apolunatic · 5 months ago
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alt version with arctosz
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chatonarya · 4 months ago
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Special Dispatch Kjerag, from the official AK EN twitter account.
Ring in the 1100s! We've sent the finest of our editorial writers out for a live taste of the hinterland hot topic that is snowy Kjerag, working hand-in-hand with local outlets to serve up first-to-press reports in first-class detail. The newest and truest of the Snow Realm from us to you—all right here in your copy of Special Dispatch Kjerag.
Of interest:
Viscount Craigavon admits to being "homesick for Kjerag". he's a Kjeragaboo
Degenbrecher's battle with the Craigavon army is passed off as a "Major-style exhibition match", which the Viscount describes as "an amicable interaction."
Victorian barracks around Kjerag have been dismantled. Lisburn manages to propose to his girlfriend.
Karlan Trade-operated hotels reached an agreement with the KGCC to open an Alpine Sanatorium Line for foreign tourists, Craigavons of Victoria the first to sign up.
Paleroches exploring integrating their brewing with modern medical treatment, Arctosz planning to visit Rhodes Island. He spends the whole day sitting in the reception room hoping to see Leto.
Interview with John Smith, blind box artist, and his magnificent collection.
Kjerag Educational Foundation continues to focus on wide scope; Karlan Trade CTO states Kjerag needs engineering talent en masse.
Enciodes and Enya fiercely debate the construction of the starpod research site near Mt. Karlan with a Rhine Lab representative in attendance. A tentative consensus was reached.
Advertisements for diving in Lake Silberneherze and a new snow realm hat style--the trilby.
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thatmaritime · 2 years ago
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I don’t think Silverash’s deal with the doctor just comes down to a belief that he’s found a worthy, strategically-minded rival.  The doctor has a combination of two weapons that Silverash is incapable of wielding at the same time: good faith and trust.  I’m defining good faith not as just peoples’ ability to trust in another person, but also the belief that what they’re doing is the right thing to do.  Break the Ice is about highlighting how good faith and trust get used, and what happens when you can only wield one or the other.  
On the good faith side of things, you have people like Enya (in the beginning of the event) and Arctosz.  Enya is emblematic of good faith—she’s the Saintess.  She has the good will of the people of Kjerag by merit of her connection to Kjeragandr.  Silverash installed her there in hopes of using that good faith by association as her brother.  Arctosz has the good will of the Paleroche Clan who, even when he gets framed for something he didn’t do, still stick by him because they know he’s driven so firmly by his morals.
On the trust side, you have Silverash and Gnosis.  The subordinates they have are loyal to them not necessarily out of any belief that they’re good people, but what they’re doing is something they can accomplish successfully and something that needs to get done.  In turn, they reciprocate that level of trust with one another.  They believe the other to be competent enough to achieve their goals and be a boon to their plans.
However, neither of them have trustworthy reputations, and both of them are very much aware of this.  Silverash’s entire plot revolves around trying to curry the good faith of the people of Kjerag by making the other people in leadership positions look morally bankrupt.  He and Gnosis make Gnosis out to be totally morally bankrupt so when Silverash seemingly ousts him, he looks like he cares about integrity (though neither of the other clans’ leadership fall for this). 
The Doctor wields both good faith and trust.  The operators around them don’t just know that the Doctor will get the job done, but that what they’re doing is the right thing to do.  Sharp doesn’t care that stopping Silverash’s plan is morally correct.  He cares that when the Doctor says “I need you to hold off Degenbrecher for my plan to succeed” that that plan will be successful.  Ensia cares that the Doctor will help her sister because being manipulated like she’s been is unfair; the political ramifications of what happens to Kjerag aren’t her main concern.  The Doctor earns the good faith and later the trust of the Paleroches by demonstrating their competence as well as the fact they’re willing to step in and stop Silverash even though it doesn’t particularly benefit Rhodes Island to do so.  
At the end of the day, things don’t go to plan for Silverash and Gnosis because they can’t wield both of those weapons.  Gnosis loses the good faith of Monch and she leaves him.  Silverash never had the good faith of Enya, so when she does ascend to power, he can’t influence her. 
