I was looking into the origin of the names of the Touchstarved cast and idk if I’m being stupid and this has already been confirmed but it feels like too much of a coincidence to me 😭 I’ll go in the order of how u meet them so in this part 1, I have done Kuras and Leander’s names (Warning, Leander’s is quite long NOT like that you pervert) also Srry for any spelling mistakes
Linguistically, Kuras is connected to lot’s of languages but here’s some that fit the best.
In Polish/Slavic, Kuras means rooster. Obviously in a literal sense, Rooster would have no connection to Kuras 💀but historically speaking, roosters are seen as the protectors agains evil and heralds of the dawn. Tying this back to Kuras being a repentant angel who helps to protect and care for the people of Eridia. And a sort of ‘Salvation of humanity”
The Lithuanian origin of the name means “fuel” or “heating.” Since Kuras is a doctor who heals without charging his patients, metaphorically speaking this could tie back to his doctor role of providing warmth, life and restoring life to those on the brink of death (like MC was after the Soulless attack on the way to Eridia.)
Kuras’ lore on the fandom page often also ties him back to being a teacher (who had/has ties to the Senobium) who brought gifts to humanity like alchemy or literacy. In Arabic the root of Kuras means folio or notebook. This emphasises his association to ancient knowledge and the divine gift of learning.
Leander’s name originated in Greece. The name is derived from the name Leandros (Λέανδρος) which translates directly to “Lion Man” or “Man of lion’s strength”.
Leander is portrayed as a powerful and charismatic mage and leader of the Adderstone which is known for protecting the people in the city of Eridia (most of the time the people in Lowtown).
However, there is also a myth that we could tie him to. In Greek mythology, there is a myth called “The myth of Hero and Leander.”
In this myth, Leander is a young man from Abydos who falls in love with a woman called Hero, who is a priestess of Aphrodite. Every night, Leander would swim across the Hellespont to meet Hero, guided by a torch in Hero’s tower that she would light every night to guide him. However, one particularly stormy night, the wind blew out the torch meant to guide Leander, causing Leander to lose his way and drown. Upon discovering his body washed ashore, Hero is heartbroken and throws herself out of her tower to join him in death.
There are some parallels I notice between Hero and Leander and MC and Leander:
The crossing of “Forbidden waters.” In the myth Leander risked his life every night to see Hero by swimming through Hellespont which acted as a barrier between the two forbidden lovers. In the VN,Leander was born into a wealthy family in high town and was meant to become a mage for the Senobium. However he abandoned this lifestyle in order to help those in Lowtown, therefore forming the Adderstone. Metaphorically speaking, you could compare the myth’s Leander swimming across the Hellespont to see Hero to the VNs Leander crossing the social boundaries of the Hightown and into the Lowtown. (I hope that makes sense 😭)
In one retelling of the myth, The love between Leander and Hero is described as “instantly and violently” and a force that overrode their duties. In the game, Almost immediately we see Leander charming the MC (Eg giving them the magical flower in the Wet Wick.) And just as quickly, Leanders focus on the MC is immediate and unrelenting, he’s constantly trying to persuade MC that if they want a cure for their curse, that he is their best option.
In the myth, Leander’s life depended on the light guide him to Hero. Once it was extinguished by a storm, he drowned. In the VN, There is a heavy contrast between his “golden boy” persona and the hints at something much darker inside him. In the game his “monster version” (idk what u would call it, but I’ll attach a photo at the end of this) Is just a shadow of himself. This suggests that if the “light” (which could be MCs trust or his “heroic mage act”) fails, then he may be “consumed” by his shadow.
Also, in several retellings of the myth, Leader is depicted as very manipulative. This is probably the strongest parallel I could find between the myth and Leander and MC. In Christopher Marlowe’s retelling of Hero and Leander, Leander is portrayed as a forceful sophist who uses emotional manipulation to break down Hero’s vows.
For example, On lines 199-294, Leander tries to convince Hero that her virginity is a “waste” and that serving Aphrodite, the goddess of love, while refusing love for herself is a contradiction. In Touchstarved, Leander often flirts and uses physical touch to distract MC from getting the actual answers they want.
Subtle isolation of MC Much like the myth’s Leander trying to monopolise Hero, Touchstarved’s Leander starts to subtly warn and pull MC away from the other love interests. He often starts sneakily highlighting their flaws to keep himself as their primary source of safety.
ANYWAYS I hope this made sense and I’m not just overthinking lmao
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