Sorry about that, it's been a busy week and I didn't manage to finish it on time. It's still coming tomorrow, though; expect it around 2 PM Lisbon time.
Well, it seems I won't manage to have part 4 out today after all. I will try to post it tomorrow (but likely around the evening/night, as I won't have the time to do it before that).
Sorry about that, it's been a busy week and I didn't manage to finish it on time. It's still coming tomorrow, though; expect it around 2 PM Lisbon time.
Flama Ykoria of the Masks: As Ykoriana is my favourite character, you will probably assume I hold her children in high regard, which... isn't exactly false, but remember that development, or lack thereof, is still important in my rankings. With Flama being a posthumous character, we naturally only get so much of it. I feel that what we do get paints a clearer picture of what she was like than, say, her aunt Azurea. She was close to both her mother and her brother Osidian (which by itself is quite interesting, considering these two were far from being on good terms... one wonders if Flama ever tried to bring the two closer), yet loved the latter enough to openly defy the former, with nothing swaying her from her intention to vote for the brother she preferred (which, tragically, led directly to her death). Her relatives' recollections show her as someone who was strong-willed and determined, which I feel is decent development for a character who died before the beginning of the series. For these reasons, I'm placing her at the top of the "leathery indifference" tier (she's not developed enough for one of the higher tiers, but we still get more about her actual personality than those of the other characters/groups currently in this tier).
Galewing: As you might recall, he's one of the Elders of the Ochre, though not as developed as, say, Crowrane, Harth or Whin. He does come across as a more "middle ground" sort of character among the Plainsmen; he is not constantly friendly and caring like Cloud, nor is he antagonistic from day one like Crowrane. His hatred and distrust for Carnelian and Osidian and what they represent is clear, yet he still manages to come across as a reasonable man, not someone who is quick to start or enable conflicts. He does become a little more prominent in the narrative following Crowrane's trauma in the wake of Loskai's death, and ends up sort of taking his place as the most prominent male Ochre Elder. Unfortunately for him, he does make the mistake of underestimating Osidian in "Betrayal", and we all know how that ends up playing out. I'd say he is a solid character, though not a particularly outstanding one; due to that, I'm placing him in "leathery indifference", at the top of the tier, as he is more developed than the other characters/groups currently in it.
Ginkga: She is another Elder of the Ochre, who quickly establishes herself in "The Elders" as having nothing but deep hatred for the Chosen, as she has recently lost her granddaughter to the flesh-tithe. She is stern and (justifiable) distrustful of Carnelian and Osidian as they settle into life among the Ochre, yet she is still less antagonistic a matriarch than Harth. At several points in the story, she is the first or among the first to condemn her fellow Ochre for their escalating sacrileges against the Mother (such as the killing of a male earther in his prime, the cutting down of trees, and the butchering of the heaveners), making her one of the few voices of reason in a tribe increasingly under Osidian's poisonous sway. Unfortunately, her warnings and cutting remarks are ignored by most of her tribe, and only proven true far too late. I do find her one of the most fleshed-out Ochre characters that aren't from Akaisha's hearth, so she will be going into "seems amiable enough", immediately below Crowrane.
Grane*: Yet another excellent character from the Suth household/Carnelian's extended family. While he doesn't get as much page time as his brothers Keal and Tain (especially the latter), he is still well-established as a character. He is stern, proud and no-nonsense, presented as a competent commander who will give his all to any task he is set to. Yet, beneath the harsh exterior, he clearly still has a soft spot for his younger brothers, as shown multiple times early in The Masters. He reappears as a broken man in The Mirror Breaks, having been blinded as part of Spinel's revenge by proxy on Sardian (the fate his brother Tain narrowly escaped early in the series). The core of who Grane used to be remains, yet it is clear the past few years have deeply traumatised him, in a way mirroring what happened to Carnelian during the same time period. Ultimately, Grane is given a chance at escaping the fall of Chosen society alongside his brothers, but he rejects it, electing to remain behind with Sardian and Ebeny, and die with them. The end to his arc is very bittersweet, as it is strongly implied the traumatic experiences he endured led him to prefer death over a chance at life in a new world. Yet, staying behind is at the same time a loving gesture, standing by the side of the father he was always staunchly loyal to and the woman who might not be his biological mother, but to whom he was clearly very close nonetheless. All this earns Grane a spot in "made of finer clay", between Cloud and Fey.
Grand Sapient Blood: I'll admit, I'm not exactly the biggest fan of the Wise (especially the Grand Sapients), considering they are, you know, the architects behind the entire system that caused the untold suffering of millions for centuries, but I still admit a grudging respect for those who get established as interesting enough characters. That said, Blood is not one of them. This character's main contribution to the story is overseeing Ykoriana's purification in "Mothering Mask", which he apparently does every time Molochite visits her... and that by itself raises a few questions. This is the head of the Domain, who could surely have delegated this task to a lesser-ranked Sapient, so I can only imagine he insists on doing this himself. Has he only done this ever since Molochite became God Emperor, or did he also oversee Ykoriana's purification when she was married to Kumatuya, or even before that? Yes, she might be the Empress, the highest-ranked (adult) woman in Chosen society, but this Domain's duties, according to the website, are "manage the blood lines of the Chosen, keeping records of their blood-taints, overseeing the forbidden houses in which Chosen women are sequestered and certifying and validating births". It feels a bit, well, petty that Blood seems determined to personally oversee Ykoriana's purifications, as if the hatred there was mutual (it's not impossible, we do know the Wise still feel far more human emotions than they like to admit). Don't forget, going by what we learn about Legions, the highest-ranked Sapients are asleep the vast majority of the time, only dealing with the most important matters relating to their Domain's duties. Blood is literally choosing to significantly shorten his lifespan just to personally oversee Ykoriana's purification. Honestly, as much as I have tried to appreciate every character more and see things from their perspective in this most recent reread, I genuinely cannot bring myself to like someone who does this, and who is my favourite character's most hated Wise, no less. He is going straight to hell"expect nothing but hate", not because of missed opportunities, but because I genuinely dislike him. That said, I'm still placing him below Brin, as the lack of resolution to her arc still incenses me more than Blood's pettiness and likely anti-Ykoriana sentiment.
Grand Sapient Cities: Speaking of Wise that get established as interesting characters, here's one. Cities appears a few times before "Eleven of Twelve", but it is in that chapter that we really get to know him better as a character. He comes across as somewhat impulsive and hot-headed (or as much so as one of the Wise can be, at least), making him seem like one of the most (if not the most) openly emotional Grand Sapient. We see a very different facet of this trait in "Murderous Grief", when Cities asks Carnelian for help in looking for the bodies of three other Grand Sapients (unfortunately never identified), who were advising Molochite and died in the Battle of the Mirror. Carnelian witnesses Cities collapse in grief upon coming across and identifying the third corpse through the tattoos next to the (missing) ear. As he muses, there was likely a strong personal connection between Cities and this particular Grand Sapient, introducing a strong spark of humanity to the usually cold and detached Wise (a view they themselves, of course, enforce). We don't know what was the exact nature of the bond between the two Grand Sapients, but given their extreme ages, it is very possible they had been close for centuries. It would make sense that only fellow Grand Sapients would be truly able to relate to each other in a meaningful level, given the weight of the ages and all they'd experienced. I feel that this scene alone elevates Cities as the second most human and sympathetic Grand Sapient in the series (after the original Legions). Thus, I'm placing him in "seems amiable enough" (though below Ginkga, as we only do get the one meaningful scene with him, memorable as it might be).
