#second citadel meta

[echidnacht]

Thoughts on the Ecosystem of the Western Wastes

Does anyone else think too much abt the inaccurate science in the travellers guide (specifically the bestiary). Cuz. They were wrong. This might just be me being obsessed with ecology but there is so much potential with the whole idea of the Everdeads in the Western Wastes but then they hit us with this:

Which is just? not true??

(This is from a free reward on patreon titled "How to Slay Monsters, by Sir Caroline (and the herbalist, I suppose)", you can look it up on patreon to read it in full)

While they do get the spirit of death being the foundation of all ecosystems, they don't seem to understand that this is the case for every ecosystem. Being at the bottom of the food chain is a completely normal and natural thing. That's just the producer level organism in an ecosystem. Grass does not go extinct because it is eaten- it's very existence as a species relies on the curbing of overpopulation, giving of nutrients and spreading of progeny that herbivores provide.

I love the world of Second Citadel, and I love this idea- of death being the sacred thing that supports all life, taken literally. So I want to go through and indulge my "erm, actually" instinct to correct some stuff in here.

The Everdeads are described as dead, but still regenerating. Any cut-off branches or leaves will regenerate, but they apparently don't photosynthesise or take up nutrients, though they provide constant resources to the ecosystem. If the largest flora species doesn't photosynthesize the smaller plants would likely have a higher rate of photorespiration or else the carbon cycle in the Wastes would be pretty weird. (Also, I imagine, since the Everdeads were presumably once alive (?), the trees themselves provide a pretty hefty solid carbon store).

(Putting the rest under the cut, this got long)

Regarding nutrients: the soil in the wastes is described as completely barren, lacking any nutrients. However, there is also described to be a layer of leaf litter and detritus from the Everdeads. This is also soil! Just the top layer. Depending on how long the Everdeads have been around, say a few thousand years, this nutrient rich soil would be maybe ten centimeters deep. Not that much, but still!

As for why there isn't any nutrients, I think this could be for a couple reasons- one is that its just bad land, but the fact that the soil is "resistant to adding any" nutrients implies there's something else. Maybe it was a devestating magical event many centuries ago, or (spoilers) maybe it was another early attack by the humans using anti magical metal which now discourages all life.

It's my headcanon that the Everdeads have roots that can reach deep enough into the inhospitable soil that it can reach some kind of source of magic that it feeds on and uses to provide for the rest of the wastes.

Another interesting note is that "the Everdead population crept east one thousand years ago"- possibly the universe's reaction to the mirrored plains? (I could be wrong about the dates here). Either the universe reacting to the spread of death by spreading "death", or wanting the Everdeads to help heal that area. No idea.

Other fun things: The fact that the primary contribution is detritus means the blooming of saprophytes like microbes and fungi. There's probably lots of mushrooms growing out of Everdeads and in shady places under them, which I think adds to the "fall aesthetic". Insects would likely also thrive in the leaf litter. I imagine Everdeads to be like giant redwood trees. I imagine a similar ecosystem to that as well- smaller shrubs and a few grasses and mosses in more sunny patches, as well as epiphytic ferns and plants growing on the Everdeads themselves.

One other thing is that since prety much all of the Wastes (a pretty big area) has the exact same producer and therefore the same niche, there can't be that much biodiversity. That would only come from things like mountains, water, and climate changes. I assume the Wastes are pretty temperate if not tropical, seeing as there's dinosaurs there, though its unclear how much rainfall there is. I imagine it takes after more barren ecosystem like deserts and tundra, with few species and maybe one or two top predators (the predator here being the T-rex, i imagine). There's also mentioned swinging mice, which are presumably monkeys- probably herbivores feeding on the plants and fruits the Everdeads allow to grow. Maybe the wastes are known to be barren due to the lack of diverse species and not just the fact that cultivated plants can't grow, who knows.

Another headcanon is that Everdeads do not have a latin name because it is impossible to track their lineage as they do not die. We know latin names are a thing in Second Citadel because Sunny Budkin says this:

Though they don't seem to be in common use in the Citadel as we never hear Rilla use any. Possibly a monster thing, possibly something from a lost previous civilisation (Sunny is like 50 thousand years old after all). Everdead seems to be more a state of tree than a species anyway.

Thank you for reading this tangent, I have so many thoughts about the second citadel world. I could also go on about the implications of Arum creating creatures in his swamp and their theories of evolution, though that is explored a bit more in canon (the sweetfrog story is accurate enough, though I could still nitpick one or two things) and I've half drafted an in-universe research paper on the Numb-Cap written by Rilla and Arum. I do love that ecology has something of an important role in SC, seeing my subject represented is nice to see.

If anyone has any additions or corrections I would love to hear them!

[eternal-flame]

you know, I was relistening to Head of the Janus Beast today, and had a thought. what if Caroline is going to be the one to convince Marc to get his head out of his ass already ultimately side against Tristan?

they always had narrative parallels going on, what with both of them not being taken seriously by the knights and desperate to prove themselves no matter what. that is literally the first thing we find out about them! in the very first second citadel episode! in a way, Marc is undergoing a nearly identical arc to Caroline, but with a delay. now that he's powerful and respected, he is actually more or less in exactly the same position as she was in season 3. you know, the season where she realized just how much the knights suck and left?

okay, this got really rambly and I don't know how to end this properly but I hope you understand what I mean

[damienthepious]

cute lil LKT oneshot inbound goooooooo

Alternate

[read on ao3]

[janewayintersection]

I ... I really like how Kaidan is this man in his 30s who is confident and kinda quiet but exudes this aura of sureness in his words and actions - and then you have a strong presence in Shepard who is a leader, confident in their role as Commander, but not always sure of themselves when it comes to their subordinates/friends once the mantle of Commander comes off.

"Are you flirting with me?" - this line from Shepard sounds more like they're asking for confirmation that not only does a crew mate like them, but is interested in them. Interested in them, outside of the Commander title, and them as a person. Kaidan reassures them - even when he gets turned down the night before Eden, he still comforts Shepard.

