A video of some random game play: https://youtu.be/EK2xB3xCFjQ

If you want to jump in and play: https://store.steampowered.com/app/658480/Starfighter_General/

I'm trying to make the spiritual successor to Xwing for 90s DOS everyone craved, but Lucas Arts never delivered. I was also inspired by Wing Commander Privateer who's title led me to imagining building a giant fleet by buying more and more ships and making friends.
It has a bunch of bugs but these will be fixed in a week or two. It's still pretty fun and a base by which a HUGE HUGE potential WOW killer will be made on. fairly long patch notes of a subset of what I plan on doing in the future are at the bottom.

My take Diablo2 skill tree/Path of Exile Talent tree: https://youtu.be/E8h9E4lw2jk?si=LVK8hQOtWez6Riwy&t=16 Very pretty to watch.

I'm exhausted... I spent close to a year on this patch... And the last 3 months was nothing but sleep, code, sleep, code, body necessities, balanced against being stress sick, normal sick, and trying not to break down due to being isolated non stop working... About 2000 hours in this patch alone, on top of 10,000 hours in the past 6 years before that, and I use an anthology of game resources that took me 20,000 hours to make. There's some bugs due to Unity compiling standalone improper from editor, but they'll be fixed, as well as the story line not in... It's a spoiler, but people say my SCI FI is better than any scifi man's ever written, it's at least good:

Cut scene spoiler of next patch assemble link by hand:

rum ble.com /v4tf892-spoiler-female-ai-voice-all-of-starfighter-general-mmo-patch-1-quests.html

-> What's next timelinie

NOTES:COMING SOON, AND FORECAST->Story missions non stop, techs around em, story's awesome!

Future Patches ->Non Stop Missions in Star System Sol until that story arc panned out and the next enters.
->Bounty System:Allows Player vs Player... Except people who don't want to be doing PVP will get insurance refund money of damages if/when the offending player pays up or gets captured as Bounty.
->70,000ish star stystems per core, 24 cores to dive.
->Warp drive lets you see actual stars warp by you that exist, aim for the star you want to explore, hit warp.
->Space Opera of partially Ai driven, partially Next Gen personality Memento system to have realistic aliens who grudge match you or befriend you.
->Unlimited player MMO
->Fleet building and Fleet Destroying, soft perma death hardcore means its a thrill of the rise and thrill of fall, rinse and repeat! Aim for higher personal bests of fleet sizes
-> Star System capture, control, taxing, law imposing. People can challenge to take over your star in an 2 hour window where your friends are on... If they're not on, AI will use their craft. So build big alleginances for star control power.
->Better UI hull/shields/armoetc such as NES style Brick Icons for stats ->Transfer between shields/thrusteweapons power
->more sanity loss special effects
->Radar
->Better targetting
->Multi Targetting of friend/foe/neutral/quest...
->Fleet General Commands to allies of flight style: ie defend me, skirmish(fight optimally), attack target, bomb target, evasive manuevars, flee(rout) ta
->Weapon escalation: I) rockets/homing missile/cluster rockets, rocket spam mitigated by chaff, ECM, or a bold force shield ejection II) Lasers will always hit, and heat up your ship, so you're encouraged to rotate your ship's sides to absorb heat in multiple places. III) Bombs you need to travel in a straight line without much damage for 7 seconds ->very long range for shelling bases out of turret range IV) Rail Gun V) Destroyers/Capital Ships VI)
->Bounty Combat PVP system
->Magic enabled
->Cockpit overlays
->Custom Attribute Allocation to stats you prefer from leveling up.
->96 most bilious bosses
->More Galactic News Network tickers
->Enable reduction in manueverability based on encumberance, volume limit of cargo
->Crafting based on real world Molecular structures, make materials out of periodic chart elements, and use those materials to make gears, levers, switches, interchangeable parts of a variety of styles. .Hopefully this becomes educational to people entering Chemistry Class later and beneficial to humanity.
->Favorite foods, drink, sanity preservation
->Elaborate 16 supernatural elemental magic systems
->traders and galactic encounters randomly, get cosmos gems to access untold areas, maps of places no one can get to...
->Secret, get ingame podcasts when available by hitting alt+p, ALT+P AGAIN CYCLES THROUGH THEM, CTRL+P CLOSES EM,
-Memento system
-Scientific items system elaborations evident
-power recover of various systems rates, shots costing powers
-Allegiance & Dark Allegiance system where by helping others or the illusion of helping them raises your power, fame, and status in the Galaxy.
-Live Omnipotent roleplay
--MMO Mode leaderboards such as EXP
--More enemies with fun catch phrases?
--what ASPECTS DO YOU WANT WORKED ON MORE? Send ideas and buy triderium. Forums or email is cool.
--multi drops, more rares, uncommons
--more advanced inventory->Scroll deeper, limited by volume, weight slows your thrust + adds collision damage & kickback, sort with different filters, better descriprtion, items catch on fire in inventory, emit toxic gases, melt, get destroyed by oncoming heat attacks or collisions
--Ability to dimensionally recover items picked up previous session... You have em saved on server, just can't see when you load until next patch.... Use upgrades when you got em!
-Conquer Stars and setting taxes and laws
-story history replay dialogue
-more achievements
-Asteroids properly breakinto more than oen
-Give android race an android sounding voice
--Three forms of Ground Combat: GROUND COMBAT FORM I) One is a classical First Person Shooter (FPS) with vehicles.
GROUND COMBAT FORM II) One is tactical Real Time Turn Based Game(RTTG) from top down, almost isometric. RTTG will give you the feel of a classic orthogonic chess like game with cover, vision and such, yet everyone plays at the same time. RTTG mode happens when you enter populated towns, not because the server can't handle infinite players in a small zone, but because it feels more intense when any action and fight can start from the shadows. Movement is freer and faster when no one has fights going on nearby.
GROUND COMBAT FORM III)One is a 3d Fighter Game you'd see in Arcades from the 90s, but with the ability to change targets.
Starfighter General is the Everything Game. And it's for real. Let me know what you want me to dev next. Virtual Goods buys lets me sub contract parts out to make the game faster. Talk about what you want, and if you got the money, be a driver, push this game's development faster. I'm a 64x coder, people who meet me don't believe people like me exist, so I get things done... I just have literally 0$ funding at the moment. You'll see things in Starfighter General you thought were impossible and things never done before... Be a believer, or heck, just play and enjoy.
KNOWN BUGS: 1) Iron ore is called a book 2) Collision detection on giant space ships is clunky and can be very annoying if you get close 3) Vision obscuring of mesh fog in junk yard 4) Laser angle not straight 5) TEXT RENDDER DEPTH of chatting aliens, or targetting computer needs fixed so always visible.
Enable Prime Skils(21):
Attribute is the attribute that influences the skill, Min Int is the minimum intelligence to acquire skill, skill point costs is the number of skill points required (each intelligence you get 1 point), and the name, well, that's the Name:
Mining ships, transport friggates, shipping containers, tugs, destroyers, capital ships, limi
Closing about determination and the long play... If you're of meager means like myself... You can enjoy the challenge MMODE over the long haul... Always getting stronger, never weaker, the ship upgrades, your level, your ascended masteries, your money, your credits, and most of all your own skill level and reflexes that you don't notice but is always increasing.
Name:"Munitions Motorhead" //assault damages Attribute:dexterity MinInt:0 PointCost:4
Name:"Fleet Architect" //general gains to larger fleet Attribute:intelligence MinInt:13 PointCost:10
Name:"Quarry Champion" //mining bonuses Attribute:intelligence MinInt:9 PointCost:6
Name:"Pet Sympahthyry" //charm pets, higher battlemon fight with you, higher morale, Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:5
Name:"Merchant Maestro" //merchant Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:4
Name:"Diplomatic Impunity" //diplomat Attribute:charm MinInt:12 PointCost:4
Name:"Space Speed Ace" //go fast Attribute:dexterity MinInt:0 PointCost:4
Name:"Universal Researcher" //science-shield Attribute:intelligence MinInt:16 PointCost:5
Name:"Intruder Adept" //sneaky Attribute:stealth MinInt:11 PointCost:3
Name:"Astro Archaelogist" //relic finder Attribute:intelligence MinInt:12 PointCost:4
Name:"Midnight Star Drifter" //preserver of self Attribute:agility MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Mixmaster Mechanologist" //crafter Attribute:intelligence MinInt:15 PointCost:6
Name:"Celestial Trailblazer" //explorer Attribute:intelligence MinInt:9 PointCost:2
Name:"Gangster of Smug" //running contraban, con artist Attribute:stealth MinInt:0 PointCost:3
Name:"Cuthroat of the Constellation" //assassin +crit hit Attribute:stealth MinInt:0 PointCost:6
Name:"Seeker of Destiny" //find magic, starts weak due to 10 missing Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:10
Name:"Wing Broman" //buffs//alliance//loyalty Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Dimensional Void Shifter" //cult of the cloak, friends up phantasms dimensionally more Attribute:stealth MinInt:0 PointCost:5
Name:"Racing Destruction Vet" //Ex destruction derby guy Ram Offense/Defense Attribute:endurance MinInt:0 PointCost:3
Name:"Motley Steward" //Friends with Disgraces in Underground Places...Rowdy good for nothin but keeping company with other rowdy good for nothins:+Hires +Recruit enemy Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Trash Baron" //+1 tractor beam lolz extra drops Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:3
Enable Flex s(66)
Name:"Combat" Attribute:dexterity MinInt:0 PointCost:4
Name:"Electronics" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:13 PointCost:3
Name:"Cyborgs" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:17 PointCost:4
Name:"First Aid" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:9 PointCost:3
Name:"Surgeon" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:17 PointCost:8
Name:"Androids" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:17 PointCost:4
Name:"Weapon:Plasma Bolts" Attribute:dexterity MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Greater Reasoning" //core Attribute:intelligence //order MinInt:9 PointCost:1
Name:"Decipher Codes" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:12 PointCost:1
Name:"Martial Arts" Attribute:dexterity MinInt:0 PointCost:4
Name:"Chemistry" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:5 PointCost:3
Name:"Forage" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:1
:Name:"Quick Draw" //core Attribute:dexterity //blade MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Taunt" Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Annoy & Pester" Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Lie" Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Politics" Attribute:charm MinInt:12 PointCost:3
Name:"Disguise" Attribute:stealth MinInt:9 PointCost:2
Name:"Critical Hit" //core Attribute:luck //chaos MinInt:0 PointCost:3
Name:"Atomic Energy" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:18 PointCost:4
Name:"Pulse Engineering" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:16 PointCost:4
Name:"Fly Aircraft" Attribute:dexterity MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Drive" Attribute:dexterity MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Pilot Shuttle" Attribute:dexterity MinInt:12 PointCost:3
Name:"Read Instruments" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Navigate" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Remember" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Pick Lock" Attribute:stealth MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Ambidexterity" Attribute:dexterity MinInt:0 PointCost:4
Name:"Pick Pocket" Attribute:dexterity MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Distract" Attribute:stealth MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Explosives" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Construct Trap" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Fire Artillery" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Fortitude" //core Attribute:endurance //body MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Interrogate" Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Law" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:13 PointCost:2
Name:"Popularity" Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Confidentiality" Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Sport" Attribute:agility MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Facilitate" Attribute:luck MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Gamble" Attribute:luck MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Cheat" Attribute:stealth MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Deceive" Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Intimidate" Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Space Craft Repair" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:14 PointCost:2
Name:"Aircraft Repair" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Automotive Repair" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Labor" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Advanced Mathematics" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:12 PointCost:1
Name:"Detective" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:3
Name:"Perception" //core Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Soliciting" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Rapid Fire" Attribute:dexterity MinInt:0 PointCost:3
Name:"Safe Crack" Attribute:stealth MinInt:9 PointCost:3
Name:"Auto Mechanic" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Investigate" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Forensics" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:13 PointCost:3
Name:"Survival" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Lore" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Butt Kiss" Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Insult" Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Hardware" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Bureaucracy" Attribute:charm MinInt:9 PointCost:1
Name:"Leadership" //CORE Attribute:strength //earth MinInt:13 PointCost:4
Name:"Solicitating" //core Attribute:charm //storm MinInt:7 PointCost:1
Name:"Negotiation" Attribute:charm MinInt:14 PointCost:3
Name:"Vetinarian" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:13 PointCost:3
Name:"Junkyarder" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Tactical Analysis" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:0 PointCost:3
Name:"Resourceful Mining" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:3
Name:"Evasive Manuevars" //core Attribute:agility //water MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Nanotech Engineering" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:17 PointCost:4
Name:"Astrobiology" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:17 PointCost:3
Name:"Metallurgy" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:14 PointCost:3
Name:"Infiltrator" Attribute:stealth MinInt:14 PointCost:4
Name:"Stealth Ops" //core Attribute:stealth //dark MinInt:9 PointCost:2
Name:"Tough Grit" //core Attribute:willpower //fire MinInt:0 PointCost:2 //LOWER EFFECT OF SANITY HITS, lower hungewater costs lacking/etc
Low coolness Upgrade the targeting computer:3 target classifications:Enemies/Missions/Allies:With allies, you can then send fleet commands to them. Encounter rates-Different random encounters in space
---upgrade ideas ->NEW ITEMS ->nEW CATCH PHRASES ->IDEA FOR PROGRESSION OF MOBS gnn MISSIONS

A video of some random game play: https://youtu.be/EK2xB3xCFjQ

If you want to jump in and play: https://store.steampowered.com/app/658480/Starfighter_General/

I'm trying to make the spiritual successor to Xwing for 90s DOS everyone craved, but Lucas Arts never delivered. I was also inspired by Wing Commander Privateer who's title led me to imagining building a giant fleet by buying more and more ships and making friends.
It has a bunch of bugs but these will be fixed in a week or two. It's still pretty fun and a base by which a HUGE HUGE potential WOW killer will be made on. fairly long patch notes of a subset of what I plan on doing in the future are at the bottom.

My take Diablo2 skill tree/Path of Exile Talent tree: https://youtu.be/E8h9E4lw2jk?si=LVK8hQOtWez6Riwy&t=16 Very pretty to watch.

I'm exhausted... I spent close to a year on this patch... And the last 3 months was nothing but sleep, code, sleep, code, body necessities, balanced against being stress sick, normal sick, and trying not to break down due to being isolated non stop working... About 2000 hours in this patch alone, on top of 10,000 hours in the past 6 years before that, and I use an anthology of game resources that took me 20,000 hours to make. There's some bugs due to Unity compiling standalone improper from editor, but they'll be fixed, as well as the story line not in... It's a spoiler, but people say my SCI FI is better than any scifi man's ever written, it's at least good:

Cut scene spoiler of next patch assemble link by hand:

rum ble.com /v4tf892-spoiler-female-ai-voice-all-of-starfighter-general-mmo-patch-1-quests.html

-> What's next timelinie

NOTES:COMING SOON, AND FORECAST->Story missions non stop, techs around em, story's awesome!

