#archesian amulet

[justreallybored]

Here are some of my random thoughts on Starborn and Dusk lineage, and other acotar5(6) speculations(because why sarah?):

I've been running through my head how to NOT make Rhys and the Archerons distant cousins like Rowan and Aelin are, since it seems the story is going that way and... idk, with fae living so long, it kind of feels like they wouldn't be THAT distant of cousins, at least on Rhys' side, so here I am with my mental gymnastics with my headcanons/theories:

-The Starborn power is kind of sentient, like the cauldron or HOW, and can choose who it manifests in(within the starborn line, or by those being..made?). Maybe the Staborn power is the oldest Fae power, closely related to the cauldron and that's why Bryce kept wondering if her power was like the Asteri's, but later says it's pure undiluted power or something like that in hofas.

-The glowing power in Feyre was from Rhys(not Helion like they speculated in acomaf) and his drop of power in her, and it manifested in Feyre because she is worthy of it.

-a little off topic, but Rhys is Theia and Fionn's descendant(a given), while Cassian and Azriel are descendants of Enalius(and somehow hold most of his power?). I think that's why they were meant to find each other, because Fionn and Enalius were besties forever and their power calls to each other and now I'm gonna go cry about their friendship.

-on to the sisters: I think the Cauldron holds Starborn power and gave that power willingly to Elain because it adores her. That's why she glowed when made. Because it chooses who to manifest in, and I think that might be Elain in the future(and why she hears the heartbeat through the stone- Dusk's heart? The land is calling her?). Since Nesta stole her own power from the Cauldron, I think she has it too, but her power manifests as death either because the cauldron is corrupted by the asteri, and thats what she grabbed, or it just wasn't willingly given so it's darker? At the end of acosf, she can feel another entity, the mother, or maybe it's just the Cauldron(which is probably the same thing) letting her keep that small bit of power. Anyway, all that to say why she probably had an eightpointed star(starborn symbol) in her bargain tattoo.

In the end, even though i dont want it, they're probably cousins lol. Since the bone carver talked about the clever fae that trapped them in the prison(obv Silene) that lives in some human lines(most likely the archerons).

I know I'm all over the place, but my original theory, before hofas, was that Starborn was just another term for Asteri and fae mixed descendants. It would've explained why their powers were similar. Like if Lanthys was Asteri(hofas tells us he wasn't), that's why he wanted to be with Nesta and rule the fae. Honestly, he sounded so much like the Asteri... but I digress. That doesn't seem to be the case since Bryce talked about her power not being similar to Asteri, but just pure power in hofas(hofas was all over the place, so who fcking knows).

Theia seemed to get her power from the Dusk Court lands(heart) willingly- like she was chosen. That's why I hope the Starborn power isn't just about lineage, so Feyre doesn't have to be Rhysand's (albeit distant) cousin, lol.

Why can't the Archerons have their own special lineage? Maybe a fae that helped Silene, and where the Archesian amulet came from? C'mon, Sarah!

-on another note, Mor is definitely from the starborn line too, right? Or is she of the Night court line that Silene didn't marry into? Maybe that's what Rhysand meant when he said her people used to rule the territory. He's the one that's actually from the Dusk Court line that Silene kept secret. Ugh, I'm confused now.

Edit: the more I think about it, Mor probably isn't from the Dusk line, since Silene looks just like Rhys' sister and Rhys and Ruhn resemble each other (Theia's genes). Silene's son probably took over after his father, causing some upset since Silene was an outsider and not from the Night Court line.

Now that hofas is done, I really wish sjm would explain some of these things.

[nikethestatue]

This might not make sense, English is 2nd language, so I’m sorry. So I think Bryce went back in time when she fell into acotar.

I think Prythian will be united by one King and Queen, Feysand. I think their reign will be known as the Archesian Era.

I think the necklace that Gwyn may have is and Archesian amulet (made because Elain touched it or wore it). I think Bryce will see the necklace and it will be the same one she is wearing or the one that was destroyed in hoeab.

What do you think about this theory? Have you seen one like it before?

So it's funny, but someone was just talking about the Archesian amulets and the 3 intertwined rings, but I was not paying attention! Shucks

Couple of things:

I don't think Gwyn has the necklace.

I DO think that Elain Made it.

It could be or it became an Archesian amulet--I think the 3 circles refer much closer to the 3 sisters, and I don't see how Gwyn fits into it. The Bone Carver also drew the three circles--could be a nod to the death gods?

Could it be a Wyrdkey?

I do think that Bryce will see it. "Like calls to like'--SJM's favourite expression? Could one necklace call to the other?

I had considered whether the Archesian amulets are connected to the siphons somehow? But I haven't formed a good theory yet in my head.

(Definitely hope that Feysand are NOT High King and Queen. I don't think Rhys should be given unchecked, unlimited power. His decision making abilities are not always great.)

