#UrTih

[doodlepoodle69]

I luv the dark crystal movie sm because I see SkekTek die and I’m super sad because I love SkekTek but then I immediately burst into laughter because UrTih just…spontaneously combusts 😭

[thebibliomancer]

Just thinking about UrTih minding his own business, doing alchemy, when his eye spontaneously explodes

And then he just continues on with his day because that’s life for the Mystics. Unpredictable sympathetic injuries whenever the Skeksis get worked up.

[gretchensinister]

An anon ask also included the word "greet."

Greet

(This is my first foray into what I have been calling the “SkekMal in the Valley AU.” In this AU, UrVa wakes up before SkekMal gets back to the Castle and immediately goes to jump off the cliff. However, in this AU, UrGoh sees him jump. Because of things that will be explored in the full fic (but that UrGoh is not immediately aware of) this leads to both UrVa and SkekMal somehow being transported to the Valley of the Mystics. Aughra finds out about this, is like “you guys need to DO SOMETHING about this maybe you should get the only other pair you know back here to help.” And so SkekGra and UrGoh end up coming back to the Valley.)

~*~

After all the time apart, after rejection, heartache, and tragedy, it all comes back so easily. UrGoh cannot smile yet, but he wishes he could. Fore hands on the sides of the face. His fingers recognize UrSol this way, even as he feels the added spirals and deeper lines. Hind hands on the sides of the neck. The first mystic’s hair other than UrVa’s he has touched in hundreds of trine, and this thought and the thought of UrVa pierce him like twin swords. Fore hands on shoulders. UrSol’s coat is different from the one he remembers. There were probably a few that became quilts between that one and this one. Fore hands and hind hands sliding down arms until all his hands grasp all of UrSol’s, who has mirrored his movements.

What has UrSol learned from their greeting? Nothing that makes him pull away. UrGoh feels curiosity stir under his grief as UrSol holds his hands as if he would be content to do so until the Crystal calls. Even so, UrSol still looks up and behind UrGoh for a moment before he says anything. And this—this does tug at the corners of UrGoh’s lips, though he’s not sure if they manage to lift, yet. Of course he’s there, UrSol. He’s always going to be there, now.

“You look well.” The Chanter’s beautiful voice, another sword. “Very well, indeed.” Another glance up and back. UrSol tilts his head, pauses. “We...I missed you. I only wish you could have returned under happier circumstances.”

“A longed-for greeting...adds at least some grain of happiness,” UrGoh says, and he speaks truth, but who better than he to know how many grains of sand there are in a desert?

UrSol nods. He has still not let go of UrGoh’s hands. “I had thought I would meet you further out. Aughra told us you would not be alone.”

Of course. The Standing Stones and the magical barrier UrTih had created to protect the Valley against skeksis. Now that UrGoh has done much magic himself, he better understands just how much had gone into taking the barrier down to allow SkekGra into the Valley that first time, how much work to put it back up that UrTih and the others had taken on themselves. He didn’t want to re-pick at the knot of wondering if anyone had really been willing to listen, back then, but some, at least, had wanted him in the Valley, even if he had a skeksis with him. The Valley’s love. UrGoh closes his eyes for a moment. That subject is far too complicated to touch right now.

“Was there not enough time to take down the barrier in advance?”

“The nature of the barrier has changed,” UrSol says. “Now, a certain small song serves as the key. You do not know it yet, and—and I hope it will be taught to you during your stay.”

UrGoh nods, even as he wonders if UrSol hesitates because teaching him the key must be a collective decision, or because he’s aware that teaching UrGoh the key is one of those many decisions made in the Valley that are not collective at all.

But then a perverse feeling of lightness flutters in his chest. It doesn’t matter, does it? He presses UrSol’s hands and meets his eyes with as serene an expression as he has ever managed. “I, too, hope I will be trusted with such a key,” he says. “But, I suppose...I should have had other questions about the barrier. As you say…you expected to find SkekGra and I farther out. So, that tells me...we already crossed the barrier without that song. I suppose UrTih will want to know about that...it is very curious.” He shrugs. “Perhaps it is simply that whatever the barrier is meant to keep out, SkekGra and I are not it.”

