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nightswatchdisbandmentera · 19 days

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Something rubbed against his leg beneath the table. Jon saw red eyes staring up at him. “Hungry again?” he asked. There was still half a honeyed chicken in the center of the table. Jon reached out to tear off a leg, then had a better idea. He knifed the bird whole and let the carcass slide to the floor between his legs. Ghost ripped into it in savage silence. His brothers and sisters had not been permitted to bring their wolves to the banquet, but there were more curs than Jon could count at this end of the hall, and no one had said a word about his pup. He told himself he was fortunate in that too. His eyes stung. Jon rubbed at them savagely, cursing the smoke. He swallowed another gulp of wine and watched his direwolf devour the chicken. Dogs moved between the tables, trailing after the serving girls. One of them, a black mongrel bitch with long yellow eyes, caught a scent of the chicken. She stopped and edged under the bench to get a share. Jon watched the confrontation. The bitch growled low in her throat and moved closer. Ghost looked up, silent, and fixed the dog with those hot red eyes. The bitch snapped an angry challenge. She was three times the size of the direwolf pup. Ghost did not move. He stood over his prize and opened his mouth, baring his fangs. The bitch tensed, barked again, then thought better of this fight. She turned and slunk away, with one last defiant snap to save her pride. Ghost went back to his meal. Jon grinned and reached under the table to ruffle the shaggy white fur. The direwolf looked up at him, nipped gently at his hand, then went back to eating.

Jon I, AGOT

It's interesting that GRRM would dedicate several paragraphs to a seemingly unimportant exchange between a boy, his wolf, and an unfriendly third party. But there's just something about this passage that has continued to nag at me for years since I first read it because, considering how heavy handed GRRM was with the foreshadowing in AGOT, this feels important.

Jon is sitting at table full of squires - aka would be knights. We don't really know who they are or what families they belong to, but it's safe to assume that they come from a certain level of privilege; this is considering the fact that it cannot be financially easy to be a squire. And these boys already have a slew of tales detailing all their previous knightly exploits regarding "battle and bedding and the hunt" which suggests that they have some capital. So you have boys who will soon be men. And they will, presumably, become men of some power.

These lads eat their fill of the chicken until only half remains, which Jon then gives to Ghost. The direwolf's name is not so important here but what he represents is. Throughout the series, we're told that Ghost is reminiscent of the weirwood trees (because of his red eyes and white fur). He's stated to be of and from the Old Gods and since he's a personification of the weirwoods, he might as well be one of them. It's almost as if Jon is presenting whatever is left on the table to the Old Gods (Ghost). He lets them devour his offerings while he silently watches. And the motif of watching is so interesting here because it's kind of like Jon takes on a stewardship role - to watch over land/people/etc. He oversees Ghost eating the chicken, so he's overseeing whatever has been given to the Old Gods. This is not new imagery to his arc. As a brother of the Night's Watch and eventually its leader, we have several instances where he leads people to adopting the Old Gods in some fashion. In ADWD, several recruits swear their vows to the Old Gods while he watches on as their Lord Commander. The Old Gods are also primarily of the North and we're told that Jon has more of the north in him than his brothers; interesting that this also includes Bran. So perhaps whatever is being offered to the Old Gods relates to the North.

We must also note that Jon initially thinks to give only a small portion, a leg, before pivoting and providing the entire thing. It feels to me a bit like the process of carving up a kingdom or something similar. The lords (represented by the squires) take what they want and leave aside what they don't; or perhaps they have eaten to their fill and can take no more. Then when his time comes, Jon first considers a small piece of land/group of people before eventually absorbing all of whatever is left behind. The concept of carving up a kingdom rings harder considering that we have several callbacks to the ideals of kingship in this chapter. Robert, Jaime, Tyrion, and even Mance though we don't know it yet, all play into this. And then there's the aspect of Jon letting the chicken slip between his legs which evokes birth/fatherhood, a very curious choice when GRRM could've just had Jon place the chicken on the floor. So land/people are carved up and Jon then uses whatever is left to birth his own type of kingdom. And this kingdom is one for the Old Gods.