[harperbrynne]

CC2 Reread:

…no silver torque adorned her neck. (Pg640)

I wonder if Lidia’s necklace grants her some kind of protection like the Archesian amulet.

[anotherbookishbitch]

Okay so we all know that Danika lied to Bryce A LOT. She gets a lot of hate for it, and honestly, I agree with most of it. But don’t her motivations go back to wanting ti help Bryce most of the time? Synth experiments- wanted to know if the drug could help her half-human friend in a world that hated her. The horn… mixed feelings but she knew the Archesian Amulet would protect Bryce. And being with Ophion- she joined the cause to help humans. To help Bryce. Did she lie and deeply hurt Bryce? Absolutely. Should she be forgiven for it? Not entirely. But I do think that she had the intention of protecting Bryce in these situations.

[pagesofmoonlight]

@yazthebookish

hey i have a question. who do you think the female fae warrior who trapped the weaver and koschei in the middle and the lake and what links does it have to midgard/theia or even for the new two acotar books? because i was rereading acowar and the bone carver drew the archesian amulet in the dirt when cassian and feyre visited him and jesiba only mentions that it belonged to the priestesses of parthos. do you think there’s a prythian equivalent of it? the carver did say that the fae warrior was forgotten by all but him and that her remaining descendants are in some human bloodline. could they be one of the priestess in midgard?

i just wanted to know if you had a theory. these are the passages from acowar/hofas:

[yssana]

Are archesian amulets and eye of Elena the same thing?

Like, both are said to give some kind of protection to the wearer....

[offtorivendell]

Okay, firstly @wingedblooms, once again you have blown my mind; your attention to detail, and the way you can seamlessly weave together canon with mythology, is so impressive. This was an engaging read, as usual.

Disclaimer: Spoilers from the entire TOG series, and both CC 1 and CC 2, are discussed below with regards to the theory that the Archeron sisters could truly be descended from a faerie bloodline, such as the ancient fae warrior who trapped Koschei and the Weaver many millennia ago.

Secondly, sorry not sorry for nagging you about the Archesian amulets 😅 - I just really liked the idea of Feyre, Elain and Nesta each Making one ring, or at least imbuing a ring with their powers, as protective devices for themselves or loved ones that somehow fell through the cracks of their world and into Midgard - but unless Bryce travelled through time as well as between worlds, I doubt this will be the case. That being said, what if the Archesian amulets were created by Theia's hypothetical three children in much the same manner, and their surname was some derivative of Archeron?

But I digress.

Thirdly (finally), here! Have some word vomit of my thoughts, because this got my mind moving. Like @silverlinedeyes and others, I have wondered whether the clever Fae warrior's line could have ended up with the Archeron sisters, and/or perhaps Vassa… and I believe I have some evidence to support this for Feyre, Elain and Nesta.

The Archeron sisters have each been linked to music in the ACOTAR series.

Do Bryce and Elain share Theia's powers?

The Archeron sisters have each been linked to music in the ACOTAR series.

In CC1 (HOEAB), we learnt from Ruhn that it is fae impulse "to be drawn to music, and to love it." That this was an aspect of Bryce's fae heritage so, by extension, I assume we can consider this love of music to at least be applicable to their specific line (but given Aelin's similar enthusiasm, I suspect it's a shared trait).

Further, in CC2 (HOSAB), as you've said, we learnt that the fae from whom Bryce and Ruhn descend originated in Prythian's world, namely as the Dusk Court. If what we suspect is true - that Bryce and Ruhn descend from Helena and Pelias, and the Archerons from the clever fae warrior - then could their shared love of, and association with, music be an aspect of the Archeron sisters' heritage, too? Did they each contain a spark of immortal light that was amplified by the Cauldron?

"May the Immortal Light shine upon thee, sisters." - ACOTAR, chapter 3

Feyre

Lucien noted that the then human Feyre looked "positively Fae." This could obviously be simple foreshadowing that Feyre would become a faerie, but perhaps there's a deeper level of meaning to it. Could she look Fae because she carries Fae blood, even if only in a small amount?

The music from the solstice festival in the Spring Court drew Feyre in so much that she wanted to be inside it. She loved it so much, she described it as a thing of wonder, joy and beauty.

The music that Rhys sent to Feyre in her cell Under the Mountain, to keep her from breaking, managed to draw her out of herself. The music was even visible to Feyre, and as grand as a painting, or a living mural.

Elain

Obviously we are yet to have Elain's point of view, and SJM appears to have left her largely a mystery until her own book, but we can, I think, make some links between music that is associated with imagery that is usually applied to Elain. Additionally, assuming Elain is a full sister to Feyre and Nesta, she would share their hypothetical distant Fae lineage, so we would expect to learn that she has always loved music in her own book.

When Feyre was Under the Mountain, the music that Rhys sent to her was likened to cake batter, as well as beauty and goodness. Feyre could "... see it." Is this a sneaky hint at Sight being related to song, or Singing?

