#it gives a lot more information on this faction and their beliefs

[fideidefenswhore]

There's a tendency in modern fandom to rob Henry of his agency, like saying Anne "lured" or "stole" him as if he isn't responsible for his actions. What I find weird is that seems to have, to an extent, been the idea at the time. A hell of a lot of the Catholic/Imperial faction seemed to get the thought that well, all we do is get rid of Anne and everything goes back to normal. Like Mary and Chapuys act like they expect her to be princess and heir again as if nothing happened and the English Reformation will just stop there and turn back. I just can't get my head round how much people then revered Henry as king but then think he's some weak puppet Anne manipulated and who they can manipulate when she's gone.

Yeah, the thing is that...A) We haven't changed as much as we like to believe that we have, B) Obviously modern analysis of contemporary reports of this period is reliant on these reports, but has the benefit of hindsight (and yet when hobbyists without any background in history simply read these reports absent of any contextualization or expert analysis, they tend to take them pretty...literally? which dovetails into these fandom interpretations), C) That very double negative is the cornerstone of misogyny. Women are ultimately, even supernaturally, powerful but also ultimately powerless/weak, and/or exploit men's weakness, world's tiniest violin.

Misogyny alone is not enough to explain, there's also the political and religious at play with the psychological:

"Anne became [...] 'the evil counsellor.' In spite of Chapuys, the Emperor needed to maintain a civil relationship with Henry for his own purposes. He therefore chose to believe that Anne was bullying Mary (and Catherine) behind her husband's back. In a similar way Mary deceived herself into believing that it was not really her father who was subjecting her to such remorseless pressure, but the wicked woman who had acquired such an ascendancy over him." +

"Her actual contribution to the 'scourge' of Lutheranism [...] was inflated to unbelievable proportions. Chapuys [went as] far as to blame 'the heretical doctrines and practices of the concubine' as 'the principal cause of the spread of Lutheranism in this country.' [This] created [...] a political/religious 'wing' of sentiment [against Anne Boleyn] that was [later] exploited by Cromwell [...] and it was a powerful obstacle in the way of Anne's acceptance by the (still largely Catholic) English people."

For me, what separates is that this subject (although more specifically on the mistreatment of Princess Mary, riffed on that here) is discussed as if it was an untapped timeline, and it's ...not? The events immediately preceding May 1536 do not vindicate or absolve any cruelty on Anne's part; by any means, but what they do prove is that Chapuys was wrong about her being the 'X factor' here, as it were. Once she's subtracted is when Mary's disbarred from succession in much firmer legal language by Parliament. Moreover, the Boleyn downfall was a watershed in court division and factionalism, its aftermath was not a period of 'relative' (or otherwise) tranquility but rather continuance, even amplification, of religious suppression for those that did not adhere to the tenets of the new Henrician 'supremacy'.

Also, let's not underrate the ambition of the 'Marian faction'. They wanted a return to the status quo, yes, we shouldn't discredit religious motivations either, but they also wanted to regain the status and favour they felt they had lost. They were bargaining on the future favour of Mary once she was heiress again, bargaining on the future of Henry having no other children by marriage (so, even Mary as Queen), that's generally forgotten because most of them did not survive to reap (and, arguably, Mary becoming Queen later had very little to do with her faction of the 1530s that had failed upwards, considering especially that Mary was not reinstated into the succession--conditionally, but still--until several years after the Exeter Conspiracy).

[catboymafia]

(Unrebloggable post)

Mental illness does things like make you think you have special secret true information that contradicts mainstream narratives. I thought the masons were putting human parts in grocery store products, ye thinks hitler was misunderstood. The elaborate processing of information through psychosis is obscured except for the resulting output. We dont know why he arrived at this false conclusion and are unlikely to find out until or unless he explains that (eg) dragon energy is sending him messages from god and actually hitler was a pacifistic figurehead and wanted to found a new isreal for the jewish diaspora in madagascar before the party faction controlled by ernst rohm created the concentration camp plan and shifted focus to ethnic cleansing. From the perspective of "a ghost told me he was just a fallguy but he's still in soft hell trying to earn his wings by helping antinazis in the living world because he was still a collaborator and he helps jewish kids give class speeches now and i astral projected and watched once", his comments would make sense. That is mental illness.

We should probably open up the conversation about how conservatives sprinkle psychosis triggers into their culture warring, and these sprinkles create a background radiation of facsist conspiracy mythology that seems to have a special magnetism for the obsessive thinking of people experiencing psychosis. It is easy to get pipelined into qanon territory from any given rabbithole. And this seems to be an intentional weaponization of mental illness against the mentally ill. The mainstream dialogue has no form of compassionate support aimed at addressing or deescalating this process.

A fair intervention is looking for impartial sources that introduce a sense of unreality to the psychotic delusion (which feels hyper-real when uncontested); eg does ye agree that hitler wrote mein kampf or was that ghostwritten by ernst rohm? If hitler wrote it you cant say he didnt hate jewish people, and hating jewish people was demonstrably not good for germany, so what gives with saying anything to the contrary? Catching vibes? Seeing what happens? Thatd be stimulation seeking, self-destructive recklessness; depression copes plus psychosis. We can blame people for their struggles or we can be more solipsistic; struggle is going to be "inappropriate" a lot at this juncture, its early on in the awokening. In a case like ye's where he's seeming to be taking on new beliefs that are bizarre and its during a time of extreme personal stress, i think we can kind of rule out "he was always hateful and these are his core beliefs coming out", and yet people are acting like his present state is interchangeable with that scenario morally and reacting from that perspective. I debate how woke this is.

[northropi]

Worldbuilding Ramblings About Sitting In A Chair In A Car In The Future

As I don't think these ideas are developed enough to put on the * advanced blog * yet, for which I'd also like to have some pictures, I'll go over them here. It's important I get to this fairly quickly because it's sort of part of the "Bible" of background information that leads to me intentionally using terminology I'm normally nitpicky about in weird ways to clear up what has become, in the setting, a pretty ambiguous set of cases, and also knocking out a second bird with this stone in explaining why all the tanks only have one crew member. Plus it's also cool, I think. Today, class, we'll be talking about the roles and terminology of combat and military logistics vehicle operators.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Let's start off by also clarifying that among what are at this point in the timeline human successor factions there's four big power players in terms of having an industry for designing and procuring heavy equipment on a large scale, as opposed to Freelancers and Scavengers who, while significant, are mostly, well, scavenging stuff, or purchasing it secondhand. These groups are RegMil, Polis, MercNet, and The Other One (there'll be a name eventually).

RegMil is what it sounds like, survivors of the Regular Militaries of the world, holed up in old industrial centers. Polis is in the process of attempting to rebuild the old world in their image. MercNet and The Other One are on broadly good terms but are two sets of Mercenary cabals who snatched a lot of the world's military industrial complex to sustain themselves, at odds with each other because MercNet became, well, the Mercenary Network- and The Other One isn't so much The Other One so much as The Other Groups That Share A Similar Technology And Strategy Base As Distinct From MercNet With The Shared Belief That Assimilating Into MercNet Would Be Bad For Them. Now, what does this all mean up front?

RegMil's unit organization and the technology built to serve it broadly follow the old militaries, and likewise RegMil retains old terminology. A Pilot means the same as it does to us. Polis is broadly the same but with the caveat that They Are Insane. They're a whole oil drum's worth of worms but in short you may be able to scroll down far enough that you'll see this is one of those settings where the superheroes aren't good, and Polis is built around them- using them as symbols of its authority. Its military gives paper tigers a bad name, with equipment essentially made by techbros, designed for photoshoots flying next to the asshole with laser eyes, all in the name of old oligarchs being able to stay above a shattered populace. A lot of the unit organization does change because of this, but Polis is hesitant to divert too far from RegMil's basic approach to combat vehicles.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And now things get interesting. The Mercenaries, both MercNet and The Other One, have manpower issues. The Other One is still reasonably conventional depending on perspective. Those of you who've been here for a while are likely to remember that a lot of the lore here is retooled from an older pipe dream project that had a different setting.

The Other One's technology broadly carries over from a set of technological factions that were essentially supposed to be for people who like coordinating with friends and had a grimdark flavor.

This is in contrast to MercNet and their forebears being designed around tight coordination being distinctly beneficial but not necessary to the degree that you need to get to know people, and a more bleak-but-not-really-THE-bad-guys flavor, and the thing is in the new setting The Other One is no longer the "bad technological" faction like their forebears were.

MercNet can mostly carry stuff over but I still have a lot to figure out for The Other One, even after the name, to make them work. They've gone from baddies to rivals, and maybe not even rivals so much as the equivalent to the "lancer" archetype in a party. The one thing that I know is going to change for sure is, as said, they had manpower issues as a root cause of their divergence from RegMil- which is the opposite of the issues they had in the old setting, which was very much "we have reserves." By contrast, I'm not sure exactly how to handle The Other One in this setting. I'm thinking some clone/mind uploading shenanigannery where they have the same problem of being expendable but are semi-immortal, giving them gruff, nonchalant personalities and more time as individuals to be characters. Factions of grunts who are getting mulched constantly but are pretty cool with it. If that all sounds like a technical leap, MercNet isn't that much less out there- but let's finish these ones first.

The fact that this all used to be the skeleton for a vidya is probably gonna show here, as a lot of these are set up as explanations for mechanics for groups operating either as tight squads or as multicrew vehicles. Distinctions between Pilots, Drivers, Gunners, etc remain. Basically a person could pick the loadout for a vehicle hull they put together, and if another groups up with them they'll slap their own loadout of a turret onto an available spot, and so on, allowing for quick entries and exits from the group before the vehicle is spawned in- unlike MercNet and indeed RegMil, they just build shit on-site like instantly. Depending on group size and the hull the Driver picked this could go from a one-crew casemate design to a two-crew turreted tank to a three-crew gunner-driver-commander tank with an RCWS and advanced sensors and so on, ending with capital ships with eight crew. Increased brute force and situational awareness, plus the ability to just respawn until infrastructure is destroyed, would balance the three-crew tank fairly well against the one-crew MercNet tank, and maybe I should get to that.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So if waking up tomorrow realizing you now exist in a disassociated state of being where you're likely to die a hundred times before being killed and seeing that your boss wants to use you to test some new totally ethical chemical weapon on today (you'll make overtime for it, it's fine), you know, all that, if that sound like it has some existential implications, MercNet's approach isn't much far behind.

MercNet realized they lacked manpower, but decided to tackle the issue more directly. They saw things like tanks and ships and many aircraft requiring multiple crew as a massive source of bleed, and so decided they would, at any cost, figure out a way to just put one person into each and have it be just as effective. This happened to work like a charm, and allowed them to essentially take the same approach for entire logistics chains. And finally we get to discuss how a Pilot is driving a tank and a Driver is piloting a plane.

The MercNet key to all this was a neural interface system combined with advanced onboard computers- not quite AI per se but definitely "smart" on some level. This, rather than vehicle type, is what distinguishes the different terms, and it's come to have even deeper implications as this miraculous technology worked its way through their infrastructure. Cybernetically-enhanced vehicle operators could not only run missions alone, but could perform a lot of upfront maintenance alone, using enhanced physical strength to perform jobs that may take several crew members. This often reflects in the layout of the associated vehicles- construction techniques such as larger but fewer joins and fasteners that a strong but imprecise maintainer can go through rapidly, outright trivializing some of the hardest parts of maintenance work. The more precise jobs could be entrusted to engineers who, similarly, could be interfaced with an entire factory of otherwise automated precision machinery, and together, operators could deposit key systems at "deep maintenance" hubs, cycle in a replacement subsystem, and run a mission as the engineers finish their work in what may be a matter of mere hours. They operate stealth bombers like you operate a fucking microwave.

The terminology, accordingly, has shifted- and just in time for the terms around infantry to also shift, as to allow for small drone infantry-esque units to be distinguished from living infantry "Soldiers-" but we're focusing on vehicles.

Drivers are the most basic, logistics and transport runners who operate under low stress and wouldn't be able to do much if stress came to them. They draw generic vehicles from a common motorpool, which they also collectively work to maintain in a relatively conventional manner (offset by these being, like, just fucking cars, so it's not hard), with many of them sharing and little personal connection to any- which is good when they have to dive from the thing and let it roll off and explode if anything goes wrong. Their neural interface system is, uh, not.

Then is an intermediate form, Riders. Riders are sort of infantry-hybrids with a limited neural interface system. This makes it easier to quickly initiate and break a connection, which is good, because they're essentially going to ride a light, semi-expendable vehicle in, and then do their thing on foot, probably having to go back and forth immediately if something happens... And that leads simply enough to EVA Infantry, who use more substantial vehicles with advanced equipment and a somewhat stronger neural interface to work with them, allowing them to go back and forth fluidly at the cost of being compromised at either role.

And finally, Pilots. "Pilot" in this context is reserved for only users of full neural interfaces for vehicles, but is applicable to anyone who is. Cybernetic equipment varies depending on what they pilot. Tank pilots are often built to withstand trauma and possess extra strength to be able to handle repairs on the fly; Aircraft pilots may lack as much strength to conserve weight and life-support requirements, and may be reliant on exoskeletons to perform maintenance duties (which can sometimes be carried on the aircraft, even though that kinda counteracts the advantage of not being heavily-built).

And at this point you may be wondering if this costs them any humanity, which is stupid, that's an arbitrary thing to value. Stability, though, yeah, that's in the gutter. It turns out that when linked to their vehicles, Pilots offload a huge amount of mental processing to the vehicle's computers, and because they tend to spend lots of time with it by necessity, this can quickly turn into a dependency. A Pilot away from their vehicle may struggle to sing the alphabet or add more than two numbers together. That sort of thing. Pilots also become too attached to their vehicles for their own good, on an emotional level. Up until separating out a "core" of the computers that the Pilots could take with them during escape, it was horrifically common for Pilots to simply not bail out. Putting a lot of data into that compact, carry-off core alleviates the mental block around it, because it makes them feel like they saved the vehicle.

