#guides for fantasy writing

[darkandstormydolls]

PSA to all historical fiction/fantasy writers:

A SEAMSTRESS, in a historical sense, is someone whose job is sewing. Just sewing. The main skill involved here is going to be putting the needle into an out of the fabric. They’re usually considered unskilled workers, because everyone can sew, right? (Note: yes, just about everyone could sew historically. And I mean everyone.) They’re usually going to be making either clothes that aren’t fitted (like shirts or shifts or petticoats) or things more along the lines of linens (bedsheets, handkerchiefs, napkins, ect.). Now, a decent number of people would make these things at home, especially in more rural areas, since they don’t take a ton of practice, but they’re also often available ready-made so it’s not an uncommon job. Nowadays it just means someone whose job is to sew things in general, but this was not the case historically. Calling a dressmaker a seamstress would be like asking a portrait painter to paint your house

A DRESSMAKER (or mantua maker before the early 1800s) makes clothing though the skill of draping (which is when you don’t use as many patterns and more drape the fabric over the person’s body to fit it and pin from there (although they did start using more patterns in the early 19th century). They’re usually going to work exclusively for women, since menswear is rarely made through this method (could be different in a fantasy world though). Sometimes you also see them called “gown makers”, especially if they were men (like tailors advertising that that could do both. Mantua-maker was a very feminized term, like seamstress. You wouldn’t really call a man that historically). This is a pretty new trade; it only really sprung up in the later 1600s, when the mantua dress came into fashion (hence the name).

TAILORS make clothing by using the method of patterning: they take measurements and use those measurements to draw out a 2D pattern that is then sewed up into the 3D item of clothing (unlike the dressmakers, who drape the item as a 3D piece of clothing originally). They usually did menswear, but also plenty of pieces of womenswear, especially things made similarly to menswear: riding habits, overcoats, the like. Before the dressmaking trade split off (for very interesting reason I suggest looking into. Basically new fashion required new methods that tailors thought were beneath them), tailors made everyone’s clothes. And also it was not uncommon for them to alter clothes (dressmakers did this too). Staymakers are a sort of subsect of tailors that made corsets or stays (which are made with tailoring methods but most of the time in urban areas a staymaker could find enough work so just do stays, although most tailors could and would make them).

Tailors and dressmakers are both skilled workers. Those aren’t skills that most people could do at home. Fitted things like dresses and jackets and things would probably be made professionally and for the wearer even by the working class (with some exceptions of course). Making all clothes at home didn’t really become a thing until the mid Victorian era.

And then of course there are other trades that involve the skill of sewing, such as millinery (not just hats, historically they did all kinds of women’s accessories), trimming for hatmaking (putting on the hat and and binding and things), glovemaking (self explanatory) and such.

TLDR: seamstress, dressmaker, and tailor are three very different jobs with different skills and levels of prestige. Don’t use them interchangeably and for the love of all that is holy please don’t call someone a seamstress when they’re a dressmaker

[inky-duchess]

Fantasy Guide to Building A Culture

Culture is defined by a collection of morals, ethics, traditions, customs and behaviours shared by a group of people.

Hierarchy and Social Structures

Within every culture, there is a hierarchy. Hierarchies are an important part of any culture, usually do ingrained that one within the culture wouldn't even question it. Hierarchy can be established either by age, gender or wealth and could even determine roles within their society. Sometimes hierarchy can may be oppressive and rigid whilst other times, ranks can intermingle without trouble. You should consider how these different ranks interact with one another and whether there are any special gestures or acts of deference one must pay to those higher than them. For example, the Khasi people of Meghalaya (Northern India), are strictly matrillineal. Women run the households, inheritance runs through the female line, and the men of the culture typically defer to their mothers and wives. Here are a few questions to consider:

How is a leader determined within the culture as a whole and the family unit?

Is the culture matriarchal? Patriarchal? Or does gender even matter?

How would one recognise the different ranks?

How would one act around somebody higher ranking? How would somebody he expected to act around somebody lower ranking?

Can one move socially? If not, why? If so, how?

Traditions and Customs

Traditions are a staple in any culture. These can be gestures or living life a certain way or to the way a certain person should look. Traditions are a personal detail to culture, they are what make it important. Tradition can dictate how one should keep their home, run their family, take care of their appearance, act in public and even determine relationship. Tradition can also be a double edged sword. Traditions can also be restrictive and allow a culture to push away a former member if they do not adhere to them, eg Traditional expectations of chastity led to thousands of Irish women being imprisoned at the Magdelene Laundries. Customs could be anything from how one treats another, to how they greet someone.

How important is tradition?

What are some rituals your culture undertakes?

What are some traditional values in your world? Does it effect daily life?

Are there any traditions that determine one's status?

Values and Opinions

Values and Opinions are the bread and butter of any culture. This is the way your culture sees the world and how they approach different life hurdles. These may differ with other cultures and be considered odd to outsiders, what one culture may value another may not and what opinion another holds, one may not. There will be historical and traditional reasons to why these values and opinions are held. Cultures usually have a paragon to which they hold their members to, a list of characteristics that they expect one to if not adhere to then aspire to. The Yoruba people value honesty, hard work, courage and integrity. Here are some questions to consider?

How important are these ethics and core values? Could somebody be ostracised for not living up to them?

What are some morals that clash with other cultures?

What does your culture precieved to be right? Or wrong?

What are some opinions that are considered to be taboo in your culture? Why?

Dress Code

For many cultures, the way somebody dresses can be important. History and ethics can effect how one is meant to be dressed such as an expectation of chastity, can impose strict modesty. While other cultures, put more importance on details, the different sorts of clothes worn and when or what colour one might wear. The Palestinian people (من النهر إلى البحر ، قد يكونون أحرارا) denoted different family ties, marriage status and wealth by the embroidery and detailing on their thoub.

Are there traditional clothes for your world? Are they something somebody wears on a daily basis or just on occasion?

Are there any rules around what people can wear?

What would be considered formal dress? Casual dress?

What would happen if somebody wore the wrong clothes to an event?

Language

Language can also be ingrained as part of a Culture. It can be a specific way one speaks or a an entirely different language. For example, in the Southern States of America, one can engage in a sort of double talk, saying something that sounds sweet whilst delivering something pointed. Bless their heart. I have a post on creating your own language here.

Arts, Music and Craft

Many cultures are known for different styles of dance, their artwork and crafts. Art is a great part of culture, a way for people to express themselves and their culture in art form. Dance can be an integral part of culture, such as céilí dance in Ireland or the Polka in the Czech Republic. Handicrafts could also be important in culture, such as knitting in Scottish culture and Hebron glass in Palestine. Music is also close to culture, from traditional kinds of singing such as the White Voice in Ukraine and the playing of certain instruments such as the mvet.

Food and Diet

The way a culture prepares or intakes or treats certain foods are important to a culture. In some cultures, there is a diet yo adhere to, certain foods are completely banned. With Jewish culture, pork is prohibited along with fish such as sturgeon, along with shellfish and certain fowl. Meat must also be prepared in a certain way and animal byproducts such as dairy, must never be created or even eaten around this meat. This is known as kosher. The way one consumes food is also important to culture. In some cultures, only certain people may eat together. Some cultures place important on how food is eaten. In Nigerian culture, the oldest guests are served first usually the men before the women. In Japanese culture, one must say 'itadakimasu' (I recieve) before eating. Culture may also include fasting, periods of time one doesn't intake food for a specific reason.

What are some traditional dishes in your world?

What would be a basic diet for the common man?

What's considered a delicacy?

Is there a societal difference in diet? What are the factors that effect diet between classes?

Is there any influence from other cuisines? If not, why not? If so, to what extent?

What would a typical breakfast contain?

What meals are served during the day?

What's considered a comfort food or drink?

Are there any restrictions on who can eat what or when?

Are there any banned foods?

What stance does your world take on alcohol? Is it legal? Can anybody consume it?

Are there any dining customs? Are traditions?

Is there a difference in formal meals or casual meals? If so, what's involved?

Are there any gestures or actions unacceptable at the dinner table?

How are guests treated at meals? If they are given deference, how so?

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

Hii,

I am writing a story with a female lead. She is going to go through a self discovery arc in which she explores her sexuality. I want to jump back and forth in timeline to when she’s a teenager and doesn’t realize she is queer (and in love with her best friend) but i am having a hard time figuring out how to show she is queer without telling (bc it’s from her pov). Any advice or thoughts?

Showing Queer Identity: Tips for Writing Self-Discovery Arcs

Hey there, fellow writer! 💖✨

First off, I want to say how awesome it is that you're tackling such an important and nuanced topic in your story. Self-discovery arcs, especially those involving sexuality, can be incredibly powerful and relatable for so many readers. It's fantastic that you're putting thought into how to present this journey authentically!

Now, let me dive into the meat of your question: how to show your character's queerness without explicitly telling, especially when she doesn't yet realize it herself. This is a challenge many writers face, and I'm excited to share some thoughts and techniques that might help you navigate this delicate balance.

Showing vs. Telling in Sexuality Representation

The age-old writing advice of "show, don't tell" becomes particularly crucial when dealing with a character's sexuality, especially in a coming-of-age or self-discovery narrative. It's about creating a tapestry of moments, feelings, and interactions that hint at the character's true nature without spelling it out for the reader (or the character herself).

(I have an entire post on Prose Tips with Show, Don't Tell. And another one where Telling Is Better Used Instead of Showing)

Here are some ways you can subtly show your character's queerness:

Physical Reactions: Pay attention to how your character's body responds to her best friend or other girls. Does her heart race? Do her palms get sweaty? Does she blush or feel a flutter in her stomach? These physical reactions can be powerful indicators of attraction, even if the character doesn't recognize them as such.

Lingering Gazes: Describe how your character looks at her best friend or other girls. Does she notice small details about them? Does her gaze linger on lips, hands, or other features? This can be a subtle way to show attraction.

Comparisons and Contrasts: Have your character compare her feelings for her best friend to her feelings for boys. She might notice that she feels more comfortable, excited, or "herself" around her friend than with male love interests.

