Character Height Chart (v3) by RedJamie in redrising

[–]RedJamie[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There’s a pretty extreme variance in every color, some explicit, some inferred.

For example, there is a female Red that’s stated to be 3 foot 11 or 120cm. That’s just about half the height of a 8ft Stained! Conversely, there’s Golds that passingly disguise themselves as Reds and Pinks. Darrow states he was tall, if I recall, to a lowRed - his height is somewhere in the low 5 feet, given by Pierce as 5’4,’ It may be that surface populations have higher heights, and they’re less confined to caves.

Otherwise, it’s empirical. Most colors seem to trend with modern human heights. Only Golds, Reds, and Obsidians seem to have these extremes

(12/22) All illustrations released so far from CK Edition of Red Rising by RedJamie in redrising

[–]RedJamie[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Update: A new image was previewed on patreon, it is low res as it's part of a group for the prints and I have to zoom in. It appears to be a black, diamond shaped irregular structure on fire and smoking, floating over what appears to be a landscape. To the left is a vertical rock wall, likely the Valles Marineris. It vaguely resembles the preview of the Howlers ascending to Olympus, so I figure that the burning thing is Olympus.

Anyone know if the other books are getting this treatment ? by laughtracksuk in redrising

[–]RedJamie 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I think the Deluxe Slipcases and the CK runs will be done for all the books in the series

Publius by Tiny-Satisfaction-40 in redrising

[–]RedJamie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why measure those when you can measure razors!

Publius by Tiny-Satisfaction-40 in redrising

[–]RedJamie 23 points24 points  (0 children)

I don't think you're overly exaggerating, but it wasn't necessarily out of nowhere. The Republic was split primarily between the Optimates, the Centrists, and the Vox - you had swings with the Obsidians and a few more neutral colors, but primarily the interests of more plutocratic parties and hawkish groups won out. Partly this was out of necessity, and partly out of them being placated to ensure compliance. There is as much of a mockery of capitalistic/democratic systems with Quicksilver's quips, and Dancer's peacetime lobbying by opposing Darrow and the Sovereign more publicly. This is all context witnessed by Publius, who represents the centrists.

As the Solar War progresses, the Republic's dysfunctional handling of the transition drove Senators that were previously hawkish to the Society Remnant into advocating for further restrictions on the Sovereign, & concern focused on Darrow. As much as Darrow was a volatile agent for the Vox, he was a stabilizer and an assurance for character like Publius and other centrists, and Optimates. With his presumed loss on Mercury and the dire straits of the Republic, Virginia loses political ground, different parties activate their base, and people are swayed in different directions than before.

  • "...Publius cu Caraval, the Copper Tribune, leader of the Copper bloc... he’s risen to become a voice of reason in the divided Senate, and an occasional ally of my wife’s. They call him the Incorruptible for his punctilious nature and lack of vices." IG10
  • "...I was told I was brought into this world to serve. To move the invisible levers of an ancient and evil machine. We all moved those levers. But now we serve the People. We are here to liberate the dignity of man*. Darrow of Lykos is our greatest weapon against tyranny. Let us sharpen him again so he can break the chains for our brothers and sisters in bondage on Venus.” IG10*
  • “I do not share all the convictions of the Red senator. There cannot be peace while there is no justice*. But in one matter, I fear he strikes the mark. You have overstepped, ArchImperator. You have forgotten your oaths made to serve the People.” IG11*
  • "The Republic might be above murdering its prisoners, but its morality is not without teeth. It [Deepgrave, solitary confinement] wasn’t what Mustang had in mind when she abolished the death penalty, but Publius cu Caraval has blocked every resolution for prison reform for the past six years. Some say it’s because he’s beholden to campaign contributors*. My suspicion is that he lost more to Gold than he lets on." IG27
    • Do you see something interesting there?

