#���The power of the Ghost King is not meant to be wielded by mortal hands’ sort of thing

[joaniejustwokeup]

DPxDC Prompt:

The next blow sent the human tumbling into the wall. It wheezed and spat up a gob of blood, pulling itself up on trembling arms and legs.

Pathetic.

“So this is the mortal who captured our young king’s attention. The so-called warrior who he trusted with the sacred duty of guarding his core.”

A shadowed hand pinned it to the wall and it uselessly pawed at the blade-like claws pressed against its fragile throat.

“How a weakling like you seduced High King Phantom, I’ll never know.”

The human squeezed its eyes shut. I’m sorry Danny, it mouthed with cracked and bleeding lips.

The impudence.

Slammed into the ruined bricks once more, the human let out a breathless cry.

“You dare address him like that. You dare to call upon his living name!” Dagger sharp teeth dripped shadowy ectoplasm inches from the mortal’s flesh.

“I’m doing him a favor, disposing of you.”

There was silence.

Then.

The human looked up with glowing green eyes.

A wave of unearthly force erupted from its body.

A dual layered voice echoed out from its miserable throat.

“Oh you just made a BIG mistake.”

[a-world-in-grey]

Kings of Yore

And the actual meeting between Sola and the Lucii! @secret-engima inspired by your Nox snippet on what happens when you dig too deep for the magic of the Crystal.

Sola does not have the time or patience to pander to the egos of ghosts with delusions of grandeur. 

.

Thirteen towering figures, ghostly white fire tracing elaborate armor and weapons that Sola knows as well as her own armiger.

The Kings of Yore.

Astrals, where is she?

"You call upon a power you have no right to command, mortal." From the center, the Mystic speaks, low and draconic and vibrating down to Sola's bones. Sola cries out, slapping her hands over her ears. "If you wish to wield the Light of the Crystal, know that you must pass our judgment."

Sola goes numb. Their judgment? "I answer to my King." She manages to say, forcing shaking limbs to raise her to her feet. "Only my King."

Who in the name of Ramuh do they think they are, that they have the right to judge her?

She is ready this time, bracing for the pain of hearing voices not meant for mortal ears. "We are the Lucii. We are the wards of this world's future."

Such a stellar job protecting the future. Sitting around doing nothing while her king's people die. Judging her for following her king's commands to protect his people. The hypocrisy!

Another voice, of rumbling earth and stone, and the Fierce shifts with distinct disapproval. "Your king has yet to take his throne. He does not command us."

"She is but a fool creature." The Conqueror sneers. He hefts his axe over his shoulder, and Sola watches as he maneuvers the weapon over twice her height with an ease that speaks of complete mastery. "Clinging to the authority and influence of others instead of wielding her own."

There's dismissal clear in his voice. He's come to his verdict on her, and Sola doesn't have to guess what it is.

She can feel her hands again, Sola realizes, some part at the back of her mind recognizing the dull throbbing in her palms and the trickle of blood dripping between her clenched fingers. The rest of her is coiled tight, fire burning beneath her breastbone and threatening to turn her words to ash on her tongue.

No. Sola clings to her temper, clings to her ability to think. "You are dead." She hisses. "You are remnants of bygone eras, all your authority and influence but smoke on the wind. Your judgment is nothing!”

“You dare-“

“I am the Sword of the Chosen King!” Sola thunders over the Mystic. Three of her ancestors are assholes. Good to know - Sola won’t bother listening to anymore of their daemon shit. “Aid me, or get out of my way.”

A breath. Two. Three.

The Rogue nods. Lips curl under her headdress and Sola cannot tell if that’s a good thing. “Sword of the Chosen indeed."

“Forged in Fire and Fury.” The Warrior agrees. “Tempered with Love and Loyalty."

They look to the Mystic. Waiting.

Finally, he speaks. "The power of the Crystal does not come cheap. The cost-" Spectral images of Libertus, pinned to the ground and in pain, and of Nyx, post-warp and falling with his kukri raised to strike, "is a life."

