/uw context: part5
/rw
Months had slipped away as Deamor delved deeper and deeper into the intricacies of soulmancy. While still nowhere near the proficiency required to start to meddle with his Spirit to completely solve his affinity problems, he still made a significant progress in understanding how Souls and Soul magic worked. Moreover, it seemed his book treated not only about soulmancy, but also contained plenty useful tips about magic in general.
This newfound insight into inner workings of magic allowed him to excel in many of his classes. While he still couldn't channel as much power as them, his ability to manipulate and use mana greatly improved. He got rid of many flaws and inefficiencies in the way he cast spells. This process would normally be done through years of honing a particular spell, but combining his Mana Vision with his newly acquired Soul Vision allowed him to quickly spot many of his shortcomings. Although he couldn't quite master spells from the get-go, of course, the learning curve was significantly shortened.
Over time, the prices of potion ingredients and potions themselves stabilized, reverting to the pre-crisis levels. Consequently, Deamor required considerably less coin to buy his supply of mana elixirs. Thanks to that, he had to undertake the "special jobs" far less often. The fact that he become a quite skilled burglar also meant that his pay was incomparably greater than before. He now could stick to merely doing relatively low-risk missions every now and then, which left him with plenty of time to further his study of soulmancy or to simply rest and enjoy life. This was an abstract concept to him so far and thus he made sure to relish it while he could.
In the end he opted not to tell Kate and Markus about his illegal activities nor about his secret studies. He was sure his friends suspected the former anyways, they just respected him enough not to breach the subject. As former waifs as him, they understood him well. They knew that even if they offered help, he would refuse. As for soulmancy, he decided that it would bring far too much risk for both them and himself. This school of magic was dangerous to even have knowledge of, not to mention pursue it. Perhaps he would tell them at some point, but in the current circumstances it was far too risky. For now, he just relished in the extra free time he had and used it to finally have some fun together with his friends at the various bars and taverns in the Capital.
The years went by peacefully, however the more Deamor delved into the secrets of the art of divination, the more anxious he felt. Initially it was hard to notice, but now it became clear. The results of any divinations related to his person, or things closely related to him, would be extremely vague or often even downright wrong. In theory the opposite should be true - the closer an object was related to the caster, the more precise the visions should be.
When he tried to divine the location of his parents, he found something particularly distressing. In reality, they were supposed to be lying in the graves for almost a decade, yet more than half of the time his visions shown them to be in their old house or other places they frequented back when they were alive. It shouldn't have been possible! He saw their bodies being buried with his own two eyes! Divination was a fickle art, true, but it shouldn't have be so wrong so consistently in such simple matters.
Deamor checked all of the places his visions have shown him, multiple times even, yet there were never any traces of his parents there. He even employed his Soul Vision, to see if maybe the Souls of his parents lingered in this world as ghosts, but he hadn't spotted anything out of the ordinary.
At first he considered consulting his professors, but in the end he refrained from doing so. There was a chance he would end up as a test subject for some experiments and the increased scrutiny might end up uncovering his other secrets. The only two people he trusted enough to confide in were his friends. They confirmed his results, but even though they were less talented in divination than him, paradoxically their results were wrong less often.
Deamor spent days pouring over tomes about divination anomalies, however he struggled to find anything similar to his predicament. The existence of spells and curses that could impede divination was widely known, but something that would work only sometimes and which was more pronounced the more someone was skilled at divination was extremely weird and unheard of. Not to mention that this anomaly, spell, curse or whatever else this was must have been quite powerful, as it affected not only him but even people and objects related to him and was seemingly permanent.
He was puzzled, as he couldn't think of any reason why somebody or something would target him. Apart from his secret soulmancy book, there was nothing particularly remarkable about him. Perhaps that book was the key?
Eventually, he decided that there was no point in dwelling on the mystery. There was little he could do about it for now. Furthermore, his "divination protection" could be not only a curse, but a boon as well - it might protect him from his enemies and hide his secrets. When faced with uncontrollable circumstances, seeking opportunities in them rather than surrendering to defeat was paramount.
The remainder of his time at the Academy was fairly uneventful, until the end of his studies grew near. A major exam was supposed to take place and only those that passed would be allowed to bear the title of an official trained wizard. Thanks to countless cups of coffee and other... stronger brews, he managed to rank among the top ten scores in his two favorite subjects: abjuration and divination. His knowledge of soulmancy helped him in many other subjects, such as necromancy, enchantment and transmutation. Not just his spellcasting was examined though - he was tested on subjects such as history, mathematics, rhetoric, martial arts and even etiquette. As his weak Spirit didn't hinder him in these areas, he did fairly well. By far the hardest test for him was the evocation exam, as it required constant channeling of plenty of high-tier spells. Fortunately, he managed to pass, if barely.
Many others weren't so lucky, however. Only about two thirds of the students that started along with him were still around by then and the exam brought that percentage down even further. In particular, out of around 70 commoner students that were admitted, only 24 remained. Fortunately his friends were among them.
Following the exams, a ceremony conferred special pendants upon successful candidates, symbolizing their new status. Afterwards, a grand ball was held to celebrate this event, with many high-ranking nobles, powerful wizards and other important figures present. Even the Emperor himself came and congratulated the young wizards. Deamor used this time to make new connections, hoping to perhaps enter some fruitful partnerships in the future. Despite his low birth, graduation from the Academy elevated his status similar to that of a minor noble. Given how influential the mages were in the Empire, attempting to gain favor of the promising graduates was a common practice.
Deamor quickly grew tired of the fake smiles and formal introductions. Engaging in polite conversation with powerful nobles, where he had to consider his every word, proved more taxing than casting even the most complex spells. Well, at least he managed to invite Kate to dance and the wine here was better than anything he's ever tasted. Still, he wished he could simply get drunk with his friends instead of sitting here. Nonetheless, he recognized the rarity of the opportunity such as this ball and persevered.
