I am a medical student. I borrow student loans from the federal government. I have a budget/spreadsheet that I use to track and predict all of my expenses. Everything is done monthly like Row 3 in this chart. I would like to start with a given balance of say $10,000 as shown in A1. I then want to use a formula like what is shown in A2 to show what my total balance is at the end of each month. Since these are simple student loans, I am estimating it by adding 1/12th of the annual interest rate (5%) to the principal. The next month, I want to be able to use this total in A2 to start with the principal amount and plug it into the next formula (B2). The problem is that B2 uses an amount from A2 which means that I am basically calculating compound interest, which is not accurate. I am grossly overestimating how much interest I will pay.
Due to the way my spreadsheet is seat up, I would like to keep this format, but I would like to be able to multiply each cell/interest rate by a factor to correct it. Is that even remotely possible? For instance, for my current spreadsheet (not the sample below), I calculate that I am overestimating by interest by a factor of nearly 2x. I would thus just divide my interest by 2 to get a more accurate number.

$10,000	=A2	=B2
=A1*(1+(5%)/12)	=B1*(1+(5%)/12)	=C1*(1+(5%)/12)
August 2024	September 2024	October 2024

Lots of AI People want to build big AI Models like GPT 4. Let's talk about some techniques that will let you scale up your Models without breaking the bank.
1) Batch Size: Increasing batch size can reduce training time and cost, but may impact generalization. This trade-off can be mitigated with techniques like "Ghost Batch Normalization", as suggested in the paper "Train longer, generalize better: closing the generalization gap in large batch training of neural networks".
2) Active Learning: It's a pretty simple idea- if you have a pretrained model, there are data points that are easier and other data points that are harder for it. The data points that are harder to work with have more potential information for your model. One great implementation of this is Meta's "Beyond neural scaling laws: beating power law scaling via data pruning".
3) Increasing the Number of Tokens: Research from Deepmind's paper "Training Compute-Optimal Large Language Models" emphasizes the importance of balancing the number of parameters with the number of training tokens in language models to achieve better performance at a lower cost. If you're into LLMs, would highly recommend reading this paper b/c it's generational.
4) Sparse Activation: Algorithms like Sparse Weight Activation Training (SWAT) can significantly reduce computational overhead during training and inference by activating only a portion of the neural network. 5/7 must know idea.
5) Filters and Simpler Models: Instead of relying solely on large models, it is often more efficient to use simpler models or filters to handle the majority of tasks, reserving the large model for complex edge cases. You'd be shocked how much you can accomplish with RegEx, rules, and some math.
By combining these strategies, we can unlock the potential of large AI models while minimizing their environmental impact and computational costs. As Amazon Web Services notes, "In deep learning applications, inference accounts for up to 90% of total operational costs", making these optimizations crucial for widespread adoption.
To learn more about these techniques, read the following- https://artificialintelligencemadesimple.substack.com/p/how-to-build-large-ai-models-like?utm_source=publication-search

I am new to LLM. All i am trying to do is run a simple hello world Python code calling LLama2 and send some prompts.
Everywhere i have looked d, it asks me to get HuggingFace token. Can i do without Hugging face.
Is there any simple place where i can get more information on this. Most of the documentation i read is quite complicated in nature and as i mentioned, i am just getting started.
So i need a document that only mentions the bare minimum and then goes up in complexity.
Appreciate if someone can suggest.

Hello, I have a couple of quick questions for you guys. Considering you understand the purpose of a ritual, power of symbolism and energy work/manipulation (in other words - metaphysical mechanics), can you construct your own rituals without borrowing anything from any other established tradition?
I would say that you can (seems logical), but since I'm still a noob, I would appreciate some feedback from those of you who are more experienced. I'm specifically interested in more complex ceremonies, not quick and simple "take a shower and wash away negativity" kinda stuff. Has anyone been practicing this way for a longer time and had success? Would you mind giving an example?
Thank you and may Universe always guide you in the right direction (or left)!

I really like how clean my day zero outline feels, though I haven't run any simulations yet. There are a lot of things going on here, but I think for the amount of complexity firearms generally require, I've managed to get a good blend of specificity and abstraction. What do you think?
Turn Organization
There are two central concepts: Coordination and Initiative.
Coordination is a simple first/second condition in relation to the opposition and is influenced by formation, the manner in which a position is held, and the manner in which an area is approached. This stat affects group behavior.
Initiative is a number based on skill, accuracy, maneuverability, and responsiveness. This value affects all individual behaviors in combat. Further, your Default Initiative is a baseline number that you revert to when you perform recovery actions or remove yourself from certain tactical positions.
Coordination determines the order of action by group until an exchange of fire devolves into a firefight. Technically, these phrases mean the same thing, but I think "exchange of fire" sounds well-ordered and technical, and "firefight" sounds desperate and chaotic. During an exchange, players may devise a coherent strategy on their group turn and use "popcorn initiative". But once a firefight occurs, turn order is determined by character Initiative and only valid in-game tactical commands are allowed.
Examples of shifts from Exchange to Firefight:

• Going from street maneuvering to holding a small building and its perimeter as a strongpoint, where allies may not be in each others' sight
  
• A vehicle or group of vehicles come to a stop and everyone has to get out for a street brawl
  
• A breach gets botched
  
• Artillery is introduced where artillery isn't welcome
  
• You get flanked by enemies on top of buildings while you're in an alley and they have RPGs
  

