#impact analysis

[garymdm]

The Power of Automated Data Lineage: Validating Data Pipelines with Confidence

Introduction In today’s data-driven world, organizations rely on data pipelines to collect, process, and deliver data for crucial business decisions. However, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of these pipelines can be a daunting task. This is where automated data lineage comes into play, offering a solution to validate data pipelines with confidence. In this blog post, we will explore the…

[finisnihil]

Zhongli is interesting to me because he’s very much an outlier among the other Archons.

All the Archons have some sort of “twin” except Zhongli. Ei and Makoto, Venti and the Nameless Bard, Nahida and Rukkadevata, and Furina and Focalors. One could argue Guizhong is his “twin” but I heavily disagree because the Archon “twin” is directly related to the identity of the Archon. Ei and Makoto were twins, Nahida was a new iteration of Rukkadevata, Focalors and Furina are the divine and the human sides of the same person, and Venti directly took on the identity of the Bard. Adding on, the “twin” usually dies. All this implies two possibilities. Zhongli either never had a “twin” or his “twin” was already rendered deceased long ago. Either way both of these imply he’s different from the others on a level we don’t know.

Next: his draconic motifs. His Exuvia form was a dragon (some translations I’ve seen Half-Dragon, Half-Qilin) and his character design is very heavily based in this draconic identity. Further still, no other Archon so far has this motif. They are associated WITH dragons sure, Venti and Dvalin, Nahida and Apep, Furina and Neuvillette, but no other Archon is depicted with both divine and draconic motifs. There’s theories about Zhongli being or related to the Geo Dragon Sovereign for a reason. In his ascension voicelines he comments on his power growing stronger which isn’t unusual that’s the point of them but the giving up of his Gnosis makes his odd because it almost seems like the removal of the Gnosis was suppressing an aspect of his power, possibly a draconic power. Even when his divine identity was mostly shed his draconic aspects remain.

Finally, the cubes. All the other Archons in their statues have a circle motif. Venti and Rukkadevata/Nahida old some sort of orb, Makoto/Ei has her circle behind her and Focalors/Furina holds a sword with circular designs. Zhongli, however, holds a cube. Not just any cube either, a cube that is reminiscent of the Heavenly Principles who kidnap the Traveler’s Sibling at the start of the game. Add to this Zhongli weird connections to Celestia/The Heavenly Principles, his weird motif with the sun and the whole sun chariot lore, his Archaic nature and unknown origins, it’s extremely odd.

Zhongli is one of my favorites because he definitely knows more than he’s able to tell and he’s so different in the pattern of the Archons. Anyways feel free to give thoughts, have a great day, mwah!

[torusdove]

These men would happily watch any Barbie movie with you. Will they admit that? No, absolutely not. Will they, however, watch the film from beginning to end without missing even a single second? Yes, absolutely.

They might've been skeptical the first time you offered it, but overtime they didn't complain and instead.. fully enjoyed the new Friday tradition. In fact, if you get into bed and put something else on, they might ask you themselves to put on a Barbie film instead.

"You enjoy them wholeheartedly, sweetheart. I like spending time with you regardless of what we're doing."

They're full of crap, and you know this too. Still, they're your own little princesses which you'd do anything for to amuse them.

That includes "believing" them when they tell you they enjoy watching the films for you, and not themselves.

Satoru Gojo, Yuuji Itadori, Choso, Tetsurō Kurō, Tadashi Yamaguchi (he does admit it, though), Tōru Oikawa, Takahiro Hanamaki, Kōtarō Bokuto, Rintarō Suna, Atsumu Miya, Kazuha, Thoma, Childe, Kaeya, Itto, Rafayel (lnd) + your favourite.

[infradapt]

The Importance of Business Impact Analysis (BIA)

As the name signifies, a BIA quantifies the impact of a cyber disruption on your business. It doesn’t matter if the disruption happens because of an internet outage or a severe breach — a BIA covers it all. A business impact analysis lays the foundation for a strong business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) strategy as well as a data security and compliance program.

