The canterbury tales vocabulary in context

Tales From Tech Support

2011.04.12 05:12 MagicBigfoot Tales From Tech Support

Welcome to Tales From Tech Support, the subreddit where we post stories about helping someone with a tech issue.

2016.07.20 21:30 Honestly, I just want a slave colony

A subreddit dedicated to taking posts from /Rimworld and the Ludeon forums out of context. Latest in line from the time-honored tradition that was started by subreddits like /ShitCrusaderKingsSay and /ShitDwarfFortressSays.

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2012.03.30 03:30 killstructo Tales From The Job

Welcome to the tales subreddit for the rest of us, **Tales from the Job**! For all of the odd jobs and non-traditional roles that we low-leveled grunts have to deal with on a daily basis, this is the subreddit for you.

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2024.06.07 21:55 Medium_Engine1558 How to cope with my toddler doing toddler ish

I’m looking for actual advice. I want to be a mom who feels calm and low-stress, but I find myself irritated almost all the time. For some context, my 26 month old has a huge vocabulary and talks and asks questions ALL THE TIME. I cannot overstate how constantly he talks and asks questions. It’s constantly, “Mama where are we going?” “Why?” “Who will be there?” “Will X person be there?” “Will Y person be there?” “Why not?” “Where is Y person?” and on and on forever and ever amen.
In my heart, I know that he is just doing his job to be curious and explore the world. But my head wants to yeet itself from my body. It feels intensely exhausting to almost never be able to finish a private thought in my head. Sometimes we’ll say things to him like, “My brain is tired and wants a rest from talking” or “I’m all done answering questions for 5 minutes,” but it never lasts long, and it makes me sad to ask him to be quiet. How do I find a balance here? How can I shift my perspective? How do I get closer to feeling and behaving like the mom I want to be?
Another part of me feels like he sometimes puts on the constant talking behavior to annoy us because we’ve told him before that it’s annoying when he asks the same question over and over again. It’s like he’s seeing how far he can push us until we break.

submitted by Medium_Engine1558 to Mommit [link] [comments]

2024.06.07 20:42 DinoZavr Reminder: ESO+ free trial: instant freebies (June 07 - June 19, 2024)

Quick Note: added Necrom Section. also note this time it is 12 days, not usual 7 :)
Activation: ingame Crown Store -> ESO Plus tab → click “Free Trial!”.

INSTANT or QUICK Freebies:
Dungeons DLC: - Shadow of the Hist: Heroic personality -- Enter either the Ruins of Mazzatun or the Cradle of Shadows (Shadowfen) - Horns of the Reach: Bullhorns emote -- Enter either Falkreath Hold or Bloodroot Forge (Craglorn) - Dragon Bones: hat: Renegade Dragon Priest Mask -- Enter either Fang Lair or Scalecaller Peak (Bangkorai/Stormhaven) - Wolfhunter: Werewolf Hunter Hat -- Enter either Moon Hunter Keep or March of Sacrifices (Reaper’s March/Greenshade) - Wrathstone: hat: Ayleid Royal Crown -- Enter either Frostvault or Depths of Malatar (Eastmarch/Gold Coast) - Scalebreaker: outfit style: Dread-Aurelian Mask -- Enter either Lair of Maarselok or Moongrave Fane (Grathwood /Northern Elsweyr) - Harrowstorm: Emote: Wickerman Mishap -- Enter either Unhallowed Grave or Icereach (Bangkorai/Wrothgar) - StoneThorn: Pet: Energetic Dwarven Shock-Spider -- Enter either Castle Thorn or Stone Garden (Western Skyrim/Blackreach: Greymoor Caverns) - Flames of Ambition: Outfit weapon style Fire-Forged Maul -- Enter either The Cauldron or Black Drake Villa (Deshaan/Gold Coast) - Waking Flame: Scorion Pyreling non-combat pet – Enter either Red Petal Bastion or the Dread Cellar (Glenumbra/Blackwood) - Ascending Tide: Abyssal Embrace Face Markings - Enter either Coral Aerie or Shipwright's Regret (Summerset/Rivenspire) - Lost Depths: Mulberry Hermit Crab non-combat pet - Enter either Earthen Root Enclave or Graven Deep (both surface entries are in High Isle/Amenos, so if you don't own High Isle chapter use map to teleport inside or group with a friend, who is inside and teleport to them) - Scribes of Fate: has no “immediate” loyalty reward. Despite declaring the “Lost in the Woods” emote being granted for just visiting Bal Sunnar or Scrivener's Hall, actually it is rewarded on completing BOTH dungeons on Normal difficulty (relevant discussion: https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/629124/official-discussion-thread-scribes-of-fate-update-37-now-live-on-pc-mac ) Entry points: Bal Sunnar – Stonefalls & Scrivener's - Hall The Rift. - Scions of Ithelia - Bascially, nothing. Completing both Oathsworn Pit and Bedlam Veil in Normal yeilds you only 10 Achievement points, nothing more.
Game-maps.com has ESO+ group dungeons color-coded on the Tamriel map: https://game-maps.com/ESO/Tamriel-ESO-World-Map.asp

Zone DLC:
- Orsinium: Pet: Echalette -- Enter Orsinium capital city (also: quests for Orzorga provisioning recipes, get Briarheart dagger quest reward for your StickerBook) - Thieves Guild: Pet: Jackal -- Enter Abah's Landing. Unlock TG skill line (also grants Thieves Guild Leathers costume) - Dark Brotherhood: Personality: Assassin -- Enter Gold Coast zone. Unlock DB skill line (the second quest in DB story unlocks the Shrouded Armor costume) - Clockwork City: Pet: Scintillant Dovah-Fly -- Enter the Brass Fortress (also do quests for provisioning recipes, the later are bound, so it worths the efforts). Collecting Precursor dummy fragments is up to you as it is quite time consuming and the dummy itself has too low HP. - Murkmire: Pet: Verdigris Haj Mota -- Enter Lilmoth (quest Death Among the Dead-Water rewards with a Fire Rock memento) - Dragonhold: Outfit Style: Topal Corsair Hat -- Enter Southern Elsweyr (questing unlocks other pages). Questing unlocks Mask of Alkosh hat and The Za’ji’s Dragonguard Uniform costume - Markarth: Outfit Style: Arkthzand Anfractuosity Shroud -- Enter The Reach (questing grants head and body markings, and Witchwise Headdress hat collectible) - The Deadlands – Oblivion Explorer’s Headwrap - Enter Fargrave for the first time (its’ wayshrine is unlocked) - Firesong- Firesong Obsidian Mask – Enter Galen
- Summerset: nothing immediate. fish in Artaeum for bound provisioning recipes (otherwise they are obtainable by purchasing Waterlogged Psijic Satchels, which is an expensive lottery), unlock Psijic skill line (progressing it also unlocks buying bound furnishing recipes at the Artaeum trader). Also one of three Antiquities leads for Music Box “In Dreams and Memories” drops in Summerset. And fast to obtain “Alinor Allemande” dance emote from the Antiquity lead.
- Elsweyr: nothing immediate. (Despite parts of Peryite Skeevemaster costume drop in Orcrest public dungeon, parts of a Grisly Mummy Tabby pet drop in Rimmen Necropolis all these are not bound and may be purchased from Guild Traders any time), zone quest unlocks Hall of the Lunar Champion housing (a free manor sized house!!), and Dragonslayer Style head & shoulders outfit styles. Three wings of the Hall of the Lunar Champion manor are unlocked by completing 1) Elsweyr story, 2) Dragonhold story, 3) completing both Lair of Maarselok and Moongrave Fane on normal difficulty. Also completing Sunspire Trial on normal unlocks purchases of the beautiful Akatosh Chancel doors (furnishing for housings) for 100K gold from Achievement furnisher in Rimmen.
- Greymoor - nothing immediate, but Antiquities are numerous.. It takes like 6 ..7 hours to level up Scrying and Excavation up to level 7 to be able to get mythics (faster moving speed is preferable – get crafted Adept Rider set or Coward's Gear set). I did it on 3 characters and stayed at Artaeum doing first greens, then cycling between greens and blues till a purple lead (one time per location) at level 5 scrying (normally 3..4 hours depending on how fast you do move). Then i preferred to stay at Artaeum for approx 3 more hours repeating green-blue cycles to get level 7 (the alternative is to go Green-Blue-Purple in the base game zones & Artaeum (purple part is non-repeatable on account) to unlock the 100,000 gold Al-Esh Ascension Coin lead, but you have to unlock Eyevea (by completing Mages Guild questline) and get 10 in scrying to dig for this gold), and, basically, as other zones are bigger and you would most likely have to kill mobs on your way – this method of skill line progression would take more time then staying in small cosy Artaeum. Well.. this is up to you to decide.
Alcast has a good & comprehensive Antiquties guide: https://alcasthq.com/eso-antiquities-system-guide-greymoor-chapte His guide also includes a link to the levelling guide, where author recommends green-blue-purple method. ESO Hub has good information about Mythics and theirs leads https://eso-hub.com/en/sets/category/mythic Friendly reminder: Mythics are reconstructable at any time (and theirs level is fixed CP160), but not deconstructable.
There are some cosmetic Antiquities items https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Antiquity_Leads#Cosmetics_and_Outfit_Styles
Also pick up the Alinor Allemande emote (Summerset), and, maybe Aldmeri Symphonia music box. Also get fancy crafting stations: Anvil of Old Orsinium, Druidic Provisioning Station, Daedric Enchanting Station, and the Shipbuilder's Woodworking Station. The Ebon Dwarven Wolf mount is 17 parts, so it might take you too much time to get them all in one week, though it is doable, if the random number generator is loyal to you. DisplayLeads addon is awesome and extremely helpful (https://www.esoui.com/downloads/info2651-DisplayLeads-withLocationInfo.html)
- Blackwood nothing seriously big, but you can get a free Bog Dog pet (Lost in the Wilds quest) and some nice furnishings (including a canoe). Companions are not on the table. To kill your time there is the 15 pieces Blackwood Tapestry antiquity furnishing (check Alcast for the guide if interested). Also Thrafey Debutante Gown is a stylish costume obatined with 50 Scaly Cloth Scraps (tradeable) fragments from the Silent Halls public dungeon.
- High Isle. Again, nothing immediate. Cosmetics include non-combat pet Jerall Rescue Dog acquired during Tales of Tribute questline, non-combat pet Coral Haj Mota: 25 Coral Haj Mota Decoys from the Spire Of The Crimson Coin and 25 Coral Haj Mota Lures from Ghost Haven Bay (these are tedious to get tradeable fragments)
Courtly Traveling Attire costume plus head and body marking you get during the zone story line quest Nighthunter's Cowl hat is one lead Antiquity

- Necrom. Nothing immediate. Long term offers include: Emissaries Enclave - big house, 28 quests 1.5M gold, The Fate Scryer Costume – completing the quest “Chronicle of Fate”, shroom tender style - different style pages unlocked by achievements, new ToT desk – Almalexia. nix-ox steed mount would be hard or, probably impossible to get, I can not tell for sure (please comment on that), Abyssal Cephaliarch’s Face Art – completing the quest “A Hidden Fate”, Body Art – completing the quest “A Calamity of Fate”. Also The Prism of Moribund Sapience – completing the quest “In a Troubled House”. The Meln’s Soul Gem memento – completing the quest “Spirit of Fate”
Necrom Master Angler achievememnt unlocks Shroomtender Shoes style, though i normally do not mention Master Angler achievements for DLC zones, as catching all them rare fishies consumes the enormous amount time and only one other Master Angler achievement rewards directly - becoming the Deadlands Master Angler allows to purhcase a Sulfur Pool achievement furnishing. So them fishing shoes style is for the most reckless of you, daredevils! I don't have that much time to complete that. :
Other Shroomtender style pages are unlocked by doing all deleves, world bosses, quests and other activities in Necrom zones.
Berylglow Nix-Ox Steed mount requires the Savior of Necrom achievement with 5 coditions. The third of these is Complete all 3 Daily Job achievements for Necrom's Stalwart Protector one of three requirements for that is "Complete 30 Bastion Nymic Daily Quests for Ordinator Tandasea in Necrom" (i doubt participating in your friends' shared daily Nymic counts, if you have already completed your own daily Nymic, so, here, in my understanding, is the catch. please, correct me if i am wrong and 30 Nymic (as well as 30 WB and Delves dailies) can be done in a week) link: https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Savior_of_Necrom (these 30 Nymic dailies also unlock a Obsidian Dwarven Sphere pet, though, again, i doubt it can be done withing a week)

UESP page with the images of loyalty rewards: https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:DLC_Loyalty_Rewards

What works:
- Thieves Guild, Dark Brotherhood, and Psijic Guild skill lines skill line will persist, allowing looting Thieves Troves and Psijic portals. Blade of Woe still continues to function (Please, keep in mind that is per character! Psijic quest (it is long) unlocking the line (and subsequent ones (long too)) is fun only first 9 times.., after that it starts becoming annoying)
- Housing purchased in DLC zones will persist, on exiting the house you would not enter a DLC zone, but teleport back to the location from which you have teleported to your house
- Furnishings exceeding non-ESO+ limits will stay, but you will not be able to re-add them if accidentally put away
- you would be able to allocate/deallocate Skill Points (with respec or by loading an Armory build) in the TG/DB/Psijic/JC/Scrying/Excavation skills you have already unlocked while progressing these skill lines.
- Antiquities will still allow you to scry from the map (though I am not sure it was intended by Zenimax)
thanks go to u/LordAsheye for the instructions: https://www.reddit.com/elderscrollsonline/comments/10kdvem/comment/j5rqmpd/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

What does not work:
- Jewelry Crafting skill line still requires Summerset (after ESO+ expires you can not access JC crafting stations if you don't own the DLC), but it makes a lot of sense to research Infused, Bloodthirsty and Swift traits for reconstructing stickerbook jewelry (thanks Kelinmiriel for this tip) as at any time you can buy the Transmute Station or visit your friends houses/guildhalls where the said station has been already deployed.
- You would not be able to further progress DB, TG and Psijic skill lines (if not maxed them) after free ESO+ trial ends.
- You can not play Tales of Trubute (if you have no access to High Isle) after trial end
- Companions of Blackwood and High Isle are decoupled from the zone for ESO+ Free trials (but, of course, work for the real subscriptions), Companions of Necrom are not accessible, because Necrom is the latest Chapter, which is not unlocked with ESO+ (trial or regular)

OTHER EASY THINGS to do:
- re-log with each character to make materials they carry to go into the Crafting Bag (after event it will turn into "extract-only" mode)
- unlock TG, DB and Psijic skill lines for each of your characters (looting a thieves trove is enough to unlock the TG line, so if you are lucky to spot the thing that saves a trip to Hew's Bane)
- collect skyshards, lorebooks, unlock exploration and questing dyes and achievements, check achievement furnishers (as they offer quite a lot of inexpensive and nice furnishings)
(LovelyNorth has an excellent achievement furnishers visual guide: http://lovelynorth.com/achievementfurnishings/)
- dye your costumes (this is done per character, so the same costume may be dyed differently on different characters)
- dye your Companions costumes (if you have Blackwood or High Isle or Necrom and unlocked them Companions)
- refine your raw materials, preferably on a character with the best refining passives and Meticulous Disassembly green CP star slotted
- if you do crafting dailies, then pack your CraftBag with everything. I’d suggest depositing a LOT of style stones (basic ones are 15g each at vendors located near crafting stations), potency runes (again, vendors), Ta runes, Mudcrab Chitin and Violet Coprinus. If you craft furnishings stock up with furnishing materials as well.
- pack your houses with 2x storage (utilize 2x furnishing limits at houses of any size)
- do the treasure maps (might be purchased at the Guild Traders) pointing to otherwise restricted zones
- if you decided to train Antiquities, then acquire new and do the existing leads in the unlocked DLC zones (if you decide to max up Antiquities skill lines (for the Ultimate difficulty furnishing leads) - the easy way to get level 7 lead (Void-Crystal Anomaly furnishing) is to harvest nodes in Coldharbour, as it drops surprisingly often there from resource nodes)
- attune your crafting stations to Order's Wrath (High Isle), Law of Julianos (Wrothgar) , New Moon Acolyte (Southern Elsweyr) (also: Clever Alchemist, Wretched Vitality, Mechanical Acuity (CWC), Coldharbor Favorite, Stuhn's Favor, Heartland Conqueror, and Ancient Dragonguard are quite good options too (imho), but that is you, who decides on that matter and most of the GuildHalls normally have them crafting stations).
- it is worth mentioning you can open your geodes to use doubled (1000) transmute crystal limit (though after the event you would not be able to add new crystals unless you consume the existing ones to make theirs number to drop below the “normal” 500 limit)
- purchasing alchemy ingredients to pack your CraftBag with is up to you (this may help to level up new characters uber-fast using batches of pre-crafted Master Achemy Writs), as well as buying uncommon style materials (for future gear crafting Master Writs). However, for both of these purposes I’d suggest just to subscribe to ESO+.

TIME-CONSUMING ACTIVITIES:
- collect Bound-On-Pickup group dungeons DLC gear for the collections book (unbound may be bought)
- quests and dungeons for rewards, achievements and collectibles (like Elsweyr free housing or Elsweyr+Dragonhold Epilogue free flying pet, undaunted trophies.. Pirharri the Smuggler assistant, etc etc..)
- doing DLC dungeons for bound gear, skillpoints, achievements (including skins for achievements in veteran DLC dungeons), motif pages drops and trophies
- if you are for good DPS sets: on normal Falkreath Hold (for Pillar of Nirn) is soloable, just block minotaurs heavy attacks. Frostvault (for Tzogvin's Warband) is soloable too, just get tanky to kill the troll. And you don’t need 60+ runs as you get armor pieces rather quick so you can reconstruct them later (for 50..60 crystals, not 25, but, anyway..). Weapons require more runs, though..
- doing DLC trials with friends for skins, gear and achievement. UESP: https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Trials
- Zones story quests reward with skillpoints (especially smaller zones: CWC -8, Murkmire – 7, Southern Elsweyr – 6+3, Markarth – 6+3, The Deadlands – 6+3, Firesong – 6+3 (6+3 means 6 from smaller zone DLC plus 3 from epilogue quests completing one year arc (if the appropriate big zone DLC story line completed))). (Thanks to u/RadioRy for this recommendation) Also: warning: it takes only several hours for these storylines if you rush the dialogues, however – rushing is not recommended if you are for stories or RP.
- do public dungeons group events in Summerset Isles, Northern Elsweyr, Greymoor, Blackwood, High Isle and Wrothgar for the skill points (Atoll of Immolation is, technically, a public dungeon too, but does not reward you with a skillpoint. Enter it from The Deadlands, not from Blackwood)
Game-Maps.com has the excellent public dungeons maps https://game-maps.com/ESO/ESO-Public-Dungeon.asp
On PC use the Urich's Skill Point Finder addon to check your quests, skyshards and dungeons skillpoints https://www.esoui.com/downloads/info1863-UrichsSkillPointFinder.html

- check UESP full list of mementos: https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Mementos (“DLC and Chapters” is a sepatare section), maybe you would like to unlock some
- completing skill lines (DB, TG, Psijic)
- complete maps (do world bosses if you please)
- complete fishing Achievements
- do DLC dungeons with friends on veteran difficulty for skins, costumes, titles and other nice rewards

Now some details about fashion for those, who might be interested in that stuff. Skip if not.
Five sections below do not include veteran hard-mode dungeons and trials rewards and achievements, as not 100% of the players do these activities. Let’s talk relatively easy things, OKay?
(Base Game, Morrowind, and Imperial City goodies are not included for the obvious reason – no connection with ESO+, though Shadowfen skeleton or Vvardenfell Scarlett Judge costume are mentioned in the comments each and every time). Dyes are too numerous, so I decided not to overload this document. Check UESP for dyes, please.
I also skipped titles, mementos and emotes to keep this text reasonably compact.
GETTING COSTUMES (not including the ones from the tradeable fragments)
- Antiquarian Field Garb & Antiquarian Robes - gained by progressing scrying and excavating antiquities - Regalia of the Orsimer King - completing Orsinium storyline quests - Cavalier of the Sworn Oath Old Orsinium Sentry Trinimac's Penitent Knight - questing in Wrothgar - Merchant Lord's Formal Regalia - obtained by progressing Thieves Guild story quest - Shrouded Armor - you get it at the very start of Dark Brotherhood story-line quests - Thieves Guild Leathers - you get it just by starting Thieves guild questline - Za'ji's Dragonguard Uniform - completing Southern Elsweyr questline - Oblivion Explorer Garb – obtained during The Deadlands zone story - Courtly Traveling Attire – complete High Isle zone story - Black Hand Robe – complete Dark Brotherhood story - The Fate Scryer Costume - obtained during Necrom zone quest
HATS (not including “instant” ones)
- Nighthunter's Cowl Hat – Antiquity on the High Isle - Ironclad Sarcoshroud – Antiquity in The Deadlands - Helm of the Black Fin – obtained during Blackwood zone quest line - Arkthzand Insight Vertex Shroud – Antiquity in Markarth DLC - Witchwise Headdress – obtained during The Reach story line quests - Dwemer Crown - the Antiquity lead drops from the group event boss in Nchuthnkarst public dungeon in Blackreach - Mask of Alkosh obtained by completing the Dragonhold main questline - Madgod’s Turban obtained with “The Lunacy of Two Moons” side quest in Northern Elsweyr - Psijic Skullcap is obtained on completing the Psijic Order quests line

NON-COMBAT PETS (not including “instant” ones)
- Phoenix Moth – awarded on completing Galen’s story line quests - Jerall Rescue Dog – obtained during Tales of Tribute quest line - Coral Haj Mota – combined from (tradeable) fragments from both High Isle public dungeons - Dremnaken Runt – obtained completing Blackwood + The Deadlands epilogue quest line - Bog Dog pet – obtained by exploration achievement in Blackwood (check ArzyeLBuilds guide https://arzyelbuilds.com/eso-lost-in-the-wilds-achievement-guide-blackwood-free-pet/) - Dwarven Scarab – 7 parts Antiquity from Markarth DLC. Thought Zeni claims they improved the drop rates, they still deserve much better :( - Somnolent Void Rot - obtained during Greymoor + Markarth epilogue quest line - Solitude Silver Wolf – obtained during Greymoor story line quests - Regal Dragon Imp flying pet obtained during Season of the Dragon Epilogue quests

FACE AND BODY MARKINGS (not including “instant” ones)
- Y’ffelon’s face and body marks obtained during Galen story quest line - Stonelore’s Legend Face and Body marks obtained during High Isle zone story - Fargrave Soullatice Face and Body obtained on completing The Deadlands story questline - Ysgramor’s Chosen Face Marking – antiquity lead in Western Skyrim - Ysgramor’s Chosen Body Marking obtained during Greymoor story quest - Dwemer Face Markings – antiquity lead from Colossus Charging Station WB in Blackreach - Dwemer Body Markings – antiquity lead from the boss of The Scraps delve in Western Skyrim - Face & Body Imprint of the Psijic Order are obtained during the Psijic Order quests line in Summerset - Abyssal Cephaliarch’s Face Art – completing the quest “A Hidden Fate” in Necrom - Body Art – completing the quest “A Calamity of Fate” in Necrom

SKINS
- Barkroot Blessing is 10 parts antiquity from Galen https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Barkroot_Blessing (i will be honest: I gave up with this skin after using 25+ Galen treasure maps with zero freakin’ lead drop; may the luck follow you, tamrielings!:)

OTHER COSMETICS
- Ascendant Lord’s Greatsword – style page awarded for completing High Isle + Firesong epilogue quests chain - Eldertide Style – shoulder style Antiquity from Galen Treasure Map I - Pelin’s Paragon outfit style pages drop from Tales of Tribute dailies rewards containers - Bog Blight Funerary Mask Style – hat style Antiquity from Blackwood - Leyawiin Brigadine Shield Style – obtained by completing Blackwood zone story line - Malign Ambitions Crow – major adornment obtained during story line quests in Blackwood - Antiquarian's Pickaxe is a two-handed weapon style acquired by reaching the max rank in the Excavation Skill Line - Wolf of Solitude Replica Sword is one-handed weapon style obtained during Greymoor storyline quests - Karthwatch Sigil Shield outfit style is also obtained during Greymoor storyline quests - Wolfcrown of Solitude adornment obtained on finishing Greymoor story line quests - Topal Corsair outfit style pages are awarded for completing different quests in Southern Elsweyr - Ancient & Pristine Moon Crescent Styles are sickle-like one-handed weapon styles obtained by completing side quests chain given by Vastarie NPC in Northern Elsweyr - Skyterror Dragonslayer Style are helm and shoulder outfit styles granted during Northern Elsweyr storyline quests - Mystic Eye Psijic Cuirass outfit Style is obtained during the Summerset zone story - Psijic Warden Gauntlets outfit Style is also obtained during the Summerset zone story - Shroomtender outfit pages are a reward for completing various achievements associated with the exploration of Necrom

DAILIES
UESP has a comprehensive list of dailies and how to unlock them: https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Repeatable_Quests

FURNISHING PLANS
(though I would not recommend this because of cooldowns and limited time of the Event, but this is still a good clean family entertainment to diversify your activities. Wrothgar: loot Old Orsinium; CWC: steal in Brass Fortress Basilica; Summerset loot Shimmerene Monastery; Murkmire: steal in Lilmoth and Bright-Throat Village; Northern Elsweyr: loot Rimmen Royal Palace (Dragonhold added no new furnishing plans); Greymoor: loot Nchuthnkarst; Markarth: loot Bthar-Zel (unlocked during the zone quest); Blackwood: steal in Leaywiin Castle; The Deadlands: steal in The Bearer’s Rest in Fargrave, High Isle: loot Castle Navire, Galen: steal in Maltheo Rouillac's House in Vastyr). Necrom loot in Sailenmora Crypts (you have to start the "a thif to catch a thief" quest, but NOT finish it, otherwise you lose access to this place (very juicy from the start, now seriously nerfed))
Swap characters after blue or purple plan drop (the cooldown for blues is one hour per character). I would also suggest to swap characters after you start getting white furnishing plans. Slot “Homemaker” green CP star.

OTHER LONG-TERM ACTIVITIES:
- doing Museum quests for unique furnishing items and costumes ( https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Museums )
- farming bound collectibles fragments in public dungeons (https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Fragments)
- digging mythics and other antiquities (wolfie mount, music box, dance emote, face and body markings, cosmetics, and fancy furnishings, as there are many great-looking Antiquities furnishings)
- do the surveys and refine as much as you can to stock up your CraftBag (ideally to hold up till the next ESO+ free event)

- DO THE SOLO ARENAS: the Maelstrom Arena weapons are still great, also the Vateshran Hollows weapons are good and achievements (unlocking skin and dyes may be done on a veteran difficulty).
BlackRose Prison weapons are also good, but you would prefer to go with friend(s), as this group arena is noticeably harder than the soloable nDSA.
(reminder: Curated drops in Arenas work only on the final chest)
Completing veteran MA unlocks Maelstrom Baron polymorph, completing veteran VH unlocks Void Pathosis skin.

