#aasoaf lore Tumblr posts

[writernopal]

Okay let's try this...

If I woke up in the world of your WIP tomorrow, what is one unmissable thing that I'd have to see/experience/try and what is another that I should avoid at all costs? These things can be food and drink, sights, culture, festivals, anything!! You can put it in the comments or reblogs of this post, anything goes! I'll start ♥️

If you were to wake up in Oepus, you would have to experience the subterranean amethyst hot springs on the mystical isle of Luna Sang. The springs are said to have healing properties and the amethyst that grows on the ceilings of the cave is said to be as old as Oepus itself! They glow a gentle purple light making the springs appear dreamlike.

There are many things to avoid in Oepus, however, if you get ANY sort of invitation from an elf (dinner party, wedding, anniversary celebration, ANYTHING), run. That's code for that elf wanting to lure you into their forests with murderous intent. Even if you manage to survive the living forest's onslaught, you won't survive the attacking elves that follow.

[outpost51]

The 51 Post

This week sucked a whole lot actually (I started this draft on Tuesday, and I haven't touched it until 5pm Sunday) but I read a lot of pretty good shit so I think it balances.

Contents:

Things You Might Have Missed

This Week's Jams

WIP Breakdowns

From the Skwad

Around the 'Blr

Things You Might Have Missed

get on my taglists for WIP updates, 51 post, tag games, and ask events!

BRHP: Chapter 15 posted; Talus is having a Bad Time.

I stabbed Adrien real good

BRHP: Chapter 16 posted; baby's first fight pit, and a family secret is revealed.

Not new, but I dug up Adrift and The Sky, The Stars, and Me so enjoy the spooky space shorts.

See more entries for SSSC 006 below, mine is here: i'll take everything.

Growing Pains: the 6th entry into the Lighthouse in the Fog shorts; our new Keeper is definitely adjusting so well to her new life.

I'm starting to release chapters of Unlikely Adventures on tumblr now!

This Week's Jams

stargazing || power-haus, solarays [spotify/youtube]

up down || boy epic [spotify/youtube]

gasoline || chymes [spotify/youtube]

dangerous || new medicine [spotify/youtube]

she went that way || missy [spotify/youtube]

illuminated || hurts [spotify/youtube]

WIP Breakdowns

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

HI YOU GET TO MEET KADMOS IN CHAPTER 17 AND [SPOILERS] IN CHAPTER 18 I'M REALLY EXCITED

Unlikely Adventures of Bitchface and Go F*ck Yourself

zadimus needs to stop it. that is all

Blinding Neon, Shades of Grey

you know what's fun to write? drug/dream sequences. you know what's even more fun? writing one for a detective in a flashy nightclub with murder on her mind

Stellar Parallax

saren is about to go do a Very Kill and jaen is So Excited About It. also wrex. but mostly violence

Lighthouse in the Fog

7th short will be coming out some time tonight, @thetrashbagswasteland picked some yummy prompt words

In the Works

y'all 🥺💕 thank you i needed a bunch of open-ended prompts to get the brain noodles out so i can hopefully not burn out on the main wips. i've still got the same backlog otherwise lmao

From the Skwad

IMPORTANT @fenrir-kin fell prey to the hellsite shenaniganuke, and is currently @vikingfenharel until it (hopefully) gets sorted.

Surprise Challenge 006 wrapped up with (mine's above): Just Take My Hand by @sparatus, Expanding the Vocabulary by @teamdilf, and The Storm Between Us by @thetrashbagswasteland

@equusgirl is going bananas with Sapphic Summer: i know with me, you'll get a little bit addicted, One Night, and will my hands ever be clean?