I like that over the course of the series it seems to flip, where Shepard becomes confident in themselves in their work and relationships/friendships (much more out of necessity) and Kaidan falls more and more into this uncertainty with his personal connections, and most importantly, with Shepard. Just like Shepard, he doesn't compromise his work or his morals but you can see that on the personal side he's second guessing everything everything he knew about Shepard.

The ME3 romance is Shepard taking care of Kaidan the same way he took care of them in the first game. It makes me gush how much Kaidan gets back to his confident self from ME1 if your Shepard decides to pursue him again and how you build up that trust once more. Kaidan is much more confident in his relationship with Shepard, much like how he did to the Commander during the romance in ME1, and he allows himself to trust and be honest again.

Him asking if the Commander is flirting with him in the hospital? That's a mirror of what Shepard was doing - feeling - in the first game. Does Shepard feel the same way? Are they still interested after seeing him lose control of his anger at Horizon? Was he wrong to assume they wanted to end what they had?

I love me the dynamic between Garrus and Shepard (bros for LIFE), but there's something so wonderful about Kaidan saying he wanted to be that comfortable space, that safe person, for Shepard that just tickles my romantic side especiallg seeing how it looks like they swap roles by the time ME3 rolls around.

not to be too blunt or anything, but if i could make out with this ask and the meta you just wrote, i would. mwah. master craft. i am genuinely so honored and flattered you shared this with me - thank you! i literally never even thought about it this way before, but holy shit you are so RIGHT. right down to the fact that kaidan now technically outranks shepard as major in me3; he is a lot more confident in his profession and position as a leader in his own right. hell, its his main priority (up until the moment he decides to take shepard at their word during the citadel confrontation...).

it’s clear that romanced or not, shepard’s death hit kaidan and it hit kaidan HARD. no doubt that he recoiled back into his shell after that, and especially after shepard joins cerberus and causes a whole slew of misunderstandings, confusion, and people being kept out of the loop. it’s really, really sweet to see him bounce back after that.

even with a shenko that starts in me3 (with mshenko primarily, but also fshenko where the romance path is cancelled before it can even begin)… while kaidan never takes his shot in me1, and its directly stated that kaidan wants to avoid acting out of line with such a serious and professionally focused shepard (in his words, shepard was “always so focused on the work back then. the mission was everything,” to which shepard replies, “it’s true. i’ll never know what i missed.”). however, over the course of the plot he still manages to get shepard to warm up around him, becoming good friends w them and dealing with ashley’s death together.

so really, we’re back to our original parallel. kaidan was the one more assured in personal relationships while- wait. hold on. kaidan’s initial struggle in dropping formalities in this route could also be attributed to his uncertainty when it comes to working with shepard. this would be filed into kaidan being more uncertain when it comes to his work and interacting with his more ‘accomplished’ and emotionally constipated/serious commanding officer. SORRY. sorry. as i was saying, kaidan was the one more assured in personal relationships, while shepard was the opposite. and gah. GAH. taste. by design.

also, to add to your original take, his certainty in his actions are called into question in me3 too. he doubts his behavior towards shepard, he tries to sit down and think through the good people who were caught up in cerberus, he questions how the illusive man spiraled into the person he is and if he was ever a good person. its just good. sorry my thoughts are so jumbled and im just word vomiting as i write this reply. truly a failing grade paper on my part, i hope you dont mind!!

as for garrus, agreed! garrus feels like a really touching sort of “mentorship” ride or die comrades dynamic that builds over the course of the plot while kaidan definitely has the above mentioned parallels and has the “equals who can help bring out the best in each other’s weaknesses” thing.

also i made a meme just because of this ask.

[musclesandhammering]

But How Strong Is the God of Stories in a Fight?

I’ve been browsing through mcu ‘who would win’ posts on social media (bc they’re unavoidable and I like to torture myself) and I noticed a few common themes when it comes to our new GOS!Loki. First, people act like it’s a given that he’s never gonna be able to get up from that chair, which is… highly unlikely.

There’s a nearly unanimous consensus among meta bloggers and theorists and industry leakers that he’s going to have a huge role in the rest of the multiverse saga (particularly Secret Wars), and one of the most reliable marvel leakers said recently that he’d likely rejoin the fight by timeslipping into a past version of himself (so that he can exist on the throne and in a seperate place on the timeline simultaneously without having to let go of the branches- think quantum superposition). And we know Loki retains all his new powers when he timeslips (see: citadel scene in 2x6), so my point is: it’s highly probable that we will see the new and improved Loki out of his tree and back in a fight setting eventually. (Now a lot of people have said that’s impossible bc he’s now so op that any fight with him in it would be either 2 seconds long or just unrealistic. I disagree- when he’s not on the throne, he’s not omniscient or omnipotent. Strong asf, yes, but still usable in battle as long as his opponent is also a multiversal being.) But that brings me to my next point:

Most people on marvel twitter/Tiktok/Youtube/etc seem to be missing the point a bit. Every argument I’ve seen for ‘Loki solos [insert name here]’ has been based on the fact that he’s currently holding all of time together. Stuff along the lines of “he can move his finger and delete ~so and so~ out of existence!!”. And I mean.. sure. Not.. entirely accurate. But ok. But like… him sitting in a chair, holding onto the branches is not what makes him badass. That’s not the feat. In fact, I would argue that there are several other op characters that could sit and hold just as good as he can. If that was the main takeaway from that ending. But it’s not. So what were his actual feats in the finale, if not that? Well-

EDIT: I rewrote a lot of this for accuracy (because my understanding of the complicated-ass mcu multiverse is still evolving & since initially posting this, I’ve realised that my first reading of it was wrong. In short, I thought Loki was holding the entire multiverse but have since discovered that that’s way off. He’s holding a multiverse- a section of the larger one- all the universes that used to make up the Sacred Timeline. Which was not every universe in existence, but rather the ones without dangerous Kang variants which He Who Remains was able to gather up & weave into the ST). Anyway! Feats in the finale:

first of all, he’s immune to temporal radiation. He’s also immune to spaghettification (see: 2x5 when everyone is stringing away except for him). This isn’t just a few gamma waves- this is the force that destroys entire universes (implying that no one in those universes can withstand it- not Thor, not Thanos, not Captain Marvel, etc). The fact that Loki remains, even when whatever universe he’s in ceases to exist, could imply that he’s a nexus being. But it could also imply he’s just really powerful.