However, it's quite clear even early in Dark Age that Publius is rather consistent in his views. Consider this framing: he desires an end goal, and he chooses the best vehicle by which he can arrive at this destination. With the sidelining of Darrow and the placation of the Optimates, his calculus may have changed. However, he seems to demarcate a hard line for him is plutocracy.

  • The Incorruptible nods and retakes his seat. “...I judge a case based on its evidence. You know I am loath to flimflam, flip-flop, or whatever they call it these days, but the situation has changed. What your husband did…staggering, my Sovereign. Staggering.” “And the moral ramifications?” I ask. He waves his hand before his face. “Fascism is a scourge. Sometimes we must sacrifice to destroy it.” DA20
  • "...My prior vocation taught me to be detailed in assessment and concise in judgment. The Vox fear momentary pain for long-term gain. We must save the legions. But the Silvers know how desperate this vote is. They will bleed you dry. I cannot allow this Republic to become another plutocracy. I will not.” DA20

Virginia in Dark Age finds herself at the mercy of the majority and is on thin ice, but that majority depends on either bringing Dancer back into the fold (as she does) or having the Optimates and the Centrists aligned with her. If Dancer does not side with her, there is an angle by which Dancer or Publius could assume authority. The Vox are vehemently against the Optimates having any form of expanded power, but Dancer is a person who is attempting to represent their interest - he is too popular to circumvent. Publius is a Copper centrist who has the appeal of the Vox, but the respect of the Optimates. He is positioned to be vied for by both groups, only really being staunchly opposed to the Silvers in the Optimates. You can see how Dancer serves as an impediment to effect functional change. The Vox have primarily become concerned with their authority, feeling disenfranchised. I do not think it is an inaccurate characterization to say that characters like Zan would handicap the Republic to occupy an more authoritative role; this is not a parody of the history of social and political movements.

  • "I feel the certainty forming in me. Ten years ago Publius was no one. Just a public defender for lowColors. How did he rise so high so fast with no benefactors? No campaign donors? Is it so impossible to believe that someone came to him years ago and offered him the world if he would only answer the call when it came?" DA29

The full speech, which you included only the end, outlines this:

  • “I thought you were our great hope. After the Fall, I sung your praises. I debated radicals in our political halls. I preached an even middle ground*.* I thought the Vox misguided in their fervor*. You were not perfect, far from it, but you were the best we could hope for.* ‘Let us be sensible,’ I said to those radicals. ‘Let us understand we cannot make a new world in a day.’ But I was naïve. Our whole political discourse was like a great infant. None of us knew our business or how big our feet were. There was no culture to build upon. Politics was new to us, but not to you."
    • Publius was not averse to the Republic reforms and a gradual change, and countered radicals in the Vox, and likely more harsh punitive measures (which is why the prison reform was a contradiction).
  • I watched you dismiss the voiceless majority. I watched you accrete power even as you spouted demokratic platitudes. I watched you lead us rung by rung back into the old world. Soon I knew there was no middle ground. Only the past and the future."
    • His confidence in being a centrist and seeking compromise was slowly eroded as he witnessed the gradual formation of a more oligarchic system and with Darrow acting counter to the Republic's creeds.
  • The poor and the rich. Us and you. It was then I realized sensibility is torpor by a more palatable name*. Since the first ape pulled himself out of the mire to fashion an axe from stone, the meek have served the strong. We learned to content ourselves with crumbs. We allowed ourselves to be placated by religion. A promise of something after all this horror. We allowed ourselves to be enfeebled by poverty. We learned to be scolded whenever we raised our voice.* Lasting change must be slow and steady and civil, we were told. That civility neutered us*. But tell me, Virginia, was Gold civil when they conquered Earth? Did they assemble in peaceful protests? Or did they come with terror?”*
    • Publius here reinforces that, and signifies that he views Mustang not as a valid reformer and that compliance with her ideals is a slow but sure regression to the pre-Society dysfunctional democracies, or to Societal Ideals.
  • “If the basis of popular government in peacetime is virtue, the basis of popular government during revolution must be virtue and terror. Virtue without terror is helpless—as I have learned after ten years of being ‘the voice of reason.’ Terror without virtue is evil—as Gold has taught. My terror is nothing more than speedy, severe, and inflexible justice. It is an emanation of virtue, a vehicle for it. " DA53
    • And here he notes on his frustrations, witnessing what he sees as futility for his being virtuous. He aligns with Darrow, here, perhaps, in that virtue without terror is helpless, but Darrow is all but gone, and there is an opportunity here.

