#Geduldh

[yurgenschmidt]

[idontthinkimokaymentally]

Hello there Geduldh fans.

[stardustizuku]

Give me Taylor swift song lyrics you think fit FerMyne/Rozemyne cause I’m here constantly thinking abt so many of them and I need to scream a bit abt them

[nefertittythegreat]

I made a "your life" with AoaB (Noble version)

Screenshot and share your results~

(let me know if you want more)

[salmalin]

Fruhtrane's Prayer

Did anyone else who watched AoaB episode 26 way too many times notice something... interesting about the prayer in the scene when they replenish the earth?

The first time, Shikikoza (also spelled Shikikooza and Schicicoza depending on your source) is the one to recite the prayer. Obviously his mana isn't sufficient. (He canonically has less mana than even the lowest-rung med-nobles.) However, I'd like to highlight two things about the prayer, and then what they mean together.

Spoilers for literally the entire series.

Part One: Where Shikikoza Stops

Oh Fruhtrane, Goddess of Water Bringer of Healing and Upheaval And the twelve disciples who serve her Heart my prayer and grant me your holy powers

After the Trombe battle, Shikikoza begins this prayer. At this point the earth begins to heal around the staff of Fruhtrane. Things are going well. As expected, really.

Then, as he begins the next line, he begins to lose his composure.

Why is this important? Because Shikikoza just asked Fruhtrane for something. More specifically, he asked her for her blessing. This is exactly the moment he begins to falter. This is when it starts to get much worse.

The next verse:

Your sister has been hurt by the minions of evil Grant me the strength to heal Geduldh, the Goddess of Earth

He grimaces through the first line, struggles just to get the second line out, then has to stop the spell. He's sagging against the staff, visibly keeping it to remain upright. He has no strength left. This is curious because he just asked for strength. He is literally requesting that the goddess of healing, fortune, and change to bless him with strength, which he then immediately loses.

But that's just mana exhaustion, right? No big deal. That's a canon thing that happens.

But here's the thing.

Shikikoza should have been doing lots of these rituals as a Blue Priest. He should have been praying regularly. He then went to the academy and got his schtappe. He knows his limits. And his limits have only increased since he spent time as a priest. Just the fact that he's allowed to learn mana compression should tell you a lot about his progression. Still, isn't it strange that he can't even make it through the chant? It's one thing to faint at the end—it's another to not even make it through the first stanza with shitty results to show for it.

"But Sal," you might say, "a superior is asking him to basically use his mana until he collapses. Ferdinand knew this would happen. He literally called Shikikoza her foil. He planned this." Of course he did. Ferdinand plans everything. Do you expect anything less from the Lord of Evil? But at the same time, don't you find it interesting that the context within this context is that Shikikoza is asking Fruhtrane, the Goddess of Healing and Upheaval, for a favor?

We very rarely see other people fail to finish a spell in this series. Usually they're just exhausted by it or the effects are pitiful. This event actually stands apart as extra pathetic, in terms of mana efficiency and quantity. Did he know that Shikikoza would be unable to finish the prayer? Shikikoza's reserves of mana would have probably doubled since his time at school, due to his growth period and regular duties in the military. The Ferdinand we know would have accounted for this.

This may be why he was so frustrated when Myne did such an incredible job replenishing the earth. Yes, he was frustrated because it made her a target for the nobility. The disparity was ridiculous, which definitely made many of them consider trapping Myne in a contract to be a (baby maker) concubine. He did not intend for her to show off such a clear difference in mana. This is canon.

And here's the thing.

I don't think he just expected Myne to do less.

I think he also expected Shikikoza to do more.

Yes, Myne has an abundance of mana. But she's never really used it. Her control is gonna be iffy, and her ability to manifest the effects of the prayers should be sub-par, at best. Meanwhile Shikikoza is a noble who went to the academy and spent time in the church. He knows how to use mana. He knows how to implement it and perform prayers. Shikikoza is literally in his element, and Myne can't stop gasping at every little thing. She only performed her first blessing like twenty minutes ago.

But then this happens.

What was once a sad circle of thin grass surrounded by dirt becomes a lush crater filled with green so quickly I had to try several times to get the screenshots. Myne restores the land fully within seconds with a show of power none of the men there had likely witnessed from anyone besides Ferdinand and Bonifatius—characters who are literally in a league of their own. And this is a child.

This is not a level of power a child should have, period. That doesn't even touch on the topic of control. Ferdinand outright says he did not predict this.

Now, stepping back for a second, Shikikoza asked Fruhtrane for a favor. Ask yourself this little question for me: If you were Fruhtrane, would you do someone like Shikikoza a solid?

Mana isn't the only factor when it comes to channeling spells and prayers. The more you pray to these gods—and, more importantly embody their ideals—the easier the spells/prayers under their jurisdiction can be performed. Sometimes you don't even need to pray to them—they will see your deeds and give you their blessing regardless. Furthermore, we later find out that there are ways to lose favor with the gods. This makes magic and prayers in their jurisdiction less efficient and thus more difficult to use.

Now, we learn a lot of things about Shikikoza very quickly in episode 25. First, he is a man who enforces the status quo by actively taking advantage of his rank, to the point where he attacks a commoner who is under his protection simply because said commoner was granted a position reserved for nobility—a position he once held. He wants to show Myne that she is not his equal. Opposing change is in direct opposition of Fruhtrane's jurisdiction of "upheaval". He also draws a knife on a little girl and threatens to gouge her eyes out, which doesn't quite fall in line with "healing", either. Does this mean I'm implying Fruhtrane was hate watching the Shikikoza channel even though he wasn't praying to her, and that he lost her favor/blessing in this moment?

