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#along with like 50 other civil war figures
cathriana · 9 months
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#1 The Known World and its peoples
So I'm writing a fantasy book, and now that it's starting to look like something in my head, I want to actually talk about it, but I figured that to talk about it, I will kinda need to explain what the fuck this is all about and to start that, I think that the first step is going to be a little world geography, so here is the World Map :
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This is what the known world looks like, and now I’m gonna break down each part of this world, though some parts of this map is very much still a work in progress, especially west of the Fire Islands, because even though their existence is known, it stays a strange, far away land and not well known at all.
 The Empire
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This is the Empire, an entire continent unitied under one throne, situated in the island-capital city of Starfall, This is the main place of the whole plot has the novel will be mainly about a, let’s say huge political intrigue that’s going to rock the Empire to it’s core, not that it’s the first time in it’s history, but more on that on a later post.
Though it may look kinda small on the World Map, the Empire is huge and composed of many different people with over 30 different  mostly-human cultures which I’ll have the joy to talk passioniately about once I’ve worked a bit more on them and once I’ll have talken about more important things. 
In general though, the Empire has an ill-reputation abroad : for most of other cultures and species, the Imperials are basically a bunch of proud, ambitious, scheming and honourless people, and while that clearly is a stereotype, the countless civil wars that make up a significant amount of the Empire’s history do give the stereotype a shred of truth.
The Fire Islands and World’s Heart
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This is World’s Heart, the homeland of the Firemen and a huge fucking volcano that’s a few hundreds of kilometers wide. World’s Heart along with the rest of the Fire Islands (which are all also volcanic islands, hence the name) are not united politically AT ALL. It’s rare for anyone to rule over more than a few cities, the rule of thumb is usually that if you cant remember the name of everyone you rule over, then you can’t rule that many people, civic participation beeing much greater and much more important than in a usual monarchy. That doesn’t stop the Firemen to frequently war eachother however though the scale pales compared to the wars taking place in the Empire.
As a people, the Firemen are first and foremost traders, as the ownership of the Fire Islands places them at the crossroad of maritime trade between continents and their longships are capable of sailing high seas whereas the galleys of other cultures wouldn’t dare enter. Thanks to them, this world has basically a proto-globalisation to it : you can totally find a sword forged on the Isle of Forever Spring beeing sold on a market in the Spice Islands etc etc.
Finnaly for this quick introduction, Firemen have a natural gift for fire magic, that they most importantly use to survive living in the snowy landscapes of World’s Heart and not have to stack 20 different coats to survive the cold. Basically, an average Firemen can survive a few hours butt-naked in -50°C (-58°F) without any problem, that is until they collapse of exhaustion because magic is a tiring thing. Without going into such extremes, most Firemen live their entire life using a little magic to warm up and if you’re unlucky enough to be born complitely devoid of magic abilities, you’re sent to the southernmost islands of the archipelago.
This is also an important place as it will have a good deal of significance in the plot.
The Southern Kindoms
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It’s here that things get a little freaky, because now we have other species coming into the mix. 
The Spice Islands (which is very much a place holder name rn) are the only lands of the region to be ruled by men, with several little kingdoms getting rich off of the tropical islands main resources : spices. For cultural and geographical reasons, the Islanders feel much closer to the other species of the continent than the Imperials and share the prevalent sentiment in the South that the Imperials are just a bunch of savages constantly at each other’s throats.
Ti’na’q’ti is the land of insectoids (place holder name) and is rythmed by two things : brutal wars between rival insectoid queens vying for supremacy and incredible cultural achievements. The latter is explained by what the insectoids call “the Curse of Counsciouness”, which kinda unravelled the entire society : imagine a beehive except every bee can say “fuck off, I’m not gonna work to death just to feed the queen, imma just hit the bar and get hammered”. This is the state of the society, which is amplified by the fact that every individual is brought into the world for one role and is biologically suited for this job and not another, leading to an absolutely clogged society that fuels the malaise. That situation however has prompted several individuals to dedicate themselves to art, as it is kinda the only way to rise in a biologically-determined social hierarchy, aswell as a way to have a heritage, since insectoids can’t reproduce. Ti’na’q’ti is thus home to incredible architecture, countless writers, painters, you name it, and one of the most famous poets of Toltani tongue is actually an insectoid.
Toltant is a unified Kingdom inhabited by tall bipeds with big ears and antlers and come in all sorts of colours ranging from white to purple to green. Their main characteristic is that they are an empathic species, but as in, if you’re sad, they will get sad immediately, which leads to an extremely peaceful society and a terrible army, but fortunately, they seldom need it.
The Ilkuna Lake, its shores and part of its tributary rivers is inhabited by the Ilkunis, a race of little humanoid creatures that are rarely taller than 1m20 that practice a nomadic lifestyle, moving accross the lake depending on the seasons and the needs. They’re a simple people, that are just asking to be left alone on their boats and floating cities located in the middle of the lake. They’re kinda water-based Hobbits now that I think about it.
The Enchanted Forest is inhabited by mushrooms. Lots of mushrooms. All kinds of mushrooms. All sizes of mushrooms. The area is barely mapped because it turns out that these mushrooms are counscious and can use magic and do not hesitate to use it against any invaders or intruders. It’s unclear whether each mushroom is an individual or if it’s just one giant organism, what’s clear is that those mushrooms are deeply linked to the magical dimension (because yes magic is a dimension, but that’s for another post) and live in both/in between those two universes.
The Little Ice Men are thought to be distant cousins of the Toltani because they too can be of any colour of the rainbow and have long ears. Theirs however are much longer and horizontal, they’re also much shorter (1m50 for the tallest) than the Toltani and lack any antlers. Most importantly they’re the best magic wielders in the World (save maybe from the mushrooms) and indulge quite extensively into magical researches. Socially, they’re a nomadic and tribal people, that keep mostly to themselves but that is also due to the fact that if they’re over 0°C (32°F), they start to get incomfortably hot and a day at 20°C (68°F) will just kill them, meaning that save from the occasional Fireman trader, they rarely get into contact with others.
The Cursed Lands were home to a great empire, or so it is believed. Their society however has completely collapsed a few millenials ago and the land they lived has been incredibly tainted. The air is said to be poisenous, supposedly nothing can grow on the gray soil of the area etc. Most importantly, the cursed lands are home to the Shriekers (place holder name), a bipedal monsters whose screams can be heard from miles and miles away, and though apparently very few of them exist, they are the superpredators of superpredators, an unkillable beast, that wields magic, and can tear through steel with a single strike of its claws. Legend says that the former inhabitants of this region had great magic knowledge and through magic sought to archieve godhood, and either something completely went wrong with the ritual, or the gods punished them for their insolence, ruining the land and turning its people into the Shriekers.
The West (we’re almost finished)
Everything from here is going to be shorter because every thing west of World’s Heart is the fringe of the world for most people. It’s thus the least known and the vagueness of the lore also reflect the idea that people don’t know much about what is going on over there. Also the region is 99% irrelevant to the story so I haven’t exactly worked a whole bunch on it yet.
First stop : Narjagah
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Narjagah is devided between two species, humans on the East coast up to the mountains and the Two-faced on the other side, which are a symbiotic species of tailed humanoids. If the Empire as a bad reputation, the Two Faced have it worse, as it is made up of petty kingdoms that are always at war with each other, and the only time they unite, it’s to invade the Sunset Kingdoms, for two reasons : push out the humans of the Isle, which they consider rightfully theirs, and enslave them, because the Two Faced still practice slavery, which every other culture on the planet has gotten rid of thousands of years ago if they even ever adopted it. Therefore, people rarely interact with the Two Faced, because you may just get enslaved even if you’re there for trade. 
The Sunset Kingdoms on their end are mainly huge, heavily fortified city states all along the coast and defensive position, to protect people from the monthly slaver’s raid, and are usually binded with one another in defensive leagues. They also are the best riders on the planet, which is explained by the necessity to use speed to catch raiding parties and/or harass larger invasions. Culturally, they are very at odds compared to other human cultures, they share some proximity with the Firemen, which are the only ones they really interact with anyway, but compared to the Empire it’s night and day.
There is also an ancient civilization that lingers deep into the hearts of the great mountains of Narjagah and periodically trades with humans, but I shan’t say more (and no they are not dwarves)
Now the rest of the map :
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The Isle of Forever Spring is also called the Isle of thousand faces, which is called like that because they are several different species on that one single island. Legend says they are the remnants of all the civilizations that lived in the Endless Desert before it dried. The Isle is thus very cosmopolitan, but even though each species retained some cultural particularity, for the most part millenials of life together has consideratly blurred the lines between those cultures and culturally unified the different peoples. The isle is densely populated, but the soil is very fertile and it rains basically continuously, which makes magnificient waterfalls in the high mountains that make up the island. They also don't have any formal authority, only very local agreements, understandings etc.
The Endless Desert is, well, an endless desert, with scarsely a drop of water anywhere, as it never rains over the area, and consequently no food either. Any and all exploration attempts has failed and even expedition following the coast by sea quickly ends up without fresh water. It’s still inhabited though, there exists a few cities on the coast, mostly near the Isle of Forever Spring where they can benefit a bit of the rain of the region or import water accross the straits. They’re small cities however, that live mainly off of the incredible metal found and mined within the desert. Those cities are made up of the same species than those of the Isle of Forever Spring though usually less cosmopolitan, for reproductive reasons. There is another race living in the desert however. Very periodically, small shrouded figures come into the coastal cities to trade raw ore and weapons against other merchandises, but no body knows who they are, where they live, or even how they live.
Finally, there’s the Isle of Gods, that is more myth than truth. It is supposedly a paradise island, inhabited by incredible powerful and advanced civilization and where one can also find several other foreign races coming from yet undiscovered landmasses and which you can travel to if you sail from the Isle of Gods. 
Thanks for reading all this if anyone bothered to, this actually means a lot, it means that I can actually make this a serie of posts and help me to stay motivated to work on my world building and the novels that are going to be born out of it. So if you read those words, from the bottom of my heart, thanks a lot
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lightdancer1 · 1 year
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One more book of modern Asian military history to go:
Wrapped up the next, and ultimately the penultimate book in the sequence of Asian histories with this one. As the title says it covers the last phase of the Chinese Civil War in 1946-50 when Mao Zedong's PLA shattered the Guomindang and drove it into Taiwan, where the war has remained frozen ever since. This is a rare book covering the era that at least tries to avoid the idea of hindsight overshadowing the actual events and takes the idea that the PLA could have lost, which it very easily could. And asks why, with all the advantages up to and including Soviet recognition and friendliness never given to the CCP (and the Sino-Soviet split ultimately shows that Stalin was right to distrust Mao all along) Jiang managed to lose the war as decisively as he did.
The ultimate answer in the eyes of the book stem from the PLA developing a military means to face and defeat the Guomindang on terms it set for itself, while the Guomindang encountered the reality that after decades of limited to no formal authority in places having to take charge of it in the immediate aftermath of the war was anything but a blessing. Too, the Guomindang overextended itself and did not take seriously the prospect that the PLA would be able to shift anywhere near as swiftly as it did from guerrilla to conventional warfare. And unlike the PAVN in the Vietnam War the PLA very much did, by 1947-8 develop the means to deal one large-scale asskicking of the Guomindang after another to a point that a regime that briefly looked like it would be the face of the new China imploded so totally that the brief period of illusory triumph was revealed as just that.
The book's last chapter covers the Korean War as an extended aspect of this war in a development that makes no little sense given that it was part and parcel of the slapdash border security of Truman's era and that Mao desperately wanted a victory. And while he got a gruesomely bloody stalemate in the mountains after routing MacArthur's army on the Yalu, merely stalemating the USA after the long and brutal history of China serving as the Washington Generals of Asia was a sufficient victory to expand on the Civil War and underpin the PRC's sense of self-confidence to this day.
An interesting reality it brings into play as well is something that only makes sense. As with the USSR the PRC was born out of a civil war marked with multi-tiered foreign intervention. As with the USSR it began as more of a change of flags and verbiage and not of regime, and some of the histories of the PRC and USSR reflect very specific mirrors. At the flip side unlike in Russia, where the most traditional change of power was dying of 'Romanov Colic' (aka strangulation), China long had the tradition of various warlords securing an empire on horseback and then figuring out how to govern it. Thus, while revolutionary in many ways, the PLA was in others nothing more than Khubilai Khan and Khara Khitai on a much grander scale.
And in that mess of contradictions hinges all the aspects of PRC history from the 1950s to the present.
9/10.
