NOW HIRING!!!! The idea behind this tumblr is to explore, expand and explain aspects of the Final Fantasy VIII universe through fanmade media. Magazines, tv broadcasting and even online boards were a big part of the game and a lot of it is unexplored which opens for a lot of fun fanfiction and fanart! Everyone is welcome to submit fanworks but please read the guidelines before submitting.
I asked my girlfriend what to draw. She sent me a photo of her stuffed Tonberry from Final Fantasy. Somehow, I don’t suspect this is what she’s expecting but it’s what she’s getting! I told her it would be a multimedia experience; she’s skeptical but I think she’ll dig this. A couple of in-jokes in the credits but if you’ve played FF8, you know what’s going on. Man, I had a lot of fun doing this! I’ll post the art by itself, too.
Media: pencils, Prismacolor coloured pencils, Copics, white gelpen on Marker paper; words done using CorelDraw X8
A Timber Maniacs category with channels corresponding to each magazine has been created on our FFVIII Discord. Come say hello, share your WIPs, and feel free to offer suggestions or pitch your ideas!
Last FF8-related fan work post for a little while. This is my submission to the @timblr-maniacs project. (I just hope I didn’t get too carried away with it!)
It is perhaps a foolish thing to say we live in historic times. All times are, in a way, historic, and it’s difficult to say how events will look in the context of future generations. But the defeat of Sorceress Edea, and Seifer Almasy, and the victory of SeeD in Esthar are certain to be a major chapter in many future histories. It is with this in mind that it can be a good thing to write up the history of some people who’ve had a major influence on that history. Either through action or inaction.
General Fury Caraway is one figure that one cannot avoid speaking of when one speaks of the history of Galbadia and the western continent. And one cannot speak of him without speaking of the Sorceress War and Vinzer Deling. When Eshtar, led by Sorceress Adel attacked, we were still divided in many smaller nations. Galbadia at the time was just one of many, trying to fight the numerically, technologically and magically superior Eshtar soldiers.
General Caraway was part of a wealthy Galbadian family, and even before the war had proved himself a leader of men. His name was often considered something of an ironic joke, as the man’s leadership style was calm and calculated, focusing on well timed, simultaneous attacks to confuse and defeat enemies. His soldiers gave him the fond nick-name Tick-Tock Caraway, both for his icy calm, as well as his punctuality. He valued counsel of his subordinates, but discouraged much personal initiative, preferring his troops to function like clockwork. He managed to deal Esthar forces a few blows.
Then the election of Vinzer Deling occured. The youngest president Galbadia had ever elected. He was ruthless and cunning, and a gifted orator with far reaching ambitions and violent tempers. Upon his election, it is said that he called General Caraway to him, put him in charge of military operations and asked him what he needed for victory. General Caraway provided a list, and Vinzer Deling said he’d arrange it.
What followed was a ruthless war economy, with many young men drafted, punishing war taxes and rationing.
But the effect was considerate. The Galbadian army grew in size, in technological aptitude and in ambitions. The Esthar army was ambushed, forced to retreat and ruthlessly pursued, inflicting heavy losses. It may be difficult to imagine in these days, but those were times when G-soldiers were a welcome sight, and Vinzer Deling and Fury Caraway were considered heroes.
A brief aside regarding certain publications that try to imply that Vinzer Deling somehow was not in charge of Galbadia during this time: This is nonsense and politically motivated lies. This publication, and this writer, as a Timber has no love for Deling. The fact that he enabled victories of the forces of Sorceress Adel do not excuse the atrocities he committed. However, easily falsified lies do undermine the trustworthiness of those publications who spread them.
This ended when, during a lull in the war, many of the areas that Caraway liberated found that Galbadia had no intent on withdrawing its control. They found themselves under the same taxes and drafts that Galbadia itself was, and all local governments suspended. Timber itself, having managed to use the forests to fight off the Esthar armies sent to claim it, found itself under attack by Galbadia instead. It was General Caraway who broke the Timber Resistance, and during the infamous ‘Timber Murders’ where Vinzer Deling, in a rage, personally executed two Resistance members, General Caraway was present. What he thought of this is unknown.
They were polar opposites, the general and the president. While Caraway was taciturn, disciplined and icy cold, Deling was an easy speaker, rash and passionate. Their relation was cordial however, and sources say that in private, they were on a first name basis. For better or worse, both men had fully supported each other, and both of them were successful because of that.
It was because of this that Vinzer Deling was actually the best man at the wedding between General Caraway and Julia Heartlily. For a wartorn nation, plagued by kidnappings and fearful of the next Esthar push, it was a faiery tale. One of the most beloved stars marrying a well respected military hero. Even the way they met, with Julia often sending him letters inquiring about a missing soldier, and Fury comforting her, managed to melt even the hearts of those who despised Galbadia.
The war ended in a way that seemed confusing at the time. Spies had reported some kind of construction project in Esthar, and one day, all radio traffic was jammed worldwide, leading to massive chaos. General Caraway prepared for an attack, but the attack never came. Esthar completely shut itself off from the world, and no spies could intrude upon them and an uneasy peace happened.
