#specifically the inferno rider one

[windblume-violet]

Me: I'll do the main story now

Also me: oh! Chests! Oh! Echos to fight! Oh! Side quests fun! Oh, sonocasket gotta get that! Oooo puzzles, puzzles go brr especially the kanoodle ones!!!

[sea-owl]

I know I mentioned this before, but I really crave a winx club au where when Domino fell, it wasn't completely wiped out but they instead went into isolation by their own choice or some magical after shocks from the attack forced their hands. Or maybe a mixture of both. The snowy landscape we saw was either the magical after shocks or the last spell casted as an illusion to help hide themselves. This isolation was in part so they could heal, but it also accidentally led to the rest of the magical universe thinking Domino was dead.

In this au Dominans, who were some of the most magically inclined people due to their home being made from progenitor magic, had given their magic to their home to help heal it, this includes the royal family. Now they still have the traces of magic in them as all people in the Magix deminsion do, but they wouldn't be performing spells all over the place. In their isolation, they learn to adapt and rebuild.

As for the royal family themselves I kinda adopted this one idea I saw once that Oritel's family were the political leaders of Domino while Miriam's were the spiritual leaders and the ones who were the hosts to the dragon flame. The two families always were in vincinty of one another and had generations that were closer than others were, but they didn't mix until Oritel and Miriam. The plan was always for them to have two children, one to be Oritel's heir and the other to be Miriam's. The decision on who was gonna be who's was determined by who had the stronger connection to the dragon flame. All descendants of Miriam's line are born with a spark of the dragon's flame inside of them, and how they grow that spark determines how strong their connection is and who the next host will be.

For a good chunk of her younger years, Bloom was raised on Earth with her aunt Vanessa, Oritel's sister, and her Uncle Mike. She and other young Dominans were sent there while the adults focused on rebuilding Domino. The children would be brought back when it was safe enough to do so. Bloom was a curious child and was still curious as she grew up. She loved learning history, and one of her favorite pastimes was drawing. She's got a temper, though, but it isn't all that surprising since Miriam has that same temper. All of her ancestors have it, some say it's the dragon in them. Part of growing their powers is learning to self calm so their flames don't become an inferno. Bloom also has a habit of speaking in dragon when she gets annoyed.

Due to the circumstances of their home, Bloom was the one chosen to be Miriam's heir despite that she never got a chance to grow her spark. Daphne became Oritel's heir due to their home and people's needs. Bloom was young and had more time to learn Domino's customs and traditions that Miriam's position would require. That young age would also make her more adaptable when it was time to bring Domino out of isolation and have Bloom be a symbol for a new beginning. Circumstances as they were Oritel would need his older daughter to become his heir. The people needed a symbol of survival and someone who could change with them. That became Daphne, who was in the war, who lived before and after just like them.

To counteract with their loss, some Domians clung to their connections with dragons. They've always been able to communicate with them, and some even created a bond with specific dragons and became dragon riders. Bloom herself spent a lot of time around them and even joined her mother when she rode her dragon. At age 12, Bloom herself created a bond with a dragon she named Buddy, Buddy is best friends with her pet bunny Kiko.

It's around the time Bloom would have gone to Alfea that Domians, after so many years without magic, are starting to be able to do small spells again. It's proof that their home is healing. It doesn't need that extra magic anymore, so it's slowly returning to its people.

Bloom still can't perform magic. She knows it in theory, knows the history, but she just can't summon it. It worries her. She's her mother's heir. How is she supposed to be the next host when she can't even cast spells any child can do? Did her spark die out? Daphne tries to comfort her sister, saying Bloom is just a little behind. Her spark is still there she just has to work on connecting and growing it now.

Now I have two different ideas where I can take this. The first is that Bloom is visiting her aunt and uncle when she comes across Stella in trouble. Wanting to help her Bloom steps in. She knows how to fight, her dad made sure of that. The ogre managed to grab a hold of her, and then something weird happened. A burst of magic came out of her, stronger than anything she's seen before.

How did she-?

Bloom doesn't ponder on it long because the blonde fairy still needs help. After that Stella is her bright self, and Bloom finds herself sweet away to Alfea. Vanessa helps Bloom send a message back to her parents about everything. They think Bloom should stay at Alfea, if her powers are excelling at a faster pace Alfea is a good place for her to be.

There's just this tiny thing. Everyone thinks Bloom is from Earth. She doesn't know if she should even tell them the truth. After all, Domino was still healing and wasn't even planning yet to come out of isolation. But maybe she could at least open a door with this? Something for Daphne to lead their people through when the time came?

The second option I have for this is specialist Bloom. In this one, while Bloom is still struggling to connect to her spark, Domino does need to start slowly coming out of isolation. Which means Bloom needs to go to school. Alfea isn't an option but maybe Red Fountain?

Miriam cam make a potion that can temporarily change Bloom from a girl to a boy. It's not strong enough to last if Bloom gets her periord, that stuff would need to come out of her body, but she has been around dragon riders her whole life. She knows how to act like a guy and dress up like one if she needs to. The training the specialists go through she knows how to do that.

Bloom takes the potion and becomes Blaze. They get documents that create a history for who was born on Eraklyon, one of Domino's closest neighbors. After that, it's off to school Bloom goes. She's tested with all other new students, and based on her scores, she is placed on a team.

Her team consists of six boys, Sky, Brandon, Helia, Riven, Timmy, and Nabu. They're a well-balanced team, so she's confused why she's been placed with them until she realizes that none of them really work with other magical creatures such as the Red Fountain dragons. Bloom scored some of her highest marks there, which considering she can literally talk to them and her home's belief of cherishing all of the Great Dragon's children it wasn't that hard.

All the boys are older than her on this team, but Red Fountain makes their teams based on skillset. If one student graduates, then their spot will be filled by another. It's actually uncommon for everyone to be in the same year on teams. On real missions, your team will be full of different ages and backgrounds. You might as well start here and get the students used to it. Of course, specialists have their own individual classes based on their year, but teams will always be a mixed thing.

Bloom gets along best with Helia and Timmy. Her and Helia trade art tips and draw together. Meanwhile, she and Timmy bond as two nerds who excitedly listen to their fellow nerd geek out over their special interest. She debates with Nabu over magical theories, and they discuss different types of magic. Riven is a great practice for her self calming techniques because by the dragon, does this boy piss her off. Bloom's not always successful, and she has gotten into a fist fight with Riven more than once, but still, she gets good practice.

It's Sky and Brandon she's hesitant around. She wasn't expecting to get put on a team with someone from Eraklyon, much less two, AND ONE OF THEM IS THE FREAKING PRINCE! She DOES NOT need one of them to go looking into her background. She does not need one of them to find her fake documents. Nope, best to be friendly and keep at arms length. Which kinda sucks because she actually does like them and would want to be friends with them if they were just from any other place.

She meets the Alfea girls the guys are friends with, and Bloom likes them too. She starts also becoming friends with them. She'll ask them about how each of them grew their magic, taking that knowledge and later privately applying it to her own. Bloom may or may not be falling into one of her impulsive ideas and play a little match maker here and there. She's not blind ok? She can see they like one another.

Her letters to her parents encourage these friendships Bloom has been building. It's not only good for Bloom but also can help by at the very least setting an example for when they fully come out of isolation.

Things get complicated, though, when something or someone sets off Bloon's temper bad enough, or she's in a dire situation that not only does she let out a blast of magic stronger than anyone has been able to do on Domino but also destroys her mask of Blaze when the potion fails by her turning into her fairy form for the first time.

[g-hua]

The WuWa dev team are such DMC nerds, and I love them for it.

Everyone already knows about the chair. Or maybe not. So in case you don't:

(This is my NA profile because... I like having accounts on NA, EU, and SEA, ok? Force of habit.)

This is a meme reference. Not a reference to something in the actual game, a reference to a meme in the community.

Which I love them for, the Vergil chair is the most OP thing in DMC5.

Then one of the devs said something that felt like a "hint hint, nudge nudge" sort of thing?

Source:

Maybe I'm reaching, buuuuuut I think that he is talking about a specific thing in the DMC community.

So welcome to mine and a lot of other DMC player's personal hell: Combo MADs

AKA: Other players show me how much I actually suck at the game.

Combo MADs fit the bill perfectly: smooth and visually appealing gameplay showcase. I'm guessing this is what they'd like to see done with WuWa's combat system for MADs.

(So if you want to kiss up to the devs, you know what to do now. You're welcome content creators. /j)

And you can't tell me with a straight face that Inferno Rider:

Wasn't inspired by the Cavaliere Arms. Come on...

I 100% will play the heck out of a game made by fellow DMC nerds.

[baji-sideblog]

What summer activity would the yans do?

Hmmm that’s a bit of a tricky one

Luka likes to spend his time indoors with you catching up on any movies or shows you two enjoy. For him it’s hard to spend summer together doing anything very active outside. Seeing as werewolves in this world are inspired by Cerebus (which is why Luka has two heads in his werewolf form) so they tend to be very hot due to the inferno fires in them. So durning summer he’s more of an indoor guy especially because he has ac and he doesn’t want to loose cuddling time with you because he’s warm.

Rider is the same mostly with being indoors due his fur, but he does have a love for swimming finding it very fun. He’ll take you to a more private lake he found so no one will be able to look at you in a swimsuit. (Or nude if he’s feeling more spicy that day which is almost always)

Mandus doesn’t really have a summer activity he enjoys especially since he works a lot at the office. Though he would enjoy watching fireflies with you and catching a few.

Topaz enjoys lighting up fireworks with you and eating watermelon together. Mostly because she likes the way you look while watching them she finds it cute. If you’re afraid of fireworks then she would instead enjoy getting a slip and slide and doing that with you. Or water balloons she honestly loves doing that a lot.

For Quinn they like going out and exploring outdoors with you whenever they’re not streaming. They like showing you any cool bugs or animals they find. If you don’t like bugs they won’t show it to you, but they will show you snakes and other reptiles since as a dragon they’re heavily bias towards scaley creatures. Though they have to be careful with how hot it is because the hotter they are the more energy they have. And the more energetic they are the worse crash they have when that energy goes away. So besides going outside they like to play a lot of games with you. Specifically horror cause it’s one of their favorite genres.

[moosemonstrous]

Not me idly wondering what are the jaegers made of, checking out the wiki and once again going mad with crumbs:

a) I reject Mark 1s being made out of iron bc that's just. Not a thing. This sentiment started the mess below.

b) Gottlieb's dad started The Jaeger Program! Tony Stark had a dad! It's all according to plan.

c) The PR lore is insane and I love it.

"I reject that thesis and raise you this," Stark spins his chair around to point his pen at Amadeus's face. "My suits are just that good."

Amadeus raises an eyebrow. "All the seals melted," he says. "We had to cut Robbie out of it. He should've cooked, even if the flame retardant held up. You know there's more to it, and if you backed me up--"

"Oh, there sure is more to it. More body horror I want nowhere near my lab." Stark shudders. "Let's just be glad he made it and leave it at that, huh?"

It takes every ounce of Amadeus's professionalism not to say 'nuh-huh'. He's already laid out his theory. As tempting as it is to go around in circles until he wears Stark down, they have other work to do. It's just--it's so bloody frustrating! He joined the jaeger program specifically to study demon biology and its influence to exposed humans, and he's been stuck mid-maxing the rangers' reaction times like some run of the mill engineer.

He's seen what happens to people who trade in demon remains without protective equipment. The initial increase in strength and agility gives way to organ failure as soon as the corruption reaches the bloodstream. The longest documented survival rate was less than seventy-two hours from exposure and judging by the case footage still replaying occasionally in Amadeus's nightmares, the poor woman wasn't holding scholarly conversations in the last twenty-four.

Now, the exposure must be physical - drifting with the lesser categories haven't shown to cause the same rapid tissue degradation. The beastie riders down in the Bone Slums reported occasional headaches and weird dreams, but it's impossible to verify without independent study, and, well. Then there's Robbie.

Robbie has never drifted, period, before the accident with The Charger. His sudden physical improvements could be easily explained away by access to regular meals and a brutal training regime, and he passed medical before even approaching a jaeger. There is nothing about him - nothing that Amadeus has found so far, at least - that differs from any of the other rangers, other than, oh, being able to drift solo with the most haunted piece of technology ever allowed into military use. And now, apparently, withstanding an over twelve hundred degrees Celcius firestorm.

The media nicknamed the demon Inferno - there wasn't time for anything more creative. The whole Cam Ranh Bay turned to glass, eleven thousand dead, two whole jaegers reduced to slag. The only reason there is any Vietnam left to mourn the losses is still cooling in the sea outside the Shatterdome. The Charger isn't made of anything special, it's the same steel alloys as all the other Mark-2s. When Inferno threw up it's fiery guts all over it, Amadeus started mentally composing a way to break the news to Gabe - like hell he was going to let Ivanov field that one - and he's still not entirely convinced he hasn't hit his head and imagined the way the black jaeger's chains flew out of the fire to wrap around the demon's neck.

It's still black, although no longer from paint. The techs are already busy scrubbing it down and replacing the fried electronics, because at least something got damaged to prove Robbie didn't just teleport his mech in and out of the battle. At this point, there is no discounting any possible scenario. Maybe if he ran a Pons simulation with the Icebox protocol...

Stark sighs. "Kid, let me give you some sage advice," he says. His tone is suddenly very serious - enough to get Amadeus's attention. "Do you know what the military does with weird shit they can't explain?"

"What are you--?"