On your turn, you spend initiative to act. Certain actions can allow you to spend more initiative for a better effect. When a new round begins, you revert back to your Default Initiative
Attacking
Your attack roll is called Attack Significance, and the result determines an effect called Suppression, which damages Initiative. If Suppression exceeds Initiative, actual harm is caused, which is treated like a critical hit, and its effect is based on your weapon. For instance, on a critical hit for a flamethrower, you might get a result that reads: "The target is immolated and begins to scream in abject terror. If friendlies do not administer aid within the next round, the victim will die"
Weapons affect initiative, initiative costs, and attack significance. A high rate of fire but a low powecaliber round would have a high attack significance but count as a light weapon in terms of critical progression. A heavy weapon will have a steeper critical progression. And artillery-level damage will flat out kill you. A low rate of fire weapon has a high initiative cost and a low attack significance
Armor
Armor is classified as light, heavy, or artillery-class:
Armor is immune to suppression against weapons a class below it, unless if you aim for weak points like the joints, face, or lower legs
If a weapon class exceeds the target's armor, then their armor will not protect them against that attack. For example, if you fire a 7.62 rifle at civilian armor, the armor will do nothing at all, unless if the distance is extreme enough to reduce the attack by a whole class. If you fire a rail gun at infantry armor
If your armor and the attacking weapon are equal in class, then it will block Critical Damage if Suppression Damage does not exceed the armor's threshold value.
Threshold is largely based on the coverage of your armor, and so it's possible to remove peripheral pieces to sacrifice some threshold in order to improve your mobility
Range, Accuracy, Mobility, Armor Penetration
Range governs the maximum distance you can fire your weapon before its damage degrades by class
Accuracy affects your maximum initiative in mid range combat and scoped long range combat.
Mobility affects your Default Initiative in close range combat.
Armor-penetrating ammunition defeats armor of the same class
Positions and Maneuvers
Some tactics are only available during a coordinated turn, such as "Area Suppression" where a the players tell the GM they're focusing fire on a single area, which organizes everyone's attack into a single, overpowered roll.
If you take up certain held positions on your turn, you'll be able to react quickly and move to cover or provide interrupting fire. If your character has hand-to-hand skills (and drugs, lots of drugs), they can take up high mobility maneuvers to build excess initiative, "release" it to perform adrenaline attacks (disarms, bodyshields, throws, wall runs and drop attacks, a throwing knife to the neck) or reactively dash out of the line of fire.
Thus, the modes of combat can allow for a more grounded military style or a batman/daredevil style, with a gritty-cinematic feel

Read the full blog here!
If you are in the midst of choosing a database management system (DBMS), you have two top options: PostgreSQL and MySQL.
Both databases are open-source and have a large user base, making them popular choices for many web applications.
But which one is better for your specific needs?

MySQL Database

Firstly, let's take a closer look at MySQL.
MySQL is an open-source relational database management systems (RDBMS) made by Oracle. It's designed to help users efficiently store, manage, and pull up structured data. Boasting its versatility, MySQL is being used for everything from small projects to big websites and even massive company solutions.

Why choose MySQL?

MySQL is a go-to choice for companies when it comes to software as a service. If you're looking for reasons why, here are a few of them:

• Easy to use
• Scalable
• 24/7 uptime

PostgreSQL Database

Now, we look at PostgreSQL, another popular open-source RDBMS.
PostgreSQL, or "Postgres" for short, kicked off back in 1986 at the Berkeley Computer Science Department, University of California. It's an object-relational database management system (ORDBMS) that's packed with powerful features and really nails standards compliance.
It's common use cases are:

• LAPP Stack Database
• Transaction Database
• Geospatial Database

Why choose PostgreSQL?

Among the relational databases, PostgreSQL has been gaining popularity over the years due to several factors, including:

• Multi-version Concurrency Control (MVCC) model
• Supports SQL (relational) and JSON (non-relational) querying
• Data integrity and protection

Key Differences of PostgreSQL vs MySQL

Popularity
The popularity of PostgreSQL and MySQL is soaring thanks to the cloud, which makes things easier to set up.
In 2023, PostgreSQL was awarded the Database Management System of the Year by DB-Engines.
While PostgreSQL is the go-to for professional developers, learners are still big on MySQL, with 45% preferring it over PostgreSQL.
Data types
MySQL and PostgreSQL both handle a bunch of data types, from the simple to the more complex ones.
MySQL supports various data types for different applications, including Integers, Characters or Strings, Dates with Timestamps and Time Zones, Boolean, Float, Decimal, Large Text, and BLOB for binary data (like images). However, it doesn't support geometric data types.
On the other hand, PostgreSQL supports traditional SQL data types (e.g., Numeric, Strings, Date, Decimal) and unstructured types (e.g., JSON, XML, HSTORE), network data types, bit strings, etc. It stands out by supporting ARRAYs, NETWORK types, and Geometric data types for spatial data, thanks to the PostGIS extension, an open-source extension for advanced spatial functions.
See the complete details here.
License
MySQL's community edition uses the GPL license, which is pretty open.
On the other hand, Postgres goes with the PostgreSQL license—it's liberal, kind of like BSD or MIT licenses.
Despite MySQL being all about GPL, some users worry since Oracle owns it. That's actually why MariaDB was created as a sort of branch-off from MySQL. Oracle still owns MySQL, but the community rallies behind MariaDB.
PostgreSQL has been free to use and distribute since its inception. It's never been owned by any enterprise company unless you count the 1986 Berkeley Computer Science Department as a company.
Queries
MySQL uses a proprietary SQL database language, which is straightforward to learn and implement.
In contrast, PostgreSQL uses the standard SQL dialect that beginners may struggle with at first but will reward them in the long run since they'll have a solid foundation for other databases like Oracle, SQL Server, and others.
Database performance
MySQL performs better with simple SQL queries, while PostgreSQL excels at complex ones. However, for most workloads, Postgres and MySQL have similar performance, with up to 30% variation. Regardless of the database, missing an index can degrade query performance by 10x to 1000x.
MySQL has always been faster than PostgreSQL due to the way it implements data structures and locks tables, which usually leads to performance issues when dealing with large databases.
However, with its advanced indexing functionality and MVCC model for concurrency control, PostgreSQL can outperform MySQL on complex queries and large datasets.
Security
MySQL and PostgreSQL both have excellent security features. They both support RBAC.
They also support secure connections through SSL, advanced authentication methods like Kerberos and LDAP, and encryption at the column level.
However, PostgreSQL has a slight edge over MySQL in terms of security. It uses its client authentication system to perform user authentication, while MySQL relies on the host operating system for this task, which can be more vulnerable.
Architecture
MySQL is a relational database, while PostgreSQL is an object-relational database with advanced data types and inheritance for objects. However, this complexity can make PostgreSQL more challenging to use.
PostgreSQL comes with one ACID-compliant storage engine, while MySQL gives you options with 15 different storage engines beyond its default storage engine, InnoDB. This huge selection means you can easily find one that fits your specific needs.
Storage
Data storage is essential for any database. PostgreSQL and MySQL offer various data storage options, including Tables and Indexes on disk. This section looks at two storage options: common storage and pluggable storage.
PostgreSQL supports tablespaces for storing Tables, Indexes, and Materialized Views in various locations, improving I/O efficiency. However, it doesn't offer pluggable storage engines yet.
MySQL also uses tablespaces (within the InnoDB engine) for efficient I/O distribution by grouping physical objects. Unlike PostgreSQL, MySQL supports pluggable storage engines, enabling it to meet specific needs to store data for different applications, such as OLTP and Data Warehousing.
Replication
MySQL supports primary-replica and multi-replica replication, copying data changes from the primary to replicas using SQL. This asynchronous replication could affect performance and scalability.
MySQL replication allows replicas to manage reads and writes, ensuring continuity after a primary crash. However, syncing changes when transitioning a replica back to primary can slow the process, particularly with lengthy SQL operations.
PostgreSQL replication uses WAL files for fast, reliable, and manageable replication, outperforming MySQL's. It supports primary-replica and multi-replica setups, including cascading replication, with options for synchronous or asynchronous modes. Asynchronous allows for read requests on replicas, while synchronous replication ensures consistency across replicas and the primary but slows down transaction commits.
Community support
PostgreSQL and MySQL are both open-source databases, which means that they have a large community of developers who contribute to their development. However, the size of the community differs for these two databases.

