#clan creation part 1
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bc im making one rn, do the clans have a creation story?
Oof okay this is gonna have to be a four-parter.
Directory:
Part One: Ancient Ancestors/Mythology
Part Two: Why DotC is ass The Tangled Mess of Canon's Creation Story
Part Three: A Basic Overview of the AtD Timeline
Part Four: The Founder's Stories
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Part One: Ancient Ancestors/Mythology
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Explained in this post, anything not directly stated in TPB is free game for me. I am a very big mythology nerd, so I allowed myself to add some stories and rituals that can fit inside canon.
One thing I've noticed is how often Lionclan and Tigerclan and Leopardclan are brought up in the first arc. And how seemingly ever following arc seemed to drop the premise entirely. I always thought that was such a shame because there were SO many interesting things you could have done with that concept.
In this fictional land the clans live in (not britain), big cats emigrated up north, eventually becoming the wild cats known now. (At least this is what the clans believe). Cats with lion/tiger/leopard traits are held in high esteem, and NOT naming a kit with these traits those names is seen as very weird ad probably a bad sign for the cats life.
There are no stories about specific big cats, they've just been relegated to specific stereotypes and roles for whatever narrative the elder needs to tell. It's like in certain folklores that use animal characters. The fox is always sly, the mouse always scared, the bear always tough, the owl/crow always wise.
Tigers are bold, strong, but also clever and quick. They are NOT 'the bad ones' who the writers equate with Shaowclan, because that is bad and sucks. Tigers are actually (irl) incredible swimmers, so Shadowclan AND Riverclan hold them in the higher esteem.
Lions are what inspired Thunderclan's somewhat unique and very intense ideal of 'nobility'. The 'kings' who do good by all, leading without question. In an older age, Skyclan held lions in the higher esteem as well, though that has long since faded. They are still basically Thunderclan's mascot to this day.
Leopards are beloved by Riverclan and Wndclan. While strong, they are not AS strong as lions and tigers, so Thunderclan and Shadowclan tend to brush them off. Leopards were rumoured to be fast as the wind, and favoured intelligence over raw strength.
The Old Clans, as the are known, are often put down by the older apprentices as being 'kit tales', but elder warriors know the wisdom these stories hold. Due to the vague nature of the stories, many older cats question whether or not they hold any truth, but understand the importance of these stories and know to let them be.
As for whether I, the author, have decided if they are true or not, well, I'll never tell : )
#clan creation part 1#atd#warrior cats au#warrior cats rewrite#wc au#wc rewrite#atd lore#atd old clans#atd mythos
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Tsa·zìskrrmipaw
Pair: Neytiri x Y/N human baby x Sully family
Warning: Mention of dead, soft moments, mama neytiri <3
Request: (Anon) I love how you describe neytiri being our mother. Can I asked if you could react or make a small oneshot about how neytiri would adopt us.
AVATAR MASTERLIST | Part 2
Neytiri learned of your existence when your mother gave birth 1 year after neteyam's birth. It was big news in the clan. Mo'at attended the entire birth, as norm could not do anything else. Your mother had complications with the delivery, and she was losing a lot of blood. And the baby could not come out. After a labor of more than 5 hours, the woman died leaving mo'at with no choice but to deliver the baby on her own, asking eywa to keep the newborn alive. Norm was at her side, helping her, ready to provide oxygen to the newborn as soon as it came out of the woman's womb. To his surprise, just as mo'at pulled you out and the woman wiped the baby's nose with her hand and tapped the baby's back to make it respond. All this happened very fast, norm hear how the baby takes a breath and starts to cry. As if she could breathe air easily. Mo'at looks curiously at the man, placing the baby on her chest trying to pacify the baby.
After about 5 minutes and norm monitoring the baby, he notices how the lack of air began in the newborn. Putting on a special oxygen mask that your mother had prepared for you, he watched you breathe. Norm wanted to check something in his head, he thought it couldn't be true, but he wasn't wrong. After 10 minutes of letting you breathe human oxygen, he removed the mask and saw how the newborn kept looking to the sides, very calm. This child had the respiratory system of the na'vi. He almost fainted, how could this be possible.
Norm took it upon himself to investigate, and what a surprise he got. Your mother was a doctor, she had been one of those responsible for the creation of the DNA of the avatars. She had been injecting herself with a modified DNA for months, just so her baby could breathe the air of Pandora. Of course, this was very irresponsible of her, and Norm understood why she was hiding this experiment. He would never have allowed a baby to be experimented on like that. But well…it was too late. This was a surprise to everyone, the first human who could breathe in Pandora. Max and Norm discovered that this was only possible for fetuses, and not all of them. Only those that could survive the treatment, for your release your DNA withstood all the changes. And lucky for you…Mo'at wanted to take care of you, not as your mother but as your guardian. She felt a kind of responsibility, your mother was a very good person to her, and she had trusted her with everything. So she would take care of her daughter. And that's when neytiri met you.
She had given birth to lo'ak 5 months ago, and finding out that there was another newborn baby was very interesting to her. Her mother never told her that the baby was a human, neytiri thought it was another na'vi woman who had given birth and could not survive. And about the human who gave birth, well…she lamented the event but didn't think much of it. She could hear Jake lamenting, and everyone else but it wasn't her problem. She was on her way to her mother's hut, Mo'at had called her to ask her for a favor and to meet the new baby. Neytiri entered very excited, seeing how her mother was sitting there cradling something on her chest.
"Mother…did you call me?" speaks Neytiri. Mo'at settles herself more so that she is now seated in front of her daughter. "Yes, I want to ask you a favor" neytiti nods her head, now sitting up. As she settled lo'ak more on her chest.
"I think you already know about the human-woman who gave birth and died, right?" moat asks.
"Yes…it's very sad news" says neytiri, she doesn't want to imagine that scene. Now she was a mother and she can't imagine how hard it must be for a baby to be alone without its mother.
" Now that you know…I need you to take care of this baby" mo'at pulls out a human baby from her chest, of course she wouldn't have seen it, it was very small compared to her baby. Holding the newborn baby with only one hand, so that her daughter could see it. Before neytiri could speak, mo'at begins;
"She…her mother did not stand the birth, she is a very special baby neytiri…she can breathe our air, she can have a good life. Since you and your partner have adopted kiri, and jake is part of the humans. I think it would be the right thing to do, to help this baby grow up. Besides, you are the only woman who has just given birth, this baby needs to be fed with mother's milk," speaks Mo'at.
Leaving neytiri speechless, she more than anyone else knew that she did not like humans that much. And now she was asking him to take care of one of them. She adopted kiri, because the baby was a na'vi. And she accepted jake, because he had his na'vi body. But now that she would take care of a human child? His mother was going crazy. "Mom…I can't do that, get someone else to do it?" speaks neytiri in protest. Mo'at shakes her head, her mother looked calm. Placing the baby now, in a kind of nest she had prepared. This one was in front of her, in front of her feet.
"Daughter I wouldn't be asking you this if it wasn't necessary, this baby can't be raised by humans. She needs to breathe oxygen from these masks from time to time" mo'at held for a moment the mask norm had left for the baby. "But it's not just that…this baby's feeding is also from a na'vi. Norm already tried to feed her food that is used for human babies and she threw it up. She won't accept it, I thought you might be able to help. It's just feeding and basic care. You don't have to take care of her or adopt her." Mo'at speaks.
Neytiri was still looking at the baby with curiosity, she could have a lot of anger with humans. But she was not a monster, she was not a savage. What she was seeing there was a helpless creature, which she could tell was a little weak. Neytiri touches one of the baby's feet a little, seeing if it had any movement. "I'm afraid it will die if it doesn't feed well in the next few hours" says mo'at. Neytiri sighs, and thinks for a moment. Feeding a baby is not a bad thing, indeed it is very common in the clan. Helping and feeding the children in the clan was something that the women of the omaticaya clan helped each other with. So she would do it as a way to support her mother.
"It's okay," neytiri says, moving lo'ak a little to the side of her chest. Taking the human baby in her hands, carrying it carefully on her breast. It was very delicate and small. It weighed almost nothing, she was afraid that if it moved too much it would hurt the newborn. Neytiri moves the ornaments covering her breasts a little, bringing the creature close. Carefully positioning and guiding the baby. Noticing how the baby opens its mouth desperately trying to seek a maternal touch. After a few seconds, Neytiri watched as the baby began to suck with ease.
Neytiri settles in more, and places the baby on her forearm. She watched as the baby sucked the milk with great enthusiasm. She felt sorry, and an anguish filled her heart. She was such a small and helpless baby. Neytiri noticed how now lo'ak had gotten up, but did not begin to fuss or anything. He just started to move his little hands, until he found the human baby's foot that was right next to him. He touched it carefully and curiously, closing his hand. "Hey careful…be gentle" says neytiri in a low voice, trying not to wake the baby and not to upset her son.
After feeding the baby, neytiri continued to hold the baby to her breast. The baby had fallen asleep, and she looked more peaceful. She had finally eaten since she was born.
"Daughter…if you don't want to do it I understand…but I trust you and " mo'at is interrupted by neytiri. "Mother…it's okay, I will take care of her. After all she is a baby and she needs our help" says neytiri, stroking the baby's tiny head.
"Ok…Neteyam come here!!!" shouts jake, watching as his one year old son ran as fast as he could around the edge of the family hut. Kiri was next to him, playing with some toys. Jake watched as his partner entered the hut. Neytiri had her eyes on her chest, cooing at something. Jake thought it was lo'ak, but noticed how Neytiri had another net over her chest, and was holding something else. Jake gets up from the ground, and walks over to her.
"And what do you bring there?" asks jake. Watching as neytiri giggles softly, moving the net a bit revealing the face of a human baby. "That's it… it's newborn" jake quickly approaches taking the baby in his hands. It was instinctive, they already had their own children and seeing another baby was very common for them, they acted on their instincts. Cradling the baby in their arms. "This is that woman's baby, huh?" asks jake. Hearing how neytiri answers him with a "hmm". There was a small silence, until neytiri explained everything to jake. The man was a little surprised by his mate's attitude, she didn't usually act like that. Neytiri wouldn't even go near spider, and now she was taking care of a baby girl. A human baby.
"She needs to be fed and cared for…mom told me she needs this to breathe sometimes" says neytiri, holding up an oxygen box which had a small oxygen mask. "Well…there's nothing we can do" says jake, laughing a little. Neytiri moves closer to jake and gets closer to smell a little bit of the baby's hair. "She's very precious and special" says neytiri.
"yes….is very special" says jake. Until jake feels someone touch his feet. It was kiri and neteyam who wanted to be carried, they wanted to see how much their parents were doing. Jake kneels down, showing the baby to his sons. "She's a baby…just like your brother" jake speaks softly. A little neteyam reaches over and gently touches the baby's nose, to start laughing. He thought the baby was funny, and kiri does the same. The children were amazed at the baby their father was holding in his arms.
Neytiri didn't know what she was getting into, but she knew she was going to do her assignment very well. She herself began to doubt, the more Y/N grew up, because it was more than obvious that this baby was going to stay with them, after taking care of you for 6 months Neytiri told her mother that she would adopt you as her daughter. This news filled mo'at with joy. She knew she had chosen well, and that her daughter would do a great job. But now neytiri was doubting herself.
The mothers could be a little rude if they wanted to, it had been five years since Y/N had come into their family. And the Sully's had raised the girl as one of their children. There was no preference, no special care. You were a na'vi in the eyes of her family, but to some members of the clan you were still a strange human who shouldn't be in the village. It was more than evident that you were a human, but what human wore no mask at all?. Except you, and this bothered neytiri a lot. She was always hearing how some mothers commented on your appearance and made ignorant comments. Making fun of her for thinking she was the mother of this strange creature. This did not stop Neytiri, even though it hurt her, she went ahead with your raising. But it was normal for her to doubt her parenting and whether it was right for her to take care of you.
Neytiri had gone for a walk with all her children, sitting in a nice meadow. Watching her children run and play. Neteyam, kiri were running around. While lo'ak was lying with his head lying in her lap, while taking a nap. And Y/N she was beside her playing with a wooden ikran, making it fly. As she stood calmly by her side. Neytiri She hadn't been so calm in a while, taking out her bow that hung from her back. She used to carry it, in case there was something dangerous. She began to fix some details, like the loose string. Taking her knife to sharpen one of her arrows.
Neytiri was so focused, she didn't notice that Y/N had gotten up from the floor. You were small, so you didn't make much noise. You look for some branches, a rock, and some ropes from the trees that were on the ground. Running now to sit next to your mother. Neytiri notices how you sit down again, and is surprised to see how you have all these things between your legs. Trying to put them together, and imitating Neytiri. Copying how she was sharpening her arrows. "Honey…look it's like this" says neytiri, following your game. Giving you a stone that was next to you, for you to play with.
You were next to her, copying what she was doing. What was she worrying about, she felt a little silly. Here was the child she doubted she was raising right, imitating her. She chuckled to herself, stroking her daughter's face a little, pulling up the oxygen mask around her neck over her daughter's nose so she could breathe a little. Watching as the little girl continued her work of creating a bow. She knew that life at your side was going to be difficult, but it was going to be worth it. She knew that.
#avatar the way of water#avatar x y/n#avatar 2022#avatar x reader#female y/n#avatar x you#human reader#human y/n#neteyam imagine#avatar 2009#avatar 2#avatar twow#neytiri x jake x human reader#neytiri#neytiri x human reader#neytiri x reader#neteyam#neytiri imagine#neytiri x jake#neytiri x daughter!reader#neytiri x human!daugther#jake sully x y/n#jake sully x sister reader#jake sully x reader#jake sully avatar#jake sully x daughter!reader#lo'ak x sister!reader#neteyam x sister!reader#kiri x sister!reader#tuk x sister!reader
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Love of My Life: Part 1
Heian Era! Sukuna Ryomen x Sorcerer!Fem!Reader
A/N: Although the first part of this story only mentions the ending of the story, this will be a MULTIPLE part story. The first part does not contain as heavy content but OTHER PARTS WILL. ALL parts are dark themes and have heavy topics. The second part of this story will contain more DARK THEMES and is a work of FICTION. I will post the exact warnings and details when the second part gets published but this is your warning for what to expect. Again it is a DARK THEME story so 18+ ONLY MDNI
Warnings: strong language, violence, mention of mass murder, angst, generational trauma, complicated family dynamics, family abuse, murder, motional turmoil and abuse, manipulation, sadistic tendencies (slight), corruption of power, dark themes (slight)
WC: 8.6K
Summary: The story of the infamous King of Curses has been around for hundreds of years, proving him to be the most feared sorcerer in the entire jujutsu realm. But the truth of what happened that led to the ultimate annihilation of his humanity has been concealed, almost erased. There was a time back in the Heian era when Ryomen Sukuna did have a shred of humanity left… but the loss of it resulted in the creation of the destructive monster he would later become.
Series Masterlist
Prologue || Part 2
Heian Era, 6 Months Before the Burning of Aurora
“Again”
“Again.”
“Again!”
The deep rumble that came from your father led you to the brink, pushing you further into a pit of exhaustion. You’d already been out here for 8 hours, your father’s relentlessness wearing you down but by bit.
“Y/n! I need you to focus!”, he yelled.
You knew your father was level-headed, smart, but since your birth he’d done nothing but train you to be strong and gifted when it came to your ability. Your clan relied on you just like every heir before you, to bring your family honor and grace. You had spent the better years of your adolescence learning about the history of your bloodline, the history of jujutsu, and learning basic technique but now as an adult there was more room for you to be pushed to the brink to train for your special ability.
“Okay, I think that’s enough for today.”, your father walked over to you, your arm swiping the sweat off your forehead. “Get home and into a bath, we have dinner with the Zen’in clan tonight.”
A pang of hurt spread through your chest. Among all the training, all the history lessons, all your talent and power, your life was still forced into the hands of your father. You hadn’t only spent the better years of your adolescence learning about jujutsu and your technique, but also the fundamentals of what it meant to be a bride. You knew it was traditionally passed through generations for two families to join together through marriage but a part of you still felt hurt that your father had lined up 3 suitors for your hand. Never once considering your own feelings on the matter.
The Zen’in clan was just one of the three families who produced male heirs around the time you were born. Almost like it was predetermined, the arrangement for your betrothal to one of the main family’s sons was set in stone for you the day your mother held you for the first time. You hated the idea that your life wouldn’t be your own if you married into any of the Three Families, but you knew your duty deep down even into the marrow of your bones.
Once you’d arrived home you soaked in the bath, the maids helped you wash your body of the dirt and grime and helped wash your hair as they massaged a cleansing type of gel into it. You felt the tension in your muscles dissipate with each pass of the sponge and each massage they did in your hair.
Getting dressed for these types of occasions was tiring, feeling the pull of your hair being done in an elegant manner to showcase the beauty of your natural features, your complexion barely needed any powder to make it more presentable. You were beautiful, every sorcerer within the lands knew you were the most coveted and eligible bride due to your family bloodline, your ability, and your beauty. Unfortunately for many, your life was already selected to be given away within the families, not outside of them.
You pulled on your traditional gown, wearing your family's seal colors as you put on a red headpiece that brought out your features beautifully. Red adorned your family home, your sigil painting in the bright crimson to signify strength, sacrifice, protection, and hope. You always felt proud to wear the seal colors yet you couldn’t help but feel like there was no hope for you.
Your family sat in the common area, the Zen’in members sitting properly around the table while the heads talked amongst themselves. You looked over at the eldest son, his dark hair and deep brown eyes striking as he looked at you. He was handsome no doubt, probably a suitable husband but you couldn’t bring yourself to envision a future with him. Despite your wishes, you’d probably marry into the Zen’in family. It was the most logical, beneficial and strategic marriage that your father would have picked for you.
The dinner was simple, quick, a formality to get you and the Zen’in son, Zetsubou Zen’in, introduced. You knew who he was, but never met him in person until now. He was charming, smart, powerful but there was a darkness to him. Something he hid all too well, you wondered if his family knew about his dark tendencies that he kept hidden from the rest of his clan. You knew a marriage to him would be selling your life away, you’d be a shell of a human being with him. He would only bring you hate and despair.
Once the night had ended and you started to unwind, you fell onto your bed and stared at the ceiling, taking in the moonlight that bled through the cracks before turning and looking out the window at all the stars that illuminated the village. Where could the endless reach of the sky take you? Would you go far enough away that you disappear and never come back?
You didn't let your mind wander too much before you fell into a slumber, your mind numbing from the evening's events.
~ ~ ~ ~
“Another village raid.” you heard your father’s voice ring out of his meeting room. You had a bad habit of eavesdropping on his meetings, but you knew he’d keep you sheltered from the jujutsu world until you mastered your domain. You knew it wasn’t protective but strategic. Keep you out of the way until you are strong enough to master your domain and keep low risk of his heir dying.
“He killed every single person there, tortured them, stole the energy they possessed. He’s getting stronger with each village he destroys.”, a second voice spoke out, a third muttering in agreement and the fourth person silent as he slammed his drink on the table.
The Four Families rarely met unless it was important, though with the jujutsu realm slowly establishing itself, every meeting was important.
“We need to get our men, the strongest to train and immobilize him otherwise he’ll only continue to get stronger and more power hungry.”, you recognized the Zen’in clan’s leader, his voice prominent due to the countless visits him, his wife, and son had made to your home in the past few weeks. You and Zetsubou were both being groomed to be each other's marital partner, regardless of how much you wish you weren’t.
“I have 20 men who have been training, many of them have sons who are also starting to get their cursed energy under control and starting with the warriors in the coming weeks. We can expedite that training and have them ready in a month's time.”
“The Kamo clan also have a number of men that are willing to fight for the cause. This is the fifth raid in a month, it seems they’re getting more frequent. How much longer until he targets our territories and steals our energies?”, the Kamo clan leader spoke up, his voice much softer than the rest but held his resolve. “We must act as soon as we can”
“Agreed. Until then, we must keep the heirs focused and trained, we can’t have any loose ends”.
He meant you.
You always knew they meant you. From the beginning theyd always second guessed your ability, you were the first woman to inherit your family’s special technique so they had obvious doubts. You’d grown powerful in your ability over the past few years but the one thing you still couldn’t do was create a domain, something the other three heirs had already mastered a year ago.
You left then, heading to the stables in order to prepare for your training this morning. You slid the door open, making your way down to the final stall and seeing your white, brown eyed mare. She was beautiful, a gift from the Zen’in clan as an interest for your hand in marriage.
You tan a hand over her soft coat, the shine illuminated under the morning sun. It wasn’t too late, only an hour or two before midday so you knew she was well fed and hydrated thanks to the stable hands.
Strapping in the saddle on your mare, you ensured you had everything you needed to go into the open fields. They were several miles away and consisted of open fields perfect for training. You really wanted to indulge in your ability, bring yourself to the fullest potential so you went out to the fields to train often. Your father often hated when you would go alone but you’ve managed to convince him that solo practice was important in order to gain control of your ability. Eventually after much consideration and eagerness, he agreed to let you go on your own. You finished packing your food and water for the day, knowing that most of your sessions often lasted the entire morning and led into the evening, and set out early in order to start your training.
You rode through the forest in silence, letting the sound of the animals in the birds around you fill in the empty space, giving you a sense of serenity, knowing that everything was at peace. We often wondered how much it would take to be as free as the birds who flew the skies or the deer grazed in the fields. You thought much of what it would be like to leave, but your path would never allow you to get away from what was set in stone.
Once you arrive at the training grounds, you let your horses graze in the woods, off in the shaded area while tied to a tree with a long rope to ensure it wouldn’t wander off.
You focused, closing your eyes and feeling the wind around you, your body using every one of its senses to connect to the earth and energy within you. You let yourself feel the wind and taste the freshness of the air, the humidity and feeling of water still present from the storm a few days ago. You listened to every chirping bird and snapping branch from the small creatures in the woods, the smell of fresh dew on the grass bringing you to a calming place and filling you with ease.
You channeled the energy into your hands, the small iridescent light glowing as it grew bigger and stronger. Your eyes remained closed as you focused on getting the technique just right. You wanted to show you could master your inherited technique, that your potential wasn’t going to be wasted on a stupid marriage.
