Do you dream of soaring above the clouds? Aboard Vindr, the magnificent flying city, that dream becomes reality! Once a year, Vindr docks on the world below, offering a chance for outsiders to join its fantastical year-long voyage. This is your chance to embark on your First Tour. Vindr, a marvel of Magitech – a world where technology and magic intertwine – welcomes all. Will you: - Unravel ancient mysteries whispered on the wind? - Seek forgotten knowledge from the city's esteemed scholars who harness the power of Magitech for wondrous creations? - Embrace thrilling adventures in uncharted lands, wielding your unique skills alongside magitech marvels? Vindr beckons adventurers of all walks of life, from scholars and scoundrels to artisans and those who wield arcane or martial prowess. Perhaps you're a cunning rogue who can navigate the bustling markets, a studious wizard eager to delve into the secrets of Magitech, or a fearless barbarian seeking a new challenge. What brings you to our doorstep is entirely up to you. Perhaps you yearn for a taste of the extraordinary, or maybe you seek a fresh start amidst the swirling clouds. One thing's for certain: on Vindr, your First Tour will be an unforgettable one. Packed with exploration, intrigue, and the thrill of discovery, this campaign offers a unique blend of urban exploration, high-flying adventure, and the wonders (and potential dangers) of the Age of Magitech. Are you ready to spread your wings and write your legend amongst the stars? ___________
You should have a basic working knowledge of Roll20. Character sheets can be hosted in the Roll20 game, on your own DNDBeyond account, on a GSheet, on DiceCloud, on a PDF, or on a sheet of paper. Whatever works for you, I just need it to be completely completed by the time the game starts, and I need to be able to see a copy of it. Because of this, I am allowing the use of Physical Dice. Should I or another player suspect you of cheating, the game will pause while we... chat. - Characters will be level 10. - Stats will be rolled for in server, roll 2 sets, use Point Buy if you don't like either. - You will be given 2 Uncommon and 2 common items. - You will also be given a free feat at character creation (Sorry, no Variant Human or Custom Lineage). - Anything published by Wizards is fair game. Critrole content is fine and homebrew is usually okay if I approve it beforehand. Homebrew Content: I'm open to considering homebrew content. I tend to approve things like: - Homebrew from Published resources (Mage Hand Press, Kobold Press, etc) - Homebrew from trusted creators (KibblesTasty, Bamstacks, etc) I won't approve anything you send me from DandWiki. ___________
https://startplaying.games/adventure/clw3t4ttl00cv6x6t021o9ojh

TLDR I've made an app which aggregate and structure information autonomously apple.co/3UEG5aV
It is pretty simple, search for factual documents and use them to write a summary for you. It's following along ideas from GPT researcher
It has APIs/search set up already, so you don't have to wrestle with deployment yourself. Just got updated to gpt-4o, it's quite good!
Here's what's hapenning behind the scenes

• your inquiry is expanded into search queries, inspired by techniques from HyDE paper
• HTML markup is cleaned up and put into search index, powered by OpenAI embeddings search
• High level outline of a result is written, using high level overview from sources
• For each paragraph title in a review, most relevant chunks from sources are used to write a body of paragraph
• Each paragraph has links to webpages used in writing

