#Gilded Empire 1

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Broken Crown by MJ Crouch

Gilded Empire #1

Marianna Elizabette Marcosa – “Mari” – was as a mafia princess knowing she was destined to be bartered in marriage to a man that would strength the mafia family. She grew up in Seattle, learned all that her twin brother was taught by their father, but never thought the leadership of the family would fall to her. She has worked hard to maintain control and though still into some shady and criminal activities, has put in effort to clean things up a bit and make Seattle safer for the crime lords and the city in general.

Mari has a well-oiled team that have promised loyalty to her and the Marcosa family – and they know the consequences for not keeping their sworn promise. Business is good but vigilance is necessary at all times as is maintaining alliances between the city’s crime lords. The boat is rocked with the assassination of a cousin followed by the arrival of a new player who intends to take over the city.

Mari has devoted her life to the Marcosa Family Enterprise, has fought and bled for them, protects them, has lost friends and family due to the business they are in, and has few people she truly trusts and can rely on. Who does she have in her corner? A young woman who is a designer and wants out from under being a mafia princess herself. A cousin that is close as a brother. A housekeeper. Her soldiers. And three men who love her and would die for her.

- There is a man who has been at her side from childhood, is her best friend, protective, and her second in command,

- There is another man she knew as a teen who has just returned, he has memories of Mari that don’t quite hive with how she is now so some things to work through while working as the underboss

- And finally, there is a good Samaritan that shows up to help change a tire, gets pulled into a shootout, works as a bartender in Gilded – he has secrets that I want to have revealed.

This is the first book in a series. Once I picked the book up, I couldn’t put it down. There is a cliffhanger ending BUT I am hopeful things will work out well for the person in jeopardy because…there is a second book coming out soon. The main characters are people I can relate to and would like to have as friends. I’m not sure I could be Mari but do enjoy reading about her life and wonder how she will eventually handle the men who love her BUT I can’t wait to find out!

Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

BLURB

I was raised to be a mafia wife—a bargaining chip, a tool, a toy. All that was expected of me was to look beautiful and stay quiet. I never anticipated becoming queen of the Marcosa empire. But when my father and brother were killed, there was no other choice. For six years I’ve learned to become ruthless, strategic, and deadly—to keep my empire intact. That path has been stained with my enemies’ blood. And sometimes my own. Now a new enemy has appeared. He hides in the shadows determined to destroy me piece by painful piece. With everything falling apart, I am unsure of who to trust. Except for the three men at the very foundation of my survival: Greyson - My best friend, my second-in-command, my savior. We’ve been bound together since birth and will remain so until we leave this life behind. Dominic – My new underboss with molten eyes and a smile made for war. He was my first. He’s determined to be my last. He brings out a gentle side in me I don’t know if I can afford. Nate – My good Samaritan who is also a weapon, a killer—I can’t let myself forget that. He has secrets, which sometimes prove deadly in my world. But resisting him isn’t an option. Danger is coming at me from all sides. Without my three men, I won’t survive. They’ll burn the world to the ground to keep me safe. But that may not be enough. ••••• Author’s note: Broken Crown is the first book in the Gilded Empire series and ends on a cliffhanger. This is a Why Choose romance with violence, dark themes, and ruthlessly possessive—and protective—men

[inbetweenhours]

More of my parent/family musings about the empire characters! Got inspired and finished off my ideas for the season 1 cast!

vvv Links to other musings below vvv [Shrub here | Scott, Sausage, & Seablings here | Joel, Joey, & Katherine here]

Anyways, my art style slipped out of the cartoonish way it had been doing the others in this series so these are more normal sketches than the others.

under the cut I'll drop some quick ideas I have about the parents, like I have on previous posts for those interested :] Enjoy!

First up are LeeryDoe and KeenBronze! I'm sure the Grimland's naming scheme is making a bit of sense seeing the family all next to one another. Both the twins parents are Grimland's engineers, while LeeryDoe specializes more in concept and planning vs KeenBronze expertise in metalworking they make a pretty good team! They're a pretty normal family with their ups and downs. Not perfect by any means but there is care even when they don't necessarily fit together well. I could take about them ages but we see glimpses of them in my fic War on our Shores so I won't blab here lol.

Quick Note on Fwhips name, "Fwhip" is a nickname for FailWhip which google tells me is his old username. I have translated this to mean that the idea of "failing" isn't a bad thing in the Grimland and it has more associations with the idea of learning and perseverance or progress which is why its not a miserable baby name lol.

Pearl and her parents! I had some trouble with them since my Pinterest board for Helianthians is a bit difficult for me. But I managed! Her mum is guardian of Helianthia before Pearl inherits the title. She may be called the farmer queen by other nations, but Guardian is her official title. I don't have too many thoughts about them, they're farmers, they do politics when they need to, they're pretty chill mostly. Baby Pearl was difficult to design tho.

Pix was by far the most difficult child to design just because a big thing about identifying Pix's character in art for me is his age and especially his beard and taking that tire and age away really makes him hard to identify. I managed though lol.

Pix's parent I don't have many thoughts for outside of the idea of them being very haunted. Very tired haunted eyes, between being queen and being the keeper of the vigil I think they're a rather mourning duo and Pix's childhood was kinda emotionally weird because of that.

anyway that's all i got, so long till i figure out my season 2 cast maybe! :] feel free to ask questions about this i love my fanon lore a lot lol

[severevoiddragon]

maybe do Gilided Helianthia Gem?

