#Greater than less than equal to die

[kerlonmiracle]

Greater than less than equal to die

They responded this way even if the recipients would never know that one of them received less, suggesting that children weren’t worried about the recipients’ feelings, but were opposed to creating the inequality even if none of the recipients knew about it.Įven more tellingly, children are just as likely to reject unequal distributions when they reflect generosity (the distributor gave up all her candies to the receiver) as when they reflect selfishness (the distributor kept all the candies for herself). When there was an odd number of erasers, children insisted the experimenter should throw the extra eraser in the trash rather than establish an unequal division. In one study, six- to eight-year-olds were tasked with distributing erasers to two boys who had cleaned up their room. Three-year-olds divide resources equally among third parties, while six-year-olds show an even stronger commitment to equal distribution, insisting on throwing out extra resources rather than allowing them to be unequally distributed between two absent third parties. Studies of children between the ages of three and eight years find a similar equality bias. One study examining this across 15 diverse cultures found that members of all populations demonstrated some willingness to administer costly third-party punishment for unequal division of resources – although the magnitude of this punishment varied substantially across populations. This outrage is sufficiently strong that subjects will pay to punish unequal distributors. Some subjects will pay to punish themįurthermore, people appear to view the equal distribution of resources as a moral good they express anger toward those who benefit from unequal distributions. People express anger toward those who benefit from unequal distributions.

[vitrust]

Greater than less than equal to die

They ranked increasing the number of police officers, reducing drug abuse, and creating a better economy with more jobs higher than the death penalty as the best ways to reduce violence. The vast majority of law enforcement professionals surveyed agree that capital punishment does not deter violent crime a survey of police chiefs nationwide found they rank the death penalty lowest among ways to reduce violent crime. The death penalty is a waste of taxpayer funds and has no public safety benefit. People of color are far more likely to be executed than white people, especially if thevictim is white The death penalty system in the US is applied in an unfair and unjust manner against people, largely dependent on how much money they have, the skill of their attorneys, race of the victim and where the crime took place. The ACLU’s opposition to capital punishment incorporates the following fundamental concerns: Through litigation, legislation, and advocacy against this barbaric and brutal institution, we strive to prevent executions and seek the abolition of capital punishment. The death penalty is uncivilized in theory and unfair and inequitable in practice. Furthermore, we believe that the state should not give itself the right to kill human beings – especially when it kills with premeditation and ceremony, in the name of the law or in the name of its people, and when it does so in an arbitrary and discriminatory fashion.Ĭapital punishment is an intolerable denial of civil liberties and is inconsistent with the fundamental values of our democratic system. The American Civil Liberties Union believes the death penalty inherently violates the constitutional ban against cruel and unusual punishment and the guarantees of due process of law and of equal protection under the law.

[internetskiff]

Something about Gordon Freeman that's extremely fascinating is how he was basically forced into the "Messiah" role by complete accident. Dude was on his way to work, caught in an extremely awful lab accident, and he was just fighting for his life so brutally that he ended up taking down an entire army, making the other less capable or equipped scientists assign him as the one that would go in and take down the Nihilanth - I mean, they basically didn't have many other options, or at least not many better options at their disposal. The whole time he basically doesn't have much of a say in any of it, which means he was practically railroaded into becoming the G-Man's employee by pure circumstance.

Doesn't get any better in Half Life 2 either - the surviving Black Mesa staff have turned this man they potentially sent to die into a legend amongst the resistance movement. The Vortigaunts chant his name as they draw murals on the canal walls. The Lambda - a symbol of both the Lambda Labs but most notably the symbol on the HEV suit - now symbolizes liberation. Therefore, of course, the man who bears this symbol is the liberator. By the ending chapters of Half Life 2, Freeman commands entire squads of rebels, appointed the leader regardless of how good a tactician he actually is - if they die, they died for him, not because of him. As long as he gets to the Citadel and breaches it's wall, all those deaths would be worth it - once again, others send him into a near-inhospitable environment to take down a near-invincible threat.

I think that despite us being in control of Freeman for most of the series, the real protagonists of the story are the Vance family. Eli, too, was right at ground zero when the Resonance Cascade occurred. He is the leader of the Resistance. It's very possible that he's the one who spread word of Freeman throughout City 17. The fall of Nova Prospekt AND the Citadel occurred as a result of Eli's capture. In the Combine's eyes, the Vances are a threat equal to, if not greater than Freeman himself. That, and the Vances have something Freeman doesn't - agency. They're beyond the G-Man's control. They're beyond the Combine's control. Their actions are completely their own, with no third party to control every single step they take. Over the course of the Episodes, it feels as though the dynamic shifts, with Alyx becoming a much more vital figure. The Combine are specifically after her now, because she carries the code capable of disrupting the portal through which the Combine could send reinforcements and finally consume Earth. In both the Epistle 3 script and in Half Life Alyx it ends with her basically taking Freeman's position under the G-Man's employ. She quite literally takes the role of the Main Character away from Gordon. This, of course, is nothing to envy, because it's been repeatedly shown that any character assuming this role in the series ends up being reduced to nothing but a pawn for those who control them. It's an extremely fascinating spin on the linear nature of the games, canonically acknowledging you're doing nothing but marching along a path someone else made for you. Despite being the one free man, you're not offered much of a choice.

[the-griffons-saddlebag]

💎 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺! Contingency Cards
Wondrous item, very rare ___ When found, there are 1d4 + 2 “contingency cards” in a stack. Each one has a type of circumstance detailed on it. Choose from the table below or roll a number of d20s equal to the cards found to determine what circumstance is written on each card.  | d20 | Circumstance | —  | 1 | When you die |  | 2 | When you roll a 1 on the d20 when making an ability check |  | 3 | When you trigger an attack of opportunity from a hostile creature |  | 4 | When you miss with an attack |  | 5 | When you fail a saving throw against a hostile source |  | 6 | When you’re knocked prone by a hostile source |  | 7 | When you hit a target with an attack |  | 8 | When you fall from a height greater than 10 feet |  | 9 | When you make a death saving throw |  | 10 | When you drop to less than half your maximum hit points |  | 11 | When you’re surprised or trigger a trap |  | 12 | When a spell you cast ends early as a result of “counterspell”, “dispel magic”, or failing a Constitution saving throw |  | 13 | When you finish a short rest |  | 14 | When you roll initiative |  | 15 | When you take more than 30 damage from a single source |  | 16 | When you become grappled or restrained |  | 17 | When you become frightened or charmed |  | 18 | When you score a critical hit |  | 19 | When you yell out “Help!” |  | 20 | The card is blank: write your own circumstance before using it to cast a spell  |   When you cast a spell that targets only yourself, you can use a “contingency card” that you’re holding as part of casting it to recreate the effects of the “contingency” spell from it, using the circumstance that’s written on the card as the one required by the spell. The card then ignites and turns to ash, destroying itself. The spell you cast is then only cast once the circumstance comes to pass for the first time within the next 10 days, as per the “contingency” spell. This version of “contingency” doesn’t end early as a result of not having a material component. ___ ✨ Patrons get huge perks! Access this and hundreds of other item cards, art files, and compendium entries when you support The Griffon's Saddlebag on Patreon for less than $10 a month!

[mybrainsautocorrect]

Bedelia’s word to Will at the end of season three may be my favorite in the whole show

Can’t live with him, can’t live without him??? There has literally never been a phrase so true for two people as this one

Will literally could never just leave Hannibal alone, even when he left him there was no forgetting. I mean he came back and it took him a couple of days?? To just forget his family? And decide it never could’ve worked anyway??? Like Will I know you’re down bad and all but what

But then there’s also the not so secret homicidal rage he has for Hannibal every time their eyes meet like how can one person want to be with the one person they want to brutally murder so bad

And then his plan to kill both Hannibal and Francis?? He knew even then he wasn’t coming out of this- he chose to end with Hannibal before they went off that cliff

He chose Hannibal, and then Hannibal chose him

What confused me about the end for a minute was why Hannibal did that? It didn’t make sense to me that he would give up in that way, especially not since it was almost outright stated that while Hannibal may love Will, his love is a hunger, it’s not borne of equality, it’s not healthy it’s just the absolute best he has to offer- the only way he can feel. Hannibal’s love should push him further to want to control Will shouldn’t it?

But the parallels of the show are not something I will ever get over. Will said it to Reba, even if it wasn’t exactly fact considering Francis wasn’t dead, that she had influenced Francis to become better because she had made him unable to watch her die and unable to kill him herself. It’s the same with Will and Hannibal. Will made Hannibal better, or at least started to, which allowed for them to find comfort in each other at the end.

I firmly believe that Will may not have been strong enough to avoid falling off that cliff, but Hannibal sure was so why did he give it all up?

I also want to add that I think it may be at least partly logical on his part— he has no life beyond this. His name and his face have been plastered all over the US if not all over the world so everyone knows what he’s done. He’s also already done it all. If Hannibal is truly as driven by curiosity as his actions would have us believe, he simply got bored. Will was Hannibal’s only unexplored avenue, and they reached the end of their path. They knew what it was like to truly work together and that was the only unanswered question left. He simply had no greater curiosity than following Will

Now this is more or less all nonsensical but I had to get some of these thoughts out- I may not may not come back at some point and flesh this out so that I’m making actual real points

[sneakyboymerlin]

Worst most tragic quote of any show ever:

“Some men are born to be kings… I was born to serve you, Arthur.”