Enya succeeds because she learns to use good faith and trust by the end of the story line.  She earns the trust of Kjera that she’ll be an excellent Saintess for the country.  The good faith the people have in her is validated by the miracle at the end of the conflict.
Anyway, what I’m getting at is that one of the reasons Silverash comes to Rhodes Island to be an operator is so that he can see good faith and trust being applied and how to use them properly via the Doctor.  
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arya-jaeger · 1 year ago
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Yucatan Browntail / Gnosis / Great Elder / Monch / SilverAsh Alt / Arctosz Paleroche Squirrel / Red-Crowned Crane / Snow Lynx / Musk Deer / Snow Leopard / Bear
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harxvatat · 2 years ago
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CACKLING, I'M LOVING HIS SAVAGE BUTT MORE AND MORE
(Part 1 of ? of enciodes giving the browntails and paleroches a run for their money)
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sunder-the-gold · 2 years ago
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[Break the Ice] Arctosz Paleroche taking the fall for General Valais
Initially, I boggled at the idea that the leaders of Kjerag stuck Arctosz (the Ursus head of the Paleroche clan) with the blame for poisoning the Great Elder. I needed to think about that to see the sense in it.
First of all, someone has to take the blame for poisoning the elder, and Silverash had already told the crowds that Arctosz did it. They watched it happen with their own eyes.
People won't forget what they "saw" so easily, but they can more easily change their minds about motive. Especially if Silverash (who's gotten everything he wanted anyway) can later claim that he had jumped to false conclusions in the heat of the moment.
Arctosz would never want to be seen or remembered as a traitor who tried to usurp the government, but he can more easily tolerate being seen as a criminal avenger.
The Great Elder murdered one of Arctosz' generals by giving the clan head poison in the guise of medicine, letting the clan head unwittingly murder his own man. The revelation devastated Arctosz to the point that General Valais (the white Caprinae) took time out of her mutiny to tell him pointblank that she doesn't blame him at all for her father's death, to keep Arctosz from doing anything drastic in penance.
As the dust settled, I can definitely see Arctosz accepting the false charges against him to protect Valais. It's a way to atone to her and her father by taking the fall and protecting the man's daughter. Arctosz could even, in his own heart, retroactively take some responsibility and satisfaction for the poisoning, as he would have wanted to punish the Great Elder in a fitting fashion for the crime.
The Ursus general (Gulo) won't be happy about the lies, but he should be able to accept the convenience* as easily as he accepted that Valais wasn't his enemy even when she was his opponent. Even with Arcotosz forced to step down, his generals should be able to present a united front as they lead the clan in his absence.
*And let's be clear. Others might call such lies a 'necessity', but it's really just a matter of expedience and convenience. It's EASIER to lie than to do things honestly.
But lies are exactly how Silverash and Ratatos ended up in a burning house in a civil war when none of that actually needed to happen.
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fuschiaknight · 2 years ago
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Regarding the conflict in the latest Arknights event (spoilers or whatever).
I find it very interesting that based on what we see in the event, a lot of the conflict in the Silverash coup in Kjerag could have ultimately been avoided if Silverash was the kind of person to have honest conversations and to have partners rather than pawns in his plots.
For example, during their conversation in the burning house before Degenbrecher Kool Aid Mans her way in, it comes out that ironically, if he and Ratatos had an honest conversation before the entire thing happened at the very least the Browntails would have been onboard with their modernizations and that the Browntails were early supporters of his plans.
Like the whole point of the Edelweiss Manor scene is the incredible irony that neither Ratatos nor Enciodes actually *disagree* with modernizing Kjerag and opening up to the world, the Browntails just think that the Silverashes are selling off too many rights to foreign entities and the Silverashes think that the Browntails hit the limit to how much modernization they will tolerate. The point being, their entire conflict would have been resolved by an honest conversation, but ultimately neither Ratatos nor Enciodes are the kind of person who would *have* that honest conversation in the first place. Ratatos never brought her qualms with the method of the modernization to Enciodes; Enciodes never shared the reasoning behind the urgency of his plans with Ratatos.