It has a trial, give it a try 🔮

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jack. O Allan. I am an EFL tutor with twelve years of experience in the academic field. I have been assisting students in delivering assignments on time, ensuring the highest grades possible, and maintaining a track record while observing strict adherence to instructions and formatting guidelines.
In my line of work, I have collaborated with notable writing and assistance service providers such as Uvocorp, Writerbay, CourseHero, 4Writers, Chegg, Upwork, and Academia-Research, and, therefore, I confidently guarantee the quality of my work. Additionally, I help scholars check their projects through Copyscape and Turnitin, and to further ensure the authenticity of my work, every submission I make comes with a Plagiarism Report.
Hiring me is very simple and friendly. The step-by-step procedure is as follows:
Please send me an email at writers4hiretoday@gmail.com
Cut a deal with me ($15 per APA page)
Please send all the instructions and the deadline to my email.
Please sit back and relax as I do the job and deliver
Please review my work (Top-notch)
Pay after reviewing and ensuring it meets your standards and expectations.
Close the deal with a thank-you note and contact me again whenever you need more help : )
Feel free to contact me regarding academic papers such as essays, discussions, assignments, and homework. I also take over full classes and help with timed exams and quizzes.
I promise full confidentiality in all projects I undertake. My variable rates start at $15 per page. The price is the best. Trust me; this is the most customer-friendly service in the market because writing companies will charge you thrice the amount. My statement is evidence-based.
You may also want to follow my team and I.
Thank you for your time.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jack. O Allan. I am an EFL tutor with twelve years of experience in the academic field. I have been assisting students in delivering assignments on time, ensuring the highest grades possible, and maintaining a track record while observing strict adherence to instructions and formatting guidelines.
In my line of work, I have collaborated with notable writing and assistance service providers such as Uvocorp, Writerbay, CourseHero, 4Writers, Chegg, Upwork, and Academia-Research, and, therefore, I confidently guarantee the quality of my work. Additionally, I help scholars check their projects through Copyscape and Turnitin, and to further ensure the authenticity of my work, every submission I make comes with a Plagiarism Report.
Hiring me is very simple and friendly. The step-by-step procedure is as follows:
Please send me an email at writers4hiretoday@gmail.com
Cut a deal with me ($15 per APA page)
Please send all the instructions and the deadline to my email.
Please sit back and relax as I do the job and deliver
Please review my work (Top-notch)
Pay after reviewing and ensuring it meets your standards and expectations.
Close the deal with a thank-you note and contact me again whenever you need more help : )
Feel free to contact me regarding academic papers such as essays, discussions, assignments, and homework. I also take over full classes and help with timed exams and quizzes.
I promise full confidentiality in all projects I undertake. My variable rates start at $15 per page. The price is the best. Trust me; this is the most customer-friendly service in the market because writing companies will charge you thrice the amount. My statement is evidence-based.
You may also want to follow my team and I.
Thank you for your time.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jack. O Allan. I am an EFL tutor with twelve years of experience in the academic field. I have been assisting students in delivering assignments on time, ensuring the highest grades possible, and maintaining a track record while observing strict adherence to instructions and formatting guidelines.
In my line of work, I have collaborated with notable writing and assistance service providers such as Uvocorp, Writerbay, CourseHero, 4Writers, Chegg, Upwork, and Academia-Research, and, therefore, I confidently guarantee the quality of my work. Additionally, I help scholars check their projects through Copyscape and Turnitin, and to further ensure the authenticity of my work, every submission I make comes with a Plagiarism Report.
Hiring me is very simple and friendly. The step-by-step procedure is as follows:
Please send me an email at writers4hiretoday@gmail.com
Cut a deal with me ($15 per APA page)
Please send all the instructions and the deadline to my email.
Please sit back and relax as I do the job and deliver
Please review my work (Top-notch)
Pay after reviewing and ensuring it meets your standards and expectations.
Close the deal with a thank-you note and contact me again whenever you need more help : )
Feel free to contact me regarding academic papers such as essays, discussions, assignments, and homework. I also take over full classes and help with timed exams and quizzes.
I promise full confidentiality in all projects I undertake. My variable rates start at $15 per page. The price is the best. Trust me; this is the most customer-friendly service in the market because writing companies will charge you thrice the amount. My statement is evidence-based.
You may also want to follow my team and I.
Thank you for your time.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jack. O Allan. I am an EFL tutor with twelve years of experience in the academic field. I have been assisting students in delivering assignments on time, ensuring the highest grades possible, and maintaining a track record while observing strict adherence to instructions and formatting guidelines.
In my line of work, I have collaborated with notable writing and assistance service providers such as Uvocorp, Writerbay, CourseHero, 4Writers, Chegg, Upwork, and Academia-Research, and, therefore, I confidently guarantee the quality of my work. Additionally, I help scholars check their projects through Copyscape and Turnitin, and to further ensure the authenticity of my work, every submission I make comes with a Plagiarism Report.
Hiring me is very simple and friendly. The step-by-step procedure is as follows:
Please send me an email at writers4hiretoday@gmail.com
Cut a deal with me ($15 per APA page)
Please send all the instructions and the deadline to my email.
Please sit back and relax as I do the job and deliver
Please review my work (Top-notch)
Pay after reviewing and ensuring it meets your standards and expectations.
Close the deal with a thank-you note and contact me again whenever you need more help : )
Feel free to contact me regarding academic papers such as essays, discussions, assignments, and homework. I also take over full classes and help with timed exams and quizzes.
I promise full confidentiality in all projects I undertake. My variable rates start at $15 per page. The price is the best. Trust me; this is the most customer-friendly service in the market because writing companies will charge you thrice the amount. My statement is evidence-based.
You may also want to follow my team and I.
Thank you for your time.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jack. O Allan. I am an EFL tutor with twelve years of experience in the academic field. I have been assisting students in delivering assignments on time, ensuring the highest grades possible, and maintaining a track record while observing strict adherence to instructions and formatting guidelines.
In my line of work, I have collaborated with notable writing and assistance service providers such as Uvocorp, Writerbay, CourseHero, 4Writers, Chegg, Upwork, and Academia-Research, and, therefore, I confidently guarantee the quality of my work. Additionally, I help scholars check their projects through Copyscape and Turnitin, and to further ensure the authenticity of my work, every submission I make comes with a Plagiarism Report.
Hiring me is very simple and friendly. The step-by-step procedure is as follows:
Please send me an email at writers4hiretoday@gmail.com
Cut a deal with me ($15 per APA page)
Please send all the instructions and the deadline to my email.
Please sit back and relax as I do the job and deliver
Please review my work (Top-notch)
Pay after reviewing and ensuring it meets your standards and expectations.
Close the deal with a thank-you note and contact me again whenever you need more help : )
Feel free to contact me regarding academic papers such as essays, discussions, assignments, and homework. I also take over full classes and help with timed exams and quizzes.
I promise full confidentiality in all projects I undertake. My variable rates start at $15 per page. The price is the best. Trust me; this is the most customer-friendly service in the market because writing companies will charge you thrice the amount. My statement is evidence-based.
You may also want to follow my team and I.
Thank you for your time.

Demographics

• Gender: female
• Race/Ethnicity: asian
• Residence: suburban?? kinda urban?? idk
• Income Bracket: enough to not qualify for financial aid
• Type of School: non-feeder private
• Hooks: n/a

Intended Major(s): applied math/math/compsci (cs for public schools)
Academics

• GPA (UW/W): 97.23/100 (school does not do weighted)
• Rank (or percentile): top 6% (school does not disclose rankings besides val, t6, t10)
• of Honors/AP/IB/Dual Enrollment/etc.

full ib diploma student
HL: math aa, physics, english A literature, economics
SL: compsci, chinese A sl
Standardized Testing

• SAT I: 1570 one take in 10th, 780M & 790R&W
• ACT: didn't take
• AP: NONE!!!! (i have a 5 on AP chinese but i took it in 8th grade so idk??)