And on that grim note, well, this went long. It'll probably be split into articles that link back and forth when I do it for real.

[gravitascivics]

A LACK OF REASON

A writer who has addressed the effects of social media on current day politics is Andrew Marantz.  Early in his book, Anti-Social, he describes an encounter with three journalists who have utilized social media to spread their form of journalism.  Marantz writes:

[Cassandra] Fairbanks, [Luke] Rudkowski, and [Tim] Pool didn’t agree on well-developed policy agenda.  What they shared was closer to an attitude – an instinctive aversion to anything mainstream.  They often expressed this in terms of their antipathy to the establishment wings of the Democratic and Republican parties, but their guiding principles seemed more temperamental than political.  Things they liked:  energy, scrappiness, rebellion.  Things they disliked:  institutionalism, incrementalism, the status quo.  If something could be described as an emanation of the Man, then they were against it.[1]

This blogger can’t verify this characterization; he is not aware of these journalists beyond Marantz’s description.  But he feels these overall biases do reflect how a lot of current politics is being conducted.  And as such, it goes a long way to explain why one finds the polarized nature one observes at the national and even local levels of politics.

          As this blog repeatedly describes, a federated politics is one in which citizens share a sense of partnership.  When one calls out, “Hey, partner,” certain assumptions come into play.  One would be an ability to engage in discussion reasonably and reflectively, to problem-solve and negotiate.  In turn, such approaches to political intercourse count on institutional modes of discussion that are calm, disciplined – not jumping to conclusions – and empathetic.

          To the extent these journalists represent what one is apt to find on social media and, given its popularity, it is not difficult to see how a reliance on social media for one’s information leads to the anti-federated landscape that one finds in contemporary America.  And to boot, Marantz goes on to describe how well organized this element of the political class is.  They even have a VIP element.

          He gives this group more substantive description by writing:

            The VIPs shared a common set of enemies – the Clintons, the Bushes, the globalists, the mainstream media – but they didn’t agree on everything.  Some were more anti-Semitic than others.  Some were more openly racist than others.  Some emphasized misogyny, whereas others were more passionate about Islamophobia.  Still others, rather than committing to any consistent ideology, rotated through evocative tropes about Davos or the Deep State.  Each of them espoused opinions that were so politically retrograde, so morally repugnant, or so self-evidently deceitful that no reputable news organization would ever hire them.  And yet, in the twenty-first century, they didn’t need traditional jobs.  Instead, they could mobilize and monetize a following on social media.[2]

All this results on messaging undermining the acceptance of basic factual information which until recently the bulk of Americans secured from those reputable news sources.

Of course, as many have pointed out, this inability to agree on facts undermines any chance at productive discourse.  And when, as a result of this disruption, a faction within a nation has become large enough to affect political outcomes, that polity is in trouble.

          The next posting will share how Marantz describes what possibly motivates this type of mischief.  The last quote above hints at what that might be.  Possible answers might include ideological commitment or monetary rewards.  Readers are invited to guess what Marantz judges this motivation to be.  One might also ask:  is one type – beliefs or dollars – more ominous than the other?  Of course, whatever motivates most, there is no guarantee that all involved are similarly disposed.

[1] Andrew Marantz, Anti-social:  Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation (New York, NY:  Penguin Random House, 2019), 14.

[2] Ibid., 18.

[bvd11975]

When there was a problem, Agent Avani was often the one called in to manage it. A dangerous mission to execute an enemy faction? It was her. Someone needed to act as a middleman to negotiate terms between parties? They called her. An agent of the EarthGov that has engaged with every party presently established in the galaxy. Which made this being their first meeting somehow both surprising and not at all. The things she has heard about him seemed to know no bounds.

Cults and religious groups back on Earth was where she started. So when he spoke, she took much of what he said with a grain of salt - but she paid attention. There was a reason he was high up in Unitology, good speakers with charisma and passion for their beliefs so often rose in the ranks.

To Nestor, it didn't matter if they were all children of the Markers, it was what they all did with their lives that determined their value. His words didn't fall on deaf ears, if only because she was evaluating everything he said and the way he portrayed himself. How many times has she heard it? A woman of her size was clever. She was surprisingly resourceful. His compliments meant nothing, she knew.

Amber eyes narrowed as he claimed she was chosen by the Markers. She imagined that by technicality, all humans were. But there was something in the way his gaze remained locked with hers that made her wonder if there was more to it than that. But cultists like him often ascribed meaning to things and used their silver tongues to make others believe the same. Though, she hated the fact he seemed to know enough about her to entice her curiosity.

Knowledge, it was her desire. Protecting others, of course, came with it. But there was so much out there she wanted to know. It was a lot of why she was an agent in the first place, to allow her the freedom to seek information she otherwise couldn't get. But that didn't mean she'd allow him to prey upon her, to exploit her craving.

"Your negotiating tactics could be refined, Danik." Nestor finally answered after mulling over his words a moment. "You want me to guide you to Tau Volantis and promise me information. You spin a yarn and expect me to become a believer without providing any actual context." Her head tilted slightly, her gaze burning like a campfire ready to become a forest fire. "You should be trying to convince me with your beliefs and the knowledge you have on the Markers, so that I choose to help you."

There was a pause as the agent's lips curved into a wry smile, "Unless you're worried that giving me that information will lead me to denying you the location of Tau Volantis?" Nestor inquired as she targeted the strength of his belief.

The quiet hum of the ship's engine was the only sound that pierced the tense silence of the small, dimly lit room. Nestor, a seasoned space-farer with a knack for staying under the radar, felt her heart thump against her chest as she studied the man before her. Jacob Arthur Danik, a name that sent chills down the spines of those who knew the darker corners of the cosmos. He was a high ranking member of the Church of Unitology, and she had the unfortunate distinction of being one of those who knew his name all too well.

Nestor's eyes took in the details of the room, searching for an escape, a weapon, anything that could give her an edge. The walls were cold and metallic, adorned with the stark symbols of the church that seemed to watch her every move. The floor was slick with a fine layer of condensation, and the air was thick with the scent of burnt circuitry and desperation. It was a space not meant for comfort, but for business, and the business at hand was far from friendly.

Danik's eyes, a piercing blue that seemed to bore into her very soul, narrowed slightly. "I understand your hesitation," he said, his voice smooth as the finest silk, "but you don't fully grasp the gravity of the situation." He leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers, the shadows playing across his sharp features. "The fate of humanity is at stake here. Our very existence hinges on what we do next."

The agent's mind would race, trying to piece together the puzzle of how she had ended up here. Her mission was clear: infiltrate, gather intel, report back. But now she was face to face with a man whose influence could make or break entire worlds. She had to be careful. One wrong move, one slip of the tongue, and she would become just another forgotten piece of space debris

The leader of the Circle leaned forward, his eyes never leaving hers. "You already are one of us, we are all children of the markers," he said with a hint of a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Whether you like it or not, you're in this now. The Markers are awakening, and we are the ones who will lead humanity to a new era. To a future where we are more than just flesh and bone." His hand slammed down on the table between them, making her flinch. "We need you, Nestor."

Danik leaned back again, his smile growing slightly. "You're clever. Resourceful. And," he said, his eyes flicking down to her wrist, where a subtle tattoo peeked out from under her sleeve, "you've been marked by the very forces we seek to harness. You're an instrument of the Markers' will, Nestor, whether you know it or not."

Danik's smile never wavered. "You don't have to want it. The Markers have chosen you, and that is all that matters." He paused, his gaze never leaving hers. "But if you cooperate, I can offer you something you do want. Information about the true nature of the Markers, and what lies beyond their call." He leaned in closer, his breath hot against her face. "You seek the truth, don't you? You want to understand why you this is happening, it is time for us, time for us to be made whole,"

[phantomlesbian]

does Etheria have politics?

(going back and reading this, I realize how much of my writing is just stream of consciousness.)

OKAY SO

I feel like by now everyone here knows that I spend way too much time thinking about unnecessary details when I should really be writing, but what else can I do to procrastinate other than spend time building the story.

ANYWAYS

This is going to be the more unhinged version of that previous post, since when I wrote it, I was feeling very academic after doing some anthropology in government homework, but now I'm just trying to pull things from memory.

ALSO

Google has been extremely helpful in helping me clarify a lot of things, so some of the theories will be pulled from the wiki of the original 80's show, the reboot, and some of my own thoughts.

I know there's a post of the whole galactic hierarchy, but for the purposes of this post, I will be focusing on the politics of Etheria itself. I might also make a separate post about spiritual beliefs, but I make no promises.

So for history, not much is known (at least to me) about Angella's predecessors or how they came to be in power of Bright Moon, but as with everything that can't be explained, I'd like to chalk it up to magic and the connection to the Moonstone. Also, because Micah isn't a direct descendant of that line, I would see him as more of a Consort instead of acting monarch. I would believe he's a close political and strategical advisor, as we saw how much of a prevalent role he had in the beginning of the war, but that's about it. Although after the war, I believe he goes back to doing King things to give Glimmer some respite from having a whole kingdom on her shoulders.

Also, I know it's not cannon, but there is hot gossip in Etheria, and I'd like to believe that there's news reports for each village, and a worldwide newspaper. Is it called The Daily Etherian? Perhaps.

Down to the nitty gritty:

So I've kinda created a flow chart in my head about the people in power in Etheria. First, there's the planet as a whole, obviously, and unlike Earth, the separated countries, in my opinion work together. To relate it to something I know, I choose to think about the EU. I would also believe that Etheria kind of works in the way that the US does, but the EU is more international, so that's why I'm using that. Also, I wouldn't think that villages had presidents, I think the highest you should be able to go is Mayor or like Elder.

So basically there's kingdoms, regions, sects, and factions that all work together in the political system, with the only region known of is the Crimson Waste, which contains a faction of people who are outlaws/ex-horde/or chose to leave their kingdoms. For kingdoms, there are the standard Bright Moon, Plumeria, Salineas, Dryl, Mystacor, Kingdom of Snows, and the Scorpioni. But there are also some that aren't mentioned that hold Royalty such as the Star Siblings, Prince Peekablue, and Sweet Bee. Those kingdoms won't be considered too much in this analysis, but they are factored into the greater whole.

Side note: where does She-Ra live? Does she not get a kingdom? Where would she go if Adora didn't stay in Bright Moon? Is that all she's going to get, a spare room in Bright Moon? Is the Crystal Castle just a place for training and information or can it be used as an actual castle?

Also, is Madame Razz a part of a village or does she just live in the woods like Bow's parents? Are there a lot more like them, or is it just them? IDK

That then got me to thinking about the every day grievances that the townspeople may have. While it isn't mentioned, it is known that there are villages fairly close in relation to the kingdoms, so I'd like to believe that these villages are governed by the kingdoms they are closest to. We also know that there are Mayors and Elders, and most likely Shamans, and Spiritual Advisors in existence in Etheria, so I'd like to imagine they all work similarly for simplifying purposes.

Also, I'd like to say that each Princess may choose how involved they are with the surrounding kingdom. For example, Perfuma is very involved in her community, but the other Princesses remain in their respective Castles and don't interact with the people in the villages.

So for example, if a townsperson had a grievance, they probably wouldn't immediately go to Queen Angella for it to be solved. They'd most likely go to the Mayor of their village, then to the acting Princess/Prince/Queen/King of the surrounding Kingdom, then to Queen Angella. And that would be a totally different thing for the town in Bright Moon, they'd probably go directly to Queen Angella, or the towns representative.

ALSO

If for no other reason than transportation purposes, I'd like to believe Etheria is smaller than your average planet. Maybe during the war, everyone stays in Bright Moon in their rooms, maybe they all travel extremely quickly. But how in the heck does it take them so quickly to get from place to place to village to village. Is it a short walk? Am I too reliant on Glimmer's teleportation devices? The world may never know.

Okay now for the laws. I'd assume there's a basic law that governs Etheria, kind of like the constitution, but then it'd also be broken up into different laws that are associated with different kingdoms/villages. For example, why would a landlocked village have a fishing ordinance? That would most likely work best in Salineas.

We also know that the biggest form of commerce in Etheria is trade. Plumeria probably provides textiles and crops, Salineas would be boats/the seafood market, etc. I believe that's how every kingdom keeps their pockets full. There might be different regulations in every kingdom about the different kinds of trade they have there. I know there is a monetary unit, and it's most likely coins, but I have no idea what each coin would equal and how valuable it is, given that most Etherians live humbly.

NOW ONTO THE HORDE

We know, according to like earth's standards, what the Horde is doing in the show is terrible. Like actually horrible. I'd generally just use the Geneva Convention's standards, because that is pretty much what a lot of us would go by. There is a wiki page on the different war crimes that the Horde, Glimmer and Horde Prime all had during the show, so that was pretty cool to look at. I'm just genuinely interested on how it wasn't stopped quicker and how it escalated to be such a big problem. But that's a post for an entirely different day.

How does Etheria have a trial?

So, similarly to the grievances scenario I had thought of, I'd assume that's how the court system would work as well. Also, what would the punishments be? Does Bright Moon even have a prison? Are there even police? How are civil disputes settled? Do people get divorced? Do people abuse? I'd assume they're capable of it, if what we saw from the Horde was anything to go by. Then again, that could have just been the influence of Hordak.

