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x-i-l-verify · 5 months ago

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Okay Linked Universe Fandom, we have to talk. I am extremely disappointed in all of us that out of all the myriad possible duos of the Chain, only one has an official name (Downfall Duo). This has got to change. We need more duo names stat. So, this is my proposed list! Hopefully at least some of them catch on. 👀 Many thanks to @kuraiarcoiris for assisting me with some of the uncooperative duos on the list. >.> Looking at you, Warriors and Wind.

Without further ado!

Sky

Sky+Four: Horizon Duo (because they are the first two Links chronologically in the timeline, charting new horizons for the young kingdom of Hyrule, and because I view the two as representing the sky and the world [e.g. Four’s element motif]. And where do the sky and world meet? The horizon.)

Sky+Time: Wife Duo (because they both canonically love their wives and miss them. Sky isn’t married to Sun yet, but he will be, so it counts. >:V)

Sky+Legend: Harp Duo (because they both canonically play magic harps and enjoy music)

Sky+Hyrule: Thunder Duo (because of their abilities to channel lightning and the fact that Hyrlule’s spell is called Thunder. Also two of the quietist Links having a duo named after a loud sound is amusing)

Sky+Twilight: Firmament Duo (because “firmament” another word for the physical sky, and also sounds like “firm,” and both characters are good grounding forces for the other Links.)

Sky+Warriors: Knight Duo (because they actually remember their training as knights and can apply that training. Plus, both are knights in shining armor for their Zeldas.)

Sky+Wind: Breeze Duo (because flying and sailing both use air currents, and breezes are heartening and encouraging, just like these two.)

Sky+Wild: Aeon Duo (because “aeon” means "a long or seemingly long period of time" and these two are the Links that had to wait the longest amount of time to complete their quests.)

Four

Four+Sky: Horizon Duo

Four+Time: Shade Duo (because they are possibly the only two Links that lingered after their deaths, Time with the Hero’s Shade in Twilight Princess and Four with the four Shadow Links that appear in the Palace of the Four Sword in A Link to the Past [though one could theorize that those are Dark Links unrelated to Four entirely, so this duo name could also refer to Shadow from the Four Swords manga])

Four+Legend: Forging Duo (because not only do they have blacksmithing skills, but both forge the way for the heroes who come after them to the best of their abilities.)

Four+Hyrule: Mousetrap Duo (because they can both shrink to the size of mice, Four with his Minish form and Hyrule with his Fairy spell)

Four+Twilight: Prism Duo (because light is very important to both of their games [Twilight’s light spirits and Four’s Light Force], but also their mechanics allow them to “split” and show another side of them like light through a prism, i.e. Four's ability to divide into four and Twilght’s crystal that lets him become a wolf)

Four+Warriors: Teamwork Duo (because their games center on teamwork more than any of the others')

Four+Wind: Shield Duo (because of their identical shields that signifies a possible blood connection between them)

Four+Wild: Shattered Duo (because they both break or "shatter" things in order to fight. Four breaks himself through his splitting mechanic, and Wild breaks his weapons. You could also interpret this as Wild's memories being broken, too.)

Time

Time+Sky: Wife Duo

Time+Four: Shade Duo

Time+Legend: Melodic Duo (because their games focus so much on music)

Time+Hyrule: Fairy Duo (because of their connection to fairies)

Time+Twilight: Legacy Duo (self-explanatory)

Time+Warriors: Command Duo (because leader and his unofficial second in command)

Time+Wind: Menace Duo (because these two absolutely will be menaces together once Time relaxes a bit.)

Time+Wild: Moon Duo (because of the focus on the moon in their games. “I Hate the Moon” Duo doesn’t have the same ring to it :p)

Legend

Legend+Sky: Harp Duo

Legend+Four: Forging Duo

Legend+Time: Melodic Duo

Legend+Hyrule: Downfall Duo (basically codified fanon at this point)

Legend+Twilight: Critter Duo (because they are currently the only two Links with animal forms)

Legend+Warriors: Worsties Duo (or just "the Worsties." Self-explanatory :3c)

Legend+Wind:Seagull Duo (because Aryll loves seagulls and Marin loved seagulls.)

Legend+Wild: Stockpile Duo (Because they’re obsessive about being prepared, so they stockpile things more than anyone else in the whole Chain.)

Hyrule

Hyrule+Sky: Thunder Duo

Hyrule+Four: Mousetrap Duo

Hyrule+Time: Fairy Duo

Hyrule+Legend: Downfall Duo

Hyrule+Twilight: Rustic Duo (because they both come from very humble origins. Most of the Links come from pretty humble origins, but I get the feeling those two are Country Boys if you know what I mean. ;))

Hyrule+Warriors:Firestorm Duo (because of Warriors' penchant for using fire in battle and Hyrule's thunder spell)

Hyrule+Wind: Salvage Duo (because both have had to salvage their kingdoms from their destroyed states and salvage important items from where they were scattered around their worlds)

Hyrule+Wild:Wander Duo (because they both are the most adventurous Links and tend to go off the beaten path more than any of the others)

Twilight

Twilight+Sky: Firmament Duo

Twilight+Four: Prism Duo

Twilight+Time: Legacy Duo

Twilight+Legend: Critter Duo

Twilight+Hyrule: Rustic Duo

Twilight+Warriors: Big Brother Duo (because they are the big brothers of the Chain)

Twilight+Wind: Successor Duo (because they are Time’s direct successors that are actually acknowledged as such in their games and in the comic)

Twilight+Wild: Protégé Duo (because Twilight is Time's protege and Wild is Twilight's)

Warriors

Warriors+Sky: Knight Duo

Warriors+Four: Teamwork Duo

Warriors+Time: Command Duo

Warriors+Legend: Worsties Duo

Warriors+Hyrule: Firestorm Duo

Warriors+Twilight: Big Brother Duo

Warriors+Wind: Scarf Duo (because there have been a few panels where Wind steals or hides under Warriors’ scarf)

Warriors+Wild: Arson Duo (because of that one sketch where the two are riding on a log burning everything down around them, and they clearly enjoy setting things on fire)

Wind

Wind+Sky: Breeze Duo

Wind+Four:Shield Duo

Wind+Time: Menace Duo

Wind+Legend:Seagull Duo

Wind+Hyrule: Salvage Duo

Wind+Twilight: Successor Duo

Wind+Warriors: Scarf Duo

Wind+Wild: Walkie Talkie Duo (because Wind's joy pendant allows him to talk to Wild through his Shiekah slate)

Wild

Wild+Sky: Aeon duo

Wild+Four:Shattered Duo

Wild+Time: Moon Duo

Wild+Legend: Stockpile Duo

Wild+Hyrule:Wander Duo

Wild+Twilight: Protégé Duo

Wild+Warriors: Arson Duo

Wild+Wind:Walkie Talkie Duo

A few trios for good measure!

Wind + Wars + Time = Eras Trio

Wars + Sky + Wild = Chivalry Trio

Wind + Wild + Hyrule = Apocalypse Trio

Hyrule + Legend + Wild = Triple Threat

Warriors + Twilight + Sky = Big Bro Trio

#linked universe #lu chain #lu legend #lu time #lu sky #lu four #lu hyrule #lu twilight #lu warriors #lu wind #lu wild #downfall duo #xi writes #seriously we have to be better about this fandom use duo names more i am Begging #also if anyone has any other suggestions for Wars+Wind I'm open to them #but they literally have nothing else in common between their games or their personalities other than the scarf TT TT #we've tried everything

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orchestrated-haunting · 7 months ago

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using my classics degree for good. i cannot wait for 3.0

my notes from my first watch through of "Amphororeus' Saga of Heroes" under the cut. please note that i did this at 8am with minimal double and triple checking of sources

Aglaea- Aglaea in mythology is the child of zeus and is one of the three Charities in Greek myth; according to Dionysiaca she is one of the "dancers of Orchomenus" who tend to Aphrodite. Helped Aphrodite in her attempt to weave better than Athena by holding and passing Aphrodite the yarn. She also acts as Aphrodite's messanger. Her drip marketing also mentioned her connection to romance so her being a stand in for Aphrodite feels like a easy call

Tribbie- hermes or hecate (likely a combination) she's a messenger like hermes, however the description of "the three-faced" is usually used in description of Hecate goddess of the crossroads

Anaxa- likely the athena parallel as said to have enough knowledge to refute faith and is capable of killing gods. this is in line with athena's domains of wisdom and the logical side of combat; eyepatch is similar to odin of norse mythology as he exchanged one of his eyes for all the knowledge in the world; Anax is the attic greek word for "tribal cheif, lord, or military leader"; there are also several notable figures who have the prefix anax- in their name Anaxandridas II (a king of sparta) and anaxagoras and anaxarchus (both philosphers)

