#nine noble virtues

[blueeyesfilledwithpassion]

Nine Noble Virtues

Courage

Truth

Honor

Fidelity

Discipline

Hospitality

Self-reliance

Industriousness

Perserverance

The Nine Noble Virtues Of The Vikings

Viking Honor System.

[theunfairfolk]

because ive seen stuff going around about it; yes, the “nine noble virtues” were made by white supremacists. “odinists” and the “asatru folk assembly” are white supremacist groups. there is absolutely nothing in them worth using in any form. it is a pile of dog shit formed by nazis. i would sooner kiss the pope than reference them in any way.

[therabydskald]

Thoughts on 2022

Happy Sif’s Day and Happy New Year! I look back on 2022 with frustration and some sense of self-discovery. It’s amazing how much those two go hand in hand. My frustrations stem from a lack of satisfaction with where I am and what I am doing. I dislike Texas for a lot of reasons. I don’t enjoy the politics of it; the sub-tropical climate without any season to speak of; unless you count moving…

[broomsick]

Will start spreading these instead of the nine nazi virtues right away!

Nine Lokean Virtues:

1. Truth: Be real. Be true to yourself and allow others follow their own truth.

2. Humor: Learn to find the humor in things, especially yourself.

3. Humility: If you need to tie your balls to a goat to accomplish your goals, suck it up buttercup.

4. Cunning: Try to think outside the box. Don't make a mess so big that you can't figure your way out of it.

5. Transformation: Don't be afraid of change, because that's how we grow. Don't be afraid of self-examination and listen to constructive criticism.

6. Creativity: Create awesome stuff. Try new things out. If you don't like it, blow it up and try again.

7. Accountability: You are the only one in charge of your own destiny, your own life, and your own actions.

8. Empathy: Try to see things from more than one perspective. Shape-shift into someone else's shoes before you pass judgement.

9. Experimentation: A mistake is only a mistake if you do it twice. Until then, everything is an experiment.

[williamrodricks]

᛬ ᚾᛁᚢ ᛫ ᚴᛅᚠᚴᚢ ᛫ ᛏᚢᚴᚦᛁᚱᚾᛅᚱ ᛬✨

Níu Gǫfgu Dygðirnar

(The Nine Noble Virtues in Old Norse)

ᛅᚱᛅᚦᛁ Áræði (Courage)

ᛋᛅᚾᛚᛅᛁᚴᛦ Sannleikr (Truth)

ᚼᛅᛁᚦᛦ Heiðr (Honour)

ᛏᚱᚢᛚᛅᛁᚴᛦ Trúleikr (Fidelity)

ᛅᚴᛁ Agi (Discipline)

ᛒᛅᛁᚾᛁ Beini (Hospitality)

ᛋᛁᛅᛚᚠᛋᛏᛅᚦᛁ Sjálfstæði (Self-reliance)

ᛁᚦᛁᚢᛋᛁᛘᛁ Iðjusemi (Industriousness)

ᚦᚱᛅᛚᛅᛁᚴᛦ þráleikr (Perseverance)

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

Hello everything is fine? you could write Aemond engaged to Y/n wanting to take her virginity before marriage

EVERYTHING IS GROOVY, DUDE, THANKS FOR ASKING.

I've taken kind of a diary entry approach to this. There is basically no plot. Y'all know the drill.

Warnings: Smut, duh. Word count: ~1000

Before the betrothal

Aemond nods solemnly when his mother breaks the news that he is to be betrothed. He had known this day would come and accepted it as his duty to House Targaryen. He was to be wed to a noble girl from a noble house in order to strengthen Aegon’s claim to the throne. He has no thoughts of his future bride beyond doing what he must for the good of his family.

First meeting

Her hair that falls in soft, loose waves almost to her waist. She is small and slight. Her gown hugs her figure like a second skin. Aemond’s mouth runs dry as he takes in her bright eyes and rose petal lips. He clears his throat, remembering to introduce himself when his mother nudges him in the ribs. He had not expected her to be so beautiful. “Is she really going to be mine?!”

Nine months before the wedding

While Aemond knew she was beautiful, he had not anticipated being captivated by more than her looks. He is delighted to find that she is quick witted, intelligent and fierce - most importantly she is unafraid of him. His breath catches when she touches his arm when he makes her laugh. She does not leave his mind from that point onwards.

Six months before the wedding

They are finding more and more excuses to spend time alone together. Aemond cannot keep her out of his thoughts. Shameful as it is, he finds himself with his fist around his hardened cock each evening while he thinks about the softness of her skin, the way her lips part and the glint she gets in her eye when she looks at him. He cannot help but wonder how it would feel to be buried inside of her. Six turns of the moon feels like an agonisingly long time to wait to find out. 

He is taken aback one day when she presses a soft kiss to his cheek. He surprises her in return by turning his face and capturing her lips. It quickly turns heated and his eye goes wide when he feels her tongue slide against his, no one has ever kissed him like that before. Hands from both sides grope where they ought not to, and Aemond has to quickly excuse himself as his erection presses painfully against the lacings of his breeches.

Three months before the wedding

Aemond has discreetly read every book that the Red Keep’s library has to offer on the act of physical love. Underneath his stoic demeanour he is giddy with anticipation at all of the things he and his betrothed will get to try when they are wed. Yet, it is still months away, and he is losing patience. His interest is piqued when he discovers a tome on the art of pleasures of the flesh that do not involve fornication.

A few days later, Aemond and his lady find themselves cinched in another passionate embrace. What Aemond has read springs to mind and desperation and curiosity get the better of him. 

She gasps a quiet “what are you doing?!” as he crouches down and pushes at her skirts. 

“Trust me” he whispers back, before pressing his face between her legs and licking a hot, wet line along her cunny. 

He groans at the squeak she elicits, hand finding its way to his cock and fisting it as he feasts upon her soaking centre. Hot ropes of pearly spend coat his fingers as he climaxes with a grunt when she finally comes undone around his tongue. He has never tasted anything more divine.

The night before the wedding

Having spent every available opportunity exploring each other’s bodies and pleasuring each other without breaching her virtue, Aemond can hardly wait for them to finally become one, his body aches with the need to be inside of her. He knows they mustn't see each other the night before the wedding and yet he cannot stay away. 

He steals away into her bedchamber and, before he knows it, they are naked and tangled together in her sheets. He is stunned when she straddles him. He hisses as he feels the wet heat of her cunt press against his hardened length.

“We are supposed to wait.” He says, voice thick with lust, offering no real objection.

She giggles. “We are. I am not going to take you inside. My handmaiden told me how to do this and I’ve been dying to try it.”

“Well, who am I to deny my lady?” He asks with a sly smirk.

His jaw goes slack, his eye fluttering closed as she slides herself up and down his erection, rolling her hips against his without him ever breaching her entrance. The tip catches her there a few times, but she is quick to pull away, placing him back at her pearl and applying pressure where she needs it most.

His mind is foggy with pleasure. If this is what it feels like just to have her rub against him, what must it feel like to be inside? His stomach muscles tense and his stones tighten as he feels the first licks of his climax tease at his lower back. He can tell from how her pace has begun to falter and how her moans have turned to breathy pants that she is close too.

Her arousal soaks his lap as she falls apart above him and he finally allows himself release, gripping her hips and splattering his stomach as he bucks up at her.

After taking a moment to come back to reality, they stare at each other, both huffing a small laugh as they try to catch their breath.

Aemond swipes two fingers across his abdomen, collecting his milky spend and pressing it to her lips. She wraps her lips around the digits, sucking them clean with a contented hum and he grins at her.

“Just think.” He purrs at her. “Tomorrow I will finally spill my seed inside of you.”

