here’s a quick drawing I made yesterday to kick off the week 🫡 anyways htn really endeared me to Ortus, I wanted to do a short comic of the whole scene but my wrist and neck said no.
Idk, I think I’ll revisit this at some point because the whole conversation feels so validating for Harrow after a whole book (and life) of being gaslit and neglected and shouldering burdens too heavy for even an adult to bare. One day I’ll rant about this longer but for now pls enjoy my silly little drawing of two sad ninth house stereotypes
Note: This is just a final concept WIP. I'll finish each card after the concept for all cards is done.
III - The Empress: Glaurica
The empress always focuses a lot on motherhood. But how many loving mothers are there even in the series??? Besides Glaurica, Pyrrha I thought would fit this card as well. But I'm already having a familial piece in mind for the 10 of cups with her.
So, ultimately I chose Glaurica. I thought the very early scene where Harrow reads the Emperor's invitation letter that makes Glaurica cry about her son is a good fit for this card.
Ortus ended up looking a bit derpy so I'll have to adjust his face for the final card lol.
hello nobody asked but i’m here to deliver. presenting: the cavs as dog breeds. photo sources and caveats after the cut.
Second House: Marta Dyas
UKC-registered German Shepherd, stock coat. A working breed characterized by its focus, confidence, and fearlessness; obedient to a fault. Strong intelligence, drive, and energy, but at manageable levels suited to all-purpose organizational use (unlike their more intense sibling breed, the Belgian Malinois). Dominates in Schutzhund (obedience & personal protection) trials.
Third House: Naberius Tern
UKC-registered Standard Poodle, red coat cut Continental. A breed with a reputation for wealth, beauty, and proud attitude, all of which distracts from its surprising intelligence and steady work ethic. A well-rounded gundog that, given the correct training and handler, dominates at both sporting and conformation events. Intolerant of rugged terrain (highland herding, search and rescue, etc.), though well suited to swimming.
Fourth House: Jeannemary Chatur
AKC-registered Belgian Malinois, mahogany coat. A legendarily intense and capable working breed, with high intelligence, drive, and fitness. With sufficient training to sate its drive for stimulation, becomes a fabulously impressive working dog. When fulfilled, will win obedience, Schutzhund, extreme vertical, and obstacle course competitions. Not well suited to scent work, diving, and herding, and lacks the patience for boring tasks like conformation. With insufficient stimulation or an unconfident handler, becomes a destructive, vocal, nervous wreck; can and will take its frustrations out on others. Benefits from the influence of living with calmer dogs. An AKC-recognized breed, but not UKC recognized; would be a source of strife with handlers that prefer UKC (… Third House).
Fifth House: Magnus Quinn
Show-line UKC-Registered Irish Setter, mahogany coat. The beautiful coat and regal bearing of this breed obfuscates its extremely goofy and friendly nature. Because of its beauty, playful attitude with children, and capability as a gundog, it is a sought-after breed of the wealthy. Working-line setters have higher stamina and intelligence for long days afield; show-line setters are suited to conformation and social settings, and are therefore wonderful family pets.
Sixth House: Camilla Hect
Unregistered Border Collie, lilac short coat. A breed with intense intelligence, focus, and drive; must be put to work constantly by its handler or will resort to self-destructive behaviors and be liable to develop strange obsessions. Movement at work is shockingly fast for its body size and build; does not speak while working, unlike other herding breeds, instead relying on glare-based intimidation. Well suited to rough terrain and independent problem solving. Lilac coat caused by rare recessive genes expressed thru inbreeding; causes grey brown eyes, as well.
Seventh House: Protesilaus Ebdoma
UKC-registered Afghan Hound, cream coat, unmarked. A lithe, long-legged athlete with regal bearing and a beautiful appearance. Independent, aloof, and generally indifferent to instruction, though loyal and affectionate with a single handler; will strongly resist a change in handlers. Whiplike tail.
Eighth House: Colum Asht
UKC-registered Great Pyrenees, white coat, slight tan markings. Unflappably calm; intelligent, but with a tendency towards indifference. A large, stalwart flock guardian that shrugs off being bloodied. Patient and careful with its flock and with children, but vicious against physical threats.
