#bison is truly a fascinating character to me

[nnnn99999]

I refuse to believe Bison is as naive as he comes off as.

Although Fadel is very protective of him and nags at him all the time, he does not restrict him too much. He lets Bison live his life, he just makes sure to remind him of their reality from time to time. And that too because Bison tends to get carried away and forgets that they are, in fact, assassins and they need to keep a low profile so that they don't get caught. But it's not like Fadel is following Bison everywhere all the time. He keeps tabs on him, yes, but only when he thinks Bison is going too far. Fadel doesn't actually interfere in Bison's life unless he feels Bison is putting himself in danger.

During his first meeting with Kant, Bison immediately knew what game Kant was playing. And why wouldn't he? Bison is no stranger to men lusting over him. If he has acted as a bait for his missions as often as I assume, there is no reason for him to not understand that Kant's affection for him is not that deep yet. I do believe Kant genuinely likes Bison, but nowhere near as much as he is trying to show. Professional assassin Bison, who kills people for a living, and seduces his targets to facilitate said killing, has to know the difference between passing interest, lust, like and love right?

After their first night together, it was Kant who was reminiscing and savoring his experience with Bison. It was Kant who wanted more with Bison. Bison, on the other hand, was completely normal. He probably wouldn't even give Kant a second thought had he not showed up to his workplace and started pursuing him aggressively. Because Bison knows and fully understands his own circumstances. He knows the rules set up by the mother. He knows how dangerous it is for him to fall in love. He knows all of that too well. And not just because Fadel makes sure to remind him 5 times a day. But because Bison himself feels trapped and suffocated by this lifestyle and just wants to break free. Who could understand his situation better than himself?

So why is Bison such a lovestruck, giggling mess? It's because he is living in a fantasy. Unlike Fadel who has completely accepted the life he was dealt with, Bison cannot accept his reality at all. Bison would rather delude himself to believe that what he has with Kant is love. He would rather live in a fantasy than face the grim reality of life. He does not love Kant. He only loves the idea of being in love, a love that could potentially free him from his prison.

Why Kant and not anyone else? First, because Kant does have genuine affection for Bison and I think Bison can feel it. Second, because Bison realises Kant is willing to let go and let Bison take control, albeit in very particular situations and in very limited amount. However, just the fact that Bison can gain some control in his relationship with Kant must be exhilarating for Bison. His desire for control makes him want to indulge in this relationship that allows him to be free and take control, even if it is just a little.

So I think Bison knows Kant is not as genuine as he seems. I noticed that Bison has stated multiple times that he just wants something casual, it's Kant who is constantly pushing for a serious relationship because of his own agenda. Bison is not in love. Bison is just living in a fantasy. And he knows that it is in fact, just a fantasy. So when the time comes and Kant's true intentions are revealed, I think Bison will go crazy. Not just becasue Bison truly likes Kant and wanted to experience a proper relationship for the first time. But also because Kant shattered Bison's lovely fantasy. The fantasy where Bison is just a normal guy falling in love with another normal guy. Bison is purposely ignoring Kant's shadiness because to him it doesn't matter. As long as Bison can hold Kant in the palm of his hands, does Kant's initial intentions even matter?

[camlannpod]

Character Playlist: Peredur Green

Happy off-week! We'll all pretend this one was on time. If you're new, hi! Since Camlann releases every two weeks, on the off weeks I'm posting these breakdowns of the character playlists. You can find Morgan's here and Dai's here.

This week it's time for our favourite knight, Peredur!

Brother by The Brilliance

When I look into the face Of my enemy I see my brother I see my brother

Perry's big problem is that they're a knight. And they love the other knights. They feel a siblinghood with them which is incredibly hard for them to ignore. The knights are their family, their home, their story - the place they're meant to be. But it's a family that won't accept them as they are. Perry so badly wants the knights to change their mind.

2. Battle Cry by The Family Crest

Oh, my love, my heart don't cry We were born to die But for this moment, for all time Oh, I will fight for you I will die for you

Perry's a knight! They very much see it as their duty to fight and die to protect the people they love. Right now, that especially means Morgan and Dai, who they've been travelling with since their escape from the Knights. Perry will risk life and limb to keep them safe. (This song is also about Dai. A lot of these songs are about how Perry feels about Dai)

3. Cypress Queen by The Last Bison

On and over the northwest river We go trusting in the Cypress Queen She'll keep us afloat We retreat into our fortress gold To a sanctuary in the trees That i call home

I'm 90% sure this song is about a boat? But I took it literally - this is Perry's feelings about Guinevere, or Shújūn - a woman who they certainly do not trust for us, but to whom they are drawn by their story and with whom they, deep down, have a lot of sympathy. Perry knows exactly what it's like to have a major role in someone else's narrative.

4. See You Through My Eyes by The Head and The Heart

Until you learn to love yourself The door is locked to someone else I'm just as damaged as you are

Perry is just as traumatised by the apocalypse as everyone else, they're just better at hiding it. In general their approach toward their emotions is to pack them up tightly in a box and pretend they're not happening, which is obviously wildly unhealthy. Perry spends so much of their time inspired by and loving their friends, especially Morgan and Dai, but they never open up when they need to and trust them with the more 'difficult' parts of themself.

5. Carry by Branches

I'm feeling like Moses and my arms are getting heavy Brother, would you come and lift them up for me?

Perry has been single handedly carrying Morgan and Dai through the apocalypse. They would never admit it, but this is exhausting, and they desperately need a break. Unfortunately for them, they live in a riddle-twisted landscape full of magic and monsters, so they can never truly relax. They need to stop and they can't, and sometimes they think hey, if they lost the next battle at least they wouldn't have to get up and fight another one.

6. House a Habit by We Are The Guests

Let's make this house a habit Let's make the sun shine

Partly because Perry is Permanently Exhausted, they very badly want to turn the cottage into a real, meaningful home base that feels safe. Perry has always been the kind of person to put down roots, and the last six months of trekking back and forth across Britain has really worn them down. They desperately want this place to be a real home.

7. Selkie-Boy by Spell Songs, Julie Fowlis

Go now, Selkie-Boy, swim from the shore Rinse your ears clean of human chatter And empty your bones of heather and moor And your mind of human matter

Honestly, Dai fascinates Perry. He is completely unlike them in almost every way and they find that beautiful and addictive. They've always felt that there was something ethereal about him and his ability to find hope and love in even the darkest places. Perry would follow Dai anywhere.

8. Church Key by Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Have you gone farther looking in the dark For a fire that can keep you warm Wander off the trail, lose track of all the details Till we make it to our door, where we can sleep

Oh Perry wants answers. The Cataclysm is an apocalypse of contradictions and mysteries and Perry so very badly wants to untangle the cat's cradle of stories in which they are caught. They are also exactly the kind of obsessive academic who will wear themself thin looking for the information they seek. Eventually, they just need to rest.

