#not all mandos though

[furious-blueberry0]

Ok but what if having short hair is actually a symbolic aspect of Mandalorian culture?

Maybe it's something that just started out of necessity (keeping hair under the helmet) and then over time it acquired more and more meaning.

Maybe for mandos having short hair is like having some hidden knives, not something that you 100% need to be mandalorian, but certainly something to have just to be safe.

[sesamenom]

random emo band being invited to formal dinner at the tirion palace because they're the crown prince's son's favorite band

[bookatans]

This is probably going to be a very long post but the more I think about the rise (and subsequent fall) of the New Mandalorians, the more that I get wrapped up in not only the colonialism committed by Satine and the movement, how it began in such a horrifyingly understated way, but also how it paved the way for Mandalore to be destroyed thanks to the almost-complete erasure of their culture.

First of all, Canon verse deciding to remove the True Mandalorians (and placing the "Old" Mandalorians in a similar, though less prominent position) feels particularly underhanded and paints everything in a black and white manner. Satine: a sympathetic character who is the only one standing against Death Watch, the last shred of peace left for Mandalorians to cling to. Which. Last standing? Yes, definitely. But not the only one.

A war where Death Watch and the New Mandalorians were the major players, only to have Death Watch defeated – even with the assistance of the Jedi keeping Satine alive – makes little sense from a technical standpoint. Is it impossible? Probably not. All sorts of things can happen in history, pure dumb luck makes every difference, but it's unlikely. A party which seeks peace is not going to survive against another ultra violent, volatile party that's pissed off at you because you want to erase the culture that they so deeply value.

Which, yeah I don't buy it. Even with the Republic stepping in later on, it's fishy. But for the sake of my sanity, I'm mostly focusing on Legends, because the more you try to create a coherent timeline (seriously, how is Clone Batch Math easier than this?) for the Mandalorian Civil Wars, the harder it is not to give up entirely.

Anyways. Satine did not survive years of conflict due to mere smarts and perseverance, and did not end the war by being charismatic and having good people skills. She was the LEAST THREATENING PARTY in a three-party war, hunkering down with her Jedi protectors and playing politician while the actual warriors in the conflict weakened one another and – for the True Mandalorians – were wiped out.

True Mandalorians. Death Watch. New Mandalorians.

So, okay. The approximate dates of the beginning and end of the Mandalorian Civil Wars don't necessarily make sense with Satine’s age. She'd have been slightly younger, and Canon seems to have a tendency to just wave their hand in the general direction of a time period and deflect onto another topic.

Which, you know what? Fine. I can work with that without having to think too hard about the dates. It kills me not to delve into it further, but. No. It's not like Disney's gonna pay me to fix their broken timeline.

(But if I had to, I'd shift Jaster's death to 47BBY instead of 52BBY, and push the Battle of Galidraan a year back to 43BBY, and—)

Here's what's important to remember, though:

- There are two Mandalorian Civil Wars. The first being True Mandalorians vs Death Watch. The second being the much shorter, and quickly solved Death Watch vs the New Mandalorians.

- The massacre of the True Mandalorians happened shortly before the beginning of the second civil war.

- The True Mandalorians had already been dealing with Death Watch for years, and they were winning. Death Watch wasn't just on the run, they were weak, they had to resort to TRICKING THE JEDI into killing the True Mandalorians for them.

Who wasn't weak? The New Mandalorians, the people that actively choose to turn their back on a culture that had survived for centuries. And yes, Death Watch remained even after the True Mandalorians fell. Tor Vizsla targeted Satine and the New Mandalorians viciously after that, there was even more destruction, but it wasn't with the severity with which he'd prosecuted the True Mandalorians.

Here's what happened next: Jango Fett escaped his enslavement. He hunted down Tor Vizsla, and he killed him. Whatever strength Death Watch had regained in those few years didn't matter, because the second their leader was gone they were certainly left unorganized and at a disadvantage.

Giving the New Mandalorians the opening they needed to cement in people's minds to their beliefs and convince the House and Clan leaders that abandoning their old ways was the solution. After all, how much more of Mandalore was left to destroy? How many more had to be lost?

