#besteel wondla

[dracocheesecake]

Someone please tell me I'm not alone here:

Is anyone else just maybe perhaps a lliiitttle teensy weensy bit thirsty for Besteel? Or am I alone here?

[inkteresting-art]

I kinda tried to combine his pallet from the show and also off the book, leaned more on the spots he seems to have more then the stripes due to not being able to see all of him.. but I'm happy with my version

[ladyanaconda]

Dorcean Headcanons: Hunting

Hunting has great part in their culture. Unfortunately, there's many misconceptions about their view on it.

They have an honor code when it comes to hunting, which is taught to them from a young age. It consists of three simple rules.

Never lay claim to another hunter's prey.

Always perform a clean kill.

Nothing goes to waste

And now, some trivia on this aspect of Dorcean culture, as well as some analysis about their honor code.

Not all Dorceans are hunters. However, it is a preferred career.

Even at his most desperate during his two-year hunting, Besteel never broke the honor code.

Hunting is a dangerous job, and there are days when even the most veteran hunters return home empty-handed. As such, no matter the circumstances, taking an animal from someone else's trap, AKA stealing, is frowned upon, if not utterly vilified. And yes, freeing the animals counts. No wonder Besteel was so mad at Rovender!

As many hunters point out, they hunt 'for sport' because they're hired to do so. In fact, Vamphyr himself once said non-Dorceans would rather have them kill Orbona's animals because they're too cowardly to do so themselves—a sentiment shared by most Dorceans.

Hunters will often decorate the walls of their homes with trophies from their most challenging quarries.

It might not look like it, but hunting gliders require high maintenance. As such, only veteran hunters can afford to have one. And they take very good care of it.

As mentioned before, a hunter will sometimes return home empty-handed. As such, when they make a kill, they will take everything that can be used from the carcass, leaving nothing to go to waste. Hunters who do so are often inexperienced.

They will never use poison—not out of morals, but practicality. Poison can potentially ruin the carcass's quality or, at worst, make its meat inedible. As such, Cassiora's unorthodox use of poisoned or drugged arrows to bring down prey was looked at with disapproval.

When they kill an animal for survival reasons, Dorceans have a small rite that involves thanking it for its sacrifice in their language. If the animal is agonizing, they put a quick end to their suffering.

While Dorceans make their first kill at an early age, they're not considered fully-fledged hunters until they've undergone a rite of passage at 14 years old. They're taken to the Heart of the Forest and left there with a time limit of 24 hours; they cannot return to the village without killing something.

Needless to say, Besteel's kill was exceptional for his young age: an adult vipanther, a deadly predator from the Dorcean homeworld that can give even veteran hunters a run for their money. This was such an impressive feat that the entire tribe threw a celebration in his honor.

Redimus, on the other hand… Well, let's just say that everyone could see he didn't have the character nor the cold blood to be a hunter—something he and Thalyss were quite content with.

Mammusk hunts are held yearly to replenish the tribe's food supply for winter. This is a social event in which most, if not all, of the tribe's hunters take part.

Dorceans have plenty of songs that focus on hunting activities, extolling the strength of a particular hunter, a particularly fearsome creature—such as Broken Tooth. These may be sung in many contexts: before or during a hunt, before battle with external forces, and during social events.

Btw, I imagine the vipanther looking like the tobi-kadachi from monster hunter.

…Without the elemental attacks that is.

[theflyingpimphat]

Besteel pinup, because it appears he has a 100% "would smash" rating from what I've seen so far.

[kevinexe06]

So i recently watched Wondla (animated series) and immediately fell in love. I might read the books (if we don't get another season </3)

sooo.,...., while watching, i kinda liked the dynamic between muthr and Rovender :)

yeah i kinda ship them but only in the movie, idk about the books yet

And I drew Besteel because he's kinda badass, also I made him a little sister because why not. I love that trope of bigger brother and baby sister

her name is Averill. She's a toddler, and next to her is another oc. He's a cowboy bounty hunter

doodles

[autumnalfallingleaves]

Question, in the first few chapters on WondLa, before Rovee gave Eva the translator, were you able to decode what Besteel and Rovee were saying? I’m still having a hard time trying to figure out what they’re saying. Still wondering what Shee-na means.

*spreads arms dramatically* My time has come.

Lmao. I love conlangs, so I've definitely tried to translate the non-human dialogue a couple times over the years, so I'll give it my best shot!

First, I think "shee-na" probably means "quiet" or a variation thereof, given that Rovender makes a shushing motion when saying that. As for book dialogue:

"'Ovanda say tateel?'" (pg. 69, Rovender)

Likely "What are you doing?" I'd be inclined to translate as "Who/what are you?" instead if not for the fact that Rovender says this same thing to Eva when she's hiding under Otto on pg. 94. They're sort of familiar with each other at this point, so it doesn't make any sense to ask who she is again.