Hyacine - name from hyacinthus, lover of apollo and where we get the name of hyacinths from; she also "severs dawn from dusk" which makes me feel more than confident in her being the apollo parallel

Mydei- ares parallel, lion symbolism is common with warriors in ancient greece; hercules wore the skin of a lion he killed. the rest of it is vibes based but look at him; could not find any strong name parallels immediately as both Medea and Midas do not have many war-like contributions; however medea is close enough to mydei in pronunciation. medea was the daughter of Aeetes and lover of Jason from the argonauts and granddaughter to the sun god Helios; fire motifs, could be connection to hephaestus but i'd need more before i make that call; japanese version uses Mydeimos which points to Deimos, the god of terror and twin brother of Phobos the god of fear, both of which are children of Ares and Aphrodite (thank you @/integraseras for connection)

Cipher- fleet-footed hunter and said to "make time stop" while i can't think of any deity that specifically can do that the fleet-footed hunter aspect along with her being feminine strongly implies to me an artemis parallel; "make time stop" is interesting because in some stories and accounts the gods could stop time to communicate with a single hero or person without others noticing their presence

Castorice- "daughter of the river styx" and other death motives makes her almost certainly Hades; this is likely unrelated but one of the twins of the Diocusi (gemini twins) is named Castor however they are the children of Zeus, however castor was born mortal and pollux was born immortal, eventually they made a deal in which they would spend half of the time with the gods and the other half in the underworld

Phainon- couldnt find one of the olympians that fight however the god Phaenon is the sky god of Cronus (the planet Saturn); name means "bright" or "shining"; this could also be our Zeus figure due to Phaenon being called "the star of Jove" (Jove being another name for Zeus in roman myth)

(following names were from the video description but no other info was given)

Hysilens- name possibly comes from the combination of the gods Silenus and Hysminai; silenus is the god of wine, drunkenness, and the forest while also the foster father of Dionysus. Hysminai is the personification of combat; likely stand in for Dionysus

Cerydra- name has some parallels to the hydra the lake monster of Lerna in the Argolid, cer- could possibly (very unlikely) come from cerberus; my money would be on them being the parallel for posideon; the hydra was also one of hercules 12 labors and the lake Lerna was said to be an enterence to the underworld, possibly connecting cerberus in there, as cerberus is the guard dog of the underworld

Two unnamed characters: also there Gods that haven't been explicitly shown: Hera, Hestia, Demeter and Hephaestus. I could see hoyo combining Hera and Hestia into a single character of marriage, hearth and home

Other notes:

the gods were said to have gold blood

Amphoreus from the greek vessel style of a container with a long neck and two handles used to store oil, wine, milk, or grain. Amphorae were sometimes used as grave markers or as containers for funeral offerings or human remains and Amphora was also used as a unit of measure

the titans in the trailer = titans in myth; the conflict that follows is basically the equivalent of the war in mythology between the olympians and the titans

#if i can get any of my classics moots to play hsr from this i think i might explode /pos #hsr #honkai: star rail #honkai star rail #hsr 3.0 #hsr analysis #amphoreus #hsr aglaea #hsr tribbie #hsr anaxa #hsr hyacine #hsr mydei #hsr cipher #hsr castorice #hsr phainon #hsr hysilens #hsr cerydra #tagamemnon #if you saw me fuck up jupiter and saturn no you didn't

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serpentface · 9 months ago

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how do you come up with the ways cultures in your setting stylize people/animals/the world in general in their artwork, i.e. jewlery, rock carvings, statues, etc? Each culture in your world seems to have a very unique "art style" and I love it a lot - makes them seem that much more 'real'. This is something I struggle with a lot in my own worldbuilding and I'd love to pick your brain if possible 😁

I think a starting point is to have a research process based in the material realities of the culture you're designing for. Ask yourself questions like:

Where do they live? What's the climate/ecosystem(s) they are based in? What geographic features are present/absent?

What is their main subsistence method? (hunter gatherer, seasonal pastoralist, nomadic pastoralist, settled agriculturalist, a mix, etc)

What access to broader trade networks do they have and to whom? Are there foreign materials that will be easily accessible in trade and common in use, or valuable trade materials used sparingly in limited capacities?

Etc

And then do some research based on the answers, in order to get a sense of what materials they would have routine access to (ie dyes, metal, textiles, etc) and other possible variables that would shape how the art is made and what it's used for. This is just a foundational step and won't likely play much into designing a Style.

If you narrow these questions down very specifically, (ie in the context of the Korya post- grassland based mounted nomads, pastoralist and hunter-gatherer subsistence, access to wider trade networks and metals), you can direct your research to specific real world instances that fit this general idea. This is not to lift culturally specific concepts from the real world and slap them into your own setting, but to notice commonalities this lifestyle enforces - (ie in the previous example- mounted nomadic peoples are highly mobile and need to easily carry their wealth (often on clothing and tack) therefore small, elaborate decorative artwork that can easily be carried from place to place is a very likely feature)

For the details of the art itself, I come up with loose 'style guides' (usually just in my head) and go from there.

Here's some example questions for forming a style (some are more baseline than others)

Are geometric patterns favored? Organic patterns? Representative patterns (flowers, animals, stars, etc)? Abstract patterns?

Is there favored material(s)? Beads, bone, clay, metals, stones, etc.

When depicting people/animals, is realism favored? Heavy stylization? The emotional impression of an animal? Are key features accentuated?

How perspective typically executed? Does art attempt to capture 3d depth? Does it favor showing the whole body in 2 dimensions (ie much of Ancient Egyptian art, with the body shown in a mix of profile and forward facing perspective so all key attributes are shown)? Will limbs overlap? Are bodies shown static? In motion?

Does artwork of people attempt to beautify them? Does it favor the culture's conception of the ideal body?

Are there common visual motifs? Important symbols? Key subject matters?

What is the art used for? Are its functions aesthetic, tutelary, spiritual, magical? (Will often exist in combination, or have different examples for each purpose)

Who is represented? Is there interest in everyday people? Does art focus on glorifying warriors, heroes, kings?

Are there conventions for representing important figures? (IE gods/kings/etc being depicted larger than culturally lesser subjects)

Is there visual shorthand to depict objects/concepts that are difficult to execute with clarity (the sun, moon, water), or are invisible (wind, the soul), or have no physical component (speech)?

Etc

Deciding on answers to any of these questions will at least give you a unique baseline, and you can fill in the rest of the gaps and specify a style further until it is distinct. Many of these questions are not mutually exclusive, both in the sense of elements being combined (patterns with both geometric and organic elements) or a culture having multiple visual styles (3d art objects having unique features, religious artwork having its own conventions, etc).

Also when you're getting in depth, you should have cultural syncretism in mind. Cultures that routinely interact (whether this interaction is exchange or exploitation) inevitably exchange ideas, which can be especially visible in art. Doing research on how this synthesizing of ideas works in practice is very helpful- what is adopted or left out from an external influence, what is retained from an internal influence, what is unique to this synthesis, AND WHY. (I find Greco-Buddhist art really interesting, that's one of many such examples)

Looking at real world examples that fit your parameters can be helpful (ie if I've decided on geometric patterns in my 'style guide', I'll look at actual geometric patterns). And I strongly encourage trying to actually LEARN about what you're seeing. All art exists in a context, and having an understanding of how the context shapes art, how art does and doesn't relate to broader aspects of a society, etc, can help you when synthesizing your own.

#I have a solid baseline because I like learning about history so don't do this like. Full research process every time. It's just the gist #of what the core process is.#I think I've gotten a similar question about clothing in the past that I never answered (sorry) so yeah this applies to that as well #Though that involves a heavier preliminary research end (given there are substantially more practical concerns that shape the #making of clothing- material sources they have access to (plant textile? wool? hide? etc). The clothing's protective purpose (does #it need to protect from the sun? wind? mild cold? extreme cold?). Etc #Also involves establishing like. Beauty conventions. Gendered norms of dress. Modesty conventions. Etc #I think learning about the real world and different cultures across history is like. The absolute most important thing for good #worldbuilding. And this means LEARNING learning. Having the curiosity to learn the absolute myriad of Things People Do #and Why We Do Them and how we relate to shared aspects of our world. The commonalities and differences. I think this is like...#Foundational to having the ability to synthesize your own rather than just like. copy-pasting concepts at random

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mirai-e-jump · 4 months ago

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Animage April 2025 Issue ft. Fuyuno Mio Interview (translation below)

Publication: March 10, 2025

Aiming to become Number One

Tono Hoeru, an "outcast" with no family or friends, made a "ring contract" with the Giant God Tega Sword and became GozyuWolf, a red bodied wolf warrior. In order to become number one, Hoeru throws himself into fierce battles against the evil army Buraidan and Ring Warriors, who like himself, have signed contracts with Tega Sword.

