#request 1553

[lostdrarryfics]

Hi! I don't remember much about this fic but I do remember either harry or draco (I think it was draco) having a job of giving tours of london? But the content of the tours is mostly fake information and they are really just a show people sign up for

We believe you are looking for The Malfoy Conundrum by Omi_Ohmy (49k, M)

Don’t forget to bookmark, leave kudos and comments!

[scarlethexelove]

Hi hi hi idk if ur accepting requests you can delete this if not sorry but can you write a very fluffy to smut fic? Like reader sending some smexy text to Natasha and then Natasha immediately picking up the kids to put them to bed early

Thankieeee

Here We Go Again

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Reader

Word Count: 1553

Warnings: Reader teasing Natasha, Smut, Face Riding, Natasha has a penis, P in V, Breeding, Little bit of degration.

Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 3

A/n: Need to give another big shout out to @wandamaximoffsbadgirl for helping me once again. Was stuck on some of the smut and brain said no. Also nonnie I hope you don't mind but I made it part 4 of Growing a Family because it worked so well with the kids and teasing.

NO ONE IS PERMITTED TO STEAL, COPY, OR REBLOG MY WORK AS THEIR OWN

A loud groan and a bang can be heard from the other room. You can’t help the chuckle that leaves your lips as you can most definitely tell that your wife has banged her head against her office desk. You've been slightly cruel to your wife all day. Sending multiple teasing texts just to get her riled up. This last one was of you in new lingerie. The photo was taken discreetly earlier in the day. 

Though your body might not be the same after having three kids it seems to have made Nat love you even more. Your curves and plush skin make her go feral whenever you change in front of her or just wear some more revealing clothing. It’s been awhile since you two have had time to yourselves so you figured you would have some fun teasing. 

Nat gets up from her office and walks right past you with a determined look in her eyes. “Baby where are you going?” She stops turning to face you. You can see that primal desire flickering within her eyes. “I called Wanda, she is taking the kids tonight for a sleepover.” She stalks closer to you and grabs your hips. She leans down to whisper in your ear. “Then I’m going to fuck you until you can’t walk and your pregnant again.” A shiver runs down your spine as a whimper escapes your lips. She smirks at your reaction before she is turning on her heels and going to round up the kids. 

By the time Nat comes back you're dripping with anticipation. You’ve changed back into the new lingerie that you know you’ve already absolutely ruined. You’ve put out candles and you’re now laid out on the bed. You can hear the shuffling as Nat makes her way to the bedroom. The door swings open revealing your half naked wife, already having shed most of her clothes on her walk to the bedroom. Her already hardened cock strained against her boxers with a visible wet spot. 

Nat stalks over to you on the bed. “You looks so fucking hot in this but I can’t wait to rip it off of you and destroy that perfectly little pussy tonight.” You rub your thighs together trying to get some friction as a whine falls from your lips. “Please Natty, need you.” She groans as she pulls down her boxers letting her cock spring free, kicking them off her feet as she climbs on the bed over you. She looks down seeing how your arousal has soaked through your panties and smeared against your thigh. “So fucking desperate for me and I haven’t even toughed you yet.” You nod, your lip caught between your teeth. 

A loud gasp escapes you when Nat pulls down the cups of your lingerie causing your breast to spill over the top. She leans down, nipping and sucking marks onto your chest as she mumbles against your skin. “I love these perfect tits. I can’t wait to see them grow again when I fuck another baby into you.” You nod your head as you lace your fingers through her hair. “Natty please.” She smirks against your skin. “Please what detka.” She isn’t going to give it to you so easily after you have been teasing her all day. She wants to hear you beg for it. 

All you can do is whine. Nat’s touch makes your mind go fuzzy. Trying to form words felt impossible, feeling her lips make their way down your body. Every nerve ending was firing off as she bit and sucked on your thighs. So close to where you needed her. “Natty please…” You reach down tugging at her. “Need you here.” You pulled her just above your clothed cunt. You've completely soaked through. Nat can see it, but more importantly she can smell it.

Nat smirks at your neediness for her. “Do you think you deserve it detka? Teasing me all day.” Her fingers grip your plush thighs. You let out a whine. “Please Natty. I'll be good.” She contemplates your pleas. Should she let you get away with all that teasing just so easily? She contemplates what to do for a moment before holding your hips down and pushing her tongue flat against you. Licking up what she can of your juices as you try and arch more. Her tongue is a mere tease over your panties. “Natty please I'm sorry I'll be a good girl!” She presses her tongue down on your clothed clit giving you just a little relief but it's not enough. You try to grind desperately for more stimulation but her grip on your hips is tight allowing no movement. 

As quickly as Nat had pressure on your clit it's gone. She sits up with a devilish smirk on her lips. “Detka if you want it so bad you're going to have to work for it. I'm going to lay down and I want that pretty little cunt of yours riding my face. You want it, you do the work.” You whimper at the thought but nod in understanding. She looks at you pointedly. “Do I make myself clear?” You know what she wants. “Yes Natty.” She just needed an oral confirmation. “Good girl.” She purrs.

The two of you move positions, your lingerie being discarded on the floor as you positioned yourself just above her face. You were sure if she made you stay like this you'd drip all over her face. But you know better and you know she wants you directly on her. Her arms wrap around your thighs and pull you down when you aren't faster enough for her liking. Lapping at you like she's starved and dehydrated. Like she needs you to survive. 

Nat mumbles into you. “Ride my face detka.” The vibrations sending shivers up your spine. Your hands move to grip the headboard as you start to grind down on her face. She lets her tongue stick out so that you can do all the work. Your taste is so addicting to her, if she could spend her life between your thighs she would. You would be her every meal. 

You moaned out, it felt so amazing as you moved against Nat’s face desperate for release as pleas started falling past your lips, “Please Natty...please please please...need to cum need you Natty.” You looked down at her, your eyes glazed over and her own dark and hooded. “Cum, cum all over my tongue.” She speaks into you. You move your hips desperately as you feel the knot about to snap. When it does, your thighs clamp around her head as they tremble. White hot pleasure courses through you as Nat laps up every last drop of your release. Your hips slowly rut against her face as you ride out your orgasm. When you finally slow to a stop you roll off of her panting, laying down beside your wife.

You close your eyes, catching your breath when you feel Nat move and before you can do anything she's between your legs, the tip of her pushing at your entrance. “You did a good job detka, but now it's time to make good on my promise.” You gasp as she slowly sinks into you.  “O-oh fuck.” You breathe out. You're already so wet she just slides right in. “Mmm fuck still so tight for me no matter how many times I fuck you. This pussy was made for me.” You moan as she bottoms out. 

Nat doesn't give you much time before she is pulling almost all the way out and thrusting back in. “Fuck...Natty!” You're gripping and clawing at her. Your body builds up quickly from your first orgasm. You had desperately needed this, needed her. Needed to feel her inside of you, filling you perfectly.

Nat takes your legs and presses your knees to your chest causing you to moan at the different angle. “Fuck! Such a slut for me. Sending me dirty photos just so I can fuck you. So desperate for me to fill this pussy with more of my babies.” She grunts with every thrust. You nod rapidly. “Yes! Yes! Needed it! Needed to be filled by you...fuck Natty!” You arched as much as you could. “Fuck cumming! Cumming cumming!” You moaned out, eyes screwing shut as all you could see was white and your body felt insanely hot.

Nat moans as she feels your walls suffocating her length. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Her hips jerk as she cums filling you up. You don't know how but as she ruts into you her spurts of cum seem to never end. You know you teased her but you didn't expect this much. The overwhelming feeling of being so full of her has you gasping.

You had never felt so full before. A hand instinctively moving down to feel and your fingers ghost over a little bulge she's left inside of you. A small groan coming out at the feeling. Nat pants above you, moaning at your action. She leans down and kisses your shoulder. “Look how full you are of me. You'll be carrying my baby again in no time, moya lyubov.” You can't help the smile that spreads across your face. “Mmm I can't wait.”

[wonysugar]

Heyyy this is my first time requesting something

Imagine gamergf! Sakura, who is always gaming and doesn’t gives attention to reader, so one day reader sneaks into sakura’s gaming room and kneels in front of her, kkura doesn’t even notices her presence until she feels how now her pussy is exposed, reader who starts to eat her out while she’s playing, begging reader to stop overstimulating her

cw: somnophilia, cnc (boundaries discussed beforehand ofc), bondage and overstimming (so begging!)

sakura was exhausted as fuck... originally just getting on her computer and playing geometry dash to pass the time but having it being quickly turned into an intense gaming session, as per usual, her eyes glued to the screen until like what.. two am at this point? btw doing allat while only wearing a tank top and panties because let her live anyways moving on

she just cannot for the life of her pass this godforsaken level and she's sick of it; being an incredibly competitive person, she couldn't bare backing down. she was gonna pass that level, even if it took the whole night.

you, on the other hand, have been trying to get her attention throughout the whole day. look, you loved your girlfriend, she was loving, caring, everything you could possibly want. but one thing you knew she wasn't good with; giving you attention whenever she was focused on something else. if you tried texting her, she wouldn't even see the notif. if you tried coming in her room and starting a conversation, she would give back short responses. it was difficult, if not impossible.

long story short, you were incredibly needy, and you were ready to do anything to get her to pay attention to you.

the discouraging words "attempt 1553" displaying on her screen as it lit up the dark room that she was in, her eyes fighting what felt like an invisible force that was desperately trying to close them shut. throwing her head back, she sighed exasperatedly, almost dozing off. a small break wouldn't hurt, she told herself.

yeah no, no matter how hard she tried fighting her own drowsiness, the chair was so comfy, she couldn't help but eventually give up and close her eyes. she was eepy, if you will.

and eep did she do!

what she didn't know, though, is that she was sooo incredibly tired that she didn't even notice you walking into her room and strapping her to her chair. poor bby was just sooo tired and unaware. :((

when she went to rub her eyes, she quickly realized that her hands were restrained, she noticed you under her desk and immediately looked lost, what were you doing there? suddenly, she felt the slight vibration in between her legs, already giving her sleepy brain somewhat of an idea "mmh.. love..? w-what are you doing—"

"i'm gonna untie one of your hands so you can play and win this level, okay? if you don't, i'm not letting you cum, as simple as that. also, i unplugged your headphones; i wanna make sure you won’t be lying when you'll say that you won."

"couldn't we have just— mmh— done this in bed..?" she asks, stumbling on her words as she tried to keep her eyes open.

you scoffed at her words, mocking her "do you really think i'd go to this length if you actually paid attention to me throughout the day? you seemed soo committed to passing this level, i can't just take that away from you, can i?"

she furrowed her eyebrows in guilt as she looked down at you, avoiding your gaze once her eyes started tearing up. was it the drowsiness, the sudden culpability she felt when she figured out why you were doing this, or the pleasure her clit was throbbing for?

she didn't know, she felt like she didn't know anything at that moment.

you took away the vibrator to pull down her only piece of lower clothing, her underwear. upon taking it off, you watched as the slick of her cunt stuck to the fabric of her panties, smirking at the sight. looking up at her and noticing her hard nipples through her thin tanktop. she was barely even awake and she was already this needy for you?

"slut." you spit out, making her whine in the process.

after untying one of her hands, the rest of the night turns into you pressing your favorite vibrator against her clit as you ate her out, hearing her desperate moans and cries of pleasure mixed with the, quite frankly, unserious geometry dash music coming from her speakers as she desperately tried winning. and whenever her noises got louder and her breathing got heavier? you simply took away all the sensation from her, denying her orgasm as you made her twitch with anticipation as she whined..

and the need to constantly remind her, "keep your eyes on the screen and hand on the keyboard, i'm not gonna keep repeating myself, sakura." whenever she pathetically begged you to let her cum, staring at you as tears fell from her eyes, she was just so desperate to cum :((

eventually, after like, 3 hours, she managed to pass the level. holding onto your promise, you untied her limbs and ate her out, licking all of her folds and sucking on her clit until she finished all over your tongue and lips, gripping your head and pushing you closer to her wet core. you were certain that your neighbors would have a word with you the next day the way she was screaming out your name, blabbering sleepy nonsense as she came undone under your touch :((

long story short, she slept incredibly well after you carried her to bed that night. <3

[oldiesstationlover11607]

hiii hi! hello! uhm. could you please consider writing a Tyler Joseph x male!reader? a mixture of fluff and angst, a hurt/comfort if you will, reader is having a very bad mental health day and Tyler improvises a song to sing for him. think the "don't be anxious Josh" song he sang during the qna Livestream. if not it's alright but I thought to ask anyway! sorry if this sounds too similar to past requests you've received, I hope it's alright ^^ have a wonderful day!!

Panic - Tyler Joseph x GN!Reader

Warnings: Panic attack and mental health struggles

Word Count: 1553

A/N: HEYYY I've combined a few requests into this one piece and made it gender neutral so everyone can enjoy it :) I'm going to respond to each inbox message so everyone can see it but hopefully this is good :)

I’d been feeling it for days, this weight pressing down on me like an invisible hand. I kept brushing it off, forcing myself through the routine motions. I was fine, I told myself, over and over again. I was strong. Strong enough to push through. That's what I did.

But tonight, it all felt like too much.

The knock at my door barely registered at first. When I opened it, Tyler stood there, smiling as if it was just a regular night in. He had a bag of takeout, his other hand deep in his pocket.

“Hey,” he said, stepping inside without waiting for me to invite him. His eyes lingered on me for a beat too long, and I looked away, trying to shake off the ache that had settled into my bones.

“Hey,” I muttered, forcing a smile. “I forgot you were coming over.”

Tyler’s smile faltered for just a second. “Good thing I didn’t forget,” he said, glancing around. He set the takeout on the table, pausing to look at me again. “You okay?”

