Charles cheat on kingdom of camelot
Zerocarb / Carnivore Way of Eating
2010.09.30 22:28 ecpenguin Zerocarb / Carnivore Way of Eating
This is a subreddit for carnivores, people who enjoy and eat only foods from the animal kingdom. ==>Live your life however you want to but this subreddit is for discussing living on animal source foods only. It really is! Pls read the rules<==
2016.03.06 23:03 Huw2k8 Warsim: The Realm of Aslona
The Official Subreddit of 'Warsim: The Realm of Aslona' A wacky ascii procedurally generated kingdom management game!
2016.11.20 21:45 flotos Krosmaga - English subreddit
A subreddit dedicated to the english speaking community of the TCG Krosmaga by Ankama.
2024.05.13 23:41 LonelyPineMoth I (M/44) suspect my wife (F/43) of cheating on me. Should I leave her?
TL;DR - 25 years with the same woman. She's cheated on me at least once that I knew of, possibly more but I've never been able to prove it. I'm beginning to feel like something isn't right again, and don't know if I should let it go or look for evidence of infidelity. If I find, should I leave her?
My wife (we'll call her Dee) and I have been together for about 25 years now, living together for most of that time, and officially married for 12 years.
Our first few years together were amazing, we had a great sex life, and did everything together. In her early 20s, they found pre-cancerous lesions on her cervix, which had to be surgically removed, and our sex life started to go downhill as it was now very painful for her.
Despite this, I continued to work menial jobs to pay the bills while she went to school. Between stress and eating out frequently, I went from a svelte 80Kg (I'm 185cm BTW) to about 105Kg, and despite being skinny growing up, I've struggled with my weight ever since.
When she graduated, having paid her bills for the last 4 or 5 years, and seeing potential in me to take care of their daughter, her parents invited us to move in with them while I went to school, an offer I gladly accepted at the age of 24.
For the next year, I worked got, did excellent in school, and would go on to graduate with top marks. At one point, we went back home to visit with friends, and I was taken aside and told by one of them that Dee had cheated on me.
As soon we were back together, I confronted her immediately and she denied everything. Dee claimed that she couldn't understand why my friends were trying to hurt our relationship, and other assurances. I believed her, and cut off ties with my friends who would besmirch her character like that, but it never sat well with me.
The following spring of 2005, she left her computer unlocked and her email open. Something deep inside me couldn't let go, and I decided to snoop. I'm not proud of it, but nevertheless, I found what I was looking for - an email from her to "Charles", some disgusting yeti of a man-child, begging him to deny that they'd fooled around and tell my friend William that he was mistaken, and it wasn't her.
I confronted her again, and again, she lied, and only when I showed her her own confession did she finally admit to it. She said it was a stupid thing to do, she was afraid she was going to lose me, it happened when we weren't doing well together (although she never voiced her displeasure to me)...
I can't explain why I stayed - perhaps it was because I believed I still had a future with her, but I told her it was going take a lot of work to rebuild our relationship.
Within a year, we moved out, I bought us a house, and things were good for a while. eventually, I started to feel that terrible ache in my heart again, and after seeing some suspicious text messages in her phone (although nothing outright damning), I confronted her again, and again, she flatly denied that she was seeing anyone else. The texts were harmless, she's like that with all of her friends.
Things have gone on that way for a while, and today I decided to snoop around in her Facebook messages, and came across her chat with a man from back in 2015. Again, a fat, unattractive older man. In it, he apologized for being "gropey" with her at a party at his place, and she replied with "no worries, were all a little on the stupid end."
Of course she never mentioned any of this to me, so I can't help but wonder what else she's keeping from me. Her and her sister go on trips without me, concerts, comedy shows, and the like, and I can't but wonder what she gets up to.
I have no idea whether she's currently cheating on me, or what she's allowed to happen to her in any of these places. She's not the time to discourage unsolicited male attention, and knowing I would be upset, is more apt to keep it from me.
I work from home 90% of the time now, and make a very good living and have a great job with a good pension. I'm actively working on my weight through eating clean and exercising. I do all the cooking, all of the cleaning, and pay all of our bills. I'm a good provider, and our future is assured.
I don't know why she feels she needs to step out on me, and of the two of us, I'm insatiably horny and always go out of my way to take care of sexual needs as often as she'll let me. Although I'm past my prime, and have put on a few stone, I'm not unattractive.
I feel sick right now thinking about all of this, and am unsure what to do.
I feel like I don't have any concrete evidence that she's been unfaithful recently, but have terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that something isn't right. I'm tempted to get ahold of her mobile phone after she's gone to bed and see if my worries are justified.
Should I leave it alone, or should I keep digging? What should I do if I find it?
submitted by LonelyPineMoth to relationship_advice [link] [comments]
My wife (we'll call her Dee) and I have been together for about 25 years now, living together for most of that time, and officially married for 12 years.
Our first few years together were amazing, we had a great sex life, and did everything together. In her early 20s, they found pre-cancerous lesions on her cervix, which had to be surgically removed, and our sex life started to go downhill as it was now very painful for her.
Despite this, I continued to work menial jobs to pay the bills while she went to school. Between stress and eating out frequently, I went from a svelte 80Kg (I'm 185cm BTW) to about 105Kg, and despite being skinny growing up, I've struggled with my weight ever since.
When she graduated, having paid her bills for the last 4 or 5 years, and seeing potential in me to take care of their daughter, her parents invited us to move in with them while I went to school, an offer I gladly accepted at the age of 24.
For the next year, I worked got, did excellent in school, and would go on to graduate with top marks. At one point, we went back home to visit with friends, and I was taken aside and told by one of them that Dee had cheated on me.
As soon we were back together, I confronted her immediately and she denied everything. Dee claimed that she couldn't understand why my friends were trying to hurt our relationship, and other assurances. I believed her, and cut off ties with my friends who would besmirch her character like that, but it never sat well with me.
The following spring of 2005, she left her computer unlocked and her email open. Something deep inside me couldn't let go, and I decided to snoop. I'm not proud of it, but nevertheless, I found what I was looking for - an email from her to "Charles", some disgusting yeti of a man-child, begging him to deny that they'd fooled around and tell my friend William that he was mistaken, and it wasn't her.
I confronted her again, and again, she lied, and only when I showed her her own confession did she finally admit to it. She said it was a stupid thing to do, she was afraid she was going to lose me, it happened when we weren't doing well together (although she never voiced her displeasure to me)...
I can't explain why I stayed - perhaps it was because I believed I still had a future with her, but I told her it was going take a lot of work to rebuild our relationship.
Within a year, we moved out, I bought us a house, and things were good for a while. eventually, I started to feel that terrible ache in my heart again, and after seeing some suspicious text messages in her phone (although nothing outright damning), I confronted her again, and again, she flatly denied that she was seeing anyone else. The texts were harmless, she's like that with all of her friends.
Things have gone on that way for a while, and today I decided to snoop around in her Facebook messages, and came across her chat with a man from back in 2015. Again, a fat, unattractive older man. In it, he apologized for being "gropey" with her at a party at his place, and she replied with "no worries, were all a little on the stupid end."
Of course she never mentioned any of this to me, so I can't help but wonder what else she's keeping from me. Her and her sister go on trips without me, concerts, comedy shows, and the like, and I can't but wonder what she gets up to.
I have no idea whether she's currently cheating on me, or what she's allowed to happen to her in any of these places. She's not the time to discourage unsolicited male attention, and knowing I would be upset, is more apt to keep it from me.
I work from home 90% of the time now, and make a very good living and have a great job with a good pension. I'm actively working on my weight through eating clean and exercising. I do all the cooking, all of the cleaning, and pay all of our bills. I'm a good provider, and our future is assured.
I don't know why she feels she needs to step out on me, and of the two of us, I'm insatiably horny and always go out of my way to take care of sexual needs as often as she'll let me. Although I'm past my prime, and have put on a few stone, I'm not unattractive.
I feel sick right now thinking about all of this, and am unsure what to do.
I feel like I don't have any concrete evidence that she's been unfaithful recently, but have terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that something isn't right. I'm tempted to get ahold of her mobile phone after she's gone to bed and see if my worries are justified.
Should I leave it alone, or should I keep digging? What should I do if I find it?
2024.05.13 21:40 maaaxheadroom Christian friend playing off the fear of Hell.
A friend of mine posted the following wall of text on Facebook. I feel the need to respond somehow but I’m not sure what to say. All these years later I still fear Hell and this post bothers me on a moral level.
Should I counter with “why would a loving god do this?” Should I refute the quotes which I doubt? Should I ask why Christians seem to relish the idea of people going to Hell?
submitted by maaaxheadroom to exchristian [link] [comments]
Should I counter with “why would a loving god do this?” Should I refute the quotes which I doubt? Should I ask why Christians seem to relish the idea of people going to Hell?
“FAMOUS ATHEISTS' LAST WORDS BEFORE DEATH: 1. ANTON LEVEY—Author of the Satanic Bible and high priest of the religion dedicated to the worship of Satan. One of his famous quotes was: “There is a beast in man that needs to be exercised, not exorcised”. His dying words were: "Oh my, oh my, what have I done, there is something very wrong. . . there is something very wrong.”
- GANDHI—At his death, he said, “For the first time in 50 years, I find myself in the slough of despond. All about me is darkness. . .I am praying for light.”
- THOMAS PAYNE—The leading atheistic writer in American colonies: "Stay with me, for God's sake; I cannot bear to be left alone , O Lord, help me! O God, what have I done to suffer so much? What will become of me hereafter? I would give worlds if I had them, that The Age of Reason had never been published. 0 Lord, help me! Christ, help me! No, don't leave; stay with me! Send even a child to stay with me; for I am on the edge of hell here alone. If ever the Devil had an agent, I have been that one."
- SIR THOMAS SCOTT—Chancellor of England: "Until this moment I thought there was neither a God nor a hell. Now I know and feel that there are both, and I am doomed to perdition by the just judgment of the Almighty."
- VOLTAIRE—famous anti-christian atheist: "I have swallowed nothing but smoke. I have intoxicated myself with the incense that turned my head. I am abandoned by God and man.” He said to his physician, Dr. Fochin: “I will give you half of what I am worth if you will give me six months of life." When he was told this was not possible, he said “Then I shall die and go to hell!" His nurse said: “For all the money in Europe I wouldn’t want to see another unbeliever die! All night long he cried for forgiveness.”
- ROBERT INGERSOLL—American writer and orator during the Golden Age of Free Thought: "O God, if there be a God, save my soul, if I have a soul!" Some say it was said this way: "Oh God, if there be a God, save my soul, if I have a soul, from hell, if there be a hell!
- DAVID HUME—Atheist philosopher famous for his philosophy of empiricism and skepticism of religion: He cried loud on his death bed "I am in flames!" It is said his desperation was a horrible scene.
- NAPOLEON BONAPARTE—French emperor who, like Adolf Hitler, brought death to millions to satisfy his greedy, power-mad, selfish ambitions for world conquest: "I die before my time, and my body will be given back to the earth. Such is the fate of him who has been called the great Napoleon. What an abyss between my deep misery and the eternal kingdom of Christ!”
- SIR FRANCIS NEWPORT—Head of an English Atheist club, to those gathered around his deathbed: "You need not tell me there is no God, for I know there is one, and that I am in his presence! You need not tell me there is no hell. I feel myself already slipping. Wretches, cease your idle talk about there being hope for me! I know I am lost forever! Oh, that fire! Oh, the insufferable pangs of hell! Oh, that I could lie for a thousand years upon the fire that is never quenched, to purchase the favor of God and be united to Him again. But it is a fruitless wish. Millions and millions of years will bring me no nearer the end of my torments than one poor hour. Oh, eternity, eternity forever and forever! Oh, the insufferable pangs of Hell!”
- CHARLES IX—The French king. Urged on by his mother, he gave the order for the massacre of the French Huguenots, in which 15,000 souls were slaughtered in Paris alone and 100,000 in other sections of France, for no other reason than that they loved Christ. The guilty king suffered miserably for years after that event. He finally died, bathed in blood bursting from his veins. To his physicians, he said in his last hours: "Asleep or awake, I see the mangled forms of the Huguenots passing before me. They drop with blood. They point at their open wounds. Oh! That I had spared at least the little infants at the bosom! What blood! I know not where I am. How will all this end? What shall I do? I am lost forever! I know it. Oh, I have done wrong."
- DAVID STRAUSS—Leading representative of German rationalism, after spending a lifetime erasing belief in God from the minds of others: "My philosophy leaves me utterly forlorn! I feel like one caught in the merciless jaws of an automatic machine, not knowing at what time one of its great hammers may crush me!"
- JOSEF STALIN—Soviet Georgian revolutionary and politician. In a Newsweek interview with Svetlana Stalin, the daughter of Josef Stalin, she told of her father's death: "My father died a difficult and terrible death. . .God grants an easy death only to the just. At what seemed the very last moment, he suddenly opened his eyes and cast a glance over everyone in the room. It was a terrible glance, insane or perhaps angry. His left hand was raised, as though he were pointing to something above and bringing down a curse on us all. The gesture was full of menace. . .the next moment he was dead."
- CAESAR BORGIA—Italian nobleman, politician, and cardinal: "While I lived, I provided for everything but death; now I must die, and am unprepared to die."
- THOMAS HOBBS—Political philosopher: "I say again, if I had the whole world at my disposal, I would give it to live one day. I am about to take a leap into the dark."
BELOVED, compare these last words from atheists, with these last words, from these saints of God:
THE APOSTLE PAUL: “O death, where is thy sting?”
KING DAVID: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no Evil.”
AUGUSTUS MONTAGUE TOPLADY (1710-1778): Toplady will ever be famous as the author of one of the most evangelical hymns of the eighteenth century, "Rock of Ages," which was first published in 1776. During the final illness, Toplady was greatly supported by the consolations of the gospel: "The consolations of God, to so unworthy a wretch, are so abundant that he leaves me nothing to pray for but their continuance." Near his last, awaking from a sleep, he said: "Oh, what delights! Who can fathom the joy of the third heaven? The sky is clear, there is no cloud; come Lord Jesus, come quickly!" He died saying:"No mortal man can live after the glories which God has manifested to my soul."
Lastly, JESUS CHRIST said: “I Am the Resurrection and the Life. He that believeth on Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”
Only fools never learn from history, and it's amazing that even in our days, with all these facts on our fingertips, someone with a mind can devote his entire life to a delusion, and want everyone to know that there is no God. No wonder the bible says,
"Only fools say in their hearts, there is no God." (Psalm 14:1).“
Copied from Christian Page
2024.05.13 21:05 dbwip [FN] The World of Neron
People say it's childish to be afraid of the dark. They say it's a symptom of an overactive imagination. And yet the same people- all people- know that you don’t go out at night, not without light or charm. And everyone knows, instinctively, in the marrow of their bones, that you don’t go out on a moonless night.
I had been out on a moonless night for days. Most people can’t tell, but once you're trained, you can- Darkness loves darkness. She likes to stretch her time out as long as she's possibly able. Everyone wants to spend time with kindred spirits. It’s nature, human or otherwise.
There’s nothing I can do about it, so I do my best to enjoy it. After all, you have to pick your battles, and my gun makes it pretty easy to figure out which ones I can win. She's a lovely gun. Big, which is fine with me, because I need all the power she can muster. Nine custom rounds rotate through, each enchanted by my own self. Not as effective as a professional enchantment, but I get by, and it’s a hell of a lot cheaper.
The only light came from the muzzle flare of my pistol. They smothered my campfire long ago, leaving me with only the vaguest sense of where they were, occasionally silhouetted against the trees when I fired. They were big, looming over me, high into the crooked trees and the moonless sky behind them. Who could say how long tonight would last?
I try not to cast on Nights, because it just acts like more of a beacon than I already am, but sometimes it just can’t be helped. My chest burned as I threw up a Buffer against a sudden wave of creatures, but they tore it down before it hardly had time to help. I bit down and cast a Warding, felt my arm burn harshly in the wild energy of the new moon and felt the following cold cut its way through my flesh and deep into my bones. Popping the spent rounds out with my right hand, my left knitted itself into the Ward shape automatically, trained by years of habit. Now I’ve really done it, I thought, because I could practically sense them perk up from miles off, even without casting a Seeing. It worked, though, and I was given brief respite for my efforts. I’d sure as hell pay for it in about 10 minutes, but for now I needed to stop bleeding and deal with the sensation of a drill pressed to the back of my skull.
“Skippers,” I growled. I hated Skippers.
The problem with Skippers is they’re small, harder to notice than anything else, and instead of trying to take off your head they try to get into your head. From there they can do whatever they want while you watch- make you walk off a cliff, bite off your own tongue, flay yourself alive. Like I said, whatever they want, and they're usually pretty mean. I’d seen them really go to work on all sorts of people, mostly people I knew and trained with. Hazards of the job- sorcerous training let you see a whole new world, but it opened you up to the threats that lived there, more so than regular folk. I was in worse shape than most sorcerers, which was part of what put me out at Night in the first place. Luckily, I’m better than most sorcerers, but it still meant I had to be careful.
To get rid of a Skipper, all you have to do is burn them off with a little Light. I'd needed the break- 3 of them dripped out of me right away, and a fourth started to run down my back as it tried to escape.
“Bastard.” I struck it with the handle of the gun as it slithered away. No sense wasting ammo on idiots like that.
The Ward wavered, the Night grew around me, and I hadn't even had time to heal anything. Damn.
Sam watched from behind the counter as the man walked through the door. Under the door, rather, as he had to duck to keep from hitting his head. He was pale, very pale, unlike the merchantfolk that usually came through the inn. His face was covered by a bushy beard, his hair was long, and his eyes were rimmed with red, but he could certainly be no older than 40. It was strange- for someone to come in so early in the morning, and look so tired- he must have been traveling all night, but he had no horse to be stabled.
The stranger was an armory- small blades and strange, bulbous jars jutted out from pockets and packs all over the man, daggers strapped to his legs, and even metal nubs in the knuckles of his gloves. What caught Sam's attention, though, was the man's huge gun, strapped tightly to his waist. He had never seen a gun that big, and the ammunition the man was carrying in the sacks around his waist must have weighed heavily on him, though he showed no signs of it.
“What does it cost for a room?” His voice did not match the tired, worn image in front of him. It was firm, and had the sound of recent laughter in it.
“Let me get my mom.” Sam began, starting for the back room. He never handled rooms.
“That's alright. You'll do fine. How much?” The man pulled out a purse, smaller than the other bags on his belt, and it was clearly much lighter than anything else he carried. “I’d like to find a bed and use it.” His voice did not betray him, nor did his hands, but the redness of his eyes did. They were a startling blue, and they seemed to contain nothing except exhaustion.
“I need your name,” Sam remembered as he directed the giant stranger to his room. The man's eyes, just for an instant, darted to one side before returning to Sam.
“Joan,” he said.
“O-kay.” Sam jotted the name down. “Two nights, food at 7 and 7, anything else you pay for.” He began to walk the man down the hall. “Strange accent. Are you from Melano, or Baden?” He didn’t really know what those accents sounded like, but he knew they were far from Newmark.
“No.” Joan walked into the room indicated with no further comments.
Sam stopped at the door while the man called Joan dropped his bags to the floor. “What kinda gun is that?”
“Mine,” he said simply, as he unbundled it’s holster from his belt. “I make the ammunition myself most of the time.”
“It's impressive. My paw was a soldier, and he showed me his old gun once, only it was a lot smaller than yours, and all rusted out besides, but-" Sam stopped as the man removed his cloak. There was a bright gash, still oozing dark blood, working its way up the man's side behind the thick leather plates. “Holy cripes! You oughta see a doctor, sor!”
Joan gave no indication that he could even feel the wound, nor did he instantly react when the boy cried out. “This? It looks a lot worse than it is. Rest, and solitude,” and here he looked at Sam, “will do me more good than any doctor from this town.” He moved to close the door, and against Sam's protest seemed to shut him out with no effort at all.
He ran down the hall to inform his mother of their newest guest.
I didn’t want the kid to see what I had to do next. It really wasn’t that bad- on the outside. Because we put so much ourselves in the spiritual world, the physical world didn’t matter so much. But it’s all tradeoffs. It had cut a pretty chunk out of me spirit-wise, and that hurt worse than any gash could. Really, I was better off than most sorcerers would’ve been with a cut like this- I had less to lose. Doesn’t make it hurt any less, though.
I Worked a minor Healing, but anything more would’ve taken more out of me than I could hope to regain, so the rest had to be resigned to sleep. Stupid. I should never have let anything get that close anyway, but it seemed like the Skippers were going crazy last Night.
I was too tired even to dream. A small blessing.
Waking up was not pleasant- I was stiff and sore, and still hurting something fierce. And cold, of course. Always cold. The physical wound had scabbed over, and I figured I would get away with just a minor scar. My innards were still shredded, but marginally less so than before, so I could breathe without grimacing. I expected I’d be laid out for a few days yet. Lucky, since Night had just passed, so things would be calm for almost the entire month now.
Exhausted as I had been, I had no Wards up, nothing even blocking the door. Nice going. Practically begging for a stray to wander in and eat you. As I flipped the coin I’d lifted off the kid, I examined the room for anything that might have snuck in, but it was clear. This time.
It was around this point that I realized how hungry I was. It had been (what felt like) days without a hot meal, and apparently this podunk little inn could provide, so I wandered out to the main room to see if I could scare up some food.
When the kid saw me, his eyes widened. That’s never a good sign. Recognition meant questions, and the answers to those questions usually meant getting pushed to the next town before I had time to heal. I had been hoping to score a decent meal and a bath, at least.
Sam could hardly believe his eyes. “Criminy, sor, but I didn’t expect you to be up at all! It's barely been a day!” The cut had been bleeding heavily, and very deep, he was sure of it, but now the man was clean and walking as if he had never been injured.
The stranger called Joan sat heavily at a table, ignoring the implied question. “Any chance of a man getting some food around here?” He inquired. “Or, perhaps,” and he glanced at the barrels of ale behind the counter, “some drink?”
San quickly filled him a tankard and plate from supper earlier, then sat himself at the table, as the crowd in the room dwindled down to a late few. The man interested him. He did not seem to interest the man, however, as Joan simply ate and drank in silence, apparently unbothered by his wound. He was still pale, almost deathly so, but Sam had heard tell of people from far north being much lighter than the tanned workers of nearby towns.
“Are you a soldier?” Sam didn’t know much about the war to the south, but occasionally troops passed through, and he had heard his ma talk in the back room about an extra levy because the Northern Kingdoms were allied. “I never saw someone carry so many weapons that weren't a soldier. What are those jars you carry? Is that them new bombs they been talking about? With gunpowder, only you throw the jar so it’s like a cannonshot?” Sam did not know much about weapons, either, but he saw so few soldiers come through that he had to learn what he could, if he was going to join the war when he was of age.
“Sure, kid.” Joan tapped his empty tankard on the table and placed down the coin he had been flipping. Sam ran to fill it up again before sitting back down.
“So did you come from the southern border, where all the fights are? What's happening? Are we winning? We have all kinds of the Northern Kingdoms working together, right? We must be winning!”
“The southern border? No, no, I didn’t come from the southern border,” he snorted. “That whole war is just nonsense anyway. The Northern Kingdoms, in some alliance or another, have had it out for Onis since time began. Maybe even before. The war is just an excuse to keep the money rolling in. Seems like there’s less and less of it than ever.” He mumbled this last part into his cup.
“That’s- that’s not true!” Sam's pa had fought, same as Sam would. “The war is important! Onis could really invade anytime! Besides, you said you were a soldier. If you aren’t fighting in the war, how can you be a soldier?” Joan did not answer, but he reached for his sleeve for a moment as if to roll it up, then seemed to catch himself at the last second. Was he a deserter? “Are you a deserter?” Sam blurted out, realizing a second late that he was pushing his luck. Joan just tapped his mug again.
Sam's ma hurried over. “So sorry for this one, sor, he has a bad habit of being curious.” She cuffed him on the ear and it smarted.
“It's no problem, mam.” The stranger smiled warmly, but in his eyes there was nothing. It was a chilling sensation. “He fills my cup just fine.” His ma dragged him off before Sam could object, and Joan got up before Sam could return.
Broder laughed as he took Flander for another hand. Three hands up, he was, and showed no signs of slowing. He stopped, though, as a big man in a heavy cloak came to the table.
“Deal me in?” His voice, deep and rich, did not match the weathered exterior. The man was no farm hand, that much was clear. More a mercenary sort. Broder glanced around the table, but no one seemed to object outright, so he shrugged. One more fool for the best poker man in the west side of Newmark. “Promise I know the rules.”
“Can you make ante, pal?” Jaten sized him up from across the table, suspicious from the long, ratty hair sitting on his shoulders and the general sense of dirtiness emanating from the man. He didn't notice what Broder had seen- nice leather, warm coat, and firm shoes. The man had some money, at least.
“He's good for it, Jaten. What's your name, stranger?” Broder gestured at the empty space next to him as he began to deal the hands. The stranger threw his ante, and Broder couldn’t hear much left in the purse. The poor ones were easy to sucker in.
“Joan.”
“You from Onis or something, name like that?” Cogen sneered.
“Na, man, listen to his voice, he's from up in Lansing or summat.” Garrett spat. “You're pickin a fight so you don’t have to deal with your shite hand.”
“That's not true, mate! Maybe you ought to keep an eye on your own mess in front of ya!” Cogen threw in extra to compensate. They all knew each other, knew the tics and tells and habits, but this stranger would be interesting.
That was what Broder thought, but as they went round for a few hands, the stranger losing more than he won, it became clear he was just another sucker thinking he could smash the small town guys. He had seemed confident at first- smug, even- but Broder had moved in with a predatory efficiency and would not let up. He offered to buy a round for everyone, apparently hoping for mercy, or to dull them, but the man seemed to be getting a bit red in the nose much faster than the well-seasoned drinkers of the little town of Aren, where there was little else to do but work or drink, or play cards. Broder began to really work on Joan for everything he had left, preparing to take the man for anything he could offer. The game was boring, and Broder needed beer money, so he went to end the man entirely.
What Broder did not expect was for the man to turn his whole plan backwards by dropping a flush when he should’ve had nothing. That cleared the table pretty fast, and Broder noticed the man's nose was really not that red at all.
The hand was nonsense. He couldn't have won, couldn’t have had those cards. “Alright, pal, roll up your sleeves, eh? Just a friendly game, here, after all. No reason to stay all formal-like.” Broder saw the other men nod their approval.
“Are you sure? Isn’t it possible, just a little, that I might be better at the game than you?” Joan smirked, taunting the men.
“Roll those up in here or we'll roll em up for ya out back,” Cogen growled. He was the biggest, aside from the stranger himself, and had a knack for bar brawling.
“Alright. No need to get snippy that I beat you so bad.” Cogen almost stood, but Joan began to roll up his sleeves. Right, then left.
His left arm was covered up to the elbow in fresh burn scars- a bright, angry red. If Broder squinted, he could almost see fine lines tracing letters across the harshly burned skin, but he didn’t have to. He knew what he was looking at.
“You're a bloody wizard, ye stupid bastard!” Garrett exploded. “Ye- ye bastard! You used magic on our all heads, ye did!”
Joan's eyes darkened briefly, but he did not react.
“Garrett's got the right idea- who's to say you weren’t using magic trickery to win the game, eh? Seems like something your lot would do,” Jaten added smartly. “It seems only fair you give us back the money you stole.”
“In the interest of accuracy, I am a sorcerer. Wizards do not leave their little towers and their little books. Besides, if I had used any magic, why would I stop now?” The stranger pointed out. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just leave, or to make you forget you ever saw me?”
“Well- there are 4 of us! Maybe you couldn’t do us in all at once, eh?” Jaten shot back. There was a chorus of affirmation from the group. “Be honorable, man, just give us the money back.”
Joan rolled his sleeves down. “If I had wanted to,” he began quietly, gravel in his voice, “I could make you all give me your land, your wives, and your unborn sons and you wouldn’t even remember your names when I was done. I did not cheat,” he suddenly smiled. “You boys just suck at poker.”
“Now listen here, son,” Broder began. “You may be some wizard from up north-"
“East,” Joan interjected.
“You may be some fancy wizard from up north,” Broder continued, “but don’t think that means you can insult us small-town folk. We might not have your ‘education’ or what have you, but we know from poker.”
Joan sighed. “I am leaving town in two days. Leave me alone for those two days, and I will forget your names, faces, and the name of this backwater town you live in. I did not cheat you.” He looked each of them coldly in the eyes, and Broder saw that all the mirth and cheer that had been there earlier had been drained, replaced with nothingness. Not even hatred, or anger, but simply blank space. The stranger stood up with a groan, signaled for another round of drinks, and trudged to the back of the inn. None of the men followed.
I was lucky none of these farm hicks knew anything about casting, or else they’d have known I was bluffing. It didn’t seem like any of them could actually read my burns, because if they could’ve, they would’ve known I could only cast a couple Bindings, and that’s if I wasn’t hurting like hell.
What was most insulting, more than calling me a wizard, was that they thought I cheated to beat them at cards. I don’t need to cheat at cards. I had slipped a bit of coin out of their pockets as I brushed by, but that was hardly cheating. Just good, honest thievery. And to call me a wizard? I ought to burn down their houses anyway, just for that. I was cold just thinking about it.
Still, I had to accelerate my schedule and leave tonight. I hated to do it, but I needed to be three towns over by the time they decided to kick the shit out of me. Bastards.
Amidst my wrathful musings I became aware of a presence at the door.
It was that kid. What had he seen? I ran the scene over again and realized he had been watching the end from the table he had been cleaning. Sloppy. He'd tell everybody. I couldn’t kill a kid the way I would've those guys in front, and I didn’t want to besides. Kids have always had a hold on me, and it pissed me off. It wasn't like I could remember why. Besides, I didn’t exactly mind the town knowing; it just meant I’d have a tougher time sneaking out, and I was tired enough that it bugged me.
“Sor?” He nudged the door open, but not all the way, I noticed. “I saw your tattoo. What do they mean? My ma said not to ask, but those men seemed pretty upset out there. I asked them and they said you was a wizard, but I didn’t think they were real. Are you a wizard? Are those tattoos your clan or something?” He spoke fast, like he thought I would cut him off, or cut off his head. “What are you doing?”
I spoke carefully to mask my distaste for his questions. “I am not a wizard. Wizards hide in their towers and ask questions nobody is curious about.” I hoped the dismissal would be clear.
It was not.
“If you aren’t a wizard, what are you?”
“What I am right now, kid, is packing, and what I’m going to be in a minute is gone. Scram.” I looked around and realized that aside from the bags I could clip to my belt, I had nothing else with me. Damn.
“Well, whatever you are, sor, I know those marks mean you're bound to help people-" that wasn’t true “-and those men out there maybe won’t tell you, but I will! See, sor, we're in mighty need of a wizard these days, on account of a monster been stealing the livestock and trashing the lumber yards and-" he slowed his speech a bit, but before I could get a word in he continued- “and I think it took the Granlenses daughter, only cause they won’t tell anyone where she went but I haven’t seen her in town at all and she used to come help me with my chores some days and it’s been a long while, maybe a month or so. Anyway, nobody’ll believe me when I tell em, and I haven’t seen it exactly, but I’m sure there’s a monster!”
“Kid, you know not every stroke of bad luck is a monster, right?” People don’t believe in monsters or magic until it’s convenient for them, which means they know nothing about it, which means most of the time they’re just making up stories to get me killed or run off, or else they’re just plain dumb and attribute every case of rainy weather to a made up beast.
“I know that! I just know there’s a monster around here! Look, sor, I’ll help you find it even, and-"
“I charge for my services and I don’t take kids on field trips when I work. Are you going to pay me?” Most of the time, threat of payment was enough to deter all but the most determined, or most superstitious, folk.
“I bet if you kill it the whole town will pitch in! Please, sor, I just wanna help out, and it seems like you could fix us all up only nobody wants to ask.” He wasn’t lying, I could tell, but kids are always seeing things that aren’t there. On the other hand, sometimes kids are better at seeing what’s right in front of them.
And when it turned out to be nothing, it meant I had an excuse to stay an extra night without getting an attempted beating, probably.
“Alright, kid. Where was this monster last?” Hired by a kid who probably couldn’t even get on a horse on his own. If anyone caught wind of this, I’d never hear the end of it.
submitted by dbwip to shortstories [link] [comments]
I had been out on a moonless night for days. Most people can’t tell, but once you're trained, you can- Darkness loves darkness. She likes to stretch her time out as long as she's possibly able. Everyone wants to spend time with kindred spirits. It’s nature, human or otherwise.
There’s nothing I can do about it, so I do my best to enjoy it. After all, you have to pick your battles, and my gun makes it pretty easy to figure out which ones I can win. She's a lovely gun. Big, which is fine with me, because I need all the power she can muster. Nine custom rounds rotate through, each enchanted by my own self. Not as effective as a professional enchantment, but I get by, and it’s a hell of a lot cheaper.
The only light came from the muzzle flare of my pistol. They smothered my campfire long ago, leaving me with only the vaguest sense of where they were, occasionally silhouetted against the trees when I fired. They were big, looming over me, high into the crooked trees and the moonless sky behind them. Who could say how long tonight would last?
I try not to cast on Nights, because it just acts like more of a beacon than I already am, but sometimes it just can’t be helped. My chest burned as I threw up a Buffer against a sudden wave of creatures, but they tore it down before it hardly had time to help. I bit down and cast a Warding, felt my arm burn harshly in the wild energy of the new moon and felt the following cold cut its way through my flesh and deep into my bones. Popping the spent rounds out with my right hand, my left knitted itself into the Ward shape automatically, trained by years of habit. Now I’ve really done it, I thought, because I could practically sense them perk up from miles off, even without casting a Seeing. It worked, though, and I was given brief respite for my efforts. I’d sure as hell pay for it in about 10 minutes, but for now I needed to stop bleeding and deal with the sensation of a drill pressed to the back of my skull.
“Skippers,” I growled. I hated Skippers.
The problem with Skippers is they’re small, harder to notice than anything else, and instead of trying to take off your head they try to get into your head. From there they can do whatever they want while you watch- make you walk off a cliff, bite off your own tongue, flay yourself alive. Like I said, whatever they want, and they're usually pretty mean. I’d seen them really go to work on all sorts of people, mostly people I knew and trained with. Hazards of the job- sorcerous training let you see a whole new world, but it opened you up to the threats that lived there, more so than regular folk. I was in worse shape than most sorcerers, which was part of what put me out at Night in the first place. Luckily, I’m better than most sorcerers, but it still meant I had to be careful.
To get rid of a Skipper, all you have to do is burn them off with a little Light. I'd needed the break- 3 of them dripped out of me right away, and a fourth started to run down my back as it tried to escape.
“Bastard.” I struck it with the handle of the gun as it slithered away. No sense wasting ammo on idiots like that.
The Ward wavered, the Night grew around me, and I hadn't even had time to heal anything. Damn.
Sam watched from behind the counter as the man walked through the door. Under the door, rather, as he had to duck to keep from hitting his head. He was pale, very pale, unlike the merchantfolk that usually came through the inn. His face was covered by a bushy beard, his hair was long, and his eyes were rimmed with red, but he could certainly be no older than 40. It was strange- for someone to come in so early in the morning, and look so tired- he must have been traveling all night, but he had no horse to be stabled.
The stranger was an armory- small blades and strange, bulbous jars jutted out from pockets and packs all over the man, daggers strapped to his legs, and even metal nubs in the knuckles of his gloves. What caught Sam's attention, though, was the man's huge gun, strapped tightly to his waist. He had never seen a gun that big, and the ammunition the man was carrying in the sacks around his waist must have weighed heavily on him, though he showed no signs of it.
“What does it cost for a room?” His voice did not match the tired, worn image in front of him. It was firm, and had the sound of recent laughter in it.
“Let me get my mom.” Sam began, starting for the back room. He never handled rooms.
“That's alright. You'll do fine. How much?” The man pulled out a purse, smaller than the other bags on his belt, and it was clearly much lighter than anything else he carried. “I’d like to find a bed and use it.” His voice did not betray him, nor did his hands, but the redness of his eyes did. They were a startling blue, and they seemed to contain nothing except exhaustion.
“I need your name,” Sam remembered as he directed the giant stranger to his room. The man's eyes, just for an instant, darted to one side before returning to Sam.
“Joan,” he said.
“O-kay.” Sam jotted the name down. “Two nights, food at 7 and 7, anything else you pay for.” He began to walk the man down the hall. “Strange accent. Are you from Melano, or Baden?” He didn’t really know what those accents sounded like, but he knew they were far from Newmark.