his telekinesis (I’m guessing that’s what he used?) is strong enough to destroy the loom- the giant piece of technology that was responsible for controlling all of existence.

his magic is nearly infinite- he has a nearly limitless supply of energy. He was able to revive every universe in the Sacred Timeline collection- which, in itself, is a theoretically infinite mini multiverse (according to Victor Timely in 2x6) with ease, and is now acting as a battery powering the ever-expanding branches of time completely on his own, indefinitely. So, theoretically, it would be impossible to drain him of his power (like Agatha did Wanda, Wanda did Maria, etc) because his power isn’t finite. I’m assuming this has a lot to do with what Victor Timely explained about entropy & time (see: 2x3).

he can open a rift in spacetime to anywhere- even the end of time, which is supposed to be inaccessible. This is essentially a version of America Chavez’s powers. To clarify, America’s powers are space-based while Loki’s are time-based. He’s presumably able to go to parallel universes now, but this is because the Sacred Timeline has branched enough that the branches can act as bridges to other universes, and he can travel along them. It is possible, however, that he was able to do this even before the ST was freed, because of his ability to access the Citadel & TVA in 2x6- places existing outside of the multiverse.

he has a rightful place on the throne at the end of time- more so than He Who Remains, even. This is pretty obscure and wouldn’t really help in a fight- but it’s an impressive feat, nonetheless. When he starts toward the place where the citadel used to be, a staircase forms for him & the gold from the kintsugi cracks in the walls all flows to his throne, causing the remains of the citadel to break away- almost as if it had been waiting for him to arrive.

he was able to reorganise the structure of a section of the multiverse (theoretically infinite universes) to his liking. He changed it from its original linear shape to the shape of a tree, so that it could expand & grow infinitely (which was really clever of him actually).

Those were the bits just in that finale sequence that are impressive as hell. These are all things he can do when he’s not sitting on the throne, when he’s not holding the branches. That doesn’t even include his other time-related powers from earlier in the episode & ep 5. Such as:

He’s a living version of HWR’s master tempad. He can travel freely via interconnected timelines & beyond them, to any time and any place- even ones that don’t exist anymore/yet.

He can timeslip to any point in spacetime he wants with his current body or he can timeslip into a past/future version of himself (as I mentioned in the intro, that second part will probably be very relevant in upcoming movies).

He can read people’s temporal auras & use them as coordinates to locate those people (or those people’s variants) across the timelines (and even in places outside the multiverse).

He can time travel in places that theoretically have no time- or at least, they’re separated from the multiversal flow of time (the TVA, the citadel).

He can affect & even rewrite stories/timelines without creating a new branched reality. (Him timeslipping back & tampering with events in A.D. Doug’s lab or in the loom room or in the citadel didn’t create new branches with variants etc, it just changed the trajectory of whichever branch he was currently on.) He’s essentially the exception to the mcu’s established time travel rules.

When he goes back in time, he can choose whether to rewrite a timeline or simply allow a new branch to form. When he had his conversation with 1x1 Mobius in the finale, he created a branch which was then deleted, but at other points in the episode, he instead altered future events on a single timeline.

He can create variants without a nexus event. When he takes his friends from their timelines in 2x5, we can tell that those timelines didn’t branch any further because we see Don still talking to Loki right in front of them.

He can pause time, step outside of time, and presumably fast forward or rewind it. That big climactic moment in 2x5 when he learns to control his powers? That wasn’t timeslipping- that was him rewinding time. If you look closely, after he goes back a few seconds, you can see the spaghettification strands reverse & actually leave the frame while he’s talking to Sylvie, whereas a few seconds earlier we saw them entering.

He can delete entire timelines at will (even while he’s on them). He created a branch to go back & talk to Mobius in the finale, then when he was done, he deleted it. This is presumption, but there’s really no other explanation.

He can repel existence erasure (at least temporarily, on a small scale). Again, we saw him reverse the spaghettification strands & make them go away to protect his friends at the end of 2x5.

This one is theoretical, but since he was able to cause an entire timeline to spaghettify, it’s highly likely that he can spaghettify things/people at will. (courtesy of @emotionalflamingo <3)

Those are things directly related to him becoming God of Stories, but there’s also a few other new powers they introduced/old powers they expanded on throughout the course of both seasons:

Pyrokinesis. Setting the sword on fire (1x5). This is inconsequential in the way it was used, but it creates potential for Loki to do some pretty cool stuff.

Transmutation. Turned his TVA clothes into a guards’ uniform in 1x3.

Elemental Manipulation. Dried his clothes in 1x2. Also his story in Thor 1 about veiling himself & Thor in smoke/mist.

Energy blasts. This is one of those things that we all knew he obviously had to be able to do, but they never showed it on screen until this series.

Stronger telekinesis. We saw him use it a couple times in The Avengers & Thor The Dark World, but I would argue that catching an entire skyscraper about to fall on you is a lot more consequential than tossing a few chairs around.

Teleportation. This is another thing that was implied he could do but was never outright shown until the series. And it’s worth mentioning that he can also teleport other people/objects (see: him sending the asshole to the pig pen in 2x3)

Enchantment. Yes, I know he’s shown using mind manipulating powers in the movies, but I think enchantment is different because it essentially allows you to possess someone. Like you can just hop in & pilot their body. And the fact that he was able to help enchant Alioth on his first try implies that his enchantment is extremely powerful.

Shadow Casting. That’s just what I’ve decided to call it. Casting pseudo-autonomous shadows that can actually interact with the physical world… isn’t that sorta like a watered down version of what Gorr the God Butcher was doing? Very cool.

EDITING to add the other abilities he’s always had in the mcu:

Asgardian/frost giant strength, speed, durability, longevity, & regenerative healing. He’s extremely durable to all sorts of attacks

Extremely skilled combatant, proficient in knives/swords/spears. So if he’s up against someone who only uses magic- if their magic was somehow blocked or bound- he would have the absolute advantage

Illusions.

