⚠️ WARNING: Maasverse Spoilers—Proceed with Caution ⚠️

Well, here we go. A master list of all things ACOTAR + the "real" world.

SO. Come on, friends. Let's dive on in.

UK + IRELAND

A combination of Prydain, the old Welsh name for Britain, and Brython, which translates to “Ancient Britons” from Welsh.

A riff of Hibernia, the Classical Latin name for Ireland.

*A continuing list of world map related locations is provided in Part 2 of this post (see link above)

MAIN CHARACTERS

Rhys (also Rhŷs), used as both a forename and surname, is Welsh in origin and means "ardent, enthusiasm." It has deep roots in Welsh culture and is the name of several famous Welsh kings and noblemen, including Rhys ap Thomas, a Welsh soldier and landholder who rose to prominence during the Wars of the Roses.

Feyre, a variant of Fayre, is Old English in origin and means "fair, beautiful." Similar connections lie in Freyja (also spelled Freya) which is a name of Old Norse origin and means "Lady," denoting a woman of nobility. Freyja is a goddess in Norse mythology, associated with love and beauty, fertility and sex, and war and seiðr (magic for seeing and influencing the future).
In Greek mythology, Archeron is one of the five rivers of the Underworld—the River of Woe or River of Misery. It is often deemed the principal river where Charon ferried the souls of the dead.

Cassian is of Latin and Irish origin and means "son of Cassius" and refers to one of the oldest families in Rome. Arguably the most well-known Cassius was the Roman senator best known as a leading instigator of the assassination plot of Julius Caesar.

Azriel is of Hebrew origin meaning "God is my help." In some religious, Azrael is the benevolent angel of death who carries souls of the deceased to the afterlife.

The Morrígan is a renowned Celtic goddess associated with war and fate. Her name has been translated to mean "great queen" or "phantom queen." She has been seen as a manifestation of the earth- and sovereignty-goddess, representing the role as guardian of the territory and its people.

Amren is said to be a twist on Amram, which is of Hebrew origin and means "exalted people" and is the Biblical name of Moses' father. Note: This is in line with Amren being able to interpret The Book of Breathings, which is a twist on The Books of Breathing, a collection of several real-world ancient Egyptian funerary texts.

Nesta is the Welsh version of Agnes, which means "pure or holy." May also have potential connections with Nestor, a legendary king in Greece, who was known as a great warrior and for the wise advice he offered to younger soldiers.
In Greek mythology, Archeron is one of the five rivers of the Underworld—the River of Woe or River of Misery. It is often deemed the principal river where Charon ferried the souls of the dead.

Elain is Welsh in origin and translates to "fawn." Elaine, associated with the Greek name Helen, means "light" or "bright one."
In Greek mythology, Archeron is one of the five rivers of the Underworld—the River of Woe or River of Misery. It is often deemed the principle river where Charon ferried the souls of the dead.
Fun fact: Elain is an anagram of "Aelin."

Nyx is the Greek mythological goddess and personification of the Night. She is the offspring of Chaos and the Mother of Day (Hemera) and Darkness (Erebus). She lies at the ends of the Earth, and is often described as a black-robed goddess who drives through the sky in a chariot pulled by horses. In ancient Greek art, she often appears alongside other celestial deities such as Selene, Helios, and Eos.

ILLYRIAN CHARACTERS

Emerie means "home strength," "brave," and "powerful" in Old German.

Likely from Enyalius/Enyalios, who, in Greek mythology, was a son of Ares, but was also a byname for the god of war. Enyalius is often seen as the god of soldiers and warriors from the Ares cult.

Devlon is Irish and Gaelic in origin, related to the name Devlin, and means "fierce courage."

Balthazar is Akkadian in origin meaning "God protects the King." Commonly attributed to the wise man who gifted myrrh to the Christ child, which symbolized the future death of a king. It is an alternate form of King Belshazzar, who played a pivotal role in a coup d'état that overthrew a Neo-Babylonion king.
ACOTAR role: Balthazar is an Illyrian who aided Nesta in the Blood Rite.

Proteus is an early prophetic sea god in Greek mythology. His name comes from the adjective protean, meaning "versatile," "mutable," or "capable of assuming many forms." He is generally regarded as the son of the sea-god Poseidon.
ACOTAR role: Proteus is Emerie's abusive father who was slain during the War with Hybern.

Bellius may refer to Belus, the Babylonian god of war.
ACOTAR role: Bellius is Emerie's cousin who was killed by Cassian in the Blood Rite.

No clear references found, but kalon in Ancient Greek translates to "ideal perfect beauty in the physical and moral sense" and kalon kakon refers to the first created woman as a "beautiful-evil thing."
ACOTAR role: Kallon stirred animosity towards the Night Court leaders after the War with Hybern and was ultimately killed during the Blood Rite.

HEWN CITY CHARACTERS

Keir is a Gaelic name meaning "dark" and is related to the Irish name Ciarán meaning "little dark one" or "little dark-haired one." In Greek mythology, the Keres—the singular form being Ker—were female death spirits who personified violent death. There is a suggested connection between the Keres and the Valkyries of Norse mythology, each representing opposite ideals; the Valkyries being benevolent deities in death versus the Keres being feasting destruction.

Thanatos was the personification of death in Greek mythology. He is a minor figure, often referred to but rarely appearing in person (I see what you did there, SJM).
ACOTAR role: Thanatos is a High Fae lord who lives in the Hewn City. Keir briefly mentions Thanatos before leaving the meeting where Eris strikes an alliance with the Night Court.

LIBRARY CHARACTERS

Clotho is the youngest goddess of the Three Fates in ancient Greek mythology, who spins the thread of human life. The name can mean "spinner."