"One of two things," Stark slaps a finger to his open palm. "Either they pretend everything is hunky-dory as long as the weird shit does what they want, or," he adds a second finger, "someone complains about the weird shit enough that they lock it up, out of sight. So they can speed-run their tests. Are you picking up? What I'm putting down, here?"

Amadeus swallows past the lump in his throat. "You own the Jaeger Program."

Stark rolls his eyes. "You're confusing me with my father again. Keep up." His expression softens somewhat. "Look, I don't like it either."

"Save it," Amadeus pulls on his coat. "I'm going out."

"Cho, don't be--"

"See you at the debrief."

[clashersunited]

50+ Best TH16 War Base Links 2024 | Anti 2 Star Bases

Are you on the lookout for the best TH16 war bases?

Want to change your TH16 War Base Layout from offensive to defensive? Look no further!

We’ve got the best Town Hall 16 base design options for you.

And the best part?

You can easily copy the TH16 base layout of your choice and paste it in your war base village.

In this blog, we’ve shortlisted the best anti-2 star town hall 16 bases that are used by experts in clan wars and COC tournaments.

Let’s get started...

How to build a solid TH16 War Base layout Anti 2 Star?

Designing an anti-2 star TH16 war base requires a keen understanding of defensive principles and strategic placement.

Place your Town Hall, Clan Castle, and crucial defensive structures at the center of your layout.

This not only makes it challenging for attackers to reach the core but also ensures that they invest significant resources when attempting a 2-star attack.

Strategically position splash damage defenses like Wizard Towers and Bomb Towers to cover a wide area.

This discourages attackers from concentrating their forces in one location, making it difficult for them to clear the base efficiently.

Maintain a balance between air and ground defenses. Utilize dual Inferno Towers set to multi-target mode.

Integrate traps like Spring Traps, Seeking Air Mines, and Giant Bombs in areas where attackers are likely to deploy their units.

These traps act as unexpected obstacles, disrupting attack strategies and creating opportunities for your defenses to shine.

Regularly test your TH16 anti-2 star war base in Clan Wars and adjust its layout based on the feedback received.

Best TH16 Defensive Clan Castle Troops Combinations

Using Clan Castle troops to defend your town hall 16 war base in Clash of Clans is a smart move.

While a well-designed TH16 war base alone can repel numerous attacks, incorporating Clan Castle troops takes your defense to the next level.

These troops act as a powerful deterrent, disrupting the plans of attackers and making it challenging for them to secure a successful raid.

At Town Hall 16, your clan castle has the capacity to house up to 50 troops, opening up various possibilities for defensive combinations.

The choice of troops can significantly impact the effectiveness of your defense.

Here are some good CC Troop combinations for TH16 War Bases:Best TH16 War Base CC TroopsHousing SpacesCombo 1: 1 Ice Hound + 1 Baby Dragon(40 + 10 = 50)Combo 2: 1 Electro Dragon + 5 Wizards(30 + 20 = 50)Combo 3: 1 Inferno Dragon + 2 Ice Golems + 1 Balloon(15 + 30 + 5 = 50)Combo 4: 1 Lava Hound + 1 Dragon(30 + 20 = 50)Combo 5: 3 Witches + 1 Wizard + 1 Valkyrie + 1 Minion(36 + 4 + 8 + 2 = 50)Combo 6: 1 Baby Dragon + 1 Inferno Dragon + 1 Dragon Rider(10 + 15 + 25 = 50)

If these specific troops aren’t readily available from your clanmates, consider using alternatives such as an all-Wizard combo, an all-Balloon combination, Dragons or any mix that aligns with your clan’s resources.

However, it’s highly recommended to prioritize the suggested troop combinations for optimal defense in your TH16 War Base.

50+ Best TH16 War Bases | Anti 2 Star Bases

A well-constructed war base is the cornerstone of success in COC clan wars.

Get ready to use these strategically built COC TH16 war base designs to ensure victory in every clan war or clan war league.

Gone are the days of manually recreating complex war base layouts.

With our streamlined process, you can simply copy the provided base links and seamlessly paste them into your own war base configuration.

It’s a hassle-free way to adopt proven defensive structures without the need for intricate design work.

1. Best TH16 War Base Links

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2. Best Clash of Clans War Base TH16

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3. Best TH16 anti-3 star war base design

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4. Effective Town Hall 16 base against air attacks

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5. Anti 2 Star TH16 War Base

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6. Unique TH16 base for Clan War Leagues

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7. Strongest TH16 War Bases

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8. Anti-electro dragon TH16 war base layout

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9. Best TH16 base against LavaLoon attacks

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10. Anti-Ground TH16 war base layout

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FAQS: Best TH16 War Base Links

How much time required to max TH16?

6 to 8 months are required to fully max TH16 base layout.

How much does it cost to fully upgrade clash of clans?

IT costs around 1,688,882 gems to fully upgrade clash of clans base from start to end. $12,068.77 is the amount required to fully upgrade clash of clans.

Final Thoughts

I hope now you have the list of the best TH16 War Bases.

If you face any problems or difficulty accessing the link, comment down and let us know.

Do share this post with your clan members and help them to easily change their Town Hall 16 bases from offensive to defensive.

[erdarielthewhumper]

Depends on the fandom, but generally speaking I have a number of characters I like whumping (usually a large overlap with characters that are just generally my fave), so I do rotate the characters a bit, but generally I kinda think of the character and the thing I wanna do to them at the same time? But it's generally not trope first, character second, unless I'm writing off a prompt I guess.

But like yeah it varies from fandom to fandom. Back when I was into BBC Musketeers it might be any of the main four guys getting hurt (maybe with a slight preference for Athos and Aramis, but still it might be any). That also tended to be fairly simple "they just get hurt just because" things, very often not related to a specific canon event (although there were a couple of ones playing with stuff related to the Savoy massacre thing, and some episode aftermath ideas I played with), like just okay they're somewhere anf they get attacked by bandits kinda thing y'know? There it could go either way in terms of character first or trope first.

Kinda same with Merlin, sometimes my mood is "I wanna fuck with this specific character" snd sometimes it's "hehe i have an idea, who shall i torment with it"

But then some fandoms are different, like with DS9 it's practically always Julian for me (and tbh most of my whumpy DS9 ideas tend to also be either set during his captivity shortly before "In Purgatory's Shadow" or be "In Purgatory's Shadow"/"By Inferno's Light" aftermath fics, or be about the aftermath of "Dr. Bashir, I Presume" because you can't tell me there wasn't some more aftermath to that than we were shown (and since "Dr. Bashir, I Presume" is directly after "In Purgatory's Shadow/By Inferno's Light" in the episode order, sometimes it's fun to go "okay these happened very quickly one after another, how fucked up does the combination of all that shit all at once leave him?")

And then there's Tolkien fandom, where a lot of my whump ideas kinda start with me identifying a gap in the canon where something might have happened that we don't really know of (like, say, "Wait what happened to Aragorn in Moria to make him say that the memory is "very evil" and be so reluctant to go there?" or "When and where has Aragorn encountered the Black Riders before and what happened that makes him straight-up have a flashback/panic attack just talking about the Black Riders to the hobbits that one time?" or "Hey Elrond and Celeborn spent like three years besieged in what-would-become-Rivendell after Eregion fell, there might be some juicy whump that happened during the siege") and seeing where it goes from there. Or then it's like I have headcanons abt a character/event that aren't necessarily whumpy in themsekves but then I start extrapolating from there the same way I do with gaps in canon to get some fun story from the implications of that and oops that's whump

so yeah idk man it just really depends for me

For whump writers who write fanfic, do you guys have specific characters for fandoms that you always write or do you figure out the trope first and then decide on which character?

Like I try to vary the characters once in a while, but I just always go back to one or two specific characters. I can read fanfic of any of the characters but writing I just get the characters and then use them until a new obsession comes.

[agentrouka-blog]

I think Wildfire is more of a direct comparison to WMD instead of dragons in a way that both wildfire and WMDs are non living objects but that's not to say that as if dragons aren't vehicles of destruction.

I think GRRM is specifically alluding to the superior destructive power of the dragons when making that comparison.

They are capapble of a vastly more targeted and effective destruction than the wildfire, which needs to be handled with absolutely tremendous care. The way it's used in the Battle of the Blackwater is about as effective and efficient as it gets, and that's because it's comparatively stationary, flung from one spot in one direction, or tipped out onto the water in a swimming trap.

Dragons, on the other hand, can fly, obey commands, and are generally extremely robust.

Look at this cute little story to illustrate the difference:

This was far from the greatest folly of Aegon IV's stillborn invasion of Dorne, however, for His Grace had also turned to the dubious pyromancers of the ancient Guild of Alchemists, commanding them to "build me dragons." These wood-and-iron monstrosities, fitted with pumps that shot jets of wildfire, might perhaps have been of some use in a siege. But Aegon proposed to drag these devices up and through the Boneway, where there are places so steep that the Dornishmen have carved steps.

They did not come even that far, however, for the first of the dragons went up in flames in the kingswood, far from the Boneway. Soon all seven were burning. Hundreds of men burned in those fires, along with almost a quarter of the kingswood. After that, the king gave up his ambitions and never spoke of Dorne again. (The World of Ice and Fire - The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV)

Fake dragon.

Aegon flew above the ranks of his foes upon Balerion, through a storm of spears and stones and arrows, swooping down repeatedly to bathe his foes in flame. Rhaenys and Visenya set fires upwind of the enemy and behind them. The dry grasses and stands of wheat went up at once. The wind fanned the flames and blew the smoke into the faces of the advancing ranks of the two kings. The scent of fire sent their mounts into panic, and as the smoke thickened, horse and rider alike were blinded. Their ranks began to break as walls of fire rose on every side of them. Lord Mooton's men, safely upwind of the conflagration, waited with their bows and spears and made short work of the burned and burning men who came staggering from the inferno.

The Field of Fire, the battle was named afterward.

More than four thousand men died in the flames. Another thousand perished from sword and spears and arrows. Tens of thousands suffered burns, some so bad that they remained scarred for life. The World of Ice and Fire - The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest)

Real dragon.

[cyborg-squid]

Just had simultaneously my funniest and my best idea for a Noble Phantasm

I was just idling wondering about Dante (the poet, not the May Cry) as a Servant, not sure what class he would be (don’t want to go the ‘weak combatant= Caster’ route. Maybe Rider?), and I started thinking about what his Noble Phantasm could be.

Most well known about him is his work Dante’s Inferno, where he and his guide Virgil descend through the circles of Christian Hell, but Inferno is actually part 1 of his 3 part Divine Comedy, with him moving to Purgatorio and Paradiso in the other parts. So I came up with this...

INFERNO, PURGATORIO, PARADISO: LUCIFER’S FALL DROP While Dante appears to ascend through the air no higher than a skyscraper, stepping as if climbing stairs, this Noble Phantasm mimics his literary ascent from Hell to Heaven. Once he reaches the apex of his walk, he enters a freefall towards his opponent where he adopts a stance that can only be called a... modern wrestling move, specifically a ‘Top Rope Elbow Drop’. His downward momentum is amplified not only by the high height he’s dropping from but also the moral weight of a descent from Paradiso to Inferno. John Milton’s, the author of Paradise Lost, depiction of Lucifer’s fall from Heaven was inspired by this trademark move of Dante’s!

(Other skills of Dante’s include Guidance of the Spirits (able to receive aid from spirits and some Elementals) and some sort of Divinity/Authority: Hell (since he was one of the first Christians to define and depict ‘Hell’, as well as consign his real life enemies and recent political figures to it. Some sort of power to artificially define ‘Vice’ and ‘Virtue’ within the confines of a Grail War.)

[tar-oh]

Pick-a-Pile: What will the end of 2020 look like for you?

A lovely anon requested me to do a pick-a-pile on your life at the end of 2020, and so here we are! And, honestly you guys are getting spoiled because I used my Lovely Omens deck which was really intended to be only used for my own readings on myself, but I made the exception today because I connect with it really well and thought it would be fun to see what it would say.

For the piles I pulled out some of my collection of Argento movies for the piles. Choose whichever movie speaks to you! If you’re into Argento and you’ve seen them, then cool! Let’s be friends. Outside of that, that’s fine! Let’s still be friends! Anyway, choose whichever pile calls to you. Remember, take what resonates. This is not the end-all-be-all, and this may not be what really happens because it’s what the current energy is leading to. Your energy can change tomorrow and so can your future, so, don’t take it to heart. This is more of a fun, what-if. And if you get to December 31st and you’re finding that this is did happen for you, let me know! So, anyway. Take what resonates, not what doesn’t! Also, you’re welcome to pick more than one pile, so if you want to, you can! OKAY! Here are the piles:

Pile 1:

Cards:  letter, book, fish, queen of pentacles, temperance, the moon, 10 of wands reversed, 3 of cups, judgement, uruz, othala, wunjo, kenaz

Pile 1, I think by the end of the year, things are going to be going better for you. I'm not sure where you are currently (like if these things have happened already, or will be soon), but I see that you'll be feeling more secure overall. There are a few specific things that I think may only apply to a few people, so I'll get those out of the way. Also, if you were going between pile 1 and 2, maybe read pile 2 as well. There's a lot about finding creativity in this pile, and you chose the movie Suspiria, which is technically a horror movie, but the base of the plot is that a girl is attending a foreign dance school. I think some of you may be dancers, or are discovering your passion for dance. I also kind of get this from the 3 of cups, since they look like they're having fun. They don't look like they're celebrating as much as other versions of that card, and they don't look like their moving very fast, so maybe you're into interpretive dance, or something? Maybe singing, so maybe you sing, but I’m getting more dance. Like, maybe you like to move slow, but deliberately. There is actually a remake of Suspirira that has interpretive dance rather than ballet like in the original. Either way, I see that you could be a dancer. And if not a dancer, I think you could just be really creative, but specifically something with music or dance. And again, especially because you chose this movie. One of the things that stands out with this movie is the score by Gobiln. They're kind of known for doing weird out-there scores (I’ll link a video of a song from this movie so you can see what I mean lol), but it's very specific to this movie, so I definitely am leaning more towards music and dance. Maybe you don't do it publicly, it's just something you do in your own time that really makes you feel good about yourself. A few of the cards can talk about creativity, so maybe you're just finding the perfect balance of how to express yourself. I think you're focusing more on this creativity at the end of the year.

