#IT WAS A REBEL SECRET ORGANISATION!!!!

[crescenthistory]

sunrise on the reaping spoilers !!!

sorry, i see people talking about how maysilee donner in all her "one of us has to be the worst victor in history. tear up their scripts, tear down their celebrations, set fire to the victor's village. refuse to play their game." glory was not a rebel?? did we read the same book?

haymitch himself agreed that maysilee was twice the rebel he ever was, standing up to the capitol with an upturned chin and sharp words from day one without ever wavering. why else do you think they took her voice to kill her?

[blitheringmcgonagall]

It always stuns me how people have this totally made-up idea that Lily was a little miss prefect, whereas in canon she:

Was canonically described as cheeky by Slughorn

Was freaking Petunia out when she turned teacups into mice

Screamed at James and Sirius in SWM and they backed away warily eying her wand

She told James she’d rather go out with the giant squid and called him a big-headed git

She told Snape (after he called her a slur for daring to try to help him when he was vulnerable- typical stalker/possessive personality behaviour) to wash his greying underwear

Was laughing and unbothered in the photo where Harry is zooming around on his baby broom while James was the one doing the panicking Mother Hen behaviour running after him

She joined the Order which was an illegal and covert secret organisation. Which means she didn’t trust the government or police (she was right, they were infiltrated by Death Eaters)

Was a badass who fought Voldy three times (apparently a huge deal)

You may not be aware of the following facts, but these are also canonically true:

She duelled Voldy when she was still in Hogwarts in 6th year, refused to join him when asked, and managed to cast a Patronus on the same day (first in her year to do so!)

She represented James when he was wrongfully accused of murder and managed to get the real culprit to confess

She burnt down the Werewolf Registry & Werewolf Capture Unit of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures in Pall Mall. The Aurors never figured out who was responsible

She engaged in multiple battles with Death Eaters and Voldy again as an Order member

She managed to save James and herself after being captured by Voldy and held in de Soulis castle during the first wix war

She willingly met Walburga Black in Grimmauld Place to find out secret information despite knowing the danger as a mudblood

She refused to tell Voldy where Harry was on 31st October 1981 etc

She did not forgive Snape for willingly joining the Death Eaters and agreeing a deal with Voldy to spare her life when he planned to kill her soulmate and her baby

Just because she was canonically described as “kind” and was a Head Girl at a time of War and a mother, does not mean she wasn’t a rebel

thank you for answering my question ♥️ someone compared james keep sneaking out while they were in hiding with snape's sacrificed his life for the potters would make lily rethinking her view on snape make me "?????"

I’m pretty sure James and Lily were sneaking out of the house for night time excursions under the cloak together.

James isn’t the only rule breaker in that relationship and they were both bored and lonely while in hiding.

[aphrodicci]

ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ʜᴏᴜꜱᴇ ʀᴜʟᴇʀ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏᴜꜱᴇꜱ

follow for more content!

and i wanted to be kind and leave one more spot for someone for a chart reading, £30 for a natal chart reading and i'll be closing it!

♇ what is a ruler in astrology?

♇ a ruler in astrology is a planetary ruler, a planet that rules over the sign that takes over a house, for example, someone with capricorn in their second house, will have saturn as their second house ruler.

♇ my second house is ruled by saturn, and saturn is placed in my seventh house in astrology.

♱ 1H RULER IN THE 1H ⟶ important people, could be very self-centred or thinks about their path a lot. attractive people, might think of themselves too much. popular and likeable. fiery people, handsome faces, fast, bold and an important life-path.

♱ 1H RULER IN THE 2H ⟶ money, security and beauty oriented. a beautiful person, distinct, calming or nice voice. financially driven, loud voices, vocal person, could be good singers, protective people, possessive and are family-oriented. might prioritise their weight and body too much.

♱ 1H RULER IN THE 3H ⟶ siblings/cousins or relatives in general are important to them. fast and charismatic, observant people and can be talkative, could be guides for other people. writers and dreamers. creative, could have a passion for cards and keeping up with trends.

♱ 1H RULER IN THE 4H ⟶ finds family important, making a foundation and legacy for themselves. therapy is important, might find themselves having to be the therapist for other people in their lives. might've had their bodies sexualised when they were younger. can be overly-nurturing, other people might depend on them too much vice versa. could feel close to children, could dream of becoming a leader, beauty, looking like their mother.

♱ 1H RULER IN THE 5H ⟶ fun people and dramatic. finds importance in expressing themselves, romance and fame, tending to the inner-child. romantic, could be a player, artistic. could be selfish and flamboyant. broadway fame, can be show-offs and like to dance.

♱ 1H RULER IN THE 6H ⟶ hard workers, keen and mean. though can be helpful to other people. funny and health-oriented, might think of their weight too much. owning a business, home-business and obsessed with perfection. naggers and can be stalkers, they like to win, competitive people but can be self-destructive. schedule and organisation means a lot to them.

♇ 1H RULER IN THE 7H ⟶ finds importance in connections, and romance. can be a very flaky person, unsure and indecisive about everything. popular person and can be obsessed with aesthetics, can be someone who has different types of friendship groups for different circumstances. cute person.

♇ 1H RULER IN THE 8H ⟶ finds importance in secrecy, money and being a better version of themselves. can obsess over perfection. sexual person, and very sexually appealing person. strong aura can be off-putting to other people. cold/sharp eyes and can look into things too much. stalkers and obsessive people.

♇ 1H RULER IN THE 9H ⟶ big personality, intelligent and big smiles. intoxicating laugh, laugh makes other people laugh. great at teaching and has a vast presence. can take in stuff easily and can be someone who is also on the go, much admirers. "the girl who's always gonna be alright".

♇ 1H RULER IN THE 10H ⟶ popular people, stoic and ambitious. and can be people who are stoic and handsome. very nice and commanding voices. can be people who are leaders, admired, much pressure on their shoulders. gets along with superiors, easily attracts attention from everyone. stands out, dark academia aesthetic.

♇ 1H RULER IN THE 11H ⟶ friendship means a lot to them, but also being independency. belonging somewhere is important to them. standing out, internet famous, can be people who are geniuses and secretive. moralistic and can have high standards. these people are rebels and unorthodox, psychic and social climbers, money-oriented too.

♇ 1H RULER IN THE 12H ⟶ escapists and dreamers. fame. self-victimisers, too sympathetic especially for the wrong people. avoiding problems and being people who are intuitive, emotional people and addicts. runners and maladaptive day-dreamers. artistic people and people might project onto them vice versa, distaste of being perceived everywhere, hermit people and self-sacrifices themselves for a better future.

masterlist

NEXT

[inthefoxholes]

veilguard, i hated it.

So i finally finished veilguard, and guys, what. a. shitshow.

So apart from the fact that it feels like a half-finished game (which it probably is), I mostly hated it on two accounts: 1) the overall lore implications (we knew this from this reddit q&a, but I'm still angry, and I won't stop talking about it) BOTH in regards to previous games and this one and 2) how this was not at all a roleplaying game. (sorry, english is not my first language and I'm tired and enraged)

Let's look a little closer, shall we.

