#warrior bards series

[namedafterflowerstournament]

Botanic Tournament : Main Bracket !

Round 1 Poll FFF

Jaskier, the character's name in the original, Polish version means Buttercup. Editors changed it into Dandelion in English versions because they thought it was too girly. Marigold (the name under the pic) is Jaskier's name in the Czech edition.

(Buttercup, dandelion and fern)

[ichorai]

A SONG OF CURSES AND CROWNS ; series masterlist.

A SONG OF CURSES AND CROWNS — a collection of stories in westeros following the characters of jujutsu kaisen ... themes/warnings will be specified in each part.

main masterlist.

ONE. the wolf and the beast ; assassin!toji x stark!reader (3.3k) nobody told him that his target had a direwolf.

TWO. blacksmith!choso x highborn!reader you’re engaged to kenjaku, the father of the man you’ve already fallen in love with.

THREE. night’s watchman!yuji x wildling!reader and as you aimed the tip of your arrow to his chest, yuji knew he’d fallen in love with you.

FOUR. bard!yuta x witch!reader every night, the same nightmare. that is—until he came across you in a tavern, shrouded in mystery and shadow, whispering promises of ridding him of dreams. 

FIVE. king!gojo x knight!reader gojo, the young king who refuses to marry and turns down any potential suitors, grows attached to a mysterious knight who easily dominates over all his best warriors in a tourney.

SIX. prince!megumi x prisoner!reader he had no business being in the castle dungeons. and, upon further consideration, neither did you.

SEVEN. knight!ino x tyrell!reader you aspire to be a healer, even though women aren’t allowed to be maesters. ino, who’s infatuated with you, offers for you to practice on him.

EIGHT. hand of the king!geto x lady!reader during the first few moons of your arranged marriage, geto seems to hate you—all cold and distant, barely ever acknowledging you at all. you’re determined to find out why. 

NINE. sailor!yuki x merperson!reader perhaps a shipwreck wasn’t all that bad. it was what led her to you, after all.

TEN. lord!toge x painter!reader there’s much to do with the tongue other than speak.

ELEVEN. commoner!miwa x lord!muta they both stuck out like sore thumbs—with her pale blue hair and her shoddy dress; his scarred face and club-foot that gave him a terrible limp. it was only natural that they gravitated towards each other. the bastard and the cripple, the court whispered. it was a twisted tale of romance at best, an accursed union at worst.

TWELVE. dragonrider!sukuna x dragonkeeper!reader sukuna misliked how his own dragon seemed to like you more than him.

THIRTEEN. knight!nanami x lady of the vale!reader nanami considered himself a dutiful, honorable man. even if he was completely unworthy to marry an aristocrat like you, he would stand guard by your side regardless. 

FOURTEEN. master of laws!higuruma x mistress of whisperers!reader the two of you often butted heads during small council meetings, which led to much unresolved tension within the castle. having had enough, the king decided to lock the two of you in an empty chamber until all was resolved—or until one of you was dead. whichever came first.

[nesonkin]

Obviously a 10-hour indie game with a story to tell is not going to go too deep into linguistics (not that it needs to) but I very much appreciate how the way we learn different languages in Chants of Sennaar is connected to the culture of the people that speak that language.

Bards are very big about beauty, artistic expression and class oppression, so, of course, you're going to learn their language mostly through theater plays and people mocking you.

You don't really get to talk to Alchemists, but much like their whole thing is about sciences, you mostly learn their language by looking through maps and diagrams, solving math puzzles, and even being tricked into directing your attention to the clock (a game design trick that is so simple but effective it's actually hilarious). You can say that level is my favorite.

Warriors shout commands and Anchorites were isolated into the virtual world, so the process is automated through a series of word connecting puzzles.

Can't put my finger on Devotees. I would say primarily socialization, as the very first puzzle that lets you into the town is about lending a hand to another person (same with the mysterious kid helping you enter the Abbey).

I just love this game, okay?

[medievalandfantasymelee]

Our 296 Noble and Worthy Contenders

Adhemar, Count of Anjou [Rufus Sewell], A Knight's Tale (2001)

Prince Aemond Targaryen [Ewan Mitchell], House of the Dragon (2022-)

Aguilar de Nerha [Michael Fassbender], Assassin's Creed (2016)

Ahchoo [Dave Chapelle], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Ahmad [Mahesh Jadu], Marco Polo (2014)

Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan [Antonio Banderas], The 13th Warrior (1999)

Alessandro Farnese [Diarmuid Noyes], Borgia (2011-2014)

King Alfred the Great [David Dawson], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

Shah Ala ad Daula [Olivier Martinez], The Physician (2013)

Allan-A-Dale [Joe Armstrong], BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-2009)

Sultan Alauddin [Ranver Singh], Padmavaat (2018)

Amarendra Baahubali [Prabhas], Baahubali Series (2015-2017)

Amleth [Alexander Skarsgård], The Northman (2022)

Ancelyn ap Gwalchmai [Marcus Gilbert], Doctor Who: “Battlefield” (1989)

Antonius Block [Max von Sydow], The Seventh Seal (1957)

Aragorn, Son of Arathorn [Viggo Mortensen], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Arman [Matevy Lykov], I Am Dragon (2015)

Arn Magnusson [Joakim Nätterqvist], Arn: The Knight Templar (2007)

Arondir [Ismael Cruz Córdova], The Rings of Power (2022-)

Arthur Pendragon [Oliver Tobias], Arthur of the Britons (1972, 1973)

King Arthur [Richard Harris], Camelot (1967)

King Arthur [Graham Chapman], Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

King Arthur [Nigel Terry], Excalibur (1981)

King Arthur [Sean Connery], First Knight (1995)

King Arthur [Alexandre Astier], Kaamelott (2004-2009)

King Arthur [Bradley James], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)

King Arthur [Charlie Hunnam], King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Asbjörn [Tom Hopper], Northmen: A Viking Saga (2014)

Ash Williams [Bruce Campbell], Army of Darkness (1992)

Asneez [Isaac Hayes], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Athelstan [George Blagden], Vikings (2013-2020)

Azeem [Morgan Freeman], Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

Azog the Defiler [Manu Bennett], The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)

Balian de Ibelin [Orlando Bloom], Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

Bard the Bowman [Luke Evans], The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)

Ser Barristan Selmy [Ian McIlhinney], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Father Beocca [Ian Hart], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

Beowulf [Gerard Butler], Beowulf & Grendel (2005)

Bilbo Baggins [Martin Freeman], The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)

Bjørn Ironside [Alexander Ludwig], Vikings (2013-2020)

Bofur [James Nesbitt],The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)

Boromir, Son of Denethor [Sean Bean], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Sir Bowen [Dennis Quaid], Dragonheart (1996)

Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert [Sam Neill], Ivanhoe (1982)

Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert [Ciaran Hinds], Ivanhoe (1997)

Bronn [Jerome Flynn], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Brother Cadfael [Derek Jacobi], Cadfael (1994-1998)

Carlos I [Álvaro Cervantes], Carlos Rey Emperador (2015-2016)

Caspian X [Ben Barnes], The Chronicles of Narnia (2010)

King Caspian X [Samuel West], Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1989)

Cesare Borgia [Mark Ryder], Borgia (2011-2014)

Cesare Borgia [Francois Arnaud], The Borgias (2011-2013)

Charles Brandon [Henry Cavill], The Tudors (2007-2010)

Prince Charmont [Hugh Dancy], Ella Enchanted (2004)

Prince Chauncley [Daniel Radcliffe], Miracle Workers: The Dark Ages (2020)

Chris Vexler [Karan Soni], Miracle Workers: The Dark Ages (2020)

Chu Hun [Peter Ho], Double World (2020)

“Cinderella’s Prince” [Chris Pine], Into the Woods (2014)

Connor MacLeod [Christopher Lambert], Highlander (1986)

Corlys Velaryon [Steve Toussaint], House of the Dragon (2022-)

Ser Criston Cole [Fabien Frankel], House of the Dragon (2022-)

Daario Naharis [Michiel Huisman], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Prince Daemon Targaryen [Matt Smith], House of the Dragon (2022)

Darkness [Tim Curry], Legend (1985)

Ser Davos Seaworth [Liam Cunningham], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Prince Dastan [Jake Gyllenhaal], Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)

Dong Yilong [Henry Lau], Double World (2020)

Khal Drogo [Jason Momoa], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Durotan [Toby Kebbell], Warcraft (2016)

Eamon Valda [Abdul Salis], The Wheel of Time (2022-)