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Now, at 40.. I was playing regularly up until two years ago, then suddenly had a stroke at the age of 38.. and have had 7 others since. I’ve been out ever since, and when I DID get my phone back, I can’t play because my left hand is still afflicted and hopefully I’ll be getting some really good news in the next few months; I’ve really missed learning constantly about terraria. I’d beaten a few bosses and absolutely love exploring the wonderful worlds we’re given to play! I can’t wait to get back to playing and learning constantly! I can hardly believe such a simple game can be so incredibly complex! Anyways, that’s pretty much it, and I can’t wait to immerse myself back into the world with ALL its lore and traps and rewards!

From what I have seen on this sub, there seems to be a lot of questions around Foreign Investment Funds (FIFs) and the way that income is calculated.
I am providing what is hopefully a brief, simple and easy to understand guide below and is applicable to individual investors only.
This is also only a basic guide, for more complex situations a discussion with a professional may be warranted.
I hope this helps answer some basic questions people have about FIFs and the way they are treated for tax purposes.
How do I know if my investment is a FIF investment?
A FIF investment is an offshore investment that is either:
- A foreign company
- A foreign unit trust
- A foreign superannuation scheme
- An insurer under a foreign life insurance policy.

Am I required to make a FIF income calculation?
A De-Minimis exemption exists for Natural Persons (Individual Investors), if the total ~cost~ of your FIF investments does not exceed $50,000 during the year, you do not need to calculate FIF Income. Instead you just return the actual dividends received (if any) from the FIF investments. This amount can be $100,000 in the case of joint ownership as the $50,000 would then apply at an individual level.
Please note that the De-Minimis exemption only applies to ~individual~ investors, other entities (companies, trusts etc.) are required to calculate FIF Income regardless of the overall cost.
If your ~cost~ basis is >$50,000, then FIF income needs to be calculated.
Example:
Individual Investor A
Total ~Cost~ of FIF Investments: $45,000, Market Value: $60,000
Individual Investor B
Total ~Cost~ of FIF Investments: $55,000, Market Value: $40,000
Only Investor B would be required to make a FIF calculation as the De-Minimis exemption does not apply because their cost basis is >$50,000. Investor A could, however, elect to treat their investment as a FIF and return income under the FIF rules.
Another exemption that exists is for ASX-listed Australian Companies. It is important to note that there are some that are still regarded as a FIF Investment. You can check if an Australian investment is exempted via the IRD website:
https://www.ird.govt.nz/income-tax/income-tax-for-businesses-and-organisations/types-of-business-income/foreign-investment-funds-fifs/foreign-investment-fund-rules-exemptions/foreign-investment-fund-australian-listed-share-exemption-tool
How do I calculate my FIF Income?
I am only going to discuss the two most popular methods for FIF Income calculation that would apply to 95% of people, the FDR (Fair-Dividend Rate) method and the CV (Comparative Value) method.
The calculation that provides the total lowest value would be used. The method you choose must be applied to all investments, you cannot ‘Cherry Pick’ based on what is lowest at an individual investment level.
1. FDR Method: 5% of the Market Value at the beginning of the tax year + Quick-sale Adjustment
The quick-sale adjustment is not discussed. The quick sale adjustment applies when a FIF investment is purchased and sold within the same tax year.
2. CV Method: Closing Market Value + Gains – Opening Market Value + Purchases
Example: Investment Cost: $50,000
Market Value as at 1 April 2023: $45,000
Market Value as at 31 March 2024: $55,000
Dividend Issued: $500

