#i was like girl i'm sorry idk i don't go here gvskdjs

[slightlyrebelliouswriter23]

Hey so I’m confused about nevermore like… what is it’s actual purpose?

so i believe Nevermore was originally intended as a medicine for faeries living in the mortal world so they could withstand the high iron concentration in the atmosphere around cities. my sources have told me this is discussed at greater lengths in Modern Faerie Tales (particularly Valiant?), though i have not actually read the series myself.

in TFOTA, however, it appears to be used recreationally:

“[...] nevermore, a glittering golden powder so concentrated that it stupefies faeries and gives mortals the ability to glamour one another.” –The Cruel Prince, Ch. 12

there are some who suggest this difference is just an instance where Holly had an idea of what Nevermore was for MFT, and that idea morphed into something else later when she was writing TFOTA. that the difference is primarily just a world-building inconsistency due to The Passage Of Time(TM).

and while the former might be true, i'd argue that Nevermore, within the context of two separate cultures, would in fact serve different purposes.

i'll use the analogy of ADHD stimulant medication (since i am ADHD so it's my prerogative).

if someone with ADHD takes Adderall, it is a medication, because Adderall chemically balances something in their body which is inhibiting their everyday life (lack of dopamine, if you didn't know).

if someone without ADHD takes Adderall, they will experience a high. a stupefication, if you will. because they already have sufficient dopamine, and Adderall provides an influx of dopamine.

similarly, in the mortal world, faeries must chemically balance their systems to tolerate iron because human cities use iron in abundance. to do this, faeries living in the mortal word take Nevermore as a medication to balance the negative effects iron has on their bodies.

on the Shifting Isles of Elfhame, however, there is presumably zero iron. or at least very little of it since iron could potentially occur naturally in their environment. regardless, the people living on the islands don't need Nevermore to nullify an excess of iron in their systems, and therefore, Nevermore produces a drug-like effect in faeries as well as humans.

the reason it is still consistent is because we are receiving information about Nevermore from biased characters living in two separate cultures, who might not know how it is used in other Faerie cultures.

–Em 🖤🗡️

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