ANYWAYS

For little cases, I'm pretty sure that they can be settled among the village, but for big disasters such as what happened in Plumeria, they'd probably need the help from other Kingdoms or even just Queen Angella herself.

Big trials take place in Bright Moon, kind of like Supreme Court ones. Shadow Weaver’s will be a bit different though. For hers, it's not going to be much of a spoiler, but it's the explanation that I didn't know how to fit into the fic without making it sound like I'm forcing it in there. It's supposed to be common knowledge for everyone there, so they wouldn't think to explain it to an outside audience.

Especially for this, since it was directly associated with the Alliance, think of the Princess Alliance as a jury, but instead of jurors, they're treating it more as an election with representative democracy, with each Princess being the representative. Because Shadow Weaver is the last remaining head of the Horde besides Adora, who had no willing part in the Battle of the Whispering Woods, she will get a full tribunal.

That means there will be an audience, no "lawyers" or whatever the Etherian equivalent would be, and all of the Princesses will be there to give their input since her destruction affects their kingdoms, even though they aren't a part of the Princess Alliance. This is basically just a "we know you committed x, y, and z crimes, we're going to make you aware of them and decide what to do with you."

I was genuinely thinking about having the Horde become a prison, but I just don't think anyone would go for that. Having a condensed population of criminals in a place that just so happens to house the leading faction of people the rebellion we’re fighting against doesn’t sit right. Maybe each kingdom should have their own version of a jail. Would they need a jail? How many bad guys are there?

[iridescent-honey]

Mysterion characterization

In my opinion, he is one of the most mischaracterized people in the hero franchise.

He is often portrayed as an angsty, edgy, and a ruthless antihero.

Although I can see how that conclusion is come to, here are my thoughts:

*TL;DR at the bottom in red*

*This information is coming from both the game and show, if I can find direct clips, I will show them*

I used the word anti hero, allow me to elaborate on that briefly. For anyone unaware, an antihero is described as “a central character in a story, movie, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes.” I would also describe it as someone who is fighting for good while being uncaring/unhelpful to others if it means the majority of the public is helped. Note that the definition of what an antihero is varies from person to person. Poorly characterized antiheroes are written as villains who are part of the hero’s team for some unknown reason.

The first episode we see Mysterion in is in S13E2, he is seen as a rival to The Coon, however he does not view himself that way, in his eyes, he is helping because that’s what he should do, not to spite Cartman.

I think this episode is often forgotten when people view him as an anti hero. We see him expose his identity and putting himself in danger to not have citizens caught in The Coon’s attempt at blackmail. Not my exact idea of an antihero however I digress.

Spoilers for the the game

In the game, the entirety of freedom pals aren’t introduced until the halfway point, however Mysterion, Wonder Tweek, and Tuppaware are introduced very early as opposition. After a lovers quarrel between Tweek and Craig, Doctor Timothy have an argument causing the two factions to fight. Craig is a mandatory player on your team.

While you fight the Freedom Pals, Tweek is the one doing the most talking (I say Tweek because it is very out of character for Wonder Tweek). Throwing insult after insult at Craig, even when the insults aren’t at him directly, Craig respondes as though they were. Tuppaware is not to important, he does his job and fights you, nothing too noteworthy there. But this is about Mysterion so I’ll move on.

In this fight, nearly every time you attack him or his teammates, he responds with how we are only being used by The Coon and we can do better than the Coon and Friends franchise. Also, note that when the opposition show interest in attacking Wonder Tweek he appears fearful, Tuppaware looks disgusted, but Mysterion appears surprised? Disappointed? I’m not quite sure but it’s definitely different than the rest of the Freedom Pals’s reaction. (I know how pointless it may seem to analyze the facial expression when they’re drawn, well, like that. But also consider this! I don’t care.) The best way I could describe it is as being upset/disappointed that that he is being attacked. It is my belief that this is because he doesn’t want to fight. This is countered by the fact that he is a relentless fighter. The only time he isn’t is stated before: the first time you fight him.

The second time however is a different story, he attacks you ruthlessly. He gives you one chance at the beginning of the of the fight, saying that “Fighting Doctor Timothy is a mistake beyond your comprehension.” But afterwards makes no attempts to help you, instead changing to his one liners.

This is another thing I need to talk about. I have a post made for the future where I talk about way too many of his quotes but I’ll summarize it for you.

Being angsty

Being ruthlessly

Being dark

Being concerned for his teammates

Cheering his teammates on

There are some more types but these are the most important because a lot of his lines are dark, angsty, and ruthless and tend to overshadow his other quotes. The appeal to throw in the towel and say that he’s an antihero would be very easy but I truly don’t see it. Despite his quotes he isn’t as angsty in most parts and is seen being distressed for other teammates and trying to help whoever he can.

I believe that he says his quotes only to scare the opposition. When he interacts with his teammates and civilians he stops the angsty-ness and acts as a protector. In my opinion, an antihero would not care about their perception, if the job gets done that’s all that matters. But clearly Mysterion doesn’t abide by those rules.

Although alignment charts are a gross oversimplification for explaining characterization but I think it is a very simple way to explain it. On the character sheets, the alignment is more simplified and only allows lawful, neutral or evil. He describes himself as lawful but that is not a proper alignment. I am still torn on his alignment but I will show three alignments definitions then my thoughts.

Definitions

Lawful Good

A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act. They combine a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly. They tell the truth, keep their word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice. A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished.

Lawful good is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and compassion.

Lawful good can be a dangerous alignment when it restricts freedom and criminalizes self-interest.

Lawful Neutral

A lawful neutral character acts as law, tradition, or a personal code directs them. Order and organization are paramount to them. They may believe in personal order and live by a code or standard, or they may believe in order for all and favor a strong, organized government.

Lawful neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you are reliable and honorable without being a zealot.

Lawful neutral can be a dangerous alignment when it seeks to eliminate all freedom, choice, and diversity in society.

Neutral Good

A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. They are devoted to helping others. They work with kings and magistrates but do not feel beholden to them.

Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order.

Neutral good can be a dangerous alignment when it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.

*I did not add lawful evil because it is so wildly out of character there is no point in talking about it.*

Breaking it down

Lawful Good

A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act.

Mysterion shows himself to be a good person without wanting payment many times. Most notably when he reveals his identity to prevent harm to other citizens, and when he shows kindness and hope to the player despite the character and their teammates showing none back.

They combine a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly.

The commitment to fight evil seems self explanatory so I will not acknowledge that, what I will elaborate on is the “discipline to fight relentlessly”. Earlier in the post, I explain how he seems to not want to fight but does so fiercely. This explains it. He is the calmest out of the heroes at nearly all times, the only time this is false is when a teammate is unjustly injured. While he does get angry, he is never seen actively trying to start a fight, but he will always end one.

They tell the truth, keep their word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice.

Throughout the series and the game, he never lies, however, he is never asked to tell the truth and I’m hesitant on saying that the lack of evidence is evidence. Despite that he does keep his word, his promise to protect his city, and promise to protect Karen are always fulfilled. When the Coon acts against the group, Mysterion is quick to shut him down.

A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished.

In the game, he tells us multiple times that being a hero is ugly. That the merciless don’t deserve mercy. He has made it clear that he is the bringer of karma.

Lawful Neutral

A lawful neutral character acts as law, tradition, or a personal code directs them.

Mysterion is an upholder of morals. His own ethics pave how he reacts and behaves. For the most part, he follows the law very closely, but he will break off and actions will become unforgiving if the person deserves it.

Order and organization are paramount to them. They may believe in personal order and live by a code or standard…

His origin as Mysterion was to organize the town through peace and to help stop crime. He tries to keep his team peaceful and succeeds when part of freedom pals. When the franchise was whole, the Coon could break his peaceful exterior.

or they may believe in order for all and favor a strong, organized government.

This is the most difficult to defend. Yes, he does feed information to the police, but only when they are passive crimes. When active crimes occur, he attempts to deal with the issue himself.

Neutral Good

This is not in line with his personal alignment identity, but this seems the most plausible. Allow me to elaborate:

A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do.

This has been explained in many places throughout this post and so I do not feel the need to repeat it.

They are devoted to helping others.

Once again, Mysterion is constantly seen putting others first: revealing his identity, handling Hindsight by himself, and risking his life and immortality to save them from Cthulhu.

They work with kings and magistrates but do not feel beholden to them.

This feels more natural than the last explanation for lawful neutral. He works with the cops in certain situations but is quick to work by himself or with his teammates if needed.

The alignments have been broken down and the evidence has been laid out, feel free to make your own decision.

TL;DR

Mysterion is not a dark antihero, he is a vigilante, a defender of peace, and beacon of hope to his citizens. He puts the needs and safety of others before himself.

Alignment possibilities: lawful good, lawful neutral, neutral good.

[i-am-the-pancake]

what is the enderwalk for?

a lot of uncomfortable or seemingly bad physiological/psychological responses are actually our way of protecting ourselves. a fever is designed to kill unwanted pathogens, anxiety is meant to alert us to possible threats, etc. 

so, it is possible that the enderwalk, although frightening and potentially detrimental to ranboo, is actually intended to help him in some way. in ranboo’s most recent lore stream, the enderwalk (or what is heavily implied to be the enderwalk) relays “lessons” to waking!ranboo. lessons generally help people improve themselves in some way, and if you ignore the eerie mood, the lessons from this stream don’t seem to be intentionally harmful. 

lesson 14 (if you have the opportunity to gain a favor, take it) could easily just be general advice. it’s actually a pretty good advice imo.  the other lessons are pessimistic and kinda paranoid-sounding, but their tone could be interpreted as concerned for ranboo’s well-being, in a desperate/resigned way. 

concern and advice makes sense because enderwalk and ranboo are the same entity, at least on the physical level, so it wouldn’t make sense for it to attempt to harm ranboo, because doing so would also cause harm to itself. it’s also implied that enderwalk wrote those lessons in the fourth book, which would mean that enderwalk meant for ranboo to have access to those lessons at any time, and may only be giving them to waking ranboo in the form of text across his vision because it realized that the book is missing. 

the ccs have said that the voice in ranboo’s head (i.e. the enderwalk voice) isn’t actually dream himself, despite sounding like him, which rules out the possibility that the enderwalk is a way for dream to control ranboo. although, enderwalk and dream are on somewhat friendly terms (indicated by sapnap prison visit), so there is a chance that the enderwalk might be influenced (though not necessarily manipulated) by dream. 

ranboo’s ideology is very similar to dream’s before his corruption. before dream became obsessed with control and attachments, his main goal was server-wide unity; in essence, a lack of factions or sides. sound familiar?  although ranboo has already learned that having to choose sides is inevitable, he still lives by the belief that his first loyalty should be to individuals, and would probably be more comfortable in a world where he could choose individuals freely without having to worry about their sides opposing each other. 

this may be why enderwalk supports dream. ranboo and dream share a similar philosophy, and from when ranboo first joined the server to doomsday, dream portrayed himself as capable of and striving to actualize that ideal. enderwalk recognizes that that is the same ideal ranboo believes in, and therefore does what it can to help dream, because doing so would help ranboo as well. additionally, dream has never directly harmed ranboo, so the enderwalk has no reason to believe that dream is dangerous.

(this does not mean that dream’s depiction of himself was accurate, or that enderwalk is actually helping ranboo, just that it means well and is working with limited information.)

ranboo in his waking state is often said to be spineless, and would therefore struggle to solve his problems himself, but the enderwalk state doesn’t have the same inhibitions he does (and may even have access to powers he doesn’t have when awake, as indicated by puffy being unable to move when making eye contact with him.) this may mean that enderwalk is a built-in failsafe of sorts, to allow ranboo to do things he can’t or won’t do consciously if enderwalk deems it necessary to achieve what it perceives to be ranboo’s goals or needs. this is supported by cc!ranboo saying that enderwalk activates in response to stress or other strong emotions.

cc!ranboo has said that his character will soon do something that makes people stop being ranboo apologists. my theory is that it will involve him either letting enderwalk take over or consciously doing whatever it is that enderwalk wanted him to do. 

[my-writings-and-musings]

This is the medic berth sharing anon, and I forgot to add, what if when talking to a bot(not necessarily a medic), the conversation some how drifted to where the human just casually mentions that professional cuddling is A Thing, and what would the reactions be?

I've got a lot here as a follow up because once again, your ideas inspire me anon! Prepare for a wall of text!

Rodimus

·He's not necessarily surprised, because your species is so incredibly soft, why not have humans who specialize in using that talent? But he's still never considered it before, and is curious as to how one becomes a "proffesional" at something so basic, and what kind of training it could possibly entail.

·Hearing that it's more for humans who have endured trauma, or humans who come from cultures or backgrounds where such contact is frowned upon, makes him a little sad. He's an affectionate bot and can't imagine not having access to something so simple, but then realizes their own species could perhaps do with some physical affection based therapy, not that he feels qualified to suggest such a thing...

Drift

·After a brief request for more information he's delighted by the sound of the practice, even if he doesn't have all the details. Creating harmony through positive energy and healing through affection is a personal ideal of his, and to hear another species practicing it is quite uplifting!

·It's unfortunate it isn't widely practiced, but the mere fact it exists is enough to give him some inspiration, so he asks for as many facts as you can give. With a bit of planning he absolutely intends to pursue this for Cybertronians, even if by just bringing it up as a proposal, and hopefully Ratchet will be willing to give it a chance!

Ultra Magnus/Minimus Ambus

·Initially he needs you to repeat yourself and explain in more depth, because he's certain he heard you wrong. How can one do something so common "professionally"? It takes a fair amount of conversation and a lot of context for him to understand the therapeutic aspect, which he begins to see once you also lay out what a social species humans are and how damaging solitude can be.