Grand Sapient Gates: I'd say Gates is not a particularly developed Grand Sapient, really only making an impression of any kind in "Eleven of Twelve". In that chapter, when trying to figure out how to deal with the situation involving the package sent by Aurum alongside his colleagues, he suggests trying to keep the knowledge of the package's existence between themselves and the Great. His homunculus is also the one who reads Osidian's note to the others at the end of the chapter. Since he is developed to an extent (even if minimally), I'm placing him in "leathery indifference", below the Bluedancing men, since we still get to know them better.
Grand Sapient Immortality: Despite the fact that all Grand Sapients are effectively antagonistic characters, due to their actions in setting up the whole system (as mentioned above) and the fact that they actively oppose Carnelian (and allies) in the story, Immortality still stands out to me as perhaps the most openly villainous of the Twelve (perhaps ironic, given one of the main areas of his Domain is medicine, though we all know all who have the knowledge to heal also have the knowledge of how best to inflict harm). We first meet him in "A Stranger in Paradise" (making him the first Grand Sapient we meet on-page), where he has a brief altercation with Carnelian regarding the wounded Sardian, and he is later seen at the bedside of the dying Kumatuya in "Gods' Tears". He does not have much of a presence in "Eleven of Twelve", though he at least proves to be genre-savvy, noting the current situation can still get much worse. It is in "The Coming of the Wise" that we see his true colours, as during his (and Lands, Law and Tribute's) interrogation of Carnelian, he threatens him from the beginning of the exchange, and injects him with a drug which clearly causes him extreme pain and loss of control of bodily functions (and, of course, the four ultimately coldly decide Carnelian is irrelevant and hand him over to Molochite). And yes, the other three are of course complicit in this whole affair, but Immortality is still the one directly responsible for harming Carnelian, and he honestly comes across as some mad scientist from a horror story during this chapter. That is his last act of note in the series, yet it still leaves quite an impression. As I do think he makes for a good villainous character (though a minor one compared to others in the story), he is going in "seems amiable enough", between the Darkcloud and Aurum's personal physician.
Grand Sapient Labyrinth: Labyrinth, like Gates, is another Grand Sapient who isn't very developed. He is one of the four Grand Sapients who confronts Sardian regarding Osidian's disappearance in "Lost" (alongside Law, Rain and Tribute), clearly blaming him for the situation. In "Eleven of Twelve", he tries to shift blame for their current predicament towards Ykoriana, for having been the one who had Aurum exiled (despite the fact that, as we know, she was completely uninvolved in Aurum's later alliance with the Wise). He also makes a brief appearance in "Into the Black Land", trying to urge Osidian to submit the Marula to proper cleansing procedures alongside Law (which falls on deaf ears). I'm also placing him in "leathery indifference", though below Gates, due to his "keep calm and blame Sardian and Ykoriana" attitude (which does make me dislike him, though not to the extent of Blood).
Grand Sapient Lands: He is another fairly developed Grand Sapient. In "Eleven of Twelve", he is one of the most developed of the aforementioned eleven, trying his hardest to regain control of the situation, openly criticising Legions' decision to include Aurum in their plans (introducing us to the fact that the Twelve are very much not a monolith, they're a group as prone to disagreements as any other). Despite the crisis they are facing, he seems confident that they will be able to eventually restore the status quo. Later, in "Aurum", we learn that in Legions' absence, he has become the de facto leader of the Twelve (something already hinted at in "Eleven of Twelve"), implying that he is likely the second eldest/most experienced of the Grand Sapients after Legions (while we only know Legions' age, given the fact Lands is the fellow Grand Sapient of a major Domain, it is entirely possible he is actually a contemporary of Legions, even if from a younger generation). As Carnelian and Osidian speculate, it seems likely Lands seeks to bring about their downfall and those of Aurum, Jaspar and Ykoriana (essentially, the most disruptive individuals around, standing as an obstacle to the Wise's plans), becoming the architect of a new Great Balance and a new era in the aftermath. In "The Coming of the Wise", he is one of the three Grand Sapients that arrives to negotiate with Osidian. While the negotiations prove unfruitful, he remains convinced that the status quo will be restored in time, with himself at the helm of said restoration. As mentioned above, he interrogates Carnelian alongside Law, Tribute and Immortality in that same chapter. He is conspicuously absent in "Murderous Grief", even though he had been established as the current leader of the Twelve, and matters related to his Domain are discussed. This leads me to believe he was quite likely one of the three Grand Sapients who died in the Battle of the Mirror (perhaps even the one mourned by Cities), though this is never confirmed. Lands (or, possibly, Lands II) makes a few more appearances in "Overrun" and "Blood Gate", where he dispenses advice to Carnelian on how to deal with the sartlar invasion (which proves unsuccessful, of course). All in all, I find him an interesting character and antagonist, especially given the fact that he appears to be moved by some degree of ambition (he surely appears to take advantage of the power vacuum left by Legions' absence) and not just a need for order and a return to the status quo. For this reason, he is going into "seems amiable enough", between Ginkga and Cities (I do find him more developed than the latter, but less so than the former).
Grand Sapient Law: I'd say he's in a mid tier of development when compared to more developed Grand Sapients like Legions, and less developed ones such as Gates. The Law-that-must-be-obeyed has an extremely strong presence throughout the whole series, and given his role, Law would be the Grand Sapient that embodies it the most. He first establishes himself as a character in "Lost", as mentioned above regarding Labyrinth. In this scene, he comes across as the most menacing towards Sardian, even managing to get him to briefly ponder the Wise's true role behind the scenes. Come "Eleven of Twelve", Law acts openly supportive of Lands and his opinions regarding Aurum, and ultimately comes to believe they will have to throw themselves at the (frankly, non-existent) mercy of the Imperial Power. As already mentioned, in "The Coming of the Wise", he (unsuccessfully) attempts to negotiate with Osidian alongside Lands and Tribute, and interrogates Carnelian alongside the aforementioned two and Immortality. He reappears in "Murderous Grief", coming to negotiate with the victorious Osidian alongside Cities and Tribute. The fact that we know three Grand Sapients died in the battle raises the question of whether this Law is the one we were already familiar with or his replacement (it is all quite unclear; not that much time passes between "The Coming of the Wise" and "Murderous Grief", so I do not know if the rest of the Twelve would have had the time to learn of original Law's death, elect a replacement, and send the replacement to treat with Osidian). He later has an exchange with Carnelian in "Into the Black Land", where he grants Carnelian's request to have his brothers, Blue, Krow, Poppy and the Quenthas processed alongside Sardian (his motivation here is suspect; it is not unlikely he agrees as a way to get leverage on Carnelian). However, that is his last significant appearance before his death at Osidian's hands. I'm choosing to place him in "leathery indifference", immediately below Galewing, as I feel his development is enough to merit it.
