#then they reunite but he becomes a union leader

[rosie-kairi]

With KHDR all but confirming Vanitas is the combination of the original Darkness that possessed Ven and his natural born darkness when Xehanhort ripped his heart in half Vanitas is technically the longest relationship Ven has ever had. Like no wonder this emo fuck is obsessed with him he literally singled him out as a child and has just been there the whole time even during their 4 years of separation he counted the years and days until they could reunite so he could take his rightful place in Ven's heart and mind. It makes his whole claim that they're brothers and that he's darkness in KH III so much more ominous (classic mobile games adding new context in horrifying ways to the mainline games).

Furthermore when Ven inevitably does regain his full union x memories I want him to have kill bill sirens and pummel Vanitas the minute he sees his smug ass again. Just absolutely beat the shit out of him screaming his anger out like, "YOU MOTHERFUCKER YOU RUINED MY LIFE I WAS 10! I WAS FUCKING 10 AND YOU DESTROYED ANY CHANCE OF ME LIVING A NORMAL LIFE! YOU MAIMED MY HEART NOT ONCE NOT TWICE BUT THREE FUCKING TIMES LEAVE ME ALONE ALREADY I'M NOT YOUR PUPPET YOU CAN PLAY WITH UNTIL I BREAK AGAIN!"

And Vanitas just does not understand why Ven isn't all for their extremely destructive co-dependent relationship since he essentially gave Ven what he wanted but he also immediately took it away after threatening the union leaders. And Ven is literally all he has. If he doesn't have Ven he has nothing and if Vanitas is around Ven's life will only become worse.

I have to rewatch all the BBS and KH III Ven and Van scenes again with this knowledge because Vanitas' actions make so much more sense that he sees Ven as a thing he owns and can do whatever to since he's had him since he was a child.

I'm far from an expert on Vanitas and his whole deal (because he honestly never really caught my attention that much) but I am really looking forward to how the games will address the events of union x in relation to him.

Like, is he even aware that he also comes from ancient darkness, and not just Ventus? If he does, is it a "I fully remember all of these events happening and I take all responsibility for them" awareness or a more subconscious kind? He feels things and remembers bits and pieces and he's not really sure why.

Going from there, how much of union x in general does he remember? Since he comes from both Ventus and the ancient darkness, would he get memories from both sides? Maybe, he only has memories from Ventus's perspective and because of that has never even stopped to consider that he might -even partially- come from someone else? Of course this is all hypothetical, Vanitas is an enigma of a character.

Old man Xehanort must've just been like "yeah you come from Ventus" and Vanitas was like "ok 👍 why do my memories hurt so much to think about"

On an end note, I hope Ventus does lose it a bit. You don't just... remember events like That (accidentally killing someone, the end of the actual literal world, etc.) and not collapse under the weight of it all.

[haileyywrites]

-> The queen of Khaenri'ah - though to fall with it's civilization, makes herself known to the traveler with a proposition

-> Spoilers for "We Will Be Reunited"! This story is not meant to be exactly lore accurate! Reader is fem aligned with the title Queen! Reader is the leader of the Abyss! Aether is traveler and Lumine is with the Abyss!

You sat upon a dark throne within the dark heart of the Abyss that seemed to stretch into eternity, stars glimmered all around you providing some light to your surroundings. It was cold and dark inside the Abyss, but you could barely feel it anymore.

Abyss Lector's and Herald's stood in row on each side of you, much resembling your counsil back in Khaenri'ah... Such memories almost seemed like dreams after the hundreds of years.

Yet, one of the Herald's was missing, you noticed - of course you did. Each and every one of them was important to you. They were what little remained of your people... This particular Herald had been tracking the Traveler and Dainsleaf after their surprising union.

Lumine stood by your side looking rather restless, an unusual sight to see as she had always remained stoic. Though it was for good reason - Dainsleaf was with her brother after all... It was unclear who she was more worried about, but it didn't matter.

This meeting needed to come to an end before someone got actually hurt. You stood from your throne to the opened portal before you, all of your subjects turned to watch your next move without voicing their worries or protests. Lumine was quick to tail you, but you dismissed her with a simple wave of your hand. You would handle this on your own.

The Herald was unable to escape due to your old knight - your Twilight Sword. He who used to be so loyal to you and your people. Yet now he worked against you in defense of the humanity of which he was not even a part of. All while denouncing the gods. How conflicted he must feel all the time, seemingly unable to choose a side.

You walked through the portal just in time to save your subject from certain death at the hands of the fallen knight. The look on Dainsleaf's face as you stopped his attack was simply priceless... As if he had seen a ghost. He had not aged a single day within the past decades, just like you. Yet you could barely recognize him as the man you once knew so well.

“Y- your Highness!” The Herald exclaimed. He would likely have fallen onto his knees before you, had he not already been groveling on the floor.

“Dainsleaf. I see you still cannot let us be in peace, even after we have let you live after your betrayal.” Your gaze was sharp, but you remained void of any emotion.

You raised your arm to harness the power of the Abyss to bind Dain in place. You were not here for him and you did not need him to intervene with the coming exchange. Your actions and his struggle caused the poor traveler to become nervous, conflicted on what to do next.

“Traveler - I've come to know you by a different name. Your sister calls you Aether, I would rather call you that if you do not mind.” Just the mere mention of his sister caused his eyes to widen and sparkle with hope.

“I can take you to your sister, if you only take my hand. The Abyss are not the monsters you think us to be - not the monsters Dainsleaf makes us out to be.” You sent Dain a glare from the corner of your eye.

“We are a people betrayed by the gods and Celestia, cursed by their vile deeds. Countless of my people lost their lives during the destruction of Khaenri'ah or later - their minds to the curse.” You still have nightmares of it everytime you close your eyes. All the lives lost, the horid curse that plagues them...

Your words caused the traveler to become conflicted and it was evident over his features. Could he truly trust you? Especially when he just meet you and the first thing you did was bind his friend... His eyes moved over to Dainsleaf who was still struggling against his bindings. His eyes were clear in saying "don't" - but how could he refuse this chance?

“Come. You will be free to leave at any moment and so is your sister. I will have answers to all the questions you might have - to questions some are not willing to answer.” You extended your hand towards the blonde, a soft and friendly smile resting on your lips.

A hesitant step was taken towards you, yet his hand still squeezed the hilt of his sword tightly...

Can't believe there are over 90 of you following me! Thank you all so much <3

[superdorkcat]

Assorted KH4 Predictions

Yozora shows up almost immediately after the fight with the Darkside, prompting Sora to run for the hills. He proceeds to avoid Yozora for at least the first half of the game, like that one meme of a floating guy chasing another guy down a hallway

To make up for the limited selection of Disney worlds, there are a number of sidequests related to Disney characters who have also ended up in Quadratum. I can see the Sanderson sisters being the antagonists of a side story arc - while they’re really popular Disney villains, Hocus Pocus likely won’t be made into a KH world anytime soon

Some of the cutscenes make offhand references to a “strange man dressed in red and black,” leading to the audience thinking that the game’s building up to a fight against Genesis (like how the bonus boss fight with Sephiroth in KH2 was heavily built up to). Then it turns out the real boss is Deadpool

Vanitas is in Quadratum since he was still in Sora’s heart at the time Sora got Thanos snapped there. He’s now stuck in the form of a Flood and is very grumpy about it

Sora runs into Vanitas while Strelitzia’s showing him around Quadratum and immediately makes it his mission to redeem his brother by resocializing him like a feral cat

The 14th life that Xehanort mentioned in Dark Road is revealed to be a Replica he stashed in Quadratum that managed to achieve sentience and develop a personality of his own like Xion did

Aside from being a Xehanort clone, Nort-14 is a normal city kid who has no idea who tf Sora is or why this random guy hates him so much

Vanitas tries to beat the shit out of him on sight

After spending some time as a Very Confused side character, Nort-14 gets roped into some Keyblade-related bullshit that serves as his, Vanitas, and Sora’s get along sweatshirt and leads to him joining the group

We finally get to find out what Demyx’s deal is!

Speaking of Demyx, he’s also in Quadratum and gradually grows into the role of Sora and co.’s goofy, incredibly irresponsible older brother figure

Either the Hundred Acre Wood returns as the side world (since Sora gets there by going into a book, he could theoretically still access it due to Quadratum being “the world of fiction”) or we get a side world based on the Muppets

Nomura finally gets his musical

Luxord is revealed to have been secretly working with Oswald the entire time in order to take down the Master of Masters

Also, since Quadratum is rendered in a realistic art style, that means that Oswald looks like a normal rabbit

Not counting the sidequests, a lot of the side content is just Sora and co. vibing in Quadratum

One of the Disney worlds is the Land of the Dead from Coco

Riku spends most of the game lost in the city, finally reuniting with Sora during the endgame only to find that his childhood friend is now besties with a sapient Unversed, a younger version of Xehanort, that weird guy he met in the Keyblade Graveyard that one time, and some random ginger girl

We get a couple of cutscenes showing what’s going on back in the regular KH reality, one of which is Lauriam searching for the other Dandelion Union leaders and Strelitzia in Twilight Town. He runs into Namine and the two awkwardly stare at each other while Kill Bill sirens blare overhead before Laurie just “nopes” out of there

Demyx’s relation to the Age of Fairytales isn’t brought up until relatively late in the game but not because Demyx is trying to avoid more work or anything. After thinking over Xemnas’s whole speech, Demyx just figured that Mansex was lying out his ass (like he always does) and doesn’t think to bring it up until it becomes relevant in the plot

Baldr is there to Cause Problems On Purpose, serving as a side antagonist like Maleficent and Pete in KH2. He serves as a parallel to each of the Quadratum kids - both him and Sora have special hearts that can easily connect to others, both him and Vanitas are the “dark half” to their lighter sibling, both him and Strelitzia struggled over insecurities that their older sibling didn’t have, and lots of fun can be had with Baldr interacting with Nort-14

[gatheringfiki]

The following ficlet was written by @lazysaturdayonthebeach​ based on this photoset.