Anon thank you so much for requesting this, I was genuinely hoping somebody would ask me to do this swap request

Sunflowers are hard to draw, gem is pretty, shoes are also hard to draw. Those are the 3 things I learnt while drawing this xD

[emperorpearl-ofthefarmlands]

Intro post !!

☀️🌾🌻🌾☀️🌾🌻🌾☀️🌾🌻🌾☀️🌾🌻🌾☀️

Roleplay blog of e1!Pearl, my main is @justalilpearlie

He/Xe ooc, you can just call me Pearl. I speak esp/eng

This acc will use my own ships and headcanons

Feel free to interact and send asks! Even if you dont have a rp account! You can just sign off or rp as yourself instead of an emperor, just have fun!

I'll play Pearl however I deem in-character, if you have a problem with it you can block me, this is my take in the character, trying to stay as canon as I posible can.

No nsfw, I'm a minor. I use slurs freely and untagged, tho theyre all ones I can reclaim, such as the t slur, f slur and r slur.

☀️🌾🌻🌾☀️🌾🌻🌾☀️🌾🌻🌾☀️🌾🌻🌾☀️

Roleplay info:

She/He pronouns

Terms Queen & Emperor good!! King & Empress are- not preferred but alright.

Verinix Gendervoid Bigender

Queer/mlm

Pearl is Sausage, Fwhip and Gem's cousin, they grew up together.

Pearl sees Pixl as a father figure of sorts.

Avian with golden wings and pointy ears.

Does not remember any other SMP (might make another rp acc for life series)

☀️🌾🌻🌾☀️🌾🌻🌾☀️🌾🌻🌾☀️🌾🌻🌾☀️

Ships I will and wont do:

Majormoon ✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️ (main ship)(mlm)

Flower husbands ❌️❌️❌️❌️❌️ (DNI)

Any WRA ship (aka gempearl, sausage x fwhip, fwhip x sausage, etc) ❌️❌️❌️❌️❌️ (dni + theyre family in this acc)

Jausage ✔️

Fwhimmy ✔️

Fwhip x Pixl ❌️

Sausage x Pixl ❌️

Joey x Xornoth ✔️

Guns n Roses ✔️

Literally any other ship is okay as long as its legal and yknow not related ✔️✔️

☀️🌾🌻🌾☀️🌾🌻🌾☀️🌾🌻🌾☀️🌾🌻🌾☀️

#Gilded Helianthia - All posts

#awnsering to the people - Asks tag

#talking to the people - Text posts

#a view of the farmlands - Picture posts

#[title][characters name] - Talking about/Sent by another ruler

#snowy crops - Empires 1 Pearl x Scott

#majormoon - Main Pearl x Scott tag

#my dearest scottsy - about the Elven King

#wither rose alliance - Pearl, Sausage, Gem and Fwhip

#my dearest cousins - about Gem and/or Sausage and/or Fwhip

#my dearest father - about Pixlriffs

☀️🌾🌻🌾☀️🌾🌻🌾☀️🌾🌻🌾☀️🌾🌻🌾☀️

Thats all for today!! Thank you, might update ^^

[shifty-boy-inc]

Theres lesbians dancing at the Gilded Helianthia harvest festival

[tinapaysmp]

The life series is starting again and I am very hype about it, but I've been making a bunch of Empire s1 headcanons and notes for the past week.

[lovecoredeity]

━━━✥♛ Cake Narcissus Heartfilia ♛✥━━━

Make way for Princess Cake Narcissus Heartfilia of the Crystal Empire! Though she should be the one sitting on the throne, the Crystal Empire strictly prohibits the rise of a queen and insists that a male heir be the one to take the throne instead. Cake is the mother of four children, Cassiopeia, Calliope, Cardamom and Cashmere. Cake and her husband, Conquest were wed through an arranged marriage which no one knows the exact details of. Cake has high expectations for her children and the kingdom which they are destined to rule, unfortunately few of her children actually meet those expectations. Cake is condescending and controlling but hides her true nature behind a kind and caring mask. Cake is a powerful and respected sorcerer.

❥ Additional fun fact #1! The Crystal Empire is referred to as “the Gilded Kingdom” or “the Kingdom of Fools” by those who oppose it!

❥ Additional fun fact #2! Each member of the Heartfilia family has a middle name that is a poisonous plant!

♡ if you like my art please consider buying me a kofi ♡

[dalekowrites]

What would your favourite choice of the games interactive stories be? Would you have a favourite type? Romance, Fantasy etc. and did any of the inspire you with the ones you are currently writing? 😁

Oh boy! This is going to be a long answer, brace yourself lol

Let me start by saying that I have a degree in English literature (in fact, I'm going to do a PhD on it), so reading, in general, is one of the core activities of my life.

As for text adventures, even if not from Choice of Games Ltd., I'd like to mention a few inspirations: my passion first came from the original Choose Your Own Adventure series, and I still remember which numbers obsessed me as a child: Mountain Survival #28, The Dragons' Den #33, and more than any other, Space Patrol #22! (The latter may have also fueled my unhealthy obsession with Star Trek TOS, actually). For those unfamiliar with this fantastic book series, the genres of the three books I mentioned are, respectively, adventure, fantasy, and sci-fi. This gives you an idea of how varied my tastes are...

