#cahir aesthetic

[dansedesdragons]

CAHIR MAWR DYFFRYN AEP CEALLACH, THE BLACK NIGHT AND MEMBER OF GERALT'S COMPANY

It doesn't matter, Geralt. I will dream for both of us.

— ⚔ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖, 𝐛𝐲 𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐳𝐞𝐣 𝐒𝐚𝐩𝐤𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐤𝐢

[cheweduplemon]

The Witcher: Aen Hanse members ↳ [3/6] Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach, or simply Cahir

A soldier does not question commands. He does not analyze them, he does not think about them, and he does not expect an explanation of their meaning. This is the first thing they taught us soldiers.

— "The Tower of the Swallow" by Andrzej Sapkowski

[inexplicifics]

Hi. I was rereading the fashion asks about using monster parts, and thinking about the conversations about Witcher armor Cahir had in Flung to Catch a Star, and the two between them got me thinking.

Cahir's mental commentary about the value of wyvern leather suggests that wearing monster-derived materials is already a thing of high status, but at the same time nobody has remarked on the Witchers' leather armor. Presumably this means that the finished product doesn't look much different from ordinary leather the way the Witchers work it. Meanwhile, any noble who was able to afford such a material would want everyone to know what they were wearing and display it accordingly.

So most such fashion would come in two main flavors, practical and aesthetic. One group valuing the material for its useful properties, and the other for the difficulty of acquiring it. (Until such time that the Witchers have the time to spare to start getting fancy about the things they make.)

That dual purpose makes me think that the White Wolf could make some very interesting statements with diplomatic gifts. Who gets something ostentatious and purely decorative? Who is given an object that is not only impressive but also more useful because of the properties of the material? Who goes home in an unremarkable leather vest that offers as much protection as metal armor…

In other words: Who is getting an expensive gift just because it would be a bad idea to upset them? Who is an actual ally they really do want to help or protect? And who do they want to support, without drawing attention to it with an obvious mark of favour from the Witchers court. If only their true allies know enough to tell what is useful as well as decorative it could form an interesting layer of subtext. (One that may have already been started with Milena's special hairpins.)

*chinhands*

Where's that "You, keep talking" gif?

I'm not sure I have anything useful to add here but damn is this some good worldbuilding fuel. Thank you.

[hanzajesthanza]

While Geralt was dreaming the dream in Toussaint with Fringilla, Dandelion was dreaming it with Anarietta. Only, Geralt managed to wake up on his own because he had the hanza (and other stuff). But Dandelion didn't have anyone, he was alone, he was separated from the others and never returned, so the dream consumed him, and he didn't wake until he was forcefully removed from the situation. Or maybe it's not that deep... Why do you think Sapkowski removed him from the equation?

i've seen others explain this more straightforwardly, reasoning that dandelion simply isn't be able to ride with the rest of the company to stygga castle simply and practically because he's less suited for combat than... well, as regis puts it:

‘(...) I’m going with him.’ ‘Me too,’ Cahir said at once. ‘And me and all!’ Milva barked. Dandelion pressed to his chest the tube with the manuscripts which, lately, he wouldn’t be parted from for a single moment. He lowered his head. He was evidently struggling with his thoughts. And the thoughts were winning. ‘Stop meditating, poet,’ Regis said kindly. ‘For there’s nothing to be ashamed of. You’re even less cut out to participate in a bloody swordfight than I am. We weren’t taught to carve up our neighbours with a blade. (...)’

though this thinking is undeniably correct (what would dandelion be able to do in the harrowing final battle if they had brought him? no, the strong must protect the sweet...) i think the matter is simultaneously a little deeper than that, as you nod to.

dandelion is more connected to the enchanted valley of toussaint and the city of beauclair than the rest of the company, including geralt, is.

for starters, he's heavily thematically linked to the aesthetics and activities of beauclair:

