#symbol: crest of the goddess

[val-of-the-north]

Renna's identity and more Caria stuff

I think we have finally come to a satisfying conclusion on the identity of the Snowy Crone, aka Renna.

This came from a conversation with Qamarmoon (not on Tumblr, but check out the Blusky account [x]), who pointed out an interesting bit about her and the two sisters Rennala and Rellana. Together they appear to follow the triple deity format: Renna being the Crone, Renalla being the Mother, and Rellana being the Maiden. It's also worth pointing out that each facet of this Triple Goddess is also connected to moon phases.

It was also correctly pointed out that Snowy Crone must have known the Dark Moon if she was capable of teaching Ranni about it.

But the only ones we have seen capable of such contact with the moons appear to be part of Carian royalty.

The one exception may be the Nox... however, they seemed to have owned the Moonlight Altar in the past, as the Cathedral of Manus Celes shares architecture with the Church of Vows, an old Liurnian ruin intimately connected to the Nox and their rituals.

(My friend @katyspersonal also believes the Nox's Black Moon might have simply been an imitation they created, as it seems to have worked differently than the other moons we know of. For example, it wasn't just one person envisioning it, but multiple. It was also physically present underground and was even broken apart by Astel, while these other moons seem much more distant. It's not necessary to believe this in order for the whole theory I'm proposing to work, but if it's true it would certainly strengthen it lol)

In any case, Qamarmoon also posited that the three sisters might have indeed referred to Renna, Rennala and Rellana, and that Seluvis' Rise wasn't the only one that got its name changed, but Ranni's too, leaving Renna's as the only untouched one. Interestingly enough, it's also where you find the Snow Witch set.

The whole convo made me suddenly remember something I had always taken for granted... the Ice Crest Shield.

This small shield, found in Caria Manor, has a snowflake design that was said to be the crest of a Carian princess. Now, I had always assumed this was referring to Ranni, but I realized something. If it were, it wouldn't have been vague about it. When symbols and insignias are relevant to a specific Demigod or important person they are never spoken about like that... and besides, the crest should be found somewhere else related to Ranni herself if it was hers.

But it's not, and what really seals the deal for me is that Ranni's connection to the cold wasn't something well-known, as it came from her secret mentor, the Snowy Crone.

Ranni, for all intents and purposes, was a moon witch like her mother, earning the title of Lunar Princess.

Even Blaidd's blade was imbued with frost only when he vowed to never leave Ranni's side no matter what, walking that dark path with her. The cold seems intimately tied to her secret grim fate.

Even more damning, is that the Glintstone Sorcerers of the Lazuli Conspectus, a Carian-affiliated branch of the Academy of Raya Lucaria, wield the Ice Crest Shield.

However, the Conspectus more than likely predates Ranni by a long margin and seems to have no connection to her overall. Furthermore, the colors of their robes, while likened to the hues of a Full Moon, do contain white accents reminiscent of the Snow Witch set, which was Renna's before it was Ranni's.

So then, could it be that Renna is the Carian princess mentioned on that very shield? Maybe even Rennala and Rellana'a older sister! There seems to be quite a bit of evidence for it!

But, I understand if you are skeptical. After all, why wouldn't she be the Queen of Caria if she was the eldest daughter, or even mentioned at all? Better yet, how would it work if Caria as royalty was established by Rennala herself as stated by her Remembrance?

Let's start with the latter. I do not believe that statement is proof enough to come to such a conclusion. Don't get me wrong, it would be, if it weren't for the fact it's the only instance of this, and it's contradicted by so many other descriptions.

And you may say it's not true. The Stargazer Heirloom also implies the same. After all, it speaks of a young astrologer finding the Full Moon and becoming queen.

It does sound a lot like Rennala, right? But two small bits prevent it from being the case. The first one is the fact that it's engraved with a "legend". The only other heirloom with this description is that of the Two Fingers. Meanwhile, the two heirlooms depicting Radahn and Malenia, prominent figures of the current Lands Between, are said to be depicting "a scene from a heroic tale". Legend implies a certain degree of antiquity, which Rennala does not seem to possess.

The other detail, which is even more weighty, is that she is referred to as an astrologer. Astrologers were ancient people situated on the Mountaintops of the Giants and were once their neighbors. So close was their bond that they created a sword to honor it.

Some of the Carians, like Rellana, even believed that Fire and Moon should always be together, which is part of the reason she followed Messmer during his Crusade.

So the astrologers are the ancestors of the Carians... but they are not the only ones who descend from them. All Glintstone Sorcerers are descendants, in fact!

After all, it was an ancient astrologer who once envisioned the Founding Rain of Stars, basis of all Glintstone Sorceries and the foundation of the Academy of Raya Lucaria.

If Rennala had been that very astrologer girl in the legend, then she not only would have been incredibly ancient by now, but it would also mean she enchanted the academy immediately after its founding, since they'd be part of the same time period. This would leave them no room to develop the opposing beliefs that created the current friction between the two factions, which doesn't seem to be the implication.

The woman in the heirloom is most likely just Rennala's ancestor, who envisioned the Full Moon and changed the trajectory of her branch of astrologers forever.

This isn't the only thing against the idea Rennala is the sole founder of the house of Caria as well as its one queen! Counter-evidence comes in the form of several descriptions mentioning long-standing traditions involving princesses and matrimony... which wouldn't make sense if Rennala had been on the throne child-free with only her little sister for god knows how long...

In fact, another point towards the idea that Rennala was a princess herself once is her use of a particular ability, said to be employed by Carian princesses specifically. And she's the only Carian character to ever use this technique...

My very last bit of evidence is the fact she is also known as the "last Queen of Caria". A title given to her by her own daughter Ranni.

Now, there would be no point in making such a specification if she had been the ONLY queen of Caria up to that point. What makes more sense, coupled with everything else we have already talked about, is that she is the last queen in a long line of queens...

Simply put, I don't believe the Remembrance implies that she is the sole founder of the House of Caria. It is already considered a "house" after all, so it had the status of nobility at least, and noble houses, as you may know, aren't always in charge as rulers. Several houses contend for sovereignty, and it's often a cyclical thing.

Perhaps Rennala was simply the one to bring Caria back to its former heights by discovering the very same Full Moon that once uplifted her people long ago... this also means that multiple people can witness the same moon, which fits nicely with both Renna and Ranni envisioning the same celestial object.

This leads us back to the question of "what happened to Renna then, and how can she be the older sister if she didn't inherit the throne and Rennala did?".

I think the answer lies in the moon she had discovered. @katyspersonal proposed an idea some time ago, that the moons discovered by the Carian royals sort of foreshadow their eventual fate (It's mentioned in this post here [x] though it's mostly about a hypothetical Moon Goddess as a counterpart to the Fell God). It's something Qamarmoon also concluded independently, so I wouldn't say it's a nonsensical conclusion to draw.

The gist of it is that Rennala's Full Moon foreshadowed her union with the Erdtree, as the full moon is the result of its surface being bathed in the light of the sun, Rellana's Twin Moon foreshadowed her fate intertwining with Messmer, their two powers standing together, and Ranni's Dark Moon foreshadowed the lonesome occult path she'd have to walk to "obscure" the light of Grace.

The theme of celestial objects controlling the fate of all individuals is something quite prominent in the setting, so I'm pretty sold on this concept personally!

So yes, I believe Renna simply walked an occult path that led her to obscurity, maybe even of her own volition. To renounce her birthright in pursuit of something different... it's exactly what Rellana had done in an attempt to stand by Messmer's side.

It's also quite common for prominent figures to completely vanish in the Lands Between, as odd as it is to say. For example, we know that all the Demigod children of Marika who did not survive the Night of the Black Knives (minus Godwyn of course) have all but disappeared from history. We only know they existed, not what they did or accomplished. It's bizarre, to say the least...

Not to mention the entirety of the Land of Shadow, obscured and forgotten as an endless war is waged. Rellana too has had any mention of her having existed seemingly scrubbed from history, at least in the Lands Between.

Furthermore, it's exactly what Ranni did as well, erasing all of her steps and seemingly vanishing without a trace.

But what became of Renna then? Perhaps her insistence that Ranni fears the Dark Moon is from experience, and she doesn't want her to commit the same mistakes...

The two most prominent traits of the Snowy Crone are the blue skin and the four arms, features that remind me of the accursed followers of the Royal Revenants, often known as Wraith Callers due to the bells they use to attract vengeful spirits.

Interestingly enough, Liurnia has the biggest concentration of these guys out of all locations in the game. Most prominent for this theory is their large numbers in the Moonlight Altar, a place that's very relevant to all Carian royalty.

These beings are said to be all cursed, explaining their spectral, twisted forms. Now, I don't think Renna became like the ones we find in-game. They don't seem to hold any connection to the moon and ice, but rather to curses and wraiths. However, she might have died and been cursed in a similar manner, twisting her into a form closer to that Ranni's body is based on.

It's also worth pointing out that Ranni is the one who hands the Spirit Calling Bell to us, which is basically the good version of the Wraith Calling Bell that the Revenant Followers use. However, it's unclear why she wants to give it to Torrent's new master, so it might have not belonged to the Snowy Crone originally.

-

So in conclusion... the idea that the Snowy Crone was actually a princess of Caria named Renna, sister of Rennala and Rellana makes a surprising amount of sense! It neatly explains the crone's knowledge of the Dark Moon, the existence of the Three Sisters in general, the identity of the princess the ice crest was a symbol of, the suspiciously familiar name of Renna feeling just like she is part of the Carian family... it just works so well I think!

Finally. It's a conclusion I am satisfied with... Elden Ring feels very complex regarding most of the unseen people in the cast. Gently waiting for the day we can finally understand the Gloam-Eyed Queen too in such a satisfying manner. Then I will know peace lmao.

---UPDATE---

Ok, so this line from Iji was brought to my attention in the comments, mentioning Ranni as the "first heir in the Carian royal line".

This almost makes it sound like there weren't any heirs before her, which would invalidate literally everything I've said so far about Rennala not being the first Carian queen.

So I decided to check the Japanese script [x], and this line is as follows there: "カーリア王家正統の王女たるラニ様の、運命もまた同じはずです". The part we are gonna focus on is the one I've highlighted.

That doesn't translate to "the first heir in the Carian royal line" but rather "the legitimate princess (正統の王女) of the royal house of Caria (カーリア王家)".

This means that my argument is still safe and sound. Ranni is simply a legitimate heir to the throne, not the first one to be heir. There's also a possibility they didn't mean it to be taken literally, but you are never too sure with these decisions... so yeah, just thought I'd make an addendum so it's addressed in the post itself. I mean, not everyone reads the comments after all!

Okie, addendum over.

[differentsoulsweets]

Athena: Introductory Post

Αθηνη (Minerva) Greek Goddess of strategic war and wisdom.

Epithets: ✧Nike [Victory] ✧ Polias [Of the City] ✧ Sthenias [Strong] ✧ Eryma [Defender] ✧ Parthenos [Maiden] ✧ Alalkomeneis [Protectress] ✧ Glaucopis [Owl-eyed] ✧ Gigantoleteira [Destroyer of Giants] ✧ Gorgolaphas [Gorgon-Crested]

Domains ✧ Wisdom ✧ Weaving ✧ Pottery ✧ Sculpture ✧ Handicraft ✧ Warfare ✧ War ✧ Defense of cities / towns

Duties ✧ inspires soldiers ✧ Fights alongside humanitarian organizations (upg)

Devotional acts: ✧ Studying ✧ Learning new things ✧ Learn to knit ✧ Make crafts! Junk Journal, crochet, paint objects, etc.

Associations

Symbol: ✧ Aegis, gorgon head, spear and war-helm Element: ✧ Air Color: ✧ Blue, grey, white, yellow Metal: ✧ Gold Crystals and stones: ✧ Lapis ✧ Turquoise ✧ Ruby ✧ Sapphire ✧ Onyx Animal: ✧ Owl ✧ Spider ✧ Snake ✧ Rooster ✧ Crow

Plants & Herbs: ✧ Cypress ✧ Olive tree ✧ Ivy ✧ Cornel Tree Incense: ✧ Frankincense ✧ Dragon's blood ✧ Cedarwood Food & Drinks: ✧ Red Wine ✧ Olive Oil ✧ Water ✧ Honey ✧ Milk ✧ Juice ✧ Bread ✧ Olives Day, Season, Time of Day: ✧ N/A

Tarot: ✧ Justice ✧ The Emperor ✧ The High Priestess ✧ Queen of Swords ✧ Queen of Wands

If you like these posts consider tipping <3 : https://ko-fi.com/merelobster9099

[unicoo]

0 We Have Guests

The air on verdara simmers with the scent of rain drenched ferns and the faint hum of silver-throated birds flitting through the canopy. Last night marked the tenth night of rain storms on the planet of Helsin, it was as if even her ancestors knew of the disaster soon to come. It had been announced over a week ago, by Count Calloway Corrino that his uncle the Emperor would be coming to the planet.

