The Great Gizmo

I’m 18+ They/Them • Artist/Writer

[krakenguard]

Man I still contemplate the one concept art for the Horned King that kinda gave him this sort of body builder bod. And I can't help but wonder: why.

I mean, I might know why, and I kinda appreciate them for what they did.

[happypineappleart]

I think he´s neat

[denythem]

Familiar

[aquicat]

Astrid, Cicero and Power

I don't make it a secret that Cicero is my blorbo, my scrunkly, my one and only true love - HOWEVER, that doesn't mean I can't be an Astrid appreciator from time to time.

One interesting difference I see is the way their characters develop through the questline. You see, the majority of Cicero's character development takes place before the game starts, in his journals. He, by and large, holds mostly the same viewpoints, motivations and traits throughout the course of the game.

Astrid on the other hand has a very sparse backstory, with only a quick paragraph about how her uncle made advances, how she murdered him, joined the Brotherhood, met Arnbjorn and rose up the ranks.

The thing with Astrid is that she changes a lot as the story progresses. She goes from being a calm, just and strong leader to a woman so paranoid, distrustful and obsessive that she sells her family out to the Pelagius Oculatus in a lapse of judgement that, at face value, seems completely inexcusable.

But who else is paranoid, distrustful and obsessive? That's right - Cicero. In her heart-breaking attempt to clutch onto the only power she's ever held, Astrid finds herself, piece by piece, turning into her idea of who Cicero was; becoming the person so irrational they betray the brotherhood not because they aren't loyal to Sithis, but because they're dissatisfied with how the outfit is being run.

But why? Why are they written this way?

I think it's a study of their perceived need for total control over their lives - something no one could ever truly have. Both Astrid and Cicero have had very little control in their lives, and both of them are damaged in similar ways. Both of them are manipulative to people they genuinely care about simply because they need to feel like they're in control. And that need is their downfall.

The thing with Astrid and Cicero is that they don't work apart from each other. They are foils to each other, who seem like opposites at first, but when you strip them down to their most basic parts, they are exactly the same.

[unironicallytes]

HELLO EVERYONE I HAVE SOME THINGS TO SAY ABOUT ASTRID!!!

(Discussion and sharing of thoughts encouraged even if they're opposing viewpoints, please join me in the sandbox)

In working on Dear Brother's timeline, I've been revisiting a lot of the canon even around the Skyrim era, and I find Astrid so much more compelling and sympathetic nowadays. I used to dislike her a lot, because I was coming fresh off of Oblivion and also hadn't deep-fried my brain in lore yet. I was playing the Skyrim DBh with @orfeoarte last night and we got to talking about her again, specifically about how she's probably having a crisis of faith during the game.

Like, in thinking about the entire Dark Brotherhood questline from Astrid's perspective ... she's the matron of the last Sanctuary. They haven't had a Listener since 4E188 - that's 14 whole years without a religious leader, organizational leader, or any of the Black Hand for that matter. (As far as I can tell, Rasha sounded like a Speaker from Cheydinhal, and he lasted until 4E189 according to Cicero's journals.)

Basically, up until this point, Falkreath stayed functional due to Astrid's leadership alone, and Astrid herself went through that bearing the knowledge that their gods had probably abandoned them. That's a lot to deal with. Imagine the absolute inner turmoil of turning your back on the Brotherhood's religion, because there's no point in holding to a spiritual leader that refuses to lead. Maybe Astrid had spent a few of those 14 years mourning, wondering why she'd received no guidance; but eventually, she had to amputate that part of herself and move on because no one else was going to do it for her. She would've needed to focus on the survival of the order that was left, rather than cling to the ashes of the one that was dead and gone. Besides, the latter seems to have collapsed in on itself because the Hand couldn't even agree on how to move forward, so why would she follow their lead?

All that being said, 14 years pass, Astrid keeps it together, keeps the last remaining family together ... then suddenly out of fucking nowhere, Cicero shows up with the Night Mother herself, spouting the old ways. A bit jarring, a bit poor taste - it's not his fault, he has no idea what this Sanctuary might have been through. He hasn't interacted with family members at all for these 14 years, and he probably expected them to be exactly as he remembered them. And then, barely any time into Cicero's arrival, the Night Mother finally chooses someone, and it's Astrid's newest recruit.

Like, how dare she, after all these years of abandonment? Wouldn't that infuriate you? In Astrid's eyes, the Night Mother hasn't done shit for her. No wonder Astrid's immediate reaction and tone is basically "are you fucking kidding me" followed by "I need time to process this." It makes a lot of sense that she resists the return to tradition, both from a leadership level and from a personal level. No wonder she shatters through Tenet 1 in front of Cicero and everyone, no wonder she tries to get you removed from the equation, too.

Extremely interesting character right there!!! I am spinning her on the microwave plate-- ..... ....... ah, well, uh. I suppose the Penitus Oculatus did that already, poor choice of words.

