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Thurfian - Blog Posts
@vibratingbonesbis @thrawns-backrest And there were three. Forgive me for the inactivity hopefully that can be changed soon. I would love to add my thoughts to this post.
First off THAT IMAGE, and secondly I am so glad we're all on the same page about how godly this man's hair is. I would die to braid little strands into it. I personally see it as slightly wavy, a little frizzy when he hasn't had the time to take care of it, and if we're being honest that's never. He always makes time for self care.
This man is the epidemy of healthy, he takes a shower every day, brushes his teeth twice a day, always smells fresh, never misses laundry day, eats three hardy meals a day (opposed to Thrawn who will forget to eat because of work, Thurfian will just have the food brought to him and eat in his study). He actually has a decent sleep schedule. Averages about 6 hours a night, which is pretty good.
Everything in his life is immaculately scheduled...which leads to the unforunate fact that if one thing goes awry everything is thrown off course. His schedule probably looks something like:
Awaken
Breakfast
Patriarch stuff
10 minutes dedicated to Thrawn hate
Lunch
Gossip with Zistalmu
Patriarch stuff
Deal with CEDF drama
Supper
10 more minutes dedicated to Thrawn hate
Leisure reading
Sleep
Speaking of leisure reading, this man has a grand library, every single book is leather bound. Inside there is a wood fireplace with a red armchair that he frequents for relaxation. It's perfect for...activities.
I also see him as the type to play to piano. OR the organ. Perhaps he can play while you dance for him, or sing if you are talented. But I am certain he loves dancing with you. Jane Austen style dances.
As @vibratingbonesbis said we believe him to be a boy dad. Specifically I think he would have two boys who were raised to be the perfect Syndics they one day are. His grandchildren are given much more freedom by him than he gave his sons. He has at least three grandchildren, some are girls and he loves them dearly. He'll teach them politics, but I believe that he would actually advocate for them to leave the realm of politics and take advantage of their inheritance for other dreams. Image if one of them married a Thrawn kid and he comes to regret that lieniency.
He is very stifff and proper even with his partner, even in bed. But that doesn't mean he won't have some fun with you. Taking you on walks around the Ascendancy, bird watching, staring at you as you stare at the birds and the clouds. He loves late night walks, watching as the starlight is reflected in your eyes. He'll pull you onto his lap as he reads, perhaps even read to you. Pull you underneath the bed to "hide" from your duties. Persuade you to leave your duties on his rare days off. He probably cried at your wedding, but he won't admit that.
One of his love languages is giving gifts, you look like a idol.
GIRL (gender neutral, I don't know what you prefer)!!!!! YOU'RE FEEDING ME!!! YOU'RE KEEPING ME ALIVE !!!!
Give me all the Thurfian you've got, all the headcanons, all the silly thoughts, all the sketches !!! TALK TO ME !!!
OH GOD YOU'VE OPENED THE FLOODGATES!!! (and hnnnnng he's so pretty here I'm-)
Okay starting with more about his hair because I'll never be done with his hair. I hc that the traditional hairstyle for higher ranking Syndics is long so whether your hair looks nice or not, too bad, you need to grow it out for etiquette. Thurfian of course has the best hair for that, long silky and heavy like a velvet curtain, and half the Syndics go green with envy every time he walks by. Because what a lucky bastard of a man.
He dresses very traditionally for a patriarch. All the items you would expect from a man who respects cultural traditions. The right pieces, cuts, accessories, colors. You can't clock him on that front, he's as proper as they come (and proud of it). And it slaps because the ensemble is insanely flattering on him.
(I'm still working on the details but here's what I have so far)
a lil wip of it lol. I have more outfit hcs but I'll keep those for a post jshfjh
He's actually scared of Thrawn because the way baby Vurawn read his mind that first time they met has been haunting him ever since. Like what do you mean this oblivious child read my carefully constructed facade? As a result he avoids talking to Thrawn in person like the plague. If Thrawn enters the room and Thurfian is there you can bet he'll beeline to the other end immediately.
Zistalmu is the most high maintenance bestie ever. He likes it when Turfian takes him to the fanciest restaurants, orders the best food prepared when he visits, etc. It gives Thurfian a headache most of the time but he perseveres because he needs Zistalmu to feel sane (someone who understands what a menace Thrawn is) and he's lowkey proud of himself for taming a feral bossy Irizi.