Merrill is of British origin and means "sparking sea" or "sea-bright."

Gwyneth is of Welsh origin and means "blessed" and "happiness." In Irish mythology, the Lady Gwyn is a headless woman (Catrin, anyone?) dressed in white who chases wanderers at night. In Arthurian mythology, Guinevere had an evil half-sister—the "False Guinevere"—who bewitches Arthur and turns him against the real Guinevere.
The Berdara surname is found in Indonesia and roughly translates to "bloody."

Ananke is of Greek origin and means "necessity" or "fate personified." In Greek mythology, she is one of the primordial deities, considered to be the most powerful dictator of fate and circumstance, and is the personification of necessity and inevitability.
ACOTAR role: Ananke is a priestess who joins in the training to become a Valkyrie.

Deirdre is of Irish and Gaelic origin and means "broken-hearted," "sorrowful," or "wanderer." The name is also associated with a tragic heroine in Irish mythology.
ACOTAR role: Deirdre is a priestess who joins in the training to become a Valkyrie.

Illana is of Hebrew origin and means "tree" or "bright light." If related to the name Ileana, she is connected to various mythologies describing a beautiful young female fairy. Ileana also stems from the name Elena.
ACOTAR role: Ilana is a priestess who joins in the training to become a Valkyrie.

Lorelei is of German origin and means "alluring, temptress." In German folklore, she was a siren-type seductress that led sailors to hazardous rocks.
ACOTAR role: Lorelai is a priestess who joins in the training to become a Valkyrie.

Roslin is Scottish in origin and means "rose" and "red-haired."
ACOTAR role: Roslin is a priestess who joins in the training to become a Valkyrie.

Riven derives from Old Norse meaning "to split, tear apart."
ACOTAR Role: Riven is a Priestess who is uncomfortable with strangers and whose background is unknown.

SIDE CHARACTERS

Majda is of Slavic origin and may mean "splendid, noble one." In Arabic, it means "the woman with glory." It is related to the name Madeleine, which is Greek in Origin and means "from Magdala"

Nuala is of Irish origin and means "fair shouldered one." In modern Irish storytelling, it means "born of the sea." It is considered a diminutive form of the name Fionnuala, a mythological figure of Irish mythology who was the daughter of a sea god.

Ceridwen was an enchantress in Welsh mythology. Welsh poetry refers to her as possessing the cauldron of poetic inspiration and is regarded by many as the Celtic goddess of rebirth, transformation, and inspiration.

Rita stems from the name Margarita and in Latin comes from the Greek word meaning "pearl." It has been claimed that the Greeks promoted pearls as a symbol of honesty and integrity. In Greek mythology they are said to be the tears of Aphrodite, the goddess of love.

No clear connection found, though venda in Latin means "sell", sev means "strew, scatter, spread," and enda means "end." Could also somehow be related to the number seven.
ACOTAR role: Sevenda owns a restaurant in Velaris the Inner Circle frequents.

Neve is of Latin and Irish origins and means "snow."
ACOTAR role: Neve is the jeweler in Velaris from whom Rhys buys Amren her jewelry in A Court of Frost and Starlight.

Polina has Latin origins and is derived from the name Apollo, though it could also be seen as a variant of Paulina, a feminine form of Paul, meaning "little" or "the younger."
ACOTAR role: Polina owned Feyre's studio before her death during Hybern's attack in Velaris.

Resin comes from the Latin word resina, which derives from the Greek word for "resin of the pine." Plants secrete resins for the protective benefits in response to injury, protecting them from insects and pathogens (conjures an image of Ressina standing outside her shop, protecting the terrified fae huddled inside from a group of Hybern soldiers).
ACOTAR role: Ressina is a lesser-faerie resident of Velaris who opens an art studio with Feyre.

Aranea is of Ancient Greek origin and denotes a genus of orb-weaving spiders.
Fun fact: Aranea is one of Charlotte's daughters in Charlotte's Web.
ACOTAR role: Aranea is a High Fae in Velaris, a weaver (get it? orb-weaving spiders?) who creates the Void cloth used in a tapestry Feyre ultimately purchases.

MAIN CHARACTERS

From "The Ballad of Tam Lin," a legendary ballad from the borderlands of Scotland.
Reminiscent of the fairytale Beauty & the Beast, where a mortal woman encounters a man in a forbidden forest after plucking a rose. She finds herself pregnant, seeks him out again, and learns he is captive to the faeries. To save him, she must hold onto him as he is transformed into a variety of beasts or other types of danger. After his rescue, the Queen of the Faeries laments that she should have taken out his eyes (Lucien, anyone?) or captured his heart (Tamlin's stone heart, to be specific) to prevent his escape.

Lucien is French in origin and means "light," and Lucian of Samosata was a Hellenized Syrian satirist, rhetorician, and pamphleteer who was best-known for his tongue-in-cheek style. The majority of his extant works are written in Ancient Greek. He is the inventor of the comic dialogue genre.

Alis is of German, French, and English origin. Translates to "noble."

SIDE CHARACTERS

Ianthe is Greek in origin and means "she who delights." In Greek mythology, she was one of the 3,000 water-nymph daughters of Oceanus and was one of the companions of Persephone when abducted by Hades.

Andras has Greek and Hungarian roots and means "man", or "warrior." In Welsh, it means "manly" and "brave."

Bron is Old English and Dutch in origin and means "brown" or "spring/water source."
ACOTAR role: Bron is one of Tamlin's named sentinels.