FDR Method: 45,000 x 5% = $2,250
CV Method: 55,000 + 500 – 45,000 = $10,500

Assuming only this investment exists, the lowest value would be used, being the calculation under the FDR method. $2,250 would be returned as Income, the $500 dividend would be excluded income for income tax purposes.
The above calculations would be made for each of your FIF Investments.
If you end up with a negative value (loss), the loss cannot be claimed and your FIF Income would be $0. If a loss is incurred where you are forced to use the CV method, then this can be claimed.
Example:
Total FIF Investments - FDR method: $10,000
Total FIF Investments - CV method: $9,000
You would still use the lowest of the two values. $9,000 under the CV method would be returned as income in your tax return.
There are also investments where the FDR method is prohibited and you are forced to return them under the CV method.
Example:
Total FIF Investments - FDR method: $9,000
Total FIF Investments - CV method: $10,000
Total FIF Investments – Forced CV: $500
You would return the FDR Calculation + the Forced CV calculation, total income $9,500.

As mentioned above, there are other methods to calculating FIF income, only the two most common methods have been discussed and would likely apply to 95% of individual investors.
FIFs can be a complex area of tax and if you are unsure, you should seek professional advice.

Hey guys, thanks for any help particularly for game play enthusiasts.
I'm developing a 2 hour survivor style game for 100 Brazilian youth (four teams of 25) at night. We will be located in a jungle campground on a large piece of land, have a lake that is swimmable, a sand field, numerous trails, cabins at our disposal, and a team of people that will help us out.
I don't want to have to create anything too complex/expensive. I plan to have teams marked out by buffs and corresponding colors of glowstix.
I am trying to develop a game that will be challenging to get to, will include the motivated group of players on each team, and will require running, swift execution of objectives, simple not arbitrary rules, and straightforward, physical action to move the team forward. I want to make it immersive enough where they feel they are striving against the other teams but also the consequences of the games (hostage situations, group penalties, etc.).
Eventually I want one team to be the victor, either by outlasting, outsmarting, or out pacing the other teams.
My basic plan so far is to set up the four teams against each other in a version of capture the flag incorporating a bit of strategy.
Depending on who wins, they will have an advantage going forward (such as a time advantage). The remainder of the challenge, the three teams will be trying to accomplish certain tasks given rudimentary maps where they will have to figure out riddles to arrive at different places and do different things (for example, they will have to find a disguised object in the pond as a team and cross it without getting their agent wet.
Then they will make their way to the cabins where they will have to figure out a code to get into the house to retrieve an object.
Then they will have to look through the trails for another object or dig in the sand, near an X on their map for an object.
As they are doing this, they have to be aware of the other teams who may try to get them wet, extinguishing their torch, or getting their agent wet.
If a member of the team is tagged while they are not touching another team they are taken captive and have to be bought back through doing something else difficult or finding an "idol".
Each team will hopefully have a torch that they will have to keep lit. Bonus points if you can help me figure out how to use the language barrier between the American teens that will be playing into something interesting.
Any ideas would be great. Thank you.

Disclaimer: Not all Norwegian people are like that. These are just my observations & experiences & perhaps other people might disagree with me and that’s ok.

1. There is no individuality in this country. Everyone talks, dresses, thinks, acts the same way. Their houses all look the same. They use the same phones, they drive the same cars. I’d say that everyone even wants the same things, has the same goals. They don’t have any unique family traditions. You’ll see a trampoline in every single house garden. People expect you to conform to their Norwegian ways and if you don’t you’re branded as a weirdo and freak of nature. People have the same hobbies.
   
2. Norwegians are the worst gossipers I’ve met in my entire life. It’s actually quite funny because they are seen as these calm, peaceful, introverted people but they talk shit about everything and everyone behind their backs while pretending to like them at the same time. When they get caught and get confronted about their judgmental & two faced behaviour they constantly use words like “ I didn’t mean it like that”, “ it’s just an expression in Norwegian” ( when it really isn’t), “ I wasn’t judging I was just making conversation”, etc. When you get past through this bs & successfully call them out they will say that in Norway it’s normal to gossip.
   
3. Family life is horrible and exhausting. The in-laws are up in your ass*s all the time and it’s even worse if you are a woman married to a Norwegian man. Prepare yourself for unsolicited advice and judging your ways of parenting and living because you simply aren’t Norwegian. If you don’t behave a certain way especially for Norwegian families, it creates too much drama. They keep meeting up all the time, like good families, but most of the time they just sit there talking about the same things over and over again, old gossip or just silence.
   
4. They are passive aggressive and that stems from the fact they are incapable of showing their true feelings or expressing their actual thoughts. They hate confrontation. This creates dishonesty and just bad situations overall. When you call them out on their rudeness and condescending attitude they get so defensive and start pulling out words & sentences like “you have misunderstood me” “, “I didn’t mean it in a rude way” “I was just giving you advice”, “I was just being kind”, “oh it’s because I don’t speak English very well you don’t understand me” when in fact 99,9% of the population here speaks English very well. And when you try to explain to them that you haven’t in fact misunderstood them you’re painted out as this horrible person who is accusing them of things “they didn’t mean”.
   
5. People will show you they speak English and then proceed to only speak in Norwegian, ignore you and just speak to your partnefriend/ whoever you have next to you who speaks Norwegian even when the conversation regards you too and it’s important to you. Which brings me to my next point.
   
6. Everyone speaks English, but you will never fit in here, if you don’t speak Norwegian. Groups never try to accommodate you by having everyone speak English, because they don’t really want to. They want to speak Norwegian. That’s okay that they like speaking their own language in their own country, it’s their right 100%, but first of all I find it extremely rude if it’s a person who is just visiting the country and just sits there in a group of people feeling excluded because nobody puts the effort to speak English. Secondly even for a person who lives in Norway and is the transitioning position of learning the language it is still rude because they still might not understand a lot of Norwegian. They also do something really horrible, you might speak English with them and when they want to say something they don’t want you to know they switch to Norwegian in front of you. It’s always funny when you know the meaning of what they just said and you translate for them and they end up feeling embarrassed.
   
