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lady0ctavia · 1 month ago

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As We Ponder Belief

(2p!Prussia x Reader) - Chapter 44

Note: This story is based vaguely during the mid 1200s in Eastern Europe where the Teutonic Knights fought the Northern Crusades to try and convert the native pagan population to Christianity. As a result, this story will have heavy religious themes all throughout. It should also be noted that, while referencing real-life events and locations, I am not striving for full historical accuracy. This is for the sake of the story I am telling.

Once again, this series will have heavy religious themes throughout, including discussions of bible stories, doctrine, and scripture verses, as well as critical analysis of Christian doctrine and beliefs. So, if you don't like that, you will want to skip out on this.

Gilbert froze upon hearing the name. With eyes wide, he glanced over at (y/n) out of his peripheral vision. The latter of which sat patiently be the riverside.

"I-I-I'm sorry, what?" The raspiness came back to his voice as he stumbled over his words. His face went pink from embarrassment.

(y/n) shifted awkwardly where she sat, and made an concentrated effort to choose her next words carefully.

"Gillen told me about your lives back home. About how you were friends with a girl named Elizabeta. He told me that you had feelings for her and were hurt when she found someone else. And that that's the reason you ended up joining the knights."

And why you weren't happy with what was happening between me and Gillen.

Gilbert appeared to be at a loss of words, now having turned his head fully to (y/n) as she delivered her newfound insight. His eyes seemed about ready to bulge out of his head.

"And Gillen told you all this?" He asked.

"He did," (y/n) confirmed.

Rolling his eyes and sighing with exasperation, Gilbert took a large rock from the riverbank. Turning downstream so as to not splash (y/n), he threw it as hard as he could. Letting out a grunt of frustration as he did so.

"That jackass," He mumbled under his breath, earning an annoyed look from (y/n) when he turned back to face her.

"Curse all you want, but please don't direct that at my future husband," She criticized.

"You might want to change that title to 'future-father-of-my-children', because you're already sound like a mother," Gilbert snarked.

(y/n) rolled her eyes, still a bit too tired to argue with Gilbert and his smart mouth. Though, to be fair, the word 'mother' still rang in her head for a breath or two. After a few seconds passed by, Gilbert turned his attention back to the water before continuing.

"But he's right," He readily admitted with almost zero reluctance, his voice calm and level. "I had talked about the knights before, but never planned on joining. But after Liz and my cousin got engaged, I didn't feel like I could be around her anymore. It hurt to see her with someone else. Especially when I saw how happy he made her. And what right did I have to impose on that happiness? So, I left with Gillen before the wedding. I... I couldn't even stand the thought of watching her promise herself to another man. How pathetic is that?" Gilbert finished with a pained, half-hearted chuckle.

(y/n) shook her head. "I don't think it's pathetic at all. You were hurting, and reacted in the only way you knew how. I can't judge you for that."

"I ran away, (y/n). A girl I liked chose someone else. And what did I do?" His voice got progressively more and more frustrated. "I responded by joining an order of monastic warrior monks headed to the middle of enemy territory. Where I would live in a fortress surrounded by other men whilst taking up a vow of celibacy," Gilbert shifted to sit in front of (y/n), looking her dead in the eye as he carefully and slowly worded his next statement. "My reaction to dealing with heartbreak was to give up on love and civilized society as a whole for the rest of my life."

(y/n) pressed her lips into a thin line before responding. "Well, when you put it that way, it does sound kind of pathetic. However, you were still able to find happiness with the knights, right?"

"Indeed, I was," He breathed. The air around him was drifting between tense and solemn. "I loved it at the fortress, so over time I was able to put the whole thing largely out of my mind. But after you and Gillen got together, I felt as though life was mocking me. And then when Captain Nikolaus lost his blessed mind, I started to wonder if I should even stay there."

(y/n) mulled over his words, allowing herself to decipher something under the surface.

"Gilbert, correct me if I'm wrong. But what I'm hearing is that you feel... Lost?" She inquired. He reacted with confusion, but she could see the thought process in his mind. Particularly when his expression went from perplexed to intrigued. Ending with a sudden realization.

"I guess I am," Gilbert let his eyes fall to the grass as the truth set in around him, his voice breathy. "I left because I didn't know what else to do. The woman I loved chose someone else, so I impulsively decided to leave and join the Teutonic Order. Then, after five years, I found myself prompted to leave." Still processing the information, Gilbert ran his hands over his face, letting out a deep breath.

"You're lost and you're hurt," (y/n) noted, her tone brimming with empathy.

"And now I don't know where else to go," Gilbert lamented as he let his hands fall into his lap.

"I wouldn't say that's true. You've been traveling with Gillen and I for the past few days. So if it helps, you can logically say you're headed to Österreich to see your father," (y/n) attempted to comfort Gilbert. But these words only seemed to get under his skin.

"Ja, I can't go there," He said quickly, his voice on edge.

"What? Why not?"

"(y/n), did Gillen ever tell you how our father reacted when we left?"

(y/n) thought back months prior to when she started helping Gillen in the infirmary. Particularly the conversations they'd have.

"I think I remember him saying that he wasn't happy about it. But not much more than that," She replied curiously.

"That's one way of putting it," He chuckled nervously before continuing, his tone becoming flat and regretful. "While it's true that our father wasn't happy with Gillen leaving, it was a bit different for me. Our father tried his best to convince Gillen not to go, stating that he ought to work at the hospital there in town. They talked about it frequently, with some conversations going deep into the night. But no matter how hard he tried, Gillen was determined. Eventually, my father gave in. Unhappy, but willing to respect Gillen's choice, regardless of how he felt."

Gilbert went quiet. His mouth moved, but no sounds came out. As if he knew the words, but didn't know how to deliver them.

"And... What about you?" (y/n) pressed. Despondent, Gilbert continued.

"As the eldest in our family, my father was counting on me to inherit his shop one day. And I had every intention of doing so. So, when I made the last-minute decision to join the Order, our father was... Less than pleased," Gilbert held onto his arm, gripping it as he prepared to continue. "He was furious, demanding that I stay with him and Ludwig at home. As our conversation soon evolved into a screaming match, he said that he didn't want to see my face ever again."

(y/n) gasped, astounded by the harshness of his father's words. Gilbert carried on.

"That's why I feel like Gillen was some of the only family I had left. I still love Ludwig, of course, but I'm assuming he still lives with our father. So I don't feel like I'd be welcome to see him."

"And that's why you clung to Gillen the way you did," (y/n) realized. "It wasn't just because he's your brother, but because you feel as though he's the only family you're free to talk to."

"That about sums it up," Gilbert scratched the back of his neck.

"Gilbert, I understand you're hurt. However, you haven't seen your father in five years. Neither of you have. Perhaps your father has cooled down since then. And if you're so averse to seeing him again, then why are you following us in the first place?"

Gilbert shrugged. "Like you said. I'm lost. I'm not quite sure where to go at this point."

"Well, make a decision soon. Because regardless, we're headed back home," The calm voice of Gillen chimed in.

Surprised, (y/n) turned around to see her betrothed walking up from behind. His long white hair was up in a ponytail so as to keep his neck cool.

Gilbert scrunched his nose. "I don't think that's a good idea for me. Though I don't think going back to the fortress is a good idea either."

"I understand that. Believe me, I do. But that's where we're headed. If you want to travel with us up until then, that's fine. But you should keep in mind that if father asks about you, I will be telling him the truth," Gillen explained with arms crossed over his chest, with eyes that conveyed sympathy.

Gilbert only nodded with a conflicted expression before rising to his feet. As he walked past them to the cart and horses, Gillen gave him some final words.

"It will all work out. Have faith, Gilbert."

Gilbert only spared his brother a small glance, with the tiniest of smiles. But one that was tinged with some amount of anxiety. As Gilbert walked off, Gillen knelt down beside (y/n).

"Are you feeling better, Engel?" He asked, placing the back of his hand to her forehead.

"Yes, I am. Thank you, darling," (y/n) thanked him.

And with that, Gillen scooped up (y/n) in her arms. She yelped and giggled as he began to carry her to the cart.

"Gillen, I can walk by myself. I don't need you to carry me," (y/n) laughed, putting her arms around his neck. Showing that, despite her claims, she obviously enjoyed the feeling.

"I know. I just like doing this," He informed her with no hesitation.

Affectionately, (y/n) gave him a kiss on the cheek. After which a sense of reality set in.

"Wait, Gillen, should you even be carrying me at all? What about your shoulder?"

"Don't worry, (y/n). It's much better now. I'm fine," Gillen reassured her as he set her down at the front of the cart, next to his spot.

Once the couple were on the cart, and Gilbert upon his horse with a healthy dose of anxiety, the three went off. Now only just days away from their destination.

Previous Chapter - Next Chapter

I didn't mean for introducing Gilbert back into the plot to turn into a trauma dumping therapy session, but here we are. And this is the end of what I'm calling the second arc of the story. As always, please let me know your thoughts!

#hetalia #aph #aph x reader #hetalia reader insert #aph reader insert #hws reader insert #2p prussia #2p!prussia #2p prussia x reader #2p!prussia x reader #gillen beilschmidt #gilbert beilschmidt

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mbta-unofficial · 9 months ago

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Map of New England after the Bakerite wars of 2307-2319.

Charlie Baker, 9th of his name, declared war on the Dunkin-General-hospitals dynasty in boston from his stronghold in Milton MA. This was the first outbreak in hostilities in the region for more than 600 years, since the coup which politically separated the region from their lords in South Anglia, then England. He declared war after the dynasty refused to place him on the ballot, a variety of local democratic ticket. However, his stronghold on the neponset river was quickly breached, forcing a tactical retreat to allied lands in the south. This act which pulled all local eyes to boston, however, prompted a number of local independence movements culminating in a major redrawing of the political and cultural borders of the region. New Hamshire was among the first to arrest the massachusetts diplomats in the region and declare war, hoping to score territory in the north. However, an unpopular peasant levee left them dealing with morale issues as the Massachusetts army quickly advanced and laid siege to the city of manchester. The siege lasted for almost two years, during which time it was renamed Manchingrad after the famous Russian city of stalingrad which resisted teutonic assault for years in the early 20th century and was the turning point in the second war of american supremacy. Over time, the entire region adopted the name manchganistan in reference to the famously unconquerable region between russia and india. Springfield MA, which had long depended on Connecticut for trade along the connecticut river, and Pittsfield which had long allied with Albany, quietly seceded without military intervention as the massachusetts forces were directed north.

In order to support its war effort, however, the nation of massachusetts began a protracted campaign of plundering coastal regions as far north as nova scotia, as well as taking the harbors of portland and portsmouth as naval bases to control the north atlantic. Their southern reach was curtailed by a treaty with New York City, which had in past centuries expanded considerably and separated from Neue York, the french speaking region dominated by torontonian influence. However, both parties began to squeeze connecticut for their mutual military advantage. In 2314 a Marquis of rhode island was designated with the objective to move the front as far into connecticut territory as possible, and this permanent mobile border still exists to this day.