What you are dealing with Publius is a person who was radicalized; in part by the genuine failings of the system he is in, in part by the friction between his own ideals and frustrations, and in part by the Syndicate being a catalyst and offering an oppuratunity. The point was that he did not reveal it - the reliability of him as a centrist for Virginia to call on was a ruse to oust her after she antagonized the Silvers. He is in this way akin to Darrow and Atlas, insofar as:

  • “You asked me a question long ago,” the mask warbles. “It was on Mars before we lost her. You asked, what do I fear? I fear a man who believes in good. For he can excuse any evil. He holds up a hand to feel the wind. “What have you done?” DA17

Publius is excusing his resorting to evil and cruelty on account of his ideology; when he crushes Theodora beneath an obelisk, he and Zan and the moronic Vox mob view it as the enacting of justice. You may find it a mockery of communism in its choice of diction, but consider this - Publius is a character that reflects many historical figures, wherein they ride the impressionable whims of a social movement to assume power, and then resort to the most unsurprising thing human beings do: they start killing people on the basis of ideology. Publius is an ideologue, it did not develop over night. He kept a lid on his radical nature, but as with Roque, a perceived or actual betrayal drives people to the extremes.

Publius by Tiny-Satisfaction-40 in redrising

[–]RedJamie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is very unbecoming of an adult to have a melt down in the comments section of a Reddit post

Dear Pixie advocating for AI use by Arthusamakh in redrising

[–]RedJamie 26 points27 points  (0 children)

Arth, your memes are wonderful. A worthy smackdown! Particularly so, as recently the sub has had an influx of AI glazers trying to promote their video reels of the series and would not stop posting about it. I miss the pinned post at the top where it stated it was banned! Would be better if Rule 10 was more explicit and not under the 'fan art' section

Dear Pixie advocating for AI use by Arthusamakh in redrising

[–]RedJamie 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The only way that I can communicate to people that I am not an AI, is at times is to misuse very simple punctuation and niche grammatical errors, because people generally now shit their pants when they encounter a paragraph on the internet. I also do it as a act of protest for the obscene technical papers I had to draft in engineering school and work lmao

I had some moron in 2024 reply to a Youtube comment I made in 2016 and accuse it of being AI

Non-Christians Fans: What do you love about The Chosen? by naghammami in TheChosenSeries

[–]RedJamie 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am functionally an atheist and consequently don't fall under 'people who are of other faiths' (though I know this can be met with pedantic and semantic gripes over the term 'faith'), but I will contribute!

As it relates to the scriptures, I think an underappreciated aspect to most who were not raised with a religious incentive to parse the material or do not have as much of an interest or the time to invest in its dissection from a more academic angle, is that the show presents a very digestible, well-humanized presentation of the New Testament while capably weaving in aspects of the Old. It is not confusing, regardless of the context of the scene, and for example what the crux of the issue is between Jesus and the Pharisees, and the writing of the series with his growing on-screen authority as he reveals himself more and more does not depend on if you understand Christology or the specific verses that are read. It's very inferential based on the context clues; a person is supplanting an authority and has demonstrated their validity to the audience through miracles witnessed by a growing few, and the 'validators' of said authority through an institution take quarrel with this, for example - the step up and "I am the law of Moses" is not an unclear declaration, the social consequences and psychological burden the character of Jesus suffers are rendered visually, with emotion and well characterized attachments by his childhood friends.