TIP: Set up your priorities!
As there are a LOT of things to be done and time is the essence, I’d suggest getting instant freebies first (it takes less than an hour) and then focus on what you consider the most important (like mythics, or trial/dungeons gear, or some free stuff requiring questing, or dailies, or just exploration, etc) as this depends on what brings you the most fun. The ESO is a MMO game, after all!

Be sure to check the comprehensive list of collectibles compiled by Benevolent Bowd (benevolentbowd):
https://benevolentbowd.ca/games/esotu/eso-making-the-most-of-it/
http://benevolentbowd.ca/games/esotu/esotu-unlockable-collectibles/
Friendly reminder: collectibles, mementos, emotes, dyes and currencies are account-wide.

If I have missed anything essential (I intentionally omitted Base Game, Vvardenfell and Imperial City things as they do not depend on ESO+), please, post that in the comments to help making this guide better. Thank you.

Good luck, friends.
Have fun

P.S. FAQ: the most frequent questions are:
- How to activate the ESO+ trial? - Normally the magic sequence is: inagme Crown Store, select the ESO Plus tab, select “Free Trial!” ( official instructionhttps://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/66079 ) - How long does it last? - Normally seven days. Check the official site for precise information. Event ends on June 19 14:00 UTC - is this once in a lifetime promotion? - No. You can participate in all the subsequent ESO+ free trial events whenever they happen - How often such promotions do happen? – it is hard to say, normally 2-3 times a year, but there are no schedule and warranties. - I am already subscribed. Do I benefit from this event? - Not really. - Does this week adds to existing subscriptions? – Nope. - Does free ESO+ trial unlocks Warden & Necromancer classes ?– Nope. - How long does it take to pick up all of them instant loyalty rewards? - Normally less than an hour. - Any free mounts? - Ebon Dwarven Mount from Antiquities. There are also other mounts but it depends. Mounts are granted for trifectas DLC Trials achievements, but they are really hard to obtain, as it takes highly coordinated capable group to achieve vet HM speed-run no-death. Antiquties wolf mount could be unlocked in one week but this takes some serious no-lifing. :) - What will happen with the Craftbag? - it will go into “extract only” mode, you will not lose your materials. u/Kelinmiriel explained the order materials are consumed when crafting: the game uses 1) any stolen materials you're carrying, 2) materials from your craft bag, 3) non-stolen materials in your inventory. You have no choice about this. - Do I keep all these collectibles and items I have obtained? – Sure!

Stay safe, folx!

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2024.06.07 18:08 RayH_234 Why are you people like this?

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2024.06.07 17:33 Vegetable-Airline730 i'm a customer (f24) with a crush on a barista (f23)

i've had a huge crush on the friendly barista who works at the coffee shop in my office building for about 5 months. she's effortlessly cool, kind, witty and absolutely gorgeous. i literally get lost in her eyes everytime she speaks. don't get me wrong, i realise its pretty common to fall for baristas especially since they're so nice to everyone because its literally their job. tale as old as time right? and i would never ever want to make her uncomfortable at her job. anyway i would usually have small talk with her and kind of just admire her from afar but today we struck up a conversation while i was waiting for my drink, she complimented me and then asked me if i wanted to play a game with her and the other barista. during the game (went for 30 mins) she was teasing me and being cute and asking me questions about myself. the attention from her just made my heart feel like it was going to explode. we then exchanged socials because she asked to (i actually found her profile a while ago lol but acted oblivious). anyway i want to keep talking to/flirting with her in a way that doesn't make it too weird and obvious that i'm into her. so what are some things i can say/ask? also does anyone know any subtle ways to suss if she's into girls? i'm not out here tryna have a debilitating crush on a straight girl. i wore a pride keychain but i dont know if she noticed. also i'm not out in any capacity to anyone - i realise this is confusing but yeah - just for context.

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2024.06.07 16:58 throwawaylgbtsun4 I confessed deep feelings to guy ive loved for years, but he ghosted and probably exposed me for ridicule, advice?

Gay male 29 , the other guys is same and my age to...
Hi guys, welp there is a lot to say about this, my mental health today is in a really bad place so id like to talk to someone here about this, in fact i'd like to read the many in depth opinions of redditors for clarity, please leave yr honest thoughts about this other guys behaviour...help tell me what do you think was going on in his head?
i wrote this back in february , (time when it happened), and fundamentally i feel like absolute crap, last night i didnt even sleep till 6am, stressed at the thought of this guys exposing the conversation we had and of him mocking me ,plus me seeing on social media him constantly living the high life abroad with his partner crushes me, their families all happy, adding each other even though they live in different countries, liking, commenting and hearting each others stuff, and i know (this i dont believe, i am absolutely certain off » his mother to be an extremely `fake arrogant and cruel woman (she bullied other adults, including a woman I know, who has a disabled kid saying "well if he turned out that way, you weren't good enough of a mother while he was in the womb" or something similar, all whilst masking her own toxic addictions (she smokes blunts like a skunk and drinks like a fish), and the "hilarious" part is, one of her own kids has down syndrome -_-... like bruh come on, it takes a special kind of evil to act the way she does..)
in fact, a lot of these people here, these super social BY DEFAULT , are all pretty much a complete bunch of bullies, (read on and you'll see why i say bullies) and worse.. those people never get their just comeuppance, they can harass, abuse, slander, bully and steal from people (and i picked each of those words VERY carefully regarding this family and group of people)... and nothing, and he himself, will NEVER suffer or have any type of difficulty in life whatsoever. As I later came to discover in fact he is *super* priveleged (obvs not why i ever had feelings for him at all, we can't control who we fall for, and believe me it hurts knowing he most likely is laughing\ridiculing my messages to him, probably shared it with tones of people ... or if not, at least must think i'm a sick weirdo cause of things said about me, this is where i am now, but here is what happened ...
So basically over 12 years ago, i moved from one country to a small town in another when i was a preteen with my parents, and i went through really bad forms of bullying for being really quiet , which was cause of being uncomfortable around conservative people, as well as being in a completely new country, and struggling with my own image of self and self confidence too, so of course not everyone here treated me badly, had I of been straight and confident i'd of been fine, but i can't choose how i am and as i was born differently, and couldn't socially mask like him, the vast majority of students in school did, when they found out i was gay ohh that was the icing on the cake to amplify my abuse...so this guy i've deeply loved is close friends with a bunch of my bullies, not necessarily the worst of them, but nonetheless since the town in pretty small, most people knew each other and especially from our age range would be linked to one another socially one way or another, they would join in with the stares, the taunts, the shouting at me as i entered the school gates, the pointing, the spreading nasty things about me, knowing i wouldnt stand up for myself and speak up, they judged me without even knowing me, or on the basis of knowing 3 things about me...name, nationality and sexual preference... though i dont recall him doing anything himself, he must of heard of me for sure, my name was spread along with vile lies like wildfire here, being gay wasn't exactly like being gay in the US, UK or say Australia, and being anxious and not being in big groups of people, I was their perfect punching bag. Just going on his insta it has tones of photos of him with some of those people on travels...
Sad thing, i genuinely liked him and still feel a certain way that hurts, looking at him around school he seemed like a really nice, social, attractive, and cultured guy, he did one of those erasmus exchange programs too back then, where he lived i think half a year in the United states, i'm not american but im from a diff culture to where we live /or lived since he moved last year, and so i remember seeing him and thought, he'd probably like talking to me since i'm from a diff country too, ya know exchanging experiences that sorta stuff ..oh mother*** how wrong was I...... may i just add a strange thing for me was..when peoole of this other country i moved too and still live in, would just blurp out phrases in my native tongue, many out of context, they'd be seen as cool for it, they thought my culture was interesting, would rush to adopt to certain things about it, or wanting to travel there and boast, but me who was exactly from that place, was rejected and mistreated, kinda like blackphising id say...in the sense a bunch of people who aren't black will mimic some of the aesthetic, unique vocabulary, like sayings , the music, getting praised for it, all whilst mistreating actual black people, this just to examplify.
Fastforward 12 or so years, some old friends mentioned his name to me recently, and i just thought to simply look him up on social media, see what he looks like now, perhaps he had moved to the states, i know he loved that culture... i never thought deep down he could actually be gay like me, when i saw on his insta that he is in a relationship with another man, posts by his partner (who tags him like there's no tomorrow) about "our 1 year anniversary, i'm so blessed to have you in my life" ..."best birthday gifts ever, omg i was even entitled to an intense massage at a spa....🤮 i physically wanted to throw up ...i felt what i can only describe as a manic volcano of spinning emotions, i was so angry i wanted to cry, to punch something, i wanted vomit, i felt cheated by life, rejected once more, its like you spend all these years suffering for being gay and then the moment you know the one guy would simply by being a decent friend no.. just a support human, is taken away from me, i'm not accepted in my own kinds eyes, and now he is with this foreigner, who btw also talks my language, they both do, but .. you guessed it, isn't naturally from my home country ... and i'm sure he adores the fact he speaks it, again, i'm the og and am not even treated like a human... seeing how the guy i love was super popular and incredibly privileged , no one cares he be gay or not, there will always be people there for him, and i was treated like absolutely cow shit...this all in february ...
Well i made an anon instagramm profile the following day, to pretty respectfully reach out (meaning I assured the person i knew it was a pretty odd and bold thing to do, just msg them like that, and didn’t wanna freak him out or make him uncomfortable) to confess how i had strong feelings for him years ago and having seen his profile, knowing he is gay, i so regret never having done what i wanted to then out of fear and because of other people, which was speak to him face to face, i said in that msg, we could have been friends , maybe id even be in the position yr bf is if we had met, or you not even like me at all, fair play, but i'll never know...and never knowing , KILLS ME for what i was forced to deal with in silence, his boyfriend, most likely another super socially privileged guy, knows nothing of pain, of carrying weights, he was poor with a silver spoon.
back to that first message, so he responded to the message request, (on insta, when u send a message the other person has to accept the initial one, otherwise u cant private message them more) though he was caught off guard when he did, cause before accepting it, i just post "hey ---his name, how r u?" Then the rest straight after he accepted it,.. i did it all anonymously and explained to him it was because of initial fear of being ridiculed, as i had unlike him, dealt with discrimination and lost friends over my identity (all true, all things i mentioned to him), at first his responses seemed somewhat "politically correct", as if he minimally empathized on the surface, saying things like "the feelings/thoughts you had are normal when people are younger and in school, coming out is a personal thing each person does in their own time" blah blah, "when i came out pretty much everyone was fine with it, but if anyone had an issue i wouldnt care, cause i will always put my life and happiness first, what i will say is if you need any support from my part, you can count on it"... all decent so far right? i thought same ...
i believe the reason why that was his initial message was because he thought i was a friend or someone close to him, and btw as i responded more, he took a few hours after seeing each msg throughout that day to respond back, we communicated on\off from say 10am to 1am for context.
I mentioned how i just decided to look him up after someone mentioned him as he was a guy i really liked and felt bad never getting to socialize more with, and saw he was gay and it got me feeling regret, how if he indeed was gay as it seemed, i wished him and his partner well, knowing in his life things could only ever go well for him, cause he always seemed happy and in peace (all things i straight up said), and asked he not show anyone the messages, as what im typing seems strange as hell, i know that but i have no bad intentions at all , he said he was curious to know who i was, but understood and that i wouldnt have to worry, he wouldnt reveal my identity if i told him.
Then i said how i knew him from seeing him in school, how i always sensed something about him i couldnt put my finger on , thought my brain was just being ridiculous and that i couldnt dare just approach him, and that fear held me back, that for context, was something i hoped would aliviate him a bit as i wasnt a friend , in fact we never spoke , but were in the same places and that i wanted to reveal myself one on the insta account, but anxiety is a tough thing for me, sometimes i wanna just push cause we only live once, other times i fear others perceptions and dont wanna hurt them feelings (again, all things i said to him via message). He responded saying his motto in life was "just go for it" and that he was pretty curious to know who i am but understood if i didnt wanna, and reinforced how regardless of who i was, he wouldnt expose me....
Earlier before his last message That night, i had told him i was shocked with his behaviour understanding behaviour and thanked him for his kindness and maturity...well after that day the ABSOLUTE WORSE happened...
So i woke up the following morning and insta had deactivated the account, i went on another i had, with a cringey username like "let the universe decide" username to message him saying "hey its me from the other day, i just logged in and stupid insta deactivated my account , probably because it was recently made, mostly blank and username, well if yr still curious/interested in chatting we can try talking through his old one i got, i'll let the universe decide" .... and he never accepted or responded to that message request...
A few days later i used that account to heart some of his pics and stories (just like 2 or 3, and it was simply to get his attention, but nothing) waited 2 weeks in silence, then left a comment on one of his pics saying "hi, hope yr well, did you see my message? :)" left it up for 11 hours before removing it and deleting my account cause he never responded and i felt completely humiliated, i felt he said all these nice things only to stab my feelings in the back by not even as much as a "hey, i appreciate you reaching out, wish you well, but i'd prefer not talking anymore" ...and honestly... i feel he somehow deducted who i am and that was why he chose to cease conversation, i was a bit confused why he didnt just block me though, can someone maybe explain that? but ... i feel beyond hurt and embarrassed...it would have meant THE WORLD his acceptance, his kindness, his friendship even if just online and in moments, i wasn't gonna message him all the time, in fact from the way i typed you could defo tell ok i was anxious but was sane and understood not to disrespect or upset someone, ...god his support as a human being would have cured a lot of what they did, but once again i was rejected and i am almost sure he mocked it or thought "oh it was that weird freak from school"... but no matter how odd my brain seems and this post, i i am not a freak...i'm super fearful of being put in the same place, i have ptsd, some look at me outside, talk to me , i seem fine, but i forever hurt for not having been able to be a part of that circle in any form, just to make it clear, if he dared to love me that would have been insane luck, but that was NEVER the goal, i wanted him to meet me in person to see how both me and him equally would feel about each other as humans,. instead i am nothing to him and that hurts.
Since then, him and mostly his happy go lucky boyfriend continue to post about their travels around the world, their framed photo in paris, their weeks in the USA, soon they'll probably be hitting up London, Madrid, Rome and go knows where else, he (guy i deeply feel for) has his pic and name on the company website he works for, but looking at social media he seemingly rarely seems to be working ..lol, gotta love the irony of fate. As soon as i get a job, they will work me like a slave in this country :\ hence why he probably moved, but also cause he wanted to get more priveleges... Him and his boyfriend recently bought a house together, (the bf boasted like hell about it online) his bf posts about them going out every like 2-3 days,, partying, drinking, their families saying how they are a "power couple" and "perfect" , them dining at friends homes, constantly like every few days...whilst i am a joke to people like them, in person i'd guess he'd either 1- look at me and smirk then go straight to his bf and gossip and point and laugh if he knew\could recognize me, or 2 - look at me up and down as if i were a piece of shit", these are things his friends did to me, some still do when they see me around town. There, thats my rainbow for you at almost fking 30 yrs old.
Now, What id like is for someone with free time, and as people completely imparcial, so you dont have my emotions, is to guess \rationally tell me what exactly you think was/is going through his brain... i was so upset i eventually told my sister (someone who like my love interest, was super popular in her school, super academically successful , beautiful, loves travelling, heck she is the queen of travelling) and she said the following:
"i honestly think he has no idea who you are, and he isn't mocking you, why would he?, he doesnt think about your conversation at all, he responded in the moment and left it at that. He has his own life, he is happy and fulfilled with his partner, so some anono person messaging him would be far down on his list of interests"
That still doesnt explain the basic respect he could of had to say bye, why he stopped speaking via ghosting etc? I just really need to talk about this please. Also i believe my sister was being nice too, he must know its the gay guy everyone loved mocking , heck even by the travel pic captions i had publically post on the insta i was using to try get him to chat back, its like as soon as i typed a header in my language, boom. He instantly Cut communication.... one could say, these people just arent for you then, but the nastiness and privilege in them, ok if they were humble, they arent, his mother is a monster, and there is way more i know, like how she "acquired" her family fortune, it's like, i never bullied or harmed anyone, i simply try living my life, and i've even helped people for nothing in return before, just cause i dont agree with suffering of people who dont deserve it, why on earth do they get a green card through life? no, it's not ok, they should hurt too, more even for their actions!

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2024.06.07 16:57 throwawaylgbtsun4 I confessed deep feelings to guy ive loved for years, but he ghosted and probably exposed me for ridicule, advice?

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2024.06.07 16:06 ArtificialAnaleptic Read 40+ 40K novels in recent months and looking for advice as to where to go next, particularly post-HH

Possible accidental spoilers throughout. Some more discussion below the book list.

Some thoughts while reading given up top, my list/order for HH is included for anyone interested in replicating, followed by my current plan forward that I'd like help with, and I've included the descriptions I was given so you can get a feel for what each one is about.
Since the start of the year I powered through most of the HH trying to cover the main story branches.
I really enjoyed the books from the get go and had not expected to as I'm not a big fiction reader. I only had a handful that were just less enjoyable. Nothing overly bad. It really cemented my love of the Ultramarine's.
I also think actually reading the books has done a lot to illustrate how few people HAVE actually read the Lore. Particularly even innocuous things like Land and the "Land Raider" which is clearly played for laughs in-Universe and actually mirrors the naming of Tanks (look it up) but always gets brought up as something super dumb.
I felt like the Emperor is also much more sympathetic than most give credit for and are largely assessing him on grounds of real world ethics rather than those described and the situations the characters find themselves in.
I found the Dark Angels VERY irritating which I think is maybe a controversial view but every one of their narratives felt like "Oh no! The consequences of my actions! Whose fault are these?!?!"
HH in particularly also kind of blows the whole "it's satire" thing out the water. This is a VERY archetypal good vs evil story. Try as you might to avoid it, you're going to make Chaos look Bad and order look good. And they do not try to avoid it. That's not to say that everything the Imperium does is right by a long shot. But it's hard to come away thinking "good people on both sides". ADB gives I think one of the most disturbing accounts of Chaos and I don't see how anyone could read it and think "good guys" (not a crit of people who enjoy the factions/characters etc):
From Echoes of Eternity, inside a Warhound Titan walking towards the final battle on Terra:
Her eyes always slid away from the things the moment she tried to look at them. As soon as she looked away, she forgot they were there. The horde had the numbers to bring about the war’s end, while the defenders only possessed the numbers to delay it – but the losses were going to be grotesque. Ulienne didn’t want to die for the Emperor’s stubbornness. She wanted to live, to see the Warmaster’s ambitions come to fruition. She wanted the Imperium that Horus had promised. An empire for eternity. A kingdom of humanity that would never fall. Hindarah grumbled, sensing her princeps’ unease, but too drugged by her cooled reactor to do anything more. There it was again, the treasonous little notion Ulienne couldn’t quite shake. Horus was a hero, the Warmaster of the Imperium, the pacifier of the galaxy. Of course she’d followed him. The Legio Audax had willingly worn his colours and cast their fate with his. But what would be left after this war? What would be left of Terra and the armies fighting to take it? Surely even now, quiescent alien kingdoms at the Imperium’s edges were reawakening, daring to cast jealous eyes at the worlds they’d lost in the Great Crusade. Would there be enough of the Warmaster’s hosts left to hold the Imperium in its entirety? And what would those hosts look like, with all order and discipline and humanity raked out of them? The Legiones Astartes were already blood-maddened and fighting by the side of those… those things. The regiments of Imperial Army wearing the Warmaster’s Eye were no better. Ulienne Grune didn’t want peace. Peace was boring. Peace was for the weak. She wanted wars she could win. And the Mechanicum, blessings upon its name, was turning on itself, speaking in shrieking cants of scrap code. Raving prophets advocated the abandonment of the Self; immersion within the Manifold, fusion with the machine-spirit. Conflicting philosophies from cults that had never agreed on anything before but at least had the restraint to keep out of each other’s ideologies. Now they screamed with a kind of scattered unity, praying for the sacrifice of flesh and soul to be reborn in cradles of holy iron. Hindarah wanted it, too. Ulienne could feel that. For now, Hindarah waited, and the woman serving as the god-machine’s mind stared at the armoured tide rolling ahead towards the silhouette of distant battlements. This was the first moment of stillness Ulienne could recall in a long, long time. For months now, her physical world had been wholly within the confines of Hindarah’s cockpit. She escaped it only by blending her senses with her engine’s, living through its eyes and its guns, feeling Hindarah’s movements as her own. When had Ulienne last breathed fresh air instead of the sweaty reek coming out of the filtration slits behind her head? When had she last drunk anything but the recycled piss of her closest comrades? When had she last moved from her control throne? Ulienne breathed in, catching the smell of her own shit. Her output filters had failed… when? Days ago? Weeks ago? Her legs were caked with her own waste. Her uniform was patchy with vomit that stank of stale nutrient paste. Once noticed, the stench of the various filths crusting her to her throne was omnipresent. Practically overwhelming. Blearily, she caught sight of her arm. Her hand was a black claw, fused to the metal of– ‘My princeps?’ Jolted from her reverie, she turned her gummy eyes towards Otesh. ‘Moderatus,’ she acknowledged. Sands of Mars, but she was tired, so damn tired. ‘Awaiting your order, my princeps.’ Ulienne stared at her crewmate. Otesh was carrion, her skin sick and sunless, her eyes dry. Ulienne could smell her now too, the spoiled meat sweetness of her. She’d been dead at least a week, even before they’d attempted the climb. At some point before she’d died, the moderatus had bitten through her own tongue. Flies were growing fat on her face, crawling in and out of her open mouth. Ulienne opened her eyes. Or closed them. The dream stopped, or perhaps started again. She wasn’t sure which, nor was she sure if it really mattered any more. ‘My princeps?’ Otesh said again. ‘You’re dead,’ Ulienne said. Or thought. She couldn’t tell if she was speaking or thinking. Even banked, Hindarah’s reactor was pressing at the back of Ulienne’s mind; a constant pressure right in the grey meat of her skull. ‘Are you dead, Otesh?’ ‘My princeps?’ Ulienne heard the words or imagined hearing them. They were spoken by Otesh or by the thing wearing Otesh’s skin or they weren’t spoken at all. Ulienne felt wet warmth on her face. She was weeping. Or she was bleeding from her eyes again. ‘Walk,’ she said, closing her hands around the arms of her control throne. She felt and heard her gloves creak. She was still wearing them. Her hands weren’t black claws melded to the metal. They weren’t. They weren’t. Though she couldn’t bring herself to look to make sure. ‘We walk. Advance with the horde.’ Hindarah rattled and clanked her way forward. The pressure eased, just a little, in Ulienne’s head. The smell of foulness receded. The Warhound’s remaining weapon arm came up. Her stride, though hitched, became a loping run. The ground shook as they began outpacing the infantry. They were charging through the ranks of creatures, half-hidden in the dust, that it hurt to look at. So Ulienne kept her eyes on the walls. Spires were appearing through dusty mist, blunted by bombardment. Fallen battlements. Ruined defence turrets. If Avalon was truly abandoned, that meant a spillage of refugees and retreating soldiers in the expanses of no-man’s-land between here and the Eternity Gate. To Hindarah, it meant prey. The god-machine’s soul urged its commander with a somatic nudge through their tangled linkage. Ulienne’s skin prickled. She parted her lips, and blood made strings between her rotten teeth. The walls of Avalon Bastion grew taller; darkening, resolving. And then: something new. Above the battlements, a lone star shone in the blandness of the ashen sky. Through the iron of her Titan’s bones, Ulienne could hear the legionaries cheering, chanting at her feet, calling out to Hindarah, to Horus, to the creatures in their midst – and to Angron, Angron, Angron. The newborn star started to fall, trailing a tail of fire.
I loved the stories around the Pharos the most. But there were few books from HH I didn't enjoy.
The original plan was to read to the end given that it was "finishing" and then take a break from Warhammer books. But ultimately I enjoyed it so much I couldn't help going through a couple of the other recommended reads as well.
I was not as blown away by the Night Lords trilogy or Infinite and the Divine as I expected to be based on the reviews. But did enjoy them nonetheless. I think Curze made the right call regarding the Night Lords and I think it kind of bugs me that the rest of the Night Lords don't come to similar conclusions (trying to avoid spoiling too much). It would fit with their nature to do so I think.
Vaults of Terra and Eisenhorn were however fantastic in my opinion.

If anyone has recommendations as to where to go next I'm open to suggestions. I've accidentally fudged the order a bit given I've read the Vaults books already but marked where I've been told they fall based on this. My current plan is as follows:

Fall of Cadia (January 2017) - summary sufficient
Fracture of Biel-Tan (February 2017) - summary sufficient
Rise of the Primarch (March 2017) - summary sufficient
Cadia Stands by Justin D. Hill (December 2017)
~~Vaults of Terra: The Carrion Throne by Chris Wraight (April 2017)~~
Dante by Guy Haley (February 2018)
~~Vaults of Terra: The Hollow Mountain by Chris Wraight (January 2020)~~
Watchers of the Throne: The Emperor’s Legion by Chris Wraight (December 2017)
~~Vaults of Terra: The Dark City by Chris Wraight (March 2021)~~
Avenging Son by Guy Haley (July 2020)
The Gate of Bones by Andy Clark (January 2021)
The Wolftime by Gav Thorpe (November 2021)
Throne of Light by Guy Haley (February 2022)
Knights of Macragge by Nick Kyme (January 2019)
Watchers of the Throne: The Regent’s Shadow by Chris Wraight (July 2019)
Indomitus by Gav Thorpe (July 2020)
Ephrael Stern: The Heretic Saint by David Annandale (September 2020)
Dark Imperium by Guy Haley (June 2017)
The Swords of Calth by Graham McNeill (May 2020)
Dark Imperium: Plague War by Guy Haley (September 2018)
Dark Imperium: Godblight by Guy Haley (May 2021)
Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work by Guy Haley (June 2019)

Equally, if there are choice HH novels you think I've missed then please suggest!

Here is my reading order so far. There's a quick summary provided with each because I'm copy pasting from my original notes file with details of what was in each book.