Dreams and Daydreams: Use your character's subconscious to hint at her true feelings. She might have dreams about her best friend that leave her feeling confused or flustered upon waking.

Jealousy: Show your character feeling inexplicably upset when her best friend spends time with others, especially potential romantic interests.

Admiration vs. Attraction: Your character might think she's just admiring other girls' appearances or personalities, not realizing it's actually attraction.

Discomfort with Heteronormative Expectations: Show her feeling uncomfortable or out of place in typical heterosexual dating scenarios or discussions about boys.

Intense Emotional Connections: Highlight the depth of her emotional bond with her best friend, showing how it goes beyond typical friendship.

Personal Thoughts and Advice

As someone who's written queer characters and explored sexuality in my own work, I can't stress enough how important it is to approach this topic with sensitivity and authenticity. It's not just about representing sexuality; it's about capturing the complex emotions, confusion, and eventual self-realization that come with discovering one's identity.

One technique I've found particularly effective is to focus on the emotional journey rather than the physical aspects of sexuality. Especially for a young character who hasn't yet realized she's queer, the emphasis should be on her feelings, her confusions, and her gradual understanding of herself.

Remember, sexuality is a spectrum, and coming out to oneself is often a process, not a sudden realization. Your character might go through phases of denial, curiosity, experimentation, and finally acceptance. Each of these stages provides rich opportunities for character development and storytelling.

Unique Tips for Showing Sexuality in Writing

Use Metaphors and Symbolism: Incorporate imagery that subtly reflects your character's emerging sexuality. For example, use blooming flowers or changing seasons to mirror her personal growth.

Contrast with Heterosexual Experiences: If your character dates boys, show how these experiences feel different (and perhaps less fulfilling) compared to her interactions with girls.

Pop Culture References: Have your character relate strongly to queer characters in movies or books without fully understanding why.

Physical Proximity: Describe how your character seeks out physical closeness with her best friend - sitting close together, finding excuses to touch, etc.

Internal Monologue: Use your character's thoughts to show her confusion. She might question why she feels so strongly about her friend or why she's not interested in boys like her other friends are.

Microexpressions: Describe tiny facial expressions or body language cues that betray your character's true feelings, even if she's not aware of them.

Avoidance Behavior: Show your character avoiding situations that might force her to confront her sexuality, like setting up her friend with boys or talking about crushes.

Mirror Scenes: Create parallel scenes in different timelines to show how your character's understanding of herself has evolved.

Navigating the Timeline Jumps

Your idea of jumping back and forth in the timeline is brilliant for this kind of story. It allows you to contrast your character's oblivious teenage self with her more self-aware adult version. Here are some tips for making the most of this structure:

Echoes and Parallels: Create situations in the past that echo or parallel events in the present, highlighting how your character's understanding has changed.

Dramatic Irony: Use the reader's knowledge of the character's future to create tension and poignancy in the past scenes.

Evolving Language: Show how the language your character uses to describe her feelings changes over time, reflecting her growing self-awareness.

Physical Changes: Use descriptions of physical changes (hairstyles, fashion choices, etc.) to quickly orientate the reader in different time periods.

Pivotal Moments: Identify key moments in your character's journey and use these as anchors for your timeline jumps.

The Importance of Authenticity

When writing about sexuality, especially from a perspective different from your own, research and sensitivity are crucial. Consider reaching out to LGBTQ+ organizations or individuals who are willing to share their experiences. Reading coming out stories and queer literature can also provide valuable insights.

Remember, every person's journey with their sexuality is unique. While there are common experiences, avoid falling into stereotypes or oversimplification. Your character's story should feel genuine and personal.

Balancing Subtlety and Clarity

One of the biggest challenges in showing rather than telling sexuality is finding the right balance between subtlety and clarity. You want to drop enough hints for the reader to pick up on, but not so many that it becomes obvious to everyone except your character.

A good rule of thumb is to make the signs clear enough that a queer reader or someone familiar with the coming out experience would pick up on them, but subtle enough that someone without that perspective might miss them – much like how your character is missing them herself.

The Power of Supporting Characters

Don't forget the role that supporting characters can play in showing your main character's sexuality. Friends, family members, or even strangers might notice things about your character that she doesn't see in herself. Their reactions, comments, or questions can be powerful tools for indicating to the reader what's going on, even if the main character remains oblivious.

Addressing Internalized Homophobia

Depending on your character's background and the setting of your story, you might want to explore themes of internalized homophobia. This can manifest as your character actively pushing away thoughts or feelings that don't align with heteronormative expectations. Showing this internal struggle can add depth to your character's journey and make her eventual self-discovery even more powerful.

The Journey of Self-Discovery

Remember that realizing one's sexuality is often a gradual process. Your character might have moments of almost-realization followed by retreat into denial. These back-and-forth moments can create tension and keep the reader engaged in your character's journey.

As your character grows and changes, you can show her becoming more comfortable with herself in subtle ways – perhaps she becomes more confident, more authentic in her interactions, or more willing to stand up for herself and others.

——————————————————————————————————

Writing about sexuality, especially from the perspective of a character who hasn't yet realized their own identity, is a delicate but rewarding challenge.

Remember, the key is to weave these elements naturally into your narrative. Don't force it – let your character's experiences and emotions guide the story. Trust your readers to pick up on the subtle cues you're laying down.

I hope these ideas and tips help you in crafting your story. Remember, every writer's approach is different, and what works for one story might not work for another. Trust your instincts, stay true to your character, and don't be afraid to revise and refine as you go.

Writing about sexuality and self-discovery is not just about representation – it's about creating stories that can help readers understand themselves and others better. Your story has the potential to be a light for someone struggling with their own identity, or a window for others to understand experiences different from their own.

As you write, keep in mind the impact your words might have. Approach the topic with sensitivity, respect, and an open heart. Your character's journey of self-discovery is a beautiful and important story to tell.

Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Writing about sexuality, especially in a coming-of-age context, can be challenging but incredibly rewarding. Here are some final thoughts to keep in mind as you work on your story:

Authenticity is Key: Stay true to your character's voice and experiences. Even if you're writing from a perspective different from your own, strive for authenticity in emotions and reactions.

Embrace Complexity: Sexuality is complex and often fluid. Don't be afraid to show the messy, confusing aspects of your character's journey.

Avoid Stereotypes: While some common experiences exist in the queer community, try to avoid relying on stereotypes. Make your character unique and three-dimensional.

Consider Intersectionality: Your character's sexuality doesn't exist in a vacuum. Consider how it intersects with other aspects of her identity, such as race, class, or religion.

Show Growth: As your character becomes more aware of her sexuality, show how this knowledge impacts other areas of her life and relationships.

Be Patient: Writing about such personal topics can be emotionally demanding. Be patient with yourself and take breaks when needed.

Seek Feedback: If possible, get feedback from sensitivity readers or members of the LGBTQ+ community to ensure your portrayal is respectful and accurate.

Remember, your story has the power to touch lives, open minds, and maybe even help someone on their own journey of self-discovery. It's a beautiful responsibility, and I'm excited for you to embark on this writing adventure!

Keep writing, keep exploring, and most importantly, keep being true to your characters and your story. You've got this! 💖🌈✨

If you have any more questions or need further advice as you write, don't hesitate to reach out.

Happy writing!📝🎉- Rin T.

Before you go, why not join us at The Write Right Society? We're a supportive Tumblr community where writers lift each other up. Whether you're a newbie or a pro, we'd love to have you! Share your work, get feedback, and connect with fellow wordsmiths, writers and aspiring authors. 

[find-your-wings]

Guide to Olmia magazine- Moon Phases, Higum and Hium, Minkin, and Dolfolk!

These have been a ton of work but it's been fun to compile years of worldbuilding into some fun-to-look-at lore pages! Figured lore dumps might be easier to digest in magazine-like articles that cut a lot of the fat!

Most people probably won't read these so if you do, thank you lmao you're a real mvp

if you don't, hope you at least enjoy the doodles that go with them!

None of the concepts in these pages are set in stone! Many things may or may not change in the final version of FYW, and some things aren't super important. There's tons more pages I need to make, but I'm just posting these for now.~

[lagnia-erotica]

Hello! I've been writing a slow-burn HDG fic about a young inexperienced Affini and a hyper-sexual egg of a pilot. There's currently 14 chapters out right now and here's a link if you're interested! I upload a new chapter every Saturday, and act 1 just concluded so now's a perfect time to start reading.

[chatty-moogle]

Final Fantasy XIV Sidequest Guide: Heavensward Edition

When looking up which of FFXIV's many many sidequests were worth doing, I found that most of the lists were heavily focused on the rewards rather than whether the sidequest itself was interesting or added to the overall game experience. So I decided to make a guide myself :)

The sidequests listed here are selected based on their story, or their contribution to the worldbuilding or lore. CTRL+F for the relevant location (e.g. "Coerthas Western Highlands", or "Falcon's Nest"), take a look at the blurbs to see whether they appeal to you, and have fun!

This section is for the Heavensward sidequests, since that's where I started this whole project~ Click below for details!

Note: unlike A Realm Reborn, each settlement will have sidequest chains with a bit more effort put into them, as flagged by the quest pop-up notice having a cutscene screenshot (similar to the more significant MSQs). If you want to get a feel for a place but don’t have the time or inclination to do a lot of sidequests, I’d recommend doing those ones first – though note that they can definitely get quite long! I’ll refer to these as “flagged” below, for clarity.

Ishgard

Like previous cities, Ishgard has a number of sidequests to flesh out the city and get newcomers exploring. Here are some of the better (or at least more informative) ones.

(Foundation – The Forgotten Knight) Gibrillont ~ “Drinking the Pain Away” (Lvl 50) – a story which highlights the extent of Ishgard’s religious dogma, particularly the disastrous effects an accusation of heresy can have on a household

(The Pillars – Fortemps Manor) Torsefers ~ “Dinner for Four” (Lvl 50) – a delivery run on behalf of House Fortemps to the three other High Houses of Ishgard; highlights the connections and rivalries between the Houses

(The Pillars – The Jeweled Crozier) Mathye ~ “Landing a Stable Job” (Lvl 50) – leads you to the Lightfeather Proving Grounds, and gives some context to the culture around chocobos in Ishgard. Not terribly exciting

(Foundation – Aetheryte Plaza) Fury-fearing Elezen ~ “Remembering Ishgard” (Lvl 50) – a tour of some of the locations in Ishgard; outlines lore behind the statues gracing Saint Reinette’s Forum and Saint Valeroyant’s Forum. Not very exciting, but lore-lovers might want to check it out.