Later on, I discovered interactive fictions and text adventures. Dude, it was a dream come true. I started with Adventure ('76, never finished it, of course) and Zork ('79, never finished that either… of course. How damn hard were they?!). Then Mystery Mansion ('78), Castle Adventure ('82), and too many, many others. I'm a sucker for Sorcery! from inkle, and I deeply loved Magium (RIP Chris, you won't be forgotten). For my Italian-speaking friends, I also really enjoyed the Fra Tenebra e Abisso series (although its current status is unknown).

But back to CoG-related things. I've read a lot, and I'd probably be faster telling you what I didn't like! As you may have figured out by now, I don't have any particular genre preferences as long as a story is well-written, though horror-thriller stories usually grab my attention more easily.

Important note: I've read a lot of stories and, with a few exceptions, I liked most of them. To avoid writing a too-long list, here are the published stories that really impressed me:

A Crown of Sorcery and Steel,

A Midsummer Night's Choice,

Blood for Poppies,

Blood Moon,

Broadway: 1849,

Choice of the Cat,

Choice of the Vampire,

Donor,

Doomsday on Demand (1 and 2),

Gilded Rails,

Golden Rose: Book One,

Jazz Age,

Lies Under Ice,

Life of a Mercenary,

Life of a Space Force Captain,

MetaHuman Inc.,

Noblesse Oblige,

Paradox Factor,

The Evertree Saga (all four books),

Rent-a-Vice,

Revolution Diabolique,

Siege of Treboulain,

Tally Ho,

The Daily Blackmail,

The Dragon and the Djinn,

The Fernweh Saga: Book One,

The Fog Knows Your Name,

The Gray Painter,

The Grim and I,

The Ghost and the Golem,

The Lost Heir,

The Midnight Saga: The Monster,

The Parenting Simulator,

The Play's the Thing,

The Soul Stone War (1 and 2),

The War for the West,

Tudor Intrigue,

Vampire Regent,

Vampire: The Masquerade (all of them),

Way Walkers: University (1 and 2),

Welcome to Moreytown,

Werewolves: Haven Raising,

Zombie Exodus,

Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven.

And now, onto works in progress! There aren’t that many because I barely have time to follow my own (heh…), so here, in alphabetical order, are the ones I'm following with the most interest:

Adoriel's Tears (@adoriels-tears-if),

A Father's Love (@kal-down),

Crown of Ashes and Flames (@coeluvr),

Dawn Chorus (@dawnchorus-if)

Disenchanted (@disenchantedif),

Dragon's Edged (@dragonedged-if),

Elysium (@elysiumcircusif),

Fallen Lights (@fallenlightsif),

For King and Country (@forkingandcountry-if),

From The Ashes We Rise (@kal-down),

Hubris (@hubris-the-if-game),

Kingdoms and Empires (@kingdoms-and-empires),

Return to Misty Cove (@fluorescent-if),

The Abyssal Song (@ri-writes-if),

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - An affair of the heart (@doriana-gray-games),

The Lonely Shore (@thelonelyshore-if),

The King's Hound (@the-kingshound),

The Reaper Watches Me (@thereaperwatchesme),

The Bureau (@thebureau),

The Unseelie (@theunseelieif),

Van Helsing (@vanhelsing-if),

When Life Gives You Lemons (@when-life-gives-you-lemons-if).

Okay, that was… a lot. As for direct inspirations, I don't have any direct ones, but I can say I felt like writing a post-apocalyptic story after reading Doomsday on Demand! Other than that, I guess the collection of narrative, text adventures, and interactive fiction I've read have led me to where I am now.

Damn, it took me hours to write this answer. I hope it's satisfying at least! Thanks for asking ☺

[crazerk]

The Shah’s Harem Pt 1: The Imperial Consorts.

A brief introduction to the women of Khazunef's harem. Note that this does not include the MC or odalisques recently added to the Shah's harem. These women were part of his harem when he was a still a prince. I feel like I’ve used the word harem a lot. Oh well, harem.

☀️ Empress Yaris.

Yaris is the Imperial consort of the realm. The officially recognized wife of the Shah, and highest ranking woman in the empire, save the imperial dowager.

She is an intelligent, ruthless, and politically savvy woman who feels frustrated by the constraints of her role as imperial consort. She yearns for more power and influence in running the empire but is often met with polite dismissal in favor of her husband.

Yaris and Khazunef's relationship is complicated and strained. Having been wed to him when he was an inexperienced 17-year-old, Yaris expected to be able to control and mold him, essentially wielding power through him. While this worked initially, Khazunef has grown into an independent ruler, much to Yaris' annoyance. She views him with a mix of condescension and resentment, still seeing him as the child she married rather than the man he's become.

🌿 Consort Nimeda

Her father sent her to the prince's harem as a gesture of goodwill to forge an alliance with the future shah.

Nimeda has a gentle, dignified bearing that reflects her upbringing as nobility. While initially nervous about being so far from home, she carries herself with quiet confidence.

As Nimeda settles into harem life, she finds herself increasingly drawn to the charismatic young prince Kaz. She admires his intelligence and drive, and begins to develop romantic feelings for him, though she's careful not to let it show too openly. Nimeda sees an opportunity to secure her family's position through gaining the shah's favor.

🌊 Consort Saline

As the coddled daughter of a wealthy merchant, Saline is used to a life of privilege and luxury. She's beautiful and she knows it, carrying herself with a haughty air. Being selected for the imperial harem fed into Saline's vanity and ambitions. She believes it's her destiny to enchant the future shah and become his favorite.