"No.1 Sentai Gozyuger," the most recent production in the Super Sentai series, has been gaining a great deal of attention since it started airing in February, as one of its biggest appeals is that it features wildly unconventional characters. Beginning with Hoeru, who's a bad tempered and quick to pick fights kind of person, the five members who Engage (transform) into Gozyugers all have extremely strong personalities. Their competition won't be a straightforward one, as surprising developments will await them in each and every battle.

Unlike the other warriors, who are trying to collect all the Sentai Rings in order to make their dreams and wishes come true, Hoeru's aim is to find his true wish in the midst of battle. What will the battles against the Ring Warriors bring about for Hoeru? The "competition for the rings," which will seriously shake up the viewers emotions, has only just begun!

-Hoeru is a surprisingly cute guy?-

"What was your impression when you learned about the details of this production?"

Fuyuno: Its motif is that all the strongest animals have gathered, so I thought they were unconventional heroes. Hoeru is a wolf, with the other members being a lion, an eagle, and a tyrannosaurus, and while only the unicorn is a mythical creature, they're all motifs worthy of being the main characters, don't you think? Even the name "Number One Sentai" is extremely impactful and straightforward, and I felt that it sounded cool from the first time I heard it.

"Please tell us what you remember from the audition."

Fuyuno: I remember one of the judges at the final audition said to me, "Think of us as children and get us excited." I'm really bad at making things lively, in part because I'm shy, and it was difficult for me to become positive, but I summoned up all my courage and got through it. I remember talking with Rikuo's Hideharu-kun on my way home from the final audition. I was incredibly happy when I found out at our meeting that we had both been chosen.

"What kind of character do you consider Tono Hoeru to be?"

Fuyuno: Hoeru has a foul mouth and isn't very sociable, which tends to give off the impression that he's unapproachable, but he has a kind side to him, and I think he's a surprisingly cute character.

"What do you think is similar and different between you and Hoeru?"

Fuyuno: We may be mostly similar (laughs). I too am often told that I'm unfriendly when first meeting someone, and we share the same clumsy traits. In the episodes that'll soon air, there were moments that made me think, "Something like this has happened to me too," so it was very easy for me to put my feelings into my performance. Hoeru grows bean sprouts in his room, and there are many other scenes that show his high level of self sufficiency, meanwhile, I'm not good at doing housework, so I think that's where Hoeru and I are different.

"Please tell us what you think is important when acting."

Fuyuno: To bring out the humanity that Hoeru has, I'm careful trying to take in the atmosphere of the scene and react accordingly to everyone's performance. Also, Hoeru possesses the mental strength to stand up to strong opponents, even if they're in large groups. I also try to have false confidence in myself on a regular basis.

"How do you communicate with GozyuWolf's Suit Actor Asai Kosuke-san?"

Fuyuno: Asai-san and I will talk about the performance, but now we're also having conversations about private matters. His actions are really cool, and during post recording sessions, I'm conscious of the strength of my voice so that it matches the wild movements of Asai-san's performance.

"What's been your most memorable interaction with Main Director Tasaki Ryuta-san?"

Fuyuno: During script reading, Director Tasaki taught me that an actor must express their emotions into a cup, and to let those emotions out as if it were water overflowing. I was told that I have a big cup, and that I should always prepare my emotions before going to the set so that they can overflow properly. Also, he wrote the words "capture the nature of the role" in my notebook. That motivated me to read the script more carefully, and to focus my mind on understanding Hoeru's character as I play the role.

"How's the teamwork among all the cast members?"

Fuyuno: Everyone performs properly in front of the cameras, but outside of that, we have fun talking and occasionally go out to eat together, so I think our teamwork is really good. In the very beginning, I was trying really hard to talk with them, thinking that I had to keep up with the conversation, but they're all such nice people, that we quickly became close and developed a relationship where I could relax and be myself. Aside from the main members, my first time filming together with Aoi's Yuda Koki-kun was memorable. I felt so at ease when he rushed over to me saying, "Hoeru!" Thanks to the fact that I was able to perform with those emotions, I showed off a really relaxed expression, so I think the scene turned out to be a very good one.

"Finally, please tell us some future highlights."

Fuyuno: I hope that you'll pay attention to the human drama of each of the five members. Each and every one of them has something they've been through and are still struggling with, which will be revealed over time, so please look forward to it.

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marqry-rambles · 8 months ago

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saw some people on twitter who are saying that jayvik's posters are giving off sun and moon motif vibes

and. my brain made one of the connections of all time.

“The Hero and the Warrior were like the Sun and the Moon. Their light, a protective glow, shining upon the world. Together, there was nothing that could stop the two of them. Either in the Celestial Realms or on Earth. As time went on, the Hero attained power beyond comprehension. As the Hero's light grew, so too did his shadow. And soon, the Warrior was cast in that shadow. In the darkness, the Warrior was forgotten by the Hero.”

#i hope y'all see the vision #they have their difference but..... the situationship.... the divorce..... the sun and moon motif.....#one of them's always under the spotlight. the other left working in the shadows #jayvik #shadowpeach #arcane s2 #lego monkie kid

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laurasimonsdaughter · 8 months ago

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How loathly is the lady

The motif of the loathly lady shows up primarily in (Celtic and English) Medieval saga's and Romances and it typically involves a knight or warrior who is confronted by a physically repulsive woman and shows her hospitality (The Daughter Of King Under-Waves; The Saga of Hrolf Kraki), agrees to kiss/embrace her (The Adventures of the Sons of Eochaid Mugmedon), or agrees to marry her (The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle; The Marriage of Sir Gawain; The Wife of Bath's Tale). When this respect is shown, the loathly lady transforms into a beautiful one, sometimes this takes a further proof that the knight is willing to let her decide about herself instead of imposing his will on her.

But to my surprise I recently learned that the Scottish ballad King Henry (Child ballad 32) is also considered a Loathly Lady tale. This lady does a whole lot more than require respect, however:

In "King Henry", the king spends the night in a haunted hall during a hunting trip, and meets a lady who seems like she is no less than "a fiend that comes from hell". In a way, she does ask for hospitality, but she does it by demanding that King Henry let her eat his horse, his greyhounds and his goshawks. Which hurts him a great deal. Finally she tells him to make her a bed out of heather, lie down with her and take her for his bride. He complies with heavy heart, but in the morning he wakes to find the fairest lady he has ever seen lying beside him, who tells him: . “I’ve met with many a gentle knight That gave me such a fill, But never before with a courteous knight That gave me all my will.”

This behaviour is quite a bit more on the monstrous side, from where I'm standing. Especially since the king does not know the loathly lady. It would make more sense to put him through such terrible trials if he was atoning to win a lover back.

Interestingly, this story does share some notable elements with The Daughter of the King Under-Waves, where there really is an element of atonement. In that tale the hero Diarmaid wins his lady with hospitality, but loses her after they are married, by breaking his promise to never bring up how repulsive she looked when he met her. He brings it up in anger when she gives his greyhound's puppies away. When he loses his supernatural wife, his beloved greyhound also dies. When he goes to find his wife, he finds she is suffering from an illness and can only sleep on a bed of rushes. He manages to cure her, but in the process falls out of love with her. She accepts this, because they are from different worlds and cannot live together. In some versions her last gift to him is restoring his greyhound to life.

Irish folk singer Tom Reid wrote some fitting extra verses to finish the ballad of King Henry: the lady tells the king to bring his horse, hounds and hawks' skins and feathers and then brings them all back to life before they marry.

I haven't been able to find a recording of that one but The Furrow Collective and Matt Williams both have nice renditions of this ballad. But my favourite is actually a German version by Faun called Herr Heinerich, which subtly changes the lady's ending speech to:

Many a knight I caught myself Yet none have acted right You are the first to sleep with me All the blessed night

#ballad #folk ballad #celtic folklore #scottish folklore #king henry #herr heinerich #ballads #laura babbles #in a most rambling way

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jon-sedai · 9 months ago

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I rarely speculate on Patchface’s seemingly prophetic jingles because, unless they refer to past events, it’s always a challenging exercise to parse out what they might mean. However, a few things stuck out to me as I was revisiting the ACoK prologue, especially when considering how this chapter works as a narrative mirror to Dany X, the AGoT prologue, and other chapters that come later in the series.