For others, another specific thing I'm getting is that maybe you're graduating from or even starting business school. For others, you could be training for something specific for work. Or just training for something in general. Learning something. And others maybe its law school, or economics major. For everyone, though I see you learning something. Whether it be educational or just something random. For some, you may be learning about a secret through a letter or a book, and this could be about money or work. The Moon card really adds to this, so I think you'll be ending the year a little more enlightened about something. The movie also kind of goes with this! It's kind of a mystery and the main character Susie is trying to figure out what's going on in her school, and so maybe you'll solve a mystery! lol Maybe nothing so exciting, but I suppose that's also depends on the context. I do definitely take the moon to mean that this is something you're not supposed to know. At least NOT YET. Like, the moon always comes up for me like that in tarot when it’s something I’m not really supposed to know yet, so I think it's just something you're not supposed to worry about and be more present and when the time comes around, enjoy the whole mystery of it all. I definitely think you've gone through some sort of rebirth this year. I don't know if this is happening at the end of the year, or if you've gone through it already, but by the end of the year you're going to be different in some way. It could just be how you express yourself (going back to that creativity), or even who you're around. I feel like you're finding out who is good for you and who isn't, so its possible your friend group will be different by end of the year. And that's not a bad thing! As people, we all grow and sometimes we grow out of people. I think there could also be new people coming around too (maybe even meeting people online, which what the letter kind of hints to me and the song I was listening to mentioned a letter so I definitely am going with that lol). I think you're going through a lot of healing this year, and maybe more so near the end. And this goes with that rebirth. I don't know what's happened in the past to need this healing (but I suppose we all have our wounds), but I think you're learning more about who you are and what you like. I think you're doing amazing job-wise. You got a few runes that suggest prosperity, and I also see Queen of Pentacles and Temperance attributing to this too. The Queen of Pentacles is someone who is prosperous and abundant, but is also motherly (and I just am getting at this as a quality rather than you being an actual mother, so even if you’re not a mom, I just mean like having that kind of vibe to you). So it's like this good balance between knowing how to get shit done, but also doing it in a compassionate way. The Ten of Wands reversed can talk about letting go of burdens and simplification. So I think by the end of the year, you've weeded out what doesn't work for you. I think, especially after the year the whole world has had, you are learning what matters to you and you're living your life to it's full potential by the time we're leaving this shitty year behind. I think you're doing better in terms of finances, I'm not seeing that you're like super rich, but again, you got a lot of stuff that suggests prosperity. And this might not even mean just materially. This could just be that you're just feeling so much better about life and yourself. Maybe you're abundant with love, finding new love, expanding on existing love, whatever that means for you. I always take Judgement to mean karma, but I see this as good karma for you. And, while I was writing your pile out, Marina's Karma came on, so I definitely think the way you're ending your year is how it's supposed to go. Maybe the way to get there has changed drastically with the way things have gone, but either way, there were multiple paths there, so I think either way you were going to get there. So, your end of the year is looking good! I don't really see anything that concerns me, honestly. I think you're on the right path and you're going to be feeling good about yourself. I'm really proud of you! 

Songs: (a lot of the songs were super specific, so I’m only posting a few of the ones that seem to stand out more)

The theme from Suspiria in case you’re interested (there’s a version with just the bells I listen to because this ones kind of creepy but it also makes me laugh)

these days - nico  (this definitely goes with figuring out what you want to do, I think) watergun - lostboycrow (gonna be honest there’s like 5 artists and one of them lists himself like twice lmao so idk who the actual artist is. i feel that way about anything olivver the kid is involved with)

karma - marina

Pile 2:

Cards:  10 of pentacles, 5 of pentacles, the hermit, king of cups reversed, knight of wands reversed, 5 of wands, the fool reversed, jera, isa, raidho, the lady, the rider, scythe I'm seeing three possible scenarios, 2 are similar, but one is permanent as opposed to the other which is only temporary. So, first, I want to talk about the movie you chose. Inferno is part of a series by Dario Argento, but honestly the only two of the series at that matter are Inferno and Suspiria (the one from pile 1, so if you were going between the two, I think this means you should read that one too). I can't really give you too much about the plots of either because they're both really hard to explain without giving the whole thing away. However, I can say this: It's about an apartment building where people start to disappear from and the only thing that connects them is that they're starting to figure some things out about the history of the place. I can't get more into it, especially because Inferno is kind of an infuriating movie in that it has no main character and you spend most of it going "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON" which kind of leads me to your pile. I really think prior to what happens later this year or currently/ what already happened, you were in this weird state where you weren't sure where things were going. I think there was a lot of stagnation in your life, and it could also be in multiple areas (love, work, anything really). I think this lead to frustration and apathy on your part. I think there will be/ was something cut off. For some, it’s permanent. For others, it was only temporary. And, this makes sense because if this already happened for you, it could have had to do with quarantine. Maybe you lost your job or you did temporarily. I think prior to this, you were frustrated and feeling like this was it and you were kind of upset that it was all there was, but maybe this loss/end led to you realizing there was more to see/do in life. I think this is true for someone, because a cover that the Lummineers did of This Must be The Place by Talking Heads came on, and it's kind of like realizing that where you are is where you're supposed to be. I know, you're probably like "But that's the opposite of what you just said"! HANG ON! I'm getting that you're realizing it's not your "home" and "home is where I want to be..." and whatever this situation is, it's not feeling like home to you. Or, at least wasn't prior to the end/separation. For some, this was a person that was cut off. Either you were the one doing the cutting or someone else did (or maybe it was someone at a job or at school that you lost contact with because of closures). Either way, you realized just how frustrating this situation was and kind of went into Hermit mode for a bit (or will) to reflect on what transpired. Gonna be honest, because you chose Inferno, I'm thinking there's a lot of anger too. Like, there aren’t necessarily any super angry characters in this movie, but the name itself makes me think of rage. I always think of rage as being this really red hot thing, a kind of inferno. So, I see anger being involved. Or, for some of you at least. I think there was a lot of clashing/competition. Maybe arguments that ended in tears on someone’s end. Whatever it was, it was/will be cut off somehow and you'll be feeling more at peace. I think you're also going to be finding that you're definitely more stable and making more progress in areas of your life you hadn't seen progress in previously. In one of the decks I'm using, the Lovely Omens deck, the Hermit card makes the hermit look like she came to some kind of a conclusion, like an “a-ha!” moment with how she has her finger pointing up. And the hermit is someone who’s looking for answers. In the Rider-Waite deck it’s this guy who’s got a lantern, looking like he’s searching for something, but in this deck it’s like we’re seeing the moment she figured whatever it was out. I didn't intentionally lay it out the way it is in the picture, but it happened to be that she's above the Fool reversed, and I guess I see this as her maybe seeing that she can make that leap, whereas before she was hesitant and frustrated that things were at such a standstill. Maybe it was that this person or situation wasn't giving her any time to really do anything else outside of it, so maybe this time alone is making her feel like she can do anything. Now, you did get the 5 of pentacles, so I do think there was/is a period where you're feeling a little worried or anxious about finances, or just about anything really. But, I definitely see the 10 of Pentacles and the Hermit more than the five of pentacles card, and I'm seeing it as you figuring out that you can make a way to be stable on your own, not really needing anyone or that situation you'd been in. You could also read this as the 5 of Pentacles being someone else feeling a little left out, but I think it's for the best for the time being during this period of your life. I see that for some, this is a permanent cut. So maybe you just don't return to this specific job, and for other's again, it's only temporary. I do see that for some, this could be a relationship (Platonic or romantic), where you feel a little left out. Like you're not getting what you give, and this is causing you to be frustrated and moody. There may be harsh words being thrown around. But, again, this is getting cut off (by you, someone else, or just by the universe), and things are going to go better. Like, the ten of pentacles is a really good card to get, so I don’t see you being so bad off. Maybe this will be painful depending on who/what it is being cut off, but know that it’s going to lead to better things. So, things may have been rocky this year, or they will get rocky, but I see you ending it on a better note than where you were before the end of the year. Songs:

For pile one, I listed the song These Days by Nico and even though it played for that pile, I really think some of you could resonate with it, so I think you should look at the lyrics or listen to it. Also, a lot of the songs had to do with communication, so Idk. Maybe think about how you’re communicating with people, or how you’re allowing people to communicate with you (if at all, or if they’re just doing it in a shitty way. Have boundaries and speak up if you don’t think people are being honest with you, but also remember to treat people how you want to be treated) also, ngl i wasn’t going to link the theme to inferno but like honestly its so weird I have to. It’s not scored by Goblin like the other two movies but I get this song stuck in my head more lol So HERE it is idk maybe someone will like it too lmao

oceans - the wombats (there’s a line about selling an ocean to the sea and I really feel like this is kind of you and this situation you cut off, like maybe it was a situation you’ve been in time and time again and you’re finally cutting it off after seeing that it’s the same thing you’ve dealt with and the only way to stop it is to cut it off this time. like idk it’s hard for me to explain but i feel like this specific part of the song is something you should check out) movement - the higher  this is me trying - taylor swift lambs wool - foster the people love me to death - GARDEN

this must be the place (naive melody) - Talking Heads cover by The Lumineers (they also talk about that same line I mention in the beginning of this and I think thats kind of funny that it stands out to them too lol) Pile 3:

Cards:  Seven of Wands, 8 of Pentacles, Page of Cups, 8 of Cups, Knight of Wands, five of wands reversed, Ship, moon, sun, hagalaz, perthro, eihwaz

PILE 3 I THINK SOME OF YOU ARE GOING TO GET ASKED OUT. I have a bunch of reasons for this! First of, I pulled the Page of Cups and the Knight of Wands. Along with the moon and sun cards in my fortune cards (which don't necessarily mean love, but I'll get to it!).  Also, the first two songs that played, were First Date by Blink-182 and The Pull of You by the National. Granted, The Pull of You is little sad (kind of about two people drifting apart, but still being connected) and First Date being about...well a First Date, but to me those definitely are screaming romantic feelings lol. But, we'll get to that later! You guys just kept getting all the love songs that mean something to me so!!! That's something!!! Like, I mostly just felt super mushy while doing this pile and I kind of take this to mean something. Firstly, I've been talking a little bit about the movies that each pile was represented by. Deep Red is actually one of my favorite movies (did I choose this pile before I pulled the cards? MAYBE. Do I think it's gonna happen for me specifically!? I don't know! But it might for you! Take what resonates!). It's a murder mystery and scored by Goblin (who I got to see play the score live during a showing of the movie last year for my birthday so!!!!). Basically, it's about an American pianist living in Italy who witnesses the murder of a neighbor and so he teams up with a journalist to solve the murder. They make a good team, and I think this is kind of playing into what I want to get at later, but first the big part of this: I think someone has noticed you. I think they're really attracted to you. Yes, I think it's physical, but I also think they're intrigued by you, especially because I think maybe you have some walls up and they can't really get to know you (I see the moon card in my fortune deck as kind of saying this, but it also can mean attention and praise, so I see this too!). I think they're seeing you as someone who has strength and has endured the trials of life. So, with this recognition, I think they're going to rush in and tell you how they're feeling and maybe ask you out. I think it's going to be really random and I also think it's going to end up being a compromise lol. I think you're going to be playing hard to get (but maybe it's not intentional, I know I'm kind of hard to really get to know, so I see how this could happen with someone). So, I see them working hard to get you to budge, but I think eventually you're kind of like "Okay, fine, but I choose what we do and when." Whatever it is, I see that it's going to go well I think you'll both be pretty happy. There may be a period after where you withdraw a bit (or they do) and think about it, but I think you feel a pull to them (which I think is why the Pull of You came on). The 8 of cups can talk about withdrawing, but it can also talk about loosing interest, however I don't see either of you loosing interest, at least not with everything else I pulled. This 8 of cups in this deck is really specific to me. In the Rider-Waite, he's walking away from the cups, but in this one he's just sitting and looking at the moon. And maybe this isn't you, maybe this is this person studying you before they ask you out? I mean, I think it's interesting I pulled one moon card and this one and the moon is so prominent to me in this card. Honestly, I think it's both! I think this person is REALLY into you. I mean, the majority of the songs that played were like really...They were about people liking people from afar, and also Panic Switch came on by Silversun PIckups and like I don't think it NECESSARILY applies to this, but I see maybe this being kind of a weird situation for you because maybe you're not used to the attention, so they like give you this attention and praise and admit that they like you and you kind of freeze up and your walls go up. So, like you panic? But, honestly, I think maybe you like them too. Like, Despite the seven and 5 of wands showing up, I'm  seeing good in this. (I like it by the Maria's came on, so I really think you like them back lol) The runes add to it too, because Perthro means hidden secrets (and I take the moon to mean that too!), but I see the Knight of Wands holding up his wand, so it's like they're offering this truth to you. It can also mean change, and I see that this will change things. And Eihwaz can mean stability, so maybe this is something that at first is scary and uncertain when it first presents itself, but then it even outs (like with those negotiations where you compromise) and it stabilizes and you're just feeling glad with how it worked out. HONESTLY, I'm just feeling super good about this? So I think this is going to make you feel good too! And for those of you that didn't want a love reading, it could just be a new friend maybe, like someone that admires you and maybe you two have a good dynamic (like one where you could solve mysteries lol). I also think that both of you are creative, but in different ways. Like one could write and the other could be more into making music or playing instruments. I mean, it could be anything and maybe you're into the same things, but I'm getting that just from the dynamic between the two main characters in Deep Red, and I definitely get a creative vibe from this. And like, maybe it's a business offer. Like, you're asked to work on a project with someone. I think this could end up well. Any of these situations I think is going to go good, so I'm really happy for you!