Future Patches ->Non Stop Missions in Star System Sol until that story arc panned out and the next enters.
->Bounty System:Allows Player vs Player... Except people who don't want to be doing PVP will get insurance refund money of damages if/when the offending player pays up or gets captured as Bounty.
->70,000ish star stystems per core, 24 cores to dive.
->Warp drive lets you see actual stars warp by you that exist, aim for the star you want to explore, hit warp.
->Space Opera of partially Ai driven, partially Next Gen personality Memento system to have realistic aliens who grudge match you or befriend you.
->Unlimited player MMO
->Fleet building and Fleet Destroying, soft perma death hardcore means its a thrill of the rise and thrill of fall, rinse and repeat! Aim for higher personal bests of fleet sizes
-> Star System capture, control, taxing, law imposing. People can challenge to take over your star in an 2 hour window where your friends are on... If they're not on, AI will use their craft. So build big alleginances for star control power.
->Better UI hull/shields/armoetc such as NES style Brick Icons for stats ->Transfer between shields/thrusteweapons power
->more sanity loss special effects
->Radar
->Better targetting
->Multi Targetting of friend/foe/neutral/quest...
->Fleet General Commands to allies of flight style: ie defend me, skirmish(fight optimally), attack target, bomb target, evasive manuevars, flee(rout) ta
->Weapon escalation: I) rockets/homing missile/cluster rockets, rocket spam mitigated by chaff, ECM, or a bold force shield ejection II) Lasers will always hit, and heat up your ship, so you're encouraged to rotate your ship's sides to absorb heat in multiple places. III) Bombs you need to travel in a straight line without much damage for 7 seconds ->very long range for shelling bases out of turret range IV) Rail Gun V) Destroyers/Capital Ships VI)
->Bounty Combat PVP system
->Magic enabled
->Cockpit overlays
->Custom Attribute Allocation to stats you prefer from leveling up.
->96 most bilious bosses
->More Galactic News Network tickers
->Enable reduction in manueverability based on encumberance, volume limit of cargo
->Crafting based on real world Molecular structures, make materials out of periodic chart elements, and use those materials to make gears, levers, switches, interchangeable parts of a variety of styles. .Hopefully this becomes educational to people entering Chemistry Class later and beneficial to humanity.
->Favorite foods, drink, sanity preservation
->Elaborate 16 supernatural elemental magic systems
->traders and galactic encounters randomly, get cosmos gems to access untold areas, maps of places no one can get to...
->Secret, get ingame podcasts when available by hitting alt+p, ALT+P AGAIN CYCLES THROUGH THEM, CTRL+P CLOSES EM,
-Memento system
-Scientific items system elaborations evident
-power recover of various systems rates, shots costing powers
-Allegiance & Dark Allegiance system where by helping others or the illusion of helping them raises your power, fame, and status in the Galaxy.
-Live Omnipotent roleplay
--MMO Mode leaderboards such as EXP
--More enemies with fun catch phrases?
--what ASPECTS DO YOU WANT WORKED ON MORE? Send ideas and buy triderium. Forums or email is cool.
--multi drops, more rares, uncommons
--more advanced inventory->Scroll deeper, limited by volume, weight slows your thrust + adds collision damage & kickback, sort with different filters, better descriprtion, items catch on fire in inventory, emit toxic gases, melt, get destroyed by oncoming heat attacks or collisions
--Ability to dimensionally recover items picked up previous session... You have em saved on server, just can't see when you load until next patch.... Use upgrades when you got em!
-Conquer Stars and setting taxes and laws
-story history replay dialogue
-more achievements
-Asteroids properly breakinto more than oen
-Give android race an android sounding voice
--Three forms of Ground Combat: GROUND COMBAT FORM I) One is a classical First Person Shooter (FPS) with vehicles.
GROUND COMBAT FORM II) One is tactical Real Time Turn Based Game(RTTG) from top down, almost isometric. RTTG will give you the feel of a classic orthogonic chess like game with cover, vision and such, yet everyone plays at the same time. RTTG mode happens when you enter populated towns, not because the server can't handle infinite players in a small zone, but because it feels more intense when any action and fight can start from the shadows. Movement is freer and faster when no one has fights going on nearby.
GROUND COMBAT FORM III)One is a 3d Fighter Game you'd see in Arcades from the 90s, but with the ability to change targets.
Starfighter General is the Everything Game. And it's for real. Let me know what you want me to dev next. Virtual Goods buys lets me sub contract parts out to make the game faster. Talk about what you want, and if you got the money, be a driver, push this game's development faster. I'm a 64x coder, people who meet me don't believe people like me exist, so I get things done... I just have literally 0$ funding at the moment. You'll see things in Starfighter General you thought were impossible and things never done before... Be a believer, or heck, just play and enjoy.
KNOWN BUGS: 1) Iron ore is called a book 2) Collision detection on giant space ships is clunky and can be very annoying if you get close 3) Vision obscuring of mesh fog in junk yard 4) Laser angle not straight 5) TEXT RENDDER DEPTH of chatting aliens, or targetting computer needs fixed so always visible.
Enable Prime Skils(21):
Attribute is the attribute that influences the skill, Min Int is the minimum intelligence to acquire skill, skill point costs is the number of skill points required (each intelligence you get 1 point), and the name, well, that's the Name:
Mining ships, transport friggates, shipping containers, tugs, destroyers, capital ships, limi
Closing about determination and the long play... If you're of meager means like myself... You can enjoy the challenge MMODE over the long haul... Always getting stronger, never weaker, the ship upgrades, your level, your ascended masteries, your money, your credits, and most of all your own skill level and reflexes that you don't notice but is always increasing.
Name:"Munitions Motorhead" //assault damages Attribute:dexterity MinInt:0 PointCost:4
Name:"Fleet Architect" //general gains to larger fleet Attribute:intelligence MinInt:13 PointCost:10
Name:"Quarry Champion" //mining bonuses Attribute:intelligence MinInt:9 PointCost:6
Name:"Pet Sympahthyry" //charm pets, higher battlemon fight with you, higher morale, Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:5
Name:"Merchant Maestro" //merchant Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:4
Name:"Diplomatic Impunity" //diplomat Attribute:charm MinInt:12 PointCost:4
Name:"Space Speed Ace" //go fast Attribute:dexterity MinInt:0 PointCost:4
Name:"Universal Researcher" //science-shield Attribute:intelligence MinInt:16 PointCost:5
Name:"Intruder Adept" //sneaky Attribute:stealth MinInt:11 PointCost:3
Name:"Astro Archaelogist" //relic finder Attribute:intelligence MinInt:12 PointCost:4
Name:"Midnight Star Drifter" //preserver of self Attribute:agility MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Mixmaster Mechanologist" //crafter Attribute:intelligence MinInt:15 PointCost:6
Name:"Celestial Trailblazer" //explorer Attribute:intelligence MinInt:9 PointCost:2
Name:"Gangster of Smug" //running contraban, con artist Attribute:stealth MinInt:0 PointCost:3
Name:"Cuthroat of the Constellation" //assassin +crit hit Attribute:stealth MinInt:0 PointCost:6
Name:"Seeker of Destiny" //find magic, starts weak due to 10 missing Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:10
Name:"Wing Broman" //buffs//alliance//loyalty Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Dimensional Void Shifter" //cult of the cloak, friends up phantasms dimensionally more Attribute:stealth MinInt:0 PointCost:5
Name:"Racing Destruction Vet" //Ex destruction derby guy Ram Offense/Defense Attribute:endurance MinInt:0 PointCost:3
Name:"Motley Steward" //Friends with Disgraces in Underground Places...Rowdy good for nothin but keeping company with other rowdy good for nothins:+Hires +Recruit enemy Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Trash Baron" //+1 tractor beam lolz extra drops Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:3
Enable Flex s(66)
Name:"Combat" Attribute:dexterity MinInt:0 PointCost:4
Name:"Electronics" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:13 PointCost:3
Name:"Cyborgs" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:17 PointCost:4
Name:"First Aid" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:9 PointCost:3
Name:"Surgeon" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:17 PointCost:8
Name:"Androids" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:17 PointCost:4
Name:"Weapon:Plasma Bolts" Attribute:dexterity MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Greater Reasoning" //core Attribute:intelligence //order MinInt:9 PointCost:1
Name:"Decipher Codes" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:12 PointCost:1
Name:"Martial Arts" Attribute:dexterity MinInt:0 PointCost:4
Name:"Chemistry" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:5 PointCost:3
Name:"Forage" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:1
:Name:"Quick Draw" //core Attribute:dexterity //blade MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Taunt" Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Annoy & Pester" Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Lie" Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Politics" Attribute:charm MinInt:12 PointCost:3
Name:"Disguise" Attribute:stealth MinInt:9 PointCost:2
Name:"Critical Hit" //core Attribute:luck //chaos MinInt:0 PointCost:3
Name:"Atomic Energy" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:18 PointCost:4
Name:"Pulse Engineering" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:16 PointCost:4
Name:"Fly Aircraft" Attribute:dexterity MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Drive" Attribute:dexterity MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Pilot Shuttle" Attribute:dexterity MinInt:12 PointCost:3
Name:"Read Instruments" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Navigate" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Remember" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Pick Lock" Attribute:stealth MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Ambidexterity" Attribute:dexterity MinInt:0 PointCost:4
Name:"Pick Pocket" Attribute:dexterity MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Distract" Attribute:stealth MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Explosives" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Construct Trap" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Fire Artillery" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Fortitude" //core Attribute:endurance //body MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Interrogate" Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Law" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:13 PointCost:2
Name:"Popularity" Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Confidentiality" Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Sport" Attribute:agility MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Facilitate" Attribute:luck MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Gamble" Attribute:luck MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Cheat" Attribute:stealth MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Deceive" Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Intimidate" Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Space Craft Repair" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:14 PointCost:2
Name:"Aircraft Repair" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Automotive Repair" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Labor" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Advanced Mathematics" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:12 PointCost:1
Name:"Detective" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:3
Name:"Perception" //core Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Soliciting" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Rapid Fire" Attribute:dexterity MinInt:0 PointCost:3
Name:"Safe Crack" Attribute:stealth MinInt:9 PointCost:3
Name:"Auto Mechanic" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Investigate" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Forensics" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:13 PointCost:3
Name:"Survival" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Lore" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Butt Kiss" Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Insult" Attribute:charm MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Hardware" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:0 PointCost:1
Name:"Bureaucracy" Attribute:charm MinInt:9 PointCost:1
Name:"Leadership" //CORE Attribute:strength //earth MinInt:13 PointCost:4
Name:"Solicitating" //core Attribute:charm //storm MinInt:7 PointCost:1
Name:"Negotiation" Attribute:charm MinInt:14 PointCost:3
Name:"Vetinarian" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:13 PointCost:3
Name:"Junkyarder" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Tactical Analysis" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:0 PointCost:3
Name:"Resourceful Mining" Attribute:wisdom MinInt:0 PointCost:3
Name:"Evasive Manuevars" //core Attribute:agility //water MinInt:0 PointCost:2
Name:"Nanotech Engineering" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:17 PointCost:4
Name:"Astrobiology" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:17 PointCost:3
Name:"Metallurgy" Attribute:intelligence MinInt:14 PointCost:3
Name:"Infiltrator" Attribute:stealth MinInt:14 PointCost:4
Name:"Stealth Ops" //core Attribute:stealth //dark MinInt:9 PointCost:2
Name:"Tough Grit" //core Attribute:willpower //fire MinInt:0 PointCost:2 //LOWER EFFECT OF SANITY HITS, lower hungewater costs lacking/etc
Low coolness Upgrade the targeting computer:3 target classifications:Enemies/Missions/Allies:With allies, you can then send fleet commands to them. Encounter rates-Different random encounters in space
---upgrade ideas ->NEW ITEMS ->nEW CATCH PHRASES ->IDEA FOR PROGRESSION OF MOBS gnn MISSIONS

If you’d like to add an event to our calendar, submit an event here. Please check with the event organizers to see if events change due to weather. Have a great week!
See the full weekly calendar on our website.

Noteworthy Events

The Lion King at DPAC

• Winner of six Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, this landmark musical event brings together one of the most imaginative creative teams on Broadway.
• Wed, May 15 - Sun, June 9
• $29.50+

Adult Recess at CCB Plaza

• Let your inner child shine as you play games, make crafts, and enjoy the fresh air during your lunch break!
• Wed, May 15
• 12-2 p.m.
• Free admission

Duke Baseball vs UNC at Jack Coombs Field

• Thu, May 16 - Sat, May 18

Bimbé Celebration at Rock Quarry Park

• This family-oriented event is a celebration of African and African American history, culture, arts, and traditions. This year's headliner: Monica!
• Sat, May 18
• 1-7 p.m.
• Free admission

Peter Pan at The Carolina Theatre

• This adventure begins at the London home of the Darling family, a typical evening in 1912, as the weary parents try to settle their children down for bed while the young ones insist on staying up late. Little do Wendy, John, and Michael know that a fantastic journey awaits them that night.
• Sat, May 18
• 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
• $32+

DPW Limit Break at Durham Convention Center

• Wrestlers from all over the world will gather in one place for a night you won't forget.
• Sun, May 19
• 7 p.m.
• $25+

Multi-Day Events

The NGIN Cityscapes Summit at Durham Convention Center

• Hosted by national nonprofit, New Growth Innovation Network, prepare to connect with like-minded professionals and engage with purpose-driven organizations. Immerse yourself in workshops and captivating keynotes from renowned speakers, featuring three tracks of insightful sessions: Inclusive Capital, Community Wealth Building, and Reimagining Systems.
• Wed, May 15 - Fri, May 17
• Registration fees vary

Durham Greek Festival at St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church

• Enjoy fabulous Greek food, desserts, wine and beer in a festive outdoor atmosphere. Continuous Greek music and scheduled folk dance performances.
• Sat, May 18, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. and Sun, May 19, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
• Free admission

Historic Buildings Open House at West Point on the Eno Park

• Enjoy a look inside the historic McCown-Mangum House, Photography Museum, and Mill.
• Sat, May 18 and Sun, May 19
• 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
• Free admission

Movies at The Carolina Theatre

• Libeled Lady
• Dirty Harry & Assault on Precinct 13
• Cat City
• Back to Black
• Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
• UHF

Monday, May 13

2 p.m.
Board Game Night at The Glass Jug in Downtown Durham
5 p.m.
Arts & Drafts at Fullsteam Brewery
6 p.m.
Disc Golf Putting League at The Glass Jug in RTP
6:30 p.m.
Trivia Night at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
7 p.m.
Community Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery

Tuesday, May 14

Events at Durty Bull Brewing Brewing Company

• 12-8 p.m. - Food Truck: Mike's Vegan Cookout
• 7-9 p.m. - Bull City Beer Runners Run Club
• 7-8 p.m. - Puzzled Pints Game Night

Events at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham

• 5:45-6:30 p.m. - Community Zumba Classes
• 6-8 p.m. - Music Bingo

Events at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP

• 6-8 p.m. - The Glass Jog Run Club
• 6-9 p.m. - Stitch & Sip

5:30 p.m.
Boxyard Run Club at Boxyard RTP
6 p.m.
In Other Words at Arcana
Duke Baseball vs College of Charleston at Jack Coombs Field
Bring Your Own Vinyl with Jaffar at Rubies on Five Points
Women on the Wall at Triangle Rock Club - Durham
6:30 p.m.
Trivia at Durham Food Hall
Pony Ride at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
7 p.m.
Trivia at Beer Study Durham
Not Rocket Science Trivia at DSSOLVR Durham
Tuesday Blues Jam at The Blue Note Grill
8 p.m.
Comedy Night at Bull City Ciderworks
Jeremy 'Bean' Clemons Trio at Kingfisher
Enter Shikari at Motorco Music Hall
Vision Video + Tears For The Dying at The Pinhook

Wednesday, May 15

Events at Atomic Empire

• 6:30 p.m. - Dragon Ball Fusion World Release Event
• 7 p.m. - Flesh and Blood Armory Event

Events at Boxyard RTP

• 12-2 p.m. - Hear & There: Daniel Delorenzo
• 5:30-8:30 p.m. - Game Night

Events at ZincHouse Winery & Brewery

• 7-8 p.m. - Signature Wine Tasting
• 7-8:30 p.m. - Laughs Comedy Night

9 a.m.
Senior Short Game Clinic at Hillandale Golf Course
10:30 a.m.
Storytime on the Roof with Durham County Library at The Durham Hotel
12 p.m.
Adult Recess at CCB Plaza
3 p.m.
Durham Farmers’ Market at Durham Central Park
4 p.m.
Whiskey Wednesdays at Alley Twenty Six
5 p.m.
Free Wednesday Wine Tasting at Beer Study Durham
5:30 p.m.
Ride of Silence at CCB Plaza
6 p.m.
Queer Craft Night and Tarot with Joy at Arcana
Bimbe Community Block Party at Holton Career & Resource Center
Come Take a Flight With Us: A Bright Black Workshop at Proximity Brewing Company
Free RTP Business Rockstar Connect Networking Event at Sheraton Imperial Hotel
Sweet Social: Auntie's African Ice Cream at The Durham Hotel
6:30 p.m.
Trivia Night with Pickle at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP
7 p.m.
Bottle Swap: Homebrew Club at Durty Bull Brewing Brewing Company
Skip The Small Talk: Speed Friending Event at Fullsteam Brewery
Hammered Trivia at Hi-Wire Brewing
Karaoke Night at Mavericks Smokehouse
Music Bingo at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
3rd Wednesday Jazz Jam Session at Succotash Southern & Creole Kitchen
Brett Chambers Open Mic at The Blue Note Grill
8 p.m.
Air Hockey Tournament at Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Trivia Night at Bull McCabe's
Karaoke at Moon Dog Meadery
The Weeks at Motorco Music Hall
Blends With Friends at The Pinhook

Thursday, May 16

Events at Boxyard RTP

• 7:30-8 a.m. - Bike Durham: Bike to Work
• 12-2 p.m. - Taking Back Thursday: Sheila Casalett

Events at Durty Bull Brewing Brewing Company

• 12-8 p.m. -Food Truck: Mike's Vegan Cookout
• 7-9 p.m. - Thursday Trivia with Nick

8:30 a.m.
Harnessing the Power of AI to Ensure Equitable HR Practices at RTI Holden Building
9:30 a.m.
Guide Supported Canoeing, Kayaking, and Standup Paddleboarding at Eno River
12:15 p.m.
Midday Meander: A Strolling Conversation at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
3 p.m.
Guided Museum Tour at 21c Museum Hotels Durham
5 p.m.
Thirsty Thursdays at Dashi
Righteous Roots Reggae Show at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP
5:30 p.m.
Walking Club with Bull City Strollers at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
6 p.m.
Queer Trivia at Arcana
Vinyl Night with DJ Deckades at Gizmo Brew Works
6:15 p.m.
Pony Run at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
6:30 p.m.
AfterHours: Science of Beer at Museum of Life and Science
Line Dance Classes at Mystic Farm and Distillery
Space Code Youth Open Mic at NorthStar Church of the Arts
Boulders & Brews Meetup at Triangle Rock Club - Durham
7 p.m.
Trivia Night at Beer Tooth Taproom
Bimbé Cypher at CCB Plaza
Bring Your Own Vinyl Night at Congress Social Bar
Duke Baseball vs UNC at Jack Coombs Field
Summer Jazz Jam (Curated by Al Strong) at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Community Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery
Al Strong Presents Jazz on the Roof at The Durham Hotel
7:30 p.m.
Trivia Night with Big Slow Tom at Clouds Brewing Brightleaf Square
Reverend Billy C. Wirtz / Armand Lenchek & Carter Minor at The Blue Note Grill
Pillow Talk: Speed Dating and Conversations About Sex / Sexuality at The Pinhook
8 p.m.
Weekly Single Mingle at Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Trivia at Fullsteam Brewery
Danny Lopriore at Motorco Music Hall
9 p.m.
DJ Halo Presents: No Requests at Rubies on Five Points
9:30 p.m.
Karaoke Night at The Tavern

Friday, May 17

Events at Atomic Empire

• 6:30 p.m. - Lorcana: Ursula’s Return Release Event
• 6:30 p.m. - Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate Draft

Events at Durty Bull Brewing Company

• 5-9 p.m. - Food Truck: La Republica Taco Truck
• 8-11 p.m. - Open Mic Stand-up Comedy

Events at Mettlesome

• 7:30-9 p.m. - Wit: An Improv Comedy Game Show
• 9-10 p.m. - Hush Hush

Events at Moon Dog Meadery

• 6:45 p.m. - Lindy Hop Lesson + Dance
• 7:30 p.m. - Djam
• 9:30 p.m. - Bachata Dance Night

Events at The Blue Note Grill

• 6-8 p.m. - The Duke Street Dogs
• 9:15 p.m. - The Beautiful People Club

10 a.m.
Tasting at Ten at Counter Culture Coffee
12 p.m.
Co-Working Social at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
4 p.m.
Late Spring Tree Ramble at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
5 p.m.
Guided Museum Tours at 21c Museum Hotels Durham
Food Truck Friday at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP
5:30 p.m.
LOJO: Log Off, Jam On at Boxyard RTP
6 p.m.
Aly J & Kevin Clark and Tarot with Kathleen at Arcana
Third Friday Art Walk at Downtown Durham
Friday Night Makes at Durham Arts Council
May Third Friday at Durham Arts Council
Counterpoints Exhibition Reception at Durham Bottling Co.
Third Friday at Golden Belt Arts
Duke Baseball vs UNC at Jack Coombs Field
Screenprint Roundup at The Fruit
The Patio Dance Parties : Clueless Fridays at Unscripted Durham
6:30 p.m.
Kayla Waters (Hosted by Marcus Anderson) at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
7 p.m.
Live Vinyl Spinning by PhDJ at Beer Study Durham
Early Show: John Howie Jr. / Ramona and The Holy Smokes at The Pinhook
7:30 p.m.
Evening Eno Exploration Paddle at Eno River
Evan Ringel & Ariel Pocock at Sharp 9 Gallery
8 p.m.
Pass the Aux at Boricua Soul
Stereo Reveries at DSSOLVR Durham
Karaoke! at Fullsteam Brewery
Cheekface at Motorco Music Hall
Dance Blues Friday at Studio 5
9 p.m.
Kayla Waters (Hosted by Marcus Anderson) at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
10 p.m.
The Floor: Special Guest THEYDYLIKE at Rubies on Five Points

Saturday, May 18

Events at Atomic Empire

• 11 a.m. - Pokémon TCG: League Cup
• 1 p.m. - Lorcana: Ursula’s Return Release Event
• 2 p.m. - Game Designers of North Carolina Meetup

Events at Boxyard RTP 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Will & Well: Grand Opening

• 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Saturdaze: DJ k.ward

Events at Durty Bull Brewing Company

• 1-8 p.m. - Food Truck: Death By Taco
• 3-7 p.m. - 3rd Saturday Vintage + Maker Market
• 5-9 p.m. - Home Brewed: CNOTE Art Spectacular

Distillery Tours and Tastings at Liberty & Plenty

• Every Saturday, 10-10:30 a.m. and 11-11:30 a.m.