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bluelizardlives · 3 months
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Travel Notes for This Year
A while back, I posted about things that happened on our last trip that weren't in pictures. I thought it would be a good idea to do the same for the rest of the year. On our spring trip, we were going to drive along the coast of Lake Superior, but we got stuck in a surprise blizzard. The snow was beautiful, but stopping to take photos anywhere would mean possibly getting the car stuck. Our plan for the next day became "drive south until there's no snow."
There was a young black girl working the front desk at a hotel we stayed at in Illinois who was a full on weeaboo. When we checked in, she was so happy to show us the anime figures she drew on the marker board along a Japanese word for the day. She talked to us at length about tea and told us "I love your whole vibe. You need to be sure you keep it." If she was a little older, I would have asked her about her shoelaces. My SO went back to give her a couple tea bags from her personal stash.
My SO also gave an old lady some tea when she asked for some off the menu at this pizza place we ate at during the snow storm. I couldn't figure out why Axe Man Surplus kept coming up when we were looking for places to visit in Minneapolis, so we went to one. Everything has a silly sign attached to it, like "I can't even anything without my 10,000 RPM 2 amp electric motor" or "Stinky army surplus bags for when you want to store stuff in something green and stinky."
We ended up with season tickets to Silver Dollar City, so we went a couple times this year. I think the whole reason that it's regularly ranked as one of the top theme parks is because you can go there in the off season and walk onto almost any ride, except their most popular coasters. I only took one lizard picture, because it's not that interesting to look at.
The big news at the park is the closure and rebuilding of "Fire in the Hole," a literal theme park version of the battle between the baldknobbers. During the civil war, you'd be arrested for being in a town on the opposite side of the war. Pro-union people started dressing up in what look like KKK hoods with horned tassels on the sides that look like something straight out of a Rob Zombie film. They'd show up at the jail and break out whoever got captured. Then pro-confederacy people started doing the same thing. This all took place in the area between Branson, MO and Harrison, AR, AKA the most racist town in America. The ride tells the story, and a supposed fire set by the baldknobbers, in the most ridiculous, cheesy, outdated way possible. I'm kind of sad they're redoing it.
Also, their Christmas lights are really overrated.
On that note, Missouri with legalized weed is over the top. They have more billboard ads for dispensaries than any other state I've seen, and we kept running into people who stank from smoking joints. Have you ever been to Redmon's Candy Store ON WEED?
We got to go on a night hike through a prairie. The guide showed us how to identify buffalo wallows, and how to see spiders from long distances by reflecting light off of their eyes.
We met up with one of my old friends when she and her husband were in the area on a road trip. She lived in Green Bay about 15-20 years ago, and she said when she lived there, people acted like you were a simpleton if your were nice to people. When we've been up there in recent years, everyone has been super nice and talkative. It reminds me of how the West was 20 years ago. I'm not sure why there has been such a shift.
While we were in Green Bay, we ended up out in the country and stopped at a sub shop for dinner. The food was really good, and the owner talked to everyone at length about the music playing including the release date, who was in on the session, and where they recorded it. It turns out we happened upon Scott's Subs, which is a local institution famous for their subs and the owner's immense knowledge of rock 'n roll.
We also went to Zesty's Frozen Custard. It's retro 50s, but in a very 80s way, down to the pink/cyan/white/black color scheme and a broken arcade machine in the back. I wish I'd taken pictures.
We were warned by several people that we'd have to wait at least an hour to eat at Al Johnson's in Door County, but it was worth it. They're famous for having goats that climb on their roof to eat the grass. It was outside tourist season, and the goats weren't out, because it was too cold. We were able to walk right in, and eat with a handful of locals. The food was every bit as good as people said it was.
They Might Be Giants was one of the concerts of all time. I found out later that a couple friends were at the same concert, and they had the exact same experience. I feel like I could have just stayed home and listened to some of their studio recordings.
Howard Jones still sounds great, and so does Berlin. As for Culture Club, my SO said "Boy George's talents are waning, and he's covering it up by bringing new people into his act." If I was alone, I would have left after they played a couple songs.
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bookoformon · 5 months
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Helaman, Chapter 2 Part 1. "The Wheel of Dismay."
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Helaman, the son of Helaman, becomes chief judge—Gadianton leads the band of Kishkumen—Helaman’s servant slays Kishkumen, and the Gadianton band flees into the wilderness. About 50–49 B.C. "From the infinite to understanding." [האֶפֶס to דט‎.]
In this section we meet the ancestors to the Republican Party and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we know today called the Gadianton Robbers, "the alternative to honesty", a secret combination.
Secret combinations are clandestine groups formed by ungodly governors, church officials, private citizens and industry who plot against the world.
The plan to steal the 2016 Presidential Election by David and Barbara Green and the RNC is a good example. Nothing good or blessed arose from the false election of Donald Trump. The war in Gaza is a direct result of his foolishness, along with the murders of tens of thousands of innocent refugees here in our country, significant exacerbations of climate change, and the violations of many civil rights. We are still trying to figure out what to do about these things which is silly.
There are reasons the Book of Mormon forbids secret combinations. Preventing evil evil men like that filth, David Green and the pedophile Donald Trump from causing grave harm to this planet is foremost.
The secret combination is a unique contribution of the Book. Certainly no other scripture was able to account for the complexities of modern government, its ineffective and ridiculous party politics, nor the ways the church would attempt to warp humanity using state power, but these things came to pass.
1 And it came to pass in the forty and second year of the reign of the judges, after Moronihah had established again peace between the Nephites and the Lamanites, behold there was no one to fill the judgment-seat; therefore there began to be a contention again among the people concerning who should fill the judgment-seat.
2 And it came to pass that Helaman, who was the son of Helaman, was appointed to fill the judgment-seat, by the voice of the people.
3 But behold, Kishkumen, who had murdered Pahoran, did lay wait to destroy Helaman also; and he was upheld by his band, who had entered into a covenant that no one should know his wickedness.
4 For there was one Gadianton, who was exceedingly expert in many words, and also in his craft, to carry on the secret work of murder and of robbery; therefore he became the leader of the band of Kishkumen.
5 Therefore he did flatter them, and also Kishkumen, that if they would place him in the judgment-seat he would grant unto those who belonged to his band that they should be placed in power and authority among the people; therefore Kishkumen sought to destroy Helaman.
6 And it came to pass as he went forth towards the judgment-seat to destroy Helaman, behold one of the servants of Helaman, having been out by night, and having obtained, through disguise, a knowledge of those plans which had been laid by this band to destroy Helaman—
7 And it came to pass that he met Kishkumen, and he gave unto him a sign; therefore Kishkumen made known unto him the object of his desire, desiring that he would conduct him to the judgment-seat that he might murder Helaman.
8 And when the servant of Helaman had known all the heart of Kishkumen, and how that it was his object to murder, and also that it was the object of all those who belonged to his band to murder, and to rob, and to gain power, (and this was their secret plan, and their combination) the servant of Helaman said unto Kishkumen: Let us go forth unto the judgment-seat.
9 Now this did please Kishkumen exceedingly, for he did suppose that he should accomplish his design; but behold, the servant of Helaman, as they were going forth unto the judgment-seat, did stab Kishkumen even to the heart, that he fell dead without a groan. And he ran and told Helaman all the things which he had seen, and heard, and done.
10 And it came to pass that Helaman did send forth to take this band of robbers and secret murderers, that they might be executed according to the law.
Kishkumen means "stir the people to riot". Helaman means "gives light to darkness." One uses a hidden voice, gossip, lies, and propaganda, like Fox News to stir the people up; convincing them their way of life is correct when indeed it is not. The Scripture decries everything Fox News stands for, but still, they talk talk all day long like they are Godly when they are not.
Many Fox News officials were aware Donald Trump cheated in that election and was involved in a pedophile porn trafficking operation and even still insisted America was going to become great because of this man. That is just not what happened.
Fox News along with the Washington Times and the RNC were also a part of a Gadianton Secret Combination.
Helaman, the son of Helaman, "Truth son of Truth" was appointed to speak for the people in a lawful and enlightening manner. Thus began the forty and second year of the reign of the judges, and ours should kick in any time here now too!
The Forty Second Year is called בחהז‎ ‎"in haz" meaning the people gather after the trumpet is sounded.
Both sides, the robbers and the People gather, there is a trial, the rioter is presented with the facts and is executed. We must follow suit. There must never again be a hint of possibility a person like David Green or that thing he is married to or Donald Trump, their party or their faith can take America by surprise ever again.
The Numbers in the verses above reveal even more:
v. 1: 9059, ט‎ אֶפֶסהט‎ t epheshat, "The wheel of dismay rolls backward."
v. 2: The Voice of the People is Moses, who realized the Presence of God on the Mountain.
v. 3: The Number is 12285, מסבחה‎‎, masbah, "the melting god."
v. 4: The Number is 11805, יא‎ח‎ אֶפֶסה, yah ephesus, ‎"God is in the rear view mirror."
v. 5: The Number is 11207, יאךז‎, jachaz, "the vision of the mountain goat."
v. 6: The Number is 11814, יאחאד‎ , jahad, "to sharpen the mountain goat."
v. 7: The Number is 9984, טטגד‎, tatgad, "a talent for sharpening."
v.8: The Number is 12752, יב‎זהב‎, "12 gold" (12 gold what?)
v. 9: The Number is 10300, י‎ש, "there is..."
Re: the absence of a groan:
(p. 329). My grandfather said: A Jewish groan which, G‑d forbid, arises from physical misfortune, is also a great teshuva; how much more so then, is a groan arising from spiritual distress a lofty and effective teshuva. The groan pulls him out of the depths of evil and places him on a firm footing in the realm of good.
v. 10: The Number is 5971, הטז‎א, the Tza, "the taddik, the Righteous One."
Secret murderers are desires that want to be free of consequences. These are men who use bribes, lies, guile and the promises of a false, metling god that assumes a pleasing shape depending on the endgame.
Our friends in the Republican Party with their allies in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who continually plot against humanity in order to enjoy making their pedophile porn tapes, replete with incest, and spend their time with gay sex with prostitutes and minors (I just don't want my taxes being used to pay for that) are examples.
As this portion of Chapter 2 of Helaman says, "there are righteous men out there who have visions for mankind that are worthwhile." It would be nice to hear from some of them.
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tipsywench · 3 years
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I was on the Ohio History Connection website and found this photo of Ulysses S Grant, the item description reads: Carte de visite photograph of Ulysses S. Grant, from the William T. Sherman Photograph Album, ca. 1865-1880.
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wingodex · 3 years
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Sourcing Copley’s Sociogram
so this started out because i recognized some of the photographs and art on copley’s wall, and got curious about everything else. i know that the dates and locations of the original pictures don’t necessarily have anything to do with what they’re supposed to be in the movie but i thought it was interesting enough to share. plus i spent a not insignificant amount of time tracking down some of these images. the organization is a mixture between chronologically in the show and from a timeline perspective. the rest is under the cut
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So we start out with this mosaic that you see when Andy looks at the sociogram for the first time while confronting Copley. This is a Roman mosaic found in Antioch, which is near modern-day Antakya, Turkey. It’s from the 4th century CE and shows an Amazon Warrior in mounted combat against a Greek soldier. Mosaics were found in both private and public buildings throughout the Roman empire. They’re made up of small cut pieces of marble, tile, glass, pottery, stone and shells called tesserae.
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Here you have the title page of the 1668 edition of Andromaque, a play written by Jean Racine. It was first performed in November of 1667 for the court of Louis XIV by a company of actors called “les Grands Comédiens.” The play follows the story of Andromache after the Trojan War when her husband Hector has been killed and she has been taken prisoner.
The portrait of Andromache is from the book “Promptuarium Iconum Insigniorum” by Guillaume Rouillé. The book was published in Lyon, France, in 1553. The book is made up of portraits designed as medals, along with brief biographies for notable figures. The art was done using woodcut and there are 950 woodcut portraits in the book.
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This is a fresco of Mycenaean woman bearing gifts. It’s from Thebes and was reconstructed by H. Reusch in 1956. The original fresco is from 1400-1200 BCE. Frescos were popular decoration, not just in palaces and tombs but in storerooms, kitchens and workshops. Fresco painting is a technique where the drawing is made on wet plaster. When the plaster dries, the image becomes a permanent part of the wall.
You also have a map by Bernardus Sylvanus (Bernardo Silvano) of Northern India and Central Asia. It’s one of the earliest obtainable maps of the area and the first printed in two colors. This map first appeared in Silvanus’ “Claudii Ptholemaei Alexandrini liber Geographicae” published in Venice in 1511.
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This is a photograph of an ornamented, golden Minoan double-axe, or a “labrys.” In ancient Crete, the double axe was an important sacred symbol of the supposed Minoan religion. In Crete the double axe only accompanies female goddesses, never male gods. In Roman Crete, the labrys was often associated with the mythological Amazons.