Shapeshifting. He can also shapeshift other people (hello turning Thor into a frog)

Astral Projection.

Duplications, Projections. Apparently they’re two different things

Presence Concealment. Strong enough to hide from Heimdall

Conjuration, Pocket Dimension.

Cryokinesis. And immunity to cold

Mind Manipulation. This is different than enchantment in that he doesn’t have to entirely possess somebody- he can just whisper suggestions to them, read their mind, force them to relive memories, etc.

Expert Trickster/Master Manipulator. Don’t discount it. It’s gotten him out of a lot of sticky situations so far.

So yeah. I honestly don’t even know where I was going with this, but I’m just annoyed with people acting like Loki sitting in a chair holding some vines is what makes him formidable, or that once he gets out of the chair he won’t be formidable anymore. The op-ness everyone’s talking about? That’s all about what happened leading up to his tree-sitting. Not the tree-sitting itself.

It’d be so nice to see debates about what he can do now that don’t just revolve around him holding timelines. :/

[utilitycaster]

#this is SO real#wbn#there's a strange determination to sort everyone into either witches OR wizards and not just. townsfolk. people.#and to a degree that is where the story has led us (ame has been leaning much heavier on the spirit side of her communication role)#but the mortal world is just as complex and deserving of attention and sympathy as the spirits#and it's almost bizarre to treat everything suvi says as empire fodder rather than legitimate frustration and confusion at a world that#has been closed off to her#'you get what you get' has been taken so far out of the context in which she said it for example#yes I believe she has the incorrect viewpoint imo but there is so much nuance in how suvi doesn't want people to be hurt and wants to-#be able to control that. and how the spirits represent an absolute lack of control with the ability to do whatever they want#(for the most part)#and her fear and even occasional disdain of that is from a further place than empire propaganda#it's from her desire to have control and knowledge of her surroundings. to be able to Know everything#and the spirits laugh in the face of that very idea#and it's not entirely invalid of her to be frightened of that!!!#it's the wizard the witch AND the wild one!!#suvi would not be there if her viewpoint was not valuable if very very flawed#her end goal should not be to become ame because like she said. she's a wizard and she Knows magic!#there is virtue is her strategy and determination and logic#but people seem to favor ignoring that to smooth over the nuance and hope for her to realize her wrongs soon#sorry this was a giant ramble lol

@thespoonisvictory (not putting this on the post bc it's already a long one) Yes to all of this! Like, I think first and foremost people are ignoring that she is a 20 year old whose parents died for the citadel when she was a very young child and that this has been her only home since then and if she did a sudden about face "oh I was wrong about everything" it would be just as fragile and biased as her current worldview; while epiphanies and turning points are real, true and lasting change is ultimately a process and I don't trust an ideology that is adopted as a rapid about-face rather than an ongoing exploration.

The firesides make it clear that she and Ame are in fact very similar people; both will often ultimately do what they want despite personal danger or dangers to others in the party, both genuinely do care a lot about common people but both are at times deeply ignorant of the privileged positions they have held from a very young age (even though Suvi will throw her weight around, the realization that Galani would not have been given the same second chances has absolutely rocked her); and both are extremely out of their element in this story! I think it's also worth keeping in mind that we're in the "so wizards have really fucked up badly here" arc. There's plenty of time to explore the idea that, for example, one corrupt witch could do some pretty significant damage. The main thing that divides Suvi and Ame is what they were taught, and yeah, Suvi is frightened and unsettled by the world of spirits that Ame has been taught to respect and understand and that she never has. I think it's also really worth keeping in mind that Suvi knows that Eursulon's life here is in part because she broke rules she had no possible way of knowing, and I can't imagine she - a person who is all about knowledge and rules - has truly found a way to live with that yet.

For what it's worth I find it fascinating that the meta about Suvi is by and large fairly harsh criticism, and the meta about Imogen is "how dare you speak ill of my 28 year old baby daughter", and also that meta about the imperial wizards in WBN is largely "fuck them bitches, they trapped a god and everything they do is wrong and bad" but there's plenty of meta about the imperial wizard in Critical Role that goes "well he sucks as an individual but his plan is pretty cool actually" because I see a lot of parallels and I know there's overlap in fandoms. It does genuinely feel like people just see the word "god" or "empire" and react without actually listening to the other thousands of words surrounding it.

[ferusaurelius]

Turian Culture Meta - Ferus Style

Yeah so -- ready to descend into crazyland? 

We’re gonna dive into some meta thoughts I have about what sort of cultural educational and military system would produce the interesting client-state relationship between the turian Hierarchy and the Vol Protectorate.

Disclaimer: The opinions of the author (me) are naturally my own and are not intended to argue for or against anyone else’s ideas. This is not even intended to be an interpretation of canon, in point of fact. Canon doesn’t have much to say about things that actually interest me. -shrug-

This is my ‘plausible’ version of conceptual options and social structures that canon either glosses over or fumbles entirely. Because it’s just not interested in these ideas, really ... BUT I AM. :D

If you find any of these concepts compelling? Fantastic, please liberate them! Go and use them in any or all transformative work with or without attribution.

I really Do Not Want to be the only one writing this stuff, so... be welcome!

Full post (long) underneath the cut.

The Situation

The turian Hierarchy makes first contact with the Citadel some 1000 years after the volus have drawn up the Unified Banking Act (300 B.C.E.) and have a thriving economic network of colonies after discovering FTL travel. The volus in point of fact have more than a millennia of advanced experience in working with multi-species ventures and are a pillar of the galactic economy long before the turians finish off their brutal Unification Wars.

If you took just the game’s on-screen hints as fact, none of this is evident in the galaxy by the time Shepard encounters volus on the Citadel. They’re treated as a sort of minor curiosity in comparison to the turian characters -- whether because of the mask, or just because economics is “less interesting” in a AAA-shooter. OH WELL.

Another interesting element is that the volus are “accepted” as a protectorate of the Hierarchy around 700 C.E., shortly after the Krogan rebellions.