Read on AO3

More Aemond fics

[jaimeski]

So in QSMP most of the eggs we seen them as dragon right? I was going to draw Chunsik but i couldn't find any good reference for him (try to look for korean dragon but i couldn't find any)

like im afraid if i draw the type of dragon wrong or something, do you think you can help?

Here's the article i found explaining the differences of korean dragon from other east asian dragon i'll put some of the text below :3

[...] Korean Dragons originally start out as gigantic land serpents, otherwise known as ‘Imugi’, who then transform into true dragons, or ‘Yong’. Such transformation only comes from time and patience (both noble virtues) as being the guardian of Korean culture.

Some of the most striking physical differences from western dragons are that Korean dragons do not have any wings and sport long beards -- attesting to their wisdom and knowledge. They also dawn a variety of colors - green, blue, gold, or red - and can sometimes be seen next to a river, mountain, waterfalls, or the sky. They typically take on a wavy or circular form, which represents the intricacy of life’s many obstacles and high points. Most importantly, these dragons are often depicted carrying an orb in their claws, or mouth, called a ‘yeouiju’ representing authority over creation and divine will. [...]

[...] The Korean dragon also displays nine different animal traits that represent a holistic symbol of the Asianic animal kingdom. It embodies luck by having a nose of a pig; the abundance of the rabbit by sharing its eyes; the giving nature of a cow by having its ears; the elegance of a deer's antlers as its horns; the sturdy forehead of the camel; the long and adapting body of the snake; fertility with the scale patterns of a carp; the long claws of a hawk; and the power of a tiger’s fists. These all-encompassing qualities are unique to the Korean dragon. [...]

[theyonlyhadeachother]

i have so many bookmarked midam fics its insane. i dont know if i've read all of the midam fics on ao3, but i've def read a very large majority of them

just a few of my absolute favorites are below the cut. none of them are rated E, but if anyone is interested in some of those, shoot me an ask and let me know

----

Gen, 3,693 words, No Archive Warnings Apply, 1/1 chapters

bound to the marrow of how it feels by paradisecas

Summary: Ask any kid what their superpower would be, nine times out of ten the answer will be flying. Adam, son of a nurse and a bit of a goody-two-shoes, was always the odd one out choosing the noble imaginary superpower of healing people. If Adam could go back in time—and technically, he could—he’d change his answer. Not to flying, and not from healing; he knows now that he can have it all. He’d like to kneel down in front of baby-Adam and say, hey kid, someday you’re going to have everything anyone could ever want at your fingertips, and you’ll be sharing it with the love of your life. You’ll fly straight through the atmosphere and fix broken bones with a snap of your fingers and sit invisible in the corner of a room you’re not allowed in. You’ll eat until you can’t anymore and still have room for seconds. You’ll be able to pick up a car to save a baby, if that situation ever arises, and it won’t even be adrenaline that does it. He wants to say, no matter what nightmares come your way, something good is waiting for you too. You’ll share your body with someone who loves you. You won’t ever be alone again. You’ll always be warm.

Tags: Michael/Adam Milligan, Michael (Supernatural), Adam Milligan, Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, Lucifer's Cage (Supernatural), Post-Canon, Michael Possessing Adam Milligan, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, michael dies but he gets better tho

hook and eye series by thishazeleyeddemon

Series rating of Mature, 19,945 words, No Archive Warnings Apply, 2 fics (2/2 and 1/1 respectively)

Tags: Michael/Adam Milligan, Michael (Supernatural), Adam Milligan, Sam Winchester, The Empty | The Shadow (Supernatural), Witch Adam Milligan, Episode Fix-It: s15e19 Inherit the Earth, Post-Episode: s15e19 Inherit the Earth, Grief/Mourning, Bitterness, Men of Letters Bunker (Supernatural), Break Up, would you all like to hear about Michael essentially getting his ex to get back together with him, of course you would, Emotional Manipulation, Self-Esteem Issues, Adam Milligan is Not Forgotten, Adam Milligan is So Done, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Adam is such a bitter bitch in this one, it's okay y'all they'll get through it, I just was like Adam can have a little Being Mean and Unreasonable. As a treat, Men of Letters (Supernatural), more tags for Part 2!!, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Gaslighting, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, THE PROMISED. HAPPY ENDING., I REWROTE THIS SO MUCH I AM GOING TO BED, prays the rewriting paid off, Michael Steals From The Rich, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Angelic Grace Kink (Supernatural,) arguably - Freeform, Body Horror, although Adam would gut you for saying such things about Michael, obviously Michael is beautiful and perfect no matter how many eyes, Consensual Possession, Making Out smidgeon of angst. just a spicy dollop, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, by virtue of being a hook and eye-verse fic

Summary of the First Fic: you fit into me like a hook into an eye a fish hook an open eye - Margaret Atwood Michael succumbed to his Father's manipulations. He never wanted to destroy the Earth, but it was so hard, so hard, to find the words to fight back against his father when he was all alone. He never wanted to do that. He never wanted to leave Adam. Adam doesn't know that.

Two Weddings and an Engagement by lumpy_space_princess

Teen, 7,812 words, No Archive Warnings Apply, 1/1

Tags: Michael/Adam Milligan, Gabriel/Eileen Leahy/Rowena MacLeod/Sam Winchester, Michael (Supernatural), Adam Milligan, Gabriel (Supernatural), Sam Winchester, Eileen Leahy, Rowena MacLeod, Kevin Tran, Charlie Bradbury, Claire Novak, Kaia Nieves, Dean Winchester, Castiel, Post-Canon Fix-It, Minor Castiel/Dean Winchester, Midam at the Destiel wedding, Midam at the Saileen wedding, Everybody Lives, This is crack so don't think too hard about it, Adam & Kevin & Charlie & Claire & Kaia Michael & Gabriel - Freeform, Fluff and Angst, Didn't Know They Were Dating, Seriously everybody knows it but them, The Love Is Requited They're Just Idiots, They work it out in the end though

Summary: Adam massages fingers over his temples, and tries not to look morose. "Listen. You're not exactly telling me anything I haven't told myself. But there's just - there's baggage there, ok? It's been hard to look at the future when we've barely gotten used to having a present again." He huffs. "Anyway, I don't think he'd even want that. He's an-" "-an archangel, yeah, you've said. It was crap the last time you said it, too." Kevin props himself on his elbows, gazing intently at Adam. "How will you know if you don't try? How is it fair to him, that you just decide what he feels without asking him about it?"  Charlie nods. "Would you want him to treat you that way? It's obviously weighing on you. How would you feel, if he was keeping something this important from you?"  ----------------- Or: Michael and Adam, bless their hearts, are mutually in love. Strangely, they're the only ones who can't seem to see it.

the past is made of stardust (the future's shifting sand) by Anonymous

Teen, 30,461 words, Creator Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply, 1/1

Tags: Michael/Adam Milligan, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Castiel/Dean Winchester, Adam Milligan, Michael (Supernatural), Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, Castiel (Supernatural), The Empty | The Shadow (Supernatural), Lucifer's Cage (Supernatural), Post-Lucifer's Cage (Supernatural), Post-Episode: s15e08 Our Father Who Aren't in Heaven, Post-Episode: s15e19 Inherit the Earth, Non-Chronological Fix-It, Post-Canon Fix-It, The Empty (Supernatural), Adam Milligan Saves Michael from the Empty, Michael Possessing Adam Milligan, Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, Kinda Fluff, Temporary Character Death, i am going to rewrite this. i mean it.