One: The Lore Implications. This pisses me off in two ways:

First, the amateurish attempt at a "clean slate". This is just so insulting. If they wanted to make a game without any of that icky baggage, then the should have chosen a new ip for this. I get that it's complicated after three games with a lot of moving parts, I get that the decision to move away from southern thedas was an attempt to curtail a lot of this, but COME ON. Walls of nonsensical (seriously, they read ai created) text from the inquisitor, that mainly tell you that everything you fought for, all the people, all the places, is gone? And not for effect, not for the story, entirely offscreen and nonsensical, just so the writers don't have to care for this anymore? This does NOT get me invested into the story. No mention of who your Divine is; no mention of who sits on the orleasian throne - and it should matter, shouldn't it, whether or not your EXILED the grey wardens, whether or not you have an elf with a SPY NETWORK close to the orleasian throne, whether or not you DISBANDED the inquisition. All of that does influence what happens on the world state, or at least it should. (And if you want to ignore it, why not do in a way that's less obvious, less bad, why not have your protagonist be someone with no ties to the inquisition, who genuinely does not know whats going on in the south? Why have a world state when you don't want anything to do with it?)

Second, and that's even worse: you cannot take a fully established world, and then alter it to your weird specifications. THE FUCK you mean, there are no slaves in Minrathous, the goddamn slave capital of the world?? Why THE HELL is there a whole questline where we try to find disappeared people, snatched from the street for the ritual, when it should be perfectly possible to buy a few batches of slaves and have them express delivered to your ritual site. (So we can show up and fuck up your slave operation.) But no - I get shamed when I don't save Minrathous?? Well, fuck you, Fenris sends his regards, I hope you all burn.

To this ties the overall simplificaton of the world: Nobody is really bad, just the few super bad guys, but they are so evil as to have no real motiviation, they are basically Thanos or otherwise racist cartoons (totally believable that the Qunari, or a sect thereof, would be on board with mad sorcery). They rest, they are good guys! The pirates are very mindful of cultural heriatages! The crows are just your friendly neighborhood assassins (I remember the stories Zevran told slightly differently), and, as assassins, they naturally wear uniforms, so you see them coming (as do the "secret" "underground" "rebels" from Tevinter). I'm not saying that everyone should be evil, but the fact that whole organisations are presented to us as benefical is so insulting, ESPECIALLY when it was always a point of pride for the Dragon Age franchise that it was morally complicated. There is slavery and poverty and darkspawn. NOPE, you can stand knee deep in blight, not a problem anymore. (if only Carver had known) There is racism against elfs. (well, as the elfs seem to be respnsible for EVERY problem thedas faces, from the veil to the darkspawn, maybe that was precient? - also, always nice to have everything tied in such a neat bow, everything tied to one ONE causality, that makes things really believable and realistic) The Templars are fascists, sure, but abominations are a problem that does not get solved easily. NOPE, not anymore! When before, even a spirit of JUSTICE got corrupted in this world (therby making the valiant and sublte point that abstract concepts rarely hold up well when coming in contact with messy reality), now you can be possessed by a demon of SPITE and HE DOES NOT DO ONE SPITEFUL THING AT ALL. Nice, if only the mages knew that, you just have to accecpt feelings or whatever and then everything's well. SO NEAT!

This brings me to point number two: Why do we play this game? The complex and previously established word is gone; what's left are cartoons thereof. And then, there's not even a hint of role-playing left. Why can't I be mean to Harding?? I loved her in Inquisition, now her overly-girly manner grates on my nerves and I want to be mean to her. I can't, i have to be everyone's friend. In the end, I cannot decide anything, except the slight configuration of the final companion armour (why would I care, I don't know these people, I could not ask them a single question), and some slight cosmetic change regarding Solas - there is not even talk about tearing down the Veil. We've come full circle back to Mass Effect 3 and the groundbreaking decision we get to make is what colour the magic space beam is gonna have. Except, Mass Effect 3 was still a much better game, because you knew your crew - in this game, I have acutally no idea why Rook should lead anybody, why anybody would follow them, and why the literal fate of the world should be in the hands of this bunch of (after 100 hours of gameplay) near strangers. There ARE narrative work-arounds for this kind of shit; the writers just didn't care enough.

There are a hundred more small things I could say about this, about the story (Solas' prison was made of regret and he wanted to put Elgarnan there?? Who feels very good about everything he does?? Is he stupid? And then everyone is so impressed about Rook getting out to quickly, but seriously, what the fuck did Rook have to feel regretful about? They did not get to make a single decision. They did not order anyone to sacrifice themselves; they did not use people, or cities, as pawns in a war or whatever, BECAUSE THIS GAME HAS THE EMOTIONAL DEPTH OF A SMALLISH PUDDLE) and the in-game approach to the player (how often do i have to be told that i need to take care of my companions business?? This got so repetitive and made them seem like imcompetent children. Why wasn't there a better way to make me care, or better yet, trust the player to want to play this game), but I stop now. Fuck Bioware and EA.

[maritteknewtheenemy]

Lenore Dove's Biggest Flaw is That She's Dumb

There are a lot of reasons I dislike Lenore Dove in SOTR. One is that she's redundant and destroys any chance of character development for Haymitch, another is that she is such a blank slate character she couldnt be more boring, and another is that she's the epitome of a manic pixie dream girl, forever trying to be Lucy Grey without anything that made Lucy Grey an intriguing or likeable character.

But my biggest gripe with Lenore Dove (and sotr Haymitch to some extent) is how pathologically stupid she is. Like, Haymitch can harp on about how smart she is all he wants, he's blinded by infatuation, but this girl is dumb as a post. If I was going to try and stir up rebellion under a fascist regime I sure as hell wouldn't make sure everyone and their mother knew that it was me doing it. Subtlety- especially in the circumstances of District 12- is important when you're committing treason. You don't want to do or say anything that could link you to the crime, and you sure as hell don't want it to be an open secret. You want to seem like the quietest, most beaten down, most assimilated good little district worker if you're going to rebel successfully and stay under the radar. Yeah, Lenore is covey, they're performers by trade but Clerk Carmine and Tam Amber very obviously understand the need to at least pretend to have assimilated to the capitol regime. But no, Lenore Dove has to be different, she has to feel special, she wants to be the one to single handedly save District 12 from the capitol. She commits symbolic acts of protest (burning the flag, graffiti) while twirling around in fancy dresses and singing songs, being so fucking pretentious the whole time- and then she gets jailed for these crimes over and over again, which probably has the complete opposite effect to what she thinks it will. District 12 mothers probably point her out 'dont be like that Lenore girl, you'll get yourself and the rest of us killed'. 'keep your mouth shut, do you wanna end up like Lenore Dove?'. Lenore Dove thinks she's riling up the citizens of twelve, too stupid to realize that her idea of rebellion is so removed from the collective consciousness of the district as to seem alien. The citizens of twelve are at a point where rebellious activities or organising have to be quiet, subtle, easily explained away, and a group effort, and they understand this. Things like sharing food that the capitol doesn't want them sharing, or trying to create solidarity between the seam and merchant class. IF there were actual plans for rebellion in District 12 at the time, the absolute last person anyone would ever tell would be Lenore Dove because she wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut. She'd blab to anyone and everyone trying to 'get more people to join their cause' until the wrong person overheard and they all got executed. Or she'd be mad their plans were covert, grassroots and focused on community building and gaining quiet social support rather than banding together to burn down the peacekeeeper building (which would ultimately do nothing in the long run but increase the military presence in the district and piss off the capitol, putting an even bigger target on their back). Lenore Dove loves the idea of rebellion, but she's too idealistic, naive, narcissistic, and too much of a know it all to comprehend what real rebellion entails, and understand that she isn't invincible or infallible. It's clear from the book she thinks she's untouchable, even when she's behind bars and very much at the capitol's mercy. She never once seems even slightly concerned about her family or her boyfriend, while every other character- even Haymitch, who also isn't winning brainiac awards in sotr- knows that the capitol never punishes just the individual, and that when you condemn yourself you condemn your loved ones too. Lenore Dove sees rebellion as the pretty, honourable idea in songs and stories rather than the very risky, gritty, unpleasant, and dangerous organising and action it actually is.