Events at Mettlesome

• 7:30-8:30 p.m. - House Party
• 8:30-9:30 p.m. - Harold Night
• 9:30-10:30 p.m. - Mint Condition Standup Showcase

Events at The Fruit

• 5-8 p.m. - Menace To Society Album Listening Party
• 7:30-10 p.m. - HUMP! Film Festival
• 10 p.m. - 2 a.m. - Puro Perreo Pari

Events at The Pinhook

• 7:30 p.m. - Boogie Burly Nights... A Groovy 70s Show
• 10:30 p.m. - Drake and Friends 2

Guided Walking Tours with Triangle Adventures

• 2 p.m. - Downtown Durham Walking Tour
• 4 p.m. - Durham African American History Tour
• 6 p.m. - Downtown Durham True Crime Tour

7 a.m.
Lookin For A Cure at Bull City Running Company-South
8 a.m.
Durham Farmers' Market at Durham Central Park
parkrun Durham at Southern Boundaries Park
9 a.m.
South Durham Farmers' Market at Greenwood Commons Shopping Center
9:30 a.m.
Guide Supported Canoeing, Kayaking, and Standup Paddleboarding at Eno River
10 a.m.
Pop Up Record Show at Beer Durham
Durham's Home Goods Market at Black Wall St Gardens
Bear Awareness Week at Museum of Life and Science
10:30 a.m.
Mother's Day Brunch at The Durham Hotel
11 a.m.
Battle of the Blades 2024 at Historic Durham Athletic Park
12 p.m.
Springtime Outdoor Market at Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Crafternoons at Gizmo Brew Works
Preservation Durham Annual Home Tour: The Rambling Ranch at Orchard Park Picnic Shelter
1 p.m.
Duke Baseball vs UNC at Jack Coombs Field
Say It With Glass Workshop - Sam Nguyen at Moon Dog Meadery
Bimbé Celebration at Rock Quarry Park
2 p.m.
Closing Reception — Dan Gottlieb: Figure Ground at Craven Allen Gallery
Durham "Bullpen" Treasure Hunt - Walking Team Scavenger Hunt! at Fullsteam Brewery
3 p.m.
A Beautiful Noise Spring Concert by the Common Woman Chorus at Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Peter Pan at The Carolina Theatre
4 p.m.
Family Fun Saturday: May Flowers at Guglhupf Restaurant
5 p.m.
Rooftops and Alleyways Community Canvas Wall Brawl at Dashi
Durham Blues & Brews Festival at Durham Central Park
Hops & Blues at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP
6 p.m.
The Moon Unit and Tarot with Emily at Arcana
Peter Pan at The Carolina Theatre
6:30 p.m.
Kayla Waters (Hosted by Marcus Anderson) at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
7 p.m.
A Beautiful Noise Spring Concert by the Common Woman Chorus at Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Crones of Anarchy: Blues, Rock, Americana at Succotash Southern & Creole Kitchen
7:30 p.m.
Jim Ketch Swingtet at Sharp 9 Gallery
Big Birthday Dance Party: Combo Platter with 2 Sides at The Blue Note Grill
8:15 p.m.
BBYMUTHA: Sleep Paralysis Tour 2024 at Motorco Music Hall
9 p.m.
Kayla Waters (Hosted by Marcus Anderson) at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
10 p.m.
Fortune Factory Presents: Taurus Dance Party at Rubies on Five Points

Sunday, May 19

Events at Atomic Empire

• 11:30 a.m. - Star Wars: Shatterpoint Tournament
• 12 p.m. - Battletech Campaign Day
• 1 p.m. - Lorcana: Ursula’s Return Release Event

Events at Durty Bull Brewing Company

• 2-4 p.m. - Hammered Trivia with Casey
• 4-8 p.m. - The Blood Connection Blood Drive

10 a.m.
Jazz Brunch at Lula & Sadie's
10:30 a.m.
Al Strong Presents Jazz Brunch at Alley Twenty Six
12 p.m.
Preservation Durham Annual Home Tour: The Rambling Ranch at Orchard Park Picnic Shelter
Sunday Dollar Bin Sale for Charity at Rumors Durham
Supernatural Sunday - Psychic Affair + Healers Market at Weldon Mills Distillery
Farmers Market at ZincHouse Winery & Brewery
12:15 p.m.
Public Tour at Duke Chapel
2 p.m.
Hillandale Golf Beginner Clinic at Hillandale Golf Course
3:30 p.m.
Davis Dance Company Spring Recital 2024 at The Carolina Theatre
4 p.m.
Showings at Scripps: Miguel Gutierrez at ADF's Samuel H. Scripps Studios
Carmina Burana at Baldwin Auditorium
Día de las Madres Kermes at El Futuro’s Therapeutic Green Space
String Break at Fullsteam Brewery
6 p.m.
Emma Jane's EP Release Show and Tarot with Joy at Arcana
Davis Dance Company Spring Recital 2024 at The Carolina Theatre
6:30 p.m.
Open Mic Night at Moon Dog Meadery
7 p.m.
DPW Limit Break at Durham Convention Center

Running Art Exhibit

Hometown (Inherited): Ten Year Retrospective at The Fruit

• This project examines the changing landscape of our city through a series of forty mixed media pieces the artist has created since 2014.
• Third Friday openings on Apr 19 and May 17, 6-9 p.m.
• Drop-in by appointment and Wednesdays 4-7 p.m.
• Free admission

Dan Gottlieb: Figure Ground at Craven Allen Gallery

• Each piece begins as a photograph, which is then printed on acrylic and worked with a variety of paints and compounds to create a unique surface.
• Sat, May 4 - Sat, May 18
• Free admission

Constellations: 40 Years of Explorations within Sacred Geometry by Steven Ferlauto at Horse & Buggy Press and Friends

• Sacred Geometry is an ancient field of physics whose equations are expressed through shape. Shape is a way to explore the universal fabric of our existence.
• Sat, May 4 - Sat, June 1
• Free admission

It Ain’t All Black And White at DAG Truist Gallery

• It Ain’t All Black and White is a photography exhibition that encourages us to consider emotions such as serenity, apprehension, yearning, and more.
• Captured by 11 dynamic photographers dedicated to documenting the fullness and complexity of Black life, this exhibition offers each of us an opportunity to see ourselves with renewed attention.
• Thu, Apr 25 - Sun, June 2

María Magdalena Campos-Pons: Behold at Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

• María Magdalena Campos-Pons: Behold is a monographic exhibition of a visionary voice in photography, immersive installation, painting and performance.
• Thu, Feb 15 - Sun, Jun 9
• Every week, Tue-Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 12-5 p.m.
• Free admission

Counterpoints at Durham Bottling Co.

• Counterpoints is a curated showcase of local AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) artists, delving into the convergence of AAPI identity and mental health. Inspired by the intricate layers of musical counterpoint, its purpose is to weave together diverse narratives and confront the stigma surrounding mental health within our communities.
• Wed, May 1 - Sun, June 16
• Mon - Fri, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Cameron Elyse's Divine Nine Legacy Memoir Exhibition at Hayti Heritage Center

• The Divine Nine Legacy Memoir delves deep into the history of the National Panhellenic Council (NPHC) or "Divine Nine," a collective of nine Greek Letter organizations founded on May 10th, 1930.
• These organizations were born out of the necessity to provide a voice for Black American students within the collegiate space. United by principles of service, community, brotherhood, and sisterhood, the Divine Nine work collectively to uplift society through acts of service to underserved areas across the nation.
• Fri, Apr 19 - Sat, June 1
• Free admission

I only just finished watching S1E2 "The Devil's Chord" mere minutes before posting this, but I think I already have a pretty solid idea regarding the identity of these characters and the role they will play in the overall narrative of the season at large.
For starters, I'd like to bring attention to the extremely unusual (and likely divisive) ending musical sequence that closed out this episode. More specifically, the subject matter of the song and The Doctor's fourth wall breaking behavior in particular are the details that makes this scene so important in understanding who how these characters might be connected and what their purpose may be in the context of the show.
The takeaway message of this scene (and the subject of the musical) that is conveyed to Ruby by The Doctor is that all of their perilous adventures through time and space "always end with a twist." Within the context of the scene itself, this statement and subsequent song it inspired appears at face value to be a simple boast of optimism from The Doctor to comfort Ruby and reassure her that even in their bleakest moments, The Doctor will always find a way to turn their situation around into something good. However, when this sequence is framed within the context of the show itself as a message being conveyed from the show runners to the audience rather than it's characters, it takes on a COMPLETELY different meaning.
If we interpret the meaning of this song literally, then the lyrics tell us plainly that the plot of every Doctor Who episode is written with a twist at the end that changes the outcome of the story. However, if this song is truly directed towards the audience, then there is additional context we can consider that only the audience would know. For example, fans who keep up with news relating to the show know that there is a character named Susan Twist who first appeared in the most recent Doctor Who Holiday Special and was most memorable for breaking the fourth wall during the final scene of the episode. Furthermore, we also know that this character is not only returning, but will be a reoccurring background character thoughout the new season with Russel T Davis hinting in interviews that the secret this character holds and the overall role this character will play in the story of Doctor Who when they are eventually introduced as a primary plot point will be far more impactful than we otherwise might have thought. As such, we know that this character is designed to be more than just a cheeky easter egg and that the mystery behind this character should be taken seriously, meaning the scenes in which she breaks the fourth wall have big implications on what this character is capable of within the upcoming story.
With this context in mind, the song lyrics take on an addictional meaning, implying that if every Doctor Who adventure ends with a twist, then perhaps at the end of the shows current story arc (which seems to be building up to a confrontation with The One Who Waits), the "twist at the end" that will appear may be referring quite literally to Susan Twist making herself known during the climax of the story and turning the tides in The Doctor's favor, standing in opposition to The One Who Waits.
Under the assumption that Susan's fourth wall breaks and reoccurring episode cameos are to be taken seriously within the cannon of the show as a means of legitimizing the intrigue surrounding her mysterious presence and the powers she might possess, then it is not unreasonable to assume that her existence throughout time and reality defying capabilities function similarly if not exactly like the other members of the Toy Maker's Pantheon. Much like Susan's perpetual appearance in the background of each episode of Doctor Who since the Toy Maker's defeat regardless of which time period they are in (with no indication of the passing of time besides changing costumes between each appearance), both The Toy Maker and Maestro similarly demonstrated that their existence and reality warping capabilities were also unaffected by the typical passage of time, which they have demonstrated through the continuous interactions they have with The Doctor (only changing costumes between appearances) as he bounces between the future and the past. Furthermore, we also know that their names are representative to the thesis of their existence in some way or another, with The Toy Maker representing play and Maestro representing music, perhaps "Twist" is representative of story telling. The concept of stories could be argued to be as equally intrinsic to the experience of life in the universe as the concepts of play and music, so it's not an unreasonable assumption.
Finally, the influence of The Toy Maker and Maestro which allowed for the manipulation/subversion over the laws of reality was not exclusively theirs to weild, rather these powers are merely symptomatic of the new laws of reality that are temporarily brought into world with the emergence of each Pantheon member. This is demonstrated by The Doctor with The Toy Maker who is bound to abide by the rules of whatever game he is playing and is not strictly in his favor, as demonstrated by The Doctor's Bi-Generation (a myth made possible via the laws of play) and forcibly exiling The Toy Maker against his wishes since what appears to us to be near-omnipotence in reality is just different rules of existence these beings operate within the confines of. Furthermore, we see that the emergence of these beings leaves a lasting effect on the laws of reality, lingering for a while before it fades completely from existence even after the corresponding Pantheon member is defeated. With The Toy Maker, The Doctor was able to produce a circus hammer and replicate the TARDIS in a way only possible due to the laws of play. Similarly, The Doctor was able to manifest music in a similar fashion to Maestro when challenged to a music battle and demonstrated the lingering effects of the laws of music on reality by bursting into a musical number that defied logic and by playing the crosswalk like a piano on his walk back to the TARDIS after their victory over Maestro.
If we assume that Susan Twist is a Pantheon member (representing stories) like The Toymaker and Maestro, then it re-contextualizes all the fourth wall breaking behavior demonstrated by The Doctor and Maestro in this episode. If the presence of Susan Twist is influencing the laws of reality, then Maestro playing the Doctor Who theme and The Doctor mistaking the approaching music as non-diagetic makes much more sense within the context of the story. Furthermore, The Doctor winking at the camera at the end is just like the scene where Susan Twist winked at the audience at the end of the holiday special. If the show runners are expecting us to take Susan's wink to the audience and knowledge of the TARDIS seriously, then that means we must also take the wink to the camera done by The Doctor equally as seriously! Especially given that it is even presented to the audience in the same way as the Susan Twist reveal. Additionally, if Susan Twist is the embodiment of stories, it could also explain the reoccurring illusion of snowfall that is surrounding Ruby during the first 2 episodes. It provides the mystery and ambiance that will contextualize Ruby's backstory, after all everything in life has a story whether we know it or not. Perhaps Susan Twist is drawn to them due to Ruby's untold story like how Maestro fed on the potential of unplayed songs.
So how does The One Who Waits tie in to any of this? To be honest, I'm not quite sure myself. We know that Maestro used he/him pronouns when referencing The One Who Waits, so we can pretty safely assume that Susan Twist won't be revealed as The One Who Waits as some sort of twist villain, despite there being a "twist at the end" and the name "The One Who Waits" implying that he is perhaps waiting for the end (or beginning) of something to come to pass. Hence why I think Susan Twist will either lead to his defeat in some way or perhaps reveal some sort of twist to The Doctor only after the conflict is over. Either way, the active involvement in story telling as sold me on the role of Susan Twist as a Pantheon member, but there is very little we can draw from that could indicate what kind of properties The One Who Waits could represent, or if he is even a member of the Pantheon at all. Although Maestro seemed to threaten The Doctor by claiming he will come for him, there is no indication that he and Maestro are allies at all, it could very possibly just be a warning of impending doom to instill fear in The Doctor out of pettiness for their banishment. Especially considering that The Toy Maker feared him when his existence was discovered. It is perhaps possible that the Pantheon members did not all know of each other's existences until manifesting in our universe around the same time, but it's also possible that they've known about each other from the start. Regardless, if I were to blindly speculate about what the meaning of his name could relate to, my only guess is that it is in some way representative of the passage of time or perhaps the lack thereof. Waiting only makes sense in reference to time spent, so either he will act as an antithesis to The Doctor, perhaps even threatening the time vortex itself, ushering in the beginning or the end of some new reality, or possibly existing as a representative of eternal stagnation. Honestly, with how little info we have, anything is possible.
(Also random passing thought, is it possible that Susan Twist's name is literal and that the twist of Ruby's story is that she is related in some way to Susan Foreman?)
(Sorry about the long post, I have ADHD and I couldn't stop hyperfixating on writing this down and got a bit carried away lol)
TLDR:
-The song at the end of Devil's Chord is addressed to the audience directly as a hint foreshadowing a future encounter with Susan Twist possibly during the climax when The Doctor must face The One Who Waits.
-The appearance of Susan Twist in the background of each episode throughout time and space and her seemingly timeless nature is seemingly identical to the way members of Pantheon (Toy Maker, Maestro, etc.) also seem to be unaffected by time when interacting with The Doctor.
-Susan Twist has demonstrated that she can break the fourth wall and her influence on reality seems to also be influencing the world around her, allowing The Doctor to break the fourth wall multiple times this episode, much like how he made a second TARDIS after defeating the Toy Maker or like how he played the crosswalk like a piano after defeating Maestro.
-Given the naming scheme of the Pantheon members, and Susan's ability to break the fourth wall and constant cameo appearances, she is probably the Pantheon member representing the god of stories.
-It is possible that the illusions of snow and visions of Ruby's past are a result of Susan Twist, who might seek out untold stories in the same way Maestro sought out unplayed songs. Susan will likely be the one who will reveal the hidden truth behind Ruby's origin story that the show has been building up to.
-Susan Twist, acting as the "Twist at the end" of their story, will likely be what ends up turning the tides of conflict in The Doctor's favor against The One Who Waits.

I was reading the lore pages of older seasonal artifacts for fun, and the Seasonal Artifact from Season of the Splicer had an interesting segment that I hadn't noticed before. But before we get to that, a quick note about the word Paradrome. My google searches only came up with the Oxford English Dictionary website. It is the only one that claimed to have a definition, which is unfortunately blocked by a subscription wall.
However, if we look up the root words Para and Drom separately, we get a good image of what it means.
Para, for those that don't know, is a prefix that indicates being close to or next to something else.
Drom, is probably a little less familiar but it comes from the Greek Dromos, which is a word for avenue or walkway, or entrance, or other related concepts.
Paradromic, is an adjective that means running side by side or in paralel. The impression I get is that it would be more likely to refer to two roads or entryways, rather than two people running in parallel, but I suppose either is probably a correct usage.
So the Paradrome Cube then is going to have something to do with things operating or running in parallel. While I think there are multiple layers, an obvious one that you will see below is that when looking at this thing, Mithrax sees two visions. The artistic implication being they visions are parallel to eachother.
On to the lore! The text on the cube is as follows:

PARADROME CUBE - SEASONAL ARTIFACT FOR SEASON 14, SEASON OF THE SPLICER
A CUBE OF LIVING CODE CLAIMED FROM THE VEX DOMAIN.
Mithrax sat on a carpet in his meager quarters, held the Paradrome Cube in his hand, and concentrated.
Hours passed before Eido, concerned, sat beside him. She touched his arm.
"What do you see?" she whispered.
He saw the Endless Night split open. He saw fluid falling like white rain on the City. Massive Minotaurs rising from the shallow seas. He saw the gunfire of the Guardians in the Tower, but it did not reflect on the rippling liquid, and he dismissed the vision.
A hundred more illusions took its place, then a thousand, then a thousand lifetimes' worth:
-a shape frozen inside a crystal prison a towering figure in white recognition flooding bloodshot eyes a city of voices speaking at once shadow taking form the realization they had always been watched tears on metal-
A choice, and its consequences.
"Lies," he answered plainly.

There is a lot of symbolism here, but the thing that I wanted to bring to our attention is the phrase "a towering figure in white". Season of the Splicer is the midpoint in the year following Beyond Light. WQ hasn't released yet, so no one has even imagined the Witness as an antagonist yet, and when we first get this artifact no one will have guessed that Savathun is posing as Osiris. Yet here we have a direct foreshadowing of the Witness coming, and of the Vex's knowledge of it, as this cube came out of their general network. And crucially this is NOT the Sol Divisive. This is something he pulled out of their network that we use to splice into it later as we hunt for Vex Minds and ultimately for Queria.
For fun, here is a short list of possible literal definitions. But there may be symbolic or figurative definitions as well:
First Vision - Seems to mostly be an account of the Vex plan to assault the City with overwhelming force.
Second Vision -
A shape frozen inside a crystal prison - The most obvious option is Eramis being frozen back on Europa, but I think this is more likely a way that this cube of Vex is conceptualizing the Witness's "final shape" because...
A towering figure in white - clearly fits the description of the Witness. It is a towering figure, and it is pasty
Recognition flooding bloodshot eyes - I'm less sure of this, but I do know that Vex eyes are red, and that The Gate Lord's Eye seasonal artifact references bleeding as part of it's internal structure. So my thought here is that this is the Vex recognizing the Witness in some capacity.
A city of voices speaking at once - Witness's plurality of form. It is a multitude of beings crammed together into a single body. A multitude of voices speaking as one, with one voice.
Shadow taking form - I think this is probably referring to the Witness's plans starting to move again. Things are in motion, and the Pyramids are here, and the Witness is coming for the Traveler.
The realization they had always been watched - The Witness has been watching us, watching the Vex, watching everything. Witnessing the universe.
Tears on metal - I don't know if this is tears as in crying tears, or if this is tears as in tearing fabric. And either way, I don't know what this is referencing.
So to me, this "vision" he sees is a version of what the Vex in this cube think will happen. What is going to happen in the future. And it is a direct foreshadowing of the Witness itself as a villain, as well as it's ultimate plans for the universe. Later, during the Vow of the Disciple Raid, Guardians will discover a prophecy wall inside Rhulk's Pyramid that describes everything the Witness does in Lightfall perfectly.
Just a nice piece of continuity I noticed. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction created for entertainment purposes. The characters of John Constantine and Doctor Strange belong to their respective creators and copyright holders. No infringement is intended, and this story is not endorsed or authorized by any official source. Enjoy the adventure, and remember—it's all in good fun!
John Constantine's trench coat flapped wildly as the air around him crackled with eldritch energy. The ground beneath his feet was a mosaic of screaming faces, the very essence of Trigon's realm. With a flick of his lighter, Constantine ignited an enchanted flame, the light casting long shadows as he faced down the hordes of demons before him.
"Come on then, you ugly mugs," he taunted, the smirk on his face belying the tension in his stance. "Let's see what you've got."
The demons surged forward, a wave of malice and claws, but Constantine was ready. He chanted an incantation, ancient words of power that echoed through the abyss, and a barrier of blue light erupted from the ground. The demons screeched as they collided with the magical shield, their forms dissolving into ash.
But as Constantine prepared to press his advantage, a strange sensation washed over him. The air shimmered like a heat haze, and the very fabric of reality seemed to warp and twist. He felt a pull, a tug at his soul, and then the world went white.
When his vision cleared, he was no longer in Trigon's realm. The air was still, and it was filled with greenery. It was a familiar place but something feels different. It was New York Central Park.
Dr. Strange: (Opening a portal) By the hoary hosts of Hoggoth, who dares trespass in my domain?
John Constantine: (Lighting a cigarette) Oh, look what we have here. Another one of Trigon's lackeys, I presume? You can tell your boss he's not getting the best of me.
Dr. Strange: (Raising an eyebrow) Trigon? I'm afraid you are mistaken. I am Doctor Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme of this reality. And you are?
John Constantine: (Smirks) John Constantine, mate. Master of the dark arts and a thorn in the side of demons like Trigon. And this ain't your reality, it's Earth 1. So, which Earth did you say you're from?
Dr. Strange: I did not. But it seems we are both victims of circumstance. I am from this Earth, and you are clearly not. (Gestures around) This is my sanctum, and you are?
John Constantine: (Takes a drag) John bloody Constantine. And I was in the middle of kicking some demonic arse before I was rudely interrupted by your light show.
Dr. Strange: (Folds arms) There's no demonic activity here, Mr. Constantine. You've been transported to my world by some mysterious force. Now, if we can cease the hostilities, perhaps we can work together to unravel this mystery.
John Constantine: (Laughs) Work together? With a bloke who looks like he's just stepped out of a Renaissance fair? Tell you what, magician, prove to me you're not some illusion of Trigon's and maybe I'll consider it.
Dr. Strange: (Sighs) Very well. (Casts a spell to show Constantine the Sanctum Sanctorum) Behold the Sanctum Sanctorum, the axis of all realities. Does this look like the work of your demon?
John Constantine: (Looks around, impressed) Alright, you've got some tricks. But if you're really the Sorcerer Supreme, then help me get back to my fight. Or are you too busy polishing your orbs?
Dr. Strange: (Smirks) Polishing orbs is a hobby for another time. Let's find the source of your unexpected journey. Together, we might just stand a chance.
John Constantine: (With a wry smile) So, tell me, Sorcerer Supreme, ever heard of the Justice League? Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman?
Dr. Strange: (Shakes his head) Can't say that I have. They do not exist in my world. Here we have the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four.
John Constantine: (Raises an eyebrow) Avengers? Sounds like a second-rate football club. And what's so fantastic about this four?
Dr. Strange: (Chuckles) They are heroes of great power and even greater heart. But it seems our worlds are as different as magic and science.
John Constantine: (Nods) Seems like it. My world's got its own brand of chaos and capes. No shortage of troubles there, either.
Dr. Strange: (Looks thoughtful) Perhaps it is our differences that make our worlds unique. And yet, here we are, brought together by fate.
John Constantine: (Smirks) Fate? I call it a bloody inconvenience. But since we're stuck with each other, might as well get to the bottom of this. and they leaves to santum Santorum.
He glanced around the Sanctum Sanctorum, taking in the relics that held powers he could only guess at. There was a sense of order here, a stark contrast to the chaos of his own world.
"Alright, Doc," Constantine said after their exchange, flicking his cigarette to the ground. "Let's crack this pandora box . But just so we're clear, I'm not the sidekick in this story."
Dr. Strange nodded, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Agreed. Let us begin."
Together, they stepped deeper into the Sanctum, ready to uncover the truth behind Constantine's sudden displacement. Little did they know, their journey would take them across realities, challenging their understanding of magic, power, and the thin veil that separates worlds.