‘’Pon my word, there’ll be everything at Beauclair,’ Reynart de Bois-Fresnes assured them. ‘Balls, feasts, banquets, revels and poetry evenings. You’re friends of Dandelion’s, for heaven’s sake … Of Viscount Julian’s, I meant to say. And the Lady Duchess is most fond of the latter.’

doesn't the aforementioned just embody dandelion? these activities are truly his domain of existence, and he takes perfectly to this natural environment, like a fish to water:

He [Geralt] found Dandelion in the knights’ hall. The poet was wearing a crimson beret, as big as a loaf of sourdough rye bread, and a matching doublet richly embroidered with golden thread. He was sitting on a curule seat with his lute in his lap and reacting with careless nods to the compliments of the ladies and courtiers surrounding him.

more importantly, dandelion connected with the duchess six years ago, before the invasion from nilfgaard began. considering the timeline, this is before the majority of the short story "something more" took place, in other words, it's "pre-ciri" in geralt's life, it's the time of the short stories, where everything was more open to exploration (for both the author and the characters). though he's not the only one of the company who has been to the valley in years past (angouleme hid from pursuers in toussaint before), this history in beauclair is why he's unable to leave.

because the other members of the company are simply enchanted by the valley... but dandelion is enchanted by the duchess herself:

And the Duchess and Lord Dandelion … Ha, Beauclair is strange indeed and spellbinding, full of amatory enchantment … You shall see for yourselves. As the Duchess and Lord Dandelion learned then. They noticed not, from verse to verse, from word to word, from compliment to compliment, posies, glances, sighs … To put it briefly: both came to an intimate understanding.

anna henrietta herself, as the ruler of this little enchanted valley, is like a fairy queen of a fairy land. she's the object from which all the magic emanates, the most powerful and important individual who not only rules, but symbolizes and embodies toussaint's dreamlike state.

you mention "the dream"; relating back to regis' analysis about toussaint, love, and destiny:

"The dream that the Witcher is dreaming, I humbly submit with respect, is an enchanting and beautiful one. But every dream, if dreamed too long, turns into a nightmare. And we awake from such dreams screaming."

anna henrietta herself is like this, dream-like:

Anarietta thanked them with a faint nod of her head, decorated with a diamond-encrusted tiara. She had so many diamonds on her that she could have scratched glass just by passing. Beside her sat Dandelion, smiling foolishly.

and then, owing to her fickle nature, turns into a nightmare, from which one wakes screaming:

The pointy-nosed duchess suddenly fell into a fury, and one of the barons fell out of favour and was escorted to the tower for some imprudent word. Few–apart from those directly involved–seemed bothered by the matter.

what's truly captivating about anna henrietta and dandelion, though, is that unlike geralt and fringilla, they seem to have truly fallen in love.

geralt and dandelion, of course, are always opposites and run contrary to one another. dandelion's flightiness and noncommittal (and misogynistic) nature during the time of the short stories is a direct contrast to geralt's yearning and committal to yennefer, for him no other woman will ever compare. consider the events of the short story "a shard of ice," where geralt (arguably) attempts suicide when he believes yennefer will not choose him. can you imagine dandelion committing suicide, over a woman? for him, it would be like committing suicide over a sandwich or some other such consumable meal: for which the individuality of which is largely unimportant: though pleasurable, easily replaceable.

but in beauclair - a kind of fairy tale, magical, opposite-land, they reverse roles. geralt and fringilla are in a lustful but loveless relationship, using the other for information and playing a "long con" where they manipulate one another to get what they want, whereas dandelion and anna henrietta are seemingly truly in "love." for instance, compare and contrast geralt leaving fringilla's bed willingly, denying her sex (ch. 4) with dandelion allegedly enjoying breakfast in bed (ch. 3), likely the bed he and anarietta share.

this kind of role reversal is even noted by dandelion himself during his confrontation with geralt in chapter 3; consider "blind" as being in love, and being "an attentive and astute observer" as being a non-romantic.