(The Pillars – The Jeweled Crozier) Mathye ~ “Landing a Stable Job” (Lvl 56) – leads you to the Scholasticate, and demands a rare bit of simple puzzle-solving

Coerthas Western Highlands

There aren’t a huge amount of sidequests here compared to the other regions, and the pace of them unlocking is not too overwhelming. If you want to give the main story just to give a bit more flavour and context, I’d recommend doing the five already-unlocked sidequests in Falcon’s Nest (+ The Anvil) before progressing with MSQ “At the End of Our Hope” near the end of the Artoirel questline.

Falcon’s Nest

Sigan’s questline (flagged); starts with Auriaune ~ “Stolen Goods” (Lvl 50) – the first quest isn’t all that interesting, but the questline overall deals with how there used to be a village at Falcon’s Nest before the Calamity struck, and how that is being dealt with now

(Not in Falcon’s Nest) Bohemondas “Homesick” (Lvl 51) – a story about a father and son who lived at Falcon’s Nest before the Calamity, and who have rather different viewpoints on its current state. Note that the questgiver is not based in Falcon’s Nest, but in Ishgard, specifically Foundation (X:9.5, Y:10.3)

The Convictory

Saintrelmaux’s questline (flagged); starts with Dominiac ~ “The Secret to Success” (Lvl 51) – this questline does give a bit of insight into life at the Convictory, as well as into Ishgardian high society. But more than anything it’s just a nice story about someone who, in learning more about dragons to hunt them, learns more about himself

Bonifoix ~ “Remember the Fallen” (Lvl 56) – about the sole survivor of a dragon-hunting expedition; a rare illustration of the dangers faced by the Convictors

Margyt and Ayleth’s questline (flagged); starts with Margyt ~ “Unknown Ultimatum” (Lvl 56) – initially a tale of revenge, but it doesn’t go the way you’d expect; this questline also touches upon into the otherwise-unexplored internal politicking and hierarchies at the Convictory. Honestly, I’m not sure whether to recommend this questline as it seems to undermine the ending of Saintrelmaux’s questline, and some plot points are frustratingly gendered (one of the characters is a female dragon-hunter unhappy about not being given opportunities by her male boss, but the story ends with her becoming his loyal subordinate, accepting that it’s better for her to be in a supporting position)

Other

(Located at Falcon’s Nest) Ingaret ~ “Grandfather’s Belongings” (Lvl 50) – gives a little more insight into pre-Calamity Camp Riversmeet area

(Located at the Anvil) Ysaudore ~ “Dances with Wolves” (Lvl 50) – pairs well with “Protecting What’s Important”, as it gives the Ishgardian view of Camp Riversmeet. Note that the questgiver is based at the Anvil (X:26.5, Y:27.9)

(Located at the Convictory) Wealdtheow ~ “For All the Nights to Come” (Lvl 51) – apart from being a must-play due to its completion being necessary to unlock flying in the region, this quest also contains the surprisingly elaborate backstory behind the Dusk Vigil, a tale which leans into the vicious politics of Ishgard

(Located at Falcon’s Nest) Well-mannered Widow ~ “Flower Mill” (Lvl 51) – explains the story behind Gorgagne Mills

(Located at Falcon’s Nest) Troubled Elezen ~ “The Old Man and the Lake” (Lvl 56) – about a man trying to persuade his uncle to move to Falcon’s Nest, away from his house in the middle of nowhere. Best when paired with “When the Ice Melts” (see below), which gives the other’s point of view

(Located at Oakum Landing) Emont ~ “When the Ice Melts” (Lvl 56) – a little vignette about the uncle of “The Old Man and the Lake”, who continues to live out by the frozen lake even after the Calamity. Note that the questgiver is based at Oakum Landing (X:36.4, Y:9.9)

The Dravanian Forelands

There’s a huge amount of sidequests in this area that unlock quite close together (nearly fifty, double that of the Coerthas Western Highlands)! As such, I would definitely recommend doing the minimum to unlock flying (i.e. collecting all the Aether Currents) in the region and maaaybe doing the flagged quest chains before proceeding with the other sidequests. In general, I found the Loth ast Vath and Anyx Trine sidequests more interesting than those at Tailfeather, as the former give you insight into the Vath and the dragons while the latter will feel quite familiar to anyone who’s done the Botanist or Carpenter job quests, or sidequests in the Shroud. If you’re picky, I’d say that the Anyx Trine sidequests are the most worth doing – many of them are cute and give more emotional weight to Ysayle’s position.

Tailfeather

Q’yantaa’s questline (flagged); starts with Loupard ~ “I Wanna Be the Hunter” (Lvl 52) – a tale of a young Miqo'te starting out as a chocobo hunter, and her trials in finding a suitable hunting buddy. One of the weaker flagged quest chain stories IMO, but the very first quest “I Wanna be the Hunter” is worth doing for the insight into the life of a chocobo hunter

Marcechamp ~ “Some Bad News” (Lvl 52) (Aether Current) – gives a little context on how the camps in the Chocobo Forest connect together and Tailfeather’s role as the central hub in the region

(Not in Tailfeather) Guanaret ~ “Why Does the Caged Bird Sing” (Lvl 52) – insight into a chocobo hunter’s everyday life, and one of the key tenets of chocobo hunting. Note that the questgiver is not based in Tailfeather, but at one of the camps (X:39.5, Y:21.7)

Remaclon ~ “What Remaclon Saw” (Lvl 52) – gives a bit of context to the ruins in the Chocobo Forest, and the typical Ishgardian perspective on it. Gives more flavour to the main story if you do this before MSQ “Mourn in Passing”, as it contrasts with Ysayle’s explanation

Hervoix’s questline (flagged); starts with Hervoix ~ “Getting a Legtrap Up” (Lvl 57) – following on from the tale of eager young hunter Q’yantaa is that of a wannabe hunter who shirks his duties, bristling at the menial tasks that his mentor gives him. (This is also a good illustration of what residents of Tailfeather busy themselves with, outside actual chocobo-hunting.) Eventually dovetails nicely with Q’yantaa’s story

Loth ast Vath

(Not in Loth ast Vath) Nonmind Drone ~ “Awakened” (Lvl 53) – a good illustration of how the Vath differ from the earlier beast tribes, in that Vath are not simply “the one good tribe” of that species but rather those of that species who separate from a larger whole. Shows Loth ast Vath’s importance as a sanctuary for nonmind Gnath. Note that for obvious reasons the questgiver is not based in Loth ast Vath, but at the Gnath Stronghold (X:31.8, Y:38.6)

Astute Vath ~ “Advanced Vathematics” (Lvl 53) – following on from “Awakened”, this sidequest illustrates how the line between Vath and Gnath is much more blurred compared to other beast tribes

Vath Storyteller ~ “The Naming of Vath” (Lvl 50) (unlocks Vath Beast Tribe Quests) – similar to “Awakened”, this quest deals with a newly-turned Vath developing a sense of identity, but is a bit more fleshed out and elaborates a bit on the interaction between Gnath, Vath, and the chocobo hunters. Results in a visual change to Loth ast Vath, which is cool! Note that it only unlocks after getting to a certain point in the main story (MSQ Lvl 53).

The Hungerer and Cibleroit’s quests; starting with “Low-hanging Fruit” and “To Each His Own” (both Lvl 52) – a few simple sidequests which do a good job illustrating the difference between Vath and Gnath. Also, the two of them are cute <3

Anyx Trine

Kal Myhk’s questline (flagged); starting with Gullinkambi ~ “When Mother Calls” (Lvl 53) – as a story about the WoL becoming friends with a young dragon, this would already be cute enough, but it’s also a good illustration of the how human-dragon relations were in the past and how they have been soured by the Dragonsong War. Definitely recommended for those who want to add a little more emotional context to the main story, as this gives players an opportunity to really understand where Ysayle is coming from in terms of dragons and humans being able to live in harmony

Toh Y Thrah’s questline; starts with “How to Feed Your Dragon” (Lvl 53) – you help a baby dragon try out some delicacies. The first two sidequests aren’t too exciting, though they do tell you what dragons like to eat if you’re interested, but the third and last one (“A Taste of the Peculiar”) is surprisingly sweet

Ess Khas ~ “A Lesson in Humility” (Lvl 53) (Aether Current) and “Back in the Game” (Lvl 53) – a cute set of sidequests about an old dragon trying to teach his sons humility

Indomitable Wyvern ~ “Blunders in Dragonsitting” (Lvl 53) – a cute story about a dragon looking out for his younger brother (also a dragon)

Sea of Clouds

I personally didn’t find the sidequests in the Sea of Clouds all that interesting; in particular, they don’t flesh out Camp Cloudtop or the Rosehouse beyond what can be gleaned from MSQ dialogue or talking to the NPCs. The Zundu’s sidequests generally weren’t as interesting as the ones for non-human questgivers in the Dravanian Forelands, either.

