#darea auster

[gc-appreciationweek]

❗Spoiler warning: this post will touch on some lore and plot points in the Dune universe, as well as up until the August update of Gladiator Chronicles (Season 2, Episode 4)

Since the very first time Gladiator Chronicles was teased to the RC player base, Frank Herbert’s acclaimed epic science fiction novel series "Dune" (1965)—one of the most famous science fiction works of the 20th century—was one of the similar media products listed. The first book of the series was later adapted to feature films "Dune" (1984, dir. David Lynch) and decades later "Dune: Part One" (2021, dir. Dennis Villeneuve).

The story begins with the head of House Atreides appointed a new position, causing the family to relocate from their homeworld Caladan to the planet Arrakis, beautiful and dangerous, with endless desserts, scorching sun, huge monsters, and an abundance of melange (also known as “spice”)—an extremely rare and valuable substance. The story follows Paul, the heir of the House Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, as he ascends and becomes the messiah.

What do Dune and Gladiator Chronicles have in common? Let’s break them down in points:

Arrakis is a desert planet where water is worth its weight in gold, somewhat similar to Rix’s home planet Paitrum. They are both scorching sandy planets prone to sandstorms. Rix even tells Graut that in his life he has only ever seen "an ocean of sand". However, plot-wise, Arrakis is closer to the planet that Rix has visions of, where he has to “come home” and where his "fate will be decided." In Dune, Paul Atreides often has visions of the future: in the very beginning of the 2021 movie we see his recurring dream of the planet Arrakis and his future lover Chani, an Arrakis native

top row: arrakis concept art (dune 2021) | middle row: paitrum (background from S1E1) | bottom row: backgrounds from rix's visions of the mysterious planet

Arrakis is the only source of a valuable substance—"spice", or melange. The properties of this substance are somewhat similar to scarium in GC:

Is a strong drug that can cause immobility and hallucinations

Is critical for faster-than-light interstellar travel

Prolonged exposure causes a mutation to the eyes (blue/pale)—see Caesar and Pontiff’s eyes in particular

Prolongs life, as stated in the next point with the hermits

Grants psychic abilities (foresight)—the clerics have seen Darea’s future and scarium is their source of energy

Spice is a waste product of huge sandworms in Arrakis, difficult to acquire hence its scarcity—Scarium is mined in mines and is so expensive and rare that it's considered "god imprisoned in a stone"

top: comparison between fremen eyes in dune and caesar & pontiff's eyes | middle: the cleric knowing darea's future | bottom: spice explanation by caesar in future scene (S1E3)

In S1E11, if you choose the option that the nomads are a small tribe on Paitrum (second option), the resulting dialogue matches the description of Dune’s Fremen (from “free people”): the native inhabitants of Arrakis who have learned to synthesize spice

rix's explanation on the nomads if you choose "a small tribe that lives on paitrum" (S1E11) [credit for screenshots goes to HIMEME on youtube]

Paul Atreides’s mother, Lady Jessica, is a representative of the Bene Gesserit Order—a pseudo-religious organization who used genetic experimentation, galactic political interference, and religious engineering to further their own agenda. The members, all women, are able to look through the memory of their ancestors, but only through the female line. In GC, Rix’s mother Agnes in particular seems to have psychic abilities (+ energy manipulation) and, judging by the season 1 finale CG, Rix's parents were clerics (specifically Augurs). As we know, the order of the clerics is sacred, and headed by the Supreme Pontiff. Genetic experimentation is a common motif in GC, starting from the gladiator chips, Darea’s prophecy (see second to last point), and Cassius’s children being slightly altered clones

top and middle rows: concept art for the bene gesserit order (dune 2021) | bottom row: GC CG from S1E11

Just like Paul, Rix seems to have some superhuman abilities and a “destiny” to fulfill. Paul Atreides is the long awaited end product of a lengthy Bene Gesserit genetic experiment to create a messianic superbeing with the clairvoyance necessary to guide humanity to a better future—the Kwisatz Haderach. In the very first episode of GC, Rix speared a hastat—a combat robot—to the disbelief of Stortia and Gars later on when Rix told them his story. Rix experienced visions of Agnes, where she told him to “come home” and that his “nature” is calling him. Rix continues to have other visions involving his family members and a mysterious planet. In one of these visions, Rix’s father also hinted that Rix survived scarium exposure because of his genetics

top row: rix and agnes CG from S1E3 | middle row: rix vision with his father from S1E7 | bottom row: stortia and gars not believing rix from S1E3

Though, in terms of the story, Lady Jessica would also parallel Darea. Lady Jessica was ordered to give birth to a girl who would later bear the Kwisatz Hadarach, but due to her love to Duke Leto Atreides (Paul's father), she chose to bear a son instead—and Paul turned out to be the messianic superhuman the Bene Gesserit order has been striving for. From Rix's conversation with Tori, Darea is prophesised to give birth to a savior who will unite the entire inhabited space and put an end to all wars. The clerics prophesied this, as did the sisters of the Bene Gesserit Order in Dune

darea and rix's shared vision scene from S2E4

Paul Atreides, who at this point in the story has become part of the Fremen, is now their messiah (Muad'Dib), and has successfully defeated his rival house, becomes emperor himself. In the future scenes in GC, Rix is having a conversation with Caesar, which hints at the clear end of the story. We can assume that either Caesar will voluntarily renounce power in favor of Rix, or the latter will have to kill the current emperor and usurp power

left: caesar's conversation with rix from S1E2 | right: paul atreides becomes emperor (1984 movie)

Oh and lastly, this hair choice during character setup before the story even starts

You’ve reached the end! Thank you very much for reading up to here. Do let us know in the reblogs or replies if we missed anything. 