·The idea of healing through affectionate contact is something he can grasp, at least. Cybertronians aren't so different, though many such needs have long been neglected, and he is doubtful it could catch on until a significant amount of restoration is done. He'd be interested in seeing it happen, and can see how it would benefit a war ravaged population, provided there is proper licencing for those who wish to pursue it.

Ratchet

·He's immediately intrigued, but not at all surprised, and discusses the similarities such a practice reveals between humans and Cybertronians. As imposing as bots may be, they're still a social species, and a lack of physical affection can do great harm. Also like humans, bots tend to be unaware of the depth of the need until they're suffering.

·Talking about it really gets him thinking. They've neglected a lot to win the war, and now that they're here, needs like this should come back into focus. It would certainly be worth it to encourage such things where he can, even if bots don't understand or believe in the benefits. They may not have proffesional cuddlers, but this ship is undoubtedly bursting with lonely bots who'd be willing to give it a try.

Rung

·As a kind of therapy, it's entirely new to him, but the benefits are exceptionally clear even before you elaborate. Bots are a caring and tender species under all that armor, despite the image the war has created, so he can see that humans would find solace in such a thing due to their similarities. Being a proponent of slow and measured healing also makes the idea quite agreeable.

·He discusses the possible changes one would have to make for Cybertronians, which would probably be somewhat significant due to their differences in size, anatomy, and cultural practices. The basic idea could still stay though, especially for the many traumatized not just by battle, but by the shortage of tender intimacy the war created in its stead. He'll absolutely write a paper on this, and he actually feels it's worth publishing! Should you suggest he'd be a natural at providing such care he will blush for a multitude of reasons.

Swerve

·He keeps it to himself, but his first emotion is one of absolute longing. Someone to just hold you, and comfort you, with the skill of a therapist but the gentle embrace of a friend? He plays it off like he sees it as another quirky human thing, but he subtly prods for more information under the veneer of casual conversation, and starts wishing his own kind had an equivalent.

·As much as he'd prefer having someone who just wants to be with him like that as a friend, the idea of a proffesional is still tempting beyond belief, and he wonders if the increased interaction between your species might make some bots pick up the trade. Just enjoying the simple, uninterrupted company of another for a bit would be heavenly, but he's absolutely not willing to say that out loud.

Skids

·Knowing that slow and steady therapy works, he can definitely see that being helpful, even if he doubts he'd ever get anything out of something like that. He likes to move and have fun when he socializes, and sitting still with someone would probably just end in a nap for him, not that he minds the idea of that too much...

·One thing he is curious about is the statistics of the occupation, as baffling as they may be. Why are the proffesionals mostly female and the clients mostly male? Don't humans, like bots, long for affection no matter their physical makeup? An explanation of stereotypes and gender roles and everything involved on that front just makes him think he needs a drink.

Whirl

·Of course he cracks a few jokes about tiny squishy humans needing to be mushed, but it's in good humor, because he actually gets it pretty much right away. The whole idea is a sappy one, but all of therapy is sappy, and you can thank brains for being so darn easy to trick up with feelings for that little design flaw.

·He explains that the biggest part of you to hurt when someone screws you over is your sense of trust, so something that makes you be super vulnerable is obviously the way to fix it, at least for some. After emphasizing how he'd never benefit from such a thing, he posits that cuddling is potentially the most dangerous thing you can do, making folks willing to try it on thr regular with strangers pretty damn brave. His logic on the ease of stabbing while snuggling is not one you can argue.

Chromedome

·Fully aware of the chaos life can bring, he immediately gets why someone would want a little time to relax with someone calm, even if it's more of a clinical session than a platonic bonding. Admittedly the lack of concrete guidelines does worry him a little once he hears the qualifications are rather loose, but is anything perfect?

·Being a bot who fully gets how desperate a suffering individual will go, he can't help but consider what a benefit such simple pain relief could be, but also mourns for those who don't have access to something so... basic. Suffice to say he gets ample cuddling, and knows full well how precious every moment is.

Rewind

·Being so focused on memory has taught him the emotional impact even a little encounter can have, so he isn't at all surprised some species would have learned to utilize this, only that his own hasn't. Being such a varied and armored species can make any intimacy difficult, but that hardly means they're strangers to snuggling after all.

·The thought of such loneliness can't help but make him a little sad, especially when he learns many of the humans seeking out this service are in relationships. Not a day goes by for him without hand holding or hugs or nuzzles... He hopes your species makes this more common as therapy for their own sake.

Cyclonus

·Initially he's a bit bewildered, though many aspects of earth culture bewilder him, and further discussion does little to help him grasp the concept or its benefits. It seems silly and, at least internally, he can't help but perceive it as inappropriate. It isn't until you elaborate on why humans seek this service out that he begins to get some clarity.

·Hearing about how many human cultures frown on caring contact in virtually any situation, even between partners, is a little alarming. He knows the struggle of expressing emotions after even allowing yourself to feel them, but to be so caged by tradition that one needs secret contact with a proffesional for a taste of warmth or companionship... well, that's unfortunate.

Tailgate

·Immediately you see him perk up, as if the mere mention of cuddling catches his attention. He asks lots of questions, some on the proffesion and others on the ways humans express care, and while saddened that the job is needed he's happy that help is there for those who need it.

·You're then given an enthusiastic but confidential talk on how he's finally getting all the hugs he needs with Cyclonus, who will never admit it but he's certain is benefiting from the cuddling as much as he is. While not aware of the six million years he was out, it's felt as if his body is, and thus he's been eagerly catching up with loving snuggles whenever possible. Speaking of which, want a hug?

Velocity

·She's not at all caught off guard by the idea, as it makes a lot of sense for the sake of mental health, especially to a doctor of a species that could use the practice. While Caminus has been spared the war between factions, it's unfortunately not a haven for emotional wellbeing either. The need to stand out and meet cultural requirements of frugality forces many to be just as reserved with their needs as the humans seeking out help that you describe.

·She wonders if it'd be possible to introduce something like that to her own people, if not on Cybertron. But there's a lot of cultural resistance, just as she's sure you've seen on earth, to taking care of oneself even for such a basic need. She expresses respect for humans on actually taking the steps to improve.

Nautica

·As with all new things, she's immediately interested in learning the full depth of the subject, both inside and out. If you don't know it all that's okay! She can just plough through a few books and then she'll feel like she's got it down! This means she wants to know about human therapy, affection, cultural hindrances, the neurochemtistry of physical contact... Anything you know to start on these subjects would be helpful.

·Before and after her quick study break, her biggest takeaway is the huge taboo humans have placed on touching, something she can barely wrap her head around. Sure, bots have unnecessary hangups as well, but casual taction just... happens? Why would any culture have issues with that? Even as someone who occasionally trips up and crosses physical boundaries, she knows that space is important, but it's not meant to be a barrier. You'll let her know if you need a break from what sounds like an exhausting mindset, won't you? She's always here for a quick hug or even just a shoulder pat!

Megatron

·All talk of human culture once made him cringe, not out of disgust, but out of an admittedly deserved guilt. With you he's at least opening up to conversation on the topic, and this is one of the things he needs a bit of elaboration on, as his bafflement is so great you can see it on his face. His experience with physical affection being nonexistent doesn't make it any easier for him to follow.

·When you mention the concept of being "touch starved" he finally gets it, but has a less than thrilling realization himself. He's never heard a word describe his deeply buried longing so effectively, and your talk of earth culture occasionally stifling people to the point of needing these services strikes a nerve he hadn't known was so tender. As with every other vulnerability in his life, he buries it down and secures the weakness firmly away, keeping his expression neutral as he pretends the topic is just another curiosity.

[self-loving-vampire]

Geneforge 1 - Mutagen (2021)

Geneforge 1 - Mutagen is a modern remake of Spiderweb Software’s classic Geneforge series, which spanned 5 games and ran from 2001 to 2011. It is notable primarily for its unique setting and quality writing. I especially like how the game does not squander the potential of its premise and explores many of the ethical, political, and legal aspects of Shaping.

Summary

In the world of Geneforge, there is an order of mages called Shapers. Shapers are capable of creating and modifying living beings simply called “Creations”. There is a very wide variety of Creations, built for different purposes.

You are a Shaper in training, sailing the seas in a living craft as part of training. While doing this, you come near an island that has been Barred, meaning that entrance to it has been strictly forbidden (this can happen due to failed experiments, secret projects, etc.)

At that moment, your craft is attacked and killed by a strange ship. You manage to reach the shore, finding that the island you have found yourself in is far from abandoned...

Freedom

Really good overall. Not only do you have a good selection of playstyles but you also have multiple endings and various faction choices. Additionally, you can explore the world rather freely, stopped only by organic barriers such as strong enemies, environmental hazards, and lack of access tools rather than plot contrivances.

Many quests have multiple solutions, and you also often get multiple dialogue options in reaction to various things.

One weakness I noticed is that there are situations where your dialogue choices make for a simple binary. However, this is not such a big deal in the grand scheme of things and this game still does far better than many others in this department.

One thing I particularly like is that while some of the game’s final decisions determine the bulk of what ending you get, your relationships with the game’s three main factions still seem to have an impact on the ending and interact with your other decisions in complex ways.

Character Creation/Customization

On the surface, I thought the character creation of this game was simply good but basic. You can select one of three classes and spend some points to increase your initial stats and skills. There are no backgrounds, traits, races, or even all that much appearance-based customization.

However, after some hours of playing I discovered that the versatility of Shaping makes things far more complex than they first appear.

The three classes available to you are:

Shaper - A specialist at creating and enhancing various allies. They are weak in combat, but can have the strongest and most numerous Creations. They are also decent at magic.

Guardian - The warriors of the shaper sect. They are the strongest in terms of physical prowess but have very weak magic. Of the three classes, they are in the middle in terms of shaping ability, being able to field some Creations but not as many as the Shaper.

Agent - Allegedly the most challenging class to play. They are highly skilled in “conventional” (non-shaper) magic and average at combat, but not very good at shaping, often acting on their own.

Out of these, I think Shaper is not only likely the easiest but also the most interesting and the most appropriate to the themes of the game.  In addition to your basic stats, you can select skills in things like combat, offensive magic, buffs, a few different shaping styles, and three non-combat skills (Leadership, Mechanics, and Stealth).

The Leadership skill serves as a diplomacy skill and also allows you to control Creations with your will. The Mechanics skill allows you to disable traps and pick locks.

The complexity comes from the creations you will unlock throughout the game.

There are nine base creation types (each with an alternate form with slightly different abilities) plus hidden creations you will have to discover as you play.

All creations consume varying amounts of Essence. Often, more powerful creations will have higher Essence costs, and you have a limited amount of Essence to distribute among all of your creations.

You can spend additional essence to enhance your creations with better stats and additional abilities, both passive and active.

On top of that, Essence is also required to cast most spells, so the more of it you spend on creations the less of it you will have for things like healing and combat buffs.

This means that even within just the Shaper class there is a variety of playstyles available. From bombarding the enemy with multiple weaker ranged creations to focusing on just a couple of more powerful ones such as upgraded Drayks, while also keeping some essence on reserve for your own spells.

Story/Setting

The game takes place on the mysterious Sucia Island, which has been barred for reasons you will uncover during the course of the game. You are not alone in this island, as you will soon make contact with intelligent life in the form of Serviles.

Serviles are a common Creation, made to essentially serve as slaves to the Shapers. Many of the Serviles you saw while growing up treated Shapers with fear, awe, and absolute submission.

But that is not the case here. The Serviles of Sucia island are largely “rogue”, and have divided themselves into three factions.

The first is the Awakened. These Serviles remain grateful to the Shapers for giving them life, but wish to deal with them as equals rather than slaves. They believe that all intelligent creations should be treated equally.

The second is the Obeyers, who retain the instinct bred into Serviles and wish to remain loyal to the Shapers, yearning for their return to Sucia. However, dealing with them is still not so simple. If you try to tell them that they should be independent like the other two factions, they will (correctly) see you as a rebel who does not represent the true will of the Shapers or act in accordance to their laws.

The third, and probably most complex, of the factions is the Takers. This is a group of radical Serviles who despise the Shapers. Their name comes from their willingness to take their destiny into their own hands by any means necessary. Many of them treat you with some degree of hostility, but none of these factions is a monolith with a completely unified worldview.

In fact, if you meet the leader of the Takers, you will discover that at least some of them would be willing to forgive everything if granted freedom, they just don’t think it is likely that the Shapers would grant it and are willing to die rather than return to slavery.

And the thing is that this is probably correct. The more you play the more you realize that the sect you grew up in is twisted and would sooner genocide all life in Sucia island than treat “rogue” creations as equals.

One moment that I felt really highlights this is when you meet one of the few Drayks who inhabit the island. Drayks are pretty much Geneforge’s take on fantasy dragons. They are highly intelligent and independent creations, which is the reason why creating more of them was forbidden by the Shapers.

As Sucia has been barred and isolated from the rest of the world for a long time, the Drayk you meet is not aware of this new law. When you inform them about it, their reaction is grim.

The drayk realizes, in that moment, that their entire species will one day go extinct simply because your people will it. Because they were not submissive enough. Not good enough slaves.

The Shapers may have the power to create life, but they are not kind to that life. They are no different from abusive parents who want children to be servants or property.

And this is not even getting into the topic of the titular Geneforge or the other inhabitants of the island...

Overall, I found the story and worldbuilding of this game to be excellent. None of the factions feel one-dimensional and often there are many different points of view within each of them. That makes them feel deeper and more real than many other video game factions, where everyone on the same side is implied to have broadly the same beliefs and there are no schisms, sub-factions, or major differences.