I nodded, maybe too quickly, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Yeah, just… a long day, I guess.”

He raised an eyebrow, not buying it. “You look… more than just tired,” he said carefully, watching my reaction. “What’s going on?”

“It’s nothing. I’m fine,” I said, the words coming out sharper than I meant. “Just… rough day, like I said.”

Tyler watched me in silence, his gaze soft but probing. He didn’t push, but I could feel his eyes on me as I sat down on the couch, drawing my knees to my chest. He settled beside me, and for a while, we picked at the food without talking.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked quietly after a while. “You seem… I don’t know, different. I can tell something’s off.”

I shook my head, feeling my chest tighten. “I’m fine. Just a little… overwhelmed.”

“Hey,” he said, scooting a little closer. “You don’t have to act like everything’s okay. Not with me.”

I swallowed, my throat tight as I looked away, fighting to keep my voice steady. “I don’t want to make a big deal out of nothing.”

Tyler leaned forward, searching my face. “Maybe it’s not nothing, though. If it feels like a big deal to you, then it’s not nothing.”

I tried to shake it off, forcing a laugh. “You don’t want to hear about my stupid problems.”

“Actually, yeah, I do,” he said, his voice unwavering. “I care about you. So I want to know what’s going on.”

That simple truth nearly undid me. I felt my pulse quicken, my breaths coming shallow and quick. The panic that had been simmering all week flared up, and suddenly it felt like the walls were closing in. I tried to stand, but my legs felt weak.

“Hey, hey,” Tyler said quickly, reaching out to steady me. “Are you okay? Talk to me.”

I shook my head, barely able to get a word out. “I… I don’t know. I just… I feel like I can’t breathe.”

He was beside me in an instant, taking my hands in his. “Okay, try to focus on me,” he said gently. “Look at me and breathe. Let’s do it together, okay?”

I nodded, though my chest felt tight, every breath shallow and quick. He inhaled slowly, exaggerating the motion so I could see, and I tried to match him, feeling the tension in my lungs ease just slightly. Tyler’s hand stayed wrapped around mine, his thumb moving in slow circles over my knuckles.

“You’re doing great,” he said softly, his voice like a quiet anchor. “Just keep breathing with me.”

After a few minutes, the tightness began to ease, and I managed to take a fuller breath. My grip on his hand loosened, and I could finally meet his gaze, the worry in his eyes softened by relief.

“Sorry,” I whispered, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over me. “I don’t… I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

He shook his head, squeezing my hand. “Nothing’s wrong with you. You’re just dealing with a lot. It happens. But you don’t have to apologize for it.”

I felt my throat tighten again, the shame creeping in. “I just… I thought I could handle it on my own. I didn’t want to… I don’t know, be a burden.”

“A burden?” Tyler’s voice was soft but firm, his eyes holding mine. “You’re not a burden. Not now, not ever. You don’t have to carry this alone.”

A tear slipped down my cheek, and I quickly brushed it away, trying to keep the dam from breaking. “I feel like I should be able to handle this. Like I shouldn’t… I shouldn’t need anyone.”

Tyler shook his head, his hand never leaving mine. “Needing someone doesn’t make you weak. It makes you human.”

I let out a shaky breath, feeling my defenses start to crumble. “But I’m supposed to be strong,” I whispered. “I don’t want to… I don’t want you to see me like this.”

His thumb brushed over my knuckles, his voice gentle but insistent. “But I want to see you like this, because this is part of you. I care about all of you, not just the parts you think are ‘strong.’”

I looked away, feeling the tears starting to fall in earnest now. “I just… I don’t know how to… I don’t even know how to explain it.”

Tyler nodded, his hand moving to gently cup my face, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. “Then don’t explain. Just… let me be here. You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to.”

I nodded, the last of my resistance finally crumbling. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close, and I let myself sink into his embrace, the weight of everything I’d been carrying finally spilling over. The sobs came in waves, and he held me through all of it, his hand moving in soothing circles on my back, his voice a quiet whisper of comfort.

“You’re okay,” he murmured, his voice a steady anchor in the storm. “I’ve got you.”

For a while, I just let myself cry, the tears falling freely as he held me. He didn’t say anything more, didn’t try to fix it. He just stayed there, letting me let it all out. And slowly, the storm inside me began to calm, the sobs subsiding into quiet sniffles.

“Sorry,” I whispered again, my voice hoarse. “I didn’t mean to… to fall apart like that.”

“Hey,” he said softly, pulling back just enough to look at me. “You don’t have to apologize. You’re allowed to feel this way. You’re allowed to fall apart.”

I managed a small, watery smile, and he returned it, his own smile gentle and warm. “You’re too nice to me,” I mumbled, feeling a faint blush rise to my cheeks.

He chuckled, his hand moving to squeeze mine. “Well, maybe you deserve someone to be nice to you. And hey, it makes me happy, so really, I’m just being selfish.”

A laugh escaped me, soft but genuine. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Glad I could make you smile,” he said, his own smile widening. Then, as if on impulse, he started humming, a soft, wordless tune that felt strangely familiar. He caught my eye, a playful glint in his gaze as he began to make up lyrics.

“Don’t be anxious, Y/N… I’ll be here till the end…” he sang softly, his voice light and comforting. “Even if you cry… even if you sigh…���

I let out a real laugh this time, shaking my head. “Please tell me you’re not going to make this a full song.”

“Hey, if it makes you laugh, I might,” he teased, his grin widening. “And if I do, you have to sing it with me.”

I groaned, covering my face with my hands. “No way. I’m not singing that song.”

He nudged me playfully, his eyes twinkling. “Fine, but you’re stuck with me singing it to you, then.”

“Fine,” I said, laughing despite myself. “But you’re not recording it.”

He mimed disappointment. “There goes my big break as a songwriter.”

I rolled my eyes, but there was warmth in my chest now, a lightness I hadn’t felt in days. “Thank you, Ty,” I said quietly. “For… for being here. For not letting me… you know, push you away.”

“Always,” he said, his voice softening. He reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “You’re important to me. I’m here whenever you need me, okay?”

I nodded, feeling a wave of gratitude I couldn’t quite put into words. “I don’t know what I’d do without you,” I whispered, feeling my chest tighten again, but this time with something softer, something that felt a lot like hope.

“You’d probably keep being amazing and strong, just like you are now,” he said, his voice warm. “But maybe you don’t have to do it all alone.”

I looked at him, my heart feeling lighter than it had in days. “I guess… maybe I don’t.”

Tyler smiled, his hand finding mine once more. “Good. Because I’m not going anywhere.”

And in that moment, as his hand held mine and his presence surrounded me like a warm blanket, I believed him.

//

REQUESTS OPEN

[brighteststar707]

Faye!!! Congrats on your two years 🎉 I'm so so incredibly happy that we met through good old Mysme I could CRY fr. You are so special to me!!

So I was thinking for a while but didn't want the slots to go, so I'm gonna come outta nowhere and SHOCK HORROR not pick either of my two husbands, Jumin or Zen.

But how about number 30, confiding in them, with Vanderwood. The little tease we got in V's route just made me smitten at the time. He literally is thrust into the RFA drama and I can't help but feel he'd connect with MC. Like lord help us Vandy, wtf is going on.

Lola! Thank you so much for your message! I'm so grateful to have met you, you mean so much to me and I wish only the best for you <3

I'm pleasantly surprised by your request! It's a good event when I can write more than one fic for Vandy.

Picture this: It's V's route, Seven has saved you from Mint Eye, now you, V Seven and Vandy are in the cabin. Your relationship with V is.... not really existent at this point so this fic could be romantic when you squint hehehe

Love ya <3

Confiding in Them

✦Vanderwood x Gn!Reader ✦ Words: 1553

Time in the cabin feels like it has slowed down to a crawl. It is dark outside, and eerily silent. Inside, there are only the sounds of footsteps back and forth across the floorboards, and V’s harsh breathing in the next room. The repetitive nature of the noises has only added to the liminal feeling.

You had reassured the others that you weren’t tired, and then promptly fallen asleep on the sofa, still sitting upright with your jacket draped over your shoulders. When your eyes opened again, you weren’t sure how long you’d been asleep for, or where your dreams ended and reality began. Your life lately has been so strange, it has been hard to keep track. You had dreamt of car chases and cult initiations, the faces and voices of your loved ones so close and yet out of reach. How was that any different to what you had experienced over the last week?

Someone had covered you with a spare blanket when you were asleep, as well as lit a fire in the fireplace opposite you. It was warm, and you were still disoriented from sleep, so you stayed put, wrapping the blanket tighter around yourself and watching the fire dance over the logs.

You allow yourself, maybe for the first time, to process the fact that you managed to get away from Mint Eye and everything they had planned for you. In the (relative) silence of the cabin, with everyone else occupied, it starts to sink in. Back there, with a part of you constantly in fight or flight, it was hard to process the reality of your situation. You were just trying to survive. Now that you’re safe, it all hits at once.

The isolated compound, the flowery pink room, the wardrobe full of clothes made to your measurements. Ray, monitoring your conversations with the RFA, his kindness that teetered on the brink of desperation. The minty blue of his eyes, too vibrant to be natural. The silence in the hallways, so unsettling for a building so full of people.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

You jump and turn your head towards the speaker. You were too caught up in your own thoughts to hear him approach you.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” Vanderwood says. To his credit, he does actually look apologetic.

His voice is quiet, deep, and still unfamiliar to you. You have grown used to the voices of the different RFA members, have even started to find a certain comfort in hearing them. On the other hand, he is still practically a stranger to you.

You had very briefly met Vanderwood when he first got to the cabin to help Seven, but you had said little to each other since.

“It’s okay. I’m just a bit jumpy, I guess.”

“From what I’ve seen tonight and what Seven told me – which isn’t much, mind you - that’s not surprising.”

Seven has been keeping an eye on Vanderwood since he entered with a vaguely threatening air you haven’t yet seen from him, reminiscent of someone keeping their attack dog on a short leash.

“What did Seven tell you?”

He joins you on the sofa, sighing deeply before answering. He has been at V’s bedside, tending to him in his terrible state, since arriving, and he has good reason to be tired.

“He has kept most of the story from me. I know that that guy back there has been fed more different drugs than I’ve ever seen before and that you’re his…?” He leaves it open-ended and throws you a meaningful look. He’s still trying to fill the holes in his story.

“Don’t look at me, I don’t even know what we are.” Thinking about V too much makes you scared all over again, so you change the subject. “What else do you know?”

“Nothing except that you were there with them. He’s smart enough to keep RFA stuff away from agency stuff most of the time. I guess desperate times call for desperate measures, though.”

“You can say that again.”

You sound wearier than you mean to. The longer you think about everything, the more ridiculous it all sounds. You watch as a log cracks in the fireplace with a satisfying pop and feel Vanderwood turn to assess you for a moment.

“And who are you in all of this?”

“That’s a long story.”

“And I am a very good listener. Literally, it’s part of my job.”

You laugh. He doesn’t.

“Really, I feel like I haven’t talked to a single person since I arrived - Seven doesn’t count. I need a change of scenery.”

It isn’t that his voice softens, but he sounds like he’s choosing his words more intentionally this time he speaks. It makes him sound more sincere. Maybe that’s what encourages you to indulge him. Or maybe, you just need someone to help ground you now that you feel like you’ve detached from reality.

“Well, I was sort of… kidnapped and held hostage in this cult?”

His eyebrows disappearing into his fringe is the only thing that gives away his surprise. He scans you once over, a well-practiced look. He’s looking for any obvious damage.

“I’m fine, you say quickly, “Seven managed to save me before anything really bad could happen.”

He nods. “You can trust him with these things.” He thinks for a moment, before quickly adding, like a sudden thought that came into his mind “were you with the hacker?”

“Yeah.”

“You met him? What was he like?”

The questions tumble out of his mouth faster than he can stop them. Is this what he sounds like when he’s excited? You had heard him discussing the hacker with Seven earlier, asking questions with his eyes wide. Turns out it’s rare for someone to give Seven this much trouble.

“Strange. Kind of sad. I wish there was something I could do for him.”

Vanderwood’s enthusiasm vanishes.

“Then he sounds just like the rest of us.”

In the silence that follows, you both turn your attention back to the fireplace. The flames seem to have a life of their own, and your cheeks feel warm from the heat of it. Somewhere, from another room, you hear Seven’s voice. You wonder who he’s talking to, or if it's just to himself.

“So, if that guy,” Vanderwood gestures back to the bedroom where V is sleeping, “was drugged to oblivion by that cult, how did you get out okay?”

“He has a bit of a personal history with their founder. The whole RFA does, actually, but his is more… delicate, from what I understand. See, I’m the stranger in this equation.”

“Huh. I don’t know why I expected this to be simple. Nothing Seven involves himself in ever is.”

“They used to all be like a family once apparently. I’m still trying to understand it all myself.”

He puts his head on his hands for a second in a show of exhaustion. “Maaaaan…. how are you staying sane through all of this? Just hearing the gist of things is making me tired.”

You’ve been asked this question a few times, but you’ve never given the real answer any thought before. Next to V, who could barely stand upright and was talking to the air last time you were at his bedside, you were always fine. It felt wrong to even imply otherwise.

But now, when you think about where you were a week ago and how much has changed since then, you aren’t so sure. You can’t remember the last time you felt rested and, even though you’ve been reassured that you’re safe here, you’re scared someone is watching you. You can’t even think of walking down the street by yourself before you break out in goosebumps.

"Oh. I guess you hadn’t gotten that far yet, had you?”

“No… I guess not. Is it that obvious?”

He holds out a gloved hand in front of your face and taps your forehead once, lightly.

