#althaea

[elidyss]

Some doodles of the paladin girl~

[abimee]

got made fun of in front of like 40-50 people and did not walk it off like a man but at least th world didnt end

[american-pagan]

On Retribution and Luigi Mangione

(A Roman Pagan Sermon)

This writing contains a brief description of suicide and mention of violence.

On Althaea and Meleager // De Althaea Meleagrosque

I was reminded today in prayer and reflection of the story of Althaea and Meleager. I will speak shortly on their story and a Roman scripture's perspective on retribution, but would like to discuss the basics of the story first. Those two are described briefly in Michael Grant and John Hazel's Who's Who in Classical Mythology (p. 24) thusly:

"...during the Calydonian boar-hunt [Althaea's] son Meleager killed her brothers Toxeus and Plexipus, and as a result she cursed him. There was a tradition that at his birth the Fates had told Althea that when a log, burning at that moment in the fire, was consumed, her son would die. She had snatched it out and kept it in a chest, but now, in her anger at his deed, she put it on the fire and burnt it, thus causing his death. Shortly afterwards she was overcome by remorse and hanged herself."

The story is clearly and undoubtedly written as a tragedy, and although a useful summary, Grant and Hazel's overview leaves out some of Althaea's inner turmoil and the complicated and torturous nature of her decision to seek retribution. Ovid's Metamorphoses tells the story, first on her desire for vengeance (8.520-525):

"'For retribution I do this evil. Death must be avenged through death, crime heaped on crime, and grave on grave. Let piles of grief bring down this impious house! ...You both should mourn.'"

Her desire for retribution is visceral and justified. Her son murdered her brothers. She would, for some, be in the right for avenging their deaths. However, she is also gripped by a complicated compassion (8.530-534):

"'My hands can't do this. He deserves to die, but I don't want to author his destruction. So will he live, unpunished? Will that victor, puffed by his own success, rule Calydon, while you lie dead, mere ash and frigid shades?"

As Grant and Hazel explained, Althaea ultimately decides to kill her son (8.558-566):

"...he'll die a coward's bloodless death... his soul floats slowly off onto the gentle breeze as white ash slowly overlays the coals."

The consequences of Althaea's decision are dire. Grant and Hazel's telling of the story says that Althaea hanged herself, where Ovid's describes her as impaling herself with a sword; either way, the suicide is conveyed. The entire city of Calydon mourns Meleager's death, and his sisters are so overtaken by grief, that Diana mercifully turns them into meleagrides, guinea fowl. Ovid, speaking for himself, says of the grief (8.575-578),

"Had the gods given me a hundred mouths, all voiced with tongues, great genius, and the whole of Helicon, I still could not convey the sad fate of his brokenhearted sisters."

(Helicon is a Greek mountain, associated with the Muses).

On Luigi Mangione

I will not claim that Luigi Mangione's alleged killing of Brian Thompson is the same as Althaea's story. I will however, take insights from the story of Althaea and Meleager on the nature of retribution.

Brian Thompson, like Meleager, arguably deserved it. A good case can be made for his killing being justified. I will admit that upon hearing the news I felt apathy for his death, if not satisfaction. There is a natural sense of justice for seeing harm befall someone who has caused great harm. Part of my satisfaction of Thompson's death came with the pleasure that I did not have to do it. I was not the "author of his destruction."

I will not argue that retribution is bad because of the harm that befalls the targets of its vengeance, but because of the harm that befalls its authors. When we give in to revenge, we lose something of ourselves. Althaea lost her life. Meleager's sisters lost their humanity. We lose a tenderness to life or a conviction in our values.

The feeling of satisfaction or justice at Thompson's killing is justified. I will never ask his victims or victims of people like him to mourn him or to think of him above his victims. I only ask that we question if acts like these are solutions, activism, self-defense, or are they the more sinister retribution.

[thekimdelacreme]

[toribookworm22]

happ sts !! what do your (fave) characters wear when they're chilling at home? and what do their apartments look like (or just the vibes of them!!)?

Hey, lovey! Thanks for the ask!

So who better to use than my queer superheroes?

Thaea

Lives in comfy, loose clothing. Long skirts are a preference for her, to the shock of many, but as someone who was forced into skin tight mission suits from a young age, the difference is important to her.

Nia

Also one for comfy, but more in line with pjs and active wear. She likes crop tops and yoga pants, but also big fuzzy sweaters she steals from Thaea.