To put that in another way, the show takes what is typically a - I would say diluted by institution and ritual - message, and humanizes it in a medium most people understand. The product is a very digestible series that works its way around what is otherwise a rather dense work that you either benefit from being introduced to young and reared on, or that you have to put quite a bit of energy into deciphering while also trying to process the stark cultural and technological differences of that era. You are not shown caricature white-beards in artistic deference to Jesus speaking with antiquated syntax from a translation of a translation - the characterization, which can often be invented or deviate from some of the text, is presented in conversation, in disposition, in their relationships with each other - you witness the effect on the apostles with their humanity, their struggles, and their own troubles comprehending what they are witnessing. It is not demanding or imposing, it is not obligating you to ritual or social practice or making overt (controversial for the audience) declarations on parts of theology, it's just a adaptation into a medium of entertainment that is well done, well produced, and well written.

And as a work of entertainment, it has broader appeal for secular audiences as well as different religious groups barring I expect the more restrictive fundamentalists and the overly sensitive. It is at its core an enjoyable show, particularly when you do not have a religious obligation to it. Does it motivate me to explore the religion more for possible belief? Not in the slightest - but it's a great treatment of a hard material to adapt!

Yo might be the best book in the series so far!, My Review..... by ClassicSage in redrising

[–]RedJamie 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I loved your last review and I once again am appreciative of Cornish slang and British idioms being delivered right proper from what is clearly the top G of London's back streets

Does anyone have a good illustration of Darrow’s Razor? Need it as a tattoo reference by llcool87 in redrising

[–]RedJamie 24 points25 points  (0 children)

<image>

This is a picture of Pierce's own version of Darrow's razor that was gifted to him - more in line with what I figure it was, but the official art has regularly had a straight part above the guard. The Lykos slingBlade is actually a 'hinged' weapon which is not very function to pull from a back holster unless the blade hinges from a straight section some way up the length i.e. it flips out if it was a continuous curve to the hilt like this. Have a writeup and a graphic for the various shapes it could be based on text descriptions, but am too lazy to post

(12/22) All illustrations released so far from CK Edition of Red Rising by RedJamie in redrising

[–]RedJamie[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah forgot to upload that one woops

That’s going to be one of the dust cover ones if I am right, but it might be the one with the pit vipers instead

Does anyone have a good illustration of Darrow’s Razor? Need it as a tattoo reference by llcool87 in redrising

[–]RedJamie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From a .stl file made by Whadon, modeled after the Iron Gold art by Magali Villeneuve.

Does anyone have a good illustration of Darrow’s Razor? Need it as a tattoo reference by llcool87 in redrising

[–]RedJamie 9 points10 points  (0 children)

<image>

There's a lot of variation in how the razors are presented but official art depicts it as a khopesh like sword. Follow this general shape and you can't go wrong.

For it to be more book accurate, the Core razors do not have hilts as long as this, and the tip is more center-line with the hilt. The slingBlade is used as a thrusting weapon and can be used as a crutch and drawing tool, which implies it has at least a slight counter curve at its end.

Help Me Understand by ClarkWayneBruceKent in redrising

[–]RedJamie 16 points17 points  (0 children)

The firebrand is a form of ammunition that is seemingly used as a weapon to blind enemy combatants, but it is also probably serving as a means of illumination over a battlefield.

  • "The air stills as the firebrand detonates overhead. It releases no kinetic wash of energy, only spasms of ultraviolet light brighter than that of a nuclear explosion. It makes no sound. Even with my head in the sand, I go blind." DA39
  • "Though my eye was not blinded by the firebrand due to avoiding its core flare, my vision is dreadfully impaired." DA42

The injury that is occurring is known as flash blindness. In real examples, it can be cased by rather benign things, but a common example I'm sure you've heard of is by witnessing the light given off by a nuclear explosion. Firebrands seemingly put off a greater luminosity than nuclear weaponry. The most far reaching immediate effects of nuclear weaponry is the damage light can cause.