After hours of the ordeal, he managed to catch a moment of respite. He gazed through a grand window, surveying the sprawling city below. Sipping wine, he reminisced about his past. He has entered the Academy as a naive, 15 year old waif, barely knowing how to read, write and cast a few simple cantrips. Now, eight years later, he was a full-fledged wizard, member of the high society, master of the arcane and graduate of the most prestigious magic school in the known world. He has learned much during his time here, but not just in terms of knowledge. His interactions with classmates, his friends, as well as his involvement in the criminal underworld has allowed him to see the worst and best the humanity had to offer. Or at least so he thought.
Deamor had only precious few moments to celebrate his accomplishments though. It was finally time to pay back his debt. He would soon be joining the Imperial Army.
"But first, a few more hours of entertaining these stuck-up fools. Well, at least the wine is good." - Deamor mused as he rejoined the festivities.
/Uw Thanks for reading, tell me what you think! Sorry for the wait, the next chapter - "The Battle of Hjor's Ford" should be out pretty soon this time.
The story happens thousands of years in the past, so it's not really interactive.

https://preview.redd.it/uqpvkb76ne0d1.png?width=3500&format=png&auto=webp&s=086ba9f5aafea4ae83d838124dbc09cd3a2f0ba9
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 14, 2024) - Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (CSE: API) (OTCQX: APAAF) (FSE: A0I0) (MUN: A0I0) (BER: A0I0) (the "Company" or "Appia") announced today the results from the newly identified exploration targets Taygeta and Merope. A total of 111 samples from 18 auger drill holes were assayed by SGS-GEOSOL Laboratories in Vespasiano, Brazil. The results confirm that the regolith developed over the Ipora Granite presented significant enrichment of Heavy Rare Earth Oxides (HREO), characteristic of the Ionic Adsorption Clay (IAC) rare earth elements (REE) deposits identified at other PCH target zones.
Stephen Burega, President, commented, "These initial results from the auger drill program are very promising, and provide us with a strong indication that the PCH project can host multiple new IAC REE mineralized areas in addition to the resource already identified in our maiden Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) completed by SGS Canada. Additionally, these new target zones are considerably larger in total area as compared to the Target IV. Desorption test results will be reported once received."
Highlights

• The new targets are in the Eastern portion of the PCH claims, approximately 15 km East from Target IV and the Buriti Zone (see Figure 1).
• Selected intercepts for Heavy Rare Earth Oxide (HREO), Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO), Dysprosium plus Terbium oxides (Dy+Tb) and Praseodymium plus Neodymium oxides (Nd+Pr) grades in Parts Per Millions (ppm):
  • PCH-AH-190 - **4m@**1848ppm TREO, 1138ppm HREO, 106ppm Dy+Tb, 205ppm Nd+Pr from 1m.
  • PCH-AH-193 - **5m@**1254ppm TREO, 270ppm HREO, 29ppm Dy+Tb, 217ppm Nd+Pr from 1m.
  • PCH-AH-194 - **2m@**1175ppm TREO, 274ppm HREO, 31ppm Dy+Tb, 257ppm Nd+Pr from 4m.
  • PCH-AH-199 - **2m@**1131ppm TREO, 276ppm HREO, 30ppm Dy+Tb, 209ppm Nd+Pr from 2m.
  • PCH-AH-201 - 4m@ 1022ppm TREO, 245ppm HREO, 28ppm Dy+Tb, 211ppm Nd+Pr from 2m.
  • PCH-AH-202 - **8m@**1696ppm TREO, 1070ppm HREO, 101ppm Dy+Tb, 172ppm Nd+Pr from 0m.
  • PCH-AH-204 - **5m@**1267ppm TREO, 754ppm HREO, 75ppm Dy+Tb, 168ppm Nd+Pr from 1m.
  • PCH-AH-207 - **6m@**1025 ppm TREO, 262ppm HREO, 29ppm Dy+Tb, 196ppm Nd+Pr from 3m.
• The grade distribution signature found at depth in the auger drill holes is compatible with the pattern commonly found on IAC REE deposits (see Figures 2 and 3).
• The Taygeta and Merope targets cover an area of 546 and 1,134 hectares respectively.
• These first phase auger drill holes average 6.22 metres in depth, and most ended in mineralization leaving the interval open at depth.
• Intercepts of all auger drill holes are presented in Table 1. The full set of results are included in this LINK.

Tom Drivas, CEO, stated, "Building on our recent news confirming the presence of IAC mineralization through desorption testing, I am extremely excited by the identification of new, large scale targets across the PCH project which are underlain by the IAC mineralization produced by these weathered Ipora granites. We have a lot of work to do over the coming months to fully delineate these new target zones, and to assess the implications of their addition to our maiden MRE, and true value to the marketplace."
Table 1 - Intercepts from all auger holes on targets Taygeta and Merope. For a full list of results, pleaseclick here.
https://preview.redd.it/zu8885a6ne0d1.png?width=775&format=png&auto=webp&s=dfa5c3f17b8c44c05bf1e0444f9523b1b28a4bce
*Total Rare Earth Oxides: TREO = Y2O3 + Eu2O3 + Gd2O3 + Tb4O7 + Dy2O3 + Ho2O3 + Er2O3 + Tm2O3 + Yb2O3 + Lu2O3 + La2O3 + Ce2O3 + Pr2O3 + Nd2O3 + Sm2O3 *Heavy Rare Earth Oxides: HREO = Gd2O3 + Tb4O7 + Dy2O3 + Ho2O3 + Er2O3 + Tm2O3 + Yb2O3 + Lu2O3 + Y2O3 *Nd+Pr Oxides= Nd2O3+Pr2O3 *Dy+Tb Oxides= Dy2O3+Tb4O7
*Element to Oxide Conversion Factor - Cerium Ce2O3 1.1713, Cerium CeO2 1.2284, Dysprosium Dy2O3 1.1477, Erbium Er2O3 1.1435, Europium Eu2O3 1.1579, Gadolinium Gd2O3 1.1526, Holmium Ho2O3 1.1455, Lanthanum La2O3 1.1728, Lutetium Lu2O3 1.1371, Neodymium Nd2O3 1.1664, Praseodymium Pr2O3 1.1703, Praseodymium Pr6O11 1.2082, Samarium Sm2O3 1.1596, Terbium Tb2O3 1.1510, Terbium Tb4O7 1.1762, Thulium Tm2O3 1.1421, Yttrium Y2O3 1.2699, Ytterbium Yb2O3 1.1387
Figure 1 - Map presenting the exploration auger drill holes location and targets.