9. We Will All Be Changed by Seryn

We can write with ink and pen But we will sew with seeds instead Starting with words we've said And we will all be changed

The song on every main character playlist! For Perry, the apocalypse is a lesson in moving from theory to applied learning - from writing about flowers to planting seeds in the soil. It's fieldwork! In more ways than one, and in more ways than one, it's good for them, despite everything.

[fadelbison]

Yk, if you wanted proper incest. 😉 Twins to boot. (Honestly I have no info on how the pairing works but this felt on brand for you and for me, tbh.)

https://www.tumblr.com/mysterygrl20/768237278733778944/thailand-tontae-tinnakorn-alongside-taiwanese?source=share

I am truly living in the good timeline of fujoshi rights hahaha god i will certainly keep my eyes out for twincest cultural promotion.

this is probably a good time to come out as not an incest shipper AHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA in fact the one time I tried putting fadelbison that way it ended in failure - i just really like compelling stories and I have seen and read many incest stories that have fascinated me - they're really not that uncommon lol - but its not a genre i often enjoy. Jamie and Circe were like a BIG reason as to why I never continued GoT

i do love a good foster siblings i love a good siblings by marriage. i love understanding what they hide behind those societal imposed rules, so much of incest is also that - this quest of finding the self through another. the barriers that exist in seeing ourselves, the ones we put ourselves and the ones that we haven't. I'm really enjoying Lucien and Caroline in Cruel Intentions, just as I LOVE this dynamic between Fadel and Bison. They're assassins but they're brothers. Bison honestly does nothing but leech off Fadel and Fadel keeps himself totally locked up and away from him. There's so much distance in that relationship so much lack of intimacy but they love each other, you can see it in everything they do. why are they brothers? what makes them brothers?

If they were step siblings like bison claimed then suddenly the answer is simple, easy. blood. the only thing other than yourself you can claim on your own (agh but even then it pulls, no? at the heartstrings the intense desire to be known? to be claimable).

but god its worse when there's not even blood. i actually had to get @kattyangel who read the spoilers to confirm they are not - when there's not even blood then what are the scars that weave you together? whats festering beneath your love - oh thats where its at! thats where fadelbison got me in this chokehold.

and of course leaning into the incest has opened me up to another, much more uglier part of this fandom. human beings and their love for their image and their moral superiority are so fascinating. ive seen people say that joongkhao are okay but not fadelbison even if they aren't related 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

as a long time RPF shipper I can assure you that the ethical dilemmas behind shipping two real people in any capacity will always be a lot more salient and complex than any behind two fictional characters no matter how nasty a context you put them in. god i love the internet.

[swanface]

-kicks down your door- tornface all of them because I know you will for him

✨ initial thoughts / opinions

i've said it before, but when i was initially starting to get a glimpse of tornface, i thought he was forgotten elegy's big bad. all the art i'd seen of him seemed to imply that he was a villain, and he had a pretty notorious reputation even upon joining the group that made me think he was perhaps a bit problematic.

and like...yeah, i guess he is technically problematic, but as soon as i actually got to roleplay with him, i was immediately surprised. he was far from what i expected, not even a little bit the brutal bad guy i'd imagined him to be. i was really quickly fond of him, and that fondness has not faded!

🍁 favorite rp / moment

i have two to spare, one more self centered and another that just makes me go heart eyes at him. the first favorite roleplay is the one where he spoke to roseface (rosepaw then) after the reveal that she'd been spying on mountainclan. the two of them finally getting to reunite as friends made me beyond happy, and i feel like it was a super important moment for them both. he asked her during that roleplay whether she thought scoutstar was capable of changing, of being a good leader for timberclan, and i imagine roseface's support of her helped lead to her promotion. there are also just so many brilliant quotes from him within it, like when he talks to her about how killing changes you...or how it should. part of what he says there actually ties into my next favorite roleplay of his, because he discusses how he chose to spare coalstar at little pond.

that's my other favorite tornface moment because of how much growth it displayed. coalstar's death could have easily been justified in that moment, and given his history with her, he had very little reason to show mercy. given what happened at that battle, it might have been "better" for her to die. still, tornface choosing to let her live was incredibly important in the grand scheme of it all. he chose to stop more blood from being shed during a battle that ended in the loss of so much life. he chose to let coalstar walk away, and that altered both the course of the roleplay as a whole as well as his own personal track of development.

❄️ favorite quote

i can't go prowling through timberclan channels or else i'd probably pull something from the story he told roseface in their first interaction, so, beyond that...i am still so fixated on another quote he had with regard to her, back when he first learned she had gone to mountainclan.

"I wish I could make good on my offer to train you, but,” his muzzle turned up, revealing another fresh scar beneath his chin, gaze wistful as he watched the passing of the clouds, “I can’t teach you how to hurt my clanmates.”

there are so many good tornface quotes, ones more complex than that one, but i still remember it because of how simple and tragic it was in the moment. it also really just displays his character so wonderfully, how he is capable of caring about cats from mountainclan, but how he has to keep them at a distance. his clan is the most important thing to him, before anything else.

🌸 favorite relationship dynamics

huh, i wonder if my obsession with tornface and roseface's friendship shows in just how much i've mentioned them already.

okay, but really, beyond those two (who i obviously love), i think one of my favorite dynamics tornface has is with scoutstar. watching tornface go from basically ready to maim scoutstar for what she did to flurrypaw to the way he is now, ready and willing to trust her (at least as much as he can, given how many cats he's had walk out on him lately) is really special. they're not exactly perfectly suited towards being friends, but they both share a lot of similarities in how they're perceived (as "monsters" or villains, most often) and how deeply they care for those around them.

☘️ relationship dynamics with the most potential

any relationship at all! tornface is such a fascinating character, and regardless of whether or not he gets along with someone, i think every cat should meet him. he has a fascinating perspective to offer on clan life to any loners, and i also adore the unique dynamics he has with mountainclan cats. i miiight be a bit biased though.

more specifically, i'd love to see hosea and tornface talk. hosea is really doubting clan life currently, understandably so, and hearing from a cat with as much experience in it as tornface might help to make him feel slightly more at ease. i think tornface would be fond of hosea, too, as a fellow cat who would sacrifice just about anything for his family. they both seem to be the sort to shoulder the burden so that no one else has to feel it, and i'd looove to see them link up some day soon.

🌲 who I ship them with

i do hope for tornface to find love someday, but as it stands right now...no one, really? his failed romance with wolftalon is interesting and probably by favorite dynamic of the bunch, but i truly do think tornface deserves to move on from it. every other cat within his age range doesn't feel like they'd quite mesh, at least not as things stand. i imagine hemlock would drive him crazy, and rooster would likely do the same, especially given he's now taking lessons and advice from beetleheart. one day we'll find the perfect boyfriend for him, though. one day.