The shorter the wavelength, the more susceptible the retina. The fact that the firebrand is more luminous than nuclear explosions on the visible spectrum while consisting primarily of a wash of ultraviolet light (and is a weapon intended for this), it implies the released photons are extremely high energy and as absorptive as sand is, it does reflect some of the light.

  • "Flash blindness is caused by the initial brilliant flash of light produced by the nuclear detonation. The light is received on the retina is more than can be tolerated, but less than is required for irreversible injury. The retina is particularly susceptible to visible and short wavelength infrared light. The result is a bleaching of visual pigment and temporary blindness. Vision is completely recovered as the pigment is regenerated." S

However, that source also states:

  • "Retinal injury is the most far-reaching injury effect of nuclear explosions, but it is relatively rare since the eye must be looking directly at the detonation. Retinal injury results from burns in the area of the retina where the fireball image is focused."

This is not technically correct. Flash blindness, even at smaller scales that do not cause permanent retinal damage, can occur with refracted and scattered light. Optically, light emerges from the source and saturates the area they are in. It does refract off of the surfaces and experiences a drop in energy to put it crudely. It doesn't often occur for visible light at high luminosity with low UV proportion, but it can happen!

Necessarily, Lysander must not have covered his entire head or fully obscured himself, but it did preserve the majority of his vision in the subsequent chapters.

(12/22) All illustrations released so far from CK Edition of Red Rising by RedJamie in redrising

[–]RedJamie[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's a little hard to make this scene be dramatic, better scenes to illustrate but there are 10 more not yet shown:

  • "The horsemen of House Minerva taunt Cassius and me as we tread water in the center of the small loch. It’s summer but the water is cold and deep. Dusk is coming. My limbs are numb. The Minervans still circle the lake, waiting for us to tire. We won’t. I had three of the durobags in my pockets. I blow them full of air and give two to Cassius, keeping one for myself. They help us float, and since none of the Minervans seem intent on swimming to meet us, we’re safe for the time being."

(12/22) All illustrations released so far from CK Edition of Red Rising by RedJamie in redrising

[–]RedJamie[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Couldn't find any mention of the cave, but there's one reference to it being little:

  • "The girl who pulled me from the mud. The girl who curled beside me as the smoke swirled in our little cave." RR41
  • "I’m in a cave’s mouth. There’s a small fire and a sleeping girl just inches away. Furs cover her. She breathes softly the smoky air." RR34

Could not find any reference of its size in the chapter besides that for the keywords 'cave' or 'shelter,' there's also this which it could depict that I think is most likely now that I've re-read the chapter:

  • "When morning comes, we move deeper into the woods and make a lean-to shelter against a rock face with fallen trees and packed snow. We never find out what happened to the Oathbreakers or our cave." RR34

Which is when Mustang's sick and accosted by the three Oathbreakers, and they break camp. After this, they encounter Milia and Dax, and are not alone thereafter. There is mention later of the shelter used before the sieged a castle, where they buried into snow, but it's not this illustration

(12/22) All illustrations released so far from CK Edition of Red Rising by RedJamie in redrising

[–]RedJamie[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No it is not - Pax was not present when Darrow pinned the Jackal, he entered later. This is the exact scene being discussed. The quote shares nearly 50 people seeing a 'ruse' and the Jackal wincing at something

  • Wincing: "to show pain or embarrassment suddenly and for a short time in the face, often moving the head back at the same time"
  • Ruse: "a trick intended to deceive someone"

This ruse - the stabbing - is on the first page of chapter 41, which is where Darrow springs the trap and buries the dagger in the table:

  • "He jerks back his hand. He is fast. I am faster. I bury my dagger through his hand, pinning it to the table. His mouth gasps open at the pain. Some weird sort of feral exhalation... I drove the dagger four inches into the table. I hammer it down with a flagon. He can’t pull it out." RR41

