#domains

if you have a custom domain set, DO NOT UNTICK THE BUTTON on blog settings. you’re not allowed to add it back. (nope, that’s not mentioned anywhere on blog settings itself.) if you switch hosts and need to update nameservers, congrats! you’re fucked

custom domains were a feature that’s been available over a decade, but they’ve been unceremoniously removed. the idea of “legacy” domains is a joke

this is doubly egregious because they absolutely could be selling domains for people that don’t have one, while still allowing those of us that already had a domain to keep using ours. they also don’t even allow you to pay to use your own. so if someone bought a domain specifically to use on tumblr, if they accidentally untick the button then poof! they’re fucked because they can’t re-buy their own domain from tumblr 

it’s honestly pathetic how much of a transparent cash grab this is at worst, and how badly implemented this was at best. this is what happens when you accept incompetency as a modus operandi bc “lol quirky hellsite”

For the same reason, this explanation is mostly "generic" and does not take into account (although I already have an idea of how to place them) all the locations in the kingdoms. Those are basically the ground rules.

So, the situation for the geography of EAH is as follows: General Rules- Kingdoms and Realms

The main "problem" with establishing geopolitical boundaries in EAH is that in some fairy tales, multiple royal families coexist within it, most seriously the White/Queen family, but also the Beauty/Thorn family or the Swan/Von Barth family. So I thought the solution was very simple: differentiate between Kingdom and Realm.

Although synonymous, Kingdoms and Realms here are distinct. The kingdom is defined by a particular geographical boundary, while the realms are the domains, similar to how the communes functioned in medieval Italy.

Essentially, therefore, I thought the world of EAH followed the same pattern as the Italy of the communes. Context: Italy was geographically more or less the same as it is now, but within it there were various regional dominations of the various noble families.

So I imagine the situation is: The world of EAH (meaning the place our protagonists come from. Other continents certainly exist, but Grimm has blocked access to them.) is the equivalent of the European continent.

The kingdoms are the equivalent of countries (like Italy, France, Spain, etc.).

-> Within the kingdoms, there are various realms headed by noble families (the Whites, the Beautys, the Queens, etc.) who command their own portion of the territory.

-> Within each realm, there are various grand duchies, counties, villages, etc., headed by nobles and/or a mayor/governor, who nevertheless still control the royal family to which they belong.

So, for example, with a fairy-tale kingdom that canonically has multiple nobilities: Wonderland (which, for the sake of the example, let's pretend for a moment operates according to standard laws): Wonderland is the kingdom, and within the kingdom there are three realms- that of the Queen of Hearts, that of the White Queen, and that of the Red Queen. Within each realm, there are obviously various cities, which have their own nobilities/governors, such as the Ugly Duchess,which despite its noble status still answers to its queen.

So this paradigm applies to all the kingdoms in the world of EAH. Especially because it allows for the coexistence of the White/Queen kingdom, or the presence of multiple Charmings in places that don't need them (in fact, I'm convinced that Nottingham is headed by the Lionhearts, and that its Charmings are a lower noble fraction here).

Exceptions:

Location of EAH: Ever After High is located in the Ever After Kingdom, which is a sort of "neutral kingdom/lobby" within and central to the rest of the continent. It functions a bit like Magix in the Winx Club and is the "index" from which one then travels through the various fairytale kingdoms. It is extremely small, like Vatican City or San Marino, and contains BookEnds, the Enchanted Forest, and the other locations we see during the story. Furthermore, in addition to EAH, it also contains the other specialized schools for the heirs, such as kindergarten, elementary school, and middle school.

Fairy Kingdoms: The paradigm it's slightly different for the fairy nobility, whose kingdoms are within the forests of other major kingdoms. For example: The Beauty realm is divided into two realms: the Sleeping Realm and the Beast Realm. The Thorn Realm is located in the Sleeping Realm's forest. (I imagine the same thing for the Swan/VonBarth realms.)

Opening my notifications to find this gargantuan gold mine was a ride and a half haha!

The idea of Ever After High being a neutral and protected domain akin to the Vatican is actually such a perfect way to put it! It’s served so many generations of fairy tale destinies and has influenced future politics for so long it’s essentially hallowed ground! That’s fantastic!

I’m also very intrigued about that map of yours

The idea of the Italian communes also completely makes sense to me, if the domains have no allies they only have enemies. Like a guaranteed side effect of the sleeping curse for the Sleeping Beauty story is that the briars essentially act as a defence to keep people out, it cannot be invaded, and in the older stories the royalty are friends with most all the fairies, which implies in my head that when awake they protect the fairies in turn.

The Charmings not actually having much ruling power also makes sense to me by holt hell are there a LOT of them, and they’re married into almost every single royal and noble family in all the realms, if they had more power they’d be having an entire monopoly on all domains which would be way too much overt control.

I do have thoughts however that the Charmings do have a lot of covert power that ensures their sheer number of relatives remain in power and have incentives to do such. Well, we even see in the books Princess Charmings have to be very careful, even Darling cannot be outside on a balcony for too long or else she might get snatched by a dragon. Having a natural magnet for things that puts you in peril would be a good motivator for almost all Princess Charmings to just follow the basic script to avoid awful circumstances.

okay, so.

let's talk about characterization.

specifically, static vs dynamic characters:

Like. If you want something Monk-like, I feel like Bone and Arcana would work very well, both magic and martial prowess centered in the body.

Blade and Codex, on the other hand, feel like something closer to a spellknight. Or possibly something like a monster hunter/exorcist?

Splendor and Midnight together, light and healing alongside shadows and secrecy, would make a spectacular lunar sort of class, the shifting faces of the moon between light and darkness.

Sage and Midnight for the dark, secret spaces of the earth, earth and rot and decay, the realms beneath.

Grace and Splendor for something blisteringly holy, raw charisma and terrifying beauty.

Valor and Grace are more of a charismatic champion, something chivalric, both brutal and dangerously subtle.