#...everyone who is positioned as ETHERIANS fighting for their HOME...

[ace-and-ranty]

Okay, so, hear me out. Here is how I would have tidied up a bit the MESS that is She-Ra's lore.

The native native Etherians, the ones who evolved and originated from the planet, are people like Angella and Madam Razz; not people like we know them, but beings, manifestations of the planet's magic, immortal and la-di-da and ancient and mysterious.

Over time, immigrants started moving to Etheria, first and foremost humans, who spread out and got settled and started intermarrying with the magic natives, until we get to a planet that has some native magical beings still around, but is mostly their descendants with immigrants. This is how you get all the princesses, and that explains why most princesses are humans (descendants of humans and native beings), Scorpia specifically is not (descendant of a different immigrant population and a native being), and what Angella is (one of the very few beings still around by the time SPOP rolls around, who is only now handing over her rune to a mixed descendant)

She-Ra was one of those native beings, who slowly got integrated into the immigrant population, creating this Avatar-like cycle of She-Ras that was going just fine until:

The First Ones arrive.

The First Ones are not human. They are humanoid because of course, but are distinctively non-human, with specific identifying characteristics like Scorpia or Angella or Horde Prime. Like. Hell if I know. Make them elves.

There's a targeted propaganda machine to make the (mixed) native Etherians think the First Ones are helpful helping helpers, here to bring modern machines and shit to the natives!! She-Ra is handed over willingly, despite protests by various fractions. And then Mara blows the whistle.

Greyskull Squadron is not Mara's old squadron, or not only that, but a group of Etherians that Mara allied herself with, trying to oppose the First Ones. Like. Just show us a little bit of the Etherians fighting for their own planet, like what the show is currently trying to be about. Would be even better if later, Adora finds information not just from old First One tech, but from records left by the Etherians themselves.

[cruelfeline]

In light of all that we’ve learned with this most wonderful final season, some people have asked me to reassess Hordak’s backstory monologue. To see how Hordak’s narrative fits with what we now know about his home. To try to discern exactly what its discrepancies are, and why.

I’m going to do that! But before I do, I would remind everyone: this is a little difficult to fully untangle because, given that Hordak is not a main character and thus does not have the focus that we’d like, we really don’t know a whole lot about the Horde in terms of function, social roles, and general history. So this is going to be very much limited by what I can glean from exactly what the show gives us.

That said, it’ll hopefully still be interesting. So!

During season three, after recovering from his syncopal episode, Hordak describes to Entrapta what he is, what he was, and how he came to be on Etheria. He describes himself as a defective clone who, once upon a time, was the top general in the galactic Horde. When his defect became too much of a burden, he was apparently demoted, sent to the front lines to fight until death, and arrived on Etheria by way of unexplained portal.

This is what Hordak tells us, and, as far as we know, he’s not lying. Hordak, as portrayed in the show, is a very honest person, both in his own actions and in the actions he expects of others. He greatly dislikes deception and does not appear skillfully capable of it himself (save for that one time). Knowing this, we generally have to assume that, in his own mind, what Hordak is saying is true.

So. What gives, right?

After all, once we see the galactic Horde in action, we learn that it is a played-straight, honest-to-the-gods cult. There’s nothing distinctly military about it. It’s not a bigger, grander version of Hordak’s Etherian Horde.

It is a cult with a god-brother-creator at the helm, commanding countless identical acolytes who live their lives in slavish devotion to their master. There do not appear to be any ranks. We hear nothing about any generals, let alone a “top general.” There doesn’t even appear to be a��need for anything like that, because Prime doesn’t seem to really delegate to his brothers in a way that singles them out or relies on real autonomy from them.

He can, after all, read their minds at will and slip into their bodies whenever he fancies. If he needs to make a decision about a battle on a planet at the other edge of the galaxy, he can just take over a body on that planet and make said decision himself. Or, at the very least, enter the relevant clone’s mind and influence the decision as needed. He doesn’t need, and certainly doesn’t appear to tolerate, clones taking their own initiative.

So, again: what gives? What does Hordak mean by “top general”? Why does he think he has this elevated role when we can see that Prime considers all of his clones the equivalent of faceless bodies to be used a he likes?

Well, while we will likely never know the full truth, given the lack of Horde background detail, we can safely assume some things from what canon shows us.

Namely that, while all clones appear indistinguishable and do not seem to have named rank, there are definitely clone positions that work more closely with Prime than others. His attendants are one example. Those who are in his throne room feeding him information while he is working are another. (Hordak actually appears to be one of these, at least while Prime is trying to hack the Heart of Etheria, when Entrapta is captured.) And then, of course, there are the chosen vessels that will one day house Prime’s consciousness.

All of these positions can likely be occupied by any clone, with bodies switched out as needed (likely what happened when Hordak got sick). I doubt that individual clones have any sort of real rank. Prime knows this. Hordak and his brothers, I suspect, may not fully understand it. 

Rather, I would not be surprised if Hordak, deceived and indoctrinated into believing things about himself and about Prime that are not true, misinterprets the nature of his purpose and the truth of his relationship with his Brother. He believes that, fulfilling whatever role he was fulfilling for Prime, he was a general, an individual of note, an individual that Prime specially valued. Perhaps he fulfilled the role long enough that, in all but name, it became “his.” Perhaps he even fulfilled it well enough that Prime praised him frequently, cementing this unfortunate delusion. Perhaps Prime gave him legitimate favor -  a false thing, of course; simply a controlling tool, but Hordak did not realize that. 

Without canon confirmation, we can really only speculate, but these ideas seem reasonable.

Details aside, the point of the matter is that Hordak sees himself as “top general” because he sadly doesn’t understand that he is an interchangeable piece of a utilitarian machine. He truly thinks that he has this coveted position, that he is particularly useful, special, of great value. It’s a tragic misunderstanding that simply fuels his misguided devotion to Prime and prevents him from seeking freedom when he is given the opportunity. 

It’s something, I think, that people in very controlling religious organizations often end up thinking: that they are especially valued, worthy in some way that others are not. It’s part of how the organization controls them. 