No.

Instead, there's a good chance she's been watching Myne.

Myne had been giving the greeting of the goddess of water for a while as a merchant. This is canonically part of a prayer. Prayers direct the eyes of the gods your way. (Myne also is canonically referred to as Benno's "goddess of water".) I wouldn't be surprised if the goddess saw the entire exchange during the Trombe fight. Especially since it's canon that Myne is the truest believer in the Gods and is one of the extremely few people who actually knows they're real. Her prayers may be the only ones properly reaching the gods. (She takes one look at magic and basically goes, "Full stop, gods are real.")

it is later explicitly established in canon that Myne is the only person who earnestly prays to the gods even when "reciting a spell". And it's not just the voice acting in the anime that makes me think that. (Shikikoza is reciting the prayer like he's trying to get through reading a line he doesn't like in class, while Myne uses inflection like she's speaking in a play.) Later in the series, literally everyone has no idea why Myne is releasing blessings while playing music related to the gods. This is considered so extreme that they're able to market her as a saint. It's one thing to only be earnest when asking for one specific thing in private (Sylvester when he was pursuing Florencia), but it's another thing entirely to actively acknowledge the presence of the gods in every aspect of the world around you. Myne is essentially a devout follower surrounded by uninterested skeptics.

(Ferdinand, by contrast, is an atheist. Not because he doesn't believe in them, but because he doesn't think they deserve to be worshiped. It's a trait he has in common with Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist. Coincidentally, they also both speak with god, tell god to shove it where the sun don't shine, then strike a deal to get the body of the most important person in their life back. Oh—and they have absent fathers who yeah, might have loved him, but whose lack of action in their life leads to extreme bodily harm at a young age due to complications involving their mother. Do with this information what you will.)

To wrap up this part, I don't think Ferdinand anticipated just how badly Shikikoza had pissed Fruhtrane off, and had no idea how favored Myne was by said goddess. (At one point Myne even feels the presence of the goddess of wind while on a hunt for ingredients. I will never let that go. That was so cool.) Both of these things widened the gap even further when it came to performing the ceremony. I like that they also did this slowly. The first ceremony involving a specific goddess we get is a goddess they've been mentioning since the beginning of the story—a goddess so in line with the main character's prerogative that the main character is referred to as her.

Now that we've gotten that info dump out of the way (this was supposed to be like three paragraphs, send help) let's move on to—

Part Two: The Full Prayer

Oh Fruhtrane, Goddess of Water Bringer of Healing and Upheaval And the twelve disciples who serve her Hear my prayer and grant me your holy powers Your sister has been hurt by the minions of evil Grant me the strength to heal Geduldh, the Goddess of Earth In return, I offer you a sacred melody Unleash your supreme waves and offer your pure protection For as far as I seek, cover these lands in your hues

So I realized a few days ago that this prayer is a summary of the events in Bookworm.

Read it again and you'll get it.

Oh Fruhtrane, Goddess of Water Bringer of Healing and Upheaval

Urano appears as Myne, introducing technologies that are foreign to this world. She brings wealth to everyone around her and fortune to the people dear to her. She changes status quos by just trying to exist as she is. All this despite trying to play by the rules. Things that were taken for granted are now up in the air. This doesn't even go into the themes of her upending every community she enters and healing wounds that never got a chance to heal. (Her mother's repeated miscarriages/infant deaths forcing their family to watch children die, Benno's desperation to recover financially after the death of his parents and the woman he loved, Frieda's complete and total isolation, Fran and Wilma's trauma from being sexually assaulted in the church, Gil and Lutz's very real worries about starvation, the orphanage, the relationships of the nobles around her, the fracturing factions looking for direction, literally every retainer she took in from an abusive family, Damuel's place in the world, Angelica's literal entire life no going down the drain, the financial ruin of Ehrenfest, the mana shortage resulting in an approaching mass-starvation— I need to STOP. This isn't even touching the surface!)

And the twelve disciples who serve her

She receives people who support her slowly over the course of the story. By the time she gets to the end of part two she has emotional connections to the following characters who support her:

Lutz, Effa, Tuuli, Gunter, Otto, Benno, Mark, Freida, Fran, Gil, Delia, and Ferdinand.

Hey, look, that's twelve people who directly make sure her health is monitored while having a direct impact on the world around her. What a coincidence.

Hear my prayer and grant me your holy powers

Trust me bro, she hears you. But the lore basically explodes. Mana compression, the truth of the prayers, the truth of the gods. Myne is a busy little bee. Myne figures out how to get their prayers through to the gods at all. This line is doing a lot of heavy lifting. But also it implies that Myne finally has access to magic.

Your sister has been hurt by the minions of evil

Her family is attacked. She is attacked. But most of all, she realizes the whole world is crumbling around her, piece by piece. But more on that later. The point is that Myne is continually under fire until the person closest to her is taken and injured.

Yeah, it's Ferdinand, of course it is.

Grant me the strength to heal Geduldh, the Goddess of Earth

Okay so we've got another line doing a lot of heavy lifting. It's outright saying her home was attacked and needs to be repaired. This can refer to her family, to the fractures in noble society forming between people that should be allies, and the fractures around Ferdinand himself. Each of these things she sets out to heal, even if indirectly or on accident. (See the rant about everyone she's helped.)