Elain learnt to bake with her two friends, Nuala and Cerridwen, after she was Made, and even baked Feyre's birthday cake in ACOFAS.

Further, she has frequently been associated with beauty, and has been described as having an innate goodness.

The music built a path - is this what Elain did, moving through shadows with Truth-Teller in ACOWAR, before she killed the King of Hybern?

Elain has been likened to the golden light that exists at both sunrise and sunset, such as in Azriel's bonus POV in ACOSF, when he described her hair as a romantic poet might: "gilded like the sun at dawn."

Elain was lured, or drawn to, the Cauldron's siren song. Granted, this was after she was Made, however it was her humanity that was used against her.

Nesta

Nesta loved music and dance since her human childhood, so much that it was the only time she "let her wolf roam free."

She frequented dance halls for the music as much as the alcohol in order to help manage the power she stole from the Cauldron, as well as her emotions after everything she went through. This is a pretty strong parallel with Bryce, who uses music and dance as a physical outlet to cope with her emotions and trauma.

Do Bryce and Elain share Theia's powers?

Following on from the idea that, like Bryce and Ruhn, the Archeron sisters are also descended from Theia - but from a descendant who remained in Prythian - I want to make a link between the two families with Theia, the Greek goddess of light and sight.

As you've already discussed, SJM's Theia had a daughter named Helena who travelled with her from Prythian to Midgard, and in Prythian there is legend of a High Priestess Oleanna. Interestingly, as you pointed out to me a little while back, the name Oleanna can be a form of Helena (as is Elain). I suspect that either Helena and Oleanna are the same individual, or that they are sisters. If Theia the Greek goddess had three children, I'll bet that in addition to the two daughters that SJM's Theia bore, there was also a son. What if the second daughter and the secret, hypothetical son remained on, or returned to, Prythian's world, and the Archerons and Vassa descended from the daughter, and Rhys and Az (and maybe Cass, but I think his lineage could be important in another way) from the son? Could the son have been the one to sacrifice his blood to ward Velaris, all those millennia ago? But I'm getting off track…

We know that Theia was a Starborn fae with, per Aidas, a very specific light, so I don't think it's a leap to assume that she is inspired (at least in part) by the Greek goddess of the same name, and therefore also had the power of Sight. If Bryce has Theia's light, and Elain has the power of Sight, there is a chance that a variation on one of the following could hold true:

Theia herself gave Elain her ability to See when she was in the Cauldron - could Theia also be the Mother, and/or the Cauldron's hypothetical "light maker"?

A meddling deity - potentially still the Mother, but maybe not Theia - ensured that someone in the Prythian branch of Theia's family received the paired power when in the Cauldron, (more on this below).

Elain - as a hypothetical descendant of Theia - who was both observant and clever before being Made, was already predisposed to having some sort of prophetic or observational power that, as with Bryce and her drop, was then amplified after her time in the Cauldron, which could have functioned in much the same way.

So, if Elain and Bryce each bear one of Theia's hypothetical powers, will, as the Fae are want to say…

"Like call to like."

If @silverlinedeyes brilliant theory that Elain scrying helps to "yank" Bryce into Prythian holds true, I would love for the connection to be more about Bryce and Elain themselves than simply the relationship between Gwydion (the Starsword) and Truth-Teller - though of course the blades are still important. Perhaps it was a mix of the two scenarios, and the twin blades formed a bridge through time and space that allowed Bryce and Elain's innate connection to establish itself.

Like the twin blades - both of which were retrieved by a male with shadow-based powers and then wielded with great results by a female associated with light - "alpha and omega," does Elain's Sight (Truth-Teller was the omega) answer to light in some way? Can she See something only once a deity decides to shine light on it, or does her own hypothetical light help her to illuminate what needs to be Seen when she's actively searching for something, such as when she Looked for the Suriel in ACOWAR? Perhaps it's a mix of both techniques, and part of Elain learning her powers will be to master her own hypothetical starborn light to call visions at will? Maybe Bryce will be involved, briefly, with Rhys translating, of course.

Coming back to Theia as the Mother, we know from SJM's Throne of Glass series that gods and goddesses have the ability to give up their true immortality for a Fae/long-lived mortal form; what if Theia as the Mother sacrificed her goddess' body and powers, maybe not for love of Fionn, but for an alliance that helped to rid their world of the Daglan? She would have felt doubly betrayed, then, if she had learnt a millennium that Fionn was (potentially) not what he seemed, and had his own nefarious plans for her world. It would be a direct parallel with Mala, and her daughter Elena, from TOG… which sounds similar, no? Theia and Helena. If Theia's power did split into two lines (Sight and Light), it would mirror Mala Firebringer's powers being split, so the Galathynius line (Aelin) got fire, and the Havilliard line (Dorian) got raw magic.

