The world beckons with its rich tapestry of cultures, vibrant landscapes, and exciting opportunities. But before you embark on your international adventure, navigating the world of visas can feel like stepping into a labyrinth. At Adric Immigration Consultants
, your trusted partner in Bangalore, we understand the complexities of visa applications. This comprehensive guide aims to shed light on the different types of visas available, helping you choose the right path for your aspirations.
The Big Picture: Broad Visa Categories
Visas act as official permissions granted by a country to enter and stay within its borders for a specific purpose and duration. Broadly, visas fall into two main categories:
1. Non-immigrant Visas:
Designed for temporary stays, non-immigrant visas cater to diverse needs, including:

• Tourism (B-1/B-2): Ideal for sightseeing, visiting family and friends, or attending short-term events like conferences.
• Business (B-1): Allows participation in business activities that don’t involve paid employment in the host country. Examples include attending meetings, negotiating contracts, or conducting market research.
• Work (H-1B, TN, etc.): Enables qualified foreign professionals to work in specific occupations for a sponsoring employer. The type of work visa required depends on the profession and the reciprocity agreements between countries.
• Student (F-1): For individuals pursuing full-time academic programs at accredited institutions. May come with restrictions on work authorization.
• Exchange Visitor (J-1): Facilitates participation in exchange programs like cultural exchanges, internships, or research collaborations.

2. Immigrant Visas:
For those seeking to establish permanent residence in a new country, immigrant visas pave the way. These typically involve a lengthier application process with stricter eligibility requirements. Common types include:

• Employment-Based: Grants permanent residency based on a job offer with a sponsoring employer in the host country. Categories exist for skilled workers, investors, and individuals with exceptional abilities.
• Family-Based: Allows sponsorship of immediate family members (spouse, children) by a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Diversity Visa Lottery: Provides a limited number of visas annually through a random selection process.

Going Deeper: Specific Visa Types and Considerations
Understanding your purpose for travel is crucial. Here’s a breakdown of some commonly sought-after visas and key factors to consider:

• Tourist Visa (B-1/B-2):
  • Duration: Typically short-term stays, ranging from a few weeks to several months. Extensions might be possible depending on the country’s regulations.
  • Eligibility: Varies by country. Generally, applicants need to demonstrate sufficient financial resources, ties to their home country, and a valid passport.
  • Important Note: Working or studying while on a tourist visa is strictly prohibited.
• Business Visa (B-1):
  • Duration: Similar to tourist visas, with extensions potentially available.
  • Eligibility: Proof of business purpose, such as invitations from companies, conference registrations, or business documents, is essential.
  • Restrictions: Engaging in paid employment or setting up a business venture is not permitted under a business visa.
• Work Visa (H-1B, TN, etc.):
  • Duration: Varies based on the specific visa type and job offer. Extensions and renewals are often possible.
  • Eligibility: Requires a valid job offer from a U.S. employer willing to sponsor the visa petition. Specific qualifications and experience are mandated for each profession.
  • Labor Certification: For certain categories (e.g., H-1B), the employer must first obtain a labor certification demonstrating that hiring a foreign worker won’t adversely affect U.S. worker opportunities.
• Student Visa (F-1):
  • Duration: Valid for the duration of the academic program, with potential extensions for practical training after graduation.
  • Eligibility: Acceptance letter from a SEVP-certified educational institution, proof of financial support, and a valid passport are mandatory.
  • Maintaining Status: Students must maintain full-time enrollment and comply with program requirements to keep their visa valid.
  • Work Authorization: Limited on-campus or OPT (Optional Practical Training) opportunities might be available depending on the program and student category.
• Employment-Based Immigrant Visa:
  
  • Duration: Leads to permanent residency status, allowing indefinite stay and work authorization.
  • Eligibility: A valid job offer with a sponsoring employer and meeting the specific requirements of the chosen visa category (e.g., EB-2 for professionals with advanced degrees) (EB-3 for skilled workers with less education but experience) are crucial. The process can be complex, and seeking guidance from an experienced immigration consultant is highly recommended.
• Family-Based Immigrant Visa:
  
  • Duration: Leads to permanent residency status.
  • Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents can sponsor immediate family members (spouse, unmarried children under 21). The process can be lengthy, and wait times can vary depending on the relationship and visa category.
• Diversity Visa Lottery (DV Lottery):
  
  • Duration: Leads to permanent residency status if selected and the application process is completed successfully.
  • Eligibility: Open to nationals of countries with historically low immigration rates to the U.S. Selection is based on a random drawing.
  • Important Note: Winning the lottery doesn’t guarantee a visa. Applicants must still meet all eligibility requirements and undergo the full application process.

Beyond the Basics: Additional Considerations
Visa processing times and fees can vary significantly depending on the visa type, country of application, and individual circumstances. It’s crucial to factor in these costs and potential delays when planning your international move.
Visa reciprocity plays a role in certain work visa categories (e.g., TN visa between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico). Understanding the reciprocity agreements between your home and destination countries can help determine your eligibility for specific work visas.
Dual citizenship allows individuals to hold citizenship in two countries simultaneously. Eligibility for dual citizenship varies by country. Researching the policies of both your home and target country is essential if this path aligns with your goals.
Travel restrictions can be implemented due to various reasons, including pandemics or political situations. Staying updated on current travel advisories is crucial before embarking on your international journey.
Your Trusted Partner in Navigating the Visa Maze
At Adric Immigration Consultants in Bangalore, we understand that navigating the complexities of visas can be overwhelming. With our extensive experience and in-depth knowledge of global immigration regulations, we are here to guide you every step of the way.
Our Services:

• Visa Type Assessment: We will help you identify the most suitable visa category based on your specific circumstances and goals.
• Application Assistance: We will provide comprehensive guidance and support throughout the application process, ensuring all documentation is accurate and complete.
• Preparation for Interviews: We will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to successfully navigate visa interviews.
• Staying Updated: We will keep you informed of any changes in immigration policies or procedures that might affect your application.

Contact us today for a free consultation and let us help you turn your international dreams into reality. With Adric Immigration Consultants as your partner, you can start on your global journey with clarity, confidence, and peace of mind.

I’m a fucking wreck today.
I distracted myself as much as possible, as I’m usually amazing at doing. My schedule is jam-packed, which I will usually complain about to seem somewhat normal. “Ugh, I have so much to do this week…” as if I didn’t plan every single thing.
It’s harder to feel down when you’re always on the go. When you look good, when you stay in the gym, when you surround yourself with friends and family, when you work your ass off… at least that’s what I’ve always told myself. That’s what works for me.
Usually works. About once a month or so, my feelings catch up. It doesn’t matter where I’m at or what I’m doing – they’ll catch up. Suddenly I’m overwhelmed and I cry. Female rage consumes me and I scream in the car. I’ll try to push through when I get where I need to be – sometimes it’s work, sometimes it’s running errands. Today it was the gym. But my energy leaves me high and dry.
My bright aura is no longer with me and I’m numb. My eyes that were once filled with tears are now narrow. I cut my day short and I get back into my car because when my energy leaves me, I listen to my body and my soul. I need a minute to sulk. My drive home that is normally a full-blown concert is now silence, and it’s never been louder.
I run a hot shower when I get home in which I sit down and cry. I bury my head into my knees and I hug my legs until I feel ashamed because I live a privileged life. I dry off and before I put on any clothes, I go to the kitchen and pour a glass of red wine. Priorities. Just one glass, I say.
I cook myself a nice dinner. Nothing cures sadness like self care, wine, and a good TikTok binge, right? Tonight it was loaded baked potato soup – and it was incredible. The wine was also incredible. So incredible that one glass turned into two.
I layed out on the couch and laughed my ass off at TikToks. Temporarily, I was happy. Then I got a text from someone I really don’t even talk to – “I know what you’re going through. I’m here if you need anything.” Suddenly I’m overwhelmed again – I’m grateful and I’m sad. Grateful because I am lucky enough to always have people in my corner, but sad because somehow I still always feel alone. I think it’s an immediate response because no matter how many times people have said that, I always go through it alone.
My mom is never there, my friends are never there, my dad is never there. I feel like since I was eighteen years old, the only person that has ever truly looked out for me is me. The only being that has ever been there for me since then is my dog. So my immediate response is, I’m alone in this.
Granted, I love my parents and my family and my friends. They’re there in the good times, and they make the good times so much better. Most don’t know about these times, except for my mom. I’ll call my mom occasionally, only to be disappointed that it never makes me feel better. Worse actually. It’s never her fault, we just don’t connect like that. We never have for as long as I can remember. I always make the mistake of thinking that one day, we can get on that level. My delusion often results in disappointment.
One glass turns into a hefty three and suddenly I’m writing. Writing has always been an outlet for me, and I feel better now. I feel numb again. My feelings have left me high and dry as I type and I drink. Tomorrow I’ll wake up early, put on a pretty ass outfit, do my makeup, and act like this never happened. I’ll make my matcha and romanticize the fuck out of my life.
I make it seem like I’m doing great, like my life is perfect. But once a month, I remember that I am 26 years old and I’m alone. No matter how much I travel, no matter how much I spend, no matter how good I look, there’s this overwhelming feeling that consumes me at least once a month. I cry so hard I fall to my knees, I laugh maniacally, I drink myself to sleep, and then I wake up in the morning like everything is okay. Because it is, right? It’s just a monthly wreck.

I’m a fucking wreck today.
I distracted myself as much as possible, as I’m usually amazing at doing. My schedule is jam-packed, which I will usually complain about to seem somewhat normal. “Ugh, I have so much to do this week…” as if I didn’t plan every single thing.
It’s harder to feel down when you’re always on the go. When you look good, when you stay in the gym, when you surround yourself with friends and family, when you work your ass off… at least that’s what I’ve always told myself. That’s what works for me.
Usually works. About once a month or so, my feelings catch up. It doesn’t matter where I’m at or what I’m doing – they’ll catch up. Suddenly I’m overwhelmed and I cry. Female rage consumes me and I scream in the car. I’ll try to push through when I get where I need to be – sometimes it’s work, sometimes it’s running errands. Today it was the gym. But my energy leaves me high and dry.
My bright aura is no longer with me and I’m numb. My eyes that were once filled with tears are now narrow. I cut my day short and I get back into my car because when my energy leaves me, I listen to my body and my soul. I need a minute to sulk. My drive home that is normally a full-blown concert is now silence, and it’s never been louder.
I run a hot shower when I get home in which I sit down and cry. I bury my head into my knees and I hug my legs until I feel ashamed because I live a privileged life. I dry off and before I put on any clothes, I go to the kitchen and pour a glass of red wine. Priorities. Just one glass, I say.
I cook myself a nice dinner. Nothing cures sadness like self care, wine, and a good TikTok binge, right? Tonight it was loaded baked potato soup – and it was incredible. The wine was also incredible. So incredible that one glass turned into two.
I layed out on the couch and laughed my ass off at TikToks. Temporarily, I was happy. Then I got a text from someone I really don’t even talk to – “I know what you’re going through. I’m here if you need anything.” Suddenly I’m overwhelmed again – I’m grateful and I’m sad. Grateful because I am lucky enough to always have people in my corner, but sad because somehow I still always feel alone. I think it’s an immediate response because no matter how many times people have said that, I always go through it alone.
My mom is never there, my friends are never there, my dad is never there. I feel like since I was eighteen years old, the only person that has ever truly looked out for me is me. The only being that has ever been there for me since then is my dog. So my immediate response is, I’m alone in this.
Granted, I love my parents and my family and my friends. They’re there in the good times, and they make the good times so much better. Most don’t know about these times, except for my mom. I’ll call my mom occasionally, only to be disappointed that it never makes me feel better. Worse actually. It’s never her fault, we just don’t connect like that. We never have for as long as I can remember. I always make the mistake of thinking that one day, we can get on that level. My delusion often results in disappointment.
One glass turns into a hefty three and suddenly I’m writing. Writing has always been an outlet for me, and I feel better now. I feel numb again. My feelings have left me high and dry as I type and I drink. Tomorrow I’ll wake up early, put on a pretty ass outfit, do my makeup, and act like this never happened. I’ll make my matcha and romanticize the fuck out of my life.
I make it seem like I’m doing great, like my life is perfect. But once a month, I remember that I am 26 years old and I’m alone. No matter how much I travel, no matter how much I spend, no matter how good I look, there’s this overwhelming feeling that consumes me at least once a month. I cry so hard I fall to my knees, I laugh maniacally, I drink myself to sleep, and then I wake up in the morning like everything is okay. Because it is, right? It’s just a monthly wreck.