  For BCDR

Once a BIA identifies business-critical functions, protecting them with industry-best solutions and strategies ensures quick recovery and business continuity.

  For a Compliance Program

A BIA helps find gaps in your current compliance agreements and ensures compliance with cyber liability insurance policies and other relevant policies.

  For Data Security

One of the most important aspects of a BIA is tracking the flow of sensitive data, both at rest and in transit. Providing the necessary security is then easy.

  All of the above are equally important proactive and reactive tools to protect data, uptime, revenue and reputation. It’s crucial to remember that BIA isn’t a one-and-done process. You must conduct regular BIAs and apply the results within your business to stay ahead of the curve.

  Something we often see many businesses do is confuse a BIA with a risk assessment. While a risk assessment lets you know your business’ risks, a BIA helps you deduce how quickly things must get back on track after an incident.

  Components of BIA

A few vital components of a BIA are:

Recovery Point Objective (RPO)

RPO is usually measured in seconds and represents the amount of work that can be lost in the event of a disruption. Loss of work beyond this limit can cause significant damage to the business.

  Maximum Allowable Downtime (MAD)

MAD represents the duration after a disruption event beyond which the impact caused by zero/minimal output becomes severe.

  Dependencies

A BIA can be used to determine the dependencies of business processes and systems. It lets you prioritize the resources that need quick recovery so that you know which functions or processes need to be restored first in the event of downtime. Always prioritize a business function over others if multiple processes depend on it to be operational.

  It’s possible to have dependencies regarding vendors essential to restoring systems and functions. This includes IT vendors, ISPs, etc., all of which must be documented in the BIA.

Business Impact

As we discovered earlier, a BIA identifies your business’ most essential functions. It helps uncover vital business processes, the crucial resources within these processes and the critical systems involved.

  BIA: Best Practices

While adopting regular BIA, consider the following best practices:

Executive sponsorship and commitment.

If a BIA framework has sponsorship, there’s an endorsement from a top-level executive who will oversee and help it progress.

  In the absence of executive sponsorship, your company could conduct a BIA, run regular risk assessments and look excellent on paper, but end up letting severe vulnerabilities seep in through the cracks unchecked.

  Consult with experts to establish recovery timeframes.

Recovery timeframes, such as RPO, MAD and more, must be accurately defined for a BIA. There’s no room for error, so it’s advisable that you as well as your IT team seek expert help.

  Use objective criteria to identify critical functions.

Always use objective criteria to identify crucial processes, systems and functions. If you rely on the opinions of managers, every one of them will say their own undertaking is critical.

  Integrate BIA results with training programs.

Make sure you communicate insights from a BIA through regular training sessions. For example, once you identify business-critical functions, create a training session emphasizing what your employees can and cannot do to ensure functional safety.

Partner for Success

Regardless of your industry and business size, it’s your responsibility to regularly conduct a BIA. Remember that an effective BIA acts as a foundation of resiliency and business continuity. If the idea of being responsible for your business’s BIA is intimidating, don’t worry. With our team in your corner, you don’t have to go through the process alone.

  Our expertise in handling BIA is at your service when you need it most. You can easily hand over BIA matters to a trusted partner like us and enjoy peace of mind while you focus on your business. Contact us now for a comprehensive and holistic BIA.

  https://www.infradapt.com/news/61080-2/

[erros429]

something that irks me so bad are those people who argue that the red dragon fight is when the REAL dungeon meshi starts. like all that character establishment and worldbuilding and relationship development from the first 11 episodes are all skippable, and the only important thing about them is that they litter a bit of context for the viewer. but once you get to episode 12 is when you REALLY need to lock in.

and i just. vehemently disagree with that sentiment so much. the death of filler has tragically ruined the way we engage with media. because why the FUCK would i care about the red dragon fight if i didn’t already love the characters and appreciate their motivation for the fight in the first place? like yea, laios wanting to save his sister and marcille wanting to save her best friend are fine motivations on paper, but i honestly wouldn’t give a shit about falin surviving if i did not watch those first 11 episodes of these characters’ painstaking determination to get her back.

the execution of it all was perfect because those expository episodes were also perfect. and we should not devalue them simply because the red dragon fight was the turning point/tone shift for the overall narrative.

