#with the kings bastard and a relic of the old world

[izunias-meme-hole]

One Villainous Scene - “I Coveted That Wind I Suppose”

“Oh boy. Izunia is making a second OVS about Ganondorf.” Yes, I am… however I am going to be looking at the man, the myth, the One Shot Wonder himself, Wind Waker Ganondorf. Now this guy is considered one of the top 5 incarnations of the King of Evil for a few reasons; the design, Takashi Nagasako returning to voice him, the boss fight, but the main reason was a little unexpected addition to his character.

To explain, Wind Waker is set in a world where Hyrule got flooded under the ocean because Ganondorf was TOO close to winning, and there was no hero to stop him, in other words divine intervention happened. So, throughout the course of the game, Ganondorf searches for the other 2 pieces of the Triforce once again, starting with a 100 year wait for Princess Zelda to reincarnate, and after 100 years have passed he kidnaps literally any blonde girl with pointy ears, checking to see if they have the Triforce of Wisdom. And one of these girls was Link's sister, Aryll, meaning that this man just put this incarnation of The Hero, one who originally wasn't mean't to be in this destined bullshit, hot on his trial.

Throughout the course of the game Link has only seen a snip of him at the beginning, the damage he caused to Greatfish Isle, Phantom Ganons, and finally he sees the man himself at the Foresaken Fortress and gets saved by Tetra, Valoo, and King Daphnes. Then Link discovers that Tetra is in fact Princess Zelda, and a good long hours later Ganondorf gets ahold of her, and now our hero has to face this monster, only for the player and Link to see another end of him.

Ganondorf explains a part of his background, talking about the cruel and harsh desert that he grew up in and how he envied the grasslands of Hyrule, but never intended on having it all be buried underwater. If anyone has played Ocarina of Time, they know that he's half-lying out of his ass because yes, he did come from a brutal and harsh desert, but he was also an infamous king there, one who had great ambitions and sat in a tower built in Central Hyrule while everyone else suffered. In other words, this man is lying out of his ass, but it isn't in an attempt to manipulate Link... it's an attempt to convince himself that all of the destruction he's caused, all of the evil he's wrought, wasn't for nothing. Even someone who's never played OoT can tell that this is a selfish old relic who's committed a lot of horrors in the past and has convinced himself that they're all just. And even then, you can tell that he never actually desired destruction for the hell of it and carries regrets.

He then knocks Link out and unifies the Triforce, chuckling out of glee at the fact that he FINALLY is going to succeed, that his efforts won't be in vain, but then it's literally robbed from him when Daphnes touches it and wishes for Hyrule to drown for the future of Link, Zelda, and everyone else. This causes Ganondorf to have a full on breakdown, cackling hysterically as he realizes that everything he has ever done has been for nothing. His efforts to acquire the Triforce, his battle against the previous hero, and his current efforts to bring back Hyrule were all for nothing. He's a destructive being who's doomed to fail and he realizes it now, but he isn't going to lie down and be forgotten by this world, so he tries to kill Link and Tetra, only to be stabbed in the skull. At this point, he can't escape the inevitable and he knows it, so there's no cursing Link and Tetra, no swearing that he'll come back. He just dies.

In short, Ganondorf here is still a bastard, but he is a walking tragedy in this game due to his pathos. He's a man who wants to convince himself that everything he's done was worth it, a man who doesn't want to be forgotten by the tides of time, a man who wants to bring back a dead land and stop being the lord of a dead empire. Yet in the end, he realizes that all of his efforts were indeed for nothing, and he ends up dying inside of a drowned Hyrule, destined to be forgotten. You can’t help but pity him this time.

[zombiejesus]

The Undying Ember

Inspired by the Flame of Frenzy in Elden Ring.

"is that really what they believe up there? that we worship the flame of chaos? that's bleak. they've forgottent their own history so fast, it hasn't even been a generation. listen, that it's our god and we brought devastation on the peninsula, is bald revision. we were banished down here to this watchtower and the attendant fields.

"a quarter century ago after the death of the last church elder, we were a land without a Lord, a port nation of our own devices. but the empire couldn't abide that. so, when we were devastated fighting their great war, we coalesced into one tribe and started peddling traded goods to the mainland, only our caravans could safely make the climbs up the incline of the green cliffs and back to the peninsula, before the grand lift at the sharptooth.

"we were merchants and manned most imperial ships. we were officially a protectorate and overseen by a governor but that perverse bastard was just as bad as the kings we shed. he hated us. we had never been obligated to produce more grain than we needed before. we had paid our tithes in garum and salt, silks and steel. we also moved things, and people, from the far north to here, from here to the south. this peninsula was a bustling center of trade, but he started calling us bandits. privateers. pirates, finally. when the grand inquisitor came, we were accused of heresy and blasphemy against the church, of worshipping demons and the old gods. so we were decimated, rounded up, and sealed away. forced onto this village sized plot of land and the catacombs below, cut off from the rest of the empire.

"we withered and struggled, forced underground to survive on the fungi and molluscs living in the depths. our cries of desperation, despair, repentance, grief, rage…. it all echoed in the cold darkness. then the echoes became routine and we delved deeper and deeper until we found the audience chamber. the massive stone dome you saw down there. a relic of the ancient past. the chamber was large enough for all of us, heavily protected and had only one entrance, hidden close to the base of the main lift. it became our home. but we didn't have any scholars or priests left. our poor scribe couldn't see well enough to have been able to warn us.

"after a few years, our desperation called the flame. it came to us slowly and gradually then all at once. like a wildfire. it took most of us right away, turning the weakest minds into wandering husks. the strongest of them held out some sense but succumbed to the inner madness. the rest of us. those of us, above ground, like me. we can't get down there. the flame won't allow unworthy subjects in its domain, and the binding spell cast on this prison prevents anything entering or leaving the catacombs.

"sorry. I got carried away. me and my mates here, we were abroad and acting in an unofficial capacity when the shunning and selling took place. we'd each received a hawk telling us to forestall return home for some time. we abided our instructions but eventually we all found each other and couldn't bear the silence. so we came back. and now we're stuck here. we could leave if we could pass back up the incline, but with the watch and the miners, it's not possible.

"our people were sent down there to die a lonely slow death because we made a mad lord upset that he couldn't twist an unbroken land to his will. and the flame… the flame found them. I spoke to one of them, through the barrier. one of the ones who tried to get me to push through. the chaos flame isn't a god the way we know them, it's a thing, a concept. a force of nature. the destructive aspect of the cycle of creation and destruction. it is inevitable according to them.

"he said, the witch told them, "the flame will come. you cannot outrun it. it burns away every world in turn. you can only hope to make it smoulder and not consume." I have no idea who the witch was but before he returned to the depths, he said he heard him calling. calling them all back…"

[bmacreadz]

"House of Earth and Blood" by Sarah J. Maas

Oh my, Sarah J. Maas. I loved this book. I really, really loved this book. At 799 pages, it's the longest book on my "read" list this year, and it was worth every page.

"House of Earth and Blood" is set in a modern fantasy world and tells Bryce Quinlan's story of heartbreak, vengeance, understanding, acceptance, friendship, love, and redemption. Her story had everything, and I felt everything.

Bryce Quinlan, for the majority of "House of Earth and Blood," is a twenty-five year old half-human, half-Fae bastard daughter of the Autumn King of Luthanian. Her best friend is an Alpha wolf named Danika. Her brother is the crowned prince of the Fae, her mother and stepfather (who she considers her father) are human, and her lover turns out to be a fallen angel - "Fallen," because he was the commanding general in a failed rebellion that took place two hundred years prior to the events in this book. And if you think that's complicated... Just you wait.

Bryce is a hardened, stubborn, young woman just trying to live her life in her broken world. She's the stereotypical Maas female protaganist. And per usual, I found it super hard to relate to her. Maas portrays her female characters as secretly messed up, but tough, and wanting everyone to believe it by projecting sarcasm, selfishness, and mystery onto those they interact with. In my opinion, this makes them less fierce. Vulnerability, imagination, kindness - these are the things that read, to me, as being truly feminist. Not because women are dainty, passive creatures, but because we can be vulnerable and still be strong. We are sensitive AND resolute, imaginative AND mysterious, helpful AND capable. Bryce made me cringe with the way she acted towards people who were trying to help her and befriend her. The forced fierceness translated as petty angst. Granted, she was justified in her angst, but that merely made her average and sometimes even cruel, in my opinion. And I found it extremely hard to relate to her in the beginning of "House of Earth and Blood."

I was incredibly relieved when Hunt Anthalar, the Shadow of Death and Bryce's eventual shadow, finally put Bryce in her place by calling her out on her attitude. I get that she was hurting, and everything I disliked about her in the beginning was redeemed by the end of the book, but it still took me an unusually long time to actually start liking her. I also found it super hard to relate to her because of those damned heels that she insisted on wearing. Short, tight-fitting dresses and sky-high heels when you know you're in the middle of an intense investigation and at the mercy of an unexpected attack at any moment - it would definitely not have been my outfit of choice for every single day preparing to do everyday things.

Reading through Bryce and Hunt's interactions, though, made it so much easier to genuinely like our protaganists - both of them. They brought out the best in each other, and that was ultimately Bryce's redemption for me.

Moving on: There is so. much. to unpack in this entire story. There are so many characters, names, places, relics, rules, rulers, hierarchies, and stories within the main plot. It was incredibly confusing to try to keep up with everything during the first half of the book - especially because Maas stuck to her M.O. and used names that are not really names, but several letters put together to create something that might, in some world, resemble somewhat of a name. She also wasted no time in throwing all this information at the reader right at the beginning, so it was thoroughly mind-boggling and I forgot about half of it when that information actually became relevant - which it did later on in the book.

Thankfully, I had help in consolidating the information in the form of bookmarks, which I used at least once for every chapter - if not, every other chapter. I honestly don't know how I would've read this without going back to each part of the book where those things were mentioned to recap. If you read this, you will probably need to take notes to help guide you through all the backstories and histories of every character and place that's mentioned. Because it all does become relevant, and is not, in fact, random and extraneous information that I thought it to be in the beginning.

Also, if you read this, I would suggest practicing patience because there is a bit of back and forth in the book. I found myself getting so frustrated that the climax was being dragged about, and was furiously reading to finally arrive to it. I will say that the extra-long buildup was definitely worth the wait - and I was not expecting it at all, despite all the back and forth in every direction.

The ending of "House of Earth and Blood" was breathtaking, heartbreaking, and so, so powerful. I was in awe and shock, and I was sobbing before I even knew what was happening. I couldn't have imagined a better ending to this novel, and I'm still reeling over it two days later. So much so that I'm finding it hard to be interested in my current novel.

The ending, however, was also very open-ended. There was a lot there that was not addressed that I felt should have been immediately addressed. Like, where were all the other characters during and after that final, big scene? You know the scene I'm talking about. What happened to them? Where did they go? I still have no idea, but I'm hoping those answers will make it into the next book in the series...

Maas really did it in "House of Earth and Blood." She wrote an incredible story, and if I know her by her writing, this series is only going to get more interesting. I am completely blown away and so excited to get my hands on the next book, "House of Sky and Breath."

Before I leave this review, I do want to take time to note a couple of different things I noticed while reading, like Maas' use of the term "unearthly." Technically, everything on this planet (which is not earth) is unearthly and it was funny that the oversight was made. It wasn't a big deal, but it would've been nice for her to be a little more imaginative. There were also a lot of modern references and apparatuses that were used, including mobile phones, guns, and the types of clothing. This was an adjustment on my behalf because it was a new take on my normal fantasy reading, but I didn't dislike it once I got used to it.

I also want to mention that unlike Maas' other novels, this one lacked the steam that Maas is usually known for. There was barely one - not even one - whole sex scene in this entire novel. I was a bit perplexed because I was expecting, and hoping, for Hunt and Bryce to finally do the damn thing. Don't get me wrong, there were super intense moments where there was clearly something, but they never ended in anything.

Overall, yes. Just yes on this book. A resounding "YES!"

[achilleid]

EPYLLION { wip intro }

audience: new adult, adult (explicit violence and sexual content) genre: dark fantasy pov: trio third person limited, past tense rep: bisexual characters, gay characters, transgender character, character with emotional intensity disorder, multiple characters of color inspo: shadow of the colossus, gangs of new york, bloodborne, shadow and bone, final fantasy pinterest board: link spotify link: link tag list (+/-): @ladywithalamp @bebewrites @faelanvance @reowrites @pinespittinink @cream-and-tea @flowerprose @touchingmadness @measlywritingblog @inkingfireplace @muddshadow

Prologue and first four chapters: link

☾ SUMMARY ☽

Born without power in a land that covets nothing else, Shio Moravek has been outcasted and ostracized since the moment she was declared to be an illuni. "Moonless". One who can not manipulate the threads of reality to her will. Her position as the grand general's daughter provided her with protection, protection that vanishes in one night of bloodshed that will shake the foundation of her world to its hollow core— again.

✩ SETTING ✩

Argo is a wonder of Eldred making, the last remaining walled city built by the precurser race that came before. The final bastien of safety in a world of monsters and darkness, the city is Mavros' shining jewel... and the world's most desired conquest. The armistice between Mavros and the neighboring Illyrius has held true since the marraige of the Illyrian Emperor's daughter to the Mavronian king, an armistice that trembles on the brink of destruction. Outside the walls of the ancient city, the world has all but ended. The Eldred, in their hubris and desire for more power, had thrown the world to the edge of an abyss. A rift in the fabric of reality shattering the land and pouring out unnatural creatures and foul, incurable diseases that poisons what little remains to rot. And beneath? Beneath the hollows of this dying earth lays the Below. As mysterious as it is deep, it has held the secrets of the extinct Eldred for centuries, entombed in shadow. This is a world that has ended. A world shuddering its final death rattle while those lucky few cling to its last remaining life raft.