“No.” Joan walked into the room indicated with no further comments.
Sam stopped at the door while the man called Joan dropped his bags to the floor. “What kinda gun is that?”
“Mine,” he said simply, as he unbundled it’s holster from his belt. “I make the ammunition myself most of the time.”
“It's impressive. My paw was a soldier, and he showed me his old gun once, only it was a lot smaller than yours, and all rusted out besides, but-" Sam stopped as the man removed his cloak. There was a bright gash, still oozing dark blood, working its way up the man's side behind the thick leather plates. “Holy cripes! You oughta see a doctor, sor!”
Joan gave no indication that he could even feel the wound, nor did he instantly react when the boy cried out. “This? It looks a lot worse than it is. Rest, and solitude,” and here he looked at Sam, “will do me more good than any doctor from this town.” He moved to close the door, and against Sam's protest seemed to shut him out with no effort at all.
He ran down the hall to inform his mother of their newest guest.
I didn’t want the kid to see what I had to do next. It really wasn’t that bad- on the outside. Because we put so much ourselves in the spiritual world, the physical world didn’t matter so much. But it’s all tradeoffs. It had cut a pretty chunk out of me spirit-wise, and that hurt worse than any gash could. Really, I was better off than most sorcerers would’ve been with a cut like this- I had less to lose. Doesn’t make it hurt any less, though.
I Worked a minor Healing, but anything more would’ve taken more out of me than I could hope to regain, so the rest had to be resigned to sleep. Stupid. I should never have let anything get that close anyway, but it seemed like the Skippers were going crazy last Night.
I was too tired even to dream. A small blessing.
Waking up was not pleasant- I was stiff and sore, and still hurting something fierce. And cold, of course. Always cold. The physical wound had scabbed over, and I figured I would get away with just a minor scar. My innards were still shredded, but marginally less so than before, so I could breathe without grimacing. I expected I’d be laid out for a few days yet. Lucky, since Night had just passed, so things would be calm for almost the entire month now.
Exhausted as I had been, I had no Wards up, nothing even blocking the door. Nice going. Practically begging for a stray to wander in and eat you. As I flipped the coin I’d lifted off the kid, I examined the room for anything that might have snuck in, but it was clear. This time.
It was around this point that I realized how hungry I was. It had been (what felt like) days without a hot meal, and apparently this podunk little inn could provide, so I wandered out to the main room to see if I could scare up some food.
When the kid saw me, his eyes widened. That’s never a good sign. Recognition meant questions, and the answers to those questions usually meant getting pushed to the next town before I had time to heal. I had been hoping to score a decent meal and a bath, at least.
Sam could hardly believe his eyes. “Criminy, sor, but I didn’t expect you to be up at all! It's barely been a day!” The cut had been bleeding heavily, and very deep, he was sure of it, but now the man was clean and walking as if he had never been injured.
The stranger called Joan sat heavily at a table, ignoring the implied question. “Any chance of a man getting some food around here?” He inquired. “Or, perhaps,” and he glanced at the barrels of ale behind the counter, “some drink?”
San quickly filled him a tankard and plate from supper earlier, then sat himself at the table, as the crowd in the room dwindled down to a late few. The man interested him. He did not seem to interest the man, however, as Joan simply ate and drank in silence, apparently unbothered by his wound. He was still pale, almost deathly so, but Sam had heard tell of people from far north being much lighter than the tanned workers of nearby towns.
“Are you a soldier?” Sam didn’t know much about the war to the south, but occasionally troops passed through, and he had heard his ma talk in the back room about an extra levy because the Northern Kingdoms were allied. “I never saw someone carry so many weapons that weren't a soldier. What are those jars you carry? Is that them new bombs they been talking about? With gunpowder, only you throw the jar so it’s like a cannonshot?” Sam did not know much about weapons, either, but he saw so few soldiers come through that he had to learn what he could, if he was going to join the war when he was of age.
“Sure, kid.” Joan tapped his empty tankard on the table and placed down the coin he had been flipping. Sam ran to fill it up again before sitting back down.
“So did you come from the southern border, where all the fights are? What's happening? Are we winning? We have all kinds of the Northern Kingdoms working together, right? We must be winning!”
“The southern border? No, no, I didn’t come from the southern border,” he snorted. “That whole war is just nonsense anyway. The Northern Kingdoms, in some alliance or another, have had it out for Onis since time began. Maybe even before. The war is just an excuse to keep the money rolling in. Seems like there’s less and less of it than ever.” He mumbled this last part into his cup.
“That’s- that’s not true!” Sam's pa had fought, same as Sam would. “The war is important! Onis could really invade anytime! Besides, you said you were a soldier. If you aren’t fighting in the war, how can you be a soldier?” Joan did not answer, but he reached for his sleeve for a moment as if to roll it up, then seemed to catch himself at the last second. Was he a deserter? “Are you a deserter?” Sam blurted out, realizing a second late that he was pushing his luck. Joan just tapped his mug again.
Sam's ma hurried over. “So sorry for this one, sor, he has a bad habit of being curious.” She cuffed him on the ear and it smarted.
“It's no problem, mam.” The stranger smiled warmly, but in his eyes there was nothing. It was a chilling sensation. “He fills my cup just fine.” His ma dragged him off before Sam could object, and Joan got up before Sam could return.
Broder laughed as he took Flander for another hand. Three hands up, he was, and showed no signs of slowing. He stopped, though, as a big man in a heavy cloak came to the table.
“Deal me in?” His voice, deep and rich, did not match the weathered exterior. The man was no farm hand, that much was clear. More a mercenary sort. Broder glanced around the table, but no one seemed to object outright, so he shrugged. One more fool for the best poker man in the west side of Newmark. “Promise I know the rules.”
“Can you make ante, pal?” Jaten sized him up from across the table, suspicious from the long, ratty hair sitting on his shoulders and the general sense of dirtiness emanating from the man. He didn't notice what Broder had seen- nice leather, warm coat, and firm shoes. The man had some money, at least.
“He's good for it, Jaten. What's your name, stranger?” Broder gestured at the empty space next to him as he began to deal the hands. The stranger threw his ante, and Broder couldn’t hear much left in the purse. The poor ones were easy to sucker in.
“Joan.”
“You from Onis or something, name like that?” Cogen sneered.
“Na, man, listen to his voice, he's from up in Lansing or summat.” Garrett spat. “You're pickin a fight so you don’t have to deal with your shite hand.”
“That's not true, mate! Maybe you ought to keep an eye on your own mess in front of ya!” Cogen threw in extra to compensate. They all knew each other, knew the tics and tells and habits, but this stranger would be interesting.
That was what Broder thought, but as they went round for a few hands, the stranger losing more than he won, it became clear he was just another sucker thinking he could smash the small town guys. He had seemed confident at first- smug, even- but Broder had moved in with a predatory efficiency and would not let up. He offered to buy a round for everyone, apparently hoping for mercy, or to dull them, but the man seemed to be getting a bit red in the nose much faster than the well-seasoned drinkers of the little town of Aren, where there was little else to do but work or drink, or play cards. Broder began to really work on Joan for everything he had left, preparing to take the man for anything he could offer. The game was boring, and Broder needed beer money, so he went to end the man entirely.
What Broder did not expect was for the man to turn his whole plan backwards by dropping a flush when he should’ve had nothing. That cleared the table pretty fast, and Broder noticed the man's nose was really not that red at all.
The hand was nonsense. He couldn't have won, couldn’t have had those cards. “Alright, pal, roll up your sleeves, eh? Just a friendly game, here, after all. No reason to stay all formal-like.” Broder saw the other men nod their approval.
“Are you sure? Isn’t it possible, just a little, that I might be better at the game than you?” Joan smirked, taunting the men.
“Roll those up in here or we'll roll em up for ya out back,” Cogen growled. He was the biggest, aside from the stranger himself, and had a knack for bar brawling.
“Alright. No need to get snippy that I beat you so bad.” Cogen almost stood, but Joan began to roll up his sleeves. Right, then left.
His left arm was covered up to the elbow in fresh burn scars- a bright, angry red. If Broder squinted, he could almost see fine lines tracing letters across the harshly burned skin, but he didn’t have to. He knew what he was looking at.
“You're a bloody wizard, ye stupid bastard!” Garrett exploded. “Ye- ye bastard! You used magic on our all heads, ye did!”
Joan's eyes darkened briefly, but he did not react.
“Garrett's got the right idea- who's to say you weren’t using magic trickery to win the game, eh? Seems like something your lot would do,” Jaten added smartly. “It seems only fair you give us back the money you stole.”
“In the interest of accuracy, I am a sorcerer. Wizards do not leave their little towers and their little books. Besides, if I had used any magic, why would I stop now?” The stranger pointed out. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just leave, or to make you forget you ever saw me?”
“Well- there are 4 of us! Maybe you couldn’t do us in all at once, eh?” Jaten shot back. There was a chorus of affirmation from the group. “Be honorable, man, just give us the money back.”
Joan rolled his sleeves down. “If I had wanted to,” he began quietly, gravel in his voice, “I could make you all give me your land, your wives, and your unborn sons and you wouldn’t even remember your names when I was done. I did not cheat,” he suddenly smiled. “You boys just suck at poker.”
“Now listen here, son,” Broder began. “You may be some wizard from up north-"
“East,” Joan interjected.
“You may be some fancy wizard from up north,” Broder continued, “but don’t think that means you can insult us small-town folk. We might not have your ‘education’ or what have you, but we know from poker.”
Joan sighed. “I am leaving town in two days. Leave me alone for those two days, and I will forget your names, faces, and the name of this backwater town you live in. I did not cheat you.” He looked each of them coldly in the eyes, and Broder saw that all the mirth and cheer that had been there earlier had been drained, replaced with nothingness. Not even hatred, or anger, but simply blank space. The stranger stood up with a groan, signaled for another round of drinks, and trudged to the back of the inn. None of the men followed.
I was lucky none of these farm hicks knew anything about casting, or else they’d have known I was bluffing. It didn’t seem like any of them could actually read my burns, because if they could’ve, they would’ve known I could only cast a couple Bindings, and that’s if I wasn’t hurting like hell.
What was most insulting, more than calling me a wizard, was that they thought I cheated to beat them at cards. I don’t need to cheat at cards. I had slipped a bit of coin out of their pockets as I brushed by, but that was hardly cheating. Just good, honest thievery. And to call me a wizard? I ought to burn down their houses anyway, just for that. I was cold just thinking about it.
Still, I had to accelerate my schedule and leave tonight. I hated to do it, but I needed to be three towns over by the time they decided to kick the shit out of me. Bastards.
Amidst my wrathful musings I became aware of a presence at the door.
It was that kid. What had he seen? I ran the scene over again and realized he had been watching the end from the table he had been cleaning. Sloppy. He'd tell everybody. I couldn’t kill a kid the way I would've those guys in front, and I didn’t want to besides. Kids have always had a hold on me, and it pissed me off. It wasn't like I could remember why. Besides, I didn’t exactly mind the town knowing; it just meant I’d have a tougher time sneaking out, and I was tired enough that it bugged me.
“Sor?” He nudged the door open, but not all the way, I noticed. “I saw your tattoo. What do they mean? My ma said not to ask, but those men seemed pretty upset out there. I asked them and they said you was a wizard, but I didn’t think they were real. Are you a wizard? Are those tattoos your clan or something?” He spoke fast, like he thought I would cut him off, or cut off his head. “What are you doing?”
I spoke carefully to mask my distaste for his questions. “I am not a wizard. Wizards hide in their towers and ask questions nobody is curious about.” I hoped the dismissal would be clear.
It was not.
“If you aren’t a wizard, what are you?”
“What I am right now, kid, is packing, and what I’m going to be in a minute is gone. Scram.” I looked around and realized that aside from the bags I could clip to my belt, I had nothing else with me. Damn.
“Well, whatever you are, sor, I know those marks mean you're bound to help people-" that wasn’t true “-and those men out there maybe won’t tell you, but I will! See, sor, we're in mighty need of a wizard these days, on account of a monster been stealing the livestock and trashing the lumber yards and-" he slowed his speech a bit, but before I could get a word in he continued- “and I think it took the Granlenses daughter, only cause they won’t tell anyone where she went but I haven’t seen her in town at all and she used to come help me with my chores some days and it’s been a long while, maybe a month or so. Anyway, nobody’ll believe me when I tell em, and I haven’t seen it exactly, but I’m sure there’s a monster!”
“Kid, you know not every stroke of bad luck is a monster, right?” People don’t believe in monsters or magic until it’s convenient for them, which means they know nothing about it, which means most of the time they’re just making up stories to get me killed or run off, or else they’re just plain dumb and attribute every case of rainy weather to a made up beast.
“I know that! I just know there’s a monster around here! Look, sor, I’ll help you find it even, and-"
“I charge for my services and I don’t take kids on field trips when I work. Are you going to pay me?” Most of the time, threat of payment was enough to deter all but the most determined, or most superstitious, folk.
“I bet if you kill it the whole town will pitch in! Please, sor, I just wanna help out, and it seems like you could fix us all up only nobody wants to ask.” He wasn’t lying, I could tell, but kids are always seeing things that aren’t there. On the other hand, sometimes kids are better at seeing what’s right in front of them.
And when it turned out to be nothing, it meant I had an excuse to stay an extra night without getting an attempted beating, probably.
“Alright, kid. Where was this monster last?” Hired by a kid who probably couldn’t even get on a horse on his own. If anyone caught wind of this, I’d never hear the end of it.
2024.05.13 17:00 BruhEmperor Presidential Term of Adna Chaffee (1901-1905) American Interflow Timeline
 | (Writer's Note: Understanding this summary will require previous knowledge of the posts about Chaffee's foreign and domestic policies. Any reference that needs past context will be linked to their respective posts) submitted by BruhEmperor to Presidentialpoll [link] [comments] “Until the ends of the earth we shall fight for our values, our freedom, our sovereignty, and by the grace of Almighty God, America and its people shall triumph forevermore.” - Adna Chaffee in his inaugural address Adna Chaffee’s Cabinet Vice President - George B. McClellan Jr. Secretary of State - Champ Clark Secretary of the Treasury - Elihu Root Secretary of War - Robert F. Broussard Postmaster General - Robert Borden Secretary of the Navy - George E. Chamberlain (resigned March 1903) Frederick Eaton Secretary of the Interior - Jim Hogg Attorney General - Philander C. Knox Secretary of Sustenance - Moses Kinkaid Secretary of Public Safety - Edward Carmack Secretary of Labor and Employment - George Westinghouse Fearing The Chaffean Cabal Hancock D.C., United States of America, February 4, 1901 “Mr. Moody, the gravity of this situation is straining to members of the opposition.” “I agree to your sentiment, but forming an administration such as this is in total legal power of the president. We may oppose these appointments in Congress, but as long the Patriots have the majority of confidence in the chambers, our voices are irrelevant. All we can hope is for moderacy to prevail. The Speaker of the House and Senator Wanamaker has already voiced the totality of his support for the president’s selection. Mr. Hanly, we cannot expect us to be victorious in blocking this new cabinet, especially as public pressure demands of us approval for a functioning government. May you read the list aloud again?” “For State, James Beauchamp Clark of Missouri. Treasury, Elihu Root of New York. War, Robert Broussard of Louisiana. Postmaster General, Robert Borden of Nova Scotia. Navy, George Chamberlain of Mississippi. Attorney General, Philander Knox of Pennsylvania. Interior, Jim Hogg of Texas. Sustenance, Moses Kinkaid of Dakota. Public Safety, Edward Carmack of Tennessee. Labor and Employment, George Westinghouse of Pennsylvania. Never since the Barnum administration has a presidential administration been so clearly partisan. These men hold very extreme, reformist, and hawkish views, the country will veer very far off from what President Custer created.” “chuckles, Alas, we can do nothing but do our work here in the House of Representatives. Perhaps, we should not fear this for now.” “sighs, If that that is what your mind is speaking to you, then I cannot oppose it. After all, we are now partners in opposition.” The previous Custer administration had been marred by the Bryan-Russell rivalry which split the old presidential cabinet in pieces. It was custom that presidential cabinets be diverse in order to please either side of a political debate. As the old administration left, it was expected that a similar status-quo structure would be put in place to appease both hawkish hardliners and isolationist reformists, however the end result was far from that thought. The Chaffee administration was packed solely with so-called “ruffian” individuals, those who held interventionist, nationalist, social reformist, and near imperialistic philosophies. Cabinet members such as Champ Clark, Robert F. Broussard, Moses Kinkaid, and George Westinghouse were chosen due to their alignment with a ‘Chaffean’ belief. The more ‘reactionary’ members such as Vice President McClellan, Jim Hogg, George E. Chamberlain, and Edward Carmack still mostly held firm in their loyalty to the administration. The more ‘reformist’ column which included Elihu Root, Robert Borden, and Philander Knox, though more likely to be uncomfortable with the actions of the other cliques, still abided by the circle as a whole. Though terrifying for his political opponents, this powerful administration would be a blessing to the president himself, smoothing the path to get actions done. President Chaffee during a visit to the Philippine Islands after the German negotiations The Great Axe Upon the axing of the ‘bloated’ bureaucratic Custerite system, the government experienced the first surplus in budget in decades. These policies were mainly devised by the machinations of Secretary Elihu Root and Attorney General Philander Knox. Many of the departments and sub departments created by the old administration were either merged, reassigned, or eliminated entirely. Funds for government-instituted programs were reallocated into the economic restructuring and control funds, killing off many public programs. Attorney General Knox took a much harder stance on monopolies and repealed many of the protections handed to them by the Custer administration. Working with Secretary Carmack, the monetary ventures of these companies were now monitored by Bureau of Public Safety, and often threatened government intervention if practices were not up to standard. To the dismay of many radical anti-monopolists, the administration refrained from breaking up these monopolies and they continued to grow their empires that spanned the entire country, only now with increased government surveillance. On the other hand, new policies empowered small business and funds were reallocated to support non-monopoly affiliated business. Though these small business finally did detach themselves from the shadow of monopolies, in many areas competition remained harsh of them as the larger and more wealthy corporations dominated consumers. Secretary Knox at work In an attempted to stir back competition, Congress passed the Roosevelt-Garfield Bill in May 1902, penned by Representative Theodore Roosevelt of New York and Senator James R. Garfield of Ohio. The bill capped the wealth and support received by regional wings of corporations in “designated developing areas”. Harsh fines and possible shutdowns were imposed to any that tried disobey or cheat the law. Domestic American business saw a more competitive landscape throughout the coming years, though the wealth gap between big and small business still widened. The Prince of the World In a recent news report posted in the Hartford Courant, an interview with esteemed writer and author Mark Twain in February of 1903 caught the attention of many. The interviewer asked Twain a question regarding his past comments about President Chaffee, “In less than 10 words, how would you describe the foreign policy of the president.”. Twain paused for a moment and responded, “Ambition to a near toxic degree.”. Twain coined the term “Chaffean Policy”, and his sentiments were shared by most of the President Chaffee’s critics in foreign policy. Chaffee famously declared in his tantalizing second round campaign speech that he would find America’s place under the sun. To most, Chaffee would deliver on that promise in a mere few years. America would achieve these feats quick and ambitiously. The American military occupation of Fujian Province and its establishment as part of the American sphere of influence was a victory to those who sought to expand American prowess in the Fat East. The American intervention to support the Filipino republics against the Germans who acquired the Spanish Philippines empowered the anti-German nationalists. The incidents at Manchuria and the souring of Russo-American relations bowed in favor of those who saw the Russians as autocratic tyrants. The establishment of American representation and interests in the Congo General Administration pleased the African opportunists. The quashing of the protests in Bahia Blanca strengthened those who wished to expand influence in South America. The US even demanded that the Argentine protestors be harshly punished by the Argentine government, which stirred the country's public even more. All in all, one group was certainly ecstatic of foreign policy the new administration was veering towards, the nationalist-imperialists. American-administered railway construction in the Congo General Administration These policy gave Chaffee’s administration immense bi-partisan support from the imperialists of the political spectrum. After the US was able to negotiate with the Germans not to continue their conquest of the Philippine Islands, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge would praise the president’s policies in a speech. “Never before has America shined so brightly to all societies of the world. Each step we take, we walk closer to the golden throne of a perfect civilization. There we shall take our rightful place as Prince of the World, under the service of the Lord, our God and Christ the Savior.”. The President himself was consistent in his constant declares of “American Sovereignty” against the grand foes that seek to dismantle it. Though notoriously less rambunctious and outgoing than his predecessor, Chaffee’s rare appearances gained much fanfare to his supporters, especially if he spoke out directly to them. The opposition continued to oppose these policies, the radicals and anti-imperialists joining forces to counteract the nationalist machine. Representative Hiram Johnson would try to push for an impeachment for Secretary Carmack, due to his actions in Bahia Blanca that led thousands deported, though his efforts fell flat. To the wider public, imperialism was either a non-concern or a broad support. A majority of American would not oppose these policies, most of them saying it was for the betterment of American prestige and international power. Mass deportation of Argentine war immigrants back to Argentina With fears that a possible conflict may stir up between the US and any other nation, Chaffee ordered Secretary of War Broussard and the War Department to hastily prepare a last resort war plans in case of war with every single major power in the world stage. Acknowledge the gargantuan task of defeating any major powers, the war plans describes very desperate and depraved tactics, such as using chemical warfare and bombarding international shipping. The plans would also describe the spoils of war that the US would seize if they were the win against their foes. Broussard's plans were kept top secret and never showed publicly, though many rumors got out and spread throughout the rooms of lawmakers, however those rumors was mostly either dismissed or sidelined by the general public and basically unknown to the rest of the world. The Disobedient Son While feelings of American expansionism were warm at home, abroad it utterly enraged many. In a golden room in a place in Berlin, Philipp, Prince of Eulenberg, after his meeting with George von Lengerke Meyer regarding the Philippines, told Vice Chancellor Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner, “Americans are a brash and egomaniacal people. Always seeking glory, but never willing to sacrifice. Their great leaders of old, Hancock, Clay, Hale, would weep at the sight of this nation that stands before us.”. The Kaiserreich was increasingly growing ambitious and hostile policy in the world stage. Along with her ally, the British Empire, they counterbalanced the Franco-Russian Entente for supremacy on the world stage. Woes for a conflict were already brewing in Europe. In the German-aligned Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia (informally the Kingdom of Illryia), tension was growing with the Russophile Balkan-Slavic intelligentsia and the German ruling class, reigned by Bernhard von Saxe-Meiningen, or by his regal name King Konstantin I. A military arms race between the French and the Germans continues to flare up as both vie to be the premier continental power. The Germans would still hold claim the mostly ethnically and linguistically German Rhineland, which had been handed to the French after the Napoleonic Wars. The British and the French would compete for their massive colonial empires, seeking to establish dominance as the greatest empire in history. It didn’t help that Secretary of State Clark openly denounced the “colonial competition” of the French and the British, saying it put global peace in jeopardy. Clark sent multiple letters to UK Prime Ministers Robert Gascoyne-Cecil and Charles Spencer denouncing the UK’s policy of “encroachment”, stating that wherever the French sought to spread influence, the British would follow. The Franco-British \"Great Game\" would distract both governments from fully decrying the US The United States would be viewed as a bumbling yet dangerously ambitious nation, one that the Germans sought to keep passive and behaved. The US had aligned neither with the Franco-Russian nor the Anglo-German alliance, historically holding a famed neutral stance in global squabbles. However as President Chaffee’s more hawkish foreign policy began to soar the US above what the foreign empires expected, those nations began to antagonize the Americans. Even the French, who have a merely professionally lukewarm relationship with the US, began to get anxious. French Prime Minister Georges Picquart would describe the American foreign policy as “…inherently hostile to all non-Americans.”. Though no foreign nation would threaten military action against the US, the sentiments established would lead to many nations seeking American to stay put during foreign affairs. The Argentine public particularly had a rabid distain for the US. After their loss in the war, Argentina would suffer crippling economic conditions, further exacerbated by their political divisions and lack of national confidence. The new Argentine president sought to rebound relations with the US, which angered many of the populace who demanded to cut off relations from their former foe. The growing hostility of these nations was apparent to many in the government, though their reactions were muted and unenthusiastic. Most simply shrugged this concern off as unimportant. Senator Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., recently appointed to the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, would state “The hostility and discrediting from foreign governments against the United States is matters that that foreign government solely has dictation over. Our government has no command over that they may say or do.” Holmes' address was met with cheers from the chambers. The things he allows... The first Chaffee cabinet would be one of the most politically powerful and influential administrations in American history. Coordinating excessive actions such as the expulsion of all Argentine immigrants, the grand “War on Crime”, the exaltation of the Hancockian Corps, and the detachment from the gold standard to fiat currency. Secretary of Labor and Employment Westinghouse moved ambitious yet business-friendly employment policies. Westinghouse imposed many policies that benefited the technological sector of the market, and many technological feats were aided by and complete by Westinghouse’s investments. Westinghouse’s company went beyond electricity and aided in the creation of groundbreaking inventions. Such as the “Whirl-craft”, the first American flying helicopter in 1903. Westinghouse would be a common figure of criticism by opponents. As the Housing Crisis continued and the costs of housing continued to be high, Westinghouse’s department was criticized in their inaction. Many saw that it was Westinghouse’s job to combat the issue, yet he did little to address the problem. Secretary Westinghouse was a patron of rapid technological advancement Secretary of Sustenance Kinkaid helped to imposed the “Market-by-Market” system. The government would classify a business based on their productivity, general environment, and profits. With the data collected, they get classified as either THRIVING, COMFORTABLE, or IN JEOPARDY. Based on their classification, it would determine the amount of aid and support they would receive from their local governments. While this system did revive thousands of small businesses that were on the brink of collapse, certain opportunistic administrators would forcibly close down IN JEOPARDY business that cut costs that would go in supporting them. States like Illinois and California would be the most notorious for their business shutdowns, as dictated by their local governments. Many local officials would get canned by their involving in this practice, such as Milwaukee Mayor David Rose, who shutdown many business in the city. Local legislators across the country would always try to push or support the practice of the man on top. Elsewhere however, such as in Texas and Virginia, local business thrived under the system. Someone who didn't thrive was a particular John D. Rockefeller, who was enraged that the government seemed to discriminate against his businesses. Rockefeller wrote in an open letter that "...no fair ground and no consistent market means no capital and no benefits for all.". Most notorious out of all Chaffee’s cabinet was Public Safety Secretary Edward Carmack. Feared by both politician and civilian alike. The Bureau of Public Safety, called by John D. Rockefeller as the “Carmack Machine”, struck hard on the criminal civilian population. Carmack’s 6-year “War on Crime” envisioned a United States free of the crime and instability ridden tenures of the past, going as strict as possible on any wrongdoers. With the Hancockian Corps in his pocket, it was common sight for BPS agents or the local Hancockian chapter to chase down people on the streets accused with simple crimes. One heavily publicized case involved a 27-year old man, who was brutally beaten after being apprehended for a property damage charge. Carmack’s “masterplan” faced its major opponents and supporters nationwide. Nativist figures that supported his expulsion of the Argentine immigrants such as Representatives James K. Vardaman and John Temple Graves supported Carmack. Those who sought to combat monopoly and corruption power, which Carmack worked heavily to oppose, supported him, such as Representatives Oscar Underwood and William Sulzer and Senators Henry Cabot Lodge and Joseph W. Bailey. Opposing the BPS were the likes of Senators Eugene Debs, Anselm McLaurin, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., Marion Butler Representatives Theodore Roosevelt and Francis Bellamy, and Governor Henry George Jr.. All would oppose Carmack for their own person reasons but united in their opposition. On October 1903, all mentioned would sign the “Declaration of National Renouncement”, documents declaration their oppose to the BPS’ handling of national crime, and demanded the resignation of Secretary Carmack and multiple others in the bureau. The declaration would fail in removing Carmack, though it succeeding in bringing the issue to the public spotlight. Secretary Carmack was one of the polarizing people in the Chaffee government The public became polarized in their opinions of the War on Crime. The Boston Custer Society, one of the largest public players of President Custer’s tenure, opposed the BPS and their operations. The BSC had already been frustrated at President Chaffee’s attempts at dismantling the Custerite Society and sought to keep the structure created by their patron. The Association for Social Co-operation also opposed the BPS, and especially the Hancockian Corps. Jacob Coxey and his followers would raise $12,000 to victims of “BPS brutality”, as well as holding their common rallies against government policies. Many also supported the BPS’ efforts, particularly war veterans who were granted added benefits directly by Carmack’s department, as well finding employment through the Hanockians. Carmack starkly told reporters outside the Capitol that "...all may curse me as they wish, but all men bow before the same divine judgement." The Hero and the Villain SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE "PRESIDENT CHAFFEE CELEBRATES THIRD YEAR OF PRESIDENCY IN LOS ANGELES" by Vincent Uba, March 4, 1904. "Almost 100,000 cheering supporters watched on today as the President rode around San Francisco celebrating his third year in office... Accompanied by Vice President George McClellan, Secretary of State Champ Clark, and Secretary to the President and his son Adna Chaffee Jr., signs were raised bearing the names of the members of his administration... Behind all the cheers and excitement, many in the city— and the wider country, wonder if the President would dare to march on into a second term as his enemies begin scheme their next political action." President Adna Chaffee was dubbed the “Hero of the Rio de la Plata” during the War of Continental Alliance. Some continue to call him that. Though his enemies call him something very different. Coined by Representative Edward M. House, he dubbed Chaffee the “Ferro-Fiend”, saying he was an iron tyrant. Chaffee’s military background made him unfamiliar with many of the duties of the presidency. This would be used both for and against him. Supporters argued his handling of the country proved he went beyond his lack of knowledge of administration and that he thrived even though he knew little. Critics would claim that Chaffee’s ignorance of the web of governance led him to be weak and surrendered his duties to opportunistic individuals. From an interview, House Speaker John Nance Garner would say “I show my full confidence and supply for the competency of the President and his administration. Based on my own eyes, his capacity to work his duties has been more fruitful than any past administration in my lifetime.” Chaffee remained mainly quiet from the public scene during his tenure, a stark difference from his rambunctious predecessor. His image in the public eye remained as an either benevolent or malicious head honcho, one who’s quiet but one who everyone knows has power. The society that grew during his tenure would be both similar and different from the Custerite Society he promised to reimagine. On one hand, casual public life would remain the same, the economic and social stability and patriotism and understanding between normal civilians would continue and flourish during his tenure. On the other hand, policies such as the axing of institutions, the open shift towards nationalism, and fear used by the likes of the BPS shows very obvious change in society. The cult of personality adhered by fanatics of the old president would not go away, neither didn’t the radicals who called for drastic change. As the issues of the past faded away, new and prevalent issues would rise to take their place. America enters the 20th century its own friend and enemy. 23rd President of the United States of America, Adna Chaffee View Poll |
2024.05.13 07:56 idlechat [2024 Read-Along] Week 19, The Silmarillion - Quenta Silmarillion - Of the Noldor in Beleriand (Chapter 15)
...a shadow lies over all the land of Aman, and reaches far out over the sea. Why will you not tell me more?
Welcome one and all again to the 2024 Read-Along and Discussion of The Silmarillion here on tolkienfans. For Week 19 (May 5-May 11), we will be exploring The Quenta Silmarillion (The History of the Silmarils) chapter 15, "Of the Noldor in Beleriand"
Previously, the elf Turgon had been led by Ulmo to the secret vale of Tumladen, hidden within the Encircling Mountains. This was a vast plain of grass with a great hill in the middle, where he decided to build a city that was reminiscent of Tirion. Turgon returned to his realm of Nevrast with the knowledge of this hidden place, and began planning to construct a refuge that would be hidden from the knowledge of Morgoth.
After the Dagor Aglareb, Turgon led his people away from Nevrast back to Tumladen. There they began the construction of a great city upon the hill in the center of the plain. After fifty two years of secret toil and building they at last completed the city of Gondolin. This city was known only to Turgon and those of the Noldor who had followed him there. Before Turgon left Nevrast for the last time, Ulmo appeared to him again. He warned Turgon that though he would shield Turgon's final journey to Gondolin from prying eyes, he could not free Turgon from the Doom of Mandos that plagued the exiles. Gondolin would stand the longest of all the realms of the Noldor, but in the end it too must eventually fall. When that time would come, Ulmo would send Turgon a messenger to warn him of the impending doom. Ulmo bade Turgon to create unique armor and weapons for that messenger, who would come to Nevrast himself one day and take up the equipment. These would be a sign that the messenger was sent by Ulmo. Having done this, Turgon and his followers left Nevrast forever and went to Gondolin in secret.
Turgon prospered in Gondolin, which became a thriving city. Gondolin's location was kept secret from Morgoth throughout the wars against the Dark Power. Gondolin produced many works, like Glingal and Belthil, forged at the image of the Two Trees of Valinor. As for Nevrast, it decayed as the years went on, and no one inhabited the city again.
While Gondolin was being built, Finrod Felagund created his realm of Nargothrond, which would become a great city. His sister, Galadriel, would reside in the realm of Doriath. There Melian and she would often speak of Valinor, but Galadriel would never speak of what happened after the Darkening of Valinor began. But Melian was perceptive and wise, and she soon guessed that Galadriel was hiding something from her. Eventually, Galadriel admitted part of the truth, that the Noldor had not come as messengers of the Valar. However, she did not mention the First Kinslaying.
Melian told Thingol what Galadriel had said, and cautioned him to beware of the Sons of Fëanor. Soon, rumors of the Kinslaying did indeed reach the ears of Thingol. The truth being known to him at last, Thingol confronted Finrod and his brothers who happened to be in Doriath at the time. Finrod protested that it was Fëanor and his followers who had been the ones mainly responsible for the evils the Noldor had done, not Finrod and his party. But he allowed Angrod to tell the whole story of what had happened in the flight from Aman. Thingol's wrath towards Finrod and Fingolfin was softened by what he heard, but he did not forgive the sons of Fëanor. In vengeance, he forbade the usage of Quenya, the language of the Noldor, within the borders of Doriath. In later years, this would lead to the rise of Sindarin over Quenya, which would become an almost dead language outside of books and the private use of the exiles.
When Nargothrond was finished, a feast was held to celebrate its completion, and Galadriel came back from Doriath to celebrate. She asked Finrod why he was not married. Foresight seemed to come upon Finrod, and he said that one day he would swear an oath - Ring of Barahir - that one day he would have to fulfill no matter the consequences, and as a result no child would inherit his works. [1]
Of the Noldor in Beleriand at The Lord of the Rings Wiki: This chapter introduces the lays of the kingdoms of Gondolin and Nargothrond, as well as giving information on Doriath. The full tale of the Noldor's deads reaching Thingol is in this chapter, and of him banning the language of the Noldor from his realm.
Chapter discussion at Entmoot TolkienTrail.
Chapter discussion at The Barrow-Downs.
Question for the week:
For further history and analysis of this chapter, see Arda Reconstructed (by Douglas Charles Kane), pp. 151-154.
Be sure to have your copy of The Atlas of Middle-earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad on hand as you go through this chapter.
Some Tolkien-related hangouts on YouTube (relevant to this week):
The Silmarillion Reader's Guide by askmiddlearth on Tumblr.
Quettaparma Quenyallo (QQ) - The most extensive list of Quenya words available on the internet, by Helge Fauskanger, 1999-2013.
Tolkien Collector's Guide - Guide to Tolkien's Letters
A (Hopefully) Light Guide to the Silmarillion — Or What I Wish I’d Known Before Reading It by u/Ok_Bullfrog_8491/
The Definitive Family Tree of the Tolkien Legendarium by u/PotterGandalf117
Wikipedia - The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Announcement and Index: (Take 2) 2024 The Silmarillion and The Fall of Gondolin Read-Along
submitted by idlechat to tolkienfans [link] [comments]
Welcome one and all again to the 2024 Read-Along and Discussion of The Silmarillion here on tolkienfans. For Week 19 (May 5-May 11), we will be exploring The Quenta Silmarillion (The History of the Silmarils) chapter 15, "Of the Noldor in Beleriand"
Previously, the elf Turgon had been led by Ulmo to the secret vale of Tumladen, hidden within the Encircling Mountains. This was a vast plain of grass with a great hill in the middle, where he decided to build a city that was reminiscent of Tirion. Turgon returned to his realm of Nevrast with the knowledge of this hidden place, and began planning to construct a refuge that would be hidden from the knowledge of Morgoth.
