#Illyria

[nestaians]

wouldn’t it be sensible to have at least;

1 elected person by hewn city to represent them

1 person to represent darkbringers

1 elected person by illyria to represent them

1 person to represent illyrian army

in the high lord’s council?

they would be there every time the high lord holds a meeting to discuss or vote on something

this way it differentiates when it’s a council meeting or a family meeting

and rhysand and ig feyre can’t use their authority for family matters -like nesta’s punishment

rn there is no difference nor any boundaries between inner circle aka the high lord’s council and rhysand’s family. rhysand and feyre jump back and forth as it fits them and the rest have to go along with it

no, mor and cassian don’t count for these positions bc they don’t live in hewn city and illyria nor do people of those places choose them as representatives

and neither of them hold a meeting with the people in these places to have a talk, for anything so like they already suck at their jobs as it is

rhysand and ic suck balls and sjm thinks it makes them look cool for being “different”

in a sense of courts world building, it’s odd these positions aren’t permanent when they are important to rule over the court, to keep things in order

these positions allows the 2 places to be directly able to talk to their high lord

its lowkey disgusting that ppl of velaris have to climb 10 thousand steps to have a meeting with their high lord. no one is doing that shit man

night court is definitely the poorest court in every angle. there is no structure anywhere, no unity

like court of dreamers would be so much better had they all or most of them fought and were the voice for their ppl, instead of being a family and getting those positions bc the high lord likes them and not bc they earned those positions by being qualified for it

and rhysand can do what he wants bc his family is his council and they are in one way or another indebted to him or will blindly follow him or have 100% faith in him without really questioning him. basically he rarely gets any pushback from his council for anything he wants to do

[starryeyesxx]

[kataraavatara]

was searching for the quote in acomaf about mor wanting to burn Windhaven down and came across something much more sinister

Amren. AMREN. Rhysand has been the High Lord for centuries. why are we talking about CHILDREN. GETTING THEIR BONES BROKEN (REPEATEDLY & OVER WEEKS). IN THE. PRESENT. TENSE. You mean they “did” worse, Amren. Right??? Surely Rhysand has stepped in by now. You mean bones were broken. right…

[queercontrarian]

To Carry Home My Little Soldier

balthazar, emerie, zhila - dreamers in illyria/the night court

(army dreamers - kate bush)

close up of the characters under the cut

[illustratus]

Diocletian's Palace by Ernest Hébrard

[viajandopelomar]

Have you ever stopped to think that Velaris isn't even that big and there are people in bad enough conditions that Rhsyand needs to donate EVERY year?

Nesta, with her malnourished body it took her about an hour to get to the house on the river in ACOSF, maybe less, because I don't remember any mention of time, but I know it was something that a body in that condition managed to walk from the edge of the city to the center of it. The city isn't that big, but there are people in bad enough conditions that Rhsyand makes a list of donations every year with winter clothes and blankets, and investment grants for single mothers (by the way, why does ACOTAR mention children so much, so many children running around the streets and in the Illyrian camps if it's so hard to conceive a baby? It just... doesn't make much sense, right? There are literally children running everywhere in Velaris), and all this with the city being practically an EGG. So small and yet with so many people in need of help, although Velaris remains the most privileged region in the entire territory of the Night Court. Just imagine if it were a big city... just imagine Hewn City or even the true reality of Illyria 😶.

I don't remember if that donation list extended outside of Velaris, correct me if I'm wrong, but I also remember that CASSIAN bought coats for the poorest at the Windhaven camp (and we only know that he helped this one, mind you)

🇧🇷 Já pararam pra pensar que Velaris nem é tão grande assim e há pessoas em condições ruins o suficiente para que Rhsyand precise doar TODO ano?

Nesta, com seu corpo desnutrido levou mais ou menos uma hora até a casa do rio em ACOSF, talvez menos, porque não lembro de menção de tempo, mas eu sei que foi algo que um corpo naquela condição conseguiu andar da ponta da cidade até o centro dela com uma caminhada. A cidade não é tão grande, mas há pessoas em condições ruins o suficiente para que Rhsyand faça uma lista de doações todos os anos com roupas e cobertores para inverno, e bolsas para investimento de mães solteiras (aliás, por que em ACOTAR tem tanta menção de criança, tanta criança correndo nas ruas e nos acampamentos illyrianos se é tão difícil conceber um bebê? só... não faz tanto sentido, certo? tem literalmente crianças correndo em todos os lugares de Velaris), e tudo isso com a cidade sendo praticamente um OVO. Tão pequena e ainda assim com tantas pessoas precisando de ajuda, embora Velaris siga sendo a região mais privilegiada de todo o território da corte noturna. Imagine só se fosse uma cidade grande... imagine só Hewn City ou até mesmo a verdadeira realidade de Illyria 😶.