Was Bryce's involuntary visit to the mystics in Lunathion a hint of events yet to come? I've spoken at length with both yourself and @merymoonbeam, about Elain's potential link, or at least parallels, with the mystics, and Merymoonbeam pointed out to me that mystics can symbolise "becoming one with God." If Bryce and Elain did each gain their powers from Theia, a hypothetical goddess figure, would their meeting, like calling to like, be a metaphor for this?

And finally, as a sort-of (but still relevant) aside, for a long while I have suspected that Azriel could be partly inspired by Zephyros, god of the Western Wind (the fructifying wind, the messenger of spring), and that Elain could be based in part on an amalgamation of his three wives, Iris, Chloris and Podarge. I hope to expand on this at some point in the future, but to be brief, Iris was, amongst other things, a messenger of the gods; I believe that Elain's visions could both fulfill this role (both the imagery and functionally), and simultaneously suggest some sort of divine lineage (not only for herself, of course, but Feyre and Nesta, and if this entire theory holds, Bryce too). Given Elain's tendency towards prayer, I wonder if she could become some sort of conduit to the Mother, as I suspect Azriel could for Koschei.

Anyway, I'm sorry this reblog took me almost an entire week to write, and I hope it makes sense! 💜

Hope shining through the Void

Part 2: The Light of Three Sisters

In Part 1, I explored various types of light using the premise from Rhys that, like the dark, it is neither wholly good nor evil. It comes in different forms and can be molded by the lightwielder to match their intent. In HOSAB, we learn even more about this concept of individualized or nuanced light:

“Bryce said, more to herself than to the demon prince, “I hadn’t realized they’d have individualized starlight. I always thought mine was only … brighter than yours.” She frowned at Ruhn. “I guess it makes sense that there could be nuances to the light amongst the Fae that got interbred. Theia’s elder daughter, Helena, had the gift—and married Prince Pelias. Your ancestor.”

Although they have a surname associated with the underworld (Archeron, much like River Acheron) and live in the Night Court, the Archeron sisters, like Theia and her offspring, have their own unique light. This light may have even been orchestrated by fate so they could act as foils to another trio of siblings (Koschei, the Weaver, and the Bone Carver) and counterparts for the three found brothers (Rhysand, Cassian, and Azriel). Although I wish I had gotten around to finishing this soon after I posted Part 1 last summer, I feel this conversation is even more pertinent now that HOSAB has been released. There are HOSAB spoilers throughout, so please proceed at your own risk.

In ACOMAF, we are introduced to the seemingly prophetic words of the Book of Breathings (BoB), which now resides in the world of CC. The chaotic half of the book speaks in threes and starts with this line:

Life and death and rebirth

The words of the BoB may be interpreted a few different ways. Each line includes a set of three, and each part of that three might represent a sister, such as life = Feyre, death = Nesta, and rebirth = Elain. Each phrase may (also) describe a particular sister. For example, Rot and bloom and bone is often connected to Elain since she is consistently associated with flowers. And last, but not least, it might refer to a life cycle that applies to all three sisters in general, describing their life as humans, death of that life, and rebirth as powerful fae. A key part of that journey includes healing; they find Hope shining in the Void. All three are valid and useful. For this post, I plan to focus mostly on the first interpretation as those three separate words—life and death and rebirth—may describe the light unique to each sister. This aligns nicely with the concept of unique or nuanced light we learn about in CC, which is connected to those who came to Midgard from Prythian.

While reading HOSAB, @offtorivendell reminded me that Theia (the Starborn Queen from Prythian) is named for the Greek goddess of sight and light. She had three children associated with different kinds of light: Helios (Sun), Selene (Moon), and Eos (Dawn). We only know of two children that Theia bore, one of them being unnamed and the other being Helena (which is a name that is sometimes connected to Selene, the moon). Bryce somehow bears Theia’s unique light, according to Aidas. Is this light connected to Helena’s offspring, who seemed to have stayed in CC, or the other, unnamed daughter? Is it possible that both, over the course of thousands of years, manifested different kinds of light? And if the unnamed daughter returned to Prythian to protect the people on the other side of the Rift, could she be that clever warrior from the ancient fae line that evolved into a human line?

“Clever, that Fae warrior. Her bloodline is long gone now—though a trace still runs through some human line.”

He smiled, perhaps a bit sadly. “No one remembers her name. But I do. She would have been my salvation, had I not made my choice long before she walked this earth.”

As @silverlinedeyes has suggested, could that human line run through the veins of the Archeron sisters? If so, that might also explain the manifestation of their different kinds of light—light that aligns with the children of the mythological Theia (Sun, Moon, and Dawn).

Life (Sun) - Feyre

Although Feyre is the youngest, she is the sister we come to know first. The first sister. Although she possesses power from all seven remaining courts, the most common light she exhibits is from the Day Court:

Faintly, as if some inner light shone beneath my skin, leaking out into the world. Warm and white light, like the sun—like a star.