By popular demand, I guess...
I was kinda just being a smart-ass, but some of you wanted more so here it is: epilogues for every NPC as if they didn't continue to travel with Gorion's Ward and instead just decided to live their own life. Obviously, there are some implied alignment changes here.
This turned out to be longer than I expected and I kinda just threw it all together while I was working. Please excuse any typos or sloppy writing.
I want to apologize for one thing, though. Viconia's epilogue really only works if GW is a male, so I had to make that assumption for the sake of her story. If it matters any, I easily play just as many female GWs as I do male GWs. In fact, I probably play more female GWs because I don't care for the romances, frequently play the canon party, and want to nip the lame Jah romance in the bud.
But, to have them all in one place, I included my original smart-ass epilogues with the additional ones I created. Now, every character from BG1 and BG2 has an epilogue. I don't have the EE characters, though, because I play the original games and don't really know them.
So, just for funsies, which one is your favorite and why?
"Anomen continued to wait at the Copper Coronet for a party of adventurers willing to travel with him. Maybe it was the grating sound of his voice, or perhaps the way he leered at women, but he continued to remain alone. Eventually, he needed to find work to make ends meet. With Gorion's Ward having disbanded the slave traders and pit fights, Hendak had to find a new form of entertainment for the patrons. As such, he invented an all male review ladies night, and Anomen found work as a 'dancer'. He left the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart to join the less noble order of the pole. He also renounced his faith to Helm and instead allied himself with Waukeen because if you wanna see some groin, you gotta have some coin."
"Despite Gorion's Ward clearing the trolls from her keep, Nalia was not able to reclaim her lands and instead lost her estate to Lord Roenall. The lord offered to let her retain residence in her family's ancestral home, but only in exchange for her hand in marriage. Nalia found the proposition to be repugnant. Instead, she salvaged whatever wealth she could from her family's keep and moved to Athkatla to start a new life. She no longer helped the less fortunate, as she was now among their numbers and had her own problems. Nalia's lack of any practical skills combined with her sense of entitlement sent her into a life of failure followed by drinking and debauchery. She now spends more time back at the Copper Coronet than anywhere else. It is hard to say where she squanders her wealth more, the alcohol, or on the dancers during Ladies Night."
"After the incident with the Planar Sphere, Valygar was finally free of his past, could retire to his cabin, and pursue his true passion: writing. Ironically, the only inspiration he found ended up stemming from his family's checkered past. Valygar's only works that even had middling success were 'Tuesdays with Lavok' and 'Dude, Where's My Planar Sphere', with the latter being made into a production at the Five Flagoons Theater."
"Haer'Dalis continued to work as a performer at the Five Flagoons Theater. Unfortunately, it struggled due to poor management. It might have turned out better if an outside agent with fresh ideas had stepped in, but Gorion's Ward had better things to do than be a bard. While the work was generally steady, the returns were not great and the material was a little low-brow for Haer'Dalis' liking. The tiefling realized he reached rock bottom when he was cast as the lead in a play about a buffoon who apparently lost a plane-shifting apparatus the size of a small castle and had to find it before his parents returned from Neverwinter. After the opening night, he took his own life in his dressing room. His body was found the next morning with a note saying, 'Art is dead and I am art, so I shall join art in death.' Biff the Understudy stepped in for Haer'Dalis despite never having an opportunity to read the script. Nevertheless, the production was a resounding success and launched Biff's career to new heights."
“A heartbroken Garrick found work as a character actor at the Five Flagoons Theater, but eventually gained more success as a writer and director. He found it to be a mostly agreeable situation, aside from a tiefling primadonna who would constantly belittle his work and call it ”trite" and “drivel”. Fortunately, that situation worked itself out in time and Garrick found Biff to be much easier to direct. With the tiefling gone, his ideas had room to grow. He invented a new kind of love story, one where the protagonist doesn't always get the girl at the end but the journey to that ending would be quite amusing. He labeled this genre “the Comedy of Romance” and the works were mostly based on his own life. His plays were quite popular among the commoners, with his top selling shows being 'Sleepless in Saradush', 'Silverymoon Linings Playbook', and 'Crazy Rich Aasimars'. He eventually fully transitioned off the stage into the director's chair. By the peak of his fame, he was married to none other than Queen Ellesime."
“Aerie continued to work at the circus and WOULD NOT SHUT UP ABOUT HER DAMN WINGS. Even Quayle eventually grew sick of hearing about it. This put strain on their relationship. Things took a turn for the better when Ribald Barterman acquired a new curiosity for his shop. It was a magical ring which he sold to Quayle at a reduced rate out of sympathy. This ”treasure" was actually a cursed Ring of Deafness, which Quayle found to be anything but a curse and wore it for the rest of his days."
“Xzar and Montaron were both slain at the hands of the Athkatla Harpers, but this is actually where their story begins. Xzar, as he had done so many times before, had a backup plan of an arcane nature should death befall either he or the halfling. Their mortal essences were pulled to a pocket plane he created. There they could be channeled into restored bodies cloned at his estate. With this particular round of ritual, Xzar had incidentally made a slight error in the incantation and the two found themselves in a time suspended state in Xzar's pocket plane. It was only five minutes for the rest of the world, but it was fifty years for them. This turned out to be a pivot point in their relationship. Having only each other's company in this shadowy void, they were finally able to work out their feelings for each other. When they had returned to the prime material plane, they discovered their mutual animosity was replaced with love. Rather than pick up their life where they left off with the Zhentarim, they decided to pack it all in, moved to Bryn Shander, and start a bed and breakfast. Montaron rediscovered his halfling roots and love for the culinary arts while Xzar would perform seances to connect guests with their late loved ones. Scones and Bones became an overnight success and was consistently listed as a “must see” in Volo's travel guides. In their golden years, the couple co-wrote a memoir of their journey, ‘Brokeback Montaron’, which is sold in bookstores everywhere."
“After briefly crossing paths with Gorion's Ward, Mazzy Fentan continued her crusade as a de facto halfling paladin. She eventually found herself petitioning for membership at the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart in Athkatla after she had singlehandedly saved a village from an ancient dracolich. Despite the extent of her virtue and accomplishment, her petition was denied on the basis that halflings could not possibly be real paladins. This inspired her next crusade, one to break down vocational barriers for all demihuman races. Why couldn't halflings be paladins or dwarves be wizards? And why did gnomes always have to be illusionists? It simply made no goddamn sense. She began to get traction with her quest when she attended lectures by the wizards of the (sword) coast in Candlekeep. With their help, she ushered Faerun into a new edition era where there would be no vocational barriers for adventurers based on their race. Soon, the world began to see roguish halflings that also venerated Helm, while tending to the wilds as a druid. Half-orc bards also studied as wizards while manifesting natural arcane abilities as sorcerers. Tiefling paladins took their crusades to the wilderness and served as rangers, while sidelining as clergy to Mystra. The world was now a liberated place, free to not make any goddamn sense in a myriad of new ways. At one point, Lady Mazzy Fentan of Trademeet (now formally a paladin) crossed paths with a dwarven shadowdancebard and in that moment she regretted everything. Seriously, just take a moment and picture that. It would look fucking ridiculous.”
“Yeslick's clanhome was flooded once again. Despondent and without options, he took work at a smithy in Baldur's Gate but never stopped dreaming of finding both a clan and a home. He found a way to bring this dream to life after a courageous halfling paladin broke down the barriers for, among other things, dwarves to be wizards. Yeslick had an idea. He studied magic diligently until he was able to cast two spells of great importance: Water Breathing and Permanence. He then searched the lands for other clanless dwarves who would be willing to try something new. With the new clan he formed, Yeslick permanently gave all his fellow clansman the ability to breath underwater. They then moved into the flooded Cloakwood Mines and built the first underwater dwarven stronghold. Using his arcane powers, Yeslick also developed the ability to speak with the marine life that shared this stronghold. And, with that, the clan Aquadwarf was born. At one point, Valygar visited and wrote a play based on Yeslick's story. However, he couldn't even get it to stage at the Five Flagoons Theater. The illustrious director Garrick was quoted as saying, “A hero that can breath underwater and talk to fish? Nobody would go for that!"
“Keldorn finally retired from the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart and looked forward to a much simpler life. He rekindled his marriage with Lady Maria and life seemed to improve. It was rather early on when the couple discovered that Maria had become pregnant again. It was also not long after that when Peony, the housekeeper, also became pregnant. Maria started to ask Keldorn about this, but Keldorn started to get defensive and asked, ”Hey, who's the Inquisitor here?" Then Keldorn started to do the math with her to track the conception of Maria's pregnancy. She certainly did not want him to get to the end of that equation, so she quickly changed the subject. She suggested getting a new maid, but Keldorn chastised her for abandoning someone in their time of need who had been like family for years. He forbade Peony's departure claiming that his god, Torm, would not stand for it. Maria then made a passive aggressive comment about Torm being the god of loyalty, but she was mostly just muttering under her breath to get the last word in. Eventually, both children were born and had probably the most awkward upbringing of anyone in Faerun."
“After Gorion's Ward helped Coran take down a wyvern, the rogue brought the beast's head back to the mayor of Beregost for the reward and accolades. He thought this put him in a position to be a hero of great renown and perhaps, just maybe, people would stop mocking him for his flashy attire and completely superfluous eye mask. They didn't. He only gained acceptance when he crossed paths with a ranger who seemed indifferent towards Coran's keen fashion sense. Coran traveled the Sword Coast with his ranger sidekick, righting the wrongs against the ‘little guy’ and taking the law into their own hands when needed. This partnership dissolved when he discovered that the ranger thought Coran was the sidekick. As if! Coran tried to correct the ranger, whose argument was, 'Really, man, if that outfit doesn't scream sidekick then I'm Elminster's twin brother.' The ranger was not related to Elminster and shared no resemblance.
“Kivan never was able to get his revenge on Tazok. Unbeknownst to him, that honor was taken by Gorion's Ward. His thirst for vengeance continued to eat away at him until he found himself in a bat infested cave in the wilderness. It was then he snapped. He turned the cave into his secret hideaway, put together a disguise and started wandering the sword coast looking for evil-doers to punish. He would leave his calling card wherever he saved the day, a token of a bat with longer ears like an elf. And bats already had rather long ears so these bat ears were almost comically obtrusive. Nevertheless, his deeds were generally appreciated and the people stared calling him Bat-elf. For a short spell, another elf tagged along with him and tried to help, but he was so flamboyantly dressed that one could pick his sidekick out of the shadows blindfolded. Kivan eventually had to send him on his way. Unfortunately, his vigilante crusade abruptly ended after receiving a cease and decist order from DC Comics. Kivan could fight both monster and marauder all day, but his 14 Constitution wouldn't hold up against a lawsuit for trademark infringement.”
“Skie was deeply affected by both the death of her brother and the assassination of her father. And yes, her father was actually murdered and didn't lol-jk back to life in some crappy DLC. In any event, through these traumas, she came to realize the puerility of what she thought was her brilliant criminal masterminding. Instead, she decided to settle down and live a more responsible life as an upstanding citizen of Baldur's Gate. She took the reins of her father's estate after his death and rose to prominence as one of the Grand Dukes of the city. She maintained her relationship with Eldoth for quite some time, inexplicably, as he refused to get a job because he didn't want to take attention from his band which he swore was going to make it. However, the bard spent most of the day either lounging at Skie’s estate or gambling away his allowance with games of three-dragon-ante at the Helm and Cloak. Eventually, inspired by the book “Men Are From Menzoberranzan, Women Are From Immilmar," she decided to call it quits with Eldoth and sent him packing. Shortly thereafter, she met a man who was nothing like Eldoth and they settled down together to start a family."
“Eldoth's dreams of being a world-famous musician fronting the greatest band in Faerun never reached fruition. This was partly because he didn't actually have a band and partly because he didn't have the talent to write music. Instead, he just had a lute he purchased at Lucky Aello's Discount Store that only had one A-string and was missing the E-string. Also, Eldoth could only play power chords and he couldn't really sing and play at the same time. Most of the time he would just strum a chord or two and then talk about what the song would do next, often describing a solo and half playing it on an ”air lute" (while he was still holding an actual lute, mind you) to give people the idea as to how the song would sound when it was finally written. Yeah, he was one of those guys. After Skie kicked him to the curb, he bounced between various barmaids who clearly had low self-esteem, but not low enough to keep him around for long. Eventually, he got one of them pregnant and was forced into a shotgun wedding by the barmaid's father. He now works in the kitchen at the same inn as his barmaid wife. She helps the customers up front and he cooks eggs in the back. Eldoth continues to tell himself that this experience will just provide inspiration for his music and that someday he was going to get the band back together."
“After being rescued by Gorion's Ward, Xan made his way to Baldur's Gate to regroup. He spent an inordinate amount of time beating himself up over his failures and trying to muster the gumption to continue his quest to unravel the political turmoil of the region. However, it took him months to get to this point, and by that time, Gorion's Ward already sorted out the problems in the region. Discovering this, he deemed himself a failure yet again and sunk into a deeper depression. He pulled himself out of it when he met a woman who lost most of her family to violent deaths during the iron crisis, yet she still kept herself together and became a local success in a few short years. Xan immediately fell in love with the recently single Skie Silvershield and began to court her. They eventually married and started a family. At Xan's insistence, and inspired by his wife's name, their two daughters were named Sunshine and Rainbow. Xan was a staunch supporter of his wife's career and stayed home to raise the kids. When they were older and needed less attending, he followed a new dream and became a motivational speaker.”