[akko-kagori]

the more I write the Diluc character analysis the more I realize just how much of a bleeding heart Diluc actually is

once you pull back the layers you realize that every action is fueled by a desire to help others and his compassion

Like seriously even down to running the winery

Adeline says that Diluc "isn't all about money" and wants to expand the number of non alcoholic drinks he sells so that people have more options when they're drinking and people who can't have alcohol can still have a wide variety of drink to choose from

Plus in his letter he says this

in Mona's voiceline about him she says

And he says himself in one of his voice lines

he's a martyr, constantly facing the world's evils and bearing the scars so that others don't have to, so that no one else has to have their innocence ripped away from them like he did. Never being able to slow down, relax for a single moment because every second that he spends resting is another moment for someone else to be hurt, for someone else to be killed, or for him to lose those he loves.

I know that people always crack jokes about this and view him being so against small talk as him being an asshole or arrogant, but here's the thing: small talk is a time waster, something you do to pass the time and keep up appearances, but he doesn't have the time for that. To him, he can't idly chat, because every second he wastes in a conversation going no where is another second he could be out, preventing another tragedy.

Not convinced?

he literally says it in his teapot voice lines

[wandering-tides]

People always rank either Ei or Zhongli (or both) above Venti in power rankings. Like, who is the strongest archon? There are always two answers: Morax or Beelzebul. Never Barbatos.

I like to think otherwise.

This guy has cut mountains with his winds and thrown them so far away into the sea, made winter disappear and turned Mond into what it is today: from a barren rocky land that used to be filled with snow and raging blizzards into this green plain field with gentle winds where agriculture is so much easier then it ever was back then. I don't think people of Old Mond could have ever imagined for Mond to turn into what it is today.

But he still calls himself weak. And people took that to face value. And some still do despite it being proven otherwise by Nahida.

Venti said that an archon derives their power from ruling over their nation. But Nahida denies this later and says that archons gain their power through the faith of the people.

Clearly, Venti lied to us.

And if we go by what Nahida said,,,, Every freakin person in Mond has faith in the Anemo archon. They sing praises of him despite not having been in the presence of their god for 5 centuries. He has a statue and a Cathedral (who else has that?).

So, Venti is Strong.

Remember his gnosis is in the shape of a queen chess piece? Queen has the most freedom on the board. Venti's ideals are freedom. And his element is anemo. Anemo is the free-est element out there.

He might as well suck the air out of your lungs if he so wants to. He governs over it.

My point is, Venti is overpowered.

And let's not forget how that little wind wisp gained archon hood.

It was his desire to protect that helped him into becoming a god. When the nameless bard died, he felt the need to protect whats left. To protect what his friend died fighting for.

And its a pretty cliche concept out their about how a hero grows stronger, in any story. Its their need to protect. Right?

And Venti still wants to protect Mond- despite him saying otherwise. He shows up everytime Mond is in danger. Whether directly or indirectly, he always helps out.

So here is what I think. The reason why he calls himself weak.

Its because he is so strong, strong enough to scare Celestia. So Celestia has put him on some sort of leash. He can't use his powers in it's entirety. There is probably some sort of seal.

So Venti is weak.

Because he can't use all of his powers. Because he is chained to Celestia's whim.

Venti is weakest of the seven because he is the only one who has some sort of leash on him.

The god of freedom, chained.

Plus, it can definitely not be a coincidence that the defiled statue was of Barbatos, out of all the seven. Chained, hanging up-side down and corrupted.

And the fact that the abyss order was going to use Barbatos (chained) statue to create a machine to "topple the divine thrones of Celestia."

None of that can be a coincidence. Knowing hoyoverse, it definitely isn't.