Extracurriculars/Activities
if u know me pretend like u never saw this thanks. also not ranked in order of importance + very vague

1. tax volunteering thing where i got a bunch of tax certifications and helped ppl do their taxes for free
2. highly prestigious math camp (one of PROMYS, SUMaC, Ross)
3. applied mathematics research paper i published
4. fbla, president of my chapter
5. paid research at local university during pandemic where i modeled spread of covid using math stuff
6. USACO gold
7. research symposium
8. varsity tennis
9. concertmaster of school orchestra
10. speech and debate

Awards/Honors
List all awards and honors submitted on your application.

1. various research awards at different competitions
2. national merit semifinalist
3. fbla national champion for very competitive presentation event
4. some violin awards
5. i forgot what else but i had 5

Letters of Recommendation
lit teacher: 8/10, my favorite teacher ever, really improved my writing so much + def one of the better students in her class. shes also really experienced at writing so im pretty sure the letter was good. minus 2 points bc i haven't read it and also hella people asked her to write one so im not sure how much time she could allocate to writing my letter
math teacher: 7/10, really funny dude and i participated a lot in his class + he knew about my extracurriculars in math and how much i love the subject. also same rec letter he wrote which got me into the math camp so it was probably good???
Interviews
i had interviews for most schools that gave interviews (harvard, yale, princeton, etc). i'm good at talking to adults so most of them went well. only notable bad one was dartmouth where the guy started talking about israel palestine and used it as an example for why my research wasn't significant.
Essays
def the weakest part of my application. nothing really special about them and they aren't reflective of my writing ability. probably 5/10 or 6/10.
Decisions (indicate ED/EA/REA/SCEA/RD)
Acceptances:

• ut austin (ea, turing scholars/csb honors)
• rice (rd)
• uwash (ea)
• columbia (rd)
• uchicago (rd, technically i got waitlisted and then offered a transfer option for 2025 so ill count that as an acceptance)

Waitlists:

• yale (rd)
• mit (rd)
• brown (rd)
• upenn (rd)
• dartmouth (rd)
• umich (ea)
• gtech (ea)
• northwestern (rd)
• vanderbilt (rd)
• ucsd (rd)

Rejections:

• harvard (rd)
• princeton (rd)
• stanford (rea deferred REJECTED ON MY BIRTHDAY)
• cornell (rd)
• caltech (rd)
• duke (rd)
• uc berkeley (rd)
• ucla (rd)
• usc (rd)

Additional Information:
ik i can't really complain about ended up at an ivy but columbia wasn't really a school i'd considered in the past. i kinda just applied for the sake of applying. i was honestly super close to choosing ut austin and i feel a little bit of regret that i didn't.
wishing all the juniors this upcoming cycle the best of luck!!!

A: Penn (attending), NYU, UVA (off WL), Berkeley, Michigan, Cornell, Georgetown, USC, Boston U., Notre Dame, Boston C., George Washington, Maine
WL: UChicago (waiting it out), Duke (withdrawn), Columbia (waiting it out), Northwestern (wd), UCLA (wd), Vanderbilt (wd), WashU (wd)
R: Harvard, Yale, Stanford (womp womp)
Heart reaccs only - Michigan: Great, efficient process, human touches. Lovely correspondences - Georgetown: Dean Andy is a gentleman and a scholar. Even left me a voicemail to the effect of "I said during the interview that if you get in, I care about you and wish you the best, even if it's not at Georgetown. Best of luck!". Emailing recommenders is a very nice touch.
My personal shit list: - Cornell: "HOW DARE YOU TRY TO NEGOTIATE A SCHOLARSHIP, YOU SWINE. DoN't YoU kNoW wE'rE aN iVy?" - NYU: You were the chosen one! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!..... You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you. (Mostly jokes, but damn no money hurt) - Stanford: I don't think the physical rejection letters are a classy touch. I find them egotistical. "Surely you're beat up about not attending Stanford, here let this $0.79 in postage and $0.09 in papeink soak up your tears" - WashU: Almost instant WL. Normally, I'm the first to take my lumps on a WL, the others felt fair enough. This one felt like instant YPing.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jack. O Allan. I am an EFL tutor with twelve years of experience in the academic field. I have been assisting students in delivering assignments on time, ensuring the highest grades possible, and maintaining a track record while observing strict adherence to instructions and formatting guidelines.
In my line of work, I have collaborated with notable writing and assistance service providers such as Uvocorp, Writerbay, CourseHero, 4Writers, Chegg, Upwork, and Academia-Research, and, therefore, I confidently guarantee the quality of my work. Additionally, I help scholars check their projects through Copyscape and Turnitin, and to further ensure the authenticity of my work, every submission I make comes with a Plagiarism Report.
Hiring me is very simple and friendly. The step-by-step procedure is as follows:
Please send me an email at writers4hiretoday@gmail.com
Cut a deal with me ($15 per APA page)
Please send all the instructions and the deadline to my email.
Please sit back and relax as I do the job and deliver
Please review my work (Top-notch)
Pay after reviewing and ensuring it meets your standards and expectations.
Close the deal with a thank-you note and contact me again whenever you need more help : )
Feel free to contact me regarding academic papers such as essays, discussions, assignments, and homework. I also take over full classes and help with timed exams and quizzes.
I promise full confidentiality in all projects I undertake. My variable rates start at $15 per page. The price is the best. Trust me; this is the most customer-friendly service in the market because writing companies will charge you thrice the amount. My statement is evidence-based.
You may also want to follow my team and I.
Thank you for your time.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jack. O Allan. I am an EFL tutor with twelve years of experience in the academic field. I have been assisting students in delivering assignments on time, ensuring the highest grades possible, and maintaining a track record while observing strict adherence to instructions and formatting guidelines.
In my line of work, I have collaborated with notable writing and assistance service providers such as Uvocorp, Writerbay, CourseHero, 4Writers, Chegg, Upwork, and Academia-Research, and, therefore, I confidently guarantee the quality of my work. Additionally, I help scholars check their projects through Copyscape and Turnitin, and to further ensure the authenticity of my work, every submission I make comes with a Plagiarism Report.
Hiring me is very simple and friendly. The step-by-step procedure is as follows:
Please send me an email at writers4hiretoday@gmail.com
Cut a deal with me ($15 per APA page)
Please send all the instructions and the deadline to my email.
Please sit back and relax as I do the job and deliver
Please review my work (Top-notch)
Pay after reviewing and ensuring it meets your standards and expectations.
Close the deal with a thank-you note and contact me again whenever you need more help : )
Feel free to contact me regarding academic papers such as essays, discussions, assignments, and homework. I also take over full classes and help with timed exams and quizzes.
I promise full confidentiality in all projects I undertake. My variable rates start at $15 per page. The price is the best. Trust me; this is the most customer-friendly service in the market because writing companies will charge you thrice the amount. My statement is evidence-based.
You may also want to follow my team and I.
Thank you for your time.