Another glance back at SkekGra from UrSol. If it wasn’t for the circumstances of their return, UrGoh suspects he would be laughing right now. Where is the barrier, anyway? He’s forgotten the boundary, and even if he could remember he probably wouldn’t have recognized it, since the vegetation in the area would have changed completely over hundreds of trine. He hadn’t felt anything, and SkekGra hadn’t said anything, which meant he hadn’t felt anything either.

“It’s a mystery I can’t speak on right now,” UrSol says. He still hasn’t removed his hands from UrGoh’s.

I’ve been missed, UrGoh thinks, and knows the weight of it will have to hit him soon. Despite everything, I’ve been missed. UrVa always told me I was, but it’s different knowing it with UrSol holding my hands with SkekGra standing close enough to touch either of us.

“Many dreadful events and mysteries have greatly troubled the Valley in the past few unum,” UrSol says, and UrGoh hears the sorrow and even fear in his voice. “Aughra convinced us to ask for your aid in the sake of only one, but I, at least, would welcome your words about the others, after you learn more of them. But for now, let me take you to UrIm, for he is most anxious to speak with you.” Now UrSol lets go of UrGoh’s hands, to turn and lead them into the heart of the Valley.

UrGoh’s own fear and hope bring a pointless question from his mouth. “It is as Aughra said, then?”

“Oh, yes,” UrSol says, looking back. This look, UrGoh thinks, finally encompasses him and SkekGra at the same time. “UrVa and...his other….They appeared just outside the barrier, in the sleep of deep injury. Arrows in the other, arrow wounds on UrVa. UrIm has not managed to wake them, yet. I do not think he, nor any of us, know what to do if they do. But they are alive, and UrIm does not think that they are dying.”

UrGoh leans heavily on his staff and looks up to SkekGra, his face unguarded. This is a mystery, a miracle, but his grief and horror at UrVa’s leap—even if it failed (Song of Thra, how could it have failed?)—do not dissipate. This great and inexplicable gift is assuredly also the first step of a puzzle more complex than the workings of Aughra’s orrery. SkekGra steps closer, puts his hand on UrGoh’s shoulder. And then, with hesitation that surprises UrGoh, he reaches forward, to rest his hand on the back of UrGoh’s neck, his claws tracing over UrGoh’s skin, combing through his hair. UrGoh closes his eyes and, yes, now he can smile, even if it is only a very little smile.

SkekGra lets out a breath like it’s one he’s been holding for days, and UrGoh wishes there were time now for him to comb his hair. It hasn’t stuck in his mind since UrVa vanished, and he never wanted to take it for granted. But they are now in a world that holds more than the two of them, and UrIm wants to see them as soon as he can. And in truth, UrGoh is anxious to see UrVa as well. Aughra has said, UrSol has said, and neither of them would lie, but UrGoh is a creature of hands and always has been. He wants not only to see UrVa but to touch him, to touch the wounds he helped dress and know that this is the same UrVa that UrGoh had been so sure had given himself over to death.

“Tomorrow,” UrGoh murmurs, gently taking SkekGra’s hand away from his hair.

SkekGra gives him a stricken look before nodding sharply and turning forward. UrGoh wonders at that, before he turns forward as well, and realizes that UrSol has seen that whole exchange between them. That must be why SkekGra hesitated. Perhaps it also explains why he has been so silent. This return to the Valley must be even stranger to him than to UrGoh, and he has no history to fall back on. SkekGra will not want to cause difficulties, but it’s not clear to anyone how a skeksis should act in the Valley. They didn’t even discuss it on the way, Aughra’s news and travel by crystal skimmer leaving no room in UrGoh’s mind for anything else.

They will have to talk about it later. This evening, in UrGoh’s cell. He does not intend to expend much effort being discreet in regard to SkekGra and their relationship; he is too sure of its goodness. So for now, let UrSol see what he would and think what he would. Now they must attend to matters far more rightly the focus of worry in the Valley.

[let-us-cultivate-our-garden]

I don't know if you have answered this question already, but who is your favourite skeksis and why?

Ooooh, this is my first Dark Crystal ask! Honestly, I am really bad at picking just one favorite, all of the skeksis are delightfully twisted, bombastic, and uniquely homicidal! 😇

The most iconic of course is skekSil the Chamberlain, from his simpering Hhhhmmmm, to the fact that his silver tongue drives the whole plot in the movie and the tv series, the guy goes from sissy coward to being genuinely terrifying in a matter of seconds (see his torture of Rian).