Ferdinand at one point directly points out Myne's Geduldh, asking how it is. But Myne doesn't know how to answer. Ferdinand, at this point, is convinced that her Geduldh is Ehrenfest. Originally it was her parents, then the people supporting her in the church, then slowly expanded to Ehrenfest. As Myne's story moves through different stages, her Geduldh shifts, and so does her attention and the healing she brings. When Ferdinand asks Myne this question, she doesn't know how to answer.

This is because, very clearly, her Geduldh is shifting from Ehrenfest... to Ferdinand.

Ferdinand is who she protects next.

In return, I offer you a sacred melody

A "sacred melody" for Myne is literally a prayer. She's saying she'll give the gods mana, power, and influence in exchange for the safety of those she loves. Which is literally what she does. Over and over again.

Unleash your supreme waves and offer your pure protection For as far as I seek, cover these lands in your hues

After receiving the favor of the gods, Myne protects her Geduldh time and time again. And as her Geduldh gets tangled up in more and more political scheming, the reach of the influence she offers the gods increases. Until, in exchange for Ferdinand's safety, she gives them the whole of the country. For as far as she sought—all the way to the sovereignty and the homes of their enemies, and even her own body—she spread the power and influence of the gods under the banner of a Saint.

(It could be argued that Myne follows these beats with every single part—1 through 5—beat for beat. And honestly yeah, that's a big part of why I freaked out and wrote this stupidly long post.)

Part Three: The Symbolism Behind This Choice

Back to the beginning, the words Shikikoza and Myne were each about to speak are very telling.

Shikikoza makes it this far:

Oh Fruhtrane, Goddess of Water Bringer of Healing and Upheaval And the twelve disciples who serve her Hear my prayer and grant me your holy powers Your sister has been hurt by the minions of evil

This is where Shikikoza stops.

This is where Shikikoza stops because the nobility have been seeking the favor and power of the gods while giving nothing in return. They see their home has been hurt and are watching their world crumble because it doesn't even occur to them to upset the status quo. Unless, of course, they plan to commit mass murder. (Which is a violation of the half.) The nobles neglect their churches, kill their own people in large swathes, and abandon the gods while still demanding power from them so they can play their petty political games. Even those who mean well cannot break from the cycle. They refuse to unheave the system their lives are built on.

But Myne finishes the prayer where Shikikoza—where the rest of the nobles—could not.

Grant me the strength to heal Geduldh, the Goddess of Earth In return, I offer you a sacred melody Unleash your supreme waves and offer your pure protection For as far as I seek, cover these lands in your hues

Myne brings the gods back. She makes no demands with nothing to offer in return. It is an exchange. What's more, she fills the roles the nobility has been neglecting for so long. She sets out and heals the world, to the point where her final major act in the books is a country-wide healing spell to revitalize the land. To the very end, Myne prioritizes the health and safety of people, unknowingly filling her role of saint flawlessly, and literally covering the land in Fruhtrane's hues. Everything that happens after that...

Well, that's the epilogue.

Shikikoza cannot finish the prayer because he is not earnest in performing it.

Myne finishes the prayer because she understands you cannot grab everything forcefully from the world around you without giving anything back. She is a merchant. She knows everything has a price.

And she pays it.

I have this thing I say about Bookworm—that Ferdinand is technically the main character. That his mana, intelligence, etc. makes him the main character. And because he accidentally dyes Myne's mana as his own, and because that's a thing usually reserved for marriage, I have an even weirder joke where I say he basically gave her Main Character Syndrome like a sexually transmitted disease. (Taking this series even one degree out of context makes it hilarious. I highly recommend it.)

But here's the thing.

Ferdinand had all the qualities of a main character except for the one he needed. He was trapped in the same spiral as every other noble. He couldn't comprehend that things could be different. Even though he knew they had once been, he couldn't see their world changing, even if he had the ability. He, too, was afraid to upheave the system. He knew things were breaking, but he decided to hide. He was afraid, tired, and wanted to do what he loved where he could minimize his anguish. He saw no future for himself out in the open.

Ultimately, like the rest of the world, he had no hope for change. Not just for the world, but for himself. He saw no future for himself where he could safely eat, or relax with friends, or be emotionally open, or even have someone whom he could afford to love, let alone love safely...

... until this little shit came along.

And she gave him, very literally, a new perspective—the perspective of another world. She gave him options. She gave him safety. She gave him comfort. She gave him kindness. She gave him trust. She gave him love.

And, very slowly, like everyone else she had met, she gave him hope.

Very underrated thing, hope.

Because without hope, no one will take the first step to make change. The world will crumble around you, and you will do nothing, because why would you? It's all gonna go to hell, anyways.

But it doesn't have to.

And that's worth fighting for.

Thanks for making it this far. It's nice to have company in hell.

[tassjis]

Ferdinands Vows

"Divine Avatar of Mestionora and my Goddess of Light, your radiance dispels the darkness and shines without end. Lost in Chaocipher's swaying veil, I was powerless to save my Geduldh. I could only wait for Ewigeliebe's sword to fall. But then you appeared, my Goddess of Light. You tore through the gloom and brought order to chaos... I offer you this feystone, my Goddess of Light."

"I will protect Alexandria and you with it"

Translated with modern prose

"Rozemyne Tochter Linkberg Adotie Ehrenfest, You are the love of my life, someone who has me happier than I could ever have imagined.