Lenore Dove is not a rebel. She's an idiotic girl who thinks she's the smartest person in the room and believes everyone around her is too stupid or cowardly to recognise that the system needs to change, when in reality the citizens of twelve recognise the need for change, and they also recognise that Lenore Dove is stupid to a level that puts them all at risk. Stupid people are dangerous, and Lenore Dove being ostracised as much as possible by the district is clear evidence of them recognising this. Honestly, it probably a good thing she died when she did, before she could drag her family down with her. You can't convince me she wasn't going to die anyway- at some point she would have been executed, probably along with Clerk Carmine and Tam Amber because they enabled her.

Also, who above the age of three eats random candy they found on the ground? Death by gumdrops was an absolutely ridiculous way to kill off a character, but I actually find it fitting because its reflective of Lenore's unfathomable idiocy. She should've listened to her uncles instead of thinking she knew better. She should have learned the district's customs and methods of survival instead of feeling superior to everyone just because she was covey. She should have realized she wasn't invincible. She should have tried to develop a shred of actual empathy for her fellow citizens instead of committing to a holier than thou mindset where anyone who wasn't 'rebelling' the same as her was an enemy or some pitiful, brainwashed swine. Maybe then she could have actually had an impact. Maybe then she could have survived the story, or at least had her death be something other than an incredible relief. Maybe I'd have actually cared about her if she wasn't the worst combination of insufferable and stupid and didn't put everyone around her constantly at risk.

Tldr: Stupid people are dangerous and Lenore Dove is the worst kind of stupid. It was a relief when she died, and I wish she'd died sooner.

[ruby-red-inky-blue]

#just off the top of my head: centering luthen as the sole reason for the rebellion existing. not showing us how yavin base was founded.#cassian doing almost no spy work. dantooine retcon. barely spending any time with the ghorman front to get to know them as rebels#there wasn't this sense of COMMUNITY among the rebellion & different rebellion cells. like obvs not all ppl rebelling against the empire#know each other. but there's still a collective feeling of 'we all have the same enemy and we are all fighting for hope and a free future'#the hope was missing and honestly it was missing that sense of (in nemik's words):#'dwarfed by the scale of the enemy...even the smallest acts of insurrection pushes our lines forward'#like.....aside from krennic's plans being laid out for ghorman and the actual massacre being orchestrated the way it was#the empire didn't feel as BIG and menacing as it did in s1.#like this season was just MISSING something (or several somethings) that are VITAL to that sw brand rebel Hope(tm) via OP

can i say something. i've seen quite a bit of agreement that gilroy should've just made it a show about rebellion, since it seems like that's what he really wanted to do in the first place and, despite the other issues with the season, it at least succeeded in that area. except i don't think andor s2 was that successful as a show about rebellion either.

[cervidaecorpse]

Something something about how both care so much about each other that Phaser founded an entire organisation for Tremolo to no longer be afraid, and Tremolo risking his freedom just to keep one secret of Phaser hidden, yet they lack communication in the worst sense that when Tremolo has an outburst of anger, Phaser goes along with whatever Tremolo asks of him, and Tremolo follows Phaser’s orders no matter how bad or unreasonable they are, instead of doing the rational thing of sitting each other down and talking about the actual problem and solving it like well-adjusted people.

It's like they share one singular braincell that only activates while thinking about solving the problems of others (or the current big problem at hand), but once it's between the brothers it instantly shuts down and "make sure your brother stays unharmed and happy – emergency_protocol.exe" is activated.

Obviously, the one braincell is a joke because the plan they crafted with the other rebels was genius, considering the information they had at the time. The way they communicated with Rovian, Luge and Manya to avoid detection from Yuna was beautiful. Not to mention the way Phaser saw the integration of the MIK employees into Goha Cooperation. Sure, it was involved with a cover up, but the very reasonable thought was still there.

I'm not trying to make light of Phaser and Tremolo or their issues. I don't really want to address their overall problems (and neither do they, like ever) or analyse them, because I'm very bad at analysing anything, lol. I just think they are silly and the absolute worst.

I love them.

Thank you, for coming to my yap session that had me searching the right words to express myself with for almost two years. I'm certain there are other reasons to love them and all of them are valid. These are just my main ones after looking past the pretty privilege and the ocean and mythology themed decks, lol.

[coolchocolatespreadart]

SPLATOON OC DUMP!!

A lot of this stuff is art from last year but I still wanna share it!!

introducing...

O.K.T.P.S! OCTARIAN KILLER TUNE PRODUCTION SQUAD!

An organised collective of ex-soldiers from Octavio's army, all with one goal - To show all these surface-dwelling inklings what's what!!

As long as they have their harsh techno sounds and funky grooves, nobody can stop them! These tunes are headed for world domination!

MEET THE SQUAD!

AMANA (she/her) - the bassist. tired and moody.

-Amana fondly remembers her years in the army with her fellow troops as they fought around the time in the first game. In the aftermath of the calimari inkantation however, there was a massive rise in escapees, fugitives and rebels who revolted against Octavio. Amana's team was tasked with capturing/suppressing this resistance, but one by one, as they dealt with rebel groups, Amana lost all but one of her friends - whether that be to the conflict or joining the crowd.

-Eventually staying in the army was too much for her, so she too headed to the surface. despite her internal resentment and loyalty to octo society, she was keen to start a better life, and that would start with her music.

-Amana is kinda like that emo war veteran in those action movies idk

KURUMA (he/him) - the drummer! Foul-mouthed and rebellious

-he's a bit of a crazy goofball who likes the idea of breaking the rules but doesnt have all of the guts to follow through with it

-he was enlisted as an aoctoling soldier alongside his bff (and crush) Hokkia - his friend would made up for the guts he didnt have so they both worked as a duo as troublemakers

-some time After the events of the first game Hokkai was reported missing whilst on a patrol. Upon hearing this, Kuruma volunteered to help search for him. After 2 months Kuruma was left as the only one still looking for him- one day Kuruma had gone out and searched for Hokkai for so long that he had been separated from his fleet and also reported missing. From there he had to find his way up to the surface in order to survive and continue looking

-once kuruma reached the surface, he resorted to making a living off of his percussion skills, which he used to practice alongside Hokkai. Due to these memories he was very passionate about his playing, which allowed him to make a living out of busking for a while until he met Amana, Moyebi and Caramote 

(Hokkai was actually captured and sanitized by Tartar but Kuruma hasnt found this out yet)

CARAMOTE (they/them) - The chill, confident guitarist

-Octocommander

-moyebi's closest friend. Gives them advice and stands up for them

-they can come off as very sassy and bitchy to strangers but supports their bandmates till the end

-never wanted to be in the army but were pressured into it due to their good tongue-guitar skills which allowed them to use commander weapons

-they always had a secret obsession with the surface and its customs - From the trendy clothes to the inkling's freedom of expression. Caramote was sick of following orders, and wanted to use their tongue not for shooting, but for playing sick guitar licks. The only thing keeping them around was Moyebi, who depended on them. But after the mass exodus caused by the inkantation, they were ready to get out of there. They convinced Moyebi to come along and together, they started a new band and a new life on the surface.