7. Norwegians truly believe their way of doing things is superior to other people’s ways. If you disagree with them they will make sure they get their way. They believe they are entitled to be the advisor on a situation as if they are the holder of wisdom, knowledge, experience, they never listen, especially to outside perspectives because they are so conforming and used to their own ways. Anything else just shocks them.
   
8. They think they will die in the heat. They actually think hot weather is dangerous. My MIL thinks it’s dangerous for our child to be in the Mediterranean during the summer. They keep blabbing all the time how cold the weather in Norway is and are for some strange reason proud of it in a way (maybe because they think it looks “cool” that they can endure cold weather?) but once they must be in a hot country they are scared of it and talk about it aaaaall the time.
   
9. They throw and waste so much food.
   
10. The drinking problem is obvious to everyone.
    
11. They are extremely stingy to the point it’s a bit sad. Even inside their own families they Vipps each other for simple things such as being dropped off somewhere with the car or buying a bottle of water. I’ve never seen this before in my life anywhere.
    
12. They pride themselves for being introverted, cold, unfriendly and not talking to strangers and I never understood why they think it’s something to be proud of.
    
13. Good luck finding friends here. They only stick to people they’ve known since primary school times, they have already created their own social bubbles and you’re not welcome in them because you don’t go way back. This is a problem even Norwegians themselves face.
    
14. On the positive side of things Norwegians will return things they don’t belong to them, they will make sure to at least find the owner of a lost item they’ve found, they are good at keeping the crime rate as low as possible and a safe society for everyone.
    
15. One might say they are nationalistic and that it’s bad but it’s actually interesting and nice to see them celebrating 17th of May, wearing their traditional clothes, being happy and enjoying themselves.
    
16. They like to be close with nature and are very active people. I would not say that their diet or food they eat is particularly healthy but they like to keep in shape and do outdoor activities a lot.
    
17. There is high social mobility.
    

I(17f) and my mother(53f) have really only had eachother. I will admit, I have luxuries like a phone, iPad, laptop, AirPods etc that she’s bought for me which I am grateful for. Since I am an inly child, and my father isn’t around I am her support system ig if you put it that way. She’s an immigrant, making me the first to go to college in the states. With that said, I’m counting down the days to finally leave for extended periods of time, and distancing myself, meaning I’m purposely looking for a college that’s over a 2-3 hr drive from where I live(she doesn’t like driving over an hour). Though I love my mother she has her qualities that seriously make me consider leaving. First, she is very narcissistic. From where she comes from, she doesn’t believe in therapy and if you seem “depressed” her first option is to tell you to go to a psych ward. Not even as a genuine answer but as a threat, like she knows what goes on there and how dehumanizing it can be and wants to make you stop feeling what you do. But when you do express your feelings she turns it into a her problem. “Why are you sad when I do everything give you” If I’m feeling down about my looks or weight it’s nothing uplifting, it’s usually “maybe if you washed your face more or ate less you wouldn’t feel that way,” or “I’m this age and my skin look better than you so I don’t know how to help you”. I’m currently struggling with my hair journey and it’s previously been damaged by heat and not proper care and she blames it on my hair styles (which are mainly just slick back buns because I don’t have much time to do much in the mornings) but when I ask for advice she goes silent. She rambles on about how perfect my hair was when she used to do it but I wanted to do “grown” hairstyles. The grown hairstyles she’s talking about is straightening my hair once for a dance and figuring out how to define my curls. The hairstyles she used to do was back when I was 9, when I wore Jo-Jo bows and barrets. Second I’m never “good enough” even when there’s no one to really compare me to. My grades are pretty high but not perfect hundreds so I’m scared if I ever get a B. I test higher than most my friends but she automatically compares them to me thinking they are the perfect poster child just if they have better skin than me. She doesn’t even know them she just “guesses” by their appearance. Third she expects me to do EVERYTHING. I understand she’s an immigrant so she might not know stuff but she doesn’t really “try”. For school in middle school to now I had to enroll myself and answer to the parent questions. I text her coworkers. If my friends parent text them a simple “thank you for letting her go to the party” or wtv I’m the one who needs to respond. At stores or businesses of some sort I have to speak for her, even if she’s perfectly capable(she knows a great amount of English it’s not like she can’t speak it well). Even for job interviews, i had to create an email to send to her boss that said she was sorry for quitting out of the blue that last week and to accept her back(I was literally 13 worrying about if we were going to have a steady income anymore)Recently she’s let some family say at our house for some time to settle into the us. They speak the native language my mom grew up with and I can maybe make basic sentences, but I can’t hold an actual conversation let alone even understand song lyrics in that language. My mom is religious so we go to church and my entire life we’ve gone to an American church that spoke English. The second those people came they complained and forced my mom to go to a church with their native language which is now 5 hours long with no youth group of the sort and doesn’t speak English at all. I’m an Outcast and I can’t talk to the others so I usually bring a book or something. When we got home one day, the people were complaining about how I don’t pay attention in church and read books instead of listening. I try to explain I can’t but all they do is make fun of the fact I can’t understand the language and how can I not know it, like I literally was never taught and just picked up on done stuff when I was younger. But the fact is instead of standing up for me it understanding my point of view, my mother sides with them and laughs at me as well. So now, a few days later I am writing this mixing up all the emotions and coming to this conclusion. I really want to know if it’s just teenage emotion and some Alternative ways I can let them out or if I genuinely have a right to feel like I do so, aita?