Horus Rising (Horus Heresy I) by Dan Abnett
- The first book in the Horus Heresy series, setting the stage for the fall of Horus. It portrays the early days of the Great Crusade and the rise of Warmaster Horus. The book highlights the camaraderie and conflicts among the Space Marines and the seeds of betrayal.
False Gods (Horus Heresy II) by Graham McNeill
- This book delves into the origins of Horus's fall from grace. It explores his seduction by Chaos and the pivotal events leading to his eventual rebellion. The narrative focuses on the manipulation and deception that drive Horus to treachery.
Galaxy in Flames (Horus Heresy III) by Ben Counter
- The tragic conclusion of the initial trilogy of the Horus Heresy. It depicts the catastrophic events of the Isstvan III betrayal. The writing is noted as less compelling, but the plot's significance carries the story.
The Flight of the Eisenstein (Horus Heresy IV) by James Swallow
- This action-packed novel follows Nathaniel Garro as he escapes the massacre at Isstvan III to warn the Emperor of Horus's treachery. The book is likened to an action movie, with intense sequences and gripping plot twists.
Legion (Horus Heresy VII) by Dan Abnett
- This book is a divisive but well-regarded entry in the series. It focuses on the Alpha Legion and features significant revelations about the 40K universe. The story emphasizes espionage and complex motivations rather than straightforward battles.
Tales of Heresy (Horus Heresy X)
- An anthology with standout stories like "Blood Games" by Dan Abnett and "The Last Church" by Graham McNeill. The collection provides diverse perspectives on the Horus Heresy. It’s highly recommended for its varied and impactful short stories.
A Thousand Sons (Horus Heresy XII) by Graham McNeill
- A must-read entry focusing on the fall of the Thousand Sons Legion. It details the tragic events that lead to the burning of Prospero. The narrative explores themes of knowledge, hubris, and betrayal.
Prospero Burns (Horus Heresy XV) by Dan Abnett
- Originally intended to release alongside A Thousand Sons, it provides the Space Wolves' perspective on the same events. The delay in publication added anticipation, making it a crucial companion piece to understand the full scope of the Prospero tragedy.
The First Heretic (Horus Heresy XIV) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
- A critical book in the series, detailing the true beginnings of the Heresy through the eyes of Lorgar and the Word Bearers. It explores the philosophical and spiritual motivations behind the rebellion. This novel is highly praised for its deep character development and lore expansion.
Know No Fear (Horus Heresy XIX) by Dan Abnett
- A highly recommended book depicting the Battle of Calth between the Ultramarines and the Word Bearers. Abnett’s storytelling shines in the portrayal of large-scale warfare and individual heroism. It’s a pivotal moment in the Heresy, showcasing tactical brilliance and brutal combat.
Fear to Tread (Horus Heresy XXI) by James Swallow
- Focuses on the Blood Angels and their Primarch Sanguinius. The novel includes significant flashbacks and key events that shape the future of the Blood Angels. It's particularly engaging for fans of this legion.
Betrayer (Horus Heresy XXIV) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
- Centers on Angron and Lorgar as they wreak havoc in the Ultramar sector. The book offers a nuanced portrayal of these characters, making readers sympathize with their plight. It's a highly recommended read for its emotional depth and intense action.
The Unremembered Empire (Horus Heresy XXVII) by Dan Abnett
- Initiates the Imperium Secundus storyline, featuring multiple Primarchs and their efforts to create a second empire amidst the Heresy. Abnett’s writing is praised for its complexity and character interactions. The book is pivotal for understanding the broader implications of the Heresy.
Vengeful Spirit (Horus Heresy) by Graham McNeill
- Provides insight into Horus’s perspective and development, focusing on his plans and the impact of his decisions. The novel includes significant appearances by the Death Guard and explores themes of power and corruption.
Pharos (Horus Heresy XXXVI) by Guy Haley
- Continues the Imperium Secundus arc, featuring key characters like Dantioch and Polux. The novel is noted for its strong character development and intense plot. It’s highly regarded for adding depth to the ongoing storyline.
Angels of Caliban (Horus Heresy XXXVIII) by Gav Thorpe
- Wraps up the Imperium Secundus story and continues the Dark Angels arc. The novel is recommended for its intricate plot and character exploration. It provides crucial context for the larger Heresy narrative.
Praetorian of Dorn (Horus Heresy XXXIX) by John French
- Focuses on the defense of Terra and the Imperial Fists. The story is notable for its thrilling plot and significant revelations. It’s a must-read for its portrayal of the preparations for the final battles.
The Master of Mankind (Horus Heresy XLI) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
- Explores the Emperor’s perspective and his efforts to protect humanity. The novel portrays the Emperor in a less flattering light, revealing his complexities and flaws. It’s essential reading for understanding the broader motivations behind the Heresy.
Ruinstorm (Horus Heresy XLVI) by David Annandale
- Continues the journey of the Blood Angels, Ultramarines, and Dark Angels towards Terra. The book blends horror elements with strategic warfare. It explains key events leading to the final battles of the Heresy.
The Burden of Loyalty (Horus Heresy XLVIII) Anthology
- Includes the notable story "Perpetual" by Dan Abnett, which fills in gaps in the overarching narrative. The anthology provides valuable background and character development. It’s recommended for its diverse and enriching tales.
Wolfsbane (Horus Heresy XLIX) by Guy Haley
- Focuses on Leman Russ and the Space Wolves, detailing their confrontation with Horus. The novel also explores the origins of Belisarius Cawl. It’s a mixed read but essential for fans of the Space Wolves.
Slaves to Darkness (Horus Heresy LI) by John French
- A crucial book where Horus gathers the traitor primarchs for the final assault on Terra. The novel features intense interactions and political maneuvers among the traitors. It’s highly recommended for its plot significance and character dynamics.
The Solar War (Siege of Terra I) by John French
- The first book in the Siege of Terra series, marking the beginning of the end. It covers Horus’s entry into the Solar System and the initial stages of the siege. The book is praised for its epic scope and character callbacks.
The Lost and the Damned (Siege of Terra II) by Guy Haley
- Chronicles the landing of Horus’s forces on Terra and the ensuing battles. It features a wide array of characters and perspectives. The novel is noted for its dramatic and intense scenes.
The First Wall (Siege of Terra III) by Gav Thorpe
- Focuses on the battle for the Lion’s Gate spaceport. While it introduces interesting subplots, the main event is the fierce combat. It’s a detailed account of one of the critical points in the siege.
Saturnine (Siege of Terra IV) by Dan Abnett
- The standout book in the Siege of Terra series, delivering high-stakes action and character-driven drama. Abnett balances multiple storylines and provides significant payoffs. It’s the most acclaimed book in the series so far for its epic and emotional depth.
Mortis (Siege of Terra V) by John French
- This book continues the Siege of Terra series, focusing on the Titan warfare as the forces of Horus clash with the defenders of Terra. The story is marked by large-scale battles and intense mech combat. It delves into the strategic and personal stakes of the siege.
Warhawk (Siege of Terra VI) by Chris Wraight
- The narrative centers on the White Scars and their Primarch, Jaghatai Khan, during the siege. It highlights their efforts to break through Horus’s lines and support the defense of Terra. The book combines high-octane action with moments of deep character insight.
Echoes of Eternity (Siege of Terra VII) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
- This installment brings the Siege of Terra closer to its climax. It explores the psychological and physical toll of the siege on both attackers and defenders. The book features intense battles and significant character moments as the endgame approaches.
THE END AND THE DEATH I, II, III
- For some reason this one got lost in my copy pasting of notes but obviously I've read it lol
The End and the Death: Volume I (Siege of Terra VIII) by Dan Abnett
- The first volume of the concluding trilogy, it delves into the final days of the Siege of Terra, showcasing the escalating desperation and intensity of the conflict. Key events and turning points are detailed, setting the stage for the ultimate confrontation.
The End and the Death: Volume II (Siege of Terra IX) by Dan Abnett
- Continuing from Volume I, this book pushes the narrative toward its inevitable conclusion. The battles grow fiercer, and the stakes higher, as both sides prepare for the final showdown. The depth of character development and the grim realities of war are further explored.
The End and the Death: Volume III (Siege of Terra X) by Dan Abnett
- The final volume brings the Siege of Terra to its dramatic and conclusive end. The climax of the Horus Heresy unfolds, revealing the ultimate fates of the key characters and the future of the Imperium. This book is expected to deliver a powerful and emotional resolution to the epic saga.
Eisenhorn trilogy by Dan Abnett
- Follows the Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn as he navigates the treacherous politics of the Imperium and battles heresy. The trilogy is a blend of detective noir and dark sci-fi, showcasing Eisenhorn’s moral struggles and his fight against corruption. It’s highly regarded for its deep character development and immersive world-building.
- "Xenos"
- "Malleus"
- "Hereticus"
Night Lords trilogy by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
- Chronicles the exploits of the Night Lords Chaos Space Marines. The trilogy delves into the lives of these renegade warriors, revealing their brutal tactics and fractured psyches. It’s praised for its gritty atmosphere and complex, morally ambiguous characters.
- "Soul Hunter"
- "Blood Reaver"
- "Void Stalker"
The Infinite and the Divine by Robert Rath
- Focuses on the Necron Overlords Trazyn the Infinite and Orikan the Diviner. The story is filled with dark humor and epic clashes as the two immortals vie for dominance and artifacts across the galaxy. It provides a unique perspective on the 40K universe through the eyes of the ancient and enigmatic Necrons.
Valdor: Birth of the Imperium by Chris Wraight
- This novel explores the origins and rise of Constantin Valdor, the Emperor’s Chief Custodian. It sheds light on the formative years of the Imperium and Valdor’s role in shaping its future. The book is noted for its rich lore and exploration of the early days of the Emperor’s reign.
Vaults of Terra series by Chris Wraight
- Follows the investigations of Inquisitor Erasmus Crowl and his acolyte Spinoza on Terra. The series uncovers deep secrets and conspiracies within the heart of the Imperium. It combines mystery, political intrigue, and action, offering a detailed look at the inner workings of the Emperor’s domain.
- "The Carrion Throne"
- "The Hollow Mountain"
- "The Dark City"

submitted by ArtificialAnaleptic to 40kLore [link] [comments]

2024.06.07 14:32 adulting4kids Poetry Course Week Nine and Ten

Week 9-10: Ode to Joyful Ballads
Day 1: Writing Joyful Odes - Activity: Analyze classic odes for their celebratory nature. - Lecture: Discuss the characteristics and structure of odes. - Discussion: Share personal experiences or topics worthy of celebration.
Day 2: Crafting Odes with Precision - Activity: Break down the process of crafting an ode. - Lecture: Explore the use of vivid language and poetic devices in odes. - Discussion: Share and discuss individual odes, highlighting successful elements.
Day 3: Understanding Narrative Ballads - Activity: Analyze a famous ballad for its storytelling qualities. - Lecture: Explain the narrative structure and musicality of ballads. - Discussion: Discuss the challenges and beauty of crafting narrative ballads.
Day 4: Writing Exercise - Crafting a Ballad - Activity: Craft a ballad recounting a personal or fictional tale. - Assignment: Write an ode celebrating an everyday object or experience. - Vocabulary Words: Ode, Stanza, Narrative Structure.
Day 5: Peer Review and Feedback - Activity: Peer review workshop for odes and ballads. - Lecture: Discuss the celebratory nature of odes and the storytelling qualities of ballads. - Discussion: Share insights gained from reviewing peers' work.
Study Guide Questions for Week 9-10: 1. Discuss the characteristics and structure of odes. How do odes differ from other poetic forms? 2. Explore the use of vivid language and poetic devices in crafting odes. 3. What defines a ballad, and how does its narrative structure contribute to its storytelling qualities? 4. Discuss the challenges and beauty of celebrating everyday objects or experiences in odes. 5. Reflect on the process of crafting odes and ballads. How did you approach celebratory themes and storytelling?
Quiz: Assessment on the understanding of odes, ballads, and the use of vivid language in poetry.

submitted by adulting4kids to writingthruit [link] [comments]

2024.06.07 12:25 ForwardStory Raft at Sea - 1

Thanks to u/SpacePaladin15 for the universe and allowing fanfics to flourish!
For context, as with most of my written work recently, this story is made as a character backstory for a TTRPG campaign, while also being intended as an enjoyable standalone story. I've decided to release this one episodically in contrast to the other two times I've done this, as I've had the beginning of this written for a while and it's been a hot minute since I've given myself the pleasure of releasing something a part at a time. (Whoops.)
If you want to see more of this type of thing, my two other character backstories I've written - "I am Irony" and "What You Are To Me" are both intertwined stories for my characters in a previous campaign, following the gritty tale of two broken people learning the hard way how to mend themselves through each other.
Also, for your reading pleasure, the character of this story is a Dossur pilot with a British accent. Why does he have a British accent? Because I thought it would be fun to voice while playing. That's it. Enjoy.
[Next]
Memory transcription subject: Anlon, Codename: “Bullet” Date [standardised human time]: June 4th, 2136
Deep breaths. That’s real air, right there. Take it all in.
Exiting my little pop-up of a home for the past few months, I gasped as deep a breath of fresh air as I could manage. Overdid it a bit, entering a little coughing fit. I hope it’s not an omen. My “neighbour” Lea, one of the technicians, hears my fit and approaches.
“Alright there, Bullet?”
I squeeze a last little wheeze out to reply. “Yes, ma’am. Right as rain.”
“Right. Keep those lungs in check, Bullet. It’s launch day.”
“Don’t I know it. I’ll wash it down with some tea soon enough.”
“Make it count. That washing’s going to have to last a while.”
“Hm.”
With a nod, I continued my morning as usual, spare some splurging at mess. It’s my last chance to be the cheeky bugger who wipes all the little groberry pie squares, after all. I mixed my tea a tad sweeter than I usually aim for, as a treat. Perhaps it’s a little pre-emptive to be celebrating, but it’ll be a long wait to celebrate otherwise. I polish my plate and discard it, before making my way towards the launch site.
I get some glances on the way there. I’m hardly taking a hero’s stride, but I suppose the project does hinge on me keeping my wits about me. Really, I’m just the meat to throw into this longshot. It’s weird to see admiration from all the eggheads who put this together. I make it to the launch site, right on time, and General Lantry is waiting for me..
“Here’s your real test, Bullet. Hot site, no help. It’s you and the stars up there. Given your track record, I trust that won’t be a problem?”
“Count on it, sir.”
“Good.”
I’ve been through the wringer on this enough times for it to be clockwork. I enter the locker room just beside the launch site, don my full equipment, and do a last check through all my gear and personals. I’ve been advised plenty of times not to skip out on anything I think I’ll want for even a moment up there, within reason. Even still, my options are limited by what endures usage through a liquid. I suppose most mementos will simply be for my use on arrival. I leave the locker room, then go right back in to check my gear again. It’s an odd quirk they taught me - if my mind registers the task fully done, it will be ready to start over again properly. I run through the full checklist on my gear a second time, and take pride in having missed nothing on the first go-around.
I walk out onto the launch pad, helmet under arm, bag in hand. It feels rather surreal for as often as I’ve made this brief walk. Just about everyone who isn’t in the control room made their way out for this moment. It’s hardly a crowd, due to the clandestine nature of this project, but it’s the biggest showing I’ve seen since I got here. A few shout brief phrases of encouragement.
“Give ‘em hell, Bullet!”
“See you on the other side!”
“Safe travels!”
I sign a salute as I approach my vessel, seeing it get one last good look-through by the technicians. “The Cartridge,” they call it. A cartridge for launching a bullet. It’s clever. It’s hard to call her a beaut, with as unassuming and mundane the stealth vessel is by-design, but I suppose I’ll have plenty of time to find things to admire about her in the stars. The technicians give the control room the greenlight, then there’s nothing left holding me back from getting on with it.
Lantry addresses me a final time from the edge of the pad. “That’s the all-clear, Bullet. Best of luck to you.”
“Thank you, sir.”
I don my helmet and enter the cockpit, feeling the familiar sensation of becoming half-submerged in the liquid ventilation. The Cartridge seals itself and I brace for the next segment. I’ve done it hundreds of times now, but you never quite get used to the feeling of liquid filling your lungs. Once it’s over, it’s not too hard to acclimate to, though. The last of the “air” leaves the vessel as the interface whirrs to life, and I hear the control room over my headset.
“All checks passed and prime. The pad is clear; you’re free to launch.”
With the pressure in my lungs, my words are barely understandable on their own, but an onboard algorithm translates my warbles to speech. It’s like an odd second language to me. “Roger.”
I pause for a moment. It’s hard to believe this is it, my last moment in contact with others for the foreseeable future. I would hate myself up there if I squandered it. I open the comms link one more time.
“Can I get a countdown?”
I hear the man on comms give a friendly chuckle. “Alright then, Bullet. Ten…”
I close the screen for outgoing comms and my hands find the controls.
“Nine… eight… seven…”
The countdown forces my nerves to take a backseat. I readjust in my chair, trying to relax myself.
“Six… five… four…”
My fingers hover over the inputs to launch. My hand tenses for a moment, but the resistance of the liquid surrounding me removes the risk of me messing up my timing.
“Three… two…”
I feel my heart beating out of my chest.
“One-”
I take a deep, mechanically assisted breath.
“-And, liftoff!”
Before I'd even registered I’d done it, I’d taken off, and was now barreling through the atmosphere of Mileau for the few seconds it’d last. I pull up my surroundings on the viewport and take it all in. I’ve been in orbit countless times and have done plenty of FTL drills, but the impact of this being the last one was catching up to me. I watched as the simulated view of Mileau behind me remained beautiful for a mere moment before becoming an imperceptible speck amidst a black expanse. Refocusing on the task at hand, I initiated my FTL flight to the edge of Venlil space.
I initiate my first mission log.

-----

[Attached below is a curated record of Operative Anlon’s mission logs of Project: Bullet. This list is incomplete, with Operative Anlon having made several logs daily.]

-----

“This is Operative Anlon as of the first day of Project: Bullet. I’ve just departed from Mileau and am now barreling through subspace to reach the jump-off point at the edge of Venlil space, before beginning conventional travel. Although stretching my time in subspace even a few seconds could save me possible days, my route has been allotted to be scraping the absolute edge of Arxur detection capabilities. Such precision requires that input of the journey to be automated, so my responsibilities for the time being are to sit tight and stay alive, I suppose. I’ve been instructed to use my mission logs like a pseudo-conversation partner, to keep a track on my mental state throughout the journey. I have much time to burn stimuli ahead, so I suppose I’ll save it for once I’ve exited subspace.”

-----

“I’ve just exited subspace, and am proceeding towards Wriss. Truth be told, it was disorienting. Usually FTL systems are designed to provide a comfortable system for dropping to a cruising speed, but with my current travel speed still being such a high fraction of light’s, the experience was ironically that of acceleration, even though I am travelling far slower than FTL. Looking around, this is now the third time I’ve ever seen such an overwhelming blue-shift to my environment. It’s rather beautiful, really. I’ve taken the liberty of doffing my helmet just before this entry. I won’t be changing course for the foreseeable future, and I’ve been instructed to make myself as comfortable as possible for longevity.”

-----

“Just got my first sleep of the journey in. I’ve done an extended stay in the Cartridge before as a part of my training, but it was still a bit jarring. A lack of gravity is one thing, but the encasement in liquid is a whole other beast. I’m feeling well-rested enough, though. It’s time for ‘breakfast’ I suppose. With my mouth occupied by liquid ventilation and witty commentary, I’m fed through a direct hookup to my veins. I suppose I can say, with scientifically peer-reviewed certainty, that I am having a balanced breakfast. [chuckle] This trip will be a hell of a diet. I’m already missing the pie squares.”

-----

“Well, I think I’ve had my share of the onboard entertainment for today, so I suppose I’ll stick to the eggheads’ advice and get to rambling. As it stands, I’m on my third day of travel, from what the clock’s telling me, at least. The clock is a bit fast to account for time dilation. Rather, it’s accurate, but to the outside world. The wording escapes me, but the gist is that to me, it looks fast. I’ve been getting some work done on the elastics to try to keep pace with it. I’m hoping if I wear myself out enough, I’ll sleep earlier and stay on schedule. Anywho, I use elastics because artificial gravity was deemed too encumbering of a system to implement into the pod, especially because this whole thing is rigged to completely cut power to all systems if I need to avoid detection. So, all my exercise is done with the elastics. There’s several loops around the walls of the small lounge they’ve allotted me to stretch when I’m not in the captain’s seat. Well, I’m not sure if it’d be a ‘lounge’ or a ‘living room.’ It’s the only other space on the vessel besides the captain’s seat, but it’s cosy enough, I suppose. My precious home away from home. Where was I? Right, the loops. There’s loops around the walls of the cube to allow me to hook the elastic bands any which way I please. Today I hooked them to the floor and did squats.”

-----

“Five and a half days in now. My sleep has continued to walk forward, despite my efforts, but I suppose the arbitrary day-night of an accelerated Mileau hardly matters to me up here. Supposedly it’ll affect how often my body thinks it needs to eat, but I’ve been assured there’s enough of that nourishment juice onboard that I’d have to be consuming it constantly throughout my journey to use it all up before arrival, and at that rate, I’d probably die from what all that would be doing to my body. A grim comfort, I suppose.”

-----

“Seven days. I feel a tad tired most of the time, and hungry. This juice will keep me alive for as long as I’ll let it, but it doesn’t fill my stomach. I guess I’m glad I splurged on food on my last day, while I could. In other news, I figured out how to jerry-rig myself a setup for sit-ups. Keeping my exercise diverse should help with both boredom and atrophy. After this log, I think I’ll try to set up some idiot’s definition of a treadmill. I’ll have an elastic keeping me a certain distance from a wall, and another holding me to a surface to simulate gravity. I’m hoping the friction of the ventilation in here doesn’t impede too much.”

-----

“You know, I’ve listened back on my old logs a lot. It’s nice to just… hear a voice I recognize, I suppose. The shows I’ve kept myself occupied are fine entertainment-wise, but there isn’t much in the way of Dossur representation. The time! Right, it’s been twelve days now, but I’ve slept eight times. Well, except for that one nap. I’m not sure. In any case, this morning is a morning for me. It’s nice. What was I… yes, I’ve been listening to my old logs, just to hear the voice of a Dossur. It’s a bit odd hearing so much of my own voice, but it’s also not my own voice. That algorithm is what makes it intelligible. As I listen to myself right now, it’s a warbled, muffled mess. I swear, I’ll touch down and start talking like how I sound now. [Unintelligible] I wonder what the algorithm will do with that. That was just me making noises.”

-----

“I thought I could make a game of seeing what the algorithm would interpret random noises as, but it just gives up. It’s really a missed opportunity, if you ask me. They make these things too smart.”

-----

“I think I miss the colour red. The blue-shift was beautiful at first, watching the distortion of all these colours I knew so well around the cockpit, but it’s gotten old. It makes the onboard entertainment noticeably worse, too. You never really realise how many jokes and plotlines centre around colours until they’ve all been modified. The vast expanse of space outside doesn’t look any different from when I first set off. Frankly, I would believe that I’m perfectly stationary right now if it weren’t for the blue shift. I guess that’s a reason to appreciate it. Nineteen days.”

-----

“I’ve officially gotten bored enough to talk about the bathroom situation. I considered it early on, but it felt embarrassing at the time. I haven’t had to do it too often, because that nourishment juice runs rather efficiently, but nature calls. Hang on, let me get a timestamp of this milestone… Right, the clock tells me this is twenty-seven days in. I made it longer than I thought I would without going here, I suppose. Anywho, it’s a tube. It’s a big tube with a sort of cup on the end of it. It’s awkward giving it a proper seal, but there’s no gravity, and I’d rather not taint what I’m breathing in. The ventilation cycles and refreshes itself, obviously, but it’s still not a pleasant thought. I guess that’s another note to touch on - bathing. It’s essentially the same as turning the ventilation up to maximum. I just cycle the ventilation in the cockpit with enough force that it washes me off and gets filtered out in the purifier system… thing. I’m not a technician, alright? I can’t really smell through the liquid all that well but this is how they told me to do it, so I’m hoping it’ll pay off when I’m on the other side.”

-----

“I spend most of my time exercising, watching random telly shows, listening back to my logs, and making more logs. That, and sleeping. Well, with the inclusion of sleeping, that’s actually what I spend all my time doing. Honestly, I’ve re-listened to my first log so many times that it feels like a different person. You know, I wonder if it would have been worth the risk to just stretch the FTL just a little longer. I think I would have been able to skip all the time that’s passed so far in just a few seconds if I kept going just a little further. I really hope the eggheads got that calibration right. Thirty days. Big three-nil. I’d celebrate with a cake if they came in liquid form. My whole damn life’s a series of different liquids.”

-----

“With how much time I’ve spent exercising, I hoped that I would start to build some muscle. Unfortunately, with the weightlessness, I’m pretty much just breaking even to avoid atrophy. Shoot, I’m just imagining what a beast I’d be if I spent all this perfectly good boredom in an environment with gravity. I’d be the beefiest Dossur alive. Hah, what a concept. Thirty-five days.”

-----

“Hey, future me? This is the one to skip over. Right, well, I’ve remained chipper in my logs thus far because I know I’ll be the first person to listen back on them, and I really need that, but I think I just… need to feel like what I’m thinking is being heard… by something, at least. I’m not having a good time. I’m… really not having a good time. Every day is the same. I’ve kept my logs varied for self-entertainment’s sake, but everything I pretend is a passing errant thought is always something I’ve been thinking about since nearly the first day. I’ve just been rationing my last thoughts as a person who remembers a time before this pod to keep cycling them back to myself. Maybe half of them aren’t true. It really does feel more like I’m putting on a show for myself than actually recording anything when I make these logs at this point. I don’t know. Forty-six days, or so the clock says. I’m not sure I believe it.”

-----

“I saw a bubble today. I didn’t think there were any left. I haven’t thought about bubbles in so long until I just saw one. There were a good few bubbles in the early days of the trip, when there were still pockets of gas that were dissipating with the ventilation, but I thought they were all gone. It was nice. There are so many orbs off in the unchanging distant space around me, but this one is mine. I tried to move it towards the corner of my lounge in the hopes it will stay there, but I’m dreading the fact it will probably be filtered by tomorrow. I thought maybe I should give it a name, until I said that out loud. I need to keep my wits about me. Forty-nine days.”

-----

“I didn’t hear my name on my last day on Mileau. I keep thinking back to that day, because it really doesn’t feel that far away. With how monotonous it is up here, it felt like launch day could have been yesterday. I didn’t hear my name. Everyone just called me ‘Bullet.’ It makes sense, because they’d been doing it for months, and the project was clandestine, but I miss it. I guess I’ll have the bot here read my name back to me, in a voice I can’t even hear from my own mouth. Anlon. Anlon. Anlon? Anlon. Anlon! Anlon. Anlon. Anlon. Anlon. Anlon. That’s me, I’m Anlon. Operative Anlon, at your service! I’m Anlon, ‘the Bullet,’ of Project: Bullet. More like Project: Anlon! Anlon, I tell ya! I sound bloody insane. Time? Oh, right, it’s the fiftieth day. Whatever that means with this blasted clock. [sigh] Sorry, future Anlon. I didn’t put the disclaimer at the beginning of this one.”