https://preview.redd.it/06s5h6b6ne0d1.png?width=891&format=png&auto=webp&s=84e9790e49beda5b054ce629a03b661c44f70ca7
Figure 2 - Strip log of selected auger holes from Taygeta Target.
https://preview.redd.it/lieizdd6ne0d1.png?width=552&format=png&auto=webp&s=97b73a9bf2efeedd673ff44b5d1f99769ead69e7
Figure 3 - Strip log of selected auger holes from Merope Target.
https://preview.redd.it/qm9up9e6ne0d1.png?width=528&format=png&auto=webp&s=31f6c0d659efa70c30abac358a09d0f748a2cf80
Andre Costa, VP Exploration for Brazil, commented, "The confirmation of these new targets opens the prospect of finding new exploration targets associated with the Ipora Granite across the entirety of the PCH project area which covers an impressive +40,000 hectares. Auger samples for desorbability testing are being prepared to corroborate the IAC REE mineralization in Taygeta and Merope targets. Delineation drilling will follow upon favorable desorption results."
On March 1st, 2024, the Company announced its maiden Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) on Target IV and the Buriti Zone (Click here for the Press Release), and the companion NI 43-101 technical report on the PCH Project was filed on April 16th, 2024. (Click here for the Press Release)
John Tumazos Very Independent Research Presentation
Appia invites you to register for a webinar on May 14th at 9:45 AM EDT, Eastern Daylight Time (North America) with Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp.'s President, Mr. Stephen Burega and VP of Exploration, Brazil, Mr. Andre Costa, and renowned former Wall Street analyst, John Tumazos of Very Independent Research. John will dig in on the latest developments at Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp.
To register for the event click here.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
QA/QC
Auger drill holes are vertical and reported intervals are true thickness. The material produced from drill holes are sampled at one metre intervals, resulting in average sample sizes of 5-10 kg. Quartering of the material was performed at Appia's logging facility using a riffle splitter and continued splitting until a representative sample weighing approximately 500g each was obtained, bagged in a resistant plastic bag, labeled, photographed, and stored for shipment.
The bagged samples are sent to the SGS laboratory in Vespasiano, Minas Gerais. In addition to the internal QA/QC of the SGS Lab, Appia includes its own control samples in each batch of samples sent to the laboratory.
Quality control samples, such as blanks, duplicates, and standards (CRM) were inserted into each analytical run. For all analysis methods, the minimum number of QA/QC samples is one standard, one duplicate and one blank, introduced in each batch which comprise a full-length hole. The rigorous procedures are implemented during the sample collection, preparation, and analytical stages to insure the robustness and reliability of the analytical results.
All analytical results reported herein have passed internal QA/QC review and compilation. All assay results of Auger samples were provided by SGS Geosol, an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Certified Laboratory, which performed their measure of the concentration of rare earth elements (REE) with the IMS95R analytical method that uses lithium metaborate fusion prior acid dissolution and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS).
The technical information in this news release, including the information related to geology, drilling, and mineralization, has been reviewed and approved by Andre L. L. Costa, Appia's VP Exploration for Brazil, with more than 29 years of relevant experience. Mr. Costa is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (FAIG) and is a Qualified Person (QP) as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
About Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (Appia)
Appia is a publicly traded Canadian company in the rare earth element and uranium sectors. The Company holds the right to acquire up to a 70% interest in the PCH Ionic Adsorption Clay Project (See June 9th, 2023 Press Release - Click HERE) which is 40,963.18 ha. in size and located within the Goiás State of Brazil. (See January 11th, 2024 Press Release - Click HERE) The Company is also focusing on delineating high-grade critical rare earth elements and gallium on the Alces Lake property, and exploring for high-grade uranium in the prolific Athabasca Basin on its Otherside, Loranger, North Wollaston, and Eastside properties. The Company holds the surface rights to exploration for 94,982.39 hectares (234,706.59 acres) in Saskatchewan. The Company also has a 100% interest in 13,008 hectares (32,143 acres), with rare earth elements and uranium deposits over five mineralized zones in the Elliot Lake Camp, Ontario.
Appia has 136.3 million common shares outstanding, 145 million shares fully diluted.
Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements: This News Release contains forward-looking statements which are typically preceded by, followed by or including the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "estimates", "intends", "plans" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance as they involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements and shareholders are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such statements.
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
For more information, visit www.appiareu.com
As part of our ongoing effort to keep investors, interested parties and stakeholders updated, we have several communication portals. If you have any questions online (X,Facebook,LinkedIn) please feel free to send direct messages.
To book a one-on-one 30-minute Zoom video call, please [click here](mailto:sburega@appiareu.com).
Contact:
Tom Drivas, CEO and Director (c) (416) 876-3957 *(e) *[tdrivas@appiareu.com](mailto:tdrivas@appiareu.com)
Stephen Burega, President (c) (647) 515-3734 *(e) *[sburega@appiareu.com](mailto:sburega@appiareu.com)
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/209087
​
https://preview.redd.it/29ul6ef6ne0d1.png?width=4000&format=png&auto=webp&s=07601ba4d3abe2dbbfc5e132c36d4f84dad0afe6

Universal Site Links
APPIARAREEARTH
STOCK METAL DATABASE
ADD TICKER TO THE DATABASE
www.reddit.com/Treaty_Creek
REPORT AN ERROR

🩰TESTER CALL: PRINCESS CARDIGAN 🩰
You will find the complete tester call from my Instagram if you are there:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C68r5aONvkT/?igsh=ajN0eWt5YmZ4MGNi
If you are not on Instagram, you can send me dm here 🩷
The princess cardigan is here! I'm looking for up to 12 volunteers to test my new crochet pattern 😍 The cardigan is quite fast to work with, since it's crocheted with oversize hook. The pattern comes with sizes XXS-XXXL.