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thatmintleaf · 3 months ago

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On your drawing tags, you said Gilbert chopped off Klaus' braid! D: I want the story!!

OK SO-

There's a premise to be made before I start, which is that I consider Gilbert to have started as "Teutonic Knights" and Klaus as "Prussia". For the first ~100 years or so of their lives they had extremely different experiences and were treated basically in opposite ways by the people they represented. Klaus had also a prussian name at first, given to him by the people there [I still haven't decided on it yet, sorry, but for a bit of lore nowadays only like 4 people other than him remember it: Lithuania, Poland, 2p Russia and Gilbert (who refused to learn it at first)].

Now, crusaders were absolutely not holy people, but due to his position as representative of the order I do believe Gilbert was held to higher conduct and moral standards than a normal brother. He had to be perfect, the honour of the order was placed on his shoulders and no day passed without someone reminding him his duties, both in the face of men and in the face of God. There was close to no praise for him, he didn't deserve to be praised just because he did his duty. Sprinkle in some catholic guilt tripping and you get my idea for Gilbert as Teutonic Knights. Combat was basically his only outlet and it's not a good coping mechanism at all.

Klaus on the other hand was regarded as a treasure from the gods and treated with care and respect. He had the chance to act as a child, to be someone's "son" and considered the priests as one would a family.

He has quite a nice "childhood", even more so if compared to his counterpart.

Gilbert was really harsh to him, even more than the other people in the order. To him Klaus was an eyesore: he didn't know how to behave, he didn't know the language and worse than anything not only he looked weak, he WAS weak, more than Gil was at least.

Klaus long hair was just unacceptable for a knight, he had to cut it and become an example to everybody else, as it was intended for him. When Klaus refused Gil cut his braid off with a knife (or something knife adjacent). It happened shortly after Klaus was forced to join the knights and from there onward, for a century or so, he was not allowed to grow it longer than his chin.

Then Aleksey happened but that's another story, for another time.

#aph #hws #aph prussia #hws prussia #2p prussia #aph teutonic knights #hws teutonic knights #headcanon #Please forgive the lengthy answer I've been brain-rotting on these characters for 10+ years now #(I'll also add a lil thing here in the tags about Gil and Klaus #Here because it's something I added very recently as I found stuff I've been headcanoning for Klaus for years actually plays very well wit #some more canon aspects of Gilbert #Klaus likes to humm or sing when he's in a good mood or while working and Gilbert despised it #Official excuse from Gilbert is that Klaus is annoying but that thing specifically reminds him of knights Templar #And it hurts him too fucking much (but he's not emotionally mature enough to realise it yet)#Finding out knights Templar exists in hetalia finally pushed me back into the abyss

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artist-kili · 7 months ago

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My name is Kili but Yuki and most nicknames are welcome. I am non binary and use they/them and I am also somewhere on the aroace spectrum. I also am Autistic and will talk about my experiences every so often.

Also disclaimer or so:

I dont give a f what your stance on Hetalia ships are. Whether you dont believe in biological relations or do, or have another abstract system, I dont care. I dont care if you ship ships that could be incestuous in other headcanons. You are all welcome here. No judging whatsoever. The world is too shitty to worry about fictional characters and the ethics of their relationships.

Important:

This is a safe space. Rude comments will not be tolerated. Political discourse will not be reblogged or discussed. I will also not repost any nsfw posts and drawings that are suggestive are under a cutoff.

Now:

I will talk about almost anything!

My main fandom is Hetalia with Prussia being my favourite character amongst many. I roleplay Hetalia and I am mostly in the historical side of it. My main ships are AusHun, RusPru and TeuTemp and I can stand most other ships.

(Important: Just because I include some ships doesnt mean I ship them or like them very much.)

I mostly draw stuff but I also have an AO3 account called prussian_artist with a fanfiction about the Weimar Republic, set in 1929 thats on very slow uploads.

I am not active in other fandoms but I do like most Soulslikes, Ride the Cyclone, Hamilton, Jekyll and Hyde and some other stories.

Then I practice HEMA since over a year now! I pretty much only use longsword but I like to try other weapons as well. I haven't had a tournament yet but I am excited for the day it comes!

My special interest is definitely history and I love learning about it. My main themes of interests are the Baltic crusades including the Teutonic-Polish-Lithuanian war, the Teutonic Order, the 19th century with focus on what happens in Germany, WW1 the Weimar era and WW2 and the Cold War focusing on the GDR and Stasi. I like to peak into other topics as well tho (Great Northern war, Kalmar Union, etc)

My other special interest is astrophysics but I dont know enough of it and I dont feel like it fits into my Hetalia centric blog.

Thats pretty much it I believe! Please drop an ask by chance, I love answering questions and have a good day,

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ineffablelvrs · 7 months ago

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ok nevermind abt that ask i just replied to the person was a zionist and i dont want zionists on my blog BUT i do want to do a post about polish classic literature that ive read so let's get into it

so basically to start it all off there's a bunch of books you have to read for school in poland and that's like mandatory and in every school its the same and most people hate it a lot because they think its boring (its not the language is just a bit weird but i mean that's to be expected lol)

(for. literally all of these 😭 very important are the polish partitions, there were 3 of them, and after the 3rd one (1795) poland disappeared from the map for 123 years, its land divided between prussia, russia and austria, regaining its independence again in 1918 & it's important to read these with the context in the back of ur mind :])

the most hated are two most important polish poets and dramatists, adam mickiwicz (his books: sir thaddeus, konrad wallenrod, forefathers' eve/dziady) and juliusz słowacki (his books: balladyna, lilla weneda, kordian (dude's really great at making female characters honestly so id recommend balladyna and lilla weneda)) and due to their literary works they're pretty important to the culture (and here's a fun fact, they hated each other and now people ship them) (actually another funfact słowacki is suspected to be ??? actually idk i think hes just queer for a lot of reasons, particularly his letters to zygmunt krasiński)

ok but abt their books, mickiwicz's sir thaddeus is, as the subtitle suggests, about polish nobility and the last foray in lithuania, and its to poland what homer's iliad is to greece LOL

konrad wallenrod, my personal favorite of mickiwicz's works, is abt a lithuanian knight who goes undercover as a teutonic knight and become the order's grand master to fight and defeat it. machiavelli's philosophy plays a big part here (the motto is literally from the prince), and there's a coded message here how to fight tsarist russia

forefathers' ever/dziady is divided into 3 parts (part 2, part 3 and part 4, do not ask me why there's no part 1 i do not know). part 2 is about, well, forefathers' eve, part 4 is abt a guy who killed himself but also not really because of like failed love or whatever and hes telling a priest the story of his life or something i don't actually remember i havent read it in a long time 😭😭 part 3 is about the same guy but he changes his name so he apparently never killed himself ?? but anyways its my favorite one and it's considered one of the most important polish literary works and its got great lines and religious symbolism but it's also shows the pain of polish people, particularly polish youth, and cruelty of the russian tsar alexander and all his subordinates (also, the beef between mickiwicz and słowacki is present here. one of the negative characters, the doctor, is actually august bécu, słowacki's stepfather, who died the same way his character dies in the play lol)

onto juliusz słowacki now, kordian is abt your typical romanticism era guy, so you know, weltschmerz and all that but later on in life he finds a purpose in life and of course its helping poland regain its independence. so he decides to kill the tsar by himself and yeah there's no way this could go wrong right. written after the november uprising, it analyses the reasons of it's failure

balladyna is about a peasant girl who kills her sister to marry a noble man, and later keeps killing more people so no one knows she killed her sister and also because she wants to be the queen. great for cain and abel enjoyers id say lmao

lilla weneda is abt a nation doomed to failure from the beginning of the play by the prophet roza weneda. the story follows lilla weneda (also doomed from the beginning lmao) trying to save her father from death from the hands of the enemy who captured him and her brothers, so she makes a bet with the queen of the nation that captured him. it's inspired by celtic and slavic culture, and also greek tragedies. could be interpreted in a bunch of ways, like why the november uprising failed, why poland lost it's independence etc

probably the least hated one is the doll by bolesław prus, lotsssss of topics to use for writing argumentative essays which is why ppl like it sm 😭 and it's actually really good, it depicts a detailed picture of warsaw in the late 1870s . also one of the important plot points is the unrequited love of the mc, stanisław wokulski, for an artistocrat izabela łęcka

my favorite one is the wedding by stanisław wyspiański !! its a play abt a real life event of wedding of a member of cracow intelligentsia and a peasant girl (at the time it was rly popular for the aristocrats to marry peasant girls) with lots of symbolism !!!! wyspianski analyses the state of polish society which is unable to start an uprising, demythologizes a bunch of national myts at the time :]

another one of my favorites is the deluge by henryk sienkiwicz! its a long read so be warned lol im still reading it honestly 😭 it basically was created to keep polish people's spirits up in the 19th century, and its abt 16th century nobility !! its mostly a story abt andrzej kmicic and how his character changes and develops due to historcial circumstances (and also bc of his love for a woman) (honestly him and his lover oleńka are one of my favorite ships in classic literature 😭) but there are other great plot points ofc

gloria victis by eliza orzeszkowa is also a great one. set a few years after the january uprising, the wind visits a forest it hasn't been in in a while and the nature tells the story of the people who took part in the january uprising (the name is never mentioned due to censorship but we can deduct that thanks to context clues)

the coming spring by stefan żeromski depicts an natural and brutal image of the russian revolution, armenian-tatar conflict and of poland right after it regained independence again and it's issues. the mc is a pretty conflicted i believe is the right word? character which i think makes him interesting to analyse

tango by sławmoir mrozek i wouldn't say is hated, actually 9 out of 10 polish students love it and reasonably so ! it's sososoososo great and its so funny and polish writers just looooove analysing our society and in this case honestly just society. its abt a world with no rules with the roles reversed (the parents are rebellious and rebelled against all societal norms and everything is chaos now and their son wants the old world and its norms to come back bc like i said everything is a mess and he also wants to rebel but because he cant rebel against anything else he has to rebel against his parents and the lack of any norms)

if yall want the full list of polish mandatory reading books i can totally hive it to you !!! anyways i hope i convinced at least a bunch of people to read some of these because i really wish they were more popular lol

#pollit #polish literature #polska literatura #literature #classic literature #bookblr #book tumblr #book recommendations #books

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unhonestlymirror · 8 months ago

Note

Do you think the ship Belarus x Lituania is acurate?

Like, romantically and/or sexually? Absolutely not.

Let's pretend hetalia does not exist and review some moments from the real world:

In the Middle Ages, the native Lietuvos žemė was more deviated to the East, including the modern north part of Belarus. Due to hundreds of years of geopolitics, modern Lithuania has a bit of Aukštaitija and Dzūkija from the Middle Ages and Samogitia. Samogitia was a separate and independent state until the genocide by Teutons. During Commonwealth, either russia (most likely) or Poland invented the name "Belarus" and overall slavicized it, reasons unknown. Then, the russian empire continued slavicization of Belarus (Gudija) via active genocide of its people of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and that's how both indigenous Belaruthian territory (including Smalensk region) and the former Lietuvos territory became slavic. Thus, Lietuviai had to flee to Samogitian land - and Belarus got more northern territories to itself. N.B. At these times, the relationship between Belarus and Lithuania was still pretty warm because of GDL.