This also touches on something that has been quite prevalent throughout Jon's arc. It's the concept of accepting the "others" or "those left over" who live apart from the accepted social norms. Arya (a tomboy), Sam (a gender non-confirming boy), the Night's Watch (criminals, extra sons, and men who have no future left or place to go), and even the wildlings are all examples of this. And Jon takes on a leadership/paternal role to every single one of them. He looks after them as a leader would/should. Sometimes, in the case of Arya and the wildlings, he's equated to a king. He's a steward/shepherd/king. There's messianic undertones to this:

Come unto me, all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30).

If you're familiar with Judeo-Christian tradition, you'll know that Jesus is often personified as one who spent the majority his time among the outcasts. The idea is that he came to save them too and that anew kingdom (or new earth depending on your translation) would spring up after the end of the world where he would forever rule as king; which presents the idea of a final king after the earthly ones are done away with. Now GRRM isn't so heavy handed with Christian allusions as other authors out there, but he does have a Catholic background and Jon is so overtly a Jesus figure. And in Revelation, Jesus is king and god at the very end....

One last thing: the mention of the mongrel who challenges Jon has always been rather interesting but confusing to me. A mongrel doesn't really relate to one specific type of dog. But it's interesting that Jon notes several roaming about where he is. They follow the serving girls who carry the food to be offered. Mongrels are used to describe antagonist/villainous groups in ASOIAF. Sometimes, they're used to describe slavers in Essos. But what's interesting is that most of the time, they're used to describe Euron's Ironborn especially in Victorian's POV. So I don't think the mongrel who challenges Ghost is a supernatural threat of death (i.e., the Others) but rather a human one. They represent those who are called to the scene once the lords have finished playing their games. It almost feels like a feast for (carrion) crows....

But it doesn't really matter because this mongrel isn't much of a challenge for Ghost. Though the mongrel is much larger, the direwolf is able to fend her off very effortlessly. Given that "mongrel" is used to describe Ironborn raiders, could this exchange between Ghost and the mongrel point to reavers or sea raiders who rise and fail challenge Jon kingdom? There is a historical King Jon Stark who did this....

When sea raiders landed in the east, Jon drove them out and built a castle, the Wolf's Den, at the mouth of the White Knife, so as to be able to defend the mouth of the river.[1][2] His son, Rickard, followed him on the throne and annexed the Neck to the north.

ref.

So this might shed some light not only on Jon's already published arc, but also on what we can expect in the future. We have some foreshadowing through Jon's ADWD dream that he will not only rise with the dawn (thereby live through the Long Night), but will be in a position to lead people (wildings in that chapter) to a new peace after a hard fought war. Also remember that the wildlings, rather enthusiastically, swear oaths to him as if swearing oaths to their king. In this instance, the supernatural (a dream of the war for the dawn) is followed by the natural/human. So perhaps this particular passage (and Jon's dream) can be used to predict that Jon comes out on top, and quite effortlessly too, as a leader. And he becomes a leader who rules by association with the Old Gods; or rules a kingdom for them.

To end, I think it's of note that this passage immediately precedes Jon's conversation with Benjen where he voices his desire to go out on his own - the hero's call to action. This is the adventure that's going to kickstart his growth as a man, warrior and most importantly, a leader. So it looks like before we even began, GRRM telegraphed how it would all end in just three short paragraphs.

#jon snow #asoiaf #valyrianscrolls #ghost the direwolf #some random extra thoughts:#the aspect of fatherhood is closely tied to kingship as kings are often regarded to be the fathers of their nations #so we might see a parallel where jon-like dany-doesn't have children of his own physical body #but rather rules a kingdom as its symbolic father #think of how odin-a mythical parallel for jon-is called the all father because he is father to all men/lands #also it's interesting to me how kingship is a theme but it's almost like the actual theme is that of kings coming of going #but jon remaining and prevailing above all #we have robert who is a disappointing/bad king and his rule doesn't last very long and neither will his dynasty #jaime looks like a king and even if grrm didn't go through with his original ideas he was never meant to rule for long #in the new story jaime is symbolic of rhaegar a would be king whose time comes and goes leaving jon to pick up the pieces #then tyrion who stands “as tall as a king” but not quite! he still is not as tall as jon and tyrion also says in a later chapter #that soon he'll be even shorter than ghost + tyrion wasn't hand for long #mance who is hidden also has his time as king but it's very short lived and jon later absorbs his kingdom to make his own #so we have the wolf devouring the “left behinds” in a way but the interesting thing is this happens in reverse doesn't it #might Jon's new kingdom not only be made of remnants of the nw and wildlings but also have those left behind from the rest of the 7k?#it's possible since jojen tells us that once night comes all cloaks become black 🙂#so yeah this is all just more jon endgame king of winter/a new north propaganda lmaoooo