🍄 cross-clan ships

i was ready to say his only option would be rooster, but typing about hosea above made me realize that he's actually a viable candidate...and probably the only one tornface would tolerate. i doubt he'd ever be willing to commit to a cross-clan relationship fully, though, simply because it would likely end in disaster for the mountainclan half of the relationship. i don't think tornface would willingly ask someone to endure that; he'd just invite them to come to timberclan with him.

☀️ ideal friendships

tornface and hosea, as i've said. rufus plays them both, but tornface and lynx would be comical. i also think that a friendship between him and wildfire would be sweet...as for the new timberclan loners, from what i've seen thus far of them, i think he is developing a bond with stinger, which is also something i am 100% in support of.

🌈 something I want to happen in their character arc

i want him to live a very long life. do you hear me, rufus? i want him to be over 100 moons. i want him to be safe and unharmed.

on a similar but less joking note, i do think that retirement would be a good conclusion to his arc. a sweet one, though he might not be afforded it. he deserves to rest after serving his clan for moons and moons, especially after all the energy he has invested into supporting timberclan...and mountainclan, honestly! his bond with cats like redpath and roseface matters, even if he's not well renowned otherwise.

anyway. retirement. imagine tornface, old and graying, telling all the best elder stories. the kits flock to him and decorate his den and nest with all sorts of trinkets. he's the oldest cat in timberclan, the last to remember tales that have faded into obscurity, and his clan finally gets to take care of him in the same way he has taken care of them.

🌼 alternate name

sort of in line with the next question as i'm imagining names as per the mountainclan naming guide...i think bear- would be a suitable suffix for him, or something like ram- as a callback to the whole "animal with horns / antlers" motif. elk-, even, could work. alternatively, name him tiger-! give him the vibe of the broad shouldered brown tabby villain i was so certain he was.

bearclaw, ramclaw, elkclaw, are all good, at least as far as non-name change options go. i also think he would make for a good -throat cat by mountainclan standards, or a good -path. bearpath sounds nice. elkthroat...so many options!

if we're going for the same name change idea, though, another alternative to tornface could be tatteredface...or tatteredeye? cloudedeye as well. sooo many name thoughts, so little time.

☁️ alternate clan au

mountainclan tornface is certainly wild to think about. if he'd been in mountainclan throughout the events of the roleplay, i think they would have played out considerably differently. i imagine he would have stood up against the idea of taking moonpaw and archpaw when it occurred, and perhaps he could have played the part of an antagonist within the clan for coalstar specifically. imagine having to argue with one of your senior warriors nearly constantly. it would have damaged her reputation further, i imagine.

if he had been in mountainclan, too, i think he would have likely been one of the cats to assist in iceshadow adapting to life there. maybe he'd have better feelings on behalf of lichenfang, and could have helped him similarly to how he helped glassflower with moonpaw.

🍃 alternate rank au

not an official rank, per say, but as i mentioned in the naming concept for him had he been a mountainclan cat...storyteller tornface would be so fitting. he's already one, technically, just by timberclan standards instead. he'd fit into the role perfectly...i still think about the warm bison story.

🌺 warrior ceremony virtues

compassion for those in need, selflessness / readiness to sacrifice his own well being for his clanmates...bravery, however basic that is. generosity, too, though i suppose that fall in line with compassion. i think something to honor the hardships he's been through would be good, too, like resilience.

⚡️ who would give them lives

he just said he would never let tornstar see the light of day, but...tackling this question less on the front of utilizing already dead cats, more on the concept of just going for cats who'd want to give him a life in general as i am sorely uneducated regarding deceased timberclan cats. roseface, first of all, because i am selfish and she loves him. she'd give him a life of friendship and understanding. another mountainclan cat i'd consider would be redpath. maybe a life for the love a parent has for their kits? scoutstar, i imagine, especially if she had to die in order for him to step up...wolftalon, however tense or complex that would be. bisonheart, definitely. houndfang and mooseheart, for sure, at least if they were able to, and moonpaw (though the thought of her giving him a life is heartbreaking) would also be good candidates. for a final one, i just think inkpool would be funny. she'd be reluctant, i imagine, but would also probably recognize that he does care for timberclan despite their differences.

[oh-theatre]

AVATAR PATTON?#?!? :0000 ILYSM THAT MAKES MY HEART SO HAPPY u make me wanna draw for it if u continue and add info about it so this is an ask,,,, for u to infodump if u wanna,,, - sage 💛🌻

OHMYGOSH ABSOLUTELY I WILL!!  also it kinda follows ATLA like i take some plotlines but also alot is just me :D

- important notes: Ro and Remus are earthbenders and twins! however they are extremely close with Toph because i said so 

- SOME OF THE ATLA CHARACTERS ARE IN HERE BECAUSE I S A I D SO-

- i forgot to mention in OG post but Janus is a waterbender but hes apart of the southern water tribe and spoiler hes also a bloodbender!-

He has a flying bison named Tomi, Tomi actually has a little baby bison which Patton named spirit (because i say so)

He was told to keep the fact that he was the avatar a secret because of the dangers it would bring. 

Didnt matter much cause during a raid of the air temples he was whisked away and frozen in a ball of ice with his bisons. 

Flash forward and guess who finds him! A frustrated Logan whose waterbending is giving him a hard time followed by his rowdy but loyal Polar Bear dog Wiso 

So thats kinda the beginning of the journey..sound familiar teehee. 

Ok so more about my boy Pat! Hes the next in line of the avatar line so he was born an air nomad

Funnily though as he was training in secret with the monks they quickly found out he was having trouble airbending. 

However during a break in his training he was playing around with some water before realizing he was actually bending it! 

He kept that a secret but would play in his own time

Soon enough, with alot of trial and error he was able to airbend! He even crafted his own glider! 

Hes a very cheery character but he does have this side that he doesnt show, its quiet and focused. Its also sad and sometimes you just have to remember hes just a kid. 

Hes actually incredibly smart and absolutely adores learning ! Alot of people seem him as goofy but Logan saw right away how incredible his mind was

He takes to Logan instantly! Fascinated but all the things hes showing him and everything thats changed since his last “conscious” state. 

Hes prone to depression, anxiety and severe adhd but of course its not exactly named in his world. 

Hes more creative prone and he loves calligraphy and art. Hes really good at it too!

After some incidents he realized his eyesight wasnt the best so he crafted his own pair of glasses!

Hes a sweetheart who sees the good in people, for the worse sometimes and truly believes that everyone is a good person. (Thank god hes got Lo to ground him!)