It's important to understand because modern Belarus claims that Lithuania stole its history and true Lithuanians are actually Samogitians, and modern Lithuania claims that Belarus stole its history. None of them are right, I believe, from the outsider point of view. Belarus is not right because Samogitia has its own language, which is often not understandable by Lithuanians, and in Lithuania, Samogitia has a relatively independent status. Thus, all Samogitians are Lithuanians, but not all Lithuanians are Samogitians. Lithuania is not right because Belarus was an important cultural and scientific engine in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, it was the centre for all decisions and an important backup for Lietuva and Ukraine.

Lithuania and Belarus worked together not because one was genociding the other, not because one imposed their history and ideals on another but because both of them suffered from "friendly" neighbours. When the grief came from West, Lithuanians and other baltics fled to Belarus when the grief came from the East - vice versa. When the grief was coming from both sides simultaneously, they united and invited Ukraine because Ukraine is strong.

Lithuania and Belarus have a LOT of claims to each other, and overall, call each other lame af. From my perception as Ukrainian, both these nations share the same life values, same morals, same mentality, same humour, same mythology, same obsession with cleanliness, order and education, same preference in food, music, clothes, hell, they even share same Jews - a lot of stuff. In fact, I don't understand how scientific minds call Belarus Slavic if it's in most ways Baltic. Belaruthians are way too different from Ukrainians, Poles, russians, Czech, and other slavs.

A sort of Witch Hunt is currently taking place in Lithuania against Belaruthians, and this is russia's fault (who could have thought). Maybe even Poland participates in it because they benefit from it really much. It's not a rare case when a Lithuanian calls Belaruthians "white russians", unfortunately. After all, a lot of Belaruthians were murdered and replaced by russians with "Belorussian" passports. If I was responsible for the Lithuanian government, I'd pay 10 euros to a couple of citizens of Smalensk (currently Smolensk) for them painting "Smalensk is Lithuania, 1368 možem pavtarić" all over russia. Let them be nervous and afraid, lol. Anyway, politics is a dirty and unfair thing.

Both Belarus and Lithuania perceive Vilnius as their own kid. It's important to notice that Belarus doesn't want to capture Vilnius because half of Belarus already lives there in exile because of Lukashenko's regime. And they don't want russia in Vilnius. Lithuania still holds a grudge on Belarus for 1990 invasion, though.

Both Lithuanians and Belaruthians are kind and generous people who help others when they ask for help. Belaruthians are way more depressive, for understandable reasons.

As you can see, their history and relationship are pretty complicated. Thus, I extremely dislike their portrayal by Hidekaz Himaruya.

According to reality, Lithuania and Belarus are rather siblings who have chosen different paths and don't approve it. They're close relatives, and close relatives can't fall in love with each other. They don't really hate each other, but they are also not in awe of each other. They often mock each other, but they don’t refuse to help each other when things are bad. They both hate to admit that, but they often have the same opinions on things. As a Ukrainian, I always feel extremely awkward when Lithuanians and Belaruthians start to sort things out, like I'm witnessing a family quarrel and I'm not supposed to be here.

In the Middle Ages, Liet and Gudija/Belarus concluded a fictitious marriage to receive funding from Christian countries like Vatican, who "approve only the Holy Union of The Man and The Woman", while keeping staying pagan&gay and resisting genocide from Teutons. Later, Liet met Ruthenia, fell in love, married her, built a cottage in Odesa, and quickly annulled the marriage with Belarus according to the old pagan tradition of divorce. He married before the divorce because the Church would have imposed sanctions on him for non-compliance with Christian standards otherwise, and he would not be able to fight both Teutons and Golden Horde then. In those days, polygamy was still technically legal, and since the marriage was the only way to stabilize your "legalization" in the eyes of the axis powers of those times, Liet's personal documentation was quite... messy. However, he is monogamous and believes in true love, just like Belarus, so the documents did not quite correspond to reality. In conclusion, he's an expert in fictitious marriages and forgery of documents.

From the Vilnius perspective, Lithuania and Belarus are like divorced parents who can't stand each other but love their kid and constantly argue over who loves Vilnius more. Due to Lukashenko's regime, Belarus is now Lithuania's flatmate.

#historical hetalia #hws lithuania #aph lithuania #hws belarus #aph belarus

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myhauntedsalem · 9 months ago

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The Ghosts of Lagow Castle

A fierce Polish knight named Marek in the 15th century, claimed Lagow castle for his own. The Germanic Teutonic Knights had built this castle a hundred years before.

He at one time was beloved by the townspeople but when his wife died he became lonely and embittered. His younger beautiful sister, Dorota came to live with him.

Marek took a prisoner during a battle he fought just outside the town–a Prussian Prince named Boris. He imprisoned Prince Boris in his castle’s dungeon.

Prince Boris began to sing every day. It was believed he did this to keep his sanity for he was enclosed in a dark, damp place.

It wasn’t long before the townspeople started to flock to the castle to hear him sing for Prince Boris had a fine voice.

Marek’s sister Dorota became enamored by the Prince’s voice. She bribed the guards so she could meet Boris. After this she visited him on a regular basis, the two fell in love.

Dorota told her brother she wanted to marry Prince Boris. Marek disapproved and arranged for Dorota to marry an elderly knight that lived in a neighboring community.

During her wedding reception at the castle Marek had Prince Boris brought up to the great hall. He commanded the prince sing for his guests. Boris refused.

Marek now angered ordered the guards behead the Prince. They then threw his body into a nearby lake. Dorota who witnessed this terrible event died from a broken heart before her marriage could be consummated.

Soon after, her distraught ghost was seen wandering along the shore of the lake where Prince Boris was thrown. She is also seen walking through the town and in the castle.

Witnesses that live in Lagow today state they have seen her ghost.

They also state that during the summer months in the evening they hear Prince Boris singing near the castles dungeon and by the lake.

#The Ghosts of Lagow Castle #Lagow Castle #Haunted Castles #ghost and hauntings #paranormal #ghost and spirits #haunted locations #haunted salem #myhauntedsalem #paranormal phenomena #hauntings #supernatural #spirits #ghosts

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minetteskvareninova · 11 months ago

Text

Republic Of Many Nations - Historical Opportunity for Central/Eastern Europe?

(This is a translation of an exhibition created with the cooperation of multiple Slovak and Polish institutions for the study of history that hanged in the corridors of University of Prešov in late 2023. Consider this an introduction to Rzeczpospolita for all my 1670 girlies. It's heavily biased in favor of Rzeczpospolita, luckily in ways that are neither subtle, nor do they detract from its informational value. I am leaving out most of the pictures and the commentary under them, as well as the quotes included - simply because I couldn't fit them into the format of a tumblr article. The notes bellow in [] brackets are mine, the rest of the text is from the exhibition itself, and the pictures, or something close to them - like the same building from a different angle - appeared on the exhibition panels as well. Commentary on the pictures is also from the exhibition.)

***

Did you know that from the end of the 14th century untill the end of the 18th century a unique republic existed in what is now Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine and Belarus, which was the biggest state in Europe and which wasn't founded by military expansion, but by a peaceful alliance of Kingdom of Poland and Grandduchy of Lithuania? This republic gradually fell to the pressure of surrounding absolutist monarchies led by the Tsardom of Muscovy [1], but its legacy persists in the ethos of civil liberties, democratic participation and diversity. Legacy of this republic has become a part of the identity of nations in the Middle/Eastern Europe, which for more than two centuries resisted Russian imperial rule and which cling to these values to this day.

1.) REPUBLIC OF MANY NATIONS The beginings of the "republic of many nations" can be traced to the year 1385, when the hand of Jadwiga, heir to the Polish throne, was offered to Jogaila, the Grand Duke of Lithuania, with the stipulation that he should become a Christian. When Jogaila ascended the throne of Poland as Władisław II. Jagiełło, it created a dynastic link between Poland and Grandduchy of Lithuania, which besides Lithuania consisted of lands in today's Belarus and Ukraine. When on the 1st of July 1569 in the Lublin Castle Polish nobility agreed to extend their privileges to the Lithuanian nobility in exchange for Lithuania ceding large territories to the Polish crown, an agreement was born, on the basis of which a dynastic union transformed into a commonwealth, now called Rzeczpospolita, i.e. The Republic. Though initially the union of these polities was motivated by the existence of common enemies - the Teutonic Order and later Russia - the strongest bond between them turned out to be the unique arrangement established by the Polish and Lithuanian representatives. The "Republic" in the name of this polity was supposed to demonstrate that the Commonwealth would be ruled by its noble citizens regardless of whether their mother tongue was Polish, Lithuanian or Ruthenian (common ancestor of Rusyn, Belarussian and Ukrainian). Though Republic was for hundreds of years plagued by numerous internal issues, and by the end of the 18th century it was destroyed by the aggression of its neighbours, in 1791 citizens managed to approve a unique document - Constitution of 3 May 1791, now considered the first modern constitution in Europe...

2.) STORY OF THE CROWN AND THE GRANDDUCHY Even after the Union of Lublin, the Polish Crown and Grandduchy of Lithuania were still separate states, just like they used to be for hundreds of years before that. After all, the rulers of Poland had their own archbishopric and royal title since the early 11th century, struggling for power against the likes of Přemyslids, while the grand dukes of Lithuania, attempting to revive the legacy of Kievan Rus', still hesitated whether to accept baptism from Rome or Constantinople. While many of the differences between them disappeared after the creation of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, as the Lithuanian estates adopted the lifestyles of Polish nobility, the grandduchy continued to have their own legislature in the form of so-called Lithuanian Statutes, as well as their own army and finance, and a strong sense of self-determination. However, the connection between Lithuanian and Polish society was very strong - in October 1791, shortly before the final occupation of the Republic by the Prussians, Russians and Austrians both Polish and Lithuanian representatives agreed upon The Mutual Vow Of Both Nations [2], in which they promised that the story of Rzeczpospolita should continue in perpetuity as an indelible federation of the two countries...

3.) THE STORY OF UKRAINE: A MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR THE REPULIC? While its name points to a country "somewhere on the edge", Ukraine was a tempting target for many powers since the Middle Ages. After the fall of Mongolian Golden Horde in the 14th century, it was, as the former core of Kievan Rus' added to Lithuania, which presented itself as a continuation of this great Kievan empire. In this way, Lithuania came into the crosshairs of Muscovy, which held similar aspirations. After 1569 the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania, which in many ways respected the distinct Ukrainian identity and unlike Moscow didn't consider it to be just a branch of the Russian nation, became its protector from the Muscovite incursion into Ukraine. Even the Polish-Lithuanian nobility living in Ukraine identified and called themselves "Ruthenians", and Grand Duchy of Lithuania used so-called Ruthenian as its official language. Cossacks living in the Wild Fields in the Dnipro river basin, who on the one hand didn't accept the autority of Polish-Lithuanian nobility, on the other hand helped to safeguard the borders of Rzeczpospolita from Moscow and the Ottomans, were also bearers of the sovereign Ukrainian identity. In the middle of the 17th century dissatisfaction of the Cossacks with certain magnates and issues of religion grew into the bloody uprising of hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky, who in 1654 turned to the Muscovite tsar [1] with a plea for protection. However, among the Cossacks, critical voices towards Moscow could also be heard, especially the voice of Ivan Vyhovsky, who in 1658 made a deal with the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania about its transformation into the Republic of Three Nations with a coequal position of the Grand Duchy of Russia [3] and orthodoxy. Because of the opposition from a portion of nobility, Cossacks and Moscow, the agreement never went into effect, and thus both the Republic and Ukraine missed their historic chance...