You were still the daughter of the L/n Clan and the heir to the familial bloodline. You were more than just someone to be married for political gain.
You swirled the energy in your hands, growing it with each passing second before it reached its brim yet you forced it to get bigger to expand your capacity.
The wind moved around you and started to swirl into the ball of cursed energy you manifested, pushing yourself before you released and let the energy target some of the trees, exploding on impact and causing a ripple effect that made the birds fly out of the trees and some of the animals run away.
You let out a shaky breath before repeating the steps, this time trying to focus on using your technique on the cursed dummy you had in front of you. You’d often get other sorcerers to cast cursed energy into props in order to help practice your Aurora, each time more precise than the last.
You closed your eyes, blinking them slowly as they glowed in a bright, iridescent green color, focusing all your energy on the prop. You raised a hand to manipulate the individual building blocks, watching as the prop contorted and turning into a deformed figure before a screech released from the inside. It was a cursed spirit inside the prop screaming for mercy. You narrowed your eyes and continued to rip apart the existence of the cursed spirit, pulling its atoms apart piece by piece as the screams intensified before they stopped completely due to the implosion of its figure.
You let out a breath, wiping the sweat off your forehead before starting from square one. You continued for hours, using more of the cursed objects and using them to strengthen your ability.
Once evening arrived, you packed everything, walking to the mare and swinging your leg over her back and shifted to get comfortable. As you were getting ready to leave you heard a crack in the woods, but this time the energy felt different. Your head turned to look at the opposing side of the woods, narrowing your eyes and trying to feel if there were any cursed spirits out. Confused, you turned, nudging your mare towards the direction of L/n House.
The unknown energy slowly growing after you’d left the field.
~
You had spent the next few days training out in the field, slowly growing in your strength and technique as each session passed. Your father was still weary of your being alone in the fields but with everyday passing and you coming home safely, he began to trust your routine. You still followed a training regiment with him every other day and did your history studies on the weekends. You were all around intelligent, strong, gifted, and resilient.
You pushed yourself back, dodging the hit from the cursed dummy you had made to pose as a fighter with you. It wasn’t strong but it wasn’t weak. A good mid tier practice dummy to help build your endurance. The dummy charged at you as you jumped over it, spinning your body in a flawless way that made you seem like the village dancers during any major celebration.
In the final blow, you swung your foot around, kicking it perfectly in the head before pushing your hand forward, knocking it down before using your ability to disfigure the dumb thing and make it implode in itself, the shrill of pain ringing out before it fell silent. It felt no real pain. Your father said listening to their cries often helped take away their effect. it was the way your enemies guilt tripped sorcerers into submitting to empathy. You knew when you needed to be empathetic and needed to be heartless, even if you didn’t like it.
The sound of snapping made you turn, your hair sticking to your forehead as you met the dark gaze of crimson eyes. You felt your chest jump slightly in surprise but quickly relaxed once you’d let yourself calm with the wind.
Your hair was tied in a high ponytail, your skin glossy from the evening sun as you trained in the field in the outskirts of your home. You looked him over, taking in his menacing appearance which, for you, had no effect in the way you saw him. His skin was tan with dark marks embedded into his skin, the tattoos moving in a swirl of different directions but added to his edge. He wore a robe that showed his muscular chest, his hair messy and weighed down by his sweat. There was no question that the strongest sorcerer would be huge in comparison to the daughter of one of the Four Clan’s leaders, yet the size difference still gave him a swirl of emotion.
You looked at him in a way he hadn’t been looked at before. Your eyes staring at him, almost like calculating his every move as he slowly walked towards you. Ryomen hid the shock in his body when he reached you, pushing down his need to physically express his taken aback reaction. Many people in the world would be in shock, fear, buckle under the weight of his possessive hold over any room or space he occupied. Many people bowed at his feet, begged for mercy from his ruthlessness, he was feared. The story people told their children to keep them well mannered.
And yet, you stood a foot away from him and met his gaze in relaxed confidence. Your eyes held curiosity, not fear. Your body was laid back, not shaking or trembling at his presence. You didn’t buckle at the overwhelming pull of his presence instead you embraced it and met him with your own confidence. You were secure in yourself enough that you held no fear towards him.
His eyes scanned your features, taking in every inch of you in your mutual silence. Your eyes were bright, with the sun making them dark, he could see how they lit up with curiosity and wonder. Your lips and nose were perfectly fitted to your face, making the balance of your features appear more heavenly than anything. It made you attractive, beautiful to everyone who came in contact with you. Your (h/c) hair complemented the tone of your skin and left him wanting to run his fingers through it. He recoiled internally at the thought. When would he ever think such a way towards someone lesser than him?
Were you lesser than him?
He stared at you in observation, an overwhelming sense consuming him. He could kill you easily, snap your neck and make your death seem like one of the families did it and start an all out war. You were so fragile despite your toned body from the obvious years of training. He could just reach over and make you implode from just one touch.
So why didn’t he?
In this moment, against all his beliefs, he considered you his equal. He never considered anyone even remotely close to his realm of power and yet you existed. You showed no fear, you felt secure in yourself, and even being face to face with a morally flawed man, you looked at him with gentle eyes.
He couldn’t bring himself to say anything, the silence falling over the both of you in a comforting blanket.
In that moment he knew you held power over him, especially when you broke the silence first.
“Is there something you need?”, your voice was soft, relaxed. Had you been anyone else, someone questioning his being in any location would have annoyed him but you asked in such a way that left him soaking in the echoes of your words.
“I’m just passing by.”, he replied, wondering when did he ever answer anyone else’s questions when they’d ask?
“Oh, I hope my training doesn’t stop you from getting where you need to be.”
His curiosity overcame him, making him wonder more about your family. He knew about the L/n clan's heir, young and beautiful, strong and intelligent, soft and gentle. It made her the perfect face for their house and a suitable bride. He’d heard of the Gojo, Zenin, and Kamo clans grooming their first sons to be suitable men to ask for her hand in marriage.
A piece of him churned with an irritation at the thought of you being primed and groomed into marrying someone in an arranged marriage.
“Not at all.”, he replied, his deep voice ringing in your ears. You've heard a lot of Ryomen Sukuna. Your clan elders mention his lack of empathy, his overwhelming power and how he easily could reach an unbeatable level of cursed energy that would make anyone think twice about crossing his path. Yet, you couldn’t bring yourself to think of him as scary or evil. There was curiosity in the way he held himself and how he had yet to retaliate against your question when everyone knew he hated being questioned.
“You’re far from your clan lands”, he said flatly, his eyes focused on your form.
“I can use my full potential here.”, you blinked. “It’s hard to push myself to the brink if I don’t have open space. At least here I can unleash everything and learn from my mistakes”, you clenched your hand, looking at the small burst of energy in your hand.
The silence filled the air, once again leaving you in a strange tension you couldn’t quite place. His eyes stayed focused on you before he began to walk past you. His silence leaving you confused, unsure of why stop to talk to you then leave without another word. Then again, he wasn’t going to extend himself to something so minuscule, so mundane.
He was far above that.
Far above you.
“Help me.”, you spoke, watching as he stopped in his tracks.
What were you doing? Requesting someone like him to help someone as insignificant as you.
You’d heard the stories, been told the horrors of his actions and wrath. Ryomen Sukuna was a selfish, greedy, immoral and sadistic man, he brought any competent sorcerer to their knees by simply occupying the space. He believed himself above absolutely everyone in every way and you knew that undeniable truth. You were risking your life speaking to him like he owed you something, asking for help from the devil was brainless even for you.
He stared at you in indifference, taken by your confidence yet he couldn’t bring himself to be bothered by it. A part of him was intrigued by you, even though he hated helping others, he wasn’t necessarily a charitable man. No, he was far from it. The complete opposite of it in fact. He should blow your head off, snap your neck, make you kneel and beg for your life.
Yet, he indulged.
Just this once.
You watched as he removed his robe, leaving him in a loose fitting shirt that showed his arms perfectly. They were muscular and defined, wielding such power that could easily kill someone in one touch. You wondered if he’d killed anyone with his bare hands without his abilities or cursed energy before.
The small flicker of energy that manifested in his hand caught your attention, the manifestation growing in size at an alarming rate but took no toll on his psyche. The years of being gifted with such power and training laid off for him, though you knew he’d always been powerful in his own right.
You watched intently, observing the cursed energy in his hand as you tried to copy the leisure in which he created his. The creation of energy was easy, it was making it compact with force that was difficult for you. You had great mental resilience and capacity for difficult challenges, yet when it came to finding the switch that could make your power compact you struggled slightly.
In every other sense of your ability and cursed energy, you were gifted, it was creating a domain where you lacked. The long days and tumultuous nights of training and reading through scribed records only helped you make sense of a partial reason why you couldn’t manifest a domain, you just needed to actually focus on executing it flawlessly.
“Domain Expansions aren’t easy to manifest.”, you narrowed your eyes slightly at his comment. Why was he trying to dumb it down for you when you knew he was known for manifesting energy at record breaking levels.
“They’re easy enough for you.”, you muttered as his eyes slowly moved to look at you.
“Do you want my help or not?”
“Right”, you focused on his words, listening to the instruction he gave, slowly manifesting the energy into your palms.
He watched as you focused, eyes closed as you concentrated on his voice. It was interesting. Seeing as your energy formed in your hands, wondering how you had inherited such a powerful technique and you still struggled with your domain. He couldn’t help wondering why. It was difficult for most sorcerers to manifest a complete domain, but someone with an inherited ability like Eye of Aurora should have some level of giftedness that would allow you to start creating one. He watched your jaw clench as the energy dispersed in your hand, evaporating into nothing.
You released a defeated sigh, letting your shoulders droop as you opened your eyes and staring at the ground in a defeated glare.
“I don’t get it.”, you breathed. “I have this… special ability, a technique that so many sorcerers wish they could use and I can’t even create a damned domain.”
“You’re holding back”, his voice rumbled in his throat, the deep tone sending chills down your spine. Not of fear but of something unknown to you, a sensation that left your heart beating a bit faster than normal.
“Okay”, you muttered. “So show me how to not hold back”
The temperature around you slowly grew, watching as he released an immense amount of energy, causing the trees in front of him to fall from the attack. Your eyes widened at the gaping emptiness he had just created.
Woah.
You let out a shaky breath as you stared at him in a way you could only describe as a mix of shock and awe. The adrenaline burst through you as you channeled your energy, creating a mass in your hands before releasing it, causing a number of trees to fall from the impact. It wasn’t near the caliber of his release but it was still a good conjuring of cursed energy. You knew you’d never reach his level of power, but you felt proud that you could release something at that caliber.
“Let go of that fear of being too unhinged. It’s what holds you back from mastering your domain.”, his voice was deep, your eyes glowing with pride as you felt the after effects of his release. “You can’t master your domain if you care too much about being perfect.”
“I’m not you.”, you answered.
“No one will ever be me.”, you rolled your eyes. You knew that, but you still wanted his help anyway.
A small part of him grew irritated with your slight attitude at his words, but another part found it humorous. It wasn’t very often that a sorcerer at your level could make him find anything humorous. He cared very little, not at all actually, about something as irrelevant as humor or wittiness but coming from you, it made him think he could possibly entertain you for the time being.
He wondered where you got such confidence to not only speak to him freely, but to assume he’d be willing to help you despite his power that was worlds above yours. It wasn’t often there were many humans or sorcerers who didn’t bow to his feet immediately after he became present. He was used to seeing people beg for mercy, used to the people who cried hysterically for him to spare them. He enjoyed the mental torture of never giving away if someone would be spared or not.
So, when you called after him so boldly, against all logic, it intrigued him. He hasn’t been intrigued in a long time, not by a sorcerer in any way especially because he knew he was far above them in every regard. Though he still indulged in your boldness, your lack of fear, by the motivation in your eyes and the drive in your stance.
Before he could even stop himself, he made contact to engage and he believed it to be his biggest mistake. He should have never let you reel him in, never should have let you make him give his time when it was valuable, never should have found you worth the effort.
Then when he didn’t think he could find anything more appealing about you, you smiled at him. It was a warm, full smile. How could you give him a warm welcome when he’s done nothing deserving of it?
“Thanks for the help.”, you laughed, almost in disbelief. “I have to go.”
He watched as you walked over to the mare grazing in the woods, removing the rope from the tree and petting her nose gently. He wondered then how you showed him the same gentleness as the creatures you cared for. His eyes darted away from you, letting himself sit with the realization that you didn’t see him as some godforsaken being.
“Come back tomorrow.”, he called as your head swiveled towards him, your bright eyes meeting his dark ones. “Before the sun reaches its peak.”
With that he turned, leaving you in shock at his demand.
The next day, you did as he had asked, you showed back up to the field ready to train with him. You sat in the grass watching your mare eat while you waited for him. It wasn’t too hot yet but again, it was too early for it to even be warm.
The sound of cracking branches sounded behind you, making you turn slowly as you watched Sukuna’s form emerge from the trees. He stood tall in all his glory, wearing clothes that hung off his body in a way that almost made your face heat up. Even in his dark aura and the intensity of his energy, you couldn’t deny that Ryomen Sukuna was also an attractive man. If your father could hear the thoughts you were having, he’d surely punish you with more physical training.
“Good morning.”, you said softly, his deep red eyes meeting yours but not saying anything as he walked closer to you. You either were too naive for your own good, or you genuinely didn’t realize just how out of turn you were being. Sukuna was known for not liking when people spoke to him out of turn, he hated small talk. He believed it to be useless, a waste of time, and of no benefit. You didn’t need to start with pleasantries but you did so anyway.
“Show me your energy.”, he spoke deeply, his eyes boring into yours as you snapped to attention. You needed to focus, needed to take the most of this time while you could. Sukuna never offered any time of his to a regular person, let alone sorcerers beneath him, this was the only chance you had to gain real insight on how to create strong energy and create your domain.
You manifested a ball of energy into your hands, its vibrant glow pulsing with your heartbeat. The energy crackled and shifted, reflecting your concentration and intent. Sukuna's gaze remained intense, unblinking, as he observed your creation with a mixture of interest and impatience.
"Is this all you can muster?" His voice was a low growl, almost mocking. "You think that will impress me?"
You felt a surge of determination, pushing deeper into your focus. The ball of energy began to expand, growing larger and more intense. You could feel the strain as you struggled to maintain control, your palms growing warm as the energy surged.
"Energy is more than just a display," Sukuna said, his tone suddenly softer, almost contemplative. "It’s about precision, purpose. Show me not just what you can create, but how well you can wield it."
You tightened your grip, trying to focus. The energy swirled and shifted, forming intricate patterns that mirrored your intent. The ball began to take shape, its structure becoming more complex, more refined. You could almost feel the boundaries of your energy beginning to take form, the energy coalescing into a stronger, more cohesive entity.
Sukuna’s eyes flickered with something akin to approval, though his expression remained impassive. "Better. But don’t think for a moment that you’ve reached the limit of what you can achieve. This is merely the beginning."
He moved towards you, his energy radiating off of him as you felt him consume yours, his body close as he looked at you. The obvious height difference made it seem like he was pitying you, but he seemed more interested in helping than anything else. His head lowered, meeting your eye line as he looked straight ahead, looking at the trees ahead of you.
You took a deep breath, feeling the pressure of Sukuna’s proximity. His face was so close to yours that you could feel the warmth of his breath, mingling with the charged air around you. The energy you had summoned pulsed violently in response to the tension, making you sweat and your heart race.
Sukuna’s eyes bore into yours with a fierce intensity. “Let the energy reflect your resolve,” he demanded, his voice a commanding rumble.
You focused on the ball of energy, feeling its weight and power. The intensity of Sukuna’s presence only made it harder to concentrate, as if the very air around you was charged with his overwhelming aura. You grit your teeth as you tried to calm your heart rate down, focusing on keeping the energy stable as you manifested it into something bigger.
“Are you letting your concentration waver?” Sukuna’s voice was almost a whisper now, his breath hot against your cheek. “You think you can achieve mastery with such weakness?”
Your fingers ached as you fought to maintain control. The ball of energy fluctuated, its glow flickering with your wavering focus. Sukuna’s proximity made it even harder to maintain your composure; the heat radiating from his presence was almost unbearable.
“Feel the energy,” he instructed, his tone full of challenge. “Channel your emotions, your fear, your determination. Let it all flow into your control.”
The heat from the energy was now almost unbearable, merging with the heat of Sukuna’s presence. Your hands were on fire, and the energy sphere seemed to pulse with a life of its own. With every breath you took, the tension grew, making your entire body quiver.
“You can do better,” Sukuna said, his voice dropping to a low murmur. “But you must push through the discomfort. It’s not just about controlling the energy—it’s about mastering your own limits.”
Your breath came in shallow, uneven gasps, but you forced yourself to focus. The energy within your hands began to stabilize, the chaotic flickers giving way to a steady, powerful glow. The sphere grew larger, its form more defined, as you channeled every ounce of your willpower into it.
Sukuna’s face remained close, his eyes never leaving yours. “You’re almost there,” he said deeply. “Show me that you’re more than just a fleeting display of power.”
The strain was immense, but you felt a surge of determination. With one final push, you stabilized the energy, making it surge with newfound strength and clarity. The heat from both the energy and Sukuna’s presence reached a peak before slowly subsiding, leaving you gasping but triumphant.
Sukuna stepped back, his gaze finally breaking from yours. “Not bad,” he conceded, a smirk playing on his lips.
Sukuna’s gaze lingered on you with a cool, detached scrutiny. The intensity of his presence remained, but his demeanor was notably indifferent. The air between you was charged, the energy still crackling faintly as it dissipated, but Sukuna’s expression betrayed little of the effort you’d put forth.
“It’s enough for tonight,” Sukuna said flatly, his voice carrying an authoritative finality. He took a step back and broke the close proximity though his presence still loomed large. His tone was almost dismissive, as if your efforts were merely a minor inconvenience to him. “You’ve put in your time. Come back tomorrow if you think you can do better.”
You exhaled slowly, your body trembling slightly from the exertion and the intense atmosphere. The heat that had enveloped you gradually cooled, leaving a satisfying ache in its wake. The weight of his indifference stung more than any overt criticism. You felt a pang of frustration mixed with weariness. Despite the effort you’d expended, Sukuna’s gaze remained aloof, as if your struggle was inconsequential.
You nodded, feeling a mixture of relief and anticipation. “I’ll be here,” you said, your voice steady despite the exhaustion.
Sukuna merely inclined his head in acknowledgment, his face expressionless. “Good,” he replied. Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked away, his footsteps echoing with a finality that left little room for interpretation. As he walked away, his imposing figure gradually disappearing into the shadows, you remained in place for a moment longer, your thoughts racing.
You stood there for a moment, the weight of his detached dismissal settling over you. The path ahead was clear, but it felt colder and more daunting in the face of Sukuna’s lack of concern. Still, you gathered your resolve and made your way out, determined to return and prove yourself despite his apparent lack of interest.With a final glance at the space where Sukuna had been, you turned and made your way out of the training grounds, the weight of his words and the promise of future trials hanging heavily in the air.
Tomorrow, you would return, ready to push your limits once again.
Two weeks later
You went out into the woods, riding your mare as you tried to reach the field for your training with Sukuna. He’d helped you the past few weeks, showing you how to manifest your energy and create your domain. You’d been close to creating a full domain several times, he said you just needed to not hold back. You both figured out the reason you couldn’t create a domain was because a subconscious part of you made you hesitate, you wouldn’t allow yourself to reach your full potential. He’d slowly been showing you to let go and embrace your cursed energy fully.
You hummed as you made your way down the small hill on the embedded path that led to the other side of the woods. Almost like a shot to the chest, you felt a chill run down your spine, an immense amount of cursed energy being aimed at you. Before you could react, you felt the sheer force collide into you and your mare, the loud groan escaping her as she collided with a tree. You were thrown completely off, your body slamming into the boulders on the ground, the feeling of blood running down the side of your head making you queasy. Your vision blurred slightly, you were disoriented.
What the hell?
You saw the grueling sight of a disfigured wolf, its body three times the size of a normal one and it had six eyes, its mouth jagged and its teeth rotten as it laughed as it ate your mare. Your eyes widened at the sight, but you couldn’t focus on your now dead companion. You needed to exorcize it and get back home. You were still a mile from the fields, but you couldn’t get there in time, you needed to end this now.
You forced yourself to your feet, the blood running over your eye as you tried to focus on the cursed spirit. You let yourself manifest your cursed energy quickly, focusing on the cursed wolf before aiming at its head, a loud cry escaping its monstrous mouth. The snarl escaped its throat as it ran at you, your body releasing more cursed energy at it and watching as you blew a hole into its shoulder.
There needed to be a way to do this quickly, your body faltering at the dizziness in your head. You were losing too much blood but if you passed out you were as good as dead. You tried to focus, you couldn’t die here. You couldn’t die at the jaws of some mid grade curse. You were a L/n. You were above these types of curses. You were the gifted one, the heir of the L/n clan. The disgrace you’d bring onto your family if you were to die at this moment.
Just then, the cursed wolf ran at you, channeling your energy and sending it full force, watching as it jumped over your attack and lunged at you. Your eyes widened as you jumped off to the side, your body rolling down the hill as it hit the bushes and shrubbery, surely gaining cuts and bruises from the foliage.
Fuck!
You tried getting to your feet, pushing yourself up only to be tackled by the damned thing, your body collapsing and continuing to roll down the drop of the hill, reaching for some sort of branch to keep you from falling further down.
The pain in your body overcame you, letting you slip into unconsciousness for a split second as you tried to regain your thoughts. The blurriness wouldn’t allow you to see your surroundings until the jaws of death snapped in your face, the momentum pushing you back.
“Get off!”, you forced the creature off of you with a surge of energy, struggling to get to your feet as you sucked in a deep breath. You were in fight or flight, and right now flight did not seem like a viable option.
The wicked snarl rang out again as the cursed wolf seemed to radiate unbelievable negative energy. It lunged at you, its teeth ready to rip you apart but before it could you felt a surge of power overwhelm the space, a loud high pitched cry escaping the throat of the creature. You let out a breath of air, turning to look at the blurry figure next to you, your breath uneven as another light manifested in a white, blinding power before completely evaporating into nothing.