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This is a picture of the Holyland Model of Jerusalem in the Israel Museum. It’s a 1:50 scale model of Jerusalem in the late Second Temple period. It was originally commissioned in 1966 by the owner of the Holyland Hotel and was eventually relocated to the Israel Museum in 2006.
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The first image is the cover of the book “Heroines of the Crusades” by C. A. Bloss. I don’t know if this is the original cover, but it is certainly an older edition. The book was originally published in 1853 and contains biographies of notable women who were involved with the crusades, as well as a general overview of the first through to the eighth crusade.
And then hey, it’s The Hague Map of Jerusalem! This is one of the artworks that I knew before. The original map is from 1190-1200 CE. The map takes some liberties with the layout of the city, prioritizing aesthetics decisions like making it have the layout of a cruciform. Circular maps are also like a thing from this time. It also uhhhhh mislabels some things, such as the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque, but that’s maybe expected. At the bottom you can see some mounted crusaders chasing after Muslim fighters. It’s drawn on vellum.
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I’m grouping these two images together for clarity, because they’re both by the same painter. From the moment I saw the paintings, I thought that this was kind of a weird pull for Copley, but not necessarily for us as viewers. These paintings were done by Italian painter Paolo Domenico Finoglia (known as Finoglio) and are from a series of large paintings based on the poem “Gerusalemme Liberata” (Jerusalem Delivered) published in 1581. These paintings are baroque in style and were commissioned in 1634. The first painting is “The Duel of Raymond of Toulouse and Argante” and the second painting is “The Duel of Tancred and Clorinda”. Now, when I say this choice of paintings makes sense to us, what I mean is that parts of the poem Jerusalem Delivered are about a Christian crusader falling in love with a Muslim defender who he then kills on the battlefield (that’s the second painting of Tancred and Clorinda). It’s a fun parallel, although Clorinda converts to Christianity before she dies. Sidenote, but Joe and Nicky probably hated Jerusalem Delivered if they ever read it
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This motherfucking painting. Finding out where this painting came from was an absolute nightmare. Not the worst to find, but certainly frustrating. So this painting can be found in the Borodino Panorama museum, although it’s not part of the panorama. The artist is unknown. The year it was painted is unknown. For all we know fucking Joe painted it. This is such a deep dive, I don’t know how Copley found this image. This painting shows French soldiers in Moscow as it burned. It’s called “Французы в Москве” or “The French in Moscow”.
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Did you think we were finished talking about Napoleon? Well, we’re not! Copley has a lot of paintings from Napoleon’s Russian campaign on his board. There might be more on his eastern Europe wall too, but unfortunately, I can’t see it well enough to identify any.
The counterfeits potentially made by Booker show the 40 franc gold coin, known informally as the double Napoleon. These coins were first issued by Napoleon in 1803 to replace the earlier Louis coins. They were originally minted in two denominations: 20 francs and 40 francs, although they were minted in denominations of 5, 10 and 50 at various other times. The coins were designed and engraved by Jean Pierre Droz, and Pierre-Joseph Tiolier respectively. In the particular image of the coin that I found, you can actually see Droz’s signature. Tiolier’s signature appears in full on the dies that he cut himself (these coins only have a monogram). From screenshots of the end credits, I can’t actually see the specific denomination, nor can I see the date clearly, however I do know that the coins were minted sometime between 1807 and 1808. There were many different issues of these coins during Napoleon’s reign, and the fact that Napoleon has a laurel crowned head and that the coin says République Française rather than Empire Français narrows the timeline a bit. I might revisit this topic at a later date so watch out for that.
The first painting is “The Battle of Borodino, 7 September 1812” by Louis-François Lejeune in 1822. It’s oil on canvas. This painting depicts the attack on the Shevardino Redoubt, seen from the French side. While it was a French victory, it was a costly battle for both sides. During the Russian Campaign, Lejeune was général de brigade, although he ended up abandoning his post because of frostbite during the retreat and got arrested. He actually kept his paintbrushes with him on the battlefield. This painting was his masterwork. Now, with regards to the actual content of the painting, Booker would have been in the Battle of Borodino, as he didn’t try to desert until after the Battle of Smolensk.
The second painting is “Die Schlacht bei Borodino” (The Battle of Borodino) by Peter von Hess. It was painted in 1843 and is oil on canvas. Von Hess was a German painter who specialized in historic paintings of the Napoleonic Wars and the Greek War of Independence. This painting depicts the same battle as the previous one, although the focus is on the Russian and Lithuanian soldiers, rather than the French. This also shows an event from later in the battle; the counterattack on the Rayevsky Battery.
The last image is “The Boasted Crossing of the Niemen at the Opening of the Campaign of 1812 by N. Bonaparte” by John Heaviside Clark and Matthew Dubourg. The painting was based on a sketch by an officer, then painted by Heaviside Clark and engraved by Dubourg. It’s a coloured aquatint and was published in 1816. The crossing of the Niemen marks the beginning of the Russian Campaign in June of 1812.
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There are actually quite a few photos of ToG during the Crimean war (1853-1856). These are actually some of the first war photographs ever taken, which is kind of neat, I guess. These photos were taken by Roger Fenton, a British photographer. These photos would have all been taken in 1855, so the tags on the photos are anachronistic but we can let it slide. The first image with Joe and Nicky is of Croat labourers. The second image of Andy is of a vivandière, a French woman attached to military regiments as a sutler. The last image (also of Joe and Nicky) is of British soldiers and is on of the covers of the book Victorians at War by Ian Beckett.
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The photograph from the American civil war was originally of Union Generals, including General Philip Sheridan. At the time of this picture, Sheridan lead the Cavalry Corps, and the flag that you see in the picture is cavalry, so ToG rode horses during the American Civil War, according to this picture. It was taken in 1864.
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I find the pictures of Haiti to be very interesting. First off, (and unrelated to the photographs themselves) because there was literally a coup d’état about every two years during this period in Haiti and unlike some of the other photos, these ones don’t even try to pretend they were all taken at the same time, or that they’re related at all. They’re just some pictures of Haiti during the early 20th century and it’s funny. All of photographs were taken in Port-au-Prince in Haiti. The first picture (from the upper left corner) is of the Market Square between 1909-1920. The second image is a street scene, between 1890 and 1901. Now the third photograph is making me lose it because in the movie it’s all mysterious, with a figure circled and a question mark, but in the original image it’s just a little kid standing on a public fountain. He’s not a member of the old guard. He’s not even 10 years old. This picture was also taken between 1890 and 1901. The last photo is another street scene, taken in 1901. I have to say, I’m very glad that the people in charge of the sociogram didn’t edited any of the guards’ faces on to anyone in these photos considering every single person in them is Black.
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Okay, so now we’re getting into the First World War photos. There are A Lot of WW1 photos. This photo of Andy is actually from Gallipoli and was taken in 1915 by Ernest Brooks, an official war photographer. The Gallipoli campaign was an attempt by the Entente to weaken the Ottoman Empire by taking control of the Turkish Straits. All invasion attempts were unsuccessful and eventually they evacuated the area at the end of 1915. Andy seems to be wearing an Anzac uniform.
As for the rest of the photos in this shot, they’re also all from the Gallipoli campaign. The first photo is from War Illustrated in June of 1915 and shows  Australians soldiers dragging an artillery piece into position at Anzac during the Battle of Gallipoli. The second image is also from 1915 and shows soldiers bringing supplies to the Australian camp. The last image is of Anzac cove shortly after the landing there in 1915.
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Originally I didn’t notice that this was an edited picture, but since I was already looking, I decided to track this one down too, and turns out it is edited. I honestly can’t tell whether it’s Booker or Joe, but that kind of looks like Matthias Schoenaerts’ nose, so I’m gonna say that’s Booker. This photograph was taken in May 1917 by Lieutenant John Warwick Brooke in Arras, France. These are British troops at the Battle of Arras, which at the time achieved the honor of longest advance in trench warfare. The battle was very costly on both sides, with around 290,000 casualties total. Warwick Brooke was an official British war photographer.
On the very right-hand side, you can see two pictures. The first one is of infantry of the 1st Canadian Division having a meal in the trenches at Ploegsteert, March 1916. It was taken by another official British war photographer, Lieutenant Ernest Brooks.
The next photo is from a series of photos of a raiding party of the 10th Battalion. It’s of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) waiting in nap for the signal to go. John Warwick Brooke, the photographer, followed them in the sap, where a shell fell short killing seven men. It was taken near Arras in March 1917. This photo takes place after the Battle of the Somme, during the German withdrawals to the Hindenburg line.
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This fucking image. I’m so angry about this image. I spent hours going through World War 1 photo databases and then when I found the original source of the image it told me absolutely nothing!!! A waste of time!!! This is an image of a British soldier assisting two little French girls who had just escaped death but I knew that already, that’s how I found it in the first place. This photo was from the Haig “Official Photographs” series, which were from 1916 onwards. Edit: I found it again!!! This photo was taken in Bethune in May 1918. It was taken by war photographer Ernest Brooks. In April of 1918, the German Sixth Army tried to attack Bethune during the Battle of Lys (Fourth Battle of Ypres) but were repulsed. It was taken between offensives on the Western Front during the German spring offensive. The next major battle on this part of the Western Front began weeks after this picture was taken.
On the top of the screen there are two photographs. The first is a photo by Ernest Brooks from the Battle of Broodseinde (October 1917). The battle was part of a larger offensive - the third Battle of Ypres - engineered by Sir Douglas Haig to capture the Passchendaele ridge. This is an anti-aircraft gun in action during the battle. 
The next photograph is also from the German spring offensive, between the Battle of Lys and the Battle of the Third Battle of the Aisne. It shows a 12-inch gun (named "Bunty") of the Royal Garrison Artillery firing at Louez in May 1918. This is another photograph by John Warwick Brooke.
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This image of Andy was also originally a photograph taken by Lieutenant John Warwick Brooke. This photo is of the 4th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders (51st Division) feeding a French refugee child in their improvised trench near Locon, France in 1918.
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There are so many WW1 photos. The rest of these don’t have any of the characters in them as far as we know, so I’ll go over these quickly. The first picture is from the Western Front in France and was likely taken by John Warwick Brooke. This photograph was taken at night and shows two teams of machine gunners, strategically positioned behind some vegetation. The ground behind them looks sandy, suggesting they might be near the coast. Directly in front of the gunners a mine has just exploded, showering the men with debris. This picture was taken in sometime between 1916-18.
The next photo was also taken by John Warwick Brooke in 1917. This picture is of the Battle of Cambrai and shows a 'C' Battalion tank bringing in a captured 15 cm naval gun. Cambrai is an interesting battle because it was a tank/artillery fight mostly, and the British used a lot of new tank/infantry maneuvers. It also ended very badly for the British.
The third photograph was taken by Ernest Brooks. It shows soldiers of the 8th East Yorkshire Regiment moving to the front near Frezenberg in October 1917 prior to the assault (Battle of Broodseinde) the following morning. It was a victory for the British, which eventually led to the Germans withdrawing from the Belgian coast.
The last photograph was taken by Lieutenant William Ivor Castle, the Canadian official photographer in September 1916. It shows a shell being loaded into a 15 inch howitzer. This photograph is from the Battle of the Somme. The Somme was a Franco-British victory but of the 3 million men who fought in it, around 1 million were either injured or killed, making it one of the deadliest battles in human history.
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So there’s actually photographic evidence of almost all of ToG being involved with the Spanish Civil War, but I’ll get to those in a second. The image that we see of Nicky in the credits places him at the Battle of Irún in 1936. He is with the Spanish Republican People’s Army. This was a major battle at the beginning of the war, as it allowed the Nationalist Army to capture the province of Gipuzkoa after Irún fell, which had been held by the Republic. It allowed the Nationalist Army to control supplies. The photographer is unknown.
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Jumping forward a bit here, but I can’t believe I found this photo, like I wasn’t even looking for it and I found it, but still. Wow. So on the board, it’s shown that Nicky was in the Congo in 1964 during the Simba Rebellion. The original image is of mercenary Gerry Moggach, from Scotland, with self-made guns (Molotov cocktails lmaoo) in November 1964. The Congo Crisis was a period of political upheaval and conflict in the Republic of the Congo (which is now the DRC) and involved a bunch of civil wars that also served as a proxy conflict in the Cold War.
Now, back to Spain and the rest of the guard. From this BTS image of Copley’s sociogram we know that both Booker and Andy were involved in the Spanish Civil War as well. The first image, which Andy is apparently in, was taken in 1936 and shows her with a miliciana, which were battalions of woman who fought to defend the Republic. The photographer is unknown. The second image is of Republican soldiers and civilians. Booker is in this image. The original was taken in 1937 by an unknown photographer.