By the by, there is also the theory that Hordak has suffered memory erasure before and is thus doubly confused, filling in blanks with fantasy, but given that we have no direct evidence of that, I’m not really going to go into it; it’s a popular bit of speculation, though.

Now, however, let us examine a different aspect of this. Labels aside, delusions aside, we are left with another conundrum: however Hordak interprets his position, it is very clear to us that said position does not actually offer the power or respect that a legitimate high military rank would offer. It does not appear to provide Hordak with any special treatment. 

Once upon a time, back when we first learned of Hordak’s backstory, it was somewhat assumed that the position would do something like this. Numerous fans speculated about how it might be a position that gave a clone dominion over others, or over their own personal ships or planets; some fans suggested that it might give a clone the right to a name. Now, of course, we know that none of these speculations are true: all of Prime’s clones are essentially interchangeable; all are part of a hive mind that eliminates the need for certain clones directing others; no clone is allowed a name, no matter what their current job might be.

So. What, exactly, is Hordak practically gaining here? Despite this position appearing to hold zero effective esteem, despite it necessitating Hordak giving up his self and his autonomy, it is abundantly clear that he desperately wants it back. Why? 

What about this position, whatever it may or may not be called, would provide Hordak with this sense of value, of specialness, of personal worth? After all, Hordak may be deluded, but he’s not stupid; even indoctrinated, he can tell that he doesn’t hold dominion over other clones, or have a right to his own name. He can tell that he doesn’t receive any functional privileges, that his own sense of value doesn’t translate into anything that you or I would think is “worth the price of admission,” so to speak. 

In light of that incredibly steep price, what does this position offer, in a world where military rank appears irrelevant? What does it offer, in exchange for Hordak’s name and his bodily autonomy and his freedom? In short, what does it offer that makes Hordak think it worth sacrificing so much for? 

Well. 

It offers closeness to Prime, doesn’t it? It offers the chance to work near him, to bask in his presence, to be spoken to and looked upon and touched by him. It offers the chance to receive his praise, personally. It offers the chance to perhaps -  hopefully, wishfully - receive his love.

Because that’s what Hordak really wants. Not dominion over others, or a fancy military title. He wants that emotional connection. He wants that approval and validation. He wants love. And for so much of the series, for so much of his life, he believes that love comes only from Prime. That working closely with him, being of use to him, will provide him with that sense of belonging and acceptance and affectionate care that he hungers for. That it will make him worthy and loved.

(There’s a line in the deleted Entrapdak scene, where Prime calls Hordak the “most unloved and unworthy” among his brothers that really cements the idea that worthiness is synonymous with love within the galactic Horde)

This is what marks the position as “special” in Hordak’s eyes: it is special because it stands the greatest chance of providing him with Prime’s love.

All of it is a lie, of course. Because Prime only “loves” his brothers as extensions of himself, and even then, only if they are physically useful to him. Once Hordak starts to lag behind due to his illness, he is quickly removed from Prime’s presence and sent to the front lines, destined to fight until defect or battle kills him. And yet it is a lie so powerful, and the clones’ need for Prime’s love so great, that he is able to use it to control them even when they are separated from him. To the point that a sickly clone trapped in a shadow dimension will forgo freedom in his desperate bid to feel wanted and treasured by his cruel god.

Eventually, thankfully, Hordak finds a true version of the connection he craves, someone who looks at him and acknowledges him, values him and loves him as he is, without him needing to prove himself useful. He finds Entrapta, and she provides that love that he sought from Prime.

This is why, even though Hordak actually ends up working in Prime’s throne room again, ends up close to him once more, he breaks free from control and kills his Brother. Throughout season five, Hordak remembers Entrapta. He remembers how she makes him feel. He remembers her love... and he realizes that it is not the same as Prime's. It is sincere. It is unconditional. It accepts him as his own flawed person, rather than the perfect drone Prime wants him to be. It is deeper and more true and more real than the hollow sham Prime offers.

And so Hordak rejects this once-coveted position, rejects Prime, and frees himself. He makes the choice between a false, controlling “love” and the real, heartfelt thing. He makes the choice, and he chooses Entrapta.

In the end, the greatest disconnect between what Hordak tells us in season three and what is true isn’t the word “general,” or even the cruel difference between how Prime views the clones, and how they view him. It is the impression of why Hordak wants such a position at all, of what it means to him. What initially comes off as a disgraced military man seeking to regain former glory is actually a lost, unloved soul desperately searching for the emotional connection he needs.

And, after many mistakes, after much hardship, he finally finds it.

[wearejustvisiting]

THE VISAGE PART 1: Messages from the Mists

So I was GOING to get an AO3 account, but they’re doing maintenance on the website’s invitation system, so I can’t. I’ll have to check back when things are all clear. 

BUT I wrote the prologue to my fanfiction today. 

It is a recursive fic involving the gods and universe from @snellyboi‘s SPOP universe. I’m very nervous to be showing it off. But this is the Prologue to a multi-part, multi-chapter fic about a girl who leaves the horde. 

The prologue is 1,686 words long. I will be writing maybe a chapter a day, but I do plan on finishing this work. if I get an AO3 then I’ll have more incentive to do this every day. 

Enjoy!

PROLOGUE: A Disciplined Disciple

Eliana Okaram. It meant something in Old Etherian...not First One, that language was long dead and unrecognizable. But in what little she'd read on the subject from books she'd 'borrowed', she was aware that her name meant something important. It meant fire, or bird, or rock, or...something. She didn't know what order it was. What was it with Etherians and weird names for birds?

Eliana Okaram…

Eliana knew Shadow Weaver's lab was not the time to think about this...she was convinced Shadow Weaver could read her thoughts, could see what she was thinking all laid out. That's why Shadow Weaver put those plugs behind her ears. That's why Shadow Weaver made her cover her eyes whenever she slept. She could see into her. Eliana knew she could.

“Eliana...” A gentle cup of the chin, a subtle twist of the head. Eliana lost control to her. “You're growing well...what a fine soldier you will make...” Shadow Weaver said, turning away and walking to a small table of tools. The taller woman took one in her hands, something resembling an angle grinder…

“Thank you, Ma'am...why have you called me here?” She was wise for a 10-year-old. Exactly as wise as Shadow Weaver needed her to be.