To my mind, this is translation for: the Hierarchy’s war economy in the aftermath of the Krogan rebellions would have collapsed without the intervention of volus administrators, economists, logicians, and other bureaucratic types. What the Hierarchy DOES have of a peacetime bureaucracy was likely or nearly entirely trained and reformed by the Vol Protectorate’s extremely professional civil service. Fight a series of wars and warlords in the colonies for around 1000 years while someone else is running the galactic banking system ... and you’re probably woefully behind the curve in that area, just saying.

When you’ve “elevated” one warlike species (the Krogan) and then been surprised that they’ve gone on to aggressively contest the rest of Citadel space, it even seems likely/possible that this was a grand strategic bargain on the part of the Citadel species to avoid the turians becoming a “second” Krogan incident.

A values-driven and rules-based collectivist civil society that managed to transition to a peacetime footing without an accompanying economic collapse would be a much more stable galactic force ... plus you get the opportunity to fill in C-Sec ranks, develop a galactic security fleet (employing turian Dreadnoughts), and use those related tasks and duties to bring turians (an otherwise very militaristic society with a historical doctrine of total war) into better compliance as galactic citizens. In essence: the Vol Protectorate gives the Hierarchy something to protect rather than conquer.

Naturally, turian cultural perspectives on the purpose of the Hierarchy and the relative values of the culture probably run the gamut from the more imperialistic Unification and pre-Unification end of the spectrum to the more socially/galatically communitarian version of the Hierarchy, itself, as a participant in creating civil society within the Milky Way.

When in doubt? I prefer to view individuals on a spectrum or continuum of different possible viewpoints -- and to prefer that a full spectrum of interpretations be available to my characters. So that’s the type of environment I’d use as backdrop for, say, a fic.

Education (Given: The Situation)

Which takes us back to the Hierarchy’s mandatory service culture and boot camp at age 15, with mandatory service from age 15-30.

“Public service” as opposed to private industry is more a matter of organization and aims than it is a limitation of ‘choices.’ Take, for instance, the example of ‘national’ industries owned by a state. Any state-owned enterprise might conceivably count toward ‘public service’ citizen credit. These enterprises could include everything from arts museums and public art projects (ala the Works Projects Administration of Roosevelt Depression-era US policy) to industrial fabricators, dockyards, and other collectively owned and operated institutions.

Note that I also don’t equate state-owned industry to CENTRALLY-PLANNED industry! You might, in a turian society that prizes both individual accountability AND public service, have for instance a federated system of local control within a centrally-organized public works or other department.

Fair warning: this is my professional bureaucrat side talking. There are MANY aspects of infrastructure, particularly public works infrastructure, that are site- and context-dependent. Central planning of these features quite literally doesn’t work outside of administration and funding (which you WANT organized in larger packages if possible, to secure the best possible loan terms). 

I also imagine that a public service-oriented society would work on incorporating the economic fates of its outer colonies into the trading lanes and patterns of the central Hierarchy (in order to secure greater loyalty and collective bargaining power, alongside the Vol Protectorate’s economic management engine).

So what would education in a “man-of-action”/”public service” society look like? I’d think more a system of apprenticeships and practical qualification or on-the-job (OJT) training and certification where available! 

A boot camp experience is usually important both for training in values and standard procedures, so it’s less likely to vary appreciably between any one place and another beyond basics related to climate and environment. I’d expect boot camp training to be purposely standardized -- individual accountability doesn’t necessarily lead me to conclude that turians would be keen to judge themselves on anything other than “demonstrated merit” (and testing would be ONE part, but probably not the most significant -- outside of genuine performance on practical tasks, and the ability to produce measurable results!).

Pre-boot-camp education would likely be designed to expose juveniles to as many professions as possible -- there’s a bit in the codex about the turian respect for “knowing one’s place” and finding a comfortable place where the individual best serves the community (rather than individual prestige or economic gain). This would also track with turians being ‘poor’ entrepreneurs (i.e. less inclined to start their own businesses for profit, or with less opportunity when they’re in State-mandated service) ... and account for some of the distrust of ‘merc-born’ turians who chose to opt out of the traditional Hierarchy structure.

I’d also expect a classical turian education to include emphasis on health, community values, and being able to communicate in a general way with their volus partners/collaborators in areas that are less often viewed as strengths of turian culture (aka: economics and business, anyone?).

If turian culture is truly militaristic and communitarian, both, and formed around a sort of military hierarchy, that society will also be shaped by what doctrine views as effective deployment of force and possible missions and required capabilities In military terms, this would be defined both by a theoretical ‘ideal’ force structure and various desired concepts of operations.

Military Doctrine (Given: The Situation)

So, what capabilities would be valuable for the turian Hierarchy to provide to the galaxy? What are its internal needs? What are the needs of its closest allies and partners?

We already know (or suspect) that Dreadnoughts are one sign of military status. These immense warships are required to secure and hold space stations and other important remote outposts, alongside the smaller cruisers, frigate wolfpacks, and other space Navy-type forces.

We can also consider C-Sec (civil and criminal investigation on the Citadel, security for ports, anti-smuggling operations, etc.) as a separate civil branch and outgrowth of skills are learned and taught within the Hierarchy and something of a stereotypical (and desirable!) turian job outside of Hierarchy space.

Other valuable services provided by the Hierarchy include staffing and operating a force (32 fleets!) large enough to secure not just Hierarchy space but also to protect the Citadel. Turians canonically value combined arms and disciplined maneuver warfare, decentralized command-and-control, and are also the primary military arm and security force for the rest of the galaxy.

In summary: the turians are so good at staffing and maintaining fleets that the rest of the Council species seem to prefer handing these civil functions over to the turians in proportion to their relative expertise and cultural strengths.

All of the above implies that turian culture would need to be an extraordinarily flexible (structurally) society, if individually somewhat set and rigid in expectations and values for fulfilling assigned duties.

I’d believe that assignments, once given, were equivalent to anyone else’s ultimatum! I’d also imagine that turians would find it VERY personally important to seek out roles where they could fulfill all potential assignments to the best of their individual abilities, and that ‘finding’ that place/role in society would be akin to a life path.

Amateurs Study Tactics

A short aside that warfighting ability, alone, at least on an individual level, is a minor strength in comparison to building an effective collaborative combined arms force. The organization required at an individual level? Not much! Just personal training and supply.