The sizes:
Chest circumference and chest circumference of the cardigan (cm):
XXS 🎀 70 ➡️ 83 XS 🎀 80 ➡️ 95 S 🎀 90 ➡️ 106 M 🎀 100 ➡️ 118 L 🎀 110 ➡️ 130 XL 🎀 120 ➡️ 142 XXL 🎀 130 ➡️ 153 XXXL 🎀 140 ➡️ 165
The cardigan is made with a positive ease. You can also make more fitted my choosing one or two sizes smaller.
🩰 Size advice:
In the photo, I'm wearing size M. My chest circumference is about 100 cm. But for fitted suze, I would choose even xs, with small negative ease.
I'm looking for one tester per size, or atleast 4 testers in different sizes :)
🩰 ABOUT THE PATTERN 🩰

• Super detailed written pattern without abbreviations
• Step-by-step photos
• Step-by-step video
• Crochet terms: US
• Measurements in centimeters
• Language: English

Supplies: -12mm crochet hook -Alpaca/mohair yarn, I have used Lana Grossa Natural Alpaca Lungo (3-5 skeins, depending on size)
Needed skills: -Chain -Double crochet (US terms) -Standing double crochet or 3 chains -Increasing (two in same loop) -Decreasing (two stitches together) -Slip stitch -Weaving the ends
Difficulty 2/5: the stitches are simple, but there are many steps to follow
🩰 WHAT I EXPECT FROM YOU 🎀

• You have needed skills
• You are willing to take photo/s of your finished cardigan, which I can use in my stories/feed. I'll tag you ofcourse 🥰 (unless you want to stay anonymous)
• You are comfortable with joining a group chat in instagram with other testers ➡️ This is not a must
• You are willing to give a feedback :)
• You have 3 weeks+ time to finish the cardigan. I'll send you the pattern as soon as it finished or at latest 19.5. So if you sign in before 19.5. the deadline will be 9.6. ☀️

Art by Bob Nicholls
Nowadays, when we envision the words “prey,” among modern mammalian fauna, few taxa come to mind as quickly as the hoofed mammals, better known as the ungulates. Indeed, for the better part of their entire evolutionary history, the ungulates have become entirely indistinguishable from the term “prey.” Across their two major modern branches, the artiodactyls (the “even-toed ungulates,” such as bovids, pigs, deer, hippos and giraffes) and the perissodactyls (the “odd-toed ungulates,” including horses, rhinos and tapir), the ungulates too have created an empire spanning nearly every continent, establishing themselves as the the dominant herbivores throughout their entire range. However, as a price for such success, their lot as herbivores have forced them into an unenviable position: being the food for the predators. Indeed, throughout the diets of most modern predators, ungulates make up the majority, if not the entirety, of their diet, becoming their counterparts in this evolutionary dance of theirs. They have become the lamb to their wolf, the zebra to their lion, the stag to their tiger. If there is a predator in need of lunch, chances are that there is an ungulate there to provide it. Of course, such a dynamic is not necessarily a recent innovation. For the last 15-20 million years, across much of the world, both new and old, the ungulates have served as prey for these predators through it all. Over the course of whole epochs, these two groups have played into these roles for millions of years, coevolving with each other in an eons-long game of cat-and-mouse. The shoes they fill are not new, but have existed for ages, and within their niches they have cultivated their roles to perfection. Indeed, with such a tenured history, it seems hardly surprising the ungulates are wholly inseparable from the terms “prey,” itself.
However, while this is the case now, as it has been for the last 15-20 million years, go back far enough, and we see that this dynamic is not as set in stone as we would think. Indeed, back during the Eocene and Oligocene, during the very earliest days of age of mammals, things were very different for the ungulates. While today they are considered little more than food for modern predators, during these olden days, the ungulates weren’t quite so benign. In fact, far from being fodder for top predators, the ungulates had turned the tables, instead becoming top predators themselves. Indeed, though nearly unheard of today, throughout much of the Eocene and Oligocene, carnivorous ungulates thrived in abundance, developing specializations for catching large prey and establishing themselves as top predators that competed alongside the more traditional carnivores, and even dominating them in some instances. Given such success, it’s no wonder that multiple such clades had arisen during this time. Such predators included the arctocyonids, a lineage of (ironically) hoof-less ungulates with large jaws and sharp teeth for capturing large prey. There were also the mesonychians, a lineage of dog-like ungulates with massive skulls and jaws that allowed them to reign as the top predator across much of the Eocene.
However, among these various lineages, one stands stands out among the rest, by far. Arising during the Eocene, this lineage, though superficially resembling modern pigs, hailed from one an ancient lineage of artiodactyls far removed from swine or most other ungulates in general, with few close relatives alive today. Through perhaps not the most predatory of the bunch, it was among the most formidable, as their superficially pig-like appearance came with giant predatory jaws and teeth unlike anything from the modern era. And of course, as if all of that wasn’t enough, this lineage also went on to earn arguably one of the most badass nicknames of any lineage of mammals, period. These predators, of course, were the entelodonts, a.k.a the “hell-pigs.” More so than any other predatory ungulate lineage, these formidable ungulates were the ones to turn the current paradigm upside down, becoming some of the largest and most dominant carnivores in their landscape, even with (and often in spite of) the presence of more traditional predators. Through impressive size, fearsome teeth and sheer tenacity, these animals became the top dogs of their time, ruling as behemoth-kings of their Paleogene kingdoms, domineering all comers, and throughout the ranks, one entelodont in particular demonstrated such dominance the best. Though not the largest or most powerful of their kind, it is one of the most iconic, being among the most well-known members of its lineage to date. Moreover, this enteledont also has some of the most complete life histories ever seen out of this clade, with its brutality and predatory prowess being displayed in the fossil record in a way seen in no other member of its kind. More than anything else, however, it was this predator that best turned the notion of “ungulates being prey” on its head, living in an environment that bore some of the largest carnivoran hypercarnivores to date and still reigning as the undisputed top predator of its domain. This fearsome beast was none other than Archaeotherium, icon of the entelodonts, terror of the Oligocene American west and undisputed king of the White River badlands.
