#the dead trove

[acourtofquestions]

Okay… so what’s the deal with ACOTAR 6??? — Was there an announcement/date/title/plot confirmation!?!

[carrionhearted]

I showed someone a photo of my room, and their response was “I thought this was a photo of a haunted house attraction at first”

I think. This is a success.

(This was the photo)

[sav37]

You know what Nesta Archeron or as I like to put it- The Queen of Queens deserves?

The position of the High Lady of the Dusk Court.

The entire Valkyrie army under her (filled with the priestesses from the library because they need to break away from trauma and not live down there forever)

All the Illyrian women forming another legion under Valkyries because that would kick ass-

The dead trove and all the made weapons (Gwydion, Ataraxia, etc... etc.)

Better friends than the Inner Circle who only like to drink and go lingerie shopping but I'd say she has already found them- #WeLoveGwyn #WeLoveEmerie

A badass High Lady beast form like a Dragon or something.

Fenrys Moonbeam

Eris Vanserra

In short, a better husband because my girl deserves a prince 😭 not a sex hungry brute. (Sorry, not sorry)

Basically...

EVERYTHING

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.

.

.

Art by: airiruriru

[nyxreads]

So what do you think the next book will be about? We know it will be about Elain, but how do you see it going? What will be the main storylines? I am curious about what everyone is thinking.

Hello anon, sorry this kinda took me long to answer and honestly I am lazy and can't explain articulately what's in my mind but I'm gonna link you to some theories/analysis (based on canon) that I truly loved and agreed on about Elain and her upcoming book:

[misteria247]

I WARNED YOU ABOUT THE STAIRS BRO-

[life-love-geekculture]

Oh, the Troves are a whole other can of worms.While I have no doubt of Elain’s ability to wield them, I think the current three are best served with Nesta. Each aligns more or less to an aspect of the elder Archeron’s personality (the Crown of a realm-less queen, the Mask of the wolf/death she hides beneath, and the Harp for her love of music). The three are rightfully bound to her.

But…

We know there is the single Trove item of which we do not know it’s exact nature. The only mention of it is hinted in shadows. My firm belief is that it will end up belonging to Elain and will likely take the form of an item that matches her skills to remain hidden in plain sight (a bone hair comb for instance)

But really, setting Elain as the Seer was either the most serendipitous gift the Cauldron could bestow or…

The Cauldron is the biggest bullshit artist of the ACOTAR universe. Let me explain.

Elain might be the single most terrifying member of the Archeron sisters. Because everyone and I mean E-VE-RY-ONE underestimates her. Even Nesta, who probably knows her the best, considers her (Elain) no better than a dog when she’s pissed at her. Loyal only to whoever keeps her the most comfortable. Emphasis is always placed on how fragile, sweet, and beautiful she is. How she needs to be protected and allowed to plant her gardens.

The thing is though, if you pay attention to what Elain says and does in the books, it doesn’t take much to realize she uses that perception as a shield and cudgel. Of the three sisters, she’s probably the one least afraid to get her hands dirty both literally and metaphorically. We’re talking about a girl who’s idea of fun can be back breaking work for the sake of temporary beauty. A girl who, lest we forget, STABBED THE KING OF HYBERN in the back without hesitation. Elain is the OG rogue of the Archeron family.

And she’s been that her entire life! Nesta establishes in ACOSF that they’re mother (stupidly) never placed any focus on Elain, believing her silly and vain but pretty enough to marry off well. Elain, meanwhile and without specific guidance, has the presence of mind to not only log Nesta’s ability to power dance her way through revenge but, when she’s older:

1) endears herself to the point of engagement with the one family that stood a chance of protecting her & Nesta as humans in Prythian.

2) ingratiates herself after the war to her sister’s court despite appearing to lack traits which align with said court.

Elain is such a quintessential middle child because for all the attention paid to the attributes she hides behind, she herself is ignored. That’s why it’s so shocking when she suddenly defends herself or when she spouts gems like the Queens can all burn in hell (ACOMF). But we, the readers, are made well aware through other characters observations, even when they are not, that there is more hiding beneath the surface. Elain’s single greatest ability as a human and Fae is that she sees everything. People don’t bother to hide around her often falsely assuming based on her shield of beauty that she’s not paying attention. When, in fact, she’s cataloging and storing information for use at the appropriate time.