Standing at the edge of a shattered balcony, in jungle infested ruins of what used to be the Alucar family stronghold, is a figure draped in dark red and brown. The scarf wrapped over the figure’s head hides luscious brown curls and their mouth, leaving the rest of the face visible. The young woman glares through the thick and unruly rainforest, left for neglect in favor of the areas that surrounded the temples and palace.

Dark eyes focus across the once beautiful and flourishing land. Corrino banners, gold and white, snapping in the breeze over the palace where the royal family’s crest once flew. Fingers curl into fists, nails biting into the palms until blood wells. This was her home, her birthright, until they took it. It was her people inside those walls and beyond that still kept this planet running and the universe dripped in lavishness, even in their enslavement.

The Imperial ship had arrived late last night, after dinner had taken place and the palace had begun to retire for the day. The Count and his precious family were sent reeling as they were forced to quickly prepare for the sudden arrival, which they hadn’t been expecting until the next midday. Unlike the rushing highborn family, the people of the land that took care of this place had been prepared. The floor meant for special guests had been prepared and the palace cleaned immaculately, something that was always a given.

The people took pride in the place of their birth land, even now, especially now. They felt as if they at least owed that to those who came before them, as well as those who fell trying to protect this very place. Their pride and love was all they could give as of now, but that would soon change. The past twenty years had been spent preparing to bring an age old prophecy to fruition. It had been drilled into the woman’s head since she was old enough to understand, eighteen years it had been now.

The tight grip she holds her hand in slowly releases and the familiar tingling sensation can be felt in her palms. When the feeling subsides, she moves to take hold of the broken bannister on the balcony, something that was once so strong, now felt unstable in her grip. The irony, the symbolism. She bitterly chuckles to herself, shaking her head before looking to the sky. Those dark eyes focus on the planet’s second moon, Lazara. The moon goddess reminds the young woman of her late mother. There was not much to remember of the women who birthed her. Liana was her name, she had brighter eyes than her daughter, but darker hair. When Liana smiled, she never hid her teeth, proudly displaying each and every one of those pearly whites that she could. She was tall, with soft curves and firm muscles, gained over years of hard work and life. Her skin was marked with their ancient runes, a sign of power. Liana’s voice was melodic and alluring, as well as strong and powerful, it made sense that singing was her gift.

The young lady remembers that her mother would sing to her, stories within a song. There are memories of dancing in the rain with her and the walks around the planet they would take. The memories are fuzzy when it comes to everything else. Well, almost everything else. For how little the daughter can remember of her mother, the day she died is still a vivid picture. She can still see her mother’s body, feel her cold and hard skin, her lifeless eyes were engraved within her daughter’s head.

Whenever the young woman closed her eyes, she would see it all. Her mother, their people, their blood, and those stupid fucking banners. She seethes with anger, the grip around the railing tightens, until the metal crumbles into pieces. The small shards fall onto the stone beneath her feet as those watchful eyes close. One small hand cups the other before they are both brought under the scarf, until they press against her chest. The sound of the calming breaths lingers in the air, until they are interrupted by the sound of engines. The foliage around the stronghold blows about in the large gust of wind created by the ship. As the large oddly shaped thing passes over her head, she catches sight of an unfamiliar crest.

“Harkonnens.” A voice from behind her says, turning around to know who it is, is unnecessary. The dark skinned man takes a step forward, his tall and thick body inches behind her. His bright gold eyes flicker across the sky, watching the ship with his hands folded behind his back.

“Tell me more about our surprise guests Ezil.” The words are smooth like honey as the woman looks over her shoulder at Ezil. He had been Liana’s guard once upon a time. When everything fell he had been tasked with getting those who had bounties on their heads out of dodge. Upon his return the family he was sworn to protect was gone, all that was left was the child before him, and the man inside that palace. Ezil is one of the few resistance members left, the past twenty years had not been kind to them.

“They are some of the best warriors in the imperial, one of the more powerful houses. They are also cunning, sneaky, untrustworthy, hateful, brutal-” His deep baritone is effectively cut off by the raise of a hand. He watches as the child he once knew tilts her head to the side. Silence settles between them, before a hum leaves the young woman’s throat. Together the two watch the Harkonnen’s ship land, miles away in one of the four temples surrounding the palace.

“I best not be late, I would hate to miss the fun.” The lady whispers, her eyes locked on the landing temple. The guard presence is lower than it had been these last few months. Their numbers were dwindling, but not fast enough. The number of those men still outmatched that of the native people. Her people would not last much longer if they did not act soon and they did not need anything or anyone making things harder. They were so close and she would not fail now.

“Be careful Princess.” His words are the last thing heard before she walks straight off of the balcony. Ezil listens to the leaves sway and watches as the birds fly into the sky at the sudden company. The sound of a long howl carries into the air as she moves through the treetops.

It doesn’t take long for the young woman to reach the edge of the forest. From where she stands she can see the courtyard, full of beautiful sculptures. Some made from stone, others from gold, but her favorite were the ones made from the hedges. The beautiful flowers of her world would continue to grow throughout the sculpture, adding to the beauty of the art. Armed guards stood deeper in the courtyard, their bodies spread out along the many stairs that lead to the palace. Unlike the world beyond this spot, the walls surrounding the palace were wonderfully kept. The tree stayed trimmed, the weeds pulled, the rivers on either side were always fished clean of any impurities, and the stones visible enough to see were scrubbed. As she stood there now, she could see people working. Mostly men and boys, for most of their women had been wiped out many years ago.

The sound of rustling leaves causes a few highly trained Sardaukar to turn. The warriors had been on constant alert as of late. The best in the known universe, scared of a few rebels. How pathetic. She scoffs as she goes off towards the landing temple, hoping to catch a glimpse of these new people. There are more armed Sardaukar here, then there were in the courtyard, a stupid decision if you asked her.

These Harkonnens must be very, very important indeed. Her feet glide over the ground as she moves around to the side of the temple. Her small body disappears within the shadows, right by each of the armed guards, including some she would guess to be Harkonnen forces. Their dark uniforms stand out against the earthy tones around them, just like the idiots in light colors they come to stand next to. She keeps dipping in and out of the shadows until she enters the temple.

“How diplomatic of them, they send their slaves to greet us.” The voice is so raspy, it scratches against her ears, harder than it does the unknown man’s vocal cords. Her gaze moves across the room, she can see their ship being unloaded. Women and boys trek across the temple, carrying the belongings to the palace. It is easy to notice that not all of them are Helsin natives, their skin is pale which gives them away. They are all shaved bald, while the style is not unusual here, it is rare. As the word ‘slave’ rolls over the man’s tongue, she finds herself seething, her teeth bared in annoyance.

“Our lord the Count awaits you in the dining hall, he thought such an occasion should be greeted with a joyful feast.” The young woman recognizes the voice immediately, Vald. Once upon a time Vald had been a Count himself, as well as her grandfather’s most trusted adviser. As of now he was one of the last living beings who knew the art of the priests and priestesses. He had been kept alive, but humiliated as his position was lowered greatly and his life tied to the servitude of the man who had plagued his home and people. Vald’s smooth and aged voice is her guide as she drifts through the darker spaces around them.

“He should find better things to celebrate, the weak idiot is practically serving us this planet on a platter.” The words are spoken by the same man, though he has lowered his voice to only be heard by those surrounding him. Watchful irises move down the stone walls marked in runes, across the golden floor decorated by stories of old, and over the towering statue columns. When those orbs finally look upon the group, she takes them all in from her spot deep in an alcove. The man who disrespects her people is in the middle, because of course he is. Her eyes move along his grotesque figure. Large and unshaped, simply a mass of man. He wore a dark grey, nearly black, long robe that dragged against the grown, despite his height.

“He is weak indeed, uncle!” The man’s nephew spoke from behind him on the left. This one was quite large too, except it is clear he has some muscle to go with his fat. His head too was a clean bald, matching his uncle’s and everyone else that came with them. He wore black tactical gear, his boots thick and his footsteps heavy. Over his beating heart sat the crest from the bottom of the ship.

“I almost find myself respecting Corrino, using his nephew to do his dirty work. Too bad the idiot has fallen into the trap of one of those witches.” From the way the uncle looked back at his nephew, his disdain was clear. His words carried a clear double meaning, he and Corrino were one and the same when it came to the usages of family members they deemed useless. Ezil was not wrong, though she never doubted him, cunning and untrustworthy indeed.

“The treacherous Atreides whore.” Another voice pipes in, this one truly catches her attention. It is raspy, as the big man’s had been, but it does not scratch against her ears in an unpleasant way. The way his vocal cords move reminds her how her people did. His tone was so similar to their accent, down to the underlying hiss that could be heard in certain words or when certain emotions were strong. Despite the rasp and the hiss, there is a softness to his voice that draws her in even more.

The owner of the voice is dressed in fine black garments. His black button up lacks wrinkles, the silver circles catch the rays of sunlight, and the bottom is neatly tucked into his black pants. Those too are without wrinkles, stiff straight against his firm legs, they stop just above the pointed toe, black ankle boots he wears. Over his left shoulder sits a golden medal and beside it is that same crest pinned to his shirt. On the opposite shoulder there is a dark grey half shoulder cape, that stops milliliters from the ground. He is taller than the man across from him, the disliked one, and he is also slimmer, but not small. The woman in hiding is sure that a better look would prove he is nothing but pure muscle.

“Atreides, Corrino, they’re all the same. Weak and unworthy wastes of space.” The massive man spat, his disdain for two of the more powerful houses clear as the diamonds mined on Lazara. Useful. A cunning grin takes over her lips as she remembers the saying the Count would tend to say, “The enemy of my enemy, can be my friend,”. That calculating gaze settles back onto the young man, he does not look that much older than her. His face lacks wrinkle lines and any other signs of age. His features are sharp and beautifully intimidating. The lack of hair takes nothing away from his striking physical appearance, if anything it makes him even more attractive.

“They walk to their own obsolescence, yet we continue to stand still as if waiting for our own.” His tone is calm, but his voice holds an air of authority and power she’s desperate to sink her claws into. His words strike a familiar chord within her, only furthering her interest in him. It is clear he yearns to be on top, to grasp the power that the undeserving and weak have somehow come to hold. From her spot, she watches him as he observes the temple around him. His highly alert eyes take in each person that passes him, the look he holds is one of indifference, she plans to change that.

“Have patience, my boy.” That annoying voice speaks again, this time his tone is careful. The hiding woman can tell it is not fear, but perhaps nervousness. Again her gaze moves over the three who have spoken, their resemblance is not uncanny, but it is there. The fact that they all wear the same crest lets her know they are all Harkonnens, family. If the big one is the uncle and the unliked one is his nephew, she is willing to bet gold that the other boy is his son.

“The game does not wait for winners, nor does it stop for losers.” If she had not been hooked before, she was now. He understands the universe they lived in. He has ambition, determination, and so much potential. She could see it now, him by her side. Their power spread across the known universe and even further. They share a hate that could be nurtured into unbridled power. She would have him, no matter what.

“Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. Na-Baron Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. Glossu Rabban.” She commits the names to memory, matching their faces to the titles. Her head tilts to the side, watching as the Baron begins to ascend into the air. His body floats up and the overly long robes go with him, continuing to cover the mass of man he is. So he was the next in line, Feyd-Rautha. His name sounds so familiar in her head, but there was something blocking the knowledge from being recognized. She has felt this feeling before, the feeling of something being so close inside, yet out of reach. It was like a haze, she could not see through it, only gaze at the surface.

“I have been awaiting you.” That voice itches at a place within her that she cannot scratch. That voice had haunted these halls many times before, often that sack of skin would find her way to this planet, inside the palace, and into their space. Always with her plotting and scheming, her need to push further and further, her blatant disrespect of the people she takes for granted, but it was none of those things that drove the young girl's hatred. It was how that old hag looked upon the Helsin people, as if they were lower than dirt. The witch called them savages and abominations as if most of what she and her sisterhood knew did not come from this very land and its people.

She tries her best to keep her emotional reactions to herself, but once her teeth bare into a sneer, the hiss forces its way out. Her body sinks further into the alcove, her head tilts down and turns to the side as she hopes her sound has gone unnoticed. For the most part it has, the sound of whatever keeps the Baron afloat, mixed with the footsteps of moving servants masks her sound from the group before her. Except he hears it, his highly trained ears pick up on the new sound that comes from behind him. Those eyes move to the side, looking out his peripheral vision for quite some time. She can see how bright and blue Feyd’s eyes are from where she stands. Her own gaze keeps track of his movements, watching as his head tilts and his eyes focus in on the alcove where she stands. His jaw tightens and his hairless brows scrunch together.

“Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam.” The Baron greets, no warmth or respect in his voice as he does and it is clear as day. The young woman did not need to hear anything after that, she had all she needed. Though, she did take a few seconds to allow her gaze to linger. Her eyes moved over him again, from the top of his pale bald head, to the pointed toe of his black boots. When her eyes raise back to his face, she slides further into the space behind her. Dark orbs meet blue irises and the tension in his jaws loosens. If she did not know any better she would think he could see her, but she knew he could not. Or could he?