4.) KING IS THE FIRST AMONG US, THE FIRST AMONG EQUALS The creation of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was also a key flashpoint for the transformation of royal power. Since Polish king Sigismund II. August, who thanks to the Union of Lublin became the ruler of Rzeczpospolita, died in 1572 without issue, Polish-Lithuanian nobility in accordance with the original agreement established the viritim election principle, according to which every noble present could elect their own king on special convocational sejms (diets). Ruler elected in this manner had to confirm noble privileges trough the so-called Henrician Articles and a collection of vows Pacta Conventa. Ruler's political power was thus perpetually subject to the rule of law (lex regnat non rex), and if the nobility deemed the ruler's actions unlawful, they could in the case of an emergency even call up a confederation and declare armed resistance. Thus, from then on until the acceptance of Constitution of 3 May 1791, the election of Polish-Lithuanian monarch became subject to the interests of foreign dynasties and local magnate houses. In the 18th century, an era during which the surrounding countries mostly adopted absolutism, the weakness of royal power came to be seen as the fundamental reason for the political decline of the Republic.

5.) NOT A MONARCHY, NOR AN ARISTOCRACY, NOR A DEMOCRACY The name Rzeczpospolita (the Republic) wasn't chosen for the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania by accident. Polish-Lithuanian nobility actually believed that their country can revive the lost ancient legacy of the just polities, and so they considered their Rzeczpospolita, to which they had given the epithet "most serene" [2], to be the third real republic in human history (after the Roman and Venetian ones). Members of the Polish nobility, who were convinced that the noble station brings with itself the duty of civic virtues, thus positioned themselves as the new Aristotles, and considered the so-called mixed constitution, which combined virtues of the monarchy, aristocracy and rule of the people, to be the best way to organize the state. Power in Rzeczpospolita was thus divided between the elected king, the Senate consisting of highest state officials, and a chamber of noble-born representatives, who could use the later infamous liberum veto [4], or the right of individual protest, which especially in the 18th century severely hampered the flexibility of the Republic. However, in the Republic, a specific form of political decisionmaking wasn't practiced only by the parliament of nobles. In Ukraine, the Zaporozhian Cossacks created a very peculiar form of military democracy. In their fortified camps (sietches [2]) the sietch councils formed by direct election, and they in turn elected their military commanders (atamans) and government officials, made decisions about war and piece, economic policy, even legal judgements.

6.) DIFFERENT FAITHS LIVE TOGETHER WITHOUT NEED FOR BORDERS Calling the ancient Republic "Polish" might be misleading, because today the epithet "Polish" is tied mostly to the ethnic nation. However, since in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the nation was the nobility, which based its honour on citizen loyalty towards the common polity inspired by antiquity, the noble "nation" at the time included all members of the class no matter the country they were born in, language they spoke, or the faith they professed. That's why, concerning the question of self-perception in the period, we often see the phrase "I am of the Polish nation, but of Ruthenian birth." This citizenship-based definition of Polish identity was closely related to the unprecedented religious tolerance, as codified in 1573 by the so-called Warsaw Confederation. The fact that the noble "nation" included not only Catholics, Lutherans, Calvinists, Uniates and Orthodox Christians, but Mennonites and Arians, led to Rzeczpospolita being called "a state without stacks", because the foreigners there didn't end up burned at a stake, but finding a refuge. However, in the 18th century, this fragile coexistence of different denominations was severely disturbed, because the neighbouring great powers loved to use the rights of religious minorities for their own ends. In the 3 May 1791 constitution, all faiths were thus tolerated, but the Catholicism was supposed to be the state religion.

7.) POLONIA PARADISUS JUDAEORUM While the Jewish people were often banished from the rest of medieval European countries, kings of Poland granted many privileges to the arriving Jews. That being not just The Great Charter of Jewish Rights [2] from 1264, but also Privilegia de non tolerandis Christianis, which allowed Jewish merchants to settle in designated communities without Christian competition. Jews gradually gained the right to their own local administration (so-called kahalas) and around the time of the Union of Lublin even to summon their own parliament, called the Diet of the Four Countries [2] (also known as Va'ad). It is therefore no wonder that in the 16th century Europeans started to call Rzeczpospolita "Jewish paradise" and that three quarters of the entire Jewish population of the world lived here. This peaceful coexistence started to suffer in the middle of the 17th century, mainly because of Cossack uprisings, during which thousands of Jews were massacred for being alleged allies of the nobility, while in the 18th century the country experienced general decline in religious tolerance. However, as part of the attempt to save the Republic during the so-called Great Sejm [2] of 1788-1792, a special commission was created to designate the position of Jews within Rzeczpospolita. And when the famous Kościusko uprising defending the independence of Rzeczpospolita and the legacy of the Constitution of 3 May 1791 against the Russian invasion broke out, many Jews didn't hesitate to join the first Jewish regiment and fight in battle for the Republic.

8.) WALLS OF CHRISTIAN EUROPE Noble citizens didn't perceive their Republic as just an embodiment of ancient community, but also a military power. That's why the nobility placed so much value on military virtues and in emulation of ancient Sarmatians, whose descendants they considered themselves to be, they also relied heavily on elite cavalry - the winged hussars, whose exotic appearance and military prowess gained them respect on the battlefield. Polish-Lithuanian nobility, convinced of the exceptional nature of their own Republic, started to perceive their polity as "antemurale christianitatis" - the bastion of Christendom, which protects the eastern borders of Europe from the outside threat. In the 1621 battle of Khotyn the united Polish-Lithuanian army, boosted by thousands of Cossacks led by the hetman of Zaporizhzhia Sahaidachny, a great promoter of cooperation between the Cossacks and Poland-Lithuania, managed to hold back the Ottoman army several times its size. The Polish society connected several such victories to the Divine providence and a faith that the Republic is fulfilling its holy mission in history. This is also the reason why the hussars of king Jan III. Sobieski are to this day considered the saviours of Vienna from the Ottoman siege of 1683 and the madona of Czenstochowa is perceived as the one responsible for the Polish-Lithuanian victory over the Swedes. Though the military glory of the former empire had declined in the 18th century, the enlightenment era reformers didn't forget the valor of their ancestors - the School of Chivalry was established on the prompting of king Stanislaw August Poniatowsky, and among its absolvents was Tadeusz Kościuszko, born in the Duchy of Lithuania, leader of the last stand of the Republic against Russia in 1794.

9.) NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US While the king od France could've said "I am the state", in the Polish-Lithuanian Union the state were its citizens, that being the nobility. Nobility's agitation for their privileges gradually bore fruit - particularly important were the neminem captivabimus privilege, ensuring untouchability of a person, and the nihil novi rule, forbidding the king from issuing laws without the approval of a diet of nobles. Power of the nobility was among other things ensured by the size of this estate, since it made up 8-10% of the population (for comparison, in Great Britain, even in the mid-19th century only 6% of the population had a right to vote). In comparison with other countries, all members of the nobility were absolute equals in the eyes of the law. All of these rules were supported by the specific ideology of sarmatism, according to which were all noblemen, as the alleged descendants of the ancient ethnic group, required to protect the so-called "golden liberties" - set of rights and values which made the Polish-Lithuanian nobility consider themselves the most free nation under the the sun. Besides the exotic clothing [5], sarmatism was also expressed in numerous acts of rebellion against their own king - for example, in the 18th century nobility founded the Bar Confederation, which was supposed to rid the Commonwealth of the Russian influence, but ended up leading to the first division of Rzeczpospolita lands among the imperial powers.

10.) SPLENDOR AND MISERY OF THE MAGNATE FAMILIES Though in the Commonwealth, any use of titles that would distinguish between lower and higher nobility was strictly forbidden, the issue was nonetheless made more complicated by the high economic inequality even among the nobles. Some noble houses were able to create estates so large even the royal holdings paled in comparison. Their dominance rested on their large wealth, high positions in state offices and background influence on politics. This informal class of magnates was most prominent in the eastern part of the country, where a handful of houses amassed giant private armies and sophisticated webs of noble clients, since many of the impoverished nobles voluntarily worked for the magnates, and some even voted in the parliament according to the wishes of their benefactors. These most powerful magnates were thus also titled "little kings", and some of them actually did become elected kings of Poland. The fact that many magnates, especially in Ukraine, were out of the reach of central state power and treated their subjects especially badly led to the outbreak of antimagnate rebellions, the most successful of which was the Bohdan Khmelnytsky Cossack uprising of 1648. However, the magnate activity cannot be seen as black-and-white, because their role also involved foundation and patronage on a grand scale - it was thanks to them that many treasures of Polish-Lithuanian architecture were created.

11.) LEGACY OF THE REPUBLIC OF MANY NATIONS The Republic of Poland-Lithuania was erased from the map in 1795. However, its tradition remained in the ethos of fight "for freedom yours and ours", which was echoed by the participants of many antirussian uprisings in the 19th and 20th century. This ethos called back to the tradition of free republic, which, unlike the Russian Empire - that forced subjugated polities to adopt the samoderzhavie [6], orthodoxy and russification triad - supposedly enabled different nations to keep their freedom and "unity in diversity". Although the ethnonationalism of the 20th century has dimmed the memories of their common legacy and caused plenty of bad blood among the different nations of former Rzeczpospolita, the idea of confederation or close cooperation against Russian imperialism was returning in their consciousness, whether during the 1863 uprising or shortly after World War I. In the communist era, the writer in exile Jerzy Giedroyc famously prophesized that Poland can be truly free only when so are Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine. For Ukrainians and Belarussians, who have been threatened by the imperial idea of Greater Russia and the vision of a unified "Russian world" even after 1991, are heroes (like prince Konstanty Ostrogski or hetman Sahaidachny) and famous moments in the history of the Republic fundamental symbols of their national sovereignty and belonging to the European civilizational space. They will never cease to remind everyone that the Republic is not dead while we are alive and believe that the ties of mutual civic loyalty are stronger than differences in language, faith or ethnic origin, stronger than any enemy that would attempt to tear these ties of our values.