“Don't worry, child. We're going to deal with those pesky little marks on your back.”

“...Marks? You mean the circular ones on my back?” Three concentric circles, surrounding an inverted triangle. Hard to miss when you're bathing.

Eliana continued, “I thought they were normal, that all human children got them...”

“No, child. If you wish Hordak to keep you, you'll need to get them removed...” Shadow Weaver took Eliana, and laid her onto her stomach, lowering her shirt to make her back visible.

“Why? What's to bad about them?” Eliana asked.

“They mark an illness...something that's hard to cure, something that weakens the spirit...”

“Oh...”

“Don't fret, my child...I shall cure you of this illness...and you shall not remember how I did it.”

“...what?”

The whirr of machines, the sound of a scream, but no pain…

A flash of black, a darkness...and then…

Eliana woke up in her bunk, positioned on her front...she tried to rise, but gasped out in pain. She laid flat on her stomach and huffed, what had happened to her? She slipped the cover off of her eyes to try and catch her bearings. Shadow Weaver was wrong about the monsters that went after children's eyes, or maybe they just didn't want Eliana's. Either way, she'd become more flagrant with her disregard of that particular rule.

Eliana saw her arm. Perfectly normal...she slowly and painfully slipped out of her bunk, walking over to the room's mirror, usually used for personal care...she turned to see her back, looking over her shoulder…

Her back was covered in bandages, all tinged with some horrible liquid...she couldn't see color. She knew that much. But she didn't need to be told that color. She knew what it was. Her back covered in blood and cuts and scrapes, all hidden by gauze and tape. Hiding her markings…

She knew why, of course...it was a miracle Hordak was letting her keep her hair that long. He wasn't much for expression amongst his ranks. Eliana couldn't blame him...the other kids would surely be jealous of her marks. Of course! That's why Shadow Weaver wanted to get rid of them...but...if that was the case, why not just make her wear a shirt? The cat lady already bathed privately, why not Eliana?

Eliana got back into be, the soft, familiar ringing lulling her to sleep.

The heft of the staff came down onto Eliana's back, knocking the wind out of her and sending the 12-year-old girl sprawling. She sputtered as she looked up to see who had landed the blow. As she looked back, she saw her..Force Captain Catra...of course, it was always her. Force Captain Scorpia was there, too. Followed her around...Eliana didn't know or care why.

“Hey there, longhair.” Catra used a nickname given to the girl unceremoniously by a few...less-than-friends. No one was friendly enough to stop her from this, even as people passed by.

“...What is it, Force Captain?” Eliana asked, through gritted teeth and hidden fist.

“What're you doing near here, anyways?” Asked Catra, looking down at the younger girl.

“I'm on special orders from Force Captain Enric.” Eliana replied, slowly beginning to calm herself. She couldn't afford another fight…

“Well, stop it. You got new ones.” Catra said, getting closer. “Because you've been moved to MY team.” She smirked gently, forcing Eliana to look at her with a hand on the chin.

“...Yes, Force Captain.”

“Scorpia is going to be securing a fort on the Plumerian border. YOU, though, You're coming with me.”

“Force captain, I'd probably be better suited for a role with force Captain Scor-”

WHAM.

Eliana's head was protected from the steel wall only by Catra's hand, which didn't do much to break the impact. She huffed, looking Catra in the eye...one yellow, one blue. She could see those colors...she thought. Maybe they were different…

“I'm your CAPTAIN now...so you're going to do what I say...understand?”

“...Yes,” She spoke once again through gritted teeth and angered expression, “...Force Captain.”

“Good. Listen,” Catra showed her claws, “YOU aren't Shadow Weaver's special little pet anymore. You never were, and you're not anymore.” Catra threw Eliana to the ground.

“...I'm in charge here, Eliana. And I don't take well to people who think they're better than what they are...”

Silence from Eliana...she simply looked up, a mix of anger and disgust on her face…

“Briefing room in 45 minutes. You're getting your rank and assignment there.” Catra simply walked away.

“Scorpia, get moving. You need to be at the fort by nightfall.” Catra said, before turning a corner.

Scorpia walked over to Eliana, helping her up from the floor. She smiled gently, rubbing one of her shoulders with a closed pincer and patted her back. She looked the young girl over. She noted the bruise on her face, and the messy bun of hair atop her head. But the main concern was the eyes...still that strange dull gray.

“Hey, kid, don't feel too bad...Catra's just going through something right now.”

“...She's always been like that, Scorpia. She's been 'going through' something ever since Shadow Weaver started acting up...”

“Well...you weren't the only one who spent time with her.” Scorpia said, as she began to move towards the transport doors.

Eliana followed close by, “Any idea what she's going to do with me? Gonna send me on some suicide mission and finally let me die?”

Scorpia shook her head, “No, no, no! She wants you alive...I think she wants you to be a courier or something. Deliver packages and all that.”

Eliana shook her head, “Better than KP, I suppose...I'll brace myself.”

The transport doors opened, and wind poured in from the outdoors, transports heading in and lifting off, getting assigned. Scorpia knelt down to eye level with Eliana, squeezing her shoulder with a pincer.

“You'll be fine. Promise.”

Eliana watched as Scorpia boarded the transport...and then, Eliana made her way to the briefing room. Looking at her hands, she thought for a moment about existence...she quelled those thoughts. She didn't need to be thinking about that right now.

Eliana heard that ringing in her ears...she was hearing it more often nowadays. Less a lullaby, more a nuisance.

“In your 2 years as a courier, you have done nothing but good things for the Horde, Eliana.” Force Captain Holst was in charge now, having taken Catra's Unit. He was a genuine man, but a Horde man, nonetheless. This was just a recording, but Eliana could hear the man shift uneasily in a seat once belonging to Hordak. Hordak was missing. Catra, too.

Everyone was missing.

“But it appears the Horde's days are numbered...I'll be honest with you, Eliana. I'm sending you on this mission so that you can escape.”

The words on the tape seemed hasty and ill-formatted. Not official like they once were, not the way they were supposed to be. Nothing was the way it was supposed to be anymore.

“Pack everything you can, and work your way to Rosetree. It's the capitol of Plumeria, home to the queen. Try and fall in with the locals there, maybe start a new life.”