With the public's approval and the Republic’s help, Satine Kryze and the New Mandalorians scavenged the corpse of Mandalore, and they took what they deemed fit, left the rest to rot and – given time – be erased completely.

What's worse is that Satine's activism and speeches made it sound like that made sense (because, to Satine, it did make sense); abandon what Mandalore once was because that's the reason we've been destroyed, isn't it? (Not entirely untrue.) And these people, whose world had been ravaged, who's clans and families had wrecked everything with in-fighting, were tired and desperate enough that they listened.

Actually, here's what's really worse — Satine got LUCKY! The first time! It should not have ended like that. But because she got lucky, because it worked once, she tried to do the exact same thing when the entire galaxy went to war. And she ignored the suffering of people whom she should have known empathy towards, who were going through the very same torment she experienced as a child. Because her position of superiority where peace is the only answer was so ingrained in her beliefs, because she was ARROGANT.

And because peace was the only answer, because she'd disavowed any sense of warrior culture from her people, Satine had as much a hand in dooming Mandalore as everyone who went in with the worst intentions. Does it matter that it was doomed regardless, because Maul was the great evil that came to destroy them? No. Maul was just the most convenient means to an end the resurrected Death Watch could find, but if not him it would have been anyone — anything – else.

I do feel for her. She had to experience her father's death so young and step into a role he'd left behind, didn't get a proper chance to grieve because she had to be strong for everyone else who was grieving. She gave up the possibility of love for duty. Satine was a good leader, I won't argue that, and she was the last stand between Mandalore and total annihilation, but she was also deeply flawed.

[the-scandalorian]

if disney actually understood me as a demographic, there would be a character experience at disneyland where you get to sit on mando's lap and tell him what you want like santa

[blackkatmagic]

Hi, Kat! I saw your post earlier about the New Mandalorians, and wondered if you have the time or energy to expand on that at all? If not, or you don't feel like it, feel free to ignore this. I've been interested in writing a fic where Mandalorians play a major role, but have been avoiding it given how much contention there is around so much of it, and just how challenging it is to keep straight what's Disney canon, Legends, and fanon. I'm also mostly not a comics reader, so I know I'm missing a big chunk of info there. So any chance you could point me to where to look for some of this information? Like, Death Watch being deported to an "overcrowded and undersupplied" moon. Is that extrapolation from what we see of Concordia in TCW, or are there additional sources that get into more detail? I'm also curious where we see Death Watch/warrior Mandalorians being POC? Jango is, of course, but I've heard other people claim that, other than Jango and the KOTOR materials set several thousand years in the past, we don't really see onscreen Mando POC until Rebels, after TCW creators got backlash for making all the New Mandalorians and Death Watch white Vikings. Are there other sources that show the exiled warrior Mandos being POC? Any help you can give me figuring this out would be greatly appreciated! I know fanworks can go in whatever directions their creators want to, but I want to at least make sure I'm working from a clear understanding of what I'm starting from! Thanks you.

It's very definitely an extrapolation, but based on what we see pretty much solely in TCW, specifically "The Mandalore Plot" episodes.

First, if you look at shots of Sundari, the Mandalorian capital, everyone is white and blond and Human. Maybe it was the animators being lazy, maybe it was a conscious choice, but it's still jarring, especially in contrast to most background shots elsewhere in the galaxy. Take a screencap of anywhere else and it's pretty mixed as far as Humans and aliens go. Not in Sundari.

Second, re: Death Watch being deported. I'm not talking about Death Watch. I'm talking about the warriors, who Satine specifically says were "exiled" to Concordia. And she and Obi-Wan have a conversation about how, even though Concordia was once an agricultural settlement, it was strip-mined to the point that forests were just starting to grow back. Extrapolating, that means Concordia probably has to import everything. I can't remember if it's Satine specifically who says it, or one of the other NMs, but they also say they presume all the warriors have all died out. And like. yikes. There's a pretty big implication there.

As for the warrior Mandalorians being POC, at the very least there are more POC characters among them than among the NMs. Clan Wren, I'm thinking of, and then. Jango and his disavowal by the NMs is a whole other can of worms that has a lot of racist overtones, imo. This post has a good breakdown of the issues regarding the Fetts, if you'd like to read it. It dips into Legends, but it's mostly based on TCW and the movies in those sections, so. There are your sources.