Grand Sapient Legions: The original leader of the Twelve, and also their leader in terms of character development. By all rights, this man would be the most villainous character in the series; as the main architect of the Great Balance some seven hundred years prior, all the pain and suffering of untold millions throughout those seven centuries caused by the system he helped set up can be laid at his feet. That is an undeniable fact. He is a fascinating example of a villain whose evil is not sadistic, like that of several Chosen characters, but derives from an unyielding, hyper-focused belief that his vision of the world is how it ought to be, and he will make it that way, not relishing in the suffering that causes, but completely uncaring of it. In some ways, it is as or perhaps more terrifying than the more overtly violent and vicious type of evil other characters represent. He was not created by the system: he helped create it. Yet, despite all he is responsible for, he is still a character who possesses sympathetic traits, as seen in his few scenes, especially his last one in "Like a Tree", making him a fascinating, multi-faceted character. This is someone who realises far too late that his own actions allowed for his life to span centuries—while taking from him the opportunity to truly live. This is someone whose whose fellow Grand Sapients, the only people alive capable of relating to him on any meaningful level, have given him up for dead and replaced him. This is someone who, at the very end of his life, realises that the very system he set up centuries earlier, his life's work, is about to crumble into ruin. This is a man whose actions have led to countless atrocities, but who, at the end of his life, comes to realise he has lost everything, a realisation that would break anyone. It is of no surprise he chooses to end his life, leaving Carnelian (and undoubtedly the reader) haunted by his last words. Such an outstanding character naturally goes into "made of finer clay" (remember, "an emerald among jades" is reserved for my absolute favourites), and I am choosing him to place him between Cloud and Grane.
Grand Sapient Legions (II): Saying this character (presumably once one of original's Legions' Thirds, as mentioned below) had big shoes to fill as Legions' successor is an understatement. Given how old Legions (I) was, his crucial role in the backstory, and the powerful impact of his few scenes, there was just no way poor Legions II could have lived up to that. He does have some development, as he assists Carnelian during the beginning of the sartlar invasion, and ultimately helps him realise the world as they know it is doomed, before being slaughtered by Osidian alongside his fellow Grand Sapients, but that's still a far cry from his predecessor. (And, really, one wonders if the Legions involved in dealing with the sartlar invasion isn't actually Legions III, since we do know three Grand Sapients (whose identifies are never clarified) who were advising Molochite died during the Battle of the Mirror, and it would make sense that the current Legions would be an important advisor during a battle.) This said, I'm still placing him in "even your voice is a stranger's", even if at the very top of the tier, because he just doesn't get established enough as a character for me, and there's that II/III doubt (yes, my overall opinion might derive from an unfair comparison with original Legions, but that's character tier lists for you, they're subjective).
Grand Sapient Legions' Seconds: I cannot for the life of me be convinced the main (Doylist) reason these two characters are even around is for a trio of freed homunculi, and not just one, to become part of the story (as three is such an important thematic number in the series). I suppose an Watsonian explanation for them being around could be Legions wanting his fellow Grand Sapients to deliberate longer before deciding to write him off as lost and electing a replacement (as replacing him with a less experienced Third would undoubtedly be a worse outcome than replacing him with a Second), but that is just pure conjecture. Carnelian finds them in their capsules in Makar alongside Legions, but unlike him, they basically do... absolutely nothing in the story. They are never awakened from their drugged sleep, they never interact with Carnelian, and just like Legions, they die off-page (but unlike him, have no impact in the plot). Honestly, even though they actually appear on-page, I'm placing them at the very bottom of "even your voice is a stranger's", as I'd argue we still know more about Aurum's daughters (such as their matches being used to win lords over to Osidian's faction) than this duo.
*Yes, I do realise he isn't in the right place in the alphabetical order, this derives from me abbreviating "Grand Sapient" as "GS" in my files. As by this point I already have everything set up regarding the queued posts and images, I'm still keeping Grane in this place/part, sorry!
Here are the current rankings... things are starting to get a little crowded!
As promised, today I'm continuing the tier list project, by ranking 14 more characters/groups!
(Cut for length and potential spoilers.)
Brin: I have expressed my deep dislike of the way Brin disappears from the story after being mentioned a couple of times in The Chosen before, and I still feel exactly the same way. We briefly get to know her in the beginning of The Masters, as Carnelian's no-nonsense marumaga aunt, and she does come across as an intriguing character, both by herself and regarding her dynamics with her relatives. It's such a jarring contrast to see the way her arc wraps up (or rather, doesn't) in comparison to her siblings Crail and Fey, whose deaths are treated with the gravity they deserve by the narrative and characters (and are still mentioned by Carnelian several books after their deaths). I don't think her disappearance can be fixed by the assumption she died off-page, because, as I said back in my 2021 post, you'd assume someone would mention her death to Carnelian later in the series? She was not some random minor character, she was Carnelian, Grane, Keal and Tain's aunt who was around when they were growing up, it's absolutely infuriating how everyone seems to have forgotten her existence by the time of The Mirror Breaks/The Third God (even Naith, who was not as important a character among the Suth household, gets to make a reappearance in the latter book!). All this absolutely earns her a spot at the top of the "expect nothing but hate" tier (remember, as I mentioned in part 1, ranking within the two negative tiers works in reverse, worst to least bad).
Brotherhood of the Wheel assassins: By this, I specifically mean the ones from The Chosen, involved in Carnelian and Osidian's abduction (some of them are given names in the first edition, but not in the second). This is a case where while I admit their narrative role works well, my personal dislike of them, from what little we get to see, still trumps that. While their actions admittedly have a deep impact in the story, I don't find them interesting/developed enough for that to overcome how unlikeable they are (unlike, say, Aurum), nor do they have any sympathetic traits (they are opportunistic criminals who want to be given control of the City at the Gates, which we can imagine was not good news for the inhabitants of said city). For those reasons, they are going in "I dislike being allied to that Lord", but below Azurea, as my disappointment over the lack of information about her is still greater than my dislike of this group.
Ceda: She is a minor character from the Ochre tribe (only appearing in the chapter "Hand of Darkness"), a young pregnant woman whose son was among the children kidnapped by the Bluedancing. She is justifiably furious, and urges the tribe to seek revenge, which in turn prompts Ravan to agree, which ends up serving as the catalyst for the eventual battle and everything that follows. I find her to be a pretty memorable character despite her short time in the spotlight (in part due to the aforementioned impact of her actions), so she is going on "seems amiable enough" (after Aurum's personal physician, due to his greater presence within the chapter where he features).