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Now we get into the World War II photographs. This photo of Booker from WW2 was originally taken at Mount Tambu, New Guinea in July of 1943, by Gordon Short. The photo is of Leslie “Bull” Allen, an Australian soldier who was awarded the US Silver Star for rescuing 12 US soldiers while under fire. The battle was fought between Japanese and Allied forces. Australian forces eventually secured the area in August of that year.
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This photo frustrates me. First, it doesn’t even look like they manipulated it, but also because “pacific” is written in the near the bottom right corner. Now, I’m not saying that Nicky wasn’t in the Pacific Theatre but now that I know where this image was actually taken it’s like. Ugh. This photo was not taken in the Pacific Theatre, it was taken of American soldiers at Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944.  Omaha was the codename given to one of the five sections during the Allied invasion of Normandy. D-Day is the largest seaborne invasion in history, and it eventually led to the liberation of France and the Allied victory on the Western Front. Now personally, I think Nicky being there is very interesting and the timeline meets up better with his other WW2 picture. If you’ve ever seen Saving Private Ryan (1998), that movie opens with the invasion of Omaha Beach.
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This photo of Nicky excites me for several reasons but also brings up some important questions about what the fuck Nicky was up to in 1944. The original photograph shows Private G.R. MacDonald giving first aid to a French boy in Brionne on August of 1944. The interesting part for me is the uniform though. MacDonald was part of the Toronto Scottish Regiment (75th Battalion). The Toronto Scottish Regiment were actually part of Operation Jubilee, although they weren’t able to land because of the tide and only had one fatal casualty, which good for them considering what happened to everyone else at Dieppe. Although Nicky probably wasn’t a part of that considering he was with American soldiers earlier in 1944.
Next to Nicky, on the right, you can see a picture of a plane and an explosion behind it. That picture is from Pearl Harbor in December 1941. The picture is taken at the Ford Island seaplane base and you can see the USS Shaw (DD-373) explode in the center background. USS Nevada (BB-36) is also visible in the middle background, with her bow headed toward the left. Several planes are in the foreground, a consolidated PBY, Vought OS2Us and Curtiss SOCs. The wrecked wing in the foreground is from a PBY.
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This photograph is of French resistance fighters and was taken in September of 1944. The French resistance was a movement that fought against the occupation of Nazi Germany after 1940. The resistance engaged in guerilla warfare, published underground newspapers, acted as spies for the Allied forces and kept up escape networks for trapped soldiers and airmen. Although the woman in the original picture isn’t identified, there were many other women involved with the French resistance like Simone Segouin, Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, Lucie Aubrac, and Marie-Hélène Lefaucheux.
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The first image is of a Boeing B-29A-45-BN Superfortress 44-61784 6 Bombardment Group G 24 BS. It was taken in June of 1945 while it was firebombing Osaka, Japan.
The next two images are of the smoke from the atomic bombs. The first picture is of the mushroom cloud over Hiroshima and was taken by George R. Caron on August 6th, 1945. The second image shows the cloud over Nagasaki and was taken by Charles Levy on August 9th, 1945.
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Okay, so this is my absolute fav manipulation in the whole movie, because it looks so good. Here we have Nicky, Joe and Booker as guerrillas during the Cuban Revolution. If you saw this image and thought “wait is that Fidel Castro?” you’d be right! The man gesturing to the ground with a stick is in fact Fidel Castro. Now, what you might have missed is the man next to Castro who has been edited to look like Booker... yeah I’m like 95% sure they put Booker’s face on Che Guevara.
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This image of Nicky during the American Civil Rights Movement is from the March on Washington which happened in August of 1963. 250,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial to call for fair treatment and equal opportunity for Black Americans. This is where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I have a Dream” speech.
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This picture of Andy, Joe and Nicky is of Martin Luther King Jr’s speech at UC Berkeley in May of 1967. The speech was attended by about 7000 students and he spoke against the Vietnam war. Photograph by Michael Ochs (?)
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This photo was taken of US soldiers in Huế during the Vietnam War. The photo was taken in 1968 during the Tet Offensive. Booker is the one behind the medic. There’s a post it note that you can see fully in a BTS image of the sociogram that confirms it’s Booker. The Tet Offensive, which was launched in January of 1968, was one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War, and the largest up to that point. It was a campaign of surprise attacks by the VC and PAVN against military and civilian command and control centers in South Vietnam (ARVN and the USA). The Battle of Huế lasted over a month and resulted in the destruction of the city and the massacre of thousands of civilians.
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This photo of Andy helping with Operation Babylift was originally taken in 1975. Operation Babylift was an evacuation of orphans from Saigon in the face of a North Vietnamese Offensive. 3000 orphans were evacuated and at the end of April, Northern Vietnamese forces launched rockets at Saigon.
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This image of Andy shows her on the Berlin Wall. The original photo was taken near the Brandenburger Tor in November of 1989. The photo shows West Berliners helping East Berliners climb the Berlin Wall after the opening of the wall was announced by the East German Communist government. The photo was taken by Jockel Finck.
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tw ethnic cleansing, tw islamophobia, tw genocide. The photos of Booker in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a combat medic indicate that Booker was in Sarajevo for the Siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War, however the original photo was taken of the Cheshire Regiment (1st Battalion) in Ahmići, in April of 1993. The Ahmići Massacre was committed by the Croats during the conflict and was part of a larger series of attacks called the Lašva Valley ethnic cleansing, and targeted Bosnian Muslim civilians. Around 120 people were murdered in Ahmići.
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These last images are all from wars within the last 20 years. The first image was taken in Daychopan, Afghanistan by Sgt. Kyle Davis in September, 2003. The photo is of Company A, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division. They were searching for Taliban fighters and weapon caches.
The next image is of two aerial photos of the ISIS command and control Centre in Syria, before and after it was bombed by a US F-22 fighter jet in September 2014.
The last image is of a US soldier assisting a wounded Iraqi civilian in Fallujah, Iraq in November, 2004. Photograph was taken by Cpl. Theresa M. Medina.
As for the rest of the photos, (Joe and Nicky saving the man in the cave, Joe in the DRC, some WW2 photos and some background photos in the BTS images and during the movie) I haven’t been able to find them because they’re not clear, I don’t want to look at historical archives anymore or I don’t even know where to start with searching for them. I might pick up searching again later if I decide to become even more like Copley than I already am. If you have any additional info about some of the missing photos let me know! Also if you want any of the original photos or resources just let me know and I can send them to you!
edit: I just want to make this very clear, but some of TOGs involvement here is suspicious as hell. Obviously we don’t know the exact circumstances, but things like Nicky being shown as a mercenary during the Simba rebellion, Booker as an American soldier during the Vietnam War and the images of US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have some incredibly negative and incriminating implications. I worry that in my excitement about finding some of these images I glossed over pretty horrific details and context. It’s important to be conscious of some of the very real tragedies and atrocities being shown here.
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Originality, Criticism, and Entitlement
After joining the IF community, I've come to see (and experience) the accusation that there are IF writers who steal, copy, or even plagiarize another author's work. I'm going to explain why throwing such accusations around is harmful not only to the accused, but the community as a whole.
This is also an explanation as to why they're incredibly stupid criticisms, and unless there is actual, direct evidence that the work is being copied or stolen, it is not, as such "critics" want to call it, "ripping off" anybody.
(Long read)
Star Wars (1977) is considered by many to be the world's first real blockbuster, with such sensation and hype that even over thirty years since its original release date, it reminds a key figure in our pop culture and media today. In every form or fashion, Star Wars was groundbreaking in terms of cinematic storytelling and movie-going experience.
But Star Wars is nothing new.
George Lucas, the creator, has discussed many times over the years just how precisely the world of Star Wars came to be, and its origins go back much, much farther than you think.
George Lucas claimed that the idea of Star Wars was inspired by Flash Gordon serials, a comic book series that was turned into a TV show in the 1930s. The famous title crawl that appears at the beginning of every Star Wars movie?
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Look familiar?
It is also a pretty well known fact that the Galactic Empire and Rebels, along with the battle scenes within the movies, also take heavy inspiration from WWII. Stormtroopers are German Gestapo, the X-Wings and TIE Fighters are inspired by WWII aerial combat: https://youtu.be/msb8OdvBBjU
There is a clear right and wrong that is written into the Star Wars universe, and that most assuredly comes from the material and real world events that George Lucas was inspired by; serial comics and shows of the 30s, 40s, and 50s, leaned heavily into black and white morality. This is why superheroes from that era like Superman or Batman were originally written as static characters. "Superman is invincible, that's not as interesting as the X-Men struggling with their place in society!" Well, yeah, that's because Superman was meant to be nothing more than a comic book character that allows children to act out their power fantasy- "you can't make me go to bed, mom! Superman doesn't go to bed!" etc. etc.
But Star Wars has inspiration that goes back even further than the 1930s. It goes back to ancient Mesopotamia.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is the world's oldest and most notable form of literature that we know of. It is an epic that describes the heroic journey of one Gilgamesh, told in five parts. This is the earliest known example of what is known as "The Hero's Journey" in literature.
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If you have any knowledge of the first movie of Star Wars, you're well aware of the story beats that you can read out in this diagram, as well be able to distinguish the similarities it has with The Epic of Gilgamesh.
Does this mean that Star Wars ripped off The Epic of Gilgamesh?
No. It doesn't. Because even though the story shares similar story beats, and features a black-and-white morality, a sci-fi space opera is a far cry from ancient Mesopotamian gods battling with each other. George Lucas didn't read the epic in school and decide "ah ha! I know how I'm going to make money!"
He was inspired, and he took that inspiration and created a multi-billion dollar franchise that millions love across the globe. He wrote that story and directed that movie, he put in the blood, sweat (lots of sweat- they filmed in Tunisia) and tears to make something WHOLLY NEW, and yet in some ways...similar.
Humans are very complex creatures, and our brain loves nothing more than finding patterns in things. Why is there such a thing as the Rule of Three in literature, a rule that dictates the satisfaction the reader gets when a story has a plot that occurs in three parts? Why is there traditionally only three acts? It is, simply put, satisfying. This traditional three-part structure often times creates stories that may look or feel similar simply because of how it is structured. This is not copying. This is a literature technique that humans have been using since the beginning of language itself.
And this is why I have such a problem with the people suggesting that authors are "copying" popular works- no one solely invented story beats, no one invented the supernatural fiction, no one, singular person, solely created the concepts that we are using today. No one. Not a single thing written is wholly original.
Originality is overrated. We are products of our environment, our culture, our media we consume- if an IF writer has a story with vampires and other supernatural creatures, and the MC is a detective attempting to solve crimes, was that invented by the very popular Wayhaven Chronicles by Mishka Jenkins? No. Vampires in media are nothing new, detectives in media are nothing new, and if they so happen to exist in other stories, what of it? Did Mishka invent vampires? No. They're a cultural phenomenon that has existed in multiple civilizations at once. Did she invent detectives? Obviously not.
Mishka was inspired and so were countless of other IF writers to write a story that involved the supernatural. These IF writers may have similar story beats, they may have similar themes, but that does not make it copying.
You know what makes Star Wars or The Wayhaven Chronicles or any other form of entertaining media great? Innovation.
It is how the authors tell the story, and why it is being written that creates such vast differences in genres. Star Wars isn't The Epic of Gilgamesh because its just "in space", it is the magnificent, innovative storytelling behind Star Wars that makes it so unique in our minds. The cinematography, the storytelling, the dialogue, the acting- all of that hard work into making something worthwhile and good is what makes it so unique when comparing it to other media that feature the literary use of "The Hero's Journey".
We all have something to bring to the table, to tell our stories that have a piece of us inside them. They are influenced by our laughter, our tears, our horror, our love, our rage or terrible indifference. They are influenced by our passions, our delusions, and they are written because we wish it to be so.
Are all impressionists copying Monet because he popularized impressionism? Are all artists who paint in similar styles copying off of the one who created the style in the first place? No. They're not.
To accuse IF authors, particularly the INNOCENT ones of copying others is an unbelievably insulting and ignorant statement that disregards the author's creativity and free will to write whatever the hell they want. If all you have to see out of a story is the basic, bare bones elements to it, then allow me to speak for all IF authors out there and say:
You're missing the fucking point!
We've all put our hard work into not only LEARNING a coding language (which, surprise, not ALL of us know and have to spend HOURS figuring out) but we've learned a coding language to create a game for other people to enjoy, and we'll be damn fucking lucky if we're able to get any money off of our work that we have put in it.
