#late wbw early sts

[patternwelded-quill]

Consider this an open invite/tag game. I'll ask the question now and explain my answer! Do you have, or would you get, a tattoo based on something from your writing?

If yes, what and why?

Obvs yes since I'm sharing it, lol.

How is this relevant to my books and why does it look like I can't stop thinking about the Roman Empire? Let me tell you!

When the Red Hand Company was founded, it was by five very close friends who were all veteran military (three of which where also mercenaries post state military.) Five fingers of the same hand.

One of them was a Dryhtnar (race) Wodras (title). Among his people they are *also* governed by five people who make up the Elder Council: Nelade (red hand: external relations, chief of war), Nelbuv (white hand: internal relations/domestic chief), Arahe (chief military leader), Wodras (war speaker: priest, healer, wizard, advisor), and Satlaade (red angel: always a woman who isn't the Arahe, but a seasoned warrior, also heads the council of women's issues.)

Red Hand, you see, was no coincidence of a name. Ade also refers to life, blood, the color red, war, and family (bloodline sense.) So the Nelade Chihk'ni, (red hand brethren/brotherhood/group) or Red Hand Company was born.

You *might* also notice another thing. It's a *left* hand. That's intentional. The left hand holds your shield, which you use to protect your fellow warriors on the line. The left hand is a Teryn (more on this coming) and Dryhtnar symbol of, for lack of a better English word, a brotherhood. The symbol of the military family is put on the left arm, because they are all your shield, as well.

Okay, Myka, sure... but why the gold wreath? You basically have 'the manus' there before you added it anyway? You're right, and I noticed that detail so I leaned into it.

You see, there *was* a Rome in that part of the world in my... world. I'm a writer, I swear I have vocab. Anyway. The Kingdom of Teryn has a lot of Rome in it, and when it imploded that continent ended up with a lot of warring micro states. Thus the prevalence of mercenaries waging wars for rich assholes who lack a population to conscript in such numbers. One of them is Karvan, whom other founder Vledec hails from. Kinda fascist assholes, mandatory military service, state sponsored religion... you can imagine why a young man didn't want to drink the koolaid and fucked off. But the very-Roman legion standard feel of it comes from his background, military commanders wore them after battles so it was an associated symbol of power, victory, the Great Old Kingdom™, etc. Being a group of mercs, and ones that got hired to fill some deficiencies in post-Teryn nation militaries, was a way to thumb their noses at them. But the uninsightful nobility just saw 'Teryn symbol, okay, they're like us.'

Okay, cool, but why tf do *you* have a fictional military tattoo? Well, everyone in the RHC gets one and I made it, so...

Also, Relarial was my character, all the worldbuilding came after her. She got me through a lot of tough times, was my avatar in any game that let me be a one-eyed, knife-eared war cri- adventurer/mercenary, and is a big part of me. Those of you who know the hints and facts, that too.

So there you have it. A symbol that evolved for IRL years from an old mspaint gauntlet on a black shield to a fully worldbuilt heraldic symbol with centuries of meaning. *And* it looks cool!

@illarian-rambling @ladytamris @somethingclevermahogony @thecoolerlucky @roach-pizza @unrepentantcheeseaddict @princesscolumbia and anyone else I forgot at 0200 on a Thursday...

[rinah-creates]

Happy late SNS!! Do you have any vegetarian/vegan OCs? What's their motivation?

Happy late STS to you too! And happy early WBW, since I have to go into a bit of world building to answer =)))

Ryn is vegan for ethical reasons. Living creatures from the mortal world have so-called "auras" which are like a layer of extra saturation in an image. In the two images below, Sophie on the left seems fine, until you see the full colours of the one on the right. This is the difference between seeing someone's aura and not seeing it. Ryn has a natural ability to see auras and they see them on animals as well, placing any living animal on the same level as a human. As such, they cannot fathom the idea of killing and eating an animal or using byproducts.

Sophie is vegetarian for medical reasons. She is slowly transitioning to veganism too, for pretty much the same reasons as Ryn, but these two have endless arguments about eating milk and eggs versus not eating at all.