Your breath was uneven, trying to calm yourself, but just as the spirit disappeared, your body collapsed to the ground as you slipped into unconsciousness.
~~~~~~
The warm blankets around your body helped with the soreness that overcame you, your eyes still hazy from the slumber you were in. You moved your head slightly, your hair splayed around you in a halo as you tried to move your arms. You felt a presence next to you, trying to focus your sight as you blinked, taking in the comfort you felt from the figure.
Sukuna…
“Don’t get up.”, his voice was deep, careful yet with command in its tone.
“W..what happened?”, you whispered, your head turned in his direction as you met his gaze, the feeling of his fingers brushing your hair back bringing a warmth into your chest. “Where am I?”
“You’re in my home.”, he turned, motioning for a white haired woman to bring more water. “You lost some blood trying to fight that cursed spirit. I killed it.”
“Oh..”, the white haired woman came back with a small bowl and towel, bowing before leaving. You relaxed in his touch as he placed the wet towel on your head, helping clean the remains of the blood on your skin.
“You need to rest.”, he said firmly.
“I need to get back home”, you looked at him with pleading eyes, not wanting your family to have a reason not to trust you being out on your own. You needed to get home soon, and fast.
“You’ll pass out before you even reach your territory.”, Sukuna’s red eyes had a darkness to them, but you chose to ignore it, your mind everywhere and without a care of the extent of your injuries. You felt his hand wrap around your wrist, gentle to not burn your skin with the energy he had conjured up due to his irritation with your injuries.
“Sukuna, my father will send scouts looking for me.”
“Fuck them.”, his tone was sharp, his energy slowly growing in size. Your pleading e/c eyes looking deep into his, a sharp sting of sympathy flooded his veins before he released the negative cursed energy. The crack in his armor miniscule yet it created waves of confusion in him. How could you make him slip in his position with just one look?
He ignored the thought, narrowing his eyes before standing and walking to the small wooden dresser, picking up your clothes and placing them on the table next to his bed. You watched as he turned towards the door to give you privacy, his body dressed in his usual robe but you could still see the outline of his muscles and the massive power his body held. You couldn’t help but take a moment and admire his body. Your mind took in every inch of his being, allowing yourself to forget about his crimes and cruelty in order to study him. Were you fucked in the head?
You snapped out of the hold his presence had on you, reaching for your clothes only to realize he’d had them cleaned. Was it that woman who cleaned them for you?
You changed, carefully and stood out of the bed, touching your head as you felt the fresh bandages wrapped around your forehead and temples. Pushing the sliding door open, you revealed him waiting for you, his tall statue leaning against the wall as his eyes skimmed over your body before pushing the glint in his eyes away. You both didn’t say a word, you just followed him as he walked out of his home.
He led you through the woods, ensuring you’d arrive to L/n House in one piece and conscious. When you were within range you turned to him, looking up to meet his gaze due to the obvious height difference.
“Thank you.”, was all you said before turning, walking the last half mile home, feeling his eyes on your back as you followed the path. It was only when you reached the entrance of your home did you feel his energy disappear and your shoulders slumped in disappointment.
You slowly pushed the door open, closing it softly behind you when the echo of your father’s voice rang through the room.
“Y/n, it’s late, where have you been?”, your father called from the other room, your mother rushing towards you before a loud gasp escaped her mouth.
“Y/n! What happened to your head?”, her question made your father rush into the room, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
“Where have you been? How did this happen?!”, his tone was heavy, it wasn’t worry but anger and you knew he was more annoyed by your injury than worried about it. “You can’t possibly be getting this from your special ability?”
You could read in between the lines of his words. He wasn’t worried you were hurt, he was annoyed by you being injured at the effects of your domain and special technique. He was annoyed that he would have to face scrutiny for not being able to master your ability and domain, thus leaving him with a weaker claim to the family honor than he originally thought. He already hated that you were what the gods had given him to carry the family name, you being weak was just another hit at his pride. Regardless of how the realm saw you, regardless of how you were loved and respected, to him you’d always be the reason he didn’t have a high claim like the other families of the Four did.
“Do you really believe I’m so weak I can’t control my own technique?”, you stared at him in disbelief, in hurt. “Do you think so little of me?”
“You are the heir to our family name! If you can’t control your technique then what have I spent the past 20 years of my life doing?!”, his voice was filled with conviction, the anger bursting through each word. “We already have a weaker claim to our position in the realm because you were born as a daughter instead of a son and now you show up like this? We need you to be strong, intelligent, and better than those other boys, and you still show me more reasons why you should have never inherited the Eye of Aurora.”
You felt your lips quiver slightly, the lump in your throat growing as you tried to stop yourself from cursing your father. You knew he’d always hated that you weren’t born his son, but you believed if you proved him wrong he’d have no choice but to find pride in you and your power to succeed the L/n name. You couldn’t take his unrealistic standard of you anymore, you just couldn’t.
“I am not here to fix your broken ego or make your insecurities better.”, you growled at him. “I am your only heir, I am the inheritor of the Eye of Aurora, and I am the reason our family has a place in the Four families! Me! I’m the one who’s loved and adored by the other families and villages. I am the one they seek to protect, the one they seek to continue in this time of peace without war. When I was born, so was our legacy. You have done nothing to solidify our claim to the realm but I have!”
The anger boiling inside your father was overwhelming, your frustration with him was a disgrace but you couldn’t take it anymore. You were tired of being seen as some weak woman by him, as some sort of disappointment when you were the greatest thing that had happened to the realm in decades. The Eye of Aurora was seen as one of the highest of abilities, that of nobility. Your insolent father was too obsessed with power and reputation to care that you were the successor of a noble jujutsu bloodline.
“You are nothing without our family name. You need to get your technique under control or so help me. I'll have the old sorcerers from the Zen’in clan exorcize it out of you and let your body rot without your ancestors to guide you!!”, his voice echoed through the halls.
You sensed an overwhelming power, sucking in a breath before releasing your own. A pang of shock at its sudden appearance before relaxing. The energy had disappeared.
“It wasn’t even my ability that did this! I got attacked by a cursed wolf in the woods!”, you spat back at him.
“And you didn’t think to send a signal for help or try to use your technique?!”
“I was getting attacked from every blind spot I had! It killed my mare, it jumped me from behind, I didn't even sense the energy before it was too late!”
“Great so now you can’t sense cursed energy. You really are just a sorry excuse of an heir, a defective worthless waste of potential!”
The dagger twisted deeper into your chest at his words. Why couldn’t he understand? Why was he so selfish, insolent, and greedy?
“You’re the heir to our family bloodline and you almost get killed. It would be better off that way.”, he turned to walk out of the room, with your mother closely behind him. You pitied her lack of backbone, lack of support towards you.
“I was fine!”, you snapped. “Sukuna helped me exorcize it, I didn’t need help from anyone else!”
A cold sensation filled the room, realizing your words as you said them. Your eyes meeting your father’s as he turned towards you. His eyes filled with a shock and disgust that left you feeling sick to your stomach.
“What…. Did you just say?” his voice sent a chill down your spine. “Did you say… Ryomen Sukuna… helped you?”
“I-“, a loud slap echoed through the air, your head snapping to the side from the impact. Your eyes wide in disbelief as the burning in your cheek exploded through your face. It felt like time stopped, the whiplash of the hit burning a hole in your chest.
“You were with that monster?!”, his booming voice filled the house, his cursed energy radiating off of him in waves. “What do you think you’re doing with that thing? He could have killed you! He’s a sadistic monster!”
You remained silent as you felt the anger fill the room, hearing your mothers gasp at your father’s words. The trembling of your lip almost broke you, your chest burning in anger, hurt, and sadness.
“You are not to go out to the fields again. You stay within L/n house and your training will be overseen by the elders.”, your face stayed angled down to the ground, your heart racing in your chest as your father made the final blow.
“Now you sympathize with a monster. You really are a defective disgrace.”
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Sasuke not wanting to be a warrior and giving up on his revenge against Itachi is wildly OOC without some really strong push for this change, which is why I lean towards an SI-OC for a House Husband Sasuke AU, because the amount of trauma and pressure that canon Sasuke is suffering from all angles is intense. But the way that I could MAYBE see canon Sasuke giving up on recklessly focusing on revenge against Itachi is if there had been other survivors of the Uchiha massacre.
Like, okay, I understand that the Uchiha massacre was the plan of a couple different puppet masters, so it's not going to make sense. (Massacres do not, as a rule, ever "make sense". They are bad full-stop.) Part of the goal here is obviously to just get rid of the Uchiha clan and the potential threat that they pose to future plans.
But Sasuke could have just died on some random mission as a genin and then what? What if Madara and Obito lose? This is an incredibly violent world filled with incredibly clever ninja, it's unreasonable not to be concerned about any of them being offed randomly by accident. People like Danzo and Zetsu then have no more new Uchiha children to use and to harvest if anything goes to shit. And their stupid plans are often so overcomplicated that there should be a high chance of things going to shit!
They have cloning, of course, but secret cloning operations are probably expensive and presumably have a relatively high failure rate, and require the cooperation of people like Orochimaru and Kabuto. What if you just don't have the material left for a good cloning process?
Itachi is in a really weird position here and I do not well remember all of the different puppet strings that are being pulled here. I assume that Madara and Obito wanted all Uchiha dead for some reason? But I would have assumed that people like Danzo and the Third Hokage would have preferred to leave most of the children alive to mold into a new generation of Uchiha soldiers. I vaguely remember something about Danzo maybe being prejudiced against the Uchiha? (EDIT: Yeah, Danzo probably doesn't want any kind of law enforcement looking into his shit and the Uchiha are the cops, but that doesn't fully explain why he would want to get rid of all of the Uchiha children too.) So maybe Danzo wants them all gone too, and everyone is just forced to leave Sasuke alive because they know Itachi WILL go more insane than he already is if Sasuke bites it in an "accident".
"The Uchiha were planning a coup" is such an unsatisfactory explanation for the actions of a lot of these characters. It is IMPOSSIBLE for every Uchiha to have been 1) an adult, 2) a ninja, and 3) someone who voted for a coup and participated in it. We know ninja like Itachi and Shisui felt more loyal to the village itself and they couldn't have been the only ones. Uchiha have been defecting from their clan in order to join the village instead since Uchiha Hikaku abandoning Madara for Senju Hashirama after Izuna's death and before the creation of the village.
And we know that this is a sexist, patriarchal world! There would have been some men who would have decided the course of action FOR their spouses and their children, if the spouses and children were aware of this ninja operation at all. EVERY single disabled and elderly person in the clan was in on it too? EVERY civilian? Since Hashirama, NO Uchiha has ever married outside of their clan? Okay, I can buy that the Uchiha clan would be incredibly controlling regarding their bloodlines, yes, and I know that they were being isolated and that the more "progressive" Uchiha with outside lovers were probably being killed off by their enemies. Fine. Maybe all of the other adult Uchiha were cooperating and had impossibly good information security, let's pretend that's true.
But that still leaves the issue of the children! Would an isolated Uchiha clan trying to orchestrate a coup not be super controlling about encouraging their members to get into "good, traditional families" and make more "loyal Uchiha soldiers"? Fascist states often get really weird about that kind of thing. Sasuke cannot have been the only young Uchiha child at this point in time! It would be... REALLY weird if he was.
(Itachi is not heroic for this. It is a TRAGEDY. It is horrifying. There are no heroes in this part of the story and the best that I can say for Itachi is that he was another victim of really weird and twisted circumstances.)
Anyway, I think it would be fun to have an AU where Sasuke is left as the clan head of a bunch of children, at least 10 of them or so. He's the oldest among them at 8-9 years old. (I'm pretty sure that other fanfictions have done this before. Someone must have done this concept before.) Everyone expects Sasuke to just dump the children on some village caretakers so he can pursue his ninja career, in order to become the new powerful protector of his clan and murder his brother, but MAYBE this situation is something that would make canon Sasuke decide against all manipulation that he can't actually afford to chase Itachi.
He still wants to be super powerful, of course, so that he can murder Itachi if his brother ever comes back, but otherwise? Rebuilding the clan is more important. He's staying at home for his training and accepting parentification with wide open arms and a deep scowl.
(There is the danger of ROOT making off with Uchiha children, which is also unpleasant to think about.)
I think it would be funny for Naruto to deal with the fact that his rival has been a dad since the age of 8-9 years old. (Sakura: "IDIOT. How did you not KNOW that??? EVERYONE knows that!")
I also think it would be funny if Sasuke, when he was annoyed with Kakashi's bullshit, unconsciously pulled out a squeaky tweenage Disappointed Dad Voice to express his frustration with his teacher. (Sasuke: "Do you think that it helps anyone for you to behave this way???" Kakashi: "Hm, there are many things that I don't like about this.")
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Piltover and Zaun Lore Deep Dive
I've been doing extensive research into the history of P&Z for a Silco and Vander origin story fic, and I figured it could be helpful to share my findings here too!
My main goal was to try and integrate known Arcane lore with League lore and iron out some of the creases, to nail down exactly what the world of P&Z looked like in Arcane. I've done a lot of extrapolating and theorising to make sense of it all, but if you're just interested in the raw data from canon, I've compiled all my notes on a Google Doc. All sources are listed throughout.
The contents of this post are as follows:
Part 1: Chronology (the timeline)
Part 1.1: Chronology in League of Legends
Part 1.2: Chronology in Arcane
Part 1.3: Integrating the timelines
Part 2: Geography (the layout of P&Z)
Part 2.1: Existing maps of Piltover and Zaun
Part 2.2: Geography in League of Legends
Part 2.3: Geography in Arcane
Part 2.4: Integrating the layouts
Part 3: Modern Zaun (ft. Silco and Vander)
Part 3.0: Preamble
Part 3.1: The timeline of Zaun’s creation
Part 3.2: Vander and Silco’s early life
Part 3.3: Golden age of Vander and Silco
Part 3.4: After the betrayal
Part 4: Wrap-Up
Summary of the timeline
~~~
Part 1.1: Chronology (League of Legends)
Information derived from the LoL Fandom Wiki and official LoL website, with most details corroborated by various Reddit threads and similar forums. BN means Before Noxus, and AN means After Noxus.
6000-5000 BN: Westward Migration. Humans began to migrate from the eastern hemisphere to the western hemisphere, towards the Shuriman Continent. Settlers founded many new nations and cities. Among these was a sea port called Oshra Va’Zaun (also referred to in some places as Osha Va’Zaun or Kha’Zhun, but I went with what was most consistently used on the Wiki). Oshra Va’Zaun connected the Shuriman Continent to Valoran via an isthmus, or artificial land bridge, that allowed for free trade between the continents and also comprised docks from which sailors could travel in and out. The people of Oshra Va’Zaun worshipped Janna (then known as Jan’ahrem), the wind spirit. As a spirit god, she relies on prayers to keep her strong. Sailors and merchants would pray for calm seas, and she would deliver.
2000-3 BN: Various Wars. The fall of the Shuriman Empire (2000 BN), the Darkin War (550 BN) and the Rune Wars (25-3 BN) all took place during this time. Janna protected Oshra Va’Zaun from every conflict, preventing it from becoming rubble.
772 AN: The Collapse. The people of Oshra Va’Zaun planned to destroy a portion of the isthmus connecting Valoran and the Southern Continent, allowing for safe sea passage between eastern and western Valoran. The plan was to use thousands of Chemtech bombs to crack open an area of the land so that a cavern could be created. Instead, the bombs triggered a series of earthquakes that completely destroyed the isthmus and sank large districts of Zaun. Thousands of citizens were killed, and poisonous gases leaked into the city’s surviving areas. Allegedly, Janna saved many of the citizens by holding back the seas to prevent floods.
790 AN: Piltover is Established. Over the last 18 years, the ruins of Oshra Va’Zaun underwent extensive reconstruction. The Sun Gates were established to regulate travel through the oceanic passage that had opened up where the isthmus used to be. This essentially forced all ocean transport through these waters, which brought wealth to the city and spurred the development of Piltover - named after its construction over the Pilt River. Merchant clans dominated the trade route and built up towards the sky, while those still living in the ruins built down into the fissures.
~~~
Part 1.2: Chronology (Arcane)
The only traces I could find of a timeline were on the League of Legends Universe Wiki, where birth years are given for several of the main characters. Most were given a range, as follows:
676 AN: Heimerdinger is born
959-963 AN: Jayce is born
961-968 AN: Viktor is born
966-970 AN: Caitlyn is born
967-971 AN: Vi is born
972-976 AN: Jinx is born
In Season 1 Act 1, Heimerdinger specifically states that he is 307, and Jayce states that he is 24. The writers also stated that 7 years had passed between Acts 1 and 2. This gives us a good base to work from, especially since Heimerdinger's birth year is the only one that is dated precisely. 676 + 307 = 983; thus, Act 1 takes place in 983 AN, and Act 2 onwards takes place in 990 AN. Working backwards, we can determine that Jayce was born in 959 AN, and everything works itself out from there.
676 AN: Heimerdinger is born. He is 307 (Act 1) / 314 (Act 2 and beyond).
959 AN: Jayce is born. He is 24 / 31.
961 AN: Viktor is born. He is 22 / 29.
966 AN: Caitlyn is born. She is 17 / 24 (honestly 17 seems too old to me based on what we see of her in Act 1, but 966 is the earliest year listed on her wiki page, so this is what I’m running with).
967 AN: Vi is born. She is 16 / 23.
972 AN: Jinx is born. She is 11 / 18.
983 AN: Events of Act 1. Key events here are the raid on the Kiramman warehouse and the subsequent invention of Hextech.
990 AN: Events of Act 2. At the start of Act 2, Heimerdinger says that Piltover is turning 200, so this works out perfectly with the League of Legends timeline.
~~~
Part 1.3: Chronology (Integrated)
So, how exactly do Arcane and League lore fit together? The answer essentially boils down to: there isn't one. Everyone in every thread has a different solution, and the timeline is so messy that there is even a dedicated Wiki page to all the various contradictions. I'm going to spend this final section developing my own theories and solutions based on what I know; feel free to take or leave any of this.
Pre-772 AN: From everything I’ve read, it seems like there are hardly any indications of Zaun and Piltover’s history before the events of the main timeline. There is no mention of Janna at all in Arcane, but subtle imagery of her is sprinkled throughout the art, which suggests that she could still be a figure present in the history and protection of Zaun. Thus, I think we can reasonably assume that everything was much the same up to the collapse. There don't seem to be any lore inconsistencies prior to 772 AN that would make the timeline impossible (other than Heimerdinger having supposedly lived through the Rune Wars, but Yordle lore is a whole different ball game that I'm not even going to touch lmao).
Post-772 AN: From the collapse onwards, there are two main issues I ran into in getting the lore to match up. One of these issues is the absence of the Sun Gates in Arcane. Instead, the Hexgates play the role of facilitating trade, which is treated like a new and revolutionary invention. This raises questions regarding how exactly Piltover came to prosper for ~2 centuries before Hextech. It’s possible that the Sun Gates did exist at a point in time, but were destroyed for one reason or another before we get to the main timeline. Otherwise, it could just be that they flourished through maritime trade for a while without the Sun Gates, given that they are still positioned at the intersection between continents (the Hexgates facilitate air travel, not sea travel, so that would have still been a pivotal change). The council is made up of wealthy merchant clans, which suggests that Piltover was still a place of high traffic for traders. We also know that Piltover and Zaun are realms of innovation, and with Heimerdinger at the forefront of Piltover’s establishment, it seems viable that they had a lot to offer that made Piltover attractive to other regions. This also raises the question of what exactly Piltover was inventing before Hextech, but I'm going to shelve that question, as it integrates slightly better with the next section.
The other issue that came up is with regards to Chemtech. In League lore, Chemtech is consistently listed as “Zaun’s answer to Hextech”. The Wiki also mentions that it has existed in Zaun “since the early 900s AN”, but wasn’t widely used until “the later half of the 900s AN”. There are two issues with this. Firstly, the lore specifically mentions that Chemtech bombs were used to explode the land in 772 AN, which means that it did exist before the 900s. The second issue is that Hextech was not invented until 983 AN, which contradicts the notion that Chemtech was “Zaun’s answer” to it. We see green lights all over the Lanes in Arcane Episode 1, so it was definitely in use before Hextech existed. So the questions that arise are 1) What was the timeline of Chemtech usage in Zaun?, 2) Why wasn’t it ever used in Piltover?, and 3) Why was Piltover the city that prospered through trade and innovation, if Zaun was the one who had Chemtech?
I think the most sensible answer to question 2 is simply that it's toxic. People in Piltover are terrified of change, judging by the council’s reaction to magic the first time Jayce brings it up. If a Chemtech bomb was what caused the destruction of Oshra Va’Zaun in the first place, it makes sense that Piltover would have avoided using it. This could also help with the answer to question 1. If we believe that Chemtech wasn't widely used in Zaun until the 900s, it could just be that they were afraid to touch it again for a very long time after the collapse. That just leaves question 3, and I think to answer this, we need to return to that earlier question of what exactly Piltover invented/traded that cemented their position of affluence. The official League webpage for Piltover talks extensively about Hextech, and also includes images of Piltover's inventions under the umbrella of "Hextech". However, there are three images in that category that stand out to me as different:
In the bottom series of pictures, three of the images are in black and white, and look more like sketches than the fully-rendered designs of the other inventions. The first of these images is just a string of merchant clan sigils, which don't give us all that much information. What I'm most interested in are the second image, which is a dome-shaped streetlight:
And the third image, which is a "Pneuma-Tube Conduit":
The black-and-white design of these makes them look older, as opposed to the modern designs of objects like the gauntlets, which we know are newer. That indicates that these inventions existed before Hextech. The light source looks like it has a wire running through it and a switch of sorts, which suggests that they had some form of electricity. Another possibility is that it functions using solar power, given that the Zaunites, despite being inventors in their own rights, seem to rely mostly on Chemtech for light and haven't been able to built light sources that can pierce darkness/the Grey. It would make sense if they simply don't get the sunlight down there to operate them properly.