☾ Main POV Characters ☽

Shio Moravek; eldest daughter to Leos Moravek, the grand general of Mavros. Raised on duty and expectation in equal measure, Shio has always strived to be what she was expected to be— until the day she failed her testing and was proven to be an illuni. With her background mired in rumor, the proud and cold nobles of her homeland have shunned and rejected her all her life. Through her father's friendship with the king, she was admitted to the prestigious Anthea College to study spherence despite having no sphere of her own.

Leonores "Nell" Moravek; youngest daughter to Leos Moravek and the second most powerful spherest to be born in a century. Having inheirited her father's kineti abilities, much is also expected of Nell and her future as a protector of her homeland. Unlike her sister, Nell chaves beneath the chains of honor and duty, wishing instead for a freedom she may never be afforded.

Enoch Volkov; The thief lord's boy. The king's bastard. All Enoch's life, his parent's titles have proceeded his own identity— an identity no one is keen to let him forget. All his life he has been treated as a chip to cash, a favor to call in, ignoring at all times the gnawing desire in his chest to be more. To be the heir to a destiny of his own making... a wish he may grow to regret.

[theladyscarlettt]

Forgotten Figures (pt. 3)

Link to Forgotten Figures (pt. 2)

---

*Warning: none

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To refrain from asking too many questions he settled for sneaking glances at her across the crackling fire. He was undoubtedly intoxicated by her appearance. She had changed so much. She was always toned and strong, but now her figure was even more defined. Each muscle was perfectly carved, like the sacred statues of the great Elvish Warriors. Her face, while still radiating unmeasurable beauty, had aged, faint lines rest beneath her eyes. This was uncommon for Elves, for such aging would take place over thousands of years. To him, these marks symbolized wisdom and experience, something that enticed him greatly. However, the element that sparked the most curiosity within him was her hair. Her hair which use to hang past her waist in silky, elegant curls and braids, was now bluntly cut just below the collar bone, with no braids. 

Braids in the Elven culture were symbolic of nobility, grace and honor.

Honor, he thought, what did he know of that.

As she sat, across the fire, sharpening her blades, she refused to look in his direction. If it were not for the dreadful storm and lurking orcs, she would have left as soon as she had arrived; However, as much as she convinced herself this to be true, something in her was grateful for threats.

Gimli and Aragorn sat side by side, dining on a small rabbit like creature they captured in one of the alleys. As they eat, they shared mutual glances of confusion and interest, yet neither questioned the two elves.

“M’Lady, Would you care for a leg?” He mumbled through a mouth full of rabbit meat, offering a leg to her.

“I do not eat meat, but thank you for the offer.” She said.

Gimli let out a booming chuckle, “Ha! Don’t eat meat! Lass, let me tell you, you are missing out on one of the few pleasures of this world.”

“Well, if that’s true, I would hate to take away such joy from you, dwarf. You look like you could use a little excitement considering your company.” She said with a grin.

Gimli erupted in laughter, “Ha! I like you, lassie! You are a far more enjoyable elf than our princess over there” he said gesturing to Legolas, who was leaning against a wall, re-stringing his bow.

She looked over to him and caught his eyes just for a second before he looked away.

Silence fell over the group, the only sound was that of the storm and Gimli’s chewing. Aragorn looked between the two and finally cleared his throat.

“I just realized, I never properly thanked you for saving my life today.” He said, absent mindedly touching the bindings beneath his tunic, “Thank you...?”

“Y/N” She said, bowing her head to him with a warm smile.

“Y/N...” Aragorn said, tilting his head at the familiar name.

“Y/N,” Gimli echoed, “I’ve heard that name before, passed around by the tongue of man and dwarf. They say he be the King’s prodigy warrior, who was exiled for a stolen relic of the royal family. Some say the King framed the poor bastard himself, was afraid he’d try and over throw the throne or some shit one day. Ha! Nay, but that was just an old wives’ tale we told the Wee- Laddies to scare ‘em from stealing rum.”

Aragorn stared at him in utter embarrassment while Gimli licked his fingers clean. When he was done, Gimli looked around the room to see the creatures staring at him.

“What?” He said.

“Gimli, the elf of which you speak sits in your company.” Aragorn mumbled, after a beat.

Gimli’s eyes widened in horror as he looked at Legolas, “Laddie! I had no idea!”

“He does not speak of me, Gimli.” Legolas said dryly, his gaze falling on Y/N.

Now Gimli was in a full panic, his hands covered his mouth. “OOO, M’Lady! My sincerest apologizes, I always thought that story to be a wee bit dramatic myself and the ladd- lass, sorry, certainly was no thief-“

“It’s alright, Gimli.” She said silencing him.

After a moment, Legolas stood, “The storm has calmed, I’m going to scout the area while there is still the cover of the moon.” He left the hall quickly.

The room once again fell silent. Gimli stood and walked over to Y/N, resting a hand gently on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Lassie. I meant no offense truly.” He said softly.

She looked at him with a sad smile, “How could I be upset when you had no knowledge of whom I was? All is forgiven, my friend.”

She stood and walked towards a window that over looked the barren hills that surrounded the small, forgotten village.

“Is it true?” Aragorn spoke, disrupting the unnerving silence.

She turned to face him.

“The story. Is it true?” He repeated with a tone of pure, innocent curiosity.

She looked to the dusty, stone floor and then back out the window, a sorrowful look contorted her dimly lit face.

“No.” She finally said, her eyes gazed out the window, as if she were seeing the past she’d tried so hard to bury for the first time.

“What happened then?” Gimli questioned.

“I was betrayed.”

Link to Forgotten Figures (pt. 4)

[heliosthegriffin]

Infernis Dominus

An aged Cardin Winchester walks down the halls into a well decorated throne room.

The years had been good to him, the graying in his hair natural and he supported a mighty mustache and mutton chops, and even in his more advanced years he still looked as formidable as he did in his prime.

Whether it was due to his aura control, a healthy life style, or duty he was driven by, was impossible to be told and did not matter as he was as well mentally as he was physically. He would continue to serve.

He took to one knee in a bow before a marble and golden throne that was draped in blue tapestry with a pair of golden arcs in the center.

At the center of the throne was a enigma of a man, one who was both boyish, but clearly a man, young but showed age with the strands silver hairs in his golden hair and the laugh lines on his face, blues eyes that carried playful energy and harsh weight, a body that was built to destroy that was covered by heavy armor and held a dreadful sword at his side, but he carried himself with an aura of peace and warmth. Divine, but clearly a Man.

This is Jaune Arc, Lord of the Arc Covenant, Paragon of War, and Master of Conquest.

“My friend, why do you bow? It is only the two of us here.”

Cardin rose up on his feet, and waved off his comrade. “Paah, even if it is only us two I pay my respects to my superiors, circumstance must not be forgotten, otherwise discipline dies and chaos reigns.” Jaune raised a brow. “Hmm, I suppose, but I think its the stick up your ass.”

“If it’d keep you from slouching so much, I’d shove a log up yours.”

Jaune feigned pain. “Oh, such immodesty, is that anyway to speak to your king!”

“If I didn’t know you spent you’re free time in your harem chamber, or playing with those miscreants street rats you’ve taken in, I’d almost pretend to believe you.”

Jaune smirked at him. “To be fair, my wives have taken a quite the likening to them, and my brood has practically adopted them.”

Cardin shook his head in good-nature. “Oh, how are we suppose to remove you from your chambers now.”

“I suppose I shall have to move my throne in there.”

Both men then shared a laugh.

Jaune wiped a tear from his eyes. “How goes Carmine?”

“Oh, you know we’re in a stable, happy, monogamous marriage. No drama, no sleeping order, and no random bastards either.”

“Pfff, I bet you two have great sex too.”

A doopey smile ran across Cardin’s face. “Very.” 

Jaune barked out a laugh.

“Anyway, she’s happy, we’ve got a grandchild on the way soon, so she’s practically move into our’s son’s house, and using her semblance to knit everything, and has more or less got our daughter in law on house arrest.”

Jaune rolled his eyes. “That sounds like Carmine.”

“So how goes you harem, every man’s dream or so they say.”

Jaune sunk into his throne. “Exhausting, I should have never gone above six, but like an idiot I married twelve!” A wide smile broke across his face, and he opened his hand revealing a white orb of aura, where a dozen faces could be spied within. “Its damn tiring keeping up with them, trying to keep track of the hierarchy, and if it’s not a damn orgy to keep them all satisfied, it’s who gets to sleep with who. Sometimes though I have to man up and lay down the law, because at the end of the day I run this show, whether I like it or not.”

He forms another orb of aura, and another till he had twelve floating orbs, each showing a face of one of his wives as he watched them through his aura.

“I soul-bounded each one to each other and myself, I wanted them to know how honest I was about how they had a place in my heart.” With a wave of his hands the orbs shaped together to form a heart with each woman forming a piece of it. He rested a hand under his chin as he look at them. “I have to stop myself from having doubts sometimes, as they can feel it and I don’t want to worry them.”

He pulled the heart towards himself and held it between his hands. He looked at the many loves of his life. “I wouldn’t trade anyone of them,” He crushed the heart between his hands, the last look Cardin got his friends wives was a look of contentment and peace as a wave of aura washed over them.

Jaune then look at Cardin.

“So what do you have for me today? Any news about the battle front?”

Cardin then sighed. “About that, we won.”

Jaune raise a brow. “Excuse me?”

“We have done it, all land on Remnant, all known land in system as been taken by you, Sir. That was actually the reason I come to visit you today.”

“I thought you wished to converse with a long-time friend.”

“That too, anyway we’ve repelled the Grimm, and surrounded the Pools of Darkness with kill nests, any Primordial Grimm have either gone into hiding and we can kill at our leisure, or have been exterminated, the last of the planets in our system have sworn under your leadership, and finally we repelled any attempts by the Brothers and they’re minions to renter the system, not that they’ve tried very hard since you chased them off.”

Jaune smirked and thumbed his sword. “Shame, I was hoping to kill a god.”

“So, I’ve come to ask what next?”

Jaune put his hands on his sword and thought for a moment, looking out at his stain glass windows.

Cardin watch his friend with slight worry.

Ever since they met at the academy over fifty years ago, Jaune’s desire to make the world a better place and to be a hero had guided him. It’s what won Cardin and so many others over, what made him put together a militia when they found evidence of the councils corruption, what put him as the King of Vale, what made him go to war with Atlas and Mistral over the treatment of Faunus, why he put the world under his banner, why he absorbed the relics and dominated their spirits, why he killed the undying witch and put to rest the old wizard, and why he took over the solar system and cast out the gods in a duel.

What would they do with all the power in not only the world, but the solar system.

“Well, I suppose we need to make sure we can hold our territory, make sure we keep the world healthy, make sure that the other planets get along properly, and keep our strength up. Never know when the brothers or some-other gods out there will want some new ‘Congregation’. But, otherwise? I cannot say yet, for I have a pestering idea that I have yet to outline.”

“As you will it then, I shall have it done.”

“As you will then. By the way, come by again soon.”

Cardin nodded. “With Pleasure.”

“No, no, no, I’m going with pleasure!” Then Jaune walked off his throne and into his chambers. “It helps clear my mind.”

Cardin rolled his eyes. “Sure it does.”

-------

Fifteen Years later---

------

Cardin had grown slightly older, but other wise looked the same.

He was looking over piles of documents with his friends and colleagues, Lie Ren and Sun Wukong. Both of them having aged quite well, with Sun looking in his mid forties and Ren hardly touching thirty.

The doors were flung open, a wind knocking all their papers over, as Jaune strode in a broad smile on his face, still hardly having aged at all.

“Friends and Allies, I have decied our next step!”

Ren carefully rose from his seat. “What might that be?”

Jaune ripped Crocea Rexus from his sheath. “I’m glad you asked, we’re conquering hell! For too long have gods unworthy of our faith had control of our souls, no longer! We will liberate them and allow them salvation!”

Sun started clapping. “Yeah lets do this!”

Cardin raised a greying eye brow. “How might we do this though?”

“Oh ho hoh! I’ve been practicing for this question, for the last decade I have been experimenting with dimensional and spiritual barriers, and I have found I can cut them, like this!”

Jaune then took a slash at empty air causing it to twist and contort as space itself was destroyed leaving a hellish red light to fill the room, a large red hand then reach through and pulled itself out.

A gigantic demon emerged.

It then fell in half as Jaune resheathed his sword.

“Pesky creatures they are, so you boys in? I already got my militia going with me.”

Ren shook his head. “Jaune you don’t have to form a militia every time you want to overthrow something. You’re literally the king of the solar system, you have an army at your beck and call.”

“I do If I want to keep favor with the people, and honestly it’s more fun that way.”

Ren sighed in annoyance.

Cardin then got up and called his wife. “Yeah, It’s Jaune. Yep it’s a crusade, Hell, this time. I’ll be back alive or you’ll kick my ass, love you too.”

“I take you’re all accepting?”

“You know it!”

“Someone has to keep you in line.”