The Rosehouse

Gildon’s questline (flagged); starts with Gildon ~ “Bargaining Chip” (Lvl 50) – about a man eager to motivate the decidedly unmotivated troops posted to the quiet Camp Cloudtop and Rosehouse, but whose passion is mistaken for foolishness (sometimes correctly). One of the weaker flagged questlines in Heavensward, but the humorously hostile dynamic between Gildon and Camp Cloudtop provisioner Fabrellet is one of the more fleshed out amongst the expansion’s town NPCs

(Not in Sea of Clouds) Hyur on Hard Times ~ “Looking to the Future” (Lvl 51) – somewhat unexpectedly, minor NPC Marielle has a bit of a backstory. Note that the questgiver is based in Ishgard’s Foundation (X:12.5, Y:10.9)

(Not in Sea of Clouds) House Haillenarte Knight ~ “Honoring the Past” (Lvl 56) – goes a bit into some history regarding House Haillenarte, including Laniatte of the Rosehouse’s background. Note that the questgiver is based in Ishgard’s Pillars (X:11.5, Y:10.9)

Ok’Zundu

Gunu Vanu’s questline (flagged); starts with Guna Vanu ~ “Flying the Nest” (Lvl 57) – an amusing tale of a Zundu far past the threshold of adulthood who, due to his laziness, has failed the coming-of-age trial eight times… and counting. Better to leave for when you’ve unlocked flying in the region

Sonu Vanu~ “On Wings of Vanu” (Lvl 57) – a no-combat quest which encourages flying about the area; gives context to the woven orb-like objects you may have seen hanging from some of the islands. Requires flying

(Not in Ok’Zundu) Zundu Intelligencer ~ “For Your Spies Only” (Lvl 57) – a glimpse into the Zundu’s espionage network, which is a fancy way of referring to the scout who monitor the Vundu up close. Note that the questgiver is not based at Ok’Zundu, but at (X:23.0, Y:19.8). Requires flying

Hinu Vali ~ “Returning What’s Ours” (Lvl 57) – gives some context on the tense history between the Zundu and Vundu

Aanu Vanu ~ “Winds of Ill Omen” (Lvl 57) – some lore titbits regarding Vundu totems, and the totems’ significance to the Zundu. IIRC flying is required

Churning Mists

The sidequest unlocks were paced a bit strangely here; the initial round that unlocks when you’re in the area for MSQ reasons is (relatively) manageable in number, though on the whole not that interesting. However, if you for some reason decide to return after a certain point in the MSQ, then you’ll find a ton of sidequests waiting for you… and even more, after you’ve completed that round. Many of the later sidequests are actually part of separate quest-chains, so if you plan on completing most of them, I’d definitely recommend pacing yourself and unlocking flying first.

Moghome

Mogleo’s questline (flagged); starts with Mogleo ~ “A Pebble for Your Thoughts” (Lvl 54) – a cute little tale about a young moogle who dreams of joining the Pomsguard, and his adventures in helping other moogles across the Churning Mists

Mogomo ~ “Nut Job” (Lvl 54) – gives a little insight into life at Moghome; you get to pick kupo nuts!

Pomguard questline (flagged); starts with Mogloo ~ “Protecting the Pom” (Lvl 55) – follows Mogkul, second-in-command of the Pomguard, and his attempts to protect Zenith along with his fellow moogle soldiers. Outlines the arrangement between the moogles and Hraesvelgr, but isn’t particularly interesting as a story. I’m also not keen about how the sole female member of the Pomguard is portrayed as weak and easily-frightened compared to her male peers, especially when there are so few female moogles in the first place

(Not in Moghome) Maenne’s questline (flagged); starts with Unflinching Temple Knight ~ “Into the Mists” (Lvl 56) – a very by-the-numbers look at the work of the dragoon scouting party; basically, you do the entire squad’s work for them. I’d largely skip the story if you do this quest chain (it’s necessary for unlocking the moogle dailies), but the last quest “Laying the First Brick” puts a nice cap on the moogles’ attempts to preserve the ruins in the Churning Mists. Requires flying. Note that the questgiver is posted outside House Fortemps’ manor in Ishgard (X:11.4, Y:11.0)

Twelveswood moogle questline (flagged); starts with House Fortemps Knight ~ “Moogles in the Sky” (Lvl 59) – a story about some Twelveswood moogles who want to visit Moghome. This quest chain is a must-play for anyone interested in moogle lore, as it goes into the cultural differences between the Twelveswood and Moghome residents, as well as their shared ancestral history! But be prepared to spend a lot of time flying all over the Sea of Clouds – it’s to the point where those not interested in moogles may want to give this one a miss. Requires flying. Note that the questgiver is posted outside House Fortemps’ manor in Ishgard (X:11.4, Y:11.0)

Other

(The Monsterie) Mercurial Moogle’s questline; starts with Mercurial Moogle ~ “I Won't Leaf You Behind” (Lvl 55) – a set of three quests about a moogle trying to find herbs to help his sick friend; apart from being heartwarming, it also offers some insight into moogle medicine. Requires flying IIRC. Note that the questgiver is based in the Monsterie (X:34.1, Y:16.0)

(Tharl Oom Khash) Tharl Oom Khash questline; starts with Malingering Moogle ~ “Unwanted Attention” (Lvl 55) – a set of four quests about the moogle research expedition working at the ruins of Tharl Oom Khash (note that the first quest seems very unrelated). There is a lot of flying up and down trying to find the quest objectives, which can be annoying, so I’d mainly recommend this questline to those who are particularly interested in the ruins dotting the region, or in dragon culture. Requires flying. Note that the questgiver is based near Tharl Oom Khash ((X:17.4, Y:11.2)

The Dravanian Hinterlands & Idyllshire

Most of the sidequests in this region actually originate in Idyllshire rather than out in the field, but note that like the Dravanian Hinterlands themselves, the sidequests are unlocked in two phases – first, those that mainly concern the Eastern Hinterlands, and second, those involving the Western Hinterlands. Clearing all the sidequests is not too overwhelming if you do them as they come up (i.e. finish the first set before unlocking the Answering Quarter), but it’s probably quite painful to clear all at once post-Heavensward. Personally, I found that the first set of quests were generally better at fleshing out Idyllshire, but the real stars of the show are the three flagged questlines – two linked ones from Idyllshire, and the one at Matoya’s Cave – definitely focus on these if you can’t be bothered with the rest!

Idyllshire

Slowfix’s questline (flagged); starts with Slowfix ~ “The Pick of the Bunch” (Lvl 58) – about Slowfix’s leaderly struggles in setting up the administrative systems required to run a city; a classic tale of idealism versus practicality. Only this time, the story takes a rather more corporate bent – it’s definitely recommended if you feel strongly about policies and procedures (whether that feeling is positive or negative!). The questgiver is at X:7.0, Y:6.0

Midnight Dew ~ “Community Service” (Lvl 58) – gives a sense of everyday life at and the community of Idyllshire. The questgiver is at X:5.5, Y:6.6

Loudjox ~ “A New Leaf” (Lvl 58) – touches upon what kinds of things goblins trade, including filling for their masks. The questgiver is at X:7.1, Y:7.2

Halfsix ~ “Ebb and Aetherflow” (Lvl 58) – illustrates how recycled Sharlayan technology is crucial to keep Idyllshire running. The questgiver is at X:7.5, Y:6.7

Holepix ~ “The Vangob Job” (Lvl 58) – shows how Sharlayan technology can be reverse-engineered and recycled in less than peaceful ways. The questgiver is at X:7.5, Y:6.7

Notched Bone & Dedean’s questline (flagged); starts with Midnight Dew ~ “The New Arrivals” (Lvl 58) – a thematic continuation of Slowfix’s story, this quest chain explores the ideals behind Idyllshire from a different perspective. It follows two new arrivals who – thanks to bad experiences in Ul’dah – are suspicious of everyone and everything

Other

(Matoya’s Cave) Saro Roggo’s questline (flagged); starts with Saro Roggo ~ “Saro Roggo's Common Life” (Lvl 59) – if you are going to play one quest chain in Heavensward, make it this one. About a self-doubting enchanted frog who fears for his place among Matoya’s familiars, this questline delivers a simple but affecting story, fun (if very simple) riddles to solve instead of the usual “fetch this, kill that” objectives, and gives players a little more insight into the into the excellent Matoya (whose screentime is all too brief!). Flying recommended

Azys Lla

Yes, the final dungeon area has a bunch of sidequests while you wait for the duty to pop (though that’s no longer relevant thanks to NPC support). Unfortunately, said sidequests don’t do much to flesh out the area beyond what you can already learn – or infer – from the MSQ dialogue; there’s only one which might be of interest to lore-lovers. If you’re intent on doing the sidequests regardless, I’d highly recommend progressing with the MSQ first anyway as you’ll unlock all the necessary Aether Currents for flying by doing so.

(Gamma Quadrant) Auditing Node ~ “A Crude Facsimile” (Lvl 59) – touches upon the link between Allag and Garlean technology. The questgiver is based in the Gamma Quadrant (X:29.8, Y:37.6)

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

hi im back with more Out Of Context lines from my outlines/snippets that i find mildly entertaining when going back through it all: Fantasy Au Edition!

[stars-and-clouds]

How to Curse Like an Ishgardian

I was coming up with ways to make my ishgardian characters swear and exclaim for my upcoming story and decided to share it =)

Some of these are my own, some are from the game itself and others are from others relevant media.

I read somewhere that when thinking of how to make curses and prayers think of what each culture values most and values the least. Whatever they value the most will be their prayer and the thing they least value will be their curses.

In Ishgard family name, religion and valor is valued the most. So, instantly, nameless people, bastard, orphans, heretics, rebels and cowardly people are looked down upon. This logic should help you make your own curses. You can also add some racist slurs against non-elezen and sometimes non-hyurian people. They also hate dragons, so pre-dragonsong war, a lot of dragon cursing would be common.

Small warning, some really foul language follows ahead. I will keep updating this list whenever I find new curses or come up with them.

1. Prayers, Exclamations and Blessings:

Halone, have mercy

Fury, save me

Halone, grant me strength

Halone's blessings be upon you

Halone/Fury, preserve me

Fury, guide me

Halone, shield me

Spear me, Halone!

Halone be praised!

By the Fury's fire!

By Her Lance!

By the Fury!

2. Insults:

Use these as an insult or add injury to another insult. For example, 'frostbitten whore,' or combine two insults like, 'nameless brume runt.'

frostbitten [insult]

'Greystone' in general can be used as an insult as bastards are really looked down upon. Haurchefant was very lucky to have a father like Edmont.

spoon ears; used against hyurs

Insults used against AuRi as superstitious Ishgardians believe them to be related to dragons:

wyrm fucker

scaled [insult]

dragonspawn

Mixed race couples are looked down upon in Ishgard so, their children face racism and bullying:

weakblood

mongrel

half-breed; all can be used to describe mixed blood.

knife ears; (stolen from Dragon Age) used against elezen

brume runt

street rat

highling; can be used to insult a highborn by a lowborn.