“Korgan had his revenge against his backstabbing crew and employer, but he felt...empty. It was done, but he felt no satisfaction. Disgruntled and disappointed, he decided to lose himself in his cups at the Copper Coronet. Even this did nothing to alleviate his malaise. One night, having passed out drunk in a peasant room at the Copper Coronet, he dreamt of that final fight but something was different. In the background of the battle, there was a glow coming from the door of a shack and he heard the whispering of a language that sounded like it was from Kara-Tur. When he woke the next morning, Korgan returned to the rooftop and found the shack from his dream. He knocked and was greeted by a priest of Illmater. Korgan told the priest of his dream and he was led into the backroom where he found a man from Kara-Tur infirm and huddled over a cup of tea. The priest explained that he had just reincarnated this man of the faith using a heart delivered by a passing adventurer. Korgan took this as a sign, converted to the faith, and the two paired up to help those in suffering as a result of the schemes of others. The tales of Korgan and Yoshimo were not only told in many of a tavern by the bards, but also collected in graphic serials that were popular among the children of Athkatla.”
“Ajantis' death sent him into an afterlife at Everwatch, the realm of Helm. For his honor and diligence, the devout knight was granted an audience with his patron. Ajantis then told Helm what utter bullshit the god was. I mean, c'mon, he's the god of protection, the Vigilant One, and he couldn't protect a group of knights from a dragon's cheap illusion spell that a mage even tried to dispel with True Sight? It was like Helm wasn't even trying. Helm was stunned by the confrontation but also had no valid defense. Ajantis called Helm to a trial that was mediated by Tyr. After careful deliberation, Tyr determined that Helm was sleeping on the job and the judgment was to demote him to a lesser deity. Now, Helm was the patron of guards, but not actual guards that ever see action, just the ceremonial ones whose weapons and armor are super shiny and probably not even real. Ajantis was then granted Helm's old portfolio and became a god that truly protected his followers.”
“Viconia left Athkatla's government district perplexed. She was rescued from burning at the stake by Gorion's Ward and then immediately dismissed. She found this to be unusual behavior for a male. She was accustomed to men either trying to bed her or kill her, but this casual indifference was completely new. Viconia came to be obsessed with Gorion's Ward from a distance. She spiraled into a fantasy where the two of them had a future together. It was pretty bad. There were some extremely embarrassing vision boards involved and that wasn't even the worst of it. When her mania reached critical mass, her obsession actually collapsed and she had an epiphany. She came to realize that she did not need this man, or any for that matter. She started on a journey of self discovery and took a moral inventory of her past relationships. She wrote about it in the book, “Men Are From Menzoberranzan, Women Are From Immilmar”. She then used the revenue from the book sales to open Athkatla's first feminist bookstore. In Her Words became a mecca for women, particularly those who felt trapped in bad relationships. The community that emerged here created the group, Friends of Galia, which strove to free women from abusive relationships. Eventually, the bookstore expanded to include an apartment block above that became a shelter for such women. Occasionally, the partners of these victims would come around to In Her Words in an attempt to drag their partners back home. You can probably guess how a confrontation between a drunken 0-level commoner and a Drow priestess of Shar ends."
“Faldorn was defeated by Jaheira in Trademeet and lost her title of Arch-Druid. In truth, she was relieved to be relieved of the position. Years of pushing forward the Shadow Druid agenda led Faldorn to realize that she had lost touch with the real Faldorn along the way. After some soul-searching, she reinvented herself as a lifestyle guru and developed an entire line of organic health and beauty products under the name, She-Wolf. Both her products and seminars were all the rage in Athkatla, specifically among noblewomen who clearly had too much free time. Faldorn eventually gave up her residence in natural environs for a lavish estate in Athkatla's government district. Her following soon pressured her to petition to join the Council of Six after the fall of the Cowled Wizards left the position open (aside from a short-term replacement). Her petition was a success and she soon found herself on the Council of Six. Under her leadership, she created created the FDAA, the Food and Drink Association of Athkatla. Now, instead of draconian rules governing magic in the city, equally restrictive rules and standards were applied to the food and drink that the people consumed.”
“Barely surviving being gravely wounded by Irenicus, Tiax left Spellhold for Athkatla where he intended to do what he did best: rule. Learning from his past campaign mistakes in Baldur's Gate, he changed his slogan from ”Tiax Rules!" to “Make Athkatla Great Again”. Of course, what he thought would make Athkatla great was putting himself in charge as a despotic leader. But, he toned down that aspect of his platform and instead focused on the history of scheming and backroom dealing of the Cowled Wizards (as if he was any less evil or scheming) and promised the people he would be different than all the other corrupt politicians. Miraculously, despite his obviously apparent character flaws, he succeeded in replacing the Cowled Wizards' representative on the Council of Six. He decided to take their stance on restrictive magic to the next level and banned magic entirely. Since he didn't study the arcane himself, it was no skin of his nose. This move undermined his support base leaving him with only the most backwards and ignorant followers. He was ultimately removed from his position when he insisted the city build a wall around the planar sphere and was expecting that the city's wizards would be the ones to pay for it. After his removal, his few remaining extreme supporters organized an invasion of the main government building under the guise of freedom of assembly. All nine of these “rebels” were rounded up, tried, and sent to prison. Tiax was convicted of treason and reincarnated in Spellhold, which was now just a common prison. After his eventual release, he was prohibited from seeking any position of power in Amn."
"Edwin Odesseiron continued to lay low with the Shadow Thieves for a while. The Cowled Wizards suffered a crippling blow as a side effect of the conflict between Gorion's Ward and Irenicus. Edwin decided to step in and finish the job. His thought was that he could wipe out the Cowled Wizard remnants and then take credit for their defeat, thereby gaining him more clout among the Red Wizards of Thay. After many conspicuous mage battles in the streets of Athkatla, he succeeded. However, the people who noticed his efforts the most were actually the people of Athkatla. They were tired of living under the Cowled Wizards' iron fist and Edwin was lauded as a liberator and hero. He even had a statue in his image raised in Waukeen's Promenade. Edwin was initially nonplussed over people finally giving him the credit he always felt he so rightfully deserved. But, he quickly came to accept their praise and bought in to being a champion for the people. Edwin continued his agenda of liberation when a clearly insane gnome who found his way on the Council of Six tried to ban magic entirely in the city. Edwin and his followers were primarily responsible for having the madman removed from his seat.
“Shar-Teel, Safana, Branwen, and Alora all happened to cross paths with each other at Elfsong one evening. Shar-Teel was looking to fight a man, Safana was looking to shag a man, Branwen was recently petrified by a man, and Alora was just excited to be somewhere new. The four got to talking with each other and, despite having wildly different personalities, seemed to hit it off. Shar-Teel was sarcastic and aggressive, Safana was self-absorbed and man-hungry, Alora was kind and sweet, and Branwen was the matriarch of the group. You wouldn't think this lot would get along, but they actually did, and their differences merely become the fuel for innocuous hi-jinks week after week.”
"With Gorion's Ward's help, Cernd was able to rescue his child that he then abandoned again at the druid grove near Trademeet. He promised that he would return to raise the child, he just needed to run to the general shop in Trademeet for some pipeweed. He never returned, but that was pretty obvious since he didn’t even smoke. Cernd continued to wander Faerun. It came to light in Cormyr that Cernd had actually married, and had children, with numerous women in Cormyr, Amn, the Sword Coast, Tethyr, Calimshan, Turmish, Halruaa, Icewind Dale, Chondath, Sembia, Impiltur, the Silver Marches, and even the Troll Hills (don't ask). Furthermore, it was discovered that Cernd was not actually a druid, just a werewolf that had a Ring of Goodberries. The druid con was so that he could have a reason to abandon his wives and children and move on to a new situation. You would be surprised at how many women could fall for a guy that can conjure an impromptu picnic in the park. Unfortunately for Cernd, Cormyr was not the kind of place to run afoul of the legal system. For the crime of bigamy, he was sentenced to life in prison. He never set foot near a druid grove again, but he was allowed to participate in a work-release program tending to the gardens of nobles.
“Kagain returned to his shop and grew even more bitter, but not over what the death of Entar Silvershield's son had done to his reputation and business. Instead, he resented that even the Enhanced Edition of the game didn't give him a remotely decent companion quest. By Moradin's hammer, Cernd even had a pretty involved companion quest and the story there both starts and ends with a deadbeat dad! Also, Kagain can regenerate! Korgan can't even do that. And another thing! He was sick of people confusing the two of them as if all dwarves look alike or something. Ok, granted, they're both old dwarves with greying beards, but Korgan's beard is tied while Kagain's beard is brushed out. Of course, none of this made sense to anyone, even to Kagain who never actually crossed paths with Cernd or Korgan. However, the dwarf had nothing to do with his time except stand in his shop, isolated and alone, until he was done in by insanity and plantar fasciitis.”
“The death of Khalid shook Jaheira to the core. She convinced herself that she could never love again, certainly not so soon after his death nor with anyone that would be a child in her eyes. That would be absurd and rather tacky. After her escape from Irenicus' prison and deposing Faldorn from the druid grove, she took over as Arch-Druid. Being a Harper just wouldn't be the same without Khalid. However, the grove would allow her to explore a new, but comfortingly familiar, phase of life. She had barely been installed as the Arch-Druid when Cernd dropped off his child and disappeared again. He did not even stay long enough to tell Jaheira the child's name. Knowing he would likely not return, she named the child Khalid after her lost love. Realizing there were other children our there without families to care for them, Jahaeira would send her subordinates to wander nearby lands and bring them to the grove for a better life. Perhaps not surprisingly, many of these children happened to be Cernd's. She eventually renamed the grove to Kinder Garden in honor of the grove's new purpose of giving these children a kinder upbringing. Jaheira's headstrong personality served her well with these lost children, who all loved her as they would any mother. The Kinder Garden became the most thriving druid grove in all of Faerun. Jaheira eventually died in 1547 DR, with hundreds of children haven been rescued in her lifetime, and a memorial was erected in her honor at the grove. The inscription read, 'Nature's Servant Awaits.'"
“After being freed from Irenicus' dungeon, Minsc put his boots on the ground at the Copper Coronet. Being the simple man that he was, he found himself unwittingly recruited into fighting in the gladiator pits (before Gorion's Ward was able to free the slaves). Yet again, Minsc took a blow to the head. But this time, its effects were something completely new. No longer was he the slow-witted evil-slaying ranger, armed to the teeth and packing a hamster. Instead, his intelligence and wisdom started to blossom and he explored, through dissertation, the impact of modern civilization on the overall ecosystem of Faerun. Indeed, before Minsc started his work, the people of Faerun didn't even have the concept of an ”ecosystem". He left Athkatla to pursue a residency at Jaheira's grove where he could study and work in peace. He published works like, “The Intersection of Geopolitics and Biodiversity: Living More but Dying Sooner”, “The Essential Symbiosis Between the Savage and Civilization”, and “Moral Urbanization: Seeking a More Comprehensive Prosperity”. Minsc continued his studies and writing and ultimately produced enough groundbreaking works to have his own annex in Candlekeep. It was shortly after the dedication of this annex that Minsc disappeared from Faerun, never to be seen again."
“Jan Jansen's fate was the most impressive of all as his endeavors shaped the very fabric of Faerun for centuries to come. His story truly serves as a moral lesson for everyone and we should heed its virtue quite seriously. Helping Lissa and Jaella planted a seed of regret in Lissa with regards to her marriage to Vaelag. Speaking of seeds, this reminds Jan of a time when he was helping his Uncle Scratchy with his turnip farm. However, Uncle Scratchy was hoodwinked and the seeds he received were actually purple carrot seeds. You can imagine Uncle Scratchy's surprise when they sprouted and he suddenly had a field of purple carrots. Well, as you probably know, you can't make turnip stew, or turnip casserole, or turnip pie with purple carrots. But it just so happened there was a mage tower nearby and the resident mage needed a vast number of carrots. Apparently, her plan was to animate them as a kind of vegetable army to combat a myconid infestation in cave system rather close to her tower. Of course, animated carrots are quite self-assured and were immune to myconoid's confusion spores. Anyway, Jan had a once-removed cousin, Bobil, that was lost in those caves when he was a young gnome. He had wandered so deep that he found himself in the den of a solitary xvart who was obsessed with a magic ring. Bobil happened to purloin that ring but it turned out to not be magic at all. However, it was still worth enough for Bobil to buy himself a nice cottage in Trademeet. He then started his own turnip farm and had better luck than Uncle Scratchy. Wait, what were we talking about, again?”
“Boo continued his mission to study the sentient life forms of Faerun and determine their potential impact on the metaverse. He preferred the continued company of Minsc due to the ranger's kindness and protectiveness. Boo found this to be quite valuable in his current miniaturized state. Even after Minsc's accident, where his intellect began to expand, Minsc never lost his good heart and inherent kindness and the two remained the best of friends. It was a number of years later that the term of Boo's mission was complete. A team of his fellow people arrived on a spelljammer to collect the giant miniaturized space hamster. Minsc (and Boo) were on a retreat in a remote part of the Neverwinter Wood when a vessel shaped like a giant acorn landed in a nearby clearing. A number of human-sized anthropomorphic hamster-like beings, who called themselves the Ysoki, emerged and met with Boo. One had a strange crystalline device which it used to restore Boo to his proper size. Minsc naturally remained composed while all this was happening. He and Boo talked often and he knew this day would be coming. Boo returned to the spelljammer with his brethren to debrief on the mission. The Ysoki wanted to bring a sample back to their homeworld for further learning and study. Boo offered Minsc for the task, as the exemplar human would fit in nicely with the Ysoki's advanced culture and society. Everyone was in agreement and made the offer to the ranger. Minsc felt like he had made every contribution he could to the people of Faerun, so he accepted and boarded the ship. Boo, excited to finally be on a spelljammer again, took the helm and plotted a course for his homeworld. At his side sat his friend and faithful companion, Minsc.”