Hart is an Anglicized version of an Irish name meaning "hero," "brave," and "firm." A hart is also a male deer. In Celtic mythology, the white hart is said to be a messenger from the otherworld and would appear when one was transgressing a taboo (Tamlin's punishing of his sentry seems taboo enough to me).
ACOTAR role: Hart is one of Tamlin's named sentinels.

MAIN CHARACTERS

Beron is French/South German in origin and is a pet form of the name Bero, meaning "bear."
Vanserra is a combination of the prefix Van, meaning "from" or "of," and Serra, meaning "saw/a view from a high place" in Latin or "mountain range" in Catalan/Portugues/Galician. Vanserra can be said to mean "of the mountain range."

Eris is a feminine name of Greek origin and means "strife." In Ancient Greek mythology, Eris was the greek goddess of strife and discord. Her Roman equivalent, Discordia, was seen as the goddess of chaos. She has been associated with the war-goddess Enyo, who is frequently associated with the war-god Ares.
Vanserra is a combination of the prefix Van, meaning "from" or "of," and Serra, meaning "saw/a view from a high place" in Latin or "mountain range" in Catalan/Portugues/Galician. Vanserra can be said to mean "of the mountain range."

SIDE CHARACTERS

Jesminder is Indian in origin and means "queen of flower."

MAIN CHARACTERS

Tarquin is of Latin origin and means "Ancient Roman ruler" or "strong soldier." Two of the seven legendary kings of Rome bear the name Tarquinius and were known as Tarquin the Elder and Tarquin the Proud.

Varian is of Latin origin and means "variable."

Cressida means "golden" and is derived from the name Chryseis. She is a character associated with the Trojan war who becomes the archetype of a faithless lover.

SIDE CHARACTERS

Nostrum comes from the Latin noster, meaning "our" or "ours." Nostos is a theme in Ancient Greek literature, including an epic hero returning home, often by sea. It was deemed a high level of heroism or greatness. It is not only about returning home physically, but focuses on the hero retaining or elevating their identity and resisting temptation.
ACOTAR role: Nostrus was Tarquin's predecessor; the High Lord of the Summer Court killed by Amarantha at the beginning of her reign Under the Mountain. He participated in an attempted rebellion and he and his entire family were slain.

Brutius may refer to the Latin name Brutus meaning "heavy/dull."
ACOTAR role: Brutius was Tarquin's cousin who attempted an escape Under the Mountain with plans for rebellion before being mercifully killed by Rhysand.

MAIN CHARACTERS

Helios is the Ancient Greek god who personifies the Sun. He is often depicted with a solar crown and drives a horse-drawn chariot through the sky. He was a guardian of oaths and the god of sight and played a significant role in ancient magic and spells. He is often described as the son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, and is brother of the goddesses Selene (the moon) and Eos (the dawn).

MAIN CHARACTERS

Callias is of Greek origin and means "beauty" or "beautiful voice." Callias II was an Ancient Greek statesman, solider, and diplomat and was one of the richest men in Athens.

Vivienne derives from the French Viviana, meaning "lively," and comes from the Latin word Vivianus meaning "alive." It is commonly associated with the Irish name Bébinn meaning "beautiful or fair woman" and is also the name of an underworld goddess in both Irish and Welsh mythology.

Thesan is the Etruscan goddess of the dawn, divination, and childbirth and was associated with the generation of Life. Greeks identified her with Eos, the goddess and personification of the Dawn. She was sometimes depicted bearing a pair of wings on her back.

Nuan is Mandarin in origin and means "warm, genial."
ACOTAR role: Nuan is the creator of Lucien's metal eye.

The peregrine is a large crow-sized falcon renowned for its speed.
Fun fact: The peregrine falcon is the fastest member of the animal kingdom and can reach speeds of over 200mph during its high-speed hunting dive.

Amarantha is of Greek origin and means "unfading." The Amaranthus flower is said to symbolize immortality as it blooms for so long and is often deep red in color.

Brannagh is of Irish origin, comes from the word bran meaning "raven," and denotes a "beautiful female with hair as dark as a raven."

The Dagda is considered the chief god of the Tuatha Dé Danaan in Irish mythology. His name can mean "the good god" or "the great god."

Likely refers to Clytia/Clytie, a water nymph from Greek mythology who loved the sun god Helios in vain. Helios left her for another woman, a princess, under the influence of Aphrodite. Clytia revealed the affair to the princesses' daughter, but eventually lost herself as a violet flower in mourning for Helios's love. Her name means "glorious" or "renowned."
ACOTAR role: Clythia is Amarantha's sister who fell for Jurian's ploy as a lover.

HISTORICAL FIGURES

Theia is of Greek origin and means "goddess, godly." Theia is one of the twelve Titans and is the Greek goddess of sight and vision. With her brother-consort, she is a parent of Helios (the Sun), Selene (the Moon), and Eos (the Dawn). She is most known not for her own role, but for that of her children's.

Selene is the goddess and personification of the moon, daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, and sister of the sun god Helios and dawn goddess Eos.

Helene comes from the Greek name Helen and means "shining light." Helen of Troy was of Greek mythology and said to be the most beautiful women in all the world, her abduction being the start of the Trojan War; Helen was a figure in Greek mythology who was a friend of Aphrodite and helped her seduce Adonis; and there was an Amazonian Helene who fought Achilles and died after she was seriously wounded by him.
Fun fact: Variants of Helene include Elena.

Fionn is of Irish origin and means "fair-haired." In Irish folklore, Fionn Mac Cumhaill was a mythological hero was a leader of a band of young roving hunter-warriors who acquired immense amounts of wisdom by catching the "fish of knowledge."