Immersion

Judging how immersive Geneforge games are is somewhat complicated. On one side, this game lacks a lot of the features that make it easier for me to roleplay living in its world day to day.

On the other, the writing and worldbuilding are great and the consequences for various actions sound sensible.

The writing is really carrying this aspect of the game I think, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Gameplay

Combat is in a reasonably good place. It is extremely simple to understand, while still offering some level of depth later in the game. For the most part, combat is also not that difficult unless you push yourself into areas you are not yet ready for.

I do have a number of complaints to make, but want to make it clear that these were never enough to really ruin my enjoyment of the game.

The most significant of these complaints has to do with the way experience is awarded in relation to your own level.

As your level increases, not only enemies but also quests will start granting you less and less experience. I can see why one might make such a design decision, as it means exploration and unique quest rewards will quickly become more significant sources of power than combat alone, but on a purely psychological level I just don’t like to go through a fight and get nothing at all in return, especially since the game does have quite a bit of combat.

This can make some sections of the game drag on. In particular, fights against defensive crystals in a couple of locations can be a bit slow, as the crystals are very durable and dangerous to approach in melee due to how they explode upon death.

Aesthetics

Spiderweb games are known for having minimal budgets, and the area that usually ends up receiving the least funds is the graphics and sound.

So despite being a remake from 2021, this is a game that looks like it was made in the 90s and has no music apart from the title screen’s.

Personally, this does not bother me at all. I think pretty graphics are nice and good music can definitely add to the atmosphere of a game (see Fallout 1 or Planescape: Torment, for example) neither is the core of what I am looking for in a game, especially in this genre.

I do like some of the ambient sound effects though. In particular the corvid cawing in some of the game’s more desolate areas.

Putting the graphics and sound aside, the way the game uses Shaping to establish its setting earns it a lot of aesthetic points, as it ends up with a very unique identity.

For example, Geneforge does not use bows as its primary ranged weapons. It uses living batons that launch thorns. It also largely does not include any generic fantasy races like elves or orcs.

Accessibility

Actually really good, far better than I expected even. Combat is an extremely simple affair, making a functional build with most classes is not complicated, the game’s general mechanics are transparent, and there is both a short tutorial and in-game instructions.

Really if you can get past the presentation you won’t have many obstacles to playing this game. It even has multiple difficulty options, including a casual mode for those who just want to follow the story and don’t want to have to think too much about how to overcome the game’s obstacles.

Conclusion

Geneforge has a lot of what I like in an RPG. Things like character creation, rich worldbuilding, non-linear gameplay, and the ability to make meaningful decisions.

I especially recommend this one to people who want something different from the standard fantasy RPG experience, and also to the type of mega-nerd who will enjoy analyzing the game’s world and themes in detail. There is much to talk about here.

[bashhowardproductions]

Is Din in a Cult? An Exploration

After Season 2 of the Mandalorian, there has been a lot of debate regarding whether or not Din’s sect of Mandalorianism(?) is a cult, especially after the comment in The Heiress, which Bo-Katan says “Children of The Watch are a cult of religious zealots that broke away from Mandalorian society.” 

Enough people on this site seem to be familiar with Bo-Katan, and her actions, and take this comment as baseless, even going far enough to claim it’s a parallel to religious intolerance. Luckily, that doesn’t matter!! We have enough information about his religious beliefs to make our own assessment, without taking the word of another character who has varying amounts of trustworthiness(again, I didn’t watch the animated series. but also again, that shouldn’t matter).

I’m going to be working off of cultresearch.org ‘s page, “ Characteristics Associated With Cults”. Mind you, not all of these will apply, since they are for real life, practical application, and not for a fictional universe. I will only reference things that have happened in The Mandalorian, and in The Original Trilogy.

Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished?

-Yes, in “The Sin”, when the fight breaks out.

The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel.

-Yes. However, one could make the case that it’s for safety.

The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s), and its members.

-Yes. Obviously religion plays a different role in the Star Wars universe than it does in real life, but the Tribe has a certain level of elitism, mostly against other factions of Mandalorians. 

The group has a polarized, us-versus-them mentality.

-This is a big one. They feel this way against everyone. Not just empire, but New Republic, and literally any other organization.

The leader is not accountable to any authorities.

-I’m throwing this one out, due to political turmoil

The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt in order to influence members. Often this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.

-Yes, especially seen in “The Sin”. Paz Vizsla shames Din for accepting an Imperial job, and attempts to remove him from the covert for doing so. 

The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.

-This one’s a little awkward. No, the Tribe isn’t handing out pamphlets on the road, but they certainly are very okay with adopting children and indoctrinating them.

Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.

-This is another awkward one. Star Wars itself is a very goal oriented series, so we’re not incredibly familiar what down time looks like for anyone, besides Mr. Toche Station, but when he has down time in the series, when he still HAS the covert, he spends his time there. And of course, he’s only hunting in order to provide for the covert. 

Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.

-Yes. It’s only until his covert is destroyed that Din begins to associate with non-Mandalorians. Even then, once he begins his task, his first priority is to find other Mandalorians to help him, rather than exhaust his current social circles.

The most loyal members (the “true believers”) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave— or even consider leaving—the group.

-This is how Din feels for the majority of the series, until “The Rescue”. His identity is so tied to his Tribe that he can’t fathom what would happen if he left.

How are people who left the group treated? What is said about them? Will the group give you names of people who left? Both those who were satisfied and those who were not?

-This is the big one. Din is adopted and takes the Creed as a child, as he explains to Omera in “The Sanctuary”. The implication being, if he didn’t, he would have lost the people that took him in after his parents died. That’s manipulative as hell. Why not wait until they’re 18? A case could be made for the fact that they went into hiding, and needed to make sure they could trust the Foundlings wouldn’t leave and give away their positions etc, but it’s still heinous to adopt children and force them into a restrictive religion under the threat of abandonment. 

Are former members willing to speak about their experiences? How do they evaluate their time with the group or person?

-Throwing this one out

What is the process for filing complaints? Is there a feedback mechanism that is real and honored? Are complaints made public? Is there a money-back guarantee?

-Throwing this one out

Are your questions answered directly? Are you told time and again to listen to your heart and not your head? Are you told that you are too new, too uninformed, too nosy, and so on, and shouldn’t be asking such questions?

-Now this ones tricky. We don’t see anyone ask a question that isn’t answered, but an assumption could be made based on how clueless Din seems to be about certain things, like other Mandalorian factions, Jedi, etc. 

Is there a leader who appears to be the ultimate authority, spokesperson? Are his or her views challenged by others? Must the leader’s opinion be accepted without question?

-Using the Armorer as the spokesperson, no. Although, we never see someone challenge her besides Paz, and it seems like he was in the wrong. 

Is more than one point of view presented? Are other points of view recognized? Are other points of view seen as valid but different?

-Absolutely not, and that’s a big thing that people forget. It’s not like Din says “I keep my face covered because that is how I follow the Creed, but your form is acceptable too,” to Bo-Katan or Boba. He is fully under the assumption that they are Wrong and he is Right. He comes to terms with them, but he still doesn’t respect their beliefs. 

What kind of commitment is expected? In time, money, lifestyle changes?

-All three. Until the covert is destroyed, Din’s entire existence hinges on providing for the Covert. That’s why he’s a hunter, that’s where all of his extra money goes, and his lifestyle is entirely dictated by the Creed. 

Does it appear that there are secrets? Is information restricted in any way? Is there some information that you are told must not be shared with outsiders? Is there information that you’re told you can’t get until you’re a member of the group or reached a certain level?

-Yes, information is restricted. To be fair, Luke didn’t know at the beginning of ANH what the Jedi were or what the force is, but presumably in 9 ABY, at least SOMETHING is going around about the Jedi that destroyed the Death Star. Hell, the New Republic’s greeting is “May the Force be With You”, meaning some semblance of Force-knowledge is circulating. Additionally, based on his reaction to Bo-Katan and Co, we can guess the Armorer never tells him about other Mandalorian sects.

This is not a checklist by any means, and it’s not definitive, but based on these guidelines, I’m going to go ahead and say it’s a cult. Of course, now that he’s broken the Creed, this might all be proven wrong if he finds another member of his covert, but from what we’ve seen in the Mandalorian, it’s not looking good. 

[kagrenacs]

Tes Iceberg Explained #2

Once again i’m not covering everything, particularly not bothering with things such as Black Books/Naked Nords which are a main focus within the games. And not everything is covered in extensive detail, many of these things i could cover more thoroughly, but that would make this post very, very long. CW for brief discussion of Sexual Assault

N'Gasta! Kvata! Kvakis!: A book with a secret meaning you can find 

here: https://www.imperial-library.info/content/mystery-ngasta-kvata-kvakis 

Nords were Giants: A theory that Giants and Nords share atmoran ancestors

The Last Dragonborn is Talos: A theory that the Last Dragonborn who is a potential Shezzarine like Talos, and shares a title with him

Mutara is symbolism for a penis: A lot of people joke that Mutara is symbolism for a penis and that’s it, but MK has stated it’s an anagram for Trauma revolving around the encounter with Molag Bal (original post deleted along with a lot of his reddit content)

Briar-Heart Lorkhan reenactment: the Reachmen sometimes will give a chosen warrior a Briar-Heart in place of their human heart to better harness magical energy and power, this theory connects it with Lorkhan’s heart being torn from his chest during his death

Titus Mede is Thalmor: Didn’t find much on this, but i feel it’s rather self-explanatory

The Trial of Vivec: An obscure MK text, TW for Rape if you go looking for it

Reavers from the North: A class of bandits on Solstheim

World-Eating/ The Aldudagga: An interesting obscure MK text discussing Alduin’s role as worldender. The text states that ‘the Leper Demon King’ and Lorkhan made a compact/bargain of some sort to prevent this. Lorkhan tries to hide under Red Mountain, but it’s already eaten by Alduin so he ends up stuck between/within Kalpas, essentially out of time. LDK states he and Lorkhan hoard parts of the old world and add them to the new, so that it takes Alduin longer to eat the world the next time. Alduin calls him a stupid little fucker (not relevant, but i wanted to have this on record) and curses him with the name Mehrunes Dagon, essentially forcing him to oblivion and cursing him to stay there until he destroys everything. It also attributes to part of Saarthal’s destruction to Mehrunes Dagon worshipers/Dagon himself, tells of a tale of a Flying Whale and a Dirtbird making a deal with Molag Bal and explains the tradition of Nord’s cow painting as offers for giants. Many folks consider this noncanonical, including some die-hard lore fans.

Abagarlas: A Molag Bal worshiping Ayleid city, in conflict with Meridia worshipping cities

The Tri-angled Truth: possibly the Psijic Endeavor, but also shown to be the worship of The True Tribunal and belief in Mundus as a trial ground made by Lorkhan. (The two statements may be connected by Boethiah, who preached the Psijic Endeavor to the Velothi)

The Ooze: A bosmeri term for the primordial chaos of early nirn before the Earthbones stabilized it.

Prophecy writing: This might be a reference to several things, possibly the actions of the ‘Hero’ in each Elder Scroll to fulfill the prophecy and make their will a reality, possibly the Ancestor Moth Cult and their role of recording the prophecies they see.

The Eleven forces: Laws of magic described by the Psijic order, also a term used to describe their council

The Halls of Colossus: An ancient site of ruins, possibly dedicated to the worship of dragons, as ESO shows. Tiber Septim may have kept the Numidium here and it may have had adverse effects on the surrounding region 

Mantling: The concept of becoming so similar to another being, you literally become them/take up their power.

Tiber’s Purges: Destruction of cities and royal families that did not agree with Tiber Septims rule, using the Numidium

House Ra’athim and Mora: House Mora was a minor Dunmer/Chimer house with human ancestry, before fading away and being absorbed by House Hlaalu. House Ra’athim was a powerful clan of nobility within House Mora that ruled Ebonheart and were loyal to the King of Morrowind. The Ra’athim were said to be miners and owned an extensive amount of ebony mines. Nerevar was also said to be originally from House Mora.

Talos is Lorkhan: A theory that Talos mantled the place of Lorkhan within the pantheon of the Divines.

An-Xileel: An argonian faction of anti-colonists, probably based in Lilmonth

Tamriel Technological Degeneration: A theory that states the technology of Tamriel is slowly declining, primarily sourcing the existence of Dwemer tech. Sometimes associated with a theory that Tamriel is experiencing a decline in magic, citing the streamlining of skill trees in Morrowind and Oblivion into the one seen in Skyrim

Wulf: An avatar of Tiber Septim, seen in Morrowind

Mannimarco is not the King of Worms: The theory that the Mannimarco seen in Oblivion is not Mannimarco the God, but an imposter or the remnants of the mortal Mannimarco

Sunbirds: Altmer airships, possibly designed with the intent to reach Aetherius, may or may not have been successful. Sources are primarily unlicensed works or vague mentions

House Dres Vampires: Garan Marethi , Volikhar vampire, states he was tired of the politics of House Dres. A Game at Dinner recounts the poisoning of a spy at a banquet King Helseth held, notably the anonymous author was stated to be Dres and desired to be relieved of his title. Dhaunayne, mentioned as this spy’s master, appears in Morrowind as head of the Aundae vampire clan.

Arkved’s Void: The nightmare of the wizard Arkved, who stole Vaermina’s orb in Oblivion

The Book of Hours: A teaching by Vivec focusing on the Dragon Breaks, Middle Dawn and the Blue Star Mnemoli

The Dreamsleeve: This is a bit difficult to explain as there are two meanings often attributed to the word. The first meaning is the collective consciousness/dream of everyone in existence, and a method to transmit information from person to person via dreams/unconscious thought, this is the explanation present in canon. In things considered more dubiously canon, it is the process of life/death/rebirth. 