This criticism becomes a form of entitlement real fast, as if a reader has any say as to the pace or way an IF story (or any art for that matter) is written.
Most of us are doing this because we love the idea of putting our work out there as an IF fiction for fun. Some of us have to work jobs, some of us have complicated lives that demand constant attention, some of us wish to do this as a living, but all of us?
All of us deserve the courtesy of being a creator that is sharing their work with the world.
The next time you decide to accuse an IF writer of copying another person, ask yourself if it's legitimate plagiarism or you're just someone who doesn't have the capacity to consider that literary themes, tropes, cliches, and genres, are not the same thing as "copying".
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yawchannel · 3 years
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INTERVIEW: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier for SFX Magazine (Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan Part) (Issue 337, February 24th, 2021)
By Tara Bennett
WING MAN
Anthony Mackie is Sam Wilson / Falcon
SFX: You’ve admitted that initially you weren’t sure on the idea of doing an MCU Series. Why?
ANTHONY: To be honest, I’ve had trepidation from the beginning. I was really afraid of the idea. Working on so many Marvel projects, and seeing the end result and the effect that they have on people, I was afraid that the quality of the production would be taken down for television. I was afraid that you can’t do things on television that you can do in theatres.
Seeing people’s reactions to Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame in the theatres, and hearing the connection that the audience members have with these characters... that’s every actor’s dream, to affect an audience and expose them to a different way of looking at culture and the world around us. I was really afraid that I wouldn’t have that opportunity to step out on that ledge like the actors before me had.
But once we talked, and once they brought on Malcolm and Kari, I knew it was going to be something different. Kari is a phenomenal leader, and Malcolm is an amazing writer. And Kevin promised me that it wasn’t going to be different. He’s not going to tarnish the Marvel brand by trying to just blow out as much content as he could. And I trusted him on that. They haven’t let me down yet, so I just went along for the ride on faith of their past work. And I was really pleasantly surprised by how great everything turned out.
SFX: Steve was an integral part of both Sam and Bucky’s lives. How does the show explore his absence?
ANTHONY: With Sam and Bucky, the idea of losing Steve looms heavily in their day-to-day-life. Captain America - not just a moniker, but the person - was a huge influence on both of them. The idea of the moniker is not as important as the person that they lost. Their whole goal, and their whole focus, is to honour Steve, because he left them with such a huge task to pick up where he left off. Just the weight of the shield with no Steve leads us to believe that there might not be another Captain America. There will never be another Steve Rogers, so for the two of them, the idea of the Captain America moniker is more of a burden than a blessing. They really try and allow that to be an influence of the legacy that he left, and how they can keep that legacy alive and support him - while also missing him and being very sad that he’s not around any more.
SFX: Will we see more of Sam’s regular life?
ANTHONY: We get to see more of them in their surroundings, their personal life, with people who influence their life day-to-day: family members, friends, co-workers. You got a little bit of it with Sam when Steve went to the VA when they first met. But now you really get to see his twists and turns and where exactly he fits in his nine-to-five, as opposed to him just sitting around waiting for Cap to call. That was one of the biggest pitches that Nate and Kevin gave to me that really intrigued me and excited me about this story.
SFX: Exploring Sam’s big choice when it comes to taking up Cap’s shield encompasses so many real-life issues, including race. Was Malcom a solid partner in conveying that?
ANTHONY: You know, it wasn’t just Malcolm and I. What was really interesting was Kari [Skogland] and Zoie [Nagelhout] were very local in the idea of who this man was, and what he was going to mean to the society that we were presenting him to. It’s funny, with Kari being a white Canadian woman, and Zoie being a white American woman, they had such strong parts of opinion and such interesting ways of seeing this character that were way more aggressive than anything I could have imagined. Their perspective and bravery, as two women leading the charge, to show the situation that this character was being thrust into in the world that he lived in, was very humbling. I always felt support. It always felt like there were people around me who were paying attention to what we were saying as a show.
BUCKY STAR
Sebastian Stan is Bucky Barnes / The Winter Soldier
SFX: After Endgame, how did you feel overall, about staying in the MCU?
SEBASTIAN: At the end of Endgame it was sort of strange and emotional. At the time, it was the 10-year anniversary, so everything felt like an ending, of sorts, even though we recognised that there was probably going to be more to it. But it was great to be able to have a discussion about the future.
SFX: Who at Marvel Studios initially pitched the idea of this series to you?
SEBASTIAN: I sat with Kevin [Feige] initially. And then with Nate Moore, who I had done Civil War and Winter Soldier with, and had an unbelievable experience. I think I was a little nervous, because part of me felt like “I’m not even sure if I know what’s left to be explored with the character”. But we actually discovered so much more. And I feel like the character now is coming off in such a different, deeper and more complex way than we’ve seen him. I thought I had explored the character, as he was, enough, but we actually had only scratched the surface. What we’re able to do with him in this series is just on such a deeper emotional level, and we didn’t have that opportunity before.
SFX: What was most interesting to you about doing a series?
SEBASTIAN: The idea of exploring this character now, separately, from Steve Rogers and from that storyline, and putting him in the world, and giving him an opportunity to really, truly, have to face who he is - everything about that was exciting. And the idea of working with Anthony was exciting, because I know we have something special and we’ve never gotten a chance to explore it.
SFX: Who are Sam and Bucky to one another in this series?
SEBASTIAN: They both despise each other equally! [Laughs] I mean, there’s some truth to that. But it’s also a discovery for both of them to realise that they actually have much more in common than they thought. They come at it from different backgrounds. But essentially, they’re both two people trying to find their new identity, and that really has nothing to do with Steve Rogers. Steve Rogers is much more the catalyst, like the event that sets off the bomb that causes both of them to go, “Okay, that happened. Now, let me deal with these things”. I think it’s about them figuring out that they need each other much more than they want to accept.
SFX: With no Steve to lean on, what is Bucky focused on?
SEBASTIAN: It’s a bit of re-educating that happens at the same time. He’s learning a lot about Sam, and he’s also learning about the world, because it’s a very different world than when we was last “James Bucky Barnes” in the ‘50s. He’s always got to deal with the shadow that’s following him. Now it’s more of a question of, how does he take what he’s learned and apply it for himself, going forward? How do you go out there in 2021 and function, knowing what he knows and what he’s bee through? And also, how do you do it without somebody who was a brother by his side, who was a staple of strength, or familiarity? You take away even the last comfort zone - what does he have? That’s what the show is about for him.
SFX: Why do you feel that Bucky has been able to retain fan sympathy during his dark arc?
SEBASTIAN: He felt much more reachable and reachable than other characters, perhaps because of the arcs of trying to cope with the past, or getting over some trauma, or PTSD. And his level of finding oneself again, redefining yourself, your morals, your values, who you are, what you believe in, the challenges that you have - in terms of accepting the world a certain way - understanding that maybe how you grew up and what you’ve learned isn’t going to always help you find your path. You’re going to have to maybe go against the things that you’ve been used to. Those are all things about this character that are very interesting.
There are two more interviews with Showrunner Malcolm Spellman and Director Kari Skogland included in the issue!
If you'd like to get a copy, SFX Magazine Issue 337 is available to purchase both physically and digitally worldwide! https://magazinesdirect.com/mobile/az-single-issues/6937139/sfx-magazine-single-issue.thtml
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itsany62 · 3 years
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SteveTony - Superfamily
Here are some Superfamily fics that I love. Don’t forget to leave kudos and nice comments in every fic!
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What We Learn?, by nannersmelo, 1 k >, Fluff.
“Who is this?”
“That doesn’t matter. What matters is that we have your husband, so you will listen very closely-”
“My husband Tony? Tony Stark?”
"...Yes?”
“Oh well,” Steve laughed, “good luck with that.”
Intruder, by wordscorrupt, 500 words.
Steve and Tony face a rather tiny, adorable intruder in the middle of the night.
the privilege of loving you by starklystar, 7 k > words.
“Why won’t you let me touch you?”
It’s a desperate plea, half-shouted and half-whispered, Steve’s voice cracking at the end. Tony stops in his tracks, halfway to the stairs. He doesn’t dare to turn back, and he really doesn’t want to fight, or to leave, to spend the last month of his life away from his husband and their son. But Steve can’t know, can he?
-x-
Or: Tony has palladium poisoning, but he doesn't tell Steve and Peter
ah-choo by starksnack, 3 k words, Hurt/Comfort.
Peter catches a cold at the park while Tony is away for work. Steve is all out of sorts trying to care for a sick child on his own.
The Sign by nightwalker, 2 k > words, Adoption.
Tony hadn't slept the night before and he knew Steve hadn't either. They'd just laid there, side by side, listening to each other breathe and thinking their own thoughts. Somewhere around dawn Steve had rolled onto his side and splayed his fingers over Tony's heart.
Bellflower (unwavering love) by S_Horne, 1 k > words.
“Aw, man.” Tony shook his head at himself as he finally broke. He bent down and tucked his hands underneath Peter’s armpits, hoisting him up onto his hip with a practiced ease. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”
“No m’not.”
Tony shook his head, straightening Peter’s shirt out where it had bunched up around his chest. “You’re in one of those moods today, aren’t you?”
Peter shook his head sagely and Tony huffed a laugh. “Not. You’re just mean.”
“I swear,” Tony said, blowing out a sigh, “if your Pops walks in and you turn into an angel, you’re grounded until you’re 50.”
a little lemonade by tonystarkssnipples, 1 k > words.
Tony came downstairs after putting Piper to sleep to find Steve with about 10 pounds of lemons spread across the table. At Tony’s footsteps, Steve looked up at him with wide eyes. “The recipe says a cup of lemon juice per gallon.”
“And?”
“I don’t know how many lemons make a cup of lemon juice.”
--or--
It's summer and Steve wants to help their daughter with a lemonade stand.
Distracted by a Dime by happyaspie, 56 k > words, Homeless Peter Parker.
Peter Parker thinks he has everything figured out. Where he can eat, sleep and make a little bit of money. What he needs to do in order to continue attending Midtown High and being Queen’s friendly neighborhood Spider-man. How to keep his entire situation under wraps and most importantly, who he can trust.
Then, along comes Tony Stark with an offer he can’t refuse. The plan is to remain professional, to not get too close to the Stark-Rogers’ family. Not getting comfortable means not slipping up and saying anything that he can’t take back.
...but for Peter- things rarely go as planned...
one makes me want another by parkrstark, 12 k > words, Adoption, Angst with a Happy Ending.
Steve and Tony adopt Peter when he's 6-years-old and 10 years later, he still thinks he's living the best life with two father doting on him. Until they tell him about the new baby they're bringing home and suddenly, the attention is all on her.
steve rogers-stark: full time dad/husband, part time spider relocator by parkrstark, 1 k > words, Spiders, Fluff.
"Love, what's wrong?" He called out, waiting for a reply.
"Steve!" Tony instantly screamed back. "Come here! I need you!"
Steve quickened his pace slightly, trying to keep himself calm so he didn't worry Peter. Babies could sense that stuff. "Where is 'here', love?"
“Bathroom!"
come morning light (we'll be safe & sound) by parkrstark, 14 k > words, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending.
After a strange mission, Steve, Tony, and Peter find themselves trapped in their own living nightmares. Some memories of their past, some they hoped to keep from even each other, and some of the worst 'what if's their minds can imagine. All they have is each other until they wake up...but is that enough to survive until they figure out how?
Gelid Feint by geekymoviemom, 21 k > words, Fluff and Angst.
Gelid: icy; extremely cold
Feint: a deceptive or pretended blow
Steve Rogers��� world had completely changed since he was discovered in the Arctic Ice. Not only had he led a team of actual superheroes to defend New York against an alien invasion, he had also found love, and the family he’d never dared to dream he could have.
So when Nick Fury asked Steve on a simple mission to retrieve materials from a hidden bunker, Steve thought nothing of it.
Until the demons he’d thought he had buried within the Red Skull’s airplane suddenly reappeared, and he was forced to face the one enemy he’d thought he had vanquished.
He had cut off one head, but now two more had taken its place.
love lives on by parkrstark, 6 > k words, Teacher Steve Rogers, Alternate Universe.
Steve doesn't like picking favorite students, but when he gets Peter in his class, he can't help it when this sweet little boy becomes his favorite. He shouldn't be surprised when one day his father picks him up, and Steve realizes that he's the son of Tony Stark...the love of his life he let go back in high school. Steve wants his second chance, even if Tony doesn't want anything to do with him anymore.
maybe love is the reason why (we're seeing it eye to eye) by parkrstark, 134 k > words, undercover as a family, Fake/Pretend Relationship.
"I'm sorry. Repeat that again." Tony leaned forward in his seat from across the table. He even stuck a finger in his ear as if he was cleaning it out. "I don't think I heard you right."