“What he said.”

Jaune then raise his sword and rushed into Hell, his Militia outside following as he screamed. “Glorious!”

AN: I am so annoyed, this is second time I had to write this because the first time I wrote it, It got deleted because I had accidentally hit the inspect button and it all went down the pipe.

[watanabes-cum-dump]

Frostbite and Burn scars  Chater 3) Godless

"So we're in Khaenr'iah..." 

"Yes" 

"And it's on a completely plane of existence..." 

"Not completely different, just on the border between life and death but yes go on"

"And there's just a portal to this place in Musk Reef?" 

"Congratulations you've caught yourself up" Kaeya said sarcastically, standing up. 

Diluc rubbed his temple and wondered just why the hell he decided to jump into a swirling blue light with a no good spy. But it was too late for second thoughts, Kaeya said that the portal only opens every moon cycle so he'd be stuck here for a while. 

"Why exactly does the portal need a moon cycle specifically?" Diluc asked, irritated. 

"Well it's a very old relic" Kaeya had said "It's magic is weakening. It used to be a continuous portal back before I was born, but in recent years it's power has slowed down and it requires time to recharge. Plus do you know how taxing it is to travel in between different dimensions? It requires a significant amount of magic, it's amazing how it still works." 

Diuc adjusted his gloves again, it was an odd habit of his to do it whenever he was anxious. Now, in another nation, in another world, he found himself doing it quite a lot. Perhaps it felt familiar, the tug almost felt like holding someone's hand, though he'd be surprised if holding hands felt different. He hadn't held anyone's in years. 

"Well, let's go now" Kaeya said, walking in the direction of the city. 

"Why would they recognize you?" Diluc asked. He had met Kaeya when he was five, Kaeya was seven. He can't have lived for more than a few months in Mondtadt before father found him. He'd know, Kaeya kept crying and mumbling for his father in his sleep. It's probably been years since he had last been seen around here. And who's to say time didn't work different here? 

"Why would they forget their prince?" 

Diluc's head snapped to see a man coming from deeper into the forest. He wore mostly black with blues and golds decorating him, blonde hair hung half down and obscured an odd mask that only covered his right eye that was glowing yellow. A long cape flowed behind him as he walked, and he bowed respectfully before Kaeya and him. No, more to Kaeya. 

"I'm sorry, prince?" Diluc inquired, turning to look at Kaeya for an answer. 

"With all due respect, Prince Kaeya, you've never told this man who you were?" 

Kaeya shrugged "Never had a reason to" he said nonchalantly "If you'd like, you may introduce me properly to my dear associate here. You are a royal advisor and herald after all, Dainsleif" 

The man, Dainsleif stood up "May I introduce to you Lord Kaeya Alberich, heir to the throne of Kaenr'iah, son of the the Crescent Moon dynasty, and Kaenri'ah's savior" he said. He didn't seem to be lying and the way Kaeya held himself right now, seemed to suggest that it was the truth. Kaeya wasn't some bastard, he was a fucking prince. 

"Hmm, never gets old" Kaeya mused. "Diluc, this is Dainsleif. He's a trusted friend of house Alberich and one of my father's closest and youngest advisors. Speaking of dear old dad, I heard the young man has finally kicked the bucket?" 

Dainsleif nodded "Indeed. I arranged for you to be brought back here for his funeral and your eventual coronation as king" 

Dilcu saw Kaeya's fists clench, seemingly not fond of the idea of being king. He couldn't argue with that, being a carefree prince seemed easier than a king with the fate of an entire kingdom on his shoulders. 

"I believe you said your companions name was Diluc?" 

"Hmm? Oh yes, this is Diluc, he's a member of the Fatui, an organization that has helped me with my goal quite a bit" 

Dainsleif looked at Diluc suspiciously,  Diluc pretended not to notice and tried to prevent himself from maiming Kaeya for using the Fatui of all originations for cover. "Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have a guest..."

"That's the spirit!" Kaeya cheered.

"There's a carriage awaiting us, just this way, Prince Kaeya, brother Diluc" 

Diluc still couldn't quite wrap his head around the whole "Prince Kaeya" thing. Prince? This bastard? Well, bastard doesn't really suit him anymore. 

"I see you're still a bit confused about all of this, Diluc?" Kaeya asked. 

Dainsleif had ushered them into a carriage and rode on horseback behind them, the carriage itself was nicer than anything Diluc's ever been in. Yes he was wealthy and had seen his fare share of luxuries, but this carriage was a lot nicer than the ones Dilucs been in, and this was just a fraction of Kaeya's fortune as a prince. 

"You could say that..."

"Hmm yes, I'm well aware that Mondstadt and most of the other nations don't have set rulers, rather most are overseen by an organization or a council" 

"And why is Kaenri'ah not? The monarchy system never worked for the other nations" 

Kaeya's eye turn bitter and dark for a moment, peering out of the window "Kaenri'ah  doesn't have a god to guide them like the other nations do. So, they turn to royalty to be their gods, to worship and grovel at their feet, to rule them with the flaws of man. It's rater pitiful" 

Dilcu had never really thought of it that way. There was always someone with power over the nation, but not in charge as a whole. That was because the respective archon of the nation was seen as the true ruler. He knew that some archons even lived amongst their people like royalty, Rex Lapis had for a time he had heard. 

"Oh..." 

Humans ruling humans, what a mistake. No wonder Kaenri'ah was falling apart. They were godless, abandoned, they refused the gods. They made their own gods and ignored the warnings of the archons. An entire nation, suffering from pride. No wonder Kaeya's symbol was the peacock, all flare, too proud to pay any attention, to bow down to anyone. Fitting for a godless country

There seemed to be peacock motifs everywhere in Khaenri'ah. Flagpoles flew the emblem of a peacock, citizens were dressed in rich blues and greens, with gold adorning those who looked to be part of a wealthier caste. The godless city, suffering from their hubris, proudly flying flags with a peacock of all things on them. What fools. Dilcu almost wanted to laugh at the irony. 

"Diluc" 

Red eyes met a single lilac one "Be careful. The walls have ears here in Kaenri'ah. Be careful of what you say" 

Diluc scoffed "Are you concerned about me?" 

Kaeya shrugged "If you don't want them to find out. And frankly, I'd like it if I didn't have to say I didn't know you. The people here are going to maim you if they find out you're this... defender of Mondstadt" 

Kaeya had a point, for once. Mondstadt was supposed to be Kaenri'ah's enemy. Diluc would be dead if he was found out. He didn't really have a choice. He was stuck here until the gateway opened again and he could return home. Home... to that empty mansion, to the quiet tavern, with no one but servants and workers surrounding him. Mondtadt's most eligible bachelor, the wealthy young prodigy, the rich and famous Master Diluc! What a joke. Empty lies, all of them. 

They rode on in silence for a while, Kaeya absentmindedly looking out the window while Diluc sat and looked down at his feet.

"We're here" Kaeya said. The door to the carriage opened, the two men stepped out, and Diluc's breath hitched at the site of the giant palace. Architecture unlike any he's ever seen, the colossal white and grey palace almost seemed to scrape the heavens. 

"Welcome to Babylon, palace of the godless"

A colossal palace, built so high it scraped the heavens. A vain attempt to reach the gods. How fitting, Kaenri'ah really was the city of peacocks, the city of fools and bastard, city of the godless. 

[blueares]

Ruination Rewrite: Interlude IV

The light fades and you find yourself standing in Sentinel headquarters, though an ominous sense of dread lingers in the air around you. Your base seems to be in even worse condition than it was before, and the screams of wraiths seem to surround the entire island.

Riven: “There you guys are! Where were you!?”

Lucian: “Nevermind that! What’s the situation? Where’s Senna?”

Diana: “She has been taken… As has the seamstress.”

Lucian: “No!”

“What happened?”

“Taken by who?”

Shen: *Cough cough* “The Ruined King came in the dead of night. He assaulted the island, raided our vaults, and seized the fetters.” *Cough*

Jayce: “Hey, take it easy! You’re hurt.”

You look around the map room to see your comrades tending each other’s wounds. Sure enough, Senna and Gwen look to be missing.

Akshan: “I have a great many questions, but I suppose now is not the time to be asking them.”

Vayne: “And just who the hell are you?”

Rengar: “One of your clansmen from Shurima. He carries a fabled Relic with incredible power.”

Akshan: “Indeed! I am Akshan, and this is the Absolver! I am here to aid my comrades in their time of need, although… I appear to be a little late this time.”

Graves: “A little!?” *Cough* “Boy, this legendary weapon better be somethin’ else.”

Lucian: “Damn it… It’s my fault! We went all the way to Shurima to find some ‘secret weapon’ that may not even work, and now Senna is-”

Akshan: “It does work! I would not be standing here otherwise.”

“What do you mean?”

“Where would you be standing then?”

Akshan: “I… Died. A long time ago. It was Shadya who saved me, using the power of the Absolver. She killed my murderer and used its power to resurrect me. So, here I am, all thanks to her and this weapon.”

Olaf: “A weapon that undoes death!? Ugh… Keep that thing far away from me!”

Shen: “Such a weapon… Defies the natural order. It goes against everything the Kinkou stand for!”

“Come on, it can’t be worse than the Black Mist!”

“Maybe we need an imbalance to stop an imbalance!”

Shen: “…You are beginning to sound like my brother. Tread carefully.”

Riven: “So what are we supposed to do now? Our base is ruined, our commander is gone, and Viego has all the fetters. This… Isn’t looking great.”

Lucian: “We go after him, that’s what! Rookie, fire up the Wayfinder again! Rumor has it that there’s an old Sentinel base built within the Shadow Isles themselves! Dunno if it’s occupied, dunno if it even has a Nexus, but it’s the best chance we’ve got!”

Jayce: “So, what, you want to just storm the Shadow Isles? That’s your plan?”

Lucian: “You got a better one?”

Olaf: “I say we do it! The bastard stormed our base, now let’s storm his!”

Vayne: “Do you ever think about anything OTHER than getting yourself killed?”

Once again, the Sentinels begin to bicker amongst themselves. You feel a familiar anger building within you, but before you can speak, someone else beats you to the punch.

Akshan: “Hmph! So these are the Sentinels of Light? Not at all what I was expecting. If Shadya were here, she would surely give you all a proper scolding!”

Diana: “Who is Shadya?”

Akshan: “My teacher. The one who saved my life. She is the one who took me in and made me a Sentinel. I might not have always paid attention to her lessons, but the one things she made sure I remembered was the Sentinel oath.”

I swear by the light of the ancients...

I will not run from darkness. I will light the way with a steadfast heart, And face each shadow with a ready weapon As a beacon, a warrior, a Sentinel, I defend myself, my fellows, and my world. May we stand together in the light, or fall in darkness. Fight bravely and remember your oath."

Akshan: “Shadya lived and died by those words. She gave her life to uphold the creed, and though I have not abandoned my quest to save her, I will not allow her death to be in vain. She would want this scoundrel, this Ruined King, to face his comeuppance, and I intent to honor that wish!”

Diana: “…Well said.”

Riven: “Huh. Looks like Rookie may have a rival when it comes to giving speeches.”

“That wasn’t half-bad.”

“Let’s go give Viego his comeuppance!”

Akshan: “Thank you, thank you. Now then, shall we be on our way? As I said before: talk is cheap. Now, we must act.”

Though still weary from their previous battle, the Sentinels all gather around the world map in preparation for one last mission. Your final battle is hand: one last effort to stop the Ruined King’s ambition and save Runeterra.

Lucian: “Hang on, Senna. We’re coming for you.”

[jq37]

The Royal Report– A Crown of Candy Ep 11 In the Mountains of Sweetness

Requiem 

The Rocks family is on the run but they’re also in mourning. As they sail up the Cola River, they stop to do repairs to the ship and pay their respects to Jet at a bright pink hill under a tree--her final resting place.

The remaining kids are in opposite worlds emotionally speaking--Liam is fully sobbing (which we find out later is largely him still being messed up over Preston) while Ruby is hollow and bitter. Amethar (after almost murdering a Jellybean farmer with poor timing who wanders onto the scene) eulogizes about how much Jet taught all of them (including that “to defeat monsters you must become one” which mmm don’t love where his head is at; also, Brennan says he seems to almost have this new sobriety which I think, mechanically, is him having taken a level of Battlemaster Fighter). 

Cara, also a wreck as you’d expect, wonders if Jet died thinking she didn’t love her and wishes Jet would have just listened to her--something that Ruby takes as blaming Jet for her own death, causing her to stalk off. Cara is too in her grief to really react but Theo goes after her. As he does, Cumulous notices that, for a split second, Ruby’s shadow seemed to be out of sync with her actions. But only for a second. 

When Theo catches up to her, Ruby gets really upset and says that she blames her parents, Lazuli, and herself for Jet’s death. Theo says that Jet wouldn’t have blamed her and that she died in battle, like she wanted. Even still, Ruby doesn’t know how she’s going to go on without her. Theo says that he takes comfort in Lazuli’s research and the thought that Jet might not be truly gone. She could be around and protecting them right now. “She was always protecting us,” Ruby says before mind-hopping into Yak and flying above the ship so she doesn’t have to deal with her emotions for the moment.

Once she’s gone, Theo breaks down for a second and then summons Sprinkle...to dismiss him. He tells Sprinkle he’s done a great job but he needs to go back where he came from and have Jet send a new familiar as a sign. Sprinkle tearfully leaves and, almost immediately (which is not how the spell traditionally works btw) a Black Licorice viper shows up which Theo names Princess and which bites him for no reason. Feels right.