90% of my calls I get whenever I'm on call aren't emergencies. I don't know where customers get the idea that calling my company phone line and hitting the after hours emergency extension equates to me coming to investigate a noise coming from the roof or one of the areas of your building is slightly warm. That isn't an emergency.
An after hours emergency is either a natural gas smell, a critical piece of refrigeration equipment like a product freezer or environmental chamber, or if there's no conditioned air in a residence.
It just seems like customers treat the after hours person like their own personal hvac tech. Half the time I get to these calls and the unit is working fine, the customer is just retarded or it's something I'm not going to fix on a weekend like a squeaky belt. I had a call last time where they said the kitchen exhaust wasn't working well and I get to site and it was literally pulling enough air to old a sheet of paper up. They just hadn't ever cleaned their grease hoods.
On call is just the worst because I constantly just have to deal with the dumbest people, waste my weekend and my patience, and can't do anything because i have to be at home. 24hr emergency service should be only for absolute emergencies. Clearly defined and outlined to the customer what these emergency calls would be. But nope if I say to a customer no I'm not coming to investigate a mysterious noise on a Saturday they bitch and complain to the boss. Gotta maintain relationships to keep accounts.

Hello everyone,

 I would like to ask for opinions on whether this may be a good fit for one of my current jobs' NOC code, so I work as a barista trainer at starbucks corporat store, I function as a barista which involves customer service, food preparation, drink preparation, serving, cleaning tables, and other tasks. However, I am also in charge of onboarding/introduction and training new staff into the company, showing them the menu, teaching them about coffee, and assessing their progress throughout the training period. I’ve looked it up myself, and I think my job can fit into the code 41210, as example titles on its list is workplace trainer and company trainer. However, the main duties mentioned mostly pertain to colleges, universities, and students, with nothing really mentioned about the workplace. Below I'm going to explain some of the duties and paste the ones I think it fits into, just to see if I’m reaching here as I’m the only trainer in my store and probably the whole city. We’ve been outsourcing or trainers have been moved before I got the trainer job. I’d really appreciate your input. It’s a loose description from the top of my dome right now. 

• Teach students using a systematic plan of lectures, demonstrations, discussion groups, laboratory work, shop sessions, seminars, case studies, field assignments, and independent or group projects. The company offers online courses that I go through with the new employee to outline what to do on specific days. For example, today is store orientation, tomorrow we go through online courses, and the next day is hands-on training.
  
• Develop curriculum and prepare teaching materials and outlines for courses.
  

For teaching materials like different brews and paired snacks for coffee tastings/coffee history. the online courses I go through with the new employee Have its outlines for which course comes first and when it has to be done, And i Have my own outline.
-Prepare, administer, and mark tests and papers to evaluate students' progress.
The company provides a learning plan form, which I fill in according to their progress and areas where they need improvement. On a scale of 1-10, I provide a review of where I think they're at and also gather feedback from the new employee.
-Advise students on program curricula and career decisions.
If asked about it, I can explain the career paths available after becoming a barista. With time and experience, they can progress to roles such as trainer, supervisor, and even manager, provided they meet the required hours of service, among other criteria.
-Provide individualized tutorial or remedial instruction to students who require it.
I can develop an individual learning plan before and after meeting the new employee, taking into consideration their learning style, areas of difficulty, strengths, and areas needing improvement. This helps tailor the training to their specific learning needs. -Supervise independent or group projects, field placements, laboratory work, or hands-on training.
I supervise new employees on the floor for hands-on training, covering tasks such as making drinks, taking orders, packaging orders, cleaning, customer interaction, processing refunds, upselling, conflict management, and other responsibilities within the store.
-Supervise teaching assistants.
I can train another newly hired barista trainer for the role and supervise them teaching new employees? not sure
-May provide consultation services to government, business, and other organizations.
i train people in different stores when they need it? Also, not sure.

