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[blazingstar24]

As someone else who very much loves Essek, it is wild to me that people will call Liliana irredeemable when she is literally in the same position as him if the M9 didn’t find him. The clear bias that is shown when discussing these two.

Both were Ludinus’s groomed student/mentee, but Liliana gets “well she should have known better” and Essek gets coddled by fanon going “oh he was just a poor baby boy who didn’t know the true evils of this man, he just wanted to research🥺” Like it’s completely fine to write a fic about that idea but canoncially Essek fully well knew what he was doing when he collaborated with the Assembly. He willingly plunged two nations into war because at least he would get research out of it. And even if he was just a poor boy….so was Liliana. Why does she have to know better but Essek is given a pat on the head and sympathy?

Essek’s redemption wasn’t the M9 saving this poor uwu elven twink boy from his evil teachers. It was Essek putting faces to the people his actions were hurting and feeling guilty. Because as much as I love Essek, let’s be real, if the M9 did not befriend him, he would have still continued working with Ludinus if it benefited him. Essek didn’t care about the nameless people the war hurt as along as what he cared about was safe, which was him and probably Verin.

And in an ironic sense this is how the fandom treats his actions as well. We have no names to put to Essek’s crimes. Except Yeza which is glossed over. But since the fandom doesn’t have a specific person they can say Essek wronged, it’s suddenly fine to brush aside the countless people who died fighting a staged war. Despite the fact that one of the lesson we were supposed to take away from Essek’s redemption is that it is wrong to begin to see people as nameless entities that can be discarded over personal gain. The parallel we were supposed to acknowledge between Volstrucker Caleb and Essek was that both had become numb to the killing for power and gain, until both woke up once the people they were hurting had a face and names they recognized. We cannot do the same as them. If we are comparing the two, we must treat the nameless victims of Essek’s actions on the same level we do of Lilliana with Will and Derrig. Why should they have any lesser weight because we do not know them?

It’s also very clear in the bias of these two characters when you see that the fandom at large has never asked for Essek to pay for his crimes and actions. But the same fandom refuses to let Liliana get this same grace, that no she must pay for her involvement with the Vanguard. So which is it? Why does Essek get to abscond from “justice” and Liliana does not? Why are we fine with Essek getting a happy ending and Liliana must die or be thrown in jail? Do I want Essek to pay for his crimes? No. But then if I turned around and went but Liliana must, that would make me a hypocrite.

What all of this truly boils down to is that fandoms at large have a problem with redemption and redemption arcs. Redemption isn’t something that is deserved, it’s something that you do. Whether or not you believe Essek or Liliana redeemed themselves does not matter. Hell there are people who don’t think Essek is redeemed. And good! Because redemption is not a one time act, it is not a pardon from a king. It is something one has to continually do over and over. To be better than you were before. Not to bring the other huge diskhorse of ATLA into this but it is the same concept. Iroh gets a free pass from answering from his war crimes. But it is not solely because he was well liked by the fandom, it is because he actively tries to be better, to not be the Dragon of the West. So back to CR, to say Liliana is irredeemable is just plain wrong.

Anyone can be redeemed. It is a matter of if they put in the effort. If she buckles down, this doesn’t make her any less redeemable. Because like Fearne said, it is never too late to walk away. Even if just for one moment, Liliana does something good, something that tries to be better than what she was, it proves that redemption and changing is always possible

all this talk about liliana being iredeemable has got me thinking about how fandom instantly forgave essek for all he did

the way i got this ask right as i was talking to my friend about almost this exact topic (is that you, kea, or are we all just thinking it)

