#with the governance of the realm. It's striking that the most extreme and arguably the only exception - Isabella of France - assumed

[wonder-worker]

"As for the government of the kingdom, [Edward V] had complete confidence in the peers of realm and the queen."

"According to the Crowland continuator, [Elizabeth Woodville] seems to have taken the king's place in listening to his council immediately after Edward IV's death. It does appear that she expected to have some role in her son's kingship, and the Crowland continuator’s report of the letters sent to her by [Richard of Gloucester] indicates that she had good reason to expect to be able to work with him and the other councillors: 'the duke of Gloucester wrote the most pleasant letters to console the queen; he promised to come and offer submission, fealty and all that was due from him to his lord and king, Edward V, the first-born son of his brother the dead king and the queen'."

"[However], in what was Gloucester's first coup, Edward V was separated from his household and Woodville advisors. When the young king questioned the move, Buckingham was reported to have told the boy 'It is not in the business of women but men to govern kingdoms'. The blunt remark referred to the authority of Elizabeth Woodville as queen and the power she must have anticipated within the new political climate left by Edward IV's sudden death [...] While the veracity of this scene is questionable*, the words attributed to the duke no doubt seemed plausible to Dominic Mancini who believed they exemplified the popular sentiment held by men [...]."

-Dominic Mancini, The Usurpation of Richard the Third / J.L. Laynesmith, The Last Medieval Queens: English Queenship 1445-1503 / Alexander R. Brondarbit, Power Brokers and the Yorkist State, 1461-1485

*One of Mancini's key sources seems to have been Edward V's own doctor, John Argentine, who attended to him in the Tower. It's very likely that he was the one who recounted this scene to Mancini, which suggests that it should probably be considered more credible than not.

[dailycharacteroption]

Deity Drop 1: Baalzebul

Arrogance and hubris are common threads in evil, particularly lawful evil, and there are few more suited to demonstrate this than Baalzebul, the Lord of Flies.

Indeed, today we are looking at another demigod, and our first evil one and archdevil at that!

Originally an angel (some say the first angel), Baalzebul was originally known as the Lord of That Which Flies, and was a beautiful angelic being, one of the oldest surviving creations of Asmodeus. Indeed, he was also known as the White Son, and prized as Asmodeus’s favorite.

However, when Asmodeus left Heaven to conquer and rule Hell, Baalzebul was shocked to see that rather than ruling directly under Asmodeus, he was given a layer of the plane to rule just the same as the other archdevils that either left the celestial planes or were created or invited in afterwards, including Asmodeus’s new son, Mephistopheles.

Enraged with jealousy, Baalzebul railed against his creator, demanding a realm that befit his perceived station. When asked why he thought he deserved this, he listed off his many victories and achievments in Asmodeus’s name.

However, Asmodeus being Asmodeus, rejecting free will in all it’s forms, reminded Baalzebul that he was nothing more than his creation, and that all his achievements therefore belonged to his maker. But, he would grant his wish to be a lord of multitudes, and so transformed the former angel into a seething mass of flies

Grieving the loss of his form, Baalzebul retreated to his icy realm, obedient, but not humbled. The archdevil of ambition and arrogance simultaneously hates Asmodeus, but also deeply craves his approval. Thus, he constantly tries to curry favor with his master with transparent displays of obeisance, while also imagining a thousand bitter fantasies of taking his revenge.

Though he does not act against his fellow archdevils, he does them no favors either, and even among devil-kind he is the most abrasive to be around, especially in his home court, which he rules as if he really were the proper right-hand servant of Asmodeus, demanding fawning and convoluted displays of etiquette and flattery from his subjects and worshippers at all times.

The layer that Baalzebul rules over is Cocytus, the 7th layer, which is a place of freezing winds, snow, and ash, where the only source of heat are the occasional volcanos found among the icy floes and planes. It is said that the snow began to fall when The Lord of Flies slew a fellow archdevil-to-be, Nybbas, and scattered his ashes there.

The worship of Baalzebul are those who seek power to match their egos, be they ambitious spellcasters, self-serving nobility, and those seeking revenge, while his cults tend to revolve around single individuals who gather a congregation of followers that at once try to curry favor with the leader and seek to supplant them. Prayers to him typically involve constant flattery and much pomp and circumstance, befitting the majesty that The White Son believes he deserves.

 In first edition, Baalzebul rules over the domains of Air, Death, Evil, and Law, with the subdomains of Devil (by way of law or evil), Murder, Undead, and Wind. This reflects not only his wicked nature and association with death and rotting things, but also his connection to flight, since arguably he was among the first non-deific entities that could fly.

Meanwhile, in second edition he has the air, ambition, magic, and trickery domains, reflecting his and his followers willingness to do anything to get ahead, kowtowing to the powerful and mastering spells alike.

Those seeking to prove their obedience to Baalzebul perform a ritual in which they coat their hands in rotting material and whisper of his accomplishments to the flies that gather to feast. Those that do so find their minds strengthened against outside influence.

Going further, his evangelists are blessed with his skill at deception, able to cast spells to warp the mind, hide their true location, or lie with ease. Furthermore, they can surround themselves with an aura of profane grandeur, making themselves seem like extremely powerful evil beings to strike fear into their inferiors and those who are actually more powerful alike. They can also weave a tapestry of deception into the minds of others to protect their mentality from outside influence and detection.