Saline is immediately taken by Prince Kaz's good looks and his aura of power. She sets out to win his attention through flattery and seduction, viewing the other consorts as rivals and she's not above using her family's wealth and connections to scheme as well.

While she can be catty and condescending to those she views as beneath her, Saline knows how to turn on the charm and act the part of an alluring, sophisticated consort when needed. She's determined to secure her position at all costs, even if she risks making enemies within the harem.

🐺 Consort Nyserin

Raised in a militaristic household, Nyserin was taught from a young age to be tough and disciplined. As the daughter of a northern king, weakness was never tolerated. Her father sending her to the shah's harem as part of a peace treaty was a bitter pill to swallow. Nyserin feels like a prisoner in a gilded cage, her pride chafes at her new status.

Nyserin is known for her sharp tongue and icy demeanor. She's not afraid to speak her mind, often in cutting remarks, which hasn't endeared her to the others. Beneath her prickly exterior though, she is highly intelligent with a keen strategic mind. She recognizes that the harem is its own battlefield requiring different weapons.

While Nyserin would never admit it aloud, she can't help but grudgingly admire the shah's strength and military cunning, qualities she respects. There's an undercurrent of reluctant attraction even as she resents him.

🦁 Consort Zahra

Though a foreign princess from a conquered rebel kingdom, Zahra carries herself with regal bearing even in defeat. She was sent to the shah's harem to ensure her people's continued subservience, a role she deeply resents. Zahra views the opulent palace as a symbol of her homeland's humiliation and suffering. 

Zahra has a distant, melancholy air, often appearing lost in thought as if remembering a life now lost to her. She tends to look down on the decadence and petty intrigues around her. However, Zahra's wry sense of humor occasionally slips out, hinting at a sharp mind behind the aloof mask. Her and Nyserin's similar backgrounds lead to an unlikely friendship.

While outwardly indifferent to the shah, Zahra is wise enough to realize that he holds her people's fate in his hands. She's torn between wanting to hate him as a conqueror and knowing she must find a way to secure his mercy for her kingdom.

🪽 Concubine Brielle

Lady Brielle was once a celebrated beauty of the Amethine court, daughter of a high-ranking duke. Amethine culture emphasizes chivalry, courtly love and romance. From a young age, Brielle was entranced by tales of knights pledging devotion to fair maidens. She dreamed of a grand passion for herself.  

However, Brielle's life took an unexpected turn when she was pledged in marriage to a brutish, much older nobleman to secure a political alliance. Horrified at being trapped in a loveless union, Brielle begged her father to reconsider. Moved by her pleas, the duke sent her to the shah's harem instead, hoping she might find a better fate as a cherished concubine than as a mistreated wife.

Brielle's romantic nature persists in her new life. She's often lost in daydreams, sighing over snatches of love poems. Some of the more ruthless pragmatic concubines view her as pawn for manipulation, but Brielle's kind heart has won her a few devoted friends. She clings to hope that the shah might be the true love she's longed for.

🪭 Concubine Junli

Junli was born and raised in the kingdom of Xinghai. As a girl, she was chosen to train as a palace entertainer for her intelligence, beauty and talent. She excelled in poetry, music, dance and the art of conversation, becoming one of the most sought-after companions in the royal court.

When an alliance was formed between Xinghai and the Sharazad empire, the Xinghai king gifted Junli to the valide as a sign of goodwill. While saddened to leave her home, Junli also saw it as an opportunity.

She's one of the few who loves to read and write, often penning verses and love letters for the other concubines. Her trained entertainer's mask rarely slips, but Junli is always observing, gathering information to aid in her subtle machinations.

Junli captivates Khazunef with her beauty, elegance and wit. He's drawn to her creativity and learning, the way she weaves poetry and hidden meanings into their conversations. Junli is skilled at being an entertaining companion, seeming to anticipate Khazunef's moods. She uses her favor with the shah to lobby for trade relations with her homeland.

[empire-if]

DEMO (TBA)

After rising to the top do you have what it takes to stay there? Do you even want to?

Hollywood; the crown jewel of California. An unconquerable entity that stands the test of time despite various setbacks. Rising to the top was a long and arduous journey but you have done just that.

Sitting upon your throne of broken promises and fanciful lies— all of them being gilded in gold. Leaving behind your past without a second glance back. Childish merriment was replaced with the flashing lights of cameras. Grass-stained jeans turning to designer clothes. You never wanted to go back to what you used to be.

That is until the pesky problems of death threats start to become an actual concern. To your team and the authorities at least.

Meaning you have to leave behind your mansion in the hills for your parents two bedroom house in Airedale, Maine.

How are you going to deal with your past and present clashing? And what will you do about someone wanting you dead?

Empire is Rated 18+ for explicit language, sexual themes, drug/alcohol use, questionable behavior, mentions of murder, and more.

♛ FEATURES ♛

Customizable MC: name, sexuality, gender, appearance, vices, your mansion, and more as things begin to crop up within the story.

Choose what type of Star you have been to the public-- have you been the media's darling or more of black sheep? With a smattering of vices that have helped you cope with the stress of Hollywood.

Have you done something so horrible that it warrants someone wanting you dead? Was your last performance truly that bad? Or is it something a bit closer to home?

Romance 1 of 5 options that will offer something unique. Will you fall for your old sweetheart again; did you ever stop loving them? Or will you fall for the pesky journalist that is coming just a little too close for comfort? Time will tell.