Back at the grave-site, Cara starts to walk away but Amethar catches her and leads her back to the ship. They run into Theo and when she sees him with his new familiar, she goes off on him: Oh Jet is watching over us? Who was watching over her? And don’t think I don’t know about your crush on Lazuli. I have one daughter left. You think you can do a better job at protecting her? That kind of thing. She goes to board the ship but Amethar stays behind saying he’ll be with her in a minute, something that made *me* feel like I was about to get chewed out by Amethar’s wife.

Liam remembers that Cal--the traitor--saved Jack and Brie and decides to (as he is wont to do) ask about it in the clumsiest way possible. Jack says that they didn’t meet up with Cal on purpose or anything--they just happened to stumble across him and, now that he thinks about it, it was weirdly easy the way Cal got them through enemy lines and stuff. He seems pretty on the level so Liam does his Ranger thing to check for danger while they’re docked.

Back with Theo and Amethar, Theo says he’s fine so Amethar catches up with Cara and says that she can’t turn on Theo like that. They don’t have a lot of allies left. On a dirty 20 Persuasion check, we are spared the marital spat of a lifetime and instead she just presses herself against him and he brings her into a hug.

Sweet Life on Deck*

*I knew I’d get to use it eventually!

The next day, as they set sail, Cara apologizes to Theo for taking her grief out on him and he’s very gracious about it--also assuring her that he doesn’t hate her for winning Lazuli’s affections as she suggested nor does he have a crush on her--he just strongly believes in her ideals.

Cumulous finds Ruby to have a chat with her about his favorite topic (well second fave after magical items)--death. Ruby says that, with Jet dead, all she cares about is revenge and that she’s dead inside. Cumulous, who clearly doesn’t have Inspiring Speech on his character sheet (or, if he does, learned from Kristen), rambles about death for a bit before saying that though they’ll all die eventually, she doesn’t have to die yet and gives Ruby his necklace from Lazuli. She pockets it and walks away.   

Liam, with his Ranger senses, knows they’re being followed but also knows that they have the jump on them so they shouldn’t have a problem staying ahead. Jack and Amethar have a heart to heart wherein Jack blames himself for spilling the beans about Ghee and Amethar says it’s not his fault. They reaffirm that they’re in it together for the long haul. 

In the night, Liam has an intense dream involving familiar snarling, heat, smoke, chocolate, and cinnamon. Ruby wakes up in the middle of the night with Lazuli’s necklace glowing a little bit. The glow fades and then she notices, like Cumulous did, that her shadow is a little off--but it quickly corrects itself. All messed up, she goes onto the deck and finds that she can suddenly see perfectly in the dark. And, on a Nat 20 Perception check, she sees that the eye of the Lazuli necklace is a little creased, like it has smile lines. It glows brightly and casts her shadow on the wall--except it’s not the shadow she should have. It looks like her except the hair--the hair is in a long braid. Ruby presses her forehead against the forehead of the shadow and finds that it’s warm. And, as she does so, she fully breaks down for the first time since Jet’s death and the shadow does so alongside her. (Mechanically speaking, Ruby took a level of Shadow Sorcerer).

In the morning they dock, having gotten as far up the river as the ship can take them. It’s a long trip to the mountains and Muffinfield--Cal’s territory--is in their path. They have the option to go through the town fully, take the more off the beaten path route, or a little of both but either way it’s gonna take at least a full week (and up to three if they fully avoid the town). They decide to take the hybrid route which takes them into Muffinfield to begin with. It’s a rich province and very Bulbian. Tons of Imperial guards, tons of churches, and, in fact, they see a church putting on one of those puppet show/morality plays. Amethar makes the, mmm, unwise decision to check it out and sees that it’s a play about the Rocks family, depicting him as a horny lout, Cara as an airheaded bimbo, and the twins as feral bastards. Ruby sets the puppets on fire and Amethar hustles her away before she can do something more rash.

After that, they get to the woods--staying for a night with a lady so old and out of touch that she doesn’t even know that Amethar’s dad isn’t king anymore. Theo thanks Liam for saving Jet’s body and they bond over how much rage they have over, like, everything that's happened.

The Gang Gets Scooped

When they get back on the road (with some not so hot stealth checks), they see a little gingerbread guy in a Peter Pan cap who’s trying to pull his friend out from under a rock. Theo, knight to his core, rushes to help but Liam, who’s on the warpath, decides to shoot him. An insane course of action but he’s not wrong because a net captures both Theo and the gingerbread man and this turns out to be an ambush. The “friend” was a doll and the Gingerbread man (Swifty is his name) pulls a lollipop shiv on Theo because of course. When Theo says he’s not pro-Bulb, Swifty calls for Gooey--the chief marauder who is this buff warrior woman with half her face melted (like melted chocolate) like she was badly burned. She and this chocolate viking dude (Jon Bon) discuss whether they should take the group to the queen, which they decide to do, shackling everyone (though Liam and Ruby successfully conceal their thieves' tools in their hands for a later escape). At the mention of the queen, the assembled marauders start chanting “Long live the queen”--harkening back to the mountain gratifi from two episodes ago. They take them to their secret hideout in the mountains while Swifty runs ahead to let them know they’re coming. 

All their captors are Candian but they’re all deformed in some way and/or have old Sucrosi tattoos and Sweetening Path stuff, ears of Ceresians/Vegetanians on necklaces (EARS BRENNAN?), and defiled Bulbian relics. They’re from all over but they seem like they’ve been living this life for years.

The hideout is kinda built into the cliff side and it has this big rock outside like the standing stones the SPF has (menhir is the technical term).  It’s also covered in a layer of snow and very cold. Magical light is glowing as they pass through the entrance. Cumulous can feel very powerful magic at work. There’s a ton of ceremony and fanfare and chanting in advance of the queen’s arrival--these people seem to really love their queen, and so do we because out comes Queen Saccharina Frostwhip aka, Emily’s new character (aka Rina because I’m not typing that every time)! 

She is this extremely cool (in both senses of the word) ice-cream sorcerer with a magic staff (Winterscoop) and two swords and is majorly serving sweet but frosty-cool energy. Liam and Ruby spring everyone from their chains and Rina aggressively sweetly says that she would have freed them soon enough. She calls herself the legal ruler of Candia and when Cara questions that she says that she has another last name: Ghee. Amethar, is like, “Oh shit,” but she says that she’s not here to force a relationship on him, she just thinks they can all be useful to each other, especially since she’s the legal heir as the child of his legal marriage and someone not in open rebellion with the Concord. Theo is like, “That all checks out.” He asks Amethar if this is actually his kid and he sees in Rina Ghee’s eyes and his own swagger. Yeah, that’s his kid. In turn, she recognizes Cumulous as a monk of the Order of the Spinning Star. She, like half the party it feels--is a huge Lazuli stan, can feel her magic on him, and believes in her mission. She says she’s seen Lazuli in her dreams when she was little and Cumulous in her sees someone who can, in a lot of ways, take up Lazuli’s mantle and start rebuilding Candian magic rather than just doing triage like the monks have been. He bows to her. Ruby is not having any of this though and says that Rina isn’t her sister or her queen.

Theo asks Princess if they should trust her--she’s saying all the right things but he’s wary--and gets a bite which tells him nothing.

Ice Feast

Rina, upon being told special guests were coming, had a feast prepared which is described as Robin Hood-y. Amethar is like, “This is cool but the Bulbian church is literally trying to kill us so maybe we focus on that?” Rina says that that works for her. All Amethar has to do is recognize her as his daughter and heir and everything will be square--if the church wants to go after them at that point, they’ll have to break their own rules. Ruby, who’s still being obstinate says that it won’t work because she’s clearly a heretic with an allegiance to the Sweetening Path but Rina says and Jack confirms that as long as you kiss the ring in public, no one really cares what you do on your home turf. 

Ruby accuses her of not knowing what she’s talking about because she’s been hidden away her whole life and Rina shoots back (still smiling) that she’s actually been traveling the world, building her followers from scratch which she had to do because she came from nothing. Amethar (who’s in the, I would have to imagine, pretty novel position of watching his daughters fight) breaks it up. Cara--who fully hates that not only is this happening, it’s also their best shot--takes Ruby with her to have their meal somewhere else and Ruby, who has found someone to hate more than her mom, willingly goes. 

Rina has a sidebar with Amethar where she apologizes for popping up randomly and upsetting his entire family. She always wanted to meet them and she’s sorry that these are the circumstances. Amethar says that it’s not her fault--they’ve just been through a hell of a lot lately and they’re kind of emotionally spent but she’s actually a huge asset to them politically right now and he’s sure that once things are calm, things will be different on the relationship front. 

Ruby can’t believe Cara is taking all of this lying down and Cara (who is full John Mulaney, “This might as well happen,”) says she can’t remember the last time she had a handle on her life which is news to Ruby who thought she *was* the handle. Cara hits her with the unfortunate truth that no one--least of all kings and queens--knows what they’re doing or can really control it. All she can control is what she’s doing next which is having a bath. Ruby decides to, instead, cast Invisibility and look around for anything suspicious. 

After seeing a bunch of stolen loot, weapons, and Candian artifacts it seems like Rina’s trying to preserve, she eventually finds Rina in her quarters. On a 25 Perception to Ruby’s 24 Stealth, Rina clocks her and whispers, “I’m not here to take your family, little sister. I look forward to the day that we are friends.” Ruby, channeling Adaine in a big way, flips invisible double middle fingers. 

Cumulous is in another room, just fanboy happy-crying over all of Rina’s magic stuff in some of the funniest scenes Zac has ever done which is saying a lot. I cannot overstate how funny Zac crying over an imaginary ring pop is.  

Theo also finds Rina and asks about her visions of Lazuli. She says it happened when she was very young and her powers were just manifesting. She was in a place where magic wasn’t supported and the connection was all but beaten out of her. But she can also sense Lazuli’s presence in Theo. Ruby, still invisible, pipes up that she sees Lazuli too so she’s not special and Rina shoots back that she can also see Ruby while invisible, which is pretty special. This dissolves into a little sibling spat which Rina says she enjoys because she’s never had a sister to fight with before. The comment sets off Ruby again who says she already had a sister and she’s dead and she can’t replace her. She runs off.

Theo and Rina speak a little more and she reveals that she doesn’t really care about the throne. She just cares about bringing back magic and destroying the church (which means she’ll fit right in with the rest of the fam--not really wanting the throne and plotting against the church. The family business). 

After the feast, Gooey brings out the war maps (moving the Jawbreaker flag away from Castle Manylicks and deeper into the mountain and putting an ice cream cone flag deep into the mountains) and a bunch of magic tomes which Rina starts reading. Ruby notices that a lot of the tomes are written in Lazuli’s hand, she had a way to tap into the SPF’s runes, and that she wrote some kind of warning about the SPF--Lazuli did not trust or revere the SPF. Liam sees a book with the same ice cream symbol as the flag on the map and it’s a book of lost beast lore--including an ancient spirit described on pages scented like cinnamon and seemingly bound in some way (and also amongst a lot of SPF talk): Dracoria Azucar (or, Sugar Dragon). 

Anyway, Rina says that the SPF has done a lot to suppress Lazuli’s research (she’s not sure if she thinks it’s too dangerous or if she’s hoarding it or what) including taking all of her coolest relics and findings and hiding them in a frozen temple--the Ice Cream Temple. She wants to loot that temple. (Note: She also mentions that Kerradin visited her orphanage when she was little which...Bad). She’s sent raid parties who haven’t come back but they weren’t super powerful--she has a lot of angry, rescued orphans in her service. The gang more or less agrees to her plan--even Ruby reluctantly, but Ruby hears the SPF on the wind, “Things that are wrong may yet be made right. There is more than one true magician in Candia, Princess and I await your coming and will be delighted for your wish to come true.” 

A Change of Plans  

In the morning, they decide Cara will stay with Jack and the marauders while they (and some of Jack’s men) go on their mission. When Jack offhandedly says that Ghee was lovely, Rina says they had very different experiences with her. Ominous!  

Theo asks what’s going on with the Jawbreaker situation and she says that they’re in kind of a pissing contest--he won’t recognize her claim to the throne. Gooey pulls Rina aside and informs her (for the first time it seems) that Jawbreaker has left the Castle because people in the area were being tortured by Ceresian soldiers (wasn’t specified but I’m guessing Imperials) to draw him out and now he’s pinned down in the mountains. Rina (along w/ Gooey and Swifty) consider that if they help Jawbreaker, he’ll be more likely to acknowledge her claim to the throne. But, if they don’t and they let him die, Liam will be heir and he’s already on Team Rina. In the end, she decides to tell the group and they are keen on rescuing Jawbreaker--even though Liam is concerned because he knows his dad will never give up the throne. 

Everyone seems pretty gung ho about this except for Ruby who is like, “Hello we’re super outnumbered.” Cara has a solution to that however. She’s been up all night reading Lazuli’s books and she thinks she can bamf them past enemy lines if they can get to the nearby Spinning Star monastery. She can get them back too but because there’s not a teleportation circle where they’re going, she has to basically do the magical equivalent of holding her breath or remembering a really long series of numbers while they get in and get out. They won’t have much time.