Pyandonea is Aldmeris: The theory that the home of the sea elves is actually the ancient continent of Aldmeris

Emperor Zero: Discussed in previous post, TL;DR, a cult established by Tiber Septim to honor his predecessor paving the way for his conquering of Tamriel

Infinitely Large Planetoids: A reference to a text by MK discussing the cosmology of TES. The planets of Mundus are the Eight Divines/the bodies of them, they are also the planes of the gods. They appear as planets in the sky because mortal minds can’t comprehend their true form. They are infinite, but also surrounded by oblivion, so the mortal mind comprehends them as planets.

Kalpas: The cycle of birth/death/rebirth the universe/aurbis goes through.

Satakal: The Yokudan God of Everything, the universe, a fusion of Anu/Padomay. Like Alduin, he eats his own tail/is reborn (see kalpas above). The Yokudan pantheon is made up of Gods who learned to survive this cycle.

Summerset Isles is part of Thras: The thought that originally the Sload may have called the Summerset Isles home, or part of their home. Supported by the fact the oldest structures in the isles is made of coral.

Aldmeris never existed: The thought that the myth of Aldmeris is just a myth

Wayrest Secret painting message: Part of the main quest of Daggerfall, a way for the Agent to discover Daggerfall agents killed King Lysandus

Anumidi Models: A reference to Vehk’s Teaching, a text by MK that describes the Psijic Endeavor and it’s relationship to CHIM and the Tower. To summarize, the Anumidi models (Numidium and presumably lesser models such as centurions) are a metaphor/representation of the Tower (The universe when you tilt your head to the side, or an I)

Cybiades: An island off the coast of Sentinel, populated with Vampires.

Yokudan Sidestepping: The theory that the Yokudans/their pantheon come from an alternate timeline/the past, and avoided the destruction of Yokuda by stepping into the current timeline.

The Red Templars: Lore from the Redguard Fourms, MK describes them as ‘psycho-crusaders who drank the blood of Talos to get short-term martial shouting powers’ The rest of the legion largely disliked them.

Two Tiber theory: The Theory that Tiber Septim was in fact two people, Tiber Septim the general/Hjalti Early-Beard and Zurin Arctus. Making him both a Nord and Breton like ingame texts suggest. 

Magika=Energy of Existence: I discuss this a few times on this blog. The simple theory that magic is energy/life force, the equivalent to the real world’s laws of thermodynamics. Supported by the fact that Meridia is said to be the lady of infinite energies and hates the undead who disrupt the natural flow of magic/energy

Dro’Zira: A Khajiit folk hero present at the Battle of Red Mountain, Wulfharth may have used his thu’um to turn him and other Khajiit into Senche. Said to have defended Wulfarth from Dumac Dwarfking, and killed the monarch. Later confined to the Shivering isles and rescued by Wulfharth.

Stars 3D Skydome: Presumably a reference to the fact that stars are holes between oblivion and aetherius and act as a sort of dome between Nirn and Aetherius

Blades Secret Bloodlines: Didn’t find much on this, my guess is it’s a reference to the theory that the blades kept the bloodlines of the Septim emperors a secret, and multiple bastard heirs may have been produced through generations.

Arden Sul: the first Duke of the Shivering Isles, Mania and Dementia have opposing beliefs on his life. Mania knows him as the Artificer Superior, a skilled craftsman who consumed large amounts of Greenmote, his revelers and/or himself may have consumed so much, their hearts exploded and ‘lifeblood flowed from their chests’. Extremists of Mania believe he is the true god of the Shivering isles. Dementia regards him as a Dark Deceiver, who fed poisoned wine to his allies, suspecting a traitor and killing everyone, reading their lifeblood for the traitor. When he couldn’t find it, he tore his heart out in distress. Extremists of Dementia regard him as the mortal aspect of Sheogorath. Both sides consider his soul to be beyond oblivion, ready to pounce at any moment.

From the Many-Headed Talos: Hemskir’s speech, another MK text. Describes Talos removing the jungle from Cyrodiil.

Hist Biological Supercomputers: Self explanatory, the theory that the hivemind of the hist is equivalent to a biological supercomputer (unrelated to tes, but this reminds me of the concept of plant intelligence, memory and perception)

[xenetala]

Piofiore: Fated Memories Review

I’ll keep this as spoiler free as possible, but with this game that may be a bit difficult. This is just my thoughts on the game and its quality. This game overall is really well done and if you are familiar with Amnesia Memories, you’ll really enjoy this one.

There are a few things I’d like to give people a heads up on in this one. First, this is a game about the Mafia. While it should be obvious, many people who play otome games may not realize this isn’t like the sweet games such as Kissed by the Baddest Bidder. Please do not play this game if you are sensitive to blood, gore, death, rape, drug abuse, psychological abuse, torture, violence, general crime, and other such themes. While you can play the best routes and avoid too much of this, you will be exposed to some pretty gruesome and brutal things in this game.

The second thing I’d like to give a heads up on is you have to play the routes in a semi set order to unlock things. By this I mean you don’t get to completely choose who you play at first. While this by no means makes the game bad, it’s something to think about before playing. You may not get to choose your favorite boy right off.

If you do play this, I have a recommended play route. I recommend this based on the lore of the world. That’s not to say you have to play this order, but I think it’ll give a better feel for the world.

While you can start with either Dante or Nicola, I’d recommend playing through Dante’s route first and follow his route with Orlock. While Yang is my absolute favorite boy by far, I recommend playing Nicola before Yang. Gilbert’s route you can’t play until you’ve played the other 4 so Dante > Orlock > Nicola > Yang is my recommended order, but Dante > Nicola > Orlock > Yang isn’t a bad order either.

Overall Story

This is a really good story. There’s a lot of absolutely lovable characters in it and I wish there were more routes. I also wish the stories were longer just because of how good the characters are. Even the supporting characters are great. The setting is in Italy during the 1920′s. There are a few references to world events around that time such as World War I, the depression, American prohibition, and several other things that happened around the world.

The game takes a lot of the terms and historical things and puts them in a nice handy dictionary in case the audience isn’t familiar with them. Personally I find all of the references common knowledge, but then I’m also a history buff so that may not be the case.

As far as the plot goes, the basis is you play an MC who grew up in a church in a small mafia run city. Depending on the route, the MC gets captured or rescued by one of the three mafia groups and ends up in their care as a guest. The three groups are the Italian based Falzone, the mixed heritage Visconti, and the Chinese based Lao-Shu.

Each route has a different part of the story and history of the world and the town as well as a different perspective. Some of the routes are more peaceful while others not so much. In all of them, the MC is one I consistently like. Despite being brought up in a quasi Roman Catholic based belief system, she’s quite down to Earth and many times stands up to the mafia so that earns her many points in my book.

The one thing in this game that I feel is a big missed opportunity is the character Roberto De Feo. I would have loved to see him as an option in this game. Especially after playing all of the routes including the hidden one, I feel like he would have made a nice addition to the story.

Characters

This game has a really good set of characters and even the supporting characters are good so I’m going to go over quite a few people in this. I’ll break these down by factions to help keep things orderly. Each character does have a best, good, and tragic ending. Some of them are really good, but the tragic ones to be pretty brutal to play.

Also, a fun note in the CGs you can press a button to hear the character’s comments on the scene.

Falzone Family

Dante Falzone - This is the first route I recommend playing. He’s kind of the ‘canon’ route in this and goes over a lot of the lore of the world. It can get a bit overwhelming to keep up with all of the mythology of the game, but you will need that information for later routes.

He’s introduced as the cold and cruel boss of the Falzone, but in reality he’s more of the slightly cold gentleman. While he can be cruel as evidenced in a torture scene, he’s really very sweet and you see much more of his caring side as the story progresses. I’m not a fan of his route as it is way sweeter than I’d like for a mafia boss, but it is the most romantic one.

In this route the MC spends most of her time confined with Dante and is more of a prisoner than a guest in my opinion. She’s not allowed to roam free much and is quite dependent on Dante. There is a lot of violence in this route and is one of the more gruesome ones in a few places. I actually like his good ending better than the best ending. His tragic end is really sad so beware. It’s not as brutal as others, but it’ll tug your heartstrings. Death can bring more peace than life. 

Leo Cavagnis - While not a love interest, Leo is an adorable character. He’s assigned as the MC’s body guard in anything related to the Falzone family. I would like to have seen him as a romance option just because it’d be nice to have a choice other than only higher ranking mafia members, but even without him being an option he’s a fun character in all of the routes.

Nicola Francesca - He is the underboss for the Falzone family and is Dante’s cousin. I liked his route much more than I thought I would and he is more what you’d expect for a mafia themed game. It is mentioned in all routes a few times that Nicola is more suited to being the boss than the underboss, and I agree with this.

Nicola is presented as a playboy, but though he’s flirty he’s not really a playboy. He has a lot of charisma and appears nice, but there is a cruel side to him. This is showcased in how he treats his men and in a torture scene. His route has almost none of the lore and is refreshing in that fact.

The MC is still more of prisoner in this one, but she’s not as dependent on Nicola. Even though I’d say Nicola is more ruthless than Dante, this route is actually one of the less violent ones. I will warn that his route is predictable and not quite as exciting to play as far as plot twists and such. Despite that, this is a fun route and the MC gets to showcase a bit more strength than in some of the others.

He is really tied to his idea of trying to free Dante from the curse of his blood and duties so Nicola often acts brashly and without really trying to understand others. This makes him quite focused on his own goals. His best ending is a great ending and for sure deserves to be called the best ending. I don’t really care for his good ending as much. While not sad, he’s too much of a mafia boss for the good ending to really fit him. His tragic ending is a work of art.

Giulia Ceste - She is the motherly housekeeper of the Falzone and takes care of the MC a lot when in the company of the Falzone family. While not a big character, she does help create some humor in the routes and is always a welcome addition when things get really serious.

The Church

Just a few notes on this ‘faction’. This group plays different roles in each route and doesn’t really follow a branch of the Christian religions. Even though the set up is implied to be the Roman Catholic branch, the lore behind this church isn’t really clear on things. There’s a relic mentioned and that relic is given all sorts of explanations as to what it is, but in reality very little of this game really follows any specific branch. So, if you find yourself confused on this group that’s normal.

Josef von Rosburg - Josef is a bishop for the church and has varying roles depending on the route you play. For the most part he’s reasonably pious and does things on behalf of what he believes to be the best for the church. Although, as the saying goes the road to hell is paved with the best of intentions.

Orlock - This boy is all cinnamon roll and I did not like his route until I played all endings. Part of the problem I have with his route is he’s so naïve and innocent that he comes off as childlike. After seeing him in some of the other routes I’d had the expectation that he’d be more of a cold hearted assassin than he is.

That I think colored my perceptions too much to fully enjoy this route and is partly why I recommend him as the second one you play. He is a disciple which basically just means he’s an assassin for the church.

He is absolutely devoted to the MC to the point of basically worshiping her and can see no fault in anything she does. This route is one of the more violent ones and uncovers more of the lore of the world. Orlock feels much younger than the MC because of his innocence despite being able to kill just about anyone.

The good route I liked a lot more than the best route in this one and that’s partly because he didn’t feel as much like a child in that end. The tragic route though changed my mind about his story a bit though. I love his tragic route. It is brutal and merciless, but you see him as an adult and not like a child. Plus, I’m a sucker for a good gut wrenching tragedy that just makes you question why you’d put yourself through the torture of reading it.

Elena Croce - This girl is the MCs best friend and someone she grew up with in the church. Her role varies depending on the route, but she’s generally a quite girl and is good at cooking.

Sister Sofia - She is one of the sisters in the church and is the mother figure of the story. She knows MC’s history and why she’s so important, but keeps things secret from her to prevent her from carrying a heavy burden.

Oliver Haas - Sadly this is another one that doesn’t have a romance option. Oliver is the Visconti family lawyer and helps smooth things over when members of the family get arrested. He is very strict and is often reprimanding Gilbert for things. It would be interesting to see the story from his perspective for sure.

Visconti Family

Gilbert Redford - He is the leader of the Visconti family and was born in Chicago. Gilbert has ties to the US and the mafia in Chicago. Unlike the Falzone family, he had to earn his way to the boss of the faction and wasn’t passed to him through blood ties.

This route is the most peaceful route. Though Gilbert is mafia, he is a businessman first and foremost. In his story the MC has a lot more freedom as she leaves the manor and tours sections of the city with Gilbert. Much of the MC’s time with him is more like being on dates.

Even though this route is far less violent than the others and softer in many respects, this one has more intrigue. Gilbert is the type that fights with strategy more than with violence so there’s a lot of intelligence gathering and plotting.

Basically the premise is that Gilbert is being framed for a crime and everyone is trying to clear his name. Due to the nature of the crime, it affects all of the families and even Yang is willing to help out Gilbert through this ordeal. The whole story is really a build up to the big finale of the case and you get to see aspects of all the characters in a very different light.

I really like his endings. All of them fit the story and are beautifully done. One of the things I like most about Gilbert’s story is everyone sticks together and helps out.

Lan - She is one of the twins that is assigned as the MC’s guard when in company with the Laou-Shu. This girl is absolutely adorable and creates a lot of fun moments. As cute and sweet as she is, she is also very strong and will kill someone without a second thought.

Laou-Shu

Yang - He is by far my favorite of all the characters. Yang is highly intelligent and very skilled in combat. This is show cased by the fact that he is bored without intrigue or other shenanigans to provide him amusement. The MC in this route is one of the more interesting ones in my opinion. Her intelligence really shines through in this one because in order to survive Yang she has to think on her feet a lot.