General Caraway worked on preparations for a possible attack, but in those years seemed content to delegate more. Rumours spread that he might seek to retire, and spend more time with his family, who he had neglected during the war. Then of course, tragedy struck. Julia Heartlily died in a car accident at age 28, survived by General Caraway and their five year old daughter Rinoa. A famous photo shows president Deling tearfully and with, history suggests, earnest grief comforting General Caraway whose face was more stone faced then it’s ever been. Those close to him suggest that he never quite managed to overcome the loss.
Whatever the case may be, General Caraway immediately reversed his course on winding down his operations, throwing himself in his work. He oversaw the construction of the missile base, meant to be a deterrent or retribution in case of Esthar attack. Another project he undertook was arranging for Galbadia Garden to train the Galbadian Army, with Galbadia granting the Garden relative independence. General Caraway and Headmaster Martine by all accounts had a good relations, aided partly by a shared love for Triple Triad.
There were two things that would lead to the General’s downfall later. One of them was the strained relation with his daughter. Staff from the house describe that Fury was both emotionally distant and overbearingly protective. Staff had orders to keep her on the estate whenever she was not at school, and any friends were only allowed after rigorous vetting and never without supervision. Their relation suffered, and as she grew up, Rinoa took the name of her mother in a rejection of him, as well as the increasingly oppressive and tyrannical regime he supported. As she got older and more resourceful, she managed to escape supervision increasingly often, allowing her a summer fling with then SeeD cadet Seifer Almasy.
The short relation inspired her to run away from home to Timber where she joined a Resistance group called the Forest Owls, and attempted to obtain SeeD assistance. This was an embarrassment for General Caraway and put pressure on his relation with President Vinzer Deling. Some suspect that General Caraway might even have pulled strings to put more humanitarian minded troops in charge of Timber, in order to shield his daughter from retribution.
The second one was of course Sorceress Edea. Coming out of nowhere, she gained the ear of Vinzer Deling, and offered greater power. It is known the two men clashed over this. General Caraway had developed a strong dislike, even hatred for Sorceresses during the war and according to witness reports, had advised Deling to execute her.
This of course, did not occur. And so Caraway took matters into his own hands. With the assistance of Headmaster Martine he arranged an assassination attempt on Sorceress Edea during the ceremony where she was to be appointed ambassador. As we all know, the Sorceress instead killed Vinzer Deling, and through magic and terror assumed control of Galbadia. The ill fated assassination attempt ended up involving troops from all three Gardens, but more damning, Rinoa Heartlily, General Caraway’s own daughter. All those involved were captured.
Of course, not all troops were present in Galbadia. And while Vinzer Deling, because of his moodiness and arbitrariness was less than popular among the troops, many soldiers balked at the prospect of serving a Sorceress.General Caraway could at this point likely have caused a civil war if he’d denounced her and assumed command of the army.
Yet with his daughter at her mercy, Caraway did the one thing Sorceress Adel had tried and failed to do during the war. He surrendered. He publicly announced his resignation to ‘spend more time with his family' and asked his troops to 'continue to serve Galbadia as the Sorceress defends it from its enemies.'While Caraway is still well liked among Galbadian soldiers, there are many that have never forgiven this.
The deal was that Rinoa Heartlily was to be brought to Caraway manor, under house arrest along with General Caraway. Irvine Kinneas the sniper during the assassination, was also released, with Galbadia Garden giving up any pretense of independence Both of them refused, and instead broke out their comrades, leading to events outside the scope of this article.
For the rest of the events, General Caraway, the man who had been pivotal in the Sorceeress War, would remain sidelines. Seifer Almasy took direct command of the armed forces, and retained this even after the disappearance of Sorceress Edea. His leadership style was impulsive and rash, leading to severe morale drops, and by all accounts, the only true allies he had were two other SeeD Cadets who joined him, Fujin and Rajin. Reports suggest that General Caraway bears a grudge towards Seifer Almasy even now for those things, as well as to his treatment of her daughter.
Now, with both Sorceress Edea Kramer and Seifer Almasy out of the picture, some think that Fury Caraway should step forward and take command of Galbadia himself. Despite having bent the knee to the Sorceress, many understand the duress he was under, and his service in the Sorceress war is not forgotten. But neither is his role in Timber’s subjugation. Further complicating matters is his daughter Rinoa. Not only is she romantically attached to Squall Lionheart, the commander of the SeeD mercenary forces, but she is a Sorceress. The general’s troubled relation with her and his distrust towards Sorceresses make some people suspect that reconciliation is impossible. Further complicating matters is that a close relation with her would fuel speculation that he might fall under her control much like Deling has.
While General Caraway was sidelined during the events of the last months, he has now entered the field again. And Tick-Tock Caraway might have a few cards left to play. But nobody really knows what card he has on hand, and what card he hopes to win. Rest assured Maniacs, that you will read about it here.