Eliana packed what she could...drawings, a small flag, the eye-mask she used to sleep, a collection of amulets...she would take them off of the people she had to dispatch. Amulets for the gods. She kept THOSE well hidden. Other than that, not much to pack, other than clothes for a few days, even some clothes she'd snuck out of Bright Moon on a mission.

“Your mission, to any officers that might stop you from escaping, is a spying mission. You're officially being placed there to spy on Perfuma of Plumeria. But you're not doing that.”

She walked to the transport doors, past the few watching eyes that still looked her over, past the security cameras that couldn't catch her anymore. She still had the circles on her back, and constellations on her arms. No one was taking those away from her now. Not a damn soul even wanted to touch her.

“Wear your black clothes, and slip out at night. If you keep walking, you should hit Rosetree by dawn. Just keep walking. If you see enemies, keep walking. If you see friends, keep walking.”

Eliana heard that ringing...she was wearing her visor, something all of the couriers wore to keep themselves focused. She didn't know why, she just...figured she should wear it. A flag of a dead empire.

“I'm setting you free, Eliana. You know what that word means? In Old Etherian?” The tape asked as if she could answer it…

“Firebird. Phoenix. Burn down, and start anew.”

Eliana slipped out of the courier's barracks one last time. She still heard the ring. It was almost constant nowadays. She looked over the destroyed Frightzone, as if the carcass of a great beast...and she began walking. She repeated that to herself…

Burn down.

Start Anew.

[iris-sistibly]

4R’s: Encantadia Season 2 (March 29, 2017 episode review)

Episode 183

Recap:

Wrath of the grieving parents

Pirena went to Etheria, Danaya followed her. The youngest sister tried to talk and convince her edea to stop doing anything reckless, it was too dangerous and she can’t do it alone. But for a mother who lost her only child, Pirena will stop at nothing to avenge her beloved Mira. Pirena looked for Avria and even Ether only to find out that the palace was deserted. Danaya persuaded Pirena to go back to Lireo, but before she and Pirena left, the eldest sang’gre used her fire gem and burned the entire palace, it is to let Avria and Etherians witness a mother’s wrath.

Alena accompanied Cassiopeia and Imaw to the port where their airship was waiting. It was the same ship Lira and Wahid used when they went to Devas, a ship that will remind Cassiopeia her purpose of seeking Emre herself. Alena wished for her success, Cassiopeia was grateful at Alena’s kindness despite of everything that happened, she and Imaw went on their way.

Ybrahim talked to Mashna Mayca and asked the latter to give the letter he personally wrote for the Sapirian council, after his daughter’s funeral, Sapiro will declare war against Etheria. Alena overheard this and warned Ybrahim that Sapiro cannot win this war alone, Sapiro isn’t going through this war alone, for Hathoria will surely fight on their side, and so is Lireo. Alena was starting to get worried of what’s about to happen.

Rehav Manik and Azulan both agreed to return to their home after the sang’gres’ funeral, Ariana decided to stay despite of Azulan disagreement, despite of the many dangers of the path she chose to take, despite the fact that she too might also end up like Lira and Mira. Azulan wondered why Ariana is so attached to diwatas, even Ariana herself has no idea, but she knew she’s in the right place.

Hara Pirena went to the room Lira and Mira used to share, a lot of memories came back to her mind, she was comforted by that game Lira and Mira loved to play. But that comfort turned into pain, knowing that her two sang’gres are gone forever. Azulan witnessed her pain, and gave her a shoulder to cry on.

The funeral rites for the sang’gres, Gilas and Wahid continued, not long after, retres started gathering, and hovered over the corpses. Everyone knew it was about time, letting go was the hardest part—especially for Ybrahim and Pirena. The two recalled their last days together with their daughters, and the last words they spoke to them. Mira promising Pirena that she will make her proud, and Lira telling Ybrahim to always take care of himself and she loves him very much. One by one, the corpses were taken, leaving Ybrahim and Pirena with wounded hearts.

After the bodies were taken, Luna talked to Pirena and narrated everything that happened in the island that night. There were four of them, two men and two women. Half of that team let Luna and Pao Pao escape, if Lira and Mira chose to go with them, they would have lived. Pirena asked who that other woman was, Luna described her as a very beautiful woman with black hair, Pirena knew that the woman was Lila Sari. A name that is also very familiar to Luna, Pirena revealed that it was the Lila Sari she have been looking for—her mother’s murderer. Pirena instilled in Luna’s mind, that there are no good Etherians, this sparked rage in Luna. Alena and Danaya were terrified at how Pirena is using the young Luna against their enemies. Pirena did not care, she must gather each and every encantado to add number to her troop in order to win against Etheria. Ybrahim has already declared war, Hathoria will be joining, the monarchs of the two kingdoms were rooting for Lireo and Adamya to fight on their side but got dismayed when Danaya and Alena refused to join the battle and opted to wait for Cassiopeia’s return from Devas. Pirena and Ybrahim were disappointed, considering their daughters were also members of Lireo’s royal house especially Lira who was next in line to the crown. Right then and there, Pirena and Ybrahim cut Hathoria and Sapiro’s ties with Lireo.

Back from the past

Avria and her four Mashnas went back to the Old Etheria, using the golden hour glass and the power of the three gems, Avria was able to open the portal and allow an army of Etherians to time travel to the present day. Amarro dreaded this and secretly stepped out of the way. Lila Sari followed him, Amarro couldn’t take Avria’s evil schemes anymore, all along he thought Avria was for peace, but he was very wrong. Amarro decided to leave and convinced Lila Sari to come with her but the latter was still doubtful since they swore loyalty to Ether. Amarro let her be and told her to find him in case she changes her mind.

Meanwhile, Cassiopeia and Imaw has finally reached their destination—Devas. But the skies suddenly went dark, and a huge, ferocious beast appeared before them, Arde, the god revealed that Emre has been overthrown and it is now him and Ether that has taken over Devas.