MOYEBI (she/they) - The singer/leader of the band! Sweet, but nervous...

- Twintacle octarian 

- singer/keyboard player for the band O.K.T.P.S.

-They served behind the lines in the octarian army as a mechanic for weapons and armour making

-whilst friendly and well-meaning, they often come off as awkward and lack self-confidence in their music and engineering

-They created a metal suit to emulate a humanoid body, and use it to create more of a stage presence. Although she feels more confident in it, Sometimes she feels like she relies on it too much to try and fit in.

-After experiencing the calamari inkantation, she couldn't help but be inspired and embrace a passion for singing. Her new dream was to sing and dance much like the squid sisters had done, but the only way she could acheive such a dream was by escaping to the surface, which was NOT about to do any time soon. The thought of leaving the comfort of her home terrified her. She had to be dragged along in an escape by her best friend, Caramote, before seeking out a new life outside the army.

[evelynstarshine]

I've been thinking about what Section 31 could have been, and I've come up with a plot that I like for if itd been that tv show it once might have.

Starfleet has assembled a taskforce to hunt down the remnants of an outlawed Section 31, to destroy the organisation forever. The Emperor, is offered release from a Starfleet prison in exchange for her aid, having had experience with S31 and eliminating illegal rebel organisations, but she's kept on a tight lesh by the Starfleet commander. The Emperor is the PoV character, but like in DISCO s1, she's not leading the action. And like in DISCO, the Emperor is the campy, out of place terror with out of norm suggestions playing against a cast of straight men. There's no world ending threat, AI invasion or secret box mystery, the recurring threat of the season is The Emperor. Who is secretly working to restore S31, as the secret, unknown to starfleet and 100% independent organisation that opposes the Federation but believes it controls and protects it, we see from DS9. As The Emperor with her Mirror perspective, twisting her DISCO given empathy would believe Sloan's worldview so she makes sense as it's origin. Episodes of Starfleet taking down criminal organisations run by S31 cells, or thwarting S31 operations and The Emperor slowly making contacts, diverting resources and faking key assets deaths before taking them prisoner all keeping it secret from the rest of the crew. With the tension and threat, not being will X destroy the galaxy or federation, but will the Emperor ruin the operation, will she succeed in her evil plan or will the crew find out and stop her and the mystery, what happens then.

Probably in S3 that would happen? Idk how it'd end, probably that'd develop naturally over the course of the three seasons. I don't think the premise would stretch further than that.

[theladyofbloodshed]

But he hasn’t been ruthless at all yet????

He’s organised secret meetings with the children of rebels to see where they’re struggling so he can help, has caught Violet out past curfew twice and hasn’t punished her, knew she was poisoning opponents and didn’t punish her, sparred with her and offered advice to improve her skill set

Stop telling me things that you aren’t showing me!

[nellasbookplanet]

Book recs: fairies

Fey, fae, fairies, faeries - pick your spelling, the fair folk are an undeniably popular trope in fantasy, and can be portrayed in wildly different ways, from cute pixies, to terrifying creatures of lore, to handsome and romantic beings of fairy tales. This list is a wild mix, all of them featuring fae or fae-like beings as central characters.

For more details on the books, continue under the readmore. Titles marked with * are my personal favorites. And as always, feel free to share your own recs in the notes!

If you want more book recs, check out my masterpost of rec lists!

Borderline (The Arcadia Project trilogy) by Mishell Baker*

Urban fantasy mystery. A year after a failed suicide attempt that cost her both her legs and her film-making career, Millie is recruited by a secretive organisation that works to control traffic to and from Arcadia, the land of faries, and given the assignment of tracking down a missing nobleman of the Seelie Court in Hollywood. Bisexual main character, excellent if you like me enjoy reading about deeply messy women.

Phaeton by Rachel Sharp*

Jack and Rosie, couple and hackers, just got their hands on a brand new device: the phaeton, a phone which, despite its crappy parts, is seemingly capable of doing the impossible. Utilizing their skills, they quickly realize it works not through technology, but by being remotely controlled by a living creature - a fae. This revelation throws them into a war between the fae of old and a new type of fae, able to withstand iron and looking to exploit their fellows through this advantage.

Rosemary and Rue (October Daye series) by Seanan Mcguire

Urban fantasy mystery. October "Toby" Daye is a changeling, half human and half fae, who, after having been burned by both sides of her heritage, has retreated to a "normal" life, away from the faerie world. But the murder of Countess Evening Winterrose pulls Toby back in, a curse forcing her to take on the mystery and find the murderer. While I found the first book a bit weak, the series does get better from there on, with engaging characters and interesting mysteries.

Knife (Faerie Rebels trilogy) by R.J. Anderson

Young adult. Young Knife is a Hunter, providing for a group of faeries living inside an oak, their population slowly dying. Long ago, their people lost almost all their magic, and without it they are doomed. But Knife isn't one to give up; recruiting the help of Paul, a human boy living nearby the faery oak, she is set on discovering the secret of - and solution to - her people's missing magic.

Among Others by Jo Walton

Magical realism. Growing up with a half-crazed mother, Morwenna found solace in two places: reading science fiction novels, and playing with the spirits of Wales alongside her twin sister. But after their mother tried to twist the spirits to her own whims with deadly consequences, Mori is sent off alone to private school, where she attempts to come to terms with what happened. This is less "teen girl on big adventure" and more "what happens after the trauma of adventure", with it being partly left up to the reader whether the fantastical elements are read as real or not.

Gossamer Axe by Gael Baudino

Centuries ago in Ireland, Chairiste Ní Cummen was trained in the secrets of music and magic. But her pride was her downfall, trapping her and her lover in the land of the Sidh. Only Chairiste escaped, hoping to one day win her lover's freedom in musical battle with the fairy that holds her captive. Now she is Christa Cruitare, harp teacher in the modern world and all but resigned to her loss. Until she comes across a great new music: heavy metal. Taking one last chance to win her lover's freedom, Christa sets out to gather other skilled musicians and bring them with her in her final battle.

In the Jaded Grove by Anela Deen

After years of war, pixie soldier Simith is tired of bloodshed and secretly sets up a meeting to discuss peace. But he’s betrayed and forced on the run - right through a door to another world. Meanwhile, Jessa is on her way home when she encounters a man about to be killed, and intervenes to save his life. With that simple act, the fate of the two - and that of the war - become interlinked. While I found the general execution of this one a bit weak, the concept and characters are interesting, and it’s a fun take on the portal fantasy genre.

Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng

Catherine Helstone's brother Laon has traveled to Arcadia, the dangerous land of the Fae, and has since lost contact with her. Worried sick and desperate for news, Catherine embarks on the perilous journey herself, but on arrival she fins herself isolated and in danger of the Queen of the Fae, who is hard on her brother's heel.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett*

Historical fantasy. Emily Wilde is a professor who prefers the company of faeries, dangerous but bound to rules she can understand, to that of humans, who she finds inexplicable. Working on her faerie encyclopedia, she travels on a research expedition to the faraway Hrafnsvik, hoping for some solitary months of study. Her hopes are dashed when Wendell Bambleby, rival scholar and possible faerie in hiding, arrives on her doorstep. But Wendell's aggravating presence is far from Emily's only problem, as the Hidden Folk of Hrafnsvik turns out to be far more dangerous than expected.

The Watchers by A.M. Shine

Horror. When her car breaks down, Mina tries crossing a forest by foot. As the sun goes down she finds herself lost with something dangerous closing in; at the last second, a woman appears and urges her into a bunker. Inside is a room with a mirrored wall, in which a group of strangers, stranded just like Mina, huddles through the night. Outside in the dark, something malevolent watches them through the glass. Will the group ever be able to escape the forest? While I found the characters somewhat unconvincing, this is a spooky story with fascinating lore.

The Call (Grey Land duology) by Peadar Ó'Guilín

Young adult horror. After having scorned the fae, Nessa's nation has been cursed: every teenager will, at some point, be called into the Grey Land for 3 minutes and 4 seconds before being returned. 9 out of 10 are returned dead. Trying to keep their country alive, children are sent off to training schools to prepare them and better their chances of survival. Her legs having been twisted by polio at a young age, Nessa's chances are worse than most, but she is determined to make it through her call alive.

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher*

Horror. When her grandmother dies, Mouse takes on the task of clearing out the old woman's home. But as she arrives at her grandmother's home she realizes her mistake: her grandmother was a hoarder, and Mouse has her work cut out for her. As if this wasn't bad enough, among the things left behind Mouse finds her step-grandfather's journal, describing various horrifying encounters. All nonsense, Mouse, assumes - until she starts making her own encounters in the dark forest surrounding the house.

Faebound (Faebound series) by Saara El-Arifi

Elven sisters Yeeren and Lettle have grown up in the shadow of a forever war, one as a soldier and the other as a diviner and teller of prophecy. But when Yeeren makes a fatal mistake and is exiled, the two leave their familiar world for the first time - and end up with the mythical, and believed extinct, fae. Here they must juggle their own loyalties and hearts with political intrigue as they try to find a way to survive and return to their home. While I didn’t personally dig the romantasy vibes of this and found the elves and fae could’ve been more interesting, if you like epic fantasy with heavy romance, both f/f and f/m, you will probably enjoy it.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik*

Historical fantasy with strong fairytale vibes. Miryem's father is a moneylender, but his inability to collect on debts has left his family on the brink of ruin. Desperate and ruthless, Miryem steps in to take his place, and suddenly the family's luck has turned. But Miryem's reputation of being able to turned silver to gold catches the attention of the Staryk King - dangerous creatures who seem made of ice body, mind and heart. In her schemes to survive the King's demands, Miryem's actions ensnare a local farmer's daughter as well as the new wife of the tsar. As their fates are bound together, the three girls may change their land forever, for better or for worse.

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Young adult romance. Isobel is an artist with a particular and dangerous set of clients in the fair folk. The fairies cannot create art on their own, and her portraits are highly coveted. But as she paints a portrait for the autumn prince, Rook, Isobel makes a mistake: she paints human emotion into his eyes. This weakens Rook before the fairy court, and in his fury he spirits Isobel away to stand trial for her crime.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

In a desperate attempt to win the heart of the beautiful Victoria, Tristran Thorn makes her a promise to fetch the falling star they both saw crash one night. But to do so, he must enter the land of Faerie, where nothing is as it seems, least of all the fallen star, who isn't very keen on being given away as a gift.

Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey*

Young adult. Ellie cares mostly about hanging out with her friend Kevin and pining after her crush Mark, but when a string of grisly murders - all the victims missing their eyes - starts taking place in her town, it’s the start of something ancient and dangerous, as vengeful fairies battle for immortality. Set in New Zeeland and based on Māori mythology.

Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower by Tamsyn Muir

Novella. When Floralinda was first locked in a tower by a witch, princes kept coming to try and save her. But none of them made it past the dragon on the first floor, let alone the monsters after it, and now the supply of willing princes seems to have dried up. Starting to grow desperate, Floralinda captures and makes a deal with a small fairy for it to assist her in escaping the tower.

A note: all these Holly Black books are set in the same universe and do on occasion cross over, but can be read independently.

Tithe (Modern Faerie Tales trilogy) by Holly Black

Young adult. Sixteen-year-old Kade, used to traveling around with her mother's rock band, has just found herself back in her childhood home town. Here she meets up with old acquaintances - not all of them human. For Kade has always been able to see the faeries invisible to most humans. Among them is a handsome faerie knight she finds injured in the woods and chooses to help. In doing this, she becomes embroiled in a struggle between two rivaling and highly dangerous faerie courts.

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Young adult. Siblings Hazel and Ben live in Fairfold, a strange town where people leave out milk for the fairies and tourists come to look at a fairy prince locked in an enchanted sleep in a glass coffin in the woods. But things have been getting even stranger in Fairfold; the fair folk are getting more agressive, and the glass coffin in the woods gets shattered. As unrest spreads throughout the town, Hazel keeps a secret that may unravel it all.

The Cruel Prince (The Folk of The Air trilogy) by Holly Black

Young adult. When Jude was seven, her parent's were murdered by a spurned faerie lover of her mother's, while she and her sisters were stolen away to be raised at the High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong in this dangerous land. Her struggle is made all the harder by Cardan, handsome faerie prince with a knack for pestering her. As she strives for some semblance of power in this dangerous realm, Jude gets involved with a conspiracy that may change Faerie forever.

Bonus AKA I haven't read these yet but they seem really cool

Sinners (The Fae Feast series) by Eka Waterfield

Niavin isn't just a sidh Lord, he's also a drug lord, providing the fae's drug of choice: toxic human pollution.

Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana

Romantasy. Lore Alemeyu's village is under ruthless Fae rule, trapped within a forested prison. To protect her village, Lore makes a deal with a Fae lord to organize an enchanted library which only a human can enter.

Black Sun Rising (The Coldfire trilogy) by C.S. Friedman

On a planet far away, a priest, an adept, a sorcerer, and an apprentice are drawn together to fight against the evil fae which preys upon humanity.

That Self-Same Metal (Forge & Fracture Saga) by Brittany N. Williams

Young adult historical fantasy. Joan Sands works as a stagehand for William Shakespeare's acting company. Secretly, she’s also blessed by the Orisha with magical powers, and the ability to see Fae. And lately, the Fae are up to something...

Euphoria Kids by Alison Evans

Three teens - one cursed to sometimes be invisible, one who grew from a seed in the ground, and one who has yet to find his real name - find themselves sharing magic and the ability to speak with dryads and fae.

The Wind City by Simmer Wigmore

Old forces are gathering in Wellington, as the displaced iwi atua of legend reappear and decide to make the city their home, and not all of them mean well.

Honorary mentions AKA these didn't really work for me but maybe you guys will like them: Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, Faerie Tale by Raymond E. Feist, Malice by Heather Walter, Poison Kiss by Ana Mardoll, Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

[a-midnight-rest]

Fixing the T'au empire part 2

So, in the first part I explained how the T'au were fine as they were, because their relatively hopeful outlook on the galaxy shone bright in contrast of the rest of the setting, how that turn the rest of the setting even darker, and how I love the idea that the solution to the Galaxy's problem is a truly different, alien approach to our individualist societies.