So yeah. Venti is definitely not weak. He just can't use the full extent of his powers as of right now.

Venti is strong, but also weak. If he isn't chained- he is easily the strongest.

He can slice the mountains and throw them far into sea- if Zhongli throws a big peice of meteor on him, venti should be able to cut it in half too. if he has all his power on him that is.

I really hate it when people call him weak just because he said so himself. Especially when it's been proven that we shouldn't take his words to face value.

He is not like our sweet little Nahida, people.

[dosshie]

my mom, that studied african religion for more than a decade and is part of umbanda, live reaction to ororon and iansan:

"I don't care if you make them white with blue eyes, at least study the gods you're basing them from!!!!"

im too afraid of twitter so imma post this here, but for short: the skin color is not the only problem! lol

i asked my mom who is very knowledgeable of the religion for her opinions and this is what we talked!! please don't take this post as an flawless analysis, you should also hear the opinions of people from umbanda, candomblé, and specially from nigeria. i'm mainly doing this because this religion barely gets any representation at all, so this will be the first time many people will be introduced to this culture and while i'm happy that it's included in a game that i play, it's important to recognize its shortcomings, anyway enough rambling!

for iansan, her character is based on iansã, the orixá (deity/god) of the winds and storms, she is seen as a warrior and is associated with the color red

she said that they easily could've given her buffalo horns on her mask, since iansã's animal is the buffalo (tho i know some people may think this is insensitive since yknow, giving one of the few dark-skinned charactes an animal skull doesn't look very good), the other thing she said is that they could've given her some braids in her hair, because in history thats what iansã and her army used to wear when they were going in combat (which was like, VERY on point??? i didnt tell her natlan was the nation of war beforehand)

other than that she didn't gave much imput, probably because her design does look like someone who fights

now, as for ororon... he is based on olorum, the orixá closest to a god/creator, and is commonly associated with...... the color white..... and one of his visual features is his staff

she said that they could've easily given him light hair/eyes, for her ororon doesn't seem to resemble olorum in the slightest, i also asked jokingly what she thought about him being a wolfboy and she said that it was fine lol

she asked me what power (vision/weapon) they gave to him and i said that i didn't know, but from the leaks they said that he's a bow character, and she immediately said that they made logunedé, in her words: "HE'S A HUNTER AND HE LOOKS A BIT SISSY, IT'S LOGUMEDÉ!"

logumedé is the son of the orixás oxóssi and oxum, he is a hunter like his father and takes care of his looks like his mother* (that's why she called him sissy LOL), his weapon is the bow, his colors are blue and yellow and he's associated with the animal peacock, which was what made my mom make that connection, ororon's scarf reminded her a lot of a peacock feather

*the word used here is vaidoso but... that doesn't exist in english lmao?? the closest we have is "vain" but vain is much more akin to superficial, which is not a synonymous of vaidoso, so yeah, weird translation quirk here, vaidoso means that you care of yourself/your looks because they are important to you

erhmmm anyway 1 like and i'll redesign them based on the actual orixás (/hj i still have artfight attacks to finish lmao)

[luniviravosshipper]

Okay, so this is going to be a very low effort post because it’s late where I am and I’m tired, but I honestly really want to talk about this so I’m going to anyways.

So. About Sol Regem eating Pharos.

This is most definitely one of my most favorite scenes and moments in the show for many different reasons. But one of the many aspects I thought was great about it was that it did the opposite of ‘tell no show’.

The show has been hinting for ages how the dragons see the humans and elves as ants for them to stomp on or to toss around. It’s always been implied or explicitly said. There’s several moments in the show where we see the dragons threatening the lives of the main cast whenever they are even slightly displeased with them. All in all, they see them as just small things that they can disregard the lives of whenever.

Although they perhaps have more of a bias against humans, in general they look down upon both humans and elves and view them as less then. They don’t value their lives because they find their lives to be so short and them to be so minuscule in comparison to them.

