#knowledge and hunters

[hottubraccoon]

Solistal; Land of Knowledge and Hunters

northern mountain border of the continent, primarily dwarf citizens

Character SHORT List:

Alexa Snowlight

Amber Gemwater

Blackfingers

David Woodkeep

Holly Nightfoot

Kyvon Snowfeather

Raiden Snowlight

Vril Snowfeather

Zabrac Blooddust

Achraf Nekker on unsplash.

Geography:

Solistal is based on the UK islands physical geography*. It is very much the coldest nation, having snow almost all year round except for the 3 months often jokingly referred to as their 'summers'. Despite this, storms are infrequent and the weather is generally clear or slightly cloudy. Storms are constantly being prepared for, both snowstorms and magical storms, as the ones that do appear and particularly harsh in Solistal. Besides those, earthquakes have been recorded in the nation too.

*but only when I feel like it lol

Architecture:

Most of Solistal's territory is the northern mountain range that stretches from the east to west coasts. Adventurers struggle to survive in the winter on the other side of the mountains. Maybe, these harsh conditions are why there's an impossible amount of fossils found here compared to the other nations. These mountains are also the only place in Klenith that natural clusters of 'seals' can be mined for the magical properties. The seals are said to be the result of a magical blast that sent many forms of mega-fauna to go extinct, connecting to the fossils found here. Another piece of this theory is the 'everburning flame' kept watch near the capital city, Domongrad. Nobody has a reason for why it continues to burn despite the snow and ice surrounding it, but many suggest magic, specifically the magical blast that took out mega fauna. As there is no concrete way to find out, it is still being discussed by scholars and many myths have stemmed from these theories. From the outside, the planning of Solistal towns appear to be random, but is entirely dependent on what each towns considers necessary. If built on flatter ground and the need for stronger buildings is higher, that town puts it's most traveled buildings on the outside. Whereas, a different town will be secure in their mountain-side so will focus on their magic and research, therefore their magical stores and casters' homes would be placed further into the mountain walls. What's needed is most central, and what's not is pushed out. Many towns and cities are built into the side of the mountains, pushing their necessary buildings into the caves to be the most defensible. The styles, including materials used, follow Russian architecture. Although... squashed, because dwarves don't need as much room.

Trade/Commerce:

Solistal primarily exports the ore/minerals that are found in the mountains, the magical seals only found here, and have large stores of meat due to mega fauna hunting. They could be self-sufficient, however it would lower the citizens general happiness and lifestyles. As they have such large holdings over the ores and seals, trading is a constant request from the other nations. Whilst the continent wide trade is currency based, within the Solistal borders it is often information based. Even when currency is required, the price will often be lowered for a good book or two. Their largest import is dyes from Birkina, requiring ink for the libraries, and their lowest being finer/thinner cloths.

rxbn on unsplash

Other Parts:

For Great Kettering. 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

For Solistal. 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

For Kamikita. 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

For Birkina. 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

[kennico]

huntrix x saja photoshoot

[starnetz]

Like a moth to a flame.

[air-mechanical]

Dedra having the best day of her life since Syril left her by sauntering through the shop, bantering about antiquities, and revealing that starpath unit to Axis with a restrained flourish and practically screaming I'VE GOT YOU. I've won. I've made it. It's been an uphill slog all these years but I've finally reached the summit and I'm going to enjoy it, I'm going to indulge in this brief shaft of sunlight I've created for myself since my world went dark and I don't care that I'm burning my professionalism, I need to feel warm again.

I don't want glory. I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror and have something to convince myself that it was all worth it. That the best is yet to come. That I'm useful. That I'm wanted.

In the face of Imperial Might and Righteousness and Hard Evidence you fold in on yourself. You surrender. You admit that you've been beaten by a superior opponent. You're not expected to plead and bargain with me but it would be a guilty pleasure to hear you say them. You're-

Where's that blood coming from?

[frivolousfootstep]

Playing as a gourmand after hunter is like changing Final destination on a Ratatouille

[ore-ion]

HTTYD rewatch and i can't remove that one scene from brain, same goes with these two

[Keferon's monter hunter au]

[reality-detective]

First we heard this 👆

And now this 👇 happens

Do you see the lies? The hypocrisy? The corruption?