heres the thing, i get how someone at a superficial level could justify seperating essek from others like himself; hes had among the most screentime. but, and i say this as someone who adores essek, that's.... really the only true leg up he has on others manipulated by ludinus/others against the gods, and it's very easy to notice the discrepancy. i genuinely do not think his story is somehow more valid or compelling than any other in similar shoes; most of them have an extremely close connection to a main character or are one, and they all had or have a chance at hope, to me. i once saw a post that snarked at anyone who would dare to say essek was priveleged and that that's why folk liked him, but, in a way he is: he's a rich man who looks it and is defined in his first moments by his handsomeness. during campaign 2 people wanted astrid gone and assumed she was as villainous as trent when she was essek's exact mirror but on the empire side, just a woman, and "in the way" of shadowgast. when liliana (woman, technically disabled, implied lower class), bor'dor (extremely lower class, man of color), deanna (black woman), frida (played by a man of color, of an oppressed class), & even, i will assume in the future, devexian (ultimate representative of a lower worker class oppressed people), have extremely similar stories or frankly far more valid reasons to be cautious about a god than essek, they're seen as entirely villainous with no possible redeeming quality or point, and are treated with immense scorn. meanwhile when essek starts a war by ensuring his culture's religion cannot be whole, he can easily be accepted by the fanbase, who even lambast the dynasty for daring to have a religion; thus, by their own logic, they are fully agreeing with ludinus (i am well aware of the intricacies of how the dynasty fucks up but, put this into the broader context here compared to how vasselheim is treated).

which is another reason im excited for the aeor arc; it is easy to assume essek will be there, and it will be interesting to see how his extremely blunt, delightedly-smug distaste for godhood (especially the luxon, which, didnt kill aeor like the pantheon did and is innocent in that) is framed in c3's context, and how fans respond to that. will it be entirely glossed over as people seemed to gloss over keyleth's distaste for them? will it be excused because it's cute when a man they see as a twink does it?

[blazingstar24]

Based off nothing at all, I believe that the Dominox has to be connected to A2 and the fucked up trees.

Mostly because we know that was the site Ludinus was most interested in. And also Aeor’s latin usage with nox meaning dark or shadow. And them saying the Doninox took “root”.

I just want to know about the fucked up trees!! I know Jester did a Widogast BBQ on them but we don’t know for sure if that killed them.

[blazingstar24]

Zephrah actively postpones ruidusborn births. It is believed that the actual number of ruidusborn in exandrian history is much larger than has been officially recorded because the stigma of it was so intense that people lied about it. Alyxian, one of the few recorded ruidusborn heroes of the calamity who received direct blessings from three different prime deities (our very own Changebringer, the Archheart, and the Moonweaver) , has been all but forgotten (read: likely erased) by history.

The Archive of knowledge that revealed the truth of Predathos and Ruidus was never some forgotten thing—it was intentionally hidden by the elites in Vasselheim. And we have no idea how long they have been operating with that knowledge. We have no idea what they have been doing with that knowledge, what silent wars have been waging for years or decades or centuries. But we saw what they were willing to do, in Hearthdell. We saw the violence and suppression they were willing to commit. We saw the pettiness of the exandrian pantheon in the Dawnfather’s response to Deanna’s: “Are you worth saving?”. In the Changebringer’s manipulative change of course in her pleas to FCG. In the Wildmother’s rejection of Opal. In the knowledge we have that Imogen spent so much of her miserable time in Gelvaan begging the gods to aid her to no avail—just for Kord to reach out only to demand that she not let them down.

Liliana’s point that Vasselheim and the other faithful elite of the world will hunt ruidusborn down to negate even the potential of this happening again isn’t new, it isn’t something this solstice and the machinations surrounding it caused, and it isn’t some unsubstantiated, fearful claim—it has been happening.

The vanguard—and Liliana—are unequivocally wrong in their means. But can you really fault them in their desire? Can you really fault the conclusions they have drawn from the experiences they have lived? If you spend your entire life being rejected by the people and the pantheon of your world for means you could not possibly control, would you not seek out someone and somewhere that would accept you? And if you found it, if some being that has been connected with you your whole life welcomed you home and wrapped you in an embrace that felt like your mother’s and says that it is starving; well, aren’t you, too?

There is likely a holy war brewing. At the end of it all, is it truly the sole fault of the people and not the organizations and society that expelled them?

