You have been exploring the land around the rito settlements and you come across a suspicious looking house with a Yiga symbol on the door
You Knock
You see a man, a man with a Yiga mask on with black curly hair and a muscular looking body, he seemed to be passed his prime (old) but still kept in shape The man asks what are you doing here and you reply: "I was just-just looking for more recruits and came across your home and got curious on the symbol on the door, s-so sir are you perhaps a member of the Yiga clan"
"Ah a Yiga member, you see kid I used to be in that clan. But then the clan changed, with the loss of my father and boss Master Kogha the clan went to hell" so I took me and my brother away from there and left and after that I have no-idea on what happend afterwords"
Now intrested you ask "so who was your brother?" "Ah, my brother was the second in command of the Yiga Clan, his name was Sooga he went back to his position around a year ago and died" "wait does that mean your THE third in command, the son of the Master the brains of the clan Zooga!" Yes, that was his name, after you had a cup of tea with story's of his adventures and afterhad a spar with the man (he may be old but he kicked your a$s) you left, now knowing more about the 2 Soldiers then all but the master and any veteran in the clan.
This is just a little send off post from the clan, some clan members may remember me from the golden age of the sub while most may not, but last year I just left the server after the golden age of the server ended and then as one of the only old members who had self-control over my charecter and didn't make mine a shapeshifting hydra that could go mach 10 I was left on the server with no one left from the old days so now I'm here, leveling my last mark on the server so now,
I quit
Respect my office next time

Lesson 28: Advanced Interpretation - Layers of Symbolism
Explanation: Delve deeper into the layers of symbolism within a card. Beyond the basic meanings, explore hidden symbols, colors, and details that convey subtle messages.
Exercise: Choose a card, preferably a Major Arcana. Examine every detail, color, and symbol. What subtle messages can you discern?
Activity: Draw the card and create a detailed journal entry, noting every observed symbol and its potential significance.
Guided Meditation: Close your eyes, visualize the chosen card. Zoom in on every detail. What hidden messages reveal themselves?
Additional Insight: The rich tapestry of symbolism in each card offers a treasure trove of wisdom. Unravel the intricate threads.

Jerry
Another week of travel sees the Crimson Tear making her orbital insertion around Coburnia's Rest with a graceful ease that only comes with a steady and experienced hand at the tiller, and Ian McCoy was coming to prize his abilities as the Tear's senior helmsman significantly.
Jerry would have enjoyed watching from the bridge, but instead he was watching from a screen aboard the Olympia, loaded up with his contact team for the Hammerhands. He looks over to Masha.
"Time to go, gorgeous."
"You got it, stud."
"I believe that's 'sir' while we're working."
Masha gives Jerry a mischievous grin.
"Stud, sir."
She flips through a few comm channels, getting their clearance and throttling up the Olympia and slipping out of the landing bay near the Den, right as Audacious comes in for her choreographed docking maneuver that they'd first shown off making orbit around Serbow.
In a few moments the Tear and Audacious fall away and Jerry gets his first proper look at Coburnia's Rest. It really was a pretty world. Earth-like in many senses except there were aggressive mountain ranges just about everywhere, which had left the Cannidor two options once the ready available space had been taken up during the initial colonization. Start knocking mountains down, or start burrowing into them.
Being Cannidor, they'd actually done both, knocking down mountains where practical and digging in deep where it wasn't. Which led to the rather fascinating capital of Coburnia's Rest, and the seat of Clan Hammerhand, The Crucible.
“Well I can certainly see why they named it the Crucible.”
Jerry says, pointing at the features from the seat next to Masha.
“It really looks like one with the city ringed on all sides… those are some serious mountains too.”
“You can say that again, they’d fit right in with the Himalayas back on Earth.”
There was only one break in the ring of mountains round the massive city, where a path had been battered to the sea.
“Hmmm… going to take a wild guess without looking at the galactic fact book, this was once been a glacial valley,a big one, and the Hammerhands massively expanded till we get this big city of theirs.”
Masha nods. “Where’s all the industrial stuff though? I wasn’t really in for the briefing since I was prepping for the flight, but I was expecting more factories and stuff.”
“Well that’s the trick, the mountains are the factories, forges, fortresses and other less aesthetically pleasing, but critical facilities.”
“Oooh.” Masha’s eyes widen slightly. “Damn. That’s clever. The stuff an enemy would target first for their value are outright hidden away, and more importantly, protected, by many tons of stone.”
“Yep. Leaves a fairly pretty city behind all things considered.”
“Hmm. Can’t say I’m a fan of modern Cannidor architecture. Needs more spiral staircases and towers for charming princes to compose elegant couplets about the fair lady knights seeking his hand.”
The couple dissolve into chuckles until the radio crackles to life with automated instructions for them to check into approach control. Masha flips a few switches, then looks over to Jerry.
"You got the comms, stud, sir?"
"Yeah I got'em."
Jerry dials in the channel for approach control for the Crucible.
"Crucible space flight control, this is the Undaunted transport Olympia, here for an official diplomatic meeting with Khan Hammerhand."
"Olympia, we've been expecting you. Head for docking platform 1-1B, following the beacon I'm pushing to your system now."
Jerry checks the appropriate system and ties the beacon into the nav computer.
"We've got the beacon, proceeding to 1-1B, Olympia out."
Jerry's HUD and integrated network node lets him quickly dial in the beacon to a map and consider where exactly they were landing.
"Looks like they've got us on the surface, somewhat near the beach... the Khan's fortress palace is on the other end of the city."
Masha frowns. "Think they're fucking with us?"
"Hmm..." Jerry engages a nav program to route them on foot from the landing pad to the Khan's fortress, and finds it goes straight through a fair bit of the city. "I think Khan Hammerhand is introducing us to her people and the city in a more organic way. We'll likely be told to explore at our leisure or given a time a decent ways away to allow us to 'rest and recover' from our journey, which we will of course spend walking through the city, maybe having a meal."
Masha looks over her shoulder at Jerry for a second, arching an eyebrow.
"Damn, that's pretty slick."
"Khan Hammerhand has been Khan for a very long time from what Komugai told me. You don't keep a bunch of trade guilds and families together without being a fairly deft hand politically. It's also a good sign. If she wasn't sure about us in some way I doubt she'd be introducing her people like this."
"Yeah. Well, guess we'll have to see exactly what they're up to... I'm just glad we get to wear civvies for this."
Jerry looks down at himself. He felt a bit odd out of uniform, but the Apuk garb his wives had picked out for him still looked just as slick on him as it had on Serbow, and was damn comfortable. Mixed with his Crimsonhewer war ax, kukri and field pistol and he looked like something out of a fantasy tabletop game that had transitioned to scifi at some point.
"Yeah, the khan's not military, and she specified wanting a 'relaxed' meeting. Guess we'll just have to see exactly what that means, Komugai was damn certain she'd have some sort of test for us."
"Guess we'll find out! On the ground in five!"
Masha was wrong. She had the Olympia touching down in approximately four minutes from starting reentry.
“Alright, I’ll get the Olympia put up, and head for your beacon when I’m done.”
Jerry and Masha exchange another kiss and he walks into the back, where the rest of the contact team for the Hammerhands is waiting. Wichen had brought along Senior Chief Gunner's Mate John Halsey, her able right hand man and looming just behind them was Chief Gunner's Mate Yura Ironside, the Joruga arms dealer that Jerry and his team had met on the Pillars of Ascension a few months back. Carolatta Bisen was another familiar face. A loud mouth, but she was coming along as an expert power armor technician even if she couldn't keep a secret in a bucket.
Jaruna herself is waiting by the door leading to Olympia's passenger ramp, and has Vera, Sheryen, Vilka and Meela with her, the usual security detail augmented by Dar'Vok and her new trainees. Sheryen and the girls would actually be backing off as a ‘covert’ detail, letting Dar’Vok and her new trainees handle close protection along with Makula, who was picking at her new clothes a bit, as if she wasn't used to clothing that didn't fit under armor properly.
Jaruna greets Jerry with a kiss as he joins them by the door.
"Just finished a little briefing on Cannidor culture hubby, should be good to go."
Jerry nods. "Good. Alright folks, if this goes like I'm anticipating we're going to have a bit of time to walk around and explore as we make our way to the Khan's fortress. I want everyone to stay mostly within eyesight of the rest of the team, and always have a buddy with you. No wandering off solo, we'll accept some hospitality if it's offered but we are here to work. Do this right and I'm sure we can explore on R&R ourselves later on if we want."
Jerry smacks the button to open the hatch, and steps out on the ramp, getting a lungful of the cool sea breeze coming up from the south that just managed to cover over the slightly acrid smell of starship operations and taking a brief look around before heading down the ramp.
The architecture of the place seemed to be very much in the Cannidor style, which Jerry considered a mix of brutalism and what he thought of as 'heroic' architecture. Not the attempt to rebrand brutalism, but rather brutalism's pragmatism and raw materials crossed with the type of things you'd expect from a modern warrior culture.
For example, Jerry spied a tower nearby that just from a glance almost certainly held a couple anti-aircraft batteries, part of the space port's defenses. It was an armored, functional piece, but it had a large sculpture of a Cannidor war goddess shaped around it, elevating a practical object in a way that just screamed 'Cannidor' to Jerry. Every home is a bunker or fortress, every office a barracks in time of war. Every rooftop is an opportunity for a concealed turret or a small garden in equal measure.
If there was a species in the galaxy that could make concertina wire artistic in some way, Jerry knew it was the Cannidor, and while some people might find such an environment almost oppressive, the layering to build up defenses, the space between buildings to ensure clear firing lines between defensive points all contributed to making The Crucible feel very open and comfortable... for a Marine anyway. The actual 'violence' concealed within the airy open spaces even around their landing pad would probably make a lot of civilians just a bit nervous.
For a fighting man though? Paradise.
Jerry resists throwing his arms out to embrace the Crucible symbolically and settles for exchanging salutes with the uniformed guardswomen and the clan dignitary waiting for them.
The woman offers a bit of a bow before straightening up, showing off her heavy duty leather smock. This was ritual gear to a degree, but it was very clear these were the clothes of a hard working woman.
"Forgemistress Kalak, Admiral Bridger, I presume?"
"That's me. A pleasure to meet you, Forgemistress."
Kalak grunts in acknowledgment.
"The Khan bids you to relax and enjoy the city as you make your way to the fortress... we're not in any rush and you've had a decent journey since your victory at the edge of Cannidor space."
"Heard about that little skirmish did you?"
The forgemistress lets out an amused snort.
"You have no idea you're all over the news do you? Got everything a good news story for the Cannidor needs, an exotic new species of mostly men, violence in every domain imaginable including a proper drop by Cannidor shock troopers, hell I'll be surprised if the combat footage your people released doesn't get recut as a movie!"
Jerry arches an eyebrow, he did have Nyri'Jan release a super cut of footage from the engagement with the pirates, with a lot of the Undaunted special weapons carefully omitted, but he hadn't expected widespread interest outside Irgalas' domain.
"Well if everyone's enjoying the show I don't think I can complain too much."
"Uh huh." Kalak clearly doesn't buy the humble routine, but she's not going to press it either. "Anyway. Welcome to Coburnia's Rest, the laws are no killing without cause, and keep your hands to your own shit. No customs or anything, you're here or you aren't and taxes are paid on each sale of goods except for exempted stuff like food. There's guards around and they'll keep an eye out for non-Cannidor and men, but don't expect too many favors, especially if you pick a fight you can't win... though for you Undaunted types I can't imagine you do that often. Enjoy the city, and feel free to drop into my family store, can always use some business."
Masha looks up, clearly eager. "What does your family specialize in Mistress Kalak?"
"Blades of all kinds mostly, the only stuff we sell direct is results from apprentices we've deemed fit for sale. Most of our work's custom and goes direct to the intended owner or clan. You gotta be a clan friend to get that kinda work though, but you manage to pull that off with the Khan and I'll give you Undaunted a discount, heard you like a decent bit of fighting metal... and from the big war knife and that 'Hewer ax on the Admiral's belt I'd say that rumor's true. Anyway, I got shit to do, so I'll shove off."
Kalak strides off without ceremony, leaving an amused Jerry, a laughing Jaruna and a somewhat confused everyone else in their wake.
Jaruna chuckles again and composes herself. "Yep, proper Cannidor hospitality right there. You're not gonna get a warmer welcome than that anywhere in Cannidor space I suspect. Just about threw the doors open and embraced you like a long lost member of the family if we translate Cannidor to the rest of the galaxy."
Wichen cocks her head. "That's what the Cannidor call hospitality!?"
It's Jerry's turn to chuckle. "Extreme hospitality actually. They're letting us past their defensive lines, into their city, with no escort and we've got the run of the place until we get to the palace in more or less our own time. Would you let a stranger into our home with that kind of freedom?"
"...Oooh." Wichen nods. "Right, got it now. That is interesting!"
"It is, but let's not stop ourselves from getting some rest somewhere pleasant instead of standing around on a landing pad."
Jerry waves a hand forward, and leads the Undaunted into the city proper.
First Last

Lesson 36: Advanced Interpretation - Tarot and Numerology Combined
Explanation: Deepen your understanding by combining Tarot with numerology. Explore how the numerology of a card's number and its corresponding suit influence interpretations.
Exercise: Select a card and break down its numerology (e.g., The Magician - 1, The Fool - 0). Explore how the number's energy interacts with the suit.
Activity: Draw three cards. Consider both their numerical and elemental influences. How does this dual perspective enrich your interpretation?
Guided Meditation: Close your eyes, draw a card. Feel the synergy between its number and suit. What insights into numerological symbolism emerge?
Additional Insight: Combining Tarot and numerology provides a harmonious blend of energies. Uncover the deeper layers of meaning within each card.