Pelias is Greek in origin and means "rock pigeon." In Greek mythology, Pelias was the king of Iolcus who sent Jason on the quest for the Golden Fleece and was father to Medusa. Separately, Peleus was the king of Phthia, husband of Thetis, and father to Achilles. Peleus left several dead (men and women) in his wake, through means of both accident and betrayal, and fled more than once to escape punishment.

Oleanna is from the Greek name Helene meaning "sun ray" or "shining light."
Fun fact: Additional variants of Helene include Elena.
ACOTAR role: Oleanna is the High Priestess who created Gwydion and imbued its powers by dipping it into the Cauldron.

REPORTED DECEASED

Catrin is of Greek origin and means "clean," "clear," or "pure." Commonly used in Wales. Connected with the ancient goddess Hecate. Hecate is the goddess of magic, crossroads, witchcraft, sorcery, ghosts, and necromancy.
The Berdara surname is found in Indonesia and roughly translates to "bloody."

MINOR CHARACTERS

Tanwyn, with the feminine form Tanwen, is of Welsh origin and means "white fire."
ACOTAR role: Tanwyn was a Valkyrie and Cassian's former lover who was slain in the War.

Osian is Welsh, meaning "young deer" and is derived from the Irish legendary poet and warrior Oisín. Oisín was regarded as the greatest poet of Ireland, a warrior of the Fianna (small warrior-hunter bands), and a demigod son of Fionn Mac Cumhaill and Sadhbh.
ACOTAR role: Osian is the author of A Brief History of the Great Sieges, a book Nesta requests from the House of Wind.

Rabath is an anagram of Bharat, one of the names from India derived from the Sanskrit word bharata meaning "to bear, carry, to be maintained," specifically of fire. It also can mean "one who is engaged in search of knowledge."
ACOTAR role: Rabath, aka Lord of the Western Wind, is an ancestor of the priestess Merrill.
Fun fact: In Greek mythology, Zephyrus is the god and personification of the West wind.

Jurian is Greek in origin and means "farmer, earthworker."

Graysen is of English origin and translates to "son of the steward" or "son of the gray-haired man."

Nolan is of Irish origin and denotes "a child of nobility" or "champions."
ACOTAR role: Nolan is Graysen's father.

Isaac is Hebrew in origin and means "one who laughs or rejoices".
Hale is Old English in origin and, as a surname, denoted someone who lived in a hollow or nook.

Tomas is Aramaic in origin meaning "twin."
Maynard is a compound of the Old German words for "hardy" and "strength."

Clare is of French origin and means "bright" or "clear."'
Beddor, no information found.

Ripleigh is an Old English name meaning "shouting man's meadow" and is related to the name "Ripley" meaning "strip of clearing in the woods" or "striped meadow."
ACOTAR role: Aunt Ripleigh is the invented aunt Feyre cares for in ACOTAR.

Laurent is a French name of Latin origin and means "from Laurentum" and "bay laurel." It can also be derived from Old Greek, meaning "the bright one, the shining one."
ACOTAR role: Ms. Laurent is the house-keeper of the mortal Archeron Estate.

Briar is of British origin and means "thorny bush of wild roses" or "brambles."
ACOTAR role: Briar is the human girl saved by Azriel and Feyre when rescuing Elain from the Cauldron.

No plausible connections found. Potentially an anagram for Rustin, an English name meaning "Rust's estate," or Surtin, a Middle English name meaning "reliable, trustworthy."
ACOTAR role: Urstin is a cousin to the Archerons via their mother who lives on the Continent. Nesta's pleas to Urstin for financial aid after their mother died went unanswered.

HUMAN QUEENS

Vasilissa is of Greek origin and means "queen" or "empress." Vasilissa is also the name of a chid martyr who, according to legend, was tortured with fire and wild beasts. She remained faithful to Christ, was left unharmed, but after her release was slain in a field as she prayed.

Briallen is primarily of Welsh origin and means "primrose." Primrose comes from the Latin word meaning "first" and the primrose flower often represents youth and renewal (SJM, you dog—this may be my favorite tongue-in-cheek naming thing you did).
ACOTAR role: Briallyn was the first queen to be dunked in the Cauldron and was subsequently withered into an immortal old woman.

Demetra is Greek in origin and means "follower of Demeter." Demeter was the Ancient Greek goddess of the harvest, an emblem of growth, nature, and the fertility of the earth, and the mother of Persephone.
ACOTAR role: Demetra is the golden queen who provided the queens' half of the Book of Breathings and was impaled by the Attor in Velaris.

Andromache means "fighter of men" and is Greek in origin. In Greek mythology she was first the wife of Hector and was famous for her virtue and fidelity. She is representative of the suffering of Trojan women during the war. Andromache was also the name of a famous Greek Amazon who fell at Troy. An ancient bust depicts her fighting Heracles.
ACOTAR role: Andromache was a human queen and Mor's lover.

FAE CHARACTERS

Drakon is of Greek origin and means "dragon."

Nephele, meaning "cloud, mass of clouds," is a cloud nymph in Greek mythology and is considered the cloud goddess of hospitality, generosity, loyalty, peace and shyness.

A seraph is a celestial/heavenly being, regarded as belonging to the highest order of the angels in Christian angelology and fifth of ten in the Jewish angelic hierarchy.

HUMAN CHARACTERS

Miryam/Miriam is of Hebrew origin and means "sea of bitterness" or "sea of sorrow." In the Bible, she is the daughter of Amram and Jochebed and the sister of Aaron and Moses.

MAIN CHARACTERS

Suriel is a Hebrew name meaning "God's prince" and "divine authority." Could also reference Sariel, an angel from Judaic tradition who is one of seven holy angels. He is considered to be a primordial power is invoked for his protective powers.