-your grandiosity; can be used to insult a highborn by a lowborn. You can be creative with these!

heretic

nameless [insult]; this is to imply that they do not belong to any house, not even a small one.

[ruling house name] leech; for example, a person sworn to house Durendaire to misuse their power, they can be called a 'Durendaire leech.')

[any house name] bootlicker; anyone who flatters and sucks up to nobles and those in power for their own benefit.

3. Exclamations and curses:

Shiva be damned!

voidspawn

Halone's tits!

Thordan's balls!

Fury strike you!

Holy Crozier!

wolves take you!

dragons take you!

Twelve curses upon you!

Fury's curses upon you!

Nophica be damned! ; Nophica and Halone didn't get along according to myth.

Godsdamnit!

Halone's cunt!

Please feel free to use them in your works! Happy writing! =D

[revoevokukil]

Thinking about how Ithlinne's prophecy of the world's end and rebirth functions as a self-contained metaphor for the beginning and ending of tales. Removing herself from the narrative-realm into which Geralt is confined, Ciri ends the tale in which Geralt lives and closes the door into this world; the witcher's winter must come.

That was all behind them. And before them was everything.

Just as Ciri's return to "life" - to the pages of another tale, in any world that can be conceived of - would mark the eventual commencement of another tale, after putting the witcher's tale to rest in Lady of the Lake. A rebirth of a world, a birth of another fantasy. So that her character and the witcher's world once summoned out of Sapkowski's imagination might reawaken in a new shape from another mind, who tries their hand at fantasising what else could happen. Who draws from the fantastic creatures, tropes, and ground tread a thousand and one times by so many others.

[thatfunkylilfey]

✦ A Guide to Mothlight ✦

a guide to Mothlight by Florian A. Ellis ; book i. of The Serpent & The Fey trilogy (x)

✦ Blurb

The day their sister disappeared without a trace, Aeramis’ world fell out from under them, leaving them to wander aimlessly, taking it day by day. That was until six months ago.

Since then, Aeramis—or Vanya as they go by these days—has been following a trail they refuse to stray from. A trail that will lead them to someone called the Spider, an individual with the ability to point Aeramis towards the man responsible for tearing their family apart. After all, Aeramis has one thing on their mind. Revenge. Something they are well-suited for being a shapeshifter, someone able to appear as anyone at any time.

As the trail for the Spider grows cold, Bastien—full-time mercenary captain, Aeramis’ part-time lover—appears in the same city searching for the Spider for reasons of his own. The Spider has hired him, promising not just gold but clues regarding a past Bastien cannot remember.

Knowing they work better together, the two of them reconnect, and the trail to the Spider becomes clearer. But when their meeting with the Spider points Aeramis in the direction of both the man they’re searching for and their childhood home, the shapeshifter and the mercenary captain are left with more questions than answers.

Aeramis must enlist both new friends and old in order to seek the revenge they are so desperate to enact, no matter the cost, allowing for nothing to stand in their way.

✦ Elements

MONKEY MAN (2024) x ROMAN MYTHOLOGY x THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO meets the vibes of ELFHAME x ARCANE

contains:

Adult [Low] Science [High/Mythic Fantasy]

Dual POV

Unreliable Narrators

Shapeshifting as a Metaphor for Gender Identity/Expression

[Alchemical] Industrial Revolution-inspired setting

tropes:

Revenge at Any Cost

Found Family

Established Couple

NB MC x Trans Man LI

They're Feral ; He's Enamored

Queer Disasters

Memory Loss

✦ Playlist

Which Witch — Florence + The Machine Wolf at Your Door — Chloe x Halle Give — Sleep Token Eat Your Young — Hozier Whatever It Takes — Imagine Dragons Heaven, Iowa — Fall Out Boy

art in the fourth image credited to the ever-lovely and ever-talented @emimillerart ✦

[charliejaneanders]

My latest newsletter is about Hollywood constantly going back to the same heroes (Luke Skywalker, Captain Kirk) instead of expanding their universes. To get more perspective, I talked to the wonderful @okbjgm about creating new heroes in old universes.

[inky-duchess]

Fantasy Guide to Interiors

As a followup to the very popular post on architecture, I decided to add onto it by exploring the interior of each movement and the different design techniques and tastes of each era. This post at be helpful for historical fiction, fantasy or just a long read when you're bored.

Interior Design Terms

Reeding and fluting: Fluting is a technique that consists a continuous pattern of concave grooves in a flat surface across a surface. Reeding is it's opposite.

Embossing: stamping, carving or moulding a symbol to make it stand out on a surface.

Paneling: Panels of carved wood or fabric a fixed to a wall in a continuous pattern.

Gilding: the use of gold to highlight features.

Glazed Tile: Ceramic or porcelain tiles coated with liquid coloured glass or enamel.

Column: A column is a pillar of stone or wood built to support a ceiling. We will see more of columns later on.

Bay Window: The Bay Window is a window projecting outward from a building.

Frescos: A design element of painting images upon wet plaster.

Mosaic: Mosaics are a design element that involves using pieces of coloured glass and fitted them together upon the floor or wall to form images.

Mouldings: ornate strips of carved wood along the top of a wall.

Wainscoting: paneling along the lower portion of a wall.

Chinoiserie: A European take on East Asian art. Usually seen in wallpaper.

Clerestory: A series of eye-level windows.

Sconces: A light fixture supported on a wall.

Niche: A sunken area within a wall.

Monochromatic: Focusing on a single colour within a scheme.

Ceiling rose: A moulding fashioned on the ceiling in the shape of a rose usually supporting a light fixture.

Baluster: the vertical bars of a railing.

Façade: front portion of a building

Lintel: Top of a door or window.

Portico: a covered structure over a door supported by columns

Eaves: the part of the roof overhanging from the building

Skirting: border around lower length of a wall

Ancient Greece

Houses were made of either sun-dried clay bricks or stone which were painted when they dried. Ground floors were decorated with coloured stones and tiles called Mosaics. Upper level floors were made from wood. Homes were furnished with tapestries and furniture, and in grand homes statues and grand altars would be found. Furniture was very skillfully crafted in Ancient Greece, much attention was paid to the carving and decoration of such things. Of course, Ancient Greece is ancient so I won't be going through all the movements but I will talk a little about columns.

Doric: Doric is the oldest of the orders and some argue it is the simplest. The columns of this style are set close together, without bases and carved with concave curves called flutes. The capitals (the top of the column) are plain often built with a curve at the base called an echinus and are topped by a square at the apex called an abacus. The entablature is marked by frieze of vertical channels/triglyphs. In between the channels would be detail of carved marble. The Parthenon in Athens is your best example of Doric architecture.

Ionic: The Ionic style was used for smaller buildings and the interiors. The columns had twin volutes, scroll-like designs on its capital. Between these scrolls, there was a carved curve known as an egg and in this style the entablature is much narrower and the frieze is thick with carvings. The example of Ionic Architecture is the Temple to Athena Nike at the Athens Acropolis.

Corinthian: The Corinthian style has some similarities with the Ionic order, the bases, entablature and columns almost the same but the capital is more ornate its base, column, and entablature, but its capital is far more ornate, commonly carved with depictions of acanthus leaves. The style was more slender than the others on this list, used less for bearing weight but more for decoration. Corinthian style can be found along the top levels of the Colosseum in Rome.

Tuscan: The Tuscan order shares much with the Doric order, but the columns are un-fluted and smooth. The entablature is far simpler, formed without triglyphs or guttae. The columns are capped with round capitals.

Composite: This style is mixed. It features the volutes of the Ionic order and the capitals of the Corinthian order. The volutes are larger in these columns and often more ornate. The column's capital is rather plain. for the capital, with no consistent differences to that above or below the capital.

Ancient Rome

Rome is well known for its outward architectural styles. However the Romans did know how to add that rizz to the interior. Ceilings were either vaulted or made from exploded beams that could be painted. The Romans were big into design. Moasics were a common interior sight, the use of little pieces of coloured glass or stone to create a larger image. Frescoes were used to add colour to the home, depicting mythical figures and beasts and also different textures such as stonework or brick. The Romans loved their furniture. Dining tables were low and the Romans ate on couches. Weaving was a popular pastime so there would be tapestries and wall hangings in the house. Rich households could even afford to import fine rugs from across the Empire. Glass was also a feature in Roman interior but windows were usually not paned as large panes were hard to make. Doors were usually treated with panels that were carved or in lain with bronze.

Ancient Egypt

Egypt was one of the first great civilisations, known for its immense and grand structures. Wealthy Egyptians had grand homes. The walls were painted or plastered usually with bright colours and hues. The Egyptians are cool because they mapped out their buildings in such a way to adhere to astrological movements meaning on special days if the calendar the temple or monuments were in the right place always. The columns of Egyptian where thicker, more bulbous and often had capitals shaped like bundles of papyrus reeds. Woven mats and tapestries were popular decor. Motifs from the river such as palms, papyrus and reeds were popular symbols used.

Ancient Africa

African Architecture is a very mixed bag and more structurally different and impressive than Hollywood would have you believe. Far beyond the common depictions of primitive buildings, the African nations were among the giants of their time in architecture, no style quite the same as the last but just as breathtaking.

Rwandan Architecture: The Rwandans commonly built of hardened clay with thatched roofs of dried grass or reeds. Mats of woven reeds carpeted the floors of royal abodes. These residences folded about a large public area known as a karubanda and were often so large that they became almost like a maze, connecting different chambers/huts of all kinds of uses be they residential or for other purposes.

Ashanti Architecture: The Ashanti style can be found in present day Ghana. The style incorporates walls of plaster formed of mud and designed with bright paint and buildings with a courtyard at the heart, not unlike another examples on this post. The Ashanti also formed their buildings of the favourite method of wattle and daub.

