoon consists of the herd running behind the bride and groom as they choose different routes and locations.

A traditional honeymoon for countryfolk and more adventurous stags will consist of trekking in the countryside. Going camping, unplugging from electronics, living on the land for a few days. Going back to the roots of their wild ancestors. They usually have some sort of guide accompany them.

Most upper-class stags go for the traditional honeymoon of a cruise or going to a resort.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well that’s all for now folks! I enjoyed doing this and if you got through all this info, thank you so much and I hope you enjoyed!

If you still have questions, feel free to ask something you may not be sure about in the comments!

If you have a race that you’re interested in knowing more about, write in the comments your suggestion for my next lore post!