Based on Nesta and Feyre’s observations, the process of being Made seems to be an amplification of what you already are. One wonders, then, if Elain’s observation skills are what Made her a Seer or what inspired the Cauldron to bestow that specific gift to begin with. Either way, all I’m saying is, if Koschei, given his predilections, decides to try & kidnap her imma gonna be like:

[xxvalkyriesxx]

Death's End - Chapter Two

Masterpost

Read AO3 or below

AN: Hello again <3 It's been a little bit since I've been back in this story's world. Yall are gonna have a super big treat tonight as I'm doing a double chapter release tonight! Chapter three will be up soon <3 Chapter two was just a little short for my liking plus I need to sit down and write which will hopefully be the epilogue soon and the next chapter of Flying Changes.

Thank you so much for the support! Enjoy <3

CW: graphic descriptions of violence, violence against women/children

Snippet

“Do you know who I am?” Cassian taunted the male.

The male cried out as the dead pushed his head into the snow. Cassian strolled up to him, placing his boots on either side of the male’s head.

“I think I asked you a question.” Venom dripped from his words.

“Y-you’re the Lord of Bloodshed. The Prince of Bastards.”

Cassian growled. “Lord of Bloodshed will do just fine.”

He pulled the male’s hair making him look at Nesta. She stood stiff and tall, her arms at her side.

“Who is she?”

“T-the witch.”

Cassian yanked his hair harder, sneering. “Try again.”

“T-The High Lady’s Sister.”

The General of the Night Court tsked. He looked over to the empty eye sockets of the skulls that stared at Nesta. He had seen more death than anyone should in five hundred years, however, the dark magic that ran through the corpses made Cassian stay on edge. He killed thousands, but the dead didn’t come back, not like this.

Swiftly his hand yanked the male’s hair, dragging him out of their grasp before bringing him to Nesta’s feet.

“Her name is Lady Death.”

**

Cassian watched as his mate broke the bargain she had made with her sister, his High Lady. The fear of her future rolling tides of anxiety and dread into his soul.

But even with the broken bargain, Cassian could only watch in awe as Nesta pointed to the ground near her. The ground shook as skeletons clawed out of the earth. The disturbed ground made the dirt swish to mud as the skeletons rose. Some had armor on them, some had nothing at all. Some of the dead were fully intact while others not so much.

Illyrian skeletons stood with their boned wings spread, talons still sharp. There must have been fifteen, maybe even thirty of them. Mother, it was probably more than that. They stood, watching Nesta, waiting for their orders.

Nesta pointed to the Illyrian rebels that surrounded Cassian, a death sentence bestowed upon them. The rebels shook in fear, coming face to face with dark magic that was so powerful it made Cassian bow his head in respect.

“What in the bloody fucking Mother is that!?” Screamed one the rebels.

“What is your witch whore doing? Tell her to stop.” Another yelled at Cassian, yanking at the collar of his armor.

Cassian could only smirk in response. “What my witch does best. Making males scream.”

The dead ripped the rebels away from Cassian, holding them down as they screamed and tried to fight their way for an escape, the dark magic doing its work. Nesta strode into the center of the clearing where Cassian and the rebels were. Her grace was the exact same to a wolf’s that found its prey. The rebels screamed as Nesta approached them, Ataraxia reflecting the moonlight off the blade. Cassian’s siphons glowed in response.

She didn’t ounce a word as the dead held the rebels in execution positions, holding them down by their shoulders as their knees snuck into the snow. Swiftly Nesta made one head roll, then two, three. Screaming pleas were useless as two more heads fell to the snow, the faces frozen in horror. Blood spattered onto the snow and onto Nesta; the Masked now tainted.

The last remaining rebel alive sobbed as urine stained the snow he kneeled in. 

He was the one who called Nesta a whore.

“Please, please let me live. I’ll tell you everything. Anything you want, jus-just let me live.” The male pleaded, tears streaming down his face.