Similarly, the conflict between Enya and Enciodes likely could have been averted if Enciodes had treated his sister as a partner and explained his motives to her, rather than as a pawn that he always intended to puppet, meaning that with a Saintess that *didn't* actively hate him the Paleroches wouldn't have actually made a fuss because Enya could have pushed the Great Elder out earlier and thrown the Vine-Bear Court's support behind modernization earlier.
Like that's the irony I see in Enciodes's character: he is clever, he is cunning, he has a vision of the future that he will do anything to achieve, but in doing so he ensures he only has pawns to deal with rather than partners. Even Gnosis, to an extent, is just a pawn during this event. I've seen analyses that frame Enciodes's fascination with the doctor as one seeing an intellectual peer, someone that is like him. This really adds to the parallelism because Enciodes isn't like playable Doctor--he's like pre-amnesia Doctor. Enciodes Silverash is a reflection of the Doctor's dark past, of treating everyone around him as disposable minions and acting with no honesty. Silverash and the Doctor are not just as intellectual equals, they are intellectual opposites as well.
And when they go head to head on the chessboard of Kjerag, the Doctor that can empathize and treat those around him as equals is able to in a single day stalemate the years of preparation that the Silverashes have had, empower the Karlan Saintess, rescue the sinking fortunes of the Paleroche and Browntail clans, and set up Kjerag for a modernization without the costly and damaging civil war that would have raged under Enciodes's plan and hampered any modernization plans.
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konigstigerr · 2 years ago
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it just seems weird how there are no racial supremacists in arknights at all. a lot of characters have no qualms about discriminating based on nationality, culture or allegiance, but no one is oppressed for being a caprinae minority in a feline majority country. on top of that, races rarely have any unique cultural practices, the only cultural markings come from ethnic groups that are always multiracial or nations in general.
nowhere is this most obvious than in break the ice where the three clans are racially segregated, but no one ever throws a slur. not even those tough guys with the paleroches, you'd think they would call silverash a "filthy scheming catman" or something.
why even have races if you're not going to use them?
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chatonarya · 4 months ago
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Now that it's been a few days, I can gather my thoughts and write a more proper impression of The Rides to Lake Silberneherze (RS). I'll preface by saying, if it's not obvious by now, that Break The Ice (BI) was my favorite Arknights story, and I both anticipated and slightly dreaded the continuation of that storyline, as I felt the plot of BI ended so neatly that for a while I genuinely did not know how the writers could possibly follow up on it. When RS was first announced and released on CN six months ago, most of my fears were assuaged by the event's tone and overall opinions and hearsay from the CN side. What followed was then six months of great anticipation and excitement, and at long last, having read RS, I am extremely happy to say that it met my hopes and expectations in the best of ways. Spoilers below the cut.
Plot-wise, it felt rather similar to BI in that it's fairly self-contained, which is something I enjoyed. Despite the fact that much of the plot revolves around the Victorian presence in Kjerag and the Caster connection which was foreshadowed a while ago, the story still feels as though it's about Kjerag's problems and the Kjerag characters, as opposed to ZH where Federico and Arturia aren't even Leithanian. The external elements do not overwhelm the internal ones and the focus remains on the Kjerag cast, though Kjerag's problems are shifting somewhat now from their internal conflicts to external ones as they open up and begin to connect to other nations, but it's well-handled. As the clans get along and unite, naturally now they turn their eyes outward, and though the internal rivalry doesn't fully disappear, it's more tempered and friendly now rather than destructive.
Speaking of which, it was great to see the three clans getting along and working together with minimal vitriol. Ratatos shares information and resources with Enciodes and Gnosis, and Project One clearly appears to be a collaborative effort between the Browntails and Karlan Trade; they've clearly made amends from the events of BI where it was revealed that Ratatos and Enciodes really weren't so different. Though the Paleroches remain Kjerag's conservative faction, they don't seem to be quite as unfriendly to outsiders as before, particularly as part of their former attitude is explained with Arctosz's backstory and relationship with Tatyana (though admittedly we don't see much of the Paleroches this time other than Arctosz and his father).