Fili/Kili, Rating TBC

You might also be able to read this story on AO3.

If you’ve enjoyed this story, please leave a comment either in replies or on AO3. :)

Princes of Prophecy

---

Fili was five when Kili was born. He was twenty-five when he mastered the recitation of his lineage. His people had abandoned The Lonely Mountain fifty generations earlier and all they had left of that once great kingdom was a myth, a few hereditary leaders, and a prophecy:

When the mountain moves, forgotten princes will witness the beginning and cause the rise of hope.

The dwarves of Erebor long considered themselves the dwarves of Ered Mithrim. Thirteen extended and intermarried families shared the mines at the southeastern end of that mountain range overlooking the fabled Withered Heath. Once the home of dragons, it now lay abandoned. But stories of its great flying beasts still frightened children.

On his fiftieth birthday, Fili’s uncle took him along the edge of the heath enroute to the Iron Hills. Fili had entered puberty and negotiations for his marriage had begun. There would be no official union until he reached majority at the age of 100, but good deals took time.

For his part, Fili considered himself already married. On Kili’s twenty-fifth birthday, the two had solemnly and secretly exchanged oak wreaths. It was what Kili wanted and Fili wanted whatever made Kili happy. He didn’t understand why Kili’s smile made his heart warm, but it did and he never wanted to lose that feeling.

Fili rode in the wagon with Uncle Dwalin while Uncle Thorin rode separately on a pony. There was plenty of room for Kili, but his mother had told him that Kili was too young for the journey and would be safer at home. He grudgingly accepted her wisdom. Kili hated it and Fili tasked him with guarding their secret treasures while he was gone. That mollified the younger dwarf. Thorin had promised that the expedition would return in time for Yule, so Fili and Kili made matching countdown calendars in their journals to track the days.

In the second week of the journey, Thorin spotted the single peak of Erebor in the distance and the whole group stopped to have a meal and record their thoughts and impressions. Fili drew a picture so he could share it with Kili.

They ended up camping there for the night. After dinner, they all sat around the fire and shared stories. Eventually, the shadow of Erebor led Thorin to tell the tale of the prophecy. Fili was reminded that he was a prince but the prophecy specified princes, plural, so that this was not yet the time.

The adults nodded silently, but Fili asked if the person he married would become a prince. Thorin explained that his wife would be a princess, not that anyone had used those titles in a long time. Fili insisted that his husband would be a prince, so Thorin reminded him that he had a duty to take a wife and produce an heir. Then he changed the subject.

Fili squinted angrily at Thorin as the adults dismissed the young dwarf from their conversation. If the duty to take a wife and produce an heir was so important, why was he the heir because Thorin hadn’t? He grumbled under his breath and lay back to look for shapes in the stars.

The rest of the trip went as expected and they were indeed home in time for Yule. Fili’s greatest gift was being reunited with his best friend. He strove to make the most of their time together in case Thorin really tried to force him to marry differently.

On Fili’s seventy-fifth birthday, it became obvious that Thorin recognized his relationship with Kili and wanted to end it. He began sending Fili on frequent trading trips. As long as Thorin was not in the party, however, Kili would join them by dinnertime on the first or second day. He was an excellent hunter and his presence ensured full stomachs, so everyone was happy to see him.

Fili began to plan ways to escape Ered Mithrim. He loved his friends and family. He loved the mountains and mines of his home. But he loved Kili more. And Thorin became more and more adamant about making a good marriage and having sons.

Every trip became a scouting trip. Fili’s journal filled with possible routes and destinations. He quietly kept a portion of his earnings back from his treasury account. He purchased or traded equipment and supplies until he had the most comfortable and impressive caravan in the entire realm. His team included younger members of every family.

Thorin thought Fili was a genius and let him run their entire trading program. He considered it all an asset to his matchmaking efforts. Serious offers of marriage and alliance arrived almost as regularly as the profits from Fili’s trips. He decided that the whole princes and Kili thing was just youthful exuberance.

On Fili’s ninety-fifth birthday, Thorin announced his engagement to the eldest daughter of a distant relation and trading partner in Ered Luin. Fili had not been consulted. He held Kili’s hand under their table and they both faked smiles throughout the banquet.

Fili’s caravan left two days later. The previously planned trip raised no suspicions. Like Fili’s first expedition, their path lead southeast toward the Iron Hills. Again, in the second week of the journey, the single peak of Erebor was sighted in the distance and the whole group stopped for the night. Fili was happy to share it with Kili. He felt it was a good omen for their plan.

The next morning, half of the caravan, with most of the trading goods, continued on to the Iron Hills. They would continue sending progress reports by raven, fulfill the obligations Fili had contracted, and return to Ered Mithrim with the profits.

Untethered from Thorin’s expectations and machinations, Fili and Kili headed southwest with the remaining members of the caravan. None of them had good prospects at home and were happy to follow Fili in finding a new domain. If all went as planned, the members of the decoy caravan would receive messages and join them over the next few years.

On Fili’s one-hundredth birthday, he officially married Kili. They stood before their found family and friends on an outcrop in the Misty Mountains with Erebor a distant point on the horizon. Their new community was small and they were just beginning to make progress on a new mine, but they all had hope.

At that moment, The Lonely Mountain erupted. Gandalf’s wildest fireworks were put to shame. They all watched in amazement and a bit of fear as even their distant home shook under their feet. Someone remembered and repeated the prophecy out loud:

When the mountain moves, forgotten princes will witness the beginning and cause the rise of hope.

[soulslayer2020]

Some of my current D&D Characters!

Hanyuu - Soft on the Outside, Ice Cold on the Inside

Name: Hai'Ryuun 'Hanyuu' Kori Race: Levistus Tiefling Class: Fiend Warlock (4) Campaign: Icewind Dale

Don't let the baby face and soft voice fool you. This seemingly innocent little tiefling is actually a warlock and cultist of Levistus. A street urchin who fell into an icy lake and was rescued in exchange for her soul, Hanyuu uses her innocent appearance to her advantage to infiltrate adventuring parties to find the one mentioned in a cult prophecy as the ones to bring back the sun. Is she truly the puppeteer controlling the party from the shadows, or is even she being kept in the dark about the cult's intentions...?

Sagitta - Rebel Pirate of the Stars

(Commission by @pauloz_art on twitter) Name: Sagitta Luminis Race: Half-Astral Elf, Half-Eladrin Class: Wild Magic Sorcerer (9) Campaign: Spelljammer Academy/Light of Xaryxis (Non-RAW)

Part of a union of space rebels knows as the Auriga Alliance, Sagitta was once Spelljammer to her adoptive father - Captain Perseus of the Auriga Alliance's Carina fleet - but was taken to Toril by fellow fleet leader Captain Gideon of the Vera fleet when her ship was attacked by Neogi. Now a Spelljamming Academy graduate who has suddenly found herself go from first mate to captain of her fellow graduate due to the sudden loss of their captain and close friend, Sagitta is tasked with gathering allies on the Rock of Bral, finding her old crew, and leading her friends to victory against the Xaryxian Empire.

Drifter - From Royal to Renegade

Name: Princess Xochitl 'Drifter' Xaryx Race: Astral Elf Class: Swords Bard (11) Campaign: Post-Light of Xaryxis Homebrew

The youngest of the Xaryxian royal siblings, Xochitl left her old name and life behind to become Drifter - a renegade astral elf who sought to end the Xaryxian Empire's conquest, which she succeeded with after meeting a ragtag crew of Spelljamming graduates on Toril. With the empire now in shambles and her siblings fighting to rule what little remains it, Drifter and co. have set out to find a way to stop her siblings once and for all. But deep down, Drifter wants nothing more than to end things peacefully; the last thing she wants is to lose what's left of her family.

Lynn - Broken Past

(Her look throughout the campaign so far, from left to right: Starting/Cultist, Caravan Disguise, Restored Memories)

Name: Lynn Historia Race: Moon Elf Class: Assassin Rogue (8), Fighter (1) Campaign: Tyranny of Dragons

Awoken on a riverbank with no memories aside from her name, Lynn found herself travelling with a caravan towards Greenest where she found herself not only confronting dragon cultists but her past. Once chamberlain to Prince Neronvain, Lynn ran away with him to join the Cult of Dragons and worked her way up through the ranks alongside him, even leading a secret coup against the former Wyrmspeaker to allow Neronvain to take over. But after being ambushed by Harpers during a scouting mission, Lynn was knocked into a river and fell unconscious, losing her memories. Determined to convince Neronvain to leave the cult, Lynn managed to organise a meeting between them in Daggerford. But when Zhentarim began to storm their once-thought-to-be-secret meeting spot, Neronvain offered to teleport her away with him to escape. Not wanting to drag her party into trouble, she agreed. After pleading Neronvain to let her go find her party as well as a way to convince him to leave the cult, he agreed - albeit a tad somberly - to let her go, even giving her a teleportation tablet to bring her where he guessed they'd most likely be infiltrating. Now reunited with her party and her memories fully restored thanks to Neronvain's aid, Lynn is determined to save her crush dearest friend from the cult and prevent Tiamat's return.