Cloud: He's always been a character I liked, but the reread made me absolutely love him. I have referred to him in conversation as the kind of person you'd want to have around during any crisis, and I stand by that. While, sadly, he's only around for a few chapters, he still establishes himself as someone who tries to be reasonable even when overwhelmed by the situation, attempts to deescalate conflicts without overstepping any boundaries, and is a genuinely kind and caring mentor figure to the young boys in the group. He also has quite the interesting backstory, being originally from the Ochre tribe but having married into the Twostone (to my knowledge, this is the only example of an inter-tribe marriage we hear about). Not to mention, while his death is horrific, is it also heroic, as he dies trying to save the lives of the aforementioned boys. To me, he absolutely stands out as one of the most likeable characters in the series. He still doesn't make "an emerald among jades" tier (as every character who makes it into that tier is more developed), but he ranks high nonetheless: I'm placing him in "made of finer clay", immediately below Akaisha.
Cloud's mother: She only shows up in one scene (in "The Elders"), but still manages to establish herself as a sympathetic character, filled with grief for her son's death and praising him for his selfless and heroic nature. I have to say, it is a shame she never gets mentioned again after this point, though it is understandable, considering she's a very minor character, and Carnelian is mostly around people from Akaisha's hearth/the men of the tribe. Still, I do like her enough to place her in "seems amiable enough", between Ceda and the baran captain.
Cloudy: This is another minor character you might not remember: he is a Plainsman (tribe unknown) who is with Carnelian in the Upper Reach when he witnesses the Marula bringing captive Plainsmen to offer as sacrifices to the Darkness-under-the-Trees. He confronts the Marula alongside Carnelian and the other Plainsmen in a futile attempt to save the captives, and that is basically it regarding his role in the story. He is just barely developed enough to escape "even your voice is a stranger's", but he's still going in "leathery indifference", between the baran crew and Blur.
Crail: As much as he is a tragic character, he is at least better off than his sister Brin in terms of development/having a complete arc. We might not get to know him as well as we do other characters, but he comes across as a kind old man, now past his prime, but who was quite formidable once (it's easy to imagine his younger self as quite similar to an older Grane). He might be suffering from dementia in the present of the story, but we still get to see glimpses of his personality, including his stubbornness and the way he evidently cares for his nephews. The latter is clearly seen in the way they all seek comfort in each other as Tain asks him to tell him and Carnelian about the dragon (a story they've obviously heard many times in the past). He could have lived out the remainder of his life in relative peace in Osrakum, had he not been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Instead, he becomes one of the many victims of the cruelty of the Chosen and their society, leaving his nephew Carnelian (and undoubtedly many readers) righteously angry and traumatised. I'm placing him in "made of finer clay", below Cloud (I do really like Crail, but what can I say, this latest reread made Cloud such a personal favourite of mine).
Crowrane: I won't lie, I would actually really like to know what is the opinion of the SDC fandom in general about this character, as Osidian is such a fan favourite, and Crowrane and his family such antagonistic characters towards him (I might be wrong, but I suspect he's not particularly well-liked). I do find him an interesting character, as yes, he is an antagonist from Carnelian and Osidian's perspective, but I'd say he is certainly not a two-dimensional one. The Plainsmen's hatred for the Chosen is, of course, completely justified, and Crowrane and his family have a very valid more personal reason to loathe Osidian (and Carnelian by extension), namely, the murder of Ranegale (well, technically, Osidian was not the one to kill him, but he was ultimately the one responsible for his death). There's also some intriguing backstory hinted at early in The Standing Dead, as Crowrane and his sons clearly have some pre-existing animosity towards Stormrane and his own (one wonders how/when exactly that started). Despite being in several ways a character the reader can feel sympathy for, though, Crowrane (alongside Harth and others from her hearth) also shows a darker side, not only regarding everything that happens with the Bluedancing (like the rest of the tribe), but in the way he treats Krow. It is pretty clear the latter gets adopted into Harth's hearth not out of kindness, but due to his connection to Carnelian and Osidian, and he is constantly abused for this "crime", especially by Crowrane and Loskai. This all makes Crowrane an antagonistic character with depth, whose defiance and hatred remain even after the deep trauma that is the loss of his remaining son in The Darkness Under the Trees. Due to all this, he is going in "seems amiable enough", below Aurum (as I still find the former a more pivotal character in the story as a whole).
Cumulus: He's not a very developed character, only having one appearance (in "Into the Labyrinth"), and being later mentioned regarding his votes in the election. There's really nothing about him that makes him stand out among the minor Chosen characters; we know he apparently switched sides at least twice, but opportunism is hardly an uncommon trait among the Chosen (though to be fair, we might have learned more if Carnelian had been paying more attention during Cumulus' exchange with Jaspar), and appears intrigued by Sardian's return (again, not particularly surprising). So, I feel I can't really place him any higher than "leathery indifference", between Aurum's household and the baran crew (I feel he's slightly more fleshed out than the latter).
the Darkcloud: Truth be told, I feel like they might be the second most developed Plainsman tribe after the Ochre, as we mainly get to know the Bluedancing men as aggressors and the Bluedancing women and children as victims, while the Darkcloud are actually more developed as people. We see this happen starting in The Darkness Under the Trees, when Carnelian helps them defeat the Marula who attack their koppie (which has a huge impact in the story, as it culminates in Morunasa being taken prisoner and eventually meeting Osidian). This development continues via events such as the conflicts over the salt from the Upper Reach later in the aforementioned book, and the council of war in Dragon Fire. They exit the story as they finally break free of Osidian's yoke and return to their home, their ultimate fate unknown (though one may hope they had as much of a happy ending as possible in this story). Nonetheless, I feel they have enough of a presence in the story to go into "seems amiable enough", between Crowrane and Aurum's personal physician.
Earth-is-Strong: Yet another non-human character; again, these are tricky to rank, because, understandably, they won't be developed to the extent of the human characters. I think we get to see enough of her to keep her out of "even your voice is a stranger's", so she's going into "leathery indifference", but below Blur, as I feel her status as, essentially, a beast of war doesn't allow for the slight edge in development and emotional moments the aquar gets.
Ebeny: Alright, my ranking of this character might be somewhat controversial, but hear me out. I do genuinely like Ebeny as a character, I do acknowledge her role as Carnelian's mother figure and influence in his upbringing is of the utmost importance, and I do enjoy her (sadly few) scenes, all of them quite emotional, much like Carnelian's recollections of her in her absence. However, at the same time, I feel we don't get to know Ebeny as well as we perhaps should for a character with such a deep impact in the story/protagonist. Mothers/mother figures are immensely important in this series, and I do think we get a much better idea of who Akaisha and Ykoriana are as both mothers and people compared to Ebeny, mainly due to her limited page time, even if we can glean several of her personality traits and beliefs from Carnelian's own. And while this is clearly (and thankfully) toned down for the second edition, there's the matter of her implied romantic relationship with Sardian, which I just find problematic and frankly distasteful in so many ways (even if I do believe most of it comes from Carnelian's rose-coloured glasses towards the pair, but that's a whole different post), and that unfortunately negatively affects my view of her somewhat. For all these reasons, she is going in "seems amiable enough", between Aurum and Crowrane (yes, I'm placing Ebeny below Aurum, yes, I know this looks bad, but it's because I still feel I know him better as a (fictional) person than I do her).