ACoK’s prologue takes place in Dragonstone, where Maester Cressen looks at the red comet in the sky and considers it an omen—"prophesies in the sky", as he calls it. This in itself isn’t particularly remarkable, as most characters who see the comet interpret it as a sign of something supernatural. Then, Shireen and her bizarre fool, Patchface, enter.

Shireen wants to see the raven that recently arrived from the Citadel—a white raven that marks the end of the longest summer in recorded memory. This, Cressen acknowledges, is certainly noteworthy.

And yet . . . and yet . . . the comet burned even by day now, while pale grey steam rose from the hot vents of Dragonmont behind the castle, and yestermorn a white raven had brought word from the Citadel itself, word long-expected but no less fearful for all that, word of summer’s end. Omens, all. Too many to deny. What does it all mean? he wanted to cry.

And Cressen is right; all of these are omens connected to prophecy. According to prophecy, the end of a long summer precedes the rise of a hero destined to wake dragons from stone and fight the darkness.

“In ancient books of Asshai it is written that there will come a day after a long summer when the stars bleed and the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world. In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword. And that sword shall be Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes, and he who clasps it shall be Azor Ahai come again, and the darkness shall flee before him.” Davos I, ACoK

It is written in prophecy as well. When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone. The bleeding star has come and gone, and Dragonstone is the place of smoke and salt. Davos III, ASoS

“He is not dead. Stannis is the Lord’s chosen, destined to lead the fight against the dark. I have seen it in the flames, read of it in ancient prophecy. When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone. Dragon-stone is the place of smoke and salt.” Jon X, ADWD

The omens that unsettle old Master Cressen foretell the birth of a hero of fire. Daenerys Targaryen, in the chapter that directly precedes this prologue (Dany X, AGoT), became that hero when she emerged from Drogo's pyre as "the Unburnt" and "the Mother of Dragons".

It is important to note that Dany X is a direct narrative parallel to the AGoT prologue, where creature of ice were seen again. The return of ice demanded the birth of fire, as all things must remain in balance. And Maester Cressen makes note of this as well,

The smallfolk said that a long summer meant an even longer winter […]

As a mirror to the AGoT prologue and Dany X, the ACoK prologue is full of references to Azor Ahai and the Long Night—too many to ignore. What’s particularly interesting is how this prologue circles back to a motif first introduced in Dany X: the birth of dragons. This comes to the forefront when Patchface utters his first prophecy in the series, which leads to an intriguing conversation between Cressen and Shireen about dragons coming to life; this conversation is occasionally interrupted by more cryptic jingles from the fool.

The fool turned his patched and piebald head to watch Pylos climb the steep iron steps to the rookery. His bells rang with the motion. “Under the sea, the birds have scales for feathers,” he said, clang-a-langing. “I know, I know, oh, oh, oh.”

Before I proceed, I want to address my thoughts on the phrase "under the sea". I subscribe to the theory that Patchface's prophetic ability was awakened because he drowned and was brought back to life. After his "death" at sea, he became an emissary of the Drowned God.

The boy washed up on the third day. Maester Cressen had come down with the rest, to help put names to the dead. When they found the fool he was naked, his skin white and wrinkled and powdered with wet sand. Cressen had thought him another corpse, but when Jommy grabbed his ankles to drag him off to the burial wagon, the boy coughed water and sat up. To his dying day, Jommy had sworn that Patchface’s flesh was clammy cold. No one ever explained those two days the fool had been lost in the sea. The fisherfolk liked to say a mermaid had taught him to breathe water in return for his seed.

Thus, “under the sea” could refer to the process of dying and being reborn; note that this phrase often appears narratively as an accompaniment to talk of death. More generally, "under the sea" could represent a state in which suspended life is reanimated. Keeping this in mind, the image of birds having scales for feathers “under the sea” refers to dragons, which exist as suspended life forms encased in stone until they are brought to life

The conversation between Cressen and Shireen that directly follows Patchface’s first jingle continues the theme of stone dragons coming to life.

“Sit with me, child.” Cressen beckoned her closer. “This is early to come calling, scarce past dawn. You should be snug in your bed.” “I had bad dreams,” Shireen told him. “About the dragons. They were coming to eat me.”

Though Cressen tries to assuage her fears by telling her that dragons carved from stone cannot be brought to life, Shireen aptly remarks on the significance of the comet in the sky.

“What about the thing in the sky? Dalla and Matrice were talking by the well, and Dalla said she heard the red woman tell Mother that it was dragonsbreath. If the dragons are breathing, doesn’t that mean they are coming to life?”

Dany X proved that stone dragons have indeed been born. But Daenerys is the least of Shireen's worries. While her dragon-related nightmares are tied to Azor Ahai and the prophecy of his coming, it is her own father she must truly fear.

What’s truly puzzling, however, is Patchface’s next jingle, uttered as Cressen and Shireen turn their discussion toward the end of the long summer.

Patchface rang his bells. “It is always summer under the sea,” he intoned. “The merwives wear nennymoans in their hair and weave gowns of silver seaweed. I know, I know, oh, oh, oh.”

In a word, this is nonsense. "Nennymoans" don’t exist and are never mentioned again after this chapter. The term doesn’t refer to anything in the real world either. So, what exactly is Patchface talking about? I’ll have to take some liberties here to try and tease out the meaning behind this.

"Nennymoans," as a few fans have suggested, could refer to anemones. An anemone could be one of two things: a multicolored flower in the buttercup family that blooms in spring or fall, or a multicolored sea creature that resembles these flowers and grows in the depths of the ocean. Given that this chapter centers on the Long Night and dragons, this jingle likely plays into those themes.

Anemones, in whatever form, are tied to the cycle of life and death:

Greek legends say that Anemos, the Wind, sends his namesakes the Anemones in the earliest spring days as the heralds of his coming. […] Greek myth gives the anemone two meanings, the arrival of spring breezes and the loss of a loved one to death […] (Flower Meanings: Anemone)

This cycle of life and death is central to the Ironborn belief: “What is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger”. With spring winds—or flowers—in their hair, the mermaids become agents of this process.

This cycle of life and death is also closely related to the waking of dragons:

She heard a crack, the sound of shattering stone. The platform of wood and brush and grass began to shift and collapse in upon itself. Bits of burning wood slid down at her, and Dany was showered with ash and cinders. And something else came crashing down, bouncing and rolling, to land at her feet; a chunk of curved rock, pale and veined with gold, broken and smoking. The roaring filled the world, yet dimly through the firefall Dany heard women shriek and children cry out in wonder. Only death can pay for life. Dany X, AGoT

Dragons are also tied to the Lands of the Long Summer, which mirror the Lands of Always Winter—a place of death. Ice versus fire, death versus life, dragons or Others. This is the essence of the Long Night.

Other clues in the text help us understand the mermaids’ silver gowns:

On the crown of the hill four-and-forty monstrous stone ribs rose from the earth like the trunks of great pale trees. The sight made Aeron’s heart beat faster. Nagga had been the first sea dragon, the mightiest ever to rise from the waves. She fed on krakens and leviathans and drowned whole islands in her wrath, yet the Grey King had slain her and the Drowned God had changed her bones to stone so that men might never cease to wonder at the courage of the first of kings. Nagga’s ribs became the beams and pillars of his longhall, just as her jaws became his throne. For a thousand years and seven he reigned here, Aeron recalled. Here he took his mermaid wife and planned his wars against the Storm God. From here he ruled both stone and salt, wearing robes of woven seaweed and a tall pale crown made from Nagga’s teeth. The Drowned Man, AFFC

The only other time seaweed is woven into cloth is in Aeron’s thoughts, as he reflects on the Grey King, the legendary figure who slew the fire-breathing sea dragon Nagga. The Grey King wore gowns of seaweed and decorated his hall in a similar fashion. This was where his warriors feasted:

But that was in the dawn of days, when mighty men still dwelt on earth and sea. The hall had been warmed by Nagga’s living fire, which the Grey King had made his thrall. On its walls hung tapestries woven from silver seaweed most pleasing to the eyes. The Grey King’s warriors had feasted on the bounty of the sea at a table in the shape of a great starfish, whilst seated upon thrones carved from mother-of-pearl. Gone, all the glory gone. Men were smaller now. Their lives had grown short. The Storm God drowned Nagga’s fire after the Grey King’s death, the chairs and tapestries had been stolen, the roof and walls had rotted away. Even the Grey King’s great throne of fangs had been swallowed by the sea. Only Nagga’s bones endured to remind the ironborn of all the wonder that had been. The Drowned Man, AFFC

Aeron believes that those who serve the Drowned God will be taken to feast in his halls when they die (The Prophet, AFFC; The Foresaken, TWoW). This evokes imagery of Valhalla and its inhabitants, the Einherjar—dead warriors who are destined to be reborn to fight in the final battle during Ragnarok. The Valkyries, who take the dead to Valhalla, parallel the mermaids mentioned in Patchface’s jingle. Both partake in the cycle of life and death, acting as agents of an apocalypse.