Marcy - Caring Clutz

Name: Marcillia 'Marcy' Caligo Race: Wood Elf Class: Drakewarden Ranger (9) Campaign: Tyranny of Dragons (Temp Character)

Name a more iconic duo! Marcy and her adorable silver drake companion, Zephyr are the right-hand (hands? hand and claw?) of Prince Alagarthas. Sent to keep a distant eye on Lynn's meeting with Neronvain after learning of them both still being alive after 15 years of being missing, Marcy saw the Zhentarim try to storm Lynn's meeting and the two teleporting away. Unsure of what to do, Marcy offered to join Lynn's companions in continuing to track the cult until Lynn was able to find her way back. Clumsy and socially awkward, Marcy is a lovable doof with an equally lovable drake that acts more like a hyper puppy at times. But cross them on the battlefield and you'll see exactly why Alagarthas chose them as his trusted protectors. What? No, Marcy's not crushing on Alagarthas! Shut up!!

Nadirah - Guardian of the Veil

Name: Nadirah Strigoi Race: Dhampir (Formerly Dusk Elf) Class: Grave Cleric (7) Campaign: Curse of Strahd (Non-RAW)

Once a proud cleric of Mother Night and protector of the Dusk Elves, Nadirah fought hard against her older brother Rahadin to prevent his genocide at Strahd's orders. However, her strength wasn't enough as her closest friend Kasimir had his ears cleaved off, his sister Patrina was murdered in front of them, and she was dragged off to Castle Ravenloft to be turned into a thrall as punishment. However, something intervened and prevented her full transformation, causing her to become a dhampir instead. Sealed away in the catacombs, Nadirah remained there for over a thousand years. Her only company was one of Strahd's consorts named Escher, who would bring her food. The two became friends over time and even started to fall for each other. One day, Escher 'accidentally' left her cell unlocked which allowed Nadirah to escape and flee the castle. Finally free, Nadirah swears to avenge her fallen kin, find a cure for her dhampirism and maybe even Escher's vampirism so he can be free of Strahd, and most of all: kill Strahd and free Barovia for good.

Crow - Holy Liar

(Art by u/LuciusG_Dean on Reddit)

Name: Crow (Real Name: Mycareth Baenre) Race: Drow Class: Vengeance Paladin (1) Campaign: Out of the Abyss

Kidnapped from House Baenre and raised as a slave in Faen Tlabbar, Crow spent most of their life never knowing their past, not having a name of their own, and yearning for freedom, which they managed to achieve at 150. Fleeing to the surface, Crow chose their own name and joined Bregan D'aerthe, where they (unbeknownst to both parties) worked under their uncle, Jarlaxle Baenre. But freedom wasn't enough. Crow wanted to make those who enslaved them suffer. Shortly after becoming a paladin of Cyric - lord of lies - Jarlaxle sent Crow down to the Underdark to investigate rumours of a demon threat and deal with it if they think it could effect dealings with the towns below the surface.

[natromanxoff]

Evening Standard - April 21, 1992

Credits to Roberto Macchi.

Freddie tribute raises £20m for Aids

By Tim Cooper

ORGANISERS of the Freddie Mercury tribute concert were today allocating the estimated £20 million raised by last night's show to Aids charities.

As money flooded in from film and TV rights, merchandising profts and public donations, Aids workers were deciding where to spend the vital funds to help combat the disease.

Freddie Mercury, the group's flamboyant leader who died of Aids last November, will never be replaced. But some of the biggest names in rock tried to fill his shoes at Wembley. They made it a night to remember for the 72,000 audience and billion television viewers in 70 countries.

And if the British have had their fill of fund-raising concerts, they did not show it. The tickets were snapped up in just three hours — before a single singer had been billed to appear — and fans queued for up to 36 hours to get places near the front of the stage.

The concert — the biggest since Live Aid — began with the familiar piano introduction to Queen's biggest hit, Bohemian Rhapsody. The three surviving group members took the stage and guitarist Brian May announced: "We are here to celebrate the life, work and dreams of Freddie Mercury." Drummer Roger Taylor added: "You can cry as much as you want."

The first half of the show featured the heirs to Queen's throne: the young rock princes of Metallica, Extreme, Def Leppard and Guns N' Roses. Hovering over them was the ghost of Freddie Mercury, addressing us from the giant video screens on either side of the stage.

And if Freddie's appearance brought the occasional tear to the eye, there was humour too; not least when Bob Geldof, who virtually invented this sort of tribute, strolled on stage like an unkempt caterpillar in a fluorescent yellow-and-green suit.

Spinal Tap, whose parody of heavy rock music has become absorbed into the heavy rock mainstream, joked that they were cutting their set short by about 35 songs in honour of the dead star. "We believe Freddie would have wanted it this way," they said.

Funnier still was the appearance of Guns N'Roses singer Axl Rose, in Union Jack jacket, his underpants, and half a tartan kilt dangling over his backside. Maybe that's the fashion in Los Angeles.

Elizabeth Taylor struck a serious note with her impassioned plea for safe sex and understanding about Aids. Looking every inch the superstar, she told the audience: "Don't worry — I'm not going to sing!" In one of the most moving performances she has given, Miss Taylor said that 5,000 people worldwide were becoming infected with HIV each day, and that the number of people in the stadium represented the number who would become infected in the next fortnight. “Please don't let it happen to you," she pleaded.

The second half of the show featured the remaining three-quarters of Queen with a succession of guest singers who had shared the limelight with Freddie in the Seventies — and some of more recent vintage.

The Who's Roger Daltrey twirled the microphone as he sang Want It All. Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, a voluminous purple crushed velvet smock concealing his middle-age spread, wailed his way through Innuendo and Crazy Little Thing Called Love.

Lisa Stansfleld appeared in curlers for I Want To Break Free, but returned with every hair in place to duet with George Michael. David Bowie duetted with Annie Lennox on Under Pressure, then reunited with his old guitarist Mick Ronson and Mott The Hoople singer Ian Hunter for the Seventies hit All The Young Dudes — the show's musical highlight for the over-30s.

Then Bowie brought absolute silence to the stadium as he asked the audience to remember any friends or relatives with Aids. Then he mentioned a friend of his own with the disease, sank to his knees at the front of the stage, bowed his head and began to recite the Lord's Prayer.

It was a hard act to follow but George Michael did his best. He too had a message about Aids, announcing latest estimates that by the year 2000 the number of people infected with HIV would be 40 million. "And if you think that those are all going to be gay people, or drug addicts, you are pretty much lining up to be one of those numbers," he warned.

Then Elton John, with a little help from Axl Rose — now keeping out the chilly wind with a leather skirt — gave us Bohemian Rhapsody, The Show Must Go On and We Will Rock You.

There was time for only one more guest. Brian May said: "There is one person in the whole world that Freddie would be very proud to have stand in his footsteps tonight… And she's here.”

Into the spotlight strode Liza Minnelli to belt out We Are The Champions as the evening's other 95 performers joined her on stage. As they left and the audiencebegan to file away, a familiar figure in ermine robes and a crown appeared on the video screen. Everyone knew the song: God Save The Queen. Freddie would have love it.

[Photo caption: Brian May hugs Liza Minnelli on stage after her emotional performance / PICTURE: DAVE BENETT]

[h-worksrambles]

I’ve been thinking about the Lost Masters arc and where I think the story is going in Kingdom Hearts 4 onwards, so I thought I’d put my general thoughts here. Now I want to preemptively say, this isn’t an in depth theory crafting post. I’m not actually fully up to date on Dark Road. Rather my point is just to look at the end of the Xehanort Saga and ruminate on what seems to make the most sense thematically as a follow up.

I feel the series is building up an overarching theme of failure from 3 onwards. Now I’m not here to either defend or criticise the story of Kingdom Hearts 3 (though maybe I will give my thoughts someday). But as of this game, many of our characters have failed in some way. Sora broke the laws of nature to save his friends, which led him to fade away and effectively die. We’ve raised the idea that Sora considers himself to be nothing without his friends. Now he’s completely separated from them all in a strange new land. Riku, after a multi game arc about gaining power to protect his friends, losing himself in that power, and then maturing and learning to wield it responsibly, ultimately failed. He gained the ‘strength to protect what matters’ but it wasn’t enough to save Kairi, or prevent Sora’s sacrifice. Even as a Keyblade Master, he failed to keep them safe in the final battle. Kairi promised to keep Sora safe, just as he did for her in the past. But ultimately, her best effort wasn’t enough, and he ended up sacrificing himself for her again, the exact opposite of what she wanted. We see in Melody Of Memory that Xehanort still appears in her dreams as a symbol of her failure, a nightmare she can’t overcome. I kinda wish Melody had given us a scene or two of Riku and Kairi comforting each other over their grief and frustration (Nomura, these two are supposed to be best friends let them act like it!), before separating but we’ll let that pass.

This applies to other characters too. Terra, Aqua and Ventus all failed in the past, resulting in their story having a tragic ending. Now they’re finally reunited and as of Remind, they’re heading back into the Realm of Darkness to look for Sora. They have a LOT of shared baggage to unpack now that they’re finally together again. Terra’s guilt over succumbing to darkness, Aqua’s trauma from her long isolation (her own struggle of becoming a Master but still not being able to save her friends almost parallels Riku’s), and Ventus’ forgotten memories. Lea and Isa joined Organisation XIII to save their friend, the enigmatic ‘Subject X’. But they failed to save her and eventually fell to darkness and became Nobodies, even forgetting about why they joined in the first place. Even Mickey, despite being the de facto leader of the Guardians of Light, couldn’t keep these kids safe in the Keyblade War. They’ve all failed and are all licking their wounds.