‘Aha,’ Dandelion said slowly, tightening his lips. ‘What a curious reversal of roles. I’m a blind man, and you meanwhile have suddenly become an attentive and astute observer. It was usually the other way around.’

dandelion doesn't leave beauclair, because unlike geralt, well, maybe as regis says when they're looking around the foot of mount gorgon:

‘I’m no longer searching, I’ve found it.’

this brings us back to - what else? - sapkowski's favorite motif: woman as grail.

of course, ciri is "grail" in the broader story of the witcher, and the pursuit of her is NOT for romantic love but for either power or familial love (depending on which search party you're talking about ;)), but the search for the grail is also embodied by romantic love for a woman, as sapkowski discusses the concept in his world of king arthur, and also how he depicts it in "something ends, something begins." it's even dandelion who explains the concept to the dejected galahad:

Galahad thought again, frowning. "And the Grail?" he asked finally. "What has become of the Grail?" "What is Grail?" "It's something we're searching for," explained Galahad, setting his sad eyes on the troubadour. "Something that is the most important. Without which life has no meaning. Without which we're incomplete and imperfect." The bard pressed his lips and looked at the knight with his famous gaze, a wise gaze mixed with a jovial honesty. "You fool," he replied, "you've been sitting next to your Grail for the entire evening."

dandelion's own words about anna henrietta are enough to understand his motivations for staying:

"We set off in pursuit like idiots, like madmen. But I didn’t utter a word of complaint, Geralt. I didn’t call you a madman. I didn’t ridicule you. For you had hope and love in you. You were being guided by them on this reckless mission. I was too, as a matter of fact. But I’ve caught up with the mirage, and I was lucky enough that the dream came true. My mission is over. I’ve found what is so difficult to find. And I intend to keep it. Is that insanity? It would be insanity to give it up and let it slip through my fingers."

dandelion doesn't leave because he found what is so important, his own "grail." and he and geralt part ways, because whereas dandelion has found what will complete his quest, geralt is still looking for his grail - his daughter ciri.

though of course, dandelion, by his own foolishness, loses his grail... just as geralt recovers his! just as geralt returns to beauclair with ciri, dandelion is sentenced to execution by his beloved duchess. (and losing the grail isn't unheard of in the witcher - i recall percival's (apropos namesake) humorous story from baptism of fire, of exchanging an opal goblet for a mule).

again, they take contrasting roles to one another - in the last two chapters of the saga, geralt has completely changed. he has the stony countenance of a weary man hardened by his losses and horrors, the responsibility of a married man with a daughter. dandelion in contrast, though he's indeed achieved character development throughout the series, remains mostly similar to his beginning state in worldview, expectations, outlook.

‘Geralt, no,’ groaned Dandelion. ‘Don’t do anything, I beg you … Don’t get involved …’ The Witcher turned his face towards him, and Dandelion didn’t recognise it. ‘Get involved?’ he repeated. ‘Intervene? Rescue somebody? Risk my neck for some noble principles or ideas? Oh, no, Dandelion. Not any longer.’

but tl;dr, dandelion remains a dreamer in beauclair because his character's purpose is to run contrast to geralt. dandelion finds what he's looking for, and thus can enjoy the dream. geralt had not yet found what he was looking for, and thus was trying to fight the dream, resolving to wake up and pursue his destiny:

‘Beauclair, they say, is naught but feasts, balls, junkets, boozing and amour. A fellow, they say, only grows idle and stupid, and wastes time, instead of thinking about trade. And one should think about what’s really important. About the goal guiding us. Without let up. Not distract your thinking on mere bagatelles. Then, and only then, is the intended goal achieved.’ ‘Indeed, Mr Fierabras,’ the Witcher said slowly. ‘I’m content with our shared journey. I’ve gained a great deal from our conversations. Truly a great deal.’

[bylightofdawn]

I'm teetering on going down a rabbit hole I really don't need to go down. Does Cahir's armor in the Battle of Aretuza, have a gorget (the piece Ciri grabs him by when she's holding him over the cliff) or is that simply a part of his chest piece???