-----

“I want to turn back. I can’t say with a straight face that I have just ‘thought about it.’ I know this pod is still FTL capable. I know a lot of people put way too much into this project, though. I keep reciting to myself that I just need to keep my wits about me. After all, in such a tiny pod, where would my wits have to go anyhow? Hah, just another little quip to ensure the quip cortex of my brain is intact. Another great joke is the concept of time. Just read the internal properties of the damn log if you need to know that.”

-----

“I’ve thought about… No, fuck it, I’m not logging that. Bloody fucking hell I’m probably already going to die of embarrasment from half the shit I’ve logged at this point. Is it worth saying? I suppose this internal monologue I’ve gone through about a thousand times is worth saying. This is the vitriolic extent to which I consider what act I’ll put on for the day to record in a log.
[This log remains silent for a period of several minutes.]
Wankin'. That’s what I was gonna spare some bloody commentary for. Haven’t done it because of the limitations of my space, but I’m right fucking bored, okay? Sue me.”

-----

“I keep having to remind myself of my purpose on this vessel. There’s a reason they needed to subject a pilot to this unbearable wait time. I’m the backup generator, in a sense. When I talk about the ship being able to shut down power completely, I mean completely. There’s no idling system to be ready to start everything back up once a threat is gone. Even the smallest current can be detected. I’m here to reconnect the two in case I need to employ that countermeasure. The point of the ship is to be as close to impossible to detect as possible. I’ve… I’ve thought about what if I was detected. I’d probably die by day’s end, but… No, that’s a bad idea. I know that’s a bad idea. I just… want to see another living being. I guess I could turn back? I just can’t escape the feeling it would make all of this a waste of time. I don’t want this to be a waste of time. Oh yeah, and I’m also here for the main objective of the mission, I guess. Espionage and whatnot. I get the indication my job on the surface could’ve been done by a bunch of drones, but seeing as they were already putting all the systems in place to use a pilot for stealth, they probably just wanted me to feel useful.”

-----

“I think I’ve run through every permutation of strapping the elastics to all the hoops on the walls. In all honesty, I spent a good while just trying to break one of the elastics. It would probably be a waste, but it was something new to do. I wasn’t successful, if you couldn’t tell by my wording. Hah, ‘you.’ What a joke of a word that is. Let me phrase it how it is - I wasn’t successful, if I’m not able to tell when I listen to this in the future.”

-----

“The shows are so bloody boring. I’m going to keep watching them, of course, because there isn’t much else to do, but I realised that trying to think about any of it deeply is a fool’s errand. It’s something that sprang up when… I admit this will sound a bit crazy, but I sort of tried to engage with conversations with the characters as I watched. I considered how I’d actually respond to what they’re saying in the context of the episode, and it never matched what the actual conversing character would say. These ‘people’ are two-dimensional plot drivers. You know, some of my earlier logs I spent just rambling about my coworkers. My thoughts on them. How Lantry was intimidating, Nirlo stirred a fine brew and even finer conversation, Tyul was a bit of a troublemaker, and Lea made for a good neighbour to my tent of a home. It doesn’t mean anything. I wouldn’t care which one of them I saw, if I just got to see one of them again. To me, they’re all just people, real people, and that is invaluable. I miss them. I miss everything.”

-----

“I broke my old record for sleep today. Made it a full day unconscious this time. In the past that might have worried me, for how long I’m leaving myself vulnerable, but nothing has come near me for the whole time I’ve been up here. The best part is that I’m still tired, enough to go back to sleep. Maybe I’ll make it a whole day again.”

-----

“I’m killing the nonce who proposed this project when I get back to Mileau.”

-----

[Next]

submitted by ForwardStory to NatureofPredators [link] [comments]

2024.06.07 10:36 LemonLord7 [SPOILERS] I really need someone to discuss the premise/story-kickoff of Part 2 with (please!)

Skip to second paragraph of Part 2 if you don't wanna read the context.

Intro

Please do not downvote me blindly because then nobody sees my post and I really need to discuss this with someone, and I don't want to discuss this at the other sub. Part 2 has been painful for me. I've played it 3-4 times, each time wanting to love it. I'm not a blind Abby hater and my biggest gripe with Joel's death was how it was handled in relation to the marketing.

Background

When Part 2 came out a lot had happened in my life and I was in a depression. I was thinking this game would bring joy like Part 1 had, a game where I interpreted the message as being "Everything works out in the end if you just fight for it," but then Part 2 flipped the table for me and I was not in an emotional state to handle the story. Specifically, because at the time, I thought Part 2 completely destroyed my interpretation of Part 1 (which, wrong or right, you can imagine was awful for me when already depressed). Now I'm thinking perhaps these games should not be enjoyed through the lens of having a message, like a fable or mythological tale, and instead perhaps just be enjoyed as thought provoking immersive stories (e.g. in the same vein the movie Inception doesn't have a message [or maybe it does?] but is "just" an immersive and thought-provoking movie).

Part 1 ending

Either way, part of what sets me off on the wrong foot for Part 2 is my interpretation of Part 1. But now, having watched the tv series, I understand where Part 2 is coming from. I did not understand that a) Joel was acting out of anger instead of panic. For me, since I as a player in some sense am Joel, didn't think the Part 1 hospital sequence was done in angehatred like it was in a tv-series, and to me Joel was just acting out of panic. I didn't understand that b) Ellie didn't believe Joel's lie. I personally think Bella Ramsey did a much better job at conveying both the sadness of not believing Joel but also showing she did not believe him. Game Ellie's sadness was something I only attributed to the heaviness of feeling her whole hopeful journey come to a "meaningless" end. Finally, I didn't understand that c) Joel was lying selfishly. To me, that lie was just as likely to be a moment of him not being ready to tell her what happened right now and also thinking that a 14 year old might not be ready for the truth.
And you know, part of this comes down to how the hospital sequence was handled. The Fireflies were not showing Joel empathy, the hospital was run down, and wanting to immediately kill/operate on a child before running tests or making any other less drastic attempt felt very incompetent to me. Not that this makes Joel's actions towards Ellie better, but the whole dooming humanity part never registered with me. Part 1 remake and Part 2 flashbacks actually even cleans up the hospital a bit. If some time had passed at the hospital, they asked Ellie for permission, and then Joel freaks out and selfishly "saves" her, and then lies about the hospital being overrun by bandits/clickers during her operation, then I think the idea of dooming humanity and Joel acting selfishly would have come through much better.
But once again, with the tv-series out, I now see better what the game was going for.

Part 2 Joel communication skills and Doctor hastiness

So now that you understand where I am coming from, I can't wrap my head around how Joel acts in Part 2. When Ellie confronts him he doesn't even try to explain his point of view. He doesn't even try explaining how he panicked at the thought of them just instantly killing Ellie. He doesn't even try explaining he didn't know if that is what she even wanted. He doesn't even try mentioning the poor state even the operating room was in (which was cleaned up from original PS3 release). He doesn't try to say that he is sorry or explain his point of view. He says the least possible almost as if to make Ellie angry at him. Also, nothing about her body so her choice. Once again, I see now that this wasn't what they were going for with the Part 1 ending. I guess my point is that this story really requires the correct interpretation of the Part 1 ending. But even so, I don't understand why Joel doesn't even try to say anything. The hospital flashback in Part 2 where he confesses almost feels like a moment taken from a rom-com where if people just had proper communication skills the "couple" wouldn't be driven apart.
Skip to here for main part: Almost worst to me is how the doctor (Abby's father) is portrayed. Here in Part 2 they are really going for the vibe of him being a gentle soul with a kind a heart and being a truly competent doctor. So why on earth would he try to just operated on her immediately!?!? Run some tests! Try creating a vaccine/cure/treatment from her blood! Do something! Don't just go for the most drastic measure with now point of return immediately! He doesn't even wait 24 hours. So here I am feeling the dissonance the most. I can't wrap my head around how the doctor is portrayed and his actual actions. It feels like pushing a square through a round hole. And since he is portrayed as being this almost comically nice person, why would he not even consider asking Ellie what she wanted? Asked her permission? Her body, her choice! Had Ellie said "No" they could have still have overpowered Joel and Ellie and done the operation anyway.
So basically, I feel that Part 2 works really well as a stand-alone with Part 1 being seen as a prequel. But I can't wrap my head around how the events of the hospital both in Part 1 and 2, and Joel's Part 2 flashback confession, make sense.

Finally

I'm not sure what I want from this post. I guess I want to love Part 1 again and start loving Part 2 like so many of you do. Maybe by just discussing it I'll see things in another light.
It can be very cathartic even if people just say something simple as "You are right that these sections do not make sense, but are necessary for the story to be told, and although that sucks it can be worth it for the greater story." Not that any of you should say that if you don't mean it.
I think what I want the most is to understand how the Joel's poor communication skills make sense, the doctor's actions make sense, and where her-body-her-choice fits into the picture with Ellie and why she never seem to consider that Joel never even knew if she would have wanted to die for this.
Perhaps more importantly, what is the message of Part 1 and what is the message of Part 2? Do the stories even have meanings? Or are they just immersive and thought-provoking stories like the movie Inception?
Thanks for reading my massive wall of text. I've felt very sad over TLOU for a long while now when it has meant a lot to me, and I think the only way through is forward and to start try to understand the stories in another way (which the tv-series has started to help me do).

submitted by LemonLord7 to thelastofus [link] [comments]

2024.06.07 10:28 pinkpolkadog How would you deal with such a colleague?

I have this colleague (in her 40s) in the same department as me who loves to tell tales about others e.g. telling others the mistake you made at work even if it is something minor and one-off. She is also really good at taking what you say out of context to make you look bad.
Honestly, I do not know why I'm one of her targets when I did not do anything to her. She has ruined my reputation at work (new colleagues having a bad impression of me) and I feel really unsafe or anxious around her.

submitted by pinkpolkadog to askSingapore [link] [comments]

2024.06.07 10:17 Yurii_S_Kh Vladimir Martynov: «Church is at its best when it’s under pressure»

https://preview.redd.it/z2fjkgyey35d1.png?width=858&format=png&auto=webp&s=96d39655584109bc4fbca683fe68e1354db154e1
Composer and philosopher Vladimir Martynov and host Vladimir Legoyda discuss the end of times and the end of the composers’ era during the Parsuna TV show. They also contemplate how arts replaced religion and why great artists are terrible people.
Greetings to all watching us from home. This is the Parsuna TV show, where we are profiling our contemporaries. Greetings are also in order for today’s guest, Mr. Martynov.
Greetings.
We have five sections, each of them dedicated to faith, hope, tolerance, forgiveness, and love. And as per tradition, the first question is that regarding your identity. Here and now, who are you?
This is the exact issue I discuss in my latest book. Basically, I see myself as a homo errans, a wandering man. I believe that there is no other breed of humans. Those who do not identity as wandering are flat wrong and delusional.
To get one thing straight, that is how you see the human race in general and yourself as a part of it?
Absolutely.
And how do you identify yourself personally?
In a similar vain.
How, exactly?
Well, I believe that sapiens (as in homo sapiens) should be replaced with errans, as our species is no longer reasonable. We are wandering.

FAITH

Faith is the first item on our agenda today. I believe it was Berdyaev who believed faith to be similar to a jump into abyss. You jump and while falling down you don’t know whether you are going to crash into sharp rocks, get taken up by angels or survive the fall hitting something soft. What do you make of this comparison?
Well, it is a universal idea. It just so happens that it was Berdyaev, an Orthodox thinker, who came up with this metaphor, but we can find that sentiment in Zen as well as in Christianity. Any faith is about leaping, letting go, and putting your trust in something independent of your volition. So Berdyaev described this idea very well.
It seems to me that Berdyaev wanted to highlight the difference between faith and knowledge. If you have knowledge, then you either don’t jump or use something so that you would survive the jump. But faith can also give you this confidence. So the phrasing might be good, but the phrase is not fully adequate.
You are getting into some muddy waters there making an attempt to tell knowledge from faith. There is a case to be made in favour of drawing this line, as knowledge is achieved autonomously, but it also is a result of having a true faith. Faith is knowledge and knowledge is faith. These are profoundly inseparable things. But you can probably try to distinguish them on a more superficial level.
When we talk profoundness, do we mean knowledge as is? To my mind sciences deal with a different kind of knowledge, wouldn’t you agree?
As I said, you can probably try to distinguish them on a more superficial level. But we need to know about God in order to believe in Him. It is paradoxical to believe in God without knowing of Him. That is why I find it irrelevant to dwell on the distinction between the two, but we may say that they are both of the same root, and it is impossible to believe in something you don’t know and to know something you don’t believe in.
You’ve mentioned Zen, and it just so happens that I have just been flipping through a book on koans. It appeared to me that there is no faith in Zen as Christians understand it, though still Zen Buddhism is also considered to require faith of a different sort. Would you agree with me that it is hard to find faith (defined as trusting God) in Zen?
That is a tough question you are asking me. Is there a personal God in Buddhism and is Buddhism a religion at all...
What is your take on it?
It is of no relevance. Let’s get back to koans. They are basically about giving up all knowledge, all bias, etc., and this renunciation is the moment of faith that brings people together. It is also said in koans that o experience a koan, you have to let go and plunge yourself down, so…
So that is also faith the way Christians understand it?
Without a shadow of a doubt.
For some reason in Russia we see koans as puzzles to be solved, although they are the opposite of that.
Basically it is impossible to solve them. Koans are questions to which no answer can be given, a code without a cipher.
When during one of the interviews you were asked to name movies which are not strictly religious you mentioned Lars von Trier…
Yes.
…and added that he shows how faith can become a horror and a nightmare. Why was it von Trier in particular that you brought up? Does it imply that you see no good movies where the faith would be shown directly? On a related note, all the movies that you listed are based on religious stories. Would you agree that sometimes it’s better for the movies to discuss faith without making that reference?
There is zero doubt that these late Tarkovsky movies that I mentioned as examples, The Sacrifice and Nostalgia, are not about Church, but are undoubtedly about religion. Bergman’s work, be it The Silence, The Seventh Seal, Cries and Whispers, or The Virgin Spring are also profoundly religious, but in a subtle way. You have to understand, however, that both Tarkovsky and Bergman belong to the generation of great directors, whereas Lars von Trier is following in their footsteps. And it is quite easy to make a much more straightforward movie, like The Island. I mean I am friends with Lungin, we co-authored that movie, but it still is 100% stereotypical. The real problem that von Trier discusses in his movies is that of god-forsakenness, which Heidegger describes as non-thereness of God.
Let’s get back to my previous question. Why was it von Trier and not Bergman or Tarkovsky that came to your mind? Was it a matter of context or something more profound?
You see, if you take the great classic movies of Bergman and Tarkovsky, these go back to 60s and 70s, and if you want to find something more recent it has to be von Trier. It would be perfectly alright to bring them or even Luis Buñuel up in a context of religious movies, even though Buñuel’s work obviously takes a more critical approach it is still in essence religious at its core.
On one of our shows I happened to have a very engaging talk with Lev Karakhan. We discussed the Red Snowball Tree movie, and he said that it was a very un-Soviet film. And I thought it was a loss of faith movie thematically, where this loss is approached in an unexpected way.
It might as well be that way, but to my mind the Red Snowball Tree is a characteristically Soviet film, and in a good way. Unlike Tarkovsky and Parajanov, Shukshin is very connected to the Soviet life. I would also argue that loss of faith and faith itself are not his pet themes. In one episode, the protagonist is seen crying with a ruined church in the background, but the scene isn’t informative of the Shukshin’s preferred subject matter. What he does explore however are people like the protagonist, wandering and very animate weirdos finding themselves in this pretty inanimate Soviet time.
What I’ve heard is that people who got into Christianity back in the Soviet times have stronger faith than those joining in the early 90s and make up a majority of Church goers nowadays. So in a way it is easier to come to God when there is pressure on the believers.
Couldn’t agree more.
You have no doubt about it whatsoever?
To my mind, it's a given. Back when I joined the Church, it was completely different. Faith back then was invigorating. This atmosphere is something that is mentioned in the Everyday Saints and Other Stories. I remember startsy, the elders of the Church, being approachable people. I remember how easy it was for us to visit fathers Nikolay, John (Krestiankin), and Ambrose of Balabanovo. The spiritual uplifting that took place from the late 70s to early 80s, and was probably happening even earlier, is hard to imagine nowadays. This is why I am certain that the Church is at its best when it is under pressure.
But you can’t get under pressure yourself, I reckon. What should the Church do when there it’s under no pressure, Vladimir Ivanovich?
There is nothing to be done, it is a reality to be reconciled with. I simply wanted to note that some people get luckier than others in that regard, and it’s the will of God, not something you can change. It is important however to notice these things, because we are changing, the regimes are changing, and the institute of Church, of course, is also prone to change. We have to understand that there is a difference between Church as the Body of Christ, of which it is said that “not even death will ever be able to overcome it”. But Church is also an institution affected by the tide of history. And from what I’ve seen, the way the tide is turning might be pretty upsetting.
That is also a given. Saint Augustine wrote of it in The City of God.
It is true. The fact is that I was lucky enough to witness this 70s and 80s Church revival just before the very end of it, and the uplifting that took place back then is hard to imagine today.

HOPE

The five words we use to name the five parts of our interview are both commonplace, universally understood and worn out to such a degree that the intuitive understanding of these words is lacking. We have to use other words to clarify what we mean when we use them. What words would you use to define hope?
It is not a challenging question for me at all. You see, the Nicene Creed ends with a following line: “I await the resurrection of the dead: and the life of the coming age”. If this is your vantage point, then everything else becomes bleak in comparison with this hope. Another quote that comes to mind is “Come, Lord Jesus!” at the very end of the Revelation. So this is what you are hoping for as a Christian. The rest of human history with its greatest discoveries and other most glorious events, as well as the best works of art humanity has to offer simply stand in the way of what I’m hoping for, which is the Advent of our beloved Jesus Christ. And there is nothing else to truly hope for in this context.
Then the only hope we have is Christ…
Yes. The Christ that comes as was prophesized in «Come, Lord Jesus!» or in «I await the resurrection of the dead: and the life of the coming age». All other hopes are… Well, normal. You can set up a successful business, create wonderful works of art, have a splendid career, be popular with women, and you can hope to achieve all of that. But it all becomes bleak in comparison with the coming of Lord Jesus. The rest is immaterial.
Talking to another guest on this show I was reminded that in most languages the Doomsday is referred to as the Last Judgment, but in Russian we would say strashny sud, which literally means the Terrible Judgment, and this particular way of looking at the event plays out in Russian culture. One example is how the image depicting it terrified Vladimir the Great, convincing him to be baptised. Have you ever considered the reasons behind such a specific view of the Last Judgment?
I don’t see any difference between Orthodox and Catholic points of view on the subject. The Last Judgment is indeed terrifying both by death and the torments that await soul after death. In the Revelation the words “Come, Lord Jesus!” come after all these horrors. And not all people and even cultures are to live through them. This is something Lars von Trier explores in his works. And, by the way, in Nostalgia we can see similar themes.. All hopes are shown to be futile as nothing good comes out of the torments, and that seems to be a profoundly religious message to me.
Are you afraid of death?
Sure! Who isn’t?
Well…
That’s kind of a silly question. You see, we Christians see death not simply as death, and I don’t talk about those who suffer greatly before they depart to a better world. We see death as a prelude to ordeals.
These ordeals may be understood not in a doctrinal vein, but in an educative one.
From my perspective the only way to look at them is neither doctrinal nor educative. We should take them at face value. You see, I have witnessed agony in my life and I have not been able to understand whether these were paralleled with ordeals or not. However everyone has to go through this. And Christians are not unique in this regard. Try telling a Buddhist that Bardo Thodol, or The Tibetan Book of the Dead, is some kind of a doctrinal text, they will tell you that it is a day-to-day behaviour manual. Same applies to the Egyptian Book of the Dead. So this is another universal thing that has one foundation but is viewed differently in various traditions.
Mr. Martynov, would you claim familiarity with despair, an antithesis of hope?
I am no stranger to despair. Not everybody knows hope, but despair is known to all of us.
Quite well-known indeed!
It is the most well-known sentiment to me. Sometimes there is also some semblance of hope, but despair is the most prevalent state of my mind.
Is it hard to overcome despair?
It is. What is really impossible, though, is to overcome it on your own without God’s grace or some other intervention. I’ve noticed that all the creative ideas that come to me both when I write and compose do so without any effort on my behalf. I’m not saying that they originate with God or cosmos, but they are not really mine, they are born from trying to overcome despair.
Quite peculiar. Speaking of composing, here is what I’ve read in the Origins of European Music by father Peter (Mescherinov): “Aesthetically, music that used to be a form of high art has become a pass-time for herds, masses of people filled with sound-bites”. Do you share this sentiment?
This is a sentiment which relates not only to music but to culture as a whole. All culture has been reduced to entertainment of the masses, not only music.
On that note, when you say that the composers’ era is coming to an end as well as the history, culture, etc. in general, you tend to see it as a positive, a new beginning. Is that correct?
It is. But what I would like to clarify is that when I talk about the end of composers’ era I don’t imply the end of music. It was only in the 11th century Western Europe when we saw first composers, music had existed without them and will go on once their time comes to an end. There is no tragedy to that. Some of the best music came to be without composers. Echoes chant, plainsong, Maqama and Noh Theatre do not owe their existence to composers, but are not worse than the music created by composers. As a matter of fact such music is frequently even better than results of composers’ work.
It’s nice to hear that there is no tragedy, but is there any hope in that? What are you hoping for in the world of music today?
There is little hope in music today, as well as in the world of culture at large. But it doesn’t mean that there is no hope at all. I recall Heidegger’s favourite line from the Hölderlin’s Patmos: “But where the danger is, also grows the saving power.” You see, it is when there is seemingly no escaping the danger that the saving power comes to your aid. So when Heidegger writes of the danger that is enframing, he always comes to a conclusion that it happens in a mysterious way, I could even tell what I think is actually behind that enframing, but…
Oh, it would be wonderful if you shared your thoughts about it!
Let’s take me as an example. I am a minimalist composer. The fact of repetition comes from culture being so impoverished that we cannot aspire to create any new work. We even can’t recreate the prior work in a proper way. The only thing left to us is to repeat what has already been done, which may bring us the salvation. We may view it as relieving childhood stage of our culture. It is by repetition that a child protects itself from the peril and malignity of this world, by repeating a fairytale, a gesture. The repetition also has to do with a prayer. The words of the Revelation addressed to the church of the Laodiceans come to my mind, as I believe that we do live in the Laodiceans’ time. Jesus says there: “You are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were either one or the other! But because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth! You say, 'I am rich and well off; I have all I need.' But you do not know how miserable and pitiful you are! You are poor, naked, and blind.” To my mind our bad is not that we are poor and miserable, but that being poor we say that we are rich and have all we need and can achieve all we need by technological or any other means. If we feel that we are miserable through minimalism, then the saving power Hölderlin refers to might grow.
You are also on record saying that maybe this new beginning might start in a non-verbal form. Does it mean that music has a better shot at getting there than literature?
Not quite. The thing is that when we talk of words, we have to understand that we used to live in a cultural landscape dominated by literature. And since Monteverdi music has also been very literature-like in its language. The same applies to fine arts. But due to a number of circumstances this dominance is coming to an end now. The culture starts being focused more on the visual side of things with the word becoming a part of the brand. But it is not something I am focusing on. The new beginning will not come from the fact that human kind has no more verbal assets. What I mean by that is since the dawn of humanity we have kept on talking and accumulating these verbal assets. And now all of these assets have become a pile of garbage like the one that pollutes the Pacific ocean. Furthermore, the verbal garbage is actually worse than the material one. It deprives us of an opportunity to say something of value. If you turn the TV on, you cannot tell a soccer translation from that showing the Descent of the Holy Fire as they both enter through the same doors of perception. That is why the new beginning, the salvation will come through the unlearning of language and learning the art of being silent.
The things you are describing come off as a very strong metaphor. But how do you see that becoming a reality? They used to say that a writer cannot stop writing. Would this new beginning require writers to stop writing or stop striving for popularity?
Writer has to write something, and that is where the vicious circle begins. The artists in general may make an attempt at being silent. John Cage does it with his great 4'33'' composition, which is four minutes thirty-three seconds of a person being silent on the stage. The Malevich's Black Square is another great example of such artistic silence. In short, even the best of us like Cage, let alone human kind in general, are not able to exist in this state of silence forever. Side-note: the silence we talk about here is the ultimate goal of most world religions. In Christianity we see the practice called hesychasm, and in Buddhism there is Sunyata.
What you are describing strikes me as a cultural asceticism all of us have to practice.
It’s not only cultural, it’s much bigger than that.
I can see that, but here we talk silence in music and literature particularly, which are ultimately culture.
Music and even culture at large are gibberish in the great scheme of things.
On that I agree with you.
We should make use of all means available to us to get to this state of asceticism, be it art, science, or tech. These are nothing but vessels to deliver us to the great silence. For me, culture is only of interest here as it shows the way towards that goal.

