#which Continues to be a symbol of glorious noble leaders

[dullahandyke]

op of the 'augustus of prima porta statue: smash or pass' post turned off reblogs just as i was about to reblog it and then tumblr glitched and logged me out when i tried making an independent post on my thoughts. literally 1984

[child-of-the-cataclysm]

Chapter Nine: Through Lek's Eyes

We stood firm at the outpost, and had continued to do so in the battles since. The Hand always stood firm. There were larger stakes now than there once had been, but not enough to change that fact. The battles were hard, though. Without the kid around, Nileas seemed different. Drained. Metka had been injured, and Riota seemed furious at herself for failing to protect her. Our leader simply stared, empty-eyed and dark. 

He was still cheerful with the men. Some few had proven themselves well enough to be initiated into the Hand proper. It had been a solemn decision to expand the Hand past six. In the end, Nileas said, making them one of us would make them fight for us with a ferocity they would not if they simply followed us. 

Most, though, would have been worried, perhaps to the point of desertion, if our glorious leader proved human. So. Around us, he showed his worry, his tiredness, and his fear for the kid. Around them, he was divine, ethereal. 

I always found it odd how much the shatterlings had focused on image. We in the so-called wyldlands knew how little it mattered. Appearance and facade were dropped. Even words, often, were a distraction from meaning. 

Here, though, the shatterlings rejoiced in appearance and facade. Even the kid, for all she seemed a creature of instinct, put up her own walls. Odd or not, they were my people now. Especially the Hand. 

Those who had been inducted into the ranks of the Hand proper wore a silver handprint on their armour now. Those of us who had been in the Hand before all this didn’t bother. They knew who we were, as did we. It was a status symbol of a kind for them, though, and while it was yet another layer of facade, I did not begrudge them that. 

With this last battle, we were in fair distance of the capital. We could not yet see its legendary walls, but the nobles we captured seemed to have sharper eyes, and more than a few had dropped the preening self-importance I had always associated with shatterling nobles in favour of an iron martiality. I could not help but respect it. 

The Hand’s army was sizeable now. With each battle, we recruited more soldiers from the ranks of the defeated. Nileas insisted each be given a chance, even those who were blatantly spies. I kept my eye on them closer than he thought I should. Oddly, many of those spies ended up becoming truly loyal. One of them was even an official Hand member now. It was strange, but something about Nileas must have inspired loyalty in them. 

In fairness, he had done the same to me. 

The latest noble was bound in iron chains, sitting in the back of a cart which was leashed to one of the largest horses I had ever seen. I sat with her, staring her down. Shatterlings always seemed to find my gaze off-putting, especially when combined with maintaining my crossbow. I could never quite understand why, but I didn’t mind taking advantage of it. She was dark-haired and dark-skinned. Her eyes were strangely blue. I would have suspected sorcery, if it weren’t for the fact that we had managed to capture her without any evidence of such.

Gerevor was ahead, sitting in the seat at the front of the cart. He did not guide the horse. Our column was large enough that most of its members could now afford to simply follow without needing specific direction. He glanced back at me, a grin on his face. I knew he would be spouting off a joke about the noble. It was his way of making them see that we didn’t think of them as special; plus, he just liked slinging jokes. 

I turned my gaze to him, ready for whatever it was he was going to say. “Ey Lek! You ever hear the one about the King and the hick noble?” 

Shaking my head, I told him I had not. His grin got bigger, seeming to my eye to threaten to swallow up his face. The joke was frankly obscene, centring around the idea that the King laid with the noble, only to find out that it was, in fact, a particularly intelligent pig. I found it hilarious. 

Gerevor laughed. I did not, although I gave him a faint smile. Shatterlings rarely noticed my larger smiles, however, so I suspect that neither him nor the noble noticed. Whether or not they did, Gerevor turned forward again, and the noble looked at me, face warped in disgust. 

I tilted my head and stared at her. “Do you have an issue with Gerevor’s joke?” Gerevor laughed louder from ahead, and the noble blanched, then gathered herself, pulling her face into what passed for neutral with shatterlings. “No sir. Great joke sir.”

I smiled again, and again she did not seem to notice. “Good to hear. Tell me, have you heard of Rahkor Leamin? Or, if not him, Ysella Ponitri? These are wanted by our leader. Give them up, and you may live.”

The noble appeared to war with herself. Shatterlings were always like this. Even Nileas, for all his displayed decisiveness and qualities of leadership, was regularly uncertain, despite on some level knowing the best of his options. 

To some degree, I understood this. Even in the First City, our leaders often found themselves with too many choices to make their decisions quickly. Those of us not burdened with leadership, on the other hand, would be thought of as sly and tricksterly at the best if we took this long to decide what to do or say. Often, that perception would range into far worse assumptions. 

She stirred, and finally spoke. “Leamin is in the capital, I think. He passed through my town a few weeks ago. Ponitri… I do not know. I have heard little of her movements.” 

I did not miss the ‘subtle’ inflection she had laid on her use of ‘my.’ We had taken that village - and her in turn - yet it was still hers in her mind. Or perhaps she simply refused to acknowledge that it was ours. 

Lazily, I slotted a bolt into my crossbow. Turning the crank on the side of the machine readied the machine to fire. Although I had not touched up the spell stored in the gem lodged into the wood of the bow beneath the firing arm, an unassisted shot would still be sufficiently destructive for most targets. However, I loaded it less for its destructive potential and more for the threat it naturally posed. 

The noble visibly gulped, and shrank back a bit from me. Gerevor’s head turned slightly, and he fixed one eye on me. Beneath the levity, Gerevor was an observant and wary man. He likely knew exactly what I was playing at, but the slight chance that I was actually about the execute the prisoner meant he would keep an eye on me. I did not mind. 

Pressing my crossbow against a bag of feed intended for the horses, I pushed myself to my feet. “Search your memories,” I said, attempting to bring something of an affect of the overblown menace required by shatterlings into my voice. “If you have nothing to tell us, you are of little use.” 

What appeared to be genuine tears welled up in her eyes. Difficult to discern for certain, of course. All shatterling expressions were so overblown that it was near impossible to tell what was real and what was fake. Nevertheless, her face contorted in a matter convincing enough for me. 

“I… Can tell you she was looking for reinforcements?” She said, a desperate quaver in her voice. “A runner from the capital came authorising her to raise and take command of a legion, I think. To root out the - you. To root you out.” 

Of course. Too many victories had been had, even if it was only a few. So the Crown would elevate the one of them who had stood effectively against any of us. For now, anyways. Once we got close enough to the capital, we would likely find new threats. 

Gerevor raised his eyebrow at me, and I gave him a nod. Then, as he did not respond, I gave him a larger nod. He jumped to his feet noisily, and made a show of stretching, then running to the edge of the cart and leaping to the next, and the next, and so on. Such feats of acrobatics were not truly his strong suit, but when showing off for a captive and needing to report to Nileas, who could blame him for making use of them. 

I nodded to the captive noble. She slumped in what could have been relief, despair, or any number of strong emotions too complex and annoying to work out. Whatever it was, I swung my crossbow up, butt first, into the side of her head, and she crumpled to the floor of the cart, unconscious. 

~

The core of the Hand was gathered around a small campfire. The wagons were arrayed in a wide circle around the campfire, with several more fires besides our own both within and without that circle. The walls of the capital were finally within sight on the horizon. Between us and them were at least two settlements.

A scout had returned back a few hours ago with news that a major force was rallying in the town ahead. Much to the chagrin of Nileas, Gerevor, and Riota, the town in which the Crown troops were gathering was built on the site of their hometown, around the silver mine which the Silver War had been fought over. If a clash were had there, they would now be the aggressors. 

As I saw it, this was an opportunity to take their home back from the Crown. In their minds, it seemed it was not quite so simple. Riota especially seemed to think any battle which took place within the town - whose name was apparently now Argenton - would leave its people even more battered and bruised than the Silver War had. After all, many of the current inhabitants would be other survivors of the Silver War, unwilling or unable to find new homes even after the atrocities wrought by the Crown. 

And so we needed a strategy. Something which would allow us to draw the Crown’s forces out of Argenton. There was more tactical reasoning to this as well. If we engaged the Crown within the streets of the town, they would have a distinct advantage. Fortifications and traps may be laid against us, and Argenton apparently even had some meagre walls, which would make a solid defence easier, even if the walls were not sufficient to seriously slow down an assault. 

Here I felt the lack of the kid even more. Nileas appeared near-on to despondent. He was still beautiful, but where he usually seemed magnificent and otherworldly, he now seemed tragic. His mood weighed on the others. Gerevor did his best to keep everyone buoyed, and eventually managed to lift Nileas’ mood enough that the planning could begin in earnest. 

Metka brought out an old map of the area. She limped in doing so. That sorcerer at the outpost had done something to her leg, and while it was still usable, it dragged slightly. It had been drawn long enough ago that the others’ home was still the settlement depicted, rather than Argenton, but it was still accurate enough to be useful. She pointed out the various points which the Crown had used those years ago in order to attack the old town effectively. It was fairly awkward - the fact that Metka had been partially responsible for the destruction of their home was rarely addressed. The Hand thought of her as one of our own, and her past as blademaster of the Crown was already avoided, much less the fact that she had likely personally killed several people they once knew. Nevertheless, we moved on. She was a different person now, largely as a result of her experiences in the Silver War. It was not worth focusing on. 

One of the points which she marked in specific was promising. There was a ridge overtop the lip of the mine’s main entrance. The face of it was directed at Argenton, meaning that we could conceivably set up atop the ridge and give the Crown forces no direct attack route. Combined with a small group of volunteers to start the attack within the town and then retreat, drawing the enemy towards the ridge, it could provide a significant tactical advantage while hopefully directing the majority of the fighting out of the town. 

The major wrench in the works was in Ysella Ponitri. If what the captured noble said was correct, it was quite possible the Crown sorcerer would be at the head of these soldiers. If she was, she would have to become the focus of our assault quite quickly in order to keep the casualties to our own forces to a minimum. 

Riota offered to attempt an infiltration and assassination, ideally removing the enemy sorcerer from the equation without a significant clash. It was obvious she simply wanted a rematch on their fight from the outpost. Ysella had cracked several of her ribs, as well as laying some heavy bruising on Gerevor and doing whatever she had done to Metka’s leg before being forced to retreat. It was only natural to want some form of retribution. 

Nileas pointed out the obvious issue - Riota could not infiltrate quite so easily as she once could. And, should the assassination fail, two sorcerers clashing in the middle of Argenton would hardly serve to lower the overall casualty toll. 

Instead, we determined that Ysella would have to be dealt with more or less fairly. If she showed herself at the head of the charge, I might be able to deal with her with my crossbow. However, if she played the longer game or travelled with the main body of her men, we would simply have to hope she did not do too much damage before we could contain her. 

Finally, I brought up another issue which had been plaguing me. We had fought a large number of Crown soldiers so far, in several settlements. However, the majority of the towns, villages, and outposts between us and the edge of the Shattered Kingdoms had not yet been taken. At any time, it was possible a force, even a potentially significant one, might come from behind us. If that should happen while we were engaged with the forces in Argenton, we could find ourselves in an unwinnable battle. 

There was not a solution to this problem, of course. We could not afford to fight in every settlement in the Crownlands. Time, resources, and troops would not allow it, even if we could gather more resources and troops in the wake of many of those battles. The kid needed us far too urgently, and on top of that, the longer we took, the greater the chance any force ahead of us would be set in, fortified, and ready to obliterate us. Solution or not, we needed to be aware of the possibility. 

Once we were all sure of the plan at hand, we split from the fire. Each of us would tell a few of the newer Hand members. Each of them would go to tell a few of the other soldiers. Eventually, our plan would spread through the ranks. Just to be certain, Nileas would almost certainly recap it again in a speech come the morning, but for now, we all needed rest. 

Laying against the side of one of the wagons, I stared up at the starfield. The constellations I had known in the Shining City were strange here, but I was used to that. I would never be used to the Eye. 

It was not a literal eye. That would have, in some way, been tangibly understandable. Strange, but understandable. No, the Eye was some massive metal weave hanging in the starfield, roughly configured into a sphere. It wasn’t visible from my homeland. Some trick of its construction kept it hidden. In the Shattered Kingdoms, though, it hung overhead ominously. 

The shatterlings didn’t seem to think anything of it. Of course. They had been born and raised with it overhead, leering down from the starfield and watching, always watching. For me, it made sleep difficult. I always found my way into night’s embrace regardless, but the Eye overhead gave me dark dreams. 

I looked away from it and to the moon. That, at least, was something normal, even if it did seem to create a mismatched pair with the Eye sometimes. I tried to think of something else. I gave a thought to Riota and Metka, their whispered laughter on the other side of the wagon circle trickling to me softly. Gerevor and Nileas sat at the fire again, a low discussion of some past exploit between them. Gerevor did most of the talking. Nileas contributed little, but seemed grateful for our friend’s attempt to keep him from falling into despondency. 

Idly, I wondered if the fox had reached the kid. We had no way of knowing if it would, really. I suspected it might be able to find the kid, and something that small could slip through any set of gates if it had its mind to it. Even if it could, there was still the question of if it would. Nileas had put together a lovely little spell (the equation he used was immaculate. His always were, but this was a work of art.) which he had placed in a band around the fox’s neck. The band was needed for the creature to carry our message anyways, so it was a convenient tool. The spell was meant to guide the fox to the kid, and I’m sure a few other things I couldn’t pick out from Nileas’ formulas. Even with the spell, it wasn’t a done deal. Any number of things could have gone wrong. 

I directed my thoughts elsewhere. Nothing productive would come from wondering if the message had gotten to the kid, or about what the kid might be going through in the capital, or if she was even still alive, or - nothing productive would come of this. Frustrated with my own lack of control, I laid down, pointedly telling the part of my mind still out of my control that if it wouldn’t listen, I would simply fall asleep. I shifted my pack under my head, and stared off towards the Shining Cliffs in the distance. As I drifted off, I mused that for the shatterlings to name these rocks ‘shining’ clearly betrayed that they had never seen anything like the glory of the Shining City. 

As sleep came over me, I thought for a moment I saw something moving over the face of the cliffs, massive and dark. But that could not be. It was only sleep’s fantasies creeping across into my consciousness. 

[childofthecataclysm]

Chapter Nine: Through Lek's Eyes

We stood firm at the outpost, and had continued to do so in the battles since. The Hand always stood firm. There were larger stakes now than there once had been, but not enough to change that fact. The battles were hard, though. Without the kid around, Nileas seemed different. Drained. Metka had been injured, and Riota seemed furious at herself for failing to protect her. Our leader simply stared, empty-eyed and dark. 

    He was still cheerful with the men. Some few had proven themselves well enough to be initiated into the Hand proper. It had been a solemn decision to expand the Hand past six. In the end, Nileas said, making them one of us would make them fight for us with a ferocity they would not if they simply followed us. 

    Most, though, would have been worried, perhaps to the point of desertion, if our glorious leader proved human. So. Around us, he showed his worry, his tiredness, and his fear for the kid. Around them, he was divine, ethereal. 

    I always found it odd how much the shatterlings had focused on image. We in the so-called wyldlands knew how little it mattered. Appearance and facade were dropped. Even words, often, were a distraction from meaning. 

    Here, though, the shatterlings rejoiced in appearance and facade. Even the kid, for all she seemed a creature of instinct, put up her own walls. Odd or not, they were my people now. Especially the Hand. 

    Those who had been inducted into the ranks of the Hand proper wore a silver handprint on their armour now. Those of us who had been in the Hand before all this didn’t bother. They knew who we were, as did we. It was a status symbol of a kind for them, though, and while it was yet another layer of facade, I did not begrudge them that. 

    With this last battle, we were in fair distance of the capital. We could not yet see its legendary walls, but the nobles we captured seemed to have sharper eyes, and more than a few had dropped the preening self-importance I had always associated with shatterling nobles in favour of an iron martiality. I could not help but respect it. 

    The Hand’s army was sizeable now. With each battle, we recruited more soldiers from the ranks of the defeated. Nileas insisted each be given a chance, even those who were blatantly spies. I kept my eye on them closer than he thought I should. Oddly, many of those spies ended up becoming truly loyal. One of them was even an official Hand member now. It was strange, but something about Nileas must have inspired loyalty in them. 

    In fairness, he had done the same to me. 

    The latest noble was bound in iron chains, sitting in the back of a cart which was leashed to one of the largest horses I had ever seen. I sat with her, staring her down. Shatterlings always seemed to find my gaze off-putting, especially when combined with maintaining my crossbow. I could never quite understand why, but I didn’t mind taking advantage of it. She was dark-haired and dark-skinned. Her eyes were strangely blue. I would have suspected sorcery, if it weren’t for the fact that we had managed to capture her without any evidence of such.

    Gerevor was ahead, sitting in the seat at the front of the cart. He did not guide the horse. Our column was large enough that most of its members could now afford to simply follow without needing specific direction. He glanced back at me, a grin on his face. I knew he would be spouting off a joke about the noble. It was his way of making them see that we didn’t think of them as special; plus, he just liked slinging jokes. 

    I turned my gaze to him, ready for whatever it was he was going to say. “Ey Lek! You ever hear the one about the King and the hick noble?” 

    Shaking my head, I told him I had not. His grin got bigger, seeming to my eye to threaten to swallow up his face. The joke was frankly obscene, centring around the idea that the King laid with the noble, only to find out that it was, in fact, a particularly intelligent pig. I found it hilarious. 

    Gerevor laughed. I did not, although I gave him a faint smile. Shatterlings rarely noticed my larger smiles, however, so I suspect that neither him nor the noble noticed. Whether or not they did, Gerevor turned forward again, and the noble looked at me, face warped in disgust. 

    I tilted my head and stared at her. “Do you have an issue with Gerevor’s joke?” Gerevor laughed louder from ahead, and the noble blanched, then gathered herself, pulling her face into what passed for neutral with shatterlings. “No sir. Great joke sir.”

    I smiled again, and again she did not seem to notice. “Good to hear. Tell me, have you heard of Rahkor Leamin? Or, if not him, Ysella Ponitri? These are wanted by our leader. Give them up, and you may live.”

    The noble appeared to war with herself. Shatterlings were always like this. Even Nileas, for all his displayed decisiveness and qualities of leadership, was regularly uncertain, despite on some level knowing the best of his options. 

    To some degree, I understood this. Even in the First City, our leaders often found themselves with too many choices to make their decisions quickly. Those of us not burdened with leadership, on the other hand, would be thought of as sly and tricksterly at the best if we took this long to decide what to do or say. Often, that perception would range into far worse assumptions. 

    She stirred, and finally spoke. “Leamin is in the capital, I think. He passed through my town a few weeks ago. Ponitri… I do not know. I have heard little of her movements.” 

    I did not miss the ‘subtle’ inflection she had laid on her use of ‘my.’ We had taken that village - and her in turn - yet it was still hers in her mind. Or perhaps she simply refused to acknowledge that it was ours. 

    Lazily, I slotted a bolt into my crossbow. Turning the crank on the side of the machine readied the machine to fire. Although I had not touched up the spell stored in the gem lodged into the wood of the bow beneath the firing arm, an unassisted shot would still be sufficiently destructive for most targets. However, I loaded it less for its destructive potential and more for the threat it naturally posed. 

    The noble visibly gulped, and shrank back a bit from me. Gerevor’s head turned slightly, and he fixed one eye on me. Beneath the levity, Gerevor was an observant and wary man. He likely knew exactly what I was playing at, but the slight chance that I was actually about the execute the prisoner meant he would keep an eye on me. I did not mind. 

    Pressing my crossbow against a bag of feed intended for the horses, I pushed myself to my feet. “Search your memories,” I said, attempting to bring something of an affect of the overblown menace required by shatterlings into my voice. “If you have nothing to tell us, you are of little use.” 

    What appeared to be genuine tears welled up in her eyes. Difficult to discern for certain, of course. All shatterling expressions were so overblown that it was near impossible to tell what was real and what was fake. Nevertheless, her face contorted in a matter convincing enough for me. 

    “I… Can tell you she was looking for reinforcements?” She said, a desperate quaver in her voice. “A runner from the capital came authorising her to raise and take command of a legion, I think. To root out the - you. To root you out.” 

    Of course. Too many victories had been had, even if it was only a few. So the Crown would elevate the one of them who had stood effectively against any of us. For now, anyways. Once we got close enough to the capital, we would likely find new threats. 

    Gerevor raised his eyebrow at me, and I gave him a nod. Then, as he did not respond, I gave him a larger nod. He jumped to his feet noisily, and made a show of stretching, then running to the edge of the cart and leaping to the next, and the next, and so on. Such feats of acrobatics were not truly his strong suit, but when showing off for a captive and needing to report to Nileas, who could blame him for making use of them. 

    I nodded to the captive noble. She slumped in what could have been relief, despair, or any number of strong emotions too complex and annoying to work out. Whatever it was, I swung my crossbow up, butt first, into the side of her head, and she crumpled to the floor of the cart, unconscious. 

~

    The core of the Hand was gathered around a small campfire. The wagons were arrayed in a wide circle around the campfire, with several more fires besides our own both within and without that circle. The walls of the capital were finally within sight on the horizon. Between us and them were at least two settlements.

    A scout had returned back a few hours ago with news that a major force was rallying in the town ahead. Much to the chagrin of Nileas, Gerevor, and Riota, the town in which the Crown troops were gathering was built on the site of their hometown, around the silver mine which the Silver War had been fought over. If a clash were had there, they would now be the aggressors. 

    As I saw it, this was an opportunity to take their home back from the Crown. In their minds, it seemed it was not quite so simple. Riota especially seemed to think any battle which took place within the town - whose name was apparently now Argenton - would leave its people even more battered and bruised than the Silver War had. After all, many of the current inhabitants would be other survivors of the Silver War, unwilling or unable to find new homes even after the atrocities wrought by the Crown. 