Link to original nosleep post:
https://www.reddit.com/nosleep/comments/1azq8ri/i_was_invited_to_play_the_games_in_the_woods_and/
When I was very young, my grandfather used to always tell me to stay out of the woods behind our house.
"Legend has it, that there's something terrible in there." He'd say, pointing to the trees behind our home with his only arm, the other of which he'd told me he had lost in the war. "And no one who goes in, ever comes back the same."
But I never took his warnings very seriously, given his age, and hard life, writing them off as the ramblings of a senile and bitter old man.
At least until a few years later, when, at the age of ten, I was told by my mother that my grandfather had passed…
...And had left me a parting gift.
It was a crumpled envelope with the word "Bobby" scribbled onto the back, sealed with more tape than an envelope needed sealing.
Inside, was a folded piece of paper, which, upon unfolding, I noticed my grandfather had sketched the layout of what looked like three games.
Beside the first two games, he had written instructions for what looked like how to beat them.
"Don't go in the box."
"Don’t run."
Beside the third, were a couple more notes.
"Don’t lift it alone."
"This is as far as I made it, before I lost my arm."
And at the very bottom of the page, Grandpa had addressed me directly.
"Bobby, if you receive an invitation to play the games in the woods, do not accept it. Run as far away as you can. But in the event you end up there anyway, may these instructions help you finish what I started."
Games in the woods? I thought to myself. After all the warnings, and all the lectures, Grandpa was trying to protect me from games?
I found the whole thing quite silly, and resolved to put it out of my mind.
And so, that's exactly what I did, burying away both the loss of my Grandfather, and the gift that he had left for me, for four long years.
That is, until, at the age of fourteen, when I was a freshman in high school, I received a scroll on my doorstep, tied together with a thorny vine.
After carefully unraveling it, I discovered an invite to the very games that my Grandfather had warned me about, grotesquely handwritten in ink.
"Bobby,
Join us in the forest behind your house tonight, to compete in the games in the woods.
Don't be late. The games will begin promptly at midnight."
I laughed out loud and immediately tore up the scroll on the spot.
But who could be the one pranking me? I wondered. Surely my mom wasn't in on it? Who could have known about the invitation that my Grandfather referenced? Maybe my Uncle Frank? He's always been a jokester. Yes, it must be Uncle Frank.
And on that note, I went about my day, and completely forgot about the scroll.
That is, until later that night, when, while fast asleep, I suddenly felt myself torn from my bed, stuffed into what felt like a canvas satchel, and dragged out my window and, from the sound of it, what must have been through the woods behind my house.
The whole time, I tried my best to kick and scream…
"This isn't funny, Uncle Frank! I know what you're up to!"
...But Uncle Frank, or so I thought, was much too strong to break free from, and the next thing I knew, I found myself dropped into the middle of the forest, and my satchel ripped away.
"Uncle Frank?" I called out, unable to see my surroundings in the dark.
Until my eyes adjusted, and I looked up to find a hooded figure, wearing a tattered brown cloak and holding a burning torch that illuminated everything around him, save for what lay under his shadowy hood.
What the heck? I thought to myself. That's not Uncle Frank.
The shrouded man said no words, and simply pointed to a footbridge, lit by torchlight, not far away, and gestured for me to cross it.
Realizing now that this wasn't Uncle Frank's doing, and in turn, that the letter, and my Grandfather's warning, must both be real, I began shaking in fear and, not knowing what else to do, obeyed the hooded figure's order.
When I got to the other side, I found myself surrounded by what must have been twenty of the hooded man's kin, all holding torches, and encircling a glen in the forest, where the moon and the stars could now be seen in the night sky.
And in the center of the glen, were four poor souls. Kids like me, who must have also received the invitation, or been dragged here against their will, or both. Kids, from my high school, that I recognized.
There was Brad Ashworth, our class valedictorian, in a sweater vest, khakis, and boots, clearly prepared for the occasion…
...Caitlin Sullivan, whom many kids called a nerd, geek, dweeb, and weirdo, but whom I found to be perfectly normal, wearing a pair of overalls and round, wire frame glasses…
...Colin Richardson, in a running suit, a jock, known for excelling at at least three sports, football, track, and basketball..
...And none other than Milton Dugan, the biggest bully in school, best known for using his sheer size to jam freshmen into lockers, wearing a pair of polka dot pajamas.
"Shut up, loser." He called out to me, noticing the smile on my face when I saw what he was wearing.
"What do you think they are?" Colin asked me, pointing to the hooded figures.
"I have no idea. But I don't think they're friendly." I replied.
Until Caitlin chimed in, "They're Druids, idiots."
"Whatever they are, I'm not scared of them." Brad added.
That's when it hit me.
Who would bring five high school students out into the middle of the woods to teach them a lesson? Well, teachers of course. That must be it! Teachers! Yes, it's teachers under those hoods!
But before I could continue to dwell on my epiphany, we were all suddenly interrupted, by the sound of a loud howl emanating from the forest.
And then…
...An old man with a white beard came hobbling out of the woods, walking stick in one hand, and an object that I couldn’t identify in his other.
It was only when he reached the center of the glen, and stopped just a few feet away from us, that I noticed he was missing something…
...The reflection of light in his eyes.
And upon further observation, it became apparent…
...That he had no eyes at all.
What the? I thought to myself, before gasping, as the old man began to speak.
"Invited ones. You stand before me tonight, under the light of the moon, with a great challenge before you. A challenge that only comes around every seventy-five years. Each of you, were hand picked to play these games tonight, for each of you represent a unique virtue. Five virtues put to the same test, to see which will overcome all others. The winner, will be awarded the greatest prize of all. While the losers, will pay a heavy price."
The other four kids and I turned to each other with looks of confusion, then turned back to the old man, who continued.
"But before we begin. Which of you, knows for a fact, that you are the best player among us? Which of you, is so brave, so courageous, so sure of your abilities, that you'll volunteer to step into the box?" He asked, pointing to an area of the glen, that had been covered in darkness, but until the Druids lit it with torchlight.
It was a wooden box, about the size of a telephone booth, completely enclosed with what appeared to be a door on one side and a metal latch to open it.
The Box! I thought to myself, remembering my Grandfather's letter, outlining three games, and assuming the first of which was this one.
"Don't go in the box.”
Easy enough. I mused, looking over at the other kids, waiting for one of them to heed the call instead, until…
"It's me. I'm the smartest, and the most talented one here. I'll do it." Brad called out, raising his hand, before turning back to us, "Cowards."
"Very well," The old man replied, walking over to the box, opening the door, and gesturing for him to enter.
And so he did.
Oh no. I thought to myself, as all of us kids cringed in anticipation of something unspeakable happening inside.
But after a minute, the old man simply walked back over to the door, opened it, and let Brad out.
He came proudly walking out of it, chest in the air, with a smug smile on his face, and belted out the words. "See! Nothing to fear, fraidy cats."
Despite his obnoxious comment, we all let out a sigh of relief.
Until suddenly, a few of the druids grabbed Brad by the arms, and pinned him to the box.
"What's going on? What are you doing?" Our valedictorian cried out, unsure of what exactly was happening.
The hooded men proceeded to pry open his jaws with their hands, as the old man hobbled over to him, revealing the object in his hand… a sharp, silver sword.
But before any of us could react, the old druid had already reached into Brad's mouth, cut off his tongue, and held it up for all to see.
Brad began crying and wailing, blood spraying from his mouth, as the druids let him go and he fell to the ground, arms flailing in pain.
Meanwhile, the rest of us kids just stood there, wide eyed in fear, unable to comprehend what we had just seen.
"That was Game One." The old man called out to us. "Let it be a lesson, that your greatest strengths can also be your greatest weaknesses. In this case, confidence begets arrogance. Now, take him away."
Upon his command, two druids ran over to Brad, who was now passed out, picked him up, and carried him away into the woods.
"Let's move on to Game Two, shall we?" The eyeless old man continued, leading us, and the other druids, out of the glen, into the forest, down a torchlit path, and to a massive field, illuminated by the moonlight.
He then took his staff, stuck it into the ground, and carved a long line in the dirt.
"Will the remaining players please stand behind the line."
Still in shock from what had just happened, we all obeyed his command, lining up before the line in the dirt, which separated us from the football field sized lawn.
"Are you gonna hurt one of us again?" Milton called out, puffing out his chest. "Cause I'm not afraid of you guys, and I’m fully capable of defending myself!"
The old man ignored his rant, and continued on with his own, "The rules of the second game are simple. When I say go, you're to run with the wolves."
"Wolves?" Caitlin whispered to me, trying to understand he meant.
Just then, a group of druids emerged from the forest, leading four ravenous wolves on leashes to the field behind us, each of them drooling at the mouth while howling and growling at us maniacally.
Caitlin and I shared a brief look of horror, before the eyeless man stepped aside and called out, "Go!"
Colin was the first one to sprint off into the field, followed by Caitlin, and then, what would have been me, but when I began to dart away, something jutted out in front of my legs and tripped me to the ground.
Confused by what had happened, I looked up from the dirt to see Milton hopping over me…
"Sucker!"
...As I realized that it must have been he who had tripped me, and saw the Druids unleash the four wolves.