And yet when we finally get to see a dragon prove this sentiment by literally eating someone, they end up choking. It’s only fitting for a dragon who believes himself to be so powerful and shows absolutely no remorse for harming the lives of others around him to end up dying literally by doing just that. His pride and arrogance, as Aaravos calls it, finally caught up to him. And in a way, as awful as it probably was for Aaravos to basically sacrifice Pharos here, it helped prove a point. It proved Aaravos’s whole argument regarding the dragons, and how selfish and apathetic they are. How they do not care about life. In this situation in particular, Sol Regem did this knowing that Pharos wasn’t the real body of Aaravos and that he was only manifesting himself through him and still ate him rashly and in a fit of rage, not even considering for a moment that he’s hurting this other person and not even remotely doing anything to harm Aaravos. If anything, again, he only helped his argument.

(I can talk about this more in another post, but I just realized that it’s also ironic how much Sol Regem hated humans because he thought they took life and showed no care for it when that’s literally all that he does. And I think that specifically is actually what Aaravos was kind of trying to prove all along. His personal vendetta against him started off with him wanting to get back at him for ratting out his daughter for sharing magic with humans, but I can imagine that after he discovered dark magic it started to shift and became more so about proving to Sol Regem that he simply had no place in general to judge dark magic or humans who use it.)

This works very well thematically and really helps to better shape the viewers understanding of the role the dragons take in the world building of this universe. As these creatures who have been put into positions of power throughout Xadia’s history, not because of what knowledge or wisdom they have or because of some special capabilities that they possess that others don’t, but because they’re so feared. They’re these big, angry, and violent creatures that everyone has just grown too fearful of to actually face.

And when we’re finally shown why they have been so feared, we see one of them face the consequences of his own actions within the very same moment he acts. And it’s great.

[seri-tonin]

I keep seeing people say that Kaveh and Alhaitham are incompatible and I'm just like... no u don't get it. They are so compatible that I'm convinced they're literally made for each other. They're both so incredibly stubborn but underneath all the bickering, they clearly have a ton of respect for each other and recognize each other's intelligence. It's because of both that mutual respect and their directly opposing worldviews and ideals that make them both pretty much the only people that are capable of influencing good and meaningful change in the other. Kaveh brings the empathy and artistry that Alhaitham needs while Alhaitham keeps Kaveh grounded. Alhaitham always seems so much more relaxed in every scene where he interacts with Kaveh. Alhaitham is pretty much the only person that Kaveh doesn't feel the need to go full people-pleaser with (excluding the occasional client that really manages to piss him off). They're actually perfect for each other.

[aconstantstateofbladerunner]

Genuinely I think at least 80% of fandom toxicity would vanish overnight if people stopped seeing shipping as the primary way of engaging with media.

I would also personally have more fun and that is the real issue here.

[jayladfanpage]

I think that because a lot of people don't read the original '80s comics this ends up getting lost in comic retcons, but a very important characteristic of Robin!Jason, that has been changed to better fit the narrative that he's a villain, is that Jason had unwavering and complete trust in Bruce and in the Batman mythos.

In the original comics he constantly looks to Bruce for guidance, orders, or generally Bruce's opinions. Jason does not, when he is Robin, at any point doubt Bruce's ability to save people or Bruce's kindness, and that is what makes under the Red Hood so tragic, because Jason never once even considered the possibility that Bruce didn't love him or wouldn't be there for him, and then Bruce proved him wrong. The reason why Jason was so heartbroken at the thought of there being a new Robin and at Joker still being alive is that there wasn't a single sliver of doubt in his heart when he died that Bruce was going to avenge him.

Ps: I know Bruce loves Jason very much. Jason, in UTRH, does not know that.

[alfreedomm]

Wriothesley's lore and his relationship to Neuvillette and justice is so interesting to me because let's be real: the justice system failed him. He was brought up in a foster home where he was intended to be sold in the black market. And when he ran away, why was his solution to return and kill them? Why not inform the police? One can argue he was afraid but usually you'd try every other option before resorting to murder, yes?