Will your empire, the one you’ve fought so hard for, crumble into dust? Or will you rise above it all?

♛ THE ROs ♛

Scott/Scarlett Frost ♛ He/Him or She/Her ♛ 29 ♛

Your high school sweetheart/ex-fiancé has since become a veterinarian in the small town of Airedale. Light blue eyes still shining with the same warmth as you remember. Though it was a gaze filled with understandable weariness.

Edward/Elizabeth Holland ♛ He/Him or She/Her ♛ 30 ♛

Your costar from your most recent film. Who also happens to be your current PR significant other. Unfortunately, that also means that they have to come with you to not completely ruin everything you both have been implementing. You just hope everything ends up working out all right.

Victor/Victoria Swann ♛ He/Him or She/Her ♛ 29 ♛

The bad kid turned Deputy Sheriff in the small town of Airedale. A sight that you weren’t expecting to see at all when returning. Nor were expecting the reaction you got from them when they finally saw you once again.

Carter Griffith ♛ He/Him or She/Her ♛ 28 ♛

An old family friend has come to town for your class reunion; because of course, your reunion has to be whenever you’re forced to come back. Sly remarks and amused smiles are still a common entity with Carter. You wouldn’t expect anything less from them though.

Taylor Brennan ♛ He/Him or She/Her ♛ 28 ♛

The journalist that’s getting a little too close for comfort but maybe that’s your own fault too. You just have to make sure that you don’t let anything too detrimental slip out. As bad press wouldn’t be the worst thing you’d have to worry about then.

[minecraftbookshelf]

My favorite thing about translating season 1 of empires into a slightly less Minecrafty setting is that the instant you start applying any kind of vaguely “realistic” rules to it, Gilded Helianthia becomes an absolute political powerhouse.

[ancientcharm]

The Roman cup that changes color, so-called Lycurgus Cup. 

The Lycurgus Cup, a cage-cup ( diatreta ) made of dichroic glass, Late Roman Empire, 300s AD. Gilded silver rim and foot were probably added in the late 1700s. Information provided by the British Museum : "its glass contains tiny amount of gold and silver which cause it to turn from opaque green to translucent red when light is shone through." 

 British Museum.

Photo credit:

1: Marie-Lan Nguyen / CC BY 2.5 / Wikimedia Commons

3: Johnbod / CC BY-SA 3.0 /Wikimedia Commons

4: Vassil/ Wikimedia Commons/ CC0

5: British Museum Collection /CC BY-SA 4.0

[yournewlodger]

I think the self-built criminal empire "drag yourself up by the bootstraps" ification of Oswald Cobblepot is indicative of a larger problem with Batman that refuses to address that hey, maybe billionaire politicians who hoard all the wealth with a refusal to relate to or in any way help the less fortunate, are bad maybe. Like of course the Penguin is a self-made criminal immigrant mob boss, because these days you can only be a Batman villain if you are 1.) Mentally Ill or 2.) An Immigrant. And I'm not saying there's anything wrong with characters being immigrants. Before you say "how dare you piss on the poor" please understand I'm talking about intent when you see these characters always presented as villains.

And I'm all for reimagining characters for the modern lens, and I fully understand the inherent problematic nature of a character like The Penguin, and maybe I will be Bobo the Fool when The Penguin (the show) comes out, but I think reframing the Penguin as something out of The Godfather severely misses the point. Not only because never more have I wanted superhero media to critique billionaire criminal politicians running for public office (historically, the Penguin's whole bit), but because we don't need the Penguin to be something out of The Godfather. We have someone for that already. And clearly they know that. Because his name is Carmine Falcone.

I think that this notion that the only crime in Gotham City has to be drugs, prostitution, human trafficking, and domestic terrorism severely misunderstands the inherent whimsical nature of superheroes, and historically the Penguin. I mean we are circlejerking into infinity a self-hatred in superhero media. His name isn't even Oswald Cobblepot anymore. When's the last time the Penguin had an umbrella?

And here's the thing. I like Gotham (2014 - 2019). I do. But that universe at least understood that the Penguin is aesthetically ridiculous. Try as they may to present him as a threat, but he will always be a guy who calls himself Penguin.

I do think this problem started with Batman Returns. I'm not here explicitly to critique that version of the Penguin, but I do think it's where we began to lose the plot. Because once again the Penguin is presented as an underdog, a minority, an outcast. And again I ask you to think about intent when the Penguin is a villain and Batman is not. But that movie had Max Shreck to balance it out. What do we have now?

They are so, so allergic to presenting the rich as villains, because they'd be calling themselves out. Because calling the Penguin what he is, a cartoonish portrayal of a wealthy Gilded Age capitalist who preys on the less fortunate to further and further elevate his own wealth, doesn't align with their messaging, which is "billionaires are so awesome, and more importantly, infallible." The Penguin is meant to be an antithesis to Bruce Wayne, who is also generationally wealthy, but most importantly a philanthropist. Bruce Wayne is supposed to be someone who dedicates all he has to making Gotham City a better place, which also includes helping reform Gotham’s villains. But these days we see a man who more and more seems less like a hero, and more like a Penguin. Because if Bruce Wayne cared about Gotham City, really cared, beating every one of his villains to a pulp, just shy of his "no kill" quota, would be less of his focus. I mean how does a man with near unlimited resources allow institutions like Arkham Asylum to exist, let alone send his bad guys there?

