#complex characters in fantasy

[joncronshawauthor]

Why Fools Matter: The Hidden Depths of Fantasy Jesters

In fantasy literature, few characters are as intriguing and multifaceted as the fool. Far from being mere comic relief, these jesters often possess a depth and complexity that belies their seemingly frivolous roles. Today, we’ll dive into the fascinating world of fantasy fools. We will explore how these characters serve as more than just purveyors of jokes and riddles. The Fool’s Wisdom:…

[heymeowmao]

永夜星河 | Love Game in Eastern Fantasy E3 ° She's clearly messing with me.

[undercoverangell]

the best way to put how i feel

[remarcely]

Something was itching me about Kipperlilly as a character for a while that I couldn't place down but I just got it.

There is so much of a connection between her storyline and the radicalization a white suburban kid can have to something like white supremacy that it's not even that deep, it's surface level.

Think about it:

She has a strong hatred for a minority kid in her school because he's got great grades and is viewed as a hero

She's envious of the hardships he's gone through and starts hating her family for being so 'normal' (a lot of white people can feel angry about their identity and what they think is a lack of a culture because they 'don't feel oppressed enough' to justify their own feelings of unfairness)

She takes all that anger and infects the people around her, hurting them and 'radicalizing' a few others

Is so insistent that this random kid had an unfair start because of his family situation that she wants to permanently change the bylaws in her school so he's put at a crazy disadvantage, just so she feels like she has an upper hand (think of racist people being mad that there's more POC going to college and crying that they're only getting in because they're a minority, ignoring the real work those students put it despite the disadvantages they might have faced)

She doesn't do any self introspection, doesn't decide to put more effort into her grades or personal relations, she takes that hatred and lets it poison her from the inside out. She rants about fairness when she doesn't put the work in and chooses to despise the people that do, just because they're not as miserable as her.

Her guidance counselor doesn't know how to combat that anger because he doesn't agree with her politics, a creepy adult in her life recognizes her hate and takes advantage of it to stir up the flames, we don't even see her parents but it's safe to say they're not exactly involved or watching her.

I don't know, I'm just annoyed because I keep seeing people say 'if you hate Kipperlilly that's just misogyny' as if she is not a genuinely hate-able character.

You can hate a woman for being evil, you're allowed.

And on the whole 'redemption' thing, sure that's entirely possible but let's face it. You cannot force someone to change, that's not how redeeming yourself works, you have to want it. Kipperlilly has no desire to change because she believes she is right. What use is it to her to abandon a worldview that suits desires her so well?

There was no way that could have been covered in an epilogue well enough to justify it and do you really think all the people that had their lives ruined and were literally murdered (Lucy, Oisin, Ivy, Ruben, Mary Ann, Buddy, etc.) would be bending over backwards to check on their killer?

[bite-the-bloody-hand]

Knight Commander Zell

--Detail shots and Ephemera under the cut!--

It's taken two weeks, but he's D O N E!!!!

This was a huge challenge, and I'm so happy with it. I've wanted to do a custom portrait for a while, but my skills weren't quite caught up to my ambition. UNTIL NOW.

My goal was to reflect his multicultural heritage and well-traveled life while still keeping it close enough to the aesthetic of the in-game portraits. He was born and mostly raised in Hongli (sorta-kinda Mongolia) until moving to Ustalav (I like to make it sorta-kinda Czechia). In the background there's an Ovoo - a border marker normally found throughout Mongolia, Tibet, and surrounding areas. The mountains themselves are a little bit Altai, a little bit Orlicke.

His jewelry consists of hammered silver, turquoise, coral, carnelian, jade, and a little bit of amber, from a friend. The jewelry designs and embroidery I designed to try and pull from both backgrounds - thankfully both Czech and Mongolian artisans love tiny beads and horse-shaped things. The pouch is where he keeps his spindle; he keeps the spinning fleece tucked into his outer robe :3 He spins from the fold, btw, for those in the know:

Speaking of fleece, I love how the fleece on his robe came out:

Look at that. COZY.

As for Zell himself, decided one of his Dhampir tells would be ridges on the inside of his ears, like a fruit bat:

It pleases me greatly.

I decided to go with a wry expression because, well, I know what I'm about. I know that in my head, Sosiel is painting this portrait of his friend while Daeran is standing over his shoulder, making loud and goofy commentary about his future husband, who is down bad but trying so hard to keep a straight face for this portrait.

Anyway, it's time I take a little break before going in and adding the endgame, full Azata details (because of COURSE I'm doing a full Azata version.) and then I can rest up before... Perhaps... offering portraits of this type for commission.