Hello, fellow Exalted friends. My friend is getting married soon, and for his bachelor party he asked me "his best man" to run an Exalted oneshot for him and the other groomsman. I of course accepted because I love Exalted and have been wanting to try out Essence. I am looking for feedback on this outline. It is the first time I have ever run a one-shot before, I am very used to longer campaigns so I worry about time and my story being fullfilling at the end. I also worry because only he and I have played Exalted before, so I am trying to make it as simple as possible while introducing the how amazing the setting can be. (All players are experienced larpers and rpers, they have just never played exalted.)
NOTE: The characters were made based of the requests of the players in what they "would like" to try.

"The Alliance of Blood and Sorcery" Outline: "The Alliance of Blood and Sorcery" One-Shot Adventure

Session Overview:

In this one-shot adventure, the bride-to-be, Sorcerer-Princess Seraphi Ysri, is kidnapped just days before her marriage to a scion of Clan Burano. The Sworn Kinship must uncover hidden agendas and face deadly enemies to save her before the alliance crumbles. But as they unravel the plot, they uncover a shocking twist that threatens to reshape Prasad’s political landscape.
Cast of Characters:

1. Vin - Skilled sorcerer and scion of Clan Burano who is betrothed to Seraphi Ysri. He is determined to secure the alliance and expand Burano's influence. Vin is intelligent, resourceful, and devoted to his kin but may struggle to reconcile his loyalty with the secrets he uncovers.
   • Aspect: Water
   • Skills: Sorcery, Politics, Occult Knowledge, Diplomacy
2. Tyr - An honored war hero and commander in Clan Burano's legion. He wields a massive two-handed sword and has an unwavering sense of duty. Tyr's reputation and loyalty make him a respected leader, but his straightforward approach often leaves him blind to subtle schemes.
   • Aspect: Earth
   • Skills: Leadership, Military Strategy, Close Combat, War
3. Danal - A lecherous warrior known as a weapons master. He can summon any weapon or armor at will and is known for his suave and gallant demeanor. Despite his playful nature, Danal is fiercely loyal to his kin and will go to any lengths to protect them.
   • Aspect: Fire
   • Skills: Weapon Summoning (Charm set), Close Combat, Charm, Gallantry
4. Rono- A master assassin and martial artist skilled in gathering information and using illusion to manipulate his targets. He secretly harbors feelings for Seraphi Ysri, which could compromise his loyalty to his kin.
   
   • Aspect: Air
   • Skills: Stealth, Martial Arts, Information Gathering, Illusions (Artifact)
5. Prologue: The Betrothal Ceremony
   

• Setting: The palatial compounds of Clan Burano in Kamthahar, Empire of Prasad​.
• Events:
  • Scene 1: Introduce the Sworn Kinship and Vin, the groom-to-be, a prominent member of Clan Burano.
  • Scene 2: Conduct the betrothal ceremony, where Seraphi Ysri impresses the gathered nobles with her sorcerous abilities and charm.
  • Scene 3: The ceremony is interrupted by a mysterious attack. Assassins, clad in veils and bearing jade weapons, attempt to kidnap Seraphi. Despite the Sworn Kinship’s efforts, she is taken away.

1. Act I: Uncovering the Culprit

• Goal: Identify the faction or individual responsible for the kidnapping.
• Setting: Kamthahar's labyrinthine streets, dominated by Clan compounds.
• Events:
  • Scene 1: Gather information from the Pure Way monks at the Most Pristine Sanctuary​.
    • The monks reveal tensions between the Pure Way and the Immaculate Order. (A bit of information to muddle the true ending.)
  • Scene 2: Infiltrate the compound of a rival clan suspected of being involved, discovering notes about a plot orchestrated by a secret faction within Clan Ophris.
  • Scene 3: Interrogate an Ophris informant captured during the infiltration, learning that the kidnappers are heading to the ruined temple of Anarash in the Dreaming Sea region​​.

1. Act II: The Journey to Anarash

• Goal: Travel to the ruined temple of Anarash and prepare for the rescue.
• Setting: The treacherous wilderness along the Shining Coast and the Dreaming Sea​​.
• Events:
  • Scene 1: Face challenges along the Jade Road, including bandits seeking to ambush travelers and a venomous fog that blankets the coastline.
  • Scene 2: Discover an abandoned village corrupted by wyld mutants and Fair Folk creatures.
    • Save survivors who reveal that Seraphi was taken further south.
  • Scene 3: Reach the ancient ruins of Anarash, navigating traps and cultists guarding the temple.

1. Act III: The Rescue at Anarash

• Goal: Rescue Seraphi Ysri and uncover the true mastermind behind her kidnapping.
• Setting: The crumbling temple ruins and jungles of Anarash​​.
• Events:
  • Scene 1: Infiltrate the temple while avoiding or neutralizing wyld mutants and cultists.
  • Scene 2: Discover that the supposed mastermind is not a rogue sorcerer-prince of Ysyr, but Seraphi Ysri herself.
    • Twist: Seraphi orchestrated her own kidnapping to expose the political machinations within Prasad and eliminate her rivals. She intends to consolidate power by marrying Vin and leveraging the Sworn Kinship’s loyalty.
  • Scene 3: Confront Seraphi and her loyal followers. After intense negotiations (or combat), the Sworn Kinship learns that she plans to marry Vin but with the intention of eventually seizing control of Prasad for herself.
    • The players must decide whether to support her or oppose her plot.

1. Act IV: Return to Kamthahar

• Goal: Conclude the alliance by securing Seraphi Ysri's marriage to Vin, or stop her from seizing power.
• Setting: Kamthahar, Empire of Prasad​.
• Events:
  • Scene 1: Return triumphantly to Kamthahar, with Seraphi and Vin reaffirming their betrothal or exposed as enemies.
  • Scene 2: If the Sworn Kinship supports Seraphi:
    • Manipulate political rivals in Clan Ophris to affirm Seraphi's control over both clans.
    • Conduct a dramatic wedding ceremony and feast to unite Prasad and Ysyr under her leadership.
  • Scene 3: If the Sworn Kinship opposes Seraphi:
    • Battle Seraphi's loyalists in the streets of Kamthahar, exposing her plot to the Pure Way monks.
    • Restore peace to Prasad by forging a new alliance or seeking another bride for Vin.

Themes and Outcomes:

• Political Intrigue: The twist adds layers of complexity to the mission, forcing players to navigate Prasad’s convoluted politics carefully.
• Epic Romance: Seraphi Ysri’s motivations—whether love or ambition—affect the alliance’s fate.
• Power and Betrayal: The Sworn Kinship must decide whether to support Seraphi’s vision for Prasad or remain loyal to their kin.

Seriously, don't even attempt to trivialize it. It's not about waking you up at 3:00 am for mundane reasons like running out of milk or needing your Wi-Fi password. This entity, whatever it may be, operates outside our reality's bounds, and its motives are far from benign. I learned this the hard way recently, which is why I'm cautioning you all against making light of it. But before delving into specifics, let me offer some context, as sleep paralysis is a recent phenomenon for me.
One of my earliest memories of sleep disruption traces back to my grade school days. With my mother on an early shift unable to drive me to school for its 8:00 am start, she would drop me off at my aunt's house. Here, she ensured I was fed, dressed, and ready for school. Most mornings, I had just about an hour left to sleep before needing to rise. Often, I'd find myself in a half-asleep state from the moment my mom roused me until she tucked me into my aunt's spare bedroom.
On one of those mornings, as I lay down, teetering between wakefulness and sleep, I experienced a peculiar sensation. It felt as though my body began to rise, hovering about two feet above the bed, before swiftly plummeting back down. Startled awake, I assumed my mother had thrown me back onto the bed, only to find the room empty upon opening my eyes.
I hadn't encountered any other experiences quite like that, but it was during this time that I distinctly recall a notable surge in the frequency of the nightmares I was experiencing. The nightmares were generally the same, some cloaked being hiding in the recesses of my vision, always there, always watching. I felt as though each passing night terror that it got closer and closer to me, but always just out of reach. At times, I found myself trapped in a dark room, enveloped by an overwhelming sense of malevolence that seemed to saturate the air—and a fear entirely foreign to my waking experiences.
Then I experienced sleep paralysis for the first time.
It occurred at my mother's house, marking the initial instance where I experienced the sensation of my body being effectively immobilized while my mind remained active. I recall attempting to move my eyes and then my body, but all efforts were futile. As I struggled to regain autonomy, it sounded as though a gathering had convened in my kitchen, voices carrying in muted tones. None of the which resembled those of my parents; I even detected snickering and laughter at one point. The conversation seemed to be aimed at me, as my name was uttered several times, yet the other words remained indecipherable. The episode concluded with me returning to sleep without any further disturbances.
As the instances of sleep paralysis became more frequent, they culminated in another peculiar experience. Shortly after moving into my first apartment, still in the midst of unpacking and assembling furniture, the second incident occurred. I lay on a mattress on the floor, surrounded by unassembled bedframe pieces, when I awoke to find myself imprisoned within my own body once more. In the darkness, I heard a faint sound—a presence moving softly over each piece of furniture. Panic gripped me as I strained to turn my head towards the noise, but every effort proved futile. With each passing moment, the unseen entity drew closer until it reached the bedside. Helpless, I closed my eyes, bracing myself for whatever awaited.
Meow?
Relief washed over me as I realized it was just my generously proportioned feline friend making his way around the room. I could hear him moving about, stepping on more furniture and emitting a few disgruntled meows, presumably chastising my laziness for not assembling it yet. As I began to drift back to sleep, I was abruptly startled awake by a chilling sound.
Snnn-orrrff
A primal, guttural snarl pierced the silence, its menacing resonance echoing through the room like a thunderous roar. I struggled desperately to move my limbs, silently screaming in my mind, yet only managing a feeble whimper as I sensed the beast drawing near. Despite my efforts, my body only twitched, while in my imagination, I leapt up and fled. As a mischievous chuckle erupted, I felt hot, pungent breath on the back of my neck. I suddenly awoke, screaming, kicking and punching. I jerked my head to the side and was met only with darkness. I jumped up and turned the light on, a quick scan of the room revealed there was nothing there. Exhausted and recognizing my inability to function effectively, I reluctantly resigned myself to lying back down with the light on until morning. I called into work, knowing that in my current state, I wouldn't be of much use to anyone.
Days passed and soon, it was that time of the month again for my regular check-in from mom. I hesitantly answered the call. After a few minutes of conversation, we eventually broached the topic of my sleep paralysis.
"Honey, it's probably all the stress." she reasoned.
My job had me grinding away tirelessly, but despite my efforts, all I got was a tiny bump in pay. To add to the mix, my landlord decided it was the perfect time to raise the rent. It's safe to say, the stress was really getting to me. "I don't know, it's been happening my whole life, Dad ever had any issues with sleep?"
There was a noticeable pause as she contemplated her reply. "He's definitely had his share of nightmares, he'd wake me up a lot of the times, poor thing would be in tears."
"Jeez, I never knew, but Mom I gotta…" I endeavored to conclude the conversation, as my allotted chat time was expiring, however my mother promptly interrupted me.
"Sweetie, why won't you join us at church? It might help?"
I released a sigh. I staunchly opposed the notion of going to church; I'd rather watch a documentary on the history of paperclips. "Thanks, but I'm not feeling that right now."
"Please, just do it for me?" She pleaded.
Eager to bring the call to a close. "I'll think about, but, alright I'm going to go ahead a hop off here."
"Alright, I miss you, call me later okay?"
"I will, love you, bye."
I concluded the call with a sigh of relief, grateful for its conclusion.
For a stretch, life seemed to fall into place: My job noticed the disparity between my increased workload and pay and offered me a new position that significantly improved my financial situation. Thanks to this new position, I crossed paths with my wife, and we swiftly eloped. She was one of the top account managers, earning a substantial income, which enabled us to afford a nice house together. During this period, the night terrors and bouts of sleep paralysis took a hiatus, granting me a reprieve. Yet amidst the tranquility, a gnawing sense of foreboding lingered, as if a tempest loomed on the horizon, urging me to savor the calm while it lasted.
During this period, my wife and I had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of our first child. We were overjoyed as she reached the sixth month of her pregnancy, carrying our long-awaited daughter. However, my suspicions proved tragically correct. I'll never forget the heart-wrenching phone call from my wife, her voice choked with tears, informing me of the terrifying sight of blood. Hastening to the emergency room, we raced against time, but our efforts proved futile. We lost our precious daughter that day. The journey back home was a blur, engulfed in a suffocating sense of loss that seemed to consume us both. It felt as though a part of me had died alongside our daughter, and the profound grief only served to widen the chasm between us as time passed, transforming our once intimate bond into a hollow semblance of what it once was.
Sleep paralysis and nightmares began to resurface, as if some malevolent force was exploiting my already troubled state, and my ability to sleep dwindled. Additionally, minor habits and disparities in the early stages of our marriage, once insignificant, began escalating into cataclysmic arguments. By now, I'm certain even my breathing would agitate my wife. Despite experimenting with various medications, none proved effective. Even vigorous physical exercise failed to exhaust me enough for uninterrupted sleep. The situation escalated to the point where my wife banished me from the bedroom due to my incessant tossing and turning, disrupting her rest. Consequently, I found myself relegated to the couch. Resorting to alcohol became a regular occurrence, partly to numb the discomfort of the couch but also as a means of coping with my grief.
We barely conversed, even though she mentioned marriage counseling, I rebuffed the idea, convinced it wouldn't benefit us. Frequently, I'd discover her in tears, cradling the sonogram of our daughter, yet I would quietly withdraw, allowing her solitary moments of sorrow. She had her unique methods of grieving, just as I had mine.
"I can't keep doing this, we're drowning in debt, and you're just pushing us further into it with every bottle." She pointed to the glass in my hand.
"Oh, come on! I work hard for us, I deserve to unwind a bit!" In a moment of animated expression, I inadvertently spilled some of my beverage onto the floor.
"Unwind? You call draining our savings and neglecting our future 'unwinding'!?"
"Look, just let me sleep in my own bed tonight."
She crossed her arms, and for a moment, silence enveloped us before she finally spoke.
"I just—I feel like I'm living with a stranger." Her eyes begin to shimmer with emotion.
"I'm here, aren't I? What more do you want from me?!" My voice rising in volume.
She attempted to delicately take my drink away, her touch then shifting to gently grasp my hand. "I want us to be a team again, not just two people sharing a bed."
But the moment I felt her touch, I instinctively shoved her hands away from me. "We haven't been a 'team' since we lost—" My voice quivered, then exploded into rage. "You pushed me out! You did this! You don't talk to me about anything anymore! Just get the hell out!" I pointed to the door.
I stood in the open doorway, watching her car pull out of the driveway. With a final sip, I closed the door behind me. Met with silence, I sensed the weight of tension hanging heavy in the air. Deciding one more bourbon was in order, I made my way to the kitchen, intent on pouring myself one last drink. In a bid to ensure a restful night, I opted to accompany my indulgence in alcohol with a hefty dosage of sleeping pills. A reckless choice, I'm aware, but perhaps death was in fact the ultimate form of slumber. I settled onto the couch, flicking through channels until my libation was drained. Feeling sufficiently relaxed, I decided it was time for bed. Ascending the stairs, I stumbled and collapsed onto the master bedroom's mattress. Sleep enveloped me swiftly that night, yet trouble was never far behind.
I recall waking during the night and noticing that the hallway light remained illuminated. It struck me as odd since I distinctly remember switching it off before retiring to bed. However, given my inebriated state from the copious amounts of alcohol I had consumed, I surmised that I must have simply forgotten. I'd just get up and switch it off, but a wave of unease washed over me. Despite my intentions, I found myself paralyzed, trapped within my own body once again. I found myself transfixed on the door, illuminated by the soft glow seeping in from the hallway. In that moment, I discerned a shadowy figure lurking behind the door.
I hoped it was my wife, but a gut feeling told me otherwise; this time felt different, suffocated by an eerie malevolence. The doorknob rattled violently, as if something were struggling to open it. Yet, amidst the noise I caught a sinister snicker. The relentless jiggling of the doorknob reached a fever pitch, threatening to wrench it free from its socket at any instant. Then, as abruptly as it began, the tumult ceased, leaving an ominous silence hanging in the air. The door then creaked open with a slow, foreboding motion.
A sinister, shapeless presence loomed in the doorway, defying gravity as it hovered above the ground, its shadowy form exaggerated by the eerie glow seeping in from the hallway. I whimpered, struggling to stir my limbs in a futile attempt to awaken my body, but they responded only with slight twitches. My gaze remained fixed on the form before me, immobilized by fear. Suddenly, a sinuous appendage extended from the specter's face, resembling a long, black tentacle. It elongated and snaked toward me, prompting me to instinctively shut my eyes. Sensing its proximity, I remained frozen, an icy chill grazed my forehead, jolting me awake in an instant. Sleep eluded me for the rest of the night, so I opted for an early morning, brewing a pot of coffee to chase away the lingering unease.
For the following weeks, my routine remained monotonous: work, microwave dinner, then numbness induced by sleeping pills and bourbon until I could no longer keep my eyes open. I received a text from my mother-in-law stating that my wife wanted to reconcile, but insisted on therapy and my attendance at AA meetings. I refused, firmly convinced that all I desired was to reclaim my bed, and that her reaction was excessive. I contended that the alcohol provided comfort, a gesture I hadn't received from her in quite some time. My mother-in-law and wife were both displeased with my response; it became apparent that divorce was now the inevitable solution.
At this juncture, I experienced sleep paralysis on a daily basis, even in the absence of the entity. Each night, I would awaken multiple times, unable to move, only freeing myself to find dread awaiting the next episode upon returning to sleep. There was one rare night when I slept soundly, only to be abruptly awakened by a late-night call from an old friend. We had a bond stretching back to our middle school days, and were inseparable back then. However, this call wasn't one of nostalgia; it was about money. He needed a bailout for his mortgage, promising a swift repayment.
I moved to the edge of my bed, frustration mounting as I started to rub my forehead. "I can't, I just can't right now, I need to get back to sleep good—"
He interrupted me. "Please, I don't want to lose the house."
I found myself raising my voice in frustration as irritation crept in. It appeared he was wholly incapable of learning from his mistakes. "Look, it isn't my responsibility to bail you out every time you're in trouble!"
"I know, I know, please, at least do it for Eli, Chelsea left me all alone and it's been hard man." His voice starting to crack.
My voice raising to a near scream; "He isn't my responsibility either! You should have been careful! I told you she wasn't good for you and you didn't listen! Sort your own shit out from now on!"
I ended the call and slammed the phone onto my nightstand. So much for a good night's rest, thanks a lot, friend.
As my life spiraled further into chaos, I realized I needed to explore solutions beyond relying on alcohol and sleeping pills to combat sleep paralysis. Perhaps a spiritual approach was necessary. While I knew my mother would be pleased with this consideration, I'm certain what I had in mind would be vehemently discouraged. My mother firmly believed in the existence of demons, warning against interacting with them outside of 'God's protection'. Perhaps she was right, but I grew desperate for a solution. At this stage, I was willing to do anything for peace of mind, regardless of the consequences. So, I concocted a masterful plan:
I'd simply ask it what it would take to make it stop.
Each morning was fraught with dread, pondering whether the entity would manifest itself. I ensured to kickstart my day with a potent drink, maintaining a steady buzz throughout, perhaps to stave off any wavering doubts about my decision. My patience bore fruit one fateful night as I found myself immobilized once more.
This marked the initial instance when the entity directly addressed me, and its words seared into my memory with chilling permanence. It uttered abhorrent, repulsive, unfathomable insults about me, branding me a failure, devoid of worth, as insignificant as a microbe. It dissected my existence, critiquing my choices, appearance, and demeanor with a cruelty I had never encountered. It seemed to possess an uncanny ability to strike at the core of my being, as if it wielded a weapon honed to annihilate my spirit. And then, its merciless laughter echoed relentlessly.
In that moment, I recognized it as my opportunity to retort. However, the barrage of insults stoked a fire within me, igniting a fury that overpowered my intentions. What did this entity presume to know about me? It was entirely mistaken, and that infuriated me. Against my better judgment, fueled by indignation, I deviated from my plan and impulsively blurted out: "What's so damn funny?!"
As the words echoed in my mind, the laughter abruptly ceased, leaving behind an eerie silence. Relief flooded through me as I dared to hope that I had put an end to the ordeal. Yet, my premature celebration was cut short when an indescribable dread enveloped me. A black ichor oozed onto the floor beside my bed, signaling the beginning of a hellish spectacle. From the viscous sludge, a dark figure emerged, coated in sticky tar, yet defying gravity as it ascended, hovering above the ground.
Above me, it loomed, its weighty presence palpable as thick sludge cascaded onto the bed, it halted directly over me. Its head inclined, scrutinizing me with unseen gaze. Tears welled in my eyes, hot and unrestrained, as I braced for the inevitable embrace of death. The figure gradually descended, its feet pressing into my chest with an icy chill coursing through me. As its waist aligned with my sternum, a frigid sensation enveloped me. With a swift motion, it plunged its hand into my chest, seizing my heart, and darkness consumed my senses.
I felt a terrifying pull downward, as if gravity itself had gone haywire. My stomach churned with a sickening weightlessness, reminiscent of a plummeting elevator. As my descent abruptly halted, the sound of wind rushing in my ears gave way to a sudden explosion—a resounding burst, resembling the opening of a parachute. That's when I sensed something coiling around my waist, though invisible to my eyes. Desperate to break free, I reached out, only to recoil in horror as my fingers brushed against scaly, rough skin.
Simultaneously, the air filled with the echoing beat of what seemed like enormous wings, while I experienced the unsettling sensation of being lifted and dropped. Though I had a suspicion about what gripped me, disbelief held me back from fully acknowledging it. So, resigned, I surrendered to my captor's will, allowing them to transport me to an unknown destination. As the darkness yielded, a faint glow emerged beneath us—a jagged line emanating an eerie orange-red light. The creature descended, revealing a sight that churned my stomach: bubbling lava. Its faint glow barely illuminated what seemed to be a cavern.
As I descended further into the cavern's depths, the beast veered close enough for me to sense the searing warmth of the lava beneath my feet. Gradually, our descent stabilized, and my gaze shifted forward, revealing a massive door-like structure. Its design echoed the grandeur of ancient Gothic architecture, adorned with pointed arches and intricate buttresses. The edifice appeared crafted from a peculiar variety of marble, possessing a beauty tinged with an unsettling aura. Its construction defied convention, evoking a sense of unease; never before had anything been wrought in such a manner.
As the creature descended once more, carrying me firmly, we passed through the doorway, revealing the true scale of the chamber. Beyond the threshold, a vast expanse unfolded, illuminated by a solitary spherical light source, casting an unsettlingly dim glow upon a colossal, otherworldly mechanism. It resembled a colossal pillar, stretching upward into the darkness of the cavern, its details obscured by the dim light. Within its intricate workings, gears, wheels, and chains rotated at a languid pace. Amidst this mechanical labyrinth, my attention was drawn to a swirling mass of gray at the base of the mechanism, slowly undulating. The beast appeared to be steering us directly toward it.
As we drew nearer, we sailed past what appeared to be a platform, upon which perched a colossal beast. Its form resembled that of a massive reptilian creature, akin to what one might envision as a dinosaur. Yet, it stood upright on two legs, its powerful limbs chained firmly to the platform. With each short, sharp inhalation, it unleashed a deafening roar that reverberated through every fiber of my being. I couldn't help but notice the protrusion of its jugular vein, roughly the size of my upper thigh, expanding with each thunderous cry. As we approached the swirling mass of gray, a sudden wave of horror washed over me as I comprehended its true nature.
A sea of people.
I observed that they were all bound together by chains, encircling their arms, legs, and necks. These chains converged at the towering pillar, linking each individual to the mechanism. The mass of people moved in a circular motion, driving the turning of the cogs. Their pallid complexion suggested an absence of life, as if all vitality had been drained from them. Their agonized screams pierced the air, mouths devoid of tongues. I witnessed an individual collapse to their knees, only to be forcefully yanked upright by some unseen power, rest was an elusive notion in this place. To my horror, amidst the throng of young adults and the elderly, I saw children swept along by the relentless current of the crowd.
As the creature positioned me amidst the multitude, I pleaded desperately, but it was futile; the chains had already ensnared me. With each movement of the mass of people, I felt the tug on my own chain, pressed in on all sides without an inch of space to spare. The towering figures around me obscured any view beyond their heads, leaving me engulfed in a sea of bodies.
My voice pierced the chaotic symphony of screams, rising in a desperate plea for escape.
"Please! I don't belong here! I just wanted to sleep, this is a mistake!"
As I cried out, the orb of light began to shift, seemingly in response to my desperate appeals. As it drew closer and closer, a sense of dread gripped me. Hovering ominously above, it revealed itself as a grotesque monstrosity, casting a sickly glow that chilled me to the bone. I fought the overwhelming urge to collapse, my knees weakening with each passing moment. What loomed overhead defied any attempt at human description; it resembled a cluster of intertwining tubes, swirling and spiraling in a mesmerizing dance that transcended the bounds of reality. Bathed in a sickly blue light that pulsed like molten lava beneath its tendrils.
The light wrought a profound transformation within me, granting a clarity of self-awareness unlike anything I had ever known. In its piercing illumination, I was confronted with the raw truth of my being, stripped of illusion or denial. It was a sobering revelation, an awakening to the most authentic understanding of myself I had ever experienced.
I belonged here.
I had systematically driven away my friends, neglecting their presence and refusing to open up to them. Even my own mother's attempts at connection felt burdensome, our conversations reduced to mere obligations. But perhaps the greatest tragedy lay in the chasm that had formed between my wife and me—a divide entirely of my own making. I was the architect of my own downfall, responsible for the ruin of my life, with no one else to blame but myself. Every word the entity had uttered about me held a painful truth.
From this vantage point, my life appeared almost sweet in retrospect, bathed in the stark light of self-awareness. Yet, any semblance of hope quickly dissolved, for in this desolate realm, hope found no foothold, no sanctuary to thrive.
With my head bowed low, I trudged forward, the weight of my chain pulling me inexorably onward. In a moment of unprecedented vulnerability, I found myself offering a prayer. Despite my awareness that it would likely go unanswered, I embraced the grim reality of my fate, accepting it with a heavy heart.
God, have mercy on me…
Suddenly the sound of chains breaking shattered the air as I was yanked upward with astonishing velocity. In a sudden blur, the scene below shrank rapidly beneath me. The rush of wind buffeted me, and I sensed another presence, an arm wrapped around my waist. Clutching onto it tightly, I braced myself as the cavern's light faded into absolute darkness, squeezing my eyes shut against the unknown.
With a jolt, my rapid ascent came to an abrupt halt, my back colliding with something soft. Gradually, I realized I was back in the familiarity of my own bed. At the foot of the bed stood a figure, its features obscured by a radiant glow emanating from its form, resembling molten glass. The brilliance bathed the entire room in an ethereal light. For a fleeting moment, we locked gazes, suspended in a silent exchange. Then, as swiftly as it had appeared, the figure began to ascend, leaving my room cloaked once more in shadows.
I sat in silence for a while, grappling with the enormity of my experience. To dismiss it as a mere nightmare or hallucination would be a gross understatement; whatever transpired felt hauntingly more vivid and tangible than my current reality. It would take me months of introspection and contemplation to begin to make sense of it all, to reconcile the surreal with the mundane, and to find a semblance of peace within myself.
Although the experience didn't trigger an immediate transformation, its impact lingered, nudging me towards a path of change. Despite my ongoing struggle with alcohol addiction, I made a conscious decision to seek help. I began prioritizing regular hangouts with my best friend and even accompanied my mom to a few church visits. While I remained uncertain about my own connection to religion, witnessing her joy brought a sense of fulfillment that warmed my heart. In making her happy, I found a newfound source of happiness within myself.
As time passed, a sense of progress gradually infused my life. Achieving a year of sobriety marked a significant milestone on my journey, celebrated amidst the supportive community of AA. Even my wife took notice of my efforts towards self-improvement, leading us to embark on marriage counseling together. Before long, her return to our home signaled a hopeful new chapter in our relationship.
Not a trace of sleep paralysis had haunted me since that fateful night when I was guided from the depths of despair. I'm not entirely sure if it was an angel, or God, but whatever it was, it spared me, and for that, I'm grateful. And now, the most joyous news of all: my wife and I are expecting our first child next week. The doctors assure us of her perfect health, filling us with anticipation and gratitude. As for her name, I already have the perfect one in mind:
Grace