After the Dagor Aglareb, Turgon led his people away from Nevrast back to Tumladen. There they began the construction of a great city upon the hill in the center of the plain. After fifty two years of secret toil and building they at last completed the city of Gondolin. This city was known only to Turgon and those of the Noldor who had followed him there. Before Turgon left Nevrast for the last time, Ulmo appeared to him again. He warned Turgon that though he would shield Turgon's final journey to Gondolin from prying eyes, he could not free Turgon from the Doom of Mandos that plagued the exiles. Gondolin would stand the longest of all the realms of the Noldor, but in the end it too must eventually fall. When that time would come, Ulmo would send Turgon a messenger to warn him of the impending doom. Ulmo bade Turgon to create unique armor and weapons for that messenger, who would come to Nevrast himself one day and take up the equipment. These would be a sign that the messenger was sent by Ulmo. Having done this, Turgon and his followers left Nevrast forever and went to Gondolin in secret.
Turgon prospered in Gondolin, which became a thriving city. Gondolin's location was kept secret from Morgoth throughout the wars against the Dark Power. Gondolin produced many works, like Glingal and Belthil, forged at the image of the Two Trees of Valinor. As for Nevrast, it decayed as the years went on, and no one inhabited the city again.
While Gondolin was being built, Finrod Felagund created his realm of Nargothrond, which would become a great city. His sister, Galadriel, would reside in the realm of Doriath. There Melian and she would often speak of Valinor, but Galadriel would never speak of what happened after the Darkening of Valinor began. But Melian was perceptive and wise, and she soon guessed that Galadriel was hiding something from her. Eventually, Galadriel admitted part of the truth, that the Noldor had not come as messengers of the Valar. However, she did not mention the First Kinslaying.
Melian told Thingol what Galadriel had said, and cautioned him to beware of the Sons of Fëanor. Soon, rumors of the Kinslaying did indeed reach the ears of Thingol. The truth being known to him at last, Thingol confronted Finrod and his brothers who happened to be in Doriath at the time. Finrod protested that it was Fëanor and his followers who had been the ones mainly responsible for the evils the Noldor had done, not Finrod and his party. But he allowed Angrod to tell the whole story of what had happened in the flight from Aman. Thingol's wrath towards Finrod and Fingolfin was softened by what he heard, but he did not forgive the sons of Fëanor. In vengeance, he forbade the usage of Quenya, the language of the Noldor, within the borders of Doriath. In later years, this would lead to the rise of Sindarin over Quenya, which would become an almost dead language outside of books and the private use of the exiles.
When Nargothrond was finished, a feast was held to celebrate its completion, and Galadriel came back from Doriath to celebrate. She asked Finrod why he was not married. Foresight seemed to come upon Finrod, and he said that one day he would swear an oath - Ring of Barahir - that one day he would have to fulfill no matter the consequences, and as a result no child would inherit his works. [1]
Of the Noldor in Beleriand at The Lord of the Rings Wiki: This chapter introduces the lays of the kingdoms of Gondolin and Nargothrond, as well as giving information on Doriath. The full tale of the Noldor's deads reaching Thingol is in this chapter, and of him banning the language of the Noldor from his realm.
Chapter discussion at Entmoot TolkienTrail.
Chapter discussion at The Barrow-Downs.
Question for the week:
- Galadriel confirms to Melian that they left Valinor without the Valar's permission and cannot return but makes no menton of the Kinslaying, the Oath, or the burning of the ships at Losgar. Why?
- What of the "cold thoughts" of Finrod?
- What of Melian's statement to Thingol concerning the sons of Fëanor that their "swords and their counsels shall have two edges"?
For further history and analysis of this chapter, see Arda Reconstructed (by Douglas Charles Kane), pp. 151-154.
Be sure to have your copy of The Atlas of Middle-earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad on hand as you go through this chapter.
Some Tolkien-related hangouts on YouTube (relevant to this week):
- Nerd of the Rings This episode: Maps of Middle-earth: The First Age The Silmarillion Explained
- Nerd of the Rings This episode: The Origins of Melkor Tolkien Explained
- Nerd of the Rings This episode: The History of Morgoth [COMPILATION] Tolkien Explained
- Nerd of the Rings This episode: Turgon, King Of Gondolin Tolkien ExplainedTolkien Untangled This episode: The Return of the Noldor Of the Lords of Beleriand : Silmarillion Explained - Part 2 of 10
- Ælfwine's Road This episode: Silmarillion Summary: Ch. 15 - Of the Noldor In Beleriand [18/31]
- Voice of Geekdom This episode: Chapter 15.1: The Interrogation of Galadriel Silmarillion Explained
- Voice of Geekdom This episode: Chapter 15.2: Thingol's judgement against the Noldor Silmarillion Explained
- The Tolkien Road Podcast This episode: Silmarillion 2022 Ch 15 » Of the Noldor in Beleriand » Gondolin, Galadriel, and Finrod's Doom
- The Tolkien Road Podcast This episode: 0046 - The Silmarillion - Chapter 15 - Of the Noldor in Beleriand
- The One Ring This episode: This Map is HELL - Of Beleriand - The Silmarillion – 16
The Silmarillion Reader's Guide by askmiddlearth on Tumblr.
Quettaparma Quenyallo (QQ) - The most extensive list of Quenya words available on the internet, by Helge Fauskanger, 1999-2013.
Tolkien Collector's Guide - Guide to Tolkien's Letters
A (Hopefully) Light Guide to the Silmarillion — Or What I Wish I’d Known Before Reading It by u/Ok_Bullfrog_8491/
The Definitive Family Tree of the Tolkien Legendarium by u/PotterGandalf117
Wikipedia - The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Announcement and Index: (Take 2) 2024 The Silmarillion and The Fall of Gondolin Read-Along
2024.05.13 03:05 ComfortableLate1525 Poll Results - May 2024
Here are the results of the unofficial poll I took earlier this month. 57 people total were polled.
When asked if they lived in a monarchy, 56.1% said they live in a republic, 42.1% said they were born in a monarchy. One person said they were born in a monarchy, but then later moved to a monarchy.
When asked where they believe a monarch gets their authority from, 54.4% said popular sovereignty, 33.3% said a mix of both, 7% said divine right, 5.3% said it was N/A.
When asked what they thought about bicycle monarchies with honorable abdications, it was quite split. The average person voted 3/5.
The following is a list of the given approval ratings of every sovereign monarch according to those polled. Please not that not every monarch had 57 people polled. Also note that many people voted 5/10, which may have caused inflated numbers for lesser known monarchs. All numbers have been rounded to the nearest tenth. I ask that next time, voters refrain from voting on monarchs they are not familiar with. Due to an error made with the Emirs of Kuwait and Qatar, they have not been included. Lastly, for Asian monarchs (plus the Co-Princes of Andorra) with lengthy regnal names, only the first given name is used. I hope you understand.
Co-Prince Joan of Andorra - 5.6
Co-Prince Emmanuel of Andorra - 4.1
King Hamad of Bahrain - 4.6
King Philippe of the Belgians (Belgium) - 6.5
Druk Gyalpo Jigme of Bhutan - 7.1
Sultan Hassanal of Brunei - 4.6
King Norodom of Cambodia - 5.9
King Frederik X of Denmark - 7.6
King Mswati III of Eswatini - 4.4
Emperor Naruhito of Japan - 7.8
King Abdullah II of Jordan - 7.1
King Letsie III of Lesotho - 5.6
Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein - 7.4
Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg - 7.0
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Ibrahim of Malaysia - 5.8
Prince Albert II of Monaco - 6.9
King Mohammed VI of Morocco - 5.8
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands - 6.8
King Harald V of Norway - 8.0
Sultan Haitham of Oman - 5.2
King Salman of Saudi Arabia - 3.7
King Felipe VI of Spain - 7
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden - 7.2
King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand - 4.6
King Tupou VI of Tonga - 6.3
President Mohamed of the United Arab Emirates - 5.1
King Charles III of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms - 7.4
Pope Francis of Vatican City - 5.9
Sorry this took so long to get out and thank you for your participation.
submitted by ComfortableLate1525 to monarchism [link] [comments]
When asked if they lived in a monarchy, 56.1% said they live in a republic, 42.1% said they were born in a monarchy. One person said they were born in a monarchy, but then later moved to a monarchy.
When asked where they believe a monarch gets their authority from, 54.4% said popular sovereignty, 33.3% said a mix of both, 7% said divine right, 5.3% said it was N/A.
When asked what they thought about bicycle monarchies with honorable abdications, it was quite split. The average person voted 3/5.
The following is a list of the given approval ratings of every sovereign monarch according to those polled. Please not that not every monarch had 57 people polled. Also note that many people voted 5/10, which may have caused inflated numbers for lesser known monarchs. All numbers have been rounded to the nearest tenth. I ask that next time, voters refrain from voting on monarchs they are not familiar with. Due to an error made with the Emirs of Kuwait and Qatar, they have not been included. Lastly, for Asian monarchs (plus the Co-Princes of Andorra) with lengthy regnal names, only the first given name is used. I hope you understand.
Co-Prince Joan of Andorra - 5.6
Co-Prince Emmanuel of Andorra - 4.1
King Hamad of Bahrain - 4.6
King Philippe of the Belgians (Belgium) - 6.5
Druk Gyalpo Jigme of Bhutan - 7.1
Sultan Hassanal of Brunei - 4.6
King Norodom of Cambodia - 5.9
King Frederik X of Denmark - 7.6
King Mswati III of Eswatini - 4.4
Emperor Naruhito of Japan - 7.8
King Abdullah II of Jordan - 7.1
King Letsie III of Lesotho - 5.6
Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein - 7.4
Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg - 7.0
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Ibrahim of Malaysia - 5.8
Prince Albert II of Monaco - 6.9
King Mohammed VI of Morocco - 5.8
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands - 6.8
King Harald V of Norway - 8.0
Sultan Haitham of Oman - 5.2
King Salman of Saudi Arabia - 3.7
King Felipe VI of Spain - 7
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden - 7.2
King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand - 4.6
King Tupou VI of Tonga - 6.3
President Mohamed of the United Arab Emirates - 5.1
King Charles III of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms - 7.4
Pope Francis of Vatican City - 5.9
Sorry this took so long to get out and thank you for your participation.
2024.05.12 21:57 Haunting-Band-2763 Hazbin Hotel- E1 S1: Overture (Gender swap)
(An animation shows black and white clouds parting) Charles: (Off-screen) Once upon a time, there was a glowing city protected by golden gates known as Heaven. It was ruled by beings of pure light. Angels that worshipped good and shielded all from evil. Lucy was one of these angels. She was a dreamer with fantastical ideas for all of creation. But she was seen as a troublemaker by the elders of Heaven. For they felt her way of thinking was dangerous to the perder of their world. So she watched as the angels began to expand the universe in their ways. From the dust of Earth, they created Eve (I couldn't think of a female name that looked like Adam) and Lilian. Equals as the first of mankind, but despite this, Eve demanded control and Lilian refused to submit to her will. He fled the garden. Drawn in by his fierce independence, Lucy found him and the two rebellious dreamers fell deeply in love. Together, they wished to share the magic of free will with humanity, offering the fruit of knowledge to Eve's new groom, Adam, who gladly accepted. But this gift came with a curse. For the single act of disobedience, evil finally found its way into Earth. With it, a new realm of darkness and sin. And the order Heaven had worked to maintain was shattered. As punishment for their reckless act, Heaven cast Lucy and her love into the dark pit she had created, never allowing her to see the good that came from humanity, only the cruel and the wicked. Ashamed, Lucy lost her will to dream. But Lilian thrived, empowering demon-kind with his voice and his songs. And as the numbers of Hell grew, so did its power. Threatened by this, Heaven made a truly heartless decision. That every year, they would send down an army, an extermination to ensure Hell and its sinners could never rise against them. But Lilian's hope remained. And his dream was passed down to their precious son, the Prince of Hell. (The prince shuts the "Story Of Hell" book) (On-screen) Don't worry, Dad. I'll make you proud. (He holds a key) Vagner: Charles? Charles: Augh! (The key turns into a cat) Oh, shit. Did you hear all that? Vagner: Uh... Yeah, I was right there. Charles: Sorry. I get worked up after an extermination happens. This story helps. Vagner: (chuckles) I know. Don't worry. I enjoy your theatrics. Are you okay? Charles: I'm fine, just...Thinking, ya know, family stuff. Vagner: Did you hear from your dad yet? (Charles shakes his head saying no) Vagner: Oof. How long has it been now? Charles: Not that long, only...Seven...Years...Off something important, I'm sure. But this kingdom was something he really cared about. Something I care about. Vagner: Well, at least you aren't alone. Charles: I just hope what I'm trying to do here will work. Vagner: It will. I have faith in you. (The cat hopes on Charles) Vagner: All right. Come on. Alice says she has something to show us. (Vagner heads to the door and Charles look out of the window and see Hell on fire and goes) (A commercial plays) Alice: Well, hello there you wayward sinner. Do you like blood, violence and depravity of a sexual nature? Of course you do. That's why you're in Hell! But what would you say there was a place to stay that had none of that? Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel, a misguided path to redemption! Founded five days ago by Lucy's delusional son Charleson Morningstar! Come place your fate in his inexperienced hands as he tries to work through his mommy issues by fixing you! Here, we offer fun thing! Such as somewhat functional staff! And 24 hour Pest Control! Custom rooms, and just look at this tacky parlor! Enjoy riveting conversation with our singular resident. Wow! All this and more at the Hazbin Hotel! You last desperate attempt at salvation starts here. (The tv suits off) Alice: So, what'd ya' think? Vagner: I'm sorry, what the fuck was that?! Charles: Uh, yeah, one note...Alice, I mean...First off, thank you so much for making this, seriously, amazing, but um...maybe the tone is a bit...Off? We want people to want to come here, this makes it look...ummm... Vagner: Bad. The word you're looking for is "bad". Alice: Funny, I was going for hilarious! Vagner: It didn't explain anything about how we're trying to save demons from extermination, which is the whole fucking point. Charles: Vagner is right, Alice. The commercial was to let sinners know we are trying to help them. Alice: Well, my dear, I haven't been active in Hell for some time, and everyone remembers me from my radio show! The proper medium to express oneself! But YOU insisted on this noisy picture box adversiment! So I had a little fun with it. Vagner: Oh, fun? You had a little fun with it? (Stand on the sofa) Well, this is not what we want to represent us. When you showed up here a week ago, you told us you would help run the hotel! Instead, you're mocking us. Nobody's going to want to come to a place that a powerful overlord like you thinks is a waste of time! (A demon on a sofa raises her hand) Vagner: What? Angela: If'n ya filmin' a commercial, can I suggest you take better advantage of the talented celebrity you have right here? Vagner: Angela, you're a porn star. Angela: A famous porn star. I'll have the horniest sinners knockin' these walls down to get in. Vagner: We are not filming a porn as a commercial. Angela: Why not? Sex sells, don't it? I swear if you film me goin' at it with mistress fancy talk-creepy voice here, you'd rollin' in participants willin' to stay at this tacky hotel. Alice: Haha! Never going to happen! Charles: Angela, I appreciate you wanting to use you special skills to, um, attract folks to the hotel, but...I really don't want to exploit you, in that way! Angela: Oh, please, baby. This body was made to be exploited. I got the arms, I got the stamina, I got the legs. I got the lung capacity-- Oh-oh I got the legs! The gag reflex, the holes... (Charles laughs uncomfortably and his phone rings with his mom calling) Angela: The small tits that make everyone think I'm a man... Charle: Uhhh, hold that thought. I'll be right back! (Walks away) Angela: I could keep goin' all night, baby. (Charles breathes and answers the phone) Charles: Hello? Mom? Angela: Hey, I have a question. If freaky face over there is so powerful, then why can't she just make people stay here? Alice: Oh, trust me, (ominously) I can! Hisky: Why the hell do you think I'm here? (The camera goes to Hisky) Hisky: You actually think I'd be cleaning bottles and listening to you fuck's bitches moan all the time if she wasn't forcin' me? Niffter: I like being forced! Hisky: Keep that to yourself, Niff. Angela: What, you don't like being here with me, Whiskers? Hisky: Call me "Whiskers" again and I'll that bottle down your throat. Angela: Kinky. But I like pussies. But keep talkin' dirty. Vagner: Ugh, Angela, let Hisky do her job. And no, we can't force sinners to stay here. They need to choose to. Angela: I'm choosing to be here, and I think is all stupid. We're in Hell, toots. It's kind of the end of the road, ain't it? Vagner: Well, maybe it doesn't have to be. Just because nobody has made it before doesn't mean is not possible. (Angela pust her arm in his shoulder) Angela: Hey, whatever means I can keep crashin' here rent free. Crack is expensive. Charles: (excitedly) Yeah, I acn totally. Yeah, I'll head over there right away...Okay. (Turns off the phone) Hah! YES! YES!!Hahahaha!! Vagner! Holy shit! Vagner: Ahh! What?! Charles: (through closed mouth) Get over here! (Vagner sighs and goes to where Charles is) Vagner: What's going on? Charles: (Inhales) My mom just called. She said that the leader of the Angel Army wants to meet. She asked if I could go instead. (Breathes deeply) Vagner: But... But-- But tbe extermination just happened. What would they want this soon after... Charles: (Singing) I can do this. Somehow, I know it I'll get Heaven behind my plan! Vagner: Charles, hold on. Charles: There's just no way I could blow it. Not this once a lifetime change! Vagner: It's just a meeting. Charles: To change their minds. And touch their hearts. Or whatever angels have. Vagner: This could be bad. Charles: Cheer up, Vagner. This could be swell. Something tells that today will be a happy day in Hell! Vagner: Okay, but just don't... sing to them. Angela: That motherfucker is halfway down the street. Vagner: Is he... Angela: Oh, he's dancin'. Vagner: Ugh, no. Charles: There's a warm fuzzy feeling that wafts through the air! Every street so revealing it's hard not to stare. It's a realm so appealing it beats anywhere! If you don't mind the smell! It's a happy day in Hell! Hi, miss! Demon: Go fuck yourself! Dead Sinner #1: There's a endless trash fire that's burnig my soul! Charles: Hello! Imp: There's a lot of barbed wire to shove in her holes! Charles: Uh, excuse me... Executioner: Doing what is required we all have a role! Dead Sinner #2: I'm not doing well! Ensemble: Another shitty day in Hell! Charles: If I can show them the dream I've dreamed, that any soul can change! Vagner: Those angels minds are hard to change! Charles: Then they know that everyone can be redeemed from the evil to the strange! Vagner: They're bloodthirsty and deranged! Charles: I can hear all their stories, the lost and the displaced! And I know that they're of an acquired taste! But if I open the door and give them a place at my Hazbin Hotel it'll be a happy day in Hell! (Jumps in the back of a truck) From the porn studio where the cinephiles go to watch award winning demon bukkake shows to the Cannibal Town where they don't wear a frown 'cause...Holy shit, ew, my gosh, why?! And I don't give a crow that her brains got in my eye! Cause I know I can spare them from Heaven's genocide! I can do this... Dead Sinner #1: There's an endless trash fire... Charles: I just know it! Dead Sinner #1: That's burnig my soul! Chorus: Ah! Charles: I'll get Heaven behind my plans! There's just no way I could blow it! Demon Sinner #3: I kinda like the barbed wire that's shoved in my hole! Charles: Not this once in a lifetime chance! To change their minds! Trenchcoat Demon: And touch my parts! Charles: Oh...No, thank you. I'm just gonna...Fullfill my destiny! Trenchcoat Demon: Your loss fucker! Charles: I can already tell! Today is gonna be a fucking happy day in Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell! (Charles enters at the lobby) Charles: Hello? (echoes) Hello? Creepy...(He goes to the reception, rings the bell in the table and a paper and a feather pen appear in front of him) Oh, okay! Also creepy. (Signs the paper) (Elevator doors open, Charles goes to them and enters in a dark room) Charles: Hello? Is anyone here? (The lights turn on) Eve: 'Sup? Charles: Holy shit! (Falls in the floor and gets up) Hi, I'm Charles. My mom asked if I could meet you. Eve: Yeah, I know. Charles: Okay, well, it's nice to meet you. (Stands his hand) Eve: Totally. Nice to meet you, too. (Stands her hand) (Charles hand passes through Eve's hand) Charles: Ahh! Eve: Ha! I fucking got you! Did you fuckin' see that? (Luther shaves his head in yes) Eve: Good shit! Charles: Uh, so wait, you aren't here? Eve: No, you think I'd come down there? (Laughs) No. I mean, I love the vibe, totally, I love your tunes. Pretty fuckin' hardcore, don't get me wrong. But, it's such a bummer, man. Everything down there's just so "eugh" ya know? (Chuckles) Ew. Charles: Right. So I'm happy we got this opportunity to meet. There's a project I've been working on that I really want to talk to you about...(Eve puts her finger in his mouth) Eve: Hey, hey, hey, slow down. We got time. How about we get to know each other, mm? How about some lunch? You hungry? I got you! (Shows a plate with ribs) Here's my personal favourite. You'll love it. My husband's receipe. Charles: Uh, thanks! (His arms passes through the plate of ribs) Eve: (Laughing) I got you again, fucker! Haha fuckin' hilarious! Haha! (Back at the Hazbin Hotel, everyone is at the lobby) Vagner: Okay, so Charles is dealing with something very important, so while he's gone, we are making a new commercial. One that representants his vision and what we're doing here. So we need a camera. Alice? (Alice snaps her fingers and an old camera appears in Vagner's hand) Vagner: a video camera. Alice: Hmm? (Snaps her fingers) (A video camera appears in Vagner's hand) Vagner: All right, let's do this! (Vagner films Angela sitting at the bar) Vagner: And...Action! Hisky: "Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel, can I help you with anything?" Angela: "I've been a bad girl. And I need a big strong mommy to put me in my place...On the path to redemption!" Hisky: Ugh! "Well, you come..." Angela: "Oh yes!" Hisky: (boredly) "To the right place!" Vagner: Cut! Okay, Angela, I need you to be less horny, if possible. And Hisky, can you maybe not have a script in front of your face? Hisky: (Angrily) I ain't no actress, I can't memorize this shit! Angela: Well, we could improve this shit, baby cakes! (Purrs seductively and Hisky push her out of the counter) Ahh! Hisky: Whoops. (Drink a bottle) Vagner: Hisky, come on! (Meanwhile, Charles is bored) Eve: So I was playing this gig, and for some fucking reason this virtue boy was digging on the drummer, and it's like, do you know who I am? I'm fucking Eve. I'm the original pussy! All pussies descend from me. You think you drummer pussy? No way, I'm the Pussy-fucking master! (Eats sloppily) So anyway, then we fucked, and it was awesome. What'd you do this weekend? Charles: Wait, your name is Eve? Like the first woman? That means you...Ohhh...(Enlightened) That explains so much. Eve: I know. I fucking rock. Charles: Well, Eve, ma'am. Mrs. Eve, ma'am. Eve: Call me Pussymaster. Charles: Eve, you seem like a smart...well, stand up girl. Eve: (With the finger in her teeth) Uh-huh. Charles: And I know you are the leader of the angels. And you are a bigger, a revolutionary, a...A genius! Eve: I maen, yout words, babe. Charles: Who would really her name on something. Eve: Fucking love putting my name on shit! Shit's the best! Charles: It's a solution to our biggest problem! Eve: Oh, herpes. Yeah, that's a bitch. Charles: No! Our other biggest problem. Eve: Oh, uh...Ugly people? (Looks the camera) Math? Global warming? Nah, wait that's Earth's problem. Umm... (At the hotel, a bug walks in the floor and a needle tries to stab it) Niffter: Hehehe. Stab. Stab. Stab. Vagner: Alright Niffter. Niffter? Niffter! (Stops him) Your line is "We have the cleanest rooms". Okay? Niffter: Got it. I'm ready. Vagner: (Turns on the camera) Action! (Niffter looks at the camera with his pupil constricted and Angela and Vagner look at him confused) Vagner: Uhh...Cut. (Turns off the camera) (Niffter smiles again) Niffter: (Giggles) How was that? Vagner: Well, Niffter, you actually have to say the line. So let's roll again. Niffter: Okay! Vagner: Action. (Niffter stares deeply at the camera) Angela: You're doing great, Vaginer! Vagner: Cut! Alright, um, maybe wr can try to fix it in the post. Angela: Do you even know what that means? Vagner: (Angrily) I'll figure it out! (In lobby, Vagner is watching the video with the camera connected to the tv) Hisky: (On TV) Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel. (Vagner groans, covers his eyes and Alice appears in his side) Alice: Seems like you're having a bit of trouble there, hm? Vagner: Ugh, esta pendeja...Why are you even here? Alice: For the entertainment! I came here because I love seeing wasteful souls struggle to accomplish something meaningful and fail spectacularly. Like you are doing now! Good job! Vagner: (Turns on the camera) And here is Alastor, the egocentric piece pf shit that... (Alice gets static on the camera and it starts to spark and Vagner screams and knocks the camera down) Alice: I wouldn't try that, my darling. (Sinisterly) This face was made for radio. Vagner: (Gets angry) That's it! I don't care who or what you are! If you are staying here you are going to make this work! Beause it won't be so "entertaining" to watch an empty hotel will it, shitass?! (Turns around and walks away) Alice: Fair enough. I'll tell you what. Let's make a deal. Vagner: Pft! You think I'm that stupid? Making a deal with a demon like you. Alice: Not for your soul, just a simple deal. I do this for you, and you never ask me to engage with this frivolous television technology ever again. Or...Charles can come back to absolutely nothing! Your choice. Vagner: (Sighs) Fine. (Gets the video camera and raises in Alice's hand and green ghosted skulls fly around it) Alice: Now then! (Makes the camera disappear and snaps her fingers) (Angela, Hisky and Niffter, a lot of filming materials and a ghost recording team appear in the lobby and everyone gets tailor clothes) Vagner: Alright, everyone! Let's make a fucking commercial. (Meanwhile) Eve:...When you take him out for the fifth time and he still expects you to pay the check, but you're like, (In deep voice) "Hey I thought you wanted equality"! Charles: (Frustrated) No! Our shared problem of overpopulation in Hell! Eve: (Normal) Ohh! Well, that's not a problem! We got that covered! Luther, how many demons did you kill this year? Luther: Got a good 275 this year, ma'am. Eve: 275? Whoa, badass! Awesome job, danger dick! Pound it. (Punch fists with Lute) Charles: Uh, no, not awesome. Those are my people, you know that, right? Eve: Ohhh, yeah...That must suck for you. Pft...Hahahaha! Charles: But these are souls. Human souls, just the same as the ones you have in Heaven. Luther: They're not the same. They had their chance and they earned damnation. Charles: You're wrong. Sinners made mistakes, sure, but everyone makes mistakes. Luther: Angels don't make mistakes. Charles: You really think that? Luther: I know that. Eve: Yeah, I've never made a mistake in my fucking life. Luther: The only reason you're still here is because Mommy gave you and your Hellborn-kind a pardon from an exorcist blade. How does that feel? To know how little you matter. (Charles shrinks back) Eve: Oops, almost out of time. Guess we should get into it... Charles: Oh! Fuck!...(Get up from the chair) Okay. I've a lot to get through and not a lot of time and I feel like you weren't really hearing before, so here goes. (Clears throat) (Singing) I know Hell's population is out of control. It's a bad situation, it's taking a toll. If we rehabe these sinners and cleanse all their souls at my Hazbin Hotel! (Normal) Wait I'm getting ahead of myself! Right! Extermination! (Singing) I know you guys fly down just to kill once a year. And it must be annoying to schlep all the way here. If they join you in Heaven that trip disappears! You can wave that chore farewell! (Deep breath) It'll be a happy day in... Eve: (Singing) Let me stop you right there, save us all precious time! Charles: (Normal) Okay? Eve: If what you're suggesting is letting them climb! Up the ladder. Oh they rather cross the Pearly Gates! Sorry, sweetie, but there's no defying in their fates! 'Cause Hell is forever wheter you like it or not! Had their chance to behave better now they boil in a pot! 'Cause the rules are black and white there's no use in trying to fight it! They're burning for their lives until we kill them again! Charles: Okay, but... Eve: Just try to chillax, babe, you're wasting your breath! Charles: (Nervously) Hehe... Eve: Did I hear you imply that they deserve death? Are they winners? Are they sinners? 'Cause it's cut and dry! Charles: Actually, if you take a look... Eve: Fair is fair, an eye for an eye! And when all's said and done! (Said and done) There's the question of fun! (Fun) And for those of us with divine ordainment, extermination is entertainment! (Imitates guitar) Guitar solo, fuck yeah! (Imitates guitar) Hell is forever wheter you like or not! Had their chance to behave better now they boil in a pot! Charles: Where all this people come from? Eve: 'Cause the rules are black and white, there's no use in trying to fight it! They're burning for their lives until we kill them again! (materializes a guitar and play it) Fucking Hell is forever and it's meant to suck a lot! So give up your dumb endeavor 'cause you don't have a shot! (Charles groans, his paper gets on fire and his hair moves in the air and horns appear in his head) Eve: Long as I've got your attention, I guess In should probably mention that we made a determination (Shows a contract) To move up the next extermination! Charles: Can't wait a whole year to slaughter those little cunts! (Hold Charles' wrist) I know is just been a week, but we'll be back in six months! (Spins Charles out of the room and plays her guitar) Charles: Um, wait, didn't you...(Goes at the door, but it closes) Awh, shit! (Punches the door) (Charles returns sad to the Hazbin Hotel) Vagner: Charles! (Hugs him) How did it go? Did they listen? Charles: Oh, uh...They sure did...hear it! But, um... Vagner: Oh! Come here. We have something exciting to show you! (Holds Charles to the living room) Alice pulled some strings, and it's about to air. Alice: I pulled a few limbs too! Hahaha! Charles: Wait? The commercial? You all made a new one? Angela: Yeah, one of my better performances, if I do can say so myself. Charles: That's...That's amazing. Angela: Shh! It's starting! Vagner: (On TV) Welcome to the Hazbin Hot... (The TV changes to the 666 News channel and everyone complains) Kallie: (On TV) Breaking news in Hell today! We have just received word from the Heaven Embassy that the next extermination is happening sooner than ever before! Do you know what that means, Tomita? Tomita: No. What does that means, Kallie? Kallie: It means we are all royally fucked! (The clock in an hourglass changes to 176 with everyone screaming) Angela: Wait...What? Why?! (A drone laser scans a headless body of an angel laying in Hell and Eve and Luther see then from the ship) Luther: We found the body, ma'am. They've never managed to kill one of us before. We should just go down there now and destroy them! Eve: No, no. We can't risk them catching on. But don't worry, when we come back, there won't be a demon left to pull a stunt like this again. (Breaks the projector and her eyes and mouth glow in the dark) (The end credits start playing)
Sorry, Vivziepop, I had to
submitted by Haunting-Band-2763 to hazbin [link] [comments]
Sorry, Vivziepop, I had to
2024.05.12 20:41 Stiopa866 Europa Expanded Dev Diary 12.05.2024 Heirs of Charlemagne
 | Hello eu4 Enthusiasts! submitted by Stiopa866 to eu4 [link] [comments] Welcome to yet another Europa Expanded Dev Diary. Today we are talking about Burgundy/Lotharingia (for real this time), presented to you by LordVarangian. BurgundyHello everyone, and long time no see!I am LordVarangian once again, and last time I presented the Papal Mission tree. Now that Stiopa is done with his share of content for the time being, it is time I present a long awaited nation. One that has been both overlooked by us for quite a while and by Paradox since the Emperor DLC. That nation being none other than Burgundy. Before we start with the mission tree, Burgundy has received a few setup changes. First of all, they get access to a new mechanic unique to them, the Order of the Golden Fleece, a council of knights which will allow you to make more planned wars throughout Europe, considering that you’ll be in conflict with both the French and the Holy Roman Empire, and maybe even a few Muslim empires... ;) This mechanic is inspired by the historical Order of the Golden Fleece, which was founded by Philip the Good and served as a council of war for him. It also helped to strengthen the Burgundian court, as it was considered the model court of all of Europe. With it, you’ll be able to hold tournaments, plan wars, and assign new Toison D’ors, a new advisor that Burgundy has access to. https://preview.redd.it/esxdopgtb10d1.png?width=602&format=png&auto=webp&s=197ae2c0a6a8b267e8002c7fe35915e1f614f798 There are other setup changes as well. As you know, we want to maintain the tradition of giving nations privileges on gamestart to be more representative when it comes to differences between every nation. In Burgundy’s case, they start with Nobility in Officer Corps, Strong Duchies, Patronage of the Arts, and a new unique one, the Order of the Golden Fleece, a privilege that encourages cavalry use. https://preview.redd.it/6vgahb03c10d1.png?width=798&format=png&auto=webp&s=ead8c454b82d6b23d48324a9ce57ac435482ac54 Without further ado though, let us get into the mission tree of both Burgundy and Lotharingia! The tree gets expanded upon forming Lotharingia! (about the 3 last \"levels\" belong to Lotharingia alone) The tree is split into different sections, as usual:
https://preview.redd.it/zlx1eqhzc10d1.png?width=938&format=png&auto=webp&s=29c221ae188396fc65d999cf52dd3b9bf56cd2cf Let us explore the Burgundian Ambitions in the west, where you’ll have to combat the French kings. However, your way of doing so will be ever so slightly different, as we want to encourage more vassal play as Burgundy. As such, you’ll be able to create Champagne as a vassal which will gain cores on Ile-de-France, encouraging you to do a reconquest war on the French early on. What’s more, this branch interacts with the Order of the Golden Fleece, as the interests in France are closer to you than German or Dutch. For those interested in forging a powerful, chivalric army specialized around armed knights on horses, choosing to form France will give you extra benefits. https://preview.redd.it/ibe5us86e10d1.png?width=917&format=png&auto=webp&s=106e55b60caf0f313a4922fe12b7579f4de1d817 In terms of the remaining conquests, the Holy Roman Empire will be your main rival, as they contest the title which most of you so much desire, and that is the Kingdom of Lotharingia. For that, you will have to negotiate with the Emperor, or humiliate him in battle and claim the lands required for such a nation. You will also be able to expand into both Italy and Germany, as those are required for a proper Frankish nation, but most importantly you will be able to form Francia from within the Holy Roman Empire, giving you a reason to claim the Emperorship for yourself https://preview.redd.it/v5au5q19e10d1.png?width=931&format=png&auto=webp&s=e78f6c9e2d2d3543c6fcb36822a303a289111d90 This is the only other way to form Francia, aside from starting as Aachen and following its mission tree. With the conquest part of the mission tree done, let us look at some other parts of the tree, specifically the flavor side. Firstly, before you even form Lotharingia and choose to revive the Frankish legacy, there is flavor for Burgundy’s role in its short lifespan, whilst also focusing on their unique mechanic. Before we get into that though,let’s go back and talk about Charles the Bold, the heir of Burgundy. As he was quite ambitious and rash in history, we’ve decided to give him the trait The Bold which will turn the AI into one of the most bold nations in the game. Quite literally. Expect Burgundy to declare a lot of… “uneven” wars. (It’s fine, Charles can handle all them all) https://preview.redd.it/sc55qnphe10d1.png?width=549&format=png&auto=webp&s=244bfe92fa8896fa92aaeba5b91232518962a9a6 There will be some interaction with the Burgundian Inheritance and the whole question of the Burgundian realm, where you will be separating your realm from that of France and Germany. You will also be able to go to war with both realms using the Burgundian Wars unique CB, which will make your rulers more likely to become Conquerors should you be successful in these wars. https://preview.redd.it/dfh9xxrie10d1.png?width=917&format=png&auto=webp&s=76a78a0c81cbf2463d26b9bc93063e2992999df5 As the model court of Europe and the beacon of chivalry, you must also act in that manner. The rising power of the Ottomans threatened Christendom and no Catholic was able to organize a proper force to stop them. By completing the Feast of Pheasants mission you will be able to gain a CB to liberate Europe from them and bring them under a new management, a more….. Bourgogne one. https://preview.redd.it/x0e6mkmke10d1.png?width=859&format=png&auto=webp&s=e1624f9813673e263ab600c46e92bcf12a0068e5 Before moving on to the rest of the Lotharingian flavor, you will be able to rename your nobles to the Paladins, allowing them to live their dreams of being the greatest heroes of Europe, without it actually bearing any significance to your nation. https://preview.redd.it/m4wbpuwle10d1.png?width=924&format=png&auto=webp&s=8d12bc9de34881d9e81ec3f085ce638770290d08 Now, onto the Lotharingian part of the tree. Considering that once you form Lotharingia you’ve finished your objectives as Burgundy, we’ve decided to give them another goal: the restoration of the Carolingian realm. Being one of the few nations to be able to spawn the Frankish culture, and for now the only nation to change their dynasty to Karling (we are planning to add events to become Karlings as Aachen, don’t worry), you will be encouraged even more to use cavalry, show your domination over the pretenders around you, and create an idealized chivalric society. https://preview.redd.it/tbuf0sfne10d1.png?width=953&format=png&auto=webp&s=820e0c29b279ba8a4593b69a57b7d9d9ceb986ea Lastly, although Lotharingia can form Francia through claiming the Emperorship, they have a unique way to form them as well, requiring you to be of Frankish culture and having the Karling dynasty on your throne. After which you’ll need to culture convert tons of provinces into Frankish, as well as control specific cities. This is done so Aachen does not lose their position as the main Frankish nation, and for Burgundy to have more work to do before becoming Francia. https://preview.redd.it/bkbok207f10d1.png?width=725&format=png&auto=webp&s=b30bc674f2ccc4dc6fd77952e52aa6cdaab0b4dd That’s all there is for Burgundy. Next week, we’ll be showcasing the nation of … You will see next week! The EndIf you wish to support our commitment to improving eu4, one mission tree/estate/formable/event at a time, consider joining our Discord Server and downloading the mod on the Steam Workshop.Or by leaving a comment with suggestion/constructive criticism! |
2024.05.12 19:14 AcidPacman442 What do you guys think of Prince Harry and Meghan's visit to Nigeria?
