#Blood rite

[silverflameataraxia]

I love how Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie share their past traumas with each other during the Blood Rite, letting each other see the broken pieces of them.

What I hate is that Nesta summarizes her trauma as drinking, sleeping around, and becoming a wretch. In Nesta's own book, she never tells a single soul of the physical and emotional abuse she endured at the hands of her grandmamma. She never tells anyone about Tomas attempting to rape her, or about being sexually assaulted by the kelpie. She barely talks about the torture inside the Cauldron as she was turned High Fae. She never tells anyone of her terror of bathtubs afterward, or how she overcame that trauma on her own. She barely mentions her discomfort around fires, but yet it was still a trauma she overcame on her own.

Nesta has endured so much trauma since childhood, but all her book talks about is the people she's failed. What about those who have failed her?

[stargirlfeyre]

I don’t care how much their fans try to say otherwise. The Valkyries winning the rite was unrealistic.

• “Y’all say they only won with the power of friendship but the BatBoys did too”…the Batboys were also trained warriors from childhood that had been preparing for the rite since they walked into those camps. Their situation can’t be compared to the Valkyries because like most Illyrians they had years of preparation built up for this on top of them “having the power of friendship”. They did not win simply because they relied on one another but because they were also trained specifically for this.

• “But Feyre won against the Wyrm and y’all didn’t say that was unrealistic” Feyre like the Batboys used her years of preparation as a huntress to kill the Wyrm. She like them used her prior knowledge to win. That trial was specifically chosen for her because Amarantha knew that she was a huntress and wanted her to hunt the Wyrm. Which she did. She did not fight it head on but rather outsmarted it. The Valkyries fought Illyrian warriors with years of training. “But the Valkyries were trained by the most powerful warriors in Prythian” correct me if I’m wrong but doesn’t Cassian also spend time training Illyrians at the camps? So those warriors were also trained by the most powerful of them😭.

• “Y’all are just misogynists who hate seeing women overpower men” Nah. Valkyrie fans *cough Nesta fans cough* just like to come for every other woman and their achievements in these books. You can’t be trying to devalue these women and everything that they’ve overcome when you stan people who have the biggest plot armor. You’re just getting a taste of your own medicine.

• “The Valkyries won because the Illyrians were too busy hunting one another instead of focused on winning” Sorry but you’re never going to make me believe that every Illyrian in the rite was just focused on these women. You think every single one was focused on killing them over having eternal glory and status? The rite is one of the most (if not the most) sacred Illyrian traditions. I can guarantee you that a lot of them went into it wanting to win and not worrying about 3 random women. The Illyrian they met in the cave proved that there were people not worried about killing them.

Lastly if Sjm wanted to make them winning look more realistic then she should have lowered the stakes. She shouldn’t have made it this hard competition that only 12 (?) people have won in the entire history of Illyria if she was going to have 3 people with little to no knowledge about it win. This just proves that she was winging Acosf and not much of it was planned out the way a book as long as that requires. It’s not even just the fighting. They had no wilderness training. Not only were they fighting people with years (maybe even centuries) of training on them. They survived a week in the woods when none of them were prepared for that.

I’m sorry but I’m just not going to believe this. Get mad at me for saying it all you want but it was not realistic. “But this is fantasy it’s not supposed to be realistic” — same group of people that calls Rhys a p*do for his age difference with Feyre and comes for Feyre’s role as High Lady. You only want realism when it benefits you.

[ladydeatharcheron]

People saying the bLoOd RiTe WaS sO uNrEaLiStIc are a red flag to me, because wdym u see three women wiping the floor with men and your first thought isn’t BADDIES ????

[shesalittlelost]

Once again, I'm angry thinking about how brown men in ACOSF are turned into these mindlessly evil and aggressive creatures, their women into perpetual victims—in need of saving from the white saviour characters—with only one of them partaking in their tradition that is used to prop up the white protagonist and I'm supposed to not think that this is blatant racism? Like fuck off I will always fucking hate this book. I mean the whole series is like this but SF is where SJM's white feminism just skyrockets and it's genuinely nasty to read.

[unforgivenyunjin]

If us saying it’s unrealistic for the Valkyries to win the Rite is misogynistic then you saying it’s unrealistic for Feyre to be High Lady is misogynistic.

Valkyrie fans love saying people are misogynistic for criticizing the way the Blood Rite was written because “we just hate to see women accomplish things only men are allowed to” but if that’s your argument then you have no room to be criticizing Feyre’s High Lady title.

She’s accomplished something only men tend to and she’s doing a better job at it than the centuries old men who have been ruling far longer than her. If you’re still criticizing her despite that then you don’t have the audacity to call people who criticize the Valkyries misogynists.