We’ve also had X, Union Cross and Dark Road. Prequel stories exploring the tragic past of the Keyblade War and of past generations of wielders. The Foretellers who tried and failed to prevent the Keyblade War. The Dandelions trying and failing to rebuild the unions. Xehanort who wanted to make the worlds better but did far more harm then good (I’m still not wild on the clumsy attempts to make Xehanort sympathetic by tacking endless new details onto his backstory but it is at least thematically relevant). These figures all failed in their own efforts to make things better, and now the Foretellers, these tragic symbols of failure, are back in the present day. The Master of Masters, seemingly our new overarching antagonist, watched over both the Foretellers and Xehanort, and didn’t stop them from making those mistakes. It’s not clear what his motives are, but given he can see the future through the No Name I suspect he’ll be a fatalistic character who believes this tragic destiny is inevitable, and so is complicit in bringing them about because he believes the future is set in stone.

My prediction therefore, will be that all of the characters’ stories will be about dealing with their failure and learning from it, rejecting the MoM’s belief that tragedy is inevitable and history is doomed to repeat itself. Sora will deal with the consequences of his actions while he’s in Quadratum, and will prove himself while he’s on his own. His friends make him stronger, but he’ll prove to himself that he’s not worthless alone. Riku will wander through Sleeping Worlds on his journey to find Sora, coming to terms with his failure to protect both him and Kairi, and will ultimately find his best friend and make things right. Kairi will continue training and come into her own. Maybe she’ll even seek out the New Seven Hearts (we still don’t know who half of those are) finally living up to her role as a Princess of Heart. Instead of trying to be catch up to Sora and Riku and be just like them, she’ll thrive in her way. Each of them overcome their hang ups over their failures before they reunite, and heartfelt tears of joy are shed all round. They’ve all overcome their mistakes and grown as people.

I could even see Terra, Aqua and Ventus’ search in the Realm of Darkness getting its own dedicated side game (Nomura has a precedent for that kind of thing). They’ll sort through their lingering baggage from Birth By Sleep’s events and reaffirm their friendship. Aqua will overcome her fear by returning to the place where she once suffered with the help of her friends. Terra will prove to himself that he’s changed for the better by keeping his friends safe. And at some point,Ventus will (somehow) get his Union Cross memories back, coming to terms with his own past (and handily getting part our main cast up to speed on the events of the distant past). If the Lost Masters do end up being villains, then there’s clear symbolic meaning to overcoming these embodiments of the failings of history. Same applies to Darkness. Likewise, defeating the Master of Masters could represent overcoming a cynical adherence to predetermined destiny, by insisting that we can always try to do better. Rejecting fate and all that, very common JRPG ground. The series’ signature focus on friendship will be used to explore how every character learns from and grows past their previous mistakes with the help of their loved ones.

That’s just my vague theory on what new thematic ground and character work the new games could cover. I’m still not quite sure how all the Verum Rex stuff that Nomura has salvaged from Versus XIII is going to come into play, but I’m excited to find out. There’s definitely a chance that I’m giving the writing of Kingdom Hearts too much credit. But I think that, however you felt about 3, the new status quo the Dark Seeker saga ended on has a lot of potential. And I hope it will live up to it, whatever the story ends up being.

[kingdomkeykitsune]

KHOC WEEK 2022 DAY 1: APPEARANCE

Bonus Round

So, I've been alternating between being sick (nothing serious, just bad allergies) and being stumped for how to approach OC Week this year, which means I got exactly zero Prep done ahead of time 😅. I do have a lady I'd like to talk more about this year, someone we haven't seen since a small appearance or two in the very first OC Week, and I do plan to try to get some stuff done later tonight, though if I don't get new stuff done I'll be sharing some old stuff for various OCs that I don't think I've put on Tumblr yet throughout the week. In that vein, just so you guys aren't high and dry in the mean time, I'm gonna share some of my Keykids with you all, since I have some references for them on hand. Consider this a bonus.

One thing to note is that none of these kids suffer the Canon fates of the KHUX kids, and in their storyline the main character role was filled by an acquaintance of theirs called, well, M.C. 😅 gonna try to keep these descriptions somewhat brief, but don't be afraid to ask questions if you want to know more!

Obligatory tag: @khoc-week

RIE

Rie's story is... Complicated... Mostly because I've never decided exactly where I want to go with it. She's just such a flexible character that I greatly enjoy playing with different scenarios with her, haha. Some things that always stay the same is that she's a strength based Keyblade Weilder from the Vulpes Union, she ends up separated from her best friends at the end of KHUX, and, just as we see many other familiar keyblades in the hands of keykids, Rie was a previous Kingdom Key weilder. She's very protective of her two best friends, and she just might have a soft spot for a certain rose boy. She gets two "Adult" looks to represent different versions of her story, and in certain outcomes both could appear.

In certain outcomes of her story she ends up on a familiar set of Islands, in others she becomes a keyblade master. In some others she has children, and in yet another kind she gets thrown to the future to help our dearly beloved cast. In the ones she has children in she begins a family line that results in some familiar faces.

PAX

Pax's story is more simple. He's a magic based keyblade weilder and one of Rie's two best friends. He's very quiet and bookish, and he falls head over heels for Ephermer. At the end of KHUX he and his two friends get separated, tossed across the worlds by a chaotic burst of energy when their path home gets destroyed. He does end up reuniting with Ephermer at least, and the two spend the rest of their days together. His (currently unnamed) keyblade has a staff form change that he prefers over the traditional sword form.

Wisteria

Ah Wisteria... Believe it or not, I've teased her before. It's her journal that Echo finds and starts translating Sister AU [link] She's also the third member of Rie and Pax's trio. She's another magic based keyblade weilder (Rie has her hands full acting as their tank, lemme tell you) and she has a deathly fear of being forgotten. She normally keeps a bright and bubbly exterior, but underneath the poor thing is often a walking bundle of nerves. When she gets separated from her two best friends at the end of KHUX she ends up in the newborn world of The Refuge [link] along with a small handful of other people who've lost their homes for various reasons. Being the kind person she is she can't help but reach out to help her fellow castaways and ends up becoming a leader in the small town that soon forms. Her Keyblade, Comet Tail, has a bow form change.

---

There is one AU in which the gang gets to come back together, and they all end up becoming Masters in the newly created Scala ad Caelum. This is one of the AUs in which Rie has her children and the trio plus Ephermer raise them as a big happy family. Here's a look at the kiddos, Natsuki and Tomomi.

[headaches-blog]

The warriors (1979)

The Warriors is a 1979 American action crime thriller film directed by Walter Hill. Based on Sol Yurick's 1965 novel of the same name, it was released in the United States on February 9, 1979. The film centers on a fictitious New York City street gang who must travel 30 miles (48 km), from the north end of the Bronx to their home turf in Coney Island in southern Brooklyn, after they are framed for the murder of a respected gang leader.

Starring

Michael Beck as Swan

James Remar as Ajax

Deborah Van Valkenburgh as Mercy

Marcelino Sánchez as Rembrandt

David Harris as Cochise

Tom McKitterick as Cowboy

Brian Tyler as Snow

Dorsey Wright as Cleon

Terry Michos as Vermin

David Patrick Kelly as Luther

Roger Hill as Cyrus

Edward Sewer as Masai

Lynne Thigpen as the D.J.

Thomas G. Waites as Fox

Plot

Cyrus, leader of the Gramercy Riffs, the most powerful gang in New York City, requests that each of the city’s gangs send nine unarmed delegates to Van Cortlandt Park for a midnight summit. The Warriors, a multiracial gang from Coney Island, attend the summit. Cyrus proposes to the assembled crowd a citywide truce and alliance that would allow the gangs to control the city together, since they collectively outnumber the police by three to one.

Most of the gang members applaud this idea, but Luther, the unbalanced and sadistic leader of the Rogues, shoots Cyrus dead as police officers arrive to raid the summit. In the ensuing chaos, Luther realizes that one of the Warriors, Fox, appears to suspect him, and makes a false accusation which leads the vengeful Riffs to attack the "Warlord", Cleon. Meanwhile, the other Warriors escape, unaware that they have been implicated in Cyrus's killing. The Riffs put out a hit on the Warriors through a radio DJ. Swan, the "War Chief," takes charge of the group as they try get home, though the Warriors's main enforcer and brawler Ajax disagrees with Swan being leader over him.

The Turnbull ACs spot the Warriors and try to run them down with a modified school bus but the Warriors escape and board an elevated train. On the ride to Coney Island, the train is stopped by a building fire alongside the tracks, stranding the Warriors in Tremont. Setting out on foot, they encounter the Orphans, who are insecure about their low status in the gang hierarchy as they were excluded from Cyrus's meeting. After Mercy, the girlfriend of the Orphans' leader, instigates a confrontation, Swan throws a Molotov cocktail and the Warriors run to the nearest subway station. Impressed and desperate to escape her depressed neighborhood, Mercy follows the Warriors.

When the group arrives at the 96th Street and Broadway station in Manhattan, they are pursued by police and separated. Three of them, Vermin, Cochise and Rembrandt, escape by boarding a subway car. Fox, struggling with a police officer, is thrown onto the tracks and is fatally hit by a passing train as Mercy flees the scene. Swan, Ajax, Snow and Cowboy are chased by the Baseball Furies into Riverside Park but defeat them in a brawl. After the fight, Ajax sees a lone woman sitting on a park bench and leaves the group despite Swan's objections. When Ajax becomes sexually aggressive, the woman, revealed to be an undercover police officer, handcuffs him to the bench and arrests him.

Upon arriving at Union Square, Vermin, Cochise and Rembrandt are seduced by an all-female gang called the Lizzies and invited into their hideout. They narrowly escape the Lizzies' subsequent attack, learning in the process that the gangland community believes the Warriors murdered Cyrus. Acting as a lone scout, Swan decides to return to the 96th Street station, where Mercy joins him (although he spurns her promiscuity). After reaching the Union Square station, they reunite with the remaining Warriors and engage in a fight with a roller-skating gang, the Punks. Mercy proves herself formidable in combat. A member of a different gang visits the Riffs and tells them that he saw Luther shoot Cyrus.