 | I'm trying to give a moderate view... submitted by AcidPacman442 to monarchism [link] [comments] First off, this "tour" is Unofficial, we all know that... they aren't working royals, and haven't been in over 4 years. I was caught off guard by the announcement that they'd be visiting Nigeria, especially when hearing the Nigerian Government themselves invited them, which in my opinion, behind Palace walls could have possibly drawn some Ire... As usual, if you look at these pictures, Harry seems to be in his element, and he looks like he'd rather be anywhere else in the world. The tour was, according to many sources, meant to be about promoting Invictus, which Nigeria joined in 2023... But from what I've seen so far, as seems to be the new norm, people seem happy to see Harry, but not Meghan, and considering when she's had the opportunity to speak, she calls Nigeria "her country" and has once again used her expensive fashion to draw more attention to the press and away from Invictus, it once again draws the ire of those who don't want her involved in it at all, which I agree with... For the most part, from what I've seen, reactions to the tour, have surprisingly been positive, at least from Nigeria, but not Britain. The one thing I did like about this visit however, was when at one "engagement", God Save the King was done and the two at least had the decency to stand up for it... My curiosity comes from what happens next... I may be completely wrong, but it seems Harry usually had better reception from African Commonwealth nations than Charles or William, but that may simply be to him getting more press attention during his time in Africa more than the King and Prince of Wales... ...and if Nigeria went well enough for other nations in the Commonwealth to possibly invite them in the future, even if they no longer do any service on behalf of the Crown, it may draw the ire of Charles and William that Harry and Meghan continue to act like working royals in all but name, essentially finding a makeshift way to do the half in/half out Royal system that the Queen personally denied him, either all in or all out... ...but this visit may prove that they can't be half in/half out in the United Kingdom, but the Royal Family no say in controlling who can be invited to countries in the rest of the Commonwealth, who can invite Harry and Meghan if they wish to do so, and as often as they want to, even if without being working royals, they have no role in the Commonwealth of Nations whatsoever..... I understand Harry and Meghan are rarely talked about on the subreddit, and for good reason, but I honestly think this deserved some discussion. But what do you guys think? Let me know your thoughts. |
2024.05.12 18:44 Joshh170 Games With The Most Impressive Graphics (long read)
 | As video games have continued to grow and evolve as both entertainment and art, the games just keep looking better and better. If someone is playing on a high-end PC or the average console, it's hard not to notice when a game stands out a bit more than the rest. submitted by Joshh170 to GameGeeks [link] [comments] Whether it is the highest fidelity graphics or just a gorgeous art style (or both), games that look good usually also play well. If that much time gets spent in the graphics department they must have something good elsewhere. Here are the games with the best graphics out there. Updated on May 12, 2024 by Mark Sammut: Two recently-released games deserve to be spotlighted. One is the latest entry in a long-running JRPG franchise, while the other is a new IP from a Korean studio. Note: A few criteria/things to keep in mind: This article focuses on modern releases and a few post-2000s projects rather than classics from the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Genesis, and PS1 eras. As important and industry-pushing as the latter were, visually they are too different from modern releases to compare them. The games are only loosely ranked since graphical styles vary so much from project to project, and personal preference plays a part. A 2016 game might be ranked higher than a 2024 one because the former was more impressive when it debuted, even if the latter technically looks better. 1)Lords Of The Fallen Unreal Engine 5 Is Here Epic's Unreal Engine 5 was introduced in 2020, instantly garnering hype for what it could mean for the industry's future. In 2023, a few notable games that utilize the engine were finally released, presenting early examples of its potential. Remnant 2 and Immortals of Aveum are both visually impressive, and the same could be said for ARK: Survival Ascended. However, at the moment, Lords of the Fallen is probably the most gorgeous UE5 game, although that could change once titles like Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 are released. While not without its issues, the Soulslike game's graphics are certainly not among them. Axiom is a vast and stunning hellscape, one that has quite a bit of variety. The game's lighting and animations are consistently top-notch too. 2)Bright Memory: Infinite A One-Person Team Games and their visuals cannot be analyzed in a vacuum. Context and expectations shape somebody's reaction to an experience, and that is certainly the case with Bright Memory: Infinite. Developed by a single developer, Zeng Xiancheng, this first-person shooter originally debuted in 2020 as Bright Memory, a concept that was expanded for a full release in July 2022. While the overall game has plenty of issues, its graphics are undeniably impressive, comparing favorably with higher-budget titles. There are plenty of gorgeous indie titles, but the vast majority succeed because they do not try to emulate AAA projects. They strive to do their own thing. Bright Memory: Infinite does the exact opposite, and the game proves that it can be done well. 3)Hi-Fi Rush Burst Of Colour Announced and released out of nowhere, Hi-Fi Rush was perhaps 2023's greatest surprise. Tango Gameworks' action game blends hack and slash combat with rhythm-based mechanics, rewarding players for adhering to the beat. Set in a corporate city run by Vandelay Technologies, the title brings to life a vibrant and bustling metropolis filled with unique buildings and NPCs. As the campaign is linear, Hi-Fi Rush focuses on creating cool environments and backdrops, two things the game absolutely nails. Quite a few stages are predominantly set within samey corridors and indoor areas, but whenever the action heads outside, Hi-Fi Rush really comes alive. 4)Okami HD An Animated Painting There aren't many games that have been able to graphically stand the test of time as well as Okami has. Originally released in 2006 on consoles like the PlayStation 2 and Wii, Okami was able to take advantage of its timeless style to make the most out of the hardware it was on. However, playing Okami on those consoles today shows just how much the original systems were holding it back, which is where the HD version comes in. On the PS4 and Switch, Okami's classical Japanese art style looks absolutely stunning in just about every area of the game. 5)Heavenly Sword Motion Capture Showcase Most of Ninja Theory's bigger games boast stellar visuals and character designs, however, Heavenly Sword gets the nod because it was the studio's first proper graphical showcase. More impressively, the early PS3 game still looks beautiful today, an achievement that should be largely credited to the project's use of motion capture technology. The cut-scenes steal the show and could easily pass for a mid-budget animated flick, with Andy Serkis' performance as King Bohan ranking among the best in any era of gaming. During gameplay, Heavenly Sword is also a treat for the eyes and senses, particularly in its lavish environments. 6)Killzone: Mercenary Console Quality On A Handheld System Regardless of their quality, all the Killzone games are graphical showcases. Despite being a launch title, 2013's Shadow Fall is still among the most visually impressive games on the PS4. As stunning as Guerrilla's mainline entries are, Killzone: Mercenary deserves a special mention due to its hardware. The PS Vita was and still is a reasonably powerful handheld device, one that could replicate home console visuals to a certain extent. No other title highlighted the console's graphical potential better than Killzone: Mercenary, an FPS that would not have looked out of place on the PS3 or even as a budget PS4 project. The fact it is also a decent game does not hurt either. 7)Super Mario Odyssey It Is Not Always About Realism Or Processing Power While combining "Nintendo Switch game" with "best graphics" might seem weird, it's hard to argue that Super Mario Odyssey doesn't make the most of the console's limited processing power. With a combination of stylized art and impressive HD, Mario explores several gorgeous landscapes that might inspire players to sit back and think about how far things have come. Nintendo has always used fantastical art styles to produce charming and timeless games that don't break the bank on processing. Mario has never looked this good, and sequences like the New Donk City music festival allow the game to shine. 8)Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League For All Its Faults, The Graphics Are Not One Of Them All of Rocksteady's games push the envelope in terms of visuals, and 2015's Arkham Knight still boasts the most impressive rendition of Gotham in gaming. Its visuals have aged magnificently, and the gameplay is fantastic, even if the overall project is not quite on the same level as Arkham Asylum or Arkham City. After an 8-year wait, Rocksteady made its comeback with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League; unfortunately, the Arkhamverse spin-off garnered a very mixed reception. Focusing on looter shooter action in an attempt to be a live-service experience, Suicide Squad is a fairly confused project that does not seem to play to Rocksteady's strengths. While many elements warrant criticism, and it can be tempting to dismiss the entire project, the game is not without positives. If nothing else, the graphics are generally top-notch, particularly when it comes to the cutscenes and character designs. When the action gets going, the screen can get rather muddled, but it is not devoid of visual flare either. For all its faults, Suicide Squad certainly looks like a proper AAA project. 9)Halo: Reach A Series That Always Pushed Console Graphics To Their Limits In truth, Reach could be regarded as a stand-in for Halo in general as Microsoft's franchise is consistently pushing console visuals to their limits. In terms of art style, Halo 4 certainly has its fans; when it comes to graphical prowess, Halo 5 and Infinite are unsurprisingly a step above their predecessors. However, Halo: Reach perfected the series' iconic aesthetic of Bungie's era, ensuring the latter's time with the license ended on a high note. Nowadays, Reach looks its best in The Master Chief Collection, which enhances the visuals in a few subtle but notable ways. That said, the Xbox 360 version holds up well after all these years. 10)Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot At Times, Looks (Much) Better Than The Anime It wasn't until fairly recently that video games hit the graphical fidelity necessary to be able to fully translate animated shows and films into live gameplay, with recent Dragon Ball games being the most shining examples. 2018's Dragon Ball FighterZ was able to take a page out of Guilty Gear's book to make a stunning 2.5D experience, but gorgeous, fully 3D anime games were still a rarity. Until Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot was released, that is. Taking the Toriyama characters and landscapes that fans know and love, Kakarot turns them into stunning 3D models with some of the most impressive animations and visual effects around. 11)Lego Star Wars: Skywalker Saga Detailed & Beautiful Lego projects might not be as graphically intensive as games with realistic visuals, but they have a unique and clean aesthetic that generally complements their gameplay and tone. Although the franchise's IP adaptations are consistently pleasing to the eyes, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga exists on a whole other level. Covering all the main episodes in the sci-fi film series, the game beautifully recreates some of the most iconic locations in Star Wars, creating worlds that are expansive and detailed. Undoubtedly the most ambitious Lego title, The Skywalker Saga is the full package, and Traveller's Tales' hard work is evident throughout the experience. While very much designed with younger players in mind, die-hard fans are likely to have a blast regardless of their age; in fact, people who are just searching for an action-adventure romp should check this release out. 12)Golden Sun A Gorgeous World To Take On The Go In terms of raw power, the Game Boy Advance has nothing on the Nintendo DS, let alone something like the Switch; however, that does not mean the classic console's library is devoid of gorgeous games. Golden Sun is a turn-based JRPG set in Weyard, a fantasy world that is refreshingly diverse in terms of environments. Largely experienced from a top-down perspective, Golden Sun looks like most other old-school JRPGs found on the GBA or SNES, just with its graphics maximized to their full potential. Camelot instilled every town and dungeon with color and personality, while battles come to life with a flurry of effects that are dazzling to behold. 13)South Park: The Fractured But Whole Looks Exactly Like The Show When adapting an established property to a different medium, concessions usually need to be made. However, exceptions do exist, and South Park: The Fractured but Whole managed to perfectly replicate the show's aesthetic. The RPG looks and sounds exactly like Trey Parker and Matt Stone's legendary animated series, permitting fans to immerse themselves in this world like never before. Even removed from that context, The Fractured but Whole's visuals are detailed, expressive, and clean. Authenticity did not come at the cost of quality. 14)Shadow Of The Colossus (2018) Majesty In Gaming Form For the most part, this article focuses on modern games rather than titles that were graphical showcases when they debuted. Shadow of the Colossus both follows this rule and is also an exception; while the PS2 version looks dated, the visuals still retain that same sense of wonder and scale that they had when the game originally came out in 2005. Bluepoint Games' 2018 remake gives Team Ico's classic a modern makeover, and traversing the Forbidden Land in search of majestic colossi remains as haunting of an experience as it was in the PS2 era. 15)Stellar Blade More Than Just Eve In the lead-up to its release, Stellar Blade's marketing heavily advertised Eve, its AI protagonist, and her wardrobe. Attractive characters being used to sell projects is nothing new, but their heavy promotion usually suggests a lack of trust in the rest of the game's quality. Surprisingly, Stellar Blade proved to be way more than just its main character. Shift Up created an exciting action game with Soulslike combat (along with hack and slash influence) that also features surprisingly expansive zones that allow for exploration, side quests, and environmental storytelling. Considering it was created by a smallish studio compared to other PS5 first-party titles, Stellar Blade compares favorably to most of Sony's heavyweights, and it is among the best-looking Unreal Engine 4 games of all time. In fact, it could be confused for Unreal Engine 5. 16)Persona 5 Royal Oozes Style As hundreds of games use an anime aesthetic, they start to blend together if they do not inject enough personality into their presentations. Persona 5 Royal does not have this issue. Everything about the game screams "stylish," and that holds true for the social sim and dungeon crawling sections of the campaign. The latter take place in diverse Palaces that are generally vibrant, lively, and gorgeous. The visuals also do a lot of heavy lifting during battles, elevating what is a rather unspectacular turn-based combat system. Outside of Palaces, P5R unleashes players on a small but dense variant of Tokyo, one brimming with tiny details that enhance the experience. Note: Persona 3 Reload is quite a looker as well, although its single-dungeon setup restricts variety when compared to Persona 5 Royal 's Palaces. 17)The Last Of Us 2 Gritty Realism & Tremendous Performances Naughty Dog's games are always on the cutting edge graphically. 2016's Uncharted 4: A Thief's End has barely aged a day since its release, and 2013's The Last of Us was a contender for the most visually impressive game of the seventh generation. Therefore, unsurprisingly, the studio's latest offering, The Last of Us 2, is a powerhouse in the graphics department. This action-adventure game features realistic visuals and grounded performances courtesy of Naughty Dog using performance capture. Whether players are viewing a rare quiet moment or crawling in the mud to avoid a Clicker, The Last of Us 2 looks incredible. The 2024 remaster enhances the base version even further. 18)Gears 5 Weather Effects & Environments The newly titled Gears 5 takes a series that has always looked good and elevates it to the next level. The game's campaign takes place across a wide variety of environments, from a jungle early on to a snowy tundra and red desert landscape. The snowy tundra and red desert are also the locations for the game's more open exploration sections, giving a chance to explore and take in all the scenery. Gears 5's cutscenes are also gorgeous and the high fidelity extends into all the game's other modes. 19)Assassin's Creed Odyssey Packed With Stunning Vistas Assassin's Creed Odyssey earns its subtitle over the 60-plus hours it takes to mainline the story; in the meantime, players get to appreciate and take in the beauty of Ancient Greece. While the environments don't vary a ton from Assassin's Creed Origins, the extra trees and seas make for some spectacular views. With the viewpoints, Odyssey never hesitates to point out just how magnificent it looks. Most of the main characters and side characters also look great, which is impressive based on the quantity. 20)Hades Personality & Vibrancy Supergiant Games has put together some of the greatest indie releases of all time, and the studio's crowning achievement is Hades. The roguelike follows Zagreus' repeated attempts to make the journey from the Underworld to Mount Olympus, a task that proves to be anything but simple for Hades' son. Hades' visuals are vibrant, thematically consistent, and lively. The game's environments and characters are soaked in mythology and personality, while the particle effects are fantastic and impactful. The only negative is that sometimes there is a bit too much happening on screen. Note: Hades 2 arguably looks better than its predecessor, but it is still a work in progress at the moment. 21)Cuphead Perfectly Mimics Classic Cartoons A unique and eye-catching art style is often more important than sheer graphical prowess, and Cuphead might be the best demonstration of this point. Inspired by cartoons of old, Studio MDHR created a game that uses stunning and dynamic hand-drawn animation to bring to life a colorful world and the beings that exist within it. Even though they do not get much in the way of backstory, Cuphead utilizes its presentation to get across the personalities of each boss. The art style is also consistent throughout the campaign, allowing for a coherent experience despite most of the characters boasting designs that share very little in common. 22)Horizon Forbidden West Scale & Quality Guerrilla Games somehow managed to outdo Horizon Zero Dawn with its sequel, despite the latter still coming out on the PS4 alongside the console's successor. Horizon Forbidden West finds Aloy exploring a new area of this setting, one specifically inspired by states and cities like California and San Francisco. The result is a gorgeous and vast world packed with lush natural environments that are home to intricate mechanical beasts. Like most open-world games, Horizon Forbidden West does not always look absolutely fantastic, but its high points are so impressive that they make the more forgettable moments forgivable. While still a beautiful game on the PS4, this 2022 release is, unsurprisingly, at its best on the PS5. 23)Ori And The Will Of The Wisps Great Use Of Color & Light Moon Studios' Ori games are some of the best modern Metroidvanias, and they knock it out of the park in nearly every area. They tell emotional storylines that succeed in fostering not only a connection between the audience and the silent eponymous character but also the world they live in. Gameplay-wise, both games have precise and challenging platforming, while Will of the Wisps also introduces combat to the mix. Although a touch polarizing, the latter nevertheless adds an extra dimension to the overall package. Last but not least, Ori and its sequel are both visually enchanting. The games' use of color might be among the best in the entire industry, and each environment is a work of art. In the world of side-scrollers, not many projects compare favorably to Ori and the Will of the Wisps in any department, including graphics. 24)Demon's Souls (2020) A Beautiful Hell As mesmerizing as Elden Ring's visuals can be at times, the game's open-world design means they are spread a bit thin; conversely, 2020's Demon's Souls remake consists of almost nothing but stunning areas. Rife with deadly creatures, haunting architecture, and intimidating landscapes, Boletaria is a gorgeous nightmare of a kingdom that is equally likely to leave players in awe or fear. As a launch title for the PS5, Demon's Souls served as something of a tech demo for the hardware, showing what the next-gen console could accomplish. This is a game that could not exist on the PS4, and even more than 18 months into the PS5's life, Demon's Souls still has some of the best graphics on the system. 25)Ghost Of Tsushima Immersive Open-World Gazing across Ghost of Tsushima's rendition of the Japanese archipelago is quite the sight to behold, as this highly anticipated title has some breathtaking scenery. Tsushima's main graphical focus is on its world, which ends up feeling just as alive as the characters that inhabit it. The way cherry blossom petals flow in the highly stylized wind, how the sunset illuminates the beautiful countryside, and the many vibrant colors that contrast the violent gameplay make for one beautiful game. 26)Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Pixar Quality Similar to 2016's Ratchet & Clank, Rift Apart's animation is on a whole other level. The franchise's most recent entries tend to be compared to Pixar's movies, which is about as high of praise as any game can receive. Utilizing the full power of the PS5, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart matches top-tier cutscenes with gameplay sections that are packed with detail, moving parts, and depth. Insomniac created lavish and dense worlds that all have unique flavors that make them exciting to explore. When the action gets going and Ratchet or Rivet scoop up bolts, Rift Apart is as smooth as butter. Note: Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is also visually stunning and represents Insomniac at its best. Rift Apart merits the nod due to being among the first PS5 projects to showcase the console's graphical potential, but Spider-Man 2 is as good-looking of an open-world game as they come. 27)Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch Ghibli Quality Except for Square Enix, Level-5 is arguably the most consistent JRPG developer in terms of visuals. Yo-kai Watch, Dragon Quest 8, and Dark Cloud 2 are all gorgeous, and the latter's art styles are timeless. Level-5's graphical masterpiece is undoubtedly 2013's Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, although the developer got some help as the game's cutscenes were handled by Studio Ghibli. The anime studio is well-known for its lavish cinematic productions, and Wrath of the White Witch replicates Ghibli's iconic style splendidly. Even if the cutscenes were ignored, Ni no Kuni would still rank among the PS3's most beautiful games. 28)Resident Evil 2 (2019) – Represents All Modern Resident Evil Games A Remake Done Right Years of remasters and rereleases have cemented the idea that old games can look better than they did, but not as good as modern ones. Capcom rebuilding Resident Evil 2 from the ground up makes it a modern video game, a fantastic one at that. Leon and Claire have never looked this good and neither have the zombies and monsters terrorizing Raccoon City. The police station and underground lab look nearly life-like and every scare in the game is extra terrifying with how detailed the monsters are. Even Tyrant looks awesome, in his own terrifying way. Note: Resident Evil 3 and Resident Evil 4 also look fantastic, but RE2 received the nod as it was the first of Capcom's stint of recent remakes. Resident Evil Village is also stunning. 29)Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) The World At The Player's Fingertips Microsoft Flight Simulator is a jaw-dropping achievement. The flight sim grants players access to the world, allowing them to plan and take trips to Earth's highest mountains, hottest deserts, and greatest metropolises. The game's scope is impressive, and this ambition is more than matched by its technical prowess. Microsoft Flight Simulator is arguably the most realistic game of all time, with both the planes and locations authentically mirroring their real-life counterparts to the smallest detail. 30)God Of War (2018) & Ragnarok (2022) A New Era, A New Look Nothing against the previous installments of God of War, which are all technical showcases in their own right, but the soft reboot of the 2018 sequel and its successor are not only different but also more gorgeous. Exploring the Norse lands to soak up this universe's mythology is spectacular for a number of reasons, including the fact that everything looks great. God of War captures Kratos and Atreus in a way that gives depth to the former not experienced in previous installments. Unsurprisingly, God of War: Ragnarok maintains the high quality set by its predecessor. Graphically, the sequel does not offer a huge leap forward, but that is a testament to God of War's beauty rather than a criticism of Ragnarok. 31)The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Pushes The Switch To Its Absolute Limit The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom boast vibrant art styles that bring Hyrule to life like never before. However, if someone were to focus on the minute details, they might notice reused or flat textures along with large stretches of empty real estate containing nothing but maybe two enemies and a couple of apples. Compared to some other open-world projects, Nintendo's releases might not be that impressive; however, considering the Switch's underpowered hardware, both games are technical marvels. Tears of the Kingdom gets the nod as it has more content than Breath of the Wild thanks to the implementation of Sky Islands and the Depths. Pushing the Switch to its absolute limit, the sequel delivers one of the most complete and expansive open-world adventures of all time. 32)The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt A Dark Fantasy Masterpiece In Nearly Every Way Known for being one of the greatest games ever made, CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 3 is phenomenal for numerous reasons. Not all the monsters or gruff characters are a joy to look at because they aren't meant to be, but the sprawling landscapes are constantly killer. While the console versions look great (not including the Switch port, which is nonetheless impressive in its own right), The Witcher 3 on PC can hit graphical levels that are almost beyond understanding. The game is worth playing for a ton of reasons besides graphics, but looking good is always a plus. The bathtub scene is worth the price of entry alone. On the right system, Cyberpunk 2077 is also one of the best-looking games ever . 33)A Plague Tale: Requiem A Proper Current-Gen Experience As the ninth console generation picks up steam, more games will debut that raise the bar for graphics, at least on Sony and Microsoft's hardware. A Plague Tale: Requiem is one of the first games to truly come across as a current-gen experience, an achievement aided by Asobo Studio's decision to not produce PS4 and Xbox One versions. Boasting brilliant facial animations and photo-realistic visuals, Requiem is awe-inspiring on a technical level. While 2019's Innocence is also a pretty game, Requiem far exceeds its predecessor in this department, particularly when it comes to the presentation of the rats. 34)Forza Horizon 5 Mexico At The Player's Fingertips As long as Forza games continue to be made they will continue to be the best-looking games on the market. Forza Horizon 5 isn't just one of the greatest racing games of the last few years, but one of the most gorgeous titles to ever be released for Xbox. While Forza Horizon 4's British setting resulted in slightly homogenous environments, the sequel's Mexico map is far more diverse, offering 11 biomes that showcase different aspects of the country. While the game looks good on the Xbox One, Forza Horizon 5 is unbelievably gorgeous on PC and the Xbox Series X. 35)Alan Wake 2 Cinematic Quality Alan Wake 2 was a long time coming, and the sequel managed to live up to some rather lofty expectations while catering to both returning fans and new players. Split across two campaigns, the story follows Saga as she investigates a murder case that leads her to an unsettling American town with a peculiar populace. In the meantime, Alan finds himself trying to escape the Dark Place, a haunting realm that twists reality into something menacing but familiar. Although complementary, the two storylines still feel different from each other, and that extends to their detailed and realistic locations. Alan Wake 2 is a technical work of art built using Remedy's own Northlight Engine, which is also responsible for the equally impressive Control and Quantum Break. 36)Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Ambitious, Epic, & Gorgeous Generally, most JRPG franchises tend to trail behind other AAA properties in terms of graphics; however, the one constant exception is Final Fantasy. In most generations, Square Enix produces one or two games that push consoles to their limits – Final Fantasy 6 for the SNES, Final Fantasy 7 and 8 for the PS1, Final Fantasy 12 for the PS2, Final Fantasy 13 for the PS3, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake for the PS4. On the PS5, Final Fantasy 16 and Rebirth are both visually stunning, but the latter gets the nod due to its open-world nature, making for a more impressive final product. Set after Cloud and company leave Midgar, Rebirth emphasizes this story's world-spanning nature and scale in a way that could not be done with the 1997 original. Even if the open-world filler content might not be to everyone's tastes, the game is consistently gorgeous, and each region of the map has a unique identity that keeps things interesting. The character and enemy models are unsurprisingly flawless, and they are accompanied by high-quality visual effects that are regularly showcased during the fast-paced combat. 37)Half-Life: Alyx The Future Of Gaming? After more than a decade, Valve finally returned to the Half-Life franchise, albeit with a prequel/sequel rather than a proper third entry. Also, Half-Life: Alyx is a VR game, presumably designed to get people interested in Valve's Index headset. Dropping players in City 17, Alyx not only serves as a showcase of VR technology but is also a proper, substantial addition to the beloved series. Half-Life: Alyx arguably features the most detailed world in gaming history, and, thanks to virtual reality, one of the most immersive. Although most of the game takes place in underground areas filled with brilliantly designed environments and enemies, Half-Life: Alyx's presentation goes up another level whenever the story heads to the surface. 38)Red Dead Redemption 2 An Era Captured Fully Red Dead Redemption 2 is arguably the game with the best graphics of all time, although Rockstar's GTA 5 and L.A. Noire would not be bad shouts either. RDR2 is practically a movie due to how detailed and impressive all the NPCs and landscapes look on both consoles and PC. Not only does every single frame of this adventure look photo-realistic, but RDR2 is also incredibly long and players will never get tired of the scenery. Arthur Morgan looks and feels like a real human being, and the same extends to every other character within the game. RDR2 is nothing short of art. 39)Groundbreaking Games From Yesteryear They Set The Standard While not quite as regular of a phenomenon nowadays, the '80s, '90s, and early 2000s produced plenty of games that represented the next leap in graphical prowess. Titles like Pong, Asteroids, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario 64, Alone in the Dark, Ocarina of Time, Tomb Raider, Mist, Final Fantasy 7, and Grand Theft Auto 3 were all visual showcases that changed the industry. Even if some of these projects' graphics have not aged extremely well, that does not diminish their accomplishments or importance. And, plenty of these masterpieces have stood the test of time, especially Nintendo's SNES-era releases. |
2024.05.12 17:40 ServesYouRice An old man's ultimate Rise of Kingdoms starting guide
 | First of all, why you should listen to what I am saying - I am a guy who started this game in 2018, 2021, and now in 2024 on 3 different accounts. Each time, at those points in time, my accounts could have been considered competitive while spending less than 100 bucks for each one of them (I got to be a king each time I played, with the best statistics among my non-t5 kingdom mates). The first time I played I mained archers, the second time cavalry, and now the third time I am going for submitted by ServesYouRice to RiseofKingdoms [link] [comments] Current statistics at the end of kvk1: rank 7 in my kingdom in kvk kills (only t5 players are above me), rank 21 among all 4 kingdom kills (rank 18 when fights finished, only t5 players were above me and farm killers/irregulars), rank 3 in honour, rank 39 in Lost Canyon, rank 82 individual power among the 4 kingdoms (28m power before fights started and still 28m (spent universal speedups on healing and lost troops so power remained unchanged)). If you notice any mistakes in my writing or things I simply forgot and should add, let me know. Now, for the guide, in no particular order for things- Jumpers & sleeping accounts If you don't know these 2 terms or you just recently learned about them, it may be too late for you - because you already started the game. To gain an advantage over others, people choose to either build their accounts to level 7 (all buildings), build only tier 1 troops for a week and then jump with their beginner teleport (you can use this only until you are level 8) or play on their accounts normally for the first 9 days and then migrate to a newly opened kingdom, with other people they organized with (on Discord, in their starting kingdom or some other way). If you feel like your start was inadequate, you can just quit because even a month doesn't matter much in this game. Why is this important? It gives you an advantage over others when you go to the newly opened kingdom, you are now 10 days ahead of new players but most importantly - you get to join the top alliance! The top alliance usually gets the best things, most gold chests, and other stuff that will boost your growth more than any other strategy. While most people prefer just building their accounts normally and then migrating on day 9, what I did this time and the 2nd time I played was building my account to 7 and waiting about 5-7 days before I jumped. What I did may not be the most efficient (because you lose days not building your account properly, not in a good alliance, or missing out on other rewards) but it allowed me to migrate twice (on days 5-7 and then again through regular migration), letting me pick my kingdom twice instead of once (there is a 30-day long migration cooldown if you do it regularly). On my second migration, I found a rising star kingdom with one of the highest alliance gift level in our season 1 so it was a great success. Gems Don't spend your gems on anything other than VIP. Get to VIP 10 as soon as you can and then collect 50k gems to spend on your first More than gems event when it comes, again in VIP until you reach VIP 12. When you get to VIP 12, if you are feeling confident like me, you can go for the Castle or some random events but if you like to play safe or your alliance isn't dropping gold chests like mad (you should look for another kingdom), just keep saving for VIP 14. Buildings There are guides on what buildings you need to unlock your future buildings, look it up. While you are building 1 thing, you can use your second queue to build buildings that you will need after your first queue is done. This is how you gain an advantage over other players and how I got ahead of everyone before my kvk1 fights started. Another important thing is once you get to City Hall 22 (unlock 5 marches), never use your universal speedups again on buildings. Universal speedups only go to your research and nothing else until you get T5 troops. After City Hall 22, what I did was start saving up my building speedups and using them only for my City Hall 25 (which I was letting tick down naturally before fights started). In a perfect world, you will only use your building speedups for Academy and troop buildings. Academy and troop buildings have their own queues so you want to avoid blocking them (building Academy for 10 days when you could be researching something instead). Commanders When kvk1 comes, as a f2p or low spender rather than 5, you will only be able to use 1-3 marches in reality. You will also only be able to expertise a few purple commanders (3 if you are good, 4 if you are a beast) and only a single yellow commander (due to stars needed). The reasons why:
Joan is also good, yo! If you can spend like 1k bucks (or more than 300 at least), you can:
This is a completely different beast that would require as much text as everything else so I will keep it short and show only things I did. For infantry, I just threw in purple as much as I could. The shield weapon is completely fine as blue, same for shoes and hand. Pants need to be purple, head and chest can be whatever you want it to be Cavalry is the only one where green stuff is acceptable for weapon and pants. They give good statistics, purple can be better but it needs too much investment so it is okay to keep it green. Hand and chest need to be purple but I wasn't lucky with my chest piece. Head is okay as blue and boots can be either blue or purple, up to you Archers are the most expensive and demanding ones, they have a good purple set and you have to go for it. I wasn't lucky with the hand so I chose the green substitute but if you can, get all 4 pieces of the Revival set. Weapon is fine as blue, boots need to be purple Other than these sets, I have 2 other sets, one is called mixed and I use it for my Aeth for barbarian fort rallies or to simply get to things fast (it is a Windswept set with infantry blue weapon). Another one is called Joan but it is just random low-effort equipment I threw on my Joan for Canyon, a lady can't go in among others naked after all. If you are a mid-range spender and you can get VIP 14, spend your gems on the Egg event (Holy Knight or something) and the Dig event (I have no idea what it is called but you get shovels to dig things with) to get legendary equipment. Many will tell you that purple equipment is fine but it actually isn't because legendary equipment scales better power-wise in the late game. MGE Can be ignored if you are a f2p or f2p+ but if there is an opportunity, go for it. Martel MGE is the most useful one but it may be fixed by your leadership so that only leaves you with Ceasar or El Cid MGEs in reality. I myself never pushed for a MGE if it wasn't for a rank 1, 2, and 3 (on my older accounts) so I just ignored these completely (because I was in a rising star kingdom) and pushed whenever we had kingdom buffs for those 20 gold heads events (don't need to get top 3 spots, even top 10 20 50 gives extra stuff for no risk or no preparation). Farms To stay competitive, you will never resources. You can get away with just 2 farms, if you work a bit on them or 4 if you prefer to work less on them. I did 4 but I know many people who did more than that because the more the merrier. Canyon So, I told you to focus on Sun, Baibars, Aeth and Joan. These 4 commanders are pretty good for Canyon as well so you can use them here. In the beginning, other than your main commanders, you will be using Lohar and Boudica for barbarians. They can be used in your Canyon simply because they will be higher level than other commanders and levels are the king in the early game Canyon. Ideal Canyon lineup to have in kvk1: https://preview.redd.it/yq0yc0s6600d1.png?width=868&format=png&auto=webp&s=3643b9d462b08f658364e6422822b5b16d104508 2 nuking marches behind 2 very tanky marches (that is why Ceasar is there and why Richard Joan, a not-so-good march, is also there) with 1 random strong march on the side. You will not have these commanders unless you are a p2w but you can still apply the same logic to other marches, with 2 nukers and 2 tanks. This guy maxed his Martel, bought Minamoto but used the same logic, 2 tanky marches (rotated Joan and Ceasar) with 2 nuking archers, a standalone cavalry march This guy is not as big of a spender as the ones before, maxed only YSG, seems to have worked on others a bit as well Dolphin, not a whale that dominated Canyon before anything. 3 tanky marches that just outlived everyone and 2 nukers Lower end spender, he maxed Scipio as a replacement for his Ceasar, put Aeth behind his Sun Tzu (seen it a lot, it simply works but I have no idea why) Another example of - it just works Very realistic lineup minus Minamoto. Imhotep is another good epic commander worth mentioning for Expedition, Canyon and maybe even fights This is my lineup, finishing as ranked 39 in Lost Canyon. Minimal investment on commanders, no Richard, no Minamoto, 5111 YSG, using commanders that I spoke about + randoms that were just \"there\". Lots of testing, not sure why it works but it works (Cleopatra can be replaced with Mulan for the same effect). Playing events actively and doing guardians allowed me to have so many level 60 commanders Action points Many events were very tempting to use action points on... But I resisted the urge and simply collected every single AP until kvk1 started. Without chaining barbarians, just by doing kvk events actively and spending my AP on level 36+ barbs, I got to rank 3 in kvk1 honour. This will give me the legendary city skin, gold heads, and some other good rewards. I recommend either spending your AP this way in hopes of getting a top 20 finish or spending it on pre-kvk events (marauders, days 1-2 and 5-6). Don't spend AP on Karuak and other events, just do them slowly. You can make an exception for the 7k gems event because it is very worth it but impossible to complete unless you chain barbarians or buy bundles that unlock things for you. Conclusion and other useful tricks Do whatever your heart desires! Don't burn yourself out by grinding all small events, guardians, and things daily, focus on your macro play so you can just work on things you need. Barbarian chaining while useful can be soul-crushing, you don't need to do every guardian rotation, you don't need to be the most efficient with your stuff because this game is a marathon and not a sprint. Marches I use for barbarians, peacekeeping commanders are too very important because they give extra resources, lower AP cost and more damage while healing when killing barbarians, it all adds up with time 3 marches I used to fight with, I spent all my training speedups on infantry and cavalry so they would overflow to my archer march, I used archer equipment on my Aeth and I never fought without expansions Have a march like this one to grab runes fast, make sure to always pick war runes before fights, and use attack or defense 10% boosts Again, gems only in VIP until VIP 12/14 and keep migrating until you get into a rank 1 alliance, your alliance will make or break your progress so don't get too friendly with people and stay behind for your friends in dead alliances, you can get friends everywhere (or bring your friends with you) You can choose to compete in the Zenith of power event to get a legendary skin, this is what I got for top 50 spot (or something like that, a 30-day temporary skin that lasted me for all kvk1 fights), after kvk1 I will get another legendary skin from my top honour spot to replace this temporary one For research, just try to unlock your Medical Corps and Encampment as soon as possible because in early levels they give the most out of the least, troop specific research you can get to some random level like 6 in my case unless you have in mind what troop type you are going to main (I am waiting for my sieges and keeping things universal until then), I now have enough speedups to get all last 3 researches to level 9 but I will probably wait for kvk2 to come instead to be more efficient as my alliance technology and academy aren't there yet Make sure to play Ark of Osiris! It gives the most for the least amount of effort, you can get 10 gold heads, 2k gems and other things just for 1 hour of your time. For migration, the rules keep changing but right now they are: Until the preparation stage starts, you can keep migrating as much as you want every 30 days to kingdoms that are 10 days younger or older than the kingdom you start in. This rule applies until you get into the preparation stage where you will be able to migrate to a kingdom younger than 10 days if you move for example kingdom 3461 and then go to 3464 which may be 13 days younger than your starting kingdom Kvk2 has no limits on same-season migration aka kingdoms that finished kvk1 around the same time as you, but cross migration (kingdoms older than kvk2) is limited to 50 spots that can't be controlled by the kings. |
2024.05.12 17:25 Keith_Casarona The Meeting Before the Annual Meeting Last Year That Changed Everything! Part 2
Meanwhile back at the meeting in September of last year with the Governing Body.