Possibly an altered form of the German "Tatter" meaning "goblin" or "puppet." As an Anglo-Saxon name, it means "venom."
Likely based off the Ahool/Athol, a winged bat or cryptid-like creature said to originate from the jungles of Indonesia.

DEATH GODS

Self-explanatory, folks.

Strzyga is a female demon in Slavic mythology similar to a vampire, stemming from the mythological Strix in Ancient Greece, who were birds of ill omen that fed on human flesh and blood, but also referred to witches and other evil folkloric creatures.

Koschei is a common villain in East Slavic tales. He is often given the epithet of "the Immortal" or "the Deathless." Many tales insinuate he "hides" his death inside nested objects to protect it. He is considered the parallel male figure of Baby Yaga. He often takes the role of a malevolent rival figure who competes —or entraps—a male hero's love interest.
Fun fact: In Silver Flames, Koschei captures Eris and speaks in the singular 'you' (this is noted in translation for foreign editions) to Azriel when he claims, "I spent so many months preparing for you." To go down that crackpot theory post, click HERE.

PRISON INMATES

Bryaxis was a famous Ancient Greek sculptor who is known for his creation of sculptures on the mausoleum of Maussollos. The name may mean "delight" or "lust."

No information/connections found (I know, it's killing me, too—there's got to be SOMETHING).

The lubia/ljubi is a water and storm demon in Albanian mythology, usually depicted as a large multi-headed (anywhere from 7 to 100 heads) female serpentine dragon. She causes waters to dry up unless a virgin is sacrificed to her; her irresistible taste for flesh leans towards that of little girls.
ACOTAR role: Seven-headed Lubia is a creature who preys on females. Cassian banishes her to the Prison.

The Black Annis is a bogeyman in English folklore. She is depicted as a blue-faced witch or hag, has iron claws, and has a taste for human flesh, especially that of children.
ACOTAR role: Annis aka Blue Annis is one of the creatures Cassian imprisons in the Prison. Cassian has a thick scar on his left chest from her.

In Greek mythology, Hesperus is the Evening Star, her Roman equivalent being named Vesper.
ACOTAR role: Vesperus is the female Daglan/Asteri Bryce, Azriel, and Nesta discover beneath the Prison in House of Flame and Shadows.

MINOR CHARACTERS

Midgard is the Middle Earth, the body of mankind in Norse mythology. It is the realm of human beings—ie, Earth.
Wrym is an Old English variant of the word used to refer to dragons with 'wormlike' qualities (long body, legless or with small legs). The word derives from the Old Norse word 'ormr' which referred to Germanic dragons/worms.

Bogge is a Middle English word meaning "frightening spectre," from which the term bogeyman originated. Bogeymen have no specific appearance and conceptions vary drastically by culture.
Fun fact: The term bogeyman is related to the boggart, another supernatural being from English folklore, and is 'a generic name for an apparition' of 'any ambivalent or evil' spirit (Harry Potter facts, yo).

Throughout various Asian religious traditions, nagas are a divine/semi-diving race of half-human, half-serpent beings that reside in the netherworld.
Fun fact: A female naga is called a Nagi or a Nagini (more HP facts).

Likely references a manticore, a Persian mythological creature similar to the Egyptian sphinx that was also largely present in Western Medieval art. The mercenary in ACOTAR Ch 3 describes it with a "body big as a bear's, head something like a lion's—and three rows of teeth sharper than a shark's." A manticore has the body of a lion, head of a man, tail of a scorpion, and eats its victims whole with three rows of teeth. The term "manticore" descends via Latin from Ancient Greek.

Púca is Irish for "spirit" or "ghost, while puca is Old English for "goblin". They were said to be shape-changers that could take the shapes of various animals and even men.

Meallán is of Irish origin and means "small pleasant one."
ACOTAR role: Meallan is Helion's black pegasus.

Ellia is of various origins but can translate to "other" or "beauty fairy maiden" with hints of the "Otherworld."
ACOTAR role: Ellia is Morrigan's horse in A Court of Frost and Starlight.

--- **TL;DR;** : Girlfriend and I have different personalities and responsibilities which has altered my perception of her on a deeper level than I had realized. I'm not sure what to do from here -- am I just scared to let go? Or am I giving up on something great here because of a baseless gut feeling? 

1. His hedonistic playboy persona is stated to be a façade. Anything he says in act one about being poly and wanting open relationships is stated when he is both wearing his mask and before he trusts the player. Every statement about relationships here has to be taken with a grain of salt because his mask is centered around attracting victims for Cazador. Since he hated bringing “sweet innocents” to his master, it makes sense that he would initially try to attract the opposite (“criminals and brothel goers”) by sleeping around and making a show of wanting casual relationships.
   
2. Once he gets comfortable in the relationship, he makes it clear he is looking for someone who will make him feel safe and value him for his personality over his body (“I don’t want you to think of me in terms of sex. I don’t think I want anyone to.” “How do you want me to see you?” “As a person. Is that so much to ask?”). If the player chooses to sexualize him, he will go through with it, then regret it later and break up. He makes it very clear in Act two that he’s not actually looking for casual hookups because they make him feel “ashamed and alone”. So it is odd that he’s fine with Halsin (who seems to care more about the sex and the body than the emotional bonding) and the brothel (which is solely about sex). One can argue that he’s fine with the poly relationship because he’s not taking part, but Halsin DOES wish for him to take part ‘eventually’.
   
3. Jumping off of that, Astarion’s dialogue makes it clear he wants a partner who cares about more than just sex, but if you tell him you want to date Halsin solely for the sex (and because Astarion’s not doing it with you), he will say that’s fine and he doesn’t mind the player seeking sex from others. This seems to counter his previous statements and arc. It’s especially strange that even if you reinforce his greatest insecurity (that his refusal to have sex has made his partner immediately seek out other people), he will still claim to be fine with it.
   