However he will die for his friends and family and anyone he loves. Hes willing to give up everything for them. 

this is a future thing but he actually becomes like a general like uh...i guess king of sorts of all the nations but like hes rules in harmony and everyone loves him and hes amazing and yes (i just realized i based alot of him on my ATLA OC lmao)

I HAVE MORE BUT I DONT WANNA ANNOY IM SORRY

ALSO SIDENOTE I WILL BE CONTINUING THIS AU CAUSE IT MAKES MY HEART HAPPY

[bharatiyamedia-blog]

All you have to know – TechCrunch

http://tinyurl.com/y2vv4t44 Fb has lastly revealed the details of its cryptocurrency Libra, which is able to allow you to purchase issues or ship cash to individuals with practically zero charges. You’ll pseudonymously purchase or money out your Libra on-line or at native change factors like grocery shops, and spend it utilizing interoperable third-party pockets apps or Fb’s personal Calibra wallet that might be constructed into WhatsApp, Messenger, and its personal app. At the moment Fb released its white paper explaining Libra and its testnet for understanding the kinks of its blockchain system earlier than a public launch within the first half of 2020. Fb gained’t totally management Libra, however as an alternative get only a single vote in its governance like different founding members of the Libra Affiliation together with Visa, Uber, and Andreessen Horowitz who’ve invested not less than $10 million every into the undertaking’s operations. 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That may be a giant enchancment on immediately, whenever you’re caught paying lease in insecure checks whereas exploitative remittance providers like cost a mean of seven% to ship cash overseas, taking $50 billion from customers yearly. Libra might additionally energy tiny microtransactions value only a few cents which might be infeasible with bank card charges hooked up, or change your pre-paid transit go. …Or it might globally ignored by shoppers who see it as an excessive amount of problem for too little reward, or too unfamiliar and restricted in use to tug them into the fashionable monetary panorama. Fb has constructed a status for over-engineered, underused merchandise. It would want all the assistance it might get if desires to switch what’s already in our pockets. How Does Libra Work? By now you already know the fundamentals of Libra. Money in a neighborhood forex, get Libra, spend them like {dollars} with out large transaction charges or your actual identify hooked up, money them out whenver you need. Be at liberty to cease studying and share this text if that’s all you care about. However the underlying expertise, the affiliation that governs it, the wallets you’ll use, and the way in which funds work all have an enormous quantity of fascinating element to them. Fb has launched over 100 pages of documentation on Libra and Calibra, and we’ve pulled out an important details. Let’s dive in. The Libra Affiliation – Crypto’s New Oligarchy Fb knew individuals wouldn’t belief it to wholly management the cryptocurrency they use, and it additionally needed assist to spur adoption. So Fb recruited the founding members of the Libra Affiliation, which oversees the event of the token, the reserve of real-world property that offers it worth, and the governance guidelines of the blockchain. Every founding member paid a minimal of $10 million to affix and optionally turn into a validatory node operator (extra on that later), achieve one vote within the Libra Affiliation council, and be entitled to a share (proportionate to their funding) of the dividends from curiosity earned on the Libra reserve customers pay fiat forex into to obtain Libra. The 28 soon-to-be founding members of the affiliation and their industries, beforehand reported by The Block’s Frank Chaparro, embrace: Funds: Mastercard, PayPal, PayU (Naspers’ fintech arm), Stripe, Visa Know-how and marketplaces: Reserving Holdings, eBay, Fb/Calibra, Farfetch, Lyft, Mercado Pago, Spotify AB, Uber Applied sciences, Inc. Telecommunications: Iliad, Vodafone Group Blockchain: Anchorage, Bison Trails, Coinbase, Inc., Xapo Holdings Restricted Enterprise Capital: Andreessen Horowitz, Breakthrough Initiatives, Ribbit Capital, Thrive Capital, Union Sq. Ventures Nonprofit and multilateral organizations, and educational establishments: Artistic Destruction Lab, Kiva, Mercy Corps, Girls’s World Banking Fb says it hopes to succeed in 100 founding members earlier than the official Libra launch and it’s open to anybody that meets the necessities together with direct rivals to love Google or Twitter. To hitch, members should have a half rack of server area, a 100mbps or above devoted web connection, a full-time website reliability engineer, and enterprise-grade safety. Companies should hit two of three thresholds of a $1 billion USD market worth or $500 million in buyer balances, attain 20 million individuals a yr, and/or be acknowledged as a high 100 trade chief by a gaggle like Interbrand International or the S&P. Crypto-focused buyers should have over $1 billion in property below administration, whereas Blockchain companies should have been in enterprise for a yr, have enterprise grade safety and privateness, and custody or staking higher than $100 million in property. And solely as much as one-third of founding members can by crypto-related companies or invidually invited exceptions. Fb additionally accepts analysis organizations like universities, and non-profits fulfilling three of 4 qualties together with engaged on monetary inclusion for over 5 years, multi-national attain to a lot of customers, a high 100 designation by Charity Navigator or one thing prefer it, and/or $50 million in price range. The Libra Affiliation might be chargeable for choosing recruiting extra founding members to behave as validator nodes for the blockchain, fundraising to jumpstart the ecosystem, designing incentive applications to reward early adopters, and doling out social influence grants. A council with a consultant from every member will assist select the affiliation’s managing director who will appoint an government group, elect a board of 5 to 19 high representatives. Every member together with Fb/Calibra will solely rise up to at least one vote or 1% of the full vote (whichever is bigger) within the Libra Affiliation council. This gives a stage of decentralization that protects towards Fb or another participant hijacking Libra for its personal achieve. The Libra Forex – A Stablecoin A Libra is a unit of the Libra cryptocurrency that’s represented by a 3 wavy horizontal line unicode character ≋ just like the greenback is represented by $. The worth of a Libra is supposed to remain largely steady so it’s an excellent medium of change since retailers could be assured they gained’t be paid a Libra immediately that’s then value much less tomorrow. The Libra’s worth is tied to a basket of financial institution deposits and short-term authorities securities for a slew of traditionally steady worldwide currencies together with the greenback, pound, europ, swiss franc, and yen. The Libra Affiliation maintains this basket of property and might change the steadiness of its composition if essential to offset main value fluctuations in anybody international forex in order that the worth of a Libra stays constant. The Libra Affiliation remains to be hammering out the precise begin worth for the Libra, however it’s meant to someplace near the worth of a greenback, euro, or pound so it’s straightforward to conceptualize. That means, a gallon of milk within the US may cost a little three to four Libra, related however not precisely the identical as with {dollars}. The concept is that you just’ll money in some cash and preserve a steadiness of Libra that you would be able to spend at accepting retailers and on-line providers. You’ll be capable to commerce in your native forex for Libra and vice versa by means of sure pockets apps together with Fb’s Calibra, third-party pockets apps, and native resellers like comfort or grocery shops the place individuals already go to top-up their cell information plan. The Libra Reserve – One For One Every time somebody cashes in a greenback or their respective native forex, that cash goes into the Libra Reserve and an equal worth of Libra is minted and doled out to that individual. If somebody cashes out from the Libra Affiliation, the Libra they provide again are destroyed/burned and so they obtain the equal worth of their native forex again. Meaning there’s at all times 100% of the worth of the Libra in circulation collateralized with actual