Broken Plates

"**Broken Plates**" (Late Palguenian: **Flahkbrista**; Late Ardeschen: **Floix Brioss**) was a Palguenian cartoon comedy that was broadcast just before World War III.

It was notorious for its legendary curse, stretching across thousands of years.

## History

### Denlotian times

A comedic cartoon about a rivalry between a summer camp and a boarding school, Solstice Camp and Equinox Academy, by two brothers who inherited their father's wealth. It lasted for three years.

One of its characters, Tobaran, was a blonde man. As Dr. Pinto's favourite character, his doodles of him shirtless led to one website forcing him to delete his drawings, and eventually the destruction of the website's owner out of revenge.

Later, Broken Plates was hastily finished to focus more on merchandise of the Zomurudins. By that time, many fans loved the characters so much, that they were furious when the staff members made them lose their dreams, and yet forced the characters to have an inconsistent happy ending. For example, Patosol dreaded his parents, yet said goodbye with a smile and hugged his parents without them apologising to him. Another was one notorious incident remembered in history books as the Departure of Kauoria, where one of the most beloved characters in the show gladly left, never appearing again in any future merchandise until the show was rebooted.

The only response the Lykina show staff answered, "You just need to let go of the past and embrace change. It's natural for everything to come and go! Accept it!" This only made the fans even more hateful, that occasionally they were beaten up and the studio burned with fire.

The studio was taken over during the Terran invasion of Palguenia, who protected the former staff who worked at the show. The Walaara Terrans remade it to a more unpleasant series, where everything looked ugly and cheap to amuse the rulers, while the Denlotians made their own wartime version that was more idealistic.

After the victory of the Denlotia, some of the show staff were killed off during the Day of Resolution. Later, some Denlotians noticed that the obsession with bringing the show back to life and killing its makers, would instead break some Denlotian laws that prohibit obsession with artistic works.

Later Denlotians mourned the show as ironically bringing so much destruction to the world, due to the fanatical attitude of its fans, its selfish staff worsening their madness, and the Founders using it as a pretext to destroy thousands of fools.

The show was seen as cursed. Cursed by the arrogance of its aloof makers, and the hatred and bloodshed of its fans. However, some legends also claimed that one person was responsible for the age-old curse: the Sixth Founder, who placed a curse on the show and its fandom during his teenage years, that the whole show and its fans will never find peace.

One notorious ghost who appeared as the character Kauoria was believed to be the spirit of one of the Sixth Founder's bullies. The gods also cursed her ghost to appear as her favourite character to punish her for cheating her friends. The only way the Kauoria ghost were to pass into the afterlife was to help people make peace and forgive, especially if they were fans of the show.

Ironically, her ghost may had caused the revivals of this ancient show, to allow her a chance to finish her duty of reconciliation. Most importantly, she did not want to be forgotten, or remembered as an evil person in history.

## Broken Plates Evermore

A revival and reboot of the series of the same name. It was also known as "Recast Plates" or "Porcelain Dreams".

Instead of being a randomised comedy that left its beloved characters in broken, inconsistent fates, the Denlotians who rewrote the series expanded the whole setting with their theories and fan characters, given free reign to start a new studio that welcomed old and younger fans from across Palguenia and Ardesch. It became known as the House of the Two Schools, at the border between the two nations.

Although it was not as absurdly comedic as its predecessor, its focus on making its characters (including old fan-favourites) more relatable with happy endings made it more popular. Another factor was a greater focus on making the characters more relatable, yet also clumsy and ridiculous. One of the founders awarded some of the directors for their improved story-writing, while two of them calmly suggested that there should be some more humour to be balanced with its consistency and idealism.

It had a total of 36 seasons and 5 movies, and even had several AI personalities based on several popular characters.

### Differences

* Patosol never returned to his wicked parents. He chooses to stay, but his struggles with his own frustrations, aided by his friends, made him more relatable to audiences during Denlotian times.
* One controversial episode involved him stopping a purge from occurring and killing off nearly everyone in town. It was later revealed to be a dream. That episode was released after the end of the early Denlotian purges.
* Kaworia falls in love with Rexto and they marry and start a family. They also adopt Patosol as his parents disowned him and were never seen again, and the parents were later revealed to have returned to their unspecified country out of dissatisfaction with life in Palguenia.
* Patosol and Ixin become friends. In later seasons, they also fall in love, and their adventures continue into their teenage years and adulthood. The show ends with them marrying and beginning a new family.
* There are more episodes within its 36 seasons, and five movies, mostly due to generations of fans wanting to see Patosol and Kaworia's futures. It lasted around 9 years.