Herd "What about mustaches and beards for the brothers. We black brothers have been allowed to have mustaches for the last 70 years."
Jackson "You mean letting the white brothers have the same facial hair privileges that we gave the black brothers years ago? This is some racial shit for sure!"
Cook "Beards really?
Losch "Why not? Jesus and everyone back in Bible had them. Even Charles Russell the guy who drement this whole thing up had one. It was only Knorr and all the other tight asses back in the fifties who had the hard on against beards and facial hair.
Sanderson "Really?"
Losch "Yes!" Just look it up it is all there in the older publication."
Fleegle "We can't do that. Remember we took down almost all of the older publications that were printed before the year 1980 from our website JW.ORG because of the misleading, false and bad information that pervious Governing Bodies members thought were good ideas/new light."
Losch "Sorry I forgot about that. I guess we shot ourselves in the foot on that one too. Anyway back to Knorr's hard on against facial hair and homos. Did you know long before 'tight pants' Tony had it in for gays Knorr lead the way. He hated homos. In fact back in 1969 he kicked out of over 60 of them at Bethel at one time. Right after that he put a band on all Bethelites wearing blue jeans at Bethel because we all know they are the preferred pants for gays."
Winder " So you mean long before tight pants Tony Morris came up with this shit it was Knorr who made the proclamation against tight pants and the banding of blue jeans at Bethel?"
Losch "I'm afraid so."
Splane "Wow!"
Jackson "So this of course brings up the whole thing about our stand on our homos in the organization. What do you think about relaxing things with them? I mean it would definitely make us look a little more normal in the world and our young people. Plus it would help cut down all those embarrassing suicides our gays in our organization are committing.
Herd "No Way!"
Winder "No!"
Lett "We can't do that! Reversing our stand now it would make all of us look like total idiots. I mean come on you guys all know my own gay nephew killed himself. How would that make me look?"
Herd "Stephen is right even though it would be the loving thing to do. Letting the gays live in our organization doesn't help us with our problem of getting new members."
Splane "True since gays can't create new JW children, screw them and let the die. Anyway don't we believe Jehovah will be killing them all off shortly anyway?"
Jackson "Ok it's agreed we leave the whole gay thing alone."
Cook "However what say we change our stand on how we treat disfellowshipped ones including gays?"
Sanderson "You mean treating them with a little more love and compassion?"
Jackson "Yeah, you know like what Jesus would have done."
Herd "Wow you mean treating people like Jesus did. This is and interesting concept for sure.
"Sanderson "Yeah that's the ticket. That would help us look more compassionate."
Lett "Guys you know we tried this back in of 1974 at the 'Divine Purpose' District Convention, when we gave the brothers 'new light' about disfellowshipped ones nicer"
Winder "True but that backfired in our face when we had to reverse our stand in 1983 back to go back to the old way of competing shunning people. We had to do this after the whole Ray Franz thing blow up in our face. We had to change that 'new light back to the old light. So you are saying we are going back to the original understanding or the first 'new light' or back to the older 'new light.' Which light are we talking about here?"
Fleegle "Come on guys 'God is not a god of confusion' so why are we so confused here?"
There was a long silence in the room. Maybe they were thinking about the fact that God or Jesus is not involved with any of this bull shit. Anyway back to the meeting.
Jackson "So there is one more thing we need to talk about... the peophile problem."
Winder "Jesus Jackson do we have to?"
Jackson "Come on guys we have turned a blind eye to the fact that we have literally let our young people get screwed over for decades by thousand of pedophiles in our organization. Now these young people have grown up and are suing us out of millions of dollars. I don't care anymore about them than you do but we are having to sell off Kingdom halls to pay for all this."
Sanderson "The Baal worshipers were sacrificing their young children to their false gods. How are we any different?"
Losch "I got an idea lets talk about this another time."
Splane "Good idea!"
Winder "I agree."
Herd "Yes I agree too. I want to talk about something really important now. I want to talk about the beards some more. So think about it. How long can these beards be? A foot two feet down to their knees? If we don't have some kind of control on this thing there will be brothers out there who will look like ZZ top or even Charles Russell! You know we have been checking sisters skirt lengths at the meeting for years. I really thing we need to have some kind of control on the length of their...."
At that moment the brother who was recording all this had to get up to go to the restroom. so that was the end of the recording.
However, he did leave another briefcase under the large table that the 9 'brothers' were sitting at in the Fuhrer Bunker. I'm afraid the fuse failed and the 9 war criminals are still at large....10 if you want to count Tony.
Keith Casarona
submitted by Keith_Casarona to exjw [link] [comments]
Herd "What about mustaches and beards for the brothers. We black brothers have been allowed to have mustaches for the last 70 years."
Jackson "You mean letting the white brothers have the same facial hair privileges that we gave the black brothers years ago? This is some racial shit for sure!"
Cook "Beards really?
Losch "Why not? Jesus and everyone back in Bible had them. Even Charles Russell the guy who drement this whole thing up had one. It was only Knorr and all the other tight asses back in the fifties who had the hard on against beards and facial hair.
Sanderson "Really?"
Losch "Yes!" Just look it up it is all there in the older publication."
Fleegle "We can't do that. Remember we took down almost all of the older publications that were printed before the year 1980 from our website JW.ORG because of the misleading, false and bad information that pervious Governing Bodies members thought were good ideas/new light."
Losch "Sorry I forgot about that. I guess we shot ourselves in the foot on that one too. Anyway back to Knorr's hard on against facial hair and homos. Did you know long before 'tight pants' Tony had it in for gays Knorr lead the way. He hated homos. In fact back in 1969 he kicked out of over 60 of them at Bethel at one time. Right after that he put a band on all Bethelites wearing blue jeans at Bethel because we all know they are the preferred pants for gays."
Winder " So you mean long before tight pants Tony Morris came up with this shit it was Knorr who made the proclamation against tight pants and the banding of blue jeans at Bethel?"
Losch "I'm afraid so."
Splane "Wow!"
Jackson "So this of course brings up the whole thing about our stand on our homos in the organization. What do you think about relaxing things with them? I mean it would definitely make us look a little more normal in the world and our young people. Plus it would help cut down all those embarrassing suicides our gays in our organization are committing.
Herd "No Way!"
Winder "No!"
Lett "We can't do that! Reversing our stand now it would make all of us look like total idiots. I mean come on you guys all know my own gay nephew killed himself. How would that make me look?"
Herd "Stephen is right even though it would be the loving thing to do. Letting the gays live in our organization doesn't help us with our problem of getting new members."
Splane "True since gays can't create new JW children, screw them and let the die. Anyway don't we believe Jehovah will be killing them all off shortly anyway?"
Jackson "Ok it's agreed we leave the whole gay thing alone."
Cook "However what say we change our stand on how we treat disfellowshipped ones including gays?"
Sanderson "You mean treating them with a little more love and compassion?"
Jackson "Yeah, you know like what Jesus would have done."
Herd "Wow you mean treating people like Jesus did. This is and interesting concept for sure.
"Sanderson "Yeah that's the ticket. That would help us look more compassionate."
Lett "Guys you know we tried this back in of 1974 at the 'Divine Purpose' District Convention, when we gave the brothers 'new light' about disfellowshipped ones nicer"
Winder "True but that backfired in our face when we had to reverse our stand in 1983 back to go back to the old way of competing shunning people. We had to do this after the whole Ray Franz thing blow up in our face. We had to change that 'new light back to the old light. So you are saying we are going back to the original understanding or the first 'new light' or back to the older 'new light.' Which light are we talking about here?"
Fleegle "Come on guys 'God is not a god of confusion' so why are we so confused here?"
There was a long silence in the room. Maybe they were thinking about the fact that God or Jesus is not involved with any of this bull shit. Anyway back to the meeting.
Jackson "So there is one more thing we need to talk about... the peophile problem."
Winder "Jesus Jackson do we have to?"
Jackson "Come on guys we have turned a blind eye to the fact that we have literally let our young people get screwed over for decades by thousand of pedophiles in our organization. Now these young people have grown up and are suing us out of millions of dollars. I don't care anymore about them than you do but we are having to sell off Kingdom halls to pay for all this."
Sanderson "The Baal worshipers were sacrificing their young children to their false gods. How are we any different?"
Losch "I got an idea lets talk about this another time."
Splane "Good idea!"
Winder "I agree."
Herd "Yes I agree too. I want to talk about something really important now. I want to talk about the beards some more. So think about it. How long can these beards be? A foot two feet down to their knees? If we don't have some kind of control on this thing there will be brothers out there who will look like ZZ top or even Charles Russell! You know we have been checking sisters skirt lengths at the meeting for years. I really thing we need to have some kind of control on the length of their...."
At that moment the brother who was recording all this had to get up to go to the restroom. so that was the end of the recording.
However, he did leave another briefcase under the large table that the 9 'brothers' were sitting at in the Fuhrer Bunker. I'm afraid the fuse failed and the 9 war criminals are still at large....10 if you want to count Tony.
Keith Casarona
2024.05.12 17:21 Reddit_user1935 New French Empire (1924)
 | Pre-War lore: submitted by Reddit_user1935 to MapChart [link] [comments] Due to a lack of French (and therefore European) intervention, the 13 Colonies lose the 'Washington Revolt' and sign a peace in 1783. The colonies remain under Britain and most taxes are reinstated, however they now have representation in an Imperial Parliament. Due to this, the French Revolution never occurs, however the King Louis skillfully sides with the third estate and creates a constitutional monarchy in line with Britain. The King still have limited power, but finally the peace of France are equal. An era of resurgence starts in France. Revolutionary ideals about inheritance never occur until later, industrialisation occurs far more quickly, and France diversifies its crop growth. This leads to much greater population growth, albeit far less then in the past. This means Britain never gains South Africa, the Belgian lands are split between the Dutch Republic and France, Prussia never adopts Napoleonic ideals, making them weaker, and the balance of power is never solidified. In the Crimean War (1853-58), Austria sides with Russia while France sides with the Ottomans. Britain, occupied with a southern rebellion in their new 'American Commonwealth' fails to intervene. The Ottomans see heavy, scary losses, and almost complete collapse, even with French intervention. Britain finally gets involved, setting up an international zone around Constantinople, and creating an Independent Mesopotamia in the Levantine and Iraqi lands. Russia seizes Turkey and the Caucuses, creating a lot of instability. Britain takes Egypt, Sudan, and Libya, as well as Qatar and the Emirates. France is forced to peace out in disgrace. In the Brothers War (1870-1874), France tries to regain its lost prestige by signing with Austria and Russia against Prussia, which gains them the Prussian Rhein. Prussia, surrounded, eventually falls even with heavy losses on the other side. Austria cedes East Galicia to Russia, annexes Silesia, creates an independent Westphalia, and forms a South German Union. Austria becomes the main contender for German Unification and begins a rivalry with France soon after. The Austro-Russian alliance grows stronger. However, Austria was forced to cede Veneto to Italy to keep them neutral. Britain's colonialism was slower in this timeline due to the American presence, so northern India was conquered far later, leading to a Russian Afganistan with Peshawar and Quetta (albeit without Baluchistan, which still goes to Britain), Australia was colonised by France, the Netherlands and Britain, and New Zealand has a higher native population. America is also prevented from expanding past the mississippi, and English settlers never reach Ontario, so three states are set up. Quebec, Colombia (Canada west of Ontario, without all French Lousiana lands, with Washington State and northern Oregon.), and a federal Commonwealth of America. Russia sells Alaska to Britain, solidifying their Friendship, and agrees to never invade India. In France, ideas about a 'superior race' grow due to its far larger population and its victory in the Brothers War. Full constitutionalism takes place and the nobility as a legal class is abolished. Colonial ideas accelerates and more settlers travel to Algeria. A Second Brothers War breaks out in 1880, with Austria and Russia against Prussia. Now weakened, even after fighting valiantly, Prussia eventually falls. Posen is granted to an Autonomous Poland, as well as West Galicia, ceded by Austria. Prussia is forced to grant independence to Brandenburg and Pommern, and the Hohenzollern family are forced to flee there after a ultra-nationalist coup in Königsburg. The United Kingdoms of Germany are formed under Austria in 1886 with its capital in Frankfurt. Due to this, a Vienna Conference occurs in 1894, to outline colonialism in Africa. Over the next 3 years, talks breakdown due to disagreements between Britain and France, and numerous claims made by Germany. All agree that the Dutch will gain all of South Africa and no more, and on portugese claims on Zambesia, Malawi, Angola, and Mozambique. Therefore, in 1897, a great war begins. France, Spain (needing an ally to gain any claims at all), the Hungarian rebellion against Austria, and Prussia, against Britain, Austria and Russia. However, the war goes very badly for France. Italy, originally an ally of France, sides against it to gain their claims. Albeit weak, they draw away troops from the main line. Britain quickly seizes French colonies in Africa, excluding Algeria, and Denmark joins in for the reclamation of Schleswig. Prussia, albeit fighting valiantly, falls in 1899 after 2 years of being squeezed from all sides. France does make large gains in the German Confederation and Italy, but the fall of Prussia makes it hard to retain them. The loss of Gibraltar hurts Britain morale, but the eventual fall of Algeria makes up for it. The Hungarian Rebellion, disorganised and unruly, is unable to push, however Austria fails to make any gains, highly distracted. Eventually, a peace if signed between the two in 1901, granting full independence to Hungary under a Hapsburg personal Union. Bosnia and Dalmatia are seized by Serbia. In 1901, the war faction takes over Japan, and a war occurs between Japan and Russia. Russia, overconfident, spares barely a troop, causing a shock Japanese victory. South Sakhalin and the remaining Kuril islands are ceded to Japan, however no further claims are made, as the Japanese do not feel ready for a great war. Their control over Korea and Taiwan are however recognised. In 1902, the British Blockade becomes far too much for the starving French, forcing them to peace out. The Rhein is integrated into Germany, and Alcase Lorraine is demilitarised. The remaining African lands are divided between Britain and Germany, excluding Algeria. Tunisia is granted to Italy, along with Nice, Corsica and South Tyrol. The Dutch gain Dunkirk, and the Basque County is given independence from both France and Spain. The Russians feel cheated, having gained nearly nothing, forced to grant Autonomy to Poland, and left alone in their war with Japan. They enter a period of isolationism. Britian signs deals with Japan, recognising an Asian country as equal for the first time. Germany colonised the Philippines (seized from Spain), Vietnam, and their normal Pacific lands. Siam retains Cambodia, Karen, and Laos. Britain consolidates Malaysia + Patani, as well as securing the majority of Burma. |
2024.05.12 07:29 writernotalover2 [M4F][Reddit/Discord] The Prince and the Dame Knight
Heavy rain battered down the dark roads and forests of the Tellusian Kingdom. Water droplets, like arrows were constantly pelting the ground, never stopping, never faltering. The black mantle of the night sky was briefly interrupted by a large bright light. It was no bonfire at times of mirth or celebration. Nor was it a magical light coming from the heavens to bring succor, hope and salvation.
The light was the unquenchable flames of war that now consumed Castle Tellus. The enemy had broken down the centuries old walls and now they had made their way into the city. The knights, soldiers and militia could not stop the unrelenting assault of the invading forces. The screams of death, fear mixed with the wails of loss. The war had been decided since before blood was drawn. The enemy was strong, cunning and ultimately better than the champions of Tellus. Including the King and his son, Prince Henric. The men of the royal family fell in combat defending the walls in an impossible battle. Prince Henric's mother, the Queen herself soon met her own end when the enemy soldiers captured the keep. The slaughter of the maids, ladies in waiting, the elders who were not fit to fight. All gone.
All but a single horse. The beast's muzzle breathed in and out, exterting all it could. On the black creature's back was a woman. The kingdom's best knight and duelist. A veteran of many battles. One who could have maybe stopped the enemy forces for some time. But ultimately her duty was a different one.
In front of her, the the horse was a smaller, younger figure. Prince Alain. The last in line of the Tellusian royalty. The Prince of Silks, as they called the brown-haired soft prince. He was not a fighter. He was no hero, like his brother Henric. He was a scholar, a diplomat, and ultimately when it came to war: useless.
Why was he spared when his brother died? Why must the younger brother carry the burdens of the family now? The Queen was always soft on the boy. And now she was risking the best knight's life to keep him safe.
Arrows wheezed past the horse, not hitting their target. But riders would soon follow after them. It would take time, but they could not stop. The Prince must live.
/// /// /// /// /// /// ///
Hello everyone! I'm still in the mood for a fantasy epic romance! So now I bring in the story of a young prince and the female knight that serves him! I'd like to avoid "masteservant" roles here and focus on a genuine romance between the two. We can push this into the inappropriateness of a knight getting to close to the royal she serves. Especially if she's much older than him. Maybe she's served his mother before, and thus, she's old enough to be his mother.
I'm not into the "sexy" fantasy look. I don't want chainmail bikinis, but a realistic dame knight, maybe with scars, a strong physique and an elegant if dangerous beauty to her. Has she been married? Or only to her job? For how long has she served the Prince?
Of course we don't need to start this at the siege if you want something more slice of life. They could be just hiding from castle staff during a calm day to share their love, or he's sent to a kingdom far off with her as his bodyguard. We can play this off in so many amazing ways!
LIMITS: Anal sex, Heavy BDSM, Pegging, rimming, degradation (in either direction), Pain, Gore (as part of sex), toilet stuff, porn plots, the use of the word daddy for sex, heavy dom/sub dynamics.
What I like: Athletic women, older women, Romance, pubic hair, creampies, oral sex (both directions), cheating (married/engaged woman), anatomy differences, clothed sex, build up.
submitted by writernotalover2 to AdvLiterateRP [link] [comments]
The light was the unquenchable flames of war that now consumed Castle Tellus. The enemy had broken down the centuries old walls and now they had made their way into the city. The knights, soldiers and militia could not stop the unrelenting assault of the invading forces. The screams of death, fear mixed with the wails of loss. The war had been decided since before blood was drawn. The enemy was strong, cunning and ultimately better than the champions of Tellus. Including the King and his son, Prince Henric. The men of the royal family fell in combat defending the walls in an impossible battle. Prince Henric's mother, the Queen herself soon met her own end when the enemy soldiers captured the keep. The slaughter of the maids, ladies in waiting, the elders who were not fit to fight. All gone.
All but a single horse. The beast's muzzle breathed in and out, exterting all it could. On the black creature's back was a woman. The kingdom's best knight and duelist. A veteran of many battles. One who could have maybe stopped the enemy forces for some time. But ultimately her duty was a different one.
In front of her, the the horse was a smaller, younger figure. Prince Alain. The last in line of the Tellusian royalty. The Prince of Silks, as they called the brown-haired soft prince. He was not a fighter. He was no hero, like his brother Henric. He was a scholar, a diplomat, and ultimately when it came to war: useless.
Why was he spared when his brother died? Why must the younger brother carry the burdens of the family now? The Queen was always soft on the boy. And now she was risking the best knight's life to keep him safe.
Arrows wheezed past the horse, not hitting their target. But riders would soon follow after them. It would take time, but they could not stop. The Prince must live.
/// /// /// /// /// /// ///
Hello everyone! I'm still in the mood for a fantasy epic romance! So now I bring in the story of a young prince and the female knight that serves him! I'd like to avoid "masteservant" roles here and focus on a genuine romance between the two. We can push this into the inappropriateness of a knight getting to close to the royal she serves. Especially if she's much older than him. Maybe she's served his mother before, and thus, she's old enough to be his mother.
I'm not into the "sexy" fantasy look. I don't want chainmail bikinis, but a realistic dame knight, maybe with scars, a strong physique and an elegant if dangerous beauty to her. Has she been married? Or only to her job? For how long has she served the Prince?
Of course we don't need to start this at the siege if you want something more slice of life. They could be just hiding from castle staff during a calm day to share their love, or he's sent to a kingdom far off with her as his bodyguard. We can play this off in so many amazing ways!
LIMITS: Anal sex, Heavy BDSM, Pegging, rimming, degradation (in either direction), Pain, Gore (as part of sex), toilet stuff, porn plots, the use of the word daddy for sex, heavy dom/sub dynamics.
What I like: Athletic women, older women, Romance, pubic hair, creampies, oral sex (both directions), cheating (married/engaged woman), anatomy differences, clothed sex, build up.
2024.05.12 06:00 kayenano The Villainess Is An SS+ Rank Adventurer: Chapter 238
[<< First] [< Previous] [Next >] [Patreon] [Discord]
Synopsis:
Juliette Contzen is a lazy, good-for-nothing princess. Overshadowed by her siblings, she's left with little to do but nap, read … and occasionally cut the falling raindrops with her sword. Spotted one day by an astonished adventurer, he insists on grading Juliette's swordsmanship, then promptly has a mental breakdown at the result.
Soon after, Juliette is given the news that her kingdom is on the brink of bankruptcy. At threat of being married off, the lazy princess vows to do whatever it takes to maintain her current lifestyle, and taking matters into her own hands, escapes in the middle of the night in order to restore her kingdom's finances.
Tags: Comedy, Adventure, Action, Fantasy, Copious Ohohohohos.
Chapter 238: Fragments Of Memories
Willem of Hagel never thought much of the world.
He didn’t have time to. As a boy out in the fields, his thoughts were as tied as his hands. Any moment spent thinking about the horizon could be better spent readying the soil for the next harvest.
There were others who thought differently, of course.
But there were also others who’d never received a smack on their head for their curiosity.
There was room enough for heroes without needing to cross the oceans, he was always told, often while nursing his ear. They were the farmers, just like them. Those who kept the miller baking his bread and the horses eating their grain.
Willem never had a mind to disagree.
The smacks hurt. And besides, he already saw everything there was to see in the world.
The village had everything he needed. And that was only a skip away.
There was a chapel with a spire to nod at. A market with traders selling all the things he didn’t need. Enough taverns that Willem rightfully wondered if they should be growing barley instead of corn. And Rosie by the river as well.
What did the towns and cities of Weinstadt have, other than taller spires to nod at, louder traders to ignore and even more taverns to wonder if they were growing the right fields? And none of them had Rosie. Although they probably had nicer rivers.
This was Willem’s life.
One farm boy among many, content with his lot in the world.
The problem was that the world wasn’t content in return.
That day, the flames rose as high as the sun, lifting it to keep the dusk from setting. It would have made no difference if it had. Even a single field burning was like a painting of the end of the world. A blanket of smoke visible even to the heavens. And certainly to the villagers.
They’d come rushing carrying water by the palms.
The flames were doused by their blood instead.
Even now, Willem didn’t understand why soldiers would attack his fields. He understood less why they would put a gash on Margie’s face or make sure Cody would never walk again. Rebels they called him, and all of them with him. Willem didn’t know who they were rebelling against, other than the king mice which plagued his fields.
They didn’t care. Nor did their swords.
“[Entangling vines]!”
But the ones who stopped them?
They cared, at least.
And that’s all that mattered.
Willem could only gawp.
The sight of his burning fields were joined by something even more frightening. Roots the likes of which could strangle an oak sprouting from the ground. Half the soldiers were taken there and then, their swords as good against the roots as Willem’s pleas had been on their ears.
Those were the lucky ones.
“[Hamstring Volley]!”
Arrows came thick and fast, striking those who’d not been taken by the roots.
They hit their marks cleanly, most dead centre in knee caps or else striking through the shin or ankle. They fell clutching their legs, crying out in pain at the shafts gone halfway through.
Somehow, there was an even greater song playing in the background.
“[Sprinkling Chorus]!”
A tune so thick and vibrant it could be seen as ribbons of water dancing in the air. It flowed across the field as beautiful as any rain Willem had seen, calming the flames like a mother’s lullaby.
Willem could only blink as the smoke lessened, and the figures strolled through his fields.
An elven woman in a dress of green leaves, each finger outstretched as she commanded the vines with unseen strings. A halfling man with a bow almost his height, three arrows notched to the strings as his bright eyes searched for the targets he hadn’t struck true. A man with a spotted lilac poncho, smiling away as he orchestrated the ribbons of water from his lute.
Adventurers.
Willem didn’t know their names. But he knew what they were.
The very aura they carried with them was different. The ease with which they walked amidst the smoking field spoke of years of experience. And the one leading them spoke of it louder than them all.
Willem almost backed away as the man approached, even though the stranger was his saviour. He had a gruff look not unlike his own father, his eyes powerful and stern.
But that was only when he was eyeing the soldiers.
The look he offered Willem was far more gentle. A sharp contrast to the sword he held, more impressive than all the weapons now dropped to the ground.
“Are you well, lad?” he asked, his voice as querying as it was kind.
Willem gulped before he could respond, feeling the dryness in his throat from the sudden turn of events.
Then, he turned to the others nearby. To Margie’s face wet with blood and Cody who couldn’t even stand. He was shocked to see that the man with the lute was attending to both, using nothing but a weave of his song to heal their wounds.
Somehow, he must have looked like one of the worst here, to be the first spoken to.
“I’m … I’m well … thank you, heroes.”
The man put a hand on his shoulder.
“Well done on standing your ground. But next time, don’t be afraid to take the wiser choice. A farm can be regrown, no matter how dire the flames. But a soul once departed can never return.”
Willem could only nod.
“I’ll … I’ll do that … thank you.”
“Good. Now, don’t suppose you could tell us where we are?”
“Hagel.” Willem paused. “In Weinstadt.”
His answer drew a bellow of laughter from the halfling scooping up the fallen weaponry, even though his ears shouldn’t have been able to catch Willem’s tepid voice.
“You hear that?” said the halfling, cheerfully turning to the others. “We’re in the right country, at least! Who’s the one who doubted me?”
“You doubted yourself,” replied the elven woman, bundling all the soldiers together into one entangled heap. “To our pains, I want to add. We should not have to constantly reassure our own ranger.”
“I do better with positive feedback!”
“Well, in that case, we should already be in an inn, hauling Cedric away from the bar after having fulfilled all of our tasks with time to spare.”
Snorts of indignation, laughter and elbowing.
A scene of companionship.
Amidst the ruins of his farm, that was all Willem saw as other soldiers came to take their own comrades away. He didn’t know enough to understand what was different about these ones, other than they were accompanied by a man claiming to be their lord.
Willem had never seen him before in his life.
Still, he received crowns in copper and silver for his troubles, taken from the coin pouches of the soldiers. He received a few more in gold, gifted by the halfling with a wink. The others did similar, the elven woman donating a satchel of leaves filled with new seeds, the lutist offering a song to lift his ailing crops, and the leader leaving behind a soldier’s sword hidden away from the lord.
His advice was to flee. But not to do so unarmed, apparently.
Willem clutched at all he received. But when the adventurers left, he wanted something else instead.
He wanted to be just like them.
Willem of Hagel wished to be a hero.
He made a wish.
And that … was that.
Click.
Maybe for others, it took an incantation steeped in black words. A sacrifice of goats and hens. Black robes and a thousand smouldering candles.
Willem only had to ponder. And then his Benefactor came.
The world froze with a snap of the fingers.
Had Willem been smarter, he would have turned his eyes down and let the words drift past.
He didn’t.
And so instead, he looked up to see a face so regal that emperors would have traded for it.
A devil from what lies beneath the abyss.
And what he offered was a contract smoking from the ring of flames used to conjure it.
Willem knew enough stories to see that was a bad sign. But then, he also knew that devils never approached those who could say no. He was no exception.
Especially when the cause was noble. Or as noble as a devil in a fine suit could offer.
“A demon. A fiend. And a devil,” said his Benefactor. “No innocents being reaped. No angels to be plucked. Only three of the most vile, most dangerous and more deranged of the hells. Defeat them–and this power is yours to keep. And should you not want it anymore, well, there’s a simple exit clause. One utterly pedestrian, to keep the theme of nothing amiss. A sum of crowns and no more.”
“... No trading of my soul? No eternal damnation?”
“Damnation? Not in the slightest. For one thing, that isn’t mine to administer, Willem of Hagel. That’s the realm of the heavens, not the hells. Even if it was, I desire nothing of the sort. This is a transaction for your services. Your soul, whole and hearty as it is, is yours.”
A smile and a contract so short there was no room for deceit.
And all Willem was asked to do was to use his powers as any hero would. To destroy evil.
What could go wrong?
The answer, as it turned out, was everything.
A farmer turned saviour. The accolades came thick and fast, clouding his eyes long before any wine fell upon his lips. He didn’t notice, during those days of pretending at righteousness, the haze which covered his sight. And when he did, he realised only too late it was more than his eyes which were failing him.
It was his soul.
He didn’t know why. He didn’t know how. But he knew it as he clutched at that fading part of him.
That’s when he stopped seeking justice for those who were most wronged. And instead sought retribution for those with the most crowns.
And so as each day he became richer, so too did he become poorer.
Willem felt as little joy from comfort as he did misery from squalor. Only in the worst things a tavern could offer did he experience the familiarity of wretchedness. The comfort of a migraine swimming through his head. The warmth of nauseousness.
And when he couldn’t, well–
It was usually because he was being bothered.
“... A curious place you find yourself,” said the girl, sitting at his table before he could frighten her away. “Are you often found brooding in the corners of taverns?”
The girl smiled, her golden hair slipping from beneath the hood she wore.
Willem blinked through the haze.
It made no difference. It never did. But for this girl, he didn’t need the clarity which only became better with wine to see. There was as little warmth in her grey eyes as there was in his.
Peas in a pod, then.
And so instead of ushering her away, he gestured towards the chair she was already sitting on.
“Taverns are beautiful this time of year,” he replied, his throat sore from whatever he’d last been served in an attempt to drive him away. “Its corners in particular. This right here? This one’s my favourite. Look carefully, and you can see the engravings on the table. A thousand and more signatures. One of them has to be famous.”
The girl’s smile continued unabated.
“A signed table is no fitting home for a man as renowned as yourself,” she said, pulling her cloak around herself. “From the tales I’ve heard, you should be raised upon a pedestal.”
Willem chuckled. A sign of life amidst the only tavern yet to bar him.
It was an instinctive reaction, one of muscles and expectation. He felt as much amusement as he did an ale so watered down it’d been drawn straight from a well.
“Depends on the pedestal,” he replied. “I’ve a few gallows waiting for me. Myself and any I speak with. Should you know who I am, you’d best be on your way.”
“And why would I do that, when I came so far to search for you?”
Willem offered no reply. The girl leaned towards him, offering a smile he could barely discern.
“... The records of you paint a picture of a hero in his prime. One who can defeat his foes in a flash of righteous light. And how many you’ve slain. The villainous princes of rotting kingdoms. The unfeeling lords trampling their own subjects … and also great demons and fiends, hidden amidst shadows and schemes, the likes of which even the Silver Aurelia could never erase.”
The girl raised a hand, drawing the attention of a barmaid. She took the entire tray, laying enough pints to slay a normal man upon the table. Willem didn’t reach for a single one.
“I know who you are,” she said, tapping at a stein. “And no pauper’s clothing will ever hide the look of one with as storied a history as yourself. I would like to make you an offer, Willem of Hagel.”
Willem prodded at something crawling upon his lap. And then he sighed.
Even with his eyes as poor as they were, he could see this girl lacked the years to possess the types of foes worth the use of his cursed ability. One he had to use sparingly. It was his road to salvation as much as it was to the abyss.
“I’ll respectfully decline. I’m afraid I’ve no answers for what troubles a young maiden these days.”
“Mine is the same as most. To be freed from those of wicked hearts and wicked deeds. Because it is not only the Kingdom of Weinstadt which finds itself under the yoke of foul rulers. And there are so few heroes in the world these days. And even fewer with the crowns to hire them.”
The girl smiled.
“I wish to bring down a kingdom,” she said simply. “Are you available?”
She lifted a stein and offered it to him.
Willem gave it a moment’s thought.
And then he took it, never realising that at that moment, he’d forgotten even the face of deceit.
If he hadn’t, he’d surely have chosen to sink than to rise from the gutters once again … if only to avoid the ignominy of frightening a single girl.
“I did warn you not to stick your hands in the flames.”
It was the least of tasks. And a horrific way to use his abilities.
But tonight, he’d unleash what was needed to spare the people from the villainy of the kingdom’s rulers. It mattered little that it should start here, sending the least of Tirea’s royalty to the bliss of sleep while her nation was given over to better hands, even as it burned.
Except it hadn’t turned out that way.
Not even in the slightest.
“There are no such things as regular princesses. We all have our talents. Mine happens to be all of them.”
Willem continued to raise his pitchfork against a girl who had no right to be standing.
Especially within his own world.
He knew from the moment she evaded his first attack that there was something different about her. And not only because he was strengthened in his world. But because everyone else was enfeebled.
Those he drew into his [Soulscape] were also drawn under a malaise more heavy than any charm, their legs stilted as though wading through marsh, and their arms weighed by the sky itself. The moment she’d been able to stop the knock he intended for her head, he knew something was wrong.
“[Spring Breeze]!!”
He especially knew it when she sent the power of a miniaturised hurricane into his face.
A force which propelled him so hard that he didn’t have time to brace. He could feel the whole force of the impact as he struck against soil that by all accounts didn’t exist. And there was pain. Plenty of it. A sensation foreign to him outside of a tavern.
But even more so here.
Everything about experiencing pain in his own sanctum was wrong.
He’d underestimated her. But it wasn’t just because she gave no hint about her prowess.
There was normally nothing to underestimate.
Here in the world created by his own soul, he’d brought down fiends so horrific they held names which couldn’t be spoken without the tongue boiling. And still their encounters could never be called a battle.
To him, this was his field of crops. The last memory which would ever leave him. The last call to joy.
To all others, it was an execution ground.
“Ohhohohohoohohohooohohohhhoohohohohohoho!!”
This princess decided it was her canvas instead.
Willem didn’t understand how his hellish ability worked. But he knew it was a mirror of his soul. The most powerful part of him, even weakened as it was. And she managed to break it.
No … not break.
She painted over it.
Dancing like a minstrel from the Summer Kingdoms, she twirled her sword to a song of her own laughter, drawing upon its tip the ribbons of his own soul. And as she danced, that which had become grey and faded turned into colours anew.
Life blossomed as flowers he’d never seen even in dreams, drawn upon beds of grass and shrubs bristling with the movement of newly birthed creatures. The sky itself flourished, a sunlight which shouldn’t exist peeking between clouds that had been wiped away to a slate of clearest spring.
And for the first time since he left his farm, Willem of Hagel began to remember.
He began to see.
His world bristled with all the colours of the rainbow, draped over a garden of all the seasons.
He could feel beyond doubt that something within him was coming together like a broken garment sewn anew. The mistakes that’d made would never become undone, but the gaping hole in the dam was sealed.
That which was leaking was finally closed. And somewhere, a devil hummed in surprise.