I'm not asking if you can see someone invisible, I know that. That's the point of True Sight. I'm asking if you even automatically realize that they are supposed to be invisible or do you just see them as if they were not.
Same question with illusions. Do you even see them? Let's say someone uses illusion magic to write text in midair. Can you read it? Or if they do a powerpoint presentation of their master plan. Of course, under True Sight, you'd know it's an illusion... but everyone would, that's obvious.
Would an invisible wall block your line of sight if you have True Sight and therefore can see the wall? After all, True Sight doesn't allow you to see through mundane walls and an invisible wall is only see-through to those who can't see it.
Finally, would it be possible to effectively blind someone with True Sight by filling the room with invisible gas? You take a gas that is opaque, enchant it to be invisible and fill the room with it. Someone with mundane vision can see just fine because the gas is invisible, but if you have True Sight, you can then see that you're walking in thick fog in which you can't see jack shit.

This technique allows the user to summon seven cursed tools, each embodying one of the Seven Deadly Sins. These tools appear as ornate, ancient weapons, each with unique abilities tied to its corresponding sin. The user can wield these weapons simultaneously, granting them immense power and versatility.
Each weapon can be summoned and controlled individually, allowing for versatile combat tactics. However, prolonged use risks the user succumbing to the sins' temptations, which can lead to loss of control and self-destructive behavior that poses a risk to themselves as well as allies. And only one weapon can be summoned at a time.
Weapons:
Sword of Wrath: A massive, jagged black sword that can increase in size and power with the user's anger. It can cleave through most defenses but requires intense emotional control to prevent reckless attacks.
Envy's Dagger: A sleek, light green dagger that grants the user the ability to mimic the appearance and abilities of others momentarily. However, it drains the user's stamina and can lead to identity crises if used excessively.
Shield of Greed: A shimmering, red shield that absorbs and reflects incoming attacks, but it requires the user to sacrifice a portion of their vitality to activate its full potential.
Sloth's Mace: A heavy mace that can induce lethargy and sluggishness in opponents upon contact. However, prolonged use slows the user's own movements and reactions.
Pride's Rapier: A sharp, ornate rapier that boosts the user's strength and speed but also increases their arrogance, making them vulnerable to underestimating opponents.
Axe of Gluttony: A voracious, sentient axe that devours CE, growing in power with each strike. However, it can consume the user's own life force should they not consume enough CE in a quick enough fashion.
Lust Whip: A whip-like chain that can ensnare and manipulate the desires of others.
Extension Techniques:
Sinful Annihilation Blade: A massive, two-handed sword that combines the dark, jagged appearance of the Sword of Wrath with the sleek, deadly design of Envy's Dagger. It has a black blade with shimmering green veins running through it, giving it an ominous and powerful look. The blade can temporarily transform into any weapon it comes into contact with, allowing the user to wield a variety of fighting styles and techniques. Upon striking an opponent, the blade can absorb a portion of their strength and abilities, temporarily enhancing the user's own abilities.
Sinister Temptation Whip: This fusion combines the long, flexible form of the Lust Whip with the voracious, devouring nature of the Axe of Gluttony. It appears as a long, serpentine whip with a mouth-like tip lined with razor-sharp teeth. The whip can ensnare opponents with its seductive movements, distracting them and making them more susceptible to the user's commands upon ensnarement. Upon contact, the whip can drain the CE of opponents, increasing its own power and leaving them weakened.
Slothful Reckoning Mace: This fusion combines the heavy, lethargic design of Sloth's Mace with the consuming, relentless nature of the Axe of Gluttony. It appears as a massive, spiked mace with a heavy, chain-like handle. The mace's strikes induce a sense of lethargy and sluggishness in opponents, slowing their movements and reactions. Upon impact, the mace can absorb a portion of the opponent's CE, increasing its own power and leaving them vulnerable to follow-up attacks.
Cursed Technique Reversal:
Virtue's Redemption: Now instead of being the 7 Deadly Sins, the cursed tools now represent the 7 heavenly virtues. The weapons are as follows:
Staff of Humility: A plain, humble brown staff that enhances the user's awareness and understanding of their surroundings, allowing for precise and strategic combat. However, it requires the user to remain grounded and humble, as arrogance diminishes its effectiveness.
Bow of Kindness: A pristine, snow white bow that fires arrows of healing RCE and compassion, restoring allies' strength and resolve. It requires empathy and selflessness to wield effectively.
Twin Temperance: A balanced set of twin swords that enhance the user's control over their CE, allowing for precise strikes and defenses. However, it requires discipline and restraint to avoid reckless aggression.
Charity's Shield: A giant white and gold shield that creates barriers of protection for allies, absorbing and redirecting incoming attacks. However, it drains the user's own vitality to maintain.
Spear of Diligence: A long, golden spear that grants the user unwavering focus and determination, increasing their combat prowess. However, it requires continuous effort and dedication to maintain its effects.
Gauntlet of Patience: A large, white, gold and blue colored gauntlet that grants the user the ability to slow down time for themselves briefly, allowing for strategic planning and precise actions. However, it requires calmness and control to avoid disrupting the flow of time.
Chastity's Mirror: A small, handheld mirror that reflects and neutralizes CE and CT's, protecting the user from harm. However, it requires the user to maintain purity of intention and thought.
Extension Techniques:
Divine Harmony Blade: A fusion of the staff of humility, bow of kindness, and twin temperance, creating a powerful blade that cuts through deception and illusion, revealing the truth and restoring balance.
Virtuous Guardian Shield: A fusion of the weapons of charity, diligence, and patience, creating a giant shield that grants absolute protection to themselves and allies, deflecting any and all attacks.
Ethereal Virtue Bow: A fusion of the weapons of chastity, kindness, and patience, creating a bow that fires arrows of extremely potent RCE that can heal severed limbs in seconds, as well as target toxins in the body automatically.
Domain Expansion:
Abyss of Sin: This domain's interior is that of a swirling vortex of dark, malevolent energy, with a giant, dilapidated aztec-looking temple that sits smack in the middle of the domain, that the vortex originates from. Littered along the temple, are various blood-red symbols that each represent one of the sins. Surrounding the temple are giant, stone statues of Lucifer, Satan, Mammon, Asmodeus, Leviathan, Beelzebub, and Belphegor. The sure-hit effects inside this domain are each based on the sins. The sure-hit effects are as follows:

1. Any attack directed towards the user is instantly redirected back at the attacker with amplified force, reflecting their anger and aggression back upon them.
   
2. The users movements become unpredictable and erratic, making it impossible for opponents to predict their attacks or evade their strikes.
   
3. The user can absorb and nullify any CE-based attacks, converting the absorbed energy into raw power for their own use.
   
4. The user's mere presence induces a sense of lethargy and apathy in opponents, slowing their movements and dulling their reactions.
   
5. The user can temporarily gain invincibility and superiority, making opponents feel insignificant and powerless in comparison.
   
6. The user can create illusory visions and phantasms that tempt and distract opponents, leading them astray and leaving them vulnerable.
   
7. The user can consume and assimilate any CE or CT within the domain, increasing their own power exponentially with each absorbed attack.
   