## Later variants

### Terran version, "Broken Plates, Torn Apart"

During the invasion of Palguenia, both the Terran occupants of the capital and the resistance created their own versions of the show. The official version during Terran rule was more abusive, where the main characters were subjected to more brutal fates, and newer protagonists were used to be tortured and to teach the lesson of "everything sucks".

### Resistance version, "Broken Plates, Recast and Fixed"

The one created by resistance members, and eventually incorporated into its Denlotian rewrite, was more optimistic, which rewrote several plots into a single storyline where every main character and favourite icon had a happier ending. It reflected the hopes and dreams of its writers and fans.

### "Die, Die, Die, You Failed Dream!"

The Denlotia's enemies, including some of the former staff who fled the Denlotia, condemned the show as "stolen from them".

One of the show's writers, notorious for making the main characters suffer losing their hopes, made a new series that killed off each character one by one. It was considered entertaining to the Terran audiences, who enjoyed how the writer focused on "change is inevitable" by making things hopeless and torturing the characters.

Ironically, he died while escaping from his city being purged by another Terran army, starving in the desert in his tent. His draft book was hidden in a sandstorm, preserved under the sands until someone found it while sliding down a dune.

It was later kept in a museum, along with the incomplete rewrite that was released. While the original copy was lost, in the present day, one new copy is now seen in a museum somewhere in northern Koscheigrad, Bujan.

## Future remakes

The history of that troubled show became a subject in some morality classes, as a warning of the deadly price of obsession and no self control. The original lesson, promoted by its bygone staff, of "change is inevitable", was later added with: "still, we can take bits of the past with us, and restore them to life!"

There were rumours and legends that claimed that the show's survival was not only due to its popularity, but the influence of a ghost who was trapped into the show. That same ghost took the form of Kauoria, one of the characters, haunting and cursing the minds of anyone who liked or saw the show. Some of the same legends claimed the reasons for her influence include a desire never to be forgotten; to avoid loneliness (for centuries since she was a spirit, after all); or to redeem her favourite show as a former fan as an influence for good, not evil.

### Heronoi remakes

"Broken Plates" was popular among the Heronoi after they landed, because some of the blonde characters were relatable enough to be the positive counterpoint to the more stereotypical "Ljosti" dolls.

### Marnosyn remakes

The Equinox Academy and its characters are more popular in Marnos. As a result, jousting and sports matches between Marnosyn and Bujanski teams often themed themselves around the Academy and the Camp's rivalry.

### Modern Ardesch

Replicas of the academy and camp were built at the western side of Lake Islonar instead of the south.

## Bujanski remakes

There were four remakes of this show in the Kingdom of Zvesta and its successor.

### First remake

After "Broken Plates" was broadcast in Zvesta and post-independence Bujan, it became a popular TV show. The first of several Bujanski remakes made Patosol and Ixin into Wonaos, as the wishes of the new show's director, who was also a Wonao.

### Second remake

The second remake was from 1303-1309 AT, lasting for eleven seasons. The first seven seasons were a nearly-faithful adaptation of the Denlotian version, while the final two were original episodes that expanded on the lore and main characters. Elements of this remake were carried over into the third and fourth remakes.

The show's fanbase had a rivalry with the Kalendrican fanbase, though fortunately they did not descend into actual fights.

### Wannaenid occupation

At the latter years of Wannaenid rule, a series was made of both Denlotian and Terran episodes mashed up together. This was the basis of the Bujanski remake, to unify them into a single plot.

### Third remake

The third remake was aired from 1 April 1893, on the first day of the Bujanski calendar. It was created by a large team that became a media company, the "Reclamation Association of Bujan".

Some of the same fans also made Rukanian-language dubs of the show, both its modern and historical forms, in mockery of the Terrans. It resulted in the show being broadcast in Rukanian television channels, using the fan-made dubs from Bujan. Many viewers noted that some characters have mispronounced or exaggerated several words, although it was explained that it is a mockery of the characters being stupid.