TOLERANCE

Humility is the Christian virtue often compared with tolerance. Humility among other things is probably knowing one’s limitations. Should the talent be humble, then? Does the artist know what is the necessary balance between talent and limitations?
If an artist is humble, he won’t achieve anything. Only after becoming great an artist may become humble. But generally humility is not the quality that helps you get anywhere in the arts.
So there are no humble artists?
To be an artist, you have to be ambitious, audacious, and vain. I don’t say that this is either good or bad, you just have to be that way. Most artists are like that, Wagner and Beethoven are the brightest examples of artists not being humble at all. Humility is something that does lead to wisdom in many walks of life, but not in the arts.
Do you feel uncomfortable because of that, being an artist and a Christian?
Not really. When you belong to a certain environment, you don’t want to be falling out of it. So you either adapt to it or you leave. I, for one, can’t say that I belong to the composing community. I do my best to avoid it, actually. But I still am in touch with the artistic circles, although I can’t say that I fully belong there. Anyway humility is very problematic. I understand that you can’t get anywhere spiritually without it, but practising it is not a realistic endeavour nowadays.
But is the new silence we’ve discussed earlier possible without humility?
Certainly not. But this new silence has to do with breaking social and other limitations humility makes us observe. It’s not that we shouldn’t be living in a society. For instance the Church is a societal institution. Why does the world exist? A humble righteous man that lives in a bedsit on the outskirts of Moscow is keeping it together by his prayer. And he is what shields us all from oblivion. So the real and fundamental humility is unseen by the public. And of course if you want to be a composer, a martial artist, or a king you have to start by letting go. You have to start from by being humble.
You said once that the ending of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury unnerved you in a particular way. There, people had to learn Don Quixote and Notes by heart, and you stated that one shouldn’t focus on that. On that note, I agree that it would probably be a disaster to know nothing but Don Quixote your whole life, although I adore that book. The question I have is then on the role the classical literature, for instance Don Quixote, plays in our life? Does humanity create anything comparable to the chef-d'oeuvres of the past?
I would like to make my thoughts on Bradbury clear first. He either consciously or non-consciously makes a mistake of equating written and oral texts. Knowing Don Quixote, which is originally a literary text, by heart is silly. Folklore, on the other hand, is a different beast, a living and breathing one. Religious texts are also different. There is a ritual meaning to reciting them. Back in the day there were Christians who knew both the Book of Psalms and the Books of Prophecy by heart. The thing that sets the literary text aside is the authoritativeness its original possesses. The oral tradition is different as it allows for constant transformation of the original. So if Don Quixote would become a starting point for a new epic with varying individual interpretations I wouldn’t object to that. But here we witness the horror of the effect the printing had on the way we interact with texts, making one person forever a vessel that has to memorise a book deemed important by heart in its entirety.
But in Fahrenheit 451 they have to do it because there is no way to read the books.
Yes, and they are doing a very important job from this point of view. It’s just that I see this book as a good way to start a discussion of the difference between a literary text that has an author and an epic that belongs to the folklore. A good four-liner from Velimir Khlebnikov’s War in a Mousetrap comes to mind:
Once Planet Earth goes up in flames,
cools off and asks: "Who am I really?"
then we will create The Igor Tale —
or something a lot like it.
So the world has to go up in flames and then The Igor Tale has to be created. But not simply the old text is to be brought back to life, but a new epic like The Igor Tale is to come into existence. The folklore is to be reborn. Not fiction is to dominate our minds after the world ends. Not Don Quixote, The Brothers Karamazov, War and Peace, or Ulysses by James Joyce are to captivate our minds then, but an orally transmitted text which is not literature, but a living and ever-changing beast.
If we return to my previous question, what do you make of Don Quixote and other classical books? Does humanity create anything comparable to them?
It does not, because there is no demand for it on a civilizational, social, and anthropological levels, nobody needs great works and great artists. But there are still some great names: Joyce, Proust, Kafka, and Musil. Celan is a great poet. And that’s it, there is no more literature beyond that. It doesn’t mean no more writers, because the inertia is still there, so there are writers and composers to satisfy this secondary demand. We may also treat the classical works as if they are relevant, be it Don Quixote, Montaigne’s Essais, or better yet Dante’s Divine Comedy. These all are great works which we may admire in silence, but we can’t engage with them properly.
When I read what you though about 451 Fahrenheit, I recalled metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh’s words: “Every Christian community should strive to be a community potent of writing the Gospel anew.” Does that align with what you are saying?
It does. What he refers to in this quote are Scripture and Tradition. Back in the 1970s he wasn’t the only one to say that both of these are important. Many elders said that, and many others insisted that Scripture is of no importance, as if we lose Scripture we always have Tradition, and without Tradition we can’t recreate Scripture. That’s why Tradition is in some ways more crucial for us. The written law brings death, but the Spirit gives life.

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2024.06.07 08:49 ArtificialAnaleptic I have "finished" my read through of the Horus Heresy and looking for advice for where to go next.

Possible accidental spoilers throughout. Some more discussion below the book list.

If anyone has recommendations as to where to go next I'm open to suggestions. I've accidentally fudged the order a bit given I've read the Vaults books already but marked where I've been told they fall based on this. My current plan is as follows:

Fall of Cadia (January 2017) - summary sufficient
Fracture of Biel-Tan (February 2017) - summary sufficient
Rise of the Primarch (March 2017) - summary sufficient
Cadia Stands by Justin D. Hill (December 2017)
~~Vaults of Terra: The Carrion Throne by Chris Wraight (April 2017)~~
Dante by Guy Haley (February 2018)
~~Vaults of Terra: The Hollow Mountain by Chris Wraight (January 2020)~~
Watchers of the Throne: The Emperor’s Legion by Chris Wraight (December 2017)
~~Vaults of Terra: The Dark City by Chris Wraight (March 2021)~~
Avenging Son by Guy Haley (July 2020)
The Gate of Bones by Andy Clark (January 2021)
The Wolftime by Gav Thorpe (November 2021)
Throne of Light by Guy Haley (February 2022)
Knights of Macragge by Nick Kyme (January 2019)
Watchers of the Throne: The Regent’s Shadow by Chris Wraight (July 2019)
Indomitus by Gav Thorpe (July 2020)
Ephrael Stern: The Heretic Saint by David Annandale (September 2020)
Dark Imperium by Guy Haley (June 2017)
The Swords of Calth by Graham McNeill (May 2020)
Dark Imperium: Plague War by Guy Haley (September 2018)
Dark Imperium: Godblight by Guy Haley (May 2021)
Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work by Guy Haley (June 2019)

Equally, if there are choice HH novels you think I've missed then please suggest!

Here is my reading order so far. I've provided a quick summary of each should anyone else want to decide to borrow from this structure/order.

Horus Rising (Horus Heresy I) by Dan Abnett
- The first book in the Horus Heresy series, setting the stage for the fall of Horus. It portrays the early days of the Great Crusade and the rise of Warmaster Horus. The book highlights the camaraderie and conflicts among the Space Marines and the seeds of betrayal.
False Gods (Horus Heresy II) by Graham McNeill
- This book delves into the origins of Horus's fall from grace. It explores his seduction by Chaos and the pivotal events leading to his eventual rebellion. The narrative focuses on the manipulation and deception that drive Horus to treachery.
Galaxy in Flames (Horus Heresy III) by Ben Counter
- The tragic conclusion of the initial trilogy of the Horus Heresy. It depicts the catastrophic events of the Isstvan III betrayal. The writing is noted as less compelling, but the plot's significance carries the story.
The Flight of the Eisenstein (Horus Heresy IV) by James Swallow
- This action-packed novel follows Nathaniel Garro as he escapes the massacre at Isstvan III to warn the Emperor of Horus's treachery. The book is likened to an action movie, with intense sequences and gripping plot twists.
Legion (Horus Heresy VII) by Dan Abnett
- This book is a divisive but well-regarded entry in the series. It focuses on the Alpha Legion and features significant revelations about the 40K universe. The story emphasizes espionage and complex motivations rather than straightforward battles.
Tales of Heresy (Horus Heresy X)
- An anthology with standout stories like "Blood Games" by Dan Abnett and "The Last Church" by Graham McNeill. The collection provides diverse perspectives on the Horus Heresy. It’s highly recommended for its varied and impactful short stories.
A Thousand Sons (Horus Heresy XII) by Graham McNeill
- A must-read entry focusing on the fall of the Thousand Sons Legion. It details the tragic events that lead to the burning of Prospero. The narrative explores themes of knowledge, hubris, and betrayal.
Prospero Burns (Horus Heresy XV) by Dan Abnett
- Originally intended to release alongside A Thousand Sons, it provides the Space Wolves' perspective on the same events. The delay in publication added anticipation, making it a crucial companion piece to understand the full scope of the Prospero tragedy.
The First Heretic (Horus Heresy XIV) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
- A critical book in the series, detailing the true beginnings of the Heresy through the eyes of Lorgar and the Word Bearers. It explores the philosophical and spiritual motivations behind the rebellion. This novel is highly praised for its deep character development and lore expansion.
Know No Fear (Horus Heresy XIX) by Dan Abnett
- A highly recommended book depicting the Battle of Calth between the Ultramarines and the Word Bearers. Abnett’s storytelling shines in the portrayal of large-scale warfare and individual heroism. It’s a pivotal moment in the Heresy, showcasing tactical brilliance and brutal combat.
Fear to Tread (Horus Heresy XXI) by James Swallow
- Focuses on the Blood Angels and their Primarch Sanguinius. The novel includes significant flashbacks and key events that shape the future of the Blood Angels. It's particularly engaging for fans of this legion.
Betrayer (Horus Heresy XXIV) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
- Centers on Angron and Lorgar as they wreak havoc in the Ultramar sector. The book offers a nuanced portrayal of these characters, making readers sympathize with their plight. It's a highly recommended read for its emotional depth and intense action.
The Unremembered Empire (Horus Heresy XXVII) by Dan Abnett
- Initiates the Imperium Secundus storyline, featuring multiple Primarchs and their efforts to create a second empire amidst the Heresy. Abnett’s writing is praised for its complexity and character interactions. The book is pivotal for understanding the broader implications of the Heresy.
Vengeful Spirit (Horus Heresy) by Graham McNeill
- Provides insight into Horus’s perspective and development, focusing on his plans and the impact of his decisions. The novel includes significant appearances by the Death Guard and explores themes of power and corruption.
Pharos (Horus Heresy XXXVI) by Guy Haley
- Continues the Imperium Secundus arc, featuring key characters like Dantioch and Polux. The novel is noted for its strong character development and intense plot. It’s highly regarded for adding depth to the ongoing storyline.
Angels of Caliban (Horus Heresy XXXVIII) by Gav Thorpe
- Wraps up the Imperium Secundus story and continues the Dark Angels arc. The novel is recommended for its intricate plot and character exploration. It provides crucial context for the larger Heresy narrative.
Praetorian of Dorn (Horus Heresy XXXIX) by John French
- Focuses on the defense of Terra and the Imperial Fists. The story is notable for its thrilling plot and significant revelations. It’s a must-read for its portrayal of the preparations for the final battles.
The Master of Mankind (Horus Heresy XLI) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
- Explores the Emperor’s perspective and his efforts to protect humanity. The novel portrays the Emperor in a less flattering light, revealing his complexities and flaws. It’s essential reading for understanding the broader motivations behind the Heresy.
Ruinstorm (Horus Heresy XLVI) by David Annandale
- Continues the journey of the Blood Angels, Ultramarines, and Dark Angels towards Terra. The book blends horror elements with strategic warfare. It explains key events leading to the final battles of the Heresy.
The Burden of Loyalty (Horus Heresy XLVIII) Anthology
- Includes the notable story "Perpetual" by Dan Abnett, which fills in gaps in the overarching narrative. The anthology provides valuable background and character development. It’s recommended for its diverse and enriching tales.
Wolfsbane (Horus Heresy XLIX) by Guy Haley
- Focuses on Leman Russ and the Space Wolves, detailing their confrontation with Horus. The novel also explores the origins of Belisarius Cawl. It’s a mixed read but essential for fans of the Space Wolves.
Slaves to Darkness (Horus Heresy LI) by John French
- A crucial book where Horus gathers the traitor primarchs for the final assault on Terra. The novel features intense interactions and political maneuvers among the traitors. It’s highly recommended for its plot significance and character dynamics.
The Solar War (Siege of Terra I) by John French
- The first book in the Siege of Terra series, marking the beginning of the end. It covers Horus’s entry into the Solar System and the initial stages of the siege. The book is praised for its epic scope and character callbacks.
The Lost and the Damned (Siege of Terra II) by Guy Haley
- Chronicles the landing of Horus’s forces on Terra and the ensuing battles. It features a wide array of characters and perspectives. The novel is noted for its dramatic and intense scenes.
The First Wall (Siege of Terra III) by Gav Thorpe
- Focuses on the battle for the Lion’s Gate spaceport. While it introduces interesting subplots, the main event is the fierce combat. It’s a detailed account of one of the critical points in the siege.
Saturnine (Siege of Terra IV) by Dan Abnett
- The standout book in the Siege of Terra series, delivering high-stakes action and character-driven drama. Abnett balances multiple storylines and provides significant payoffs. It’s the most acclaimed book in the series so far for its epic and emotional depth.
Mortis (Siege of Terra V) by John French
- This book continues the Siege of Terra series, focusing on the Titan warfare as the forces of Horus clash with the defenders of Terra. The story is marked by large-scale battles and intense mech combat. It delves into the strategic and personal stakes of the siege.
Warhawk (Siege of Terra VI) by Chris Wraight
- The narrative centers on the White Scars and their Primarch, Jaghatai Khan, during the siege. It highlights their efforts to break through Horus’s lines and support the defense of Terra. The book combines high-octane action with moments of deep character insight.
Echoes of Eternity (Siege of Terra VII) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
- This installment brings the Siege of Terra closer to its climax. It explores the psychological and physical toll of the siege on both attackers and defenders. The book features intense battles and significant character moments as the endgame approaches.
THE END AND THE DEATH I, II, III
- For some reason this one got lost in my copy pasting of notes but obviously I've read it lol
The End and the Death: Volume I (Siege of Terra VIII) by Dan Abnett
- The first volume of the concluding trilogy, it delves into the final days of the Siege of Terra, showcasing the escalating desperation and intensity of the conflict. Key events and turning points are detailed, setting the stage for the ultimate confrontation.
The End and the Death: Volume II (Siege of Terra IX) by Dan Abnett
- Continuing from Volume I, this book pushes the narrative toward its inevitable conclusion. The battles grow fiercer, and the stakes higher, as both sides prepare for the final showdown. The depth of character development and the grim realities of war are further explored.
The End and the Death: Volume III (Siege of Terra X) by Dan Abnett
- The final volume brings the Siege of Terra to its dramatic and conclusive end. The climax of the Horus Heresy unfolds, revealing the ultimate fates of the key characters and the future of the Imperium. This book is expected to deliver a powerful and emotional resolution to the epic saga.
Eisenhorn trilogy by Dan Abnett
- Follows the Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn as he navigates the treacherous politics of the Imperium and battles heresy. The trilogy is a blend of detective noir and dark sci-fi, showcasing Eisenhorn’s moral struggles and his fight against corruption. It’s highly regarded for its deep character development and immersive world-building.
- "Xenos"
- "Malleus"
- "Hereticus"
Night Lords trilogy by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
- Chronicles the exploits of the Night Lords Chaos Space Marines. The trilogy delves into the lives of these renegade warriors, revealing their brutal tactics and fractured psyches. It’s praised for its gritty atmosphere and complex, morally ambiguous characters.
- "Soul Hunter"
- "Blood Reaver"
- "Void Stalker"
The Infinite and the Divine by Robert Rath
- Focuses on the Necron Overlords Trazyn the Infinite and Orikan the Diviner. The story is filled with dark humor and epic clashes as the two immortals vie for dominance and artifacts across the galaxy. It provides a unique perspective on the 40K universe through the eyes of the ancient and enigmatic Necrons.
Valdor: Birth of the Imperium by Chris Wraight
- This novel explores the origins and rise of Constantin Valdor, the Emperor’s Chief Custodian. It sheds light on the formative years of the Imperium and Valdor’s role in shaping its future. The book is noted for its rich lore and exploration of the early days of the Emperor’s reign.
Vaults of Terra series by Chris Wraight
- Follows the investigations of Inquisitor Erasmus Crowl and his acolyte Spinoza on Terra. The series uncovers deep secrets and conspiracies within the heart of the Imperium. It combines mystery, political intrigue, and action, offering a detailed look at the inner workings of the Emperor’s domain.
- "The Carrion Throne"
- "The Hollow Mountain"
- "The Dark City"

Lastly, for anyone wanting to replicate the pace of this readthrough: it's Audiobooks.

Anyone who says it's not reading is stupid.
I've physically read 51 books in a year once as a personal challenge. I love reading. But it takes TIME. Time I don't have while working full time and looking after family and home. If it's a choice between 60-70 audiobooks a year or no physical books (which you can still read if you like): which do you think is going to be better for your brain.
Typical audiobook is 12 hours long or less.
I will listen when I'm cooking, cleaning, showering.
That's 30 minutes minimum every day just from that. I listen at 2.3x speed. So I can get through 6 hours in 12 days even if I only listen in those times. That would be 30 books a year from 30 minutes a day there alone. Add in while lifting, painting, travelling, doing menial work.... My best was 5 books in one week of lots of work travel and hotel stays.
No one ever regretted reading too many books.

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2024.06.07 07:32 BOfficeStats Domestic BOT Presale Tracking (June 6). Thursday previews: Inside Out 2 ($9.48M), A Quiet Place: Day One ($3.94M) and Deadpool and Wolverine ($28.47M). Despicable Me 4 and Twisters have a promising start to presales.

BoxOfficeTheory Presale Tracking
USA Showtimes As of May 31
Presales Data (Google Sheets Link)
BoxOfficeReport Previews
Quorum Update (June 3)

May 31 Weekly Unaided Awareness

DOMESTIC PRESALES

YM! (Marcus is doing $7 matinees for children and seniors all day every day before 4 PM for the summer (May 31).)

The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Re-Releases (June 8-10)

BoxOfficePro (Fathom Events has also announced that select Regal Cinemas will present the films in 4DX on June 22/23/24 for Fellowship/Towers/Return respectively (May 14).)
AnthonyJPHer (Theaters must be either extremely confident in this release or they are desperate because they added several showings from my last update. Or it’s possible that there was so much demand that they added more showings. Fellowship (468 tickets, 14 showtimes, 5 theaters) on June 8 and June 15 (97 tickets, 4 showings, 4 theaters). Towers (396 tickets, 13 showtimes, 5 theaters) on June 9 and June 16 (82 tickets, 4 showings, 4 theaters). Return (426 tickets, 10 showtimes, 5 theaters) on June 10 and June 17 (82 tickets, 4 showings, 4 theaters). 1,551 tickets total. 1,290 tickets for the first week (62% growth from last update). 261 tickets for the second week (massive 342% growth from last update). It’s preforming really strong surprisingly. I could see an opening bigger than The Phantom Menace re-release if there are enough theaters and showtimes. (June 4). Fellowship (269 tickets, 6 showtimes, 4 theaters) on June 8 and June 15 (21 tickets, 4 showings, 4 theaters). Towers (243 tickets, 4 theaters) on June 9 and June 16 (22 tickets, 4 showings, 4 theaters). Return (281 tickets, 4 theaters) on June 10 and June 17 (16 tickets, 4 showings, 4 theaters). 852 tickets total. 793 tickets for the first week. 59 tickets for the second week (May 28).)
katnisscinnaplex (Opening Day Average Comps (June 8-10): Fellowship ($8.03M), Towers ($6.99M), and Return ($6.92M). [in response to "The number should be closer to 5 or 4M, walk ups really won’t be that good for a rerelease and there’s no PLF"] Yeah, you're probably right. Looking at these numbers against final 1hr comps would be around 2-2.5m. A lot of places have added additional shows so there is definitely room for growth this week. Currently thinking each of these make around 6m, assuming there are enough shows (June 2).)

Inside Out 2 Average Thursday Comp using TheFlatLannister's Florida comp: $9.48M

NRG (Now tracking for $85M domestic debut (May 30).)
abracadabra1998 (Comp: $6.52M THU. Pulled the numbers today, I have to say that this Inside Out 2 update is making me think good things are in store (June 6). Still mostly following along that Kung Fu Panda 4 ($6.32M) number for now (June 2). Keeps chugging along, comps will start converging soon (May 30). Good update, hopefully this keeps on rising (May 23).)
AniNate (Finally a little movement here. 23 THU, 52 Fri-Sun (compared to 18 THU and 23 FRI-SUN on May 17) (May 22).)
AnthonyJPHer (Some growth for THU, not bad but I expect sales to increase steadily as we get closer to release. Presales are good enough to not be a disaster like Garfield, but not big enough to guarantee a 100m opening. I still like what I’m seeing though. My local theater has finally shown some signs of life with this film. 5 tickets sold. Way better than Garfield at the same point. Might not be completely accurate, but looking extremely strong on FRI. 900 tickets for the 5 theaters I track. Maybe even 1,286 tickets if my numbers are accurate. That tells me this is not front loaded whatsoever. Or at the very least not preview heavy (May 27).)
cannastop (Funko Fan event is selling like gangbusters though (despite being at maybe only one chain). Prices aren't that low apparently. Still very limited (June 5).)
charlie Jatinder (Comp: $13.5M THU at MTC2.)
dallas ($11.02M THU comp. This one's doing great in my area. If all goes well, this should pass 90M OW and possible even 100M if the pace accelerates (June 6).)
Flip (1.893x Bad Boys 4 T-7 (June 6). 1.738x Bad Boys 4 T-8 (only comp) (June 5). Fan event for Inside Out 2 (3D AMC showings at 12:00 PM on Sunday, at the majority of AMC theaters near me) is definitely siphoning off some demand from previews: for three showtimes on Sunday the event has 102 seats sold, which is over half the total of previews so far (June 5). Decided to add one more theater but there was good growth in both of the original two (May 27). Fan event on the 16th has 43 tickets sold from 2 showtimes (compared to 8 showtimes and 73 tickets sold for previews), so that might be depressing previews a bit.)
katnisscinnaplex (Comp: $4.43M THU. No great comps for this. The last week and especially final few days will tell everything we need to know (May 31).)
keysersoze123 (Sunday Fan Shows at MTC1 are really wide and not cheap either (June 5). I expect presales to accelerate even more this week and of course leading up to final week (June 4). I think upcoming week pace is going to tell the tale. Not too happy with late social media reactions/reviews for this movie. That hinders any chance of early boost (June 2). If you compare this to any animation movies seen recently including Minions, its doing very well. Really good this far out for sure (May 25). Chugging along at this point (May 19). Show counts show Plexes are expecting a big OW. I dont remember when we last had a animation movie start with so many shows. I wont count Mario as that was a fan driven movie. Definitely not great presales but this is not a fan driven movie. Let us see where things are in the final week (May 15).)
Porthos (BAD COMPS: $9.67M THU. I want to see how it does locally against both Lightyear and Elemental over the next couple of days before really thinking hard about the possibility of $10M. I've been soft-penciling in around 8m-10m for a while now. Only in very soft pencil, though. One thing to remember. Perhaps because of GentleMinions, Minions 2 had an appreciably higher ATP than many similar kids films. Yep. Acceleration underway (June 6). FWIW, no AMCs in my market. [in response to cannastop's comment about Funko] Just means people with Marcus Theaters in their regions likely need to adjust a bit when projecting outwards. There is a Funko event that I am reasonably sure is limited to Marcus TheateMovie Tavern on Saturday. The El Capitan has some sort of event on Friday, but it's the El Capitan and they often have exclusives. Might be something about a different fan event (listed on Fandango), but it might just be the above as I can't find anything else about the so-called "INSIDE OUT 2 - OPENING WEEK FAN EVENT (2024)" on Google except for something at ElCap. FWIW, locally I just have bog-standard showings on FSS with no special events anywhere within 30 miles. Acceleration looks to be starting (June 5). I literally have zero good comps. I generally don't keep track of sub-5m pure kids animated films until right before release. It is too backloaded (or rather NOT frontloaded) for the AtSVs of the world to make much sense. IO2 had a (too) long (by half) pre-sale window which is wrecking a whole bunch of other slightly more plausible comps. If I had a complete track of KFP4, that'd probably help a great deal. As often the case with films that should be very backloaded, won't really know how backloaded they are until the week of release. (will note that IO2 does seem to be picking up a hint of steam right now. Which should bode well for its overall ticket total). Horror is, along side pure kids animation, THE most backloaded genre there is when it comes to pre-sales. ATP for the Nope comp will be wrecked, but the pace should be very instructive. Name recognition for Jordan Peele led to slightly stronger pre-sales for a non-franchise horror installment which should map fairly well with the in-built name recognition of IO2. Is complicated by the fact that Nope had an even longer pre-sale window than IO2, but that might help counterbalance some of the ATP errors. Won't be a good comp at the end but right now it might be one of the better ones, especially to show the insane growth that should be on the table. I don't think it's much of a coincidence that it's one of the few comps I have right now that is pointing to double digit previews (May 30). I don't agree with the undertone of concern when it comes to ticket sales. They seem perfectly fine to me, maybe even somewhat strong. It just isn't selling like a frontloaded CBM/fan driven franchise (even when adjusting for animation). So I suppose it really comes down to how much we think this will still act like a traditional kids animation film when it comes to buying pattern, how much demand has been burnt off, and how many people are still going to buy tickets but see no particular need to buy them early. Which I suppose really can't be answered until we get close to the time when kids animation films typically accelerate. But, I keep looking at the sales in Sacramento and not seeing much cause for concern (May 25). Decided to add Nope ($12.62M) to the comp block. Not because I think it's a particularly good one (ATP differences are a major red flag), but more for pace considerations considering how similar horror and kids animation are when it comes to being backloaded. The other consideration with Nope is that it was on sale for nearly two weeks longer, so it did have a small amount of extra time to pad some seats sold. But maybe the errors (ATP vs length of pre-sale) will cancel each other out. PROBABLY NOT! But the pace at the very least should be interesting (May 25).)
Skim Beeble (I don't know if it's just me, but starting June 20th PLF showings for Inside Out 2 are stopping after around 4 PM. Is there possibly a surprise release coming or is it just a scheduling showtime thing from the chains. (This is AMC) (May 29).)
TheFlatLannister (Comp: $11.76M THU Florida and $7.57M THU Orlando Comp. It's doing phenomenal in Florida at least. Excellent pace these past couple of days. With a strong final push, I don't think a $100M OW is too crazy to ask for (June 6). Thinking $85M OW is about right. Don't see much data as of right now to suggest a number much lower or higher than that (May 31). Excellent pace this far out. Does feel like something big is around the corner (May 27).)
vafrow (A good growth day heading into its final week (June 6). Not much movement. New showtimes were added though (June 5). THU comps are ignored since 2/3 comps (IF and Garfield) are obscenely high ($28M and $124M). Growth remains solid (June 4). Really strong day. I'm not sure what drove it, but it's pulled ahead of KFP4 in sales (June 3). Decent day (June 2). I still have a wide divide between comps. KFP4 just did tremendously well around here, making it a challenging comp to use. Or Garfield and IF being the opposite (June 1). Take the comps with a grain of salt. The low numbers on IF and Garfield really throw things off. Numbers were flat all week before a jump in the last day (May 29). It's starting to grow (May 25).)
YM! (I think the Funko events took away the demand here and the rest is just walkups. [in response to Flip's comment about the SUN fan event siphoning sales] I noticed that too for SE Wisconsin - 250 tickets for the events on Saturday vs 57 tickets total (June 5). SouthEast Wisconsin: At T-9 is showing the momentum I was referring to jumping 50% from the T-12 total of 38 to 57. That’s pretty good for a kids movie but only one theater has been flat. PLF is the preferred format for IO2. With our data so far, thinking around $7-8.5m previews for this one (June 4). Already outdone Garfield minus EA. Ideally I’d like heavy buying to be prevalent next week with some form of buildup this week. Right now, looking at other data on here, put me down for 7-8M previews. At NS using pre-pandemic comparisons, it’s about 22% ahead of Onward’s T-9, 57% ahead of Sonic’s T-9 and 46% of Aladdin’s T-9 (June 1). Using Keysersoze123's earlier MTC1 data, the pace is pretty good. $6.74M average THU comp. The same caveats apply (higher ATP than the other animations due to older skew and PLFs but having lower ATP than TLM as that skews older and likely has more of audience to buy upfront, and Wish being on Discount TUES muddies things up) but the important thing is that pace healthy and gainer ground against its comparisons. Feel like tracking is right on the money of 75-85m OW but could grow stronger if pace continues strong and reviews are strong (May 26). The pace is moving nicely as we have about two and a half weeks left. Think there’s potential for ticket count pace to grow strongly. I have no comparisons but it is at Garfield’s EA-less T-3 ticket sales. Going to probably not say much on preview predictions but my thoughts of an OW in between 75m-100m still stand. Not much to make of things until we get to around 2 weeks for rudimentary guessing and opening week for figuring things out (May 25). Little has changed as IO2 keeps on trucking along. I do theorize at least from the 250 ticket selling Funko Event, it’s plausible families and fans went for that date instead of THU night previews. Not much to make of things until we get to around 2 weeks for rudimentary guessing and opening week for figuring things out. At the very least, I like that it doubled its previous sales a week ago as it shows pace and outdid Garfield’s T-6 (May 23). Did some snooping around for the Funko Event as I was curious if perhaps families getting presales for the opening SAT vs opening THU as those sales are kind of weak THU and uhm it’s at 250 tickets. Which is like 5 times Garfield’s EA showing of 50 tickets all at PLF prices despite normal theaters. Most of which at 9:30 AM with only one theater having it at 11:00 AM (May 22).)