***

[1] - Russia. They are talking about Russia. Y'see, the etymology of "Russian" in Eastern Slavic languages is kinda confusing; originally, it meant all Eastern Slavs, but later on it came to be associated with the largest and most culturally dominant group - which is to say the predecessors of modern Russians under the rule of Princedom of Muscovy. Eventually, Ivan IV., the Grand Prince of Muscovy got himself crown the Tsar of All Russians, which was a bit presumptuous considering a whole lot of people who very much weren't under his rule also identified as the Rus'/Russians. Still, it stuck, and when Ukrainians and Belarussians wanted to define themselves against their Russian overlords, they abandoned the label "Russians" altogether. Calling post-Ivan the Terrible Russians "Muscovites" is a bit of antiquated terminology that would be common in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

[2] - Literal translation, because I don't know what it's called in English-speaking historical literature.

[3] - Used here in the older sense of the word, i.e. Eastern Slavic in general (see [1]). In this case, the Eastern Slavs in question are clearly mostly Ukrainians despite being called Rus'/Russians (YES I KNOW)

[4] - Okay, so have you seen the first episode? The whole "One of us was against. End of story. We have a democracy." thing was... Barely an exaggeration to be honest.

[5] - Compare the shit Jan Paweł and his friends wear to normal 17th century male clothing (to which Ciesław and especially magnate's son come pretty close to) and you'll get the gist.

[6] - rus. autocracy, or rather the name for specific absolutist tradition of Russian tzars

***

Notes on the pictures:

1.) Map of Rzeczpospolita from the first half of the 18th century (most likely around 1739), made by the cartographer Johann Baptist Homann.

2.) Tapestry with the coats-of-arms of Poland and Lithuania - The Union of Lublin led among other things to the joining of Polish and Lithuanian coats-of-arms, so the new state coats-of-arms combined the polish royal eagle on red field with the traditional symbol of Lithuania, the Pogoń (Vytis in Lithuanian), or the armored knight on a horse, which to this day is part of the legacy of the Grandduchy in modern Lithuanian and parts of Belarussian society.

3.) Battle of Orsha (1514) in which the orthodox prince Konstanty Ostrogski, claiming to carry on the legacy of the Kievan Rus', led the united Polish-Lithuanian forces and destroyed the Muscovite invasion army despite being outnumbered, saving the independence of the Grandduchy. After 1991 the day of the anniversary of this battle was celebrated as a holiday of the Belarussian army. The holiday was later abolished by the Lukashenko regime, one can currently end up in jail for celebrating it. In 2017, a common Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian brigade was named hetman Ostrogski.

4.) Royal Castle in Warsaw - Since the late 16th century, Warsaw became the new center of power in the Republic. The Royal Castle, originally the medieval seat of the dukes of Massovia, was rebuilt in the new baroque style. During World War II, the castle was completely destroyed. For a long time, the communist regime was refusing to greenlight its reconstruction, and its restoration based on old engravings and pre-war photographs was only made possible trough the massive public pressure.

5.) Painting of the French artist Jean-Pierre Norblin portrays a traditional part of the political life in Rzeczpospolita - a session of the so-called sejmik (Polish diminutive of sejm, a.k.a. diet). On these local assemblies of nobles of the given region, deputies for the meetings of the central sejm were elected and instructions for these deputies were agreed upon.

6.) Kruszyniany - Presence of the muslim Tartar community is part of the legacy of Rzeczpospolita. Tartars live on the territories of today's Lithuania, Belarus and Poland continuously since the 14th century. They have proven their worth as warriors in service of the Republic. Original Tartar mosques can be found especially in Podlesie in today's northeastern Poland and in Trakai in today's Lithuania.

7.) Ceiling of a synagogue reconstructed for the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, which in 2015 was awarded the title of Best Museum in Europe. It is in this modern museum that you can learn the most about the Jews of Rzeczpospolita, the largest Jewish diaspora at the time.

8.) Sobieski at Vienna - Painting of Jan Matejko depicts the Polish king Jan III. Sobieski, who after his famous triumph over the Ottoman Turks in 1683 sent a letter to pope Innocent IX., in which he writes that the Christian Vienna was saved.

9.) Casimir Pulaski, later national hero of the United States, escaped Poland after the failure of the Bar Confederation in 1769-1772. The confederation was one of the last attempts to free the country from the increasing dependency on Russia.

10.) Zamoćś - Renessaince city founded by an exceptional person. Jan Zamoyski came from a not very wealthy noble family, but trough his own merits eventually became the richest and most powerful man in the Republic. The town hall of Zamość on the photo.

11.) Adam Mickiewicz could be the symbol of the common legacy of Rzeczpospolita. The greatest poet in the Polish language literature was born in today's Belarus (1798) and always felt like a citizen of Rzeczpospolita. His most important work begins with a line "Lithuania, my fatherland!" It was Mickiewicz who was remembered by the pope John Paul II., when he proclaimed the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth the predecessor of cooperation of the entire continent within the European Union ("from the Union of Lublin to the European Union").

#random history #poland #lithuania #belarus #ukraine #1670

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nightbringer24 · 2 years ago

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Okay, so you mentioned war wagons. What are those? I have heard of rebels in the Hussite Wars using wagons as mobile gun bunkers, but I'm assuming a war wagon is something different?

So my laptop konked out on me last night, so I'll use this to reply to @wanderrealms' question on what is a war wagon.

The war wagon, or what is referred to a war wagon in the European context, is definitely the wagon that became synonymous with the Hussite Wars (the Chinese had war wagons of their own though their main source seems to be something more adhoc and impromptu then planned), was basically just a regular peasant wagon but with extra barding and planking on the sides to create a steep sided defensive platform. That is it. That is literally it.

This was due to the genius of Jan Žižka, the man who basically became instrumental to the prosecution of the war in Jan Hus' name. He knew he could not rely on a largely infantry based army made from the peasanty against the overwhelming number of mounted knights from the Western European nations in the eventual crusade, including the knightly orders of the Teutonic knights and the Knights Hospitallers, so he had to get radical.

His solution: use the wagons that carried both weapons, supplies and men as weapons themselves. This allowed Žižka and the other Hussites to basically force the crusaders to fight on their terms, allowing them to fight offensively on the defensive. Along with the prevalent use of crossbows and handgonnes, and the main weapon of the Hussite soldiers being short polearms and their regular farming implements, such as the threshing flail. Later, these would be supplemented by small cannons and bombards carried by the wagons to fire from the sides out at the attacker.

Tactics wise, the wagons would be arrayed in a circle or square, with their horses unlimbered and the wagons locked together by their wheels with chains. This was called the wagenburg or wagon fort, and was incredibly resistant to the flat out charges of European knightly cavalry since it was akin to a knight charging at a castle's tower: useless. They could be defeated, but it took a lot of doing. The battle of Lipany in 1434 which ended the Hussite Wars is a good example of how you'd beat them.

And that's my commentary on what a war wagon is.

#ask

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douglysium · 1 year ago

Text

Alter Ego of Truth and Lies: Hugues de Payens (Full Profile)

*Note that all information in this profile is subject to change at any time.

Class: Alter Ego

True Name: Hugues de Payens

Nickname: Alter Ego, Alter Ego of Truth and Lies, AERT, Hugues de Payens Prototype, Hughes de Payens, Grandmaster Hugues, The First Templar, The Most Righteous of Templars, “Big Sister/Brother,” “Mistaken Fool,” Hugues de Payns, Hugo de Paganis, Hues de Paiens delez Troies("Hugh of Payens near Troyes"), Ugo de' Pagani, Master of the Knights of the Temple

Characteristics

Species: Servant, Human

Gender: Male, Nonbinary, Female

Height: 1.72 Meters

Weight: 90kg with Armor

70kg without Armor

Blood Type: Unknown

Place of Origin: Payens, France

Birthday: 1070

Age: Unknown

Personal Information

Addresses self as: Watashi(わたし), Jibun(じぶん)

Likes: Truth, God, honesty, Knights Templar, the countryside, rustic villages, Saint Mary(the mother of Christ)

Dislikes: Lies, demons, dishonesty, rumors, hearsay, heresy, Knights Templar, secrets, undead

Talents: accounting, managing money and finances, rallying people to a cause

Natural Enemy: Hassan-i-Sabbah, Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyubn, Knights Hospitaller, and the Teutonic Knights

Image Color: Blood Red, White and Silver

Affiliations:

Knights Templar

Family Members

Thibaud(Son)

Many possible descendants

Servant Stats

Type: Heroic Spirit

Source: Legends of the Knights Templars, Historical fact, Rumors about the Knights Templars

Region: Payens, France

Alignment: Lawful Good

Hidden Attribute: Man

Armaments: Sword, mace, and shield

Known Summoning Catalysts: a sword once used by Hugues de Payens, a mace once used by Hugues de Payens, a coin from some of the money that Hugues de Payens managed, a piece of Hugues de Payen’s shield, and a fragment of Temple Midlothian.

Qualified Servant Classes

Within the prime Fate timelines AERT is an entity that split off from the original/true Hugues de Payens(Shielder Hugues de Payens Profile). They are born from a mixture of both truth and some of the rumors surrounding the Knights Templar during/after Jacques de Molay and the Templars he led were accused of and charged with practicing witchcraft and heresy. So great were these rumors that they spread like wildfire and came to affect not only Jacques de Molay but the very image of the Templars themselves. Some of these rumors are what led to the birth of this Hugues. Due to the fact that they are split off from the actual Hugues de Payens they are eligible for all the classes she is eligible for and some extra ones due to their altered mental state and some of the skills they have gained from myths and rumors. Interestingly, within the prototype timelines, this Alter Ego Hugues is the default/real one and is thus not eligible for the Alter Ego class in said timelines.

Alter Ego

This class is a natural fit for a being born from rumors that split off from the original Hugues de Payens. Their existence is a delicate one as they are constantly being pulled mentally in two separate directions. First, there is the side of Hugues and the Templars that was seen as noble, and heroic. Alongside that, there were even some myths that saw Hugues and their knights as holy or on the search for holy objects and relics. Some even believe that they found some of these objects. On the other hand, you have the corruption created by those who saw the very Templars and their entire order as corrupt and rotten with heresy and witchcraft. AERT is constantly being pulled towards either side. While they try to uphold and perform the values of their holy order the whispers of countless rumors and accusations constantly try to pull them towards being part of the corrupt order everyone “knows” they are. As if countless people want their suspicions and lies confirmed to be true. This has caused AERT to become more paranoid and to go even further to prove their devotion to God and his faith.

Saber

Many crusaders were well known for their zeal for God as well as the bravery and violence they would display in his name. As a Saber, this part is emphasized and Hugues is noticeably more aggressive and offensive in their close combat fighting style. This is reflected in how Hugues has the Valor skill in this form. This form of Hugues is affected by the more exaggerated and fantastical tales of the Templars than the Saber form of the other Shielder Hugues. In this form, AERT is also unaffected by the rumors that burden the Knights Templar. They also have a Noble Phantasm based on the flag of the Templars. There was a rule that stated no warriors of the Templars should ever surrender unless the Templar flag had fallen, and even then they were to try to regroup with another one of the Christian orders first, such as the Hospitallers. It was only after all the flags had fallen that they were allowed to leave the battlefield. As a Noble Phantasm, this flag makes Hugues and any Knights Templar within its range unable to die until the flag is either destroyed or falls, or until Hugues runs out of mana.