[dyhardvalentine]

i really hope they dont kill kipperlily with no chance at redemption…. :(( shes not a good person but shes also a KID. she deserves a chance at redemption as much as aelwyn and ragh did.

the thing is i dont think she fully understands what is to live/grow up struggling vs being “more interesting” in her ideals. shes like 16-17. all she knows is anger. i dont want her story to end violently. i want her to have a change. i want all the rat grinders to have a chance bc as much as theyve probably done theyre kids. theyve been filled with an anger thats twisted their perceptions and clouded their mind. they dont deserve to die now

[jamie101]

Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy portrays vampires really well for several reasons, but one of my favourites is that being an immortal creature of the night doesn't actually help with most day to day problems (and probably adds several more). Yeah, turn into a truck-sized bat monster all you like; rent is still due first of each month.

[ribbittrobbit]

i am completely normal about the abernant sisters and their reconciliation

[urfavcrime]

dsmp is still SO insane to me. still not completely convinced it wasn't a social experiment. it is something that can never be replicated again due to the really specific circumstances that attributed to it's creation and popularity

[fromtheseventhhell]

Very funny to me how Stansas present her character as being so interesting and complex because of her vulnerabilities, while simultaneously ignoring those same vulnerabilities in other characters. Dany is sold as a bridal slave and lacks agency throughout AGOT and after. Her dragons are either too young/small to utilize effectively or locked away for the majority of the story. They aren't some all-powerful trump card that protects her from harm. Arya is captured as a prisoner of war, forced to watch countless people tortured and murdered, and then essentially enslaved in Harrenhal with no way to fight back. She has an entire arc of feeling powerless, of being a "mouse", during ACOK. She doesn't have "kung-fu" or the ability to magically fight her way out of every situation, she's a young child lacking physical strength with only the most basic sword training.

Sansa isn't the only female character, she isn't the only young character, she isn't the only character who suffered, and no one is obligated to prioritize her. I'm so tired of Dany and Arya being mischaracterized and having their stories erased to prop Sansa up. "Sansa has kept her dignity" In other words, let's praise her for having a level of security that Dany and Arya don't have access to. She hasn't ever been forced to make a hard decision which of course means that she's morally superior to them. They can't even admit to themselves that her lack of action is due to her own passivity. If it doesn't fit their delusion, they erase it from the story and expect the rest of us to play along. Ask one of them what they like about her character without bringing up her being the ultimate victim, and I genuinely don't believe they'd be able to give you an answer. They belittle other characters more than they talk about her and these takes just scream insecurity/jealousy at the content and development other characters have in their POVs.

[aarontveitisonfire]

Aaron Tveit is dying to work on a big Epic World building fantasy project. (16:30 interview)

Interviewer: You're great in the show [Earth Abides]. Hopefully you get a Game of Thrones style role coming your way in the future cuz I'd love to see you do it. Aaron: Thank you! Red Rising. That's the one I want to see. [laugh]

Also on portraying Charlie in new TV series Earth Abides (11:00 interview)

Aaron: I was very excited to do it. I've jokingly said to people but I'm actually serious like if could just play like Gary Oldman as bad guys my whole life, I would be so happy.

Watch full interview here. [I think this is the best interview for Earth Abides press so far.]

[joncronshawauthor]

The Evolution of the Assassin Archetype in Fantasy Literature

In the shadowy recesses of fantasy literature, where danger and intrigue brew as richly as a witch’s potion, the assassin archetype has undergone a remarkable evolution. From mere background dagger-wielders to complex main characters with their own moral compasses (however askew they might be), assassins in fantasy have truly come into their own. From the Shadows to the Spotlight Historically,…

[jackklinemybeloved]

kipperlilly is suuuch an apt villain for a season that takes place during a junior year of high school. she’s basically the smart privileged kid who’s mad she doesn’t have any interesting trauma to write about in her college essay.

[good-to-drive]

Girls5Eva is the best thing that ever happened to me, actually

[altocat]

Not all but MANY of the same people who bash Lucrecia are the same people who make shit up about Tifa or Aerith to suit their idealized shipping preferences.

There, I said it.

[mouthlessmaiden]

becoming a radical tyrion stan the way ppl are dany stans…..i will no longer be accepting excuses for why you hate tyrion when he’s a deliberately complex rejection of the trope of “ugly disabled guy = evil and hot people = good”. if you’re uncomfortable with the way he treats women, that’s cool, but if u like jaime or sandor or jon or oberyn or ned or theon or stannis or renly or basically any male character besides like…sam tarly, then it’s pretty clear what’s different about tyrion. and for some reason people don’t tend to talk abt sam tarly being generally pretty good with women. hm, i wonder why.