world property within the Libra Reserve. It by no means runs fractional. And unliked “pegged” steady cash which might be tied to a single forex just like the USD, Libra maintains its personal worth — although that ought to money out to roughly the identical quantity of a given forex over time. When Libra Affiliation members be part of and pay their $10 million minimal, they obtain Libra Funding Tokens. Their share of the full tokens interprets into the proportion of the dividend they earn off of curiosity on property within the reserve. These dividends are solely paid out after Libra Affiliation makes use of curiosity to pay for working bills, investments within the ecosystem, engineering analysis, and grants to non-profits and different organizations. This curiosity is a part of what attracted the Libra Affiliation’s members. If Libra turns into common and many individuals carry a big steadiness of the forex, the reserve will develop enormous and earn important curiosity. The Libra Blockchain – Constructed For Velocity Each Libra fee is completely written into the Libra blockchain — a cryptographically authenticated database that acts as a public on-line ledger designed to deal with 1000 transactions per second. The blockchain is operated and continuously verified by founding members of the Libra Affiliation who every invested $10 million or extra for a say within the cryptocurrency’s governance and the power function a validator node. When a transaction is submitted, every of the nodes runs a calculation based mostly on the prevailing ledger of all transactions. Because of a Byzantine Fault Tolerance system, simply two-thirds of the nodes should come to consensus that the transaction is reliable for it to be executed and written to the blockchain. A construction of Merkle Bushes within the code makes it easy to acknowledge modifications made to the Libra blockchain. Transactions on Libra can’t be reversed. If an assault compromises over one-third of the validator nodes inflicting a fork within the blockchain, the Libra Affiliation says it is going to quickly halt transactions, work out the extent of the damaage, and suggest software program updates to resolve the fork. Transactions aren’t solely free. They incur a tiny fraction of a cent charge to pay for “fuel” that covers the price of processing the switch of funds just like with Ethereum. This charge might be negligible to most shoppers, however once they add up the fuel costs will deter unhealthy actors from creating thousands and thousands of transactions to energy spam and denial-of-service assaults. Transfer Coding Language – For Shifting Libra The Libra blockchain is open supply with an Apache 2.Zero license and any developer can construct apps that work with it utilizing the Transfer coding language. The blockchain’s prototype launches its testnet today, so it’s successfully in developer beta mode till it formally launches within the first half of 2020. The Libra Affiliation is working with HackerOne to launch a bug bounty system later this yr that may pay safety researchers for safely figuring out flaws and glitches. Within the meantime, the Libra Affiliation is implementing the Libra Core utilizing the Rust programming language because it’s designed to forestall safety vulnerabilities, and the Transfer language isn’t totally prepared but. Transfer was created to make it simpler to write down blockchain code that follows an writer’s intent with out introducing bugs. It’s known as Transfer as a result of its major operate is to maneuver Libra cash from one account to a different, and by no means let these property be by chance duplicated. The core transaction code appears like “LibraAccount.pay_from_sender(recipient_address, quantity) process”. Ultimately, Transfer will be capable to create sensible contracts for programmatic interactions with the Libra blockchain. Till Transfer is prepared, builders can create modules and transaction scripts for Libra utilizing Transfer IR, which is high-level sufficient to be human-readable however low-level sufficient to be translatable into actual Transfer bytecode that’s written to the blockchain. The Libra ecosystem and the Transfer language might be utterly open to make use of and construct, which presents a large threat. Crooked builders might prey on crypto novices, claiming their app works simply the identical reliable ones, and that it’s protected because it makes use of Libra. But when shoppers get ripped off by these scammers, the anger will certainly bubble as much as Fb. Despite the fact that it’s tried to distance itself sufficiently by way of its subsidiary Libra and the affiliation, many individuals will in all probability at all times consider Libra as Fb’s cryptocurrency and blame it for his or her woes. Utilizing Libra In The Wild – Calibra So how do you truly personal and spend Libra? By way of Libra wallets like Fb’s personal Calibra and others that might be constructed by third-parties, doubtlessly together with Libra Affiliation members like PayPal. The concept is to make sending cash to a buddy or paying for one thing as straightforward as sending a Fb Message. You gained’t be capable to make or obtain any actual funds till the official launch subsequent yr, although. Not one of the Libra Affiliation members agreed to supply particulars on what they’ll construct on the blockchain, however we are able to take Fb’s Calibra pockets for example of the essential expertise. Calibra will launch alongside the Libra forex on iOS and Android inside Fb Messenger, WhatsApp, and a standalone app. When customers first join, they’ll be taken by means of a Know Your Buyer anti-fraud course of the place they’ll have to supply a authorities issued picture ID and different verification data. They’ll must conduct due diligence on prospects and report suspicious exercise to the authorities. From there you’ll be capable to money in to Libra, decide a buddy or service provider, set an quantity to ship them and add an outline, and ship them Libra. You’ll additionally be capable to request Libra. It’s additionally possible that Calibra will supply an expedited means of paying retailers, liking scanning your or their QR code. Privateness – At Least From Fb Fb CEO Mark Zuckerberg defined a few of the philosophy behind Libra and Calibra in a publish immediately. “It’s decentralized — which means it’s run by many alternative organizations as an alternative of only one, making the system fairer general. It’s obtainable to anybody with an web connection and has low charges and prices. And it’s secured by cryptography which helps preserve your cash protected. This is a vital a part of our imaginative and prescient for a privacy-focused social platform — the place you may work together in all of the methods you’d need privately, from messaging to safe funds.” By default, Fb gained’t import your contacts or any of your profile data however might ask if you want to take action. It additionally gained’t share any of your transaction information again to Fb, so it gained’t used to focus on you with advertisements, rank your Information Feed, or in any other case earn Fb cash immediately. Information will solely be shared in particular cases in aggregated, anonymized methods or as a result of a request from regulation enforcement.   In case you’re hacked, scammed, or lose entry to your account, Calibra will refund you for misplaced cash when potential by means of 24/7 chat help. Given Calibra will possible turn into the default pockets for a lot of Libra customers, this further safety is important. For now, Calibra gained’t earn a living. However Kevin Weil, the pinnacle of product for Fb’s blockchain group, tells me that if it reaches scale, Fb might launch different monetary providers by means of Calibra that it might monetize. A International Coin If Fb succeeds and legions of individuals money in cash for Libra, it and the opposite founding members of the Libra Affiliation might earn large dividends on the curiosity. And if all of a sudden it turns into tremendous fast to purchase issues by means of Fb utilizing Libra, companies will enhance their advert spend there. But when Libra will get hacked or proves unreliable, it might value a lot of individuals all over the world cash whereas souring them on cryptocurrencies. And by providing an open Libra platform, shady builders might construct apps that snatch not simply individuals’s private data like Cambridge Analytica, however their hard-earned digital money. Fb simply tried to reinvent cash. Subsequent yr, we’ll see if the Libra Affiliation pulls it off. /* */ Source link