Nesta tilted her head, a clear sign to Cassian she was still there even with the Mask on. A moment passed before she put Ataraxia away, back in the sword’s sheath. The rebel broke into sobbed prayers of gratitude, however the dead illyrians still held onto him. Nesta raised her hand again making the newly dead stand up on their feet, headless and ready to serve.

Quietly Nesta walked over to Cassian, silver eyes glowing from the Mask.

Never stare into the eye’s of a predator. A lesson Cassian was taught from a young age that shaped him into being a predator himself. But now standing several inches shorter than him, Cassian looked right into her eyes.

Death’s eyes.

Lady Death.

They were going to get into so much trouble with this stunt. Fuck it.

Cassian purred. “It’s been awhile, Sweetheart.” He picked up her cold hand, kissing her knuckles. Her silver eyes blazed from the mask’s cutouts. He pulled away, picking up his broadsword from the ground. The blade’s girth was wide, catching the mirror expression of the Illyrian male him.

“Do you know who I am?” Cassian taunted the male.

The male cried out as the dead pushed his head into the snow. Cassian strolled up to him, placing his boots on either side of the male’s head.

“I think I asked you a question.” Venom dripped from his words.

“Y-you’re the Lord of Bloodshed. The Prince of Bastards.”

Cassian growled. “Lord of Bloodshed will do just fine.”

He pulled the male’s hair making him look at Nesta. She stood stiff and tall, her arms at her side.

“Who is she?”

“T-the witch.”

Cassian yanked his hair harder, sneering. “Try again.”

“T-The High Lady’s Sister.”

The General of the Night Court tsked. He looked over to the empty eye sockets of the skulls that stared at Nesta. He had seen more death than anyone should in five hundred years, however, the dark magic that ran through the corpses made Cassian stay on edge. He killed thousands, but the dead didn’t come back, not like this.

Swiftly his hand yanked the male’s hair, dragging him out of their grasp before bringing him to Nesta’s feet.

“Her name is Lady Death.”

“L-L-Lady Death. I-I beg you.”

“She doesn’t answer to whiny males. I would know.” Cassian muttered before he handed Nesta his own sword.

“Would you like to do the honors, Sweetheart?”

Nesta glanced from Cassian to his sword then back to him. A moment passed as the male kneeling in front of them screamed and cried.

“Together.” Her voice was barely a whisper reaching for the handle of his sword.

“Together.” Cassian echoed her. Clasping his hands over hers, they held the sword over the Illyrian male’s head.

The male shouted out pleas and curses and prayers right as the broadsword sunk into his head, his voice going quiet. Foul smells of shit and tears engulfed the newly corpse. The look of horror frozen onto the face. Cassian put his sword away, never taking his eyes off Nesta.

“Come on, Nes. Playtime is over.” He coaxed.

But Nesta made no move to take off the Mask, instead she stood where she was. The tips of his fingers tapped against the side of his leg. Even in the cold he felt sweat build up on his forehead.

Cassian sighed, cradling her face in his hands.

“Nes, come out. We can play after you’re back.” His voice husked, trying to lull her back like when she scried years ago to find the Dead Trove item that jailed her.

Nesta flicked her hand out, making the ground shift. Footsteps and bones rattling grew closer as the dead stood around them. The dead were a mix of skeletons, rotting corpses, and the freshly killed. Cassian noticed all of them seemed to be males by their size. 

Cassian’s heart leaped from his chest, unsure what his mate was planning. “Nes..?”

His mate stood next to him, her gaze on their audience.

“Sweetheart, you need to take the mask off. Now.” He asked.

There was a settle shift from the dead, causing Cassian’s siphons gleamed in power as he took a stance, ready to fight them. However before he could grab his broadsword, Nesta pulled his head down to her’s, kissing him.

The kiss was familiar and new all at once as their lips connected. Somehow Cassian felt the power rumble from the Mask as the two shared the intimate moment. Eventually Nesta broke their kiss, leaving him breathless as Nesta turned, pointing to the dead. Cassian stood on weak knees as his head turned, seeing that the dead were no longer standing, but were on the ground, kneeling. 