Other Syndics actually kept dropping hints that he's being considered for the position of patriarch but they all flew over his head. He's all bout procedure and the right order of things - he'll do everything in order, he'll earn every bit of progress and only then will he consider himself worthy of it. Still, even though it came as a surprise, man stepped up to the challenge like a champ.
Also every time Thrawn's insane plans succeed he locks himself in his office and gets drunk on expensive wine. Probably complains to the empty bottles too.
(I don't have any silly sketches yet because aaah time but if I could I would draw 14716998983 versions of this man looking annoyed/exasperated/tired/done with absolutely everyone.)
NOW PLEASE GIVE ME SOME OF YOUR HEADCANONS!! PLEASE I AM STARVED!!! PARCHED!! Finding a fellow Thurfian connoisseur is making my brain go brrrrrrr so much
Eli Vanto (reciting his script): I have been sent to warn you of the oncoming storm. The death of the Acendancy. The great evil that is coming your way. I come as a sign of good faith, I come at the bidding of Grand Admiral Mitth'raw'nuruodo. For proof I have his most prized journal.
Thurfian: ...you smell funny.
@tinylilmeowmeow inspired by this post
Real question: how tall are the Chiss to you?
There are no official heights for like any of the Chiss and that is a shame. Thrawn is roughly 6′4″ we know this because of the great Lars Mikkelsen. I’ve always imagined Thrawn to tower over everyone else. Lanky beanpole when he was a teenager type. Ba’kif is probably right at 6′ and Ar’alani is the same height. Thrass is either in the upper 5′ range or lower 6′. He is definitely not taller than Thrawn, but when they stood side-by-side I always imagined him to only be a few inches shorter. So maybe 6′1″? 6′2″? Thurfian isn’t 6′, about 5′10″ or 5′11″. He’s considered on the shorter side of the average. Zistalmu is taller than him, possibly Thrawn’s height. Thalias is shorter than him. Anywhere from the 5′7″-9″ range. Samakro is right at 5′11″. Kharill is about 6′5″-6″. He’s slightly taller than Thrawn.
But that’s not saying that Thrawn is overly tall, in fact he’s surrounded daily by chiss who are taller than him (personal headcannon that chiss grow to nearly 7′ on average). It just so happens that the people he finds himself with are usually shorter than him. Going to the Empire where everyone is human is a little bit of an adjustment, he feels like he’s a towering over them all. And on average he is half a foot taller than them.
Don't feel sorry. I'm a Thurfian apologist and a Thrawn apologist at the same time, so it's fun.
The thing is, Thurfian is the character that is mostly always right, he does it for the Ascendancy and see Thrawn for the actual menace that he his, but he has a hard time proving because Thrawn is a prodigy that always get away with everything (until he doesn't).
I bet he gained white hair early thanks to our dear Grand Admiral.
I actually ask myself if I shouldn't write for him from time to time, but the fandom for the Ascandancy trilogy is really niche.
You absolutely should write for him, the fandom is niche, but those who are here are like parasites and we need to feed. Plus I've been looking for good Thurfian fics.
One of the things that fascinates me about the Thrawn trilogies is that he always has a mirror. During the Empire Era it's Pryce and to a certain extent Krennic, even Tarkin from a certain point of view. In the Acendancy Era it was supposed to be Thrass, but his time was cut short (😔). Thalias tried to fill the role, but his mirror shouldn't agree with him. Thurfian is a prodigy of his own right. He does not have the strategic skills of Thrawn when it comes to the battlefield, but when it comes to matters of the court there is no one that you would be in better hands with. Whether you like it or not.
I believe is that Thurfian is just as much of a menace as Thrawn. Thrawn cannot possibly see the devastation that his actions take on the Acendancy from within, but Thurfian cannot see the affects of his inaction from without.
And yes, Thurfian isn't that old, he just has permanent stress lines.
I promise I'm not a Thurfian apologist. It's just that he's an interesting, dynamic character and I desperately want Thrawn to be accepted by his people.
I decided to write a little scene from a story I'm thinking about writing. Let me know if you would like to see more!