Shining—I was shining bright and pure as a star. “Day Court?” I asked.

But there, deep within Day’s light … I gleaned it. A purifying, clear power. Cursebreaker—spellbreaker. The light wiped through every physical trapping, showing me the snarls of spells and glamours, showing me the way through … I burned brighter, looking, looking— Buried inside the bone-walls of the castle, the wards were woven strong. I sent that blinding light flaring once more—a distraction and sleight of hand as I severed the wards at their ancient arteries.

At me, resplendent and pure in white, beginning to glow with the light of day as the sun’s path flowed directly over me instead.

I released the damper on the power that I had unleashed in Hybern, my body turning incandescent as light shone through. Pure as day, pure as starlight. “Cursebreaker,” some murmured. “Blessed,” others whispered. [...] I let my glow spread, until it, too, rippled from Lucien’s bowed form. A knight before his queen.

So I bared my teeth and sent a fist of white light punching into that fiery shield—the white light of Day. Spell-breaker. Ward-cleaver.

Death (Moon) - Nesta

Nesta is the oldest of the three and the second sister whose story has been told. She is the second sister. The light she is associated with most is the cold light of the moon, the silver light of death:

But inch by inch, the scabbard slid from the blade. And inch by inch, fresh steel glowed—truly glowed, like moonlight lay within the metal. […] Iridescent sparks danced along the blade. Pure, crackling magic. The light danced and spurted as if an invisible hammer still struck it.

She’d seen a Queen of the Night. As merciless and cold and beautiful as the god Lanthys had wanted to make her. Death’s Consort. Death herself.

In the moonlight, before the silvered lake, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Nesta finished the eighth maneuver, and returned the sword to center. The light in her eyes shone brighter than the moon overhead.

Silver thread embroidered the skintight velvet bodice, the straps so narrow they might as well have been nothing against her moon-white skin.

Upon Nesta, this once-human female who had conquered death, who now glowed as if she had devoured the moon, too.

Rebirth (Dawn) - Elain

And Elain, the middle child whose story I believe will be told next, is the third sister. She is most associated with spring and rebirth, as well as the beauty of dawn:

Beautiful—she’d always been the most beautiful of us. Soft and lovely, like a summer dawn. […] Elain’s golden-brown hair was half up, her pale skin creamy and flushed with color, and her eyes, like molten chocolate, were wide as they took me in.

Elain at last slid into the chair near Mor’s, her dawn-pink dress—finer than the ones she usually wore—crinkling beneath her.

She set down the tray and wiped her flour-coated hands on the apron she wore over her dusty-pink gown. Even in the middle of winter, she was a bloom of color and sunshine. […] I surveyed the food she was assembling and asked between bites, “How long have you been working on this?” A one-shouldered shrug. “Since dawn.” She added, “Nuala and Cerridwen were up hours earlier.”

Elain had walked in halfway through. She’d been toiling in the estate gardens since dawn, and had been solemn as Rhys filled her in. Feyre had been unable to say a word. But Elain’s gaze remained steady as she listened to Rhys.

Her sister’s delicate scent of jasmine and honey lingered in the red-stoned hall like a promise of spring, a sparkling river that she followed to the open doors of the chamber. […] Her sister turned toward her, glowing with health.

Soft steps padded from under the stair archway, and there she was. The Faelights gilded Elain’s unbound hair, making her glow like the sun at dawn.

Their unique light might provide a necessary counterbalance to the dark. They are Hope (iridescent light) shining in the Void (darkness that gobbles up all other light and color) that a weaver of Fate, like Urd, created. As such, they act as a natural foil to the dark death-god siblings who, as @offtorivendell and I suspect, may be born of the Void like the Under-King and princes of Hel in CC. If the Under-King spoke true, beings return to the Void after death, and for the death-god siblings, that might actually be home. This connection to Void may be why the Bone Carver was also so pointed in his questions when Feyre described where she went after death:

“But was there anyone there—were you seeing anything beyond?”

“There was no other world,” the Bone Carver pushed. “If there was or is, I did not see it.”

“No light, no portal?” Where is it that you want to go? The question almost leaped off my tongue. “It was only peace and darkness.”

When the Cauldron took his life, it’s no wonder he was relieved: he was finally returning home. I also wondered in the shifting forms of fate post if the Cauldron was linked to Void (the darkness of beginnings and endings). It seems to be the dark womb from which everything is born, and those who have died can return through it, like a magical portal:

“Long ago, before the High Fae, before man, there was a Cauldron … They say all the magic was contained inside it, that the world was born in it. But it fell into the wrong hands. And great and horrible things were done with it. Things were forged with it. Such wicked things that the Cauldron was eventually stolen back at great cost. It could not be destroyed, for it had Made all things, and if it were broken, then life would cease to be. So it was hidden. And forgotten. Only with that Cauldron could something that is dead be reforged like that.”