"'Daff effu Cærulean?'" (pg. 77, Besteel)

Possibly something along the lines of a snarky greeting, or "What are you doing, Cærulean?", or even "We meet again, Cærulean?". From context clues, I'd say Besteel and Rovender have crossed paths before (they seem slightly familiar with each other; Besteel knows Rovender by name) and have a history of not liking the other/Rovender keeps messing with Besteel. This is also why I'd posit a snarky greeting.

"'Tuda neem,'" (pg. 82, Besteel)

"Don't worry," meant in an extremely worrying fashion.

"'Kap und gabbo.... Ta, broog iffa yu nabba,'" (pg. 83, Besteel)

Context seems to suggest "ta" is "yes" in the common Orbonian language. The whole thing is perhaps "You can't escape [or you are scared].... Yes, you will be perfect [or: you will live]," possibly as a reference to his mission to capture specimans to free Redimus.

"'Oeeah. Te banga nee peezil,'" (pg. 83, Rovender)

"Oeeah" is an exclamation, so has no translation. Possibly "see what he's doing there"?

"'Dot, dat.'" (pg. 83, Rovender)

"Stop, no." "Dat" appears to be "no".

"'Peesa van shuuzu,'" (pg. 84, Rovender)

"Going up is the only way out"; "peesa" is "up".

"'Ta! Ta! [...] Peesa.'" (pg. 84, Rovender)

"Yes! Yes! [...] Up."

"'Pra! Dooma boffa!'" (pg. 85, Besteel)

"Back! Stupid animal!" (translation note: what an asshole)

"'Dat, dat, dat. [...] Te,'" (pg. 85, Rovender)

"No, no, no. [...] There,'"

"'Tasha, zaata,'" (pg. 87, Rovender)

"Alright, go,"; "zaata" is "go".

"'Bluh, sizzu feezi,'" (pg. 88, Rovender)

"Bluh" is an exclamation and has no translation. "Feezi" means "nymph"; this seems to be a word Orbonians-- or at least Cæruleans and/or Halcyonus-- use for children. Eva is referred to as "the nymph" and-- I believe-- "the nymph of the forest" and, in the 200 years later epilogue, the language blend of English and the common Orbonian language gives us "'Feezi, known as Eva'", providing a direct translation. This whole phrase, then, could be "Bluh, ridiculous nymph."

"'Feezi meed! [...] Ya battee meer de hagrim Ruzender. Wha seesha?'" (pg. 88, Besteel)

"The nymph is gone! [...] You're to blame for this, Rovender. Where is she?"

"'Grazeet! [...] Zaata! Zaata! Zaata!'" (pg. 90, Rovender)

"Move! [...] Go! Go! Go!"

"'Nassa Ruzender Keet!'" (pg. 92, Besteel)

"Goddamn [or Orbonian equivalent curse word] Rovender Kitt!"

"'Tista baffa fooh!'" (pg. 94, Besteel)

"Get back here!"

"'Gabu Baasteel!'" (pg. 94, Rovender)

"[insert Orbonian curse word] Besteel!"

"'Feezi! [...] Zaata! Zaata!'" (pg. 96, Rovender)

"Nymph! [...] Go! Go!"

"'Dat, dat, dat, [...] Feezi zaata. [...] Ruzender zaata.'" (pg. 96, Rovender)

"No, no, no. [...] Nymph go. [...] Rovender go." Sentence and grammatical structure are likely heavily simplified due to neither of them being able to understand one another and Rovender being like "what is the most simple thing this weird kid could understand"

"'Grasset de fugill Ruzender!'" (pg. 97, Besteel)

"You're dead, Rovender!"

"'Ewa seetha tadasha,'" (pg. 99, Rovender)

"That was exciting," said by someone who wishes this never happened.

"'Ta! Feezi!'" (pg. 99, Rovender)

"Yes! Nymph!"

"'Zuzu, zuzu,'" (pg. 100, Rovender)

"Wait, wait,"

"'Kip! Kip!'" (pg. 100, Rovender)

"Talk! Talk!" The transcoder later has Rovender say "Tes, continue kipping" as it calibrates, so "kip" is probably "talk".

"'Dat, dat, dat, feezi, [...] Doot, doot, ba kip!'" (pg. 100, Rovender)

"No, no, no, nymph, [...] Closer, closer, and talk!"

"'Dat, [...] Peesa tobondi feezi, ta kipli.'" (pg. 101, Rovender)

"No, [...] Keep it up close, nymph, and talk."

