#foresight wars

[thedynamicuniverse]

New Video: Dynamics Plus "Landing Site for the Dynamic Entity

New video from The Dynamic Universe Volume 02 Foresight Wars. It’s track 03 “Landing Site for the Dynamic Entity”. Landing Site for the Dynamic Entity – written by Dynamics Plus At 66 thousand miles per second, breaking hyperspace, I’m detected: Projective, moving at high speeds. Wide spread panic grips the planet. Dynamics, astral galactic travel. Projected lines of impact: In N.Y.C.,…

[vigilskeep]

when you first start the cousland origin, you can have some conversations with arl howe, teyrn cousland, and duncan that shed some interesting light on the political situation in ferelden. it’s definitely the origin where you get the most context on the rebellion and on cailan and his father. while howe isn’t exactly the most trustworthy of sources, he is also one of the most openly critical of cailan that we have access to, which i think is worthy of interest

howe remembers maric with what the toolset describes as “genuine fondness”: “your father hasn’t spoken of our time with him? that man took care of his friends. as they say, he was large as life and twice as tall!” i think we should pay particular attention to that man took care of his friends.

what howe’s talking about is a really important aspect of kingship, where you win the consent and enthusiasm of the nobility for your rule by offering rewards like wealth, land, and prestige to the loyal. kingship is always less stable than it’s portrayed, and this is one of the ways that kings must essentially sell to the nobility that answering to them is worth their time, which would be especially important in ferelden given everything we know about its culture. fereldans believe someone only has power when it is given by the loyalty of those below them, who have the right to freely rescind that loyalty. the dao codex says that “the sight of [fereldan kings] asking for—and working to win—the support of ‘lesser’ men is a source of constant wonder to foreign ambassadors.”

i suspect howe is remembering a maric fresh from the victories of the rebellion, who was able to reward those who had followed him with the spoils of those victories. at the end of the stolen throne, we see that in the final days of the rebellion, maric was killing those who had betrayed his mother to the orlesians even when they arrived under truce to meet him on holy ground. in dao, we see no lingering orlesian nobility except for those who married in and continue to be met with marked hostility. i think we can safely surmise that maric elected to make no conciliatory measures and give everything to those who had followed him; with the orlesians on the run and his people out for blood, he was in a strong enough position to do so, and it certainly served to win the fond memories of men like howe.

by contrast, howe goes on to say, “it’s too bad cailan isn’t half that.” the toolset notes establish very clearly that it’s the same issue, elaborating on howe’s thoughts: “bitter turn, i don’t get as much from the current king”, and “disdainful, i have no use for him, he does me no favours”. this isn’t a minor character detail, if howe’s last words when killed by the player are anything to go by. “maker spit on you... i deserved... more...” whatever it is that howe feels he should have been given, by the crown or anyone else, it characterises his actions and his defining treachery.

it’s in these same conversations that we see another side of this demonstrated. there are two points where howe can openly criticise the king, and bryce immediately admonishes him for both. one even has the toolset note: “speaks sharply, as a lord to a lesser man, not a friend to an equal”. it definitely comes across that way; the way he tells howe “that’s enough” is not far off the voice he uses when the player, his child, displeases him. bryce can’t tolerate any criticism of cailan, as the couslands in dao are ardent supporters of the king. to venture some hc, i suspect that this is not merely royalist fervour, and that howe’s resentment for having been given less is matched by bryce’s awareness of the precariousness of having more.

over the centuries, the theirins have consolidated their power and eradicated almost all the teyrns (the noble rank that is second only to the king). with the only other lingering teyrn being loghain, who is essentially part and parcel of the royal family, the couslands stand alone as the only real rivals to theirin power within ferelden. there are rumours that bryce was once considered for king instead of the theirins; he too could have decided to believe he “deserved more”. but unlike howe, and perhaps understandably given his strong position and happy growing family, he is satisfied with what he has. he will not take the risk of even the slightest challenge being made within his hall