At dawn, the Warriors finally reach Coney Island, only to find Luther and the Rogues waiting for them. Swan challenges Luther to single combat but Luther pulls a gun. Swan dodges his shot and throws a switchblade (taken from one of the Punks) into Luther's wrist, disarming him. The Riffs arrive, acknowledging the Warriors' courage and skill before apprehending the Rogues. As the Riffs descend upon him, Luther screams. The radio DJ announces that "the big alert has been called off" and salutes the Warriors with a song, "In the City." The film ends with Swan, Mercy and the rest of the gang walking down a Coney Island beach, illuminated by the rising sun.

Entry

Most remembered moment

Original trailer

[angelofdiamond]

Okay, here's what I figured out in Omens with some corrections

-Chris become the "leader" of GUN before the unleashed and had decided to bring peace in the world begining from the GUN

-Chris in the meantime was trying to cross the two dimensions again but most likely it was still too early as the world was settling down maybe after some event that has caused the use of the Chaos Emeralds, he "emerged" in Sonic's world finally , did the calculations he understood what happened but there was a side effect: he was aging so fast that he would only have 15 years left to live (much probably warning by Eggman after a while)

-Chris encounter The Exiled/Lotus in Sonic World and offer to he a possibility to live peacefully and create a World of peace

-reunite with Sonic and the others

-at the GUN place they make a contract with Sonic : if he protect the Emeralds he may have the Chaos Emeralds but if he fails to protect them and they end up in Eggman's hands, the GUN gets custody (unless Chris decides how long) a portal for the Union of the Worlds and a photo (Sonic and Chris)

-Sonic knows what could happen to Chris (I don't know what he could have told him but for sure Sonic does everything to avoid this fate and much probably is been warning by Eggman also he)

-Chris bring peace and good stuff in Sonic World dodges also that the GUN goes to war for energetic materials as there is now a lot of energy for everyone

-flashback/speech to Chris and Sonic

-He dead just few years before Unleashed started. That why GUN do nothing in Unleashed, they lost their leader and can do nothing but at least Chris spend his last days with Sonic and make good things for the Worlds

-The Dark Gaia event does it all: "Hey you! Now our planets are closer than before!"

- All the events of Unleashed have happened

-Sonic restores everything with Chaos Emeralds and Chip

-The Chaos Emeralds take "advantage" of this situation and reunite the worlds that become one again (Chris's speech says that thanks to them finally the worlds are one again and we during the Unleashed game discovery that Sonic World and Earth are the same and one thing then I've suppose that the Two world become one again is a event caused from Unleashed , Chaos Emeralds help and Chris help )

- the Exiled see how corrupt the World is and decide to destroy and return to the original plan

-Omen begin

[acharnemcntresources]

KEY CHARACTERS AND IMPORTANT CONNECTIONS ― main verse

active characters

Phasma ― A bond of trust forged through clandestine conspiracy, Phasma and Hux have become and inseparable pair. Bound by the common goal of recreating themselves by rising above their oppressors, the young officer and stormtrooper entered into an assassination pact to systematically eliminate those standing in their way. The most notable of these hits being the scheme to murder Hux's abusive father, who initially recruited Phasma to the First Order. The assassination of a high ranking officer was a significant risk to undertake, legitimizing the circumstantial loyalty between the Captain and her new commanding officer. Beyond the binding influence of the pact, Phasma and Hux have a general understanding and acceptance of one another that has sparked something akin to friendship. Despite both party's unwillingness to acknowledge this tacit dynamic. Phasma does not truly pledge loyalty to anyone other than herself, but her commitment to Armitage Hux is the closest she will get to genuine fealty.

Kylo Ren ― Driven by opposing goals, a rivalry sparks between Snoke's favored apprentice & Grand Admiral Sloane's unspoken heir. Years of implicit animosity between their mentors gives way to a caustic battle for power that spans several years, bleeding into their forced collaboration as co-commanders of the Finalizer. Within the years following their mutual defeat on Starkiller Base, something shifts. Snoke's hold begins to slip, and with his death, the last remnants of his parasitic grasp begin to fade. Within this dead space of disquieting liberation, Hux proposes a tentative truce in the effort to move forward and collaborate toward their respective goals for the First Order. Thus begins a delicate partnership that slowly blossoms as the two self-proclaimed leaders set off to reconstruct the First Order into a operative military based governments. While Ren primarily devotes his efforts to the broadening military, Hux reinvents himself as a political figurehead —High Chancellor of a newly established Republic. As their Empire grows, the two leaders enter another contract for the benefit of expansion —A political marriage that will stabilize the connection between military and government and present a uniform front to the Galaxy. But perhaps Hux has ulterior motives for instigating this premediated union...

Dopheld Mitaka ― Perhaps Armitage's longest standing connection; Dopheld is the son of two if Armitage's step mother's close family friends. The pair were acquainted at infancy. Armitage's step mother declared the Mitaka her adopted son's godparents, unbeknownst to his father. Armitage lost connection with the Mitaka's when he was kidnapped from his step mother, by his father Brendol. He was reunited with the younger boy in the First Order Academy, years later upon the Star Destroyer Eclipse. Young Dopheld idolized Armitage throughout their academic years. His idolization was indirectly encourage by his father, Dr. Mitaka, an Engineering professor who took great interest as Armitage as a student. Upon, graduation, the two officers kept in touch, their paths crossing regularly until Dopheld ultimately was stationed under Armitage's command on the Finalizer. Hux promotions Mitaka to Colonel, then General as he begins his ascension from General to High Chancellor of the reimagined First Order. To this day they still have an unspoken familial bond; the stern and ambitious older brother to the loyal and reverent younger brother. That is, until Mitaka's ideals begin to shift...

Rownei Ren ― Acquainted during a mission to expose a traitorous affiliate, young Armitage Hux found an uncanny ally in the cynical knight, who managed to match him in wit. Their success prompted assigned collaboration on several other operations, designated by the Supreme Leader himself. Official cooperation slowly evolved into implicit camaraderie, a development Hux was eager to embrace in order to gain leverage over his rival, Kylo Ren. Yet with time, the pair became genuine friends; sharing information over drinks, confiding in each other through carefully coded small talk. Intentions of deception abandoned to a slowly arising sense of trust. A connection that deepened following Hux's tentative truce with Ren. After which, Rownei became something akin to Hux's ambassador —the bridge between the Chancellor's staff and Kylo's band of warriors. Their friendship aided Hux in navigating his tumultuous relationship with the Supreme Leader, narrowing the gap between Hux's inner circle and the knights as the First Order transitioned into a growing Empire.

Kelan Veliize ―

Rivk Ren ―

Frankie Ren ―

Connie Kincaid ―

Tanyn Ren ―

Karitza Ren ―

npcs

Pienna al Trel ―

Narka Zaila ―

[beardedmrbean]

Turkish opposition partieson Monday declared Kemal Kilicdaroglu as a candidate against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the upcoming May election.

However, disagreements had prevailed over the selection of Kilicdaroglu, with one of the biggest parties in the opposition alliance refusing to endorse his nomination.

Kilicdaroglu heads the center-left Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (CHP) party.

Why is there a rift among the opposition?

The  nationalist IYI party, the second-strongest force in the alliance, on Monday proposed two other CHP members — the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, and the mayor of Ankara, Mansur Yavas as candidates for vice president.

The CHP accepted the compromise in an attempt to reunite the opposition bloc.

IYI leader Meral Aksener had already said on Friday she would not back Kilicdaroglu's nomination and walked away from the six-party group.

She had hoped Imamoglu or Yavas would be the main candidate. The two mayors both performed better than their party leader in public opinion polls.

"I'm sorry to say that, as of yesterday, the Table of Six has lost its ability to reflect the will of the nation in its decisions," Aksener told reporters after meeting senior IYI party officials.

According to Aksener, the chances of Kilicdaroglu winning are slim. 

What does the opposition want?

The bloc vowed in January to end the presidential system set by the country's leader, Erdogan, and bring back parliamentary rule. 

Erdogan has been in power for the past 20 years.

He  gained additional powers after winning the 2018 elections and abolishing the position of prime minister.

According to the opposition's mandate, the president would become more of a ceremonial head. The incumbent would not belong to a political party, be stripped of presidential powers to issue decrees, and will hold a maximum of seven-year term. 

The alliance also announced that they would aim to fight inflation and within two years, will reduce it to a single-digit percentage.

Also, it aims to continue Turkey's bid for membership of the European Union and restore independence to the country's central bank.

Who is Kemal Kilicdaroglu?

The 74-year-old Kilicdaroglu is the long-time leader of the main opposition party of Turkey — the CHP.

His nomination for the presidential election was backed by his own party and four other smaller parties in the alliance. 

He also has the support of the country's mayors.

In the past 13 years of leading the CHP, Kilicdaroglu has not managed to win a national election.

[zxal]

please at least try to remember

[drazavonia]

Sora's Primal Darkness

I think Sora's control over his  Darkness is actually foreshadowing the Master's Darkness soon joining with the former’s heart as he becomes the next Master Xehanort.

The Master of Masters readied thirteen vessels to hold the original thirteen Darknesses.

The lesser five in the Union leaders, the greater seven in the Foretellers and the last one was to be sealed inside of the destroyed Daybreak Town. Clearly this didn't go entirely as planned:

Seven were successfully sealed inside of the Master himself*, Luxu and the Foretellers.