@sparatus also dropped chapter 1 & chapter 2 of Make Less the Depth of Grief and were it not for the laws of this land, i would have strangled him (affectionate) but also this tasty oneshot of Nautilea being so hot

@teamdilf HOW. New chapter of Alice's Adventures in Andromeda, another chapter of The In-Laws and the Grandparents, and another chapter in A Man of Many Talents. I'm calling witchcraft

@asher-orion-writes gave us this lovely oneshot set in Cardinal Sins and I'm??? yes

@princess-prawn dropped a new chapter of Next of Kin YESSS

@regalbois is writing his mlm war stories again and i'm vibrating please go read The Earth Abides

@commander-krios wrote more Dash/Leo (thank u for my life) and New Beginnings (thank u for TWO life wow)

Around the 'Blr

Art Claims are still going on for WIP Big Bang!!

@writernopal dropped character profiles for Magdalene and Sartor so this is your hint to get on the taglist for AASOAF 3

@tabswrites posted chapter 3 of Silver Sentinels and gave me life thank you, more please

@vacantgodling wrote this short for Lukewarm Rejection and we have no choice but to stan Trisha

@liv-is blessed writeblr with this snippet from Demigods i am eating it up

@void-botanist gave us this short for Another Ocean's Moon with LORE hidden in the tags hello

have you SEEN The Poster by @artdecosupernova-writing omg

@elshells dropped chapter 12 of Agent Ace YES congrats on the timeline choreography, bud!

wake up babes new Nameless Song short just dropped from @blind-the-winds

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

Outpost Updates Taglist: @tabswrites @writernopal @freedominique @asher-orion-writes @liv-is @starknstarwars @captain-kraken

Ask to +/- in the tags, replies, DMs, or HERE!

[illjustpretend]

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

Me and @writernopal printed some physical copies of her two novels (plus bonus material for book 2) to celebrate the release of AASOAF 2: The Swallow and The Drowned Sailor! It's free to read and available right now HERE!

Please check out the release post for links to AASOAF 2, the companion material (full of over 50 pages of lore, art, and even recipes!), PLUS a mini gallery with some beautiful commissioned art pieces for your viewing pleasure!

LASTLY here is a link to her intro post where you can find all these links and more! PLEASE check her out, she's my favorite writer! 💖

[writernopal]

☀ Tierra Madre 🌕

Young master, you must rest.

Just one more story, please? The child whined. I want to hear the one about the sun and the moon again!

They sighed. Very well. Once more, and then you must rest, young master. There is much to do tomorrow.

I know! I know!

The child climbed into their lap as they laughed. Their four arms cradled the boy in a gentle embrace as he settled in with a beaming smile on his face.

Now then, there are many legends about the sun and the moon; some say they are lovers, some say they are brother and sister, and some even say they are the eyes of a giant, watching as the many worlds turn gently among the stars, but none of these are true.

The sun and the moon are son and mother. It is why even during the day, her faint shape can be seen in the sky. She watches over her child, and when he grows tired, she blankets the heavens with her arms and clutches him close so he may rest. That is why the moon shines.

Doesn’t she get tired too? The boy asked. Who holds her when she is sleepy?

They flinched. You have never asked that before, young master.

Well, she needs to rest too, right?

No, young master, the moon never rests. She is always there…

She must be very tired then. The boy mused.

Yes… I’m certain she is.

In the silence that followed, the two raised their heads toward the darkened skies. Stars and faraway worlds twinkling and shimmering as far as the eye could see. Perhaps beyond. Evocative, yet empty. Yearning for the majesty of her presence.

Do you think she’s lonely?

No. How could she be? With all of those stars about her... They placed their chin atop the boy’s head—a vain effort to keep their tears from falling. They gathered the child’s small hands into their ancient ones. You should take care not to be so transparent, young master.

Why?

Because this is a dangerous place.

But I am The Sun! The boy declared proudly. No one can hurt me!

Temperance, young master. They responded with some difficulty as they gave the boy’s hands a protective squeeze. Would that he could understand things were not so simple.

Temperance?

Yes. Someday soon you shall understand what that means. Now, that is enough about stories. To bed.

The boy grumbled and complained but did as he was bid and drifted off to sleep. His apparent peace widened the pit of sorrow in the four-armed one’s stomach. And guilt, with its creeping and forceful hands, brought them into submission once and for all as their head lowered and their eyes closed.