King Ecbert Ealhmunding [Linus Roache], Vikings (2013-2020)

Lord Eddard Stark [Sean Bean], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Edgin Darvis [Chris Pine], Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves (2023)

King Edmund the Just [Skandar Keynes, Mark Wells], The Chronicles of Narnia (2005-2010)

King Edward I Plantagenet [Stephen Dillane], Outlaw King (2018)

King Edward III Plantagenet [Blake Ritson], A World Without End (2012)

King Edward IV Platagenet [Max Irons], The White Queen (2013)

Edward, the Black Prince [James Purefoy], A Knight’s Tale (2001) 

Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford [Claude Rains], The Prince and the Pauper (1937)

Elendil [Lloyd Owen], The Rings of Power (2022-)

Elrond Half-elven [Hugo Weaving], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Elrond Half-elven [Robert Aramayo], The Rings of Power (2022-)

Sir Elyan [Adetomiwa Edun], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)

Éomer, Son of Éomund [Karl Urban], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Erik Thurgilson [Christian Hillborg], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

Étienne de Navarre [Rutger Hauer], Ladyhawke (1985)

Faramir, Son of Denethor [David Wenham], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Fezzik [André the Giant], The Princess Bride (1987)

Fili [Dean O’Gorman], The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)

Finan [Mark Rowley], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

Fjölnir [Claes Bang], The Northman (2022)

Forge Fitzwilliam [Hugh Grant], Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Francesco de Pazzi [Matteo Martari], Medici (2016-2019)

Francois Villon [Ronald Colman], If I Were King (1938)

Frodo Baggins [Elijah Wood], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Sir Galahad [Michael Palin], Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Galavant [Joshua Sasse], Galavant (2015-2016)

Galessin, Duke of Orkney [Alexis Hénon], Kaamelott (2004-2009)

Gandalf [Ian McKellan], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Gawain [Dev Patel], The Green Knight (2021)

Gendry Waters [Joe Dempsie], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Geoffrey Chaucer [Pier Paolo Pasolini], The Canterbury Tales (1972)

Geoffrey Chaucer [Paul Bettany], A Knight’s Tale (2001)

George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence [David Oakes], The White Queen (2013)

Geralt z Rivii [Michał Żebrowski], Wiedźmin {The Witcher} (2002)

Geralt of Rivia [Henry Cavill], The Witcher (2019-)

Gest [Jakob Þór Einarsson], Hrafninn flýgur {When the Raven Flies}(1984)

Gimli, Son of Gloin [John Rhys-Davies], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Giuliano de Medici [Bradley James], Medici (2016-2019)

Glenstorm [Cornell John], The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)

Prince Graydon Hastur [Tony Revolori], Willow (2022)

Gríma Wormtongue [Brad Dourif], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Gu Tingye [Feng Shaofeng], The Story of Minglan (2018)

Guildenstern [Tim Roth], Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1990)

Gündoğdu Bey [Kaan Taşaner], Diriliş: Ertuğrul {Resurrection: Ertuğrul} (2014-2019)

Sir Guy of Gisbourne [Basil Rathbone], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Sir Guy of Gisburne [Robert Addie], Robin of Sherwood (1984-1986)

Sir Guy of Gisborne [Michael Wincott], Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

Sir Guy of Gisborne [Richard Armitage], BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-2009)

Sir Gwaine [Eoin Macken], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)

Haldir of Lothόrien [Craig Parker], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Prince Hamlet [Laurence Olivier], Hamlet (1948)

Prince Hamlet [Christopher Plummer], Hamlet at Elsinore (1964)

Hamlet [Iain Glen], Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1990)

Lord Harekr [Bradley James], Vikings: Valhalla (2022-)

King Henry II Plantagenet [Peter O’Toole], Becket (1964)

King Henry II Plantagenet [Peter O’Toole], The Lion in Winter (1968)

King Henry V Plantagenet [Laurence Olivier], Henry V (1944)

King Henry V Plantagenet [Kenneth Branagh], Henry V (1989)

King Henry V Plantagenet [Tom Hiddleston], The Hollow Crown (2012-2016)

Henry VII Tudor [Luke Treadaway], The Hollow Crown (2012-2016)

King Henry VIII [Ray Winstone], Henry VIII (2003)

Prince Henry [Dougray Scott], Ever After (1998)

Hubert Hawkins [Danny Kaye], The Court Jester (1955)

Hugh Beringar [Sean Pertwee], Cadfael (1994-1998)

Prince Humperdink [Chris Sarandon], The Princess Bride (1987)

Inigo Montoya [Mandy Patinkin], The Princess Bride (1987)

Isildur, Son of Elendil [Maxim Baldry], The Rings of Power (2022-)

Ivanhoe [Anthony Andrews], Ivanhoe (1982)

Ivar the Boneless [Alex Høgh Andersen], Vikings (2013-2020)

Jacques le Gris [Adam Driver], The Last Duel (2021)

Jack [Tom Cruise], Legend (1985)

Jafar [Marwan Kenzari], Aladdin (2019)

Ser Jaime Lannister [Nikolaj Coster-Waldau], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

James Douglas [Aaron Taylor Johnson], Outlaw King (2018)

Jareth, the Goblin King [David Bowie], Labyrinth (1986)

Jaskier [Joey Batey], The Witcher (2019-)

Prince Jingim [Remy Hii], Marco Polo (2014)

Little John [Nicol Williamson], Robin and Marian (1976)

Little John [Eric Allan Kramer], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Prince John [Claude Rains], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Prince John [Richard Lewis], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Prince John [Oscar Isaac], Robin Hood (2010)

Jon Snow [Kit Harrington], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Ser Jorah Mormont [Iain Glen], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Kai [Michael Gothard], Arthur of the Britons (1972, 1973)

Kili [Aiden Turner], The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)

The Kurgan [Clancy Brown], Highlander (1986)

al’Lan Mandragoran [Daniel Henney], The Wheel of Time (2022)

Sir Lancelot [Luc Simon], Lancelot du Lac (1974)

Sir Lancelot [Nicholas Clay], Excalibur (1981)

Sir Lancelot [Richard Gere], First Knight (1995)

Sir Lancelot [Santiago Cabrera], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)

Legolas Greenleaf [Orlando Bloom], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Leofric [Adrian Bower], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

Sir Leon [Rupert Young], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)

Lin Shu [Hu Ge], Nirvana in Fire {Lángyá Bǎng} (2015)

Loial [Hammed Animashaun], The Wheel of Time (2022-)

Lurtz [Lawrence Makoare], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Madmartigan [Val Kilmer], Willow (1988)

Le Maître d'Armes (the fencing master) [Christian Bujeau], Kaamelott (2005-2009)

“Man With Snake” [Barry John Clarke], Edward II (1991)

King Mark of Cornwall [Rufus Sewell], Tristan & Isolde (2006)

Martin [Rutger Hauer], Flesh + Blood (1985)

Massetto [Dave Franco], The Little Hours (2017)

Matrim “Mat” Cauthon [Donal Finn], The Wheel of Time (2022)

“The Mayor of Hamelin” [Claude Rains], The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1957)

Mehmed II [Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu], Rise of Empires: Ottoman (2020-2022)

Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck [Dominic Monaghan], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Merlin [Nicol Williamson], Excalibur (1981)

Merlin [Sam Niell], Merlin (1998)

Merlin [Colin Morgan], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)

Mikoláš Kozlík [František Velecký], Marketa Lazarová (1967)

Miles Hendon [Errol Flynn], The Prince and the Pauper (1937)

Mordred [Jason Done], Merlin (1998)

Much [Sam Troughton], BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-2009)

Murtagh Morzansson [Garrett Hedlund], Eragon (2002)

The Mute [Jon Bernthal], Pilgrimage (2017)

Nasir [Mark Ryan], Robin of Sherwood (1984-1986)

Niankoro [Issiaka Kane], Yeelen (1987)

Niccoló Machiavelli [Julian Bleach], The Borgias (2011-2013)

Niccoló Machiavelli [Thibaut Evrard], Borgia (2011-2014)

Nicodemus Ravens [Jakob Oftebro], Skammerens Datter {The Shamer's Daughter} (2015)

Prince Oberyn Martell [Pedro Pascal], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Odda the Elder [Simon Kunz], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

“One-Eye” [Mads Mikkelsen], Valhalla Rising (2009)

Osferth [Ewan Mitchell], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

Sir Percival [Tom Hopper], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)

Peregrin “Pippin” Took [Billy Boyd], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Pero Tovar [Pedro Pascal], The Great Wall (2016)