The Bikeriders

Pinacolada (Actually sold some around me. It does seem like Focus is giving it kind of a shitty release though. Small screens. Definitely no PLFs, which 20th Century Studios was gonna get it Dolby back when they had it. There's 3 theaters really near me. Only 1 of them has this on sale as of now, though the other 2 theaters may come later? (May 26).)

A Quiet Place: Day One Average Thursday Comp: $3.94M

abracadabra1998 ($4.09M THU comp. Quite a good start, all of these (imperfect) comps had much larger windows so they should be going up the next couple of updates before it stabilizes (June 2).)
AnthonyJPHer (Alright start to presales, although kind of muted in my opinion. I’m hoping it’ll start picking up the pace soon, but it’s alright. Not much to say here (May 31).)
dallas ($4.24M THU comp. Pretty solid so far. Should open to 30M, possibly 40M if things go well (June 6).)
el sid (Counted on FRI (so after ca. 24 hours) for THU, June 27. Yesterday almost nothing happened sales-wise. Two days ago sold 315 tickets. Comps (always counted for THU): AQP II (4.8M) 402 tickets with 9 days left (Day One already at over 75%) and similar sales in the different regions (Very good sales in LA AMC, quite good ones in NY and pretty muted (which is normal with so many days left) in the heartland. Miami is the exception (Day One with 53 tickets to 26 back then). Scream (3.5M) 325 tickets with 26 days left. Halloween Ends (5.4M) 511 tickets with 10 days left. Nope (6.4M) 837 tickets with 11 days left. Insidious: The Red Door (5M) 260 tickets with 8 days left. Overall that was a quite good start in my theaters (June 2).)
Flip (I also expect AQP Day One to overindex for me since it’s set in NYC where some of my theaters are (June 6). Has a fan event on the same day of previews, PLF only (May 30).)
katnisscinnaplex ($4.84M THU comp.)
Porthos (Took a look locally. Not too bad. Before I tracked DBOX, AQP2 sold 160 tickets at T-22 and AQPD1 sold 166 tickets at T-28. Now I am tracking DBOX seats, which at a glance sold 19 tickets tonight. However three theaters locally converted to having DBOX showings, so some local theaters will have more DBOX sales. In line with D1 of AQP2, more or less. Tickets sold for the 3pm fan event are practically non-existent right now (8 tickets sold). There are so many problems with an AQP2 comp as to make it nearly worthless but promising start (May 31).)
TheFlatLannister ($4.44M THU Comp. Pretty good start, but nothing crazy or outright telling me a big breakout is coming (May 31))
vafrow ($2.1M THU comp. This went backwards, which is never good. And three days in, I think the initial rush is gone and this stays pretty quiet until we get closer (June 2). Second day didn't go as well (June 1). Not a bad start. I don't have great comps with it starting at a month out (May 31).)

Deadpool and Wolverine Average Thursday Comp using TheFlatLannister's Dune2+GOTG3 comp: $28.47M

AMC ("Some 200,000 movie fans have bought their AMC tickets already. This is more Day 1 ticket sales at AMC than for any other R-rated movie ever." Insiders tell The Hollywood Reporter that first-day sales are likely around $8 million to $9 million if extrapolating the 200,000 stat cited by Aron (May 22).)
DEADLINE (Already heating up eight weeks before its debut, having already collected some $8M in first day ticket sales. $8M is pretty remarkable for an R-rated movie two months before release. While there are no direct comps on Deadpool & Wolverine ticket sales in post-Covid history, its current cash bests the 24-hour advance ticket sales of The Batman ($6.5M), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ($6M) and John Wick: Chapter 4 ($1.4M). The Batman and GOTG3 opened to respective 3-day weekends of $134M and $118.4M (May 22).)
FANDANGO (Broke Fandango’s best first-day ticket sales record for 2024. Best first-day pre-seller from the Deadpool franchise (May 21).)
abracadabra1998 ($22.33M Average THU Marvels+Dune2 comp. Just wanted to give a frame of reference for how this is doing (pretty darn good!). Just chuggin along (June 2).)
AniNate (THU sales still largely biased towards primetime evening showings. There may be FOMO but not enough for people to take off work early. Good lord already 80+ THU previews sold for Deadpool at Canton (May 20).)
AnthonyJPHer (Extremely strong growth from OD for THU. We have a monster on our hands here people. Buuut. Let me temper the excitement somewhat. The FRI numbers are good, stronger than Inside Out 2 by a considerable margin. However Inside Out 2 is looking very backloaded. This is looking extremely presales heavy right now. Much more than IO2’s 1,200 tickets for FRI. But here lies the problem. There is only 122 tickets separating THU and FRI for Deadpool and Wolverine, and for IO2, there is 500 tickets between the two days for that movie. This far out I’m not freaking out. I think the gap will increase. It just alarmed me a little. I still think it’s going to be massive though. Just a word of caution (May 28).)
Charlie Jatinder (Comp: $28.07M THU. Moving along nicely with 8.3k tickets. Completed 8K+ by T-50 day target rather easily, was helped by that popcorn bucket promo in between. Next challenge is to hit 9K by T-40 days. $35-40M is what I expect (June 6). BP2 added ~48K from T-39 to T-26. D&W added ~42K from T-66 to T-53. Amazing (June 3). Weirdly strong day today, selling 200+ tix (May 31). Moving along well (May 27). Nearly 300 sales day vs ~260 by Black Panther & ~200 of GOTG3. Another brilliant day. Given the length of sales window, comps be falling off but they have remained steady for first 4 days (May 24). Looking at keysersoze123's MTC1 data: These are incredible (May 22). $40.22M THU (MCU first day sales). Amazing day two at MiniTC2. Well ahead of BP2, GOTG3 and AM3. Not too far off from Thor 4. This is more impressive considering they all were ~25-35 days out while this is 65 days out. MTC2 has lower ATP generally due to smaller screens, less PLF, and more family friendly chain. Does much better PTA than MTC1 (May 21).)
Inceptionzq (Denver Comp: $25.69M THU. Drafthouse THU/FRI/SAT/SUN comp: $31.04M/$38.62M/$40.21M/$22.35M (May 21).)
jeffthehat (Took my first look in Indiana yesterday. Won't do a full post because I missed like 20 shows. But the gist is it was at ~3600 tickets sold and ~400 shows. Just as a point of reference, here are the highest values for tickets sold I have in my database. Bob Marley Wed T-1 = 3309 tickets sold. Dune 2 Thu T-1 = 3041 tickets sold. Godzilla x Kong Thu T-1 = 2328 tickets sold. Thus, sales are already the highest I've tracked with two months to go (May 29).)
keysersoze123 ([response to Jatinder] Previews pace is terrific. Ahead of what I expected. Of course Wakanda was more backloaded because of Veteran's Day. FRI was way higher compared to where Deadpool is (3rd week of presales). I think Thor is better comp once we are into its presale window. I think we could be close to bottom end of the curve for this movie. Probably around 200K for previews/90k ish for FRI by end of June (June 3). Previews was taken late yesterday and FRI data was just now. Still going quite strong. very impressive after huge OD (May 28). Still really strong 3 days later (May 25). 1st few days of PS is all about fanboys so T-x does not matter. By this FRI it will be in steady state mode. With this long a cycle that would be at very low levels. Looking at FRI sales, its IM will be closer to Thor 4 than BP2. So we can do the projections based on how the previews will go. However Its really early. Let us wait until we have T-x comps. Probably will have to wait until July to get credible comps. MTC2 early sales tend to be way weaker for all movies. The disparity for big movies is even higher. Nothing out of ordinary in day 2 pace for MTC1 (May 22). Obvious skew on previews (compared to FRI) as its 9+ weeks from release. Excellent growth even past 2:15 PM. Finished ahead of BP2 and ~20K below Thor 4 (116k for DxW and FINAL The Marvels previews at 133k). It has the longer cycle. This includes fan shows which sold 18K+ in initial check around noon PST. Fan event is just MTC1. I dont see anything for any other MTC so far or smaller chains. I think at this point we need to comp with 2022 MCU movies if OD presales are on par. Until we are within T-x cycle for this movie, we cannot comp after 1st 2-3 days. Fan shows are yuge. Adding FanShows and Previews should put it between BP2 and Thor 4 for now. Terrific OD. Over time, GotG3 should provide great comps. I can say for sure, its no where in the ballpark of DS2 which did 36m previews. Really good start. Should finish the day ahead of Ant 3 I think. Sales will taper off after fanboy rush. This does not include fan shows. No full data yet but show counts for previews (MTC1 - 7427 and MTC2 - 2914). MTC1 shows they are ready for big numbers. MTC2 is more conservative and numbers will go up close to release. If I have to guess based on really early indications, its OD between Guardians 3 and Ant 3 at MTC1. MTC2 I unfortunately cannot get data (May 20).)
Legion Again (Previews this early in summer are almost a THU opening, so Fri soemthing like +35-55% from Th is IM ~4.9-5.5. If we get some strong Fri sales when we’re close maybe I’ll drag it up to 5.6 or something but it will be really really tough to beat that. Expecting an IM close to Thor 4. Better reception (in avg case, just by regression to the mean) but bigger previews/more fanrush element, ~cancelling. T-65 Projection Matrix ($166M-$186M OW) (May 22).)
Porthos (Comp: $20.87M THU. Approx Earned So Far (Sacto Market Based Comps): $7.58M (June 6). For long releases of MCU/SW Saga caliber, it usually takes about 6 to 8 days for the initial wave to stop. The Rise of Skywalker didn't really "bottom out" until D9 or so (T-51). Then at T-21, more or less, it started up its acceleration again. Can see similar patterns for MCU long runners (May 24). MCU/SW films tend to have a bit longer of a slope-down on the decent of the "u-curve" so I think I'll keep posting "Day x" comps for at least a couple more days (May 23). Pretty standard Day 2, really. Best sign, I think, is it nearly matching BP2 (that also had a long pre-sale window starting at T-38) (May 22).)
TalismanRing (NYC Regal Local. 17 shows (3 3D, 3 RPX, 11 Reg 2): 102 tickets sold for first hour - almost half for the 7pm RPX showing. COMPS MON opening week: Marvels: 91 (11pm), Eternals: 266 (7pm), Black Widow: 239 (5pm), and Venom 2: 131 (6pm) (May 20).)
TheFlatLannister ($150M locked imo. Don’t really see under $30M for previews and a 6x multi gets it to $180M OW. With GOTG 3 early reception I think $200M becomes a real discussion (May 22). $44.36M Dune 2 Day 2 comp. Pretty ridiculously strong day 2. Sold more tickets on T-65 than Dune 2 did in its final day of presales. $22.42M THU GOTG3 Comp. Considering this thing is 60+ days out, I'd say day 2 was amazing (May 21).)
Tinalera (Toronto having an especially good run on pre sales- overall sales looking healthy (May 27). For a movie this far out, yea presales are doing well in Vancouver and Calgary. Its hard as very few movies open this early, but its healthy when we are getting between 5-10 percent sales for a movie not due out for 2 months (May 24).)
vafrow (Comp: $37.8M THU. Growth not quite as high as I'd like for a full week, but I'm pretty sure I had a miscount for one of the big IMAX screens that probably has thrown off the numbers. I've kept comps in, but I'm really stretching the utility (June 1). 12% over two days is pretty strong once the rush passes. We're not at the bottom of the curve yet it seems (May 24). 8% growth at this stage is very positive. I expect another drop tomorrow, but I'm probably not going to touch this until the weekend at this stage. I'm comping high, and without a proper MCU comparison (Marvels doesn't count), it's hard to gauge, but I feel this is just doing really well here (May 22).)
YM! (Sold ~10.6x Furiosa's T-6. Such a strong start. Definitely feels like we got a potential 25m previews/150m+ opener. Still don't buy 200m OW but am starting to see 30m previews/175m+ OW as a strong possibility (May 20).)

Despicable Me 4

AniNate (Still early goings but so far just a party of four on Wednesday at the theater I'm tracking for DM4 (June 5).)
Charlie Jatinder (Almost nothing sale at MTC2 but this will more about final week sales film (June 6).)
Flip (.678x Inside Out T-24 (had been on sale for a while) and .580x AQP Day One First day (June 5). Getting much more support than Inside Out 2, which currently has 16 showtimes for opening FRI whereas DM4 is getting 22 showtimes for WED opening day (June 4).)
keysersoze123 (1st the show count is solid. This is as of now. Start is weaker than IO2 that started T-31 or something. But this movie's PS is irrelevant until T-7 or something. Let us see how things go. its OD should be great for movie going. it will drop in Jul 4 and then we have the weekend. So big 5 day weekend is in play (June 6). That said what matters is where it is say days to release. We will know by Jul 1st if its opening anywhere near Minions or not. Until then it does not matter (June 5).)
Porthos (Just completed a Spot Check locally in Sacto. It's actually doing really well in my opinion! 137 tickets sold (All Day) vs [Minions 2 D1 68 tickets sold (Previews)], [Minions 2 D2: 53 tickets sold/121 total (Previews)], [Elemental D1: 37 tickets sold (Previews)], and [IO2 D1: 202 tickets sold (Previews)]. Added the second day of Minions 2 sales, as it had an abnormally small drop from D1->D2. As everyone else has said, this'll be a last week movie. But even in the context of kids movies, it's doing pretty darn well, IMO. How well? Hell if I know (June 6). Took a super casual glance at Century Arden and... it's playing exactly like a kids movie 28 days out. Smattering of sales here and there but zero sign of any real fan rush. Or, rather, the fact that there are any sales at all is the sign of the fans buying tickets today (June 5). There is an extra "event" (Wed July 3rd) called the "Super Ticket". At a glance, looks to be super limited (only one showing in the entire Greater Sacramento market), still could siphon away tickets from other showings in the locales that do have them. No idea what sort of chain limitations might be at play here. Secondly, (July 6th) "Despicable Me MEGA SAT Family Event". Looks to be a Marcus Exclusive, ala Inside Out 2 Funko event. Chance of siphoning off some amount of sales from earlier days, so might be kept in the back of the mind of anyone who is comping any regions that have Marcus/Movie Tavern Theaters.(June 4). The WED all-day release will mess with comps even more than a Discount TUES release will (June 3).)
TwoMisfits (My Cinemarks are continuing the summer "put up or shut up" for presales with 2 screens and 12 showings at each for DM4 (1 has 1 PLF screen, so 1/2 the showings at one are PLF) (June 4).)
vafrow (No Despicable Me tickets on sale yet for MTC4 (June 5).)

Twisters

AniNate (Flipped through Canton showtimes and so far Twisters has sold 35 for the extended weekend (June 6).)
el sid (Has already sold 10 tickets in "my" AMC in NY and 38 in LA (June 6).)
Flip (.522x AQP Day One First Day. Twisters is selling ok, will probably come around how much DM4 sold yesterday, but since I track NYC/NJ, I’d expect it to underindex here (June 6).)
TheFlatLannister ($4.61M THU comp. With a long presales window, this is actually pretty good? Nothing crazy, but still much better than even I anticipated (June 6).)
vafrow (Both Twisters and Minions are up for sale on MTC4. Twisters looks like it's going to get a fair amount of Wednesday EA showings (June 6).)

Domestic Calendar Dates (last updated May 23):
JUNE

(June 6) Presales Start [Twisters]
(June 6) THU Previews [Bad Boys: Ride or Die + Watchers]
(June 7) Presales Start [Blue Lock: Episode Nagi]
(June 8) 1-SAT Re-Release (1st day) [LotR: Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition]
(June 9) 1-SUN Re-Release (1st day) [LotR: Two Towers Extended Edition]
(June 10) 1-MON Re-Release (1st day) [LotR: Return of the King Extended Edition]
(June 10) Social Embargo Lifts [9PM PT Inside Out 2]
(June 12) Presales Start (Horizon Chapter 1)
(June 12) Review Embargo Lifts [12PM PT Inside Out 2]
(June 13) THU Previews [Inside Out 2]
(June 14) Presales Start [MaXXXine]
(June 15) 1-SAT Re-Release (2nd day) [Fellowship]
(June 15) Inside Out 2 Funko Family Event (SAT: Marcus Exclusive?)
(June 16) 1-SUN Re-Release (2nd day) [Towers]
(June 17) 1-MON Re-Release (2nd day) [Return]
(June 18) X One-Night-Only Fan Event (includes special sneak peek of MAXXXINE)
(June 20) THU Previews [Bikeriders + Janet Planet]
(June 22) 1-SAT Re-Release (3rd day) [Fellowship]
(June 23) 1-SUN Re-Release (3rd day) [Towers]
(June 24) 1-MON Re-Release (3rd day) [Return]
(June 27) THU Previews [Blue Lock + Daddio + Horizon: Chapter 1 + A Quiet Place: Day One]

JULY

(July 1) Presales Start [Fly Me to the Moon + Longlegs]
(July 3) Opening Day [WED: Despicable Me 4 (including Super Ticket showings)]
(July 4) Opening Day [THU: Possum Trot]
(July 4) THU Previews [MaXXXine]
(July 6) Despicable Me 4 MEGA SAT Family Event (SAT: Marcus Exclusive?)
(July 11) THU Previews [Fly Me to the Moon + Untitled New Line Horror movie]
(July 17) EA [Twisters]
(July 18) THU Previews [Twisters]
(July 25) THU Previews [Deadpool and Wolverine (including 1 PLF fan show at 3 PM) + Didi + Fabulous Four]
(July 29) Presales Start [Alien: Romulus + It Ends With Us]

AUGUST

(August 1) THU Previews [Harold and the Purple Crayon]
(August 5) Presales Start [Borderlands]
(August 8) THU Previews [Borderlands + It Ends With Us + Cuckoo + The Fire Inside + Trap]
(August 12) Presales Start [Alien: Romulus]
(August 15) THU Previews [Alien: Romulus + Horizon: Chapter 2 + Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure]
(August 22) THU Previews [Blink Twice + The Crow + The Forge + Slingshot]
(August 29) THU Previews [City of Dreams + Reagan + They Listen]

Presale Tracking Posts:
May 11
May 14
May 16
May 18
May 21
May 23
May 25
May 28
May 30
June 1
June 4
Note: I have removed most tracking data that has not been updated for 2 weeks. I think there is value in keeping data for a week or two but at a certain point they start to lose their value and should not be treated the same as more recent tracking data.

submitted by BOfficeStats to boxoffice [link] [comments]