The exalted favor his aspect of being an endless swarm of biting flies, casting spells to consume corpses down to bone, will the air with befuddling swarms, and deafening foes with a thousand buzzing wingbeats. They can also summon forth a swarm of fiendish, blood-drinking flies to torment their enemies, and can even inflict an illusionary nightmare on foes that they are being consumed by flies and maggots, reflecting the fate of the forgotten god Azhia, whose flesh is Baalzebul’s banquet.

Those unholy sentinels under him instead favor his aspect of ambition and arrogance, compelling others to turn on each other, and to act with incredible speed that blurs their motion. What’s more, they can proclaim their foul right to rule to alarm and stun foes, and at their worst, unleash a terrifying storm of elemental torment to punish all who would deny them what is theirs by right, at least according to them.

No details are given on The Lord of Flies in Starfinder, but I imagine that if he is still kicking around, his bitter fury would not have cooled, and his cult would have evolved. Arrogance and ambition abound in the corporations of the far future, so I can imagine entire corporate entities, or even secret cults pulling the strings from within them. Furthermore, ambitious warlords that overthrow legitimate governments to set up their own regime might also pay homage to him, and hear advice whispered by a small biting insect in the ear.

That does it for today, but now we’ve gotten a glimpse of evil, and the final entry of this week promises a bit more of that!

[cruelintentionsrp]

as the weekend winds down, we hope you’re having a great sunday so far ! it’s so, so exciting to see everyone’s amazing dev posts in the tag - we can’t wait to see your characters in action. and now, without further ado, here’s pt. 2 of our species reveal, with demons, cambions, and sirens !

demons. 

overview the physical representation of sin, insidious creatures of darkness. they are known by many names and in many forms, but perhaps the most well known is the abrahamic name: demons. a name that inspires feelings of fear and disgust, a name that invokes images of the most vile creatures one could imagine, a name they have taken for themselves out of mere convenience. although many mythologies express the belief of a hierarchy or all powerful greater leader, the truth is that they have no such thing. darkness incarnate cannot and will not be governed or controlled, and neither will they. the underworld most demons were created in the vast emptiness of the underworld. this realm is not made up of fire and brimstone like most legends suggest and is instead an opposite mirror to our reality - imagine if we lived under a veil of darkness, imagine no color. this is where the corrupt souls of those affected by violence or trauma come to reside; this is where you’re sent if you sell your soul to a demon, where exposure to the underworld’s atmosphere is what creates demons as we know them. it is very rare that a soul existing within the underworld stays a human soul for very long. the underworld is a realm completely engulfed in thunderstorms and void. because of the unpleasant atmosphere most of its residents are literally dying to escape, but only the strong can pull through the riptide that the winds of the underworld create between other realms. physiology they’re souls that have been marked by darkness, torn apart by the winds of the underworld and made completely undistinguishable from the humans they once were. this does not mean that they no longer carry any humanity – but for most, emotions such as love, loyalty and sympathy are disfigured and their morals skewed. when not in their corporeal form demons appear as a black cloud of smoke, making it incredibly easy for them to travel or inhabit a human body. they cannot take up residence in a human body for long without complications – even binding spells are only temporary. demonic possession is as it has always been portrayed – grotesque, dangerous and normally deadly. in fact, demons don’t need a human body to inhabit or even to walk on earth, as they’re both corporeal and incorporeal their solid form is the appearance they held at any age before their death.  however, thanks to magic they’re able to make minor changes to their form. what is most notable about demons, are their pitch black eyes which appear when provoked or sensing danger. abilities a demon’s power is limitless due to infernal magic. they pull all of their energy from the underworld, making them able to do nearly anything as long as it is derived from dark magic. possession, in reality, is mostly smoke and mirrors. it is rare for demons enter the vessel of a human as it is dangerous for both souls involved. most demons cast a sort of maddening illusion over humans – entering their brain through telepathy and causing them to hallucinate. those with weakened inhibitions are easy for demons to target and will them into sin. with enough power a demon can make just about any mortal or weaker non mortal their victim. wishes are granted by demons, but this most often ends with indentured servitude toward the demon. no one is sure what makes a demon able to cut into the fabric of fate it is but their most terrifying quality. forget the curses and the dark magic, a demon can make just about anything happen just so long as they have a soul to use.

weaknesses exorcisms are not to only rid a human of whatever demonic presence has control over them. with the right exorcism it can send a demon straight back to the underworld. of course, they’re always capable of crawling back out and exacting revenge so this may not be your best line of defense. holy water will deter a demon and burn their skin upon contact but will not kill or maim them. other ways to banish a demon or protect against them are enchanted sigils and spells that can only be completed by experienced witches and fairies. they’re the same species who are able to completely destroy a demon and tear them from eternal life. when a demon is completely extinguished the place of their death is also destroyed leaving behind a dark energy that invites death and chaos.

cambions.