“Feyd-Rautha.” The skin on his head and the back of his neck prickle with goosebumps. A chill racks through his body and his mind goes hazy for a millisecond. His jaw tightens again as he takes a few steps towards where he heard the sound and where he felt the heat of watchful eyes come from. His intuition tells him someone is there, but his brain refuses to recognize something he cannot see. He turns forward again, his head lightly shakes before he follows after his family and the witch.

This shall be interesting indeed. From the shadows she walks out, her feet carry her over to the Harkonnen ship. There she begins to help her people collect the belongings to be taken to private chambers.

Chapter 1

Masterlist

A special thank you to @austinbutlerslovers for helping me get this story going! So very grateful for the help and encouragement 🖤

Taglist 🏷️

@nostalgichoya

Let me know if you want to be added

[yanderslutt]

✦₊˚.🕊️‧₊ ⌕Chapter 5 - Let them see who you belong to ✦₊˚.🕊️‧₊

The silks were heavier than they looked.

Dozens of them—layered in shades of scarlet, gold, and black—were folded and stitched with ancestral symbols, battle rites, and binding vows. You stood still as four handmaidens worked around you, wrapping the fabric over your shoulders, around your waist, binding you into something not quite royal... and not quite human anymore.

“Her collarbone shows too much,” one of them whispered.

“No,” said another. “General Sukuna will like that.”

They giggled. You did not.

You stared ahead into the mirror—expression blank, mouth firm, eyes unreadable.

A doll. A blade in silk.

A bride.

But not a willing one.

The entire capital seemed to be whispering now.

You heard it when you passed through the inner courtyards. When you were escorted to the imperial temple. When you walked beside servants and guards who pretended not to look.

“He hasn’t touched her yet, they say.” “That’s not like him.” “Maybe he wants to break her first.” “Or maybe he already has.” “No, haven’t you heard—he hasn’t even laid with his other women since she moved in.” “A god of war, obsessed with one girl?”

They didn’t say your name.

They didn’t have to.

You were his now—in the eyes of the court, in the records of the empire, in the mouths of its parasites.

And the terrifying truth?

Sukuna hadn’t so much as brushed your hand since the night you confronted him in the garden.

And yet his presence was everywhere.

The guards stationed at your doors now wore his crest. Your food arrived in lacquered dishes with his personal seal. Your ceremonial gowns were no longer chosen by your mother, but by his steward.

Even the ring that now sat on your dressing table—ancient, gold, carved with a dragon biting its tail—had been delivered by his hand, with a note in his own scrawl:

Wear it. Let them see who you belong to. — R.S.

You hadn’t touched it.

But the moment you opened your bedroom window that morning, you found rose petals beneath the sill. Black. Velvet. Unnatural.

He was watching.

-

You stood now in the Temple of Binding Vows, where brides were purified before wedding rites. Your hair had been brushed straight, adorned with silver pins that glittered like ice. A ceremonial ink was painted just beneath your collarbones—a binding sigil, curved like thorns across your skin.

Gojo stood outside.

They would not allow him in.

He had not spoken to you in two days. Not since that night when you’d nearly collapsed in his arms after the confrontation with Sukuna.

And still, you felt him.

Waiting.

Guarding.

Suffering in silence.

The head priestess stepped into the chamber. She bowed, slow and low.

“The God of War has requested a private viewing before the ceremony.”

Your jaw clenched.

“I’m not ready.”

“He says it’s not a request.”

You sat in silence as the priestess left the chamber, her ceremonial bells trailing behind her like a warning.

The door closed.

And you were alone.

Or so it seemed.

You turned your gaze to the paper set neatly before you—ink, brush, and parchment, offered for your “blessing letters.” It was tradition for brides to write prayers to their future husband, their ancestors, their goddess of mercy.

You didn’t write any of those.

You dipped your brush and began to write quickly, before he came.

To Gojo,

Don’t come to me.

Don’t look at me longer than you should.

Don’t speak unless spoken to—by others, never by me.

You and I cannot be us here. Not now. Not under this roof. Not under his eyes.

He is not just a man. He is a god made of rage and ruin. He will find out. And if he does, he won’t just hurt me.

He’ll destroy you.

So for now, you must become what they see: A servant. A shadow. A memory.

And I must become what I swore I’d never be: The thing he owns.

But I will survive this. You must too. Stay hidden.

—Y/N

You folded the parchment with shaking hands, tucked it into the hem of your dressing gown. You would pass it to one of the servants before the ceremony. You hoped it would reach him.

The air changed.

You didn’t need to turn to know.

He was already there.

The doors to the sacred chamber hadn’t even made a sound—but the moment his presence entered the room, the air thickened. Like it knew it was meant to kneel.

You turned slowly.

And there he was.

Sukuna.

No robes.

No armor.

Just obsidian pants, low on his hips, and a sheer silk sash tossed loosely over one shoulder—more for theater than modesty. His chest was bare, tattooed, gleaming faintly from the heat outside. His four arms hung at ease, each muscle carved, restrained. The markings across his skin pulsed faintly, like they were alive.

His eyes dragged over you slowly.

You were seated in a thin white ceremonial gown, layers of soft gauze and prayer-thread wrapped around your body like fog. Your legs were folded beneath you, your hands resting gently over your knees. You looked like a ghost waiting to be married.

His future bride.

His possession.

“You look holy,” he said, voice thick, amused. “Almost makes me want to pray.”

You didn’t rise.

Didn’t speak.

His footsteps echoed across the polished stone as he approached—slow, deliberate. When he stopped before you, he didn’t touch. Not yet.

He crouched.

Lower arms braced against his knees.

Upper pair folded across his chest.

His gaze met yours—and held.

“You told me I could have any woman I wanted,” he said softly. “But you’re the only one I can’t stop thinking about.”

You clenched your jaw. “Maybe you enjoy being denied.”

He chuckled, and the sound curled around you like smoke.

“Oh no,” he murmured. “I enjoy owning what no one else can have.”

His hand reached out—just one—and his fingers brushed your cheek. Barely. Your breath hitched before you could stop it.

He leaned in.

“After tomorrow,” he whispered, “you won’t wear white again. You’ll wear red. You’ll wear my name. And you’ll sleep in my bed, whether you come there cursing or crying.”

You met his gaze, unmoved.

“Touch me again without my permission,” you said, “and your next bride will be attending your funeral.”

A pause.

Then he laughed—deep, low, warm like thunder.

He stood again, towering above you, gaze filled with something darker than desire.

“Gods,” he breathed. “You’re going to be so much fun to ruin.”

He turned on his heel, robes flaring behind him, and left the chamber as silently as he came.

You exhaled—finally.

And the folded letter in your sleeve felt like the only real thing left in the world.

-

The candle had nearly burned itself out.

Gojo sat on the floor of his small chamber—barefoot, cross-legged, surrounded by silence. The walls were thin. Too thin. Every creak in the corridor felt like a threat. Every footstep made his chest tighten.

The letter sat folded in his palm.

He hadn’t opened it right away.

When the servant girl passed it to him discreetly—pressed between layers of laundry, her face pale—he’d stared at it for hours. Afraid. Not of the letter. But of what it might make him feel.

Now, with the rest of the estate asleep, he finally unfolded it.

Her handwriting was familiar. Rushed, but graceful.

He read it once.

Then again.

And again.

By the third time, he wasn’t breathing.

“Don’t speak to me. Don’t look at me. You and I cannot be us here.”

He closed his eyes.

The words felt like a blade drawn across his ribs—not to kill, but to carve out a space that used to be hers.

He held the letter tighter. Folded it again. Tucked it gently into the inner pocket of his coat. He’d keep it there. Close to his chest. Always.

He leaned his head back against the wall and exhaled, slow and hollow.

He remembered when she found him as a boy.

When her hands were still small, her voice still high, her kindness so loud it drowned out the cruelty of the world around them. She gave him a name when no one cared to ask for one. She gave him books. A warm bed. A place to stand.

He loved her before he even knew what love meant.

Now she belonged to someone who didn’t even know how to cherish a gift.

Sukuna.

The war god.

The monster.

Gojo clenched his fists.

He’d served under generals. He’d followed the family’s orders. But none of it prepared him to see her claimed by a man who had already killed half the world and smiled doing it.

“Stay hidden,” the letter had said. “Survive.”

So he would.

For now.

But he didn’t know how long he could hold his tongue. Or how long he could hold back the violence creeping into his chest.

And just as that thought cracked across his mind—

He felt it.

Eyes.

Gojo turned slightly.

Through the thin crack in the chamber door, he caught it—just for a second.

Sukuna.

At the far end of the servant hallway, shrouded in shadow, standing still.

Watching.

Unmoving.

Their eyes met.

Just once.

Then Sukuna disappeared around the corner without a word.

The candle burned out.

And Gojo sat in the dark, heart pounding, fists clenched over the letter like it might save him from hell.

-

The estate hadn’t changed much since Y/N left.

Still polished. Still cold. Still hiding the rot beneath its elegance.

Uraume stood in the east wing, cloaked in silver and black, the sigil of the War God etched in obsidian over her chestplate. Her pale hair was tied high, her gaze sharp as a blade, and her lips—barely parted—moved only when necessary.

The staff scattered when she entered.

Servants bowed low. No one made eye contact. Everyone knew who she was.

And what it meant when she came knocking.

She moved like frost through the corridors, offering gold to some, threats to others. Whispers bloomed like weeds: about the boy Y/N once favored, the one who slept in the servants' quarters but never spoke like one of them.

“He was always strange. Quiet. Too clean.” “She once protected him from the whip. Said he was hers to command.” “They used to sneak out into the gardens at night.” “I saw them kiss. Once. Long ago.”

Uraume listened.

She asked no follow-up questions.

She didn’t need to.

By the time she reached the stables, she’d bribed the oldest maid—the one with the broken teeth and bitter tongue—for the real truth:

“He called her by name,” the woman hissed. “Not ‘my lady.’ Not ‘mistress.’ Just Y/N. Like he was her equal.”

Uraume nodded once. Slipped her a ring of imperial coin.

When she left the estate, the shadows clung to her heels like loyal dogs.

-

The imperial solar was quiet, lit only by low lanterns and filtered dusk. Maps and scrolls were strewn across the marble table—territories marked in ink, borders that once bled but had now turned still.

Emperor Geto stood at the far window, sipping wine.

Sukuna leaned against a pillar, shirtless, still half-dressed from a training session. His skin shimmered with sweat and the aftertaste of exertion.

“So,” Geto said, voice casual. “Yuta’s finally ascending.”

Sukuna grunted. “The boy has no spine.”

“True. But he has blood. And a crown.”

Silence stretched.

Geto turned slowly, his eyes gleaming with interest.

“Which means the Satoru Empire stabilizes. Which means…” He gestured toward the maps. “...we stop here.”

Sukuna’s eyes narrowed.

Expansion. Halted.

For now.

Geto refilled his glass, then glanced toward the doorway.

“That boy. The servant. The one in your estate.”

“Gojo.”

“Yes. Strange name, isn’t it?”

Sukuna tilted his head. “He moves like someone trained. Not like a house rat.”

Geto smiled thinly. “And he looks like royalty. Too pretty for a servant. Too quiet. Too proud.”

Neither said it.

But both knew something didn’t sit right.

Still—

Geto raised his glass and turned away again. “Keep an eye on him.”

Sukuna didn’t reply.

But in his mind, he already was.

The moon was a silent witness.

It hung above the palace gardens, pale and swollen, casting silver light across the hedge maze below. You walked slowly—barefoot, fingers trailing along the cool leaves, your ceremonial slippers abandoned long before you reached the gate.

This was your nightly ritual.

A quiet rebellion. A place where no one called you “Her Grace.” Where the world didn’t yet belong to him.

You didn’t expect anyone to follow.

And yet—when you stepped into the center of the maze, heart heavy, breath still— you felt it.

Not like Sukuna.

No suffocating heat. No looming shadow.

Just a stillness.

A gravity.

You turned.

Gojo stood a few paces behind you, cloak half-fastened, eyes wide and blue like frostbite. His chest rose and fell too quickly. He’d run to get here. Past guards. Past gates. Through danger.

“You’re not supposed to be here,” you whispered, trembling.

“I know.”

You looked at him, really looked— and suddenly the years collapsed.

The boy you found shivering in a barn. The young man who used to read to you by candlelight. The one who pressed his lips to yours behind the estate chapel and said “I’d give up heaven if you asked me to.”

“If Sukuna finds out—” “Then let him.” His voice cracked. “Let him find out. Let him kill me.”

“Don’t say that.” “You already did. In your letter.”

Silence.

It wasn’t fair.

Not how beautiful he looked tonight— hair tousled, lips bitten, breath fogging in the cold. He was everything warm and familiar. And everything you couldn’t have.

“Why did you come?” you asked, softer now. “Why tonight?”

He swallowed hard.

“Because tomorrow… you’ll be someone else’s.”

He stepped forward.

You didn’t move.

“And I needed you to know,” he murmured, “I never stopped wanting you. Not once. Not when you turned me away. Not when they forced you into that monster’s house. Not even now.”

Your throat burned.