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As the title states, (and despite the existential risk to myself - as I am disabled, impoverished, and my survival is reliant on the room I rent in her attic - given her recent threat to have have me thrown out by the police because she could not handle the feelings she had during the argument that she initiated), I have finally drawn a bright red line in the metaphorical sand regarding her treatment of me. This is the culmination of 8+ years of sustained, one-sided, unreciprocated, and unsuccessful effort on my part to sustain, salvage, repair, or improve our "relationship"
 
I've learned a lot from the stories and people on this subreddit, and I know if anyone can understand the way that I'm feeling about this it's you guys.
 
Any input, commentary, criticism, insight, commiseration, etc, is very welcome, and I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read it.
 
Anyways, enough preamble, here's the letter in all of my ridiculously-verbose inglory (the square-bracketed disclaimers, etc, were part of the letter as delivered to her, since she is selective illiterate whenever there's something she doesn't like):
 
[START]
 
[This document begins with a 382 word AI-generated summary (titled "AI- GENERATED SUMMARY:" below the square-bracketed opening remarks), estimated at 1m23s time required to read. If you are unable or unwilling to make it through even this brief summary, then there is literally nothing else I could possibly do to assist in your comprehension of my positions. The full message following the summary is approximately 2100 words, estimated at approximately 8 minutes to read.]
 
[If you would like assistance in understanding things I've written that you're struggling to interpret or comprehend, you can go to chatgpt.com (no account necessary), or download the ChatGPT app from the Google Play Store on your phone. You can simply interact with the chat in natural language (in other words, type as though you were texting another person) and it will understand what you are saying. If you are struggling to understand how to interact with it effectively, you can simply inform it of that (in any wording you choose) and it will assist you with altering your approach to receive more effective results.]
 
AI-GENERATED SUMMARY:
 
Your son's message is a powerful declaration of his boundaries, grievances, and intentions within your relationship. Here's a breakdown to help you understand:
 
Preface: He advises you to read with an open mind and, if needed, with assistance due to the emotional complexity.
 
Declaration of Disengagement: He firmly states his decision to disengage from any form of interaction or acknowledgment outside of essential landlord-tenant matters.
 
Condemnation of Abuse: He accuses you of perpetuating a cycle of abuse that has deeply impacted his health and stability.
 
Rejection of Coercion: He dismisses the idea that being evicted is a viable solution to the abuse, highlighting the coercive nature of such a choice, and how it leaves him vulnerable to further harm.
 
Criticism of Your Behavior: He unreservedly condemns your actions, particularly your exploitation and manipulation, emphasizing the gravity and effects of your conduct.
 
Challenges to Your Claims: He directly confronts your claims regarding his efforts in the relationship, asserting that he has consistently made extensive attempts to maintain it, despite your accusations to the contrary.
 
Commitment to Compliance: He unequivocally affirms his commitment to compliance with all landlord-related demands, demonstrating his unwavering respect for your authority as the homeowner.
 
Demand for Clarity: He demands clear and unambiguous knowledge of the requisite terms when any changes to living arrangement paradigms are demanded, underscoring his willingness to comply with any directives you may issue.
 
Defense Against Gaslighting: He firmly asserts his unwavering commitment to respecting your property and authority, preemptively refuting any attempts to accuse him otherwise.
 
Insights into Your Behaviour: He offers insights into patterns in your behaviour, linking them to moments of vulnerability or distress in your life.
 
Call for Self-Reflection: He urges you to seek professional help for your narcissism and unresolved childhood traumas.
 
Caution Regarding Gravity: He states that failing to address your responsibilities would be a missed opportunity for both of you to salvage the relationship and resolve underlying issues.
 
Reiteration of Hope: Despite his current stance, he leaves the door open for reconciliation if you undergo necessary personal growth.
 
Closure on Unequal Effort: He firmly states that he can no longer sustain the one-sided effort in the relationship and won't continue to do so.
 
It's evident that he's deeply hurt and demanding acknowledgment, change, and resolution in your relationship.
 
[end of AI-generated summary; my full, non-AI-generated message follows below]
 
[I recommend that you read this in its entirety at a time and capacity level where your literacy and comprehension are at their highest level, and preferably with the interpretational assistance of a knowledgeable and competent support person or technological assistant.]
 
[Presumably, after reading a few sentences or less, your defense mechanisms will be activated and you will eject. However, as with the vast majority of the things I have said to you that have gone unacknowledged, I am completely certain that the contents are cogent and comprehensible, and I believe that with competent support and vulnerable effort you undoubtedly have the raw cognitive capacity necessary for comprehension if you are able to stabilize your emotional reactions and put real effort into the actions necessary for you to understand my words.]
 
I will not talk to you.
I will not look at you.
I will not approach you.
I will not acknowledge you.
 
If you attempt to interact with me on any interpersonal level not related to your role as a landlord, I will reserve the right to express just how fucking despicable it is to treat such a vulnerable person with such utter disregard and abuse for so fucking long.
 
The cycle of abuse you have maintained to destabilize me for your own pathological reasons has caused - and continues to cause - extensive damage to my health, stability, and existence. However, since I know your response to this would likely be some variation of "you're not a victim here [my name], so if I treat you so bad, just leave", I'll preemptively and unequivocally condemn such coercive and abusive tactics, and state again (as I did the other day), that the forced choice between your abuse and life-threatening-homelessness is obviously no choice at all, and leaves me perpetually subject to your coercion and abusive control.
 
Such exploitation by you is absolutely disgusting, and honestly I understand why you run away from yourself at every single instance where you're in danger of having your lifelong house-of-cards ego even slightly threatened. I know if I treated another human being the way you treat me for even a moment, let alone for the literal years you have done so, I would not be able to face myself in the mirror either. You should be fucking ashamed of yourself.
 
