#I do not like using the term kin shift typically

[qimicloud]

This is going both on this blog AND in the tags because I'm that.... embarrassed isn't the right word, neither is shy. Alas. You get the idea. Unfortunately my place for putting these sort of thoughts has been barred from me atm so

[blackcatsnest]

The meaning of "Solas" and its influences

While researching lore for my solavellan fanfic (if you are interest, see here), I came across something intriguing that I haven’t seen much discussion about in the fandom. Solas once said, “I was Solas first. Fen’Harel came later. An insult I took as a badge of pride.” This implies that Solas was his original and "only" name before he chose to rebel against his kins.

This raises an interesting question: do spirits even use names? From what I remember (and correct me if I am wrong), in the game spirits are typically referred to by their nature—Spirit of Justice is Justice, Demon of Spite is Spite, and so on. The only exception is Cole, but he gained his name by assuming the identity of the real Cole. This suggests that spirits don’t have the same sense of individualism as mortals. However, if they embody or manifest in a physical form, they might adopt a name that reflects their nature or experiences. This leads to an interesting possibility: Solas might not have had a name until Mythal crafted him a body. But why would Solas, a spirit of wisdom, choose a name associated with pride? (And it can also mean 'stand tall,' which carries a more positive aspect while still hinting at pridefulness—thanks for the reminder from @smoggyfogbottom )Here are two potential theories:

Theory 1: The trauma of becoming physical twisted his essence into pride.

The process of taking on a body is said to be very traumatic, maybe that altered Solas at his core, leading him to identify himself as pride rather than wisdom. However, I find this theory unconvincing. At the beginning of their creation, the Evanuris were still performing good deeds, and Solas served Mythal and her people as an advisor. This indicates that the spiritual purpose of the Evanuris wasn’t significantly altered right away. While the act of taking on a body may have been distressing, it likely wasn’t as severe as the transformation spirits undergo when crossing the Veil and becoming demons instantly. Thus, there’s little reason for Solas to call himself "pride" immediately after gaining a body.

Theory 2: The name originally meant wisdom, but the meaning changed over time.

It’s possible that the word Solas initially conveyed the idea of wisdom or something closely related, but its meaning was later distorted to represent pride. This wouldn’t be the first instance of a name or term being twisted over time. For example, the meaning of Fen’Harel has been confirmed to have changed. According to the Codex, Fen’Harel does not mean “God of Deception” or “Trickster,” but rather “God of Rebellion” or even “God of Noble Struggle.”

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Codex entry: The Rebel God The Dalish use "Harellan" to mean "traitor to one's kin," but the word does not appear in any elven text before the Towers Age. The ancient root-word is related to "harillen," or opposition, and "hellathen," or noble struggle. The Dalish call Fen'Harel a god of deception, but I posit a far more accurate translation would be "god of rebellion." What he rebelled against is a story lost to time. In Dalish legends, Fen'Harel seals away the other deities out of love of trickery. If we understood more ancient elven, we might find earlier versions of the Dread Wolf's story give him a more nuanced motivation beyond spite.

-From A Treaty on the Pagan and Heretical Customs of the Elven, by Senallen Tavernier of the University of Orlais, commissioned by Empress Celene.

---

If this distortion of meaning could happen with Fen’Harel, it’s plausible that the name Solas experienced a similar fate. The question then becomes: when did this shift in meaning occur?

The Codex notes that the word Harellan—first appeared in the Towers Age. This suggests that the meaning of the root of the word, Fen’Harel, and the related terms Solas, were changed much earlier, potentially as soon as Solas led the rebellion. The Evanuris likely employed highly effective propaganda to paint their enemy in a negative light, which endured for thousands of years.

But where were Solas’s supporters and allies in all this? After the Veil was created and its devastating consequences unfolded, many likely turned against him, resenting him for the chaos and suffering that followed. Others may have felt betrayed or abandoned. Over time, they may have forgotten that it was Solas who freed them from slavery, focusing instead on the cost of his actions.

An additional point of interest lies in the timing of the word Harellan’s emergence in the Towers Age. This coincides with the birth of Flemeth and her eventual possession by Mythal. The Codex containing this information is found in the Temple of Mythal, which seems too significant to dismiss as mere coincidence. Could Flemeth/Mythal have influenced the Towers Age Dalish to create Harellan and deepen the misrepresentation of Fen’Harel’s true nature?

If so, what was Mythal/Flemeth’s motivation? We know that Mythal and Solas’s relationship was never a healthy one—there were certainly elements of manipulation involved, and many people even believe Mythal was abusive towards him. Perhaps she still harbored grudges against him? Having a trusted subordinate rebel against you would have been both humiliating and deeply personal. In some ways, Solas’s actions may have even contributed to her death. So she seeks revenge, even after all these years? We have no way to be certain. But her action did denied Solas further from his legacy as a liberator. Now he is reduced to a villain in the eyes of future generations completely.

This is why I think Mythal is definitely not the noble and innocent figure Solas would like us to believe, and why their relationship may not have been a romantic one. I imagine their dynamic to be more like a superior and subordinate, or perhaps a mother and son, mixed with thousands of years of friendship. In one word—complicated. I also believe there’s more to the story of Andraste, who is implied to have been possessed by Mythal at some point. Morrigan once remarked that Andraste “runs off and falls in love with a wild man,” suggesting that she and Maferath had a genuine emotional bond. If there is no Maker, as Solas claims, why then would Maferath become jealous and betray Andraste? Could it be that Mythal sought to destroy the Tevinter Imperium to restore Elven glory, but the war dragged on for too long? Perhaps Maferath saw no end in sight and felt it was all spiraling out of control. This would be an interesting topic to explore further.

But back to our current discussion: the impact of these shifts in meaning is significant. Imagine waking up with the hope of seeing a better future, only to find that everyone now calls you a traitor. While Dragon Age lore doesn’t specifically state that names influence people directly, it’s common sense that names represent how others perceive you—and this perception undoubtedly affects self-image. Over time, even Solas begins to acknowledge himself as the God of Lies, believing deception is inherent to his nature, even though he uses lies only as tactics.

And let’s be honest—he’s a terrible liar! He leaves hints everywhere, unable to fully conceal the truth. Moreover, spirits reflect people’s thoughts and emotions, and at his core, Solas is still a spirit. Can we blame him for struggling under the weight of these misinterpretations and the world’s expectations?

It seems Lavellan understood his nature better than most. She said, “Lies of the heart? No.” That simple statement cuts to the truth of who he is.

[wxlfbites]

After a decade of identifying as a therian, it is with a heavy heart that I drop the label for myself. I simply no longer feel any connection to the word which has now been morphed into something unrecognizable to me. I first awakened in 2012 and became involved in the online community in 2014. I have watched the many struggles and phases of misinterpretation come and go around multiple platforms. I’ve helped spread education when there was much misinformation to be managed. Not that I was any kind of huge influence in the grand scheme of things, but I’ve seen the things the community has been through and we’ve always fought tooth and nail. Now though, it seems the war has been lost…

This community has held a special place in my heart for a very long time. But unfortunately, there’s nothing left of what was once my home. Somehow, kids wearing cat masks and doing quadrobics on TikTok did in months what the “tumblr kin” and “fluff” before them couldn’t in years, dismantling decades of work trying to uphold the original culture and definitions of our elders. The current shift in usage of therian terminology, having spread to other platforms now, has led many of us old-timers to abandon the label because not only does it no longer describe what we are in a community setting, we’d also like to avoid being associated with the “TikTok therians”. This community has become more like a giant roleplay group than anything.