“You’re easy to read. Or maybe it’s just me.”

With only the flickering firelight on his face, his expression is hard to make out, but you find some comfort in his gesture.

“I feel like none of it is real. At least if you can see it, it means that I’m not making any of this up.”

He nods and you lapse back into a comfortable silence.

“Hey, I know it may not be much coming from me, but I think you’ve got some good people on your side at the moment.”

You’re not sure what possesses you to ask, “Is that including you?”

He seems to be stunned for a moment before he smiles. It transforms him into a brand-new person, and you can imagine what a different life might have looked like on him. Your anxiety gets pushed down by a wave of pride at managing to elicit that expression from him. You have a feeling it’s quite rare.

“Yeah, I guess it does.”

Suddenly, V groans loudly, startling the both of you. Vanderwood jumps back to his feet and quickly follows the sound to the bedroom door. Before he disappears completely, he turns to you and says, “Listen, I need to go back to playing nurse, but can we talk more a bit later?”

You smile.

“I’d like that.”

[queenmarytudor]

Mary I's Fight For The Throne

c.18th June 1553 - Mary worries

A month has passed after her letter to Edward rejoicing his recovery, and Mary is worrying.

She has had no reply from Edward, or the Duke of Northumberland who had previously kept her informed. Now, "she receives no information" 1 and begs the Imperial ambassador "to hear more detailed accounts." 2, sending constantly "for news of his Majesty's health." 3

She "is in sore perplexity and greatly desires to write" 4 to her cousin Charles V, but fearing to do so asks Imperial ambassador Jehan Scheyfve to write in her name. She wants him to inform the Emperor "of the King, her brother's, health and other matters connected with that question" 5

Clearly at this point in time, Mary is becoming suspicious of the exact state of Edward's health, and the plan for her accession in the event of his death.

Though the Imperial ambassador assures her of Edward's "sincere and true affection and goodwill [...] who would never forsake her" 6 Mary is not convinced. It is possible she now decides to send her comptroller, Robert Rochester, directly to the ambassador to communicate her fears. Undated meetings between the two are confirmed by the ambassadors on the 20th July, where they mention “Mr. Rouster [Robert Rochester] who has come several times in secret to the ambassador during these troubles." 7

Meanwhile...

On the 12th June, royal lawyer Sir Edward Montagu is summoned to Greenwich where "there the King by his own mouth said, that how in his sickness he had considered the state of their lives, realm, and succession, which, if he should decease without heir of his body, should go to the lady Mary, who was unmarried, and might marry a stranger-born, whereby the laws of this realm might be altered and changed, and his Highness' proceedings in religion might be altered. Wherefore his pleasure was that the state of the crown should go in such form, and to such persons, as his Highness had appointed in a bill of articles now signed with the King's hand, which were read, and commanded them to make a book thereof accordingly with speed." 8

On the 13th June when Montagu and other lawyers refuse the request stating it would be treason because "the Devise was directly against the Act of Succession, which, being an act of parliament, could not thus be taken away" 9 the Duke of Northumberland "being in a great rage and fury, trembling for anger; amongst his rageous talk, called sir Edward Mountagu traitor, and further said that he would fight in his shirt with any man in that quarrel." 10

On the 14th June, the Duchess of Suffolk visits King Edward. 11

After interrogation via torture by the Earl of Sussex and Sir Richard Southwell failed, the men who stole Mary's hawks are sent to the Tower. 12

After a second meeting on the 15th June, King Edward commands the lawyers including Sir Edward Montagu "very sharply upon their allegiance to make [the device]; and there were divers of the lords that stood behind sir Edward that said "and if they refused to do that they were traitors." 13 Sir Edward "being then in great fear as ever he was in his life before, seeing the King so earnest and sharp, and the duke so angry the day before" 14 finally agrees.

Sources:

1. Spanish State Papers, 12th June 1553

2. Spanish State Papers, 15th June 1553

3. Spanish State Papers, 15th June 1553

4. Spanish State Papers, 19th June 1553

5. Spanish State Papers, 19th June 1553

6. Spanish State Papers, 30th May 1553

7. Spanish State Papers, 20th July 1553

8. Literary remains of King Edward the Sixth

9. Literary remains of King Edward the Sixth

10. Literary remains of King Edward the Sixth

11. Spanish State Papers, 15th June 1553

12. Acts of the Privy Council Vol. 4, 14th June 1553

13. Literary remains of King Edward the Sixth

14. Literary remains of King Edward the Sixth

[wonder-worker]

"One of the few letters to survive from (Jane Seymour)’s tenure as queen is an intercessory plea. On 23 November 1536, Jane wrote to Cromwell, asking him to be “good and favourable unto our trusty and wellbeloved Thomas Dudeley,” telling him that “you cannot do a better deed for the increase of your eternal reward in the world to come.” This Thomas Dudley has not been conclusively identified, and his service to the Queen remains unknown, but he might be the Thomas Dudley of Yanwath (c.1475–1549), whose son, John Dudley, would be an MP for Carlisle in 1553, and Helston in 1563. While Jane did not elaborate on the kind of ‘favour’ she envisioned Dudley receiving, the request stirred Cromwell into action, and on 18 May 1537, Dudley was granted a house in Aldgate, London, which was formerly part of Christchurch priory, and was worth thirteen shillings, four pence a year. Of these three acts of intercession, only the one on behalf of Dudley was successful, but by actively participating in one of the central roles of a queen consort, Jane was enhancing her saintly image—even if her husband sought to dissuade her."

-Aidan Norrie, "Jane Seymour: Saintly Queen", Tudor and Stuart Consorts: Power, Influence and Dynasty

[thedudleywomen]

The Death of Mary I and Ascension of Elizabeth I

On This Day (17 Nov) in 1558, Mary I died at St James's Palace, possibly from uterine cancer.

Mary had been physically unwell since earlier in the year; she had initially believed herself to have been pregnant in the spring of 1558, due to a distended abdomen (which is now thought to have been a tumour), which by May she acknowledged she was not. This caused her to become depressed, in addition to ongoing physical health symptoms (vomiting 'black bile', intermittent fever, convulsions).

By mid-Oct, her health was further declining, and by 14 Nov, Mary had significantly deteriorated, presenting with fluctuating levels of consciousness. Masses were said by her bedside, praying for her soul. Mary's last conscious request was a message sent to Elizabeth, requesting for her to preserve the Catholic faith in England. Mary died just before dawn.

Mary's death was announced by the Lord Chancellor to the House of Lords in the morning, with 'Lady Elizabeth' subsequently proclaimed "Queen of this realm". The Earls of Arundel and Pembroke, the same men who had travelled to Framlingham Castle in Jul 1553 on behalf of the Privy Council to confirm news of Mary's proclamation as queen, now did the same for her younger half-sister. At this time, Elizabeth was living at Hatfield Palace, a former Bishop's Palace in Hertfordshire, where she had resided on-and-off since her childhood.

By the afternoon of 17 Nov, privy councillors gathered at Hatfield, where the first meeting was held in the great hall. They were led by William Cecil, who was appointed as Elizabeth's Secretary of State. Cecil had spent his early career as the personal secretary of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, later entering the employ of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland. It was whilst in the service of Northumberland that Cecil was employed to manage the administration of her lands, and had continued to advise her on financial matters during her sister's reign.

[wishesofeternity]

“An assessment of Anne (Boleyn) and the Reformation must commence with an evaluation of her own religious views. Unlike Henry’s sixth wife, Katherine Parr, Anne wrote no religious works, so we lack much direct evidence from which to assess her convictions. We instead rely on the assertions of others and what can be surmised from her behaviour and belongings. It is nonetheless clear that Anne was by no means a kind of proto-protestant. For instance, when Thomas Revell tried to present her with his translation of François Lambert’s radical Farrago Rerum Theologicarum—which included scepticism about the real presence of Christ in the eucharist, and detailed the socially disruptive implications of the priesthood of all believers—she declined his request, saying “she would not trouble herself” with the book. Likewise, Anne’s comments during her imprisonment imply that—at least during this difficult period—she maintained many orthodox views. Sir William Kingston, constable of the Tower, wrote to Cromwell that she spoke of retiring to a nunnery; that she asked whether she would go to heaven, for she had “done mony gud dedys in my days”; and that she “meche desyred to have here in the closet the sacrament,” suggesting that she held traditional views on transubstantiation, the issue which Henry saw as the test of sound belief.

There remains much evidence, however, that Anne had evangelical sympathies. For example, Cranmer, who knew the Queen well, noted the “love which I judged her to bear towards God and his gospel,” when writing to Henry following her arrest in May 1536, and Richard Hilles lamented her loss in 1541 as one of the “sincere ministers of the word” who had been taken away. Yet, perhaps the most telling evidence of Anne’s personal piety comes from the books that she owned. These included a copy of William Tyndale’s 1534 edition of the New Testament, which was banned and considered to be a heretical work, and a part copy, part English translation, of Jacques Lefèvre d’Étaples’s Epistres et Evangiles, a work condemned by the Sorbonne for its potential Lutheran echoes. Thus, while Anne cannot be described as a ‘protestant’—a term that did not become naturalised in England until after 1553—she seems to have been genuinely interested in religious reform and evangelical issues.

Anne’s impact on the Reformation is most obvious with Henry’s break from Rome. This was recognised in Anne’s own lifetime; when told that there was no pope, but only a bishop of Rome, one Henry Kylbie replied that “this business had never been if the Kinge had not maryed Anne Bullen.” Although it was Henry’s desire to annul his first marriage to marry Anne that caused conflict with the papacy, the Boleyns provided more than a spark for this clash. They offered patronage to academics who worked on the campaign for Henry’s annulment, including Thomas Cranmer, the future Archbishop of Canterbury, and Edward Fox, the future Bishop of Hereford; they took a keen interest in the progress of Henry’s “Great Matter”; and they seemingly furnished Henry with evangelical literature, with Anne reportedly introducing him to both Simon Fish’s virulently anticlerical Supplication for the Beggars and Tyndale’s Obedience of the Christian Man, which argued that papal claims to independent power were bogus and unscriptural. While the contribution these works made to the elaboration of the royal supremacy has been doubted, they may well have helped, and can hardly have hindered matters. In these ways, Anne and her family played an important part in encouraging the rejection of papal authority and achieving Henry’s Break from Rome, a fundamental element of the English Reformation.

Anne also facilitated religious reform by furthering the careers of evangelicals. Writing to Elizabeth I in 1559, Alexander Ales hailed “the evangelical bishops whom your most holy mother had appointed from among those schoolmasters who favoured the purer doctrine of the Gospel.” Who were these bishops? While William Latymer asserted that her influence lay behind the promotion of Thomas Cranmer to Canterbury, Hugh Latimer to the bishopric of Worcester, Nicholas Shaxton to Salisbury, Thomas Goodrich to Ely, and John Skip to Hereford, the evidence is clearest in the cases of Latimer and Shaxton, who Foxe also thought she “placed” and “preferred” to their sees. Although Anne certainly did not ‘appoint’ Latimer and Shaxton to their dioceses, she undoubtedly assisted them, lending each £200 to pay their first fruits to the King after their elevations, and their preferment was plausibly due to what Latymer described as her “continuall mediacione.” Anne herself recognised her links to these bishops, speaking in the Tower of “my bysshoppys.” Her part in the promotion of these men to the episcopal bench was important, for it meant they could wield the power of episcopal office to promote fellow evangelicals, pursue reform in their dioceses, and frustrate the efforts of their opponents.

Anne also influenced lesser clerical appointments. She employed a series of evangelical clergy as her chaplains, including Latimer and Matthew Parker. She also sought appointments for her favoured clergymen elsewhere, and was prepared to pressure them into taking them up and making the most of them, as in May 1535, when she addressed Edward Crome concerning the parsonage of St Mary Aldermary in London, which she had “obtained for him.” She exhorted him to make “no farther delays in this matter, but to take on … the cure and charge of the said benefice,” for she desired “the furtherance of virtue, truth, and godly doctrine, which we trust shall not be a little increased, and right much the better advanced and established, by your better relief and residence there.” The indefatigable commitment that some of the clergy she appointed showed to driving reform at a local level is clear in the case of William Barlow, who she made prior of Haverfordwest in 1534. From his position, Barlow “endeveryd … with no smalle bodely daunger agenst Antichrist, and all his confederat adherentes, sincerely to preche the gospell of Christ,” arousing much hostility from the local clergy. Anne’s promotion of such clerics was significant. Not only did men like Barlow show great zeal in fighting for reform within their spheres of influence, but her promotion of men as her chaplains also proved an important step in the careers of individuals like Latimer, who became Bishop of Worcester in 1535, and Parker, who became Elizabeth I’s frist Archbishop of Canterbury in 1559. This was attested by Parker himself, who wrote to William Cecil, Lord Burghley, in 1572, professing that “if I had not been so much bound to the mother [Anne], I would not so soon have granted to serve the daughter [Elizabeth] in this place.’

While previous queens had often interceded for those facing punishment, Anne used her intercessory role in to protect those interested in reform. For instance, in 1528 she wrote to Cardinal Wolsey, beseeching him “to remember the parson of Honey Lane for my sake.” This was a reference to either Thomas Forman (rector of All Hallows, Honey Lane) or Thomas Garrett (curate of the same church), who were both implicated in the trade of evangelical books. Likewise, in May 1534, she wrote to Cromwell asking for Richard Herman, one of the principal promoters and financial sponsors of Tyndale’s New Testament, to be restored to his position, after hearing that he had been expelled from his “fredome and felowshipe of and in the Englishe house” of Antwerp, because he helped “the settyng forthe of the Newe Testamente in Englisshe.” Anne may have acquired a reputation for lending aid in such matters, which might explain why Thomas Alwaye sought to petition her in 1530 when imprisoned for his involvement in buying English New Testaments and other prohibited books. While the evidence is not certain, Anne’s patronage potentially had longer-lasting repercussions, as individuals like Thomas Garrett later became troublesome evangelical preachers.