Ne Lei, Champion of Gods

Ne Lei is the Champion of Gods, chosen and favored by multiple Gods or an equivalent to Aspects. Ne Lei came from a secluded tribe East of Valoran where they revere Gods as their guidance for every day lives.

Date:

03.02.2024

Image:

I do not own these image. It is served as a reference only.

Gameplay:

Ne Lei is a Fighter who grows stronger if she perform a certain conditions in order to please her Gods. After that Condition, she is granted a Blessings augmenting her.
Her God theme is inspired by some Greek Gods (such as Zeus, Artemis, Ares and etc.). God’s Blessing Theme is inspired by Hades (a Rogue-like Game).

Previous Concept:

• Nicetas, the Warrior of Gods

Note:

All of spell damage/effect, scalings, amount, cost and cooldowns are roughly estimated. Numbers can be adjusted and it is only a representation.

Basic Attack:

MODIFIED ATTACK: Ne Lei’s Basic Attack are modified and has 3 forms: * Sword = Sweep in 100° Cone at 🎯150 Range at Melee targeting. * Spear = Thrust of Spear from 🎯151 - 375 Range, dealing 100% of ⚔️AD in a line. * Bow = Release an Arrow at 🎯376 - 500 Range but deals 85% of ⚔️AD.

Passive: Favored by Gods

INNATE: Ne Lei is granted multiple Blessings from 7 Gods. She gain these blessings by Impressing the Gods for a certain conditions.

Q: Call for Gods

ACTIVE: Ne Lei shouts for Aid of Gods, ⚜️marking all enemy unit around her for ⌛️5 seconds. She would then gain bonus 🏹Attack Speed and 🔼Increase Damage Output for a given duration.
⚜️Marked unit would also share a portion of Damage to other ⚜️Marked unit when they take damage from Ne Lei. Share Damage deal 🗡️True Damage.

🏹Bonus Attack Speed	(30/45/60/75/90%)
🔼Increase Damage Output	(8/12/16/20/24%)
🗡️Share Damage	(30/35/40/45/50%)
⌛️Buff Duration	(2/2.3/2.6/2.9/3.2) seconds
🎯Spell Range	850
🕒Cooldown	(12/11/10/9/8) seconds
💧Cost	60 mana

W: God’s Aegis

ACTIVE: Gods grant Ne Lei an Aura based Aegis. Which all Enemy units inside the Aura have their 🔽Damage Output reduced against Ne Lei only.
Aura also ❄️Slows them.

🔽Damage Reduction	(30/35/40/45/50%) (+5% per 100 AP) (+5% per 100 bonus AD)
❄️Slow	(20/24/28/32/36%)
⌛️Aura Duration	(2/2.25/2.5/2.75/3) seconds
🎯Aura Radius	500
🕒Cooldown	(20/18.5/17/15.5/14) seconds
💧Cost	50 mana

E: Strife

ACTIVE: Ne Lei dashes to target direction then grant her bonus ⚔️Physical Damage on each of her Unique Attacks: Bonus on each weapon (Sword, Spear, Bow).
Every time she perform and damages an enemy unit using the bonus ⚔️Damage she gain bonus 🥾Movement Speed for ⌛️1.5 second.

⚔️Bonus Physical Damage	(25/50/75/100/125) (+15/20/25/30/35% bonus AD)
🥾Bonus Movement Speed	(30/40/50/60/70) flat Movement Speed
🎯Dash Range	550
🕒Cooldown	12 seconds
💧Cost	35 mana

Ultimate: Art of Conviction

ACTIVE: Ne Lei calls down the Aid from her Gods, then a Smite from Heaven Strikes the Enemy dealing 🔥Magic Damage PLUS the TOTAL 🔥⚔️Damage Output does the Enemy dealt in the past ⌛️3 seconds.

🔥Base Magic Damage	(100/200/300) (+70% AP) (+100% bonus AD)
🔥Bonus Damage	(+30/45/60% of Damage dealt by target Enemy)
🎯Cast Range	400
🕒Cooldown	(150/125/100) seconds
💧Cost	100 mana

GOD’S BLESSINGS:

1.) God of Heaven

BLESSINGS: Ultimate’s 🔥Bonus Damage increased into (+100% Total Damage Output dealt by Enemy) then 😵Stun the target for ⌛️1 second.
DEED: Killing 5 Unique Enemy Champion.

2.) God of Travel

BLESSINGS: Casting Strife Dash him grant 200% bonus 🥾Movement Speed for 0.5 second. It also TRIPLE the bonus Flat bonus 🥾Movement Speed.
DEED: Travel 🎯25,000 unit distance while Out-of-Combat.

3.) God of Protection

BLESSINGS: Casting W Spell now grant (50 - 210) (+40% AP) 🛡️Shield that lasts for ⌛️3.5 seconds. Additionally, every time Ne Lei gain 🛡️Shield from any source, God’s Aegis will activate & ends effect until Shield breaks.
DEED: Takes ⚔️🔥15,000 Damage from Enemy Champion.

4.) God of Death

BLESSINGS: When ⚜️Marked unit is Killed, it deal (10 - 85) (+4% - 8% Max Health of Killed Unit) as 🗡️True Damage.
DEED: After killing 200 Enemy Minions.

5.) God of Hunt

BLESSINGS: Bow now deal (110% AD)and has 575 Attack Range.
DEED: Hitting an Enemy Champion using Bow for 100 times while NOT Damaged by Enemy Champion. Resets effect after not taking damage from Champion for ⌛️7 seconds.

6.) God of War

BLESSINGS: Spear has DOUBLE the 🏹Attack Speed.
DEED: After dealing ⚔️10,000 of Damage to Enemy champion using Spear.

7.) God of Wealth

BLESSINGS: Gain +15% 💰Gold from any source. He also gain (+2.5% of Current Gold) as bonus ⚔️AD and (+3.25% of Current Gold) as bonus 🔥AP.
DEED: After he gain 3,500 💰Gold using his Sword in killing an enemy unit.

my partner (21M) and I (21F) have been together for 3 years. until recently i have always felt like we have a really loving and healthy relationship, where even if we have problems they can get easily resolved and we both have immense trust for each other. we have talked about spending our lives together and care deeply about each other.
however, an ongoing problem we’ve faced is my need for planning out when we spend time together, and his more spontaneous outlook on life. he does not go out of his way to spend time with me, he’d just prefer to happen to spend time together.
we both see each other in college all the time, but now he has gone to study abroad in Italy for a couple months. i know that he is extremely busy, traveling between cities, taking classes, seeing attractions, planning trips, hanging out with other students, etc. but it’s been several weeks now and we’ve barely talked for more than 1 hour in total. sometimes he will send me pictures of what he’s up to, but most days he does not respond to my messages and every day i hope that he will call but he doesn’t. he has said that he feels bad that he is always busy and wants to talk to me, but i don’t feel like he is making any effort. and now he gets annoyed when i accuse him of not making time for me because he wants me to understand that he is always busy.
i know that he still loves me and is just really bad at planning, but i’m no longer feeling like just accepting that he can’t make time for me. i find it very hard to believe that he doesn’t have even a few minutes in a day to say hello. i think that he takes it for granted that we always forgive each other, so he is just ignoring me. i feel very neglected and im not sure if we should still be together. it is hurting me that he doesn’t feel the desire to talk to me either.
idk. am i needy? advice??