Nubian Architecture: Nubia, in modern day Ethiopia, was home to the Nubians who were one of the world's most impressive architects at the beginning of the architecture world and probably would be more talked about if it weren't for the Egyptians building monuments only up the road. The Nubians were famous for building the speos, tall tower-like spires carved of stone. The Nubians used a variety of materials and skills to build, for example wattle and daub and mudbrick. The Kingdom of Kush, the people who took over the Nubian Empire was a fan of Egyptian works even if they didn't like them very much. The Kushites began building pyramid-like structures such at the sight of Gebel Barkal

Japanese Interiors

Japenese interior design rests upon 7 principles. Kanso (簡素)- Simplicity, Fukinsei (不均整)- Asymmetry, Shizen (自然)- Natural, Shibumi (渋味) – Simple beauty, Yugen (幽玄)- subtle grace, Datsuzoku (脱俗) – freedom from habitual behaviour, Seijaku (静寂)- tranquillity.

Common features of Japanese Interior Design:

Shoji walls: these are the screens you think of when you think of the traditional Japanese homes. They are made of wooden frames, rice paper and used to partition

Tatami: Tatami mats are used within Japanese households to blanket the floors. They were made of rice straw and rush straw, laid down to cushion the floor.

Genkan: The Genkan was a sunken space between the front door and the rest of the house. This area is meant to separate the home from the outside and is where shoes are discarded before entering.

Japanese furniture: often lowest, close to the ground. These include tables and chairs but often tanked are replaced by zabuton, large cushions. Furniture is usually carved of wood in a minimalist design.

Nature: As both the Shinto and Buddhist beliefs are great influences upon architecture, there is a strong presence of nature with the architecture. Wood is used for this reason and natural light is prevalent with in the home. The orientation is meant to reflect the best view of the world.

Islamic World Interior

The Islamic world has one of the most beautiful and impressive interior design styles across the world. Colour and detail are absolute staples in the movement. Windows are usually not paned with glass but covered in ornate lattices known as jali. The jali give ventilation, light and privacy to the home. Islamic Interiors are ornate and colourful, using coloured ceramic tiles. The upper parts of walls and ceilings are usually flat decorated with arabesques (foliate ornamentation), while the lower wall areas were usually tiled. Features such as honeycombed ceilings, horseshoe arches, stalactite-fringed arches and stalactite vaults (Muqarnas) are prevalent among many famous Islamic buildings such as the Alhambra and the Blue Mosque.

Byzantine (330/395–1453 A. D)

The Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire was where eat met west, leading to a melting pot of different interior designs based on early Christian styles and Persian influences. Mosaics are probably what you think of when you think of the Byzantine Empire. Ivory was also a popular feature in the Interiors, with carved ivory or the use of it in inlay. The use of gold as a decorative feature usually by way of repoussé (decorating metals by hammering in the design from the backside of the metal). Fabrics from Persia, heavily embroidered and intricately woven along with silks from afar a field as China, would also be used to upholster furniture or be used as wall hangings. The Byzantines favoured natural light, usually from the use of copolas.

Indian Interiors

India is of course, the font of all intricate designs. India's history is sectioned into many eras but we will focus on a few to give you an idea of prevalent techniques and tastes.

The Gupta Empire (320 – 650 CE): The Gupta era was a time of stone carving. As impressive as the outside of these buildings are, the Interiors are just as amazing. Gupta era buildings featured many details such as ogee (circular or horseshoe arch), gavaksha/chandrashala (the motif centred these arches), ashlar masonry (built of squared stone blocks) with ceilings of plain, flat slabs of stone.

Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526): Another period of beautifully carved stone. The Delhi sultanate had influence from the Islamic world, with heavy uses of mosaics, brackets, intricate mouldings, columns and and hypostyle halls.

Mughal Empire (1526–1857): Stonework was also important on the Mughal Empire. Intricately carved stonework was seen in the pillars, low relief panels depicting nature images and jalis (marble screens). Stonework was also decorated in a stye known as pietra dura/parchin kari with inscriptions and geometric designs using colored stones to create images. Tilework was also popular during this period. Moasic tiles were cut and fitted together to create larger patters while cuerda seca tiles were coloured tiles outlined with black.

Chinese Interiors

Common features of Chinese Interiors

Use of Colours: Colour in Chinese Interior is usually vibrant and bold. Red and Black are are traditional colours, meant to bring luck, happiness, power, knowledge and stability to the household.

Latticework: Lattices are a staple in Chinese interiors most often seen on shutters, screens, doors of cabinets snf even traditional beds.

Lacquer: Multiple coats of lacquer are applied to furniture or cabinets (now walls) and then carved. The skill is called Diaoqi (雕漆).

Decorative Screens: Screens are used to partition off part of a room. They are usually of carved wood, pained with very intricate murals.

Shrines: Spaces were reserved on the home to honour ancestors, usually consisting of an altar where offerings could be made.

Of course, Chinese Interiors are not all the same through the different eras. While some details and techniques were interchangeable through different dynasties, usually a dynasty had a notable style or deviation. These aren't all the dynasties of course but a few interesting examples.

Song Dynasty (960–1279): The Song Dynasty is known for its stonework. Sculpture was an important part of Song Dynasty interior. It was in this period than brick and stone work became the most used material. The Song Dynasty was also known for its very intricate attention to detail, paintings, and used tiles.

Ming Dynasty(1368–1644): Ceilings were adorned with cloisons usually featuring yellow reed work. The floors would be of flagstones usually of deep tones, mostly black. The Ming Dynasty favoured richly coloured silk hangings, tapestries and furnishings. Furniture was usually carved of darker woods, arrayed in a certain way to bring peace to the dwelling.

Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD): Interior walls were plastered and painted to show important figures and scenes. Lacquer, though it was discovered earlier, came into greater prominence with better skill in this era.

Tang Dynasty (618–907) : The colour palette is restrained, reserved. But the Tang dynasty is not without it's beauty. Earthenware reached it's peak in this era, many homes would display fine examples as well. The Tang dynasty is famous for its upturned eaves, the ceilings supported by timber columns mounted with metal or stone bases. Glazed tiles were popular in this era, either a fixed to the roof or decorating a screen wall.

Romanesque (6th -11th century/12th)

Romanesque Architecture is a span between the end of Roman Empire to the Gothic style. Taking inspiration from the Roman and Byzantine Empires, the Romanesque period incorporates many of the styles. The most common details are carved floral and foliage symbols with the stonework of the Romanesque buildings. Cable mouldings or twisted rope-like carvings would have framed doorways. As per the name, Romansque Interiors relied heavily on its love and admiration for Rome. The Romanesque style uses geometric shapes as statements using curves, circles snf arches. The colours would be clean and warm, focusing on minimal ornamentation.

Gothic Architecture (12th Century - 16th Century)

The Gothic style is what you think of when you think of old European cathedrals and probably one of the beautiful of the styles on this list and one of most recognisable. The Gothic style is a dramatic, opposing sight and one of the easiest to describe. Decoration in this era became more ornate, stonework began to sport carving and modelling in a way it did not before. The ceilings moved away from barreled vaults to quadripartite and sexpartite vaulting. Columns slimmed as other supportive structures were invented. Intricate stained glass windows began their popularity here. In Gothic structures, everything is very symmetrical and even.

Mediaeval (500 AD to 1500)

Interiors of mediaeval homes are not quite as drab as Hollywood likes to make out. Building materials may be hidden by plaster in rich homes, sometimes even painted. Floors were either dirt strewn with rushes or flagstones in larger homes. Stonework was popular, especially around fireplaces. Grand homes would be decorated with intricate woodwork, carved heraldic beasts and wall hangings of fine fabrics.

Renaissance (late 1300s-1600s)

The Renaissance was a period of great artistry and splendor. The revival of old styles injected symmetry and colour into the homes. Frescoes were back. Painted mouldings adorned the ceilings and walls. Furniture became more ornate, fixed with luxurious upholstery and fine carvings. Caryatids (pillars in the shape of women), grotesques, Roman and Greek images were used to spruce up the place. Floors began to become more intricate, with coloured stone and marble. Modelled stucco, sgraffiti arabesques (made by cutting lines through a layer of plaster or stucco to reveal an underlayer), and fine wall painting were used in brilliant combinations in the early part of the 16th century.

Tudor Interior (1485-1603)

The Tudor period is a starkly unique style within England and very recognisable. Windows were fixed with lattice work, usually casement. Stained glass was also in in this period, usually depicting figures and heraldic beasts. Rooms would be panelled with wood or plastered. Walls would be adorned with tapestries or embroidered hangings. Windows and furniture would be furnished with fine fabrics such as brocade. Floors would typically be of wood, sometimes strewn with rush matting mixed with fresh herbs and flowers to freshen the room.

Baroque (1600 to 1750)

The Baroque period was a time for splendor and for splashing the cash. The interior of a baroque room was usually intricate, usually of a light palette, featuring a very high ceiling heavy with detail. Furniture would choke the room, ornately carved and stitched with very high quality fabrics. The rooms would be full of art not limited to just paintings but also sculptures of marble or bronze, large intricate mirrors, moldings along the walls which may be heavily gilded, chandeliers and detailed paneling.

Victorian (1837-1901)

We think of the interiors of Victorian homes as dowdy and dark but that isn't true. The Victorians favoured tapestries, intricate rugs, decorated wallpaper, exquisitely furniture, and surprisingly, bright colour. Dyes were more widely available to people of all stations and the Victorians did not want for colour. Patterns and details were usually nature inspired, usually floral or vines. Walls could also be painted to mimic a building material such as wood or marble and most likely painted in rich tones. The Victorians were suckers for furniture, preferring them grandly carved with fine fabric usually embroidered or buttoned. And they did not believe in minimalism. If you could fit another piece of furniture in a room, it was going in there. Floors were almost eclusively wood laid with the previously mentioned rugs. But the Victorians did enjoy tiled floors but restricted them to entrances. The Victorians were quite in touch with their green thumbs so expect a lot of flowers and greenery inside. with various elaborately decorated patterned rugs. And remember, the Victorians loved to display as much wealth as they could. Every shelf, cabinet, case and ledge would be chocked full of ornaments and antiques.