As Willem dropped to his knees, all he could feel before his eyes closed was long lost feelings of fatigue, relief and confusion returning like a sweeping wave to wash the consciousness from his mind.
Because more than anything, he wanted to know a single answer.
Within his [Soulscape], Willem cheated fate.
He was no warrior. But he didn’t need to be.
A swing of his arms alone was enough. Every part of him rose to become no less than S-rank, while those he faced were laid bare, their strength stripped like armour from their person.
For her to defeat him while bearing such a handicap …
Just what rank did this princess start as?
[<< First] [< Previous] [Next >] [Patreon] [Discord]
submitted by kayenano to HFY [link] [comments]
Synopsis:
Juliette Contzen is a lazy, good-for-nothing princess. Overshadowed by her siblings, she's left with little to do but nap, read … and occasionally cut the falling raindrops with her sword. Spotted one day by an astonished adventurer, he insists on grading Juliette's swordsmanship, then promptly has a mental breakdown at the result.
Soon after, Juliette is given the news that her kingdom is on the brink of bankruptcy. At threat of being married off, the lazy princess vows to do whatever it takes to maintain her current lifestyle, and taking matters into her own hands, escapes in the middle of the night in order to restore her kingdom's finances.
Tags: Comedy, Adventure, Action, Fantasy, Copious Ohohohohos.
Chapter 238: Fragments Of Memories
Willem of Hagel never thought much of the world.
He didn’t have time to. As a boy out in the fields, his thoughts were as tied as his hands. Any moment spent thinking about the horizon could be better spent readying the soil for the next harvest.
There were others who thought differently, of course.
But there were also others who’d never received a smack on their head for their curiosity.
There was room enough for heroes without needing to cross the oceans, he was always told, often while nursing his ear. They were the farmers, just like them. Those who kept the miller baking his bread and the horses eating their grain.
Willem never had a mind to disagree.
The smacks hurt. And besides, he already saw everything there was to see in the world.
The village had everything he needed. And that was only a skip away.
There was a chapel with a spire to nod at. A market with traders selling all the things he didn’t need. Enough taverns that Willem rightfully wondered if they should be growing barley instead of corn. And Rosie by the river as well.
What did the towns and cities of Weinstadt have, other than taller spires to nod at, louder traders to ignore and even more taverns to wonder if they were growing the right fields? And none of them had Rosie. Although they probably had nicer rivers.
This was Willem’s life.
One farm boy among many, content with his lot in the world.
The problem was that the world wasn’t content in return.
That day, the flames rose as high as the sun, lifting it to keep the dusk from setting. It would have made no difference if it had. Even a single field burning was like a painting of the end of the world. A blanket of smoke visible even to the heavens. And certainly to the villagers.
They’d come rushing carrying water by the palms.
The flames were doused by their blood instead.
Even now, Willem didn’t understand why soldiers would attack his fields. He understood less why they would put a gash on Margie’s face or make sure Cody would never walk again. Rebels they called him, and all of them with him. Willem didn’t know who they were rebelling against, other than the king mice which plagued his fields.
They didn’t care. Nor did their swords.
“[Entangling vines]!”
But the ones who stopped them?
They cared, at least.
And that’s all that mattered.
Willem could only gawp.
The sight of his burning fields were joined by something even more frightening. Roots the likes of which could strangle an oak sprouting from the ground. Half the soldiers were taken there and then, their swords as good against the roots as Willem’s pleas had been on their ears.
Those were the lucky ones.
“[Hamstring Volley]!”
Arrows came thick and fast, striking those who’d not been taken by the roots.
They hit their marks cleanly, most dead centre in knee caps or else striking through the shin or ankle. They fell clutching their legs, crying out in pain at the shafts gone halfway through.
Somehow, there was an even greater song playing in the background.
“[Sprinkling Chorus]!”
A tune so thick and vibrant it could be seen as ribbons of water dancing in the air. It flowed across the field as beautiful as any rain Willem had seen, calming the flames like a mother’s lullaby.
Willem could only blink as the smoke lessened, and the figures strolled through his fields.
An elven woman in a dress of green leaves, each finger outstretched as she commanded the vines with unseen strings. A halfling man with a bow almost his height, three arrows notched to the strings as his bright eyes searched for the targets he hadn’t struck true. A man with a spotted lilac poncho, smiling away as he orchestrated the ribbons of water from his lute.
Adventurers.
Willem didn’t know their names. But he knew what they were.
The very aura they carried with them was different. The ease with which they walked amidst the smoking field spoke of years of experience. And the one leading them spoke of it louder than them all.
Willem almost backed away as the man approached, even though the stranger was his saviour. He had a gruff look not unlike his own father, his eyes powerful and stern.
But that was only when he was eyeing the soldiers.
The look he offered Willem was far more gentle. A sharp contrast to the sword he held, more impressive than all the weapons now dropped to the ground.
“Are you well, lad?” he asked, his voice as querying as it was kind.
Willem gulped before he could respond, feeling the dryness in his throat from the sudden turn of events.
Then, he turned to the others nearby. To Margie’s face wet with blood and Cody who couldn’t even stand. He was shocked to see that the man with the lute was attending to both, using nothing but a weave of his song to heal their wounds.
Somehow, he must have looked like one of the worst here, to be the first spoken to.
“I’m … I’m well … thank you, heroes.”
The man put a hand on his shoulder.
“Well done on standing your ground. But next time, don’t be afraid to take the wiser choice. A farm can be regrown, no matter how dire the flames. But a soul once departed can never return.”
Willem could only nod.
“I’ll … I’ll do that … thank you.”
“Good. Now, don’t suppose you could tell us where we are?”
“Hagel.” Willem paused. “In Weinstadt.”
His answer drew a bellow of laughter from the halfling scooping up the fallen weaponry, even though his ears shouldn’t have been able to catch Willem’s tepid voice.
“You hear that?” said the halfling, cheerfully turning to the others. “We’re in the right country, at least! Who’s the one who doubted me?”
“You doubted yourself,” replied the elven woman, bundling all the soldiers together into one entangled heap. “To our pains, I want to add. We should not have to constantly reassure our own ranger.”
“I do better with positive feedback!”
“Well, in that case, we should already be in an inn, hauling Cedric away from the bar after having fulfilled all of our tasks with time to spare.”
Snorts of indignation, laughter and elbowing.
A scene of companionship.
Amidst the ruins of his farm, that was all Willem saw as other soldiers came to take their own comrades away. He didn’t know enough to understand what was different about these ones, other than they were accompanied by a man claiming to be their lord.
Willem had never seen him before in his life.
Still, he received crowns in copper and silver for his troubles, taken from the coin pouches of the soldiers. He received a few more in gold, gifted by the halfling with a wink. The others did similar, the elven woman donating a satchel of leaves filled with new seeds, the lutist offering a song to lift his ailing crops, and the leader leaving behind a soldier’s sword hidden away from the lord.
His advice was to flee. But not to do so unarmed, apparently.
Willem clutched at all he received. But when the adventurers left, he wanted something else instead.
He wanted to be just like them.
Willem of Hagel wished to be a hero.
He made a wish.
And that … was that.
Click.
Maybe for others, it took an incantation steeped in black words. A sacrifice of goats and hens. Black robes and a thousand smouldering candles.
Willem only had to ponder. And then his Benefactor came.
The world froze with a snap of the fingers.
Had Willem been smarter, he would have turned his eyes down and let the words drift past.
He didn’t.
And so instead, he looked up to see a face so regal that emperors would have traded for it.
A devil from what lies beneath the abyss.
And what he offered was a contract smoking from the ring of flames used to conjure it.
Willem knew enough stories to see that was a bad sign. But then, he also knew that devils never approached those who could say no. He was no exception.
Especially when the cause was noble. Or as noble as a devil in a fine suit could offer.
“A demon. A fiend. And a devil,” said his Benefactor. “No innocents being reaped. No angels to be plucked. Only three of the most vile, most dangerous and more deranged of the hells. Defeat them–and this power is yours to keep. And should you not want it anymore, well, there’s a simple exit clause. One utterly pedestrian, to keep the theme of nothing amiss. A sum of crowns and no more.”
“... No trading of my soul? No eternal damnation?”
“Damnation? Not in the slightest. For one thing, that isn’t mine to administer, Willem of Hagel. That’s the realm of the heavens, not the hells. Even if it was, I desire nothing of the sort. This is a transaction for your services. Your soul, whole and hearty as it is, is yours.”
A smile and a contract so short there was no room for deceit.
And all Willem was asked to do was to use his powers as any hero would. To destroy evil.
What could go wrong?
The answer, as it turned out, was everything.
A farmer turned saviour. The accolades came thick and fast, clouding his eyes long before any wine fell upon his lips. He didn’t notice, during those days of pretending at righteousness, the haze which covered his sight. And when he did, he realised only too late it was more than his eyes which were failing him.
It was his soul.
He didn’t know why. He didn’t know how. But he knew it as he clutched at that fading part of him.
That’s when he stopped seeking justice for those who were most wronged. And instead sought retribution for those with the most crowns.
And so as each day he became richer, so too did he become poorer.
Willem felt as little joy from comfort as he did misery from squalor. Only in the worst things a tavern could offer did he experience the familiarity of wretchedness. The comfort of a migraine swimming through his head. The warmth of nauseousness.
And when he couldn’t, well–
It was usually because he was being bothered.
“... A curious place you find yourself,” said the girl, sitting at his table before he could frighten her away. “Are you often found brooding in the corners of taverns?”
The girl smiled, her golden hair slipping from beneath the hood she wore.
Willem blinked through the haze.
It made no difference. It never did. But for this girl, he didn’t need the clarity which only became better with wine to see. There was as little warmth in her grey eyes as there was in his.
Peas in a pod, then.
And so instead of ushering her away, he gestured towards the chair she was already sitting on.
“Taverns are beautiful this time of year,” he replied, his throat sore from whatever he’d last been served in an attempt to drive him away. “Its corners in particular. This right here? This one’s my favourite. Look carefully, and you can see the engravings on the table. A thousand and more signatures. One of them has to be famous.”
The girl’s smile continued unabated.
“A signed table is no fitting home for a man as renowned as yourself,” she said, pulling her cloak around herself. “From the tales I’ve heard, you should be raised upon a pedestal.”
Willem chuckled. A sign of life amidst the only tavern yet to bar him.
It was an instinctive reaction, one of muscles and expectation. He felt as much amusement as he did an ale so watered down it’d been drawn straight from a well.
“Depends on the pedestal,” he replied. “I’ve a few gallows waiting for me. Myself and any I speak with. Should you know who I am, you’d best be on your way.”
“And why would I do that, when I came so far to search for you?”
Willem offered no reply. The girl leaned towards him, offering a smile he could barely discern.
“... The records of you paint a picture of a hero in his prime. One who can defeat his foes in a flash of righteous light. And how many you’ve slain. The villainous princes of rotting kingdoms. The unfeeling lords trampling their own subjects … and also great demons and fiends, hidden amidst shadows and schemes, the likes of which even the Silver Aurelia could never erase.”
The girl raised a hand, drawing the attention of a barmaid. She took the entire tray, laying enough pints to slay a normal man upon the table. Willem didn’t reach for a single one.
“I know who you are,” she said, tapping at a stein. “And no pauper’s clothing will ever hide the look of one with as storied a history as yourself. I would like to make you an offer, Willem of Hagel.”
Willem prodded at something crawling upon his lap. And then he sighed.
Even with his eyes as poor as they were, he could see this girl lacked the years to possess the types of foes worth the use of his cursed ability. One he had to use sparingly. It was his road to salvation as much as it was to the abyss.
“I’ll respectfully decline. I’m afraid I’ve no answers for what troubles a young maiden these days.”
“Mine is the same as most. To be freed from those of wicked hearts and wicked deeds. Because it is not only the Kingdom of Weinstadt which finds itself under the yoke of foul rulers. And there are so few heroes in the world these days. And even fewer with the crowns to hire them.”
The girl smiled.
“I wish to bring down a kingdom,” she said simply. “Are you available?”
She lifted a stein and offered it to him.
Willem gave it a moment’s thought.
And then he took it, never realising that at that moment, he’d forgotten even the face of deceit.
If he hadn’t, he’d surely have chosen to sink than to rise from the gutters once again … if only to avoid the ignominy of frightening a single girl.
“I did warn you not to stick your hands in the flames.”
It was the least of tasks. And a horrific way to use his abilities.
But tonight, he’d unleash what was needed to spare the people from the villainy of the kingdom’s rulers. It mattered little that it should start here, sending the least of Tirea’s royalty to the bliss of sleep while her nation was given over to better hands, even as it burned.
Except it hadn’t turned out that way.
Not even in the slightest.
“There are no such things as regular princesses. We all have our talents. Mine happens to be all of them.”
Willem continued to raise his pitchfork against a girl who had no right to be standing.
Especially within his own world.
He knew from the moment she evaded his first attack that there was something different about her. And not only because he was strengthened in his world. But because everyone else was enfeebled.
Those he drew into his [Soulscape] were also drawn under a malaise more heavy than any charm, their legs stilted as though wading through marsh, and their arms weighed by the sky itself. The moment she’d been able to stop the knock he intended for her head, he knew something was wrong.
“[Spring Breeze]!!”
He especially knew it when she sent the power of a miniaturised hurricane into his face.
A force which propelled him so hard that he didn’t have time to brace. He could feel the whole force of the impact as he struck against soil that by all accounts didn’t exist. And there was pain. Plenty of it. A sensation foreign to him outside of a tavern.
But even more so here.
Everything about experiencing pain in his own sanctum was wrong.
He’d underestimated her. But it wasn’t just because she gave no hint about her prowess.
There was normally nothing to underestimate.
Here in the world created by his own soul, he’d brought down fiends so horrific they held names which couldn’t be spoken without the tongue boiling. And still their encounters could never be called a battle.
To him, this was his field of crops. The last memory which would ever leave him. The last call to joy.
To all others, it was an execution ground.
“Ohhohohohoohohohooohohohhhoohohohohohoho!!”
This princess decided it was her canvas instead.
Willem didn’t understand how his hellish ability worked. But he knew it was a mirror of his soul. The most powerful part of him, even weakened as it was. And she managed to break it.
No … not break.
She painted over it.
Dancing like a minstrel from the Summer Kingdoms, she twirled her sword to a song of her own laughter, drawing upon its tip the ribbons of his own soul. And as she danced, that which had become grey and faded turned into colours anew.
Life blossomed as flowers he’d never seen even in dreams, drawn upon beds of grass and shrubs bristling with the movement of newly birthed creatures. The sky itself flourished, a sunlight which shouldn’t exist peeking between clouds that had been wiped away to a slate of clearest spring.
And for the first time since he left his farm, Willem of Hagel began to remember.
He began to see.
His world bristled with all the colours of the rainbow, draped over a garden of all the seasons.
He could feel beyond doubt that something within him was coming together like a broken garment sewn anew. The mistakes that’d made would never become undone, but the gaping hole in the dam was sealed.
That which was leaking was finally closed. And somewhere, a devil hummed in surprise.
As Willem dropped to his knees, all he could feel before his eyes closed was long lost feelings of fatigue, relief and confusion returning like a sweeping wave to wash the consciousness from his mind.
Because more than anything, he wanted to know a single answer.
Within his [Soulscape], Willem cheated fate.
He was no warrior. But he didn’t need to be.
A swing of his arms alone was enough. Every part of him rose to become no less than S-rank, while those he faced were laid bare, their strength stripped like armour from their person.
For her to defeat him while bearing such a handicap …
Just what rank did this princess start as?
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2024.05.12 04:58 Laxman20000 Why the Catholic Church is Right (from a recent convert)
Hi everyone, this is my first post in this community (23M). I was baptized, confirmed, and received my first communion on the Easter Vigil this year. The main reason I joined was because I believe we are right and the evidence is overwhelming. I come from a secular upbringing and little exposure to religion so all of my knowledge has been gained over the last 6 years (most within the last 8 months). I have believed Christianity is true since 2018 but I wasn’t 100% sure which church was right until the last year. I wanted to just provide a helpful bullet point “cheat sheet” of why we are the true church that I tried to keep as brief as possible, I think I did an okay job. I wanted to address the protestant objections specifically. I didn’t include the full bible verses below for all the ones quoted to save space on this post so please look those up on your own for full scripture.
Why the Catholic Church is the one true church:
**They may quote the following 2 verses to object: -Galatians 2:16 (works of law here=Jewish mosaic law (613 Jewish commandments that christians don’t follow so of course we wouldn’t be justified by them)(example: required circumsicion or banned from eating pork) -Romans 3:20 (works of law here is human law, Paul is speaking to gentiles)
Conclusion: when Jesus was on Earth, he gave us a church that administers sacraments to receive God’s grace. The Bible itself is the Inspired word of God that came years and years later. The Church and Tradition predate scripture so to ignore their continued importance is hard to argue because the religion would not have spread for 300 years without them. This is why the Catholic Church is truly the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church.
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Why the Catholic Church is the one true church:
1: The Papacy and Central Authority:
-Matthew 16:18 (Peter is given the keys to the church and head apostle power)(binding and loosing) -Early church fathers stress the importance of being in communion with Rome2: Not by Faith Alone:
-James 2:24-“a person is justified by his works and not by faith alone” (only time “faith alone” shows up in the bible) -John 3:36 (believe in Jesus or disobey-this implies the opposite of believing is disobeying which means not only faith is needed) -James 2:19 (the devil believes in God and is not saved) -Philippians 2:12 (we have to work out salvation-implies works are involved if initial justification is not enough here (this is obeying, look back at John 3:36)**They may quote the following 2 verses to object: -Galatians 2:16 (works of law here=Jewish mosaic law (613 Jewish commandments that christians don’t follow so of course we wouldn’t be justified by them)(example: required circumsicion or banned from eating pork) -Romans 3:20 (works of law here is human law, Paul is speaking to gentiles)
3: Confession to Priest
-John 20:23 (“If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven”)(Jesus says this to his apostles)4: Baptism Required for Salvation/Infant Baptism
-John 3:5 (“no one can enter kingdom of heaven without being born of water and spirit”)5: Real Presence in Eucharist
-John 6:51, 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 (both describe the literal flesh and blood of Christ being present) -Look up Eucharistic Miracles for real life proof6: Apostolic Succession/Traditions
-Acts 1:12 (You see here that Judas replaced by Matthias therefore showing the first apostolic succession) -2 Thessalonians 2:15 (keep apostolic traditions) -1 Corinthians 11:2 (keep apostolic traditions)7: The Catholic Church predates the Bible and decided on the Biblical Canon in 382 AD at the Council of Rome/The Protestants Removed 7 Books from the Bible
-The Early church used the Greek Septuagint Old Testament as their holy book to reference so Martin Luther removing the 7 books is a huge problem if preaching bible alone, it’s not even the full bible that was canonized.8: Overwhelming Real Life Evidence of Miracles that Science has tested
-Eucharistic miracles, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Guadalupe9: Unity
-Christ preaches against division, why would he want 30,000 denominations? The Central Authority keeps the Church unified and not broken off -Why would Jesus allow a false church to run the world for 1000-1500 years and then a man in the 1500s knows more than a church descended from Christ himself -Oral tradition precedes the Bible and Jesus doesn’t say to write the Bible anywhere in the Bible, he does say he is establishing a church, however. (Matthew 16:18) -The only way to have consistent teaching is through one church10: Purgatory
-1 Corinthians 3:11-15, Matthew 12:32 also why would there be no in-between if someone dies in minor sin because nothing impure can enter heaven (Revelation 21:27)11: Praying to the Saints
-First off, Prayer does not mean worship, it means request for help or expression of thanks-that is the dictionary definition -Intercessory prayer is supported in the bible and Mary is clearly in heaven and full of grace (rev 12)(luke 1:28) (also prayers to Mary are found in catacombs 250 AD) -The saint prayers are likely more found in tradition than the new testament itself since the saints were all alive at the point the new testament works were being written but the bible supports it anyways (bible doesn’t say bible alone so it wouldn’t matter) -The saints are not dead-they have eternal life, so it’s not praying to the dead: “And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is God not of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong.” - Mark 12:26-27) (Revelation 5:8, 8:3) -Also…Why do protestants pray for each other if only God is needed? -Only valid question here is how do we know the saints are in heaven but that shouldn’t be a real problem with all of the above listedConclusion: when Jesus was on Earth, he gave us a church that administers sacraments to receive God’s grace. The Bible itself is the Inspired word of God that came years and years later. The Church and Tradition predate scripture so to ignore their continued importance is hard to argue because the religion would not have spread for 300 years without them. This is why the Catholic Church is truly the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church.
2024.05.11 18:31 adulting4kids It's Saturday!
- Fascinating Animal Kingdom Facts:
- Some frogs can freeze solid during winter and thaw out in spring, continuing their lives.
- Anteaters have no teeth and consume up to 30,000 insects a day with their long tongues.
- Male penguins propose to their lifelong mates by giving them a pebble.
- Unusual Historical Nuggets:
- The oldest known "your mom" joke was discovered on a 3,500-year-old Babylonian tablet.
- Ancient Romans used urine as a teeth-whitening agent due to its ammonia content.
- The Boston Tea Party, often seen as a rebellion against high taxes, was more a protest against a tax cut.
- Science and Technology Oddities:
- A single strand of human hair can support up to 100 grams in weight.
- The world's first computer programmer was Ada Lovelace, who worked on Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine in the mid-1800s.
- There are more possible iterations of a game of chess than there are atoms in the known universe.
- Language and Linguistic Quirks:
- The word "set" has the highest number of different meanings in the English language.
- The longest word in the English language without a vowel is "rhythms."
- The word "facetious" contains all the vowels in alphabetical order.
- Geographical and Cultural Tidbits:
- The country of Monaco is smaller than New York City's Central Park.
- There are more public libraries in the U.S. than McDonald's restaurants.
- Mount Everest is not the tallest mountain on Earth when measured from base to peak; Mauna Kea in Hawaii holds that record.
- Human Achievements and Records:
- The longest duration spinning a Guinness World Records book on one finger is 4 hours and 25 minutes.
- The record for the most push-ups in one hour is 2,806.
- The world record for the longest handshake is 42 hours.
- Food and Culinary Marvels:
- The first product to have a barcode scanned for purchase was Wrigley's Juicy Fruit chewing gum.
- The world's most expensive burger costs $5,000 and contains gold leaf, caviar, and truffles.
- The world's largest chocolate bar weighed over 12,770 pounds.
- Entertainment and Pop Culture Trivia:
- The first movie ever made was the 1895 film "Roundhay Garden Scene," lasting about 2.11 seconds.
- The world's most-watched television event is the Super Bowl.
- The shortest film ever nominated for an Oscar is "Fresh Guacamole," which runs for 1 minute and 40 seconds.
- Legal Quirks and Odd Laws:
- In Switzerland, it's illegal to flush the toilet after 10 PM in an apartment building.
- In Canada, it's illegal to use comic sans in official government documents.
- In France, it's illegal to name a pig Napoleon.
- Miscellaneous Intriguing Facts:
- Honey never spoils; archaeologists have found edible honey in ancient Egyptian tombs. - Human bones are ounce for ounce four times stronger than concrete. - A small child could swim through the veins of a blue whale.
2024.05.11 17:34 blackthorn_orion The Nintendo Breakdown 2: An updated overview of confirmed, leaked, and rumored projects from Nintendo and its close partners
Hello again! About 6 months ago, I put together a Nintendo roundup that got some positive feedback, and with this week’s double-whammy of the Switch successor kinda being announced and a direct being confirmed for June, I figured now was as good a time as any to put out an updated version so folks can know where things stand and have something to chew on while they wait. My intent is to update this post after the June direct with any new information. Please let me know if anything's borked, as formatting big posts on reddit can get a bit wonky and some of these links are getting old
Nintendo Entertainment Planning and Development (EPD): Formed in 2015 as part of a restructuring that unified Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development (EAD) and Nintendo Software Planning and Development (SPD). When people talk about “in-house Nintendo”, this is usually what they mean. EPD groups are primarily small producedirector-led teams that then scale up and pull from a shared “pool” of developers as projects get further into development. EPD’s many sub-groups can essentially be divided into those that primarily develop their own games and those focused more on overseeing/collaborating with other studios (both non-EPD Nintendo studios as well as fully external developers), though there are exceptions and gray areas
Development-focused groups
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Nintendo Entertainment Planning and Development (EPD): Formed in 2015 as part of a restructuring that unified Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development (EAD) and Nintendo Software Planning and Development (SPD). When people talk about “in-house Nintendo”, this is usually what they mean. EPD groups are primarily small producedirector-led teams that then scale up and pull from a shared “pool” of developers as projects get further into development. EPD’s many sub-groups can essentially be divided into those that primarily develop their own games and those focused more on overseeing/collaborating with other studios (both non-EPD Nintendo studios as well as fully external developers), though there are exceptions and gray areas
Development-focused groups
- EPD 3: The Zelda team; with Tears of the Kingdom DLC stated to be off the table, they are presumed to have moved onto the next major Zelda title
- Nate the Hate and Eurogamer both reported that a build of Breath of the Wild running on Switch 2-comparable hardware was shown behind closed doors at Gamescom 2023 featuring 4K60fps and “erased” load times; however, these reports also stressed that this was intended primarily as a tech demo and isn’t necessarily indicative of a next-gen update or remaster being planned for release
- Papagenos: “Tears of the kingdom Had a great zelda design I think we are Severely overdue for a game where zelda Is the main character. Seems to me A Hyrule adventure like that Is something fans want, Nows The time.
- capitalized letters spell out “This is a hint”
- Jeff Grubb, Nate the Hate, Imran Khan, and Andy Robinson have all previously claimed or alluded to the WiiU versions of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess coming to Switch (often speculated/reported as being a double-pack); nobody's gotten the timing right on this, but these are often framed as finished ports that Nintendo is sitting on for one reason or another.
- Nate the Hate: "They exist but knowing when they'll come out is a different matter. It's why they are often used in speculation as a schedule filler"
- Grubb: "I've always heard they're ready, they're sitting there, we're just waiting for Nintendo to pull the trigger. When they will, why they will, who knows?"
- Kit&Krysta: Krysta: “I know they exist, they’re in, they’re, uh, they’re, they, they’re done I think they’re just gonna sit on it. But I do not think they’re gonna talk about this at all, for a while”
- EPD 4: The “experimental” team behind games such as Labo, Ring Fit Adventure, and Nintendo Switch Sports. Typically their games feature bespoke peripherals or prioritize using a system's hardware features for novel gameplay. Most recently released Everybody 1-2 Switch (co-developed with NDcube) in June 2023.
- EPD 5: Animal Crossing and Splatoon. Most recently released Side Order, a roguelike DLC mode for Splatoon 3, in February 2024
- Pre-release, Splatoon 3 was confirmed to get 2 years of support; barring a content extension, the game should get its final content update this year around September
- Should note that while the two series typically share a producer, there’s historically been little to no overlap in directors, so it’s not impossible for both Animal Crossing and Splatoon to have games in active development at once
- EPD 8: Also known as EPD Tokyo since the rest of EPD is based out of Nintendo’s Kyoto HQ, this is the 3D Mario team (also Donkey Kong Jungle Beat and Captain Toad; co-developed the NES Remix games with indieszero)
- 2020 hiring call for a “level designer for new 2D action game (working in Tokyo)”
- 2020 job listing for a "level designer for new 3D action game” in Tokyo
- Rumors of an EPD 8 Donkey Kong game:
- LonelyGoomba “I heard an unlikely rumour that the Mario Odyssey team are working on a 3D Donkey Kong game.”
- Nintendo Life: “Nintendo Life can confirm that it has heard the same rumour [as LonelyGoomba] from an independent (and very trusted) source, which would appear to lend this report some degree of legitimacy. However, our source claims that the game will be 2D (or 2.5D, if you prefer) and not 3D.
- Professor Chops on Famiboards: VV were working on open world 3D DK game since 2016, project was shelved and moved to EPD 8 in 2018
- DK Vine: A DK game had been in development at an external studio before Nintendo decided to bring the series in-house; “I've been led to believe that this is a new EPD team that has formed from other teams specifically for the purpose of creating Donkey Kong games.”
- Liam Robertson: Full documentary about Vicarious Visions’ DK project (and other things) on DidYouKnowGaming: Refutes the notion that Miyamoto was heavily contributing design ideas. A DK game codenamed “Freedom” was a demo made by VV and pitched to Nintendo, worked on for “a little over 6 months starting from the end development of on Skylanders Superchargers in September 2015”; “A throughline between the conversations I had with former workers was that they had all heard that Nintendo had given them some positive feedback on their demo”. Ultimately killed by Activision higher-ups, who felt VV’s resources were better spent on franchises such as Call of Duty and Destiny, in spring 2016
- on the subject of Vicarious Visions’ project potentially being moved to EPD: “It was an unsolicited pitch from VV that was never picked up. Zero proof that it was continued elsewhere. If Nintendo is doing DK, it’s something else.”; [“Nintendo] hadn’t made a decision either way on funding it when it was shut down.”
- EPD 9: Mario Kart, ARMS (and Nintendogs once upon a time).
- With Mario Kart Tour and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s Booster Course Pass both receiving their final content updates towards the end of 2023, they’ve probably been working on the next Mario Kart game (either that or LEGS)
- EPD 10: Pikmin and 2D Mario (including Mario Maker). Launched both Pikmin 4 (co-developed with Eighting) and Super Mario Bros. Wonder in 2023.
- Unclear if there are any plans for either Pikmin 4 or Mario Wonder to get DLC (on WiiU, both Pikmin 3 and New Super Mario Bros. U received paid DLC)
- speculation that the Pikmin 4 Japanese website possibly hinted at DLC via pictures not currently in the game: https://famiboards.com/threads/nintendo-first-party-software-development-st-nintendo-party-superstars.114/post-897523
- EPD 2 has the broadest responsibilities of these groups, through which EPD gets a hand in projects including Kirby, Mario Party, Smash, Fire Emblem, Bayonetta, Xenoblade, and Pokemon, and others
- EPD 6 generally sticks to to overseeing Intelligent Systems’ non-Fire Emblem games (i.e. Paper Mario, WarioWare) as well as all games developed by Retro Studios and Next Level Games.
- EPD 7 is a bit hard to place, but for simplicity’s sake I’m putting it here; as SPD 1 they developed multiple games on their own (notably the Rhythm Heaven and Tomodachi games), but after Nintendo shook up its internal structure in the late WiiU era and SPD 1 became EPD 7, they appear not to have the capacity for solo projects. Instead, all their projects as EPD 7 have been in collaboration with external studios and include the Famicom Detective Club remakes developed with MAGES as well as MercurySteam’s recent Metroid games
- MercurySteam is currently rumored to be working on a 2D Metroid game targeting 2025 in addition to their confirmed “Project Iron” (a 3rd person action-RPG in partnership with 505 Games); MercurySteam put out 2 games in 2017 (Samus Returns and Spacelords) and 2021 (Metroid Dread and American McGee Presents: Scrapland Remastered), so it’s very possible for them to have two projects in development at once
- EPD 1 stands as something of a mystery, as just about every series it would previously have managed and overseen has seemingly been moved under EPD 2 in recent years; its current status and possible projects are unclear
- 1-Up Studio (formerly Brownie Brown):
- As Brownie Brown, developed games such as Magical Vacation, Sword of Mana, and A Kappa’s Trail; co-developed Mother 3 with HAL Laboratory
- As 1-Up, acts as a support studio primarily for Nintendo EPD titles (most frequently EPD 8 projects, though also credited in occasional non-EPD 8 games like Tri-Force Heroes, Ring Fit Adventure, and Animal Crossing New Horizons)
- iQue: Previously distributed Nintendo games and consoles in China under the iQue Player branding; with Tencent now acting as Nintendo’s official distributor in the region, iQue’s primary role has been Chinese localization
- developed the N64 emulator used for WiiU Virtual Console, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, and NSO
- began hiring game programmers and testers around 2019, suggesting an expanded role in game development (presumably as a support studio)
- Monolith Soft: Tokyo studio handles the Xenoblade series, Kyoto studio does support for EPD 3/EPD 5 projects; most recent solo release was 2023’s Future Redeemed, the DLC story expansion to Xenoblade Chronicles 3
- 2017 job listing for “an ambitious project that differs from Monolith Soft’s brand image”
- 2023 job listing for UI designer in “action game development”; February 2024 update to recruitment page still looking for developers with experience making 3D action games
- Possible evidence of a Xenoblade X remaster from Future Redeemed
- NDcube: Mario Party (from 9 onwards), Clubhouse Games, various other party game/mini game titles (also F-Zero Maximum Velocity on GBA)
- Most recently released 2023’s Everybody 1-2 Switch (co-developed with EPD 4)
- Next Level Games: Luigi’s Mansion 2 and 3, Mario Strikers series, Punch-Out Wii, Metroid Prime Federation Force
- Since 2013’s Luigi’s Mansion 2, Next Level has released a new game every 3 years; With Mario Strikers Battle League releasing and wrapping support in 2022, they should have a new game in 2025 (assuming they stick to this 3 year cycle)
- Possibly working on the Luigi’s Mansion 2 remaster scheduled for late June 2024
- Nintendo Prime in March 2023: An F-Zero GX remaster is one of two projects in development at Next Level Games
- Nate the Hate on Twitter when asked if the F-Zero project he heard about was F-Zero 99: “I believe it was a different F-Zero project from F-Zero 99.”
- Nintendo European Research and Development (NERD) (Formerly Mobiclip/Actimagine): Primarily handles most of Nintendo’s emulation needs (NES/SNES emulators in the mini consoles and NSO, GB/GBA for NSO, and the Gamecube/Wii emulator used in Mario 3D All-Stars/Pikmin 1+2). Frequently credited in “novel technology”-heavy titles such as EPD 4 projects and Velan Studios’ Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
- In addition to ongoing NSO work, served as a support studio for Tears of the Kingdom
- Most recently developed Pikmin 1+2 along with the Porting Technology Development Team (part of Nintendo Platform Technology Development, Nintendo’s hardware&tech division)
- Nintendo Pictures (formerly Dynamo Pictures): Animation and motion capture studio
- As Dynamo Pictures, credited on games and media such as Metroid Other M, Monster Hunter Stories, Persona 5, and the Pikmin shorts
- As Nintendo Pictures, credited on Tears of the Kingdom (special thanks), Pikmin 4 (very special thanks), Mario Wonder (character design/character action design/field design/cinematic design/technical support/project management/special thanks), Super Mario RPG remake (character art/animation art/technical art), and Another Code Recollection (very special thanks)
- Nintendo Software Technology (NST): Ridge Racer 64, Pokemon Puzzle League (a reskin of Intelligent Systems’ shelved Panel de Pon 64), Wave Race Blue Storm, 1080 Avalanche, Mario vs DK series, Metroid Prime Hunters, F-Zero 99, support work for indie publishing partnerships (Snipperclips, The Stretchers, Good Job), port work+new content for EPD games (Mario Maker 3DS, Captain Toad Switch/3DS, 3D World+Bowser’s Fury)
- most recently put out a remake of the original Mario vs Donkey Kong in February 2024
- Upon F-Zero 99’s launch, dataminers found evidence of additional game modes
- Retro Studios: Metroid Prime series, Donkey Kong Country Returns & Tropical Freeze, support for Mario Kart 7
- Retro took over development of a rebooted Metroid Prime 4 about 5 years ago
- PapaGenos: “The thing is I’ve heard Prime 4 is basically done and has been done for a while, but the cutscenes are apparently really bad (or were a few months ago) so that’s what was delaying the game.”; believes it is still “a Switch title and not specifically made for the Switch 2”
- Jeff Grubb has heard (from a source that also told him about the Epic Mickey Remaster) that as of sometime last year, Retro was planning to have Prime 4 assets prepared by May 2024, would likely include a CGI trailer and gameplay footage; stresses that plans may have changed and having assets prepared for May isn’t the same as “something happens in May”
- Brazil, talking about the June Direct: “My educated guess is that MP4 is showing up as a late 2024 title as well”
- XboxEra’s Nick Baker had a source describe Metroid Prime 4 to him, emphasized it was graphically impressive and featured big areas
- Jeff Grubb has previously reported that Prime 2 and 3 would also get remasters, but isn’t expecting Prime 1-level “big boy remasters” (as he’s phrased it); “Metroid Prime 2 and Metroid Prime 3 are sorta getting, they’ll probably get, like, the updated controls and things like that, but they’re not getting quite the same overhaul that Metroid Prime 1 is getting”.