And when he succeeds in killing them. He's sentenced to prison, where he is forced to spend the rest of his teen years (so, a child), and the start of his adulthood. And when his sentence is over, he doesn't even leave but take over the title of warden. He literally takes over the title of warden the day his sentence is over. That is severely fucked, like so severely fucked.

So it makes me wonder where was Neuvillette and Furina in all of this? Furina left the room in the middle of Wriothesley's trial for unspecified reasons (Wriothesley interpreted it as she found his case uninteresting, though headcanons say otherwise) and despite everyone in the room finding Wriothesley innocent, Neuvillette still finds him guilty. And you can't argue that it's cause Wriothesley wanted to be found guilty, like objectively let's look at this: he was a victim of abuse killing his abusers in self-defense. Is Neuvillette that obtuse?

I wanna know what Wriothesley thought of Neuvillette in that moment. I really feel like it needs to be addressed that Neuvillette failed Wriothesley and others like him. He is the second highest authority in Fontaine, yet the only thing he could do for Wriothesley when he was homeless as a child was allow a melusine to offer him soup? That's it? Did knowing that there's starving, homeless kids on the street spark no other interest? No implications of Fontaine's society and their quality of life?

I refuse to believe that Neuvillette let the melusine give him soup because it was Wriothesley, because that would mean he was aware of his background and did nothing. He did nothing until it was too late and Wriothesley had to take matters into his own hands. I personally see it as, he lets melusines offer help to those in need, which isn't better, but is better than him actively knowing that Wriothesley was homeless, starving, and running away from an abusive home and did nothing but allowed him one meal one night. Nevermind any other nights Wriothesley could've been starving. Nevermind what he had to endure on the streets as a child, scouring for money and safety. He couldn't offer him anywhere to stay or a job or something that can better Wriothesley's quality of life in the longterm -- he is the Iudex. He has the power to do so.

I still think that Neuvillette cares. But I also think he's extremely ignorant. And I don't fault Wriothesley for believing that Neuvillette wasn't concerned about him -- I think he has every right to think so cause Neuvillette failed him when he needed him most and has not shown him a reason to think otherwise. Every instance of Neuvillette's care is never directly shown to Wriothesley but to everyone else around him.

Anyways, I just find it really sad to think about, and I think Wriothesley deserved better for his own story and I wish the narrative didn't gloss over it like "oh but Neuvillette does care" because does he? Emotionally, maybe, but did Neuvillette make any real positive difference to Wriothesley's life?

…So that's why I think the headcanon that Neuvillette personally made the soup that the melusine gave to Wriothesley isn't as sweet as you think it is.

[stainedglassthreads]

The Traveler being around is probably good for Furina. In Marcel's trial, we see Melus and Silver speculate on why Furina's suddenly taking everything way more seriously--and they think it's either because the Traveler humiliated her, or because she's so embarrassed and horrified by pressing charges against an innocent.

In a way, I feel like the people of Fontaine kinda encourage Furina to act as she does--spoiled and immature, dumping responsibility on Neuvilette and the Oratrice. But she also encourages them to not question the justice system, by struggling so hard to put on a show and save face. It's something of a vicious cycle. The people treat her as a celebrity and only really expect her to amuse and reassure them, not actually DO anything. So she's encouraged to act like a bratty and spoiled child. But the Traveler being around is someone who's NOT impressed or amused by her--and, even better, they're someone she really, really does WANT to impress, who she greatly respects. The Traveler will treat Furina as a person and an Archon, and force her to take responsibility for her people and actions. 'Cause like, she sucks at her job and needs to either take responsibility or find a way to retire like Zhongli. But also I feel like she's probably kinda lonely.

Like. Venti and Zhongli are highly respected and beloved by their people, and are the most proactive and responsible with their roles, at least in the present day. They're also the most oldest of the Archons, so they are the most experienced. It makes sense.

Ei, Nahida, and Furina, though, all seem to be foils of each other to varying extents. While Zhongli and Venti rule their country from behind the scenes, the three younger Archons initially appear to be in positions of power and authority...but aren't really.