What is alligator symbolism? Alligator symbolizes strength, ancient wisdom, primal instincts, good fortune, and other dynamic traits. This animal is.… https://aboutspiritual.com/alligator-symbolism-meaning/

Hello! I hope some people here will appreciate my perspective:
I used to be a big collector and was very active in the original RWI forums. On a path to self discovery, I realized that being a genuine person means not lying to other people and lying to myself. Here are the things I used to tell myself when wearing reps:
I hope someone notices my watch and thinks I'm rich
I hope someone compliments my watch
I hope I'm pulling this off
Nobody will know it's fake
I look like a big swinging dick
I still have a couple of reps. I love the way they look and I take them out once in a while to look at them. They are beautiful and really cool. However, I can't bear wearing them anymore except occasionally in the privacy of my own home. The excuses we tell ourselves in this community - nobody cares what you're wearing, for example - are artificial mental constructions. People wear these watches because they are status symbols, and want to be noticed. At a certain point, I couldn't stand pretending to be someone I'm not. I was never more insecure than when I was wearing a gaudy fake watch.
These are my opinions as someone who was involved in the rep game for over 10 years. As my superficiality and egotism have decreased with age, so has my will to wear fake luxury watches and, in effect, lie to people.
If we can't be honest with others, let's at least be honest with ourselves. I hope some of you may find my thoughts worth entertaining.
I do love the watches themselves. They are fun and beautiful and I stay updated on new releases. But I can't bear to buy and wear these because it's just dishonest.

I sent a video I created showing over 350 examples of symbols in movies to Eddie Muller of Turner Classic Movies. Eddie found it "fascinating." Eddie asked permission to use my name and describe my discovery on the air when he showed the movie "Three Strangers." Eddie had previously shown the movie about 2 years before on Noir Alley. He purposely rescreened the movie again so that he could tie in my Quan Yin discovery. By doing this, and mentioning my discovery, during the outro to the movie on July 19, 2020, Eddie is now on record as the first television presenter who announced my discovery to the world. I’m sure Eddie has figured out the meaning of the Quan Yins and is keeping the secret. This makes me respect him more, because just like the Quan Yin Cognoscenti, he also is keeping the secret, and thereby honoring all those Quan Yin Cognoscenti from bygone ages.
I thought you might be interested in viewing my video showing these symbols in American movies beginning in 1930 and continuing through 2022. I began cataloging my discoveries in 2016, working with professors from USC, UCLA, Yale, and Chapman University. I created a video which shows over 350 examples of these symbols. I believe you will be amazed after viewing just the first 5 minutes of my video.
Use the PASSWORD: UCSB1971
Click or copy and paste this link:
https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/733092911
And use the PASSWORD: UCSB1971
Respectfully submitted,
Steve Weston

One night I was looking at the sky, right before start praying and, (maybe I'm getting crazy) I think I saw a inverted cross form itself between the clouds, I'm not sure, but I got completely terrified. I'm going through a hard time right now, asking God for guidance and now I'm thinking that I saw some evil sign and that is driving me crazy, now I have to deal with this fear that demons will take everything good in my life.
I decided to search about what an inverted cross means and found out that many people seen this as the cross of Peter, the apostle who asked to be crucified upside down because he did not feel worthy of dying like Jesus, so it would not necessarily be a symbol of evil, but I am not sure.
I don't know, I'm confused, I don't like to think that I saw something in the sky and there's some spirits messing with my mind. I just want to live my life without having to fear some demons changing the course of reality in order to make me suffer, because that's how it's feels like when I hear things about spiritual battles.

Can wallstreetbets or other social media platforms be used as a source of valuable information for traders? Can artificial intelligence (AI) help analyze the sentiment and trends of these online communities and predict the direction of stock prices?

What is sentiment analysis?

Sentiment analysis is a machine learning method in natural language processing that quantifies emotion in text by analyzing the meaning of words, their context, and their frequency. Sentiment analysis can be used to measure the overall attitude or opinion of a group of people towards a certain topic, such as a product, a brand, or a stock.
For example, sentiment analysis can be applied to wallstreetbets posts and comments to determine whether the users are bullish (positive) or bearish (negative) about a particular stock. This can give an indication of the market sentiment and the potential demand or supply for that stock.

How can sentiment analysis be used for trading?

Sentiment analysis can be used for trading in several ways. One way is to use it as a complementary indicator to technical analysis or fundamental analysis. For example, if a stock has strong fundamentals and positive technical indicators, but the sentiment on wallstreetbets is negative, it may indicate that the stock is undervalued or oversold and may present a buying opportunity. Conversely, if a stock has weak fundamentals and negative technical indicators, but the sentiment on wallstreetbets is positive, it may indicate that the stock is overvalued or overbought and may present a selling opportunity.
Another way is to use sentiment analysis as a contrarian indicator. This means that instead of following the crowd, one can trade against the prevailing sentiment. For example, if the sentiment on wallstreetbets is overwhelmingly bullish about a stock, it may signal that the stock is in a bubble and may soon experience a correction or a crash. Conversely, if the sentiment on wallstreetbets is overwhelmingly bearish about a stock, it may signal that the stock is in a dip and may soon experience a rebound or a rally.
Of course, sentiment analysis is not a foolproof method and should not be used alone. It should be combined with other factors such as market conditions, news events, risk management, and trading psychology. Moreover, sentiment analysis may not always reflect the true intentions or actions of the users. Some users may post false or misleading information to manipulate the market or to troll other users. Therefore, one should always do their own research and verify the sources before making any trading decisions.

What are some examples of AI tools for analyzing wallstreetbets or social media?

There are several existing projects and tools that use AI to analyze wallstreetbets or social media for trading purposes. Here are some examples:

• Stocksera is a web application that provides alternative financial data to retail investors. It uses natural language processing to extract information from wallstreetbets posts and comments, such as ticker symbols, price targets, due diligence reports, sentiment scores, and popularity rankings. It also provides other features such as stock screener, portfolio tracker, news aggregator, and cryptocurrency tracker.
• reddit-sentiment-analysis is a Python program that goes through reddit posts and comments from various subreddits such as wallstreetbets, stocks, investing, etc., and finds the most mentioned tickers and their sentiment scores using Vader SentimentIntensityAnalyzer. It also generates graphs and tables to visualize the results.
• WeWave is an AI-powered platform that matches chart patterns and drawings with real-time market data. It uses computer vision and deep learning to recognize patterns such as triangles, wedges, flags, etc., and provides trading signals based on them. It also allows users to create their own patterns and drawings and share them with other users.

However, this is not an exhaustive list and there may be other ways to use AI to analyze wallstreetbets or social media for trading purposes. For example, one could use natural language generation to create fake posts or comments to influence the market sentiment or to test different hypotheses. One could also use natural language understanding to extract more information from wallstreetbets or social media posts and comments, such as emotions, intents, sarcasm, irony, etc.
The main challenge of using AI to analyze wallstreetbets or social media for trading purposes is to ensure the quality and reliability of the data and the analysis. As mentioned earlier, wallstreetbets or social media posts and comments may not always reflect the true opinions or actions of the users. They may also contain noise, errors, spam, bots, or other forms of manipulation. Therefore, one should always be careful and critical when using AI to analyze wallstreetbets or social media for trading purposes.
AI is a powerful tool that can help traders gain insights and advantages from wallstreetbets or social media data. However, it is not a magic bullet and it does not replace human judgment and intuition. Traders should always use AI as a supplement and not a substitute for their own research and analysis.

Title: Unlocking Tarot Mysteries: Exploring Numerology's Influence
I. Introduction - Brief overview of numerology and its historical significance - Introduction to tarot and its use of symbolism
II. Basics of Numerology - Explanation of the significance of numbers in numerology - How numbers are associated with various traits, energies, and meanings - Key concepts: Life Path Number, Expression Number, etc.
III. Understanding Tarot - Introduction to tarot cards and their symbolism - Brief overview of major and minor arcana cards - Basics of tarot spreads and readings
IV. Numerology and Tarot: Bridging the Connections - Correlations between numbers in numerology and tarot cards - Detailed exploration of each number (1-9) and their significance in tarot - How numerology influences interpretations of individual tarot cards
V. Practical Applications - Techniques for incorporating numerology into tarot readings - Examples of how to use numerology to enhance card interpretations - Exercises and practices for readers to deepen their understanding
VI. Advanced Techniques and Case Studies - Advanced methods of combining numerology and tarot - Case studies illustrating the effectiveness of numerology in tarot readings
VII. Conclusion - Recap of key points about the relationship between numerology and tarot - Encouragement for readers to continue exploring these connections - Additional resources for further study
This outline provides a structured flow from introducing both subjects to delving into their interconnectedness, offering practical advice, and concluding with encouragement for readers to further explore the topic. Tailoring the content and providing examples and illustrations can greatly enhance the reader's understanding and engagement with the material.

The new Archon Quest "Bedtime Story" dropped several lore bombs, with one of the most significant being the reveal of not just the "Sinner" from the previous Dain quest, but all five of them! Each of the five Sinners has a name inspired by Norse mythology, and I wanted to take a look into the mythological figures behind those names.
Dainsleif reveals the names of the Five Sinners of Khaenri'ah.

The Five Sinners and their namesakes

• "The Wise" Hroptatyr: the title of "Wise" definitely fits here because "Hroptatýr" ("sage") is one of the many names for Odin (seriously, this dude had a ton of names), one of the principal gods in Norse mythology. Odin is the ruler of Asgard, the realm of the gods, and is a god of wisdom (among many other things) who's also known as the All-Father or "father of all." He's often depicted with one eye because, in exchange for wisdom, he gave one of his eyes to Mímir, who was renowned for his knowledge and wisdom (and is later beheaded, which then leads to Odin carrying Mímir's head around and receiving advice from it...but that's another story). Odin also has a pair of ravens named Huginn ("thought") and Muninn ("memory"), who fly around the world and bring information to him.
• "The Visionary" Vedrfolnir: Vedrfolnir's name comes from Veðrfölnir ("storm pale," "wind bleached," or "wind-witherer"), the hawk that sits between the eyes of an unnamed eagle that is perched on top of Yggdrasil, the world tree. The eagle is a wise being. The squirrel Ratatoskr ("drill-tooth") runs up and down the tree's trunk to tell gossip to the eagle and the dragon Níðhöggr ("malice-striker"), who lives at the bottom of Yggdrasil and gnaws at its roots. This gossip provokes both the eagle and Níðhöggr. It's theorized that Veðrfölnir the hawk is associated with the wisdom of the eagle, or it acts like Odin's ravens and flies off to acquire and bring back knowledge to the eagle. Thus, the title of "Visionary" fits the character named Vedrfolnir. More on Vedrfolnir after this list.
• "Gold" Rhinedottir: gonna channel my inner MarcoMeatball with this one. Hi again, Albedo's mom! Rhinedottir is the only Sinner whose name isn't taken directly from a figure in Norse mythology. "Rhinedóttir" means "daughter of Rhine" and likely comes from the Rhinemaidens, water nymphs from Richard Wagner's opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen ("The Ring of the Nibelung") who lived in the Rhine River and guarded the Rhinegold. They were actually invented by Wagner for his Ring cycle and didn't come from Norse mythology, though they might have been inspired by it. In Das Rheingold ("The Rhinegold"), the first of the four parts of the Ring cycle, the Rhinemaidens meet a Nibelung dwarf named Alberich, who attempts to woo them, and the Rhinemaidens mock him cruelly. At some point, a ray of sunlight reveals the Rhinegold, and Alberich asks about it. The Rhinemaidens explain that the Rhinegold can grant immense power to the person who forges a ring from it (yes it looks like J.R.R. Tolkien used the same inspiration for The Lord of the Rings); however, only someone who has abandoned love can obtain it. The Rhinemaidens are confident that Alberich doesn't pose any danger to the Rhinegold because he's clearly in love with them. However, Alberich, who is hurt by their mocking, decides that world domination is more desirable than love, so he curses love, grabs the Rhinegold, and disappears, leaving the Rhinemaidens screaming in dismay.
  • We've seen the names "Nibelung" and "Alberich" before. Nibelung was the leader of the Seven Dragon Sovereigns who acquired forbidden knowledge in order to fight off the Heavenly Principles, aka "the usurper." The Alberich clan is a Khaenri'ahn aristocratic clan that became the ruling regents of Khaenri'ah following the Cataclysm whose prominent members include Chlothar Alberich, who was inspired by the Sinner (Vedrfolnir) to establish the Abyss Order, and of course our good friend Kaeya Alberich. More on Kaeya at the end of this post.
    • In German heroic legend, Alberich is a dwarf who guards the treasures of a clan of dwarves called the Nibelung.
• "The Foul" Surtalogi: the name of Skirk's master seems to be a combination of "Surtr" and "Logi." Surtr ("black" or "the dark-skinned one") is a jötunn (giant) who is the ruler of Muspelheim, the realm of fire (one of the two realms along with Niflheim said to have existed before the beginning of time), who will destroy the world with his flames during Ragnarök, the end of the world. Logi) ("fire") is a jötunn who is the personification of fire, and while "logi" generally translates to "fire," apparently it was also used in poetry as a synonym of "sword" or "blade." Therefore, "Surtalogi" can probably mean something like "fire of Surtr" or "sword of Surtr." I'm not sure why he has the "Foul" title. In some languages, his title translates to "Abominable Horseman/Knight" or "Knight of Filth." In Chinese, his title is 极恶骑 (jí è qí, "evil horseback-rider").
• "Rächer of Solnari" Rerir: "rächer" means "avenger" in German. No idea what "Solnari" is, but in Chinese his title is 猎月人 (liè yuè rén, "moon hunter"). There's a lot of moon symbolism when it comes to Khaenri'ah, so perhaps Rerir wants to take revenge, or has already taken revenge, on something related to the moon... Maybe the Crimson Moon Dynasty? The Crimson Moon Dynasty was replaced by the Eclipse Dynasty, with the crimson moon being replaced by a dark sun. "Solnari" contains "sol," which means "sun" in Latin (as well as Old Norse). Maybe Rerir ended the Crimson Moon Dynasty in some way? Anyway, in Norse mythology, Rerir is the son of Sigi. Sigi is murdered, and Rerir avenges his father's death. Later, he becomes a powerful ruler and has a son named Völsung. Rerir comes from the Völsung lineage, a clan said to have descended from the god Odin because it began with Sigi, who was said to be a son of Odin. It seems that the Rerir in Genshin avenged someone or something called Solnari?