Hunter Biden broke gun laws, he broke the FARA Act, and worst of all, he broke the Mann Act by sex trafficking women across the country.

This pardon is Joe Biden’s admission that Hunter is a criminal.

Biden tried to throw President Trump’s sons in jail, but he lets his son off free even though he’s a convict. His FBI and DOJ raided Barron’s bedroom and Melania’s closet at Mar-a-Lago.

Joe Biden is a liar and a hypocrite, all the way to the end. 🤔

[iteratorsex]

I believe in a world where fp and moon can ascend and not rubicon style no

[lycoric3]

Spoilers for msch / sctir ~843

Thinking about the distinction between pre-regression STW and having his last wish to SHJ be that he stay human while gifting him plunder (the very ability that made Taewon feel like a monster) vs the current STW telling him that he won't try to kill Hyunje "as long as you remain yourself." Not as a human nor as a monster, just as Sung Hyunje.

Song Taewon coming to terms with the arbitrary concept of humanity, especially after being surrounded by these non-human figures because of Han Yoojin. Faced with the knowledge of his own origin, of Sung Hyunje's, Han Yoohyun, Riette, and all those other fanciful creatures, recognising that they're not quite human. That they won't ever really be human.

But that doesn't make them monsters either.

[greencheekconure27]

One thing I've seen a lot in Wicked fics is Boq being angry at Fiyero for "betraying" Glinda. But I've got another, even darker idea:

So.

a)We know from the deleted scene that Boq is aware of Elphaba's feelings for Fiyero. He's possibly also aware of Fiyero's feelings for Elphaba.

b)he also doesn't know that Fiyero has been using his captain of the guard position to look for Elphaba, and therefore has every reason to assume Fiyero agrees she's wicked.

c) the events surrounding Fiyero's sudden treason and death have very likely been covered up.He's Glinda's fiancée and a beloved public figure in his own right. Accusing Elphaba of enchanting and then murdering him would be a very convenient way to explain the situation.

d) Boq has come straight from an abusive relationship where Nessarose first held him captive and then tried to cast a love spell on him, and seems significantly traumatised by it.

Therefore from Boq's perspective it looked like: Elphaba wanted Fiyero, Fiyero genuinely liked or even loved Elphaba, and then the whole Emerald City mess occurs and something happens that changed Fiyero's opinion on Elphaba so much that he's suddenly dedicating his whole life to finding and eliminating her. And Glinda seems to suddenly hate her too. Bow trusts Glinda and Fiyero, and it's unlikely they've ever had the chance to explain what's really going on to him. So clearly Elphaba was secretly evil all along. He's been wrong about these things before cough Nessarose cough.

And then all of sudden Fiyero completely switches sides.No explanation no anything. He even pointed a gun at Glinda they say!Clearly he wasn't in his right mind.Clearly Elphaba must've done the same as Nessarose tried to do to him and cast some love spell on Fiyero. After which she either murdered him outright or caused him get himself killed somehow.

So Boq isn't mad at Fiyero in this, not really.

He is however extremely furious at Elphaba because not only did she turn him into tin (whether he remembers/believes "to save his life" part is anyone's guess). She also abused and killed his friend Fiyero and broke his beloved Glinda's heart. Or so he believes.

[hottubraccoon]

Solistal; Land of Knowledge and Hunters

northern mountain border of the continent, primarily dwarf citizens

Kieran Sheehan on Unsplash.

Society:

The social structure mostly mimics the classes of England in the late middle ages. Outsiders often call dwarves tactless spies or great listeners and even better advisors. However they will call themselves either curious or foolhardy, or both at once. Because of their known vulgarity levels, different classes, travelers, and immigrants are all treated within these two levels, only the level of familiarity changing how people are treated. This is strengthened as dwarves love to travel as a form of learning new things, you will find a dwarf in any town in Klenith. The most notable difference being the lack of accommodations for mentally disabled. With such a such on scholars in Solistal, those that fall behind are left behind, but physical disabilities are helped as they can still provide their scholarly services to the crown. Solistal loves accessories and glitter, both representing wealth and popularity. Jewelry and perfume are considered accessories and are shared throughout Solistal. However, piercings aren't common and are seen as the rebellious jewelry, making a mockery of 'real' accessories. Tattoos aren't common either for dwarves, the most common form of tattoo is the magical scarring that comes from frequent exposure to magic, and that is often seen as harmful, therefore shaming dwarves into covering these tattoos. Things that are desired in others are being well traveled and well groomed, curiousity, and fat means a happy dwarf.