"'Zazig. I try to peebla foo,'" (pg. 101, Rovender)

"Sort of. I try to make it easier,"

"'If you do, [...] you hret graaveem my speech.'" (pg. 102, Rovender)

"If you do, [...] you understand my speech."

I think that's all the Orbonian language we get; I hope this helps! :)

[lemondragoncheesecake]

*Sees clips from new Wondla show*

Besteel: *grabs Eva's entire waist in ONE HAND*

Me:

[dracocheesecake]

Besteel: *says he'll hunt me for sport*

Me:

This guy is kinda hhhhhnnnnggg.

[orbona]

We finally got the a first look and more information on the upcoming WondLa series! Tony posted these images to his socials, along with a link to the official PR release.

We have release a date! It is set for June 28, 2024 on Apple TV+. It is slated for 7 episodes and will cover the first book.

Casting announcements!

- Jeanine Mason (“Roswell, New Mexico”) as Eva

- Teri Hatcher (“Desperate Housewives”) as Muthr

- Gary Anthony Williams (“TMNT: Out of the Shadows”) as Rovender

- Brad Garrett (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) as Otto

- Chiké Okonkwo (“The Birth of a Nation”) as Besteel

- D.C. Douglas as Omnipod

- Alan Tudyk as Cadmus Pryde

[aro-geo-turtle]

ok i've watched the first three episodes of the apple WondLa show. Here's my thoughts (minor spoilers ahead)

my biggest take away is that, despite aging Eva up to 16, the tone is much lighter than the original. I do love the montage of her growing up with Muther, I really do, but starting with that instead of "Eva Nine was dying, waiting for her body to shut down from snake bite" (even if the latter was just a simulation) just sets such a different vibe.

Besteel's still scary, that's good, but we don't see him butchering Otto's herdmember right in front of everyone; Rovee's knife cuts through ropes like they're cobwebs instead of having to saw through; we first see a baby sandsniper in distress instead of a mother looming ominously in the distance; ep 3 invents a whole silly character and a rather bland "gamble so we can get money" subplot. There's no blood, no cuts or rope burns or anything. The landscapes are still beautifully alien, but there's something a little more pastel and whimsical about them.

the animation style, particularly of the landscape, Eva and Muther, has something just a bit...plastic-y about it. I don't really understand why Eva and Muther's redesigns are so drastic, though I can imagine some bits and pieces of them that might be hard to animate I suppose?

and otto...my boy otto what did they do to you??? he is not supposed to be the comic relief animal sidekick guys, this is not my otto!

I'm not saying the show is bad, though.

Rovee was always my favorite character and they've really nailed him, both in design and in vibes. Seeing Hostia's family was wonderful (though I haven't see the migration mural yet, which is kinda important...?) and Muther, despite the redesign, talks and acts and reasons like Muther does. They're hammering home the themes of family really well, especially with Muther's thing about not being human.

Introducing Cadmus earlier is a change that I think has a lot of potential, and I don't have a problem with hinting towards Eight leaving the WondLa for Eva. Did I see Hailey's name in the Sanctuary hub? I admire how closely they're sticking to the plot and the slow pace with the episodes directly being adaptations of chapters. Also, why do they keep saying Eva's name like that??

[dracocheesecake]

I haven't read Wondla yet but is this accurate?

[inkteresting-art]

A lad I'm getting found of~

[ladyanaconda]

Hello, Fayluna

Fayluna pokes out of mommy's pouch and sees daddy for the first time. So tinyyyyy!

She's about five months old, so she's still covered in her white lanugo coat.

[spacefinch]

Rereading “The Search for WondLa.”

A few highlights:

The audiobook is top tier. I love the voices that the narrator does.

Eva Nine’s sass and stubbornness. Twelve-year-olds will be twelve-year-olds, even in a post-apocalyptic world.

Eva and Rovender being found family (albeit reluctantly at first)

On a similar note, Rovender kind of reminds me of Dr. McCoy from Star Trek TOS. I don’t know how to explain it, but he just does.

Eva: I’m TWELVE. I’m not a child anymore. Me, reading: you are still a child. If I could give her an apple juice, I would.

THE ILLUSTRATIONS!!!!!!

And we can’t forget that between escaping Besteel and returning to her Sanctuary, Eva Nine hiked through an unfamiliar forest IN HER STOCKING FEET. The sheer nerve. I can’t even walk across my front lawn in my sock feet.

@sneakboots this is one of my comfort books, and I’m so happy to have found another fan.