Forgive me, Your Majesty. Not just for returning to this place but for the treason I am about to commit. But I cannot sit idly by as The Night draws near...

The memories of one older than time itself.

Monologue 1 here.

Monologue 2 here.

Monologue 3 here.

Art by https://ko-fi.com/patsux (left) and https://selann.carrd.co/ (right)

See the WIP Intro here!

AASOAF 3 Taglist: @outpost51 @thelivingdeceased @faelanvance @captain-kraken @illjustpretend @elshells

Ask to +/- in the tags, replies, inbox, or DMs!

[writernopal]

its implied that ikismoyi majeva means 'always' when referenced in Man O' War but its one of those phrases that doesn't have a direct translation and more means, "from now until water no longer flows"

this ties in to the word ikismal--the name of the Lizardfolk rite of passage ceremony--which roughly means "from now i am born"

[writernopal]

Happy WBW! After waking up from a VERY vivid dream... do dreams in your world have meaning?

Happy belated WBW, Tori!

Yes 🧍

Dreams are a huge component of AASOAF and in particular, Axtapor's clan, Clan Oxlo. They belong to the House of Dreams from the Holtep Empire so. Yeah. Safe to say dreams are very important and pivotal to the story as a whole. And their meanings are more than just meanings, they're considered to be the Truth.

[writernopal]

Happy WBW, Nopal!

In the world of your WIP, is there a main pantheon of deities/gods that is worshipped? Are they actual celestial beings that exist or are they figments of the people's imagination? If they exist, do they have anything to do with the magic that exists in that world?

Happy overdue WBW, Mystic!

In the world of your WIP, is there a main pantheon of deities/gods that is worshipped?

There is! The main four are Orran, Kava, Ivien, Dorma, Rameses and Shanta. They are the gods of Humans, Lizardfolk, Elves, Dwarves, Wind and Strength, and Love and Life, respectively. However there are plenty of other gods, usually called Old Gods that people all over Oepus worship. A few examples are Yvedraniel and Ishva.

Are they actual celestial beings that exist or are they figments of the people's imagination?

They are very real!

If they exist, do they have anything to do with the magic that exists in that world?

They absolutely do! However, not all of the magic in the world comes from them. A lot of it also originates from other supernatural beings called Matrons and Patrons. These beings are more powerful than even the gods themselves.

[writernopal]

🌄⭐Star Lake⭐🌄

A look inside Axtapor & Mariel's Scrapbook that released with "As A Stranger Or A Friend?: The Swallow And The Drowned Sailor"!

This set of pages contains lore on the cursed isle of Star Lake and was by FAR my favorite set of lore pages to create because there is just so much to chew on here! A lot of it is really central to what happens in AASOAF 3, so I think that's also part of why I really liked putting it together. A little preview/setting the stage for what is to come! This map, like the one I posted of The Holtep Empire here, was made by yours truly!

Credits Authored By: N. Opal Map By: N. Opal Illustrated and Designed By: @illjustpretend

Access it here (my website link). Note, contains spoilers for AASOAF 2.

[writernopal]

Happy WBW! What kind of things do people do for entertainment? :D

Kraken!! Happy WBW!

Oh man, the peoples of Oepus know how to have a good time! They do all sorts of things, but here is a list to make it a little easier to read.

Visit an alehouse, smoking den, and in some areas, wineries

Go dancing at taverns and inns (there is a whole underground scene that a certain minor but not so minor character in AASOAF 1 is privy to!)

Go out to eat at a nice restaurant or go for a cozy meal at a local mom-and-pop type place (note, if you go to a fancy restaurant, don't take Axtapor with you, he might disembowel the waiter)

Go see a play, opera, or other stage-type production. This includes the circus and puppet shows! (take Mariel for this one, she's never been to play before, but she's always wanted to go 🥺)

Participate in the many festivals celebrated all around Oepus (the biggest is Solas Week, a celebration of bonds between all people)

Go on hikes, camping, and hunting (definitely take Axtapor along for this one!)