Gripped loden suede travelers.
I like to match shoe and belt color. Don't see any loden color belts on grant stone web.
Any suggestions ? I'm thinking black leather belt world be the next best thing?

Explosion Snap: Accelerates special cooldown charge -1. If unit initiates combat before combat begins unit deals damage=X% of units Atk before combat was initiated (X=40% if unit is within 3 spaces of an ally, otherwise X=25%) and unit is granted +7Atk/Spd+X% of units of Atk. If unit is within 2 spaces of an ally and 3 spaces of a foe, grants unit Rally Spectrum and inflicts Hush Spectrum on foe and foe's within 5 spaces of foe. Before unit's first attack, if unit's special is at maximum value or can be ready by units attack grants special cooldown -2 and unit deal +10 damage with special.
Burning Raze: Cooldown 4. If unit's special is ready then unit deals damage to foes within 3 spaces of foe equal X% (X=25 of unit's Atk). Unit deals damage equal to 50% of unit's Atk, after combat is unit survived, then unit deals damage to foes within 5 spaces of foe equal to X%.
Fiery Ambition: Unit can counter attack regardless of range. At the start of player phase or enemy phase if unit is within if any foes in cardinal directions of unit has Def or Res> unit's Res or Def, then unit inflicts Atk/Spd/Def/Res-7, Discord, and Exposure to those foes and foes within 5 spaces. At the start of player or enemy if unit is within 3 spaces of an ally then grants Rally Spectrum, Grand Strategy, and Assign Decoy to those allies, and unit can travel to any space adjacent to allies. When combat is initiated unit inflicts Atk/Spd/Def/Res-7 and Foe Penalty Doubler on foe and neutralize skills that prevent unit's follow-up attack or unit's counterattack and unit makes a guaranteed follow up attack and foe can't counterattack. After combat unit can travel to any space adjacent to an ally and inflicts Schism on foe and foes within 3 spaces of that foe.
I chose the name Mustang because obvious reasons being obvious, plus I think a in-game reason would be he prefers everyone calls him by Mustang instead of Roy. I chose Verge of Death because of how Roy almost died alot in the series, and Atk/Spd oath because I though it was cool I guess, I'm thankful for any suggestion for better skills. The all around theme for his weapon and skill his how useless he his without allies and how good he his at using said allies for his gain, the penalty effects are mostly to give him something else. Another theme was the alchemy he uses, casuing explosions so I gave him some before and after combat damage and called it a day. I think I made a bit two OP, but knowing this game all this will probably become nothing in a month you so.

It was hard to believe that Link could ever really die. Link, the iconic hero of the Legend of Zelda series, is distinguished not just by his bravery but by his seemingly perpetual resilience, which stems from his possession of the Triforce of Courage. This sacred artifact, imbued with the essence of the goddess Farore, grants Link more than just bravery—it provides him with a supernatural safeguard against death. Throughout each of his adventures, whether he faces the dark magic of Ganon or the bewildering trials of alternate dimensions, the Triforce of Courage acts as a bastion of protection. It ensures that Link can withstand mortal dangers that would overwhelm others, allowing him to continue fighting and striving to restore balance to the realms he cherishes. This divine protection is a cornerstone of his character, symbolizing that as long as he bears the Triforce of Courage, Link will always rise to meet any challenge, undeterred by the specter of defeat or demise.
So with that understood, how do we explain the downfall timeline? Well I think I've got an answer.
The Triforce of Courage grants the bearer the courage to face overwhelming odds and protects them from losing their essence or being overwhelmed by external evils. In the Zelda series, this Triforce piece often manifests its power by aiding Link in overcoming supernatural threats and challenges that would otherwise be insurmountable.
After the events of Ocarina of Time, There are two separate timelines created, one with Link, and one without link. The timeline with Link is the child timeline, where young link returns to Kokiri Forest to seek out his friend Navi. What happens next is undetermined, until now...
Once there, Link gets lost, but not just lost, lost without a fairy. In the lore of Ocarina of Time, those who get lost in the Lost Woods without a fairy companion are said to become Skull Kids. However, Link, even after returning to his childhood and losing Navi, carries the Triforce of Courage. This artifact's essence not only embodies bravery but also fundamentally protects the wielder’s spirit from corruption and transformation. Essentially, the Triforce of Courage acts as a shield, preserving Link's identity and purpose against the transformative magic of the Lost Woods.
Link's venture into the Lost Woods, safeguarded by the Triforce of Courage, sets off a remarkable event. Instead of succumbing to the fate of becoming a Skull Kid—a common destiny for those who lose their way in this enchanted forest—the Triforce of Courage interacts with the mystical energies that saturate the woods. The Lost Woods are not only a mysterious and ancient place but also the location of the Kokiri's Emerald, a sacred stone left by the goddess Farore. Farore is known for her power to create realms, as seen in Skyward Sword.
This unique interaction between the protective power of the Triforce of Courage and the realm-creating magic associated with Farore' s Emerald generates a rift or portal. This portal leads to the creation of a new timeline: a fantasy timeline beginning in Termina, an alternate dimension that mirrors and distorts the realities of Hyrule. This pivotal moment marks the divergence from the known paths of Hyrule's history into new, uncharted territories.
(This fantasy timeline explains why their are are fantasy characters' in these particular Zelda games. Like Mario characters in Link's awakening or Din in the oracle games. These characters are fantasies.)
Why Termina?
Termina can be seen as a physical manifestation of a trial created by the Triforce of Courage for Link to overcome. This world, laden with impending doom, peculiar inhabitants, and twisted versions of Hyrule’s characters, is essentially a crucible designed to test Link’s bravery and resolve. The challenges within Termina are direct reflections of the inner fears and the courage needed to confront them, perfectly aligning with the purpose of the Triforce of Courage—to push its bearer beyond their limits in the face of true adversity.
Majora’s Mask, with its dark themes and existential threats, serves as the ultimate test of courage for Link. The Triforce’s influence ensures that Link not only survives the journey but is also given a chance to grow and understand the depths of courage. It guides him subtly, ensuring that he stays true to his quest of not only saving Termina but also finding his lost friend, Navi.
At the end of Majora's Mask, Link has successfully navigated the trials of Termina, proving his courage and fortitude. With his mission in Termina complete, and his attempts to find Navi (his fairy companion from Ocarina of Time) unresolved, Link departs from the unknown realm. As Link continues his wandering in search of Navi, the Triforce of Courage leads him to Hytopia, thus bringing us to the next game in the fantasy timeline, Triforce heroes.
After the events in Tri Force Heroes, where Link and his two duplicates successfully lift the curse on Princess Styla, the magical bond that linked the three Links dissipates. This could be explained by the Triforce of Courage, having fulfilled its purpose in Hytopia, leading Link to new challenges where his heroic virtues are needed. With Hytopia’s immediate crisis resolved, Link sets out to explore new lands, possibly still in search of his original quest to locate Navi or driven by a restlessness instilled by his continuous heroic callings as he is still unaware of the fantasy timeline that he’s in.
The Triforce of Courage, still with Link, guides him to new lands with emerging threats. This mystical artifact, sensing disturbances in the balance of good and evil in distant realms, might lead Link to Holodrum and Labrynna. These lands, unlike Hytopia, face dire existential threats that require not just courage but the ability to adapt to changing environments and timelines, which are central themes in Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages.
Link's Awakening occurs after Link’s heroic deeds in the Oracle series. In this narrative sequence, Link sets off on a personal journey to train and prepare for future threats. Still unaware that he's in a fantasy timeline. He travels by boat, seeking wisdom and strength to be better equipped as Hyrule’s guardian. This journey symbolizes a hero’s need to reflect and grow, a common theme in legends.
The central twist of Link’s Awakening is the realization that Koholint Island is a dream realm created by the Wind Fish. As Link gathers the instruments and prepares to awaken the Wind Fish, he faces a moral and existential dilemma: awakening the Wind Fish will erase the island and its inhabitants from existence. This challenge is a test of Link’s courage and wisdom, pushing him to understand the complexities of reality and illusion, a theme deeply embedded in his quest to overcome this fantasy timeline he’s created.
Upon awakening the Wind Fish, the island fades away, and Link finds himself adrift on the open sea on a piece of his shipwrecked boat. This conclusion represents a rebirth for Link, a literal and metaphorical awakening. He is left to reflect on the nature of his journey and the lessons learned about impermanence and the power of belief and dreams.
Unbeknownst to the people of Hyrule, Link has not died but has instead been transported to yet another dimension or time, continuing his adventures elsewhere or even struggling to find his way back to Hyrule. In this newly created timeline, however, his perceived death leads to the absence of a hero when Hyrule most needs one, resulting in the realm's downfall. The downfall timeline.

Conclusion:

This version of the downfall timeline is rich with the fantasy and magic central to The Legend of Zelda series. It hinges on a magical misinterpretation: the sight of Link vanishing into a rift created by the clash between the Triforce of Courage and the ancient magics of the Lost Woods. This event, seen as his death, marks the tragic beginning of the downfall timeline, setting the stage for a darker chapter in Hyrule's history where the hero is believed lost forever.

I am applying for travel document i-131. My status is asylum granted. I have an I-485 form pending. I live in New York. Where do I send my application?
It looks like I fit into 2 possible categories:

1. Refugee travel document applicants (resident of New York)

USCIS
Attn: NFB
P.O. Box 4115
Carol Stream, IL 60197-4115

1. Applicants with a pending Form I-485 (Form I-485 receipt begins with SRC)

USCIS
Attn: NFB
P.O. Box 660867
Dallas, TX 75266-0867
Which address should I send it to? Thanks for your help

Has anybody been in a similar boat? Would wholeheartedly appreciate some help.
My worries about UCLA are: - Lack of life balance due to the fast-paced quarter system. I’m worried I’ll be too wrapped up in education to even enjoy living in LA. - Cost of living. Self explanatory.
I’ve been living in North County and it would be nice to be closer to friends if I went to SDSU. But, on the other hand, I always find myself traveling to LA for events and such. It would be sick to live there for a while.
I’m trying not to freak out, but the admittance deadline to SDSU is tomorrow, compared to UC’s being June 1st.
I also got accepted to UCI and UCSB. I didn’t feel great visiting UCI, seemed boring, but they offered me a 5k grant AND the living arrangements are most ideal. UCSB would be awesome but they’re requiring me to take almost a whole extra year of research based writing classes, so I’ve sadly written them off.
If you can’t tell, I’m frazzled and would appreciate some advice. Thanks ❤️

General reminder that many changes cannot be easily datamined, such as functionality changes or bugfixes, and are not always final.
 