Anne was thus clearly an important figure in the early stages of evangelical reform in England. She was by no means an omnipotent proto-protestant—that evangelicals like Thomas Bilney and John Frith were burnt between 1531 and 1533 reveals limits to either her beliefs or her infuence. Yet, individuals did not need to be all-powerful to encourage religious change: Thomas Cranmer’s failure to prevent the passage of the Six Articles in 1539 did not hinder his influence in the ecclesiastical politics of the early Tudor period. Nor did they have to be fully fledged evangelicals to have sped the course of reform. That Henry VIII himself published Assertio Septem Sacramentorum in 1521 (a rebuttal of Martin Luther’s anti-papal De Captivitate Babylonica), remained devoted throughout his life to the Blessed Sacrament, and consistently rejected the teachings of Luther and Huldrych Zwingli does not invalidate his centrality to the reforms of his reign. Moreover, Anne’s infuence on reform need not be at the expense of others. The course of religious change in sixteenth-century England was not simply shaped by monarchs, devout conservatives like John Fisher, or devout evangelicals like William Latimer, but also by many who lay between these extremes, like Stephen Gardiner, who argued for Henry’s divorce and accepted the Dissolution of the Monasteries, but fercely defended transubstantiation. Anne—as a promoter, defender, and supporter of evangelicals, who played a significant part in instigating the Break from Rome—was one of the most important of these individuals.

- Chloe Fairbanks and Samuel Lane, “Anne Boleyn: Traditionalist and Reformer” in “Tudor and Stuart Consorts: Power, Influence and Dynasty”

[e-nishka-aosh]

[Timeline] E-Nishka-Aosh - Pre-ARR~Beginning of ARR

With nothing else to do during maintenance, I thought it'd be nifty for myself and others to have a timeline and general notes for my main, E-Nishka! It'll be located under the readmore!

Please note that this may retcon some things I've posted about in the past on really old posts. It may also include certain headcanons and explanations for them, especially with regards to Padjals and the Elementals.

Sixth Astral Era

1535

Layla arrives in Gridania from Thanalan with the aim of honing her culinary arts. She has trouble fitting in and being trusted.

A well-respected Wood Wailer named Caerwyn befriends Layla and helps the others in Gridania to come around to her.

1537

Layla and Caerwyn wed.

1540

Caerwyn is killed by the Ixal when trying to make peace with them.

Shortly after, Layla is found to be pregnant.

Layla’s child is born on the 28th Sun of the Fifth Astral Moon.

He is confirmed to be padjali soon after his birth and is taken by Stillglade Fane, given the name E-Nishka-Aosh by the Elementals.

1540~1548 [0~8]

Layla refuses to accept her child being taken away from her. She heckles the Seedseer Council and demands her son back, but she is denied at every turn.

By his eighth nameday, E-Nishka’s birth mother is formally exiled from Gridania.

1549 [9]

Kan-E-Senna is born.

Ea-Sura-Supin is born.

E-Nishka takes to conjury incredibly quickly and displays an aptitude that most other Padjals take twice his age to master. He becomes a regular face at the Conjurer’s Guild, and is often seen on E-Sumi-Yan’s coattails.

1553 [13]

E-Nishka becomes a Hearer in Stillglade Fane. He dons deep blue and purple robes, contrasting his previous white ones.

E-Nishka begins to demonstrate considerable abilities in hearing the Elementals. There are some rumors that he could even surpass the Senna line with his prowess in this regard.

However, it is made known he is terrible at interpreting the Elementals’ will and emotions for non-Hearers, and that he is often overwhelmed with the Elementals that convene with him.

1556 [16]

Raya-O-Senna is born.

To try and help curb E-Nishka’s shyness, E-Sumi tasks him with aiding him in tutoring the other Hearers, namely Kan-E and Ea-Sura.

The trio become close friends, and remain as such even after E-Nishka stops tutoring them.

E-Nishka formally joins the Seedseer Council at the behest of E-Sumi-Yan.

1557 [17]

E-Nishka begins being tasked with aiding the Wood Wailers and the Gods’ Quiver, assigning them tasks alongside other Hearers. He ventures forth into the Twelveswood when a task is too monumental for a lower Hearer to take care of.

The Sharlayans fail to negotiate with Garlemald and begin to form an evacuation plan of their Dravanian colony.

1559 [19]

A-Ruhn-Senna is born.

Ea-Sura-Supin mysteriously vanishes after the Elementals dismiss him of his Padjali abilities, devastating both Kan-E and E-Nishka.

E-Nishka stops physically aging, later than most other Padjals.

1562 [22]

Kan-E-Senna is made the Elder Seedseer, with the former Seedseer, A-Pitat-Rapa, vouching for her.

Emperor Solus zos Galvus approves Nael van Darnus’s request to study an ancient Allagan artefact.

The Battle of Silvertear Lake occurs.

The Echo first sounds across the realms. E-Nishka begins to have visions of both past and future, though this is attributed to him being a Padjal, much like Kan-E’s visions.

Adel aan Loukios, a conscripted Imperial scout and assassin, escapes the Garlean Empire’s forces in the confusion caused by Silvertear. He takes refuge in the newly built Revenant’s Toll.

1563 [23]

E-Nishka ventures into the Twelveswood after reports of a Hedgetree being compromised.

Upon arriving, the Hedgetree remains mostly intact, though there are smoldering embers of a somewhat dead fire surrounding it.

A wildling appears and attacks the group. E-Nishka realizes that this is his biological mother, Layla, and hesitates.

Due to the hesitation, an archer is attacked directly and nearly driven to death. While tending to her wounds, E-Nishka gives the order to subdue and eradicate the wildling.

E-Sumi reassures E-Nishka that he is not being held liable for Layla’s “mistakes” as the Elementals have not made it known nor have they taken E-Nishka’s horns from him.

Despite this reassurance, E-Nishka begins to doubt himself as a Hearer and requests to take on tasks entirely within Gridania.

E-Nishka begins to help with convening with the Elementals within lumber, stone, and other materials taken from the wood before they are used for man-made goods. He works especially close with chefs and restaurants.

Throughout the years, the people of Gridania grow to distrust E-Nishka after it is revealed his biological mother, who had been an outsider in the first place, was the wildling from the earlier incident.

1568 [28]

Minfilia founds the Path of the Twelve.

1572 [32]

Kan-E-Senna returns to Gridania and reinstates the Order of the Twin Adder. Her sister, Raya-O, becomes the leader.

Kan-E fails to convene with the Elementals. Once she opens up about this, the Elementals tell her that their doom lies within the moon. She motions to reassemble the Eorzean Alliance, citing the growing unrest with the Garlean Empire’s actions.

Yda and Papalymo arrive in Gridania in order to determine what Gridania is aiming to do with regards to military action against Garlemald, as well as to observe the surrounding aether.

The events surrounding Dunstan, Khrimm, and Fye occur, with E-Nishka acting as the “Warrior of Light” in this instance. The events remain largely the same, except he is not taking part of the Rite himself and he knows the people involved. He sympathizes with Fye greatly. Notably, he does not visit the Waking Sands.

The events surrounding Raya-O-Senna and the Elemental Oha-Sok occur, with E-Nishka being the one to aid Raya-O. The events remain largely the same, except he knows the people involved. At the end, Oha-Sok takes up residence in E-Nishka’s staff, the Ingrimm.

Adel Loukios, in an attempt to not be caught again, retreats to Thanalan shortly before the Battle of Carteneau.

E-Nishka joins the Battle of Carteneau, putting his excellent conjury abilities to good use in healing all those brought to him, alongside other conjurers. It is a moment that will change him forever.

The Battle of Carteneau proceeds as normal.

Seventh Umbral Era

0~5 [32~37]

The Syrcus Tower and the ruins that house Omega are uncovered.

Coerthas turns wintry.

The Circle of Knowing and the Path of the Twelve merge into the Scions of the Seventh Dawn.

Adel Loukios returns to the new Revenant’s Toll.

The Sylphs begin to argue amongst themselves, with some wanting to summon Ramuh, their primal and deity. The other Sylphs flee and settle within Gridanian Borders, at Little Solace.

E-Nishka is present and very active in the rebuilding efforts surrounding Gridania and the Twelveswood, though he isn’t very “present”. E-Sumi notes that he seems to just be going through the motions.

E-Nishka rarely rests. He only sleeps once he is no longer capable of standing.

E-Sumi assigns a Moogle to watch over him. Her name is Pokcha Pokk.

A Realm Reborn - 5 [37]

Because E-Nishka is taking on any task to get his mind off things, he is tasked with aiding Galfrid in investigating a suspicious individual.

He meets Yda and Papalymo again at Lifemend Stump.

Thankfully, fetch quests are beneath him, so he just goes straight to the Spirithold after this, where he comes into contact with the Black-Masked Ascian and the golem, as well as Yda and Papalymo again.

He skips more fetch quests and converses with Hearer Leonnie at the southwestern Hedgetree. He witnesses first-hand the Elementals’ whispers about the Tam-Tara Deepcroft.

He does begin to make inquiries about suspicious characters, however. He learns of the Ixals wanting to harm the Guardian Tree. E-Nishka does not consult his fellow Hearers before going directly to Lewin, as this is a dire matter.

They act swiftly enough, putting an end to the Ixals’ plans and offing the Black-Masked Ascian, their mysterious individual.

Kan-E awards E-Nishka with the title of Emissary for Greenbliss, though he doesn’t feel like it applies to him.

Kan-E reveals to E-Nishka during Greenbliss that she believes he has the power of the Echo—that he has been chosen not only by the Elementals but by the Gods themselves. The pressure of such a realization causes E-Nishka to faint.

Once he reawakens, E-Sumi bids him to come to Stillglade Fane, where he gives E-Nishka a pep talk, basically. E-Nishka is unsure and anxious about where this is coming from all of a sudden.

Kan-E arrives and says that E-Nishka will be her envoy to the other city-states to detail the remembrance ceremony of the Battle of Carteneau. She admits that it is because he was a part of it that she wants it to be E-Nishka to deliver the missive, but she also admits that she thinks some air outside of the Twelveswood will do him some good.

E-Nishka is worried about what the Elementals will say about him leaving, but Oha-Sok reveals herself to say that the Elementals have given their blessing already, and asked her to pass it on.

E-Nishka faints again.

But the next day, he’s on his way to Limsa Lominsa on an airship, Pokcha Pokk at his side, wearing the white robes of the Seedseers…

[nsfwordwitch]

Kinktober 2023 Day 31

Prompt: Free Day (Biting)

Pairing: Astarion x nonbinary tiefling Tav x Halsin

1553 Words

🔞 Adults Only Blog🔞

"My darlings," Astarion says, ending their post-coital silence, "I have an idea." Weft sees some trepidation in his eyes and they watch him carefully. Halsin is lounging on his side and Astarion is leaning against his belly. He reaches over to caress his neck. "I…well you see, I've been admiring this lovely bruise I put on Halsin's throat the other night. He bears it so well."

He pauses, and Halsin tries to guess what he's getting at. "You are always welcome to give me more."

Astarion smiles. "Thank you, but I had surmised as much on my own. And I don't think I will shock or disturb you, Weft, when I say I like to see your neck each morning."

Without thinking they touch the spot where he always bites them. "Neither shocked nor disturbed, no."

He sighs, takes one of Halsin's hands in his, and looks to Weft. "I wonder if I wouldn't enjoy seeing marks you leave on me. I wonder if I wouldn't enjoy…the receiving of those marks."

Weft feels the need to state the obvious. "Well, my love, that would probably be painful for you."

"Yes, and I think that would rather be the point." He smiles wickedly. "And I do wonder what you might do with your fangs if you were given permission to use them."

Weft raises a hand to their mouth, an insufficient attempt to cover their desire. They know he can still see it in their eyes, that the idea is a very tempting one. "I…appreciate the vote of confidence." Halsin laughs, making Astarion shake. "But I have concerns, too. Are you sure you want this? That you will want it once it starts?"

"I'm not in the least sure, but you will both stop if I change my mind." It isn't a question, it's a statement made with utmost conviction. That makes Weft's heart melt, just a little. Astarion looks at them, waiting for their input. It's incredible, still, how much trust he puts in them, to be his guide away from the edge. They consider his suggestion.

"I think you should take a day, think about exactly what you want, and what you would need to be safe."

He's a bit stricken, looking back at them, and they feel a little guilty. He just wanted a bit of fun, but now it's becoming a whole thing. But he knows they're looking out for his well-being, and he nods in agreement. "We can discuss it again tomorrow night." He looks back to Halsin and kisses him on the throat, on the bruise. Weft's belly burns; they want that, too.

-------

Astarion settles in between Halsin's legs and leans back against his chest. He looks up at Halsin and smiles, and Halsin smiles down at him. "I have you, Astarion."

"Hm hm, you certainly do." Astarion draws a finger across Halsin's bruise again, even fainter now than last night. "And you will rescue me from that brute if they go too far, won't you?"

"Oh, stop!" Weft says. They dig their face into the bedspread and kick their legs. "You're making me feel like a monster!"

"Darling! For what?" He touches their elbow and they look up at him, a playful smile on his face. "For giving me what I've asked for?"

Weft can hear their pulse in their ears. "I know. I…" I have to trust you to know your own limits. But he doesn't want to hear that. That's their own fear talking, and they don't need him to know about it. They need to fall with him.

