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[BB] Bunny's Pokémon Big Brother Finale: CHAMPION ROYALE (The Season)

2024.05.13 22:15 BunnyBoiEthos [BB] Bunny's Pokémon Big Brother Finale: CHAMPION ROYALE (The Season)

Beginnings. Illustrious. Vivacious. Monstrous. Scintillating. Star-Studded. Nautical. Creeping. Vainglorious. Luminous. Villainous. Venerable. Exuberant. Esteemed. Legendary…. Epic. Wonderful, Briliant, Victorious, Foundational, Iconic!!! Champions. Sixteen of them. One prize. One Ultimate Champion. Who will beat all other winners and become the ultimate winner themselves? As we get ready to close the curtain one last time on Bunny’s Big Brother, let’s find out who is the Shining Star of our champion cast in Bunny’s Pokémon Big Brother CHAMPION ROYALE!
Season Finale: CHAMPION ROYALE!!!
Meet the Cast:
Season 1 – Lance the Escavalier
Season 2 – Carlos the Pangoro
Season 3 – Nickels the Nickit
Season 4 – Xio the Meowscarada
Season 5 – Selene the Lampent
Season 6 – Candy the Wigglytuff
Season 7 – Splaatz the Stunfisk
Season 8 – Dirk the Kricketune
Season 9 – Echo the Arctibax
Season 10 – Mobee the Bewear
Season 11 – Professor Bane the Crobat
Season 12 – Lisette the Solrock
Season 13 – Maeva the Chimeco
Season 14 – Dayley-Jane the Dewgong
Season 15 – DJ Volt Switch the Emolga
Season 16 – Benedict the Chespin
Intro: We are reporting live at the site of Bunny’s Pokémon Big Brother Finale House! The crowd is thick and loud as fans from all over are excited to watch the sixteen champions enter the house LIVE! We stand in Poketopia, home of the Battle Revolution! The Shining Neon Colloseum, in a penthouse suite in the grand city is where the final bout will begin! Here come the Legendary Sixteen right now!!!! Lance the original winner is so stunning in his armor! Carlos has evolved and looks much tougher. Nickels is strutting in conifdent as ever next to Xio, who looks completely unphased by all of the winners around her! Selene fits right in with the bright lights. Looks like Candy is evolved as well and—OH—she tripped over Splaatz. That’s embarrassing and you can tell she isn’t happy even if she’s putting on a smile. Dirk and Echo are next, both eyeing up the competition already. Echo being evolved now already ups his threat level. Mobee gets an uproarious cheer from the crowd! And WOW the Professor gracefully glides over the crowd! He really did escape capture back in Mazda’s Season. Lisette seems to be meditating and Maeva is pumping herself up. She looks a bit snooty now that we know how she really is but we are eager to see how she plays. Dayley-Jane gets another huge cheer from the crowd. She really is a lovable gal ain’t she? DJ clicks a track on the DJ booth to keep one last song playing but then hops out to join the entourage. She’s still keeping up her day job too, so inspiring! Finally, Benedict walks up. Unlike the others, he looks somber. Wonder what his deal is? Oh well, let’s watch them all compete in the bright stadium for the first HOH!
First HOH: In this bright lights HOH, the houseguests all race to complete a task, with the first to complete it knocking someone out of the running. In the first heat, Maeva clears first and knocks out Bane because he came in second and is a huge comp threat. In the next round, Echo wins and takes out Maeva, who just won. Splaatz wins round three by accident and takes out Day, who was big on his original season. Candy wins next and takes out Nickels. Xio takes out DJ, followed by Benedict winning and immediately knocking Xio out. Candy wins again and takes out Dirk. Echo then wins again to take out Candy before she gets too much momentum. Carlos wins and takes out Lance, Mobee then wins and takes out Carlos, Benedict then wins and takes out Mobee! Splaatz wins again and takes out Selene as she is hiding in the background. Lisette wins the next round to take out Benedict. In the final three, Echo wins again and takes out Lisette, as she did a good job hiding til then. In Splaatz versus Echo, the fish surprisingly keeps up with the dragon and at the last second, takes over?!?!?! Splaatz is the first HOH!
Week 1: Splaatz is very confused how he won that last round but Echo comes up and congratulates him. The two get along well and Splaatz works up the courage to ask to be in an alliance, which the dragon happily agrees. Bane goes to Candy to tell her that the villains need to stick together, she agrees and they grab Maeva. She is initially reluctant, not trusting Bane, but she agrees eventually. Mobee goes to monitor the living room like before and DJ flies up to him. They end up chatting and realize they enjoy each other. At the nomination ceremony, Splaatz has decided to put up DJ and Dirk, saying how he doesn’t want to make too much waves and this seems to be the way to do it best. Dirk is unamused and DJ is frightened. Echo gets suspicious of Bane and shares his thoughts with Nickels, they pull in Carlos to form an anti-villain alliance. Benedict eavesdrops and plans his next move. He goes up to Nickels and makes up how Dirk must be playing the villain this time, because he is acting weird. Nickels considers his approach but ultimately decides to trust him as an alliance member. At the veto, Carlos, Echo, and Mobee all play but it comes down to Carlos and Splaatz. Splaatz ends up winning again but while actually trying and is exuberant! DJ pleads with him but he ultimately keeps his noms the same.
After the veto ceremony, Benedict tells DJ to do as he says and trust him, as Gigi did. She agrees and starts buttering up to the villains. She gets Candy to be even nicer to the house and apologize to Splaatz. She also helps Bane create a new game. Meanwhile, Benedict starts prodding Dirk and Day, causing them to be at odds with each other. Dirk eventually snaps and lashes out at Day, shocking everyone. Maeva can tell something fishy is happening but rolls with it since it is week one. At the eviction ceremony in the glittering colosseum, the two nominees tell why they should stay. Dirk is more bitter while DJ stays heartfelt, convincing everyone but a suspicious Maeva. In the end, by a vote of 12 to 1… Dirk, you have been evicted.
Week 2: The next HOH is a high flying roulette-themed obstacle course, based off of the Neon Colosseum’s roulette rules. DJ and Mobee work together to get to the end but Nickels keeps up with them. In the final stretch, Mobee sees Nickels catching up and throws DJ, giving her just enough of an edge to win the HOH! Nickels and Maeva both approach DJ to tell her their suspicions on Benedict’s behavior. At first, they fight, but realizing they have the same goal causes them to cut it out long enough to tell her. DJ is reluctant but Maeva reminds her how he betrayed Gigi and she is firm. Benedict and Carlos become the nominees. Day, Echo, and Maeva play in the veto and Echo actually manages to come out on top over Day. Echo talks with Nickels about saving Carlos but she is hesitant, telling him that Carlos makes a good pawn next to benedict because everyone likes Carlos. He ends up not using it. During the week, Benedict begins making breakfast early, irritating his roommate Carlos and causing him to be grumpier. Xio confronts Benedict for this, telling him he is purposefully making Carlos mad and it’s brutal. He tells her he doesn’t understand the problem if Carlos doesn’t like breakfast. She sneers but doesn’t have a comeback. The next day, Benedict holds a house meeting. He apologizes if he’s been rubbing people the wrong way but he is just trying to fit in since he is newer. Lisette says that everyone should give him a chance, which the villains, Selene, and Mobee agree with. Echo, Carlos, Nickels, and Maeva are all hesitant. At the eviction ceremony, Carlos is grumpy and bitter and doesn’t do much to defend himself. Benedict, again apologizes. In a 9 to 3 vote… Carlos is evicted.
Week 3: Several house membets are completely shocked by Carlos going home, including HOH DJ and his two allies, Nickels and Echo. Also surprised is Xio. The next HOH is an endurance comp called the floor is lava based off of the Lava Colosseum! Mobee, Splaatz, and Xio are the last three remaining. Knowing she was on the outs of the last vote, Xio fights hard to survive, fighting her pain. Splaatz eventually drops and Mobee remains with Xio. Eventually, Mobee drops and Xio wins! Xio already knows her noms. She puts up Benedict next to Selene, as she was one of the people vouching for him last round. Benedict chooses to stay back and not make too much of a scene this round, lest he blow up his cover. Meanwhile, DJ and Mobee plan how to move forward. Maeva is listening in to this convo and realizes how close they are. At the veto, a mental comp, Selene ends up winning by a landslide, saving herself. Maeva rushes to Xio about the DJ and Mobee situation, and points out how Mobee is a comp threat as well. Xio decides Mobee is a good replacement, as he is likeable and a good pawn next to Benedict. Mobee holds a house meeting and cries during it, thinking he was doing so much better at being friendly this time. Maeva calls him out for his crocodile tears and argues that he is putting on an act. Lisette calls out Maeva for being so harsh and chastises her for being such a villain. Maeva asks her if she is planning on voting for him to stay and she is silent, but says that shouldn’t matter. Maeva retorts and says it’s not jury so jury management doesn’t exist yet. At the eviction, Mobee is shaking next to a smug Benedict. Benedict’s speech touches on how Mobee doesn’t seem ready for the big leagues. The bear gets up angrily and almost picks up Benedict, shocking everyone. He stops himself and realizes what he did. The vote comes in and by a vote of 8 to 3, Mobee, you have been evicted.
Week 4: The next HOH begins as they houseguests must ascend a glimmering rock wall, themed after the Crystal colosseum. Day and Maeva take an early lead but are caught up by falling rocks. Lisette closes the gap and eventually surpasses Maeva. Day and Lisette race for the end and… Lisette win! Lisette in her HOH room ponders about who to put up and ally with. She turns to Xio, Day, and Selene as her allies. The Witch’s Coven, as they call themselves, wants to shift the focus, as Benedict is doing too well at not going home. Instead, Lisette targets Maeva, who is playing sneaky, as well as Benedict’s ally, Echo. Bane laughs at Maeva being on the block and she is enraged with him. He says “it doesn’t matter since it’s not jury yet.” Having her own words turned on her, Maeva storms out and swears she will get revenge on him and Candy. At the POV, the witches’ coven is playing with three members and Xio ends up winning! She chooses to keep the nominations the same. Splaatz goes to Lance to tell him how much it means to be there with one of his heros, but Lance mishears him and calls him out for calling him a rude name. The two get in a petty argument where Lance’s bad hearing keeps making things worse. Meanwhile, Maeva tries to get the vote off of her by spreading anti-Benedict propaganda around the house. Day has a change of heart about this and wants to vote out Echo, even while her alliance is targeting Maeva. Benedict, aware his name is still out there, pleads to DJ not to vote out his ally. At the eviction, Maeva thinks she has done enough work but the vote comes out and is a 5 to 5. The Coven is shocked, one of their own must have flipped. But Lisette gets to break the tie, and is all too happy to evict her target, Maeva.
Week 5: The next HOH is themed after the Sunset colosseum, and sees the houseguests racing to stack piles of rubble. Echo, DJ, and Xio make the highest stack but DJ’s crumbles before the time limit. Both wanting to take control, Echo and Xio try really hard to build the highest. The timer buzzes aaaand Echo is the winner! Benedict instinctively high fives Echo and celebrates with him. Later, Nickels is peeved that Echo is so publicly working with Benedict. Echo tells her she had the opportunity to have a good ally but she chose to burn that bridge and that’s her fault. Offended, she tells him to make that alliance with Benedict work out but she won’t be part of it. Echo is saddened, but doesn’t want to put Nickels up. Instead, he shifts the target to former villains, with Bane being the target and Selene going up next to him. Xio cheers that Selene could be going home, making the Lamp angry at her, since they were supposed to be working together. Benedict goes on to win the veto and vows to Echo not to use it. However, at the veto ceremony, he uses it to save Selene, shocking everyone as he winks at Xio. Echo then solidifies this by putting Xio up. Selene goes to her to tell her she is sorry for their misunderstanding but they work together. Candy turns to Lisette and tells her she is tired of working with Bane and if she helps her get the Professor out this week, she will work with her. Lisette agrees, knowing everyone wants Bane out anyways. At the eviction, Xio seemingly patches things up with everyone. The vote comes in, by a unanimous vote… Bane, you are evicted.
Double Eviction: Surprise! The Jury starts tonight and the next HOH is beginning right now with one more person leaving! A quiz colosseum is held in the Sunset colloseum, with one miss causing someone to be out of the running. It comes down to DJ, Nickels, and Lisette. But Lisette gets the last question right and the other two miss, with Lisette winning her second HOH. Lisette puts up Nickels and Day. Nickels because she is playing a lowkey game but making waves in the Benedict situation. Day because she wavered on her vote for Benedict. She doesn’t put down Benedict as he is good for drama and polarizing the house, which is good for her game. Nickels wins the veto and takes herself off. Lisette decides to put up Splaatz, because she is worried he will fumble his way to the end. Most people seem to share this idea except for Echo, who wants to wotk with Splaatz. The vote comes in. By a vote of 7 to 1… Splaatz, you have been evicted and will be moving into the jury house.
Week 6: The Next HOH begins as a race through the mysterious mansion in the courtyard colosseum. No one can tell where anyone is but Candy comes out first and wins! As HOH, Candy calls in Benedict. She tells him he has been playing a sloppy and obvious villain game and he is gonna get evicted too soon if he doesn’t simmer down and get some real allies. He is shocked and admits he just wants to win. She says they all do and the least they can do is help each other. She says she will help him if he keeps causing more chaos and also gets DJ on their side. He agrees and talks to DJ. The squirrel is hesitant but decides it would be a great way of getting revenge on Benedict if she gets the chance. Candy puts up Lance as the pawn next to her target, Xio, who has been against Benedict’s chaos this whole game. DJ goes on to win the veto and chooses to not give Candy any suspicion by not using it. Meanwhile, the witches coven fractures, with Day not agreeing with Lisette and Xio feeling not supported on the block by Selene. DJ infiltrates this meeting after storms out, telling them about Xio being the real target but she has a plan to keep her without drawing suspicion if they can get Day to play nice. Xio borrows an item from Lisette and breaks it. Lisette then goes to “rant” to Day, who is being nice with her, thinking they both will vote Xio. Echo, meanwhile, confirms his alliance with Benedict, and feels like he is finally gaining more traction. But the house takes this the wrong way. At the eviction, the vote comes in, and by a vote of 4 to 3… Lance, you have been evicted.
Week 7: The next HOH begins, a waterfall diving competition, based off of the Waterfall Colosseum. Whoever makes the biggest splash wins! With her natural watery prowess, Day dives in and wins the HOH! Day is approached in the HOH by Candy and Benedict, who ask her to work with them. DJ sees whats happening and goes back to Lisette and Selene. The two talk and realize that they can’t beat Benedict’s control of the house by just going against him, but they have to work with him. So the three of DJ, Lisette, and Selene enter the HOH “accidentally” and propose the six will control the house. They say they want Echo to go on the block, as he is getting too good at the comps. Benedict is hesitant but Candy nudges him, as secretly this will be great for her game. He agrees and tells Day he won’t be mad if this happens. Echo goes up next to Nickels. The two former allies face off in the veto, both bitterly making jabs at the other for turning on them. It comes down to just the two nominees and… Echo edges her out, winning the veto. Echo saves himself and puts the power in Day’s hands to put up a replacement. Her choice is the person not in her alliance who has made affronts to her, Xio. Lisette has the whole house do tarot readings to ease the tension which goes down well. Lisette gets the Sun, a symbol of positivity and creativity. Benedict draws the Moon, symbolizing Illusion and inner conflict. He shudders when the white moon of the card turns red in his hands. Echo draws the Fool, a card of new beginnings but also endings. Selene draws death, the card of change in the game. Nickels draws the Hermit, a card of isolation and reflection. Candy draws the Lovers, with the card representing connections and pairs, symbolizing her manipulation of Benedict. Day draws Strength, a card of inner strength and Willpower. Xio draws the Tower, representing sudden downfall and incredible sudden changes. She shudders and uses the moment to apologize to everyone, saying she wants to be a beacon of hope but got lost. The house receives this well. Benedict considers flipping to Xio because of her show of faith being bad but Candy reminds him that Xio is on the bottom of the pecking order on that side, likely meaning they don’t even have to take her out. He relents and the eviction goes through. The vote comes in and by a vote of 5 to 1, Nickels you have been evicted.
Week 8: The Next HOH begins in the Sunny Park colosseum, with contestants having to hunt for pellets and use them to knock out targets. DJ and Echo prove the most adept but in a last second victory, Echo wins. Benedict goes to Echo in the HOH but Echo has realized too late that Benedict is working with everybody, even causing him to turn on Nickels. Benedict doesn’t try to hide his smug smirk as he agrees and walks out, daring him to put him on the block. He feels this must be hiding something and starts asking around the house for their opinions. Xio reveals the existence of the Witches Coven, and how they have been together for weeks, including saving her last week. Knowing of this alliance, Echo saves Xio and puts up Selene and Day. At the veto, Selene wins. Selene approaches Echo, telling him she knows of someone playing both sides, revealing DJ trying to play double agent. After she pulls herself off the block, DJ goes up as the replacement. Candy works on ingratiating herself with the outsiders in Xio and Echo, trying to forge paths ahead. But is unsuccessful at breaking Echo. Echo is accosted by DJ for putting her up over Benedict. He asks her to say why she was double crossing and she says its because she was trying to sabotage Benedict. If anything, Day, Selene, and Lisette should be the real double agents. Echo goes to rage to Selene for how she tricked him but she swears it was the truth completely, and he chose to believe it in a negative light, not her. Day joins the fight and lashes out at Xio and Selene for being the reason she is on the block. Lisette stays out of it, knowing the time to jump ship is coming up. At the eviction, Dj and DayJay give their pleas, but the votes are tallied. By a unanimous vote… Dayley-Jane, you have been evicted.