Ei has a great deal of power and authority, and is feared or respected by most of her people. But due to her grief over the losses of Makoto and her generals, she has given up responsibility and stopped caring what her people want. She orders Visions be collected and does the war against the Resistance, but she's not really...present, letting the Raiden Shogun and the Tenryou commission run things. She knows the Fatui are in Inazuma apparently, but doesn't seem to care. Only when the Traveler and Yae Miko beat/talk sense into her does she really start to act like a leader and try fixing her mistakes. Up until that point, Ei has been isolating herself.

On the other hand, the Akademiya were grieving Rukkhadevata so much that they forcibly rejected, isolated, and imprisoned Nahida. She did her best to interact with her people and help them when she could, but she wasn't really allowed to rule, and lacked the power and authority she needed to properly lead Sumeru. Largely, Nahida only needed more confidence, and to be believed in--she was already much more mature than Ei or Furina were.

Ei is treated as an Archon, but lacks the maturity of one. Nahida had maturity and a sense of responsibility, but people didn't treat her as an Archon until Rukkhadevata was erased from memory. Furina inherits the worst of both Ei and Nahida's positions and personalities. She lacks the maturity of an Archon, but also no one actually treats her as one. When the Oratrice malfunctions people turn to her for reassurances...but really, the Oratrice seems like way more of a God to them than she ever was. It's not Furina who is the final authority in the Court, it's the Oratrice.

Honestly, Furina might be what would've happened had Nahida lacked the maturity and wisdom she had, and been completely replaced by the Shouki no Kami. Aside from the lochfolk and the Pari, people in Fontaine don't grieve the Lord of Amrita like Rukkhadevata was grieved, but the people replaced their Archon with a machine that tells them comforting lies about how easy and straightforward Justice is, and their Archon helped them do so.

I feel like Furina must be a lonely individual, since she's dismissed by most in her country, and even other Archons likely find her unpleasant, annoying, or immature. She has some growing to do, too, but I hope that by not being impressed by her at all, and instead being blatantly annoyed by her, the Traveler can reach those parts of her.

[phantomfallacy]

There’s not nearly enough analyses of Wriothesley and the panopticon that is Meropide.

Like, sure, the connection is there, but are your lines connecting to the right points? Because if you think Wriothesley’s office is the control tower and the Fortress is his all-knowing domain, I think you’re wrong.

Spoilers for his character quest and the Meropide world quest ahead, as well as various tidbits in mini quests:

The Unfinished Comedy reveals that there is a child who had been born in the prison, more or less a decade ago. More than enough time for Wriothesley to “discover” her. But he doesn’t. He is, without a doubt, an advocator of children, and would never allow her to stay in prison if he can help it. No matter what excuse there is, such as being busy with the reformation of the prison, the Fatui invasion, or the Wingalet construction, it doesn’t negate the fact that Wriothesley doesn’t know, or he would’ve acted.

The Beret Society as well, while coming under Wriothesley’s purview, has existed long enough to brainwash and break the spirits of the people who have joined. He had no evidence that Dougier had been breaking rules and infringing on human rights.

So no, Wriothesley, contrary to the Fortress of Meropide description, does not know everything that goes on in the Fortress, and he tells us so.

So then why does the description say otherwise?

The concept of the panopticon is that a single prison warden can maintain order because people will never be able to tell if his eyes are on them. As a result, they will behave, regardless of whether the warden is truly watching or not. Wriothesley tells us that he doesn’t have eyes and ears everywhere because we are not a prisoner. We do not need to be intimidated into behaving. Moreover, the Traveler seems to be an exception to everything like a harem protagonist so let’s discount “our” knowledge of Wriothesley’s claim.

What I think slaps the most though, is that his panopticon isn’t just the Fortress, but the Court of Fontaine as well.

