#jblatherings

In the FL universe, stars are called Judgements. Judgements are at the top of the Great Chain of Being, which is similar to the real-world historical concept. They rule over the lower levels of the Chain (i.e. everyone else). So they’re like uncaring gods. Sunlight enforces the Judgements’ ‘Laws’, empirical concepts like time, mortality, physics, etc. 

The Masters are Curators, a batlike merchant-and-hunter species usually serving the Judgements. We didn’t know much about Curators until Sunless Skies. The Masters are pariahs among Curators for several reasons; that’s why they’re in London now. In-universe, there’s a book about the Masters’ indiscretions. If you Google “a secret about the Masters fallen london” and click the first result, you’ll learn more about it. 

The fandom is still struggling to match each taboo activity to the appropriate Master. But before this ES, it was widely accepted that Wines corresponds to “failure and defeat; a fall from king to beggar”. This was because Wines’ sceptre was a reward from a seasonal event, and Wines’ second Fate-locked Christmas gift is a crown. The text for acquiring these items implied that he wants to leave his past behind. We didn’t know if ‘king’ was literal (beggar doesn’t seem to be) or, if it was literal, what he ruled over. 

Now we’ve seen All That Dramatic Stuff About Wines in the new ES. It revealed exactly how powerful he once was. This is where it gets a bit complicated:

Based on some Sunless Sea and FL content, it’s possible for individuals to ascend/descend the Great Chain by changing form or species. In Sunless Sea, a Judgement descended. (…Kind of.) 

On Tumblr, it’s a fairly popular theory that a missing Master, Mr Eaten, was a Judgement who descended to become a Curator. I can’t say much about that, because details about Mr Eaten are major spoilers. So this new ES is a big deal - it’s not about the same Master, but it confirms that the old theory is reasonable and it opens up exciting new possibilities for other Masters’ backstories. 

However, outside the Tumblr fandom, less people think any Masters were Judgements. Some people totally reject the conclusion that Wines is a Judgement because the ES doesn’t explicitly say so and there are unclear or dubious parts. For example, maybe a Judgement’s word can’t be ‘broken’, because anything a Judgement says is ‘Law’. Wines was definitely a king, but they think he was a Curator king who brokered deals for Judgements instead of an actual Judgement. 

Personally, I’m not 100% convinced Wines is a Judgement, but I don’t dismiss it. imo it isn’t debunked just because some parts vaguely clash with existing lore or subjectively sound ‘off’. And even if “Wines is a Judgement” turns out to be non-canon, I don’t think there’s any harm in headcanons, especially compared to past misconceptions spread by fanon about other topics. 

Ivan knows it is not a fight he can win, he has realized by now that this ability user (if what this person does can even be called an ability) outranks him by an immeasurable gulf.

But, consider: a losing fight cannot mean anything to a man who is incapable of valuing his own health over the protection of his [House] and the sanctity of his lord.

So Ivan fights on regardless, and when he finds an opening it is with glee that he takes advantage of it. Putrescent smile curving over countenance as a crack ripples over the ability-shield. Ivan doesn’t know why, aside from that all humans (or all entities, demons, whatever this man is) make mistakes. Ivan is here to take advantage of mistakes he has pressed and pressed Leon to make. Ability is too clunky to pierce (all humans make mistakes just as they get tired, and beautifully refined forms are too much a waste of energy at this point), but:

an important lesson, friends, always carry a knife.

Polished blade sinks through the shield and slices skin on Leon’s cheek. (It is so refreshing to see that he does, indeed, bleed. He is not so inhuman as to lose the ability to be cut. The beautiful colour of spilt blood! Drops like roses.)

The surprise, the fact he’s injured, gives pause. Knife darts back and Ivan presses forward again to tear the blade into Leon a second time, a third--

And he’s cackling as Leon grabs his wrist and stops Ivan; even if his wrist is broken in this move, at least Ivan gets the personal satisfaction of seeing blood and fury fall down Leon’s face.