#alice.. forbidden knowledge.. rhine

[monards]

thought too hard about rhine being a hi3 expy. brain hurt

[dkniade]

On one hand, heavy mischaracterization and over-exaggerating a surface trait flattens out a character

On the other hand, I try not to mischaracterize or complain about how a character is written in canon to the point that it makes me unhappy (e.g. Rhinedottir’s “I suppose that’d make me a mother?” can be seen as her own flawed view and not lack of insight with regards to abusive parents—she verbally threatened to and did abandon Albedo to leave him in Alice’s care—in HYv’s writing)

I should get more used to/comfortable with exploring my headcanons that round out the character better. Rhinedottir’s pursuit of knowledge… can contrast Lisa’s unwillingness to pursue forbidden (?) knowledge. Lisa knows about the Hexenzirkel that Rhine is part of, so I wonder what are her thoughts on her…?

[yaeggravate]

actually, let's take this one step further:

remember the play in the veluriyam mirage? according to idyia, zosimos based the script on rumors he heard about a thief and a mage, meaning there could actually be some truth to this story.

Idyia: Zosimos has always wanted to write an epic story about a thief and a mage. Apparently, he got the idea from some rumors that were swirling around, but he only got as far as writing the intro before writers' block set in…

(note that zosimos combined idyia's backstory with the play because he realized women exist needed a herione. this means the character of "idyia" isn't actually part of the original thief/mage story.)

the soundtrack playing alongside kaeya's character is called Towers of Afrasiab.

another time this soundtrack can be heard is in the event quest petrifying gaze, about a hydro eidolon trying to save their friends from a curse.

瞳孔里的固形魔咒 = A Curse of Solidification Within the Pupils

huh interesting wording 🤨… doesn't that remind you of how khaenri'ah has people with either "clear" or "solid" star-shaped pupils?

anyway, afrasiyab has been referenced twice now: in hangeh afrasiyab where the gate of khaenri'ah lies, and frasiyav, who played opposite kaeya's character in the play of his hangout.

i think afrasiyab is probably meant to be irmin. afrasiab is a reference to the character from the persian epic shahnameh, a mythical king and hero of turan. what's interesting is the description of the place he lived:

He lives in a subterranean fortress made of metal and called Hankana. Elsewhere he is said to have enjoyed the best of lives in an underground, iron-walled palace one thousand times the height of a man, and supported by one hundred columns; it was lit by stars, a sun, and a moon, all fashioned through magic by Afrāsīāb himself. Four rivers ran in it, of water, wine, milk, and beaten sour milk.

sounds incredibly irmin-coded to me. afrasiyab was also after the khvarena or the divine royal glory. in the game khvarenah are spirits who are connected to nabu malikata, they have the power to purify abyssal energy and forbidden knowledge.

(also, according to a very blink-and-miss loading screen khvarenah can dwell inside humans.)

put this all together and "towers of afrasiyab" is probably meant to be khaenri'ah and not enkanomiya. the identity of the thief is unclear, but it's highly likely to be someone related to kaeya like how klee was playing her mother. this could be kaeya's infamous pirate grandpa, who allegedly found a magic sword dropped by celestia. 👀

so who was the mage who helped him? alice, who is already alluded to in the play, and who might know something about his grandfather as suspected by kaeya way back in the golden apple event?

Kaeya: My letter was similarly straightforward. "Among the deserted islands you will find a sunken pirate ship. Within lies great treasure and long-lost antique vases of incredible rarity." Haha, it would appear that someone came to learn of the circumstances surrounding the eyepatch that my grandfather left me.

or rhinedottir, a nod to the rhine maidens whose gold was stolen by alberich in the ring cycle? or nicole… with her very suspicious dawn winery teacups and possible connection to nabu malikata, the originator of khvarenah?

place your bets now.

(there's also the mystery of the enemy prince (played by kaeya) and king who defeated frasiyav aka irmin but that's for another time.)

😑

[monards]

nnoobooddyyy mention the connection between alice and appples and how rhine is connected to lucifer and the apple of forbidden knowledge.

i hate myself thhe more connetcions there are between rhine and alice