Songs:

Deep Red Theme (since I posted the other themes. I listen to this one a lot actually, the bass is SO GOOD) first date - blink-182 (i promise i listen to other blink songs but this one just always seems to come up for these?!) the pull of you - the national  howling at the moon - phantogram  panic switch - silversun pickups (okay are you guys fans of good bass or something? bc i’m seeing a theme outside of my own preference)

groceries - mallrat i like it - the marías (you guys let me let this sit for weeks without me putting the link to this song? lol guyyss tell me things!) invisible string - taylor swift (i think its crazy this one played in the same pile the pull of you played bc I relate them together for many reasons? so like !!!! that’s tarot for you!!!!)

purest form - prince of eden

LET ME KNOW IF IT RESONATES AND ALSO MAYBE COME BACK IN JANUARY TO SEE IF IT PLAYED OUT THE WAY THE CARDS TOLD ME!

[malsrp]

HUGE book clear out - over 150 books. Most names/authors below! They're in various conditions - some are pristine, others are a bit worn, but I will provide you with pictures of any specific book you want so that you can decide. Prices vary - I’ll tell you if you message/reply (in your currency) Some books are ex-library stock bought at sales, so they contain stamps and such.

Postage costs will be calculated for it to be sent via mail, this will be included in total cost.

PLEASE NOTE, IN UK PRICES, THESE BOOKS AVERAGE 50P FOR PAPERBACK, £1 FOR HARDBACK. WE ARE SELLING REALLY CHEAP TO RAISE FUNDS TO REPAIR OUR COOKER, AND UPDATE OTHER FURNITURE PIECES BEFORE WE MOVE. Some books will be priced separately.

Books below:

Alex Connor - Memory of Bones Alice Sebold - Lucky Anchee Min - Empress Orchid (Empress Orchid #1) Andy Lane - Fire Storm (Young Sherlock Holmes #4) Angie Sage - MAGYK (Septimus Heap) Anthony Ryan - Blood Song (Raven's Shadow #1) Ann Cleeves - Hidden Depths Anne Pellowski - Winding Valley Farm Arthur Golden - Memoirs of a Geisha Beverly Barton - The Murder Game (Griffin Powell #8) Bob Servant - Delete This At Your Peril: The Bob Servant Emails Brandon Sanderson - The Alloy of Law (Mistborn #4) Brian Freeman - Immoral Carol Smith - Without Warning Chris Carter - The Crucifix Killer (Robert Hunter #1) Elizabeth Chadwick - Shadows and Strongholds Eoin Colfer - The Supernaturalist G.M. Berrow - Twilight Sparkle & the Crystal Heart Spell George R.R. Martin. - A Dance with Dragons: After the Feast (A Song of Ice & Fire #5.2) Jack London - The Call of the Wild & White Fang J.K. Rowling - The Casual Vacancy James Joyce - Dubliners Juliet Marillier - Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters #1) Jo Nesbø - The Devil's Star (Harrry Hole #5) Jodi Picoult - My Sister's Keeper John Lutz - Serial Jonas Jonasson - The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared (The Hundred-Year-Old Man #1) Jordan Belfort - The Wolf of Wall Street Jonathon Nasaw - The Girls He Adored Julia Golding - The Gorgon's Gaze Kathryn Stockett - The Help Kazuo Ishiguro - Never Let Me Go Kenneth Oppel - Dusk Keri Arthur - Tempting Evil Khaled Hosseini - The Kite Runner L.J, Smith - The Forbidden Game (The Forbidden Game 1-3) - £2 Laurell K. Hamilton - Mistral's Kiss (Meredith Gentry #5) Lindsey Davis - The Ides of April (Flavia Albia Mystery #1) Linwood Barclay - Too Close to Home Lisa Gardner - Say Goodbye Louise Welsh - A Lovely Way To Burn Lynda La Plante - Cold Shoulder Mark Billingham - Scaredy Cat (Tom Thorne #2) Mercedes Lackey - The Wizard of Karres Michael Cordy - The Colour of Death Nick Stone - King of Swords Peter David - Fantastic Four Philip K. Dick - Paycheck Philip Pullman - The Tiger in the Well (Sally Lockhart #3) R.J. Palacio - Wonder Rebecca Chance - Killer Queens Richard Yates - Revolutionary Road Robert Louis Stevenson - The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde & Other Stories. Robyn Young - Brethren (Brethren Trilogy #1) Rudyard Kipling - Just So Stories (Wordsworth Collection) Scott Frost - Never Fear (Alex Delilo #2) Simon Kernick - Relentless (Tina Boyd #2) Steve Voake - The Dreamwalker's Child Susan Abulhawa - Mornings in Jenin Ted Eliott; Terry Rossio - Pirates of the Carribean - The Adventure So Far Tony DiTerlizzi - The Field Guide (The Spiderwick Chronicles #1) Tracy Chevalier - The Last Runaway Vittoria Bowles - Get Started In Italian William Jefferies - Bloody River Blues (John Bellam #2)

ALISON WEIR Innocent Traitor The Captive Queen The Lady Elizabeth

ANTHONY HOROWITZ - Nightrise (The Power of Five #3) Point Blanc (Alex Rider #2)

CECILIA AHERN If You Could See Me Now P.S, I Love You The Time of My Life

CARLOS RUIZ ZAFON The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #1) The Angel's Game (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #2)

DAN BROWN Angels and Demons (Robert Langdon #1) The Da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon #2) The Lost Symbol (Robert Langdon #3) Inferno (Robert Langdon #4) Deception Point Digital Fortress

CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI Eragon (Inheritance #1) Eldest (Inheritance #2) Brisingr (Inheritance #3)

HARLAN COBEN Tell No One (Standalone) / Back Spin (Myron Bolitar #4) (2-in-1) One False Move (Myron Bolitar #5) The Final Detail (Myron Bolitar #6) Gone For Good

JOE ABERCROMBIE The First Law Trilogy Box Set (Current eBay price £14, selling for £10)

JEFFERY DEAVER Shallow Graves (A Location Scout Series) The Bone Collector (Lincoln Rhyme #1) The Coffin Dancer (Lincoln Rhyme #2) The Cold Moon (Lincoln Rhyme #7) Twisted (The Collective Stories of Jefferey Deaver)

KARIN SLAUGHTER A Faint Cold Fear Fallen (Will Trent #5) Indelible (Grant County #4) Skin Privilege (Grant County #6)

KATE MOSSE Labyrinth (Languedoc Trilogy #1) Sepulchre (Languedoc Trilogy #2)

LAUREN KATE Torment (Fallen #2) Passion (Fallen #3)

MICHAEL WHITE Michael White Michael White

NANCY HADDOCK La Vida Vampire (Oldest City Vampire #1) Last Vampire Standing (Oldest City Vampire #2)

P.J. TRACY Play to Kill (Twin Cities #5) Want To Play? (Monkeewrench #1)

ROBERT MUCHAMORE Black Friday (Cherub 2, #3) Man vs. Beast (Cherub #6) The Sleepwalker (Cherub #9)

SHERRILYN KENYON Kiss of the Night (Dark-Hunter #5) Devil May Cry (Dark-Hunter #11)

SIMON BECKETT Written in Bone (David Hunter #2) Whispers of the Dead (David Hunter #3)

STIEG LARSSON The Girl Who Played With Fire (Millennium Trilogy #2) - £1 The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest (Millennium Trilogy #3) - £1

SUSANNA GREGORY A Plague on Both Your Houses (Matthew Bartholomew #1) Murder on High Holborn (Thomas Chaloner #9)

VICTORIA HOLT The King of the Castle The Secret Woman

[hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger]

Suggestions for where could the MCU go after phase 3?

With the rights to the X-Men and Fantastic 4 characters back at Marvel, I wanted to throw out some suggestions for films the MCU could now pull off, beyond just saying ‘a F4 movie’ or ‘an X-Men/X-Factor/X-Force/New Mutants movie’

 ·         Dark Avengers: Pretty much confirmed at this point and also a logical place to go after 4-5 movies with heroic Avengers

·         Secret Invasion: The MCU has a tendency to borrow more heavily from stories made during the late 1990s-now, especially during Quesada and Bendis’ reigns. This is possibly informed by the fact that both men were part of the MCU’s creative committee initially and were also in power when Marvel were seriously preparing the ground work to be their own studio in the 2000s. As such Secret Invasion, being a Bendis event story, would be a possible option at the best of times. But with the Skrulls established, no ifs or buts about owning the rights to characters like Super Skrull and Secret Invasion being the most famous Skrull story ever (which has already been adapted at least once in Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes) it’s all but inevitable that we’ll get this story. The temptation to bring back dead or otherwise retired characters, to play a game of mistrust between the heroes and to generate Super Skrulls who have zany combinations of different heroes powers is too irresistible

·         A Sam Alexander Nova movie: The Nova Corps have been a thing since 2014 in the MCU. There is speculation that Spider-Man: Homecoming may well have once been a proto-Sam Alexander Nova script. Sam Alexander himself has been in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon (which is produced by Marvel themselves) and he’d add yet more diversity to the MCU. There is speculation that Marvel’s insistence upon pushing him as Nova over the original Richard Rider Nova may well have been the result of their test piloting him for an inevitable film. Now he isn’t all that popular, but the MCU has not been shy (unfortunately) of combining the traits of characters and their legacy counterparts. See Spider-Man, Black Widow, Ant-Man, etc. So we may well get a Sam Alexander Nova movie in name but elements could be swiped from Richard Rider. Specifically his mid-2000s solo book by Abnett and Lanning. Not only was this a beloved book but it was also a sister title to their Guardians of the Galaxy title which of course later inspired Marvel Studios to make the GotG movies. In particular there is one story Nova (Richard Rider mind you) was heavily affiliated with and had a blockbuster quality to it. And that story was...

·         Annihilation: The OTHER massive 2006 Marvel crossover event book (that was actually good unlike Civil War), Annihilation reignited Marvel Cosmic and in doing do laid the groundwork for the rise of the modern Guardians of the Galaxy. The villain is of course Annihilus, whom Marvel Studios now definitively own the rights to. Annihilation could work as a Guardians movie, a Nova movie (Captain America: Civil War is an example of a crossover event comic turned into a solo film) or a MCU Phase finale ala Age of Ultron or Infinity War/Endgame. Possibly it could be a crossover between Guardians and/or Nova and/or the Fantastic Four. Like Civil War it may well be used to launch new films, like the F4 or, considering they were heavily involved in the event itself...

·         A Galactus movie: Not a solo film, but a movie where Galactus is the big bad. There are lots of options for this. As I said Annihilation could be used to set up Galactus or could make use of him after he’s already appeared to sell you on the threat Annihilus poses (which would work better in a Phase finale). Alternatively Marvel could risk essentially remaking F4: Rise of the Silver Surfer but better (it has been over 10 years since it flopped). Or they could simply use him  as the Big Bad of one their Phase Finales (Galactus served as the final villain of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, which involved the F4 so there is a precedent here). Or they could just use him as the main villain or a main player in...

·         Silver Surfer: A Silver Surfer movie has been discussed since the 1990s and almost happened in the 2000s after Rise of the Silver Surfer. With the rights back to one of, if not THE, most quintessential of Marvel’s cosmic heroes the MCU is likely going to want to finally make use of all those proposals and put something together. If nothing else it’s guaranteed he will show up sooner or later.

·         A movie featuring Super Skrull movie: Nothing really to add to this. Marvel own the Skrulls. They own the characters Super Skrull’s powers come from. He’s the most famous Skrull character out there. He’s one of the more memorable F4 villains. Just plain economics at that point.