Sola's breathe freezes. Her heart stops.

No.

"Jump on Ifrit's Pyre." She snarls. The day Sola lets anyone take her heart is the day they pry it from her cold dead chest. "I pay my own debts!"

Little Brother. I'm sorry, but I don't think I can keep my promise this time.

Please forgive me.

"Then go with the Light of the Crystal. It, and your own, will set when the sun rises."

[aion-rsa]

15 Best Game of Thrones Warriors

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Despite what some legendary TV actors might have you believe, Game of Thrones wasn’t all just “tits and dragons.” The eight-season HBO series based on George R.R. Martin’s sprawling A Song of Ice and Fire saga was far more sophisticated than the sum of its most prurient parts. 

The series was an honest and in-depth exploration of political dysfunction. There were no easy decisions to be made and even the best deeds from the most pure at heart rarely went unpunished. Even factoring in its…less than superb final season, Game of Thrones was refreshingly complex pop entertainment for adults.

Now, this is all not to say that some of Game of Thrones more base elements weren’t appealing. In fact, all of the dragon-stomping, bone-crunching, sword-swinging radness was a major part of the rich tapestry that was the fantasy series. As Thrones reaches the 10th anniversary of its April 17, 2011 premiere (which HBO has dubbed the Iron Anniversary), there will be plenty of opportunities to examine all the high-minded literary features that made the show a phenomenon. But let’s make sure the blood and guts get their proper due as well.

Read more

TV

Game of Thrones at 10: The Series That Changed TV Forever

By David Crow

Game of Thrones’ Westeros and Essos continents are positively fit-to-bursting with capable warriors – whether their main instrument of war be a sword, warhammer, bow, or arakh. Naturally, one of the Internet’s favorite pastimes is dreaming up which Thrones warrior is the best…because we’re all schoolyard children arguing amongst one another at heart. To honor this very important Iron Anniversary, we’ve decided to add our choices for best Game of Thrones warriors to the Internet canon as well. 

Here are some important rules to consider. First, no animals. Sorry, Drogon and Ghost! Next, each warrior is judged by their skill at the height of their ability within the series’ run. This means that Jaime Lannister gets to fight with both hands, but Ser Barristan the Bold remains Ser Barristan the Old. Speaking of Jaime and Barristan, dead characters are eligible for the list because if they weren’t, it would be pretty short. Finally, only characters who spent the majority of their time within the series main timeline can be included. This restricts characters who appear only in flashback from making the list. That’s why you won’t see Ser Arthur Dayne among the combatants. 

Without further ado…

15. Tormund Giantsbane

Discipline and skill may be prized in warriors throughout the Seven Kingdoms but north of The Wall, strength is key. And there are very few Free Folk stronger than Tormund Giantsbane. Sure, his given name is a bit of a misnomer. He doesn’t kill giants so much as he *checks notes*…suckles on giantess milk? 

Well, however Tormund gets his calcium, it certainly does his body good. The kissed-by-fire wildling is the only man skilled and strong enough to serve as the most trusted lieutenant of both Mance Rayder and Jon Snow. He could certainly hold his own in a battle against either.

14. Beric Dondarrion

Strangely enough, Lord Beric Dondarrion’s biggest strength is also his greatest weakness. His ability to be constantly revived by his fighting partner Thoros of Myr is certainly useful in the long run, but it also robs him of an important trait any warrior must have: fear. 

Beric may fear the metaphorical death encroaching from Beyond the Wall, but in a fight against any other mortal he is probably a bit less likely to properly protect himself. After all, why keep an eye on one’s heart when it can just be jump started by the Red God at will? Beyond his supernatural hook, however, Beric is a capable soldier. It was he who Ned Stark trusted to track down Ser Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane and bring him to justice. He failed in that mission, of course, but it’s still impressive he ever agreed to it!