Fury rolled his eyes-- or well, eye. "You and Rogers need to go undercover as a married couple in a community out on Long Island."
--
After Civil War, Tony and Steve are sent on an undercover mission as a couple to try and find Hydra informants. Somehow, they end up with Peter as their undercover son who decides to play matchmaker even if the two of them are doing their best to ignore their feelings after Siberia.
little moments like this by parkrstark, 1 k > words, Domestic Fluff.
Steve grabs the blanket and covers himself. "Stop it! My husband will kill you!"
It takes Tony only a second to realize what Steve thinks is going on and he laughs. "Steve, it's me. Tony." He tries to take the blanket off, but Steve doesn't let him.
"Don't-- take advantage of me! My husband will kill you!"
Or, Steve is loyal to no end. Even after a night of drinking Asgardian mead.
Trapped in the Shadows by geekymoviemom, 97 k > words, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Parent Tony Stark.
All Steve Rogers wanted after a lifetime of war was to immerse himself in quiet, and solitude. Opening a bookstore seemed like the perfect answer. He could escape to any world that he desired, all while keeping his past firmly behind him, where it belonged.
Until the day Peter Stark walked in.
anytime by complicationstoo, 714 words, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Established Relationship.
Steve is there, holding Tony's sleepy one year old against his chest and stirring scrambled eggs on the stove with his free hand. He's murmuring quietly to Peter, low enough that Tony can't quite make out the words, but there's a soft smile on his face as he talks.
Tony wanders further in, sneaking up behind him and wrapping his arms around his waist. He buries his face into Steve's hair, and he can hear the grin in Steve's voice as he says, "Good morning, dear.”
How To Change A Diaper by writerstrash, 1 k > words, Established Relationship, Fatherhood.
Steve and Tony deal with a wriggly, crawly baby Peter who enjoys keeping his parents on their toes.
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Catfolk of Darodem and Beyond
Ringwaldts Catfolk design came as much from the want to buck fantasy conventions as it was to design a cat people I found interesting.
I knew I did not want to fall into the genre convention of, X group is just here because they are.
And that led to the spark that would be ‘Catgirl Vikings’ which also works as a good tag line better then ‘Catfolk Vikings’ I feel.
So I now knew where I was going with catfolk as before that they were planned to have gone mostly extinct.
This new spark revitalized my thoughts so my designs started to formulate.
One of the first things to come from this was to answer the question what do the Catfolk of my setting look like?
Thinking about that gave me an idea what to call each of my catfolk subtypes.
Lions or Tigers(sometimes Ligers);  These are the most bestial and outright animalistic, at least in appearance, catfolk. 
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( Art by Awkwardos )
Leopards;  Refer to any catfolk who are mostly passable for human but still have the fur claws and other traits of a cat.
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( Art by MizaelTengu)
And another just for reference
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( Artist I...actually can’t read their signature *sweat drop* )
Lynx or Kitten(if you are feeling to be rude);  These cover Catgirls characters with claws, ears, eyes, and/or tail and no other major additional traits.
The Nekomata of Eriona are this category.
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( Artist :  Embersign!)
So I had 3 Distinctions of Catfolk in three differing sub-types.
And from that I started to expand outwards on what makes Catfolk, well Catfolk.  Starting by noting the differences between the subtypes.
Ligers obviously were the biggest but such size and competitive attitudes led me to the idea they were the traditional leaders in older times.  The more technology has advanced with weapons and armour the less they have been able to assert such physical power on the other Catfolk.  They also traditionally controlled most of Darodem pushing out the other Catfolk into surrounding regions in waves of  migration.
Leopards as one of the groups oppressed by the Ligers initially moved to outlying regions.  They would return with new weapons, allies etc, to retake territory from the Ligers in a dance back and forth for territory.
Lynx spread out faster then the Leopards.  They were aided by a mostly human appearance making it easy to attach themselves to human traders, ships and more.  Along with joining Leopards migration away from Liger controlled territory has greatly spread the Lynx beyond their home region of Darodem.  Well the Leopards and Ligers fought the Lynx simply avoided it and carved out their own small region outlying far from the territory of the other two.
This is all historical and isn’t set in stone as I am very much still working on the Catfolk as a people.  I wanted my catfolk to be spread out.
My biggest problem has been connecting this past with the present.
By that I mean it goes;  Historical Catfolk, The Star Fall, 300 years pass and then....
‘The Eruption of Gwydenlvier‘
This super volcano at the center of the territory, Nore-Ewden at the center of Darodem.  The destruction was huge and radically reshaped the region.  That was with the aid of many powerful Catfolk mages diverting, redirecting, and sealing away parts of the eruptions destruction.
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The eruptions effects were intense and the widespread destruction from famine set the stage for a brutal series of conflicts.
And that is where my historical lore for Catfolk of Darodem stops in the middle of a civil war post a super volcano which devastates the region leading to at least 50 years of war.
I do not know how I want the region to have begun to recover.  Maybe unification under a singular King or Queen?  Maybe it hasn’t recovered or it has under competing fiefs.
Maybe it is currently under occupation by Rivermoot and/or Dragons Reach?
I have earnestly been playing with the idea of running a campaign; during this turbulent period for the sole reason of creating the future narrative.  And it is important to figure out how it stabilizes or does it not and how do its neighbors impact it in the following years.
The Catfolk or the Nekomata of Eriona have more lore to them but that will be for a future post.
So in the future expect an expansion upon the catfolk lore and history.
Fun Fact;  Darodem isn’t even the set name as I debate between it and Daevnish for the regions name.  At one point Nore-Ewdin was the regions name.
I now leave you all with this.
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lea-andres · 2 years
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Uhm excuse me- the fuck is project chaos specimen 91? I need to learn about this oc of yours 👀👀
🤩🎉🤩🎉🤩🎉🤩
Okay, so this is kinda relevant to your idea of Shadow having to go on the run because humans are dumb.
I haven't figured out how far into the future this takes place, but GUN goes through some management changes, and the new people in charge decide they're sick of dealing with Sonic, Shadow, and Co. whenever Eggman or any other world dominating threat arrives. Sonic and Co. aren't exactly known for following orders, and they're EXPENSIVE to clean up after. So GUN starts looking into how they can get their own Sonic or Shadow like super powered individual who will follow all orders 100% of the time without any comments or questions.
They find inspiration within the very source of their problem: Shadow himself. If HE was created in a lab 50+ years ago, then surely GUN could make some... improvements on the design with modern science.
And since they have access to Shadow (since Team Dark works for GUN), they're able to get some of his DNA without his knowledge, and I think you see where this is going: They genetically engineer a new and improved Ultimate Lifeform. She's Project Chaos Specimen #91. Not a clone of Shadow, exactly (they had to add more than just Shadow's DNA to get any success, hence the #91 in her "name" [Which is also a reference to 1991, the year Sonic made his debut 😎].), she's... more like his daughter.
But what about the following orders every time without question part? Oh, they decide to PUMP HER FULL OF MIND CONTROL SERUM 24/7. LIKE YOU DO WITH *CHILDREN*.
Let's just say Shadow doesn't take it well when he finds out. On a scale of 1 to 10, he's at "He and Omega completely level the GUN lab she's being housed in, take CS91, and go on the run for 3 years." level of not calm about it.
And this causes a bit of a Civil War situation for Team Sonic. On one end of the extreme is the Chaotix (with Vector being the most adamant of the three), who are insistent that Shadow was 100% in the right, that is the only sane response to finding out GUN cloned you without your knowledge and turned your kid into a mind controlled super soldier, why the hell is this even up for debate? On the other end is Rouge (as much as it pains her to be against Shadow like this), who acknowledges that yes, this is completely fucked, and GUN are monsters for doing this, but this is GUN we're talking about. Shadow just made a powerful enemy without even consulting anyone about it, there had to have been a better way to go about this. Everyone else is sprinkled about along the spectrum, some siding with the Chaotix, some with Rouge, and some not knowing what to think.
Shadow meanwhile is in hiding with Omega and CS91- I mean, Maria (Shadow'll plug a bullet in between your eyes if he hears you call her CS91), teaching her how to be a kid while simultaneously learning how to be a father. All the angsty hurt/comfort goodness. 🥺
Once the mind control serum's all out of her system and Maria starts to learn how to be an actual person, she's a sweet kid. A little fearful (she's not used to being allowed her own decision making, so she's always a little nervous she's going to make the wrong choice and be punished. She's also shy of new people, as Shadow warned her not to wander off and talk to strangers in case GUN tracks them down), but VERY curious and sweet. She practically clings to Shadow, and she finds Omega's violent ramblings amusing.
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killypool · 2 years
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there are... quite a few verses related to the deadpool canon movies and the mcu (which will become canon eventually, right?) along with many canon divergent verses. each interaction may vary in verse depending on several factors: your preferred verse, if you'd like to encourage a romantic ship, your knowledge of deadpool canon, etc.
main ( see here for summary of the dp & dp2 movies )
open to anyone shipping: closed to vanessa during dp1 2014 - 2018 age: 39 - 43 follows wade at any point during the two movies.
military
open to anyone shipping: open to anyone 1993 - 2008 / 1993 - present age: 18 - 33 follows wade ONLY during his time in the military or in a canon divergent verse in which he is not dishonorably discharged and stays in the military long term
mercenary
open to anyone shipping: open to anyone 2008 - 2014 / 2008 - present age: 33 - 39, 33 - present follows wade prior to meeting vanessa and acquiring his powers. wade works as a mercenary in japan, morocco, germany, and spain before moving back to the united states and working within sister margaret's ( 2010 ). continues until meeting vanessa in 2014 or is canon divergent in which he does not become sick and does not meet vanessa
comics
open to anyone shipping: open to anyone 1991 - 2022 age: who the fuck even knows divergent possibly in backstory. honestly i've barely read any comics, and having this verse exist is to hold me accountable to eventually reading them. if you're interested in roleplaying in a comic canon verse, please let me know which comics specifically you'd like to write in.
question mark
honestly i use this tag when i have no fucking clue
deal with the devil
closed to @deathfcrged and penny's other muses shipping: closed 2018 age: 43 canon divergent in which wade seeks out the underworld after losing vanessa to bring her back to life.
dying factor
open to anyone shipping: open to anyone 2014 - 2022 age: 39 - 47 canon divergent in that wade's healing factor begins to fail and wade finds himself struggling to stay alive
government workshop
open to anyone shipping: open to anyone 2008 - 2022 age: 33 - 47 canon divergent in that wade does not gain his powers in ajax's workshop after battling cancer. wade is horribly injured while in the military and is sent to a government owned workshop where he is turned into deadpool.
mcu
open to anyone shipping: open to anyone 2010 - 2025+ age: 35 - 50+ canon divergent in that the timeline of dp / dp2 canon is altered to fit within the mcu timeline. wade becomes deadpool in 2010, and is recognized as a potential threat ( or potential ally ) by nick fury. unless otherwise plotted, wade is not involved in the events of avengers (2012). during the events of captain america: winter soldier, wade begins taking several anonymous hits out on hydra agents and briefly meets the winter soldier. the events of deadpool 2 take place prior to civil war, and wade inserts himself into the drama to stand on captain america's side. wade is desperate to prevent the sokovian accords from being finalized in an effort to save russell and prevent russell from becoming a ward to the state once more. during the fight, wade is arrested alongside the other members of team cap and is held prisoner with the mutant collar once more until he is freed. following this, he keeps his distance from the avengers whenever possible. wade largely avoids many of the conflicts in infinity war, but after surviving the snap, is desperate to find someone to join along with during the events of endgame. post endgame? who even knows.
ps4 spider-man - insomniac games
open to anyone shipping: open to anyone what year does ps4 spider-man even take place? age: 30+ probably background taken almost entirely from the government workshop verse. wade's mutation into deadpool was a result of a military workshop owned by norman osborn. with his entire body scarred, wade is desperate to figure out the man responsible for his experimentation and mutation and even more desperate for a cure for his ugly appearance. may or may not include wade living a double life - using his medical knowledge gained in the military, wade enters nursing school and works in the local emergency department to pay bills, working as a vigilante under the name deadpool.
brainwashed
open to anyone shipping: open to anyone 2014 - 2022? age: 39 - 47 canon divergent in that wade is unable to escape ajax's workshop and is used as a mutant soldier. for who? no fucking clue. but we can figure that one out together.
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mcu-fan-fics-blog · 3 years
Text
The Helping Hand
Summary: Y/N Krast Illegitimate Daughter of Tony Stark. Product of an unwanted teen pregnancy. What would Howard Stark be capable of doing to assure his sons future? What will happen when Tony meets our Beautiful, young, genius, rich philanthropist.