overview cambions can only be conceived through a male demon and a female human.  some say that the cambions are beautiful – but there’s one thing we know – they're most certainly sinful. their lineage alone is a mixture of great power, known to strike fear in the hearts of many other creatures. due to their human appearance and mortal status, cambions have been able to glide through life without the need to “blend in”. a hidden secret resides in the history of the cambion race, having constructed nefarious societies and tyrannical governments from the julian claudian dynasty to, as rumors have it – even a few u.s presidents. most who know what they are absolutely hate to hide who or what they are and in the end, it’s just easier to hide in plain sight. physiology a cambion’s birth in the first hour is a still birth, and afterwards the creature begins to draw energy from the mother; this part is necessary in order for the creature to obtain vitality. If not abandoned entirely, cambions completely exhaust their mother’s lifeforce no more than a few years after their birth. because of this, cambions are often lost in adoption or foster systems without any knowledge of what they are. due to their lack of knowledge, instead of siphoning energy for survival, they often end up sick and dying before the age of 6. If they do survive, it is during their early teenage years that a cambion begins to experience their demonic nature in the form of depression, mood swings, and often a strong attraction to violence. cambion children often act out, especially for those who still lack the knowledge of what they are. once they’ve reached maturity, there is no hiding their above average temperature (normally about 101), or their eyes that darken to a blood red when in the presence of celestial magic, when in danger, or when provoked. abilities energy is extremely important to a cambion, it’s what keeps them alive, it’s what feeds them. so they have to pull energies from humans around them; which can result in death. they must learn to control their siphoning, or else they’re out of luck as far as human lovers and friends go. they can siphon magic, but only the infernal kind, and the same goes for what they can perform. a cambion particularly excels at fire magic, which is more dangerous when using infernal incantations or energies. they’re stronger and more powerful than a humans as well as slightly empathic, with an ability to sense certain emotions, such as apprehension, rage and sadness by touching a human. combined with their demonic urges, these abilities make cambions very dangerous creatures. weaknesses cambions are easily captured and weakened, especially when placed into a vulnerable state by making them emotional. by inciting powerful emotions, you can force a cambion to expend their energy completely until trapping them is entirely painless. they get their fill of energies around them, so the less you give them the less powerful they are. energies from different creatures can affect a cambion in various ways.  for instance, celestial magic can completely stop a cambion from using their abilities. killing a cambion also isn’t hard as they can die from a lack of vitality or starve; showing signs that they’re sick or becoming weak before eventually withering away. a cambion also isn’t impervious to death. just like their human half, they can die by serious wounds and diseases. essentially, a cambion is not immortal. after death upon death, a cambion instantly becomes a demon. they no longer have to siphon energy to live, but they’re also no stronger than other demons. thankfully, they’re spared a visit to the underworld, as their souls have already been torn apart enough by the demonic energy of their birth.

sirens.

overview the danger of a true siren cannot be captured by just a story, nor a rumor - they are in every sense of the word, predators. it is said they were once nymphs cursed by demeter, a story that can neither be confirmed or denied. sirens have been hunted since the middle ages, most notably in the 1700’s, a time when sailors and pirates perished at the hands of a siren's song. not only is their song deadly, they’re beautiful and alluring in every sense of the word, making it easy to get caught in a siren’s grasp. a siren’s love is all consuming, and most often a siren has no choice but to entertain their predatory nature and kill their partner. as you can imagine, relationships are extremely difficult for sirens, so many are left to resort to feeding only off of those they can sing into loving them for a night.

physiology rivaling the allure of fairies, sirens are arguably the most beautiful of all supernatural creatures. their natural beauty makes each siren incredibly attractive, but direct eye contact ensures that their prey stands no chance in getting away. their teeth are razor sharp, easily tearing through flesh and muscle with just one bite, yet their teeth are indistinguishable from human ones.  a siren also has a notably colder body temperature than humans, along with strength that matches that of a vampire. it doesn’t quite matter if a siren is born or turned; they all obtain their powers the same - by taking their first bite of human flesh. by doing so, their immortality takes hold, and their abilities are amplified. a siren must then continue to eat flesh for as long as they live; those who consume more flesh are stronger, but in turn, lack emotional empathy.

abilities to control their hunger is a power in itself. they're often plagued by an intense desire to consume human flesh that cannot be satisfied by animals alone. through their touch, they are able to imbue a human with oxytocin, making the victim so enamored  with a siren, they’ll do or say anything for them.  a siren’s song, is also the most dangerous weapon. most of their voices are naturally beautiful – your favorite popstar, for example. might be a siren -  but if the particular tone of a siren's song actually heard by human ears, it’ll render the listener completely paralyzed, which often leads to death. a siren, when strong enough can also control weather in their area - when their emotions are heightened, they can induce rainfall or thunderstorms,

becoming a siren many sirens are born, but creating a siren is also possible. this occurs when a siren bites a human, poisoning them with enough venom to render them unconscious. once nearly incapacitated, the same siren must then eat their heart, and submerge them fully in either fresh water or the sea. upon the next rising of the moon, a new siren will emerge from the water - this new siren must take their first bite of human flesh within that very same day, or they risk death.

[berniesrevolution]

JACOBIN MAGAZINE

New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon released her labor platform last week. It contains support for a safe-staffing law, a perennial demand of nurses unions that mandates nurse-to-patient ratios that are high enough to ensure nurses aren’t run ragged and patient safety is strong, as well as provisions for increased safety and apprenticeship programs in the building trades —a group of workers Nixon previously upset with remarks suggesting they would have to take pay cuts to help lower the cost of subway construction.