But in dying for a worthy cause, did the Carver weaken his other powerful siblings? He and his siblings may be related to the Archesian amulet, a symbol of three overlapping circles in the CC series that provides protection. It’s the symbol the Carver draws for Feyre to explain him and his siblings:

The Carver traced three overlapping, interlocked circles in the dirt. “You have met my sister—my twin. The Weaver, as you now call her. I knew her as Stryga. She, and our older brother, Koschei. How they delighted in this world when we fell into it. How those ancient Fae feared and worshipped them. Had I been braver, I might have bided my time—waited for their power to fade, for that long-ago Fae warrior to trick Stryga into diminishing her power and becoming confined to the Middle. Koschei, too—confined and bound by his little lake on the continent. All before Prythian, before the land was carved up and any High Lord was crowned.”

Bryce wore this symbol in HOEAB and it protected her from detection:

Bryce zipped a tiny golden pendant—a knot of three entwined circles—along the delicate chain around her neck.

Danika went on patrol armed with claws, a sword, and guns, but Bryce’s daily armor consisted solely of this: an Archesian amulet barely the size of her thumbnail, gifted by Jesiba on the first day of work. A hazmat suit in a necklace, Danika had marveled when Bryce had shown off the amulet’s considerable protections against the influence of various magical objects. Archesian amulets didn’t come cheap, but Bryce didn’t bother to delude herself into thinking her boss’s gift was given out of anything but self-interest. It would have been an insurance nightmare if Bryce didn’t have one. Danika nodded to the necklace. “Don’t take that off. Especially if you’re looking into shit like the Horn.” Even though the Horn’s mighty powers had long been dead—if it had been stolen by someone powerful, she’d need every magical defense against them.

But it was to just unclasp the golden amulet from around her neck. “Here. To sweeten the deal. An Archesian amulet. It’s fifteen thousand years old, and fetches around three million gold marks on the market.”

“Says the female with the Archesian amulet around her neck. The amulet of the priestesses who once served and guarded Parthos. I think you know what’s here—that you spend your days in the midst of all that remains of the library after most of it burned at Vanir hands fifteen thousand years ago.”

“Danika knew the Archesian amulet would hide you from any detection, magical or demonic. With that amulet, you were invisible to the kristallos, bred to hunt the Horn.”

So, how are the death-god siblings connected to this amulet? Was it developed by the clever warrior who may have been related to Theia and the Archeron sisters, and was subsequently forgotten? (Hence, the similarity between the names Archesian and Archeron, as @offtorivendell has pointed out to me more than once.) Was it used as protection from or as a way to confine the siblings’ magic? How is that history connected to the priestesses, then and now? Have they intentionally hidden the secrets of this history, biding their time for a sign from Urd? Bryce’s landing in Prythian at the end of HOSAB could be that sign.

Is it also possible that the three interlocking circles are the death-gods themselves, trapped in Prythian as protection against an even greater foe, such as the Asteri? While I do think that Koschei has been set up enough to serve as the main villain in the ACOTAR series, the events of HOSAB have made me wonder how the crossover might impact the future plot. Both the Carver and Weaver—though neither are considered heroes—enter bargains with the Night Court and ultimately sacrifice their lives to help Prythian. When the Carver died, the Weaver felt his loss deeply, like a Brunnian link in Borromean Rings (three interlocking circles). These rings symbolize strength in unity, and when one circle is broken, the other two fall apart. Is it possible, then, that when the Carver and Weaver were killed, Koschei felt their loss just as deeply and was weakened? Is this the reason he appears as a shadow rather than in his true form? Will he serve solely as a villain or could he enter into a bargain like his siblings and help Prythian, and their long-lost relatives who are in Midgard, fight an even greater foe (the Asteri)? Or, equally concerning, was the protection that this symbol may have offered Prythian severed, lifting a protective veil over the world and granting access that was previously locked fifteen thousand years ago? Hence, the appearance of not only Aelin, but Bryce as well, after their deaths.

This ancient, interlocking symbol isn’t exclusive to circles either—there is another, referred to as the valknut, that has three interlocking triangles. The meaning of this Norse symbol isn’t as clear, but it may be associated with Odin, the afterlife, and his ability to bind and unbind. Derived from two words for slain warrior and knot, it may mean knot of the slain warrior. In Norse mythology, the Valkyries served Odin and were sent into battle by him to determine where warriors might go after death. He also had a spear, Gungnir, that would strike true regardless of the skill of the bearer. (Sounds a bit like Truth-Teller, doesn’t it?) This interconnected symbol, as with other knots, sometimes represents the unity between earth, heaven, and hell. Thus, its nine points may symbolize the nine worlds in Norse mythology. The three interlocking triangles most often form mountains, though they can also form a star. Is it possible that this interlocking symbol brings together both the three stars (that we see in the Night Court symbol) and the three mountains of Prythian, an ultimate symbol of the link between different worlds and beings? Is the eight-pointed star in the Prison, much like a compass rose, under the other two mountains as well? And is that where the portals to other worlds exist?