Rave/s:

💎 I think the reason why Emre was overthrown was because Avria already possessed three out of five gems, plus the deaths of Encantadia’s future queens must have lessened Emre’s power thus making him a useless and incompetent god and this became Arde and Ether’s aces to win against Emre. Who knows what kind of shitty rules the gods put up to determine who’s the better god or who is much more deserving to sit on the throne of Devas? Also I kind of agree to that theory that this might be Cassiopeia’s ultimate test to prove to everyone that she deserves to be a goddess. Etherians are finally back, I am really curious to know if Juvila and Odessa time traveled with the rest of the bastards or if they have some sort of a grand entrance or some shit. I am NOT excited for that Odessa bitch to return, I just want Juvila and Andora going head to head against the sisters. Speaking of time traveling, will this allow characters like Mine-a and Kahlil to return as well? I am speculating that Lira and Mira will have a role to play in this whole finding Emre thing, maybe our super twins will be Cassy’s team mates to rescue Emre and overthrow Dragon lord and Snake queen? And who the heck is Lance whatever his last name is? The guy playing Memfes? He better work it with Gabbi if he’s going to be Alena’s love interest. I am already frustrated with ArraRu and Glaiza-Marx’s one-sided team effort, this better not happen in Alena and Memfes!

❤💪 Glai and Ru continue to slay this week! So much pain for their characters. I couldn’t find the words to describe how incredible they were in this episode, Ruru despite being young did a very good job at portraying a father, and a father who seeks justice for his little girl. And Glaiza my god! I cannot! She’s too awesome, her portrayal is the perfect epitome of a mother who lost a child, those bitches fucked up big time when they killed her baby girl, now it’s pay back time!

Rant/s:

😱 Oh no! Seems like Pirena is turning Luna into a mini-version of her. But either way Luna would still be angry and hurt so…

😤 Let me just continue to rant on Ariana, she didn’t even mention how guilty she was for not doing anything to save Lira. Wait—she never showed any signs of regret during Lira’s funeral, and the way Arra’s performing lately just makes my blood boil, she seems so plastic at sympathizing with the diwatas, I did not feel the sincerity of how much she cares for Lira and how bad she felt for Ybrahim and Pirena. Plus Ariana’s poor characterization is making it worse than WORST! How can DMR stand this kind of performance? I don’t get it, considering there is only little time left, they should have just opted to hire an actress who can perform just as excellent as Kylie, or kahit Sanya-level man lang, I’m sorry for being so impatient lately, I’m just so bummed at everything that’s going on in the show and Lira and Mira’s deaths snapped my patience big time.

🙄 Marx, when are you going to stop letting Glaiza do all the hard work?!

Iris-message: Thank you so much for all of your positive feedbacks on my character tributes for Ybrahim and Pirena, well…it’s kind of Daddy Ybs and Mommy Piry paying tribute to their daughters, and I purposely wrote it that way to really emphasize the pain that they are going through and what are they going to do to avenge their daughters. Kudos to Ruru and Glaiza’s performances which helped me capture the right ‘feel’ and come up with these. Avisala Eshma Rama and Hara! And to all of you bessies! E correi diu from the mortal world to Encantadia!

Best performer/s for this episode: Glaiza de Castro 🔥 Ruru Madrid 🗡

Rating: 10 out of 10💎s (still for the cast)

Photo credits: From Twitter: @GMAEncantadia (Encantadia 2016-2017 official twitter acct) @gmanetwork (GMA Network); official website: gmanetwork.com @GMADrama (GMA Drama)

From Facebook: Encantadia 2016; official website: encantadia.com.ph

Video credits: GMA Network via YouTube & dailymotion

[pointy-eared-muse]

Graham... what have you done?

Quick poll, show of hands.  How many of my fellow King’s Questers were emotional wrecks by the end of Chapter 5 of King’s Quest 2015, thinking about how sad and beautiful and right-in-the-feels it was?  Most of you?  OK, that’s totally fair and reasonable.  You can put your hands down.  Now, how many of you, at the end of Chapter 5, were staring at your screen in dawning abject horror because you realized that Graham’s final act may have destabilized the political futures of multiple countries?  ...is it just me?  Maybe one person there in the back?  Anyone else?  OK, let me explain.  Spoilers ahead.

Now, I’m going to preface all this by saying I genuinely believe that Graham’s final decision was well-intentioned and motivated by love.  I think he saw a great deal of himself in Gwendolyn and honestly thought that she would make an excellent queen.  And, I do agree.  I think Gwendolyn has the potential to be a great ruler one day.

Key phrase there:  one day.

Because Graham literally just left his entire kingdom in the hands of a ten-year-old. (OK, I don’t actually know how old Gwendolyn is, but ten seems like a reasonable estimate.)

Now, I don’t doubt that Gwendolyn would be as well-supported as possible in her new role as queen.  I don’t doubt that Valanice, Rosella, her parents, and pretty much everyone in the Daventry castle would be right there to help her.  But still.  She is a young girl.  She has not yet developed the experience and maturity to be in that position.  Both her father and grandfather were pretty young when they each became kings, and she is roughly half the age they were at the time.  Look, I have a child about Gwendolyn’s age and I wouldn’t leave him in charge of breakfast, let alone a kingdom, and that’s under the best of circumstances.  Well-intentioned as it may be, the chances of this ending well for Daventry aren’t very good, even with help.  Somebody somewhere is bound to try and take advantage of her.  But it’s more complicated than that.

See, the game strongly implies that both Gart and Gwendolyn are only children and don’t have any siblings.  And if that is true, well, now, we have a problem.  Because, with Gwendolyn becoming queen of Daventry... the Land of the Green Isles no longer has an heir-apparent.  Whoops.