I look back and can see the tremendous impact you've had on my life and how you have saved me in more ways than one.

Not too long ago I was lost, overwhelmed, unable to see past the darkness that engulfed me. There were moments when I couldn't see a future worth living for... But then you came, a beacon of light in my darkest hours. Your kindness, your love, and your unwavering support pulled me back from the edge and brought warmth back into my life.

With you, I have found my purpose and my joy. You, my darling. are my light, my strength, and my future."

"I vow to support you, through thick and thin, to make your desires a reality, and to make you as happy as you have made me, for as long as we shall live”

[nefertittythegreat]

Rating GoT and HotD dresses based on how well I think they'd fit into Ascendance of a Bookworm

Ok first

4/10

Not my favorite Dany look, but I also don't hate it. It's pretty she looks stunning, but for AoaB, the shillouette is wrong. I love the high neck and the cutout! It's a fashion trend that I hope Rozemyne eventually introduces to Yogurtland. A great look that's a little too modern for the world of AoaB.

9/10

MOTHER😍😍😍

When it comes to fashion in GoT, you can not outdo the doer, and She(yes, with a capital S) is Cersei Lannister. The color, the cut the metal waist belt with the lions on it with the matching necklace 😭 I'm gagged! She's amazing! One point off because while I feel like on it's own the dress would work well in AoaB, but something about it is just off. i dont think it would completely work. Maybe it's the down hair 🤔

2/10

FERDINAND IS DEAD AND HE MOST DEFINITELY THINKS SHES A HARLOT💀

First, let me preface by saying I LOVE this dress. It's one of the best dresses in GoT period, but It would NEVER work in AoaB. To them, she's practically naked. Sheer cloth? No sleeves? Neckline to the navel? Oh no honey its straight to the white tower with you! The metal additions are nice, and I can see someone crafting those out of feystones. It's also long enough...so 2 points🤷🏾‍♀️

8/10

Would fit in the world but not as a dress as a woman's riding outfit, which is what i believe it's supposed to be in GoT as well. In a different color, it's giving future Aub Alexandria ready to defend her duchy. She is a fierce leader, and looking at this outfit, you would never question that.

7/10

I'm not gonna lie... This is my favorite Game of Thrones look. I think the moment we saw Natalie in this, we all fell in love Margaery. However, for AoaB, it could work with some VERY minor tweaks. The neckline is, of course, too low, and it's backless, but it's very tasteful. I think this is a style Rozemyne could introduce in the future, especially given how hot Alexandria is. She already introduced sleeveless dress and in GoT the reason for the margaery's "risqué" dress is because Highgarden(where she's from) is very hot especially in comparison to King's Landing which is said to have moderate to hot weather.

10/10

Our first House of the Dragon look and it's 🥰 🥰 I can literally see Elvira wearing this. It's giving everything it should. The silhouette is perfect, the metal additions are stylish, and the headband is too die for! It's giving everything it needs to for an AoaB dress, and I love it!

5/10

Is this list mostly Dany dresses? YES.

BUT I CAN SEE THE VISION!! Other than being backless, I think Rozemyne has already laid the foundation for this style of dress. I think a slight alter to the silhouette and some very off the shoulder sleeves and boom! we have an Aoab appropriate dress. But the belt, the metal work at the neckline, I think it would fit in very well eventually.

9/10

Just close up the neckline, and you've got a perfect AoaB dress. This one was a favorite of HotD fans, and it's easy to see why. It's a beautiful dress. I could see a noble lady wearing this right now.

8/10

This is another future Aub Alexandria dress. Again, I think for Yurgenschmidt it's too much skin, but again, I think Rozemyne will eventually introduce fashion like this. The cape incorporated into the outfit to make sleeves is 😍😍😍. This is how she's gonna show up to the archduke conference stunting on the hoes 👏 👏👏 I feel like high necklines are just in Rozemyne's future🤷🏾‍♀️

10/10

The sleeves😍😍😍 The waistline😍😍😍 The paneling 😍😍😍 She's carrying Geduldh's burden and she is stunning! For once the hair is also very AoaB which is more common in HotD than in GoT as they try(and kinda fail) to create a unique fashion identity for HotD. I'm a big hair snood fan and I'm living for this one. The color of the dress is also fantastic. If you wore this is Yurgenschmidt and no one would even guess that you're from another world.

Omg I had so many more to talk about, but what are you guys AoaB fashion inspirations? Any movies or TV shows? Are we all still in love with that Susan Pevenasie dress from the end second Chronicles of Narnia movie? Please tell me! I love seeing everyone's thoughts in this fandom🥰

[orii-blogs-stuff]

More stuff about the Demigod au

So the Demigods go to their own school that is called Divine academy (thanks @insert-clever-username-1133 for the idea!) and it takes up hald of the Sov while the Royal academy takes up the other half as shown bellow:

the map shows the duchy dorms and the Godly dorms in their duchy/godly colour, how do the godly dorms work? Say for example your parent is Angriff, God of war, since he's a subordinate of Lidenschaft, the demigod will go to the Leidenschaft/blue dorm. The Red dorm on the outer edge is Geduldh's dorm and that's where all the student's who's parents who aren't subordinates of the supreme couple or the Eternal five (well, four in this case) such as childen of apprentice gods or even Chaocipher.