Nesta sneered at them, the silvery eyes blazing in control and power before she screamed. Her scream echoed, making birds fly off the trees. Her voice was pain, trauma, and darkness. The pitch was loud, but Cassian dug his nails into his palms, refusing to cover his ears. They were equalled in life and in death. Was the ground shaking or was it all in his head, Cassian couldn’t tell.

She fell to her knees as her screams died down. The Illyrian warrior walked over to her, kneeling next to her. Tears were streaming down her face from beneath the Mask. Nesta peeled the Mask off her face moments later but Cassian swore it was a lifetime. Nesta’s body fell to the snow  as the dead did the same, dropping like flies.

Cassian pulled her into his arms, her body shaking. He kissed her head as heavy sobs racked through her. She clung to him tightly, her voice too hoarse to speak. Gently, his hand traced her back, creating soothing motions. When he pulled away, he saw her rose colored eyes from the tears. Her mouth moved, but not a sound slipped out. 

I love you.

Then she went limp in his arms, her breathing slow. Quietly he held her as he picked up their swords before flying off to a small cabin he hadn’t been to in centuries.

Tag List (let me know if you’d like to be added or removed):

[hoodiehydra]

OMG I LOVE IT! I would be down for a sequel! Maybe there would be a part with how Sarv would feel about Ruv's relationship with the reader! If you don't want to do a sequel, it's fine.

OOOOO YEAH THIS IS GONNA BE FUN

honestly I think I’m gonna fuck this request up too.

I can’t do something good around here ;-;

Ah well.

Ruv x gn! reader (part 2)

Honestly didn’t think you would like it this much so ty for the ask!

I like to make my fics a little comical, so more fourth wall breaking!

4th wall: No... more... please

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Fuck off, she’s mine

It’s been... how long since you two started dating? Oh yeah, a few months. Ruv was a very sweet and caring, but also stoic and silent type of boyfriend, but the good thing was that he would never talk over you, and he enjoyed listening to you talk. He was a good listener, and in return, you were a good speaker. You had a lot of topics that you loved to talk about and he enjoyed listening and watching you talk about them. You always looked so cute whenever you shared about them to him, and despite him always with a neutral look, he found it so adorable with your face looking at him with that innocent childish look and excitement. It always made his heart melt.

Your relationship was so sweet and cute, Sarvente was adoring it. You two were perfect for each other, definitely more than her and Ruv (yes she knew about it). As a friend that helped you connect with Ruv, a mutual friend, she was incredibly proud of herself for playing the matchmaker card and helping the two of you get into a relationship together.

Sarvente, the sweet nun, was definitely making the right choice when she introduced the two of you to each other. It wasn’t a mistake.

*Pats Sarvente on the back* Good job girl! CANYOUPLEASEGETMEABFPLEASE???

Sarvente would definitely delete the existence of people who try to get in the way of both you and Ruv’s relationship, if Ruv hasn’t killed them first, that is. Powerful, sweet demon lady and a stoic murderer would do anything to protect you and your relationship. I will kill whoever tries to upset you too.

You would often find yourself at the church to either hang out with Sarvente, or to find Ruv for general couple-y stuff. Basically just for comfort and stuff if you ever need it. Usually Sarvente would also gush about how you and Ruv look so cute together, which either leaves you a blushing mess, or if Ruv overhears, he’s gonna blush a little. BUT he does think about what Sarv says behind closed doors, when it’s just him. It usually makes him blush a lot too. Not as much as you, but it’s rather obvious.

Both your writer and Sarv think you two are adorable!

EXTRA: your ex comes to disturb the relationship.

You were at the park with Ruv, just enjoying the view and nature in all. The fresh air felt so comforting as you breathed it all in. You no longer felt confined within the small walls of your home and you were feeling very pleased with that. Finally, you two could just hang out, no work, nothing to disturb you.

Apparently, when I said “nothing”, the universe translated that to “your ex”.

Do I really need to state whoever just decided to waltz back into your life after cheating on you? No? thank goodness.

“Hey there, my lovely Y/N.” Ayden tried horribly to flirt with you.