The symbolic union of earth, heaven, and hell may also be connected to the three sisters and three brothers, who create a balance of light and dark as @silverlinedeyes suggests here. And if she and @offtorivendell are correct about the Illyrians being related to the Princes of Hel, is it possible that their union is one of earth (mountain), heaven (star), and hell (demon)? Their powerful union, guided by Theia’s starlight through Bryce, may be what is needed to open the portals, release the armies of Hel, and create an epic inter-world battle to end the tyranny of the Asteri once and for all.

Together, they are a beautiful, monstrous blend of hope and void, life and death, and light and dark.

[emilyondemand]

I have a theory that the novella, if Sarah goes the route of one set thousands of years prior to our current storyline, will be about the Fae warrior that trapped Koschei and Stryga. But I also think that Fae warrior is the missing/nameless daughter of Theia.

And the bone carver calling her his salvation potentially feels a little reminiscent of Rhys saying the same about Feyre. Potential love story there?

And the bone carver drawing what sounds exactly like the archesian amulet that Bryce had:

Probably a little unhinged, but I wouldn’t mind a novella similar to the Elena/Gavin/Brannon snippets we got in tog.

[houseofhurricane]

HOSAB SPOILERS

I've been looking into Norse mythology in connection with Crescent City, and I have a lot of thoughts... but today I want to start with Freya and Frey, how they seem to parallel Bryce and especially Ruhn, and what that might mean for these characters in CC3.

Some caveats: I'm by no means an expert on Norse mythology. I've read Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman (which will be my primary reference here) and have verified that he hasn't changed the myths I'm referencing. In addition, SJM is clearly not doing a straight retelling of Norse mythology in Crescent City, so I will be using these myths to supplement what's already in the series.

Now onto our Vanir in question, by which I mean both Freya and Frey, as well as Bryce and Ruhn. First, yes, the Vanir name is the same. In the myths, the Vanir's powers tended to be connected to nature, and though this could tie into Rhys' claim in ACOSF that the Fae powers used to be more elemental and connected to nature (ACOSF, 443), this hasn't lined up with what we've seen of the Fae powers in Crescent City... though of course there could be reasons for that.

Getting back to the Norse of it all, these siblings were sent to live with the Aesir (the more war-like gods, who include Odin, Thor, and Loki -- and yes, the name sounds awfully similar to "Asteri," and yes, I want to talk about that in a future post, we'll get there) in Asgard after the Aesir-Vanir war concluded, as an act of good faith. They seem to live pretty peacefully, aside from the fact that Freya occasionally gets offered in marriage to candidates she deems undesirable and has to find clever ways to get out of these situations.

If you're already seeing the connections between Freya and Bryce, there are more: she wears the necklace of the Brisings , which comes up in nearly every mention of her, much like Bryce's Archesian amulet, and could also help explain where her name comes from. Perhaps especially in Gaiman's version, her personality is very Bryce-like. Consider this passage:

At this the gods all nodded and grunted and looked impressed. All of them except for Freya, and she looked angry. "You are fools," she said. "Especially you, Loki, because you think yourself clever." (Norse Mythology, 74)

Now, the parallel is by no means perfect, particularly because we know that Bryce is a central character and is very likely to be pivotal in the final battle in this series, whereas Freya tends to disappear when things get serious amongst the Norse gods, especially where Ragnarok is concerned.

However, I think it's possible that the intentionality behind this parallel is to point us towards the two brothers, Frey and Ruhn, who have some more intriguing parallels between them. I'm going to pull from Gaiman again:

Frey, the brother of Freya, was the mightiest of the Vanir. He was handsome and noble, a warrior and a lover, but he was missing something in his life, and he did not know what it was. The mortals of Midgard revered Frey...but this did not fill the empty place inside him. Frey took stock of his possessions: He had a sword so powerful and remarkable that it fought by itself. But this did not satisfy Frey. (Norse Mythology, 201)

In the course of this myth, Frey gives up the sword in order to be with the beautiful woman he loves... which ends up causing him to lose his life in Ragnarok.

Of course, this is once again not a perfect parallel between Frey and Ruhn. Ruhn has the magical Starsword and is revered in Midgard (at least if you want to go by all those photos tourists like to take of him when he walks through Lunathion!), but he gives up that sword to Bryce, his sister, so that she will be protected. We are also shown throughout HOSAB that this kindness isn't something that his budding romance with Lidia brings out in him -- Ruhn offers the Starsword to Bryce from the beginning of HOSAB.