(i expect that bryce’s satisfaction with the current situation further spurred howe’s dissatisfaction to its heights, given the complicated cousland-howe history and the fact that he was expected to accept a friend he had fought beside as a superior for the rest of his life.)

i don’t think howe’s judgement on cailan is likely to be without basis. we don’t hear about any victories the young king has to his name, from which he could have passed around spoils. (to be fair, cailan had harder luck than maric in this regard. a king who raises a successful rebellion gets to bring glory and prestige to everyone who follows him, whereas a king trying to rebuild after that rebellion mostly gets to bring, uh, taxes probably. especially on wealthy centres of trade like howe’s amaranthine, one might assume.) cailan also takes a far more diplomatic approach to the question of orlais, which perhaps predictably did not win over many nobles of howe’s generation. it makes sense that cailan’s strongest supporters would instead be men like bryce who hope for things to simply continue, peacefully, as they are. perhaps in another world where cailan had won the battle of ostagar, he might have earned wider respect. (you could actually argue on this basis that there’s more sense and purpose to cailan’s glory-seeking than he usually gets credit for.) but howe already acts before ostagar, which can only demonstrate his certainty in cailan’s failings at this point: his belief that even if cailan could win, he would not be stable enough to pursue justice for the couslands

[someweirdoreblogger]

Angst with Hadesgame!Prometheus.

What if Prometheus romanced a little mortal partner before the Titanomachy?

Long ago, before things began to turn upside down, the great Titan of Foresight humbly held a permanent resident in his heart. A tiny morsel a God would say, but an important one nonetheless.

What if that lover sees him off to the war, only to never busk in the delight of his return?

The great war between Heaven and Time is over. The Gods triumph victory over their giant sires,

but their lover has yet to return.

Apollo's holy brilliance and grace remain constant. The Sun's ablessed kiss upon the Earth is undeniable. His pride and joy gleams away happily, optimistic even under the indomitable ethereal glaze of Nyx's mane, dutifully peering through Selene's waning Moon, paralleling in stride her vast sea of blinking jewels. Great as the God of Light's mark truly is, the timid horizon line that naturally separates Heaven and Earth; the sheer size of your beloved's proud silhouette eclipses it, splits it straight down the middle like it never flinched him, rarely did anything ever tremble your husband.

Humanity holds the proper means to evolve further thanks to The Titan of Foresight, which aligned them with a strong chance to adapt independently amongst nature, with little influence from the Gods.

The Sun smiles, perfect in every way; it shines eternal and undisturbed.

Your husband has not yet returned.

Your mortality taunts you, grey wilts you, crows feet stroke claws across your face, an outbreak of crystals break apart across your hands and fingers. You blow away, thin as a stick and weak, nothing but sand and grain left in the longful shape of your husband, the lingering hole he left behind reminds you that the inevitable consequence of your life is short, and you may never get to peacefully experience official release, your final breath right beside your husband.

You patiently wait days, weeks, and months. Fueled by pure stubborn diligence to finally greet your beloved home; Years fly by in mere blinks in the eyes of the Gods, but once Time in humans dulls, it shows. It drags cold sores and dusty bruises through your age, the pain looms, and is immense. You wear that deep hurt like old clothes on your subtle flesh, cracking crystals, withering in harsh denial. Like a weed desperate for water, torn and slowly dying more and more each time you look out that window, mocked by the gloomy emptiness on the other side of the glass. Hoping that you would see your heart's truest wish, hoping to any God that listens to merger people like you that your husband is thriving whilst in actuality, his entire world is pure bloody pain, an imprisonment.

Would they even know about Prometheus's punishment?

As if the Gods would ever bother addressing the oh-so inconvenience of informing a mere mortal about the judgment of their courts.

Even if they did know, what can they do? Not like they could argue Prometheus's case and rescue him from his appointed verdict. Attempting to free him, assuming you can, in fact, reach him, is a fast way to earn yourself Zeus's ridiculously selfish ire.