    And so we needed a strategy. Something which would allow us to draw the Crown’s forces out of Argenton. There was more tactical reasoning to this as well. If we engaged the Crown within the streets of the town, they would have a distinct advantage. Fortifications and traps may be laid against us, and Argenton apparently even had some meagre walls, which would make a solid defence easier, even if the walls were not sufficient to seriously slow down an assault. 

    Here I felt the lack of the kid even more. Nileas appeared near-on to despondent. He was still beautiful, but where he usually seemed magnificent and otherworldly, he now seemed tragic. His mood weighed on the others. Gerevor did his best to keep everyone buoyed, and eventually managed to lift Nileas’ mood enough that the planning could begin in earnest. 

    Metka brought out an old map of the area. She limped in doing so. That sorcerer at the outpost had done something to her leg, and while it was still usable, it dragged slightly. It had been drawn long enough ago that the others’ home was still the settlement depicted, rather than Argenton, but it was still accurate enough to be useful. She pointed out the various points which the Crown had used those years ago in order to attack the old town effectively. It was fairly awkward - the fact that Metka had been partially responsible for the destruction of their home was rarely addressed. The Hand thought of her as one of our own, and her past as blademaster of the Crown was already avoided, much less the fact that she had likely personally killed several people they once knew. Nevertheless, we moved on. She was a different person now, largely as a result of her experiences in the Silver War. It was not worth focusing on. 

    One of the points which she marked in specific was promising. There was a ridge overtop the lip of the mine’s main entrance. The face of it was directed at Argenton, meaning that we could conceivably set up atop the ridge and give the Crown forces no direct attack route. Combined with a small group of volunteers to start the attack within the town and then retreat, drawing the enemy towards the ridge, it could provide a significant tactical advantage while hopefully directing the majority of the fighting out of the town. 

    The major wrench in the works was in Ysella Ponitri. If what the captured noble said was correct, it was quite possible the Crown sorcerer would be at the head of these soldiers. If she was, she would have to become the focus of our assault quite quickly in order to keep the casualties to our own forces to a minimum. 

Riota offered to attempt an infiltration and assassination, ideally removing the enemy sorcerer from the equation without a significant clash. It was obvious she simply wanted a rematch on their fight from the outpost. Ysella had cracked several of her ribs, as well as laying some heavy bruising on Gerevor and doing whatever she had done to Metka’s leg before being forced to retreat. It was only natural to want some form of retribution. 

    Nileas pointed out the obvious issue - Riota could not infiltrate quite so easily as she once could. And, should the assassination fail, two sorcerers clashing in the middle of Argenton would hardly serve to lower the overall casualty toll. 

    Instead, we determined that Ysella would have to be dealt with more or less fairly. If she showed herself at the head of the charge, I might be able to deal with her with my crossbow. However, if she played the longer game or travelled with the main body of her men, we would simply have to hope she did not do too much damage before we could contain her. 

    Finally, I brought up another issue which had been plaguing me. We had fought a large number of Crown soldiers so far, in several settlements. However, the majority of the towns, villages, and outposts between us and the edge of the Shattered Kingdoms had not yet been taken. At any time, it was possible a force, even a potentially significant one, might come from behind us. If that should happen while we were engaged with the forces in Argenton, we could find ourselves in an unwinnable battle. 

    There was not a solution to this problem, of course. We could not afford to fight in every settlement in the Crownlands. Time, resources, and troops would not allow it, even if we could gather more resources and troops in the wake of many of those battles. The kid needed us far too urgently, and on top of that, the longer we took, the greater the chance any force ahead of us would be set in, fortified, and ready to obliterate us. Solution or not, we needed to be aware of the possibility. 

    Once we were all sure of the plan at hand, we split from the fire. Each of us would tell a few of the newer Hand members. Each of them would go to tell a few of the other soldiers. Eventually, our plan would spread through the ranks. Just to be certain, Nileas would almost certainly recap it again in a speech come the morning, but for now, we all needed rest. 

    Laying against the side of one of the wagons, I stared up at the starfield. The constellations I had known in the Shining City were strange here, but I was used to that. I would never be used to the Eye. 

    It was not a literal eye. That would have, in some way, been tangibly understandable. Strange, but understandable. No, the Eye was some massive metal weave hanging in the starfield, roughly configured into a sphere. It wasn’t visible from my homeland. Some trick of its construction kept it hidden. In the Shattered Kingdoms, though, it hung overhead ominously. 

    The shatterlings didn’t seem to think anything of it. Of course. They had been born and raised with it overhead, leering down from the starfield and watching, always watching. For me, it made sleep difficult. I always found my way into night’s embrace regardless, but the Eye overhead gave me dark dreams. 

    I looked away from it and to the moon. That, at least, was something normal, even if it did seem to create a mismatched pair with the Eye sometimes. I tried to think of something else. I gave a thought to Riota and Metka, their whispered laughter on the other side of the wagon circle trickling to me softly. Gerevor and Nileas sat at the fire again, a low discussion of some past exploit between them. Gerevor did most of the talking. Nileas contributed little, but seemed grateful for our friend’s attempt to keep him from falling into despondency. 

    Idly, I wondered if the fox had reached the kid. We had no way of knowing if it would, really. I suspected it might be able to find the kid, and something that small could slip through any set of gates if it had its mind to it. Even if it could, there was still the question of if it would. Nileas had put together a lovely little spell (the equation he used was immaculate. His always were, but this was a work of art.) which he had placed in a band around the fox’s neck. The band was needed for the creature to carry our message anyways, so it was a convenient tool. The spell was meant to guide the fox to the kid, and I’m sure a few other things I couldn’t pick out from Nileas’ formulas. Even with the spell, it wasn’t a done deal. Any number of things could have gone wrong. 

    I directed my thoughts elsewhere. Nothing productive would come from wondering if the message had gotten to the kid, or about what the kid might be going through in the capital, or if she was even still alive, or - nothing productive would come of this. Frustrated with my own lack of control, I laid down, pointedly telling the part of my mind still out of my control that if it wouldn’t listen, I would simply fall asleep. I shifted my pack under my head, and stared off towards the Shining Cliffs in the distance. As I drifted off, I mused that for the shatterlings to name these rocks ‘shining’ clearly betrayed that they had never seen anything like the glory of the Shining City. 

    As sleep came over me, I thought for a moment I saw something moving over the face of the cliffs, massive and dark. But that could not be. It was only sleep’s fantasies creeping across into my consciousness. 

[vanquishedvaliant]

Three Houses and Three Ages; An analysis of the perspective of Time in the ideology of each Lord's Route

META ESSAY TLDR: Each house leader represents the idealized preference of a certain period of time; Claude is the Past, Dimitri is the Present, and Edelgard is the Future. Their routes enforce these time periods as what one should prioritize when making decisions, and what is most important when society is revolutionized.

Playing through Three Houses, it's quite clear that each of the three main Lord routes is a unique story with more differences between them than which maps are cleared or what nation you fight for; each of the stories is rich with themes and symbolism asking questions to careful readers, and offering different solutions based on the ideals and values of the characters you choose to follow.

Many have suggested before some strong themes these routes carry, most notably the question of "Do the Ends justify the Means?", and what place memories of the dead should have on the actions of the living. While these hold true on many levels of the story, it never seemed to fully encompass the whole of what the story had to say.

Reading more broadly across the entire text, I have come to think about their messages on a different alternative angle; that each route and lord is also representative of a method of thinking and decisions making that is based on their perspective of Time, ultimately asking the question of where you should look in time to decide what is right when the world is at the brink of revolution.

I propose that Claude, Dimitri, and Edelgard are each defined utterly by the answer they can be seen to represent; the Lessons of the Past, the Reality of the Present, or the Promise of the Future. 

Below, I will go into each character at length and provide specific evidence from the text for my proposal. This breakdown includes detailed spoilers for all routes*. 

Claude von Riegan - Correcting the Mistakes of the Past

Claude, heir to the sovereign dukedom of Leicester, is a man defined by the past. Born of the mixed heritage of two different nation's noble castes, he inherited the expectations and responsibilities of both, and neither. This disconnection from both sides frees Claude from each of their cultural momentum, and lets him to step back to see a global and historical perspective without the biases of a man with a true stake in either.

Coming to be known as the 'Master Tactician' and a brilliant schemer, Claude's harsh biracial youth cultivated a careful and contemplative attitude in him. He learned about others so he can act according to their expectations and fill the role that they want from him. As an adult, Claude uses this friendly attitude as a mask for his true intentions in order to gather information, and then uses his detailed knowledge of people, places, and events to manipulate their behaviour to his benefit.

Claude also makes his decisions based on extrapolation of other’s behaviour based on what they have already done in the past, and he values the lessons learned from their failures. Claude is the only lord to express interest in learning about the history of the Church, and why they came to be the way they are. He is the only lord who confronts Rhea, to ask questions about history, and learn most of the truth of the original sins and offenses that lead to the conflicts taking place in his time.

As the war progresses, Claude goes so far as to forsake his own nation's flag to lead his war, and instead flies the flag of the Crest of Flames. Mimicking the army of Nemesis in history, Claude steps into the past and uses established symbols to his benefit, using the popular story of history to rally support for his goal, but revising the positions to create a more positive result.

As we learn about his own motives, he tells the player he wishes to create a land where people from different nations, races, and creeds can live together without conflict. Claude's revolution can be seen as addressing and correcting the history that lead to these conflicts, rewinding the sins of the original war between Agartha and Nabatea to a time when all of Fodlan was said to coexist under Sothis, and stepping back further in his long term view to encompass the world beyond their continent. He wants to build a world where those conflicts in the past were resolved intelligently, with all they've learned since, and to do so, he must learn why and how those events took place, and he uses his knowledge of history to present a story to accomplish this.

At the climax of his route, Claude comes face to face with the resurrected Nemesis, a literal embodiment of the conflicts and mistakes of the past. He faces down this foe with knowledge and planning based on his fighting style and the heroes under his command, and defeats him by anticipating and counteracting his movements in battle, placing an arrow in advance right where Nemesis will attack. He immediately claims that the victory will be hailed by Historians as a new dawn, and the narrative ending text references changing the history of Fodlan no less than four times in quick succession.

Each of Claude's actions are careful, planned, and considerate. He takes every factor into account, learns everything he can from the way things were, and takes action to reproduce the victories, and correct the mistakes others have made in the past. And because of this, Claude thoroughly represents the decision making perspective of learning from Lessons of the Past.

Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd - Conserving the Values of the Present.

Dimitri, crown prince of Faerghus, is a man with his eye locked firmly on the now. Burdened by the death of his family in the Tragedy of Duscur, Dimitri is unable to move on from events that happened in his past, and doing his best to do right by the people around him day by day. Dimitri is unable to rest when things he perceive to be unjust happen around him, and is the first to rush into action heedless of the repercussions.

As the story progresses, Dimitri confides in the player that he regularly witnesses vivid hallucinations of his deceased family members, describing them as if they are still there with him even 4 or later 9 years after their deaths. These memories encourage him to act, to find some kind revenge or salvation as he laments that he was helpless and unable to do anything on his own in the moment of that tragedy.

This manifestation of his trauma is emblematic of how he sees the world, still carrying the despair, anger, and helplessness of that time with him and unable to separate things that once were from things that are now, without properly grieving or accepting their fate. For Dimitri, the past is still happening in the present, and no matter what he does, he can't separate them.

Dimitri is determined to act upon this revenge without delay, and eventually confesses that his ulterior motives for all that he does, including attending the academy, are part of an ongoing plan to enact his revenge. When the perceived target of his revenge is revealed to be Edelgard, Dimitri immediately attacks her in that moment, with no need to confirm the truth of past events, or consider the consequences for the future.

As the war progresses, Dimitri's condition worsens and his anger overtakes him. His decisions become extremely impulsive and reckless. He charges into battle with no regard for the safety of himself or others, refuses to build connections with those around him, and is blinded to everything but what is immediately in front of him, acting on it the only way he knows how; with violence.

Dimitri's decision making during the first part of the war phase represents this need for instant-gratification. Dimitri directs the war effort directly into enemy territory, obsessed with achieving his revenge "Now" and either unable or unwilling to consider that his actions will affect the future of his people or his country.

As Dimitri regains composure and works to put the past behind him by learning the truth of the Tragedy of Duscur, Dimitri makes decisions with more consideration, no longer blinded to the past and the future, but now actively choosing the present. He chooses to return to Fhirdiad not for sake of the future or the past, but because his people are continuing to suffer in the now, and he chooses to continue the war in the fight to bring peace as quick as possible. Dimitri's personal values uphold his priority of the present; he values the culture of chivalry that Faerghus currently embodies, fully believing in their established norms of noble knights and a glorious king protecting the weak and guiding the lost, and correcting injustices happening in the present with direct action wherever possible. Dimitri does not believe that the systems that govern their society are inherently flawed, and that problems can be solved by addressing them one at a time.

One such issue he faces is the prejudice against those of Duscur, which is strongly tied to the Tragedy and his personal motivations. Dimitri wishes to correct this injustice, and acts immediately with whatever power he has to further this goal. In Dedue’s paralogue Dimitri will rush into battle to prevent his own nation’s soldiers from slaughtering Duscur troops, and he expresses intent to immediately address the prejudice. However, Dimitri proposes no definite actions for these reforms, showing that while Dimitri is insistent to act, he does not have a long term plan for the future of reconciliation with Duscur, and is taking things one step at a time. Dimitri is not convinced by promises for the future, and he is not influenced by lessons of the past. He values how things are right now, making decisions based on the good and bad with only the information and ideas at hand. And for these reasons, I contend that Dimitri utterly represents living solely in the Reality of the Present.

Edelgard von Hresvelg - Breaking New Ground for the Future

Edelgard, Imperial Princess of Adrestia, is a woman unflinching in pursuit of her goals. Devastated personally and politically by the corruption in her current government and the manipulation of evils from the past, Edelgard turned the trauma of the gruesome torture and suffering she was made to endure into strength, resolving to 'cut her own path' to the future she envisioned.

Edelgard thoroughly rejects the tradition and culture of the world as it is. She sees the suffering of those in the present, and traces it back to decisions of the past. Seeing how the lingering resentment of both the Church of Seiros and the Agarthans continues to damage the world, she rejects both as wrong, and instead chooses to craft new and revolutionary solutions to combat problems and inequalities and develop a plan for a just society free from their influence.

In everything she does, Edelgard is determined to move forward. Edelgard voices respect and even solidarity for those that resist conventions and forge their own paths, even when she is compelled to oppose them, complimenting the leadership of the disgraced noble turned bandit Miklan, and commending the resolve and bravery of Lonato and his rebellion, refusing to treat them as victims for fighting for change they believed in.

Constantly adjusting her plans with new information at every moment, Edelgard frequently changes course when the costs are deemed too high, or the plan unworkable. Edelgard abhors the experimentation done by Solon in Remire, and long plans to turn against the Agarthans that Slither in the Dark, enacting her vengeance on them during the course of the war.

Support conversations with Manuella and Ferdinand display her understanding of the role of faith in the lives of the spiritual, and the need to produce an environment to uplift individuals. She alters her plans for the future to take both into account; dissolving the church without rejecting the Goddess, and developing plans for universal education and training, understanding the role each of these plays in developing a stronger society with educated and enlightened citizens.

When providing support for the player during their moment of crisis and despair, Edelgard encourages them to look forward. The advice she gives is that world will always move forward, and being held captive by the tragedy of the past, or accepting the present as it is is fruitless when time moves forward for everyone. The only thing one can do to change the past, is to do their best to work for the future, and help others to move forward as well. When Edelgard's true plans are revealed, she dictates the manifesto of her revolution; dissolution of the Church of Seiros, and the abolition of the crest-bearing nobility, two traditions of ancient history which continue to define the world in the present and which are perceived to be sources of injustice and inequality. These burdens of the past, the Church's anger and punishment of mankind, and the legacy of the Crests that persists from the tragedy of a society long since dead, are cast aside in favour of putting all thought towards the future.  Edelgard goes so far as to declare war; determining that the grueling tax of war and destruction in the present is preferable to allowing suffering to continue across society for years and decades to come. She concludes that moderate change is ineffective; and her experience shows this. Political reform in Adrestia was unsuccessful and was met with a coup that separated her family and stagnated their government, allowing further negligence and evil to thrive. Edelgard concludes that the only way for true change to occur is through decisive action, and the need for change outweighs the short terms costs of lives, finances, and industry that war demands. In her personal affairs, Edelgard encourages others to never be satisfied with how things are, and instead work to improve them for the future. She commends Ferdinand and Caspar for constantly striving to improve themselves, she implores Petra not to settle for what is expected of her, and is frustrated by Linhardt's disregard for the fruits of his efforts. All of her relationships are influenced by her constant forward motion and desire for betterment. Edelgard is unsatisfied with the inequalities and inadequacies of the present, and chooses to reject the decisions of history that led to it, not accepting its effects on the actions of those dictating the future. For these reasons, I contend that Edelgard unequivocally represents working hard to chase the Promise of the Future.

Conflicts Between Each Lord.

With each character's ideology established, we can also examine how they interact with each other, and how their perspectives collide to create conflicts between them.

Claude and Dimitri, despite finding themselves against a common enemy, are not able to properly ally in either of their routes, as Dimitri's total concern for the present blinds him to the possibilities of cooperation. In Dimitri's route, he is impatient to assault the Empire, unable to overcome difficulties in communication caused by an enemy from the Past he is unaware of, and chooses to fight through the Alliance army and destroy it rather than be delayed. Claude later implores him for aid, but the history of the Leicester alliance is sacrificed for the needs of Faerghus' war in the present. In Claude's route, Dimitri is likewise unable to communicate, heedlessly rushing into battle without consideration that his brave war does not match the united front that the Kingdom possessed during its first war with the empire, and is defeated utterly. Dimitri and Edelgard, the most directly at odds, represent the greatest contrast in ideology. Dimitri is unable to reconcile the death and destruction that war causes in the now, and does not believe that violent revolution is just. Edelgard is unable to reconcile the disparities and suffering of the present, and does not believe that allowing inequity to continue to thrive is just. These ideals can be summarized most succinctly in dialogue between the two during the conclusion of Dimitri's route, wherein Dimitri states; "We must defend the present... After all, it is all the we truly have," prompting an enraged Edelgard to counter, "We must trample the past underfoot, and move onward to a brighter tomorrow." Each succinctly states the priorities that inform the core motive of each side of the war, and echo their statements in previous discussions. Claude and Edelgard's conflict is far more subtle and nuanced. These two lords fundamentally share the same goals; the revolution of current society to be more equal and just, but they differ greatly in their methods and reasoning. Claude believes that no future can be built without considering history; a future without the flaws of the present cannot be forged without respecting how those injustices came to be. Edelgard on the other hand believes that true change cannot be enacted while you are still beholden to the past; if you are afraid to discard tradition and history, you can never create something truly new. In each of their routes, these Lords bring their conflict to conclusion, and while their methodology and fates differ, each of them ultimately entrusts the future to the other, with Claude offering the Alliance and his allies to forge Edelgard's future, and Edelgard (via Hubert) informing Claude of the true threat rising up from the past. Their methods and their perspectives conflict, but they both accept the present as unacceptable and seek revolution, whether it be through solving the past, or by creating an independent future.

In Conclusion;

Three Houses is ultimately a story about a societal revolution that spans the continent. It involves breaking the old society into pieces, examining all of its strengths and weakness, and piecing it back together in the method of your choosing. Like a forest fire can cause death and destruction, but also breath new life into its ecosystem, so too does the war in Fodlan provide a means for a new beginning. Through the examples given above, I believe that one of the overarching themes of Three Houses, and questions posed in each of it's routes, is what is most important when you are rebuilding that society in the aftermath. Do you look to the Past, like Claude, and learn from what those in history did right or wrong to make the decisions with thousands of years of wisdom? Do you stick to the Present, like Dimitri, and preserve things the way they are, taking small steps in the now to enact gradual change? Or do you fight for the Future, like Edelgard, making sweeping changes and reforms to create a future that is truly new in the pursuit of betterment. Each of these routes, and each of these characters poses a different answer to this question, without providing any answer that is absolutely correct. The endings of all three of these routes are portrayed as good, happy endings, the most idealized crystallization of their ideology. No matter the player follows, what they decide is what will prevail. There is no wrong answer, and no right answer. Simply solutions with a different priority.

And through these options, a full completion of the game asks the player to decide for themselves; what is really most important to their decisions?

The Past? The Present? Or the Future?

--

If you've read this far, first of all, thank you very much! This is almost totally a full length literary essay! You're a real trooper. I hope you've gained a new insight on a method of interpreting the story. I think there's a lot of different levels to Three Houses and I believe examining it from all different perspectives with a fair and even approach is important to getting the most out of it. I think it's the mark of a truly great story to provide this kind of depth of discussion, and posing multiple themes and questions that the player can think on.

I've found a lot of the same ground tread over and over about the means to an end, fascism vs democracy vs monarchy; (sorry guys, but that ain't it. Edelgard ain't a fascist, Claude ain't democracy, and Dimitri's a monarch... so....), and I've wanted to take it at a wider angle. The quoted lines from Azure Moon really stuck out to me as incredibly poignant, and when I looked back into Claude more i found more and more reference to his interest in history and learning the truth.

I didn’t go into details with Silver Snow in this essay because... well, it doesn’t have a Lord. It shares half of its route with Edelgard, and half with Claude so it poses many of the same arguments, despite contradicting each other. You could consider Seteth to be a pseudo-lord as a replacement, but It’s my personal belief that the themes and motivations posed by that choice aren’t strong enough to provide a story truly distinct from either Verdant Wind or Crimson Flower. One might argue that Seteth stands for “Upholding Tradition” rather than Claude’s revising it, but I don’t think there’s enough evidence. It’s just as likely that Silver Snow has little message, or simply stands as an isolate rejection to Edelgard’s choices. It’s something to explore another time, but I think the bonds between the three lords are what is most important.