I made some ideas for this hypothetical game those being the roster's moveset and giving aliens unique personalities and more. These are some examples of the aliens
Heatblast Role: DPS Play Style: Ranged combatant with area control abilities. Notable Moves: Fireball: Launches a projectile that explodes on impact. Inferno: Creates a ring of fire that damages enemies over time. Flame Dash: Dashes forward, leaving a trail of fire that damages enemies. Super Attack: Meteor Shower - Summons a rain of meteors that devastate a large area.
Diamondhead Role: Tank Play Style: Defensive fighter with high durability and crowd control. Notable Moves: Crystal Shield: Erects a barrier that blocks incoming attacks. Shard Shrapnel: Fires sharp crystal shards in a spread pattern. Quartz Quake: Slams the ground, creating a shockwave that stuns nearby enemies. Super Attack: Diamond Storm - Generates a massive storm of crystals that heavily damages and slows enemies.
XLR8 Role: DPS Play Style: Hit-and-run tactics with high mobility. Notable Moves: Speed Strike: A quick dash attack that can chain multiple enemies. Time Dilation: Slows down time for everyone but XLR8, allowing for rapid attacks. Whirlwind: Spins at high speed, creating a tornado that pulls in and damages enemies. Super Attack: Chrono Crash - Dashes through the battlefield at blinding speed, dealing damage to all enemies in the path.
Fourarms Role: Tank Play Style: Close-quarters brawler with high damage output. Notable Moves: Seismic Slam: Jumps and slams the ground, knocking back enemies. Boulder Toss: Grabs and throws a large rock at enemies, dealing area damage. Iron Clasp: Grabs an enemy, immobilizing them for a short duration. Super Attack: Earthquake - Unleashes a powerful quake that damages and disorients all nearby enemies.
Stinkfly Role: Support Play Style: Aerial support with healing and disabling abilities. Notable Moves: Healing Haze: Releases a cloud that heals allies over time. Sticky Goo: Shoots a blob that slows and damages enemies. Gust Blast: Emits a strong wind that pushes enemies away. Super Attack: Toxic Typhoon - Creates a large toxic storm that damages enemies and heals allies within its radius.
Upgrade Role: Support Play Style: Versatile support that enhances allies’ abilities and disrupts enemies. Notable Moves: Tech Boost: Enhances an ally’s weapon, increasing its effectiveness. Malware: Infects an enemy, causing them to take damage over time and reducing their damage output. Shield Matrix: Deploys a temporary shield around an ally, absorbing damage. Super Attack: System Override - Temporarily takes control of all enemy gadgets and disables them.
Ghostfreak Role: DPS Play Style: Stealth and disruption. Notable Moves: Phase Shift: Becomes intangible, avoiding all damage for a short period. Soul Snatch: Drains health from an enemy, healing Ghostfreak. Nightmare: Induces fear in enemies, causing them to flee in panic. Super Attack: Ectonurite Swarm - Summons shadowy clones that attack and confuse enemies.
Snare-oh Role: Tank Play Style: Crowd control specialist with trapping abilities. Notable Moves: Bandage Bind: Extends bandages to bind and immobilize an enemy. Mummy Wrap: Wraps nearby enemies, slowing and damaging them. Sandstorm: Creates a blinding sandstorm that disorients enemies. Super Attack: Tomb of Doom - Encases enemies in a pyramid, trapping them for a significant duration.
Frankenstrike Role: Support Play Style: Mid-range combatant with electrical attacks that can stun and disorient. Notable Moves: Shock Chain: Sends a chain of electricity that jumps between enemies. Static Field: Creates an electric field that slows and damages enemies. Revive Pulse: Sends out a pulse that can revive a downed ally with minimal health. Super Attack: Lightning Storm - Calls down a storm of lightning bolts that strike multiple enemies.
Eye Guy Role: DPS Play Style: Long-range sniper with precision attacks. Notable Moves: Laser Gaze: Fires a precise laser beam from his eyes. Optic Blast: Unleashes a wide beam that sweeps across the battlefield. Visionary Strike: Targets and marks an enemy, increasing the damage they take. Super Attack: Omniscient Onslaught - Simultaneously fires all eyes at different targets, dealing massive damage.
Swampfire Role: Support Play Style: Hybrid support with both healing and crowd control abilities. Notable Moves: Blossom Blast: Shoots a seed that blooms, healing allies in its radius. Flare Up: Emits a burst of fire that damages nearby enemies. Vine Vault: Creates a barrier of vines that can block enemy movement and projectiles. Super Attack: Wild Growth Overload - Engulfs the battlefield in rampant plant growth that heals allies and entraps enemies.
Echo-Echo Role: DPS Play Style: Swarm tactics with cloning abilities to overwhelm opponents. Notable Moves: Sonic Scream: Unleashes a powerful sound wave that damages and disorients enemies. Echo Chamber: Creates duplicates that attack simultaneously. Reverb Shock: Sends out a radial blast from all clones, dealing area damage. Super Attack: Resonance Cascade - Amplifies sound to create a devastating shockwave across the entire map.
Humongosaur Role: Tank Play Style: Heavy frontline bruiser with immense strength. Notable Moves: Tail Whip: Swings his tail to knock back and damage enemies. Mega Stomp: Stomps the ground, causing a tremor that damages and slows enemies. Dino Charge: Charges forward, pushing enemies aside and dealing damage. Super Attack: Titan Rampage - Grows to an enormous size, gaining increased health and damage for a short duration.
Jetray Role: DPS Play Style: Aerial assault with high-speed dive attacks. Notable Moves: Neuroshock Blast: Fires a concentrated beam of energy from his eyes. Aerial Ace: Rapidly dives towards the ground, striking enemies below. Sky Strike: Soars upward, then swoops down across the battlefield, damaging enemies in his path. Super Attack: Cosmic Storm - Unleashes a barrage of energy blasts while flying over the battlefield.
Big Chill Role: Support Play Style: Defensive support with ice-based abilities to control the field. Notable Moves: Frost Breath: Exhales a chilling breath that slows and damages enemies. Ice Wall: Erects a wall of ice that can serve as a shield or obstacle. Glacial Gust: Sends out a freezing wind that damages and has a chance to freeze enemies. Super Attack: Absolute Zero - Creates a blizzard that drastically reduces the temperature, freezing all enemies caught in the storm.
Brainstorm Role: Support Play Style: Strategic support with abilities that manipulate the battlefield. Notable Moves: Cerebro-Shock: Emits an electrical pulse that stuns and damages enemies. Intellect Wave: Boosts allies’ abilities and reduces cooldowns. Mind Field: Deploys a psychic field that confuses and damages enemies. Super Attack: Neural Overload - Overwhelms enemies with a psychic storm, causing massive damage and disorientation.
Goop Role: DPS Play Style: Elusive fighter with shape-shifting and corrosive attacks. Notable Moves: Acid Blob: Hurls a glob of acid that splashes on impact, damaging enemies. Goo Glide: Slides quickly across the ground, leaving a trail that slows enemies. Polymorph Punch: Transforms his arm into a large hammer to smash enemies. Super Attack: Meltdown - Dissolves into a pool, then explodes in a wide radius, dealing heavy damage.
Spidermonkey Role: DPS Play Style: Agile skirmisher with web-based traps and mobility. Notable Moves: Web Shot: Fires a web that immobilizes the first enemy it hits. Arachnid Agility: Leaps great distances and can cling to walls. Spinneret Strike: Spins a web in a wide area, ensnaring and damaging enemies. Super Attack: Web Cataclysm - Covers the entire area in sticky webs, greatly hindering enemy movement and dealing damage over time.
Loadstar Role: Tank Play Style: Magnetic field controller with abilities to manipulate metal objects. Notable Moves: Magnetic Pull: Draws in metallic enemies or projectiles, neutralizing them. Iron Surge: Charges forward, encased in a magnetic field that damages enemies. Attraction Zone: Creates a zone that pulls in all metal objects, forming a protective barrier. Super Attack: Polar Opposites - Reverses the polarity of the battlefield, causing chaos and damage to enemies with metal.
Rath Role: Tank Play Style: Ferocious melee combatant with high aggression and intimidation tactics. Notable Moves: Tiger Slash: A series of rapid claw strikes that deal damage to a single target. Roar Shock: Lets out a fearsome roar that stuns nearby enemies. Pounce: Leaps at an enemy, pinning them down and dealing damage. Super Attack: Apex Predator - Enters a frenzied state, increasing damage output and resistance to crowd control effects.
Water Hazard Role: Support Play Style: Mid-range support with water-based healing and control abilities. Notable Moves: Aqua Shield: Generates a water barrier that absorbs damage and heals allies. Hydro Pump: Blasts a stream of water that can push enemies back. Tidal Wave: Summons a wave that travels across the ground, damaging and slowing enemies. Super Attack: Monsoon Fury - Unleashes a massive storm that floods the area, disrupting enemy positions and restoring health to allies.
Ampfibian Role: DPS Play Style: High mobility and electric attacks that can chain between multiple targets. Notable Moves: Volt Dash: Dashes through enemies, dealing electric damage. Static Cling: Emits an electric charge that sticks to enemies and damages over time. Circuit Breaker: Disables enemy abilities in a small radius. Super Attack: Electro Storm - Creates a large electrical storm that continuously damages enemies within its range.
Armodrillo Role: Tank Play Style: Close-range combatant with seismic abilities to disrupt enemy formations. Notable Moves: Drill Charge: Charges forward with drills spinning, knocking back enemies. Quake Fists: Pounds the ground, sending out shockwaves that damage and stun enemies. Tunnel Trap: Burrows underground and emerges beneath an enemy for a surprise attack. Super Attack: Rumble Rampage - Causes a massive earthquake that damages all enemies on the battlefield.
NRG Role: DPS Play Style: Ranged damage dealer with radioactive abilities that leave lasting effects on the battlefield. Notable Moves: Radiation Beam: Fires a concentrated beam of radiation that pierces through enemies. Meltdown: Creates a radioactive area that damages enemies over time. Core Overload: Temporarily increases damage output at the cost of health. Super Attack: Nuclear Winter - Detonates a massive explosion that irradiates the entire area, causing heavy damage and debuffs to enemies.
Terraspin Role: Tank Play Style: Defensive anchor with wind-based abilities to protect allies and control space. Notable Moves: Gale Guard: Generates a wind shield that deflects projectiles. Whirlwind Spin: Spins rapidly, creating a tornado that knocks back enemies. Hurricane Hold: Creates a localized hurricane that traps and damages enemies inside. Super Attack: Aero Assault - Summons a massive cyclone that sweeps across the battlefield, carrying enemies away.
Clockwork Role: Support Play Style: Strategic support with time manipulation abilities to aid allies and hinder enemies. Notable Moves: Temporal Shift: Slows down time for enemies in a targeted area. Chrono Beam: Fires a beam that ages objects and enemies, causing them to deteriorate. Moment Freeze: Freezes an enemy in time for a brief moment. Super Attack: Time Quake - Reverses time for all players, resetting their positions and health to where they were a few seconds ago.
Jury Rigg Role: DPS Play Style: Saboteur with abilities to dismantle enemy defenses and create chaos. Notable Moves: Destructo Dash: Dashes forward, dealing damage and disabling enemy equipment. Gadget Grab: Steals an enemy’s gadget and uses it against them. Chaos Clamber: Climbs over obstacles and turrets, disabling them temporarily. Super Attack: Anarchy Ambush - Rapidly disassembles all enemy gadgets and barriers in the area, turning them into explosive traps.
Chamalien Role: DPS Play Style: Stealth assassin with camouflage abilities to sneak up on enemies. Notable Moves: Invisible Strike: Becomes invisible for a short duration and deals extra damage on the next attack. Camouflage: Blends into the environment, becoming nearly invisible to enemies. Predator Pounce: Leaps at an enemy from stealth, dealing significant damage. Super Attack: Stealth Surge - Extends the invisibility and damage bonus to nearby allies for a limited time.
Feedback Role: DPS Play Style: Energy manipulator with high burst damage potential. Notable Moves: Energy Absorption: Absorbs energy attacks, converting them into health. Power Surge: Releases stored energy in a devastating blast. Electro-Field: Creates an electric field that damages and slows enemies. Super Attack: Circuit Overload - Overcharges Feedback’s energy, causing chain reactions of explosions around him.
Bloxx Role: Tank Play Style: Shape-shifter with the ability to create structures and barriers. Notable Moves: Blockade: Constructs a large wall to shield allies. Brick Bash: Transforms an arm into a massive hammer for melee attacks. Fortify: Enhances his own durability, reducing incoming damage. Super Attack: Construct Cataclysm - Rapidly builds a fortress that allies can use for cover while dealing damage to enemies who get too close.
Ball Weevil Role: DPS Play Style: Trapper with explosive area denial abilities. Notable Moves: Plasma Globe: Rolls up a sticky bomb that explodes after a delay. Weevil Dash: Quickly rolls in a direction, leaving a trail of plasma. Sticky Trap: Sets a trap that slows and then detonates on enemies. Super Attack: Orbital Bombardment - Launches multiple plasma globes into the air that rain down on the battlefield.
Pesky Dust Role: Support Play Style: Disabler with abilities to put enemies to sleep and create illusions. Notable Moves: Dream Dust: Sprinkles dust that puts enemies to sleep. Nightmare Illusion: Creates a decoy that distracts and confuses enemies. Soothing Slumber: Casts an aura that gradually heals sleeping allies. Super Attack: Dreamscape Delirium - Casts a wide-area spell that puts all enemies into a deep sleep, leaving them vulnerable.
Atomix Role: DPS Play Style: Nuclear powerhouse with devastating long-range attacks. Notable Moves: Fission Blast: Fires a concentrated beam of nuclear energy. Radiant Rush: Charges up and releases a pulse of energy that knocks back enemies. Atomic Shield: Generates a protective barrier that absorbs damage and radiates energy. Super Attack: Nuclear Nova - Unleashes a massive explosion of nuclear energy, dealing extreme damage to all enemies in the vicinity.
Gutrot Role: Support Play Style: Chemical warfare expert with a variety of gas-based abilities. Notable Moves: Toxic Cloud: Releases a cloud of poisonous gas that damages over time. Corrosive Mist: Sprays a mist that weakens enemy armor and slows movement. Fume Screen: Creates a smokescreen that obscures vision and chokes enemies. Super Attack: Chemical Chaos - Floods the area with a lethal combination of gases, causing various debilitating effects to enemies.
Whampire Role: DPS Play Style: Life-stealing vampire with close-quarters combat abilities. Notable Moves: Life Drain: Bites an enemy to steal health. Bat Swarm: Summons a swarm of bats that attack and disorient enemies. Shadow Cloak: Blends into the shadows, becoming temporarily invisible. Super Attack: Eclipse Embrace - Plunges the battlefield into darkness, empowering Whampire and weakening enemies.
Shocksquash Role: Tank Play Style: Electric bruiser with crowd control and area denial abilities. Notable Moves: Thunder Clap: Claps hands together to create a shockwave that stuns nearby enemies. Volt Vault: Leaps into the air and crashes down, electrifying the ground. Static Link: Chains electricity between enemies, dealing damage and sharing effects. Super Attack: Lightning Rod Rampage - Becomes a conduit for lightning, striking multiple enemies and electrifying the terrain.