Arguably more important are the broader, more ambitious, and more difficult proposals: support for universal just-cause protections, which would shield all workers from arbitrary firings and discipline (standard in union contracts), and a $15 minimum wage across the whole state, not just the New York City metropolitan area. Especially important, though, is Nixon’s call to establish the legal right to strike for public sector workers in New York state.

While New York is legally favorable to worker organizing in many ways, it has some of the most draconian anti-public sector labor laws in the country, most of which are compiled in the Public Employees Fair Employment Act, commonly known as the Taylor Law or the Taylor Act.

Public sector worker strikes have been critical in raising class consciousness in the United States, both in 2018 and historically. They can reveal the anti-working-class outlook of the Democratic Party — and even some union officials. Even if the law doesn’t change any time soon, simply raising the issue, as Nixon has, could raise the level of worker militancy in New York and around the country.

The Left should make public sector right-to-strike laws the next “litmus test” for progressive candidates, similar to current demands like supporting Medicare for All and rejecting corporate campaign donations.

Kale Chips and Pinkertons

The media and the Right immediately seized on Nixon’s right to strike proposal. “That would be really bad for all New Yorkers, especially poor New Yorkers. The more you depend on public services, the more you’ll have at risk if public employees are allowed to strike,” E.J. McMahon, of the anti-union Empire Center For Public Policy told the New York Daily News.

No one should be surprised that anti-union hacks would pit elements of the working class against each other. But it was more surprising to watch union-endorsed Democrats like Andrew Cuomo and Bill de Blasio publicly declare their opposition to Nixon’s proposal. “I don’t agree with changing the Taylor Law. The Taylor Law serves an important public purpose and at the same time there are lots of ways for workers’ rights to be acknowledged and their voices to be heard. I think we have the right law now,” the New York City mayor said.

Even more disturbing was watching union officials attack Nixon for saying their members should have the right to strike.

Civil Service Association president Danny Donohue said, “It is incredibly naïve for Cynthia Nixon to propose that all public sector workers be able to strike. Clearly, she does not have the experience needed to be governor of New York.” CSEA represents more than 300,000 New York state workers and local government workers outside New York City.

John Samuelsen, the international president of the Transport Workers Union (TWU), went even further, entering the realm of self-parody by telling the Chief-Leader, “I am extremely skeptical of her newfound support of striking. I believe that she will cut and run when we shut the subway down. As soon as her hipster Williamsburg supporters can’t take public transit to non-union Wegman’s to buy their kale chips, she will call in the National Guard and the Pinkertons.”

Samuelsen’s statement was especially out of touch (and not just because there are no Wegmans grocery stores in New York City). TWU’s largest local, which represents transit-system workers in New York City, faced severe penalties under the Taylor Law as a result of the union’s 2005 strike. The union as a whole and individual workers faced heavy fines; the union was forbidden from collecting dues by automatic checkoff for six months, and local president Roger Touissant was sentenced to prison.

As recently as 2011, TWU issued press releases declaring New York’s blanket ban on public sector strikes a human-rights violation. One struggles to find a motivation for Samuelsen’s acerbic comments toward Nixon for suggesting the state do away with the ban, other than shortsighted support for Governor Cuomo’s reelection.

Ironically, the ban on public sector strikes makes this sort of calculation rational, if craven. Most unions would not dream of cozying up to the boss this way. But with public sector workers denied some of the most powerful tools other workers have, being on the boss’s good side is seen by many union leaders as the easiest way to settle a contract.

A Demand Worth Making

After decades with very few strikes in the public sector, 2018 has seen public school teacher strikes in Arizona, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and West Virginia, all states where it is illegal for public workers to strike. Teachers also struck in Colorado, where public workers may legally strike. And in California, where public strikes are also legal, 24,000 University of California workers represented by AFSCME 3299 recently went on strike.

The other two major public sector strikes of the last two decades were the Chicago Teachers Union strike in 2011 — legal — and the New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority strike of 2005 — illegal, with severe consequences for the union.

Public sector workers have shown a recent willingness to go on strike even when it’s illegal. So why should the Left make legalizing public strikes a core demand?

First, by pushing candidates to back this demand, the Left can isolate them from the Democratic establishment, who make up a large portion of bosses in the public sector and are therefore unlikely to support giving their workers the right to strike. We saw this theory play out in real time last week.

Cynthia Nixon and Julia Salazar, who is running for New York State Senate, have made this plank a central demand and have shown a willingness to confront the party’s centrist leadership. But by pushing candidates to make the legalization of public sector strikes a central part of their labor platform, the Left can force more candidates to develop power from the grassroots to make up for whatever funding and other means of support they lose from the party.

Second, the prohibition on strikes contributes to the sad state of many public sector unions — especially in New York. There are many reasons for the decline of militancy and workplace organizing in public sector unions, and many of those factors are beyond unions’ control. But if job action is off the table, one of the few ways public sector unions can defend their interests is to make political deals with officeholders.

(Continue Reading)

[segadores-y-soldados]

Doomfist: Lineage and Legacy

Oooooooh boy, we got some lore dropped on us yesterday, and after having some time to think it over, I got a few hypotheses and ideas for y’all.  I’m SUPER EXCITED to share some of the different tidbits people have figured out and to try and put them together in a few different ways that may make sense.  This is a little different than my other posts in that a lot of it is speculation and theorizing, and less reference..uh...referencing.