### Fourth remake

The fourth remake was authorised by the Reclamation Association, which modernised the series into a Bujanski setting.

## Broken Plates in modern Bujan

See also: Ten misconceptions about Broken Plates, Five Stages of the Bloka

A fan of the show is known in modern Bujan as a "Brokenite", or worse, as "Blockerite".

This show was sometimes seen as notorious for fanning the flames of the revolution, or blamed for the massacres of fans by angry mobs. This caused many such fans to defect to the Bujanski Revolution to avoid getting killed, by supporting the rebels and improving their worsened reputation.

Because it was popular among the Maeranoi and many of the show's fans were militants who waged war against Bujan, some people initially called for a total ban on the franchise itself. Anything related to "fannish culture" was also considered to be Terran, and therefore, criminal. One character, Trinor, was hated in Bujan because he was the favourite character of the first person killed by militants for online blocking. He was not allowed to be depicted in any form until 1904, when many restrictions related to the show were announced as being abolished.

Five provinces in Bujan had banned the show due to its association with Terrans, who were also forbidden from entry. Owning any merchandise or showing them in public was a criminal offense in those parts, and it was legal to murder fans of that show as potential terrorists.

### Redemption?

As more fans were aware that they were being targeted and stereotyped by both their rulers and the rebels, newer and bigger groups of Broken Plates fans began to accept the evacuations into rebel-held territory to escape the violence all over the island.

In Virimvon-na-Taeglovu, one such rebel town, hundreds of Broken Plates fans met with government officials and the King of Bujan, kneeling before the rulers and other Bujanski and pleading for forgiveness on behalf of the entire fanbase. They dressed up as campers and students, in a ceremony representing a peace treaty with Bujan, or admission into the kingdom as loyal subjects of the King. They were declared forgiven.

Elsewhere all over Bujan, especially rebel-held territories, more fans emerged to protest a proposed ban on Broken Plates. They wanted to prove that they, as fans, were not traitors and were loyal to Bujan. Many of them were also former bloky who brought their friends to prove that Broken Plates was not about blocking others online, and the fanbase can be a good community.

They carried signs that read:

* I am sorry for my past deeds
* We are sorry for what we have done
* We only block the worst offenders from now on
* We swear upon Bujan/His Majesty/Lord Perun and Mokosh
* Forgive my sins, my people
* Fans are NOT traitors
* Fans can be good people
* Teenagers are NOT monsters
* Do not cut off Bujan's future
* Love yourself, and the Gods will be proud of you
* We love the Gods
* For our Gods, our Nation, and our King
* Make Kauoria Proud
* Kauoria is Bujan
* Blue and White all the way (the colours of the Bujanski national flag)
* I love Bujan
* We love Bujan
* We are fans, but we are Bujanski first and foremost
* Long Live His Majesty
* For Bujan and the Neighbourhood
* Where Justice Dies, Pain is Born
* Where Justice Thrives, Peace Blossoms
* We walk together (national slogan)

Among the participants of one protest in November included Sophie the Terran and her friend Tazurol. Sophie was forgiven for blocking Tazurol in the past, and after Tazurol was unblocked, the two fans of the show reconciled and wanted to convince the new Bujanski nation that they were loyal to it.

Many fans of Kalendrica were also present in the protests, answering that they feared they might be next if the massacres of Broken Plates fans succeeded. Earlier, they also fought alongside Brokenites against Wannaenid oppression. The Free North, made of Terran defectors, also joined in and protected Broken Plates fans from being killed.

## Characters (original)

### Equinox Academy

A prestigious academy near Lake Islonar. It is known either as the Marble Halls, or the Ossuary, for its beautiful yet boring setting.

It has twelve dormitories based on the twelve constellations of the Palguenian legends.

* Headmistress Karadokka
* Ixin Annilom - a blue-haired girl who was also a troublemaker. She and Patosol were friends, but eventually, they fell in love. By the time the series ended, she remained in the academy and became a science teacher. Behind her formal appearance, her love of explosions and astronomy lives on, so her students were happier than those in other classes.
	+ Her name was derived from a star at the constellation of the Hunter, Ardesch's national constellation. The Hunter was also venerated as the third of the twelve sacred constellations, for the month of June.
	+ Unfortunately, her romance with Patosol was hinted, but never realised in the original show. Later versions of the show instead make her and Patosol develop a closer relationship, as friends and later as lovers.
* Kerdenon Malagonda - a skateboarder
* Palagoris - a pink haired intellectual
* Mahkkor - a jock
* Trinor Mutavoris - a stocky young man at the gym.