13. Qhorin Halfhand

Who needs all 10 fingers when you’ve got the skill and constitution of one Qhorin Halfhand? Qhorin brings one of the most important traits to the table when talking about a Westerosi warrior: passion. He absolutely lives for this shit…and in fact, he happily dies for this shit as well. 

Qhorin is the most capable and dangerous ranger The Night’s Watch has. He is equal parts feared and respected by his Wildling foes, which is particularly impressive given they neither fear nor respect just about anything. Qhorin’s injury to his right hand also turned out to be a bit of a martial blessing, as it meant he learned to wield a sword just as capably with his. Ambidexterity is a very useful trait in combat. 

12. Brynden “Blackfish” Tully

By the time the events of Game of Thrones begin, the Tully family’s “Blackfish”, Brynden, is long in the tooth and has lost a step or two. Still, even at his advanced age he is one of the most fearsome fighters in The Riverlands, and the Realm at large. 

Read more

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How the Game of Thrones Play Fills a Major Gap from the Series

By Joseph Baxter

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Can the New Game of Thrones Spinoffs Redeem Missed Opportunities?

By Joseph Baxter

Since Blackfish was in his prime during both the War of the Ninepenny Kings and Robert’s Rebellion, he participated in dozens of military battles.There may not be a more hardened or battle-tested warrior in Westeros. Then he “retired” to the title of Knight of the Gate in The Vale. They don’t hand that honor to just anyone. 

11. Loras Tyrell

See Loras Tyrell may be paradoxically the most overrated and underrated warrior in all of Westeros. The smallfolk and less sophisticated noble men and women see him as perhaps the realm’s greatest fighter, due to his attractive visage and prowess in jousting tournaments. Meanwhile, the hardened soldiers view those same soft features and jousting skills with contempt, assuming Loras can’t be a “real” warrior.

Well, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Loras isn’t a top 5 warrior in Westeros, but he’s damn near the top 10. Jousting and melee skills may not apply perfectly to the bloody heat of real battle, but they’re still useful in a combat. Plus, over Loras’s six season run on Thrones he gets plenty of opportunities to prove himself in war and acquits himself with honor each time. 

10. Syrio Forel

Syrio Forel is a prime example of just how ill-equipped many of the warriors of Westeros are when they’re confronted with an unfamiliar fighting style. Syrio is far from the biggest or strongest sword fighter in the series. But the First Sword of Braavos and Arya’s “dancing teacher” is both agile and highly, highly skilled with his sword.

Syrio views his sword as an extension of his body. His steadfast dedication to his craft and years spent training in Essos have created a fighter so fearsome that he very nearly survives an encounter with three Kingsguardmen…while wielding a wooden sword. Our time spent with Syrio was brief so it’s unclear just how skilled he really is. That limited time was still enough to lock him into the top 10. 

9. Ser Barristan Selmy

Ser Barristan The Bold is the platonic ideal of a chivalric knight. He is honorable, skilled, and widely beloved. As a younger man, he distinguished himself as a soldier in tourneys and in the War of the Ninepenny Kings. At his height, he was probably the most capable swordsman and warrior in all the Seven Kingdoms.

During the events of Game of Thrones, however, Barristan is not at his physical peak. He remains a remarkable fighter and warrior but his days as the top dog are likely over. Also, let’s not neglect to mention that, while honor is appreciated, it can be a detriment in a fight against some less than savory characters (which make up a significant portion of Westeros’ populace). 

8. Sandor Clegane a.k.a. The Hound

If it weren’t for his taller, scarier brother, Sandor “The Hound” Clegane would be the most terrifying physical force in all of Westeros. This former Lannister loyalist is seven feet (in the books at least. Actor Rory McCann is 6’6’’) of pure rage and contempt. The Hound is profoundly disappointed in the state of the world and his fellow men, and he’s more than happy to take out that disappointment on anyone foolish enough to test him.