Perrin Aybara [Marcus Rutherford], The Wheel of Time (2022-)

Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish [Aiden Gillen], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

High King Peter the Magnificent [William Moseley, Noah Huntley], The Chronicles of Narnia (2005-2010)

Philip II [Timothy Dalton], The Lion in Winter (1968)

Phillippe Gaston [Matthew Broderick], Ladyhawke (1985)

“The Player” [Richard Dreyfuss], Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (1990)

Podrick Payne [Daniel Portman], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Prince Prospero [Vincent Price], The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

Ragnar Lothbrok [Travis Fimmel], Vikings (2013-2020)

Ramsay Bolton [Iwan Rheon], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Rand al’Thor [Josha Stradowski], The Wheel of Time (2022-)

Ravenhurst [Basil Rathbone], The Court Jester (1955)

“The Red Death” [John Westbrook], The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

Renly Baratheon [Gethin Anthony], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Richard Cypher [Craig Horner], Legend of the Seeker (2008-2010)

King Richard [Timothy Omundson], Galavant (2015-2016)

Richard II Plantagenet [Ben Whishaw], The Hollow Crown (2012-2016)

Richard III Plantagenet [Aneurin Barnard], The White Queen (2013)

King Richard III Plantagenet [Benedict Cumberbatch], The Hollow Crown (2012-2016)

King Richard IV [Brian Blessed], The Black Adder (1982)

Rilk [Jesse Lee Keeter] JourneyQuest (2010)

Robert of Artois [Jean Piat], The Accursed Kings (1972)

Robert of Huntingdon [Jason Connery], Robin of Sherwood (1984)

Robert the Bruce [Chris Pine], Outlaw King (2018)

Robin Hood [Errol Flynn], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Robin Hood [Richard Todd], The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)

Robin Hood [Sean Connery], Robin and Marian (1976)

Robin Hood [Michael Praed], Robin of Sherwood (1984)

Robin Hood [Kevin Costner], Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

Robin Hood [Cary Elwes], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Robin Hood [Jonas Armstrong], BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-2009)

Robin Hood [Tom Riley], Doctor Who: “The Robot of Sherwood” (2014)

Robin Longstride [Russell Crowe], Robin Hood (2010)

Rodrigo Borgia [Jeremy Irons], The Borgias (2011-2013)

Rollo [Clive Standen], Vikings (2013-2020)

Roose Bolton [Michael McElhatton], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Rosencrantz [Gary Oldman], Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1990)

Count Rugen [Christopher Guest], The Princess Bride (1987)

Saburo Naotora Ichimonji [Ryu Daisuke], Ran (1985)

Saladin [Milind Soman], Arn: The Knight Templar (2007), Arn: The Kingdom at Road’s End (2008)

Samwise Gamgee [Sean Astin], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Sandor Clegane [Rory McCann], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Saruman [Christopher Lee], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Stannis Baratheon [Stephen Dillane], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Tajomaru [Toshiro Mifune], Rashomon (1950)

“The Sherriff of Nottingham” [Alan Wheatley], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955-1959)

“The Sherriff of Nottingham” [Peter Cushing], The Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960)

“The Sherriff of Nottingham” [Alan Rickman], Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

“The Sherriff of Rottingham” [Roger Rees], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Sid [Luke Youngblood], Galavant (2015-2016)

Sihtric Kjartansson [Arnas Fedaravicius], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

Simon Aumar [Justice Smith], Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Steapa [Adrian Bouchet], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

Syrio Forel [Miltos Yerolemou], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

“Taunting French Guard” [John Cleese], Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Theoden, Son of Thengel [Bernard Hill], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Thierry de Janville [Jean-Claude Drouot], Thierry la Fronde (1963-1966)

Thomas Becket [Richard Burton], Becket (1964)

Thomas Cromwell [Mark Rylance], Wolf Hall (2015-2024)

Sir Thomas Gray [Nigel Terry], Covington Cross (1992)

Thorin Oakenshield [Richard Armitage], The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)

Thranduil, The Elvenking [Lee Pace], The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)

Thraxus Boorman [Amar Chadha-Patel], Willow (2022)

Tom Builder [Rufus Sewell], The Pillars of the Earth (2010)

Tormund Giantsbane [Kristofer Hivju], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Sir Tristan [Kingsley Ben-Adir], King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Trumpkin [Peter Dinklage], The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)

Mr. Tumnus [James McAvoy], The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

Turgut Alp [Cengiz Coşkun], Diriliş: Ertuğrul (2014-2019)

Tyrion Lannister [Peter Dinklage], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Lord Tywin Lannister [Charles Dance], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Ubbe [Jordan Patrick Smith], Vikings (2013-2020)

Uglúk [Nathaniel Lees], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Uhtred of Bebbanburgh [Alexander Dreymon], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

Ulrich von Jungingen [Stanislaw Jasiukiewicz], Knights of the Teutonic Order (1960)

“Unnamed Elf Escort” [Bret McKenzie], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Uther Pendragon [Gabriel Byrne], Excalibur (1981)

Uther Pendragon [Anthony Stewart Head], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)

Vaisey, Sheriff of Nottingham [Keith Allen], BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-2009)

Vlad III Dracula [Luke Evans], Dracula Untold (2014)

King Vortigen [Jude Law], King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Wat [Alan Tudyk], A Knight’s Tale (2001)

Wen Kexing [Gong Jun], Word of Honor (2021)

Westley [Cary Elwes], The Princess Bride (1987)

Wil Ohmsford [Austin Butler], The Shannara Chronicles (2016)

William Wallace [Mel Gibson], Braveheart (1995)

Will Scarlet O’Hara [Matthew Porretta], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Will Scarlett [Patrick Knowles], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Will Scarlett [Christian Slater], Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

Will Scarlett [Harry Lloyd], BBC’s Robin Hood, (2006-2009)

William Thatcher [Heath Ledger], A Knight’s Tale (2001)

Willow Ufgood [Warwick Davis], Willow (2022)

Xenk Yendar [Regé-Jean Page], Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Zbyszko z Bogdanca [Mieczyslaw Kalenik], Knights of the Teutonic Order (1960)

[anilyan]

Paintovers of official genshin emojis, portraying the Old Mondstadt crew. Feel free to add them to your own discord servers - but if you use as pfp or share the pics somewhere else, please include credits.

I used the designs from the mods I made, so if you want to check them out, here is the bard, amos, the red-haired warrior, and gunnhildr (and yes, mods are safe to use/not cheats/no one was ever banned because of them, here is information and recommended tutorials)

Anyway, the 3rd chapter of volume 2 of my Old Mondstadt series Nameless is out ^^ This timeloop is far kinder than the last one.

[a-crack-in-the-universe]

Yeah!! Isn’t it beautiful? :D :D

I’m also very emotional about Bran’s Blade and how Bran is remembered as a heroic and compassionate leader long after his death. After everything he went through, he deserves to be remembered so positively. I wish Liadan got a mention though.

To be honest I’m not entirely sure if Inis Eala was named after Finbar. I thought it was but I have doubts now. It’s possible that the island was already named Inis Eala and Finbar moving there just made the island’s name more real?

Though, a big reason I thought that it was named after Finbar was because I feel like it being called Isle of the Swan long before Finbar’s arrival doesn’t really make sense unless the island already somehow had a connection to or was associated with swans when it was discovered. Finbar was the man with the swan’s wing so the island being named after him made a lot of sense to me.

And yes, I think Finbar and Liadan would like Liobhan and her fierce sense of justice and compassion a lot. It's kind of sad that they'll never meet her (or the other Warrior Bard/Blackthorn and Grim characters) in canon.

About your Sevenwaters Infinite Loop, Blackthorn and Grim could both be Anchors! It would make sense since they are a pair in the books. Also this project could be a great way for the Sevenwaters characters to meet the Warrior Bard/Blackthorn and Grim characters! :D

Don't mind me, I'm just really happy about Swan Island

I recently acquired Blackthorn and Grim and the Warrior Bards, both trilogies by Juliet Marillier and set in the same universe as Sevenwaters, though at least a couple centuries removed.

I don't know if any other factors make this apparent, but the really obvious one is Swan Island!

SWAN. ISLAND!

Bran and Liadan founded Inis Eala so Bran's band of warriors could have legitimacy and purpose and safety, and they brought my son Finbar I to the island for his safety and to give him a peaceful, isolated place to stay. The island was named in his honor (something a fellow fan had to tell me because I had no idea what the name meant.)