You glared at him, obviously wanting him to be finally gone and done with. You shooed at him, but you forgot he was stupid and blind, and he can’t ever take a hint. Groaning, you said, “Get out of my sight, you awful cheater. We were only together for-? A few days? I don’t see that as an actual relationship, unlike my current one over here. And I’m not yours. So please, leave.”

“You’re really gonna stoop so low? For this guy? I’m pretty sure I can offer more.” Ayden smirked, which only made you cringe in disgust.

You failed to notice Ruv giving Ayden a death glare, and Ruv muttered, “Go away, asshole.”

Ayden was appalled. Fucking APPALLED. This bitch- oh Ruv was about to kill him. But not in the park. He wouldn’t make this place a crime scene in a few minutes, even though he really wanted to.

He gently guided you away from Ayden, and pointed the middle finger at the cheating asshole, and he mouthed “Don’t follow us if you want to leave, fucker.”

This caused Ayden to stop in his tracks. Ruv was absolutely fucking terrifying, and definitely not someone he wanted to mess with. You two left, but  Sarv saw the whole thing since she wanted to tell you two in person about finally discovering her demon form.

The whole thing played in front of her.

Might as well put this new form to use, heh.

And none of you ever saw Ayden again.

GOOOOO SARV GOOOOO WOOOOHOOO

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

And that’s it! Sorry it took a while, heh. I hope you liked it.

[caterpillarinacave]

well this sucks

[acourtofquestions]

16.)

What decides how the Bone Carver appears to you & Why?

There are a lot of theories (many of yours which I love too) here’s my current thought:

It’s the thing you don’t see coming, the one to save you the one to end you (like the one you love most & the one you fear most). It’s the twist of fate, Life and Death. — (kinda like Amarantha’s riddle)

The reason being that creates fear, questions, and for the Carver control… Which fits the death lords & the dead trove while being unique to him (as each of his siblings power differ as well).

Reasons being:

Feyre sees a version of Nyx (twist of fate). When she is in denial over Rhys & confusion over life seeing Nyx (or as she believes “a young Rhys”) shocks her in ACOMAF (the one she doesn’t see coming). The idea of it saves her in ACOWAR because it feels like a promise that they will live long enough to have a child. In ACOFAS it is the thing she wants most, for the loves she loves most. And the thing she fears most (losing that love, & never having a chance to meet it; Nyx). The love & fear, wish & belief, for them (Nyx, Rhys, & her) becomes a twist of fate that makes her willing to meet/set on her “supposed” end (one only a death lord wielding the dead trove can save her from).

Rhys sees Jurian alive again (plot twist)… that even he doesn’t see coming; goes so far as to blind himself to, because of the absolute terror he holds in the memories of his loves end of his worst fears by Amarantha’s hand (that held Jurians soul). Jurian is the road from his past & to his future. As the latter twist to surprise makes Jurian the thing to save him through a secret alliance. One that leads him on the path to his own end for the one he loves (Feyre).

… Though we don’t know what Cassian sees the Carver as, it obviously strikes terror (one might assume it’s the same thing he sees Bryaxis as). Most likely meaning it is tied to death & loss, loss of love (the greatest fear), and twists of fate (the only things strong enough to bring the great warrior Cassian is even close to death… and even in that detail death would bring him closest to his love, Lady Death).

PT. 2 CONTINUATION

Read/Re-Reading questions, theories, fandoms & more!

1 & 2. What did the inner circle of Night Court do while Rhys was trapped under the mountain?

Did he trap them in Velaris to keep them safe/from trying to save him? — If not, how did he convince Azriel, Mor, & Cassian not to try & to rescue him?!?

Rhysand may be able to care for himself, he may command mad respect; it may have been a known death mission; but even if they didn't know the full extent of torture UTM, & even if 50 years of time is experienced differently/faster for 500+ aged immortals... I just can't imagine them leaving him there unquestionably (even if he told them to).