This is why I have personally switched to using older “were” language. Maybe it’s because it’s from a time when the community was flourishing with people who truly connected with each other through their shared animality, but calling myself a “were” has given me a sense of peace that I don’t think I’ve felt with therian in quite a while. I have two pinned posts about the “were” language if you want to use it too. The Were Community can be your way to remove yourself from the therian community, or its terminology can be just a way to rephrase how you would typically describe yourself in therian terms. Either way, I’m never going back to using the word therian for myself. I like were much better.

[that-dreaming-dragon]

Shifts

I want to talk about something I seen again and again, and I myself also have a hard time getting away from, language.

In specific, I’m talking about shifting terms and definitions.

A lot of the times, it’s basically kinshift.

“What’s wrong with kinshift?”

No no, nothing’s wrong. Just that it being strictly otherkin/fictionkin/therian shift is the issue—it’s too limiting and exclusive. Nothing wrong tacking on it being a kin/therio shift. But we are the alterhuman community. There are more than just identify-as shift.

There is the term cameo shift for anything not kinshift, but there is the implication of its impermanence. Perhaps it’s not that important a distinction, and people would be fine using it, but I find that shifting language should be automatically vague. “Getting closer or the fluctuation of one’s alterhuman state”. It’s a workshop item, I’m not good with exact wording of things.

Well, that’s a community discussion topic.

Let me talk a bit about my own experience, that’s easier to talk about.

I have a good number of shifts that I experiences. Not all of them I know the respective terminologies off the top of my head.

== Phantom Shift ==

I’m most constantly experiencing phantom shift, and can probably call it being perma shifted. Just fluctuate in intensity. It’s why I attempt to word a definition that covers this sort of situation where it isn’t “getting close to the state of being one’s ‘type from typical human” (that ending part regarding what to put as the “starting” state gave me a lot of pauses, because how can I cover human fictionfolk or orthohuman but otherhuman?) My type of shifting is not uncommon, with a baseline which one is already their alterhuman ‘type, and just the intensity that changes.

Anyways, phantom shift. I mostly feel my own wings, tail, body parts and what have you. The change comes from the shapeshifter shenanigan, which, amongst the shapeshifter of otherconnect discord, we talked about a possible couple of terms for basically a “shapeshifter’s changing form shift”. Shapeshifter shift is a mouthful.

Gosh I kept getting side tracked.

Beyond my kintype shift, I’d once felt a near full body phantom shift of my three-tailed enfield hearttype. And it’s a linktype born out of paratype feelings!! You know how excited I was? To feel something, to have a confirmation of its success (of the linking process), and to just get to feel something that is unusual in a way.

I don’t think I feel other sort of phantom shift. If I do, it’s so far too hard to tell with the amount of draconic type I have, as for the humanoids…

== Mental Shift ==

I don’t really get this as much anymore. Which, I think it is a good thing, because the times I feel closer to my Naruto hearttype is usually when I’m feeling close to the negative part of his situation—when he was a isolated boy, seen as a freak, maybe bullied by other kids, it’s fuzzy now, what is the exact scenario that would trigger this sort of empathetic mental shift. I think I prefer it that way. I don’t think I could ever embody the positive or even neutral part of Naruto himself, considering my hearttype is of a AU version. But hey, my alterhumanity likes to surprise me, I’ll be sure to yell about it if it happens.

Mental shift with my other ‘type are all rather vague. When am I not a creature? I flip on the dime depending on who I am with, so “mischivious chirpy creeture dragon thing” is a constant state of mind. I did have the beastly Berserk shift, though that needs me to be in a certain state, like a set of requirement has to be met first in order to let the Beast out (ha, the pun, Beast is my inner beast in a lot of ways, so the double entendre is very intentional). So far, rage is one, but not always since anger is a constant emotion I deal with. The other is lust, with good dose of dominant personality. I’m not sure if the Berserk shift caused the dominant nature or if it is the other way around.

I’m trying to recall if I get any mental shift from my kardiatype or our Aurelion Sol vaguetype, but with Sol, star is a unbound version instead of the hauty, self-sured, egoistical version within the game. I’m guessing my kardiatype would be a sort of wise, eldery guardian, caring and proper, sophisticate? I’d felt a little like that when I’m in my eastern tatsu form.

And yes, my personality can have shifts here and there depending on the form I’m in. A lot of the times, I can’t control how the form will influence me, sometimes I almost think it’s my personality shift that trigger the shapeshift shift (see what I meant about it being a mouthful?).

Feels like if I keep saying shift, it will start to lose meaning. Why are words so limiting? Maybe it’s a English thing too.

== Astral Shift ==

This is a weird one. I can never tell the line where it’s considered phantom and where it’s astral.

I think the one time I would more firmly categorize this is when I was doing a meditative session, and as I visualize, my “body” (possibly astral body) grew, and grew, and grew until I’m a two or three stories tall eastern dragon. From that point, I guessed that my eastern dragon form can grow indefinite in length. But now I think that can apply to any that’s not strict in form “condition”.

== Dream Shift ==

Save the best for last. Well, kinda. Since I plan to talk a little bit about my miscellaneous shifts that I don’t remember the term or don’t know how to categorize later.

Lucid dreaming, one of my favorite activity. Word contradiction aside, I have a lot of dream shifts. Frustratingly enough, I’ve only get to feel my orange fur and fluffy white wings like, twice, as far as I can recall. One was your typical european western form, another time is vague, but I know it happened. I will need to check back on my notes.

I’d jotted all of them down, the ones I can recall.

Here is where I will actually use cameo shift, and sort of ties into my whole grumpiness about shifts being always tied to one’s kin/theriotype. Because here, my cameo shifts are shift into things that are none of my alterhuman identitype.

I have become a sort of water spirit, humanoid and blue liquid body, circling around a low hanging new moon as if I’m enacting the Dream Work iconic opening.

I have shifted into a number of draconic creatures, once with cheek fins (that actually hurts when I touch them, inside a dream!!), once with pitch black scaled tail and batty wings (isn’t it bats?), once with ranbow scale down my body into a tail that has a tufted tail. I was a tiny dragon once, probably rivaling my fae dragon form, just a whisp of a whelpling. I also was a strange blue dragon, no scale, no fur, the skin texture almost leathery, and wings you’d seen more on Pixiv. Kind of sci-fi fantasy mixture but it’s fully organic. Alien.

I also had once took on a form of somewhat anthro, red scaled, webbed winged, and it felt like a fire-breathing dragoness, with breasts and all. I rarely call my dreams nightmare but that one, that was truly a nightmare scneario, I had echo of combo dysphoria both in species AND gender, that I hope to never feel like that again. Y’all that are that sort of dragon, you’re fine, but me? I can’t. That is everything I am not.

*Shivers*

I also have dream shifted into this hulking black mess of anti-matter, man-made dragon��dark, chaos, the sense of wrongness pervasive to my whole being. I think I looked a little like if ender dragon meet digimon. That was a level of bad only rivaled by the red scaled, webbed winged, and fire-breathing, anthro dragoness.

I think one of my favorite dream shifts though, is shifting into my kardiatype.

There is a sort of preciousness tied to that life, whenever I get to have a glimpse of it. Treasured and held dear. The plot of the dream wasn’t a happy one, edged with despair and desperation, but important nonetheless.

It was a small Japanese village, almost like a scene from a anime.

I was with my family and my partner, it was all joy and happiness. But then suddenly, there was panic.

The whole town had to escape and run towards the really high mountain where was this sacred temple of some sort at the top.

Running was too slow. Whatever was making everyone panic was too fast. Dark and all-encompassing, approaching fast, black fog at the edge of my vision. So I turn into a white serpetine dragon, white jade colored mane and tail fading out of existence, grabed my people and putting them on my back along the way, theb just start flying towards the mountain while having everyone else grabbing each other and climb on.

When we reach the mountain base and started flying up almost vertically, I saw the mountain wall depicting various scenaries and of strange rune of history and legend and myth. The answer was at the very top of the mountain when we reached it. But I can’t remember what was it.