They crawl toward him and lean their face close to his. "Tell me again what you want."

He takes a sharp breath in and out. "I want you to mark me. I want you to bite me and bruise me and for the gods' sake, if you draw blood, do not let it go to waste." He's staring at them with an intensity they haven't seen in years, but his eyes are wide, open. The vicious line is just a line, but the request is genuine. He's only reiterating what they'd agreed to, after all.

They put a hand to his cheek and he sighs at the touch. "I will mark you, dearest, and when you see those marks, I want you to remember that they were made by someone who loves you." Weft glances up at Halsin then back to Astarion. "If you tell me to stop, I will stop."

"Alright," Astarion says, his voice thick. "Please." Weft kisses his lips, and travels down his body. Their fingers glide over where Halsin's arms are wrapped around his torso, and they slide back down so their chest is flush with the bed. They put their face to the soft place at the edge of his pubic hair, for a breath, then continue until their mouth is on his thigh.

He shivers when they part their lips, their warm breath hitting his cold skin. They draw a wide line with their tongue and let out a genuine sound of pleasure that makes Astarion gasp. "You fiend," he quips, "you desire the taste of my flesh so?"

"Mhmn." They turn their head so their mouth is fully against his skin, and open wide.

The first bite is tentative, a test. They bring their teeth together slowly, waiting for his reaction. He hisses, later than they expected, and then a strained sound when they keep going. When they feel they're in danger of breaking the skin, they stop and look up at him. He's watching them closely, his breath coming in heavy.

"My, look what you've done." They look down and can't help but gasp. They're shocked how little pressure it took to leave marks, and they can see perfect little points where their teeth were. They trace fingers across the mark, intending to comfort but it makes him flinch.

"Oh gods I'm sorry!"

"Sorry!" he says with a breathy laugh. "The words you're looking for are 'you're welcome'. Don't be so delicate on the other side, darling."

"Alright," they say with a laugh, and rub their cheek on the opposite thigh. He hums and smiles down at them, his lips parted in anticipation.

They ease into it again, but they don't hold back this time. When he hisses and moans in pleasure they relent and look at his face again. He's still smiling, his head leaned back onto Halsin's chest. "Mm, that's delicious, darling, just like that." Weft draws their tongue across the wound, and he moans again. They trail a series of quick nips down his thigh, and lick back up to the top. His skin is getting red, the stolen blood in his veins rising to the surface. They brush a hand across it and meet his eyes.

"How have I done so far, my love?"

"Good," he breathes. "Incredible. Would you mind terribly changing sides again?"

Weft moves back to his right leg, looking nearly bare compared to his left. They plant a kiss on their first mark, then set their mouth beside it and bite down.

"Ah!" His flinch almost makes the bite worse, and Weft releases his skin immediately. He's biting his lips, eyes closed.

"Darling!"

Halsin moves a hand to Astarion's chest and searches his face. "Shall we take a break?"

"A moment," Astarion replies. He looks down at Weft and frowns. "Don't look so sad. Please kiss me."

They move to kneel in front of him and hold his face in both hands. He smiles at them, his eyes half opened. They press their lips to his gently, but he kisses them back with force. Weft hums and drinks him in.

They lean back and look into his eyes again. "Stop? Or continue?"

"Just one more," he says, "and make it count. Halsin, take my wrists." Halsin grasps a forearm in each hand and pulls them against Astarion's chest, squeezing them tight. Astarion winces and nods at Weft. "Do it."

They slide back down and resume their position. With a quick look back up at him, where Halsin is holding him in place, Weft bites down again. They ease into it like the first time, and with encouragement from Astarion they don't stop.

"Mmn keep going, yes, keep going. Ah!" Weft tastes blood, Astarion's blood, the iron filling their mouth. Instinctively they suck in, drawing out more. "Yes," Astarion whines, "that's–alright stop stop stop!"

Weft springs back onto their knees and Halsin releases his arms. He slumps, but not far, only leaning forward to brush his fingers at his stinging thighs. A trace amount of his blood smears across his skin. Weft notices the red where Halsin held him; that will surely bruise, too.

"Weft," he says, "my beautiful Weft, fuck me right now."

Weft lets out a hungry sound and surges to him, wrapping him in their arms. They ease him down, and Halsin moves to lay beside them. As Weft prepares to mount him, Halsin strokes Astarion's brow. "Well done."

"Thank you, I rather thought so, too. Mmn, don't just tease me, darling." He looks back to Weft, and they can see clarity in his eyes. Delight, and vulnerability, and all the love anyone could feel.

"Of course not, my love." They enter him, and he sighs in pleasure.

[fideidefenswhore]

i saw a post of yours about chapuys telling emperor charles literally everyone in england thought henry was illegitimate. but i'm guessing no one really thought that as so many nobles wanted mary recognized as heir or even made queen. but it's so weird an argument. if henry was defeated and reginald pole became king, why should he marry mary now when he could get a better match anywhere else? marrying her to "tie up loose ends" implies she does have a claim, so so does henry, and pole usurped him. also the weirdness of chapuys being mad when mary is made illegitimate and lower ranking than elizabeth, but then his argument in her favor is she's from an illegitimate line and doesn't deserve the throne, but we just better hope the rightful yorkist heir is a nice enough guy about it to help her out.

it's very much of chapuys' particular brand, of writing in both inexact ("innumberable good personages") and sensationalistic terms, for sure. also, if there truly were these "innumerable" that believed hviii was illegitimate then, ostensibly, it's the eldest pole of the male line who should be king (which would be lord montague, not reginald pole...but, yk, small issue of montague already being married, so). there was talk of henry, and then edward, courtenay, earlier & later on (talk of the former simply inheriting, point-blank, then talk of the latter marrying mary to 'strengthen claims' asw), but their descent being from catherine of york, and this argument being eoy is illegitimate...the line via clarence, ie the poles, would be the 'most direct'.

i think the idea was more that, this was the compromise solution of malcontents that would garner the most popular support for an imperial invasion and usurpation of the throne, which is what chapuys was angling for here. and maybe the idea of reginald pole is more to have the power of the church behind the match (pole being, atp, a deacon and not yet a cardinal), that montague was already married, etc. i think the vision was really like a h7xeoy 2.0, with the genders reversed (reginald pole is the 'yorkist heir' via clarence vs eoy was the yorkist heiress via edward iv...even tho by his argument, eoy herself in illegitimate, but whatever... again, as you said, this platform does actually claim mary doesn't have yorkist descent via her father, via edward iv, so.... mary as the one with the more questionable claim insofar as bloodline, vs h7 as the one with the more questionable claim insofar as bloodline, who 'needs' eoy to legitimize him)...

tl;dr again, if i had to guess, the idea is that reginald pole as king (consort) is going to appease all the 'innumerable good personages' that believe hviii is illegitimate via bloodline (mary being so by extension as well), and mary as queen regnant is going to appease the rest that don't believe this, but by marriage they'll be able to gather as many supporters to their united cause as possible.

but of course, there is the entire possiblity that chapuys is exaggerating to appeal to charles v's 'heroism' (ie, her bloodline via her paternal line is so 'widely questioned', so she would need him to support this claim, and he would save christendom by restoring the anglo-papal alliance, and btw, she is of his family, so it is really his duty-- chapuys oft refers to her specifically as 'the princess, your cousin' in his letters to charles v...like he's going to forget?)

i might find the report later if i can find it but, if my memory's not failing me, i believe in 1553 once mary inherited the throne, charles v requested a genealogical table that proved her right of accession > jane grey? so you could draw a line between chapuys reporting these rumors to him 20 years prior with that...sowing some doubts, or at least him wanting something concrete for any foreign diplomats at his court, should they question her right to rule via descent (specifically, iirc, he was concerned with how her right was justified through the english-- ie, henry's-- line).

[digilogic-system]

Article Checkout System from Digilogic Systems

Digilogic's Article Checkout System is designed to facilitate comprehensive testing at both the sub-system and section levels of missiles, ensuring they meet performance and functional requirements before deployment.

The following are the advanced test systems developed by Digilogic to evaluate Article performance and reliability. Seeker evaluation and test simulator Static test facility Actuator test system Missile checkout system

The Article Checkout System allows for in-depth testing of various missile subsystems, such as: RADAR Seeker OBC (On-Board Computer) Unit Navigation Sub-System Servo-Actuator System Power Supply Section

Section-level testing can be conducted for key missile sections, including: Seeker Section Avionics Section Rocket Motor Section Servo Actuator Section

Additionally, the Checkout system supports integrated-level testing, allowing for evaluating the entire missile when all sections are combined into a single unit.

To perform these tests, the Article Checkout System is equipped with various resources, including: Analog-to-Digital and Digital-to-Analog Convertors Digital interfaces Instruments such as Digital Multimeters, Oscilloscopes, Function Generators, Analog Waveform Generators etc. Serial Communication protocols. MIL-STD 1553 functionality

Digilogic Systems Article Checkout System is a versatile and robust solution that meets the rigorous demands of missile testing, ensuring the reliability and effectiveness of missile systems.

For any queries (or) to request a quote, Contact us. Phone: Hyderabad: (+91) 40 4547 4601 Bengaluru: (+91) 80 4975 6034 Website: https://www.digilogicsystems.com/ Email: info@digilogicsystems.com

Stay connected with us on our Social Media channels for the latest updates! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/digilogicsystems Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digilogic_systems/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digilogicsystems/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DigilogicSystem YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@digilogicsystems

[thewayofyehoshua]

Examples of the Divine Name in the text of Good News according to Mark 12:29-30.

1.Elias Hutter -The Nuremberg Polyglot 1599 - Mark 12:29-30 in verses 29 and 30 you can see the Divine Name יְהֹוָה YEHOVAH. Yeshua Messiah quotes the creed of Israel - "Shema Yisrael" (Deuteronomy 6:4) and the two most important commandments - one about love for God (Deuteronomy 6:5) and the other about love for neighbors (Leviticus 19:18).

2. The same verses in the Giovanni Battista Iona edition (1668) with the Divine Name.

3. Also Franz Delitzsch 1892, wyd. XI. of NT

4. And Salkinson-Ginsburg 1898

Elijah Hutter (1553-1609) was a professor of Hebrew at the University of Leipzig from 1577 and later taught Hebrew in Nuremberg. His greatest work was the Nuremberg Polyglot, published in 1599 in two volumes, i.e. the New Testament, and in as many as 12 languages: Hebrew, Syriac, Greek, Latin, German (he used Luther's translation), Czech, Italian, Spanish, Galician, English ( used the Geneva Bible), Danish and Polish.

His skills were highly appreciated by Franz Delitzsch (1813-1890), an outstanding German Hebrewist and professor at the universities in Rostock, Erlangen and Leipzig, who said that Hutter had a knowledge of the Hebrew language that was rare among Christians.

In 1668 Giovanni Battista Iona, i.e. Yehuda Yonah of Safed, converted to Catholicism and working for the Vatican, translated the Four Gospels into Hebrew. In his translation of Quatuor Evangelia Novi Testamenti Ex Latino in Hebraicum, the Divne Name appears several times in the spelling יְהֹוָה, i.e. YEHOVAH.

Translations of the New Testament into Hebrew that include the Divine Name יְהֹוָה or in European transliteration - YEHOVAH, do not finish with the work of Franz Delitzsch. In 1877, the year the British and Foreign Bible Society published the first complete edition of his Hebrew New Testament, Isaac Edward Salkinson undertook a similar translation at the request of the Bible Society's Committee. He was consoled by the hope that his work would enlighten many eyes in Israel, but unfortunately he was unable to complete it, as he died in 1883. Professor Delitzsch later wrote that he "would be greatly delighted if Salkinson's translation found many Jewish readers and was to lead many to the belief that Yeshua the Messiah is the noblest son of Israel, the most holy and divine Man and the Servant of the Lord who offered himself for his people and for the whole world of sinners.”

Salkinson's almost finished version (1881) was completed by Christian David Ginsburg from Warsaw, an outstanding expert on Hebrew texts and the Masora, and the whole work was published in 1891 under the title הברית החדשה (Ha-Berit ha-Ḥadashah), i.e. "The New Covenant". A characteristic feature of this edition of the New Testament is the presence of the Divine Name in the complete Masoretic notation יְהֹוָה, i.e. YEHOVAH.

The text of Mark 12:29-30, which is a quotation from Deuteronomy 6:4-5, clearly shows that YEHOVAH is one. Listen, O Israel ! Yehovah our God, Yehovah - one ! (Hebrew: אֶחָֽד eḥad - means one, single, absolutely one). This term in Hebrew excluded all binitarianism, trinitarianism, modalism and pluralism. The Divine Name clearly points to the Heavenly Father as the only one true God who is the Creator of the entire universe.

[kchasm]

Ryu Number: The Sengoku Period/Romance of the Three Kingdoms characters of Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate, Chapter 2, Part 1

The Rescue of Takeda

Kunoichi (くのいち) Female ninja invented by KOEI.

Takeda Shingen (武田 信玄) Major daimyo of the Sengoku Period. Led the Takeda clan. Born 1521. Highly skilled, he famously almost entirely annihilated the combined forces of the Tokugawa clan and the Oda clan at the Battle of Mikatagahara in 1573. Unfortunately, he was unable to fully defeat his foe and had to withdraw. In the later Siege of Noda Castle, he succeeded in taking the castle from Tokugawa forces, but was shot by a sniper, perhaps fatally. He died in the same year (1573).