And yeah, I know. The answer is the Batman mythos has turned it into The Good Place. His world is too complicated to do any real good. And yes, I know, it mirrors our world too. But why is it that the people who are pointing out that corruption, these We Live In A Society types, the villains? Why are they always the one presented as "insane" for pointing out what's right in front of them? And when's the last time Bruce Wayne did charity work, anyway? Tell me, who are we supposed to be rooting for in the end?

Anyway, the summary is this: The Penguin isn't a Capitalist anymore. The Penguin isn't even a Cobblepot anymore. Who is he? Because he isn't the Fine Feathered Fink I know. And we all know why. And personally, I'm sick of it.

[teapot-of-tyrahn]

I humbly request an Esmp 1 Pearl (vs Xornoth maybe?)

Galaxy Duo ftw!

The Ruler of Gilded Helianthia had always loved to fight. Xornoth knew this well. The Farmer Queen had an unquenchable thirst for battle, a yearning for a challenge, a gallantry which had made her fearless and puerile when they'd first met. Even when it had sent ravagers, vexes, illusionists, strays, blazes… even when her Empire had begun to burn to the ground around her, rooftops ablaze and every crevice filled with craters, she had still treated it all as a game. As if his attack was nothing more than a sparring session, a brief skirmish, a squabble. Xe had thought her to be fatuous, at first, foolish for trying to provoke a demon which could fling her thousands of blocks into the air at the flick of a wrist into one-on-one combat, a reckless ruler with a death wish. He had thought her taunts had been nothing but ridiculing reviles —  “Ooh, baby zombie! The most threatening thing so far-", “Xornoth, can you come around more often? Like, I’m having a great time right now!” —  the likes of which had gotten under xir skin more than it wanted to admit… but that wasn't the case. She hadn't been deriding it: worse. She had been humouring them. She sincerely hadn't been taking him seriously. She hadn't been afraid. Not of death; not of xem, not of lava, heights or sorcery. She was fearless. All she cared about was having a fun fight. In some ways, Xornoth respected this. In others, however, he wanted to take advantage of it. Like xe had taken advantage of his other underlings' lust for power, it was hoping they could distort her adversarial nature into bloodlust for his own gain. It didn't seem like it would be a difficult stretch to turn her vigour into vindictiveness. Unfortunately, despite xir and Sausage's efforts, it had been for naught. The Moon's morality had been surprisingly unshakeable, her loyalty to her alliance impossible to subvert or suborn. It was a shame, really; it would have loved to have such a powerful Emperor in their arsenal, but alas, it hadn't been meant to be. The Sunflower Queen hadn't been entirely nugatory, however. The Mythland Arena Massacre truly had been a spectacle. The only thing he regretted about the event is that it had to be a ruse. Truly, it would have loved to fight her again, to test both of their mettle and mold. But he had bigger plans to attend to. Plans xe couldn't allow The Ruler of Smallholding to interrupt. And, so, it had to get her out of the way. They wouldn't kill her, though, no; after all she had done for it? That would be unjust. She deserved a reward for her assistance. And xe knew the perfect one. He'd give her exactly what she had wanted. The Ruler of Gilded Helianthia had always loved to play games. The Ruler of Gilded Helianthia had always loved to fight. And, so, it would send her to a play a game where she could fight to her hearts' content, where she could really be challenged. A game of a death; a game to the death. A dream come true for her… almost too literally. A dream she wouldn't know was true. Sweet dreams, Farmer Queen. Watch out for the boogeymen beneath your bed.

— — —  i can't be the only one INSANE about how xornoth was CANNONICALLY implied to be responsible for sending esmp1 pearl to last life / the life games ,,,,, that he trapped her in a coma, a sleep that lasted so long that when she woke up her kingdom filled with cobwebs ,,,,,, ANYWAY GALAXY DUO FTW !!!

[your-local-crypt1d]

More WRA and Roseblings headcanons 🥀

Part 1!

Gem inherited her mothers' green eyes, whereas fWhip inherited his father's blue. After she transitioned, people would often say she looked just like their mother, to the point it was uncomfortable. Gem never knew her mother, she doesn't share the grief of her people (as much as she understands why they grieve, she finds it hard to sympathise), and being thrown mournful glances and overhearing hushed whispers of the late empress left a bitterness inside even if she knew it was illogical to be upset over it.

"What do you know of my mother? I did not even know my mother!" Has been a phrase Gem's regrettably snapped more times than she'd like privy

Just the complicated feelings/experiences children of a mother who died during childbirth having to deal with growing up, especially when that mother was such a beloved political figure as Grand Empress MelodiaRose of the Wither Rose Dynasty

All traditional Grimmish names are compounds. it stems from their language having a logographic writing system (e.g. Chinese), so it contains a separate glyph for each word or phrase. Traditionally, Grimmish parents choose two words and/or names and compound them together for their children.

As mentioned in the previous part, fwhips' name is a poor translation between mythic and common, and it means "someone who gets back up after being knocked down".

Gemini comes from the tradition of the firstborn heir being named after a constellation or celestial body, and then Tay is a synonym of May in Grimmish. May/Tay in Grimmish has to do with the rising sun, and it symbolises the heir being the rising Emperor of their nation. Not that that happens with Gem, though.

So Gem has a very similar name to her father (like John vs. Jack levels of similar) and looks almost identical to her mother.