Ebeny's other sons: Much like with Akaisha's daughter and her family, you might be going, wait, Ebeny has sons other than Keal and Tain? right now. Yes, though they're never seen, and are only mentioned slightly more often than their cousin: they're mentioned directly in the chapter "The Blood-Ring", and alluded to in "At Home" (Fey asks about Ebeny's "boys", and she wouldn't know about the existence of Tain, who is younger than Carnelian) and "Deadlock" (Carnelian thinks about Ebeny having "a brood" of marumaga children, which would imply more than two). As you might have guessed, yes, I do think these sons not getting at least a slight bit of development (they'd be Carnelian's brothers as much as Grane, Keal and Tain, after all) is a missed opportunity. Much like the situation with Akaisha's daughter and her family, knowing they exist makes their absence seem glaring in scenes like the emotional farewell in, well, "Farewells". We're not even given a reason why they don't seem to be around, they're just mentioned a few times and promptly forgotten about. They're definitely "expect nothing but hate" material, but they're still ranking below Brin and Akaisha's daughter & family, as the former was an actually established character at one point, and there were more opportunities to develop the latter (given the time Carnelian spent living with the Ochre vs around the Suth household in the series).
Fey: As it turns out, all of Sardian's marumaga siblings ended up being ranked during this part (definitely not planned, I was going by alphabetical order/numbers). I find her an amazing character, with a compelling personality and very tragic arc. We don't get to know her for long, but her scenes are enough to make her death a true emotional gut punch. She is caring, conflicted, and above all, as Sardian tells Carnelian, brave, and I think one of the saddest realisations about her during my rereads was the fact that she was absolutely and utterly doomed the moment Sardian decided to return to Osrakum (just think about it, even if Carnelian had taken no actions regarding the Seal and the release of Urquentha, Sardian would have been the one to order her crucifixion instead when he inevitably returned to Coomb Suth). I also feel that, despite Crail and Brin having been around for the first ~15 years of Carnelian's life, we actually get to know Fey better as a character, including all kinds of interesting details like her lifelong closeness to Sardian, her request to be left behind when he went into exile, and whatever happened 13 years before the events of the series that led her to relent to Spinel's demands (you can't really call that a true betrayal in any sense, Sardian might have left her in a position of relative authority, but she was still a slave and he Chosen, who knows what threats he made). All of this earns her a place in "made of finer clay", between Cloud and Crail.
And here are the current rankings... they don't look very confusing/crowded yet, but we'll get there. (Also, if you're wondering where Carnelian is, he's under "Suth Carnelian", so it will be a while before he gets ranked.)
Today, the 4th of June, is Ykoriana's fanon birthday (she is never given one in canon, we only have a birth year, so @suth-sardian and I decided on a specific fanon birthday back in 2019), corresponding to the 4th of Sural in the Chosen calendar.
Here's a little project I decided to share today (cut for any potential spoilers):
To celebrate the occasion, I have decided to share my ranking of the top 5 Ykoriana lines (while in my opinion, there is no such thing as a bad, or even average, Ykoriana line, I did have to pick just 5):
Love makes us not weak, but strong! (from "In the Underworld", The Third God): This is such a simple, short, line, but I find it incredibly powerful given the character development it implies. After losing her beloved older daughter Flama (and her sister Azurea before her), Ykoriana tries to shield herself against the perceived weakness/vulnerability of love by intending not to love her younger daughter Ykorenthe (as mentioned in "Mothering Mask"), yet she comes to love her all the same. By the time of "In the Underworld", she has come to see her love as a strength rather than a weakness, which is both touching and impressive for a woman who has endured so much, and has previously shown herself to be set in her destructive ways.
You turn the world upside down to right a wrong committed against you and that is justifiable, but when I act against the wrongs done to me, you name that a sin. (from "In the Underworld", The Third God): I absolutely love the way Ykoriana calls out Osidian here; while she is definitely guilty of many heinous deeds (including attempting to have Osidian and Carnelian assassinated), she does have a point regarding Osidian's hypocrisy. She quite simply will not let Osidian cast himself as the victim after everything his actions led to; they are the same, having both torn the world apart and dealt suffering to numerous others to retaliate against what was done to them. (On a more out-of-universe context, this line also really resonates with me regarding the way the horrible actions of male characters are often excused by fandoms, in contrast to horrible actions committed by female characters. Basically, it feels cathartic to see this retort from Ykoriana both from an in-universe and out-of-universe perspective.)
She wore those baleful stones to express bitter anger, to terrorize, but most of all to defy the Wise who insisted that, as they did, she must wear eyes of jade or obsidian to reflect whichever Mask the God Emperor was wearing. (from "Mothering Mask", Dragon Fire): This line, in my opinion, cuts to the core of who Ykoriana is as a person. She will not let the world make her a victim no matter how much she suffers; she remains defiant. She might have been blinded, and bound by the restrictions of her purdah, but she can still weaponise the stones that have been her eyes for over a decade and a half. The fact that she specifically intends to defy the Wise, the architects of the entire system that led to the hardships in her life, makes this act of defiance, small as it may be in the grand scheme of things, feel extremely sympathetic in my view.
What kindness is it to a bird, to unlock its cage once its wings are no longer strong enough to give it the freedom of the sky? (from "Ykoriana", The Chosen): This is such a bitter line, and frankly quite tragic. It perfectly encapsulates the trauma Ykoriana has suffered in her life, especially during her years in the darkness, her perceived victory against Sardian fifteen years prior having proven a pyrrhic one. The years of trauma have taken their toll, life before blindness and confinement in the forbidden house but a faded memory. At this time in her life, Ykoriana no longer yearns for a freedom that will never mean what it might have once. All that is left to her is bitterness, resentment and revenge.
Vengeance is a pale creature compared to joy, but still, Sardian, she is brighter than darkness. (from "Ykoriana", The Chosen): Speaking of revenge, we have this also very memorable line from the same chapter. Again, we are faced with the tragedy of Ykoriana's life: after the losses she has suffered, joy, like freedom, is like a half-forgotten memory of a dream, and she has resigned herself to the fact she will never experience it again. All that is left to her is her bid for power... and her revenge. She has come to take comfort in her acts of vengeance, no matter how fruitless, or even actively self-damaging, they have turned out to be in the past. As far as she is concerned, they are one of the very few things she has left to live for.
You will see more Ykoriana-related content when she shows up in the character tier list project later in the month, though as that project follows alphabetical order, she will consequently only be ranked in the final part of the project (which will be posted on the 30th).