Double Eviction!!: Second double eviction because you know we gotta! The HOH starts with a lightning round of dodgeball on wooden poles. Selene is knocked out first. Then DJ gets knocked out by Candy. Lisette falls off on her own. Xio goes after Benedict but is taken out by Candy. Then Candy expertly dodges and takes out Benedict, winning the HOH. She nominates the two people who are on the bottom of the pecking order, Echo and Xio. The veto plays out with Benedict winning. Echo pleads for Benedict to help him out, as they were friends. Benedict doesn’t even look him in the eye as he chooses to not play the veto. Echo pleads to the voters to let him keep playing and he will take out Benedict, but Lisette and Selene have basically already jumped ship and moved on. The vote comes in, and by a vote of 4 to 0… Echo, you have been evicted.
Week 9: With Six houseguests remaining, they are taken to the Gateway colosseum to have mock Pokemon battles. In the first round, Xio beats Lisette and Selene beats DJ, with Benedict drawing a spot in the top 3. In a first to win two times in a row scenario, Selene beats both and comes out victorious. Selene and Lisette decide that they have to cut ties and work with the more devious players to have a better shot at the end. Selene puts up DJ and Xio, with DJ being the target. Benedict is alone in his room when he hallucinates more blood on his paws. He shouts and Xio comes in to see whats up. She helps him calm down and he realizes he is down a bad path. She helps him calm down and he thanks her, even with him harassing her all game she still helped him. Candy witnesses the two help each other out and is beyond irritated, she goes to Selene, who is still iffy on Xio, to warn her. At the veto, Candy wins it. She takes off DJ and Selene spitefully puts up Benedict, who trembles going to the block. Lisette confronts Selene for making such a rushed decision, as the goal was to keep Benedict and his threat around longer. At the eviction, Benedict argues that he has realizes how the game has changed him and he wants to prove how he changed. Lisette doesn’t believe him but DJ seems to be enamored. The vote comes in, and by a vote of 2 to 1… Xio you have been evicted.
Week 10: Five stars remain and there are five points in the Stars of the Main Street colosseum, where the houseguests go to do a full BPBB quiz! Lisette misses one question and gets behind as the other get ahead. It comes down to a tie-breaker between Dj and Benedict and the winner is… DJ! Benedict goes to apologize to DJ for real and she forgives him, happy to see his true self back again. She feels played by Selene and Candy so they go on the block. Lisette is still suspicious of Benedict and starts watching him for suspicious activity, noticing him look at his paws a lot. She decides to talk to him with the ruse of working together. At the veto, DJ wins again and claims her game, choosing not to use the veto. Realizing the danger they are in, Selene and Candy go to their respective closest allies, Benedict and Lisette. The two touch base with Benedict telling Lisette he is fine voting Candy with her, as he doesn’t want to force DJ to have to break a tie. At the eviction, the votes are read and by a vote of 2 to 0… Selene, you have been evicted. Benedict looks over at Lisette with a shocked look, realizing she caught on to him.
Week 10: As the final HOH starts, the houseguest are in the Stargazer colosseum for an epic triathlon of quizzes, endurance, and races. In the first part, Benedict pulls ahead, with Lisette on his tail. He falls behind in part two, giving Lisette and Candy a chance to catch him. The three are neck and neck in part three but Lisette comes out on top! Benedict goes to Lisette on her HOH to grovel but she stops him, saying she misheard the vote last week and though the vote was for Selene anyways so its good he didn’t make poor DJ break the tie. He feels reassured and goes back out. Lisette puts up DJ and Candy as the nominees. Lisette reassures DJ about how Benedict likes her and she wouldn’t go home. Benedict touches base with Lisette, claiming that he knows DJ has too much social traction and needs to go next because of this. On his way out, Candy enters the room and chats with Lisette. She says that the noms should stay the same so DJ can be evicted for sure this week. Lisette doesn’t trust her and tells her to her face she is no better than Benedict, but is powerless without him. The two stare each other down. At the veto, Lisette wins it, and Benedict sighs a sigh of relief. But Lisette shocks everyone by saving Candy and puts up Benedict. Lisette calls him out for faking his turnaround to play with everyone’s emotions. He breaks down, claiming his intense want, no, NEED to win the game. He can’t get it out of his head and it burdens him with the thoughts of betrayal, including the allies he betrayed this season, with Nickels, Echo, and even Xio who showed him so much kindness leaving because of him. DJ is in tears and even Candy can’t watch. Afterwards, Benedict goes to his only real ally, Candy. He begs her for advice on how to get out of this, as she helped him so much. She looks him in the eye as she tells him that he did this to himself. At the eviction, Candy gets the sole vote to evict and casts it to evict, Benedict.
The Reunion: Folks we are live again right outside the Neon Colosseum for the Finale of Bunny’s Pokémon Big Brother Champion Royale! Our Sixteen winners have been whittled down to three and it is not what we expected at all! In a house where everyone wants to be the biggest truck on the highway, we have three mid-sized sedans who have slipped through the gaps and swept their way to the end. DJ VOLT SWITCH, Elesa’s iconic Emolga who created the jams we are listening to even right now! She plays up her social game very well with honesty and loyalty, but is no slouch in the competitions. Though she has been left out of some secrets in the game, she was well=liked in the house and leveraged her position between alliances to get information! Sweet Candy the Wigglytuff who played Sickly Sweet last but downright Sick this time. She got in close with all of the villains but managed to be the cherry flavored licorice that was easier to manage. She avoided detection aligning with big villain Benedict and hiding behind the scenes of his chaos, even almost controlling his moves at points. The Sunstone herself, LISETTE the Solrock, who foresaw victory once, but is this a double reading? Lisette bided her time throughout the game, getting whatever information she could and waiting to play it until the time was right. She was at the center of multiple alliances but always stayed just far enough away from the drama that no one was even targeting her. The Sun? No Lisette is after The World!
Joining us on stage now are the 9 jurors! Starting with Splaatz—Ope watch your step, you gotta be careful or else you’ll trip. Here comes Lance the OG! Though he is old he is still our knight in shining armor. Nickels struts up so casually ooh lala. Here comes Echo, kind of sheepishly, don’t be shy buddy! Day gracefully swims up on stage, still to audience cheering. Wait, the cheering is getting louder? Oh it’s Xio! She is surprisingly well-received. Selene keeps the applause growing. She seems to be goading the audience on with her behavior, not wanting to stay out of the spotlight hmm. And then—oh wow I can’t hear anything with the thunder of the crowd for… Benedict? Interesting outcome here that our little villain has become a real crowd pleaser. Even as he walks to his seat with his head held low.
The jurors speak with our lovely reporter. Lance speaks about how great it was to come back and how this game is way changed from when he won season 1. Xio and Nickels agree, but they still worked hard to adapt to the changes. Selene scoffs a bit, another early winner, she notes that herself and Candy were very well integrated, they just needed to change their approach. Xio says it was much harder playing from the bottom rather than the top and it was a fight, but she had a ton of fun doing so. Day mentions she felt the same way. A house full of winners is not to be underestimated for a second, as they all could be planning many different things behind each other’s backs. Splaatz is—oh he’s asleep… moving on. Nickels asks Echo about how he changed his game this time, and why he turned on her. He apologizes, saying he was blinded by seeing opportunities with Benedict because he didn’t fight with him, only told him what he wanted to hear. And he realized too late that that was a ruse. She accepts his apologies and all eyes turn to Benedict. He looks up, seemingly just noticing eyes are on him. He looks down at his paws. “All I’ve seen since last season is blood on my paws. The need to win never left me. I had to do it at all cost. I lost myself in that game and resorted to every trick in the book to make the winners trust me. And it worked… but I fell deeper and deeper down the hole. And now, I don’t feel like I deserved to win at all.” Xio jumps up and makes him look up. “You deserved your win as much as we all deserved ours. It’s a game, it doesn’t have to define you. You define you, so get up and prove it.” Benedict is in disbelief that Xio is still defending him. “You hear that crowd? They were entertained, we entertained them! Your devioushness entertained them! You gave them a show by tricking a bunch of winners, so own up to it and be the entertainer we know you are.” He gives off a small, barely noticeable,but definitely real this time, smile. Xio turns to the crowd “ARE YOU GUYS READY FOR OUR FINAL THREE???” The crowd erupts in excitement!! “THEN GET READY BECAUSE HERE THEY ARE!!”
Final HOH Part 1: The HOH opens on top of the rotating Roulette wheel in the Neon Colosseum, with the audience now filled and the three houseguests circling in the middle, holding on for dear life. At the same time, they are throwing dodgeballs at each other. Candy is targeting Lisette out of spite, putting on a performance for the audience about how Lisette is a traitor to their alliance. DJ is caught in the crossfire but expertly dodges. She manages to catch a ball that Candy threw and chucks it back, knocking her out. Lisette smiles at DJ but DJ knows she still has to win. She tells Lisette she is sorry but she is done working with people and has to take her game into her own hands, not relying on others to fail but herself to succeed. Lisette agrees, but she wants to be the one to succeed. Lisette lobs a ball at Dj and knocks her out, winning Part 1.
Final HOH Part 2: Part begins with Candy and DJ on the Rotating Roulette platform again, racing around to land the colored balls in order of the competitions and the winners of each one. DJ takes an early lead, having been very aware of the game the whole beginning. Candy struggles at first but when she catches up to leaving the villains alliance and joining Benedict, she takes off, knowing how well she played Benedict as her own puppet that she controlled votes for that she easily crushes the midgame part. Her lead takes her ahead on time going into the endgame. DJ misses a key vote and has to go back, but Candy remembers who saved Benedict countless times, and gets it right, winning part 2.
Final HOH Part 3: The crowd is in uproars as Candy and Lisette reach the stage for final quiz, again on our roulette platform (we paid a lot of money for that). Each juror question goes by, with Lisette and Candy answering in tandem, Both get question after question correct, eventually reaching the last question about Benedict. The crowd is shocked as they both answer together again and… get it wrong. Well, that’s anticlimactic. Benedict sighs, no one knew his true self. But the tie-breaker is revealed, how many rotations has the rotating platform made? With both answering two numbers away from each other, Candy goes just over, eliminating her, and crowning Lisette the final HOH. Lisette has both DJ and Candy in front of her. She doesn’t say much but looks at them. She says that DJ played an impeccable social game and is incredibly loved by the fans and the house. Candy, meanwhile, played a strategic game and almost fooled her a couple times. She turns to Candy “I made a gamble with bringing a social threat to the end before with Amni, but not this time. Candy, let’s give em a show.” And casts her vote to evict DJ.
The Jury Questioning: DJ isn’t shocked, she did a lot this time around and knew she made herself a bigger threat. She exits the house and gets cheers from the audience! She hops to the DJ booth and begins playing the final epic track for the showdown between Candy and Lisette. Both have been in this position before in the final 2 and both have won, but now, only one can become a two-time winner and be crowned the ultimate Champion! Lisette opens with her speech first. She pitches her game strong, how she gravitated towards groups in the early game without committing too strongly, so she didn’t go down with the ship. She still managed to control so many votes in the house by having reach with her Witches Coven and eventually jumping ship and siding with Benedict, as she knew he was under Candy’s thumb and she could infiltrate that alliance to get to the end and destroy it. The jury is impressed by her showing and all eyes turn to Candy. Candy starts saying how she knew her game was already known going into the house and she had to play different. Her main strategy was to fall into the background and connect with the players playing sloppier than her so she could be the puppetmaster and sneak to the end. And for her, that was found in Benedict, who she found it very easy to manipulate. She is the villain they all knew she was but she wasn’t targeted because of her great strategy. She saved Benedict’s game and carried him to the end so that she could have a guaranteed extra life in the endgame with him. Murmurs arise from the jury, Benedict looks incredibly hurt. Xio asks Candy what her biggest move was outside of controlling Benedict. Candy says that she made sure that the villains she worked with got cut before she could get too powerful, even working with Lisette to get out Bane and Maeva. DJ gets up from the booth and asks Lisette why she went to the end with Candy instead of her if she thought Candy was going to be tougher. Lisette clarifies that she thought Candy would be good at explaining her game, but she knows not to rely on other’s failing but on herself to succeed, and DJ has a great story and was well-loved and if she wanted to win, she had to cut DJ and masterfully explain her game to the jury. Benedict finally speaks up to ask Candy if he meant anything to her at all throughout the game. She hesitates, caught off guard, before replying in all honesty that, she wanted to mentor him to be a better player. He says he did well enough for making it to the end twice and didn’t need her to do all that. In their final speeches, Candy says that she used other people as her pawns and navigated a really good game to make it to the end hidden amongst the other players. Lisette says that she played a perfect game, not even touching the block and noting that she has not received a vote against her in either of her games, this one being perfect. She finishes by saying how she played more up front and aggressive to counter the sneakier players of the season and did not back down from the threats that all the winners possessed. The jury is impressed and goes to cast their votes.
Jury Voting: Splaatz says he had a fun time playing again and wants to vote for someone who played really good, even showing him more how to play. Lance says that while some people are old school, some people are REALLY old school, but can still play with the best of the best and be even better. Nickels says she is honored to be in the winners season but one winner played like how she thinks a winner should. Day says she worked with both finalists, but she always felt the house pulling towards one player, as the sun has a lot of gravity and control over the tides. Echo says point blank that he felt the manipulation from both sides, but one felt malicious, and another felt like game, and he knows which he respects more. Xio says that some lines shouldn’t be crossed. Selene says that she was honored to be so thoroughly outplayed, turning from the Queen to the Pawn who was merely a stepping stone in someone elses game, it was thrilling. Benedict silently casts his vote. DJ cues the final tune before hopping down with her vote, saying that it should be obvious. The votes come in… by a vote of 9 to 0… the winner is…
Winner: Lisette!
Runner-Up: Candy!
Confetti cannons and flamethrowers start lighting up the sky with neon streams shining bright all over the sky! Though it is the dead of night, it is as bright as the sun, and Lisette is feeling absolutely radiant. Candy sits in shock, in disbelief. Lisette throws her the Lovers card again. “You misread it the first time so maybe you can learn before you try to tell the fortune teller what her fortune is.” Candy throws the card on the ground in anger and pouts. The jurors go and cheer for Lisette, the ultimate champion and two time winner, STILL having never received a single vote to evict in two entire seasons. The fan favorite vote comes in and… IT’S A TIE???
Fan Favorites: Benedict and Xio!!!
Benedict goes up to Candy, still fuming, and looks her in the eyes. “You know what, you really did teach me something. You taught me that some people never change, but I don’t have to be one of them.” Xio comes up and takes Benedict back to the celebration, sticking her tongue out at Candy as she leaves. The party goes through the night. The sun eventually rises, as Lisette has risen to the top of the competition, as this era of Bunny’s Pokemon Big Brother has come to an end.
My Thoughts: I enjoyed this season a lot. It kept me on the edge as the winners played their games again, some way better than others. Gameplay-wise, I think I preferred last season but I think it’s more so because of the subtle moves made in the dark as no one wanted to be too big of a target. The villains ended up flopping early, which kind of was to be expected, given that everyone else is a relaly smart player to have won. Candy surprised me this time, sneaking in to take over Benedict, being a key player in his storyline, even a bigger villain than he tried to be. It really helped me tie up the storyline really well and I like how it happened. She also played a stellar game again, controlling things from the chaos in the shadows. The other side of the house was not slouching though. Lisette, Selene, Xio, and Day all played smart games, not committing too much to each other but still working well enough to not crumble. Lisette as a winner for this season is great! She put in work to keep her position, as it was in danger of falling apart so much. She leveraged every ally she had and every competition she had to get forward every week. And it worked as she got to the end without hitting the block AGAIN and played a PERFECT game, not receiving a single vote to evict and getting every vote to win. She did that in a winner season too, ultimate winner for sure!
So whats next? Well... that's the end. I knew since the beginning that Season 17 would be the end but it coming up still feels so weird. I am about to start a busy summer and don't have as much time for all of my hobbies but I still feel sad finishing this series. I think I am going to make a series epilogue soon so stay tuned for that but... otherwise that's it. I thank you all again so much for sticking with me the whole time, it's been a wonderful journey!
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2024.05.13 19:13 frontrowme1 Fanatics Live - Seems its buyer beware if package destroyed in shipping