[just-prime]

WondLa ep 1 : go sit in the corner and think about what you've done

Prepare yourself for two things : A) Wow this story beat was so much better in the book + B) Wow this artstyle really sucks the life out of the world

Okay, if nothing else, Eva's design is really really cute. Though I don't know why they're pronouncing it Eh-va instead of E-va...like Eve which was what I always assumed was the reference.

Also, having just reread the book, the first chapter starts off in such a facinating way because you have that split second of "Oh no is she actually dying?" before the simulation is revealed. And I get that they want to run us through Eva's entire childhood, but the book does such a better job of showing us the world through Eva's eyes. Also I hate the new design/talkativeness of the Omnipod.

NO NO NO NO NO, WHY are they doing all of this context with Cadmus??? Cadmus was never even fully explored until book 2! Eva being in the dark about Cadmus's role in everything is kinda pivotal. Cadmus is a mystery that Eva has to figure out over the course of the books. Teased in the first book, explored in the second and third. Having Holo-Cadmus show up is just giving the game away. As well as the explanation about Earth.

As assumed, I hate hate hate Muthr's new design. Book Muthr is very clearly not human, a cool looking robot. It gives a sense of unease for anyone familiar with the genre, and makes us instinctually weary. And yet those expectations are subverted as Muthr's devotion and love for Eva is explored and cemented. By making her this lovable very human looking smoothed out plush, it robs the story of being able to have those more subtle interactions with the audience.

Surprise surprise they've aged Eva up, from 12 (in the book) to 16...for some reason. So much of the joy and fear of the book comes from Eva's fearlessness, a sort of recklessness only found in children. She has meetings with toys that she hides away in a shaft of the Sanctuary, she's held onto the WondLa since she could walk, she's terrified a good 2/3rds of the time and yet continuing in.

This Eva seems to just wander into things.

INCLUDING BESTEEL! Instead of him attacking on his own, it's Eva waving a light at him which shows him where to break in!

Aaaand she just fell off a cliff.

~Post Ep thoughts~

Wow, I kinda hate everything about this. I know I said I would watch all 7 episodes but honestly I might bail.

They've added in a few weird things.

First off, Eva just found the WondLa. In the first episode. None of her holding on to it for years and wondering. Nope, she's just exploring the service tunnel (which she also only found just now) and finds a fucked up hatch to the surface. Stuck in the hatch is the WondLa and it had a note on the back that said "EVA FIND ME" which is just very strange and I'm guessing it's connected to the main second change.

Secondly, instead of all the sanctuaries being connected, there are just meant to be 6 kids per sanctuary with their own wing. What Eva finds is the tunnel to the rest of the main sanctuary. Unclear what happened to the other kids, though it's implied they are either dead or never existed. This is such a strange way to go about it, and means that the world lacks the isolating feeling that Eva experiences when she realizes that she is the only human, and while fellow book readers will know that Eva is not exactly alone either the whole point of the first book was to drive home the alien aspect of the world and the Eva being very much alone.

Fucking hell these episodes are only 20 minutes but it took me a full hour given how much I was pausing to angrily write down my notes.

Okay, onwards to episode too. We'll see how this goes

[autumnalfallingleaves]

Just a quick question: in the WondLa Show, were you able to decode what Rovee was saying before he gave Eva the translation gum?

Somewhat-- the thing about the show is that it does not provide subtitles for the Orbonian language, which is annoying, so I won't be able to transcribe most words. However, I'll give a transcription based off of vibes my best shot!

Interestingly enough, Besteel doesn't have any dialogue beyond grunts and laughter until after Eva gets the Jargum, so Rovender's the only one with Orbonian language dialogue. 

(Continued below the cut)

"Shee-nah!" (7:45, Rovender)

Very likely "Quiet!"

"Sheesa, Besteel!" (7:57, Rovender)

"Sheesa" is an exclamation and thus has no direct translation. This would be like us going "Shit, Besteel!" or some other similar exclamation.

Exclamation (8:05, Rovender)

Probably "Run!", based on the way he and Eva yell at the same time and take off right after.

"Ha-ka! Ha-ka." (sp.) (9:55, Rovender)

Likely "Over there! Over there." or something to that effect.

Dialogue (11:54, Rovender)

"What took you so long? We don't have much time!"

Dialogue (13:20, Rovender)

"Let's go!"

Dialogue (13:24, Rovender)

"Just drop it and go!" (Referring to Muthr)

Word that sounds a lot like "Goodbye" (13:27, Rovender)

Quite possibly that exact word! Or "He's waking up"

(Incredibly exasperated) dialogue (17:46, Rovender)

"It's a translator. Chew it."

Dialogue, segueing into "...and stop complaining about the taste!" (17:57, Rovender)

"And now we can understand on another. And stop complaining about the taste!"