If we associate “under the sea” with the cycle of death and rebirth, then gowns of silver seaweed might symbolize either armor or the more spectral funerary garments worn by the dead (or ghosts). The latter seems more likely, given Shireen’s next line:

Shireen giggled. “I should like a gown of silver seaweed.”

This is a child’s innocent wish—but tragically, it will come true. Shireen will receive her silver gown, her funerary garment, soon. The next line seals her fate and is what inspired this post in the first place:

“Under the sea, it snows up,” said the fool, “and the rain is dry as bone. I know, I know, oh, oh, oh.”

It puzzled me for quite some time what Patchface was referring to here. But given that this chapter focuses on the Long Night and dragons, this jingle is clearly referencing the latter—especially considering it directly follows Shireen’s unwitting prophecy of her impending death for the sake of a dragon.

On the surface, this third jingle doesn’t seem connected to the birth of dragons at all. However, remember that Azor Ahai will be born after a long summer, amidst “smoke and salt". And remember, this prologue is set on Dragonstone, which sits on the Dragonmount—a volcano where dragons once lay, where ash and smoke billow up (this detail will be important later). The jingle seems to describe the conditions that breed dragons! “Snow falls up… rain [is] dry as bone” clearly refers to “smoke and salt".

Up until this point, you’d likely think this jingle refers to Dany and her dragons—and you’d be right, but only partially. From this point forward, we see that Patchface’s jingles align closely with another character who is being positioned as Azor Ahai—Jon Snow.

Let’s revisit the second jingle about mermaids with “nennymoans” in their hair. It’s noteworthy that although Patchface often uses the sea as the backdrop for his prophecies, mermaids only appear twice in the entire series. The first instance is in this prologue, where they seem to evoke imagery of life after death. The second instance occurs just before a pivotal moment—before a Targaryen prince, a dragon, is put to sleep.

Patchface jumped up. “I will lead it!” His bells rang merrily. “We will march into the sea and out again. Under the waves we will ride seahorses, and mermaids will blow seashells to announce our coming, oh, oh, oh.” Jon XIII, ADWD

For context, this prophecy follows Jon’s announcement of his intent to lead the ranging beyond the Wall—a ranging that would surely lead him and his men to death’s door. Patchface’s assertion that “[they] will march into the sea and out again” could symbolize the process of wight-ification—a perverse form of new life springing forth after death.

The mention of seahorses is also intriguing. It could refer to serpentine sea creatures, which ties into the broader theme of dragons and their role in the cycle of life and death. Dragons serve as vehicles for new life after a period of death, a theme that is mirrored in Daenerys’s campaign in Slaver’s Bay. However, I’m also inclined to think of Kelpies—grey or white sea-horses that lure men and women to their death under the sea. The imagery of grey or white sea-horses calls to mind part of Patchface’s second jingle, where mermaids wove gowns of silver seaweed.

While I won’t speculate too much on the point about riding seahorses, it’s worth noting how Patchface’s third jingle relates to Jon Snow. This particular jingle, which references snow falling up, has two narrative parallels—and they complicate things quite a bit. The first parallel comes later in this prologue, just before Cressen meets his end:

Patchface sprawled half on top of him, motley fool’s face pressed close to his own. He had lost his tin helm with its antlers and bells. “Under the sea, you fall up,” he declared. “I know, I know, oh, oh, oh.” Giggling, the fool rolled off, bounded to his feet, and did a little dance.

The dichotomy here is fascinating. If the first mention of snow relates to the “smoke and salt” that provide the necessary elements for the birth of dragons, what does it mean when the focus shifts to Cressen himself? “You fall up” evokes the image of a person being lifted from the ground—resurrected. Where the first instance of snow falling up might reference the birth of dragons, this second instance could refer to the rise of their natural enemies, the wights.

That this second instance of “falling up” refers to the creation of wights—perversions of life after death—is further reinforced by the unsettling tune Patchface sings in the preceding paragraph.

Over the clatter of knife and plate and the low mutter of table talk, he heard Patchface singing, “… dance, my lord, dance my lord,” to the accompaniment of jangling cowbells. The same dreadful song he’d sung this morning. “The shadows come to stay, my lord, stay my lord, stay my lord.”

But this isn’t the first time Patchface sings this. When Shireen finally sees the white raven, Patchface unleashes his prophecy:

“Clever bird, clever man, clever clever fool,” said Patchface, jangling. “Oh, clever clever clever fool.” He began to sing. “The shadows come to dance, my lord, dance my lord, dance my lord,” he sang, hopping from one foot to the other and back again. “The shadows come to stay, my lord, stay my lord, stay my lord.” He jerked his head with each word, the bells in his antlers sending up a clangor.

I think it’s clear that the shadows Patchface refers to are the Others, who are often described as “white shadows” throughout the text. Remember, this chapter mirrors the AGoT prologue, which featured Waymar Royce’s confrontation with an Other—“dance with me, then", Waymar challenged. That was just before he died at the hands of the Other and rose as a wight. Shireen also states that Patchface began signing this tune only recently—perhaps once the comet became visible in the sky.

Jon Snow, a narrative parallel to Waymar, begins his twelfth chapter of ADWD fighting the dead atop the Wall. Though his dream and its immediate aftermath suggest he will be victorious, the specter of death follows him until the next chapter, when he is assassinated by his own brothers. This sense of death lingers as he meets with Queen Selyse, Shireen, and Patchface in Jon XIII.

They found Her Grace sewing by the fire, whilst her fool danced about to music only he could hear, the cowbells on his antlers clanging. “The crow, the crow,” Patchface cried when he saw Jon. “Under the sea the crows are white as snow, I know, I know, oh, oh, oh.” Princess Shireen was curled up in a window seat, her hood drawn up to hide the worst of the greyscale that had disfigured her face. Jon XIII, ADWD

Other than the ACoK prologue, this is the only time snow is mentioned in Patchface’s prophecies. And this second instance is even more puzzling than the first. What does it mean for Jon, the crow, to be “white as snow”? If the first instance says “snow falls up", does that mean Jon, who is the snow, will rise?

The entirety of ADWD is centered around Jon’s impending death.

You are wrong. I have dreamed of your Wall, Jon Snow. Great was the lore that raised it, and great the spells locked beneath its ice. We walk beneath one of the hinges of the world.” Melisandre gazed up at it, her breath a warm moist cloud in the air. “This is my place as it is yours, and soon enough you may have grave need of me. Do not refuse my friendship, Jon. I have seen you in the storm, hard-pressed, with enemies on every side. You have so many enemies. Shall I tell you their names?” “I know their names.” “Do not be so certain.” The ruby at Melisandre’s throat gleamed red. “It is not the foes who curse you to your face that you must fear, but those who smile when you are looking and sharpen their knives when you turn your back. You would do well to keep your wolf close beside you. Ice, I see, and daggers in the dark. Blood frozen red and hard, and naked steel. It was very cold.” Jon I, ADWD

But, a key point is that Jon will return, for Melisandre has seen it in her flames.

Death, thought Melisandre. The skulls are death. The flames crackled softly, and in their crackling she heard the whispered name Jon Snow. His long face floated before her, limned in tongues of red and orange, appearing and disappearing again, a shadow half-seen behind a fluttering curtain. Now he was a man, now a wolf, now a man again. Mel I, ADWD

But what’s interesting is that the language surrounding Jon’s death and rebirth mirrors the birth of dragons—“smoke and salt”, “snow fall[ing] up”, and “rain dry as bone” mirror the “ashes and cinders” in Mel’s visions of the boy.

And keep him away from the red woman. She knows who he is. She sees things in her fires.” Arya, he thought, hoping it was so. “Ashes and cinders.” “Kings and dragons.” Dragons again. For a moment Jon could almost see them too, coiling in the night, their dark wings outlined against a sea of flame. Jon VIII, ADWD

Mel is the first and only person in the series to recite the prophecy of Azor Ahai being born amidst salt and smoke to wake dragons. In fact, she always precedes it with “I have seen it in the flames”. Though Daenerys fulfilled those requirements in her last AGoT chapter, it’s still noteworthy that the narrative continues to present this prophecy as something that is yet to reach full completion. From a Doylist perspective, you don’t repeat a motif if it is no longer relevant to the ongoing narrative, especially when it is presented in a particular context; in this case, as it’s continuously presented in Jon’s Dance arc.