You say I "don't want to be your son anymore", as though it has been someone other than me making hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hours of efforts and attempts in order to try and single-handedly keep our relationship alive, and as though it has been someone other than you who has stonewalled me for years about every single legitimate and valid time I attempted to gain even the slightest foothold as a full human being in the owner-pet relationship you have fought so hard to maintain. You siphon, in fact demand, emotional supply whenever you so choose, and then fucking discard me as soon as it appears that I might do anything that would result in you losing even a fraction of a percent of the 99% to 1% imbalance you believe is an immutable part of our "relationship".
 
I will do my absolute best to be in my room as much as physically possible when you are home, so as to minimize the need to be physically adjacent to you in the course of our respective activities of daily living.
 
I, again, remain unequivocally committed to my position of deference and compliance towards any rules/demands related to my existence, presence, or activities as your tenant.
 
As you refuse to provide any sort of unambiguous guidance or clarification whatsoever regarding your shifting demands affecting my ability to access/perform basic activities of daily living, I will continue to act in good faith with respect to my adherence to all previously-established arrangements and protocols (whether codified or de facto) regarding such activities. To the full extent of my abilities, and to the extent that it is physically possible, I will immediately and unequivocally comply with any alterations, additions, or excisions you choose to impose regarding the nature of our physical coexistence as landlord and tenant, regardless of your disregard or intent for any harm to my stability that will ensue as a result.
 
If you intend to attempt to manipulate or threaten or gaslight me to illegitimately and dishonestly accuse me of failing to comply with your rights and demands as the homeownelandlord, then I can assure you that such efforts will be ineffective and inadvisable. The extensive history of my genuine, documented, and unwavering commitment to absolute respect of your home, property, and landlord-tenant authority is unassailable, and nothing has or will change about the good faith nature of my efforts to simply live peacefully and work on stabilizing my health and continuing to attempt to develop basic protocols that offer me the opportunity to seek the ways and means required to sustainably exist, survive, and seek meaning and fulfilment as a human being.
 
To try and make it a bit more bite-sized (without warranty as to the efficacy of said efforts), since I know when your ego is threatened you conveniently - and dishonestly - become completely unable to read a couple thousand words:
 

• I have never been more disgusted by the actions of anyone or anything more in my entire fucking existence.

 

• I will continue to be an absolute model tenant, despite the harmful effects of your constant abuse, and I will unequivocally comply with any demands you make with your authority as my landlord. I will explicitly and aggressively defend against any attempts to gaslight me, or attempt to dishonestly accuse me of failing to comply with any such demands.

 

• Feel free at anytime in your life to decide that maybe it might be time to face the fact that - though skillful in your delusion - you are the same scared child you were 40 years ago, and if you ever want to truly and meaningfully experience what it's like to be secure with yourself beneath the false veneer of superficial and ego-protecting interactions you surround yourself with at the exclusion of true and honest existential vulnerability, then you need to seek, engage with, and be honest and vulnerable with, professional clinical care for your intractable narcissism and the lifelong effects and deficits associated with same. In other words, to reductively and rhetorically restate what you disgustingly told me the other day as a means of deflecting from the fact that you couldn't go more than two seconds without contradicting yourself, “get your fucking meds adjusted”.

 

• When faced with any sort of challenge to your control or authority, your lifelong fear of abandonment has caused you to push people away before they have the opportunity to leave you, resulting in premature, self-created, and misdirected sabotage of significant relationships at the first sign of disturbance or genuine vulnerability. I know you're terrible at recognizing or interpreting patterns or facts, but think, for example, about when your efforts to remove me from your life and/or house have been at their most intense:

 

• (a) in 2016(ish) when conflicts about my role in helping with the [redacted address][job of cleaning out my grandpa's apartment after Alzheimer's took hold] triggered feelings of grief and fear in you at the decline of your father's health and the inevitability of his then-upcoming death,

 

• (b) in late 2019 through 2020ish, in the leadup to and aftermath of your father's death, where you threatened or demanded my removal from your house during damn-near every single minor conflict about utterly insignificant household disputes. The vulnerability and grief you felt surrounding his death triggered the core-level unresolved sense of abandonment you carry as a result of the lack of parental affection you received because of, inter alia, the level of care required by your [editor's note: dying of CF as a teenager] sister and resultant lack of parental support available to you as a result,

 

• (c) in 2021ish, surrounding your mother's acute medical events and her subsequent death, where your treatment of me followed effectively the same patterns and underlying causes as the item above (sans explicit threats of eviction, opting instead for the more oblique and covert references that have been your MO until the recent regression to explicit threats within the past few days).

 

• (d) in 2024, surrounding the final decline and subsequent death of [dog], where all of the same behaviours described above returned and steadily escalated, culminating in telling me to get the fuck out of your house because I wouldn't stop moving some boxes for 30 minutes, and then telling me that you were going to call the police to have me removed from your house as a result of your inability to force me to stop making accurate statements that damaged your ego and need for unquestioned interpersonal control in your self-appointed role as the sole ruler of the relational hierarchy you fought so hard to maintain.

 

• You need to actively and vulnerably seek and participate in professional clinical treatment for the lifelong effects of the hollow narcissism that has maladaptively protected you from your deepest childhood injuries and vulnerabilities, at the expense of truly genuine connection with, at the very least, your firstborn and only son.

 

• [note that the contents of this bullet point are neither a threat of suicide, nor an indication of any intent whatsoever to harm myself or others. I am including this disclaimer to preemptively remove your ability to selectively manipulate my words in order to further gaslight me]
  If you want me gone from your house, and life (and possibly my own life, given the extreme existential risk posed by homelessness for a vulnerable person with the significant disabilities I am faced with), then you will have to have me physically removed from your house in cold blood, and until the day you (or I, depending on the order) die you will live with that being the last time you ever saw the son that you took for granted and abused for 32 fucking years while he groveled at your feet begging for even scraps of affection or humanity from the person who constantly love-bombed and discarded him at her convenience to serve her own narcissistic desires worth no regard for the whole entire person she was subjugating to the role of, barely, a pet.
  