Prometheus insists on selflessly sacrificing more and more until he is completely barren, the endless burdens of responsibility that eventually swallow him whole. He gave his life so humanity could thrive and eventually cultivate.

Did Prometheus ever think of you during such events? Of course he did, more than he will ever comprehend. To freely love and love even more is all he would ever want, adore you in the palm of his hands. To love in this world is a privilege of compassion.

To protect those deemed helpless in the face of the Gods that practically enslave them, Prometheus would move whole worlds if it meant he protected you.

Even if it means he would take that choice from you.

[sesamenom]

@general-illyrin @tar-thelien @who-needs-words I think you all mentioned being interested in the reverse gondolin au - is anyone interested in helping with wrangling the timelines, especially the second age stuff? Here's the current outline:

(Edit: anyone feel free to help out if you're interested!)

YT 14365 - Birth of Lomion

YT 14373/FA 1 - Death of Argon

FA

2 - Aredhel adopts Lomion

300 - Birth of Idril

316 - Turgon & Idril kidnapped by Eol

400 - Turgon & Idril rescued. Death of Eol

465 - Finrod more-peacefully passes throne to orodreth while on Quest. Everyone except beren still dies

472 - Nirnaeth. Turgon named High King of the Noldor.

476 - Turgon abdicates official title. Aredhel named High King of the Noldor.

496 - Tuor comes to Gondolin

502 - Wedding of Idril and Tuor

503 - Births of Earendil and Elwing. Idril begins to have foresight dreams about the Fall.

506 - Second Kinslaying. C^3 dead, celebrimbor stays in gondolin. Aredhel denounces the oath/kinslaying and disowns C^3

Elwing survives & is found by Oropher & Thranduil // Galadriel & Celeborn. oropher, thranduil, oropher's wife, and thranduil's then-gf // galadriel & celeborn take Elwing to Gondolin as refugees. The Silmaril is left hidden in the woods of melian's domain.

507 - Elwing comes to Gondolin.

509 - Idril captured by Morgoth. Idril reveals the location of Gondolin in exchange for an Oath to not harm her family (Turgon, Tuor, and Earendil). Idril rescued.

510 - Gondolin prepares for war with Morgoth.

513-522 - Siege of Gondolin. Deaths of Duilin and Rog. Gothmog slain by Aredhel the Huntress. First use of the Three Rings by Lomion and Celebrimbor in defense of Gondolin. House of the Hammer of Wrath destroyed.

523 - Maedhros believes a Silmaril is with Elwing at Gondolin.

525 - Earendil weds Elwing. Lomion weds ???. Adoption of Gil-Galad

532 - Births of Elrond and Elros.

538 - Third Kinslaying at Gondolin. Death of Amras. Elrond and Elros kidnapped by Maglor. Deaths of Elwing and Turgon. Second use of the Three Rings by Lomion and Celebrimbor. Deaths of Maedhros and Aredhel. Lomion named King of Gondolin and High King of the Noldor. Deaths of Salgant, Penlod, and Tuor. Earendil named Lord of the House of the Wing.

540-549 - War declared between Gondolin and the Feanorians of Himring over the Third Kinslaying and kidnapping of Princes Elrond and Elros.

549 - Elrond and Elros recovered. Feanorians and Gondolin severely weakened. Celebrimbor // Gil-Galad declared heir to the High Kingship.

552-554 - Second Siege & Fall of Gondolin. Third use of the Three Rings by Lomion and Celebrimbor. Deaths of Ecthelion, Glorfindel, Egalmoth, and Turgon. Idril and Celebrimbor lead survivors through the Secret Way.

555 - Gondolithlim refugees arrive at Sirion.

556 - Idril departs for Valinor.

558 - Earendil searches for Valinor.