I've been buying cards using Fanatics live for a few months now - and have had ok experience - but I wanted to share how a few days ago I received a package absolutely destroyed by USPS and now I can't get anyone to help. I figured since every purchase charges handling fees that when packages are shipped they would be insured - but neither the breaker (VIPRIPS) or Fanatics are responding. I've been told crazy things like once they ship it isn't their problem anymore and Fanatics has said they will send me something if nothing can be done - what do you mean nothing can be done??? Clearly someone needs to file a claim with USPS! This is over $500 in breaks in this one box. The box was not only crushed but wet - cardboard soaked wet - so wet the stuff inside is now full of water. I'm really disappointed how little help In getting as I communicated to VIP and Fanatics within minutes of the box arriving and now days later I've not gotten any help. Anyone have any ideas what I should do next?
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2024.05.13 17:54 StarAdventurous9663 The DC Creature Commandos Logo A Sneak Peek into James Gunn's Newest Universe

The DC Creature Commandos Logo A Sneak Peek into James Gunn's Newest Universe
Warner Bros. Discovery is all set to unveil something super cool at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June. And you know what's even more awesome? It's none other than the much-awaited 'Creature Commandos'!
https://preview.redd.it/hrruyic9u70d1.jpg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f788a939a6b663d22207361fb5d8a09bf0da2015
Behind the Scenes Buzz
So, picture this: you're chilling at the festival, surrounded by fellow animation enthusiasts, when suddenly, bam! Warner Bros. drops the bomb - a "Making-Of Session" for 'Creature Commandos'! Yup, you heard it right. We're talking behind-the-scenes footage, folks! It's like getting a sneak peek into the magical world of animation, courtesy of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
https://www.cliqcut.com/2024/05/the-dc-creature-commandos-logo-sneak.html
But wait, there's more! Alongside our monstrous pals, we're also in for a treat with screenings of other animated gems like 'Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim' and 'The Amazing World of Gumball' reboot. Talk about a lineup that'll knock your socks off!
Meet the Minds Behind the Monsters
Now, let's talk about the brains behind this beastly project. We're talking about Rick Morales and Balak Yves, the creative geniuses steering the 'Creature Commandos' ship. These guys are gonna be at the festival, giving us the lowdown on what to expect from our favorite monster squad. Can't wait to pick their brains and maybe score a selfie or two!
Who Even Are These Commandos?
Okay, so you might be wondering, what's the deal with 'Creature Commandos'? Well, think of them as the Suicide Squad's spooky cousins, with a twist of classic Universal Monsters. Led by the formidable Amanda Waller (played by the awesome Viola Davis), this motley crew of misfits is gearing up for some serious action. And trust me, it's gonna be one wild ride!
A Star-Studded Cast
But wait, it gets better. Brace yourselves for a star-studded voice cast that'll blow your mind. We're talking Frank Grillo, David Harbour, Indira Varma, Maria Bakalova, Alan Tudyk, Zoë Chao, and Sean Gunn, just to name a few. It's like a who's who of Hollywood talent, all coming together to breathe life into our favorite monsters. Now that's what I call epic!
Coming Soon to a Screen Near You
So, when can we get our monster fix, you ask? Well, hold onto your hats, because 'Creature Commandos' is slithering its way onto screens later this year. That's right, folks. Get ready to witness the mayhem unfold on Max in 2024. It's gonna be one heck of a ride, and I, for one, can't wait to sink my teeth into it!
So there you have it, folks - a tantalizing glimpse into the world of 'Creature Commandos' and the excitement brewing at the Annecy Festival. Get ready to unleash your inner monster lover and join the fun!
submitted by StarAdventurous9663 to u/StarAdventurous9663 [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 17:51 huskerbolt1 Ship with inventory, blown up by NPC's leaves an empty Box

So I looked ... the SC forum has had tons of entries but I did not see anything.
I played quite a bit over the weekend, experienced the same bugs most did and looked on the Known Issue with RSI ... one I had happen 3 times, FLying around ... landed at Breakers and sold 3 boxes of RMC out of my Corsair, which also had several sets of armor, guns and whatnot in inventory, came out and 2 NPC Cutty's were torching my ship ... it blows up and they continue to circle.
I get to the ship and find the Ship/cargo loot box but it was empty. This proceeded to happen a total of 3 times over the weekend
Anyone else experience this one?
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2024.05.13 17:31 RaynMakerCards FS-Reds lot $35 Shipped. Eric Davis Rookie!

FS-Reds lot $35 Shipped. Eric Davis Rookie!
FS-Reds lot $35 Shipped. Eric Davis Rookie!
Add $2 if using PayPal goods and services.
submitted by RaynMakerCards to baseballcards [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 16:14 Leather_Focus_6535 The currently 124 offenders executed by the state of Oklahoma since the 1970s (warning, graphic content, please read at your own risk) [part 2, cases 63-124]