How everyone else isn’t horribly unsettled by that line of words fuckin’ astounds me.

HE DOESN’T SEE HIMSELF AS A PERSON!

And he tries to twist it into a positive thing!

It’s the fact that he suddenly believes that anyone is born to be lesser or greater than anyone else. The equality he hoped for at the original round table? No sign of that here. He’s been so socially abused that he’s resigned himself to being “less than.” It’s been impressed upon him again and again that he’s predestined to be Arthur’s inferior.

He doesn’t realize anymore that Arthur wasn’t born superior to him, with a grand entitlement to the monarchy’s hoarded wealth. He doesn’t realize that the scraps he has to his own name are disproportionate compensation for the work he does! He doesn’t seem to recognize that leadership should be divorced from concepts of unlimited power and greater wealth, that a leader should not be “above” their subjects, except when it comes to his own power and leadership. Then, he’s stopping people from bowing to him, and speaking to his followers as equals. But when Arthur expects and enforces the rule that he is treated with greater respect than anyone else, treated to greater luxuries, and that his work is ~more important~ so others (like his servants) don’t deserve their share of the wealth, that’s seen as completely normal and uncorrupt. Arthur’s an over-glorified CEO, and Merlin is placed on the lowest tier. And no one sees anything wrong with this political model?

He genuinely believes that he is Arthur’s inferior, morally and spiritually, and that the position he was born into (as a poor farmer, then servant, and “monster”) was intended to reflect that, as some sort of payment for his ~innate flaws~. He believes that Arthur specifically was born king because he is superior, that he was born into his insurmountable political/social power & wealth because he is somehow more deserving of it, when Arthur is just like any other person ever.

And it’s even wilder because he doesn’t think this about Uther or Morgana! It’s like Stockholm Syndrome. And what’s worse is that the narrative glorifies this perspective, doesn’t treat it as the horror that it really is, doesn’t engage with it as an idea that needs to be challenged.

It’s so different from how he approached his destiny in seasons 1-4, it’s arguably just out of character, plain and simple. He used to have some fight in him, he had a sense of self (even if he was lacking in self-worth, which is why he was so susceptible to this). He knew that he deserved to be seen as a person, as capable, as dignified. This negative development in his character, that he believes he doesn’t get to simply exist as a human being, that he only exists to serve the needs of others, while everyone else gets to just be a person without their very existence needing to be justified… it’s disturbing! How do people romanticize this? He’s an immortal martyr. When he can’t die for his cause, he gives up his life.

Merlin is more than a weapon, more than a shield, more than a thing. He wasn’t born to be used! He’s just a person, he deserves to simply be. Everyone does.

I hope he learned to after Arthur and Gaius died.

[technicallyfriendly]

About Skulduggery and Valkyrie's relationship

So I have seen many different takes on Skulduggery and Valkyrie's relationship over the years and I don't agree with any of them. Mind you this is just my opinion and everyone is entitled to their own. It's just to me no interpretation of their relationship really fits for me. I think their relationship is neither father-daughter, mentor-student or romantic. To me it's something else entirely.

Let's get down to why I disagree with the relationship takes I listed above. First during the talk with Melissa and Desmond in DotL Skulduggery makes it clear that he does not see Valkyrie as his daughter. He states that while he understands their concerns because he has been a father himself he does not see Valkyrie this way. He also stresses that she is his partner, his equal and not his student when Melissa refers to Valkyrie as such.

Additionally the way Skulduggery treated Valkyrie like his equal in all cases was a major conflict point with Kenspeckle to whom Val was like a granddaughter. While Kenspeckle wanted to take care of her, Skulduggery always let Valkyrie make her own desicions no matter how that'd turn out.

We also know from Valkyrie's side that she did not see Skulduggery as an authority figure which is stated many times throughout the books. Much like Skulduggery sees her as an equal she in turn also views him the same way. So if father-daughter and mentor-student is not it, than what is their relationship? I would argue against romantic for the sole reason that they are not attracted to each other (yes, I know a lot of you have an icky feeling about valduggery but this is not what this post is about anyways). Their relationship transcends all reason and can at best be seen as a bond of soulmates which is backed up by the observation of many other characters in the SP universe. But this does not really explain how they see each other.

In my opinion Skulduggery and Valkyrie are each others hero. Yes, this may not come as a surprise in case of Valkyrie but Skulduggery is a different matter mainly due to the way of how he is portrayed as a character. So how is Valkyrie his savior?

Well, in ther beginning of the series all the other characters treat Skul like they expect him to snap at any moment. They don't know that he already did, but he does and he is trying to atone for that. But when everyone close to you treats you like a ticking time bomb you might lose faith in yourself after a while. Skulduggery at that point in time is slowly loosing faith in his ability to be one of the good guys. He hates himself and knows what he is capable at his worst. He won once but who says he can win again? Standing in front of the abyss believing with everyone else that it is only a matter of time before he steps over the edge again. Enter Valkyrie, she does not know him, but beliefs in him. Sure she is twelve and believes in Skulduggery for all the wrong reasons but she believes in him where no one else does, not even Skul himself, she restores his faith in himself. She beats the enemy that Skul had never any hope of beating on his own, himself. She is his hero as much as he is hers and he is willing to kill for her, die for her and most importantly live for her.

On the other side, Skulduggery is Valkyries hero, because he saved her from a life of mediocricy. A life of yearning for something greater. He opened the door for Valkyrie and showed her that there was so much more to life than she could ever have imagined by herself. He is her hero and she would do anything for him.

So, this is my view on their relationship, while yes we can sum them up as soulmates it goes so much deeper. Sorry for the long rant. I'm always open for discussing my views. Just please don't take this as gosple or anything this is just my opinion nothing more nothing less.

[bronzefuryfic]

Bronze Fury

When the only child of Daemon Targaryen and Rhea Royce is brought to King's Landing to meet with the rest of her family, she finds herself caught in a crisis of succession. The Greens battle for her support... and her affections.

Chapter One: Runestone Remembers / Directory

The shepherds of the Vale report the dragon Sheepstealer has been sighted to the south of Runestone. Determined to please her family, 15-year-old Rhae Targaryen is ready to finally claim her birthright, or die trying.

Since she was a child, Rhae Targaryen bore the weight of vengeance for a house wronged. The words of her mother's house were "We Remember", and for what happened to her, House Royce would never forget. The ghost of their fallen matriarch haunted the face of her daughter. Despite her silver hair, the only child of Daemon Targaryen and Rhea Royce otherwise preserved the features of her mother.

Rhae would sometimes wonder if she looked any less like her mother, that the lords and ladies of Runestone might move on. Her uncles and cousins would promise her they'd have justice for Daemon's crimes, but these promises always seemed for someone else. While all of House Royce could remember Rhea Royce- her fury and her passion, her skill with a bow, her sharp wit- Rhae could not.

For all her frustration for her lack of remembrance, Rhae's heart still soared with each comparison.

"Your mother also favored a heavier bow when she was your age," her uncle would tell her. "Best to build the muscle. You'll have a far greater range than others will expect from a female archer."

Rhae would sometimes wonder if she looked any less like her mother, that the lords and ladies of Runestone might move on. Her uncles and cousins would promise her they'd have justice for Daemon's crimes, but these promises always seemed for someone else. While all of House Royce could remember Rhea Royce- her fury and her passion, her skill with a bow, her sharp wit- Rhae could not.

For all her frustration for her lack of remembrance, Rhae's heart still soared with each comparison."Your mother also favored a heavier bow when she was your age," her uncle would tell her. "Best to build the muscle. You'll have a far greater range than others will expect from a female archer."

"Lady Royce never had much patience for needlework either," lamented the Septa. "We'll have to have you start this piece again. That simply won't do..."

"A favorite of Rhea's, if I recall correctly," a cousin shared as Rhae pored over the historical accounts of Nymeria's travels. "Nymeria was a hero of hers."

Though she'd never know her mother, Rhae thought she would've liked her.

The subject of her father was an equally difficult one, but for a different reason. House Royce was sure to remind Rhae of her father's crimes near-daily. Her mother was said to have been thrown from her horse, her spine broken and skull caved. A senseless tragedy, as noted in the letters that came in the following weeks—most of which offered some line of inquiry about the new heir of Runestone's two-year-old hand. But nearly all neglected to comment on the true treachery that transpired.

Prince Daemon had returned to Runestone the day of his wife's death, and had scarcely stayed an hour before departing for the Red Keep. The Street of Silk was alive with whispers that night, rife with reports of Daemon's celebration. He was finally rid of his bronze bitch.

Rhae was raised on the story of her Uncle Gerold confronting Daemon at King's Landing and accusing him of murder. She was told how her father merely laughed, and said that as Rhea Royce's husband, Runestone should pass to him now. Daemon never made good on the threat, but nothing came of Ser Gerold's accusations either. During this time, only the Hightowers extended a hand. Ser Otto alone dared to acknowledge Rhea's murder in his communications with Ser Gerold. It was a small solace.

Rhae resented and feared the rogue prince accordingly. There was little incentive for any other conclusion—she could not remember Daemon either. Images of his face were only her imagination.