Bright illuminescant flashes bolted through the dark-lit sky, rushing and raging through clouds seemingly made of gossamer and finely woven felt. You could almost reach out and touch them if not for the raging storm ripping and hollering. It shone and splintered along the sky, splitting into a thousand arcs, each converging and convexing along the stars. Electrical currents spun like lavender spider webs along a farmhouse wall. The arcs traveled, painting a vibrant tapestry along its wake before reaching their climax and releasing a wicked KRAK as the lights slowly faded.
The gossamer clouds wept tears of dull acidic rain that fell, cascading downwards. Down to the swampy fetid fields below. Their droplets splashed and sizzled against the sand, slowly fizzing before hardening into a thin velvet glass before beginning all over again. A sad display of god’s fury laid bare and plain for all to see. The rain had begun just a week prior, but its assault had persisted in a constant pattern ever since. The swamp ached and squirmed in an agonizing way as the rain melted away any sign of basic life.
Puddles of the acidic deluge collected along a road leading to the once fertile silver mine, just three miles from the town of Crestfall. Near the edge of the road, a fork splits off into multiple directions. South of the fork leads to the entrance of Deep Rock Mine. The mine’s entrance stands agape, resting at the base of a mountain. The mine’s layout, a cavern of crisscrossing and haphazardly formed tunnels, awaited past the thick darkness entrapping the entrance. They curve and wind up the spine of the mountain, as well as descend deep into the now dead earth.
The face of the mountain was bare but rough. Rocks jutted and sloped along its curvature, forming a near mesmeric pattern of spiked granite. Towards the peak, a malicious and not all entirely natural pattern emerged. As the acidic rain fell, framing the mountainous backdrop, the pattern watched and waited. An almost human-like visage stretched along the face of the mountain like canvas pulled over a wooden frame. It’s design scorn into the rock itself as if meticulously laid out to warn any who dared breach the confines of the swamp.
Silence lingered amongst the misty atmospheric dredge, save for the muffled and subtle ambietic sounds of the rain. Through the dead foliage and gnarled remains of creatures recently passed, a sound rang forth. Distant exclamation and reverberated clanging rhythmically sounded from deep within the mine. Up and down the mine laid stalactites and stalagmites haphazardly stationed around every corner. Their abrupt positioning cast shadows wherever light felt unable to reach. The mine walls were smooth from years of work and toilage, along with the long uninterrupted tunnels, created an almost echo chamber for sound.
Abrupt crashes and distant thrashes echoed through the winding chamber. Its sounds detailed a fierce battle between clashing swords and fervent blows.
Or so it would seem.
A sword, emblazoned with the sigil of a raven, flew across the dimly lit room. Its body crashes and clings as it skips along the floor, its blade slashing and carving thin lines into the granite flooring as it makes contact with the ground. A fierce shadow sprawls along the cave walls, depicting a struggle between foes.
The wanderer-and recent owner of the raven crested blade-crashes to the floor. Leather straps firmly tied around his shoulder blades catch most of the weight of the fall, but pain still echoed through his nerves.
“Hells! You slimy bastard!” The wanderer winces and yells in a blinded fury. “You don’t play fair, and here I thought we were having a nice sport of it.”
No reply immediately came from his opponent, still standing off near a downed torch. Flame wisped and flicked along the ground, casting shadows and dreaded omens as if they were ripped directly from a child’s nightmare.
At once, the foe stepped forward. The shadows sprawled across the walls painted a disturbing picture of horror and grotesque form. Imaginative figures born from shadows were always so much more terrible than the beings that cast them, but in this case it was clearly the other way around. The foe opposite The Wanderer lurched forward, it's body a gnarled vestige of exoskeleton and mandibles. It almost resembled a large insect, like a praying mantis that decided its evolutionary cycle had not quite finished yet.
On multi-socketed legs, it snapped and convulsed along. Every movement of its body felt agonizing, as if the creature was hastily thrown together by a quite absent god. Various olive and violet fluids oozed and dripped from its husk like body as it vocalized terrible sounds. The creature-seemingly unable to speak-produced noises from its mouth that resembled a mix of gargles and marbles being tossed along a wooden floor. All the while, its grotesque pincer like appendage snapped and clicked almost involuntarily.
The wanderer-still recovering from his fall-slowly pushed his body along the cold rocky ground, his arm still pulsing with pain.
“Oh my, what big mouths you have.” The wanderer teased sounding much more worried than he intended. ‘Always good to keep in control of the situation. Confidence is key.’ As he was always want to say, but this wasn’t an ordinary situation.
His arm traced along the ground, reaching and prodding for his recently lost weapon. Daring not look away from the oncoming threat, he felt nothing. His sword was currently resting near the opposite side of the cave room, resting flat along the ground. Away from The Wanderer’s grasp, far away from being of any further use here it seemed.
Doubt surged through his mind, but only for a short time. ‘Doubt breeds more doubt, and further doubt breeds ruin’, another favorite.
Clenched palms moved along the granite flooring. Leather gloves scraped and bruised as The Wanderer lifted back to his feet, regaining balance and fervor. The arm that had broken his fall felt numb and altogether absent.
‘Dislocated most likely, not a big enough fall to break.’
The insect-like foe-still closing the distance between them-snapped and gurgled in an almost territorial display of aggression.
The Wanderer grinned, placing his uninjured arm against its opposite’s elbow, before violently, yet methodically, pushing it upwards. A clear snap, followed by a dull pop echoed through the room. Feeling began pouring back into his arm as the vibrating itch of numbness faded. Both arms began to raise, fists clenched, the leather gloves creased and squelched from the sheer pressure as his hands formed tightly wounded fists. Fists pointed squarely towards the all not entirely normal creature still gurgling and jerking along the shadow filled room.
“Oh...” The Wanderer began. “I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t enjoy every second of this.” His fists raised up, reaching level with the bridge of his nose. “Come one now, give us yer best.”
As if understanding -and altogether disliking- the series of vulgar remarks thrusted toward it, the creature squealed through its deformed face. The jerking motion its movement seemed to have before was replaced with a fluid dash as it quickly closed the distance between the two adversaries. Arms outstretched as its gnarled and jagged hands opened and closed with violent snaps and twinges. Reaching out, grasping the air between them. The gap closed quickly, much quicker than he anticipated, but not enough to catch him entirely off guard as he shifts weight from right the left. The slender frame of his body flanking to the side of the creature.
Shadows arched and flailed with each movement, creating a strange optical illusion across the cave walls. The subtle shifting wind and osculation of the two fighters created an almost mural of events through the flames. Clashing swords, trumpeting horns and creatures that rivaled the tallest spires in Etheral began to converge into an unrecognizable painting of events. The fire loomed, gazing at the creature, at The Wanderer. Its gaze almost purposeful and full of intent. Neither the two beings made any note of the grand display unfolding around them. Fire is known to be a harsh mentor, and an even harsher ally. If one was to wander too deeply into its wounding gaze, one might find themselves trapped, forever living in the tapestry it painted.
The creature was fast, but nowhere as fast as him. Once useless, now repaired, the dislocated arm wrapped between the creatures glistening forearm, interlocking before weight shifted again. The creature stalled as if to reorient itself to face the man, but its movements were not its own. Quickly and deftly, The Wanderer placed immense weight on his forward foot, counterbalancing against the creature as their locked arms rotated and shifted sideways. Arching forward, the shift in balance quickly broke as the creature began to lift in the air as The Wanderer’s rear leg lifted to relegate pressure onward. Flailing and spewing its noxious fluid, the creature flipped entirely, finally crashing to the floor in a savage crunch. The Wanderer stands above, looking downward as it convulses in a fit of pain (could it even quantify pain) and anger.
A greyish foul-smelling slime coated The Wanderer’s chest and forearm. Small indentions formed along the hard leather surface of his jacket, most likely from the not entirely cosmetic spikes embedded into the creature.
“Alright, now I’d say we’re fairly close to a draw here.” The Wanderer began. “How’s say we handle the rest with a bit more diplomacy and grace? No point and making a bigger stink than we already got, but telling by the state of yourself, I’d say you know all about stink.”
The maddening gurgle of the creature slowed as its body began to calm. Its arms moving outward, sprawling along the hard granite rock as its legs raise along with the rest of it. Wet dew drips along the ground, rippling and casting weird reflections from all directions as the creature steps slowly along their puddles. Slow anxious steps it takes. Its demeanor changes from a wild and disturbed animal to a more methodic and wary being. Eyes of bluish gray sink into its head, pupils moving slowly, analyzing and taking in information. It stands straight, back locked into an opposing stance. God it was big. The man couldn’t much get a good measurement before with its body slouched over in a hermit like stance. It must be at least seven feet tall, equally proportioned from its legs to its torso. The head was rounded, almost human, with its bug-like mandibles protruding in a horrific fashion.
The Wanderer had dealt with creatures before. Along his travels he had come across a litany of monstrous beings; Wargs, Secrolants, Jittering Fiends, Goblins, Spiderlings. None of them quite matched the state of this one. Although he had heard of such beings, none had crossed paths before. The way it moved, the way it thought, it all was abnormal. It's quite simple to take a beast down, some you anger and gain the advantage, some you outsmart, others you can simply scare away. But this one.... oh, he was a different breed entirely. The way its mood could change mid-fight, or how it seemingly understood what was being said. And the way it stared. Thoughts were jutting along in the bug brain of its, and when monsters start thinking, all strategy and preparation goes out the window. Unpredictable is what they become, and prediction was The Wanderer’s bread and butter.
Wary now he waits, staring back at the creature. Locked eyes, they waited. Eyes filled with thought, filled with understanding and reasoning -but most egregiously- they were filled with malice. The fight was not over, they had just reached half-time.
“Let it not be stated that I did not strive for peace and harmony at every turn.” The Wanderer quipped, his hand raised once more, ready for another assault.
A flame flickers, casting shadows once again. Shadows of a man holding wolves at bay, hands outstretched to create a distance between them. The wolves circled and plotted, looking for weakness at every tune, but finding none. Leaves fell, becoming ash as they reached the ground. A fire spreads amongst the ash laden floor, consuming the visage, the man, the wolves. All in consumed in an immense concentrated heat, until the shadows fade to nothingness once more.
The creature meanders onward, just a few steps at a time; looking on as The Wanderer holds his footing, fists raised and ready. Each step of its hard glistening exoskeleton crunches against small rocks and debris sprawled along the cave floor, knocking them aside, producing echoed wails that seemingly bounced from surface to surface. After the third step it abruptly launches at the man, arms outstretched once more in a fit of animalistic fury. Thought seemingly left its eyes as they glazed over into a dull grey, the feeling and reasoning sinking further and further to the back of its mind. The Wanderer grinned, his stance loosening as the soles of his feet began to trace an outline of movement, preparing and readying for a counteroffensive. As its dripping breached the outline, The Wanderer shifted his weight once more, quickly flanking the creature to the side once again, but something was off. His eyes traced the movements of its body, of its arms, of its legs. The animosity in them seemed to almost shift mid attack, becoming lucid and methodical. As if the creature was dancing along with him. Even tracing down to the ground, the footing was wrong. Not his footing. He was always perfect. The dance was memorized, trained, honed to a sharp edge. No, it was the creature’s.
Abruptly the creature’s body shifted, its legs tracing backwards, its torso shifting to the side. A corrective action, a counterattack to his counterattack. Shadows of the pair danced along the cave wall, depicting a wickedly abstract waltz. The creature’s arm whipped outward, its claws barreling towards the thin leather separation between his elbow and forearm. God, it was fast. Faster than The Wanderer. Rip, flash, a bright light, then the crashing of feet as the two returned to their original standing.
It all happened so fast. Faster than he could articulate. He was used to speed, used to tracking and understanding battle situations, creating countermeasures, analyzing the most likely move and executing it within a fraction of a second. All of that was done, but it was all wrong. The creature moved in peculiar fashion, acted as if it were moving on instinct while simultaneously acting with thought and strategy. How could it possibly go both ways?
As he thought, mouth slightly open, breath pouring between his lips in a hot and heavy fashion, he hardly thought of anything else. They had made contact, but there was no feeling. Checking for wounds mid-encounter was generally out of the question with beasts. Often, they gave little time for thought or first aid, but the creature stood and waited. The dull grey look in its eyes were gone again, replaced with the methodical gaze of a strategist analyzing a battlefield. The Wanderer lowered his right arm and traced it along the path of his elbow, reaching his shoulder before he felt it. A definite gash traced about two inches wide, the depth of it couldn’t be guessed, but it had breached the leather. As his hand returned to a fist, warm fresh blood dripped between the fingers, falling and coagulating against the dust and pebbles along the ground. He had indeed been injured, but there was no feeling to it. All felt well, and that’s precisely why all was, in fact, not well.
“You’re a strange one. Not quite like anything I’ve seen before, but I’ll get to know you real well soon enough.”
His eyes moved from the creature, scanning along the ground. Before when this was a simple clean-up, a weapon would be handy, but hardly required of someone with his skills, but this was anything but simple. Parameters had changed, he’d very much like his sword back now.
It was nowhere to be seen initially. The room was dark, with little else than a soft glow from the fallen torch illuminating a small area and casting shadows that obscured others. Then it appeared. Near the feet of the creature, the raven crested blade sat where it had since the beginning of this strange dual. Thoughts echoed along in his head, casting suspicions and doubt in every facet of the encounter. Things were not as they appeared.
A slight grin crept along his face again, before quickly subsiding. “Think I have enough time for one more go of it. Care to lead?”
The creature stood, watching and plotting before the dull grey of its eyes appeared once again, launching it into another fury. It lunged, arms outstretched again, running full speed to the man. He simply stood, his hands loosening from tightly wound fists of rock to loosely packed fists of snow. His palms opened slightly; his footing loosened as the heels of his feet digging into the hard rocky floor. They began to move slightly, tracing a straight horizontal line where he stood as he slowly began to back away. The creature, still in a frenzy, closes the distance fast. Seemingly faster than any previous assault as The Wanderer ceased his slow backing retreat, his feet returning to a strong stance, soles digging deep into the earth. He takes in a breath, his heartrate slowing. The light sounds of the cave begin to grow, becoming more apparent and concentrated. Small droplets of dew falling from the ceiling, wind softly blowing along, echoing through the harrowed halls and the flickering of a flame slowly speaking its ancient language. They all converged, mirroring themselves as The Wanderer’s eyes closed. Time seemed to slow as the creature came closer, its steps further apart, its maddening gurgling seemingly floating away. It stepped, stepped and stepped along the ground, pushing pebbles and dust without thought.
Finally, it reached the line carved into the rock. Its foot crunched, making contact with the earth, and in an instant its eyes reverted again. The grey dullness seeping away to its methodically stategistic norm. In that instant, The Wanderers eyes erupted open. The chittering thing’s arms stretch out for his neck, hoping to seize his artery with its horrific claws. Quickly, quicker than anything that day, The Wanderer moved in a fast range of motions that all seemingly happened at once. His weight once again shifted, flanking the creature. His arms locked into a position of counterattack. The creature quickly issued its own countermeasure, once again whipping its body and throwing its claw outward, aiming higher than before, aiming for his neck.
A flame moved. Shadows formed along the walls once more, although they showed a different scene. A scene depicting two swordsman locked in deathly combat. Their swords swinging violently but with grace and purpose. They clashed a thousand times. Each time sending a spray of bright sparks that swelled through the air creating intricate patterns that lingered before slowly fading.
The creature was stuck, unable to move, unable to continue its assault and unable to return to its desired location. The Wanderer's palm grasped the creature's wrist tightly, locking it into a hold. The grey of the creature’s eyes were completely gone now as its pupils darted around in panic. His hand arched forward, his foot kicking –what would assumedly be- the creature’s calf, buckling its knees and forcing it to the ground. Cracking and popping erupted from the joints of its arm as his grip tightened. It’s gurgling became sporadic, as if pleading to be set free. He simply watched it, once against studying its behavior, its patterns, its mannerisms.
“You really are special. Not like anything in the world I imagine, but what makes you so special.” The Wanderer clenched his hold tighter, the creature falls lower, its face pushing into the cold rock. “You were playing a game, weren’t you? You understand what I’m saying too, and that I can assure you is indeed something special. Predicting my movements, using the techniques against me. You weren’t just fighting for a meal. You were learning, weren’t you?”
The creature clicked and gurgled, chittering against the ground as the hard surface of its arm began to crack.
“Now, I’m not opposed to teaching if I aim to gain something from it, but what I won’t abide is being played with. Now...” He plants his foot against the back of the creature's neck, both arms holding its locked appendage in a pulling motion. “I think I deserve to know a little more about you my foul-smelling friend, and if I’m right up until this point, you outta know exactly what I’m saying. I also assume you know a threat when you hear one. So...” His grip tightens, his leather boot slowly crunched against the creature’s skull. “Tell me what you are, and where you learned to be so damn special.”
The creature’s eyes widen, the dull grey returning, filling its retinas as it begins to violently convulse. A shrill screech fills the room, echoing along the walls, traveling through the twisting and winding tunnels of the long-forgotten mine. Shadows creep along the cave walls once more, scattering and convulsing, twisting into horrid and unimaginable shapes. Creatures that belong to fables and horror tales begin flooding along the shapes as the flame whips and crackles. The torch quickly combusts, the flames turning a sharp blackish violet. Heat bellows from the waves of ember emitting from the now monumental display of hellfire as the shadows multiply, taking over every inch of coverage. The Wanderer’s ears tremble at the immense noise, his vision begins to weaken as the shrill echo reaches a climactic crescendo. Any more of this and it’s all over, lights out.
He looks downward to the creature, its mind warped with whatever dark arts influenced it. His grip tightens as his foot presses firmly against the back of its head. Slow crunching and cracking sounds begin to intermingle with the terrible sounds of its cry. As the boot came down, harder and harder, the creature’s terrible screech began to thin and grow in pitch, like the air being slowly released from a balloon. Then, a horrendous snap before the head was no more. Violet and green brain matter covered the area around its neck as small fragments of skull of tissue caked along the sides of his boots. All at once the cry stopped, and along with it the room slowly began to darken. The flame began to slowly dwindle back to its original size, its color returning to a soft orange glow.
The Wanderer stepped back; his eyes firmly planted on the now deceased creature lying before him. A pool of its blood slowly trickled along the floor, reaching for his sword. Slowly, his body lumbered to the lost blade. Its handle was wrapped in scaled pitch blade leather, its blade a vibrant silver, still glistening with oil. The visage of a raven prominently scorn into the finish of the blade itself. Before the foul-smelling blood reaches the blade, the man slowly leans down to collect it. His body ached, his arms felt heavy and as the world around him began to dim, he retrieved the blade. Weighing it in his hand he felt secure, like a lost piece of him was restored with its retrieval. It felt so much heavier than before, or maybe he had just been weakened from the encounter. He gazed down upon it, his hand clenched hard around the dark leather handle. A dark fluid began to pool around his hand, streaming softly down from his arm.
The Wanderer turned his arm over, now looking at the wound he had taken from the creature’s first counterattack. It didn’t seem very bad, or at least not as bad as previous wounds he’d sustained, but the bleeding was alarming. It streamed softly, almost without notice. The blood itself was dark as well, as if it had already begun coagulation. A strange wound. A worrying wound. Suddenly his head became light, the room began to dim, and the walls started to blur. No, everything about this was wrong.
In the strange lucid state he was left in, he almost didn’t notice the changes around him. A quite fell over the room, the flickering flame seemed to even quite down to a faint whisper. A soft noise crept along the ground. Soft tapping, the sound of pebbles and rock being pushed aside, dust parting between single soft strides. The pain in his head grew louder, his heartbeat thumping from his chest to his forearm, ending finally against his forehead.
What is happening to me?
As if to answer, a rapid movement jostled him back to reality as he quickly turned, sword still gripped tightly in hand. A quick flash of movement rushed towards him, its motioned and sounds all too familiar to him. As nimbly as he can muster, he raises his blade outward in an attempt to impale the newfound enemy now barreling towards him, but a twinge of searing pain in his shoulder halts the attack. All he manages is a defensive stance, sword raised, arm placed behind the blade to prepare for impact as the creature crashes into him.
They both fall, splashing into the violet puddle of dank smelling blood that has pooled along the cave floor. A creature –almost identical to the one lying dead beside him- lies atop the blade protecting his body. Its arms crash against the leather bracers protecting his soft flesh. Claws come crashing down, scrapping against leather, making large slashes in them but not enough to break fully through the thick coating. Slime and mucus drip down from its maw, coating The Wanderer’s arms and neck. His arms are placed defensively against the side end of the blade, separating the two, but he can feel himself weakening further and further. Rough outlines of the creature emerge through blurred vision. Heat travels along his arm and forehead, casting confusion and sweat to pour over his body.
What the hell is happening!?
Suddenly, the creature lunges its head down, breaching the space between the blade and The Wanderer’s neck. Its snapping pincer like mandible opening and shutting in rapid and rabid bites. Before it has a chance to make contact, The Wanderer frees one of his trapped hands and grapples the creature’s head. With strength slowly fading from his body, he fruitlessly pushed back the creature's disgusting face. With every inch he pushes, the creature seemingly gains two. A battle of attrition begins. Snapping, clawing, drooling the creature continues its unending assault. Reach for the soft part of his neck in hopes of ending the encounter in a single bite. Just one slip, and its lights out. Forgotten and left to be fed on to a host of disgusting bugs. The thought rips through his mind, his veins fill with hot fire, his muscles contract creating energy that wasn’t there before. He pushes hard against the creature’s head, pushing it past the breach in the sword until his arm reaches full length.
The energy’s fading, the small window of opportunity’s closing, and for once in his miserable life, he can’t think of a thing to do. The hand not grappling with the creatures head pulls free from the back of the sword. His fingers slowly begin moving, drawing a pattern in the air. Faint lines form, like strokes from a dry paintbrush. Lines sparkle and faintly crackle with weak power, power being sapped away. The pattern is rough and unfinished, its edges not straight, its lines fumbling. The feeling in his fingers is weak. Strength fading, the pattern breaks as his hand twitches before returning to the blade. Fire begins erupting from the torch again, the strange violet flame re-emerges and casts strange shadows once again along the cave walls. Shadows depicting men falling in the thousands, figures standing above them. A strange light emits from the wrecked battlefield as the dominant figures rise, floating above, breaching unending clouds and sending a cleansing fire downward. Fire spreads along the walls, engulfing the shadows, casting them far away as it shrieks and flickers violently. The Wanderer’s vision begins to fade. The world around begins to dull. Rocky walls, granite floors, the creature all fade, losing color and becoming shadows themselves. Heat wells in his head, as tears stream down his cheek.
I can’t.
Shadows slowly engulf him as the energy drains from his arms.
I won’t
The creature’s face inches closer and closer to its target.
This is where it ends.
The fire erupts, banishing the shadows away once more, filling the room with soft orange light as the creature lunges uninterrupted at its prize.
Then nothing. The pain of stabbing pincers ripping along his throat never occurs. Instead, a loud CLAP echoes along the walls. It’s deafening and almost endless, but it's over in an instant. A river of fluid splashes along The Wanderer’s face and body. It’s warm and thick like syrup but smells like rotten apple cores. For a moment, he contemplates if this is death. A strange death, and a strange place to end up, but who’s to know. Before long his eyes opened. The creature that stood hunched over him was still there, but its head was entirely missing. Fragments of skull and viscera lined the walls and floor around him as the creature stood cold, dead. Seemingly out of nowhere, its head just seemed to explode.
“Did...” The Wanderer began quizzically. “Did I do that?”
Before an answer could be given, a shuffle could be heard across the room, hidden against the far wall deep within the dark. Slowly The Wanderer rose, knocking the deceased creature away from him, the feeling and strength slowly returning to his body. He stared off to the dark corner, waiting in vain for his eyes to adjust to the dark. They didn’t. Bending down, he grasped his sword in one hand, and what remained of the faint torch in the other as he cautiously meandered to the muffled sound coming from the dark corner.
“Gods, if it’s one more of these disgusting fucking things, I’m straight gone.”
Slowly, the image of a man appears. He almost seemed affixed to the wall due to some form of slightly translucent webbing sprawled across his body. His feet were a few inches raised from the floor as he hung limply against the wall. A thin layer of the same substance covered his mouth as he muffled violently to The Wanderer, his eyes red and spread as wide as they could go. Near the middle of the webbing his right hand was tightly bound, unable to move. On the other side, it seemed he was able to shake loose enough to free it. A silver revolver with gold carved inlays held tightly between his fingers. Faint trails of smoke emanated from the pistol’s barrel. The smell of spent gunpowder lingered In the air, a smell The Wanderer had memorized.
The Wanderer looked puzzlingly at the man stuck to the wall, before a spark of remembrance and realization came to life in his eyes. Sweat beaded down the side of his head, slowing before soaking into his shirt collar. That chance encounter had taken its toll, and had gone on for longer than he thought, longer than he had hoped.
“Hells man, I had forgotten entirely of you. Why not speak up next time?”
The stuck man convulsed in a fit of annoyance and fury as The Wanderer laughed heartily.

I decided to play all the Uncrank’d Game Jam games and give them a personal ranking. I just want to say that all of the submissions are impressive for such a short window of time, and I don’t want to make it seem like I’m ragging on any of these by placing them low on this list. I have something positive to say about all of them, and I think everyone who submitted something should be proud. All the games are free on itch.io (possibly with a suggested donation), so I encourage you to check them all out on your own (but maybe not crammed into a two day period like I did).
Note: I didn’t include “Thought Bubble” because I couldn’t get it to run.
26) Torpedo Trouble - A game where you use the crank to control a boat and avoid incoming torpedoes. The controls work well and the graphics look nice, but I soon found that you could just point the ship downwards and none of the torpedoes could ever catch me. So, needs some fine tuning.
25) Blown Away - A pretty simple flappy-birdian game where you crank to keep your airplane up. It’s very difficult. I appreciated the idea of blowing into the microphone to give speed (very Cooking Mama), but I was never able to get it to work. I think the placement of the mic on the playdate just makes that very awkward? Shield Arena also used that mechanic as pretty much the Start Button, so then it was easy enough to turn the playdate and blow into it and then turn it back as the game was starting. Pressing A works instead of blowing, but you unfortunately lose the illusion of blowing onto your paper airplane when doing it that way.
24) Obol Trobol - Full credit to the dev for making a game that uses the accelerometer. It’s a pretty uncommonly used feature based on what I’ve played on the system. The game itself was a bit confusing to get the hang of, although I did eventually have one decent run. Not a lot there after one or two runs, but I did like the premise of tricking Charon in order to ferry souls.
23) Safety Diver - You drive around a little submersible and try to collect circles while avoiding blocks. You score points when you return circles to the surface, and the game ends if you ever return to the surface without any (also you lose all circles when you hit a block. Actually now that I write it out this is very “Sonic the Hedgehog” and I should probably be calling them rings). The controls and physics are both solid, and could be the baseline for a fun game from the dev in the future. There’s not a lot to the gameplay here though, and I felt like I pretty much had it down in a few minutes.
22) Cloudly Aware - A metroidvania style game (I’m guessing made in pulp) where you are a depressed man exploring the clouds. Eventually you get tools that let you traverse new areas. I like the overall vibes, but I did struggle to know when things would injure me or not (there were some sections where it was impossible not to hit lighting… and sometimes I would lose health and sometimes not), and using the propellor hat was weird because there was no visual cue for when you were using it.
21) Cooking for Crabtopia - A short little (pulp, I’m guessing?) game where you help your crab friends make a soup. There are a few different mini-games to collect the various ingredients. It only takes about 5 minutes, but it made me smile.
20) Rorschach - A funky little tool that lets you draw your own symmetrical ink blots using either the D-Pad or tilt controls. Wasn’t much there for me, but might be worth it for the more artistically gifted out there. If nothing else it can lend some inspiration for cool things you can make with the system.
19) Number One Fan - A puzzle platformer where you move a balloon around with multiple fans throughout a room. Works pretty well, but I got stuck on the second level and eventually gave up. Maybe my own fault, but that’s where we are. Also I got unreasonably mad at the fact that if the balloon’s string touches a spike the whole balloon pops. That’s not the relationship between string and balloon! Sorry. It’s a fun concept.
18) House - One of two games in this jam about a ghost solving a mystery. Weird. This one is a bit buggy (when you get the broken necklace it multiplies endlessly in your inventory) and I’m not sure if I actually finished it or not (I submitted a solution and the house just started shaking a lot, and I was unable to try solving again), but there was a lot of effort put into it and I do enjoy an adventure game.
17) Pappyshow - You control a man who is being mirrored and livestreaming it. You move and rotate him and his bodyparts to create various monstrous visions. There’s some element of gameplay here where your number of viewers goes up and down based on what you’re making him do, but I never quite figured out how that worked. Mostly it’s just a fun little kaleidoscope style toy, and the graphics are quite nice, but it only kept my attention for a few minutes. The game’s store page shows Pappy wearing a wig at one point, so it’s possible there’s a bit more depth in this game than I was able to find.
16) Masterworks Inc. - A very cool idea where you use the crank to draw a line and you have to try to match what is being drawn by the AI on the other side of the screen. Not a lot there and I was done with it in a few minutes, but a solid base concept. I was very bad at it. I did three play-throughs and never got out of the 300s.
15) Floaty McFloatface - Really only kept my attention for a few minutes, but the art was very nice. The controls are simple but also purposefully imprecise (I think?). I can see some people getting really into seeing how long they can stay afloat.
14) Reflektor Jam - Looks nice and the gameplay of rotating mirrors to redirect lasers was kind of fun. Maybe better suited to level based puzzles instead of the time attack type game that is here, but fun for a few minutes. I popped 30 balloons.
13) Lake Hero - Plenty of levels on this one if you enjoy the gameplay. It’s a simple “collect objects and don’t hit obstacles” kind of game. Could definitely be fleshed out into a fun game with some more time, but it is one of the few games here I didn’t finish because I eventually got frustrated.
12) Boatload - A claw-game style game where you pick up moving boxes and place them on moving ships. Drop three boxes and the game ends. The controls and gameplay on this felt very clean. Feels like it could be a mini-game within a larger game as-is. Adding some elements to add variety and difficulty, and maybe some levels instead of just a score-attack, could give this potential to be a full fledged game.
11) One Man Threat Ops - A top down shooter where you complete various single screen stages. I like that there was a variety in the objectives so each stage didn’t feel repetitive. I also like the idea of the two gun types, but in reality I couldn’t really get the bouncing or wall-floating-over mechanics to matter since the enemies moved so fast and usually only spawned when they were in your sight lines. Also the controls are pretty rough. The fact that B is move and A is shoot means that you can’t really shoot and move at the same time. That might be intentional, but I found it pretty frustrating.
10) Shield Arena - A pretty fun little game; sort of an inverse twin stick shooter where you move a shield with the crank to deflect bullets. Rough around the edges, but a lot of potential if the dev decides to keep working on it.
9) Montgolfier Test Flight - Very simple one-button style game, but the music and graphics are both beautiful and it feels responsive and snappy. Reminds me of a lot of flash games I burned many hours on in my youth (Dino Run, Rainbow Unicorn Attack, etc).
8) Siege of Syracuse - A classic defend the castle style game that also reminds me of a bunch of old flash games. You use the crank to direct a beam which burns and sinks ships as they come in. It’s a wave based system, and you choose upgrades between waves and try to survive through wave 7. Pretty short and nothing revolutionary, but solid and fun for 15-20 minutes. Also there’s a sweet intro narrated by Bruce Campbell (or maybe William Shatner?).
7) Prop of the Class - Maybe the most “complete” feeling game in the jam, with an opening cutscene, a cutscene for the tutorial, multiple save states, a name input screen, etc. Also plenty of levels if you’re into the gameplay. I made it about 15 levels in, but got a bit tired with it. If you like “lander” style games there could be a lot here for you.
6) Dragon Flagon - A cozy little game with impressive production values for such a short window. I didn’t find much to bring me back after one playthrough, but I’d be very interested in seeing more from this dev (after writing this I looked up the Dev and realized they made Reelistic Fishing, which was already my favorite game on the platform. Makes sense).
5) The Crystal Bay - There have been a few 3D style games on the system, but it’s very impressive to see one made so quickly. Took me a bit to figure out what I was doing, but I did eventually have a nice time exploring the map and finding those crystals.
4) Duck Game - Short, but a ton of work must have gone into this in such a brief window. The gameplay is really just experimenting with the number of ducks you can get to follow you to see all the endings (also just swimming around in order to see all the funny dialogue from the people standing in the pond, or listening to all the quack based parody songs). Kind of lovely.
3) Life’s too Short: On Reflection - I’m a sucker for bite-sized adventure games. This one is charming and very wholesome. I never played the original, but I’m going to make a point of it now. Was this made in pulp?
2) Jelly Float - A decidedly nifty little game. You use the crank to rotate a fish around a jellyfish, and then use B to blow the Jelly in the right direction without hitting walls or obstacles. There’s a sizable maze here, and I think I spent about a half hour with the game (there’s a timer at the end when you get the jelly back to its family, but I think that might have been off, or maybe reset when I hit the depths)? There are some genuinely difficult sections, but with enough checkpoints to never get into rage-game territory (not that that would be a bad thing).
1) Quack Magic - Probably the game here I would be most interested in seeing fleshed out into a full release. The gameplay is immediately rewarding and it looks great. There’s only a few levels and it finishes just as the puzzles are starting to get a bit challenging, but being left wanting more is pretty good for a game made in a few days.