So hopefully this gives some juicy fodder for further consideration, and more discussion to last for time to come! Thanks for reading! 

-vanquishedValiant

[dererumgestarum]

THE VATICAN VERGIL

The manuscript known as the Vatican Vergil (MS Vat. lat. 3225) is a fragmentary copy of the complete works of Virgil (70-19 BC), produced around AD 400. Its 76 pages, written by a single scribe in rustic capitals with no punctuation, comprise parts of the Aeneid and less of the Georgics. The manuscript was illustrated with large, framed illuminations, 50 of which survive. In its complete state, the manuscript probably had over 450 folios and 280 images. Redacted 400 years after the works were first published, the Vatican Virgil is the one of the oldest surviving manuscripts of the poet’s works and one of the oldest illustrated copies of a classical text.

Given that Theodosius had recently ended state support for the pagan cults and closed the temples, the commission of the copy of the works permeated with the traditional Roman religion might suggest a noble patron nostalgic for the rapidly disappearing pagan culture. However, a volume including the national foundation epic, focused on the originary heroic Roman leader, by the poet most associated with the Augustan golden age, might have been commissioned by, or for, an emperor wishing to assert continuity with the glorious past. Honorius (AD 395-423), the heir to the western empire, may have been given the book at the time of his coronation, to serve as a symbol of the history and legitimacy of the west compared with his brother Arcadius’s recently-minted eastern empire. The manuscript would therefore either have been copied in Rome, prior to the sack of 410, or by a scribe and artists working at the court of Honorius in Milan or Ravenna.

Honorius’ hostility towards paganism would not have been directed at Virgil. As the author of the “messianic” 4th Eclogue, Virgil was considered a prophet of the Christian dispensation and therefore acceptable to Christian readers. Furthermore, the cost an illuminated manuscript of the size of the Vatican Vergil could have been afforded only by a small number of people at the highest level of society, namely the imperial family. This attrbution is, of course, admittedly conjectural and dependent on a dating the manuscript to the first decades of the 5th century.

Manuscripts, unlike wall paitings, are imminently portable. Late antique illuminated codices, such as the Vatican Vergil, sent with missionaries to the monasteries of the north provided book illuminators in Northumbria and Frankish Gaul with their only experience of classical art. The Vatican Virgil left Italy in the 7th century and was in the monastic library of St Martin in Tours in the 9th century. The illuminations of the famous Tours Bibles clearly imitate late antique book painting. The manuscript was in France until c. 1400. It was consulted by Raphael around 1519. Later in the 16th century, the book was in the collections of Cardinal Pietro Bembo and Fulvio Orsini. The latter donated the it to the Vatican Library in 1600.

In 2016, the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana announced a digitization initiative that will result in the entirety of its holdings being available online around 2030. The Vatican Vergil is available online here.

[dzamie-oc]

Smaugust 19 - Demon

A MLP/Persona 4 crossover. Spike has fallen into a deep sleep, and Luna and Twilight venture into his mind to find out what's wrong. (2238 words)

cw: MLP, Persona 4, kidnapping mention

Twilight and Luna ran through the castle. Twilight had called on the alicorn of night when Spike had fallen into a deep sleep, and Zecora had been unable to help. With Luna's help, the two alicorns cast themselves into his subconscious. However, Twilight wasn't prepared for the twisted, creepy landscape within.

<These ponies don't know the greatness amidst them!>

Spike's voice, distorted, sharp, pained and painful, echoed all around them as they navigated the halls. Exaggerated, clingy caricatures of Rarity flung themselves at them, assaulting the mares with magically-created gemstones. They spoke in unison, "you will not harm our precious Spikey-Wikey! He who commands the respect of all!" Wherever the gemstones fell, crystal ponies rose from the ground, each wearing "Spike The Brave And Glorious" shirts. Twilight kept a shield around herself and Luna as the night mare navigated through the hallways.

<A creature that eats their kind for breakfast, they treat like a pet!>

"As weird as this is to say," Twilight shouted over the din of crashing crystals and shrieking mares with white coats and flowing, purple manes, "thank you for not telling me we have to kill Rarity."

<Unloved, disrespected... They don't deserve the noble deeds I do every day.>

"Your gratitude is appreciated but misguided," Luna called back, using her own telekinesis to guide Twilight quickly through a sharp corner, "would we not be immediately overrun, I would welcome the chance to train you in dream fighting." A gem struck the carpet before them. The pair leapt over it as it formed a crystal pony. Luna cast a spell as a Parthian shot; it struck the newly-made mare, causing her to continue to develop into a thick, crystal wall as they fled, sporting numerous eyes, limbs, and semitransparent cutie marks.

<A Brave and Glorious knight, or a ferocious dragon from all those scare-mongering storybooks... they both have the right idea!>

The purple alicorn looked back and shuddered, pure muscle memory forcing her to keep galloping on. "What kind of spell was that?!"

<Something as strong as a dragon deserves a princess!>

This time, it was followed by a soft, pleading "no... don't..." in Spike's normal voice.

"Dreams need not make sense, Twilight Sparkle," Luna replied as they came to a door. There was a rough-cut, heart-shaped hole in it, where a lock would be, and the alchemical symbol for fire printed above it. "As often as I disagree with the draconequus, adapting chaos magic from Discord can be helpful in a pinch." She squinted at the door. "A fire-attuned heart? Twilight, you are Spike's guardian. Do you know what would fit here? Something deeply related to his sense of identity."

<If I can keep her, clearly I'm the Prince Charming of legend. And if she is stolen from me...>

"this isn't right... i would never..."

Twilight racked her brain, running back through her memories of Spike, growing up with him, watching him figure himself out. Not the Crystal Heart, it was too big. Not a Power Ponies book. Not that bowtie from the incident with Owlowicious. The mare gasped. Rarity! "It's a fire ruby! He was going to give it to himself for his hatchday, but gave it to Rarity instead. When he went into Greed Growth, she refused to give it over to the rampaging... Spike, and that helped bring him back!"

<Then it is not just my duty, but my desire, my destiny! to bring her back. No matter how much she screams.>

"if she's screaming, that's not..."

A piercing shriek jolted Luna's attention to another caricature of Rarity. The alicorn's eyes gleamed as she challenged the dream monster, "you're no true Rarity! Spike would never give you that fire ruby!" The white mare grinned a manic grin full of sharp teeth a dragon would be envious of, then held up a fire ruby in her magic. Luna's horn glowed, and a powerful beam of magic drove the creature through a wall, making its own magical field flicker and break. "Twilight! The gem!"

<She will be the crown jewel of my hoard. She will respect me. They will all respect me. I will be the strongest, bravest, most glorious dragon of all!>

"it's... a lie..."

A purple hue shimmered to life around the fire ruby, stopping it just inches before it hit the ground and sprouted a crystal pony, or shattered. Twilight quickly maneuvered it into place in the lock, which clicked. The huge door opened into what looked like a corrupted version of the Canterlot throne room. The stained glass windows showed images of Spike saving the Crystal Heart, Spike dressed as his Ogres and Oubliettes character, Spike as Humbug beating up the Maneiac, Spike saving Applejack from timberwolves, and many more. The dual thrones of the two sisters had been cast aside near the doorway, and in their place was a massive pile of gold, ice cream, gems, comics, the Elements of Harmony, sets of dice, and even the Crystal Heart.

<A lie? Of course not; lying is such an ignoble behavior. I would never lie about wanting to sit above it all while mares, stallions, and all others alike worship me for the majestic dragon I am.>

"I don't want that!"

On the ornate, gold-and-purple carpet leading to the treasure pile, Twilight saw Spike. She flew towards him, only to stop short when she realized who was on TOP of the treasure pile: Spike, being fawned over by Thorax, Ember, and a much more accurate-looking Rarity... with wings.

<Lying to your own shadow? And you call yourself a knight? Disgusting. I am what lies beneath, the truth you so shamefully cover up. I am truly Spike the Brave and Glorious, and I deserve to be praised for my great deeds! You cower behind ponies, asking politely for, "oh, Twilight, may I not be dragged into your drama for one day? No? Well that's fine." I'm the REAL Spike!>

Twilight looked between the two of them; behind her, Luna barricaded the door against more Rarities and crystal ponies. "Spike? Who is... what's going on?"

The Spike on the floor turned and ran towards her. "Twilight! Don't listen to a word that guy is saying. None of it is true! I'm Spike. **He's not me!"**

Luna whipped her head around and galloped towards them, flapping her wings for speed. However, before she could get there, a blast of green flame shot from the strange Spike's mouth, striking the other Spike too fast for Twilight to even put up a shield.

<WHAT?! I AM you! Just because you constantly lie to yourself because you think it makes PONIES happy, doesn't make it true!> The room darkened; both alicorns could feel an immense power gathering from the dragon's fury. <In fact, I think you're due for a replacement. I will finally command the respect and adulation I deserve.> He glared at the intruding ponies, eyes glowing gold. <And you two will be the first brought to heel as my worshippers!>

There was a crash of thunder, and everything changed. The weather outside the hall grew dark and stormy. The scenes in the stained-glass windows altered, now with red backgrounds: changelings prostrated before Spike, crystal ponies prostrated before Spike, Applejack prostrated before Spike, the Power Ponies prostrated before Spike, the Princesses prostrated before Spike, and more of the same. Thorax and Ember hovered in front of where the hoard had been, huge, unnatural grins plastered on their faces with hearts in their eyes. And as for Spike...

A huge dragon loomed at the far end of the hallway. Every inch of what Twilight was sure were purple scales and a green crest was covered in layers of gold and gems. The creature held a long and broad sword in his mouth, his wings were enormous kite shields with Spike's face emblazoned on them as a crest, and dangling from his tail was the Rarity alicorn, trapped in a golden and diamond-encrusted cage but staring adoringly at the adorned dragon. Twilight felt a weight against her side, and turned to see that the Spike by her had fallen unconscious. She ignited her horn and blinked the two of them away from the amalgamation and the corruptions of the leaders of the dragons and of the changelings.

Luna stepped up, a look of pure determination on her muzzle. "Nightmare," she commanded, "and Tantabus." From her mane and her horn, Nightmare Moon materialized on her left, and the purple, starry dream construct flowed into existence on her right. The alicorn of dreams turned her head to address Twilight, and said, "keep him safe, Twilight Sparkle. I am counting on you. And more importantly, so is he." She crouched, spread her wings, and lit her horn; the two monsters of her own creation followed suit. Spike's shadow roared, and as one, he, Thorax, and Ember rushed forward to meet their opposition.

As magic and gems flew, Twilight concentrated on keeping a solid, purple shield up between the fight, and herself and Spike. This paid off a few times, when a diamond Luna chipped off of Spike's shadow skidded off its surface, or when a solid hit from the changeling-turned-bugbear sent Nightmare Moon careening back and using the shield to spring off of. When she felt she had the time, Twilight funneled some extra magic into Spike's body; it was a rudimentary healing spell, but Twilight hoped it would be enough.

At last, the final blow was struck: the Tantabus severed the shadow's tail with a blade of dreamstuff, cutting the fake Rarity off from the dragon, Luna struck a weak spot with a stunning spell, and Nightmare Moon used the opening to shove what is scientifically called "a boatload" of dark, destructive magic down the dragon's throat. In a flash of light, the scene had returned to where it was before. Spike stirred against Twilight's side as his shadow remained on top of the assorted hoard, the phony alicorn, changeling king, and dragon lord watching him in adulation. Twilight helped the purple dragon next to her to his feet, and they approached once more.

<I will not be denied. I am amazing, and heroic, and I WILL be treated as such!> Spike's distorted voice echoed through the room. <I have more than earned the right to be way more than a scientist's pet lizard!>

Spike sighed and walked up to the pile. "Look... you're... you're not right, but I wasn't fair saying that I don't think that way sometimes. Living with and near a group of mares who save Equestria on, what, a weekly basis? would make anyone feel unappreciated." One dragon climbed the pile, while the other slid down it, sending gold coins and small rubies clinking down the slope. "A month or so ago, I finally realized how much being blinded by my fame and ego hurt other ponies, so I tried to make up for it by pretending not to have any. Just pushing down the thoughts of a reward for everything I do to help.

"It was making me miserable, I suppose, but I did such a good job of hiding it, even I didn't realize what I was doing. I'm sorry, I didn't accept you of first because I was terrified of what I might become - what I HAD become in the past - if I acknowledged your existence. I was so scared of another 'acting on behalf of Princess Twilight' or Greed Growth fiasco that I stopped letting myself feel deserving of anything not offered unprompted." Spike stuck out his hand. "I am Spike the Brave and Glorious; no matter how much I pretend in Ponyville that I don't have a statue in my name, that's just not the case. I saved the Crystal Heart, I delivered all those friendship reports to Twilight when Discord corrupted her, hay, I even DM for Discord. Nopony deserves EVERYTHING, not me, not Twilight, not even the Two Sisters, but I have to stop pretending that, every so often, I kind of like to picture it."

The other Spike took his hand and began to glow. There was a flash of gold, and the other Spike disappeared, leaving only the young dragon who had fainted through the battle. The hoard vanished, too, leaving Ember, Rarity (still an alicorn), and Thorax sitting at a round table with paper and dice in front of them, as well as an unoccupied DM screen. He turned to the two non-Rarity alicorns and smiled. "Thanks, Twilight, Luna. I don't know what would've happened if you two hadn't showed up."

Twilight gave him a bittersweet smile, tears threatening to leak from her eyes. "You're welcome, Spike. I'm sorry I didn't notice you felt this way. We'll have to talk more when you've woken up." She turned to Luna. "And, uh, Luna? Is this a common dream thing, or a special case for him being comatose?"

Luna nodded in acknowledgement of Spike's thanks, then replied to Twilight, "it is... uncommon. Most are not so dangerous or powerful, but I've learned my way around them, as you can see. Now come, we should leave Spike to his dream. If I trust what I glimpsed of those character sheets and campaign notes, you will not want to stick around and watch, either." With a spell, she summoned a door out of Spike's subconscious, and dragged a chronically-curious Twilight away from the table and back into wakefulness.

[technologyinfosec]

Commemoration Day: UAE leaders pay tribute to nation's martyrs

The President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said that martyrdom is the highest degree of devotion and dedication to the homeland, and only great nations are built through sacrifice and sincere belonging.

WAM News / English✔@WAMNEWS_ENG Martyrdom is the highest degree of devotion to homeland: #UAEPresident#CommemorationDay#wamnewshttp://wam.ae/en/details/1395302807037 …

111:04 PM - Nov 28, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacySee WAM News / English's other Tweets In a statement to the 'Nation Shield' magazine, Sheikh Khalifa said: "On this glorious day, when we exalt the values of giving and sacrifice, we express the utmost appreciation to our righteous martyrs who have given their blood and souls in fulfilment of the sacred duty, in support of the oppressed, in defence of the truth, and in the protection of the UAE, which was founded by our fathers on the values of giving, redemption, belonging, loyalty and courage. "The biography of the martyrs of the homeland, whose processions have progressed throughout history, will remain immortal in our conscience, and the medals of honour and pride we take. This biography is embodied by the society in its cohesion, and the State is committed to caring for and honouring the children of the martyrs and their families. Martyrdom is the highest degree of devotion and dedication to the homeland, and great nations are built through sacrifice and sincere belonging. "On this blessed day, we pay tribute to our valiant sons, soldiers, officers and commanders of our armed forces, who are vigilant in protecting and defending the homeland, and saluting our children across all workplaces inside and outside the country. "We pray to God that our martyrs may rest in His mercy and that they achieve the highest paradise because they believed in what God and the homeland had promised. We ask God Almighty to reward their children and their families for their certainty, their composure, patriotism and their patience, and we call on him to preserve our country, and to perpetuate the blessings of our state's security and safety. "Peace, mercy, and the blessings of God be upon you." Strong bond between people and leadership shield UAE: Dubai Ruler His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has paid special tributes to the UAE martyrs on Commemoration Day, sharing sincere feelings of gratitude to their families who, he said, set a perfect example of giving and belonging to the homeland by sacrificing their sons for the highest good of all Emiratis. In a statement to the 'Nation Shield' magazine, Sheikh Mohammed said: "On behalf of all Emiratis, I salute all families who offered their sons to protect the national gains of our homeland and to keep our flag flying high at all times under all circumstances. It's your wisdom, fortitude and magnanimity that enabled our valiant armed forces to continue to be the protective shield of our homeland. "Our martyrs are the sons and grandsons of our nation's icon and the founder of our renaissance, the late Sheikh Zayed. They are the trustees of his vision, which states that the UAE army is our protective shield that preserves our national unity and accomplishments, and helps our brotherly Arab countries in case of need. "As we celebrate today the quintessential Emirati values of giving, loyalty and self-denial, we urge our families, schools, media and literati to continue to inculcate these noble values in our society and instil them in our younger generations, so they align themselves with the heroic deeds of our martyrs in word and deed. "This solemn occasion reminds us to continue to engrave the message of martyrdom in our mind, memory and heart. "Commemoration Day will forever remain as an indelible message that the sovereignty, security, stability and pride of the UAE, and the safety and well-being of Emiratis are a priority that is second to none. We will remain willing and ready to bear the costs of protecting our land, ensuring its independence, building our nation and maintaining our national gains, thereby keeping our country as a role model for development, prosperity, social welfare, and economic well-being. "The heroes of our armed forces, along with all security departments and institutions, and all the sons and daughters of the UAE, bear the costs of facing the dangers besetting our homeland and those surrounding our brotherly countries and Arab nations at large. While valiantly performing their noble tasks, our armed forces deliver a clear-cut message purporting that the UAE is a nation with innate immune defenses against any evil machinations and plots thanks to our cohesive social fabric and the strong bonds of solidarity between our people and leadership. We will remain faithful to principles for which they sacrificed lives: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed abu dhabi - His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, said that the martyrs who sacrificed their souls in protection of the homeland shoulder all Emiratis with a solemn responsibility towards nation-building and keeping the national flag flying high at all fronts and under all circumstances. In a statement on the Commemoration Day to the 'Nation Shield' magazine, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said: "The essential message delivered by the Commemoration Day is for every Emirati to keep sacrificing for his/her homeland by continuing to be loyal to our deeply-rooted principles and values, the seeds of which were sown by the founding fathers of the UAE Federation. "Our martyrs embody the UAE's solid commitment toward our brotherly countries, their national defence and their right to stability, development and progress. They express in the truest sense of the word the UAE's principled stance, adopted since the era of the late Sheikh Zayed, in support of righteousness and justice. "While bearing witness to every achievement being now made in the UAE, we recall the noble sacrifices made by our martyrs who are all true partners in every accomplishment and step forward we are taking on the right path toward making our dreams come true. "Our martyrs will remain our source of pride at all times. Their heroic deeds go down in the annals of history as a source of inspiration for all sincere deeds made to ensure our country's glory, stability and progress toward a brighter future. "On the Commemoration Day, we spell out our wholehearted loyalty to our homeland and express our deepest gratitude to all those who sacrificed their soul in protection of their homeland and who we are sure will remain alive with their Lord and will have their reward. "On this glorious occasion, we stand in all solemnity in appreciation of our brave armed forces, who symbolise all sincere feelings of dedication and commitment to the nation's values and principles. They represent the school from which our martyrs learned the love of and sacrifices to the homeland under all circumstances. "On the Commemoration Day, we recall our Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who sowed the seeds of loyalty to the homeland. These seeds fructified into generations of heroes ready to sacrifice their very souls in defence of their homeland and in serving their national duty. Our heroes represent nation's shield: Ajman Ruler His Highness Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ajman, paid homage to the souls of Emirati martyrs on Commemoration Day. In his statement to the 'Nation Shield', Sheikh Humaid said: "Our country celebrates Commemoration Day on November 30 to remember the glories achieved by the pure souls who did not hesitate to meet their call of duty in defence of their religion, nation and humanity. "The UAE, upon the directives of the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has dedicated this day to glorify the names of its martyrs. "The UAE, under the leadership of Sheikh Khalifa; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, The Supreme Council Members, Their Highnesses Rulers of the Emirates, appreciates the sacrifices of its martyrs who represented the nation's shield and are now icons of will and persistence. "On Commemoration Day, people rally around their leadership to reiterate loyalty, vowing to continue their righteousness journey. Martyrs are role models of loyalty to homeland: Fujairah Ruler His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Fujairah, said that the Commemoration Day will remain a symbol of pride and glory, with the sacrifices by the martyrs being the cornerstone on which we will continue to achieve more accomplishments for our homeland." Sheikh Hamad said in his statement to the Nation Shield magazine: "With all pride and gratitude, we recall the acts of patriotism of the UAE Armed Forces men who sacrificed their souls for the sake of the homeland to. Our martyrs are role models for belonging and loyalty to the homeland. "While celebrating the nation's martyrs, we renew our commitment that we, in the UAE led by the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will spare no efforts to support our Arab brothers who've suffered from war and sabotage. We, the UAE leadership and people, will continue to stand by them by sustaining the late Sheikh Zayed's approach and principles aimed at supporting right issues and strengthening Arab bonds. "We extend greetings to the UAE Armed Forces members inside the country and abroad who are always proactive to protect stability and security of our country. They are our shield who keep our country unified and safe. We pledge to protect our national gains and achievements made by our martyrs. We are committed to continue the journey to present an integrated cultural model to the whole world." Commemoration Day upholds sacrifice values: UAQ Ruler His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Umm Al Quwain, said that the Commemoration Day upholds the values of sacrifice, redemption and love to the homeland, noting that the occasion is a tribute to all the country's heroes. Sheikh Saud said in his statement to the Nation Shield magazine that the occasion holds a significant meaning to the people of the UAE, as November 30 was the day when the first Emirati martyr Salem Suhail bin Khamis Al Dahmani lost his life while defending his country in 1971. Sheikh Saud noted that national cohesion represents the true meaning of unification and effective participation in building the nation, preserving its gains and strengthening its social fabric as well as the culture of loyalty instilled by the founding fathers. "It is a source of pride for us to witness the honouring of martyrs of the homeland in recognition and appreciation of their sacrifices and acts of patriotism, as they represent an immortal example of national unity and belonging." The Ruler of Umm Al Quwain added that the Commemoration Day is an opportunity to celebrate the sacrifices made by the martyrs to protect the glory, assets and gains of the country. Their sacrifices are beacons for a brighter future: RAK Ruler His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, said the sacrifices made by the Emirati martyrs will remain indelible in the UAE's history as a source of inspiration for generations to come. Sheikh Saud, in a statement to the Nation Shield magazine, said: "The UAE takes pride in our heroes who responded to the call of duty and sacrificed their souls in protection of their nation's glory and in defence of its periphery and national gains. "The inspiring narratives of our martyrs on the battlefronts will remain beacons for a brighter future for the entire nation and its people. And on this memorable day in the country's history, we renew the commitment of the UAE, leadership and people, to continue to support the families of our martyrs, whose sacrifices will remain a model to be copied for all those seeking to ensure the security and dignity of the homeland. Thanks to our martyrs' heroic deeds, our national flag will continue to fly high on all fronts and our people will remain proud of their nation's accomplishments and glories. "On this glorious occasion, we reiterate our support for our soldiers on the front lines and re-assert that the UAE will continue to disseminate a message of peace, love, and tolerance to the entire world and reiterate that sacrifices for the homeland hold a sublime significance for upholding these values."