But resenting him did nothing to change her heritage. Rhae was the only person bearing the Targaryen name in all the Vale. She was easily spotted everywhere she went for her silver hair. Just as the vestiges of her mother haunted her, so did her father.

Her position was thus a precarious one. She was the heir to Runestone, but shared the name of the butcher who'd killed her predecessor. To some, to have a Targaryen sit the ancestral seat of House Royce was a great insult. As she was a woman, an engagement could easily remedy this slight, but there were those in Runestone that recognized the power in her name. If a Targaryen were to champion House Royce, their house may know glory like it hadn't seen in years. While the Bronze Kings were a proud lot, they would be foolish to deny the potential of the dragon before them.

That was, of course, if the young Targaryen had a dragon. Forgotten in the Vale, Rhae suffered from a lack of resources. She knew little of Old Valayria and its teachings. Daemon had never disowned his eldest daughter, but he'd never extended a hand to her either. It was as though she didn't exist, even as obvious as it may be she was a trueborn Targaryen. What House Royce remembers, the House of the Dragon forgets.

Questions of her place plagued Rhae through her youth. For all her love of House Royce, she carried a hollowness in her heart. She'd never known love without grief.

"They have denied us justice for your mother's murder for many years, Rhae," Gerold told her as they walked the courtyard. "And perhaps we'll be denied forever, if not for you. If Daemon were to return for Runestone, as he's promised, we will be at the mercy of his dragon."

"I cannot control his dragon," Rhae replied. An involuntary tug of her lip turns her mouth into a frown. Few things could stop a dragon, and Caraxes and his rider were as vicious as they came.

"Not his," Ser Gerold mused, offering a rare smile. He did not seem to hold his usual temperament. Rather than grave and serious, Ser Gerold's voice carried a hint of eagerness. For what, Rhae couldn't be certain. They'd had this conversation a thousand times in the 13 years since Rhea's murder. "We know little of dragons here, but even this we are certain. Dragons are loyal creatures, even if their riders are not."

Rhae pursed her lips and looked away. Last she'd heard, Daemon had travelled to the Free Cities some months ago with his new wife and children after a years-long stay in Driftmark. Rhae had spent many nights wondering if he might do something horrid to them as well, but all the news seemed to point to the contrary. Having won his battle in the Stepstones, and ridding himself of his first wife, Prince Daemon seemed to have retired to a life of a lavish lord. More than that, he seemed more than willing to share this life with Laena Velaryon and their children together. Rhae's father seemed no stranger to loyalty, even if it wasn't to her.

"There have been reports of a dragon migrating north from Dragonstone," Gerold continued, stopping Rhae in her tracks. "Myself and the maesters believe it might be a sign."

"I'm up for the task."

Gerold chuckled and turned, having gone a few paces past her.

"I suspected you might say that," He said, surveying her with pride. "I've had scouts tracking the beast's movements for some time now. We believe it's settled in a cavern on our Southern coast."

"And you've waited until now to tell me?"

"We wanted to be certain," Ser Gerold said, raising a hand defensively. "Furthermore, we'd hoped you might learn more from King Viserys before taking on such a task. Has the King responded to your letters?"

Rhae flushed. At her uncle's behest, she'd been attempting to appeal to the King's supposed love of family and Valaryian history. Ser Gerold even instructed her to express contempt for House Royce and show a longing to reconnect with her Targaryen roots. Rhae thought this piece was her most convincing. She hadn't expected an invitation to King's Landing by any means, but she'd hoped at least for a book or two. So far, even that was too much to ask.

"No."

Ser Gerold's brow furrowed, and Rhae knew this meant disappointment.

"I don't need a letter or a book or a blessing from the king to claim what is mine!" She insisted, clenching her fists. She'd do anything to ease the constant shame that hung so heavily over her. "Just because they refuse to see me as part of their house, doesn't mean I don't share their blood! It is my birthright to claim a dragon. You too must not deny me this!"

Ser Gerold held her gaze a long while, before finally relinquishing with a curt nod.

"Very well, Lady Rhae."

And without waiting for dismissal, Rhae took off to prepare her things.

Rhae, Ser Gerold, and thirty of their best men set out the next morning for Gull Town. The journey took three days of riding, but Rhae did not mind. Away from the castle, on her way to claim a dragon... The change was welcome.

Rhae was accustomed to whispers as she passed, but on this journey, the guards were sure to give her plenty space. She suspected this might be on her uncle's order—He had been oddly distant with her since they last spoke. He communicated to her only in scout updates and affirming nods from across the campsite. Rhae wondered what he was thinking.

Scouts reported they were tracking Sheepstealer, a wild dragon of about forty years of age. According to Ser Gerold, Sheepstealer did not harm shepherds. While it was not clear what compelled him to come so far north, the dragon seemed to behave in all manners expected from its name. Farmers have reported over two dozen sheep stolen in the last few days alone.

They planned for Rhae to deliver a sheep to the dragon before attempting to ride it. While Sheepstealer did not hunt humans, there was no way to determine his reaction to being approached. If things turned deadly, Rhae was to fall back to the treeline immediately. Archers would cover her retreat, and with any luck, Sheepstealer would leave after losing sight of them.

"Not that I have any doubts you will claim this dragon," Ser Gerold added after their meeting. "You are Targaryen; the dragon will obey your command."

Rhae willed herself to believe the same.

On the second night of their journey, a scout reported he had seen Sheepstealer just a mile westward. The camp grounds held an uneasy silence that night, every knight and guard nervous to fall asleep with a dragon so close by. In the morning, they would deliver Rhae to the sight on foot, to avoid detection and possibly frightening the beast.

Rhae too stayed up late, feeding on the anxieties of the rest of the campsite. She tossed and turned in her make-shift bed.

Perhaps she wasn't ready to tame a dragon. She'd never so much as seen one before! If she failed to tame Sheepstealer, what would come of her house's hope for justice? Would she become exiled from them too? Rhae thought she might prefer Sheepstealer eat her before facing that future.

In the morning, Ser Gerold maintained his stiff silence towards his niece. The whole walk, Rhae hoped he might say something. When they first heard Sheepstealer's roar, he did not look her way. As the archers got into position, Ser Gerold busied himself with a loose strap on his armor. It wasn't until her uncle pressed the sheep's lead into Rhae's hand, still dodging her gaze, that she found the courage to break the silence herself.

"I don't mean to alarm you, uncle, but I think you have grown twice as gray as when we started this trip."

Ser Gerold looked as though Rhae had smacked him across the face, then let out a wild bark of laughter. The guards behind him flinched at the sudden noise, eyes still trained on Sheepstealer, and Ser Gerold instantly bit his knuckle.

"Apologies," he whispered, leaning in as tears stung his eyes. He was still chuckling softly. "You are so extraordinarily like your mother."

"So I've heard," Rhae mustered.

"I'm sorry, Rhae," Ser Gerold clasped her shoulders, gaining his composure. Sheepstealer trilled from the field, but Ser Gerold did not take his eyes off her. "I have acted cowardly. House Royce has little business with dragons. I must admit, this pending task frightens me more than any I've had before."

"Fear not, Uncle," Rhae managed half a smile. "I'm the one carrying his favorite snack."

"That is the part that frightens me most." Before Rhae could reply, Ser Gerold pulled her into a tight embrace. A lump formed in her throat as her arms wrapped around his torso.

Lead in hand, Rhae steps out of the brush into the field. The ocean breeze blowing in from over the cliff edge whips her silver hair, and she quickly spots Sheepstealer lounging by the cliff face. She turns to see her Uncle Gerold one last time, and he gives her a final, grim nod.

You've got this.

Heart thumping in her chest, Rhae marched the sheep across the field. It was much farther away from the treeline than she would've preferred. As she drew near, Sheepstealer lifted his scaly head to watch her. To Rhae's surprise, he was actually smaller than she had imagined. Rhae wondered for a moment whether she'd merely imagined dragons to be too big. She straightened her spine—he wasn't so scary.

Sheepsteeler scales were a dark muddy brown, making it difficult to distinguish his features. He was a dark, lean mass save for orange eyes that seemed to glow like embers. The sheep Rhae escorted tugged at the rope, resisting her lead. The dragon trilled once more, eyes narrowing on its squirming meal.

Rhae held her ground as Sheepstealer pushed himself up further, baring his teeth. After a moment, when nothing else happened, Rhae gave a tug of the leash and dragged the struggling sheep closer.

"Serve me, Sheepstealer." Rhae said, locking eyes with the beast before her. His snout flared slightly. "By the power of Old Valyria, heed my words."

Rhae was uncertain that the dragon could understand her—his attention seemed torn between her and the offering she brought along.

It won't work, Rhae thought fearfully. But she couldn't return without a dragon. Sheepstealer would listen to her—He had to.

Now within biting distance of the dragon, Rhae slackened her grip of the sheep's lead. It at least seemed a good sign Sheepstealer had not struck yet.

The moment of truth was approaching. The sheep would run, and the dragon would feast. Then, if she still had her wits, Rhae would mount his back. She tried not to dwell on the fact that she wasn't sure what to do then, either.

Rhae let the rope fall to the ground with a soft thump, and the sheep set off at a brisk trot, its lead trailing behind it. Sheepstealer was now raised on all fours, watching its prey flee with alarming excitement.