So let’s start with the very basics:

https://playoverwatch.com/en-us/blog/20877886

This is the in-universe article that Blizzard dropped on us yesterday.  There’s a TON of great stuff in here, but we’re gonna focus on Akande - aka “Doomfist” - for this one.

More under the cut!

The first thing we need to establish is his name: Akande Ogundimu.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Overwatch/comments/6l7jo2/talon_involvment_confirmed_in_previous_attack_on/djrn9r0/

Direct quotation:

“Akande Ogundimu, better known as Doomfist

We have a name!

Edit - Like myself and others have pointed out below, Akande is a Yoruba name meaning "First Born" and Ogundimu is a relatively common Nigerian name. Safe to assume that Doomfist is Nigerian.

Edit 2 - /u/blopo7 asked me to include this because it might be relevant:

Ogun is the Yoruba Orisa (essentially a spirit or lesser deity) of Iron and War. And Dimu means "to hold". So, in essence, the name is Firstborn Ironholder”

So this is like, really, REALLY important.

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/nsbyuzan7l75wqsopmmz.png

This is the current banner for the three known Doomfists found on the Numbani map.

Note that of the two English alphabet names, “Akande Ogundimu” is not there.

So, our first likely thought is, “He’s gotta be the third one!” but let’s just hang on a second.

Because the gauntlet in the third picture:

Looks NOTHING like the gauntlet from the Numbani map

Note the lack of spikes on the knuckles, the very big medallion symbol, the black patches, etc.

This isn’t terribly unusual for Overwatch, though - there are lots of things that are different between the concept art or flat designs and the finalized designs.  But considering that the Gauntlet on the Numbani map is the same as the one from the Museum Heist animation - the oldest animation Overwatch has - it’s fairly safe to say that at this point, the design isn’t going to change.

So here we get our first main “branch” in the hypotheses: 1) Akande is the Successor (Third) Doomfist and the gauntlet is different for whatever reasons and 2) Akande is actually a Fourth, unknown Doomfist.

Before I get into this even further, we need to discuss the first two Doomfists - the Savior and the Scourge.

The Savior

The Savior is ostensibly the “first” Doomfist.  His full name is Adhabu Ngumi, which is Swahili for “Doom Fist.”  Clever, right?  But what’s important here are his title and his design.

Adhabu’s gauntlet is by far the simplest of the “four” gauntlets (the Savior’s, the Scourge’s, the Successor’s, and the map’s).  It appears to actually be a legitimate gauntlet - he has a full, “normal” arm, all the way down to fingers.  The gauntlet ends at his wrist/forearm, and has spikes on the finger knuckles (middle phalanges).  The rest of his arm is unencumbered, and we can see all of his tattoos.

Adhabu is also dressed in an extremely militarized manner - he is wearing body armor, what appears to be a biotic field (compare to the yellow one on the Strike-Commander Morrison skin), and a military beret.  He is framed with a rising sun, showing him as a heroic, bold figure.

This, coupled with his title “The Savior,” implies that he was a military figure in Africa - arguably Eastern Africa.

However, given the backstory of the OR-14s, we know there was an Omnium in Nigeria:

“Originally put into service before the Omnic Crisis, the OR14 "Idina" line of security robots was built in Nigeria's massive manufacturing omnium. After the war, they were taken out of production, along with many of the other models used during the crisis. Twenty years later, Numbani revived and recommissioned the OR14 program to protect the city from external threats. These new OR15s were deployed for a short time before they were destroyed in an attack by Doomfist.” (Orisa’s Play Overwatch biography).

Which means that it’s very, very likely Adhabu was the man who lead African military forces to triumph over the Nigerian Omnium.  

It may be possible that Numbani itself was built in Adhabu’s honor.

Although Adhabu is Swahili, he seems to bear some references to the Oduduwa mythology of the Yoruba people (whom the Scourge and Akande are a part of): he “hails from the east,” and appears to be “a bringer of light.”  Oduduwa is considered the ancestor of all Yoruba kings.  We know that Blizzard loves its mythology - including everything from Valkyries for Mercy, Horus for Ana and Pharah, oni demons for the Shimada bros, and even the Headless Horseman for Reaper - and one of the more recent maps, Oasis, features a number of mythological or idealized references to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Tower of Babel.

The reason Adhabu bears some similarity to the Oduduwa myth is important because:

The Scourge - A king denied

The Scourge’s name is “Akinjide Adeyemi” - Yoruba for “the strong one has returned” and “worthy of the crown.”

This is extremely important, because Akinjide’s original family name was “Ngumi.”

So from this we can glean two points:

Originally, it was likely that the Gauntlet was meant to be passed down a familiy lineage - the Ngumi family.

At some point, Blizzard decided to change this to instead make Akinjide’s name Yoruba in origin, and make it very, very clear that Akinjide has “the bearings of a king.”

So what does this mean?