Rider

The crusades were massive war campaigns in the name of God and the holy land. This fact is epitomized when Hugues is summoned in this form. They specialize less in one on one combat and more on directing and summoning large armies.

Berserker

It is well known that the crusades were quite violent. Despite how many crusaders felt like they were fighting for a holy cause, it is unsurprising that during battle many of them would have been overtaken by anger or embraced rage. With some believing their anger to be the wrath of God or striving to be the embodiment of God's wrath on the battlefield. In this form Hugues has access to a version of the Noble Phantasm Deus Vult: The Rallying Dream of the Crusaders. But it acts slightly differently, as the Noble Phantasm will not end until all of their opponents have been killed and/or defeated or Hugues and their army dies.

Shielder

This Hugues’ shielder form is somewhat different from the female one. In this form AERT specializes in defensive formations meant to protect the holy land and its faithful pilgrims. Due to this AERT takes the form of a noble protector with abilities that allow them to protect holy sites, saints and people of the same faith. However, these same abilities damage and bring drawbacks upon those of different religions, demonic entities, or those who wield black/demonic magic.

Foreigner

In this form Hugues has succumbed to the corruption of rumors and has taken on a heretical form based on the lies told about the Knights Templar. Hugues has had their form twisted by this on top of becoming possessed by an outer god. In this form they wield powerful black magic and demonic magic. It is possible that Jacques de Molay(Foreigner) has something to do with this form’s existence. Meaning that there is a chance this form can only be summoned under specific circumstances or when Foreigner Jacques is present.

Ruler

In this form Hugues’ side that follows the way of god has won out, standing above all the rumors spread about their order. The legends of the Templar finding holy artifacts has also further amplified this form’s resistance to the corruption of rumors. They are saint-like and have no wish for the grail themselves(qualifying them for this class), only wishing to observe and protect the grail and fight in the name of God.

Avenger

In this form Hugues has succumbed to the corruption of rumors and has taken on a heretical form based on the lies told about the Knights Templar. Unlike their Foreigner form, however, they are not possessed by any outer god. So they seek vengeance on all those who falsely accused and besmirched the good name of the order of the Templars through any means necessary.

Other Versions- Shielder Hugues de Payens(Shielder Hugues de Payens Profile)

Parameters

Strength: A

Endurance: B+

Agility: D

Mana: B

Luck: C+-

NP: A+

Hugues’ luck stat is odd since it has both a + and a -. What this means is that AERT’s luck is unstable and has a chance of jumping up to an effectiveness greater than that of B rank or dropping in effectiveness to a point where it is less effective than a luck stat of D. They also appear to be slower than that of the real Hugues. Their Endurance has also slightly dropped due to not being in a more defensive shielder form.

Class Skills

Magic Resistance: B++

At B rank, it is a skill that cancels spells with a chant below three verses. Even if targeted by greater magecraft and Greater Rituals, it is difficult for the user to be affected.

In the case of AERT the skill increases in effectiveness when resisting holy and/or demonic magic and magecraft.

Riding: C

At C rank, it is a skill that allows one to flawlessly manage beasts and vehicles if they have received the proper training and adjustments. Most vehicles and animals can be handled with above average skill. However, the user cannot ride the likes of Phantasmal Species such as Monstrous Beasts.

In life Hugues could ride horses quite well which has translated to having this skill.

Madness Enhancement: E-

At E rank the user does not receive the benefits of Mad Enhancement nor do they lose any of their reasoning abilities, and overall they just become a little rougher.

This would be a much higher rank if AERT was summoned as a Berserker. At this rank it does also make Hugues slightly more focused on proving faith through combat and numbs their ability to feel pain to a degree.

Personal Skills

Defense of the Faithful: C

A skill that acts as a variation of the Self-Field Defense Class Skill of the Shielder Class. Like Self-Field Defense, it protects allies and allied territory, with the skill’s range increasing the higher the rank, but unlike Self-Field Defense it only works on those who the owner deems to be faithful or shares the same religious beliefs as them.

Given that Hugues de Payens was the first Grandmaster, their desire to protect their Order´s true purpose and those who devote their life for said Order manifested as a Defensive Barrier made to protect soldiers and pilgrims alike who are faithful and wish to journey to the Holy Land.

Charisma of the First Grandmaster: B+

A skill born out of the fact that Hugues de Payens was the first Grandmaster of the Templar Order, not only were they Cofounder of the Order alongside their friend Bernard of Clairvaux, but they were considered the most capable person of leading it, being capable of proving their prowess both as a spiritual and military Leader during the 20 years they served as the Order´s Leader. They are capable of inspiring almost anyone who has joined their order to follow them. It appears that in the case of AERT the skill’s effectiveness has dropped one rank. This is due to the influence of rumors making people less trusting of the Knights Templar order in general.

Vow to Renounce Temptation: C+-

A Skill born out the vow Hugues and the other original Templars took once the Order was first created, it's a decree that states that they will renounce the world and all of its temptation, material wealth, etc. in order to attain purity in the name of God, it's a skill that shows their devotion for their cause as a Templar, being ready to renounce anything in the name of the Lord almighty. For AERT it has been lowered a rank due to their Innocent Monster skill. Making it less effective as well as less stable and more prone to fluctuations in its effectiveness.

Latin Rule: A++

A special Skill that in truth is one of the Noble Phantasms Hugues de Payens has in possession, it's described as a code of honor that all Templars had to uphold which was written by both Bernard de Clairvaux and Hugues de Payens. It describes how the Knights should behave at all times both in and out of battle, stipulating the needed punishments to be taken if it wasn't fulfilled. Innocent Monster has caused this skill to drop one tank.

Golden Rule: C

A Skill that refers to the measurement of one's fortune to acquire wealth. With this skill money will seem to find its way towards a servant.

The Templars are notable for being prominent in the field of finance and Hugues helped establish the order as a financial institution. Like their institute, Hughes is proficient at handling money which has manifested as this skill. While this skill does not guarantee they will be rich it does prevent them from accidentally becoming broke or falling into debt.

Innocent Monster: C+-

An attribute possessed by Servants whose true history and existence have been distorted by the monstrous reputations and gossips they accrued across the course of their life and thereafter, without concern for the actual person's will or appearance. As a consequence, the Servant's abilities and appearance have been rendered to conform to the specifications of their legend. Incidentally, this Personal Skill cannot be removed. Hugues is constantly fighting off the mental effects of this skill with faith so it often drops in effectiveness. This skill has a chance of rising in potency if AERT is hit with a demonic or black magic attack and will decrease in potency if hit with a holy or divine attack.

This skill can potentially affect many of the Servants in the Knights Templar due to the rumors of heresy, demonic magic, and black magic surrounding Jacques de Molay and the Templars. Hugues considers it their burden and believes that it will be dispelled once they dispel all the rumors and lies told of their order. To them it is a reminder of the shortcomings of the order and proof that either their faith wasn’t strong enough or that they didn’t perform God's will enough. It appears that the effectiveness of this skill is also tied to Hugues’ master. If said master is one of faith or believes Hugues to be one then the skill is less effective. But if they practice heretical teachings or believe the rumors about the Templars then the effectiveness of the skill will be raised.

Noble Phantasms

Liber de Laude: Praise to the Righteous Templar- Rank A(Anti-Unit (Self)), Maximum Number of targets 1~20,000

Liber de Laude, also known Liber ad milites templi de laude novae militiae which roughly translates to “Book to the Knights of the Temple, in praise of the new knighthood” is a book attested to Hugues de Payens, written by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux which served to boost the morale of all of the Templar Knights due to its tone and timing. The book was something Hugues de Payens desired to write in order to maintain the hope, faith, and morale of their Templars, but due to unknown circumstances was unable to write it themselves, thus they asked for help from their friend Bernand to write it for them, even going as far as to have asked him 3 times to write such texts for their knights. Bernard mentions in the text that it was all the idea of Hugues themself, as the text both talked about how much knighthood had fallen since the Age of Knights and how the Templars, unlike other contemporary knights, remained just and righteous, with them being the last defenders of the God almighty´s teachings, equating their crusade as a righteous journey that they must go through to achieve salvation. Despite the worries the Templars of said time had on whether their cause remained just or not, Hugues and Bernand ensured to write something to keep their morale up in order to reach their ideal of salvation.

This Noble Phantasm works by essentially rallying up the forces under Hugues’ command, essentially boosting their morale to continue fighting no matter how dire or difficult the situation may be, convincing them that their fight is a righteous one worth fighting for. Once the Noble Phantasm is activated, it would be as if Hugues read the actual book in its entirety, pointing at the flaws their current enemies possess while highlighting and glorifying all the virtues their allies possess in order to boost them for battle, giving them the belief needed to surpass any enemy as they continue their righteous crusade. Liber de Laude is capable of boosting thousands of Allies at a time, being capable of letting them face enemies that are stronger than them, and even in theory being able to make simple soldiers into fighters strong enough to contend with E Rank Servants, showing the great power and motivation the text truly possesses. But it's far from an all powerful boost as despite being capable of giving a great boost to its allies, they need to truly believe that they are capable of that for the effects of Liber de Laude to take effect, meaning that an ally with great enough Mental Pollution or an enemy with great Resistance to Mental Attacks may not be affected as easily, and also… Just like their Order, it's not a permanent boost and eventually it will fade away.

“Knights are impure savages, driven only by lust and greed

Their path of Knighthood has been tainted, lost by the Evil of Men

But thy path is still Bright oh Brethren in arms, your righteousness can still be shown

Your fearless sacrifice in the name of the Lord won't be in vain, your Holy belief shall carry you onward. So raise up your arms for Battle! Dictate your wish to fight for what is right! Fight for proof of what you truly are! FACE ALL WHO TAINT YOUR HOLY CRUSADE, REACH UNTO THE GATES OF HEAVEN! LIBER DE LAUDE!”

“HEAR THY VOICE FELLOW TEMPLARS AND PREPARE FOR BATTLE!

IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO PROVE YOUR WORTH AS A KNIGHT!

SHOW YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS AGAINST THOSE WHO TAINT KNIGHTHOOD!

KEEP YOUR HEAD UPTIGHT AS YOUR CHARGE TOWARDS THE GATES OF HEAVEN

YOU ARE THE GUARDIANS OF THE LORD'S TEACHINGS, FIGHT TO PROVE OUR CAUSE!

LIBER DE LAUDE!”

“BURN ALL THOSE WHO DARE CALL US HERETIC!!! LET THEM HEAR OUT TENETS OF FAITH AND KNIGHTHOOD!!! LIBER DE LAUDE!!!”

Deus Vult: The Rallying Dream of the Crusaders- Rank A+(Anti-Army), Maximum Number of targets 1~1,000

This is the legendary chant used to signify the beginning of the crusade, once chanted by Pope Urban in order to trick those poor souls that would die for his ambitions now became a chant of honor and unity between all knights that made up the Templar, a single phrase “God

wills it” which became a symbol for this Holy Crusade… It’s the chant that

united so many people under one single goal. The Holy Crusades weren’t a single event that happened just once, it was a massive moment in Christian history as it saw the rise of various warriors of faith who gave their life to reclaim the Holy Land of Jerusalem as that was the promised land told by the Lord, in fact it wasn’t merely a single Crusade but various which were fought across years by different religious leaders with different amounts of success, an event that shook the Christian world by its sheer magnitude.