I hopped up to my feet and attempted to run again, but before they hit the ground, the wolves had already caught up to me.
In that moment, I closed my eyes and braced for the worst, but when I opened them again, I saw that they had run right past me, seemingly in pursuit of the others up ahead.
But as I continued to watch the wolves run away, I noticed that they soon passed Milton too, and then Caitlin, finally making their way to Colin, who was running so fast, that he disappeared into whatever lay beyond the field.
And then, the feral dogs stopped running, just before the end of the field, and began howling and growling again, and they looked down at something below them.
Eventually catching up with the others and making my way to the end of the field, Caitlin, Milton, and myself finally saw what had happened to Colin.
There, at the end of the field, was a great pit, and at the bottom, was the star athlete himself, writhing in pain and begging for our help.
"Help me!" Colin called out, clenching his legs, which must have broken from the fall.
"Does anyone have a rope or anything we can lower down to him?" Caitlin asked.
But the druids had just arrived, and were already lowering one down to Colin.
And by the time they pulled him up, still screaming out in pain, the old eyeless druid had arrived, ready to greet him.
"Why would you put a pit at the end of the race?" Colin screamed, as he lay helpless on the ground.
"You said to run from the wolves."
"I said to run with the wolves, not from them. They mean no harm, just look at your friends here. But you. You got ahead of yourself. And for that, there is a price." The old man warned.
"Price? I already broke my legs." Colin replied.
"Well now, we take them." The eyeless man said ominously, before the druids surrounded Colin and held him down, as another approached him holding a giant scythe, its blade glimmering in the moonlight.
"Wait! No!" He cried out.
But it was too late. In an instant, one of his legs was gone. Severed from his body by the swinging scythe, as blood sprayed everywhere, and Colin screamed in agony.
A second later, I saw Caitlin remove her glasses and wipe the blood from them, before putting them back on and continuing to watch on silently in horror.
"What is wrong with you guys?" Milton called out, clenching his fists and pacing around in a threatening fashion.
For a moment, I thought about cursing out Milton for tripping me, but then I realized he had actually saved me.
And that's when I remembered my Grandfather's second clue.
"Don't run."
He was right again.
"Take him away." The old man said for a second time, as a group of druids walked over and proceeded to carry Colin off into the woods, before turning to Milton, Caitlin, and myself.
"And now for Game Three."
He then led us back into the forest, and down a rocky path that hugged a winding stream.
At the end of the path, we came to a clearing between the trees, where we saw two giant boulders, each nearly the size of a person, placed side by side on the ground.
"For this game, you have an option. Lift a boulder yourself, or pick a teammate to help you lift it. The person or team who holds it the longest, wins. And the one who's first to drop it, loses. Understand?"
Milton, Caitlin, and I all looked at each other for a moment, as we weighed the options.
But suddenly, I remembered my Grandfather’s third instruction.
"Don’t lift it alone."
And before Milton could utter a word, I ran over to Caitlin.
"Caitlin and I will be a team." I declared, as she smiled, and put her arm around my shoulder.
"But what about me?" Milton asked, offended by being the odd man out, before correcting himself. "Actually, you know what? Fine! I'm stronger than both of you combined anyway. This will be your own undoing, dorks! I'll compete by myself."
"Very well," the old man called out, as he stood between the two stones. "When I say go, lift the boulders up off the ground, for as long as you can."
Caitlin and I crouched down and gripped the boulder from below, then looked at each other.
"We got this." I assured her with a smile.
"We got this." She replied, smiling back.
Meanwhile, Milton was scrambling to grasp onto his boulder, and began begging for more time. "Just a second, I swear. This boulder's heavier on one side and it's just-"
But before he could continue, the old man raised his staff and called out, "Go!" at the top of his lungs.
Caitlin and I carefully and calmly lifted our boulder, and despite its heavy weight, strained ourselves to keep it elevated above the ground.
But Milton was not as lucky. From the very beginning, he was doomed, as he still hadn't secured his grip on the rock when the old man yelled "Go!" and bumbled when he lifted it up, catching it in hands, but in an position that looked much too uncomfortable for him sustain.
And as the stone slowly began to slip out of his arms, Milton looked over at Caitlin and I with a sour face and mumbled, "You screwed me, losers."
"Maybe if you weren't such a dick, Milton, someone might have chosen you." I replied, in an attempt to drive home the reason why he had lost.
Milton tried to think of a clever retort, "You know what, Bobby-" but before he could finish his sentence, it was too late. The stone had fallen to the ground. He stopped what he was saying and looked down at it, a look of fear washing over his face.
And as the druids began to surround him, rather than threaten them like he had in the past, Milton began to cry. "Please don't hurt me! Please, I'll do anything!"
But it was too late. The druids dragged Milton to the stump of a tree and laid his arm down upon it, as another swung an ax high above his head, and brought it slicing down through Milton's arm, leaving him with a stump of his own.
As he saw the blood pouring out of his appendage, Milton began to scream, until his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he eventually passed out.
And for a third time, the eyeless old man called out, "Take him away."
Now, only Caitlin and I remained. Together we stood there in silence, arms around each other, as Milton's limp body was carried off into the woods.
"Which brings us to Game Four," the old druid began, "Perhaps the simplest of all. For this game is decided by you and you alone. When I say go, you'll have one minute to come to a decision on who will be the winner, and who will be the loser."
Caitlin replied "Wait-"
But before she could continue, the old man interrupted her, commencing the final game, "Go!"
Caitlin and I huddled together in the woods, as the old man, and the druids, encircled us, waiting for us to come to a consensus.
"Wait, what do we do?" Caitlin whispered.
"I don't know." I whispered back.
"Should we choose both of us as the winners?"
"No, we'd be breaking the rules. He specified a winner and a loser. They'll punish us both. We need to choose one."
"But that means one of us, will suffer the same fate as the others."
"I don't know if we have any other choice.”
"Then how should we decide?"
"I don't know."
"Wait," Caitlin said, as she reached into the pocket of her overalls and removed a coin. "If you're okay with it. A coin toss would be fair. Totally up to chance.”
"It would be fair. Let's do it. But quick." I replied, knowing our minute would soon end.
"Then you choose. Heads or tails." She offered up.
"Okay. Um... heads!" I replied quickly.
And like that, Caitlin held out her fist…
...Dropped the coin…
...Towards the forest floor below…
...Time suddenly slowing…
...As it descended towards the ground…
...Spinning…
...And spinning…
…And spinning…
...Until…
...Thud.
We both crouched down, and saw the result that would seal our fate forever…
…Heads.
I had won.
Caitlin looked up at me, her eyes wide, and her mouth agape, as tears began to roll down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry." I whispered.
"It's okay." She whispered back.
And then…
...The old man spoke.
"Your time is up. What is your decision? Who is the winner, and who is the loser?"
Both Caitlin and my heads hung low, as she began to speak, "I'm the-"
"Winner." I interrupted, as she looked at me, completely surprised by what I had said. "She's the winner, and I'm the loser."
"But Bobby-" She whispered.
"Save yourself. Don't worry about me." I insisted, whispering back to her, as the old man approached us.
"Very well." He said, holding his wrinkled hand out to Caitlin, who accepted it in hers.
And so, he escorted her away, off into the woods, hobbling on his wooden staff, until they disappeared into the night.
And as for me. I… well I was left there in the dark, surrounded by a dozen druids, who slowly closed in on me.
I didn't know what to do so I, accepting my fate, simply closed my eyes and braced for the worst…
...But similar to what had come of the impending doom of the howling wolves...
...Nothing happened.
I opened my eyes, to find one of the druids standing before me.
"Congratulations..." He said, in an ominous voice, "...On winning the games."
"What?" I asked, confused how that could be possible. "I don't understand. I voted for Caitlin to be the winner."
"Yes, you did." He replied, "But humility is the virtue that always wins the games. Your selfless act, sacrificing your own life for that of another's, is why you won."
"And what do I win?" I asked, not knowing what else to say.
"Just as the keeper of the games had stated, the greatest prize of all..." He said, "..Life."
"And what about Caitlin? What will become of her?"
"That is still yet to be decided. But you will find out soon enough."
Any sort of relief that I had felt immediately disappeared, and my heart sank, as I realized that by volunteering my own life to save Caitlin's, I may have actually cost her hers.
"Wait," I called out, "Let me take her place. Please."
But before I could continue, I felt the druids shove a giant canvas satchel over me, just as they'd done earlier that night, before whisking me away into the forest.
They must have knocked me out after that, because when I came to, I found myself back in my bedroom, lying face first on the cold, wooden floor.
The next day at school, I raced to Caitlin's locker, and then her home room, desperately hoping to see her face, hoping to put my mind at ease…
...But she never showed up. That day… or ever again.
And as for Brad, Colin, and Milton, their claims about how they lost their respective body parts, despite being substantiated by me, were all written off by police, parents, and teachers alike as foolish accidents, when no such games were ever found in the woods.
Years later, as my wife and I discuss having a child, I find myself wondering if I'll ever have a grandchild of my own…
...If they, too, will be invited to play the games in the woods, the next time the druids come around…
...And if Caitlin will be one of them.