560 - Havens of Sirion destroyed by Morgoth. Gondolithlim/Doriathrim survivors scattered. Elrond and Elros rescued (as adults) by Maglor.

572 - Morgoth controls Beleriand. Earendil and reembodied Elwing come to Valinor and rally the Host.

575-617 - War of Wrath

618 - Maglor claims the Silmaril from Eonwe's camp and casts himself into the Sea. Death of Maglor.

620 - End of the First Age.

SA

1 - Founding of the Grey Havens and Lindon under High King Lomion

2 - Elros becomes the first King of Numenor

c. 500 - Sauron returns to Middle-Earth in the East.

650 - Eregion is founded

1000 - Galadriel is given Vilya; Lomion wields Nenya

1170 - Annatar comes to Lindon and Lomion turns him away. Lomion warns Celebrimbor of Eregion of his suspicions.

1200 - Annatar comes to Eregion. Celebrimbor takes him in to monitor.

1250 - Celebrimbor creates the Seven; Lomion creates the Nine.

1410 - Annatar is kicked out of Eregion.

1600 - The One Ring is forged. Sauron remains in hiding.

1610 - Sauron begins to gather and prepare armies in the East.

1673 - War of the Elves and Sauron begins.

1675 - Sauron invades Eriador.

1677 - Fall of Ost-in-Edhil. Celebrimbor and Lomion remain at the House of the Mirdain. Death of Celebrimbor in battle // Fourth use of the Three in battle. Sauron does not learn of the Seven. Founding of Imladris.

1678 - Sauron defeated by the Numenoreans and the Elves of Lindon.

1679 - Sauron flees to Mordor. First White Council held.

3147 - Civil war in Numenor.

3225 - Ar-Pharazon seizes the Sceptre.

3228 - Elrond claims the Sceptre. Ar-Pharazon disowned. Tar-Miriel named Ruling Queen.

3232 - Sauron taken to Numenor as a prisoner.

3274 - Elrond kicks Sauron out of Numenor and outlaws the morgoth cult.

3310 - Morgoth cult publicly reappears.

3319 - Downfall of Numenor. Tar-Miriel leads a greater force of the Faithful away.

(green // blue means two main options, red means i need to think about it more)

The main details I'm figuring out right now are

does Celebrimbor still die at Eregion - I don't think he's getting captured/tortured, but he could still die in the battle. On the other hand, he could probably survive by using Narya & Lomion using Nenya, but that would definitely have repercussions further down the line

how does Idril's deal work - I'm currently thinking of Idril exchanging the location of Gondolin for her family's guaranteed safety, because it seems in character for Reverse Idril? But on the other hand, even if I limit it to immediate family at the time of the oath (tuor, turgon, earendil) then idk where turgon dies? Maybe Maglor can kill him but that seems kind of random

where and how does Turgon die

how does Prince Elrond's character even work

how does Numenor still fall when factoring in Prince Elrond - I'm thinking that the morgoth death cult gained enough traction during the time sauron was there that even after Elrond kicks him out, the cult still sticks around and reemerges later? The Fall still happens, but they never go to attack valinor and there's a good deal more Faithful (maybe 40-60%?)

[popiellart]

crybaby

[winnix85]

On 28th Sep 1938, Lewis Nixon and his mother went to French Riviera to see his grandmother. Nazi Germany annexed Sudetenland on the next day.

The atmosphere was very tense at that time : “Hitler responded petulantly by moving up his deadline to September 28. In conference on the 23rd at 10 Downing Street, Chamberlain futilely urged acquiescence to the new Nazi demands. … “All over London,” Kennedy recalled, “people were being fitted for gas-masks.”

Lew’s next visit to Paris will be in six years later, and without a passport or visa.