The pneuma tube is the most notable to me, given that it seems to match the tube Grayson gives Vander in Episode 1 as a method of contacting her ("this will reach me, and only me") - again, before Hextech existed. What's interesting about that tube is that, when I went back to the scene where Vi decides to turn herself in, the tube arrives with a puff of gas and a small lime-coloured light that turns on. There's also a green-tinted lamp in the police station where they appear to be located. It looks very Chemtech-like, which I'm intrigued by; it makes me wonder if Piltover actually does use Chemtech to some extent, but in much smaller doses with extensive safety measures to keep the gases from escaping.
I also found a Weebly website, which looks very unofficial (i.e. I cannot verify any of the information on there) but has a ton of lore for various regions, including the only mention I could find of a Piltovian energy source that wasn't Hextech. The site mentions that Piltover uses liquids and gases from a nearby marsh to power the city. This seems like a viable option to me, especially given the detail of the gases coming off the tube, and the images of factories with smoke coming from the underground. So I guess, rather than being Zaun's "answer" to Hextech, Chemtech is more like the toxic and volatile version of the various controlled gases and liquids that Piltover uses as an energy source.
On the topic of other things Piltover invented, here are some additional notes from my research:
Weaponry - There are guns everywhere in Piltover, particularly for the Enforcers. Presumably one of the wealthy clans had to manufacture these.
Tools - We know that the Talis family gained wealth and notoriety for their invention of various tools, including mostly hammers and the "collapsible pocket wrench".
Lock System - Amanda Overton stated that the Kirammans became wealthy for building "the very important lock system in the channel that first allowed trade between regions". I suppose this must have been instead of the Sun Gates, if we're assuming they don't exist?
Other Systems - The Kirammans also appeared to be the ones who built the underground ventilation system for Zaun. The tube conduit is also an example of a miscellaneous system invented by someone in Piltover, as well as presumably whatever wiring system allows the streetlights to function.
Machinery/Machine Parts - It's mentioned in League lore that the Medarda clan became wealthy for their invention of the piston, which is part of an engine. It's unclear whether this is still the case in Arcane, though.
Prosthetics - In the story The Lady of Clockwork, it's said that Corin Reveck was renowned for his design of prosthetics. Arcane canon calls him a "revered academy alchemist", so it seems like his creations there had more to do with chemistry and magic, but prosthetics could have been the specialty of someone else in Piltover.
Clockwork - I've also seen Corin Reveck described as a clockwork inventor, so revolutionary clocks and time-based inventions could have also come out of Piltover.
Cameras - Caitlyn has a camera in Act 1 when she's investigating the crime scene after the Firelights raided Silco's shipment. The flash has a blue tint, so this could have been a Hextech invention, but I was interested to see that it had a green pipe running along the side; perhaps it was a Zaunite camera that she asked Jayce to modify for her.
Food/Drink - In S1E4, it's mentioned that Councillor Hoskel ships wine to Noxus. Perhaps some clans in Piltover accumulated wealth from unique food/drink products that other regions could not cultivate.
Various Gadgets - Mel's very first scene shows her choosing a gift for Hoskel from an assortment of mechanical gadgets. These could have been a smaller byproduct of Piltover's invention boom. This category also covers the items in Jayce's lab, many of which seem to be assorted gadgets like the nose hair trimmer, the spinning mobile on the ceiling and the "real Valdiani".
So, to recap, here's a summary of the integrated timeline for P&Z in Arcane:
Pre-772 AN: Westward migration led to the establishment of the sea port of Oshra Va'Zaun. Wars ravaged the Shuriman Continent, but Oshra Va'Zaun was protected through all of it, until their own innovation caused the collapse of the isthmus via Chemtech bomb.
Post-772 AN: Piltover was gradually built over the ruins, and formally established in 790 AN. Meanwhile, those still living underground were forced into labour, working in the mines and factories to provide for Piltover's inventions. Piltover became richer and richer as trade increased, while the people of Zaun had nothing themselves.
959-972 AN: Births of the leading cast members. Jayce is the oldest, and Jinx is the youngest.
983 AN: Events of Act 1. Vi, Powder, Mylo and Claggor raid the Kiramman warehouse. Hextech is invented. Vander turns himself in for the raid, Silco intercepts the arrest, and Vander, Mylo and Claggor end up dead.
990 AN: Events of Act 2. The main Arcane timeline starts here.
~~~
Part 2.1: Geography (Maps)
Figure 1: Piltover and Zaun in the wider landscape of Runeterra (source)
Figure 2: Piltover trade routes per the Medarda Heirloom (source)
Figure 3: Piltover and Zaun map in Arcane (source)
Figure 4: Map of Piltover and Zaun from Jinx Fixes Everything (source)
Figure 5: Map of Piltover and Zaun from World Anvil (source)*
*I'm not sure of the exact source for this map; the page I found this from is a fanmade D&D campaign but the creator has a disclaimer that they sourced the artwork externally and do not own it.
Figures 6 and 7: Maps of P&Z from Arcane and the Medarda Heirloom respectively. The Arcane map has been rotated to align the structure of the land masses in the Medarda Heirloom.
~~~
Part 2.2: Geography (League of Legends)
In League, Zaun is built quite literally underneath Piltover; there are some absolutely beautiful official artworks depicting this. In the League version of Zaun, there are three levels, as per the Wiki page:
Promenade Level: The top level of Zaun. Described as an "entertainment and commercial zone", this is where Zaun's wealthy reside, and where the line between Piltover and Zaun blurs. Some of its features include a thriving marketplace on the boundary (several regions are named specifically; the Boundary Markets and the Skylight Commercia), a pump station to move clean air from Piltover into Zaun, and the College of Techmaturgy.
Entresol Level: The level just below Promenade, this is considered the main hub of activity for Zaunites. It's one of the most populated districts between the two cities, and is also where the Zaun Grey lingers most. Some of its features include augmentation parlours for prosthetics and other bodily augmentations, a breather station where Zaunites can find reprieve from the Grey, the Chemtech Seam in the cliffs where compounds for Chemtech are sourced, markets and greenhouses, and laboratories for science and invention.
Sump Level: Zaun's deepest level where the light doesn't reach. It's chaotic and grim, with disorderly piping everywhere and discarded waste from Piltover. This is the origin of the Grey, from polluted waterways and grilles. Some of its features include a pump station for removing sewage, a prison mine where convicts are forced to mine Chemtech compounds, factories and warehouses, a surviving clock tower from Oshra Va'Zaun, densely-populated slums, the Black Lanes where merchants and thieves do business, sewers, an orphanage and an asylum.
Other Features: There's a large cliff in Zaun that makes up part of the Promenade Level, and is home to shipping docks and the Sun Gates. There are also Hexdraulic Conveyors in various locations throughout Zaun, which allow Piltovans to descend into Zaun - some available to the public, and some for private use, especially for the Chem-Barons and wealthy Piltovans.
As for Piltover, per the Wiki page, there are only two main regions - North Piltover and South Piltover:
North Piltover: Most of the clans have their mansions and "heavily guarded workshop compounds" here, in a region called Bluewind Court. The north also contains a menagerie, theatres and workshops, a promenade of cafes and bistros, and a region dedicated to banks and secure vaults for the wealthy.
South Piltover: Not much is mentioned of South Piltover, but it seems like it involves several shopping districts, more workshops and lavish residences, and the fissures where Zaun is located.
I recognised a lot of the location names on the Wiki from the map in Figure 5, so presumably the north just means everything north of the canal and the south is the region on the other side; then Zaun exists directly underneath southern Piltover, carved out of the land underneath the fissures.
~~~
Part 2.3: Geography (Arcane)
The geography in Arcane was a little confusing to make sense of. These are the changes noted on the Wiki:
The Sun Gates do not exist
The fissures are narrower
Zaun does not have three levels, instead being divided into the Lanes which each represent one of the fissures
The tallest tower in Zaun is now the Chem-Baron tower, which replaces the College of Techmaturgy
There are no Hexdraulic Descenders, instead replaced by smaller elevators
The Lanes in Zaun are home to Babette's brothel and The Last Drop
The Firelight Hideout is built in a large, abandoned sewer
The north and south parts of Piltover are connected by The Bridge of Progress
In mid-Piltover is the University of Piltover, located near the Hexgates, where most council meetings take place
Stillwater Hold is located on an island just outside the eastern part of the city
I've read a lot of other forum threads, and it seems like there's no real consensus on where exactly Zaun is located in relation to Piltover. Some people say it's still directly underneath southern Piltover, while others think the entire region across the bridge (see Figure 3) is now entirely Zaun. I get the impression that a lot of the confusion comes from Arcane visuals that make it look like Zaun is just everything on the other side of the bridge. Vander also describes the Undercity as "our side", making it seem like Zaun is that entire side of the region rather than just a part of it built underground.
Personally, I'm inclined to think Zaun is still predominantly underneath Piltover, judging by the maps in Figures 3 & 4 from Arcane canon. It seems like the Alcove District, Low Piltover and South Side Harbour are still part of south Piltover, while everything around the Fissures are part of Zaun. The scene in Season 1 Episode 1 where Vi and the kids are running away from the Enforcers also seems to support this. They run through a corridor, then slide down a sewer grate, into the underground where we can see all of Piltover's metal scraps and parts discarded as per the lore. I presumed, from this, that the first place they entered across the bridge was still part of Piltover, and then they went down the pipe to get to Zaun. Deckard confronts them before they take the elevator even further down, and we know that this confrontation happened on their "side", per Vi's conversation with Vander, so this was likely an upper part of Zaun.
Additionally, we see this wide shot as they run across the bridge:
Figure 8: Wide shot of the Bridge of Progress from Season 1 Episode 1, timestamp 13:01
Figure 8 shows Zaun/South Piltover on the left side of the bridge, and North Piltover on the right side. The architecture immediately across the bridge still looks very Piltovian, while towards the back of the image, we can see large green towers and smoke, more akin to Zaunite infrastructure. This makes me think there's still something like the Promenade level at the same altitude as south Piltover, where the lines between cities are blurred, but most of the activity takes place underneath. The maps from Arcane are also specifically labelled "Piltover", which further supports the idea that the entire region is Piltover, with most of Zaun lying underneath.
~~~
Part 2.4: Geography (Integrated)
I don't think Zaun was just made up of the Lanes, as the Wiki page seems to imply. There's a line from Silco in S1E3 in which he says "not just for the Lanes, but the whole of the underground united as one". It seems like the Lanes were the region Silco and Vander had control over ("you had my respect, the Lanes' respect" - Vander, S1E3), but there were other parts to the underground too.
There's a really useful Twitter post here that proposes one theory as to how Arcane and League geography can be integrated. As previously mentioned, I like the idea that the levels still exist to some extent. The Promenade level bleeds into South Piltover, and looks to be where many of the factories and warehouses are located judging by the smoke - as well as, of course, the Chem-Baron tower where Silco gasses them all in S1E7. This is also where the fight with Deckard happened. Every theory I've seen that incorporates the levels places The Last Drop on Entresol, so I'm inclined to say that's where the Lanes are located, with The Last Drop a central feature, and quite close to the Sump. And the Sump is where the mines are, all the way down in the lowest inhabitable (using that term very loosely) part of Zaun. There are also ruins of Oshra Va'Zaun underneath this where it's completely deserted.
~~~
Part 3.0: The Creation of Modern Zaun (Preamble)
So all of this brings me back to the question at the heart of it all: where do Silco and Vander fit in? There are three big questions I am aiming to answer in this section.
Question 1: What is the timeline of Silco and Vander's past?
Question 2: What did Zaun look like before Silco and Vander took control of it?
Question 3: What was their vision for Zaun and how far did they get with it?
Before I can get into answering those questions, I want to compile everything that we already know about Silco and Vander. From Arcane canon, here is what we're given:
Vander and Silco started as miners who "had nothing" (Silco's words, S1E9), and had a shared vision for what Zaun could have been. Silco talks very distastefully about his experience in the mines, describing "air so thick it clogged your throat, stuck in your eyes".
They are said to have "built the underground", according to Sevika (or, at the very least, she says that Vander built the underground).
Zaun was governed by Piltover and their council; Silco and Vander wanted Zaun to become an independent nation in its own right.
Silco’s description in S1E3: “We shared a vision, Vander. A dream of freedom. Not just for the Lanes, but the whole of the underground united as one. The Nation of Zaun.” In S1E9, he also says "everything we ever wanted" when he's talking to the Vander statue about Jayce's offer of peace, so all signs point to them having both been set on independence for Zaun.
Sevika says that "Silco spent his whole life trying to rally the Undercity together" in S2E4.
At some point, Felicia joined their fight, and the three of them were seen at The Last Drop together around the time of its founding. Sevika and Connol also knew them in their youth. I don't believe it's ever explicitly stated whether Benzo knew them back then, but Vander mentions him by name to Silco, which suggests a mutual connection.
Felicia speaks about the vision for Zaun as theirs, not hers, so it seems like her role was not quite as prominent as theirs in the actual conception and construction of Zaun.
Felicia encourages Silco and Vander to "figure this Zaun thing out", even if they have to "carve it out of the bedrock, covered in blisters". Much like Sevika using the word "built", this seems to imply a very literal kind of construction.
When Vi, Powder and co raid the Kirammans' warehouse, Vi mentions that it's exactly the kind of job Vander would've done when he was their age. We know that Vi was 16 at the time, and Mylo and Claggor were also both older than Powder, so presumably she means 15-16.
In S1E2, Vander tells Vi that when he was younger, he "was angry" about the treatment of Zaun by Piltover, and led the bridge riot that killed Felicia and Connol.
Using this post and the Arcane artbook as a guide, I also pulled information out of comments from the creators, which I'm regarding as canon-adjacent:
The Lanes is the black market area of the Undercity, created through Vander and Silco's smuggling operation that gave them the chance to make money outside of working as miners for topsiders.
Silco "grew up working in the mines", which is where Vander, Silco and Felicia met. It's also mentioned that this is why he was the only one who could tolerate the gas in S1E7, but he specifically says that the Chem-Barons used to work in the mines as well (“The mines they had us in” / “I pulled you all up from the depths”), so that seems inconsistent. I'm inclined to believe that it's a combination of him growing up in the mines and continuing to live on the Entresol level (in The Last Drop), while the others lived on the Promenade level.
Silco and Vander led a movement towards independence. Both were unhappy with the "oppressive feeling" of being "under the thumb of Piltover".
In the artbook, it's said that Silco hated the way he was treated by Piltover and wanted to prove that he was more than what the world had made him out to be. He and Vander "tried to build this world together", with the main goal of independence and pride for Zaun. Ultimately, there were limits to what Vander was willing to lose, while Silco always wanted to keep fighting no matter the cost.
There's an image of young Benzo with Silco, Vander and Felicia in the artbook, confirming the implication that he knew them at that time.
The bridge riot was incited after Benzo got arrested, and Silco was the one really pushing for the uprising; hence he was the one who threw the first Molotov cocktail. This was when Vander decided that violence was not the way to achieve peace.
Amanda Overton frequently refers to that riot as the "Day of Ash". I could only find one source on this, a Fandom Wiki page with no additional references cited. According to this page, the Day of Ash took place on December 1st 979 AN, and involved a protest march on the Bridge of Progress in which over 100 unarmed Zaunites were shot and 84 died on the spot. This seems inconsistent with what we see in canon (the "unarmed" part specifically; Silco throwing the Molotov, Vander beating up Enforcers with his mining gloves), but I'm listing it here anyway for full disclosure.
The drowning incident happened after the riot, apparently after Vander had already taken the kids (so I guess he came back for Silco??? Or it happened a few days after?).
Something else worth noting is that in the Season 2 flashback, Felicia says that "tonight", their dream of turning the underground into a community became a reality. This obviously marks a very significant date for them, and they toast to the occasion. My assumption was that this was meant to show us the opening of The Last Drop, and that's what I ran with for much of my analysis throughout this section; however, I don't think it's ever actually specified which milestone they're celebrating, so this detail is ultimately up to interpretation.
~~~
Part 3.1: The Creation of Modern Zaun (Timeline)
All of the wiki pages I've looked at place Silco at 37-39 in Act 1, and 43-46 in Act 2; and for Vander, 43 in Act 1 and 50 in Act 2 (in the AU/as Warwick). As far as birth years go, this would translate to 944-946 AN for Silco, and 940 AN for Vander.
At the time of The Last Drop's opening, Felicia is pregnant with Vi. That would place this scene in either 966 or 967 AN. I struggled to find an official reference for Arcane character birthdays, but Vi's birthday is very consistently celebrated on December 19th across the fandom, which puts us in early 967. That makes Silco and Vander 21-23 and 27 respectively. Based on what we see of Silco in that scene, I'm inclined to place him at the upper end of that range, or even a year or two older. So more like 39-41 in Act 1 and 46-48 in Act 2.
The Day of Ash is an interesting conundrum. 979 AN, as per the wiki article I found, would make Vi and Powder 12 and 7 respectively. I'm not sure how reliable the source is, and my personal estimate would have been 977-978 AN, factoring in the kids' ages and the time it would take for Silco to rebuild his life from scratch.
Combining all of this information, we get the following timeline:
940 AN: Vander is born
942-944 AN: Silco is born
966-967 AN: The Last Drop is opened
977-979 AN: The Day of Ash
For the next few sections, I'd like to have precise years to focus on, so I'm going to run with these dates:
940 AN: Vander is born. He is 43 / 50.
943 AN: Silco is born. He is 40 / 47.
967 AN: The Last Drop is opened. This marks the birth of modern Zaun.
978 AN: The Day of Ash. Silco is betrayed, and Vander swears off violence.
~~~
Part 3.2: The Creation of Modern Zaun (Early Life of S&V)
Content warning for discussions of slavery/slave labour in this section; I'll mark the paragraph that includes this with ~!!~ at the start just in case anyone wants to skip it.
It's pretty solid canon that Vander and Silco started as miners, and built up their world of Zaun from there. The mining tunnels run all along the fissures, as per this map from the Jinx Fixes Everything minigame:
Figure 9: Map of mining tunnels from Jinx Fixes Everything
I get the impression, based on the prevalence of the tunnels & Silco's dialogue to the Chem-Barons ("We had nothing" / "Have you forgotten where we came from? The mines they had us in?") that the underground, at the time, was mostly just mines.
~!!~ I'm particularly interested in how this fits in with the original League geography of the Sump, given that's where the mines are located. In League, the Sump included a prison mine for "Chemtech compounds", factories, warehouses, and slums where the workers lived. There's one particular factory mentioned which involved "slave labour camps" and "tightly controlled torture chambers". This is a very dark but plausible look into one possibility for the Undercity's past. Since Silco and Vander were said to have grown up in the mines, I assume it's most likely that they were the children of prisoners, rather than prisoners themselves - although it isn't outside the realm of possibility, since Powder's visibly young age did not stop the Enforcers from going after her at the beginning of the show. Alternatively (if we want to assume the slave labour aspect did not exist/was very far in the past) we could just assume Vander and Silco were children of people who worked in the mines, and were essentially born into it.
Regardless, I don't think they had many other options outside of mining, so we can assume that this was much the same for most people living in the Undercity. Something I'm curious about is, with the interpretation that there was still some semblance of a level system in modern Zaun, when and how Entresol and Promenade came about.
My personal assumption for Promenade is that the level existed as a sort of gateway between south Piltover and the underground. The elevator from S1E1 is on this level, and it looks to be in an abandoned house, judging by the stairs, furniture and paintings on the walls. The decor is quite fancy and the people in the paintings are dressed similarly to the Kirammans in their family portraits, which makes me think this was the repurposed home of a wealthy topsider. One possibility is that Promenade held the residences of Piltovan elites who worked close to Zaun (e.g. owned factories, oversaw mining operations). I think it's unlikely that Promenade had anything to do with Silco and Vander's operations, since it's much closer to the surface than where they reside, but their revolution could have been the force that drove many of the topsiders out.
Entresol is where the Lanes and The Last Drop are located, so I'm inclined to assume this was the part that Silco and Vander built. This is also corroborated by the various references to the Lanes in S1E3, which I elaborated on in Part 2.4, that makes it sound like this was the part that they had the most involvement with. This was where both of them ended up living, and Vander says that Silco "had the Lanes' respect", suggesting that this was where they started out, too.
The way Sevika and Felicia both talk about Silco and Vander's work makes it sound like they built the Lanes in a very literal sense. This leaves us with two main questions; 1) What was there before?, and 2) How much of it was built by them?. Unfortunately for us, I don't think there's actually enough in canon to answer either of those questions with any real certainty. The best I can do is suggest possibilities. We do know that there were other parts to the underground outside of the Lanes, so one possibility is that there was already a community inhabiting Entresol that they took over as their own - perhaps a small rebel group, or colonies of Zaunite labourers who lived on that level. These are all the other options I came up with:
There were semi-intact ruins still lying around Entresol that they built out of.
There was a large, empty space in the place that would later become the Lanes. They built on top of this and filled out the entire region.
They literally built the Entresol level themselves. The mining tunnels had been dug out of nothing, and all that was lying on top of them was rock; they quite literally "carve[d] it out of the bedrock", as Felicia's phrasing would imply.
So in summary, I'm imagining that the Sump was the main region of the Undercity at the time, comprising a network of mines where the Grey originated, sewers for wastage from up above, and potentially factories or warehouses as well. Another question is what exactly was being mined here, and again, we can turn to League lore for possible ideas. The prison mines mentioned on the Zaun wiki page were for "Chemtech compounds". Amanda Overton described Silco and Vander as "miners working for topsiders", which makes me wonder - if they were mining for Chemtech compounds - what exactly the topsiders in question wanted to do with those compounds. This brings me back to my long-winded Chemtech musings from Part 1.3. I can think of three primary explanations for this:
The compounds in question could be used for a variety of inventions, not just Chemtech. Perhaps there were elements involved that had to be chemically separated; one of which was safer and used to power Piltover's inventions, while the other was highly toxic and was originally discarded as waste, but later became the basis for Chemtech.
Chemtech was mined and used in smaller doses/quantities in Piltovian inventions, while the people of the Undercity began to use it in larger quantities, harnessing the toxic properties that released the Grey as a byproduct.
Chemtech compounds were one of many things mined, and were used for inventions that were limited to the underground, like mechanical mining and factory tools (drills, bombs, transport, etc.)