·         House of M/Decimation: An Avengers/X-Men event crossover involving Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange and Magneto and straight from the pen of Bendis himself and originally published when we were waist deep in his and Quesada’s tenure at Marvel. It would somewhat depend upon the state of the Avengers post Phase 3 but you could easily tweak this story to make it purely an X-Men movie that involves Wanda somehow, especially when we consider Wolverine is arguably the lead character of it. The story itself might not be adapted exactly but the concept of Wanda essentially erasing most mutants from Earth would make for a compelling place for the new wave of X-Men movies to go, but probably not early on into their introduction into the MCU

·         War of Kings/Realm of Kings: Another Abnett/Lanning crossover event, this one crosses over the Starjammers (who’re the X-Men’s Guardians of the Galaxy though they predate the team by 3 decades), a few X-Men, the Guardians themselves, the classic Guardians (Yondu, etc), the Shi’ar  and the Inhumans. Now maybe the Inhumans are out of bounds given their terrible TV show but these are stories with a lot of scope that involve X-Men franchise characters and Guardians characters and is again from an era the MCU has proven it likes to swipe from

·         Trial of Jean Grey: I tentatively suggest this one because it’s more based upon the fact that it’s a Bendis story involving the Guardians and the X-Men rather than the actual events of the story itself. Along those same lines though:

·         Black Vortex: A much more recent crossover which is also courtesy of mostly Bendis and is also a Guardians/X-Men crossover. I’m suggesting a lot of cosmic X-stuff mostly because the MCU would likely seek to do something new with the X-Men and no matter what Dark Phoenix does, cosmic stuff is not the most explored territory for any X-Men movie so far

·         Secret Wars 1984: Secret Wars was arguably the first ever Marvel crossover event comic and Marvel Studios now have access to ALL the characters involved. The story itself might not be suitable to be a movie on it’s own but then again neither was Civil War and Feige et al turned that into one of the most beloved MCU entries ever. So you could do something with that, especially with a truly Godlike being like the Beyonder. Like Infinity War it could well be a crossover movie that centres upon a villain, specifically...

·         Doctor Doom: Of course we will see Dr. Doom eventually in the MCU. But given he’s been in 4/4 F4 movies thus far its likely he’ll be benched for awhile and built up. But my suggestion would be to not simply make him a villain but make him (possibly in his debut) a villain protagonist. This might sound nuts but Doom has headlined his own ongoing before, more than once in fact. He’s a villain yes, but a complex one, in fact Stan Lee and Jack Kirby themselves made him the lead of a story in one of their earliest F4 Annuals, revolutionary for the time. It seems fitting that Doom be granted the distinction of being a villain protagonist when DC are maybe doing a Joker movie and Doom is himself the quintessential villain of the Marvel Universe.

·         Secret Wars 2015: Alternatively down the line you could do something akin to Secret Wars 2015, wherein the universe is destroyed and reconstructed from the remnants, ruled over by Doctor Doom with Reed Richards and a handful of other heroes as the sole survivors against God Emperor Doom.

·         Annihilation Conquest: Mostly this story features the same players from Annihilation (minus Annihilus himself) and was also the formation of the modern Guardians under Peter Quill. So it’s a story Marvel are obviously aware of and could be very ambitious for them to do because it’d be the return of an old defeated villain, specifically Ultron but an Ultron now facing off against new foes and in a very different cosmic context. And it heavily involved the Technarchy/Phalanx whom Marvel studios now own the rights to. Whilst they could do a Phalanx Covenant movie for the X-Men Annihilation Conquest is another 2000s Abnett and Lanning affair whilst the former is a 1990s story that in concept wouldn’t be that different from Age of Ultron but with the X-Men

·         Inferno: This was a general Marvel Universe event but focussed upon the X-Men. I already mentioned how the MCU would likely wanna do new things with the X-Men franchise and an area the older movies never touched upon was the demonic stuff the X-Men got involved with, which Inferno was all about. Even as just an X-Men movie Inferno could be interesting but as a crossover it could be a chance to allow the New York based heroes to fight off demons and demonically possessed objects. The MCU, for better or worse, also like brainstorming their movies as ‘This classic movie/classic type of movie but with super heroes’. E.g. Ant-Man was a heist movie, Homecoming was a John Hughes coming of age movie, Captain Marvel was informed by True Lies among other things. Inferno, and this was part of it’s original concept in the 1980s, was essentially the Marvel universe riffing on Ghostbusters. If they promoted it that way they’d make a shed load of cash!

·         Avengers vs. X-Men: This is 100% inevitable. Not because it’s a 2012 very modern story. Not because it was written by Bendis. Not because it even happens to feature the Avengers and the X-Men. No it’s inevitable because any movie with that name alone would sell like hot cakes and it’s the next logical step in the escalation of the MCU. Avengers Assemble was crossing over solo heroes. Civil War was the Avengers fighting themselves. Infinity War was EVERYONE showing up. AvX is the Avengers fighting another superhero team. It could replicate the appeal of Civil War on a certain level but there is more bank off the decades long beloved X-men fighting the more recently beloved Avengers. And it could possibly lead to...

·         Uncanny Avengers: Basically a team movie where Avengers characters and X-Men characters are on a team together. Not really any particular story in mind but just in concept it could be a possibility. And that in turn might lead to...

·         AXIS: The unfortunately named 2014 crossover event starring the Avengers and the X-Men the concept of which was the heroes go bad, the villains go good. In particular if you’ve set up the Dark Avengers then this story could make for a fun pseudo Freaky Friday movie and is again a logical escalation of where we’ve been up until now

·         A Wolverine and Captain America period piece: Heavily dependant upon what Chris Evans future holds and whether Marvel will want to return to the cash cow that is Wolverine, but this has happened repeatedly in the comics, it’s happened repeatedly in the cartoons, it’s a movie that sells itself much as AvX did. Throw in the possible return of Peggy Carter and people will buy this. Yeah it’s a prequel but we’re already doing prequels now because of Captain Marvel and I’d be willing to be people would be even more hyped about this.

·         Infinity War: Not the movie, the comic. Just as a basic concept the heroes fight evil edge lord versions of themselves seems like a cool concept to go with in the future, its another logical escalation of what we’ve seen so far and could allow the actors to have a lot of fun

·         Infinity Crusade: I’m suggesting this more because I honestly have no idea what the benefit of introducing Adam Warlock is AFTER you’ve already adapted the Infinity Gauntlet into a movie. Even though strictly speaking Adam Warlock wasn’t the focal point of this crossover event you could tweak it so he was.

·         The Guardians stories involving the Magus: I tell a lie, there is ONE other thing you could do with Adam Warlock and tell a story about him possibly becoming his own evil future self the Magus. This happened in his solo book from the 1970s (which debuted Gamora btw) but it also got revisted in Abnett and Lanning’s tenure on Guardians of the Galaxy

·         An original Guardians movie: So far whenever a MCU hero concludes their own trilogy they might stick around into other films but their own film series is caput. With Guardians Vol. 3 on the horizon Marvel could switch things up by making a second trilogy based upon the ORIGINAL Guardians (Yondu, Starhawk, Aleeta, etc) who were introduced in Guardians Vol. 2. They had a loooooooooong history and their own solo book, which involved Mephisto (whom Marvel has had the rights to for awhile now) and many other characters so there is enough material to make into a trilogy.

·         Maximum Security: Even though a major player is Ronan, this story is definitely a crossover with movie scope as the assembled body of various alien races (the Shi’ar, the Kree, the Skrulls, etc) band together and decide that Earth should be turned into a prison planet for alien criminals, one of which is Ego the Living Plane himself. Obviously you’d have to change some things but this could be an ambitious Avengers/ X-Men crossover film

·         A movie where Rogue steals Carol Danvers powers: Rogue stealing Carol Danvers’ powers is a famous part of both heroes’ histories and it’d give a uniqueness to MCU Rogue over her XCU counterpart.

·         The Fall of the Shi’ar Empire: Suggested as the MCu looks to cosmic stuff to give their movies scale, the Shi’ar are cosmic, they now have the rights to them and as previously mentioned Marvel Studios looks a lot to more modern stories for inspiration and this arc stems from the 2000s

·         Holy War: It’s an X-Men story about vampires involving Dracula whom Marvel now has the rights to again since Dracula is a Blade character

·         Messiah Trilogy: Following on from House of M/Decimation, the Messiah Trilogy is a modern trilogy of X-Men stories that culminated in AvX and had Bendis input so it’s more likely than not that Marvel studios will look to it for inspiration eventually

·         Midnight Sons: In the 1990s Marvel’s consistently strongest out put was their horror/supernatural titles including Blade, Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider, etc. They formed a team, a supernatural Avengers if you will, at one point and so this seems like a nice money maker for Marvel to go for now they have Blade back and have already established Ghost Rider.

·         Siege: I duno how given how Asgard is GONE, but the Dark Avengers eventually led to Siege so if we’re getting the former we’re probably going to get the latter. Bonus points because Bendis was involved with it.

·         Operation Galactic Storm: This is fundamentally an Avengers story so maybe it’s less likely to happen post-Phase 3 but I suggest it because it’s a story that hinges upon the X-Men’s Shi’ar and the Kree who’ve been built up more in Captain Marvel, specifically the Supreme Intelligence who plays a major role in this story.

And my final suggestion, which I’d actually place money on panning out would be...

·         Onslaught: I’m dead serious. Even though it’s a much derided (unfairly imo) mid 1990s crossover that existed specifically to reboot the Avengers and F4, it is still a massive and ambitious storyline that is at it’s heart totally and utterly a crossover between the Avengers, the X-Men AND the Fantastic Four. Whereas other crossovers either split things between two groups or favours one over the others, Onslaught is just about the ONLY Marvel crossover event story I know of which makes a big deal out of all three of Marvel’s most famous superhero teams. To me it seems like the absolute most logical story to serve as the basis for not just a Phase finale but as a Grand Finale to all that came before much like Infinity War. Marvel have proved they can turn questionable comic book arcs into solid films and that they are not above looking to the 1990s for inspiration

[sionnac]

What would be some character theme songs that you’d give to your ParaShift characters?

LOL. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.  I’m kind of terrible at this and probably will come up with others right when I finish writing this….also, my playlist is about 50% wordless background music :D.  Under the cut, this will probably be long:

- I couldn’t tell you why, but I’ve always associated Bump of Chicken with ParaShift.  If ParaShift had a mood, I’d call it mostly Bump of Chicken, some parts Kobukuro, but on occasion Eiyuu (Doa), with a sprinkle of Saturn (Sleeping At Last) and The Last Goodbye (Billy Boyd). 

Shadow and Rai have a plethora….I probably could go on forever, but here’s some:

- 夜空中最亮的星 - Brightest Star in the Night Sky (Escape Plan) 

- 红日 - Blazing Sun (Hacken Lee) 

- Some Nights (fun.) 

- King and Lionheart (Of Monsters and Men)

- Love the Way You Lie (Skylar Grey)

And if we’re going especially sappy –> Wind Beneath My Wings, specifically: “Did you ever know that you’re my hero?  And everything I would like to be.”  I’ll let you guys decide which way these sentiments run. 

-  時の足音 - Footsteps of Time (Kobukuro) is one I associate strongly with Shadow.

- Rai specifically I’ve always associated with In the Sun (whichever versions) and King (Lauren Aquilina).  But sometimes…sometimes Rai is also the Metal Gear Solid theme song.  And perhaps this sort of stomps all over any masculinity people have envisioned of Rai, but 時代を越える想い or 穿越時空的思念 in all its forms,  particularly the version that Chinese fans are fond of singing to and particularly just the erhu versions.  More than just the romantic connotations to it, there’s a melancholic reminiscence that I think is very Rai.  

- The song of Gryff and his siblings….we’ll tentatively call them the “Wind Triplets” – for now – the Wind Triplets’ childhood anthem is Tentai Kansoku (Bump of Chicken).  Anytime I’m building on Gryff’s past, this song just runs on loop.

- Specifically for Gryff and his brother, Always Gold (Radical Face).

- Nobody asked particularly, but Ravage and Halo are basically 98% Two Steps from Hell discography, specifically Strength of 1000 Men, Dragon Rider and Heart of Courage… and that last 2% is made up of sappy things like The Rose (Bette Midler), Let Her Go (Passenger), It Is You (I Have Loved) (Dana Glover), Brother (Kodaline).

- Stormy and His Spoilerific Companions are best described as equal parts Holding out For a Hero (Jennifer Saunders),  Your Bones (Of Monsters and Men), Pompeii (Bastille)…..and there’s probably more I can’t remember.

- Trifecta is some parts At the Beginning (Richard Marx/Donna Lewis) and some parts Dear Friends (Triplane).  Inferno is sometimes strongly associated with Viva la Vida (Coldplay).  Anytime I’m developing Blitz’s backstory, Ihojin No Yaiba (Sword of the Stranger) is looped for..reasons I cannot explain.  I guess it’s kind of melodramatic, huh, Blitz.  And finally, for some reason, I pair Aurora with the Song of the Sea (Nolwenn Leroy) and if I had to pick a mood for her….it’d be We Know The Way from Moana.  If we’re taking a trek into her past, Saiai (either female/male versions..both versions).

Uhhhh….and …we’ll just leave it there for now.  Lol.   

As a bonus, ParaShigen is forever tied to 英雄寞 - Hero’s Solitude in my head.

[wayward-dragon-luvvr-blog]

World Building Questions For The Winged Lands

A long post. Get ready

-What do the dragons use as fuel? Because there isn't really anything that need to have fuel. I'll substitute the question for lighting. Beach Dwellers and some other kingdoms (Cave Dwellers and Wind Riders) have firefly lanterns in honor of the Firefly Wars a long time ago. Some dragons don't need lighting as they can see just fine in their environment (Wolf Hunters have open fields of ice and snow that can reflect light for them, Ground Scorchers have fire scales and literal lava near their houses), and other kingdoms are tying to invent new ways for lighting (Thunder Claws are experimenting with their electricity, but scientists haven't found anything useful yet).