Problems mount as soon as the force expands in size, complexity, and desired mission capabilities. I could see volus economists and logicians, as well as military scholars, being the preeminent organizers and administrators of turian force structures. I could see the volus economic influence being a quite effective force multiplier for the turian Hierarchy, in terms of creatively organizing fleets and their sub-units into autonomous mission-capable interchangeable “parts” which all know how to work together and communicate to achieve complex adaptability and integration of vastly different forces, hardware, and weapons systems at a variety of scales (from galactic, to orbital, to low-orbit, to planetside ground).

Which leads us to ...

Professionals Study Logistics

This is just the study of the application of “effective force.” What makes a force effective? It needs to be supplied with personnel and materiel such that it can accomplish its assigned mission -- preserve the capability of the force through the supply of the necessary tools at the right time, alongside the ability to maintain, repair, replace, or rotate those tools as needed.

A force that has been improperly positioned (is too far forward of supply lines, or too far in the rear to be applied at the right time) is by definition an ineffective force. It is unavailable to accomplish the mission.

There’s a long, rich tradition of economists studying the choice behaviors of nations seeking war, the application of deterrence, and the conditions of victory and defeat on a multitude of different battlefields in different historical and cultural contexts. We get just about NONE of this (barring some high-level generalizations) in Mass Effect, proper!

If we did, we might have seen a bit more nuance in illustrating the Vol Protectorate as not just the economic backbone of Citadel space, but also the preeminent experts in military grand strategy and supply. They’re likely the most closely associated Citadel species and have the most experience collaborating with turian systems of organization! The volus would be just as good at turian military history as turians are, if not BETTER observers and critics on the logistics/economics side, in terms of patterns of thinking and history!

At some point I’m going to have to write the “lessons learned” memo on the First Contact War from the point of view of an eminent volus logistician and economist (ala Thomas Schelling).

Because I’m a nerd, and if the FCW was a failure due to logistics and supply errors? You can just BET the volus were kept out of the First Contact loop as a some sort of power play on the part of less-qualified frontline personnel... no, they’re not salty about that, why do you ask?

-

HATE ME YET? Yeah, I can’t stop thinking about this stuff, either ... and now you know why my fanfiction is the way it is. :D

[iknikblackstonevarrick]

What an episode! I'm glad they did pick up the thread of Rilla's debt to Quanyii, and I think what they're doing here is also picking up another loose thread before they end it all-- Rilla's parents. I bet that's what she gave up-- finding out what happened to them has been her driving motivation for getting into science and getting into magic, plus on a meta level, they don't really have the time or space to just. Resolve what happened to them/where they are. So this is a way to follow up on that without introducing whole new characters/a new subplot here in the eleventh hour.

Anywho love Quanyii being evil, I've always said when Caroline and Quanyii are together they're true neutral and chaotic neutral (respectively) but when they're apart they go lawful evil and chaotic evil (respectively)

(Olala can hold off their sinking alignments too ive found)

Loved this episode overall-- do wish Lam would go, I don't super love him, but overall v interested to see where second citadel goes. More optimistic than I was after the last set of episodes

[amanlegacy]

Discover the Power of Gandalf the Grey: A Comprehensive Guide to Building the Ultimate Commander

Gandalf the Grey is a powerful wizard and commander in Middle-earth who possesses immense strength and wisdom. With his unique abilities and mastery over the elements, he is a formidable force on the battlefield. In this guide, we will explore the best ways to build and gear Gandalf the Grey, unlocking his full potential and ensuring that he leads your troops to victory.

When gearing Gandalf the Grey, here are a few general tips to keep in mind:

Equipment selection: Gandalf's abilities focus on healing and restoring troops, so consider equipping gear that enhances these abilities.

Ability points distribution: It is recommended to focus on enhancing Gandalf's healing abilities, as these are key to his success in battle.

Focus on quality gear: Try to prioritise obtaining high-quality gear, especially for his weapon, as this will greatly enhance his abilities and performance.

Synergy with other commanders: When selecting gear and allocating ability points, consider which other commanders you will be using alongside Gandalf. Certain gear and abilities can complement each other and enhance the overall performance of your army.

Explore different builds: There are several different builds you can use with Gandalf, from a pure healer to a more balanced build that includes both healing and damage abilities. Experiment with different builds and gear to find what works best for you and your playstyle.

Recommended Weapons

(Gold) Noldor Sword - Mind Split

(Purple) Carver - Smite/Men Strength (for Men Builds only)

(Gold) Bow of the High Elves - Mind Split

(Purple) Mirkwood Bow - Ranged Might

Top Armor Picks

(Gold) Plate of Citadel - Tactical Retreat

(Gold) High Elf Hauberk - Resistance

(Gold) Elven Cloak - Resistance

(Purple) Quilted Armor - Focus Protection

(Purple) Quilted Armor - Attunement

(Purple) Scale Mail - Melee Vigour

Best Helmets

(Purple) Trappers Hood - Hysteria

(Purple) Bone Mask - Hysteria

(Gold) Swan Helmet - Fortitude of Men/Courage/Resolve of Men

(Gold) Casque of Submerged Isle - Aegis

(Gold) Hunters Guide - Aegis

Optimal Accessories

(Purple) Hithain - Mend

(Purple) Wizard Firework - Ranged Might

(Purple) Worn Out Smoking Pipe - Sustain

(Purple) Harp of Lothlorien - Sustain

(Gold) Lothlorien Belt - Iron Guard

(Gold) Fiddle of the Eldest- Second Wind

(Gold) Fine Smoking Pipe - Second Wind

Gandalf the Grey Build & Equipment: Anti WK/Evil Build

Respect 5, with additional points, put into Free Peoples and then Wizard. When gearing Gandalf, it's recommended to use a flexible troop composition that utilises units that your equipment buffs. For example, a cavalry-based composition or units that do great damage in the first two rounds, such as Sharpshooters and Cavaliers, work well with Gandalf's Convener ability for extra damage.

One popular build is the "men build," which pairs high-damage troops such as Sharpshooters and Cavaliers with Tower Guards, especially if you have gear with perks for Menish troops. Another meta build is the Ranged Gandalf, which pairs Gandalf with ranged gear and a balanced composition of 2 ranged units and a small amount of melee units in front.