### Solstice Camp

North of Equinox Academy, just east of Lake Islonar.

* Rexto - the clumsy leader of Solstice Camp. Not very liked by the other members because he is too obsessed with workouts and being too "robotic".
* Kauoria Buondakei - one troublesome woman who is another leader of the camp. A very popular character for her snarky attitude and mischief, making her more likeable for Patosol and the other campers.
	+ In the finale, she was planning to leave and move on, as her time in the camp worsened. Without any questions and with so many plot holes, that was one of the reasons why the finale was the most disliked part.
	+ She instead became popular in other countries due to her brown skin, which made her much more relatable to her fans. Her name and traditions may suggest that she was originally of Resovjantien descent.
	+ Kauoria was also a skilled pianist.
	+ When the whole series was closed down, she ended up becoming the most popular character. Because her disappearance from merchandise led to riots, she became infamously known as "the face that burned a thousand studios". Some Ardeschens even believed that she is actually a ghost who ended up in the show to haunt and punish the show's makers, constantly haunting them with her presence.
* Patosol - a young troublemaker who was one of the most infamous members. He stayed there, grudgingly, out of hatred towards his rude and angry parents.
	+ He was brown-skinned and wavy-haired, making him quite handsome for a rude, cute ten-year-old boy.
	+ The ending where he simply smiled on the bus home to his parents infuriated many fans.
* Tormako - sometimes he is seen haunting Rexto's dreams. Later on, he is revealed to be alive, reduced to a wild man who hunts animals, clad in the pelt of a leopard: "Jungle Man Tormako".

### Others

* Tobaran - a blonde man who was very unstable in his mind. Eventually, he became more sane, but also more awkward. It was later revealed that he was driven mad by his abusive parents, who forced him to be a gentleman.
	+ He had a lot of shirtless scenes.
* Ilmetia - a blonde woman with brown skin who was simply nothing more than a creepy demon-worshipper. Her stylish outfit instead made her so popular.

## Characters (Denlotian remake)

### Equinox Academy

* Trinor - a smart lad behind his muscular appearance.

### Others

* Tobrane Ilaxeno - Tobrane is like his original counterpart, except his story was expanded.
	+ He was plagued by nightmares of himself as a murderous cult leader, yet someone helped him overcome his nightmares.
	+ He also appeared shirtless as in the original, but he felt more relaxed and comfortable.
* Ilmetira Valantara - Ilmeja (her preferred nickname) is not a cult member, but an airheaded fashionista and doll addict
	+ She is very girly and playful.
	+ She and Tobrane fell in love, overcoming their own issues along the way.

## Characters (third Bujanski remake)

The 1893 Bujanski remake of the show focuses on seven plotlines. Tobarane's and Ilmetira's stories are two of those.

### Equinox Academy

* Directress Kamadokia
* **Ixin Anrilan** - an ethnic Wonao girl
* Keruvia - a skateboarder
* **Tormako** - Rexto's childhood friend. Unlike the original series, he was not killed by a bear, but escaped with his life. He later becomes a sports coach, and then disappears into the wild.
	+ Because he is blonde, muscular, and assertive, most of his fans are Arnadjanai men and lads.
	+ Another reason why they love him was his possible attraction to both women and several men, including Rexto and Tobaran. They think it makes him more relatable!
	+ Many Arnadjanai young adults tend to imagine him being part of a "clutch" with Tobaran and Ilmetira, starting their own family of three parents. It might sound bizarre to a typical Bujanski, but to Arnadjanai, this is considered a happy ending.
* Trinor - absent in the Bujanski remake because he was the most hated character in the show.
	+ The reason for Trinor being extremely unpopular among Bujanski was him being the favourite character of the earliest "bloka" criminal who was killed, and his later adoption by anti-Bujanski groups as a symbol. With the defeat of those Terran groups, any depiction of him was a controversy, seen as making fun of historical trauma.
	+ The Reclamation Association wanted to bring him back, but this was strongly opposed by so many people in Bujan. His absence was explained that he was in another town.
	+ In 1904, many restrictions related to Broken Plates were removed. In light of this news, some Bujanski fans started depicting Trinor for the first time. Instead of being an unseen villain, he was depicted as someone who was misunderstood and shunned over his mistakes.
	+ According to legends, the spirit of the first person killed for blocking online users haunted the country in the form of Trinor, but as a woman. In the few parts where the ban on Trinor was not done, some people prayed for her soul to reconcile with her friends and find peace and forgiveness.