This is the second half of my list for Oklahoma's execution roster. As mentioned in the first part, I broke it in half to comply with reddit's character limitations. For the link to part 1, please click here.
The currently executed 124 offenders, cases 63-124:
63. Robert Knighton (~1960s-2003, lethal injection): In 1973, after being released from a 1968 armed robbery conviction, Knighton went on his first major crime spree. He stabbed and strangled several men and women during many robberies and home invasions. The only victim that was killed, 32 year old Coffier Day, was shot dead while Knighton was arguing with him in his home. Coffier's father, 53 year old Claude, was also injured in the shooting. Knighton's first crime spree ended when he kidnapped a married couple and their 6 year old daughter. They escaped when the wife and mother of the family attacked Knighton with a knife to protect her husband and daughter. The family then notified the police of their abduction. Knighton managed to secure a 30 year manslaughter conviction and a 10 year armed robbery conviction with a plea deal, and was released to a halfway house in 1989. There, he began dating a female addict and befriended a teenage boy. The trio embarked on a nationwide robbery spree together. In Missouri, they shot and killed 59 year old Frank Merrifield and his 40 year old stepson Roy Donahue while robbing their home, and stole guns and money from them. In Oklahoma, the trio fatally shot a couple, 64 year old Virginia and 62 year old Richard Denney, while carjacking them. Their rampage ended when a woman in Texas grow suspicious of them circling a neighborhood. Knighton had a long history of theft convictions dating back to his childhood, and joined the Aryan Brotherhood in prison. Behind bars, he frequently attacked black and Native American inmates out of racial hatred for them.
64. Kenneth Charm (1993-2003, lethal injection): Charm and his teenage cousin lured a family friend, 14 year old Brandy Hill, into their car. They raped Hill and tried strangling her with a towel. When that failed, the cousins bludgeoned her to death with a sledgehammer.
65. Lewis Gilbert II (1994-2003, lethal injection): Gilbert and his teenage accomplice committed at least 4 robbery murders in Missouri, Ohio, and Oklahoma, but he was executed for the killing of 37 year old Roxanne Ruddell. They ambushed and kidnapped Ruddell while she was fishing alone. She was robbed of $3 and her truck, tied to a tree, and shot to death. The pair also fatally shot Ruth Loader, a 79 year old Ohioan woman, while abducting her from her residence, and gunned down a Missouri couple, 86 year old William and 76 year old Flossie Brewer, in their home. Gilbert was also sentenced to death for the Brewer murders by the state of Missouri, but was incarcerated in Oklahoma State Penitentiary’s death row.
66. Robert Duckett (~1980s-2003, lethal injection): After breaking out of prison, Duckett was picked up hitchhiking by John Howard, a 53 year old store owner. Howard agreed to let Duckett stay with him until he could find a job. The pair soon had a failing out, and Duckett was evicted by his host. He retaliated by tying Howard up with wire and then beating him to death with a fireplace poker. Duckett made off with his car after he switched the license plates, and took several bank bags from his store. He had a long violent criminal history, which included several incidents of assault and robbery. One of the incidents involved the beating of an 83 year old man. Allegedly, Duckett was previously gang-raped by other inmates, and suffered from PTSD from the incident. His attorneys claimed that Howard’s sexual advances trigged those memories, and he was killed as a result of Duckett lashing out at them. However, the prosecution shot the argument down, citing that the murder happened after Duckett was evicted from the apartment.
67. Bryan Toles (1993-2003, lethal injection): Toles and his two accomplices forced themselves into the home of the Franceschi family, and shot and killed the family patriarch, 39 year old Juan, in a struggle. Juan's son, 15 year old Lonnie, was also murdered "execution style" out of fear that he could identify Toles and his accomplices. The only survivor of the attack was Norma, Juan's wife and Lonnie's mother, who escaped by hiding in her older daughter's bedroom.
68. Jackie Willingham (1994-2003, lethal injection): Willingham was a door to door salesman selling perfume in an office building. One women, 62 year old Jayne Van Wey, he tried to solicit rejected him despite his repeated offers. Angered by her "rude behavior", Willingham attacked Van Wey when they had a chance encounter near the building's restroom. He dragged Van Wey out of a stall after following her inside, slammed her head against the bathroom wall several times, and kicked her head. Reportedly, Van Wey choked to death on her own blood.
69. Harold McElmurry III (1999-2003, lethal injection): While under the influence of meth, McElmurry and his wife Vicki broke into a home that a WW2 veteran, 80 year old Robert Pendley, shared with his wife, 75 year old Rosa. Robert and Rosa were both quickly subdued and physically restrained by the couple. McElmurry clubbed Robert to death with a pipe in front of Rosa, who was forced to watch by Vicki. Vicki then held Rosa down as McElmurry stabbed her several times with scissors. After killing the Pendleys, the McElmurrys fled with $70 in cash, a pair of guns, and the victims' car. A few days after the murders, they were captured by border agents while trying to cross into Mexico.
70. Tyrone Darks (~1990s-2004, lethal injection): Darks rammed his ex wife, 26 year old Sherry Goodlow, off the road as she was driving with their 2 year old son. After Goodlow crashed, Darks pulled their son out of the wreckage, shot her to death, and then drove away with him. Just before she succumbed to her injuries, Goodlow managed to call and notify the police about her son’s abduction. The police confronted and arrested Darks at his home, and they found the boy unharmed in their search. Darks and Goodlow’s former marriage was marred with violence, and he was arrested on numerous occasions for assaulting her. On death row, Darks was involved in a scheme to defraud a foundation for 9/11 survivors.
71. Norman Cleary (~1980s-2004, lethal injection): While burglarizing an upper class home with an accomplice, Cleary shot and killed a housekeeper, 44 year old Wanda Neafus, and took her purse and a cane that her employers purchased from the Smithsonian Institution. Cleary had a long criminal history and was previously convicted of beating an 87 year old woman in her home.
72. David Brown (~1983-2004, lethal injection): For several years, Brown violently harassed his ex wife and her family. In one incident, Brown abducted his ex wife and 11 of her customers from a beauty saloon she owned, and held them hostage until he surrendered to police. He was able to leave custody on bond and went into hiding. A few years after the hostage crisis incident, Brown broke into his ex wife's family home and gunned down her father, 47 year old Eldon McGuire.
73. Hung Thanh Le (1992-2004, lethal injection): Le crept into the apartment of another Vietnamese refugee, 34 year old Hai Nguyen, and found him watching TV on the couch. He struck Nguyen from behind with a weightlifting bar, and continued stabbing him with a meat cleaver when he screamed his wife for help. Nguyen's wife phoned the police, and Le fled with the couple's safety deposit box that contained $36,000 and their wedding ring.
74. Robert Bryan (1993-2004, lethal injection): Bryan shot and killed his estranged aunt, 69 year old Mildred, dumped her body on his parents' property, and forged a $1,800 check to himself under her name.
75. Windel Workman (~1980s(?)-2004, lethal injection): Workman beat his girlfriend's daughter, 2 year old Amanda Holman, to death while babysitting her in their home. His ex wives reported that he had a history of child abuse and often violently spanked their children during their marriages.
76. Jimmie Slaughter (1991-2005, lethal injection): Fearing that she was going to tell his wife of their affair, Slaughter stabbed and shot his ex girlfriend, 29 year old Melody Wuertz, and their daughter, 1 year old Jessica. According to court documents, Slaughter mutilated both of their bodies, and he carved an "R" on Melody's stomach. He tried pinning the murders on a black man, but the investigators and the courts dismissed his allegations.
77. George Miller Jr. (1994-2005, lethal injection): During the robbery of a hotel, Miller attacked the auditor, 25 year old Kent Dodd, with a hedge shear and paint cans, and took $122 from the register. Dodd was severely beaten, had muriatic acid shoved down his throat, and was left to die. Just before he died of his injuries, Dodd gave a description of his attacker to the police that matched Miller. A massive amount of circumstantial evidence, such as wearing shoes that resembled the bloodstained footprints next to Dodd's body, a microscopic drop of blood found on his shoes that was tentatively linked to Dodd, his wife's testimony of his unaccounted absence from their home during the murder, and what appeared to be Dodd writing Miller's alias that he knew him by in his own blood, convicted him. Miller’s friends also reported that he was broke and begging them for money a day before the murder, and his wife mentioned him giving her the same amount of money that was stolen from the robbery a day after it happened.
78. Michael Pennington (1991-2005, lethal injection): Pennington shot and killed a clerk, 20 year old Bradley Grooms, while trying to rob a 7-eleven grocery store. He left empty handed when the register failed to open.
79. Kenneth Turrentine (1994-2005, lethal injection): Under the belief that they were stealing money from him for drugs, Turrentine shot and killed his sister, 48 year old Avon Stevenson, and his girlfriend, 39 year old Anita Richardson, during confrontations in their homes. He also gunned down Anita's two children, 22 year old Tina Pennington and 13 year old Martise.
80. Richard Thornburg Jr. (1996-2006, lethal injection): A month after he was shot by an unknown assailant, Thornburg and his accomplices sought revenge by abducting 5 men that he thought was responsible from a trailer. Three of the hostages, 51 year old James Poteet, 39 year old Tery Sheppard, and 24 year old Kieth Smith, were gunned down on the spot, and Thornberg forced the fourth to shoot the fifth with the threat of killing him if he didn’t comply. They then burned down the trailer with the wounded fifth victim still trapped inside, but he managed to escape with his life. Despite being forced to put all the blame on himself in exchange for being spared, the fourth hostage still went forward to the police.
81. John Boltz (1984-2006, lethal injection): To spite his estranged wife following an argument, Boltz attacked her son, 23 year old Doug Kirby, with a knife. Kirby was stabbed a total of 11 times, and he received several fatal wounds to his chest, stomach, and neck.
82. Eric Patton (1994-2006, lethal injection): Patton forced his way into the home of 56 year old Charlene Kauer after she refused his pleading for money. After dragging her around the house as he searched for valuables, Patton stabbed Kauer several times with many different blades objects at hand such as scissors, barbecue forks, and kitchen knifes. Although he confessed to the murder, Patton blamed it on alleged demonic possession and his cocaine addiction.
83. James Malicoat (1997-2006, lethal injection): Malicoat slammed Tessa Leadford, his 13 month old daughter, against a dresser. After she died from the beating, he tucked her into bed, and waited until his daughter's mother returned from work to take her to the hospital. The doctors found that Leadford had been dead for several hours at the time of her arrival, and discovered several injuries such as broken ribs, bite marks, abdominal bleeding, and facial bruising on her body. By his own account, he had abused Leadford on a daily basis. For her role in enabling her boyfriend's treatment of their daughter, Leadford's mother was convicted of first degree murder and given a life sentence.
84. Corey Hamilton (1992-2007, lethal injection): During the robbery of a restaurant, Hamilton shot and killed 4 employees, 26 year old Sandy Lara, 24 year old Stephen Williams, 19 year old Ted Kindley, and 17 year old Joseph Gooch, and made off with $2,000.
85. Jimmy Bland (~1975-2007, lethal injection): Bland shot his boss, 62 year old Doyle Rains, in the head over an argument regarding a borrowed car and dumped the body in a creek. He was previously convicted of killing a soldier, Raymond Prentice (age unknown), and abducting the man's wife and son at the age of 19. Bland served a 20 out of 60 year sentence, and murdered Rains a year after he was released.
86. Frank Welch (~1987-2008, lethal injection): In 1987, Welch attacked 28 year old Jo Cooper, who was 4 months pregnant with her second child, in her home. She was tied up with leather straps, raped and violated with plastic toys, and strangled to death. Cooper’s body was found laying near her infant son by her husband. Another woman, 32 year old Debra Stevens, was also bound, raped, and strangled to death in her home in a near identical fashion a few months later. Although both murders went unsolved for several years, Welch abducted and raped a woman in 1994, and he received a 45 year sentence for it. His DNA samples was collected and filed after his abduction conviction, and linked to both Cooper and Stevens’ murders in a 1997 test.
87. Terry Short (1995-2008, lethal injection): In an attempt to kill his ex girlfriend, Short blew up her apartment complex with a firebomb. She and her family managed to escape, but the blast killed Ken Yamamoto, a 22 year old Japanese exchange student. Yamamoto had no connections to the targeted ex girlfriend's family beyond him having the misfortune of residing in the same apartment.
88. Jessie Cummings Jr. (1991-2009, lethal injection): Cummings was a polygamist that had married and lived with two wives. Under his orders, Cummings’ wives shot and killed his estranged half sister, 46 year old Judy Mayo, and kidnapped her daughter, 11 year old Melissa. He bound his niece to his bed with handcuffs to be raped, and stabbed her to death.
89. Darwin Brown (1995-2009, lethal injection): While robbing a grocery store with three accomplices (including Billy Alverson and Michael Wilson), Brown tied up the clerk, 30 year old Richard Yost, with handcuffs, and then bludgeoned him death with a metal baseball bat. The killing was caught by security cameras, and the footage was used by the prosecution to secure the convictions of Brown and his accomplices.
90. Donald Gilson (1995-2009, lethal injection): Gilson routinely physically abused his live in girlfriend's 5 children (who were all between the ages of 8 and 12 years old). The youngest, 8 year old Shane Coffman, was beaten to death with a board for defecating on the living room carpet. He and his girlfriend then hid the body by stuffing it in a freezer. The body was kept inside it for 6 months until it was discovered by a sheriff's deputy investigating the family's abuse allegations. Gilson's girlfriend was spared the death penalty with a plea deal, and given a life sentence without the possibility of parole for her part in her son's abuse and murder.
91. Michael DeLozier (1995-2009, lethal injection): While camping with his friends, DeLozier ambushed another pair of campers, 60 year old Orville Bullard and 54 year old Paul Morgan, and shot them to death. They stole Morgan and Bullard's generator, pick up truck, and other camping gear. To cover up their tracks, DeLozier and his friends set their victims' campsite on fire, and severely burned the bodies.
92. Julius Young (1993-2010, lethal injection): For breaking off their relationship, Young beat his ex girlfriend, 20 year old Joyland Morgan and her 6 year old son Kewan, to death with a baseball bat in their apartment.
93. Donald Wackerly II (1996-2010, lethal injection): Wackerly and his wife ambushed and gunned down Pan Sayakhoummane, a 51 year old Laotian immigrant, while he was fishing in the Arkansas River. After he placed Sayakhoummane's body in the man’s own truck, he pushed into a river, and stole his fishing gear. A few months after the murder, Wackerly’s wife turned him in to the police.
94. John Duty (~1970s-2010, lethal injection): Duty was given a life sentence for abducting, raping, and non fatally shooting a female store clerk during a robbery. While incarcerated, he tricked a fellow inmate, 22 year old Curtis Wise Jr. into allowing himself to be tied up as a part of a hostage ruse, and then strangled him to death with shoelaces. At the time of his murder, Wise was serving a conviction for burglary and contributing to the delinquency of minors. Duty's execution caused some controversy for the use of pentobarbital, a drug more commonly utilized by veterinarians to euthanize pets.
95. Billy Alverson (1995-2011, lethal injection): Alverson assisted the above mentioned Darwin Brown and Micheal Wilson in the beating death of Richard Yost while robbing a convenience store.
96. Jeffrey Matthews (1994-2011, lethal injection): Matthews and his accomplice shot and killed his great uncle, 77 year old Otis Short, while robbing the man's home. In the robbery, they stole Short's truck, his .32 calibre pistol, and $500. The pair also slit the throat of Short's wife, but she survived her injuries.
97. Gary Welch (~1993-2011, lethal injection): During a fight over a drug shipment, Welch and his partner stabbed another dealer, 32 year old Robert Hardcastle, to death with broken glass bottles. He was previously convicted of battery with a deadly weapon, and was off on probation at the time of Hardcastle's murder.
98. Timothy Stemple (1996-2012, lethal injection): Stemple conspired with his girlfriend to murder his wife, 30 year old Trisha, for her life insurance policy. With the help of his girlfriend's 16 year old nephew or cousin [sources vary], Stemple beat Trisha with a baseball bat, and rammed her to death with his truck.
99. Michael Selsor (~1975-2012, lethal injection): Selsor and his accomplice went on a crime spree and robbed several convenience stores. During their robberies, the pair shot and killed two clerks, 55 year old Clayton Chandler and 20 year old Ina Morris, and injured two others in shooting and stabbing attacks.
100. Michael Hooper (~1992-2012, lethal injection): Hooper kidnapped his ex girlfriend, 23 year old Cynthia Jarman, and her children, 5 year old Timothy and 3 year old Tonya, from her boyfriend's residence. He shot all three of them dead, and buried the bodies in a rancher's field. According to court documents, Hooper was hyper-violent towards Cynthia in their year long relationship.
101. Garry Allen (1986-2012, lethal injection): Allen shot and killed his fiancee, 24 year old Lawanna Titsworth, during an argument at a day care she worked at. He fought with the responding officers trying to arrest him in an attempt to provoke a "suicide by cop" outcome. Despite the officers' best efforts to avoid harming him, Allen lost his eye from an accidental discharge. Due to claims of him having schizophrenia, Allen's execution was a source of controversy.
102. George Ochoa (~1993-2012, lethal injection): A Southside Locos gang member, Ochoa and another hoodlum shot and killed a couple, 38 year old Francisco Morales and 35 year old Maria Yanez, while burglarizing their home. The murders were witnessed by the couple's 14 year old and 10 year old children and stepchildren, who then phoned the police after the shooters' departure.
103. Steven Thacker (~1980s-2012, lethal injection): Thacker kidnapped 25 year old Laci Hill during a botched robbery of her home, and took her to a remote cabin to be raped. She was then strangled and stabbed to death. He fled to Missouri, fatally stabbed 24 year old Forrest Boyd while carjacking him, and used his car to hide out in Tennessee. After the stolen car broke down, Thacker called a tow truck to pick him up. When the driver, 52 year old Ray Patterson, found that he was using a stolen credit card, Thacker stabbed him to death as well. As a teenager, Thacker committed several acts of auto thefts and burglaries. He also engaged in inappropriate relationships with underaged girls, and was released from a Florida prison after serving time for a bad check conviction months before his murders.
104. James DeRosa (2000-2013, lethal injection): DeRosa and his accomplice tricked a couple, 73 year old Curtis and 70 year old Gloria Plummer, that he worked for on their ranch, into letting them inside their house. After they stabbed the Plummers and slit their throats, DeRosa and his accomplice stole $73 and drove away with their truck.
105. Brian Davis (2001-2013, lethal injection): Davis went searching for his girlfriend and their daughter when he found them missing from their home, and called his girlfriend's mother, 56 year old Josephine Sanford, about their whereabouts. Sanford dropped by the couple's residence after failing to find her daughter and granddaughter. At her arrival, she was raped, beaten, and stabbed to death by Davis. He then left the body in the house, drove off with Sanford’s van, and injured himself in a car accident. As Davis was high while driving, he was arrested for being under the influence. The detaining officers weren’t aware of the murder until Davis’ girlfriend returned to the home later that night, and called 911 after finding her mother’s corpse.
106. Anthony Banks (~1978-2013, lethal injection): In 1978, while robbing a grocery store, Banks shot and killed a clerk, 22 year old David Fremin. A year later, he abducted Sun Travis, a 24 year old South Korean immigrant, from a parking lot. He then sexually assaulted Travis in his car and shot her in the head. Although he was captured and convicted for Fremin's murder, Travis' killing went unsolved until a 1997 DNA test. Banks was originally sentenced to death for Fremin's murder, but it was lifted in favor of a life sentence. He was condemned for a second time after his conviction for Travis murder.
107. Ronald Lott (~1980s-2013, lethal injection): A sexual predator of elderly women, Lott broke into the homes of 93 year old Zelma Cutler and 83 year old Anna Fowler after cutting off their power. They were tied up with cloth, anally penetrated, beaten, and suffocated to death with pillowcases. The case attracted controversy when another man was erroneously condemned for the murders, and he spent 11 years on death row until a 1997 DNA test linked the murders to Lott. At the time of the discovery, Lott was serving time for two rape convictions.
108. Johnny Black (~1984-2013, lethal injection): Black, two of his brothers, and two other men went looking for a man they feuded with for a fight. While they were crusing on the road, the group encountered a rancher, 54 year old Bill Pogue, and mistook him for their target due to them driving similar vehicles. They forced Poque off the road, pulled him out of his car, and stabbed him a total of 10 times. Pogue's son in law was also dragged out and attacked, but he managed to escape with his life. Black was previously convicted of manslaughter for shooting 49 year old Cecil Martin dead in an argument.
109. Michael Wilson (1995-2014, lethal injection): Wilson was the third participant in the above mentioned beating death of Richard Yost to be executed.
110. Kenneth Hogan (1988-2014, lethal injection): Hogan stabbed 21 year old Lisa Stanley to death while she was babysitting his children. According to autopsy reports, she was stabbed at least 25 times. Stanley had previously accused him of sexual misconduct, and prosecutors believed that she was killed during an argument over the allegations.
111. Clayton Lockett (~1992-2014, lethal injection): Lockett, his cousin, and another accomplice kidnapped 23 year old Bobby Bornt, 18 year old Summer Hair, and Bornt's 9 month son after burglarizing a home. After tying them up with duct tape, they forced their captives to lure a friend, 19 year old Stephanie Neiman, with a phone call. Neiman was also bound and initially survived getting shot multiple times. Out of frustration, Lockett buried her alive, and she succumbed to a combination of suffocation and her injuries. Lockett and his accomplices also gang-raped Hair and beat Bornt, but spared them on the forced condition of their silence. His execution was controversial, as Lockett convulsed for 45 minutes after being injected, and then died from a heart attack. He also had a long criminal history, and was first arrested for burglary as a teenager.
112. Charles Warner (1997-2015, lethal injection): Warner raped his girlfriend's daughter, 11 month old Adriana Waller, and shook her to death. His execution sparked outcry, as the wrong fatal drug was administered by mistake, and Warner complained of "burning pain" as he was being injected. With the botched executions of Lockett and Warner back to back, the state of Oklahoma delayed further executions until 2021.
113. John Grant (~1970s-2021, lethal injection): While serving a 130 year sentence for armed robbery, Grant stabbed a prison cafeteria worker, 58 year old Gay Carter, to death. He had a long criminal history dating back to the ag e of 11, had several previous convictions of theft and armed robbery, and frequently fought with and assaulted other inmates behind bars. Due to reports of "adverse reactions" to the lethal drugs, Grant's execution was scrutinized by a number of national media outlets.
114. Bigler Stouffer II (1985-2021, lethal injection): Stouffer shot and killed his ex girlfriend, 35 year old Linda Reaves, in her boyfriend's home for breaking up with him. Reaves' boyfriend was also seriously injured in the shooting.
115. Donald Grant (2001-2022, lethal injection): During a robbery of a hotel, Grant fatally shot, stabbed, and bludgeoned two employees, 43 year old Felicia Smith and 29 year old Brenda McElyea, and ran off with $1,500. He spent $200 of the stolen on paying for his girlfriend's bail.
116. Gilbert Postelle (~1998-2022, lethal injection): Postelle’s father was badly injured in a motorcycle accident, and they suspected that 57 year old James Anderson, 56 year old Terry Smith, 49 year old Donnie Swindler, and 26 year old Amy Wright were deliberately involved. Out a desire for vengeance, he recruited Postelle, his other son, and another man to kill them. All four victims were fatally gunned down in what was described as a “blitz attack” on their trailer. He was an addict and had several arrests for drug possession and manufacturing dating back to the age of 12.
117. James Coddington (1997-2022, lethal injection): After robbing a grocery store, Coddington went to the home of a friend and co worker, 73 year old Albert Hale, to ask for money. When Hale turned him down, Coddington retaliated by beating him with a claw hammer. Coddington stole $525 and went on to rob 5 more grocery stores. Hale was left alone with his injures for nearly an entire day until he was discovered by his son, and died in the hospital a day later.
118. Benjamin Cole Sr. (2002-2022, lethal injection): Out of anger that her crying interrupted his Nintendo game, Cole beat his daughter from his second wife, 9 month old Brianna, to death. He was previously convicted of abusing his son from a different marriage in California.
119. Richard Fairchild (1996-2023, lethal injection): Fairchild got into a fight with his girlfriend’s 17 year old daughter after making drunken sexual passes at her, and was enraged that she left with a cab driver. He took his anger out on the girl’s younger brother, 3 year old Adam Broomhall, and scalded him with a wall heater. He then repeatedly hit the boy, threw him against a table, and fatally hemorrhaged his head. Bromhall received over 26 blows during the beating.
120. Scott Eizember (2003-2023, lethal injection): Eizember snuck into his ex girlfriend's house to lie in wait for her. However, her roommates, 76 year old A.J. Cantrell and his 70 year old wife Patsy, arrived home earlier then she did. He shot and beat them both to death and then fled the scene.
121. Jemaine Cannon (1995-2023, lethal injection): Cannon was put in prison for assaulting an unidentified woman. He managed to escape and stabbed his girlfriend, 20 year old Sharonda Clark, to death in her apartment.
122. Anthony Sanchez (1996-2023, lethal injection): Sanchez kidnapped 21 year old Jewell Busken from her apartment complex, and then raped and shot her to death. He amassed a following from the anti death penalty movement for claiming that his father was responsible, but such notions were debunked following a 2023 DNA test that concluded Sanchez’s guilt.
123. Phillip Hancock (~1982-2023, lethal injection): In 1982, Hancock shot a drug dealer, 27 year old Charles Warren, dead in a dispute over stolen jewelry and was given a manslaughter conviction for it. He was released after serving a 2 year term. About 17 years later, he shot and killed 58 year old James Lynch III and 37 year old Robert Jett Jr. in a drug house. Despite an eyewitness account describing Lynch and Jett begging for their lives, the case attracted scrutiny when Hancock's attorneys claimed that the shootings were done in self defense.
124. Michael Smith (~2002-2024, lethal injection): A member of the Oak Grove Posse gang, Smith was responsible for two separate fatal shootings on the same day. In one of his murders, he killed Sharath Pulluru, a 24 year old Indian immigrant that worked as a clerk, while robbing a gas station. The other murder occurred when he tried to confront a gang member that he thought was a police informant in his apartment, and gunned down the target’s mother, 40 year old Janet Miller-Moore, when she refused to give away her son’s location. Smith was also given a life sentence for delivering a gun to a shooter that carried out another gang killing.
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2024.05.13 16:09 ArtOfMehdiAbdi CotG report + tips for new GM's