The optimal equipment for the Anti WK/Evil build includes:

Weapon: Mirkwood Bow (Ranged Might)

Armour: Scale Mail (Melee Vigour)

Helmet: Trappers Hood (Hysteria)

Accessory: Wizard Firework (Ranged Might)

With this gear, it's recommended to have a composition of 850 Cataphracts, 2900 Master Throwers (versus evil) or Sentinels (versus Good), and 2800 Sharpshooters.

It is crucial to keep in mind that Mordor is known for its Ravagers/Alchemists combo, making Master Throwers a vital unit to have in your army. Despite their average damage range being low, they come in 100 units per command and have a double effect against melee and large unit targets. This is why equipping them with gear that enhances the attack of ranged units, such as the Trapper's Hood and the Wizard's Firework, can greatly increase their damage output through the Convener ability in the first two rounds.

It is not recommended to deploy Gandalf against the forces of Good, unless there are no other viable options available. If you choose to include Gandalf in a 4-commander lineup, it is advisable to consider reducing the number of commanders to 3 and having more reinforcements at your disposal to enhance the effectiveness of your forces.

Gandalf can be a formidable presence on the battlefield, but his abilities and strengths may not align well with the forces of Good. It's essential to carefully weigh the pros and cons of deploying Gandalf in this scenario and to make strategic decisions about reinforcements and equipment to give your army the best chance of success.

[metaverse-ar-vr]

In late July, Meta introduced a hero shooter called ‘Super Rumble’ to Horizon Worlds, aiming to improve user retention on its social VR platform with the promise of higher quality first-party content. Now Meta released its second big anchor minigame #AR #VR #Metaverse

[hellishfig]

second citadel theory time

so the First Citadel, right? got destroyed 1000, maybe 2000 years ago? basically all of recorded history got wrecked along with it, so nobody knows what happened before it

the humans have their three saints, Aaron the Resolute, Damien the Tranquil, and Ferdinand the Brave. they are said to have destroyed the monstrous horde that attacked the First Citadel with divine power

now, i’m not so sure about divinity, but i am thinking about the universe, the Terminus, and the Battle at World’s End

according to what we’ve seen, the universe has its whims, and it is changeable. magic only works sometimes. why is that? it’s because the universe runs on emotion, and the emotional resonator tapped into that in The Lover’s of the Fallen Tower. the emotions there— specifically the love and loss— left a scar on the shores of the Terminus

the tower/shell at the edge of the Terminus is interesting for more reasons than just that scar, although the scar provides a lot of context for those other reasons. one example is Talfryn’s comment that it appeared as if the tower/shell was used extensively (by monsters at least) a thousand years ago, and then it was empty for a while, and then monsters moved in. another oddity is the tapestries. they depict monsters and humans together, living together, building together. the same thing seen in the memories. these memories focus on pix and david. why them? is their love story so compelling, that the universe keeps replaying it over and over again?i don’t think that’s it.

back to the saints for a second, and divinity or lack thereof. humans and monsters are both powerful in different ways, and the humans claimed the saints… but what if their divine power was simply magic from the universe? what if Aaron, Damien, and Ferdinand were half monster, like Olala? what if Pix and David were their parents, and the universe focused on them bc the love of their children was so strong, it immortalized their last moments?

and the terminal tower bridge was destroyed by forces from beyond the falls. is that what the saints fought? this question has yet to be answered, hopefully the upcoming season will be illuminating.

on to The Battle at World’s End. rereading the poem, it seems as though the two giants may represent monsters and humans. they fight at the edge of the world, locked in an eternal battle that neither of them remember beginning. it’s fitting that the setting is the Terminus, on the edge of the known world, and they are battling for an unknown reason.

tldr; humans and monsters are not as different as they would like to think. they are all children of the universe in the end, and the characters’ misconception that they can never live peacefully was birthed by the fall of the First Citadel, aka Fort Terminus.

[bleepbloo]

SO I JUST REMEMBERED SOMETHING

SPOILERS UNDER CUT

SO WE ALL REMEMBER THAT THE FEAR BUG FELL OFF THE SIDE OF THE WORLD, RIGHT?

ANNNNDD WE NOW KNOW THAT THERE’S PROBABLY A CIVILIZATION OFF THE EDGE OF THE WORLD OF THE CITADEL???

THOSE PEOPLE - DEPENDING ON HOW ADVANCED THEY ARE - ARE PROBABLY NOT HAPPY WITH THE FEAR BUG THAT’S NOW WITH THEM, JUST SAYING.

[damienthepious]

i was wondering if you had any headcanons for how old arum is? like obviously hes an adult and has a weird lifespan bc of the keep so human ages dont apply, but like, do you think hes fifty years old, a hundred, etc? how much has he seen?

oh this is a FANTASTIC question and i've actually thought. QUITE a lot about this! though tbf i am wildly inconsistent about it in my writing.

In Made A Garden, Arum is around the same age as Rilla, because for the conceit of Childhood Friends AU that needed to be the case, but this is the only one of my fics where this is true (or at least, the only one of my fics that's even partially published - there's an oddball pseudo-castlevania-show inspired au floating in my head where it's also true, but i doubt i'll ever get that anywhere near postable).

Realistically, I imagine that Arum is probably at least fifty years older than R&D, maybe up to a century, despite his brattishness. Mostly this is because of the judge accusing him of not having voted "in ages" which, of course, could be an exaggeration, and also just because of the vague ageless nature of the monsters, and of the Keep's familiars in particular. Also also, he feels older to me just because of how extremely jaded and bitter he is about certain things. Oh, and i'm gonna briefly talk s4 spoilers so i'm ducking under a cut quick

Mind you, i haven't actually LISTENED to any of s4 for various personal reasons and i probably won't, but i am AWARE that s4 has canonized something that I've been assuming for a long time now:

asynchronous ageing, at the VERY best. Arum isn't gonna age with his humans. And this doesn't like, put any specific evidence in the "he's old" pile, but it suits the vibe in my head, at least.

