#callan brother death

[l-watches-while-note-taking]

First thing I did this year was watch Witcher Blood Origin, I loved it, best start to the year I've had in a while! Elie and Fjall, her voice used to start a rebellion and also be an anchor, Fjall going through the first mutation and asking softly once everything was done to die, my emotions were messed with. And like everyone was a badass and I was vibrating. New year actually started during the mutation process, which interesting, don't know if that's supposed to say something about this year.

[bamf-jaskier]

"So I went up to the Koreth Mountains and mined myself some fire ore, smelted it down and added my sweet Gwen's ashes to it. Then me and Gwen went hunting."

BROTHER DEATH (CALLAN) + MELDOF

The Witcher: Blood Origin - Of Warriors, Wakes, and Wondrous Worlds: Ep 3

[djarinslover]

Personally I really liked Blood Origin, just wish it was longer so we could’ve gotten to know more about each character

[old-deerstalker-hat]

[stromuprisahat]

Expectations were low, but Oh My God!

I intended to write down the dialogues that don't make much sense, but then I figured it's no use to copy/paste all the subtitles. There's rarely anything that isn't plain stupid. The Witcher: Blood Origins is amalgam of badly used tropes I've seen thousand times before. 

The Elves

Forget the beautiful, graceful humanoids with equally stunning culture. The elves here are dirty, rude and equally pathetic as humans. The only difference is pointy ears. Their architecture is massive and angular, their blades, proverbial elven blades, often look like a total amateur with zero skill forged them out of scraps.

Elves are also morally corrupt. Colonization is a huge issue we won’t learn much about, except they’re just as bad as humans will become in future. Given the context the point seems to be they had it coming... in case you were starting to feel for their race in present time.

REPRESENTATION!!!

Recently I’ve read a post about how little representation is in “source” material. Shocking, isn’t it? Slavic fantasy, heavily inspired by mediaeval Poland doesn’t include POCs (read: Blacks and East-Asians, because I’ve never seen anyone complaining about lack of Native Americans... in pseudoEurope...). The show creators obviously decided to fix that by ticking off the proper boxes.

You’ve got Black elves, East-Asian, gay gay, chubby deaf-mute... well, at least this time the different colours came from distinct nations. If only the stereotypes were avoided.

Tropes and patterns

Soft, slightly feminine gay, gullible disabled, wise older East-Asian mentor,  washed out hippie healer, abused genius, forbidden love between protector and his charge, soldier who was done killing untill the enemy wiped out his home, redemption = sacrifice = suicide, two characters arguing about who’s gonna do the sacrificing only for the one, who “lost” to go behind the other one’s back and do it...

... sprinkle some well-known terms and names: chaotic power, Xin'trea, Eredin, Avallac’h... aaand done! Brand new tale from a widely-loved universe is done!

Perhaps try writing less of what could people find cool, and focus on a good story.

Rah, rah-ah-ah-ah!

Four episodes don’t offer much space to develop many characters. Seven good guys, at least four antagonists... personalities, interactions, needless romance... it’s interesting how much can actors express in only so many interactions.

Zacaré and Brother Death are believable. 

Meldof and Gwen's story's tragic, but rather sweet in a way. (Tho they could’ve refrained from that rape aspect.)

Éile and Fjall, flat and boring. One of the unsurprising, disappointing turns of events. Zero chemistry. Made to fuck with the sole purpose of making a baby to artificially connect them to Ciri, one of the MCs in the “original” series.

The WITCHER: Blood Origin

You're telling me that the first version of a witcher was a badass elf? This is really gonna piss Geralt off.

One would hope for something different, after all this fuss, but no. First “witcher" is just another butch guy, only with pointy ears.

How do we know the turning potion's ew? It's black!

How do we know he's really WITCHER 1.0? Yellow eyes!

How do we know he’s not quite himself? Black eyes and veins on his face!

I'm sure this improvised ritual had the same effects as carefully honed procedure sorcerers spent decades perfecting...

Fuck the Coup, free The People!

The story starts with a coup, killing off three monarchs with their bodyguards. Corrupt, elitist leadership’s gone, the new rulers- army, magicians and overlooked princess- plan to invade new worlds to gain resources their world’s lacking. Sounds like a decent idea? Our heroes would disagree. The empress needs to be destroyed, because people suffer.

You changed nothing. You're just another boot looking for more necks.

... reproaches the great Éile new empress. When was she supposed to do that? In a week? Change takes time and resources, Merwyn had none. Am I supposed to cheer, because now it's faceless "people" in charge? Do they have knowledge to rule? The skill? Anything? Or are they expected to wing it? Rule isn't about putting new people to the wheel and hope it will all work out. Talk about freedom won't feed you, run trade, economy, agriculture etc..

The worst thing's we know the Empire is crumbling. We know there's no food to redistribute, even the leadership has barely anything and you can't let the head starve if you want to fix anything. Merwyn's unforgivable sin was being born into the ruling class.

- You've no idea what elfkind even is. You're just another spoiled princess.