2024.06.07 06:01 SHSLSaionjiStan In Defense/Analysis of Post-Atsushi Lucy pt. 2

Hi! This is part two of a two-part series. I recommend part one be read first for context’s sake, but no pressure. Without further ado, let’s keep going.
❦ Section #5: The Quid Pro Quo Mindset
Well into the Cannibalism arc, we're shown that Atsushi and Kyōka basically begged Lucy to safeguard Fukuzawa in Anne’s Room, to which she acquiesced. As Fukuzawa is about to leave to fight Mori, she offers some parting words.
This dialogue isn't just there for exposition. It… gasp… actually means something? (More than one thing, in fact, but hey, I'm getting ahead of myself.)
Here, one of Lucy's own flawed philosophies is hinted at.
Ever notice what prominent words in Lucy's vocabulary “promise,” “revenge” and “debt” are? In a similar vein as how post-Atsushi Kyōka will occasionally let her darker tendencies – left over from her time in the PM – peek through, old habits die hard with Lucy, too. If someone does her a favor, she'll do everything in her power to return it, and if she does someone else a favor, she expects it to be returned one way or another. If sacrifices, whether big or small, have to be made in the process – then so be it. As highlighted earlier in pt. 1, her standing in the Guild depended almost entirely on this rigid principle of transaction, and so, really, it's no wonder it stuck.
I mean, think about it: while we've established that her Moby Dick promise was ¼ bluff, it’s telling that the first thing to spring to mind while under pressure was to frame it as, of all things, a promise; afterwards, she claimed revenge when she was led to believe that Atsushi didn’t honor the unspoken, genuine part of said promise not to forget her, but also started working at the café to apologize for not waiting for him – holding herself to her end of the deal nevertheless; she agreed to aid in Ango’s plan in return for his getting her out of trouble with the police, even if it meant landing herself on the wanted list (i.e., endangering herself, something we know Lucy doesn't take lightly); and here, when speaking with Fukuzawa, she presents her question in terms of, “It's technically none of my business, but since I did something for you, I think you owe me something, too.” She could’ve just asked him where he was going, plain and simple, but she felt the need to make it an exchange. This, granted, is a tame example, but I'm confident it serves to foreshadow her next major conflict.
Speaking of which…
In chapter 71, Bungou Hound Dogs, Ango debriefs the aforementioned infiltration plan for Atsushi and Kyōka, emphasizing that Lucy is at the heart of the operation thanks to her ability. Lucy smugly compels Atsushi to thank her, but instead, he apologizes, leaving her stumped. He tells her that, because she’s helping them, she’s on the wanted list right alongside them, and thus, he owes her one. But Lucy thinks he has it backwards.
This. Is. Significant.
Atsushi tried to save Lucy during their fight (and gave one last-ditch effort afterwards), but only managed to defeat her.
He promised he would save her from the Guild, but only she managed to save him, and then herself.
Every time he’s attempted to save her in the conventional hero way, he’s failed. So, naturally, she wouldn't feel indebted to him, right?
\Buzzer sound** WRONG.
He may not have succeeded in saving her as a hero, but as a person, he turned her life around with a scar and a few words. Atsushi himself is oblivious to this fact, of course, because saving someone not as a hero isn’t something that registers in his mind – hence why he mentions being in Lucy’s debt nearly every time she saves him in the conventional way, but the moment she suggests owing him, he gets confused.
How one pays back the favor to end all favors is one question, but it doesn’t stop there for Lucy.
Moreover… what happens when all one has to offer in return for that favor… is something they themselves see little value in?
Conventional heroism failed to save her where vulnerability succeeded. The one time she made Atsushi promise to save her, it was a bluff made to try to ensure his survival. When he attempts to make himself the hero in someone else's story uninvited, she intercepts him. And when he puts his life on the line for the sake of being a hero, she gets mad and tries instead to get him to think of his own well-being. To these ends, I think it's fair to say that conventional heroism is a more or less worthless currency in Lucy's eyes.
Being vulnerable isn't Lucy’s strong suit. That's (part of) why she's so completely spellbound by Atsushi's display on the Moby Dick. That's why her go-to method of conveying her care for Atsushi is yelling at him to stop being so thoughtless. That's why she absentmindedly reveals to Atsushi how much his display meant to her, only to backpedal and tell him nevermind. That's why her comforting skills could use some serious work. It isn't hard to guess why all of this is, considering her upbringing, but still, it means that all she has at her disposal is Anne's Room and its myriad convenient uses.
But that brings up a whole new dilemma: how can any of those uses ever hope to be commensurate with Atsushi's ultimate favor on the Moby Dick, i.e., the vulnerability that saved her? She doesn’t know. All she does know is that she has to pay her debt one way or another, and she’s willing to sacrifice everything to do so. After all, she wouldn’t have anything to sacrifice if not for Atsushi. She'd still be with the Guild, changing tablecloths, making do with an artificial sense of belonging and keeping a parachute stowed away at all times just in case something went sideways.
The Sky Casino arc, I feel, marks Lucy’s ascent into deuteragonist status. Before, I’d have called her a tritagonist at best, but Bungou Hound Dogs pt. 2 in particular goes the extra mile to show just how crucial she’s become. Jōno acknowledges her as “the only person who can save the Agency” (obviously an exaggeration; she isn’t the only person, but the Casino infiltration is vital to proving the Agency’s innocence, and she's the best candidate for carrying it out); and Dazai indirectly confirms her to be his “queen,” i.e., the most powerful piece on his board for this phase.
Now, is this ascent earned? I definitely think so. Some would argue that it isn’t, given the only reason she’s involved in the first place ties back to Atsushi – but I’d have to disagree. Just because the catalyst behind her involvement is Atsushi doesn’t mean she’s taking all her cues from him. As we’ve established, she's anything but blindly loyal; where her perceived debt to Atsushi isn’t concerned, she pushes back on plenty of his ideas and pursuits. But where it is, her quid pro quo philosophy comes into play and drives her actions. This is also why it wouldn't be accurate to call her a plot device. Is she called in to assist the main characters and move the plot forward? Sure. But “plot device” describes a character who’s only there for that purpose and nothing else; the plot they're serving doesn't serve them back. That, however, isn't the case with Lucy, whose newfound relevance is used to tackle her current, independently-set goal and further develop her conflict.
❦ Section #6: The Guild, Anne of Abyssal Red and The Agency
Okay, pause. Plot is cool and all, but real quick, here’s a section dedicated to talking about a few less plot-based – but still interesting – facets of post-Atsushi Lucy. Capiche? Capiche.
Lucy’s role in chapter 44, Fitzgerald Rising, can be boiled down to her getting feedback from Atsushi and Kyōka on her coffee and thinking back on her interactions with Louisa. She recalls the latter standing up for her following her mission failure, as well as gifting her a snow globe to celebrate her career change (from terrorist to barista – you know, your average job transition). Besides being wholesome, this dialogue gives us some insight into Lucy’s complicated relationship with the Guild, both now and then. It's only implied in Fitzgerald Rising, but Lucy’s continued contact with the Renewed Guild is confirmed in the Volume 21 omake (credits for scan and translation go to akutagawaprize and yeouya on Tumblr, respectively.)
Upon her defeat, not only didn’t Fitzgerald punish her, when she pleaded with him to stay, he obliged – be it as it may that she no longer served any tactical value to him. After she quite literally betrayed him, he – again – didn't punish her, only handed her over to the other members. Granted, this doesn't go entirely unexplained; it's easily attributable to the Guild's lack of unity. Everyone was there for their own reasons, only sticking around for the benefits, and it showed: though we saw glimpses of individual relationships (Steinbeck and Lovecraft, Nathaniel and Margaret, Fitzgerald and Louisa, etc.), cohesion and loyalty was virtually absent when it came to the full group.
What they had was, at best, polite familiarity, and – at worst – total indifference. Two of the highest ranking members were complete shut-ins, one of whom was all too eager to share the organization’s secrets and call it "barbaric" and “boring." Upon its collapse, there was no grief, and certainly no desire to keep in touch; everyone immediately went their separate ways. To these ends, I don't think it's a stretch to say they weren't on close enough terms for Lucy's betrayal to hurt, either.
And that's another thing: even if she'd been able successfully to play the villain, Lucy still wouldn't have found belonging in the Guild, because belonging requires an overarching sense of unity that the Guild simply... lacked. She knew as much in the back of her mind – she herself implies it to be the organization’s biggest weakness – but she was driven by her desperation for a home to ignore it. Her quickness to become a traitor wasn't all Atsushi's influence; he made himself "credible" in her eyes by showing his scars, then presented a different angle to her situation, sure, but it was her who decided to use this angle to drop her desperate illusion and betray the Guild once and for all. This action obviously made her a liability to Fitzgerald’s plans, but no one – not even Fitzgerald himself – could really take what she did personally. And so while she knew that she'd be sacrificing her “home,” at least it was a safe bet that she wouldn't be sacrificing her life.
But anyway, my point is that, even if her time with them was undeniably harmful in its impacts, Lucy doesn’t seem to harbor much resentment toward Fitzgerald or the Guild as a whole – though neither does she cling to them – and I feel like that checks out. For as much as they used her for her ability, they were still the closest thing to a family she had ever had, and they granted her some mercies. And yet she also wouldn't consider someone like Louisa a friend, because for as nice as she could be, she represented via her fierce loyalty to Fitzgerald... and literally no one else... the lack of unity that ultimately drove Lucy away. To me, this evokes a sentiment similar to Dazai's words to Atsushi about the Headmaster’s death, insofar as it acknowledges that feelings toward those who’ve hurt/taken part in hurting you – especially family-adjacent figures – are seldom black and white.
Speaking of abilities, Anne of Abyssal Red is another case of not all black and white. Lucy has arguably never resented AOAR. If anything, circumstance has led her to embrace it at every turn. During her time in the orphanage – when she was being shunned for it – she embraced it because Anne’s Room was her only safe haven and Anne the only remedy for her loneliness. During her time in the Guild – when she was being used for it – it was the sole reason she was there, and so she embraced it again out of necessity. But now, when nobody is shunning or using her for it, she embraces it of her own volition. She uses it for herself first and foremost, but when she uses it for others, it's because she wants to. It's no longer a form of escapism, nor a compulsory act. While conversing with Atsushi at the café, she mentions that she’s never seen Louisa use her ability for herself, only when ordered to. When Atsushi labels this as “a waste,” she agrees, which I feel subtly underscores how she’s taken agency of her own ability and its usage.
The last thing I wanted to touch on is Lucy’s manner of speaking when it comes to the ADA, and how she actively distances herself from it. If you look closely, you'll notice that, when talking to Fukuzawa, she refers to it as “your organization" – and when addressing the ADA as an entity, she uses “them,” instead of “us,” or “you” instead of “we.” Hell, she at one point acknowledges her outlier status outright. And, okay – you could argue this is due to her knowing she isn’t an official member, but recall Kyōka for a moment: she wasn’t an official member at first, either, and yet she still made a point to refer to herself as one.
This, I'd wager, is because she had every intention of joining; intention that Lucy lacks. And therein lies one of the things I most appreciate about Lucy’s character. She never truly wanted to be a villain – it was just what she thought she needed to do to belong and stay belonging. It makes perfect sense then that, upon being dissuaded from villainy, she wouldn’t simply “default” to heroism. Unlike Kyōka’s, her watershed moment wasn’t realizing that she wanted to save people, rather that, through "imagination" (read: empathy), loneliness could be vanquished. Companionship was her only true goal back in the Guild, and there’s no reason for that to change now. That’s why she’s content where she is now, surrounded by companions from the café and Agency alike.
❦ Section #7: The Sky Casino
Alright. Plot stuff: resumed.
Lucy’s importance to the Sky Casino arc peaks near its tail end in chapter 76, Skyfall pt. 3, when she finds Atsushi dangling off the edge of the Casino – Nathaniel about to shoot him again. Ango beckons her to throw him a rope, but she has nothing on hand, so instead, she takes a literal leap of faith off the Casino balcony and reaches for him, not knowing if she’ll make it or not.
The proceeding chapter opens with Lucy transporting herself and Atsushi to safety, evading Hawthorne by a hair. This, by now, is a familiar outcome – and normally, the two of them turning up unscathed in Anne’s Room would signify that a) the danger is gone, and b) a heart-to-heart is imminent. There’s a break in the pattern, however, when Nathaniel appears, and Atsushi dives in to save Lucy from his blood bullet.
I know I probably sound like a broken record at this point saying that certain scenes and dialogues are significant, but I really mean it here.
Here, Atsushi finally follows through in doing the one thing he never could before: saving Lucy in the conventional hero way. (Atop a floating structure in the sky, no less. Hmmm…)
He’s only able to do this, however, because Lucy took a page out of his book and embodied the self-sacrificing hero that she's always criticizing him for being. Is this hypocritical? Yep. Arguably her entire involvement in this operation is. But again, Lucy is willing to make sacrifices if it means repaying her debts, including hypocritical ones. These sacrifices didn’t always involve her livelihood, though. Through all her own acts of service, she hadn’t been completely reckless; she’d still hesitated to put herself at risk. But no longer does she hesitate. She takes on the infiltration knowing full well it’ll make her an accomplice to fugitives, and she jumps off the balcony without a second thought to save Atsushi.
This time, though, he saves her back.
As soon as he's saved, he starts with his usual “I owe you one,” but immediately thereafter, he gets a chance to put it into action. He conveys through saving her back (for the first time ever in his mind) that her acts of service have meant the same to him that his vulnerability on the Moby Dick meant to her – that is, a whole damn lot. We'd been led to believe that Lucy's involvement in this arc was building toward her “impossible debt” being repaid somehow, but instead, it’s Atsushi who repays her.
In lieu of achieving some elusive favor “enough” to call it even, Lucy comes to realize that what she's been doing has been commensurate. Anne’s Room is enough. She’s enough. Through embodying the reckless hero, she allows him to save her in the conventional way; through repaying his debt, he allows her to have an epiphany; and through this epiphany, she’s emboldened to finish the job – making use of the prison room (for the first time since the Guild arc, might I add) and locking Nathaniel away.
The Nathaniel fight is short-lived – only a few panels long – but I don’t think it would benefit from being longer, especially given everything that’s going on plot-wise and how the pacing might suffer as a result. It cuts to the chase and gives Lucy a chance to shine, emphasizing how powerful Anne of Abyssal Red truly is. The parallels between this fight and the one that introduced her character way back when are fairly straightforward: it’s two against one, mirroring Atsushi and Tanizaki’s two against Lucy's one. This time, though, she's on the winning side. After all, as underscored in her parting words to Atsushi on the Moby Dick, they’re in it together – and she’s following the advice given by Mori that ultimately defeated her. It’s all come full circle.
❦ Conclusion
~~… damn, my fingers hurt.~~
Well, I think that about sums it up. If you’re reading this, hopefully it means you’ve made it to the end of my silly little rant. I’m aware of how incongruous this whole thing probably seems, given Lucy hasn’t appeared in the manga since chapter 83.5. Regardless, I wasn’t going to wait for Asagiri to bring her back (along with, like, a dozen other missing characters) to defend her and shine some light on her more overlooked aspects. I don't have that much time on my hands. /hj
Don’t get me wrong, none of this was to argue that Lucy is a perfect character. Her limited panel time and dispersed focus is probably her most glaring issue, although – IMO – she usually makes the most of what she gets. It was to argue, however, that a) pre-Atsushi Lucy’s wacky-craziness, while fun, had its reasons not to stay, and b) dumbing post-Atsushi Lucy down to a piece of cardboard with “personality-less love interest” scribbled on the side is maybe just a tad unfair. That's all.
Thanks for reading!

submitted by SHSLSaionjiStan to BungouStrayDogs [link] [comments]

2024.06.07 05:38 adulting4kids Myth Punk

Prompt 6: Mythpunk
Dear Writer,
Mythpunk reimagines traditional myths and folklore in a modern or futuristic context, often infused with a punk aesthetic. Craft a letter in this subgenre addressed to a character from your story, immersing them in a world where ancient myths collide with a contemporary or futuristic setting.
Describe how your character interacts with reinterpreted myths, folklore, or legendary tales within their modern or futuristic environment. How do these ancient stories manifest in the character's daily life, relationships, or struggles? In what ways does the incorporation of these myths challenge societal norms or present unique perspectives on the world?
Your task is to intricately blend these reimagined myths into a letter, creating a narrative that encapsulates the essence of Mythpunk, offering a fresh and provocative take on traditional narratives.
Best Regards, The Writingthruit Subreddit

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2024.06.07 03:30 BeginningSome5930 The Holy War and Rothrir the Besieger

The Holy War for Haepi was a conflict from ~848AC to 855AC that helped shape the modern state of the globe. It consisted of Rothrir the Besieger's conquest of Haepi and the Orislan crusade waged to take it back from him.
Rothrir's Origins
The conflict began with one man; Rothrir, a Neksut nomad who would earn the epithet “Besieger”. Rothrir was freakishly tall, prodigiously strong, and fiercely charismatic. When his chieftain was killed by a hellhog (a kind of monstrous pig), Rothrir hunted down and slew the beast with his quicksteel mace. But when he found the hog had a calf, he raised the creature to be his mount, claiming that “We’ve both lost our masters, so let us be as brothers rather than foes”. Rothrir became the next chieftain of his tribe, and by 848AC had united six others under him. But his ambition was boundless, and so he turned his eyes to the east.
According to Neksut religious beliefs, those who do not live nomadically are abusing the earth and forsaking the sky, repeating the mistakes of the first humans millennia ago. In the centuries after the Great Dying, numerous Neksut chieftains launched raids against Ceram, Haepi and Tolmika. But Rothrir was positioned to strike a greater blow than any of his predecessors. His target was Haepi, an ancient series of kingdoms on the banks of the great river of the same name.
Byasod: The First Siege
The Floodlords of Haepi were well aware of the threat of the Neksut to their people, but they considered themselves to be safe in their castles. The Neksut had no siege technology, and their nomadic way of life meant that they lacked the surplus needed to sustain such operations. Rothrir first attacked the kingdom of Byasod, where the river Haepi flows out of the great Juran Jungle. Upon finding the the castle to be unassailable, Rothrir turned to the surrounding villages, as countless raiders had before him. But Rothrir was different; for all his strength and determination, he was also quick to compromise and innovate. So instead of loosing his forces on the peasants, he offered to spare any who would share any knowledge of seigecraft with the Neksut. Byasod’s Floodlord was far from beloved by his people, and numerous masons, blacksmiths, and former soldiers came forward. Within weeks the castle fell, and Rothrir earned the name “Besieger”.
Conquest
After Byasod, the Neksut began a campaign of conquest of each subsequent kingdom along the river Haepi. Fremine’s castle was taken just as easily as Byasod. The floodlord of Pokor had heard of Rothrir’s knowledge of seigecraft and thought it prudent to surprise him in open battle; He was riddled arrows and fed to Rothrir’s hellhog. The kingdoms that followed fell even more easily, as no Neksut had ever made it that Far East before, and their castles were not fully provisioned for a siege.
As word of his conquest spread, Rothrir became legend. The Haepians said that he never took no wounds, that he never bled, or that his very flesh was metal. They said his hellhog ate enemy horses and that he tore down castle walls with his bare hands. Word of his might spread from Haepi to Tolmika, Kwind, and Orisla, and he became known as the most infamous monster of the day. In Orisla in particular, Rothrir was seen as a demon. The dominant faith of Orisla was Lucism, a dualistic religion in which a builder god and a destroyer god war for the soul of humanity. As a nomad burning down some of the oldest cities in the world, Rothrir was seen by Lucists as the very incarnation of destruction. The King of Orisla and the Lucist Archlunarch called for knights and lords to be marshaled to slay the Besieger.
Despite his reputation, Rothrir proved himself to be an adept strategist and shrewd innovator at every turn. He tasked the armies of each fallen floodlord to help him war against the next, overcoming the Neksut’s relatively small numbers. He used captured boats to sail supplies downriver as his forces marched along the banks. According to some tales, he also took a female floodlord, Basta, to be his second wife.
Fasor
By 850AC Rothrir’s forces were approaching the great city of Fasor, the massive city at the delta of the river Haepi. Fasor was one of the oldest cities in the world, renowned for its great library, the House of Riddles. It was also far larger and better defended than any other kingdom in Haepi. But for all the strength of the walls of Fasor, the men within were deeply afraid. Scholars of the house of Riddles tore through scroll after scroll, seeking some knowledge that would avail them against the Besieger’s might. As the Neksut settled in for a long siege, it seemed as though the destruction of the great city was inevitable.
Unbeknownst to the people of Fasor, unexpected allies were coming to their aid. Across the Inner Ocean in Orisla, a great army had been assembled. Thousands of knights, driven by righteousness, greed, or hunger for glory, were eager to slay the Besieger. What had started as one man’s conquest was about to explode into the greatest conflict of the era, one that would shape the landscape of the supercontinent for years to come. The Holy War was about to earn its name.
Orislan Forces
Orisla had been an isolated nation ever since the War of Sands and Ashes nearly a century prior. Many lords, especially those of houses that had not fared well in the war, were eager for an opportunity to elevate their status. The war had also seen Lucism become the official religion of the country, and a holy war was seen as an opportunity to consolidate the faith’s power. Among the forces sent to relieve the siege of Fasor were countless knights and soldiers, as well as the Shrouded Sisters, a Lucist order of all-female warriors.
So numerous were these combatants, that Orisla’s small navy was unequipped to accommodate them all. To overcome this, the much larger navy of Kwind was contracted. As a result, the Orislan warriors arrived in two great waves, the first on their native ships, and the others on Kwindi vessels.
The Battle of Fasor
The first Orislan army, lead by Lord Omnillian III, reached the delta of the river Haepi on the eighty-eighth day of the siege of Fasor. Omnillian was particularly eager to win glory in the war; His grandfather had fought for the Ashes in the Orislan Civil War and had famously missed a crucial battle, a stain on his family that the younger Omnillian burned to remove. Such a ‘glutton for glory’ was he that he had his ships sail into the delta of the river Haepi in order to disembark right alongside Fasor’s besieged walls, maximizing the surprise.
It could not have taken much to surprise Rothrir. He had no foreknowledge of the Orislans’ coming, and there is no evidence he knew that Orisla even existed until hundreds of her knights were charging into his camps. The Battle of Fasor, as it came to be known, started as a rout. The Neksut had no defenses for their siege weapons many were slain before they could organize. Those behind Fasor’s walls emerged from hiding to aid their rescuers. A dozen knights earned their names that day, including Hewg the Hewer, Romnongon the Righteous, and Bold Syr Nockfello. But for every one that was immortalized in front of the walls of Fasor, Rothrir slew two; While his forces were in disarray, the Besieger himself remained unbeatable as ever. Only one knight could stand against him for any length of time: Syr Dagon Steelskin.
The Steelskin’s love for battle was well known even before he faced Rothrir. He had a storied history as a mercenary in Orisla and Elshore before being knighted, during which time he would famously sell his services to the losing side in an effort to face greater odds. He also claimed to have fought in the Orislan Civil War, which is impossible given that the conflict ended ~95 years prior (historians suggest he may have been confused with some older Syr Dagon). Regardless, the Steelskin was an incredible warrior, fighting with both quicksteel and one of the famous Gilded Blades, the greatsword Realmbreaker. He fought Rothrir for an hour during the battle. It was said that the Steelskin’s shield was the one wall the Besieger could not tear down, and every time Realmbreaker clashed with Rothrir’s mace, the sound could be heard all across the battlefield, a wicked laugh shared between two great warriors.
Though the Besieger showed no signs of needing to retreat, his forces clearly needed it, and so eventually the Neksut fled Fasor, using a shower of arrows to cover their retreat. Lord Omnillian was determined not to leave Rothrir alive however, and ordered nearly all his knights to give chase. This proved to be a fatal mistake. Less than two day’s ride from Fasor’s walls, the Neksut riders wheeled around on their pursuers. Less used to the arid conditions, the Orislan forces were exhausted when the arrows began falling on them. This time it was the knights who were routed. Omnillian attempted to rally his men, but Rothrir killed him personally. A small portion of his forces made it back to Fasor, and he was remembered in history as Overeager Omnillian.
Rothrir’s Decision
One can only imagine the despair felt by the people of Fasor, just venturing outside their walls for the first time in months, when they saw the defeated knights on the horizon, and heard that the Besieger would be back within the day. The Orislan forces retreated behind Fasor’s walls before Rothrir could return. The knights had brought much needed supplies to the defenders, but had added their numbers and their food demands to the city, effectively canceling out the relief. However much of Rothrir’s seige emplacements had been put to the torch, and he quickly learned from captives that another, larger Orislan army was already on its way courtesy of the Kwind.
This left Rothrir with a decision. He could attempt to break through Fasor’s weakend walls before reinforcements could arrive, or he could retreat. It is said that the Besieger took a full day to decide. He walked alone for miles along the banks of the river Haepi, spent hours sitting with the bodies of fallen men, and spoke at great length with his warriors and his shamans. At sunset he gathered his forces for a speech, one it is said that those in Fasor also heard (though this is surely the embellishment of storytellers, as those behind Fasor’s walls could not understand the language of the Neksut). Rothrir declared that: “In my dreams I have seen the crimes of our ancestors as fresh as a gaping wound. Behind these walls lie the means to repeat them. The world has seen what we can do with just a bit of knowledge of catapults and siege towers! Imagine the terrible secrets hoarded in that so-called House of Riddles. The people of Fasor and their foreign friends are prepared to die to protect their city that scars the earth and ignores the sky. Let them!”
The Second Siege of Fasor
The second siege of Fasor was more terrible than the first. The city’s walls were already weakened by three months of attacks, and the Neksut made up for their fewer siege engines with even greater ferocity. Rorthrir also resorted to novel, baser forms of assault, hurling the corpses of men and horses over Fasor’s walls in place of stones and arrows. The Besieger even took to battering the walls with his mace, and it was said that his blows hit harder than any engine could.
However in many ways it was the newcomers from Orisla who proved the greatest danger to Fasor. They were vulnerable to Haepi’s native diseases, and within days of their arrival there was a festerfruit epidemic in the city. But as the assault wore one, a more pressing problem emerged. Many Orislans had joined the campaign against Rothrir for religious reasons, genuinely believing him to be an unholy being. In the Lucist faith, those who are not saved in life are said to spend eternity fighting in the armies of Asha for penance, or worse to become slaves of Botar. To have failed to stop the Besieger promised eternal damnation for the Lucists. More cynical voices note that many were motivated by dreams of the treasures of Haepi rather than the afterlife. With Rothrir’s mace against the city walls ringing in their ears, the Orislans within grew ever more afraid, and in their fear they turned to lust and greed.
It is said that the chaos began when a knight, dying of festerfruit, was being removed from the city in an effort to purge the sick. Though his body was rotting, the man’s blade was sharp as ever, and he lashed out in panic, killing one of the Haepians who were escorting him. Another put the knight out of his misery, but other Orislans, lacking proper context and already anxious, drew their own swords, and a brawl began behind Fasor’s walls. The situation quickly spiraled out of control. A group of knights lead by a Syr Horthaloust marched into the keep and killed Fasor’s Floodlord, with Syr Horthaloust crowning himself the new king of the city. Hewg the Hewer went on a killing spree before being killed himself by a Shrouded Sister. In the House of Riddles the scholars somehow sensed the coming madness and barricaded themselves within, but the knights, as if insulted, set the library afire. Many scholars were put to the sword as they fled the building, and others gave their lives to toss ancient paintings and scrolls from the windows in an effort to save them. Only one room of the library remained unmarred; the oldstone chamber. There the library’s head scholar, Ozimas, refused to flee, stating that the House of Riddles held the secret to defeating the Besiger and more. He declared that he would live forever and sealed himself within oldstone chamber All throughout the city cries of anguish could be heard. The Lucist Lunarch Pewtir worte that, ‘Grief is the heartkiller. In our sorrow for our inability to stop Rothrir, we have done his wicked work for him”.
But the Beseiger had no knowledge of the chaos behind the Fasor’s walls until he broke them. On the hundred and thirteenth day since the original siege began, Rothrir finally tore through the great wall of the city. Many Haepians and Orislans fled at his arrival, but one, Syr Dagon Steelskin, was waiting for him. The two resumed their clash. The Steelskin seemed eager to settle the score, but this time Rothrir was driven by furious purpose, repeatedly imploring his foe to get out of his way. They fought for hours, but unlike in their first duel, Rothrir faced Dagon fresh, as no other knights had stood between them. Eventually the Besieger shattered the Steelskin’s gilded greatsword Realmbreaker. A splinter of the sword, coated in crystal, was said to have lodged itself in Dagon’s eye, and he fell to the ground unconscious. Rothrir took no time to slay his fallen foe but instead marched straight through the ruined city to the House of Riddles.
Within the oldstone chamber, Rothrir found Ozimas, but the scholar was human no longer. He had seemingly bashed his skull in with one of the oldstones, and had transformed himself into a great winged creature of metal and flesh. Some Lucists say he had been possessed by Asha the Creator, while Haepians maintain that he had become a mythological sphinx. Whatever he was, he appeared to have gone mad, crying about immortality, worms, and old powers long forgotten. Rothrir told the scholor that it was forgotten sins he was interested in, and killed Ozimas. Rothrir and his Neksut looted the chamber and he tore it down, destroying the last room of the House of Riddles, the ancient bastion of knowledge that had stood for thousands of years.
Orislan Reinforcements
The last kingdom of the Floodlords had fallen with the sacking of Fasor. Rothrir the Besieger had placed his name among the list of the most infamous conquerors in history, but he knew that more enemies would be arriving soon, and so he remained vigilant. This proved wise, as within days, the main Orislan force, thrice the size of Omnillian’s, appeared on the horizon aboard Kwindi ships. Upon assessing the enemy numbers Rothrir decided that there was was no hope of battle, and the great conquerer lead his people in a retreat alongside the banks of the river Haepi.
Notable among the newly arrived Orislans were Lords Borschacnd, Syr Toubrastafon the tall, and Luminllious, the First Maiden of the Shrouded Sisters. Upon seeing the state of Haepi, all were furious, and upon learning the extent to which their early comrades had contributed to the destruction, their rage was unbounded. The “Floodlord” Syr Horthaloust was tried and executed, as were many such rogue knights. Others, including Syr Dagon Steelskin, now recovered (though still missing an eye), joined with the new Orislan Host in pursuit of Rothrir.
The Neksut had a day’s head start on the Orislans, and were faster besides. But each town they came across, having already been destroyed in the Besieger’s initial assaults, had precious little to offer to aid their flight. Some scholars claim that this caused Rothrir to reflect on what he had wrought. Other’s say that the Besieger knew that his foes would pursue him until the ends of the earth as long as he still lived. Some simply believe that while he knew his people were outnumbered, he still longed to fight. These speculations are made to explain Rothrir’s decision on the day he and his men returned to Byasod, the very first kindom he had taken. There, he ordered his forces to return to their homes in the deep desert while he remained. Many Neksut had a deep connection with their chieftain and demanded to stay with him, but with the same boldness that allowed him to take a dozen kingdoms, the Besieger commanded them to go and care for their families and his: He would face the Orislans alone.
The Final Duel
The main Orislan host was far behind the Neksut, owing to their large numbers and lack of knowledge of the terrain. But a smaller force of the most skilled fighters pulled ahead in their desperation not to be outpaced by their foe. And so it was not a grand army that first came upon Rothrir at Byasod, but thirteen warriors. Chief among them were Syr Dagon Steelskin, Luminllious, First Maiden of the Shrouded Sisters, Syr Toubrastafon the Tall, Bold Syr Nockfello, and a squire named Brindle. The group found Rothrir sitting on the ruins of a castle tower with his hellhog at his feet. According to the legends, Syr Nockfello said, “And now we shall see how well you withstand a siege”. Gesturing to his surroundings, Rothrir replied, “Longer than this place did”.
Weapons were drawn of quicksteel and battle was begun. Rothrir fought with twin quicksteel maces that were one with his will. Syr Dagon wielded the hilt of the shattered Realmbreaker, shaping a quicksteel blade to replace the original. Luminllious soared on quicksteel wings that were made at once of feathers and daggers. Bold Syr Nockfellow had his trusty axes. Toubrastafon the Tall controlled a towering quicksteel puppet which dwarfed even Rothrir. Who the remaining combatants were and how they fought is unclear. In some versions of the tale they are yet more knights, in others Shrouded Sisters. The ambiguity owes to the fact the Rothrir killed them extremely quickly.
The battle between Rothrir the Besieger and the thirteen Orislans is said to be one of the greatest in history, perhaps second only to the later Dodgetown Duel. The fighting apparently went on for two days and nights, with Rothrir facing his opponents in different combinations over the hours. One by one, the Orislans fell, some fatally, others merely permanently injured, until at last Rothrir faced the Steelskin in a third and final duel. The two men clashed time and again, sometimes with a ringing sound that echoed for miles, other times with an erratic fusion of quicksteel as each willed his weapon to pass clean through the other’s. Much of the early phases of the battle are well documented by the squire Brindle, who said “I knew in Haepi that I was not made for battle, both because I saw what war did to men and because I saw what true warriors were”. Brindle claimed that by the time he lost track of the fight, both Rothrir and Dagon appeared inhuman.
But eventually the duel moved beyond Brindle’s reach, and for this reason no one knows exactly how the end played out. In one version, a dying Luminllious blessed Dagon with the powers of Asha, and he slew Rothrir with a reformed Realmbreaker (now dubbed “Realmmender”). In another tale, Dagon shared a laugh and a drink with a dying Rothrir after finally overcoming him. All that is certain is that the Orislan host eventually found the combatants in the Juran Jungle, miles from where their fight began. Dagon was injured by alive, while Rothrir lay slain, at last.
The Steelskin would not take credit for the victory, and was quick to point out that Rothrir never lost an even duel. Nor would he let his fellow Orislans near the Besieger’s body, snarling that “I will not let you parade around the corpse of a man who would have made corpses of every one of you”. Instead Dagon allowed several lords to confirm that Rothrir was indeed dead before marching off into the wilderness with the body. He was never seen again.
Immediate Aftermath
The Death of Rothrir is traditionally considered the end of the Holy War for Haepi. Occasional Neksut raids would continue until 855AC, but these were much smaller in scale and never involved siegecraft. The Orislans would help rebuild Haepi’s cities, though in the process the took a great deal of wealth and knowledge for themselves. Orisla’s King and the Lucist Archlunarch were furious that Rothrir’s body was never recovered, and Syr Dagon was branded a sinner for withholding it. Basta, the Floodlord Rothrir had married, gave birth to a son, and the two fled into the desert to avoid the knives of the Shrouded Sisters. This bloodline would go on to produce both Floodlords and Neksut chieftains
Historical Impact
Rothrir’s campaign in Fasor and the Orislan Holy War are considered some of the most important events in world history. The conflict marks the death of Haepi and her Floodlords as a great power and the rise of Orisla on the world stage. Knowledge and treasures uncovered by the Orislans in Haepi triggered a period of rediscovery of ancient art, history, and culture in Eoci, restoring pre-Great Dying knowledge, as well as greatly enriching Orisla. Orisla has also maintained a powerful presence in Haepi to this day, and some scholars see the Holy War as the beginning of Orislan Imperialism. Lucism is now a large minority religion in Haepi. Orislans also stole several of the Kwindi ships used to transport them and reverse engineered the designs, helping them to catch up with Kwind at sea. Today Orisla and Kwind are the two greatest empires in the world, and many see their rivalry as beginning just after the Holy War. Orisla’s close relationship with Haepi has been extremely important in allowing it access to No Man’s Land.
But above all else, Rothrir the Besieger is remembered as perhaps history’s greatest conqueror. Neksut today revere him alongside the mythical First Neksut himself. Today some foreigners claim that Charis the Wurmslayer, a rogue Neksut chieftain, is Rothrir born again. But while Charis appears to match every ounce of Rothrir’s strength, he is far more aggressive and unhinged, killing his fellow Neksut where Rothrir united them. Rothrir’s conquest also greatly contributed to the negative view of the Neksut held by those in Orisla, Haepi, Tolmika, and elsewhere. While scholars fiercely debate the extent to which Rothrir was a savage or a madman, such has become the common man’s image of the Neksut today. While this may not be entirely fair, Rothrir’s reputation for power and might certainly was earned.