It is likely that “the Gauntlet” is a sort of technology being passed down some sort of lineage - whether an actual family or a master-apprentice type of relationship, we don’t know.  Somehow, Akinjide got a hold of “a Gauntlet” (it is important to note that Akinjide’s gauntlet is left-handed, whereas the others are right-handed, including the one on the map).  If he is related to Adhabu, whether by blood or by “martial right,” he may have seen it as his “right” to “rule” Numbani or act as its protector.

We don’t know why Akinjide eventually got the title of “Scourge” - most likely, he abused his power in some way.  It is worth noticing that Akinjide’s gauntlet is MUCH BIGGER than Adhabu’s - it is far, far bulkier, and goes all the way up to his elbow.  Akinjide also has a number of prosthetic enhancements on his back and legs, including a new support on his upper left arm.

This implies that the Gauntlets are getting more and more powerful, and may be used less as a means of protection and defense, and more as a weapon of war.

So now we come to the third Doomfist.

The Successor - or is he?

Something that is extremely important in Overwatch is the blending of an idealized, optimistic futuristic “firm sci-fi” setting with a sense of history and “real world” legacy.  King’s Row is a fantasticized version of London in 60 years.  Hanamura is a reimagining of various historical districts in Tokyo.  Dorado is a rather imaginative interpretation of the port cities of Veracuz, Mexico.  And Oasis is a blending of the Arabian Islamic Golden Age mixed with “firm” science fiction and various mythological images (again, the Tower of Babel and the Hanging Gardens).

We don’t know much about Numbani, beyond the fact that it is a city built after the Omnic Crisis and intended to be a place where “humans and Omnics could live and work in peace.”  Orisa’s backstory told us that the OR-15s - updated from the OR-14s - were commissioned as security forces around the city, but we are not given an exact timeframe of this.  We also know that several places around Numbani reference Gabrielle Adawe, one of the “key architects” of early, Crisis-era Overwatch.  She seemingly remains an active presence behind the scenes, granting Efi Oladele some funding for her robotics research.  Lúcio is very positive about the city, saying that he loves being in a place where everyone is able to live as they please, and Zenyatta says that he too likes Numbani as a place for humans and Omnics to live in harmony.

However, interestingly, Genji notes that he did not particularly enjoy Numbani, because he still felt like an outsider.  Hanzo too did not like Numbani, though he does not give a specific reason.

Why does this matter?

If we operate on the belief that Blizzard is pulling from historical and/or mythological references, then it’s possible that Numbani operates on pre-colonial Yoruba socio-political traditions:

“Traditionally kingship and chieftainship were not determined by simple primogeniture, as in most monarchic systems of government. An electoral college of lineage heads was and still is usually charged with selecting a member of one of the royal families from any given realm, and the selection is then confirmed by an Ifá oracular request.” - Wikipedia on Yoruba pre-colonial leadership.

Primogeniture is defined as “the right, law, or custom by which the firstborn son inherits his family’s wealth, lands, titles, etc. over any other sibling, including elder sisters.”

So uh

It’s starting to look very interesting that Akande’s name means “firstborn.”

We circle back to the original hypothesis split:

1. Akande is the Successor.

If Akande is the Successor, there are a few things worth pointing out: first, his Gauntlet is HUGE.  It covers his entire arm, all the way up to the shoulder.  It contains extra pistons and reinforcements.  From what we can see of his face, the Successor appears to have extra cyborg enhancements as well.

If Akande is the Successor, then it is likely that he was bio-engineered or cybernetically-enhanced to wield the third-generation Gauntlet.  His full name “Firstborn Ironwielder” implies that he was basically born and/or enhanced to bear the Gauntlet at its fullest potential.

The Successor’s name is the only one written in the Omnic Language, making it effective undecipherable.  It is likely, given that he has a bold, proud fist symbol behind him and that his name is written in Omnic, that he is seen as a hero by the Omnic population of Numbani.

Which, frankly, almost makes this hypothesis sound unlikely.

Akande attacked the OR-15s at the airport once he was freed, resulting in Efi being inspired to make Orisa as a new guardian.  We also know that “Omnic-friendly” characters like Winston and Tracer have tried to stop Talon agents from claiming the Map Gauntlet in the Museum Heist, so it seems unlikely that they would want to fight against the Successor (again, assuming he is seen as a sort of Omnic hero in Numbani).

Which leads to, what I think is the more interesting of the two hypotheses:

2. Akande is a fourth, unknown Doomfist.

If the “Doomfist” title and Gauntlet-bearing is a sort of lineage, one in which the original goal was to act as a leader or protector of Numbani, we could be looking at a very interesting set of possible stories for Akande here.  Things we’ve established:

There are at least multiple Gauntlets, perhaps several unique ones.

Gauntlet “technology” has changed significantly since the very first Doomfist.

The Gauntlets may have been abused in their power.

Inheritors of the Gauntlet technology may not be based on a direct, primogeniture lineage but instead chosen by a sort of council that governs the technology and/or the city of Numbani.

We don’t know the Successor’s name, but we do know that he was given a badass title (The Successor) that makes him sound like he was a chosen heir or hero among the humans and Omnics of Numbani.  His Gauntlet - massive and bulky - is not the one featured on the Numbani map.  And seemingly, he does not necessarily appear to have a reason to attack Numbani, considering he appears to stand as a symbol of unity and strength.

But if Akande “Firstborn” Ogundimu was originally supposed to be the Successor?

And was shafted?