~ I am Empress!

- You are a child ~given~ the reins of a warhorse. You don't speak for elfkind.

... the writers try to gaslight us. We’re introduced clever, idealistic, inquisitive princess, who wants to help her people. When she’s confronted with reality, she tries to learn more. She goes from her family’s pawn to schemer, who makes allies and plans, frees herself from role of figurehead and reminds others the most important task is to feed their people. That’s a character I’d love to watch. Not a dumb singer, who rallies a mob, destroys government, helps to cause cataclysm and fucks off to countryside.

The Story of the Seven

What did those fame-deserving Seven achieve? Did they solve famine? Did they end war? Did they offer better way to rule? No, no and no.

But they (unintentionally) caused the Conjunction, brought the monsters and humans into weak, starving, disorganized society. The rightfully forgotten Seven effectively crippled their own race and destroyed any chance for defense they might have had.

I don’t know who is Jaskier’s song about, but it’s not about these Seven.

[witchthewriter]

I just finished watching The Witcher: Blood Origin AND OH MY GOD. I’m not going to spoil anything but if anyone has seen it, please comment because I HAVE to talk about it. 

It changes so much about the Witcher?! 

   Also I’m going to have to write some fanfics because oh god the tropes, the relationships, the characters, the plot. It’s ... perfect. 

[spilledbutter]

i'm totally normal about this scene between meldof and callan

Meldof: It's torture. You lot aren't made for taking this much pain. [Meldof passes Callan her pipe.] Callan: Elves can take a lot more than a dwarf can. That's a well-known fact. Meldof: Ah! Fact. Eleven fact. [She stares pointedly at Callan. He hears her meaning, glances over at her.] Meldof: We've been taking punishment from the likes of you for generations. Suffering and pain you'll never understand. [Callan nods, dismissively, seemingly uncomfortable with the conversation.] Callan: Yeah, but... you know, it was a long time ago, you know. It--It wasn't-- Meldof: Wasn't you? [They sit for a beat in silence. Callan has nothing to say.] Meldof: Your world is built on our bones. [Callan nods again, seemingly accepting that he will not understand.] Meldof: Know why I call those monoliths cock towers? Because our ancients buried them to bring fertile bounty to the land. They're sacred. And, yet again, elves defile them. No wonder famine's rife. Callan: Look, you know, you won't find me denyin' it. [Callan passes the pipe back.]

TOTALLY NORMAL. 1000% A REGULAR GAL.

[whataboutthefish]

The road was paved with blood and bone

The Witcher: Blood Origin fic

Brother Death | Callan/ Zacaré

Also on Ao3

You don’t earn a name like Brother Death over night, indeed not even in the span of a lifetime that you or I would understand. It was a death that etched its way into the very core of a man's being, until the ground he trod was paved with blood and bone

Brother Death didn’t cower to anyone, he would rather die than show vulnerability. He’d tried, many times, to let Death take him. For Death to deal his final blow and allow him peace, for he would find none while blood still pumped through his veins. 

Brother Death had no clan, he walked alone, on a path forged for him many decades ago. He was the nightmare you told your children to keep them in line, for the doors that Brother Death cast a shadow over would see blood spilt upon its threshold.

When Brother Death walked into a Mages mist, he was made to live a nightmare of his own making, only to emerge stripped bare, and for the first time since he was a child, untainted by the horrors of the world, seen for who he truly was.

There was no way around the mists, turning back was not an option, his actions had assured of that. When he tried to find the edges and a way around, he ended up walking in circles, it was impossible but he returned to the same spot time and again. 

The only option was through. 

The mist was clearly unnatural, he’d heard rumors of a Sage in the area, he was all too aware entering may mean Death would come for him.  That part of his soul that ached for death screamed at him to step headlong into the unknown. He took a deep breath, patted the hilts of his cleavers and crossed through the veil to see what the fates had in store for him.

His breath caught in his throat as he felt the familiar heat of blood spray across his face, the body that dropped to the ground before him was one of the many faceless he’d slain. Was this a death of retribution or one of the casualties of his quest for revenge? When had the lines between them blurred so much that he felt no compassion for either?

His mouth fell open on a silent roar.

The smell of battle, of blood and shit was all around him, adrenaline seared through his veins, his skin felt raw as the battle rage tore through him. The sound of death and dying surrounded him, but he knew there would be no more foes, he knew there had been no real battle. What he was standing in the middle of was a massacre.

His silent roar still echoed in his head like a mother’s lament, undulating with rage and grief. He dropped his cleavers, fell to his knees and clasped his hands over his ears. Squeezed his eyes closed and started to beg for death. The panic that wrote itself like a ballard under his skin promised eternity in the nightmare of his own making, of an afterlife filled with the terrors he’d wrought upon others.