Hello,
I am sharing this because i found it fun and far fron the metas gor TB.
The point of this build is to have some fight potential while maintaining the regular TB playstyle of illusion focused.
This build relies on a safelane starting position.
Early skill build:

1. Q.
2. E. 3, 4 & 5. W Always get your ult.

Early item build:
I go for faerie fire, healing salve and tango, a quelling blade, and 2 iron branches.
I then get a magic wand then a wraith band then a null talisman for regen.
Laning phase:
Rely on your spells to fight over creeps, you can easily scare the enemy offlaner with Q and E. You have massive armor and tons of regen items if the enemy is in melee range dont be afraid to trade if hou have to.
Once you hit lvl3 you can start annoying the enemy with constant illusion spam. Have the illusion bother the enemy support or even fight over gold rune or lotus pool. Use illusion to help last hit when the illusion is free. You are basicly using your illusion to make space for yourself while fighting over lane creeps.
If you get pushed out of lane have the illusion tank for you and you may sell the magic wand since you are now avoiding confrontation. Replace it with 2 clarity potions for mana regen vs jungle creeps. You can use illusions to scout for mid laner ganking as well.
If you win the lane then send illusion to fight the small camp or scout the mid laner coming to gank.
Mid game item build:
Diffusal, this item is a monster with the insane dmg it provides and the slow it really helps a right clicker kill and with E and Q both you and the Q illusions are hitting a slowed down enemy for some harass or even a kill.
If you feel like you need hp regen get a morbid mask, otherwise skip. Get the shard ability if you can this thing is insane. Once you hit level 6, you pretty much have to hide from ganks and just send illusions down the lane. Shard makes these illusions stronger and faster, capable of fighting off a hero and reaching the lane quick as well as hit quick and you also benefit while farming camps.
Next you just want to rush a bkb for when your E and R are up and you need to defend an objective, so just tp and help your team. Pop bkb, E and slow the enemies to a cripple.
Next get the disperser. I cannot stress how enjoyable this thing is. It gives phased movement and incredibly high movespeed that cannot be slowed, so it helps you both escape and chase down thanks to the slow.
You can create an illusion and if the shard ability is down buff the illusion and send him to the lane or to fight.
Use your illusions for high ground. Do not walk up to hit jungle creeps on high ground without vision always illusion first.
Late game item build:
Next item will need to be morbid mask if you havent gotten it yet and next you want aghanims. Aghs is fantastic at providing a sort of mini E with a lower cooldown, the fear buys you time to attack or escape and can also cancel tp and other channelings.
Next is butterfly, it is the best dps on this hero after rapier. It buffs you and also buffs the illusions and as you have seen illusions will be doing 80% of the work.
Next is some more luxury items or situational items. Feel free to buy anything you might need. I recommend hex it helps you catch fast and invis heroes which usually are capable of escaping you.
I usually sell everything but the null talisman i need the mana for constant illusion spam.
You want to max W fist then E and Q last.
The main playstyle:
Illusions are everything. When it comes to lanes, scouting and even fighting always send an illusion unless you are coordinated with your team on your defense/offense. Never risk it unless its coordinated or you just have to. Shard ability will help your illusions be fast enough to be a threat and if they get killed that usually takes some pressure off your team. Identify key targets that may pester you and try to kill these. Once they are dead or away you may join the fight if you deem it safe to do so.
You will be hiding and jungling 80% of the time. This is a multitask oriented gameplay. You have to think of your hero as 2 heroes, you who is farming and the illusion which is pushing lanes/fighting/scouting.
Think of yourself as a trickster or if you watch naruto, itachi or maybe even joker from batman. Its always an illusion on the map making moves and going high ground and blocking entrances to lanes/jungles. If you are fighting and about to die, whoop, switch health. With disperser you can escape no matter how many slows they throw at you, you can also catch them easily to end them. You can also have a healthy illusion near you and swap hp with that if both you and the enemy are low. There are many tricks you can pull from the start of the game all the way to the end.
Manta is not an essential item here. You get the dispel from disperser. In fact i avoid it almost. Your W gives you all the illusion play you need and does it better. The only thing you cant do is dodge projectiles.
I recommend you only create 1 illusion at a time except when fighting. The illusions from W unlike manta are not unique each, you cant have them under different groups to individually control each illusion. Save your mana and just work with 1 at a time.
Dont feel shy to use illusions from level 3 onwards they will relieve a lot of pressure off of you and can attack the enemies where it would be dangerous for you to do so.
Give this a try and tell me your thoughts.

Originally posted at SFF Insiders.
~Blurb:~
Arcane archivist Harper has always been plagued by dreams of grotesque creatures and bloody deaths. When she bumps into a ghostwalker in the Shambles and has a visceral experience of his execution, she knows it’s a foretelling. Yet fear of the Queen’s Guard stops her speaking out. When her vision indeed comes true, the unusual markings on the ghostwalker’s corpse, combined with his neatly excised vocal cords, send a ripple of terror through York.
The witch hunt is on. As the body count rises, Harper knows her magic is the only way to find the killer – if she can avoid being hanged as a witch. To protect both human and supernatural, Harper walks the thin line between their worlds. She and her demonhunter foster-sister form a multi-faith team with a forensic scientist, a spirit Harper accidentally summoned, and a techno-witch, to catch the killer before more people die.

~Review:~
‘The Hiding’ caught my attention while I was browsing through ‘BookSirens’ for a potential next read. First off, I must say, the cover is really amazing and stands out in quite some manner. That in itself was reason enough for my piqued interest. The description was very intriguing as well, and sounded something right down my alley. And so, I was more than eager to get my hands on the digital ARC on offer, which I eventually did without any hesitation. Hence, I would like to extend my deepest of thanks to the author, the publishers, and BookSirens for giving readers like me the opportunity to review this dark fantasy debut.
What is hidden from sense,
Will be hidden from mind,
Forgotten, unknowing,
Forever entwined.
York, famous for its ghosts, was the most haunted city in England… and was proud of it too. But that’s not the only thing it was famous for. ‘The Shambles’ was the last place anyone with sense would expect to find real magic. The twisting ginnels and alleyways branching from the street promised portals to dark adventures in other realms. Magic seemed to fizz like static in the air. Shoppers disappeared around corners, or possibly were whisked off to faraway queendoms. Each shop dazzled, selling everything from jewellery to paper, from antiques to modern art. And yet, it still gave the illusion that “fae” might be hiding in the gloaming mists… How’s that for setting-up a setting, eh?
Welcome to a world which is “infected” by “supes” (aka the ‘supernaturals’), and York, alongside England, is no exception. Humans, spirits, and the fae (the ‘Faerie’) roamed the streets here in what was like just another day. But the line separating them all was pretty thin, especially when darkness took over…
‘The Veil’ acted as the barrier between the human world and Faerie, kept strong all over England through generations. But that wasn’t the only defense mechanism protecting the people from the otherworldly. The ‘Queen’s Guard’ and the ‘Council of Faiths’ were two such institutions. The former’s official position was that no supernatural had survived something collectively referred to as ‘the Purge’, an event which ultimately had also led to the foundation of the latter. Together, by employing draconian enforcement measures throughout in the present times, they ensured that the “mortal realm” was kept separated from the ethereal one. Even now, hundreds of years later, humans patrolled the great wall surrounding York, always vigilant against incursion from those they called ‘supernatural.’ They came armed with fire and iron, dill and mint, silver crucifixes and blood red hamsa. The core materials changed little over the centuries, honed by each generation to destroy.
But the balance of everything in York was about to be shattered in the most chilling of ways…
“Never scream…”
A tangled medley of disembodied whispers, all saying the same two words, over and over.
“Never scream…”
Meet Harper Ashbury, a junior archivist and collector at the Saint Peter’s Cathedral in York. A specialist in the field of supernatural history, she helped to keep dangerous books out of the public eye, and researched ways to protect people from the supernatural. Working for the church under the guidance of the Archbishop of York himself was one thing, but Harper harbored a secret… one that was not at all welcome by anyone in York, both human or otherwise.
Apart from the horrific nightmares, the eerie visions, and the constant amnesia, Harper could “See” things… thanks to her “Sight”. Her past and her family were a complete blur to her, and she was desperate to find the answers to the seemingly dark and bleak events long gone by. Taking her in after an “accident”, the De Santos had become the family she never had. But they were not just any other ordinary family. The De Santos were demonhunters. The ones who fought against the supernaturals to protect the world from demons and the forces of evil. Curfews were for ordinary people. A De Santos was not scared of the dark. A De Santos was one with the dark.
Grace De Santos, Harper’s foster sister, was a vet by profession, and the only De Santos who wasn’t into demonhunting for the sole reason so that she could stay with Harper and make sure her archivist sister was safe. But the duo was about to be thrust into something far more dangerous than anything they had previously encountered, and their relations were about to be tested to the limits as York, the “night-safe” city, was not at all safe anymore…
The shocking and quite unusual death of a “ghostwalker” sends ripples across the city. Was it just a “death” in the first place, or was it a possible murder? Someone, or something, was carefully targeting people in the night and brutally killing them. With the police out of their depth having no cause of death and no suspects, and the Guard not willing to share anything with the Council, the Archbishop decides to take matters into his own hands. There was nothing a man as important as the archbishop could want with a junior archivist. There was only one reason he would summon her. To hunt something and kill it. And in his own words – “… In this matter, my faith in people is greater than my faith in science. You and Grace are uniquely placed to see the truth.”
The race against time begins as the bodies start to pile up in the most chilling of circumstances. With a helping hand from Dr. Saqib Siddique, a forensic supernaturalist, and a “not evil; just mischievous” spirit/demon, the sister duo embarks upon a path that is both dangerous and equally deadly if one is not careful enough. And one just can’t be careful enough in a place such as York… Can the group set aside their beliefs and differences to act as one and stop the killer in time?
All choice in the matter had been taken from her: use her abilities and risk death or bury them and remain forever lost. Magic was the only recourse left to find her home.
Most people might say they didn’t believe ghosts or supernaturals still walked the streets of England, but deep down, they were never sure.
Harper didn’t believe in ghosts, but she did believe in human evil.
To find the truth, she would need to face the darkness.

~The good:~
· To go alongside the amazing cover and the intriguing description, the whole setting of York, and the world around it in general, was superbly written and depicted throughout. It was as if I was a part of it myself! (real-life black & white pictures of York were present, which helped the cause!).
· The writing was just top notch by all means. It was vivid, highly atmospheric, and genuinely immersive all the way. The multi third-person POV was great, and a fun read.
· The story was excellent, engaging, and very exciting till the last page.
· The characters were very well written, and were memorable in more ways than one (a certain “individual” more so than the others!).
· The themes of religion and beliefs were pretty strong in general, and well depicted.
· The ending was great in my opinion, and sets up the next instalment pretty nicely.

~The “not so” good:~
In all honesty, I don’t have a single thing to complain about, believe it or not!

~Some quotes/dialogues and text to set your adrenaline rolling (as it did mine!):~
· ‘Never show fear, no matter how dark it is, no matter how strong your enemy. Never show fear.’

‘But feel fear. Feel fear. It’s God’s warning. It keeps you alive.’

· “Hurt them. Disable them. Live to fight another day. This is no honourable fight between gentlefolk. This is a fight for survival. Your survival and the survival of the innocents who depend on you. Fight dirty. Fight to win.”

· The ghostwalker removed his hat and bowed low. “Do not linger,” he cautioned his audience. “The night draws close and the mists rise. Death still walks the streets of York. Ghosts, witches, and demons watch from the shadows. No matter how many lies those in power tell, nowhere is truly night-safe. Be careful it is not your tale I tell on future nights. The bridge here is the fastest way back to your cars. Do not stray from the path, for where the ghosts do not walk, the Queen’s Guard surely will, and innocence is harder to prove than guilt.”

· Mist swirled around the car and danced in the fog lamps. The light scraped across black tarmac. Cat’s eyes gleamed, waiting to pounce, razor claws swiping at tires. The moon hovered behind naked silhouettes of trees and stars twinkled through their branches like an adornment of fairy lights. Frolicking stars, fallen from the sky, flickered around the trunk of an old oak, illuminating a skirt of long grasses. Then the tree was gone, consumed by the unending darkness. Harper clutched her shawl closer around her shoulders and settled back in her seat.

· No one comes out when it’s like this, she reminded herself, but it was a hollow comfort. No one human would be out. Everyone knew someone who had a friend whose cousin, or sibling, or child had been lost in the mist. Logic said they fell in the river and drowned, or met some unsavoury human, a quick knife between the ribs. Whispers said something inhuman lurked in the mists and stole souls away to another land. Then there were the people who came back changed, their eyes hollow, jerky movements like marionettes, a dark edge to their looks, hard and uncaring.

· The cemetery was pitch-black but for the wavering light of the guard’s torch. Even that thin beam of brightness didn’t reassure Harper, rather it created more darkness, throwing long shadows behind each blade of grass. Darkness piled upon darkness, pressing in, consuming, suffocating. Clouds overpowered the moonlight as the stars twinkled out, handful by handful.

~Final thoughts:~
A dark fantasy debut which is vivid, highly atmospheric, and sure to set your adrenaline rolling in excitement and intrigue alike. Simply put, ‘The Hiding’ by Alethea Lyons is right up there with one of my favorite reads of the year. York as a setting was so immersive and well depicted that you might end up feeling you’re a part of it yourself! The characters were great, the plot was superb, and the world was excellently put forth. Oh, and if you could not tell already, the writing was top notch by all means. An engaging read throughout with an ending so good that I can’t wait for the next installment! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you check it out!

⁵Wisdom is learning what is set in motion with a choice, and what alternatives we choose between. (ACIM, W-133.3:5) We do not ask too much of life, but far too little.
⁴This guidance teaches it is error to believe that sins are but mistakes, for who would suffer for his sins if this were so? (ACIM, W-133.10:4)
II. Sin versus Error (ACIM, T-19.II)
It is essential that error be not confused with sin, and it is choosing an “error” mindset that makes salvation possible. (ACIM, T-19.II.1:1)
⁴Sin is The belief that ⁵the mind is guilty, and will forever so remain unless a separate mind gives it absolution. (ACIM, T-19.II.1:4-5)

• ⁹The “holiness” of sin is kept in place by ¹⁰truth inviolate, and everything is brought to it for judgment. (ACIM, T-19.II.6:9-10)
• ⁶Sin is the grand illusion underlying all of an ego’s grandiosity. (ACIM, T-19.II.2:1-6)
• Sin entails the arrogance of judgment guilt & shame in our Brothers that demands punishment

²Error is a miscreation that can be corrected, and the wrong made right. (ACIM, T-19.II.1:2) Error is repented (pent=think, re=again) in a divine instant. Atonement at the Altar of God

• ³For reason sees through error’s incessant, meaningless thoughts, telling us what we thought was real is not. ⁴Reason recognizes mistakes, because it wants correction. (ACIM, T-22.III.2:3-4)
• ⁴Perfectly aware of the Right Defense Spiritual Vision passes over all error to See Truth. (ACIM, T-2.III.4:4) The Pearl of Great Price
• The Temple veil was split at His death as an invitation to each of us to approach God’s Throne (within us) directly without the middleman. (Matthew 27:50-54)

⁶Sin calls for punishment, as error calls for correction, and the belief that punishment is correction is clearly insane. (ACIM, T-19.II.1:6)
⁴Check List by which we can choose everything from nothing:
First, choose that which lasts forever. ³Time is merely an abstract tool applied to learning opportunities and has no other lingering value
Then, choose abundance and unity. For the Word is made flesh, and dwells among us, full of grace and truth.”John 1:14
Our next consideration is the one on which the others rest. ²Why is the choice you make of value to you? ³What attracts your mind to it? ⁴What purpose does it serve? ⁵Here it is easiest of all to be deceived.

• Accept the Authority of God in Whose image we are created - to rise above the clamoring of incessant, meaningless thoughts choosing the separation, the Original Sin
• The structure of “individual consciousness” is essentially irrelevant because it is a concept representing the “original error” or the “original sin.” (ACIM, C-in.1:4)
• We are going to mess-up: Choose the freedom of shameless error or be trapped in the judgment of sin and it's bitter fruits, shame and punishment

It is essential that our errors be not distorted into sin & punishment, and it is this clarity that makes salvation possible. (ACIM, T-19.II.1:1)

• ⁴The belief in sin is evidence of a belief that minds, not bodies, can attack. (ACIM, T-19.II.1:4)
• ²The guilt revealed by the incessant, meaningless thoughts choosing separation and obscuring God’s Authority is easily transformed
• Be reborn in this Divine Instant by again exercising the free will to Accept God’s Authority and forgive; choose Salvation
• You will know it by its fruit (Matthew 7:15-20)

You & I are One as perfect emanations of God, sinless and beloved