All of those who have led a crusade have access to this Noble Phantasm in one form or another. Despite theoretically having the same potential under all of its users, its effectiveness varies depending on how beloved they were as leaders or what crusade they led. So in truth, no two crusader kings would have the same usage of this Noble Phantasm.

Despite not being the leader of any particular crusade, Hugues de Payens is capable of calling forth for the aid of any Templar known throughout history, being able to summon any and all Templars known throughout history to aid them in battle… Summoning any future grandmaster of their order and every nameless soul who truly believed in the ideal that the Templars upheld… and in theory… they could even summon their old friend Bernard through this Noble Phantasm.

Once activated, Hugues will be able to manifest the world where their crusade took place, being able to summon all the different crusaders that fought at her side as Phantoms of humans who lost their name in history, while they lack any sort of skill and class the sheer

numbers that they possess makes them capable of overwhelming even the strongest of servants for a limited amount of time.

Of course, the crusaders summoned are just as strong as humans, so they aren’t hard to get rid of, but their conviction makes them continue fighting even at the brink of death, in some special cases it’s possible for a few to manifest as actual historical figures that have fought in the crusades, but they lack access to their skills and Noble Phantasms. But as expected, such a Noble Phantasm requires a great amount of mana to be used, and in most cases can only be used once per battle before Hugues is forced to squeeze their master out of all the magical energy they possess… Also, this Noble Phantasm, while strong against individual servants, is far from perfect as techniques which have massive areas of destruction, such as many anti-fortress and some anti-army Noble Phantasms, would be capable of wiping out the entire Crusade in mere seconds.

AERT’s version of this Noble Phantasm varies slightly from that of the actual Hugues as they are capable of summoning even fictional Templars as long as enough people believed them to have existed at some point. Furthermore, it gains an increase in effectiveness when it is used to attack someone/something with demonic magic/objects and those wielding holy objects. While the crusade stomps out anything it sees as heretical it is also enhanced by the legends of the Templars searching for and obtaining holy artifacts. If the Noble Phantasm is targeting someone with a demonic object the onslaught of the army will refuse to stop until every soldier has died or the demonic object has been destroyed. If Deus Vult is used to kill someone with a holy object or relic the Noble Phantasm will basically “steal” it. Allowing Hugues to use it as a Noble Phantasm of their own. If this holy object happens to be the Noble Phantasm of another servant it will transfer to AERT with no degradation in rank, effectiveness, or quality.

“IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO RAISE UP YOUR ARMS ONCE MORE!

WE FIGHT FOR GOD'S GLORY, WE FIGHT FOR SALVATION AND THE LIGHT OF TOMORROW! WE SHALL GRACE THE HEAVEN AND REACH OUR RIGHTEOUS PLACE

FOR THE GLORY OF GOD, TO HONOR KING SOLOMON, HEAR THY CALL OH HOLY TEMPLARS DEUS VULT!”

“Our crusade JUST, our faith PURE, or wrath HOLY. Now show all those non-believers just what I am referring to! DEUS VULT!!!”

“IF GOD WILLS IT THEN WHO AM I TO DENY IT!? DEUS VULT!!!”

“This will be a crusade to cleanse the land… DEUS VULT!!!”

Ignea Veritas et Fides: Burn Away the Heretic, the Liar, and the Non-Believer- Rank C(Anti-Unit), Maximum Number of targets 1~10

A manifestation of the more fanatical side of the crusades and the Templars to punish the non-believers and the heretics,

It takes the form of a cleansing flame that coats anything Hugues is holding that they recognize as a weapon. These flames will burn all those who do not believe in the Christian faith or those who practice heretical teachings, such as witchcraft or demonic magic. It is harmless to the likes of true saints or the faithful though. If the fire burns someone who is not on the level of a servant they will be burnt to ash in mere moments. Entities such as servants who are burnt by the flame will feel it and continue to do so until they become a believer of the Christian faith and renounce their heretical ways or until Hugues dies. This also applies to non-servants if they manage to survive through some outside aid or miracle.

This Noble Phantasm also works the same way against existences that are considered “unholy” such as zombies, vampires, and Dead Apostles.

Unfortunately, the partially corrupted state Hugues de Payens takes in their Alter Ego form means that they feel a burning sensation in the parts of their body that have been too corrupted as long as they are using this Noble Phantasm. AERT sees this pain as a test of faith though.

The Noble Phantasm also burns those who are actively lying. This also means Hugues themselves cannot tell a lie while using this ability lest they burst into flames. This Noble Phantasm burns a hotter blue if used within a church or anywhere sufficiently holy.

“As God wills, I will make sure you burn for your deeds! IGNEA VERITA ET FIDES!!!”

“Sinners like you must be punished. IGNEA VERITA ET FIDES!!!”

Secans Mendacium: The Blade of Burning Falsehood- Rank B-(Anti-Unit), Maximum Number of targets 1~10

All the rumors and assumptions people had towards the Knights Templar have coalesced into the physical form of a large strange living cursed sword composed of Phantoms, Wraiths, and rumors. Whenever Hugues wields this sword their Innocent Monster increases by one rank and their Vow to Renounce Temptation decreases by one rank. When used it also pushes them closer to a Templar that all the rumors and lies said the order was. The sword also seems to physically corrupt Hugues every time they unleash its True Name.

The sword constantly whispers to Hugues, beckoning them to worship demons and unleash its True Name. The sword also whispers to those near Hugues and attempts to corrupt those that touch it. So Hugues must remain vigilant and faithful. When the true name is unleashed the sword is bathed in a demonic hellflame that whispers lies and rumors as it burns. This flame is then unleashed in the form of a fiery slash at its target. Those who are hit by the flame will be inflicted with visions and whispers of all those who hate them and all the negative things that the world believes about them. If a servant doesn’t have a strong enough protection to mental attacks they can end up turning into an alter form of themselves if they fail a luck check.

Every time Hugues unleashes this sword’s true name the grip of rumors upon their form becomes stronger and stronger. If AERT uses this Noble Phantasm’s true name more than 6 times then they will be transformed into an alter and lose the “grace of god.” Becoming the heretical knight of witchcraft and demonic magics that many believed the Templars were.

Hugues’ left arm appears to be physically corrupted and weirdly thin and purple. When Hugues wields their Secans Mendacium Noble Phantasm that arm becomes unnaturally muscular. The corruption can be seen trying to spread throughout their body in a vein or root-like fashion. It appears to grow in strength and size whenever Hugues uses Secans Mendacium.

“Please God, have mercy on my soul. SECANS MENDACIUM!!!”

“I am sorry God. I can only ask for your forgiveness. SECANS MENDACIUM!!!”

“If that is what you think the Templars are then FINE. SO BE IT!!! SECANS MENDACIUM!!!”

“I’m sorry my lord God, but I need to win this fight. SECANS MENDACIUM!!!”

Miscellaneous Skills, Abilities, and Equipment

They are trained in the ways of the Church and are extremely proficient with using things like black keys and scriptures in combat. This gives them an edge when fighting the undead and/or unholy as well as other spirits.

They wield a sword that is smaller than their Noble Phantasm. They often use this as their main weapon instead of their Noble Phantasm due to said Noble Phantasm’s corruptive influence. They also wield a special flail for longer ranged combat. It can also physically hit and bind spirits.

The flail is a relic that has been blessed and is extremely effective against demonic and undead entities, such as Dead Apostles and vampires.

They also wield a large shield. There’s nothing particularly special about it except for the fact that it is blessed with special wards and tougher than any normal shield.

They always seem to smell of burning incense.

They seem to have some sort of odd connection with the proper Hugues and can sometimes recall events she experienced of people she has met.

Background

AERT’s true identity is that of Hugues de Payens, the co-founder and first Grand Master of the Order of the Templar Knights, the most famous order of Knights during the Holy Crusades. However, while this form of Hugues is real in the prototype universe in the normal timeline they are not the real Hugues(Shielder Hugues de Payens Profile). Instead they are an entity that split off from her in the form of an Alter Ego born from a mix of fact and the rumors/hearsay regarding the Knights of Templar. While some were good, many of the rumors that Hugues was born from regard how the last Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, apparently practiced witchcraft, black magic, and heresy. While this would normally only affect Jacques the rumors involved the very Templars themselves, causing its corruption to seep into many different forms of members of the Knights Templars.

AERT shares almost all of the same background as the figure they sprung from. Not much is known about Hugues de Payens' life as there isn't any account that serves as a Bibliography of their life. Most of their early years were surrounded in mystery, with historians barely getting somewhat of a time period where they were born given that in the year 1085–1090 Hugues was a witness to a donation by Count Hugh of Champagne in a document, at that point they must have been at least 16 years of age which at that time meant they was a legal adult in order to be a witness of such a document, meaning that they would have been born no later than the Year 1070. While there weren't many documents directly mentioning Hugues, the most famous attestment to their name came from the fact that they were the co-founder and subsequent first Grand Master of the Templar Order of Knights. It was said that Hugues de Payens went on a pilgrimage to the Land of Jerusalem alongside Hugh, Count of Champagne around the year 1104-1107 but while the count had then returned to France Hugues had stayed in the Holy Land as there were future documents that refer to them with the title of "Master of the Knights of the Temple", but the Templars themselves are said to have originated much earlier than that. The chronicler Simon de St. Bertin wrote that Hugues de Payens approached King Baldwin II of Jerusalem (whose reign began in 1118) alongside Bernard of Clairvaux and eight other knights, two of whom were brothers and all of whom were his relatives by either blood or marriage, in order to form the Order of the Knights Templar. The other knights were Godfrey de Saint-Omer, Payen de Montdidier, Archambaud de St. Amand, André de Montbard, Geoffrey Bison, and two men recorded only by the names of Rossal and Gondamer. Baldwin approved the foundation of the Order and entrusted the Temple of Jerusalem to its care. Count Hugh of Champagne himself joined the Knights Templar on his third visit to the Holy Land in 1125. As Grand Master, Hugues de Payens led the Order for almost twenty years until their death, helping to establish the Order's foundations as an important and influential military and financial institution. On his visit to England and Scotland in 1128, he raised men and money for the Order, and also founded their first House in London and another near Edinburgh at Balantrodoch, now known as Temple Midlothian. He also helped develop the famed Latin Rule which served as the first set of rules of conduct for the Order.

At some point Hugues encountered and fought one, and possibly more, of the Hassan-i-Sabbah during one of the crusades they took part in. They have only ever managed to get the Hassan to retreat and wounded one by cutting off one of their limbs. However, they have yet to kill a Hassan.

Some legends surrounding the Templars perpetuate the idea of the order having a mysterious nature. Claiming that the Knights Templar excavated a sacred treasure from the ruins of Solomon’s Temple. Which according to the rumors prompted them to go to Rome in 1127. However, there is little evidence backing up these claims.