His dread turned to ice in his veins when the searing pain of an arrow ripped through his shoulder, a wound long since healed, pushing him into a new nightmare. A nightmare Callan witnessed every time he closed his eyes, since the day he lived it. A nightmare so real that it fueled his every step. A nightmare that changed the course of his life before he’d even had a chance to know himself. The nightmare he entered was the birth of Brother Death, although that name would not follow his steps, scout ahead and spread like wildfire for many years to come. The origins of his name were lost to all but himself, where they blazed as stark and clear now as they did on that fateful day.

He hated how small he felt, when the terror made him freeze. Watching his mother be hacked near in two was the first strike to shatter his soul. She had run into the soldier's blade to save him, to give him the time to hide somewhere safe and he’d just stood there. He wasted her sacrifice on that day and it stabbed into his heart, searing hotter than any arrow wound. 

The sound of her gurgles as she bled out in seconds echoed in his ears, before he managed to move and took off running. He fled his hut expecting to find help; he found nothing but death. 

It was the day Death came to him and roared his name. 

He watched the soldiers as they stalked the alleys, saw them exit village huts wiping blood from swords, putting their cocks back into their britches, blood spattered over their bodies a stark contrast against their pale skin.

He was spotted fast, a child in the midst of a massacre, a sword pointed in his direction and the hollow laugh of a male who towered over him like a giant. He saw the bow as the male notched an arrow, pulling back, he took off running, too late. He heard the arrow whistling through the air right before he fell to his knees. 

He felt a hand take his own where it lay in the mud as he fell forward, a village elder wheezed the words “play dead, cub,” And he did so, he closed his eyes and collapsed to ground. He didn’t flinch when his body was kicked, he held his breath as the arrow was ripped out of him and placed back in its quiver. He didn’t cry out when his body fell back to the hard earth. He didn’t move until long after the army had left.

When he eventually let go of the hand, the elder long dead and cold, he wobbled to his legs, blood loss made him dizzy but he had to see. He always had to see. What he saw broke him completely. His clan lay dead, his village burning around him. Smoke burnt the back of his throat as ash rained down, blinking it from his eyes, smudging his face with blood and dirt, Callan started to choke on death.

As the images began to spin around him like a vortex Callan saw the face of every death he’d witnessed, inflicted, every bloody scream and petrified look. Every single one ripped through his soul until he clawed at his eyes screaming for it all to stop. 

“Hush now, Callan, come back to me.” 

The voice was that of a goddess, when he opened his eyes he found his head in the lap of the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. The sun shone behind her making the blonde strands of her hair glow like an aura around her face. 

“Death?” He asked with a whispered voice that felt raw with use, the remnants of ash still on the tip of his tongue. 

“Not death, brother.” She stroked a hand through his hair, the touch far more gentle than he’d experienced since his mother’s hand. Her thumb caught tears he hadn’t known he shed, and she looked at him with such compassion his heart ached. 

“Then who?” His thoughts still came sluggish and slow as the haze of death hung around him. 

“My name is Zacaré,” She tilted her head, looking down at Callan, her hair falling over her face to dance across his cheek.

“How do you know me?” 

“You’ve walked my mists, I have seen all of you, Callan.” 

Callan’s mind finally cleared of fog, he scrambled from Zacaré’s lap, he wore a look of disgust on his face that made the female flinch. “You must not touch me, for I will soil you. I’m unclean, not worthy. Please forgive me.” 

Zacaré smiled, a soft sad thing that he wanted to wipe from her face. “Callan, I see you.” 

“You cannot, must not.” He begged, but he knew in his heart it was too late, her mists had read him like a book laid out for all to see. 

“You don’t know what I see,” She answered, she walked to him with a strength that shone from her core, “Do you wish to know what I see?” She asked, as her hands came to cup his face, as she leant in to rest her forehead against his and gently close her eyes. 

She felt his nod, his throat too tight to speak. 

“I see hope,” She kissed one cheek, “I see hurt,” she kissed the other side, “I see a good male.” She pushed her lips against his, stealing his breath and the sob that broke free.

“I am not a good male,” He whispered into the space between them.

“You can be.” She whispered back.

Zacaré held a hand out for Callan to take, after a long moment, where he stared at the creature who seemed to hold his heart in her hands, he reached up and took it.

That was the day he left Brother Death on the floor of that forest clearing and walked the road by his goddess’ side, a male named Callan.

[writerfae]

I heard you are interested in the disaster that is Endre's gf, Odette (19), and their relationship! Oh boy!

A little worldbuilding for context:

In the country of Galla three people rule together at once. They are called the triarhists (or that's how i decided it will be in English) and they have magic (gold wings that they can summon on their backs and grow to any size they want, gold fire and gold chains), and they pass this on to their first born. Their primary role is to protect the people of Galla if the Black swamp ever threatened them again, and in the worst case scenario lift Galla higher so they can't be reached. Triarhists are NEARLY seen as gods, but everyone knows they are just humans.

Odett and Endre are both soon to be triarhists. Endre hates it, but Odette always helps him with everything she can.

Odette loves being a triarhist. She loves her people, and wants to help them in every way she can.

She is smart, understanding and compassionate. Everyone thinks she'll be one of the best rulers in history.