Professions:

It is standard for all dwarves to attend 10 years of school, together in big classrooms and a tenured professor, to learn 'the basics'. Mathematics, languages, social studies, science (specifically biology), and magic. After those 10 years, each person will petition a professor to study under in a more specific field. If they're successful in this petition, they will have to perform at whatever level the professor sets, and if they fall behind they won't be taught by that professor anymore. This is considered a huge shame in Solistal. The most common trade is jewelcrafting, as their gemstones and popularity of accessories are common. Art isn't valued as a trade for dwarves. Appreciating art, collecting it to display and perform is fine, fun even! But not nearly enough to live off of. 'Professional artist' is a frequently spat upon profession, and often isn't considered one at all.

Language:

The 4 main languages of Klenith are human, elvish, orcish, and dwarvish. The official language in Solistal is dwarvish, although all other languages are present in some sense. Spoken dwarvish has an emphasis on tonal sounds, where words are the same sounds but the stressed syllable can change the meaning of each one. This creates extra symbols in their written language above/below letters, compared to the other Klenith languages. Dwarvish is defined by its straight lines and boxy text, similar to orcish, however the tonal indicators and lack of dots/circles is the defining difference. There is the 'general' sign language in use by the royals, but otherwise Solistal has adopted Kamikita's fluid sign language in daily use. Despite the number of religious followers being relatively low here, there are lots of religious swears. This may have something to do with the protection of religious sites and/or the previous border wars with Kamikita and Great Kettering, as they are far more religious nations. In general, Solistal has two levels of vulgarity; 'we are coworkers, strangers going about our business, I do not bother you and you do not bother me' and 'we are brothers in arms, I fucked your mum, die'. Because of this, they don't have many rude gestures as if they have something to say, they'll say it. The royal family bare a navy crest with large black horns of a stag, stretching wide, and a smaller black crescent moon in the center of the horns. The royal colours are black and blue. The blue is to symbolise the sky that can be seen so clearly atop their mountains, and the moon reinforcing that. It being crescent in shape is said to be a sign of growth, as it 'grows into light' once again. The stag horns are akin to the megafauna found here, and again a sign of re-growth as these horns fall off and regrow throughout the seasons.

aronvisuals on Unsplash.

Other Parts:

For Great Kettering. 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

For Solistal. 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

For Kamikita. 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

For Birkina. 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

[mayxo-hxh]

Just had a crazy thought. So technically if Illumi saw something like a dress he thought would look GORGEOUS on hisoka but hisoka wasnt with him to try it on. cant he just shapeshift into hisoka and try it on to see. Like he knows hisoka's exact measurements and what would fit on him but just to be EXTRA sure. he has to see it with his own eyes. like right now. in the mirror.

I wonder how hisoka would feel getting a text from illumi at night and its just a photo of himself in a dress going "i like this on you"

[marrowcrunch]

I see a lot of people convinced that Palmer is a Technocratic mage (because of the trick with the phone) or even a Nephandi, but for what it's worth, most of my chips are on him being a Ferectoi. Ferectoi are Bane-human hybrids; unlike regular Fomori, which are made when Banes (evil spirit servants of the Wyrm, the overarching cosmic villain of Werewolf: the Apocalypse) possess normal humans, Ferectoi are born Like That. The middle ranks of Pentex are full of them. They’re smart, they can manifest a variety of dangerous abilities, they are very difficult to kill, and they look totally human right up until the moment they go salami sicko mode. 

[air-mechanical]

Luthen, Dedra’s no. 1 enemy, describing her to other ememies as a hunter. Dedra isn't a spin doctor or a paper pusher. She's a lioness who'll maul you for fun. Fail to respect her abilities at your mortal peril.

While Krennic, Dedra's accomplished superior, calls her a scavenger. To her face, and in front of any Imperial allies that may be listening.