Because a gorget was typically a separate piece from the cuirass and this looks like it is pretty firmly welded to or attached to the cuirass. And most examples I've see are like 15th/16th centuries onwards but the Witcher is supposedly set in what? 12th or 13th century? Of course, I've pretty much given up trying to make sense of the armor in the show and just handwave it as it's an aesthetic choice. See my absolute loathing of the ugly boiled leather armor he was wearing in season 1.

Is anyone going to be mad if I call it a gorget? Probably not. Especially since it's legitimately going to be mentioned for like one sentence. But the urge to go down a research rabbit hole is super hard to ignore.

[magic-multicolored-miracle]

The Witcher S3 Ep 3: Reunion AKA 🎵Everyyyyybody Huuuuuurts🎵

I think the metaphor might be getting away from you a bit

I really like her outfit. It is my kind of look

I love that Jaskier calls him "Firefingers." It's very in line with Yen's (and my) "Firefucker." And asshole doesn't deserve a name.

Sorry did you say "a friend of your mother's"?!

Aww, the adorant whisper. Because it's once again proved that Geralt is a big old softie.

Wait, that's news? I assumed she had been for a while (tbh I thought the ditching Geralt was to protect him from something or someone that was going to kill her)

So someone else did exactly what the two information brokers said Geralt should, with added mind altering...was the suggestion meant to be a tip off, since they knew he wouldn't take it in the first place?

I really like Philippa's outfit for this meeting, and the fact that it is very clearly Not Matching the general Redanian aesthetic. The costume department this season is really Killing It. (Interestingly, it is matching, or at least similar to Jaskier's...)

He does seem stressed. His poor head is going to explode. I wonder whose fault that is?

Radovid, baby, that's not a very good attempt at hiding.

Oh it was on purpose for The Drama™ I love that

This is quite the Reason You Suck speech, Yennefer. Are you actually trying to get back into the Brotherhood's, or Tissaia's good graces at all? Part of me hopes not, honestly

Oh 💔 I mean, we knew that. But the look on Yen's face hearing it out loud...

Fabio, you're there to chaperone a teenage girl at a market, not barker like a hotdog on a street corner 🙄

How did that secret get out? Was it Yennefer? I bet it was Yennefer

I like that the captions specify it's to the tune of The Wild Rover. Otherwise I'd have heard it and gone nuts. (That song was the bane of my existence last fall.)

Istredd, my friend. You're looking Rough. But it...kinda works for you?

That's. Not ideal...

Poor General Kicked-Puppy, I'm glad he gets an invite home, even though home is not a good place...

"Prove it" doesn't sound good. There's an implied threat in "prove it"

Always with the leaning, Jaskier (and with the unbuttoned vest, it's peak casual yet slutty or maybe that's just the bard wearing it)

He's not wrong but also I hate him for saying it. I don't like that.

I think this might be the longest and most frank conversation these two have ever had. 10/10 relationship growth

Well shit. Stregobitch? Or Vilgefortz?

Uh. What?

Double "well shit". Or hopefully just almost. But I have a bad feeling about Anika's fate...

I love Ciri just strolling in behind the barker's back without paying or being challenged

Who are these two? They feel important

Go Fabio!

Can we form a secondary party of these youngins? I think I like them. And maybe recruit Dara back, eventually. (That would basically just be your average D&D party but that's not a negative)

Dammit Sabrina. Why are you a bitch? Didn't Yennefer almost die saving your fucking life from Nilfgaard?

My babies! Stop hurting each other! You both need hugs, stat!

Oh look, and now Geralt's hurting too.

Oh shit. I didn't expect the Queen to die. That's a ballsy move Philippa. But a solid way to make sure your king doesn't ever trust Nilfgaard, if it works.

Was Dijkstra in on it though? I'm not sure...