Strong bond between people and leadership shield UAE: Sheikh Mohammed His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has paid special tributes to the UAE martyrs on Commemoration Day, sharing sincere feelings of gratitude to their families who, he said, set a perfect example of giving and belonging to the homeland by sacrificing their sons for the highest good of all Emiratis. In a statement to the 'Nation Shield' magazine, Sheikh Mohammed said: "On behalf of all Emiratis, I salute all families who offered their sons to protect the national gains of our homeland and to keep our flag flying high at all times under all circumstances. It's your wisdom, fortitude and magnanimity that enabled our valiant armed forces to continue to be the protective shield of our homeland. "Our martyrs are the sons and grandsons of our nation's icon and the founder of our renaissance, the late Sheikh Zayed. They are the trustees of his vision, which states that the UAE army is our protective shield that preserves our national unity and accomplishments, and helps our brotherly Arab countries in case of need. "As we celebrate today the quintessential Emirati values of giving, loyalty and self-denial, we urge our families, schools, media and literati to continue to inculcate these noble values in our society and instil them in our younger generations, so they align themselves with the heroic deeds of our martyrs in word and deed. "This solemn occasion reminds us to continue to engrave the message of martyrdom in our mind, memory and heart. "Commemoration Day will forever remain as an indelible message that the sovereignty, security, stability and pride of the UAE, and the safety and well-being of Emiratis are a priority that is second to none. We will remain willing and ready to bear the costs of protecting our land, ensuring its independence, building our nation and maintaining our national gains, thereby keeping our country as a role model for development, prosperity, social welfare, and economic well-being. "The heroes of our armed forces, along with all security departments and institutions, and all the sons and daughters of the UAE, bear the costs of facing the dangers besetting our homeland and those surrounding our brotherly countries and Arab nations at large. While valiantly performing their noble tasks, our armed forces deliver a clear-cut message purporting that the UAE is a nation with innate immune defenses against any evil machinations and plots thanks to our cohesive social fabric and the strong bonds of solidarity between our people and leadership. "I pray to Allah Almighty to preserve our homeland and people, to sustain our security, stability and prosperity, and to reward our martyrs with His Paradise. I supplicate to Allah as well to guide us on His virtuous path and to strengthen us in the service of our religion, society and nation."

We will remain faithful to the principles for which they sacrificed lives: Sheikh Mohamed His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, said that the martyrs who sacrificed their souls in protection of the homeland shoulder all Emiratis with a solemn responsibility towards nation-building and keeping the national flag flying high at all fronts and under all circumstances. In a statement on the Commemoration Day to the 'Nation Shield' magazine, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said: "The essential message delivered by the Commemoration Day is for every Emirati to keep sacrificing for his/her homeland by continuing to be loyal to our deeply-rooted principles and values, the seeds of which were sown by the founding fathers of the UAE Federation. "Our martyrs embody the UAE's solid commitment toward our brotherly countries, their national defence and their right to stability, development and progress. They express in the truest sense of the word the UAE's principled stance, adopted since the era of the late Sheikh Zayed, in support of righteousness and justice. "While bearing witness to every achievement being now made in the UAE, we recall the noble sacrifices made by our martyrs who are all true partners in every accomplishment and step forward we are taking on the right path toward making our dreams come true. "Our martyrs will remain our source of pride at all times. Their heroic deeds go down in the annals of history as a source of inspiration for all sincere deeds made to ensure our country's glory, stability and progress toward a brighter future. "On the Commemoration Day, we spell out our wholehearted loyalty to our homeland and express our deepest gratitude to all those who sacrificed their soul in protection of their homeland and who we are sure will remain alive with their Lord and will have their reward. "On this glorious occasion, we stand in all solemnity in appreciation of our brave armed forces, who symbolise all sincere feelings of dedication and commitment to the nation's values and principles. They represent the school from which our martyrs learned the love of and sacrifices to the homeland under all circumstances. "On the Commemoration Day, we recall our Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who sowed the seeds of loyalty to the homeland. These seeds fructified into generations of heroes ready to sacrifice their very souls in defence of their homeland and in serving their national duty. "On this glorious day in the history of our nation, I urge our Emirati youth to learn by heart the narratives of our martyrs who represent a role model for fighting against oppression and defending their national soil. They sacrificed their souls in order for this nation to continue to live in peace and stability. Their sacrifices shoulder all Emiratis with a solemn responsibility toward their nation. Their heroic narratives and deeds are the best source from which we can continue to get inspired and learn that defending our homeland is a sacred duty that is second to none. Our martyrs represent nation's shield: Sheikh Humaid His Highness Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ajman, paid homage to the souls of Emirati martyrs on Commemoration Day. In his statement to the 'Nation Shield', Sheikh Humaid said: "Our country celebrates Commemoration Day on November 30 to remember the glories achieved by the pure souls who did not hesitate to meet their call of duty in defence of their religion, nation and humanity. "The UAE, upon the directives of the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has dedicated this day to glorify the names of its martyrs. "The UAE, under the leadership of Sheikh Khalifa; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, The Supreme Council Members, Their Highnesses Rulers of the Emirates, appreciates the sacrifices of its martyrs who represented the nation's shield and are now icons of will and persistence. "On Commemoration Day, the people rally around their leadership to reiterate their loyalty, vowing to continue the journey of righteousness and supporting legitimacy everywhere, and stressing that they will never forget their martyrs and their glorious memories. "The UAE has sent its soldiers to support ties of fraternity, responding to the Operation Decisive Storm, launched by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to support the brothers in Yemen and their legitimacy, and to achieve stability. As a result, the Riyadh Agreement was signed between the Yemeni Government and the Southern Transitional Council. "We praise the efforts of our leadership and its support to the families of the martyrs and laud the country's efforts to ease the families' burdens, in recognition of the sacrifices of their sons. "On this day, we are proud of the UAE Armed Forces and the Emiratis who join this great entity because they believe in the responsibility they shoulder for their country. Martyrs are role models of loyalty to homeland: Sheikh Hamad His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Fujairah, said that the Commemoration Day will remain a symbol of pride and glory, with the sacrifices by the martyrs being the cornerstone on which we will continue to achieve more accomplishments for our homeland." Sheikh Hamad said in his statement to the Nation Shield magazine: "With all pride and gratitude, we recall the acts of patriotism of the UAE Armed Forces men who sacrificed their souls for the sake of the homeland to. Our martyrs are role models for belonging and loyalty to the homeland. "While celebrating the nation's martyrs, we renew our commitment that we, in the UAE led by the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will spare no efforts to support our Arab brothers who've suffered from war and sabotage. We, the UAE leadership and people, will continue to stand by them by sustaining the late Sheikh Zayed's approach and principles aimed at supporting right issues and strengthening Arab bonds. "On this occasion, we extend greetings to the UAE Armed Forces members inside the country and abroad who are always proactive to protect stability and security of our country. They are our shield who keep our country unified and safe. "On the Commemoration Day, we pledge to protect our national gains and achievements made by our martyrs. We are committed to continue the journey of progress and giving to present an integrated cultural model to the whole world." Commemoration Day upholds values of sacrifice: Sheikh Saud His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Umm Al Quwain, said that the Commemoration Day upholds the values of sacrifice, redemption and love to the homeland, noting that the occasion is a tribute to all the country's heroes. Sheikh Saud said in his statement to the Nation Shield magazine that the occasion holds a significant meaning to the people of the UAE, as November 30 was the day when the first Emirati martyr Salem Suhail bin Khamis Al Dahmani lost his life while defending his country in 1971. Sheikh Saud noted that national cohesion represents the true meaning of unification and effective participation in building the nation, preserving its gains and strengthening its social fabric as well as the culture of loyalty instilled by the founding fathers. "It is a source of pride for us to witness the honouring of martyrs of the homeland in recognition and appreciation of their sacrifices and acts of patriotism, as they represent an immortal example of national unity and belonging." The Ruler of Umm Al Quwain added that the Commemoration Day is an opportunity to celebrate the sacrifices made by the martyrs to protect the glory, assets and gains of the country. Sheikh Saud concluded by saying that these sacrifices and noble values will remain instilled in the hearts of young people. "The UAE's martyrs will always be role models for the sons of the homeland who will continue to pursue the path of goodness and glory." Martyrs' sacrifices are beacons for a brighter future: Sheikh Saud His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, said the sacrifices made by the Emirati martyrs will remain indelible in the UAE's history as a source of inspiration for generations to come. Sheikh Saud, in a statement to the Nation Shield magazine, said: "The UAE takes pride in our heroes who responded to the call of duty and sacrificed their souls in protection of their nation's glory and in defence of its periphery and national gains. "The inspiring narratives of our martyrs on the battlefronts will remain beacons for a brighter future for the entire nation and its people. And on this memorable day in the country's history, we renew the commitment of the UAE, leadership and people, to continue to support the families of our martyrs, whose sacrifices will remain a model to be copied for all those seeking to ensure the security and dignity of the homeland. Thanks to our martyrs' heroic deeds, our national flag will continue to fly high on all fronts and our people will remain proud of their nation's accomplishments and glories. "On this glorious occasion, we reiterate our support for our soldiers on the front lines and re-assert that the UAE will continue to disseminate a message of peace, love, and tolerance to the entire world and reiterate that sacrifices for the homeland hold a sublime significance for upholding these values." Read the full article

[theasatrucommunity]

What are the old Norse/Germanic holidays and when do they fall???Btw beautiful blog.

Here is a simplified wheel of the year.

And here is some more in-depth information from The Asatru Alliance

SnowMoon/January

Snowmoon 3,

Charming of the Plow: This is the date of an agricultural ritual performed in Northern Europe from ancient times. Grains and cakes were offered for the soil’s fertility, and the Sky Father and Earth Mother were invoked to that end. Meditate upon your dependence on the soil, and crumble upon the earth a piece of bread as you call upon Odin, Frigga and the Land Spirits to heal the Earth and keep it from harm.

Snowmoon 9,

Day of Remembrance for Raud the Strong: Raud was a landowner in Norway who was put to death by (St.) Olaf Tryggvason for his loyalty to Asatru by having a snake forced down his throat. Rauds lands were then confiscated in the name of the king and his monks. Raise a horn in honor of Raud and all of his kinsmen who gave their lives, rather then submit to the enforced love of the kristjan empire.

Snowmoon 14,

Thorrablot: This holiday began the Old Norse month of Snorri. It is still observed in Iceland with parties and a mid-winter feast. It is of course sacred to Thorr and the ancient Icelandic Winter Spirit of Thorri. On this day we should perform blot to Thorr and invite the mighty Asaman to the feast.

Horning / February

Horning 2,

Barri: This is the day we celebrate the wooing by Ingvi Freyr of the maiden Gerd, a symbolic marriage of the Vanir God of Fertility with the Mother Earth. It is a festival of fertility, the planted seed and the plowed furrow. For those of you who garden, this is the time to plant seeds indoors, to later be transplanted in the summer garden.

Horning 9,

Day of Remembrance for Eyvind Kinnrifi: Olaf tortured him to death by placing a bowl of red-hot embers on his stomach until his body burst open. Eyvind’s crime was a steadfast loyalty to the Old Gods. A good day to reflect on kristjan kindness.

Horning 14,

Feast of Vali: This feast originally celebrated the death of Hothr at the hands of Vali. This late winter festival relates to the triumphant return of the light of the sun over the dark days of winter. Today it is traditional celebration of the family. A time for the customary exchange of cards and gifts with loved ones. It is also a time for the renewal of marriage vows and an occasion for marriages.

Lenting / March

Lenting 9,

Day of Remembrance for Oliver the Martyr: He was an adherent of Asatru who persisted in organizing underground sacrifices to the Gods and Goddesses despite decrees by St Olaf the Lawbreaker forbidding such activities. Betrayed by an informer, he was killed by Olaf’s men while preparing for the Spring sacrifice in the village of Maerin Norway. Many other men whose names are lost to us were also killed, mutilated, or exiled for taking part in such sacrifices.

Lenting 20,

High Feast of Ostara: This is the Spring Equinox. The end of Winter and the beginning of the season of rebirth. Today we honor Frigga, Freya and Nerthus with blot and feast. Pour a libation of mead onto the Earth; celebrate the rebirth of nature, Asatru, and the new hopes of our Folk.

Lenting 28,

Ragnar Lodbrok Day: Ragnar was one of the legends most famous Vikings. On this day in Runic Year 1145 he raided Paris. It just happened to be Easter Sunday. Today toast Ragnar and read from his Saga.

Ostara / April

Ostara 9,

Day of Remembrance for Jarl Hakon of Norway: As ruler of the western part of the realm, Hakon restored the worship of the Old Gods and cast out the alien religion. In the process, the common folk regained political liberties which were erased under the kristjan yoke, and the flame of our Troth burned brighter in an era of gathering gloom. It may be that Hakon’s defense of our ancestral ways helped encourage the survival of our traditions in Iceland, where they eventually became the seeds of modern day Asatru. On this day reflect on how the actions of the individual can impact world events and the future of Odinn’s Nation.

Ostara 15,

Sigrblot/Sumarsdag: Today we celebrate the first day of Summer in the Old Icelandic calendar. In Iceland it had strong agricultural overtones, but elsewhere in the Nordic world, it was a time to sacrifice to Odinn for victory in the summer voyages and battles.

Ostara 22,

Yggdrasil Day: On this day we realize the great significance that the World Tree plays in our culture, heritage, and native spirituality. It is from the World Tree that we came, and it shelters and nurtures the Asatru today, and will offer refuge to the Folk come Ragnarok. Trees are the lungs as well as the soul of Midgard. Plant a tree today, nurture it, and protect it. In this act the Folk must abide.

Ostara 30,

Walburg: this is better known as Walpurgisnacht or May Eve. Walberg is a goddess of our folk combining some of the traits of Her better-known peers. Reflect on this day on Freya, Hel, and Frigga as the repository of the glorious dead, and you will have an idea of Wulburg’s nature. On this day pour a horn of mead upon the earth in memory of our heroes.

Merrymoon / May

Merrymoon 1,

May Day: The first of May is a time of great celebration all across Europe, as the fields get greener and the flowers decorate the landscape with colorful confusion. Freya turns her kindly face to us after the night of Walburg. Celebrate the birth of Spring and the gifts of Freya on this day.

Merrymoon 9,

Day of Remembrance for Guthroth: One of the upland minor kings. Guthroth had to the audacity to make a speech opposing the policies of Olaf Tryggvason, who at the time was busy killing people who did not want to become kristjans. For exercising his Gods given rights to worship his tribal Gods, Guthroth was captured and his tongue was cut out. Use your tongue for the Gods today! Sing their praises and recite some heroic poetry, tell someone of the Gods glory, and call a kinsman to keep in touch.

Merrymoon 20,

Frigga Blot: Today we rejoice in the warmth and splendor of Spring. A traditional time for a Kindred campout, perform blot to honor the AllMother and thank Her for the health and vitality of the Family, Kindred and Tribe.

Midyear / June

Midyear 8,

Lindisfarne Day: On this day in the year 1043 Runic Era (793 CE) three Viking ships raided the Isle of Lindisfarne, officially opening what is the Viking Age. Toast these brave warriors who began the noble resistance of the alien invasion of the Northlands and sought rightful revenge for the slaughter of the Saxons by Charlamange.

Midyear 9,

Day of Remembrance for Sigurd the Volsung: He is the model Germanic hero. His wooing of the Valkyrie Brynhild, the winning of the treasure of the Nibelungs, and the constant theme of Odinic initiation that weaves itself throughout his story are priceless parts of our Asatru heritage, that provide endless material for contemplation and inspiration for action.

Midyear 21,

Midsummer: This is the longest day and the shortest night of the year: Now Sunna begins its ling decline, sliding into the darkness which will culminate six months from now at Yule. Identifying the sun with the brightness of Baldur, we celebrate in honor of both. Hold blot to Baldur and High Feast. This was the traditional time for holding the AlThing in ancient times.

Haymoon / July

Haymoon 4,

Founder’s Day: On this day we honor the unselfish personal sacrifice and unswerving dedication to our Folk exemplified by the founders of modern era Asatru, H. Rud Mills of Australia, Sveinbjorn Beinteinsson and Thorsteinn Guthjonson of Iceland. On this day reflect on just what YOU can do to promote the growth of our ancestral religion and protect our sacred heritage and traditions.

Haymoon 9,

Day of Remembrance for Unn the Deep Minded: Unn was a powerful figure from the Laxdaela Saga who emigrated to Scotland to avoid the hostility of King Harald Finehair. She established dynasties in the Orkney and Faroe Islands by carefully marrying off her grand daughters. As a settler in Iceland she continued to exhibit all those traits which were her hallmark-strong will, a determination to control, dignity, and a noble character. In the last days of her life, she established a mighty line choosing one of her grandsons as her heir. She died during his wedding celebration, presumable accomplishing her goals and worked out her orlog here in Midgard. She received a typical Nordic ship burial, surrounded by her treasure and her reputation for great deeds.

Haymoon 29,

Stikklestad Day: Olaf the Lawbreaker (“St. Olaf”) was killed at the battle of Stikklestad on this date in the year 1280 R.E. Olaf acquired a reputation for killing, maiming, and exiling his fellow Norwegians who would not convert to Christianity, and for carrying an army with him in violation of the law to help him accomplish his oppression. Today honor the Asatru martyrs who died rather then submit to gray slavery. Also honor the warriors who brought justice to the Lawbreaker.

Harvest / August

Harvest 1,

Freyfaxi: Freyfaxi marked the time of the harvest in ancient Iceland. Today the Asatru observe this date as a celebration of their harvest with blot to Freyr and a grand Feast from the gardens and the fields.

Harvest 9,

Day of Remembrance for Radbod: On this date we honor Radbod a king of Frisia what was an early target kristjan missionaries. Just before his baptism ceremony, he asked the clergy what fate his befallen ancestors who died loyal to Asatru. The missionaries replied that Radbod’s Heathen ancestors were burning in Hell-to which the king replied: “Then I will rather live there with my ancestors than go to heaven with a parcel of beggars.” The baptism was cancelled, the aliens expelled, and Frisia remained free. Drink a horn this day in memory of Radbod.

Shedding / September

Shedding 9,

Day of Remembrance for Herman of the Cherusci: Few mortals have privileged to serve our Folk as did Herman, a leader of the tribe called the Cherusci. We he defeated Varus’ three Roman Legions in 9 C.E. he blocked our amalgamation into the Mediterranean morass. Herman was very aware of his duties not only as a member of his tribe but also as an Asaman - indeed the two were probably inseparable with him. Shedding is the ideal time to give him praise, because the crucial battle for which he is remembered was fought during this month.

Shedding 23,

Winter Finding: The Fall Equinox; Summer and Winter balance for a moment and the cold, old man wins - for now. Brace yourself for longer nights and the onset, eventually, of the cold and darkness of Winter. Do blot to Odin for inspiration to get through your personal lean times, whenever they may strike. This is the traditional time for Fall Fest and the Second Harvest Feast.

Hunting / October

Hunting 8,

Day of Remembrance for Erik the Red: Praise the stalwart founder of Greenland, and father of Leif, the founder of Vinland. Erik remained loyal to Thor even when his wife left the Gods and refused to sleep with her Heathen husband. Pause in memory of Erik today; drink a toast to his honor. No doubt he gets enough warmth in Har’s Hall to make up for his wife’s coldness.

Hunting 9,

Day of Remembrance for Leif Erikson: this is a day that even the U.S. Government admits who should dedicate to the man who beat Columbus to the shores of Vinland by over 500 years. Don’t let it slide quietly - write your local newspapers and share the word of the Norse colonies with neighbors and friends.

Hunting 14,

Winter Nights/Vetrablot: In the Old Icelandic Calendar, winter begins on the Satyrday between Hunting 11th and 17th. Winter Nights celebrates the bounty of the harvest and honors Freya and the fertility and protective spirits called Disir, that She leads (often the Disir are seen as our female ancestors). Give glory to Freya and pour a libation of ale, milk, or mead into the soil an offering to the Disir and the Earth itself.