And hundreds of years later, Swan Island is still a thing! They train warriors and spies there! It's still going Bran, Liadan, Finbar! It is still going! Your legacy reaches on into the future and I know you'd love Blackthorn and Grim's babies! I love them!

I didn't know until the other day that these two trilogies were connected in this way, but as soon as I found out, I had to get them! If nothing else, this is an Expansion the Sevenwaters Infinite Loops can't leave unaddressed, even if there has to be a separate Anchor (more likely two, I wouldn't make poor Blackthorn do that alone!)

[bluebellhairpin]

Thorin Oakenshield X Fem!Reader

Summary; Kili gets more worried about Thorin's Dragon-sickness, but meeting you proves to be part of the cure.

Warnings; Thorin's dragon-sickness. Blood mention. Reader is female-body-coded, uses she/her pronouns, and is Human.

Listening to; 'Sons of Durin' by Howard Shore

Part 15 || Part 17

Series Masterlist || Masterlist || Ko-Fi

The meeting with Bard hadn’t gone well. 

If someone were to ask him, Kili would’ve said he’d seen people take news of someone they loved dying better than how Thorin took being asked to keep his promise. A less proper person would’ve said it was a (literal) royal shit show. But with Fili gone, and it sunk in that now Kili was Thorin’s heir. It had settled like a looming weight over the young Dwarf’s shoulders. 

Being Crown Heir was never meant to be his lot in life. 

Kili was the younger brother. The care-free reckless spare Prince who could act upon his impulses and passions whenever he so desired to do without needing to take a step back and consider the consequences first. That was the only thing he’d known to be his whole life. Between losing his brother and having to say goodbye to Tauriel, his heart was never supposed to feel so heavy. 

Now, thanks to the lack of tact from his Uncle, they were preparing for war. Armour was fitted, and weapons sharpened. Tomorrow they will fight. He was missing Fili more than ever, and hoping to all hopes that he would get the chance to lay his eyes on Tauriel’s face one more time. 

Kili could feel how far away his head and heart were, he could tell that tomorrow, if he had to raise a sword, he would not do so with the same strength and enthusiasm as he once had. He might’ve been confident if his brother were here, but now he doubted if he’d survive. He’d lost his half, and with it he’d lost half his own will to fight. The desire to fight for a place at Thorin’s side somehow felt less worthy than if he were fighting for Fili’s place there - probably because the cost already felt far too high. 

Somehow his thoughts drifted to you. By now you’d be far away, and if you’d given up searching the lake, you would not be returning. They couldn’t count on your help - Kili knew Thorin made sure to drive you away enough for you to never want to come back again. But he felt grateful that you wouldn’t be here for whatever tomorrow held. 

To Kili you were as good as family, and knowing both you and his mother were far away did give him comfort. The same comfort that knowing Taruiel wasn’t here brought. All the women closest and dearest to him were far away, and would not see the bloodshed that would appear tomorrow - even if he would see it, he would bear it knowing it saved someone else from having to. Their combined distance was a protection. 

Early the next day, standing atop the mountains’ entrance at daybreak, the Dwarves all waited, staring down an army of Elves. The sun peeked over the Lake beyond, and a hundred thousand Elven soldiers stood lined in ranks before the doors of the Mountain. 

Kili stood by Thorin’s side, a sense of unease settling in his belly at the thought of what was to come. With his kin by his side, he pushed it away, exchanging it for a much braver face - one belonging to a prince, to a warrior. A king-to-be. 

The thought that, today, something awful was going to befall someone close to him was pushed to the very back of his mind. He convinced himself, for a while, that it wasn’t anything to worry about. That it wasn’t going to happen. What Kili didn��t know was how right that thought was, and how wrong he was to ignore it. 

Thorin knew that sending for his cousin was the right thing to do. Dain would come. He would help, and he would fight. If needed, he would die too, and Thorin could keep the mountain’s treasure safe - the sacrifice would be all for his people’s sake, of course. Until now, Thorin was right. 

There was Dain, and his army, refusing to stand down or surrender. With the attention taken from the mountain to the Dwarves, Thorin smiled. This is exactly what he wanted. Right? 

In an instant, the battle broke out. Mirkwood arrows were raised, fired, and they whistled through the skies only to be cut short by Dain’s bolt cutters. Arrows were notched, realised, and cut down yet again. Thorin could only laugh at the futility of the Elves trying from a distance when it was so clear their only choice was to test their hand at close combat. Even then, the brutality of his mountain kin would outmatch any grace the opposers had on a battlefield, and Thorin felt confident that this battle was theirs to win. That it was already won. 

But the earth grumbled and groaned, it shook even the hastily-built wall Thorin stood on. That shake was not the doing on Dwarf, Elve, or Man. The sound came from the hills opposing, and it drew Thorin’s eyes away from his fighting kin, and for one sickening moment he felt his heart drop into his stomach. Were-worms burst from the rock - he saw one, then two, five total - crushing rock and screeching into the fresh morning air. 

Atop a nearby hilltop, a horn blew, and Thorin could see flags move to signal an attack. Orcs. Azog was here. They were all here. Everyone wanted his home - his gold - and all Thorin knew was that it wasn’t theirs to take. They weren’t taking it from him. He stood, stuck between frozen and fidgeting, as Dain led his soldiers into battle formation against the incoming Orc army. His jaw clenched. 

He didn’t watch as his mountain kin charged to fight with war cries rising into the sky. He turned, told his company to stand down, and left. 

Thorin’s feet took him to the grand hall. The floor was smooth and glowing from the gold which had solidified in the past few days. His face shone up at him as he looked down, and he wondered for a moment who it was looking back at him. 

There were voices swirling all around, echoing off the most distant walls and halls, telling him what he did wrong and what he said in bad taste. 

“This is not like you.” 

“I’m not my grandfather.” 

“Madness is the only word I can think of for it.” 

“I will not part with a single coin.”

He wondered what kind of person would run to his gold and hide among it instead of fight for it. Apparently he was that kind of person. The revelation made him feel ill. Like the room was spinning. Maybe the room was spinning, he didn’t know what was going on outside, something could be happening to shake the mountain so violently. 

He fell to his knees, clawing at the ground as it began to sink away in waves. This was madness, the room falling away and gold melting without heat - it was too much, and he was going to get swallowed whole. 

Then a paw, hand - scaled and painful - latched onto his wrist. It snapped him from one nightmare to another. From sinking to being attacked. His eyes followed the arm and he was met with a familiar face.

Thorin couldn’t look away. It was you. Your clothes and a fur cloak on your back were torn, and gold and jewels were draped all over your neck and shoulders and wrists like chains. Your skin was dry and flaky, scorned with scales of red and black. From your mouth protruded pointed teeth, and the tips of your fingers had become home to jagged claws - both dripped red, blood staining your lips and fingers like the stickiest honey. 

On your head sat a crown. It looked as if it had been reforged, melted with a heat so bad and violent that it had dripped and fused onto your skin and hair. The crown and cloak were both ones he’d seen before, one he had once almost offered you but you refused before he had the chance. Was this what would’ve become of you if you’d accepted? Has he turned into a monster such as this? 

He met your eyes and it made his blood run cold like his heart had stopped beating. They were so wild, untamed, like a beast. Never in his left had he seen your eyes hold such ferocious and feral anger. Not even when you swore to leave him did you eyes hold such a lack of humanity or care. 

He knew it wasn’t you. You’d never look at anyone like that, especially not him, not even in your human anger. He realized then that this wasn’t him either. This cruel king he made himself to be. That wasn’t him, because that king wasn’t the Thorin that made himself a shield of oak wood. This king was one who fled and hid - and that wasn’t him at all. 

His crown skid across the floor, and Thorin starred as it came to a stop. Then his movements became a flurry. He grasped at the rings on his fingers, tearing them off one handful at a time. The heavy cloak on his shoulders fell to the floor, the armour followed until he was left in what could’ve passed as travel clothes. 

His reflection looked different now. Less like the cruel king, more like Thorin Oakenshield. 

Kili was getting restless. He could see the fight outside, he could tell it was only getting worse - he knew he could fight yet where was he? Stuck hiding inside the mountain, waiting for his uncle’s call. His restlessness was turning into anger, one he felt was justified, since he believed Fili would’ve felt too. 

His fist clenched and unclenched around his sword, debating whether to go after Thorin or not. Approaching footsteps had him turning on his heel. He barely waited until Thorin came close before standing toe-to-toe with him. 

“Uncle I will not stand for this.” Kili started, speaking before Thorin, and not stopping to let a word in, “I will not hide here while our battle is fought for us! Our brothers are outside fighting and dying for our home while we do nothing. It’s not right! I want to fight.” 