-How long does it take to travel to each kingdom? Flying to each kingdom takes less time, and will be listed as on wing instead of on talon. If you flew without stopping, you'd to you destination in these amounts of time Beach Kingdom to Cave Kingdom: 3-4 hours Beach Kingdom to Wind Kingdom: 4 hours Beach Kingdom to Wolf Kingdom: 6 hours Beach Kingdom to Thunder Kingdom: 4-5 hours Beach Kingdom to Scorched Mountains: 9-10 hours Cave Kingdom to Wind Kingdom: 7 hours Cave Kingdom to Wolf Kingdom: 10 hours Cave Kingdom to Thunder Kingdom: 8-9 hours Cave Kingdom to Scorched Mountains: 5-6 hours Wind Kingdom to Wolf Kingdom: 2 hours Wind Kingdom to Thunder Kingdom: 30 minutes-1 hour Wind Kingdom to Scorched Mountains: 13-14 hours Wolf Kingdom to Thunder Kingdom: 1-2 hours Wolf Kingdom to Scorched Mountains: 16-24 hours Thunder Kingdom to Scorched Mountains; 14-18 hours

-What kind of religions do the kingdoms have? Beach Dwellers believe in prophets and spirits of the sea. There are two main deities they would normally worship: Luminescence and Firefly. To pay respects to these deities, they host a Firefly Festival during the spring and the fall and and a Luminescent Festival during the summer. Winter is thought to be a time where the sea spirits rested to regain power and energy they will use up during their special months. Whenever the spring Firefly Festival pops up everybody will catch fireflies to keep until the Middle Feast, an event that helps end hunger across the kingdom. The fall Firefly Festival is much less partying and more ritual-orientated. Little empty lanterns are spread across the dining room table and prayers are said with every meal. Little dragonets will often sleep with a lantern that holds one firefly inside. Luminescent Festivals include lots of partying! There are sports, competitions for sculpting and various recreational arts, and lots of activities to take part in no matter what your age is. At the end of the Luminescent Festival, dragonets are given trinkets or jewelry that they are allowed to keep. Beach Dwellers would probably call their religion something along the lines of Seerism or Candescence. (For religious reasons, this means nobody is allowed to be named Candescence.)

As for the Cave Dwellers, they are a bit less strict on their religion. A fraction of the kingdom comes from a different kingdom, after all. However, the royal family still has a "goddess" they respect- Victoria, the founder of their kingdom. It might be called Victorianity, as members would probably be called Victorian. The concept is, before important events such as weddings and royal challenges, Victorians will say or sing a little prayer in the name of Victoria before doing whatever it is they're going to do. There aren't any particular rituals that must be followed.

Wolf Hunters worship three deities, and share a deity with the Beach Dwellers- Luminescence. As the founder of the No-Wings, she is prominent in the religion of the Wolf Hunter kingdom. Their second deity is known as Eagle, Firefly's sister, and the third is The Mother, or Panther. They don't often host festivals for their deities, but they have built a few churches for worship and prayer. Their religion might be called Brilliance, as the religion itself is somewhat similar to Candescence.

Thunder Claws are atheists. as they do not worship any dragon of importance to their kingdom's history. Some, however, worship Panther and call her The Mother.

Wind Riders believe that their founder, Zephyr, was the god of gender equality and marriage. This affects the role of rulers and the role of their spouses greatly, leading to equal power between the two. To worship Zephyr, Wind Riders have a sort of festival, called the Song of The Breeze. It's basically a very religious concert where young dragonets can show off their talents and sing songs in praise of their god. They'd more than likely call their religion something like Tempestry.

Ground Scorchers have a government-enforced religion known as Koyotism. King Inferno insists that they worship their founder Coyote as a goddess, and anybody who isn't seen with at least one portrait of her in their house either fixes that problem or gets publicly executed. King Inferno claims that Coyote gives him the right to rule... yeah, right, you grumpy old fart. More like you gave yourself the right to rule.

-What is each kingdom's capital city, major cities, size, and military setup? The Beach Kingdom's capital is called Luminescent City, named after the founder of their kingdom. A few major cities would be Pearl Bay, Volcano City, and Trout Island. The current population is roughly 45,000 dragons, and they take up a good portion of the shorelines of The Fanged Lands. (One of the two continents, and the warmer one.) Their military is made up of volunteers, and much like the U.S. Navy, called the Shoreliners. The enlistment age- just like all the other armies, with the exception of the Ground Scorchers- is 8 years old. That's adult dragon age.

The capital of the Cave Kingdom is called Marigold Cavern, and the major cities of the kingdom are Hemlock Cavern and Baptisia Cavern. As the kingdom lives mostly underground it can expand to quite a large size- it's currently at about 49,000 adult citizens. The military setup is also made up of volunteers, but it's slightly smaller than the rest of the kingdoms' armies. Soldiers who work part-time are called Shaded, and full-time soldiers are called Shadowed.

Wolf Kingdom's capital is Permafrost. The major cities which surround it are Glacier, Orca, and Evergreen. The current population is quite large because the entire kingdom inhabits the Frost Lands. (One of the two continents, and the colder one.) There are estimated to be around 60,000 individuals in the kingdom. Their military is voluntary, but every now and then there is a draft that takes in citizens that are homeless or in need of a job. Around 20,000 dragons stand in the military alone. There is no specific name for soldiers in their military.

Wind Riders have a capital called Stratus City, and have only one major city named Falcon Rocks. There are a lot less Wind Riders than any other kingdom, the number being somewhere between 20,000-23,000 citizens. Their military is made up of some volunteers, but most of their defenses would come from the Thunder Kingdom, their ally.

Speaking of, the Thunder Kingdom's capital city is known as The Capital, as its original name has been lost to time. There are no known major cities, but a common fact among the rest of the kingdoms is that there's somewhere around 50,000 dragons in the kingdom. An even more well-known fact is that their military is flawless. There are Wings of troops, easily to deploy, and they’re all volunteers. Other kingdoms are amazed at their strength and skill. The Thunder Kingdom is certainly not the kingdom to mess with.

The Ground Scorchers do not have a capital, mainly because they don't even have cities to make into capitals. There are about 5,000-10,000 dragons in the kingdom. Their military is somewhat ruthless. Under King Inferno's rule, dragonets often get to kill their first dragon by themselves at the age of 5. Right after they pass their assassination test, they enroll in a Third School that's more like a boot camp than a Third School. So, about every single one of the Ground Scorchers can kill 10 Beach Dweller Shoreliners with their bare claws. King Inferno is delighted that he has so many killing machines at his disposal.

-What are the gender roles of each kingdom? Beach Dwellers, Cave Dwellers, and Wolf Hunters have an unspoken rule for gender equality. However, Wind Riders enforce gender equality fiercely and will not stop doing so until the world ends. Thunder Claws believe females are more powerful than males, and Ground Scorchers believe that males are more powerful than females.

-Do the kingdoms have specific languages or accents? No, not really, Some kingdoms might have a more southern drawl to their words than others, but for the most part they all have similar accents and share a common language.

-Are there any particular books or works of literature that the kingdoms enjoy? Yes! The Wolf Kingdom absolutely adores Teardrops, and call it a classic mixture of musicals and poetry. They will continue loving it forever, don't you know?

-Any opportunities for nightlife within the kingdoms? There are some places in the Beach Kingdom specifically built for parties, and Wind Riders will often have a non-alcoholic bar that offers a chance for aspiring stand-up comedians. Most other kingdoms will have something of the like.

-Are there wizard dragons or dragons that can use magic? Hexmasters are the most common word for these dragons, and their magic is genetic. There's no real way to trace it back in time, but it probably had something to do with a strange event called Panther's Fury. These Hexmasters can utter a phrase and set a dragon on fire, or they can say something under their breath and instantly fix a broken vase. However, this magic may come with consequences, and a few examples include loss of sanity, you might slowly turn to stone, your body can wither away, you can feel overheated or colder than a glacier from the Frost Lands, you can feel exhausted from using your power too much, or feel immense pain if you overwork yourself. However, some Hexmasters don't have any of these, and their power only grows with practice. Wind Riders have outlawed Hexmasters and anything that is hexed. (A hexed object is something created by a Hexmaster to produce a certain outcome, like a necklace that protects the wearer from fire or a bracelet that can turn the wearer invisible.) If they find that a dragon has been born a Hexmaster, they mysteriously disappear the following day.

-What kind of world does The Winged Lands take place in? The world has a somewhat wacky climate. It's somewhat similar to Earth, but its tilt makes the days in the Fanged Lands longer and hotter than the days in the Frost Lands. There are also other continents on the planet, but they haven't been explored yet and don't really contain much. Just a few chunks of ice and dusty, suspicious yellow rocks.

-Which characters have poor mental health that they hide? Ouch. It would probably be Rattlesnake. She's been raised to kill, and most of her fellow Ground Scorchers also have trauma from seeing so much death. King Inferno can be a bit messed up sometimes, especially when it comes to dragonets. It's not just that. Rattlesnake has been killing dragons ever since she was around 2-3 years old. She passed her assassination test super early, and King Inferno thought he could use that to his advantage. She was also shunned by her family, so that may have played a role in her tendencies to push others away.

-Which characters act as if they have no opinions on the others, but they are actually really caring? Rattlesnake is also applicable to this question, but I wanna also say Smog. It's not that he hates anyone, he just doesn't feel the need to rant to them. He has advanced empathy, which is surprising for a Thunder Claws prince.

-Which characters find it hard to open up to others? Probably Rattlesnake, Smog, and Turbulence. They all have a bit of a rough past, and each carries their own secret that they'd rather die than give up to a stranger.

-What kind of jewelry and perfume do the kingdom nobles wear? Beach Dweller nobles and royalty will often wear at least one bracelet or necklace. Some get wing piercings, others get tail rings or ear piercings. Any perfume they wear will smell like coconut, flowers, or fruit. Cave Dwellers also can get wing piercings, and a majority of them wear necklaces, earrings, whatever they find fashionable. The perfume that males use often smell like eucalyptus or spearmint, and females might wear the same thing. One thing is for certain, though: they all think the lavender-vanilla scent is to DIE for. Wolf Hunters also have earrings, but they also like to wear rings and chestplates embedded with things like lapis lazuli and diamonds. Wolf Hunters associate jewelry with marriage, so unmarried dragons often have smaller and less pieces of jewelry rather than elaborate wedding bands and chestplates. They consider wing piercings impractical. Wolf Hunter perfume would be musty and smell like Old Spice or something. They don't like floral scents as much as they like their strong-smelling cologne. Wind Riders don't have as much jewelry but they will sometimes have bracelets and anklets that they jingle around. Royalty, however, have no jewelry whatsoever. They don't even have any holes in their bodies from piercings. The perfume of nobles can invigorate and refresh the mind, and smells of fresh linen and lemon. Royal Wind Riders don't wear perfume either. Thunder Claws lack a taste in perfume, but they often have piercing everywhere on their bodies, from their wings and tails to their noses and ears. They may not have fancy jewels on them, but it still looks good. Ground Scorchers have a unique type of jewelry- horn rings. Nobles will often wear them as a sign of power or social position. They also have tail rings, but don't often get wing piercings because they think it's impractical, similar to the Wolf Hunters' beliefs. They don't often wear perfume, and would rather reek of blood than anything.

-What kind of currency is used in the Winged Lands? The kingdoms had a hard time trying to solve this problem, but they decided that the currency would be measured in a unit called Bets, Gambles, and Allins. A Bet would be considered twenty-five cents, or somewhere close to that, Five Bets make a Gamble. Gambles are equal to a dollar. Ten Gambles would make an Allin. Allins are worth about five dollars. A Bet has the appearance of a small silver coin with the letter B engraved into it. A Gambles is a moderately bigger silver coin, with the letter G engraved on it. It is impossible to mistaken a Bet for a Gamble. Allins are a flat disk of a silver-gold alloy, with the letter A delicately engraved into it.

-What kind of bugs can you find in the Winged Lands? In the Frost Lands, you cannot find any bugs due to the subzero temperatures there. However, the Middle has a lot of mosquitoes. (The Middle is a string of islands between the Frost and Fanged Lands. It's where the Wind Riders and Thunder Claws live.) In the Fanged Lands, praying mantises, some mosquitoes, butterflies, and various other bugs can be found.

-Are there any kinds of experiments or forms of research considered immoral to the characters in the Winged Lands? No, not yet... Not until a specific part in the story.

-What kind of education is there in the Winged Lands? There are three basic levels of school- First School (Elementary/Primary school), Second School (Middle/Secondary school), and Third School (High School). When a dragonet turns 8 and becomes an adult, they graduate Third School and can choose to go to Fourth School (College) or get a job in a general field. There are three fields as well- background field (baker, artist, farmer, stuff that doesn't exactly require a master's degree), general field (teacher, scientist, architect, festival conductor is there's festivals, ect.), and foreground field (biologist, librarian, professor, ect.). Dragonets can choose to drop out of school after Second School to pursue jobs in the background field, or they can choose to go to Third School and be able to pursue jobs in the general field. About half of all dragonets decide to go to Fourth School to get a degree for foreground jobs. Curriculums can vary from kingdom to kingdom, but it's generally the same... Except for the Ground Scorchers. Poor kids.

-Do the kingdoms use weapons to fight? Not all of them, but some will create weapons to fight with. A famous example are the Cave Dwellers. They can shed the leaf-like shapes on their tails and bind them to sticks to create razor-sharp spears. Of course, their tail shapes grow back. There have also been a few Wind Riders who create knife-like weapons with discarded wood they might find.

-What kind of intimacy is normal for platonic relationships? Does it vary between different dragons of different kingdoms? Often the most intimate friends will get is cuddling to keep each other warm, but it can vary from kingdom to kingdom. Dragons of different kingdoms can be friendlier or less intimate depending on their social position. Two peasants from different kingdoms could probably also cuddle for warmth as if they were the same subspecies, but two nobles could probably go so far as to hold talons and that's it.