Let’s not end this section with too big of a cliff-hanger that even I don’t know the ending to. Here is a list I keep on the sort of dragons I turn into within my dreams. I’m a little awed by the amount and variety myself.

List of Dragons I turned/dream shifted into

white colored jade maned eastern dragon (my past life/kardiatype)

small teal-blue colored chubby dragon

tiny wyrm dragon

tiny hatchling dragon

my core form (kintype)

my large formme (kintype)

human made pitch black mess of bio dragon

human form with water dragon scale tail and ear fins (touching the fins hurt for some reason)

human form with black scale bat wings and tail

human form with rainbow scale and black marking, furred tail with mane, two pairs of feathered wings

just ram horn on human form

(a photo of) me with red scales as anthro, webbed wings, feminine shaped (dysphoria)

Colossal size webbed wing dark colored body with beak like snout

bipedal spiky, webbed wing big scales large horn

chimeric sludge/goo hydra

Salamence shaped wings

White red pink hues scaled european. Spikey tail and spine, several spikey behind head

== Unknown and Vague Shift ==

I really like grey area terms or the idgaf terms, like vaguetype or quoiluntary, I also learn a term called quoiian. Not sure if I will use that one yet since I’m pretty happy with the ones I have.

There are the possibility of shifts I don’t know how to categorize because of their vagueness. But I definitely felt some that I can’t easily put them into one of the other ones I can give name to.

Things that are maybe sensory shift, how do people even capture them in the first place? And do you categorize them as the ‘tism? Hypersensory. Aura shift seems confusing, and potentially the same blurriness that maybe-astral shift provides. I can’t be sure if I’d ever gotten envisage or shadow shift, but in the back of my mind, I know to put a pin on them.

So with all that, we could perhaps talk about shift not just as a kin/therian sort of thing. I have seen many ask of “can I have [non-kin/theriotype] shift?” enough that I just want to scream “YES”. Because you absolutely can, and the term definition can use a slight update to reflect that inclusion. If not a community wide acknowledgement at the very least.

[rowanwolf]

Talking About 'Linking

I don't talk much about being a fictionlinker. Mainly because that's voluntary. I talk much more about being a wolf and a gryphon and a kitsune, because I didn't chose to be those things. Theriotypes and kintypes aren't chosen, so I feel a little more free to talk about them. But linktypes are chosen. And I think there's a sort of gatekeep-y weirdness about not being able to (or not feeling that I'm able to) talk about my linktype. And I want to kind of get into that a bit.

I am, on the whole, against KFF. If you're not familiar with that term, it means "kin for fun." Not because I feel there's anything inherently wrong with taking on an identity voluntarily, even just for fun. My opposition to it comes from the terminology. "Kin" is our word - and not a verb. It's shorthand for "otherkin" and widely used in the otherkin and therian community. As I said, I don't feel there's anything wrong with taking on an identity because you want to, but use the right term. That's what the terms "linktype" and "link" exist for. The issue with KFFers is that they've hijacked the community's terminology and invaded spaces that are refuges for otherkin and therians. And then the bigger issue is that a lot of them (from what I've seen) turn around and call those of us who are actually otherkin or therians crazy. Because our identities are genuine.

So I do really advocate for the use of the terms "otherlink" and "-linker" and "-linking." It just helps distinguish actual 'kin from folkel who have taken on their identity voluntarily. But at the same time, I don't feel that I can talk about having done so myself. I have a copinglink that I've developed. Firekeeper helps me deal with stress and stressful situations. She started out as mainly to do with things relating to my therianthropy. She's physically human, but was raised by wolves and identifies as a wolf. Over time, she's become something that helps me deal with stress in general. And I took her on voluntarily. She's a part of me, but she was a choice I made and she feels very different to me than my theriotypes and kintypes.

On topic, though, I don't typically feel like I can talk about my linktype, because I don't want to be seen as "faking it." But just because that one identity is voluntary, that doesn't mean the rest are. I'm not a wolflinker or a gryphonlinker, I'm a wolf therian and gryphonkin. But I am not fictionkin, I'm a fictionlinker. They're different things. And I feel that, although my experience as a fictionlinker is different than my experience as otherkin (I feel that's maybe closer to fictionkin than therianthropy, since my kintypes are mythical creatures) there are similarities: I find a great deal of euphoria and comfort in reading Firekeeper's source and I do shift involuntarily at times - although I think that may be more that my brain has decided this is a good coping mechanism for stress. I have an extremely strong attachment to her and to her brother, Blind Seer. He feels like family to me.

But I don't want folkel to look at my having a linktype and immediately label me a fake or a KFFer as far as actually being a therian and otherkin. And that's a divide I think needs to be addressed. If folkel would use the correct terminology, I think that would be a good start. Having that established, separate terminology would help create a distinction of space and give room for respectful discussion. I know one thing I've heard mentioned with regard to issues with calling KFFers problematic is that some of them might be actual otherkin or therians who just haven't figured that out yet. And I think having that division of space would actually help that. It would give folkel with voluntary identities - 'linkers - their own space within the broader alterhuman community. If 'linkers were able to interact with the otherkin community in a manner that respected our 'kin identities as real and genuine and not chosen, it would allow for better discourse. And while you'd still get those folks who decide we're nuts for believing our identities to be true, I think that calming of the hostilities that have come largely from KFFers trying to invade 'kin spaces could allow 'linkers who are actually otherkin or therians to be able to discuss and explore that facet of their identities.

I don't know, that's just my two cents. I'm old and first joined the community when therians and otherkin were still very much separate (hence my distinction in my referring to them), but I think that with a respect for boundaries, things could improve greatly. I do have more to say about Firekeeper, but I'm going to make that a separate post. I feel this is probably the outer bounds of this post's topic.

[moonpool-system]

How your discovered that you are system? Did you have doubts? Were you even wrong about systems and thought some stuff was normal, or not a system thing? How you understood that you are polyfrag, and not just a DID system? Alsoooo... Silly question, but, how you understand that you are fictive, or certain fictive? Urge to call yourself with certain name? Memories? Feeling it's not your body?

Hello! Thank you for the questions and the patience!!

> How we discovered we're a system?

Well we actually didn't go through a typical "syscovery" - we started out thinking we were a singlet, and created an intentional headmate via tulpamancy. Turns out our fascination with plurality wasn't just curiosity, and we'd actually been monoconscious for as long as we can remember beforehand! Badeline was probably our very first polyconscious member.

> Did we ever think some stuff was normal and not a system thing when it actually was?

This connects to the last question, yeah we really struggled to figure it out at first due to being monoconscious and median. Our first experience with being aware of our plurality was polyconscious and partitionary, so it took a very long time to realize my/our identity alterations weren't JUST kin shifts, they were very definitely overarching facets that different kintypes are aligned under.

> How did we understand we're polyfrag and not just a DID system?

Honestly it took us a long time to come around to this even though the signs were pretty obvious. We've called ourselves polyplural for a long time, since there was no way to ignore the drastically complicated & layered headspace, the extremely high new member rate/system count, and the very specific/complex system functioning we have. There were two reasons we held off from the term - we didn't think we had "enough" fragments (we'd only identified one or two for a long while, in part due to denial), and we didn't think we'd experienced "enough" trauma. Both of these happened to be coincidentally solved by us introjecting a(nother) subsystem of *entirely* fragments, now due to extreme past life trauma/phoenitrauma. It kinda made us realize... we were gatekeeping our own trauma?? That has drastically affected our functioning and recovery journey??? That was just as intense as (or even more than) our isolation, abuse, autism socialization trauma, and more??? We decided we can't keep doing this to ourselves, and we need to look for help and resources for our fragments. We looked back on our system and there're so many more than we first thought. They deserve healing too and we're not going to let them be cut off from those resources. We're still objectively polyfragmented even though we don't understand the psychology behind it 100%, and that has to be okay. We're fighting feeling unwelcome under the label every single day.

