Tribes and Empires: Storm of Prophecy 九州海上牧云记 - Episode 2 (Recap)
kakashi: Dammit. Sad.
Panda :(((
JoAnne: Why can't we have nice things? Why?
I was so annoyed with him here. His over eagerness to be part of the fight and his reaction to a pretty face could be very costly.
This boy is working my last nerve, honestly. I mean, okay: what is he, 12? maybe? (he's thirteen) But come on, in a life like this he doesn't know the importance of following instructions? Side note: his girl's outfit reminded me of a music festival-goer. I am seriously loving the styling of the drama and I don't know one BIT about historical accuracy, but I guess since this is Novoland history is what we make it, anyway.
The warriors take pursuit, but before they can reach her, a man on horseback appears, shoots another one of the very good-looking Shuofeng men, and takes her with him. Soon after, they meet the Iron Cavalry. The man on horseback has a plaque with a red Muyu dragon (qilin?) on it and it means they're not harmed by the knights. This Iron Cavalry scares me, but I'm consoled by the thought that their armor must be hot and itchy.
Shuofeng Da was rightly pissed and promptly sent his men after her. I didn't expect his friend to die so early :( I think I should condition myself that everyone dies here.
Hot Dad does a death ritual for his dead brother. It's very sad. But I'm also sad for these other men who were killed, of the Suqin tribe. And then, his widow kills herself with a dagger. What a waste, people.
As far as I know, the custom to take in the wives and kids of dead
brothers was much more common among nomadic tribes and made lots of
sense.
War is a sad thing truly. Here, as soon as the pregnant widow smiled, I knew she was going to kill herself. Truly a waste but she must have reasoned the others were also doomed anyway. Better for her to take herself out?
I thought along these lines: they're on the move, preparing to go to war, facing potential extinction. She's pregnant and will be something of a burden without a mate. More than a romantic 'I can't live without him' gesture, I saw the resignation in the eyes of her brother-in-law and sister-in-law and thought 'she's sacrificing herself for the good of the others.' Still very sad, perhaps even MORE sad. And yes, brother was very fine.
Panda :(((
JoAnne: Why can't we have nice things? Why?
Episode 2
In his eagerness to be part of the killing, young Shuofeng Heye leaves his assigned post at the edge of the encampment. The result: a girl gets away (with a body, of her lover): it's Suqin Ziyan.I was so annoyed with him here. His over eagerness to be part of the fight and his reaction to a pretty face could be very costly.
This boy is working my last nerve, honestly. I mean, okay: what is he, 12? maybe? (he's thirteen) But come on, in a life like this he doesn't know the importance of following instructions? Side note: his girl's outfit reminded me of a music festival-goer. I am seriously loving the styling of the drama and I don't know one BIT about historical accuracy, but I guess since this is Novoland history is what we make it, anyway.
Shuofeng Da was rightly pissed and promptly sent his men after her. I didn't expect his friend to die so early :( I think I should condition myself that everyone dies here.
We really need to make Trot watch this. She'd be so happy with that. And with all the varied terrain, plenty of opportunity for her to weigh in on appropriate survival techniques.
War is a sad thing truly. Here, as soon as the pregnant widow smiled, I knew she was going to kill herself. Truly a waste but she must have reasoned the others were also doomed anyway. Better for her to take herself out?
I thought along these lines: they're on the move, preparing to go to war, facing potential extinction. She's pregnant and will be something of a burden without a mate. More than a romantic 'I can't live without him' gesture, I saw the resignation in the eyes of her brother-in-law and sister-in-law and thought 'she's sacrificing herself for the good of the others.' Still very sad, perhaps even MORE sad. And yes, brother was very fine.
Heye is whipped by his father for his disobedience. And then, his father passes on the whip to the other men of the tribe and forces them to hit his son three times. Oups, an iron rider appears. Hot Dad ... doesn't friggin bow, no, he eyes and pats the rider's horse (a Ling Feng, a special Iron Cavalry breed). Okay, you're a bit insane, Hot Dad.
I fully supported Dad and his clan whipping HeYe. Boy is too headstrong and has now twice brought calamity on his clan. Hot Dad didn't kneel because what's the point really. If it would have saved his clan he would have but that ship has sailed. I am glad he at least got to inhale the air of "Galloping Wind".
I loved the symbolism of the clan disciplining their future leader - this is a tribe that recognizes a leader belongs to his people, not the other way around. I did question the timing, though - surely they knew they were going to meet up the Cavalry soon? Did they really have time to spare, or the bandwidth to care for someone who'd been severely whipped? Was the end result supposed to be the boy's death?
Well, the Iron Cavalry Man has come to tell them what the punishment is for messing with the territories of other tribes: clan extinction. Women and children are spared. The men: all executed. Shuofeng Da says he doesn't accept this. Why does his tribe have to live in the desert while the Suqin tribe can live on the abundant grassland! But the Iron Knight says it's the order they have set that preserves the peace. They have until tomorrow morning to send the women and children away. It's all VERY dramatic.
Those Muru are scary and so arrogant. Just one of them came to camp. Confident no harm would come too him.
Because peace is guaranteed when you make things very inequitable among people, yes, of course.
Here they come, the Cavalry.
Just nine of them how rude.
Who beside me just heard that in Michelle Tanner's voice from Full House? (The American one.)
And here comes the entire Shuofeng and Helan tribe combined. Including the women. They want to fight and die with their men. The kids....this breaks my heart more than anything, the kids gather on the hill and turn their backs towards what soon will be the slaughter of their parents.
:(((((((
It was so gorgeously shot that I almost couldn't feel sadness because I was marveling at my screen, though.
Damn, it's brutal. Silly grassland warriors stand NO CHANCE against these soldiers TT_________TT (except maybe for Hot Dad, but sadly...)
I hoped so much that Hot Dad would kill at least one of them but nope. Outclassed in every way.
It did seem rather humiliating, didn't it? They put them down like vermin. It would be easy to say that the Shoufeng were brave, but I wonder if they actually ever thought for a moment that they'd succeed. Instead, it looked more like the desperation that drives someone to suicide - in this case, by cavalry.
The bodies of their parents are not even cold yet when the kids are taken by Suoda slavers and sold to Tian Qi City. I feel very sorry for poor seasick, shaven-headed Heye, but I must also admit, I'm EXCITED about getting to the big city and meeting more characters!
All the kids are separated and sold off. I hope we see little Sa Tan again (the Shaman). Tian Qi looks formidable, were those gates built into a mountain? Wow.
That was really something, agreed. I can't wait to see inside.
Extra shot of the gates:
And here's the Shaman cutie:
Comments
So unfair. Poor Shuofeng tribe. I hope those Iron Riders itch so badly, they cut off their own extremities.
Poor Shuofeng tribe, poor Suqin tribe who were annihilated in peace time. The Muru are terrifying but I think they were in the right in this. And thankfully, they didn't kill any kids though now those babies are slaves :(( Hope we see them again.
Oh, I'm betting we do. And yes, as brutal as the methods were, I do think the Muru were acting as they should given an uprising by the Shuofeng, who slaughtered innocent families. However, I don't accept the idea that it was necessary to keep them in misery while others had plenty 'to keep peace.' Ultimately, a failure from the top down.