All that said, let's look at how Frey describes Gerd, the woman he falls in love with:

"I looked to the north. I saw a dwelling there, a splendid house. And I saw a woman walking up to the house. I have never seen a woman like her. Nobody who looks like her. Nobody who moves like her. As she raised her arms to unlock the door to her house, the light glanced off her arms, and it seemed to illuminate the air and to brighten the sea, and because she is in it, the whole world is a brighter and more beautiful place." (Norse Mythology, 206-207)

This is reminiscent of the way Ruhn describes Lidia:

Before he could ask Ithan mind-to-mind what he saw, Ruhn found himself faced with the most beautiful female he'd ever seen. "Mind if I join?" Her voice was lovely, fair and cool -- yet no light shone in her amber eyes. ...But Ruhn peered up again at the beautiful female, whose face he knew well thanks to the news and TV, though he'd never seen it in person. Her golden hair glinted in the dim lights as she sat on his right and signaled the bartender with an elegant hand. "I thought we'd play a round of cards," the Hind said. (HOSAB, 346-347)

Lidia and Gerd are described in the context of their beauty, their elegance in motion, their light, and their location (remember that Pangera is to the north of Valbara). Just as Frey gives up his sword for Gerd. Though he doesn't give up his sword for Lidia, Ruhn rushes into the Asteri's dungeons, focused only on saving Agent Daybright. Both are heedless of the cost, driven only by love.

This turns out badly for both of them. In Norse mythology, Frey's lack of a sword ends in his death in Ragnarok. In HOSAB, Ruhn is held prisoner by the Asteri, and his own options look pretty bleak. Remember, that, from the beginning, we've known the Oracle's prediction for this Starborn prince: "The royal bloodline shall end with you, prince" (HOEAB, 164). So it's certainly possible that SJM follows the parallel all the way through: that Ruhn, the Vanir brother, will die for lack of a sword.

However, we know that SJM loves her found families, love stories, and happy endings. And we know that there's one more book to close out the Crescent City saga. So what if Ruhn is Frey reimagined? What if in this story, the sacrifices Ruhn makes out of love are, ultimately, what saves him?

While I can't predict much about CC3 (though not for lack of trying!), I have my fingers crossed that Ruhn survives and gets the happy ending that eludes Frey.

[elains]

Before HOSAB arrives, some predictions I've talked a lot in private but not on main:

• Midgard is Earth. An alternate version of our world, probably, one where the Vanir walked in and colonised, but still, it's Earth. When did the Vanir arrive? In the distant past or the future?

• The Parthos Library is more important than we think. The Humans staked everything in a battle there. We hear it was because they wanted to protect and save something of what they were before the Vanir arrived, their history, but what if it was more than that? Strange that something as powerful as an Archesian Amulet belonged to a Priestess in a Library that Housed the History of Humanity, apparently. There's more to this story. There's something in the library of Parthos the Asteri want gone.

• The Asteri were imprisoned, got released when the gates all opened and killed God or imprisoned God. They will be based on these Angels described below from biblical sources, but TvTropes - Eldritch Abominations summons them up well:

• The Prince of the Pit will be based on the Biblical Abaddon/Apollyon. He's the angel/archangel of the Bottomless Pit, "The Destroyer" but noted to be at the end of day a servant of God.

And this is the end of my tinfoil predictions for CCity hahaha

[fawnandshadows]

“Archesian amulets”

Kind of sounds like

Archeron amulets 🌝🌚

THEORY: Elain Makes herself, Feyre, and Nesta matching amulets

ALTERNATIVE THEORY*: It’s the rose necklace :)

*I don’t remember anything about this amulet other than it sounded like Archeron

[harperbrynne]

CC1 Reread:

Could Luna’s Horn be from the stag represented in Terrasen?

Could the Amulet of Orynth be an Archesian amulet?

[reborn-fae]

Why have we not addressed that RUHN could sense Luna’s Horn even through Bryce’s Archesian Amulet. Hunt explicitly points out “That’s quite a bond, Prince” and if we known anything about Sarah J Maas, is that bonds and relationships will always factor into the series endgame

[mystical-queen-love]

May have bought this necklace because it reminded me of how I pictured Bryce’s archesian amulet in House of Earth and Blood

[paperprincessinspo]

Beautiful Bookish Necklaces | Etsy Finds

Beautiful Bookish Necklaces | Etsy Finds

Bookish merch that’s not super obvious can be so beautiful. You can add that little touch of your fandom to your outfit even at the fanciest of occasions. Archesian Amulet Necklace Archesian amulet from the Crescent City series by Sarah J Maas. Made with sterling silver and then dipped in gold. SHOP NOW Necklace Miniature Book FromNewLeaf offers these beautiful necklace charms that can have…

[longsightmyth]

“Archesian Amulets didn’t come cheap, but Bryce didn’t bother to delude herself into thinking her boss’ gift was anything but self-interest.”

*sighs deeply*

“Archesian amulets didn’t come cheap, but Bryce knew her boss’ gifts were never out of anything but self-interest.”