The Visionary and the Bough Keeper

The quest reveals that Vedrfolnir, who we knew from the previous Dain quest "Caribert" as the "Sinner," is none other than Dainsleif's older brother. With the title of "Visionary," we probably already knew him from Dainsleif's drip marketing post from almost 4 years ago:
That's a lot of very important-sounding words.
The "self-proclaimed prophet" could be referring to Vedrfolnir. Additionally, "chalk pursues gold" seems to refer to Albedo and Rhinedottir. "...the eclipse is swallowed by the crimson moon" is interesting because based on my theory of Rerir, the opposite is happening in this quote (the crimson moon overtakes the eclipse vs. the eclipse/dark sun overtakes the crimson moon). The quote also mentions "the cycle of the world." We learned from the Narzissenkreuz world quest series that "the Narzissenkreuz Ordo believes that people continuously refine themselves through samsara cycles. These include Hyperborea, Natlantean, Remuria, and the first half of the fourth samsara (Khraun-Arya), which we are presently experiencing."
Then the "self-proclaimed prophet" asks: "Dain, what is that strand of blonde hair to you? Someone you must kill? Or the object of your penitence?"
The "someone you must kill" part is fascinating because...

• "Bough Keeper" Dainsleif: Dainsleif's name comes from Dáinsleif ("Dáinn's heirloom" or "Dáinn's legacy"), a dwarven-forged sword that must kill a man whenever it is unsheathed. It was wielded by King Högni, a participant in a never-ending battle called Hjaðningavíg ("the battle of the Heodenings," or "the battle of Heðinn's warriors"), in which the slain fighters are resurrected each night to continue fighting each other until Ragnarök. Additionally, Dain's title of "Bough Keeper" could be referring to the branches of Irminsul, which seems to be something like the Genshin universe's equivalent of Yggdrasil.

Speaking of Yggdrasil, its name means "Odin's gallows." Odin sacrificed himself by hanging himself from the branches of Yggdrasil to obtain knowledge of the sacred runes, which he used to increase mankind's skill in magic and poetry. Because the hanged "ride" the gallows, "Yggdrasil" also means "Yggr's horse," with "Yggr" ("terrible one") being one of Odin's names. Creatures that live within Yggdrasil include the dragon Níðhöggr, the hawk Veðrfölnir and the unnamed eagle, and the four stags Dáinn ("The Dead One"), Dvalinn ("The Unconscious One"), Duneyrr ("Thundering in the Ear"), and Duraþrór ("Thriving Slumber"). Note that stag named Dáinn is different from the namesake of the sword Dáinsleif—the sword's Dáinn is a dwarf. Or an elf. It's complicated. Either way, it's generally assumed that this Dáinn forged Dáinsleif.

So it was right under our noses all this time?

To end things off, I wanted to show a voiceline Kaeya has had since 1.0 that seems to make a lot more sense after this quest:
...Anything else you'd like to tell us, Kaeya?
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

Hi.
This theological essay seeks to clarify the Christian concept of God as the Holy Trinity.
I would identify myself as a Perennial Christian, so my interpretation may eschew a little the traditional dogmatic expositions.
I'm more interested in making sense of the core theological idea, rather than convincing (much less "converting") someone.

The doctrine (you already know)
The Eastern Orthodox Church dogmatically affirms that God is a single being, simultaneously composed of three hypostasis – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are indivisible and inseparable, yet distinct, coequal and coeternal.
In spite of affirming the absolute equality of the three, they could be conceived as composing an upright pyramid. With the Father on top, who eternally begets the Son, and from whom eternally proceeds the Holy Spirit.
Nothing new up to this point.
The Catholics later affirmed the procession of the Spirit from both Father and Son. While the Eastern Orthodox maintained that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone, through the Son.
This Orthodox view of a “vertical Trinity” greatly clarifies the theological and soteriological implications of this creed. But for it to make sense, we must first understand the definitions of each hypostasis.

Defining each member (they’re not what you think)
It’s common (and quite intuitive) to conceive of God in our image. And think of deity in terms of personhood. But there are other theological models/nomenclatures.
Take the hesychastic exposition of St. Palamas. Who distinguished between Gods’ essence and uncreated energies.
The divine essence or substance is the perpetual mystery of existence. Unknown to all but God himself. For no one may witness the face of God and live (Exodus 33.20). That being the Unknown God (Acts 17.23). Identified as the Heavenly Father.
The divine energies, on the other hand, are also known as Gods’ grace, light, life, glory or truth (John 1). It is the dimension of God that interacts with creation and that reveals God according to the mortals’ capacity to perceive him. In the Eastern Church this is known as the grace of the Holy Spirit of God.
Finally, as evidenced in Johns’ prologue, Christ is identified as the incarnation of the Logos.
The Logos is a very complex term with a multitude of meanings.
In some sense, however, it is seen as the rational element, imbedded into creation that allows for an understanding of the created world. As a form of cosmic law.
Fundamentally, the Logos is that which threads between the Unknown God and the created world. God being the Absolute Truth, the sum total of existence (Plemora) that escapes the grasp of a rational mind. While the Logos, albeit eternal, allows for a glimpse and understanding of the very fabric of existence.
Hence, once Christ is identified as the incarnation of the Logos, he is positioned as the eternal intermediary between the unfathomable truth/essence and the mortal condition. The revelation of the God From Beyond.
To sum up, God is composed of three hypostasis:

• The divine substance – Unknown God, Heavenly Father, Plemora (the Absolute);
• The divine energies – Holy Spirit, Gods’ function and manifestation, perceptible by the mortal soul;
• The divine Logos – the eternal intermediary between the Unfathomable Fullness and the created transient world.

The practical meaning of the Trinity (you may be surprised)
While I’m not married to any particular dogma, it’s interesting how this Trinitarian conception goes beyond strict monotheism, modalism, tri-theism and other theologies.
The relationship between the Father and the Holy Spirit is very similar (in my opinion) to the Chinese concept of Ti-Yong – the distinction between essence/substance (Ti) and function/application (Yong).
There is one Absolute substance. One that is beyond any rational and dialectic ideation of good/bad, being/non-being, up/down… Yet it’s also manifest in a wide array of experiences and revelations that can be conceived in the temporal and conditioned world of forms.
In the midst of this, there is the Logos-Christ, the God-Man.
Now this is where I think things get very interesting.
Christ is the full embodiment of God. However, this was achieved through kenosis (self-emptying). The Father-God, being the Absolute, cannot be conceived by a mortal/limited being, since He is the sum total of all particulars. But in Jesus “dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2.9). So, it’s like a particular that expresses/reflects through itself the Absolute. A glimpse of the eternal among the temporal. A thread of the transcendent amidst the conditioned.
Christ, the Logos incarnate, is the “image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1.15). Like us having a scale model of the very universe we are in.
Christ is the incarnation of the total function of the divine substance. But a reflection graspable by the mortal mind.
A better metaphor for the Trinity (hopefully)
I think the best metaphor for the Trinity is the Transfiguration of Christ. Which is taken as the symbol of Christian illumination and union with God (theosis) in the Eastern mystical theology.
Christ is the full revelation of the Unknown God, perceptible to mortals. From him shine endless rays of divine uncreated light, which is identified as the Holy Spirit.
So, through Christ, Gods’ energies come into the world, to illumine and save the human soul, steeped in darkness.
This reception of Christs’ light is what is known in the EOC as the acquisition of the grace of the Holy Spirit of God. So “that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” (2 Peter 1.4).

Why Christ is the way (in Christian theology)
Christ identifies himself as “the way”. Which is in par with the EOC statement that “through him” proceeds the Holy Spirit.
In this manner, Christ is a two-way reality.
On one hand, he reveals the complete function of the divine essence. Materializing the “will of God” or the “divine Law” so to speak. As the image of God.
On the other hand, he draws us back into communion with God. Restoring our divine image and likeness.
So Christ came to reveal the God from Beyond, as well as lead the way to reunite with him. In following Jesus, we reunite with Gods' essence, and are restored into union with God, as Christs' image-bearers.

Scriptural precedents (yeah, really)
I've struggled with the thought that, if the Trinity trully is a "saving dogma", then why wasn't it proclaimed by God himself in the Ten Commandments and in the Shema?
However, this debate is beyond my limited and non-scholarly comprehension. Take, for instance, the argument of the "Two Powers in Heaven", suggesting that the Angel of the Lord was the pre-incarnate Jesus.
Regardless, the Biblical literary tradition seemed to have set a precedent for a "triadic sacredness". By ocasionally identifying the "three" as a mark of sacredness and divinity. Such as the chanting of the Trisagion (thrice holy) in both the Old and New Testaments (Isaiah 6.3; Revelations 4.8). And the first Biblical theophany to involve three angels, refered to as Lord, who exhibited divine qualities (authority, self-reference as God, omniscience and carrying out divine judgement) (Genesis 18).
Final words (thanks for reading)
There are many other interesting assertions in Christianity. Which I’ve come to better understand, and, in turn, appreciate. Especially the soteriological views on Crucifixion/Resurrection.
But for now, hopefully this was at least interesting.
My main point is that the Trinitarian conception of God in Christianity is not a completely baseless or illogical conclusion. It does have a soteriological meaning, as well as a some scriptural precendents. While I'm personally not dogmatic about it, I can appreciate its' substance.
Thank you for reading (hope this was interesting)