Eventually, on an unknown date Hugues had died… the details regarding their death are scarce and no source seems to agree on the reason why they ended up perishing, and it seemed that with their death, the Templar Order began deteriorating more and more as it slowly began devolving from an Order created to uphold the ideal of holiness and righteousness set by God, to an organization built upon money and power… a true bastardization of what the Templars were created upon.

Appearance

Torn between traits of fact and fiction as well as holiness and corruption, AERT has the traits of both a man and a woman. They have both a beard and breasts. This occurrence can be likened to how Jacques de Molay is a man in his saber form and woman in her foreigner form. However, Hugues appears to be caught somewhere in between, most likely due to their existence sitting somewhere in between fact and fiction. While they share some traits with proper Hugues in physical appearance, such as height, they diverge in many ways that one might find unusual for an Alter-Ego. They have tan skin and black wavy hair and some of their hair seems to look orange like fire. Their nose appears to be permanently broken or bent out of shape from an injury they most likely sustained in life during one of their many battles.

They wear an outfit that one would expect of a Knights Templar crusader. Which is knight armor with a white surcoat with a red cross along with a white mantle that also had a red cross. The red cross was a very important symbol for the Templars and it also appeared on the robes of knights. Hugues will refuse to eat or drink unless they are wearing it. The red cross was also a symbol of martyrdom and to die in combat was considered a great honor and something that guarantees one will go to heaven. There was a rule that warriors of the Order should never surrender unless the Templar flag had fallen, and even then they should try to regroup with another one of the Christian orders, such as the Hospitallers, first if possible. Only after all ally flags had fallen were they allowed to leave the battlefield. Something that, along with their training, courage, and heavy armaments, made them one of the most feared combat forces in medieval times. AERT’s surcoat is also stained with blood and their sword, not the noble phantasm, has red rust on its blade. When this rust is wiped off or when the rust becomes wet the blade smells like blood.

Hugues’ armor is white with red highlights on it to represent blood and combat and, interestingly, parts of their white surcoat and mantle appear to be singed and a small flame forms upon its singed areas when Hugues becomes excited or begins to use one of their Noble Phantasms. Hugues’ eyes glow orange like small flames while they are wearing the helmet. The feet and gauntlets of their armor glow orange hot when they are angry. Their helmet’s left side is rusted and AERT wears a strange shoulder pauldron that is aflame when they are in combat or about to enter a battle. Apparently, this fire comes from Hugues burning incense while in combat.

Personality

While AERT does share many of the traits of proper Hugues, they’re much colder, paranoid, controlling, and untrusting than proper Hugues. They are still smart but not a genius, reliable but not all-knowing, and have given up any unnecessary material positions. They wish to uphold the legacy of their order. Some describe them as being like Shielder Hugues but without any of the warmth of an older sister figure.

This behavior stems from the downfall of the Knights Templar and the rumors spread about the order. AERT fears people spreading lies or misinformation and will punish anyone who does so. They wish to redeem the Templars and clear their name. They have very little tolerance for heresy and the practice of any sort of forbidden magic and are often quick to stomp it out. They tend to act cold and quiet towards those who are not Christians but are more open to those who are. Despite this they have taken a vow to never lie and can be brutally honest in their opinions and feelings towards others. They do this to remain transparent and help clear the name of the Templars. They can be quite an unruly and hard to control servant if one is not a believer in the faith they share. Still, they can be described as a bit of an idealist since they believe anyone can be saved if they have faith and, like proper Hugues, pushes themselves and others close to them to their limits to prove the might and worthiness of the Templar Knights, wanting to convince themselves that there is still hope for their fallen order. It also appears that they believe the Templars are not just a thing of the past and if it wasn’t for misinformation they may still persist to this day. Those who join the order are expected to give everything for it.

They have a disdain towards the undead, such as Dead Apostles and vampires, and will usually attempt to kill them on sight.

Hugues does not shy away from combat and actually hopes that if they die they will do so in combat because doing so would apparently guarantee them a place in heaven. They believe that their status as a servant is proof that while they did not go to hell God still demands more of them and that they have been returned to the land of the living to enact his will.

They are very stubborn due to their faith. They also do not care what pronouns they are referred to so long as they can perform the will of god.

Wish for the Grail

“My wish is to clear the name of my order. Not in the eyes of God for he knows their faith to be true. I wish to dismiss the lies of the fallible mortals who declared my order to be heretics and accused them of the very blasphemy we fought against. If I cannot obtain that wish then I will settle for burning all those who sullied our name. If I cannot find justice still then I will wish to reconquer the Holy Land of Jerusalem in the name of God so that all may see the faith and resolve of the Templars.”

Interactions

Hugues de Payens(Shielder)- “The real Hugues huh? Well, your faith is as expected, strong as steel. But sometimes it looks like you are getting soft. How can you expect to save the Order without stomping out lies wherever they begin to grow?”

Shielder Hugues de Payens Profile

Shielder Hugues is a fanservant created by @Omegazplayer on Twitter.

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux- “My righteous friend. With your faith and holiness, together we can save the Templars and clear the Order’s name for good.”

Saint Bernard is a fanservant created by @Omegazplayer on Twitter.

[LB] Pope Urban II- “People like you are the real heretics. One day I will make sure you burn.”

Caster [LB] Pope Urban II Profile

Pope Urban II is a fanservant created by @Omegazplayer on Twitter.

The Crusader- “Strange… I remember that I don’t remember you. But I also remember that your faith is true friend.”

The Crusader is a fanservant created by @Omegazplayer on Twitter.

Richard the Lionheart- “Your faith and strength are like a beacon of hope, and you wield the divine Excalibur with such skill. It is an honor to stand in the presence of a man like you.”

Jacques de Molay(Saber)- “You may have been too soft Jacques but you didn’t deserve your fate. I shall make sure every single person who condemned you to death and sullied the names of the Order shall feel the same burning pain you did.”

Jacques de Molay(Foreigner)- “…Disgusting. My cursed sword and arm writhe in response to your presence. Mark my words, the first chance I get I will burn you and every lie that led to your creation to cinders. I will remove taint like you from this earth and not even ash will remain.”

Ultra Adhemar Le Puy[If Deus Vult, Land of Hope and Deceit is completed]- “I know what you did in Jerusalem King Adhemar. If you really wish to repent and become that beacon of salvation then join me in holy battle in the name of God.”

Ruler of Surreal Awakening/Ultra Adhemar Profile

Ultra Adhemar is a fanservant created by @Omegazplayer on Twitter.

Claude des Armoises- “Lying to take the name of a holy saint? I’m not sure that can be overlooked in the eyes of God. If you cannot become a saint in your own right then you are but a liar at best and a heretic at worst”

Jeanne d’Arc(Ruler)- “Seldom have I seen the faith and holiness of such a saint. With your help and God’s grace, we cannot lose.”

Jeanne d’Arc(Alter)- “You spit on what the holy maiden stood for. Leave before I bring the righteous fury of God down upon thee.”

Pope Joannes [If Deus Vult, Land of Hope and Deceit is completed]- “I remember that you are a believer. That’s all I need to know. Simply say the word and I shall destroy God’s enemies for you and retake the holy land.”

Roland- “…Knights like you are why Bernard and I made the Liber de Laude in the first place. I will give you a copy, READ IT!!!”

Mash- “The knight who possesses you is righteous and faithful. If you're anything like him then your shield will not waver and we cannot fail.”

Queen of Sheba- “I humbly ask if you may shed some of the wisdom of Solomon upon me. Even a crumb of the king’s wisdom would be worth an entire army.”

King Hassan- “No, it is you who should bare thy neck! I would rather lose my own head before I even think about renouncing my faith.”

Hassan-i-Sabbah- “Your tactics are most dishonorable, and for what? A false god? There is only one true God and I serve him.”

Godfrey of Bouillon(Saber) [If Deus Vult, Land of Hope and Deceit is completed]- “Let us fight for our one true eternal and everlasting king, the Messiah, God himself. It is with his blessing that we will retake the Holy Land someday.” “You should never feel shame for fighting in the name of God almighty.”

Saber Godfrey of Bouillon Profile

Saber Godfrey of Bouillon is a fanservant created by @Omegazplayer on Twitter.

Peter Bartholomew(Faker)- “Ah… The spear, it’s just a fake. I see now…” “You spear may be fake but your faith is true. COME let us march to battle in the name of God.”

Faker Peter Bartholomew Profile

Faker Peter Bartholomew is a fanservant created by @Omegazplayer on Twitter.

Dialogue Examples

“HERESY!!! This will not stand!”

“No, no, NO. LIES, BLASPHEMOUS LIES. They aren’t true about the Templars now and they weren’t never true then.”

“Greetings master… Tell me, are you one of faith or one of heresy?”

“The path of righteousness is an arduous one, but one we shall take nevertheless!”

“Let's not waste a second to slack! Idle hands are the devil's workshop!”

“FOR THE GLORY OF OUR LORD! BROTHERS AND SISTERS, RAISE UP YOUR ARMS AND CHARGE TO VICTORY!”

“Our holy battle is for salvation and righteousness! We will never lose!”

“Oh Divine Lord who watches over us… I beg of thee, Grant us the path to victory!”

“Heavens bless our battle!”

“For the glory of our Order!”

“It is the will of God!”

“HEAR MY WORDS AND CHARGE INTO OUR GLORIOUS VICTORY!”

“As long as our flags stand God smiles upon us and hope is not lost!”

“May God have mercy on your souls.”

“Believers I can forgive for they are devoted and righteous, some non-believers I can tolerate for they are merely ignorant of the truth, but heretics and liars are something that I can never EVER allow to pass. They spit upon the good name of the Lord God. They must repent and if they cannot do so then they must die.”

Death Line(s)

“May God have mercy on me...”

“I am sorry God, I have failed you...”

“Has God found me unworthy…?”

“Has God turned his back on us…?”

Fun Facts

If they were in FGO they would be a 5-star.

If they were a Pokemon they would be a steel and fire type.

Their Magic the Gathering alignment would be Red-White and sometimes Red-White-Black when their corruption grows too strong.

If they were in the Epithet Erased universe their Epithet would be Crusade.

If they were in the Hunter X Hunter universe their Nen type would be Enhancement.

Their overall servant rank is around B+.

Their alter is similar to Jacques de Molay(Foreigner) in existence and function.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugues_de_Payens

https://web.archive.org/web/20170529095728/http://www.templiers.org/huguespayns-eng.php

https://www.geni.com/people/Sir-Hugh-de-Payns/6000000019302872420

http://www.timeref.com/library/medieval_knights_templar_timeline.htm

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Templars#ref883524

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templar

https://archive.org/details/crusadesstoryla01kinggoog/page/262/mode/2up?view=theater

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AkZKJOm-meehGOu7rP_6WINd1oojr06ZDhkGPpTUmGg/edit

https://www.outfit4events.com/eur/articles/interesting-facts-of-the-past/templars/#:~:text=They%20were%20equipped%20with%20a,black%20and%20white%20Templar%20Shield.

Gallery

#fate #fanservant #oc #fgo #typemoon

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