Mel is the primary person in the current timeline who links the waking of dragons to Azor Ahai, and every time she looks for this hero, she sees Jon!

Yet now she could not even seem to find her king. I pray for a glimpse of Azor Ahai, and R’hllor shows me only Snow. Mel I, ADWD

It’s striking that the last time the idea of dragons waking as part of Azor Ahai’s rise comes up in Jon X, just three chapters before his death.

Melisandre’s face darkened. “That creature is dangerous. Many a time I have glimpsed him in my flames. Sometimes there are skulls about him, and his lips are red with blood.” A wonder you haven’t had the poor man burned. All it would take was a word in the queen’s ear, and Patchface would feed her fires. “You see fools in your fire, but no hint of Stannis?” “When I search for him all I see is snow.” The same useless answer. […] “Would you know if the king was dead?” Jon asked the red priestess. “He is not dead. Stannis is the Lord’s chosen, destined to lead the fight against the dark. I have seen it in the flames, read of it in ancient prophecy. When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone. Dragonstone is the place of smoke and salt.” Jon had heard all this before. “Stannis Baratheon was the Lord of Dragonstone, but he was not born there. He was born at Storm’s End, like his brothers.” He frowned. “And what of Mance? Is he lost as well? What do your fires show?” “The same, I fear. Only snow.” Snow. […] “You are seeing cinders dancing in the updraft.” “I am seeing skulls. And you. I see your face every time I look into the flames. The danger that I warned you of grows very close now.” “Daggers in the dark […]” Jon X, ADWD

This passage not only foreshadows Jon’s impending death, but once again, we see “cinders dancing in the updraft”—a phrase that echoes “snow falls up, and the rain is dry as bone". Both the ACoK prologue and this chapter discuss the waking of dragons, and in both, “snow” is linked to the conditions necessary for such an event. This raises interesting questions about Melisandre’s visions of “smoke and salt”—what exactly did she see?

Regardless, Jon is quite firmly wrapped up in the mysteries surrounding Azor Ahai and the waking of dragons. Not just in this chapter, but a common motif that comes up in his Dance arc is the aspect of sacrifice to wake dragons.

Burning dead children had ceased to trouble Jon Snow; live ones were another matter. Two kings to wake the dragon. The father first and then the son, so both die kings. The words had been murmured by one of the queen’s men as Maester Aemon had cleaned his wounds. Jon had tried to dismiss them as his fever talking. Aemon had demurred. “There is power in a king’s blood,” the old maester had warned, “and better men than Stannis have done worse things than this.” The king can be harsh and unforgiving, aye, but a babe still on the breast? Only a monster would give a living child to the flames. Jon I, ADWD

Much of this revolves around the sacrifice of a living child. Jon sends Mance’s son away with Gilly, believing he’s bypassed such a tragedy. But GRRM has confirmed that Stannis will sacrifice his own daughter, reinforcing the theme of royal blood as a powerful magical catalyst. The prophecies set in stone in the ACoK prologue through Patchface and Shireen are thus mirrored in Jon’s Dance arc.

What’s particularly interesting is how the idea of burning dead children to wake dragons is paralleled by Dany X, when Rhaego was placed in Drogo’s pyre, bringing dragons into the world and “rebirthing” Daenerys as Azor Ahai. Dany had her dragon eggs waiting to be brought to life, but at the Wall, there are no such eggs. So where will the dragon come from? Jon himself questions this:

“That I would speak to Stannis, though I doubt my words will sway him. A king’s first duty is to defend the realm, and Mance attacked it. His Grace is not like to forget that. My father used to say that Stannis Baratheon was a just man. No one has ever said he was forgiving.” Jon paused, frowning. “I would sooner take off Mance’s head myself. He was a man of the Night’s Watch, once. By rights, his life belongs to us.” “Pyp says that Lady Melisandre means to give him to the flames, to work some sorcery.” “Pyp should learn to hold his tongue. I have heard the same from others. King’s blood, to wake a dragon. Where Melisandre thinks to find a sleeping dragon, no one is quite sure. It’s nonsense. Mance’s blood is no more royal than mine own. He has never worn a crown nor sat a throne. He’s a brigand, nothing more. There’s no power in brigand’s blood.” Sam I, AFFC

As of Jon XIII, ADWD, there are no dragon eggs at the Wall. But what we do have is a Targaryen prince—Jon Snow—bleeding out in the snow, growing hard with cold as all memory of warmth flees from him (Bran III, AGoT). Jon himself is the dragon waiting to be woken, a “sleeping dragon” not of stone, but of blood and prophecy. Exactly how he will be woken remains a mystery, but we see a fascinating thread running from ACoK through ADWD regarding Jon’s role in the series’ central conflict.

In the ACoK prologue, Patchface sang of mermaids with spring in their hair, weaving funerary gowns. In ADWD, he sings of these same mermaids blowing seashells to announce the coming of those who have descended into the sea’s depths and emerged alive once more. How intriguing that both of these jingles are framed by discussions of dragons.

“A grey girl on a dying horse. Daggers in the dark. A promised prince, born in smoke and salt. It seems to me that you make nothing but mistakes, my lady. Where is Stannis? What of Rattleshirt and his spearwives? Where is my sister?” “All your questions shall be answered. Look to the skies, Lord Snow. And when you have your answers, send to me. Winter is almost upon us now. I am your only hope.” Jon XIII, ADWD

The first two prophecies have already come to pass. The third, however, still looms over the narrative. Yet, it too will soon reach completion. A crow has now become white as snow—dead. But as in Patchface’s prophecy, he will emerge from under the sea—a dragon reborn, the promised prince who will save his realm.

#this was really only gonna be a one pager that was like: isn't it interesting how patchface's acok prophecies mirror jon in dance?#and then it just spiraled out of control 🫠#anyway its finally out of my hands rfnruifne;ndxwioux #asoiaf #valyrianscrolls #patchface #maester cressen #shireen baratheon #the long night #dragons #azor ahai #jon snow #daenerys targaryen #melisandre of asshai

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heroesrest64 · 3 months ago

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Heroes as Monsters

So this whole idea came from me listening to Epic the Musical religiously over the past few months, as well as a fascination with Greek mythology in general. There was a bunch of research for each of the heroes, but if anyone has any suggestions, I’d love to hear ‘em!

Skyward Sword Link/Sky: Harpy (Born)

A half-bird, half-human monster often associated with storms. The thing that really stuck out to me, and convinced me that Sky would be a harpy was the fact that Harpies are known to snatch up evil people and drag them down to the underworld. To me, this trait was pretty similar to how Sky banished Demise (constantly sealing him away back underground throughout the game)

MC & FS Link/ Four: Gorgon (born) Hyrda (transformation)

Gorgons are humanoid snake creatures known to turn people to stone with just one look. This called to mind Vaati turning the citizens of Hyrule to stone for me, as least. Obviously it’s not Four himself doing these acts, but I thought it was a nice connection. Four would also have another form- a Hyrda transformation that was a blessing from the gods. Pretty much, his life would be the reverse of Minish Cap- a regular gorgon when interacting with people, but turns huge to handle trials set up by the gods and when fighting monsters tend to times his normal size.

LoZ & LoZ:AoL Link/ Hyrule: Nymph (Born)

A nature spirit often compared to fairies. I was specifically thinking about Dryads, but I felt like that would’ve tied him down to one specific tree, which just didn’t feel right to me. Nymphs are often depicted with healing properties, which fits our Hero of Hyrule quite well, methinks. They’re also talented in other magics, which, again, fits Hyrule.

Alttp & LA & OoS & OoA (etc.) Link/ Legend: Satyr (born) & Jackelope (curse)

Starts in Greek mythology are often seen as literal party animals (in more ways than one). However, they’re also known to be quite cunning, quick on their feet, and are nearly never seen without an instrument in hand. While not a perfect match, I felt like these last few traits, at least, fit our Hero of Legend quite well. After his first adventure in this worlds equivalent of ALttP, Legend was cursed to become a jackelope when subjected to dark magic, similar to his bunny form.

Wind Waker Link/ Wind: Siren (Born)

A sea-faring creature known to sing sailors to their dooms and drag them to the bottom of the ocean to be feasted on. Wind definitely has a bit of a musical motif going for him, given the namesake of his game. I also want to note that sirens are thought to live in pods, this familial bond mirroring one of the only Links with more than one known family member to his name, and the whole reason for him starting his journey in the first place.