“Gojo—” “I love you.” “Don’t—” “I love you,” he said again, firmer this time. “I loved you when we were children. I loved you when I thought I was just your shadow. And I’ll love you long after this kingdom burns.”

You were crying before you even felt the tears.

“We can’t do this.” “Then tell me to leave.”

You looked at him.

Shaking. Breathing hard. Wanting to disappear.

“Tell me you don’t want me. Tell me you don’t dream about me at night. Tell me the kiss we shared behind the greenhouse meant nothing.”

He stepped closer.

His fingers grazed yours.

And in that moment—

You didn’t pull away.

You crashed into him like a wave.

His arms locked around you, mouth warm, urgent, desperate. He kissed you like it was the last breath he’d ever take. You kissed him like you were already drowning.

And for a moment—

Just a moment—

You weren’t a bride.

He wasn’t a servant.

You were just two souls trying to survive the night.

His kiss was everything you'd spent years trying to forget.

Feverish. Familiar. Full of every unsaid word.

But it couldn’t last.

You broke the kiss with a gasp, stepping back like you'd touched fire. His hands still hovered by your waist—uncertain, pleading. But you shook your head.

“We can’t,” you whispered, voice cracking. “Not anymore.”

“Why?” Gojo’s voice was low, shaking. “Why now?”

You looked up at him.

Your Gojo.

The boy who once brought you soup when you were sick. The man who taught you how to fight in secret with stolen blades. The one you trusted when the whole world called you unlovable.

“Because if we don’t stop now,” you said, “he’ll kill you.”

He was silent.

But the agony on his face said more than any protest.

“I’m marrying a god tomorrow,” you said. “And gods don’t forgive.”

You reached into your gown, pulled out the locket he once gave you as children—tiny, silver, still warm from resting against your heart.

You pressed it into his hand.

“This is goodbye.”

He didn’t speak.

He didn’t try to stop you.

Because he knew.

You did it for him.

And he hated that he understood.

“Run,” you whispered. “Before someone sees.”

You turned.

Walked into the maze’s moonlit path.

Didn’t look back.

And behind you, Gojo stood in the dark, clutching the locket with white-knuckled fingers and eyes that no longer held sorrow—only silence.

Something inside him cooled.

Broke.

Shifted.

He didn’t cry.

Didn’t scream.

He just looked up at the same moon you walked beneath and thought:

“I loved her. I still do. And I’ll never let him have all of her.”

[incorrect-threehouses]

Flower symbolism in the FE3H Valentine's Alts

I am a big fan of any kind of flower symbolism, so when the valentine's alts in heroes came out this year I was instantly curious as to what the significance of the flowers chosen in each character's art was, so I'd like to share what I've found!

Edelgard - Violets/Crocuses

I actually found it pretty difficult to figure out what flowers Edelgard was holding, as they're not what you'd expect her to have, namely her favourite flowers, carnations. So I did a bit of research and the two most likely flowers I think they could be are either crocuses or violets.

I think both of these have the right kind of colouring and petal shape to be the flowers shown in Edie's art (although if you know of another flower that it could potentially be lmk!). In terms of the symbolism, crocuses (left) represent cheerfulness, youth, glee and the return of spring, and purple ones in particular represent dignity, pride and success.

Violets (right), on the other hand, represent modesty, faithfulness, humility, and romantic love between women, as Sappho used violet imagery to describe her lost love multiple times in her poems (a win for the lesbians and bisexual women). According to Christianity, St. Valentine used crushed up violets as ink to send letters while he was imprisoned, so they're closely related to Valentine's Day too. They're also associated with grief and mourning as in ancient rome they were used for funerals, and I believe they're also used for mourning in countries like Thailand. An interesting link I found (which could just be me overthinking lol) is that they bloom in February, which is the month in-game when Edelgard launches her attack against the church. Personally, I think the violet symbolism works better for Edie.

Dimitri - Lily of the Valley

Lily of the valley represent sweetness, purity, luck, and in flower language mean the return of happiness. While being beautiful though, pretty much every part of the plant is very poisonous. These are also associated with Mary in Christianity, with folklore saying that the flowers grew from where her tears fell on the earth when Jesus was being hanged on the cross. They're the flower of May, which has another potential connection as that's the month Dimitri starts on his path to redemption and retakes Fhirdiad. Also they're Marianne's favourite flowers which makes me very happy 🥺 Dimamari my beloved (fun fact: they're also one of my favourites!)

Claude - Daisies

Claude's are another easy one, they're pretty obviously daisies, although I think they could be two specific types: oxeye or camomile

Daisies as a whole represent innocence, loyal love, new beginnings, and signalled that a secret was kept safe in victorian flower language. White ones also symbolise purity and yellow joy & friendship. While these flowers usually have happy connotations, there's also a celtic folktale that when a child dies young, god will make daisies grow to comfort the parents. They're also the flower of April, which is both the month the lords and Byleth meet, and the month of the war at Gronder. Not sure if there's any strong link to Claude there, but interesting nonetheless.

For the specific daisies I mentioned, as well as looking like the correct size and shape, the symbolism of both work very well for Claude. Oxeye daisies (left) are dedicated to Artemis, greek goddess of the moon, and of course Claude's crest is related to the moon arcana, while camomile (right) symbolises patience in adversity, calmness and resilience. It's also one of Claude's favourite teas!

Rhea & Sothis- Lillies

The symbolism of lillies is pretty straightforward: affection for loved ones, purity, fertility and majesty. White lillies are closely associated with the divine, rebirth and rejuvenation of the soul, which is why they're often chosen for both weddings and funerals. In another win for the lesbians, a few sources I found said they can also symbolise sapphic love! Nice to see the bisexual women being represented

Hubert- Carnations

(I still can't get over how goofy he looks knsbdkdhf)

Carnations represent fascination, devotion and distinction, but can also represent contempt. Red ones in particular symbolise a deep love, and mean "alas my poor heart" or "my heart aches" in flower language. They're also a symbol of socialism and the labour movement. They are the flower of January, but I couldn't find any relevant links to Hubert or Edelgard in the equivalent month in game. Carnations are, as previously mentioned, Edelgard's favourites, which the fact that he's got them for her just makes me 🥺🥺🥺

So, that's my little ramble for the evening, I hope you enjoyed!

[doglike-devotee]

Delphi: museum.

Warning: long post, many images.

A while ago, I went to Greece with my dad and while there, we stopped at Delphi. It was an amazing experience. I've been wanting to share the images and I'm now getting to it! This will be split into two parts, the first (this post) about the museum and the second about the site.

This post will include the images of the statues and the explanation boards next to them in text form, as with the images of them it is more than 30 images. Message or comment if you'd like a picture of the explanation boards! It won't include everything in the museum, just what I thought was interesting. I'll try to seperate things into "chapters" to make them more easily digestible. I will add image ID in the ALT to almost every pic. If there is no ALT attached, it means I'm not entirely sure which part is being depicted, but the text below explaining the scene should contain it, I just can't attach it.

East Side: beginnings of Trojan War.

An assembly of the gods is represented on the east side of the frieze. Gods protecting the Trojans are seated to the left: Ares, Aphrodite, Artemis, Apollo and Zeus in a luxurious throne. The (now lost) figure of Thetis, mother of Achilles, would be touching Zeus's knees, pleading for her son's safety. Goddesses-protecting the Achaeans (Athena, Hera and Demeter) are seated to the right. A little further starts the vivid narration of the Trojan War. Round the body of a dead warrior Trojan heroes (to the left) fight against Achaeans (to the right). Closing the scene, the elderly figure of Nestor urges the Achaeans to win the battle.

North Side: Gigantomachy.

Subject-matter of the north side is the Gigantomachy, the battle of the Olympian gods against the Giants, children of Gaia. The myth of the conflict, which was victorious for the gods, is a favourite theme in ancient Greek art, symbolizing the triumph of order and civilization over savagery and anarchy. The gods fight hard to subdue the giants, who attack from the right with spears, swords and stones. Some of them from the left, Hephaistos - dressed in a short chiton, typical of craftsmen - stands in front of his bellows preparing fire-balls. Nearby are Demeter and Kore, then Dionysus in a panther's skin and Cybele on a chariot drawn by lions. The pair of gods whose helmet-crest is shaped like a kantharos (vase) and he is named after this. The inscription on the shield of the fourth giant refers to the sculptor of the relief but, unfortunately, his name is not preserved. Following would be Zeus on his chariot, then Hera, Athena, Ares armed with helmet and shield, and Hermes wearing the conical pilos, characteristic of Arcadian shepherds. The last figure is fragmentary - probably Poseidon accompanied by his wife, Amphitrite.

West Side: Judgment of Paris (probably).

The few figures preserved from the west side of the frieze lead to the assumption that here the subject was the judgment of Paris at the beauty contest among Athena, Aphrodite and Hera. He voted for Aphrodite and, in return, earned the most beautiful woman in the world, Helene, the wife of king Menelaos. It was her abduction that triggered the Trojan War. First of the contestants is goddess Athena, who appears as if she is mounting her winged chariot. Hermes frames the scene to the left. Aphrodite is graciously stepping of her own chariot, touching her necklace with a coquettish gesture. The missing part of the frieze would feature Hera, ready for departure after her unsuccessful participation. Last would be the judge Paris.

Sphinx.

In about 560 BC, preceding the construction of the luxurious Siphnian treasury, another rich island of the Cyclades, Naxos, sends a grandiose offering to Apollo of Delphi: the statue of the mythical Sphinx, whose the colossal size, imposing outlook and location in the sanctuary (near the rock of Sibylla and in the foreground of the polygonal retaining wall of the temple) commemorates the political and artistic supremacy of Naxos in the archaic era. The daemonic creature with the female face and the enigmatic smile, the body of a lion and wings of a bird, was supposed to be warding off the evil. It was seated on the capital of the very tall Ionic column, regarded as the oldest element in the Ionic order at Delphi. In total, the Naxian dedication reached 12.50m in height. Carved in a huge block of Naxian marble, the Sphinx combines the solid and firm structure with a tendency for decoration in rendering the hair, breast and wings, which reduces the impression of massive volume. As we learn from an inscription of the 4th c. BC incised on the column base, the priests of Apollo honoured the people of Naxos with the privilege of promanteia, that is, priority in receiving an oracle.

Intermission: random pic and text from a banner.

The dispute between Heracles and Apollo for the Delphic tripod was a very popular illustrated theme in ancient times, a fact that underlines the gravity of the Delphic oracle and its prophecies. In fact, Apollo is recognized as the most important oracular god, who responded to the inner need of humans to know their future and make the right decisions. At Delphi, consultations took place once a month in the temple's adyton, where the god's will was expressed through the inarticulate cries of Pythia, which the priests then interpreted and most probably put into verse. Six hundred and fifteen prophecies have been saved in literary sources and on a very limited number of inscriptions. They were in answer to various questions of a military, religious, state-related or personal nature, such as forming a family, winning at the games etc. The interpretation of these prophecies (oracles) was always ambiguous, which meant that they could be interpreted by the person asking the question; this is why Apollo was also known as Loxias, which meant oblique or ambiguous.

West Pediment of the Temple of Apollo: archaic and classical.

The west pediment of the archaic temple of Apollo, depicting the Gigantomachy (battle between the Olympian gods and giants). From the left part of the composition the figures have been preserved of a giant on his knees (Enceladus?), Athena wearing a breastplate and charging, the lower part of a male figure (perhaps Dionysus) and fragments of two horses from Zeus' chariot which occupied the centre of the pediment. Traces of rich colour decoration are preserved on the stuccoed poros figures (510-500 BC). This is the pediment admired by the women of the chorus in Euripides' lon:

But also here in this temple of divine Loxias [Apollo], son of Leto ... observe the battle of the Giants painted on the stone walls. ... See there, where the goddess Athena strikes Enceladus and brandishes her openwork gorgon shield. (Eur. Ion 190 et seq.)

The west pediment of the classical Temple of Apollo, depicting Dionysus among the Thyiads (women in the god's entourage who, according to poetic tradition, held dances on Mt. Parnassus). In the centre stands Dionysus, in the rare iconographic type of the cithara (type of lyre) player. He is wearing a tunic (chiton) girt below the chest, a mantle (himation) draped over his shoulders and the characteristic mitra (headband) of the initiated. The cithara he holds in his left hand places him on equal terms with the god of music, Apollo, and reconciles the different realms of the two deities who are both depicted on the same temple. Work of the Athenian sculptors Praxias and Androsthenes, circa 330 BC.

East Pediment of the Temple of Apollo: archaic and classical.

The east pediment of the archaic temple of Apollo, a work of Parian marble. The centre of the pediment was occupied by Apollo's four-horse chariot framed by kouroi (young men) and korai (young women). In both corners are animal groups depicting a lion mauling a gentle beast. The interpretation of the subject is based on verses from Aeschylus' Eumenides, in which the Pythia stands before the temple of Apollo and narrates the god's arrival at Delphi from Athens. Apollo is seen off by the Athenians and greeted with great honours by the people of Delphi and their king, Delphos (510-500 BC).