The rise of Archaeotherium (and of entelodonts in general) is closely tied to the ascendancy of carnivorous ungulates as a whole, one of the earliest evolutionary success stories of the entire Cenozoic. Having become their own derived clade since the late Cretaceous, the ungulates were remarkably successful during the early Paleogene, as they were among the first mammalian clades to reach large sizes during those early days after the non-avian dinosaurs had gone extinct. As such, it was with incredible swiftness that, as the Paleogene progressed, the ungulates swooped upon the various niches left empty by the K-Pg mass extinction that killed the dinosaurs. This of course included the herbivorous niches we would know them for today, but this also included other, much more carnivore roles. Indeed, early on during the Paleogene, it was the ungulates that first seized the roles of large mammalian predators, becoming some the earliest large mammalian carnivores to ever live, well before even the carnivorans. Such predators included the arctocyonids, a lineage of vaguely dog-like, hoof-less ungulates with robust jaws and sharpened teeth that acted as some of earliest large carnivores of the Paleocene, with genera such as Arctocyon mumak getting up to the size of big cats. Even more prolific were the mesonychids. More so than what pretty much any other lineage of predator, it was the mesonychids that would stand out as the earliest dominant predators of the early Cenozoic. Growing up to the size of bears and with enormous, bone-crushing jaws, the mesonychids were among the most powerful and successful predators on the market at that time, with a near-global range and being capable of subjugating just about any other predator in their environments. Indeed, they, along with other carnivorous ungulates (as well as ungulates in general), were experiencing a golden age during this time, easily being the most prolific predators of the age. Given such prevalence, it should be no surprise that there would be yet another lineage of predatory ungulates would throw their hat into the ring, and by early Eocene, that contender would none other than the entelodonts.
The very first entelodonts had arisen from artiodactyl ancestors during the Eocene epoch, at a time when artiodactyls were far more diverse and bizarre than they are now. Through today known from their modern herbivorous representatives such as bovines, deer, and antelope, during the Paleocene and Eocene, the artiodacyls, as with most ungulates of that time, were stronger and far more predaceous, particularly when it came to one such clade of artiodactyls, the cetacodontamorphs. Only known today from hippos and another group of artiodactyls (one which will become relevant later), the cetacodantomorphs emerged out of Asia around 55 million years ago, at around the same time that artiodactyls themselves had made their debut. These animals included the first truly predatory artiodactyls, with many of them possessing large skulls with powerful jaws and sharp, predatory teeth. Among their ranks included animals as puny as Indohyus, a piscivorous artiodactyl the size of a cat, to as formidable as Andrewsarchus, a giant, bison-sized predator often touted as one of the largest predatory mammals to ever live. Given such a predatory disposition, it wouldn’t be long until this clade produced a lineage of truly diverse, truly successful predators, and by around 40 million years ago, that is exactly what they did, as it was at that time that the entelodonts themselves first emerged. From their Asian homeland, the entelodonts spread across the world, spreading through not only most of Eurasia but also colonizing North America as well, with genera such as Brachyhyops being found across both continents. Here, in this North American frontier, the entelodonts began to diversify further, turning into their most successful and formidable forms yet, and it was around the late Eocene and early Oligocene that Archaeotherium itself had entered the scene.
Just from a passing glance at Archaeotherium, it is clear how exactly it (as well as the other entelodonts) earned the nickname of “hell-pigs.” It was a bruiser for starters; its body bore a robust, pig-like physique, with prominent neural spines and their associated musculature forming a hump around the shoulder region, similar to the hump of a bison. With such a bulky physique came with it impressive size; the average A. mortoni had a head-body length of roughly 1.6-2.0 m (5.3-6.6 ft), a shoulder height of 1.2 m (4 ft) and a body mass of around 180 kg (396 lb) in weight (Boardman & Secord, 2013; Joeckel, 1990). At such sizes, an adult Archaeotherium the size of a large male black bear. However, they had the potential to get even bigger. While most Archaeotherium specimens were around the size described above, a select few specimens, labeled under the synonymous genus “Megachoerus,” are found to be much larger, with skulls getting up to 66% longer than average A. mortoni specimens (Foss, 2001; Joeckel, 1990). At such sizes and using isometric scaling, such massive Archaeotherium specimens would attained body lengths over 2.5 m (8.2 ft) and would have reached weighs well over 500 kg (1100 lb), or as big as a mature male polar bear. Indeed, at such sizes, it is already abundantly evident that Archaeotherium is a force to be recorded with.
However, there was more to these formidable animals than sheer size alone. Behind all that bulk was an astoundingly swift and graceful predator, especially in terms of locomotion. Indeed, the hoofed feet of Archaeotherium, along with other entelodonts, sported several adaptations that gave it incredible locomotive efficiency, essentially turning it into a speed demon of the badlands. Such adaptations include longer distal leg elements (e.g. the radius and tibia) than their proximal counterparts (e.g. the humerus and femur), fusion of the radius and ulna for increased running efficiency, the loss of the clavicle (collar-bone) to allow for greater leg length, the loss of the acromion to enhance leg movement along the fore-and-aft plane, the loss of digits to reduce the mass of the forelimb, the fusion of the ectocuneiform and the mesocuneiform wrist-bones, among many other such traits (Theodore, 1996) . Perhaps most significant of these adaptations is the evolution of the “double-pulley astragalus (ankle-bone),” a specialized modification of the ankle that, while restricting rotation and side-to-side movement at the ankle-joint, allows for greater rotation in the fore-and-aft direction, thus allowing for more more powerful propulsion from the limbs, faster extension and retraction of the limbs and overall greater locomotive efficiency (Foss, 2001). Of course, such a trait was not only found in entelodonts but in artiodactyls as a whole, likely being a response to predatory pressures from incumbent predatory clades arising at the same time as the artiodactyls (Foss, 2001). However, in the case of the entelodonts, such adaptations were not used for merely escaping predators. Rather, they were used to for another, much more lethal effect…
Such notions are further reinforced by the entelodonts most formidable aspect, none either than their fearsome jaws, and in this respect, Archaeotherium excelled. Both for its size and in general, the head of Archaeotherium was massive, measuring 40-50 cm (1.3-1.6 ft) in length among average A. mortoni specimens, to up to 78 cm (~2.6 ft) in the larger “Megachoerus” specimens (Joeckel, 1990). Such massive skulls were supported and supplemented by equally massive neck muscles and ligaments, which attached to massive neural spines on the anterior thoracic vertebrae akin to a bisons hump as well as to the sternum, allowing Archaeotherium to keep its head aloft despite the skulls massive size (Effinger, 1998). Of course, with such a massive skull, it should come as no surprise that such skulls housed exceptionally formidable jaws as well, and indeed, the bite of Archaeotherium was an especially deadly one. Its zygomatic arches (cheek-bones) and its temporal fossa were enlarged and expanded, indicative of massive temporalis muscles that afforded Archaeotherium astoundingly powerful bites (Joeckel, 1990). This is further augmented by Archaeotherium’s massive jugal flanges (bony projections of the cheek), which supported powerful masseter muscles which enhanced chewing and mastication, as well as an enlarged postorbital bar that reinforced the skull against torsional stresses (Foss, 2001). Last but not least, powerful jaws are supplemented by an enlarged gape, facilitated by a low coronoid process and enlarged posterior mandibular tubercles (bony projections originating from the lower jaw), which provided an insertion site for sternum-to-mandible jaw abduction muscles, allowing for a more forceful opening of the jaw (Foss, 2001). All together, such traits suggest a massive and incredibly fearsome bite, perhaps the most formidable of any animal in its environment.