BotW & TotK Link/ Wild: Centaur (Born)

While most centaurs only live for around 60 years, there is a certain nearly immortal centaur that is of note to me. Chiron, the centaur known for training up a majority of the famous heroes in Greek mythology. He was apparently given immortality to carry on his duties, which reflected the hundred year slumber Wild went through on his own adventure. Other notable traits that sold me on this pairing were Wild’s affinity for horses (he’s one of if not THE only Link who can care for multiple horses), as well as some fanart I’ve seen of him either being a centaur himself or being some sort of lynel hybrid. Unfortunately, I can’t unsee him as some sort of centaur-ish little guy.

Hyrule Warriors Link/ Warriors: Minotaur (Born)

Born as a martyr, the Minotaur is a monster in Greek mythology who never really got a chance. He was thrust into the labyrinth from a young age, forced to fight as entertainment in some cases. Warriors, in the meantime, was a man born with the Sprit of the Hero, and became an object of desire because of it. He was thrust into war because of his spirit which he could not control, forced to fight droves upon droves of monsters and other enemies. Idk, I feel like I don’t need to elaborate that much more.

Twilight Princess Link/ Twilight: Werewolf (born) Cerberus (curse)

There actually aren’t a lot of werewolf’s in Greek mythology- the closest thing would be Lycaon, the king who chopped up his son and served him to Zeus and got cursed into becoming a wolf. However, Teilight is a descendant of Time, who himself is a monster, so I figured I’d give him a little bit of natural monster-ness to him from the get-go. Where the fun really comes in is his curse. Cerberus is the three headed guard dog of Hades, often standing guard at the gates. Seeing as the Twilight Realm is a bit of a hell itself, I thought it made sense for Twilight to be cursed into a creature from the Greek version of Hell. And of course, Cerberus is a very well-known hell hound, it just felt like the obvious pick.

OoT & MM Link/ Time: Typhon (Born)

Typhon is a Giant in Greek mythology born from Gaia, or Mother Earth. He is known as the Father of Monsters and a his name is where we get the word for Typhoons- great and uncontrollable storms. He was also imprisoned in Tartarus after failing to overthrow Zeus. Starting from the first point- in this canon, I feel like Gaia would be the Great Deku Tree, who obviously raised Time from a very young age until his untimely death. As for the father of monsters thing- Time is literally the reason we have three different timelines, each with its own hero to carry on the legacy, and one of them is his flesh and blood descendant. Considering the heroes are all monsters in this au, it would make sense for Time to be considered the Father of Monsters (also side note: Malon is Echidna in this one :). As for the typhoons- Time literally made a paradox surrounding the Song of Storms idk how much more I have to say on this point. As for the last point- I feel like it mirrors Times failure to defeat Ganon initially, and is sort of indicative of his 7 year slumber while he gained more power before trying again. Who knows, maybe Typhon is raring to overthrow Zeus in the coming years lol.

Anyway thank you for coming to my ted talk-

#linked universe #legend of zelda #lu #headcanon #monster #greek mythology

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geshu-lin · 5 months ago

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A Post-Ovathrax AU Geshu Lin design

Tried my best to keep the general essence of his original design whilst making him look more disheveled/"back from the grave." Lore, drafts, and design breakdown under the cut:

First Draft Notes

Tried to keep it somewhat loyal to his initial silhouette, maintaining the necklaces and instead burning up one of his arms (hence bandages). While I did like this draft it still felt kind of wishy washy and not at all like an AU version, just more like Geshu Lin if he unbuttoned his shirt LOL

I also burnt the wrong arm in this draft. Geshu is right-handed...

Second (Final) Draft Notes

On the second draft, I decided that Geshu needed a bit more of a solid design motif; all characters have one. Jiyan, for example, is a dragon, Calcharo's is the Tacet corruption, so on.

Geshu on the other hand, has no real theme (at least, from what we've seen of him), so I took it upon myself to take some creative liberties.

First off, I decided to go with a "cage" sort of theme for his lower half; we can already see this in Geshu's original design, but it's not as heavy-handed about it. I actually doubt it was intentional at all, but given that I already see him as a tragic hero (a man doing his best in a terrible situation, relatively mentally isolated, trapped, etc), I thought it best to enunciate that design aspect to be more "front and center."

Next up, the chains; in my head canon for Post-Ovathrax Geshu Lin, this is sort of a design for also a "post prison-break" Geshu Lin.

Hold on; what prison-break?

As far as the general gist goes, his body was found overclocked and comatose by the Jinzhou government after the events of the Battle Beneath the Cresent. Due to public outcry for his crimes and need for a scapegoat after a countless loss of life, he was put under bare minimum care until he awoke, and then imprisoned off the coast of Huanglong.

One thing led to another, and the Fractsidus caught wind of his presence; they attempted to break him out and sway him to their cause given his already close encounter with a Threnodian and an assumed hatred/need for vengeance against Jinzhou, but the operation ultimately failed and Geshu Lin got away. Little did everyone know, his sacrifice to the black flames essentially burnt away his memories and sense of self identity, so he's also an amnesiac as much as the Rover is.

His chains are used both as weapons and as a way to keep his sword with him. I can imagine him using it almost like a chain mace or a way to "grapple" (lasso?) enemies to him. They're also meant to symbolize how he's chained to his life as a warrior and his past (one that he doesn't even remember, no less).

I'm still wishy-washy on whether the broadblade he carries is The broadblade or not; I reckon it was destroyed in his fight with Ovathrax; or rather, his original broadblade was not a physical weapon, but something his Forte allowed him to manifest into physical form due to his strong sense of self identity/self-confidence (seen in the few second-hand accounts we've had about him); but now that his sense of identity is gone, he cannot manifest the original to much success. For now, his weapons are as much of a shell of their former selves as he is, thus lacking luster or intricacy.

Third, his bandages. You might've noticed these wrap him head to toe (tits to toe really); Geshu acquired these due to the significant burns he sustained on his body during his sacrifice to the black flames. His right arm sustained the brunt of it, but is mainly covered by his huge sleeve. I believe this is intentional by him so he doesn't stick out as much whilst wandering through Huanglong trying to piece together who he was.

Though for the fun of it, here's what that arm looks like:

The rest of his bandaged skin under the bandages looks like normal burn scars. His right arm is mutated due to its proximity to the Threnodian in his final moments, which I like to imagine as capable of inflicting mutations in the bodies of resonators, especially overclocking ones who are already physically vulnerable.

If you want to think about this in an excessively bad-ass manner though, I have an additional headcanon (may or may not be canon to the AU; I think I'll leave it up to interpretation) that his right arm was already severely injured to the point of disintegration by his overclocking; so he ripped an arm straight off of the wings of the Dreamless and took it as his own. In this scenario, the combination of overclocking and absorbing a TD's bodypart as his own is what resulted in the almost complete erasure of his memory.

Also, for the sake of stacking more badassery because why the fuck not, Dreamless' body is already fractured all over during her first manifestation against the Rover and Jiyan. I like to entertain the idea that she ended up this way (and with her core exposed) because of Geshu's initial encounter with Ovathrax and assumedly Dreamless as well.

If you can't already tell, I love this guy too much. That's all for this post though! Thank you for reading if you managed to get through all of this.

#wuthering waves #geshu lin #illustration #wuwa geshu lin #wuwa art #wuthering waves art #wuwa fanart #wuwa au #wuwa lore #geshu art #post ovathrax geshu au

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wsjyuyuyuau · 13 days ago

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Launch (Dragon Ball)

Name: Launch

Series: Dragon Ball

Gender: Female

Status: Alive

Family: The Z Fighters (Chosen Family)

Flower Motif: Chinese Fringe Flower (Loropetalum chinense)

Flower Meaning: Duality

Weapon of Choice: Dual Bladed Spear (The two can combine- blue haired uses the spear as a single blade, blonde haired uses the spear as two blades)

Associated With: Interdimensional Hero Club

Hero Form Appearance: A combo of a feisty warrior’s armor, a gentle mage’s clothes, and YuYuYu’s Hero Form Outfits. The undersuit of the outfit is a surprising choice- a light, pastel green! The main outfit is magenta, which becomes a lighter magenta when you reach the lower half of the sleeves, the lower half of the pants, and the tailcoat. Accent colors include white, black, gray, silver; gold, green, and yellow. The shoes, gloves, and Launch’s signature headband all have patterns of Chinese fringe flowers on them, and the only other accessory is a Chinese fringe flower brooch on Launch’s left breast. The flower’s petal shape can be seen in the tailcoat and collar.

Full Bloom Gauge Location: Right Elbow

Guardian: Windi (Based on the Wendigo from Algonquian Folklore)

Favorite Food: It would have to be Chi Chi’s cooking!