Champions

Ornn

• a bit ago it was brought up that Ornn's passive was unsustainable due to the demand to create copypasted versions of his item upgrades and also have to make sure to keep them updated with any changes from the base items
• the passive upgrades have now been overhauled
• however this is clearly unfinished and buggy so it's not entirely clear what the final vision is supposed to be (the tooltip is currently unchanged from live)
• regardless, this is how it can now currently be observed to function:
  • Ornn can now upgrade every completed item except for unstacked Tear items and Support Quest items
    • this includes a couple oddities like Mejai's and Vigilant Wardstone
  • Ornn's upgrades now grant a mostly-fixed 1000 gold value to the following stats that the item possesses (split mostly-evenly):
    • AD:  +1/35g  (same as Long Sword)
    • AP:  +1/20g  (same as Amplifying Tome)
    • HP:  +1/2.66g  (same as Ruby Crystal)
    • Armor:  +1/20g  (same as Cloth Armor)
    • MR:  +1/18g  (same as Null-Magic Mantle)
    • AH:  +1/31.25g  (not sure what this is coming from, but we know that Riot does not actually value Ability Haste based on Glowing Mote like the wiki implies, possible that they took an average across multiple epic items?)
    • AS:  +1/30g  (same as Dagger post-14.10)
    • all other stats do not count (i.e. no Lethality, which would have been cool to see an official stance on its gold value)
  • for example:
    • Kraken Slayer post-14.10 grants 50 AD, 40% AS, and 7% MS on the base item
    • of these, Ornn only upgrades AD and AS, so the 1000 gold value will be split between those, leaving the MS untouched
    • 500g of AD and AS comes out to +14.3 AD and +16.7% AS
    • as a result, the Masterwork Kraken Slayer now grants +64 AD, +56% AS, and +7% MS (it's not entirely clear if it's actually rounding or if it's tooltip only)
  • Health seems to have a unique property to it that diminishes its value when joined by other upgradeable stats (this behavior doesn't exist in the data so I'm not entirely sure about it, it might also just be a math bug)
    • 1 stat (such as Warmog's or Heartsteel):  +375 health (valued at 1000g, which is full value)
    • 2 stats:  +175 health (valued at 465g, instead of 500g, which would grant +188 health)
    • 3 stats:  +125 health (valued at 333g, which is full value)
    • 4 stats:  +75 health (valued at 200g instead of 250g, which would grant +94 health, and suspiciously matches a would-be 5 stat value)
    • 5 stats:  pretty sure there is no such item unless Nexus Blitz Spatula comes back
  • upgrades still apply to only your first slotted item
    • there does not seem to have been anything added yet to better disambiguate where you want your upgrade to go beyond having to coordinate your slots with your Ornn (or in Ornn's case, making sure to have a specific item slotted first before you hit level 13)
    • this could potentially be solved by having the upgrade instead give you the Ornn crafting UI and picking which item to upgrade from there
    • also once you have an item upgraded, that is the only item that will be upgraded for the rest of the game (for example, if you upgraded Randuin's Omen, you cannot sell it to try to upgrade your Jak'Sho, for the rest of the game you will only be able to get upgraded Randuin's Omen)
    • for current testing purposes, the Reset Game cheat does let you pick a new item to upgrade, however it's pretty annoying to have to do that every time
  • upgrades no longer have unique names
    • for example, Black Cleaver now just becomes "Black Cleaver (Masterwork)" instead of Obsidian Cleaver
    • fortunately, the way they have this set up seems like it would be somewhat easy to keep the unique names in the future if they were willing to do so
    • the name gets changed by using an Item Modifier, and currently there is only one Item Modifier for all Ornn items, so the modifier has been told to simply append the masterwork label
    • however, Item Modifiers also support replacing names entirely, so if they wanted to they could create unique modifiers for each item's Ornn name
    • while this would still result in some future maintenance required whenever new items are added, and would now require every completed item to be given an upgrade name instead of just a handful, it's something you'd only have to do once and never come back to, instead of needing constant upkeep like the live Ornn upgrade system
• overall this is a very promising solution and its current shortcomings have some pretty good opportunities for improvement

 

ARAM

• Homestart speed duration:  10s 20s
  • this is the speed boost you get on game start as well as whenever you respawn before 5:00
  • this doesn't really matter much for game start since it takes 15s for spawn gates to drop + 3s for portal travel time
  • also it currently only grants ~1 speed? there's a data value that implies it should be 50% speed but maybe they divided by 100?

• We started with the two federal lawsuits filed last Thursday, seeking to block Iowa from enforcing Senate File 2340, the immigration law that creates a new state crime of “illegal reentry.” You can read the federal government’s lawsuit here and the case filed on behalf of Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice and two individuals here. I have a post in progress at Bleeding Heartland on why the state will struggle to show this law is constitutional;
• One key issue in both lawsuits: Iowa’s law makes no allowance for the reality that the federal government may grant permission for someone to be in this country, even if they were removed or deported in the past;
• Responding to the lawsuit, Governor Kim Reynolds cited her “responsibility to protect the citizens of Iowa. Since President Biden refuses to enforce our nation’s immigrationlaws – threatening the safety of our citizens – Iowa will step in.” Similarly, Attorney General Bird said, “Iowa stands ready to defend our immigration law that keeps Iowa communities safe”;
• I previewed one of the key legal arguments for the state, which Republican legislators put forward during the House and Senate debates. The concept is that the U.S. Constitution allows states to defend themselves against an “invasion,” and GOP politicians claim undocumented immigration amounts to an invasion of this country;
• Contrary to the idea that SF 2340 will keep Iowans safe, Marshalltown Police chief Michael Tupper submitted a declaration for one lawsuit explaining why “it undermines public safety” when the immigrant community believes local police will engage in immigration enforcement;
• Many of the arguments in these cases overlap, and U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Locher has consolidated a hearing on the motions for a preliminary injunction, which is set for June 10;
• Iowa became a plaintiff in yet another lawsuit against the Biden administration last week. This case, involving six GOP-led states that are part of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, challenges the U.S. Department of Education’s latest rule related to Title IX protections for LGBTQ students. Republicans dispute that Title IX’s prohibition of sex discrimination should encompass discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity;
• Bird was spotted on Monday morning outside the criminal court where Donald Trump’s trial continues in Manhattan. The Attorney General’s office hasn’t answered any of my questions about the trip, but a spokesperson told the Des Moines Register’s Brianne Pfannenstiel “no taxpayer money had been used to fund her travel.” Bird spoke briefly to reporters outside the courthouse to call the case a “travesty” designed to keep Trump off the campaign trail;
• George wondered if state political leaders traveling across the country was going to be the “new normal.” I won’t be surprised to see Bird appearing with Trump in other venues this year. She’s been the former president’s top Iowa surrogate since Governor Reynolds endorsed and actively campaigned for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis;
• Moving to legislative news, the governor continues to sign more laws the legislature approved last month. Last week, she signed Senate File 2251, one of the bills she proposed, extending postpartum Medicaid coverage for thousands of Iowa women while excluding thousands of women from pregnancy or postpartum coverage;
• I’ve been wanting to talk about House File 626 for a while, but I don’t think Dennis and I ever got to it during the legislative session. Starting next year, this law will prohibit insurance companies from forcing a change to someone’s prescription medications in the middle of a coverage year, if the patient is stable on the drug and a health care provider continues to prescribe it. I enjoy stories like this, which have a major lobbying component. You might think this bill is not controversial, because it passed both chambers nearly unanimously. But advocates had to work for at least seven years to get it to the Iowa Senate floor, due to strong opposition from the insurance lobby;
• Here’s an update on a bill that particularly affects mothers. Natalie Krebs reported for Iowa Public Radio last week on contracts signed with four groups that will provide services under the “More Options for Maternal Support” (MOMS) program, which funnels taxpayer dollars to crisis pregnancy centers. Senate File 2252, which the governor signed in April, allows the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to administer this program directly;
• Reynolds signed the remaining appropriations bills last week, which set spending levels for the fiscal year beginning on July 1. On this program I wanted to highlight a couple of big picture points: Reynolds did not use her item veto power at all, which illustrates how Republicans closely coordinate budgeting with the governor’s office these days. They don’t put anything important in appropriations bills without her approval;
• Second, the $8.9 billion state budget for fiscal year 2025 will spend only about 80 percent of projected state revenues. By law, legislators are allowed to allocate up to 99 percent of projected revenue, but Republicans are building huge surpluses into the budget in order to cover future tax cuts;
• The June 4 primary fast approaches, and I wanted to flag the early voting deadlines for listeners. You can vote early in person starting May 15, and county auditors will start mailing out absentee ballots on the same day. Whether you vote early or on the primary election day, remember to bring some form of voter ID with you. If you need to change your address or register for the first time, bring proof of address as well as a valid ID;
• Moving back to state government news, Bird held a press conference on Friday to announce she was creating a new task force on antisemitism. Oddly, her office still hasn’t released a full list of task force members. I was able to confirm over the weekend that none of the three current state legislators who are Jewish were invited to participate;
• On the environmental front, there was good news and bad news connected to the heavy rain Iowa has seen in recent weeks. Jared Strong reported for Iowa Capital Dispatch that “For the first time in nearly two years, no part of Iowa has extreme drought”;
• Now for the bad news: the rain has flushed a lot of nitrate off fields and into Iowa waterways. Strong reported on this problem for Iowa Capital Dispatch as well;
• Excessive levels of nitrate in water has been associated with blue baby syndrome and certain cancers; I recently republished some in-depth reporting by Keith Schneider on the possible link between farm chemicals and high cancer rates in Palo Alto County;
• A quick bit of Congressional news: all four Iowans in the U.S. House helped save House Speaker Mike Johnson’s job last week;
• We didn’t have time to dig in to the details, but researchers from Princeton University have demonstrated that Iowa’s “Education Savings Accounts” (school voucher) program led to tuition increases at many private schools. Stay tuned, because I will have more to say about these findings on the May 20 program.

If the names "Pip & Beans" mean anything to you, please stop reading.
Hello, I've made custom feats for each of my players and id like some guidance on balancing.
Bard -
2 new uses of bardic inspiration;
Diving Keel; while flying, move more than 25 feet in a straight line and attack. On a hit, add the number rolled on your bardic inspiration to the damage. If attacking a huge or smaller creature, the creature must make a strength save against your spell save DC. On a failed save they are pushed 10ft in the direction the PC is travelling.
Offensive blockade; if a creature that has been given inspiration and uses the inspiration to add to a melee attack, on a hit the enemy creature's movement speed is reduced by 10ft until the start of the player's next turn. This reduction is increased to 15ft if the PC is within 20ft of the creature. // Wizard -
"Wins" about engagement with information allows the Player to access "Intellectual Aegis", this condition grants the following benefits;
Advantage on intelligence saves and checks. Gain temporary hit points equal to intelligence modifier. Gain cold resistance.
This lasts 4 hours or until the PC experiences an "L".
*I recognise this is very subjective and so balancing for those not in the game might be difficult - for context this player as part of their character notes down wins and losses day to day. An example of a win is "knowing things others don't and explaining these things to them", and example of a loss is "someone correcting my information". // Rogue -
Gain advantage on initiative checks.
Can use a bonus action to access "Blitz", this condition grants the following benefits;
15ft movement. Advantage on dexterity saves and checks. +1 AC. This Lasts 5 rounds (30 seconds)
Can activate this a number of times equal to the PC's constitution modifier. // Paladin -
You can spend 10 minutes exercising with your companions, shoring up their physical prowess. When you do so, choose up to six friendly creatures (can include yourself) within 40ft of you who are participating in exercise with you. Each creature can gain advantage on their next Constitution save and Strength save/check. A creature can't benefit from this feat again until it has finished a short or long rest.
Player with this advantage must declare it after the roll but before they know the result. // Druid -
At the start of everyday, the PC can choose to speak to animals, this has the effect of the "Speak with animals" spell but lasts the entire day. Once the PC can access 3rd level spells, he can choose between speaking to animals or plants for the day. Speaking to plants operates the same as the "Speak with plants" spell but lasts the entire day.
Possibly helpful extra information;
Party composition is - Aaracockra Bard, Merfolk Wizard, Changeling Rogue, Firbolg Paladin and Warforged Druid. All are level 4.
Some of these are obvious riffs on spells/magic items. Sorry for any poor spelling/formatting!