Radovid. Do NOT call a sneaky murdering bastard out on being a sneaky murdering bastard WHILE YOU ARE ALONE IN A ROOM WITH HIM! I swear to god, if you get yourself killed...(I know it doesn't happen yet, but that doesn't mean it won't later)

I don't like that almost-smile from Firefucker. Whatever his demand is, it isn't going to be fun...

Good to see Francesca getting back to her roots (and doting husband Filavandrel is pretty nice) but I have the uncomfortable feeling she'll get her wish...

You seem on edge Cahir. What are you about to do?

Well, rip. I was just starting to like that guy. But why?

Running away, completely alone. Seems like a bad plan even for Ciri, so I'm going to guess this is a dream...

Eredin? Why do I know that name? [Oh, cus I actually watched Blood Origin. I didn't think I retained anyone's name, but I guess I did]

Is Ciri's appearance and her being "death itself" a play on the whole "death came riding on a pale horse" or whatever it is? Or coincidence?

[autisticwitcher]

I'll try not to make a too long post about this because like, whatever, but the thing that has me the most upset about the Witcher s3 is actually the way the writing treats the physical space these characters inhabit because this is supposed to be a big fantasy story! This is a big continent in which different countries are at war with each other! Nilfgaard trying to take over the rest of the contintent is a big deal because it would make the empire MASSIVE. But you don't get that feeling from the show because because their writing just chaotically flip flops between character constellations and places to hit as many plot beats from the books as it can until the world has collapsed so that everyone somehow lives in an area that doesn't feel bigger than a large metropolitan area.

Take the sene where Ciri is chased by the Wild Hunt for example. That scene is lifted fromt he books, but it doesn't have the same context as the book and so it's free of any internal logic. In the books Ciri and Yen are in Gors Velen, Ciri and Yen fight, the whole bath scene yada yada but Ciri learns that Geralt is nearby on a farm so she runs away to Geralt, gets overtaken by the hunt and Geralt sensing with his Witcher sense that something is wrong in the area goes to check it out and finds (and rescues) Ciri. In the show we don't actually know where exactly Geralt is. Is he close? Is he far away? Where even is that castle, how long was he traveling with Teryn, where do Anika and Otto live? Doesn't matter. Geralt is going to Ciri and Ciri ran away vaguely towards Geralt so somehow they run into each other in the middle of nowhere in the woods right when the Hunt dramatically reaches her. Yay father daughter reunion, we can now move onto our next plot point. (And yes I get that this was also supposed to resemble their meeting in S1 but like, that at least made sense because we are told they are in the same area and also looking for each other and also fate intervened a little bit...but you're telling me destiny somehow gave them a magic father daughter radar?)

Or take the Radskier meeting in Loxia: How tf did Radovid know where Jaskier was? I get that Loxia is a settlement by Thanedd, the students are also lodging there while the guests occupy their rooms, but like, when they show the house it looks like it's in the middle of the woods. If it had been a townhouse, then yeah sure this makes perfect sense. Radovid learns Jaskier's in town, decides to stop by. But no he goes out the middle of nowhere where this house seems to stand, then sneaks about when he runs into the forcefield, not even waiting for the door to open, to get a fun "Jaskier thinks there's an intruder but actually it's his boy Radovid" sequence which...aesthetically fun but WHERE is the narrative logic to any of that?

Cahir is shown in some fancy castle in Nilfgaard in one scene, then the next have him and several other riders carrying a lot of goods to the elves who are somewhere in the North, potentially up in Kaedwin where their last marked location was, maybe closer to the border in Lyria or Temeria or somewhere. How did he get there? Did the whole convoy step through a portal? Did he portal to the nearest post and form the convoy there? We can imagine the possibilities but it would have been so much better to show it just to give the distances weight and meaning.

And don't even get me started on Mistle in Gors Velen...like great that she and Ciri had that interaction, the moment itself was fun, but like...do you know how far Gors Velen is from Gheso? How little sense it makes for her to be there and then later be elsewhere? That there are several books worth of plot because Ciri stepped through a portal that lands her in the middle of the Nilfgaardian Empire where she is alone and has to somehow survive while her parents travel leagues to find and save her?? And so having Mistle meet her in Gors Velen only to later hang out with the Rats in Gheso two weeks later makes it feel like Ciri stepped through a portal in New York to land in New Jersey? When it should be more like stepping into a portal in New York and ending up in Texas?