In favor of whoever is on the banner?

Now that’s a tale we’ve heard before.

Better yet, if it is a sort of family-lineage struggle, that’s also a tale we’ve heard before.

It would make a ton of sense if Akande was in the “lineage” of Doomfists, next in line to be the Successor as his given name implies, only to be “passed up” in favor of a different, cyborg-based “sibling” or fellow-apprentice.

Except, unlike Hanzo -

Akande “lost.”

His frustration with Numbani would therefore be very, very personal, and may explain why he’s so focused on getting his Gauntlet back and attacking the “defenders” of the city - the OR-15s.  It would also explain why we don’t actually know The Successor’s full name, because that would give away the fact that Akande is NOT him, but rather a fourth, unknown Doomfist who “went the wrong way” and fell into crime.  He was eventually caught and arrested by Winston, and put into a maximum security prison, which was inherited from Overwatch by Helix Security.

Helix’s firewalls

Why would this matter to Talon?  Regardless of if Akande is the Successor or a fourth Doomfist, he clearly has a personal vendetta against Numbani.  And if he causes the kind of destruction we see in the Numbani airport without his Gauntlet, he’s going to be incredibly difficult for Talon to keep in line.

So why release him?

We need to remember that the last major plot point we saw was Team Talon infiltrating Volskaya Industries, all so Sombra could get close enough to Katya to blackmail her.  If you believe the fan theories, Reaper may be in on the charade.  In the short, Sombra tells Katya that she knows the Volskaya CEO is getting her technology from Omnics.  Sombra’s Origin Video later shows that the hacker has connected this group of Omnics to

You guessed it

Numbani.

Sombra also has a voiceline on the Temple of Anubis map that goes “I’m going to find a way through Helix’s firewalls.”  It is not known if she managed to hack their radar during the prison break, but it is implied in the Doomfist article that she was able to secure “other breaches,” whether that means releasing other prisoners or securing information.

Letting an angry, bitter Doomfist run loose on Numbani seems to be a great way to cause chaos and let information slip.  Who is going to notice if a computer in Numbani goes haywire while Akande is fighting Orisa in the street?

So for a third hypothesis: I wouldn’t be surprised if releasing Akande was Sombra’s plan, not Akande’s, Reaper’s, or Talon’s.  Getting Akande out of prison will likely force several things to occur:

Helix will have to mobilize forces to re-arrest him (Raptora Squad incoming?)

Orisa will be on the alert in Numbani.

Winston in Gibraltar will be keeping an eye on Numbani.

Ana and 76 will be tracking Reaper’s new movements.

The Omnic faction giving technology to Volskaya may slip up and make a hasty decision, outting them to Sombra.

If this is part of Sombra’s plan, this is a bold move.  We know that both Sombra and Reaper are aware of Ana and 76 being in the Giza area, and Reaper has tangoed with Winston in Numbani before.  What is interesting are the two potential “new slips” - that Helix’s most powerful squad, Pharah’s Raptora squad, may leave the Giza area to fly to Numbani, giving Sombra a chance to enter the Temple of Anubis, ooooorrrr that the Omnic faction in Numbani might make a mistake and reveal themselves in the chaos of Akande’s fury.

Things we may see in the “near-future”: Ana and 76 defending the Temple of Anubis in the wake of the Raptora Squad leaving Giza (a very quick way to move the plot forward regarding the “Old Soldiers” and setup another clash between Ana, 76, and Reaper (and possibly Widowmaker)), a showdown between Orisa and Akande (with possibly the revelation of who The Successor is), and Sombra gaining access to either Numbani’s secrets or the Temple of Anubis.

And how do our Recalled Overwatch heroes - Winston and Tracer - fare in all this?  Who’s going to tip the balance?

I don’t know.

But it’s a very exciting prospect all the same.

[ramajmedia]

Control Review: Weirder Than Usual | Screen Rant

Control combines the tight shooting and storytelling of Remedy's past titles with more open mission structure and Metroidvania-inspired level design.

To legions of fans, developer Remedy will always be best known for creating the Max Payne series. Others cherish them for their work on Alan Wake, while still others appreciate the risks they took with the ambitious and unique Quantum Break. The latest project from Sam Lake's team, Control, combines the best elements of Remedy's greatest titles with a significantly more open game design. The resultant game features a provocative story, visceral combat, and some of the best environmental storytelling this side of BioShock.

Remedy's titles have always thrived on their distinct settings and storylines, and Control is no different. The entire game is set in The Oldest House, a "place of power" in New York City. Jesse Faden wanders into the building, the headquarters of a secret government agency, the Federal Bureau of Control, and uncovers a hidden world of supernatural entities, unexplained events, and possessed objects. With the title of Director unexpectedly foisted upon her, Jesse is tasked with repelling an onslaught of Hiss, a dark force which turns humans into possessed monsters. Armed with the Director's Service Weapon, an "object of power" with the power to switch between many different forms, Jesse sets out to take back the fallen Bureau HQ and find her place as Director, all while pursuing a secret, more personal agenda.