One of the things I really liked about this route is there were more fun scenes in it. While Yang’s route is by far the most brutal and violent, there are points that are just good fun and provide some of that cute romantic mishap stuff we all kind of want in these games.

The Laou-Shu is a different type of mafia group from the others and this story is in opposition to the lore of the world. Pretty much everyone gets killed and there’s a lot of misfortune in Yang’s route. He is a violent person who grew up under less than ideal circumstances. The MC is gets involved in the goings on with the Laou-Shu and is brought to some pretty grisly things.

I’ve seen quite a few people compare Yang’s personality to that of Hisoka from the anime Hunter x Hunter and I agree that they have similarities. Both live for the moment and share the bloodlust from a good battle with a strong opponent. He is also a master manipulator and very good at twisting words to get exactly what he wants. His best and tragic endings are simply gorgeous, but his good ending isn’t as fun. It’s not a badly done ending, but I would have liked them both to die in it.

Fei - He is the other of the twins that guard the MC when in the company of the Laou-Shu. He’s very protective of his sister and is the calming force for her. Just like Lan, as adorable as he is he can and will kill someone without a second thought.

Marco Caldroni - He is the other detective that comes into the game and is more often than not trying to keep Roberto in check. Marco is more okay with letting the mafia deal with things than his partner is and tends to either stay out of the way or help in cases where civilians are in danger.

Police

Roberto De Feo - This guy grows on you as you play the game. At first I really didn’t like him and especially so after playing Nicola’s route, but they really should have given him an option. I’d rather have been able to play Roberto than Orlock. Roberto is a newer detective with the police force and has a very strong idea of what justice is. He does not like that the town is overrun with mafia and that the mafia controls everything. This guy tends to pop up and pick fights with some of the mafia members.

Others

??? - This is a hidden route that is only unlocked after you’ve played through all of the others. You learn a lot more about the lore of the world and the MC is pretty much on her own in this route. I found this route very boring and the person you romance in this is too haunted by the past for me to really enjoy them.

As much as I love a good redemption story or even a good tragedy, this route is so boring. I would much rather have this be a totally different character’s route. While I get this person’s story helps fill in the gaps from Gilbert’s route, this gentleman is one of those revenge is everything types and I’m just not onboard with him. The endings are a peaceful kind of harem ending for the best ending and I don’t mind that one too much. There is a romance ending and I just don’t care for this character enough.

I get wanting revenge, but I find the all consuming revenge to the point of self-destruction and destruction of everything you hold dear just stupid. That’s how this romance goes. Reminds me a lot of the Sasuke and Sakura stuff from the anime Naruto.

[sullustangin]

Satele and Theron: "Not Mother” and Son

Note:  As always, fan fiction is everyone’s sandbox. I may disagree or critique them, but it’s not personal.  I’ve been through ship wars, characterization debates, and ‘author intent’ arguments since the days before AOL and IRC chatrooms. I’ve seen a lot, and I tend to take a detached view toward fandom.  It’s not my intent to kill anyone’s joy. 

**

Sometimes, when I think about SWTOR fandom and pro/anti Satele factions, I can’t help but remember this reddit thread:

I got a girl pregnant and she wanted to get an abortion but I didn't want that. She ended up not getting one but now she is not involved at all

Shorter version on upworthy for TL;DR.

Basically, Dad is resentful of child he wanted because, after requesting that the mother not get an abortion, she gave up all custodial and parenting rights to him.  Now he doesn’t like being a single parent and refers to her as a “deadbeat mom” because she’s not involved with the kid....even though she told him up front she wasn’t going to be involved and didn’t wish to be involved. Satele is sometimes villainized because she made this decision -- and stuck with it.  

I don’t think Satele is a good mother or a bad mother.  She didn’t want to be a mother at all, so I won’t label her that way.  Biological fact: yes, she is a mother.  However, that’s not the role she has chosen to fulfill for Theron; she opted out on Day 1. 

Based on what we read in Annihilation, Satele gave up Theron at birth.  Zho became his father.  She never had any intent of raising this kid.  Satele did not wish to become a mother, but as a Jedi, from the second she felt his presence in the Force (because all life has a Force, whether or not they can sense it or use it), she felt obligated to have him.  I don’t know what, if any, canon references are made about voluntary termination of pregnancies in the SWTOR universe.  Maybe more people  than just the Jedi hold the belief that termination is unacceptable, maybe not.  I don’t know.  That said, Satele made her choice at Theron’s birth not to be a mother.  She did visit him until he was six months old (Lost Suns comic), which might be interpreted in a few different ways.

Is it regret? Thinking about changing her mind?  Or is it that continued obligation?  I might speculate that she was sending/bringing breast milk, since for the first six months, children rely on their mothers’ immunities until they can get vaccinated; it’s part of why it’s recommended to try to breastfeed if it’s possible for the mother.  This is SWTOR so for all we know, sci fi space magic means that babies can be vaccinated once they pop out.  Then again, maybe it is like it is in our world.  Still, Satele can be a decent human being and not want to be a mother at all. 

Also, just because she wasn’t pregnant anymore doesn’t mean that the symptoms magically disappeared; even if a child is a stillbirth, the mother still produces milk.  Often, they are suppliers for hospital milk banks because they still have milk production even if they don’t have a baby.  Satele likely had to cope with this and avoid being detected by the Jedi Order; it had to go somewhere!  Satele was ultimately unwavering in her belief that giving up Theron was the best decision for him and her.

Remember too that Satele’s mother Tarsiele got pregnant with no publicly known father.  There are good odds that Satele doesn’t know who her father is, and it didn’t bother her.  So she didn’t tell Theron or Zho who Theron’s father is, because she assumed Theron would be Force-sensitive and join the Jedi order.  Satele wouldn’t have wanted him to have the connections to Jace since that would complicate his Jedi training; it’s ok to know who your Jedi parent is, since you both exist in the Jedi order with limited attachments -- you’re both on the same page.  Adding a non-Jedi father to the mix complicates things and feelings, especially given Satele’s concerns about Jace falling to the Dark Side -- and potentially dragging a Force-Sensitive child with him.

The only thing I think I can fault Satele for is not informing him or Jace, after finding out Theron was not Force-sensitive (which she knew after the kid was left at Haashimut).  Theron totally struggled with his identities when younger: he was raised to be a Jedi like his mother before him, but it turns out he’s like that nameless Force-null father.  Whoops.

But Satele made her choice not to parent this child.  She may have felt that coming back to tell him about Jace would be meddling or giving Theron false hope that one or both parents would swoop in and save him.  We’ll get back to that in a second.

Cut here so it doesn’t eat a dashboard: below is some critique/analysis about the padawan system and how it may have fed into Theron’s expectations of a relationship with his mother before he was found to be not Force-sensitive and after.

As for Satele and her padawans, I’ve never been a huge fan of her being a “surrogate mother” or “cool aunt” in fan fic. It’s not my cup of tea, personally.  In part, it’s because I stick to the idea that Jedi don’t want people getting attached and hesitating about doing the right thing; that includes masters and padawans.  Masters don’t raise padawans like children. Based on what we see in the films, they’re raised in the creche with other younglings. It’s like boarding school or an orphanage in the sense that there are staff and people who care for the kids, but they are not parents; they don’t form those connections.  The Master then picks the padawan when they’re ready.  We don’t have apprenticeships in the modern world like we did in the pre-modern world, but when someone was apprenticed to someone else as a blacksmith or a tailor, they knew they weren’t their kids.  There was a relationship there.  There was a care system there.  But that didn’t replace a parent-child relationship, nor did it supply the attachments in such a relationship. In terms of masters and padawans, sometimes attachments and relationships happen, and we hear about a Master falling to the Dark Side and taking all their students with them.  Ideally, attachments and inappropriate relationships do not happen.

This ties back to Theron’s hopes for a relationship with Satele and what they were/are/will be.  Theron probably hoped to become her padawan one day or encounter her as a fellow Jedi; not being Force-sensitive killed that dream.  If Satele had gone to him after Haashimut, she would be adding insult to injury by meeting him or writing a letter to him, telling him about Jace... and then walking back out and going radio silent, not taking him home with her. 

If she had told him, that might lead to Jace being the dorky dad we all love to imagine, but what if he didn’t?  I love Jace!Dad headcanon, but that’s all it is -- headcanon.  He might have ‘noped’ out of the situation.  He might have said “Here’s a trust fund, I’m busy.”  I want Jace to be Super!Dad and I’ll write him that way when it comes to grandkids and stuff....but I won’t ignore the other possibilities that exist (and may exist in fics that are not mine!).  Given Satele’s original thoughts about telling Jace about Theron and vice versa, she may have considered this too. Also, telling Theron about Jace may have been the equivalent of dumping a baby on his doorstep with no escape route -- that’s not fair to Jace, no matter how much we like to believe Jace would have been “w00t!!” over it.

Theron and Satele worked together several times.  Theron told Satele and Jace and the Pub player in SWTOR that he understands her choice, and he’s not angry.  He’s dedicated his life to SIS and the people of the Republic; personal stuff comes second (which is why he’s the emotional disaster we know and love, but also one of the best agents the Republic has).

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t worry about her or care about her.  Feelings are hard to deal with for Theron, but he still has them. That was evident from his reaction to the Tython raid (because he did not know that she was not on Tython at the time).  Also, his first impulse thereafter was to give her a Holo call; the player walked in on the end of that on Pub side Forged Alliances.  Theron Shan cares about people; he’ll do a lot for them even if they don’t like him back, as we see with Teff’ith and (pending game choices) the player character. However, that doesn’t mean that he’s clamoring for a full-fledged relationship with Satele as mother and son.

Rather, Theron is bothered by the fact that Satele never acknowledges him; we saw that on Rishi and Yavin, especially on Imp side.  He’s "her agent.”  Even Jace acknowledged Theron on Iokath, as unhappy as Theron was about the staging of that proclamation. He does seem bothered by Satele’s disappearing act after Eternal Fleet with no notice to him (and still no word nearly 10 years after that event in-game). 

I don’t think Theron, who is now approaching 40, wants a parent-child relationship with Satele; that ship sailed.  He just wants to be acknowledged as meaning something -anything - to her. It’s not unlike adult adopted children finding their birth parents and wanting some acknowledgement of existence and connection, even if they had the best adoptive parents in the world and neither party wants to be besties. That sort of acknowledgement would have eventually come if he had been her coworker as a Jedi or padawan...if he was Force-sensitive.  

That twist of fate affects Theron more than his lack of relationship with either parent; he got dumped by “his father” Zho for that.  His bio parents didn’t do anything to “punish” him for turning out the way he was -- Jace didn’t know, and Satele already made her choice, regardless of how Theron was going to turn out.  She hoped and predicted he’d be a Jedi.  She didn’t change course, because she accepted the consequences of her decisions made 14 years before.

As a result of this, I don’t write Satele  as a cold or cruel human being. I’m more inclined to go on a “wtf Master Zho” crusade; Theron calls him his father and hopes he would be proud of him, but I blame Zho for Theron’s attachment and emotional issues (whatever labels you assign him; I go for avoidant). Satele made her choice and stuck to her guns.  She never wanted to be a mother, and she’s never pretended to be otherwise.  Satele never offered Theron false hope about their relationship.  She can’t be a deadbeat mom if she never committed to being a mother at all; she gave him up.  She gave up the relationship.  That did not exclude the possibility of becoming colleagues or friends as adults, which we saw progress toward.  The relationship between a mother and child compared to that of colleagues/friends is not the same. 

Satele’s departure after Eternal Fleet hurt Theron, because as adults, they did have a relationship, as professional as it might have been.  People feel awful when they get ghosted, no matter how brief or deep the relationship was; from what we can tell from his mail,  Theron referred to it as caf and lunch a few times. Theron still experienced a feeling of loss when she was gone, evidenced by the cantina scene on Odessen, and concern for her well-being after that camping trip in KotFE Ch. 12.

That did not mean Theron mourned her like a child who lost his mother; it may have simply been the death of another dream of a relationship, not unlike the alienation from Jace and (pending headcanon and in-game choices) the loss of the player’s character after Eternal Fleet.  We’ll see how Bioware continues/finishes that relationship between Theron and his “not mother”, likely at the player’s choice (just like the relationship with Jace on Iokath and with the player).

[moved-to-void-kissed]

= my selfship AUs =

Although I don’t talk about them too much, I do have a number of different AUs for each of my selfships! This post gives a little overview of each of them in turn, sorted by the selfship that they concern, as well as some of the “overarching AUs” which are the ones where all of my romantic selfship are canon at once. ..Not all of them have very much to them, but hopefully that’s okay.

The actual list is under the readmore because otherwise this post would be about five miles long, but hopefully all this works well! If anyone has any questions or wants to ask me anything about any of these AUs, you’re always more than welcome to do that! ^-^

==========

overarching AUs:

mythical AU - a generic fantasy universe where all of my F/Os and their corresponding self-inserts exist as different mythical creatures, and all of my romantic selfships exist in tandem (apart from my one with Anti-Aqua - she only exists if Aqua doesn’t). The specific information regarding what sort of creature everyone is is written in the section for ecah individual selfship.

==========

void-kissed (Luna/Adriana) AUs:

void spirit AU - Luna is lost to the Void at the end of Episode 18, instead of escaping with Adriana. She is able to carry on existing in the world as a spirit, but only Anna is left able to properly perceive her, with Adriana needing to wear one of Reborn’s four seals in order to be able to see her.

mythical AU - in the mythical AU, Luna is a ghost tied to the Emerald Brooch while Adriana is a witch who is able to communicate with and summon her. She goes on a journey to try and save Luna from being destroyed when Elias and the rest of Team Meteor try to acquire all four of the seals.