The other characters love her! Adél, Ákos and Bendegúz all see her as a big sister, and she also genuinely loves them. Not to mention the true love that is between her and Endre. See, they all grew up together, so they're really close.

So, what went wrong?

When Odette was really little she had this idea. She listened to the scary legends about the swamp and had nightmares about them like every other child. She saw little Adél, bearly three years old crying at the mere mention of the place. But what if they, the triarhists could destroy the Black swamp for good?

She told this to her dad, who at the time praised her, because it was just another sign of her growing to be a caring ruler. But as time passed, and she didn't let go of this idea they argued over it alot.

Odette's dad said that she shouldn't start a war when they are safe. That her plans are cruel and extreme.

They fought about this until Odette turned 14. Her father thought she simply grew to realize what was wrong with her idea. Truth is Odette just hid the plans and worked on them in private.

But you know how curious Ákos is. He was bound to find a secret drawer. Years after Odett hid the plans there. And he doesn't like it.

Odette pleads with him to keep it a secret, but he doesn't want to. What he read was strange, and scary and so unlike her.

So Odette looks at this ten year old. The one she taught how to read, hugs him close, says "I'm sorry". Ákos relaxes. And Odette pushes him down into the abyss.

Odette tells everyone it was an accident. They were just playing and Ákos stumbled. She tried flying after him, to catch him, but to no avail. Everyone believes her.

She doesn't regret it. It was for her people. Anything for her people.

Still she tries distancing herself from her friends. It wouldn't be fair to them.

But, of course they don't let her go that easily.

A week after the incident Endre corners her in the library and confronts her, saying that it wasn't her fault and noone blames her.

And Odette knows it's not a fair question to Endre, but she still asks:

"If it was my fault would you still love me?"

And Endre, who thinks Odette saw his little brother stumble to his death despite her best efforts and is traumatized by that, of course says "Yes"

Weeks later Adél and Bendegúz disappear. A week after that they come back with Ákos.

Odette is glad that Ákos is safe, but still she doesn't regret what she did, and she'd do it again if she felt it was needed.

-

So that's what happened.

Everyone has varying levels of trust issues after this.

Endre, summoning flames into his palms: Are you sure your boyfriend would never hurt Aiden?

Henry standing before Callan: Yes, I am absolutely sure-

Endre: I WAS ALSO SURE!

Aiden just eating popcorn in the background.

Endre and Callan would like echother I think. They can trade ruler gossip. But they might need to get past... this first.

Also I'll tell you about Endre some other time, but know that Aiden and Endre would fight so much over who gets to adopt the other! Since they're the same age

I absolutely am! And damn am I invested in this now.

First off, I love Odette. I love her name and I can even understand her reasoning for what she did (though that doesn’t excuse shoving a literal child down an abyss)

I love characters that seem just so born to be rulers, that you know would do everything for their people, even if it’s not always the right thing.

I’m really curious though, what were her plans to destroy the black swamp? If even her father calls it cruel, I probably don’t want to know do I? 🙈

It must’ve been quite the shock for Ákos to find out about all that. And having to deal with the fact that she as someone he trusted pushed him into the abyss must be hard too. Poor thing.

I feel so sad for Endre too. Must be hard to be betrayed like this by a person he loves so much. I can see why he has trust issues afterwards. All of them, honestly. I hope they’ll still be okay.

I think if Callan manages to convince Endre that he doesn’t intend to harm anybody they’d get along quite well. They could complain about having to be the ones in charge.

And Aiden and Endre can declare each other their respective honorary brother, then everyone would be happy I think xD

[hollislawson]

[ … ] ❀ you’re not from around here , are you? i figured because you totally just missed { Hollis Lawson } walking by. don’t tell me you don’t know who { he } is ? they kind of look like { Skeet Ulrich } and i could be wrong but i think that they might be { 33 } years old right now. they’ve been living in palmview for the last { 14 years }. and i don’t know if anyone has ever told them this before but they kind of remind me of { Paul Callan } from { Miracles }. if you stick around the town long enough you might catch them in action working at { The Book Nook } as a { Bookseller / Blogger }. you see this town isn’t really that big of a place, some folks like to call them the { The Oracle } of palmview! they took a liking to the name too after a while, go figure. oh crap, they must have heard me yapping. they’re coming this way. i got to warn you though, rumor has it they can pretty { fretful } at times. i wouldn’t take it too seriously though, from the times i’ve spoken to them they seemed pretty { perceptive } to me. we see each other all the time since they live in that { one bedroom } apartment beside me over in { Seaglass Gardens }. i better leave you to it. it was nice meeting you!  