Thorin reached out, resting his palms on Kili’s shoulders, and smiled. 

“You will fight. It’s in your blood and mine. We are sons of Durin, and Durin's Folk do not run from a fight.” 

“Really?” Kili asked. 

“Really.” One of Thorin’s hands cupped the back of Kili’s head, and he pressed their foreheads together. Kili’s shoulders slumped with relief. He didn’t know what had happened to Thorin when he ran off, but he’d come back changed. He’d come back as the uncle Kili grew up with. If he weren’t having to focus on fighting, he might’ve cried with joy. 

Kili watched Thorin turn away, and he thought he hadn’t looked quite so much like a king as he did now. Not since back in Laketown, at least. 

“It’s not right of me to ask this of you, not after the way I’ve treated you all,” Thorin started, speaking in earnest to all who remained around him, “But our kin fight out there. I’m going to fight with them until the battle is over. I’m not asking you to join me, but if you choose to fight you will be fighting alongside your king.” 

Kili watched as a wave of determination washed over his friends. He saw how they wanted the same thing he did. How they stood. He could see how glad they were to have the old Thorin return, and how willing they were to fight with him - something sorely lacking just moments before. Suddenly, even if the day ended in death, it felt like they had won one victory already. 

The battle in the mind had been fought and won, now they just needed to do it in body too. 

A horn bellowed. The Dwarves lining the moat before the mountain’s entrance turned to face it, and their foes paused in their stride. Then a bell rang, crashing through the built-up barrier blocking the mountain's entrance. 

The stones tumbled away, and out strode Thorin. 

He was filled with a new sense of life. He felt he remembered what was most important. People not possessions. His thoughts went straight to you. To most he walked like a confident king. But really he walked as someone who wasn’t going to die fighting today. He didn’t know where you were, and he wasn’t going to die while an argument was your last conversation. 

Dain and his soldiers parted so Thorin could front the Dwarven forces, and he couldn’t lie and say the sight of the Orc army wasn’t a fearsome one. If he weren’t so battle worn, he would be worried, but he’d fought Orcs before. He’d won before too, this would be no different. 

Thorin’s mouth opened, prepared to cry out the advance, but it was overshadowed by a bone-chilling roar sounding across the skies. 

His eyes flew beyond the Orc army, past the town of Dale and toward the mountains the Were-worms once breached. There on the horizon was a sight he thought long gone, and one he never wished to see again in his whole life. 

A Dragon. 

The people around him bristled with fear, even the Orcs seemed to be unsettled and unsure of what to do - after all, everyone stayed away from a Dragon, even Orcs. In truth, Thorin didn’t know what to do. He did before, but not now. The panic that rose in the soldiers around him, even with him there, wasn’t one to be ignored. 

“That thing’s supposed to be dead!” Bofur said, “What’re we supposed to do now?” 

“Look,” Kili came to Thorin’s side, pointing, “Look closer!” 

Thorin couldn’t say his pair of eyes were the best working set in the word, but he did spare a moment to look closer at the Dragon which had caught them all off-guard. The first thing he noticed was that it moved differently. Its wings spread, but didn’t fly. Neck and head lowered, back raised, tail flicking back and forth. It moved more like a cat than a dragon. 

“There’s someone on it!” Dwailn called. The Dragon climbed down the hill, pushing rock and soil over the Were-worm holes, covering them as it went. It advanced, pushing the afraid Orcs toward the Dwarves. 

“Irak’amad.” Thorin turned to Kili, unbelieving of what he was implying. You? Riding the Dragon? “I can’t believe it, she’s controlling it!” Kili laughed. 

Thorin’s head turned back to the Dragon, and indeed, even from this distance, he could see a clear human shape on the creature’s back. Something in him told him to believe it, that it was really you. You said you’d never return, but there you were. He could’ve decided to ask himself why, but he was far too grateful to have a real chance to see you again. 

The Dragon’s mouth opened, then closed, and opened again. Fire was expected, by everyone, but words came instead.

“Khayamu,” The Dragon rasped. Clear Khuzdul spoke from its lips in a voice which sounded a bit too much like yours to be coincidence. It was a clear indication to all who the Dragon was there to fight for, and that it intended to help win. “For the King!” 

Translations; Irak’amad = Aunt Khayamu = To Victory

[aromanticannibal]

Anyways. Headcanons based on whatever progression this is.

I said headcanons and I lied. Over-analyzing time.

First thing I was thinking about: how are Katsuki and Izuku childhood friends when they are very clearly from different cultures slash tribes slash villages. The idea I ended up with is that Katsuki's people move a lot since they have dragons and they temporarily settled near the Midoriya's house at some point.

Very quickly because I made a post about this before : at some point All Might's sword breaks or is broken on purpose by All Might and its two parts are given to Katsuki and Izuku (this is somewhat lore accurate/canon to the fantasy art series). I headcanon that Katsuki and Izuku then personalize their swords more, keeping the blade intact while modifying the hilt and such (see last illustration: Katsuki's sword is more visible that Izuku's but both have blades in a similar shape as the All Might/One For All sword. There's also that Izuku has another sword at his hip and Katsuki's original sword, the curved one, isn't the one that's out).

Shouto and Enji are so fucking weird.

Shouto's demonic situation in the second illustration clearly represents his left side being associated with his father (bad) and his hatred (also bad). I'm gonna say this is a curse passed down from Enji and created from hatred - the more hate you feel, the more the curse consumes you, but you can learn to wield the curse's power if you let go of your hatred. Both Shouto and Enji are fighting the curse in the second illustration (explaining Enji's fuckass costume hiding his flames, probably) and both of them let go of their hatred (Enji for All Might, Shouto for Enji) in the last illustration.

I also assume given their outfits that they're royalty, if not the king and prince, other similarly important guys.

I think heroes are knights, maybe, probably.

All Might is likely some kind of knight or warrior, Iida and Yaoyorozu are knights, Jirou is a knight, Aizawa is kind of a knight, maybe? It's not a fullproof theory I'll be honest, not all pro-heroes or heroes in training are knight coded in the fantasy series.

The ugly ass dragon?

The ugly ass dragon in the second illustration seems to be an ally to Katsuki and Izuku (and therefore the others) but for reasons you'll understand every soon it's fucking dead. I'm assuming it got killed by villains. Whoops.

So the reason I think it's dead is uh. Yo? Katsuki and Izuku's shoulder pads in the last illustration sure are purple and scaly huh? And the ornaments on Katsuki's new sword sure are orange and horn-looking, huh?

Anyways, the dragon got killed and they used its body for armor and weaponry.

the green capes?

The last illustration has Izuku, Shouto, Ochako, Iida and Aizawa wearing the same type of green cape (Ochako's is a little different but it's still the same green). So this is the Dekusquad plus Aizawa, I'm gonna go ahead and say this is Izuku's party, RPG style. Aizawa is probably here to mediate and make sure they don't die. Katsuki isn't there because he likely is leading the other party.

Kirishima glow up? hello?

He looks so fucking cool in the last illustration I don't even have anything to say. He also looks closer to Katsuki's clothing style, so I'm gonna say Kirishima is part of Katsuki's tribe slash village slash whatever the fuck but left to become a knight and then started getting more in touch with his culture when meeting Katsuki.

Stuff I point out without expanding on it:

Hawks' wings are gone, whoops. Interesting that the fake ones are white and not red. Dove much?

Yaomomo baby that armor isn't protecting you. However you are safe anyway because you are clearly some kind of magic user as well as knight and probably have some kind of force field in place.

Ochako's hat updates to have horns. Minachako goodness. /hj

Kaminari is a cute bard! He's such a romantic. Holding a flower and shit

Not visible in the picture I have. Guys I know we all love the I on Katsuki's arm but I'm sorry it's likely the number 1 in roman lettering rather than the letter -i. He's the number one. He's so goofy.

[the-dreadful-bard]

Future Rejanis fics that I have planned:

- New installments of the you set my world on fire series

- New oneshots for the Under the Blossom Tree collection

- New Multichapter fantasy/d&d au.

Summary: Lady Regina is a noble warrior who wants to travel the world in search of adventure instead of ruling her boring town. Her mother offers her a deal: she will be allowed to step away from her responsibilities and chase after her desires for one year, and then she's expected to take her place as ruler of Fey's Peak.

The catch is, a bard is supposed to escort her for the entire year and write about her greatness, spreading the word about how glorious the future duchess is, all to better her family's reputation. An annoying, stupidly attractive bard who keeps driving Regina mad.