==========

survivors of the dark (Aqua/Aria) AUs:

vampire AU - Aria is a powerful vampire (one of those classic “rich and alone and lives in a mansion and has dark powers”-types), whereas Aqua is a vampire hunter sent to destroy her. However, a rival vampire faction (i.e. Xehanort and his allies) attacks Aria’s mansion while she is hosting a ball, and Aqua ends up having to fight alongside her to both stay alive and rescue her fellow vampire hunters Terra and Ven, who had been turned and captured respectively by the rival vampires.

PAFL AU - the selfship is set in the world of Parties Are For Losers, a series created by the Vocaloid producer Ferry. Aqua and Terra live as siblings with Eraqus, who adopted them both; Terra wants to become a stalker of the Zone and Aqua is trying to stop him because it’s such a dangerous career path. Aria is a mutant who escapes the Zone facility when KT and Dima do, bringing fellow mutant Ventus with her, and the two of them end up running into the Wayfinders.

dual wayfinder AU - instead of going into the realm of darkness, Aria is transported into the future alongside Ventus, losing her memories of her true nature in the process. They both become Master Xehanort’s apprentices, and he tries to use Ven’s light and Aria’s darkness to forge the X-Blade, but it doesn’t work so he sends them off to Eraqus. Vanitas and Ves are then split from Ventus and Aria at Terra and Aqua’s Mark of Mastery exams, prompting a world-spanning chase to find answers.

mythical AU - in the mythical AU, Aqua is an angel whereas Aria is a vampire. I don’t have any story for it yet, though.

========== 

to our own Elysium (Pyra/Sapphire) AUs:

driver Sapphire AU - Sapphire takes Rex’s place as Pyra’s Driver - she is a wanderer from Gormott who was hired by Torna to open the door on the already-raised Ancient Ship (which in this AU needs a light-element Blade to open instead of a Leftherian, and Sapphire was already Avalon’s Driver which is why they needed someone like her). Rex appears as Vandham’s biological son from canon who didn’t die, but he doesn’t join the party.

DQIX AU - essentially the story of Dragon Quest IX but told using the XC2 characters. Mythra is a Celestrian and acts as the Guardian of the volcanic town of Upover, but falls down to the Protectorate in the form of a mortal armamentalist called Pyra when the Observatory is attacked. Pyra enlists the help of Sapphire and her father Vandham (who are residents of Upover) to travel across the world and regain her divine abilities. The Indoline Praetorium replace the Gittish Empire, except Torna are the Triumgorate who betray them, and Malos replaces Corvus.

mythical AU - in the mythical AU, Pyra is a dragon stuck in a mostly human form (unlike her siblings Mythra and Malos, who are also dragons except they can choose to take human form if they wish to), while Sapphire is a werecat who ends up stumbling across Pyra in the forest and tries to help her get her powers back.

==========

love, trust and diamond dust (Perun/Sapphire) AUs:

driver Sapphire AU - Perun resonates with Sapphire to become one of her Blades during the story, taking Pyra’s place as Sapphire’s main damage dealer during most of Chapter 7. She is also good friends with Avalon, who is alive in this AU.

DQIX AU - Perun is a paladin from Gleeba who ends up joining Sapphire, Vandham and Pyra on their quest across the Protectorate because she wants to help protect justice and figures that aiding a Celestrian is the best way to do that. Her weapon is a spear, and in battle she tends to intercept attacks meant for the others a lot.

mythical AU - in the mythical AU, Perun is a yet-to-be-determined creature who had initially set out to slay the Aegis dragons, whereas Sapphire is a werecat who tries to dissuade her from doing so because their presence is important for the world’s balance.

==========

dark hearts corrupted (Anti-Aqua/Aria) AUs:

fallen light AU - all normal content of my selfship with Anti-Aqua technically takes place within the context of this AU. It’s an alternate version of events in KH where Aqua ends up falling to darkness shortly after BBS as a result of her light fading and her anguish at being abandoned by the light. Anti-Aqua and Aria become rulers of the realm of darkness, wishing to get revenge on the light for abandoning them both (Aqua also wants revenge on Xehanort, whereas Aria seeks to reach the Final World).

mythical AU - in the mythical AU, Anti-Aqua is a fallen angel and Aria is the vampire that corrupted her. I don’t have any story for it yet, though.

==========

a dance of endeavours (Camellia/Telanthera) AUs:

mythical AU - I haven’t put this selfship in the mythical AU yet, but I do intend to - I’m just having trouble thinking of mythical creatures that fit the characters.

==========

our own kind of heroes (N/Noire) AUs:

reversed heroes AU - the “reverse AU” for this selfship. N is a kind Unovan Pokémon Ranger with the inborn ability to communicate with Pokémon, whereas Noire is the cold sheltered princess of Team Plasma who hates humanity for mistreating Pokémon. She is chosen by Zekrom for her belief in her misguided ideals for separating people and Pokémon, whereas N is chosen by Reshiram for his ability to understand the truth of how Pokémon are and wish to be.

mythical AU - in the mythical AU, N is a forest spirit and guardian of twin dragons Reshiram and Zekrom, who are sealed away within his forest. Noire is a fire elemental who was originally summoned by malevolent humans to help destroy the forest that N protects in order to reach and wake up the dragons, only to promptly decide “no thanks” and go off to do her own thing. which incidentally led to her learning to appreciate nature and helping N.

==========

a farmer and a thief (Skye/Emily) AUs:

Elsewhere University AU - Emily is a biology student studying at Elsewhere University (created by charminglyantiquated on Tumblr) who uses Mimi as a safe name, and Skye is a mischevious changeling known on campus as the Phantom Prince who ends up becoming infatuated with her quite by accident.

mythical AU - I haven’t put this selfship in the mythical AU yet, but I do intend to - I’m just having trouble thinking of mythical creatures that fit the characters.

==========

under a bloodcursed sun (Serana/Cansen) AUs:

Dawnguard AU - the “reverse AU” for this selfship. Serana is the daughter of Harkon, leader of the Dawnguard, a renowned group of vampire hunters. He seeks to use the Tyranny of the Sun prophecy to create a relentless eternal day and destroy all vampires, not realising how disruptive this would be to the natural order of the world. Camille is a scholar from the First Era who was sealed away with an Elder Scroll containing part of this prophecy, which stopped her aging, while Isran and the rest of the normal Dawnguard make up the Volkihar vampire clan. After Serana accidentally frees Camille from where she was sealed away, the two of them go on a quest to complete the prophecy, so that Harkon or Isran’s vampires don’t get to it first.

mythical AU - I haven’t put this selfship in the mythical AU yet, but I do intend to - I’m just having trouble thinking of mythical creatures that fit the characters.

==========

[ablogthatishenceforthmine]

Unpopular The 100 Season 7 Opinions

1. People are too harsh on Echo. Yes, I think she was a poorly written character in seasons 5 and 6, but the character for her writing has much improved in Season 7. And the hate for her character has been far too venomous for just being a poorly written character. I feel like fans of the show never give her character a chance. Like when it was revealed that we we going to see an Echo backstory flashback in season 6. BEFORE THE EPISODE EVEN AIRED, people decided that they hated the flashback, and that it was going to be boring and a waste of time. I actually think the flashback was quite interesting, but think the show had problems framing it in context of the themes of the season. I feel like the same is happening in season 7. People aren’t giving her a chance, even though they are doing some really interesting things with her character this season.

And i think people put too much emphasis on “liking” and “agreeing” with a character. To me, it’s more important that I find a character interesting and engaging: I don’t have to agree with all, or even most, of their actions. I also don’t think the show is framing Echo’s actions this season in a positive light. So I really don’t get the complaint, “How am I supposed to like Echo when she does XXX bad/morally dubious thing.” I don’t agree with most of her actions either, but they make sense with her character, and I always understand why she does what she does this season. And I get it, emotional investment in a character is built. The show has done a poor job creating emotional investment in Echo in Season 5 and 6. But i think investment/engagement can work on two levels: emotional and mental. Mental investment is when you find the character, their storyline, and the themes explored with that character interesting. For me, in seasons 5 and 6, I wasn’t emotionally or mentally invested in Echo’s character. But in Season 7, I am mentally invested in her character. I am still not emotionally invested or care too much about her pain or if she survives because of the shoddy character work the show did for her in the previous 2 seasons. But I am interested in her character, and am excited to see her journey this season.

The show is doing a lot of interesting exploration or Echo’s character this season. But it seems to me like some people came into the season determined not to like or be interested in her character. They never gave her a chance to be interesting to them this season, which I think is a shame.

2. I don’t want Echo to be a spy; I want her to believe in Bardo and their teachings.  I think it’s wayyy more interesting if Echo has actually drunk the kool-aid. And it makes sense for her character to actually believe in Bardo’s teachings. They have a lot in common. They both value loyalty to a troubling degree. They both believe in suppressing and having complete control over one’s emotions. After believing that Bellamy has died, I can see her wanting to bet rid of emotional attachments because they are just too painful. A love is weakness kind of thing. And I can see her deciding that it’s better to be loyal to the mission of saving the human race than to be loyal to individuals, because loyalty to individuals just brings pain. Honestly, I will be really disappointed if Echo turns out to be playing the Bardonians. If that’s the case, then it just all about the plot and plot twist. If what i described above it true, then this storyline is all about character and Echo’s internal life, beliefs, and transformation.

3. I don’t get why people are mad at the show for the lack of Bellamy. It’s not writers fault that Bellamy is barely in this season so far. The actor decided to take some time off.  I get that it’s frustrating and disappointed, but  it wasn’t the writers’ decision. The show is trying to do the best it can with the hand it has been dealt. And I don’t think it’s been doing that terrible. Bellamy is easily my favorite character of the show; has been since season 1, and every season since. But I don’t think the show is suffering that badly from his absence. Like, I miss him, but I don’t feel the show is empty without him. His disappearance is a mystery I am interested and invested in. And I am so excited to find out where he is and what’s been going on with him. For me, the far more frustrating absence is that of Clarke, who has barely had anything interesting to do this season. She feels completely decentered from the season. I wouldn’t mind her lesser screentime if they screentime she did have was devoted to more interesting things. She has had a few good scenes, but most of her plotlines have not been very interesting this season.

4. This season isn’t bad so far. It’s not one of the show’s better seasons, but it’s not terrible. There’s some very good stuff and some very bad stuff. I really like everything with Bardo and Sky Ring. I enjoyed these kinda self-contained episodes like 7x02. I enjoyed seeing new families and bonds form, and seeing character dynamics we haven’t seen before. Hope is a great new character and I am both emotionally and mentally invested in her in only a short amount of time. I find the mystery of Bardo very intriguing. I am excited for every new bit of information we get on the place and it’s way of life. It was super cool and interesting learning their philosophy and a bit about how they live in 7x09. I just really like the world-building that this season is doing. The bad stuff is, of course, sanctum, which is one of the worst, if not the worst, storylines the show has ever done. It’s boring, especially in contrast to the new and exciting world of the anamoly, Bardo, and other planets. And the Sanctum storyline just seems more of the same, except there are not enough people that we care about in the mix. They are too many new characters, and none are developed well enough. It’s hard to care too much about the warring factions, when we don’t care about most of the factions. Despite J.R. Bourne’s excellent performance, Sheidheda is not an interesting villian. And many of the characters are behaving stupidly and making bad decisions. So, yeah, this season is a mixed bag, but I don’t find it to be nearly as bad as people say it it.

4. I disagree with the “Nothing is happening” opinion. Things are definitely happening. Think about how much we’ve learned since the premiere episode. It’s A LOT. And yes, we have a lot of episodes that are more character driven or world-building driven than plot driven. But I actually like that! I don’t know why people want to speed through the plot. I think the plot can move slowly as long as the episodes are engaging and stuff is happening with the characters, even if its only internally. Think about one of The 100′s best episodes, in my opinion: Season 3 Episode 11, Nevermore. The plot barely moved that episode, but there was soo much good character stuff happening. So i really liked the plot slowing down to show the Octavia/Hope/Diyoza family form, and see Octavia find her peace. I liked the plot slowing down to show us the Echo, Hope, Diyoza, and Octavia’s journey through Bardo training. I liked that it slowed down to explore Echo’s grief and Hope and Diyoza’s difficulties in 7x07. But, that is not to say that this season does not have an issue with it’s plotting because it definitely does. For me, its not in the Sky ring/Bardo stuff, it’s with all the other characters. Clarke, Raven, Murphy, Indra, Emori, etc are soooo behind the viewers in knowledge that it’s frustrating to slowly see them catch up to things that the audience already knows. And the Sanctum plot is moving too slowly too with too much build up. And i do agree with people that yeah, it still feels like we are getting exposition for the season, which is a problem. However, i’ve enjoyed a lot of the ride when it comes to learning this exposition in regards to Bardo, so I do not mind as much.

5. I want Murphy to die. And it’s not because I don’t love Murphy, because I do. He has become one of my favorite characters of the show. And that is why I want him to have a great ending and arc. And I can’t think of a better one than him dying doing a heroic or self-sacrificial thing. Murphy started as an utterly selfish character who would do anything it takes to survive, no matter the cost for other people. Slowly, he has come to care for other people. First, specific individuals, and now, more and more, has has started to care for people as a whole. But, he still struggles with his selfishness and his do-whatever-it-takes-to-survive mentality. That’s why giving up his life for a good cause would be the perfect ending to his story. To go from someone who would survive by any means necessary to someone who willingly died to do something good for others. It would be beautiful and perfect, and i hope it happens no matter how sad it would make me.