Related: Sam Lake Interview All About Remedy's Control And More

Unlike previous Remedy games, which were purely linear affairs, Control takes on a more Castlevania/Metroid-inspired approach with its third-person gameplay. The entire game is set within the hallowed halls of The Oldest House, and Jesse can freely return to previously explored areas. At the start, there's not much utility to backtracking, but as Jesse gains new abilities (and keycard access), more and more of the House's secrets can be discovered. For much of its early duration, Control is firmly linear, save for a few side paths here and there. It's not until around halfway through the adventure that Jesse gains enough skills to truly uncover the secrets of The Oldest House. Once the Levitation skill is unlocked, all bets are off, and the player can essentially fly to secret areas and fall from incredible heights without taking damage.

Navigation is only one way Jesse can interact with the world. Her other method of communication should feel extremely familiar to fans of Remedy's previous games. Like Max Payne, Alan Wake, and Jack Joyce before her, Jesse Faden is a crack shot with a gun, and she (and the player) get a lot of mileage from that particular skill. Shooting in Control feels like a natural evolution from Alan Wake and Max Payne 2. Eschewing the cover system and forced fine aiming mechanics of Quantum Break, Control focuses on old-school run-and-gun shootouts. Fortunately, Control lives up to its title in many ways, including the tight handling of its many combat encounters.

The Director's pistol itself is modular and can switch between different modes, from a standard semi-auto handgun, shotgun, and SMG, to more exotic forms like a long-range sniper to an explosive grenade launcher. These forms can be further customized with Weapon Mods that can alter damage output, recharge speed, accuracy, and numerous other factors. It's not distracting in its depth, but it's nice to have the ability to determine exactly what happens when every Jesse pulls the trigger of her Service Weapon.

Enemies have a lot of health and can cut the player down in seconds, but Jesse has powers and abilities Max Payne could only dream about. Using the Launch ability, Jesse can harness her inner Jedi, picking up and throwing objects from the environment. With enough upgrades, the skill can be used to pick up weakened enemies and even heavy objects like forklifts. She can also create a shield from debris in the environment, and even brainwash weakened foes to fight on her side. All of these skills cost Energy, which quickly recharges. Since ammunition for her gun is drained and recharges in a similar way (like the original Mass Effect), combat quickly falls into a tense rhythm of draining one pool while the other recharges, shifting back and forth from gunplay to abilities until everything is dead and the environment has been reduced to rubble.

The environmental destruction on display in Control is jaw-dropping. Nearly every bullet has an effect on the world, from breaking physics objects apart, to creating a bright explosion of particle effects, to blasting an enemy off their feet. Much of the visual package is similarly striking, from the cold halls of The Oldest House to the incredible facial animations on characters... Usually. Sometimes, certain faces (including, unfortunately, that of the game's lead actor, Courtney Hope) fall squarely into the uncanny valley. Even when the game's impressive motion capture technology fully articulates every minute detail and animation on someone's face, the result can sometimes be unintentionally creepy. Then again, sometimes the effect is arguably photorealistic, especially when combined with the impressive lighting adding depth and strong acting performances from the entire cast.

On PlayStation 4 Pro, the much-hyped Ray Tracing from the PC version is completely absent, though the game is nonetheless gorgeous in motion. The 30 FPS cap is sweetened by cinematic motion blur effects, but the framerate can chug during some particularly hectic battles. Oddly, Control also has a problem coming out of the pause menu, with minor freezes and noticeable framerate dips in the first seconds after unpausing the game. These issues are exacerbated on the base PS4 model, with more dropped frames and long stutters when exiting conversations that aren't present on the more powerful console. We also experienced one hard crash during a cutscene late in the game, though only a few minutes of progress were lost.

Some games tell a straightforward story, while others rely on lore and environmental storytelling. Control does both, and does them better than nearly any other team in video games. Just as Jesse goes down the rabbit hole of The Oldest House, so too does the player find themselves transported to another world, where the unbelievable becomes normal, the insane makes sense, and the impossible is not just possible, but mundane and bureaucratic. While Jesse's story has a lot of momentum and energy, it's actually more straightforward than one might expect, lacking the many twists and turns of previous games from the developer.

The real meat and potatoes of the narrative, which buffers and bolsters Jesse's tale, is the stellar environmental world-building. Every room in Control has a purpose, even ones which Jesse doesn't have to enter in over the course of the story's critical path. Lore documents and seamlessly integrated live-action segments litter the landscape like precious breadcrumbs adding up to an artisanal loaf of insight, mystery, and context. Control is set in an immersive, believable setting, filled with stories for players to discover. Some of these stories are adjacent to the main quest, some build upon the themes and characters, and others are just delightfully bizarre. All told, the story in Control is greater than the sum of its parts, which already add up to quite a bit, even if the ending of the main storyline is a bit too abrupt and more interested in setting the stage for further DLC expansions than in resolving itself with a neat and tidy bow.

Control is both a departure for Remedy Games and a familiar warm blanket for fans of their previous work. It beautifully combines the developer's trademark pillars – deep storytelling and high-adrenaline gun combat – within a whole new shell of exploration-based gameplay and a whole universe of deeply fascinating lore. There are many stories to be told within the realm of the Federal Bureau of Control; Jesse Faden's adventure in The Oldest House is just one of them.

More: The Most Shocking Video Game Moments Of All Time

Control releases August 27, 2019 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Screen Rant was provided a PlayStation 4 digital code for this review.

source https://screenrant.com/control-review/