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2024.06.07 01:45 DSMikeNW Looking for information on a legend The White Witch

I'm trying to gather information on a legend as material for a project I'm working on.
Some context: I read about this legend on a book some 14+ years ago, it was on my grandparents book collection, the title of the book escapes me but form what I recall it was something along the lines of "Rare Folktales Of The Past". When my grandparents passed away their books where donated to charity or sold, so I no longer have access to them. The book listed about 120 legends in no particular order, each told a legend followed by 2 or max 3 variations on it then what I remember being the author's opinion on how it came to be.
The tale I'm interested in was about two thirds into the book. It talked about a white witch who more often than not appeared on a (burned?) castle's grounds on a full moon, the tale took place somewhere around the 1700s (the book named a very specific date but I don't remember it) somewhere in Eastern Europe. The witch sometimes was benevolent some times malevolent from what I recall it was more up to how whoever encountered her behaved, I also remember the witch being referred as the "staff bearer", "wise woman" or "seisiss" (the last one might be completely wrong, I just remember what the word sounded like).
Her "powers" used mirrors a lot, like to see the future, she could walk thru them etc. As far as I can remember the book described her appearance as having platinum blonde/white, blue eyes, in her 20s, and always wearing white.
In her legend someone would venture into something like forest at night, somehow wander into an abandoned castle's grounds and encounter the witch. Depending on the person the witch would help (take a lost child thru a mirror back to their home), or harm (criminals escaping into the woods would get whisked away). On other occasions she would just give a prophecy, refuse to elaborate further and leave.
My memory is very blurry but I recall the author saying the story had a lot of parallels with banshees, fairies, and elves.
Does any of this ring a bell to someone?

submitted by DSMikeNW to UrbanLegends [link] [comments]

2024.06.06 23:08 Top_Cryptographer258 Orbital Lift Lore Summarization

Ever since I started playing, Guardian Tales' lore and mysteries has been a key part of what I truly enjoy about this game. What seemed a simple, stereotypical fantasy story at first glance gave way to darker themes and mysterious pasts, and turned my idle interest into a commitment. Despite the simplistic presentation, it can be seen that the creators put great care and love into the world that they've created.
After getting back into the game in preparation for the coming Season 3 and general redesign, I made much more progress into the Orbital Lift than I previously managed, over a hundred more floors all the way up to 675. This unlocked three more Record Rooms for me, and it put the idea into my head about organizing the information found in these rooms into a more cohesive timeline.
And after doing so, it occurred to me to share it with other players, who aren't able to access it. It certainly frustrated me when I couldn't find anyone's accounts for Record Rooms 701, 751, 801, or 851. Also, while this is mainly about the Orbital Lift and the story it tells, I'm also drawing from the Mystery Footage to add context to Guardian Tales' distant past. I'll attempt to cite all data accurately, and explain my own conjectures. Bolded words are key figures and names.
[Requisite Spoiler Warning for the True Nature of Invaders(World 11) and the Matter of Labose(Season 2)]

Earth Events

Pre-2014: Eccentric billionaire ???(Placeholder name: Mr. E) discovers Planet Tetis. He then develops and announces the Tetis Migration Project, recruiting volunteers from humanity's best and brightest as a crew to attempt exploration, analysis, and colonization of the planet. Olympics sprint relay gold medalist "Lightning Counter" Lana is one such applicant. ^\1])
Pre-2014: The basic environment of Planet Tetis is verified by unmanned probes belonging to the ???(Mystery) Foundation. Thirteen of the Foundation's scientists form the Exploration Team, meant to travel to Planet Tetis for a year and conduct exploration/analysis. The first member of the team is Professor Marianne Troy. ^\2])
March, 2014: The Exploration Team board their shuttle, the Kaden 3, and begin the journey through space to Planet Tetis. ^\3])
September, 2014: The Kaden 3 arrives at Planet Tetis. As it enters the planet's atmosphere, Earth's observation of the scene is momentarily interrupted. When visual is reestablished, all traces of the spaceship have disappeared, with only Tetis remaining. All contact with the Exploration Team is lost. ^\3])
March, 2014: One year after launch, and six months following the disappearance, the Exploration Team is declared dead. The "variables of real space environment" are publicly blamed, but the true cause of the accident remains an evident total mystery. Businessman Mr. E. founder and leader of the Labose Project, publicly declares it to be a complete failure. ^\4])
July, 2023: The Mystery Foundation consecutively liquidates its business assets, and Mr. E retreats from the public view. ^\5])
February 1, 2025: Mr. E receives a data transmission from Planet Tetis, revealing the survival of the Exploration Team. While their survival alone is a great success for the man, the analytic data sent by the team is highly corrupted, and Mr. E must wait for further transmissions. ^\3][6])
February 12, 2025: Mr. E founds the L Research Institute, a laboratory dedicated to the study of high-risk microorganisms. The safety and confidentiality guidelines are extremely draconian, requiring researchers to live in dormitories, restricting contact with outsiders, forbidding external cellular communication, and only allowing supervised outings every other Sunday. Violation of any employment terms will result in universal employment blacklisting and a termination process involving a memory manipulation machine. ^\7][8])
April 11, 2025: Further transmissions from the Exploration Team reach Earth, and are received by the L Research Institute. Tetis is confirmed to share a higher than 96% natural environment with Earth, though the environmental data has undergone significant corruption during the trip through space. The transmissions also confirm that one crewmate has died, with the remaining twelve still alive. ^\9])
April 12, 2025: With data in hand and well-paid microbiologists at the ready, Mr. E directs the L Research Institute to begin analyzing and cleaning the analysis data the Exploration Team sent back from Tetis. ^\6])
April 21, 2025: Researchers achieve a breakthrough in their work on the fifth transmission from the expedition. Patterns of inconsistent data in the analysis are revealed to be signs of life. A type of bacteria that forms patterns of life unlike anything seen on Earth, sharply contrasting with Tetis' majority of Earth-like attributes. Mr. E, referring to these lifeforms as "My" bacteria, thus dubs them "Labose Bacteria". ^\6])
April 26, 2025: With the expedition's data fully decrypted, the L Research Institute begins experiments on the creation of artificial Labose Bacteria, indirectly transplanting them from Tetis to Earth. Mr. E. muses in his private records that humanity is about to receive a "great gift" from him. ^\6])
July, 2025: Businessman Mr. E is publicly declared a missing person ten years following the disappearance of the Kaden 3 and its crewmates. The Mystery Foundation can no longer contact him, and he has no family or relatives to inform or question. ^\5])
September 22, 2025: An outside organization gains access to L Research Institute records, and learn of the Exploration Team's survival, the death of one of the members, and Tetis' overall human habitability. ^\9])
November 3, 2025: A child documents her recent experiences within her diary. Her father is an artist, and her mother is a researcher, almost certainly an employe of the L Research Institute. The supervisor accompanying the mother during her biweekly visits home seems to take an unusual interest in the child after she asks her mother about her research, looking at her with a "scary face" that the girl dislikes. ^\11])
Post-September 22, 2025/Pre-September 12, 2026: Labose Bacteria is successfully manufactured. ^\10])
September 12, 2026: Animal experimentation begins with Labose Bacteria. Beginning with lab mice, an initial base dose and a dose five times the base do nothing, while a dose 75 times the base causes the mouse to swiftly die of shock for unknown reasons. ^\10])
September 14, 2026: Experimentation continues with a 4/5 mouse mortality rate. No progress. ^\10])
October 21, 2026: Research has revealed that while Labose Bacteria appears to activate when exposed to air, deprivation of air does nothing to harm it. Rather than die, it goes into a rest state. The experimentation continues. ^\10])
October 26, 2026: Induction of Labose Bacteria to animals begins to cause limb mutation, resulting in "jagged" specimens. A scientist expressed a desire to obtain subjects with more complex initial limb structures. ^\10])
December 9, 2026: The 184th experiment with the Labose Bacteria is a resounding success, moving, consuming, and melting the lab mice Bae, Litcom, and Handun until nothing is left but a black sludge-like substance. ^\12])
December 14, 2026: Research on the black substance left behind by the prior experiment reveals that it is not dregs of the lifeforms burnt and melted away, as would happen with acid, but a form of sublimated primordial life. The sludge is a living primaeval soup, enrapturing some of the scientists in its "purity" as a living entity. Other scientists are saner, and drink heavily in the aftermath of the experiments, harboring doubts and regrets over their part in creating and studying Labose Bacteria. ^\12])
February 1, 2027: Samuel M. Herbert passes away within L Research Institute under undisclosed circumstances involving an accident within the Institute's A Department. Out of purported concern for contamination from facility substances, the body was disposed of on-site, and the remains was arranged for delivery to his loved ones afterwards. A letter of notification and condolence is sent to his wife, Elizabeth C. Herbert. ^\13])
Date Unknown: Tensions within the L Research Institute reach a boiling point and spark disaster. Mr. E, an unknown partner he founded the laboratory with, and the senior researchers reached a disagreement on the further aims of Labose research. Mr. E proposes the next step of human experimentation with the bacteria and is opposed by his unknown partner and the other researchers. Afterwards, all the researchers and laboratories are rearranged, and the presence of several people involved with the A Department vanish. Harboring deep suspicions and doubts against Mr. E, the unknown partner investigated to discover an "atrocity", and burned down a research department as a coverup for their actions against Mr. E's agenda. ^\8])
Date Unknown+1: In the aftermath of the fire, the partner pens a death threat to Mr. E and leaves, reminding him that the facility's entire technological base, including the memory modification machine, was constructed and understood by the both of them. Mr. E is warned under threat of death against interfering with his partner's family and is accused of harboring either a God or Savior complex. ^\8])
October 30, 2030: Jason Colby is admitted to a hospital for intense, unknown pain. ^\14])
November 1, 2030: Jason Colby is pronounced dead at 02:00, and his body is moved to the morgue at 02:30. Cause of death is ruled to be rapid protein and cell deprivation alongside acute degenerative illness, with reported uncertainty due to rapid demise. Within two minutes of the attendant leaving the body to change her gloves, it vanished, leaving only a "clotted black substance" behind. Theft of the corpse is assumed, and Thomas Curlin takes charge of the investigation. The black substance is taken for analysis. ^\14])
December, 2030: Labose Bacteria, or L-Bacteria, has begun to spread through the public in a virulent and destructive fashion. Contact alone is enough to cause it to spread from one person to another, and antibiotics of all varieties fail completely to combat it. Modern medicine cannot stop it, and its threat is underplayed to the public to prevent mass panic. ^\15])
March, 2031: Cases of L-Bacteria have begun to spring up nationwide, and it is now publicly known that no antibiotics can stop it. Public worry is now extant, and panic begins to surface. Health organizations begin to take control over national measures. ^\16])
August, 2031: The situation has deteriorated to the point that drastic measures are now in full force. Permits, resident identification cards, and gas masks are now a required necessity to leave one's own home, and the only progress doctors have made against the L-Bacteria is determining when exactly an infected's body will melt. ^\15])
March, 2036: Five years after the official recognition of the L-Bacteria as a proper pandemic, the disease has become a worldwide phenomenon and irreversibly altered human civilization. No progress towards an adequate vaccine has been made by anyone, and both society and technology have shifted to entirely revolve around the concepts of sterilization and medical operation. Gas masks, sterilization rooms, UV lamps are sold as high-class commodities, and hotels are fused with hospitals in all ways that matter. In spite of the effort, humanity continues to die. ^\16][17])
Date Unknown: Individuals named Betty, Victor, and Elizabeth(Beth), leave a diseased and dead Earth alongside others, striving through the stars under the aegis of the Savior. As were gathered the 13 Expedition Members, so are gathered the 13 Corps Commanders. The Invaders are born, and chart a course for Tetis. As was always prophesied. ^\18])

Tetis Events

September, 2014/Day 1: Kaden 3 arrives to Planet Tetis. The Exploration Team has landed. All contact with Earth is lost. ^\3])
Day 37: The Exploration Team comes to the conclusion that even beyond the initial unmanned surveys, Tetis appears almost exactly like Earth. From bacteria to mammals, all living organisms they encounter bear over 97% similarity to Earth. The 3% difference can only be attributed to the absence of homo sapiens or any derivative. Crew member No. 4 Sohee muses that it's as if Tetis is a hypothetical construction under the question "What if Earth had no humans?" Lack of contact with a Support Team worries the Team though, as they are a full month behind. ^\19])
Day 371: After nearly a week past their original survey period of one year, and absolutely no contact from Earth, the Exploration Crew convene a meeting to discuss options. Some are in favor of staying on Tetis and waiting for Earth to turn up. Others advocate returning to Earth, despite Kaden 3's limited fuel. Twelve of the thirteen begin to argue before No. 13 puts it to a vote. At 7 to 6, the crew vote to return, and are prepared to do so within a day. They are then attacked. ^\20])
Day 371(Cont.): A horde of black shadowed creatures attack the Exploration Crew, forcing them to flee. They are like nothing ever seen before by the crew, and although No. 13 is initially able to drive the shadows back to protect their crewmates, they are swiftly overwhelmed by numbers and dragged away, screaming for help as the others flee. Thus, 13 became 12. ^\21][22])
Day 378: A week after the initial attack, the crew's observation and research reveals that the Shadow Monsters are attracted to Kaden 3's nuclear reactor. Shutting it off will prevent them from seeking the Exploration Crew out again, but also permanently strand the crew on Planet Tetis unless another ship from Earth arrives. With hardened resolve after the loss of their comrade, the reactor is shut down, and the first twelve Tetitians claim their new home. ^\23])
Day 2431: Six years following the loss of No. 13, crew member No. 7 discovers a mural deep within the mountains. It determines that there used to be a civilization on Planet Tetis, and the mural records a prophecy or event critical to that civilization. "Darkness comes, and the people suffer. Their intent is nothing more than pure destruction. 13 heroes rise up, losing a comrade in the fight. As the leader raises their sword of light and cuts down the darkness, that sword shall protect the people forevermore. And when catastrophe comes again, the sword shall shine once more." The parallels with the Tetitians' own experiences are noted, but brushed off by No. 7. And so, prophecy spins onwards, towards the next Loop. ^\24])

Conjectures:

A. Certain dates are only established through comparison with other dates, mostly in the first part of the timeline. Vague clarifications such as "six months ago" and "two years ago" establish timeframes but don't specify exactly. What timeframes do overlap are internally consistent though, so I'm fairly confident.
B. The founder of L Research Institute, Businessman ???, and the scientist arguing for human experimentation are not explicitly noted to be the same man, but evidence like the continued naming of things "Labose" and the disappearance from public eye are fairly damning.
C. The lore from Record Room B51 possesses the most guesswork, due to the number of missing words and incoherency within the actual text. My theories currently line up with what little corroboration exists however, so I went ahead and added it.
D. Mr. E may be the Savior, but even I'm not very sure about that link. It would be ridiculously ironic though.
Citations:

Mystery Footage [Episode 2]
Mystery Footage [Episode 3]
Mystery Footage [Episode 4]
Record Room 51
Record Room 201
Record Room 301
Record Room 251
Record Room 651
Record Room 101
Record Room 401
Record Room 451
Record Room 501
Record Room 601
Record Room 151
Record Room 351
Record Room 551
Mystery Footage [Episode 1]
Record Room B51
Mystery Footage [Episode 5]
Mystery Footage [Episode 6]
Mystery Footage [Episode 7]
Mystery Footage [Episode 8]
Mystery Footage [Episode 9]
Mystery Footage [Episode 10]

submitted by Top_Cryptographer258 to GuardianTales [link] [comments]

2024.06.06 23:05 Jabohabo Man-Made Doctrine vs. What the bible actually says.

It is said in many congregations today, that what God wants is often unclear.
That couldn't be further from the truth. What God wants (what is written throughout the tanakh -old testament- and new testament) is not only clear but is verified throughout both books multiple times, his commandments, telling us how he wants us to live and teach and treat others. Self admonishment as we go further in our walk with christ. Do away with pride. Stay away from those with bad morals.
All of which and more are stated clear as day throughout the word in the old as well as new testament. Christ brought us not new testimony to be mulled over and pondered on and argued, but fulfillment and explanation of all teachings already given.
Do not be like the so many who have set up "alternate ways" to heaven. "For wide is gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and small is the gate and narrow the road leading to life." Matthew 17:13-14.
If you want to know how narrow the path is...put your feet together and put your bible down sideways infront of them...there is no deviation leading to eternal life.
So let us take the base teachings of faith in God and works through that faith, as well as unnecessary arguments about what was meant about a single verse, when taking a single step backwards can show you exactly what was meant.
If you intend to build yourself as a temple for God as we all should be. 1 Corinthians 3:16. Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?
Then don't focus just on the base teachings, the law, ways to live, who is your brothers your sisters, your neighbors. Where to look when you need advice. (The word or an elder in the faith who is versed in the word). But make those teachings the foundation for the temple!! For you do not lift away the frame of the walls and roof scaffolding so that you can re-examine the stone of the foundation. Chipping away at it over again, questioning yourself and the sound teachings within the word. Let it sit and harden within you as your foundation, do not be as one hearing the word and examining it over and over every Sunday!
James 1:23-27 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
After the foundation comes the walls and finally the roof! Then the furnishings being the good fruit of what following the word has done for you! Faith abounding, understanding. Spiritual gifts as we should all have, Discernment, wisdom, understanding of laying on of hands. All of which comes with the will of God and by the will of God. Meaning that it only comes how and when God deems we are ready.
When we've ceased to walk to a human standard and accepted the narrow road for what it is regardless of public view or persecution in its varying forms.
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 And I brothers and sisters was not able to speak to you as spiritual ones but as to fleshy ones, as to infants in christ. 2 milk I gave you to drink, not solid food, for you were not yet able to recieve it. But not even yet now are you able, for since among you there is jealousy and strife, are you not fleshly and according to a human. Standard walk?
So let us move forward with our learning of the word. And not argue on denominations and alternate doctrines! For one doctrine includes one part but removes the other. This doctrine removes the base word but keeps the point to turn to their desire. Another doctrine is empty and shows only the appearance of godliness but is hollow.
And above all, if it cannot be shown or taught in love and truth, backed up with scripture in full context, then it should not be taught. Christ did not teach anything new but instead fullfilled the old.
It is argued that we are not to eat certain foods as if pertaining still to the old covenant. And many more claim we are under no new covenant. As said in jeremiah 31:31-38 New covenant Jeremiah 31:31-38 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to[a] them,[b]” declares the Lord. 33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
35 This is what the Lord says,
he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord Almighty is his name: 36 “Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,” declares the Lord, “will Israel ever cease being a nation before me.”
37 This is what the Lord says:
“Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done,” declares the Lord.
38 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when this city will be rebuilt for me from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.
As well as 2 Corinthians 3:1-6 Also in terms of commending ourselves. 2 corinthians 3:1-6 3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. 3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4 Such confidence we have through Christ before God. 5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
And let's not forget the warning from the word specifically against these people and their false teaching.
But the [Holy] Spirit distinctly and expressly declares that in latter times some will turn away from the faith, giving attention to deluding and seducing spirits and doctrines that demons teach,
2 Through the hypocrisy and pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared (cauterized),
3 Who forbid people to marry and [teach them] to abstain from [certain kinds of] foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and have [an increasingly clear] knowledge of the truth.
4 For everything God has created is good, and nothing is to be thrown away or refused if it is received with thanksgiving.
5 For it is hallowed and consecrated by the Word of God and by prayer.
6 If you lay all these instructions before the brethren, you will be a worthy steward and a good minister of Christ Jesus, ever nourishing your own self on the truths of the faith and of the good [Christian] instruction which you have closely followed.
7 But refuse and avoid irreverent legends (profane and impure and godless fictions, mere grandmothers’ tales) and silly myths, and express your disapproval of them. Train yourself toward godliness (piety), [keeping yourself spiritually fit].
8 For physical training is of some value (useful for a little), but godliness (spiritual training) is useful and of value in everything and in every way, for it holds promise for the present life and also for the life which is to come.
9 This saying is reliable and worthy of complete acceptance by everybody.
(Leaving nothing to question)
We are taught that the word is a sword and God is our shield. Would you take only the handle of your sword into battle and risk being run through? Would you have only the blade and not a way to hold it? Or perhaps hold just the sheath of your sword in hopes that the enemy maybe thinks you have a weapon to fight with?
All of which will lead to spiritual death. Take the word as a whole,for the word is a double edged sword! When wielded as it should be it cuts away the brush to show the path. If you do not understand how to use the whole of it you yourself shall be cut by it. As it is written in Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Wield your sword well..build on the foundation and let it stand within you. For the word of God is good in its whole for building up and teaching. Not in part.
God bless you, and may grace be with you.

submitted by Jabohabo to Christianity [link] [comments]

2024.06.06 22:49 Szywru_ Beowulf (2007) is such a great movie.

I honestly wasn't so positively surprised about a movie in a long time. I heard a lot of bad about it and from couple scenes watched online, I suspected it will be some standard fantasy-badass-hero movie.
But no. I ended up getting serious deconstruction of hero tropes, and -both honest and effective- tale about consequences of strength... and lust... and power. Story and script are great, and that's what is the most important to me.
When it comes to CGI - well... It sometimes goes from really good, to really bad. It has aged, but I fell it's very subjective in context. For me, it didn't seemed photorealistic enough, to bother me with uncanny valley. It's more stylized. Feels closer to, let's say, Shrek, than Avatar. Face animations are not-so-good (mostly because of 'dead eyes'), but I think they still work and convey emotions well. Much better than Polar Express.
I totally understand if someone thinks that CGI is just bad. For me it sticks the landing. Still, if you didn't watched it, it's worth giving a try. As I said, I think story works very well. Even made me tear up a little. It goes much deeper than a poem. Voice acting is great, same with soundtrack. I would be more than happy to hear your opinions.

submitted by Szywru_ to movies [link] [comments]

2024.06.06 22:32 KorraAvatar JLPT N2 prep: How to improve my score on Vocabulary section? (Advice needed)

I am find myself really struggling with these types of questions and needlessly dropping pointless marks on easier questions. The issue is not my vocabulary or understanding. I’ve spent over 2667 hrs immersing and have over 10k words in anki from 47 light novels, 109 anime, and bunch of news articles from Asahi Shinbun and Nikkei that I’ve mined from in the last year. I’ve yet to encounter a a single new word or grammar on the practise exams that I haven’t already seen a bunch of times already in my immersion. In fact, I was expecting it to be harder vocab wise but all the expressions are very common in everyday Japanese and literature .
When I actually read these example sentences, I understand them. I am simply not very good at logically eliminating 4 options is the most correct one. Typically, I can narrow it down to two options but that is where I get stuck. It feels as though the examiners deliberately choose two expressions that where both could sound natural. The differences are so slight and trivial that even my native friend selected the incorrect one on a couple of occasions and disagreed with their judgement. There is even an example question where it asks you to distinguish between ますます、だんだん、どんどん.
I was told that immersion was enough to ace this exam, but from going through this book, it’s become clear to me that this test is not testing for genuine compression of Japanese. Rather, it’s simply testing your test taking skills.
That aside, how do I actually go about answering these questions correctly? Unlike the reading sections where you can rely on context to guide you, these questions come across as “you either know the answer or you don’t” . What do I do? A friend recommended it yay I put every single sentence into anki. The thing is, how would that improve my ability to distinguish between similar expressions or my “process or elimination ? “
The exam is in 4 weeks and I don’t want lose pointless marks on the easier questions
s though the examiners deliberately choose two expressions that would sound natural. The differences so so slight and trivial that even my native friend selected the one on a couple of occasions. There

submitted by KorraAvatar to LearnJapanese [link] [comments]

http://rodzice.org/