I got an email from a student whining that they barely missed a higher grade and I should be cool and bump them up. I find it fascinating that 100% of the time, without fail, when I look up the grade info for students who allege this, they always have missed lots of class and made poor grades and/or didn't do the work.
Their situation is never as positive as they claim. Why is that? Is it that they're delusional? Why can't students take personal accountability? Don't they realize they will be fired from jobs with this poor attitude? Ok, rant over, this old man is done shaking fists at clouds. Exact email exchange below, only names have been changed.
Student: "Hello Dr. RandomAcademaniac,
Is there a way my grade can be rounded up to a B? I currently have a 78 and I felt like if I had not made minor mistakes in some of my assignments, I would have easily gotten an 80 or above. Thank You."
My response:
"I appreciate you reaching out. Unfortunately I feel you are a little confused. No worries.
Let us factually look at your grades: you made C's on the first two exams, a C on the first paper, a D on the second paper, and an F on the major report. Those are not just a few, small "minor mistakes" as you claim, those are in fact Cs, Ds, and Fs on 5 major assignments that make up a majority of your entire course grade. It's statistically difficult to earn a B with those numeric grades.
The university has already processed the final grades, they are official. They will be posted in the next day or two."
Edit: Some are commenting I shouldn't have responded. I feel it's important to factually outline why they're wrong, so they can hopefully understand the truth of what they did and ideally seek to improve moving forward. Call me old fashioned but I still try and help them hold themselves accountable and I feel not responding is rude and only reflects poorly on me.