Biography. (TW: death, funerals, hospitalisation, illness, injury) Hollis was born exactly two minutes after his identical twin brother, Harrison. From that moment on, the two were inseparable. They had their own made-up baby language that everyone swore only they understood. They slept in the same bed, despite having separate bunks and when they had candy, they counted out the pieces to make sure they both got the same amount. Things ticked on until their mom got sick and the twins ended up having to go into the care system. Despite their pleas, the twins were separated, their last time together being the day of their mother’s funeral. They promised that the second they were able, they’d find each other again. When Hollis was sixteen, he suddenly started having strange dreams. Every single night, he’d see very specific things or hear very particular sentences. Dreams that would have him jumping awake and unable to focus for the rest of the day. Despite everyone telling him to let it go, he simply couldn’t. His dreams were compelling and he knew in his heart they had to mean something, but, he couldn’t figure out what. He began to try sleeping more, sleeping less, making himself unconscious - anything he could to regain access to these messages. This landed him in hospital many times until he aged out of the care system at eighteen. Keeping to his promise, the first thing he did was accessed public records to try and seek out his brother. However, he came to learn that Harrison had passed away two years prior. This hit him hard and he essentially squandered the rest of the year grieving and continuing to try and study his dreams, filling books upon books with random words, imagery and phrases. Deciding he couldn’t stay in his hometown, he moved to Palmview, hoping for a fresh start. He has a quiet job in The Book Nook and mostly keeps to himself. However, he is almost constantly updating his blog where he continues to this day to document his strange dreams. With access to an audience, he’s had people reach out to him claiming some of the things he wrote of were eerily accurate depictions of something that happened to them, or someone they used to know. However, for every one of those he gets, he gets a dozen more calling him a fraud or insulting him. Recently, Hollis found himself in hospital after being hit by a cyclist. He was walking home from work when suddenly images started flashing before his eyes. It caused him to stop suddenly in his tracks, resulting in the accident. It hasn’t happened again since.

[cantsayidont]

More hateration holleration. No poster art; I didn't like any of these movies and don't feel like looking at their posters again.

ABOUT HIM & HER (2023): Experimental romantic drama, set in 1989 and "based on a true memory," about an unnamed man (Callan McAuliffe) and an unnamed woman (Cristina Spruell) who are accidentally connected by a phone company mishap. Over a series of subsequent long-distance conversations, they become emotionally entangled and eventually agree to meet, but they're both so afraid that finally seeing each other face-to-face will shatter their delicate intimacy that they spend the entire second half of the film trying to avoid looking at one another, even though they both desperately want to. The characters' interactions are carefully staged throughout (at first, they're just voices, and we don't get a look at either of their faces until they're both in the hotel room), but this initially touching conceit eventually becomes SO contrived that the story's genuine poignancy is undercut by a growing resentment at being jerked around in such a heavy-handed way. This is perhaps the ultimate romantic idiot plot: Despite their insecurity, the characters are both skinny, conventionally attractive, straight white cisgender adults of similar age and class; the only thing keeping them apart is their reluctance to (literally) just open their eyes, and there's no reason to assume that even a failure of nerve on that front would be irreconcilable save for the filmmakers' stubborn commitment to the melancholy bit. (The end credits claim that the lead actors never saw each other or even learned each other's name until the film's premiere.)

I.S.S. (2023): Upsettingly grim apocalyptic drama — not really a thriller, though billed as one — about six astronauts aboard the International Space Station, three Americans (Ariana DeBose, Chris Messina, and John Gallagher Jr.) and three Russians (Masha Mashkova, Costa Ronin, and Pilou Asbæk), whose respective governments order them to turn on each other as nuclear war breaks out on Earth. Well-acted and generally well-made, but there's little real suspense because an unbearably bleak outcome is always a certainty, making the fates of the individual characters a more or less moot point; the only leavening factor the script can offer is a contrived subplot involving an experimental treatment for radiation poisoning, which is clearly too little, too late in the face of the global nuclear holocaust the characters see unfolding on the surface below. A stressful downer that makes Lars von Trier's nightmarish 2011 end-of-the-world movie MELANCHOLIA seem like a screwball comedy by comparison.

PARALLEL (2024): Unconvincing sci-fi drama, cowritten by stars Aldis and Edwin Hodge (and based on a 2019 Chinese film) about unhappy spouses Vanessa (Danielle Deadwyler) and Alex (Aldis Hodge), who are staying in a remote lake house with Alex's brother Martel (Edwin Hodge) as they struggle to come to grips with the recent death of their young son. The woods surrounding the house are also a nexus of parallel timelines, where alternate versions of the characters seek to supplant one another in what they hope will be better versions of their previous lives. It's nice to see this kind of sci-fi allegory with an all-Black cast, but it doesn't really work dramatically, marred by an over-reliance on exposition and some rather arbitrary rules (which the characters accept far more readily than it seems like they should under the circumstances) that make the plot's rapidly escalating violence hard to swallow. Aldis Hodge comes across well as always, but Deadwyler's part doesn't allow for much emotional nuance, and Edwin Hodge is stuck in an awkward third-wheel role.