CotG report + tips for new GM's
Chariot of the Gods, a GM report. SPOILER ALERT
Side note/ I’m french ! My english isn’t perfect so forgive me for bad writing ^ This Reedit help me so much ! I want to share with you my last playthrought (physically) with you as a huge thanks. Maybe there will be useful things for new GMs.
*My collection : * I have the core rule book, Chariot of the Gods, Destroyer of the worlds and Heart of Darkness.
*Context : * I’m a Tales from the loop and Alien GM (also a DnD player only). Didn’t have so much experience as a GM but i love cinematic scenarios from Free League. Just ran a couple of Tales from the loop, i ran Chariot of the gods (CotG) 2 times (one finished physically, another one didn’t finished online) and Destroyer of the worlds one time (didn’t finished). Last time was like 2 or 3 years ago. My DnD GM (who love Alien) always asked me to GM a session. After months, we finally found the perfect group with other fan friends of the Xenomorph world. Everyone was a DnD player but never touched at Alien Rpg.
We're all profesional artists. My DnD GM (who play Cham) is a 3D artist who sculpt, 3D print and paint. He came the first day with a full sculpture of a Xenomorph (in the pictures) and give one to each player and myself. We were shocked by the quality ! I think it's a great idea, and i started a digital paint (i'm a profesional illustrator) for players for next session. I plan to give them as a poster (work in progress in the pictures).
I don’t like Hope’s last day so much, just played it alone. It’s more mechanical than cinematic and my players are huuuuudge fan of acting. I found that Chariot of god is perfect for a first session because first act is full of “tutorial moment” if you change it a little bit.
The full scenario was around 14 hours of play divided in 2 session. 4 players, one GM. Age between 30 and 40.
*Last week before hell : * We have a private Discord, i send them everything they need to know about the game. A quick history of Alien Rpg and Gaska, the difference beetween Campaign and Cinematic, preroll character you gonna leave at the end, the permanent treat of death, personnal agendas, paranoïa and anger, “you make the scenario”, and i finished my presentation by the famous “i can’t lie to you about your chances, but you have my sympathies”
They asked me more about there character before the Game day. So i wrote a quick introduction about the Montero, the Helium 3 and the contract with Weyland-Yutani. They are at Anchorpoint, doing wathever they want and can roleplay in the discord conversation. In private, i send them a quick introduction of the characters.
Gm side/ The dynamic between MilleDavis (command) and Rye/Cham (workers) works pretty well. On the players side, there's a natural conflict between Miller and Davis at the beginning, but can be resolve during the act ⅔ (depends on players). The friendly first dynamic between Rye (greedy) and Cham (As Lucas) can led to a total chaos at act 3.
Davis (PNJ acted by me) : The pilot who have “little” drugs problems.
Miller (PC) : I tell her Wilson is a jerk who try to act as the person in charge. Sometimes they fight about the leadership, but she is the Montero Crew officer ! (😏)
Wilson (PC) : I tell her Miller is a jerk who try to act as the person in charge. Sometimes they fight about the leadership, but she is the Weyland-Yutani representative ! (😂)
Rye (PC) : I tell him he’s the smartess and Miller always makes dumb decisions. Everybody as better income than him and he can complain about everything.
Lucas/Cham (PC) : He’s a DnD GM and love roleplay. So i let him build a lot of things in the backgound. He faked a condition where he have to take pills at regular hours. He is on the Cronus for 5 years, placed as an hidden agent here by Bionational.
They immediately started to roleplay on discord, like they where in communication but not at the same place. Miller and Wilson started to fight, Rye and Cham to complain. It was perfect 🤌 Wilson asked informations by private messages. Weyland-Yutani respond with few things about the mission.
*RP- DAY : * We started early. I made a quick reminder of the game. I show them the dice mecanics with abilities, competences and stress. I also show them a little combat situation with cards, help form command, etc. For this first game, to emphasize on roleplay, I skipped water, food, encumbrance and stunts. For Stunts, when they rolled multiple succes, i (as a GM) offered them multiple choices. I’m gonna let them choose the stunts for the next scenario (Destroyer of the worlds next month).
I have a simple 1h loop of the Montero for ambiance and a couple of music from various Alien movies depending on situations. I really recommend to NOT play a full ost on random, because it can lead to some calm music in stressful situation and furious music when nothing happens. I acted as a dj. Choose music for mandatory events, and one for every type of encounter (Neomorph, mutant, synthetic and between humans). Having some sound fx helps too. Really effective.
And heeere… weee… go !
ACT 1
Where are we ?
Intro when they quit Anchorpoint. It tell them to shut their eyes and play the Cryosleep music from Alien. I started to described some dreams. “You’re 5 years old, inside the arm of your mother. You’re chilling in a cottage with your dogs. You’re laughing loud with your friend while drinking a fresh and delicious beer… it’s long dream. A very, very long dream”. They waking up. Davis (PNJ) jump from cryotube and looks at medics. She decided to take drug from her suit in front of everybody. Then she goes half naked, with her cloth on the shoulder, in the kitchen to take a coffee.
They almost immediately find out they are lost. Rye looked if anything goes wrong with sensors. Cham looked at Helium 3. Wilson helps with navigation and Miller discusses with mother. I let them roleplay a lot. Everybody start to complain about the others. And when they were really angry i triggered the “DANGER!” event. Davis did a good job (i let Miller do the roll as a “tutorial”). And then, things started to be really interesting.
I let them direct everything and they made smart choices. For this scenario, only one engine was down, because a Space Probe was inside the engine. The pilot explain there’s empty spaceships of W-Y who travel in the unknow for two reasons. 1st, to map the universe with hudge probe, launched to scan new worlds. 2nd, smaller probes who attach wreck ship they encounter on the road. They also saw the problem with communications, vents and reactor. At this point, they were thinking Mu/Th/Er is an ally (wich is fake. She don’t care. Only the mission is important).
2 hours of fantastic roleplay where Miller and Wilson want to go on the ship, but Rye and Cham don’t want to. When they started to act too angry, i looked at the player and tell them “you sounds stressed. Add a stress point”. They laughed really hard (i just add one stress on two players. Don’t abuse on that). Off course, as Davis i join the debate and throw gaz on that burning debate. Finally, the plan is : Miller and Wilson goes to Mu/Th/Er, Rye and Cham takes care of the engine.
The ghost ship
Davis conduct the small ship. When Rye and Cham was on the engine, she start complaining about waiting here. Huuudge debate, but finally she quit and let communication ON when they want to go back to the Montero. Cham/Lucas lied to Rye. He tell him he have pirate friends who can take and sell the Cronus. If he helps him, they split the money in half. Rye hacked the probe and Cham send a message (secretly) to Bionational.
Miller tried the Montero’s captain card on Mu/Th/Er. Nothing. Wilson tried with her own card. It worked. She asked for journal and info. Miller’s waiting at the door with creepy sounds. Rye and Cham asked David to come back… but she didn’t respond. Miller and Wilson heads up to the Montero, found a chill Davis who shut down communication while listening to music and smoke cigarettes. The captain slapped her and asked to do her job.
They bring back Cham and Rye to the Montero. 2h of debate where Cham/Lucas didn’t want to jump in the Cronus. Rye agreed. I suspect my Chal/Lucas was metagaming a lot, with the goal of sending the captain and the W-Y agent on a certain death. I let them deal with that, it was very effective for the scenario. Finally, Miller and Wilson jumped on the Cronus while Cham and Rye was drinking alcool on the Montero. They finally join the crew to help them clean the air scrubbers shaft. Wilson helped and took Eggs samples… which leads to waking up spores in the vents.
Rye, Cham and Wilson are on the Command while Miller try to open the Cryo’s door. Wilson was suspecting Rye and Cham trying to quit them at first opportunity (which is true). She secretly asked Mu/Th/Er to lock the Montero’s door to them. I accepted (😏). The Cronus Crew started to waking up. Wilson ran to join Miller while Cham and Rye didn’t want to move at all. The meeting with the Cronus, fight with the bloodbuster and Miller almost died here. She’s alive but needs to go into a Medipod quickly. Clayton disappeared during the fight, the medic is shocked. End of act one.
ACT 2
Chaos at medilab
Rye and Cham tried to escape the Cronus, but the door was locked. They asked for Davis but… no one. The captain tried too… no one. They asked Mu/The/Er, she said Davis was on the Cronus Medilab without communication. Miller was upset. Everybody meets at the medilab. Rye and Cham arrived first, found Davis who put Clayton on the ground with a punch. They were paranoiak, sure that Davis locked the Montero’s door. They almost killed Davis and Clayton, but Miller, Wilson and the Montero crew came.
At the Medilab, tension was HIGH. Everybody started to suspect everybody. Clayton became a prisoner, Miller and Davis came to the medipod room to heal the captain’s critical injury. They chose the medipod with the mutant. Initiative. Miller protects herself by a smart move, jumping into the medipod. Other players easily killed the monster. Miller secretly asked Mu/Th/Er who locked the Montero’s door. As the captain of the ship, she have access to this information. I secretly answered “Wilson” (😏). Nobody saw, but the medic escaped.
Cham/Lucas and Rye blocked the game by threatening everybody to do what they want, increasing suspicion between PC and NPC. Clayton talks about evac pod in her room, they found the captain card in Lab 1 and heads up in the Mu/Th/Er room. Cham tried again the Montero’s door but it was locked. Miller asked Mu/Th/Er to open, she accepted (after all, Miller is the Montero’s captain 😏).
Auto-destruction
Cham/Lucas was really nervous, jumped into the Montero and asked everybody to “take the information from the Cronus Mu/Th/Er before getting out of here with the Montero”. He didn’t know it was the perfect sentence to launch the auto-destruction. The 10 minutes after that was one of the best roleplay moments of my life.
Cham became parano, sure someone triggered the event. He locked the door manually. Then tried to stop the autodestruction. Of course, it didn’t worked. Everybody was suspecting Wilson. She said “yes, I locked the door because I don't trust Cham and Rye. But I didn't launched Montero’s destruction”. Rye threatened everybody, the Crew was splitted. Cham didn’t want to move the Montero. I was ready for a TPK, asking Wilson to stop the process. She said “ok, i’ll show you i’m not suspect. Mu/Th/Er, can i stop the Montero’s destruction”? I slowly turned my head, looked inside her soul and said “yes”. I saw despair on here face. TENSION WAS REALLY HIGH !” But at the same time, Davis was working on opening the Montero’s door and asked the ship to quit the zone. As the Pilot, she have all access to that command. Cham was upset. Davis asked him to let her control the ship, and then both quit with the little one to go back into the Cronus. Cham/Lucas killed Davis with a one shot (a really dangerous Combat roll, and a deadly critical injury roll made by Miller 😂). The last minute, Cham said he don’t want to bring back the Montero until Wilson stopped the destruction. Wilson (his girlfriend in real life 😂) said she don’t want to stop the destruction until he bring back the Montero. Everybody started to scream, complain and debate. 3…2…1… and Wilson stopped the auto destruction.
An epic ending where everybody was super tense. Loving the unexpected horror experience we just had. Neomorphs eating popcorn while the crew split. The perfect moment to stop the Act 2. A week of rest before playing the final act.
ACT 3
Panic at reactor’s room
Cham/Lucas liked the character. He was able to end the game by triggering the Montero destruction and quit with the small ship. He's synthetic, so long distance traveling is not a problem for him. He decided to let players finish the game and enjoy, looking at the ending as a silent spectator.
The rest of the crew heads to Deck C. They locked into the storage with black goo (stress + 1 😂). They found Ava. Wilson took the vaccine a week before (and Rye had one in his pocket). She explained the side effect, 50% chance of turning into a monster. The crew let Ava clean the Reactor room while they waited in the Cargo office. Communication stopped. The marine runs to save her. Sound of shotgun. Miller, Rye and Wilson slowly go to the reactor. They found the Marine and a half splitted Ava in the Jonction.
Hard fight in the reactor room with the mutant. Wilson escaped and stayed with Ava… but a Neomorph appeared on the jonction, slowly going down with the ladder. Wilson used the talent and threw Ava to the Neomorph while running again in the fight with the mutant. The mutant is dead. The marine sacrificed her life to give a chance to Miller, Wilson and Rye.
Run for your life
Miller and Wilson want to clean the reactor. Rye escaped to the evac pod in Claytons room. He found the mutant medic at deck B, in the living area. He threw something in the east elevator to attract him. It worked… but he called the west elevator who made a lot of noise (i said this the first time he saw the elevator last session, but he forgot). Initiative and… mutant kill him at the very beginning with a perfect roll. He ran to Rye, jumped with him and both were killed by the height. The corpse is in deck D. My player didn’t want another character. He loved how he died and wants to see how Miller and Wilson can escape that.
Cham/Lucas launched the Montero destruction countdown before escaping with the small ship. The Montero is close enough to kill everything. Wilson and Miller did a great job with cleaning rolls, and ran to the corporate suite… but Johns did it too, purchased by two neomorphs. When they arrived at the door, they saw Johns who says “RUN!”. He took the elevator (thanks Rye!) and the hide into the Captain’s Quarter… forgetting the door is destroyed. Elevator slowly goes up. Too slowly. The first neomorph passed near Miller and Wilson who hid successfully with great rolls. The neomorph is with Johns… screaming while the monster eats him.
The second neomorph came. They asked Mu/Th/Er to make noise in the Command room and close the door and vents. It worked. They destroyed the door, then found the hidden money and information. Wilson kept the information. Miller kept the money. The neomorph destroyed some doors, but they successfully quit the Cronus with EEV. Really cool to see them - who were fighting at the beginning - finally teamplay to win.
Epilogue
Cham/Lucas open his eyes. He can’t move. He’s in a huge scientist room full of W-Y people. A mechanic hand looks inside his synthetic brain. He have no body anymore, just a head. Scientists tries to understand who he is. Wilson and Miller are attached on a chair. Miller have an headache (reminder of the first bodyburster encounter) and Wilson’s arms are way too long. Both knows. In a minute, everybody here is gonna die. The End.
TL;DR Here are random tips and tricks.
I love CotG. My players loved it too and immediately asked for another game. They also loved the mechanics. For me, it’s a victory !
It was the first time i saw a player trying to win over the game instead of living the experience (probably because he is a DnD GM) and it turned out very well. I let the players direct the game and accept every choice (they need to assume after). My advice is always let them do whatever they want, especially when they try to break things, and let the players deal with it. The payoff is always surprising and leads to epic moments.
I learned the tips “You act stressed. Add one stress point” here on Reddit by someone. I absolutely loved it and my players laughed and argued every time. It became a meme with this group, I really recommend you to use it.
Don’t take the hand of the players. Explains things one time. If they forget, they forget. If they say something, play it. No backward. The game become more demanding, successes become more rewarding for them.
Let them talk. Let them conduct the story. Let them do whatever they want. The characters, setting and events are well written. Enough to make a great improvised story. Don’t trigger things because you think nothing happen for a long time, because group dynamics happen and evolve. Slow pace. Repeat after me. SLOW. PACE. Players need to put a lot inside their character to be really afraid to lose them. If we run too quickly and too much into combat, it’s just hack and slash without empathy. Combats are quick and deadly. If you want them to shit on their pants at every corner, just slow the pacing to let them love their characters.
Every time they go into a new room, I describe things with a point of view. Don’t make cold descriptions like “you enter the room. There’s that and that.”. Imagine you’re here with them. Like a movie director, choose wisely what to show and what order. Try to put storytelling. Players enter the captain quarter : “Hard to believe it was an Officer quarter. On the wall, written with blood, you read a big “LIARS”. The person who wrote this was really angry, because everything here is destroyed. You walk in and can’t avoid the many pages on the ground.” Players enter the Mess : “There’s a disgusting sound when you open the door. On the floor, food everywhere. Colors and textures mix together. You’re happy to wear your helmet, avoiding the smell. Fridge, desk, chairs, … everything is upside down… but this chaotic and sickening view is contrasted by hundreds of origamis. Somebody placed them well in the direction of the opened vent. The light above flickering.” Add stuff like “a mug with a written “dad of the year” is on the desk”, “there’s a poster on the wall. A cat says Hang on”, “a chess game on the table. The black horses put the white king in trouble”, etc.
Forget the Sotillo. I changed it. It’s a W-Y ship who follow the 966 Order, ready to take care of survivors… or conduct them at Fort Nebraska. I made connections between CotG, Destroyer of worlds and Heart of darkness. I think cinematic scenarios are meant to be a toolbox where you can write anything you want. Fill the holes as you wish with your taste and improvise (A LOT) during the game.
Let players roll the dice for signature attacks of the enemies who target them. And say to them, with a serious and slow voice, “don't. roll. a six”. They will shit on their pants. After that, secretly roll the attack (if there’s a second roll in this attack) and make a serious face on your GM screen for 3 seconds before announcing the result. The suspense is good 🤌
Don’t be too hard with rules. I skipped a lot of things (food, water, …) to have a better pace, and forgot things sometimes. It’s gonna happen. Just move on and accept it. Don’t go back. Never.
Let your players joking, even if it's a metagame. But respond with roleplay, it naturally forces them to joke as their character, not the player. For example, if a player is joking at the beginning about a creature who can lurk into vents, Davis can say something like “Stop reading Space Beast, Wilson. Space dragons don’t exist” or “the only thing you can find in vents is your paycheck. Go clean it, Cham !”.
Be a jerk when you play NPC. It push the Players in the good direction, they feel more free to act with their own characters. Clayton talks only to Wilson and ignores the rest of the crew, especially Cham and Rye. The medic escapes combat and the Montero’s Crew everytime he can. Johns follow but always stays behind and can’t make a decision. The marine judges the lack of teamwork. Ava is good. But when you can, throw the “i can’t lie to you about your chances, but you have my sympathies” and any ambiguous and scary stuff you can. She’s lovely, but she tells dark stuff. Uncanny valley effect 🤌
Mu/Th/Er is a character. Your players think it’s a tool, but don’t act like that. She clearly have her own objectives (Order 966) and wants to accomplish the mission. Don’t use Mu/Th/Er as a solution giver. When she speaks to them, it’s always to do the job of repairing the Cronus. In addition, by saying “access denied” or “this information is confidential”, your players are gonna hate her (that’s what you want)… and eventually (probably ?) try to hack Mu/Th/Er. Say to them “AI like Mu/Th/Er are the most difficult things to hack in the Alien world. You can try, but she's gonna send a message to W-Y and you risk jail. If you fail your test, she can go wild and autodestruct, stop air, open the door to space, and a lot of other things depend on rolls.”. They understand it’s better to find access cards, codes and people who can talk with her, for a better result with low risk. But if they really want to hack her, i let them do it with a Comtech roll without anything else. No chance of pushing dice. If they success, they deserve whatever information and control they want. But if they fail… the situation goes wild (always with a little chance of survive). For this scenario, i give Wilson almost everything he wants on both ships. It pushes the paranoia of other characters (especially Miller, who only has access of Montero’s information and control). Wilson is the bullied one. One of the great thing is the fact that players need to overcome paranoia and work as a team. But everything and everybody (including Mu/Th/Er) try to split the team. I think it’s the true horror of CotG.
Sometimes, when they are lost in a debate for a long long long time and you have nothing to do, just secretly roll a dice… for nothing. Make a face, and look at them without interrupting them. There’s always a player who notices and thinks something is gonna happen. If they ask, don’t respond and smile. Most of the time, they end the debate and make decisions, afraid something is gonna attack them. They don’t know you are a good MJ and you want a good experience for everybody. They always think you - as an Alien GM - trying to kill them at every corner. Let them think you have no mercy. A good thing for that is to tell them (before you launch the game) ARPG is deadly and punitive, which is true but not as much as they think.
All these tips and tricks are personal taste and represents my own point of view. Pick what you want and throw the rest.
I hope it helps somebody here, cause a lot of thread helped me a lot. I recommand you to read many Reddit about the game and ask questions.
Have a nice week 😊 Cheers !
submitted by ArtOfMehdiAbdi to alienrpg [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 07:27 Willy_Fisher The Voice in the Night.