I really also enjoyed seeing how the characters have developed since BI. It feels as if they've all changed, for the better, as if they've taken the lessons and experiences of BI to heart. Ratatos now shares more of her work with Sciurus; Sciurus is no longer as short-sighted; the Browntails and the Silverashes are properly collaborating; the Paleroches are less violent and suspicious, though maybe it's unfair to say that when Arctosz has his own arc that he goes through. Enciodes is no longer quite as reserved as before, seeming to delegate more of his responsibilities to others rather than attempting to "shoulder all of Kjerag" by his lonesome; Gnosis, too, has mellowed slightly in his time away and isn't quite as sharp-tongued or hot-tempered, not to mention Gnosis taking Degenbrecher's comments about both of them communicating poorly to heart in the end and not only thanking Enciodes for sharing his thoughts but telling Enciodes what he knows he wants to hear. Enciodes and Enya also both slip more into something like bickering siblings, both admitting that they don't actually disagree on that many things regarding Kjerag's development, but though it's clear that they're still going to butt heads in the future due to their different attitudes, their relationship is no longer beyond repair. Kjera showing more of her human side with her annoyance about her statue was very funny as well, further expanding her mischievous streak from before.
It was also lovely to see everyone again, even the minor characters like Valais and Gulo when they appear (however briefly). I'd also be remiss if I didn't say how much I was utterly charmed by the burdenbeasts, from their adorable appearances to their intelligence to how intertwined they are with the Kjerag people. (It's easy to see how Harold became a Kjeragaboo, shall we say.)
The highlight for me of course was the Karlan Trio. I think my favorite scene is the one at the end of RS-ST-2, where they're sitting about in the Karlan Trade lobby. I don't think I have enough words of praise to describe how wonderful it was to see the three of them letting down their guards, their facades, whatever pretense they wear for the outside world and just cracking in-jokes with each other, bickering affectionately, and laughing. The idea that the three of them are actually good friends beneath everything is something that I've long speculated on ever since BI, and to receive confirmation of it like this is more than I ever hoped for. And not just in this scene, but even in the smaller interactions and during the climax, where both Enciodes and Gnosis are openly worried about Degenbrecher, their friendship shone through, even though they often express themselves in a roundabout and tsundere way to each other.
The "miracle" at the end contrasts very much so with the one in BI, in a positive way. While in BI, Kjera is the one who uses her power to clear the clouds and aid Enya's descent to avert war, here it's quite clear that this time, the miracle was created by all the people themselves, working together and united, further underscored by Enya's comments about not wanting to rely on Kjera's miracles to always save them. It's another point that shows how not just the characters have grown, but it feels like Kjerag as a nation has grown, too.
The antagonists were also great. Harold's great reluctance to fulfill his duty as he becomes more and more absorbed in Kjerag's culture and society was good, as was his overall character as a cheery and talkative dandy; I have a great weakness for dandy characters, and he's just as fun as I hoped he was. His interactions with the whole cast were absolutely delightful. Trilby Asher's experiences as the great punching bag was downright hilarious as he was stymied at every turn, intentionally or not, by everything and everyone around him. I can't say I felt too sorry for him given that he acts more of a villain than Harold does, but the sheer comedic nature of his chase with Degenbrecher kept it funny and not cruel.
And of course, I must mention Leto. I had no prior knowledge or experience of her, but her headstrong, fierce independence and good nature won me over. I enjoyed her journey and her relationship with both Arctosz and Harold.
Finally, I must of course mention the one and only Black Knight, Madam Degenbrecher. She was perhaps my most anticipated character to be released from NPC jail, and I was incredibly eager and curious to learn more about her and her life. RS did not disappoint: it gave us an incredibly clear picture of the type of person she is, expanding on everything that was hinted about her in the past, from her forceful no-nonsense attitude in battle to her laidback nature away from the battlefield, to her dislike of people who chatter too much to her hidden humorous streak. Somewhere along the way while I was admiring fanart, I picked up the habit of calling her "Sister", as many of the CN fans do, and now I see that it truly is the perfect moniker for her. She truly is everyone's reliable and steadfast big sister. The way it's shown that she's truly of Kjerag now and one of them is so heartwarming, especially given her background as a destitute, nameless, homeless nobody. She has found her home, a place where she is loved and accepted, and a place that she's willing to put her life on the line to defend. It's just lovely.