"My gift to you, Sheepstealer."

With a roar of delight, the dragon did not waste a second longer to open his maw and expel a shot of flames. Even though the blast was not aimed at her, Rhae gasped at the intensity of the dragon's breath from where she stood. Startled, she leapt backwards to distance herself from the wave of heat. In doing so, her foot snagged on a rock.

Rhae cursed loudly, swinging her arms wildly for balance. She knew her mistake instantly—she should've allowed herself to fall. Sheepstealer may have tolerated Rhae's presence so far, but tolerance was not the same as trust. The sudden noise and large movements surprised the dragon, which defensively spun on her in an instant. His neck coiled back, eyes turning to slits. Another blast seemed to building in his throat...

"Serve me, Sheepstealer!" Rhae cried forcefully. "I wish you no harm! Stand down! Obey!"

Rhae could've sworn she saw the glow within his gullet dim, but control was already lost. At the edge of the wood, Ser Gerold had charged the open field the moment the dragon turned on Rhae. Dutifully, a small band of knights followed quickly behind. They let out a cry, drawing Sheepstealer's attention.

With a roar and a powerful flap of his wings, Sheepstealer was airborne.

"RHAE! RETREAT!"

Shit shit shit shit shit shit!

Rhae made her way hurriedly across the field, sprinting past the smouldering, forgotten sheep she'd brought as an offering. Within moments, Sheepstealer had crossed the field and was descending upon the guards. A volley of arrows loosed as the knights threw their shields up.

Sheepstealer roared in outrage, lashing his spiked tail dangerously. One body went soaring through the air, landing with a sickening crack in the ground thirty feet away. Rhae's heart seized as she sprinted harder for the wood.

"Fire!"

Another volley of arrows loosed, with several lodging in the dragon's throat. They didn't seem deep enough for any substantial damage, but Sheepstealer still cried defiantly, shaking them free.

Rhae was closer now, and could see Ser Gerold slashing with his sword. She sucked what air she could into her lungs and cried out once more.

"Stop this attack! Stop!"

Now caught up, Rhae dodged as Sheepstealer gave another deadly whip with his tail. It came down hard beside her uncle, who fell to the ground with a painful grunt. Before she could make her way to him, another knight had grabbed her firmly around the waist and was dragging her to cover.

"NO! Sheepstealer, stop! Unhand me!"

Rhae wrestled herself from his grip and ran to her uncle, ignoring the danger. A roar filled the air as another volley loosed—the men were panicking. Sheepstealer incinerated the arrows as they flew closer, thrashing his head. Rhae heard muffled shouts over the ringing that now filled her ears.

A blinding pain consumed her left side, the same wave of heat from before colliding even closer to where she stood. Rhae fought to keep her eyes open, struggling to focus on her own smouldering arm. Her skin bubbled and boiled, looking red and angry. Through the haze and smoke, she saw Sheepstealer rise once more.

"Ser... Gerold" she gasped. She had fallen to her knees, trying to hold herself up with her uninjured right arm. Her Uncle was badly hurt. With one knee bent at an odd angle, and an arrow protruding from his gut, Ser Gerold Royce lay gasping for breath in the dirt. He too suffered from sickly burns. Rhae watched in horror as his armor seemed to mold to his skin.

Ser Gerold writhed on the ground, crying in anguish from his injuries. As Sheepstealer soared off over the ocean, the remaining guard came out from their cover.

"We need a healer!" someone called. Rhae was loosing conscious rapidly, but she was vaguely aware of someone attempting to move her.

"Uncle..."

Rhae did not remember her travels back to Runestone, having been heavily sedated on the milk of the poppy. It was later, while she recovered in the castle, that the Maesters finally filled her in.

During her third bandaging, she'd finally become lucid enough to understand their story. She was told that they'd only lost seven men of the thirty they brought—a "miracle". In addition, only she and two others received any long-lasting injury.

"And Ser Gerold? Which of these is he?" she demanded of the Maesters once she had found her voice. They bowed their heads, confirming her fears.

"I apologize, Lady Rhae," the eldest of them, Maester Willem, stepped forward. "They said Ser Gerold did not survive the return to camp."

Rhae let loose a throaty sob, wishing they'd leave. She could not shout at them in this state, and so allowed them to proceed with applying burn creams to her charred arm.

"Your injury will take time to heal, but it thankfully has not become infected," Willem continued, once her labored sobs gave way to sniffles. "It is likely the scar tissue will affect mobility at your shoulder and elbow joint, but we hope it'll be mostly functional within a few months."

Rhae would give both arms to have Ser Gerold returned to her—none at Runestone advocated for the heir as devoutly as her Uncle.

"Any other news?" She asked meekly as they re-bandaged her arm. She prayed for none.

The Maesters exchanged nervous glances before Willem brought forth a letter from a pocket deep in his robes.

"One last thing, if you're up for it..." She wasn't. "It arrived shortly after you left."

Grunting, Rhae leaned forward in her bed, reaching for the scroll. She broke the seal and flattened it one-handed on her bedsheets. As soon as she read it, she read it over again. Then a third time, just to be sure.

"Is this truly from the Queen?"

"It came with all the royal seals, my lady."

"She says..." Rhae's voice faltered once more. "She says that the Crown regrets our estrangement."

"This is good news, is it not?"

Rhae couldn't say. Ser Gerold had ruled Runestone in her stead all these years. Rhae had originally ascended at 2, but now at 15 it would be appropriate for her to sit the seat herself. That was, if anyone else from House Royce still trusted her after this latest tragedy. She could already hear the whispers in the hall. Rhae had been tasked with bringing justice, but all she brought was more death and more destruction.

Rhae reread the letter a fourth time, ignoring the Maester's question.

"The King grows ill." She continued. "And has expressed a desire to reconnect with family after so many years apart." Did it count as reconnecting if they'd never met? "The Queen says she would like to host me in King's Landing, to learn the ancient traditions of my House." A bit late for that, it seemed. "She mentions her daughter Haelena is my age, and her sons are close to it. It's her sincerest hope that we might still be friends..."

Rhae trailed off, reading the letter a fifth time. Rage brewed in her stomach. What good was such an offer now that Ser Gerold was dead? The Maesters watched her closely.

"If I may offer some advice," Maester Willem said at last. "I know you bear no love for your Targaryen family members, but you're scarcely the only one to feel that way... if you're to believe the gossip of lords and ladies, that is."

"Which lords and ladies?"

Maester Willem eyed her closely. "The Hightowers have long held contempt for your father, just as the Royces have. I think it notable that your response came from the Queen, and not the King."

Rhae allowed his words to sink in, trying to ignore how itchy and sore her arm felt beneath its wrappings. Ser Gerold's cries of anguish still rang in her ear.

What had it been for?

"Fetch me some parchment, Maester," Rhae groaned as she sat straightened in her bed. She may be without her own dragon, but she could still align herself with their firepower. Best yet, she could do so while granting House Royce a reprieve from her presence. "And put away the poppy. I've had plenty."

The Maesters bustled at her orders. There was still a matter of finding someone to warm her seat in her absence, and she would need time to recover before she traveled. A necessary delay, though plenty frustrating...

"Prepare our fastest raven," Rhae continued, dipping her quill. "I'll have my response sent as soon as I'm done with it."

She may not remember Rhea, as the rest of House Royce did, but the sight of Ser Gerold's mangled corpse was not something she'd soon forget.

Next Chapter: Ch. 2 - To King's Landing

After suffering a great loss, Rhae is summoned to King’s Landing to meet her estranged Targaryen family members. Far from home and alone in the dragon’s den, it is up to her to determine friend from foe. 

AO3 | Chapter Discussion

Thanks for reading!

[makapatag]

dagger-and-blowgun-fused-into-spear pamaagi

or: the transfer from dice pool to the violence dice in GUBAT BANWA

i've written about this in a longer devlog, but i wanted to take a secondary abridged (and personal) dive into the change. also i'll probably start releasing devlogs and essays back on my patreon soon because damn if that place isn't barren

gubat banwa is a game of larger than life martial heroes fighting for their convictions in a setting rooted on southeast asian folklores and cultures. before december, and even during its kickstarter, i was pretty set on the game being a dice pool system. i felt it accurately conveyed the feeling of that sekiro-esque back and forth: one attacks, the other defends. every dice is an attack launched, a sword swing, a gun breath to aim or part of a gun's loading sequence, an arrow trained on an enemy. every defense dice is an attempt at a parry. it was a cool concept! and there's definitely ways to make it sing and shine

unfortunately as with all game design choices, not every cool idea fits snugly into the greater whole--if i wanted my game to sing and shine, each component must work in tandem with the other components. it's a choir, or a puzzle--one mechanic slightly off is fine, one that's completely off kinda wrecks the entire thing

i found that the dice pool back and forth interaction more or less worked better for a more non-grid based combat game. one that works perhaps with zones and rules. one where the fiction zooms in to a specific exchange between the attacker and the defender. while this is also a game design objective of gubat banwa, it had to be in tandem with the fact that it is a tactical grid game as well. it had to put in mind that the mechanics were also focused on forced movement, collisions, reactive moments from other players, etc.

in a non-grid based combat game, where the focus is on that flurrious exchange only, then it might have worked. but that is unfortunately not the only important thing in gubat banwa's design goals.

additionally, sussing out and feeling out one's own tactical consequences were hugely obfuscated by the dice pool. the probabilities weren't as clear, the attack forecast was esoteric, and was even hard to properly model in an automated system. this detracted from the simple and tactical design of the game.

so the Violence Die was established. Each technique had a die or a number of dice that was rolled--this determined whether the attack hit and how much damage was. it was the attack roll and damage roll in one.