Four were trapped in the datascape.

One lingered in Ventus.

The last one spread across the Realm of Light, blanketing the world in darkness.

Xehanort became a vessel for this darkness as well.

The Master has seen the future, and has most likely seen that Sora defeats Xehanort. If Sora's heart is strong enough to triumph over Xehanort and his darkness, then Sora's heart is probably more than capable of locking away a darkness inside of. Heck, even Xehanort had wanted Sora for his 13th vessel in DDD.

Sora has one of the strongest hearts in the world, that which even he takes pride in. I wonder if the Darkness of Pride will hide itself inside of Sora's heart while in Quadratum? Then when the other Darknesses reunite in Quadratum, they too will lock themselves in Sora, making him the Harbinger of the Ultimate Darkness.

The power of Sora's heart and connections:

Xion

When Xion was created, she took on the form of Kairi because Sora's memories of Kairi were so strong, he willed Xion's new existence. 

Ventus 

Sora restored a dying Ventus's heart twice in BBS, and in doing so had given Vanitas(Darkness) a face and kept the both of them from dying and going to the Final World.

If you compare Sora's possession of darkness to Riku, Terra and Xehanort, Sora seems to be taken over by another force in Anti and Rage form. Riku donned a suit, but still had control over his actions. Terra was consumed, but also still had control over his actions. Xehanort was completely normal, having a heart of darkness (aside from the evil villain part).

When Sora is taken over by darkness, he can't speak or heal and the darkness completely encases his heart and body.

The first case was his Shadow Heartless form, where he retained his memories.

In Anti Form, he loses access to his keyblade and transforms into a feral beast, his heartless form evolved. This is a Drive Form accessed by Sora using up his light, and having nothing but Darkness left to take him over.

In DDD, Sora's darkness manifests as the Anti-Black Coat Nightmare that acted as a guardian/enemy to keep Sora asleep.

In KH3, Sora's Darkness acts as a self preservation method for Sora to access of his own volition, if he's in danger of being destroyed. Sora's darkness has evolved to become his Shadow, literally his other half. Sora makes a willful choice to use the power of darkness, Keyblade in hand and two self preservation tactics: Barrier and Teleportation. 

This would mean, when in Rage Mode, we are playing as Sora's sentient darkness when in Rage Form. With the same stance as Vanitas, after dipping into his shadow, it is as if we are playing as Darkness/Vanitas.

As shown in the image at the beginning of the theory, this vast amount of Darkness will transform Sora's new KHIV look into another similar form with all of Sora's abilities and connections to manipulate to cover the world in Darkness again.

The Ultimate Harbinger of Darkness, Nightmare~Noctis.

[randomnameless]

I write and write and make comparisons between a swimsuit and themes like tolerance and freedom,

But in this fandom, some people draw more dubious comparisons, especially ones regarding a certain game - and I warned (who?) at the beginning of the FE16 trend that while it wanted to have a Jugdral flair, it obviously failed. You have a sprinkle of Jugdral in FE16, but it’s only a surface image, or even a mirage.

“CrEsT SyStEM”? Holy Blood? No, those comparisons at least were made in good faith and had some merits.

One of the worst comparisons was noted by several friends, a certain someone, wanting to push a certain ship involving a certain character, managed to write :

“Every route makes one villain from Genealogy of the Holy War the hero, Edelgard being Arvis, Dimitri being Eldigan, Claude being Travant and Rhea being Manfroy”

:(

This will not be a post about Manfroy’s hips, you are warned

Who is Eldigan (Eldie)?

A man who is the carrier of Hezul’s holy blood, Hezul being the founder of Augstria, a sovereign state. Everyone loves Eldie, he is good-looking, strong, kind, chivalrous and has the magic blood that makes him able to use his magic sword.

Is he the King of Agustria? No.

The King is a man named Chagall, who has an ugly sprite, doesn’t have Hezul’s magic blood and cannot use the magic sword. He also killed his father, and is really jealous of Eldie.

However, Eldie’s line (House Nodion) has sworn to support the royal line of Augustria (Chagall’s), so even if everyone wants Eldie to ascend to the throne, he will never accept it. Even if Chagall pisses on him, or imprisons him because he felt like it, Eldie will not rebel against his King. Eldie is seen as a Camus, because he will fight and die for Chagall, and his country, when Sigurd is... more or less attacking Chagall (because Sigurd’s forces are occupying Augstria and Sigurd’s orders are to bring peace to the land, Chagall doesn’t want peace and wants to fight to retake his throne). If everything ends well, Eldie will promise Sigurd he will try to talk one last time his king, try to convince him to accept a ceasefire and peace with Granvalle - but Chagall is an ass and beheads Eldie.

Dimitri... isn’t like Eldigan, at all. First of all, Dimitri is supposed to be the crown Prince, instead of being a mere knight sworn to serve the royal family. Secondly, Dimitri doesn’t die because his liege beheads him - Edelgard will never be his liege - he dies either by defending his borders against someone who is bringing war to his lands and wants his head, or he dies because he pursues Edelgard in a three way battle in Gronder.

We do not know what Rufus is like to his nephew, but I am pretty sure he is no Chagall.

The only common points Eldie and Dimitri have is their blond hair, and sometimes, their manner of death. there is also something about bonds with their sisters but we’re not here for that

Who is Travant?

Travant is the King of the Thracian Kingdom, a proto Nohr-like place, where farming is difficult, and the people living there are starving and often turn to banditry or become mercenaries to be able to earn some money.

Thracia’s neighbour, the Manster District (Manster) could export food to Thracia... but they do not, because, well, the people in charge of the Manster District do not like Thracians a lot (and use slurs to talk about them, but Quan is a special character). So Thracians raid the border, with hopes to reunite the peninsula, with the dream that, one day, they will seize the arable lands in the North.

Travant has an infamous line, which more or less went like “I will unite the peninsula for the sake of my people, and if that process dooms me to hell then so be it”.

And to hell he will go, because by Jugdral standards, ambushing Quan and his family in a desert (horses cannot move in sand, another example of gameplay and story integration!) with horseslayers, is despicable, especially since he leaves no one alive, even, apparently, killing Quan’s young daughter Altena.

(Travant ranks pretty high in the douchebag ladder).

With time, Altena grows, unaware that Travant, who adopted her, isn’t her real Father, Quan was. Things happen, Altena discovers the truth, and Travant finally achieves his dream by making a suicidal charge against Seliph’s forces (he doesn’t even bring his magic lance to the fight!), with him dead, finally, the peninsula can be united under one leader.

Claude? Also has a wyvern. And comes from another land than our hero (but which one?). And... that’s all.

If Almyra raids every sunday, it is not because they are starving, but because they are doing it, per Cyril, for funsies. Claude pretends to be a schemer and underhanded, but he never does something on the scale of the Yied Ambush (the moment where Travant pulled out the horseslayers against Quan). Claude never takes a child hostage, and never orders his daughter to punish civilians.

If Claude wants to unite the two countries, it is not because he wants his people to finally leave their life as mercenaries and bandits behind, but because he wants people to understand each other.

Edit because I’m sleeping : Travant will die for his dream. Claude... always survive. Always. I am not saying he doesn’t believe in it, but he is not as desperate as Travant is.

Comparing Claude to Travant is like comparing... Virion to Iago. They are both male with long hair, and pretend to scheme. Bar that? Well... they both have hands...? I guess?

Who is Manfroy?

Manfroy is... both a mastermind and a plothole.

Manfroy was the one in the shadows engineering a war in Jugdral, not because he likes wars, nope, but because he wanted political instability to recreate the Loptyr Empire.

He will help a douchebag to conquer the world, and use him to sire Julius, the only person in Jugdral who can become a host for the dark dragon Loptyr. The last time Loptyr was there... well, apparently it wasn’t roses and sunshines, slavery was rampant and citizens were pitted against each other to make sure the strongest ones would become citizens of the Empire.

Why Manfroy does this? It depends on the sources, but it is heavily implied Manfroy is part of a sect (sect as in group of people practicing a religion, here the Loptyr religion/cult) persecuted by a lot of people in Jugdral - to the point where Agustrians were having witches hunts to chase them. Manfroy and his followers escaped the the Yied desert, touted to be an inhospitable land. His people had no where and no one to turn to, so they prayed to their God Loptyr (who doesn’t give 3 figs about them).

Manfroy is thus the Archbishop of the Loptyr Church. He also killed his son in law, for some reason, and planned to turn his granddaughter in a zombie. Manfroy also supports (and conducts?) the child hunts, basically the plot in the second part of FE4 and FE5 where the Granvalle Empire and the members of the Loptyr Church round up children, take them from their families (sometimes by killing said families) to send them to Granvalle, with the highly suggested goal of sacrificing them one way or another to Loptyr.

On the not-so bright side, Manfroy doesn’t kill Julia - when Loptyr/Julius expressly asking him to do so, because Julia is the only person, story-wise, able to kill him.

What a guy! 

Now, Rhea?

There are some comparisons to be made, unlike Claude and Dimitri, but again, it reinforces how they could be seen as foils.

Rhea? Yes, also engineers the birth of a vessel.

However, unlike Manfroy who “forced” Arvis and Deirdre to marry and have a baby, Byleth’s birth, born from the union of Jeralt and Sitri, was completely unexpected. There is no trace in canon of Rhea arranging Jeralt and Sitri’s meeting, and future wedding.

Rhea? Also wants her granddaughter to “die”?

Well, not this one, since Rhea thinks Billy is actually an amnesiac Sothis. Billy would just recover their memories.