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marchlione · 9 months

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i think the reason i find jason so interesting is because the lore surrounding him is so interesting but he comes across so straightlaced which suggests to me that he does this on purpose. he forces himself into this persona of perfection and "conceal don't feel" and it fascinates me. like there's the whole thing where there are expectations for jason, as the son of jupiter and juno's champion, add to that the fact that it is implied that the romans have far less contact with the gods and especially major gods than even the greeks, and that up until very recently, jason was the only child of the big three *chef's kiss* then when you think about the emphasis on hierarchy and obedience in the roman camp and jupiter being more associated with aspects of governance than zeus, and imagine feral 'i was raised by wolves' toddler!jason being molded to fit in and groomed to lead. and consider the history of the children of jupiter, and jupiter's own history with patricide, and his father's history with patricide, and how jason is already under scrutiny for the circumstances he was born under, an oath sworn on the Styx being broken by the god of oaths who was the only one to break it on the roman side, so jason must be under a lot of pressure. he can't mess up, he doesn't get that luxury. not only does he have to be perfect, he also has to be obedient and subservient to the gods, but also a great leader to his people, and also be as inoffensive and unobtrusive as possible, but also mediocrity is not an option and he has to stand out and be tuly great but also not too great and become a threat to the gods. he is so fascinating

#jason grace #jason grace posting #i'm obsessed #the roman camp presents so many opportunities that just weren't capitalized on #partially because i feel like rick didn't really delve into how the romans treated their religion #and how it differed from the greeks #the myths and stories themselves are nearly equivalent #but their context in everyday life were so different #rick really just wrote them as the greeks but more distant from the gods and more warlike but also worse at war ???#the roman empire lasted a whole lot longer than the greeks did #and were the direct successors to the hellenic kingdoms #they took everything the greeks did and honed and perfected it #along the way absorbing stuff from everyone around them #from culture to religion #but also where greek heroes were demi gods who completed supernatural and mythical tasks #roman heroes tended to not necessarily be demigods and their heroic deeds had more to do with civic duty

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aurelion-solar · 2 months

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Warring Kingdoms Jarvan IV Mythic Chroma - Wild Rift Splash Art

#jarvan iv #warring kingdoms jarvan iv #league of legends #wild rift #wild rift skins #wild rift splash art #splash art #skins #mythic chroma #official

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disgruntledexplainer · 1 month

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Leading the way in terms of awards was the much-anticipated Baldur's Gate, a fantasy role-playing game set in the world of Dungeons and Dragons.

-TLDR News Daily

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minecraftbookshelf · 9 months

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How to Become the King of Mythland

(For Dummies)

Since I already made the posts for the Roseblings, I figured I'd go ahead and write the one for the third core member of the WRA. (I am still accepting suggestions for who to do next for this series, so far I've done Pix, the Seablings, and the Roseblings)

The usual copy+paste of Relevant Notes to start...

Also a general note relevant to the succession criteria of the majority of the empires. Remember this whole thing, where Pix kind of accidentally changed the formal definition of war in the empires? That had a lot of implications for how royalty functioned in the Empires. While they still absolutely have internal duties and responsibilities and privileges, ultimately their most important job is that they stand ready to defend their empire and its people at all times. Part of this is that they also function as international ambassadors in a way, while most empires also have official ambassadors, the relationships and interactions between the emperors themselves are a very important (sometimes volatile) facet of international relations. A country cannot be recognized internationally as an autonomous nation without an official Emperor/Head of State.

Mythland is one of the oldest mortal realms, neck and neck with Helianthia (the exact order there is a hotly debated point) it's population is about equal parts human and hybrid and, like the Grimlands, it is not uncommon to find faint traces of various fae ancestries among the populace.

It is not the largest kingdom, but it is one of the strongest. And is famed for its beautiful and efficient infrastructure.

Mythland is one of the empires with a more "traditional" monarchy, traced through bloodline. The current royal family, House Sausage, has held the throne for about ten or twelve generations.

Since the advent of the role of royalty changing, the heirs to the throne have undergone a slightly altered education, culminating in a "final exam"/"quest" in which they are required to meet certain requirements to prove their worth to inherit the crown and defend the empire and its people.