Eu não lembro se aquela lista de doação se estendia para fora de Velaris, me corrijam se eu estiver errada, mas também lembro que CASSIAN comprou casacos para os mais pobres no acampamento refúgio do vento (e só sabemos que ele ajudou este, veja bem)

[genericaces]

so i've got a very specific pitch for you

[joodeegemstone]

i am such a horrible little apologist for every buffyverse woman. they could drink my blood or sacrifice me to a demon or just fucking beat me up and i'd probably be into it

[sonics-atelier]

𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝

Summary: Tamlin is a Virgin. He asks ( read : uses his very convincing puppy eyes ) Rhysand to teach him how to have sex in time for calanmai. Smut Ensues. Yes the title is a pun. Read On Ao3. Snippet Given Below.

CW : Smut, MDNI, Thigh Riding, Dry Humping, Corruption Kink, Praise Kink, Overstimulation, Nipple Play, Handjob, Blowjob, Sex in a body of Water, Wing Play, basically Porn without plot. WC : 5K

Author's Notes : Hello Fellow Gays. A month ago, I had the incredible honor of bringing 400 amazing souls into my little corner of this world (or cult, if you will). I wasn’t able to properly celebrate at the time, but now, I’m thrilled to share this gift as a thank-you to all of you who have supported me, encouraged me, and made this journey so worthwhile. Special shoutout to @praetorqueenreyna for beta reading this fic. I hope you enjoy this and please let me know your thoughts in the comments, I'd love that!

Snippet ( the whole fic has been posted on Ao3 Link Here )

. . .

Rhysand whirled around momentarily, his expression a perfect blend of affront and disbelief. “A *reason*? Tamlin, the *audacity* of that question defies reason! It defies *logic*! It defies—” He gestured vaguely, as though at the entirety of existence, before spinning back around to escape.

“Rhys,” Tamlin said, softer now, his voice carrying a note of pleading that gave even the birds—now safely aloft ( although they still glared at the overgrown bat with contempt ) —pause. “Please Rhys Calanmai is only a cycle away, I need your help.”

When Rhysand ignored him, Tamlin sighed, then surged forward. With one decisive motion, he grabbed Rhysand by the shoulders, effectively halting his escape. Rhysand froze, his jaw tightening as though bracing for impact. Slowly, begrudgingly, he turned to face the Son Of Spring.

Tamlin’s expression was devastating. Wide, imploring green eyes gazed up at Rhysand with the kind of earnest vulnerability that could topple empires. His lips formed a slight pout, the picture of wounded innocence. It was the quintessential “puppy dog” look, and it hit Rhysand with the force of a thousand suns.

For a moment, silence reigned. Rhysand’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, his meticulously cultivated composure crumbling under the weight of Tamlin’s gaze. He tried, valiantly, to look away, to summon some shred of dignity, but the heat creeping up his neck betrayed him.

“Fine,” Rhysand bit out, his voice tinged with defeat. “*Fine.* I’ll teach you how to have sex, but I swear to the Mother, if you *ever*—”

Tamlin’s lips twitched into a triumphant grin, and Rhysand’s words faltered. He raised a hand to rub at his temple, as though nursing a sudden headache. His other hand tugged at the collar of his tunic, futilely attempting to conceal the blush that now dusted his cheeks a rosy hue.

“Stop *smiling*,” Rhysand grumbled, turning his face slightly away.

Tamlin, of course, smiled wider.

. . .

Taglist : @lifeisabiscuit , @donnadiddadog <3

[thequeenofsastiel]

I just listed the characters that were all in the title sequence at one point or another.

[hugevanserrass]

I feel like the entire concept of a ruler having an army made up of people who hate them and don't share their values is kinda...counterproductive, at best. like doesn't rhys know that people are more likely to fight to protect the things they care about? what do the Illyrians gain by fighting in his wars, aside from the right to keep their lives assuming they don't die in battle? it's not like they get a say in whether or not they become warriors. and yeah yeah they are a "warrior race" and I know this is all due to sjm's lazy writing but I just cannot help but lament how many missed opportunities there are in regard to the Illyrians and their dynamic with rhysand/the night court in general. could've been so interesting.