Summary: Adam knocked on the door and waited. And waited. And waited. He knocked again, and then it opened to Sam brandishing a gun, Dean behind him with a knife and a bottle of whiskey. When they saw him, they didn’t relax, but they didn’t attack either. “Adam?” Sam asked, hesitantly. “Or… Michael?” Adam knew he had to look ridiculous. Before, they’d seen him while he still had an archangel maintaining his body, but after the last day and a half? He was sweaty and sunburnt and dehydrated and he could almost feel the bags under his eyes. But another gift of the Cage was losing the ability to give a fuck what he looked like. “Michael isn't home right now,” Adam said. “And I’d like to know why.”

Mirror Of Change by QuicksilverCastiel

Teen, 2,127 words, No Archive Warnings Apply, 1/1

Tags: Michael/Adam Milligan, Serafina (Supernatural), Michael (Supernatural), Adam Milligan, Raphael (Supernatural), Serafina is going through it, Or at least she's bluescreening on account of Michael's heart-eyes at Adam, Also Heaven ecology yay!, they/them pronouns for Raphael

Summary: When all is said and done, God defeated and the world righted again, Serafina takes on her biggest challenge yet: Going back to Heaven. Not to stay, but to see if the rumour of it 'changing' have any truth to it. Turn out, at least some archangels have definitely changed. And it may be because of another Adam.

your mother's son by darkmillennium

Teen, 10,633 words, No Archive Warnings Apply, 1/1

Tags: Michael/Adam Milligan, Michael & Adam Milligan, Michael (Supernatural), Adam Milligan, Alternate Michael's Grace-Enhanced Monsters, POV Adam Milligan, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Slice of Life, Fluff and Humor, Post-Episode: s15e08 Our Father Who Aren't in Heaven, Michael Possessing Adam Milligan, Adam Milligan is So Done, Developing Relationship, Romantic Tension, listen they're in love with each other we've all seen it, this is just 10k words of michael and adam living life, Enochian-Speaking Adam Milligan, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence

Summary: Adam wants a normal life. He really does. He wants, at least, as close to a normal life as he can get after spending ten years—a thousand years—in the Cage. And he’s got it, mostly. He’s got an apartment and a job and a closet full of clothes that aren’t the clothes he went to Hell in. He thinks he’s been managing pretty great, all things considered. But one day, Michael warns him that he’s sensed a pack of werewolves move into the area, and then people start dropping dead with their hearts ripped out, and.. Life isn't going to be as relaxed as he'd like it to be, is it?

[skaldish]

Hey what's the deal with Thursatru? Something feels off about it to me...

You can ignore my last ask; I saw you answer someone else who had the same question

Well first for posterity: Thurs (or Tussar) are Jötun, and Jötnar are the wild, untameable forces of nature. But unlike most Jötnar, Thurs are wild to the degree that they are actively and decisively incompatible with human wellbeing.

They represent the most extreme and destructive phenomena of nature, like rockslides and volcanic eruptions—stuff you have no chance of surviving if you get caught in its path. The destructive nature of Thurs is where we get the meaning of the rune Thurisas from.

Folklore has it that Thurs commonly dwell where humans fundamentally cannot. Some are said to live in Jötunheimen national park, up where the mountain peaks are swallowed by the clouds and where nothing grows. They throw rocks down at people passing by.

They also live in the volcanos of Iceland (Muspelheim). Thurs such as Sutur are responsible for the destructive nature of volcanos, spewing fire, ash, and molten rocks, while cracking open the land during an eruption.

My understanding is that it's uncommon for people to venerate the Thurs, but not for any taboo reason. Rather, it's the same reason why we don't worship wild tigers; "worship" is not the kind of relationship that builds any rapport with them. For most people, their relationships with Thurs involve being cautious of their nature and staying out of their way.

This is the way Thurs are understood in folklore. Now, to understand what Thursatru is, and what its deal is, take everything I just said and throw it out the window.

"Thursatru," from what I've gathered, basically characterizes itself as the Satanism of Heathenry, and it only makes sense in relation to specifically the American flavor of Asatru.

Keep in mind not refering to all of Heathenry in America, but to the way Icelandic Ásatrú is interpreted by Americans: The Eddas are treated as scripture, the past is treated as doctrine, Valhalla is treated as the goal to aspire to (awarded to those who live by the "viking values" outlined in the Havamal, or the snake-oil known as the Nine Noble Virtues), and Odin is treated as the Supreme Being and Loki his adversary.

The phrase "Asatru"—meaning "true to the Aesir"—is viewed as almost like an oath of office. You are pledging yourself to the Aesir's "side" in a prophesized cosmic war, fought between the forces of Order (represented by the Aesir, especially Odin) and Chaos (represented by the Jötnar, with figures like Loki, Ymir, and Sutur).

Jötnar basically fulfill the same function in American Asatru that demons and devils do in Christianity. If Satanism is the worship of all that is antithetical to the Christian god and Christianity, then Thursatru is the worship of all that is antithetical to the Aesir and Asatru belief. By being Thursatru, you're choosing to oppose the Aesir, aligning yourself with the forces destined to fight against them during Ragnarok.

And yes, all of it is extremely corny.

None of Heathenry was ever like this, and much of American Asatru is Christianity in viking garb.

Rockslides are dangerous, but not evil. Volcanic eruptions are disastrous, but not evil. The natural processes of the world—processes that are essential for life on Earth—don't always align with our needs as individual organisms. In fact, some of these processes will always be to our detriment if we stand in their way, as is the case volcanic eruptions and rockslides. That is the Thurs. That is who they are and what they represent.

So basically, the thing that's "off" about Thursatru is that it exists as a reaction to the narrative of American Asatru, and actually legitimizes that narrative to the public eye because it conforms to the American Asatru claim that venerating the Thurs fundamentally opposes the Aesir.

It's not true though, and that logic doesn't check when you put Heathenry back into its own paradigm. Saying Thurs-venerating opposes the Aesir is like saying "Exploring volcanos means you fundamentally oppose the existence of human-friendly environments." Like, what.

The only thing that actually makes someone Aesir-opposing, is their stance of opposing the Aesir. Venererating Thurs just makes someone Norse Heathen.

It's shenanigans all the way down.

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

January week 5

We're gonna start this week with some broad ideas that are going to make us think. Take a look not only at what you practice and how you practice, but the why behind those things. What are the rules and philosophies that you follow?

Monday - Rules

Introspection/ lab notebook -what are the ground rules you set for yourself in your practice? Put these in your lab notebook, as these may grow and change with your practice through the years. What are the hard nos you have in your life and practice, things you absolutely won’t do spiritually or magically? What are the things you do every time you practice, the “have to” dos? Setting yourself these rules and having them written or even just said out loud can help you understand yourself. Once you have them down, think about the why behind each one.

Journal- think back about what got you into your practice in the beginning. What was it? What is the how and why? What were the reasons you got into witchcraft in the first place.

Tuesday - Morals and Values

Lab notebook - think along the lines of the seven deadly sins and the nine noble virtues. Do you hold stock in any set of moral standpoints or pillars within your craft? What are there? Where did you learn about them? How do you go about navigating them and handling them? A great deal can be learned from understanding oneself.

Study - Pick another herb off your list and study all you can about it! Magical, mundane, medicinal, history, culinary uses, myths and legends, everything you can!

Wednesday - Doing The Work

Lab notebook/ practical- do a spell! Find one or make one and outline it in your lab notebook. What will you use? When and where will you do it? What will you actually do? Why will you do it? How will you do? Once it is outlined, do it! Then take notes on how it went and what needs to change, if anything, to make it better!

Study - Like before, pick a gem and study everything possible about it!

Thursday - Philosophies

Study - what’s one thing in witchcraft you’ve always wanted to learn? Whatever it is make a page for it! Be it scrying or cursing or protection magic or sigils. Whatever it is, study up on it! Add the notes to a notebook or your lab notebook!

Introspection/ Journal - What ideals do you stand for when it comes to your craft? Personally, my practice both spiritual and witchcraft related, pertain almost entirely to balance. What ideas or places do you draw inspiration from?