Essentially, making an attack goes like this: Roll Violence Dice (can add any bonuses to the Violence Die here) -> if higher than target's EVADE, keep going. Otherwise, the attack is avoided -> Add the defined attack Prowess (FEROCITY for physical attacks, SPIRIT magick attacks) and any other damage modifiers, including any additional damage dice -> the target then reduces that damage by their Defense (PARRY or RESILIENCE, as defined by the Technique) -> Apply the final damage to the target. This keeps going until the target gains Damage equal to or greater than their POSTURE, in which caste they are defeated as they are struck with a decisive blow.

The process of adding damage replaces the process of counting Hits. The process of reducing damage replaces the process of counting Parries and cancelling Hits. They reside in similar design mindspaces, and so with a simpler rolling mechanic I was more or less able to transfer the math to a more linear math while keeping the "exchange" feel of an attack. All because of the forced processes one must go down when rolling an attack that strikes home and is not avoided.

In the fiction, rolling Violence Dice is the attack attempt. The swinging of halberds, the lightning arrows loosed from the bow, the sword swings as the swordsman advances. If it is avoided, the target manages to back away, use the environment to avoid the attack, flip away, vault over, or otherwise completely avoid the attack.

If it hits home however, the target is forced to reckon: the damage applied and the bonus damage is the number of attack launched in the assault, or perhaps the precision of an attack, or perhaps the number of mantras and mudras uttered to cast a spell. They must attempt to PARRY it away, or they must test their RESILIENCE as the attack washes over them. Fireballs they block, with their armor or their shields or their bare forearms. Sword strikes they quickly move to meet with their own strikes, parrying and ducking and flipping over them.

Then, their Posture is shaken of course as they receive Damage. As they gain more Damage, the more they know that they are going to be open to a Decisive Blow, and so they must be tactical.

In physical play, rolling a single die has made things much snappier (and even in online play). The excitement of the roll is still there: there's a chance you might EVADE the attack completely, after all! the change has become beneficial for everyone--for those that like to describe their attacks, for those that just interface directly with the mechanics, and much more. this piece of tech arose after a particularly grueling game of D&D Onslaught.

before this, i even played with an attack - counterattack system, kind of like pbta "if you roll mid you also suffer harm", but it felt pretty counterintuitive for a tactics game where you're already using up a lot of resources to do things, and also one where the initiative is alternating (which already does the whole, you act the world reacts feel pretty well). attacking becomes a dangerous proposition for any fighter, which does not feel well when you're martial heroes.

the dice pool was a good idea but it was detrimental to the larger process of the tactics game. i had to balance that to really achieve the "martial arts tactics fantasy" that gubat banwa really wanted to achieve with its fighting mechanics.

i called this blowgun and dagger to spear because in seasian martial ways their blowguns were long enough to be shafts and their daggers were often placed on top of staffs to make spears. i combined the fictional sensibilities of the dice pool system with the easier and more transparent math of the Violence Die system to create a veritable spear of a mechanic

[otaku553]

The blessed (and their shadow)

Galacta Knight and my hero of yore oc, Nebula :) I have many thoughts about them if you want to read!

OK SO some of you might remember two of my old headcanons (which are very relevant for the characterization of nebula)

The four matters are kind of like the alchemical Aristotelian elements where they exist in a square or diamond with 2 attributes for each. The Aristotelian elements are fire, air, water, earth, (very familiar I'm sure) and fire and air are considered hot, while water and earth are cold. Fire and earth are dry, while water and air are wet (if i remember correctly). So on the scales of moisture and temperature, each of the elements lead into each other but are distinct and separate. Now, with heart, dream, soul, and dark matter, I have a similar idea but with different scales. Heart and dream correspond to positivity (in emotions) and dark and soul correspond to negativity. Then, heart and soul correspond to activeness, while dark and dream correspond to passiveness. I believe this is slightly different from my old headcanon where each of the matters corresponded to a different attribute, though this is less of a change and more of a rotation of 45 degrees. This is very relevant to Galacta and Nebula in particular, since they are in my au/headcanons the heroes of yore corresponding to heart matter and dream matter respectively.

The masks that Astrals wear act as a barrier or separation between the Astral and their duties as a warrior. Astrals tend to look younger than they actually are, and are often perceived as pure souls of light and positivity due to the nature of their origin. Therefore, when they become a Knight or a warrior, they also gain a mask to separate themselves (or their purity and sanctity) from the violence and brutality of war.

Now, even though the four heroes of yore theoretically have saved the universe at least once by sealing Void, I'm guessing that saving the universe wasn't the only thing their powers were used for. Oftentimes great power comes with the danger of use for political goals, which leads to war and such, and I wouldn't be surprised if the heroes were also participants in war, but as overwhelming forces of power and strength that demoralized the enemy. In any case, this creates an interesting dichotomy between the way the heroes are perceived by those they protect as paragons of light and goodness, as opposed to whatever atrocities they might commit on the battlefield.

Between the four heroes, there is also likely an imbalance in the public perception based on their matter correspondences. Negativity and positivity are often assigned arbitrary moral values that say that being positive is good, and so Galacta Knight and Nebula Knight are in a unique position of being heroes among heroes due to their positive alignment. However, whereas Galacta Knight acts as a true role model and paragon, Nebula Knight sees themselves as a shadow of sorts and thinks they lack the qualification to call themself a "good person."

Whereas Galacta Knight values all life, as an astral that feeds off of active positivity, Nebula Knight values rest and relaxation. Galacta Knight feels the weight of every life they take on the battlefield, and feels immense guilt for taking life, which they see as beautiful. Nebula, on the other hand, thinks that on the battlefield, there is probably no greater rest than death.

They do have somewhat of a moral compass, however, since they do realize quickly that this is wrong of them, seeing as death only begets greater sorrow and no one should have to die in the first place. But this also makes them realize that they are not qualified to be a good person since they don't quite care all that much about the lives they're taking.

Added to Galacta's status already as a hero above heroes, this makes Nebula raise Galacta to a high moral standard, and a sort of pedestal above themself. They do not feel like they are on equal footing with Galacta, who is genuinely good, whereas Galacta sees no difference between the two of them and in fact considers Nebula as a truer equal than the other heroes because of the societal expectation for both of them to be paragons.

This leads to Nebula taking off their mask when going into battle because if the mask only exists as a way to separate the pure and good astral from the ruthless and violent warrior, then Nebula believes that for them, this distinction does not exist. Eventually, Galacta and the other heroes get worried enough that Nebula puts the mask back on to appease them, but the scars from that time still remain.

Nebula is sort of my character for exploring the morality of the heroes :) Though Nebula considers themself to not be a good person, ironically, by taking off their mask, they are the only hero that truly confronts and acknowledges what they do without any barrier to absolve their guilt. Taking on responsibility for their own actions without averting their eyes from it is something only they can do for a while. Though they may not feel the full weight of remorse for their actions, they are definitely feeling it in the way that their self worth is damaged by closer evaluation of their own morals.

[yallemagne]

There is something about the way that Jack recently speaks about Mina that feels... no good. Disclaimer: if you think I'm being too harsh and want to correct me, I don't care. Goodbye.

Mrs. Harker yielded to the hypnotic influence even less readily than this morning. I am in fear that her power of reading the Count's sensations may die away, just when we want it most.

A lessened connection to the Count means that Mina can begin to hold authority over her own mind... but this isn't valued whatsoever by the doctors. She's become a tool to them first and foremost. They don't know how to function without this power. They would desire Mina to return to her previous state (where she voiced that she was less comfortable) rather than come up with a new strategy.

It seems to me that her imagination is beginning to work. Whilst she has been in the trance hitherto she has confined herself to the simplest of facts. If this goes on it may ultimately mislead us.

They're growing completely frustrated with Mina. Whenever it takes greater effort for Mina to answer questions, Jack describes it as though she is disobeying VH. When she can't spare more details than bare facts, he laments that she's misleading them.

If I thought that the Count's power over her would die away equally with her power of knowledge it would be a happy thought; but I am afraid that it may not be so. 

I'm not sure about this... Jack claims he'd be happy if he thought the loss of this one advantage means Mina is a bit freer, but it feels like he's attempting to excuse his bitterness towards her losing her utility. At this part of the story, it truly feels like the doctors are steadily giving up on Mina as anything more than a tool to gain access to the Count. They're forgetting her personhood. VH grows more and more frustrated during the hypnosis sessions, and Jack is one failed session away from wondering if they should have killed her already.

When Mina imitates Dracula's movements, VH and Jack look to each other (here is another proof we must kill her), Quincey looks at her intently (I'll keep my promise to her), and Jonathan tightens his hand around his Kukri (don't you dare). Personally, I feel the lack of specification to where Jonathan is looking means you could interpret this not as him suddenly gaining a violent urge against Mina but rather noticing the others' intent.