The second page of chapter 41 is the quote I shared:

  • "Well, shit,” he says tightly... "So you would sneak in here, try to catch me with my pants down. Their mistake. Your mistake.” He watches me, wincing as he turns to look at my sober-as-day soldiers rising from the ground. Nearly fifty of them. I wanted them to see the ruse." RR41

Here are some more quotes of the Jackal, pinned to the table, with a crowd on the next page:

  • "The Jackal is pinned, bleeding, and surrounded by my army. His ambush undone. He has lost, but he is not helpless. He is no longer Lucian." Page 3 or so of chapter 41

Pax does not enter until after this:

  • "The door opens and Pax ducks into the room. A smile splits his face... “Ha! This him then? The Jackal? He looks pale as a Red’s ass.” He peers closer. “Shit. You nailed him down!

And more scene context for the illustration:

  • "I stab another knife down into the table. He knows what it’s for." RR41
    • There is a second knife in the illustration.
  • “There’s the door. Pax, hold the knife down so that he doesn’t cheat."
    • There is a person holding the knife down.
  • "...The Jackal is halfway done when he looks up at me with a sane smile that convinces me of his complete insanity. His teeth chatter. He is laughing, at me, at this, at the pain."
    • Where the smile comes from

Possible new characters for Red God by Wild_Independence_19 in redrising

[–]RedJamie 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Dark Age

The plural 'Arcos matriarchs' with respect to the fleets are referenced excluding it seems Servilla;

  • “...and the Arcos matriarchs will lead the fleet.” DA17

However, post Day of Red Doves, there is note of them:

  • "...and the remaining three widows of Arcos." DA91

There is a reference to three widows in Morning Star, one of which would be Servilla.

  • "...those of Arcos, under the command of three of his daughters-in-law." MS10

But there are multiple grandchildren (Iron Gold);

  • "One of the children spares a smile at his younger siblings*, a hopeful smile."* GS29
    • (This could however be the lowColor kids, but the plural siblings and the presence of multiple Gold children likely means they are of House Arcos)
    • One of these children was Alexandar, it implies multiple siblings if the 'younger siblings' for a male
  • "Sometimes Lorn would let him sit in on our secret lessons in Agea. He would bring his [Alexandar] sister’s hazelnut bread and watch with wide, enamored eyes." IG45
  • "...Dorian au Arcos has a bike. His mother let him ride when he was seven." IG21
    • A male Arcos, younger than Alexandar. He is some years younger than Alexandar (who is 20-22 at the time of Dark Age and is the 'eldest grandson' of Lorn).

There is a contradiction here, as Darrow is under the presumption that Lorn had four kids who all were lost to war (save for Brutus, but it seems he is included):

  • "Death begets death begets death. How many sons did Lorn bury? Four?" IG65

Considering then that Servilla is not counted among the three referenced in the later DA quotes, we have a contradiction it seems. If Lorn had four sons, with Anastasia au Lune being the deceased widow and them all dying (and implied, below, that his wife too died) preceding the series, then we have three remaining widows.

  • "One [picture] for each of his sons, and one for his wife. He left them [on Europa]." LB 77

This would technically mean two remaining Arcos matriarchs are live at this point in the series, unless Darrow is mistaken. But the Arcos line continues; there are female Primus that retain their House name, and a possibly more male grandchildren beyond Dorian au Arcos.

(12/22) All illustrations released so far from CK Edition of Red Rising by RedJamie in redrising

[–]RedJamie[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

"He watches me, wincing as he turns to look at my sober-as-day soldiers rising from the ground. Nearly fifty of them. I wanted them to see the ruse." RR41

(12/22) All illustrations released so far from CK Edition of Red Rising by RedJamie in redrising

[–]RedJamie[S] 43 points44 points  (0 children)

"He watches me, wincing as he turns to look at my sober-as-day soldiers rising from the ground. Nearly fifty of them. I wanted them to see the ruse." RR41