The schools are connected at the large circle where the garden of beginings are (and a long corridor) where Nobles could get their schtappes and demigods could go talk to Erwaermen to get news from their godly parents, bet the tree gets lonely, so now he gets to talk to a bunch of students~ Aren't I so nice? :)

There are 2 aus I'm imagine:

Nobles fogot demigods exist and due to magic and the hall that connects the two sides of the schools get sealed up, only the connection to the garden of beginings remain but nobles and demigods dont go through the other's eist, also Nobles can't see pass the blue line cuz there's this heavy fog but the Demigods could see just fine

Demigods and Nobles co-exist and know of eachothers existance, and while plenty of nobles look down on the demigods for their commoner background, lines of communication are still open between the two groups and there's no heavy fog stopping the nobles from seeing the demigod side or any wall from stopping them from mingling

For the sake of this post, let's go with the second option where demigods are remembered.

The Leidenschaft and Dunkelfelger's dorms are very close so they have ditter atleast thrice a week (Where Leidenschaft dorm wins almost every single ditter).

The Cuococalura kids (and kids of Cuococalura's apprentices) all get together to make breakfast, lunch and dinner for all the Godly dorms.

Kunstzeal and Vulcanift (plus apprentice) kids are in charge of the decorations

and those whose parents are responcable for harvest and hunting and blooms and stuff grow the food or hunt feybeasts for the meals.

Demigod-nobles, who's mortal parents are nobles are expected to finish their studies as fast as possible and then spend atleast 2 days a week on the demigod side of the RA/DA.

Also, while plenty of nobles look down on the demigods for their commoner origins, plenty more nobles order their children to make demigod connects or to even marry a demigod because of their high mana capacity and high attributes and bits of their godly powers shine through in the next generation.

E.g. A Drewanchel archnoble or archduke candidate might be told to woo a child of Mestionora or those of Dunkelfelger might try their luck with someone from the Leidenschaft dorm or a child of Leidenschaft even.

Imagine Rozemyne, who isn't a demigod but people think she's a demigod anyways cuz of her uncanny resemblence to Mestionora and her love for books ends up in the DA: Rozemyne: I don't think I should be here... I'm in the wrong place.. Student: Nonsense! You're at the right place! Rozemyne: I'm really not- Student: hushes her shhh... It's ok... It can be very hard being away from your parents firstie... Would you like to read the book from our library? Rozemyne: Remembering how sylvester said she can't go to the library until everyone passes Nevermind! I'm in the right place! I'd love to read!

Also, fun little snippit between a Dunkelfelger Archnoble and their Child of Angriff Fiance:

DA: What should we do for our wedding? CAF: Well we must have a celebratory ditter to celebrate our engagement DA: Ofcourse Dear CAF: And our pre-marriage because it's commoner custom to celebrate becoming married by having a bachelor party with our friends and what better party than a ditter? DA: Couldn't have said it better! CAF: Then we shall have an after marriage ditter where all the guest will participate DA: Lovely idea~! Shall we have a honeymoon ditter? CAF: But ofcourse! But first, we must have a pre-honeymoon ditter so we could come to a decision on where to spend our honeymoon! DA: Swooning marry me already! CAF: Not before our engagement celebration ditter or our pre-marriage ditter!

[ming-sik]

Finished my proof of concept art for the Devouring grays! In my AU Devouring children are taken as grays at their baptism while in the temple children are tested for it at birth, so all four of them get to experience some circumstances and I thought it'd be neat to work out some symbols associated with them and the gods in the process!

Extensive symbolism rambling under the cut

GENERAL:

Ehrenfest is in Ewigeliebe's domain, a region in northern YS known for its harsh winters and natural salt deposits. Salt and snow are both considered Ewigeliebe's symbols, as is the specific magic circle serving as a halo for all four of our priests. Ewigeliebe is also the patron of our resident High Priest, so their halos signify their living under his jurisdiction.

The Devouring is caused by a spirit of winter, and a certain type of the Devouring leading to frostbite-like symptoms means that red lines on the nose are a symbol of those suffering from it since the nose is one of the first places it appears. It's Geduldh's blood red because mana is a blessing from her to Ewigeliebe's creations in the first place which has turned to a curse in her anger at being betrayed by him. These are an artistic flourish, but the red lines embroidered on their cuffs serve to mark Devouring priests apart from the manaless grays in-universe.

The Goddess of Order shares the golden star pattern on the gray priests' cuffs(that's a star pattern, we all knew it was a star pattern when we saw it). It symbolically represents schtappe-sealing bracelets, as those in the temple have no right to use noble magic. The golden sashes are more directly alluding to the Godess of Light, who is also the goddess of piety. This specific shade is from a plant that's abundant and easy to process native to Ehrenfest, which is also why it's the duchy's signature color.

MYNE:

Myne is turned away from the camera, looking back suspiciously over her shoulder. She has a lot to hide and isn't being fully honest with anyone, keeping her heart well away from view. Although she's nearer to books than ever, she's unable to fully express her desire and they're just out of her grasp. Her lantern is a symbol of Leidenschaft, as she's guided by the fire of her passion and her memories of her family, who are all in some way strong with Leidenschaft and summer.

Her headscarf is a hand-me-down from Tuuli who was handed it down from her mother. Spring's green is common in young children's clothing in the hopes that it will give them a happy youth and bless their new life. Schutzaria's symbols run along the border, with her blessing bringing the wearer good health and defending them from evil spirits. Leidenschaft's symbols are just above them, hopefully ushering the child from spring to summer and encouraging them to grow up well. As she's the only Devouring gray to come from the lower city, she's the only one with a family heirloom, so it's fitting that it's a blessing for a happy youth that the rest of them were denied.