Edit: To clarify on why I find the "we presume the warriors all died out" so yikes. It's been about 20 years since Satine took power at most. A lot of the people exiled were probably young, to say nothing of how long people live in the gffa. How exactly are that many people supposed to have died in 20 years max without some outside factor? Add that to the fact that Concordia is mostly barren and like. Hella yikes, imo.

[camille-lachenille]

Interviewer: So, how much would you say Tolkien’s works influenced your life?

Paul Corfield Godfrey, the man who spent the past 40 years of his life composing an epic cycle of five operas based on the Silmarillion: *vibrating with barely contained divine power* hum, a normal amount?

Here’s the link to his website: https://www.paulcorfieldgodfrey.co.uk/tolkien-cycle

I am currently listening to Beren and Lúthien and it’s simply enchanting

[janerogan]

The valar are NOT playing with that curse they put on the noldor. Holy shit. They were fr like tragedy be upon your house forever, doomed to never find what you search, your downfall always wrought by your own hands, you will never rest not even when you're dead. And Feanor like yeh but at least we're not cowards lol 👍😤✌️ come on guys let's go

[foxgloveinspace]

Do you ever figure out your Type and you go Oh No cause it’s just 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩

[sassygirl579]

Finally thought of a good Writing Prompt Game idea!

The Armorer & Paz meet and/or decide to take in Ragnar either in TLGF or canon.

Wow--how did you know I've had this thought multiple times? 😮

TLGF-verse--but not sure how much will actually end up being canon 😊 Don't have an exact timeline, but this would be a few months after our current chapter.

Rated VFK for Vizsla Family Chaos (as usual 🤣)

***********************************************************************

"Buir, why are we having a family meeting--I wanna play Lothball with with Emi!" Eyra said as Bryn led her children down the hall, with Paz bringing up the rear.

"I promise it will be brief--but it's very important, and your father and I want all of you to be well informed," Bryn answered as she keyed open the door to their apartment.

The twins raced for the couch, followed by Kyri, Ajay, and Nima, who quickly overtook their little sister to get the favored spots.

"Buir, that's not fair!" Kyri complained, angrily pulling off her helmet and throwing it down on the floor. She was overtired and desperately in need of a nap.

"Come sit with me, Ky," Jos said, plopping down on a floor cushion and patting her knees.

Kyri turned and made a face at her older siblings before curling up in her eldest sister's lap, thumb in her mouth.

"So.....what's important?" Jerem asked, once he'd settled on his own cushion.

Bryn sat down on her own cushion next to Paz, and he took his hand in hers.

"Wait a minute--the last time this happened, we found out Kyri was on the way!" Ajay replied.

"We're gonna have another baby?" Evet asked excitedly.

"No, di'kut--Buir can't have more babies!" Nima exclaimed.

"How come?" Eyra asked.

Nima opened her mouth to explain, and Bryn decided she'd best clear up any misconceptions.......quickly.

"I'm not pregnant--but our family will be growing."

"You and Ammon are getting married?" Miri squealed, turning to look at Jos.

"No--now shut up and listen and maybe we'll all find out what's going on!"

Bryn shook her head, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to settle her thoughts against the chaos surrounding her. "This afternoon, while your father and I were gathering information from the Foundlings who arrived today, we made an interesting discovery. One of them, a twelve-year-old boy, is from Clan Vizsla--and he's one of your first cousins."

"Like Grogu?" Kyri asked, then put her thumb back in her mouth, eyelids already drooping as Jos rocked her back and forth.

"Yes. He was your Ba'vodu Lina's youngest--just a toddler when the Purge happened."

"He's been alone all this time?" Nima asked, and Bryn's heart broke, remembering the tiny girl with big brown eyes who'd been without her mother for three weeks when Paz had found her in the halls of the Covert, hidden away while Ajay went searching for food.

No, darling," Bryn replied, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "His father was killed in the Purge, but his mother was alive until a few weeks ago. He's been staying with a neighbor since then."

"But if 'family is more than blood', why is he coming here?" Ajay asked.