Edwardian/The Gilded Age/Belle Epoque (1880s-1914)

This period (I've lumped them together for simplicity) began to move away from the deep tones and ornate patterns of the Victorian period. Colour became more neutral. Nature still had a place in design. Stained glass began to become popular, especially on lampshades and light fixtures. Embossing started to gain popularity and tile work began to expand from the entrance halls to other parts of the house. Furniture began to move away from dark wood, some families favouring breathable woods like wicker. The rooms would be less cluttered.

Art Deco (1920s-1930s)

The 1920s was a time of buzz and change. Gone were the refined tastes of the pre-war era and now the wow factor was in. Walls were smoother, buildings were sharper and more jagged, doorways and windows were decorated with reeding and fluting. Pastels were in, as was the heavy use of black and white, along with gold. Mirrors and glass were in, injecting light into rooms. Gold, silver, steel and chrome were used in furnishings and decor. Geometric shapes were a favourite design choice. Again, high quality and bold fabrics were used such as animal skins or colourful velvet. It was all a rejection of the Art Noveau movement, away from nature focusing on the man made.

Modernism (1930 - 1965)

Modernism came after the Art Deco movement. Fuss and feathers were out the door and now, practicality was in. Materials used are shown as they are, wood is not painted, metal is not coated. Bright colours were acceptable but neutral palettes were favoured. Interiors were open and favoured large windows. Furniture was practical, for use rather than the ornamentation, featuring plain details of any and geometric shapes. Away from Art Deco, everything is straight, linear and streamlined.

[fatehbaz]

.

[rxttenfish]

Pardon the question, but how do the reimagined merfolk reproduce? In MP I recall them saying that merfolk reproduce in a similar way to seahorses (may be a throwaway joke, but in any case) but the reimagined merfolk are obviously different from how they are in MP in many ways.

ah yes, one of those things that i've had worked out fully for forever but never made a dedicated post on it over here... at least partially because im suspicious of tumblr and its ability to nuke anything even frankly talking about sexual selection and reproductive methods of various animals, oops.

which is why this is going under a cut, oops. like i said, lots of frank discussion of sexual selection and the processes of it. im a nerd when it comes to this.

-

the first thing most humans would notice when looking upon a group of merfolk (of the same species), is a notable lack of dimorphism. there's no dramatic color shifts, no difference in size beyond usual distribution among a population, no odd behaviors, nothing to really sort them out from each other. this is a consistent theme among merfolk in general — while they continually get larger as they age (at a much slower rate than they did growing up, certainly, and not as dramatic as pop media might suggest this to be), it's still fairly close along the existing curve of height distribution, and usually the only real "tells" for an adult merfolk's age is that they get pitted and worn, a little like a statue slowly wearing down, or similar to the age of crocodilians.

which might be a little odd for these hypothetical humans looking onwards, even if they were already familiar enough to be able to tell merfolk facial features apart. even moreso because as frank as merfolk cultures usually are about sex and nudity taboos seem rare, all of their applicable anatomy is internal, so even seeing one entirely in the nude isn't enough to sex them.

the truth has to do with merfolk as a secondarily aquatic tetrapod. i've mentioned before that the early ancestors of merfolk were temnospondyls that responded to environmental stressors in their freshwater environments by being able to take advantage of a wide variety of environments. they have lungs and gills, meaning they can breathe on land very well if they need to move between pools and ponds, and they have gills to optimize their time spent underwater and not have to surface if the going is good underwater. even more than that, they developed both external gills and internal gills, meaning they could reap the benefits of both fast-moving and slow-moving water.

all of this is relevant, because to be exposed to all of these different environments and to be able to move between them when the going gets tough in one, means they had to make longer and longer treks over land. some were dependent on specific vernal pools that they would travel to to raise their young, but this also limited the areas in which they could live, and if those vernal pools dried up then they could not reproduce.

so these early-line temnospondyls made the same switch that other tetrapods have made, and switched to internal fertilization. this meant that, if they were to find another one of their species during their land-travels, they could mate and continue onwards, even being ready to lay eggs right at the moment they found the vernal pool, limiting the amount of time the offspring needed in the water.

however, they did still need vernal pools and water, and were very vulnerable in these stages. and with the existing push towards shorter and shorter time spent in the vernal pools, well, what if they just didn't bother with them at all? it'd put more stress on the parents, but they were already primed to be able to survive through these periods of stress, so it wouldn't be such a huge jump.

so the line that would eventually lead to merfolk and the leviathans both made the switch to live birth fairly early on in their history.

the rest that happens from there varies. this was a more diverse group, back in the day! there were many different species with many different methods for that live birth. some would continue just carrying the fertilized eggs to be dropped off in the next suitable pool they found, some developed them into tadpoles, some went through metamorphosis in the womb and popped out into the world as mini adults, some left spermatophores for others of their species to pick up, some developed evertable genitalia and went at it that way.

but another shift also happened early on in their evolutionary history. them being able to spread out so far and wide meant that there was a very low density of them in any given area, and these low numbers made them vulnerable. if there was high disparity in the proportion of sexes in any given area, they'd feel the effects of that quicker, and when they were already in competition over the same niches as other temnospondyls, crocodylomorphs, marine reptiles, and later early cetaceans, etc who dominated these niches, they were often kept at these lower population numbers.

which was about when these early-line temnospondyls also made the switch to a trioecious mating system.

this happened because sex determination in amphibians is already weird, so it wasn't too far of a leap for a mutation to arise which created fertile dual-sexed individuals. and these dual-sexed individuals had a lot of success under the niche they had already carved out! now, whenever they did find another member of their same species, it was guaranteed that they could mate with them, which meant that their populations were self-sustaining and stable on much lower numbers. due to how their dispersal already worked, inbreeding wasn't as much of a negative factor, and they were even more capable of making it through the disasters and ecological strain that had the other non-lissamphibia temnospondyls going extinct. they could eke out a living wherever they found it, make long traversals over land if they needed to seek out greener pastures, and they were able to sustain themselves in the background without needing as high of a density of themselves in any given spot.

like i said too - this was a diverse clade back in the day! and you ended up getting different variations on this. some species didn't have any dual-sexed individuals. some species had only dual-sexed individuals. some had only males and dual-sexed individuals, and some only females and the dual-sexed individuals, and all in various different proportions and numbers.

what matters here is that merfolk were a part of the line who had evertable internal genitalia, and who ended up entirely composed of these dual-sexed members, making them an entirely unisex species in the modern day.

(this is also where i butt in, to explain from an authorial perspective, this is me kinda... being sneaky with canon and how it tends to phrase things. yes, technically it is the male who gets pregnant with merfolk! but, also, so would females. because they don't have "male" or "female" in these strict terms, and any given individual to them has the potential to do both. this is something that i do a lot with the usual facts given to me by canon, where it's technically true, just because i like to be contrary about it and not take things in the most literal way. it's just what i find fun, i know some other people do it differently, and that's fine with me!)

what this means is that merfolk don't have a conception of "gender". it checks out with their social structure too, because if a merfolk's miivt'ia have a child, then it doesn't matter who actually physically created that child, said merfolk would still consider themselves their parent all the same. the reproductive unit is larger than a singular merfolk or even two merfolk, and at that point, even if they were bisex, then each grouping still has the same reproductive potential as any other.

what this means is that, when miranda describes herself as a princess or a girl or that the king is her dad or she has sisters — these are best seen as translation errors. to a merfolk, the concepts at play aren't gendered. they would not immediately identify themselves as male, they would not immediately identify themselves as female, they'd be very confused and would only get more confused as you tried to explain it to them. miranda describes herself as a princess and uses she/her because she was told that, for landfolk, everyone had to pick one of two and she had to just choose one. she picked "princess" and "girl" because one of the first things given to her as a way to learn english were fairytales, and she really ended up latching onto the princess characters in them.

in fact, this is why merfolk seem to be a little... reductive? when it comes to gender? as in, if you do take the time to explain it to them, you will have to explain it all. which means starting with gender relating to the different genitalia, and you have just told this hypothetical merfolk that it is important to landfolk, who will now operate under that assumption. they will not innately understand why landfolk care about this or all the distinctions thereof and certainly not the nuance of it, so they end up just going "okay, when this landfolk tells me this person is a girl, that must mean she is like this", and potentially getting frustrated when you tell them that that's wrong.

it can't even really work for royals, who do simplify parentage down to two people, and care a whole lot about who is related to whom. for royals in the current merkingdom, its primarily about attempting to preserve a specific lineage. because merfolk lineage is its own can of worms, they simplify - they take the current heir (one who has been groomed and taught how to behave as though emblematic of that lineage and has been guaranteed to have the strongest claim to it), and will find a suitable non-heir of another royal house, for whom they will forbid either of them to make kids with any other merfolk. this agreement is less like a marriage in the traditional sense, and more like the heir's house is briefly sponsoring the non-heir's house, sending extended political and economic benefits to the latter through this connection, in exchange for reinforcing the lineage of the heir and making it more potent, reinforcing their political ties.

this is to ensure that absolutely no other genetics can be involved and to contain the process. because this occurs by who-was-born-where, it also means that only the heir really matters in this ordeal. if the heir dies while the non-heir of the couple lives, and they already have had children, then the non-heir is "locked in" and cannot remarry, obliged to stay within the heir's house in their current position to ensure the current holders of the lineage are brought up and cared for properly. if the heir dies while the non-heir lives, and they have no children, then the non-heir is sent back to their prior family with no benefits, and the next heir is named as though the marriage never happened. if the non-heir dies while the heir lives, then they can remarry as they please, existing children or not. this is not especially popular, as the non-heir's family can accuse the heir's family of being unfair or snubbing them, but it is still perfectly legal and accepted.

for instance: the king, miranda's father, had to marry into the royal family. it was the queen, miranda's mother, who was the crown princess before miranda, and who is seen as passing her inheritance down onto miranda and the other three sisters. when the queen died, the king could not remarry. he was secure in his position as king, but any other marriages would not carry the lineage of the royal family, and at best he would be seen as trying to "dilute" that lineage.

in this setup, it's not all that important who is the donor party and who is the carrying party. either the inheritor or their partner can be the one carrying, so long as it's certain and guaranteed who the baby comes from and that this can be assured with certainty. usually it's agreed between the two of them for whatever reason, though the carrying partner does have a benefit in being a surefire way to prove that they are one of the parents, with zero doubt. inheritors will do this mostly to make their kids look the most "100% royal line, no doubts", but this can also go the opposite way, to cement it down to it being a specific line who carried them and to reinforce the political benefits their prior family enjoys from this arrangement.