However, I have come to realize something, a reason as to why the T'au Empire may not feel at home in the 40k universe, and I thought about it by watching Indiana Jones 4, so sacrifices have been made.

The T'au Empire is not mythological.

The 40k is not a sci-fi setting, it is a dark fantasy setting with guns. And part of what makes the grandiosity of it is how mythologized every faction is. And I do not speak about religion, I speak of myths as in the stories we, right now, tell ourselves are the foundations of the world, the archetypes of what is and is not.

The Imperium incarnates the various mythologies of vast empires. Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, the British Empire, vast swats of lands combining different people united by righteousness and oppression. And also how all those empires fell. It's the idea of "things were better before" (even when they were not). Moreover, the equipment used by this faction is deliberatly old, centuries old, technology is religiously taken care of, weapons are blessed, vehicles are passed down from generation to generation. It is all very old, marked with that myths of the old Empire on its last leg.

The Orks are the Barbarians At the Gate, the savages who relish only destruction, like Attila the Hun, but british. In truth, it's not like barbarians actually existed, those were just foreign countries, but the myth is there.

The Tyranids are the Monsters in the Dark.

The Craftworld Eldars are the Atlanteans, the Utopians, the Babelians, the Old Civilization who fell due to their own hubris, and is now a superior people with no place to call home and no way back their transgression.

The Dark Eldars are the Feys of old, trolls, goblins, fairies stealing children in the night, playing cruel and horrific pranks, eating people. And following them to their home is a death sentence.

The Chaos is the Evil of Man, the primordial sin, the dark part of Humanity that eats itself to death, self destructive and perverse (They should have western dragons, that would fit them).

The Necrons are Death, or at least they try. They are like the Craftworld Eldars in a sense, but in a more Inevitable return way.

But the T'au? They do not fit any myth, in fact they specifically are immune to myths and the Warp. They are no none-sense, they do not play by any rule. As they were written, they would be better as a recurring joke than a faction. Everything about them is bright new, from theme to lore, and it makes them feel shallow.

There is one exception to that, and that is Farsight, who fit the myth of the Virtuous Rebel, an archetype that is not really coined by any faction as far as I know. In a way, he could also be kind like King Arthur, with his magic blade and his knights around him, but the clash of eastern/western reference hide this interpretation of him.

So... how to fix it? Modern problems requires modern myths.

As I said, myths are not about what is actually old, myths are always modern, visions we have right now about the past. So what Myth could fit the T'au Empire? I think we must look to a very modern work of literature: The SCP Foundation. A collective work written like articles depicting how an advanced and secret organization captures, study, and contains supernatural entities. They are much like the Men in Black, or the government in X-Files. They gain they mythology not through what they are, but what they deal with.

I think we should make the T'au Empire's main armies kinda fade in the background and focus on an organisation within the the T'au Empire that would approach the other mythological faction with a saavy appraoch based on tech to contain and use the horrors back at the horrors. A cold scalpel who knows what they are dealing with, knows they are outmatched, and use secrecy, focused efforts, and unconventional tactics to deal with it. The T'au Empire already have the foundation for it, they are technologically advanced, learn from their mistakes, and have authoritarian ruling cast shrouded in mystery.

They could pop up bio/cyber/solar-punks units, highly specialised and modified modern soldiers. Not the WW1 Kriegsmen, not the WWII Cadians, not the Catachan Rambos, not the Angelic Space Marines. People, with modern, recognizable equipment, turning to extremes in order to deal with demons, and civilizations using farming equipment more ancient than their prehistory.

In that perspective, the T'au main armies would kind of become the background, the necessary fight force to win actual battles and hold ground. Their stories could develop nicely on their own until they become established enough to have their own mythos. But the main event would be the Secret Cadre, the Black ops, the Foundation, the Men In Black of the T'au Empire, using not ancient techs and beliefs against demons like the Inquisition does, but developing Reality anchors of their own, sending modified Tyranid viruses into the other faction, using Soul Traps to capture and send daemons to corrupt enemy tanks.

Fire warriors spawned from tyranids biopools, weapons build by engineers trapped in time distortion to produce more advanced stuff faster, ships recycled from Space Hulks...

To mythologize the T'au, the T'au must, I believe, become Myth users to become Myth Breakers.

[cutpaperbleedswater]

At the end of Catching Fire and before his rescue from the Capitol, was Peeta ever really part of the rebellion in a way that would merit the calls of back stabbing during his interviews?

Walking into the Quater Quell after the Victory Tour, Peeta only knows a few things; he’d do anything to get Katniss out, some countries see his and Katniss’s actions as rally starters, Katniss doesn’t love him back and his family wouldn’t care about his death too much. Walking out he’s a war prisoner whose being tortured for information he doesn’t have, information that would entitle him to the cause if he were told it, if he were even told that 13 exists or that there is an organised movement. He was never part of the rebellion before his capture and the ‘stunt with the berries’ which was the pivot point for many and the whole image of the Girl on Fire was loosely set up by his display of them as Star Crossed lovers but really it was mostly Katniss as all he had to do was love her and say the right thing which he did and was mostly ignored, or at least outshone.

He wouldn’t know any actual ‘Rebel secrets’ until his rescue where he was struggling through the fallout of his treatment at the Capitols hands and there’s barely much chance he’d remember them or those days years down the line considering the chemical levels and trauma. His support was for Katniss, and yeah, in the Capitol party he does say ‘maybe we’re wrong about trying to subdue things in the districts’ but that more implies he wants the rebellion he doesn’t understand is happening at the scale it is only operating on knowledge garnered by threats.

[ithurielkeepsgettingkidnapped]

A secret santa gift for @clueless-shapeshifter! Thank you once again to @alnst-secret-santa for organising this event and your hard work! You requested mizisua being happy so uhm. I might have taken the prompt and ran with it, then abandoned it in an alleyway somewhere only to pick it up, firefighter style, and dive into the Pacific. Anyhow! Please enjoy the read!

Although this is part of a public exchange, I user-lock all my fics. If you would like to read it please register for ao3!

Additional fic information under the cut (please only read if you've finished the fic):

regarding the SUA and Sua:

The first Sua, the only real one and the only human one, wins the first season of alien stage. She loses eventually, so Nigeh modifies her body so that she can survive without vital organs.

This is why the Sua we see now has blue blood. What her bed (or, the casket) injects into her are micro aliens carrying oxygen and nutrients, among other things, directly into her bloodstream and taking away the co2 and waste because her heart does not pump.

This is also why Nigeh 'duplicates' the ego of Sua and 'inserts' a new version of Sua every time she dies, because the stress of death renders every Sua ego useless. They erase the memory of dying (and a few moments before that) to ensure that the Sua does not go insane.

However, this is also a very effective way to keep Sua from saying anything she shouldn't (for instance, confessing that she is essentially a dead woman walking, or rebelling in any way) so this is how they keep her in line.

The memory loss also comes back after a while, not that Anakt has any way of knowing this. Hence Sua's familiarity with fatality and death.