Roldan

Always one for practicality, they dress in a similar fashion to their mission suits for the most part, just with more comfort less skin tight.

The one exception is the fact that he loves messing with fashion in very gender non-conforming ways at home, too. So they trade in pants for skirts sometimes, and borrow Nia's crop tops every now and again, and play with makeup in the safety of his own home.

Thaea and Nia live together-- and Roldan lives with them half the time (as in moved in with them eventually)-- so their apartment is a mix of all of them. Clean, but not necessarily tidy. Filled with photos and trinkets and books. Always something delicious filling the space, whether it be tea or someone making dinner. Always quiet and relaxing and peaceful.

It's their safe haven.

[meadowfoam-smores-seleuss]

SELEUSS - ALTHAEA MEADOWFOAM S'MORES

BATCH 1541, 1542

NO puffed Sugar & Air here! Made with real Marshmallow Root (Althaea Officinalis) paired with Meadowfoam Honey (which has notes of Marshmallow) from our friend Dave at Puyallup Valley FARMS! It is combined with organic cream and our specially formulated 30%+ BAUTA™ White to complement this exotic amalgamation. Enrobed in a smooth 71%+ MORETTA™ Dark Chocolate and rests on a bed of either dark or white chocolate crunchy pearls.

ALTHAEA MEADOWFOAM S’MORES INGREDIENTS: ChocolateS (Cacao Beans, Sugar, FULL CREAM MILK, LACTOSE, Cacao Butter, Sunflower & soy Lecithin, Vanilla), MEADOWFOAM honey, organic cream, glucose, marshmallow root.  DARK  PEARLS (CHOCOLATE 84% (COCOA MASS, SUGAR, COCOA BUTTER, MILKFAT, SOYA LECITHIN, NATURAL VANILLA FLAVORING), CRISPED CEREALS (WHEAT FLOUR, SUGAR, WHEAT MALT FOURS, WHEAT STARCH, BAKING SODA, SALT, COCOA BUTTER, NATURAL VANILLA FLAVORING), GLUCOSE SYRUP, SUGAR, GUM ARABIC. WHITE PEARLS (sugar, cocoa butter, skimmed milk powder, milkfat, soya lecithin, vanilla, rice flour, wheat flour, sugar, wheat malt, wheat gluten, Arabic gum, glucose syrup, saccharose, vegetable oil, citric acid). CONTAINS: SOY, MILK, LACTOSE, gluten, honey and MARSHMALLOW ROOT. THIS PRODUCT IS PROCESSED IN A FACILITY THAT CONTAINS MILK, EGGS, WHEAT, HAZELNUTS, ALMONDS, PEANUTS AND OTHER NUTS. WARNING: Do not feed honey to infants under 1 year of age. Ingredients From: USA, Belgium, France, GERMANY, MALAYSIA, VIETNAM, ECUADOR, Peru.

[theravenhairedsorceress]

The Map of Althaea

I haven't shared this before, but I love drawing maps lol. This here is the world of Althaea, where my swashbuckling adventure with (mostly) lady pirates -> aka my novel, takes place. I know this isn't the prettiest map out there, but I like how it turned out. Also, it reminds me of adding my old verse of "Navigating" in which Jack can jump between worlds both real and fictional if he has a map of the place. It was inspired by a book titled The Girl From Everywhere, which is an excellent read I do recommend for those who like fantasy adventures (and ships & maps, lol)!

[llizsch]

omg i posted something here

the way that i'm doing everything but my assignments that i just ended up redrawing my first ever dnd oc 😔💪

old ref:

[astariondisapproves]

“Astarion, my beloved! Quick— totally hypothetical— question! What does one do if they were maybe turned into a vampire? Asking for— a friend.” Althaea smiles at Astarion was she waits for his answer, staring at him with bright red eyes and two sharp fangs slightly poking out of her mouth and causing a lisp.

- @althaea-roserun

As soon as the question left his companion's mouth, his hands abruptly grabbed her shoulders. Astarion's usually bright crimson eyes now darkened before his grip on Althaea's shoulders tighten, glancing over her newly acquired fangs and crimson eyes, "WHO—," he begins to shout before catching himself (Perception check: Successful!) He was trembling.

"Who did this to you? Was it...was it him?" He asks now in a hushed whisper.