I also love his mystic counterpart, urSol, because we know so little about him; only that his voice can shake the very stones of Thra and can apparently stop waterfalls. In secondary sources, he is described as being "impatient by urRu standards and a rogue." Plus, he's the Chamberlain's counterpart, he's got to have an interesting personality!

Next is skekTek the Scientist, who started off as one of the most sympathetic of the skeksis only to turn into a literal mad scientist who is one of the more sadistic. He experiments on himself FOR SCIENCE! He used to be somewhat normal, he even had a pet that he cared for. Too bad he went insane. Pray for urTih, who has to accept the fact that his counterpart is habitually losing body parts.

Now, you may be wondering are all the skeksis evil? The answer is no. Skekis and Mystics are not split into the good half and evil half, it's more complicated than that. It's more like the UrSkeks were split into their more proactive/impulsive half and their more spiritual half and both end up the worse for it.

The skeksis/urRu who realize this the most are skekGra and urGoh, who help the Gelfling fight back against the reigning skeksis and seek to merge back into one being. SkekGra started off as a conquering war lord only to see the light and atone for his crimes by turning against his kind. He's still impatient and rude, especially toward his slower mystic half, but can you really blame him? UrGoh, we love you, but you gotta pick up the pace.

Last but certainly not least, is skekSa the Mariner; do you like big beefy women? Do you like pirates? Fluffy lizards? Morally nuanced tragic villains? This is the skeksis for you. Unlike the other skeksis, skekSa actually likes the Gelfling and is rather protective of them. She still has a patronizing attitude toward them and expects her clan to obey her but that's rather typical of the skeksis. Also, despite being a pirate captain commanding a literal living ship, she still needs the Gelfing and her mystic counterpart's help when navigating the seas.

So those are my favorite skeksis, as you can see, I tend to gravitate toward the more layered characters but they're all great to be honest.

[ladystormcrow]

💬!

Aw! <3 For you, I'll include two quotes.

First is a line from Chapter 7 of my Dark Crystal fic Katabasis:

' The once-Alchemist turned his head slightly, looking at Jen with his good eye. The Gelfling stared at the glass one, and the wooden arm and leg that were still part of urTih’s shade. As a child, Jen had once asked him who hurt him so badly, and he still remembered the Mystic’s sorrowful answer: “Someone who did not love himself.” ' And second is from my Phantom fic Imprints In Time (which I still appreciate you beta-ing!):

' “I’ve killed a great many people in the years we’ve been apart, Antoinette. This one is nothing special.” For all the emotion he showed, he might as well have been speaking of tossing a dead mouse from a trap. '

[prolix-principality]

"We Desperately Tried to Convince the Rest..." - SunderedAndUndone

This is so well-written and beautiful; every character feels like a distinct person with their own complicated inner worlds and conflicts.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22798609/

Age of Resistance: skekGra, urGoh, urSu, urTih, urMa, urIm, urAmaj, misc characters 10 chapters; 60,474 words. ~ In which UrGoh the Wanderer brings entirely the wrong company home for dinner, and Mystics remember what not being calm feels like. ~ Warning: food (some trouble with/choking), smoking/drugs, kidnapping/threats, dreams (dream violence/various horrors/trauma/gruesome injury), discussed canon-typical insects/violence/slavery, (past) death/loss, serious discussion of suicide/ideation, brief thoughts on reproduction ~ Additional illustrations available https://archiveofourown.org/works/22429780

[tdc-incorrect-quotes]

Incorrect Quote Collection, Urru Addition

[skeksismars]

My favourite urRu and why:

1- urSol - he is canonically the most active of the original 10 urRu (see the comic when they get yeeted out of the Crystal) and he is so caring with baby Jen! That scene in the novel when he sings with Jen keeping him close to his face in his hand!!! Oh and that business with the Darkheart??? Imo one of the best characterized of the urRu :)

2- urLii - he's just like me fr. Hermit dude that likes collecting useless things and has a petty side? Nothing like me noooo nono

3- urSu - best dad, poor decisional skills; leaving Thra led only to the Skeksis abusing power, not your best decision there urSu! But he was such a good dad to Jen! I loved all their scenes in the novel, I'm soft <3

4- urTih - my poor boy Q_Q he had such a tough life Q_Q. I can only imagine his pain and shock when his eye got eaten out and one day his arm and leg fell off. And how does the business with the vein replacement even work?? Bad, skekTek, BAD!!!! He's this low only because we haven't seen much of him

5- urGoh - look, he IS best boy, inarguably, but I just like other mystics over him, same with urVa. I actually like urGoh mostly because of his interactions with skekGra than he himself sorry :p

[theta-donaldson]

Create for Thra - Day Five: What Was Sundered and Undone - The Division of the UrSkeks.