And thence he (Apollo) came unto this land of Parnassus and at his side, with awe revering him, were the children of Hephaestus, preparing the way and taming the land that once was wilderness. And he was received with honour by all the people and Delphos, their chieftain-king. (Aesch. Eumenides 12-16)

The east pediment of the classical Temple of Apollo, depicting Apollo, Leto and Artemis among the Muses. The god is seated on a tripod in the centre, wearing a mantle (himation) that leaves his chest bare. He is holding a branch of laurel and a wide shallow cup (phiale), symbols of his oracle. The Muses, some standing and others seated in a rocky place, provide the link between the deity and the world of arts and letters. Wark of the Athenian sculptors Praxias and Androsthenes, circa 330 BC.

Intermission: more banners.

In ancient Greek mythology, Apollo is presented as the patron of musical creation, poetry and the arts, a representative of moderation and harmony. According to Hesiod, singers and guitarists originated from Apollo himself, just like kings did from Zeus. Apollo accompanied the song and dance of the Muses with his lyre, which is why he was called Mousagetes (Leader of the Muses). It is also why Apollo is often depicted as a Kitharoidos holding his lyre with seven strings, both in the art of ancient Greece and western Europe. Delphi was inextricably tied to music. According to the tradition, when Apollo returned from the north in spring, he was serenaded by the song of the cicadas, nightingales and swallows, and nature was appeased. Very important musical contests also took place at the sanctuary; evidence of those games consist the inscribed verses of two hymns to Apollo from the Athenian Treasury, considered to be the oldest surviving "musical compositions" of classical antiquity, dating back to the 2nd century BC.

Nike.

In antiquity, the winged goddess Nike was considered to be the one who expressed the will of the gods: she announced, rewarded and glorified the victors. We often encounter the figure of Nike in the plastic arts, pottery, coroplasty and goldsmithing. The Nikes found at the sanctuary of Delphi come from public buildings, where they were used as symbols of victory in literal or metaphorical battlefields. The topic of the founding myth behind the Delphi oracle was the slaying of the dragon, namely the victory of Apollo against Python, son of the first goddess of the sanctuary, Gaea. In memory of this victory, panhellenic festivals were held in Apollo's honour, the infamous Pythian Games. Every four years, crowds arrived in Delphi from every corner of the ancient world, since the games constituted an excellent opportunity to interact socially, to practice diplomacy and to exhibit political power. Their focal point were the music and athletic games, which conferred unprecedented fame and glory upon the winners and their cities.

The Tholos.

The most impressive monument in the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia, the tholos, stands out for its unusual circular shape and partial reconstruction, in tvis celebrated treatise De architectura ('On architecture"), Vitruvius attributes the design of the building to Theodoros of Phocaea or Phocis. All orders of classical dungn are successfully represented in the structure. The 20 columns of the outer doric peristyle are crowned by a frieze with metopes in relief. The circular sekos, the central part of the edifice with built walls, is also crowned by a doric frieze with triglyphs and metopes in relief, but smaller in size. A bench which ran along the inner circumference of the sekos supported 10 engaged half-columns in the corinthian order. The material used for the building was white marble from the quarries of Mt. Penteli and the island of Paros (particularly for the metopes in relief), an well as dark limestone from Eleusis for highlighting certain structural details. Marble was also used for the roof, the form of which has long been a subject of debate, especially after two series of simas (eaves troughs) were attributed to it, and it is theoretically restored as conical or octagonal, its ends were decorated with acrofena-statues of female figures in vivid, almost dancing movement. The tholos, one of the most beautiful buildings of antiquity, was erected circa 380 BC. Its actual function remains unknown and many hypotheses have been put forward. It has been associated with chthonic cult and variously interpreted as a heroon, temple, armoury, etc. It is worth noting that Pausanias does not refer to the tholos as a temple and in fact makes no mention whatsoever to the building in his Description of Greece. The subjects of the large exterior metopes of the tholos were the Amazonomachy and Centauromachy, rendered with impressive realism and plasticity. With the contortion of the bodies, the sculptor manages to impart a sense of momentary motion, while the style and clothing of the warriors bring to mind the relief sculptures that adormed the temple of Apollo at Bassai near the ancient city of Phigalia and the temple of Asklepios at Epidauros. The smaller interior metopes of the thelos possibly depicted a congregation of the gods, to which the static or motionless figures have been attributed, and a battle scene, to which the more active figures belong. The sculptors of the metopes displayed incomparable skill in working the marble and rendering details. The high relief, freedom of movement and intensity of action bring the scenes to life, while at the same time introducing a pioneering artistic movement to the iconographic tradition of the 4th century BC, which competes with sculpture in the round.

Antinoos.

Cult statue of Antinoos, a youth of extraordinary beauty from Bithynia, beloved companion of the Emperor Hadrian. Antinoos had barely reached adulthood when he drowned in the Nile. He was thereafter heroised and worshipped as a demigod in many parts of the Eastern Empire by order of the emperor. One of the most beautiful statues of the youth was erected in the sanctuary at Delphi. It was found very well preserved during excavations, still shining thanks to the special oil used in antiquity to polish the 'skin' of marble cult statues. Holes are still visible in the profuse hair, which were used to attach a bronze wreath of laurel leaves on the head. The work is representative of classicism at the time of the philhellene Emperor Hadrian (117-138 AD). With its heroic-divine nudity, the statue follows the stylistic traditions of the great 5th and 4th century BC artists, but lacks the inner vitality of the archetypes.

[persphones-hallow]

_ _ Queen Athena

The name Athena is a feminine name of Greek origin that means "wisdom". It comes from the Greek goddess Athena, who is associated with wisdom, war, and craftwork

ATHENE (Athena) was the Olympian goddess of wisdom and good counsel, war, the defence of towns, heroic endeavour, weaving, pottery and various other crafts.

Goddess of

wisdom, good counsel, war, the defence of towns, heroic endeavour, weaving, pottery and various other crafts, inventor of the plough and rake, invention, protectress of the phratries and houses which formed the basis of the state(Athens), law, justice, order, protector of Hero’s, gold, ivory, weaving, skill, courage, prosperity, practical reason, combat, victory, glory, giving mortals the gifts of cooking and sewing, women's academia, power within patriarchy, Athena was also the patron of women’s work and was linked with childbirth, health, music, divination, strategy, horse-taming, female autonomy,

Art

She was depicted as a stately woman armed with a shield and spear, and wearing a long robe, crested helm, and the famed aigis--a snake-trimmed cape adorned with the monstrous visage of the Gorgon Medousa (Medusa). The helmet, which she usually wears on her head, but in a few instances carries in her hand. It is usually ornamented in the most beautiful manner with griffins, heads of rams, horses, and sphinxes.

Worshiped

Worship of Athena took several forms, ranging from personal observation and prayers for her protection, guidance, wisdom, or victory in times of war. Upper class society showed their reverence for Athena with the construction of temples throughout Greece, the most famous of which is the Parthenon located in Athens, the city which bears her name. Within this massive structure, a giant statue made of gold and ivory was built where people could come and place offerings or engage in rituals designed to curry her favor. Dedicatory inscriptions were also made in honor of events that Greeks associated with her intervention.

Symbolisms offerings

Owls imagery, flutes, serpent, olive-tree / olives, bronze (?), gold, ivory, horses, Sun imagery, tiger lilies, Onyx, ruby, star sapphire, turquoise, gold, lapis lazuli, and ivory

Notes

- All these traditions, however, agree in making Athena a daughter of Zeus; but a second set regard her as the daughter of Pallas, the winged giant, whom she afterwards killed on account of his attempting to violate her chastity, whose skin she used as her aegis, and whose wings she fastened to her own feet.

- A third tradition carries us to Libya, and calls Athena a daughter of Poseidon and Tritonis. Athena, says Herodotus (iv. 180), on one occasion became angry with her father and went to Zeus, who made her his own daughter. This passage shows more clearly than any other the manner in which genuine and ancient Hellenic myths were transplanted to Libya, where they were afterwards regarded as the sources of Hellenic ones. Respecting this Libyan Athena, it is farther related, that she was educated by the rivergod Triton, together with his own daughter Pallas.

- Athena was worshipped in all parts of Greece, and from the ancient towns on the lake Copais her worship was nitroduced at a very early period into Attica, where she became the great national divinity of the city and the country. Here she was afterwards regarded as the thea sôteira, ugieia, and paiônia, and the serpent, the symbol of perpetual renovation, was sacred to her.

- Athena was probably a pre-Hellenic goddess and was later taken over by the Greeks. Yet the Greek economy, unlike that of the Minoans, was largely military, so that Athena, while retaining her earlier domestic functions, became a goddess of war.

- She has no children birthed from her, however, she does have an adoptive son Erichthonius of Athens

- Athene is an Ouranic deity.

[tatlstalesofthekingdom]

Why does it seem like Zelda content creators on YouTube are absolutely allergic to the possibility that the Wilds games could be at the end of the Downfall Timeline? It seems like the consensus is that it's only either Adult Timeline or a convergence of the 3 timelines, but never Downfall.

I understand the rock salt theories, but with EoW featuring rock salt as well, it doesn't seem to actually be exclusive to the AT.

15 convincing arguments for Downfall Timeline to me are:

🧚🏻‍♀️ Link dying before botw sets off the events of both games. (Wilds games now also include a death marker on the map so it seems Link dying is a constant reminder that a hero can be defeated.)

🧚🏻‍♀️ Ganon's many resurrections and Calamities.

🧚🏻‍♀️ Master Sword pedestal is in the Lost Woods and not the Temple of Time.

🧚🏻‍♀️ Shiekah culture didn't die out, and Impa is still around.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Royal Knights bloodline is only unbroken in the DT. (I like to think the stripe on the brim of Link's hat symbolizes this as the heroes without the stripe have no blood relation to the Knight Family, needing Knights Crests and special spiritual training to fill those shoes.)

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Temple of Time is explicitly destroyed in the Child Timeline and Adult Timeline but inconclusive if it is in the Downfall Timeline.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Depths have too many similarities to both the concepts of The Underworld and The Dark World.

🧚🏻‍♀️ Goddess Statues made an appearance in Echoes of Wisdom seemingly under a state of repair. Alttp was the first game to mention Hylia in the context of describing Hylians as people of Hylia.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Imprisoning War is a specific event that occurs. (I'm personally convinced that alttp's retelling is a mix up of events of the actual Imprisoning War and OOT because a Ganondorf caused both the Calamities that sent Hyrule into ruin and losing their history.

🧚🏻‍♀️ Lack of defined partner or quest companion. In most DT games the hero is often without any companions like Navi, Midna, or King of Red Lions.

🧚🏻‍♀️ Doubled down on including DT specific enemies by bringing back Gleeoks and mean trees (alttp). Totaling Lynels, Hinox, Gleeok, and Evermean.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Triforce is incredibly well hidden and completely forgotten about for the safety of the world. Implying a history of waaay too many close calls and a history of multiple sealing events.

🧚🏻‍♀️ There's other Zora Kingdoms. (Originally revealed in the Oracle games)

🧚🏻‍♀️ Mount Hebra returns as a location with lots of caves. (Alttp)

🧚🏻‍♀️ Overall map best fits the DT maps of Hyrule the best without much rotation or headcanons. Including the alttp gimmicks of map layers and mirroring!

No map easter eggs or amiibo exclusive references, just my interpretation of the details we have in the games. I think it should be just as solid of a possibility that it's the end of the Downfall Timeline as any other timeline. I think it ties in nicely to its themes of cycles and rebirth.

[hyun3hk3y]

Symbolism in "Portrait of Lady Edelgard Von Hresvelg"

This is something that I’ve usually never really felt comfortable doing. If you ever wonder why some artists are a bit more reluctant to actually *talk* about the “meaning” of their work, its because it strikes the same tenor as having to explain why a joke is funny.  If I have to actually lay it out for the viewer why certain decisions were made in the execution of a work of art, the magic of the whole experience may be lost.  Moreover, many artists avoid making definitive statements on their work because they do not wish to deprive viewers the opportunity to derive their own unique explanation. 

While I chiefly view myself as a fine artist, most of my artistic training was as an illustrator.  As an artist, this can lead to an interesting dichotomy when it comes to creating paintings.  During my studies, I was told that the job of an illustrator is to solve pictorial problems for people often by making pictures that tell a story or convey an idea.  Fine art’s definition, in contrast, tends to be more nebulous.  But I digress, on to the painting…

A number of people on reddit and Tumblr have remarked on the candle with the snuffed-out flame.  No interpretations on it have been offered, the mere presence of a candle with a smoldering wick is a strong enough implication.  However, this is one instance where I drew inspiration from art history so I believe it is worth elaborating on.  The animus for the candle originates in the Arnolfini Portrait by Jan Van Eyck.  Below is an image of the painting with the pertinent candle circled.

Art history scholars have a number of different readings about the candle’s presence, but the one I was taught in Art History is that the lit candle indicates the presence of the holy ghost or the watchful eye of God.  Three Houses draws from a number of religions for its world building, in the case of The Church of Serios, the developers took the majority of their cues from The Catholic Church.  If a lit candle would suggest Edelgard’s faith in the Goddess, then an extinguished one must imply Edelgard’s *loss* of faith. 