Here is the first part of the promised character tier list project!
How this is going to work: over the course of 10 posts (scheduled for every third day of this month), a total of 135 characters and groups will be ranked by alphabetical order in a total of 7 categories:
"an emerald among jades" (S);
"made of finer clay" (A);
"seems amiable enough" (B);
"leathery indifference" (C);
"I dislike being allied to that Lord" (D);
"expect nothing but hate" (F);
"even your voice is a stranger's" (an extra tier for characters who basically have no development).
Also, the negative tiers ("I dislike being allied to that Lord" and "expect nothing but hate") will work the opposite way as the others, that is, characters in those tiers will be listed from worst to bestleast bad (this might seem needlessly confusing, but it just felt right, perhaps because I've been getting too used to the German grading scale in recent years).
I will not be ranking these characters/groups based simply on how much I like/dislike them; rather, I'm going to have more of a mix of personal feelings towards the character/group and how well I think their intended function/arc works within the story, as well as how developed I think they are. So, don't be surprised if you see, say, a villainous character ranked higher than a mostly sympathetic one, it might just be that I feel the former is a compelling and well-developed character, while the latter isn't fleshed out so well.
On that note, expect to see some characters I actually feel sympathetically towards ranked fairly negatively, because I think there were missed opportunities involving them.
Last, but not least, I will mostly be ranking these characters based on the second edition of the series, but I will mention first edition differences/aspects at times where I feel those are relevant. This is a canon-only project, so all fanon/headcanons will be left at the door with our shoes; my rankings will be strictly based on what we get in the books (and some tidbits from the website here and there).
This said, to paraphrase Molochite in The Chosen, let's get on with it!
(Cut for length and potential spoilers.)
Akaisha: We're off to a great start with an equally great character. While I've always liked Akaisha, my recent (and still ongoing) reread of the series gave me extra appreciation for her character. I see her as a very rounded, human character, who is at her core a good person, as seen, say, in her interactions with her family and tribe, and the bond created between her and Carnelian. Yet, she is definitely not a "too good for this sinful earth" kind of character, as she, for instance, adopts Poppy into her hearth in the hopes the childgatherer might select her for the tithe instead of her granddaughter, and is quick to embrace Chosen-like behaviour towards the enslaved Bluedancing women and children. Even then, we get to see she genuinely experiences guilt and shame over these actions, adding to her complexity as a character, and making her horrible death hit all the harder. There is also the fact that she could be seen as a foil to Ykoriana in many ways (they are both Carnelian's aunts, and while Akaisha is not a blood relation but accepts him as a nephew due to love of her lost sister and developing genuine affection for him, Ykoriana is a biological aunt but a bitter enemy, who hates Carnelian for something he had no control over). Moreover, Akaisha is someone in a position of matriarchal authority and a mostly good person who falls prey to the darker aspects of her nature, while Ykoriana struggles for power in a deeply misogynistic society, and has sympathetic traits despite her many heinous deeds (I could say more, but that should probably be made into its own separate post in the future). All in all, Akaisha feels, well, realistic, which earns her a spot in the "made of finer clay" tier (alas, "an emerald among jades" is reserved for my absolute favourites).
Akaisha's daughter & family: Wait, Akaisha had a daughter? you might be wondering right now. Yes, don't feel bad if you never noticed her existence; she (alongside her husband and infant child) is mentioned a grand total of once, in the chapter "The Hearth". Now, I feel that the fact these characters are introduced only to basically disappear from the narrative is a huge missed opportunity (especially regarding the daughter), considering how important their closest relatives are to the story. If you notice their existence, their absence from later scenes such as the preparation for the Ochre children's examination by the childgatherer is glaring. I feel their dynamics (again, especially the daughter's) with the rest of the family could have enriched the story so much, and just thinking of what could have been is enough for me to place them in "expect nothing but hate" (and as explained above, the negativity isn't for the characters themselves, is for the way they are (not) used).
Aurum: As I have pointed out in the past, he is very much a character with no redeeming traits, embodying the very worst of Chosen culture in his cruelty, racism, xenophobia, misogyny, ruthlessness, selfishness... the list goes on. Yet, I feel that his narrative function plays out perfectly; as he commits despicable act after despicable act in an increasingly more desperate struggle to cling to any kind of power and agency, it's easy to root against him and hope his downfall culminates in an eventual comeuppance (which of course, does end up happening, even if his actual death occurs off-page). He's an effective type of villain, I think, not one who, say, eventually becomes boring because his evil feels too repetitive, or because he seems to triumph over the more heroic characters far too often. However, due to his lack of any sympathetic characteristics (that other villains in the series do possess, making them more nuanced characters), I will place him no higher than "seems amiable enough".
Aurum's daughters: These three are completely undeveloped characters, only being mentioned a few times, but while I would have certainly liked to see more female Chosen characters in the story, I feel it's completely understandable that we don't see them at all. They're in the Aurum/their eventual husbands' Houses' forbidden house(s) for the entirety of the series, after all, so Carnelian wouldn't really have a plausible chance to meet any of them, and given his personality, it makes sense why their father wouldn't even think of them in his POV. For that reason, they're going into the "even your voice is a stranger's" tier.
Aurum's household: By "household", I mean his household in exile that we see in his POV chapter and Dragon Fire: namely, the guardsmen, girls and amethyst-eyed boys. They are but one group of characters who show us just how depraved and brutal the Chosen can be to those they deem their inferiors, and I would say this works almost too well, especially regarding the boys and girls, the most overt victims of Aurum's abuse, the implications as horrible as what we actually get to see on-page. Despite definitely making an impression, though, as they're not really developed characters in terms of personality/motivations/etc., I'm placing them in "leathery indifference".
Aurum's personal physician ("A Day in the Life"): You might remember him as the wizened man in the aforementioned chapter (making him a second edition-exclusive character), who basically appears to be, well, what I said above. I find him a pretty interesting minor character, as Aurum clearly appears to value him for his expertise, despite his established disdain for aged slaves in The Masters, apparently making this man a notable exception. He also seems to be quite competent at his job (there is a lot that could be said about the medical care showcased in that chapter, really, but this character is working with the medical knowledge available to him in-universe). Plus, he is a character who doesn't show much fear when interacting with Aurum (which is admirable by itself, and it speaks volumes about just how much he must have made himself valuable... compare and contrast his situation to how Aurum treats the girls as disposable, for instance), which just gives him more points where I'm concerned. For those reasons, he is going into "seems amiable enough", though since he only has so much development, I'm placing him below Aurum, of course.