I'll tie it back to yesterday-- Jonathan smiled when they received the bad news that Dracula had figured out their plans. I think he was prepared for it. I think every moment they sat without an answer to where the Count was, he had the suspicion that Dracula knew. But why not share this with the doctors? Look at them! They're so trigger happy!

Mina exercised her advantage against the Count. She knew that he would use his connection to figure out what the others had planned, so she decided she would do it first and she would limit her own knowledge so the risk would be smaller. But that was not enough! Dracula had to figure out at some point! The doctors have taken Mina's efforts for granted, and now that Mina's initial advantage is wearing thin, they are treating her like a burden. Every moment they spend plotting her death feels like it's more for their sakes than hers, like severing themselves from an anchor.

"Would none of you like a cup of tea? You must all be so tired!"

In her lucid moments, Mina desperately tries to make herself useful. I think she knows.

[artbyifer]

~~@symbruary time!!!~~ For day one, xenobiology, please have a diagram I dew for @bakageta for the holidays. I've got another one somewhere on paper but IDK where yet. We'll see if I find it before the month ends.

Anyway! This is how my 4D symbiotes work WRT a host. Symbiote tissue in black, Host tissue in red, other matter in green, and reality/plane/dimension stuff in blue.

The basic thrust of it is that the main symbiote body is in a pocket dimension floating outside another reality. We'll call that the material universe, but insert whatever marvel 616/MCU/etc dimension you want. The symbiote pocket is tethered to an anchor - a part of the host that either thinks (produces VitT) or initiates signals to control the host body, typically a brain or brain-analogue - by the symbiote's hold-fast, an organ that specializes in host-klyntar integration and communication. The graphic doesn't say so, but a symbiote can tether to its own biomass, which is how they don't just sucked out of reality without a host, but it doesn't help with the next part.

Connecting the pocket dimension and material reality via the host is the threshhold, which can be thought of kind of like a hallway/throat/tunnel/meniscus membrane leading from the body of the host into a non-xyzt dimension and ending at the symbiote pocket. Through this, the symbiote can send biomass and have it emerge at any bit of the host's body, or have it hover just out of phase in order to perceive inner processes. Nutrients and resources can be gathered in the material world and transferred through the threshhold. Though passing into the pocket itself will scramble/digest them, they can be instead temporarily stored in the threshold itself to be pulled to either side later.

Parts of the host, or its entirety, can be held out of material reality if cantilevered by equal or greater symbiote mass. When this is done it is safely stored in the threshhold. This is not quite suspended animation, and is both tricky and somewhat taxing to both components, but can temporarily remove the threat of damage to the host. The failure state of this is the host falling back into reality, not being stuck in the threshhold or being drawn into the pocket.

Ease of transfer through the threshhold - the "bandwidth", basically, the amount that can be stored there and the safety of those things is directly correlated to host compatibility, though host size and symbiote health are also a factor. Communication counts towards the bandwidth limit, and that includes between pieces of the symbiote itself.

A hostless symbiote, especially one with very little mass left out in the world, has its mind throttled. This can be somewhat mitigated by hardcoding some memories into its biomass beforehand, or creating structures analogous to a brain, but that is a stopgap at best. The hold-fast itself contains the very minimum that the symbiote needs to be able to reconnect to a host, but it is life support at best, and without that or with the threshhold severed entirely they are essentially dead no matter the amount of resources and life in the pocket, as it has no way to reattach to a reality and will simply drift away and starve.

Similarly, any bits of symbiotic biomass cut off from the main body, whether that's a a chunk taken out of the whole or the other side of the severed threshhold coin, are mindless. They might flop around for a bit based on existing pre-programming and movement structures, but they have no will behind them and will soon die unless reattached to the main mass.

Uhhh... what else is in this picture?

That physics in the material world vs the pocket are different, are the threshhold is less concrete than that (labelled as "physics???"). There is some influence by the pocket, some by the material world, some by whatever dimension the threshhold is tunnelling through (not necessarily stable), and it can also be changed somewhat by choice and will. This is helpful when you've got part of the host in there and only want some biological processes to run and not others, or you want to have raw biomass in the same space as your gameboy, which would normally require incompatible sets of physics; biomass in the material world needs to have some shape and structure and stuff.

They symbiote main body has a bunch of raw biomass and some organs - (digestion, thinking, memory storage, chemical production, etc), some pockets of digested resources (single-type atoms/molecules mostly) [Carbon dioxide, silicone, bone], and indigestible resources (scrambled). Those contrast with the host organs on the host side (the host is depicted as a human), and the host's digestion, as well as the nondigested resources in the threshhold, depicted as a boot, a pencil, a gameboy, and a bone.

[aella-targaryen]

ANALYSIS OF  HOUSE OF THE DRAGON SEASON 2' NEW POSTERS.

-DRAGONSTONE

 I love that the members of the  Team Black are at Dragonstone, this gives more legitimacy to the fight of the members of the Team Black since as we know that Dragonstone represents the essence and quasi-divine character of the Targaryens, it is the place where Magic manifests itself in a clearer and more powerful way, where magical rituals and the extraordinary births of multiple Dragons are quotidian events. But that is also their biggest disadvantage. The divinity and superiority of the Targaryens, although it inspires fear and admiration, also often inspires rejection and resentment. If the Targaryens didn't have their dragons, all the people of Westeros would see them as simple incestuous pagans. To the people of Westeros, the Targaryens represent power, but they also represent a wild and primitive force.The occupation of the  Red Keep offers greater legitimacy to the Crown in the eyes of the people, representing civility and a court faithful to the Faith of the Seven, the main religion of Westeros. That's why the Team Black is desperate to conquer King's Landing. If you want to reign over Westeros you have to establish your court in the Red Keep and that is the advantage of the Greens.

-CORLYS VELARYON.

Corlys is the member of the Team Black that is furthest from the others  and that makes sense, he was the one who best evaded the ravages of the Dance and the total ruin of his House. Yes, he lost his wife, but he managed to save his heirs and kept the Velaryon house strong after the war. Corlys has always managed to find ways to get out of conflicts. I think that is why Corlys is closer to the window, remember that the Dragonstone windows directly show the sea, his transportation and his escape route.

  - RHAENYS 

In the poster we can see how Rhaenys is closer to the conflict than her husband, with a less cautious and more courageous look. I thought it was a great detail that the sigil of the  Targaryen House is behind Rhaenys' back,like Daemon and Rhaenyra, because Corlys is  only an ally, a powerful ally, but he's not a Targaryen, he's not a dragon and that is why the walls of Dragonstone are only behind the backs of Rhaenys, Daemon and Rhaenyra. The walls of Dragonstone are made of stone melted by the magical fire of the dragons, those walls demonstrate the irracible and immovable character of the Targaryens, neither a window behind them nor an escape route, only a path to the fight. For them it cannot be any other way, either they win or they will die trying.

-DAEMYRA (It wouldn't be an análisis of mine  if I didn't add at least one paragraph referring to Daemyra )

I love Daemon's posture (Like everything he does) I don't think he´s in an attack position, I think he´s protecting Rhaenyra, as if he just unsheathed his sword to  defending her, we can see that his eyes are fixed on Rhaenyra (Although that is not strange, we all know that Daemon almost always remains watching Rhaenyra) it is as if he is waiting for her to give him permission to attack (Which we have also seen before) it´s Rhaenyra who commands Daemon, from Rhaenyra's posture we know that she´s the one directing the situation and that it's her will that guides Daemon's sword.

The poster shows us two couples: Corlys and Rhaenys and Daemon and Rhaenyra. We see that in the case of Corlys and Rhaenys, Corlys is next to Rhaenys, shoulder to shoulder they seem to be a couple on more equal terms and that makes their relationship and interactions more harmonious.

In the case of Daemyra we see how Daemon's not at Rhaenyra's side, he is behind her and he is even leaning slightly as if for him Rhaenyra's posture was more imposing and that image is a reflection of their relationship, her being superior to Daemon in every aspect and Daemon accepts it.

He is older, stronger and more experienced than her but in Daemon's universe she's the sun and he's the earth. Without her, he has no direction, Viserys was also part of that sun but now only Rhaenyra exists for him, that's why he is more defensive regarding her, He failed to protect Viserys, he cannot allow himself to fail in  his duty to protect Rhaenyra.To protect her , he is willing to submit to her , allowing her to direct his life, because he could never live without her and even her rejection would shatter him.

I know, it seems like I'm exaggerating but didn't we see how Daemon lived in an absolutely miserable way when he was separated from Rhaenyra? Daemon spent the day drinking and almost never leaving his castle doing anything but reading, even as a father he was negligent (in the show) , however, Rhaenyra fought every day to retain her political power, she raised her sons efficiently and worked to serve the realm and learn how to rule it. Although Rhaenyra was never able to truly confront her enemies without Daemon, she handled the separation much better than him. Although they are soul mates, although they have many things in common, although their life experiences are very similar, although they are family, it's a deeply unequal relationship and we all know it, which is why their conflicts are deeper and have more devastating and significant consequences.

It is a beautiful, unhealthy and sad relationship for both of them, because literally Rhaenyra's rejection will kill  Daemon and Rhaenyra will be the one left alone to bear the future consequences of it.