> How to tell you've switched to a fictive identity?

Well personally for me&, it's very much a sort of "shapeshifting" feeling, of "becoming" an identity in a much more drastic and all-encompassing way than a kin shift. My gender, preferred pronouns, likes, dislikes, tastes, and hobbies might shift on a dime to the point I find distaste in those sorts of things that contrast in other facets. I feel like I wish to be looked upon differently and seen as a different variant of myself. It's comforting in some contexts and stressful in others, tbh. But being monoconscious is weird so yea. With our polycon fictives we can usually tell when it's a fictive forming rather than finding a kintype because there's a very distinct *that's not me* feeling

[a-dragons-journal]

Hello dragon's-journal! Happy Otherkin Day!!! ✨😋✨ So I run a kobold blog, and kobolds have been my gender for about 10 months now. But a few days ago I had an undeniable kin feeling of a snout on my face! What are some methods, tricks, or resources I can use to better connect with wherever these kin feelings are coming from?

(Also, while I do have a kobold sona I use, the snout I felt was LONGER!!! How do I fully get to know this other kobold (if it even is a kobold!) that I'm connected to?)

So, for one thing, if this is the only thing that's happened to point you toward 'kinity, I'm gonna gently say - hold your horses a bit there, champ. Phantom shifts just happen sometimes, to everybody; they're not by any means a 100% indicator of a kintype. (We even have a word for when a non-'kin person runs across the 'kin community, spends a bunch of time reading about us, and then suddenly starts experiencing phantom shifts, "shifter's disease.")

So, give yourself a bit more than a few days, first off, mayhaps. See if it happens again; spend some time thinking about what's making you think you might be koboldkin.

That being said, I'm gonna toss you a handful of links with advice on questioning:

This guide to questioning (and definitions of basic terms) by @/shadowfae

A list of places to interact with other nonhumans

While I don’t have a list onhand, websites are going to be a good place to find writings people have published about their experiences, especially if the tag for your kintype on Tumblr is underwhelming - I’ll recommend this page: https://houseofchimeras.weebly.com/bookmarks.html (please note that that website's no longer being updated and has moved to houseofchimeras.neocities.org/) for a place to get started finding those. (Generally speaking, whenever you find a good alterhuman website, they’ll likely have a Bookmarks, References, Further Reading, etc. page full of links to other websites. Find that page and go through it to find other good websites, and then rinse and repeat.)

My “questioning” tag, which has both posts talking about general advice and posts answering specific questions (and posts with people talking about their own questioning processes)

A list of typical experiences for various alterhuman identities (note typical, not required or universal)

My general “kin resources” tag has A Lot in it, a lot of which is not going to be relevant to you specifically, but it’s there if you want to peruse it

Hopefully that's helpful! Please don't hesitate to stop by again if you have any more specific questions.

[yourpeepysucksdotorg]

Yourpeepysucksdotorg Homepage

Abt Me

Hi! You can call me Legwarmer. My pronouns are she/he/they.

I am spiritual otherkin and have multiple kintypes. I am also a diagnosed DID system, my system blog is @dreamcircuitsys !!!

Abt Yourpeepysucksdotorg

The reason I created this blog is to have a safe space to post about my experiences with being otherkin, especially my main ID, as well as to learn more about this community and myself.

Abt My Otherkinity & My Kintypes

I’m spiritual otherkin - I’ve lived past lives as all my kintypes! That’s where their names come from :] Below you can find a list of all my kintypes and the names I use when shifted!

💜 White Footed Purple Fuzz Peepy (Itemlabel) Legwarmer - She/Her

🍦Alolan Ninetales (Pokémon) Yogurt - She/Her

🪼 Vaporeon (Pokémon) Arroyo - He/Him

🦊 Awoofy (Kirby and the Forgotten Land) Reese - He/Him

🐈 Remlit (Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword) Marina - She/Her

💫 Fecto Elfilis - They/It (Kirby and the Forgotten Land)

💚 Little Mac (Punch-Out!! Wii) Maximino - He/Him

(Note: Due to Fecto & Maximino I’m technically fictionkin also! But I just use otherkin as an umbrella term.)

Some Disclaimers -

Doubles are always free to interact for any of my kintypes! Feel free to block or not interact if you don't feel comfortable with doubles, I won't hold it against ya! Just let me know if you don't want me interacting.

I will not tolerate any sexual jokes about any of my kintypes. This is mainly referring to Arroyo, but it will be an automatic block. 

DNI:

(I don’t like making DNIs usually since they’re typically just common sense, but I feel like it’s necessary here. Otherkin get bullied/harassed a lot and I don’t want that happening on my blog, and I also want you all to know that if I reblog something from someone who falls under one of these categories that it was a honest mistake.)

•Bigots in general. You all know who you are. (I can elaborate if needed, just shoot me an ask, but this should be self explanatory.) • If you’re going to drag me into identity discourse, or if you’re going to twist my words to push your own personal beliefs. I’m not going to debate other people’s existences with you. Don’t start discourse over something I post. Say anything you want to me, Legwarmer. Don’t attempt to hurt others.

•Proshippers, MAPs, Zoos, again, you know who you are, I shouldn’t have to elaborate, we do not condone hurting others on this blog. •I don’t care if NSFW/Kink blogs interact, just don’t add anything onto my posts or message me with anything NSFW/Kink related. I’m not comfortable with that. You guys do you though! Judgment free zone, just… this isn’t the spot for NSFW of any kind. 

•If you make me uncomfortable I’ll just block you.

Xtra Info

I have a different tag for each of my kins now! Tags will be formatted as “#(Kin name) speaks” - for example, “#Legwarmer speaks”!

This is the 9th iteration of this post! 

Added Maximino

That’s all for now! I’ll update this post as necessary.

[thekids-onholiday]

ccould you explain what fictionkin means? i don’t get it and would like to understand,is nonkin the right term to reffer to myself since im not fictionkin/therian/ect ?? sorry that im asking these questions here genuinely the first time i hear about this

Hello! I will do my best. I am not an expert. But based in my own experiences, fictionkin is essentially identifying partially or fully as a fictional species, character, etc.

For example, I'll use 2 of our kintypes...

One example is my Deathclaw kintype from Fallout, I have flicker-y memories of living AS a Deathclaw, and I occasionally have shifts where I feel more in tune with that Deathclaw aspect.

Another is, for example, my Evan Myers kintype. This is similar to my Deathclaw kintype, I have memories, more present than my Deathclaw kintype... shifts that make me feel more in tune, etc. except this is a CHARACTER rather than a SPECIES like my Deathclaw type.

I would like to put this out here now, and say that Not all kin have memories, not all kin have shifts.

But the definition is, simply put:

" Those who identify as something that is considered fictional, typically (a) fictional character(s) or species. Characters may not always be directly mentioned in the canon of their source material; for example, one may identify as an original character (also known as an OC), a background character, a non-canon character, or occasionally even a glitch. Fictionkin identify as a fictional character or species, rather than with them, and see themselves as actually being them on some level. This belief is involuntary, long-term, and intrinsic to one's selfhood. "

There ARE voluntary kins, such as kin for fun or link kins, but I won't get into defining that here.

If you want more help understanding I urge you to research on your own, or seek help from fictionkin blogs that offer answers to questions such as these.

To answer your second question, yes, you would be considered non-kin.

We hope this was helpful for you.

[On ONE last note, Therians have a different experience from fictionkin, and again I would recommend doing research on your own, and we apologize for possibly being unhelpful or unclear.]

Thank you for asking, and being respectful. We hope you have a good day.