[eliteseven]

Did Serena ever tell Shadowheart that she'd fought Sharrans before? I could see her not wanting to bring it up to avoid causing intra-party drama but I could also see it slipping out because she's a bad liar so Shadowheart might catch on that her opinions of Shar are based on personal experience. Also what were her experiences going up against the Netherese? Ooooh, is this actually why she cut Shadowheart so much slack? She knew instantly that this girl was NOT at all a normal Sharran? Aaaaaaaagh I have so many questions now lol.

Well, I admittedly only learned about the Sharrans and Thultanthar later, when I was trying to expand the depth of Serena’s backstory. Apparently, the Harpers and Cormyr took issue with Shadovar presence for some time! So I think it would be fair to assume that killing Netherese/Sharrans was Serena’s bread and butter, while serving in Cormyr’s military.

Let me begin with a disclaimer that I am humbly still learning!! So if I get something wrong, please do let me know and I’ll try to adjust Serena’s life accordingly! 😊

In my eyes, it solidifies Serena’s outlook on Shar and better explains why she resents it so. She’s lost friends and comrades to Shar’s evil long before she ever met Shadowheart.

Serena wasn’t ever really meant to survive. Joining the military was her only choice; her mother’s house no longer had any influence or power. (Her mother was NOT keen on sending her baby girl to war!)

And Cormyr was recruiting just about anyone to help, swamped as they were on two fronts, right? So it backs my idea that she was meant to be cannon-fodder. It would take her years of survival to reach the rank of a purple dragon knight. But she had time. And Althaea, to keep her from dying 🥹

I read that war wizards were a massive force (in strength, not numbers) in Cormyr’s military and worked closely with the purple dragons. So closely, that officers and knights were often given rings that could summon the war wizards at any given time to face any magical threats (assuming there are plenty of those, when Netheril strikes). So it could be a fair assumption to say Serena was paired with a war wizard, and while she provided physical protection, they were the magical forces. It gives Serena experience in battle leadership, and a deeper understanding of mages, and a healthy respect for magic.

I think, by the time she meets Shadowheart, she’s seen her fair share of Sharrans. Killed so many, watched her allies get killed by them in turn…. And here is Shadowheart. The worst Sharran ever™️ Serena is determined to dislike her, but she’s sweet to animals, she heals wounds, she’s got a cute laugh- rare as it is-, she’s fucking gorgeous and Serena doesn’t know what to make of her. She is the worst Sharran ever, and Tav can’t stop thinking about her. Poor girl is in love.

Shadowheart often mocks Serena’s chivalry and sense of nobility early on in their relationship. It’s much richer when we look at it through the lens of Shadowheart realizing the woman before her is a purple dragon knight, decorated for her efficient and effective eradication of Sharran presence in Cormyr.

It would also make visiting that Sharran temple traumatizing for Serena, I think. So many reminders of war….of bloodshed….

The first time she writes Althaea about being fond of a Sharran, Althaea probably spits whatever she’s drinking onto the letter in shock 💀

[sweetearthandnorthernsky]

some of my favorite photos of my newest (oldest???) bbg <3

[elidyss]

Style practice

[abimee]

They don't quite convey what they should, so I look to you as the only one to trust

[ask-althaearoserun]

"Don't ask me how I know, but it has been brought to my attention that you've had a special child. Not quite a demigod, but still more interesting than a normal elf. So..." Durge smiles at Althaea innocently. "Can I eat the child?"

-@ask-thedarkurge

Althaea holds Mizil close to her chest and glares at Durge. “I will turn you into a pair of boots, Durge. You are not eating my only child. Go ask Gale for a bite out of his.”

[thekimdelacreme]

[toribookworm22]

heyy Tori, happy Storyteller Saturday!! I haven't done these in a long while, so I'm gonna use this opportunity to catch up/learn about my fellow writeblrs' current projects >:)) so, tell me, what are you actively working on right now? how far along are you? what are you most looking forward to in the project?

Hey, Cee! Thanks for the ask!

I'm currently working on my queer superhero story for the most part. Right now, my focus is on worldbuilding and developing a strong understanding of the "past," which in the story is everything before 5 years ago.

It's actually kind of incredible, almost like I'm performing an autopsy on my story, peeling what's happened away layer by layer.

What's been so painful to write, but so lovely to see has been Thaea and Nia's just sweet relationship.