#ambrus analysis

Ambrus Leon Chiro

1. What’s your favorite part of the costume – and the most challenging one? I really love being historically accurate, so we had to study the whole background of the cosplay of the character, of the costume design, and I really love the fact that you can combine so many different techniques and at the same time being, you know, pretty cool and dynamic with people – and keep the charm as well, you know.

2. What do you like the most about your character? Oh, I thought we said short questions, right? I have to talk a lot now. Ambrus is everything! Ambrus is history you know… I really love how this character has a wonderful background which makes you think about life choices in general, perspectives…

3. Any advice for aspiring cosplayers? Just keep creating. Everything is wonderful in this community. We gotta stand proud together and I really think that every cosplayer out there that wants to cosplay should believe in themselves; go out there, have fun and share positivity with the community, because this is the best community you’re gonna ever have.

Blood Guards. There's no task they'll refuse, no red line they will not cross. For those who taste this kind of power even once will do anything – anything – to experience it again.

Ambrus. Ambitious and thrilled with his newly acquired powers, there's nothing he'll shy away from, no red line he won't cross.

Option 1 "just sounds cool" – The Dawnwalker devs like the phrase about "red lines" to highlight emotional tension. Nothing conceptual behind it, just a stylistic choice.

Option 2 "a bit conceptual" – There isn’t a direct plot connection with Ambrus and his story, it’s more of an indirect theme. Blood of the vampire offers a way not to die. Vampirism gives you that too. It represents power, health, and safety – things you desperately needed in the 14th century during the Black Death. Without them, anyone would’ve been in serious danger. It’s not just about the Blood Guard and Ambrus – even if they share that drive for power – it also applies to Coen, to Lunka… Lunka got lucky. But if you’re already a young man and someone offers you the choice between becoming a Blood Guard or risking plague boils, watching your fingers blacken, and rip – well, that’s a choice. So, what pushes people to cross those red lines? That’s probably a theme the story will explore.

Option 3 "direct link" – The choice of words directly ties Ambrus to the Vampire Guard. Ambrus is portrayed as a warrior on the "icon." Like Saint George slaying the dragon (I hadn't thought about it, I saw it somewhere, and wow, yeah). But from what’s known, he isn’t just some regular warrior in the vampire coven – he’ll have lands to rule. His role is that of "protector" and "warrior." The Guards are warriors. That could be a connection. Maybe in the coven he’s the Warlord – responsible for weapons, armor, strategy, training the guards, and keeping them under control – basically, everything needed for defense and offense. Most likely he is Brencis’s helper. But Brencis looks like someone who can handle all the staff himself. Still, even a king needs advisors.

'Cause dying on your lips is how I wanna go. The cat has his own song. So that this post isn’t just me being horny.

His ring.

He have signet ring?

In medieval Europe, the signet ring ascended to prominence, assuming the role of a marker among the nobility.

Traditionally, signet rings were worn either on the little or the ring finger of the least dominant hand, with the most common usage being on the little.

Benedikt von Hertenstein (born about 1495, died 1522)

There were exceptions, but in the books I found there are few details about the index finger for such rings, how they originated, and how they were perceived. Of course, there are many different modern articles from magazines and jewelry houses, but I want only academic books.

The index finger, I’ve heard, is considered the finger of power, authority, and rule. But I don’t really know where I got this information from, most likely from articles that explain the meaning of each finger and the symbolism of wearing rings on them. However, there must be some kind of original sources or inspirations behind this lore.

The mount of Jupiter is found under the index or first finger that which orders, threatens, points. Jupiter gives fervid religion, noble ambition, honours, gaiety, love of nature, happy marriages, love unions. In excess, he gives superstition, excessive pride, love of power for itself, a desire to shine. In absence, it causes indolence, egotism, irreligion, want of dignity, want of nobleness, vulgar tendencies. Your luck's in your hand, or The science of modern palmistry : chiefly according to the systems of D'Arpentigny and Desbarrolles, with some account of the gipsies 1880  London: J. Hogg

So, it all started with chiromancy. That’s where not only the lines on the palms come from, but also the patron on the palm and fingers. The oldest copy of such a palmistry text in Latin is found in a Book of Psalms made for Canterbury Cathedral in the twelfth century. Later versions of the text came equipped with images, for the guidance of users, as shown here.

British Library, Sloane MS 2030, ff.125v-126r.

All these things can show us symbolism (which we came up with ourselves) and the history of superstitions, which can become part of an artistic image, a detail of the medieval world and what people believed in back then, and simply entertain us.

Why is Jupiter associated with power and strength? All roads lead to Rome.

In On the Nature of the Gods (De natura deorum), Cicero, while discussing Jupiter, quotes Ennius, whom he regards as the father of Roman poetry: Aspice hoc sublime candens, quem invocant omnes Iovem. "Behold this shining vault above, which all call Jupiter" This line comes from Ennius’ Annals (fr. 63 Skutsch). Here the poet identifies Jupiter with the sky itself, the visible firmament, emphasizing his all-encompassing and divine nature.

Jupiter, if he should be lord alone, will thoroughly improve and benefit all things. Among mankind, in particular, this planet promotes honour, happiness, content, and peace, by augmenting all the necessaries and comforts of life, and all mental and bodily advantages. It induces also favours, benefits, and gifts emanating from royalty, and adds greater lustre to kings themselves, increasing their dignity and magnanimity: all men, in short, will share in the prosperity created by its influence. Claudius Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos Classic but outdated translation of this seminal work from Ptolemy.

It is very difficult to find an exact quotation about Jupiter and its connection to the index finger, because most of it is in medieval manuscripts written in Latin that have not been digitized. Therefore, only later works with citations are available. Academic works of the 20th and 21st centuries that analyze chiromancy are unlikely to provide a direct quotation. Something like "Jupiter, the king of planets, bestows qualities of authority and ambition. The index finger, under his influence, and the mount beneath it point to a regal nature and a striving for glory"- no, cant find.

However, considering what Jupiter meant to the ancient world and to occult studies in the Middle Ages, I'm sure, it was implied.

Fig. 1 : Chiromantic drawing from Philip Mey (in Chiromantia medica, fg. 1, p. 10) (...) ♃ Jupiter Palmistry, an art between the occult and medicine illustrated by German practitioners during the Interbellum By Alexandra Nagel

 "Chiromantia medica" Mey Philippus 1665

Chiromantia. — Padova : Matthaeus Cerdonis, 1484

Jovis m (genitive Jovis); third declension (New Latin) alternative spelling of Iovis (“the god Jove, Jupiter”)

This is a book that talks more about rings, but attention to the symbolism of the index finger is not given. George Frederick Kunz — Rings for the Finger (1917, переизд. Dover, 1973)