### Solstice Camp

* **Rexto** - a strong leader of Solstice Camp
* **Kaworia** - another leader of Solstice Camp.
	+ In light of her character's notoriety, she is also a pyromaniac. Later on, she learns to utilise magic, as a reincarnated ghost.
* **Patsanol** - an ethnic Wonao boy. Like his original counterpart, he is a troublemaker, but he eventually matures as he learns to make reliable friends.

### Others

* **Tobaran** - an eccentric young man with fluffy blonde hair.
	+ Often misunderstood and feared as a "cultist", he later takes up worldbuilding, writing, and painting.
	+ He seems to love to brush his own hair.
* **Ilmetira** - a beautiful young fashionista with flowing blonde hair.
	+ Ilmetira was feared because she was also mistaken for a cultist, and she had nightmares of herself as a demon-worshipper.
	+ Then, she overcame that fear by drawing artwork of herself as both the cultist and a heroine who defeated the nightmare.
	+ She fell in love with Tobaran because he is so kind.
	+ She became popular with people from post-independence Bujan, especially Wonaos, because of her brown skin and cute face.

## Terminology

* Bujanski:
	+ Raskolnōja Pljūta - Broken Plates
	+ Raskilnik - a Brokenite, fan of Broken Plates
	+ Rasbloknik - a "Blockerite", very offensive word for a fan of Broken Plates; a traitor, an oathbreaker, one who wrongfully punishes people and deserves worse
* Eosome:
	+ Mrāntarau Kögitsi - Broken Plates
	+ Rekömrana - a Brokenite
	+ Blokömronö, Blokonrök, Rekömjelna, Rejelkönno, Relkön - (offensive) a "Blockerite"

## Trivia

* "Broken Plates" was influenced by Camp Camp, one of the author's favourite shows. Specifically, he came up with the show's consequences and angry fans after seeing some fans panic over not seeing their favourite characters again after the end of a 2023 special.
	+ Its adjacent rival, Equinox Academy, was based on a mockery of high school dramas, English boarding schools, and Crystal Prep Academy. The Arkandrosyn University was also based on the third.
	+ This show was also influenced by the poor behaviour of Camp Camp's fanbase, from fandom fights to some irritable fans blocking people over simple mistakes. In the 2010's to 2020's, many of its members were young people, around teenage to young adult (as of writing the author himself is a young adult).
* Amaril's favourite character is Kauoria, due to her similar appearance to the character.
	+ Kauoria was inspired by Gwen from Camp Camp: and so was Amaril herself. The Camp Camp fans' outrage that Gwen might never be seen again after her departure from Camp Camp also influenced Kauoria to become a ghost-like being who also "escaped" the show, reminiscent of another character, Monika.
	+ Tobaran and Ilmetira were influenced by Daniel and Jen, the author's favourite characters. Likewise, Amaril's blonde sister Alamte was inspired by Jen.
* Radumo once made several costumes based on the nightmares of Ljudmila's grandmother, who was a devoted fan artist of that show before the revolution and her arrest.
	+ It was those same costumes that made Amaril into a huge fan of that show.
* The Palguenian name was from the words "broiste" (broken) and "flahke" (a plate). They were derived from Scottish and reconstructed ancient Celtic words, the same basis as the Ardeschen languages, as Palguenian and Ardeschen were related:
	+ broiste (broken, shattered) - from "briste" (Scottish Gaelic, "broken").
	+ flahke (plate) - from "lann" (Scottish Gaelic, "a blade, scale"), Proto-Celtic reconstruction: \*ɸlaxsnā (a blade), related to "flat" and Latin "plānus" (plain).

## See also

* Fictional works in the Rabydosverse
* Bujanski pop culture
* Kalendrica
* Mithura