Azurea of the Masks: Given that she dies long before the start of the series, it might feel understandable that we don't learn much about her, yet, I still feel the scarcity of information about her comes as a missed opportunity, considering this is no random minor character, but the protagonist's biological mother. Yes, we learn that Ykoriana was very close to her (that love being the catalyst for many key events, in the backstory and series proper), that Urquentha seems to have had some fondness for her, that Carnelian appears to resemble her a great deal... but none of that gives us even an inkling of what Azurea herself was like as a person (which we actually get with other posthumous characters). Honestly, I find that rather disappointing, especially given how important mothers/mother figures are in the context of the series. For that reason, I'm placing Azurea in the "I dislike being allied to that Lord" tier (she still ranks higher than Akaisha's daughter and her family because of her status as a posthumous character; the aforementioned three, on the other hand, were actually alive and around during the series, and so could have been developed much more easily).
baran captain: I'll admit, he is one of my favourite minor characters in the series; there's something about the exchange about the aftermath of the storm he has with Carnelian and the other lords in The Masters that really endears him to me. He might not be the non-Chosen character who shows the least fear when confronted by Chosen (we'll get to those characters eventually), but the way he tries to present a calm and collected front and do his job to the best of his abilities when faced with not only this crisis but the slaughter of his entire crew due to Carnelian's mistake is still impressive, in my opinion. This earns him a spot in "seems amiable enough" (though at the bottom of the tier, as he's still a character with little development).
baran crew: These unfortunate men (like many other characters to follow chronologically) are narrative sacrifical lambs, there to show us how in the world of the Chosen, a simple careless mistake can have lethal consequences for others, and their deaths are certainly sudden, horrific and memorable. For that, I'm placing them in "leathery indifference", though after Aurum's household, as I feel we get to know the former a little better.
Blue: While not as fascinating a character as his enemy and Carnelian's fellow love interest Osidian (an opinion I'd imagine the majority of the fandom shares, regardless of edition), in my view, Blue is still quite complex and interesting. For instance, I feel he works very well as a foil to Carnelian in terms of upbringing, as they were both raised by men who were not their biological fathers (and were aware of that fact), but while Sardian loved Carnelian like his own, Stormrane clearly resented Blue from day one, and made sure he knew it. That was just one factor contributing to Blue's status as an outcast within his own tribe due to something he had no control over, and to his desperate need to fit in and be accepted (which only happens, to some degree, far too late). This entire backstory makes him extremely sympathetic, and while he's often standoffish and sometimes even antagonistic towards Carnelian and others, from a reader's perspective, it feels quite understandable given his circumstances (also, don't forget he is a teenager throughout the series). Like his mother, he's someone who is fundamentally a decent person, but has a darker side, especially evident in the aftermath of the massacre of his tribe. Over the last three books, we see him struggle with a desire for revenge, survivor's guilt, a deep powerlessness, misplaced retribution as a way to cope with his trauma and a near-death experience (and that without even getting into his often-conflicted budding romance with Carnelian). And yet, he never completely loses himself, strengthening his bonds with Carnelian and Poppy, ultimately forgiving Krow, trying to save others from what he himself has experienced. It is great to see him have a happy ending (well, more bittersweet than anything, but it's the closest to happy you can have in a series like this), which definitely feels earned... just like his place at the top of the "made of finer clay" tier.
Blue's brother & uncle: They're also characters we never really get to meet, as they're killed early in The Standing Dead, but their deaths cast more of a presence over the surviving characters (namely, their relatives) than Aurum's daughters ever do in the story (they're even mentioned in later books a couple of times). Thus, while I'm also placing them in "even your voice is a stranger's", they certainly rank above those three sisters in my view.
the Bluedancing men: They are introduced to us as rather unlikeable characters, acting very arrogantly and constantly taunting and belittling the Ochre men (though it remains ambiguous whether all Bluedancing, and even all Bluedancing men, feel like this, given they are said to be a much larger tribe than the Ochre). That does make them a fairly developed group of characters compared to others in the series, with their status as antagonistic characters growing even further as they attack the Ochre, kidnapping several children and causing several deaths in the process. The Ochre have understandable grievances against them, but any satisfaction the readers might be hoping for regarding their comeuppance is cut short by the Ochre (alongside Osidian and Carnelian) going too far and slaughtering them quite literally to the last man, which comes as (in my opinion) a point of no return. All in all, I find them a solid group of characters, with just enough development to be memorable and a significant narrative role, landing them at the top of the "leathery indifference" tier.
the Bluedancing women & children: The aftermath of the aforementioned battle leaves them bereaved and defenceless, and their role in the story illustrates the Ochre's descent into darkness. They are essentially taken as slaves by their rivals, and spend the rest of their time in the story being demeaned and treated as resources/tools rather than people, quite understandably resenting those responsible for their losses and downfall (and we don't even know their ultimate fate, only that they survived the massacre of the Ochre, as the last time we hear of them, they are said to be working in another tribe's koppie). This makes them very sympathetic characters, who illustrate just how easily the worst can be brought out in people, turning them into the very thing they hate the most. As they are more developed than the others I already placed in this tier, they're going to the top of "leathery indifference".
Blur: Yes, there are (a few) non-human characters in this list. If you don't remember, Blur is Blue's aquar in The Standing Dead, who has to be killed alongside the group's other aquar when they realise they will have to continue their journey by foot. As a non-human character, she isn't exactly very developed, but Carnelian still gets to bond with her, and her death is an emotional moment, so I'm placing her in "leathery indifference", though after the human characters.
With this, we are done with today's rankings, and here is the current table to remind you where we stand at the moment. It looks pretty simple and straightforward for now, doesn't it? Don't you worry, I am sure you will not be feeling that way once we're done with a few more parts in this project!
Happy SDC month, everyone! (For those of you who don't know, @suth-sardian and I have celebrated "SDC months" in June and December for several years now, we have special projects during said months whenever free time and inspiration allow for it.)
This June, I decided to go ahead with the character tier list project I proposed doing a while back. I will have queued posts for that, the first of which will drop on the 3rd (this Wednesday), you'll learn more about how this whole thing will work then!
Ricardo Pinto's website explicitly states Tyatxungo was Ykoriana's brother... I would very much like to know where Gemini is getting Plainsman!Tyatxungo from, it's so unexpected, it's honestly hilarious.
The closest thing I can think of is a perceived similarity to "Twostone", but even that seems a bit of a reach. (Plus, the AI still correctly identifies Tyatxungo as an individual, not a group/tribe.)
Also, on the note of the hypothetical SDC character tier list, for the purposes of who counts as a character (or character group), I would add only those who get at least some degree of presence/specific mentions in the story. The population of the Three Lands is in the hundreds of millions, after all, they're not all going on the list!
For instance, all the people Carnelian sees when on the road in "Crossing the Wheel" won't be there, they're more part of the scenery than actual characters involved in the story, but Blue's late uncle and brother from the beginning of The Standing Dead likely will, as while they die before getting developed in any way, they're still singled out and mentioned quite a few times.
(Fanon would also sit this still-hypothetical project out; this ranking would be solely based on what's in the books, and occasionally supplementary material from the website (so that, for instance, Tyatxungo can be named; his name is never mentioned in the actual books).)
