Sigh~. I’ll make a post later with links to other platforms I’m on for after tumblr becomes a ghost town. Hopefully there’ll be some sort of consensus over a new preferred fandom platform soon and I’ll be able to find people again there. I hope it’s not twitter, because I think twitter is an even worse fandom discussion platform than tumblr, but anyway.

“Njal recognised the three Rhinos, a ubiquitous transport design still in use after ten millennia. Several other vehicles were not so familiar – variants of the Predators he knew well, but also a slab-sided larger cousin to the Land Raider. Triple-mounted lascannons hung on its sponsons, its elongated assault compartment jutting like a hound’s muzzle.

+That is a Spartan,+ explained Izzakar. +And that tank destroyer behind is known as a Sicaran Venator. Your ignorance is astounding. How does one forget how to build a tank?+

The Stormcaller did not know. Such things were secrets of the Adeptus Mechanicus, a creed steeped in even greater ritual than the holy teachings of the Adeptus Ministorum.”

–Ashes of Prospero

Dude

“The scene beyond the portal put Lukas in mind of his worst moments experimenting with a cocktail of skaldroot and wyrshrum to overload his Space Marine physiology in an attempt to recreate the occasional psychotropic journeys of his youth. At first, it was impossible to process what his senses were trying to tell him and, judging by their gasps and expletives, the other Blood Claws experienced the same.”

–Ashes of Prospero

Sometimes Lukas just randomly does drugs for the hell of it, apparently. Seems IC.

“‘Vigga Deathblow…’ Arjac barely breathed the name. ‘The first hearthegn? The warrior that stood at the Wolf King’s side on Marthrax, killing a hundred orks in a single night?’

‘Aye. One hundred-and-four, to be precise. It would have been more if Russ hadn’t kept finishing off the ones I wounded. Ask any of the other Brothers. Russ is a notorious kill-thief.’

Vigga managed to hold his laughter for about five seconds before he let loose with a mighty guffaw. Arjac had witnessed sights both horrific and awe-inspiring across his long life, but nothing left him as speechless as standing before the first warrior to have borne the title of champion.”

–Ashes of Prospero

People who knew him talking shit about Russ is totally my thing.

“Bjorn’s reply was an attempt at a conspiratorial whisper, though his external address system lacked the subtlety to do so, his words emanating at the volume of a man’s normal speech so that they carried across the near-silent bay.

‘You are travelling to the home world of our greatest enemies, to break into a warp-spawned labyrinth of dreams and nightmares, accompanied by a ragged company of thralls and greyhairs. And, if my auditory systems detected right the conversation just passed, you will do so by sailing the Othersea on a ship piloted by an untested adolescent.’ The huge sarcophagus tipped closer and the speaker crackled as Bjorn tried to lower his voice even further. ‘I think you need all the help you can get.’”

–Ashes of Prospero

I am pretty sure Ashes of Prospero has the same plot as the Venom movie. Or at least what I imagine the plot of Venom to be based on fanart and memes I’ve seen on tumblr, since I haven’t actually seen it. So I could be wrong.

“At the threshold he paused and turned, casting a low bow to the Great Company. His eyes roamed across their faces, seeing apathy and antipathy written there. Lukas’ attention briefly caught Grimnar, who watched the Trickster with the expression of one monitoring the erratic passage of an invading swampfly. Lastly, he met the unblinking stare of the Stormcaller.

He wanted to return the look with sincerity, to assure him with a glance that he would not jeopardise the mission, and that the goal of the Stormriders was his goal also. Lukas wanted to do this as he knew it could be done, having seen others exchanging such looks, their wordless meaning known in an instant.

Instead, he winked, lip curled mischievously.

Lukas fixed his smile, despairing at his own behaviour, and left quickly, without daring to register the Rune Priest’s reaction. He sped after his departing Blood Claws.

‘It’s a curse, I swear,’ he muttered to himself.”

–Ashes of Prospero

“My friends, formerly of the Ironwolves, and I find ourselves absent of an assignment. This jaunt to Prospero sounds ideal.’

‘Jaunt?’ growled Njal.

Lukas continued hurriedly, looking at Logan. ‘Unless you would prefer that we came with you to rendezvous with the Nightwolves, Great Wolf?’

The look of horror and then indignation that clouded Logan Grimnar’s face was reward enough, but the offer – or threat – had the desired effect.

‘The Trickster is right, Njal. All warriors are a boon to your cause.’”

–Ashes of Prospero

“‘Just give us strong, smart and brave lads and the Sons of Russ will endure.’

‘Just sons?’ said Tyra, her humour edged with a hard look. ‘Perhaps there is more water that must learn to flow.’

Arjac looked at this fierce woman, the sharp spear held easily in her hand, and recalled that she had overcome her fear not with psychodoctrination but raw courage. She had been the first to run to aid him against the wyrm, whether he needed her or not. The spirit of Fenris was in all of its people, elder and child, man and woman. He had seen first-hand that Roboute Guilliman had brought back miracle warriors from the time of the Allfather Abroad. Space Marines moulded from even sharper steel. If that was possible, anything was.”

–Ashes of Prospero

Part of me wants to give credit for a step in the right direction here, but nah, most of me is just angry. Irl it is the year 2018. You do not get credit for hinting that maybe women could be good for something other than being pregnant and in the kitchen.

GW has had tons of chances to make retcons or changes, especially with the introduction of Primaris Marines. And you didn’t. Oh, the timeline’s been advanced, everything’s different now–unless it’s something that might upset our core audience of fedora-wearing neckbeards who hate women. Women have been asking to see themselves as potential main characters who can do the same things as the boys for decades, and you still side with the trolls who harass them by acting like this is impossible or “controversial”. Plenty of other sci-fi or military sci-fi series do better in this day and age, but you haven’t caught up. You had the example of saying “women can be Stormcasts” and the sky didn’t fall and your sales dry up, even if they make up only a tiny fraction of characters in your mini line and novels compared to the men. And yet you still didn’t.

So no, I give you zero credit for feminism-baiting that isn’t actually giving me the concrete results I want. I try to avoid the regularly scheduled fandom wank that comes up every couple months on the subject when trolls start something, but damn, every once in a while I remember I’m a person with emotions too and how much this pisses me off.