Fogmoon / November

Fogmoon 9,

Day of Remembrance for Queen Sigrith of Sweden: When Olaf the Lawbreaker had been king of Norway for three years, he asked Queen Sigrith of Sweden to marry him. She agreed, but when he insisted that she give up her ancestral Gods Sigrith replied, “I do not mean to abandon the faith I have led, and my kinsmen before me. Nor shall I object to your belief in the god you prefer.” As usual Heathen tolerance was met with kristjan imprecations and a blow to the face. The wedding was off - depriving Olaf of political power that could have sped the christianization of Scandinavia. As it were, history tells us that the Heathens held on for over 300 more years in the Northlands. Hail Sigrith, defender of Asatru, and women of stubborn virtue!

Fogmoon 11,

Feast of the Einherjar: The chosen heroes who sit in Odin’s Hall are the Einherjar. Today we honor those dead kin who gave their lives for Family and Folk. If you have friends or family who died in battle, visit their graves today, if that is not possible, drink a libation in their memory.

Fogmoon 23,

Feast of Ullr: The Feast of Ullr is to celebrate the Hunt and to gain personal luck needed for success. Weapons are dedicated on this day to Ullr, God of the Bow. If your hunting arms were blessed by the luck of the God of the Hunt, your family and tribe shared the bounty with a Blot and Feast to Ullr.

Yule / December

Yule 9,

Day of Remembrance for Egil Skallagrimsson: Odin was his God, and the blood of berserks and shape-shifters ran in his family. His lust for gold and for fames was insatiable. Yet the same man was passionately moved by the love of his friends and generously opened handed to those who found his favor. The same brain that seethed with war-fury also composed skaldic poetry capable of calming angry kings. Can it be by accident that Egil worshipped Odin, the great solver of paradoxes and riddles? Indeed all Asafolk - but especially those who follow the one-eyed God of battle and magic - can learn much from the life of this amazing man.

Yule 21,

Mother Night: As the night before the Winter Solstice, this is the time when the New Year is born. We honor the beginning of Sunnas return and the breaking of Winter’s spell. This is a time to honor Thor and Freyr, celebrate by Blot, Sumbel, and High Feast. Burn a Yule Log and jump the flames for luck and purification.

Yule 22,

High Feast of Yule - Beginning of Runic Year - Sacred to Thorr and Freyr

Yule 31,

Twelfth Night: This culminates the traditional twelve days of Yule. Each day of which is a month of the preceding year in miniature. Reflect on the past year. Take stock and lay a course for the future. Make New Years resolutions in the old way by swearing your oath on Freyr’s boar or on your Hammer.

[nordic-the-dm]

WBJ 8: Governance, Power, and Hierarchy

YOOOO GET READY FOR A LONG POST UNDER THE CUT

Two long posts in a row? I like these prompts a lot, but seriously, economy and governance are, like, the two subjects that can get really in depth, right? At least for me. Maybe I'm more into building economy and governance than my fellows? Blame it on my obsession with history and we'll get right to it.

The governmental and societal structure in the entirety of Rhuin is absolutely bonkers. Given the vast amounts of territories, huge wildernesses, and constant power struggles between the ruling class and the noble class and the various kingdoms, the system of government is as varied as the geography and despite being relatively stable, it is also a bit chaotic.

Agreste

There is no one king in Agreste. Instead, there sits a counsel of the races, one great leader from each race. These leaders are chosen through elections, rituals, and other such things as chosen by each race long ago when the Counsel was formed. In the interest of keeping the Counsel from becoming too engrossed in its own power, every 10 years, new leaders are chosen and the old leaders go back to their lives before the Counsel. There have not been many Counsel members to resist this form of government and attempt to hold onto their power. Those that have tried have been forcibly removed by either the other Counsel members or their own people, who believe that the Counsel represents the interests of each race better than a single ruler could. The Counsel is in charge of creating and enforcing the laws of Agreste and all guild regulations must go through them first. The army and enforcement agencies are run through them, as well as a vast network of diplomats, trade negotiators, and spies.

The members of the Counsel all live in the palace of Daenedurn, making yearly trips to the cities of power of each race to hear their peoples' thoughts with the idea that they will bring back news that will assist in law writing and rewriting. The more prestigious members of the agencies also reside within the palace walls so that they can conduct their business under the watchful eyes of the Counsel members. There is a separate Counsel of Magics that do not reside in the palace, instead making their residence in the Tower of Latartaruga. There are only three members of this Counsel, representing the three major magic disciplines: Wizard, Warlock, and Sorcerer. The Counsel of Magics is made up of the strongest member of each class. They are in place more to keep the magical users of the world in line with their own laws and codes of conduct and are much less race divided,

which is why they are a separate entity.

Nobility and title other than Counsel members are closely tied to wealth. Those who are wealthy are able to live in luxury and comfort while those who are not can't. There are no formal titles of nobility other than "noble" or the occasional small baron or independent king here and there, but their power stretches very shallowly.

The only exception to this is in the territory of Prah, where there is a ruling warlord and his nobles beneath him. The noble families each have their own forces that make up their armies. This structure is very similar to that of Eurus in that though the warlord claims absolute control, the nobles will fight with each other to expand their territories. They are obligated by their oaths of fealty to the warlord to set their differences aside when faced with a common purpose or enemy and in this, they function as a well oiled machine. The vast majority of the population is peasants, who work the fields of rice, bamboo, and wheat. The peasants of the Prah territory, unlike many other peasants, are not expected to partake in battles. They are tasked with keeping the soldiers in their houses if necessary and keeping them well fed and healthy.

Eurus

The High King resides in Casitur in the Black Castle, a cruel and mysterious place that is enshrouded in rumor. It sits in the near center of the city, looming over everyone and everything with the threat of punishment for any who dare think that he is anything but a good ruler. Any outright rebellions have been crushed by his forces and so now, the common folk simply try to keep their heads down and stay out of the way of the Black Guards and their fearsome ways. The High King traces his rule back to the fall of the Silver Queen at the hand of Ragoth the Red, the last dragon to have been seen on Eurus. To show his loyalty to even a dead dragon lord, the High King's crown depicts a circle of dragon heads and the Obsidian Dragon god Chemosh is heavily worshipped under the High King.

The rest of society falls to strictly feudal one of tiered hierarchy from Duke to Count to Marchioness to Baron to Merchant to Knight to Peasant to Slave in order of importance and land holdings. There is little social movement up or down the tiers. One is fixed at birth, unless by some miracle they are able to venture out and become a member of the army or the adventurers guild, which will raise one's status to some degree. Title can be taken by force as well.

Manaroa

There is no king of Manaroa, since there is little true unity under a single government, but there is a guru and wise man whose word is considered law should it come to it. He will travel from village to village and city to city, hearing the people's problems and advising their chiefs.

It is said that he is so in tune with the island that he can pass unharmed through the jungles and the swamps and even the mysterious volcano does not aim to do him harm, but no one can say with any certainty if that is true. Every Kahun'Aro takes an aprentice at the middle of his time to train in the ways of becoming the next Kahuna'Aro. There is no knowing who he will pick at his time, nor from what city or village, but it is a great honor for a family for a child to be chosen to follow in the Kahun'Aro's footsteps.

There is no true noble class on Manaroa. The plantation owners have some degree more of influence in local politics and money talks, but society as a whole is far less structured than that of the other Shards. Though there are rumors that she is dead, the dragon Vuduuth could be considered the highest member of society outside the Kahun'Aro

Selkhet

Selkhet has by far the most stable system in that is rests most of the power, both magically and governmental, in the Sun King. Other than the dragon they worship as a god, he is the ultimate power in the land. His word is law and those that do not obey are enslaved, imprisoned, or executed.

There is one king, followed by many nobles in Selkhet. The Sun King is the ultimate ruler of the entire land and is seen as divinely granted to the people. His palace is grand, sparkling white in the harsh sun and graced with decadence. The mantle of the Sun King is passed from generation to generation in a symbolic show of life and death of the great ruler and how his power flows from one king to the next in the natural order. Though he himself will move to the glorious afterlife in death, his power will be reborn in the next king. Expansive, long-lived dynasties stem from this practice, with each dynasty creating their own way of life for their people that the people must accept and move with. This change can be an emphasis on different gods, a relocation of the capital city, or even having to suddenly accept an entirely new view on magic. The current dynasty has been ruling for five centuries.

The Underdark

The Underdark thrives on power. The Drow have mastered power and dominance over the other races and creatures of the Underdark, blessed by Lolth and guided by her hand. Their society is very hierarchal, dominated by a household matriarch or two depending on the size of the city, and all other tiers under her. Households are made up of the matriarch, her immediate kin and children, their children, other weaker houses that submit to the dominance and protection of the powerful house, and slaves. This structure is true across the Shards, though slightly less so on Agreste, where the Drow do not have their own, exclusive, empire anymore.  

Their societies emphasize magical power and blood connections. The better one's blood, which is judged by wealth, magic, family, and accomplishments, the more power one holds in Drow society. Blood is also tied closely to the strength of the matriarch of the family. The powerful houses will do almost anything to continue to hold that title and dominance, dispatching lard forces of Elite Warriors, Mages, and Assassins to keep their rivals from rising too far. Each ruling household has at least one Priestess to Lolth, if not more, often the closest daughter of the matriarch or the matriarch herself.

[bluewatsons]

David Motadel, What Do the Hohenzollerns Deserve?, New York Review of Books (February 26, 2020)

In the early hours of November 10, 1918, Kaiser Wilhelm II, the last German emperor of the Hohenzollern dynasty, fled by train into exile in the Netherlands. The armistice ending World War I was signed the next day. Under the Weimar Constitution of 1919, Germany’s monarchy was abolished; its aristocracy lost its privileges but was allowed to keep much of its property. After World War II, however, the Soviet authorities expropriated the possessions of the former noble families—palaces, manor houses, lands—in their occupation zone of eastern Germany, which was soon to become the German Democratic Republic. Following German reunification in 1990, some of those families sought to reclaim what they had lost. A law passed in 1994 allowed for restitution or compensation claims, though only on condition that the claimants or their ancestors had not “given substantial support” to the National Socialist or East German Communist regimes.

The Hohenzollerns were among those who demanded compensation, as well as the return of tens of thousands of priceless artworks, antiquities, rare books, and furniture now in public museums, galleries, and palaces. Among their requests is the right to reside in one of the Potsdam palaces, preferably the grand 176-room Cecilienhof, which today is a museum. Despite years of negotiations between the German state and the family, their claims remain unresolved. Last summer, as more and more details about the negotiations in the case were leaked to the German press, a bitter public controversy erupted over Germany’s monarchical past. The critical question is whether the Hohenzollerns had “given substantial support” to the Nazi regime.

To be sure, the dynasty’s history is bleak, tainted by colonial massacres, most notably the Herero and Nama genocide in German Southwest Africa in 1904–1908, as well as by its aggressive warmongering in 1914. After World War I, Wilhelm II made no secret of his deep hatred for the Weimar Republic. In 1919, in a letter to one of his former generals, the exiled emperor, whose anti-Semitism grew more and more virulent during the interwar years, blamed the Jews above all for the fall of the monarchy:

The deepest, most disgusting shame ever perpetrated by a people in history, the Germans have done onto themselves. Egged on and misled by the tribe of Juda whom they hated, who were guests among them! That was their thanks! Let no German ever forget this, nor rest until these parasites have been destroyed and exterminated from German soil! This poisonous mushroom on the German oak-tree!

“Jews and mosquitoes,” he wrote in the summer of 1927, were “a nuisance that humanity must get rid of in some way or other,” adding: “I believe the best would be gas!” After the outbreak of World War II, he enthusiastically celebrated the Wehrmacht’s victories in Poland, Scandinavia, Belgium, Holland, and France. Yet during his years of exile the aging monarch, who died in 1941, shortly before Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union, had little influence on German politics.

More relevant to a resolution of the family’s claims are the actions of the emperor’s eldest son, the self-proclaimed “crown prince” Wilhelm, who was the most senior member of the dynasty in Germany in the 1920s and 1930s and the owner of the Hohenzollern properties at the time of the Soviet expropriation. The facts, known to historians for decades, seem clear: Wilhelm, who was determined to destroy the hated Weimar Republic, backed its right-wing enemies, believing that this would pave the way for the restoration of the monarchy. And he came out in support of Hitler early. In the second round of the presidential elections in the spring of 1932—after having abandoned the idea of running himself—he endorsed Hitler rather than his opponent, the elderly president and former imperial field marshal Paul von Hindenburg, thereby legitimizing the Nazi movement among conservative and royalist segments of German society. Hitler, reportedly “with a smile,” told the British Daily Express, “I value the ex–Crown Prince’s action highly. It was an absolutely spontaneous action on his part, and by it he has publicly placed himself in line with the main body of patriotic German nationalists.”

Wilhelm also helped the Nazis on other occasions. In 1932, for example, he tried to convince Defense Minister Wilhelm Groener to lift the ban on the Nazi paramilitary groups, the SA and SS. And after Hitler was appointed chancellor on January 30, 1933, Wilhelm wasted no time ingratiating himself with Germany’s new leader. In a stream of letters to Hitler, he professed his unconditional loyalty to the regime. In 1934, for the international press, he proudly posed in front of a mirror at Cecilienhof wearing a swastika armband. Most of the other Hohenzollerns, although far less prominent, behaved similarly. Wilhelm’s younger brother August Wilhelm (“Auwi”), a high-ranking SA leader, was a committed Nazi.

One of Wilhelm’s most important services to the regime was his participation in the Day of Potsdam on March 21, 1933, a spectacle staged by the Nazis to present themselves as the heirs to a glorious Prussian past. Representing the Hohenzollern dynasty, Wilhelm, along with three of his brothers, took part in the carefully choreographed proceedings at Potsdam’s Garrison Church. The highlight of the event was a handshake between President von Hindenburg and Hitler. The Day of Potsdam symbolized the pact between the Nazi movement and the old elites, reassuring the sizable conservative parts of the population. It was the regime’s first major propaganda triumph, and it was enabled by the former royal family and its aristocratic allies.

The Hohenzollerns were by no means unrepresentative. Crucial to Hitler’s ascent to power was a coalition between the Nazis and Germany’s old conservative elites, who hoped they could use and control him for their own ends. It was they who arranged Hitler’s appointment as Reich chancellor, plotted in the backrooms of gentlemen’s clubs, in officers’ messes, and at dinners and shooting parties on grand estates. The German historian Karl Dietrich Bracher demonstrated as early as 1955, in his Die Auflösung der Weimarer Republik, that it was their actions that destroyed Weimar democracy, not an inevitable political crisis. “What is more disturbing to our peace of mind,” Hannah Arendt noted around the same time in The Origins of Totalitarianism, “is the unquestionable attraction these movements exert on the elite, and not only on the mob elements in society.” Hitler’s regime was supported by a broad spectrum of right-wing groups, including the royalist right, that were united in their hatred of liberal democracy, communism, and Jews.

The Nazis were initially eager to get backing from the monarchists. It was only after their consolidation of power that they lost interest in the former royal family. When monarchical organizations were banned in 1934, Wilhelm was forced to realize that Hitler would not help him gain more political influence. Nevertheless, the “crown prince” continued to endorse the regime’s policies. During the war, he sent telegrams to Hitler, addressed as “mein Führer,” to congratulate him on his military victories. Given this historical record, it would seem rather difficult to claim that Wilhelm did not lend the Nazis “significant support.”

Yet the current head of the Hohenzollern family, the forty-three-year-old Georg Friedrich Prinz von Preußen, the great-great-grandson of Wilhelm II, does not seem too concerned about his family’s dark past. To support his claims, he engaged Christopher Clark, Regius Professor of History at the University of Cambridge, to write an expert report on the family’s relationship with the Nazis. Clark is the author of the best-selling Kaiser Wilhelm II (2000), which depicted the emperor more sympathetically than most other major academic biographies; Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia, 1600–1947 (2006), which broke with the long-prevailing negative view of Prussia as autocratic and militaristic; and The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914 (2012), which challenged the view that Germany bore the primary responsibility for the outbreak of World War I. The books have made him a hero to the German conservative right.

In his nineteen-page report, which he wrote in 2011, Clark acknowledges that “Crown Prince” Wilhelm, “a man on the right fringes of the political spectrum,” showed support for Hitler on many occasions, and lists several examples, including his endorsement of Hitler in the 1932 election and his lobbying on behalf of the SA and SS. Yet he comes to the remarkable conclusion that Wilhelm was “one of the politically most reserved and least compromised persons” among the aristocratic Nazi collaborators. Overall, Clark contends that Wilhelm mainly acted out of personal interest, that his maneuvers to help the Nazis were largely unsuccessful, and that he was simply too marginal a figure to have been able to give “significant support” to Hitler. His report provides a clear endorsement of the Hohenzollern claims.

In the meantime, the German state also commissioned two historians to write expert reports: Peter Brandt, a specialist in Prussia and imperial Germany at the University of Hagen (and the son of Germany’s former chancellor Willy Brandt), and Stephan Malinowski, a German historian at the University of Edinburgh, who is the author of the standard work on the relationship between the German aristocracy and the Nazi movement, Vom König zum Führer (2003). Their long and detailed reports provide many more examples of “Crown Prince” Wilhelm’s support of the Nazis. Particularly fascinating are the passages on his radical ideological affinities. In the 1920s, Wilhelm was full of praise for Mussolini, writing in 1928 to his father from Rome that Fascism was “a fabulous institution”: “Socialism, Communism, Democracy and Freemasonry are eradicated, root and branch (!); a brilliant brutality has accomplished this.” Unsurprisingly, Wilhelm was particularly excited by the coexistence of monarchy and nationalist dictatorship in Fascist Italy.

The two reports also leave no doubt about the prince’s deep-seated anti-Semitism. Writing to an American friend in the spring of 1933, he justified the Nazi regime’s anti-Jewish policies, explaining that the German people had built up an “enormous anger” since the 1918 revolution, which, he alleged, had allowed the Jews to take over ministries, hospitals, courts, and universities. It was only now, as “our national circles have gained victory and seized power,” led by “the brilliant Führer Adolf Hitler,” that an “extraordinary reaction” had followed. It was inevitable that “certain cleanup efforts” would have to be made.

Brandt and Malinowski offer overwhelming evidence of Wilhelm’s pro-Nazi activities before and after 1933. They make clear that he was one of the most prominent members of the old imperial elite who put his resources in the service of National Socialism and helped make Hitler respectable among the conservative parts of the population. He welcomed the establishment of the dictatorship and defended its repressions in interviews, conversations, and letters. Both historians also emphasize that Wilhelm was anything but a marginal figure: monarchists had influence on wide segments of society, so his endorsements of the Nazi movement had considerable political impact. Malinowski concludes that there can be no doubt about Wilhelm’s support for the “creation and consolidation of the Nazi regime,” while Brandt summarizes that the prince “contributed steadily and to a considerable extent” to the rise of Hitler. The facts presented in the two reports make Clark’s argument that the “crown prince” was a marginal political figure difficult to sustain.

The Hohenzollerns, however, not prepared to give up, commissioned a fourth historian to provide an opinion: Wolfram Pyta, an eminent scholar at the University of Stuttgart, who has studied the final years of the Weimar Republic and has written a well-received biography of Hindenburg. Pyta’s report argues that Wilhelm did indeed wield significant influence but—and this is the twist—that he tried everything in his power to cleverly sabotage the Nazis and to support the traditional nationalist right. To prove this point, Pyta offers an impressively original (though not very convincing) reinterpretation of historical events: Wilhelm’s plan to run for president in 1932, he claims, was an attempt to stop Hitler. He thereby ignores Wilhelm’s intention to ally with the Nazis and offer Hitler the chancellorship if he were elected president, and that he only abandoned the plan after Hitler gave him the cold shoulder.

Wilhelm’s subsequent endorsement of Hitler’s candidacy is seen by Pyta as a shrewd maneuver to undermine the Nazis, since the “crown prince” believed that, given his own unpopularity among the working class, his public support for the Nazi Party would cost Hitler votes. This claim is both outlandish and entirely unfounded. In a similar way, Pyta explains Wilhelm’s lobbying for the lifting of the ban on the SA and SS as another cunning ploy to harm Hitler, because the reintroduction of the paramilitaries would have bankrupted the party. This, too, seems far-fetched. In fact, when the ban was eventually lifted, there were no major negative financial repercussions. The SA had its own fund-raising activites, including selling uniforms and its own brand of cigarettes; in addition, SA members had to join the Nazi Party, which benefited from collecting their membership fees.

Finally, Pyta claims that Wilhelm was crucially involved in a plan orchestrated by Chancellor Kurt von Schleicher to split the Nazi movement. Indeed, in the winter of 1932–1933, Schleicher unsuccessfully tried to forge an alliance with the wing of the Nazi Party led by Gregor Strasser to form a right-wing government without Hitler. The plan is well known, yet historical studies of the subject say nothing about Wilhelm’s alleged involvement in it, and Pyta presents no solid sources to substantiate his claim. Besides, the consequence of Schleicher’s scheme would still have been the abolition of the Weimar democracy.

Pyta’s conclusion is clear: “Crown Prince Wilhelm did not support the Nazi system.” Assessing his report in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Ulrich Herbert, one of Germany’s leading scholars of Nazi Germany, wrote that the “almost desperate attempt” to portray Wilhelm as a figure who tried to block Hitler was “if anything bizarre rather than convincing.” The distinguished historian Heinrich August Winkler dismissed it in an interview with Die Zeit as a “pure apologia” reminiscent of the reactionary scholarship of the 1950s that tried to exculpate conservatives who helped Hitler to power in 1933. He also sharply criticized Clark’s claim that Wilhelm was one of the politically least compromised of the Nazis’ aristocratic helpers as “contradicted by all historical findings.”

More and more details about the Hohenzollern claims—and the expert reports themselves—have become public in recent months, and the controversy in the German press has grown more and more heated, involving almost every notable historian of modern Germany. Most agree with the reports of Malinowski and Brandt. Norbert Frei, another major expert on Nazi Germany, in an article in the Süddeutsche Zeitung, accused the Hohenzollern family of “a brute reinterpretation of history” that “distorts historical facts, blurs responsibilities, and destroys critical historical awareness.” In the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Richard J. Evans, Regius Professor of History Emeritus at Cambridge, criticized his colleagues for not reflecting more carefully before accepting offers to produce expert reports.