I'm working through the outline answering A1,A2 ECT. I'm wondering if this PA is supposed to me answering questions that are essentially bullet points named A1, B1 etc. or is it more of a standard paper, in which I note the section header when I answer the question?
For example:
Example 1 -
A1, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Eget magna fermentum iaculis eu non diam phasellus.
B1, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Eget magna fermentum iaculis eu non diam phasellus.
Example 2 -
A1) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Sed ullamcorper morbi tincidunt ornare massa eget egestas. (B1) Tellus rutrum tellus pellentesque eu tincidunt tortor aliquam nulla. Duis at tellus at urna condimentum mattis pellentesque.

I included my query and the first 300 words, as the rules outline. Thank you in advance!
Dear [Agent],
I am reaching out to introduce my novel, “Princess Layla the Basirim,” a young adult fantasy set in a reimagined Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age. Complete at 102,000 words, it will appeal to fans who love character-driven stories like S. A. Chakraborty’s CITY OF BRASS and carefully plotted magic system and world-building like Chelsea Abdullah’s THE STARDUST THIEF.
In the heart of Baghdad, Princess Layla is a youth overshadowed by her elder brother, Prince Kindi. Layla’s world is upended when she awakens her mother from a coma with an extraordinary ability, revealing her as a Basirim.
This power, essential for the survival of Kethrop—a parallel world unknown to her—launches her into a web of familial conflict and palace politics. As Layla grapples with this newfound knowledge, she navigates through jealousy, palace hostility, and her father’s dangerous ambitions.
In parallel, Gevher, Kethrop’s youngest ever Intellect, struggles to repair the portal connecting their worlds, culminating in a climactic standoff where the fate of both worlds teeters on the edge.
Inspired by the lost knowledge of Bayt al-Hikma, the novel suggests a fascinating historical possibility: the existence of Kethrop, a world potentially known to our ancestors and concealed within the records of Bayt al-Hikma before its untimely destruction.
(Author bio)
Thank you for considering my manuscript. I am eager to provide the complete manuscript for your review and look forward to the possibility of working together!
First 300 words:
When the princess touched her mother’s forearm, she opened her eyes.
I deserve the credit, not him, the young princess thought. Twirling her dark, shoulder-length hair, she paced her jasmine-fragrant bedchamber, thinking about the incident at the caliph’s bedchamber. Four days ago, a mysterious illness, as the physicians called it, made Farsisa fall unconscious; it was the same day she turned four-and-ten.
As an unofficial scholar of Dar al-Hikma, she had the skills required – like any other physicians of the intellectual powerhouse – to find a cure for her mother’s illness. Though being a princess of Baghdad came with great disadvantages. She felt leashed whenever she desired to seek knowledge without a cover. Holding the leash, she had her father, older brother, the scholars and the palace guardsmen. But finally, with her mother’s illness, her chance to prove herself with everyone around came. And now, as she considered the recent event, she wondered if her own body had a role in her mother’s miraculous recovery. She hoped so, however possible.
They will come to know… Layla nodded seriously, walking to her bedroom windows. I am better than Prince Kindi. All he cares about is poetry and stupid stuff.
The princess gazed at the dark, night sky over Baghdad. Without a cloud above the metropolis, the moon made its bright appearance. Similar to a waning moon, Layla’s knowledge spent a long time in darkness, unable to present it for all to see. But now with her mother awake – possibly because of her – she sensed her time to shine has arrived.
Baghdad had two ring-like walls; one encircled the entire city and one encircled the Grand Palace, at the center. Looking outside her bedchamber window, she had a full view of the Courtyard Gardens—gardens that went around the entire palace. A few torches hung on wooden posts, scattered among the maze-like paths, provided the guardsmen with enough light to make their rounds.