Sanada Nobuyuki (真田 信之) Samurai. Born 1566. Older brother of Sanada Yukimura. Originally served the Takeda clan under his father. After the Takeda clan was destroyed, this and that happened, but Nobuyuki eventually fell in under Toyotomi Hideyoshi. When Ishida Mitsunari led his uprising at the 1600 Battle of Sekigahara, Nobuyuki, who was married to Tokugawa Ieyasu’s adopted daughter/Honda Tadakatsu’s daughter (that’s one person), served the Eastern Army under Tokugawa, while his Yukimura and his father served the other side. After the Eastern Army won, Nobuyuki was able to secure exile for Yukimura and his father (rather than anything capital). Died 1658.

Sanada Yukimura (真田 幸村; also called Sanada Nobushige/真田 信繁) Born 1567. Served the Takeda clan until their fall, after which he ended up under Toyotomi Hideyoshi. At the 1600 Battle of Sekigahara, joined the Western Army, but his life was spared at the request of his brother Nobuyuki and he was exiled instead of executed. However, at the Siege of Osaka he again joined Toyotomi loyalists against Tokugawa Ieyasu’s forces and was killed there in 1615.

-

Guan Yinping

Liu Bei

Ma Chao

Naoe Kanetsugu

Uesugi Kenshin

-

Hori Hidemasa (堀 秀政) Born 1553. Served Nobunaga, then, after Nobunaga’s death, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of Nobunaga’s retainers. Died 1590 of illness.

Kai (甲斐, often suffixed with -hime i.e. Lady) Date of birth unclear—possibly 1572. Originally served the Hōjō clan. In the 1590 Siege of Oshi, wherein Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s forces struck against the Hōjō clan, she defended the castle for over a month with an incredibly small number of men, only surrendering after it was learned that the lord of the castle (Kai’s father) had been defeated elsewhere. She later put down an internal rebellion by sword, impressing Hideyoshi such that he made her his concubine. I guess that was a reward back then. Date of death unknown—she disappears from history after the Siege of Osaka (1615ish), which saw the defeat of the Toyotomi by the Tokugawa shogunate.

Mori Ranmaru (森 蘭丸; also called Mori Naritoshi/森 成利) Attendant of Oda Nobunaga. Served Nobunaga with great devotion. Died in the Honnō-ji Incident.

Niwa Nagahide (丹羽 長秀) Retainer of Oda Nobunaga. Born 1535. Died of illness 1585.

Nō

Oda Nobunaga (織田 信長). Major daimyo of the Sengoku Period. Born 1534. The guy who kickstarted the unification of Japan. He did a dang lot and trying to sum it all up under one entry is more work than I’m up to right now, so suffice to say a lot of people died and it was very interesting and/or dramatic. He was known both for his innovative tactics and his brutal behavior toward the uncooperative. His also-famous retainers were Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. He died 1582 in the Honnō-ji Incident when his vassal Akechi Mitsuhide rebelled—after being wounded and made unable to fight further, he committed suicide (possibly; it was a big ruckus so exactly how he died is unclear).

Sakuma Nobumori (佐久間 信盛) Retainer of the Oda clan. Born 1528. Was entrusted with the care of Oda Nobunaga. Despite this, in 1580, he received a formal chastisement from Nobunaga for Not Being Good At His Job and was dismissed (de facto exiled), and would die in 1582. There are opinions regarding whether this dismissal was deserved.

Sassa Narimasa (佐々 成政) Samurai lord. Born 1536. Served Oda Nobunaga through the latter’s career. Eventually ended up serving Toyotomi Hideyoshi. For his services he was granted Higo Province, but after he was unable to quell an uprising there on his own he was ordered by Hideyoshi to commit suicide, which he did in 1588.

Akechi Hidemitsu (明智 秀満) Retainer to Akechi Mitsuhide, which isn’t confusing at all. Married to a daughter of Akechi Mitsuhide. Led the attack against Nobunaga at Honnō-ji. Famously cut across Lake Biwa with his horse after Akechi Mitsuhide’s defeat at the 1582 Battle of Yamazaki, then committed ritual suicide at Sakamoto Castle. Died 1582. The character Akechi Samanosuke in the Onimusha series is based on him, but probably not intended to be literally the same individual.

Akechi Mitsuhide (明智 光秀) Born 1528. Served Oda Nobunaga, but is best known for his assassination. In 1582, he was ordered by Nobunaga to assist Toyotomi Hideyoshi against the Mōri clan, but instead rebelled and attacked Nobunaga at Honnō-ji (translator’s note: “ji” means “temple”). The reasons for his actions are unclear at best. With less support and more enemies than he apparently anticipated, Mitsuhide was killed in 1582 fleeing (as did his forces) from the Battle of Yamazaki.

Saitō Toshimitsu (斎藤 利三; some sources give his given name as “Toshikazu”) Vassal of Akechi Mitsuhide. Born 1534. Sided with Mitsuhide in the Honnō-ji Incident. Captured and executed accordingly in 1582.

Asahina Yasutomo (朝比奈 泰朝) Vassal of the Imagawa clan. After Yoshimoto’s death, continued to serve his heir Imagawa Ujizane (Ujizane was actually the one who notably enjoyed playing kemari, not Yoshimoto).

Imagawa Yoshimoto

Okabe Motonobu (岡部 元信) Vassal of Imagawa Yoshimoto. Even after Yoshimoto was killed in the 1560 Battle of Okehazama, he refused to stop fighting, which apparently impressed Nobunaga such that he returned Yoshimoto’s head. Afterward, Motonobu served the Takeda clan and died in 1581 in the Seige of Takatenjin, falling to Tokugawa forces.

Fūma Kotarō (風魔 小太郎) The name taken on by each head of the Fūma clan, which specialized in guerrilla warfare and espionage. The fifth leader of the clan is the pertinent one here. Served the Hōjō clan. Forced to surrender with the Hōjō clan after the latter’s defeat at the 1590 Siege of Odawara at the hands of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The Fūma clan were reduced to brigands, and Fūma Kotarō was eventually captured and executed by Tokugawa Shogunate forces in 1603. That said, it’s really not clear how much of this guy is actual history and how much is folklore, which is itself very ninja, so good job, I guess.

Hōjō Tsunashige (北条 綱成; given name possibly “Tsunanari”) Born 1515. Initially a vassal of the Imagawa clan, he joined the Hōjō clan and became the brother-in-law of Hōjō Ujiyasu (third head of the Hōjō clan). He managed to retire and died 1587.

Hōjō Ujinao (北条 氏直): Final head of the Hōjō clan. Born 1562. He tried to take advantage of the chaos after the Honnō-ji incident, but ended up defeated by Tokugawa Ieyasu and banished. Died 1591.

Hōjō Ujiyasu (北条 氏康) Head of the Hōjō clan. Born 1515. Conflicts began between the Hōjō clan and the Takeda clan toward the end of Ujiyasu’s life, but he was able to hammer out a truce between the Hōjō and Uesugi Kenshin and the Hōjō and Takeda Shingen. He died in 1571. His heir was Hōjō Ujimasa.

-

Hou Yin (侯 音, Kou On) Subordinate of Cao Cao. In 218, Cao Cao sent his younger second cousin Cao Ren to Wan (present day Nanyang, Henan) to prepare an attack on Guan Yu. However, Cao Ren’s policy of conscription and forced labor led to an uprising led by Hou Yin. Cao Ren put down the rebellion and Hou Yin was killed in 219.

Hu Juer (胡 車兒, 胡 車児, Ko Shaji, often translated Hu Che'er or Huche’er, the latter used by Warriors Orochi 4) Aide of minor warlord Zhang Xiu. In Romance of Three Kingdoms, when Zhang Xiu strikes against Cao Cao, Cao Cao’s guard Dian Wei is a really tricky piece to get around. Hu Juer is the one who comes up with a plan that gets Dian Wei drunk so that he can steal his weapons; this leads to Dian Wei’s death in the ensuing battle. Not to be confused with unrelated Three Kingdoms individual Hu Che’er (胡 赤兒), who served and betrayed Niu Fu (who served Dong Zhuo).

Jia Xu (賈 詡, Ka Ku). Born 147. Originally served Dong Zhuo and advised in the takeover of the imperial capital after Dong Zhuo’s death. He eventually left and served minor warlord Zhang Xiu as advisor instead; after Zhang Xiu surrendered to Cao Cao he became one of Cao Cao’s strategists. Made major contributions in this way, and helped secure Cao Pi as Cao Cao’s heir. Died 223.

Zhang Quan (張 泉, Chou Sen; also translated Zhang Chuan) In 219, when Cao Cao was away from the capital on a campaign against Liu Bei, a government official of Cao Wei, Wei Feng, plotted a rebellion, but one of the conspirators got cold feet and reported the plan to Cao Pi, Cao Cao’s heir. Zhang Quan was one of the people who was implicated and executed.

Zhang Xiu (張 繡, 張 繍, Chou Shuu) Initially a minor warlord who stood against Cao Cao. His uncle, Zhang Ji, served Dong Zhuo, and he was part of the coup after Dong Zhuo’s death that took over the imperial capital. He was angered when Cao Cao took Zhang Ji’s widow as concubine. The war between Zhang Xiu and Cao Cao ended in 200 when Zhang Xiu listened to his advisor Jia Xu and surrendered, after which he served Cao Cao with distinction—go fig. Father of Zhang Quan. Died 207 en route to join Cao Cao in his northern campaign against Wuhuan tribes.

Zhao Yan (趙 儼, Chou Gen) Born 171. Joined Cao Cao after he “took in” Emperor Xian. Known for his strictness in enforcing law. Continued to serve under Cao Pi, Cao Rui, and Cao Feng. Died 245.

The Rescue of Uesugi

Aya[-Gozen] (綾 [御前]; translator’s note: “-Gozen” means “Lord”): Born 1524. Half-sister of Uesugi Kenshin, mother of Uesugi Kagekatsu through Nagao Masakage. Died 1609.

-

Naoe Kanetsugu

-

Uesugi Kagekatsu (上杉 景勝): Born 1556. Uesugi Kenshin’s nephew through Kenshin’s sister Aya. After his father died, Kenshin adopted him. When Kenshin died in 1578, the inheritance was supposed to go to Kenshin’s other adopted son, Uesugi Kagetora, but Kagekatsu defeated him and took it for himself. He later married a daughter of Takeda Shingen. Kagekatsu was defeated by Oda Nobunaga’s forces, but Nobunaga’s death granted him an unexpected reprieve, and Kagekatsu stayed alive to fight another day. Kagekatsu was one of the Council of Five Elders Toyotomi Hideyoshi set up to ensure that his chosen heir, Hideyori, succeed him; when the Sekigahara Campaign occurred between Ishida Mitsunari’s Western Army and Tokugawa Ieyasu’s Eastern Army, Kagekatsu sided with Mitsunari, but was defeated early and went to serving Tokugawa. Died 1623.

-

Yukimura Sanada

-

Nagamasa Asano (浅野 長政): Born 1546. Served Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Under Hideyoshi, held seniority over the Five Commissioners, who governed Kyoto and surrounding areas. Assisted in Hideyoshi’s failed invasions of Korea. Died 1611.

-

Hachisuka Koroku

-

Hosokawa Fujitaka (細川 藤孝): Born 1534. Originally a retainer of the last Ashikaga shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, but when Nobunaga and Yoshiaki clashed, he joined Nobunaga. Refused to support Akechi Mitsuhide after Mitsuhide killed Nobunaga, even though his son was married to Mitsuhide’s daughter. He shaved his head and became a Buddhist monk, taking on the name “Yūsai” (幽斎) and handing his responsibilities to his son. During the Sekigahara Campaign, in 1600, he was in command of Tanabe Castle when it came under siege by Western Army forces (his son was away as part of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s Eastern Army); it’s said that the Western Army attackers, having great respect for Fujitaka, staged an ineffective attack. Died 1610.

Kani Saizō (可児 吉長, also called Kani Yoshinaga/可児 吉長): Born 1554. Skilled with the spear. Served various vassals of Oda Nobunaga. Also served Oda Nobutaka, but after Nobutaka fought against Toyotomi Hideyoshi and then committed suicide, he served the nephew and retained of Hideyoshi, Toyotomi Hidetsugu, but eventually left after Hidetsugu saw defeat at the 1584 Battle of Komaki and Nagakute (part of a power struggle between Hideyoshi and Oda Nobukatsu, with Tokugawa Ieyasu supporting Nobukatsu) and became a masterless samurai (i.e. ronin). Fought in the Battle of Sekigahara in the Eastern Army under Fukushima Masanori. A devotee of the kami Atago Gongen, he is said to have foreseen that he would die on the day of Atago Gongen’s festival, and did so in 1613.

-

Kuki Yoshitaka

-

Kuwayama Shigeharu (桑山 重晴): Born 1524. Served Niwa Nagahide, vassal of Oda Nobunaga. Joined Tokugawa Ieyasu’s Eastern Army in the Battle of Sekigahara. Died 1606.

Oda Nobukatsu (織田 信雄, forename possibly “Nobuo”): Born 1558. Second son of Oda Nobunaga. Became an adopted heir of the Kitabatake clan and ensured his position as head with violence. Was unsuccessful and incompetent as a general, but a skilled fighter. After Nobunaga’s death, he and his brother Nobutaka quarreled over succession, leading a council to decide on the infant Oda Hidenobu instead. Toyotomi Hideyoshi supported him, and he initially joined with Hideyoshi to fight Nobutaka, but eventually a power struggle occurred between Nobukatsu and Hideyoshi, too, and he allied with Tokugawa Ieyasu’s force to fight against Hideyoshi in the 1584 Battle of Komaki and Nagakute. Became the guardian of Hideyoshi’s son and successor, Toyotomi Hideyori, in 1598, but walked out on him directly before the 1614 Siege of Osaka, cooperating with Ieyasu. Lived the rest of his life comfortably and died 1630.