Word Count: 3000 approx
A/N: Sorry for the wait I've been a little busy the last couple of weeks. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Next chapter will be Civil war I hope to upload again soon. In the mean time if you have some ideas or thoughts send them my way.
Tw: Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Drug use, Drug addiction, Teen Pregnancy. (If there are any I missed please tell me.)
Ch.7
Chapter 8: Time and Irony Walk Hand in Hand
Ch.9
"Well this is nice…" You say as Natasha drags you along. You see currently you and Natasha are quote on quote shaking a tail. Whatever that means… "Shut up and keep moving." You stop moving and pull your arm away. "Stop Nat we've gone far enough. It was probably just a coincidence we didn't really get that far from the food truck." Finally taking the time to catch your breath. "I think we should get back to the compound. Tony and Bruce must be waiting for me." You say looking around for a cab lucky for you one stopped right before you and you got in.
The ride back to the Compound was quiet. When she's about to make her way in, you stop her. "Nat… I know that didn't go the way either of us wanted it to go but I still had fun. And again what I'm trying to say is that I would like to do things your way, candlelit, waiters, and wine. If you want to of course." You fidget with your fingers waiting for her response. "Y/n I would love to… but I like the way you do things. You're not the Wine and Dine type... I like that." She mentions as she walks back in. You quickly follow suit after she makes a comment about your blatant staring.
Once you stop on the elevator FRIDAY greets you. Telling you that Tony and Bruce are waiting for you in the lab. "Well Nat this is goodbye for now, see you around." You say stepping off of the elevator. Suddenly this weight comes crashing down on you. Remembering what Bruce told you the worry in his eyes. Dread fills your body when you're walking towards the lab. "Guys I'm back… anything good for me?" You state casually trying your hardest not to sound hopeful. "Well yes and no…" Tony states putting the tablet down. "I'm going to be honest with you… your heart is trashed, absolute garbage."
"Way to make a girl feel special." You say with a dry laugh. "But I think we can build something. And with my arc reactor technology we can make it work." He states tapping at his chest. This is where Bruce jumps in "with the help of Dr. Cho we could try and make a new cradle… and use it for its intended purpose this time around. Making a heart powered by the arc reactor." You nod taking all the information in. "Well this is good right? How long would this take." This is where both Tony and Bruce go quiet. "Y/n the process is relatively easy, what's difficult is getting our hands on the Vibranium."
"Which is basically a non existent problem at this point… Bruce is just paranoid, my contact will pan out you'll see." Tony jumps back in clearly annoyed that Bruce was disclosing such trivial issues. "Even if we do get the Vibranium Y/n there's something we don't know… If you'll even survive the transplant." Your eyes meet his and he elaborates. "Your body might not be strong enough to handle it." Suddenly the inevitability of the situation dawns upon you. "Well I'm still doing it… I'm dying anyways. What difference does it make if it's a month from now or five. I'm doing it." 
"Well, let not be hasty alright. We can still look for other alternatives." Bruce tries to argue. "Look, this is Y/n's decision. She's old enough to make her own decisions. Plus the more we work on this the higher survival chances are." Tony argues. You clear your throat when you notice some visitors standing by the door. "How long have they been there?" You ask, trying to mask your anger. Pietro and Steve both give you sheepish smiles that don't quite reach their eyes. "Look Y/n we just wanted to make sure you were okay… and by the looks of it you're not." 
You stand making your way to stand in front of Steve who had just taken a defensive stance. "Well you're right I'm not okay. Now what are you going to do about it Cap… Other than feeling pity every time you look at me." You say pushing your finger on his chest. "This does not leave this room you understand?" You say looking at both Steve and Pietro. "But, My sister…" You nod "Figure it out pretty boy. Now if you could leave the adults have to talk." They both sigh but take their leave. You turn and notice Tony and Bruce staring, not saying anything. You can only laugh at the sight. 
As much as you did want to be mad you couldn't. You were starting to come to terms with the fact that your business was now becoming their business. "I just wanted to watch them squirm." You clarify making Tony laugh. "Well I'd say you achieved that." Bruce mentions. "I'll give them til the end of the day. What do you think?" You say looking at Tony. "How much are you willing to bet, Billionaire to Billionaire?" He asks, challenging you. "50 million dollars." He scoffs. "Don't be a prude, make it Euros." You nod. "Best money there is." You say agreeing with him. "I'll hold you to that Y/n." He says as you leave the lab.
Two days later you were busy. You'd been in contact with Bruce and Pepper. Currently you were looking for someone to mentor. Someone you could leave your legacy with. Logan was an obvious choice but you knew he wouldn't take it. "You wanna give it a break Y/n you're not going to find the perfect candidate in so little time." Logan mentions. When suddenly your secretary enters with more forms. "Ms. Krast these are the applications from Midtown Science High. There's only four. Liz Allan, Ned Leeds, Flash Thompson, and uhh Peter Parker." You sigh with a smile forming on your lips. "They've got to be here my mentee. These kids are geniuses." 
You say as you look through the applications. Slowly crossing off the first two, that Flash kid and Liz. Ned and Peter it was a tough choice until you saw some of yourself in Peter's eyes. "It's him." You say under your breath catching Logan's attention. "Peter Parker… I want him, he will be the future of our company. Make arrangements. I want him to feel welcomed." You say as you start to gather your things. "Send out the acceptance letter today." You say to Logan on your way out. "Will do Boss." He says with a smile growing on his face as he reads the file. Peter didn't have it easy on the contrary he lived through a lot but he still managed to be him.
The next week went by in a blur. Your will and testament were drafted and certified. You were set on that end and now on the other front. You were currently parked outside Midtown High waiting for the bell to ring. When it does a couple of minutes pass when a fresh faced kid is knocking on your window. "Y/n Krast nice to meet you kid." You say rolling down the window. He seems a little nervous. "Come on in Peter. We're going to get to know each other a little before we begin working with the internship." He nods enthusiastically, a small smile forming on his lips. "Tell me about your Peter, I mean outside of what I already know."
"Well I'm what most people would call a nerd. My aunt may always say that's not true but it is." You hum in agreement pulling out of the school parking lot. "Well being popular is overrated anyways." You jump in. "And Ned, my best friend, we're huge fans of you and your work." He says his speed increases as he starts to ramble about how he followed your trajectory as soon as he found out who you were. "Well I'm glad you like what I do Peter but in my eyes were equals. I will teach you my ways and hopefully you'll take over once I'm dead. Keeping my legacy alive long after I'm dead." You say seriously making him settle and quiet down. 
"Ms. Krast you can't be serious." He says giving you an incredulous look. "I was an orphan… I was given a chance. Someone believed in me. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you remind me of me… and I would like to give you that same chance that I was given." You say sincerely. "Y/n that's too generous… Plus I don't think that I'm what you're looking for. I'm clumsy and…" You stop the car making him look at you. "You may not be ready now or tomorrow but if you let me teach you, you will be." You say reassuringly. "Plus I don't plan on dying anytime soon." You say playfully at the end causing Peter to laugh successfully lightening the mood. "Also another plus for you after this year's audit we'll be working hand in hand with Tony Stark."
At the mention of Tony's name he lit up ten times more than you thought possible. It made you laugh a little but you understood him. "That's amazing. Me working for Y/n Krast and Tony Stark, a literal dream come true." You nod at his statement. The day went by incredibly fast. He was a nice kid, respectful and smart, a little naïve but overall sensible. You went to his favorite pizza place and talked, went to Krast Industries and introduced him to Logan. Showed him his dedicated work space. "So here's your badge, don't lose it. Umm… you'll be here every other day after school, and if you have some special dates tell Margaret the secretary and she'll make a schedule around it." You say as you're walking towards the elevator. 
Peter stops abruptly turning to face you. "Thank you really." He then proceeds to rather hastily pull you into a hug. You're shocked initially but hug him back nonetheless. "Don't sweat it kid." You say patting his back. "I'll have one of my drivers give you a lift home alright." He nods. Just before you press the button for the elevator the doors open. Revealing Pepper Potts and Tony Stark. It makes you laugh internally knowing that the young boy beside you just had his world rocked. "Ms. Krast this is real right?" He asks in a high pitched voice. You nod.
"Pepper Tony, I would like you to meet my new mentee Peter Parker." You say nudging him forward. "Hi, you're Tony Stark." He says in a daze. "Yes kid I am Tony stark and you are?" Tony could literally not care less. Until you gave Pepper a look and she nudged Tony. "Alright kid it was nice meeting you." He says overly enthusiastically. Peter takes the compliment either way. "Alright Peter go over to Margaret she'll take you to the driver. We have some urgent business to attend." He nods and waves goodbye shyly and takes his leave. "Right what do you guys need." Pepper clears her throat "Well actually Tony and I wanted to invite you out to lunch." 
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going." You say walking off with Pepper. "You'll be pleased to know that you won our wager. They know..." Tony mentions at the restaurant. You laugh. "Told you!" Pepper gives you a look. "They're worried about you." You sigh. "Pepper, believe me I'm worried too." Tony quickly steps in. "Which you don't need to worry about too much, everything is in place. Everything panned out Dr. Cho was more than willing to help us. So whenever you want." He says again not meeting your gaze. "I was… ummm. Actually thinking we should hold off on that." 
"What… why?" They both ask almost immediately. "I'm okay right now." Tony scoffs. "So you rather wait till you have another episode to undergo the procedure." You hum. "Precisely see you get it." Watching their confusion you continue. "I've got things I have to leave ready. Time that I can't take for granted." Before they could argue with you said. "I need time… I-i drafted my will a couple of days ago." You say burying your head into your hands. "It's funny really… how you get things you're willing to live for. And life just comes along and takes it from you." Your mind drifts off to Viv and David. You wipe your tears and excuse yourself. Just as you're about to leave you remember. 
"Put the money in a college fund for the kid." You grab Peppers shoulder and nod. "We'll keep in touch." You say leaving the restaurant.  
Three weeks later 
Pretty early on you noticed Peter's jumpy behavior. It wasn't long till you found out his little secret. Again smart kid heart of gold even, but too naïve for his own good. You'd had one of your AI robots track him after he'd shown up a little dinged up. Telling him you knew took some time. You didn't know the extent of his capabilities, but you'd seen the kid walk on walls and kick some ass.
As cute as he looked in that makeshift costume you had a better one in mind. "Peter I would like to show you something." You call out from your workstation in the lab. "Ward pull up spider schematics please." You call out. "What do you think?" You say as Peter glances at his new suit. "I-i um… It's awesome but who is at for?" He said quickly. You almost burst out in laughter right then and there but you played along. "Well I was in Queens the other day and there was this mugging and some hero came out of nowhere and stopped the mugging." You say as you deconstruct the specks of the suit. Watching as peter gawks at the hologram. 
"When I noticed his suit wasn't really a suit, I made him one. You think he'll like it?" Peter nods eagerly, you hum in response. "Alright then try it on, see how it fits spider boy." Peter stands there with his mouth hanging open and you could swear saliva came out. "You aren't that good at keeping secrets kid." You say handing him the suit. "I expect you to be careful, kid." Peter starts to ramble trying to explain himself and begs you to not fire him. You physically had to stop him from pacing. "No ones firing anyone. I'm proud of your kid again, just be careful." Emphasizing the last part. "I will" after all that's out of the way you and Peter spent the day testing out the specks in his new suit. Web slingers and all. Yo I didn't leave until he got the hang of it. It took a while but it was well with the wait. 
The next day you wake up to the news seeing a familiar twin on the news. Not good Lagos had gone wrong, the building collapsed and Wanda was to 'blame'. You hurriedly made your way through your morning routine and raced to the compound. As soon as you make it to the common room you can tell something's off. "How is everybody?" You asked Steve who was the first you saw. "I'm assuming you heard about the incident." You don't have the heart to say yes so you just nod. "We're all a little down on morale. Nothing we can't fix." You say, giving you a small smile. You hate that he is down playing this because of your current dilemma. "It wasn't your fault." You say. As you walk off towards Pietro. 
"Are you okay?" You ask this time actually worried Pietro doesn't seem like his usual self. "No...It's Wanda. She hasn't talked to anyone she hasn't eaten she hasn't left her room." He says all in one breath. He finally stopped stirring and slid down to the floor and sat. "Its my fault. I-i could've moved faster, I could've saved them." He says defeatedly. "Maybe… Maybe not" You say bluntly sitting in front of him. "You can't go back now. And I know it's a sour experience. You made the right decision." You sigh. "You made the choice that saved the most lives." He nods letting out a deep breath. "I know… I know but Wanda. If I had saved those people Wanda wouldn't be feeling like this right now." You shake your head. "You fail to realize that if you had done that you would've died along with the other victims. Wanda will come around and let me talk to her." He only nods. "She's in her room."