Introspection/ journal - what are three goals you have to work on in your practice this year? Journal about them now. How will you do it? What steps will you take to achieve these goals?

Friday

Catch up day- use this day to catch up on any work you’ve not gotten done so far this year.

Design- design a new page for your book! Add stickers, colors, pictures, leaves, flowers, cards, anything!! Whatever style your grimoire is, let it show! Be creative!

Ah! Another week down! There’ll be more bonus prompts in the coming weeks. I hope everyone is enjoying the posts and the challenge and again feel free to tag, message or inbox me at any time! I’ll reply as fast as I am able and am enjoying the feedback I’ve gotten so far!

Good luck and happy crafting witches!

-Mod Hazel

[paradoxcase]

Chapter 3 of Nona the Ninth

Huh, so:

I guess this is definition 7, then. I've never heard that word used to refer to a person before, but it's not marked as being regional

So Nona looks old enough that people are fine with hitting on her, but not old enough that anyone thinks she's graduated from middle school. This is not a fun fact

Also, this school has "almost 20 children", this is like a one-room schoolhouse from the 19th century except it's in the middle of New York City for some reason, what even

I mean, is it really that hard to pimp out Augustine? If she'd said "I'd have had better luck pimping out Mercy" that would have been something, but maybe it actually is easier to pimp out Nona and Camilla than it is to pimp out Mercy

Can Camilla and Palamedes have regular conversations with each other? Very curious as to how that might work

Quasi-telepathic abilities sounding more and more likely

There's been descriptions of it being hot, and I'm not sure if a) it's just summer, and that's what summer is like wherever New Rho happens to be, or b) this planet is just hotter than Earth by virtue of being closer to the sun or having a naturally thicker atmosphere, or c) some kind of climate change is happening here

It sounds like she has some still-repressed memories of learning this stuff?

So they live in basically a cop building, and Pyrrha did say that one of their neighbors is a cop and another one has militia connections, so I'm guessing they are probably being specifically kept there by BOE or some other entity because of their Nine Houses connection, and Camilla doesn't want Nona telling people where they live because people might infer that based on the building?

Given that a lot of people here don't speak each other's languages, I wonder how much of this is just another culture's kinship system being mistranslated into whatever language the kids are using. Like, Brother Father and Younger Brother Father sound like they're probably uncles, Eldest Father could be a grandfather, and New Father could possibly be a step-father

I mean, first of all, Palamedes has been living here for a while, I think he should be used to BOE (or whatever you want to call this culture) names by now, but also, Honesty is a perfectly fine name. Like, Wake's name was silly, Hot Sauce is a silly name, We Suffer And We Suffer and Crown Him With Many Crowns are at least fairly odd from an English-language naming standpoint, and many of our common names are borrowed from ancient languages and don't mean anything in regular conversation, but we totally 100% also name people things like Grace and Faith and Hope and Joy and Harmony and Prudence and Felicity and Constance and I'm sure there's plenty of cultures where boys are named this way too and Honesty is a perfectly fine and reasonable name. While we're at it, Beautiful Ruby and Born in the Morning are also pretty good names? The only thing odd about these names is that we're not used to seeing them

Anyway, possibly the kids are speaking some non-House language (or are at least named in non-House languages) and Nona is translating their names into House for this conversation? It's a little odd in that case that she's not translating "Kevin" at least in the narrative text, since Kevin is just an anglicization of Irish Caoimhín which means "of noble birth" in Irish. But if Nona's language abilities are based on some sort of telepathic sense, she might fail to translate Kevin's name because Kevin doesn't know Irish? Irish seems unlikely to have survived the apocalypse, at any rate

She definitely can lie, though, she successfully lied and told the teachers at the school that Camilla was her sister and Pyrrha was a friend of her father's and that she had been through many resettlements, didn't she? She just doesn't seem to know on her own when she should be lying and when she shouldn't be

There are some implications for how language is being processed for someone who really can't lie, basically the science fiction premise of Embassytown by China Miéville, and in that book the aliens who could not lie also had an empathetic aspect to how they understood language. But I don't think Muir knows enough about linguistics to write that kind of linguistics science fiction

Is this why Nona's legs are sore, she is running around with these young kids all day and having trouble keeping up?

Very curious if this is actually some kind of possibly war-related movement of things through the underground tunnels, or if this is just a vernacular name for something else

So BOE is recruiting children on this planet to join their militia, and they are also executing necromancers here by burning them to death

It's kind of funny that Honesty is calling her stupid here - he knows there are spies who are necromancers and/or zombies, and Nona is in fact a necromancer (or used to be one at one time) and she also lives with Palamedes for that matter, but it doesn't occur to Honesty that there is actually a chance that Nona or someone she lives with could be one of the spies

So this is what they call the resurrection beast? Except we know that resurrection beasts don't come for regular necromancers, or else they would be all over the Nine Houses, they only come for Lyctors. I guess it's entirely possible that this one could be here for any of Nona, Pyrrha, or Camilla/Palamedes, or it could just be here to eat a living planet because that's what they do. I wonder if the mythology of these people is that the resurrection beasts are like God's punishment for necromancy or something, it seems like Hot Sauce believes that to be the case, at least. Possibly it's not completely wrong, depending on what the relationship was between the deaths of the nine planets and the occurrence of necromancy

[craftercat]

Northern Wei Part 6: The 398-406 Reforms

In 398-406, Tuoba Gui instituted a number of reforms to various administrative and old Xianbei systems in order to adapt his rule to a larger territory than before. During this time, Tuoba Gui was essentially forced to change his systems, which were designed for governing small, Xianbei states. Now, Tuoba Gui governed a state that was a major power and predominantly Han. So what new systems did Tuoba Gui establish. Some of them I mentioned in Part 5, but here is a list of new systems established and major changes to existing systems from 396 to 409:

396: Five ranks of officials are established, and the Han-style local officials are established (WS113).

398, First Month: Established basic social relief policies and systems for local inspection (WS002).

398, Seventh Month: Moved the capital Pingcheng and built palaces and temples (WS002).

398, Eighth Month: Created the capital region, and standardised measurements across the empire (WS002).

398, Eleventh Month: Established a new official system with greater noble ranks. Established court music. Formulated the rites of temple sacrifices, imperial audiences and banquets. Revised the legal code (WS002).

398, Twelfth Month: Dissolved the tribes (may have actually happened earlier, but definitely happened by this point), and established the Eight Units (WS083, WS113). Imperial Academy and scholars created this year.

399, First Month: Established imperial carriage regulations (WS002).

399, Third Month: Added students to the Imperial Academy (WS113).

399, Eighth Month: Compiled ceremonies into a new decree (WS002).

404, Fifth Month: Established a foundry system with convicted criminals sentenced to hard labour making weapons and armour (WS002).

404, Eleventh Month: Compensated the tribal nobility who lost their positions by granting them noble titles (WS002).

405: Abolished the 36 main departments of Directors, a Han official title (WS113).

406: Renovated the region south of the Lei into a new Pingcheng, and established a city organisation system (WS105, WS002).

So how did these reforms actually work? I will discuss the dissolution of the tribes and building Pingcheng as a capital separately, because there is so much to talk about that it warrants its own article. The other things will be talked about here.

Despite attempts at Sinicisation, the granting of noble titles in 404 was clearly meant to appease the Xianbei who were ousted by these reforms.

THE OFFICIAL SYSTEM

A timeline of changes to the official system (WS113):

396: Created five ranks of officials (later became nine), and the local Regional Inspectors (刺史), Governors (太守) and Commanders (令长). Under Han systems, Regional Inspectors were the chief officials of provinces, Governors were the chief officials of commanderies and Commanders were the chief officials of counties.