When Spain appears in the international media, it normally has something to do with Catalonia and the Catalan independence movement. Indeed, the issue has been raised several times in this sub, particularly after the Spanish government passed a controversial amnesty law. As such I think it might be interesting to learn about the history of Catalan nationalism and learn how we got here.
1. The origins of Catalonia
In the 8th century the kingdom of Iberia collapsed as the Umayyad caliphate took over most of the peninsula. The Franks launched a counteroffensive and established the County of Barcelona, which broadly encompassed modern day Catalonia. During the subsequent Reconquista period the County of Barcelona became one of the constituent regions of the Crown of Aragon. The Reconquista ended in the XV century, when the Crowns of Aragon and Castille were united through the marriage of Queen Isabel of Castile and Fernando of Aragon, who then conquered the remaining muslim kingdom of Granada in 1492.
The Kingdom of Spain became the largest Empire of the world, but in many ways it was a paper tiger. Internal divisions remained strong, as the Crown of Castile was a centralised and homogenous territory while the Crown of Aragon remained a patchwork of decentralised territories ruled by a series of feudal rights. Furthermore, the Crown of Castile was mainly focused on expanding through the Atlantic Ocean, being the driving force of the colonisation of the Americas and the Philippines, while Aragon remained focused on Mediterranean trade and the Italian wars. The Habsburg dynasty’s desire to create a universal Christian monarchy and defend Catholicism led Spain to become entangled in conflicts all over Europe. By the 17th century Spain was stuck in a quagmire in the Netherlands and also became involved in the 30 years war against France. The monarchy desperately required more funds and manpower, and it soon turned to the crown of Aragon and particularly Barcelona, one of the richest cities in the Mediterranean. Recruitment laws were centralised, taxes were levied on the Crown of Aragon and primarily Castilian troops were quartered in Catalonia. In 1640 this led to a revolt in Catalonia known as the Reaper’s war, which lasted almost 20 years and led to disastrous consequences for the Spanish crown, including the loss of Portugal. Given that nationalism wasn’t still a thing, the war mainly focused on overthrowing the King’s Castilian advisors and getting him to recognise and expand Aragon’s and particularly Barcelona’s economic privileges, but centuries later it would become a key symbol for Catalan nationalism, with the anthem of Catalonia being Els Segadors (The Reapers).
By the end of the war Habsburg Spain was at death’s door. Centuries of inbreeding had caused the Kings to have all kinds of genetic diseases, and Charles II was afflicted with all kinds of deformities and conditions. Perhaps worst of all, he was infertile and when he died in 1700 he unexpectedly named Phillip of Bourbon, grandson of Louis XIV of France, his successor. The choice was well received by Castile, which approved of Louis’s centralising reforms and absolutism and hoped Phillip would carry out similar reforms in Spain. On the other hand, Aragon was terrified of losing its autonomy and privileges and it proclaimed the archduke of Austria King, kickstarting the Spanish war of succession. After a grueling 15 year war Phillip V prevailed and he punished Aragon by abolishing its autonomy as well as the Generalitat of Catalonia, the regional government of Catalonia.
2. Catalan industry and anarchism during Bourbon Spain
The decline of the Spanish Empire only accelerated under the Bourbon’s and Spain’s disastrous performance during the Revolutionary and later Napoleonic wars saw the American colonies declare independence. King Ferdinand VII, who had overseen the loss of the colonies, died in 1833. Having no male heir he changed the succession laws so that his infant daughter could succeed him, which greatly infuriated his brother and heir apparent, Charles, who rose up in revolt, kickstarting the first Carlist war. The loyalists and liberals rallied around Queen Isabella while the more reactionary absolutist joined the Carlist cause. Carlism was also very popular in the Basque Country and rural Catalonia, as Charles’ defence of feudal rights and privileges was seen as a shield against the centralising tendencies of the liberals. The Isabellists ended up prevailing in 1840 after making peace with most of the rebel army and putting down the last Carlist remnants in Catalonia.
The resulting political system was, however, very ineffective. Isabella’s incompetence and erratic nature made her dependent on her advisors and Court. The two parties, the conservative Moderate Party and liberal Progressive Party, therefore tried to vie for her attention. This meant that power changed hands not through elections but through coups in which one of the parties would physically remove the other side’s advisors from the Queen’s court and replace them with their own. This left a small group of generals, such as Moderadate General Narváez and Progressive General Espartero, with effective control over politics.
The main economic policy at the time were the desamortizaciones a series of auctions of ecclesiastical and communal lands. However, partly due to ideological reasons, partly due to the dire need for cash and partly due to outright corruption and patronage, no land reform was carried out and the lands were instead sold to the highest bidders, who were nobles and local notables, the caciques. The caciques controlled the local administration and Civil Guard (rural police) and would use these institutions to rule their regions as effectively feudal lords. In return for patronage and bribes they would deliver the government whatever electoral results it required. However, the uncompetitive and unprofitable nature of Spanish agriculture meant that the caciques had little interest in investing in new agricultural technologies, instead investing all the profits in the nascent industries, primarily in Bilbao and Barcelona, leading southern rural Spain to lag behind. The peasants were infuriated by the poor working conditions and the ruthlessness of the caciques, and many started turning to anarchism. As many of these peasants started moving to Barcelona and other industrial centres they brought anarchism with them, and soon Barcelona was a centre of anarchism.
The constant coups and counter-coups led to the unraveling of the Spanish political arena and even a brief Republic. The Republic would itself be overthrown by a coup in 1875. Cánovas del Castillo, a liberal-conservative monarchist, sought to bring some semblance of stability and reduce military interference by creating a new political system the turnismo. Under this system Cánovas’ Conservative Party and the Liberal Party would periodically take turns at leading a government, using the Interior Ministry to give out patronage and bribes to the caciques so that they would return the desired electoral results. While this temporarily restored a semblance of stability, it only further entrenched the power of the caciques and nothing was done to address the growing social issues, allowing anarchism and to a lesser extent socialism under the Socialist Workers’ Party of Spain (PSOE) to grow. The turnismo started to collapse at the turn of the century, as Cánovas was assassinated by an anarchist in 1897 and the following year Spain was trounced by the US, losing the remaining Caribbean colonies and the Phillipines.
3. The birth of Catalan nationalism
The loss of the Cuban sugar industry was devastating for many Barcelonan industries. For some time many Catalan industrialists and landowners had grown disillusioned with the corrupt establishment in Madrid and the rule of the Castilian caciques, and a nationalist movement had started to form which demanded greater autonomy for Catalonia, including the re-establishment of the Generalitat. The “disaster of 1898” shattered any confidence left in the turnismo and Catalan nationalism grew rapidly, eventually coalescing into the conservative Regionalist League (LR) led by businessman Francesc Cambó. Throughout Spain confidence in the political system had similarly collapsed and a new movement, the Regeneracionismo, sought to completely reform the corrupt government. Conservative politician Eduardo Dato tried to placate desire for change by introducing welfare and social policies, but this proved too little too late and anarchism only kept growing, eventually leading to his assassination. Another Conservative leader, Antonio Maura, wanted to go further, seeking an alliance with the LR to put an end to turnismo and the caciques and create a more decentralised system. Maura’s easing of electoral repression and corruption led to huge wins for the Catalanists, but his ambitions were shattered by the Rif war.
From the start of the XX century Spain had tried to take advantage of France’s expansion in Morocco by taking over the Rif region. This kickstarted a series of wars which were extremely unpopular in Catalonia, leading to a violent suppression of the Catalanist press by the Spanish army. In 1909 Maura tried to put an end to the war by sending over Catalan reservists, which led to violent riots that destroyed much of Barcelona and led to the collapse of his government.
The turnismo would effectively unravel in 1913 when Liberal PM Canalejas was assassinated by an anarchist, leading to a succession crisis that split both main parties in half. Spanish neutrality during WW1 caused an economic boom, but the profits were mainly gobbled up by the great industrialists and didn’t result in wage rises, only further boosting anarchism and socialism. While Catalonia was granted some autonomy in 1914, Catalan MPs demanded further autonomy, setting up their own assembly in 1917, which was dissolved by the army. In turn, anarchists and socialists called a revolutionary strike which was violently put down. Spain fell into a state of near-civil war, as anarchist assassinations, government reprisals and army interference became commonplace. The industrialists of the LR were extremely worried about an anarchist or socialist revolution and Cambó joined a series of national unity governments, which didn’t last very long. Cambó was even offered the Prime Ministership, but he turned it down and instead the LR started supporting the ambitions of the Captain General of Catalonia, Miguel Primo de Rivera.
In 1923, with the support of the King, Primo de Rivera established a military dictatorship. He soon backstabbed the LR and instead indulged in all kinds of corrupt activities. The LR was humiliated by this and a new force came to dominate Catalan nationalism, the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC). ERC joined other Republican and Socialist forces in overthrowing the monarchy in 1931.
The new Republic quickly granted Catalonia a Statute of Autonomy and ERC came to dominate the new government, but it soon started to clash with the anti-electoralist anarchists of the National Confederation of Labour (CNT), who set up their own parallel institutions. In 1934 the corrupt and opportunistic PM, Alejandro Lerroux, decided to allow the openly anti-Republic CEDA into the government, which led to a revolutionary general strike. The President of Catalonia, Lluis Companys, used this as an opportunity to declare the Republic of Catalonia, though he stated it would be a part of a Federal Spanish Republic. The army under newly appointed Chief of Staff Francisco Franco harshly put down the strike and Catalonian autonomy was revoked.
Autonomy was restored after the victory of the Popular Front at the 1936 elections, but soon the Spanish Civil War broke out. Catalonia managed to defeat general Goded’s coup attempt, largely due to the intervention of the CNT anarchists, but soon a cold-war settled in Republican Catalonian between the ERC government, the anarchists, the Spanish Republican government and several communist parties, while the remnants of LR supported Franco.
4. Catalonia under Franco and the Transition
Franco established a highly centralised and pseudo-fascistic dictatorship founded on Catholicism and Castilian nationalism. He attempted to unite Spanish culture around Castilian symbols and traditions, abolishing all regional symbols and identities and banning regional languages, particularly in the Basque Country and Catalonia. However, after the defeat of the Axis powers Franco started distancing himself from fascism and his enforcement of regional identity bans became somewhat half hearted. While Catalan and other languages couldn’t be taught in schools or used publicly, they could be used in private. Franco initially pursued a policy of autarchy and statism, but this resulted in international isolation and economic stagnation. In the late 50s he gradually liberalised the economy, leading to an economic boom. Cities and industries started growing again and tourism became a huge industry, particularly in Mediterranean cities such as Barcelona. Indeed, Barcelona became something of an international city and started developing a cosmopolitan identity. The similarities between Catalan and Spanish allowed people immigrating from other parts of Spain to rapidly learn the language and integrate despite the ban on the language. Barcelona became a centre of opposition to the increasingly unpopular Franco regime. The only thing sustaining the dictatorship was the economic boom, and once the oil crisis hit any hope of the regime continuing after Franco evaporated.
Franco died in 1975, and in 1976 PM Adolfo Suárez introduced a series of democratic reforms. In 1977 the first democratic elections were held. In Catalonia Suárez’s party underperformed, finishing third behind PSOE’s regional branch, the Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSC) and the Communist Party. Suárez was deeply worried about this and he tried to divide the Catalan left by inviting the exiled President of Catalonia, Josep Tarradellas of ERC, to return. This did indeed divide the leftist vote, but it was a new party that took advantage, Jordi Pujol’s Convergence and Union (CiU). Pujol was a Catalan nationalist of the old LR kind, a centre-right regionalist whose motto was “Spain steals from us”, claiming that Spain took more money from the region than it invested. Nevertheless, he didn’t call for independence, instead pushing for broader autonomy, cultural rights and, especially, economic concessions.
One of the main sticking points when drafting the new Constitution was the issue of regional autonomy. Since there was no broad consensus a flexible “State of Autonomies” was created, in which those regions who wanted to be autonomous would be given Statutes of Autonomy that would be negotiated between the regional and central government and could widely vary in breadth and scope, which in due time would lead to a lot of tensions as regional governments would demand more and more concessions and try to test the limits of the ill-defined system.
5. The birth of the Catalan independence movement
After winning the 1980 regional election Pujol fully took advantage of the new system, using his party’s influence as kingmaker in the Spanish parliament to extract concessions from the government. The Catalan economy outperformed the rest of the country and Pujol's popularity allowed him to remain in power until his retirement in 2003. In those elections Pujol’s successor, Artur Mas, lost to PSC under the popular former mayor of Barcelona, Pasqual Maragall. Maragall formed a coalition government with ERC, which demanded a reform of the Statute of Autonomy that recognised Catalonia as a Nation. Margall himself was extremely critical of the State of Autonomies system, criticising its confusing and unclear nature, and instead argued for the creation of a clearly defined federal and plurinational system. This was supported by many members of PSOE, including the party leader, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. However, when Zapatero came to power in 2004 his priorities started to shift, as Constitutional reform wasn’t popular and he also required the support of Mas’ CiU to remain in power. Relations between Zapatero and Maragall started to deteriorate.
Negotiations to reform Catalonia’s Statute began, with Maragall trying to get all Catalan parties as well as Zapatero on board. During a parliamentary debate in which Mas blamed the government for the collapse of a series of buildings in Barcelona, Maragall gave a response that changed Catalan and Spanish politics forever, “You [CiU], have a problem, and that problem is called 3%”. Mas was infuriated. He threatened with bringing Maragall’s and possibly Zapatero’s governments down if Margall didn’t apologise, which the latter did. However, the media was astounded by this whole exchange and started investigating. Soon it was revealed that Pujol and CiU had been demanding kickbacks for years in exchange for public contracts. Mas went to Zapatero and stated that he would withdraw his support for the Statute reform and central government if Maragall wasn’t dropped, and Zapatero agreed, proceeding to negotiate directly with Mas. The Statute’s formal recognition of Catalan Nationhood was dropped, which caused ERC to withdraw from Maragall’s cabinet and oppose the reform. The new Statute was approved and received overwhelming support in a referendum.
Maragall called snap elections in 2006 but Zapatero forced him to announce he wouldn’t run for re-election and replaced him with the Minister of Industry, José Montilla, who was far less popular. Despite losses for the coalition forces, Montilla again formed a government with ERC, but soon the 2008 financial crisis hit and the government’s popularity collapsed. In 2010 the Constitutional Court declared parts of the Statute unconstitutional, including the recognition of Catalan as the preferential language in Catalonia. This caused a huge uproar in Catalonia, as the overwhelming majority of Catalans had supported the new Statute and felt that the Constitutional Court was acting undemocratically. This, together with the loss of confidence in the political establishment due to the financial crash led to a massive growth of pro-independence sentiment, which up to that point had been limited to a small faction within ERC. CiU ramped up the nationalist rhetoric and won the 2010 elections.
6. The Procés
The 3% case made it to the courts and many former CiU leaders, including Pujol, were slapped with corruption charges. As a result Mas’ popularity declined, which was only worsened by his unpopular austerity policy. Worried about this and seeing the rise of pro-independence sentiment Mas tried to bolster his popularity in 2012 by declaring his support for independence and calling snap elections during the celebrations of the national day of Catalonia, marking the start of the Procés (process towards independence). The move only had limited success, as CiU suffered heavy losses in the election while the more pro-indepence ERC gained many seats. A new staunchly anti-independence party, Citizens (Cs) also had a strong showing.
CiU and ERC formed a coalition government and Mas called for an “non-referendum” vote on whether Catalonia should become independent, trying to skirt around the fact that only the central government could call for a referendum. Controversially, the Catalanist wing of the PSC managed to get the party to support the law authorising Mas to call the “non-referendum” even though they opposed holding the vote. Rajoy’s central government brought the law to the Constitutional Court, which banned any vote on independence being held until a final ruling was handed down. Mas ignored this, holding the “non-referendum” in November 2014. 80% voted in favour of independence, but the vote was boycotted by the anti-independence parties and the turnout was less than 40%.
Given the inconclusive result of the vote and the fact that Mas was now under investigation for holding an illegal referendum against the Constitutional Court’s orders, Mas called snap elections in 2015. CiU was by this point tainted by corruption scandals and divided over the issue of independence and Mas created a new party an electoral coalition with ERC and other nationalist parties, Junts per Sí (together for yes). Junts won the elections but lost the majority, relying on the hardline pro-independence and far-left CUP while Cs became the main opposition party. CUP refused to support Mas, and he stepped aside in favour of Carles Puigdemont. Unlike Mas, whose support for independence had always been of a pragmatic nature, Puigdemont was a hardline believer in independence, and with the support of CUP became President in 2016.
Clashes between Puigdemont, Rajoy and the Constitutional Court became a daily occurrence as tensions kept growing. Puigdemont finally called an independence referendum on the 1st of October 2017. Rajoy sent the police to shut down the voting sites and clashes between the police and protestors took place all over Catalonia. The results of the referendum aren’t clear, as its illegal nature means that none of the usual guarantees were in place, but according to the Generalitat 90% voted for independence with a turnout of 43%. Several days later Puigdemont declared Catalonia’s independence, though he stated it remained “suspended”. The central government then suspended Catalan autonomy and several members of the Generalitat were arrested, though Puigdemont managed to flee the country.
Snap elections were held in Catalonia with Puigdemont’s Junts and ERC not joining forces this time, which allowed Cs to take the plurality with both Junts and ERC following very closely. Quim Torra, a Puigdemont ally became President, though he claimed to be “acting President” until Puigdemont could return. Torra was also a hardline supporter of independence and his tenure was marked by constant clashes with the central government, the trial against the leaders of the independence referendum and attempts to get Puigdemont back to Spain.
In 2018 the pro-independence parties supported Pedro Sánchez’s motion of no confidence against Rajoy, making him PM of Spain. In return, Sánchez started negotiations with the nationalist parties to calm down tensions. During the 2019 European elections Puigdemont was elected MEP, but the EU parliament rescinded his immunity, leaving him in limbo again. Meanwhile, Sánchez reformed the Criminal Code to reduce the penalties on those accused of holding the independence referendum and in 2021 pardoned several of them.
This caused rifts in the nationalist camp. Junts’ centre-right policies had always caused rifts with ERC, which was economically closer to PSOE, and as tensions with the central government winded down tensions within Torra’s cabinet rose. Torra kept supporting a hardline stance on independence while ERC was open to negotiating with Sánchez. In 2020 Torra placed symbols in support of the jailed independence leaders, and he was ordered by the courts to take them down, which he refused to do, leading to a conviction and bar from public office. Torra asked the ERC speaker of the Catalan parliament to deny any motion vacating him from the Presidency, but the speaker ended up siding against Torra. Torra’s VP, ERC leader Pere Aragonés thus became President.
In 2021 he called snap elections which PSC under Salvador Illa, who had been Health Minister during the pandemic, narrowly won, though he had the same number of seats as ERC and Junts had only one seat less. Junts had always seen itself as the head of the independence movement, and tensions with ERC only grew, though it did end up allowing Aragonés to remain President. These clashes eventually led Junts to withdraw its support for the government in 2022 but Aragonés remained in power with the support of PSC.
In 2023 general elections were held in Spain and Sánchez’s PSOE finished second, requiring the support of both Junts and ERC to remain in power. Despite having repeatedly ruled amnesty out during the campaign he agreed to pass an amnesty law in exchange for their support. Aragonés' precarious government collapsed in 2024 when he failed to pass a budget and he called snap elections. Ill’as PSC won a plurality of the seats, with Junts under Puigdemont a distant second and Aragonés’s ERC losing many seats. For the first time in history Catalan nationalist parties don’t hold a majority in parliament, and the left wing PSC-ERC-Comuns option hold just the amount of seats needed for a majority.
As of today, this is how things stand. The amnesty law passed last week but Sánchez has been delaying its publishing until after the EU elections for electoral purposes. In Catalonia ERC is in a state of crisis, having the option of either allowing Illa to govern or joining forces with Puigdemont to force new elections. Some have stated that the Procés is now over, but support for independence remains relatively high and Puigdemont, who seems poised to return soon, claims that if new elections are held he’ll win.
Don't hesitate to leave any questions or comments bellow!