-RHAENYRA, THE JESUS OF WESTEROS???

I like Rhaenyra's posture but I don't love it. Rhaenyra's makeup, costumes and hair have improved a lot compared to the S1, I love seeing her regal and stylized. No more tears on the queen's face, just pure determination, strength and thirst for justice, the only thing I don't like is that Rhaenyra is not looking at the throne. I have previously commented that Rhaenyra didn't want the Iron Throne or the power that comes with being the queen of the Seven Kingdoms,  what guides her is the fulfillment of the prophecy, which would be extremely interesting IF THEY HAD NOT DESTROYED THE ENTIRE PLOT OF THE PROPHECY IN THE LAST SEASON OF GAME OF THRONES...but, okay, let's say that despite everything the Targaryens (Rhaenyra's bloodline) helped defeat  the Night King.The prophecy was fulfilled, in a shitty way, but it was fulfilled.

Now, why is it a little annoying that all Rhaenyra wants is to fulfill the prophecy? Well because Rhaenyra doesn't show any interest in the Iron Throne. So far I have never seen her really excited about becoming queen, we have only seen her determined to fulfill the duty that her father imposed on her, to be the heir to the house of the dragon and continue Aegon's bloodline. As I have already commented in other analyses, despite Rhaenyra's rebellious nature, she has a high sense of duty and for Rhaenyra the throne is just the cross she has to carry for the good of everyone, it's not something she wants to conquer.

Rhaenyra's literally fighting to save the world, just like Jesus (In case you're wondering, no, I'm not a believer 💀💀💀, I'm actually an atheist), I know it sounds ridiculous but she is exactly like him. Rhaenyra knows a prophecy that announces the destruction of humanity, she couldn´t share that prophecy because, let's face it, no one would believe her. The other Houses would only think that it is a ploy created by the Targaryens to preserve the power, therefore she can only share the prophecy with the people most loyal to her.Rhaenyra will suffer great sorrows to protect the prophecy and If she dies in the war (something she knows is very likely to happen), let her descendants fulfill that objective. Rhaenyra will die at the hands of her enemies but the power of the prophecy will be transmitted to her descendants and It will be thanks to her sacrifices and her death that they will manage to save the world from destruction Isn't coincidence that in the poster Rhaenyra is shown as an almost divine being, shining in the midst of everything. Rhaenyra literally carries the weight of the world on her shoulders.

She is literally the Jesus of Westeros.

And I don't dislike that at all, but I would have liked Rhaenyra's character to be even more complex, that her desire to fulfill the prophecy was linked by her ambition to become a queen so powerful that no one could ever order her how to live her life and let her bloodline reign over the Seven Kingdoms. After all, Rhaenyra is not an angel (although she looks like one) and despite being a Targaryen, Rhaenyra is just a woman and all women have ambitions.

Now, there are also other opinions, some say that Rhaenyra is actually seeing Aemond and that Aemond is seeing her. I don't think Rhaenyra is seeing Aemond simply because she doesn't look furious in the Poster, her look doesn't show the anger that Rhaenyra feels for Aemond. So I don't think she is looking at him, but I could be wrong, I would love to read your opinions. Do you think  that Rhaenyra is looking at Aemond or not?

TEAM GREEN.

SIGNS OF USURPATION.

First we can see that Alicent is hiding the Targaryen sigil with her body, almost in its entirety, I think this is a fairly obvious allegory to the fact that the  House Hightower is the one that rules Westeros, although they call themselves Targaryens, they aren't Targaryens. They reject Valyrian culture, they don´t  see dragons as an extension of themselves but rather as weapons or horses that they  have a certain affection , they don´t respect the Valyrian legacy and therefore they don´t respect magic either and that's dangerous, we know that magic is still very present in Westeros, the Targeryans and all the descendants of Valyria have magic in their blood and the dragonfire is also magical. For the Targaryens, rejecting the magic and traditions of Valyria means rejecting power, and few things symbolize power better than the Iron Throne.

We know that the Iron Throne is a magical throne, this is because it was forged by the fire of a dragon, it could be said that the throne has a life of its own, I believe that the throne can reject or accept different people for different reasons, in this case the throne doesn´t recognize the Hightower as its conquerors because they don´t respect the ancient magic of the world.

What rules the world of asoiaf is not kings or even gods. It's the magic. Rejecting magic It's a terrible mistake and I believe that is why the throne rejects the Hightower and shows it by tearing their sigil.

AEMOND IS CURSED.

I think we could all notice how the banner behind Aemond is waived by an unknown breeze, it's almost as if the banner is facing away from him,as if House Targaryen turned its back on him.That was done deliberately because there is no breeze in the room because all the other banners remain still.

It’s not surprising that the luck is not on Aemond's side, he has committed one of the greatest sins, he has caused the death of one of his nephew, his own blood, that is why it seems that the Gods have abandoned him.

After killing Lucerys, Aemond's days were numbered, he was out of luck and that was shown when Aemond lost the Battle Above the God's Eye. Some say that no one won that battle because both Daemon and Aemond died, but that is not true. Aemond was killed by Daemon and Deamon died after killing Aemond, his enemy, and that's why Daemon won the battle. Daemon knew perfectly well what would happen if he jumped off his dragon to kill Aemond. Daemon chose the way he would die, Aemond didn´t.

Aemond's story is much more tragic, Aemond didn't continue his bloodline, he didn´t have legitimate children, all traces of him disappeared,  he died in an extremely abrupt way at a very young age. For Aemond death was a horrible surprise but Daemon welcomed death with open arms to defend his family. Aemond died without any glory fighting for a king who would die poisoned and without heirs.

CRISPIN, A FATHER FIGURE.

There’s not much to say about Crispin at the moment, he looks at Rhaenyra with fury and he is standing behind Aegon, probably whispering misogynistic shit in his ear at every opportunity.

In another analysis I have said that Crispin is the father figure of both Aemond and Aegon in a way that Viserys never was, he is truly the man who taught them everything they know and has been their role model since their childhood in a way or another and we must not forget the relationship that Crispin has with Alicent, I want to think that Alicent's sons are not totally stupid and that they have realized that Crispin is practically their stepfather in all aspects except the title.

Crispin not only taught the boys how to use a sword, he taught them to be cruel. I think Alicent's sons might not have become completely horrible men if Crispin had been a better role model. Why do you think Aemond believes it's acceptable to use excessive force to subdue rivals much weaker than him? That's what Crispin taught him. Why do you think Aegon has no consideration or mercy for children or the innocent? Because Crispin taught him that.

ALICENT, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU WANT TO BE A MARTYR?

We can say what we want about Alicent but we cannot deny that women have convictions, horrible and wrong convictions, but convictions after all, Alicent deeply believes that her ideas and actions are correct according to her religion and she’s willing to sacrifice everything but feels anger when her sacrifices are not rewarded. For Alicent, the sacrifices she made will make her rewarded and recognized by the Gods but so far that  hasn't happened but Alicent's sure that the only thing she must do is persevere and resist. That is why the symbol of the seven-pointed star remains above her head.

Deep in her soul, Alicent feels that she deserves to have a high status and that her son to be king because of everything she had to go through.

Imagine being in Alicent's place, imagine being a good daughter and then your father forces you to marry an old man, imagine dedicating your entire youth to a man who could be your father, satisfying his sexual desires, being used as a toy, giving children to him, giving him heirs, taking care of him in his illness... so that in the end that man never recognizes your efforts and doesn´t give you  a reward for it, he never names your son King and that he decides to choose his eldest daughter who has never dedicated her life to serving him and pleasing him. I don’t support any of Alicent’s decisions but we have to admit that it's not surprising that she became furious with the Targaryens and that she now decides to take with her own hands what she believes she has earned by her submission and her sacrifice.

In religion, a martyr is someone who suffers for her religious convictions, in essence the greater the sufferings of the martyr, the greater the power of her convictions and therefore the greater her virtue and superiority, being known as a saint worthy of praise. Alicent is determined to prove to the Gods, to Rhaenyra but above all to herself that she is much better than the others, that she is the strongest warrior of the Gods and that she deserves to be recognized , because if she doesn't prove it, her entire life and all her sacrifices would be useless.

Again,I don't justify anything that Alicent has done, I still believe that she is acting in the wrong way and should accept the consequences of her actions , Why? Because Alicent wants to make the wrong people suffer when the person responsable of all her suffering is her father, that's a truth that Alicent knows but refuses to face because  he is the person that she loves most in the world and she has a deep emotional dependence on him.

HAVING THE CROWN ISN'T IMPORTANT (TO AEGON)

I adore symbolism, I think they can be very important and powerful, that is why the movement of the greens to crown Aegon with the crown of the conqueror was extremely important, Alicent wasn't wrong when she mentioned that if Aegon possessed the relics of the Conqueror, his legitimacy as king would be strengthened and it’s true, Aegon possesses all the symbols that matter, the crown and sword of the Conqueror, the Iron Throne and a court in The Red Keep.

It is because of the relics that Aegon can look like a king and have an acceptable appearance before his people and his court, but Aegon doesn’t care about symbolism, he doesn't care about decorum, he doesn't care about rules or laws, this is symbolized by how Aegon doesn't wear the crown of the Conqueror on his head but rather holds it in his hand. What really matters to Aegon is having enough power to be able to do whatever he wants without anyone questioning him or giving him orders and to feel loved (not by his family but by the people of King's Landing).