Rhea? Doesn’t start a war to build her Sothis vessel. Hell, the DLC is about her previous experiment to resurrect her mother - it was a failure, but someone supposes she fails because she did not want to bleed dry the Four Apostles. Rhea wishes to resurrect a benevolent Goddess (when Manfroy knows Loptyr is... far from benevolent) but will not kill to do so.

Sitri? Asked her to save Billy, by offering her own life.

The most interesting foil though is... how Rhea and Manfroy both belong to a community that was persecuted by others, the people they are supposed to live with.

Manfroy? Went the “if the world hates me, then I will hate it and burn it down” route.

Rhea? Doesn’t want to kill humans, hell, she and her brother disagreed because she didn’t want to kill children of the people who wronged her! She opens a monastery and offers guidance to anyone who needs it, a shelter for the needy and tries her best to protect peace and the humans living under her care.

They could have followed the same path, but didn’t. Manfroy rounds children to kill them, Rhea offers a new home to children who lost theirs.

They can also be compared with their “welp” points, Rhea gave CF!Billy the means to destroy her, just like Manfroy “forgot” to kill Julia - and yet, again, it is different. Rhea trusted Billy and never wanted to use them as a tool, in the other routes, it is because she trusted Billy with “those means” that Billy is able to save the world. Manfroy? Berserks Julia, wishes to use her as a tool and suffers when she regains some agency and beats her brother. But even without Manfroy, Julia would have recovered the Book of Naga to end Loptyr.

Rhea and Manfroy are definitely not parallels, but foils.

And the best for the end...

Who is Arvis?

Well... to summarise Arvis in a few words...

it’s impossible.

So, Arvis is the descendant of one Jugdral’s God-Crusader, Fjalar. Arvis is very proud of his heritage, but he also bears Loptyr blood, through his Mother. And yet, since the Loptry blood exists thanks to Saint Maira - the brother of the Loptry Host of that time, Emperor Galle, who rebelled and helped the Crusaders - he is also very proud of this heritage and his two brands.

Arvis’s familial history is a mess, his father was a womanizer and his mother abandoned him (which might have fueled his Freudian complex?). When his Father died, he exiled all of his bastard siblings, bar Azelle (his bastard half-brother, sired to his mother’s favorite maid). Arvis apparently wasn’t interested in women before he met Deirdre and fell in love with her...

But he had time to sire a bastard (on his best friend and confidante).

Arvis wants to build a world free of prejudice and oppression, and wants to build it by... associating with Manfroy, who blackmails him about his Loptyr blood (if Arvis is proud of his Loptry blood, sadly the Agustrian witch hunts are still a thing, and it will not be well seen in Granvalle’s nobility); however, he made it clear, to Manfroy himself, that he will never allow another Loptry Empire to be reborn. Arvis thus uses hiw fellow Dukes Reptor and Langobalt to set up a coup against Prince Kurth (the Prince of Granvalle) to kill him. Arvis grows close to Kurth’s father, Azmur and more or lesses takes care of everything in Granvalle, since Kurth has no heir left.

And, by chance, Deirdre, Kurth’s bastard daughter, thus rightful Princess of Granvalle, appears at his door. She bears the mark of Naga (the special blood of the Crusader Heim), so they marry, and if they have a son, their son will rule over Granvalle, Arvis acts as a regent until then.

(women can’t rule shit in Jugdral)

Then what? His plan is set into motion, all Granvalle Dukes die, he and Sigurd (plus his pals) are the only ones left, Sigurd dies after being lured to a welcoming party, and Arvis becomes the last man standing able to rule Granvalle, who became, through his plans and treacheries through the 1st gen, an Empire.

(and then his son becomes a Loptyr host, vaporises his mom and makes his sister disappear, wrestles power from him and he is reduced to a sad state (oldvis). He makes a last stand against Seliph, after delivering him Sigurd’s magic sword, and dies.)

Okay.

So, now, Edel.

Arvis managed to become the ruling... person in Granvalle by eliminating all of his rivals, and securing a nice marriage. Edel becomes Emperor... because Ionius gave her his crown, as her father.

So they do not rise to power the same way.

Edel never talks about her brands, but Arvis is proud to bear them and proud of his ancestors. Judging by how Edel speaks of Wilhelm I as a traitor who sold humanity to creatures, I am not sure she is proud to bear his blood.

Also, while Edelgard is extremely prejudiced against Nabateans, Arvis wishes to create a world... free of prejudice (his actions though...). He does not mind Manfroy preaching his stuff, when Edelgard will not allow anyone to follow the Seiros faith (friends put it better, but in several routes, the people who were followers of the Church of Seiros are missing in Adrestia...).

While both Edel and Arvis think they are making “sacrifices” for the greater good, as pointed out earlier, this greater good is different. They both ally with a death cult, but Arvis is naive enough to think Manfroy will not backstab him - he even wishes for him to preach his nonsense freely. Edelgard has been hell bent since day 1 on getting rid of Thales and friends.

By the time Arvis learns of the child hunts and Julius’s nonsense... he wants to stop it. He is however powerless to do so (or so we think! Apparently he and Ishtar managed to hide every children captured in a castle!) but, at least, he tried to do something.

Crest Beasts... are still used, no matter the path, and even after Edelgard became Emperor.

Now, if Manfroy had to capture children and round them up for execution to make sure Arvis would become Emperor, would Arvis have supported him? I... don’t think so. If children were captured during Arvis’s conquest of the world and it was a “necessary evil”, would Arvis have accepted it? We don’t know. Prideful as he is, I don’t think he would have agreed.

(which is all kinds of wrong, the man can start wars and backstab friends, allies and turn his own brother to ashes, but hunting children is too much? Meh. And yet, Manfroy mentions something about his ways and his pride being an obstacle to the realisation of his dream).

Arvis is... a complicated character. A douchebag through and through, who tries to redeem himself at the end, but ultimately fails. He is rewarded for his actions in the 1st gen by the 2nd gen, where Julius becomes Loptyr and destroys his Empire. He had it coming? Yes. Is it painful to watch? Yes.

Edelgard... does not face any retribution for her actions.

Yes, she can also kill her (step) brother. But either she didn’t remember it, or only cries after it, and ultimately puts the blame on him - so it is not a sacrifice ?

People doubt her words? Well, it doesn’t matter, Linhardt, Yuri and Lysithea are still alive after their... interrogations. Reptor doubted Arvis’s words? Aida was sent as back-up (and... backstabbed him).

Ultimately, Arvis loses Deirdre (whose ghost chills with Sigurd’s), Julia and Julius, whom he loved dearly. Edel loses... Billy, and some randoms.

So, in a way, Edel feels like a discount Arvis, because she misses his ascension to power and his downfall. Arvis doesn’t mow down enemies on the front lines like she is doing, Arvis maneuvers to ensure victory.

Both fight for ideals, but Arvis seems to believe in them when I cannot believe a world for “humanity” involves continuous making of Crest Beasts.

Both betray the main character, but Edelgard is hit with the uwu hammer, thus cannot kill Billy - Thales does it in the non CF-routes.

So... short story, long story, Eldie is not Dimitri, Claude is not Travant, Rhea is a foil to Manfroy and Edelgard is a discount Arvis.

Also, I don’t know what kind of weed the person who wrote this take had, but labeling Eldie as one of FE4′s villain is as dumb as labeling FE7 Karla a villain because she appears as a red unit you have to fight.

where is edel’s bastard son

[cle-guy]

Projecting Story Elements for Magic: the Gathering in 2022

OK, I love the Magic: the Gathering storyline which ranks near the top on my list of favorite hobbies on Tumblr.  This year brings numerous opportunities to speculate on the story elements for this year’s premier MTG sets!  So for this post I am going to speculate on: 

1.  Potential story elements of the set

2.  Specific events which may occur

3.  Planeswalkers who may appear in the set

I will go set by set, and try to incorporate as much known knowledge as possible!  I may update my thoughts as sets (and stories from released sets) become known as the year progresses.  Without further ado!

Innistrad: Crimson Vow

Technically not in 2022, but coming soon none-the-less!  We know lots about the story elements, considering Crimson Vow takes place directly after Midnight Hunt.  

Story Elements:

The first known thing about Crimson Vow is the “Biggest vampire wedding in Innistrad history!” which will unite the Voldaren and Markov bloodlines.  We also know from the story so far that night on Innistrad is overcoming day.  Humans who once turned to Avacyn for safety increasingly look to other sources for protection, including ancient magics forgotten when Sorin created Avacyn.  One Coven seeks to restore the balance, and needs the Moonsilver Key in the Celestus to perform the ritual.

We also know part of the Gatewatch: Teferi, Chandra and Kaya came to Innistrad to assist Arlinn Kord, who seeks to help restore the Day/Night balance on her home plane.  Now, while Arlinn & the Gatewatch succeed in finding the Moonsilver Key, and also succeed in starting the ritual: I do not believe the ritual passes.  I suspect Olivia Valdaren ends the ritual and blocks it based on the card: Olivia’s Midnight Ambush.  The flavor text on this card reads:

"And you were almost finished with that ritual, weren't you, darling? How very rude of me. To make it up to you, I'll send you an invitation to my wedding."

I suspect her raid ends the ritual, kills the Coven leader, and spirals us into Crimson Vow.  

Overall, this suggests that much of the plot of Crimson Vow will surround new attempts to restore the balance between Day and Night.  I suspect Sorin Markov, who fights Sigarda in a rage, will unite with the Gatewatch (and Arlinn Kord, & Sigarda) to save the plane.  How they do this is not revealed as of yet.  However, I suspect one plot detail has been spoiled for the set and thats....

Specific Events:

Edgar Markov marries Olivia Valdaren.  