In a lot of sci-fi, people often dismiss surface defenses, or make them overpowered or ridiculous. And in another direction, orbital bombardment's effectiveness is quite overstated when we look at the history of warfare. In particular for surface defenses though, wet navies at sea get overlooked. Certain writers will fight tooth and nail to keep infantry, tanks, planes, and artillery in a story, then laugh at the idea of a space marine ever setting foot in water. But why? Submarines are naturally stealthy, and theoretically can avoid getting shot from orbit by diving. Yet they'll be dismissed or ignored. A surface vessel has 71% of the globe to maneuver in, potentially more on another planet, and it can carry a large reactor and plenty of weapons of any kind. Yet it is generally taken for granted that all surface vessels would be sunk immediately in any conflict, and are worthless. Other criticisms abound, yet the most common threads are presumption or omission. There is an undercurrent that consistently believes the ability to destroy a planet will make all enemies submit, when that hasn't stopped us since Trinity. I submit that naval vessels are underutilized, and could be more useful than expected, as a mobile source of energy and firepower that's bigger than anything ever put on land, and through their maneuverability have an advantage no stationary installation can match in terms of survivability and strategic deployment.
The arguments generally made against naval vessels are that a wet navy ship can't hide. You can't throw a tarp over it like you can infantry, tanks, or planes. Critics will insist that a seagoing vessel will be instantly lit up, it will be a target that will immediately be destroyed. If a submarine pops up to fire, they'll get nuclear depth charge'd or shot with a laser. Here's a few questions; what's the difference between that and infantry? Why have ground forces at all? Some critics will ask that exact question. In some circles it's presumed that space warfare makes all other kinds of conflict obsolete, or that significant firepower does the same thing. The ability to destroy a planet has done nothing to dissuade us from having conventional war. But that's what we've always said with any new weapon. The Templin Institute video on planetary invasion had a great description of this.
https://youtu.be/XgN5yq362_s
Before WWII, strategic bombing was seen as a game ender. It's effects on breaking the enemy's will to fight is dubious at best. Strategic bombing and nuclear weapons did nothing to end war, or force the enemy to surrender. Even with Hiroshima and Nagasaki, that was a country at its breaking point after fifteen years of near-constant conflict, and five years of a global war. And still, some holdouts tried to stage a coup to prevent the emperor from surrendering.
After WWII, there were those who believed the nuclear age put an end to conventional war. The air force insisted the Navy and Marines were obsolete. This was part of a conflict that would be known as the Revolt of the Admirals. Air Force General Frank A Armstrong was quoted in Nathan Miller's "The US Navy: A History":
"You gentlemen had better understand that the Army Air Force is tired of being a subordinate outfit. It was a predominant force during the war, and it is going to be a predominant force during the peace, and you might as well make up your minds whether you like it or not, and we do not care whether you like it or not. The Army Air Force is going to run the show. You, the Navy, are not going to have anything but a couple of carriers that are ineffective anyway, and they will probably be sunk in the first battle. Now as for the Marines, you know what the Marines are, a small bitched-up army talking Navy lingo. We are going to put those Marines in the Regular Army and make efficient soldiers out of them."
This was accompanied by:
"In the age of atomic warfare, the fast carrier task force was regarded as an anachronism, and such a massive concentration of ships was seen as being more vulnerable to the bomb than any other weapon system...some strategists doubted that the navy would have an important part to play in the future...Admiral Nimitz, then chief of naval operations, pointed out the same thing had been said about the navy when the submarine, the torpedo, and the airplane were introduced. 'While the prophets of naval doom are shouting themselves hoarse, the Navy will be at work to make the changes needed to accommodate American sea power to the new weapons,' he declared..."
They can't think of a war without nuclear weapons. Then the very first war we came across after WWII, Korea, they could not use nuclear weapons at all. Political, economic, or military reasons could all make orbital bombardment less than desirable in certain situations. The situation might prevent it politically. There's limited wars, there's rules of engagement, there's resources you need, there's stuff you want. On the other side of the equation the weapons might not show the results you expect. They might not be accurate, they might be affected by some new flaw, they're just not what you hoped. Or the enemy is more capable than you expect.
Heinlein said in Starship Troopers that "War is not violence and killing, pure and simple; war is controlled violence, for a purpose." Clausewitz once said that "War is a mere continuation of policy by other means". And I say that the ability to destroy a planet is insignificant compared to the power of "why on earth would you do that". If your goal is to conquer a planet, simply glassing it won't get you anything. If you wish to conquer and seize land, you need to send troops. You need someone to hold it and die for it.
So why in the world must this apply to everything but the wet navy? You will see people with big garrisons, you'll see Bolo cybertanks with megaton-per-second firepower, you'll see infantry doing guerilla warfare, you'll even see aircraft. Why is the wet navy seen as so obsolete in sci-fi circles? The largest vehicle ever built in the real world is the ship Seawise Giant, nearly twice the size of the Hindenburg, the largest flying machine ever built, and longer than the largest aircraft carriers ever. This means that a future battleship, carrier, or other vessel could be just as big and carry enormous weapons. Yet still folks insist that because surface ships can't throw a tarp over themselves, that they'll be sitting ducks.
Submarines I've noticed in some circles are a solution. They are small, sneaky, and can use lasers as much as missiles. Others say that they're vulnerable when launching, hence the laser idea. One cool idea I've seen is a boat that extends out big laser arrays on the surface connected by a tether to the sub hiding deep underwater, so that if the laser is shot the submarine is safe beneath the waves. Yet just as often when this idea is proposed, it is claimed that if a submarine pops up, they'll be bombed, insisting that satellites have advanced too far. I don't know enough to speak to that, but there's a lot of ocean. What do you gain by wasting ammo dropping rocks on 71% of the planet just to be sure they don't have a submarine hiding? Wouldn't that be an excellent reason to have submarines, just so the enemy has to waste ships patrolling and not hitting the land targets?
The arguments eventually circle around to "we can nuke it". First of all, the ocean is big and it is deep. You'd trash the environment, including things you might want to conquer, if you vaporized thousands of square kilometers of sea water to kill a single hundred-meter sub. As I must repeat, the ability to destroy a planet is insignificant compared to the power of "why on earth would you do that?" During the Cold War, despite having the ability to glass the planet, we still built tanks, ships, and artillery, because there are certain kinds of war, certain modes of operation, certain things that don't involve total annihilation, because so often that's not what war is about. If you want to conquer a planet, you have to take it. The Soviets being able to annihilate Washington didn't magically alter the fact that they didn't have the ships to move any troops to hold it.
A submarine is one thing. If that can survive, why not a surface ship? Again, that tarp thing would be the answer. "They're sitting ducks!" One must ask why? During the Cold War, carriers were vulnerable, sure, but we still built them, and they can carry nukes too. And they can do a lot more things than a battleship can, from disaster relief to moving the crew's cars. A surface ship can be stealthy, just not as much as a sub. They can carry larger weapons than a sub, with more power to put through them.
While it's said a surface ship can't hide, neither can a starship, it's sitting up there shedding heat like mad. A surface ship has the whole planet to play with.
http://www.rocketpunk-manifesto.com/2009/06/space-warfare-i-gravity-well.html
One scenario pitched to me recently is a bunch of corvettes and frigates loaded down with missiles and lasers that shoot their wad in the opening salvos like a lot of Cold War plans. But does it have to be that small?
Let me be clear. Current generations of naval vessels likely wouldn't stand a chance. But they create an interesting precedent, because there exist multiple anti-satellite(ASAT) weapon projects that we could extrapolate for use on a surface vessel. We have a ton of projects, from the MIRACL directed-energy weapon, to the ASM-135 air-launched missile, the YAL-1 Airborne Laser(ABL), to the RIM-161 Standard Missile 3(not technically anti-satellite, it's an anti-ballistic missile that has been used in ASAT roles). These are ground-based, air-launched, and sea-based. We also can think about space guns, i.e. weapons used to launch projectiles into space. Project HARP in the 1960s used modified 16-inch naval guns to launch projectiles high into space. They succeeded, and a mass driverailgun would likely be able to get the same performance out of a smaller package. Keep in mind, these weapons don't need to achieve orbit, they just need to hit something in orbit, so they can be much smaller. They were flawed, and less than accurate, but they do exist. So this means that we can speculate on the future of these weapons if they were more mature. And all of these could be mounted on relatively conventional platforms. Size isn't everything, yet a war machine's power isn't in just its armor, but in its ability to deliver offensive power as much as defensive power.
The MIRACL was ground-based, and not mobile; they tried to use it to shoot at a satellite. It didn't work well, they ended up using a smaller less powerful weapon for the job. The YAL-1 ABL was a 747 modified with a weapon of the same output as the MIRACL, only airborne. The ASM-135 was attached to a squadron of unmodified F-15s that would go into supersonic zoom climbs to launch the missiles. The RIM-161 is an anti-ballistic missile mounted on standard AEGIS VLS cells that has successfully intercepted satellites. 16-inch guns have been used on battleships for years. And with newer technologies, you don't need anything that dramatic, or that big. In the 1970s, the US experimented with an eight-inch gun mounted on a destroyer. That project didn't go very far, but it did function, and it means big guns can be mounted on small ships.
So, let me lay it out. F-15s(which people have considered using for aircraft carriers), conventional VLS cells, and cannons have precedent for being able to intercept spacecraft. Modern stealth systems do exist even for surface vessels, they can't hide as well, but they can carry a larger variety of weapons, and more powerful reactors than a sub. This creates precedent that modern destroyers, or something similar, and aircraft carriers, could serve a role in space warfare. As for surviving orbital bombardment? Super-cavitation is a process for reducing drag on a ship or a weapon's hull as it travels through the water. We also have hydrojets, hydrofoils, and other technologies that are deployed or in the works. Increasing the speed of a surface ship could be the difference between life and death for it.
A futuristic carrier group might consist of a carrier, smaller than ours perhaps, equipped with futuristic air-breathing aircraft, protected by destroyers and submarines. These destroyers are armed with energy weapons, missiles, and cannons capable of firing at targets in orbit. The submarines can do the same thing. The carrier can provide air support to land-based units and fire at the enemy in space without having to worry about needing specialized runways or that they might get hit in a first strike. The escorts can shoot at the enemy, provide gunfire support when needed, and light out at a hundred knots to escape the blast of an orbital bomb.
Now, there are certainly challenges. What warrants posting a large force like this on a planet that might not have any fighting? I'm not sure that is easy to answer, though one thought is to ask what's the point of the Kansas National Guard? They're not likely to see any combat anytime soon. On the other hand, navies in our world exist to fight potential threats. Depending on a setting, your colony world might only have one faction there. Having a trained naval force might be very useful for disaster relief and keeping the peace.
There's also reason for water-based Marines, with amphibious assault ships and all the bells and whistles therein; big transports, air cushion landing craft, helicopters, etc. What if the enemy lands across the continent? Or across an ocean? Might you need sea transportation? Imagine if you didn't have surface defenses. You have militia to play guerilla, and orbital defenses, and your colony only settled on one of two continents on the planet. The enemy blows up your orbital defenses, then steals some mining equipment and sets up a whole operation on the other side, eating up your planet's resources, sending them off to the war effort, while you're completely helpless because the biggest boat you have is a yacht. You can't fight back without being bombed, but you can't even fight back without that because you don't have any missiles, lasers, or any other weapons capable of hitting their ships, and more than that, you can't even get your four thousand militia over there to destroy the mine. A futuristic carrier group would make all the difference here, with access to amphibious assault equipment and other gear that can move in one go what could take months by helicopter.
One thing that keeps coming back in this debate is "but they could get bombed, why bother investing in them?" In the Cold War, trillions were invested in technologies they knew would get annihilated in any conflict. That a first strike could wipe out all our bombers and missiles in one stroke. And that is what second strike capability is about, the ability to hit back even if they hit you first. No matter how much you destroyed, no matter how many ships you sank, missiles you found, or bombers you shot, you could never ever be sure the enemy couldn't drop a hundred more nukes on you hidden somewhere. If even a single plane, a single fighter jet, with a single pilot, got through, millions would die. So much of modern warfare is based on the idea that this advanced weapon could easily be wiped out in a master stroke.
I submit that wet naval vessels are underutilized in sci-fi circles, and could be more useful than expected, as a mobile source of energy and firepower that's bigger than anything ever put on land, and demonstrate strategic mobility and survivability their maneuverability have an advantage no stationary installation can match. They can respond to threats all over a planet, and engage with the enemy in space. Like how nuclear weapons didn't end the age of the carrier, I doubt orbital bombardment would put an end to the sea.
Let me know your thoughts, or suggestions you have for using sea vessels in the context of space warfare!