398: Ordered for official Deng Yuan to create an official system, and establish noble ranks. There had been noble titles granted before 398, but it appeared to be very rare before 398. Established the Ministers of the Eight Units (八部大夫, also referred to as 八部师 and 八部大人), Riding Attendants (散骑常侍), and Edict Attendants (待诏).

399: Split the 36 bureaus of Directors (尚书) into 360 bureaus, led by the Ministers of the Eight Units. Established the subordinate officials of the Ministers of the Eight Units.

400: Established the Grace Recipients (受恩), Receivers of Nurture (蒙养), Leaders of Virtue (长德) and Admonishment Gentlemen (训士). Established the Immortal Scholars (仙人博士).

401: Ordered the tribal protector armies to submit to the generals. Again established 36 bureaus of Directors instead of 360. Abolished the Xiongnu Palace General (匈奴中郎将) and Outer Orchid Terrace Censor (外兰台御史).

404: Established the Six Explanatory Officials (六謁官) and subordinate officials. Reduced the five noble ranks to four. Established five ranks of Dispersed Officials (散官). Established Grand Masters (大师) and Small Masters (小师) of the Eight Units. Established Masters (师) for the commanderies. Established Commanders in Chief (都尉) for the provinces. Established the Ceremonies Master (典师).

405: Abolished the thirty-six Director bureaus. Established the Military Return (武归) and Diligence Cultivators (修勤).

406: Established Inner Officials (内官). Increased the local chief officials' numbers to 3 per province/commandery/county. Established Cavalry Attendants (散骑郎), Hunting Attendants (猎郎), Provincial Commandant Historian (诸省令史), Administrators (省事) and Tally Administrators (典籤)

407: Established Attendant Officials (侍官).

The main things to note is that there is a mix of Han and Xianbei systems, and that positions were often named after virtues Tuoba Gui wanted to see in governance, rather than following old Han names. It is also noted that many of Tuoba Gui's official positions were named after the bird positions of very ancient times.

Despite the fancy names, however, many of these positions were just Han official positions with different names. For example, the Grace Recipients were comparable to the Han position of Distinguished Entrant (特进), the Receivers of Nurture were comparable to the Han position of Glorious Grand Master (光祿大夫), the Leaders of Virtue were comparable to the Han position of Dispelled Minister (中散大夫), and the Admonishment Gentlemen were comparable to the Han position of Remonstrance Official (諫議大夫) (WS113).

I think the purpose of this was to try and appease the still-powerful Xianbei nobility while also streamlining bureaucracy. He was probably thinking "I need to use the old Han systems as a blueprint, but the Xianbei might not like it. Let's have the same jobs but with different names and hope that the Xianbei don't notice". That being said, it appears that Tuoba Si dropped the fancy naming, as Zhou Dan became a Distinguished Entrant and Cui Hao became a Glorious Grand Master instead of being a Grace Recipient or Receiver of Nurture (WS035 and WS091). Tuoba Si was paradoxically both pro-Han gentry and a conservative emperor at the same time, and its reflects in the changes he made to his official system.

The next thing to note about the system is the expansion of the Xianbei system as well as the Han system. Tuoba Gui greatly expanded the Xianbei system in 404 with his establishment of the Masters, even establishing them in commanderies with the same duties as those of the Masters of the Eight Units (WS113). In 405, Tuoba Gui abolished the main Director bureaus (WS113). Directors were a major part of the Han official system, and although they persisted for a while, they were abolished completely in the 410s and were not brought back until Tuoba Tao's reign, in 428.

This suggests that after the dissolution of the tribes, the Xianbei aristocrats still remained a dominant player in court until the time of Tuoba Tao. Tuoba Tao was able to counter the power of the aristocrats by promoting Han officials such as Cui Hao and his faction to oppose them. However, under Tuoba Gui there were few Han officials, and under Tuoba Si, even though Han officials increased, there appears to have been internal conflict within the Han gentry that prevented them from countering the Xianbei. So Tuoba Gui and Tuoba Si, despite their own pro-Han leanings, had to make concessions to conservative Xianbei.

This can also be seen in that when selecting his Attendant Officials, Tuoba Gui selected them from the Xianbei nobility and from the commanderies of Dai, Shanggu, Yanmen and Guangning, which were the most northerly commanderies before reaching the old territory of the Xianbei (WS113). Therefore, these Attendant Officials would be Xianbei or Han who were perhaps somewhat Xianbeified.

RITES AND ETIQUETTE CHANGES

The imperial chariots system was a Northern Wei system for the emperor's travel chariots. There were three types of carriages: 大驾, 法驾 and 小驾 (WS108).

大驾: Had five carriages, and there were 81 carriages accompanying the emperor. The procession was led by the Commander of Pingcheng, Governor of Dai, Commandant of Sili (the capital province), the Grand Marshal accompanied the chariot, and the Grand Servant followed them.

法驾: Had 36 carriages accompanying the emperor. The procession was led by the Commander of Pingcheng, Governor of Dai and Grand Marshal, the Palace Attendants accompanied the chariot. They were created for imperial tours.

小驾: Had 12 chariots accompanying the emperor. The Commander of Pingcheng and Grand Servant led the procession and the Regular Attendants accompanied the chariot. Used for travelling to tour palaces (mostly Cai Mountain Palace under Tuoba Gui).

The main giveaway is that Tuoba Gui wanted to transform to a more sophisticated ceremonies system after taking most of Hebei. As well, there were traditionally 81 carriages accompanying the dajia and 36 accompanying the fajia, and Tuoba Gui following this shows a willingness to follow Han systems.

There were other changes that Tuoba Gui made to the chariot system in order to expand it. I will not go into detail on these other chariots used by Tuoba Gui until Yuan Hong because it's not really important when discussing him. The main thing to note is that while Tuoba Gui was inspired by Chinese ceremonies, there were many elements of his system that did not comply with Chinese regulations (WS108).

So while Tuoba Gui did show willingness to follow Han systems, he did not follow them completely, instead creating a Xianbei-Han system. But I don't intend to spend this article discussing chariot rites, so we'll quickly move on.

Tuoba Gui also created rites on official clothing, but they were not in line with Han systems (WS108).

There were also developments of the sacrifices system under Tuoba Gui (WS108):

Established sacrifices to heaven in the fourth. These followed the old Zhou rites.

Started to sacrifice to the Lord on High and to the Five Sacred Mountains.

Established temples for Tuoba Yulu, Tuoba Shiyijian and Tuoba Shi. Later established a temple for Tuoba Liwei, Tuoba Fu, Tuoba Yulu, Tuoba Shiyijian and Tuoba Shi.

Started to sacrifice to the God of Roads.

Tuoba Gui also established major sacrifice rites. For major sacrifices, he would ride a dajia, with the officials and leaders of vassal states following him to the sacrifice area (WS108).

The changes Tuoba Gui made to the sacrifice system mostly show an increasing Sinicisation, sacrificing to Chinese gods, and greatly expanding the system to create ancestral temples for the old Kings of Dai. This trend continued in the reign of Tuoba Si, who sacrificed to more Chinese gods. (WS108).

In 398, Tuoba Gui expanded the music system, and composed his own dance to honour his ancestors when he was posthumously making them emperors (WS109). He also established the music for various ceremonies. In 403, Tuoba Gui ordered for new tunes to be composed, and a number of performances were created. They were played in the hall during feasts, according to Chinese custom (WS109).

So why am I talking about the rites and music system? Because I think they demonstrate well that Tuoba Gui wanted to adapt his empire to be a more "Chinese" state, even if he didn't yet want to abandon his Xianbei roots. In reforming these systems, Northern Wei took on a more sophisticated character that not only appealed more to the Han but also was intended to develop it in a way that emulated the glory of dynasties like Han and Jin that ruled a unified China.