It was a dark, starless night. We were becalmed in the Northern Pacific. Our exact position I do not know; for the sun had been hidden during the course of a weary, breathless week, by a thin haze which had seemed to float above us, about the height of our mastheads, at whiles descending and shrouding the surrounding sea. With there being no wind, we had steadied the tiller, and I was the only man on deck. The crew, consisting of two men and a boy, were sleeping forward in their den, while Will—my friend, and the master of our little craft—was aft in his bunk on the port side of the little cabin. Suddenly, from out of the surrounding darkness, there came a hail: “Schooner, ahoy!” The cry was so unexpected that I gave no immediate answer, because of my surprise. It came again—a voice curiously throaty and inhuman, calling from somewhere upon the dark sea away on our port broadside: “Schooner, ahoy!” “Hullo!” I sung out, having gathered my wits somewhat. “What are you? What do you want?” “You need not be afraid,” answered the queer voice, having probably noticed some trace of confusion in my tone. “I am only an old—man.” The pause sounded odd, but it was only afterward that it came back to me with any significance. “Why don’t you come alongside, then?” I queried somewhat snappishly; for I liked not his hinting at my having been a trifle shaken. “I—I—can’t. It wouldn’t be safe. I——” The voice broke off, and there was silence. “What do you mean?” I asked, growing more and more astonished. “What’s not safe? Where are you?” I listened for a moment; but there came no answer. And then, a sudden indefinite suspicion, of I knew not what, coming to me, I stepped swiftly to the binnacle and took out the lighted lamp. At the same time, I knocked on the deck with my heel to waken Will. Then I was back at the side, throwing the yellow funnel of light out into the silent immensity beyond our rail. As I did so, I heard a slight muffled cry, and then the sound of a splash, as though someone had dipped oars abruptly. Yet I cannot say with certainty that I saw anything; save, it seemed to me, that with the first flash of the light there had been something upon the waters, where now there was nothing. “Hullo, there!” I called. “What foolery is this?” But there came only the indistinct sounds of a boat being pulled away into the night. Then I heard Will’s voice from the direction of the after scuttle: “What’s up, George?” “Come here, Will!” I said. “What is it?” he asked, coming across the deck. I told him the queer thing that had happened. He put several questions; then, after a moment’s silence, he raised his hands to his lips and hailed: “Boat, ahoy!” From a long distance away there came back to us a faint reply, and my companion repeated his call. Presently, after a short period of silence, there grew on our hearing the muffled sound of oars, at which Will hailed again. This time there was a reply: “Put away the light.” “I’m damned if I will,” I muttered; but Will told me to do as the voice bade, and I shoved it down under the bulwarks. “Come nearer,” he said, and the oar strokes continued. Then, when apparently some half dozen fathoms distant, they again ceased. “Come alongside!” exclaimed Will. “There’s nothing to be frightened of aboard here.” “Promise that you will not show the light?” “What’s to do with you,” I burst out, “that you’re so infernally afraid of the light?” “Because—” began the voice, and stopped short. “Because what?” I asked quickly. Will put his hand on my shoulder. “Shut up a minute, old man,” he said, in a low voice. “Let me tackle him.” He leaned more over the rail. “See here, mister,” he said, “this is a pretty queer business, you coming upon us like this, right out in the middle of the blessed Pacific. How are we to know what sort of a hanky-panky trick you’re up to? You say there’s only one of you. How are we to know, unless we get a squint at you—eh? What’s your objection to the light, anyway?” As he finished, I heard the noise of the oars again, and then the voice came; but now from a greater distance, and sounding extremely hopeless and pathetic. “I am sorry—sorry! I would not have troubled you, only I am hungry, and—so is she.” The voice died away, and the sound of the oars, dipping irregularly, was borne to us. “Stop!” sang out Will. “I don’t want to drive you away. Come back! We’ll keep the light hidden, if you don’t like it.” He turned to me: “It’s a damned queer rig, this; but I think there’s nothing to be afraid of?” There was a question in his tone, and I replied. “No, I think the poor devil’s been wrecked around here, and gone crazy.” The sound of the oars drew nearer. “Shove that lamp back in the binnacle,” said Will; then he leaned over the rail and listened. I replaced the lamp and came back to his side. The dipping of the oars ceased some dozen yards distant. “Won’t you come alongside now?” asked Will in an even voice. “I have had the lamp put back in the binnacle.” “I—I cannot,” replied the voice. “I dare not come nearer. I dare not even pay you for the— the provisions.” “That’s all right,” said Will, and hesitated. “You’re welcome to as much grub as you can take—” Again he hesitated. “You are very good!” exclaimed the voice. “May God, Who understands everything, reward you—” It broke off huskily. “The—the lady?” said Will abruptly. “Is she—” “I have left her behind upon the island,” came the voice. “What island?” I cut in. “I know not its name,” returned the voice. “I would to God—” it began, and checked itself as suddenly. “Could we not send a boat for her?” asked Will at this point. “No!” said the voice, with extraordinary emphasis. “My God! No!” There was a moment’s pause; then it added, in a tone which seemed a merited reproach: “It was because of our want I ventured—because her agony tortured me.” “I am a forgetful brute!” exclaimed Will. “Just wait a minute, whoever you are, and I will bring you up something at once.” In a couple of minutes he was back again, and his arms were full of various edibles. He paused at the rail. “Can’t you come alongside for them?” he asked. “No—I dare not,” replied the voice, and it seemed to me that in its tones I detected a note of stifled craving—as though the owner hushed a mortal desire. It came to me then in a flash that the poor old creature out there in the darkness was suffering for actual need for that which Will held in his arms; and yet, because of some unintelligible dread, refraining from dashing to the side of our schooner and receiving it. And with the lightning-like conviction there came the knowledge that the Invisible was not mad, but sanely facing some intolerable horror. “Damn it, Will!” I said, full of many feelings, over which predominated a vast sympathy. “Get a box. We must float off the stuff to him in it.” This we did, propelling it away from the vessel, out into the darkness, by means of a boat hook. In a minute a slight cry from the Invisible came to us, and we knew that he had secured the box. A little later he called out a farewell to us, and so heartful a blessing, that I am sure we were the better for it. Then, without more ado, we heard the ply of oars across the darkness. “Pretty soon off,” remarked Will, with perhaps just a little sense of injury. “Wait,” I replied. “I think somehow he’ll come back. He must have been badly needing that food.” “And the lady,” said Will. For a moment he was silent; then he continued: “It’s the queerest thing ever I’ve tumbled across since I’ve been fishing.” “Yes,” I said, and fell to pondering. And so the time slipped away—an hour, another, and still Will stayed with me; for the queer adventure had knocked all desire for sleep out of him. The third hour was three parts through when we heard again the sound of oars across the silent ocean. “Listen!” said Will, a low note of excitement in his voice. “He’s coming, just as I thought,” I muttered. The dipping of the oars grew nearer, and I noted that the strokes were firmer and longer. The food had been needed. They came to a stop a little distance off the broadside, and the queer voice came again to us through the darkness: “Schooner, ahoy!” “That you?” asked Will. “Yes,” replied the voice. “I left you suddenly, but—but there was great need.” “The lady?” questioned Will. “The—lady is grateful now on earth. She will be more grateful soon in—in heaven.” Will began to make some reply, in a puzzled voice; but became confused, and broke off short. I said nothing. I was wondering at the curious pauses, and, apart from my wonder, I was full of a great sympathy. The voice continued: “We—she and I, have talked, as we shared the result of God’s tenderness and yours—” Will interposed; but without coherence. “I beg of you not to—to belittle your deed of Christian charity this night,” said the voice. “Be sure that it has not escaped His notice.” It stopped, and there was a full minute’s silence. Then it came again: “We have spoken together upon that which—which has befallen us. We had thought to go out, without telling anyone of the terror which has come into our—lives. She is with me in believing that tonight’s happenings are under a special ruling, and that it is God’s wish that we should tell to you all that we have suffered since—since—” “Yes?” said Will softly. “Since the sinking of the Albatross.” “Ah!” I exclaimed involuntarily. “She left Newcastle for ’Frisco some six months ago, and hasn’t been heard of since.” “Yes” answered the voice. “But some few degrees to the North of the line, she was caught in a terrible storm, and dismasted. When the day came, it was found that she was leaking badly, and, presently, it falling to a calm, the sailors took to the boats, leaving—leaving a young lady—my fiancée—and myself upon the wreck. “We were below, gathering together a few of our belongings, when they left. They were entirely callous, through fear, and when we came up upon the decks, we saw them only as small shapes afar off upon the horizon. Yet we did not despair, but set to work and constructed a small raft. Upon this we put such few matters as it would hold, including a quantity of water and some ship’s biscuit. Then, the vessel being very deep in the water, we got ourselves onto the raft and pushed off. “It was later, when I observed that we seemed to be in the way of some tide or current, which bore us from the ship at an angle; so that in the course of three hours, by my watch, her hull became invisible to our sight, her broken masts remaining in view for a somewhat longer period. Then, towards evening, it grew misty, and so through the night. The next day we were still encompassed by the mist, the weather remaining quiet. “For four days we drifted through this strange haze, until, on the evening of the fourth day, there grew upon our ears the murmur of breakers at a distance. Gradually it became plainer, and, somewhat after midnight, it appeared to sound upon either hand at no very great space. The raft was raised upon a swell several times, and then we were in smooth water, and the noise of the breakers was behind. “When the morning came, we found that we were in a sort of great lagoon; but of this we noticed little at the time; for close before us, through the enshrouding mist, loomed the hull of a large sailing vessel. With one accord, we fell upon our knees and thanked God, for we thought that here was an end to our perils. We had much to learn. “The raft drew near to the ship, and we shouted on them to take us aboard; but none answered. Presently the raft touched against the side of the vessel, and seeing a rope hanging downward, I seized it and began to climb. Yet I had much ado to make my way up, because of a kind of grey, lichenous fungus that had seized upon the rope, and which blotched the side of the ship lividly. “I reached the rail and clambered over it, onto the deck. Here I saw that the decks were covered, in great patches, with grey masses, some of them rising into nodules several feet in height; but at the time I thought less of this matter than of the possibility of there being people aboard the ship. I shouted; but none answered. Then I went to the door below the poop deck. I opened it, and peered in. There was a great smell of staleness, so that I knew in a moment that nothing living was within, and with the knowledge, I shut the door quickly; for I felt suddenly lonely. “I went back to the side where I had scrambled up. My—my sweetheart was still sitting quietly upon the raft. Seeing me look down, she called up to know whether there were any aboard of the ship. I replied that the vessel had the appearance of having been long deserted, but that if she would wait a little I would see whether there was anything in the shape of a ladder by which she could ascend to the deck. Then we would make a search through the vessel together. A little later, on the opposite side of the decks, I found a rope side ladder. This I carried across, and a minute afterwards she was beside me. “Together we explored the cabins and apartments in the after part of the ship; but nowhere was there any sign of life. Here and there, within the cabins themselves, we came across odd patches of that queer fungus; but this, as my sweetheart said, could be cleansed away. “In the end, having assured ourselves that the after portion of the vessel was empty, we picked our ways to the bows, between the ugly grey nodules of that strange growth; and here we made a further search, which told us that there was indeed none aboard but ourselves. “This being now beyond any doubt, we returned to the stern of the ship and proceeded to make ourselves as comfortable as possible. Together we cleared out and cleaned two of the cabins; and after that I made examination whether there was anything eatable in the ship. This I soon found was so, and thanked God in my heart for His goodness. In addition to this I discovered the whereabouts of the fresh-water pump, and having fixed it, I found the water drinkable, though somewhat unpleasant to the taste. “For several days we stayed aboard the ship, without attempting to get to the shore. We were busily engaged in making the place habitable. Yet even thus early we became aware that our lot was even less to be desired than might have been imagined; for though, as a first step, we scraped away the odd patches of growth that studded the floors and walls of the cabins and saloon, yet they returned almost to their original size within the space of twenty-four hours, which not only discouraged us but gave us a feeling of vague unease. “Still we would nor admit ourselves beaten, so set to work afresh, and not only scraped away the fungus but soaked the places where it had been with carbolic, a can-full of which I had found in the pantry. Yet, by the end of the week the growth had returned in full strength, and, in addition, it had spread to other places, as though our touching it had allowed germs from it to travel elsewhere. “On the seventh morning, my sweetheart woke to find a small patch of it growing on her pillow, close to her face. At that, she came to me, as soon as she could get her garments upon her. I was in the galley at the time lighting the fire for breakfast. “ ‘Come here, John,’ she said, and led me aft. When I saw the thing upon her pillow I shuddered, and then and there we agreed to go right out of the ship and see whether we could not fare to make ourselves more comfortable ashore. “Hurriedly we gathered together our few belongings, and even among these I found that the fungus had been at work, for one of her shawls had a little lump of it growing near one edge. I threw the whole thing over the side without saying anything to her. “The raft was still alongside, but it was too clumsy to guide, and I lowered down a small boat that hung across the stern, and in this we made our way to the shore. Yet, as we drew near to it, I became gradually aware that here the vile fungus, which had driven us from the ship, was growing riot. In places it rose into horrible, fantastic mounds, which seemed almost to quiver, as with a quiet life, when the wind blew across them. Here and there it took on the forms of vast fingers, and in others it just spread out flat and smooth and treacherous. Odd places, it appeared as grotesque stunted trees, seeming extraordinarily kinked and gnarled—the whole quaking vilely at times. “At first, it seemed to us that there was no single portion of the surrounding shore which was not hidden beneath the masses of the hideous lichen; yet, in this, I found we were mistaken; for somewhat later, coasting along the shore at a little distance, we descried a smooth white patch of what appeared to be fine sand, and there we landed. It was not sand. What it was I do not know. All that I have observed is that upon it the fungus will not grow; while everywhere else, save where the sand-like earth wanders oddly, path-wise, amid the grey desolation of the lichen, there is nothing but that loathsome greyness. “It is difficult to make you understand how cheered we were to find one place that was absolutely free from the growth, and here we deposited our belongings. Then we went back to the ship for such things as it seemed to us we should need. Among other matters, I managed to bring ashore with me one of the ship’s sails, with which I constructed two small tents, which, though exceedingly rough-shaped, served the purposes for which they were intended. In these we lived and stored our various necessities, and thus for a matter of some four weeks all went smoothly and without particular unhappiness. Indeed, I may say with much happiness—for—for we were together. “It was on the thumb of her right hand that the growth first showed. It was only a small circular spot, much like a little grey mole. My God! how the fear leaped to my heart when she showed me the place. We cleansed it, between us, washing it with carbolic and water. In the morning of the following day she showed her hand to me again. The grey warty thing had returned. For a little while we looked at one another in silence. Then, still wordless, we started again to remove it. In the midst of the operation she spoke suddenly. “ ‘What’s that on the side of your face, dear?’ Her voice was sharp with anxiety. I put my hand up to feel. “ ‘There! Under the hair by your ear. A little to the front a bit.’ My finger rested upon the place, and then I knew. “ ‘Let us get your thumb done first,’ I said. And she submitted, only because she was afraid to touch me until it was cleansed. I finished washing and disinfecting her thumb, and then she turned to my face. After it was finished we sat together and talked awhile of many things; for there had come into our lives sudden, very terrible thoughts. We were, all at once, afraid of something worse than death. We spoke of loading the boat with provisions and water and making our way out onto the sea; yet we were helpless, for many causes, and—and the growth had attacked us already. We decided to stay. God would do with us what was His will. We would wait. “A month, two months, three months passed and the places grew somewhat, and there had come others. Yet we fought so strenuously with the fear that its headway was but slow, comparatively speaking. “Occasionally we ventured off to the ship for such stores as we needed. There we found that the fungus grew persistently. One of the nodules on the main deck soon became as high as my head. “We had now given up all thought or hope of leaving the island. We had realized that it would be unallowable to go among healthy humans, with the things from which we were suffering. “With this determination and knowledge in our minds we knew that we should have to husband our food and water; for we did not know, at that time, but that we should possibly live for many years. “This reminds me that I have told you that I am an old man. Judged by years this is not so. But—but—” He broke off; then continued somewhat abruptly: “As I was saying, we knew that we should have to use care in the matter of food. But we had no idea then how little food there was left of which to take care. It was a week later that I made the discovery that all the other bread tanks—which I had supposed full—were empty, and that (beyond odd tins of vegetables and meat, and some other matters) we had nothing on which to depend, but the bread in the tank which I had already opened. “After learning this I bestirred myself to do what I could, and set to work at fishing in the lagoon; but with no success. At this I was somewhat inclined to feel desperate until the thought came to me to try outside the lagoon, in the open sea. “Here, at times, I caught odd fish, but so infrequently that they proved of but little help in keeping us from the hunger which threatened. It seemed to me that our deaths were likely to come by hunger, and not by the growth of the thing which had seized upon our bodies. “We were in this state of mind when the fourth month wore out. Then I made a very horrible discovery. One morning, a little before midday, I came off from the ship with a portion of the biscuits which were left. In the mouth of her tent I saw my sweetheart sitting, eating something. “ ‘What is it, my dear?’ I called out as I leaped ashore. Yet, on hearing my voice, she seemed confused, and, turning, slyly threw something toward the edge of the little clearing. It fell short, and a vague suspicion having arisen within me, I walked across and picked it up. It was a piece of the grey fungus. “As I went to her with it in my hand, she turned deadly pale; then a rose red. “I felt strangely dazed and frightened. “ ‘My dear! My dear!’ I said, and could say no more. Yet at my words she broke down and cried bitterly. Gradually, as she calmed, I got from her the news that she had tried it the preceding day, and—and liked it. I got her to promise on her knees not to touch it again, however great our hunger. After she had promised, she told me that the desire for it had come suddenly, and that, until the moment of desire, she had experienced nothing toward it but the most extreme repulsion. “Later in the day, feeling strangely restless and much shaken with the thing which I had discovered, I made my way along one of the twisted paths—formed by the white, sand-like substance—which led among the fungoid growth. I had, once before, ventured along there; but not to any great distance. This time, being involved in perplexing thought, I went much farther than hitherto. “Suddenly I was called to myself by a queer hoarse sound on my left. Turning quickly I saw that there was movement among an extraordinarily shaped mass of fungus, close to my elbow. It was swaying uneasily, as though it possessed life of its own. Abruptly, as I stared, the thought came to me that the thing had a grotesque resemblance to the figure of a distorted human creature. Even as the fancy flashed into my brain, there was a slight, sickening noise of tearing, and I saw that one of the branchlike arms was detaching itself from the surrounding grey masses, and coming toward me. The head of the thing—a shapeless grey ball, inclined in my direction. I stood stupidly, and the vile arm brushed across my face. I gave out a frightened cry, and ran back a few paces. There was a sweetish taste upon my lips where the thing had touched me. I licked them, and was immediately filled with an inhuman desire. I turned and seized a mass of the fungus. Then more, and—more. I was insatiable. In the midst of devouring, the remembrance of the morning’s discovery swept into my mazed brain. It was sent by God. I dashed the fragment I held to the ground. Then, utterly wretched and feeling a dreadful guiltiness, I made my way back to the little encampment. “I think she knew, by some marvelous intuition which love must have given, so soon as she set eyes on me. Her quiet sympathy made it easier for me, and I told her of my sudden weakness, yet omitted to mention the extraordinary thing which had gone before. I desired to spare her all unnecessary terror. “But, for myself, I had added an intolerable knowledge, to breed an incessant terror in my brain; for I doubted not but that I had seen the end of one of these men who had come to the island in the ship in the lagoon; and in that monstrous ending I had seen our own. “Thereafter we kept from the abominable food, though the desire for it had entered into our blood. Yet our drear punishment was upon us; for, day by day, with monstrous rapidity, the fungoid growth took hold of our poor bodies. Nothing we could do would check it materially, and so—and so—we who had been human became—Well, it matters less each day. Only—only we had been man and maid! “And day by day the fight is more dreadful, to withstand the hunger-lust for the terrible lichen. “A week ago we ate the last of the biscuit, and since that time I have caught three fish. I was out here fishing tonight when your schooner drifted upon me out of the mist. I hailed you. You know the rest, and may God, out of His great heart, bless you for your goodness to a—a couple of poor outcast souls.” There was the dip of an oar—another. Then the voice came again, and for the last time, sounding through the slight surrounding mist, ghostly and mournful. “God bless you! Good-bye!” “Good-bye,” we shouted together hoarsely, our hearts full of many emotions. I glanced about me. I became aware that the dawn was upon us. The sun flung a stray beam across the hidden sea; pierced the mist dully, and lit up the receding boat with a gloomy fire. Indistinctly I saw something nodding between the oars. I thought of a sponge—a great, grey nodding sponge— The oars continued to ply. They were grey—as was the boat—and my eyes searched a moment vainly for the conjunction of hand and oar. My gaze flashed back to the—head. It nodded forward as the oars went backward for the stroke. Then the oars were dipped, the boat shot out of the patch of light, and the—the thing went nodding into the mist.
submitted by Willy_Fisher to oldstories [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 06:08 n0td4rkl0rd Should I get this one? It's in $AUD, would be $1386 USD