In addition to the extinguished candle, I would also like to direct viewers to the reflection of the candle in the polished wood table surface. In the reflection the candle is still burning very brightly, almost down to the base of the candelabra.

The purpose of this image is to recall a saying from old Taoism Philosophy in China: “The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long.”  Those who are familiar with Edelgard’s back story in Three Houses will find its relevance obvious.  I doubt I am the only one to make the allusion.

This brings me to the next major piece of symbolism I employed in the painting, the dagger and the drapery on the table.  The dagger’s significance should go without saying, but its application as a device will become more apparent after I explain the table cloth.  To put it succinctly, the majority of the dark shadow shapes made by the tablecloth are arranged to evoke the shape of the crest of flames.  Below is another visual to help illuminate this detail. 

The immediate implication here is the detail of Edelgard possessing the crest of flames.  As for why I decided to depict it in a more concealed way…When I first got the idea for this painting, the whole concept was that if a person saw this painting in a gallery, they would be looking at an actual artifact from Fodlan, one that created by an artist who actually lived there.  This is why the second row of the inscription reads “In the Imperial Year” on the left side and “1179” on the right.  This means the painting would have been completed just before Edelgard starts attending Gareg Mach, and long before the greater public would know she has the crest of flames.  How the artist came to know this would remain a mystery.  I like to imagine it as a detail that Fodlan’s historians would debate over for years after the game’s narrative.

There is also a second message that I have intended with the dagger’s placement cutting (heh) across the crest…Gripping the dagger over the crest of flames is a statement about what the path is that Edelgard will take, especially when the crest is examined as representing the Goddess Sothis.  In fact, there are two (technically three) lines of dialogue from Three Houses I had in mind for this symbolism.

That about sums it up!  I may do a couple more posts in the future where I show how the painting evolved from thumbnails, to studies to the finished image if theres interest in that sort of thing.

[cutebutalsostabby]

What’s your favorite lore fact for Skyward Sword? Please ramble :D

Teehee don't mind if I do >:D

Ok so one thing I really like about Skyward Sword is how it retrospectively explains the iconography from earlier games. The loftwing on the Hylian crest is pretty well-known example of that, but I've noticed that a lot of other Zelda fans seem to think Hylia herself came out of nowhere, whereas ACTUALLY -

Above is the Sanctuary from A Link to the Past, which looks like a stylised depiction of Hylia. Within Skyward Sword itself, you have the detailed angel-like sculptures of Hylia, but also a bunch of decorations that show a sort of "in between" style. Like this:

Along with the more abstract decorations, like the save statutes from inside temples which look like this:

Aside from iconography: ALttP actually introduces the original lore around the Hylia(n) people, which is then expanded on in later games like Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess (e.g. the Royal Family are Hylian and the Hylian people either created Hyrule or were close to those who did). So Hylia is not so much a new invention of Skyward Sword but rather a piece of lore that wasn't really fleshed out until then.

[Edited per the comments] Oh, and speaking of connections with ALttP! The ALttP manual suggests that the Triforce might have been located underground, e.g. under the desert. So maybe the Dark World (and Sacred Realm) itself is underground? So it's really cool how Skyward Sword kind of builds on that with this idea of the earth cracking open and demons spilling out, plus the Sky Keep being a piece of the underground that got dug up and flung into the sky, which then flows into later lore in Tears of the Kingdom and Echoes of Wisdom. it's neat! It makes my Zelda brain happy! Yay! Nothing should live underground (/Drawfee reference). But I digress.

Point is: Hylia didn't manifest out of thin air. She's been there for a while. But it's interesting how she's the main goddess in some games and only a lesser deity in others. Probably depends a lot on the politics of the time? The whole "ruler descended from the gods" thing is very Japanese Imperialism in nature so uh... something probably-not-good might've happened at some point prior to the events of Breath of the Wild, considering how the Golden Goddesses have effectively vanished and that statues of Hylia have popped up across Hylian, Zora, Goron, Rito, Sheikah and Gerudo territories. Might even be connected to OoT's civil war and/or TotK's Imprisoning War, which effectively brought all the other lands under the Hyrulean Royal Family? Across the Zelda series, there are plenty of both subtle and not so subtle (kudos to OoT for going hard on that one) signs that the Royal Family MAY not have the cleanest hands. Religion would definitely have formed part of that.

Ominous political symbol or no: I just think she's neat.

[originalwinnercheesecake]

what if the Revolutionary Girl Utena characters were pokemon trainers

I went back to the Utena tab, as one does, to brush up on my philosophy... Suddenly the question pops into my head "With Anthy's love of roses which flower pokemon would be her favorite? I bet it would be x." Then i started to think "If Anthy had "X" then maybe Utena could have "Y". "Nanami should have "C" because of that one comedy filler episode" You know the one. "Also wouldn't it be fun to create a sinister pokemon team for Akio." I literally went to sleep rolling these thoughts and potential teams around in my mind, and have spent all day working on getting the teams right.

Before I post my teams here were my rules

1.) Six pokemon for the rose crest duelists, one-three for the black rose duelists. Ruka got two

2.) All the rose bride duelists had to have at least one flower/plant/florial pokemon. This was not required of the black rose duelists or Ruka.

3.) Normally I do not let characters have legendary pokemon on their teams. But because some of these characters are Gods or embodiment's of legendary themes/tropes I put fitting legendary on the teams for four specific characters

4.) To challenge myself I did not use any of the eeveelutions, or regional type variations (Alolan, Galar, Hisuin). These are usally heavily represented on my previous lists and I wanted this one to be more unique

In honor of pride month here is the RGU cast as pokemon trainers

Anthy Himemyia

a team that is half cute and girly , and half very very frightening

White Flower Florgus: This one is representative of Anthy's love of flowers, whoch she incorperated into her role in the duels, as the Rose Bride. A flowery fairy pokemon that devotes itself to its gardens. The red one is to sweet to be Anthy's pokemon. Plus given that both the roses in her coffin and the one she puts on Utena are white, I think that white may be her favorite rose color.

Wooloo: Anthy used the Wool from her Wooloo (and some red fabric dye) to make the sweater she knitted and gifted Utena in season 2. I love that because there are no hints that Akio told Anthy to make Utena the sweater. Anthy chose to make a handmade gift for her friend. Utena wore it multiple times later when she and Anthy were hanging out in their room. That was a really sweet gift, and symbolic of how much the two were coming to care about each other, so I wanted to give Anthy a pokemon representative of that

Apom and Rattata: These two both represent Chu-chu, a monkey that was the size of a mouse. They can also represent aspects of Anthy's way of expressing herself during the games. How she was always handy at chores, but had what one would call a quiet and mousy nature. Apom is a shiny pink to match Utena's trademark hair, and the pink outfit Anthy dawns (leaving behind her red goddess/rose bride outfits) to go out into the world and search for Utena.

Mismagius: A ghost type pokemon that is representative of Anthy's witch persona. It's poxides entry says that it is a havic bringer that can cause people great hapiness or misery, and that some will pursue it as if their life depended on it, though owning it can sometimes have less than favorable results. A very Himemyia pokemon

Spectrier: Representative of Anthy's, now long dead, goddess persona. This beauitful, dark, spirit horse shy's away from sight and rely's on its other senses. It is also said that it can seperate a soul from a body with one kick (Similar to what Anthy did to Dios when she gave up being a goddess). Spectrier shares a connection to pokemon owned by both Akio and Utena

Akio Ohtori

Note it was actually a lot of fun making this cutesy/sinister team for Akio.

Morella: This could be Akio's floral pokemon if you view "End of the World" as a rose duelist. I mostly picked it because it is cute and whimsical looking, but is parasitic and will drain a person of their energy when they are asleep.

Driftloom: Another whimsical pokemon. What a fun and safe looking little balloon... that leads small children astray and can cause them to go missing.

Delibird: It is his messenger. Before the final arc he mostly communicated with his students by letters. Delibird delivers them. Bad bird, bad

Palossand: Representative of Ohtori Academy. A palace and a kingdom where everyone lives trapped, with Akio as the prince who is in charage of everyone

Dusktops: A hollow husk ghost that it is unwise to get close enough to look inside of. Am I talking about Dusktops or Akio?

Glastrier: Akio's Princely white horse. A wild and crazy steed (kinda like his car), counter part to his sisters Spectrier, and also connecting to one of Utena's pokemon.

Utena Tenjou

What pokemon are enough of hero's for our protagonist. Are flashy hero pokemon really the ones she needs?

Roserade: Utena's Floral pokemon. I like to think it started out as a little Bedew that was left for Utena after that day all those years ago when she met the prince and vowed to become one herself. Roserade is not really a princely pokemon, but Utena never actually became a prince. I think Roserade is a good representation of the revolutionary character she did become.

Spritzee: Scent seems to be an important senese to Utena. She will comment on food smells and the one thing she remembers clearly about that day is that she could smell Roses. Given her love of fragrance she would probably also love a perfume pokemon

Marowak: Utena and Marowak both lost loving parents when young. Now they have grown tough and made the decision to help each other and carry on.

Growlithe: Representation of Utena's courage and fierce loyalty to those she cares about

Corvisquire: this one represents both the dark uniform and the ingenuity Utena shows. How she descends on the games, has less experience then the other duelist, but she uses tools around her, and eventually the traits she can glimpse from the other duelist themselves, to win.

Calyrex: This is Utena's Legendary pokemon. It is connected to both Anthy and Akio's legendary pokemon, how they both need her, and the choice Utena ultimately has to make on which one she wants to be with.

Touga Kiryuu

Touga' team is meant to be bad/dangerous but not necissarly as wicked or frightening as Akio's team

Vileplume: Touga's floral pokemon. I gave him a finale form in a 3 part evolution, similar to Utena's roserade, but of course not containing the same abilities or as powerful. I also really wanted him to have a flower that was also a poison type, because he himself is pretty poisonous.

Hitmonchan: Touga is shown to know how to box when he took out that kangeroo. So i figured since he would obviously have a fighting type pokemon, let's go with the boxing one

Purugly: He loves cats so he gets a cat pokemon. (Side note do we think he got to keep the kitten Anthy gave him for his birthday, or did it disappear after 24-48 hours, like the "gifts" Anthy sends Nanami). I decided to give him Purugly do them both having nice hair, being fairly rude, and most importantly, loving to sleep in someone else's bed.

Seviper: A snake is pokemon is another one that just fits Touga. Add that Seviper has a red sword like tail, and could maybe help Touga train, makes it Touga's perfect snake.

Yamask: Yamask's lore says it use to be a man who died. It came back as a ghost pokemon and it carries a mask that resembles the face it had as a human. I put it on Touga's team to go with Touga's own lore, and how there is all this discussion on if Touga is actually a boy or a ghost... Even if he is still alive he is kinda still a ghost, carrying a mask of the kid Saionji and Nanami remember.

Mudsdale: Touga has a horse because he wants to imitate Akio. But where as Akio's Galstrier is a beautiful and princely legindary pokemon. Touga only has a dirty mudsdale, a.k.a the one horse pokemon that is entirely based off of a regular, non magical, horse. Mudsdale can never be quite like Galstier. And Touga (thankfully) can never manage to be as manipulative and powerful as Akio.

Nanami Kiryuu

Her magistey the princess of ridiculousness, with her loyal court of fools

Carnavine: Nanami's floral pokemon. I did not want to give Nanami a more "delicate flower" looking pokemon, as Nanami is honestly one of the least delicate girls in the anime. Carnavine, like Nanami, is clingy and snappy so I think it fits her really well.

Vespaqueen: Becasue she is the school's "Queen Bee"

Morgrem: It is a prankster, who will sometimes employ false surrenders and dirty tactics, all of which are to hide its own insecurites and lack of self confidence. Nanami and Morgrem are kindred spirits in this regard. Hopefully she and it could help each other grow to accept themselves

Piplup: It has a tough attitude and a lot of bravado, but in truth it is pretty clumsy and falls down a lot. So piplup is another pokemon who I feel like it and Nanami would get each other.

Miltank and Exeggcute: You all know exactly why Nanami has a cow and eggs. No explanation needed.

Kyouichi Saionji

It was not my intention to give him the fluffiest team. I am laughing at it turning out that way though. Let's hope Saionji can keep himself and his teammates stocked on hair brushes

Cacturn: Saionji's Floral pokemon. He gets Cacturn because they are both green and prickly.

Fennekin: Well it is a hot headed pokemon that will have steam coming out of its fluffy ears when it gets really worked up. That certainly sounds like someone Saionji see's whenever he looks in the mirror. Also once it evolves, and starts carrying around sticks, he could teach it Kendo style staff techniques

Mankey: Saionji also needed a fighting type. I chose Mankey to represent just how Impulsive Saionji is. Both he and Mankey struggle to calm themselves down, and to stop fighting. If Saionji can ever manage to teach Mankey any control, then maybe he won't be completely hopeless himself. If not, it will at least be a funny ride.