Ninth House: Ortus Nigenad
Black and Tan Coonhound. Large and strong, though without the cleverness of some other working breeds. Excels at scent-tracking over long hours. Highly vocal when bored (and, frankly, at all other times), with a booming voice. Handler focused, but can be very stubborn.
Ninth House: Gideon Nav
Australian Kelpie with red coat, or perhaps Red Heeler—lineage is unclear; genetic testing may reveal dingo ancestry. A vigorous and hardworking herder, with high stamina in rough terrain and harsh weather. Stocky and solidly built. Always eager for a job to do. Not overly affectionate, even with long-term handlers, but intensely loyal. Infrequently vocal; tendency towards shyness and reactivity around strangers and new circumstances. May have light brown (amber) eyes.
GSD: Minthe Hartman on Facebook
Poodle: Bijou Poodles, breeder site
Mal: Breed standard website
Setter: Brittanica
BC: C Bar C Ranch, breeder site
Afghan: AKC
Pyr: Intuition Farm, breeder site
Black&Tan: Showsight Magazine
Kelpie: AKC
Heeler: Jane Dogs
Also, some caveats: obviously, I wanted to find an Aotearoa native dog for Gideon. Unfortunately, because of colonialism, all Polynesian dog breeds I could find records of on short notice are extinct due to genocidal violence against their peoples. The history of dog breeds and the pedigrees thereto is one that is, like all history, influenced by colonialism. Also, I am very familiar with a large variety of breeds, but only those primarily used in dog sports, competitions, and working professions in North America. My choices of breed reflect both of those biases.
good news, I figured out how to have multiple save files in my emulator totally legal game so now I can fill an island with locked tomb characters and the performance won't suffer!
@ortus-the-ninth here's what I did for ortus, kept it pretty simple as this is a facepaint he has canonically worn, teeny bit of shading, I painted around his nose so it would connect with the black border. I tried to enhance his sadness by making the eyes a bit droopy but I might come back and make it more dramatic later.
as a bonus, bc I wanted to show it too, here's harrow's :3, it's based on the book cover art
What if you were a coward. What if your father was big and loyal and your mother loved you with harpy claws and you were a coward.
What if you were a child and were one of two children who survived while all else perished. You were chosen though not for any good reason. You remember the 200 in silence.
What if you were never a child after that and forever a child after that. So young to everyone else and ancient to the two infants of this cold planet. One with gold eyes and one with black.
What if you watched two girls grow in the most horrible conditions and yet grow still like stubborn weeds in acrid soil. Somehow they were brave. Braver then you st much younger times. Thehnhad each other so no need for you really.
Imagine you try to escape this wretched place the worships deaths and you immediately die and you can’t rest even then. There are responsibilities and you want to resent them but your responsibility is the littlest girl in drearburh. Shes traumatized and scared and she’s always been so clever and strong but you realize now just how much she’s needed. Far more than the lonely planet could give her.
You are a coward and you find your own ways to be brave with a pen and a trembling voice. Somehow it works and you save your adept and you meet with people your own age who are so capable and who actually like you.
You are Ortus Nigenad who survived and died by the whims of far more powerful forces and yet you wielded the narrative of life long after everyone had thought you discarded.
harrow the ninth asks the question "what is the first impulse of a genius necromancer when trying to retain any shred of coherency in a river bubble?" and gives the unambiguous answer "write fanfiction"
to be clear I am talking both about palamedes "the necromancer's marriage season... 2!!!!" sextus and harrowhark "role swap au" "ballroom au" "coffee shop au" nonagesimus. tamsyn muir said that in 100% of case studies the last frantic attempt of a prodigy to avoid entering a final psychological death spiral is writing tropey fanfic.
ortus I'm so sorry I forgot about you and your matthias nonius rpf. you may not be a necromancer but you were still fucking it up in a river bubble. unequivocally harrow the ninth boldly states that fanfiction saves lives.
tangentwithtanner
amandla
vaporwave
ellievsbear
romaincrisis