[demystifiedstardust]

Revisiting the lexical gap

I've hit a speed bump on my lexical restructuring. How do I complete the sentence,

"Aether is my _____."

(Readmore for length)

Link is a no-go for the same reason kin is a no-go-- my current quest is to step away from that subcultural glossary. So, what comes to mind next?

My knee-jerk reaction is to fill it in with self-insert, but that doesn't feel correct. A self-insert typically is a one-way relationship; a fictional representation of the real self. I need a word that also acknowledges the opposite, a real-life representation of the fictional self.

Next on the ladder is IRL, which feels closer to what I want to get across, but... the term has changed since its first usage in kin-adjacent-spaces. Ten years ago, IRL was typically part of a system of identity tiering: something along the lines of IRL > core > primary > secondary > tertiary. Nowadays, it looks like its usage has shifted into a marriage with the Delu//sional Attach//ment community? And I have feelings about the perpetuation of misinformation surrounding stigmatized mental health issues (such as misinformation about delusions). So I have zero desire to use that word for myself, due to the misinformation culture within that community. It's a shame, because the original usage of IRL would have worked for me pretty well.

So, what's next?

There's fictionhood, but that feels clunky since that's really not the way that word is meant to be used grammatically. It also feels a bit too encompassing. My fictionhood is everything to do with my fictional side, not just in relation to Aether.

I've settled on just fictional self for now. It's grown on me a little, but I'm still not sure if I'm ultimately satisfied with it. I think part of me still craves the familiar comfort of a ready-made label, which is something I'm just going to have to push through.

[variant-archive]

(Preemptive apologies if I'm not entirely understanding your experiences) What you're describing sounds to me like a form of plurality! I will say from personal experience that what you're describing (awareness of other versions of yourself, sometimes off in their own space) is part of how I realized I have a system. If you ever feel like you change notably during kinshifts, or you "become" them temporarily, it could very well be introjects/fictives/whatever term you like most. I'm someone who's introjected my past lives as traumagenic headmates (complicated I know lol), and I've known other people who feel like many-in-one or that have their past/parallel lives as parts like I do for any number of reasons. Communication isn't necessary at all for being plural, nor is being fully aware of specific parts. Sometimes you just "feel" the shift/switch, and it clicks as another aspect of you but doesn't quite click as a headmate.

Even if what I said doesn't help, I wish you a lot of luck in your journey to find the words that best describe you :) I know how alienating it can be sometimes to not know whether you fit into something, but you're definitely not alone

Hey, I really genuinely appreciate you responding! See, the difference in my experience is that I don't shift or switch in any way other than feeling my astral body change from my true self (a love deity furrything lmao) to one of my kintypes (sylveon, alolan ninetales, etc) and my true self can also shapeshift into different body plans (biped, quadruped etc) so I identify as more of a shapeshifter than anything. I guess the fact that I do "become" my kintypes astrally is something. But my identity itself doesn't change at all, just how I percieve my body in my mind. It's so weird, I feel like I'm stretched across the alterhuman spectrum in such an awkward and unusual way to the point that I'm almost a lot of things. I do know I'm otherkin though so I typically use that. Instead of one body, many minds I feel like I'm many bodies, one mind. Although there are barriers between the other shards of my true self in other universes, likely because they're literally in different realities than me. I do have exomemories/exotrauma though, although vague (my memories for specific fictional characters is stronger because I can simply "re-live" them through the media though). I'm considering attempting to connect to both my true self and the other shards in a spiritual way since (to me) that's the only way to penetrate the barriers of reality. Unfortunately I have a lot of difficulty practicing my beliefs though :( because of my anxiety and trauma I never feel safe enough to do it.

Also it's funny but I never feel my astral body change to my humanoid kintypes (rainbow quartz 2.0 etc) but that could be that it's because they look less like my true self than my non-humanoid kins and I find myself seeking to become more like my true self within this life as it alleviates the dysphoria I get from being in this reality sometimes. I also wonder if my other shards are aware of me/kin with me or something. I don't see why not as all of my kintypes are sapient but they simply might not ever learn about what alterhumantiy is

Sorry for the rant lol but thank you, I'm just happy that anyone is open to listening to my experiences and relating to them even though they don't fit neatly into the alterhuman spectrum. I really don't want to intrude into plural spaces when I don't really feel plural but I can't deny how uncannily similar some of my experiences are. I think the way I'd describe myself is "other-self aware". I've been interested in coining new alterhuman terms if I can get the spoons so I might do that. I still want to explore my identity and figure out what would and would not be appropriate first, though. I don't wanna hurt anyone.

[starsofthestorm]

hi !!!! therian here, ill do my best to answer :3

1 - of course !!!! personally, im polytherian and otherkin. i have six kintypes !!! red fox, arctic fox, bat-eared fox, gargoyle gecko, and two video game lizards <3 there are many forms of therianthropy, such as cladotherian, polytherian, ect !!!! (cladotherian is kinning an entire genus / general collection of species without knowing or having an exact type between them, polytherian is being a therian of more than one animal)

2 - mhm !!!! therianthropy isnt exclusively feeling completely nonhuman

3 - absolutely !! not all therians experience shifts, for me i rarely experience mental shifts without triggering them. some therians dont experience any shifts at all !!!!

4 - yes !! therianthropy isnt about past lives, its simply identifying as a non-human animal <3 only one of my types is past life based and that isnt what makes you a therian. non-spiritual therians are called psycological therians !!!

5 - a furry is someone who enjoy anthropomorphized animal characters, aka animals with human characteristics such as standing on two legs, having complex expressions, and speaking. a therian is someone who identifies AS a non-human animal who has lived or does live on earth (however it isnt exclusive to this and you can be a therian of mythical creatures <3 we dont gatekeep labels here !!) otherhearted is identifying WITH a non-human animal, the "other" being non-earth ones usually. animal-hearted is the same, just with earth animals !!! otherkin is identifying as a non-human animal in general, its used as an umbrella term from what ive seen but also as simply not being an earth animal !!!!

6 - nope !!!! gear has nothing to do with being a therian, nor do quadrobics. theyre simply ways people connect with their type/s

7 - no, and yes. that isnt what makes you a therian, but it can be seen as common therian behavior. in the end, the only one who can tell you if you're a therian is yourself. you could be strongly connected to nature and often behave like animals without being a therian. therianthropy is identifying as an animal, being non-human or alterhuman in some way

8 - always curl your fingers, always stretch very well beforehand, and remember to take it slow and steady. its exercise and it can be VERY exhausting, dont overexert or hurt yourself. tutorials online are very good for safely learning quads be very careful, its okay if you cant do them. you can break your fingers or hurt your fingers, hands, wrists, arms, legs, ect.

dont wear masks while doing it until you're comfortable doing them, and even then make sure the mask is well ventilated !!!! again, quads are exercise.

start slow and dont rush !!!! i spent quite a while struggling to just walk before i made it up to sort of running and small jumps. i actually cant figure out trots but thats typically between walking and running in terms of difficulty !!!!

i hope i can be of some help !!! <3

hi.

so i’ve been questioning therianothy (sorry if i spelled that wrong) and need some help. i also have tons of questions! if the fellow therians could help me out, i would love that.

okay so… my questions

Am i therian if i don’t identify as one animal specifically?

Am i therian if i only feel half animal and half human?

Am i therian if i don’t experience shifts often?

Am i therian if i don’t have dreams about past lives?

what is the difference between furry, therian, otherhearted, otherkin and animal-hearted?

do you have to have a mask to be a therian?

am i therian if i have a extremely strong connection to the natural world and act like animals all the time?

do you guys have any tips for quadrobics?

i have been having a bit of an identity crisis because of this… ugh lol. thank you guys!! love you ❤️

[eldorr]

temp pinned

temporary pinned post until i figure out what to put here.

until then here's all of my blogs:

@eldorr = Main Coining Blog (you are here)

@mister-eldritch = Adult (18+) Coining Blog

@monsieur-eldritch = Triggering Content Coining Blog

@tucuteboything = Discourse/Vent blog (If you genuinely want to talk with me about something triggering or discourse related, please do so there)

.