They go to the monastery (where Rina’s anti-monarchical sentiments wins her another new fan in another monk named Snicker-Snack because sure) and Cumulous kills a chicken for that sweet temp HP. Cara says, “Lazuli, please help me get this right,” before performing her magic and sending them all to a dark, locked, musty building. They can hear Ceresian soldiers shouting outside--and that’s where we end our episode! 

Note: You can find the art for the new characters this episode on the D20 tumblr here! Once again, Samir is coming for some of y’all specifically with some of these designs.

Things I’m Concerned About

I’m gonna separate my thoughts on Rina across these two sections because my thoughts are hard in separate directions. I *love* Rina but I have to be honest with myself and say that if she was an NPC, I fully wouldn’t trust her. She comes in at the exact right time saying all the right things and coming with a major plot solution. She says she doesn’t care about the throne and she only wants to destroy the church (something that would make sense considering the backstory hints the dropped) and we haven’t had PvP before but like...if there was a season to do it...listen, I want her to just be this cool orphan who sincerely wants justice and a relationship with her dad and sister if that’s on the table but I’m just keeping my eye on her. (Also, when Gooey pulled her aside to have that troop movement convo I feared it was going to go in a much more suspicious direction.)

There’s a part that I kinda glossed over where Brennan says Manta Ray Jack looked at Rina “bashfully” and Rina took it as, “He’s gonna ask me out,” and rebuffed his advances. I feel like that’s not what that was about. That doesn’t mean it’s anything actively bad--maybe him remembering her mom?--but idk, I don’t like feeling like I’m missing something.

Oh, and speaking of her mom? Rina saying he had a different experience of her mom than she did combined with Rina saying her connection to Lazuli was “all but beaten out of her” plus the out of game knowledge that something related to child neglect happens in a few eps that’s so bad that Brennan hurt himself...It paints a Bad picture.

Once again, I am Concerned about everything going on with the SPF. What did she mean there’s more than one magician? Was she referring to Ruby? Does she want Ruby to PvP Rina? She better not. 

Little concerned about Annabelle’s side mission to find Ghee. I was before but now I am even more. 

Five A Few More Things

I want to believe that Jet is both partially inhabiting Princess and doing the Shadow Sorc thing with Ruby. The Pontifex works hard but Jet Rocks works harder. 

OK, let’s talk about what I call The Inherent Tragedy of Saccharina Frostwhip (*such* a good name, btw). If Ruby and Jet had met Rina *together* (either during peace times or having rolled a high enough Insight check to clock her as an ally during the present events) they would have loved her completely immediately. She’s got Cool Big Sister written all over her: cool design, martial prowess and magic, anti-monarchy and anti-Bulbian Church BUT willing to take the throne in their stead. They would have LOVED her. BUT, Rina wasn’t an NPC. She was Emily’s backup character. Which means that, because of the way our world bisects the world of Candia, there is never a world where Jet is alive while Rina comes into play. That’s tragic, man. That’s the worst. And when I say that’s the worst, I mean the best. This makes for such delicious story. You guys know I’m a full sucker for sister stuff. Which we were already getting but this is *complicated* sister stuff which we all know is better. Like, if this is where we’re starting emotionally, do you know good it’s gonna hit if Ruby eventually comes around on her? Siobhan and Emily are catering to me specifically this season.

Also, that reveal? Within like five minutes, my theory that “the Queen” in question was Amethar’s first kid was confirmed, my circa episode 3 prediction that a twin would die and come back as Amethar’s first kid was confirmed, AND my prediction from last episode that the SPF was telling a technical truth about Ruby finding her sister was confirmed. (Literal) sweet vindication! Can I do lotto numbers? No. But plot points for a Candy/GoT mashup? I’m your gal. 

Lol at someone mentioning Ghee as Amethar’s wife with Cara standing right there and Amethar fully WWE bodyslaming that dude with tag-teams for the entire family.

People are saying it seems like Rina is a Storm Sorcerer which would be cool seeing as Amethar is a Storm Herald Barbarian. Family parallels even without really knowing each other.  

Cara--who better survive this or I will Riot--needs like a 6 month spa trip after this is over. What she is dealing with right now is untenable and she is handling it much better than I would be honestly. (But also her, “lol, my life is in shambles,” to Liam’s inappropriate question that didn’t even really register to her at that point was another comedy highlight of the ep. Icon, even in mourning.) 

Lazuli might as well be a PC for how important she is to this campaign. 

Ooooh, Sugar Dragon for Liam? Brennan has outdone himself. (Unless Liam is gonna have to fight the Sugar Dragon which I am also super down for. As I was just discussing, there are never enough dragons in D&D for a game that’s half named after them).

Shout out to this post for making me short circuit for a full second. Ow. 

It’s a little funny that Brennan laid the groundwork for Emily’s background character in the middle of the episode he knew was gonna end with him trying to kill them. Like, OK, your future is secure, now time to destroy your present!

[geirskogull]

Empty Mirror and Empty Grave 

+ Notes: A Short Vampire the Masquerade AU for Danica and Alex, This is Chapter 1 of 4 for this series, from the point of view of the newly embraced Lasombra Alexander Voss for this first chapter. 

Chapter 1 - The Same Deep Water as You

Archive Link

Icy water splashed hard against an even cooler face, a shaky exhale followed as the water pooled a tepid rusty pink in the ceramic bowl of the sink. Strange, what living habits clung to a dead man’s body, like memories fused to him with glue that spurned him to tears, yet twisted the salty brine that would have flowed from his eyes to a sickly vital red. 

Alexander thought then that  he should be laughing. That he should be cackling in victory over those who attempted to see him for their own personal gain, his father, his grandfather, this new vampiric patron who called himself sire. Yet his mind recognized in this end he was once again the true victim, but neither his mind nor his heart could contort the man’s memories to make them spell that out for him. Stubborn as always. Just like his sister. 

If he hadn’t known of the particularities of this curse, his curse, he may have tried to rationalize the ashy smudge that greeted him instead of his own tired, gauntface in the mirror. It would have been in vain, as  he knew better, he knew mirrors didn’t break like that. Hell he probably would have spent hours trying to scrub clean imaginary grime just to see his dead mossy green eyes. He always thought the color of rot suited him. Beyond that mournful rumination though, he also knew without his reflection, he looked a right mess if his sire, that figure of ruthlessness and shadows he met only a handful of times, counting his own death, saw him like this his new eternity would be over before it even began. 

So he returned to those empty habits he had once relied upon so much, inhaled deeply, straightened his shoulders, and ran cold hands across his face to remove the bloody tears tracks that dug their way there as best as he could with a smudgy mess as his guide. Another splash of water just in case, and another for good measure, and then a third till the pool was clear and he was sure the relics of his weakness swirled  down the drain, relics of shame he would never share. If he is to live forever, he would not allow it to be in vain.

“What do you want with me?” Terse words from an estranged sister echoed through his memory as he dried his face. “Arn’t you afraid dear old dad’ll axe you too, Alex?” She had hissed across a tiny café table that was more splinters held together with gorilla glue than actual wood then. Cross legged, angry and closed off, as he expected, but with sharp green eyes and new scars he didn’t remember being there last time he saw her. Those five years had changed them both so much. Then, he wondered if there was still anything left to save, left to salvage of their friendship. 

He laughed then, a bitter biting thing that painted fear across his twin sister’s face, only to be replaced with  sadness once its teeth were fully in her skin. A heavy silence hung around them in it’s wake, as if his cooling tea and her hot chocolate turned glorified chocolate milk were iron weights around their legs, dragging them to the ocean floor. 

He threw a clean black dress shirt over his shoulders and began to button it. Blinking away fresh bloody tears that threatened to spill over his still damp cheeks and the bittersweet memory in equal measure. As the visage of her hand reaching across that rough wooden sea to grasp his own terrified digits swelled in his minds, he paused.

“I’ve missed you so much, Dee.” Whispered words repeated from those recollections to nothing but the cold empty air around him. He dug his teeth into his lips, for he feared he was on the verge of sobbing once more. Once was more than enough for a night, thank you.

Oh if only he hadn’t traveled to this damn city on the guise of looking for school,only to actually be looking for her. If only he had taken the token acceptances thrown his way by those big name medical schools, all thanks to their father’s well placed donations and not in any way thanks to the intellect he believed he had. If only he hadn’t spent every cent he earned  on his own looking for his best friend that had been chased from their childhood by the bastard that sired them both, guilty only of the crime of dreaming. 

Perhaps then, they would still be truly alive. 

And not one unbreathing corpse masquerading as a living man, and the other... 

He dabbed a cold hand against his eyes, fearing the weakness of his resolve. Now is not the time to reflect, Alexander. He chastised himself bitterly, his own tone harsh. And even if it was, what would she think, seeing you now? Seeing you like this? A broken shell of a broken shell, huddling in his home not even willing to try this new gift out.

She’d tell him to relax, to lighten up. She’d ask about his class work and bring one of the animals she was fostering to sit on his lap. That’s how he ended up with Minet, wasn’t it? A loud meow near his feet confirmed his idle musings. Red eyes looking down into one cat-like yellow one, upon  a sea of black fur interrupted only by a terribly gaudy red collar and its pretty little bell. 

The vampire sniffled, kneeling down and giving the kitten a faint but honest grin. Ah his dear little constant. He found himself drawing his cold hands through soft fur and humming gently as the small cat began to purr. 

“Ah, so deep in my melancholy I forgot the most important job in my days!” A chuckle echoed in the cool air, and was answered by another dignified meow.  “Yes, yes, I know. Food is late, let’s go my dear one.”

“He’s friendly Alex, I promise.” Danica chuckled, her sing songy voice not exactly inspiring confidence, as she held a  small black bundle of fur and claws close to her chest. He hadn’t even looked up then, far too stressed out over his classwork, a med student more anxiety and coffee than flesh and blood at the present. He had more in common with the scattered cups of the stuff over his sisters home that he did her at the moment. \

“Last time I checked, tiny felines were not a requirement for me to pass my finals.” He had snipped up at her then, only to be met in turn with a very loud, very squeaky, and most definitely disappointed meow. Thankfully it was jarring enough to force the crooked man to right his posture and gaze at the single defiant eye of the feline now held ungracefully out towards him. 

"It's not, but it'll be good for what remains of you after said finals big brother"

"I'm only like two minutes older , Dee."

"And that's the first time you haven't lorded it over me, now hold the damn cat and relax Alex."

The loud, metallic jingle of kibble into a custom red bowl, the same shade as that tacky collar,  rescued the dead man from the clutches of his memories once more. Following suit was a very content and loud purr from the aforementioned Minet, King of the Flat, as he completely forgot about Alexander, Owner of the Flat, and dove straight into his food with a vigor he showed little else. Another shakey, yet unneeded, exhale left the vampire. This time at least sounding something akin to a weak  wheezy chuckle and not a barely restrained sob. 

Good kitty. 

Very good kitty.

Alexander Voss gave the fluffy menace a few polite yet ignored pats before standing and facing his evening once again. He did have orders after all, and what else had he been his entire life but a loyal, dutiful, gopher for his father and his father’s goals. Why would that change in death? 

The comedy was not lost on him, given the orders this time were “Go, enjoy yourself for a night.” As if he even knew where to start! A bitter laugh erupted from him, consuming the silence of the apartment like a mad hungry flame. Lingering in the expanse of once pleasant memories, turning them to ash in his mouth, was definitely not a good start.

But he would not fail, not again. Not at any task.

So even with the added “difficulty” of not being able to see himself in the mirror, he silently swore to his reflection that he would forge himself anew of black shadowy steel. He would be a tool for himself, not for this new vampiric father he found himself beholden to, not for the visible ghosts of his  first victims and the invisible ghost of his sister, but for himself. A revolutionary statement in his mind that would take some getting used to, and a great deal of planning to accomplish.

With the weight of his memory as the ink upon the paper of his oath, and the cold wind beyond his door the dust sprinkled upon it, he now just needed to find the wax and the stamp and it would be eternal.. As he twisted the polished silver door handle of the apartment, he closed his eyes. A stillness taking him as he silently considered this new plan brewing in the blackness in his mind. 

He shoots a careful glance back at Minet over his shoulder as the cold winter wind knocked at his coat and mussed his long, unkempt ponytail. The one eyed feline, for his part, licked at his paws absently, full from his regal meal and oblivious to his servants troubles.

“I’ll be back.”

His words were largely ignored, but the flittering familiar shades at the edge of his vision seemed to nod, almost in approval. Strange from such stern faces, barely perceivable in the messed watercolor of their forms, but still uniquely themselves. 

Facing forward, he inhaled, the last act of his old dying world, and faced a new beginning.. A pang of thirst in his gut forced a strange wolfish smile upon his face, sharp toothed and hungry. First goal of the evening, of his first free night, find a drink.

He would need the energy for what he had planned.

[aion-rsa]

The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone Proves a Little Less is Infinitely More

https://ift.tt/3qHYl3B

This Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone analysis contains spoilers.

The ending will be discussed at length. If you haven’t seen it, I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse. Find the film, watch it with fresh eyes, then come back and celebrate The Death of Michael Corleone.

“The power to absolve debt is greater than the power of forgiveness,” Michael Corleone observes in the revelatory new opening of Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone. He may well be speaking for Francis Ford Coppola. The Godfather Part III concluded the family saga, made a profit for Paramount Pictures, and garnered seven Oscar nominations in its time, but Coppola has never been forgiven for it. The 1990 film has such an undeserved reputation, it almost feels like there was a vendetta against it. Having seen the new cut several times, the director can finally be absolved of sins he never committed.