Oda Nobutaka (織田 信孝, forename possibly “Nobunori”): Born 1558. Third son of Oda Nobunaga. Was adopted into the Kanbe clan and became its eighth head. After Nobunaga’s death, he quarreled over succession with his brother Nobukatsu. Tensions between Nobutaka and Nobukatsu eventually came to violence when Nobutaka tried to start a war against Toyotomi Hideyoshi (who supported Nobukatsu). He lost and was forced to commit suicide in 1583.

Yamauchi Kazutoyo (山内 一豊, forename possibly “Katsutoyo”): Born 1545 or 1546. Served Oda Nobunaga, then Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In the Battle of Sekigahara, served Tokugawa Ieyasu’s Eastern Army. Died 1605.

-

Li Fei (黎 斐, Rei Hi) Served Wu under the regent Sun Chen (“under” Sun Liang). Some background: In 249, Sima Yi, regent of young Cao Wei emperor Cao Fang, overthrew his fellow co-regent Cao Shuang in a coup (referred to as the Incident at the Gaoping Tombs). After this, Cao Wei’s power began to fall into the hands of the Sima family. Sima Yi was followed by his son Sima Shi (who deposed Cao Fang in 254 and replaced him with Cao Mao), who was followed by another son of Sima Yi’s, Sima Zhao. Various rebellions occurred against the Simas, but it always ended badly for the rebels and loyalists, which made Cao Wei general Zhuge Dan real antsy until he staged his own rebellion against Sima Zhao in 257. Anyway, Sun Chen of Wu supported Zhuge Dan’s rebellion (but really messed it up in various ways), and Li Fei led some of the Wu forces.

Lü Ju (呂 據, 呂 拠, Ryo Kyo): Served Sun Quan of Wu. Lü Ju was one of the men Sun Quan placed to guide his heir, Sun Liang, after Sun Quan’s death (Zhuge Ke, meanwhile, was regent). You might remember that Sun Jun killed Zhuge Ke and assumed regency. In 256, Sun Jun ordered Lü Ju and other generals to attack the Xu and Qing provinces under Wei. However, shortly after the army started out, Sun Jun took ill and died, and his duties were taken over by his cousin, Sun Chen. Apparently, this distressed Lü Ju, who suggested with some other folks that Sun Chen be removed from power. Sun Chen objected, hilarity ensued, and Lü Ju ended up committing suicide. And then Sun Chen killed his whole family. Great going.

-

Sun Quan

Sun Shao

-

Taishi Ci (太史 慈, Taishi Ji): Born 166. Han official who ended up serving Wu. Originally a minor official of the Donglai Commandery. Rescued minor warlord Kong Rong, the Chancellor of Beihei State, from Yellow Turban rebels, to repay the aid his mother had received from Kong Rong in the past. Tried to establish his own power base but was defeated by Sun Ce’s forces. He then willingly served Sun Ce. After Sun Ce was assassinated, he served his successor, Sun Quan. Died in 206. In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he gets a more dramatic end, dying in the 208 Battle of Hefei (this occurred between Sun Quan and Cao Cao as part of the Red Cliffs Campaign).

Taishi Xiang (太史 享, Taishi Kyou) Served Wu. Son of Taishi Ci. Served Sun Quan; was appointed to various posts. In fiction, Sun Quan looks after him after the death of his father.

Li Tong (李 通, Li Tsuu): Born 168. Served Cao Cao of Wei. Saved Cao Cao’s rearguard in the retreat from Zhang Xiu in 197. Broke through Guan Yu’s defenses in the 208 Battle of Jiangling and supported Cao Ren, but died of illness during the campaign in 209.

Xu Huang (徐 晃, Jo Kou): Served Cao Cao of Wei. One of the individuals responsible for secreting Emperor Xian out of Li Jue and Guo Si’s control. During this time, he still served Yang Feng, a former bandit who served as a general under the Han government. His most successful moment was when he led a force to break Guan Yu’s siege of Fancheng in 219 (this was the start of the circumstances directly leading to Guan Yu’s capture and death by Sun Quan—at this point Cao Cao and Sun Quan were allied). He would later serve under Cao Pi and Cao Rui before dying in 227. In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he’s killed during the Xincheng Rebellion by Meng Da (a rebelling Wei general).

Xu Shang (徐 商, Jo Shou): Served Cao Cao of Wei. At the 219 Battle of Fancheng, he supported Xu Huang against Guan Yu.

Yin Shu (殷 署, In Sho): Served Cao Cao of Wei. In 215, after the troops of Han Sui (a warlord who had rebelled against Cao Cao) were placed under his authority, they rebelled against Yin Shu, but Yin Shu survived. At the 219 Battle of Fancheng, supported Xu Huang.

Zhai Yuan (翟 元, Teki Gen): A fictional character in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Serves Cao Ren at the Battle of Fancheng and is killed by Guan Yu’s son, Guan Ping.

Zhu Gai (朱 蓋, Shu Gai): Served Cao Cao of Wei. At the 219 Battle of Fancheng, supported Xu Huang.

The Collapse of Oda’s Allied Forces

Ii Naomasa

Ii Naotora

Kunoichi

Takeda Shingen

Uesugi Kagekatsu

Asahina Nobuoki

Asahina Yasutomo

Imagawa Yoshimoto

Okabe Motonobu

-

Saika Magoichi (鈴木 孫一): A name inherited by the leader of one of the Saika Ikki (translator’s note: “Ikki” means “uprising” or “revolt”) groups. The Saika Ikki was one of a number of Ikkō-ikki sects (translator’s note: Ikkō was a small, militant offshoot of Jōdo Shinshū Buddism) (translator’s note: Jōdo Shinshū is a school of Jōdo Buddhism) (translator’s note: Jōdo Buddhism is a broad branch of Mahayana Buddhism focused on achieving rebirth in the Pure Land) made up of various peasants and merchants and the like. They were backed up by, uh, those particular Buddhists I mentioned parenthetically up there, and opposed daimyo rule. The relevant Saika Magoichi here was Suzuki Shigehide (鈴木 重秀). He famously fought against Oda Nobunaga in support of various opposed parties until those opposed parties—and the support they provided—petered out.

[Hosokawa] Gracia ([細川] ガラシャ; that katakana spells “Garasha”): Born 1563. Daughter of Akechi Mitsuhide. “Gracia” was her baptismal name after she converted to Christianity; her original name was “Tama” or “Tamako.” Married Hosokawa Tadaoki, son of Hosokawa Fujitaka. After her father betrayed and killed Oda Nobunaga, she was confined, but like in a “kept to mansion grounds” kind of way. Secretly converted to Catholicism even after Toyotomi Hideyoshi issued a proclamation against Christianity. When conflict broke out between Tokugawa Ieyasu and Ishida Mitsunari after Hideyoshi’s death, Mitsunari attempted to take Gracia hostage as part of a general plan to secure compliance of enemy generals, but everyone at the place went for suicide instead (except for Gracia—because Catholicism—who was killed by her retainer). This further did-not-endear Mitsunari to potential allies, possibly sealing his fate.

-

Jia Xu

Taishi Ci

Zhu Ran

-

Diaochan (貂蟬, Chousen): In real life, official Wang Yun organized a coup against Dong Zhuo with Lü Bu; one of the reasons Lü Bu and Dong Zhuo had fallen out was a quarrel over a woman in Dong Zhuo’s harem. Romance of the Three Kingdoms jazzes up the whole situation, inventing Diaochan, adopted daughter of Wang Yun. In fiction, Wang Yun and Diaochan set Dong Zhuo up, setting him and Lü Bu as the far sides of a love triangle with Diaochan in the middle, deliberately stirring up Bad Feelings between the two of them until Lü Bu is Very Inclined toward Wang Yun’s coup plans. As she’s a fictional character, her ultimate fate differs from folktale to folktale.

-

Dong Zhuo

-

Ju Shou (沮 授, So Ju; occasionally in Japanese as “Sho Ju”): Advisor under warlord Yuan Shao. Known for giving Yuan Shao good advice which Yuan Shao then ignored. Examples: Advised Yuan Shao to take in Emperor Xian and utilize his authority—he didn’t, and then Cao Cao did that instead, which was good for Cao Cao. Advised Yuan Shao that an all-out attack against Cao Cao was a Bad Idea and he ought to adopt a strategy of wearing him out over time—Yuan Shao did it anyway, and lost the 200 Battle of Guandu. Ju Shou was captured by Cao Cao in this battle and Cao Cao treated him decently, but remained thoroughly loyal to Yuan Shao and was killed by Cao Cao’s men when he tried to escape.

Wen Chou (文 醜, Bun Shuu): Served under Yuan Shao. At the 200 Battle of Yan Ford between the forces of Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, he was killed, possibly by Guan Yu (who was serving Cao Cao at that time).

Yan Liang (颜 良, 顏 良, 顔 良, Gan Ryou): Served under Yuan Shao. At the 200 Battle of Boma between the forces of Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, he was killed by Guan Yu (who was serving Cao Cao at that time).

Yuan Shao (袁 绍, 袁 紹, En Shou): During the civil wars at the end of the Han Dynasty, he controlled the northern territories of China. Spearheaded a coalition of warlords against Dong Zhuo when Zhuo was essentially holding Emperor Xian hostage, but it turns out warlords don’t coalite very well. Campaigned against Cao Cao, but lost battle after battle and died in 202 before he could properly set up succession, leaving his territories contested among his sons, which didn’t help them not also get defeated by Cao Cao. Cao Cao respected him and reportedly wept at his tomb.

Yuan Xi (袁 煕, En Ki): Second son of Yuan Shao. Following the 200 Battle of Guandu and the defeat of Yuan Shao’s forces by Cao Cao’s he fled to the Liaodong Peninsula, taking shelter with its administrator, Gongsun Kang. Kang’s domain was semi-independent, but he decided to curry favor with Cao Cao anyway, executing Yuan Xi in 207 and sending Cao Cao his head. He was married to Lady Zhen, who Cao Pi took as his own wife while Yuan Xi was still alive.

-

Lü Bu

Chaos Incarnate

Kunoichi

Sanada Yukimura

Takeda Shingen

Gracia

Fūma Kotarō

-

Haga Ujitsugu (垪和 氏続): Vassal of the Hōjō clan. When Takeda Shingen broke the alliance between the Takeda and Hōjō clans in 1568, he valiantly defended Kōkokuji Castle. He participated in the 1582 Battle of Kanagawa between Hōjō and Oda forces following the death of Oda Nobunaga, but his actions after are unclear at best.

Haga Yasutada (垪和 康忠): Vassal of the Hōjō clan. Helped hammer out the alliance between the Takeda, Hōjō, and Imagawa clans. His movement after the fall of the Hōjō clan are unknown.

-

Hōjō Tsunashige

-

Inomata Kuninori (猪俣 邦憲): Vassal of the Hōjō clan. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi issued an order forbidding private warfare among the daimyo, he was directly involved in the taking of Nagurumi Castle (which belonged to the Sanada clan). This led to Hideyoshi’s destruction of the Hōjō clan. What happened to Kuninori afterward is unclear.

Ishimaki Yasumasa (石巻 康敬): Born 1534. Vassal of the Hōjō clan. After the fall of the Hōjō clan, he eventually ended up with Tokigawa Ieyasu. Died 1613.

-

Kai

-

Kasahara Masaharu (笠原 政晴; Warriors Orochi 4 calls him Kasahara Masataka/笠原 政尭, which is apparently a historical error that’s percolated?): Vassal of the Hōjō clan. After the alliance broke between the Hōjō and Takeda clans, he defected to the Takeda in 1581 and even fought against his own family, but after the Takeda were defeated he returned to the Hōjō. During Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s Siege of Odawara in 1590, he was caught attempting to surrender by his brother and killed accordingly.

Lady Hayakawa (早川 殿; that last kanji is the honorific suffix “-dono”): One of the daughters of Hōjō Ujiyasu. As part of the alliance between the Takeda, Hōjō, and Imagawa clans, she married Imagawa Ujizane, Imagawa Yoshimoto’s son. After the alliance fell apart, the two of them ended up with Tokugawa Ieyasu. Died 1613.

Nagao Akinaga (長尾 顕長): Became head of the Nagao clan. His territory was caught between the Uesugi and Hōjō, but he eventually ended up solidly on the Hōjō side. Around 1589, he fell out with the Hōjō chan, though, and lost his territory. He defended Odawara Castle in 1590. Afterward, he became a wanderer and died in 1621.

Narita Nagatada (成田 長忠; also called Yasuchika/泰親): After the defeat of the Hōjō by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he and his brother, Narita Ujinaga, were entrusted to one of Hideyoshi’s men, Gamō Ujisato. With his brother, assisted in the Kunohe rebellion, in which the forces of Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu completed the unification of Japan through the killing of folks who didn’t particularly want to be unified. When Ujinaga died, he took over his stuff. He was in the Eastern Army in the 1600 Battle of Sekigahara. Died 1617.

Narita Ujinaga (成田 氏長): Father of Kai; older brother of Narita Nagatada. Born 1542. Originally a vassal of Uesugi Kenshin, he was later aligned with the Hōjō clan. After the defeat of the Hōjō by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he and his daughter were placed in the care of one of Hideyoshi’s men, but Ujinaga eventually got into Hideyoshi’s graces (the relationship between Hideyoshi and Kai probably helped). Died 1596.

Ogasawara Yasuhiro (小笠原 康広): Born 1531. Vassal of the Hōjō clan. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi defeated Hōjō Ujinao in 1590, he followed the latter to exile until Ujinao’s death. Afterward, he served Tokugawa Ieyasu. Died 1598.