[twiceasmanysunbeams]

this GC update was incredible! the writing, the music, the buildup—it felt like a season finale as opposed to some mid-season chapters!

i can't recommend it enough, tbh

[kamuiboyfriends]

Gladiator Chronicles

S1E7 | BLADE OF TRUTH

The gladiator’s arena is not without its secrets.

Maybe some day I’ll go back to do episode six… maybe🥲🥲🥲. But anyways enough about that. So I personally believe last GC update was phenomenal. This one was even better! You can’t go wrong with this story honestly.

Anyway onto to the episode.

Side note: It’s probably just me, but that title reminded me of BOLAS from Choices… Ignore me🥲

⚠️SPOILERS AHEAD⚠️

There’s something quite spectacular with this scene. The OST in the background helped with that

This planet again… anyways for now we have Dad here for a cute but short reunion. Speaking of Darea, where is she.

Also I ran out of space for images but I had my suspicions since Episode 1 and I think their family name IS Auster. It was mentioned then and it was mentioned here again. Would show it here but uhh… I can’t. But just take my word for it😅

“That I love her.”

Okay okay we’re getting closer??? Nice. Like this banter.

Don’t you just love it when you’re going for an LI who writes you off as deceased when you’ve been in a coma for only three days??😍🔪

My favorite outfits of this update. Kept the old hair and no facial hair because 1) Ol’ white hair was cooler imo and 2) I prefer to keep MC without the beard.

I TOO wish he was here but I think both him and I have different reasons…

So the main thing this update was: The ludus contains a few select gladiators, who are not only that but spies for Flavius? And he wants me to take Hotch’s spot for the time being???

YES OFC! (Though he’s gonna need to be back here with me soon👉👈)

The finale of the season is hopefully soon so if this is where the main plot is going then I am very much pleased.

STATS AFTER THE EPISODE:

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

A Call for A National Conference to Organize a Fightback to Defeat Austerity!

Detroit - Saturday, March 24

We want to extend an invitation to all progressive activists and organizations to participate in the National Conference to Fight Austerity in Detroit on Saturday March 24.  

The purpose of the national conference is to map out a strategy for defeating the war being waged by the banks, corporations and government against the workers and oppressed.  

Capitalism cannot continue unchallenged while our very lives are being jeopardized by the ruling elites who are determined to grow richer and more powerful at our expense, whipping up white supremacy, an anti-immigrant offensive attacks on women and anti-LGBTQ bigotry to keep our class divided.

Detroit along with colonized Puerto Rico has been at the epicenter of bank imposed austerity against the workers and oppressed in this hemisphere. But every U.S. city from Chicago to Baltimore to Cleveland to Baltimore to Milwaukee, from New York City to Oakland and Seattle, has felt the brunt of this attack in the form of cutbacks, school closings, mass transit cuts, water shutoffs, gentrification and destruction of public service unions.

The Trump tax plan and Pentagon War build-up continues the massive transfer of wealth to the rich at the expense of the poor.  This war by the banks and on the workers and poor is an international phenomenon spanning every continent. On March 24, we will hammer out a program on how to fight back against the war by the corporations, the banks and their lackeys in government at all levels on the workers and poor.

The conference will take up topics such as:

* The Destruction of our Communities by the Banks. * Tax giveaways to Dan Gilbert and the Ilitch business empire and gentrifiers everywhere.* The Trump Tax plan — A declaration of war by and for the rich on the workers and the poor.* The Pentagon War Buildup — funded by destruction of social services.* Continuing Water Shutoffs and Mass foreclosures. *The Destruction of public educations through defunding and privatization.* Mass layoffs at retail stores, restaurants, business offices and plant closings* Fighting for a real living wage for all workers* Challenging racism, sexism and LGBTQ oppression* Defending Immigrant Rights* Challenging mass incarceration and prison slave labor * Defending Puerto Rico where much the population remains without electricity because of mass robbery by the banks* The need for a universal healthcare program* Public transportation and accessibility for all within the urban and rural areas. *The growth in extreme poverty and homelessness.* Environmental Justice and the end to the poisoning of the poor. *Full rights for persons with disabilities.

The Conference will discuss these issues in depth from the perspective of how they all are products of a capitalist system where profits are everything and people mean nothing.  We will mobilize support for making May Day 2018 an anti-Austerity Day, as well as lending solidarity to the Poor Peoples Campaign. We will outline a program of action in solidarity with all movements working for social change and transformation.

Initiated by the Moratorium Now! Coalition. For information or to endorse:  contact 313-680-5508 – moratorium-mi.org — moratorium@moratorium-mi.org 

Endorsed by:  Detroit Active and Retired Employees Association (DAREA); Restaurant Opportunities Center of Michigan (ROC-MI); Fronteras Nortenas; Elena Herrada, Detroit School Board Member in Exile; Teresa Kelly, former editor, Michigan Citizen Newspaper; Detroit MLK Day committee; Reverend Ed Rowe; Lila Cabbil, People’s Water Board; National Action Network, Detroit chapter; Wisconsin Bail Out The People Movement, Workers World Party

[twiceasmanysunbeams]

RIX AUSTER as the AMORAL ATTORNEY

The Amoral Attorney comes in various degrees of oiliness—from slick, two-faced charmers to brutal bullies with a law degree. The worst defense attorneys will actually seem to know that their client is guilty, and act as though they just love seeing the wicked go free—they will in fact happily count their money while the world burns, and have no problem advising their client (in very vague terms) that if something untoward happens to any key witnesses it would be so much easier to win.

@gc-appreciationweek

manifesting dmitry gets to do the detective film noir story he really wants to write for RC! he's mentioned wanting to write a noir in like... 4 different interviews now (note: CD = RC)