Thanedd and the political plot are sooo central this season but because everyone immediately reaches everyone else and characters even on horseback travel long distances so fast it feel like they're squabbling about who gets to rule which burrough of New York or something, not countries on a continent. Like look at the map:

It doesn't feel like these characters exist on this map, and that just throws off the whole vibe. Like yeah some of the writing decisions are stupid, some of the decisions characters make have no internal logic, and the costuming is mostly bad. But I feel like all that would be much better if it all felt more consequential because there was something behind it all. But instead only the places the characters are in right now matter and they get there because they have to for plot and they keep going back and forth because it's more fun if they split up but also they need to reunite but also they need to split up again and so we keep riding around in the same part of the woods.

Idk where I wanted to go with this, maybe I'm just nitpicky. Maybe I'm too autistic and got worked up about the wrong thing, but it's just so frustrating that it feels like they did not consider why plot point A leads to point B in the books and so just haphazardly throw shit together because they think it looks fun in the show. And the problems with the physical space just exemplify that.

[horsegirlcahir]

can you imagine having like a dozen stallions in the same mile radius as active warhorses. because the blood and loud noises and smells and weird sensations aren't enough, let's also make sure we bring in horses that are insane with testosterone and territorial as hell. GOOD PLAN

iirc yennefer is canonically Teeny Tiny so i love the idea of her very elegantly using a tree stump or something to get on her SHIRE HORSE sdrgrsgsrg ma'am you are too committed to the aesthetic. geralt has to give her a boost because there's nothing convenient around and she's like "do not.... perceive me"

and stop that's adorable....... fuck now i do have to write this bc i'm drawing brain parallels between him as The Black Knight and him as cahir and the horses associated with each

yennefer and cahir both choosing to ride stallions is. insane to me

[eamonfaren]

You are the new mage at Nilfgaard working closely with the ruthless army commander Cahir. 

[energy-vampire]

Ben Barns aka Cahir

[eightw]

Cahir’s wrist itches with phantom pain – either heavy with the chains of loyalty, or light from the lack of them and unused to the air rushing across his skin. Warmth in the shape of Yennefer’s fingers still lingers.

“Alright,” Cahir says, ��I’m coming with you.”

if i am nothing (i am trying) by blankie on ao3  (au where cahir follows yennefer)

[siderealxmelody]

@fatedtragedie - I feel in modern and otherwise. Cirsh just loves to watch him dress in formal things 👀

(x)

[assassin1513]

⚜️The new King ⚜️ Cahir ⚜️ gifs (edits) made by me :)

For the beautiful and creative blog @smolgingerpotatodoll ❣️

[zodisims]

your literature professor, probably

a lookbook, if you will.

thanks to all the cc creators, had a lot of fun! :] creds under the cut

glasses for both outfits by @/liliili-sims

fit 1: top by @pleyita // pants by @aharris00britney and @ayoshi // oxford shoes by @wyattssims // socks (base game)

fit 2: trenchcoat (patreon exclusive, sadly...) by @/darte77 // pants by @serenity-cc // shoes by @/liliili-sims // socks (base game) // gloves (get to work)

poses: @foxisimmer (first pose) // @/kiruluvnst (deactivated, but can be found here) // @helgatisha (third pose) // @/toysofdukeness (last pose)

Book, lamp and kettle photo by Jez Timms on Unsplash  

https://unsplash.com/photos/8muUTAmcWU4?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink

[ladybane]

Ciri ❄️

[metronn]

THE BLACK KNIGHT - A CAHIR PLAYLIST

the crown you wear / it burns your hair and sears your skin / you cry aloud / "let there be light, let there be nothing!"