[dndtreasury]

Scepter of Dead Suns

[real-russ-jackson]

Behind the scenes special Show Me More: The Walking Dead: Dead City

[devinwolfi]

new motw supplement... means i am wanting 2 play

[navree]

you know you probably could make extraordinarily good biblical epics, like, even new testament based ones, but the only people who would want to do that are fucking freaks (derogatory)

[sophiamcdougall]

You're a reasonably informed person on the internet. You've experienced things like no longer being able to get files off an old storage device, media you've downloaded suddenly going poof, sites and forums with troves full of people's thoughts and ideas vanishing forever. You've heard of cybercrime. You've read articles about lost media. You have at least a basic understanding that digital data is vulnerable, is what I'm saying. I'm guessing that you're also aware that history is, you know... important? And that it's an ongoing study, requiring ... data about how people live? And that it's not just about stanning celebrities that happen to be dead? Congratulations, you are significantly better-informed than the British government! So they're currently like "Oh hai can we destroy all these historical documents pls? To save money? Because we'll digitise them first so it's fine! That'll be easy, cheap and reliable -- right? These wills from the 1850s will totally be fine for another 170 years as a PNG or whatever, yeah? We didn't need to do an impact assesment about this because it's clearly win-win! We'd keep the physical wills of Famous People™ though because Famous People™ actually matter, unlike you plebs. We don't think there are any equalities implications about this, either! Also the only examples of Famous People™ we can think of are all white and rich, only one is a woman and she got famous because of the guy she married. Kisses!"

Yes, this is the same Government that's like "Oh no removing a statue of slave trader is erasing history :(" You have, however, until 23 February 2024 to politely inquire of them what the fuck they are smoking. And they will have to publish a summary of the responses they receive. And it will look kind of bad if the feedback is well-argued, informative and overwhelmingly negative and they go ahead and do it anyway. I currently edit documents including responses to consultations like (but significantly less insane) than this one. Responses do actually matter. I would particularly encourage British people/people based in the UK to do this, but as far as I can see it doesn't say you have to be either. If you are, say, a historian or an archivist, or someone who specialises in digital data do say so and draw on your expertise in your answers. This isn't a question of filling out a form. You have to manually compose an email answering the 12 questions in the consultation paper at the link above. I'll put my own answers under the fold. Note -- I never know if I'm being too rude in these sorts of things. You probably shouldn't be ruder than I have been.

Please do not copy and paste any of this: that would defeat the purpose. This isn't a petition, they need to see a range of individual responses. But it may give you a jumping-off point.

Question 1: Should the current law providing for the inspection of wills be preserved?

Yes. Our ability to understand our shared past is a fundamental aspect of our heritage. It is not possible for any authority to know in advance what future insights they are supporting or impeding by their treatment of material evidence. Safeguarding the historical record for future generations should be considered an extremely important duty.

Question 2: Are there any reforms you would suggest to the current law enabling wills to be inspected?

No.

Question 3: Are there any reasons why the High Court should store original paper will documents on a permanent basis, as opposed to just retaining a digitised copy of that material?

Yes. I am amazed that the recent cyber attack on the British Library, which has effectively paralysed it completely, not been sufficient to answer this question for you.  I also refer you to the fate of the Domesday Project. Digital storage is useful and can help more people access information; however, it is also inherently fragile. Malice, accident, or eventual inevitable obsolescence not merely might occur, but absolutely should be expected. It is ludicrously naive and reflects a truly unpardonable ignorance to assume that information preserved only in digital form is somehow inviolable and safe, or that a physical document once digitised, never need be digitised again..At absolute minimum, it should be understood as certain that at least some of any digital-only archive will eventually be permanently lost. It is not remotely implausible that all of it would be. Preserving the physical documents provides a crucial failsafe. It also allows any errors in reproduction -- also inevitable-- to be, eventually, seen and corrected. Note that maintaining, upgrading and replacing digital infrastructure is not free, easy or reliable. Over the long term, risks to the data concerned can only accumulate.