- He also said that “Metroid Prime 2 remaster probably is coming out relatively soon-ish” back in July 2023 (fortunately he did not bet his hair on this one)
- reddit user Ncleknows: "Prime 2 has sat in waiting for a while and they're polishing prime 3"
- Retro took over development of a rebooted Metroid Prime 4 about 5 years ago
- Systems Research and Development (SRD): Programming assistance on many Nintendo games dating back as far as the Famicom/NES port of Donkey Kong in 1983 before eventually being acquired by Nintendo in 2022
- Arika: Endless Ocean series, several Dr. Mario installments, Tetris 99/Mario 35/Pac-Man 99
- Most recently released Endless Ocean Luminous in May 2024
- Bandai Namco: As Namco, developed Starfox Assault, the Donkey Konga series, and the Mario baseball games; As Bandai Namco, responsible for Smash games starting with Smash for WiiU and 3DS, asset creation for EPD 9 games starting with Mario Kart 8 (technically had been involved with Kart since the arcade entries in the mid-2000s), and various Pokemon spin-offs such as Pokken Tournament and New Pokemon Snap
- Studio 2/Studio S: “Specializing in commissioned development projects within the company”
- A Bandai Namco studio seemingly dedicated solely to Nintendo co-development projects Looks to comprise both the Smash team as well as the EPD 9 support team (not confirmed: the Pokken/New Pokemon Snap team)
- Going off the interview section of their website, people at Studio S have worked on Smash games, while those at Studio 2 have worked on EPD 9 games
- A Bandai Namco studio seemingly dedicated solely to Nintendo co-development projects Looks to comprise both the Smash team as well as the EPD 9 support team (not confirmed: the Pokken/New Pokemon Snap team)
- Hiring for two projects: A 3D action game (possibly a remaster, going off of an older job listing )and a 2D action game
- Studio 2/Studio S: “Specializing in commissioned development projects within the company”
- Camelot: Mario Tennis and Mario Golf games, Golden Sun series
- Game Freak/Creatures Inc./The Pokemon Company:
- Game Freak is currently working on Pokemon Legends Z-A, an action-RPG set in Lumiose City from Pokemon XY, scheduled to release in 2025
- Pokemon TCG Pocket, developed by Creatures Inc. and DeNA, is scheduled to release on Android and iOS in 2024
- Game Freak is also making an action-adventure game codenamed Project Bloom with Take-Two label Private Division; expected to launch “during Take-Two’s fiscal year 2026”, no platforms have been announced
- Game Freak trademarked “Pand Land” in late 2023
- 4Chan post claiming there will be a Scarlet/Violet graphics enhancement patch for “the new Nintendo Switch models that will be released alongside DLC2”
- Creatures employee's LinkedIn mentioned working on "one unannounced game" in 2022 in addition to the then-unreleased Detective Pikachu Returns
- Pokemon Works founded in early 2024 as a joint venture between The Pokemon Company and ILCA (Pokemon Home, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, support for Pokemon Scarlet/Violet) for “contracted development of games related to Pokemon” (presumably will be roughly analogous to Bandai Namco Aces, a joint venture between Bandai Namco and ILCA related to the Ace Combat series)
- Pyoro: “Idk anything about the Pokémon Presents, while heard of an outsourced unova-related game. The info was from last year so it may turn out to be inaccurate.; “This is not a leak and should be taken with a grain of salt. I’m just sharing something i’m aware of.”
- Good-Feel: Wario Land Shake It, Kirby’s Epic Yarn, Yoshi’s Wooly World/Crafted World
- most recently released Princess Peach Showtime in March 2024
- Grezzo: Ocarina of Time 3D and Majora’s Mask 3D, Luigi’s Mansion 3D, Link’s Awakening remake, Miitopia remaster; co-developed Triforce Heroes with EPD 3
- Released Jet Dragon for Apple Arcade in 2023
- 2021 job listings for battle planneboss designer, character control engineer, and UI designer for a "medieval", "stylish", “not photorealistic” game
- Koichi Ishii (Grezzo founder and president, Mana series creator, Chocobo/Moogle creator) is currently attached to Square Enix’s Visions of Mana as a series monster design supervisor, no indication of Grezzo as a whole being involved in its development
- HAL Laboratory: Known primarily for Kirby; in recent years, they’ve also made the Boxboy games and Part-Time UFO. Prior to roughly the mid-2000s, their output was a bit more varied, including titles such as the first Pokemon Snap and Pokemon Ranger, the first two Smash Bros., and co-developing Earthbound and Mother 3
- Warpstar Inc. is responsible for managing the Kirby IP specifically (essentially, it’s The Pokemon Company but for Kirby); HAL owns 50% of its shares while Nintendo owns the other 50%
- Kirby series director Shinya Kumazaki called Kirby and the Forgotten Land “the first step in our kind of ongoing moving forward challenge of now also creating 3D Kirby games”, indicating they intend to follow up the now best-selling Kirby game with another 3D entry
- multiple job listings specifically for developing (pretend to be shocked) Kirby games; presumably looking to fill the gap left by external developer Vanpool, which worked with HAL on several Kirby spin-offs as well as Forgotten Land and Return to Dreamland Deluxe before shutting down in May 2023
- indieszero: Electroplankton, NES Remix series (with EPD 8), Sushi Striker, Brain Training for Nintendo Switch (with EPD 4), Big Brain Academy Brain vs Brain (with EPD 4)
- While not confirmed to be involved in the recently-announced Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, Masanobu Suzui (founder of indieszero) retweeted the game’s official announcement
- Intelligent Systems: Fire Emblem, Panel de Pon/Tetris Attack/Puzzle League, Paper Mario, WarioWare, Advance Wars, Pushmo/Pullblox
- Developing the upcoming Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door remake
- rumored Fire Emblem Genealogy of the Holy War remake:
- Imran Khan in 2019: “I know there was another Fire Emblem remake in the works for 3DS and that was one of the things that they shuttered. So maybe that’s one of the things they do bring forward [to the Switch] in the future.”
- Brazil teasing upcoming Switch games in late 2020, includes picture of FE4 boxart
- MarkoMaro in 2022: “Also Fire Emblem has not one, or two, but 3 games in development at this moment...with a spinoff, a remake and a new game, some of them almost finished.”
- claimed to be in development by same person who leaked photos of Fire Emblem Engage in June 2022 (who also claimed Engage had been finished “for quite some time now”)
- Nate the Hate: It “has been remade for the Nintendo Switch, it’s simply waiting for Nintendo to announce it”; Again in Feb 2024: "It's just waiting for Nintendo to announce it."
- Datamined codename evidence: Datamining indicates that Three Houses had the codename Iron17 while Engage had the codename Iron19 but contains references in its code to an Iron 18; Three Hopes (the Warriors game that released in between them) was codenamed Seasons, so Iron18 remains unaccounted for
- Koei Tecmo: Pokemon Conquest, Metroid Other M, Hyrule Warriors games, Fire Emblem Warriors games, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, Buddy Mission Bond (Japan-exclusive), Fire Emblem Three Houses (co-developed with Intelligent Systems)
- PlatinumGames: developer of the Bayonetta games and Astral Chain, co-developed Star Fox Zero with EPD
- Nash Weedle (via Google Translate): “Bayonetta will receive a trilogy edition with its three main games in one pack for the Switch 2. The games will bring visual improvements (HDR confirmed) and performance. Due to backwards compatibility, it can also be played on Switch 2 with improvements”
- Prior to Astral Chain’s release, director Takahisa Taura talked about having ideas of how to expand it into a trilogy or more
- In a 2021 interview, PlatinumGames studio head Atsushi Inaba said that Taura was "working on something, but we can't say what it is" and that there were "a lot" of things that Platinum wanted him to do. "It could be him wanting to do his own thing, something like Astral Chain again, or it could be somebody coming to us and saying 'we really like Taura and want to do something with him' like what we did with Nier.".
- Taura has since been credited on Bayonetta 3 (special thanks), Bayonetta Origins (game design advice), and Final Fantasy 16 (game designer)
- In a 2021 interview, PlatinumGames studio head Atsushi Inaba said that Taura was "working on something, but we can't say what it is" and that there were "a lot" of things that Platinum wanted him to do. "It could be him wanting to do his own thing, something like Astral Chain again, or it could be somebody coming to us and saying 'we really like Taura and want to do something with him' like what we did with Nier.".
- Ubisoft: Mario+Rabbids games, Starlink Battle for Atlus (featured Starfox content in the Switch version)
- Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot seemingly confirms a next-gen update/rerelease of Mario+Rabbids 2: Nintendo [has advised] that it's better to do one iteration on each machine. We were a bit too early, we should have waited for [the next console]. Because you could play a great game. And we think it will last for ten years, because we will update it for the new machine that will come in the future."
- references to Star Fox objects found in code for Switch Sports (the first released game to use EPD’s newest engine, ModuleSystem)
- In 2015, Miyamoto indicated that Star Fox is something Nintendo experiments with internally whenever they begin working with new hardware: "I work very closely with the programmer of Star Fox 64. Basically, every time we get new hardware, we do a Star Fox prototype."
- new international trademark for Star Fox filed in late 2023
- PapaGenos claimed in August 2023 that he’d heard rumors of Smash Bros. Ultimate getting some kind of update in the future
- may have been referring to Smash Ultimate celebrating its 5th anniversary with the addition of new spirits earlier this year; final event was in late March
- Masahiro Sakurai says a console port of Kid Icarus Uprising “sure would be nice” but notes that “without a team around to work on it, crafting a follow-up seems difficult”
- Hobonichi (MotheEarthbound creator Shigesato Itoi’s company) celebrating 30th anniversary of Earthbound/Mother 2: “To commemorate the 30th anniversary of MOTHER 2 ... we are planning a lot of fun in 2024” (almost certainly just merch, but noting it here just in case it’s something more)
- Mother 3 was re-released this year … on Japanese NSO
- Mike Takagi (artist behind Earthbound’s American cover art) on Instagram reminiscing about Earthbound, late February 2024: “The 30th anniversary is coming up in Nov and I hear Nintendo is planning something…where my invite??”
- Nintendo investing up to approx. $880 million to “organically expand” its game development assets and creative culture, up to approx. $2.64 billion into Nintendo accounts and infrastructure; also constructing new 12-floor building for game production, expected to be completed by end of 2027
- reddit user lineup-leak: Gamecube classics will be available at launch of next console (specifically mentions Mario Kart Double Dash, Smash Melee, Metroid Prime 2 as launch titles, with Pokemon Colosseum, FE Path of Radiance, and Mario Party 4 also being tested for NSO)
- claims next Mario Kart will not be a launch title but will release within the first 6-12 months, describes next Mario as being “in final testing phase”
- Nintendo to give Forever Entertainment “significant financial support” in new publishing deal “to release several titles on Nintendo Switch”: This is from a while ago but (and someone can correct me if I’m wrong) I don’t think anything’s come of this yet
- Chris Dring/GamesIndustry.biz: ”Nintendo is actively meeting with independent developers to find new partners. Some of that is around publishing indie games, … but it’s also seeking studios that could work on some of its IP.”; “Nintendo regularly works with third-party teams, … But the company is looking to add to that roster, and I know of three studios that are deep in conversation around making games based on Nintendo brands”
- Nintendo survey asking about different Mario RPG games, including Mario&Luigi
- reddit user Advanced-Ad7780: Project X Zone 3 is currently in development (leak didn’t specify a developer, but the first two games were developed by Monolith Soft for the 3DS)
- Nintendo secures new trademarks for Kirby and the Rainbow Paintbrush and Fullblox (also known as Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, and Stretchmo) in Australia
- Doctre: Notes that Velan Studios (Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, started by Vicarious Visions founders Guha and Karthik Bala) is looking for people with AAA experience to work on a “cherished and widely adored IP”, speculates it could be a reboot of VV’s DK project
- Midori: “A game is in development at Nintendo with the codename Banquet”
- (personal conjecture: Some of NDcube’s previous codenames include using BBQ for Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival and Buffet for Super Mario Party, so they feel like the closest style-fit for something codenamed Banquet)
- Brazil: “The June Direct should be the last "main one" focused on Switch 1; more remasters will be announced during the show (and my educated guess is that MP4 is showing up as a late 2024 title as well)”
- LunchPack
- Version 1: Nintendo Land, Mario Maker, Splatoon
- Version 2: Splatoon 2, Mario Maker 2, ARMS, Labo, Ring Fit Adventure, Game Builder Garage, Animal Crossing New Horizons
- ActionLibrary: 3D Land, 3D World, Mario Odyssey, menus/”wrapper” for 3D All-Stars, Bowser’s Fury, Captain Toad, F-Zero 99 (elements possibly can be traced back as far as Sunshine or Galaxy)
- KingSystem: Breath of the Wild
- ModuleSystem: Switch Sports, Splatoon 3, Tears of the Kingdom, Mario Wonder, Mario vs Donkey Kong remake
- Nintendoware Bezel engine: Tetris 99/Pac-Man 99/Mario 35, WarioWare Get It TogetheWarioWare Move It, Super Mario Party/Mario Party Superstars, Clubhouse Games 51 Classics, Big Brain Academy Brain vs Brain, Everybody 1-2 Switch, Brain Training for Nintendo Switch, Endless Ocean Luminous
- (also available for use by 3rd parties; known to have been used for Vroom in the Night Sky and Sumikko Gurashi: Sumikko Park e Youkoso)
- Datamines of Endless Ocean Luminous show the latest version of Bezel includes references to a variable frame rate mode with support for up to 240fps
- RUDE (Retro Universal Design Engine or Retro Unified Development Environment, depending on which former dev you ask): all Retro Studios games
- Mint: most (all?) HAL Laboratory games since 2011's Return to Dreamland; upgraded and renamed Basil for Forgotten Land
- Unreal Engine 4: Yoshi's Crafted World, Pikmin 4, Princess Peach Showtime
- Unity: Jump Rope Challenge, Pokemon BDSP, Fire Emblem Engage, Super Mario RPG remake, Another Code Recollection
2024.05.10 17:23 doodlebagsmother AITC for rightfully claiming all the treasures in my kingdom?
Friends, I, Misery Meow (9, eunuch, most magnanimouse void ruler) have once again been rudely accused of being a cloaca, this time for simply doing as a ruler does.
As I've mentioned before, the housekeeper has a large, hairy, smelly beast of a dog that she dotes on and coddles. While he has his uses, like alerting her when my food situation is untenable, he generally just lies in awkward places and stinks up the joint. However, since he seems to make her happy and a happy staff is more productive, I allow him indoors and pabpabpab him only every second night that I'm forced to share the big bed with him and my bedwarmer. I also try to resist the urge to chase him around the garden as he screams and screams and screams, but nobody's perfect and I don't always manage.
Anyway, last night when my staff and the hairy one were lounging around after they had served my dinner and before it was time to warm my bed, I noticed that the idiot dog's favourite toys had all been placed in a heap on the floor bed. I generally don't deign to lie on said floor bed because I am above such things, but these were undeniably great treasures, and I felt it was my right - nay, my duty - to claim them all.
As I lay there surrounded by the riches of the animal kingdom, the dog tried to retrieve his Kong for his postprandial chew. The cheek! How dare! I gave him a growl bapbapbap, which made him scream most satisfyingly. The housekeeper obviously chose his side and hugged and cuddled him and called me all sorts of names, but I remained steadfast. Eventually she huffed and stomped over to retrieve the dog's precious toy. The cheek! How dare! She too received a growl bapbapbap for her troubles!
Once she'd inspected her wounds, instead of being in awe of my prowess as ruler of my kingdom, she used most spicy language about everything from my anatomy to my parentage, laughed (LAUGHED!), and used a trekking pole to rudely steal the toy she wanted from my treasure trove. I growlgrowlgrowled and bapbapbapped the pole, but it was impervious to my security measures. She and her idiot dog emerged victorious, much to my disgust.
As far as I'm concerned, the dog is a cloaca for existing, the housekeeper is a cloaca for her lack of respect and thieving, cheating ways, and the groundskeeper is a cloaca for saying 'That cat's not right' (rude! I'm always right). There's no way in the world that I could possibly be the cloaca.
submitted by doodlebagsmother to AmItheCloaca [link] [comments]
As I've mentioned before, the housekeeper has a large, hairy, smelly beast of a dog that she dotes on and coddles. While he has his uses, like alerting her when my food situation is untenable, he generally just lies in awkward places and stinks up the joint. However, since he seems to make her happy and a happy staff is more productive, I allow him indoors and pabpabpab him only every second night that I'm forced to share the big bed with him and my bedwarmer. I also try to resist the urge to chase him around the garden as he screams and screams and screams, but nobody's perfect and I don't always manage.
Anyway, last night when my staff and the hairy one were lounging around after they had served my dinner and before it was time to warm my bed, I noticed that the idiot dog's favourite toys had all been placed in a heap on the floor bed. I generally don't deign to lie on said floor bed because I am above such things, but these were undeniably great treasures, and I felt it was my right - nay, my duty - to claim them all.
As I lay there surrounded by the riches of the animal kingdom, the dog tried to retrieve his Kong for his postprandial chew. The cheek! How dare! I gave him a growl bapbapbap, which made him scream most satisfyingly. The housekeeper obviously chose his side and hugged and cuddled him and called me all sorts of names, but I remained steadfast. Eventually she huffed and stomped over to retrieve the dog's precious toy. The cheek! How dare! She too received a growl bapbapbap for her troubles!
Once she'd inspected her wounds, instead of being in awe of my prowess as ruler of my kingdom, she used most spicy language about everything from my anatomy to my parentage, laughed (LAUGHED!), and used a trekking pole to rudely steal the toy she wanted from my treasure trove. I growlgrowlgrowled and bapbapbapped the pole, but it was impervious to my security measures. She and her idiot dog emerged victorious, much to my disgust.
As far as I'm concerned, the dog is a cloaca for existing, the housekeeper is a cloaca for her lack of respect and thieving, cheating ways, and the groundskeeper is a cloaca for saying 'That cat's not right' (rude! I'm always right). There's no way in the world that I could possibly be the cloaca.
2024.05.10 16:42 thestylesreport Soundmap Beginner's Guide / FAQ
Hey folks - following up on the Full list of all artists with badges : post I thought I'd try to start a full-on beginner's guide/FAQ for people who are just starting the game and/or have questions. I hope this will become a living document and all of you Soundmappers will start contributing your knowledge and insights.
I'm not a developer (though I think they're doing a great job!) or gaming expert, just a fan of the game. Hope this helps!
Think of the standard edition as a demo. Reminds me of the shareware model from back-in-the-day (dating myself here). Premium unlocks so many features that make the game truly playable in the long run – expanded collection range, level, etc.
I’d say the lifetime license for $20 is a really good deal. You’re supporting the developers’ hard work so that the game can continue to grow and prosper. And believe me, I’m normally a person that doesn’t pay for ANYTHING on the App Store, but the hours I’ve put in to this game made it worth it. I’ve been neglecting Tears of the Kingdom in favor of this.
You can also get premium if you invite 8 friends to join but I haven’t tested that functionality. I’ve heard mixed reports of it being bugged, but the game purports to have 4500+ users go premium via this route.
· College campuses
· Malls/shopping centers
· Tourist attractions
Also remember to regularly “scan this area” when going to new places to refresh.
Shinies have their own drops (looks like a shiny mixed with a regular drop) but, if you’re lucky, can also be pulled from other common, uncommon and rare drops (this is very infrequent, however).
The developers initially created standalone epic drops but took them out of the game because of spoofing/cheating. As of now, the only way to pull an epic is from other drops, but they appear at an even lower probability than shinies.
· Commons: 100 - 500 coins
· Uncommons: 300 - 1500 coins
· Rares: 500 – 3000 coins
· Common Shiny: 500 – 1500 coins
· Uncommon Shinies: 1000 – 10000 coins
If a track is really popular and/or new, expect to pay more (for example, the Kendrick/Drake beef tracks were at premium for a while).
Rare shinies and Epics are all over the place though, with people asking for literally a million+ for a #1 Kanye West epic. I don’t know if they get it but certainly 6 figure trades for the most popular shinies and epics are not out of the ordinary.
Hip-hop seems to be the most universally popular genre, with artists like Travis Scott and Playboi Carti fetching the highest trade prices. Female pop stars like Taylor, Lana, Billie, Olivia, etc. have selling power. K-Pop (StrayKids, NewJeans, BTS, etc.) are also very popular, but a bit more niche.
· Invite friends. Get 1000 coins for each person that signs up.
· Through trade by offering songs.
· Get your free daily drops.
· Converting unwanted songs to coins.
I’m usually free to play on everything (aside from buying the premium license) so I ended up doing the latter three to earn. You can really stock up with some good rares or a couple of lucky shiny or epic pulls.
Converting commons is a good way to earn some coin quickly in the early game, and your pull to earn ratio is usually pretty good, especially if you’re able to farm drops in your area. However, as you get more coins, try to keep and sell commons via trade instead as you’ll be able to earn some coins and get a common back in the process.
Try to avoid converting uncommons or rares whenever possible. Even if you offer them cheaply for a few hundred coins it’s better than burning them outright. Also, you never know what people might be interested in – one person’s trash truly is another’s treasure. Conversely you can get some really great songs that someone is just looking to be rid of.
I would recommend setting one unique artist for each genre if you’re trying to accumulate. (I.e Taylor for pop, Kanye for hip-hop, SZA for R&B, etc). This can help with badge collection as you’ll see next.
· Bronze – 5 songs
· Silver – 20 songs
· Gold – 50 songs
· Platinum – entire discography (song count varies by artist)
· Diamond – entire discography plus 5 shiny songs
A full list of artists with badges can be found here on my other post about the topic. So far the badges themselves seem cosmetic but they are a great way to keep track of which artists are most popular (and thus fetch the highest trade prices).
~Daily Drop – free: You can select a free drop of the genre of your choice (or randomly). It resets everyday at midnight. Always pull this everyday. Most of the time it’s common, but I’ve pulled some really good uncommons and rares from this. And it’s free!
~Daily Free Coins – free: Self explanatory. Always pull this everyday. The reward gets larger and larger as your streak gets longer. For example, my next reward after 42 days of playing will be 1040 coins.
~Fav Artist Drop – 2000: This is a drop that becomes more valuable as you get more experienced/powerful in the game. It drops commons thru rare so I wouldn’t use this in the beginning. However, if you’re working towards a platinum badge it becomes invaluable as it becomes one of the only ways you can complete your collection as you find it harder and harder to trade for what you need.
~Best of the Best – 2000: You can pick your genre here and it gives you a pull from a random popular artist in that genre. Note: "best" doesn't mean "rare" necessarily. I've pulled rares but other folks have pulled uncommons. Also, "popular" artist doesn’t necessarily mean badge artist, so be mindful.
~Super Rare – 1000: This is the absolute best drop for beginners aiming to build a collection for trading. As it says, you get a guaranteed rare, though it’s a blind drop (can’t pick genre). With 10,000 coins you can get 10 rares and in conjunction with stuff you collect around town that’s a great platform to start building from.
~Today’s Top Hits – 1000: If you love the most popular songs you can try your luck here. I just tried this to see what I’d get and I got a Taylor Swift rare. Most of the time you should get a rare but not sure if it’s guaranteed.
~RapCaviar – 1000: This is for the hip-hop fans. As it’s curated you’ll get a currently popular artist, but rarity is not guaranteed. I pulled an Uncommon Yeat most recently.
-New Music Friday - This is a new one offering new music that comes out on Fridays. I think it's free but it's a little bugged right now so more to come on that.
How to earn XP:
· Common song: 20 XP
· Uncommon song: 50 XP
· Rare song: 100 XP
· Shiny song: 300 XP
· Epic song: 800 XP
· New drop visited: 20 XP
· New artist seen: 20 XP
· New person traded with: 20 XP
· Daily check in: 100 XP
However – the exp you gain in a week does have an impact on your league position.
Each user is assigned to a league that consists of 30 random participants of a common rank. Like the artists, there are Bronze/SilveGold/Platinum/Diamond Tiers. You advance (or maintain your rank) by earning XP. Top players in each tier get some coins. If you rank highly enough you get promoted, if you are too low, you get demoted to a previous rank.
Check out the in-game League FAQ for more info. (I tried to link it here but it keeps trying to post some huge goofy Notion ad alongside the link so I'll not do that).
There is no in-game messaging system (yet) so Discord is the platform you can use to communicate with other gamers to negotiate trades, advertise things you’re selling, contact the developers about desired features. The devs are active and you can often get very good insights from the help and announcement channels.
However, as with any social chat community there is always the danger of people getting toxic/abusive in the general rooms. Generally I stick to direct messages about trades, and everyone I’ve spoken to in DMs is nice and polite, but your own experience may vary.
If you click on the “chat” icon in app it will automatically invite you to the discord.
From what I’ve seen, the following things can get you banned:
· Location spoofing (using apps/tools to pretend you’re in a different place than you actually are)
· Scamming (trying to trick people into giving up high value tracks for nothing, etc.)
· Invite spoofing (using fake emails to sign up for multiple accounts and then using those to get free premium
If you think you’ve been falsely/mistakenly banned, send a help ticket and plead your case.
That's all I've got for now. Good luck and have fun! I hope both this subreddit and the Soundmap community grows and prospers.
submitted by thestylesreport to Soundmap [link] [comments]
I'm not a developer (though I think they're doing a great job!) or gaming expert, just a fan of the game. Hope this helps!
What is Soundmap?
Soundmap is a location-based mobile music collection game. Think Pokemon Go, but with songs. You collect the songs and then can trade them for other songs or “coins”, the in-game currency.What kind of device do I need to play this?
This is an iPhone only app for now. Dev notes that an Android version is coming in the summer sometime.Is Premium worth it?
Short answer: Yes. (if you intend to play the game long term)Think of the standard edition as a demo. Reminds me of the shareware model from back-in-the-day (dating myself here). Premium unlocks so many features that make the game truly playable in the long run – expanded collection range, level, etc.
I’d say the lifetime license for $20 is a really good deal. You’re supporting the developers’ hard work so that the game can continue to grow and prosper. And believe me, I’m normally a person that doesn’t pay for ANYTHING on the App Store, but the hours I’ve put in to this game made it worth it. I’ve been neglecting Tears of the Kingdom in favor of this.
You can also get premium if you invite 8 friends to join but I haven’t tested that functionality. I’ve heard mixed reports of it being bugged, but the game purports to have 4500+ users go premium via this route.
Where are the best places to go to get songs/drops?
I don’t know how they determine where things drop but I'm guessing it’s some combination of cell phone signals and users who have the app installed. As such, places like open fields and parks are pretty sparse, but where I’ve found the most drops are:· College campuses
· Malls/shopping centers
· Tourist attractions
Also remember to regularly “scan this area” when going to new places to refresh.
How can I tell if something is a rare, shiny, and/or epic on the map? Do they have their own drops?
Rares are easy to spot because they are darker and glowing, and they stand out against the yellow perimeter.Shinies have their own drops (looks like a shiny mixed with a regular drop) but, if you’re lucky, can also be pulled from other common, uncommon and rare drops (this is very infrequent, however).
The developers initially created standalone epic drops but took them out of the game because of spoofing/cheating. As of now, the only way to pull an epic is from other drops, but they appear at an even lower probability than shinies.
I was going to pick up a drop and it’s greyed out now. Did someone get to it first?
Yes. Drops are shared with other players so someone might have gotten to it first! On the discord people have complained that in popular areas people camp out to wait for the timers to reset and then pick up the drops right away. So if you’re in an area where you don’t see a lot of grey drops enjoy it while you can :-)What do the numbers on the epics mean?
The lower the number, the more valuable it is. #1 means it’s the first copy someone found from a drop. Think of it like collecting comic books or trading cards. Numbers over #25 just read #25+ and over #100 read 100+.How does the trade economy work? What is X worth? How much can I get for X?
The game’s trade economy generally follows basic rules of supply and demand with commons being worth the least, uncommons more, then rares. What’s “fair” is subjective but in my experience the general range has been this, hard-to-find artists being more:· Commons: 100 - 500 coins
· Uncommons: 300 - 1500 coins
· Rares: 500 – 3000 coins
· Common Shiny: 500 – 1500 coins
· Uncommon Shinies: 1000 – 10000 coins
If a track is really popular and/or new, expect to pay more (for example, the Kendrick/Drake beef tracks were at premium for a while).
Rare shinies and Epics are all over the place though, with people asking for literally a million+ for a #1 Kanye West epic. I don’t know if they get it but certainly 6 figure trades for the most popular shinies and epics are not out of the ordinary.
Hip-hop seems to be the most universally popular genre, with artists like Travis Scott and Playboi Carti fetching the highest trade prices. Female pop stars like Taylor, Lana, Billie, Olivia, etc. have selling power. K-Pop (StrayKids, NewJeans, BTS, etc.) are also very popular, but a bit more niche.
How do I earn coins?
· Buy via in-app purchases. This ranges from 2 bucks for 1000, to 100 bucks for 100,000.· Invite friends. Get 1000 coins for each person that signs up.
· Through trade by offering songs.
· Get your free daily drops.
· Converting unwanted songs to coins.
I’m usually free to play on everything (aside from buying the premium license) so I ended up doing the latter three to earn. You can really stock up with some good rares or a couple of lucky shiny or epic pulls.
Converting commons is a good way to earn some coin quickly in the early game, and your pull to earn ratio is usually pretty good, especially if you’re able to farm drops in your area. However, as you get more coins, try to keep and sell commons via trade instead as you’ll be able to earn some coins and get a common back in the process.
Try to avoid converting uncommons or rares whenever possible. Even if you offer them cheaply for a few hundred coins it’s better than burning them outright. Also, you never know what people might be interested in – one person’s trash truly is another’s treasure. Conversely you can get some really great songs that someone is just looking to be rid of.
How do I convert songs to coins?
Long press (hold down) on an individual song to convert to coins. If you hit the … next to “Your Collection” it will give you the option to “Select to Sell” and you can convert songs to coins in bulk.How do I offer coins in a trade?
When you “request to trade” you’ll see that there’s an “add coins” option. Click on that and add the desired amount of coins. If you are aiming to trade coins only, just use any throwaway common to facilitate the trade (no way to trade without using at least one song.)What is the benefit of setting favorite artist(s)? Does it actually work?
The favorite artists does work to help you increase probability of picking up your favorites, moreso if the artist has a deep discography. I set Taylor Swift as a favorite and I picked up a bunch of her tracks. (I love classic hip-hop and R&B but I’m a Swiftie nonetheless lol). It does take time as the overall drop rate is still low even at 10x.I would recommend setting one unique artist for each genre if you’re trying to accumulate. (I.e Taylor for pop, Kanye for hip-hop, SZA for R&B, etc). This can help with badge collection as you’ll see next.
What are artist badges and what are they used for?
When you collect a certain amount of songs by a particular artist, you earn a badge. This badge is a picture of the artists’ face (or a full body shot of the band), and you can designate a favorite artist badge to appear next to your username throughout the game. You can own multiple badges per artist. Badges are categorized as follows, depending on how many songs you collect:· Bronze – 5 songs
· Silver – 20 songs
· Gold – 50 songs
· Platinum – entire discography (song count varies by artist)
· Diamond – entire discography plus 5 shiny songs
A full list of artists with badges can be found here on my other post about the topic. So far the badges themselves seem cosmetic but they are a great way to keep track of which artists are most popular (and thus fetch the highest trade prices).
How do I know how many songs are in a specific artist’s discography?
After you collect the gold badge for an artist, the game will provide you with the count of the remaining songs to collect for a platinum. As far as I know this is the only way (and thus only works for badge artists).What are lootboxes and should I buy them?
Lootboxes are basically a way to purchase drops with coins. They can be very, very useful if used correctly and at the right phase(s) of the game.~Daily Drop – free: You can select a free drop of the genre of your choice (or randomly). It resets everyday at midnight. Always pull this everyday. Most of the time it’s common, but I’ve pulled some really good uncommons and rares from this. And it’s free!
~Daily Free Coins – free: Self explanatory. Always pull this everyday. The reward gets larger and larger as your streak gets longer. For example, my next reward after 42 days of playing will be 1040 coins.
~Fav Artist Drop – 2000: This is a drop that becomes more valuable as you get more experienced/powerful in the game. It drops commons thru rare so I wouldn’t use this in the beginning. However, if you’re working towards a platinum badge it becomes invaluable as it becomes one of the only ways you can complete your collection as you find it harder and harder to trade for what you need.
~Best of the Best – 2000: You can pick your genre here and it gives you a pull from a random popular artist in that genre. Note: "best" doesn't mean "rare" necessarily. I've pulled rares but other folks have pulled uncommons. Also, "popular" artist doesn’t necessarily mean badge artist, so be mindful.
~Super Rare – 1000: This is the absolute best drop for beginners aiming to build a collection for trading. As it says, you get a guaranteed rare, though it’s a blind drop (can’t pick genre). With 10,000 coins you can get 10 rares and in conjunction with stuff you collect around town that’s a great platform to start building from.
~Today’s Top Hits – 1000: If you love the most popular songs you can try your luck here. I just tried this to see what I’d get and I got a Taylor Swift rare. Most of the time you should get a rare but not sure if it’s guaranteed.
~RapCaviar – 1000: This is for the hip-hop fans. As it’s curated you’ll get a currently popular artist, but rarity is not guaranteed. I pulled an Uncommon Yeat most recently.
-New Music Friday - This is a new one offering new music that comes out on Fridays. I think it's free but it's a little bugged right now so more to come on that.
What is the point of exp and levels?
Every time you level up you get a 2000+ coin bonus (more at higher levels), which is a nice incentive to stay active. The higher your exp, the higher your worldwide rank, which so far looks to be just bragging rights. The higher your level, the more exp it takes to level up.How to earn XP:
· Common song: 20 XP
· Uncommon song: 50 XP
· Rare song: 100 XP
· Shiny song: 300 XP
· Epic song: 800 XP
· New drop visited: 20 XP
· New artist seen: 20 XP
· New person traded with: 20 XP
· Daily check in: 100 XP
However – the exp you gain in a week does have an impact on your league position.
What are leagues?
Leagues are another way to compete with other Soundmappers and earn a little bit of coins as well.Each user is assigned to a league that consists of 30 random participants of a common rank. Like the artists, there are Bronze/SilveGold/Platinum/Diamond Tiers. You advance (or maintain your rank) by earning XP. Top players in each tier get some coins. If you rank highly enough you get promoted, if you are too low, you get demoted to a previous rank.
Check out the in-game League FAQ for more info. (I tried to link it here but it keeps trying to post some huge goofy Notion ad alongside the link so I'll not do that).
What is Discord and why does everyone keep talking about it?
From Wikipedia: Discord is an instant messaging and VoIP social platform which allows communication through voice calls, video calls, text messaging, and media and files.There is no in-game messaging system (yet) so Discord is the platform you can use to communicate with other gamers to negotiate trades, advertise things you’re selling, contact the developers about desired features. The devs are active and you can often get very good insights from the help and announcement channels.
However, as with any social chat community there is always the danger of people getting toxic/abusive in the general rooms. Generally I stick to direct messages about trades, and everyone I’ve spoken to in DMs is nice and polite, but your own experience may vary.
If you click on the “chat” icon in app it will automatically invite you to the discord.
Why am I banned?
If you’re unlucky you’ll find yourself locked out of login with an error that your account has been banned. Generally, if you’ve violated the terms of service (we all read those, right?).From what I’ve seen, the following things can get you banned:
· Location spoofing (using apps/tools to pretend you’re in a different place than you actually are)
· Scamming (trying to trick people into giving up high value tracks for nothing, etc.)
· Invite spoofing (using fake emails to sign up for multiple accounts and then using those to get free premium
If you think you’ve been falsely/mistakenly banned, send a help ticket and plead your case.
That's all I've got for now. Good luck and have fun! I hope both this subreddit and the Soundmap community grows and prospers.
2024.05.10 16:23 macrameandcheese6822 Mother's Day Struggles
Hey kingdom fam!