OK, I know what you’re thinking.  Why not just have Gart and Gwendolyn swap places?  She becomes queen of Daventry, and he becomes the future King of the Green Isles.  Problem solved, right?  Eh... maybe.  Because that’s definitely going to make an uphill fight for the both of them.  It’s unclear how much Gwendolyn has been coached at this point to lead a kingdom, but Gart has been being trained practically since birth to lead Daventry as the clear heir-apparent.  He knows Daventry well, can easily identify addendums by number, understands the people, history, geography, dangers, and culture of Daventry.  It’s his home.  But chances are, he doesn’t know all that much about the Green Isles---it’s unfamiliar territory at best and bound to be a culture shock.  And, to be honest, Gwendolyn will probably face similar struggles adapting to the Daventry way of life.  But, here is a key difference between the two realms:  on the whole, Daventry has been pretty chill about welcoming outsiders (goblins and evil wizards not withstanding).  Land of the Green Isles, though?  Land that is xenophobic enough that, by the request of its prior leaders, many maps either actively deny its existence or else deliberately misplace it so it is nearly impossible to find?  Land where almost any ship that attempts to sail there and actually finds it ends up wrecked?  Land of every island prepared to inventively kill any stranger who attempts to walk more than 5 feet inland from the shore? (If you’re wondering if I died a lot playing KQ6 as a kid, the answer is yes.  Yes, I did.)  Yeah...  Even in the best possible circumstances, Gart’s going to need a lot of luck if he’s going have any hope of succeeding as the next heir to the Green Isles, assuming he even gets the position.

But wait, you say, during KQ6 wasn’t there a lot of instability and turmoil going on because of Alhazred’s meddling?  And hasn’t he been gone for 30-ish years?  You are correct, but that still doesn’t change the fact that the Green Isles is pretty inherently hostile to outsiders.  Maybe some of that has changed under Alexander-Gwydion’s reign, but that kind of widespread cultural change is difficult to accomplish in one generation.  Xenophobia and mistrust rarely ever truly go away---they’re more likely to just go underground for a while and then pop back up at the first favorable opportunity.  And we actually don’t know how effective a ruler Alexander-Gwydion is.  Yes, he earned the respect of the various island leaders during his adventuring there, but he wasn’t brought up being taught how to govern.  It’s far more likely that Cassima is the true power on the throne of the Green Isles with Alexander-Gwydion being more of a figurehead.  We like to assume that the two of them ushered in a new era of peace and prosperity for the Green Isles... but what if they didn’t? What if the situation there is still politically precarious?

Because, see, as previously noted, there are some conspicuous and unexplained absences in the newest King’s Quest game.  One of them is Queen Cassima herself, and while we don’t actually know where she is or why,  my guess is that she stayed behind in the Green Isles instead of following her family to Daventry because things may well fall apart without her maintaining a presence.  And now, thanks to Graham, it’s just her there.  With Gwendolyn being queen of Daventry, we don’t know when or if Alexander-Gwydion will return to the Green Isles (I’m thinking more likely “when,” but it could take a while, be it weeks, months or even years).  And if the other islands perceive weakness or instability in the leadership of the Isle of the Crown, I’m pretty sure peaceful co-existence is not going to be the order of the day.  Whether this means each island becomes more insular, or the bickering and in-fighting between them flares up and intensifies, or there are threats of an all-out coup, I don’t know, but all in all, more than likely, things aren’t going to be smooth and peaceful.

And then there’s Edgar, also conspicuously missing with no explanation as to where he is or why, or even a definitive canon answer as to whether or not he’s a part of the Cracker family tree.  But for argument’s sake, let’s go with the generally-assumed belief that he is Gart’s father.  That would mean Gart would have as much (and probably more, actually) claim to being part of the Etherian court as he would that of the Green Isles, since there he’s a direct descendant of the ruling family, rather than just the king’s nephew.  And if you thought Green Isles politics and culture shock were hard... welcome to Faerie.

Now, the good news is that Oberon and Titania are effectively immortal, so the chances of Gart ever actually inheriting the throne and/or needing to lead are pretty small.  If he did find his place in the Etherian court, it’d most likely be as a courtier, a liaison, an ambassador or something like that.  At least, once he’s an adult.  As a kid, especially, though, probably every fairy and their dragonet is going to want to get their grabby little hands on Gart, especially the dark ones.  Because fairies are just weirdly obsessed with children in general, it’s far from the first time that wicked Etherians have tried to strike at Oberon and Titania through a child of their bloodline, and I still think it would be incredibly naive to assume that Lolotte and Malicia are the only threats to ever come out of Etherian society.

Again, we don’t actually know what happened to Edgar, but of the various theories I came up with, the one I like best is that Edgar has voluntarily (and heart-wrenchingly) separated from Rosella and Gart in an effort to keep them safe from the more dangerous factions of Etherian society.  I firmly believe that Edgar is motivated by the desire to Do The Right Thing, but growing up under Lolotte and being brainwashed by Malicia have left their mark on him.  He’s learned that the ends justify the means, he’s learned how to manipulate and deceive, how to plot and carry out plans in secret, how to literally get away with murder, and, most importantly, he’s learned how dark fairies generally think and behave. It’s the hardest thing he’s ever had to do, and he hates it, but he can’t think of a better solution to protect the people he loves most, so, while they stay in Daventry, he returns to Eldritch and Etheria, and at first, he tries lying.  He denies he still has feelings for Rosella, denies that they have a child together.  They can’t hurt his son if they don’t know he exists, after all.  But Edgar’s more the type to deceive through misdirection and omission, and outright lies don’t spin easily off his tongue; he stammers and falters when he tries.  Not to mention that any fairy with sufficient means, skill and determination can use Daventry’s cherished Magic Mirror as a window into the kingdom (if Genesta could, surely there are others, after all).  Rumors spread quickly among fairies, and the idea of a precious half-human prince who doesn’t realize what he’s capable of and being poised to lead a kingdom one day is a terribly tempting target.  Imagine what they could do with that impressionable mind, that untapped power...  And if this sweet little prince could be taken...  Etheria remembers the chaos that followed in the wake of losing their own Prince Edgar---how would Daventry handle the disappearance of its own heir?  King Graham is growing older and fears dark magic...  Goblins have been able to throw Daventry into disarray, and, overall, they’re downright primitive compared to the dark fairies of Etheria.  If the forces of dark magic took their prince, there would be war, surely.  And the humans would be no match against the fairies.  Daventry would become theirs.