[strwbryfeels]

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

On Kurapika's Self-Imposed Isolation

While I recognize that probably everything I'm about to say is going to be super obvious, I just wanted to briefly touch on Kurapika's self-isolation, and the reason behind his not picking up his phone or exchanging anything more than clipped words and business after Yorknew.

I think the obvious answer is that Kurapika doesn't want his friends in harms way, or to be used as a bargaining tool against him. This is an understandable and probably accurate conclusion. After all, Gon and Killua did get taken hostage, and Kurapika was forced to negotiate an exchange. Chrollo picked up on Kurapika's "weakness" right away - that he values his friends' safety before his revenge. Fortunately for Kurapika in this situation, Pakunoda was a whole lot more similar to him than he would've cared to admit, as she placed a value on Chrollo's life even though everyone in the Spider was intended to be replaceable. So, now that he's been through Gon and Killua having potentially gotten killed or seriously hurt, and Chrollo knows that he has a soft spot for them, it does make sense that he would try to push them away for their safety and for the sake of not having an exploitable "weakness" in future. He may also not want to burden them more when they have their own lives to live - he does slip off without telling Gon and Killua for the sake of not distracting them from Nen training, after all.

Except that he already tried all this earlier in Yorknew arc. He tried to tell them they shouldn't get involved, and they all agreed that the risks were massive - but his friends agreed to undergo the risks anyways to help him. Kurapika was even grateful for it - "I have been blessed with good friends."

So, for him to push them away solely for this reason after the fact, knowing that this was very much a likely situation to happen, is a little odd to me. Kurapika knows full well that Leorio would be frustrated, Killua would be offended and Gon would worry. So, I think there's a little more to it than that, and I actually would venture to say that "keeping his friends out of danger" is more a secondary reason for his actions - one that would come across as more of a reasonable excuse to others.

The primary reason is likely a lot more selfish than that. Kurapika has to ensure his mission comes first. And unfortunately, he is fully aware that his path and choice in abilities is deeply self-destructive.

Kurapika needs to make sure that he doesn't have exploitable weaknesses, sure, but he also just as much needs to purposefully worsen his headspace - and he can't do that with those three around.

Think back, what are the happiest moments we see from Kurapika in the series? The one that comes to mind first, and the one I'm sure most of us will think of immediately, is this:

[ID: A screenshot from the 2011 anime adaptation. Kurapika smiles - he looks at ease. End ID.]

It's one of the sweetest scenes of the series imo, right before the whole group is reunited for the first time since the Zoldyck Family arc, and it's even more notable because it comes immediately on the tail end of this...

[ID: Three panels from HxH Chapter 101. Kurapika removes his contacts over the sink. His expression is distant. End ID.]

...and this...

[ID: A panel from HxH Chapter 101. A close up of Kurapika's vacant and furious expression, his eyes wide and dangerous as he says "It might as well be you." Though the art is in black and white, it's apparent his eyes have gone scarlet. End ID.]

...and this.

[ID: A panel from HxH Chapter 101. A distant Kurapika speaks on the phone on a rooftop at night, the cityscape of Yorknew around him dark, but speckled with lights and stars. He says "The Spiders are dead." His face is not visible to the reader. End ID.]

This is, up to this point in the series, Kurapika at his lowest. In contrast to Gon, who is happy to hear that the Spiders are dead already because now Kurapika can focus solely on finding his peoples' eyes, Kurapika... is clearly not happy - and that's because killing the Spiders himself isn't just revenge. It's penance. It's survivor's guilt. Kurapika's powers, which Izunavi even comments sound much like he is chaining himself in the process of chaining his enemies, are oh-so-beautifully prophecied to destroy him - and Kurapika was aware of this from the moment he set off down this path of revenge.

(As a side note, this is why I'm really hoping we see Gon and Kurapika interact again after the Chimera Ant arc - while Gon has always been pretty attentive to Kurapika's emotional state, in Yorknew, he lacks a true understanding of why Kurapika would go so far... but as of now, he understands rage fueled by guilt and grief all too well. I know we're all rooting for Leorio to reach Kurapika, but barring that, I really think Gon could get through to him - after all, they are similar in several ways, and I find it fairly apparent that Gon reminds Kurapika of Pairo.)