I put most of the poppy lore in the fic, but some background information even Sua doesn't know. The poppies were originally flying insects, but Anakt modified them until they can survive without flying. Their main use is to soften metal so they can shape it easily and make it closer to soil. They kept the wings intentionally so they would look closer to the flowers that soothe human pets. They are shiny because of natural secretion so they lose their gleam after no oil for a while. Could you light a fire with poppy oil? Nobody has tried it yet.

[irithnova]

Tuva

Name: Aydyn Kuular

Tuva/the territory of what is now Tuva has been ruled by other major empires throughout his lifetime, ever since the Xiongnu era. (209BC - 93AD) After the Xiongnu, it was the Xianbei, the Rouran Khaganate, the Gokturks, the Tang Dynasty, the Uyghur Empire, the Mongol Empire, the Yuan dynasty, the Northern Yuan, the Khogtoid Khanate and Zunghar Khanate, then the Qing. However during the Qing, Tuva was administered by Mongolia.

Some facts

"Dubo" first appears in Chinese records.

Tuvans then were known as "Dubo" (later pronounced as Tuva but also in other forms they were called Toba/Tuba/Tyva/Dyva/Tofalar). They lived in isolated groups in grass tents, ate lily roots, fish, birds, and animals, and wore clothing made of sable and deerskin. Some of the wealthier individuals had horses, but herding was not common. When someone passed away, they would perform a "sky burial" by placing the deceased in trees.

Ruled by Turkic Empires, the Tang, the Uighur Empire, the Mongols

Reappearance of "Tuba" in the Secret History of the Mongols (The Mongols called Tuvans forest people/put them in the forest people category): 13th and 14th centuries

Conquered by the Khotoghoi Kalkha in the 16th and 17th centuries

Passed into the hands of the Zunghars (Mongolic people but not Chinggisid/Khalkha Mongols) in the 1660s (so Mongolia and Tuva would mald about the Zhungars/Oirats together)

Fall of the Zunghars to the Manchu Qing Dynasty in 1755

Tannu Uriyangkhai organised as an aimag (province) in the 18th century under Mongolian rule

Tuva's adoption of Buddhism in the 18th century

Tuva had 5,000 lamas in 30 monasteries and 1,000 shamans in the 1920s

I think that the Tuva we see today was born during the Tang Dynasty era, and the previous personification of "Tuva" or Tuva's ancestor fell during this time. This is because emperor Taizong of Tang sent troops to get rid of the ethnic minorities of Xue Yanto. Now, Xue Yanto used to be an ancient Khaganate in Northeast Asia who used to be the allies of the Gokturks. The Xue Yantuo was a member of the Tile tribe which belonged to the Turks until 583 when it broke into Western and Eastern branches. However they then allied with the Tang against the Eastern Turks. It was vast and it included (what is now) Tuva in it.

The Xue Yantuo and Tang were friendly for a bit, however it changed in 639 with emperor Taizong's actions, and this is when their relationship began to worsen. Ashina Duobi of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate was captured, and Emperor Taizong placed the surrendered Eastern Turks within the borders of the Tang without appointing a new Khan to manage them. However after Ashina's nephew conspired to rebel against the emperor, he then changed his mind and gave the title of Ashina Simo (Eastern Turkic aristoricrat) to the Tang Dynasty, appointing him as the new Eastern Turkic emperor.

Ashina Simo settled in Dinxiang (now Hohhot, Inner Mongolia) in 641. Yinan, who was the Khan of the Xue Yantuo, saw this as an opportunity to launch an attack on the Eastern Turks before the Tang could assist them. Ashina then asked for urgent assistance from the Tang, and they provided. Afterwards, funnily enough, Yinan sent an envoy to tell emperor Taizong that he was willing to live peacefully with the Eastern Turks (lol trying to save face much?). Emperor Taizong sent an envoy back to criticise Yinan but didn't take any further action against the Xue Yantuo.

Sensing that the relationship between Xue Yantuo and the Tang was turning sour, Yinan tried to amend relationships through tribute and intermarriage, however even then there was issues (Emperor Taizong making excuse after excuse to cancel or postpone Yinans marriage to Princess Xinxing, his daughter). Since then, relationship could not be repaired.

After Yinan died, the Xueyantuo descended into chaos. Two of his sons ruled the Xue Yantuo, Bazhuo ruled the West, and Ye Mang, the East. Bazhuo killed Yemang, and ascended fully to the throne, deciding to attack the Tang. He suspected that the Tang border would be unguarded at the Tang were invading Goguryeo, however Emperor Taizong predicted that this would happen. In 646, Emperor Taizong stationed more troops against Bazhuo's attacks. Bazhuo was defeated in the same year.

Bazhuo was a pretty bad leader, and instead of appointing his father's ministers to assist him, he replaced them with his own cronies, causing disarrest among the nobles and eventually causing a rebellion against him. Huihe, he was a vassal of the Xue Yantuo, was a main rebel against Bazhuo.

Seeing all of this chaos take place, emperor Taizong launched an attack on the Xue Yantuo, and the people of the Xue Yantuo panicked, including Bazhuo, who then fled to the Ashide tribe. Huihe, upon hearing this, killed Bazhuo and the remaining royal family members of the Xue Yantuo. After Huihe took most of Xue Yantuo's territory, most of the people of the Xue Yantuo surrendered to the Tang. However some still did try to hold on, and saw Yinan's nephew Tumozhi as the new Khan of the Xueyantuo. However of course, the Tang did not recognise this, and emperor Taizong sent troops to attack the Xue Yantuo, and Tumozhi surrendered. The Xueyantuo then collapsed. Now, the Tuvans paid tribute to the Tang, and they established a monarch-subject relationship. I don't think Tuva was born as soon as the Xueyantuo collapsed but he was young when he experienced the downfall. He's a similar age to Mongolia.

So, that was my long drawn out explanation of when I think the we see now Tuva was "born".

TL;DR, during the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty (Emperor Taizong period) when the Xue Yantuo confederation was destroyed and when the the territory of Tuva/Tuva paid tribute to the Tang, was an approximate date of when Tuva was "born." I think he most likely emerged a century or so before this as of course he wasn't born as soon as the Xue Yantuo collapsed or something, but he was young when he witnessed it's downfall.

Random fact, but in the Tang Dynasty era book "Tongdian", the Tuvans were described as "skiing hunters", and during the Yuan, the Mongols called them the "forest people"/ put them under the "forest people" category.

Tuva, as I have said before, was conquered pretty easily throughout his lifetime. Skipping to the Mongol Empire era, it was conquered by the Mongols in 1207 by Jochi, Chinggis' eldest son. The Mongols then established suzerainty over them. It was ruled by Khalkha Mongols until the 17th century, when they then were ruled over by the Oirats Mongols and were a part of the Dzungarian state. So, for a long time, Tuva was ruled over by Mongols/Mongolic people. For this reason and because of the many cultural similarities between the two, he feels pretty relaxed around Mongolia. Furthermore, during the Qing, although Tuva was a part of China, it was administered by Outer Mongolia. Tuva used to be a part of Mongolia.

In 1911, Mongolia regained its independence back from the Qing. Some regions of Tuva like Tozhu, Salchak, and Khöwsgöl banners wanted to be part of Mongolia, while only the Tannu banner leader appealed to Russia. In 1914, what is now Tuva became part of Russia due to Russian settlers moving in.