THE IMPERIAL ACADEMY AND EDUCATION

As well, Tuoba Gui also encouraged education. In 398, after taking Zhongshan, he established the Imperial Academy, with the scholars of the Five Classics and 1000 students (WS084). In 399, he increased the number of students in the Imperial Academy to be 3000 (WS084).

As well, Tuoba Gui ordered for the people to gather together scholarly works in order to collect them in Pingcheng (WS033). In 401, he collected Confucian scholars in the empire to compare words from classics and their meanings, and their work had tens of thousands of characters (WS002). These incidents of Tuoba Gui sponsoring scholarship shows his interest in improving education.

Unfortunately, it's hard to change a society to make them more educated when all they've known is war. His education reforms were great in theory, but in practice, the nobility were more interested in wielding swords than books, due to the fact that there were still wars because of the turbulent nature of the period (WS084).

Tuoba Si himself was known to be interested in scholarship (WS003), but he made very little reform to the education system, though he did call for those with scholarly talent to serve as officials in 413 (WS003). It took until the reign of Tuoba Tao, the unification of the north, and the work of Liang province scholars to change social attitudes towards education (WS084).

Tuoba Gui clearly made important steps towards education in Northern Wei, but education didn't really prosper until Tuoba Tao's reforms, showing the difficulty of trying to change cultural attitudes. The Sixteen Kingdoms had instilled a martial nobility, and it would take time to change that. Tuoba Gui couldn't just flip a switch and expect them to suddenly value education. But his steps were important for laying the foundation for Tuoba Tao.

CONCLUSION

The reforms of this era show Tuoba Gui was both willing to adapt to Chinese systems but that he also didn't want to fully copy them. He didn't want a straight Han system, but he realised that he needed to take elements from Han systems in order to rule a much larger territory than the Tuoba Xianbei had ever had. As well, there were still many reactionaries, and cultural attitudes need time to change. This started a reactionary trend from 405-425, a period that saw a decrease in Sinicisation and in fact notable Xianbeification of the official system, though there was Sinicisation in sacrificial ceremonies during this period, and there was still Han influence. This was due to the power of the former tribes that they still held and the aftermath of a power struggle in 409 that forced a more reformist Tuoba Si to compromise with traditionalist forces. It shows both how rapidly Northern Wei was reforming and the challenges of implementing such rapid reforms.

[the-world-annealing]

The Names of Yedru-Har

While in other lands, a man shares one name with his ancestors and bears one of his own, distant Yedru-Har has never seen the wisdom of such a system. What kind of men live beyond their borders, that who they are is determined by the choices of their fathers and grandfathers alone?

Instead, in Yedru-Har each name consists of two numbered parts; one might be named Seven Windows and Two Lamps, Countless Fruits and Sixteen Dewdrops, or Three Axes, Three Streams. Though this system vexes foreigners to no end, there is a simple and elegant logic to it.

First, the names of peasants, which are simple enough. Two names are given upon birth, one by the father and one by the mother, and the 'countless' numerator stands in front of both.

A peasant who is called upon to serve the nobility may, to denote this honor, bear the number of their house before one part of their name. Thus, if a woman called Countless Quills, Countless Blankets becomes a servant to the thirteenth house, her name would change to Thirteen Quills, Countless Blankets, or to Countless Quills, Thirteen Blankets, and remain fixed thereafter. Typically, a man places the number of the house before his father-given name, and a woman before her mother-given name, but this is not enforced and deviations are rarely remarked upon.

But as with any system, it is the nobility that enjoys the true benefits. Nobles have two names like all others, but prefix both names with a number. These numbers must sum to the rank of their house, but are otherwise freely assigned. Though newborns use even or near-even splits, many nobles will re-name themselves and shift the numbers to reflect changing philosophies, hopes or aspirations, or a favoring of either parent. When the poet Four Gestures, Three Lions fell deathly ill, a fortune-teller told him that his divided loyalties, strewn among many noble houses, had caused his sickness, and so he changed his name to Six Gestures, One Lion, and kept it ever after he recovered.

A noble who marries into another house keeps their names, but must change their numbers: if Twelve Stars, Four Coals marries into the eleventh house, his name might change to Nine Stars, Two Coals.

As the house of kings, the first house is endowed with two names like any other. However, this house is given the unique right to the number zero, which the First Great Sage conceived. A king, it is said, must be one thing or another thing: he cannot waver, nor can he change without making it apparent to all the world. The current king is Zero Hawks, One Flower, who changed her name twice: once upon her proclamation of war, and once upon its end.

The second house is unique, for it alone cannot change its names. This is because they are the house of sages, advisors, and priests, who must be the calm constancy to the king's resolve. Foremost among them is One Ruby, One Branch, vizier to the king and wiser than any other living soul.

There are over twenty other houses, though some numbers are set aside to be granted to those of appropriate virtue. It is understood by all that this system has great benefits, as it communicates an individual's names, but also their relative rank, their philosophy, and even tells us something of their father and mother both. Why the remainder of the world sticks to their obsolete way of naming things continues to perplex even the wisest of Yedru-Har's sages.

[ofdutyx]

lady melessa florent .

while      my      roots      dig      deeper      inside      and      my      leaves      stay      bundled      up      tight,      i      felt      my      face      get      bigger      than      life.      not      only      did      i      survive,      i      learned      to      blossom,      finding      sunlight      in      the      grey,      knowing      i      will      be      okay.      i      learned      to      blossom,      finding      sunlight      in      the      grey,      flowing      lifeline      with      no      rain.      i   learned   to      blossom. - - -

# basic information.

official  name:  melessa florent.  nicknames:  lessa, les.  noble  title:  lady of brightwater keep.  date  of  birth:  april 14, 824 ac.  age:  twenty-five.  birthplace:  brightwater, the reach.  home:  brightwater keep, the reach.  nationality:  westerosi.  gender:  cis woman.  pronouns:  she/her.  orientation:  heterosexual.  monikers:  none at the moment.  languages:  the common tongue.  accent:  whatever the reach has.

# physical information.

faceclaim:  choi yewon.  ethnicity:  korean.  hair:  dark brown.  eyes:  brown.  height:  5'5.  build:  slender.  scent:  peaches.  dominant  hand:  right.  allergies:  none.  scars:  some minor ones from childhood.  distinguishing  features:  prominent ears, often hidden by her hair.  clothing  style:  fine, but simply designed gowns and robes ; pieces that draw little attention.

# personality.

label:   the wallflower.   mbti:   isfp.   enneagram:   the peacemaker - type nine.   element:   water.   star   sign:   libra.   temperament:   very, very low.   character   inspirations:   laney boggs from she’s all that ; tara maclay from buffy the vampire slayer.   deadly   sin:   envy.   heavenly   virtue:   chastity.   godly   parent:   demeter.

# drives.

hobbies:  painting, flower pressing, bird watching, mushroom collecting, gardening.  religion:  faith of the seven.  alliance:  house florent/her siblings.  personal goals:  to shine some light into the darkness that is clouding her eldest sibling.  would they choose family or power?  family.

# familial ties.

parent one:  axwell florent.  relationship:  negative.  parent two:  melara florent nee blackbar. relationship:  positive.  spouse:  none. relationship:  none.  sibling:  gwayne florent ( eldest sibling ). relationship:  very close.  sibling:  — florent ( older sibling ). relationship:  tba. 