[goldleaf-art]

If you’re not the saddest urRu in existence are you even urTih

[kiwi-strawberry-banana]

And fire fire

Has killed his desire

To not be cold

As he expires

[blueberryblowfly]

potions

[thebibliomancer]

Flames of the Dark Crystal liveblog pt 5

Flames of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee because they escaped Vassa, what now?

Last times in book: Naia and Gurjin tried to rescue their friends from the clutches of skekSa the Mariner and skekZok the Ritual-Master aboard skekSa’s turtleship Vassa. The rescue goes... bad? And Naia gets her head smashed in by skekZok. At skekSa’s urging, Gurjin manages to take Naia’s healing powers and save her from death. Naia accidentally dreamfasts with Vassa, as she has been known to do, and convinces the giant turtle to resist skekSa and let the Gelfling go. It worked and as the Gelfing escaped on the good ship Onica’s Ship, urSan the Swimmer joined them.

Chapter 5

Naia wakes in the Valley of the Mystics where there’s a lot of Mystics.

Memories flowed like a river from the furthest reaches of her mind. Originating deep in the Swamp of Sog, where she’d been born in the heartwood of Great Smerth. One of two, her mother and father had told her. Destined to follow in Maudra Laesid’s footsteps as maudra of the proud Drenchen clan, while her twin brother would leave the swamp to serve the Skeksis at the Castle of the Crystal. She would learn to heal while he learned to protect with a sword. And she would stay in Sog, while he would leave, to join the other Gelfling on the outside in the great world beyond the swamp.

That had been her dream for so long. To go on an adventure. To see the world and find her place within it. She’d finally been able to pursue that dream. Set a course for it and chase it down, like a star twinkling on the far horizon.

Naia has been on this very important journey for a while so its easy to forget she started off as a fantasy princess Wanting Something More.

Anyway, she’s out of it for a while. She remembers having her head bashed in by the Ritual Master and either hears or remembers Gurjin saying something cryptic about it not being the right time.

When she finally comes to her senses, its twelve days later. Gurjin has been trying to heal her since they arrived wherever they are, with the instruction of urTih the Alchemist.

Naia still doesn’t know how to feel about that whole situation with him taking her healing powers but since its the reason she’s even alive, she doesn’t dwell.

Amri is sitting beside Naia when she wakes up (and in fact, she realizes that she’s been out a while based on how long his hair has gotten) and they get into a little argument about who is getting who hurt. Amri clearly has some emotions about Naia getting hurt saving him and he’s not great at conveying it.

The argument brings Kylan and Gurjin who are so very relieved that she’s woken up. Gurjin hugs her and reveals how they got wherever they are from where they were, the ocean.

And the answer is that urSan the Swimmer just had them dock at Ha’rar, put them all on a raft, and then towed the raft upriver. urSan urStrong.  Although she argues that its more that the river isn’t that swift but still. Strong.

Also, there’s a description of urSan’s robes and its a real nice touch.

Her robes were silver and blue and green - hues of the Silver Sea - strung here and there with obsidian cord that shimmered like the Black River.

Its a good touch that she’s decorated her robes like the waters she swims so often. Or perhaps urUtt decorated them.

Naia also notices that urSan is missing the hand corresponding to the one skekSa lost fighting the Gelfling.

That’s another thing Naia just has to try not to let bother her.

Naia asks where here even is and because she’s an urRu, urSan doesn’t just answer. Because urRu never answer questions.

urSan moved closer to Naia, lifting her locs and smoothing her forehead where her wound had been with a gentle, strong hand. Then she stepped back, out of the way so there was nothing between Naia and the doorway.

“See for yourself,” she said.

