Weekly Progress Update [11/AUG] (Patreon)

Hi all, hope your week has been going well!! 🫶🏼

I did the thing I mentioned in my last progress update and got me some copies of the Epic of Gilgamesh with different translations to compare and contrast while I read. It's actually been really enjoyable so far, since it's been ages since I last studied a book so intensely haha.

It's given me a lot of ideas for things to do during the Crown's road trip, as well as the narrative purpose of it: obviously the Crown needs to make the journey for Plot Reasons and to move the story forward, but simply describing the Crown's fun camping adventures with their friends would be out of place. I mean, I'm sure you guys would like it, but narratively it would fall flat haha.

My priority with the road trip is that, despite the fun nickname that I gave it, it actually does need to feel like and have the weight of a true religious pilgrimage. The Crown has had some time to become accustomed to their new title, but they have only been busying themselves with the practical aspects of their reign. The title of Crown, however, is a divine mandate.

There is a spirituality to the role that the Crown hasn't explored yet--perhaps has even purposefully turned away from. Remember the water spirits whose help they turned down back in CH10? The Crown's grief and resentment towards their parents is very deeply tied into all of this, and the Crown will have to confront it if they want to truly connect to the spiritual side of being on the throne. And I don't mean that they'll unlock cool magic powers lol, although that would be tempting. I mean spiritual in terms of their inner world, so to speak: the relationship they have with themselves.

There's a reason all the elemental spirits are tied to human concepts like wisdom and self-reflection and honesty and generosity. They aren't just representations of the elements, but also of aspects of virtue (or at least, the ones that the religion in Arsur's world deems most important). And, in terms of the Crown's character arc (as well as the arcs of different love interests, depending on whose route you're on), they may each form a part of the Crown's journey. Sure, the Crown swore their oaths to the spirits and all that, but... the spirits will also expect to see them make good on their word 👀

You all got a glimpse of that during the coronation, where the spirits entrusted the Crown with Arsur's care and each affected the Crown on a personal level. But now the Crown has to go seek approval from a being who many consider to be a living, breathing goddess in the flesh. One who has essentially banished previous Crowns since Ardashir from her domain. You can definitely expect that she will be difficult to impress, and the spirits will be keeping an eye on the Crown during their pilgrimage as well, so... no pressure with your choice! lmao

As a complete aside from all of this, next to the Epic of Gilgamesh I also got Enheduana: The Complete Poems of the World's First Author. It caught my eye while I was shopping since it was also translated by the same person whose Epic of Gilgamesh translation I'm using, Sophus Helle.

I'd never heard of Enheduana before, so it was really cool to discover that (like the book's title says) she is the first person in human history to be recorded as an author. She was a Sumerian priestess whose poems are pretty much entirely religious hymns dedicated to various gods. This one was mostly a fun/personal interest purchase for me, though I think I can get a lot of inspiration out of it as well, especially for the religious aspects of Arsur's worldbuilding!

That's all I've got for you this week 💖 Those pledged to tier 2 and 3 can expect R's character snippet to be uploaded around this coming Friday!!