You knock on her door a couple of times… no answer. So you make yourself comfortable and prepare yourself. Your knock every minute or two and you're constantly yelling in your head. Half an hour goes by and nothing. You go back to mentally yelling, when suddenly you're being dragged by the collar of your shirt into the room with the doors shutting behind you. "You're stubborn like a mule." She says not sparring you a look. "Yeah well I'm dying what are you gonna do about it." You quipped smiling at her. She chuckles. Suddenly the light leaves her face. "I killed people… I put people in danger, I put my own brother I'm danger." You nod. "You also saved hundreds of people. God only knows what that gas would have done. So thank you Wanda. You're my hero." You say sending her a smile.
Right when she's about to say something a certain red friend phases through the wall. "You will never cease to amaze me Vision." You say while looking between him and the wall. "You have very good taste in clothes." You mention as you eye him. He smiles. "Vision. We talked about this, there's a door for a reason." Wanda states. "Yes, well the door was open so I assumed…" He says, explaining himself. "What did you need Vision?" Wanda asks cutting him off. "Well Mr. Stark asked me to come and get both you there is a team meeting. With secretary Ross." 
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avelera · 3 years
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I think my final weird historical ramble of the day As Brought to You By my research for Lights Out/Old Guard Nicky/Joe fic into the Crusades is how seeing Europeans as like a colonizing force during the Crusades or the Crusades as a “Clash of Civilizations”, East vs. West, Muslims vs. Christians, etc etc, the way many people view it in the US and indeed the way I was initially taught to view that conflict, is wrong because apparently it gives way too much credit for how haphazard, pathetic, and primitive the Europeans actually were.*
I mean, far from being some unstoppable European war machine of CONQUEST and EMPIRE, these hapless European, barely-more-than-barbarian-tribes, forces basically stumbled into establishing a Latin Christian presence in the Levant mostly because of internal political strife on the part of the defending Fatimid Caliphate + the Fatimid’s conflicts with the Seljuk Turks (both Muslims and often conflated by Westerners - basically, the players were Latin Christians and Byzantine Greek Christians, who were often infighting, Seljuk Turkish Muslims and Arabic Fatimid Caliphate Muslims, who were originally fighting but then later once the Europeans arrived were sometimes allied but also each of them respectively were sometimes allied with the Latin Christians once those forces got their feet under them and began to operate as just another political force in the region and ANYWAY THE POINT IS, this whole thing was a MESS and not a clash of two monoliths AT ALL at least not for the first HUNDRED YEARS of the conflict).* 
(*according to several lectures I have listened to, please do not consider this comprehensive knowledge, it’s a product of around 100 hours of research, not a PhD)
The thing is, the Europeans didn’t set out to “conquer” the Middle East when they answered Pope Clement II’s call to “liberate” Jerusalem (which was more of a favor that Clement was doing for the Emperor of Constantinople anyway and it backfired for that Emperor in so, so many ways). The Casus Belli really was just to “liberate” the Holy City from the “pagans” (no mentions of Islam as a faith that they were fighting but, interestingly, the Latin Christians, at least the Italians, may not have even really seen Islam as a separate faith as such in fact some may have seen it as a heretical Christian sect which is kind of wild but also, like, a little closer to the reality in that both faiths are Abrahamic as compared to incorrect interpretations that it’s just an entirely “pagan” religion??). So the Christian forces were mustered, it seems for the most part, by Clement inspiring them based on the incredibly devout faith of the Europeans who stepped up for the call, NOT as much by inspiring in them the the hopes of gaining money or territory, except for by a few minor princes who figured out that there was an opportunity to gain territory only AFTER they were there. So, to characterize this conflict as financially motivated on the part of the European Crusaders is to ascribe modern motives to an ancient, truly religiously-motivated conflict. 
Now, financially, fortunes WERE made in a very cynical way as a result of this conflict, but it was the CHURCH milking the Crusaders, not the Church expecting to gain any wealth from the Holy Land. They became a de facto bank lending money to Crusaders could buy equipment and horses in exchange for loaning or selling their lands and livestock to the Church (I’m sure Jesus would have LOVED that!) BUT the Crusaders all did so at a HUGE disadvantage because, uh, supply/demand kicked in because there was a TON of land suddenly up for sale and EVERYONE needed a horse (or 3) and weapons and armor and food so you see where this is going the Church made BANK and the Crusaders went BANKRUPT for this cause that they were pretty much doing JUST out of a desire to save their SOULS, NOT out of hope of plunder!
So they eventually get to the Holy Land, probably like 50% of the *knights* who set out to fight there die along the way, let’s not even get INTO the Peasants Crusade or the camp followers/civilians who tagged along. And really, the plan was to kick out the “pagans” from Jerusalem, in theory hand the territory back over to the Byzantine Christians in Constantinople and just... go home. Then a bunch of stuff happened and they stayed. 
BUT to go back to my original point, acting like it wasn’t a total haphazard mess that led to the conquest of Jerusalem, let alone holding it, that the Europeans had any idea what they were doing, that they were anything more than just ANOTHER band of smelly barbarians rolling through, setting up some short-lived fortresses and then fucking off again once any kind of serious local resistance gets organized, is to give the Europeans WAY too much credit. They’re not the sophisticated war machines of modern era Imperial Britain or France, these are barely more than Frankish clans and German feudal lords along with a bunch of whackadoodle Christian believers, getting tricked more or less by their religious leaders to go maraud to a random place on the other side of the world, bankrupting and/or killing way more than half of these hapless guys, for reasons that were largely baffling to the more sophisticated governments currently “in power” (for a certain value of “power” given internal divisions in the Fatimid Caliphate). 
TL;DR The Europeans were basically a barbarian hoard, who lacked the manpower to do more than cling to the edges of the coast for barely a century before being driven off again. If this was the Romans and the Gauls we’d consider this occupation a footnote, if not for the long-term ramifications that we continue to suffer from this event, but more from the PERCEPTION of this event more than the material reality of it, for the last 1,000 years. 
And anyway, as an Ancient Rome/Greece nerd primarily, this has been an interesting thing to learn!
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cool-ghoul · 2 years
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Codex Unlock: Your Friendly Neighborhood Witch-Burners
ca314159bara: ooh yeah with that context it makes sense! the catharate's definition of "monster" is pretty loose to begin with and can be extended even further to include anyone they want out of the picture (to me it evokes red scare neighbors snitching on each other for allegedly being commies, but instead its being 'contaminated' with magic) 
Bingo. That’s the Catharate. They’re not Nazis, but they are absolutely Fascists. The word’s actually been coined in-setting, since there is Elf Rome, therefore Elf Latin, and therefore the word “Fasces”. However, that’s a Fey and foreign word: Humans just call ‘em “Witch-Burners”. It’s barely even insulting, and certainly accurate.
There are capitalists and proto-socialists in Din territory (that’s The Issue there), and Din families love to travel and set up shop abroad, carrying their ideals with them. (Dis is the “continent of heretics”, so Din are “Djinn”, who have been living alongside humans in the Ingenious Isles since prehistory). For this reason, Cathars brilliantly decided to open surplus stores in all of their forts: the Commissary was born. Along with serving good stuff up cheap, they selectively stock it to murder whatever business is inconvenient at the moment, both foreign and domestic, for a petty, bloodless victory. Unemployed now? Well, military’s always hiring.
If you’re overtly insubordinate they can just shoot your ass, though. Any legal authority they have is broad to the point of obscenity.
As a result, Commissary-spec everything saturates Human turf. Even things as simple as silverware or shoes: anything that’s way easier to buy, but is nonetheless tough to live without. It’s sexy and edgy-looking too, cast in blacks and reds. It’s kinda like “tacticool” bullshit today, with the same design ethic. Tac Knights are real, and they’re called Blackbanner Cathars.
They were founded in desperation during the war against the gods ~50 years ago, and any territory they own is land conceded by governments to the current Living-God figure known as the Grand Martyr. They are retained now to support his army. It’s like a church militant.
He owns only one bigass fortified citadel (Downfall, built on the corpse of a murdered god) as head of state there, but his army spans the continent. Once again, they’re not Nazis, but are Fascists-- the Martyr’s a black guy to drive that home without me having to lampshade it and point like a jackass. Think critically, friends: tomorrow it could be Your Guy.
Culturally, He originates from Acris, which is proximate to Fantasy Ethiopia. It’s not a particularly awful place to live, either. It just turned out the current King Bastard of Fuck Mountain. Coulda been anywhere. But, he’s a Crusader to the bone and his Martyr’s Theses are served up like gospel, containing real means of protection against Cambionisis, and military training exercises to make everyone little soldiers.
He’s alive(?), but like 105 and his royal guards (themselves adventurers of old) are seen visibly propping him up any time he gets off his throne. The majority of them have already died off too, including everyone he favored for a successor. It will be a civil war if he goes into that good night now.
They’re human supremacists textually, too, He doesn’t go as far as calling non-humans lesser beings, but you gotta be a Human to be a Cathar. So fundies are pretty xenophobic towards “knife-ears” (Fey) and “little devils” (Din), but that’s crotchety grandpa shit these days.
Racism 2 sucks as a plot element, so any real xenophobia is subtle, plausibly deniable and externally-motivated. You can be the immediate and personal consequences of their actions, if it suits you. Talk shit, get zombie-bit.
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Infimus Devlog #7: Hauntology
Infimus' second major update is coming in the next couple of weeks. Leading up to that, I'll be posting here a bunch of past devlogs that really should've been on this page all along. This was originally written 09/15/2021. A lot of my favorite fictional worlds involve, in some way or another, a regurgitation of the past into a new kind of present. Of course, you could say that's simply how history works. To an extent, at least. Integrating elements from your world's past into the current setting is just, well, good worldbuilding. It helps create a believable present. There's various ways to do that.
One approach - just one, mind, one of many - is to take inspiration from the real, actual past. Something like the Fallout series, or the Bioshock games (which I have some issues with, but the setting certainly isn't one of them), takes elements from the pop culture of particular historical periods and integrates them into the setting. That can be done more or less well (just compare the worst parts of the Bethesda Fallouts to Fallout 2 or New Vegas), but it nonetheless results in a very effective and well defined aesthetic. 50's pop songs are as much a part of Fallout's vibe as bombed out ruins swarming with ghouls. As far as superhero media goes, Batman TAS does this extremely well with its various nods to noir media.
My very first draft of Infimus was more or less retrofuturistic. The aesthetic was that of the future as viewed through the brightest lenses possible in the second half of the past century. Ideal cities, flying cars, moon colonies and all that. It was a world where the superheroes had won, after all. It had to at least *appear* like an utopia. Though what I settled with has strayed from that concept, the general thrust remains. As you explore Infimus' setting, you will see that it's a world of stunning brightness. But that's just on the surface: there's darkness deep down. And, as your oath says, you will sink ever lower.
I Spent 1500 Hours On Paradox Games And I Need To Convince Myself I Learned Something
Games by the Swedish company Paradox Interactive are usually grand strategy games. That's, in short, games which are in the sweet spot between strategy games, political simulations, and RPGs. The biggest names in the genre are Stellaris, Crusader Kings, Europa Universalis, Hearts Of Iron. The Total War series is grand strategy if you squint hard enough, I guess, though I'm sure purists would disagree. Think of Civilization crossed with those German ultrarealistic forklift simulators. I **LOVE** them. I've sunk far too many hours into conquering Europe starting as the principate of Albania in 1444, or restoring the Achaemenid Empire as a random small country from central Iran by 1800. Those games are, naturally, much simplfied compared to the actual material forces which animate history. You'd need an immense amount of work to even approach that. But there's still a sense of causality, of a political appointment at the start of your playthrough in 1939 influencing your war strategy in 1942, your alliance with France leading to maybe a marriage and your king on their throne a hundred years down the line.
This process is extremely interesting to me, and what I aim to replicate with my worldbuilding. I intend to immerse you, dear player, in history like a pickled cucumber. You've probably already figured that out by how the game is set up: the Hall, Memories, and other things that I haven't introduced yet have just that purpose. To me, what makes a world *real* is how interconnected it is. How patterns build upon themselves, and repeat through all facets of it. The way I like to make my worlds real is to sketch out the things that happen *before* the player is thrust into them, and go from there. That's how the retrofuturism came to be: what would, I reasoned, Aurelius and his faction do if they came to power?
Here's a very short, badly recorded, and extremely simple song about the history of the best ever death metal band out of Denton, Texas. I believe it to be one of the greatest ever made. It involves an invocation to Satan.
youtube
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