Think about this in terms of evolutionary pressures aura creates

Remnant societies have economic incentives and historical pressures to not innovate military studies.

On economic incentives, mass-mobilization militaries, regular or wartime-expansion, are a massive toll on society and a dead weight loss economically beyond the security it provides, assuming no wars are fought. Meanwhile, huntsmen provide the security, can be rallied to fight wars (ex. the hero cast) - all at no sustained cost to society beyond initial investment and maintenance of academies. Contracts huntsmen undertake accelerate commerce with no loss militaries would have through military procurement and all that mess, since it's quite literally individuals - they'd act like normal consumers rather than centralizing their spending on certain sectors of society. Furthermore, no cost is incurred for constant maintenance in updating, as huntsmen literally do that for you on their own dime and time through training and creating their own wacky weapons, meaning that money can be used to further minimize the government and accelerate society.

On historical pressures, the unparallel might of aura and semblance translates into the power of the individual in remnant. Remnant likely never had a reason to even conceptualize mass-mobilization armies or the proletariat as earth did in the French revolution of the 18th century, as organization larger than the individual and their connections have no reason to exist.
Why ever make a 10,000 strong force of medieval surfs and longbow men that bankrupt your kingdom every day, when some bumfuck nobody can just blitz through all of them in ten minutes? Why ever should the middle-class demand and fight for political power and social mobility when, you can just become a aura user for both?

These two factors eliminate any reason atlas to keep their military, and in fact, makes the atlas military a very impressive organization considering it exists despite these factors through technology finally granting some utility to mass mobilization forces. Their bad tactics and lack of self-awareness make sense when you account that in remnant, hunts men are the system that makes far more sense. They fail because they are essentially trying to grow a sea plant in a field - and somehow making things (sorta) work out.

That healed me from Bumbleby, we won a huge battle people, it makes my heart sing, fuck you Bumbleby

Hello, friends, and welcome to the May 15, 2026 edition of "Free Talk Friday". Feel free to talk about whatever you'd like, just so long as it doesn't break any Reddit rules or US laws. Chat, vent, grieve, laugh, or what have you. Just please be respectful to your neighbors. We don't all have to like each other, but we should at least try to get along.

Isaiah 12:2 "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation."

God bless, and have a wonderful day.

I was thinking about what kind of ending would actually feel satisfying for Cinder, because, I really really hope she doesn’t get redeemed.

At this point, Cinder has burned far too many bridges (and people) for a redemption arc. She’s had plenty of chances to change, chances to reflect, and chances to be something other than what Salem shaped her into, but she keeps choosing cruelty, manipulation, and most of all, power over everything else. Even when she’s been a victim herself, she still turns around and inflicts that same pain on other people, even those who were genuinely trying to help her.

I personally think the most fitting end for Cinder would be her greed for power being her ultimate downfall. Not just “she fights a maiden and loses,” but something where her obsession with becoming stronger directly causes her death. Maybe she tries to steal power she can’t control. Maybe she betrays Salem at the worst possible moment and gets consumed by the very forces she thought she could master. Maybe Salem decides she's served her purpose and takes all the Maiden powers she stole through the Grimm arm away from her. Maybe the Grimm arm consumes her and becomes The Hound part two, but now with Maiden powers to boot.

I’m not totally sure how it would play out, but I think it would feel right if Cinder’s ending came from the same flaw that has defined her from the beginning: she always wants more power. And in the end, that insatiability destroys her. What do you guys think though?

I for one am willing to believe that it’s true to be honest.

Hello, friends, and welcome to the May 8, 2026 edition of "Free Talk Friday". Feel free to talk about whatever you'd like, just so long as it doesn't break any Reddit rules or US laws. Chat, vent, grieve, laugh, or what have you. Just please be respectful to your neighbors. We don't all have to like each other, but we should at least try to get along.

Joshua 1:9 ""Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

God bless, and have a wonderful day.