However, in 1914, the Russian empire made Tuva its protectorate and allowed Russians to settle there. However even before then, Russians were already settling down in Tuva in the 19the century. In 1860, the Qing signed a treaty with Russia that Russians were allowed to live in Tuva, as long as it was in boats or tents, however by 1881 they were already living in permanent homes. This was the beginning of the Russian colonisation of Tuva, however 1885 was the year of official colonisation of Tuva when the Governor-General of Irkutsk gave permission to a merchant to farm at present-day Turan. From this, more settlements formed. There were around 2000 merchants and colonists by the first 1910's.

This greatly offended the Tuvans and there would be fights between them and the Russians from time to time.

The Qing weren't oblivious to this and were concerned at first, but eventually, internal problems with the Qing meant they didn't have enough time to focus of Russia creeping in on Tuva.

In the 20th century, Tuva was broke asf, their economy was in shambles and there was an increase of poverty in the region, thanks to Russia. The Qing established a rule that Han traders were not to trade in Tuva, and this rule was actually applied, unlike what happened in outer Mongolia. However, Han traders were then allowed into Tuva to compete against the monopoly the Russians had over there, and eventually, like what happened in outer Mongolia, the Chinese dominated commerce there. Many Tuvans found themselves indebted to Han merchants.

I don't think Tuva is some sort of peeping violet, yes, Tuva was ruled by many empires during his life but he is still a proud person who values freedom, and isn't one to completely just bow down. He is moreso someone who just wants to mind his own business, and if (begrudgingly) paying tribute means he'll be left alone for the most part, he'll take it.

Furthermore during the end of the Qing reign of Tuva, when the Wuchang uprising of October 10th 1911 led to a full scale revolution. Mongolia declared its independence from the Qing in early December, and during the second half of December, the Tuvans plundered many Han owned businesses, calling back before to when I mentioned how Tuvans would fight Russians who settled down in Tuva lol. Tuva definitely isn't one to go down without a fight and is quite fierce-willed despite his quiet exterior and history.

In 1921, pro-Soviet Russians took control during the Russian Civil War, and Tuva became a people's republic. By 1926, it had a population of around 58,117 Tuvans and 12,000 Russian settlers. Initially, Mongolian was the official language, and Tuva wanted union with Mongolia, but Mongolia, under pressure, recognised Tuvan independence in 1926.

Explaining Tuvan independence further, jumping back to when I said the Russians declared Tuva as its protectorate in 1914, the new communist Russian government of 1921 declared that this was invalid, so technically, Tuva was an independent state (under very heavy Russian influence/was essentially a puppet state.)

From 1930-31, Tuva underwent changes, including the introduction of a new Latin script for Tuvan. However, attempts at collectivization failed, and pro-Mongolian Tuvan politicians faced execution.

During World War II, Tuvans were conscripted into the Soviet Red Army, and in 1944, the Soviet Union annexed Tuva as an autonomous region within the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic, .allowing Russians to enter Tuva to work in mines and factories. A Cyrillic script for Tuvan was introduced in 1943, and collectivization continued until 1954.

In 1961, Tuva became an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic within the RSFSR. The percentage of ethnic Tuvans increased over the years. After the Soviet Union's dissolution, Tuva became a constituent republic of the Russian Federation. In 1989, there were 198,448 ethnic Tuvans, making up 64 percent of the republic's population, and border transit points with Mongolia were opened, though issues like livestock theft and unauthorised pasturing persisted.

Because of Russian colonisation, the identity of the Tuvan people was hurt greatly. Before, they were able to freely live as nomads, hunt, practice shamanism, use their traditional medicines. But after Russian colonisation, forced assimilation, forced settlements, the Tuvan identity was scarred. Despite this, Tuvans resisted full Russification.

Russia kept Tuva closed off from the outside world for nearly 50 years. Even now, Tuva is remote and difficult to access, and is one of Russia's poorest regions. This is why Tuva comes off as closed off/aloof.

Tuva does feel a bit on edge when interacting with other nations who he doesn't feel close to, primarily because of the period of isolation he was put through under the Russians, and he can come off as a bit aloof. He's quite friendly really and he does want to make more friends, he just finds it hard to trust people. For this reason he's lucky he has a cute face to make up for the moody exterior.

He also talks to Yakutia/Sakha about whatever, their conversations are not usually that deep though.

Tuva is trying hard to reclaim his national identity, for example, after the fall of the soviet Union, ethnic Tuvans living in Tuva went up from two-thirds to three-quarters of the population. He's extremely keen on having the lowest amount of contact with Russia possible outside of what's necessary lol.

He probably blasts Huun-Huur Tu and Sainkho Namtchylak.

He and Mongolia, despite their familiarity with one another, do have a bit of a... Rivalry going on about where throat singing originated and who's better haha.

Anyways that's my Tuva. His name is Aydyn Kuular and overall personality wise he is:

Seemingly quiet/aloof

On the inside, quite fierce willed

Very much "I mind my own business, you mind yours."

Is actually quite warm once you get to know him but it's hard for people to get to that point

Avid music lover and is always composing something new!

Tries to reach out to others the best he can

Not a fan of Russia or China

Has his own little projects, doesn't tell a lot of people about them though

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, a film with Henry Cavill, gets a trailer.

Inspired by a true story, this action and comedy film will follow UK special forces during World War II. Henry Cavill is proving he's very game for a spy adventure or two.

Inspired by real events, the action/comedy film follows a secret World War II combat organisation formed by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Winston Churchill, and the writer Ian Fleming – the creator of James Bond.

The film is based on recently revealed documents from the British War Department. The plot follows the first special forces organization in the United Kingdom, formed by the Prime Minister of the time, Winston Churchill, during the Second World War.

It follows Cavill's character as he is released from prison and asked by Churchill to help on a top-secret mission, although he reveals that the team he would have in mind to accompany him might not be to the Prime Minister's tastes.

The group, with rebels and bandits, sets out on an unauthorised mission against the Nazis, using combat methods described as unconventional and completely “nasty”. It is worth mentioning that, in real life, this organisation gave rise to other secret operations units, such as Black Ops.

"The top-secret combat unit, composed of a motley crew of rogues and mavericks, goes on a daring mission against the Nazis using entirely unconventional and utterly 'ungentlemanly' fighting techniques.

"Ultimately their audacious approach changed the course of the war and laid the foundation for the British SAS and modern Black Ops warfare."

A new film by Guy Ritchie ( Tycoons of Crime ) with Henry Cavill, got its first trailer on Tuesday, March 30th. In addition to Cavill – who takes on the lead role of the real-life founder of the No. 62 Commando unit Gus March-Phillipps – the film boasts a star-studded supporting cast, including Eiza González, Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Babs Olusanmokun, Henrique Zaga, Til Schweiger, Henry Golding and Cary Elwes.

Meanwhile, some actors are playing historical figures who will be very recognisable to most viewers – for example, Cary Elwes is taking on the role of Winston Churchill and Freddie Fox stars as James Bond author Ian Fleming.

The script is also written by Ritchie, along with Paul Tamasy , Eric Johnson and Arash Amel . The basis of the project comes from the book with the same name as the production, written by Damien Lewis .

The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare portrays a heavily fictionalised version of “Operation Postmaster.” The film is scheduled to be released in the UK and US cinemas on Friday 19th April 2024.

Source: Lionsgate (YouTube)

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Posted 8th April 2024