Thrawn's daughter/Thurfian's Son
Her ears were burning, purple was beginning to spread across them like a wildfire as she stared at the preposterous male in front of her. He hated her, he had since the moment they met. She had believed that it was his hate for her that made him deny his brother's love for her. And now he tells her that she is too good for him? Her mind raced with memories from not so long ago.
"You called me a pig!"
He moved to her side, looking down at her as he spoke,
"Most certainly. Though do not be mistaken I only mean in regards to your attitude and dress. Your air is that of low born stock, but your family have climbed the social ranks quite impressively, and are of high intelligence, higher than even that of many in my own family, I can admit that. But that does not nullify the fact that your attitude is that of, in simple words, an overzealous heifer."
Her mouth fell open, red eyes staring at the male in front of her,
"A heifer!"
He continued unfazed,
"Beyond that you are quite beautiful," his voice lowered" More beautiful than the Earthen swan, I believe the expression is."
She blinked at him a few times, "You misspeak."
"I do not exaggerate," he lifted her head, two fingers placed underneath her chin, "You will make a wonderful wife," he paused as he moved away, his perfectly plucked eyebrow coming to an arch,
"For some crazen male."
He began to walk away, his back turned to her. She called out desperate for answers,
"Then why do you keep me from your brother if you think so lowly of him?"
He paused once again and turned to face her,
"It is for simple reason that I think so lowly of him that I do keep you away from him. You are much too good for him," he lifted his head in thought, "Though a slime would be too good for him."
She stared slacked jawed, as the Patriarch's son bowed his head and turned on his heel, taking his leave.
The nerve of that man. She could hardly believe it.
Story idea:
The daughter of Thrawn and a human is in a Victorian-esque love triangle with Thrufian's two sons.
The afterlife is very sacred to the Chiss. They live their entire lives in service to the Acendancy with the hope that they will be returned to the snow and ice that made them and return to watch over those who they set on the same path. Their students and prodigies.
Thrawn wouldn't pretend to have believed in the idea that after his death his spirit would be magically transported to land where everyone he had ever loved was, where he could watch his people grow, and be at peace. But he also wouldn't deny that he felt a need to protect the Acendancy and that he felt a deep connection to the cold snowy worlds. If he was a spiritual man he would say his soul longed for them. But Thrawn was never a spiritual man, instead he focused his days on protecting his people, his friends; teaching others so that they could do the same; and bettering himself. And in the final days he focused on making sure that his death wasn't in vain. That it meant something. And that final note didn't fall flat.
Thrawn didn't know what would come of him. An eternity burning as some humans believed, would certainly be torture for the Chiss. Wondering forever and ever on planes of ice alone with his thoughts, he couldn't say he would particularly enjoy that. He hoped for eternal darkness, the kind of rest you only get when you enter a deep dreamless sleep. He didn't expect the stories to be true.
He didn't expect to open his eyes and be greeted by soft white light.
Thrawn sat up, his arms coming to rest beside him, none of the sluggishness he had expected was there. There were no burn marks, no shrapnel, none of the telltale signs of the explosion that had taken his life. Or was it the assassin? The purrgil? He couldn't differentiate one moment of the past from another, it all slammed into one jumbled ball. Compared to the stark calm around him, it felt like a blizzard was tearing through his skull.
He held his head in his hands, rocking back and forth, muttering to himself in his mother's tongue, trying to calm himself with the luxury he so rarely allowed. The blizzard was getting stronger. Where am I? Where was I? Who was I? Who am I? What am I? The storm continued to grow and twist and turn. Wrapping him in it's embrace as he slowly began to sink into the soft snow beneath him. A hand reached out and touched his shoulder, and it all came to a stop. The wind was frozen. And his head was empty, for what seemed the first time ever. Looking up at the one who saved him, the face of a Chiss woman stood above. Some 50 odd years younger than she should have been, her bluish black hair slicked back, and an uncharacteristically soft expression on her face stood Ar'alani.
"Mitth'raw'nuruodo..." she whispered, stroking his shoulder. "Come," she held out her hand for him to take.
And he did.
Rising to his feet with her help, he could feel the years sliding off of him, the age, the horrors, until nothing was left except the man he had been years before. With no worries except for the safety of his family. As he rose, he began to see them around him.
The laughing figure of a woman ran past, followed by a gaggle of young girls.
"Vurika!" She passed by.