Olivia is the known progenitor of the Voldaren line, as Edgar Markov is the known progenitor of the Markov line.  At first I felt Sorin would marry Olivia, but I find this unlikely as Olivia despises Sorin (and refuses to save him at the end of Eldritch Moon).  Sorin may care for the future of Innistrad but he remains hedonistic and petty; he spends the end of Episode 2 in this story line griping about how nobody sacrificed as much as he did for the plane and why should he be expected to give more?  He also treats Nahiri quite shallowly when she arrives on Innistrad to demand he help her fix Zendikar.  

More importantly, however, we also get card evidence that Edgar Markov is involved in this story, specifically: Fateful Absence.  The flavor text for this card reads:

“Sensing a plot, Sorin raced to his grandfather's resting-crypt. But someone else had gotten there first.“

The plot going like this, I suspect, for the story:

A) Our heroes (the Gatewatch, Sigarda, Arlinn) regroup after Olivia invokes eternal night by defeating the ritual.

B) They join up with Sorin Markov, who is now angry at Olivia for convincing his grandfather to marry her, and hatch a plan to stop the wedding

C) Olivia marries Edgar

D) The wedding turns into a bloody mess as the Gatewatch, Arlinn, & Sigarda all try to reverse the damage.  Sorin spends the story finding a way to get revenge.  

E) One of Edgar or Olivia survives

F) Emrakul is released and everybody dies (Just kidding)

Anyway, with all of this laid out that leaves us with potential planeswalkers.

Planeswalker Appearances:

Each set I will assume only three planeswalkers appear, with speculation for a fourth & fifth.

We already know Arlinn Kord, Teferi, & Sorin Markov will get cards; Arlinn & Teferi will not get cards in this set since they appeared in Midnight Hunt. Sorin Markov appears on the packaging, which nearly guarantees his appearance as a card in this set.

Slot 1: Sorin Markov, WB

Now, Chandra Nalaar and Kaya both appear in the story.  The next quesiton would be: do they get cards in the 2nd set since they are known to appear in the story?  It’s a tough call.  Chandra would fit in nicely since Sorin will almost certainly appear as a WB planeswalker granting a third color for balance purposes.  Kaya, on the other hands, presents two problems.  First, she shares her color identity with the story’s likely main character.  Second, she already got a card recently in Kaldheim (which is still in Standard).  I would guess she lacks a card in the set.

Slot 1: Sorin Markov, WB Slot 2: Chandra Nalaar, R

Now we’re into more speculative territory.  I highly doubt we only get two planeswalkers in the set, which leaves open a spot for a new planeswalker (likely a blue  planeswalker).  That being said, I would not be surprised if Tamiyo makes an appearance in the 3rd slot; she appeared in both previous stops in Innistrad, and two of her colors would fill out the color balancing in the set so far.

Slot 1: Sorin Markov, WB Slot 2: Chandra Nalaar, R Slot 3: Tamiyo, U

Other potential planeswalkers include the aforementioned Kaya, Tibalt (who would love to spoil a wedding), & Davirel Cane.  If I had to make a stab at a fourth walker I’d gamble and guess Davriel, with a final list of:

Slot 1: Sorin Markov, WB Slot 2: Chandra Nalaar, R Slot 3: Tamiyo, U Slot 4: Davriel Cane, B

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty

Story Elements:

So little is known about the new set except that the set takes place concurrently in the present, and that the set will feature both a new planeswalker, Keito, and that the current Emperor of Kamigawa is “someone we’re familiar with” which sadly does not tell us much. Let’s start by considering some known characters from the original block:

Toshiro Umezawa.  Toshi is definitely not the emperor.  First, Toshi was sent to Dominaria by the Myojin of Night’s Reach at the end of the block (and his descendent will eventually kill Nicol Bolas).  Second, he’d almost assuredly be dead by now.

Hidetsugu.  An ogre who joined with the Oni of All Consuming Chaos, he could conceivably be alive at this point, although he would not be my guess.

The Myojin of Night’s Reach.  Unlikely.  While powerful enough, ambitious enough, to try: I just do not see her being able to take the power.  She was defeated by Bolas sometime after the events of the original block, for instance.

The Sisters of Flesh & Spirit.  Better known as “That Which was Taken” and “Michiko Konda” both characters join at the end of the 3rd book.  They’re the most likely candidate to run the whole plane, the only downside is I doubt many players actually know who they are, or how they became one.

However, their union would potentially explain the futuristic nature of the plane.  If the Emperor is both spirit and flesh, then the spirit world (Kakuriyuo) & physical world (Utsushiyo) may have joined as well, giving the plane its current futuristic (dare I say: neon) appearance.

Specific Events:

I will only predict one event in this set, and that’s the appearance from Tamiyo’s story circle.  I would be shocked if this relatively well known gathering is not referenced in the set.  It would be a surprise, to say the least.

Planeswalker Appearances:

First thing’s first: Keito is confirmed for the set.  We do not know what color identity he has yet, but they did call Keito a “cyber ninja” in the video.  Ninjas are a pretty evenly split tribe between blue and black, so I will call Keito a UB planeswalker for now:

Slot 1: Keito, UB

I cannot imagine them returning to Kamigawa without bringing back Tamiyo.  I know she literally is predicted to appear in Innistrad: Crimson Vow but I think predicting her here is also plausible.

Slot 1: Keito, UB Slot 2: Tamiyo, U

Next, they also mentioned that a “mysterious planeswalker” would make an appearance in this set as well.  Now, they did not say whether this planeswalker was a new planeswalker or a returning planeswalker.  Some planeswalkers we know of who I would classify as mysterious include: Kasmina, The Raven Man, The Wanderer, Davriel Cane, Ashiok, & Aminatou.  Ashiok is currently investigating New Phyrexia and shares my predicted colors with Keito; Davriel (I think) is a strange fit on this set, and I do not see us learning about the Raven Man absent Liliana.  That leaves the Wanderer, Aminatou, or Kasmina.  We did just see Kasmina and I do suspect she plays a role in whatever arc they are building up to, but she conflicts with Keito & Tamiyo.  That leaves the Wanderer or Aminatou.  Given Mark Rosewater’s doubts about Aminatou (and her own conflicts) I predict The Wanderer.

Slot 1: Keito, UB Slot 2: Tamiyo, U Slot 3: The Wanderer, W

That does leave room for a walker with red and green.  Samut fits in, but I will guess Sarkhan who originally appeared Gruul, and may visit with Narset.

Slot 1: Keito, UB Slot 2: Tamiyo, U Slot 3: The Wanderer, W Slot 4: Sarkhan Vol, RG

Streets of New Capenna

Planeswalker Appearances:

So little is known about this new plane that I will limit myself to guessing planeswalkers.  Ob Nixilis is confirmed, and this is a wedge set, so I am predicting they finally print Nixilis as a Rakdos planeswalker.

Slot 1: Ob Nixilis, BR

They also confirmed this plane is “special” to Elspeth.  You do not name drop that and not include her.

Slot 1: Ob Nixilis, BR Slot 2: Elspeth, W

OK.  As far as I know: Ajani has not reunited with Elspeth yet, which suggests to me that there is room for a reunion in this set.  

Slot 1: Ob Nixilis, BR Slot 2: Elspeth, W Slot 3: Ajani Goldmane, WG

Calix would be my second choice, same colors, since he is currently chasing her.  If there is one other potential walker I would guess a new walker.  I honestly do not see what other walker would fit here, especially with Nixilis taking up the BR space in this scenario.

Dominaria United

Specific Events:

If you read the first story from Midnight Hunt you know that Teferi helped Wrenn find her seventh tree to bond with, and that Wrenn offered to help Teferi repair the damage his spell phasing out Zhalfir from Dominaria did to both his home and his plane.  Given the name I predict Teferi works with Wrenn to restore Dominaria to its full state.  

I also predict that Teferi, Karn, & Ajani all work together to plan out the destruction of New Phyrexia (with an eventual showdown sometime in 2023).  

Planeswalker Appearances:

I think Dominaria United will act like a traditional core set.  So, with that being said, I think the following walkers appear:

Slot 1: Teferi, U Slot 2: Wrenn, G

As said above, I think a big part of the story line is Teferi bringing Zhalfir back to Dominaria.  That requires both Wrenn and Teferi, and since this is a core set both will get only a single color.

Slot 1: Teferi, U Slot 2: Wrenn, G Slot 3: Ajani, W

Ajani will return helping Teferi and Karn plan the destruction of New Phyrexia.  Since Ajani is base white its a good fit.  There are plenty of mono red planeswalkers but only two which make story sense.  The first is Koth, but since I doubt he leaves New Phyrexia I do not think he makes an appearance.  My guess is Jaya Ballard, a native Dominarian, will show up in the fourth spot instead.

Slot 1: Teferi, U Slot 2: Wrenn, G Slot 3: Ajani, W Slot 4: Jaya Ballard, R

The 5th spot is the one I am not sure of; if Wizards wanted to tell a largely Dominarian story they would bring back Liliana Vess, but I do not think she quite makes sense for this story as she is in hiding and as far as I know her appearance would not sit well with Teferi and Ajani (Gatewatch members).  I will toss out three possibilities: 1) Sorin Markov (guessing Teferi recruits him to protect Innistrad against an inter-planar threat), 2) Davriel Cane, or 3) Karn (and go colorless).  They could also just include Karn as a 6th walker like Core Set 2021.  For now, I will assume Karn as the 5th walker.

Slot 1: Teferi, U Slot 2: Wrenn, G Slot 3: Ajani, W Slot 4: Jaya Ballard, R Slot 5: Karn, C

The Brothers War

This set does not require speculation since the story has already been told.  I would highly recommend reading the book.  The only thing I will say for certain is: Urza finally gets a real planeswalker card.