I would like to say off the bat here that I have absolutely no interest in readings. My interest in them is solely based in the symbolism of each card. I'm interested in this because I want to use Tarot cards and their symbols and meanings as a writing device. I've so far been watching a video playlist by a YouTuber called Daily Tarot Girl but she doesn't seem to fully explain the cards. For example, for the Wheel of Fortune she only explains the meanings of the three central figures but not of the four winger figures on the outskirts of the card. Also, on top of that I figured it was simply a good idea to look for multiple different sources for the cards' meanings since Tarot is apparently partially dependent on personal interpretation. Thanks all, help is greatly appreciated.

"Alpha Kappa Omega; Ang simula at wakas ay kapatiran"
To the naked eye and perception of the viewer, this film entails the life of a collegiate accepting the challenge of becoming a fratman along with going through the rigors of a frat’s initiation.
It is only different when the viewer is someone who posseses an open mind. It details how a totalitarianism rule takes place, even in a small scale organization such as a fraternity. The neophytes are tasked to follow orders without second thought and without asking why. Blind subordination is the concept they are to apply.
During the phases of their initiation, the neophytes are subject to extreme hazing, and actions that deprive them of dignity as human beings, ungguyan and gulpihan as it is called in the film. As stated by their master,
Walang ungguyan o gulpihan na hindi napaguusapan.
Meaning that it is justified within the fraternity. As the strong-willed neophytes proceed on their journey, they are tested.
Their first taste of ungguyan was to streak the city only in their underwear.
Pacoy, a virgin, is coerced to have sex. And to also have his food played with by his masters, and being confided that he was being recorded while doing the act when it fact it shouldn’t be beknownst to him.
When Ronnie decided to quit, he was subject to electrical torture and a beating session from his father, one of the founders of AKO, with a nonsense True or False quiz bee with the right answers making absolutely no sense (but they were funny, I won’t lie)
Though this one part of the scene truly brought out Mike de Leon’s genius:
Ang Martial Law ay nakabuti sa taong bayan. Tama o Mali?
Ronnie’s lack of response is widely subject to interpretation.
Sid Lucero takes on the role of being the batch’s de facto leader. He was mentioned as someone who thought and acted like a master. He never questioned anything his whole time as a neophyte, this always brought out arguments in the batch. Even at times supporting/enabling the wrongdoings of the masters.
Another highlight is the use of Nazi symbolism at their talent show, Upakan ’81. The brawl scene where ΑΚΩ fights ΣΟΣ at the backstage where AKO was crossdressed still makes me laugh.
Arni and Ronnie are two characters that didn’t deserve their fates.
Arni just simply wanted to date a girl, but was held back by Abet who was her brother, also a fratman under Sigma Omicron Sigma. They eventually put Arni down for good. Angering Sid who wanted to get revenge for his dear friend and batchmate.
Even if frats seemed barbaric the whole film, they had a system for brawls which surprised me.
In the brawl, it was Sigma who broke the conditions of the agreement. They brought weapons which were not part of the deal. Luckily enough, AKΩ brought their own set of tools. Meaning that not all the time, fratmen keep their word.
At the end, it was something of delayed gratification. A reach to the finish line. 5 made it to become brods.
The ending scene shows us a glimpse that it is an endless cycles as what once were neophytes, were now masters. They are continuing to enforce the brutal system. Creating a perpetual cycle of endless agony and hurt. Depriving young men of their ability to think freely;
Like how Ferdinand Marcos Sr. stripped the Filipino of his dignity. Making him a slave of his regime, a pawn in his game.
I recommend that this film be mandatory viewing for students. It is a film that opens the heart and mind.

I own shares in this stock called Audacy. I know they’ve been going through many financial and management struggles. Last I knew, they filed for bankruptcy and are completely restructuring. I’m wondering what exactly they mean by this quote about what’s happening on their website; specifically the second half of the quote. Does this affect my shares or theirs or both? Anything helps. Thanks fellas
“Audacy common stock will continue to trade over-the-counter under the symbol “AUDA” through the pendency of the Chapter 11 process. The shares are expected to be canceled and receive no distribution as part of Audacy’s restructuring.”