Parallel To: None

Bio: Launch is a woman with a strange disorder which causes her to switch between two different personalities each time she sneezes. Her first personality is a sweet, blue haired woman, who is pure-hearted. Her other personality is an angry, trigger-happy, blonde haired woman, who commits crimes for money and is quick to respond with gunfire when angered. Neither of Launch's personalities remembers the other's actions, or anything they said.

#crossover #shueisha #weekly shonen jump #wsj #yuki yuna au #yuyuyu au #character bio #flower #flowers #launch #db launch #dragon ball #db #dbz #dbs #dragon ball z #dragon ball super #Chinese fringe flower #Loropetalum chinense

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redwebber · 5 months ago

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I fucking love Natlan

I've seen many people complain about how they expected Natlan to be bloodier (even seen some mentions of human sacrifices which seem kinda reductive and disrespectful?) because they are the nation of war, but ngl, as a mexican, I actually really liked how they interpreted and referenced some cultural an mythological stuff!

Some examples:

SPOILERS FOR THE NATLAN QUESTS

•Natlan. I mean, this is an obvious one, but I'm still gonna talk about it lmao. I love the name! Natlan is probably originated from the word Aztlan (Or Aztlán/Aztatlan), the homeplace of Aztecs. The 'Na' I'm assuming is either a referrence to the word 'Nahuatl', the language of the Aztecs, the word 'Nativo', or Native, or the word Nacimiento (Birth). Honestly I lean more towards the last one mostly because, with '-tlan' meaning 'close to' or 'beside' (as with the names of places like Mazatlán, Tenochtitlán, Cuautitlán, among others that still remain to this day), it would come to mean something like 'Close to birth'. And I find that neat as a nation that was at war for so long only to finally find some peace.

•The Archon of War and the sun motifs. The Aztecs venerated Tonatiuh, The Old Sun, and thus were known as the People of the Sun (El Pueblo del Sol para mis amistades mexas). I think this isn't precisely the god being used as a referrence for the current archon, but rather part of the inspiration for Xblanque (who i will talk more about later). Instead, the main god of the Mexicas was Mexi, or as we more commonly know him, Huitzilopochtli, who is the god of War and the young sun.

•Tribe names. While everyone probably remembers the tribes by their nicknames 'Scions of the Canopy', 'Children of the Echoes', 'Collective of Plenty', they actually have names that we can see in the reputation quest screen! That is Nanatzcáyan, Huitztlán, Meztli, Tlalocan, Teteocán, and Mictlan. These names mostly come from the Mexica 13 skies, part of their cosmology which represents the world above where the gods reside. Though while I love the reference, I don't quite see why they chose most of the names here (Except for the one on the next point), since the name meanings don't have anything to do with what the place is about, but oh well...

•The Masters of the Night Wind. I lied a bit on the last point. The Masters of the Night Wind are called Mictlan, which isn't a part of the 13 skies. Rather, it's the Aztec equivalent of the underworld, so it made so much sense for them to be the most connected to the Night-Soul Kingdom!

•The Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame. On that note, the whole 'sending our best warriors to fight in the world of the dead and being able to be rebirthed from flame' thing is also kinda related! In Mexica mythology, warriors that died in combat or in sacrifice were said to go somewhere other than Mictlan. This was Tonatiuhichan (which would be the equivalent of Vallhalla and Elysium if anyone wants a referrence), or the House of the Sun, a place where warriors wouldn't have to feel sadness, pain, or displeasure. In myths, the souls of the warriors accompanied the sun from the moment it rose until its midpoint (hey, kinda like Mavuika and her theme of memory).

Fun fact: Women who died during childbirth were considered to be on the same level as said warriors, as childbirth was considered a form of combat. As such, they are the ones who accompanied the sun from its midpoint until the sun set, singing and fighting as a form of entertainment.

•Tenoch. Ah, yes, the one to select the ancient heroes from the 6 tribes in the game. Tenoch is the namesake of Tenochtitlan, Mexico City's ancient name. Tenoch was said to be the last cuāuhtlahtoh, who were the leaders of the Mexica as they travelled from Aztlan to the Mexican Valley. He was also the first one to do the first Fuego Nuevo Ceremony and- heeeey, doesn't that sound familiar?

•The Sacred Flame. I admit, this one is actually one I only learned recently when I was investigating Tenoch because I actually didn't know much about him. The Fuego Nuevo, or New Fire reminded me of the sacred flame! Essentially, the ceremony represented the start of a new cycle, a sort of rebirth, which is another one of Natlan's core themes. In this ceremony, among many other things, they burned statues of the gods in sacrifice, and common people burned their old belongings and any physical representation of their gods, cleaning their houses thoroughly. The priests would go on a pilgrimage to the top of the Huixachtecatl, where they would light a hearth. This fire would then be shared onto the main temples! Thus, the New Fire means rebirth, just like how the Sacred Flame brings back the heroes.

•Och-kan and Ochkanatlan. This one is more speculation, but I wonder if the 'Och' is a reference to Tenoch too. As said before, Tenoch is the namesake of Tenochtitlan, which was named that by Tenoch's successor Acamapichtli. Thus, clould it be that Ochkanatlan stands for Tenochtitlan as an ancient form of Natlan standing for Mexican-adyancent? And Och-kan was, I believe (but correct me if im wrong because I do not remember lmao), the last king of Ochkanatlan, just like Tenoch was the last cuāuhtlahtoh? Wow, too much theorizing, my brain hurts.

•Och-kan part 2: Electric Bugaloo. Wait a damn minute. Cocouik is a little bird-like thing that represents the mind and turns into a full on dragon (named Och-kan, whatever, name isn't as relevant in this second theory of mind). In mexica mythology, Quetzalcoatl is the feathered serpent (Often represented as your typical feathered amphitere dragon, which is symbolized by the quetzal). Quetzalcoatl is the god creator of men and god of light (among other stuff) who famously fought against Tezcatlipoca, the god of darkness, magic and war, kind of how Cocouik and Bona were fighting against the dragon of the city of ash in order to reach the altar of the primal flame. One might also nickname Quetzalcoatl as Coco. Am I tripping? Perhaps. Uhhhh back to the regular schedule.

•Obsidian. Those paying close attention to Natlan's worldbuilding might see obsidian popping up again and again! This is because obsidian was highly valuable to ancient mesoamerican cultures. It was used in everything, from making cutting tools, to weapons, jewelry, art, and yes, religious purposes! Obsidian was thought to be the blood of the Earth and was used for bloodletting, statues of the gods, etc. which is why I find it especially fascinating that ancient names are made out of it. Plus all the Waylob Obsidian totems!

•Relay Ball. Some of you might be aware of the Relay Ball mechanic in the game! Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if this is inspired by the Mesoamerican Juego de Pelota/Ball game, an ancient sport where players struck a ball made out of rubber to send it through a hoop of stone! Dunno, just look at them pictures!

•Natlan food! While there's probably more that I didn't notice, the three main ones I remember are Chocolate, Xocoatl, and, of course, the tatacos. First off Xocoatl in the game is based of Xocolatl, which is a form of ancient hot chocolate made out of water and cacao the mexicas used to drink, particularly nobles and warriors. Next off is chocolate, which I was surprised to see! For some reason, I never see people talk about the fact that Chocolate actually originates from ancient Mexico, it was a treat to see (pun intended). Finally, tatacos. While it's obvious that these are tacos, I find it so cool that they actually didn't go for the meat ones but rather the ones made from shrimp from Ensenada! They are soooo good!

•Names names names! There's so many references in the names of many characters in the story! From Citlali, Granny Iztli (ik they're the same but the meaning has different origins!), Kinich, Xilonen, Chasca, etc. As well as the names of some of the places! Really, it's a treat reading through the story and seeing a name of an origin I recognize.

•Not exactly Natlan but I looove this hoyoverse Dia de Muertos post. The Cempasúchil? The papel picado? The catrin and the alebrijes??? I so hope they make an event similar to this next october/november!

That's all I'm including in my post, but there's so many things I didn't mention because I'm on my migraine arc. Hopefully this post gave you a bit of insight on some ways the game did represent our culture beyond the typical 'human-sacrificing savages' outlook. I loved Natlan and, though I wish we had darker-skinned playable characters (Sumeru fans 🤝 Natlan fans) and that the characters were voiced (What I get for being an English player), I do see that they dug pretty deep in our mythology and culture to create Natlan. I'd love to hear what other things you loved about the nation, or what things from your own culture you noticed! After all, ancient mexico is just one of several cultures used as inspiration. That's it from me, maybe I'll be back if I notice something particularly cool that I didn't mention. Have a great day!

#genshin impact #natlan #natlan archon quest #mexico #mexica #tenochtitlan #god i love this game #aztec mythology #mexica mythology #genshin impact spoilers

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