[shansenfan]

What I really want to know is what happened during the bat boys Blood Rite?

•Who was placed where?

•How long did it take for them to find each other?

•Who found who first?

•Did they encounter any monsters?

•Was Azriel’s participation in the Rite ever questioned because he was an Illyrian shadowsinger?

•Did the Illyrian warriors team up against the bat boys?

•What were the reactions of the Illyrian’s/ the High Lord (Rhysand’s father) when they won?

•Who were the other Blood Rite Carynthian’s before them?

~~~~~~~~~~

The memory Cassian provides of the Blood Rite:

“He could still feel the crumbling rock beneath his boots, hear the rasp of his breathing as he half hauled Rhys up the slopes, Azriel providing cover from behind.”

~~~~~~~~~~

I need headcanons people!!

[merymoonbeam]

Blood Rite–Sleeping King

So in my wild hunt post I theorized that Fionn was not dead but rather he is sleeping because in actual myths he is.

According to the most popular account of Fionn's death, he is not dead at all, rather, he sleeps in a cave, surrounded by the Fianna. One day he will awake and defend Ireland in the hour of her greatest need. In one account, it is said that he will arise when the Dord Fiann, the hunting horn of the Fianna, is sounded three times, and he will be as strong and as well as he ever was.

it is connected with "sleeping king under a mountain" myth.

The king asleep in mountain (D 1960.2 in Stith Thompson's motif index system)[1] is a prominent folklore trope found in many folktales and legends. Thompson termed it as the Kyffhäuser type.[

I thought it would be Ramiel bc in acosf we have eris saying "we didnt look under ramiel"

Eris gave him a mocking smile, but continued, “Unsurprisingly, the Illyrians were never curious enough to see what secrets lie beneath Ramiel. If it, too, was carved up like the others by ancient hands.”

Lets go to the actual theory...

Blood rite and why it happens?

In these sleeping king under a mountain myths there is this info...

In the Brothers Grimm version, the hero speaks with the herdsman. Their conversation typically involves the hero asking, "Do the eagles (or ravens) still circle the mountaintop?" The herdsman, or a mysterious voice, replies, "Yes, they still circle the mountaintop." "Then begone! My time has not yet come."

Another one

Enchanted by a mysterious spell, the old Kaiser Frederick I. Barbarossa was transported to an underground palace in the Kyffhäuser Mountains where he is still in a deep sleep sitting on an ivory chair at a large round marble table, with his head resting in his hands. His red beard glows like embers and has grown right through the table down to its feet and almost all the way around it. Every hundred years the Kaiser wakes from his deep sleep, moves his head and blinks to summon his faithful gnome Alberich. He asks Alberich to climb up to the outside of the mountain to see if the ravens are still squawking and flying around it. If they are, great sadness overcomes the Kaiser and he murmurs into his beard that he must wait yet another hundred years before he can return to the outside to bring unity and peace to the world. Sighing, he closes his eyes again and sleeps for another hundred years. Only when his beard has grown all the way around the round marble table will his waiting come to an end because at this point, a proud eagle will sweep up into the air, frighten the ravens away, the Kaiser and his faithful followers will awake from the spell, climb up and out into his worldly palace and restore order everywhere.

So...

if ravens are still flying= back to sleep

if ravens are not there= wake up and bring unity to land

Illyrians...Ramiel? Are they the ravens? So what if blood rite is that time when he "wakes up" to check? Thats why illyrians get magic that time? Why blood rite happens at all is because of this?

That's all 🫡🫡

[greenleaf777]

Someones trying to argue with me that since Gwyn was a “trained warrior” that was why Az wasn’t worried about her in the blood rite, and since Elain is not thats why Az gets worried for her a lot 😂. First you just admitted Az had no feelings about her being in a horrifically difficult and dangerous ritual(how romantic!), but TRAINED WARRIOR??? LMAOOOO are you joking?? Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie had 6 MONTHS of training, where their competition had decades of training.

They shouldn’t have even survived if sjm wanted it to be realistic. Az, Cass and Rhys barely won and they trained for over a decade, thats why CASS was losing his mind about Nesta being there, where Az was absolutely not losing his mind over Gwyn, cause you know…he doesn’t have feelings for her….

They won with sheer luck and the 🌈 ✨power of friendship✨ 🌈

I don’t dislike any of them but I mean really?

[acourtofthought]

The argument that Az didn't care about Gwyn being in the Rite and the argument that he wasn't willing to die for Gwyn while he was willing to die for Elain is getting old.