4. In terms of dialogue, the actor for Astarion seems to be very intentional when using the fake theatrical masking voice vs. the more genuine softspoken voice he uses when he’s comfortable and being honest. The fake voice is blatantly obvious throughout the Act 1 romance, in Act 2 if you force him to obey the blood merchant (his voice goes from genuinely scared to flirtatious and over the top within seconds), and in Cazador’s mansion where he’ll speak genuinely to you, then be over the top when addressing Cazador’s servants. He’ll often use jokes and loud laughter to conceal his true feelings and insecurities. Meanwhile his laughter in the confession scene, graveyard scene, and Spawn epilogue is quiet and subdued because he’s being genuine. It feels like a strange coincidence that when addressing both the Halsin situation and the brothel situation, his voice becomes very loud and high pitched again, he immediately starts making jokes, and his laughter is over the top. This hints at him not wanting to go along with either situation, but he’s putting himself through it because this is what his partner wants and since he’s tolerated sexual stuff he hated before, he can do it again. Plus, after killing Cazador, he wants to ensure no one views him as weak. He has to prove to himself and his lover (at least in his mind) that refusing to take the Ascendant powers was good and he’s strong enough to not need it. I can understand players not picking up on the voice changes (because not everyone is going to replay the game or even care) but those who did notice it believe it’s done intentionally (either by the actor or the writer or both). If it’s not intentional, then it’s a strange decision to make from a developer’s standpoint.
   
5. Throughout the threads I read, most poly people made it clear that poly relationships require complete trust, clear communication, and general confidence. Astarion himself admits to lacking all of those traits to some degree. If you don’t romance him, he will literally not trust any of the characters right up to the epilogue (he’ll hold a knife behind his back while talking to the Dark Urge). Even though he does seem to genuinely trust his lover by Act 2, he will still lie to them several times. He lies about being fine with the drow twins (he states he’ll leave if he hates if but never does despite disassociating), feigns confidence when the player says they’ll become a mind flayer (he says he only cares about them becoming ugly but expresses his true fears only after the fight, that he’s worried they are no longer the person he fell in love with by losing their soul), he manipulates his lover when confronting Cazador despite being conflicted about it himself and wanting reassurance, and (on a more minor note) he continuously claims he’s doesn’t care about Yenna or the Gur children despite getting upset when they’re in danger. This is a character who, even after he kills his tormentor, struggles to be honest with his partner. That isn’t a good combination when addressing poly. (Again, it could be worked through in real life, but is better avoided in video games where there isn’t time to address it).
   
6. There are also plenty of situations where he agrees to do things he outright hates. In Act 1, we know he is (at least somewhat) disgusted by having sex with the player or Laezel, but he’ll do it. In Act 2, he tries to be genuine about not wanting to touch the player until he no longer feels disgust, but if the player pressures him, he will cave and obey. He does break up with the player afterwards, but it is only after he has gone through with the act. In Act 3, he will state three times that he doesn’t want to take the tadpole, but if the player pressures him by bringing up his darkest fear, he will give in. Worse, he will give in and STILL stay with the player romantically despite them clearly manipulating him to do something they know he fears. He does thankfully break up if you fail the checks, but if you succeed, he goes through with it. If he’s willing to cave to something as huge as altering his entire body, it makes sense that he would cave to something he views as more minor (like tolerating unwanted sexual acts in a brothel or sharing his partner).
   
7. I didn’t know this until I saw others mention it but there are points where he will flirt with NPCs if he is single (the girl in the sewers), but he uses neutral dialogue if he is dating the player. This reinforces the theory that he doesn’t actually plan to sleep around or be with others as he claims (though there are some dialogues that I think slipped through the cracks where he still flirts with others despite being in a committed relationship).
   
8. If Halsin propositions you after Cazador has been killed, Astarion no longer asks if you’re doing this because he hasn’t been fulfilling your sexual needs. However, he does give another response that feels out of place: “I’ve realized it doesn’t matter if anything (in our relationship) changes.” Parallel this with what he said at the graveyard, that “no matter what happens, I don’t want to lose this (relationship).” It’s very odd to have him say he doesn’t want to lose the relationship, but then the next day he is totally okay with losing it. Granted, it is nice to know that even if the characters break up, he’ll be fine, but it does feel contradictory for his character, especially with how devastated he acts if they DO end the relationship. If the Halsin statement is just an act and he’s overcompensating, however, then it feels more intentional on the writer’s part.
   
9. I’ve seen lots of people say that Ascended Astarion also shouldn’t be fine with poly, and I agree, though it’s for different reasons than Spawn Astarion. Unlike SA, I think Ascended would absolutely do the brothel scene because 1. He’s actively suppressing his trauma and playing a new character and 2. He feels in control in the brothel and is the focus. However, with Halsin, he doesn’t have any control. For someone obsessed with possessing his lover and ensuring they can never leave him, letting them sleep with Halsin doesn’t fit his writing. He isn’t participating. He doesn’t know what they’re doing behind his back. For all he knows, Halsin and the player might be discussing how to kill Astarion or escape him. In some deleted party banter, Halsin literally tells Ascended Astarion he doesn’t approve of the abusive spawn/master relationship they’ve formed. With that knowledge, not only should Halsin not be willing to join a poly relationship that he thinks is unhealthy, but he has a motivation to help the player get away from AA (and AA would know this). I could see Spawn Astarion hesitantly agreeing to the Halsin thing despite not wanting to share, but AA just wouldn’t. It feels contrary to both his and Halsin’s writing.
   