[symbianosgames]

Kate Walker has been in a wooly limbo for far, far too long, but at last her tale comes to the last panel of its triptych. Syberia 3 is slated to be released on April 25th, finally, after years of delays and funding problems. When we last saw our intrepid lawyer-turned-adventurer, the year was 2004 and her mobile phone was a barbaric monochrome affair that only worked as a phone. But, mercifully, the will to tell this never flamed out and we now have a Syberia installment for our times. 

If the preview I was given at GDC 2017 is any indication, we’re due for a fascinating story that might just be worth a thirteen year wait--and far from feeling like a dated throwback to a long-dead era of gaming, it’s surprisingly timely.

I looked at a section of the game that was about two thirds of the way through the story--for this I was but a passenger, scribbling my notes away. But I was able to actually get my hands on the game for the prologue and found the controls to be a thoughtfully designed puzzle in their own right.

We still have the same adventure game experience that fans of the series might expect, with items to collect, and plots advanced through Byzantine puzzles. Benoit Sokal’s delicately surreal sensibility once again spills out into a painterly world just to the side of our own. The subtitles are still that distinctive handwritten print that is also very much Sokal’s. But there are new ways of interacting with puzzles that are meant to use a full range of motion to simulate various actions.

For instance, one early puzzle saw me find a knife to use as a screwdriver to open up a control box for a switch. I was using a PS4 remote and I found I had to use all 360 degrees of control stick motion to turn the screwdriver, open and close the panel, and insert a fuse. It’s meant to imitate intuitive physical motion--"how would you interact with this object if you were actually there with it?", rather than “how would I poke at this in a videogame?” It takes some getting used to, but it has a lot of promise.

***

Of even greater importance to me is Kate Walker’s story, however. I spoke to Benoit Sokal directly about this; Walker was, after all, an example of a woman whose quest for her own independence was central to the story of the very first game. She showed what kinds of stories videogames could tell if they weren’t shackled to convention, and how a narrative of women’s liberation was not inimical to the production of a good, challenging game. 

More than anything, she embodied the idea that a woman’s quest for wonder and meaning in her life was ideal for a fantastical story. So where does Syberia 3 take her? Sokal offered a few tantalizing hints.

The themes of Kate Walker’s story in this installment will center on doubt, particularly “starting to make Kate a bit darker,” in Sokal’s words. He said that he wanted to “deconstruct” her and her character in this narrative, making the most of the transformative forces that carried her through the first two games. She gave up everything in the first game--a good job, a socially advantageous marriage, her home in New York--to pursue a dream in mythic Syberia: finding a lost heir, seeing the land where mammoths still roam, and rescuing a civilization under siege. Sokal also alluded to “questions about her sexuality” that may come up in the narrative but gave few additional details. What he wanted above all was to make her story more complex. 

When I took control of the game to play the prologue, she was true to form, staring down powerful men who did their damndest to make her feel foolish and weak. We find her recovering from mortal injuries in a Syberian hospital-cum-asylum, having to prove her good health to a scrutinizing scold of a doctor who tells her “you’re one of the very last representatives of a world that is fast disappearing, Ms. Walker... that no one will miss.” There are fully voiced dialogue options--voice actor Sharon Mann makes an enthusiastic and triumphant return as Kate Walker; hers is a voice that reaches across the years, stirring more than a little nostalgia for the earlier titles. But Kate’s role here is to look forward more than ever.

“Syberia 3 is about Kate’s future,” Sokal told me, “while 1 and 2 were about her past.”

That future is about deciding who she is now. More than ever, there seems to be no going back to New York. Even her traveling clothes, from the strange device she wears around her neck to her homemade snow boots, are now more of that fantastic world beyond the veil than her old life. 

***

As I played through the game I felt a range of familiar sensations come back: it really was like the old Syberias but with a rich graphical and control update.

Syberia 3 is a game that truly benefits from its lavish graphical upgrades; Benoit Sokal’s vision takes flight here as his gorgeous drawings and paintings come to life with hitherto unmatched fidelity. The world through which Kate Walker learns and grows is one that bores like a tunnel through everything we think we know, a dreamscape that assembles the familiar into beautifully strange gardens.

The mid-game level I was shown by a Microid’s developer takes place in Sokal’s vision of Pripyat, Ukraine--the ghost city that once housed Chernobyl’s workers and families. You and a band of Syberian tribespeople known as the Youkols are making your way through abandoned Metro tunnels, but come across an impasse that requires you to send an automaton to the irradiated surface to find the tools to clear it. Throughout the game you see desiccated or decaying Socialist realism, just as you did in the other installments. I asked why that aesthetic seemed to fascinate Sokal.

He talked about wanting to make a world “fantastique et monstreuse,” and that the “paradox of Soviet civilization,” which his Ukrainian family grew up with, was ideal for exploring that blend of fantastic and monstrous.

“[Pripyat] has become paradise on Earth for the wolf packs prowling about the buildings,” he said. “There are ruins where the vegetation is sprouting everywhere you look and where you can see bison wandering the streets. The place is both horrible and fantastic. The contrast between such terrible misfortune and the abandoned beauty is inspiring.” One of Pripyat’s most iconic places, the abandoned amusement park, is given new life in its Syberia 3 counterpart, Baranour.

The brutal realism of Soviet architecture contains its own beauty, even as the fires of its industries devastated countrysides; but there was also beauty in the stark contrast between that pollution and the ways in which nature endured. Sokal spoke of a childhood memory where he beheld “little white flowers blooming on the trees amid a sooty countryside, blackened by factories.” It is, he said, “the most horrific and amazing background for that little white flower.” That image, which he calls a paradox, inspired much of the art direction for the series.

In Syberia 1, Kate Walker dynamiting a massive statue of Soviet Man blocking the railroad tracks was almost painfully on the nose in its gender and political commentary, leaving behind a dead factory and cosmodrome where a drunk cosmonaut finally achieved his dream of going to space. In each game, Walker explores dreamscapes of ruin that echo what many Russians and Eastern Europeans saw over the last two decades. Fallen statues, fallow fields, cold and empty factories, ashy dachas. In finding the beauty of these places, Sokal uses them as a seedbed for the wondrous fantasies Kate Walker discovers; aviaries, beautiful forests, waterfalls, icy wonderlands where mammoths herd together. 

