seelie you later

cr & dropout sideblog | 20s, she/her, occasional writer

[professorthaddeus]

sooo I’ve caved and created a cr sideblog

sorry, this blog is NOT spoiler-free for new critters!

for new releases, I do tag all posts about the most recent campaign episode with “cr spoilers” until the following Thursday, all posts about the most recent tlovm episode with “tlovm spoilers” until the following Friday, and all posts about the most recent mighty nein animated episode with “tm9 animated spoilers”

also, some quick links if you’re interested:

my ao3

my writing | my meta | all original posts

tagging system

[mockingmolly]

the schemers table the second they finally get screen time: ok you guys we NEED to live up to our name. ✨embezzlement✨

[featherquillpen]

Predatory syncretism: the cold open of C4E11

The Seekers cold open tonight absolutely rocked my world, and what really spoke to me was the way Brennan showed how the Shapers used syncretism to suppress and appropriate the Old Path.

It's a classic move for religions to build holy sites on top of holy sites of other religions. This isn't always a colonial or appropriative move (some spots are just cool or beautiful and you want your temple there), but sometimes it is (the Crusaders did this with Jewish holy sites, and there are many other examples the world over.) It is an act of violence, as Bolaire says later in the episode about the Cormorays' desire to cover up the historical truths conveyed by the Archanade. This is what Thaisha saw when she looked at the smashed statues of Trozhna in the Dvalmar Pass: a holy site of her religion appropriated and defaced to serve the Shapers instead.

The other part of the picture is syncretism. Syncretism is when pantheons incorporate gods from many different cultures. Again, this is not always an appropriative or destructive process, but sometimes it is. This is famously how Catholicism subsumed and incorporated indigenous and African spirituality into itself, by adding in orishas and such as saints that serve their God. By incorporating the Primordial Tehana as the wife of the forge goddess Trozhna, the Shapers appropriated the Old Path to serve their own narrative. There's no way that Thaisha thinks of Tehana as Trozhna's wife... but that's how Julien thinks of her. That's probably how most people think of her.

Also, to be a big lesbian for a second, I'm obsessed with how Trozhna of the Forge, Shaper of the Dwarves, is an evil culturally appropriating lesbian, and I'm also obsessed with how Vaelus absolutely and completely missed out on the experience Thaisha just had, an experience that might challenge her own perspective on Sylandri. I'm pretty much dying for Thaisha and Vaelus to talk about Sylandri, and the ways that she may have done violence to the truths of the Old Path the same way that Trozhna did.

[professorthaddeus]

okay while scrolling through the tag i was really surprised to see that so many people are just now considering that thjazi might’ve intended to die

because my original reading of that first execution scene (which could totally be wrong—like no shade if you interpreted differently, i just didn’t realize most (?) people DID interpret differently lol) was that, yeah, thjazi was fully prepared to be a martyr, and might’ve even wanted to be, up until whatever he saw in his final moments made him panic

like iirc, it was ambiguous, but it seemed that brennan was playing thjazi as just. humoring those who were trying to save him, with no actual intention to follow through—he seemed to be barely listening/gave these inspirational but off-topic responses while azune was desperately conveying the escape plan; he spent most of his last conversation with hal being flippant and comforting rather than like he had to focus on timing an escape (until aforementioned switch flipped him into panic); and he even had a ~perfect martyr~ speech locked, loaded, and delivered flawlessly while he was speaking to hal telepathically at the same time

that combination of cockiness and conviction, while also giving encouragement to his loved ones (with SO many kind "last words"/dramatic goodbyes), seemed (to me) absolutely in-line with someone who had already made up their mind about what they were going to do—a revolutionary who was at peace with going out in one final act of sacrifice

now of course, in-game, it makes sense that the characters would be shocked about thjazi never attempting to use the glyph. but while there might be more going on/being revealed now (undead-afterlife-tachonis stuff?), i always thought it was implied that thjazi had decided the best thing he could do with his capture was to be killed, hopefully galvanizing the people he was leaving behind

but maybe my interpretation was colored by the knowledge that thjazi’s death was inevitable (and the premise for the whole campaign)? idk lol did anyone else read that first scene this way?

[sivsii]

Happy Thursday, here’s a needlefelted Thaisha!

[tadfools]

Caleb is my boy I keep him safe

[abzania]

This is SUCH a good episode for people who love Beau and Caleb. I am being FED. God, I'm so happy. I didn't think we'd get this so quickly. Especially with how much early campaign Beau and Caleb hated each other.

[greetingsprogramms]

It hurts so much. Ja, but that's okay. You will not have to endure it alone.

[professorthaddeus]

hey look at this snippet i stumbled across on ny calamity rewatch:

Zerxus, to Asmodeus: You didn't stumble upon this place, you and your kin. You were called here. We have always been here. You were wandering in the Abyss, lost. And we called you here, so that you can have a home. You didn't create anything; we have always been here. You came and you shaped.

*squints harder at brennan’s worldbuilding in campaign four, a story set in the wake of the defeat of the shapers*

[professorthaddeus]

i fear that before they even arrive at sloak kattigan will feed thimble to wulferic 😭

(i love this chaotic bickering siblings energy SO MUCH omg)

[professorthaddeus]

i'm dying how is sam riegel THIS good at acting like an uncertain, amateur actor (who is naturally earnest and is now trying to be intimidating and you can see ALL of that conflict behind his face sdlfkj)

[grayintogreen]

Truly the funniest part of this episode is the Volstrucker doing perfect superhero landings and Essek just EATING SHIT after Trent reversed gravity. Spot the academic.

[professorthaddeus]

lsdfkj y'all gotta get on beacon

[professorthaddeus]

IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO THIS SWEET OLD GNOMISH MAN, WHO JUST WANTS HIS DAUGHTERS, WHOM HE ACCIDENTALLY RAISED TO BE FIGHTERS FOR JUSTICE, TO FINALLY COME HOME, I'M RIOTING

YOU HEAR ME, BRENNAN LEE MULLIGAN FROM SEVERAL WEEKS AGO? RIOTING

(he's so doomed i'm so distraught)

[professorthaddeus]

look i know i'm projecting onto a character super fucking hard here but the more i watch the more i keep feeling that thimble is like. fantasy asian american (especially immigrant or second gen)?? 😭

like she's from a population that has historically been underestimated and seen/misunderstood as a model minority cute and helpful but ultimately harmless; she's "been among the big folk" for a long time and isn't quite as in touch with her own people and culture; her people retreat from american culture the big folk and create their own pockets of society, prioritizing keeping their heads down staying silent and hidden over trying to be heard; she has a strong sense of justice and wants to fight for all oppressed peoples but feels stuck and lonely trying to do that, especially now that she doesn't have her best friend beside her, who belonged to this world more than she ever felt she did...

okay that last one might just be me, but ouch, laura bailey, fucken ouch

also, double ouch at that moment of connection between her and brookmeadow the naiad, who clearly also loves the world of the big folk (and cried and almost made ME cry when thimble gave her a button), who simultaneously feels the threat that the big folk pose, who grasped thimble's hands and said "we're going to make it" with that desperate insistence in her eyes. tooootally not giving me feelings related to immigrants being extra under attack lately :')

[mockingmolly]

they stole her fucking plumbob

(this is so stupid I don’t even know what to say)

[blorbologist]

i love her so much it makes me physically ill