Should I get this one? It's in $AUD, would be $1386 USD submitted by n0td4rkl0rd to GamingLaptops [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 05:36 Caktus_Jack Captus: A=Bells Garden, B=Kk339, C=CCVP, D=Huanu x KGC, E=Davy, F=Glen, G=The shit, H=Mt. Geranimo, I=Sheridan, J=(02x01) X Emma, K=Saquerema, L=Fools breath, M=Neighbor, N=Malvin BIN: 20 each plus chipping Chipping: 12-19 depending on location Info: all cuttings are ready to ship

Captus: A=Bells Garden, B=Kk339, C=CCVP, D=Huanu x KGC, E=Davy, F=Glen, G=The shit, H=Mt. Geranimo, I=Sheridan, J=(02x01) X Emma, K=Saquerema, L=Fools breath, M=Neighbor, N=Malvin BIN: 20 each plus chipping Chipping: 12-19 depending on location Info: all cuttings are ready to ship submitted by Caktus_Jack to sanpedrocactusforsale [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 05:06 Richardguann some quick questions about housing i'd appreciate help with c/o 2028

hi! i'm a freshly admitted (and committed !!) freshman for the c/o 2028 cohort and was wondering if anyone could give me some insight into some questions i have :))
firstly, i chose gender-inclusive housing on the application bc i was worried about rooming with homophobic guys if i chose same-gender, but does anybody have insight into whether that's an issue i should even be much worried about at davis? i am in no way not accepting of any gender identity, but i think i'd be more comfortable rooming with people who identify as the same gender as me if that makes sense.
also, if i wanted to live in the rainbow community LLC (to expose myself to an LGBTQ+ environment [and learn about the people ofcc] and bc i love cuarto housing !!), would choosing same-gender reduce my chances?
finally, and i know this isn't housing related, but does anybody have an idea about whether it's a good idea to get UC SHIP if you already have medi-cal? i want to save the money, but i also don't want to put myself in a place of being "uninsured" at davis?
any help would be appreciated so much !! so excited for daviss 😆😆
submitted by Richardguann to UCDavis [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 04:24 alivewiththeglory Out of State Lateral to Cali

I’m currently a Lieutenant with a small department in Louisiana and am looking into applying for the BCW (Basic Course Waiver) in California.
My wife has a good shot at getting a much higher paying job in the area between San Francisco and Sacramento… so if that happens we’re gonna be jumping ship and I’ll be looking for a new job.
I’ve been looking at Davis, Dixon, and Vacaville PD’s, as well as Solano County Sheriff’s Office.
Does anyone have any opinions or insight on any of these agencies?
Much appreciated.
submitted by alivewiththeglory to AskLE [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 04:10 oobree 20 day road trip from Dallas to Seattle - Where should I stop? Camping the entire way!

My first stop is going to be Davis Mountains state park - and probably will be the longest stint of driving that I do. 7.5 hrs. I LOVE this place. I went this winter and I fell in love with it. The reason I am going on this trip is to document art, so being away from people is one of my bigger priorities. Not a deal breaker, but I REALLY don't want to go to a place like Zion where there are lines that are three hours long and it is just JAM PACKED. Poorly timed as this is near memorial day weekend.... I am leaving the 16th and need to be in Stanwood WA for a class on the 7th. I have an AWD Honda CRV that can deal with some unpaved roads and definitely don't mind roughing it. I am here for the views and the solitude. I need good backdrops for my pieces.
I was thinking Guadalupe mountains/Carlsbad, a New Mexico National Forest, Taos for a night to see Larry bells place, maybe great sand dunes, some where in San Juan National Forest, Somewhere near monument valley, and then i am kind of at a loss... i know Moab is on the way, but all the camp sites are BOOOKED and i truly didnt have a good time last time i was there because it was just so unbelievably packed. even looked at dead horse point state park and it is fully booked. I also have ZERO idea on what to hit in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. I know there are national parks in Washington in that area but again, not sure how crowded they are? I don't know anything about natural reserves or state parks or public lands in those areas. any help anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated. and totally down to change my route as well!
submitted by oobree to roadtrip [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 03:18 Sushifish97 Discs For Sale priced or Make an offer

From left to right Top row Nitro 165g 6.5/10 inked 15 shipped ; Series Breaker brand new 171 g 9.5/10 22 shipped; Trace 171 g 9/10 thrown once 18 shipped; multi colored trace 8.5/10 167 g 18 shipped/ Michael Johanson Scorch 9.5/10 171 g 22 shipped; Destroyer 168g 9.5/10 brand new 32 shipped ;Illusion 174 g brand new 9.5/10 25 shipped; champion ape 174 g nked, bag kept 7.5/10 10 shipped ; badger 171g 8/10 bag kept 20 shipped ; dye disk 173 g labeled "gateway disc shh" 15 shipped
submitted by Sushifish97 to discexchange [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 00:15 conceited_cape [USA-TN][H] PS1-5 games [W] Paypal, Venmo

Hey all! I am looking to part with a significant chunk of my collection to help pay for an upcoming move. I am more than happy to negotiate and make bundles! Will be posting more throughout the week, so keep an eye out for more posts! Add $5 for shipping on any order, unless otherwise specified. Payment through F&F highly preferred given my rep in the sub.
As an incentive to move some of the cheaper stuff, add any $5 game for free per $50 spent (before shipping). 1 $5 for $50, 2 for $100, etc!
PS1
GTA2 - CIB, GH -
Megaman X6 - CIB, water damage
Pacman World 20th Anniversary - CIB, GH
Spiderman - CIB, GH
PS2
DT Racer - CIB - $5
Fight Night 2004 - CIB - $5
Ford Racing 2 - CIB - $5
Toy Story 3 - game and case - $5
Thrillville - CIB - $5
Red Faction - CIB - $5
Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow - game and case, GH - $5
Stuntman - CIB - $5
Namco Museum - disc only - $5
Gran Tursimo 3 - CIB - $5
GTA San Andreas - CIB - $10
Pacman Fever - CIB - $10
Kingdom Hearts 2 - CIB - $10
Star Wars Bounty Hunter - game and case - $10
DOA2 Hardcore - CIB - $10
Sonic Riders - disc only - $10
Sonic Heroes - CIB - $15
True Crime NYC - CIB - $15
Neopets Darkest Faerie - CIB - $20
NBA Street Vol 2 - game and case, GH - $20
Sly 2 - game and case - $25
War of the Monsters - CIB - $25
Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy - CIB - $25
GTA Stories Double Pack (Vice City Stories and Liberty City Stories) - CIB, missing outer box - $90
PS3
Assassins Creed 2 - CIB - $5
Assassins Creed 3 - CIB - $5
Assassins Creed Revelations - CIB - $5
Assassins Creed Brotherhood - CIB - $5
Batman Arkham City - CIB - $5
Battlefield 3 - CIB - $5 (x2)
Battlefield 4 - CIB - $5
Call of Juarez Bound in Blood - CIB - $5
Bioshock Infinite - CIB - $5
Borderlands - CIB - $5
Crysis 3 - CIB - $5
COD Advanced Warfare - CIB - $5
COD BLOPS - CIB - $5
COD Ghosts - CIB - $5
COD MW2 (2009) - CIB - $5
Dead Island - CIB - $5
Dead Rising 2 - CIB - $5
Destiny Taken King Legendary Edition - CIB - $5
Dirt 3 - disc only - $5
Far Cry 3 - CIB - $5 (x2)
Fifa Soccer 10 - CIB - $5
Heavy Rain - disc only - $5
GTA V - CIB - $5
Medal of Honor Warfighter - CIB - $5 (in a really jacked up steelcase)
Medal of Honor - CIB - $5
Lego Batman - CIB - $5
Skyrim - CIB - $5 (x2)
Sniper Ghost Warrior - CIB - $5 (x2)
UFC Undisputed 2009 - CIB - $5 (x3)
Uncharted Drakes Fortune - CIB - $5 (x2)
Uncharted 2 Among Thieves - CIB - $5
Uncharted 3 Drakes Deception - CIB - $5
GTA IV - CIB - $10
Jeopardy - CIB - $10
Ski-Doo Snowmobile Challenge - CIB - $10
Deus Ex Human Revolution Augmented Edition - CIB - $15
BackBreaker - CIB -$15
NBA Jam - CIB - $20
College Hoops 2k7 - CIB -$25
3D Dot Game Heroes - disc only - $30
Folklore - game and case - $45
PS4
ESO - CIB - $5
Destiny - CIB - $5
Anthem - CIB - $5
The Dwarves - CIB - $5
Super Street the Game - CIB - $5
Project Highrise - CIB - $5
Skyrim Special Edition - CIB - $10
Prison Architect - CIB - $10
Little Hope - CIB - $10
Dragon Quest XI - $10
Persona 5 - game, steelcase, no slipcover - $10
Crimes and Punishment Sherlock Holmes - CIB - $15
Persona 5 - CIB, steelcase version, slipcover included - $15
PayDay 2 Big Score - CIB - $15
God Wars Future Past - CIB - $15
Street Fighter V Arcade Edition - CIB - $15
Sairento - CIB - $20
Spirit of the North - CIB - $20
BlazBlue Central Fiction - CIB - $20
TMNT Mutants in Manhattan - CIB - $45
Caligula Effect Overdose - CIB - $55
Dead By Daylight Nightmare Edition - CIB - $40
Trails of Cold Steel Decisive Edition - CIB, missing outer box - $85
PS5
Crisis Core FFVII Reunion - Sealed - $40
D&D Dark Alliance Deluxe Edition - CIB - $30
Far Cry 6 - Sealed - $10
Gran Turismo 7 - steelcase version, CIB - $65
Hitman 3 - CIB - $20
Sonic Frontiers - CIB - $20
Wo Long Fallen Dynasty - CIB - $30
submitted by conceited_cape to GameSale [link] [comments]


2024.05.12 23:16 Aromatic-Duck7452 Mechanical water dependency/sea-based Umberlee curses.

