#i know SOMEONE in my grandfather/great grandfather/etc line died mysteriously at sea and one also died right after my birth

[mallach]

doing college stuff scholarships etc etc reminds me of how fucking ludicrously hilarious my ethnicity and familial line is. -maternal grandfather is from SOMEWHERE in yugoslavia but my mother apparently just never fucking knew where specifically which in like. regards to yugoslavia in particular is kinda fucking important like the place doesnt fucking exist anymore and i dont know where the FUCK he wouldve been from now. -no earthly fucking clue what tribe my argentinian native... great? great great? grandmother was despite it being, obviously, very important to that side of the family considering that entire side were all forreal respected spiritualists. my best guess is 'one somewhere near buenos aires, maybe?' and 'one somewhere... north..?'. -literal no fucking clue what my biological peepaws ethnicity is outside of 'ASIAN' bc my mother doesnt fucking kn

[thereluctantinquisitor]

Sorry @frenchy-and-the-sea​ but Tumblr keeps ruining my read more attempts if I dare to save a post as a draft or edit it... anyway here it is again but with the PROMISED CUT in the right place:

Permission to ramble about Ciphers? Why THANK you! Mostly under the cut because that’s how I [try to] roll these days.

Ciphers

So, a Cipher is basically a rare individual who is able to learn languages at a ridiculous rate, only needing to be taught words and phrases once before they are dedicated to memory. It is a hereditary skill, and there are nine Cipher families currently in operation, which is down from what used to be over twenty In some cases, the ability just disappeared suddenly. In others, the Cipher died before having children and it never manifested again. In others, it skipped too many generations and was effectively ‘lost’ because, even if it did reappear, no one was actively looking for or fostering the ability and it just sorta… flew under the radar.

Ciphers generally have a pretty straightforward life-path. They are born, their ability is discovered at a young age (typically by their Cipher parent, who will test their ability to learn language periodically). The first years of their life are largely dedicated to the explicit teaching of all the languages known by their family, which can vary based on location, exposure and issues mentioned in the previous paragraph. Then, when they are old enough, they go to work for a member of the nobility (royalty, lords and ladies, etc.) who will act as their patron until they grow old enough to tire and be replaced by the next Cipher in their line.

In the earlier days after the Divide, Ciphers played an extremely vital role in translating and deciphering texts, documents and inscriptions, determining what should be kept of the old world and what should be destroyed. They were essentially the gatekeepers of information, as they were the only ones who could actually understand what was written, and if the language was utterly unknown, they had the best chance of decoding it based on languages that share geographic and  linguistic similarities. They were also key players as the world began to establish its new order, privy to the highest meetings and negotiations, serving as trusted translators between royalty as the kingdoms began to form. They were, essentially, essential.

However, almost 600 years post-Divide, things have changed. Trade Tongue was developed in the mid-second century, which has opened communication significantly across the known world. Languages have also consolidated considerably, particularly with the expansion of the Khathi Empire, meaning there are fewer one must learn in order to serve as a functional translator. Majority of texts have been located, decoded, and sent away to the various archives to be locked in dusty rooms. Basically, Ciphers have found themselves in a world that has largely outgrown them. They are a convenience, rather than a necessity. Where they used to deal with incredible artefacts of the past, tasked with uncovering lost knowledge, they are now more likely to be found performing general bureaucratic services to ‘earn their keep’.

The tradition of patronage has continued largely due to the generational bond formed between Cipher families and their noble patrons (who often remain loyal to a single Cipher family, and visa versa). This allows current Ciphers to still live comfortably, but there is no real prestige associated with their abilities anymore. In fact, they are often actively disliked, as when their services do happen to be required, their patron sets the price (and that price is usually very high). So, many now view Ciphers as little more than lapdogs whose main function is to line their patron’s pocket. And they’re really not wrong.

Delver is the only active Cipher who lacks a patron. He basically acts as a freelancer, strutting around the kingdoms, spreading word when he is in the area. His general practice is to undercut the local cipher for work needed by the lower classes, and overcharge the nobility for his discretion (given his lack of affiliation). He is also from the only Cipher family where the ability has not skipped a generation, but that comes with its own cost that has only recently begun to manifest. There are theories that the Cipher ability skips generations as a kind of biological safety mechanism, as over time having that many languages at your fingertips can become overwhelming for any one mind. If a generation was skipped, the Cipher’s knowledge had to be consolidated and written down as best as possible, all while maintaining regular day to day work and duties. As a result, a lot tended to slip between the cracks, and often large portions of knowledge were lost in the process. While this meant that less languages were passed on when the ability reappeared, it alleviated some of the strain on the individual’s mind. There had been no real consequences for Delver’s line until his great-great grandfather, who was said to have gone mad in his seventies. Then his great grandmother, at about the same age. Then his grandfather, in his late fifties. Then his mother, in her early forties.

TBH I know it’s nothing particularly exciting on paper, but I think what excites me about the whole prospect is because I like the idea of change, and how time and development causes people and places and skills to fall in and out of favour. The joy I get out of it is writing from the perspective of someone who is trapped in a place of impotent bitterness, and how that jaded feeling changes the way he approaches the world. Delver longs for a challenge - dreams of the days when everything was mysterious and exciting, and people looked to Ciphers as links between the past and the present. Now, people just look to him for a seal and a signature, and he desperately wants to be more than that.