10. This is the second most convincing piece of evidence for me: The Drow twins. If you ask Astarion to join a ‘group activity’, he’ll use his fake voice and flighty laugh and agree to go through it, saying he’ll run away if he doesn’t like it and comparing the act to burning in the sun (a little concerning that he’s already comparing the two). Then during the act, he will immediately ask the player what they want “us” to do. Not only is he lumping himself in with the prostitutes, but he is also doing something that an Origin playthrough reveals is a trigger for him (he tells the drow twins that being ‘told what to do’ reminds him of his time as a slave). If the player tries to check up on him, he ignores them and says he wishes he was drunk. Then he disassociates and never brings it up again. This has been viewed two ways: either he doesn’t want to have casual sex anymore and wants to be in a one-on-one relationship, or he does want to do stuff like this but just needs to heal more before he can. I lean toward the first assumption because he is acting flighty and fake BEFORE the sexual act even begins. If he really wanted to do it but changed his mind after, it makes more sense for him to sound genuine at first, then fake halfway through.
    

1. With all that out of the way, we’ll get to the final point that solidifies this theory for me personally. It’s the statements of Shadowheart and Minthara if you ask to do a three-way relationship with one of them and Astarion. Shadowheart’s response is: “I think you’re overestimating his willingness to share. He may seem like a carefree hedonist, but there’s something fragile beneath the façade.” Minthara says something nearly identical, that sharing would wound his pride and he is far too fragile to handle it. You could even add Astarion’s line from the other end, where if you ask Astarion to share with you and Karlach, he will say they shouldn’t because Karlach loves the player and relationships are fragile (implying that he either thinks open relationships don’t work if there’s love involved, or perhaps he himself can only do open relationships if he doesn’t love the other person).

1. ISSUES WITH HOW HALSIN WAS PRESENTED

1. He is not presented as poly until Act 3. I was reading through a thread full of people who loved him and several of them were early access players who had requested he become a romance option. However, the reason they requested him was very important. In EA, all three of the male options seemed immature (Wyll), condescending (Gale), or straight up evil (Astarion). Meanwhile Halsin was, in their words, a mature man who seems like the type to settle down with them in a cottage and help raise their kids. This is the impression he gives and what drew many people to him. As a result, many of these players were extremely disappointed to reach Act 3 once the game was out and discover that not only was he the complete opposite of their initial impression, but he won’t even stay with the player after the game ends (in most cases). Honestly, if I was a developer and saw that they liked him for those earlier reasons, I wouldn’t make him strictly poly because that wasn’t what the players wanted. They wanted him because he was muscular and a good, stable man. It was a very odd choice to turn around and give the players the opposite of what they asked for. But if the devs were truly determined to go the poly route, they should have at least gone back to Act 1 and 2 and slipped in some hints that he was poly. I saw some newer players who recently played the game for the first time and wanted to romance him for the aforementioned reasons (stable, mature, kind, huge). They ignored all other romances until Act 3, then got hit with the “I’m only poly” discussion. Had they known he wasn’t monogamous, they wouldn’t have blown off all the other options.
   
2. But let’s ignore that. We’re focusing on the world where he IS completely poly (though some were arguing that it should at least be an option to ask if he’ll try being monogamous with the player.) The way he is presented still has a lot of issues according to poly players. For one, the way he tries to butt in on the relationship is done in a really sketchy manner (especially considering what some of the Origin characters have gone through/are currently going through). It would have been far better to do what they did with Minsc and give the PLAYER the option to hit on Halsin, rather than the other way around. Have them offer poly to him, and then he can discuss it from there. Having the proposition come from Halsin himself puts him in a negative light, and it’s pretty clear the writers didn’t actually want to portray him as a bad person so they messed up here.
   
3. The flagging for Halsin’s dialogues is awful and despite seeing people report it for eight months, that hasn’t changed. Even if you pick the most neutral option, he will still hit on you by saying “I think you feel the same way”. Not a good idea. “I HOPE you feel the same way” would have been infinitely better. Women often have to deal with people assuming their friendly, professional conversation is something more when it isn’t. It’s not a great idea to bring that into fantasy games too. It hit too close to home for some.
   
4. Even if you use the most neutral option at the Act 1 party (“Go have fun and mingle”), your main dialogue option the next day is “Sorry for coming on so strong last night”. It’s a strange thing to say. Again, I’m not sure how developers missed this and why it was never patched out. I saw people reporting it since the release.
   
5. He will also ask for a relationship at neutral approval. In most of my playthroughs, I stopped talking to him beyond the Thaniel quest and avoided asking about his personal life. He still led his proposition with “I think you feel the same way”. How does he know when we only spoke to him three times? They should have at least required you to go through all his extra dialogues before triggering this.
   
6. When Halsin says he loves you, you have two options: reject him straight away, or ask about his opinions a little more. Oddly enough, if you ask a bit more and THEN reject him, he’ll have a proper response. “That’s fine. I understand. I won’t ask again.” However, if you reject him as soon as he starts talking to you, his response is very off putting. He’ll protest and say, “but you asked me about my former lovers” or, if you didn’t even do that, he’ll claim “you looked after me with the care of a lover, not a host.” These pushy assumptions turned a lot of people off. This is entirely on the writer, in my opinion. He should have realized how weird these sounded.
   
7. Halsin is the only person you can’t dismiss from your camp at any point through dialogue. All of the origins have to be pursued and recruited intentionally. Halsin is the only exception. This makes some sense because you need him to cure the Shadowlands, but for Act 3, he literally has nothing to do. They should have given players an option after the Ketheric fight to dismiss him and tell him to take care of the Shadowlands. It makes a lot more sense narratively and would help avoid a lot of the more awkward parts later.
   