Of course, none of such traits are especially indicative of a predatory lifestyle. Indeed, many modern non-predatory ungulates, like hippos, pigs and peccaries, also possess large, formidable skulls and jaws. However, in peeling back the layers, it is found there was more to the skull of Archaeotherium that lies in store. Indeed, when inspecting the animal closely, a unique mosaic of features is revealed; traits that make it out to be much more lethal than the average artiodactyl. On one hand, Archaeotherium possessed many traits similar to those of herbivores animals, as is expected of ungulates. For instance, its jaw musculature that allowed the lower jaw of Archaeotherium a full side-to-side chewing motion as in herbivores (whereas most carnivores can only move their lower jaw up and down)(Effinger, 1998). On the other hand, Archaeotherium wielded many other traits far more lethal in their morphology, less akin to a herbivore and far more akin to a bonafide predator. For instance, the aforementioned enlarged gape of Archaeotherium is a bizarre trait on a supposed herbivore, as such animals do not need large gapes to eat vegetation and thus have smaller, more restricted gapes. Conversely, many predatory lineages have comparatively large gapes, as larger gapes allow for the the jaws to grab on to more effectively larger objects, namely large prey animals (Joeckel, 1990).
Such a juxtaposition, however, is most evident when discussing the real killing instruments of Archaeotherium — the teeth. More so than any facet of this animal, the teeth of Archaeotherium are the real stars of the show, showing both how alike it was compared to its herbivores counterparts and more importantly, how it couldn’t be more different. For instance, the molars of Archaeotherium were quite similar to modern herbivores ungulates, in that they were robust, bunodont, and were designed for crushing and grinding, similar in form and function to modern ungulates like peccaries (Joeckel, 1990). However, while the molars give the impression that Archaeotherium was a herbivore, the other teeth tell a very different story. The incisors, for example, were enlarged, sharpened, and fully interlocked (as opposed to the flat-topped incisors seen in herbivores ungulates), creating an incisor array that was seemingly ill-suited for cropping vegetation and much more adept at for gripping, puncturing and cutting (Joeckel, 1990). Even more formidable were the canines. Like the modern pigs from which entelodonts derived their nicknames, the canines of Archaeotherium were sharp and enlarged to form prominent tusk-like teeth, but unlike pigs, they were rounded in cross-section (similar to modern carnivores like big cats, indicating more durable canines that can absorb and resist torsional forces, such as those from struggling prey) and were serrated to form a distinct cutting edge (Effinger, 1998; Joeckel, 1990; Ruff & Van Valkenburgh, 1987). These canines, along with the incisors, interlock to stabilize the jaws while biting and dismantling in a carnivore-like fashion. More strikingly, the canines also seem to act as “occlusal guides,” wherein the canines help align the movement and position of the rear teeth as they come together, allowing for a more efficient shearing action by the rear teeth. This function is seen most prevalently modern carnivores mammals, and is evidenced by the canine tooth-wear, which is also analogous to modern predators like bears and canids (Joeckel, 1990). Indeed, going off such teeth alone, it is clear that Archaeotherium is far more predatory than expected of an ungulate. However, the real stars of the show, the teeth that truly betray the predatory nature of these ungulates, are the premolars. Perhaps the most carnivore-like teeth in the entelodont’s entire tooth row, the premolars of Archaeotherium, particularly the anterior premolars, are laterally compressed, somewhat conical in shape, and are weakly serrated to bear a cutting edge, giving them a somewhat carnivorous form and function of shearing and slicing (Effinger, 1998). Most strikingly of all, the premolars of Archaeotherium bear unique features similar not to modern herbivores, but to durophagous carnivores like hyenas, particularly apical wear patterns, highly thickened enamel, “zigzag-shaped” enamel prism layers (Hunter-Schraeger bands) on the premolars which is also seen in osteophagous animals like hyenas, and an interlocking premolar interface wherein linear objects (such as bones) inserted into jaws from the side would be pinned between the premolars and crushed (Foss, 2001). Taken together, these features do not suggest a diet of grass or vegetation like other ungulates. Rather, they suggest a far more violent diet, one including flesh as well as hard, durable foods, particularly bone. All in all, the evidence is clear. Archaeotherium and other entelodonts, unlike the rest of their artiodactyl kin, were not the passive herbivores as we envision ungulates today. Rather, they were willing, unrepentant meat-eaters that had a taste for flesh as well as foliage.