Go swimming in rivers, lakes, streams, and oceans (avoid the lakes that you might find in the Holtep Empire, they'll burn you alive)

Visit libraries, curiosity shops, and even fortune tellers! (Wilkes is your man for this one, he knows where to find the rarest and most coveted books!)

And if you prefer something a little less surface level, there are brothels, fighting dens and pits, illegal chariot racing (chariots are considered weapons of war, hence illegal for civilian use), and bloodsport of other kinds (Fay is your best guide here, but be sure to hold on to your stomach!)

[writernopal]

🔮🌅The Mirage🌅🔮

A look inside Axtapor & Mariel's Scrapbook that released with "As A Stranger Or A Friend?: The Swallow And The Drowned Sailor" last month! (I can't believe it's been that long already😱)

This set of pages contains lore on The Mirage, vessel of the infamous Captain Fay Anara, written from a speculative scholar's point of view. Many of the lore pages inside the scrapbook were designed to appear as if they'd been torn out of informational volumes by Axtapor throughout the events of AASOAF 2 and placed in his notebook for safekeeping. And yes, you read that right, the in-world story is that Axtapor's notebook has been repurposed as his and Mariel's scrapbook! The cover of it actually features the coat of arms of Clan Oxlo 👀

Credits Authored By: N. Opal Illustrated and Designed By: @illjustpretend

Access it here (my website link). Note, contains spoilers for AASOAF 2.

[writernopal]

Trick or Treat? 🦇

A treat 🍬 for you Nerissa!

The Land Over Heaven, Oepus's sister planet, has no oceans. It's not ever really a solid land mass either. It is more of a series of land masses with creeping plants growing on them that link them together. These plants are air types that need little to no water to grow and actually glow in the dark! This means that from a celestial perspective, the two planets take turns shining in the day and night cycles, Oepus in the day because of its oceans, and The Land Over Heaven at night because of its plants. On a more planetary level that means that each one could be seen from the surface of the other but they say The Land Over Heaven hasn't been visible from anywhere in millions of years...

[writernopal]

Happy Muse Monday! This one's for Axtapor and/or Fay: would you ever consider serving on a spaceship? Why or why not?

~ @void-botanist

(you can take "spaceship" to be as futuristic as you want. the main point is that it's different from a sea ship)

(I'll answer this as Fay and for the sake of the question we'll pretend she knows what a spaceship is bc thats more fun haha)

Serving? Do you know who I am? I don't serve anybody. Pity the captain of any flying tub who thinks they can control me.

These spaceships of yours. They're interesting. I can't say I haven't wondered about the heavens. Any sailor worth their salt watches them, you'd never go anywhere otherwise and it would be idiotic to think they were created for navigation. But to go there? Hmm...

They tell stories, whoever they are, that dragons and faefolk come from the heavens. If that's true, then you'd come across either one eventually. And you'd have nowhere to hide. Normally, I'd like the sound of that. But you don't get to live and die then live again like me without weighing your odds.

So, ask me again when you've got a spaceship and I've killed a dragon and faefolk each.

[writernopal]

Happy WBW! 💜💌 What does the ideal (or stereotypical, or both if they're different) marriage/partnership look like in any of the cultures present in the world of your WIP? Is it about a powerful union of equals? Is it about chemistry and happiness? Is the end goal to produce kids? How does gender impact this, if at all? etc.! :) - @liv-is

Happy WBW, Liv!

Oooo this is a fun one! I'll do this as a list and talk briefly about each one! However, you did unlock an infodump about Elves so stay tuned for that LOL.

Humans

Similar to us IRL, people marry if they want to; they don't if they don't. Same-sex marriage is legal, and humans generally don't take an issue with it. Nobles will marry for the usual reasons nobles will marry to consolidate power and to continue bloodlines. There is the expectation that women will take the last name of the man in hetero marriages. In same-sex marriages, they kind of do whatever they want! They can also choose whether or not to have children depending on their situation.