# brief history.

tw: mentions of abuse. one would think being born into a noble family would make life easy. alas, for the florent children, their fates would be that of pain and suffering at the hands of the man they called father. for melessa, she was spared the worst of it–the sacrifice her eldest brother, gwayne, made had left him to bear the marks of the torment instead. at such a tender age, the girl would often cower behind her brother, both hoping and expecting that he would come between her and the wrath of their father. her brother never failed her, and it was only when melessa grew older that she understood that damage that such actions had caused the person she relied on most. the fear that was instilled in melessa as a child carried on into adulthood. she did not speak out of turn. she did not disobey. and she did not dare bring any ill attention to the family. instead, when foul emotions arose, the youngest florent would find solace in her paints. and when painting wouldn’t suffice, it was the outdoors that brought her comfort. from gardening to gathering mushrooms ( and even sitting outside for hours watching the birds ), melessa found perfect escapes from a less than pleasant family life. even in her grown years, melessa has found herself relying heavily on her siblings, particularly gwayne. she has made it her recent mission to bring some sort of light into his life–anything that would help shrink the darkness that grows inside him. the last thing she wants is to see her brother turn into the man their father is. and she will do anything to ensure she succeeds, even if it means putting off her own chance at marriage, children, and a life away from her father.

# headcanons.

melessa has little interest in marriage right now, as her focus is solely on her brother’s wellbeing. this has lead to her avoiding social events meant to promote such arrangements. when an event is unavoidable, she will simply make herself as small as she can and sink to the back of the room. her favorite bird is the black-throated blue warbler. though she paints anything and everything, her favorite subject to paint is nature, particularly flowers. she has a large collection of flowers that she has dried and pressed into books. they are amongst her most prized possessions. melessa takes her chastity very seriously, so seriously that the lady of brighthall has not even bestowed a romantic kiss upon another. even skin to skin contact with a male who is not of her own blood feels uncomfortable. like the rest of her family, melessa is less than pleased with house tyrell. what she feels for them is the closest thing to hatred she can muster. if she can help her family take the reach back, she will…even if it means doing things she never thought she would.

# wanted  connections.

birds of a feather:  friendship. - whether it’s painting, bird watching, or something else, your muse and melessa have bonded over it. though it can often be hard to find time to enjoy the hobby together, they always cherish the moments they can meet up. ( open for two muses, women only. she’s not about to catch a rumor. )

the unmasking: friendship - your muse has decided that melessa is far too lovely and kind to be hiding herself away from others. your muse has made it their mission to gently ease melessa out of her shell, hoping to unleash a beautiful, vibrant butterfly from her cocoon. ( open. women/fem. presenting only. )

a gentle failure: former betrothal - for some reason we’ll decide upon, a betrothal between your muse and melessa went bad. melessa holds no ill will toward your muse, as she’s far too gentle-hearted to do so. truthfully, she was quite relieved, as it meant she didn't have to leave her siblings' sides. this can be recent or years ago. ( open, men only. )the temptation: strong attraction - your muse has somehow managed to give melessa thoughts she almost never has. your presence tests her chastity and morals to the point it appears she is constantly angry with your muse. the anger and annoyance is only her attempt to convince herself she doesn't want to know what your muse's lips taste like. ( open, men only. )

from a distance:  one sided crush. - melessa is oblivious that your muse has very much noticed her at all the events she tries to go unnoticed at. your muse has decided to take the careful approach, learning what he can about her before swooping in to make his interest known. it’s unlikely that melessa will return any romantic interest, but who knows. ( open, men only. )

[theblackbookofarkera]

Mintai

Mintai is a walled country, surrounded by formidable enemies on all sides, including the Tauxien Empire, the Empire of the Yellow Banner, and more recently, Urakkad. Despite these threats, Mintai stands as a beacon of high culture and intellectual pursuit. The nation values knowledge above all else, having meticulously studied the mistakes of the Old World empires to ensure the survival and prosperity of their own kingdom. As a repository of ancient wisdom from the fallen empire of Mythin, Mintai's knowledge is coveted by the Tauxien Empire, which desperately seeks to acquire it for themselves.

Mintai's survival through the cataclysmic event known as the Judgement is a tale of resilience and determination. According to legend, the youngest son of the final emperor of Mythin sought refuge in the recesses of a dormant volcano. He swore to honor his father's legacy by rebuilding the world. After the dust of the Judgement settled, the descendants of this prince emerged from their subterranean sanctuary to find a marred hellscape. Using bells and singing bowls, the survivors cleansed the land of angry spirits and rejuvenated its soul.

To protect their nascent nation, the priests and sorcerers of Mintai bargained with the petty gods of the earth, offering them lost riches in exchange for the construction of a high wall. Legend says it took these gods ninety-nine days to build Mythin’s Last Stand, the great wall that still stands as a sentinel, safeguarding Mintai to this day.

Contrary to being a hermit kingdom, Mintai actively engages in trade and welcomes foreign visitors. The nation boasts a vibrant economy, trading in silk, gems, pomegranates, porcelain, and bronze, among other goods. However, their most cherished import is knowledge. Mintanese nobles are known to pay handsomely for foreign scholars and books, eager to be dazzled by tales of the greater world.

The Lang-shi family, the ruling dynasty of Mintai, claims direct descent from the last prince of Mythin. If true, this would make them the longest reigning family in the world. Known for their fairness and nobility, the Lang-shi have long prioritized the needs of the people above their own. However, not every Ling-kau king has been a paragon of virtue; those who have proven unworthy have been dealt with by elements within the bloodline, ensuring the family's integrity and the nation's stability.

Mintai does not have a centralized religion but instead follows a diffused set of beliefs known as “the Heavenly Schools.” This spiritual framework is a blend of ancestor worship, shamanism, polytheism, and the refined study of art, sorcery, mathematics, and logic. This eclectic mix reflects the Mintanese reverence for knowledge and their holistic approach to understanding the world.

[steelfyre]

࣪𓏲ּ  ֶָ  𝑤𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑠𝒕𝒗  ⁝         greta onieogou,  30,  cis woman,  she / her.    announcing  the  arrival  of  helaena  of  house  zalyne,  the  lady of braavos.  whispers  among  the  court  name  them  to  be  both  alluring  and  devious  in  disposition,  and  those  closest  to  them  speak  to  their  interests  in  singing and playing the high harp.  if  we  bards  could  compose  a  song  for  them,  it  might  tell  stories  of  how the divine try painting women as prizes or sacrifices , but helen's divinity was her own as is yours ; a siren's melody drifting across the sea and echoing along the stony shores - why ever would you need a sword when men worship beauty and you wield it like a knife ; honeyed lies fall from her lips with ease , accompanied by the sweetest smiles , as poisonous as the thoughts that sometimes dance in her mind ; whispers of curses in the wake of marriages that never last a year.  the  seven  whisper  to  their  most  devout  queen  as  she  sleeps,  making  her  question  where  their  loyalties  truly  lie.  are  they  right  to  whisper?  for  their  loyalties  truly  lie  with  house zalyne & the emperor of essos.

basic information.

official name: helaena zalyne. nickname: laena. noble title: lady of braavos. date of birth: september 25th. age: thirty. birthplace: braavos , essos. home: braavos. nationality: essosi. gender: cis woman. pronouns: she / her. orientation: bisexual , biromantic. monikers: nereid / siren of braavos , the jewel of braavos , the cursed bride. languages: braavosi , fluent. high valyrian , fluent. various other valyrian dialects from across essos , fluent. the common tongue , fluent. accent: sweet and lyrical , even when she speaks it sounds like a song.

physical information.

faceclaim: greta onieogou. ethnicity: andal and valyrian. hair: black , falls in gentle waves to her mid-back. eyes: chocolate brown with flecks of amber. height: five foot , nine inches. build: lithe and slender. scent: spiced vanilla and floral. dominant hand: right. allergies: none. scars: none. distinguishing features: her smile and her singing voice. clothing style: extremely fashionable , constantly wearing the newest essosi styles in the finest fabrics and adorned in the loveliest jewels. refuses to wear westerosi styles.