Usually i don't even bother figuring out the exact relation of age from Arum to the other two, because i kinda genuinely don't think it matters very much? because. well. before he met them, there's quite a bit of evidence that Arum was a complete shut-in. he might be much older than Rilla and Damien, but i don't think that necessarily means that he has leaps and bounds more experience than them, at least not socially.

Aaaaand all of this fails pretty spectacularly to be a concise answer to your actual question, but the long and short of it is: in most of my fics you can assume that Arum is somewhere about 70ish years old in human terms, Rilla is in her late twenties, and Damien in his early twenties.

Also also if any of what i've said has been jossed by s4 and i don't know it, please understand: i don't care. peace and love 💖💘💖

[the-king-andthe-lionheart]

Oh yeah, I don't believe for one second that Gendry is going to die in the books. I'm not as confident that he won't be injured in some way, which is the case I feel with most of the characters who I believe will live, but I do think he's surviving the books. At most I think he could end up like Donal Noye, the blacksmith at Castle Black, who lost his arm, minus Gendry going to the Wall. But if that happened, it definitely wouldn't happen until the fight with the Others.

Gendry surprisingly has a lot of symbolism for a minor character and, yes, I do believe he has a part to play in the future of the books when it comes to fighting the Other's. There has to be a reason why GRRM made sure to have him blacksmithing for Tobho Mott, one of very few blacksmith's who knows how to reforge Valyrian Steel. Of course, Gendry hadn't learned how to do that yet, but there may be things he knows from observation and the like. And of course we can't ignore the idea that Arya could get her hands on the books Jaqen is stealing from the Citadel which likely has information on how to forge Valyrian Steel and any number of things, which could then be given to Gendry. Gendry also has Valyrian blood which I don't think will be ignored even though I don't think this means he's riding a dragon or anything, it just could mean he could have an easier time working with the dragons if they are needed for any Valyrian blacksmithing. So no, I don't think Gendry is unimportant, especially when GRRM took the time out to develop Gendry as a character despite being a minor character.

I don't know if you've read it, but someone by the name of sweetsunray has done meta analysis about mythological symbolism over the years and she has a huge meta parted up on a forum that I think you should check out. It's about connecting the song "The Bear and the Maiden Faire" song to real world sacred bear rituals. It doesn't sound like it but once you get a few parts deep into the meta, it's heavily about Gendry and Arya and Gendrya for most of the rest of the meta. It's really fascinating and the whole thread is full of Gendry symbolism so I suggest reading the whole forum thread in its entirety. You can find the thread here:

I really think you should check it out. :D

something something about how a willow tree is also known as a weeping willow because its leaves are meant to imitate the appearance of rain drops and that means that the tree is crying.

something something about willow heddle being a stand-in character for arya, about willow being placed near a boy who met, traveled with and befriended arya stark and is currently going through his own process of mourning and grief, because she's no longer at his side.

something something about jeyne heddle, having one of the most common names you can find in westeros, but her little sister is named after a tree, a crying tree.

[ernmark]

I’m seeing some lovely analysis floating around about our darling Bouquet and the culture shock that comes with three completely different people trying to come together. 

One point I haven’t seen really touched upon yet is about where Arum’s coming from in all of this.

Because it’s hard enough to get to know new people when you’re coming from a broad and diverse social life, and had to adapt your interactions to a wide variety of thought patterns and communication styles. 

He’s had exactly one (1) emotional connection with another living being before meeting these two, and it was with the Keep. And that’s a hell of a connection-- it created him, it raised him, it still sings him to sleep, it nurses him back to health when he’s hurt or sick. He spends almost every waking moment either within its walls or tending to its other creations. Even when he’s not directly in contact with it, it’s still inside his head.

In all his life, the closest he has ever been to being alone was when he was in the magic-blocking cell in the Terminus, and that was not exactly a great experience for him. 

And now he’s in a romantic relationship (probably his first ever) with a workaholic hermit and a knight who’s like six months into a mental breakdown. Neither of them are communicating with him in any way he can understand. 

ARUM: Even if Amaryllis always shuts herself away with her experiments. And even if she no longer thanks me when I bring her the Keep's provisions. (Fallen Tower)

He reaches out to her, and she distances herself from him. He serves her the way he does his Keep, and she doesn’t even acknowledge him. 

To him, after a lifetime of being perfectly in sync and in constant communication with another being, that silence feels more like outright rejection. God, no wonder he’s devastated.

We know that Damien is used to Rilla getting into these moods.

RILLA (NARRATOR): Damien always said that staying up all night working on my experiments was never going to do them any good. It never meant much coming from him �� the knight famous for his five-night staring contest with a Blinking Gorgon wasn’t so generous with sleep for himself, either. So I knew when he said, DAMIEN: You’ll find the answer if you sleep, my love. In rest, the Saints move through us. RILLA (NARRATOR): … what he meant was, “I’m worried about you. Take care of yourself. I love you.” (Moonlit Hermit)

Damien can recognize those moments and speak to her in a language she cares to listen to. He knows not to take her stubbornness personally.

Arum doesn’t.

The same goes with Damien’s prayerful panic attacks. 

ARUM: Prayer, he calls it. And woe betide any beast who interrupts him while he prays. "Oh, my shattered Tranquility! Oh, my Saint!" Feh. Day in, day out. No matter what you need him for. No matter how much you wish to... (Fallen Tower)

Again, Rilla knows how to break through that and bring him out. But Arum doesn’t know how to deal with this. The Keep doesn’t communicate with him that way. Even if it did, it’s close enough to omniscient that it can focus on the farthest reaches of its domain while simultaneously communicating with him. Its train of thought doesn’t ever get caught in one track that needs to be derailed. 

Like I said, this is hard enough when you actually have lived experience outside. But Arum doesn’t. And it’s going to have to be explained to him slowly, carefully, and in a lot of different ways so he can understand it properly.

And I think that’s what Rilla’s going to learn from the ghostly lovers: she’s going to see them actually having one of those difficult conversations where they explain their needs to one another.

[biomeberry]

Brought to you by the makers of “honeysuckle vs. sir damien” its “Damien angrily calling his lizard Arum instead of Lord Arum”