That white flower of beauty persists and blooms into something all the more enchanted in Syberia 3, and as with Dragon Age’s Morrigan, Walker makes it her mission to learn about and protect what is magical in this world against the final revenge of the machines.

***

That theme emerges in a surprisingly timely form. The overall thrust of Syberia 3 was described to me by one of the Microids developers thusly: Walker and the Youkol people, whose nomadic way of life has been dictated by the migrations of sacred snow-ostriches, are trying to flee from fascists who are attempting to assimilate them into a sedentary, “civilized” way of life. The Youkols’ culture is the “fast disappearing world” that Walker’s condescending doctor spoke of, after all. In the face of that, she becomes an outlaw to help the Youkols, hunted by the regime and a private detective who will stop at nothing to put their march across Syberia to an end.

Walker must endure all of this and make critical choices as she helps lead the Youkols and their snow-ostriches to “the promised land.”

Syberia has always been about journeys, and this tale of fascists trying to stop a religious minority from enjoying the transformative power of travel is gut-wrenchingly current. That pursuit of freedom through motion is a theme from Sokal’s own life. “The story of Europe is just that,” he said, “wandering from country to country. In Syberia you see my story of the 20th Century, traveling by train.” He referred to the memorable train journey that defined Walker’s alchemical trip through the first game, adding “the train of Syberia is the train of Europe.” He envisions it as a spinal throughline, connecting cultures and changing people in a world where another country and another language were an hour away by rail, even in a Europe divided by walls.

Now, powerful forces wearing uniforms and flying in rusty Sikorsky attack helicopters conspire to end the journey of Walker and the Youkols; the stakes are higher, as they should be for the last entry in a trilogy. But from what I saw in the bits of the game I had access to, it’s not so heavy-handed as to turn the meditative and cerebral Syberia series into an explosive action-adventure hellscape. 

The theme and feel of the series endures; perhaps like a white rose.

Katherine Cross is a Ph.D student in sociology who researches anti-social behavior online, and a gaming critic whose work has appeared in numerous publications.

[nnnn99999]

It's honestly insane how rewatchable thk is considering it only has 2 episodes out. But the more I watch, the more I notice. So here's an unnecessarily long rant on whatever pops up in my mind as I rewatch the 2 episodes together (I say as if I didn't watch these 2 episodes separately at least 10 times already). I'll probably divide it into multiple parts because otherwise the post will truly be too long. Anyway let's start.

I'm pretty sure I mentioned this already but Bison's expression when the first target pushes his face to his stomach is so interesting. It's a weird mix of disgust and satisfaction. The disgust coming from, I'm assuming, having a man who supposedly does bad things acting like he can own anyone he wants just because he has the money and power. And honestly, if Bison wasn't a hitman, the man probably could own him. He did pick him from a bunch of other guys like he was shopping for clothes. And for freedom loving Bison, that kind of objectification and show of power must be very suffocating.

The satisfaction is the more interesting part though. Because to me it feels like Bison thrives on having control over others. Yes, the man in his arms is the one with the money and the power. But at this very moment, Bison is the one who can control the trajectory of his life. Being trapped in a life he doesn't want, I think these are the moments when Bison can taste true freedom and control. Because he knows at this moment, the man is in the palm of his hands and playing to Bison's rhythm.

This desire for control bleeds into every relationship Bison has. Although he loves Fadel and cares about him, whenever Fadel is around, it is Fadel who is the one in charge and for good reason too. Bison's overwhelming desire for control does not equal to the ability to handle any situation. Bison is impulsive, rash and reckless, which makes his desire for control all the more dangerous. Fadel is calm, calculating, sensible and responsible. He is capable of handling any situation, no matter how sudden or dangerous. He can calmly assess the situation and decide the best course of action. This is why he is the one in charge during their assassination missions. Because if it were left to Bison, who knows what crazy stunt he would pull. I think Bison himself knows that which is why he doesn't fight for control with Fadel during the missions. Crazy as Bison is, he wants to be free, not rot in jail.

I also find the difference in expressions between Fadel and Bison after they shoot the man very fascinating. Fadel's face has nothing. No emotion whatsoever. I think at this point Fadel really does not feel anything after killing his targets. He has convinced himself that they are enforcing justice by killing, and he bottles up whatever emotions he might have so deep down that it feeels like he doesn't have any emotions at all. Bison, on the other hand, is not emotionless like Fadel. He is also very used to killing people now, but you can detect a hint of that sick satisfaction in Bison's expression after the kill. I genuinely think Bison is the most terrifying of the 4 main cast.

Khaobos doing such a wonderful job of playing Bison. I love him so much.

Special appreciation to the lighting and coloring throughout the show. It adds so much context to the whole scene.

Also the music. The music brings so much nostalgia and character to the whole experience. I have watched these scenes so many times already and I am not sick of the music yet so I take that as a win for the music. But yeah, for me the music makes the whole experience more fun.

[symbianosgames]

Kate Walker has been in a wooly limbo for far, far too long, but at last her tale comes to the last panel of its triptych. Syberia 3 is slated to be released on April 25th, finally, after years of delays and funding problems. When we last saw our intrepid lawyer-turned-adventurer, the year was 2004 and her mobile phone was a barbaric monochrome affair that only worked as a phone. But, mercifully, the will to tell this never flamed out and we now have a Syberia installment for our times. 

If the preview I was given at GDC 2017 is any indication, we’re due for a fascinating story that might just be worth a thirteen year wait--and far from feeling like a dated throwback to a long-dead era of gaming, it’s surprisingly timely.

I looked at a section of the game that was about two thirds of the way through the story--for this I was but a passenger, scribbling my notes away. But I was able to actually get my hands on the game for the prologue and found the controls to be a thoughtfully designed puzzle in their own right.

We still have the same adventure game experience that fans of the series might expect, with items to collect, and plots advanced through Byzantine puzzles. Benoit Sokal’s delicately surreal sensibility once again spills out into a painterly world just to the side of our own. The subtitles are still that distinctive handwritten print that is also very much Sokal’s. But there are new ways of interacting with puzzles that are meant to use a full range of motion to simulate various actions.

For instance, one early puzzle saw me find a knife to use as a screwdriver to open up a control box for a switch. I was using a PS4 remote and I found I had to use all 360 degrees of control stick motion to turn the screwdriver, open and close the panel, and insert a fuse. It’s meant to imitate intuitive physical motion--"how would you interact with this object if you were actually there with it?", rather than “how would I poke at this in a videogame?” It takes some getting used to, but it has a lot of promise.