-How are dragons of different gender expected to act around each other? Often, they can be as friendly and as casual as they want to be unless they're somewhere formal and they are unmarried. However, Thunder Claws and Ground Scorchers have different customs. Female Thunder Claws are respected by males and female Ground Scorchers are expected to obey any male Ground Scorcher.

-How are dragons of different social positions expected to act around each other? Peasants and lower class dragons are expected to give nobles full hospitality no matter what their business is. It isn't often that somebody that works in the background field meets somebody that works in the foreground field. However, lower class dragons are allowed to be more casual around middle class dragons. Middle class dragons are often respectful but not enslaved to nobles.

-How is a divorce viewed in the kingdoms? It depends on who demands it, the relationship the two dragons had, and what kingdom they're from. Most of the kingdoms are fine with it, with the exception of Wolf Hunters. They believe that marriage requires commitment, and why would you get married if you didn't like each other in the end?

-What counts as personal space and how important is it? If two dragons are standing about a foot away from each other, that's as close as they should get. It is important for dragons to have their personal space, but if they don't mind it being invaded, then they won't see it as something important.

-Does piracy exist in the Winged Lands? How big of a problem is it? There is legend of a group of dragons that live in a peculiar building made to be on water. They call themselves The Fates, and they are known to be an absolute menace. Any dragon that turns one of them in gets a generous prize.

-Are dragonets treated differently because of their gender? What are the differences? More often than not, dragonets are given the same education and raised the same. The Ground Scorchers, however, believe that females should take up jobs that require less physical work, and males are given combat training lessons after their assassination test to prepare for the army.

-Are there robots or machines in the Winged Lands? What are they for? There are prosthetic limbs for dragons that were either born without a leg or had to have a part of their body amputated. There is a legendary dragon known as Clockwork who, as a Hexmaster that had the consequence of withering away, to prevent his entire body from failing on him, he substituted most of his body parts for machinery.

-What does courtship look like in the Winged Lands? Often the two dragons start to take an interest in each other, and if they have enough courage to confess to one another, they will often wrap their tails together, put a wing over each other, and hold talons. Dating doesn't look like much, but it's obvious the dragons are fond of each other.

-What architectural features are common in the kingdoms? Beach Dweller will often have houses shaped like normal houses, Cave Dwellers carve out burrows and have a love for arks, Wolf Hunters often have buildings with designs that give a sense of movement to the building, Wind Riders have lots of murals, Thunder Claws also have normal-looking houses, and Ground Scorchers... don't have architecture to begin with. They live in a volcano, which obviously means their house might get melted and destroyed.

-What are the rules of war for the Winged Lands? Some acts are considered forbidden and if a leader or dragon does any of those acts they are immediately executed. These might include rape, burning things to the ground, genocide, and taking hostages.

-How is killing in self defense viewed in the kingdoms? It's justified. Completely and utterly justified.

-Does therapy exist in the kingdoms? Yes, but it's still a work in progress. There are few dragons that actually go to a therapist, because their family is usually a better substitute.

-How do dragons explain to their children where they came from? It sounds a bit like this: "Your mother and father were okay with raising a family, and then your father gave his genetic material to your mother, who then laid you as an egg. You hatched 10 months later."

-Any famous dragons? A lot. From oldest to youngest, there's Panther (mother of the entire species), Diamond (a prominent writer who created the play Teardrops), the founders of the kingdoms, Phoenix (a dragoness who revolutionized the armies of the modern kingdoms), the Eris Throne Rivals (who created the Beach Dwellers and Wolf Hunters), Vulture (a dragoness that ended the Rule of the Shadows), Feather (a dragoness who made outstanding contributions to the field of medicine), and Grievance (a dragon who made outstanding contributions to the field of psychology and helped create the idea and concept of therapy).

-When are dragonets considered adults? At the age of 8 years old, dragonets are considered adults. They can get married and raise their own family, get a job, go to Fourth School to continue their education, and do adult things in general.

-Are there any unearthly plants on this dragon-inhabited planet? Yes. There are a few plants which contain a neurotoxin that can be used to make dragons experience symptoms similar to schizophrenia, and they're called Illusion Orchids. They are parasites that will grow on cherry and apple trees, and the berries they produce are similar in appearance to either fruit, depending on the species. The berries contain the nuerotoxin. There are also Star Flowers, which are incredibly rare and are said to be a gift from Panther herself. Almost miraculous, they will kill off any diseases or parasites in the body, and increase the amount of nutrients that are carried in your bloodstream. The berries they produce are a bit more like acorns than fruit. With a brittle exterior that's about half a millimeter in thickness, the fruit inside is easy to squish and tear apart. The flowers themselves are a light cream with yellow patterns, very attractive to butterflies and bees alike.

-How do the kingdoms deal with incompetent leaders? Royalty would challenge the current ruler in a fight to the death. If they win, they become the new ruler. However, the Ground Scorcher noble families can challenge the ruler every 30 years if they think the current leader is incompetent.

-What do the kingdoms do for fun? Beach Dwellers often go for walks on the beach, and might also do carvings of various objects from palm tree bark. Cave Dwellers might create mosaics out of crystals they find deep in the stone they live in. Wolf Hunters will make art and music, or maybe design jewelry. Wind Riders will do stand up comedy and trade. Thunder Claws will spar to keep their skills sharp. Ground Scorchers might do contracts in their spare time.

-What are the three most common flowers in the Winged Lands? Lavender, Illusion Orchids, and cherry blossoms. Some families grow lavender and Illusion Orchids to create medicine that acts as an antidepressant and can help dragons sleep. These families will also grow cherry trees because the kind of Illusion Orchid they use will only invade that type of tree.

[omgkalyppso]

A War of Thorns - World of Warcraft AU Fanfiction

Hi, I’m reposting this from an oc blog I’ve abandoned so I can share it with some specific people. Don’t judge me too harshly.

The cool, damp floors of the Undercity seeped into the shoes and souls of the gathering Sylvanas had called in her Royal Chamber. The Huntmaster shifted from foot to foot and rest a hand on the warm hide of their fel core hound companion to stave away the chill of the room. The undead seemed unbothered by the atmosphere, and the lack of chairs, as relentless in their mundane activities as they ever were in battle.

A mage blinked into the room, looking apprehensive and apologetic; still, the Warchief nodded to them in greeting, and Nathanos whispered audibly to the assembly, “That’s the last of us, my Queen.”

“Thank you, my Champion. And thank you all for coming,” Sylvanas awarded the crowd. Many bowed their heads in reverence, others stood in silent anticipation. “I’m glad you all could make it so quickly.”

“We are at your call, Warchief,” assured Baine Bloodhoof.

Sylvanas paused. For barely an instant, but for long enough, that those who knew her noticed her moment of hesitation. When she continued, it was clear that she had prepared remarks, and spoke with the practiced calm of authority.

“Silithus. That has been the name of the game … or rather, that is what I wanted the Alliance to believe.

"Azerite is powerful. Just as powerful as it is rumored to be, and while it bubbles up from the core of our aching world, it feeds the lands, and the mountains … and any who wishes to tap its source.

"High Overlord Saurfang is leading an army towards Silithus. By now, he should be in the Eastern Barrens. I want you to intercept him and notify him that the preparations are complete.

"Preparations for what, you might ask? Why, we are going to capture the World Tree.”

Unease shifted about the room. Sylvanas raised her arms to quiet any encroaching whispers as she moved to elaborate, now pacing before each attending member of her assembly, measuring them.

“For the past few weeks the Tree has been feeding on the blood of Azeroth. It is a power that we do not yet understand with clear destructive ability. We cannot allow it to remain in the hands of the Alliance. Even if we were to collect every stone we should come across imbued with Azerite - it could hardly measure up to the quantity being spoon fed to our enemies.

"Regardless of any peace we have fostered during the war against the Legion, the Alliance will turn against us. They always do. We cannot simply hope that once the Tree has fed upon Azerite for twenty years, a hundred, a thousand - that they would not loose that power against us, destroying everyone and every thing we hold dear. We must face this impossible threat now, while it is still in its infancy.”

She sighed, lowering her head and raising her eyes to the Shadowblade, the leader of her rogues and assassins as she continued her command, “The kaldorei will defy our occupation unless we break their spirits. For this we must inflict a blow which will show them what is at stake. Malfurion must die.”

“As you command,” they answered, fading into the shadows with little fanfare, but the Archdruid in attendance stepped forward, ready to voice their opinion. Sylvanas raised a hand, and the room stayed quiet.

“I will not be taking council at this time. Of course I have weighed the value of the Dreamweavers and our other allies, and what this may do to our forces, the elements, our resources and our lands … I’m sorry,” she insisted with distinction, “but this is just too important.

"Meet with Saurfang. I will see you on the battlefield.”

 .

Saurfang fought as hard as any of them when time came for the attack, and yet he ordered mercy as often as possible, allowing many of the Alliance to retreat away from the destruction. Sylvanas would raise one long flickering eyebrow, but allowed it, as the night elves were not the target of this attack - if they should survive as refugees in Stormwind and put a strain on their resources, then so be it.

However, it was he and one other who found themselves facing Malfurion - all raging in their fray for different reasons. When the First of the Druids fell, Saurfang found himself hesitating - for being unable to tackle this foe on his own, he felt was not a fair fight. From the Trees, the Archdruid of the Dreamweavers revealed themselves, and offered to take Malfurion away to the Dreamgrove, where he might still appear a coward and a failure for the Warchief’s purposes, but then might not tarnish Saurfang’s honor. The old orc allowed them to leave, before retiring himself from this battlefield, to await the sight of the Veiled Sea.

The remaining champion had to bring the news of Malfurion’s escape to Sylvanas and the other leaders of the Horde. The Warchief’s instinct was to rage, and she dismissed Baine Bloodhoof for appearing too relieved of this outcome, much to his chagrin.

 .

The champions of the Horde were struck by the sight on the horizon of Auberdine. The World Tree lit up the afternoon sky like a beacon, the amber and gold patterning that was visible in all Azerite materials shining gloriously over the open shores.

The Alliance took the fight to the sea, extending too many of their forces forward from the fortress of Darnassus. When the Horde finally made landfall at Teldrassil, the inside of the World Tree was in a panic. Goblin-flyers began drilling into the outside of its branches and the blinding sparks scattered into the seas below.

From the Temple of Elune, Tyrande gave her orders. She pushed more of her forces to the shores, unable to face the gravity of her situation. The battle raged for hours, and the Horde continued to push her strained forces to the mouth of the Tree, into Teldrassil - it was blasphemy and inconceivable. Try as they might, the hippogryph riders left to her were unable to curtail the goblins boring into her home from all sides. The screaming of her people and her Goddess filled her ears and her heart, as the truth became clear to her. She called for retreat. She called for the evacuation of everyone. The Horde could not be allowed the Azerite and could not be allowed her children. They would abandon the World Tree, and burn it to the ground in their leaving.

Portals were opened all over Darnassus. Hearthstones were distributed freely. An elite team of priests and mages and druids gathered in the upper reaches of Teldrassil and prayed for forgiveness as they called upon the element of fire as a spherical inferno grew to encompass the upper reaches of the World Tree. The Horde forces fell into the destruction as the final holding line of night elves vanished with teleportation magic. Sylvanas screamed.

 .

It took hours for the blaze to burn down to a smolder. Large portions of the Azerite infused wood fell into the sea - black and red, useless and irretrievable. Though the Horde had succeeded in keeping this power source from their perceived enemies, it appeared that they too had lost this resource. Until Nathanos caught sight of it, a white gleaming portion of the world Tree, the edges of which glittered blue and gold.

“It must have splintered off before the blaze corrupted it,” he mused as Sylvanas raised a hand up towards it, keeping her fingertips just a breath from touching the Azerite. She looked up at it, the piece stood nearly three stories high, and about thirty meters across. It would never be fed from the Azerite in the soil, but it was still a powerful find. She called out a victory to her troops and arranged for a contingent of mages to spend the next three days teleporting it to the Mage Quarter in the Undercity.

 .

Word inevitably reached the Alliance that the Horde had recovered this piece of the World Tree, and none advocated louder for its return to the night elves than Tyrande. She may have exaggerated the power of this one piece of Azerite, but as much as Sylvanas knew - Tyrande could not stomach the symbolism and importance. This was their home. It was the right of the night elves to win back this one small piece when they had to leave all else in ashes.

Greymane, whose family had been so close to the fighting, and King Anduin, who maintained a strong skepticism of the Banshee Queen, both agreed and preparations for the Battle of Lordaeron were arranged.

 .

The armies of the Alliance were so awesome in size that stealth would be an impossibility. Their victory would have to come with force and strategy. The Horde knew they were coming days in advance, and once again Sylvanas called out to her forces to amass in the name of the Horde.

The civilians of the Undercity were evacuated long before the Alliance armies could be seen from the parapets of Lordaeron.

“They didn’t even think to treat with me,” Sylvanas shared sadly with Saurfang. “Just came straight for war.”

He could see his defeat approaching, his mind swirling with the guilt of his fight with Malfurion, the judgement of his shaman, and the weakness of the soldiers in his command.

When he abandoned his forces, many felt the pain of his betrayal.