It's been decades in the process leading up to now- I went low contact with my parents- my childhood was messy. I'm married and 17 hours away from my parents now but things are just still lingering here. I was recently diagnosed with ADHD and PTSD that I really wish I had brought to light 19 years ago when my symptoms started under the care of my parents but they're hurt and hurt people hurt their kids or just don't have the capacity to care for their kids. SO many stumbling blocks were placed before me as a child by the same "Christian" parents who classically weaponized "honor your parents!". I still am in the throes of grief, anger, and bitterness and I'm walking that line between keeping my anger righteous within the safety of the Lord like Job and the temptation of taking my petitions to my parents directly. I had a spiritual mentor (whom I love but am praying discernment over because she and her mother have a very similar story to mine but her daughter isn't talking to her currently and I don't know if it's right to take influence from her) from my church tell me "You want to give your mom steak and potatoes but she can only take bread and butter, so honor her and just keep it at bread and butter, meet her where she's at." She also called me selfish, which I can come into some agreement with because I've pretty much put hard boundaries down with my mom and now we're just not talking because I have conditions to how we go about communicating. I told my mom I loved her and forgive her and if we are going to continue a relationship we need counseling but this mentor was trying to also discourage me from seeking therapy and counseling outside the church (but this is the only way I've been able to get my actual diagnosis). Going back to what my mentor said- my mom has expected a 10 course meal from me my whole life while giving me just bread and butter. She emotionally starved me and at the same time was raising a neurodivergent child and refused to take me to professionals when I asked as a teen (and she's a nurse!). and now, it's like pulling teeth trying to get her to be involved with my life, and if I put boundaries down she does the same thing again- "I never treated my mother this way!" "What will you do when I'm six feet under?" or ranting on facebook. I'm 29 next month and trying to sweep my house from things of the past, and I'm having difficulty "letting go" because "letting go" is just too vague and shallow of a term. I watched my mom cheat on my dad twice and is still with the man she cheated on my dad with and forced me to move in with him to another state before she physically could move in and he was verbally abusive and she put me in a position of danger.
so far I've done bible studies from Isaiah on how the Lord forgives, doesn't forget because He's God, but chooses to forget if those seek true repentance and reconciliation under Jesus's instructions. I've done studies on how Jesus loves but also puts boundaries down- even with family. My mind says if I'm going to let go, I need to move emotionally from her like Abraham from Ur and completely migrate while still praying for my mom from my prayer closet and intercede and love her that way and pray that God sends people into her life to work with her and trust Him with my absence but still, my mentor coming up to me telling me "God told me you need to honor her and just let go of everything, Jesus loves without condition so you need to love your mom unconditionally!" just has me back to where I started- circling emotionally and ruminating. Before that conversation with my mentor I genuinely felt at peace about the situation and I still had a means for getting in contact with my mom if she chose to reach out to me. My table has always been set for her when I needed nourishment as a child too, and now I'm an adult and seeking the nourishment I didn't get with her from the Lord. As I get deeper into my faith I also don't believe the Lord loves us without condition- He wants us to seek intimacy with Him and requires us to consecrate our Spirit from our flesh. By the Cross we are saved in our Spirit but until we meet Him it is our duty to crucify the flesh as much as we can and win our race. My mom chose a lifestyle of idol worshipping over the Lord and her kids but still claims to be a Christian. When I met up with my mentor I felt peace for a second and now it's just more anger and even resentment towards her now. Where do I go from here? Prayers? Help?
submitted by macrameandcheese6822 to Christian [link] [comments]
It's been decades in the process leading up to now- I went low contact with my parents- my childhood was messy. I'm married and 17 hours away from my parents now but things are just still lingering here. I was recently diagnosed with ADHD and PTSD that I really wish I had brought to light 19 years ago when my symptoms started under the care of my parents but they're hurt and hurt people hurt their kids or just don't have the capacity to care for their kids. SO many stumbling blocks were placed before me as a child by the same "Christian" parents who classically weaponized "honor your parents!". I still am in the throes of grief, anger, and bitterness and I'm walking that line between keeping my anger righteous within the safety of the Lord like Job and the temptation of taking my petitions to my parents directly. I had a spiritual mentor (whom I love but am praying discernment over because she and her mother have a very similar story to mine but her daughter isn't talking to her currently and I don't know if it's right to take influence from her) from my church tell me "You want to give your mom steak and potatoes but she can only take bread and butter, so honor her and just keep it at bread and butter, meet her where she's at." She also called me selfish, which I can come into some agreement with because I've pretty much put hard boundaries down with my mom and now we're just not talking because I have conditions to how we go about communicating. I told my mom I loved her and forgive her and if we are going to continue a relationship we need counseling but this mentor was trying to also discourage me from seeking therapy and counseling outside the church (but this is the only way I've been able to get my actual diagnosis). Going back to what my mentor said- my mom has expected a 10 course meal from me my whole life while giving me just bread and butter. She emotionally starved me and at the same time was raising a neurodivergent child and refused to take me to professionals when I asked as a teen (and she's a nurse!). and now, it's like pulling teeth trying to get her to be involved with my life, and if I put boundaries down she does the same thing again- "I never treated my mother this way!" "What will you do when I'm six feet under?" or ranting on facebook. I'm 29 next month and trying to sweep my house from things of the past, and I'm having difficulty "letting go" because "letting go" is just too vague and shallow of a term. I watched my mom cheat on my dad twice and is still with the man she cheated on my dad with and forced me to move in with him to another state before she physically could move in and he was verbally abusive and she put me in a position of danger.
so far I've done bible studies from Isaiah on how the Lord forgives, doesn't forget because He's God, but chooses to forget if those seek true repentance and reconciliation under Jesus's instructions. I've done studies on how Jesus loves but also puts boundaries down- even with family. My mind says if I'm going to let go, I need to move emotionally from her like Abraham from Ur and completely migrate while still praying for my mom from my prayer closet and intercede and love her that way and pray that God sends people into her life to work with her and trust Him with my absence but still, my mentor coming up to me telling me "God told me you need to honor her and just let go of everything, Jesus loves without condition so you need to love your mom unconditionally!" just has me back to where I started- circling emotionally and ruminating. Before that conversation with my mentor I genuinely felt at peace about the situation and I still had a means for getting in contact with my mom if she chose to reach out to me. My table has always been set for her when I needed nourishment as a child too, and now I'm an adult and seeking the nourishment I didn't get with her from the Lord. As I get deeper into my faith I also don't believe the Lord loves us without condition- He wants us to seek intimacy with Him and requires us to consecrate our Spirit from our flesh. By the Cross we are saved in our Spirit but until we meet Him it is our duty to crucify the flesh as much as we can and win our race. My mom chose a lifestyle of idol worshipping over the Lord and her kids but still claims to be a Christian. When I met up with my mentor I felt peace for a second and now it's just more anger and even resentment towards her now. Where do I go from here? Prayers? Help?
2024.05.10 16:06 n217062 Memory timeline part 9: Unity
Part nine covers Unity. I've done my best to get the dates as accurate and precise as possible. All of the dates are sourced directly from the game and the Unity novel, along with other research that's been noted below.
For obvious reasons, I did not include the server bridges, Nostradamus enigmas, or the companion missions.
Part 1: AC1 + Altaïr's Chronicles & Bloodlines
Part 2: AC2 + Discovery
Part 3: Brotherhood
Part 4: Revelations
Part 5: AC3
Part 6: Liberation + Black Flag Aveline DLC
Part 7: Black Flag + Freedom Cry
Part 8: Rogue
Prologue: 1307–1314
\2]) Widespread public debate regarding Joseph-Ignace Guillotin's proposed method of capital punishment began in December 1789 after a speech he made to the National Constituent Assembly.
\3]) As France dechristianized during the Revolution, many religious institutions came under attack. On 12 July 1790, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy was passed, outlawing religious life and giving complete control of the Church to the government. As a result of this, many congregations such as the Filles du Calvaire Convent were formally dissolved by the National Constituent Assembly. As the Revolution progressed, these tensions only got worse. Shortly after the insurrection of 10 August 1792, the Notre-Dame Cathedral's treasury was looted of all of its liturgical objects, artifacts, and other religious relics. Not long after, the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés got an even worse deal as it was ransacked during the September Massacres, resulting in hundreds of executions. Among the victims were 22 priests, 135 Swiss guards, and the Princesse de Lamballe. After the massacre, the abbey was converted into a storehouse until 1795 when it was reinstated as a church.
\4]) While Mirabeau's reputation remained largely untarnished until after his death, public criticism of his conduct began as early as 1790 when it was discovered that he had secretly met with Marie Antoinette at the Château de Saint-Cloud on 3 July.
\5]) The on-screen text incorrectly dates this memory to 1 April 1791.
\6]) André Chénier finished writing "Le Jeu de Paume" in 1791.
\7]) Eugène François Vidocq and Charles Cochon de Lapparent appear throughout all of the murder mystery memories. In the initial cutscene for these memories, Lapparent is anachronistically referred to as a police minister by Vidocq. Historically, the Minister of Police position wasn't established in the French government until 1796, and Lapparent served in this position from 3 April 1796 to 16 July 1797. This anachronism creates a potential continuity issue since a large number of the murder mysteries explicitly take place in the years prior. Despite this inaccuracy, it's technically plausible for the murder mysteries to begin in 1791 as during that year there was a short period where Vidocq and Lapparent were both in Paris at the same time. Lapparent was a frequent attendee of the Jacobin Club from late 1789 to around October 1791. Meanwhile, Vidocq was in prison in Paris for a two-week period during the summer or autumn of 1791. Using this evidence, it can be surmised that the initial cutscene and Murder Foretold take place around summer or autumn 1791. The dates for the rest of the murder mysteries are as follows:
\9]) The first working prototype of the guillotine was constructed by Tobias Schmidt and tested by Charles-Henri Sanson in April 1792. A week later on 25 April, Nicolas Jacques Pelletier was the first person to be executed by guillotine.
\10]) In September 1792 during a five-day looting spree, most of the French Crown Jewels were stolen from the Royal Treasury. Most of the jewels were eventually recovered. The Regent and the Hortensia, along with several others, were found hidden in an attic in Paris fifteen months later in December 1793. The Sancy made its way to Russia where it eventually reappeared in 1828 as part of the Rudanovsky collection. The French Blue was eventually smuggled to London where it was recut at some point between 1792 and 1812. The largest remaining piece of the French Blue is now known as the Hope Diamond.
\11]) Marie-Jeanne Bertin, better known as Rose Bertin, served as Marie Antoinette's personal fashion merchant from 1774 to 1792. During the Revolution, Bertin made several trips to England and Germany in 1791 and 1792, which fueled speculation that she was carrying secret messages to foreign leaders on behalf of Marie Antoinette. Bertin returned to Paris in December 1792 to settle some of her accounts before leaving for London in February 1793. She would not return to France until 1800.
\12]) The Unity novel indicates that Arno killed la Touche on the same day that Élise finds him in Versailles, as by the following day, Arno and Élise are already back in Paris.
\13]) The political maneuverings of the Revolution often targeted individuals in academia. By 1793, scientists like Antoine Lavoisier and Pierre-Simon Laplace fell under the scrutiny of the National Convention due to their connections to the ancien régime. As a former member of the ferme générale, Lavoisier was arrested on 30 November on charges of fraud and selling watered-down tobacco. He was later convicted and guillotined on 8 May 1794. On 3 October 1793, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Nicolas de Condorcet after he criticized the Montagnard Constitution. Condorcet went into hiding for several months before fleeing Paris on 25 March 1794. Two days later, he was caught and imprisoned in Bourg-l'Égalité. On 29 March, he was found dead in his cell of an apparent suicide. Jean-Dominique, comte de Cassini was arrested on 14 February 1794 simply for being a noble. He spent several months in prison before finally being released on 5 August 1794. Later that month, he retired to his estate in Thury.
\14]) A database entry gives the date of the Bande noire auction as 14 Messidor, which converts to 2 July. The French Republican calendar as adopted by the National Convention began implementation on 22 September 1792. Since Fabre d'Églantine, who was guillotined on 5 April 1794, is still alive during this memory, that leaves 2 July 1793 as this memory's only possible date.
\15]) On 28 July 1793, the National Convention declared 21 deputies, several of whom were Girondists, as traitors. The National Guard, led by François Hanriot, was sent to round up the accused deputies for trial before the Revolutionary Tribunal.
\16]) After narrowly escaping death during the September Massacres, Pierre Beaumarchais pledged his services to the new French Republic. He traveled to Holland in an attempt to purchase arms for the French Revolutionary Army but failed to complete the transaction. He briefly returned to Paris during the summer of 1793 before leaving the country again to conduct other business. While he was in Germany in late 1793, he was falsely declared an émigré and forced to spend the next two and a half years in exile. Beaumarchais' stay in Paris during the summer of 1793 coincides with Marguerite Brunet's ownership of the Théâtre National which opened on 15 August. Brunet managed the theatre until she was arrested on 15 November 1793.
\17]) In September 1793 during the Siege of Toulon, Napoleon Bonaparte ordered more artillery to establish another battery. The siege was successful and Toulon was captured by the French Republic. It was during this time that Napoleon's success caught the attention of the Robespierre brothers.
\18]) During Louis Antoine de Saint-Just's term as president of the National Convention in February 1794, he was noted for wearing unusual-looking clothing. This and his rather extreme political positions resulted in rumors circulating that he wore clothing made from human skin. These rumors were unsubstantiated and most likely invented by his political rivals in an attempt to discredit him.
\19]) During this memory, a civilian mentions the Supreme Being. The Cult of the Supreme Being was a deistic cult created by Maximilien Robespierre who intended for it to be France's state religion. It was authorized by the National Convention on 7 May 1794 and inaugurated at the Festival of the Supreme Being on 8 June. Its existence was short-lived as Robespierre was executed on 28 July, rendering the cult defunct. The cult was later officially banned by Napoleon on 8 April 1802.
\20]) Joseph Bara was a 14-year-old French republican drummer boy who was killed by pro-Monarchists at Vendée. He was subsequently hailed as a hero of the Revolution. Historically, Bara's funeral procession to the Panthéon never actually happened. It was originally scheduled for 28 July 1794 but was canceled when Maximilien Robespierre was arrested.
\21]) After his death in 1778, Jean-Jacques Rousseau was buried in Ermenonville, France. In October 1794, it was decided that his remains would be moved to the Panthéon in Paris. While on their way to Paris, the convoy carrying Rousseau's remains passed through Franciade on 11 October.
\22]) Jean-Baptiste Rotondo was arrested in 1793 and spent the next several years in prison while awaiting trial. The last mention of Rotondo in the historical record comes from a court document dated 20 December 1794. Rotondo disappears completely after this, most likely dying in prison at some point in 1795.
\23]) Louis XVII died on 8 June 1795 at the age of 10. He was buried two days later in an unmarked grave at Cimetière Sainte-Marguerite. Shortly after, rumors began circulating that the boy who died was not the Dauphin and that the real Louis XVII was still alive. This created the legend of the Lost Dauphin and over the next several decades, hundreds of people claimed to be the long-lost Louis. It wasn't until 2000 that it was finally proven that the real Louis did die in 1795, based on DNA testing on a heart that was taken from the autopsy of the boy who was buried at Sainte-Marguerite.
\24]) The Council of Five Hundred began holding their meetings at the Palais Bourbon on 21 January 1798.
\25]) Though the game doesn't give a date for this cutscene, it can be determined that it takes place in 1808 since that's the year that Napoleon ordered the Temple to be demolished. Napoleon gave the order in a letter he wrote to Joseph Fouché dated 16 March 1808. The building's demolition began immediately and was completed in two years.
\26]) Marie Anne Lenormand was born in 1772, which actually makes her younger than Arno who was born in 1768. Despite Lenormand's set of memories being available as early as sequence 2, there's ample evidence that they actually take place much later. The game gives her the voice and appearance of an older woman, and depicts her wearing the headscarf that she was known for wearing during her later years (the earliest mention of Lenormand meeting her clients while wearing a wig and headscarf comes from a newspaper dated 1814). Her first memory features unique dialogue that can only be triggered if the memory is played after completing the main story. And the conclusion of the three Flamel's Secret memories where Arno hands her the Elixir of Life seems to be a direct reference to the claims of immortality that she made about herself towards the end of her life. Though Lenormand did live a relatively long life, she was most certainly mortal, dying at the age of 71 in 1843.
\27]) Jean-François Champollion began studying the Rosetta Stone in 1808. Over the years, Champollion continued his research until finally making a breakthrough on 14 September 1822 when he was able to identify the phonetic values of individual hieroglyphs using clues from the Greek and Egyptian inscriptions on the Philae obelisk. Champollion quickly documented his findings and published them on 27 September 1822.
submitted by n217062 to assassinscreed [link] [comments]
For obvious reasons, I did not include the server bridges, Nostradamus enigmas, or the companion missions.
Part 1: AC1 + Altaïr's Chronicles & Bloodlines
Part 2: AC2 + Discovery
Part 3: Brotherhood
Part 4: Revelations
Part 5: AC3
Part 6: Liberation + Black Flag Aveline DLC
Part 7: Black Flag + Freedom Cry
Part 8: Rogue
Prologue: 1307–1314
- The Tragedy of Jacques de Molay (Temple assault): 13 October 1307
- The Tragedy of Jacques de Molay (seven years later): 18 March 1314
- Memories of Versailles (Palais de Versailles): 27 December 1776
- Memories of Versailles (thirteen years later): 5 May 1789
- The Estates General: 5 May 1789
- High Society: 5 May 1789
- Imprisoned: 5 May–15 July 1789\1])
- Rebirth: 15 July 1789\1])
- [Paris story] The Great Escapist: 16 July 1789\1])
- [Social club, Ventre de Paris] Let Them Eat Hay: July 1789\1])
- [Social club, Ventre de Paris] Cat Food on a Hot Tin Roof: July 1789
- [Social club, Ventre de Paris] Hoarding Hostages: July 1789
- [Social club, Île de la Cité] Bridge Brigands: 1789
- [Paris story] À la Lanterne!: 1789
- [Paris story] Devilishly Tricky: 1789
- [Co-op] Women's March: 5 October 1789
- [Paris story] Headlining the Guillotine: December 1789\2])
- [Social club, Le Marais] Breaking the Habit: 1790\3])
- [Paris story] Carmalite Nuns: 1790\3])
- [Paris story] Stop the Presses!: 1790\4])
- [Paris story] Swiss Stash: September 1790
- Graduation: 4 January 1791
- Confession: 5 January 1791
- Council Briefing: 5 January 1791
- [Café Théâtre] Explore the Café Théâtre: January 1791
- The Kingdom of Beggars: 19 January 1791
- Le Roi Est Mort: 19 January 1791
- Council Report: 19 January 1791
- [Café Théâtre] Auto-Da-Fé: 1791
- The Silversmith: 31 March 1791
- La Halle aux Blés: 31 March 1791
- The Prophet: 31 March 1791
- The Jacobin Club: 31 March–1 April 1791
- Templar Ambush: 1 April 1791
- A Cautious Alliance: 2 April 1791\5])
- Meeting with Mirabeau: 2 April 1791
- Confrontation: 2 April 1791
- [Paris story] The Cult of Baphomet: 1791
- [Paris story] The Ritual of Baphomet: 1791
- [Paris story] Vicious Verses: 1791\6])
- [Paris story] Tapestry Thief: 1791
- [Murder mystery] Eugène François Vidocq: 1791\7])
- [Murder mystery] Murder Foretold: 1791\7])
- [Murder mystery] Barber of Seville: 1791\7])
- [Paris story] Arm the People: February 1792\8])
- [Paris story] "Escort" Mission: March 1792\8])
- [Paris story] Constructing a "Close Shave": April 1792\9])
- [Social club, Le Marais] A Dramatic Exit: 1792
- [Social club, Les Invalides] Special Delivery: 1792
- [Social club, Le Quartier Latin] Café Procope: 1792
- [Paris story] Encyclopédie Diderot: 1792
- [Paris story] A Fistful of Duelers: 1792
- [Paris story] Turtle, Snake, Bear, Paper, Scissors: 1792
- [Paris story] Cartouche's Memoirs: 1792
- [Murder mystery] The Red Ghost of the Tuileries: 1792\7])
- [Co-op] The Food Chain: Summer 1792
- The King's Correspondence: 10 August 1792
- [Heist] Tithing Templars: August 1792\3])
- September Massacres: 2 September 1792
- [Co-op] The Austrian Conspiracy: 2 September 1792
- [Heist] Catacomb Raider: September 1792\3])
- [Café Théâtre] Colette: September 1792\10])
- Starving Times: 31 October 1792
- Hoarders: 31 October 1792
- The Escape: 31 October 1792
- [Café Théâtre] Damsel in Seamstress: December 1792\11])
- [Café Théâtre] The Queen's Necklace: December 1792\10])
- [Café Théâtre] Foxy Renard: December 1792\10])
- [Social club, Île de la Cité] Marat's Missive: 1792 or 1793
- [Social club, La Bièvre] Extortion Contortion: 1792 or 1793
- [Social club, Le Marais] Artful Dodger: 1792 or 1793
- [Heist] It Belongs in a Museum: 1792 or 1793
- [Heist] The Party Palace: 1792 or 1793
- [Heist] Smuggler's Paradise: 1792 or 1793
- [Heist] Royals, Guns and Money: 1792 or 1793
- A Dinner Engagement: 20 January 1793
- The Execution: 21 January 1793
- Council Debriefing: 21 January 1793
- Bottom of the Barrel: 4 June 1793
- Rise of the Assassin: 4 June 1793\12])
- [Murder mystery] The Body in the Brothel: 1793\7])
- [Murder mystery] The Body Politic: 1793\7])
- [Murder mystery] The Hand of Science: 1793\7])
- [Social club, Le Louvre] The Black Office: 1793
- [Paris story] The Chemical Revolution: 1793\13])
- [Paris story] Flying Boy: 1793\13])
- [Paris story] La Bande Noire: 2 July 1793\14])
- [Murder mystery] The Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat: 14 July 1793\7])
- [Co-op] The Tournament: July 1793
- [Co-op] Political Persecution: 28 July 1793\15])
- [Murder mystery] Killed by Science: 31 July 1793\7])
- [Paris story] Critical Comedown: Summer 1793\16])
- [Paris story] Scene Stealer: Summer 1793\16])
- [Paris story] Up in Arms: September 1793\17])
- [Social club, Le Louvre] Betrayer of the Queen: October 1793
- [Murder mystery] The Death of Philibert Aspairt: 3 November 1793\7])
- [Co-op] Heads Will Roll: 13 November 1793
- [Paris story] My Kingdom For Some Whores: December 1793
- [Paris story] De Sade's Reprieve: December 1793
- [Paris story] Sadistic Blackmail: December 1793
- [Paris story] French Crown Jewels: December 1793\10])
- [Paris story] The League of the Crimson Rose: 1793 or 1794
- [Paris story] Return of the Crimson Rose: 1793 or 1794
- [Paris story] Crimson Sunset: 1793 or 1794
- [Paris story] Marianne Returns Home: 1793 or 1794
- [Paris story] The American Prisoner: 1793 or 1794
- [Murder mystery] Hot Chocolate to Die For: 1793 or 1794\7])
- [Co-op] Les Enragés: 10 February 1794
- [Paris story] Coat of Arms: February 1794\18])
- [Paris story] The Condorcet Method: 25 March 1794\13])
- [Social club, Le Louvre] Retribution for a Rabble-Rouser: 5 April 1794
- [Co-op] Danton's Sacrifice: 5 April 1794
- [Paris story] Using the Ol' Noggins: 1794
- [Paris story] Waxworks: 1794
- [Social club, Le Quartier Latin] Roux's Remains: 1794
- [Social club, La Bièvre] Chouan Riddles: 1794
- [Social club, Les Invalides] Smoky Yet Robust: 1794
- [Heist] Ancient History: 1794
- [Co-op] Moving Mirabeau: May 1794
- The Supreme Being: 8 June 1794
- [Paris story] Iscariotte, the Giant: June or July 1794\19])
- [Social club, La Bièvre] Bara's Funeral: July 1794\20])
- The Fall of Robespierre: 27 July 1794
- The Temple: 28 July 1794
- [Co-op] Jacobin Raid: 29 July 1794
- Buried Words: 3 August 1794
- The Book Thief: 4 August 1794
- A Shadow from the Past: 4 August 1794
- Raising the Dead: 5 August 1794
- Under Lock and Key: 6 August 1794
- A Crown of Thorns: 7–9 August 1794
- [Franciade story] The Unopened Rose: August 1794
- [Franciade story] Last Will: August 1794
- [Franciade story] The Eyes of the King: August 1794
- [Franciade story] A Royal Hide: August 1794
- [Murder mystery] Blind Justice: August 1794\7])
- [Murder mystery] Equal Justice: August 1794\7])
- [Paris story] Cassini's Constellations: August 1794\13])
- [Co-op] Last Rites: 11 October 1794\21])
- [Heist] Holy High Rollers: October 1794
- [Paris story] Sewer Rat: 1795\22])
- [Paris story] The Little Prince: June 1795\23])
- [Paris story] Désirée Desired: 1795
- [Paris story] Désirée Dismayed: 1795
- [Paris story] Désirée Delighted: September 1795
- [Paris story] A Romantic Stroll: September or October 1795
- [Paris story] Signaling Officer Murat: 5 October 1795
- [Paris story] A Nice Chappe: October 1795
- [Paris story] Precious Correspondence: October 1795
- [Murder mystery] Ancestral Vengeance: 1796 or 1797\7])
- [Murder mystery] Bones of Contention: 1796 or 1797\7])
- [Murder mystery] The Decapitated Warden: 1796 or 1797\7])
- [Murder mystery] Cut the Middle Man: 1796 or 1797\7])
- [Murder mystery] A Dash of Poison: 1796 or 1797\7])
- [Social club, Les Invalides] Spiked Bourbon: 1798\24])
- [Co-op] The Infernal Machine: 24 December 1800
- Years Later (Arno returns to the Temple vault with Napoleon): 1808\25])
- [Paris story] Tall, Dark Strangers: 1810s\26])
- [Paris story] Flamel's Secret: The Monks: 1810s
- [Paris story] Flamel's Secret: Denis Molinier: 1810s
- [Paris story] Flamel's Secret: The Elixir of Life: 1810s
- [Social club, Le Quartier Latin] An Engaging Egyptologist: September 1822\27])
\2]) Widespread public debate regarding Joseph-Ignace Guillotin's proposed method of capital punishment began in December 1789 after a speech he made to the National Constituent Assembly.
\3]) As France dechristianized during the Revolution, many religious institutions came under attack. On 12 July 1790, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy was passed, outlawing religious life and giving complete control of the Church to the government. As a result of this, many congregations such as the Filles du Calvaire Convent were formally dissolved by the National Constituent Assembly. As the Revolution progressed, these tensions only got worse. Shortly after the insurrection of 10 August 1792, the Notre-Dame Cathedral's treasury was looted of all of its liturgical objects, artifacts, and other religious relics. Not long after, the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés got an even worse deal as it was ransacked during the September Massacres, resulting in hundreds of executions. Among the victims were 22 priests, 135 Swiss guards, and the Princesse de Lamballe. After the massacre, the abbey was converted into a storehouse until 1795 when it was reinstated as a church.
\4]) While Mirabeau's reputation remained largely untarnished until after his death, public criticism of his conduct began as early as 1790 when it was discovered that he had secretly met with Marie Antoinette at the Château de Saint-Cloud on 3 July.
\5]) The on-screen text incorrectly dates this memory to 1 April 1791.
\6]) André Chénier finished writing "Le Jeu de Paume" in 1791.
\7]) Eugène François Vidocq and Charles Cochon de Lapparent appear throughout all of the murder mystery memories. In the initial cutscene for these memories, Lapparent is anachronistically referred to as a police minister by Vidocq. Historically, the Minister of Police position wasn't established in the French government until 1796, and Lapparent served in this position from 3 April 1796 to 16 July 1797. This anachronism creates a potential continuity issue since a large number of the murder mysteries explicitly take place in the years prior. Despite this inaccuracy, it's technically plausible for the murder mysteries to begin in 1791 as during that year there was a short period where Vidocq and Lapparent were both in Paris at the same time. Lapparent was a frequent attendee of the Jacobin Club from late 1789 to around October 1791. Meanwhile, Vidocq was in prison in Paris for a two-week period during the summer or autumn of 1791. Using this evidence, it can be surmised that the initial cutscene and Murder Foretold take place around summer or autumn 1791. The dates for the rest of the murder mysteries are as follows:
- Barber of Seville also happens in 1791 as indicated by a database entry.
- The Red Ghost of the Tuileries happens in 1792 since during the memory, a document indicates that Louis-Michel le Peletier is still alive and the Ministry of Finance is still keeping their offices at the Tuileries Palace, which was no longer the case after the insurrection of 10 August 1792.
- Both The Body in the Brothel and Hot Chocolate to Die For make reference to the Committee of Public Safety, which existed from 1793 to 1795 and was the executive power of the French government during the Reign of Terror. Documents found in The Body in the Brothel indicate that the memory takes place prior to the Marquis de Sade's arrest in December 1793. Hot Chocolate to Die For contains no other specific references so it could take place in either 1793 or 1794.
- Dialogue in The Body Politic indicates that it takes place in 1793 shortly after the execution of Louis XVI.
- The Hand of Science most likely takes place in 1793 prior to the Academy of Sciences being abolished by the National Convention on 8 August.
- The Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat takes place on 14 July 1793, one day after Marat's assassination and the day that Jacques-Louis David began painting "The Death of Marat". Marat's body remained in the tub for another two days so that onlookers could gawk at his corpse before finally being removed on 16 July when the stench became unbearable.
- Documents found in Killed by Science confirm the date to be 13 Thermidor, Year I. On the Gregorian calendar, this date converts to 31 July 1793.
- Both the dialogue and the condition of Aspairt's corpse confirm that The Death of Philibert Aspairt takes place on 3 November 1793, the day that Aspairt disappeared into the Paris catacombs. In real life, his cause of death is unknown and his body wasn't found until 30 April 1804.
- Blind Justice and Equal Justice both take place in August 1794 during Arno's stay in Franciade.
- All remaining murder mysteries give no indication of when they take place. So I've placed them in 1796 or 1797, during Lapparent's term as Minister of Police.
\9]) The first working prototype of the guillotine was constructed by Tobias Schmidt and tested by Charles-Henri Sanson in April 1792. A week later on 25 April, Nicolas Jacques Pelletier was the first person to be executed by guillotine.
\10]) In September 1792 during a five-day looting spree, most of the French Crown Jewels were stolen from the Royal Treasury. Most of the jewels were eventually recovered. The Regent and the Hortensia, along with several others, were found hidden in an attic in Paris fifteen months later in December 1793. The Sancy made its way to Russia where it eventually reappeared in 1828 as part of the Rudanovsky collection. The French Blue was eventually smuggled to London where it was recut at some point between 1792 and 1812. The largest remaining piece of the French Blue is now known as the Hope Diamond.
\11]) Marie-Jeanne Bertin, better known as Rose Bertin, served as Marie Antoinette's personal fashion merchant from 1774 to 1792. During the Revolution, Bertin made several trips to England and Germany in 1791 and 1792, which fueled speculation that she was carrying secret messages to foreign leaders on behalf of Marie Antoinette. Bertin returned to Paris in December 1792 to settle some of her accounts before leaving for London in February 1793. She would not return to France until 1800.
\12]) The Unity novel indicates that Arno killed la Touche on the same day that Élise finds him in Versailles, as by the following day, Arno and Élise are already back in Paris.
\13]) The political maneuverings of the Revolution often targeted individuals in academia. By 1793, scientists like Antoine Lavoisier and Pierre-Simon Laplace fell under the scrutiny of the National Convention due to their connections to the ancien régime. As a former member of the ferme générale, Lavoisier was arrested on 30 November on charges of fraud and selling watered-down tobacco. He was later convicted and guillotined on 8 May 1794. On 3 October 1793, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Nicolas de Condorcet after he criticized the Montagnard Constitution. Condorcet went into hiding for several months before fleeing Paris on 25 March 1794. Two days later, he was caught and imprisoned in Bourg-l'Égalité. On 29 March, he was found dead in his cell of an apparent suicide. Jean-Dominique, comte de Cassini was arrested on 14 February 1794 simply for being a noble. He spent several months in prison before finally being released on 5 August 1794. Later that month, he retired to his estate in Thury.
\14]) A database entry gives the date of the Bande noire auction as 14 Messidor, which converts to 2 July. The French Republican calendar as adopted by the National Convention began implementation on 22 September 1792. Since Fabre d'Églantine, who was guillotined on 5 April 1794, is still alive during this memory, that leaves 2 July 1793 as this memory's only possible date.
\15]) On 28 July 1793, the National Convention declared 21 deputies, several of whom were Girondists, as traitors. The National Guard, led by François Hanriot, was sent to round up the accused deputies for trial before the Revolutionary Tribunal.
\16]) After narrowly escaping death during the September Massacres, Pierre Beaumarchais pledged his services to the new French Republic. He traveled to Holland in an attempt to purchase arms for the French Revolutionary Army but failed to complete the transaction. He briefly returned to Paris during the summer of 1793 before leaving the country again to conduct other business. While he was in Germany in late 1793, he was falsely declared an émigré and forced to spend the next two and a half years in exile. Beaumarchais' stay in Paris during the summer of 1793 coincides with Marguerite Brunet's ownership of the Théâtre National which opened on 15 August. Brunet managed the theatre until she was arrested on 15 November 1793.
\17]) In September 1793 during the Siege of Toulon, Napoleon Bonaparte ordered more artillery to establish another battery. The siege was successful and Toulon was captured by the French Republic. It was during this time that Napoleon's success caught the attention of the Robespierre brothers.
\18]) During Louis Antoine de Saint-Just's term as president of the National Convention in February 1794, he was noted for wearing unusual-looking clothing. This and his rather extreme political positions resulted in rumors circulating that he wore clothing made from human skin. These rumors were unsubstantiated and most likely invented by his political rivals in an attempt to discredit him.
\19]) During this memory, a civilian mentions the Supreme Being. The Cult of the Supreme Being was a deistic cult created by Maximilien Robespierre who intended for it to be France's state religion. It was authorized by the National Convention on 7 May 1794 and inaugurated at the Festival of the Supreme Being on 8 June. Its existence was short-lived as Robespierre was executed on 28 July, rendering the cult defunct. The cult was later officially banned by Napoleon on 8 April 1802.
\20]) Joseph Bara was a 14-year-old French republican drummer boy who was killed by pro-Monarchists at Vendée. He was subsequently hailed as a hero of the Revolution. Historically, Bara's funeral procession to the Panthéon never actually happened. It was originally scheduled for 28 July 1794 but was canceled when Maximilien Robespierre was arrested.
\21]) After his death in 1778, Jean-Jacques Rousseau was buried in Ermenonville, France. In October 1794, it was decided that his remains would be moved to the Panthéon in Paris. While on their way to Paris, the convoy carrying Rousseau's remains passed through Franciade on 11 October.
\22]) Jean-Baptiste Rotondo was arrested in 1793 and spent the next several years in prison while awaiting trial. The last mention of Rotondo in the historical record comes from a court document dated 20 December 1794. Rotondo disappears completely after this, most likely dying in prison at some point in 1795.
\23]) Louis XVII died on 8 June 1795 at the age of 10. He was buried two days later in an unmarked grave at Cimetière Sainte-Marguerite. Shortly after, rumors began circulating that the boy who died was not the Dauphin and that the real Louis XVII was still alive. This created the legend of the Lost Dauphin and over the next several decades, hundreds of people claimed to be the long-lost Louis. It wasn't until 2000 that it was finally proven that the real Louis did die in 1795, based on DNA testing on a heart that was taken from the autopsy of the boy who was buried at Sainte-Marguerite.
\24]) The Council of Five Hundred began holding their meetings at the Palais Bourbon on 21 January 1798.
\25]) Though the game doesn't give a date for this cutscene, it can be determined that it takes place in 1808 since that's the year that Napoleon ordered the Temple to be demolished. Napoleon gave the order in a letter he wrote to Joseph Fouché dated 16 March 1808. The building's demolition began immediately and was completed in two years.
\26]) Marie Anne Lenormand was born in 1772, which actually makes her younger than Arno who was born in 1768. Despite Lenormand's set of memories being available as early as sequence 2, there's ample evidence that they actually take place much later. The game gives her the voice and appearance of an older woman, and depicts her wearing the headscarf that she was known for wearing during her later years (the earliest mention of Lenormand meeting her clients while wearing a wig and headscarf comes from a newspaper dated 1814). Her first memory features unique dialogue that can only be triggered if the memory is played after completing the main story. And the conclusion of the three Flamel's Secret memories where Arno hands her the Elixir of Life seems to be a direct reference to the claims of immortality that she made about herself towards the end of her life. Though Lenormand did live a relatively long life, she was most certainly mortal, dying at the age of 71 in 1843.
\27]) Jean-François Champollion began studying the Rosetta Stone in 1808. Over the years, Champollion continued his research until finally making a breakthrough on 14 September 1822 when he was able to identify the phonetic values of individual hieroglyphs using clues from the Greek and Egyptian inscriptions on the Philae obelisk. Champollion quickly documented his findings and published them on 27 September 1822.