Coppola’s finale has been bashed for its structure. Critics said he was just going through the motions and the arc of the first two films, and doing it much too slowly. However, the filmmaker was making one long film, and this is the conclusion. It references the other two films because the reality which forms this family history is well known. It is canon, the arcs are similar because each film dissembles William Shakespeare’s King Lear. The Godfather, Part III also has the balls to wear its opera cape up front, and it’s a Sicilian one. But does it move as slow as critics accused? We get an ear bite in the first quarter, a helicopter mass execution, and enough intrigue for three Hitchcock films.

The Godfather, Coda is not much different than The Godfather Part III. Coppola only cut five minutes from the 162 minutes of the original. But like a good haircut, it makes a difference, even though I think he took too much off the top. The streamlining speeds it up and makes it feel more tragic. Michael’s regrets are palpable, the dangers he and his family face are recognizable. It’s the same movie but tighter. The Godfather and The Godfather Part II are perfect films, like Casablanca or Citizen Kane, not a single scene is less than flawlessly framed, acted, and situated. The third one is a little sloppy. It happens. Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets is sloppy and works perfectly because of it. To this writer, Mean Streets packs more of an emotional punch than Goodfellas, which is also cinematic perfection from setup to cut. The Godfather III is rough around the edges.

Coppola loves the editing room as much as any wine vineyard. He recut Apocalypse Now Redux, and added scenes which may not have been imperative, but are wholly welcome. Coppola filled in the storyline to The Cotton Club for his reworking. When The Godfather trilogy was recut and re-released as a seven-hour chronological saga, it was like hearing the Beatles’ White Album with discarded tracks included. Scenes which landed on the cutting room floor were put back in. The Godfather, Coda takes scenes out. We get less of Eli Wallach’s Machiavellian cannoli-lover Don Altobello, which is a shame because his performance has grown on me since my initial viewing. Coppola also cuts Talia Shire’s Connie Corleone when she goes full-on Lucretia Borgia, ordering an execution in a chapel.

The Godfather Part III is the purest of the saga’s films in terms of cinematic input. The first film was a masterful adaptation of Mario Puzo’s book. The second one also drew heavily from the book. By the third, the motion picture saga was on its own. Part III was also the first of the films which didn’t have the Godfather himself, Vito Corleone, in it. Marlon Brando’s performance is more than iconic; it is Americana itself. Robert De Niro bridges generations as the young Vito in The Godfather Part II. Al Pacino’s Michael is the only godfather here.

“The Pope, the Holy Father, on this very day has blessed Michael Corleone. You think you know better than the Pope?”

The original cut of The Godfather Part III opens on the flooded Corleone compound in Lake Tahoe and dissolves to Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Lower Manhattan’s Little Italy. The Godfather, Coda opens with a low-angle establishing shot of the exterior of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It looks like a relic of another time. It is surrounded by the cold steel and glass of modern architecture. The midtown cathedral represents old money.

The first scene is a meeting between Michael Corleone and head of the Vatican Bank, Archbishop Gilday (Donal Donnelly). The Vatican is selling controlling shares in real estate conglomerate Internazionale Immobiliare to the Corleone family. These details don’t come out until 30 minutes into The Godfather Part III. By now putting the Vatican meeting at the beginning, followed by the Vito Corleone Foundation celebration, it fits better into the structure of The Godfather, and gives the proper weight to the deals with the Holy Roman Church.

The scene also reestablishes the Corleones as a family of great wealth. They have so much money they can bail out the Vatican. We don’t know how they made that money; we get very little detail about the years between The Godfather Part II and the late 1970s, when The Godfather, Coda is set.

We assume the Corleones had nothing to do with heroin, probably sidestepped any involvement in the Kennedy assassination, and stuck with the traditional vices, which could be best maneuvered into real power. We can imagine a Hoffa scenario because of their union involvement, but we get little indications of business beyond the chase for legitimacy. With this deal, Michael will be one of the wealthiest men in the world.

Moving the meeting also casts the archbishop in the same role that the funeral director played in the opening scene of The Godfather. The priest’s favor becomes his regret, but in a way that inverts the structure of the original film. The funeral director came to Don Corleone seeking justice after chasing the American dream, believing in it with all his soul as much as he believed in holy Mary, mother of God.

Archbishop Gilday’s impossible dream is to turn that around, to siphon the American success of the Corleone family back to Italy, after skimming his part, of course. Michael is awarded the Order of St. Sebastian from the Catholic Church after the charity run by his daughter Mary (Sofia Coppola) donates $100 million to the institution. Immobiliare is the other side of the coin, and it is a beautiful flip.

The move also fits the film closer to the original 1972 classic, positioning the Vito Corleone Foundation ceremony as the wedding scene, and introducing us to the players, and the ones who don’t play well with others. Joe Mantegna plays Joey Zasa, who is a stand-in for the John Gotti ascendancy, running Don Corleone’s old territory now that the family has moved up. Eli Wallach ties us into the family behind the family. Vincent Mancini is the bastard son of Sonny Corleone and his mistress Lucy. Actor Andy Garcia clearly enjoys this part. He turns into James Caan a few times.

Sofia Coppola’s performance has been called flat, amateurish, and not in the same universe as the rest of the film. Mary is an important part. For most of the audience, she is the most recognizable character as far as an entry into the world of the underworld. Sofia did it because her father needed her, and quickly. Winona Ryder’s unexpected bout of physical exhaustion didn’t fit with Paramount’s time schedule, and the studio’s replacement options didn’t fit the age of the character.

Coppola’s 18-year-old daughter, Sofia, still had baby fat on her face. She’d made appearances in Rumble Fish and Peggy Sue Got Married, and was used to working with her father, even though she was not an actor. European filmmakers cast non-actors all the time; they bring a real quality to roles. Lenny Montana, who played Luca Brasi in The Godfather, was a former wrestler who came to the set as the bodyguard of a ranking Colombo family member. Martin Scorsese’s mother Catherine makes an appearance in The Godfather Part III. Sofia is playing herself, a college freshman who wants to help her father.

This makes the gnocchi scene feel almost uncomfortably incestuous. Mary is Vincent’s first cousin, and we can see in the way they look at each other; it’s wrong even though it feels so right. Sofia is natural in her scenes, not emotive. She is the tourist the audience needs to circumnavigate the treacherous waters. Mary is the civilian who becomes the collateral damage of the Corleone family life. She takes the bullet intended for her father, Don Michael Corleone. Sofia did the same for her father, becoming the scapegoat for a job she took to get his movie in on time.

Read more

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Redeeming The Legacy Of The Godfather Part III

By Don Kaye

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Mary’s death scene has been called the worst in the history of motion pictures. It never was, and as presented in the recut, it’s entirely, emotionally effective. It’s not Bette Davis in Dark Victory, and even though it happens on the stone steps of a church, it isn’t James Cagney’s death scene in The Roaring Twenties. It isn’t meant to be. It is sad. The death itself is one of the most underplayed in film, but the music gives it the tragedy to match Michael’s reaction.

It is hard to resist the pull of the music when considering how much of a worthy ending this cut is to The Godfather saga. The themes are the trilogy’s blood and wine. Composer Nino Rota tells us when to celebrate and how to mourn. We relive Michael’s lost love Appollonia more through our ear’s memory than we do from the faded black and white photograph in the old Sicilian villa. And his reunion with Kay evokes the post-war era they met in. The music ties the film together so beautifully that this time around it feels like the skin of the original, rather than its clothes.

By the end of the film, the emperor has no clothes. Michael thinks he can break a glass ceiling through legitimate business but admits “The higher I go, the crookeder it becomes.” Senators and presidents have men killed. The church is no different. Legitimacy is an illusion. Coppola saw The Godfather Part III as an epilogue. Paramount wanted to grow a franchise. Coppola had to be persuaded to make a sequel to the first film. Paramount wanted Coca-Cola instead of wine. And they treated The Godfather Part III like the Fredo of Godfather movies.

Fredo is all over this film. How he died is the first question Mary asks Vincent. It’s the last rite in Michael’s confession to the Vatican priest who will become Pope, a scene which contains one of the funniest exchanges in the film. Michael tells Cardinal Lamberto (Raf Vallone) a list of his sins would take up too much time. The first cut may have been the deepest, but the final cut in The Godfather, Coda is the most ironic. Coppola adds the subtitle, in quotations, apart from the puppeteer logo of the films and book, and then takes exactly that promise away.

The final scene cut from The Death of Michael Corleone is the death of Michael Corleone.

The Godfather Part III ends as Michael is sitting alone outside a villa in Sicily. All family debts have been settled, but he has no family left. He is wearing dark glasses, slumps in his chair, loses his grip on the orange in his lap, and falls dead to the ground. Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone ends, not only with him still alive, but wishing him Cent’anni, telling the audience it means “for long life” and reminding viewers “a Sicilian never forgets.”

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The phrase actually translates to 100 years. Imagine how many Godfather sequels could be made in that time. Michael is left alive, alone. Atonement is beyond him. He loses his family just as he is on the precipice of finally being able to give them what they need. But the coda to Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone is an allegory to what Paramount wanted, more life. Yes, Al Pacino’s Don Michael Corleone spent all this time waiting for them to pull him back in.

The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone is available now on Blu-ray and digital.

The post The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone Proves a Little Less is Infinitely More appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[jakattax]

I like it when you talk about d&d!

This is going to be long but I want to know more about your hot boi wizard Kurtis!

How old is your character?

Are your parents still alive?

If one or both of your parents are dead when and how did they die?

Who raised you after your parents died?

Do you have any siblings?

Have any of them died?

If any siblings have died how did they die?

What do your siblings do?

Is your character married?

Does your character have children?

What social class is your character from?

How has their upbringing affected their world view?

How did your character get started in their chosen class?

Does your character have any heroes or inspirational figures?

Does your character have any significant personal items?

Is your character religious?

Is your character guided by a prophecy?

What is your character’s view on magic?

Has your character ever served in the military?

Has your character ever been arrested? What for?

How did your character meet his current adventuring companions?

Has your character ever crossed anyone?

Does your character have any enemies?

What are your character’s goals in life?

How important is the accumulation of wealth?

If your character died tomorrow what would they be remembered for?

Where did your character learn or train their skills?

1:) Kurt is 24.

2:) Yup, Emeric and Anna-Sophia. Bad blood with his papa.

3:) Yup, Dolores. Hasn’t seen her in a year or two so would be nice to find her in-game.

4:) Nope Dolores is still alive. I hope haha god knows what my DM has done.

5:) She runs some of the family business matters. Was supposed to be Kurt but he went off to wizard school and went mad so…

6:) No. Probably never will be.

7:) Nooooo he’s bisexual but leans to more liking men so it’s out the question in his mind.

8:) upper class, like total rich boy from old aristocratic house. But he’s broke as shit now.

9:) oh jeesh, I mean he likes his creature comforts, he doesn’t throw around “I was rich I want a goose feathered pillow” but definitely still carries that arrogance and vanity and cockiness of being a rich kid. But worldview is totally chaotic so it’s kinda “we’re all in the same boat, nothing matters, so what you want so long as you aren’t killing people, fuck it”

10:) minor talent in magic read a few books in his family’s library and papa bought him into the most expensive magic academy.

11:) yeh! One of his hobbies his poetry so poets of his world like Varden Tulance. Haven’t talked with my DM if Varden is dead or alive but if he is then Kurt would deffo want to meet him.

12:) oh yeh, a note left by somebody who released him from the attic-prison. His og purile doublet that’s the last relic of being a rich kid and his spell book, a gift from his sister.

13:) nope.

14:) nope.

15:) As a wizard Kurt obviously thinks that magic is the supreme force in his world, and wants to really explore it and experiment and push the boundaries particularly with planar travel. But it is dangerous and needs time to study and do properly.

16:) nope.

17:) oh yeh. Kurt was a trouble maker, out of the campaign I think he was a rake and would have smashed up bars and been a little tear away enough to get him behind bars until people knew he was a Depoer and swiftly let out. In game we fucked up a mission BIG TIME the priest died and the guards thought we did it, had my hands tied and gagged so no magic for me. But Kurt is use to prison, he’s chill with it.

18:) Kurt was sleeping in some shit hole tavern and tried to pickpocket them, got caught by our goliath barbarian and asked me to join them. Met the rest of the gang on a ship just chatting on a long journey and that’s how the Barrel Bastards formed.

19:) oh yehhhhhh his papa Emeric, my former Archmage Dena and a powerful drow freedom-fighter turned demon possessed terrorist Ardath Yesternight.

20:) yup. Hazred, the wizard at the academy who manipulated him to take part in a ritual which turned his hair shock white and temporarily made him insane. We’ve met him once but he’s gone again and the beautiful thing is some weird fungus man erased my memories of him, so when I meet him again I’ve got no idea what to did to Kurt. That’s fucked up.

21:) to reunite with his old school friends, to find out why my papa locked me in the attic when I needed the love of my family, to right the wrongs in my life, to be happy and to bury my past for the sake of happiness. And to be a powerful wizard obv like big wizard tower type of mage.

22:) big. Once a very rich kid now broke, hence all his pickpocketing. Material components are expensive! Our DM is relatively stingey with money so any opportunity Kurt can line with pockets with gold he’s taking it, even if it breaks the law. Chaotic neutral yall!