Author note: The Cryopod to Hell is a Reddit-exclusive story with over three years of editing and refining. As of this post, the total rewrite is 2,204,000+ words long! For more information, check out the link below:
What is the Cryopod to Hell?
Join the Cryoverse Discord server!
Here's a list of all Cryopod's chapters, along with an ePub/Mobi/PDF version!
Want to stay up to date on TCTH? Subscribe to Cryopodbot!
...................................
(Previous Part)
(Part 001)
A few days after Neil and Hope's meeting.
Henry Cliff walks alone down the hallways of the Labyrinth. He wears a purple-colored T-REX, a status symbol put in place by the higher-ups as a sign of his newfound prestige and military ranking. Its color, as well as the other new colors among the army allow for a quick idea of the ranking of any human soldier at a glance, especially among those who don't know the humans well, such as their allies for today.
Henry's feet quietly plod against the Labyrinth's compacted dirt floor. His breathing remains even despite having walked for over thirty minutes. Thanks to his newly enhanced body, he could run for a thousand kilometers without breaking a sweat. Even he isn't entirely certain just how strong he is. Perhaps, if he were to come to blows with a Demon Emperor, he might roll them out like a sleeping bag.
As he walks, Henry's newfound clarity of purpose mixes with the voices and thoughts of ten thousand other members of Jepthath's Legion. No, more accurately, they are Henry's Legion, now. While their power might be derived from Jepthath, it was the Hero-King's decision to give Henry command of them and become his Voice.
Each person who joined on that day possessed their own thoughts, feelings, and talents. Their combined cumulative experience, which could now be tapped into at will, easily amounted to more than 350,000 years. If the age of every person who merged had been 10, that would have given them 100,000 years, but the fact the average turned out to be 35 elevated their cumulative total dramatically.
And that was to say nothing of the people who had once been a part of Jepthath's Legion in the past. When Henry first became inducted into the Legion, he was shocked by just how much wisdom Jepthath possessed. While he did not have the truly unfathomable and vast breadth of knowledge Solomon possessed, Jepthath was amazing in his own way. What he lacked in raw information, he made up in with mastery of combat.
If Solomon possessed the combined cumulative knowledge of humanity, Jepthath possessed its raw hand-to-hand fighting prowess. And that served to bolster Henry's state of mind significantly.
Just by integrating into the Legion, Henry's ability to peer into the essence of combat increased ten thousand-fold. Over the last few days, he had happened to pass by several different training grounds for humanity's soldiers on Maiura, most of them having been erected at some point by Neil Adams in the past six years. Henry was not impressed by what he saw. If anything, he was disgusted.
[Their movements are so crude. So lacking in refinement.] He would often think, while conversing with the ancient Hero-King. [I want to train them. I can't stand to imagine them using their sloppy combat skills against old demon monsters.]
[A waste of time.] Jepthath would chide gently, whenever he and Henry had this conversation. [The knowledge you have obtained effortlessly cannot be communicated through words or demonstrations. The only way one can become as proficient as the members of Our Legion is by directly transferring Our combined knowledge through Our souls and minds.]
[Then we have to convince more to join Us!] Henry would exclaim. [These fools are wasting their time flailing about, trying to reinvent the wheel. If they joined Us, they would gain all of Our power in the art of war and become capable of adding to Our collective consciousness!]
Jepthath shakes his head. [I made a deal with the Wordsmith. We will not forcibly recruit anyone. If you wish to convince more to join Us, you must demonstrate Our power. Not only do you possess knowledge of countless schools of fighting, but you also possess intimate knowledge of battlefield tactics and guerrilla warfare. By demonstrating that Knowledge is Power, you can enlighten the foolish masses as to what they are missing out on.]
Henry nodded sincerely at that time. He looked up at the night sky and clenched his fist with determination.
Humanity was wasting its capabilities! If other humans only knew how small and frail they were, they would jump at the chance to join the Legion!
Less than a week before, Henry had been a disgraced soldier, a mere civilian, a person who might never even get the opportunity to shine the boots of those he had once trained with.
But now he was an officer, an elite warrior many would come to fear and respect.
This realization made his heart leap and his throat dry. In many ways, he sometimes felt he didn't deserve this position. He certainly hadn't earned it.
Not yet. Someday he would. Someday soon.
His thoughts come back to the present. He continues walking, ultimately falling into step beside an ordinary human commando also donning a T-REX. A small artistic flourish on the side of her armor, a pink rose, hints to him the other soldier might be a woman.
The grey-armored soldier turns her head to look at him as she walks. "Oh! You startled me. And you are?"
Unable to see her face, Henry looks at her helmet instead, and her name and other information pop up in his HUD, allowing him to see her identity.
"I'm Lieutenant Henry Cliff." He says. "You're Private Ashley McCarthy? Aren't you the lady who can transform into an orc?"
Immediately, her previously formal tone turns cold. Ashley snaps her head forward, no longer looking at him.
"Every time. Every time! Is that all I am anymore? Just the ugly bitch who turns into an orc?!"
"Whoa, whoa!" Henry exclaims, taken aback by her response. "I'm sorry, uh, Miss McCarthy. I didn't mean to apologize- I mean, I didn't apologize- mean to offend you! I- I uh, sorry!"
He stumbles over his words, feeling suddenly ashamed that he spoke so bluntly without considering the other person's feelings. Then again, how could he have known it was such a sore subject for her? That thought also makes him feel unfairly slighted, as he committed a blunder without meaning to.
"No, no I'm sorry." Ashley quickly says, suddenly realizing how rudely she just spoke to a superior officer. "It's not your fault, Lieutenant. I, I just... it's a long story. I never asked for this ability. I hate it."
"You hate it?" Henry asks, as they round a corner, passing a dozen goblins who carefully press against the side-wall to avoid the giant humans. "Pardon my bluntness, but why? In this time of war, possessing an orc form must make you pretty strong. Valuable. You could be on the fast-track to a higher rank if you have any ambition."
"Higher rank." Ashley mutters under her breath. "As if that's something I'd want. I'm not some big brained Terran from Old Earth. I'm just a normal girl from one of the Wild Worlds. I only want to be pointed at an enemy so I can hurt them."
That sounds an awful lot like something an orc would say, Henry thinks, but wisely keeps to himself.
"Does turning into an orc make you stronger?" Henry asks, choosing to turn the discussion down a more positive path.
"Oh, sure. A bit stronger." Ashley concedes. "You know how the Body Booster improves a human's baseline physique, putting some of us on par with certain low-ranking Demon Lords? Well, my Orc transformation stacks on that, sort of. I can pick up and throw boulders pretty far."
She pauses, before adding, "I mean, it is really fun being that strong."
Henry reaches up to rub his chin, only for his hand to clank against his T-REX's helmet. He gives up on the idea and lowers his arm again.
"I recently got a, uh, a pretty substantial boost to my strength. You remember how Commander Hope offered for people to merge with the Hero Jepthath? I did that, and it made me a lot stronger."
He turns to look at the woman beside him, but she simply gazes forward, her helmet offering no insight into her current expression.
Her words, however, definitely give away what she's thinking.
"Oh. You're one of the cultists."
Her disappointed tone makes Henry's heart skip a beat.
"No, no, no!" Henry exclaims. "Not a cultist. Who told you that?? Jepthath's Legion have simply unified Our minds and bolstered Our bodies, making Us a lot stronger."
She remains quiet for a few moments.
"Yeah... that's... what a cultist would say."
"We're not a cult..." Henry protests feebly, but his words fall on deaf ears.
This isn't the first time someone has directed a look of disgust his way, or visibly cringed when he proudly declared himself one of Jepthath's Chosen.
Jason's words during the Great Debate made a lot of people immediately strike becoming a Parahuman off their list. They'd rather be ordinary soldiers in body armor rather than part of a weird, unified hive-mind.
Dismayed, the young man falls silent. He doesn't say anything for a full minute, and perhaps feeling bad about dismissing him so easily, Ashley decides to reignite the conversation as they draw closer to their destination.
"So what's it like. Being inside a, uh... hive mind? Is it weird?"
"We're not a hive-mind." Henry says, his mood deflating even further. "We're... we're like brothers and sisters. We understand one another. We share thoughts, insights, wisdom."
This time, Ashley tries to exercise a little tact. "It just doesn't sound right for me. I guess everyone has their own preferences. Me, I think I'd die of shame if everyone around me could hear my every thought. The embarrassment alone..."
She trails off and shakes her head.
But this time, Henry doesn't just back down.
"It's not what you think at all." Henry says. "Do you know why you feel fear at the thought of sharing your thoughts? It's because you're self-absorbed."
"What?!" Ashley exclaims, pausing her walk to look at him. No doubt, her helmet hides an expression of disbelief. "What do you mean by that... sir?"
Henry also pauses. He turns to face her, resting his hands on his hips. "You have friends, right? Maybe even a best friend?"
"O-of course!" Ashley says, her tone defensive. "What, you think I'm friendless just because I'm not a part of some bee-hive?"
"That's not what I'm getting at." Henry says patiently, holding out his hand and modulating his tone so he'll come off less aggressive. "Think about your friend, or your best friend. Really think about it. What's the most embarrassing thing you remember about him or her? What's the worst social gaffe they've made that you can't get out of your head?"
Ashley pauses. She lowers her head and falls into thought for a moment.
"I don't know. I can't think of anything. Why?"
"What about other people?" Henry asks. "Has anyone else you know made any serious social fuck-ups recently?"
"Social ones? No. There have been a few generally bad events recently, like finding out Baron Mara killed a bunch of people. But she's not my friend anyway, so..."
"THAT is my point." Henry states emphatically. "You don't think about the weird and embarrassing things your friends do. So why do you believe they're so fixated on yours?"
Ashley lifts her head to look at him. She remains silent, digesting his words, so he continues to press the issue.
"Do you know why you find things about yourself embarrassing? It's not your fault. Most people are extremely self-conscious about their own insecurities. Now that I've become a part of the Legion, I experience everyone else's insecurities all at the same time as I experience mine. In doing so, I realize that mine never amounted to anything at all. When you have ten thousand other people worrying about what they're wearing, or if they look fashionable, or some other tedious bullshit, you quickly realize that all of them amount to white noise. They don't matter."
He throws his hand up dramatically.
"I'm not picking on you. It's just a fact of human consciousness. All people are held back by their fear of social pressure, but much of that is because we don't know what goes on in the heads of our fellow men and women. If you could see their deranged sexual fantasies all at once, you would realize you're not weird at all. Everyone has a kink. If you enjoy looking at gross bugs, guess what? Someone else is unbothered by bodily fluids. We're all weird, and joining the Legion just made that clearer to me."
He pauses, unable to see the look on her face. "Sorry, I hope I'm not coming off as condescending. Does any of this make sense to you?"
Ashley slowly nods. "Mmm. Yeah, it does."
Henry heaves a sigh of relief. "Well, great! Great. I was worried I was starting to sound a little long-winded."
Ashley turns away and resumes walking. "You're definitely in a cult."
"Goddammit." Henry grumbles.
...
Before long, the two of them make it to the meeting location, where they arrive inside a massive, hollowed-out area inside the Labyrinth. There, they find, of all things, a new Volgrim Warpgate installed, its destination some unknown desert on a planet Henry can't immediately identify.
As they enter the massive arena-like staging area, Hope becomes momentarily disoriented. His newly enhanced senses pick up surges of spiritual energy, all spread out across the humans, demons, monsters, and other creatures inside. The powerful Demon Emperors, only a few of whom have yet to Ascend to Demon Deity, stand near the portal, using their strength as a show of force. Despite their proud expressions, Henry's keen senses detect a hint of fear in their eyes, as they seem to be unable to properly stand as strong as they always have. It's as if they are being suppressed by something...
"Whoa!" Ashley gasps. "I can't believe it. Why are the Volgrim here?"
"The Volgrim?" Henry asks, following her gaze based on the direction her helmet is pointed.
Somewhere in the mass of the crowd, a handful of decidedly alien-looking creatures with tentacles writing under their mouths and heavily-armored bodies stand at attention, looking like proud leaders and commanders. Their postures indicate a level of arrogance bred into their bones by millions of years of dominance over the Milky Way. Compared to the slightly fearful Demon Emperors, these Technopaths truly stand out as cream of the crop, with unknown augmentations that likely elevate their combat prowess to the peak.
"Those are Volgrim?" Henry asks. "Huh. The only one I've ever seen was that one female, the one who didn't have a mouth. She was presiding over my, uh, my tribunal..."
"Your tribunal?" Ashley asks.
She pauses, then turns to look at him strangely.
"Cliff... Henry Cliff? What the- you're that traitor! What- how even...?? You're a Lieutenant now? I didn't even recognize your name- no, forget that. Why are you in uniform? Weren't you banned basically forever from rejoining the military?"
"I was banned from rejoining the main military." Henry says, lowering his head in shame. "But, uhm, Hope's Parahumans are... different. It's a different jurisdiction."
Ashley takes a step to the side, pulling away from him. He can't see her expression, but based on her voice, she suddenly seems disgusted by him.
"All this time, I was talking to him." She mutters to herself, as she turns and walks away without another word.
Henry stands there, silently. He watches her depart, a feeling of bitterness welling up in his heart. He could pull rank on her, write her up for insubordination. Given his new status as a high-ranker, it would be easy to do.
But he doesn't.
In truth, he doesn't blame Ashley for her feelings. Because of his actions, Neil Adams was captured and humanity likely lost far more people during Stormbringer as a result. He indirectly caused the deaths of hundreds, perhaps even thousands.
How can he demand respect from her when he feels he doesn't deserve it?
As that thought wells up in Henry's mind, the thoughts of the Legion feed back into him, suppressing his negative emotions. All of them comment on his feelings and insecurities, offering kind words to help him feel better.
[You cannot and should not demand respect, no, but you can earn it back through your actions.] A 52-year-old Legionnaire says. [People like her will come around in due time. Perform admirably and make the Legion proud.]
[That woman is a mere Private.] Jepthath chimes in. [Do not allow your emotions to be tangled up by the feelings of a random soldier. You will need to bolster your Willpower if you seek to reach the peak of what you can achieve.]
[Right. My willpower.] Henry says, as his mood drastically swings back up. He hardens his heart, casting aside Ashley's comment and instead meditating for a moment to clear his mind. [Thank you, everyone, for the support.]
With his thoughts clear, Henry strides toward the front, keeping his gaze fixed on the Volgrim Technopaths. Having never seen these creatures before, he finds their horrid-looking tentacle mouths fascinating and yet creepy to look at. While all of them appear to be gender-ambiguous, certainly at first glance, as he comes closer, he does manage to make out one or two female-sounding voices among them. Or perhaps they might be higher-pitched males. He isn't entirely sure, and it seems a taboo subject to breach.
"-the Task Force will be working alongside these Technopath Envoys." Demon Emperor Yardrat says, his tone even and unbothered by the Technopaths to his left. "Naturally, full command of this operation will still go to the Archdemon, as the ranking Cosmic. However, because he will be busy dealing with the highest level threats, control of the ground forces will go to one member of each species, chosen via several votes of consensus. Today's operation is a test, and its purpose is to ensure we all work together properly. NO friendly fire. Our enemy is the Plague and nobody else. Save your personal grievances, vendettas, and petty squabbles for after we take our galaxy back from the Kolvaxians."
He gestures to the ten Technopaths. "The Volgrim have dispatched an army of 100,000 Technopath soldiers, and they will be commanded by this High Technopath named Loputo Jidelor, a high ranking commander of Clan Symmetra's ground forces."
Each of the Technopaths possesses their own combination of flesh and blood bodily parts mixed with metal limb replacements, armor-addons, and other such things. In Jidelor's case, he stands on two flesh and blood legs. However, in place of his right arm is a long, metallic limb with dozens of razor-thin threads waving to and fro where his 'wrist' ends. Each one moves independently, much like the tentacles on his left arm, but their movements appear far more precise. Dozens of metallic pieces are attached seemingly at random to his skin and skull.
Jidelor nods. "I am an experienced battlefield commander, but I am not a frontline soldier. I will be controlling our siege weaponry and directing our soldiers from the back."
Yardrat nods, then continues. "For the Demons, it goes without saying that just like with the last ten operations, Emperor Serena will be commanding our forces. Her ability to link souls together has proven instrumental in rapid battlefield communications, and her ability to sense souls allows her to keep up with the emergence of new Plagueborn until the point Diablo steals the world core back."
A beautiful demoness with sightless eyes nearby waves her hand delicately. "I will be in your care, everyone. Let us make it to the end without losing any demons this time."
"For the monsters, Fairy Princess Melia will take point." Yardrat says, nodding to another beautiful woman with green hair, fairy wings, and a look of boredom permanently etched onto her face.
Unlike the previous two commanders, Melia doesn't give a speech. In fact, she only rolls her eyes, crosses her arms, and looks away.
"Alright, and for the humans, General Chadwick will be taking charge." Yardrat concludes. He gestures to a massive Norwegian man who has now donned a Rhino T-REX variant and rests his hands around the shaft of a massive battleaxe. Its head rests on the ground, and he supports his massive armored frame by resting on the weapon's handle.
"Everyone." Chadwich says. "It is my honor to lead this mission. Naturally, Commander Neil is not happy about having to work with the demons, and I cannot imagine all of our soldiers are either. However, I pledge on Hope Hiro's honor that we will not commit any cowardly deeds of treachery, any backstabbing, or anything else of that sort! It was Hope Hiro who pushed for this arrangement because he wants humanity's soldiers to get real battle experience against the Plague. Let's be sure to make good use of this time to bury as many hatchets as we can!"
The crowd nods along to Chadwick's words. Some of the humans vocalize their approval, but many more remain silent.
The humans here are not normal civilians. They are military personnel, countless many of whom have not forgiven the demons. They may never forgive them, if their leaders are being honest.
Perhaps sensing the tenseness in the air, Yardrat briskly moves the pace along.
"In thirty minutes, we will begin. Transfer your forces to my world so that I can begin preparation to open the Intragalactic Portals. The Swarm has begun adapting to my tactics of late, so the moment those portals open, we'll need boots on the ground. No delays! If the Plague has its way, it might flood through the portals back to us, and that would be a whole bloody devil-damned mess."
The other leaders nod solemnly. They spread apart to talk to their forces, and Henry heaves a sigh.
In thirty minutes, we'll find out just how stable this alliance truly is.