[nestaians]

the real reason rhysand is not enforcing the ban of clippings knowing some old lords in illyria still let it happen in their camps is bc he does not want to lose some of his soldiers

he mentions it a couple of times of the heavy loses illyrians took during the war

if rhysand actually enforced the ban of clippings he would have to deal with the men refusing to follow through. he would have to kill his soldiers

funny how rhysand allows blood rite to happen which is literally hunger games, where more than half of his future soldiers die in to “prove their worth”

its an illyrian tradition but illyrian men can argue so is women’s wing clipping and binding

neither of them are right bc let’s be real the reason men take part in blood rite is bc they are thrown into warrior camps at a young age, before they hit double digits. they don’t get a proper safe childhood, instead they are made into soldiers

rhysand does not want to lose his soldiers and that’s why he only allowed women to train so he can have more soldiers

ic was disappointed bc only a 2-3 women came to train like?? acting like making a change is such a hard thing when;

most illyrians don’t fuck with ic. no trust there

not all women want to learn how to fight. why do they have to train and learn how to fight?

everything we know about how illyrians train and fight is downright brutal. why will the women want to go through that willingly?

why can’t illyrian women just be free? have autonomy over their own life and body?

the women have not been offered any protection from repercussion they might face for wanting to learn how to fight. who will protect them for the monsters in their home?

an fyi women can know how to fight and still be abused

“illyrian women can now protect themselves” but where is the law to protect them?

why are they jumping over dozen of things that are needed to happen first?

there’s no banning abuse or sa or offering shelter in the library for them, there’s no banning forced marriages, there’s no rights for them!

illyrian women are being allowed to train so they -like the illyrian men- can be future soldiers for night court otherwise rhysand would start with giving them basic rights first

rhysand can’t give them their basic rights bc most will choose to not be warriors

[starryeyesxx]

[libartz]

I am WEAK for this character type. Whenever I see one I go completely feral

[elains]

Azriel's association with Enalius, what it means for his arc and Illyria

This is something me and my friends have talked about off tumblr, but I wanted to write my own post about it and gather my thoughts. But here, I'll discuss a bit Azriel's character and how the revelations we witness in House of Flame and Shadow will be important to his character. (+ a little bit of Emerie).

What do we know about Enalius? From ACOSF, Emerie provides us with a little exposition when they are in the Rite, when the Pass of Enalius is brought up:

Long ago—so long ago they don’t even have a precise date for it—a great war was fought between the Fae and the ancient beings who oppressed them. One of its key battles was here, in these mountains. Our forces were battered and outnumbered, and for some reason, the enemy was desperate to reach the stone at the top of Ramiel. We were never taught the reason why; I think it’s been forgotten. But a young Illyrian warrior named Enalius held the line against the enemy soldiers for days.

Now, from the Crescent City crossover, we learned that Truth-teller and Gwydion are twin blades. They are a pair. According to the Silene History Lesson, the dagger used to belong to her father's (Fionn's) dear friend, slain during the war. A bit later, when they find Vesperus, she confirms that this friend was Enalius:

The Asteri’s eyes flared with recognition at the long blade. “Did Fionn send you, then? To slay me in my sleep? Or was it that traitor Enalius? I see that you bear his dagger—as his emissary? Or his assassin?”

Immediately before that, she also confirms that the Asteri crafted (which can either mean created, shaped forged, but we are going with created) the Illyrians:

The Asteri’s blue eyes lowered to the dagger. “You dare draw a weapon before me? Against those who crafted you, soldier, from night and pain?”

From everything, we can conclude this: Enalius was the original wielder of Truth-teller before Fionn and Theia, a dear friend to Fionn, and someone who pulled the ultimate sacrifice to keep the Asteri/Daglan from reaching the top of Ramiel. He was a traitor to the Asteri, a rebel against his masters and everything they stood for.

Enalius is the hero most Illyrians strive to mimic, the legendary figure who they all hope to one day surpass. He's a symbol of their people, even if so much about him has been forgotten — the fact that he had a dagger, Fionn's friendship, what the battle was for, maybe even how he was as a person. Brave, for sure. Willing to die for the cause.

And it's Azriel who bears his dagger. Azriel, who has such a complicated relationship with his Illyrian heritage and loaths it - and by extension, himself - is the one with this enormous legacy right at this hand. And this matters.