"They were speaking, Azriel with some urgency, but Cassian didn’t hear him, heard nothing"

Urgency means :

: the quality or state of being urgent : INSISTENCE

We don't know what Az said but he's definitely not sitting there picking at his nails. Also, no one is saying Az knows Gwyn is his Mate so he's not going to be falling apart. And Rhys didn't outwardly freak out when Feyre arrived UTM even though we know he suspected who she was. Az keeps his emotions close to the vest so we may not find out exactly what he thought until his POV.

Then.....

And.......

It is LAW that if Az went in to save Gwyn, both he and SHE would have been hunted down and executed. Even Rhys, High Lord of the NC cannot break those laws.

Obviously if Feyre was willing to go with Az to rescue Elain, the risk and consequences were not as severe (and not a risk to Elain herself whereas leaving her there was more a risk) versus a law that Rhys and Cassian (in order to rescue his own Mate) were unable to go against. A law that would have GUARANTEED the death of Nesta, Gwyn or Emerie.

Az could care less about whether he dies for someone as he's done it time and again for everyone (not just Elain). But Mate behavior is being unwilling to sacrifice the person that is your Mate and trusting that when you can't help without sentencing them to death they are capable of surviving. Sort of like Rhys allowing Feyre to be beaten by Amarantha UTM and Rhys allowing Feyre to face her trials because he knew if he stepped in she would immediately be killed.

Stop acting like Elain being kidnapped to lure Nesta where there was no certainty of her death if they tried to rescue her is the same thing as a magical law which GUARANTEES the death of whichever female is rescued.

This was Feyre's response to Elain being taken:

And this was her response to Nesta being taken:

THEY ARE NOT THE SAME THING SO STOP ACTING LIKE IT'S PROOF OF SOMETHING.

Claiming Gwyn can't be his Mate because Az didn't speak up about entering the Rite is basically someone claiming Feyre cared more for Elain than Nesta since she was willing to leave Nesta in the Rite. Elain who Feyre only finds "a pleasant companion" and who only told Elain about her pregnancy because she guessed and Nesta who she wanted to share the news of her having a boy with first.

The fact is no one was allowed to interfere with the Rite without sentencing the girls to death.

[shadowriel]

You know how the Valkyries won the blood rite with the power of friendship? Isn’t that what the batboys did too?

What if there’s some magic on Ramiel that’s not only choosing the strongest warriors, but the one with the biggest hearts?

[ephemeralsx]

i’m hundred percent sure that if azriel were in cassians position when his mate was kidnapped and sent to the blood rite, he would not give a single fuck about the “don’t interfere or else” rule, he’s unhinged but in a good way

[silverflameataraxia]

First Nesta was dragged from her bed in the middle of the night, wearing only a nightgown, and was tortured and violated in the Cauldron.

Then she was again dragged from her bed in the middle of the night, wearing only a nightgown, drugged, and forced to participate in the Blood Rite. And woke up to find herself surrounded by hundreds of males. After she was almost raped by Tomas and sexually assaulted by the kelpie.

But apparently there was no reason to talk about these traumas in Nesta's book.

[stargirlfeyre]

You can’t use this “it’s just fantasy it’s going to have unrealistic elements” argument in defense of the Valkyries winning the Rite then turn around and criticize every little thing about Feyre’s High Lady role. You can’t only want realism when it benefit you and your argument. You can’t pick apart the achievements of another woman and then cry misogyny when people turn that energy towards the women you like.

As long as y’all question Feyre’s role as High Lady, you can’t get mad when people question the validity of the Valkyries winning the Blood Rite.

[starfall-spirit]

A Court of Twisted Wisdom

ACOTW Masterlist

Summary:

It didn't matter that her family was made up of war heroes. She was the daughter of a bastard Illyrian and a Made female. Every second of her life had been about proving she was more than a basic half-breed with no need for seven siphons or magic swords.

When the time comes for her to prove herself she finds herself slipping between worlds as her mother's depleted power blossoms within her with a greater force than any could expect. On her path she finds two companions who just might change everything she knows.

Chapter III: The Climb

Ayla

It was a bloodbath. The few early risers like me had gone in to kill the unconscious around them, yes, but with all of the males awake and roaring for blood I was high-tailing it for a safe area. Safer, at least.

Finally managing to conceal myself a good distance away, I began to climb a nearby tree, old and strong. It would make a solid spear if I could get some flint and something to serve as twine. Flint and twine. Then water. Resources had to be my priority. It was gonna be a long week.

It took longer than I would have liked to make my spear. As silent as I might have been, I found myself pausing my work at the lightest pattering of animal steps. This tall of a tree was a good cover, but I wanted to be moving sooner. I needed all of the time I could get if I wanted to reach the top of that mountain and roar my victory alongside my sisters. Always that. Sisters in all but our births.