Alternatively, if we ignore the mention of Chemtech, we could assume that the underground was rich in natural minerals and resources that Piltovans needed for their inventions. We could also assume they were mining for the other gases and/or liquids that Piltovans used as an energy source (it's mentioned that these came from a "nearby marsh", but I couldn't find an actual canon source for that, so I think it's fine to take some liberties with it). I suspect that there are many other possible explanations, with the foundational principle being that they were mining for materials which the topsiders would then use to boost their own wealth, one way or another.
~~~
Part 3.3: The Creation of Modern Zaun (Golden Age of S&V)
In S1E5, we see an old hideout of Silco and Vander's, with plans for the Nation of Zaun strewn all over the desk and plastered on the walls. I've compiled a list of everything we see in that hideout and where it's all located:
CEILING/TOP
Pipework
Low wooden beams
Lantern box hanging from the ceiling
LEFT OF THE ENTRANCE
Boxes/crates
Barrels
Mining gloves
Shovel
Something coiled and hanging on the left wall - perhaps a rope? Or a hose?
RIGHT OF THE ENTRANCE
Small wooden table
Vanity next to the coat rack
Another shovel
Time-worn plans covering the right wall (maps, tables, lots of illegible writing)
BACK OF THE ROOM
Left corner, storage unit/bookshelf (books, boxes, small lopsided paper bag, cylindrical flask or thick drink bottle?)
Left of centre, jackets and hats
Centre, flag with green, red and gold detailing, NoZ logo in gold
Right corner, coat rack and a ledge with hangers and a kettle
CENTRE OF THE ROOM
Desk (more books, flask, glass, tobacco pipe, letter)
Another crate
Knocked-over stool
Tall chair (for the vanity?)
TRIVIA
Walls are all boarded up with wooden planks and metal reinforcements
Vander’s number: 135 714 (from the canon scene)
Silco’s number: 132 219 (loosely interpreted from the very grainy image in the artbook)
I think it's safe to say that they started devising their vision of Zaun in the mines, with comprehensive plans for the nation that include maps and diagrams, a flag with a logo, and many long pages of writing. I'm guessing they were living here for a while, judging by the flask, the kettle, the paper bag that looks like the kind used to carry food, and the clothes hung up on the wall. The furniture is an interesting detail; I'm struggling to imagine that they got away with dragging all of that furniture down to the mines, which makes me wonder if it was there before. Perhaps it used to be someone's office down there? Or some kind of bunker/storm shelter? I have no clear answer for this so I guess it's entirely up to the imagination.
Then at some point, they got out of the mines and began a smuggling operation to make money. I assume this is the era Vi was talking about when she said the break-in was "the kind of job Vander would've pulled when he was [their] age". I'm not sure exactly how reliable this statement is, or whether it even really tells us anything; Vander could've snuck away from the mines to steal from topside when he was a teenager, before he had even developed the goal of an independent nation, or Vi could've heard rumours about Vander's past that weren't entirely accurate. Still, it's the best we have to go on, and if we assume this references Vander and Silco's smuggling operation, it would imply that they started relatively young. In my opinion, 16-year-old Vi saying "our age" could imply anywhere from about 15-18 realistically, and that gives us a maximum of about a decade between the start of their smuggling ventures and The Last Drop opening. We also have to factor in Silco being 2-3 years younger, which means I'm more inclined to assume Vander was an older teen, if not already in his 20s (unless we're meant to assume they were just extremely young when they started all this, but I think that's unlikely, given they already look like adults while still working in the mines). For the sake of the timeline, we'll say they started their smuggling operation somewhere between the late 950s and early 960s AN.
We also don't know for sure when the Lanes were actually built; whether they started with The Last Drop and built everything around it, or built the Lanes and opened The Last Drop as a finishing touch of sorts. Felicia's lines in the flashback - "You two are going to figure this Zaun thing out. I don't care if you have to carve it out of the bedrock covered in blisters." - definitely make it sound like The Last Drop was built first, and everything else followed. Amanda Overton also specified that the smuggling operation helped Vander and Silco make money, so it seems like they were selling their stolen goods (to topsiders?) and running a back-alley black market operation until they had enough to actually start building.
There were about 10-11 years between the opening of The Last Drop and the estrangement of Silco from his allies, which they spent building the Lanes. I was initially thinking this sounded insane, but from this Reddit thread, I gathered that it's actually a fairly reasonable timeline - especially if we assume that they had others helping them with the physical construction, which I'm certain they would've. One of the commenters in the thread brought up the city of Brasilia, which was a planned city built over the span of about 3.5 years. It has a total federal district area of 5,802km^2 built by about 60,000 people (not sure exactly how much of that area was actually built up; the Demographia World Urban Areas Report 2023 counts a total urban area of 963km^2, similar to the size of Buffalo NY).
There's another post I found by a Redditor who calculated the area and population of Piltover and Zaun using the height of streetlamps as a reference. These totals came out to 5.30km^2 (~100,000 population) and 4.12km^2 (~400,000 population) for Zaun. This was calculated under the assumption that Zaun and Piltover each covered one region on either side of the bridge, so the sizes might differ under the model with Zaun being mostly underneath. However, in this case, the Entresol level alone would be even smaller than 4.12km^2, so the task sounds overall very manageable. Worth noting that I think it's unlikely that Zaun was a precisely planned city like Brasilia was, and more likely that they built up the city around themselves, in response to the growing population and demands for facilities. Although we do see very thorough-looking diagrams on the walls of Vander and Silco's hideout, so I suppose you could reasonably assume any degree of planning.
In canon, we do see some glimpses into the post-Last Drop era through the sequence of Warwick/Vander's memories in S1E6. Here are all the memories we see, in order:
Vander and Silco in the mines
Silco sitting at a bar with a book open in his hands
The flashback from S2E5 with Felicia, Silco and Vander toasting in the bar
Young Vander and Benzo leaning over a counter; both look to be around the same age as they were in Act 1, maybe slightly younger
Felicia pregnant with Powder, and a man (presumably Connol) holding child Vi
Powder, Vi, Mylo and Claggor all standing in a group with their backs turned
Vi sparring with Vander, starting around the age she was in Act 1 and then morphing into her younger child self
Felicia and Connol come home with their mining hats and gloves, and Vi and Powder get excited to see them
Vi tries on the mining glove Felicia gives her
Felicia and Powder cook together
Felicia cuts Vi's hair
Felicia, Powder and Vi chase each other around a post
Felicia measures Vi's height
These being Vander's memories, it seems like the kids had a much more resonant impact on him at the time than Silco or the fight for independence did. This explains a lot with regards to the difference in ideologies that eventually divided Vander and Silco. We also see that Felicia and Connol were still working in the mines when the kids were young, implying that Silco and Vander did not shut down mining operations (perhaps they cleaned it up so the work was less dangerous?). The logo for the Nation of Zaun that we see on the flag & on Silco's notebook doesn't come up ever again, and seems to be absent from the modern timeline.
I'm guessing the focus during this period was on the physical construction of the Lanes, and accumulating more and more capital to distribute among the people of the underground. It definitely seems like they were intending to go to war for their independence, judging by Vander's assumption in S1E3 that Silco wanted to use Shimmer to start a war - as well as Vander telling Vi that he "was angry" when he was younger and wanted to fight for change (S1E2). The flag/logo in their hideout was presumably something they planned to fly once they had achieved an independent Nation of Zaun.
They never did end up engaging in a full-on war though, based on various context clues and dialogue exchanges implying that a) Vander and Silco's revolution was never successful, and b) war between Piltover and Zaun is only hypothetical, rather than something that has happened once before. Vander also indicates that the Day of Ash was a one-off incident ("we crossed that bridge once before" in S1E2), which is consistent with how peaceful his early memories are. I presume they wanted to focus on establishing Zaun as a thriving community first before escalating the issue with Piltover; they couldn't exactly fight for independence if there was no nation to fight for in the first place. They most likely didn't have the numbers to form an actual army either, especially not with the Lanes alone.
Eventually, Vander and Silco incited the bridge riot as what was meant to be the start of a bigger revolution, "thinking things could change". The riot was a massive failure for Zaun, and most of the fighters ended up dead. Vander decided that he had too much to lose and attempted to drown Silco to end the cycle of violence. I tend to assume this happened before Vander picked up the kids, but if you want to stay as loyal as possible to the creators' comments, I think this is a very plausible theory that explains the weird timeline and visual continuity errors.
~~~
Part 3.4: The Creation of Modern Zaun (Aftermath of S&V)
Bonus section to discuss my thoughts on what exactly happened to Silco after the Day of Ash; most of this is conjecture rather than fact.
It's pretty obvious what Vander got up to after the drowning attempt. He made a deal with Grayson to keep Zaunites off of Piltover's streets in return for peace. Much of the infrastructure in The Lanes was built during Vander and Silco's era, but I imagine construction continued into this era as well. However, any progress towards independence stagnated under Vander's leadership.
As for Silco, it seems most likely that he met up with Singed pretty soon after the betrayal. There seems to be a distinct lack of trust between them - Singed hasn't told Silco what his true motivations are, per him vaguely telling Silco "I, too, once had a daughter" (S1E8), and Silco tells Jinx that "you're the only one I can trust with this" when she suggests that he give the Hex crystal to Singed instead (S1E5). Thus, I'm inclined to believe it's a purely practical partnership, unlike Silco's relationship with Vander which was much more personal.
Silco's intention with Shimmer, as he tells Vander, was to mass-produce it at such a scale that it would scare Piltover out of entering the Lanes (many of the wiki pages say he wanted to start a war with Shimmer-enhanced soldiers, but he outright tells Vander that this is not the case). It could be that he wanted a bargaining chip too, given that "discontinue the production of Shimmer" was one of Jayce's conditions for independence in S1E9. So, Silco and Singed joined forces at some point to mass-produce Shimmer, Silco used a variant in the meantime to keep his eye infection at bay, and that brings us to the canon timeline.
I want to look a little bit into Singed and his past, as I'm very curious to know where Silco's vision fits in with Singed's motivations. We don't know exactly how much of Dr. Reveck/Orianna's story translates into Arcane, but we do know the following:
Singed was Dr. Reveck, a "revered academy alchemist" in Piltover. His work was "unparalleled", but he was dismissed from the academy with "no mention of his crime" (from Caitlyn; S2E5).
Everything he's done since his dismissal was to cure his daughter. This included the creation of Shimmer, which he did using Rio (the giant purple creature in the cave) as a vessel through which to sustain the regenerative mutation he wanted to harness. When questioned by Ambessa, he says that he's trying to cure "death".
He runs his operations out of the cave in Zaun where Rio is kept. Viktor worked with him briefly as a child, but became horrified by the sight of Rio connected to a series of wires and clearly in pain, so he left. Later, he is seen working out of several locations that all look slightly different (the place where Warwick is created, and Silco's first office under the river), so either the cave is massive with many rooms, or he has several different HQs for his experiments.
Singed uses Chemtech and Shimmer for all his experiments, often a combination of the two. It seems like Chemtech has the potential to sustain life, and Shimmer has the potential to enhance it.
In comparison, these are the main details of Orianna's origin story in League of Legends:
Corin Reveck was famous for making artificial limbs with intricate brass designs.
His daughter, Orianna, was his apprentice. She was adventurous and inquisitive, and wanted to explore the world outside of Piltover, but Dr. Reveck told her it was too dangerous.
An explosion in Zaun ruptured a chemical line and released clouds of poisonous gas. Orianna wanted to help the victims, but Dr. Reveck wouldn’t let her.
Orianna snuck away at night and helped fix the damage, repairing respirators and installing esophilters (described on the wiki as “a Chemtech augmentation that allows people to breathe noxious fumes safely”). She offered her own mask to a child who was struggling to breathe.
After returning to Piltover, Orianna became terminally ill, lungs ravaged by the toxic fumes. Dr. Reveck built her a new set of lungs, and as the poison spread throughout her body, he continued to build new implants and prosthetics for her until most of her body was mechanical.
The process cost Dr. Reveck his entire fortune, which forced them to relocate to Zaun.
Eventually Dr. Reveck fell ill, and she gave up her last remaining human organ for him - her heart.
There are obvious changes that would have to be made to this story to fit with Arcane lore. For example, Singed was already living in Zaun by the time he met up with Viktor, well before Orianna was revived. It also doesn't seem like he built her "piece by piece" as stated in the original story, instead keeping her alive and unconscious until he was certain he could save her. However, I think a lot of these details can be integrated with Arcane lore, and I have some ideas about exactly where it fits in.
As with all things, I want to figure out a timeline first before anything else. This is what we know so far:
Late 950s-960s AN: Silco and Vander start their smuggling operation with the goal of establishing the Lanes
961 AN: Viktor is born
967 AN: The Last Drop is opened
978 AN: Silco is betrayed by Vander
983 AN: Silco and Singed are working together by this point
I found no information on how old Viktor was when he met Singed, so I'm going to estimate around 12-13 judging by his appearance and voice. This would mean they met around 973-974 AN, which matches up with the timeline, given that Zaun looks quite built-up where we see other children playing (although I'm pretty sure this takes place on the Promenade level? Since it seems to be in direct sunlight). It seems like Singed is a fair way into his venture when Viktor runs into him; he's managed to cultivate the mutation he is looking for, and he has a laboratory of sorts that he operates inside the cave, with a vast array of potions, many different vats and test tubes with mutilated animals inside, and a network of pipes and wires that power his equipment. From this, I presume he's been at it for at least a few years.
With this timeline, Orianna would have fallen ill somewhere in the late 960s, right at the height of Vander and Silco's golden age when they were still building the Lanes. An explosion that ruptured a chemical line is an extremely plausible event to happen during this era, for any number of reasons; a riot in the underground, Enforcers trying to halt the construction of Zaun, explosions used to clear rocks so they had a clear path to build, etc etc. It could've been any number of things. Orianna went down there, against her father's orders, and her lungs were ravaged by the gas. Singed started to focus his research on keeping Orianna's condition stable and devising a cure by testing on animals. His unethical activities were discovered, and he was kicked out of the academy in the early 970s for his experiments. He permanently relocated to Zaun.
Sometime after Silco was betrayed, he and Singed met. I am quite confident that Silco was the one to approach Singed, and my primary justification for this comes from Singed's conversation with Viktor in S1E7. Viktor tries to pretend that he wants to use Shimmer on plants, and Singed expresses that he knows what Viktor is really there for, by saying "I know the look of a doomed man". I am convinced that he is talking about Silco here. From what we see of Singed's past before meeting Silco, he had only experimented on animals, and the only human involved before Viktor was his daughter. None of that would justify him "know[ing] the look of a doomed man". I don't think he's talking about himself either, since his injuries don't appear to be fatal and we never see him using himself as a test subject.
So I think Silco somehow found out about his operations and came to him seeking help after the betrayal. Silco had no power without Vander - all their friends/allies that we know of were either dead (Felicia and Connol) or took Vander's side (Benzo and Sevika) - and after being exposed to the toxins in the Pilt, he definitely would have been at risk for a much worse infection if left untreated. He was already taking his injections when we first see him in canon, and it actually looks like Singed might have even performed surgery of some kind on Silco, given that he has both eyelids in the actual drowning scene but one of them is missing later on.
This also helps explain what Singed was getting out of the deal, since Silco couldn't offer him anything tangible at the time; he essentially acted as Singed's first human test subject for a cure. We don't know if Silco's early injections involved Shimmer though, or if he was using some other temporary cure (Chemtech?) that Singed came up with for him before Shimmer had been perfected. Singed mentions to Viktor that he has several different variants of Shimmer, and he was already working on it for at least a little while before Silco came to him, so I'm assuming it was probably one of these variants. If that's the case, I'd guess that Silco is using a stronger dosage after the timeskip, since he responds to it differently (in S1E1 he injects it very calmly with no visible reaction at all, while later on in the series, his body seizes up and he looks to be in pain).
I'm interested in what comes after that, too. I could absolutely understand Singed agreeing to help Silco out after the betrayal, since Silco is in a similar position to Viktor at that point, and a very valuable tool in Singed's research. What I'm curious about is why Singed then agrees to mass-produce Shimmer and "flood the lanes" with it, as it's often described. These are the two explanations I came up with:
Singed wanted to explore the effects of Shimmer on the "average person", so to speak. Flooding the Lanes with Shimmer means putting it in the hands of anyone and everyone, which means ample test subjects for Singed to observe and learn from. The main issue I can think of with this theory is that Singed does all of his research from inside his lab, and one of the key things he notes about himself is that he's a loner, so it doesn't seem like he was going out there and doing field research. There could have been ways for him to learn from afar, though.
Silco offered to make Singed rich. Silco knew Shimmer could turn the tides back in his favour, and he could have tempted Singed to join him with the promise of everything they could eventually have. Early in Season 1, they share an office space underwater, and they have many giant factories with regular shipments in and out of Piltover after the timeskip. We can only assume that both of them became wealthy from this, with Singed making enough money to continue his research, and Silco making enough to build the version of the underground that he always envisioned.
And finally, I want to jump back to the aforementioned discussions about Chemtech, because something is still bugging me about it. If Chemtech existed before Hextech, and it's supposed to be this brilliant but toxic formula at the heart of Zaun's inventions, why didn't they ever weaponise it against Piltover? We know that Jinx uses Chemtech for her bombs, and Renni is seen using a chainsaw powered by Chemtech - and we also know that Silco and Vander both wanted to fight Piltover. So if Chemtech is a power source exclusive to Zaun, why didn't they mass-produce Chemtech weapons or release toxic gases into the streets of Piltover as part of their fight for independence? And after the timeskip, when Silco is working on his own, why did he focus on the production of Shimmer when Chemtech already existed?
By the time we catch up with everyone in canon in S1E1, Chemtech is very widespread. It looks like the Undercity is essentially built on it, with green lights everywhere and massive structures powered entirely by chemicals. I think it's reasonable to assume that Vander and Silco were the ones who facilitated the widespread use of Chemtech. This would fill in a lot of the gaps with regards to the precise timeline of Chemtech usage; it could have been something they once used sparingly, for things like mining equipment and light sources, but when Silco and Vander built the Undercity, it became a staple of Zaunite infrastructure. Since there was a long period over which they were smuggling goods out of Piltover and preparing to start building their nation, they could have also used that time to start developing Chemtech. I'm guessing they would've recruited someone to do this for them, since neither Vander nor Silco seem to have a knack for invention.
This leaves me with three theories with regards to the potential for Chemtech to become a weapon:
Theory 1 - They did try to use it against Piltover, but their attempts were always unsuccessful (e.g. the Day of Ash riot).
This one is pretty self-explanatory. They tried to use Chemtech weapons against Piltover, but the Enforcers were just too powerful. There are two main issues with this theory; the first being that we don't know how exactly the Enforcers would have overpowered them without Hextech, and the second being that, when we see Silco and Vander on the bridge during that riot, there's no sign of Chemtech's trademark green. Silco has a very standard-looking Molotov cocktail that produces orange flames, and Vander uses his mining gloves to beat up the Enforcers using brute force. I suppose the Molotov could have been filled with chemicals, so it's still an option.
Theory 2 - Chemtech isn't powerful enough on its own.
I believe this is the most plausible theory of the three. Chemtech is an energy source, good for powering things like light sources and machinery, but in itself, we don't actually see any evidence to suggest that it's useful on a larger scale. Powder's bombs don't work when she's younger, despite being powered by Chemtech - and even then, Chemtech is never the main feature anyway, with her bombs either being smoke-powered or filled with nails. In S1E4, Councilor Hoskel describes Zaun's "ingenuity over the years", with specific mentions of "Shimmer" and "body replacements"; I would assume, if Zaun really was capable of making deadly weapons with Chemtech, he would have mentioned that as well. Chemtech does appear to be the sole power source behind Renni's chainsaw, but mass-producing chainsaws as a war weapon is not the most practical nor smart strategy. Chemtech just isn't effective enough to make weapons that can be used to fight Piltover with, or on a large enough scale to put them in the hands of average Zaunites.
A major point in favour of this theory is the fact that no one in the Undercity seems to have guns except Jinx, which I find really interesting. During the bridge riot, all of the Enforcers are armed with guns, while Vander fights with his fists, and Silco fights with the aforementioned Molotov cocktail. Later, we see that Sevika and Vi also fight with their fists, and the Firelights use hoverboards and spears. Vander has a dagger which Silco later uses as his own melee weapon of choice. So why does no one in Zaun have guns? Surely Jinx can't be the only person who's ever thought to make her own? The answer has to be that they don't have access to them; either the money to buy them or the materials to make them. The Enforcers are always armed with them, and families like the Kirammans are known to hunt recreationally, which seems to demonstrate that guns are a mark of wealth and status. Jinx is only able to make hers once she's living with Silco, who could easily source the supplies for her.
Theory 3 - They did manage to successfully weaponise Chemtech against Piltover, but Piltover was able to harness the chemicals for themselves before Zaun could take advantage of it.
We know in canon that Silco's goal was to use Shimmer as something powerful enough to scare Piltover off their streets. I think it could be interesting if this was initially the plan for Chemtech, but the council caught wind of this dangerous invention, and commissioned the academy to work on a solution - just like Silco does with Jinx when Hextech becomes an issue. Piltover created Chemtech weapons of their own, so that Zaun would no longer have a technological advantage.
This is where Singed comes in. I think it could be interesting if Singed was the alchemist recruited to work on Chemtech; perhaps even Heimerdinger too, given that Singed mentions them having worked together. Singed managed to extract the chemicals used for Chemtech and create defensive measures against it for Piltover, thus explaining why he had such a good handle on it when he transferred his operations to Zaun. Either he managed to safely extract it, and it was subsequently used for smaller inventions in Piltover (thus explaining the green lamp and the pneuma tube gas in Grayson's office), or he made weapons that were just as toxic and dangerous as those in Zaun, which had to be locked away in case of absolute emergency (this would make sense if we assume Heimerdinger had a part in it; there's no way he would let them use it freely). This theory also explains why Singed would be especially cautious about letting Orianna visit the underground, if he was working with Chemtech himself at the time and knew how dangerous it could be.
Here's my proposal for a rough timeline, using this theory:
Late 950s-960s AN: Silco and Vander start their smuggling operation with the goal of establishing the Lanes.
Early 960s AN: Chemical compounds are smuggled out of the mines, and a group of rebels start using it to develop new inventions, per Silco and Vander's plan.