I believe that at the end of S1 Aegon realized that as king he could give free rein to his debauchery and his terrible actions, he could be the most despicable man in the world and still be praised by everyone because it is the duty of the people praise him.

That is why he doesn´t make an effort to act like a good king because no matter what Aegon does, his family will do whatever it takes to keep him on the throne and profit from it, Aegon knows perfectly well that his family is using him and now he is trying to figure out how he can use his family members or even how he can get rid of them if he wants to. After all, to them, he is the king.

Thank you sooo much for reading this analysis💕💕💕💕💕🥺💞💞💞 I hope you liked it or at least found it interesting, you can leave your comments and opinions and you can also ask me anything.

[profundcherrylady]

Couldn't sleep at 3am so I analyzed Death Note (Part 1)

"But if L was so smart, why did he die"

— Everyone I know.

See, that's the thing, I feel that L dying doesn't necessarily mean that he was less intelligent than Light, and that his death is in fact a sign of his intelligence. It sounds silly but hear me out. Both L and Light throughout the anime are indicated as equal in terms of intelligence, although it always seemed to me that they were super different considering that there are many types of intelligence. They were both, so to speak, the standard genius, but each of them was also quite stupid. At least in my perception, Light is incredibly emotionally stupid, but he has great social intelligence. He knows how to use the emotions of others to his advantage and change his attitudes to blend in and make a good impression on anyone, but not how to control his own emotions and impulses. L, on the other hand, I feel like has more emotional intelligence and less social intelligence. He doesn't care about social rules and how he's supposed to act/appear around people, but I say he has emotional intelligence because, unlike Light, he doesn't get crazy when things don't go his way. Light despairs, screams in his mind, insults everyone and gets angry; L analyzes his mistakes and thinks about what he can learn from them to continue and how he can move forward from that point in a very calm way. Part of that emotional intelligence comes from another difference he has with Light, and that is that he is more likely to want to become close to someone who understands him, like a friend. Because he's socially awkward, in his mind he can only either relate or not relate to someone, and because he has a lot in common with Light, it was easy for him to be socially stupid enough to consider him his first friend.Why do I say stupid? L always suspected Light, and did a thousand tests to find out if his suspicions were correct. From what I understand, he was practically certain that Light was Kira, and yet due to various factors (such as the notebook exchange issue) he was led to the conclusion that he was not. Part of this conclusion I feel is also due to this, because deep down he wanted to consider him a friend because he could relate to him a lot, and in the end that ended up being a bit of a stupid decision on his part because, well, he ended up dying as a consequence of that trust. But stupid not because he's dumb, but because he was naive enough in the social sphere to fall into that, also taking into consideration that, due to his greater emotional intelligence in comparasion to Light, it is easier for him to feel things like empathy and the desire to form a friendship. And I was gonna add so, so much more but tumblr won't let me, so go read part 2 (please just if you want no pressure).

[noisyghost]

I have Questions!!

How was Mira immortal??

How did she trade her immortality for Ark??

Totally normal about that whole reblog chain 🤡

*twirling my hair invitingly to distract you from the 20k word document with inconsequential headworld bullshit i'm opening up behind me*

To answer your questions, i have to explain two related points. Do not scroll down and look at how long this reply is. don't look. im very normal about them.

First point: how MagicTM works in my headworld. Magic works under the laws of alchemy, aka the law of equivalent exchange. For something gained, something of equal or greater value must be lost. This, of course, facilitates the philosophical question of "what is equal to a human life." Necromancy/resurrection is not a 'forbidden art' persay, it's just that it's generally agreed upon to be impossible. People have tried, and it usually just results in a waste of time. Because when a person is dead, they're dead. You could throw a thousand sacrifices at someone and it wouldn't make a difference (this is generally considered to be because if, theoretically, you did bring someone back to life, they would just immediately die again. Because they died for a reason, bringing them back wouldn't magically fix what killed them in the first place lol).

There appears to be, however, one small caveat to this - one perfect scenario under which a hypothetical 'resurrection' would be possible. If the person has very recently died (we're talking less than a minute, the longer that brain isn't getting oxygen, the deader they get), and a very skilled magic practitioner was nearby and had something they could trade, AND bringing the person back wouldn't immediately kill them again (IE: you cant fix someone getting their head blown off!), you could hypothetically resurrect them. This would literally ONLY work in a "they just need a few more minutes for help to arrive" scenario. If any of these conditions are not met, it isn't gonna work.

The circumstances under which Ark died just happened to be so perfectly aligned that this was even possible! Werewolves are very uncommon bc werewolves are so dang big that whenever they bite someone, it usually just kills them lol. The werewolf that bit Ark physically restrained herself from biting all the way thru. If she hadn't, he would have died instantly. Then, the second his heart stopped beating, Mira immediately made the exchange without hesitation. She traded functional immortality for about 10 minutes of time, which happened to be just barely long enough to get his ass to a hospital.

Which, ofc, begs the question: "what is worth 10 minutes of life". Leading me into.....

Second point: Mira is not human. Mira is a djinn. This was a driving wedge in her and Ark's relationship at one point - not because she wasn't human, but because she lied about it and it ended up getting his sister hurt (which is. a whole other can of worms). Djinn are long lived, 'human adjacent' beings considered to be the originators of the alchemical arts of magic in the first place. Which is to say, she's very good at magic!

Because of their status of Not Being Human, their lifespans don't align with ours, and they appear to be pretty much immortal (theres a whole disclaimer list and caveats to this but it would take too long to explain and we dont have time for that lol)

So, when pressed, Mira traded her extended lifespan to buy Ark a few extra minutes. And it wasn't even really a difficult decision for her - everyone but her seems really upset about it. But pretty much all of her friends are human or human adjacent, and will live normal human lifespans, so she thinks she "doesnt need those extra years anyway".

if you will, "whats a couple hundred years on this earth without you in it?"

[goblins-riddles-or-frocks]

Re your meta: How has immortality not been a good experience for Darkling? He grew to be quite powerful because of the immortality and time.

I’ve talked about this before in a slightly different context.

He does have power, but that power has been acquired at the expense of all other potentials for happiness.

I would frankly argue that immortality bringing him misery isn’t necessarily a matter of interpretation rather than outright text. The narration often brings attention to his bleakness. He is isolated, feared by even the people closest to him— rightfully so. His most important relationship is with his mother, an equally miserable and bitter woman who he blinds, who eventually commits suicide in a bid to stop him. The sincerity of his desire for some sort of connection with Alina is debatable (I think it is genuine) but it is fact that he basically has no one else.

His life just doesn’t sound particularly fulfilling! And you may attribute that to his actions rather than it being an inherent effect of immortality. But immortality is what has shaped him into the person that he is by the trilogy.

In my opinion, the story doesn’t function if the Darkling is happy. If he were happy, he wouldn’t be so unchangeable in his perspective or *afraid* to be proven wrong. If he were happy, he wouldn’t need Alina to turn out exactly like him and to validate his choices. He is a character that is ruled by sunk cost fallacy.

He is positioned in the narrative as Alina’s foil and the threat of what she could become. The story draws a direct line between power and immortality, and the main theme it is concerned with is the inherent corruptive nature of power. Therefore immortality itself, as a concept, is presented as a corrupting state.

I don’t tend to approach the trilogy and the duology as a single narrative, because I feel they thematically contradict each other and aren’t written with the same ideas in mind. But it’s worth bringing up that the other immortals we see in KoS are uniquely warped, completely othered from humanity, and also distinctly miserable. Even outside of their purgatory, Elizaveta would simply never be happy. Neither would the shambling, shape shifting mass that is Grigori. The series pretty consistently presents immortality as a cruel and wholly transformative fate that, ideally, should be avoided.

That’s why in Demon in the Wood we see the Darkling so young and so vulnerable. He has a capacity for cruelty even then, but it’s explicitly due to the direness of his circumstances. That’s also why the faint nods to his insistence of the Grisha following peasant customs is, imo, really integral. Likewise, his claim to only being motivated by the greater good of his country and Grisha as a whole, is a farce now. But it wasn’t always. To fulfill his role in the narrative, he cannot have always been an unfeeling, selfish mass murderer. It’s his long life that has slowly transformed him into that.

He starts out ambitious, but that ambition has eaten at him from the inside until he’s nothing but a husk. The sheer force of time has slowly worn away at his morals, has made him discover that there isn’t any line he wouldn’t cross if it‘s for a good enough purpose. And over the years, the bar he needs to clear for “good enough” drops lower and lower.

The longer he lives, the lonelier he becomes, the less he sees other people as people, they’ll all die in the blink of an eye anyway. The more he sacrifices for gaining power, the more he becomes convinced that power is the only thing that matters. He cannot even consider any other way to live, because if he did, that means acknowledging that all those centuries of being miserable were for nothing.

I know your question wasn’t a moral one, rather than approaching it from his perspective of happiness. But with such a (formerly) ideals driven character, I think the realization that he’s sitting on centuries’ worth of accumulated corpses for absolutely no pay off or greater purpose is itself a looming source of anguish that he’s trying very, very hard to avoid.