"Unlike the methods for preserving analog documents that have been honed over millennia, there is no deep precedence to look to regarding the management of digital records. As such, the processing, long-term storage, and distribution potential of archival digital data are highly unresolved issues. [..] the more digital data is migrated, translated, and re-compressed into new formats, the more room there is for information to be lost, be it at the microbit-level of preservation. Any failure to contend with the instability of digital storage mediums, hardware obsolescence, and software obsolescence thus meets a terminal end—the definitive loss of information. The common belief that digital data is safe so long as it is backed up according to the 3-2-1 rule (3 copies on 2 different formats with 1 copy saved off site) belies the fact that it is fundamentally unclear how long digital information can or will remain intact. What is certain is that its unique vulnerabilities do become more pertinent with age."  -- James Boyda, On Loss in the 21st Century: Digital Decay and the Archive, Introduction.

Question 4: Do you agree that after a certain time original paper documents (from 1858 onwards) may be destroyed (other than for famous individuals)? Are there any alternatives, involving the public or private sector, you can suggest to their being destroyed?

Absolutely not. And I would have hoped we were past the "great man" theory of history. Firstly, you do not know which figures will still be considered "famous" in the future and which currently obscure individuals may deserve and eventually receive greater attention. I note that of the three figures you mention here as notable enough to have their wills preserved, all are white, the majority are male (the one woman having achieved fame through marriage) and all were wealthy at the time of their death. Any such approach will certainly cull evidence of the lives of women, people of colour and the poor from the historical record, and send a clear message about whose lives you consider worth remembering.

Secondly, the famous and successsful are only a small part of our history. Understanding the realities that shaped our past and continue to mould our present requires evidence of the lives of so-called "ordinary people"!

Did you even speak to any historians before coming up with this idea?

Entrusting the documents to the private sector would be similarly disastrous. What happens when a private company goes bust or decides that preserving this material is no longer profitable? What reasonable person, confronted with our crumbling privatised water infrastructure, would willingly consign any part of our heritage to a similar fate?

Question 5: Do you agree that there is equivalence between paper and digital copies of wills so that the ECA 2000 can be used?

No. And it raises serious questions about the skill and knowledge base within HMCTS and the government that the very basic concepts of data loss and the digital dark age appear to be unknown to you. I also refer you to the Domesday Project.

Question 6: Are there any other matters directly related to the retention of digital or paper wills that are not covered by the proposed exercise of the powers in the ECA 2000 that you consider are necessary?

Destroying the physical documents will always be an unforgivable dereliction of legal and moral duty.

Question 7: If the Government pursues preserving permanently only a digital copy of a will document, should it seek to reform the primary legislation by introducing a Bill or do so under the ECA 2000?

Destroying the physical documents will always be an unforgivable dereliction of legal and moral duty.

Question 8: If the Government moves to digital only copies of original will documents, what do you think the retention period for the original paper wills should be? Please give reasons and state what you believe the minimum retention period should be and whether you consider the Government’s suggestion of 25 years to be reasonable.

There is no good version of this plan. The physical documents should be preserved.

Question 9: Do you agree with the principle that wills of famous people should be preserved in the original paper form for historic interest?

This question betrays deep ignorance of what "historic interest" actually is. The study of history is not simply glorified celebrity gossip. If anything, the physical wills of currently famous people could be considered more expendable as it is likely that their contents are so widely diffused as to be relatively "safe", whereas the wills of so-called "ordinary people" will, especially in aggregate, provide insights that have not yet been explored.

Question 10: Do you have any initial suggestions on the criteria which should be adopted for identifying famous/historic figures whose original paper will document should be preserved permanently?

Abandon this entire lamentable plan. As previously discussed, you do not and cannot know who will be considered "famous" in the future, and fame is a profoundly flawed criterion of historical significance.

Question 11: Do you agree that the Probate Registries should only permanently retain wills and codicils from the documents submitted in support of a probate application? Please explain, if setting out the case for retention of any other documents.

No, all the documents should be preserved indefinitely.

Question 12: Do you agree that we have correctly identified the range and extent of the equalities impacts under each of these proposals set out in this consultation? Please give reasons and supply evidence of further equalities impacts as appropriate.

No. You appear to have neglected equalities impacts entirely. As discussed, in your drive to prioritise "famous people", your plan will certainly prioritise the white, wealthy and mostly the male, as your "Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin and Princess Diana" examples amply indicate. This plan will create a two-tier system where evidence of the lives of the privileged is carefully preserved while information regarding people of colour, women, the working class and other disadvantaged groups is disproportionately abandoned to digital decay and eventual loss. Current and future historians from, or specialising in the history of minority groups will be especially impoverished by this.  