It is mentioned that Wriothesley knows the ongoings of the overworld despite rarely coming up. The citizens of Fontaine see Meropide as this horrible place, even after Wriothesley’s reforms, and it’s not only because of prejudice (though that is most certainly the case), but because of his refusal to be perceived. He refuses Charlotte’s interviews, though being a Duke would most certainly put him in the eye of the public. This is a tentative maintenance of his public persona: that of a cruel and unfathomable man.

“The less people see of me, the happier they will be.”

If people understood that Meropide had welfare meals, stable work hours, and relatively accessible healthcare, why would they be incentivized to follow the law? Especially those of Fleuvre Cendre. But Meropide cannot possibly be that kind of haven. It is a prison, and forever should be—because it is not sustainable.

What humans cannot understand, they fear, and that works to keep the rest of Fontaine in check from committing crimes. No one wants to go to prison, no one wants to suffer, no one wants to see the Duke of Meropide. It’s embedded into the very society, so much that they have pop culture-like phrases for it.

The Duke’s office isn’t the control tower. The whole of Meropide Fortress is, and Fontaine is the “prison.”

There are other interpretations of course, such as the factor of more recent commentary on panopticons and how they bring up the topic of holding those in absolute power accountable. The warden at the center of the panopticon has absolute power, but how is he to be kept accountable?

It could be a hint about how Wriothesley isn’t as in control as he presents himself, and the way he rules is dependent on the people who keep him in check. After all, he says that as Duke, he must set an example of persecuting only after evidence has been found of a wrongdoing, otherwise he could have simply killed Dougier. However, that would certainly bring the Fortress down around him as people questioned his reputation as a fair ruler. (Cough bringing back my sword of Damocles bullshit here//shot).

Alternatively, Wriothesley himself could be a sword of Damocles upon Fontaine, evidenced by Neuvillette’s story quest, but I feel like that would be a Wriolette thread…

Without the source material confirming anything, we’re just playing with Schrödinger’s cat though. Just some food for thought.

Next time on Dragon Ball Z: my TED Talk on why the Fortress of Meropide is not called the Fortress of Atlantis because Wriothesley presents it as communism but it is totalitarian and why that works— (Kidding, I don’t wanna touch this with a ten foot pole pls don’t respond with political philosophies I will perish 🫠🫠🫠😵)

[kitty-meowskers]

idk but a part of me gets annoyed whenever people compare dr ratio and alhaitham.

like yeah ok... hot buff autistic nerdy men

but their whole ideologies are completelyyy different

would alhaitham ask you to give him a 'stimulating quiz' in his free time and then proceed to design a weapon for the express even though he didnt need to? no.

would dr ratio complain about becoming the (acting) grand sage and lead sumeru? no??

alhaitham is a 'live and let live' kind of guy. he justs wants to chill and have an easy life. like be for real, he's so worried about the akademiya finding out about his true talents and power because he hates the idea of working more. the only reason he's the scribe is because it's easy and it pays well. he's not particularly interested in helping others out unless its beneficial to him or the other really needs it. as kaveh said(i think he did??? idk i dont play genshin anymore), alhaitham is a nihilist

dr ratio on the other hand? he craves being able to fix things. all he wants to do fix things. although yeah he's not gonna do everything for you, he literally said to your face that if somethings bothering you deal with it yourself BUT he did literally go out of his way to scheme that entire thing in his quest to bring the people on the space station to there senses and get them thinking for themselves instead of obsessing over those geniuses. and that whole speech he gave to screwlum after? bro was INVESTED AND INTENSELY PASSIONATE. hes extremely passionate about getting people do use and develop their talents to the best of their ability. hes a fucking doctor who somehow has 52 courses and any of the people who actually make it through all get far in their lives. alhaitham would never put in that effort even with all his talent and ngl dr ratio would hate him for that (maybe not hate but dislike).

Another difference? alhaitham isnt a bitch about what his talents although its easy to assume he is while ratio low key kind of is and since the game itself describes him as 'narcisistic' so i think its pretty safe to assume he acts a bitch and he kind of is one too (cant blame him if i did all he did i would be the same)