***

Of even greater importance to me is Kate Walker’s story, however. I spoke to Benoit Sokal directly about this; Walker was, after all, an example of a woman whose quest for her own independence was central to the story of the very first game. She showed what kinds of stories videogames could tell if they weren’t shackled to convention, and how a narrative of women’s liberation was not inimical to the production of a good, challenging game. 

More than anything, she embodied the idea that a woman’s quest for wonder and meaning in her life was ideal for a fantastical story. So where does Syberia 3 take her? Sokal offered a few tantalizing hints.

The themes of Kate Walker’s story in this installment will center on doubt, particularly “starting to make Kate a bit darker,” in Sokal’s words. He said that he wanted to “deconstruct” her and her character in this narrative, making the most of the transformative forces that carried her through the first two games. She gave up everything in the first game--a good job, a socially advantageous marriage, her home in New York--to pursue a dream in mythic Syberia: finding a lost heir, seeing the land where mammoths still roam, and rescuing a civilization under siege. Sokal also alluded to “questions about her sexuality” that may come up in the narrative but gave few additional details. What he wanted above all was to make her story more complex. 

When I took control of the game to play the prologue, she was true to form, staring down powerful men who did their damndest to make her feel foolish and weak. We find her recovering from mortal injuries in a Syberian hospital-cum-asylum, having to prove her good health to a scrutinizing scold of a doctor who tells her “you’re one of the very last representatives of a world that is fast disappearing, Ms. Walker... that no one will miss.” There are fully voiced dialogue options--voice actor Sharon Mann makes an enthusiastic and triumphant return as Kate Walker; hers is a voice that reaches across the years, stirring more than a little nostalgia for the earlier titles. But Kate’s role here is to look forward more than ever.

“Syberia 3 is about Kate’s future,” Sokal told me, “while 1 and 2 were about her past.”

That future is about deciding who she is now. More than ever, there seems to be no going back to New York. Even her traveling clothes, from the strange device she wears around her neck to her homemade snow boots, are now more of that fantastic world beyond the veil than her old life. 

***

As I played through the game I felt a range of familiar sensations come back: it really was like the old Syberias but with a rich graphical and control update.

Syberia 3 is a game that truly benefits from its lavish graphical upgrades; Benoit Sokal’s vision takes flight here as his gorgeous drawings and paintings come to life with hitherto unmatched fidelity. The world through which Kate Walker learns and grows is one that bores like a tunnel through everything we think we know, a dreamscape that assembles the familiar into beautifully strange gardens.

The mid-game level I was shown by a Microid’s developer takes place in Sokal’s vision of Pripyat, Ukraine--the ghost city that once housed Chernobyl’s workers and families. You and a band of Syberian tribespeople known as the Youkols are making your way through abandoned Metro tunnels, but come across an impasse that requires you to send an automaton to the irradiated surface to find the tools to clear it. Throughout the game you see desiccated or decaying Socialist realism, just as you did in the other installments. I asked why that aesthetic seemed to fascinate Sokal.

He talked about wanting to make a world “fantastique et monstreuse,” and that the “paradox of Soviet civilization,” which his Ukrainian family grew up with, was ideal for exploring that blend of fantastic and monstrous.

“[Pripyat] has become paradise on Earth for the wolf packs prowling about the buildings,” he said. “There are ruins where the vegetation is sprouting everywhere you look and where you can see bison wandering the streets. The place is both horrible and fantastic. The contrast between such terrible misfortune and the abandoned beauty is inspiring.” One of Pripyat’s most iconic places, the abandoned amusement park, is given new life in its Syberia 3 counterpart, Baranour.

The brutal realism of Soviet architecture contains its own beauty, even as the fires of its industries devastated countrysides; but there was also beauty in the stark contrast between that pollution and the ways in which nature endured. Sokal spoke of a childhood memory where he beheld “little white flowers blooming on the trees amid a sooty countryside, blackened by factories.” It is, he said, “the most horrific and amazing background for that little white flower.” That image, which he calls a paradox, inspired much of the art direction for the series.

In Syberia 1, Kate Walker dynamiting a massive statue of Soviet Man blocking the railroad tracks was almost painfully on the nose in its gender and political commentary, leaving behind a dead factory and cosmodrome where a drunk cosmonaut finally achieved his dream of going to space. In each game, Walker explores dreamscapes of ruin that echo what many Russians and Eastern Europeans saw over the last two decades. Fallen statues, fallow fields, cold and empty factories, ashy dachas. In finding the beauty of these places, Sokal uses them as a seedbed for the wondrous fantasies Kate Walker discovers; aviaries, beautiful forests, waterfalls, icy wonderlands where mammoths herd together. 

That white flower of beauty persists and blooms into something all the more enchanted in Syberia 3, and as with Dragon Age’s Morrigan, Walker makes it her mission to learn about and protect what is magical in this world against the final revenge of the machines.

***

That theme emerges in a surprisingly timely form. The overall thrust of Syberia 3 was described to me by one of the Microids developers thusly: Walker and the Youkol people, whose nomadic way of life has been dictated by the migrations of sacred snow-ostriches, are trying to flee from fascists who are attempting to assimilate them into a sedentary, “civilized” way of life. The Youkols’ culture is the “fast disappearing world” that Walker’s condescending doctor spoke of, after all. In the face of that, she becomes an outlaw to help the Youkols, hunted by the regime and a private detective who will stop at nothing to put their march across Syberia to an end.

Walker must endure all of this and make critical choices as she helps lead the Youkols and their snow-ostriches to “the promised land.”

Syberia has always been about journeys, and this tale of fascists trying to stop a religious minority from enjoying the transformative power of travel is gut-wrenchingly current. That pursuit of freedom through motion is a theme from Sokal’s own life. “The story of Europe is just that,” he said, “wandering from country to country. In Syberia you see my story of the 20th Century, traveling by train.” He referred to the memorable train journey that defined Walker’s alchemical trip through the first game, adding “the train of Syberia is the train of Europe.” He envisions it as a spinal throughline, connecting cultures and changing people in a world where another country and another language were an hour away by rail, even in a Europe divided by walls.

Now, powerful forces wearing uniforms and flying in rusty Sikorsky attack helicopters conspire to end the journey of Walker and the Youkols; the stakes are higher, as they should be for the last entry in a trilogy. But from what I saw in the bits of the game I had access to, it’s not so heavy-handed as to turn the meditative and cerebral Syberia series into an explosive action-adventure hellscape. 

The theme and feel of the series endures; perhaps like a white rose.

Katherine Cross is a Ph.D student in sociology who researches anti-social behavior online, and a gaming critic whose work has appeared in numerous publications.