Unlike in other empires, adoption in the Grimmish royal family means being included in the line of succession, and having the same rights to inheritance as blood-related children.

With a large portion of the population being non-human ("monsters"), monster hunters historically have been a very big problem for the residents of the Grimlands. The heads on spikes and towering walls are to keep the hunters out.

This leads to many orphaned children in the Grimlands and surrounding empires, especially orphaned vampire children since Vampires are fiercely protective of their young to their dying breaths. Adoption is a large part of Grimmish culture, and they take it very seriously.

Their foster system is the best in the realm, support workers for children in the system are highly regarded (in the same way soldiers and doctors are), and as mentioned, royal adoptees have the same legal rights to inheritance as their adopted siblings.

Hence why Sausage, an adopted child, was allowed to become king of Mythland when he had no blood ties to the royal lineage.

Speaking of, I think Sausage would make iron friendship bracelets for the other Wither Rose Alliance members. Pearls' has sunflowers carved into the metal and inlaid with yellow gems. Gems' has amethyst pendants in the shape of magical symbols. fWhips' is painted black with little spiked studs painted red.

Sausage has a lot of scars from growing up, and when asked about them he has a running joke of always coming up with inconsistent and elaborate lies on how he got them, fWhip is in on it too. He's told the same advisor three different stories about how he got the scar on his upper arm (a warden, falling down a cliffside, stabbed by an assassin). No one knows the real story except Sausage, not even his siblings, but that's just Sausage for you.

With the surplus of crops, especially wheat, in Gilded Helanthia, I think baking would be a very popular and cheap hobby. Also popularised by their Queen taking an interest in it. Pearl usually makes pastries, tarts, and breads which she'll bring to WRA meetings for taste testing.

Gem doesn't have traditional courtiers as most rulers do, she has a large family of Allays who live in her tower and do nice fae things like cleaning up and bringing her important documents. Only occasionally do they hide things from her, or take coins, but Gem finds it hard to be mad when they technically "work" for her unpaid. The Allays don't seem to mind, though.

Along with that, Copper Golems aren't an uncommon sight in the Grimlands and Pixandria, the copper supplied from the latter and the engineering from the former. The Copper Golems around Eastvale are what inspired a young fWhip to take up engineering in the first place.

And native to the northern regions of Gilded Helanthia and further up north into Mythland and the Codlands are Glares. Just to round it all out. I imagine the Glares around the swamp have the moss cloaks (like depicted in-game), whereas ones from Mythlandic dark oak forests lean towards liverwort and fungus, and the ones from the Plains of Gilded Helanthia coontails and vines.

[lalalian]

aethergarde academy interior pt.2

date: september 15, 2024

I was gonna post this yesterday but I didn't wanna spam a bunch of posts, yk?

Part 1 here!

Anyway, before we get to the images, let's talk take a quick look at a map.

Aethergarde Academy, as seen in the script, is located on a floating island. Unlike Naurena, Aethergarde's floating island isn't manmade, it's naturally occurring.

I wrote this in my script awhile ago but I'm pretty sure it's not in the public script.. you can place this paragraph the More Travel Details dropdown under the pic of Aethergarde's school building:

"The city that owns the territory Aethergarde resides in is called Itresal (ee-treh-sul), which is the capital of the Empire. It’s a very affluent city, and many many people want to live here (it's not cheap to live in Itresal though). The festivals here tend to be pretty extravagent, and there's always tons of vendors in certain streets. Do expect to see traveling merchants often at the docks or in festivals and vendor populated areas."

norcross archipelago:

This is essentially the play area for dragons, though many dragons also like to lounge around Tybees and Plymond. The islands in the Norcross Archipelago are:

Gyrios Isle (Guy-rose)

Summorset Isle (Summer-set)

Cruest Isle (Croo-est)

Noble's Board (the island itself is simply known as the Noble's isle)

Did you see the huge tree on Summorset Isle? That general area is where Talonspyre is celebrated on campus. A tree isn't always there (the talonspyre tree is cut down and the resources are used to make potions sold in the campus' apothecary store (potion and herb store)) but that general area is fenced in for this specific event. You cannot go in there unless you obtain a pass or yk just wait till Talonspyre.

Cruest Isle is a common bathing spot for dragons, a fence is placed at the edge of the waterfall to prevent any dragons from falling off the island. An older dragon does tend to sit near the edge of the waterfall just to make sure nobody gets into an accident.

Gyrios is pretty boring honestly; Both Summorset and Gyrios are frequented by the young to learn how to hunt.

Tybees and Plymond are also used for hunting. Dragons may venture off campus to hunt, but they're advised not to go too far. If a dragon needs to hunt off campus, they must go in groups of three (at least 3, the more the better). Dragons who are younger than two years old must go with two dragon advisors (these dragons are bonded to the teachers at the academy) but dragons older than that are required to take one dragon advisor to leave campus.

If you've seen the 1st part, you probably know what's on Noble's island... Yes, it's the noble's dorm, also referred to as Noble's Board. Before it was built, that island was simply another play area for the dragons.

These islands also serve as great flying practice areas for both riders and dragons!

guardian aviaries

An aviary is a essentially just a huge collection of dragon nests. There are two large aviaries, the one labelled on the map and the ones in the mountains behind the Aethergarde Academy building.

Your dragon's species does affect where their personal nest is. Your dragon will move into a nest when they are unable to stay in your dorm or in the nursery; so about 3-4 months. If your dragon is particularly clingy, you may have to deal with them trying to catch your attention in the middle of the night by roaring loudly around the dorms or, if your room has a window, peeking through the window.