967 AN: The Last Drop is opened; Vander and Silco start actually building the Lanes. Piltover catches wind of the construction and tries to send Enforcers down there to stop them, but they use newly-forged Chemtech weapons to keep them out. Enforcers are ordered by the council to stay out of the underground due to the danger. Singed (and possibly Heimerdinger) starts working with the compounds mined for Chemtech to develop stronger defensive measures.
Late 960s AN: During construction of the Lanes, something goes wrong that results in the release of toxic gases from Chemtech (a "ruptured chemical line", according to Orianna's League lore story). Singed is the first in Piltover to learn about it, and Orianna overhears. He warns her not to go down there; she does not listen. She goes to help the victims, and falls gravely ill. Singed continues his Chemtech research as authorised, but starts a side project using the chemicals to develop a cure, with a giant vat of liquid to keep her alive in the meantime.
Early 970s AN: Singed's unethical experiments are discovered, and he is booted out of the academy and stripped of his status. He permanently relocates to Zaun.
978 AN: The Day of Ash; Vander and Silco lead an army across the bridge, Enforcers fight back, disaster strikes. It's the first fight for which Piltover brings out the locked-away Chemtech weapons, which is what makes it so explosive (we see Enforcers' guns explode on impact in S1E1, which they don't seem to do any other time).
978 AN (cont'd): Silco finds out about Singed's research somehow and they meet up. Silco knows that Chemtech is no longer an advantage for the Undercity, so he seeks a new solution. Meanwhile, Vander makes his deal with Grayson, and Chemtech weapons on both sides are destroyed.
983 AN: Singed tests his newest Shimmer variant on a rat. He determines that it's now adequate for a human to drink.
This theory does have a few minor holes - Hoskel's line in S1E4 again being one of them, as well as the fact that Silco doesn't consider the possibility of weaponising Hextech until after Jinx steals the crystal - but I find it to be the most intriguing, and could be a compelling way of tying all these stories together.
~~~
Part 4: Wrap-Up
PHEW. We've finally reached the Sump. If you read this entire post, congrats on making it all the way down here! This was over 12k words total so certainly a behemoth to get through; thank you so much for sticking with me <3
I wanted to include one final summary of the timeline, colour-coded to indicate where all this information comes from. I’ve used blue to indicate origins in League of Legends lore, green to indicate Arcane lore (according to the wiki), and red to indicate that I extrapolated the dates myself. In case anyone has trouble distinguishing red and green, I’ve also included an asterisk (*) next to all the reds.
6000-5000 BN: Westward Migration. Humans began to migrate towards the Shuriman Continent. One of the new cities founded was a sea port called Oshra Va’Zaun.
2000-3 BN: Various Wars. Several wars happened during this time; Janna protected Oshra Va’Zaun from every conflict.
676 AN: Heimerdinger is born. He is 307 (Act 1) / 314 (Act 2).
772 AN: The Collapse. The people of Oshra Va’Zaun attempted to crack open an area of the land using Chemtech bombs. The bombs triggered a series of earthquakes that destroyed the isthmus.
790 AN: Piltover is Established. The ruins of Oshra Va’Zaun underwent extensive reconstruction, and the new city of Piltover was built over the Pilt River.
940 AN: Vander is born. He is 43 / 50.
*943 AN: Silco is born. He is 40 / 47.
*Late 950s-Early 960s AN: Smuggling begins. Vander and Silco start their smuggling operation.
959 AN: Jayce is born. He is 24 / 31.
961 AN: Viktor is born. He is 22 / 29.
966 AN: Caitlyn is born. She is 17 / 24.
966-67 AN: Felicia-Vander-Silco scene. A milestone of Zaun's development is celebrated in The Last Drop.
967 AN: Vi is born. She is 16 / 23.
972 AN: Jinx is born. She is 11 / 18.
*978 AN: Silco is betrayed. Beginning of Vander's solo reign and an armistice between Piltover and Zaun.
983 AN: Events of Season 1 Act 1. The Kiramman warehouse is raided, Hextech is invented, and Powder accidentally kills most of her family.
990 AN: Events of Season 1 Act 2. The main Arcane timeline starts here.
I cannot emphasise enough that I put this all together on my own with zero knowledge of League lore going into it, so there are bound to be gaps and inaccuracies somewhere along the way. This is by no means intended as the be-all and end-all of Arcane lore guides, but hopefully there are things in here that someone else will find helpful!
Good luck with your fanworks ventures :-)
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Hello,
I have couple of questions about your big mama's child au😁
What happened to Raph's arm?
How did leo meet Mayhem?
How much similar is big mama to mother gothel in this au?
Do Leo and the brothers gave any memories of each other?
Are the rest of the brothers separated as well?
Is Draxum part of your au? (If so is he related to the creation of the turtles in this au or is there other stuff going on?)
We see splinter in human form... does that mean he's not a mutant here? (Are there any mutants at all in your au or are they yokai here?)
Thanks, have a great week, and no pressure to answer if any of the answers are plot related/spoilers😁
Hello! :D Don't worry, I can answer almost all of them! Hope you have a great week too!
1.
2.
3.
Well, more or less gdbfudf, I made her more cold for this AU but she fits the role perfectly as she normally is in the series, with manipulation and all, you know
The only difference is in her goals with having Leo with her and what she wants overall in this story, but otherwise it's pretty much the same.
4. Leo doesn't remember almost anything about them! Just how safe he felt with them.
Then we have Donnie and Raph, they were also very young when Big Mama stole Leo, so they just remember Leo's red stripes.
Mikey doesn't even remember that bc he was even younger than Leo.
5. Not separated, but they have roles to do on their own for the Hamato clan, that will be explained later!
6. Yes he is! and he's still related to the creation of the turtles, but we'll know more about him later.
7. Splinter wasn't in his human form, but in this one!
So there are mutants and Yōkai here!
#ask#big mama's child#leonardo hamato#rise leo#rise leonardo#rottmnt#rise of the tmnt#big mama#mayhem rottmnt#mayhem#rottmnt splinter#this was fun
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Bi-Han & Tomas & Harumi
Through the story mode, Bi-Han was not acknowledged as Grandmaster. Liu Kang always addressed him by name, even when he was recruiting his Champions. Kuai Liang and Tomas called him brother, never using his proper rank (though that is understandable as they usually talked in privacy far away from other characters). The only person calling him Grandmaster and doing it respectfully was Shang Tsung when he was tempting the man to join his side. Other than that, Kung Lao called Bi-Han the Grandmaster as an insult when he won the fight against Sub-Zero in chapter 1.
Then we have Tomas who was not acknowledged at all by Liu Kang throughout the whole story mode and who helps Kuai Liang to build the Shirai Ryu clan and train its warriors. Smoke called himself "Shirai Ryu's second-in-command"
Quan Chi: The littlest Lin Kuei has come to fight me. Smoke: Try the Shirai Ryu's second-in-command.
However, as far as I managed to check out the intro dialogues, I do not notice anyone acknowledging that rank of his. Kuai Liang does not call Tomas that nor introduce or talk about him as such. Interestingly, Quan Chi does acknowledge Reiko as the "second in command" which adds the contrast to Smoke being looked down upon.
Tomas is the one that stood by Kuai Liang and the first to pledge his loyalty to Scorpion. He helps train warriors and he is the one responsible for finding and bringing Hanzo Hasashi but he is not really acknowledged in any special way for his part in creating Shirai Ryu.
We also have Harumi Shirai who took in Kuai Liang and Tomas when they had nothing and provided them help and place to stay. She is the head of her clan and the one with land, money and means to build a new clan and without her support, there would not be Shirai Ryu or the creation would not go so fast at least. Tie-in material implies Harumi to be a fighter and but once she married Kuai Liang, somehow she is reduced to his wife/beloved even though she is literally a co-founder of Shirai Ryu, as she was the one that provided material needs and safe place for Kuai Liang and Tomas to train new members.
And not to bitter, but Bi-Han, Tomas and Harumi should make a club of those whose rank/position/contribution is not acknowledged.
#mortal kombat#bi han#sub zero#harumi shirai#tomas vrbada#smoke#the trio that deserves better!#also oh the irony that all major characters to kuai liang's story are so pushed to the background ;/
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Safe Haven
Series Part Listing Found Here
Neteyam x Original Na'vi Female Character
Summery: Seeking refuge, Xilä and her father venture to the lands of the Omatikaya clan, in the hopes that the Toruk Makto would be generous in allowing them to stay. This is her story about not only finding her strength, but finding love.
Warning: This story contains smut, violence & abuse (please don't read if these topics will affect you)
Some characters have been aged up. Neteyam in particular is 23.
Xilä is my own creation.
~
Part 1 - Escape
Xilä was roughly roused from sleep. Calloused hands forcefully tugged her into a seated position, shaking her frantically.
“Wake up girl. They’re coming! Get dressed!” It was her father.
Licking her chapped lips and blinking to force herself awake, she watched as her father moved around their tiny home, arming himself with what seemed like every weapon he owned. He was dressed for the outside already- a threadbare hooded cloak was draped over his large body and cracked, hexapede leather boots covered his massive feet.
“Xilä! Don’t make me smack you. Get. Up!”
Moving quickly, she tied her makeshift, calf length boots to her feet- they would be in need of another repair soon.
“Father, what is happening?” She asked shakily as she slipped on her own cloak over her frame, ensuring her hood was secure and her nose and mouth were covered.
“Don’t ask questions. Pack whatever food we have left. We need to leave.”
Her hands shook as she used a scrap of cloth to wrap up a measly hunk of seed loaf, some shrivelled root vegetables and a small clay pot of two day old mashed beans. She had just tied off the knot when she heard distant hoots and howls coming from outside- The Rogue Warriors.
T'shteyo grabbed his daughter’s wrist painfully and dragged her out of their home. Home was putting it lightly. Their abode- like all the others in their little village, was nothing but a poorly assembled lean-to, made out of rocks and sun-baked clay. Weaved, strips of sticks and tree bark acted as their privacy screen and her sad excuse of a bed was the thin skin of deadland beast.
“Keep your mouth shut,” her father hissed harshly as he dragged her behind him.
They kept to the shadows, dodging around surrounding structures and completely dead shrubs, leaping over the deep cracks and faults that littered the ground. The sky was still dark but the tinge of purple told her that morning was near.
Panting excessively, Xilä kept glancing behind her, looking to see if anyone followed them. She felt light headed- having not been used to such vigorous activity. She also hadn’t had a decent meal in who knows how long.
When she realized where her father was leading them she dug her heels into the ground and ripped her wrist from his hold. Stumbling to catch her footing she shook her head vigorously.
“That’s the Dead Forest father. You said it was forbidden. Why- Ah!”
T'shteyo clamped her bicep in a bruising grip and pulled her close. “You questioning me now? You think you know best, girl?”
Her ears fell back and her eyes fell to her feet. “No father.”
“Those bastards back there? Su’ko and his men? They want us dead. And unless you want me to leave your pesky ass here you shut up and do as I say, when I say. You don’t question me. Understood?”
She nodded numbly and once he was satisfied with her response he turned and headed straight into the forest without another word.
~
The Dead Forest was exactly like its namesake. Dead. There were no signs of life here- not a single green leaf or blade of grass was seen and parts of the forest appeared to be burnt, remnants of smoke lingering in the still air.
When they had made it a substantial distance away from the village, her father stopped at the base of what she assumed was once a grand tree.
“Okay. You stay here and keep out of sight until I get back.”
Xilä perked up in alarm. He was leaving her? Here?! She was about to question him but his glare reminded her of the conversation he’d had with her that morning.
“Keep the food and don’t make a sound. Got me?” And then he was gone.
Scared of every rustle and crack of the woods surrounding her, Xilä squeezed herself between a gap in the large trunk and tucked her knees to her chest, waiting with baited breath.
She felt miserable….but then again she was always miserable. That was her life, wasn’t it? Her mind wandered to the clan- to the home she had just escaped from.
Since she could remember, her clan had struggled. Way before her birth, the lands of the Li'ona clan were well known for its crystal clear rivers and abundant wildlife, but over time the rains stopped and so the rivers dried up. Food grew scarce, the lands became barren and the people suffered.
Through the years the suffering grew worse. They had to wear boots and thick coverings to protect themselves from the harsh weather, else it caused blisters and heat stroke. There were many quakes and tremors too which caused the ground to shift and crack.
One such deadly quake a few years back was the reason they’d lost their home, the reason they lived so poorly now. That quake had also caused the deaths of many of their people- they were too few in numbers now.
T'shteyo, her father, was the clan’s Olo'eyktan and as the people’s despair and misery grew, so did their hatred for the leader. A rebellion was born- The Rogue Warriors as people called them, led by the ruthless Su’ko, tried to overthrow her father’s ruling many times over the years- threatening not only his life but hers too.
Xilä was guessing that them being on the run now meant that rebellion had been successful this time- they had won. Her father had finally been overthrown.
Night drew near now. Where did her father go? How long should she wait until?
Two days went by. She was starving and dying of thirst. The food was long gone and with every second that passed her hope faded. Xilä forced herself to think good things, clinging to the tiny remnants of hope she had left. Hope that her father had not abandoned her. Hope for a better life.
She dared not cry though. Like her father said, crying was a sign of weakness.
On the night of the third day, the loud roar of an animal in the distance woke her from a light slumber. Ears straining to hear she held her breath as its galloping drew closer and closer- until it sounded as if it were right on top of her.
The shadow of a creature bathed her in darkness- fear crippling her…and then she heard her father’s voice.
“Time to go.”
~
They rode for three weeks straight, stopping only when the beast grew tired. Her father had found the direhorse by sheer luck he’d said. It was massive, ugly and seemed to share the same temperament as its new owner.
Xilä had never been this far from home before and with every minute that passed by, she saw something new and exciting. Never before had she seen so much greenery, so much life. It was hard to keep the grin off her face.
Two days ago when they stopped for the beast to rest and while her father napped, she had snuck away to bathe in the stream they’d collected water from. It was glorious. She scrubbed every nook and cranny of her being, from head to toe.
Her waist length hair was still ratty and tangled but at least it was properly cleaned for the first time in months.
She also managed to wash her worn, shabby shift dress she usually wore under her cloak. It never fit her properly, always hanging off one shoulder uncomfortably. But at least it smelled clean again- like the soap nuts she had used to also scrub her hair and body.
As they journeyed, the forest surrounding them now was lush and alive, thriving in wonderment and Xilä wished she had more than one pair of eyes, if only to see more.
Xilä wasn’t quite sure where they were going, she never bothered to ask either since she knew it would only anger her father.
He had always been angry towards her. T'shteyo was taller than most Na’vi men but his frame was weak. Lack of proper diet over the years had caused him to lose the majority of his muscle mass. That meant nothing though, he was still a force to be reckoned with and through the years of constant trials and tribulations he faced, it hardened him- turning him into the monster he was today.
~
“We should be almost there now, if we push we’d get there in a day and a half or so.”
Xilä perked up at the sudden information her father decided to share. For the most part, their journey had been conversational less, apart from his occasional grunts of “time to go,” or “eat this,” or “shut up,” the one time she’d been humming too loudly.
“Where is there, exactly?” She asked, hesitantly.
“The Omaticaya clan,” he responded gruffly, chewing on a raw root vegetable as they sat in the clearing the direhourse was grazing in.
They had so far only been surviving on the few raw fruits or vegetables they recognized. Her father refused to hunt or build a fire to cook anything decent.
The Omaticaya clan. She’d heard about them before.
Many years ago, way before she was even born, there was a Great War. Their world had been invaded by spices they called Humans- she’d never seen one in all her nineteen years of life but had heard many horrific tales about the terrifying creatures.
The Humans demolished the Omaticaya home “HomeTree” and so a war broke out. The clan leader, the legendary Toruk Makto had called upon the aid of other clans. Xilä’s father had been one of the few leaders who responded to their call for help- leading his own warriors out to battle.
“And…you know where they live now?” She asked, wondering how he knew where to find them, even after all these years.
He sucked his teeth and grunted in acknowledgement. “Now listen here. You don’t say a word to anyone. You leave the talking to me, got it? Step a toe out of line and you’ll have it coming, that I promise.”
A rustle and the crack of a twig had them both alert and simultaneously jerking to the direction it came from. The next few seconds seemed as if played out in slow motion.
A massive hissing creature lunged out of the wilderness and attacked their direhorse that was grazing some feet away.
Xilä screamed and scrambled to her feet as her father charged at the beast, his knives at the ready.
Movement caught her eye and now there was another six legged creature edging its way to closer to the direhorse. At her gasp it snapped its head in her direction, stilling for a fraction of a second before it charged.
Xilä ran.
Pushing herself, she dodged around the illuminated flora surrounding her, screaming at the stop of her lungs as it quickly gained on her.
She grappled onto a tall thick tree root, ungracefully pulling herself up to claw her way higher up the tree. It did nothing to deter her predator as it leaped forward landing on the branch above her.
With a terrified gasp and a silent scream she slipped. Her head landed against the forest floor with a resounding CRACK. She stared helplessly as the creature above her leaped onto the ground once more, prowling towards her.
Just as it moved to pounce, an arrow embedded into its side. It roared angrily, hissing and stumbling on its legs before another arrow joined the first.
Then it finally fell. Dead.
Xilä was immovable. Head throbbing agonizingly, her vision grew dark.
The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was a flash of vibrant blue stripes and gold glowing eyes.
~
Hello lovelies, I missed you guys! I am finally back with another story. The style will definitely be different, but I'm hoping you guys like it.
This is kind of an introduction per say, the other chapters will be longer. Fingers crossed I have part 2 up tonight, if not tomorrow.
Let me know if you'd like to be tagged.
Thanks for reading. Please like and comment, I love hearing from you all :)
Tag: @riatesullironalite
#neteyam#neteyam x oc#neteyam avatar#neteyam fic#neteyam x reader#neteyam fanfiction#neteyam sully#avatar twow
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May I ask you some questions about your Diabolik Lovers demon races post?
1) Karl Heinz is said to be able to shape-shift, but is a part of the vampire race. Is it known what criteria must be fulfilled in order to have this ability? Can other vampires do this or is it just the king? If so, how is he genetically different from other vampires?
2) You said that Kino was made from the DNA of Karl Heinz. Does this mean that the piece of DNA that Kino spawned from was from a time when Karl Heinz had shape-shifted into a person with Kino’s form, before Kino himself existed? If so, does Kino also have the shape-shifting ability? Can Karl Heinz also shape shift into people that already exist?
Thank your for your original post, I found it very interesting! Sorry if any of my questions are unclear, I have only played HDB and MB.
Part 1
There is no criteria which allows a specific demon to suddenly become overpowered and gain this special ability. Karlheinz was simply born this way. Much like how Carla was born more powerful than his father. In fact, Carla was equal in power to Karlheinz prior to gaining the Endzeit virus that weakened him, though the two kings aren't blood related. This is simply a matter of rare selective genetics that any demon could be born with. As such, this is why Karlheinz's higher level powers weren't listed under the Vampire Clan's general abilities because his skills only apply to him and not his sub-race or the general demon species.
All demons (born or bitten) can shapeshift. Depending on the clan a demon is from is the factor that determines what animal they can turn into. For example: Kanato is from the Bat Clan, so he can only turn into a bat. Only Ancestor Demons can turn into all animals known in each demonic sub-race. However, in Karlheinz's case, he possesses all the racial abilities of a natural born pureblood vampire, but at the highest degree. Thus, the highest degree of a single animal shapeshifting ability, is Karlheinz's ability to morph his entire body into whatever appearance he desires at any time.
Part 2
This doesn't mean Karlheinz had shapeshifted into another person with Kino's form prior to Kino's existence. This doesn't mean Karlheinz just decided to come up with a random form, which looks exactly like Kino, prior to Kino's existence either. None of this information has been stated in any of the canon source materials (CDs, games, mangas, OVA, etc.) Nor has this been confirmed by the creator. As such, I don't write anything that isn't canon in my articles. In fact, Kino's exact creation hasn't been fully explained at all. Unfortunately, what information there is, is exactly as ambiguous as the information I wrote in my post. Fortunately, Kino's appearance is pretty explanatory from looking at his "brothers." Like the previous answers above, where Kino gained his looks from can be answered through the rare genetic traits of Karlheinz's ancestor's genepool. Reiji, for example, is proven to have his father's eyes as confirmed by Cordelia. Since Kino is really only made up of Karlheinz's DNA, but doesn't have white hair like Karl, it stands to reason Kino, like Reiji, gained the rare genetic trait of black hair from one of their father's ancestors (think of the Punnett Squares from science).
Since it's confirmed Kino does have Karlheinz's powers, then it means he must have his "father's" ability to change his appearance into whatever he desires at will, too. Finally, since it's confirmed by Kanato and Ayato that their father can literally turn into whatever he desires, then Karlheinz can also turn into people who already exist as well.
*********
I'm so sorry this was so long. I planned on explaining all of this information about Karl and Kino in separate character biography articles, but you seemed interested, so I thought I would just answer you. 😁😅
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Desert na'vi appearance
![Tumblr media](https://64.media.tumblr.com/dd013c4b557f8a8ecf6735c0fd530df7/ca59c2e584f23100-3d/s540x810/efcf73583be8488ad420cebf6709772ca1440c82.jpg)
Like I said earlier I've been working on my clan for a year and a half-ish
Disclaimer: I have a few posts on my insta as a proof that I didn't steal from anyone my concepts
So here is their transformation history 😅:
1.
![Tumblr media](https://64.media.tumblr.com/12a872949a5f6d5ebb02e39991cc742e/ca59c2e584f23100-41/s540x810/5e53270b281ff97a6654eba0a3cc09b82f3860d6.jpg)
I've created Sha'h (my tsahik) right after I've heard about ash na'vi and decided to hype a bit (you can't blame me 🤣)
So that's why their first concept was a bit.. weird?!