[adoring-lucien-fan]

Indeed.

[lordfloofelsnoot]

Have you seen the Horned King concept drawings by Tim Burton yet? Also it was noted he talked only with the puppets, and one would be evil and mean and the other would try to stop the other puppet from hurting others

Also the FACE dear lords he’s so silly, I’m glad he doesn’t look like this but holy fuck I love him he’s so scrunkly

and I know the talking with puppets was probably some sort of “oh this guy is crazy see??? how scary he talks with puppets!! With different personalities?!!”

but also he just seems really lonely. Every version of our beloved HoKi is socially inept in some way and that’s why we like him

That is precisely the reason. He's so loveable and relatable! Oh, he's so scrunkily and huggable!

I wanna take him HOOOOME!

[lordfloofelsnoot]

Well goodness me he sure was a looker in the books ._.

(the open jaw on the mask keeps tripping me up though like dear gods)

Really drives home what lichdom does to a person, if you compare and contrast.

Imagine you knew him like this, and asked for uppies, and he carried you on his shoulders with ease, and now, you're still compelled to ask for uppies, and it's so natural for him to do so, and he can, it's just... awkward-looking now. But it's still your Corny!

[eldritchenthusiast]

Im learning to draw him through only the most sophisticated means I assure you

[adoring-lucien-fan]

Yes, I paid Wes Johnson to say this on Cameo. I love how he gets dressed as characters he voices on them too. 🥹 Credit to @unironicallytes for making the meme in the first place. 😆

I never thought I would hear Lucien Lachance say "This is not for commercial use" I thinnnk I am allowed to post this on social media though. Hopefully I am not breaking Tennet III as to do so is to invoke the wrath of Sithis and all that. 🤷🏻‍♀️

He said it twice differently too I admire the dedication.

[viss-and-pinegar]

I want to shrink Mannimarco to a size I can fit into the crook of my arm. I then want to take my little Manni to the store to pick out a glass, airtight container. I'll let him choose the shape and everything.

I then want to put him into that container, put the lid on, and watch as he runs out of air. This is what my love for Mannimarco looks like and I think that's beautiful.

[lordfloofelsnoot]

*flings this at you and then sprints away*

WHY IS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR SO HARD TO DRAWWW

It is hard to capture the essence of divinity itself, but the attempt is precious—sacred, even!

[blooming-skeleton]

@assortedvillainvault the Horned King and Maleficent :3

[womannimarco]

I love how Vanus Galerion and Mannimarco are polar opposites of each other.

- Vanus grew up poor, Mannimarco was a noble.

- In their Psijic days, Vanus had short brown hair, Mannimarco has long white hair.

- Vanus was described as “humble” in his youth, Mannimarco was always cold and calculating.

- Vanus prefers robes, Mannimarco prefers jerkins.

- After they leave the Psijic Order, Vanus wears colorful clothing, Mannimarco wears black.

- Vanus cares about the Summerset Isles and it’s people (even becoming the personal tutor of the queen), Mannimarco doesn’t and makes Daedric deals with altmer nobility, maormer and sloads if it benefits him, to the detriment of all of Summerset.

- Vanus is disgusted with death (amplified after what happened to his father and his 2 Psijic classmates), Mannimarco is fascinated by it and even keeps Vanus’s corpse around as a trophy after the Great Battle.

- Vanus was close with his parents (father?), Mannimarco was sent to the Psijic Order as soon as he was able to walk and eventually disowned.

- Vanus’s heart was described as “light and warm” but Mannimarco’s heart was ”dark and cold”.

- Vanus left the Psijic Order on his own terms and willingly, Mannimarco was thrown out of the Psijic Order against his will.

- Vanus developed a philosophy of sharing knowledge to the poor and wanted it to be used for good causes, Mannimarco created the Order of the Black Worm but only cares about one thing: becoming a god.

- In Mages Guild halls you can regularly find Vanus lookalike dolls with quills shoved through the eyes, no mannimarco dolls are made in worm cult lairs.

- Vanus hates vampires, Mannimarco welcomes vampires in his cult.

- Vanus is scared of spiders, Mannimarco often has spider infested caves used for his worm cult lairs.

I will add more when I come across them!

[blooming-skeleton]

does the Horned King even have molars

Where is the rest of his teefs

Where did they go.

[detectivedisappointment]

His molars are probably hidden behind the remaining flesh of his cheeks! That is at least the more logical explanation for his seemingly lack of molar. Or maybe Disney just forgot to draw them in. But he does have cheeks so they are probably there but just hidden.

[blooming-skeleton]

does the Horned King even have molars

Where is the rest of his teefs

Where did they go.

[detectivedisappointment]

His molars are probably hidden behind the remaining flesh of his cheeks! That is at least the more logical explanation for his seemingly lack of molar. Or maybe Disney just forgot to draw them in. But he does have cheeks so they are probably there but just hidden.

[blooming-skeleton]

Behold

He surveys his newfound domain