Still in ACOSF, we have Rhys talking with Cassian and wanting him to play Courtier, the following exchange then follows:

“What, we’re doing some role reversal? Az gets to lead the Illyrians now?” “Don’t play stupid,” Rhys said coolly. Cassian rolled his eyes. But they both knew Azriel would sooner disband and destroy Illyria than help it. Convincing their brother that the Illyrians were a people worth saving was still a battle amongst the three of them.

Azriel hates the Illyrians for what happened to him and his mother and his dislike for them is, to a degree, understandable. The thing is that Azriel, no matter how much he loaths it, is Illyrian. Maybe he's more than that (as it's pointed that Az is different in a lot of ways and Bryce wonders if he is Starborn), but at heart, he's Illyrian. Siphons, leathers, fighting, being Carynthian, his wings, his scabbard and the dagger it holds.

It was healthy, perhaps, for Az to sometimes remember where he'd come from. He still wore the Illyrian leathers. Had not tried to get the tattoos removed. Some part of him was Illyrian still. Always would be. Even if he wished to forget it.

Being Illyrian is part of who he is and his deep hatred for them only fuel his self-loathing. He would like to set himself apart, but he is not.

We can actually draw a direct parallel between Azriel and Bryce with how they regard the Fae vs the Illyrians. Bryce loathes the Fae and for most of HoFaS, she believes they are evil, corrupt, power-hungry and quite generally, not worth saving. She would leave them all to burn. Sound familiar?

And Bryce is wrong. Sathia challenges her notion, pointing out that she's laying judgement to all fae and that is hardly fair. What the one who don't deserve it? Herself, yes, but Flynn, Declan, and Ruhn himself? Do they deserve to burn too? Bryce herself acknowledges this:

Urd had sent her there to see, even in the small fraction of their world that she’d witnessed, that Fae existed who were kind and brave. She might have had to betray Nesta and Azriel, trick them … but she knew that at their cores, they were good people. The Fae of Midgard were capable of more. Ruhn proved it. Flynn and Dec proved it. Even Sathia proved it, in the short time Bryce had known her.

And this part here sums up quite neatly:

Fire met starlight met shadows, and Bryce loosed herself on the world. It ended today. Here. Now. This had nothing to do with the Asteri, or Midgard. The Fae had festered under leaders like these males, but her people could be so much more.

There are Illyrians who are kind and brave and break the mold. We see this with Emerie, who is also a woman. We see that with Balthazar, Cassian. The main point stands, though, that you cannot judge or condemn an entire race for the bad apples.

Azriel is wrong, just as Bryce was wrong, and his journey will be also to realise that his people are worth saving. They were created of night and pain (words that Azriel embodies, being a master of shadows and a torturer), but that is not everything they need to be. They can be more than soldiers. They can thrive.

And I believe this was something Enalius himself came to the believe, long ago. His people deserved more than to be slaves to the Asteri, forced to give them their power when need be, bred to live and die for them. They could be more. And Enalius died to free his people from their chains.

Is Azriel Enalius's blooded descendant? I'm not sure, but he doesn't need to be. Azriel is Enalius successor because he will finish what was started. He'll uncover the secrets of the past, what his people were in truth, what Enalius rebelled for, what he stood for, what the Blood Rite truly means - which he only got a glimpse of.

And this is where I think Emerie will also come in. She's s one of ACOSF most relevant characters and the first female Illyrian to be Carynthian. I think Emerie will also become an inspirational figure to the Illyrian women, another of these what they coud be. What they can be. And more importantly and that is just a theory, what they were.

Orestes was a warrior. What if so was Carynth and she was woman? The name always struck me as similar to Carina, which is the name of a constellation and commonly used by women. It would be ironic and another shaking revelation to the Illyrians that Carynth, for whom their greatest warriors are named after, was a woman.

Does that mean all Illyrian women must become Valkyries? No, but some might wish to follow this path whilst their society takes its time to catch up. They already shook the status quo and with Nesta poised to have a big role (andthe Valkyries along her), they will continue to do so.

Azriel will uncovered the lost history of Vesperus offered him all the clues he needed to start looking. His journey to find out this secrets will lead to him facing his own demons, confronting his loathing for his people and, in doing so, he will make peace with himself.

[bloomingdarkgarden]

3 B R O T H E R S | Growing up in Illyria