There seem to be few serious supporters of the Hohenzollern claims. One of them is Benjamin Hasselhorn, a theologian and historian from Würzburg, who in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung denounced the 1994 law for making “potential property claims dependent on the political views and actions of the ancestors.” (He also wrote that the anti-Semitic statements of Wilhelm II, which he trivialized as “private comments,” had to be contextualized properly.) In the same newspaper, Hans-Christof Kraus, a historian at the University of Passau, repeated Clark’s thesis about Wilhelm’s political insignificance, claiming that after 1918 the Hohenzollerns’ reputation was in tatters.

As the public debate gained momentum last fall, Clark tried to qualify his conclusion in an interview with Der Spiegel: “I stand by what I wrote at the time. But in view of the course that the case has taken, it seems to be more important today to ask about the crown prince’s willingness to collaborate than about his actual influence on events.” He claimed that rather than assessing whether Wilhelm had supported the Nazis, he had assessed whether his support had been of any use to them. At the same time, he doubled down on his insistence that it had not:

The crown prince suffered from overconfidence bordering on the delusional. If one were to list Hitler’s most important supporters, he would not be among the first 300…. Many celebrities crowded around the Nazi leaders, including industrialists, bankers, church leaders and military leaders. Were the photographs featuring the crown prince more important to the regime than others? I doubt that.

It is uncontested that others in the establishment were equally or more implicated—but this does not lessen the significance of the prince’s support.

Anxious to control the public discussion of the case, the Hohenzollerns’ lawyer, Markus Hennig, has issued lawsuits against some of the major German newspapers that have reported on it, including the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Der Spiegel, and Die Zeit. The family has also started an aggressive legal battle against historians who contested their version of history. The first was Malinowski, not because of his expert report but because he made public statements on various details connected with it, such as public access to the family archive and the question of whether the Hohenzollerns intended to manipulate their representation in a planned museum. Other historians facing legal action for expressing opinions on the debate include the Potsdam professors Martin Sabrow and Winfried Süß and the Princeton scholar Karina Urbach. In a recent open letter to Georg Friedrich Prinz von Preußen, Sabrow, the director of the Center for Contemporary History in Potsdam, warned that these actions posed a real “threat to freedom of scholarship.”

Many Germans are bewildered by their former royal family’s demands. “This country does not owe a single coffee cup to the next-born of a luckily long-vanquished undemocratic regime, let alone art treasures or real estate,” wrote Stefan Kuzmany, a columnist for Der Spiegel. “Even the request is an insult to the Republic.” The Hohenzollern wealth, he argued, was the product of historical injustice: “The aristocracy in general, [and] the Hohenzollerns in particular, have always been a plague on the country and the people. Like all so-called noblemen, they have snatched their fortune through the oppression of the population.” As Clark noted in his interview, “There seems to be a strong animus against the nobility within parts of the German public.”

Behind the controversy is the broader question of Germany’s monarchical legacy. After German reunification in 1990, the country’s political identity was renegotiated. Communist East Germany was in ruins, its socialist story shattered. But West Germany’s political narratives also seemed out of date. In this vacuum, older conservative versions of German nationhood began to reemerge. The reunited republic experienced a new nostalgia for the country’s royal past and a neo-Prussian revival. This resulted, for example, in major reconstruction projects, most notably (and controversially) the rebuilding of the Berlin Palace in the capital, the Potsdam City Palace, and the Garrison Church. In a grand ceremony, the remains of Friedrich the Great and his father, the “soldier king” Friedrich Wilhelm I, were solemnly transferred from Hohenzollern Castle in Baden-Württemberg to Potsdam. Books glorifying Prussia suddenly found a wide audience.

All this expressed a longing for a proud German past, no matter how imaginary, and a desire to reorient the republic’s official culture of memory away from the twelve years of Nazi barbarism. Some have observed these developments with concern, fearing the emergence of a new nationalism. As early as 1995, Jürgen Habermas, in his essay “1989 in the Shadow of 1945: On the Normality of a Future Berlin Republic,” powerfully warned that a new emphasis on more positive periods of German history—new “historical punctuations,” as he put it—would diminish the importance of the collapse of civilization in 1933–1945.

The German government had planned to settle the Hohenzollerns’ case through mediation behind closed doors. Unmoved by the heated public debate of the past months, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democratic Union—in contrast to its more reluctant Social Democratic coalition partner—seems determined to pursue a conciliatory course toward the former royal family. This became clear during a debate in the German parliament about the case earlier this year, when her party found itself agreeing with the far-right Alternative für Deutschland in supporting mediation. At the official hearing in the parliament’s cultural committee a few days later, on January 29, 2020, positions seemed to have further hardened. Whereas the Social Democrats, Greens, and Left Party called the Potsdam historian Stefanie Middendorf, Brandt, and Malinowski as historical expert witnesses, all of whom underlined once more the Hohenzollern family’s troubling historical record, the conservatives brought in Hasselhorn, who skillfully, though misleadingly, claimed that the case was highly contested among historians and that there was a lack of historical research on “Crown Prince” Wilhelm. It seems that Merkel’s party feels it would lose even more credibility if it were to change its course of the last decade. Another concern is that negotiations might lead to a better deal for the state than an unpredictable and protracted court case. Still, there is a chance that a German court will ultimately have to decide.

Postwar Germany, where the tragedies of the past are omnipresent, has experienced a series of major public historical controversies, among them the debate over Fritz Fischer’s claims in the 1960s that Germany was mainly responsible for the outbreak of World War I, the so-called Historikerstreit in the 1980s about whether the Nazis’ crimes were different in nature from those of the Soviet Union, and the argument in the 1990s over Daniel Jonah Goldhagen’s book about the responsibility of ordinary Germans for the Holocaust. These public renegotiations of the past tell us as much about contemporary German society as about history. The Hohenzollern controversy is not only about the long shadows cast by the Nazi period, but also about the place of the monarchical heritage in today’s democratic Germany.

[ciathyzareposts]

Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers

Fair warning: spoilers for Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers are to be found herein!

In 1989, a twenty-something professional computer programmer and frustrated horror novelist named Jane Jensen had a close encounter with King’s Quest IV that changed her life. She was so inspired by the experience of playing her first adventure game that she decided to apply for a job with Sierra Online, the company that had made it. In fact, she badgered them relentlessly until they finally hired her as a jack-of-all-trades writer in 1990.

Two and a half years later, after working her way up from writing manuals and incidental in-game dialog to co-designing the first EcoQuest game with Gano Haine and the sixth King’s Quest game with Roberta Williams, she had proved herself sufficiently in the eyes of her managers to be given a glorious opportunity: the chance to make her very own game on her own terms. It really was a once-in-a-lifetime proposition; she was to be given carte blanche by the biggest adventure developer in the industry at the height of the genre’s popularity to make exactly the game she wanted to make. Small wonder that she would so often look back upon it wistfully in later years, after the glory days of adventures games had become a distant memory.

For her big chance, Jensen proposed making a Gothic horror game unlike anything Sierra had attempted before, with a brooding and psychologically complex hero, a detailed real-world setting, and a complicated plot dripping with the lore of the occult. Interestingly, Jensen remembers her superiors being less than thrilled with the new direction. She says that Ken Williams in particular was highly skeptical of the project’s commercial viability: “Okay, I’ll let you do it, but I wish you’d come up with something happier!”

But even if Jensen’s recollections are correct, we can safely say that Sierra’s opinion changed over the year it took to make Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers. By the time it shipped on November 24, 1993, it fit in very well with a new direction being trumpeted by Ken Williams in his editorials for the company’s newsletter: a concerted focus on more “adult,” sophisticated fictions, as exemplified not only by Sins of the Fathers but by a “gritty” new Police Quest game and another, more lurid horror game which Roberta Williams had in the works. Although the older, more lighthearted and ramshackle [this, that, and the other] Quest series which had made Sierra’s name in adventure games would continue to appear for a while longer, Williams clearly saw these newer concepts as the key to a mass market he was desperately trying to unlock. Games like these were, theoretically anyway, able to appeal to demographics outside the industry’s traditional customers — to appeal to the sort of people who had hitherto preferred an evening in front of a television to one spent in front of a monitor.

Thus Sierra put a lot of resources into Sins of the Fathers‘s presentation and promotion. For example, the box became one of the last standout packages in an industry moving inexorably toward standardization on that front; in lieu of anything so dull as a rectangle, it took the shape of two mismatched but somehow conjoined triangles. Sierra even went so far as to hire Tim Curry of Rocky Horror Picture Show fame, Mark Hamill of Star Wars, and Michael Dorn of Star Trek: The Next Generation for the CD-ROM version’s voice-acting cast.

Jane Jensen with the first Gabriel Knight project’s producer and soundtrack composer Bob Holmes, who would later become her husband, and the actor Tim Curry, who provided the voice of Gabriel using a thick faux-New Orleans accent which some players judge hammy, others charming.

In the long run, the much-discussed union of Silicon Valley and Hollywood that led studios like Sierra to cast such high-profile names at considerable expense would never come to pass. In the meantime, though, the game arrived at a more modestly propitious cultural moment. Anne Rice’s Gothic vampire novels, whose tonal similarities to Sins of the Fathers were hard to miss even before Jensen began to cite them as an inspiration in interviews, were all over the bestseller lists, and Tom Cruise was soon to star in a major motion picture drawn from the first of them. Even in the broader world of games around Sierra, the influence of Rice and Gothic horror more generally was starting to make itself felt. On the tabletop, White Wolf’s Vampire: The Masquerade was exploding in popularity just as Dungeons & Dragons was falling on comparatively hard times; the early 1990s would go down in tabletop history as the only time when a rival system seriously challenged Dungeons & Dragons‘s absolute supremacy. And then there was the world of music, where dark and slinky albums from bands like the Cure and Massive Attack were selling in the millions.

Suffice to say, then, that “goth” culture in general was having a moment, and Sins of the Fathers was perfectly poised to capitalize on it. The times were certainly a far cry from just half a decade before, when Amy Briggs had proposed an Anne Rice-like horror game to her bosses at Infocom, only to be greeted with complete incomprehension.

Catching the zeitgeist paid off: Sins of the Fathers proved, if not quite the bridge to the Hollywood mainstream Ken Williams might have been longing for, one of Sierra’s most popular adventures games of its time. An unusual number of its fans were female, a demographic oddity it had in common with all of the other Gothic pop culture I’ve just mentioned. These female fans in particular seemed to get something from the game’s brooding bad-boy hero that they perhaps hadn’t realized they’d been missing. While games that used sex as a selling point were hardly unheard of in 1993, Sins of the Fathers stood out in a sea of Leisure Suit Larry and Spellcasting games for its orientation toward the female rather than the male gaze. In this respect as well, its arrival was perfectly timed, coming just as relatively more women and girls were beginning to use computers, thanks to the hype over multimedia computing that was fueling a boom in their sales.

But there was more to Sins of the Father‘s success than its arrival at an opportune moment. On the contrary: the game’s popularity has proved remarkably enduring over the decades since its release. It spawned two sequels later in the 1990s that are almost as adored as the first game, and still places regularly at or near the top of lists of “best adventure games of all time.” Then, too, it’s received an unusual amount of academic attention for a point-and-click graphic adventure in the traditional style (a genre which, lacking both the literary bona fides of textual interactive fiction and the innate ludological interest of more process-intensive genres, normally tends to get short shrift in such circles). You don’t have to search long in the academic literature to find painfully earnest grad-student essays contrasting the “numinous woman” Roberta Williams with the “millennium woman” Jane Jensen, or “exploring Gabriel as a particular instance of the Hero archetype.”

So, as a hit in its day and a hit still today with both the fans and the academics, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers must be a pretty amazing game, right? Well… sure, in the eyes of some. For my own part, I see a lot of incongruities, not only in the game itself but in the ways it’s been received over the years. It strikes me as having been given the benefit of an awful lot of doubts, perhaps simply because there have been so very few games like it. Sins of the Fathers unquestionably represents a noble effort to stretch its medium. But is it truly a great game? And does its story really, as Sierra’s breathless press release put it back in the day, “rival the best film scripts?” Those are more complicated questions.

But before I begin to address them, we should have a look at what the game is all about, for those of you who haven’t yet had the pleasure of Gabriel Knights’s acquaintance.

Our titular hero, then, is a love-em-and-leave-em bachelor who looks a bit like James Dean and comes complete with a motorcycle, a leather jacket, and the requisite sensitive side concealed underneath his rough exterior. He lives in the backroom of the bookshop he owns in New Orleans, from which he churns out pulpy horror novels to supplement his paltry income. Grace Nakamura, a pert university student on her summer holidays, works at the bookshop as well, and also serves as Gabriel’s research assistant and verbal sparring partner, a role which comes complete with oodles of sexual tension.

Gabriel’s bedroom. What woman wouldn’t be excited to be brought back here?

Over the course of the game, Gabriel stumbles unto a centuries-old voodoo cult which has a special motivation to make him their latest human sacrifice. While he’s at it, he also falls into bed with the comely Malia, the somewhat reluctant leader of the cult. He learns amidst it all that not just voodoo spirits but many other things that go bump in the night — werewolves, vampires, etc. — are in fact real. And he learns that he’s inherited the mantle of Schattenjäger — “Shadow Hunter” — from his forefathers, and that his family’s legacy as battlers of evil stretches back to Medieval Germany. (The symbolism of his name is, as Jensen herself admits, not terribly subtle: “Gabriel” was the angel who battled Lucifer in Paradise Lost, while “Knight” means that he’s, well, a knight, at least in the metaphorical sense.) After ten days jam-packed with activity, which take him not only all around New Orleans but to Germany and Benin as well — Sins of the Fathers is a very generous game indeed in terms of length — Gabriel must choose between his love for Malia and his new role of Schattenjäger. Grace is around throughout: to serve as the good-girl contrast to the sultry Malia (again, the symbolism of her name isn’t subtle), to provide banter and research, and to pull Gabriel’s ass bodily out of the fire at least once. If Gabriel makes the right choice at the end of the game, the two forge a tentative partnership to continue the struggle against darkness even as they also continue to deny their true feelings for one another.

As we delve into what the game does well and poorly amidst all this, it strikes me as useful to break the whole edifice down along the classic divide of its interactivity versus its fiction. (If you’re feeling academic, you can refer to this dichotomy as its ludological versus its narratological components; if you’re feeling folksy, you can call it its crossword versus its narrative.) Even many of the game’s biggest fans will admit that the first item in the pairing has its problematic aspects. So, perhaps we should start there rather than diving straight into some really controversial areas. That said, be warned that the two things are hard to entirely separate from one another; Sins of the Fathers works best when the two are in harmony, while many of its problems come to the fore when the two begin to clash.

Let’s begin, though, with the things Sins of the Fathers gets right in terms of design. While I don’t know that it is, strictly speaking, impossible to lock yourself out of victory while still being able to play on, you certainly would have to be either quite negligent or quite determined to manage it at any stage before the endgame. This alone shows welcome progress for Sierra — shows that the design revolution wrought by LucasArts’s The Secret of Monkey Island was finally penetrating even this most stalwart redoubt of the old, bad way of making adventure games.

Snarking aside, we shouldn’t dismiss Jensen’s achievement here; it’s not easy to make such an intricately plot-driven game so forgiving. The best weapon in her arsenal is the use of an event-driven rather than a clock-driven timetable for advancing the plot. Each of the ten days has a set of tasks you must accomplish before the day ends, although you aren’t explicitly told what they are. You have an infinite amount of clock time to accomplish these things at your own pace. When you eventually do so — and even sometimes when you accomplish intermediate things inside each day — the plot machinery lurches forward another step or two via an expository cut scene and the interactive world around you changes to reflect it. Sins of the Fathers was by no means the first game to employ such a system; as far as I know, that honor should go to Infocom’s 1986 text adventure Ballyhoo. Yet this game uses it to better effect than just about any game that came before it. In fact, the game as a whole is really made tenable only by this technique of making the plot respond to the player’s actions rather than forcing the player to race along at the plot’s pace; the latter would be an unimaginable nightmare to grapple with in a story with this many moving parts. When it works well, which is a fair amount of the time, the plot progression feels natural and organic, like you truly are in the grip of a naturally unfolding story.

The individual puzzles that live within this framework work best when they’re in harmony with the plot and free of typical adventure-game goofiness. A good example is the multi-layered puzzle involving the Haitian rada drummers whom you keep seeing around New Orleans. Eventually, a victim of the voodoo cult tells you just before he breathes his last that the drummers are the cult’s means of communicating with one another across the city. So, you ask Grace to research the topic of rada drums. Next day, she produces a book on the subject filled with sequences encoding various words and phrases. When you “use” this book on one of the drummers, it brings up a sort of worksheet which you can use to figure out what he’s transmitting. Get it right, and you learn that a conclave is to be held that very night in a swamp outside the city.

Working out a rada-drum message.

This is an ideal puzzle: complicated but not insurmountable, immensely satisfying to solve. Best of all, solving it really does make you feel like Gabriel Knight, on the trail of a mystery which you must unravel using your own wits and whatever information you can dig up from the resources at your disposal.

Unfortunately, not all or even most of the puzzles live up to that standard. A handful are simply bad puzzles, full stop, testimonies both to the fact that every puzzle is always harder than its designer thinks it is and to Sierra’s disinterest in seeking substantive feedback on its games from actual players before releasing them. For instance, there’s the clock/lock that expects you to intuit the correct combination of rotating face and hands from a few scattered, tangential references elsewhere in the game to the number three and to dragons.

Even the rather brilliant rada-drums bit goes badly off the rails at the end of the game, when you’re suddenly expected to use a handy set of the drums to send a message of your own. This requires that you first read Jane Jensen’s mind to figure out what general message out of the dozens of possibilities she wants you to send, then read her mind again to figure out the exact grammar she wants you to use. When you get it wrong, as you inevitably will many times, the game gives you no feedback whatsoever. Are you doing the wrong thing entirely? Do you have the right idea but are sending the wrong message? Or do you just need to change up your grammar a bit? The game isn’t telling; it’s too busy killing you on every third failed attempt.

Other annoyances are the product not so much of poor puzzle as poor interface design. In contrast to contemporaneous efforts from competitors like LucasArts and Legend Entertainment, Sierra games made during this period still don’t show hot spots ripe for interaction when you mouse over a scene. So, you’re forced to click on everything indiscriminately, which most of the time leads only to the narrator intoning the same general room description over and over in her languid Caribbean patois. The scenes themselves are well-drawn, but their muted colors, combined with their relatively low resolution and the lack of a hot-spot finder, constitute something of a perfect storm for that greatest bane of the graphic adventure, the pixel hunt. One particularly egregious example of the syndrome, a snake scale you need to find at a crime scene on a beach next to Lake Pontchartrain, has become notorious as an impediment that stops absolutely every player in her tracks. It reveals the dark flip side of the game’s approach to plot chronology: that sinking feeling when the day just won’t end and you don’t know why. In this case, it’s because you missed a handful of slightly discolored pixels surrounded by a mass of similar hues — or, even if you did notice them, because you failed to click on them exactly.

You have to click right where the cursor is to learn from the narrator that “the grass has a matted appearance there.” Break out the magnifying glass!

But failings like these aren’t ultimately the most interesting to talk about, just because they were so typical and so correctable, had Sierra just instituted a set of commonsense practices that would have allowed them to make better games. Much more interesting are the places that the interactivity of Sins of the Fathers clashes jarringly with the premise of its fiction. For it’s here, we might speculate, that the game is running into more intractable problems — perhaps even running headlong into the formal limitation of the traditional graphic adventure as a storytelling medium.

Take, for example, the point early in the game when Gabriel wants to pay a visit to Malia at her palatial mansion, but, as a mere civilian, can’t get past the butler. Luckily, he happens to have a pal at the police department — in fact, his best friend in the whole world, an old college buddy named Mosley. Does he explain his dilemma to Mosley and ask for help? Of course not! This is, after all, an adventure game. He decides instead to steal Mosley’s badge. When he pays the poor fellow a visit at his office, he sees that Mosley’s badge is pinned, as usual, to his jacket. So, Gabriel sneaks over to turn up the thermostat in the office, which causes Mosley to remove the jacket and hang it over the back of his chair. Then Gabriel asks him to fetch a cup of coffee, and completes the theft while he’s out of the room. With friends like that…

Gabriel is turned away from Malia’s door…

…but no worries, he can just figure out how to steal a badge from his best friend and get inside that way.

In strictly mechanical terms, this is actually a clever puzzle, but it illustrates the tonal and thematic inconsistencies that dog the game as a whole. Sadly, puzzles like the one involving the rada drums are the exception rather than the rule. Most of the time, you’re dealing instead with arbitrary roadblocks like this one that have nothing whatsoever to do with the mystery you’re trying to solve. It becomes painfully obvious that Jensen wrote out a static story outline suitable for a movie or novel, then went back to devise the disconnected puzzles that would make a game out of it.

But puzzles like this are not only irrelevant: they’re deeply, comprehensively silly, and this silliness flies in the face of Sins of the Fathers‘s billing as a more serious, character-driven sort of experience than anything Sierra had done to date. Really, how can anyone take a character who goes around doing stuff like this seriously? You can do so, I would submit, only by mentally bifurcating the Gabriel you control in the interactive sequences from the Gabriel of the cut scenes and conversations. That may work for some — it must, given the love that’s lavished on this game by so many adventure fans — but the end result nevertheless remains creatively compromised, two halves of a work of art actively pulling against one another.

Gabriel sneaks into the backroom of a church and starts stealing from the priests. That’s normal behavior for any moodily romantic protagonist, right? Right?