Lizardfolk

All business and no play. Arranged marriages are commonplace, and same-sex marriage is absolutely not allowed. These marriages are solely had for the consolidation of power and continuation of bloodlines at every social stratum, so typically first cousins are considered the ideal match. Women must have children as many as her husband likes, no ifs ands or buts about it. Men may have multiple wives if they earn the right to them (usually as a prize in a tourney of some kind or by doing something impressive, a la being a war hero etc), but women may only marry one man at a time. She can choose to remarry once her husband dies, though she must observe mourning for 2 years so she can't remarry in that time. This law applies all over Oepus, not just for Lizardfolk. There are some who will rebelliously marry whoever they want, but they are usually ousted from society as punishment.

Dwarves

Similar to humans but a little more extreme, so to speak, they marry exclusively for true love. They are extremely egalitarian, so when they marry, they combine their surnames to create a new one. Same-sex marriages are allowed, of course! They often see marriage as a joint effort to make their partner's life as bright and joyful as possible, so they will date or be engaged for a very long time until they feel completely ready to enhance the other's life. They can choose to have children if they want to and when they do, they tend to have lots of them because they really like having big families. They marry for life and will often not take another spouse when their partner passes away.

Elves

Ah, now here come the misunderstood ones lol. Long ago, there was a practice of referring to those very close and special to you as your spouse (mentioned here). This was pretty commonplace all over Oepus but fell out of favor many thousands of years ago. However, Elves never let it go because they live for a very long time, so the tradition still stands to this day. They will also refer to those close to them as a sibling (also mentioned in that post), and because they largely keep to themselves, people actually believe that Elves only marry their siblings. This is untrue. They marry outside their immediate family (this also excludes older generations, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc) but not outside their patch of forest. Similar to dwarves, they are bonded for life. However, because Elves are such a contained group and they want to sustain their numbers, they must have at least one child. These children are conceived through a special pollination process which is really not a sexual event at all but through a natural process all the same. Couples travel to a special patch of their forest, and the women will shake pollen (yeah, like actual pollen) off of themselves onto the ground. The men will follow after, fertilizing said pollen, and then they all leave LOL. That part takes about 15 mins to do. They come back in two weeks and pick up their sapling (yes, that's what they call their kids), and they physically plant them in a pot and care for them until they become sentient. Depending on their forest type, growing a child can take anywhere from a few weeks to several years. When they finally sprout, Elves basically throw the equivalent of rager because it's very exciting LOL. Also backtracking a little, this doesn't mean that Elves can't have sex, it just doesn't serve the usual purpose of procreating so they mostly do it for fun.

Akuji (Pale Kings)

Exclusively marry Priestesses of Shanta (aka Allmother, the terms are interchangeable) and solely for the purpose of having children because they are they only women that they can have children with. An important note here is that all Akuji are male, there are no female Akuji. Sometimes they love each other but most of the time they don't. Any children born from their union, regardless of who the Allmother is, is a born an akuji.

[writernopal]

Nopal! Please, please tell me more about lizardfolk women - I don't recall seeing them on page that much?

What's the current fashion? What's their typical role in the society? Anything else about them you want to share?

Sam! Thank you for the ask!!

Oh my Lizardfolk ladies! This is going to be SUPER LONG because this topic is so loaded and you are getting me so STARTED on it lol so I'll put most of it under a cut because I have A LOT to say! i think you may have just unlocked the longest info-dump/unprompted close reading of my own work so congrats lol Before we get into the meaty lore, I'll address this point!

I don't recall seeing them on page that much?

This is both intentional and something that happened as a by-product of who the main characters are in AASOAF. Let me explain.