The battle never turned in favor of the Alliance, for it was always in their favor. When Jaina Proudmoore arrived on the battlefield, all honor and glory for her king, Sylvanas knew it was time. She had her troops prepare barrels and barrels of plague, and then loosed it into the spiraling catacombs she had once called home. They would drown this piece of the World Tree in it, and they would not relinquish the Undercity. Lordaeron would always belong to the Forsaken.

After the irony of destroying their own … ancestral lands, also passed, Sylvanas had her forces teleport away in much the same way the night elves had; and ensured their remaining flying ships took to the skies in retreat.

“This was our home,” Sylvanas said to her champions. Her eyes wavered on the undead in her company. “We have lost this home once in life, and now - and now in death -”

While she initially appeared as if she might have had a point she was striving towards with this statement, Sylvanas lost herself in her words. Her mind railed with memories of Arthas’ destruction.

Lor'themar spoke, “We have all lost much. But the kaldorei had never lost anything in the way we had, prior to the World Tree.”

Sylvanas shook her head as she regained herself. “Exactly. This. This is still a victory. We have proven ourselves as resilient in the past, and we will continue to do so, again and again. Until the Alliance grants us a peace we can believe in. Or until absolute victory.”

[trinuviel]

A hero in her own mind... On Daenerys Targaryen (part 5)

This post is a continuation of my analysis of Daenerys Targaryen’s narrative arc in Game of Thrones (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4). Like the previous post, the focus is on her season 6 arc, which I’ve had to break up into several separate parts due to length. Season 6 marks a crucial moment in Daenerys’ journey and there are a lot of things to unpack from her scenes. 

DRAGON AND CONQUEROR

In the last post, I said that Daenerys burning down the Dosh Khaleen marked a symbolic rebirth for her. A rebirth that visually underscored her alignment with the elemental power of fire; an alignment she shares with her dragons, as they are Fire made Flesh. Thus, Daenerys the Dragon was awoken in the fires of the Dosh Khaleen. She is fiercer now, more ruthless and more determined than ever to do whatever it takes to reach her goal.

This becomes apparent in a scene from episode 6 where Daenerys are leading her new and improved Khalasar towards Meereen through a desert landscape. She discusses her plans for tavelling to Westeros with Daario, who says that “you weren’t made sit on a chair in a palace. You’re a conqueror Daenerys Stormborn”. I find this line interesting because it makes a distinction between conquering and governing. Daario is paying Dany a compliment but at the same time it reads as a bit of a backhanded one: she’s made for conquest, not governing. From his point of view it is absolutely a compliment because he doesn’t care about governing – he likes war and women. But Daenerys’ goal is not just conquest, it is also governing Westeros as its queen and she’s hasn’t been very successful in her attempts to govern Meereen.

This dialogue, however, isn’t the most important part of the scene but rather what follows after their little exchange. Dany stills her horse, sits quietly, scanning the landscape – as if she is sensing something that others cannot. Then she tells them to wait as she rides ahead alone. Daario and the khalasar wait. The horses become restless. Then we hear a loud shrieking and we see the shadow of a dragon gliding over the hills of yellow stone that surrounds the khalasar. Drogon flies into frame as the music swells triumphantly. Drogon lands before the men and we see Daenerys is sitting astride him, in complete control. Then she proceeds to give a motivational speech to her new khalasar.

What is important about this scene? Firstly, this scene establishes that Dany now has complete control over her Drogon, the most difficult of her dragons. Throughout season 4 and 5, she found it increasingly hard to control Drogon, to the point that he simply left her and ranged over various parts of Essos (Tyrion saw him in the ruins of Old Valyria). She had never ridden him until the last episode of season 5 and that only came about because of a state of emergency. Drogon was uncooperative when they landed in the Great Grass Sea. She couldn’t get him to obey her. Now Daenerys is in complete control of her dragon. She rides Drogon as if it is the most natural thing in the world – and she has a special bond with him. This is a demonstration of her power – a power that is every bit as otherworldly as walking unharmed out of a flaming inferno.

Then there’s the speech. Why include a motivational speech at this point in her narrative? The start of this scene has already established that the Dothraki now follow her and that she has decided to pursue her goal to conquer Westeros rather than continue to govern Meereen. On the surface of things, this speech offers no new information. However, I would argue that this scene has a very specific function in relation to the audience – and that it should be interpreted from a Doylist rather than a Watsonian perspective. That is, what is important about this scene is how it presents Daenerys and her ambitions to the TV audience.

This scene can be somewhat tricky to decode because it is, in a sense, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It presents itself as a conventional variation on The Rousing Speech Trope, which is a standard element in epic cinema, be it fantasy, period or action movies. This scene, however, isn’t standard at all. Rather, it inverts the trope but you have to pay close attention and you have to be conversant with the conventions of the trope. In order to spot the inversion of the trope, it is necessary to compare Daenerys’ speech with a couple of straightforward examples of the trope.

One of my favorite examples of The Rousing Speech Trope is from Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), where Aragorn gives heart to the soldiers before the Battle of the Black Gate in Mordor where they face overwhelming odds. It is a rather poetic speech and Viggo Mortensen is completely on point with the delivery. Interestingly enough, this speech is not from Tolkien’s books but an invention of the screenwriters. The reason for this invention can most likely be found in the conventions of the epic cinema. A rousing speech given by the hero before the final battle is standard operating procedure when it comes to this genre.

“Friends of Gondor, of Rohan – my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. The day may come when the courage of Men fails; when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship; but it is not this day – an hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the Age of Man comes crashing down – but it is not this day!!! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good earth – I bid you stand! Men of the West!”

Another favorite of mine is the bastardized and altered version of Elizabeth I’s famous Tilbury Speech that Cate Blanchett delivers in Shekar Kapur’s Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007).

“My loving people! We see the sails of the enemy approaching. We hear the Spanish guns over the water. Soon now, we will meet them face to face. I am resolved in the midst and heat of the battle to live and die amongst you all! While we stand together, no invader shall pass. Let them come with the armies of Hell! They will not pass! When this day of battle is ended, we will meet again in heaven… or on the field of victory!”

This scene is both visually and dramatically effective – with a flame haired Elizabeth who has donned armor like a latter-day Joan of Arc. Sitting a white horse, she is a dramatic sight as she delivers her rousing speech. However, this speech bears little resemblance to the original and very famous speech that Elizabeth I delivered at Tilbury in July 1588. Only a few lines from the original speech has been included (highlighted in black). Why is that? Elizabeth I’s Tilbury speech is very famous but it doesn’t really conform to genre conventions. It was written several centuries ago and thus it may not appeal to a modern audience.

The Rousing Speech Trope is most often deployed before a battle of some kind. (Top 10 Battle Speeches). The situation is dire, our heroes are on the defensive and the odds are overwhelming. Then the hero makes a speech to rally his men, reminding them of what they’re fighting for, etc. The music swells triumphantly as the soldiers cheer and then they are ready to fight. Such is the standard structure of a scene where this trope is used. What is particularly interesting about these speeches is the use of words such as we, us and our. The function of such a speech is to create a sense of fellowship, to create unity in the face of adversity. The aim is to stand united against a common foe by remembering the things that are worth fighting for, even worth dying for, whether that be family, country, freedom or even mankind itself. Within the narrative, the function of Rousing Speech is to give heart to the soldiers who are about to fight. However, such a speech can also evoke strong emotions in the audience and serve as a reminder of what we hold dear. Interestingly enough, the Rousing Speech Trope is almost always used in situations of defense. It is about motivating people to defend something precious. This is a very important point to keep in mind when we take a look at the speech Daenerys gives to her khalasar.

The scene with Dany’s speech to the Great Khalasar has roughly the same structure as most examples of The Rousing Speech Trope. However, the language and the message are quite different:

“Every khal who ever lived chose three blood riders to fight beside him and guard his way. But I am no khal. I will not choose three blood riders. I choose you all. I will ask more of you than any khal has ever asked of his khalasar. Will you ride the wooden horses across the black salt sea? Will you kill my enemies in their iron suits and tear down their stone houses? Will you give me the Seven Kingdoms, the gift Khal Drogo promised me before the Mother of the Mountains? Are you with me? Now and always?”

There is no real unity in this speech. Note how the key words: we, us and our aren’t present at all! Dany presents herself as an extraordinary ruler to the Dothraki – a Khal of Khals, so to speak. She asks a number of rhetorical questions? Questions that she doesn’t need any answer to. They just serve to rile up her troops into a frenzy. There is no us, no we; only you and I – there is no true fellowship between Dany and her army, only ruler and subject. She asks them to serve and they will serve her by giving her what she wants through violence. Daenerys paraphrases Drogo’s speech from season 1 (episode 7), leaving out the more unsavory bits about rape and slavery – though these things are not mentioned, neither are they expressly forbidden. It is understood that slaughter, pillage and rape will happen when she unleashes the Dothraki upon Westeros.

This speech highlights just how ruthless Daenerys has become in pursuit of her goal, especially when you compare it to the discussion she had with Jorah Mormont and Barristan Selmy when she arrived in Astapor in season 3 (episode 1). That was when she needed an army – and the reason she chose to acquire an army of Unsullied was because she didn’t want innocents to suffer in her war of conquest. She made that decision based on these words by Jorah Mormont:

“There’s a beast in every man and it stirs when you put a sword in it. But the Unsullied are not men. They do not rape. They do not put cities to the slaughter unless they are ordered to do so.”

The Daenerys of season 6 is a far cry from the kind-hearted young woman who was moved by the plight of innocents in season 3. That woman couldn’t bear the thought of her armies raping and pillaging their way through Westeros. Now she’s ready to unleash an army of Dothraki, whose entire culture appear to revolve around slaughter, rape and pillage! She may have told Yara Greyjoy that the Iron Islands has to stop reaving but she didn’t forbid the Dothraki their wartime “traditions”. Daenerys has definitely stepped onto a darker path and she is willing to compromise her own moral integrity to put her backside on the Iron Throne.

Since season 5 I have started to doubt whether Daenerys is supposed to be a hero in this story. She is undoubtedly one of the protagonists and she has done a number of remarkable things. Her crusade against slavery is a noble cause but the brutal way she handles opposition makes me wonder about her abilities as a ruler. So far, her intentions have been good but the road to Hell is often paved with good intentions. However, conquering a country because she thinks it is her birthright is a matter that very different from ending a cruel and inhumane system such as slavery. Daenerys’ quest for the Iron Throne is not an altruistic one. It is a selfish one – and the price will be paid by the people of Westeros.

He fiery “rebirth” marks a crucial change in Daenerys – a much more ruthless woman has emerged from the fire – and I think that her character is stepping onto a much darker path that may very well eclipse the heroic image she has enjoyed so far. This is the reason why I think the showrunners chose to write a scene for Dany that is typical for a traditional hero but where the significant part is the complete opposite of heroic. It is a speech that announces a war of aggression, not a speech that builds unity in the face of a stronger enemy – and heroes generally don’t preach slaughter and destruction in pursuit of conquest.

Incidentally, Jack Bender who directed this scene has some interesting thoughts on this particular subject:

“At the end of the scene, you should be somewhat roused by her and a little horrified. […] She’s not Hitler at Nuremberg, but she’s got the power.” (x)

The comparison to Hitler may be rather tasteless but Bender has a point. He articulates it better in an interview with Vulture:

“Historically, there are echoes of that kind of speech, seeing that kind of fervor for that kind of leader. Power is a seductive thing, and you have to decide whether to use if for good or bad. Every great leader has to know how to wield that sword, and she certainly has the charisma and power to get them back to her. Where it goes from here, who knows.” (x)

In this context, I find it very interesting that it is in season 6 that the show really begins to compare and contrast Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen in their roles as leaders. Until now, they have been on parallel journeys but now we begin to see the contrasts between them – and there are some very striking contrasts indeed. In my previous post, I noted the worshipful attitude the Dothraki exhibit towards Daenerys when she emerged unburnt from the fires of the Dosh Khaleen. Jon was met with a similar awestruck attitude when he emerged after his resurrection. But where Dany accepts and revels in the worshipful adoration, Jon quietly rejects it. When Tormund says “They think you’re some some kind of god, Jon simply answers: “I’m not a god” (episode 3).

Even the way the two scenes are shot reveals some interesting contrasts. When Dany exits the fire she remains standing on the steps that lead up to the burning building. There she stands while all the Dothraki prostrate themselves before her. When Jon emerges from the room where he had lain dead, Wildlings and Black Brothers stand in the courtyard of Castle Black, looking up at him. He descends the steps and walk among the men and he quietly defuses the awestruck atmosphere through his interactions with Tormund and Edd.

A similar comparison can be made between Jon and Dany with regard to the manner in which they recruit the Wildlings and the Dothraki to their causes respectively. I’ve already conducted an analysis of how Dany riles up the fervor of the Dothraki with a speech about killing her enemies. Jon Snow goes about his business in a markedly different manner (episode 7). 

Jon Snow asks the Wildlings for their help – then he steps aside and let their leaders debate the question. When he steps into the debate, he stresses that they all need to stand together against the common enemy. The way the two scenes are filmed is also striking: Dany sits atop a huge dragon and looks down on the Dothraki whilst shouting at them whereas Jon is placed on equal footing with the rest of the Wildling leaders. He isn’t even in the centre of the shot – all of them actually stand in a circle! The difference between the two leaders couldn’t be more stark (pun intended). Daenerys secures the loyalty of the Dothraki through shock, awe and sheer charismatic presence whereas Jon secures the Wildlings through earnest cooperation and common goals. Both are strong leaders – but there’s a difference between military victory and governance, and strong military leaders are not necessarily good rulers.