The look the you see wasn't real, they imitated like a completely new appearance by applying a clay (black and grey) on their skin - as the sign they were married (only their partner could see them without clay)
Proof:
![Tumblr media](https://64.media.tumblr.com/acbaf03046324ec2ebb88bb122625672/ca59c2e584f23100-fc/s640x960/82c2f402ddd66b8c25f518282fef300a56e91f91.jpg)
2. And their real look didn't changed that much since then
![Tumblr media](https://64.media.tumblr.com/c66f3d09d28ee45f319ad6d41772c246/ca59c2e584f23100-52/s540x810/b4eadc4c193a24624ae7d69d89ae41ce494d083f.jpg)
Proof:
![Tumblr media](https://64.media.tumblr.com/ec989b468e9e95db1c1d09d8eb68ba66/ca59c2e584f23100-af/s1280x1920/5d7ca64233f0af0e36cc731cbeeb59e7ed7d3778.jpg)
(The same post, it's just a carousel of photos)
3. After that doodles I drowned.. like dived in with all my body in this fandom and in creation of my clan
I've opened the biology books from the school time (I'm not kidding, you'll see it in later posts)
![Tumblr media](https://64.media.tumblr.com/358c2fb65abc60e2fc9da00734e949be/ca59c2e584f23100-e2/s640x960/68849714597d8d175ba1b1f0e3adc3e21fdd7def.jpg)
In this time their tails were still small and had a piece of hair on the end of it (they shaved it and placed a piece on metal jewellery there)
Yeah, I heard the rumors about ash na'vi being bad guys - so my "ash" na'vi were against Eywa as well (shaved their kuru, their tails and wore metal - which is a big nono to na'vi)
But the time pass I dived more into biology and less into Mary Sue and came with an idea - give them a CHUNKY TAIL - as a storage for nutrients
![Tumblr media](https://64.media.tumblr.com/790a25172ca604ed5149cb6cae146678/ca59c2e584f23100-64/s640x960/7a4491e9bd3e0c2eddd719a752f5d3b8f722927c.jpg)
And this was the final part, I was satisfied with this results
(And practiced to draw the movie characters as well😅)
![Tumblr media](https://64.media.tumblr.com/c804354f3581ffd23a9d30d5e4d7d972/ca59c2e584f23100-4c/s640x960/01db223d97cfe2a27c516e2dcb300d3f0026bb42.jpg)
(Old concept of completely different character but from the same tribe)
Proof:
![Tumblr media](https://64.media.tumblr.com/f9a3ccb30cb992fb34ecc22aa3b933f4/ca59c2e584f23100-68/s640x960/c2d1771d89f05a16ef2c1c2cd35263e516765bea.jpg)
#avatar 2009#avatar the way of water#avatar edits#avatar#avatar fanart#avatar oc#my art#neytiri sully#neytiri te tskaha mo'at'ite#neytiri#tuktirey te suli neytiri'ite#tuktirey#tuk#kiri te suli kìreysì'ite#kiri avatar#kiri#tsireya#tsireya avatar#tsireya avatar 2#ronal avatar#desert na'vi#tumnan clan#tumnanclan#tumnan#artists on tumblr#alraunedrow
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Naruto Modern AU/Hollywood pt.2 - Kiri & The All-Star Team
There is a silent hierarchy among all countries and the terrible assumption that bigger countries are better than smaller ones. The large presence and funds of various territories, like the country of fire, wind, earth, and lightning, overwhelms and overshadows small nations, especially in sports where each country dominates certain disciplines.
The land of fire (Konoha): badminton, soccer, gymnastics, and martial arts
The land of lightning (Kumo): Tennis, basketball, and athleticism
The land of earth (Iwa): cross country, marathon, weightlifting, and cycling
But in the last decade, the land of water emerged in the sports scene. It was coming out of years of political conflict that left the country in shambles with record levels of poverty, putting them at the bottom of the economic ladder. Not only was it a smaller nation, but a lot of its endeavors and way of life were unknown to the rest of the world because of the long-lasting reign of violence that controlled the country for decades.
Well, Kiri has been perceived as "these islands far away" with the highest crime rate in the world for the longest but Its newly found peace brought interesting things; industrialization, a new economy open to the world, the exportation of its products, but specifically the creation of various social classes. This was not the case before, since it was, the government/military vs the rest of the population in poverty.
This modernized economy brought the country a new middle class and other social statuses. It recently started experiencing the concept of celebrities like the rest of the world and most are athletes.
Being surrounded by large bodies of water, any form of water activity has always been intuitive to them. To the point where many accuse them of having a "genetic advantage". Athletes from Kiri/Country of Water can now join world competitions and are killing the game in the water department and making a serious name for their country. They are undefeatable in all forms of swimming kayaking, boat racing, surfing, diving, synchronized/artistic swimming, water polo, etc. Now most of the competitions for these sports are held there.
Kiri is getting recognized overseas for many things, but recently certain people have attained celebrity status for unconventional reasons building a solid international fan base
Mei Terumi, the female president, for her breathtaking beauty
Haku is the new sensation in figure skating. A discipline Kiri started to dominate recently but the young man’s high level of skills made him reach first place in all competitions. His likeability, pure heart, and pretty looks opened many doors for him, he often features in variety shows and commercials. He is also a good friend of the #1 YouTuber/streamer and boxer Naruto Uzumaki and often appears on his channel
Ever since basketball was invented, Kumogakure dominated the sport, but in the past year, the mysterious national basketball team of Kiri has made a name for themselves.
Overnight, a team of 195 cm tall men came out of nowhere and climbed up the world ranking to second place. The team’s name is the Swordsman of the Mist and the current coach is Gengetsu Hozuki It may not seem like it, but many of the members have interesting inheritances and backgrounds.
Kisame Hoshigaki: leader and tallest. Surprisingly decent from a prestigious clan from Kiri. Kisame is an academic genius, who has a diploma in biology from the most prestigious universities in the country of Water but decided to use the basketball scholarship he received instead.
His son Shizuma Hoshigaki is a part-time social media influencer. He is problematic in his own way, but not enough to be canceled yet. Shizuma is not worried because he is a trust fund kid but wishes to outshine his father as a professional swimmer. The jokes write themselves since he barely practices the sport but is among the greatest and fastest the world has to offer (his shark DNA, I guess). He is dating Raiga’s daughter Buntan, and her father is really salty about it
Zabuza Momochi: nobody knows about his background. He is the most muscular. Him and Kisame get the most brand deals and promotions. Zabuza is also one of Haku’s coaches. He took him under his wing under unknown circumstances. He is the first to recognize the boy’s unique talent and aiding him in his journey as an athlete regardless of their differences. Zabuza always had a sweet spot for Haku and considered him like a son. So, he is often absent to prioritize the figure skater’s training.
Kisame knows Zabuza well, they are lifelong friends. The leader lets him get away with missing practices (even if it drives their coach insane). His best friend is a man of a few words, and above all works extremely hard and exercises double their training schedule in his own free time.
Juuzo Biwa: He is the third star player along with Kisame and Zabuza (The Killer Trio). He has no sense of personal space. Ironically, he is the wealthiest because he owns a successful brand of luxury cars coveted by the new high class. He is genuinely funny, and the variety show's favorite.
Raiga: Loudest laugh. Lost a lot of money due to his jewelry addiction. He smokes a pack with the blood of his enemies. The mother of his child is still getting child support payments, and he is bitter, even if they’re legally separated.
Because of His herratic behaviour and anger issues, he is kinda of a self-made outcast. The other members can cooporate as co-workers and teamates but nothing beyond that (Raiga has is own circle of friends). Since Raiga is so unhinged, no matter their coach's efforts, him and Zabuza do not get along.
Hassaku Onomichi: professional dunker. He befriended a lot of Kumo basketball players. He often gets caught up in beefs with anyone.
The popularity of the basketball team has offered them fans all across the world for their incredible talent, pleasant chemistry, unique sense of humor, and good looks to the point where tabloids from Konoha have launched a misinformation campaign to stain their image and effort to defend their basketball teams after getting constantly crushed by those "foreigners".
The last match of the International Basketball League’s series opposing The Swordmen of the Mist from Kiri against The Lightnings from Kumo was the most anticipated and heated match ever organized. Taking place in Konoha, it made record engagement and attendance. For the first time in history, Kumo lost the finale to first timers. The news traveled all across the world and, certified Kiri’s team's celebrity status since they won.
With their success, many shady investors like Gato started to take interest in basketball as a means of proposing Kiri overseas and for other shady dealings. The weight of all those rumors pushed many fans who knew Gato’s involvement in Haku’s career to beg him to change his manager/owner ASAP.
PART 1 next part
#naruto#naruto imagines#naruto au#naruto modern au#modern au#naruto headcanons#naruto fanart#naruto art#naruto shippuden#kiri#kirigakure#zabuza momochi#kisame hoshigaki#shizuma hoshigaki#gengetsu hozuki#juuzo biwa#juzo biwa#raiga#hassaku onomichi#op#raiga kurosuki#buntan kurosuki#kumo#kumogakure#mei terumi#haku#haku yuki#my stuff#basketball au#my art
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Chapter 0: An Outsider's Guide to Stahlholz and Its People (As Told Through A Poem)
Welcome, salutations, and hello
A lot of you are here for the first time, so
Allow yourselves to take a seat
As I give you a delightful treat
A treat that may, of course, be strange
But not so strange as to be deranged
Just read along and use your brain
You know the drill, imagine, again.
The world of this tale is one of old
Cottages and inns, bars if you're bold
But even still, there's technology abound
There's robots and cyborgs all around!
This is the realm of Stahlholz, you see
One big megacontinent amidst dangerous seas
Filled with people from many fauna
Foxes, raccoons, and even iguanas
All living from day to day
And in various places. Where? You say
And now here's the fun part of our explanation
Stahlholz has, count it, five giant nations
Each with a part of culture as their fixation
Soilpatch, the nation of cultivation
Brushstroke, the nation of imagination
Jewelfield, the nation of exploration
Dreamcatcher, the nation of sensation
Steelwater, the nation of innovation
Soilpatch trades with all of the others
Giving apples to all to bake pies with their mothers
Brushstroke puts on extravagant shows
To amuse and bewilder all who travel in droves
Jewelfield is where all the metal is found
Without them, no cyborgs or robots would be around
Dreamcatcher is where all the fun is had
No one could ever leave that place sad
But Steelwater, oh, that's the star
Because many would travel far
To see what gadgets and gizmos are made
Do you need a fix? Mechanics in spades!
It is the most advanced of the nations
Stunning all with each new creation
Some say it's what made Stahlholz how it is
And it is where our story starts, with a bubble and fizz
One family lived in Steelwater, big and proud
The best mechanics around, they were named the Schraubes
Cunning and witty, as red foxes are
They were brilliant minds, albeit a bit bizarre
But, one member of the clan is our focus, you see
Ezekiel Schraube, the youngest, ready for duty
His story is about to begin...
0 becomes 1...see you then...
#original writing#writing#fiction#poem#oc#oc lore#oc writing#fiction writing#writers on tumblr#writeblr#original story#worldbuilding#furry
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Can you do Headcanons of Outworlder fem s/o who has same ice and snow magic like Elsa (Frozen) with male characters of: Liu Kang, Kuai Liang, Tomas Vbrada, Bi Han, Kenshi, Shang Tsung, Havik, Rain, Syzoth and Reiko please?
[ ~"Let it Go"~ ] - Mortal Kombat 1
Ohhh!! looks like Sub-Zero has competition! let's see what come out of this!
What contains? Ice Powers Reader, Female Reader
How is visualized as? Cople Relation Ship, Family Relation Ship, Friend Relation Ship
Smoke - Tomas
-Scared at first to meet you, will confused you are part of the Ling Kue clan and you are a spy for Bi Han, so at first you will be judged, and earning his trust will be not easy
-Proving you do not work for Bi Han things get more chill, Tomas will apologize for being rude towards you, something you accept it and understand his worries
-He already saw ice powers with Bi Han in the past, but only in training and was taken in battle, so you using it in another way is refreshing and interesting, he also likes you not to do just ice, but also snow
-to be honest, you being with him is a good change, is a change of picture related ice with danger and you showing its not, ice can be also a nice thing and show a lot beauty in it, sadly a beauty Bi Han dint have
Scorpion
-Ditto but he not gonna act that aggressively but he will be cold and on guard with you, so it will be harder to convince him you not working for Bi Han
-Now proving you not working for Bi Han still Scorpion will have his eyes on you, just in case, he worried when you use your ice/snow powers, thinking you are taking your chance to attack, but no, you just doing ice statues
-He sometimes invites you to one of they trainings, possibly wanting to see more of you and your ice abilities, possibly trying to see more where there is nothing there, soon realizes you do not have much experience in battle and badly use your ice powers for battle purpose
-He will train you to defend yourself with your Ice Powers, but he make sure to not make other Bi Han, not make the same mistake twice
Sub-Zero
-Not surprised, you are with the Ice Master inself, so surprised someone like him with the same powers will be not easy, and as you expected he will look at you, seeing if you really have potential
-Even so, he does not waste time, he offers you the deal to join his clan, after all an Ice alie will work just fine and he can take your powers to limits you never imagined, is your decision to accept his offer or not
-He will impress you Ice powers can make ice creatures being alive, and that something he can't do, and that something you have to be proud of surprised the master of Ice, and already has ideas for an ice army
-He will make sure to train you in no time, no waste more of does stupid snowman creations, but rather turn your heart as cold as him and help him with his cruel plans
Kenshi Takahashi
-If knows is becuse of Sento vision, and will be the same alert and ready to attack, it will be hard to convince you not work for Bi Han or something related to him
-He will apologize as soon as proven to show you did not work for Bi Han, he will be feel too awkward about it, because he does not like judge people and more when is innocent, but you understand why he act that way
-He will feel odd you help him with his "eyes" or other kind of injuries to at least make the pain feel less or nun, but something soon gets used to it and he admires you can use your powers for good purposes
-Possibly if your two trust grows, he would ask you to help him to train, for more situations implied ice or cold scenarios, even if you dont have fighting experience, you want to help him as much as you can
Reiko
-You have potential, if you do not give a bad picture, he will soon offer you to join General Shao's army to take down the queen, is your decision if you accept it, but in a no situation he will see you as an enemy or force you anyway
-He dont understand why you use your ice powers for dumb things, like ice skating or ice sculptures, does some sort of things related of creativity or art, he just thinks can be used for battle as more wording thing
-Tho he likes it when you make snow, is relaxing and is like time just stops, like a dream in a deep sleep, he will not admit it or look "weak" at you, but very inside you know he enjoy this
-He will help you to be more stronger and train you so you can defend yourself, at the same time you help him to fight attacks related to ice if anything happen with Bi-Han
Rain
-Good for you, he only has a little experience with Bi-Hand so he will not see you as a enemy as the others, maybe a little but not as big as the others
-Water and Ice, the same element just different structures, surely you two will just play around with both powers, doing an amazing performance, you two is like made of each other
-He will not force you about your powers, but he is very open to helping you to get your potential! who knows what more are you capable of with does powers of yours
-In the end, Rain will be the most acceptable of the rest of the characters, someone who will be connected more fastly from the others, and he is really happy to meet someone like you
Shang Tsung
-Interesting~ He definitely knows you are not part of Bi-Hand, I mean, look at you, you look so kind and delicate, and showing your powers like nothing? if you were someone who worked for Bi-Han you definitely would not show your ice powers so casually
-He of corse will talk to you like a "friend", mostly always the topic is about your Ice powers, a little disappointed to know you never use they potential in battle, but that not matters~
-He will try to convince you to try experiment more with you Ice Powers, to see how much they can do, after all, make snow and ice creatures being alive is not something to see everyday, so he try to manipulate you to fall in his plan
-Fool of you if you hear him, you will regret your decision to the rest of your life
Syzoth
-Attack first, ask later, he will capture you before even knows what attacked you, very confusing situation when he takes you to face "justice" so was had a conversation about you have nothing to do to Bi-Han or WHO is Bi-Han
-Good thing dint arrive to face "justice" when finally you give your explanation, he ask you a lot of things to see if you lying, most of them you was confused because you dint know most of them or what he talking about
-He apologies for such a thing and let you free, you accept his apologies and at least nothing bad happened apart of that, he will visit you just to try to start over again in a good way
-He will always get tense each time you use your Ice Powers, dont worry about it, he just same as the rest kinda affected with all the Bi-Han stuff and well he cant tolerate cold temperatures, but he will be less and less tense each time pass with you
Havik
-Looking at you, analyzing you, he has suspects about you because you dont look a good-trained ninja, either way, will ask why someone from Bi-Han is here, soon he question was answered seeing you have no idea what he referring tho
-He mostly warns you about the world and does not try anything funny, you are just confused by his cold behavior, but I guess he just have his guard on, after all, even you dont know how to fight you still have powers
-It is just a matter of time he becomes closer to you and calmer around you, he enjoys your performance with your powers, after all he always saw powers used for battle, so seeing use it for entertainment and art was a very change of picture
-He insists you dont need to take care of him, but always you convince him to take care of his injuries with you powers, he can't feel pain unless different circumstances, but he appreciates your kindness
Liu Kang
-He has his suspicions first, but seeing how you behave and how you use your powers he knows you are not part of Bi-Han, he just freaks you out by accident due dint knows he was there watching you doing your performance
-He really enjoys the way you use your Ice powers in such a wonderful way, and he is delighted to see more, you blush due to his nice words and attention, something you not get used to it
-He enjoy how creative you are using your Ice powers in as different ways as possible, you could say the sky was the limit but for you was not, he enjoyed seeing the ice animals being alive and moving around!
-You two sometimes do a performance with both of yall powers, fire and Ice, just as interesting a combination as you could imagine! synchronized to make such an amazing show, he always enjoy pass time with you as you enjoy pass time with him
#laugh at the tittle#I dint watch Elsa 2 so posebly there a lot missing here i apologuies for that#havik#liu kang#mortal kombat 1#reader#reiko#shang tsung#syzoth#you#kenshi takahashi#sub zero#smoke#reptile#Bi Han#Kuai Liang#Scorpion#tomas vrbada#Rain#Reader with Ice Powers#Kenshi#Mortal Kombat Masterlist#You with Ice Powers#Frozen
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Adahla Lavellan Stream Archive
Mostly for my own reference. The two playlist links at the top should update automatically; summaries will likely be updated in bursts rather than after every stream.
Master Playlist Desktop Link (hover over DAI top left to change videos)
Master Playlist Mobile Link (scroll down to DAI)
Part 1: Features character creation, the prologue, arriving in Haven, meeting the advisors and Haven NPCs (first flirt with Solas 3:05), exploring the Haven map, reaching the Hinterlands, exploring the southeastern portion of the Hinterlands, getting very stuck on a Fade rift, reaching and clearing the fortress in the west, exploring the central/western portion of the Hinterlands, getting very frustrated with a misplaced map marker for a refugee cache (6:58), returning to have more conversations with advisors and companions (7:15), first war table missions, talking with Varric about Hawke, talking to Solas about the Fade and about himself, talking to Cassandra.
Part 2: Features a renamed PC, more exploration of central/north Hinterlands, first glimpse of the dragon in the northeast, collecting shards, especially one after ten years (0:53), exploring the northern Hinterlands and hitting a leveled rift, making a round of the companions at Haven (Solas at 2:32), exploring and then immediately leaving the Fallow Mire (2:50), exploring and then immediately leaving the Storm Coast, arriving in Val Royeaux for plot (3:10), meeting Sera and Vivienne (3:52), another tour of companions at Haven, war table missions, speaking with Solas about himself (4:57 - 2nd flirt).
Part 3: Features collecting Bull, exploring the Storm Coast, returning to the Hinterlands southwest area (2:30), picking up Blackwall, more clearing of southwestern Hinterlands rifts.
Part 4: Features talking with Blackwall in camp, talking to Krem and Bull, finishing off the southwestern Hinterlands. Immediately continued in Part 5.
Part 5: Features returning to the leveled northern Hinterlands, a lengthy discussion of the portrayal of religion in western RPGs (0:28-1:15), exploring the Deep Roads thaig in the Hinterlands (1:02), discussing change in characters (1:15-1:30), looping convos with companions at Haven, reaching Redcliffe for the first time (2:26), struggling with Lord Woolsley (2:34), In Hushed Whispers, companions at Haven (Solas at 5:29) & discussion of Adahla's changing opinions of Solas, the Fallow Mire, a failed attempt at the Hinterlands dragon, In Your Heart Shall Burn, arriving at Skyhold, my hot DA takes (8:55), beginning and then immediately abandoning a talk with Solas.
Part 6: Features exploring Skyhold, war table missions regarding Lavellan clan, meeting Hawke (1:30), more war table missions, exploring the Emerald Graves, exploring expanded Skyhold (3:30), picking up some companion quests.
Part 7: Features selecting beige clothing replacement, sitting in judgement in Skyhold for the first time, war table missions, another take at the Hinterlands dragon, exploring the northern Emerald Graves, struggling with the haunted villa, doing the first astrarium without Solas (1:50), continuing to explore the Emerald Graves, returning to Skyhold (3:58), war table missions, sitting in judgement of Alexius, Cassandra reading schlock (4:25), Sera's personal quest, the first Quizquisition question, introducing the specializations, the first Fade conversation (and first kiss) with Solas (5:34), some minor upgrades to Skyhold, returning to the Emerald Graves (6:07), arriving at and exploring the Forbidden Oasis (6:11).
Part 8: Features defeating the Emerald Graves dragon, war table missions, arriving at the Emprise du Lion (0:48), discussion of hobbies (1:24), returning to Skyhold for companion conversations & war table missions (2:51), drinking with Bull (2:57), picking up Solas's personal quest (3:13), crafting, war table missions, back to the Emprise (3:51), fighting Imshael (3:06), fighting two dragons (4:35-5:10), Dorian's personal quest.
Part 9: Features wrapping up Dorian's personal quest, elven serving man (0:40), Solas's Halamshiral conversation (0:55), then a long, torturous, and eventually fruitless attempt at the Winter Palace, including a discussion of level design at 3:16 and the most tragic realization at 3:50; then backing up to the Exalted Plains at 3:52, Solas's personal quest at 4:08, a loop of conversations at Skyhold, exploring the Exalted Plains, returning the golden halla, and one attempt at the Solas romance lock-in conversation at 5:27.