Usually after their quest is completed and they have officially graduated from their (rigorous) military training, they have a few years to focus on less martial elements of education before their parent abdicates and passes on the crown, but in Sausage's case his parents were assassinated at the same time as the Count of the Grimlands, and he was crowned shortly thereafter, the very day after his parents were buried.

(Yes, there was a coordinated attack on several rulers at once, yes this is relevant to several of their backstories. This is also when Pearl became Queen of Helianthia.)

And obviously this kind of trauma and lack of time and space to grieve properly had no negative effects on Mythical J Sausage whatsoever. :)

AU Masterpost

#empires smp #mythland #empires s1 #mythical j sausage #there is a reason the mortal-majority kingdoms mostly have young rulers who are all right about the same age #rain rambles #marriage of state au #mos: worldbuilding #mos: mythland #mos: sausage

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link-is-a-dork · 10 months

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#legend of zelda series #tears of the kingdom #animals #naydra #dragons #mythical animals #nintendo #nintendo switch #liad post #2023 #screenshot #totk spoilers #tears of the kingdom spoilers

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thezoothatneverwas · 8 months

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Art from 2018! (OMg that's 5 years ago already :/)

Here's a Kingdom Hearts AU where Roxas is a lonely, shy, nature-loving quiet kid who goes on long adventures into an enchanted forest. On one of these escapades, he meets a couple of kirins, Xion and Axel, and they get up to all sorts of danger and shenanigans.

#kingdom hearts #roxas #axel #xion #sea salt family #sfw furry #mythical creature #kirin #sea salt trio #fantasy AU #japanese mythology #sketch

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vixivulpixel · 1 year

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We dunno if we can assume any of it is necessarily intended on Nintendo’s part, but BotW/TotK Link ending up an icon of a loose definition of gender is really funny

#Mythic System Says #BotW #TotK #Link #Breath of the Wild #Tears of the Kingdom #Is this a very self reason to call BotW/TotK Link the best Link? Yeah #And?

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dumbass---tm · 2 years

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each one of them has a kingdom.

katherine rules over a forest, filled with flowers and peacful days. she hopes no one will see a war, or a bloodshed. of course, her hopes are empty and changed now.

scott rules over a city, filled with gold and ice. he hopes that everyone will be content and happy with their lives. of course, his hopes are empty and gone now.

joel rules over a kingdom of sand, filled with colours. he hopes everyone will not suffer from being different, and will accepted. of course, his hopes are empty and cracked now.

gem rules over a magical school. it grew from a town, and she hopes that no one will be alone and will find a purpose for themselves. of course, her hopes are empty and away now.

sausage rules over an army, filled with barracks. his generals are his advisors and his civilians are his soldiers. he hopes no one will be unprotected and dead. of course, his hopes are empty and lit up in flames now.

fwhip rules over a land of technology. its filled with redstone and gunpowder. he hopes no one will be left behind and lose their family. of course, his hopes are empty and blown now.

shelby rules over a sea of mushrooms. its filled with wolves. she hopes no one will have to suffer being the last of themselves. of course, her hopes are empty and only stories now.

jimmy rules over the swamp. its filled with slime and coziness. he hopes no one will have to suffer through loneliness and despair. his hopes are empty and stolen now.

pix ruled over the desert. it was filled with relics and memories. he hoped no one would be forgotten and left behind. his hopes are empty and exiled now.

pearl rules over the farmlands. its filled with animals and companions. she hopes no one will go hungry or disposed. her hopes are empty and wasted now.

joey rules over the jungle. jts filled with animals and tall trees. he hopes no one will have to suffer without their loved ones, or through a toxic relationship. his hopes are empty and crazed now.

and lizzie rules over the ocean. it was filled with corals and lilypads. she hopes no one will suffer without their family. her hopes are empty and forgotten now.

everyone has a kingdom.

has. has.

has.

ha-

had.

everyone had a kingdom.

theyre not there anymore.

#empires smp #empirestober #day 3 #kingdom #my write shit #yeah #scott smajor #joey graceffa #mythical sausage #fwhip #gemini tay #shubble #katherine elizabeth #lizzie ldshadowlady #joel smallishbeans #pixlriffs #jimmy solidarity #pearlescentmoon

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