So, now Edgar has to switch tactics, because simple denial is pointless.  It becomes a cat-and-mouse game, where the best defense is a good offense. It’s his fault that Daventry is at risk, so it’s his duty to prevent both personal tragedy and war between the realms.  He’s on the proverbial front lines, rooting out the places where evil flourishes, doing all he can to quash the ambitions of those who would hurt Gart or Rosella and/or cause a war.  Once in a while, maybe, he slips away to visit Daventry, to catch a glimpse of his son and his beloved Rosella.  Quietly, he encourages sending Gart on adventures, to keep him away from the Magic Mirror where he might be spied upon, to hone the skills of survival, resourcefulness and handling adversity, because he will need them one day.  Maybe out in the wilds, the magic in him will awaken, and he can practice it away from Graham’s potential worry and disapproval.  Perhaps, just perhaps, it is Edgar who fervently pleads with Graham in hushed corners to not let Gart grow up too soon, to let him be a boy, to keep him sheltered from too much public attention.  Don’t let him become king until he is too old to tempt those who would corrupt him.  And Graham doesn’t---he ends up choosing his other grandchild to succeed him.

Meanwhile, Gart is being raised human.  It’s a bittersweet prospect in Edgar’s eyes, having known what it’s like to grow up not knowing the truth of what you are, but, for now, it’s for the best.  Gart doesn’t yet understand the sacrifices his father is making on his behalf, or the power that lies sleeping in his veins.  He grows to believe that Daventry is his birthright, not realizing that someday his father’s battles may become his own.  One day, he will understand, but that day may come sooner than expected with his younger cousin now the acting queen.  There’s a chance the dark fairies may try to use her to get to Gart, appealing to her youth, her innocence, her own fascination with magic. 

Daventry has never been more vulnerable in living human memory.  And two other nations may be on the brink of open conflict because of it.

...long story short, if there’s a follow-up game to this, I really hope it’s about Gwendolyn and Gart trying to navigate the political hellscape they’ve just inherited.

[cruelfeline]

Something that’s always sort of sat poorly with me is the idea of Hordak and his brothers as colonizers. Or fascists. Or whatever other word people like to use. And I suppose I’ve never really been entirely sure as to why it sits poorly with me. It’s a little hard to put into words, and it’s something that I don’t really attempt to reason out or discuss here because of The Controversy, but I’ve been thinking about it recently, and I’d like to try expressing my... discomfort? Is it discomfort? Hm. I guess so. Maybe. Discomfort, with the idea of the clones as colonizers or fascists or totalitarians or whatever. So. If this makes any of y’all uncomfortable, now is the time to look away!

Some of the reason this sits poorly with me is because I just don’t find the definitions of such things to properly match what happens in the canon. For example: how is Hordak “colonizing” when he is one clone, with no back up, waging a war with an army comprised of natives of the planet supposedly undergoing colonization? Where are the colonists? Where are the colonies? Who is the invading nation, when Hordak’s Horde isn’t really a nation? How does it work as colonization if natives are simply pushed out by other natives? 

It’s just not consistent with what I understand, academically, colonization to be. Though I admit it’s not my area of significant knowledge; maybe there is some part of the definition I don’t understand. That is very possible, and I’m sure someone will point it out for me if it is the case.

But even looking past such definitions, even considering the situation in terms of the Galactic Horde rather than the Etherian, I have difficulty accepting this concept.

And I think... I think it’s because I just don’t view Hordak and his brothers as having any sort of power in this situation.

I’ve always understood practices like colonization and fascism to heavily involve oppressors and an oppressed minority. There’s this sense of an in-power group of people taking advantage of and marginalizing a less-powerful group in order to obtain resources or status or some other form of riches, physical or societal or what-have-you.

And while I fully accept the idea of Horde Prime being in this sort of colonization/fascist position, it’s hard for me to accept Hordak and his brothers as occupying that same position.

Horde Prime visibly enriches himself at the expense of other planets and peoples. He has an entire trophy room full of the spoils of his wars. He lives a life of pampering and luxury at the expense of literally everyone else around him. Servants attend him. He is able to host opulent feasts. All as a result of conquering worlds and draining them of resources.

The clones and Hordak... we don’t see this with them. We don’t see them gaining any sort of advantages from taking over these worlds. We don’t see them in any position of privilege. They don’t take land as their own. They don’t build homes on it and live there and take its resources to make new lives for themselves. They don’t get rich off of taking resources from others. They don’t exert any sort of real social power over marginalized peoples. 

Prime does these things, but his clones? 

They’re slaves. They’re a slave army that he uses to colonize and take over places, but they themselves don’t glean any benefit from that. They don’t... I don’t know... they don’t get a cut of the profits, so to speak. They don’t get to settle a new planet and take a portion of it for themselves. 

They get to work and fight for Prime, but they have no legitimate power in doing so. They have no names, no privileges, no real say in what they do or don’t do. They have no legitimate choice in the matter. They’re essentially living tools that don’t know they’re being used. They’re not... they’re lacking the agency I feel is necessary in order to label them as actual oppressors.

I’m uncertain if any of this makes sense; perhaps it doesn’t. And I’m sure it’s offensive to someone, somewhere. But it’s a bit of feeling I want to put down to post because, well, that’s what my blog is for, isn’t it? And I want to try to work out why it feels strange to me, to call Hordak and his kin colonizers or fascists or whatever.

And I think it’s their powerlessness. It’s the fact that they don’t benefit from any of what they do. It’s their status as a purpose-bred slave army that makes this accusation unpalatable to me emotionally, whether that’s right or wrong. I just don’t like it. It makes me feel strange. 

Of course, if anyone has anything to add, or wishes to school me on definitions, please feel free! As with anything, I could just be flat out wrong and would certainly welcome being informed if I am just not assessing this in the correct manner.

[cruelfeline]

1/? I honestly wonder how cruel Hordak's Horde really was/is. I do not in any way want to deny that they most likely have committed plenty of war crimes and inflicted lots of unnecessary violence, however some things always stood out to me, making me wonder if the Horde was really just plain evil. - First of all there is Scorpia. The Horde undeniably took over her kingdom with at least a considerable amount of force as shown in the short flashback shot.

Okay. Okay, I really hope I got those in the right order. I think you numbered the last two “9″ by accident, but I think I still got it! 

First, the obligatory disclaimer: yes, the Horde is evil and tried to conquer Etheria and people’s homes were destroyed and blah blah blah we get it. This is not a “the Horde did nothing wrong” post. There; it’s out of the way.

All right. Here we go!