Since you guys will be bonded to a gilded dragon, you will more than likely have a window spot near the Guardian Aviary just so you can monitor your dragon more closely as gildeds are quite infamous for being uncooperative.

tybees & plymond

These islands are, again, considered a play area for dragons. Sometimes, dragons will go to Tybees to get alone time, as Tybees is the least frequented island.

Plymond also has a large waterfall lake situation like Cruest; it also has a fence at the end of the waterfall.

harklorn embassy

Harklorn Embassy is the first building you'll enter when you go to Aethergarde; you will receive your student ID (Your Keystone) in this building. This embassy handles everything related to transportation in and out of Aethergarde. That space next to the building is where the dragons land, though Aethergarde is in talks with Aiellesbia to expand the island somehow to create more space on the island.

This island will likely undergo expansion of some kind in your 2nd yr of school.

Nobody goes directly to Aethergarde first; you must be approved through Harklorn to even fly onto the main island. If you try to fly directly onto Aethergarde's island first... it's like walking into a glassdoor. There's an invisible forcefield around the entire island, including Tybees, Plymond, the Guardian islands, and the Norcross Archipelago. If you try to enter without getting a pass of some kind, officials within Aethergarde are alerted.

Anyway, if you're entering Aethergarde temporarily, you receive a scroll that disperses into ash once you use it (1 full use is entry into the building and checking out). Similar to entry, you must go directly to Harklorn to leave.

Why the strict system? Well, Aethergarde needs to know who has and has not been in the area. If someone's gone missing or is considered a suspect in a criminal investigation, it helps to know who you are and if you're still in the area.

Students are automatically tracked into the system once you get your keystone, as soon as you fly out, a quill will take note of your departure. Your keystone tracks your location, so if you do need help, send a message to someone with your keystone.

What about dragons? Do they have to check into Harklorn? Yes! Sometimes older dragons will want to fly onto campus to check things out. Because the area around Aethergarde has a high concentration of mana, it attracts magical creatures, including dragons.

Dragons can sense the forcefield and will simply route to Harklorn to enter. It's not like riders can't sense the forcefield, they can, but humans cannot.

If you are a rider, you need to register your dragon into the system. You cannot just fly into the area on your dragon; again, it's like running into a glass door, you'll be bonked by the invisible forcefield.

onto the interior

Whew, that was more than I wanted to write, honestly 😭😭

Let's start with the exterior!

this is what the outdoor hallways would look like!

you may see some dragons perched around these hallways during class time (especially the younger ones) because they wanna get a glimpse of their rider

in the photo of the school in the script, there isn't a roof over the outdoor corridors, but there will be for some of the corridors + a forcefield will form just before it rains for the hallways that don't have roofs

there will be some of these outdoor grassy areas around the school

you will also see dragons perched around here too lmao

this is great area to have a picnic

another garden type area

more outdoor corrider pics

this pic and the next one are some of the larger courtyards that would be on campus

they have several tables around too for students to eat outdoors, though, there is a dining hall (cafeteria) in the building too

the table and chairs pictured here is one of the tables set up for the students to use

please pick up after yourself

I mean you can just leave your plates there (since most nobles aren't used to cleaning up after themselves, they'll usually do this 😭😭), but yk it'd be easier for the keepers if you just took your plates inside

the interior (finally)

this is like the stairs and stuff, idk LMAO

completely enclosed area

smaller classrooms are here

...more stairs

this is where the larger classrooms would be

This is the dining hall (cafeteria)

the dining hall can also be called the mess hall

usually knights and commoners refer to the cafeteria as the mess hall

nobles usually call it the dining hall, your teachers will call it the dining hall

anyway this is completely inside, the stairs leading up the to chairs are actually for the emperor, empress, king, or queen when they visit. You cannot sit here! If all four figures show up to the dining hall, the emperor and empress will sit at the chairs, and the king and queen will sit at another table reserved for them

If your dragon is less than a year old, I would recommend sitting inside bc they could easily swoop in and eat your food

aethergarde's crest will be visible on the bottom portion of those light blue banners

another angle of the dining hall

the entrance and exit to the dining hall through the double doors seen at the far left side of the photo (there is another set of doors across the ones pictured in the photo)

this is the meeting room (between all the students + the teachers)

you will go here for orientation

the inner most circle will have a large globe displaying the world map

the average student won't actually go here often

unfortunately for you, you are not the average student, and there is a world conflict going on that you will be directly involved with so... hope you like the room! the windows look nice don't they?~

This is the library

that gigantic book helps the librarian find books in the library

speaking of which, if you need a book, instead of finding it yourself, I really would just ask the librarian

this library is fucking h u g e, just let the librarian make the big ass book summon a novel for you

the book has the name of every single book that has graced the shelves of the library + it's status (like if it's been checked out, still available, destroyed, or is no longer in the academy)

the librarian will essentially cast a spell on the large book, and books you want will appear on the shelves along the stem of the book structure

there are multiple copies of textbooks you need for your classes, but do know that there's only like 10 max of each textbook

just get your own textbooks

there are also fictional books in the library, it's not all boring stuff!

this is one of the private apocathery rooms, you have to rent one out to use one

ask the librarian to rent a room; it's located in the library

wanna know more about my aethergarde academy dr? here's a masterlist with everything I've posted about it!