Zangoose: Saionji got a Zangoose because Touga has a Seviper. Each of them have a rival pokemon that is always fighting with the other, but also can never help but seek the other out. I would say that is pretty accurate representation of Touga and Saionji's relationship, and how they feel about each other in their adolescences.

Farfetch: I was thinking because it carries the leak then maybe Saionji could teach it Kendo staff techniques now. Fennekin could watch. They would probably all enjoy that.

Shiny Sudowoodo: well it is bad at hiding and hates water, that is similar to Saionji. But really I gave it to Saionji because he likes poetry, and Sudowoodo (particularly its shiny form) are about the closest I could think of to a poetic looking pokemon. Another thing is that Shiny Sudowoodo looks like a tree in the fall, when things change. Change is a concept Saionji struggles with, and he needs to learn to better deal with it if he wants to leave his coffin

Miki Kaoru

I kind of wish his team could have been bluer, but I am happy that 2 are garden creatures and another three look a bit like childhood toys. Nature and nostalgia are strong themes if Miki's

Sunflora: This is Miki's floral pokemon. He gets an actual flower based one. A sunflower caught in the Sunlight garden back when he was a child

Baltoy: So Miki is a time keeper for the student council (supposedly, as no one knows what he is keeping time on with his stop watch) and carries a lot of nostalgia for his past. So I had to give him a "time" pokemon. However he is not a strong enough trainer to command a legendary, like Celibi or Dialga. Baltoy was the only one left, but it honestly works. I like to imagine that it stays next to Miki at student council meetings and every time he presses the button on his oh-so-confusing stopwatch Baltoy will cease its spinning and speak.

Chimeco and chatot: Two music based pokemon to sit with Miki and keep him company at the piano. Chimeco will try to calm him down when he gets stressed. Chatot will repeat things: notes or phrases that it has heard Miki/his teachers say. Miki loves Chatot, but it often makes him more stressed.

Scyther: All of Miki's pokemon so far have been small and cute. But Miki is a tough fighter too. I wanted him to have pokemon he could sword train with, and that would come off as more imposing in battle. No fighting types really fit him so I got more creative. Scyther would make a pretty good fencing partner. He probably caught it in his garden like Sunflora, only he was older by then.

Male Meowstic: This one is representative of his caring yet strained relationship his sister Kozue-she has a female. Miki's male meowstic is both the male, and the more defensive of the pair, just like him.

Juri Arisugawa

before anyone asks Juri does not have a sward pokemon because she does not need one. She already has a sword.

Lurantis: Now this is the perfect floral pokemon for Juri. It is girly without being soft or frilly. It is vivid, tough, and glamours. It is also super sharp and does its best to fool people into seeing it as someone its not. Basically it suits Juri's strengths, while also highlighting some of her vulnerabilities.

Luvdisc: Okay the romantic heart pokemon that is considered a symbol of love might seem like a strange one for Juri,given how she feels about, well, romantic feelings and all that. One I do think Juri is a romantic, but, just like with miracles, she has some trouble believing in romance after what went down with Shori. Secondly lone luvdisc's can become despondent and disheartened... which again is kind of how Juri feels, when thinking about all the things she is scared to believe in. Both Juri and Luvdisc need hugs

Cloyster: This one represents how closed off and self motivated Juri has become

Brozong: It strong steel/psychic typing suits Juri pretty well, and it being a 360 degree shield does show how defensive Juri is now. Most importantly it can summon rain showers. The culmination of Juri's arc was her locket getting broken, her forfeiting her duel as she finally lets herself cry over what she lost, then stepping into a rain shower, to try and began herself again. That was such a powerful scene for Juri, so I gave her a powerful pokemon to represent that time in her life.

Jangmo-o: Here is a little dragon that personality wise is on almost the same wave length as Juri. Both are diligent trainers, humble, yet have the pride of warriors. I could see these two taking each other far.

Mienshao: This is Juri's fighting type pokemon. One that is very graceful and elegant, as well as being a skilled, and sometimes overwhelming, fighter. Like with her Lurantis I could see this one joining her in both a battle and on the runway.

Now on to the black rose duelists. Once again they were smaller characters so I am only giving them 1-3 pokemon.

Kanae Ohtori

Apples for the princess, fairy tales dictate she should have refused

Applin: So they are sometimes viewed as romantic gifts between people in a committed relationship. Akio gave this Applin to Kanae, who joyfully accepted it as a "symbol of their love". But another way to look at it was Akio telling Kanae his plans. Applin is a worm that burrows into the center of an apple and then feeds on the fruit to stay protected, plump, and strong. Akio is the worm. Kanae's family's academy is the apple. Kanae's Applin is most definitely not evolving into a Appletun.

Kozue Kaoru

I imagine Kozue and her girls are out to either get their party up or throw some shade down. No in between

Female Meowstic: the sibling pokemon to Miki's male one. Like Kozue this meowstic is the aggressive female counter part to its more defensive brother.

Bellossom: Kozue is not a rose crest duelist, but she still has a flower pokemon? Okay I am not saying Kozue should have joined the student council with Miki, or competed for the rose bride, or anything like that. Bellossom is also a party pokemon. It is always dancing and chatting away with others. Kozue takes Bellossom with her when she goes out to look for new boyfriends. It is also there for her after hook-ups, when she is all alone again. Bellossom might be Miki's favorite of Kozue's pokemon. Kozue likes Miki's chatoc, because she can teach it to say phrases that annoy her brother/ scare away anyone that might hurt him.

Taillow: This is Kozue's newest pokemon. She is shown to like birds. She found this one injured, became protective of it, and took it in. She told everyone she caught it because the injuries proved it was tough in a scrap, and it is tough in a scrap, but that was still a lie on Kozue's part.

Shori Takatsuki:

So cute on the surface, beneath that... well sometimes it is a little less pretty and a lot more messy

Psyduck: Because Shori follows people she likes/wants around like a duck, and she is driven to headaches by her own refusal to accept feelings. Both her own feelings and other peoples as well. It will be a long and stressful ride, but caring for Pysduck could possibly help Shori break this negative cycle of denial she has locked herself in.

Corsola: The tips of it spikes can be painlessly broken off and then made into pretty jewelry, that are prized as treasures. Shori deeply wants to be someones treasure, so I imagine she wears corsola jewelry a lot to try and boost her low self esteem. This also goes with Juri's luvdisc, as luvdiscs are a pokemon that love corsolas.

Phanpy: This is Shori's last pokemon, and probably her oldest. She is not able to/has no desire to evolve it. Phanpy's look like innocent little dolls, are very playful, and has a tendency to hurt those it feels affection for...Just like Shori.

Mitsuru Tsuwabuki

Gorwing up is really so tough

Impidimp: One evolution behind Nanami's Morgrim. Like their trainers the pair get along and are good friends, but often tend to prank the other. It is a bit of a ongoing challenge to see which is the most sly and devious

Bagon: Like Mitsuru with adulthood, Bagon dreams of the day it will be a full grown Salamence, and waits for all the things it will be able to do then. Mitsuru and Bagon want to grow, evolve, and achieve their dreams together.

Love Sweet Carmel Swirl Alcreamie: I gave Mitsuru an Alicreamie because he shown to be able to cook/bake, and likes to do it for Nanami. I really was hoping that their was a chocolate version of Alicreamie, because of the symbolism of the partially eaten chocolate bar his friend leaves behind in his black rose episode. But I was out of luck. I decided to give him a Carmel Swirl Alcreamie because its cream has a bitter taste. Right now Mitsuru is at a stage where he feels very bitter about still being a little kid. I figure his Alcreamie can help him learn to mix that bitterness with other feelings/flavors to create good results. Love Sweet because Mitsuru is a romantic of course.

Tatsuya Kazami

I hope that he got back out of ohtori again quick, and that this time he and Wakaba stayed in touch....maybe as friends, maybe as more. In the end that is up tot he two of them, not to Mikage, Utena, or Akio.

Oddish: Oddish is a pokemon that kinda looks like a onion, at least that is what Tatsuya thought when he met Oddish. It reminded him of Wakaba and how she used to call him "The Onion Prince" , so he caught it and made it his partner.

Slowpoke: Slowpoke is called the patient pokemon, and Tatsuya's best and only quality is that he is willing to patiently support the girl he loves, while waiting for the day she maybe decides to give them a chance to be something more.

Wakaba Shinohara

You take care of everyone you meet. But who will take care of you?

Swablu: A very friendly and fearless, normal/flying type, bird that goes around with its head is the clouds and cotton covering its ears. That is definitely similar to our girl Wakaba. But it will also grow into a very strong dragon/flying type, Altaria; just like how Wakaba shows she will grow into a very strong young women one day. For now Wakuba and Swablu have got each other, and are committed to helping the other grow.

Chancy: A caring and nutruing pokemon. This one helps Wakaba take immaculate care of everyone in her life. It also tries its best to take care of her and reminder her that she is still important to it during her darker moments. Like when Saionji leaves her. Or Utena starts spending most of her time with Anthy/Akio and has less and less for Wakaba.

Shiny Skeledirge: Like Wakaba this pokemon is caring yet meddlesome. I could see them getting up to a lot of trouble that they had no business being in, but also helping a lot of people too. It likes to help wakaba with her chorus homework, and sing for Wakaba when she is feeling down. Hopefully it's powerful enough to at least intimidate the boys Wakaba does not have the sense to know are bad news. I also gave it to her because wiki says it is modeled after a tennis athlete (Tennis is implied to be Wakaba's favorite sport), and that the bird on its snout functions as a separate entity. So it was a sneaky way to actually give Wakaba four pokemon. Why is it a shiny, because Wakaba deserves a rare shiny pokemon. She was a rare bright spot in that hell school after all.

Keiko Sondo

I got the idea to give her all bug pokemon because her episode is called Vermon.

Meadow Pattern (a.k.a Pink) Vivillon: I picked Vivillon because it is very girly and frilly, and Keiko comes off as a being a really girly girl. I picked the meadow pattern because it seemed the most romantic, and at heart this girl is another huge romantic.

Male Combee: This one is her relationship to Nanami. Nanami had a female Combee that evolved into a Vespadqueen. But male Combee like Keiko's cannot evolve. No matter how hard either Combee or Keiko work and train they are not royalty, but mere parts of the hive. Combee shares Keiko's resentment that random chances of birth seemingly made Nanami and Vespaqueen more special than them. It is just not fair.

Grubbin: Yeah here is a not so pretty, underground, grubby buggy. But there is so much more to Grubbin than appears. They are attracted to sparks of electricity and will burrow to and stay by it, until he day they can evolve and generate their own. Also when worked into a enough of a rage they are capable of causing birds that try to prey on them fly away in fear. So I am giving her Grubbin to show that of all three conies, Nanami was not able to break Keiko as totally as she did the other two, and their were moments in the show where Keiko was able to stand up to/take on Nanami.

Souji Mikage

Yes I am calling Mikage the fourth most powerful character character in RGU. He was definitely a victor in some previous round of the duels, and for whatever reason Akio and Anthy kept their hold on him for 30 years... to use him to test future victors that won the first round to easy? I mean it is stated he used to have 100 back rose crests and flowers, but by Utena's time he only had 6 left... Off topic

Hypno: it helps him mess with the kids who come into his elevator for therapy; using its hypnotic power to pull their most jealous and anxious thoughts form their minds and mouths.

Bisharp: This one represents how professor Nemuro saw himself before meeting Mamiya and Tokiko, and what he, as Souji Mikage, became after their loss. This is a dark and steel type robot, that commands subordinates to fight underneath it, while it pushes towards its own goals.

Celibi: He slips backwards and forwards through time, while always remaing the exact same age. So I gave him Celibi because it can take itself and invited companions through time. Once he learns that there was really no way then or in the future to have saved Mamiya, can Celibi please take him back in time to tell the real Mamiya "Good bye"?

Ruka Tsuchiya

And here is the guy who in the two episodes he was in before dying, he seemingly made himself more hated than Saionji and Touga combinded, almost as hated as Akio.

Haunter: Because haunting was a thing he liked to do before dying, and from what I have heard, possibly afterwards too. It is also possible Haunter stayed with Ruka even after his death. Admirable loyalty on his pokemons part

Hawkamo: A dragon one evolution higher than Juri's Jaogmo-o, because Ruka was always one step ahead of Juri. After he dies I imagine Hawkamo stalks around the fencing dojo, trying to pick a new trainer. It would be interesting to guess who it would pick.

[birb-boyo]

(Some of his skin is black so clicking on the picture might be a better ideas-)

SO UM THIS IS MY GUY HIS NAME IS MAYAN

He’s a god actually and the god of companions and birds and stars too

He’s also the Father of the first fairies

Naturally, he’s Hylia’s brother as well as being Fierce’s brother too as well as the golden three. Can’t decide if he’s older or younger than them

I like to say that he was the reason the hero’s weren’t alone before they met their respective Zeldas

Like, Hylia was forging the Goddess Sword and Mayan was like, “You’re going to send a boy out to fight our brother, Demise, and have him alone the entire time other than whatever else you’re planning?”