They don't get along at first but, forced to work together, they eventually learn to like and trust each other, and find out there's something stronger than death itself tying their fates as one.

- 2 other possible multichapter fics that I'm not ready to talk about yet.

Will I post them? That will depend on you. If you want to read any of those fics, I'm going to need your support.

How? By leaving comments regularly on the fics as they come out and get updated. That's it. All I need is your continued feedback. If you give me your word that you will do that for me, I'll write/post everything as soon as possible, including the rest of my current multichapter, threads, oil paints, and textbooks.

I'm being very open with you here, if I get another situation where the majority of the readers ignore my pleas for support (which you can do by sharing your opinion on my work through the comments, no matter how simple or short), I'm walking away, as this really hurts my confidence as a writer.

I won't leave my current fic incomplete, no matter what, because I made a promise and I always keep my word, but I won't post any more fics for this fandom if this happens for a third time.

So again, if you want to read any of the things I mentioned in this post, or you liked any of my previous works and you want me to keep posting new things, and you're willing to do the one thing I'm asking in return for my work, let me know by replying to this post and I will. All I need is a few people who are willing to comment regularly. Just a few. That's all I'm asking for.

I'm very excited about my future projects, and I wanted to share them with this fandom, but like I said, that will depend solely on you.

[jasmineandcedar]

Hello.

After being an ACOTAR reader for years - living quietly within the pages of the books and my own head - I recently decided to join the fandom.

Elain and Azriel won my heart during the first dinner with the three brothers and three sisters, when Elain sought quiet reassurance from a poetry-spouting Azriel. They are my ode to forbidden love, to the quiet connection between two individuals that don't need many words to communicate a lot.

Nice to meet you!

My Elriel writing:

Azriel the Bard (Azriel's POV)

Canon adjacent Shakespeare-inspired series of standalone one shots merging poetry, romance, and comedy, where Azriel has picked up the nervous habit of composing sonnets in his mind whenever Elain is around.

Part 1: Thy lips, a bloom in rosy, soft delight

Part 2: Thy goodness, sharp as any warrior's blade (WIP)

Pathetically obsessed (Azriel's POV)

Canon adjacent romantic comedy series of standalone one shots depicting Azriel's pathetic obsession with Elain.

Part 1: He had seen the light

Part 2: An out-of-body experience

Part 3: Death glares at family dinners

Other drabbles and one shots:

Unspeakable things | His name on her tongue (Elain's POV)

Wingspan part 1: Is it true? (Azriel's POV)

Wingspan part 2: Get a grip (Azriel's POV)

"You can sleep now" (Azriel's POV)

Azriel's confession: You already have me (Elain's POV)

The bargain (Elain's POV)

The Seer and the Shadowsinger (Elain's POV)

For now | To convince fate (dual POV)

Sonnets:

Thy lips, a bloom in rosy, soft delight

Thy goodness, sharp as any warrior's blade

In stolen glances, love began to bloom

Thy po-tay-toes are crisp beyond compare

The path to heaven, hidden in thy skin

For I have known the softness of thy hand

Other poetry:

Petals

Flower crowns

Silly recaps and reimaginations:

ACOWAR in a few sentences

Recap of ACOSF

Eris' rescue with an Elriel twist and a melodramatic death-lord

Canon musings

Death and the lovely fawn | A story read between the lines

The bigger picture | the poorly picked bonds

Elain and Azriel's symbiotic relationship

On the potential outcome of Azriel's bonus chapter

“Put it on me” | Elriel and gendered views on lust and agency

On Elriel, themes, and character arcs

What it means for shadows to vanish

"His head went quiet." | Peace and quiet in the mind of a shadowsinger

"Light and dark, the space between their bodies a blend of the two" | Azriel's shadows and his relation to light

"Elain's large brown eyes flickered, well aware of all that" | Elriel and mutual understanding

[adina123]

Empires smp god au

Pearl Goddess of the harvest and farming her title was literally the farmer pearl and in the past people kept track of harvest by looking at the phases of the moon and positioning of the constellations

Lizzie the trickster goddess of the ocean and government ocean because in season one she was a fish goddess and government because in season two she was a mayor and in both she is a scam artist trying to make a profit through morality ambiguous means

Joel god of thunder and art in canon he is the god of thunder and if anyone in empires was a art god it would be the guy that sculpted clones of himself and built stratos/mezalia

Katherine goddess order and balance and duality she fights evil by transforming from the pretty pink princess to the axe wielding warrior and as lady Katherine of the overgrown she is the one that is neutral the one that Try’s to keep order

Jimmy is The god of death for obvious reasons

Joey is the god of wealth and desire because he is a pirate and pirates like gold also he steals from false and really wants to get in xornoth s pants he also Katherine’s (understandable)

Shubble is the goddess of nature and the wild because her whole wolf thing she had going on in the first season of empires and the infected outlaw thing she had in season 2

Scott god of the passage of time and the four seasons (and rainbows) because he has connections to flowers (spring) in life series and stars in origin smp and winter in empires smp

Pix god of messengers and prophecies( he is in charge of the recaps that gives people information they might have missed also he is a prophet)

Fwhip god of fire and revenge because in both seasons of empires he has had a stubborn heated rivalry with jimmy and did not take the break up well also in art his hair is fire truck red

Gem goddess knowledge and magic because she as the wizard gem she is a powerful magician and because as the princess of dawn she teaches others about the sun god also the wizard gems empire is literally a school

Sausage love and family and lust because he is known for his platonic love (Hermes and Eddie and pearl) and let’s say his passionate spicy love( pole dancing and flirting)

Oli god of music and insanity he is a bard and who’s words make zero sense to everyone and watching him you get sensory overload ( he is the oldest but nobody believes him)

false goddess of mystery and adventure and new beginnings because she is lost her memory and is a very adventurous person also do to the lost memories she basically started from square one when she came to empires

[fancoloredglasses]

Xena: Warrior Princess (Somehow more popular than a demigod)

[All images are owned by Renaissance Pictures and Universal. Please don’t sue me]

(Thanks to iTs- Abubakardurrani)

Xena started as a recurring character on Hercules, first as a brutal warlord, but slowly coming around to become a hero of the downtrodden. She was popular enough for Sam Raimi to green light a spin-off after her third appearance!

The series follows the former warlord Xena (played by Lucy Lawless) as she roams ancient Greece (and sometimes beyond) as she atones for her past by helping those in need, using the skills she’s forged to protect rather than conquer.

However, do not think her change in attitude makes her weak. She’s perfectly capable of being ruthless and dealing death to those who oppose her, such as the time she took on the Persian army single-handedly (well, she had a bit of help)

(Thanks to All Action)

Xena’s constant companion is Gabrielle the Bard. While she does pick up some competence in combat, she’s still not a warrior. And I’ve made my views on bards clear in an earlier review.

(Thanks to Mary Bones)

However, she does prove to be a loyal companion and a reminder that there are good people in this world that need her protection. Over time, the fandom shipped them as a couple (eventually becoming canon) and they became not only feminist icons, but heroes among the LGBTQ community.

Like Hercules, Xena has a number of recurring characters (some of which followed her from Hercules), but the one that appears more than any is…

Joxer (played by Sam Raimi’s brother Ted), the black sheep of a warrior clan who absolutely sucks at combat. Joxer more often than not is the comic relief on the show.

When Xena was first introduced, she was a champion for what is now one of the primary antagonists…

…the God of War, Ares

…only he now has a new champion, Callisto.

The series ran for 6 seasons, with the final seeing Xena and Gabrielle being frozen for decades, then travelling to set right a world (beyond Greece) gone mad!

If you wish to watch the series, it’s available on Amazon Prime or behind your favorite paywall.