[lordgrimwing]

WIP -- Foresight

From a poll game I did a bit ago and am finally getting around to finishing. An excerpt from the 300-word addition to Forsight:

Gil-galad rested a hand on Elrond’s shoulder when the boy tried to step back. He offered a reassuring, paternal smile. He hadn’t needed to bother; Elrond’s eyes were fixed firmly on the ground. The king sighed and looked up again to greet his head physician. “Ereinion,” Gaerion said, drying his hands on a rag as he came out from behind the curtain shielding the main patient care area from the tent’s entrance, “did I forget about a meeting again?” His golden hair was wrapped up and out of the way at the back of his head, held in place with long wooden pens.  Beside him, Elrond hunched his shoulders, muscles tense with anxiety. This constant fear of everyone new must be exhausting, Gil-galad thought. A twinge of regret for forcing him to meet the healer wormed its way into his conscious, but he brushed it away with the silent reminder that letting Elrond stay hidden in the little tent he shared with his brother would not help him overcome whatever terrors living with the Kinslayers engendered in him. It was his duty to see that his ward was cared for, and that included knowing where to find help if he were injured.

[bluewizard1]

I finished the drawing, and I made a Thrawn pony

[margindoodles2407]

guess whose BROTHER got BAD BATCH LEGOS

guess whose BROTHER is gonna let her help him BUILD BAD BATCH LEGOS

guess who's gonna PLAY BAD BATCH LEGOS with her BROTHER

[blackswaneuroparedux]

σύμβολον δ’ οὔ πώ τις ἐπιχθονίων πιστὸν ἀμφὶ πράξιος ἐσσομένας εὗρεν θεόθεν, τῶν δὲ μελλόντων τετύφλωνται φραδαί

Pindar

No mortal has ever discovered a faithful sign of things to come from the gods: we are blind to the future.

Photo: Statues in the Tuileries gardens in Paris being protected from German air raids, 1940.

[robsmooth]

"Heimdall would sometimes stay by the wall just to listen because Loki would stop singing once Heimdall returned. Ridiculous. Heimdall was ridiculous for doing it."

inspired by the wonderfull fanfiction Mischief and Foresight

[card-queen]

A bunch of recent art for all my different projects from my madness a few days ago about making primer documents for all of them to show off to my sisters. Isn't brief moments of unhinged productivity a delight?

[short-wooloo]

So I've seen leaks for the entirety of ahsoka, I'm pretty sure I know the basic idea of how episode 5 will go down

And I'm worried

I'm worried that instead the episode being about Ahsoka learning and accepting that Anakin's choices were his own, and that she is not responsible for what he did (which is basically just a copy of what Kenobi already did but sure), the episode will instead opt for the thesis of "Anakin was going to fall no matter what"

This is bad

1. It is dangerously close to canonizing the fanon of "the genocide of the Jedi was necessary" that lurks around the worst and the gullible of the fandom

2. It spits in the face of a central theme of SW

Choice

The choice between right and wrong, good and evil, the light and the dark

And in Anakin's case, if him becoming Vader was an inevitability, then that ruins the tragedy of the prequels

Because it was all avoidable, the fall of the Republic, the enslaving of the clones, the genocide of the Jedi, Padme's death, all of the empire's atrocities, it didn't have to be that way, if Anakin had only chose differently, chosen to to kill Palpatine, to end the war, to destroy the sith, to save the galaxy, if only he had chosen to be the chosen one at the best possible moment

It's all sad because it could have been different, making Anakin's fall an inevitability ruins all that

[spockvarietyhour]

Currently reading

[aresdeus]

I've always had a suspicion that Ares in Hadesgame is actually depicting more of the Roman god Mars because the armor he's wearing is that of Roman legionaries. Also the way he carries himself with such a dignified aristocratic air is more of a Roman idea rather than his Greek identity. In this essay I will—

[skitskatdacat63]

Pre Silverstone 2009, there's a lot of focus on political issues btwn the FIA and the teams but I'm fucking dying bcs Flavio is the main guy pushing for the teams to go off and make their own championship and he's like "I want to be in the sport for a very long time." Bro is literally banned from F1 indefinitely in 3 months time 💀