FRAN:

As the High Priest's favored Devouring gray, Fran bears several extra symbols of Ewigeliebe. In his mind, Ferdinand saved him from his abuse under the orphanage director, patching over the damage to his heart, although now his heart is fully within Ewigeliebe's control. He offers Schlaftraum's blessings of comfort, and as Geduldh, offers support to Ewigeliebe. Geduldh's chalice is filled with a different god's symbol depending on which season she's in, as well as directly alluding to figures associated with certain gods as it is here with salt. He's blinded by his devotion, unable to see Greifenchan's tears of unluckiness.

DELIA:

Like Fran, Delia is strong with Geduldh in winter and holds both her chalice as an offering and has Schlaftraum's flowers visible. Unlike him, she holds her offerings close to her chest, without exposing her heart, viewing them as these only as necessary sacrifices for her to one day escape the temple. Despite this, she too is blinded, unable to see the truth of her exploitation by the High Bishop.

GIL:

Gil is bound by his desperation for change and a new life, Flutrane's vines tying his hands, and Leidenschaft's spear trapped behind his back. He's unable to fulfill his role as a Devouring priest due to his bindings, hiding the embroidery showing his status from view. Unlike Fran and Delia, he's able to see clearly. Unlike Myne and Delia, his heart is exposed, although unlike Fran it belongs to nothing in particular, making him the odd one out all around.

[justapassingstranger]

I have to say I'm curious, too, about how nobles treat mana 'colors'. There is such an emphasis on mana or color contamination regarding pregnant woman, the birthing process, and infancy. And with that, I have to question, why?

We know a noble's colors exist, generally, as blessings from that color's god. We also know the more colors the better. So why is it that noble's wouldn't want more colors for their children through 'contamination'?

To answer this, I'd like to look at what is considered 'desirable' in brewing ingredients. In Rozemyne's lessons, we learn that the most valuable ingredients have the highest concentration of a single element, or they have HIGH QUANTITIES of all, or a high number, of elements. Low amounts of many elements are considered 'trash' mana or make up 'trash' feystones.

So the things we can derive that are important regarding colors is having a high amount of an element of mana, leading to more vivid colors. It's considered actively better to have less elements if it gives higher levels of mana in that/those affinities.

Take, then, the color of devouring commoners' mana. It is omni-elemental with a slight bias for the mana of the nearest country gate. Putting aside any mentioned mythological lore about devouring commoners being Geduldh's newest children sent to the garden, I infer that what happens to their colors is a direct result of the mana contamination that nobles so fear.

I also think devouring commoners' weak omni-elemental nature is meant to be a blessing so that, with prayer in the temple, their colors will be easier to strengthen given that they have the colors (godly acknowledgement) to begin with.

All of these problems with nobility, then, stem back to the villainization of the temple and removal of contact with the patron powers that set up this sanctuary and do their best to actively monitor it, despite apparently only being able to see/interact through mana.

Erwaermen has straight up given up on making humans stop killing each other, but in his eyes nobles and devouring commoners are exactly the same. By the mythology, the devouring commoners are even more in line as 'the blessed' he created the garden to save. But good luck getting people to share power and buck the traditions they themselves made because they got there first.

In the gods' eyes, anyone with less than archnoble levels of mana might as well not even exist, which would surely terrify the majority of noble society if they knew. (Or maybe not. They tend not to be very concerned with the gods, after all.)

the lie of nobility in ascendance of a bookworm

i wanted to write a quick meta about why the distinction between commoners and nobility in jurgenschmidt is a false one, a lie perpetuated to maintain an unjust social hierarchy.

in part one of ascendance of a bookworm, our protagonist, myne, slowly discovers that the illness she suffers from is known as "the devouring" and results from her having mana as a commoner. it is a relatively rare illness, we are told, and the evidence of this is the commoners' almost complete lack of awareness of its existence. the only commoners myne encounters who are familiar with this illness are extremely wealthy ones who have dealings with nobles.

one of these, frieda, is able to purchase magic tools from nobles that allow her to remove the mana from her body, preventing her from dying of the devouring. in the temple, myne learns she can dedicate mana to the divine instruments to save herself from dying.

later, once myne gets to know ferdinand in the temple, she begins to learn more about mana and noble society. she is taught that there are different social strata among the nobility, and they are divided based upon their amount of mana. only those with similar amounts of mana can successfully produce offspring together, so marriages among nobles are restricted to those whose mana matches. ferdinand informs her that, based on the fact that the original myne was on the verge of death at the age of five she was likely born with laynoble levels of mana. however, due to myne unconsciously compressing her mana from the time she regained urano's memories, she now has archnoble or higher levels or mana.

we encounter other commoners with the devouring, such as dirk, who is already near death at only six months old. ferdinand indicates that he was born with an amount of mana in the upper mednoble range. there was also benno's childhood sweetheart, liz, who had such a small amount of mana that the devouring didn't kill her until she was near adulthood. we also learn that occasionally gray shrine maidens who are being sexually exploited in the temple are impregnated by nobles or blue priests--in other words, people with mana.

while myne is told that the distinction between nobles and commoners is that nobles have mana and commoners don't, all of the above examples prove that this is actually a lie.

if nobles and commoners were genetically distinct in any meaningful way, people with the devouring wouldn't exist.