The ‘Junk’ Shop. A common presence in most cities, and these days, its name is sort of a cheeky joke. While technically one might find the goods there to perform other tasks, it’s known mainly by weapon enthusiasts, rebels, criminals and people who have to regularly deal with monsters as the place to assemble weapons for those who are not part of a professional military. Together with you, dear reader, I hope to explore the origin of this modern phenomenon, how it is tied into our history, and what might be in store in the future.
To begin the story, we should start with the dissolution of the Holy Dollet Empire, followng the Lunar Cry that destroyed the Centra civilization. This was a time of great chaos. The presence of monsters had greatly increased, and the Empire faced unrest as its claims of executing Hyne’s will sounded hollow with the sea of monsters and what seemed like the end of the world at the time. Many nations, among which Galbadia and Timber proclaimed their independence, and Dollet, barely able to keep its own citizens safe and unwilling to battle, conceded after only token resistance.
Until this time, weapons being sold was a rarity. The world then was a far more peaceful one. Now, with no knights coming, and new governments not truly having established a military force yet, it was the time for innovation. The Gunblade has its origin in this era, and became a romantic image of the ‘Lone Knight’ defending the people from the depredations of monsters. In this era of course, they were sold quite openly, and weapon craftsmen would sell fully crafted weapons. Magazines like Weapons Monthly sprung up, with the results of various weaponsmith’s experiments with monster parts shared with the world.
The Sorceress Wars and Galbadia’s Conquests are what changed this. To explore the history and atrocity-fraught tales of the conquest is beyond this article, but Galbadia had centralized its fighting power, modernizing it rapidly in order to face the technologically superior Eshtar and their para-magic. In order to do so, Vinzer Deling had demanded all weapon development to happen in service to the Galbadian Republic and the war. Weapon shops were closed, with any of its former proprietors eagerly joining Galbadia’s war machine, if only to hold back Eshtar.
After the war ended they found that Vinzer Deling was not of a mind to simply let them go back to their jobs. Some of them continued to work for the regime, others vanished in D-district prison or were executed. It was in the regime’s interests that travel between cities without easily restricted trains and cars was extremely hazardous, especially without weapons. In their power, they managed to put pressure on other countries, such as Balamb and even the Dollet Dukedom, to comply with these regulations. It was illegal to sell weapons, or weapon parts, or ammunition.
It was in this era that the Junk Shop was born. More specifically, in good old Timber itself. Filled with various resistance cells, there was a high demand, but a lot of Galbadian soldiers looking for weapon stores. It is perhaps the most audacious move that it was the person who bought out the weapon store when its old owner was arrested renamed it a ‘junk’ store, and proclaimed that he simply sold 'odds and ends’. While of course, what he WAS selling was work space to turn various parts into weaponry. Both for the Resistance as well as other elements that had need of weapons.
Why was this never found out? If you ask the man on the street in Timber, the reason is that Galbadian soldiers were too used to their mass produced weapons and didn’t even consider such a possibility, but this reporter thinks that answer shows more patriotism than honesty. The answer must be sought in a combination of a shift in focus, bribery and, in the latter years, the military leadership of occupying forces in Timber consisting of relatively restrained and even timid figures, a far cry from the days of terror shortly after its conquest. (Consider the lack of retributive action after two attempts on Vinzer Deling’s life within a short time) And naturally, which officer would like to tell their superiors that they spent several manhours investigating a literal junk store. These stores were purposefully built as being hard to navigate, unpleasant to be in and filled with goods that were simpl red herrings.
Regardless, from Timber, the concept spread. Ironically, first to Galbadia itself, where the local criminal underground, as well as anti-government forces kept a trade going, and into Dollet and Galbadia, where they operated with relative impunity as the local governments were not very enthusiast about the ban on weapon stores, the result of Galbadian pressure.
Of course, we are in new days. Vinzer Deling is dead, the Sorceress has vanished and Seifer Almasy has resigned all functions. The future leaves questions. Big questions like 'what happens with Galbadia, what happens with Timber’? But also smaller ones, like 'what to do with these 'junk stores’ Some people support them, as a part of our history, and a way for each person who has a weapon to have one personalized, having gathered his own parts. Others wish to return to weapon stores, with professional, reliable weaponry available for all. The world after all is still a dangerous place, and the Lunar cry in Esthar teaches us that we cannot rely on any nation, no matter how technological advanced, to endure. Other voices are raised that it is unacceptable that it is easier for a young person to acquire a gun or blade than an alcoholic drink. That the problem of monsters is best fought by professionals, and the problem of tyrants is best fought by free press and peaceful resistance.
So what is in store for the Junk Store? Will it be junked in the future? Or will our grandchildren still be dreaming of one day gathering the monster parts they need to walk into a store and walk out with their very own weapon? What do you think Maniacs?
blakekathryn
origamiaround
janainaart
ellievsbear
yousharknotpass
romaincrisis
snowghoul
vaporwave
kianamaiart
areudirty
turnnoffyourmind