[nasa]

What We Learned from Flying a Helicopter on Mars

The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter made history – not only as the first aircraft to perform powered, controlled flight on another world – but also for exceeding expectations, pushing the limits, and setting the stage for future NASA aerial exploration of other worlds.

Built as a technology demonstration designed to perform up to five experimental test flights over 30 days, Ingenuity performed flight operations from the Martian surface for almost three years. The helicopter ended its mission on Jan. 25, 2024, after sustaining damage to its rotor blades during its 72nd flight.

So, what did we learn from this small but mighty helicopter?

We can fly rotorcraft in the thin atmosphere of other planets.

Ingenuity proved that powered, controlled flight is possible on other worlds when it took to the Martian skies for the first time on April 19, 2021.

Flying on planets like Mars is no easy feat: The Red Planet has a significantly lower gravity – one-third that of Earth’s – and an extremely thin atmosphere, with only 1% the pressure at the surface compared to our planet. This means there are relatively few air molecules with which Ingenuity’s two 4-foot-wide (1.2-meter-wide) rotor blades can interact to achieve flight.

Ingenuity performed several flights dedicated to understanding key aerodynamic effects and how they interact with the structure and control system of the helicopter, providing us with a treasure-trove of data on how aircraft fly in the Martian atmosphere.

Now, we can use this knowledge to directly improve performance and reduce risk on future planetary aerial vehicles.

Creative solutions and “ingenuity” kept the helicopter flying longer than expected.

Over an extended mission that lasted for almost 1,000 Martian days (more than 33 times longer than originally planned), Ingenuity was upgraded with the ability to autonomously choose landing sites in treacherous terrain, dealt with a dead sensor, dusted itself off after dust storms, operated from 48 different airfields, performed three emergency landings, and survived a frigid Martian winter.

Fun fact: To keep costs low, the helicopter contained many off-the-shelf-commercial parts from the smartphone industry - parts that had never been tested in deep space. Those parts also surpassed expectations, proving durable throughout Ingenuity’s extended mission, and can inform future budget-conscious hardware solutions.

There is value in adding an aerial dimension to interplanetary surface missions.

Ingenuity traveled to Mars on the belly of the Perseverance rover, which served as the communications relay for Ingenuity and, therefore, was its constant companion. The helicopter also proved itself a helpful scout to the rover.

After its initial five flights in 2021, Ingenuity transitioned to an “operations demonstration,” serving as Perseverance’s eyes in the sky as it scouted science targets, potential rover routes, and inaccessible features, while also capturing stereo images for digital elevation maps.

Airborne assets like Ingenuity unlock a new dimension of exploration on Mars that we did not yet have – providing more pixels per meter of resolution for imaging than an orbiter and exploring locations a rover cannot reach.

Tech demos can pay off big time.

Ingenuity was flown as a technology demonstration payload on the Mars 2020 mission, and was a high risk, high reward, low-cost endeavor that paid off big. The data collected by the helicopter will be analyzed for years to come and will benefit future Mars and other planetary missions.

Just as the Sojourner rover led to the MER-class (Spirit and Opportunity) rovers, and the MSL-class (Curiosity and Perseverance) rovers, the team believes Ingenuity’s success will lead to future fleets of aircraft at Mars.

In general, NASA’s Technology Demonstration Missions test and advance new technologies, and then transition those capabilities to NASA missions, industry, and other government agencies. Chosen technologies are thoroughly ground- and flight-tested in relevant operating environments — reducing risks to future flight missions, gaining operational heritage and continuing NASA’s long history as a technological leader.

You can fall in love with robots on another planet.

Following in the tracks of beloved Martian rovers, the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter built up a worldwide fanbase. The Ingenuity team and public awaited every single flight with anticipation, awe, humor, and hope.

Check out #ThanksIngenuity on social media to see what’s been said about the helicopter’s accomplishments.

Learn more about Ingenuity’s accomplishments here. And make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!