Also with my DNI IDs, I opted into a more "context for context" approach, as I know some screen readers don't read dashes or slashes, so I opted into writing the ID in a way I hope won't come off as me being pro something and anti something similar lol.

Also if you're on my DNI you can still use my terms/flags, just don't interact with me outside of reblogging to hoard blogs.

.

If you're looking for my "Gendered Terms Archival" list for terms similar to Man/Boy/Woman/Girl/Enban/Enby/etc it would be [here]. I update it whenever a post with terms that fit what I'm archiving on it ends up on my dash.

.

Also some important things to note while clarifying about my DNI, under a read more since it's long:

The only "transid" group I'd be fine with interacting is trans species, because as far as I'm aware it's mostly just another word for alterhumans (mostly otherkin/therians), especially for those who want or acquire body mods to reflect that. The term didn't originate from TransID rhetoric so that's why the term transid is in quotations above.

I don't support the grouping of Mspec identities under "Bispec" under the guise of being inclusive. I view it as no different than calling Mspec identities "just Bi". I don't support the spread of BaB rhetoric.

I support KFF and the more casual use of alterhuman and otherkin language. I support those interacting with communities and exploring their identity in non-standard and non-strict ways. I believe anyone should be able to explore and have fun with their identity without being harassed by EITHER side, whether that's people harassing KFF (or other non-kin alterhumans) for the language they choose to use, OR KFF harassing or being ablest/sanist/etc to alterhumans whose identity is non-chosen. I believe folks shouldn't be forced to use highly specific microlabels if they don't want to, even if that language would "fit more."

To do with the above point, and before anyone throws a fit, I'm a reincarnate godshard. I use the term Kin and Kinnie casually to describe my nonhuman-hood as it was the first language I was introduced to and is the only terms that feel like it sticks. I do experience phantom limbs and shifts at times, however any identity (kin) I may take on typically fades at a certain point due to myself being basically a faceless shapeshifting void. I usually do identity as those past 'kins, in a state that may be described as "that was me" or in flux between is/was.

I will also ask if you're a KFF "factkin" to not interact. I'm fine with non-chosen factkin as a lot of the rhetoric against them have also been used against factives.

BIID and BDD are NOT the same as being Transabled or TransID. Don't conflate the two. I also believe folks with BIID/BDD should be able to coin and use terms to describe how they experience their disorder. Such as terms like Aldernic sublabels to describe a body one feels they should have.

Think that men of a minority cannot be oppressed for being (the "wrong" kind of) men. Likewise DNI if you support the phrase "transandrophobia truther" or you support Ba*ddel (e) rhetoric (the anti-nontransfem weirdos).

I'd also ask for folks who support the terms TMA/TME, or use the phrase "theyfabs" even in joking settings to not interact; yes, it's exorsexist and anti-transmasc rhetoric. I'm a Transunitist (Pro-Transunity) if that helps.

Pro-Contact Harmful paras in my DNI covers ANY para that involves any non-consenting partner, anyone or anything that cannot consent, or any involvement of a non-consenting third party.

There's quite a few things missing from my DNI that are mostly run of the mill "basic DNI" stuff, basically any bigot, bigoted belief, right-wingers, etc. I'm pro-choice btw.

[karak9]

Identity Flicker

There is a certain type of “shift” I have experienced for as long as I’ve been in the otherkin community, but never had a word to describe it. So, I created one! I don’t expect it to really catch on, there’s not many people who experience this in the first place and it’s a bit of a long term, but I think it accurately describes what I experience, so I will use it :)

Identity Flicker: A temporary identity that feels like a kintype but is not solid or stable. Typically involuntary, but can be intentionally triggered.

Identity flickers are along the lines of fiction flickers but more general and not tied to just fictional characters. It can describe any type of flicker in your identity, whether it’s as an animal, a plant, a concept, etc.

Identity flickers are different from cameo shifts because cameo shifts are just about the shift itself, while a flicker is more like becoming something (in a nonphysical way) temporarily. As a polymorph, it’s easy for me to be influenced by my environment. A normal otherkin would, for example, watch a documentary about snakes and think “that was cool” or maybe have a cameo shift where they feel the mentality of a snake or feel the body of one. For me, I would watch the snake documentary and begin to feel like I am a snake- not in a cameo shift way, but as if it’s been a kintype this whole time. If you are someone who has experienced cameo shifts, you probably understand the difference between a shift and your identity.

The thing that distinguishes identity flickers from kintypes is that they are temporary. They feel essentially the same, but flickers don’t last. They may come and go, but are not nearly as solid and stable as actual kintypes. Flickers can feel exciting and can easily be confused as a new kintype, but will ultimately fade away.

I can’t speak for others who may experience identity flickers, but mine tend to last anywhere from a day to a couple of months. They are often caused by consuming media revolving around a specific character, animal, etc, which can range anywhere from watching an anime series to reading a kin essay about someone’s experiences as their kintype in detail. They can also be caused by being around certain animals, or talking to someone about their kintype experiences. Essentially, anything that makes you think about what it’s like to be a certain animal/character/etc. Again, this is just how it works for me. Feel free to add on more if you experience identity flickers as well!

How to tell if you are experiencing an identity flicker:

You have the feeling of “this is me” when looking at what you’re flickering into. It may feel more intense and exciting than finding a kintype. There likely are no previous signs that this was a kintype, such as not experiencing certain instincts or urges until the flicker. If you still can’t figure out if it’s a kintype or an identity flicker, wait it out! I know it can be frustrating and you might want the answers now, but the best option is to wait for it to potentially fade away. Remember you have all the time in the world to figure yourself out. There is no shame in experiencing identity flickers, or mistaking them for kintypes! They really do feel like kintypes. It’s not easy to tell them apart, and has taken me a lot of practice to even begin to figure them out before waiting for them to fade.

You could also use “identity shift” in place of “flicker”, I just felt flicker made the most sense because it aligns with fiction flickers.

Note: I’m aware “otherflicker” is a thing but I like words that are self explanatory, and dislike the weird “fictionkin vs otherkin” divide it seems to have, and dislike the amount of “other-” terms in general. “Identity flicker” works for me, no one else has to use it, but I felt it was important to make a coining post so that everyone has a chance to fully understand what it means to me!

Also, I did create this term to describe my experiences as a polymorph, but you do not have to identify as a polymorph to use this!

Fictionflicker coining: https://fictionflickers.livejournal.com/profile?admins=maintlist

[aestherians]

hey i'm very new to the community and i'm struggeling with figuring out what actually are kintypes and what are things i just relate to or just past lifes and i was wondering if you could give any tips or maybe help with terminology because there are so many words for different things and I was wondering if otherkin and fictionkin are might just not the terms i'm looking for

Hello! For terminology I really can’t recommend Kiera’s Alterhuman Dictionary enough! It’s so useful and easy to use: https://www.beyondhumanity.net/alterhuman-dictionary. It only offers basic definitions, though, and doesn’t go into detail about the concepts.

The most basic groups I suggest you look into are:

Alterhuman: An umbrella term for all people who have identities that fall outside of what’s generally considered a normal human identity. Otherkin, fictionkin, therians, otherhearted, and linkers (among many many other groups) fall under this umbrella.

Otherkin, fictionkin, and therianthropes: People who identify as a nonhuman or fictional being. The identification is often spiritual or psychological in nature (though it doesn’t have to be), and it can be partial or whole. The only requirements are that it’s an identification as a thing and that it’s an identity that’s inherent to you. ‘Inherent’ in this case means that you don’t actively choose to create that identity, and that you can’t force the identity to go away.