The Hound is a supreme mix of both skill and raw power. Put him in a melee and he’ll come out wearing a frown and dozens of enemies’ blood. Pit him one-on-one against just about anyone and he’ll likely survive the encounter as well. The only reason he’s not higher up on this list is that he has a pretty prominent weakness. Any bit of fire will destabilize the pyrophobic behemoth. Granted, the fire method didn’t work for Beric Dondarrion but it might work for someone more skilled. 

7. Jon Snow

There’s not much that Jon Snow can’t do. The presumed bastard of Ned Stark, but the true son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, Jon Snow is as close to a traditional hero that this tale has. He’s imperfect, but honest and likeable. He’s a natural leader who hesitantly takes on the responsibility of shepherding The Night’s Watch, the Free Folk, and eventually the entire North. Jon Snow is such an impressive historical figure that it can sometimes get lost in the shuffle that he’s a tremendously capable warrior as well.

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Jon put his childhood training in Winterfell to good use and immediately became one of the Night’s Watch’s most useful swordsmen upon arrival at The Wall. Then, over the span of eight seasons, Jon’s martial prowess only grew. He has participated in more major battles than any other Game of Thrones character and has (mostly) survived them all. Jon’s place in the middle of the pack on this list isn’t an indictment of his abilities but rather an endorsement of all the great warriors above him. 

6. Grey Worm

Look, the Unsullied are just not to be trifled with. The warrior-eunuchs of Astapor are bred, born, and trained for only two things: war and obedience. When Daenerys Targaryen purchased the Good Masters’ entire lot of Unsullied soldiers, she decided to free them and remove “obedience” from the equation. That gave her an army that was trained for war, but now had the agency to decide whether they wanted to pursue it. Turns out they did…for the right cause.

As the chosen leader of the Unsullied, Grey Worm is a prime example of just how effective a dedicated, well-trained soldier can be. Dany’s rare act of mercy and humanity unlocked Grey Worm’s true potential. Not only does he remain a truly great fighter, but he is a master tactician, and is now burdened with glorious purpose to bring freedom to the rest of the continent. Skills make a great fighter, but it takes a cause to make a great warrior. And that’s exactly what Grey Worm is. 

5. Brienne of Tarth

In the Game of Thrones world, you can often judge a warrior’s skill by who they’ve defeated. With that in mind, very few characters have a more impressive resume than Brienne of Tarth…excuse us: Ser Brienne of Tarth. Brienne begins her journey by taking down all of Renly’s men in a tournament. Sure, they may be Knights of Summer, but they are well-trained and it’s a hell of a feat, nonetheless. After that opening salvo, Brienne goes on to defeat: Jaime Lannister, The Hound, and seemingly half the population of sellswords and hedge knights in the Riverlands. 

Brienne is absolutely a top five warrior in all of Westeros. The only reason she’s not higher is that her opponents often come to a fight disadvantaged. Both Jaime and The Hound were exhausted and compromised in their respective fights. That’s not Brienne’s fault, as she can only fight the warriors the show places in front of her. It does hurt her “strength of schedule” a bit though. 

4. Bronn

Most of the great warriors in the Seven Kingdoms are highborn. That makes sense as the noble Houses have money and therefore have access to training, equipment, and proper high-protein dies. But being highborn isn’t the only route to being a great warrior in Game of Thrones. Just ask Ser (eventually Lord) Bronn. 

Bronn, son of no one in particular, is one of the best fighters in Westeros because his whole life has been one long fight for survival. He came from nowhere of importance and soon found that the best way to make money was with a sword. While the lords and knights of the country view battle as an exercise in glory, Bronn sees it as for what it is: dangerous, bloody, but necessary work. This mindset and a lifetime of training in Westeros’ back roads and alleys has created one hell of a warrior. Just ask Ser Vardis Egan…that is if his lifeless body can still hear you from the bottom of the Giant’s Lance.