[dippedinmelancholy]

TW for spoliers for Dragon Age Inquistion (I guess????? It't been 10+ years guys) I keep seeing a lot of people talking about Solas and how horrible he is ( keep my wife's name out of your mouth, I love him your honor) but like, honestly as someone who fell in love Dragon Age Inquisition, it triggered my entire love for the whole series . . . people are missing something huge. Literally all of the main companions, and honestly all of the Advisors, are morally grey, fucked up people. Cole - Literally a spirit/demon. Kills people to 'help'. Varric - Bro is in a long term affair with a woman he can't/won't commit to, is constantly running from responsibility. Sera - Claims to be on the side of the small and helpless, could not give two fucks about the elves at all. Is obscenely racist and cruel, especially if you're playing Dalish. Doesn't seem to give any fucks for how her actions make others feel. Cassandra - Seeker/Templar. Thedas cop. Doesn't care that the mages are regularly abused and violated. Blindly believes in the Chantry, and even after she is given evidence of their fucks ups, cannot pull herself away. Iron Bull - Once again, massively dangerous, worse than a cop. Warrior/master spy. Openly infiltrates your group, sees no sin in how the Qunari operate or stripping people entirely of rights. Blackwall - War criminal????? Fucks you in a barn and leaves???? Takes on the identity of a Warden all in hopes that he can pretend hard enough to be a decent person. Again, dude fucks you in a barn. Jail. Gross. Vivenne - Hungrily plays the politics of Orlais. Believes in keeping the mages in Circles, regardless of the abuse, and is constantly out for her own gain. Her reasonings are wholly selfish. Dorian - Bro defends slavery like five minutes after meeting you. The need for gay rights doesn't fix that my guy. Solas - Doesn't see anyone in the world as people unless/until you change his mind. Sees the Iquisition as a means to an end, and your Inquisitor as someone to manipulate to get to his end goals. Cullen - Reformed Templar, fighting addiction and his past crimes. Abused, violated, he didn't believe mages were people. Josephine - Was a Bard in Orlais. Sounds nice, actually murderous. Killed a friend, is haunted by the act. Though sweet, plays the Game as ruthlessly as anyone else. Leliana - Assassin, murderer, has no problems with being brutal and manipulating everyone for her end goals. Every single one of them are terrible. They are people who have done terrible things, brutalized others, and yet have chosen to stay with the Inquisition. From all corners of Thedas, and yet dedicated to protect the world. Even Solas. His goal to tear down the veil isn't a desire to destroy the world. It's to save the very crumb of his people that remains. And in all of these characters, YOU shape them. You help them choose to be better or worse. That is the beauty of Inquisition. When the world is falling to shit, the sky is literally caving in and a would be god is trying to destroy you all out of spite, PEOPLE come together. They want to protect the world. If you're going to apply a cold, unmoving and non-understanding moral compass to Solas, you better be prepared to do it to every single one of them.

[girl4music]

So I’ve been spending these passed couple of days off work researching cast/crew interviews about ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ and a good few of them I’ve found have been Renee O’Connor interviews where she talks about the significance of Gabrielle as a character and how she relates to Xena. How she personally perceives the nature of the relationship between them. Renee has always perceived it as definitely romantic but not necessarily sexual. She’s always perceived Xena and Gabrielle as best friends in love rather than an actual official couple. Rather than sexually involved lovers. And it’s interesting to read her views of the characters and their relationship together through this lens because she - like me - seems to come at it from a much more profound and spiritual perspective. It really does make me wonder what she would think and tell me if she ever read my character study thesis because I think she would agree with it to be honest. She’d resonate with the theory that the characters were so intertwined with each other emotionally and intimately that they were one soul inhabiting two bodies that became each other at the conclusion.

It’s just the way she talks about the characters and their relationship together makes me think that way. Take for example this interview from way back in 2010. The way she expresses her views about both Xena and Gabrielle here and their love relationship.

WVM: “As I wrote on my blog today, to a true Xena fan, I’m probably the nightmare, because I’ve never seen the show. Now I’m intrigued, and I want to catch up on the series. So tell me: who is Gabrielle? What should I look out for as I watch?”

ROC: “In the beginning, she is very naïve, with an intense desire to search for who she is. Then she starts to be the counterbalance to Xena’s pragmatic warrior, so she becomes more of the peaceful, compassionate, loving partner to Xena’s person-seeking-redemption. Xena the Warrior Princess is looking for redemption, and Gabrielle is guiding her there in some profound way. I think that if you thought of the whole arc of the series, that’s what you could say. Xena discovers true love in Gabrielle. What else should you look for? In the beginning, she’s one of those people who can get herself out of any situation through fast talking. By the end of the series, she actually gets herself out of situations by using her own physical strength, fighting alongside Xena.”

WVM: “She’s also a bard. What does that mean, in Xena terms?”

ROC: “Gabrielle is a great storyteller. She loves to meet the poets along the way. Even at the end of the series — she admires Sappho’s poetry, and so Xena gives her this gift, a poem to her from Sappho. Gabrielle is the person who writes down and archives the adventures of Xena all along the way. Then she puts them in these scrolls, which are her prized possessions, and she carries them on all their journeys. So one great piece of humor is when Xena discovers that she can’t find any paper in the forest, so she uses one of the scrolls, rips off a piece of one.”

WVM: “That kind of paper? Toilet paper?”

ROC: “Yes! There was a wonderful lightness in the series. There were feminist themes, anti-war themes. But also humor. I still remember that scene: “Scrolls? You used my scrolls?”

It’s still the ultimate buddy movie, too. [Gabrielle and Xena] could always rely on each other. We always loved each other, too, so whenever a tragic flaw came over one of us, we always came through to the other side still loving each other.”

WVM: “But it’s my understanding that they were never depicted as lovers outright.”

ROC: “That was asked today. Someone said, “Do you think they ever basically made love,” is what the question was. That’s been the question of subtext for all these years. There was an incredible intimacy between Xena and Gabrielle. I don’t know if I said, “Yes” or “Probably.” If so, Lucy [Lawless, who played Xena] and I never defined that in playing the characters.

It’s a relationship I don’t think I’ve ever had: it’s best friends, it’s maternal, it’s combative — such as in warfare when you have to rely on your partner to think quickly.”

WVM: “There’s also an element of big sister/little sister, isn’t there?”

ROC: “Yeah, and yet I felt Xena was quite maternal, too. Xena defended Gabrielle. I don’t know if she sacrificed herself. It’s more than just a sexual intimacy. But that’s what people saw, so that’s what they could resonate with the most.”

WVM: “We don’t often get to see women’s friendship treated in this kind of depth. Usually the depictions are pretty superficial, or they don’t take up much screen time. And men — myself included — are always certain that there’s more going on and much more said between women when we’re not in the room.”

ROC: “Interesting. That’s the mind of a man!”

Renée recalled a scene between Xena and Gabrielle that demonstrated the characters’ closeness.

ROC: “We were around the campfire talking about a recap of what happened in the episode, some sort of change in the character had happened, and it was an intimate, vulnerable moment, and it happened around the campfire. I think there’s a moment of intimacy when people are vulnerable and open and loving, and I guess that’s where the “dot dot dot” comes in.

It’s funny you say that [about women’s friendships], because I think women are probably more threatened [than men] by seeing someone they love in an intimate relationship with someone else. Women feel that way. As opposed to something that looks — something that might just be a lustful projection. Isn’t that true?”

WVM: “I think guys tend to congratulate each other, rather than feel threatened. Maybe they’re hurt when feeling left out, like “I can’t hang out with my buddy because he’s out with his girflriend.”

While Renée reflected on this, I observed that, at the convention, it was clear that a number of the women present at the convention considered Xena and Gabrielle as models for their own loving relationships with other women. Renée cautioned that her perspective shouldn’t be taken as authoritative, merely because she played one of the characters, but she does understand the interpretation.

ROC: “I have to embrace that, because truly the lesbian community is still our most loyal following, definitely, after all these years. So if that’s what they want to see, absolutely, go for it, sure.”

WVM: “Is it flattering to be viewed this way by a community, that you’re telling their stories?”

ROC: “You know, I come at it from the other angle. I’m almost worried — and I’m not a worrisome person — but I worry about misrepresenting the community, because I don’t expect to be iconic. I can’t represent them in a way that is truly truthful, and so I don’t know that I should be the spokesperson. [That is to say, because she’s a straight woman in real life.]

I think people resonate with me personally because of the person I am. I care about the fans, I really do. I want them to be happy. I want them to feel like they can stand up and say, “I’m gay,” and be fulfilled in so many ways and never be discriminated against. That’s what’s important in what they see in me. I don’t want them to feel isolated or feel like they have to hide or feel ashamed. And I think the young girls feel that way because they don’t have anyone to talk to and they don’t know what to do. I have felt that in my life, and so I feel like I want to say to them, “You don’t have to do that, you can stand up and be who you are.”

WVM: “A lot of people identify very closely with Gabrielle’s spiritual journey.”

ROC: “I don’t know that she meant it to be a spiritual journey. I think she was trying to search for her individual way. There was an element to the spiritual quest there, but I don’t think it was isolated around spirituality. You know, there are just some people who feel incongruent, they have different aspects and they don’t line up. They feel conflicted. [Gabrielle] was in love with someone who was a warrior and was killing people, and yet Gabrielle wanted the life of a compassionate pacifist. So how does she do that? That was how I came at it.”