PASSAGES (2023): Glum, dishearteningly biphobic French drama about a married man called Tomas (Franz Rogowski) who spurns his husband Martin (Ben Whishaw) for a younger woman called Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and then attempts to retreat to Martin after Agathe becomes pregnant, eventually managing to alienate them both. Why either was ever interested in him in the first place is never very clear, as Tomas is unattractive, solipsistic, and thoroughly unsympathetic (though Martin is no prize himself, leaving Agathe as the most tolerable character basically by default). All of the characters are thinly drawn, and some interesting directorial choices can't make up for the film's conspicuous lack of warmth or its aggravating determination to equate Tomas's bisexuality (a word the script studiously avoids) with his consuming selfishness and inability to commit emotionally.

[kalina-tabrys-blast-radius]

For kalina ofc

What is their name, and how old are they? Does their name or birthday hold any significance?

How many languages do they speak? Do they have any sort of accent?

Which companions (or advisors) do they like to spend time with when they’re not travelling?

How do they feel about dragons?

What did they think of King Cailan and Duncan? How did they react to their deaths?

Who rules Orzammar, Bhelen or Harrowmont? How did your Warden make their decision?

How did they resolve the conflict in the Brecilian Forest? Did they side with the werewolves, the elves, or did they reach a truce?

What gifts would raise their approval rating if they were a companion?

Kalina Tabrys is 19, I think. He's just hit adulthood, he's ready to solve everyone's problems with friendship (and incredible rageful violence). Kalina is named after kalina berry bushes. I learned a lot of songs and poems about kalinas in Ukrainian, and it's got an association with home and healing, but the berries are really bitter. I like the contrast, I think it fits well with Kalina's desire for social connection and solutions and his thorough destruction of people who hurt him or his folks.

Kalina speaks the Trade Tongue and really desperately wishes he was fluent in Elvish. He knows a few words from his mother's books, all related to religious rituals, but that's it. He doesn't have an accent, per se. But he talks slowly and over-enunciates his words, with the exception of a few rehearsed or familiar phrases and names. He himself imitating other people's accents without meaning to as well.

Kalina likes each of his companions in a unique way, but I think he spends the most time with Zev and Morri. They're so different from him, in their worldview and experience, yet Kalina finds himself in them. Morri with her connection to nature and interest in the world, and Zev with his elven heritage, all important to Kalina. It's comforting, almost validating, to see such familiar things in people who are so different. He could listen to either of them talk for hours. He likes to braid their hair when he's listening to their stories or insights. I think, if they all got more comfortable, he'd love to make woodworking or textile crafts with them. Besides them, Kalina likes to sit and goof off with Alistair a lot. He sees Al like a brother and it really makes him miss his cousins.

Kalina likes animals and creatures, and initially, dragons are no exception. As a kid, he absolutely has fantasized about somehow having a dragon companion he could ride as it flew. The nightmares from the Joining have put a big damper on this enthusiasm though. Thinking about dragons now just makes him shudder.

Duncan and King Callan were symbols of hope to Kalina, who I think really struggles with hopelessness. He has been supported by his community for most of his life, and on his wedding day, his community was not enough to protect his beloved cousins. So he solves the problem with violence, despite his instinct to seek social solutions. He's full of rage and reeling from this experience when Duncan whisks him away to join the Gray Wardens. To Kalina, this is another chance to protect his community effectively and find hope again. Duncan singles Kalina out, makes him feel special and capable, and Kalina clings to that hope. Kalina really likes King Callan. The king seemed a bit brazen and impulsive, which are traits that Kalina doesn't realize he shares. He liked his sense of humor and enthusiasm, and it gave him hope.

Then they both die. Duncan dies and leaves Kalina in an entirely new world, where Kalina does not know the social scripts, how to connect with people, how to protect and be protected. He's alone. On top of that, King Callan is dead now too. King Callan's death made Kalina feel unsteady in his own enthusiasm and leadership. If King Callan can't make it in this world, with his hopeful approach and attitude, how can Kalina? What hope is there? But Kalina can't think about that right now, can't have doubts or let these deaths or the loss of his community affect anything, because he's a fresh, baby-faced leader and if he looks shaky even for a second, the world is at stake.

Bhelen rules Orzammar! Out of game, my partner suggested it lol. In game, Kalina doesn't really like underhanded deceitful politics and unnecessary grandeur and violence. Harrowmount did some underhanded shit and was going to ask Kalina to do some sort of Champion fighting. Kalina does not understand political games like that or the importance of those rituals. He prefers the ruler who will be direct, because that is communication he will be able to understand. He thinks that's Bhelen.

The Brecilian Forest was not a fun time for Kalina. He was so so happy to find elves who still followed the ancient traditions and who could teach him. Honestly he was probably daydreaming about settling down there after the small matter of stopping the Blight. He talked to literally everyone he could, read every scrap of paper and every plaque on a statue, and remembered it all. When Kalina heard about the werewolves, his instinct was to resolve it peacefully. He was angry, maybe, about their attacks, but hitting fist and asking questions later has gotten him nowhere. He was absolutely devastated and lost to find out about the whole complicated situation. The leader of the elves, who in Kalina's imagination was already teaching him the ancient ways of the elves, was not who he said he was. During the last fight, Kalina was angry and spent the entire time chasing the elven leader until he gave up. He didn't even think twice about the werewolves doing what they did. He came away from that arc heavily disillusioned.