3. Jaime Lannister

At his height, Jaime Lannister was quite simply the LeBron James of Westeros warriors (with Ser Arthur Dayne being the Michael Jordan, of course). Tywin’s eldest son was a tournament and war prodigy, reaching the knighthood at age 16 (he was even younger in the books). He came to prominence at an absurdly young age and then established a commitment to combat excellence well into his adult years. 

While The Mad King’s decision to appoint Jaime to his Kingsguard was designed to spite Lord Tywin and leave him without a suitable heir, it must be said that Jaime was still a fine choice for the job. Jaime continued to distinguish himself in the early days of The War of the Five Kings before Robb Stark successfully captured him. Of course, shortly thereafter, Jaime lost his right hand to Locke. Though Jaime will still prove to be capable enough in later seasons without his sword hand, he’s obviously never the same fighter. And that’s a shame for this list as it would be interesting to see how a chastened, more mature Jaime would fare as a warrior.

2. Gregor Clegane a.k.a. The Mountain

The “gentle giant” is a popular trope both in the world of fantasy and reality. Game of Thrones even has a couple of its own gentle giants with characters like Hodor and even Wun Wun. It makes some intuitive sense to portray very large individuals as gentle because most people, big, small, and in-between, are fundamentally good. If you were enormous, wouldn’t you be extra mindful of how your size affects those around you?

Well, Ser Gregor Clegane a.k.a. “The Mountain That Rides” is the exact opposite of a gentle giant. Ser Gregor Clegane doesn’t have a heart of gold, he has a heart of roiling, volcanic hate. He’s also big…so, so freaking big. The Mountain is somewhere around eight feet and 400 pounds of pure muscle in the books and 6’9’’, 350 pounds in Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson’s depiction in the show. Every inch of him was seemingly built in a lab to be a fearsome warrior, so that’s the vocation he chooses.

When we think of Game of Thrones as a “grittily realistic” world, The Mountain is a prime example of why. Gregor is an unambiguous monster, and due to his sheer size and strength, he almost never loses a fight. The Mountain is a one-man army for the Lannister family, killing countless men, women, and children over the span of two wars, and many more during peacetime. 

While it’s nice to think of David beating Goliath, the sad reality is that 99 times out of 100, Goliath is going to smash David into a million bloody pieces and use his little bones as furniture. Of course, The Mountain is eventually defeated by a David in the form of Oberyn Martell. That alone, is enough to keep him out of the top spot…and out of our nightmares.

1. Arya Stark

Perhaps it’s surprising to see Arya Stark at the top of this list in favor of countless other Game of Thrones warriors who are bigger, stronger, and more experienced. Or at least it was surprising to me as I came to the decision. But I would invite you to go on the same journey that I did and match Arya against anyone else in the Thrones canon and ask yourself the question “would Arya lose this fight?”

The answer I came to, time and time again, is a definitive “no”, and that’s not just because of the plot armor afforded to her as one of the story’s most important characters. Arya Stark is quite simply Game of Thrones‘ most effective and efficient killing machines. From a young age, she was proven naturally adept at all different kinds of combat. Recall her hitting a bullseye with a bow and arrow, Robin Hood style, in the series pilot.

From there, the She-Wolf has spent basically her every waking moment honing her fighting skills. This started with Syrio Forel’s “dancing lessons” before culminating with the most intense lethal training regimen anyone can experience with the Faceless Men in the House of Black and White. Arya received instruction from a guild of assassins so powerful in stealth, combat, and magic that their services cost roughly the same as an entire army. Then she left the Faceless Men so she is free to deliver the “gift” of death to whomever she wants, whenever she wants.

Admittedly, in any one-on-one matchup, Arya’s margin for error is incredibly small. She is not particularly strong and she is unlikely to wear cumbersome armor so any good blow from a sword or other bladed weapon is sure to be lethal. But of course, Arya has no plans of letting a blade touch her. She’s quick and elusive. And she knows that men are made of water – all it takes is one prick of a needle and they’ll bleed out.