CW: misogyny, aggressive patriarchy, mentions of enslavement

AASOAF is primarily told through the lens of Mariel and Axtapor, joined later by the POV's of Fay and Wilkes in AASOAF 2 and 3, but of that cast, Axtapor is the closest to typical Lizardfolk society and experience. But here's the thing: he's a male and because he was brought up in the highly patriarchal system of Lizardfolk, he (and we as readers) start the series from that perspective. That is, mostly blind or flat out ignoring the experience and role of women in Lizardfolk society aside from reciting the surface effects that directly impact him and his experience as a man.

To quote him from AASOAF 1:

[My grandmother] had always resented my grandfather for turning her children into cruel, unfeeling people. Her daughters were not that way, but she never saw them again after they were wed. That was customary since a wife should live with her husband to raise his children and support his clan. As a result, she was left surrounded by her sons, and sons were rarely influenced by their mothers in The Empire.  Most men saw them as a bother more than anything. I know I certainly did. My own mother was a stifled, sad creature who had to simper and bow just right lest she offend my father. It was exhausting to bear witness to. And grandmothers were, more or less, nonexistent to their grandsons, making the relationship that my grandmother and I had a strange one. They didn’t form connections with them, let alone write and visit with one another as we did. I was well past marrying age too. If there should be anyone I should be spending time with of the opposite sex, it should be my wife.

There are a few other instances where in AASOAF 1 when he speaks about women in a pretty derogatory/selfish and frankly, misogynistic way that reflects his upbringing:

In the past, I’d never imagined a woman doing anything for me beyond being intimate. And it had never mattered to me if a woman enjoyed being in my company or if she wanted to spend time doing simple things with me. Their opinions of me also didn’t matter too much so long as I was satisfied...

I narrowed my eyes in her direction. She wasn’t even in half-mourning. Husbands had the option to be in half-mourning after the passing of their wives, but wives weren’t given such a choice.

This, along with the intentional omission of their mention is not only meant to construct Axtapor's character, especially because these criticisms are largely omitted when he speaks about his grandmother, but the Empire as a whole since we don't physically visit that location in any significant way until AASOAF 2.

So the absence/narrow representation of Lizardfolk women is there precisely to make you ask the question that you posed and to make you uncomfortable. You are forcefully put in the shoes of someone who has benefited from that position in the overall hierarchy and presented with his view which is taken and supported as fact in the context of the story. His grandmother, Lady Fisla, tries to knock some sense into him but he mostly brushes her off and decides shutting up is easier than having it out with her. This contributes to the overall narrative of the female experience and unseen struggle that is both a prominent theme and undercurrent throughout the work.

Snippet of that here:

“And your luck is much better than that of your sisters’, who, despite being born into the same family as you, have no choice but to live under [your father's] thumb until they are married. At which point, they are to be crushed by their husbands instead. You, Axtapor, have the world laid at your feet because you are male and because you are nobility. You have the great fortune that your legs can simply walk you to freedom. Those around you are not the same. They are not your equals. Never forget that and do not use it as a weapon or measure for which you pass judgment upon others.” I didn’t know how to respond, so I just nodded instead.  She so rarely lectured me and was usually rather calm, even unbothered, but for those few moments, she changed completely. I wondered how such a transformation might be possible given her usual demeanor, but I supposed I had stricken a nerve.

This starts to change in AASOAF 2 and definitely in AASOAF 3, with the introduction of Lizardfolk women to the cast and the perspective of an eye-opened Axtapor who has become more aware of their struggles and circumstances due to the events of AASOAF 1. In AASOAF 2 especially, we start to examine how the nature of his upbringing is also harmful to him via his internal monologue and interactions with Mariel and in AASOAF 3 things come to a head and a lot of his core values are challenged along with that of other Lizardfolk men around him. But I won't get into that here!

DEEP BREATH NOW

What's the current fashion?

So I talked a bit about fashion here but I'll pull the more relevant bits out of that!