Of course, even with such lines of evidence, its hard to conclude that Archaeotherium was a true predator. After all, its wide gape and durophagous teeth could have just as easily been used for scavenging or even to eat tough plant matter such as seeds or nuts, as in peccaries and pigs, which themselves share many of the same adaptations as Archaeotherium, include the more carnivorous ones (e.g. the wide gape, using the canines as an occlusal guide, etc.). How exactly do we know that these things were veritable predators and not pretenders to the title. To this end, there is yet one last piece of evidence, one that puts on full display the predatory prowess of Archaeotherium —evidence of a kill itself. Found within oligocene-aged sediment in what is now Wyoming, a collection of various fossil remains was found, each belonging to the ancient sheep-sized camel Poebrotherium, with many of the skeletal remains being disarticulated and even missing whole hindlimbs or even entire rear halves of their body. Tellingly, many of the remains bear extensive bite marks and puncture wounds across their surface. Upon close examination, the spacing and size of the punctures leave only one culprit: Archaeotherium. Of course, such an event could still have been scavenging; the entelodonts were consuming the remains of already dead, decomposed camels, explaining the bite marks. What was far more telling, however, was where the bite marks were found. In addition bite marks being found on the torso and lumbar regions of the camels, various puncture wounds were found on the skull and neck, which were otherwise uneaten. Scavengers rarely feast on the head to begin with; there is very little worthwhile meat on it besides the brain, cheek-muscles and eyes, and even if they did feed on the skull and neck, they would still eat it wholesale, not merely bite it and then leave it otherwise untouched. Indeed, it was clear that this was no mere scavenging event. Rather than merely consuming these camels, Archaeotherium was actively preying upon and killing them, dispatching them via a crushing bite to the skull or neck before dismembering and even bisecting the hapless camels with their powerful jaws to preferentially feast on their hindquarters (likely by swallowing the hindquarters whole, as the pelvis of Poebrotherium was coincidentally the perfect width for Archaeotherium to devour whole), eventually discarding the leftovers in meat caches for later consumption (Sundell, 1999). With this finding, such a feat of brutality leaves no doubt in ones mind as to what the true nature of Archaeotherium was. This was no herbivore, nor was it a simple scavenger. This was an active, rapacious predator, the most powerful in its entire ecosystem.
Indeed, with such brutal evidence of predation frozen in time, combined with various dental, cranial, and post cranial adaptations of this formidable animal, it’s possible to paint a picture of how this formidable creature lived. Though an omnivore by trade, willing and able to feast on plant matter such as grass, roots and tubers, Archaeotherium was also a wanton predator that took just about any prey it wanted. Upon detecting its prey, it approached its vicim from ambush before launching itself at blazing speed. From there, its cursorial, hoofed legs, used by other ungulates for escape predation, were here employed to capture prey, carrying it at great speeds as it caught up to its quarry. Having closed the distance with its target, it was then that the entelodont brought its jaws to bear, grabbing hold of the victim with powerful jaws and gripping teeth to bring it to a screeching halt. If the victim is lucky, Archaeotherium will then kill it quickly with a crushing bite to the skull or neck, puncturing the brain or spinal cord and killing its target instantly. If not, the victim is eaten alive, torn apart while it’s still kicking, as modern boars will do today. In any case, incapacitated prey are subsequently dismantled, with the entelodont using its entire head and heavily-muscled necks to bite into and pull apart its victim in devastating “puncture-and pull’ bites (Foss, 2001). Prey would then finally be consumed starting at the hindquarters, with not even the bones of its prey being spared. Such brutality, though far from clean, drove home a singular truth: that during this time, ungulates were not just prey, that they were not the mere “predator-fodder” we know them as today. rather, they themselves were the predators themselves, dominating as superb hunters within their domain and even suppressing clades we know as predators today, least of all the carnivorans. Indeed, during this point in time, the age of the carnivorous ungulates had hit their stride, and more specifically, the age of entelodonts had begun.
Of course, more so than any other ettelodont, Archaeotherium took to this new age with gusto. Archaeotherium lived from 35-28 million years ago during the late Eocene and early Oligocene in a locality known today as the White River Badlands, a fossil locality nestled along the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. Though a chalky, barren landscape today, during the time of Archaeotherium, the White River Badlands was a swamp-like floodplain crisscrossed with rivers and interspersed with by a mosaic of forests concentrated around waterways, open woodlands and open plains. As with most ecosystems with such a lush disposition, this locale teemed with life, with ancient hornless rhinos, small horse-like hyracodonts and early camels roaming the open habitats while giant brontotheres, small early horses and strange, sheep-like ungulates called merycoidodonts (also known as “oreodonts”) dwelled within the dense forests. Within this locale, Archaeotherium stalked the open woodlands and riparian forests of its domain. Here, it acted as a dominant predator and scavenger across is territory, filling a niche similar to modern grizzly bears but far more predatory. Among its preferred food items would be plant matter such as roots, foliage and nuts, but also meat in the form of carrion or freshly caught prey. In this respect, smaller ungulates such as the fleet-footed camel Poebrotherium, a known prey item of Archaeotherium, would have made a for choice prey, as its small size would make it easy for Archaeotherium to dispatch with its powerful jaws, while the entelodonts swift legs gave it the speed necessary to keep pace with its agile prey.