23:) being the ghost of balkar, the made mage to lord Emeric, the shame of the Depoer family, the freak. But to my friends; king Kurtis, the magic man, the wizard who never says it but loves his friends passionately, enough to literally send a woman to the nine hells who hurt them. A good man who’s doing his best protecting those who he loves.

24:) The Chromatica Academy. The most expensive and the only magic academy in the continents. Got expelled though, y’know going mad after trying to (unknowingly) summon lords of the abyss and 3 accidental student deaths is never good.

That was long! But fun, Kurt is my favourite character I’ve played. More questions like this are more than welcome.

[bran-writes]

AK Lore- The Radio(Entries 1-3)

In the world of Apocalypse Kings, there are those who worship The Void and its inhabitants, such as The Nameless- the cult responsible for the kidnapping and attempted murder of Kwin Bergeron.

There are also those who seek to study The Void in an attempt to permanently close their reality from it’s constant intrusions and machinations. The ever illusive Mattson family currently lead the charge against The Void and its servants in this realm, collecting artifacts, information and weapons to use against the extra-dimensional enemies.

Some relics need intense and focused study before being used or destroyed. That’s where Eugene Holdan comes in. Former professor and scholar of otherworldly concepts, Eugene was brought into the fold against The Void by the Arano Family. Now, he accepts whatever items Lee Mattson brings his way study.

The following are several entries from Eugene’s personal journal concerning his experiments with a strange radio brought to him by Mattson.

Eugene has been missing without a trace for 2 years.

The Radio

Entry #1

July 8th, 2038

Lee Mattson was waiting for me at my shop when I returned from the trip. Cheeky bastard couldn’t wait til I was settled in, or clean at least. My impatience to perform whatever ablutions I needed faded, nevertheless, when he produced another relic. Where this came from he couldn’t say at the moment. That’s alright with me- I’d rather not know too much about the places where the walls are thin.

Mattson saw fit to assure me that the relic had been cleaned though. No residual energy this time. Good.

The relic, funnily enough, was an old SCR-300 radio- WWII era. He must have known I’d have fun taking a look at it. Other than when he’d be back, Mattson didn’t say much about his expectations. He just paid for my services and left. I guess he’s just wanting to see what I can get out of this thing.

I’ll perform my first inspection after dinner.

Entry #2

July 9th, 2038

The radio is strange, to say the least.

I made sure to activate inside the Light Room to avoid any disasters- Mattson said it was safe, but when it comes to Void relics, you can never be too sure, I suppose.

When I first turned it on, I got nothing but static for thirty minutes, after which it turned off by itself. Further attempts to power the device on failed. An hour later, it turned back on by itself.

Beneath the static I could faintly make out a low droning sound. Can’t place it. After a few minutes(seven by my notes) the droning became clearer as the static became more faint. It sounded as if something was connecting through the signal after all. This time I ended the experiment myself and collected the data.

Entry #3

July 9th, 2038

I’ve just been awoken by an alert downstairs, which means it detected something moving in the Light Room. When I went to investigate, the camera feed was distorted, but I thought I saw a form moving around inside the Light Room. Seeing as how all seven locks were still engaged, I figured that something was wrong.

I grabbed a smoked weapon and opened the door. As the locks disengaged, I swore I could hear something moving inside, scuffling quickly.

When the door opened, the room was empty, save my chair, the radio and the stool I left it on. The space was exactly how I left it.

Unsurprisingly, the radio chose that moment to turn itself back on. The droning continued, but this time I heard mumbling coming across as well. I couldn’t make out any specific language until I approached and tuned a bit up the spectrum- then it was clear. The voice was slurring in a thick Russian dialect.

I recorded my findings(including the vocal audio) and unplugged the radio. I was not exactly keen on staying down in the Light Room with the radio in the middle of the night. I’m back in bed now, wondering just what the hell Lee Mattson has gotten me into.

_______________________________________________________________________

So I figured I’d start filling out the world around the story a little bit, maybe tease some events to come in Book 1. Please let me know what you think and if I should continue with these entries- I also have more to come!

Tag List:

@remi-writes-sometimes @writerinafury @the-violet-writer @anomaly00 @writinglyra @linariouswrites

[thurilostiel]

For the OC and their partner(s)!! 💗,❣️, and 💓~!!

A little word ahead as this wasn’t stated in OC post. I’m not sure what’s the time in BC manga as of today so while Nozel is 29yo Oracle is 23yo. They first met while she was 19. She doesn’t know her real name, Nozel called her Gulisa during first week of them knowing eachother, later he called her Libi. And now: 💗 Describe your OC’s partner(s) from their point of view! What do they really think about them? “Calm man with no chill.” and “A loveable idiot” She knows he’s smart and really disciplined, doesn’t care about the other traits that much. She liked him from the moment he forgave her the robbery. Mer likes him so for Oracle he can’t be a bad person, birbo even tried to betray his mistress to become Nozel’s pet, but Nozel isn’t best with animals so Mer came back with his head down, not that Oracle could see that anyway. She loves the fact that Nozel will make it known that he came somewhere near her, will walk to her slightly louder than usually, knock on something so she won’t get startled. For first time Lilith/Libi used a spell that made her regain sight for a short while she saw Nozel’s cold expression and just “oh... so you are an emotionless bastard :/ ” *Nozel is confusion* “YOU KNOW EMOTIONS?!?” *Nozel is angery confusion* She still calls him emotionless bastard, but she learned that he just doesn’t like showing off what he feels. Now she’s able to tell how he’s feeling just from the way he speaks and how much noise he makes. Oracle half-way gets it why SE members describe Nozel as the Cruel Captain, but to hear that from his sibs is weird. Especially after all that Nozel told her about them. “Brother Nozel sent me on that stupid mission in peasant village again :c He hates us all after that accident in the dungeon” *Blind Oracle.exe stopped working. Critical Error* “...wot?”   ❣️ When did your OC first realise they were in love? How did they react to the realisation? That would be about 2 years after their first meeting! She got up earlier than usually and cought a maid preparing clothes for her, and well, even is she had money now, [thanks to Silver Eagles helping her out with a little magic supplies bussines], she hasn’t yet get to search, let alone employ a house help, so she asked why was the woman doing this is she wasn’t getting paid for this, “But I am. Lord Nozel told me to do so. His family summer house is nearby, but they don’t use it too often. There is little to no work there, so I take care of your house as well.” *Is shooketh. Realises that’s why whenever she comes back from her adventures to borders her house is neat clean and not even a fly sits on the floor*  In a span of 2 minutes she got flashbacks to everything that was happening to her when she was near Nozel and the feeling just hit her. “Thsh! ... emotionless bastard” She made a mental note to always have his favourite tea in stock. She didn’t think of this as true love at first, but she wanted to be someone he can open to and speak freely in her presence. Lilith even started inviting Dorothy, as Nozel mentioned her as a good friend, and so the three of them once in Glamour world would talk out the entire night. But Nozel is still the bastard he was before the realisation, Lilith was just slightly more touchy with him from that point on. Would always want to at least grab his shoulder or hand if they met outside her house/SE HQ and give a tiny sqeeze for noone knows why but she’s made it an ordinary thing by now. Lil Bonus: Mer was extremly ‘touchy’ with Nozel from the start. Birb never in his life cuddled with Lilith out of his own will, outside cold winter nights but they don’t count- those were life or death situations, but he will not survive if he’s seeing Nozel around and won’t get a cuddle with said man’s neck. Will sit on his shoulder and comb his hair with his beak, or he’ll pat Nozel’s hair down with his wing, looking proud as never, like Noz’s hairstyle was his doing. Mer is probably one of very few animals that ever come to Nozel out of own will and not cuz he got food, according to Tabata’s rankings Nozel, Noelle and king Augustus were in the Most hated by animals so... Birb saw a man looking similar to himself. Birb loves the man. 💓 What is their favourite activity to do together (that isn’t time in the bedroom)? READING! Also tea parties to talk about everything and nothing. So Oracle can use a spell that’ll help her see more clearly than with her mana sensing skills, but they work for about 4 minutes max and depending on her current mana pool situation and health she’d be able to see quite a range of colours or just black, white and grey scale sketchy things that are worse than what she’s able to see[imaginairy] with mana sensing or mana layer- sending out a thin layer of own mana like a wave to cover your surroundings so to know where you can put down your feet, so it’s not really helpful after a day of working on a magic artefact or while catching a cold. Nozel visits her at least 3 times a week, always in the evening hours and they sit together on the fluffy couch and Nozel reads out loud whatever book she wants, mostly it’s just some old archives about findings from dungeons and ancient relics. They were doing this almost from the start! Back when she was living in SE HQs and working directly for the squad to redeem herself from trying to rob their Captain in the light of day, [with HER OWN BIRBO SELLING HER OUT!! Mer screatched at Nozel while Lilith tried to untie his pouch from the belt], with the first two days they’d sit a bit further apar, and she’d try to take notes of what he’s reading to her. Noticing her strugle he made sure to get another member into the room to read the informations from books while he sat down with her and helped with the notes. And before anyone will say “But she’s blind, she won’t be able to read the notes, she didn’t have the spell yet!” Yea, and there is no braille or anything like that as far as I know in the Clover Kingdom, but if you press the pen/pencil down really hard it will make such mark on the paper you’d be able to read it without looking, only rule is that you need to know how the letters look before trying this out, and Oracle was made blind at her 15th birthday so she knew how to write and read before. They also started enjoying the evenings, when the sun is about to go down. If they’re outside for this, Lilith will sing silently or hum something, and Nozel will try to describe the sky to her in most details so her hums/singing will fit the scenery. He calls it “troublesome evening walks” she calls it “entertainment of the day”. She’s innocent in her ways of thinking, innocently gloomy. Mer loves to interrupt any activity they do together without inviting him at first. Hope that’s what you wanted to know.

[sharyrazade]

Maybe it’s because I was spoiled by Ashnard (BL/AM spoilers)

Having pre-battle convos with everyone and their grandmother, but as hype as the battle with a certain Lovecraftian Juliette Caesar in Three Houses was, I was a little...disappointed by the lack of pre-battle exchanges with her. I mean, it’s completely justifiable plot-wise to only have Byleth and Dimitri having them, but I was still mildly disappointed by the missed opportunity, so I took the opportunity to correct it myself! This was originally only supposed to be with the other Black Eagles, but you know how things get with me; they snowball.

Okay, I can’t (and won’t) take credit for ALL of these. Just most of them.

HE: So I see you have betrayed the Empire after all, Ferdinand. It seems you truly are so petty to commit treason over an old rivalry. Or perhaps you simply want the throne for yourself...

Ferdinand: I am anything but, Edelgard. This mad dream of yours- it ends today.

HE: You always were an arrogant bastard. Do you truly believe you can match my power?

Ferdinand: I cannot and I accept that fact. But as long as I have the Professor and all of our allies by my side, we cannot- will not lose!

HE: Arrogant insect! I’ll crush you like I should have done ages ago!

Linhardt: So your crests did hide such power after all...fascinating.

HE: Stare all you like, Linhardt. For I will be the last thing you see!

Linhardt: [sighs] It’s a shame. In all of the Empire’s history, perhaps no other ruler has used the talents at her command to the degree you have...But all the same, no other emperor has chosen a path so incredibly stupid. Farewell, Edelgard. I suppose it won’t do anyone any good to let you live in this state.

Caspar: [shocked] Edelgard! W-what the hell happened to you?!

HE: I’ve become more powerful than you could ever dream of, Caspar. You have chosen very poorly to stand against me.

Caspar: I could say the same! I’ve got no interest in gaining power just to trample on the weak like you do! And that you’re ready to become a monster to get it?!

HE: Come, show me how strong you’ve become- let me crush you!

HE: Is that you, Bernadetta? Tell me; what does the little mouse have to say before the eagle swoops in to claim her?

Bernadetta:..I finally understand what it is I wanted. I wanted you to acknowledge me. To accept me as an equal, not a vassal...But that’s not enough. You said to me “can you not live unless you were born for some purpose?” I’m not living for anyone else. There’s no special meaning in living. When I sensed my own death, I wanted to live. I know now. That’s all I needed. So...I don’t need you anymore, Edelgard. It doesn’t matter if you accept me or not. Here I am. Alive! And we will defeat you!

HE: You’ve acquired some impudent wisdom, Bernadetta. Too bad you’ve acquired it too late to do you any good! Die!

HE: [Angry monstrosity noises]

Dorothea: [sadly] Oh, Edie...what’s become of you...? I suppose...it would be the least I could do...

HE: You would dare raise your weapon to me, Petra? Your sister of sorts? After everything the Empire’s done for Brigid?

Petra: Yes, I will. I believe in the Professor. And I will not sacrificing the life of my people for your dreams, Edelgard!

HE: Insolent girl! Once I’m done with you, I’ll raze those damnable islands and salt the earth!

HE: You lowly lapdog! You would dare turn your blade against the savior of your people?! On behalf of the King of Faerghus?!

Dedue: [smug] Yes. Yes, I would. It seems you’ve taken on an appropriately monstrous form to match your soul, Emperor of Adrestia. And THAT is exactly why I believe in His Highness and the Professor- instead of you.

HE: Prepare to justify your poor choices to your butchered kin and people- your reunion with them is imminent!

HE: Grrrah! Fraldarius dog! Had it not been for you and your cursed family-

Felix: Shut up. This will be the greatest fight of my life. I don’t intend to have you ruin it with your babbling. Besides, I’ve got a score to settle with you on behalf of my father and brother anyway.