I think that Kalina would like random lil trinkets, rocks with cool symbols on them, like Alistair. Books about elven lore or elven artifacts would also send him over the moon.

[bamf-jaskier]

What do you think of Witcher Blood Origin?

Well, if you can't tell from my recent posting I am massively in love with it.

I got the chance to live chat through it in a sever @spilledbutter set up and I had so much fun live-reacting.

Reasons I enjoyed it:

The Seven are amazing characters because not only do they have very distinct personalities and character design but they also all have great chemistry together

it's hard to balance a large main cast like this show had but I think they did a great job

it reminded me a lot of Heroes, which was one of my favorite shows when it was coming out

Each character has interesting motivations and is fleshed out really well for a show with only 4 episodes

the costume design is just gorgeous. At this point Merwyn is carrying the witcher universe when it comes to fashion. I just know I'm going to be reblogging so many posts of her outfits.

The music is also amazing, I haven't really made it a secret but I was massively let down by the season 2 soundtrack and it's great to see them have super good musical backing and the original songs are fabulous and I have been listening to them a lot

Eile and Fjall were a big reason I got as invested in the show as I did

twn is sort of infamous for how little screentime and build up Yennefer and Geralt have as their main romance so it was really great to see a relationship that actually felt like they got a good amount of plot attention, screentime, and chemistry

the whole Larkstone (Eile and Fjall) relationship really kept me going and the actors did such a good job

I think their relationship is easily one of my favorite parts of the show

the friendship between Meldof and Callan (Brother Death) is also something I didn't expect to love as much as I did

which goes back to what I was saying about the chemistry of The Seven

They just fit perfectly together and complimented each other

it very much had Hansa vibes in the best way possible

and even the characters like Scian who had these previous connections to characters (Scian helped teach Eile) were able to add new dynamics

I was so impressed with the chemistry the show was able to create with so little time. I'm super sad they cut it from 6 to 4 episodes because I just know those other two episodes contained amazing stuff

there is so much more I could say but I'm just going to tell you all to watch it yourselves. At this point it's a rambling train of thought more than an easy list.

It's only 3.5 hours to watch it all and it has really revitalized my interest in The Witcher and it was just super well done.

[cathygeha]

REVIEW



Gladiatrix by Katrina Roman

Escape from the Lion’s Den #1



What would you do to survive? Would you rely on family, friends, faith…or yourself? Would you be one at the top or bottom of societies ladder or perhaps in the middle…or…might you find yourself outside on the fringes?



What I liked:

* Reading a debut author’s work that made me think, care, and wonder…about many things

* The plot, pacing, setting, mythology, character development, and story projection

* Danyka “Dany” Ren: survivor, fighter, strong, resilient, trains hard, has a temper, bright, protective, seems conflicted and a bit broken/damaged at times, doing the best she can with what she has, has dreams for her future, gladiatrix,

* Ailan Ren: survivor, Danyka’s twin sister, lives and works outside the vault where Dany lives,

* Isel: new face in the vault, in training as a gladiatrix, more than she appears to be, has a secret and dreams of her own

* The reason behind this apocalyptic dystopian futuristic world and the impact it has had on those who survived

* Thinking about the “what-ifs” and wondering how some ended up as they did while others walked a different path – also wondered how large population was and wanted to know more about life in this era

* The people called Salina and where they lived

* The crocodile and its power in real and mythological life

* The way death is looked at and dealt with by some of the characters

* Knowing that this is the first in a trilogy with two more books to look forward to



What I didn’t like:

* Who and what I was meant not to like

* The slavery aspect and thinking about what one might be compelled to do to survive

* Thinking about those at the top of the ladder and how they seemed to focus more on their station, money, and power than on those they probably considered chattel



Did I enjoy this book? Yes

Would I read more in this series? Yes



Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars





BLURB

In the year 2150, one hundred years after the end of the world, gladiatrix Danyka Ren deals in humanity’s oldest sex and violence. Danyka spends her days training in weaponry and battle strategies, and her nights fighting for supremacy in the Vault fight arena or seducing high rollers at Club Prey, both establishments owned by the eldest and most charming of the Serrano siblings, Rex Serrano an Bás. Through Rex, Danyka seeks a coveted nomination to the inter-territorial death match tournament at the quadrennial Peace Summit. Winning would guarantee Danyka the coin to buy her freedom from the Vault and any life she and her estranged twin sister, Ailan, could wish for. But when Rex betrays Danyka and a mysterious new gladiatrix-in-training, Isel, arrives, Danyka and Isel escape instead, and take Ailan with them on a run for their lives. The trio seeks asylum in the swamps with Rex’s self-exiled sibling, Callan. At first, Callan refuses to help the woman he knows as his brother’s favorite gladiatrix, but is soon won over by her unrivaled combat skills and the glimpses of her vulnerable underbelly that she hides from the rest of the world. What Callan does not know is that his refugees harbor a secret that could endanger his paradise, topple his sister’s brutal regime over the Básian territory, and revolutionize the course of the human race.





ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katerina Roman is an author, dancer, and animal lover. Her writings are inspired by real-life experience and her life-long love of fantasy romance novels. She competed in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts for ten years, and currently performs, teaches, and competes in the art of pole dancing in St. Petersburg, Florida.

When Katerina is not caught in a trance of music and movement, or hunched over her keyboard, she can be found cuddling her black cats, Vengeance and Mayhem, and her O.G. walk buddy and rescue dog, Samuel L. Jackson.

The Gladiatrix Trilogy is Katerina’s first published work.

[lambden]

hi i move in two days (eek!) and i’m watching episode 2 as i pack so here are some updates!

meldof we basically share a name already so it’s pretty much destiny 🫶 smash (with the gay ghost hammer sure why not)

callan/‘round jaw’/brother death could get it but ONLY but after a massive and thorough salon makeover because the hair is not it

zacaré is gorgeous and absolutely could get it but if i had to pick a ✨ celestial twin ✨ syndril is still my #1 he is SO SEXY

characters who could Not get it: eredin (gay rights win), merwyn (i’m sorry girl you compel me but i feel nothing), avallach because he has literally zero swag sorry little buddy, and balor who i keep flipflopping on but unfortunately i simply think i cannot overlook his many moral flaws.

episode 2 review: i was HEISTBAITED! more later if i need a break from packing, as i’m all done these boxes. thank you all for tolerating me

running list of characters in blood origin who could get it, post episode one:

jaskier (the more wet-rat-looking the better. DOUSE that boy)

evil kermit jaskier shape shifter jaskier

shape shifter themself. i’m a sucker for a storyteller

éile could absolutely get it

💖 FJALL 💖 my masc elf king with a faramir complex.. that medieval henley really did it for me

against the odds.. eredin (even if every time i look at him i just think god i wish they would do eamon’s cahir hair like this). his gay little earring got me

MICHELLE YEOH

ket (i think). merwyn’s cute xintrean friend. ket if you’re free thursday we could have dinner on thursday if you’re free. sorry merwyn i’m just over my straight girls era.

ok literally as i typed this, the princess slit her guard’s throat so i guess she has some amount of swag

okay upon the development of the plot, merwyn (unfortunately) coukd get it but ONLY in her evil cunty girlboss era and only if she promised i would get exiled to get a much hotter gf right after, eventually helping my character development

syndril absolutely 1000000% smash

I NEED TO REITERATE HOW MUCH SCÍAN COULD GET IT. questionable face tattoos and all 🫶🙇🏻🥰

that’s episode one done!

[plaguelin]

Rudiger, kenku fighter(gunslinger)/warlock(pact of the fiend). One of my current D&D characters in a campaign going on something like two years? His character concept initially started out as, "haha, what if there was a little bird with a gun," and he has since developed into a very nuanced character that I'm always super excited to explore. :')

Some Rudiger stuff:

Raised in a human family by an eccentric inventor who found a lil kenku hatchling and thought, "haha, what if I raised it like a person?" He grew up alongside his father's biological child, but was eventually favored due to how helpful his mimicry skills were in the workshop. This eventually destroyed his relationship with his brother, Callan.

Before that, though, Callan--who always excelled at magic, much to their father's uncaringness--helped design and build Rudiger's voicebox, which he wears around his neck and is basically a sending stone that vocally projects his actual thoughts. No more "stop copying me!!" arguments.

Following his father's untimely death in a workshop accident, the two brothers split ways. Rudiger was left with most of the inheritance, but gave it up to Callan in an attempt to mend their relationship. It didn't work, and Rudiger ended up with nothing more than his father's firearm schematics.

Ended up finding a place with a little band of adventurers, as one does. Mostly doing small-time, local jobs.

Almost immediately ended up making a deal with a devil. His soul, and the souls of any who perish by his hand, in exchange for the gift of creativity/unique thought (which kenku had taken away from them when they lost their wings).

Since then, has grown very close to his devil patron! We call him Craig, and he's literally never done anything but help Rudiger when he asks for it -- though in turn Rudi has fed him some hefty souls.... like that of a kraken. :')

In a more recent session, we picked a fight with some of the Bigger Bads and Rudiger basically got himself cornered by one of them--who, despite appearing in every way as a fighter/paladin, was apparently actually a level 19 monk. And basically beat Rudiger within an inch of his life. :') Left him with a broken beak and some PTSD.

In the same fight, Rudiger also got painted with one of his party-mates' brain matter as he got his head smashed in and died...

But this led to Rudiger and Callan sort of making amends, and though there's a lot of work to be done on their relationship, it's getting there!

And Craig, being the good friend he is, kintsugi'd Rudiger's beak up with some infernal iron. :D

Also he has a gunblade now soooo that's pretty rad

I love this campaign very much, haha. Rudiger has become one of my favorite D&D characters.