The post 15 Best Game of Thrones Warriors appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[rainstormcolors]

Hi there, let me first just say how impressed and enthralled I am with your posts. They're so well written and thoughtful, I just love reading them. Anyway, I've read many posts about Kaiba in DSoD, but I wanted your opinion on Shadi. He seems like the most overlooked character in the movie, even though he gave the motivation and power to the antagonist. Also, how do you explain his "death" if he meets Yugi in the future?

This is a great question actually.

So here’s the thing: the movie has required me tore-evaluate my impression of Shadi. I used to view him as a sort of livingMillennium Item, a being burdened only with reuniting the Items in theMillennium Stone and sending the Pharaoh to his afterlife, with no concern forhuman life. But in the movie, Shadi has taken on the role of afather. And not the sort of father usually seen in this series. It doesn’t seemlike he’s just using these children as a means to an end; he seems to genuinelycare about them as well. He smiles warmly at them and speaks gently to them.While I believe he adopted them for a purpose, I think he also had a very sincereaffection for them. And this is why Diva felt so bonded and devoted to him.They had become a real family.

It was already implied Shadi was a spirit throughout theoriginal series. He’s an enigma and a shape-shifter. He moves through thecharacters’ lives like a fog, and Yami Bakura strongly hints he murdered Shadiat some point in the past. It should turn out Shadi wasn’t murdered millenniaago by the King Thief, but instead just a handful of years ago by a chibi YamiBakura. And then on top of all that we remember he’s also Hasan, the Spirit ofthe Millennium Stone in Yami Bakura’s RPG. Is this only an avatar for the game,or is this his true identity? Just what ishe exactly?

Was Shadi committed to reuniting the Items for the sake ofthe Pharaoh, or was it for the sake of enacting the Plana? Was the Plana simplyan inevitable aftermath? Was it for the sake of both? While Shadi seemed warmin his duty to the Plana-bearers, he was militant in his duty to reunite theItems. Was it in death that he became so cold? (It’s notable that he neverappeared to Diva after dying. However his sense of justice was still ruthless when it came to the Items before then.) I realize I’m just stringing together a bunch ofquestions. I feel like I need to watch the sub before judging this all properly.From what I’ve heard, the end game of the Plana differs between the dub and theoriginal Japanese, but I think in both cases its full power was only activatedonce Atem entered into the afterlife. But it seems the Plana did offer somemagic to its bearers beforehand. Shadi teleports, bestows the Plana onto Divaand the others, and also uses it to banish their abuser. So perhaps this is whyhe could continue functioning as a ghost. Perhaps the power of the Plana madehim inhuman from the start. He did have three triangles adorning his foreheadafter all, as opposed to the individual ones given to his followers. Diva wasn’t granted three triangles when the Cube was passed on to his hands. But that Shadi could be killed at all implies he was mortal in some sense.

@the-cryptographer also made this note and I’m totally gonnasteal it: “I was thinking he would be using the Millennium Scales to weigh thatman’s soul instead of using the Cube. I was disappointed he didn’t, but then Iwondered if the implication was he was the master of the Key in life, but deathallowed him access to the Scales.”

If I’m honest, the guy’s still a complete enigma and maybe abit of a dues ex machina. But what’s really distinct to me are these things: hefelt far more human in the movie, and perhaps that’s because he was a humanstill. In the original series he felt like a stone-cold ghost, and that’sbecause he was a stone-cold ghost. He wielded the Quantum Cube, the MillenniumKey, and the Millennium Scales. And he was devoted to guiding the Pharaoh’ssoul into the afterlife, regardless of the why.

My guesses: I think he loved Diva in life, but was stripped of all love in death. I think from then on his duty to the Millennium Stone and the Pharaoh consumed what remained of his soul. From then on, the only will left was the will of the Items. I don’t think the Plana was meant to be malicious; I think it was corrupted. This is why Shadi created a loving family with his child followers, to stave off corruption. But again, it’s only a guess. And I could change my mind.

Thank you for the ask.