It’s at points of tension like these that Sins of the Fathers raises the most interesting and perhaps troubling questions about the graphic adventure as a genre. Many of its puzzles are, as I already noted, not bad puzzles in themselves; they’re only problematic when placed in this fictional context. If Sins of the Fathers was a comedy, they’d be a perfectly natural fit. This is what I mean when I say, as I have repeatedly in the past, that comedy exerts a strong centrifugal pull on any traditional puzzle-solving adventure game. And this is why most of Sierra’s games prior to Sins of the Fathers were more or less interactive cartoons, why LucasArts strayed afield from that comfortable approach even less often than Sierra, and, indeed, why comedies have been so dominant in the annals of adventure games in general.

The question must be, then, whether the pull of comedy can be resisted — whether compromised hybrids like this one are the necessary end result of trying to make a serious graphic adventure. In short, is the path of least resistance the only viable path for an adventure designer?

For my part, I believe the genre’s tendency to collapse into comedy can be resisted, if the designer is both knowing and careful. The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes, released the year before Sins of the Fathers, is a less heralded game than the one I write about today, but one which works better as a whole in my opinion, largely because it sticks to its guns and remains the type of fiction it advertises itself to be, eschewing goofy roadblock puzzles in favor of letting you solve the mystery at its heart. By contrast, you don’t really solve the mystery for yourself at all in Sins of the Fathers; it solves the mystery for you while you’re jumping Gabriel through all the irrelevant hoops it sets in his path.

But let’s try to set those issues aside now and engage with Sins of the Fathers strictly in terms of the fiction that lives outside the lines of its interactivity. As many of you doubtless know, I’m normally somewhat loathe to do that; it verges on a tautology to say that interactivity is the defining feature of games, and thus it seems to me that any given game’s interactivity has to work, without any qualifiers, as a necessary precondition to its being a good game. Still, if any game might be able to sneak around that rule, it ought to be this one, so often heralded as a foremost exemplar of sophisticated storytelling in a ludic context. And, indeed, it does fare better on this front in my eyes — not quite as well as some of its biggest fans claim, but better.

The first real scene of Sins of the Fathers tells us we’re in for an unusual adventure-game experience, with unusual ambitions in terms of character and plot development alike. We meet Gabriel and Grace in medias res, as the former stumbles out of his backroom bedroom to meet the latter already at her post behind the cash register in the bookstore. Over the next couple of minutes, we learn much about them as people through their banter — and, tellingly, pretty much nothing about what the real plot of the game will come to entail. This is Bilbo holding his long-expected party, Wart going out to make hay; Jane Jensen is settling in to work the long game.

https://www.filfre.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/GK.mp4

As Jensen slowly pulls back the curtain on what the game is really all about over the hours that follow, she takes Gabriel through that greatest rarity in interactive storytelling, a genuine internal character arc. The Gabriel at the end of the game, in other words, is not the one we met at the beginning, and for once the difference isn’t down to his hit points or armor class. If we can complain that we’re mostly relegated to solving goofy puzzles while said character arc plays out in the cut scenes, we can also acknowledge how remarkable it is for existing at all.

Jensen is a talented writer with a particular affinity for just the sort of snappy but revealing dialog that marks that first scene of the game. If anything, she’s better at writing these sorts of low-key “hang-out” moments than the scenes of epic confrontation. It’s refreshing to see a game with such a sense of ease about its smaller moments, given that the talents and interests of most game writers tend to run in just the opposite direction.

Then, too, Jensen has an intuitive understanding of the rhythm of effective horror. As any master of the form from Stephen King to the Duffer Brothers will happily tell you if you ask them, you can’t assault your audience with wall-to-wall terror. Good horror is rather about tension and release — the horrific crescendos fading into moments of calm and even levity, during which the audience has a chance to catch its collective breath and the knots in their stomachs have a chance to un-clench. Certainly we have to learn to know and like a story’s characters before we can feel vicarious horror at their being placed in harm’s way. Jensen understands all these things, as do the people working with her.

Indeed, the production values of Sins of the Fathers are uniformly excellent in the context of its times. The moody art perfectly complements the story Jensen has scripted, and the voice-acting cast — both the big names who head it and the smaller ones who fill out the rest of the roles — are, with only one or two exceptions, solid. The music, which was provided by the project’s producer Robert Holmes — he began dating Jensen while the game was in production, and later became her husband and constant creative partner — is catchy, memorable, and very good at setting the mood, if perhaps not hugely New Orleans in flavor. (More on that issue momentarily.)

Still, there are some significant issues with Sins of the Fathers even when it’s being judged purely as we might a work of static fiction. Many of these become apparent only gradually over time — this is definitely a game that puts its best foot forward first — but at least one of them is front and center from the very first scene. To say that much of Gabriel’s treatment of Grace hasn’t aged well hardly begins to state the case. Their scenes together often play like a public-service video from the #MeToo movement, as Gabriel sexually harasses his employee like Donald Trump with a fresh bottle of Viagra in his back pocket. Of course, Jensen really intends for Gabriel to be another instance of the archetypal charming rogue — see Solo, Han, and Jones, Indiana — and sometimes she manages to pull it off. At far too many others, though, the writing gets a little sideways, and the charming rogue veers into straight-up jerk territory. The fact that Grace is written as a smart, tough-minded young woman who can give as good as she gets doesn’t make him seem like any less of a sleazy creep, more Leisure Suit Larry than James Dean.

I’m puzzled and just a little bemused that so many academic writers who’ve taken it upon themselves to analyze the game from an explicitly feminist perspective can ignore this aspect of it entirely. I can’t help but suspect that, were Sins of the Fathers the product of a male designer, the critical dialog that surrounds it would be markedly different in some respects. I’ll leave it to you to decide whether this double standard is justified or not in light of our culture’s long history of gender inequality.

As the game continues, the writing starts to wear thin in other ways. Gabriel’s supposed torrid love affair with Malia is, to say the least, unconvincing, with none of the naturalism that marks the best of his interactions with Grace. Instead it’s in the lazy mold of too many formulaic mass-media fictions, where two attractive people fall madly in love for no discernible reason that we can identify. The writer simply tells us that they do so, by way of justifying an obligatory sex scene or two. Here, though, we don’t even get the sex scene.

Pacing also starts to become a significant problem as the game wears on. Admittedly, this is not always so much because the writer in Jane Jensen isn’t aware of its importance to effective horror as because pacing in general is just so darn difficult to control in any interactive work, especially one filled with road-blocking puzzles like this one. Even if we cut Jensen some slack on this front, however, sequences like Gabriel’s visit to Tulane University, where he’s subjected to a long non-interactive lecture that might as well be entitled “Everything Jane Jensen Learned about Voodoo but Can’t Shoehorn in Anywhere Else,” are evidence of a still fairly inexperienced writer who doesn’t have a complete handle on this essential element of storytelling and doesn’t have anyone looking over her shoulder to edit her work. She’s done her research, but hasn’t mastered the Zen-like art of letting it subtly inform her story and setting. Instead she infodumps it all over us in about the most unimaginative way you can conceive: in the form of a literal classroom lecture.

Gabriel with Professor Infodump.

The game’s depiction of New Orleans itself reveals some of the same weaknesses. Yes, Jensen gets the landmarks and the basic geography right. But I have to say, speaking as someone who loves the city dearly and has spent a fair amount of time there over the years, that the setting of the game never really feels like New Orleans. What’s missing most of all, I think, is any affinity for the music that so informs daily life in the city, giving the streets a (literal) rhythm unlike anywhere else on earth. (Robert Holmes’s soundtrack is fine and evocative in its own right; it’s just not a New Orleans soundtrack.) I was thus unsurprised to learn that Jensen never actually visited New Orleans before writing and publishing a game set there. Tellingly, her depiction has more to do with the idiosyncratic, Gothic New Orleans found in Anne Rice novels than it does with the city I know.

The plotting too gets more wobbly as time goes on. A linchpin moment comes right at the mid-point of the ten days, when Gabriel makes an ill-advised visit to one of the cult’s conclaves — in fact, the one he located via the afore-described rada-drums puzzle — and nearly gets himself killed. Somehow Grace, of all people, swoops in to rescue him; I still have no idea precisely what is supposed to have happened here, and neither, judging at least from the fan sites I’ve consulted, does anyone else. I suspect that something got cut here out of budget concerns, so perhaps it’s unfair to place this massive non sequitur at the heart of the game squarely on Jensen’s shoulders.

But other problems with the plotting aren’t as easy to find excuses for. There is, for example, the way that Gabriel can fly from New Orleans to Munich and still have hours of daylight at his disposal when he arrives on the same day. (I could dismiss this as a mere hole in Jensen’s research, the product of an American designer unfamiliar with international travel, if she hadn’t spent almost a year living in Germany prior to coming to Sierra.) In fact, the entirety of Gabriel’s whirlwind trip from the United States to Germany to Benin and back home again feels incomplete and a little half-baked, from its cartoonish German castle, which resembles a piece of discarded art from a King’s Quest game, to its tedious maze inside an uninteresting African burial mound that likewise could have been found in any of a thousand other adventure games. Jensen would have done better to keep the action in New Orleans rather than suddenly trying to turn the game into a globetrotting adventure at the eleventh hour, destroying its narrative cohesion in the process.

Suddenly we’re in… Africa? How the hell did that happen?

As in a lot of fictions of this nature, the mysteries at the heart of Sins of the Fathers are also most enticing in the game’s earlier stages than they have become by its end. To her credit, Jensen knows exactly what truths lie behind all of the mysteries and deceptions, and she’s willing to show them to us; Sins of the Fathers does have a payoff. Nevertheless, it’s all starting to feel a little banal by the time we arrive at the big climax inside the voodoo cult’s antiseptic high-tech headquarters. It’s easier to be scared of shadowy spirits of evil from the distant past than it is of voodoo bureaucrats flashing their key cards in a complex that smacks of a Bond villain’s secret hideaway.

The tribal art on the wall lets you know this is a voodoo cult’s headquarters. Somehow I never expected elevators and florescent lighting in such a place…

Many of you — especially those of you who count yourselves big fans of Sins of the Fathers — are doubtless saying by now that I’m being much, much too hard on it. And you have a point; I am holding this game’s fiction to a higher standard than I do that of most adventure games. In a sense, though, the game’s very conception of itself makes it hard for a critic to avoid doing so. It so clearly wants to be a more subtle, more narratively and thematically rich, more “adult” adventure game that I feel forced to take it at its word and hold it to that higher standard. One could say, then, that the game becomes a victim of its own towering ambitions. Certainly all my niggling criticisms shouldn’t obscure the fact that, for all that its reach does often exceed its grasp, it’s brave of the game to stretch itself so far at all.

That said, I can’t help but continue to see Sins of the Fathers more as a noble failure than a masterpiece, and I can’t keep myself from placing much of the blame at the feet of Sierra rather than Jane Jensen per se. I played it most recently with my wife, as I do many of the games I write about here. She brings a valuable perspective because she’s much, much smarter than I am but couldn’t care less about where, when, or whom the games we play came from; they’re strictly entertainments for her. At some point in the midst of playing Sins of the Fathers, she turned to me and remarked, “This would probably have been a really good game if it had been made by that other company.”

I could tell I was going to have to dig a bit to ferret out her meaning: “What other company?”

“You know, the one that made that time-travel game we played with the really nerdy guy and that twitchy girl, and the one about the dog and the bunny. I think they would have made sure everything just… worked better. You know, fixed all of the really irritating stuff, and made sure we didn’t have to look at a walkthrough all the time.”

That “other company” was, of course, LucasArts.

One part of Sins of the Fathers in particular reminds me of the differences between the two companies. There comes a point where Gabriel has to disguise himself as a priest, using a frock stolen from St. Louis Cathedral and some hair gel from his own boudoir, in order to bilk an old woman out of her knowledge of voodoo. This is, needless to say, another example of the dissonance between the game’s serious plot and goofy puzzles, but we’ve covered that ground already. What’s more relevant right now is the game’s implementation of the sequence. Every time you visit the old woman — which will likely be several times if you aren’t playing from a walkthrough — you have to laboriously prepare Gabriel’s disguise all over again. It’s tedium that exists for no good reason; you’ve solved the puzzle once, and the game ought to know you’ve solved it, so why can’t you just get on with things? I can’t imagine a LucasArts game subjecting me to this. In fact, I know it wouldn’t: there’s a similar situation in Day of the Tentacle, where, sure enough, the game whips through the necessary steps for you every time after the first.

Father Gabriel. (Sins of the fathers indeed, eh?)

This may seem a small, perhaps even petty example, but, multiplied by a hundred or a thousand, it describes why Sierra adventures — even their better, more thoughtful efforts like this one — so often wound up more grating than fun. Sins of the Fathers isn’t a bad adventure game, but it could have been so much better if Jensen had had a team around her armed with the development methodologies and testing processes that could have eliminated its pixel hunts, cleaned up its unfair and/or ill-fitting puzzles, told her when Gabriel was starting to sound more like a sexual predator than a laid-back lady’s man, and smoothed out the rough patches in its plot. None of the criticisms I’ve made of the game should be taken as a slam against Jensen, a writer with special gifts in exactly those areas where other games tend to disappoint. She just didn’t get the support she needed to reach her full potential here.

The bitter irony of it all is that LucasArts, a company that could have made Sins of the Fathers truly great, lacked the ambition to try anything like it in lieu of the cartoon comedies which they knew worked for them; meanwhile Sierra, a company with ambition in spades, lacked the necessary commitment to detail and quality. I really don’t believe, in other words, that Sins of the Father represents some limit case for the point-and-click adventure as a storytelling medium. I think merely that it represents, like all games, a grab bag of design choices, some of them more felicitous than others.

Still, if what we ended up with is the very definition of a mixed bag, it’s nevertheless one of the most interesting and important such in the history of adventure games, a game whose influence on what came later, both inside and outside of its genre, has been undeniable. I know that when I made The King of Shreds and Patches, my own attempt at a lengthy horror adventure with a serious plot, Sins of the Fathers was my most important single ludic influence, providing a bevy of useful examples both of what to do and what not to do. (For instance, I copied its trigger-driven approach to plot chronology — but I made sure to include a journal to tell the player what issues she should be working on at any given time, thereby to keep her from wandering endlessly looking for the random whatsit that would advance the time.) I know that many other designers of much more prominent games than mine have also taken much away from Sins of the Fathers.

So, should you play Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers? Absolutely. It’s a fascinating example of storytelling ambition in games, and, both in where it works and where it fails, an instructive study in design as well. A recent remake helmed by Jane Jensen herself even fixes some of the worst design flaws, although not without considerable trade-offs: the all-star cast of the original game has been replaced with less distinctive voice acting, and the new graphics, while cleaner and sharper, don’t have quite the same moody character as the old. Plague or cholera; that does seem to be the way with adventure games much of the time, doesn’t it? With this game, one might say, even more so than most of them.

The big climax. Yes, it does look a little ridiculous — but hey, they were trying.

(Sources: the book Influential Game Designers: Jane Jensen by Anastasia Salter; Sierra’s newsletter InterAction of Spring 1992, Summer 1993, and Holiday 1993; Computer Gaming World of November 1993 and March 1994. Online sources include “The Making of… The Gabriel Knight Trilogy” from Edge Online; an interview with Jane Jensen done by the old webzine The Inventory, now archived at The Gabriel Knight Pages; “Happy Birthday, Gabriel Knight“ from USgamer; Jane Jensen’s “Ask Me Anything” on Reddit. Academic pieces include “Revisiting Gabriel Knight” by Connie Veugen from The Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the Internet Volume 7; Jane Jensen’s Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers: The Numinous Woman and the Millennium Woman” by Roberta Sabbath from The Journal of Popular Culture Volume 31 Issue 1. And, last but not least, press releases, annual reports, and other internal and external documents from the Sierra archive at the Strong Museum of Play.

Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers is available for purchase both in its original version and as an enhanced modern remake.)

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/gabriel-knight-sins-of-the-fathers/

[technologyinfosec]

Commemoration Day: UAE leaders pay tribute to nation's martyrs

The President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said that martyrdom is the highest degree of devotion and dedication to the homeland, and only great nations are built through sacrifice and sincere belonging.

WAM News / English✔@WAMNEWS_ENG Martyrdom is the highest degree of devotion to homeland: #UAEPresident#CommemorationDay#wamnewshttp://wam.ae/en/details/1395302807037 …

111:04 PM - Nov 28, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacySee WAM News / English's other Tweets In a statement to the 'Nation Shield' magazine, Sheikh Khalifa said: "On this glorious day, when we exalt the values of giving and sacrifice, we express the utmost appreciation to our righteous martyrs who have given their blood and souls in fulfilment of the sacred duty, in support of the oppressed, in defence of the truth, and in the protection of the UAE, which was founded by our fathers on the values of giving, redemption, belonging, loyalty and courage. "The biography of the martyrs of the homeland, whose processions have progressed throughout history, will remain immortal in our conscience, and the medals of honour and pride we take. This biography is embodied by the society in its cohesion, and the State is committed to caring for and honouring the children of the martyrs and their families. Martyrdom is the highest degree of devotion and dedication to the homeland, and great nations are built through sacrifice and sincere belonging. "On this blessed day, we pay tribute to our valiant sons, soldiers, officers and commanders of our armed forces, who are vigilant in protecting and defending the homeland, and saluting our children across all workplaces inside and outside the country. "We pray to God that our martyrs may rest in His mercy and that they achieve the highest paradise because they believed in what God and the homeland had promised. We ask God Almighty to reward their children and their families for their certainty, their composure, patriotism and their patience, and we call on him to preserve our country, and to perpetuate the blessings of our state's security and safety. "Peace, mercy, and the blessings of God be upon you." Strong bond between people and leadership shield UAE: Dubai Ruler His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has paid special tributes to the UAE martyrs on Commemoration Day, sharing sincere feelings of gratitude to their families who, he said, set a perfect example of giving and belonging to the homeland by sacrificing their sons for the highest good of all Emiratis. In a statement to the 'Nation Shield' magazine, Sheikh Mohammed said: "On behalf of all Emiratis, I salute all families who offered their sons to protect the national gains of our homeland and to keep our flag flying high at all times under all circumstances. It's your wisdom, fortitude and magnanimity that enabled our valiant armed forces to continue to be the protective shield of our homeland. "Our martyrs are the sons and grandsons of our nation's icon and the founder of our renaissance, the late Sheikh Zayed. They are the trustees of his vision, which states that the UAE army is our protective shield that preserves our national unity and accomplishments, and helps our brotherly Arab countries in case of need. "As we celebrate today the quintessential Emirati values of giving, loyalty and self-denial, we urge our families, schools, media and literati to continue to inculcate these noble values in our society and instil them in our younger generations, so they align themselves with the heroic deeds of our martyrs in word and deed. "This solemn occasion reminds us to continue to engrave the message of martyrdom in our mind, memory and heart. "Commemoration Day will forever remain as an indelible message that the sovereignty, security, stability and pride of the UAE, and the safety and well-being of Emiratis are a priority that is second to none. We will remain willing and ready to bear the costs of protecting our land, ensuring its independence, building our nation and maintaining our national gains, thereby keeping our country as a role model for development, prosperity, social welfare, and economic well-being. "The heroes of our armed forces, along with all security departments and institutions, and all the sons and daughters of the UAE, bear the costs of facing the dangers besetting our homeland and those surrounding our brotherly countries and Arab nations at large. While valiantly performing their noble tasks, our armed forces deliver a clear-cut message purporting that the UAE is a nation with innate immune defenses against any evil machinations and plots thanks to our cohesive social fabric and the strong bonds of solidarity between our people and leadership. We will remain faithful to principles for which they sacrificed lives: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed abu dhabi - His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, said that the martyrs who sacrificed their souls in protection of the homeland shoulder all Emiratis with a solemn responsibility towards nation-building and keeping the national flag flying high at all fronts and under all circumstances. In a statement on the Commemoration Day to the 'Nation Shield' magazine, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said: "The essential message delivered by the Commemoration Day is for every Emirati to keep sacrificing for his/her homeland by continuing to be loyal to our deeply-rooted principles and values, the seeds of which were sown by the founding fathers of the UAE Federation. "Our martyrs embody the UAE's solid commitment toward our brotherly countries, their national defence and their right to stability, development and progress. They express in the truest sense of the word the UAE's principled stance, adopted since the era of the late Sheikh Zayed, in support of righteousness and justice. "While bearing witness to every achievement being now made in the UAE, we recall the noble sacrifices made by our martyrs who are all true partners in every accomplishment and step forward we are taking on the right path toward making our dreams come true. "Our martyrs will remain our source of pride at all times. Their heroic deeds go down in the annals of history as a source of inspiration for all sincere deeds made to ensure our country's glory, stability and progress toward a brighter future. "On the Commemoration Day, we spell out our wholehearted loyalty to our homeland and express our deepest gratitude to all those who sacrificed their soul in protection of their homeland and who we are sure will remain alive with their Lord and will have their reward. "On this glorious occasion, we stand in all solemnity in appreciation of our brave armed forces, who symbolise all sincere feelings of dedication and commitment to the nation's values and principles. They represent the school from which our martyrs learned the love of and sacrifices to the homeland under all circumstances. "On the Commemoration Day, we recall our Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who sowed the seeds of loyalty to the homeland. These seeds fructified into generations of heroes ready to sacrifice their very souls in defence of their homeland and in serving their national duty. Our heroes represent nation's shield: Ajman Ruler His Highness Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ajman, paid homage to the souls of Emirati martyrs on Commemoration Day. In his statement to the 'Nation Shield', Sheikh Humaid said: "Our country celebrates Commemoration Day on November 30 to remember the glories achieved by the pure souls who did not hesitate to meet their call of duty in defence of their religion, nation and humanity. "The UAE, upon the directives of the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has dedicated this day to glorify the names of its martyrs. "The UAE, under the leadership of Sheikh Khalifa; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, The Supreme Council Members, Their Highnesses Rulers of the Emirates, appreciates the sacrifices of its martyrs who represented the nation's shield and are now icons of will and persistence. "On Commemoration Day, people rally around their leadership to reiterate loyalty, vowing to continue their righteousness journey. Martyrs are role models of loyalty to homeland: Fujairah Ruler His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Fujairah, said that the Commemoration Day will remain a symbol of pride and glory, with the sacrifices by the martyrs being the cornerstone on which we will continue to achieve more accomplishments for our homeland." Sheikh Hamad said in his statement to the Nation Shield magazine: "With all pride and gratitude, we recall the acts of patriotism of the UAE Armed Forces men who sacrificed their souls for the sake of the homeland to. Our martyrs are role models for belonging and loyalty to the homeland. "While celebrating the nation's martyrs, we renew our commitment that we, in the UAE led by the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will spare no efforts to support our Arab brothers who've suffered from war and sabotage. We, the UAE leadership and people, will continue to stand by them by sustaining the late Sheikh Zayed's approach and principles aimed at supporting right issues and strengthening Arab bonds. "We extend greetings to the UAE Armed Forces members inside the country and abroad who are always proactive to protect stability and security of our country. They are our shield who keep our country unified and safe. We pledge to protect our national gains and achievements made by our martyrs. We are committed to continue the journey to present an integrated cultural model to the whole world." Commemoration Day upholds sacrifice values: UAQ Ruler His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Umm Al Quwain, said that the Commemoration Day upholds the values of sacrifice, redemption and love to the homeland, noting that the occasion is a tribute to all the country's heroes. Sheikh Saud said in his statement to the Nation Shield magazine that the occasion holds a significant meaning to the people of the UAE, as November 30 was the day when the first Emirati martyr Salem Suhail bin Khamis Al Dahmani lost his life while defending his country in 1971. Sheikh Saud noted that national cohesion represents the true meaning of unification and effective participation in building the nation, preserving its gains and strengthening its social fabric as well as the culture of loyalty instilled by the founding fathers. "It is a source of pride for us to witness the honouring of martyrs of the homeland in recognition and appreciation of their sacrifices and acts of patriotism, as they represent an immortal example of national unity and belonging." The Ruler of Umm Al Quwain added that the Commemoration Day is an opportunity to celebrate the sacrifices made by the martyrs to protect the glory, assets and gains of the country. Their sacrifices are beacons for a brighter future: RAK Ruler His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, said the sacrifices made by the Emirati martyrs will remain indelible in the UAE's history as a source of inspiration for generations to come. Sheikh Saud, in a statement to the Nation Shield magazine, said: "The UAE takes pride in our heroes who responded to the call of duty and sacrificed their souls in protection of their nation's glory and in defence of its periphery and national gains. "The inspiring narratives of our martyrs on the battlefronts will remain beacons for a brighter future for the entire nation and its people. And on this memorable day in the country's history, we renew the commitment of the UAE, leadership and people, to continue to support the families of our martyrs, whose sacrifices will remain a model to be copied for all those seeking to ensure the security and dignity of the homeland. Thanks to our martyrs' heroic deeds, our national flag will continue to fly high on all fronts and our people will remain proud of their nation's accomplishments and glories. "On this glorious occasion, we reiterate our support for our soldiers on the front lines and re-assert that the UAE will continue to disseminate a message of peace, love, and tolerance to the entire world and reiterate that sacrifices for the homeland hold a sublime significance for upholding these values."