which brings me back to merfolk genetics, and why this is so important for the royals to ensure they know exactly who made what!

which is to say, merfolk never opted for traditional sexual competition, and instead erred towards sperm competition.

early on in their lineage, they didn't have a lot of sexual dimorphism to begin with. they were already fairly widespread, and while gatherings around early vernal pools were a pressure towards sexual competition, after they stopped relying on vernal pools, the differences between the sexes became more of a hinderance than a benefit. why would they bother with any colorful spots or being extra big and bulky when you're not even around enough of your species for choice to be an issue? if you can find another one to begin with, then that's really all either of you need, and challenging each other just puts another bind on that low-population issue. they were all function, minimal fuss, beyond some general traits that were seen as markers of health.

even when the ancestors of merfolk first started forming their colonies along the coasts, they didn't change this. there wasn't an initial hierarchy laid out, they were just a large group of the same species arranged in the same area for the same purpose, and also maybe some protection by numbers. they did start to form the early groups that would later lead to the modern miivt'ia, and they started to primarily associate with those groups and socialize with them, which meant that when they wanted to find someone to mate with, that hunting group was always the first and the easiest to access.

why fight over mates in that situation? why compete? the health of the group starts to become directly correlated to the health of the individual, and you've already determined they all have good genes, or else they wouldn't be this beneficial to helping you hunt and survive and evade predation.

but this isn't to say competition isn't happening. there is still the slight edge that natural selection adds in, and with multiple matings between different individuals, the thing that gets selected upon is the sperm itself. faster sperm, ways to kill competetor's sperm, ways to suppress the immune system of the mating partner to ensure that sperm will take, more output, ways to remove competetor's sperm to begin with, etc etc etc. their internal genitals start to get bizarre, both for the sake of excluding saltwater intrusion as they get more and more aquatic, but also for the sake of this sperm competition. this system also means, not only do more matings occur right after each other, but more partners involved. the "default" evolutionary position for merfolk starts to look more and more like a clump of noodles, writhing around and over each other. sexual contact becomes a way to bond and to connect with someone primarily, and a means to reproduce secondarily. it's an easy way to solve problems and to get merfolk to make up, by them simply fucking it out and everyone feeling better for it.

which is where i can get into the actual mechanics of it all!

unfortunately this is also where i run out of steam (also am sick. that will do it too), so i'll absolutely have to make a part 2 to this... and also i'll make another post sharing a few old writings of mine on this topic.

someday i'll make like. a masterpost on merfolk reproduction and what's going on there, but like i said. sexual selection is one of those things my brain goes ham for and i looooove talking about all these additional little facts. like how merfolk pregnancies last 2 years (to match with other large marine predators), and that they're based off of both tiger sharks and the alpine salamander, the latter of which has the record for the longest pregnancy on the planet at up to five years :3

also read Bitch: On the Female of the Species by Lucy Cooke if this sounds interesting to you! and maybe listen to the episodes the Common Descent Podcast did on Live Birth and Milk!!!

[kayzero]

i wanna do something weird and fucky and majorly audience-participationy with my fantasy universe that would both be entertaining and also help me worldbuild but i don’t think enough people would be interested and there’s no audience participation without an audience y’know what i mean

i am asking for affirmation, gay people in my phone—if i made a fantasy worldbuilding sideblog with like fiction snippets and weekly exploration polls would you send asks

[blam-marie]

A Metaphor's Guide to Rewriting Destiny

Chapter 01

The Lighthouse

I had been languishing in this cell for four long years, with nothing to do but to plan my revenge, when Compassion came for me. Of course it was him. We had never been on the same side of a conflict and I had killed him more times than I could count; but when I was in my greatest hour of need, that insufferable bastard still showed up to help.

He was the only one.

There was no way that the others didn’t know that I was still alive. I was an Exemplar, a divine being, a physical manifestation of one of the many aspects of the goddess Anydrite. I was powerful and the Empire of Walls thought that they owned me. They would not have tolerated me to be away for this long, nor for the Theosians to have me, unless there was a plan at play that I wasn’t aware of.

I watched Compassion step out of the shadows on the other side of the bars with suspicion and no small amount of interest. He was not Wallen or Theosian. Or at least, he had never been before and I did not expect him to be so now. So how had he known where to find me? Or that I had needed to be found, in the first place?

His current incarnation wore the face of a young man in mid or perhaps late thirties. The beads wrapped around his wrist indicated that the body might have once been a monk, although the rest of his attire held no trace of this past life. Compassion had dressed in the style of a gentleman of modest but respectable means, perhaps hoping to look forgettable. Unfortunately, his features were too striking to be ignored — they were those of a man from the East, which was not a good thing to be, here on the continent. The jet black hair and high cheekbones alone might have made him the target for scorn, although his eyes would have stopped anyone in their tracks before disdain could turn into animosity. His luminous golden irises could not have been mistaken for anything but those of an Exemplar, and while our kind did not always inspire respect, it was known that we were not to be trifled with.

The prison guard at my door straightened up at the sight of him, but not in alarm, I thought. The air tasted faintly of anticipation. Compassion reached into his coat and produced a vial which he handed over. The guard took it with shaking hands.

“This will heal her?”

Ah. That explained the grief and heaviness which had suffused the man over the last few weeks. Hope warmed him now, but that was foreign to me.

“Time will heal her. But this will afford her that time.”

The guard nodded. He gave Compassion a ring of keys and then disappeared down the corridor. Only now did the other Exemplar turn to me.

“Rage,” he greeted as he set about to unlocking my cell.

“I will want revenge,” I warned him. I knew what he was and I needed to know if he would attempt to stop me — if I needed to kill him now, or if it could wait for later.

“I will not be involved in that,” was his answer as he opened the door.

I stepped past him into the corridor, then grabbed him, pivoted, and shoved him bodily into the cell I had just left. He reached for the door but I slammed it shut before he could stop me. I pushed my weight into it.

“Rage!” he protested. He looked annoyed at my actions, but not surprised. He, too, knew well what I was. Although we had never been in this exact scenario, conflict was still an old dance between us.

“You will not take part in revenge,” I growled, “but you will help with a rescue?”

“Rage, we are under a time limit,” he said, straining against the bars. His strength was no match to mine, even after four years of neglect. Both of our bodies were pressed against the other, the iron separating us almost inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. The matter truly at hand was not about this cell, or this prison, or even this country. None of these things actually mattered to me. I reached through the bars and gathered his collar into my fist.

“I don’t care. You will help with a rescue?”

“I am doing so now!”

“They killed my husband.”

His straining ceased. Compassion closed his eyes, looking pained. His shoulders slumped. “Rage…” he said.

I didn’t want to hear the rest of his words. Condolences would do nothing to appease me. “And they took my daughter,” I added.

His expression changed. I could not stand the way he looked at me now, so I turned my head away. I glared at the far wall.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” he breathed softly. “Of course I will help. Do you know where she is?”

How predictable. And yet, his agreement still came as a relief. Even knowing his nature, I had still doubted Compassion’s willingness to assist me. Me, who of all people deserved his help the least.

“I believe they are keeping her in the palace,” I replied. “To keep an eye on her.”

I opened the cell door and let him out. We set off down the corridor, and suddenly found ourselves falling into steps as if there had never been any strife between us. As if we could trust each other.

“If the king is keeping her that close to him, then that complicates matters,” he remarked.

I shrugged. “It doesn’t have to.”

What was a king, compared to my daughter? I had imagined a thousand ways to kill him over the last four years. I would enjoy doing it tremendously, if only I could find an opportunity to do so that wouldn’t also put Astoria in harm’s way. Nothing about this was complicated, not in the way Compassion thought. I wanted my daughter. I wanted bloody revenge. Simple as that. What would remain of Theos once I was done, the politics of the entire thing... why would Rage care about any of that?

We came to a closed door at the end of a long row of empty cells. I rammed the heel of my hand against the stone wall next to where the locking mechanism was anchored. The room the Theosians had kept me in had been made entirely out of cold iron, against which my powers were nil; but farther out they had coated only the doors in iron, and not the walls. The Lighthouse may have been the country’s most heavily fortified prison, but it had not been designed to hold Exemplars. They had evidently thought that doors alone were enough to stop me. I punched through the stone and simply excavated the lock out of the wall, using my grip on it to swing the door open.

I repeated this process five times, unease rising within me. Things were too easy. Compassion seemed to agree; nervousness was starting to dawn on his usually serene face. We had almost made it to the exit, unopposed, when a magical barrier slammed down in front of us in a showers of sparks.

“I told you we had a time limit,” my companion sighed.

“I don’t care.”

I made to move forward, but he stopped me.

“Let me. You’ll need to be whole for your rescue.”

He pulled up his sleeves. I watched him do so with interest, curious to know how gentle Compassion would handle this obstacle. I had seen such magical horrors before; the barrier would have the viscosity of thick molasse and burn anything that went through it like acid. Easy enough to dispel, but the symbols that fed the magic were located on the other side, unreachable unless you were willing to brave the loss of a limb.

Most people would have pushed their arm through slowly, straining against the resistance and gritting their teeth at the pain. But Compassion did not make the mistake of hesitating. He simply pulled his arm back and punched through the barrier in one swift motion, uncurling his fingers on the other side. The sigils on the wall flared and then crumpled to dust, the magical field blocking the corridor dissipating along with them. It was the work of a second. As he pulled his arm back, I could see that while a bloody welt bloomed in a line under the bend of his elbow, and the skin of his arm and fist were reddened, his palm as well as the inner curl of his fingers were undamaged.

I was not impressed, per se, but I was intrigued. He had handled himself with the confidence of someone who had been on the wrong side of such barriers many a time before. In what circumstances, I wondered. Compassion was his nature, but compassion for who?

He hissed and cursed softly, cradling his arm to his chest. Somewhere in the bowels of the Lighthouse, a bell rung, soon followed by the answering call of horns. We hurried out.