Each house has a style they prefer. House of War prefers styles similar to traditional Thai dress, the House of Law prefers styles similar to 17th-century Japanese garments, and the House of Dreams prefers styles similar to Mughal period Indian fashion. Their winter wear, when they have need of it, is heavily inspired by Mongolian fashion. Additionally, corsets are favored by women of the Holtep Empire. These are not the undergarments you might imagine for human people, nor are they worn all the time, usually only for special occasions and usually only by the nobility. They are worn with special robes that expose the midriff and are made of steel. They are more like armor than anything else, and unlike human corsets are meant solely for aesthetic purposes; they don't support breasts (bc they don't have any) and are intended to emphasize how small a woman's waist is. It is the most desired of traits in the Empire.

Those of nobility would of course wear finer, more elaborate garments than those of the lower and working classes.

What's their typical role in the society?

Their role is seen exclusively as a method to continue lineages, to form clan alliances via marriage, to raise her husband's children (no, they are not considered hers), and support his clan. They have little to no agency over their own affairs or lives unless they are widowed or otherwise "socially encumbered" (I'll come back to that in a second).

To quote Axtapor from AASOAF 2:

Daughters did as they were commanded in The Empire. They married the man her father selected for her and popped out as many clutches as her husband demanded of her. The practice didn’t bother me for a long time; it just seemed like a fact of life, but that was no longer the case. It wasn’t right; how could it be?! But unbelievably, to every man here, and quite possibly every man in The Empire, it was. It was as right as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. These women were not living beings with feelings; they were playthings, pawns in their game to move upwards, being crushed over and over and expected to smile like they were grateful for it!

So despite being awarded, lands, titles, and wealth upon completing their ikismals, they are mostly named as custodians of those things to hold them as a kind of dowry to be absorbed completely by her husband when she marries. I should note, even the ikismal ceremonies for women are unbalanced against those for men.

Men are instructed to survive in the wilds for five days with nothing but a knife and bring back a kill by the end of it. Women are symbolically thrown out into the desert to survive, by way of being placed in a hut where she must meditate for the whole of the five days. By the end, she is expected to have shaken off her girlhood mentality via this meditation and is deemed patient and rational enough to enter society properly. They are left without food or water though, just like the men, so it is possible that they can perish during this time as the men do. Once they enter society the expectation is that they fully support their husband's endeavors and largely remain silent about it.

NOW

This is not the case if a woman is widowed or "socially encumbered." If she is widowed, Oepus law states (yes this is for all women on Oepus, not just the Empire) that she observes mourning practices (clothing, rituals, etc) according to her country of residence and that she cannot take another partner for two years. This is the doing of The Pale Kings and their relationship with Priestesses of Shanta which is a separate thing that I won't get into here.

However, in the Empire, a woman is not forced to remarry once she is widowed. The idea behind this is that she has served her "purpose" and as long as she's had children with her late husband, then she is no longer of use. She is typically bequeathed with some amount of wealth and a private estate or residence according to her husband's station and a portion of his slaves. She has no rank and is not recognized as a matriarch of her family, despite bearing the clan name and still being associated with her late husband's station. She may come and go as she pleases and is at the top of the "woman pecking order" because she has done her duty. Lady Fisla falls into this category, and is cited as a great lady by Axtapor and female peers in her circle, but the men of Clan Oxlo still don't treat her with much respect.

Now for the "socially encumbered." These are women that for one reason or another, are deemed not fit for marriage. Either because they don't have a large enough dowry, they come from a clan of low repute, have committed a social taboo, etc, etc. Basically if they have any "undesirable" trait they can fall into this category. This is highly subjective but can be enough to punt someone down several social ranks. Other women in this category are those who are considered caretakers to other members of their family, be that children, the disabled, or injured. This means that professions like nursing, teaching, and childcare provided to those outside the home, including extended family, are frowned upon and not considered feminine or proper for a lady to engage in. Axtapor's cousin, Lady Idhi, falls into this category.