We had made a vow, loud and proud, mastering not just any path, but going through the Breaking, just as our parents had.

So I climbed down from that tree, pulled back my sleeve, and spun towards the West drop spot. My bracelet lit like a beacon. "Alright. Sister number one." As I expected, as popular competitors we were perfectly divided in the three drop points. "Alright."

The deal was to check if we were close. If two of us were in one spot we'd aim for each other for better odds. If we were all divided it would be faster to find our climbing point alone than aimlessly wander trying to pick up scents or clues. The mountain came first. We were stronger together, but the mountain is the priority of the Blood Rite.

I gripped my spear, my throat already feeling sore with thirst. I could find a stream and something to eat on my way. Hopefully. I squared my shoulders, unwilling to doubt myself before I'd even started. "Alright. Head for the pass, ladies." ~~~~~ Endless hiking and killing every now and then was even more boring than it sounded, so I was quick to thank any and every higher power I could think of when I practically collided with Lyra on day three. Our bracelets flared with light before dimming. She took me in a bone-crushing hug before I reminded her we needed to stay on the move and get to someplace safe before something came prowling, be it an Illyrian or something far more deadly.

We trekked on for hours, our most consistent discussions revolving around the pros and cons of alliances. Neither one of us found comfort in being alone out here but it was better than having some male we didn't know stab us in the back, literally or figuratively. Unless they preferred throat-slashing. I'd made that exact point to Lyra and she had immediately given me a dirty glare, thoroughly scolding me for my screwed up humor. But then, she knew who I'd taken after. I spend way too much time with my father.

We did have to fight on multiple occasions. Sneaking through this trial just wasn't possible. Some part of me never worried too much. It wasn't a matter of arrogance. Lyra and I had been working together for almost fifteen years now. We were a team with a system and read each other's movements. When our guards slipped the other was already there.

In fact, the first fight I truly panicked in was one we had no presence in, but merely stumbled across. One of the males I had seen boasting about his Qualifier completion had Roxanna pinned down, his boot rising over her throat, the toe inching up over her windpipe. There were yards and yards between us, but raising my trusty spear I knew I could make the shot without blowing our position.

He froze, his attention caught by the glow beneath her ripped sleeve. "Well, what's this pretty thing for? Magic in these mountains, sweetheart? Whatever would the good High Lord think about—"

My spear punctured his throat and I grinned, racing down to draw Roxanna in close. She clung to me and I felt blood leaking onto my shoulder. "Rox?"

"I went down when he hit me. He was hiding and hit my head with a stone. I'm fine." We might be healing as slowly as humans now, but the gash on her head wasn't going to kill her. I helped her to her feet while Lyra retrieved my weapon, spitting at the male.

"Come on, Rox. We're near the base."

They both grinned. "Almost Oristian and only a little banged up," Roxanna said. "Well, ladies, it's time to climb."

It was too cold and too open to risk a stream bath. Coated in blood and dirt, all I could think of to keep my mind off of the past and future killings and the wind's cold sting and every painful crack of my nails or ripping of skin as I scaled the mountain with my dearest friends was a nice hot bath when we reached the top and went home. Gwyn and Emerie went straight to the House of Wind. I'd go straight to my bath tub. And then I'd ask the house for a fat slice of chocolate cake, training be damned for a day or two.

Roxanna laughed through her own pain. I blushed. "Did I say that out loud or are you nosing around my mind-shield?"

"No powers, remember?" Lyra answered for her. "And, Ayla, I am totally with you. Cheers to chocolate cake and cheers to your mother's first friend."

"To the House!" Roxanna agreed. These girls know how to raise the spirit. I heaved myself up and helped my partners onto the surprisingly large ledge. "Excellent work, ladies!" my cousin exclaimed. "We can catch a breather. It's only a hundred feet. We'll make it to the top before dawn."

I froze. I could smell the males. "Oh, will you, Princess?"

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[sui-imi]

Funeral, right

---

been seeing some discussion about canon/fanon sans re: papyrus' death, and then i thought, unrelatedly, "hey i wonder what he did with the dust"

[unyieldingwings]

Idk why, but I feel like Gwyn and Emerie getting Carynthian status and Nesta getting Oristian status in the Blood Rite diminishes the value of the other Illyrians like Rhyz, Cas and Az earning Carynthian status and other warriors who survive the Blood Rite.

The Illyrians who participate have been training their whole lives, and for Nesta and the others to just be able to do it after several months of training? I get it they got both Illyrian and Valkyrie training, it still sounds weird to me.

It’s entertaining to read, but I don’t think it makes much sense.