The cave was one of dozens clustered throughout a walkway that curved along a spiral-shaped canyon. The morning was cool in the bottom of the valley, with dew glistening, and the air was sweet with incense and wildflowers. The way the morning sun caught the dust reminded Naia of being below water, surrounded by rippling golden shafts and curtains of light. Punctuating the gentle valley were towers of stacked stones, conjoined into pillars by time and the elements. The boulders and monuments were of every size, some coming up only to Naia’s knee, while others towered high overhead. Some were covered with cloth, intricately embroidered and sewn, others painted and engraved with more symbols of time and space.

‘Cool but I still don’t know where I am’ is a thing Naia could have said.

Naia sees one of those crystal veins within the rocks, a healthy one, and comments that there are places still unaffected by the Darkening.

Gurjin mutters “seems that way” and seems bothered.

There’s been something up with Gurjin this whole book, something he’s not telling Naia. Something about his momdra so I don’t know if this crystal thing is involved in that earlier thing.

Gurjin then changes the subject, saying that Amri has started calling this place the Mystic Valley.

Because its a valley. And its full of Mystics.

Who Naia suddenly notices. They just tend to blend in with the rocks.

One Naia recognizes as urLii the Storyteller. And he’s supposed to be in the Grottan Sanctuary, keeping skekLi stuck on a rock.

Turns out that the Emperor noticed skekLi’s absence and sent reinforcements to the Caves of Grot to rescue him.

Now Naia has yet another thing that she has to not dwell on. Because she’s kicking herself at the missed opportunity. They had one of the Skeksis out of action but now he’s back in the mix. Maybe the Gelfling should have killed skekLi.

(Although, funnily enough, according to the new Dark Crystal adventure game, skekLi just threw up his hands and retired into spiteful neutrality after being saved. Sparing him was the best, funniest, moral choice.)

As far as urLii knows, Maudra Argot managed to flee with the Grottan during the Emperor Strikes Back.

Naia tried to hold on to hope. Because of their travels to Grot, they’d found the Sanctuary Tree. They’d been able to send Kylan’s message dream-stitched among its pink petals. And of course, if they hadn’t gone to Grot, she wouldn’t have met Amri.

She reached out and caught his hand, squeezing.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

He pulled away and pushed his hands into his cloak. “Me too. We just have to believe in Maudra Argot. She didn’t get to be the oldest living maudra for nothing... she’ll figure something out.”

Okay, cool. Amri is acting weird too.

I bet he’s freaked out over Naia getting hurt saving him.

Talk about your feelings, dude.

Anyway, Kylan introduces Naia to urZah the Ritual Guardian and urTih the Alchemist.

urZah tells Naia, with eyes that seem to be looking past Naia, that Master urSu wanted to speak with her and Gurjin when she woke up.

The Mystic Master. Naia hadn’t known such a creature had even existed until that moment, but when urZah spoke his title, she knew there was no one else she wanted to meet more.

Hey. Same.

I want to see urSu in his prime. Pre-single dad urSu. Before he got his dad bod, I assume.

“Follow the ravine until you see a spiral stair overgrown with medicine moss. But you should be forewarned,” urSan began. “Here in the valley, a friend of yours has been recovering from a grave injury. We did not reveal his presence until now because we feared it might upset you. He is not well, and there is nothing you can do. But the Master is tending him, so when you go to see the Master, you will also see your friend.”

Naia was already on her feet.

“A friend? Who?”

“It is urVa,” urSan said. “urVa the Archer.”

Who has hurt the poor arrow giant??

[holic-user]

Dark Crystal Exhibit pics - c. 1982/83

Comment attached: "I took these photos at an exhibit for The Dark Crystal, the great Jim Henson puppet film, at the Astoria Motion Picture Studios in 1982 or '83."

[phantasepsilon]

“How urTih the alchemist lost his arm”

[chaifootsteps]

Hear me out: UrTih meeting SkekTek and Tek being so nervous cause he knows that every time he was hurt by the other Skeksis, that Tih felt just as much pain, and he fully expects him to be mad for putting him through all that pain. But instead, UrTih is not only understanding, but is more concerned for SkekTek, because as much physical pain as Tih had to deal with, he can't even imagine the amount of emotional pain Tek went through when having his own kind turn against him and bully him for virtually no reason.

My heart.

As awful as Tek can be, urTih's of the opinion that no one deserves that. He's in a better position than anyone else in the universe to understand why Tek did the things he did, and Tek knows this, and they just end up holding each other for a really long time.