8. Halsin’s initial dialogue about monogamy vs. polyamory is mostly fine, with him comparing it to gardens and wolves vs. bears. But (and don’t quote me on this because I can’t recall the specifics), if you ask your partner to do poly and they say no, Halsin will be a little more judgmental about your partner, saying he was hoping they would be more “open minded”. Statistically, the majority of BG3’s players are going to be monogamous, so it’s strange to see nearly every character (monogamous or poly) criticize monogamy in some way. It is called selfish, narrow minded, and old fashioned by at least 3 characters to my knowledge (Halsin, Act 1 Astarion, and even Gale (who is monogamous himself)). If the developers truly wanted to be inclusive, criticizing one’s lifestyle and having no characters openly defend it in the game (even those who practice it) is a disappointing choice. In this case, it might be an unintentional mistake (maybe they feared that by defending monogamy, they were somehow demonizing polygamy or polyamory), but it would have been better to just leave the criticisms out of it entirely if that was the case.
   

 YONDU The drawer you want to open. Has this symbol on it, okay? Groot takes it. He looks at Yondu and NODS. And then, slowly, HE PLACES IT ON TOP OF HIS HEAD. YONDU (CONT'D) What? No. ROCKET He thinks you want him to wear it as a hat. YONDU That's not what I said. Groot takes it off his head. GROOT I am Groot. ROCKET (TRANSLATING) He's relieved that you don't want him to. GROOT I am Groot. ROCKET He hates hats. GROOT I am Groot. ROCKET On anyone, not just himself. GROOT I am Groot. ROCKET One minute you think someone has a weird-shaped head. The next minute, it's just because you realize part of that head is a hat. (TO GROOT) That's why you don't like hats? Groot nods 

Key Takeaways:

• GrapheneOS places a strong emphasis on privacy and security, while stock Android focuses on providing convenience features.
• GrapheneOS stays close to upstream and delivers regular updates before stock OS.
• Google apps work on GrapheneOS, but some apps need special permission to install.
• Some banking apps might not work on GrapheneOS. This is because they lack a certification from Google. You might be able to make some of them work by using special settings in the apps.
• Unfortunately, GrapheneOS misses on Android Auto and easy backup solutions.

GrapheneOS Features

Sandboxed Google Play Services

Regular Updates for Security Maintenance

Attack Surface Reduction Measures

Enhanced Heap Memory Corruption Defense

Robust Memory Exploit Detection and Prevention

Official Production Support for Pixel Devices

Stock Android Setup and Features

Key Features of Stock Android:

• Simple and user-friendly setup process
• Integration with Google services, including the Google Play Store
• Google Maps for navigation and exploring new places
• Google Keyboard for enhanced typing experience

Functionality Comparison

GrapheneOS Functionality

Stock Android Functionality

Privacy and Security

GrapheneOS Privacy and Security Features

• Limiting Data Collection: GrapheneOS cuts down on what data gets collected, lowering the chance of others getting it.
• Secure Updates: It ensures your system stays safe by giving you regular, secure updates.
• Restricted Google Services Access: GrapheneOS limits how much Google can see of your personal data.
• Permission Controls: You get to decide what info apps can use. GrapheneOS gives you strong controls over this.

Stock Android Privacy and Security Considerations

• Google Services Integration: It comes filled with Google tools. While convenient, it does raise privacy worries.
• Privacy Settings: It does have some privacy settings. You can adjust app permissions a bit and limit some data access.
• Regular Updates: Google works on updating stock Android often to fix security issues.

Comparison Table: GrapheneOS vs. Stock Android Privacy and Security

App Compatibility

Recommended Banking Apps for GrapheneOS

• Banking App 1: This is a secure and reliable app made for GrapheneOS.
• Banking App 2: It provides an easy and smooth banking experience on GrapheneOS.
• Banking App 3: This app focuses on keeping your financial info secure and private.

User Feedback and Experience

User Profile Usage on GrapheneOS

GrapheneOS Installation Ease

GrapheneOS Benefits and Drawbacks

Google Pixel 6 User Experience

Overall Recommendation

User Feedback Overview

Future Development and Updates

Official Device Support

Future Focus and Community Support

Related Alternatives

Benefits and Drawbacks of GrapheneOS

Benefits of GrapheneOS

• Enhanced Privacy: It reduces the chance of your data being stolen. You get to control what apps can and can't do on your phone.
• Innovative Security Features: It's really good at stopping new security threats. This makes it hard for bad guys to find ways to harm your phone.
• Enhanced Security and Privacy Settings: You can do cool stuff like turn off Wi-Fi automatically or only use the internet through certain apps, making your phone safer.
• Dedicated Effort to Prevent Memory Corruption Bugs: It works really hard to keep its system safe from bugs. This means fewer chances of someone breaking into your phone.
• Secure Apps: It comes with special apps that keep your phone safe. This includes a secure web browser and camera app that protect your data.

Drawbacks of GrapheneOS

• Limited Google Integration: It doesn't come with Google's usual apps. You can add them but this might mean giving up a bit of privacy for certain features.
• App Compatibility: You might struggle to use some apps, like banking apps, because GrapheneOS isn't the regular Android. But, more and more apps are being made to work with it.
• Lack of "Smart" Features: You won't find fancy features, like Google's smart phone answering feature or advanced keyboard tools. You might need to choose between these extras and your privacy.
• Troubleshooting Required: Sometimes things might not work perfectly. You might find some emojis missing or have to fix some app issues yourself. So, some tech skills could come in handy.

Conclusion

Considerations for Choosing an Operating System

FAQ

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