She, however, is not afforded any wealth or other luxuries as her grandmother is due to her widowed status. Instead, she thrives off her own dowry, another thing which is seen as taboo because it's considered theft. As a result, she is largely excommunicated from Clan Oxlo goings on and does not have the 'rights' to enter the marriage market. This status essentially means you're invisible which can be a good and a bad thing because you're pretty much isolated from any help if you ever need it.

Anything else about them you want to share?

They are incredibly shrewd and bold, something that you can see in almost all of the Lizardfolk women mentioned in the series including, Lady Fisla, Lady Idhi, Lady Phreldra (Axtapor's mother) and historical figures like the woman behind Solas Week, Mother Mazvah, and Lady Maliah, First Empress of The Holtep Empire, more on her here. As experienced members of society, they understand that to get ahead in their world they must operate underhandedly and silently, gaming the system in their favor where they can. This is pretty apparent in the beginning of AASOAF 2 and will play a pretty big role in AASOAF 3. As a side note, this shrewdness is also demonstrated by Fay due to her closeness with her adoptive Lizardfolk family.

Axtapor's sisters, Lady Ulsei and Lady Egra, don't fall into this category and are portrayed as quite transparent and lacking substance but this is because the two of them are used to explore the effects of their upbringing in the wider world of Oepus similar to the way Axtapor is used throughout the series. What I will say is that these two are key players in the latter half of AASOAF 3.

And finally, we have Alma, Fay and Wilkes' adoptive mother, who is more representative of the lower/working class experience of Lizardfolk women that I didn't even touch on in this post. I might make a separate one about her with that context in mind since there is a lot to her story that deserves to have it's own place.

[writernopal]

Happy WBW! In honor of Idalia and her looming approach on the SouthEast US, what is the most dangerous natural threat to your world?

Happy WBW, Tori!

Oepus has the usual natural disasters we're familiar with here on Earth, but tends to skew more to experiencing hurricanes, typhoons, waterspouts, and maelstroms since most of the planet is water.

Earth is about 70% water IIRC, by comparison, Oepus is about 80% water and is about 50% larger than Earth, so even though there is less land mass, the land that exists is still bigger than what we have. Most of it spread out on many islands that dot the planet and a few larger continents, like Seyes, The Holtep Empire, The Savaniels, The Ironsong Hold, and Palya. So since most of the land are islands, those threats listed before are the big ones!

[writernopal]

Happy WBW! Pirates are still sailors, and sailors can be quite the superstitious bunch. What superstitions about the sea exist in your world and which of those do your characters believe?

Happy late WBW, Wynne!

OOOO I love this question! Here are a few, some about sailing, some about the sea, and for the most part are believed by all of the cast, though I'll make notes where there are exceptions! Must of them were inspired by real life sailing superstitions adapted where it made sense for the story.

A few sea specific superstitions here! They include the Dwarven water of the Ofler's Sea, the mysterious isle located in the frigid Lapis Sea, and the NEVER SPEAK ITS NAME OR DIE sea of the mysterious Crown of The World.

Throwing coins into the sea to restore luck. More on that one here!

Blowing kisses to dolphins also for good luck.

Crying on a ship means bad luck.

Bringing a woman aboard is bad luck. (Fay obviously doesn't believe this and neither does Axtapor but this particular superstition is usually held by all male crew like those of the Angel's Lyre.)

Sirens must be sung to or they will attack you. (This is true and was briefly mentioned here as one of Axtapor's most embarrassing moments haha)

Being kissed by a sea nymph will bind you to her for life. (Fay doesn't believe this.)

Whistling on a docked ship is okay but not on one that is out at sea. This is because high pitched tones like whistling are said to attract krakens therefore is dangerous.

Never rename a ship. NEVER. In AASOAF, its believed this washes away her experience as a vessel and makes her unlucky.

A shark swimming beside your ship is a sign of death to come.

Never paint your ship green or fly green sails. This is because green represents land and means you're fated to run aground. This also applies to bringing flowers or plants aboard.

Never look back when you depart from the harbor. Axtapor does this in AASOAF 2 and gets bit by it almost immediately.