A few days after Neil and Hope's meeting.
Henry Cliff walks alone down the hallways of the Labyrinth. He wears a purple-colored T-REX, a status symbol put in place by the higher-ups as a sign of his newfound prestige and military ranking. Its color, as well as the other new colors among the army allow for a quick idea of the ranking of any human soldier at a glance, especially among those who don't know the humans well, such as their allies for today.
Henry's feet quietly plod against the Labyrinth's compacted dirt floor. His breathing remains even despite having walked for over thirty minutes. Thanks to his newly enhanced body, he could run for a thousand kilometers without breaking a sweat. Even he isn't entirely certain just how strong he is. Perhaps, if he were to come to blows with a Demon Emperor, he might roll them out like a sleeping bag.
As he walks, Henry's newfound clarity of purpose mixes with the voices and thoughts of ten thousand other members of Jepthath's Legion. No, more accurately, they are Henry's Legion, now. While their power might be derived from Jepthath, it was the Hero-King's decision to give Henry command of them and become his Voice.
Each person who joined on that day possessed their own thoughts, feelings, and talents. Their combined cumulative experience, which could now be tapped into at will, easily amounted to more than 350,000 years. If the age of every person who merged had been 10, that would have given them 100,000 years, but the fact the average turned out to be 35 elevated their cumulative total dramatically.
And that was to say nothing of the people who had once been a part of Jepthath's Legion in the past. When Henry first became inducted into the Legion, he was shocked by just how much wisdom Jepthath possessed. While he did not have the truly unfathomable and vast breadth of knowledge Solomon possessed, Jepthath was amazing in his own way. What he lacked in raw information, he made up in with mastery of combat.
If Solomon possessed the combined cumulative knowledge of humanity, Jepthath possessed its raw hand-to-hand fighting prowess. And that served to bolster Henry's state of mind significantly.
Just by integrating into the Legion, Henry's ability to peer into the essence of combat increased ten thousand-fold. Over the last few days, he had happened to pass by several different training grounds for humanity's soldiers on Maiura, most of them having been erected at some point by Neil Adams in the past six years. Henry was not impressed by what he saw. If anything, he was disgusted.
[Their movements are so crude. So lacking in refinement.] He would often think, while conversing with the ancient Hero-King. [I want to train them. I can't stand to imagine them using their sloppy combat skills against old demon monsters.]
[A waste of time.] Jepthath would chide gently, whenever he and Henry had this conversation. [The knowledge you have obtained effortlessly cannot be communicated through words or demonstrations. The only way one can become as proficient as the members of Our Legion is by directly transferring Our combined knowledge through Our souls and minds.]
[Then we have to convince more to join Us!] Henry would exclaim. [These fools are wasting their time flailing about, trying to reinvent the wheel. If they joined Us, they would gain all of Our power in the art of war and become capable of adding to Our collective consciousness!]
Jepthath shakes his head. [I made a deal with the Wordsmith. We will not forcibly recruit anyone. If you wish to convince more to join Us, you must demonstrate Our power. Not only do you possess knowledge of countless schools of fighting, but you also possess intimate knowledge of battlefield tactics and guerrilla warfare. By demonstrating that Knowledge is Power, you can enlighten the foolish masses as to what they are missing out on.]
Henry nodded sincerely at that time. He looked up at the night sky and clenched his fist with determination.
Humanity was wasting its capabilities! If other humans only knew how small and frail they were, they would jump at the chance to join the Legion!
Less than a week before, Henry had been a disgraced soldier, a mere civilian, a person who might never even get the opportunity to shine the boots of those he had once trained with.
But now he was an officer, an elite warrior many would come to fear and respect.
This realization made his heart leap and his throat dry. In many ways, he sometimes felt he didn't deserve this position. He certainly hadn't earned it.
Not yet. Someday he would. Someday soon.
His thoughts come back to the present. He continues walking, ultimately falling into step beside an ordinary human commando also donning a T-REX. A small artistic flourish on the side of her armor, a pink rose, hints to him the other soldier might be a woman.
The grey-armored soldier turns her head to look at him as she walks. "Oh! You startled me. And you are?"
Unable to see her face, Henry looks at her helmet instead, and her name and other information pop up in his HUD, allowing him to see her identity.
"I'm Lieutenant Henry Cliff." He says. "You're Private Ashley McCarthy? Aren't you the lady who can transform into an orc?"
Immediately, her previously formal tone turns cold. Ashley snaps her head forward, no longer looking at him.
"Every time. Every time! Is that all I am anymore? Just the ugly bitch who turns into an orc?!"
"Whoa, whoa!" Henry exclaims, taken aback by her response. "I'm sorry, uh, Miss McCarthy. I didn't mean to apologize- I mean, I didn't apologize- mean to offend you! I- I uh, sorry!"
He stumbles over his words, feeling suddenly ashamed that he spoke so bluntly without considering the other person's feelings. Then again, how could he have known it was such a sore subject for her? That thought also makes him feel unfairly slighted, as he committed a blunder without meaning to.
"No, no I'm sorry." Ashley quickly says, suddenly realizing how rudely she just spoke to a superior officer. "It's not your fault, Lieutenant. I, I just... it's a long story. I never asked for this ability. I hate it."
"You hate it?" Henry asks, as they round a corner, passing a dozen goblins who carefully press against the side-wall to avoid the giant humans. "Pardon my bluntness, but why? In this time of war, possessing an orc form must make you pretty strong. Valuable. You could be on the fast-track to a higher rank if you have any ambition."
"Higher rank." Ashley mutters under her breath. "As if that's something I'd want. I'm not some big brained Terran from Old Earth. I'm just a normal girl from one of the Wild Worlds. I only want to be pointed at an enemy so I can hurt them."
That sounds an awful lot like something an orc would say, Henry thinks, but wisely keeps to himself.
"Does turning into an orc make you stronger?" Henry asks, choosing to turn the discussion down a more positive path.
"Oh, sure. A bit stronger." Ashley concedes. "You know how the Body Booster improves a human's baseline physique, putting some of us on par with certain low-ranking Demon Lords? Well, my Orc transformation stacks on that, sort of. I can pick up and throw boulders pretty far."
She pauses, before adding, "I mean, it is really fun being that strong."
Henry reaches up to rub his chin, only for his hand to clank against his T-REX's helmet. He gives up on the idea and lowers his arm again.
"I recently got a, uh, a pretty substantial boost to my strength. You remember how Commander Hope offered for people to merge with the Hero Jepthath? I did that, and it made me a lot stronger."
He turns to look at the woman beside him, but she simply gazes forward, her helmet offering no insight into her current expression.
Her words, however, definitely give away what she's thinking.
"Oh. You're one of the cultists."
Her disappointed tone makes Henry's heart skip a beat.
"No, no, no!" Henry exclaims. "Not a cultist. Who told you that?? Jepthath's Legion have simply unified Our minds and bolstered Our bodies, making Us a lot stronger."
She remains quiet for a few moments.
"Yeah... that's... what a cultist would say."
"We're not a cult..." Henry protests feebly, but his words fall on deaf ears.
This isn't the first time someone has directed a look of disgust his way, or visibly cringed when he proudly declared himself one of Jepthath's Chosen.
Jason's words during the Great Debate made a lot of people immediately strike becoming a Parahuman off their list. They'd rather be ordinary soldiers in body armor rather than part of a weird, unified hive-mind.
Dismayed, the young man falls silent. He doesn't say anything for a full minute, and perhaps feeling bad about dismissing him so easily, Ashley decides to reignite the conversation as they draw closer to their destination.
"So what's it like. Being inside a, uh... hive mind? Is it weird?"
"We're not a hive-mind." Henry says, his mood deflating even further. "We're... we're like brothers and sisters. We understand one another. We share thoughts, insights, wisdom."
This time, Ashley tries to exercise a little tact. "It just doesn't sound right for me. I guess everyone has their own preferences. Me, I think I'd die of shame if everyone around me could hear my every thought. The embarrassment alone..."
She trails off and shakes her head.
But this time, Henry doesn't just back down.
"It's not what you think at all." Henry says. "Do you know why you feel fear at the thought of sharing your thoughts? It's because you're self-absorbed."
"What?!" Ashley exclaims, pausing her walk to look at him. No doubt, her helmet hides an expression of disbelief. "What do you mean by that... sir?"
Henry also pauses. He turns to face her, resting his hands on his hips. "You have friends, right? Maybe even a best friend?"
"O-of course!" Ashley says, her tone defensive. "What, you think I'm friendless just because I'm not a part of some bee-hive?"
"That's not what I'm getting at." Henry says patiently, holding out his hand and modulating his tone so he'll come off less aggressive. "Think about your friend, or your best friend. Really think about it. What's the most embarrassing thing you remember about him or her? What's the worst social gaffe they've made that you can't get out of your head?"
Ashley pauses. She lowers her head and falls into thought for a moment.
"I don't know. I can't think of anything. Why?"
"What about other people?" Henry asks. "Has anyone else you know made any serious social fuck-ups recently?"
"Social ones? No. There have been a few generally bad events recently, like finding out Baron Mara killed a bunch of people. But she's not my friend anyway, so..."
"THAT is my point." Henry states emphatically. "You don't think about the weird and embarrassing things your friends do. So why do you believe they're so fixated on yours?"
Ashley lifts her head to look at him. She remains silent, digesting his words, so he continues to press the issue.
"Do you know why you find things about yourself embarrassing? It's not your fault. Most people are extremely self-conscious about their own insecurities. Now that I've become a part of the Legion, I experience everyone else's insecurities all at the same time as I experience mine. In doing so, I realize that mine never amounted to anything at all. When you have ten thousand other people worrying about what they're wearing, or if they look fashionable, or some other tedious bullshit, you quickly realize that all of them amount to white noise. They don't matter."
He throws his hand up dramatically.
"I'm not picking on you. It's just a fact of human consciousness. All people are held back by their fear of social pressure, but much of that is because we don't know what goes on in the heads of our fellow men and women. If you could see their deranged sexual fantasies all at once, you would realize you're not weird at all. Everyone has a kink. If you enjoy looking at gross bugs, guess what? Someone else is unbothered by bodily fluids. We're all weird, and joining the Legion just made that clearer to me."
He pauses, unable to see the look on her face. "Sorry, I hope I'm not coming off as condescending. Does any of this make sense to you?"
Ashley slowly nods. "Mmm. Yeah, it does."
Henry heaves a sigh of relief. "Well, great! Great. I was worried I was starting to sound a little long-winded."
Ashley turns away and resumes walking. "You're definitely in a cult."
"Goddammit." Henry grumbles.
...
Before long, the two of them make it to the meeting location, where they arrive inside a massive, hollowed-out area inside the Labyrinth. There, they find, of all things, a new Volgrim Warpgate installed, its destination some unknown desert on a planet Henry can't immediately identify.
As they enter the massive arena-like staging area, Hope becomes momentarily disoriented. His newly enhanced senses pick up surges of spiritual energy, all spread out across the humans, demons, monsters, and other creatures inside. The powerful Demon Emperors, only a few of whom have yet to Ascend to Demon Deity, stand near the portal, using their strength as a show of force. Despite their proud expressions, Henry's keen senses detect a hint of fear in their eyes, as they seem to be unable to properly stand as strong as they always have. It's as if they are being suppressed by something...
"Whoa!" Ashley gasps. "I can't believe it. Why are the Volgrim here?"
"The Volgrim?" Henry asks, following her gaze based on the direction her helmet is pointed.
Somewhere in the mass of the crowd, a handful of decidedly alien-looking creatures with tentacles writing under their mouths and heavily-armored bodies stand at attention, looking like proud leaders and commanders. Their postures indicate a level of arrogance bred into their bones by millions of years of dominance over the Milky Way. Compared to the slightly fearful Demon Emperors, these Technopaths truly stand out as cream of the crop, with unknown augmentations that likely elevate their combat prowess to the peak.
"Those are Volgrim?" Henry asks. "Huh. The only one I've ever seen was that one female, the one who didn't have a mouth. She was presiding over my, uh, my tribunal..."
"Your tribunal?" Ashley asks.
She pauses, then turns to look at him strangely.
"Cliff... Henry Cliff? What the- you're that traitor! What- how even...?? You're a Lieutenant now? I didn't even recognize your name- no, forget that. Why are you in uniform? Weren't you banned basically forever from rejoining the military?"
"I was banned from rejoining the main military." Henry says, lowering his head in shame. "But, uhm, Hope's Parahumans are... different. It's a different jurisdiction."
Ashley takes a step to the side, pulling away from him. He can't see her expression, but based on her voice, she suddenly seems disgusted by him.
"All this time, I was talking to him." She mutters to herself, as she turns and walks away without another word.
Henry stands there, silently. He watches her depart, a feeling of bitterness welling up in his heart. He could pull rank on her, write her up for insubordination. Given his new status as a high-ranker, it would be easy to do.
But he doesn't.
In truth, he doesn't blame Ashley for her feelings. Because of his actions, Neil Adams was captured and humanity likely lost far more people during Stormbringer as a result. He indirectly caused the deaths of hundreds, perhaps even thousands.
How can he demand respect from her when he feels he doesn't deserve it?
As that thought wells up in Henry's mind, the thoughts of the Legion feed back into him, suppressing his negative emotions. All of them comment on his feelings and insecurities, offering kind words to help him feel better.
[You cannot and should not demand respect, no, but you can earn it back through your actions.] A 52-year-old Legionnaire says. [People like her will come around in due time. Perform admirably and make the Legion proud.]
[That woman is a mere Private.] Jepthath chimes in. [Do not allow your emotions to be tangled up by the feelings of a random soldier. You will need to bolster your Willpower if you seek to reach the peak of what you can achieve.]
[Right. My willpower.] Henry says, as his mood drastically swings back up. He hardens his heart, casting aside Ashley's comment and instead meditating for a moment to clear his mind. [Thank you, everyone, for the support.]
With his thoughts clear, Henry strides toward the front, keeping his gaze fixed on the Volgrim Technopaths. Having never seen these creatures before, he finds their horrid-looking tentacle mouths fascinating and yet creepy to look at. While all of them appear to be gender-ambiguous, certainly at first glance, as he comes closer, he does manage to make out one or two female-sounding voices among them. Or perhaps they might be higher-pitched males. He isn't entirely sure, and it seems a taboo subject to breach.
"-the Task Force will be working alongside these Technopath Envoys." Demon Emperor Yardrat says, his tone even and unbothered by the Technopaths to his left. "Naturally, full command of this operation will still go to the Archdemon, as the ranking Cosmic. However, because he will be busy dealing with the highest level threats, control of the ground forces will go to one member of each species, chosen via several votes of consensus. Today's operation is a test, and its purpose is to ensure we all work together properly. NO friendly fire. Our enemy is the Plague and nobody else. Save your personal grievances, vendettas, and petty squabbles for after we take our galaxy back from the Kolvaxians."
He gestures to the ten Technopaths. "The Volgrim have dispatched an army of 100,000 Technopath soldiers, and they will be commanded by this High Technopath named Loputo Jidelor, a high ranking commander of Clan Symmetra's ground forces."
Each of the Technopaths possesses their own combination of flesh and blood bodily parts mixed with metal limb replacements, armor-addons, and other such things. In Jidelor's case, he stands on two flesh and blood legs. However, in place of his right arm is a long, metallic limb with dozens of razor-thin threads waving to and fro where his 'wrist' ends. Each one moves independently, much like the tentacles on his left arm, but their movements appear far more precise. Dozens of metallic pieces are attached seemingly at random to his skin and skull.
Jidelor nods. "I am an experienced battlefield commander, but I am not a frontline soldier. I will be controlling our siege weaponry and directing our soldiers from the back."
Yardrat nods, then continues. "For the Demons, it goes without saying that just like with the last ten operations, Emperor Serena will be commanding our forces. Her ability to link souls together has proven instrumental in rapid battlefield communications, and her ability to sense souls allows her to keep up with the emergence of new Plagueborn until the point Diablo steals the world core back."
A beautiful demoness with sightless eyes nearby waves her hand delicately. "I will be in your care, everyone. Let us make it to the end without losing any demons this time."
"For the monsters, Fairy Princess Melia will take point." Yardrat says, nodding to another beautiful woman with green hair, fairy wings, and a look of boredom permanently etched onto her face.
Unlike the previous two commanders, Melia doesn't give a speech. In fact, she only rolls her eyes, crosses her arms, and looks away.
"Alright, and for the humans, General Chadwick will be taking charge." Yardrat concludes. He gestures to a massive Norwegian man who has now donned a Rhino T-REX variant and rests his hands around the shaft of a massive battleaxe. Its head rests on the ground, and he supports his massive armored frame by resting on the weapon's handle.
"Everyone." Chadwich says. "It is my honor to lead this mission. Naturally, Commander Neil is not happy about having to work with the demons, and I cannot imagine all of our soldiers are either. However, I pledge on Hope Hiro's honor that we will not commit any cowardly deeds of treachery, any backstabbing, or anything else of that sort! It was Hope Hiro who pushed for this arrangement because he wants humanity's soldiers to get real battle experience against the Plague. Let's be sure to make good use of this time to bury as many hatchets as we can!"
The crowd nods along to Chadwick's words. Some of the humans vocalize their approval, but many more remain silent.
The humans here are not normal civilians. They are military personnel, countless many of whom have not forgiven the demons. They may never forgive them, if their leaders are being honest.
Perhaps sensing the tenseness in the air, Yardrat briskly moves the pace along.
"In thirty minutes, we will begin. Transfer your forces to my world so that I can begin preparation to open the Intragalactic Portals. The Swarm has begun adapting to my tactics of late, so the moment those portals open, we'll need boots on the ground. No delays! If the Plague has its way, it might flood through the portals back to us, and that would be a whole bloody devil-damned mess."
The other leaders nod solemnly. They spread apart to talk to their forces, and Henry heaves a sigh.
In thirty minutes, we'll find out just how stable this alliance truly is.