"Because he wants to stay with his own Clan," Paz answered.

"Is he gonna sleep in the empty bunk in our room?" Evet asked.

"I'm keeping my top bunk!" Ajay added.

Bryn took another deep breath. "Yes, he wil be taking the empty bunk--but we'll figure out all the details later. Now, are you ready to meet him?"

"Do we have to put our helmets on?" Evet asked.

"Not unless you want to," Bryn assured him. The younger children were still getting used to not having to keep their faces covered, and would occasionally ask about helmets for various circumstances. However, all of them chose to remain without this time.

"Okay, we're ready," Paz said into his comm.

"Sending him over now," Cara replied, and a few moments later, there was a knock at the door.

Paz pushed the button on his vambrace to reveal the soon-to-be newest member of their branch of Clan Vizsla.

"I'm his big sister?" Kyri asked, now wide awake.

"No--you're still the youngest," Ajay told her, rolling his eyes.

"But I wanted a baby brother!" Kyri replied, her words turning into a wail as she dissolved into tears.

"Great," Ragnar, said, watching as Jos carried her little sister into their bedroom.

"She's not always like that--she just needs a nap really bad," Jerem explained, holding out a hand to grasp, giving his cousin a small smile.

Ragnar gave him a similar smile back, and sat down on the cushion next to him--the one Jos had just vacated.

"Everyone, this is Ragnar--as I said earlier, he's twelve. Ragnar, these are our children, minus the two who just left--Joselin, who's eighteen and Kyri, who's three. I would like each of you to introduce yourselves, and tell Ragnar how old you are, starting with Miri," Bryn said.

Once they'd done that, Ragnar tried to recall each of the children's names and ages, instantly retaining some while others he forgot multiple times. However, the six of them--seven when Jos rejoined them--were having a good time, cheering when their soon-to-be brother got one right, and laughing when he purposefully started getting them wrong.

"I think this is gonna work," Paz said softly, giving Bryn's hand a squeeze.

Bryn squeezed back, giving her husband a smile. "So do I."

****

When Kyri awoke, Bryn and Paz spoke the adoption vow, making Ragnar an official part of their Clan. They spent the remainder of the afternoon getting the boy settled, and his meager posessions put away. Jerem used his datapad to reconfigure the chore chart, and Miri used hers to readjust the quantities of food they would need to buy to accommodate another growing child.

That night, after they themselves were ready for bed, they made their nightly rounds. Bryn smiled, her heart full, as the dim light from the hall revealed all four boys piled on three mattresses on the floor, with Ragnar snuggled in the middle.

*********************************************************************

[gothamcityneedsme]

always sort of a weird moment when the most ic line is a flirt option lmao

[koilarist]

I gotta say, the best part of finishing art that needs references to work from is closing the ten billion browser tabs when it's done.

I am free

[sandwrrm]

Absolutely obsessed with the implication that bo-katan is just like. dicking around the family castle moping and being emo in complete isolation? femcel depression gremlin failgirl era yesssss

[bearsbeetsbeskar]

i tried to get some writing done for weed smoking joel x dispensary reader yall, I really did. But I drank a bottle of wine to myself and at this point I'm too horny and energized to form any coherent thoughts 🥲 💀

[oflgtfol]

also yknow what im kinda iffy about the bathing in living waters thing as a means of redemption (for reasons that belong to their own post, if i ever figure out how to word it), but the fact that there even is redemption offered despite how strict the helmet rule is, is like. well proof actually that it's not very strict

and the fact is that prior to The Purge, the mines would not have been so hard to access. literally if the city is inhabited, if the surface is not glassed, if there is no debris and shit in the way, then it should by all means just be a walk and a skip down some stairs and there you've arrived to the living waters. it all around seems like a very easy method of redemption which just blows the whole "unforgiving cult!!!" thing out of the water because, like, well it seems very forgiving actually

[lovelyamneris]

I don’t know how unpopular this is but even though mando s3 had a super cute happy ending overall the season was really disappointing and just felt Different

[oibkenobi]

i hope there’s some satisfying direction they’re going with this, because i don’t want the mandalorian to become one of those shows that people say should have ended season x.