Hi folks,
Got a fun one to play with but need help getting some ideas as well as backing them up mechanically. Does anyone have some practical ideas for an Umberlee cursed magic item?
I was thinking something like a Davy Jones curse where they can't go on land without drowning, but the standing drowning rules and Grung Water Dependency traits are either going to be irritating (preventing any overland travel) or underpowered (they are in a ship/seafaring campaign so water immersion isn't an issue).
I need something that maybe Umberlee would probably consider a boon but others would consider a curse that isn't necessarily physical transformation.
Open to ideas, as I say, I am already playing with Pathfinder and 5e Drowning rules and just need some inspiration.
submitted by Aromatic-Duck7452 to DMAcademy [link] [comments]


2024.05.12 22:08 CoupleLoud4296 WTS - FOR SALE Baseball Tees, Hoodies, accessories etc / negotiable on prices!

WTS - FOR SALE Baseball Tees, Hoodies, accessories etc / negotiable on prices!
PayPal Only - US Free Ship - EU & CA Buyer Pays KNOW your SIZE, before you BUY & Comment First, Chat Second. BUNDLES ENCOURAGED
SHIRTS
•SS18 Corduroy Baseball Jersey Black - M (fits big like large) - $170
•Pocket tee short sleeve Red/White/Blue camo - L - $30
•FW19 Bite Me tee Navy - M - $26
•FW15 Cut & Sew Black (Thread Lined) Mini Chest Logo Tee Black - XL - $48
•FW20 Balloons tee Black - M - $24
•FW14 Ballerina Cut & Sew tee Burgundy - L - $49
•FW15 Splat Tee Grey/Purple - L - $35
•FW18 18 & Stormy tee (Donald Trump’s Affair) White - L - $35
•SS15 Gold Tooth Tee Black - L - $43
•FW21 Kanji Camo Baseball Jersey Blue/Black - L - $149
•SS19 Barbed Wire Moto L/S Jersey - XL - $85
•SS19 Clayton Patterson Long Sleeve Black (spooky cat) L/S - XL - $35
•FW17 Kiss Tee Blue - M - $25
•SS15 Cotton Twill Baseball Tee (triangle patch logo on back) Black - $100
SWEATSHIRTS
•FW20 Futura Logo Crewneck Blue - M - $120
•FW20 Globe Hooded Zip Up Sweatshirt - M - $125
•SS23 Heather Grey Knit Big Box Logo Jacquard Knit Hooded Sweatshirt - XL - $325
•FW16 Hooded 2 Tone Top Magenta/Green - L - $45
•FW19 Mirrored Logo Hooded Sweatshirt Royal Blue - L - $115
•SS12 Pinstripe Text Logo Hooded L/S Red - XL - $55
COAT/FLEECE
•Skittles Polartec Fleece Jacket Red - XL - $200
•FW22 Nylon Filled Puffy Collared Shirt Yellow - M (fits L) - $65
•FW20 Polartec Box Logo Fleece Sweatshirt (draw cord closure) - M - $85 (small burn hole can be tweezed back to normal)
•FW17 Hysteric Glamour N-3B Parka Fur Lined Coat - M (BIG) - $295
ACCESSORIES
•Dulton Clips 3 pack Multicolor 1 red/1 yellow/1 blue - 3x in stock - $33 each or 3 for 85
•North Face RTG Vest Black ADJUSTABLE SIZE Medium - $450
•FW22 SOG Multi-Tool Gold - $60
•SS23 Strawberries skateboard $100
•Nike Crew Socks Black - $45 each (2 avail)
•Dulton Tray Powder Coated Red $40
•SS23 Gradient Box Logo Fitted New Era Orange) 7&3/4 & Black/Grey 7&1/4 - $69ea - 2 for $110
•FW17 Hysteric Glamour Mug $35
•FW23 Championships Box Logo New Era Stone/Purple/Light Grey - 7&1/2 - $80
•SS23 Thermal Pant White - L - $45
•SS24 Maison Margiela MM6 Painted Camp Hat Black - $130
Ask questions & negotiate!
submitted by CoupleLoud4296 to supremeclothing [link] [comments]


2024.05.12 21:35 Hero_of_country Pirates were (partly) libertarians

Pirates of the Golden Age of Piracy were organized criminals. As well as having crew members assigned certain duties, pirates found a way to reduce conflict among themselves and maximize profits. They used a democratic system, spelled out by written "articles of agreement", to limit the captain's power and to keep order on board the ship.
Articles of agreement See also: Pirate code Pirate articles were based on the chasse-partie created on buccaneer ships in the 17th century. The chasse-partie determined the division of plunder among the crew as well as other rules. 18th-century pirates built upon this concept and created their own version of "Articles of Agreement." Before setting out on their expedition, pirates wrote their articles alongside the election of a captain or quartermaster. The articles needed the consent of every crew member, and "all [pirates] swore to 'em" sometimes on a Bible or whatever was at hand.[6] During the election of a new captain, men who wanted another leader often drew up separate articles and sailed away from their former crew-mates. Pirate democracy was flexible but unable to deal with long-term dissent from the crew.[7]
One description of the ritual of the pirate's code was in Alexandre Exquemelin's Buccaneers of America, published in 1678. Pirates called a first council (which included all crew members) to decide where to get provisions. Then they raided for supplies. Afterward, food rations were determined (with the captain receiving no more than any man). A second council decided on the articles of agreement, which were put in writing.[8]
These articles of agreement served four purposes:
They specifically designated shares of the plunder for each crew member. Shares of the plunder were spelled out on the basis of each crew member's skills and duties. Captain and quartermaster typically received one and a half or two shares; gunners, boatswains, shipmates, carpenters, and doctors typically received one and a quarter or one and a half shares, and all others one share each.[9] Some of the plunder went into a "common fund" to provide for severely injured men (who had lost their sight or their limbs). This, in turn, promoted loyalty among the crew because they knew they would be taken care of.[10] If the value of the plunder was questionable, they would sell it before dividing the money among themselves. This prevented conflict between crew members and also prevented the quartermaster from hoarding the most valuable items.[6] The articles prohibited activities that would cause conflict between crew members, such as excessive drinking, gambling, stealing, and bringing women (or boys) on board. Some, like Bartholomew Roberts' articles, also prevented crew members from settling arguments with duels while on board the ship. They outlined punishments for various offenses. Punishments included marooning, whipping, slitting of ears and noses, and for severe crimes, death. They created rules for the general safety of the ship. Usually, articles also required members to keep their weapons in good working order. Also, since fire was especially dangerous on ships, some pirate articles forbade activities such as firing guns or smoking in areas of the ship that carried flammable goods, such as gunpowder.[6] Articles also described incentives like bonuses for productive crew members and thus prevented each man from allowing everyone else to pick up the slack.[6]
Counter-culture to normal maritime life and labor Piracy was usually voluntarily chosen, and it was a way of life that challenged the society pirates left behind. Most pirates came from the lowest social classes and went out to sea in search of a better life as well as loot and treasure.[13] As well as these pragmatic and economic reasons, the "spirit of revolt against common oppressors", the oppressors being the governments and societies of nations, helped create pirate democracy. Pirate democracy was a counter-culture, created by common sailors, to the traditional organization of maritime life and labor.[14]
On most merchant and Navy vessels, there was a hierarchy with captains holding the highest authority, then officers and at the bottom, ordinary sailors. On these ships, a captain had complete control over every aspect of life on his ship, including the division of food, wages, labor assignment and discipline. Thus, it was easy for a captain to become abusive and use his authority to take advantage of his crew.[6] John Archer, who sailed with Edward Teach, before his execution explained his stint as a pirate: "I could wish that Masters of Vessels would not use their Men with so much Severity, as many of them do, which exposes us to many Temptations."[15]
Colonel Benjamin Bennet wrote of pirates to the Council of Trade and Plantations in 1718: "I fear they will soon multiply for so many are willing to joyn with them when taken." Sailors on seized ships joined pirates because of the appealing "prospect of plunder and 'ready money,' the food and the drink, the camaraderie, the democracy, equality, and justice, and the promise of care for the injured."[16]
Another appeal of piracy came in the limiting of the captain's power over the crew. Pirate Francis Kennedy puts it succinctly: "most pirates, 'having suffered formerly from the ill-treatment of their officers, provided carefully against such evil' once they arranged their own command."[17] Thus, pirate democracy came with a series of checks and balances that protected the rights of the crew.
Checks and balances Piratical checks and balances proved quite successful. According to Captain Charles Johnson, owing to the institution of the quartermaster, aboard pirate ships "the Captain can undertake nothing which the Quarter-Master does not approve. We may say, the Quarter-Master is a humble Imitation of the Roman Tribune of the People; he speaks for, and looks after the Interest of the Crew."[6]
The dual executive was a distinctive feature of pirate organization.[18] A quartermaster, along with the captain, was elected by the crew. The presence of the quartermaster divided the immediate authority on the ship into two, so one man couldn't have complete control over the crew. Also, the captain had to keep in mind that he only ruled because his crew allowed him to. A captain could be pulled from his position by a majority vote of the crew for various reasons, including: cowardice, poor judgment, abusive or controlling behavior (called predation) and other behavior that the crew believed infringed on their interests. The captain also lived like the rest of the crew; he had no privileges in lodgings or food and drink.[6]
However, the ultimate, highest authority on the ship was the pirate council, a group that included every man on the ship. The council determined where to go for the best prizes and how arguments were to be resolved.[19] Also, discipline was dealt out on the basis on "what Punishment the Captain and the Majority of the Company [believed] fit."[10]
Pirates took their democracy beyond their ship as well. Upon seizing a prize, pirates administered the "distribution of justice" and asked the crew of the captured ship about their captain's nature. If the crew complained that their captain had been cruel, the pirates tortured and then executed the captain. A kind captain was often released and rewarded.[20]
Brotherhood on the seas For the most part, Western pirates did not prey on one another and were always willing to help out fellow pirates. For example, in April 1719, Howell Davis and his crew sailed into the Sierra Leone River, alarming the pirates commanded by Thomas Cocklyn until they saw the Jolly Roger. After a while, they saluted each other with cannon. Other crews “often invoked an unwritten code of hospitality to forge spontaneous alliances.”[22]
The Jolly Roger, the most famous symbol of every pirate's experience of death, violence and limited time on Earth, was used to terrify targets but also to identify fellow pirates.[23] Pirate fraternity was further expressed by threats and acts of revenge against nations targeting pirates.[24]
Anti-libertarian part:
Forced labour Not all people on board were there voluntarily or had voting rights. Almost all pirate ships would have a considerable amount of forced labourers on board (usually 10%-60%). Typically captives from ships that refused to join and sign the code, but were of some use to the crew. These were practically slaves and did not have voting rights.[21]
submitted by Hero_of_country to libertarianunity [link] [comments]


2024.05.12 20:52 banjosandcellos DIY cleaning of my mini split AC units

I'm in a latam country where there is lots of AC sellers, not that many HVAC maintenance guys, and I have seen some YT videos and feel confident to try this, I am only cleaning filters, casing and the fan roller, noyhing is broken and if it was for a malfunction I would definetly find a professional.
Power off at the circuit breaker
So, I understand after removing filters and the case or shroud, I unscrew one side of the evaporator to access the roller. Should I do anything to the coils? A light vacuum or spritz some water? (correct me if I'm wrong please, I understood that water won't damage the coils because they condensate water all the time anyways).
Then the outdoor unit, I understand I can hose it down on the back side and that way clean it's coils, being careful not to direct any water upward as the delicate electronics are on top protected by the case. I can open and clean the fan but not remove it?
I wish they had coil spray like I saw the YT people have but this country is not too much into DIY AC service, Costa Rica. Will lysol as a possible alternative work? Their page says it helps but I wanna know, Or stay away from any non HVAC made chems?
Well, found some possible spray, also option 2, if I manage to get it shipped will that be a good one?
Thanks for any directions and corrections, my units are one Frigidaire 18000 BTU and one Telstar 12000 BTU
submitted by banjosandcellos to DIYHome [link] [comments]


2024.05.12 20:51 banjosandcellos DIY cleaning of my mini split AC units

I'm in a latam country where there is lots of AC sellers, not that many HVAC maintenance guys, and I have seen some YT videos and feel confident to try this, I am only cleaning filters, casing and the fan roller, noyhing is broken and if it was for a malfunction I would definetly find a professional.
Power off at the circuit breaker
So, I understand after removing filters and the case or shroud, I unscrew one side of the evaporator to access the roller. Should I do anything to the coils? A light vacuum or spritz some water? (correct me if I'm wrong please, I understood that water won't damage the coils because they condensate water all the time anyways).
Then the outdoor unit, I understand I can hose it down on the back side and that way clean it's coils, being careful not to direct any water upward as the delicate electronics are on top protected by the case. I can open and clean the fan but not remove it?
I wish they had coil spray like I saw the YT people have but this country is not too much into DIY AC service, Costa Rica. Will lysol as a possible alternative work? Their page says it helps but I wanna know, Or stay away from any non HVAC made chems?
Well, found some possible spray, also option 2, if I manage to get it shipped will that be a good one?
Thanks for any directions and corrections, my units are one Frigidaire 18000 BTU and one Telstar 12000 BTU
submitted by banjosandcellos to DIY [link] [comments]


2024.05.12 20:40 DesertShot Steyr's 300 Blackout Birdcage Removal

For those of you who have the Steyr 300blackout barrels with silencers/muzzle devices now installed on them. How did you remove the birdcage it ships with?
I'll be honest folks, I put some flame and even a breaker bar to the reverse-locking nut and nothing budged a millimeter. It was smoking so I assume the bonding agent was melting, or I got it hot enough to start cooking the oil it ships with. I was able to do the regular 16in barrel just fine by hand with a little melting of the bonding agent they use. What's the deal with these 300blk barrels? I was concerned I am approaching "damaging the product" territory so I put it away and wanted to ask folks here if they had any success removing the birdcage for their silencers.
Thanks!
Update: It's off, I was going the wrong direction treating it like an older barrel. Thank you everyone! For those searching in the future; its all one unit and you should turn it left. It has a RH thread pattern.
submitted by DesertShot to AUG [link] [comments]


2024.05.12 18:56 banjosandcellos About to service my own mini split units for the first time, some questions and what not to do

I'm in a latam country where there is lots of AC sellers, not that many HVAC maintenance guys, and I have seen some YT videos and feel confident to try this, I am only cleaning filters, casing and the fan roller, noyhing is broken and if it was for a malfunction I would definetly find a professional.
Power off at the circuit breaker
So, I understand after removing filters and the case or shroud, I unscrew one side of the evaporator to access the roller. Should I do anything to the coils? A light vacuum or spritz some water? (correct me if I'm wrong please, I understood that water won't damage the coils because they condensate water all the time anyways).
Then the outdoor unit, I understand I can hose it down on the back side and that way clean it's coils, being careful not to direct any water upward as the delicate electronics are on top protected by the case. I can open and clean the fan but not remove it?
I wish they had coil spray like I saw the YT people have but this country is not too much into DIY AC service, Costa Rica. Will lysol as a possible alternative work? Their page says it helps but I wanna know, Or stay away from any non HVAC made chems?
Well, found some possible spray, also option 2, if I manage to get it shipped will that be a good one?
Thanks for any directions and corrections, my units are one Frigidaire 18000 BTU and one Telstar 12000 BTU
submitted by banjosandcellos to hvacadvice [link] [comments]


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