[blazingstar24]

Thranto PacRim AU Chap 15 Preview

Getting more of the mystery and well…..let’s just say the circumstances have led to the slow burn heating up~

Nightswan giving lore and Thranto finally cutting through that tension! Chap is almost done but not out yet

[blazingstar24]

supergiant games i am BIG fan of your work

[blazingstar24]

sir please

[blazingstar24]

So, Dorian’s worst fear is people close to him being corrupted. Imagine his reaction when he sees Orym now, with his pact powers. Imagine the heartbreak

[blazingstar24]

All I’m saying is that the C3 conflict and the conflict in the mainline PJO series is the same lmao.

The Gods have done fucked up too many times and haven’t done good by their children thus leading to a ancient enemy of the Gods to influence said children into wanting to take down the Gods but also perhaps putting just another tyrant on the throne.

The ancient enemy is trapped and broken in a prison where the Gods threw them and needs a vessel to come back to the “mortal” world. The ancient enemy enlists help from someone with a deep seated grudge against the Gods to enact the plan and also chose someone charismatic enough to pull followers in.

The heroes ultimately do agree with the sentiment that the Gods done fucked up but also know that the ancient enemy is bad news. How defeating that ancient enemy didn’t magically make everything better, how the problem that started the conflict needed to be addressed and back to status quo was not an option.

Like lol the parallels are so clear. The Ludinus - Luke parallel, Liliana being a mix of Silena and Ethan Nakamura. The BH being the trio. The way I can imagine after the battle is done and the Gods willing to bestow a boon upon them and Imogen goes fuck your boon, do better!

[blazingstar24]

Honestly I think Liliana and Astrid should meet. They would have a lot in common and to speak about. These powerful women who were used and groomed to be a tool in an old mage’s own designs. Staying while knowing he’s killing you, hurting your loved ones because they believe that it is better to work from the inside to usurp the power back into their control and because they are so afraid at the same time.

Being confronted by that same loved one who got out, who is begging them for help. Astrid dropping counterspell and Liliana teleporting them to the Bloody Bridge. Astrid’s “Race you to the top” and Liliana’s “I’m doing this all for you.”

Being so convinced that nothing can change, that no one can help or understand. Telling that loved one to run, run as far as they can because if anything at least they got out. The world can burn but they got out.

Astrid being able to tell Liliana that they were/are wrong. That things can change, that someone will understand. That you cannot gain back control, power from the man that robbed it from you if he is killing you at the same time, if you are killing a part of yourself at the same time.

Astrid and Liliana.

[blazingstar24]

[blazingstar24]

I wonder if during his Aeorian excursions Ludinus has ever been wildmagicked into a potted plant

[blazingstar24]

They're going to beat you to d-

[blazingstar24]

so interesting that Ludinus is being overpowered in Aeor by a dominatrix!! i think, or something, I'm not sure haven't watched the episode

[blazingstar24]

Me: saving money for Pokemon Worlds tickets

*Zevlor’s VA announces that he is going to start doing Cameos*

Me: it is time to go into debt!

[blazingstar24]

Wrote a one shot in between my multi chaps I should be working on lmao.

Summary: Despite Thrawn’s return to the Ascendancy, Eli has been distant. After Thrawn takes a shot for Eli, things start to come into perspective for the pair.

[blazingstar24]

they’re boy best friends, that’s why Karyn

[blazingstar24]

One thing that drives me a little crazy for the EXU half while also being completely understandable:

Why does the Spider Queen need Opal to ditch her friends to go fight Predathos? Like ma'am, why aren't you taking advantage of "we'll follow you" to get a whole hit squad instead of just a lonely champion?

And yes, this is probably more about the Spider Queen's own trust issues and visions/understanding of power and a belief compassion (for allies/friends) will hold her champion back. But c'mon. Look at the goddamn logistics of five (six with Cyrus) people fighting for you versus one. In what way is having support that can heal and boost and assist your champion bad? Don't you want a champion that has better odds of finishing the mission and living to serve another day? (probably cares less about champion survivability, being a Betrayer who doesn't care about mortals. But good help is hard to find, especially during a crunch)

I'm just sitting here shaking my head at a goddess desperate to get her pawn in on the fight and going about it the completely wrong way.