HE: Discuss it with them in the next life! Die!

Felix: Show me what you can do, Emperor of Adrestia.

Ashe: [disturbed] Waaaah! E-edelgard? Is...that really...you?

HE: You! You are the lowliest scum of them all! Raising your bow against me in favor of the murderers of Lonato and Christophe!

Ashe: Don’t...you dare speak their names, Edelgard! The very last thing they would want is for me to “live” like you- obsessed with revenge!

HE: If you are so confident in their answer, ask them yourself! Die!

Sylvain: Eeesh, I’ve heard of stress aging people, but this is ridiculous.

HE: You insolent fop! You want nothing more than to be liberated from your crest, but turn your blade against your liberator!

Sylvain: Oh, you know what? I changed my mind. That won’t matter after we beat the snot out of you anyway.

HE: Allow me to relieve you from your tortured existence then!

HE: Do you truly seek to meet your goddess so soon, weakling?

Mercedes: [softly] Dear Goddess, please forgive what I’m about to do- please grant this tortured soul the peace she was unable to find in life.

HE: [angry] Don’t you DARE pity me!

Annette: (Alright, Annie, this is it. Just stay calm, and start casting)

HE: You weak-hearted fool. Still content in your servitude for nothing in return. A pathetic old fool of a knight sires a pathetic, foolish daughter- how poetic.

Annette: [angry] Alright, you’ve done it now, Edelgard!

HE: You insignificant gnat! Do you truly love your sorry lot in life so? You hate your station and its burdens, but wish to throw your life away for this rabble?

Ingrid: Maybe I do. But I do know one thing for certain: I hate tyrants like you more!

Lorenz: [shocked] Edelgard?! How ghastly!

HE: This is what true power looks like. Your foolish notions of chivalry and noble obligations have no place in my new world.

Lorenz: [irritated] I might say the same of you and your tyranny. En garde!

HE: You musclebound dolt. What is it you truly hope to gain, standing against me?

Raphael: I made a promise to myself and everyone when you attacked the monastery. No matter who I had to do it from, I’d protect my sis and all of our friends from the Empire- even if I’ve gotta throw down with you, Edelgard!

HE: I assure you, all of them- and your dear sister- are not long for this world!

HE: I’m somewhat impressed that you found the courage to stand against me, worm. Do you truly hate your life so much?

Ignatz: [slightly disturbed] N-not at all. I love my life- I love this world. That’s why...I’m willing to give it to protect the world from you!

HE: The world needs me! It does not need insignificant specks like you!

HE: This is most unfortunate. We are very much the same, Lysithea. And yet you still have chosen poorly- for that, you must pay with your life.

Lysithea: If I had followed your path...would this have happened to me, as well...? As someone who shares your fate...Edelgard! I will destroy you!

Marianne:..

HE: Out of all our school chums, you probably confound me the most. You should be crawling to me, begging to be a part of my new order. To take revenge on those who scorned and mocked you your entire life. Called you a monster.

Marianne: [softly] Monster...

HE: I am Fódlan’s only hope for a future not shrouded in darkness!

Marianne: [angry] Edelgard! Your life ends at my hands!

Hilda:...Yikes! Talk about a bad look on you.

HE: All you EVER had to do was hand over the Hero’s Relic and TRY to convince that scheming bastard to stand down. You could have had a life of comfort, luxury, and more wealth than you could have ever known what to do with!

Hilda: And betray Claude, the Professor, and my brother? Don’t think so!

HE: It seems I misjudged you.

Hilda: Damn right you did, you freak!

HE: My new world has far greater use for your skills than this lot. Why then have you chosen these bluebloods and malcontents?

Leonie: What kind of use? Trampling on the weak? Brutally killing your enemies, real or imagined? No thanks! I’d never be able to look myself- let alone Captain Jeralt- in the eye ever again!

HE: Your reverence for that admittedly-powerful freak of nature shall be your downfall, Leonie.

Leonie: “Freak?!” Oh-ho, that’s it, Edelgard; your freakish ass is mine!

Assuming he’s engaged Myson (because that’s what I did)

Seteth: [shocked] Of course! Those attacks...THAT’S what you needed with Flayn’s blood and Rhea both. You and your friends!

HE: Nosy old fossils such as yourself have no place in my new world- or any world! Do it a favor and die already!

Seteth: [simmering anger] Well said, Edelgard. In the name of Fódlan, your victims, the Goddess, and Nabatea alike, may your tyranny wither and die at my blade!

Flayn: Edelgard please! Cease this madness and release Rhea! For everyone’s sake!

HE: A creature like you is incapable of appreciating the ideal world that I have envisioned.

Flayn: How can your world be ideal when you’ve killed countless innocent people?!

HE: You...beast! Don’t tell me what’s right and wrong!

Hanneman: Edelgard?! Goddess, THIS is the sort of power that lies dormant in crests?! I suppose, given the potential complications with Hero’s Relics and incompatible crests...

HE: I tire of your babbling, old man! Die!

Manuela: [sadly] I always knew you were a little rough around the edges- hell, I was back in my day- still am. But this-

HE: Manuela, you insufferable old hag! You couldn’t have just left the stage gracefully, could you? Allow me to grant you one last curtain call! Die!

Gilbert:..

HE: [smug] Well, well, this pathetic old knight has come to me to seek penance for his failure.

Gilbert: Not quite, lass. In the name of both the daughter and king whom I could not be there for, your tyranny ends here, Emperor of Adrestia!

HE: I shall grant you the death you seek, you pathetic wretch!

Alois: Edelgard! It is high time you answered for your crimes!

HE: What, no stupid jokes or puns?

Alois: No. For Captain Jeralt...I would have followed them to the ends of the earth and into the eternal flames- even if it meant serving you. Boy, that was a close one!

HE: Well, discuss it with him in the afterlife! I shall send your dear wife and daughter there to greet you as well!

HE: [smug] Take a good look, Cassandra. It seems your beloved Lady Rhea’s existence has finally contributed something of value to the world.

Catherine: [furious] EDELGARD! I’ll cut you into a thousand pieces, then grind you into dust!

HE: Show yourself, wretch! Know that I will find you eventually, and when I do...

Shamir: Yep, that definitely settles it. No way am I getting paid anywhere close to enough for this.

HE: What a pest you are!

Cyril: I fight for everything living and breathing and all of your victims. I fight for the Professor and all of our friends. But most of all, I fight for Lady Rhea! And it’s in all their names that I will crush you, Emperor of Adrestia! I won’t let you steal another innocent life!

[scotianostra]

On 14th December 1542, James V died at the age of 30.

James V was just over 1 year old when his father was killed at Flodden field and he inherited the throne. Once again the Scottish nobles fought for power during the King’s period of infancy. Albany returned from exile and was offered power but was vigorously opposed by James’ mother Margaret and her second husband Douglas Earl of Angus who took control and held James a virtual prisoner.

When he escaped from his step father’s authority, James ruled with authority but was sympathetic to the needs of the poor of Scotland. He is said to have like travelling incognito in his kingdom disguised as the ‘Gudeman  o’Ballengeich’. He brought the Borders under control and the Highlands and islands. It was a time of the rise of Protestantism in Europe and England, but James did not tolerate ‘heresy’ and strongly supported the Catholic Church. Patrick Hamilton a leading Protestant reformer was burned at the stake in St Andrews in 1528.

James twice married French women - Madeleine de Valois daughter of King Francis of France who brought a large dowry but she was of frail health and died a few months later, and secondarily Marie of Guise mother of Mary who was to become Queen of Scots.

The death of his mother Margaret Tudor removed his allegiance to England, and he refused, when invited to meet Henry VIII at York in 1541, citing his wife, Marie de Guise was pregnant. Mary had already given birth to two boys, James, Duke of Rothesay, born in May 1540, and Robert, Duke of Albany born in April 1541, both sadly died on the same day on 21st April 1541, when James was nearly one year old and Robert was nine days old. A nurse has been blamed for their untimely deaths, said to have "overfed" the infants, but surely Marie would still have been nursing the younger child herself? I can find nothing else on this, the bairns are said to have been buried at Holyrood Abbey, any trace of there tombs probably destroyed in the tumultuous years that were soon to follow during the Rough Wooing.

James V wasn't an anti-English Monarch, at one point he took steps to suppress the circulation of slanderous ballads and rhymes against Henry VIII, Henry sent an envoy to Scotland o give thanks and to make arrangements for the present of a lion for James's menagerie of exotic pets. But after his boys died you can see why he would not want to leave his wives side on a journey to England that would have taken weeks.

Henry, said to be disgusted at the snub, and the Scots good relations with France resolved to invade Scotland, "both by sea and land." and  "appointed a very considerable army to rendezvous upon the borders, under the command of Sir Robert Bowes, one of his wardens"  

The battle that ensued has been overshadowed somewhat, The Earl of Huntly, in charge of the Scottish army, acquitted himself admirably and completed an easy victory. According to an account written many years later

"Above 2,000 of the English were killed, and 600 taken prisoner among their General Bowes, Sir William Mowbray, and about sixty of the most distinguished northern barons,; the Earl of Angus escaped by the swiftness of his horse. The loss of the Scotch was so inconsiderable that it is not mentioned"

The Imperial ambassador in London, Eustace Chapuys,an intermediary between the two countries,  wrote on 2nd October that the Scottish ambassadors ruled out a conciliatory meeting between James and Henry VIII in England until the pregnant Mary of Guise delivered her child. Henry would not accept this condition and mobilised his main army against Scotland.

King James is said to have joined his army at the end of October at Lauder in preparation to lead them into England, but his generals were reluctant to do this. He returned to Edinburgh, on the way writing a letter in French to his wife from Falahill in the Moorfoots, mentioning he had three days of illness, he continued on to recuperate in Falkland Palace in Fife.

Meanwhile James had left one of his favourites, Sir Oliver Sinclair de Pitcairnis, with his standard, basically meaning he was in charge of the Scottish army, Lord Maxwell, who would usually be at the head of the Borders army is said to have been unhappy with this, and infighting amongst the Scots is said to have been a major factor in losing the Battle of Solway Moss against a smaller English army. Sinclair and the Standard were easily captured, the Scots capitulated with such ease that not many are said to have died at the battle.

James, already sickly is said to have been so humiliated that he "fell into a delirium" at Falkland. The king was talking but delirious and spoke no "wise words." According to George Douglas he lamented the loss of his standard,  this is said to have been one of the worst things to happen in a battle.

Now the dates vary slightly on this, but through the night, December 14/15th King James was told his wife had given birth to a daughter at Stirling, the King, according to legend, said "it came wi a lass, it'll gang wi a lass" (meaning "It began with a girl and it will end with a girl"). He died soon afterwards.

James V  King of Scots was buried at Holyrood Abbey beside his first wife Queen Madeleine.

A wee footnote on this, you should know I like to quote from sources of  the time, and in January, 1683 James V tomb was rediscovered and reported as such by John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall, one of Scotland's leading jurists and historians of the era.......

‘In this moneth of Januar[y] 1683, was discovered accidentally, by the removing some seats in the Church of Halirudhouse, the vault on the south-east end of the Church, wheir the body of King James 5t lyes buried. Skeen and others, in ther Chronologies of the Scots Kings, tell us, he was buried at Halirudhoufe, but the lenth of tyme and negligence had worne the particular place out of the memory of men. It was knowen to be him by the inscription on his leaden coffin.

I had the curiositie to goe and view the relics of that gallant Prince. In the pend or cell ther are six lead coffins. The first is King James the 5t. who dyed in the year 1542; but Drummond of Hawthornden (yes the same one from yesterdays post) in the very end of his life, tells us, this is not the place wher he was first interred, but that King Henry the 8t. of England’s army having defaced his tomb and monument, he was transported into this vault by King James the 6t. and reimbalmed; which appears by the freschnesse of his body and the liquor about him.

The second is his first Quean,Magdalen, daughter to Francis the 1st King of France, The third is Henry, Lord Darnley, father to King James the 6t. and Quean Marie’s husband, who was [blown up by gunpowder and] strangled in 1567: by his body he appears to have been a very tall proper man; others call this bodie Seigneur David Rizio's, the Italian Musitian’s.

The 4t. is Ladie Jean Stewart, bastard daughter to King James the 5t. and Countesse of Argile, who dyed in 1587. The other 2 are some of their children. [Possibly James V’s sons by Mary of Guise James, Duke of Rothesay, and Robert, Duke of Albany, the elder brothers of Mary, Queens of Scots, died in infancy in 1541.] This was a humbling mortifieng sight, and a great instance and document of mortality, and vanity of the world; all the glory of that sprightly Prince being crouded into this lowly cell, Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat: Mors aequo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas Regnumque turres: Et sic transit gloria mundi. Many ordinary persons have better buriall places now, then what this magnanimous restles Prince hes got. If our thoughts deschended ofter unto the charnel house and sepulchres of our ancestors, their dust […] would serve to lay the peacok feathers of our vain proud aspiring projests, which we lay in such a train as if we ware immortall. […] And it might have the same effest on us, which Virgil […] tells us, the sprinkling a little dust on bees hes. […] All the inhabitants of that dark valley have lean and pale cheeks, hollow eyes, fallen noses, and none of them wear the Jewells and other deckings, with which they glistred when they ware on life: but notwithstanding of this dissolution, we most all rise again at the great day of accounts.’

Pics are James V, by an unknown artist but labelled as ": "Probably contemporary" the others are of the tomb at Holyrood.