personality.

positive: alluring ,  jovial ,  sociable , charming ,  astute , eloquent. negative: devious ,  ambitious ,  prim , cunning , deceptive , secretive. label: the siren. mbti: esfp - the entertainer. enneagram: 3w2 , the charmer. element: air. star sign: libra. temperament: sanguine. moral alignment: lawful neutral. deadly sin: lust. heavenly virtue : patience. godly parent: aphrodite.

drives.

hobbies: singing , playing the high harp & bells , dancing , swimming , sailing , needlework. religion: follows r'hllor. alliance: house zalyne , the emperor of essos - princess catraena in particular. personal goals: secure herself a place of influence in the world. would they choose family or power?: family , most likely.

family ties.

father: lord cosimo zalyne. relationship: tba. brother: lord harlo zalyne. relationship: tba. sibling: lord/lady/liege utp zalyne. relationship: tba. spouse: has been widowed five times. relationship: her feelings toward her husbands vary between them but only one truly held her heart.

history.

after being blessed with a son as his eldest, lord cosimo prayed for a daughter and his prayers were answered. while not a princess by title, helaena zalyne was raised as if she was one. the wealth of house zalyne gifted her the finest tutors, the prettiest dresses and jewels, and anything else a noble lady could wish for. she was also doted upon not only by her parents but all who resided within the sealord's palace. a very bright child, helaena was granted permission to serve as her father's cupbearer, which granted her access to all of his meetings - a set of unsuspecting eyes and ears listening for the house zalyne. mostly went unnoticed but that was the sealord's intentions and laena continued serving as his extra set of eyes and ears throughout braavos long after she ceased being his cupbearer.

helaena was a light constantly shining not only in the sealord's palace but also in the streets of braavos. with a guard constantly at her side, she traversed the city streets, lounged upon the beaches, and sailed through the channels. she also dedicated time with the people, putting a portion of zalyne wealth ( a small sum in comparison to the whole trove ) into taking care of those they governed.

with a stable future placed in her hands, helaena was free to dedicate her focus to pursuits that inspired her. music proved her first, longest, and most faithful love. her singing voice would echo through the palace halls, accompanied by the melody of a high harp, and when her father would have guests, he'd insist they listen to the enchanting voice of his second nereid. praise had once been bestowed upon laena for her courtesy, character, and beauty, but now her voice joined the ranks, second only to her looks. some said her voice would soothe even the most distressed; others that one could hear it echoing through the city streets and across the sea at night, calling sailors home; but those with darker intentions claimed that any, particularly men, who heard the neried's song would fall under her spell. neried? no, they'd whisper, siren.

she never possessed any illusions about love influencing who she wed. she'd watched her brother wed the spouse selected for him, and her father hadn't hidden that he was preparing such an arrangement for her. laena didn't even meet her intended, a son of a prominent tyroshi family with strong ties to the current archon, until the betrothal was set in stone. love didn't blossom at first sight but marriage was no matter of love, not for a zalyne. the wedding, one grand enough for royalty, occurred when she twenty but marriage life, while blissful, proved short - eight months. a sickness struck her poor husband and took his life. or so history would say. there were whispers that her husband's family had fallen out of favor with the archon, impacting their political usefulness to the sealord, but rumors weren't proof.

thus began her decade of marriages that never lasted a year. her second husband, her shortest marriage, perished in a shipwreck only four months after vows were exchanged. still many clamored for her hand and rumors were that lord cosimo favored a union that would tie the iron bank to his family, but another caught the nereid's eye. aeros was a man of great intellect, a diplomat and famed painter from myr, third son of a magister. under other circumstances, he would've been a favorable candidate, but sealord's eyes laid elsewhere, and only after many long discussions did laena convince her father to approve the match over his preference.

the happy couple were gifted eleven blissful months together before aeros' carriage was attacked on the road to braavos and he was slayed. given the many attempts of the sealord's life, it was deemed a rare, successful attack on the family and the culprits were quickly executed but laena didn't share the belief, not when the moment she was declared not with child that she was betrothed to another - the banker her father had originally selected. mind refused the prospect that the father she adored was responsible but someone must be. the character of her fourth husband who possessed a cruel personality and viewed her as a trophy he'd finally won, didn't quell her rage. time was bided, plans put in place, and six months later the siren poured poison into her husband's cup and dragged him under.

whispers had steadily spread with each husband who perished, but it was the death of her fourth that emboldened them, giving life to a curse that would follow laena as those who believed in the malediction claimed death did. for any person who helaena wed was fated to die either by natural or malicious means. how she was painted in whispers varied - a powerless victim, a true siren, a mix of both but the superstitious remained. the number of suitors gradually slowed following the rumors.

time is deemed the best cure; two years where the nereid entertained some suitors but relinquished her hand to none. when she reentered the marriage market, attention was no longer limited to the eastern continent. a husband across the narrow sea was a shining jewel in the eyes of a sealord, and after inviting many to his palace, he made his selection. within a fortnight, laena bid familiar shores farewell and set off for foreign ones. for the fifth time, the role of darling wife was played to perfection even after initial excitement was soon tempered by reality. another husband who love would not blossom with. another husband who would perish before a year passed.

laena returned to braavos shortly after, still donned in black but eyes free of tears, and in the following year, she has resumed her role at her father's and brother's side, relaying them information she gathered from her circles of gossip and unassuming nature. the talk of a sixth marriage lingered but the invitation from westeros and subsequent appointment as a lady of honor delayed any match coming to fruiition. helaena knew it was only a matter of time. until then, however, she was dedicated to serving the princess and sinking her own claws into the political game of westeros - the one element that intrigued her during her short months there.

marriage timeline.

840 a.c. | weds a tyroshi noble , laena is twenty

841 a.c. | her first husband passes from illness

842 a.c. | weds a volantis noble , he dies during a shipwreck

844 a.c. | weds aeros of myr , a diplomat

845 a.c. | aeros is killed when his carriage is attacked , laena is quickly wed to her fourth husband , a braavosi banker

846 a.c. | laena poisons her husband , believed an illness

848 a.c. | weds a westerosi lord , he passes from illness

headcanons.

there are countless of theories surrounding what truly happened to her husbands. some people believe it was a series of terrible tragedies and others think the deaths weren't accidents. but nothing can be proven without evidence. so the truth remains unknown.

helaena loves performing. she will happily sing, dance, or play the harp for anyone who requests it. whenever anyone visits the sealord's palace she would be asked by her father to play for them after the first supper to welcome them into the home. she's well versed in both essosi and westeros songs.

has served as her father's extra set of eyes and ears for as long as she can remember. her personality allows her to slip in and out of social situations with ease and due to seeming unassuming, she can garner information that others cannot. all of which she dutifully reports back to her father.

the only husbands she truly mourned were her first due to how unexpected it was and aeros.

a part of her does long for love and hopes she'll find it again.

occasionally, she does play into the idea of the curse, liking how it makes her mysterious and powerful, like a deity in human form, but if asked about it, she always laughs and declares it nothing more than cruel gossip. sometimes though she wonders if it is true . . .

absolutely adores her family. she admires her father, supports her older brother, and protects her younger sister. after their mother passed, helaena took on the role of the lady of the castle, making certain everything was running as it should and picking up other tasks that her mother had done to assist their father. she also made certain to watch out for her siblings, especially her younger sister.

has a white, long-haired cat named pearl.

she loves swimming and sailing. the beaches of braavos are her favorite location outside of the palace walls. she could listen to the waves for hours.

while she doesn't captain a ship herself, her father gave her a ship as a gift for her first wedding, which she named the dawnbreaker. she's employed a crew who report directly to her and handle the sailing and upkeep.

wanted connections. | established connections.