Hylia was like, “You’re probably right. What do you suppose I do?”

Mayan: “Give him a guide. That way he isn’t burdened with this fate alone.”

That’s how Fi happened. And then, in most reincarnations, Link has a companion.

Midna wasn’t really his fault, but he was able to convince her to work with Link in anyway she could because they would both need each other in the end.

The reason why Link didn’t really have someone in botw is because people didn’t really worship him much, so he lacked much power. So, with the little power he had left, he staked King Rhoam’s spirit to the Great Plateau so that he might be able to help even for a little bit. Mayan let go of Rhoam’s soul after Rhoam explained everything to Link.

He makes his home in the midst of the Lost Woods, forever keeping his children safe by the fog surrounding and only letting those who deserve it to survive their trip to the “cursed” forest.

Or he’s in a cave in Satori Mountain, chilling with blupees. I also have this thing where blupees are a type of fairy. So that being said, blupees would technically be his descendants too.

He also rarely visits his daughters, the Great Fairies, but when he does, he’s there for days and many Hylians call them “Spottings” but he doesn’t care too much.

He also has a hawk that follows him, as it is the closest surviving animal to his original symbol, the Loftwing. He laughs sometimes when he sees that the Hylians used a Loftwing crest to represent his sister.

So yeah, here he is to the 8 people that cared<3

@trippygalaxy @vio-starzz @whiteperle3 @lunawolfiefoxy @mushr0oms-and-m0ss @thenmichael @shadowlinktheshadow @soniayonce @isasan347 @treasure-goblin um I don’t know who voted so I’m just guessing here

[bright-side20]

Symbolism that I have been obsessed with today—a play on something I have posted before.

Elain and Lucien as the sun and nature/Earth. A reliance upon one another to continue the cycle and to cultivate life.

Feyre and Rhys as the stars and the moon, the collection of the cosmos and spread of space. The endless abyss of both darkness and light, and the holders of all life.

Nesta and Cassian as fire and steel, the very forge of the deepest core of the Earth. The magnetic force that grips life by the reins and reinstates the hearth and warmth.

Gwyn and Azriel as the tides and the winds, the interwoven relationship of connection—Yin and Yang. The language they speak can only be heard as the kiss of the wind crashes down against the crest of the waves. The very essence of life.

The romanticism of life and how it is formulated between each couple and what they represent has been so utterly sexy to me today.

Now, I have no idea why I got this, because it's very easy to tell from my profile that I’m not an Elucien or Gwynriel stan. But still, it doesn’t really bother me,people can be as creative as they want with the books they read. However, it's also very important to keep in mind the canon text and what the author actually wrote.

This is how SJM symbolized Elain and Azriel:

the lovely fawn, blooming spring vibrant behind her. Standing before Death, shadows and terrors lurking over his shoulder. Light and dark, the space between their bodies a blend of the two. The only bridge of connection … that knife.

Lovely fawn and death, light and dark ;this is how SJM chose to symbolize them together. I’m not going to delve into the mythological symbolism,I’m just going to continue with SJM’s canon text:

_In HOSAB, SJM used a portrait of dark and light that was extremely similar to the symbolism she chose for Elain and Azriel, calling it 'the symbol of balance':

"It's a symbol of balance," she explained, moving away a foot, but keeping the dagger at her side. Her crown of cloudberries seemed to glow with an inner light. "Two intersecting triangles. Male and female, dark and light, above and below ... and the power that lies in the place where they meet."

Where did Elain and Azriel meet?

He gently took her hand and pressed the hilt of the legendary blade into it. “It will serve you well.” ..... Elain weighed my words … and slowly closed her fingers around the blade. ..... Elain looked up at Azriel, their eyes meeting, his hand still lingering on the hilt of the blade.I saw the painting in my mind...

They met when they both held the TT at the same time. It was the bridge of connection between the lovely fawn and death, light and dark. It was where their power lay and balanced each other. Later in the story, Elain emerged 'out of the shadows',which is Azriel’s power,and killed the KoH.

_In HOFAS, SJM again stressed the importance of the union of light and darkness:

Such light and darkness-the power lay in the meeting of the two of them. She understood it now, how the darkness shaped the light.

_Oh, and in ACOFAS, SJM also highlighted the balance of light and darkness:

Nuala went on, “It’s a time of rest, too. And a time to reflect on the darkness—how it lets the light shine.”

In conclusion, SJM is canonically obsessed with the balance of opposites,in this case, life and death, light and darkness,and the power that lies in their union. She has already given that symbolism to Elain and Azriel: the lovely fawn and death, light and dark,they are the ballance of the opposites.Their first union led to a pivotal event: killing the KoH, with more to come in future books.

In no time, Elain was described as a goddess of the earth or something. She's always associated with light, life, and beauty, gardening is also a way of giving life.

Also, Lucien has always been associated with fire, SJM literally called him the Lord of Fire. I don't understand the determination to make the sun his symbol, apart fro that Helion is his father. One of the reasons Beron didn't kill the LoA for betrayal is that Lucien inherited her power: flame.

"Lucien not Beron’s son, but Helion’s. His power is flame, though.They’ve mused Beron’s title could go to him."

And that’s what he’s always been associated with. He might also be a spellclever through his father and oddly met a cursed flame queen. Still, SJM has never used a symbol of the sun with him,she always highlights his fire power.

[ym-loreposting]

Saints, Gods and Dragons in the murals of Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a large game that has subtle world building and thematic details hidden all over and in this post I want to point a few out, mainly concerning the depictions of Seiros, Sothis and the four Saints, as well as some related things. Major spoilers for Three Houses and Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes after the cut.

The hooded Saint

Saint Seiros is the identity Archbishop Rhea of the Church of Seiros originally went under during the War of Heroes, which ended with the Adrestrian Empire and Church of Seiros coming to rule over Fódlan. The war ended in the Imperial year 98, but Seiros stuck around for at least a century more until the completion of Garreg Mach Monastery in Imperial year 195.

Some time after this, Seiros would "die" and the Church of Seiros went on to be led by Archbishops, of whom at least a substantial portion were alternate identities of Seiros. This is made most apparent in Sylvain and Ignatz's support line in Three Hopes, where they discuss a painting of an Archbishop who ruled around the Imperial Year 961. During the support line, the painting is noted to bear a resemblance to Rhea and it also looks the part.

Saint Seiros meanwhile is a religious figure revered throughout Fódlan, but she is never noted to look like Rhea despite them being the same person, so why is that? The answer lies in a piece of promotional art for Three Houses that depicts an in-universe mural. Near the bottom of the mural, a hooded figure can be seen that is the Saint Seiros. This is evident from the clothing she wears under her robe being the garb Seiros wears, as well as the wavy Sword of Seiros she holds.

This is further driven home by the murals shown at the start of each chapter in Three Houses, some of which depict the hooded Seiros as well. The one for Chapter 10, Where the Goddess Dwells, for example, shows a variation of the promotional mural. This variation also depicts the Immaculate One, Seiros's Nabatean form, which are thought to be separate beings in the religion of the Church of Seiros.

The mural at the start of Chapter 2, Familiar Scenery, meanwhile shows a statue of the hooded Seiros defeating Nemesis. The familiar Sword of Seiros can once again be seen wielded by the hooded figure.

In-universe, it seems the face of Saint Seiros isn't known, likely a deliberate choice so that Rhea could continue to lead the Church of Seiros as its various Archbishops even after the 'death' of Saint Seiros.

The depiction of the Goddess and the Saints

While she appears as a child throughout Three Houses and Three Hopes, in the murals of the Church of Seiros, Sothis is depicted as a grown woman. In the large promotional mural, she seems to be the winged woman that takes up the bulk of the mural, as Seiros is depicted near the mural's bottom. Whether the mural depicts an idealized version of Sothis or the actual form she took prior to her murder by Nemesis is something I am not sure of yet. This depiction of Sothis can also be seen in the murals at the start of Chapters 9 (The Cause of Sorrow) and 4 (The Goddess's Rite of Rebirth). Of note is that Sothis is often depicted alongside a star symbol, likely representing the Blue Sea Star, her place of origin.

The mural at the start of Chapter 4 shows several other figures alongside Sothis, which are Seiros in her usual hooded depiction and the Four Saints that fought alongside her in the War of Heroes. The Saints in the mural resemble the statues that were built of them, not necessarily their true appearance (as is the case with Cethleann/Flayn).

The Saints, who are in truth Nabateans, also seem to appear elsewhere, specifically in their Nabatean forms. The crest of the Church of Seiros has a dragon depicts a white dragon that one at first may assume to be the Immaculate One (aka Seiros). However, this dragon lacks some key features of Immaculate One, most notable the Immaculate One's curled horns. Its head shape is also subtly different.

Instead, this may be the otherwise unseen Nabatean form of Saint Cichol/Seteth, which is indicated by the rest of the symbol of the Church of Seiros. Atop the symbol rests a mitre resembling the one worn by Cichol in his statue. In Three Hopes, it was revealed the name of this Nabatean form is the "Hammer of Judgment".

The flags of Knights of Seiros, as well as the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, depict a Griffon-like creature on their flags. This may be the Wind Caller, Macuil's Nabatean form, though there are some differences in their designs, most notably the tail, hind legs and head horns. They could just be generic Griffons, which have appeared in Fire Emblem: Awakening and Fire Emblem: Engage, but those settings are distinct from the setting of Three Houses/Three Hopes and generic Griffons do not appear in Fódlan. Thematically at least it would make sense for Macuil to be depicted on the Knights of Seiros's flag, given Macuil made weapons for Seiros and the other Saints during the War of Heroes and the Knights of Seiros act as the protectors and metaphorical weapons of the church. The design differences remain notable however.

[manwrre]

i want a greek god!au for harringrove but instead of the traditional, dark romance between hades and persephone, i want that of ares and aphrodite.

and people would be quick to see billy as the symbol of war but can you imagine him as the goddess of love, beauty and sexuality/pleasure?

billy, whose heart takes up all of his strength— brought forth from the phallus of a cruel, tyrant of a father; a jealous and greedy being, who would sacrifice his child for his own gain.

billy, who crested beneath the moon on that faithful night, with a cowl of sea foam. who is held at birth for the first and last time, by the only mother he has ever known.

who blesses the women of cyprus with easy births and the children, with unyielding adoration. who councils young lovers and grants carnal satisfaction to the inexperienced and uncertain.

billy, whose favor is called upon at the beginning of one’s life by pain-stricken, young mothers in the early hours of the morning. his name is whispered again, at last, by those with their lives behind them; the invocation, a prayer for their loved ones on earth and their dying breath, the offering.

who, in return, is adored by the people of cyprus because why wouldn’t they be reverent at the sight of him?

with his golden mane of sun-bleached curls and eyes, the color of pafos’ waters. billy, who stands tall and firm and strong; a pillar for them to lean on.

who is quick to offend but easy to please. a sometimes ill-tempered, little thing. a jealous thing, who craves the feeling of being wanted and the intimacy, of being understood.

their fickle dove,

their valiant protector,

their god,

billy;

the revered.

and then, steve? as ares? my god.

this pillar of unbridled strength and faith within war—the spirit and essence of battle. stubborn and firm but so very just and passionate. he is brushed off as being cowardly and yet still, is the first to be called upon in moments of panic.

the god of kings and rulers and conquerors.

an untamable creature who has been bred for nothing but war and yet, does not fight the way that he falls; does nothing to soften the blow of love and has no armor strong enough to protect his heart in the face of it.

and like sex and war, love and hate, the blood spilled by virgins and enemies— the lines between steve and billy blur and meld. it’s hard to discern just where one ends and the other begins. they are one being, one entity; different sides of the same coin.

plato would later say that mankind was crafted in their likeness; four arms, four legs and a head with two faces.

born to be,

fated from the beginning of time

the violence of billy’s love destined to be matched only by the tenderness of steve’s violence.

[dusty3llipsis]

athena design ! i tried to incorporate a lot in here !!

cropped pics & design explanation below >>

Some things I wanted to point out:

Athena's spear has an owl face (look at spearhead upsidedown), her eyebrows are sorta,, owl eyebrow shaped, gorgon pendant thing on both Athena and Odysseus (in my mind, she gave one to him. and he'll throw it away after 'My Goodbye'), horse on her shield, owl feather skirt, the sharp points on her helmet are very lowkey meant to represent boar tusks, and of course she has some muscle to her! (bonus odysseus design idea: on his arm is polites' ribbon, which he keeps attached to him until 'Different Beast' when he uses it to detain a siren)

Also the blue under her eyes is symbolic for the pain war brings. like tears I guess - but since she's a goddess of war, she's wearing it pridefully (or maybe a better way to put it is "dutifully")

And of course, the snake !! The only reason I hadn't done an Athena design yet was because I knew I wanted to do something special with the crest but I couldn't figure it out — until now of course! I like to think that it reacts along with her own emotions (see while she's yelling at Ody, it's hissing)

While this is my own design, I always take a little inspo from the musical/Jorge/common fan themes/etc. So of course she's got a lot of blue, and also has the red hair.

Thanks for sticking around! 🩵🪶🐍