But back to the main point here - I do suspect Kurapika expects (if not wants) his revenge mission to destroy him. I think a lot of times, we forget just how young Kurapika is, and how much his character is dictated by honour, and the abandonment of it.

Certainly, he can and will go against his principles for the sake of his mission... yet, almost paradoxically, he's bound to his promise to his fallen clan; a promise to avenge them made in anger.

But Kurapika... doesn't come across as a naturally angry person to me at all.

He seems like the stoic, vengeful type on his initial introduction... and then we get his panic at Gon's recklessness

[ID: A panel from HxH Chapter 2. Kurapika and Leorio wear matching expressions of panic in front of Gon, calling him out for his recklessness. End ID.]

...and his near-immediate forgiveness of Leorio after getting the first inkling of his character - of someone who cares just as fiercely as he does.

And after that point? Almost all through the Hunter Exam? Kurapika smiles so readily at them. He's sharp and funny. He mediates at times, but is stubbornly prideful in others. He's very amused by his friends' antics, and it really does seem like he starts to enjoy himself, with them. And, more than that, he counters Leorio's initial impression of him as an independent loner - on several occasions. He decides to follow Gon because Gon intrigues him. Asides from Gon, it is Kurapika who is the most unwilling to fight each other at the bottom of Trick Tower. Kurapika who makes the first move to team up with Leorio, even though that arrangement benefits Leorio much more than it does him. Kurapika who refuses to abandon Leorio to his fate in the cave, and who checks on Gon after noticing his bad mood. Who was furious enough watching him get beat down by Hanzo that his eyes went scarlet for the first and only instance outside of Spider mentions and Emperor Time. Who quite readily detoured to help rescue Killua.

[ID: Three screenshots from the 2011 adaptation Hunter Exam arc. In the first, Kurapika smiles at a sleeping Leorio. In the second, Kurapika stifles laughter as he pretends he's asleep. In the third, Kurapika has an open-mouthed smile as he acquires the airship tickets for them, Leorio and Gon standing behind him. End ID.]

Look at him! He's so bright! So happy!

...too happy. Too happy to do what he promised himself he would do. And that's his biggest fear, isn't it. Without his rage... what is he left with?

[ID: A panel from HxH chapter 2. A close up of Kurapika's eye as he says "I do not fear death. What I fear is that my rage will one day fade away." End ID.]

Kurapika is far, far less mired in anger when he's with his friends. I actually dare to say that at certain points, he was able to go for lengths of time without thinking much about it - alternating between almost forgetting in one instance and being hit like a sledgehammer on exposure to a reminder in the next. This violent swing is... actually the beginnings of the natural process of healing from loss and trauma. But to Kurapika, who's made a promise to his people's memories, this is not a relief. This is betrayal.

I think that actually scares him, that he can almost picture it. A life beyond his guilt. That he, too, could learn to be happy, even after unimaginable loss.

And so, as Kurapika continues his mission offscreen, finding more and more gruesome reminders of the cruelty inflicted on his people and losing more and more pieces of himself in the process (in his own words, no less), he prioritizes his responsibility to them, and pushes away his distractions. He cannot be a soul at peace until his work is done; he must be in turmoil. He pushes people away who he cares for, and binds himself, and keeps his people's eyes on him, quite literally, because respite, for him, is unacceptable. Perhaps that guilty part of him even hopes, by the end of this, that his soul will be so unrecognizable as to be fundamentally unsalvageable. But the truth of the matter is, or at least what comes across to me, is that Kurapika cares much more fiercely than he hates. He knows what matters most. And for as long as he does, he still hasn't truly lost himself.

[ID: A panel from HxH chapter 350. Kurapika looks down at baby Woble with a gentle, yet complicated expression. The inking is somewhat softer. End ID.]

Kurapika's soul is kind, really. And it wants to heal - but for the sake of his mission, he needs it damaged and bleeding. And so, he forces himself to exist in that pain. All alone.

[ID: A panel from HxH Chapter 344. Kurapika, dressed in a black suit, sits with his back to the reader, looking down at a photo in his hand. He is slumped a little before the church vigil he has prepared, all his clan's eyes lined up in their jars and honoured with flowers and candles. He thinks to himself "There is no home for me to return to... and nobody to welcome me back. I have nothing left." End ID.]