Would anyone be interested in seeing a SDC character tier list from me this June? It could be fun, especially since I have been doing a (slow-paced, but still ongoing) chapter-by-chapter reread of the series since last summer, and some of my views on certain characters have changed somewhat.
Suggestions for tier names (so that we aren't stuck with the usual S and A-F) are welcome! I was considering "an emerald among jades" for S-tier, and "even your voice is a stranger's" for an extra tier for all the minor characters who get basically no development (and therefore I can't really say to particularly like or dislike, as there's not much to go on there).
In the German translation of The Chosen (1st edition), Die Auserwählten, the mention of Ykoriana as "Ykoriana Four-Blood" is translated as "Ykoriana mit dem Blutwert vier" (lit. "Ykoriana with the blood-rank four")... This implies the existence of at least another Ykoriana with a different blood-rank, and I don't know how to feel about that. 😗
Once again, a SDC month project ends, but another will hopefully begin 153 days from now.
Back on the 27th, I asked about a chapter not including any last appearances of non-Carnelian POV characters. This would be C, "The Mirror Breaks", as "Farewells" marks Sardian's last appearance, "The Stone Dance of the Chameleon" that of Ykoriana and "A Last Supper" that of the sartlar group (given the sheer size of the sartlar population, we cannot claim with any certainty they make any later appearances).
I also asked about a name which was not used for any Plainsman character, which would be B, Skaicrow. Thunderwing and Thunderskai are two of the men who die early in The Standing Dead, and Crowrane is, of course, Harth's husband.
It is always bittersweet when a SDC month ends, but that is the way of all things—hopefully, you enjoyed the projects I shared over this past month?
Farewell, fellow fans, and I'll see you again in June (or possibly earlier, if the whim to create one or more non-themed posts strikes me) for the advent of another SDC month.
(Also, a happy new year to everyone, and may we all have an excellent 2024!)
The darkness is going away, she thinks in feverish wonder, as bright spots and shapes seem to appear before her. Mother? Athase asks in concern, but Ruhyo is too enchanted by her visions to truly hear her. "Look," she sighs dreamily, suddenly feeling very dizzy, "how lovely they are. I had missed my sight so."
Notes
We close this SDC month's 4 sentence fics with a feature by yet another fanon character, Ruhyo, the mother of Athase and sister/wife of Kxiranxa. Decades after being blinded on her brother's orders, as she is dying, she is overcome by hallucinations that seem to return to her her lost sight. These might not be real, yet they provide Ruhyo the chance to die happily, in the company of her beloved daughter and with a comforting illusion of regaining what was lost long ago.
Our SDC month is not quite over yet, however—we will meet again in the questions coda post later today.
"Thank you," she blurts out in gratitude, and Tyatxungo blushes, muttering something she can't quite make out. It doesn't matter. For now, at least, she is safe, her first child guaranteed to be sired by someone she trusts. This, she knows, is a luxury most of her kinswomen will never get to experience.
Notes
Idrie is a fanon non-main line daughter of yesterday's Xeran, via yet another of the matches arranged by Qusata. Here, Tyatxungo (her friend of many years) agrees to sire her first child (who will end up being Amneris). Idrie is immensely relieved by the fact, knowing herself to be extremely fortunate, as the very real prospect of having a child by Nuhuron or Kumatuya, with no trust or fondness of any kind involved (as it would be the case for most conceptions in her House and others), is at least delayed for some time. In a sense, her story contrasts Urkare's, as Idrie manages to avoid the fate the former could not be spared from (even if, tragically, she would die very shortly after Amneris' birth).
The boathouse is collapsing, he notes with horror, one of his last coherent thoughts. Yarex's eyes meet his, and in them he sees the same burning panic he feels. We will never escape in time. His final act in this world is to cover his lover with his arms in a vain attempt to shield him.
Notes
Xeran is another fanon character, a non-main line grandson of Qusata (born to a son of his via one of the Masks-Great matches mentioned earlier in the month). He was the lover of his cousin (a non-main line son of Nuhuron) Yarex, and the two would die in a tragic accident in the later years of Nuhuron's reign, when the boathouse they had met in for one of their trysts collapsed. With this story, I wanted to focus on their last moments being mostly driven by love rather than terror, with Xeran, even if in vain, trying to protect Yarex.
I saved the likely most controversial theory for last.
(Cut for spoilers.)
A Terrible, Animal Fear
This theory, as you can tell by the title, focuses on Tyatxungo's sacrifice and Osidian's claims about it. As you likely recall, he states Apotheosis sacrifices are unaware of what is being done to them due to the drugs administered pre-ritual (The Third God, "In the Underworld"):
'My uncle was drugged!' declared Osidian. (…) 'They were all drugged. They felt nothing.'
Ykoriana, however, casts some doubts upon this:
'That is what the Wise claim. And it is true my brother made no movement, nor did he cry out.' (…) 'But your father, who witnessed his mutilation at close hand, told me afterwards that he had seen in our brother's eyes, before they were plucked out, a terrible, animal fear. It haunted him.' She grew aged beyond her years. 'It haunts me still.'
Now, while we cannot know for sure what the case was with Tyatxungo, as he died long before the series' beginning, and we only have Osidian's beliefs and Kumatuya's recollections (conveyed by Ykoriana) to go on, I propose that both are right in a sense. That is, Osidian is correct in that sacrificed individuals are usually drugged and unaware, but so was Kumatuya in thinking this might not have been the case with Tyatxungo.
Why would he be an exception, you might ask? Well, like many other events in the series, I think Tyatxungo's sacrifice was the target of interference by the Wise (and that he was paralysed but indeed aware), in order to better preserve the Balance. There had already been recent unusual events they undoubtedly saw as potentially disruptive factors (Sardian's exile, for one), and I believe they could have seen Kumatuya as compromised by the exile deal and especially the impact of its aftermath. Later supporting his decision to have Ykoriana blinded would be but one way to channel his feelings into a "safe" course of action; I just see it as not being enough in the Wise's view. There would always be the risk that the grieving, resentful new God Emperor could do something impulsive and unexpected due to his love for the now-absent Sardian, something that could end up developing into a genuine threat later on, and so the only way to neutralise him would be to fully break him.
The sacrifices would undoubtedly be traumatic to Kumatuya under normal circumstances, but they could be made more so if Tyatxungo was aware of every excruciating moment (something that no one would ever be able to prove for certain), and therefore Kumatuya had to live with that knowledge as he watched his brother be cut apart, something we know haunted him for the rest of his life.
Is this too preposterous an idea, and a bit too much of a conspiracy theory more than a regular one? I, for one, think the Wise perfectly capable of something of this sort, but you might not agree—feel free to let me know why in the comments if that is the case.
What it is without a doubt is the last SDC theory for this month. This project might make a return next SDC month, though—it all depends on what new ideas I might have until then.
Today's question (and the last for this SDC month):
Which of the following is not the name of a Plainsman character?
A: Thunderwing
B: Skaicrow
C: Crowrane
D: Thunderskai