Otherhearted/otherkith: People who identify with a nonhuman or fictional being, to the point that it becomes a part of their identity. Otherhearted people do not identify as their hearttype on any level, only with. This identity is often spiritual or psychological, and it’s usually thought to be inherent like ‘kin/therian identities.

Copinglinkers/otherlinkers: People who have chosen to create a nonhuman identity. It is typically to help cope with difficult situations, though this is not necessary, and the identity can be created for any reason. The identity can be dropped voluntarily.

To reiterate: You do not have to belong to any of these groups to be alterhuman! To be alterhuman, all you need is to have an identity that falls outside of what society accepts as a normal human identity. These are just some of the most common identities that exist.

With that out of the way, onto the second half of your question: How can you figure out what you are?

I think the easiest way to look at it, is that each defined alterhuman group has a set of experiences in common. Some only experience a fraction of these things, and some experience all of them. Some experience things I haven’t even listed, but that still help foster a feeling of alterhumanity. Some experiences also overlap between the different groups, making it more difficult.

Typical otherkin experiences:

Species dysphoria - A deep sense of unhappiness from not being of the correct species. Can include having a different body, being perceived a different way, and being treated a different way to what you feel you should be.

Species euphoria - A deep sense of joy from being of the correct species. Can include modifying your body, dressing up and being perceived and treated like the correct species.

Shifting - A change in perception that makes you feel more like your kintype. There are many different kinds of shifts: https://aestherians.tumblr.com/post/164797991209/

Phantom limbs - Feeling like you have the body/body parts of your kintype

Memories/noemata - Remembering or ‘just knowing’ things about your kintype’s life

Instincts/urges - Reactions and actions that you don’t really think about, but that are very similar to those of your kintype

Wishing you were nonhuman - Self-explanatory

Dreams - Dreams where you are your kintype or are living your kintype’s life or interacting with your kintype

Homesickness - Longing for places or time periods or situations that you’ve never been in in this life

Self-perception - Picturing yourself as your kintype in your mind’s eye, drawing yourself as your kintype when you try to draw a self portrait, always playing as something resembling your kintype in games, etc.

Typical otherhearted experiences:

Familiarity - Feeling like your hearttype is familiar to you or that it’s like family, or feeling otherwise very close to it

Feeling like you should be that species but knowing you aren’t on any level

Comfort - Finding contentmen, safety, satisfaction, or joy in your hearttype

Wishing you were nonhuman

Shifts

Typical copinglinker experiences:

Knowing you had an active hand in creating the identity - You don’t have to have been fully conscious of creating the identity, but knowing that you created it (even subconsciously) is a defining trait of copinglinking

Knowing you would be able to quit identifying this way - Quitting might not be comfortable or easy, but if forced to you would be able to push away the identity

Comfort

Shifts

Self-perception

Wishing you were nonhuman

The process of figuring out what kind of identity you have, and later what specific kind of nonhuman/fictional being your identity is tied to, is called questioning. Questioning yourself takes a long time, usually upwards of a year! Sometimes it only takes a few months, sometimes it takes several years, but no matter what you need patience. The three R’s of questioning are:

Record your day-to-day alterhuman experiences in a journal

Research related topics, such as animal behavior or the source material these feelings stem from, community history, other people’s experiences, philosophy, and spirituality, to name a few.

Reflect on your experiences and what you’ve found out, for example by meditating or by just letting your mind wander while doing other tasks

[hallothere]

I broke down and wrote the essay. No, I did not and will not proofread it. I don’t waaaannaaaa

There’s Only One Winner For Isengard

In a perfect world, in a world with no meta requirements that could bend to the will of the player, we would roll up to Isengard level-capped, no debuffs, with one quest-marker on hand: Ruin Saruman’s day. But this is a pre-written sequence of events in which we are only along for the ride. We, the player, and a Ranger are shipped off to Isengard with only one conceivable goal: survive. On a meta level we know what Saruman is capable of. At level 70 or 80-something at best, even we are aware that we are no match for a wizard with a canon fate. Not to mention our Ranger companion! The Grey Company has been through enough (though we don’t know the half of it yet) and we are reasonably distraught at the possibilities.

This is why we, the player character, will lose the game of Isengard.

Beyond the meta rules of the game, where quest objectives are whatever the devs wanted them to be (looking at you, Mordrambor) the player character can not defeat Saruman in any way that’s meaningful. And (again on a meta level) in order for us to get to experience the action at Helm’s Deep and Rohan at large, we have to get out of Isengard. We’d get bored of waiting for Theoden and Co. We’d hurl insults or slap fish at Saruman and realistically incur wrath. Honestly, with the set of circumstances presented to us, who could survive imprisonment in Nan Curunir?

Only one of the Company ever could: Lothrandir of Suri Kyla. 

To begin with, none of the Rangers we have any real information on could have done it. Anyone who’s spent time in Angmar is at a disadvantage due to the prevailing dread (game mechanic or otherwise) that can be manipulated by Saruman. Any Ranger that has a major traumatic past is at a disadvantage (sorry Mincham) because if nothing else, Saruman has proven to be a master of illusion. Even Halbarad for all his leadership ability has a pretty exploitable weakness: eventually Saruman can crack the code with a vision of Aragorn’s demise, the one end Halbarad must fear above all others. Or what bond could more easily be exploited than that of a leader and his men? Lheu Brenin’s in the gang now after all. All Saruman would have to do was send for a few more incentives. 

But Lothrandir comes built with a few key advantages that make him the only Grey Company Ranger qualified to come out of this battle of wills on top. His specific strengths, mindset, and personality traits combined with the circumstances that the game sets up going into Isengard make him the clear choice of Rangers- if a Ranger you must have- to stay behind in Nan Curunir. 

Lothrandir wins because he changes the game. From ‘go’ our co-prisoner does something that either puzzles the player character or sends them into an anxious fit. Lothrandir declares himself fearless and sprints recklessly into the ring. Any way you figure it, this seems like a poorly calculated move. He doesn’t stop to survey the enemy. He doesn’t gather intel. Heck, he doesn’t even bide his time to see if he’ll be killed before he even reaches the dungeons. Lothrandir sprints right in without so much as a thought or a plan. Saruman doesn’t know it yet, but from that moment on Lothrandir has him on the back foot. 

Consider for a moment Saruman’s MO. He’s a wizard, and he uses a great deal of magic, sure, but time and time again we are reminded of the power of his voice and his words. He calls down a storm on Caradhras (in the movies for darn sure), he via-Wormtongue whispers poison into the ears of King Theoden. He doesn’t lead with any kind of grandiose display when trying to sway Gandalf. No, he leads with a persuasive argument. Later on, he nearly talks Theoden back around, after failing to wipe out all of Rohan. After killing the man’s son for goodness sakes. He nearly talks himself out of that one!

But Lothrandir has already changed this from a game of wits to a game of wills. There will be no vying for favor, or biding time, or compliance, or even giving Saruman a chance to ‘talk it over friendly’ first. He’s already spitting on the shoes of everyone he sees. The accomplishment in this is twofold, and it makes a major impact on the rest of his time in Nan Curunir. 

Firstly, by establishing a new game, Lothrandir sets Saruman up for a whole lot of assumptions. He does not display any signs of diplomatic ability, wisdom, or even common sense. He very intentionally projects an attitude of reckless disobedience. In the player’s own eyes, it seems as if he ‘doesn’t know any better’. This gives Saruman a clear path to take regarding Lothrandir. He assumes you can’t reason the typical way with someone who has shown zero inclination for listening. The player character demonstrates that the Grey Company (or least their associates) are capable of compliance. For all intents and purposes, this Lothrandir doesn’t appear to be. He’s contrary, fool-hardy, and evidently dumb enough to dive in headfirst and get himself killed. You beat that kind of guy into submission… don’t you?