Tominaga Naokatsu (富永 直勝): Born 1509. Vassal of the Hōjō clan. In the Second Battle of Kōnodai in 1564 against the Satomi clan, he crossed the Edo River well ahead of the main body of the army and was killed. It’s said that he did this out of guilt for not being able to catch the defection of Ōta Yasusuke to Uesugi Kenshin. Ironically, this meaningful gesture served only to muck up Hōjō Tsunashige’s battle plans, though Tsunashige did manage to work out a victory anyway.

Ueda Norisada (上田 憲定): Born 1546. Vassal of the Hōjō clan. He was present at the Siege of Odawara in 1590 when Odawara Castle fell to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. What happened to him following those events is unclear, but he’s reported to have died 1597.

-

Fa Zheng

Guan Yinping

-

Xiahou Ba (夏侯 霸, 夏侯 覇, Kakou Ha): Son of Xiahou Yuan, a prominent general under Cao Cao. After Yuan was killed in the 219 Battle of Mount Dingjun at the hands of a Shu general, Ba swore revenge. He continued to serve the Cao Wei; however, in 249, the Incident at the Gaoping Tombs occurred wherein regent Sima Yi had the other regent Cao Shuang executed and effectively seized Cao Wei for himself. This was pretty bad for those who might have been politically aligned with Cao Shuang, and Xiahou Ba elected to defect to Shu. There, he befriended another defector from Cao Wei to Shu, Jiang Wei, and joined him on campaigns against Cao Wei. His date of death is unknown, but occurred between 255 and 259. In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he is killed in the final invasion of Shu by Cao Wei forces (in 263) that marked the end of the Shu state.

-

Xu Huang

Yuan Shao

Lü Lingqi

The Rescue of Liu Bei

Sanada Yukimura

Noatora Ii

Uesugi Kenshin

Lady Hayakawa

Akechi Mitsuhide

-

Dom Justo Takayama (indicated in-game as Takayama Shigetomo/高山 重友 and also known as Takayama Ukon/高山 右近): Born c. 1552/1553; in 1564 his father converted to Roman Catholicism and he was baptized “Justo.” Served under Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi during the Sengoku period. Relating to his Christianity, his position allowed him and his father to facilitate the conversion of subjects and detroy Buddhist and Shinto shrines in their territories. When Hideyoshi ordered the expulsion of Christian missionaries and that Christian daimyo renounce their faith, Justo refused gave up his lands and possessions instead, living under the care of previous comrades, effectively in exile. When Tokugawa Ieyasu expelled Christians in 1614, he left for Manila (the Philippines then being Spanish territory), but died there in 1615; afterward, his family was allowed to return to Japan.

-

Gracia

Hori Hidemasa

Hosokawa Fujitaka

Mori Ranmaru

Nō

Oda Nobunaga

Sakuma Nobumori

-

Sakuma Yasumasa (佐久間 安政): Born 1555. Served Oda Nobunaga. Worked under Sakuma Nobumori for some time. During the succession dispute following Oda Nobunaga’s death, Yasumasa fought in the 1583 Battle of Shizugatake on the side of Shibata Katsuie and Oda Nobutaka against Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Oda Nobukatsu. He took shelter among various sides opposing Hideyoshi in the following years, but Hideyoshi pardoned him after 1590 and he eventually became his vassal. Fought in the Eastern Army in the 1600 Battle of Sekigahara. Died 1627.

-

Sassa Narimasa

-

Shibata Katsuie (柴田 勝家): Born 1522, or maybe 1526 or 1527. Trusted general of Oda Nobunaga. He originally served under Nobunaga’s younger brother, Oda Nobuyuki, and fought for Nobuyuki when he and Nobunaga clashed over control of the Oda clan; Nobuyuki lost and was executed, but Nobunaga was impressed with Katsuie, who pledged himself to Nobunaga. After Nobunaga’s death and the following succession crisis, Katsuie eventually sided with Nobunaga’s third son, Oda Nobutaka, against Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Oda Nobukatsu. When he was defeated in the 1582 Battle of Shizugatake, he retreated to Kitanosho Castle, where he and his wife, Oichi (the younger sister of Nobunaga) committed suicide.

Shibata Katsumasa (柴田 勝政): Born 1557. He was Shibata Katsuie’s nephew through his mother, as well as Katsuie’s adopted son. All indications are that he died at the 1582 Battle of Shizugatake, but there is a legend that he survived, changed his name to Shibano, and died in 1641 in the town of Sadamitsu (merged into the town of Tsurugi since 2005).

-

Yamauchi Kazutoyo

-

Guan Ping (關 平, 関 平, Kan Pei): Eldest son of Guan Yu who served under Liu Bei (in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he’s the son of a farmer who impresses Guan Yu, who subsequently fosters him). After Sun Quan’s Wu forces, led by Lü Meng, invaded Liu Bei’s Jing Province, he and his father were captured and executed in 220.

-

Fa Zheng

Liu Bei

Ma Chao

-

Xu Shu (徐 庶, Jo Sho): Originally a vigilante who gave up the sword and became a reclusive scholar in Wei. Settled in Shu’s Jing Province in the early 190s. Became an advisor to Liu Bei; also recommended Zhuge Liang to Liu Bei as an advisor. He joined Liu Bei, but after Cao Cao’s forces defeated Liu Bei’s at the 208 Battle of Changban and Xu Shu’s mother was among those captured, he left to serve Cao Cao He lived through Cao Pi’s reign and died in the 230s during the reign of Cao Rui. Romance of the Three Kingdoms dramatizes Xu Shu’s circumstances: Cao Cao wants to poach Xu Shu, so he captures Xu Shu’s mother and orders her to write Xu Shu to join her. She refuses, so he has his advisor Cheng Yu hang around Xu Shu’s mother until he’s good enough to mimic her handwriting and write Xu Shu himself. Xu Shu falls for it, and Xu Shu’s mother commits suicide out of shame. Xu Shu remains with Cao Cao, but refuses to ever give Cao Cao any advice.

Zhang Fei (張 飛, Chou Hi): Follower of Liu Bei basically from the beginning (in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he’s one of Liu Bei’s sworn brothers along with Guan Yu). He was a skilled military leader, though fiction makes him a mite unintelligent. After Sun Quan broke his alliance with Liu Bei in 219 (invading Jing Province, which resulted in Guan Yu’s death), Liu Bei launched a campaign to strike back; Zhang Fei was sent to lead troops, but two of his subordinates assassinated him and took his head as they defected to Sun Quan’s side.

-

Lianshi

-

Chen Tai (陳 泰, Chin Tai): Military general of Wei. In 260, Cao Mao died in a futile attempt to take his imperial power back from the “regent” Sima Zhao. Chen Tai wept and initially refused to attend coirt sessions. During the attempted ousting, Cao Mao had died by spear personally at the hands of officer Cheng Ji, but with Cheng Ji following the instructions of Sima Zhao’s aide Jia Chong; Chen Tai recommended that Jia Chong be executed for regicide accordingly, but Sima Zhao executed Cheng Ji instead. Chen Tai died soon afterward, in some recountings of the event of suicide or despair.

Guo Huai (郭 淮, Kaku Wai): Military general of Wei. Initially served under Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He during Cao Cao’s reign. Additionally, lived during the reigns of Cao Pi, Cao Rui, Cao Fang, and Cao Mao. Failed to participate in the initial campaign of Liu Bei to take Hanzhong Commandery from Cao Cao due to illness. Notably fell sick and was consequentially late to Cao Pi’s coronation, which led Cao Pi to not-threaten him with execution, which Guo Huai fended off with a clever response that got him promoted. Studied potential enemies/vassals beforehand to win them over diplomatically. A major figure when it came to fighting the Shu and resisting their invasions. In 251, when Wei general Wang Ling launched a failed rebellion, it was ordered that all relatives of Ling be executed; this included Guo Huai’s wife. Guo Huai reluctantly refused to request his wife’s pardon, and only begged the Wei regent Sima Yi after he was moved by the pleas of his sons (she was spared). Died 255; in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he’s killed by an arrow of Jiang Wei’s during Shu’s (unsuccessful) 253 invasion.

Sima Zhao (司馬 昭, Shiba Shou): Born 211. Regent of Wei emperors Cao Mao and Cao Huan. I mean, I say “regent,” but he held all the power. His father, Sima Yi, and his brother, Sima Shi, were similarly “regents” for Mao’s predecessor Cao Fang, with Sima Yi having fully turned regency into “regency” during Cao Fang’s “reign.” Sima Zhao took over for “regenting” for Cao Mao after the previous “regent” Sima Shi died in 255. In 262, Cao Mao attempted to regain his power in a rebellion and was killed; Sima Zhao subsequently had Cao Huan, Cao Mao’s first cousin once removed, become puppet emperor instead. In 262, he launched an invasion of Shu, which was by this time weakened by having carried out numerous failed campaigns against Wei; this invasion ended in the surrender of Shu emperor Liu Shan and the fall of the Shu state. He died in 265, all but having named himself emperor; his son, Sima Yan, would finally formally usurp Cao Huan and establish the state of Jin (retroactively formalizing Sima Zhao an emperor).

Wang Yuanji (王 元姬, 王 元姫, Ou Genki): Born 217. Noble and wife of Sima Zhao. When her son Sima Yan forced Wei emperor Cao Huan to abdicate and proclaimed himself emperor of Jin, she formally became empress dowager; however, she continued to live a simple and frugal lifestyle. Died 268.

-

Xiahou Ba

-

Xiahou Xuan (夏侯 玄, Kakou Gen): Born 209. He was related to Xiahou Ba but refused to follow him to Shu after Sima Yi staged his coup and seized power as a “regent.” Having been aligned with Sima Yi’s political opponents, he wasn’t treated all that well. Around 254, Li Feng, who held a position in the Wei government, sought to overthrow Sima Shi (who had followed Sima Yi) and put the power in the emperor Cao Fang’s hands. Xiahou Xuan was part of this plot; however, Sima Shi found out before it could be enacted and Xiahou Xuan was executed.

Xin Chang (辛 敞, Shin Shou): An official of Wei, and a subordinate of Cao Shuang. When regent Sima Yi made his move against other-regent Cao Shuang in 249, taking the capital, Xin Chang asked his older sister, Xin Xianying, for advice, and she told him that as one of his Cao Shuang’s men, he was obligated to go to Cao Shuang’s aid. Following the whole shebang, Xin Chang was pardoned from execution, having been recognized as only following his duty.

Zhuge Dan (諸葛 誕, Shokatsu Tan): Military general of Wei. The rising power of the Sima clan (“regents” of the Wei emperors) and their tendency to purge (politically, I mean) made him so antsy that he decided he’d do his own rebellion against Sima Zhao in 257. Wu helped a little but left when it became clear it wasn’t going to be any good, and Zhuge Dan was killed attempting to break out of a siege in 258.

[ramkumarss]

Cosmetovigilance Market Overview | Growth Forecast 2023-29

According to Precision Business Insights, the Cosmetovigilance Market market is expected to reach a value of USD 5.1 billion during the forecast period 2023-29.

The global Cosmetovigilance market size was valued at USD 3.1 billion in 2022 and is poised to grow at a significant CAGR of 6.2% during the forecast period 2023-29. It also includes market size and projection estimations for each of the five major regions from 2023 to 2029. The research report includes historical data, trending features, and market growth estimates for the future. Furthermore, the study includes a global and regional estimation and further split by nations and categories within each region. The research also includes factors and barriers to the Cosmetovigilance market growth, as well as their impact on the market's future growth. The report gives a comprehensive overview of both primary and secondary data.  

View the detailed report description here - https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-cosmetovigilance-market                                  

The global Cosmetovigilance market segmentation:

1) By Type : Skin Care Safety, Hair Colorant Safety, Perfume Safety, Hair Care Product Safety and Others.

2) By Application : Clinical Research Organizations and Business Process Outsourcing.

3) By Geography: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa.

The primary factors of the Cosmetovigilance market drivers are the increasing risk associated with the use of cosmetics. The Cosmetovigilance market report helps to provide the best results for business enhancement and business growth. It further helps to obtain the reactions of consumers to a novel product or service. It becomes possible for business players to take action for changing perceptions. It uncovers and identifies potential issues of the customers. It becomes easy to obtain the reactions of the customers to a novel product or service. It also enlightens further advancement, so it suits its intended market.

The Cosmetovigilance marketresearchreport gives a comprehensive outlook across the region with special emphasis on key regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. North America was the largest region in the Cosmetovigilance market report, accounting for the highest share in 2022. It was followed by Asia Pacific, and then the other regions. Request sample report at - https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/request-sample/?product_id=38758        

The important profiles and strategies adopted by Cosmetovigilance market key players are Pharmathen, Skill Pharma, Cliantha, Poseidon CRO, AxeRegel, PharSafer, Freyr, OC Vigilance, MSL Solutions Providers, FMD K&L, ZEINCRO, covered here to help them in strengthening their place in the market.

About Precision Business Insights: We are a market research company that strives to provide the highest quality market research insights. Our diverse market research experts are enthusiastic about market research and therefore produce high-quality research reports. We have over 500 clients with whom we have a good business partnership and capacity to provide in-depth research analysis for more than 30 countries. In addition to deliver more than 150 custom solutions, we already have accounts with the top five medical device manufacturers.

Precision Business Insights offers a variety of cost-effective and customized research services to meet research requirements. We are a leading research service provider because of our extensive database built by our experts and the services we provide.

Contact:

Mr. Satya

Precision Business Insights | Toll Free: +1 866 598 1553

Email: sales@precisionbusinessinsights.com Kemp House, 152 – 160 City Road, London EC1V 2NX Web: https://precisionbusinessinsights.com/ | D U N S® Number: 852781747