Part 10: Features exploring the Exalted Plains, the official Solas romance lock-in convo (1:04), the Temple of Dirthamen, fighting the Exalted Plains dragon (3:26), discussing the length of the games (3:53), returning to the Emerald Graves for some wrap-up quests (4:04), conversations at Skyhold including meeting the Chargers (4:10), playing chess with Cullen, committing to the rift mage specialty, war table missions.
Part 11: Features the actual final end of Wicked Hearts, the Solas Halamshiral dance flirt (0:04), the Solas dance (0:38), replaying to temporarily judge the box that is Florianne (0:51), war table missions, returning to the Storm Coast for small missions for Blackwall and Varric, struggling again with shards in the Forbidden Oasis, war table missions (including the next Lavellan clan stage), landing at the Western Approach.
Part 12: Features exploring the Western Approach, Adahla realizing she's interested in becoming a scholar (0:23), discussion of DAI romances (1:00), horse adventures (1:09), taking Caer Branach (1:14), discussion of college academics (2:00-2:22), the Still Ruins (2:03), Skyhold companion convos including ruminations on the Divine (2:32), meeting Kieran (3:19), upgrading to the mage tower, war table quests, agonizing over the number of war table quests (3:51), returning to the Approach & fighting the dragon (4:07), exploring Coracavus, solving the Fenrir astrarium (5:06), backing up about an hour to fix a broken quest, returning to Skyhold after completing the Western Approach and sitting in judgement (6:08), war table missions, turning in some shards, the Cradle of Sulevin (6:28), Bull's personal quest (7:00), Vivienne's personal quest (7:19), Da'nan Hinan (7:24), more war table missions, exploring the Hissing Wastes (8:26), getting physically sick at an ocularum (8:28), a discussion of Hot Fade Ladies In Your Area (9:03-9:08), horse movement (10:01), a discussion of open world travel mechanics (10:02-10:08), discovering the dog merchant (10:19), discussion of Dorian having a bad time (10:43, 10:52, 10:56), fighting the dragon outside of hunting season (10:59), leaving for Val Royeaux for Josephine's quest (11:28).
Part 13: Features discussion of collections, review of videos finishing the Western Approach missing areas, receiving the prize from the […] woman in the Hissing Wastes, war table missions for mounts, turning in the last shards (0:35), more war table missions, wrapping up Vivienne's personal quest (0:53), rescuing Sutherland (1:07), wrapping up Josie's quest (1:12-1:22), fighting the Highland Ravager & discussing how characters react to tragedy (1:26), finding Maddox (1:53), talking with companions at Skyhold (2:04), arriving at Crestwood (2:08), Dorian having a bad time (2:50), the conclusion of the chess game (3:02), taking Caer Bronach (3:03), restoring the dam (3:48), fighting the Crestwood dragon (3:52).
Part 14: Features the Quizquisition (part 2!), companion conversations at Skyhold including a discussion of Adahla's gardening & childhood (0:28), picking up the nug mounts, returning to Crestwood (0:45), meeting Hawke & Stroud (0:55), discussion of game design (1:10-1:22), Plants vs. Zombies codex (1:12), more discussion of the Divine (1:30), exploring Old Crestwood (1:36), discussion of persuasion options in games (1:40), backing up about an hour for a broken quest, discussion of Merrill's nationality and Nevarra (2:06), discussion of MMOs (2:21), stopping the rain (2:36), meeting Hawke & Stroud in the Western Approach (2:42), starting Here Lies the Abyss (3:00), Dorian having a bad time (4:07), Nightmare challenging Hawke (3:15), gravestones (4:49), Virmire-lite (5:04), discussing why (5:07), deciding the fate of the Wardens (5:19), briefly replaying to check the other Warden option, a round of companion conversations, Morrigan taking Adahla through the eluvian (5:42), extremely frustrating conversations with Giselle (5:49), meeting Bianca (6:06), discussing the Divine with Leliana (6:22), Bull, Cassandra, Sera, Cole/Solas, Cullen, Blackwall, sitting in judgement, talking with Blackwall again in a very depressing bar scene (6:46), falling down in jail (6:54), saving Lavellan at last (6:58), war table missions, collecting the last mosaic pieces, Dorian continuing to have a bad time (7:18), review of completed collections, picking up Blackwall's personal quest (7:25), the third and final Quizquisition (7:27), the Boon of the Spoon (7:29), official stream end (7:39), recap for Silk.
Part 15: Features the personal quests of Varric & Blackwall, the WIcked Grace game (1:07), meeting Vivienne's friends, picking up Cassandra's personal quest (1:23), war table missions, wrapping up with Blackwall, pranking with Sera (1:45), discussing Adamant with Cole, Cole's personal quest (1:54), Cassandra's personal quest (2:12), Solas and Adahla's very specific form of flirting (2:26-2:32, esp. the last three minutes), picking up Leliana's personal quest, a letter from the HoF (2:44), Leliana's personal quest, a round of companions (2:58), and arriving in the Frostback Basin (3:13).
Part 16: Features an introduction to the Frostback Basin, exploring the southern and western portions of the map, astrariums (0:31), closing rifts, Dorian/Bull banter (0:41), meeting the conspiracy theorist and other Avvar tribesmen (1:30), a tough fight against despair demons on the southern island (2:20), Tilana's death (2:28), another astrarium (2:50), exploring the Tevinter ruins & solving puzzles (3:06), exploring the tomb (3:23).
Part 17: Part 1 of a night of bad internet. Features following Ameridan's trail, exploring the northern edge of the basin, freeing Storvackr (0:54), discussion of Adahla's possible future (1:10), the last astrarium of the game (1:28), first reaching of the Old Temple (1:35), Solas being a DPS Mercy (1:45), a lengthy discussion of political organizations in Thedas, reading some very bad poetry (2:09), reaching the astrarium cave.
Part 18: Part 2 of a night of bad internet. Features a bit of exploration and a continued discussion of Solas.
Part 19: Part 3 of a night of bad internet. Features a jump to hotspot internet, completion of Sigurd's quest (0:05), turn-in of many quests to the Avvar hold, discussion of god-runes with the augur (0:17), Varric meets a fan (0:25), picking up Finn's quest for his father (0:34), the Avvar trials (0:37), disappointment at the lack of verse trials (0:45), discovering that falling won't kill me has changed gameplay + wasp/leech discussion (1:04).
Part 20: Part 4 of a night of bad internet. Features banter, completion of the Nox Mortua quest, returning to the Avvar hold to turn in several quests (0:19), beginning the DLC conclusion (0:33), entering the Old Temple (0:45), reaching the heart and final fight of the Old Temple (1:02), beginning the conversation with Ameridan (1:09), unpacking what just happened (1:16), me losing my mind at the parallels (1:28), and again (1:41), beginning the dragon fight (1:48), thinking about the relationship between Ameridan and Hakkon, finishing the battle (1:58), marveling at the events of this DLC, discussing the outcome with the Avvar, judging Storvackr (2:09), wrapping up with Kenric, a loop of companions including Cole's post-quest wrap-up, war table missions.
Part 21: Features What Pride Has Wrought with Dread Corgi part one (1:25) and Dread Corgi part two (1:31), culminating in Adahla drinking from the Well of Sorrows (1:35), a loop of companion conversations including cutscenes with Cullen and Cole, then the final romance cutscene with Solas (2:19). Unfortunately, internet drop at the end.
Part 22: Features multiple replays of the Solas cutscene, the judgement of Samson (0:33), following Morrigan into the Fade and meeting Flemeth (0:39), the Altar of Mythal, wandering around for a little banter in the Emerald Graves, replaying the Solas scene for additional dialogue options (1:26).
Part 23: Features a little Cole banter about the Solas breakup, thoughts about Adahla's relationship with the others going into endgame (0:05), a final round of conversations with all companions, Silk FREAKING ME OUT about someone getting arrested (0:14), beginning endgame (0:24), the defeat and explosion (0:37), discussing the outcome with companions (0:41), making myself laugh really hard about Solas (0:44), balcony and epilogue (1:03), thoughts about the game, Solas and Mythal (1:17), quick discussion with Cole, more thoughts on Solas & the breakup as well as the narrative going into VG, accidentally banning stealthflower for 10 minutes (1:33), me laughing the hardest I ever have on stream (1:44-2:02), entering the Deep Roads fissure (1:57), establishing the first camp (2:17), Towers of Hanoi!!!! (2:40), discussing viscerally disturbing video games (2:49), Adahla coping badly with Solas leaving (2:51), exploring the second level, breaking the darkspawn siege (3:41), setting up the second camp (4:07).
Part 24: Features continuing down the Deep Roads, exploring the expanded bridges & getting Spooked (0:35), Renn's death (0:41), discovering the road to His Majesty (1:20), fighting around a lake of blood (1:41), game crash, collecting the last gears, entering the final area (2:32), final boss battle (2:44), aftermath (2:46), final Expedition Table missions (3:00), back to Skyhold, one final round of Skyhold companions and discussions of their friendships, discussion of choice of Divine (3:16), one final war table surprise from Dagna, final base game & romance thoughts, starting Trespasser (3:53), briefly jumping back to talk to Morrigan, Josie & Varric's reunions.
Part 25: Features speaking to all companions about their last two years (including the most hilarious spa day ever at 0:54), reading several Hard in Hightown chapters, struggling for fifteen minutes on a jump puzzle, beginning negotiations with Ferelden and Orlais (1:25), going through the eluvian (1:31), exploring the Crossroads, me losing my mind at an incredibly dumb codex joke (1:39), defeating the blue fire my own way (1:47), discovering elvish history and thinking about Tevinter parallels (1:57, 2:04-2:20), discussions of throwing Varric (2:20), me forgetting what fruits palm trees make (2:26), examining a mural & Adahla realizing who Solas is (2:29), me making a puzzle much harder than it has to be, first Dread Wolf codex entry (2:33), discovering the back treasury entrance, me laughing at Solas again (2:36), more elvish history, returning to Halamshiral (2:47), talking with friends again, back into the Crossroads (3:15), a lovely codex entry (3:17), into the Deep Roads (3:27), second Dread Wolf codex entry (3:40).
Part 26: Features concluding the Deep Roads, returning to Halamshiral & remanding the Inquisition guard (0:18), discussions with companions, very dumb easter eggs (0:45), multiple books about the Evanuris, Sandal's diary (0:53), discussing the library's fall with the spirit (0:56), getting clues about who she's chasing (0:59), more spirit convos (1:07), third DW codex entry along with another key mural & discussion of Adahla's feelings on now knowing who Solas is (1:09 through 1:22), Hard in Hightown chapter ??? (1:28), meeting the Viddasala (1:44), returning to Halamshiral (1:55), fireworks (2:18), alimony (2:27), me being holy jumpscared by a puzzle (2:46) and then moved by the prize, beginning the final approach (3:13), the last DW codex and the last mural & Adahla's thoughts, the last last astrarium (3:20), Adahla coming to terms with who she's chasing, Adahla thinking about death (3:27), Adahla writing her will via yelling it at Dorian (3:39), freeing the dragon & meeting Viddasala again & discussing Solas (3:46), entering the final map section (3:50), the final battle (4:10), stepping through the last mirror (4:18), returning to Halamshiral (4:31), epilogue slides (4:41), initial discussion (4:56-5:17), back through the mirror, discussion of Solas's motives, third trip through the mirror and discussion of new hobbies for Solas (5:37), discussion of Adahla's feelings (5:53), watching the low approval version of the scene (5:58), discussion of how unbelievably dumb Solas can be, one last replay (6:07), discussion of ramifications of tearing down the Veil (6:26-6:36), reflections on Adahla's narrative, reflections on gameplay (6:45), final reflections on Solas & the romance (6:57), brief discussions of Veilguard, wrap-up, and thanks.
#quark's streaming tag#quark plays dai#adahla lavellan#quark's streaming archive#solas#solavellan#dragon age inquisition
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Because I am addicted now, I'm thinking of an roleswap AU featuring Amy taking Sonic's place in the plot, with a focus on Sonic Adventure 1. Major details being:
Eggman and Professor Gerald swap places. Gerald sees himself as the good guy who wants to create a safe and just world...The only problem is, most people don't like that his idea of "safe and just" involves setting himself up as ruler of everything. Using the badnik designs his grandfather Ivo created, he plans to make a world worthy of his beloved and sick niece, Maria.
Amy is the hero with a tendency to get in the way of the Professor's plans. With her hammer in hand and a strong sense of justice, Amy Adventure 1 (proper name pending) is only the latest of her adventures, after having stopped Gerald's Death Egg (better name pending), saving Angel Island, and protecting Little Planet. Now in Station Square, she's about to get roped into something new...
Cream is Amy's "sidekick", who helped her destroy the Death Egg (much to the complaints of her mother Vanilla). Cream doesn't seek out adventure like Amy does, but her desire to protect people often means she gets involved. While her role as Amy's closest friend is similar to Tails' from the Main Universe, her part in Amy Adventure is actually closer to Main!Amy's, as she meets a chao (who she names Cheese) fleeing with a special pendant from a dangerous badnik. Soon, she has to protect this little chao when nobody else will.
Rouge the Bat is the guardian of Angel Island, the last of the bat clan that has protected the Master Emerald for so long. Unlike the Main Universe Knuckles, who takes to his role rather well, Rouge is...frustrated with her job. She's dedicated to protecting her home and the Emerald (the latter of which she adores), she would never abandon her post, but ever since meeting Amy Rose and getting to see a small piece of the outside world, she wants more. When Chaos is unleashed by Professor Gerald and the Master Emerald is shattered across the region, she sees this as her chance to explore and get a taste of what the world is like. And if she can steal a few precious gems or neat toys? All the better.
Sonic's role is, oddly enough, closer to Tails' from Sonic Adventure 1. He works closely with Amy to stop Gerald and gather the Chaos Emeralds. He has a confusing relationship with Amy; she saved him when he was captured by Metal Amy back on Little Planet, and the two have a fairly close friendship because of that. That said, Amy's crush on him makes him uncomfortable, and it makes them have trouble working together sometimes. It's an issue they're working to get over. (Additionally, Amy and Sonic are both the same age for this AU.)
Tails takes the role of Big, with a little inspiration from Nine from Sonic Prime. Tails never met Sonic growing up, so he's more reclusive and less certain that he can trust others. From his workshop in the Mystic Ruins, he's created a robotic fox companion--the Prower Prowler, meant to be a pet as well as a bodyguard. But when the Prowler absorbs energy from Chaos and steals Tails' Chaos Emerald, the young loner is forced to find it--and maybe learn to trust others in the process.
Emerl is Professor Gerald's finest creation--a powerful robot capable of helping him gather the Chaos Emeralds to empower Chaos. A one-of-a-kind robot of a different kind than badniks, Emerl is very simple in thought, but will grow as time goes on. As Gerald's chief enforcer, Emerl must decide what he wants to be as he starts to learn and change, and whether or not Gerald has his best interests at heart.
I'm actually working on writing this AU as a fic, though it still has issues. Sonic feels like he needs a more concrete role and focus, for example, but generally I think this can be a really fun AU. Now to just finish the first chapter.
#sth#sonic the hedgehog#amy rose#emerl#cream the rabbit#rouge the bat#miles “tails” prower#AU#alternate universe#fic idea#courtly musings#amyswap au
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Anakin Skywalker & Darth Vader politics
One of the first things that got my attention when I started seeing star wars for the first time, was the way the story flowed so easily between action, politics and warfare and just like every other story of its kind, no hero or group of heros get to shine if their villain isnt something of a challenge for them, physical, moral or political and this is where Vader proves to be such a good antagonist.
Vader is someone who isn´t just strong in the force, he´s physicaly strong, he´s terrifiyng, he´s someone who in a New Hope is a highter up of the Empire and in ESB and ROTJ he´s clearly the second in comand of the Empire, Rogue One shows other Grand Moffs, with the exception of Tarkin, wanting to get his approval to get close to the Emperor and in that way obtain greater political power.
We get a glimpse of Vader´s politics in a New Hope, along with his martial role in the Empire as part of the Order of the Sith/former Jedi and his role as enforcer of the Empire, being one of the few highter ups if not the only one, to engage in open warfare with the rebel alliance.
But it´s on ESB when we get to hear his appeal to Luke towards his main motives, we get a sort of "motives of the wolf" Vader´s pov is to rule the galaxy with his Son to put "Order in the Galaxy" and "Stop the destructive conflict between the rebel alliance and the Empire" this is an actually compelling argument, because since a New Hope we could see Vader didn´t cosider the DS necccesary for the Empire, he defended it because it was part of his role within the Empire and didn´t have the power to overrule the Emperor or Takin on it´s use and creation but it isn´t something Vader himself approves personally and actually looks at it as source for greater trouble within the Empire. He after all called it " A Tecnological terror" this coming from Vader who is himself a cyborg used for bloodshed is a very definitive description. Vader hates the Death Star because he thinks it´s a real abomination, to the galaxy in general and to the force in particular.
So we get a character who´s definitely a villain but whose pov comes from a place of wanting to bring stability to the galaxy, this isn´t a character only interested in power for power sake like Tarkin or The Emperor or who wants more personal power for himself for it´s own sake, he suggests to Luke to take on the Emperor once it became clear the Emperor would not allow Luke to live if he didn´t fell to the darkside and this compliments quite nicely the story when it´s revealed Vader used to be a "good guy" the father of Luke and Leia, a Jedi who believed in peace and justice for the galaxy but whose vision was twisted by the darkside and the Emperor, we know how this story ends, with Vader chosing Luke, his family and justice once again at the cost of his own life and the defeat of the Empire an institution in which Vader/Anakin actually believed so it can´t be said Vader didn´t sacrifice everything he had to save the life of his Son and give the galaxy a chance without the Empire ruling it.
The prequel trilogy presents a very interesting reason to the source of Vader´s political ideology, his history was already interesting if he was just a character interested in politics, who became dissapointed in the Jedi Order, Like Count Dooku but what we find the the PT is even more visceral than that, say what you want about Anakin´s political ideology but as a former slave in a lawless world, ignored by a corrupt republic whose check and balances where only there to keep the status quo in which the interest of the banking clan and the corporations were more important than everybody else and not address the different challenges of the wider galaxy, I could see a young Jedi like Anakin thinking
1.- The System doesn´t work
2.- This system is actively hurting for the people of the republic and for my people in particular.
3.- The republic doesn´t care for the slavery being run on it´s very own underworld, it´s happy to ignore it.
4.- The Jedi Order are the guardians or peace and justice but they are not interested in changing the status quo, they are there to keep it.
Those ideas didn´t came just from Obi-Wan´s discourse over his dislike of politicians or Palpatine´s grooming tactics, those ideas come from the person, the kid who once dreamed to "free all of the slaves" and who grew quickly dissapointed when he learned of the reality far away from his homeworld, just like Padme grew dissapointed in the Republic ignoring the plight of her world but unlike her, Anakin had even less tools to bring to the political debate. As a Jedi he could talk and discuss his beliefs with Padme or Palpatine or even Bail Ordana but he knew neither had any oblitation to give much thought about his ideas, especially when they thought it came from a naive boy unfamiliar with politics, he may have been so but he was certainly familiar with the failures of the republic and it´s consequences.
I can easily see a character like this developing the idea the galaxy needed a stronger force to help put order in the galaxy and while he´s made fun of for thinking this way, I don´t think his idea was Palpatine´s Empire or the "Benevolent Dictatorship" like Vader believed in, Anakin´s idea about someone making people agree most probably came from the way he saw the Jedi Order Operate, with Yoda at it´s head, obviously in the Council they all took votes but Yoda´s influence there when there wasn´t an agreetment was clear and I could see this as Anakin´s vision for the republic, which even has some reflections in the real world, on institutions whose main function is to help open debate when the congress is blocked given it´s disagrements.
Anakin´s tragedy, when it comes to his original political beliefs, comes from the fact that he felt the need to forget his own ideals of freeing slaves, to fit himself into the chosen one the Jedi said they needed, even if they weren´t sure about that prophecy and sometimes put it in doubt and Anakin himself often thought it was just a myth, he broke himself up into different pieces to try to appeal to the people important to him or had expectations on him, he tried to be the Jedi the Order needed in times of war, the teacher Ahsoka needed, he tried to be the friend Palpatine expected, believing he genuinely cared for him, he tried to be a representative of the republic by caring for the well being of people around the galaxy and he did all of this no matter the damage to his mind. He tried to be the husband Padme needed him to become once she became pregnant and their marriage was no longer something that could be hidden so he decided to abandon his Jedi identity to be true to his responsibilities as Padme´s husband and father of their children or at least that was his idea before he had the dream of Padme dying.
So when he has his final breakdown, falls to the darkside and his very vision is twisted by the darkside, Padme no longer recognizes her husband because he effectively isn´t thinking like her husband did, Anakin agreed the Republic needed reform and order but not at the cost of an iron fist like Vader believed. So when he told her he wanted to name her Empress and do everything they always wanted to do, she knew those were not the words of her beloved husband but of a broken man led to madness by all the forces around him and by Palpatine in particular, she saw the signs but didn´t expect it to end like this. I believe this is the reason why Padme and not Obi-Wan understood better what happened to Anakin and hence why she insisted he could be brought back, he just was closer to him, knew him in his home on Tatootine and his closenes with Palpatine.
Padme was right, because while Vader´s mind was certainly twisted by madness and the supernatural influence of the darkside and Palpatine´s grooming, his vision of a galaxy in order came from Anakin´s original innocent/idealistic idea of justice and freedom, of a galaxy that could be more fair than it was before. Vader never truly turned to the darkside despite Palpatine´s best efforts, because there was a part of the person Anakin was that stubornly refused to die and his past and identity were a big part of that. This identity is what Luke calls to life on ROTJ, the identity of the person who believed in compassion as unlimited love, who believed in helping each other to lead to a more fair galaxy.
I enjoy a lot all of Anakin´s and Vader´s relationships, I believe all of them have their charm and bring something to the characters involved but I believe his identity or the importance of his political beliefs in both his fall from grace and his redemption are sorely ignored or worse reduced to a meme or a joke and is such a shame because I don´t think Anakin/Vader´s character and story can be fully understood without bringing this part of the him to the discussion.
#anakin skywalker#darth vader#padme amidala#obi-wan kenobi#palpatine#yoda#luke skywalker#star wars#prequel trilogy#original trilogy#politics#long post
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