The Horde as a Place of Acceptance + Weird Etherian Power Imbalances

I think one of the most interesting questions that we still don’t have a real answer for is exactly what you wonder: why did people originally join the Horde? If the Princess-ruled kingdoms are so free and wonderful, why did a bunch of people turn their backs on their kinsmen and follow an angry, bat-faced man from outer space?

The sort-of answer we get for this is first given through Adora’s eyes: there were lies and propaganda that essentially tricked her and the other kids into dedicating their lives to the Horde. This answer, however, doesn’t really work beyond the kids that we see. It doesn’t work for the countless adults in the Horde who, like Huntara, likely figured out what the Horde was actually doing but stayed anyway. It also sort of stops working as the show goes on, and characters like Lonnie and Friends get out into the field. I would assume that they’re conquering villages just like everyone else, and despite seeing that it’s civilians they’re terrorizing, they’re still proud and willing in their work.

So why? Why are they still okay with it? Why were the original Horde recruits okay with it? What in the world compels so many people to attack the cities and villages that their ancestors very likely came from?

I’m not sure we’ll get an answer to this. I don’t think it’s really the focus of the show, y’know? But that doesn’t mean that we can’t speculate!

My take on it? I would bet that, despite the rosy picture of Etherian life we are presented, there were plenty of people who weren’t pleased with how the Princesses ran things. Perhaps they didn’t like the idea of inherited power. Perhaps they objected to obeying someone just because they were born with fancy magical powers. Perhaps they were of different races, such as the reptilian people we see, and were thought of as inferior to the more human denizens of the planet. 

There certainly is an odd sort of power imbalance between different groups of Etherians. Humans rule over numerous other species, such as the goat/deer people. All Princesses appear to be human. Angella and co. in Bright Moon have excellent defenses and are able to access fairly advanced technology while we see other Etherians living in villages with markedly lower tech and, as you’ve noted, essentially no defenses. There seems to be a significant divide between Etherians, depending on who they are, in terms of technology and infrastructure. For example: the people of Thaymor looked happy and carefree, but they had zero defense against the Horde. If they were under Bright Moon’s protection, then why did they have literally nothing to save them? Why did they have such primitive infrastructure, no tech, and no military readiness? There’s a whole-ass war going on, and they’re in happy-festival mode with no defensive protocol, no protection at all. 

It’s possible that various people recognized the imbalance inherent to Princesses ruling things and decided Hordak’s military meritocracy was a better plan. It was more authoritarian, but everyone was looked after and provided for as long as they pulled their weight. And anyone could rise in rank through hard work alone, inherited magic or no.

Was the Horde Legit that Bad for Everyone?

An interesting thing to consider is how we, the audience, are introduced to life in the Horde, and whether or not that viewpoint is accurate to the whole Horde. We are introduced via Adora. We continue seeing Horde life through Catra. Very rarely do we see Horde life through anyone else’s eyes until later in the series, when we get some moments with Scorpia and Lonnie and Friends. 

The Horde as presented by Adora and Catra is an awful place: lies, backstabbing, propaganda, manipulation, Shadow Weaver. Even moments of levity in their youth are tainted by the terrible reality of what happened to them.

It’s only when we follow other characters that we get to see the Horde as less of a deceiving, manipulative cesspool and more as a pretty standard military operation. Scorpia and Lonnie and Friends were also raised in the Horde, but they don’t seem nearly as damaged by the ordeal and Adora and Catra. Mind you, that’s not to say that they’re entirely healthy, well-adjusted people. Scorpia, at the very least, obviously has some issues, but they’re not nearly as bad as what Adora and Catra have to contend with. In addition, these other characters appear to have a much more positive view of Horde values: they talk about teamwork and friendship and loyalty in legitimately wholesome ways, and they attribute their understanding of these things to Horde teachings.

My opinion on this? Adora and Catra are as messed up as they are because of Shadow Weaver. Not because of Hordak’s Etherian Horde.

While the Horde was hardly the ideal place to live, and while it legitimately raised children for war, it wasn’t quite as terrible for everyone as it was for Adora and Catra. Those girls suffered on another level specifically because Shadow Weaver took an interest in them and had great influence on their childhoods.

For everyone else, it appears that the Horde was an authoritarian, strict place to live, but it had reasonable rules and opportunities for recreation. It valued its members enough to allow them to refuse to fight without proper supplies. It taught positive lessons, even if it did so against a backdrop of war. It wasn’t “good,” persay, but it wasn’t monstrous.

Hordak Himself

To my eyes, Hordak doesn’t actually care much for ruling a place. He’s not into it. He doesn’t enjoy it. He’s into science and logistics. He does what he does because he has a pathological need for Prime’s approval, and conquering a world is how he understands said approval must be earned.

He’s otherwise pretty fair to his subjects: he outlines clear expectations, doesn’t punish unreasonably, and doesn’t appear to be particularly into more “classic” evil things, like torturing or wanton destruction or whatever.

I think that the more manipulative aspects of the Horde, things like the propaganda and all of what happened to Catra and Adora, are more Shadow Weaver’s doing than Hordak’s. He’s definitely authoritarian and stern, but he’s neither a sadist nor especially power-hungry. He doesn’t care specifically about being in charge; he cares about being valued by someone he highly respects. Mainly because he has severe trouble valuing himself.

In Conclusion

Is the Horde evil? If you’re a civilian Etherian who doesn’t want to belong to it, then yes. Yes, it is. If you’re Catra or Adora, the Horde has essentially ruined your life.

But it’s definitely a grey area when it comes to its other members. The members of the Horde are, as Frosta kindly reminded us in season four, just people. And they’re people who fight for their own reasons and make up a unique sort of Etherian culture of their own.

I think that a lot of what was truly awful about the Horde had less to do with Hordak and more to do with Shadow Weaver, specifically because much of that truly awful stuff was visited upon Catra and Adora. 

For everyone else, the Horde was a pretty standard military operation: it conquered, because Hordak needed it to conquer in order to attain his sense of self-worth, but it wasn’t especially evil about it. It treated its members pretty reasonably, given the context. In my opinion, it certainly could have been a lot worse.

How? By being Prime’s Horde. As I’m sure we’ll see in season five.