I know my situation could be much worse, but I feel like I’m behind my other college grad friends in terms of my finances and want some opinions.
I decided to go back to school immediately after my first bachelors degree to become a nurse. I don’t regret my change in career and LOVE my job, but this took my college debt from $30k to $72k.😭 After finishing nursing school in 2021 at the age of 23, I stayed living at home for a little over a year to save up a nest egg while my loan payments were paused. I saved $15k before moving out. Since moving out ~18 months ago, I’ve only managed to save another $5k, but I’ve allowed myself to travel and don’t regret that either. It was something I wanted to do while I was young.
Long story short, I went from living in a 3 bedroom apartment paying $1500 a month to a 1 bedroom apartment paying $2200 a month. I’ve increased my income a lot with side jobs to accomadate for this, but I have endless guilt for spending this much on rent. Granted, I didn’t have the option to move home (my dad was really sick at the time my last lease ended and my mom couldn’t deal with anymore stress) and I had no other valid options for roommates.
I make about $105k-110k in a HCOL area. Right now I’ve been clearing between $5700 and $7000 a month after tax, retirement contributions and health insurance. I only contribute 4% and my company matches 2% to my 403b. I plan to increase this once my student loans are paid off. I have some sort of pension through my hospital that I also need to look into.
My minimum monthly expenses are $3700 total for rent, car payment ($7000 left with a 0% interest private loan from dad), student loans and other bills.
My loans have between a 3 and 7% interest rate. I’ve been paying them on the standard plan and then throwing a few hundred extra a month toward the highest interest loans and then putting a few hundred into savings.
My questions are: Should I be satisfied with my $20k nest egg and stop adding to my savings for now so I can more aggressively pay down my loans?
Where should I put my savings to earn the most for my money? HYSA or CDs?
Am I terribly behind financially? Im hoping I can move home after this lease now that my dad is healthy again or maybe move in with my boyfriend to save money.
I just feel so overwhelmed right now. How does anyone afford a house, wedding, kids with student loans and this economy?

I am currently about to enter in as a new grad software engineer in the NYC area and I am relatively new to the credit card journey. Following the credit card template for asking for recommendations:

• Current card: Citi Double Cash Back Card - $7,500 credit limit
• FICO Score: 760
• Oldest account age: 3 years (current one)
• Income: ~$9,000/month after taxes
• Average monthly spending:
  • Food: ~$100 (I barely go out and will probably eat out a lot less over the summer since I'll be back home from university)
    • I could also be underestimating the cost of food especially if I pay for all friends and they Venmo me back
  • Groceries: ~$400
  • Gas: ~$100
  • Transit: ~$250 (MTA + PATH 5 days a week)
  • Online Shopping: ~$100
  • Streaming Services: $0 (no streaming services used at all)
  • Phone Bill: ~$130 (for entire family)
  • Wholesale Clubs (Target and Walmart): ~$100
• I don't keep track of how much I exactly spend, but I know that I spend on restaurants, online shopping (technology, clothes, etc), shopping for clothes in person, groceries, transportation (mainly MTA, PATH, and sometimes Uber), travel (1-2 trips every year), and gas
• Open to Business Cards: No (might be a consideration later down)
• Purpose of my next card: Cash back and getting to the point where I can optimize for travel
• Cards I have been looking at: Amex Blue Card Preferred, Amex Blue Card Everyday, Chase Freedom Unlimited, Chase Freedom Flex, CapitalOne SavorOne
  • I do not want to go into the Citi ecosystem to be honest because I feel like other ecosystems are better
• Friends/Family have: CapitalOne SavorOne (maybe my friend could get referral money and split with me), Chase Freedom Unlimited (maybe my sister can get referral money and split with me)
• Category spending vs general spending: I do not mind category spending, but I do prefer general spending. However, based on my spending at the moment, it seems that

My main dilemma is that I would like to apply for two right now and I do not want to have too many credit cards in hand (unless having too many credit cards is a fine thing). Thank you for any help :)

Me M25 and her F25 have been together for almost 5 years now. Things were going fine until she recently started uni for her masters degree. We did our bachelors together, which is where we met.
She has made new friends at her college, most of them are guys. I had travelled for work, for about 2 months and once I was back I felt like her priorities had changed. Before she joined uni, I felt like the centre of her world, I loved being the only person for everything in her life, the first and last person she spoke to was me. Maybe some time I took her for granted in those days, but I was still a great boyfriend or atleast I hope I was. Because of cutlural norms we don't live together. Anyway, she started uni and made new friends, which I am happy she did, since she always wanted a large group of friends to go out with, to part with and things like that. She has become close to two guys from that group, whom she drinks often with. I am glad she is getting to do the things she never go to before. But I am starting to feel left out, we have started fighting a lot these past few months. Before that in the four years we were together we may have fought a countable number of times. These few months alone we have fought more than the previous years combined. We meet once a week for a few hours. I don't know when I became this insecure jealous git who overthinks every thing that goes on. I mentioned to her that I have felt left out and I don't feel like a priority anymore but she just got very defensive and made it out like I accused her of something. Its the fact that sometimes I feel like she would rather spend time with her friends (especially those 2 guys) than me. Recently I had gone out with her friends and I saw how she was with them, how much she loves her friend group and how much they mean to her. I feel like I filled a void in her life when she had no one and now that she has people to hang out with that I no longer serve a purpose in her life. We text throughout the day and talk on call at night, But on most days she is too sleepy when we are mid conversation, usually when I start talking about my day. I feel bad but its okay, she travels a fair amount and its given that she would be tired. I have tried being open and supportive of everything. I really do love her and I feel she loves me too, but not as much as. before. Please help.

Namaskar.
This post is a reply to the post by u/Effective-Neat-7251. I agree pal, there's a lot of disinformation on the net so just chill and let me clarify your doubts and concerns.
The Reply:
This is one of those dumb posts on Nepal which makes me realise again and again the fact why ground knowledge is so fkin important. No offence to you OP, you are not alone and this post isn't the last of it's kind.

Nepal rushes headfirst into this whole democracy gig without really thinking it through. They slap together a constitution like it's some kind of last-minute homework assignment and expect everything to magically fall into place. Well, surprise, surprise, it doesn't work like that! You can't just declare yourself a democratic republic and expect everything to be sunshine and rainbows.

It was a long, brutal civil war spanning two decades of fighting, which only ended after the abdication of King Gyanendra who was crowned as King of Nepal after the very unfortunate incident of the "Royal Massacre", in which most members of the Nepali Royal family were murdered, including the former King Dipendra and the newly crowned Birendra. To this day, leaders of the Nepali Congress and maoist are seen as the ones who plotted the massacre.
The decision of turning into a republic was not of the people, it was infact forced upon the people.

And then there's the whole identity crisis. Nepal can't seem to make up its mind whether it wants to be secular or Hindu. It's like watching a kid trying to choose between two flavors of ice cream and ending up with a melted mess. Make up your mind already! And don't even get me started on the monarchy nonsense. Yeah, let's bring back the kings and queens because that worked out so well in the past, right?

I'm going to say this very clearly. Nepal is a Hindu country through and through. You can watch documentaries about the Nepali civil war, you'll find that so called Maoists prayed to Shiva and local Gods before going to battles.
Heck, the leader of Maoists, the so called the "leader of the revolution" and the current PM of Nepal is a Brahmin and goes to Temple in full Bhagwadhari saffron clothes and posts pictures of himself celebrating dashain (Durga Puja) with red Tilak on his forehead.
These are your so called communists.

But wait, it gets even better. China swoops in like some smooth-talking charmer, waving around its Belt and Road Initiative like it's the answer to all of Nepal's problems. And Nepal? Well, they're eating it up like candy on Halloween. Meanwhile, India's standing on the sidelines, twiddling its thumbs and watching its neighbor slip further and further away.

The important Araniko Highway was built by China, several bridges are built by Japan and Korea, the current ring road is being built by Chinese money, trains have returned to Nepal through India. Fk it there are even brigdes in Nepal to this day which were made through Soviet help.
Nepalis don't give a damn where the money is coming from. As long it's being put to good use and for the betterment of it's citizens, I don't think anyone should be bothered.
I don't even get the idea of why Indians fear Chinese presence is Nepal, which is but a grain of sand compared to Indian presence. We have pegged currency with India, an open border which allows for easy travel, billions of dollars of grants are given to Nepal every year by India, India is also Nepal's biggest trading partner.
Fk it we also have yearly military exercises and not to mention the people, culture, history and religion. WTF does China has over such things? Absolutely nothing. It's ridiculously hilarious to hear such things time and time again.

And speaking of India, what's deal? We are playing it cool like we are too good to get involved in Nepal's mess. Newsflash, We can't just sit back and watch while our neighbour gets cozy with the competition.

Trust me brother, and the people and governments of both countries, if there ever were to be a war between China and India, the most probable outcome is either Nepal remains neutral or joins India. It is more likely of Bhutan and Bangladesh to betray India than Nepal.
All in all, Indians need to chill and stop irritating the only other Hindu country in the world and also it's only real "Friend" in the world.
Again, not an ally of interest or of mutual benefit, but a real friend.
Btw the currency thing is only a move by dumb politicians, currency notes for Nepal in fact gets printed in India, not in Nepal, so you all can see how that goes.
Anyways, have a nice day/night!

Template is below. So my SO and I typically fly 2-3 times per year, we typically always rent a car when we do, 50/50 split whether we stay at an airbnb or hotel, just depends.
I currently only have one credit card which I do the majority of all of my spending on, except for things like rent or that can’t be on a CC. I get 1-3% back on spending and usually get between 40 to 70 bucks a month.
Anyway, we are hopefully planning a wedding and a trip abroad in the next few years , including a big expenses this November on travel for a destination wedding. So many opportunities to earn points. I’d like to start building some points and hopefully save some money on our flight this November, and on flights in general moving forward.
Current cards:
-Bank of America Customized cash rewards platinum plus Mastercard
FICO score:
-745 according to Bank of America
Oldest account age:
-opened April 2018, so 6 years
Income:
-84000 salary plus 20 to 25k in capital gains/distributions
Average Monthly Spending $2500
Dining $137
Groceries $600
Gas $132
Travel $511
Open to business cards: not applicable
Purpose of card: earn points to use toward flights, hotels, (air bnb if points for that exist lol). To continue building credit.
Cards I’ve been looking at: chase preferred, capital one, but open to anything. Many friends had recommended JetBlue but I’m not committed to one airline. I really would like something that as no foreign transaction fee as well as a low annual fee. I’m okay with a fee but not willing to pay for that 150 annually
Category spending or general card: not sure what would be more beneficial