WVM: “I should probably use the word “meaning” rather than “spirituality.”

ROC: “Yes, yes, looking for meaning, sure.”

Left the link to the original source if you’d like to read the whole interview. I’ve just transcribed a small part of it. But isn’t it interesting though that Renee views the characters and the way they relate to each other in their friendship romantically but not sexually. I obviously perceive Xena and Gabrielle as a couple so I do think they have sex - it’s just not for us to see on-screen - but I do think they focus more so on the emotional and spiritual connection between them - which I do believe is what makes them an epic romance/love story as opposed to any other WLW ship that there is that is represented to be explicitly sexual.

Xena and Gabrielle really are a very special WLW ship in that you can either view them just as friends and completely platonically if you like… or not. At the end of the day what matters is the love they have is so real and deep and strong that it goes beyond sex and romance. It’s not just Renee that will tell you this out of the cast/crew of ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ regardless of how they personally perceive the characters and the nature of their relationship together. They all will. But I just think Renee is the best at explaining this because she really gets down to the core of who the characters are and how they relate to each other which is why I think she would agree with my thesis.

SOURCE: http://billmadison.blogspot.com/2010/09/interview-renee-oconnor.html?m=1

[adarkrainbow]

The fairytale world of The Witcher

The Witcher is first and foremost a work of fantasy and as such, of course, when looking at the inspirations of Sapkowski, we have to look at fantasy works. For example the early worldbuilding and characters of The Witcher world bear the heavy mark of D&D (Jaskier is a cliche D&D Bard, the classification of elemental genies is traight out of D&D, there's the handlings of "druids", etc...), while the main character clearly has parallels with Moorcock's Elric (white-haired wanderer-warrior who knows magic and uses elixirs, drugs to maintain his fighting abilities, philosophizes a lot about the ending of an age and the future of humanity and the doom he is condemned to). However, The Witcher is also, primarily, a fairytale work.

[EDIT: So I am used to call Jaskier "Jaskier" but in English he is called Dandelion apparently... So know that when I talk of Jaskier, I'm talking about Dandelion]

And I am not just saying that in the way that almost all major fantasy works are inspired by fairytales, no. It tends to be lost on people due to how they usually know derived incarnations of this series, but The Witcher stories started out as full on fairytale rewrites. More precisely: subversives parodies of fairytales using dark humor, a gritty tone proper to dark fantasy, and fantasy tropes in general mixed with some folklore sprinkled here and there.

Of all the Witcher books, the first two are the ones where this logic is on full display, forming the core of each tale. If you ever missed it, here is a little list of the fairytale references in them. [Note: I am using the French translation so I might miss some stuff or write them strangely for those used to the English translations or the original Polish]

Book 1: The Last Wish

Many people might be surprised to learn that the first story, "The Witcher", is actually the parody of a specific fairytale. It might seem to be just a take on the vampire as it appears in Eastern European folklore, but in truth Sapkowski rewrote a tale that you probably do not know. Why? Because none of the "great" collectors or writers have it: it doesn't appear in Andersen, Grimm, Perrault, Aulnoy, Basile, Straparola, or whoever else you might name. It is however a fully classified fairytale-type that is VERY present and popular in Eastern Europe, hence why it appears in The Witcher: the Aarne-Thompson classified it as type 307, "The Princess in the Shroud/The Princess in the Coffin". The closest thing you'll find to a version of this in the "classical" corpus is a Danish fairytale that Andrew Lang placed in his Pink Fairy Book: The Princess in the Chest (and Paul Delarue centered his own French-specific classification of this type around the story "La Ramée and the Phantom"). In interviews the author explained he took "a Polish fairytale" where "the royal daughter transformed into a monster because of the incest of her parents, as a punishment", but I don't known which story prcisely he used.

The second story, A Grain of Truth, is much more obvious, as it is a farcical take on Beauty and the Beast (with some flavors of Undine in it).

The third story, The Lesser Evil, introduces the Curse of the Black Sun, which is the in-universe existence for the "maidens in the tower" and all these princesses that princes have to rescue from doorless buildings (interwoven with the figure of Lilith). The cases of Fialka and Bernika are obviously inspired by the tale of Rapunzel. However the real character of the story, Renfri, is The Witcher's dark take on Snow-White.

A Question of Price is a large mix. The storyline is actually a retelling of Hans My Hedgehog, but exploring the fairytale trope that in Witcher terms is called "the law of surprise" - the episode of someone in need striking a deal with a supernatural being for help, and unwillingly selling away their children (it is most famously illustrated by Grimm's "The Girl without Hands"). One of the "historical" illustrations of this trope in the Witcher universe is a version of Rumplestiltskin (queen Metinna and Rumplestelt). There's also references to great heroes that served as an example of such "fate-striken children" sold to a mysterious stranger - but if there's a cultural nod there, I didn't get it. Finally several fairytales are referred during the discussions: Baba-Yaga and Cinderella are briefly said to exist while "A Question of Price" takes place. And Pavetta's magic is not related to fairytales, but rather to the strange cultural motif of "puberty-induced or virginity-linked psychic powers" found from poltergeists to Carrie.

The fifth story, The Edge of the World, is the only one of the collection not dealing with fairytales. It is rather a tale mixing on one side rural folklore, farming superstitions, field spirits and harvest gods, with on the other an exploration of the fantasy trope of "disappearing elves".

The sixth story, The Last Wish, is all about wish-granting genies, with a strong influence from the tale "The Fisherman and the Jinni".

Book 2: Sword of Destiny

The first story, The Bounds of Reason, is not deconstructing a fairytale per se, but rather the entire myth of the dragon-slaying. You find references to many elements of said myth: "You must kill the dragon to claim the princess", the saint-knight figure interpreting dragons as pure evil, the band of dwarves famed for slaying a dragon seem to me a nod to The Hobbit. But mainly, we see that the tale begins as a subversion/expansion on the legend of Smok Wawelski, the Dragon of Wawel, known to some as the Dragon of Cracovia. There's also a mention of bridge-trolls (The Three Billy Goats Gruff).

The second story, A Shard of Ice, is not linked to fairytales per se, but uses a motif taken directly from The Snow Queen (and in-universe, the fairytale of the Snow Queen is said to be an embellished version of the Wild Hunt).

The third story, Eternal Flame, has no fairytale theme, it is just a pure fantasy story.

The fourth story, A Little Sacrifice, opens and closes on the in-universe love story that caused the story of The Little Mermaid to exist (turns out it is a ballad by Jaskier, the actual romance went much happier, though not smoother). Also, the under-sea city is explicitely compared to the city of Ys, which is a big legend of France.

With the fifth story, Sword of Destiny, we go back into a lot of fairytale nods (it helps that it is a direct sequel to "A Question of Price"). The "Last Forest" of Brokelion is a nod to Brocéliande, the legendary forest of Arthurian legends. Geralt tells Ciri the fable of the Fox and the Cat. Freixenet turns out to have been the inspiration for the fairytale of "The Wild Swans", which in-universe is a ridiculous exaggeration and mistelling of what truly happened.

The sixth story, "Something More", only is "fairytale-y" as it reuses the saw "surprise-child/law of destiny" elements already prepared and presented by A Question of Price and Sword of Destiny.

Afterward, from what I understood (I haven't read the third book onward), the fairytale elements are dropped to rather put focus on the exploration of the fantasy and folkloric elements - but it is always useful to know that it started out as basically a dark humor /dark fantasy take on fairytales.

[sapphim]

I think that Dragon Age has just never quite figured out what to do with its rogues, which is why the only rogue specialization that has made an appearance in every installment is the Assassin. Origins got off to a real rough start with like, animal summons? And a Bard spec with mechanics lifted wholesale from D&D (not unusual) and yet no connection to Dragon Age lore (extremely unfortunate). And I don't think that void has ever quite been filled to its fullest potential.

Other classes have specs which have been much more successful at tapping into the specific flavor of the setting. Some are thoroughly explored in the lore (Templar, Blood Mage, Spirit Healer) although they have come with their fair share of ludonarrative dissonance, while others are extremely flavorful but have left a lot on the table that could stand to be explored further (Reaver, Spirit Warrior, Shapeshifter, Keeper, for a few examples).

Combat has generally been a weak point of the series. And if I'd like to see anything out of the combat overhaul for DAV it would be for them to have finally realized the potential of getting their story and gameplay teams on the same page.