Ar'alani pulled him forward, to the feet of a middle aged Chiss. He had crinkles around his eyes, but a smile on his face.
"My boy."
"General Ba'kif," Thrawn whispered, hardly recognizing this version of his commander. The older man smiled and slipped an arm around Thrawn's shoulders.
"No status here, simply Ba'kif," Thrawn smiled, a sense of warmth blossoming in his chest. He began to look around, counting off the faces he recognized. Rik'ardok, Mak'ro, In'daro, Ali'astov, even Urf'ianico. There were non-Chiss there as well, though none that he could make out. He saw a man with brown hair and a crooked smile and began his way, before Ba'kif's hand pulled him back with a small bittersweet smile on his face.
"Wha..."
Ar'alani stepped forward "He's not here yet Raw," She explained before once again taking him in her arms and pulling him forward.
"Where are you taking me?" The two Chiss stayed silent, smiles on the both of their faces as they traveled through the comforting cold, surrounded by the voices of the dead. Then standing before them a stadium, an exact replica of the chamber where so many times he was called to explain his actions to the Aristocra, they stopped. He looked around with confusion, wondering what this was. Before the images began. Eli, Faro, Che'ri, every living prodigy of his sprung to live before them. Living out their dreams, and fulfilling their duties to protect their Acendancy. A smile on his lips, the young Raw turned from the spools of colour only to find another man in front of him, a wry smile on his lips. A grin broke out on his own usually stoic face.
"Hello Thrass."
Imagine Thrawn being cast into the Unknown Regions with Ezra
Imagine Thrawn being found and rescued by the Chiss
Imagine Thrawn being taken back to the Acendancy and his home
Don't imagine Thrawn being taken in front of the Syndicure
Don't imagine them debating whether he should be accepted back into their society or returned to exile
Don't imagine Ba'kif and Ar'alani standing to the side knowing there is nothing they can do
Don't imagine the Syndicure nearly ruling against him
Don't imagine Thrawn standing up and speaking for the first time against them
Don't imagine him shouting at them that he has given his life for the Acendancy
Don't imagine him telling them that though he was ruled by the Empire his actions were for the benefit of the Chiss
Don't imagine Mitth'raw'nuruodo losing his composure
Don't imagine him screaming at his Patriarch
Don't imagine him calling himself a servant of the Chiss
Don't imagine him saying "I only want to come home"
Don't imagine the Syndicure stripping him of his titles
Don't imagine them turning him over to the Mitth
Instead imagine him returning home to his family and being granted a place in the Expansionary Defence Force
Chiss Officer: How...how many children do you have, sir?
Ba'kif tiredly: Biologically, emotionally, or legally?
FIRST DRAFT
OCC Thrawn, Thurfian redemption arc, random idea!
Coming Home
Snow drifted past them all, sticking to their shoes and hair. His nose stung with the prickle of cold, his shoulders ached, and his hands began to numb. But Eli did not notice as he looked up at the face of the former Grand Admiral who stood before him, his head bowed, hands clasped behind his back. His red eyes were closed as tears trickled down the planes of his face, and Thrawn was smiling. A feeling of relief settling in his bones.
A Chiss with a general air of distain and wariness moved forward, an embroidered cloak, a sun on each shoulder, secured with a golden tassel moved forward and into Thrawn's line of sight.
“Exile.”
His eyes lifted up, tears still flowing freely.
“Thurfian, Patriarch. You are the one who called for my exile. Rest assured that whatever lesson you wished to instill in me, I have learned tenfold. I wish only peace upon the Chiss. But I understand our ways.” He fell to his hands and knees. “But please, if you are to kill me, shoot me now, so that I may not know a single more day away from Her.” Thrawn's finger curled around the snow beneath his palms, as if to soak up as much of the cold of his mother world as he could.
Thurfian, the Chiss, took a step back. His red eyes widening by a fraction. His head tilted to the others, military and political leaders alike, before turning his eyes once again to the Chiss before him. His shoulders slumped.
“Mitth’raw’nuruodo …” he stopped, and took a breath, he squared his shoulders, “My brother, you will not die today.” Thurfian unclipped the cloak from his shoulders and…and placed it on Thrawn’s.
“Welcome home, Mitth’raw’nuruodo. Welcome back to Csilla.”