However, the entelodont didn’t have such a feast all to itself. Just as the badlands teemed with herbivores, so too did it teem with rival predators. Among their ranks included fearsome predators such as Hyaenodon, a powerful, vaguely dog-like predator up to the size of wolves (as in H. horridus) or even lions (as in the Eocene-aged H. megaloides, which was replaced by H. horridus during the Oligocene). Armed with a massive head, fierce jaws and a set of knife-like teeth that could cut down even large prey in seconds, these were some of the most formidable predators on the landscape. There were also the nimravids, cat-like carnivorans that bore saber-teeth to kill large prey in seconds, and included the likes of the lynx-sized Dinictis, the leopard-sized Hoplophoneus and even the jaguar-sized Eusmilus. Furthermore, there were amphicyonids, better known as the bear-dogs. Though known from much larger forms later on in their existence, during the late Eocene and Oligocene, they were much smaller and acted as the “canid-analogues” of the ecosystem, filling a role similar to wolves or coyotes. Last but not least, there were the bathornithid birds, huge cariamiform birds related to modern seriemas but much larger, which filled a niche similar to modern seriemas or secretary birds, albeit on a much larger scale. Given such competition, it would seem that Archaeotherium would have its hands full. However, things are not as they appear. For starters, habitat differences would mitigate high amounts of competition, as both Hyaenodon and the various nimravids occupy more specialized ecological roles (being a plains-specialist and forest-specialist, respectively) than did Archaeotherium, providing a buffer to stave off competition: More importantly, however, none of the aforementioned predators were simply big enough to take Archaeotherium on. During the roughly 7 million years existence of Archaeotherium, the only carnivore that matched it in size was H. megaloides, and even that would have an only applied to average A. mortoni individuals, not to the much larger, bison-sized “Megachoerus” individuals. The next largest predator at that point would be the jaguars-sized Eusmilus (specifically E. adelos) which would have only been a bit more than half the size of even an average A. mortoni. Besides that, virtually every other predator on the landscape was simply outclassed by the much larger entelodont in terms of size and brute strength. As such, within its domain, Archaeotherium had total, unquestioned authority, dominating the other predators in the landscape and likely stealing their kills as well. In fact, just about the only threat Archaeotherium had was other Archaeotherium, as fossil bite marks suggest that this animal regularly and fraglantly engaged in intraspecific combat, usually through face-biting and possibly even jaw-wrestling (Effinger, 1998; Tanke & Currie, 1998). Nevertheless, it was clear that Archaeotherium was the undisputed king of the badlands; in a landscape of hyaenodonts and carnivorans galore, it was a hoofed ungulate that reigned supreme.
However, such a reign would not last. As the Eocene transitioned into the Eocene, the planet underwent an abrupt cooling and drying phase known as Eocene-Oligocene Transition or more simply the Grande Coupure. This change in climate would eliminate the sprawling wetlands and river systems that Archaeotherium had been depending on, gradually replacing it with drier and more open habitats. To its credit, Archaeotherium did manage to hang on, persisting well after the Grand-Coupure had taken place, but in the end the damage had been done; Archaeotherium was a dead-man-walking. Eventually, by around 28 million years ago, Archaeotherium would go extinct, perishing due to this change in global climate (Gillham, 2019). Entelodonts as a whole would persist into the Miocene, producing some of their largest forms ever known in the form of the bison-sized Daeodon (which was itself even more carnivorous than Archaeotherium), however they too would meet the same fate as their earlier cousins. By around 15-20 million years ago, entelodonts as a whole would go extinct. However, while the entelodonts may have perished, this was not the end of carnivorous ungulates as a whole. Recall that the cetacodontamorphs, the lineage of artiodactyls that produced the entelodonts, left behind two living descendants. The first among them were the hippos, themselves fairly frequent herbivores. The second of such lineage, however, was a different story. Emerging out of South Asia, this lineage of piscivorous cetacodontamorphs, in a an attempt to further specialize for the fish-hunting lifestyle, began to delve further and further into the water, becoming more and more aquatic and the millennia passed by. At a certain point, these carnivorous artiodactlys had become something completely unrecognizable from their original hoofed forms. Their skin became hairless and their bodies became streamlined for life in water. Their hoofed limbs grew into giant flippers for steering in the water and their previously tiny tails became massive and sported giant tail flukes for aquatic propulsion. Their noses even moved to the tip of their head, becoming a blowhole that would be signature to this clade as a whole. Indeed, this clade was none other than the modern whales, themselves derived, carnivorous ungulates that had specialized for a life in the water, and in doing so, became the some of the most dominant aquatic predators across the globe for millions of years. Indeed, though long gone, the legacy of the entelodonts and of predatory ungulates as a whole, a legacy Archaeotherium itself had helped foster, lives on in these paragons of predatory prowess, showing that the ungulates are more than just the mere “prey” that they are often made out to be. Moreover, given the success that carnivorous ungulates had enjoyed in the past and given how modern omnivorous ungulates like boar dabble in predation themselves, perhaps, in the distant future, this planet may see the rise of carnivorous ungulates once again, following in the footsteps left behind by Archaeotherium and the other predatory ungulates all those millions of years ago.

https://preview.redd.it/8k2a4l5qde0d1.jpg?width=438&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=27a44ec116c8d66ffc9e162b31d0817c0293da9e
https://preview.redd.it/80xs64sqde0d1.jpg?width=442&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3928c5a1cf1599dace6dccd0750be18b0adb6839
https://preview.redd.it/7le68omrde0d1.jpg?width=446&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=88532464ee899cfa78cad6651b9c55b22ec9979b
https://preview.redd.it/wlfhim3sde0d1.jpg?width=431&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=472c88fd7cf28c19173b125a22a7daa450dbf0ff
https://preview.redd.it/quwwvhuvde0d1.jpg?width=444&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3201e2ce2f864bb4ed9863905fd02d87fed1d84d
Hi! I posted here about a week or 2 ago but deleted the post because I thought I used a different pattern, but now I know I didn't. so I've been crocheting on and off for a few months and i finally made a rose about 2 weeks ago, and it came out really well and i was so happy with it i made about 6-8 more but none of the others came out to the same size/amount of petals even though I've checked the pattern so many times ( and I am using the same hook and yarn ) that I can do it off the top of my head( this is the pattern: https://youtu.be/wjvJ5w9dsrw?si=Mp0WxxMS8TW5ac06 ) yet they never come out the same as the first rose. My first rose had 19 petals and the new ones only have 9, yet I've made the roses so many times so I'm not sure how this is happening, can anyone help? personally I don't want to make those roses with the gaps in each petal so i haven't switched patterns but if anyone has any good patterns ( that are free obviously ) could you please send them to me or help figure out why this keeps happening?

I really like to think I am a good knitter. Alas I really am not. I get so frustrated with the speed and can’t knit a sock to save my life.
My daughter’s best friend got married almost two years ago and I wanted to make them a throw. I tried four different knitting patterns and got four separate bunches of yarn and alas I scrapped them all (and yes I know this is a crochet sub).
I was scrolling through Ravelry patterns and one caught my eye - I ordered the yarn and maybe a month later, the finished product. I love the ombré and and happy with how it turned out — why would I ever stray from crochet?