Strong bond between people and leadership shield UAE: Sheikh Mohammed His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has paid special tributes to the UAE martyrs on Commemoration Day, sharing sincere feelings of gratitude to their families who, he said, set a perfect example of giving and belonging to the homeland by sacrificing their sons for the highest good of all Emiratis. In a statement to the 'Nation Shield' magazine, Sheikh Mohammed said: "On behalf of all Emiratis, I salute all families who offered their sons to protect the national gains of our homeland and to keep our flag flying high at all times under all circumstances. It's your wisdom, fortitude and magnanimity that enabled our valiant armed forces to continue to be the protective shield of our homeland. "Our martyrs are the sons and grandsons of our nation's icon and the founder of our renaissance, the late Sheikh Zayed. They are the trustees of his vision, which states that the UAE army is our protective shield that preserves our national unity and accomplishments, and helps our brotherly Arab countries in case of need. "As we celebrate today the quintessential Emirati values of giving, loyalty and self-denial, we urge our families, schools, media and literati to continue to inculcate these noble values in our society and instil them in our younger generations, so they align themselves with the heroic deeds of our martyrs in word and deed. "This solemn occasion reminds us to continue to engrave the message of martyrdom in our mind, memory and heart. "Commemoration Day will forever remain as an indelible message that the sovereignty, security, stability and pride of the UAE, and the safety and well-being of Emiratis are a priority that is second to none. We will remain willing and ready to bear the costs of protecting our land, ensuring its independence, building our nation and maintaining our national gains, thereby keeping our country as a role model for development, prosperity, social welfare, and economic well-being. "The heroes of our armed forces, along with all security departments and institutions, and all the sons and daughters of the UAE, bear the costs of facing the dangers besetting our homeland and those surrounding our brotherly countries and Arab nations at large. While valiantly performing their noble tasks, our armed forces deliver a clear-cut message purporting that the UAE is a nation with innate immune defenses against any evil machinations and plots thanks to our cohesive social fabric and the strong bonds of solidarity between our people and leadership. "I pray to Allah Almighty to preserve our homeland and people, to sustain our security, stability and prosperity, and to reward our martyrs with His Paradise. I supplicate to Allah as well to guide us on His virtuous path and to strengthen us in the service of our religion, society and nation."

We will remain faithful to the principles for which they sacrificed lives: Sheikh Mohamed His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, said that the martyrs who sacrificed their souls in protection of the homeland shoulder all Emiratis with a solemn responsibility towards nation-building and keeping the national flag flying high at all fronts and under all circumstances. In a statement on the Commemoration Day to the 'Nation Shield' magazine, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said: "The essential message delivered by the Commemoration Day is for every Emirati to keep sacrificing for his/her homeland by continuing to be loyal to our deeply-rooted principles and values, the seeds of which were sown by the founding fathers of the UAE Federation. "Our martyrs embody the UAE's solid commitment toward our brotherly countries, their national defence and their right to stability, development and progress. They express in the truest sense of the word the UAE's principled stance, adopted since the era of the late Sheikh Zayed, in support of righteousness and justice. "While bearing witness to every achievement being now made in the UAE, we recall the noble sacrifices made by our martyrs who are all true partners in every accomplishment and step forward we are taking on the right path toward making our dreams come true. "Our martyrs will remain our source of pride at all times. Their heroic deeds go down in the annals of history as a source of inspiration for all sincere deeds made to ensure our country's glory, stability and progress toward a brighter future. "On the Commemoration Day, we spell out our wholehearted loyalty to our homeland and express our deepest gratitude to all those who sacrificed their soul in protection of their homeland and who we are sure will remain alive with their Lord and will have their reward. "On this glorious occasion, we stand in all solemnity in appreciation of our brave armed forces, who symbolise all sincere feelings of dedication and commitment to the nation's values and principles. They represent the school from which our martyrs learned the love of and sacrifices to the homeland under all circumstances. "On the Commemoration Day, we recall our Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who sowed the seeds of loyalty to the homeland. These seeds fructified into generations of heroes ready to sacrifice their very souls in defence of their homeland and in serving their national duty. "On this glorious day in the history of our nation, I urge our Emirati youth to learn by heart the narratives of our martyrs who represent a role model for fighting against oppression and defending their national soil. They sacrificed their souls in order for this nation to continue to live in peace and stability. Their sacrifices shoulder all Emiratis with a solemn responsibility toward their nation. Their heroic narratives and deeds are the best source from which we can continue to get inspired and learn that defending our homeland is a sacred duty that is second to none. Our martyrs represent nation's shield: Sheikh Humaid His Highness Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ajman, paid homage to the souls of Emirati martyrs on Commemoration Day. In his statement to the 'Nation Shield', Sheikh Humaid said: "Our country celebrates Commemoration Day on November 30 to remember the glories achieved by the pure souls who did not hesitate to meet their call of duty in defence of their religion, nation and humanity. "The UAE, upon the directives of the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has dedicated this day to glorify the names of its martyrs. "The UAE, under the leadership of Sheikh Khalifa; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, The Supreme Council Members, Their Highnesses Rulers of the Emirates, appreciates the sacrifices of its martyrs who represented the nation's shield and are now icons of will and persistence. "On Commemoration Day, the people rally around their leadership to reiterate their loyalty, vowing to continue the journey of righteousness and supporting legitimacy everywhere, and stressing that they will never forget their martyrs and their glorious memories. "The UAE has sent its soldiers to support ties of fraternity, responding to the Operation Decisive Storm, launched by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to support the brothers in Yemen and their legitimacy, and to achieve stability. As a result, the Riyadh Agreement was signed between the Yemeni Government and the Southern Transitional Council. "We praise the efforts of our leadership and its support to the families of the martyrs and laud the country's efforts to ease the families' burdens, in recognition of the sacrifices of their sons. "On this day, we are proud of the UAE Armed Forces and the Emiratis who join this great entity because they believe in the responsibility they shoulder for their country. Martyrs are role models of loyalty to homeland: Sheikh Hamad His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Fujairah, said that the Commemoration Day will remain a symbol of pride and glory, with the sacrifices by the martyrs being the cornerstone on which we will continue to achieve more accomplishments for our homeland." Sheikh Hamad said in his statement to the Nation Shield magazine: "With all pride and gratitude, we recall the acts of patriotism of the UAE Armed Forces men who sacrificed their souls for the sake of the homeland to. Our martyrs are role models for belonging and loyalty to the homeland. "While celebrating the nation's martyrs, we renew our commitment that we, in the UAE led by the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will spare no efforts to support our Arab brothers who've suffered from war and sabotage. We, the UAE leadership and people, will continue to stand by them by sustaining the late Sheikh Zayed's approach and principles aimed at supporting right issues and strengthening Arab bonds. "On this occasion, we extend greetings to the UAE Armed Forces members inside the country and abroad who are always proactive to protect stability and security of our country. They are our shield who keep our country unified and safe. "On the Commemoration Day, we pledge to protect our national gains and achievements made by our martyrs. We are committed to continue the journey of progress and giving to present an integrated cultural model to the whole world." Commemoration Day upholds values of sacrifice: Sheikh Saud His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Umm Al Quwain, said that the Commemoration Day upholds the values of sacrifice, redemption and love to the homeland, noting that the occasion is a tribute to all the country's heroes. Sheikh Saud said in his statement to the Nation Shield magazine that the occasion holds a significant meaning to the people of the UAE, as November 30 was the day when the first Emirati martyr Salem Suhail bin Khamis Al Dahmani lost his life while defending his country in 1971. Sheikh Saud noted that national cohesion represents the true meaning of unification and effective participation in building the nation, preserving its gains and strengthening its social fabric as well as the culture of loyalty instilled by the founding fathers. "It is a source of pride for us to witness the honouring of martyrs of the homeland in recognition and appreciation of their sacrifices and acts of patriotism, as they represent an immortal example of national unity and belonging." The Ruler of Umm Al Quwain added that the Commemoration Day is an opportunity to celebrate the sacrifices made by the martyrs to protect the glory, assets and gains of the country. Sheikh Saud concluded by saying that these sacrifices and noble values will remain instilled in the hearts of young people. "The UAE's martyrs will always be role models for the sons of the homeland who will continue to pursue the path of goodness and glory." Martyrs' sacrifices are beacons for a brighter future: Sheikh Saud His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, said the sacrifices made by the Emirati martyrs will remain indelible in the UAE's history as a source of inspiration for generations to come. Sheikh Saud, in a statement to the Nation Shield magazine, said: "The UAE takes pride in our heroes who responded to the call of duty and sacrificed their souls in protection of their nation's glory and in defence of its periphery and national gains. "The inspiring narratives of our martyrs on the battlefronts will remain beacons for a brighter future for the entire nation and its people. And on this memorable day in the country's history, we renew the commitment of the UAE, leadership and people, to continue to support the families of our martyrs, whose sacrifices will remain a model to be copied for all those seeking to ensure the security and dignity of the homeland. Thanks to our martyrs' heroic deeds, our national flag will continue to fly high on all fronts and our people will remain proud of their nation's accomplishments and glories. "On this glorious occasion, we reiterate our support for our soldiers on the front lines and re-assert that the UAE will continue to disseminate a message of peace, love, and tolerance to the entire world and reiterate that sacrifices for the homeland hold a sublime significance for upholding these values." Read the full article

[steelmistsrp]

Congratulations && welcome, Divya !!  You have been accepted for the role of The Devout: Nalini Harms.  Please be sure to make a separate blog for your character&& send it into the main within 48 hours !!  Once that is submitted we will invite you to join the OOC blog && an option to join our skype chat if you should so choose !! Any triggers you (and other applicants) have submitted have been added to our trigger list.  Please be sure to read our Welcome Checklist as you begin to get started.  The Follow List && OOC page will also be updated for you once your blog has been submitted.  Thanks again for you application && we look forward to writing with you !!

Div, I knew when I was writing this skeleton you would jump at the chance, and you really developed Nalini into a great character beyond everything I’d hoped.  Every group (evil or not) needs the overly righteous voice, and you’ve nailed exactly what we were hoping to get out of The Devout.  We can’t wait to see what havoc she wrecks alongside her companions and as always we are fully prepared for the angst you’ll bring along.  Thanks && Welcome !!

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

Name: glittersatan Divya Age: 20 Pronouns: She/Her Timezone: EST in school, PST when not Activity Level: idk i’m not constantly online or talking to you or anything ;;;;;;;;   A lot

IN CHARACTER INFORMATION

Skeleton Name: The Devout Character’s Full Name: literally the hardest part of this app

Nalini – lotus, sweet nectar (so very deceptive of who she really is don’t u think? and also pretty funny bc she wants everyone to drink the kell cool aid)

Faceclaim: Deepika Padukone, who else Gender and Pronouns: female (cis), she/her Sexuality: uhhhhhh demiromantic pansexual? maybe? idk does it matter are priests allowed to get up to bedroom shenanigans in survivorism? wejustdon’tknow.gif Age and DOB: 30, born on the 30th of Marshinil in 522 (the most important part of this is for us she’s a sagittarius js) Education Level:  finished primary school and then continued with a religious education

Biography:  tw for drowning and also for muuuuuuuurder

It is the Survivor’s way to purge the world of rot and ruin with blessed fire—Nalini is living proof. As a child charmed with the fortune of the Harmed family, they were carefree and charismatic, wanting for nothing. Then, the stories of the Survivor of Hathsin and His Heir were little more than just that, stories. It was easy to both respect the doctrine of Survivorism and to put it out of her mind when more engaging things could take its place. All it took to change that was a single misstep and mere minutes of suspension.

Crossing the bridge between the Sixth and Seventh Octants while pursuing childish whims, Nalini had only just grown tall enough to peer over the bridge wall and out across the blue, blue bay. Her curiosity tugged her further—she wanted to look down into the river’s depths, but even when stretching on her toes, she wasn’t quite tall enough, so… What kid wouldn’t heave themselves up, oblivious to any danger bigger than knees and elbows scraped against rough stone? Little more than a passing biker speeding by broke her attention and offset her balance, sending her toppling over the edge. Icy water hit her so sharply she almost shrieked with the shock of it. A current yanked her down, flinging her toward the sea, the tumbling making her dizzy; the instinctual panic that froze her lungs was so strong her jaw ached from the effort of keeping it clamped shut. Then everything else ached from the effort of not breathing, but she couldn’t figure out which direction the surface was, and the entire river seemed to be darkening, her world shrinking before her very eyes. It felt odd to drown. Just before she could no longer hold her breath, Nalini thought Mother will be so disappointed if I don’t make it to church tomorrow.

The jolt of frigid water flooding her lungs was her last conscious moment underwater, her vision fading to just a pinprick of light, and then nothingness. Lucky as she was, a fisherman hauled her out of the bay onto the pier, and as she heaved up water she tried frantically to convey what she had experienced—she heard a voice, she was sure of it, soothing her and promising that everything would be alright. Only one explanation made sense to her: the Survivor Himself had spoken to her. He chose her. He saved her. He purged with fire but made believers with water. Against the odds she, too, had survived.

From then on, no argument could convince her that the Church of the Survivor’s gospel was not the unwavering truth. She lived by the Church’s teachings, studied their doctrine night and day, practically breathed stories of the Survivor and Ascendant Warrior’s triumphs. If only she could be as noble as they had, and not simply part of the pretending nobility. At twelve years old she was so enraptured by her prophets that she got her hands on each metal she could in turn, hoping her one moment of near-ascendance had at least left her Snapped and an Allomancer, as her heroes had been. Lucky as she was, though not without some painstaking trial and error, she discovered her affinity for chromium and considered it a carefully-selected divine gift; now she had the power to render all people equal.

Symbolically she was satisfied, but in reality? Injustice was everywhere, and soon she couldn’t stop seeing it. Children starved on the streets while families like her own not only feasted to their hearts’ content, but wasted just as shamelessly. Those with power and connections thought they could get away with abuses of the worst kinds, and all it took to prove them correct was trading a few Doxins with the right constable. The very fact that some could still afford servants while others lived without basic necessities! Worse still, some of those who thought themselves superior still looked down on those not at lucky as them, as her, to be blessed with an innate ability to kindle metal deep within them. Could they not see that those were gifts bestowed by the Survivor? Privileges meant to be used for the greater good, not for selfish gain?

She was unable to control herself one day on the street, just another teenager loitering around Tekiel Tower, when she saw such an atrocity unfold before her very eyes. A man chased a young child down the road with the enhanced speed of a Pewterarm, snatching the boy into the air by his collar and threatening him openly, all for a mere fistful of pilfered bills. Plenty gathered to watch, but not a single person moved to interfere, some afraid to match Pewter strength, others merely cowards. Swallowing a pinch of her metal and darting forward, all it took was her palm laid against his arm to render the man powerless against anyone his own natural strength. The kid ran free and a few emboldened onlookers kept him from turning his threats on their young heroine. She heard later that he had ended up in the hospital, but it hardly affected her. Lord Kelsier would have gone further. She was only doing as He would have done—as He blessed her to do in His stead. She was His equalizer.

Barely weeks later, she denounced her family name and fortune, joining the Church on her sixteenth birthday—an auspicious number, therefore a glorious day—and taking to its teachings as naturally as if she had been born to them. If she had been asked, she’d have claimed she was.

Still, no matter how much good the Church did sharing its doctrine with the world, those who sought to reach the top by trampling the downtrodden beneath them still existed. They appeared to multiply as the years went on, coming out of the woodwork when the world seemed a more accepting place for their greed. Sins of the past began to reemerge so appallingly quickly that Nalini feared—

No, not feared. Knew. Hoped—

—that a new rebellion needed to rise as well. The Survivor would never have stood for all His work being undone by sinning ingrates who had forgotten the past. That was what He had chosen His Heir to prevent before the Great Catacendre.

Perhaps some of the Ascendant Warrior’s spirit was present in her—she could pray it was so, anyway—but she did not doubt the special role the one who organized their modern rebellion had been given. The Lekal heir saw what she had seen, and did what she knew needed to be done. That was why she chose to support The Burning Word—it was the purest form of the doctrine in action. Take down those opposed to equality by any means necessary, exactly as the Survivor had once done. How could she resist?

Her devotion to the cause is only outweighed by her devotion to their Lord, but both work in tandem to make her a vital component of the group. She provides the proof that their leader is following a righteous path lit by the Survivor Himself; thus every maneuver The Burning Word takes is justified by her knowledge of the religion. By day she preaches and works to convert those lucky enough to know empathy and equity to the Church’s ranks, and when the sun sets and the sacred mists come out to play, she takes the fight on herself and carries out the Survivor’s message. He lights her path with His cleansing flames, she who Survived in this new age.

Personality: 

+ Confident – Nalini knows who she is, what she believes, and what needs to be done. This makes her an excellent priest and an excellent extremist; she’s all but fanatical in her devotion and more than willing to share that passion with those who wish to learn (and many who don’t), as well as capable of excusing any harsh action if it is taken in the name of her God. She knows she deserves to be equal to all other people, and just as no one is allowed to suppress her, so too will she not allow anyone to oppress the less fortunate.

+ Idealistic – Extremism is okay in the name of the greater good, isn’t it? Fanaticism is fine if your religion is righteous, right? Nalini wants equality for all people regardless of class, race, gender, abilities, so on and so forth until the list exhausts itself. Seems good in theory, doesn’t it?

- Ruthless – Particularly when paired with the above, Nalini’s penchant for excusing even the most abhorrent of behaviors if they serve her idea of the path toward righteousness is worrying at best and downright deadly at worst. If the entire noble class has to be purged to satisfy her Lord’s doctrine, she will find a way to carry it out and still sleep calmly at night.

- Ambitious – This trait added on makes everything Nalini does twice as terrible, because sometimes she does have the slightest of selfish reasons: it’s possible she hopes to be the Survivor’s next Heir, His tool on the ground to make sure all his hard work isn’t unraveled. She truly believes she was saved by her God so that she could fulfill a higher purpose.

~ Impulsive – Though she does a good job of keeping a level-head while teaching others about the Church and its scripture, Nalini is sometimes prone to restlessness and the hot temper of a radical who feels stuck in a rut. She wants so badly to help the oppressed that occasionally her heart gets the better of her head and she jumps into action where she would be wiser to wait for instruction or aid.

Western Zodiac: Sagittarius

Moral alignment (as she sees herself): Neutral good

Moral alignment to onlookers: Chaotic evil

MBTI: ENTP (tho i totally winged this bc hell no i’m not taking the test at 6am)

Enneagram: Type I, the Reformer

Temperament: Choleric

Admin Questions: um yeah i have a question, how ready are you for me to kick your asses with pain? No, no we aren’t but we’ll take it anyway ;)