But Lothrandir has changed the rules of the game. Saruman is no longer fighting with his best weapon, but with a tool to be found in any old villain’s arsenal. When he took the approach of reasoning with the player character and disregarding Lothrandir, he set the victor’s foundation on our snow-pilgrim’s greatest strength. 

Secondly, by establishing a new game, Lothrandir makes this a battle of physical endurance. Unbeknownst to Saruman, this is the one thing that makes him stand out from the rest of the Grey Company. He has walked through the frozen north lands and the fiery south lands and come out unscathed. He has mastered the unarmed combat style of the Lossoth by joining in mid-winter wrestling matches in a place that took down many Elves, Angmarim, and notably one King of Arthedain! Lothrandir has conceivably spent his entire life training for this matchup. Any endurance he has built up, any fighting he can do without access to a weapon, all are assets to the kind of game he just made Saruman play. Lothrandir is uniquely built to survive any physical torment Isengard can throw at him, or at least, better equipped than any of the others. 

To say Lothrandir is the best choice, we also have to rule out the others. Corunir was thwarted by the Rammas Deluon and for all he learned from that, it’s a weak spot in his proverbial armor. Golodir too, resisted a fair degree of torture (palantiri based, even!) in Carn Dum, but it won’t be hard for Saruman to suss that one out and make our old man’s life a living nightmare. Even Radanir, serious and seemingly unattached to any social bonds now that his good pal Elweleth has gone sailing, would be a poor choice. He is too serious, (for lack of a better term) too genre-savvy, and even if he is spitting blood and delivering a witty one-liner, that’s Saruman’s foot in the door! ‘I’ll never betray my friends and kin, you kaleidoscope hack’? You’ve just told him your weakness, Radanir! No, he can’t keep his mouth shut to save his (or Saerdan’s) life. Radanir is the wrong choice too.

We don’t know a significant amount about the others (except Ranger death would move Calenglad to tears, we can’t put him through this) in order to pinpoint their fatal flaws in the Isengard encounter. But, the game puts us in the incredible position of having seen Lothrandir’s Achilles’ heel and letting us take that disadvantage away. 

Lothrandir of Suri Kyla is uniquely equipped to survive any physical encounter that Saruman throws his way. Now, who’s to say the wizard won’t change his tune and go back to his old tricks? In an incredible twist of fate, we are. The game sets us, the player, up to play Saruman’s game from the get-go. We keep our pixelated head down, try and fly below the radar, and express just enough concern over the fate of our fool-hardy pal to get Saruman to cement his estimation of Lothrandir as a pawn in the game in stone. By making ourselves the better target for the words of a wily wizard, Saruman decides that the best way to deal with the spare prisoner is by playing right into his hands. As we all know, the player character escapes. While that might seem bad for someone who Saruman has earmarked for corporal punishment only, it covers Lothrandir’s one weakness. 

Aside from being the only significant unarmed fighter, Lothrandir is also never painted as a loner. He spends his time in Suri Kyla, hanging out with the Lossoth and sharing their campfires. In the new questline in Forochel, he jumps at the chance to make a new Dunedain friend and takes to King Arvedui like a duck to water. They’re instant best pals. It’s minutes before Lothrandir is telling him Aragorn’s life story and pledging to go with him on a buddy adventure to seek peace for a regretful shade. And if that’s not enough canon for you, Lothrandir bears the brunt of the Falcon clan aggression on the way to Isengard. He does it for you, his friend and companion in suffering. It’s a bit meta, but we have to assume in the internal universe he knows you a little. You’ve run your merry adventures to a degree where, were this not a video game, Lothrandir would at least consider you an ally if not a friend outright. 

He exposes his weakness unwittingly to the Falcon clan, but he leaves it at the gates of Isengard in an extremely well-timed move. By sprinting through the gates without a care as to what’s going on with you or anyone else, Lothrandir establishes an emotional distance between you both in the eyes of any onlookers. Whatever affection you have for him, it doesn’t seem reciprocated. This isn’t a major weakness for Saruman to exploit, then. You’re not one of his kinsmen. If he did want to pursue that line, he could always send to Tur Morva for one, right?

This is where the game comes back in to shift the tide in Lothrandir’s favor. We escape. We play the game, we nearly lose the game, and had we not been given an out the power scaling makes it difficult to conceive of an outcome where we the player can win Isengard. Sure, we’ve been released from prisons before (Delossad to name one) but this is the climax of Dunland. We make a daring escape, and move south towards the Gap of Rohan and all sorts of bad times. 

Back in Nan Curunir, Lothrandir is getting the daylights beat out of him, and taking a victory lap. He’s cemented his position as ‘the prisoner we’ll break with violence’. The uruks have seen him insubordinate and disorderly. In the Lothrandir interlude, there’s not only the canon (stated outright!) reality of past and present torture. There’s also zero hesitation in Lothrandir taking that one on the chin. There are no other objectives on his mind than making the next few minutes as miserable as possible for everyone around. He has no other goals. And he doesn’t need them. Nobody is surprised that Lothrandir is signing his death warrant within nanoseconds of being presented an offer to comply. He spits on the offer. He tips over the slop bucket. He beats bloody any orc (and gameplay purposes aside there are very few that dare come forward) that actually tries to kill him for it outright. 

He’s built up a non-rapport with Gun Ain. She talks about killing him and he doesn’t say anything. They’re all playing his game and he’s winning. In the conversation with Saruman, we’re not given the opportunity to watch Lothrandir ‘resist’ in the same fashion the player character did. We don’t need to. Saruman has bigger and better things to worry about- killing a prince, wiping out a nation- than one Ranger who he’s just going to order well-flayed again. By setting himself up as the punching bag, Lothrandir has managed to fly beneath Saruman’s priority threshold. He’s been relegated to the responsibility of Gun Ain, and still with somewhat protected status because they haven’t wormed anything useful out of him yet.

All of these moves have culminated to an impasse. Saruman is not winning points in the game like he expected. One ‘meathead Ranger’ has managed to resist all the torments of Isengard, and he’s gained nothing from this. The other prisoner escaped, word had doubtless reached him that the Tur Morva Thirty-Odd are free and raring to be a thorn in his side again. He has no external leverage to apply on Lothrandir and it’s become increasingly obvious that our Ranger friend is not engaging like the player did. But still, Saruman has his pride. It’s his downfall in the end, and it’s his downfall in his fight against the one Ranger who’s already beating him. Lothrandir can’t be killed outright because Saruman hasn’t won yet. And with that guarantee of protection, Lothrandir can coast all the way to the conquest of Isengard. 

He can keep playing the game and stalling for time. It’s morbid, but what better way to waste someone’s time and energy than convincing them slow, drawn-out torture is the way to go? A little extreme, Lothrandir, but it’s still his game to lose. He wastes Saruman’s time. If he is eventually rescued, total victory. If he’s killed in the end, he definitely didn’t give the wizard the satisfaction, so a less resounding victory but one in the win column nonetheless. 

With a little help from our usually Ranger-cidal devs, Lothrandir reprograms Saruman’s game of chess to a boxing match. He takes out all his disadvantages, gets Isengard to attack from a point of... if not weakness then at least neutral ability, and then devotes his every waking breath to violent disobedience.

Sure, you could have taken any of the Grey Company with you to Isengard. Lheu Brenin could have swapped out for Braigar or Amlan or Mithrendan or Culang- but only one of these guys has the brute strength, commitment, and sheer audacity to pull it off. 

You take Lothrandir to Orthanc. There’s a different prisoner of Nan Curunir when he leaves.