Tangentially related, RS being a more light-hearted and borderline-comedic story overall was a very welcome change of pace. While I don't mind AK's generally grittier and bleaker stories, I think RS had a good balance between drama and seriousness and comedy and shenanigans. As I said earlier, I wasn't sure how the writers would follow up on BI, and I was in fact slightly worried that the overwhelming positive ending of BI would, in the continuation, take a downward turn into something that matched the overall grim tone. The fact that it did not is something that I'm happy about; call me biased, but I'm glad to see my favorite characters having a little breather episode.
Finally, I appreciated how the foreign elements were introduced at the end; again, they did not overwhelm the rest of the story, while also clearly leading into the future third installment. But this obvious sequel hook did nothing to diminish the ending, and I very much look forward to the next story and how it will mesh with other factions and conflicts. The Kjerag storyline crossing over with that of Rhine Lab was not something I anticipated but I have confidence that it will be handled with similar skill and aplomb after RS, and perhaps even will receive the prestigious anniversary/half anniversary treatment.
Overall, I don't really think there's anything in RS that I'm dissatisfied or disappointed with. It was thoroughly enjoyable, I laughed very hard multiple times, the plot was well-paced, all the characters were well-developed. Per my introduction, Break The Ice has long since been my favorite AK story, and I believe it's quite fitting that the one that's going to supplant it is its sequel, The Rides to Lake Silberneherze.
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chatonarya · 7 months ago
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Aside from the Forerunner connection, there are two smaller details in SilverAsh's Never-Melting Ice skin that are very significant lore-wise that I would like to point out.
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First, the emblem on his shoes.
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This is the symbol of the Vine-Bear Court, represented by Kjerag's three mountains. It's most significantly seen in this CG from BI-ST-1 during the Tri-Clan Council. See it behind the Great Elder's seat in the hall, and also in Karlan Square.
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(As a side-note, three is a significant arc number in Kjerag: three clans; three mountains; the three Silverash siblings; the three main Browntails Ratatos, Sciurus, Yucatan; the three main Paleroches Arctosz, Gulo, Valais; the three Karlan Trade founders; the three-year gap between BI and RS.)
I'd also like to draw attention to the crests of the three clans here, so we can see how their shapes are represented in the triple mountain symbol with the triangles and circles (green is the Paleroches, blue is the Silverashes, red is self-explanatory). (Source: Terra: A Journey.)
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Next, the emblem on Enciodes's belt, seen most clearly in the promotional spread for "The Pilgrim."
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This is the same emblem as one of Degenbrecher's medals, specifically, the third one, as seen in her module and on her E0 art.
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This is the "Warrior of Kjeragandr" medal, which is a medal of honor issued by Vine-Bear Court, and if I understand correctly (limited MTL), is implied to have been given to Degenbrecher by Enya.
So here in this skin, Enciodes is wearing not just one, but two symbols of parties who have historically opposed him: the Vine-Bear Court, and potentially the Saintess as well.
Perhaps, at last, be it though in the hour of necessity, he has received their blessing? Perhaps, at last, they have made peace?
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chatonarya · 8 months ago
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I was expressing confusion about this map of Terra's capital cities a few weeks ago on twitter, and while my initial impression that this part of the lore book must have been intentionally erroneous was given further validation by the Kjerag chapter quite clearly stating that the country's largest settlement is Turicum...
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...going by the dictionary definition of capital ("A town or city that is the official seat of government in a political entity, such as a state or nation"), it's technically correct as the Vine-Bear Court where the Tri-Clan Council meets is partway up Mt Karlan, if I recall correctly.
While in my mind it seems logical that Turicum would be the capital by default, as the only major hub of commerce in Kjerag, technically the governing body isn't located in it as Mt Karlan is, if I recall correctly, on Paleroche lands and so not within the boundaries of Turicum itself.
(Not that it really matters if Turicum is the capital or not--it's still, for now, the only city, and I'm sure Silverash is laughing all the way to the bank by having it on his territory.)
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arya-jaeger · 1 year ago
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Arctosz Paleroche Bear
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