Hello, fellow brothers and sisters in Christ,
I recently decided to leave the Mormon church and decided to become a Catholic. My parents are still Mormons, and they still want me to stay Mormon. They gave me this video as proof that Mormon doctrines existed in early Christianity, hence the evidence and need for restoration by Prophet Joseph Smith.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rV6gUipBu0&ab_channel=FAIR-FaithfulAnswers%2CInformedResponse
While I know that no matter how much evidence I give them, it will not change their minds, I also want to do my best and collect as much evidence as possible to refute the video. I gathered some evidence myself, but I was wondering if anyone could provide further insights on this. Thanks!
Mormon claim: Early Christians taught creation ex materia
Evidence: Justin Martyr: "And we have been taught that He, in the beginning, did of His goodness, for man's sake, create all things out of unformed matter." This bothers me a bit. From my research, while in later centuries they definitely taught creation ex nihilo, Justin is a fairly early Christian, so I am not sure how to respond to this.
Mormon claim: No infant baptism, only by immersion
(Conveniently, they didn't cite any sources.)
My rebuttal:
Didache: "And concerning baptism, baptize this way: Having first said all these things, baptize into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in living water. But if you have no living water, baptize into other water; and if you cannot do so in cold water, do so in warm. But if you have neither, pour out water three times upon the head into the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit."
Irenaeus: "All, I say, who through Him are born again to God — infants, and children, and boys, and youths, and old men. He therefore passed through every age, becoming an infant for infants, thus sanctifying infants; a child for children, thus sanctifying those who are of this age, being at the same time made to them an example of piety, righteousness, and submission; a youth for youths, becoming an example to youths, and thus sanctifying them for the Lord."
Mormon claim: Baptism for the dead
1 Corinthians 15:29
I don't know how to respond to this - it seems like some Christian sects actually performed this ordinance, and Paul didn't say anything bad about it.
Mormon claim: Embodied God/God was once a man
My rebuttal: Irenaeus (Demonstration of Apostolic Teachings): "Thus then there is shown forth One God, the Father, not made, invisible, creator of all things; above whom there is no other God, and after whom there is no other God." And many other early church fathers believed in the invisible, uncreated God.
Mormon claim: We can become God
My rebuttal: Catholics also believe in theosis, but that doesn't mean they will become 'the' God. There is only one God. I don't think the presenter understands what theosis is.
Mormon claim: Eternal Marriage/Mormon Endowment can be found in Early Christianity
For those who don't know, Endowment is considered a sacred ceremony that happens in Mormon temples. If anyone is interested, you can look it up here: http://www.ldsendowment.org/proper.html
Temple veil, ceremonial clothes, etc., in the video primarily quote from Cyril of Jerusalem. But from my understanding, it's clothing symbols for priests, deacons, and bishops. Am I correct? Also, the Gospel of Philip is a Gnostic Gospel, hence if they want to include this as correct teachings, they would have to embrace other Gnostic teachings, such as the Demiurge creating the material world.

Let's now delve into Abby's perspective.
Abby's equivalent of the Wyoming Museum is her scenes in the aquarium. I find the choice of this particular ocean biome interesting. Throughout her journey in Seattle, Abby gradually distances herself from the WLF. The aquarium serves as a clandestine refuge where Abby and Owen seek solace away from their WLF responsibilities, a sanctuary amidst the chaos of the city. The ocean represents a hidden world, a sanctuary that other surface animals cannot penetrate, symbolizing a refuge from the conflicts and chaos above. Abby's character in Seattle is symbolized by a crab—outwardly strong yet internally vulnerable, much like herself as depicted by Owen's observation that she appears tough but is soft at heart. This symbolism extends to the imagery of a giant crab adorning the doors leading to the tragic fate of Owen and Mel. Upon her return from the island, blood stains beneath the doors. I think this is supposed to represent how by her actions she brought death to her friends, akin to bearing the weight of guilt or "dirty hands." Throughout her narrative, various other depictions of crabs persistently follows Abby.
Abby's Seattle setting is aquatic, but it wasn't always so. Prior to her father's death, her symbolic habitat was the jungle. In her initial flashback in Salt Lake, she stands at the zoo entrance, surrounded by banners portraying jungle and savanna creatures like tigers, elephants, apes, and antelopes. She can also find a flyer of the zoo ad with the tiger on it. In Santa Barbara, when visiting the Firefly outpost, Lev asks why the children's room depicts animals and a forest. Abby explains that it is a thing parents can do and that her father painted her a jungle in her room when she was little. I think deep within, Abby identifies with a tiger, and she actually re-finds herself with Lev's encounter. The tiger represents her true essence, her totem animal, while the crab represents what she turned into in Seattle. The crab, with its hard exterior and soft interior, also mirrors Abby's hardened exterior developed from her experiences with the WLF.
Yet, subtle hints throughout her narrative suggest a rediscovery of her true self as a tiger that coincide with what she's going throught. One instance that really striked me is the big cartoonish tiger she encounters in a cafe on the road to the hospital, sat in a position of meditation, coinciding with her growing bond with Lev. This moment signifies her gradual return to inner peace and authenticity. Another significant occurrence is the depiction of a tiger hidden behind a counter during her escape from the island with Yara and Lev, labeled with "mean streak." This moment precedes a pivotal confrontation with her former allies, symbolizing Abby's re-embrace of her tiger nature—a resurgence of strength and determination as she confronts her past and fights for her newfound family. The reappearance of the tiger symbolizes Abby's journey of self-discovery and resilience, marking her reclaiming of inner strength and ferocity in the face of adversity.
During the Salt Lake flashback, as Abby finds her father and they continue through the park, they enter the aquatic biome, greeted by a crab facing exactly towards the banner depicting a tiger, symbolizing Abby's future transformation in Seattle. She enters the mouth of a whale, symbolizing her immersion into the aquatic world. In the very next flashback, she will exit from the mouth of a shark, marking her transformation complete.
Owen is symbolized by a spotted seal. The first time they ever entered the aquarium, Owen get out of the water and place himself right in front of a seal depiction named "Oscar", saying some things to Abby. You can see a little crab right under. Hints in dialogues also point at Owen being a seal. During the scene in the aquatic dome underwater, Owen concludes their conversation by expressing his intention to spend some time with the seals. Another subtle clue to Owen's future role as a father is found within the aquarium's main room: a statue depicting a seal and its cub. This imagery hints at Owen's impending journey into parenthood.
I'm going to talk about Tommy in Abby's section because it mostly striked me while doing her parts, with the exception of this dinosaur looking like a horse head in the wyoming museeum as mentionned in my first post. Right after letting Yara at the "Big Fat Crab Shack" to get to the marina, she stumble upon Manny who's being targeted by Tommy. Interestingly, if you look behind Abby, you'll spot the "Big Fat Crab Shack" logo again with its giant crab, while directly in front of her, just a couple of meters away, is an advertising van for "Manke" beer. The logo on the van is a horse, accompanied by the tagline "made with the finest ingredients of southern America," which resonates with Tommy's Texan roots. This van appears again later not far, in the parking lot where Tommy shoots at Abby, instigating an attack from the infected.
However, what puzzles me is why Abby doesn't perceive Tommy as an aquatic animal like she does with others. My only lead on this is that the aquatic version of Tommy is a seahorse. This notion is reinforced by the presence of a seahorse symbol at the Serevena Hotel, where Ellie and Dina encounter men tortured by Tommy. Honestly not 100% convinced on this seahorse part.
Lev is seen as a shark by Abby. A whole section of the aquarium is dedicated to sharks and their importance in the ocean ecosystem ( you can also see a little crab under one of the shark depictions ) When Abby and Yara seek a gift for Lev, they deem a shark plushie as the perfect choice, emphasizing his connection to this creature.
A prominent shark exhibit features a large specimen seemingly poised to attack a diver's cage, adorned with scars on its mouth sides. The image of Lev braving the seas on his boat to rescue his mother on the island further reinforces this association, evoking the image of a shark cutting through the waves with determination.
In Abby's perception, Lev embodies the qualities of a shark, yet he identifies himself with a cat, ( or it's his totem animal ) First and foremost, we can clearly see Lev's agility and fearlessness, particularly evident in his comfort with heights, mirroring a cat's nimbleness and independence. Additionally, Lev expresses fears akin to those of a cat—water and dogs. During Ellie's parts, I found this board on the ancient communication agency swarmed by scars ( in front of the tramway ). There this little text on a board from a meeting to pitch a product, back in the days. It says :
"Client pitch meet ideas - emotional angle - comedy angle - personnification of cat ? "
Even though it might be a bit of a stretch, this corresponds perfectly to what happens between Abby and Lev. She feels pity for him upon learning his story and comes to love him, thus the emotional angle, and Lev also makes some jokes or blunders, like asking Abby what's going on between him and Owen at the worst possible moment, or when he doesn't know certain common words due to his life among the Seraphites.
The more obvious sign that Lev is really a cat can be found in the same cafe where we found the tiger in meditation pose, on the left walls. Just like Owen, we can witness Lev positionning himself right in front of this animal and get some dialogues. He say something like it's weird to represent humans as animals / humans from before were weird doing this. This particular artwork features two cartoonish cats adorned in rock-inspired attire, captured in a lively dancing pose. A male and female, holding hands. This really striked me as being a representaion of Lev's gender duality. Abby mentions Lev's "punk-rock" spirit not long before this, hence the outfits.
Yara is a sea otter, simply because she wears this shirt with a sea otter at the aquarium.
The WLF obviously are wolves but Abby actually sees them as Orcas. Upon awakening at the stadium, Abby is greeted by a rug adorned with an orca motif. Then she gets to the mess hall, there's one wolf banner on one wall but also depictions of orcas adorning pillars and inscriptions proclaiming "Home of the Orcas" on the walls. Orcas are kinda wolves of the seas, share several characteristics with wolves, such as being large predators that hunt in packs, exhibit complex social structures, and are territorial. By associating the WLF with Orcas, Abby's perception elevates them to a level of strength, cunning, and dominance akin to these apex predators of the ocean.
Scars are possibly herons. I found some herons in the wyoming museeum as mentionned in my first post, but also some depictions while Abby is crossing the chinese district to get to martyr's gate. They communicate throught whistling like birds including herons. They also go throught the city by the airs, basically. Theres not much hints, but I do feel like the herons correspond really well to Seraphites due to their way of life and behavior. Firstly, herons are often associated with aquatic areas such as marshes and rivers, where they patiently and strategically hunt their prey. Similarly, the Seraphites have established themselves on an isolated island, resembling a marsh, where they practice an ascetic and contemplative form of living in harmony with nature, living in wooden houses. Furthermore, herons are patient and methodical predators, silently observing their surroundings before taking action ( Remember that arrow in Ellie's shoulder ? ) The Seraphites also exhibit a deliberate approach in their lives and interactions, emphasizing discipline, reflection, and strategic planning.
During the visit to the Chinese district, theres a peculiar creature: the dragon. Numerous depictions of it adorn this area. There might be a connection to the Seraphites, evidenced by the presence of Martyr's Gate and the increased encounters with them following this section. However, it's challenging to pinpoint its exact representation; my guess is that it symbolizes a broader concept rather than a specific character or faction. Might also just be because it's the chinese district.
Abby seem to be also linked to whales and octopus, I think each representing one concept. Ellie's collection of cards includes one intriguing card featuring a whale named "Big Blue." The description of the card reads:
"Big Blue is an extra-dimensional entity who has taken on the appearance of a blue whale. First arriving on Earth over a billion years ago to keep watch over nascent life forms, they use their infinite well of knowledge to help guide the human race in times of great need and upheaval. Their unfathomable age has one major drawback: days appear to pass as microseconds. However, this time dilation effect is offset if they hold their breath—which they can do for several years at a time."
The whale, as an entity with ancient wisdom and knowledge, could be seen as a manifestation of destiny itself. Just as the whale has existed since the dawn of life on Earth, destiny is a force that has shaped Abby's life from the very beginning. It has guided her path, leading her to the pivotal moments and encounters that defined her journey. Despite the challenges she faces, destiny continues to steer her toward her ultimate purpose and fate.
In many cultures and mythologies, the octopus is often associated with aspects of mystery, danger, and conflict. Its tentacled appearance and ability to camouflage itself in its environment make it a powerful symbol of the struggle and complexity of human conflicts. In the game, the giant octopus present at the aquarium can be interpreted as a visual representation of the internal and external conflicts that the characters, especially Abby, must face. The octopus's tentacles seem to stretch out and envelop the environment, evoking how conflict can feel omnipresent and difficult to avoid. Furthermore, the octopus is a formidable predator in the marine world, using its tentacles to capture and subdue its prey. This imagery can be associated with how the characters in the game are ensnared in the conflicts surrounding them.
And finally, Abby sees Ellie as a Stingray. Ellie's journey to get to Abby in Seattle final moments is symbolic of her descent into the aquatic world : to get to the hidden crab in the secretive ocean, she must transform as an aquatic animal. As Ellie approaches the aquarium, the challenges intensify, marked by increasingly stormy weather and turbulent seas. Despite the obstacles, Ellie perseveres, ultimately reaching her destination, not before falling into the ocean. Few notes here, first of all there's this outdoor kids' play area, a crab faces towards a whale and a shark, while an orca wing and a seahorse stand behind them. Could be a representation of how Abby is leaving her past behind and her newfound responsibility towards Lev. Next, right before kneeling to get under the fence, a sign featuring a stingray lies on its side, urging one to "become a member today". Further symbolism unfolds as Ellie encounters a shark depiction just before her fall from a broken window, with a stingray positioned EXACTLY on the floor where she lands. On the same note there is a stingray positionned on the floor exactly where Ellie kills Mel & Owen. The cafe section of the aquarium, named "Stingray Bay Cafe," features murals depicting a beach with palm trees, foreshadowing the events to come in Santa Barbara. Abby's exploration of the aquarium with Yara while looking for Lev reveals a section named "Shipwreck Cove," dominated by a giant stingray overhead, further hinting at the impending encounters and sequences involving boats, serving as a metaphor for both characters feeling like shipwrecks by the end of their tumultuous journey.
Also, The use of animal symbolism during Ellie and Abby's confrontations adds a layer of complexity and depth to their dynamic. During their intense fight in the theater, the actions of Ellie and Abby mirror the characteristics of the animals associated with them. Abby's brute force and relentless attacks, smashing Ellie into the floor and causing them to fall to a lower level, hitting her with her fists or grabbing her, align with the symbolism of the crab and its claws. She also headbut Ellie ( bison ). In contrast, Ellie's actions, repeatedly tries spiking Abby with her knife like a stingray hitting its prey, reflect a more tactical and predatory approach. I invite you to re-check their fight at the theater with that in mind, it's really striking.
As we've discussed, these symbols are not merely decorative but serve as powerful storytelling devices, conveying concepts or themes of identity, transformation, and growth. Whether you've noticed these subtle details yourself or are discovering them for the first time, it's clear that the developers at Naughty Dog have crafted a meticulously designed world filled with rich symbolism and meaningful connections.
So, what are your thoughts? Have you spotted any other animal motifs or symbols ? Let me know your theories !