as myne learns more about using mana and mana compression, she is taught that she has a mana vessel, an organ inside her where her mana is stored and where she can compress that mana to increase her mana capacity. but myne was born from two commoner parents, effa and gunther, neither of whom has enough mana in them to cause the devouring. nevertheless, despite the fact that they lack mana themselves, they must have the genes necessary to develop a mana vessel. otherwise, how would myne have one?

frieda, dirk, and liz were also born among commoners, but the only way they could have significant enough levels of mana to cause the devouring is if they, too, were born with a mana vessel. it's also important to note that if commoners and nobles were truly genetically distinct, gray shrine maidens (of commoner origin) would never be able to conceive children with blue priests (born of noble parents) or nobles.

in other words, the story itself tells us that many commoners do have mana. "the devouring" is simply the consequences of those commoners being denied access to the magic tools necessary to expel that mana from their bodies. this is further demonstrated by the fate of philine's little brother, konrad. he was born among nobles but develops the exact same symptoms as the devouring once denied access to his childhood magic tool.

it's possible that, if not denied access to magic tools and knowledge about magic, most or even all jurgenschmidt commoners might be able to use mana.

within noble society, myne learns about noble pregnancy and the fact that pregnant nobles must carefully channel mana into their growing fetus. channeling too much mana will cause miscarriage. channeling too little means the child will be born with mana levels not befitting the family's rank. we see this happen with characters such as bezewanst and shikikoza. there's all kinds of horse-trading of children going on behind the scenes in noble society, fully exposing the falseness of the distinctions between different social levels of nobles. an archnoble child can be born with mednoble levels of mana, and vice versa. this is because the amount of mana a child is born with isn't determined by inheritance alone but rather by the effects of mana in utero.

if commoners had this knowledge and were taught how to intentionally channel mana as nobles are, pregnant commoners could similarly channel mana into their growing fetuses to ensure they are born with mana. in fact, something similar to this is likely what causes "the devouring" among commoners in the first place. pregnant commoners sometimes end up unintentionally being exposed to greater amounts of mana than usual--through their food, the ambient environment, contact with feystones, or the like--and that stimulates the accumulation of mana within the growing fetus.

what's more, those born with lower levels of mana can raise their level of mana to one considered appropriate to a different social stratum using a good mana compression method--just as myne and damuel manage to.

in conclusion, the commoners and nobles of jurgenschmidt comprise a single genetic population. there is no meaningful genetic distinction between them. they are able to reproduce with one another, and differences in amounts of mana between them are entirely due to environmental factors rather than genetic ones. the lack of mana-wielding commoner families is due to the nobles' intentional monopolization of knowledge about magic, which leads commoners with mana to die before they reach childbearing age--unless they enslave themselves to a noble.

the stratified society we see within present day jurgenschmidt is set up to reinforce this artificial distinction between commoner and noble, between laynoble and archnoble, between those with "the devouring" and nobles who have simply been denied access to magic tools. the system is set up to concentrate the power and wealth associated with mana in the hands of a few families at the top. the truth about the nobility of jurgenschmidt is that the supposed basis for their nobility, their exclusive possession of mana, is a lie.

[aramatientediada]

28 #Artober 2020, Calm

This family is so messed, only Geduldh keeps is able to chill.

[ojamajoprincess]

The background of this illustration is very suited to the start of winter. In universe, red is the divine color of winter, representing the color of the hearth. 

[stardustizuku]

God Games from EPIC but it’s Rozemyne trying to convince Schutzaria, the god of darkness, Geduldh, Ewigeliebe, and the goddess of light to not kill her wife (Ferdinand)

[the-alexel-lucas]

I empathize with Elvira so much, Blualnfah is dancing as Geduldh embraces Ewigeliebe.

I'm watching Sasaki and Miyano: Graduation and...I just...KYAAA!!!

[ascendance-bookworm]

Goddess of Earth, Geduldh

“High Priest. Lord Karstedt. I am glad the gods ordained we meet again. To me this is an auspicious day blessed by Geduldh the Goddess of Earth’s warmth, and I pray that you feel the same.” [LN 6]

Notable Facts and Quotes

Geduldh the Goddess of Earth

Originally the Earth Mother Goddess - One of the Eternal Five.

The chalice was the symbol of the Goddess of Earth accepting everyone and everything.

The divine color of winter is red. It is the color of the furnace, lessening the cold and granting hope.

A symbol of fertility, tolerance, and patience.

The mark of the playing cards is an inverted triangle ▼

The Goddess of Earth is the youngest daughter of the Goddess of Sunlight and the God of Darkness. [LN3]

Married to the God of Life, Ewigeliebe. The couple are collectively regarded as the winter god.

Warmth and Compassion

“Red is the divine color of Geduldh, the Goddess of Earth. It represents warmth and compassion, which is feminine, but not exactly what you seem to have been going for.” [LN7]

Symbol of Femininity

Geduldh the Goddess of Earth was considered the symbol of femininity, and the room was themed around her royal color of red, with bright-pink flower decorations covering everything. [LN8]

Chalice

The chalice looked something like a wine glass. Large feystones were embedded along its round bowl, with smaller ones dotting their way along its elaborately decorated stem down to the base. [LN6]

Subordinate Gods (12 Goddesses)

?

God of Life, Ewigeliebe

“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Hartmut, son of Leberecht. Lady Rozemyne, may I pray for a blessing in appreciation of this serendipitous meeting, ordained by the harsh judgment of Ewigeliebe?”

“You may.”“O Ewigeliebe, God of Life, may this new meeting be blessed.”  [LN10]

God of Winter - Married to the Goddess of Earth, Geduldh.

The sword was the symbol of the God of Life digging into the hard ground.

Divine color white.

Yandere god who wants to monopolize the earth goddess.

An indomitable symbol of rebirth and death.

Jack's position on playing cards.

The hair stick itself was decorated with large flowers that were a deep red to match the divine color of winter. They were gathered with lace into a bouquet, just as I had ordered, and adorned with bird feathers of a radiant white, the other divine color of winter. These two colors would match the outfit that I was planning to wear during my winter debut. [LN10]

As a little joke, Rozemyne selects a popular anime theme song for Ferdinand to unwittingly sing. Ferdinand and Rosina turned an anime song adored by kids into a melodramatic love song.

Bright, peaceful music flowed through the air as he sang in his deep, pleasantly reverberating voice, telling the tale of Ewigeliebe the God of Life offering up his love to Geduldh the Goddess of Earth. It was a song in which Ewigeliebe courted Geduldh by singing that he wished to know what made her happy, so while it was founded in religious legends, it was a love song.

Subordinate Gods (12 Gods)

Vantole, the God of Alcohol

“...Cheers to Vantole.” They clinked their cups together, cheering the god of alcohol before chugging their behelles down. [LN3]

Cuococalura, the God of Cooking

Judging by their conversation, the rich guy was named Benno and he was at the guild to look for an assistant chef. I felt my heart thump. I clenched my fists as I felt my pumping blood heat up with excitement. ...Could this be the guidance of Cuococalura, God of Cooking?! [LN5]

- - - - - -

- - -  Other Subordinate Gods and goddesses, I’m not sure who they serve. - - -

Goddess of Chaos

Goddess of Chaos, who had fallen in love with the God of Darkness despite it being taboo, and spurred the God of Life’s jealousy to turn him into a stalker. [LN6]

The symbol is a distorted ring.

The position of the joker in playing cards.

Liebeskhilfe, the Goddess of Marriage

“May we both meet the one tied to us by Liebeskhilfe the Goddess of Marriage’s threads.” [LN12]

* These are some of my notes as I re-read, I’m going to update this as I find more interesting things that I want to remember. *

[tada-no-honzuki]

Ascendance of a Bookworm Fanbook 4 Q&A [5/?]

This translation is not supposed to replace the official releases of the series. Please purchase the official fanbook when it becomes available!

Spoilers for Part 1 & 2? (Lots of temple-related matters!)

Ⓠ Nobles turn into feystones when they die, when a commoner without mana dies, does their corpse remain? For example, who has Liz’s feystone?

Ⓐ Unless they die an unusual death, like in battle, a noble’s corpse will remain for a certain period of time as well. The feystone is extracted from the body by a priest wielding the Sword of Life during the noble’s funeral ceremony. So, unless the feystone is extracted from the body, it will be lost. Liz’s feystone returned to Geduldh’s womb.

----

Ⓠ When a blue priest or child in the temple with mana dies, will the remaining feystone be given to the family, or does it belong to the temple?

Ⓐ The feystone from the blue priest would be given to their family. If they refuse to accept it, it will belong to the temple.

----

Ⓠ When nobles die, they turn into feystones, but what about commoners? If there is a difference between nobles and commoners, what will happen to Myne?

Ⓐ Commoners aren’t completely devoid of mana, but they have too little to turn into a feystone. Since Myne has a lot of mana, even among the nobles, she will turn into a relatively large feystone packed with densely compressed mana.

----

Ⓠ Are they any cases of blue priests secretly taking one of their own children, which they had with a gray shrine maiden, as their attendants?

Ⓐ It is a very rare occurrence, but it happens.

----

Ⓠ Did the blue priests who returned to noble society have a debut? Would it only be attended by their relatives, or did they have a proper winter debut? I’m curious, if they haven’t come of age yet, would they join the other children?

Ⓐ They debuted in the Great Hall along with the newly baptized children. If their parentage wasn’t made clear, it would be a sure cause for trouble, and they needed to prove they could conduct themselves as nobles.

----

Ⓠ Are the blue priests and shrine maidens who weren’t baptized as nobles and those who became servants because they didn’t have sufficient mana for their status considered commoners? How does this affect their baptism and the storage of their medals?

Ⓐ There are nobles and commoners among them. Blue priests and shine maidens must occasionally leave the city to perform religious ceremonies, and they are paid by the temple, so they must be baptized before they enter the temple to clarify their parentage. If they can make the magic tool that measures their mana shine, they will be treated as a noble, if they cannot, they will be treated as a commoner. Those who are likely to return to noble society will always be baptized. But among those who became servants, some aren’t baptized and lack a family register.

----

Ⓠ When a laynoble lacks mana or was born without it, would they become a “commoner”? What would happen if they didn’t have enough mana to be useful to their house as a servant, or if their family didn’t have enough money to send them to the temple?

Ⓐ Those without mana cannot become nobles. They could become commoners, but they are more likely to become unregistered servants. If most children of a family do not qualify as nobles, the family is most likely ruined already. The best solution would be to move out of the city to Giebe-ruled land, have their children baptized as commoners, and gradually mingle with the commoners. If they decide to remain in the city, they will have to adopt a child of their relatives who would make a suitable head of the family. If the head of the family refuses to recognize reality and desperately clings to life in the city, the whole family will be wiped out eventually.