 

• Be aware that if you choose to remove me from your life as a pathological and assuredly-ineffective avoidance mechanism to try and preemptively shield yourself from the fear of abandonment that is triggered in you as a result of my overwhelmingly valid and necessary actions to demand that you cease your lifelong efforts to subjugate me in your self-created hierarchical position at the top of our unequal relationship, then you will be doing yourself an irreparable disservice by extinguishing whatever sliver of opportunity might remain for you to get the help you need to allow you to finally see me as a real person and begin making real decisions and changes and efforts to participate in efforts to salvage whatever scraps of hope might remain for us to have a relationship before both/either of us die.

 

• Feel free to ignore and/or conceal the tens of thousands of words of documented history in order to share contextless excerpts of this text within your self-serving echo chambers in your efforts to receive false validation of your delusional victimhood. Or, alternatively, feel free to vulnerably share this in its entirety - along with the full corpus of my messaging regarding the severity of the harms caused by your behaviours - with a competent and knowledgeable mental health professional(s) for the purposes of seeking treatment for your underlying pathologies and working towards genuine growth.

 

• In the unlikely (though incomprehensibly-or-perhaps-delusionally-still-hopeful) event that you are still reading, I will conclude by saying that the possibility for any hope of salvaging our relationship lies firmly and solely within your control.

 

• After over 8 years of significant, relentless, documented, often-vilified, and absolutely unreciprocated efforts to single-handedly to put 100% of the effort into a relationship that you reaped the benefits of while remaining unwavering in your abdication of even the slightest of responsibilities, I have run out of ways, means, ideas, and capacity to continue unsuccessfully trying to do both of our parts.

 

• I am not closing the door to the possibility of reconciliation if/once you have undertaken the extensive individual work you need to do if you are ever going to be able and willing to put the necessary effort into repairing our relationship. But neither am I continuing to continue working outside your closed door hoping that one day I might be able to do enough to influence you to treat me like a full, real, EQUAL, human being.

 
I love you, and goodbye for now. I hope to see you on the other side, but I cannot force you to undertake the journey.
 
- [name]
 
[/END]
(any edits are fixing formatting/copy&paste errors)

I'm scared that I'm completely losing myself or being emotionally manipulated in my relationship. (1 yr together, known each other for 10). My partner (29 M) supports me in my self care & work & hobbies & loves to boost me up, but he also frequently tells me things I've done wrong. I'd always rather he be honest about his feelings, but i feel like it's very frequent. Something comes up at least twice a month where he says he doesn't feel listened to or valued or "like a partner" in our relationship and things blow up. This has happened for 3 months now. I have tried really hard to fix previous tangible concerns like letting him know when I'll be away from my phone for a while or making changes to not be late to things. We have had some really good strides where I've been able to tell him sorry for things I say that sound inconsiderate asap and asking what he means about things to avoid miscommunications. But the last 48 hours have been a nightmare even with my growth and progress. I'm sorry this post is lengthy but I'll try my best to explain the current situation:
Sunday my bf slept through his brother coming to visit on accident. He woke up and texted me and said he was spiraling a bit about feeling bad about it and would be okay but just needed a "5" to show him I was there. (this is supposed to be a call back to us saying I love you 5 ever in the past)
I didn't see his text for 30 minutes and then told him l was soo sorry I didn't see this sooner and that I was really sorry he slept through his alarm and missed that, but his body must have needed rest. He said it's okay, it's just my brother.
We spoke for 40 minutes about mothers day and other stuff and then he said "hey you never sent a 5" and I said "oh shoot, 5". It then was shared that it really upset him that I hadn't read and replied to that part of his text. It made him feel not listened to, he said, that I chose to reply how I wanted instead of doing what he asked for. I apologized and also said sorry I didn't say a 5 sooner and that I wish I had seen his text and sent a 5 right away. He got upset that I was apologizing for not texting him right away. He said apologizing for the thing he's not even upset about (not replying for 30 minutes) takes away his agency and takes away from him feeling heard.
He then explained it wasn't fully about the 5 - it was that it hurt that I didn't ask more about his feelings and just changed the topic after he said "it's okay". I think sometimes I forget people say "it's okay" to try to be strong when really they want to talk about their feelings. He emphasized he wished I had asked about his feelings and I said I definitely should have and need to be better about asking more follow up if he opens up and says he's spiraling.
I apologized a ton Sunday night and called him and cried to him on the phone about how much I cared and how much I didn't want to hurt him. He told me it was going to be okay and he even told me he felt loved and cared about. He showed appreciation when I took accountability and I said things like "I totally see how it made you feel not heard that I didnt do a small thing you asked for" and "I really should have followed up by asking more about your feelings or why you were spiraling".
Monday he got upset again once he woke up and said I was defensive yesterday and it hurt and that I talk at him and not with him (I did get defensive a bit by saying things like "I didn't know you weren't still okay and I took it at face value when you said you were okay" or saying "I told you I know I messed up and I shouldn't have ignored you opening up to me" when he brought up again how hurt he felt. But sometimes he repeated how hurt he was and how he wished I would hold myself accountable. So I would at times get defensive by saying "well I tried telling you that I'm sorry I ____"
I didn't know what to keep saying besides sorry and that I messed up. I tried keeping my answers brief after he said i was making things about myself (being emotional in my guilt) because i didnt want to risk monopolizing the conversation. Then he told me I really hurt him because he shared 2 paragraphs about how hurt he was and I gave a 10 word answer. I apologized multiple times for my 10 word answer. I said I only kept it short to keep the focus on him. He said it felt like I wasn't even trying. I tried asking what else he needs or what I could do to help and he told me I'm just Asking "out of self preservation". Then when I said I wish I knew what I could do to help he said "did you ask". Three different times when I said I wish I could make him feel better or things like I am trying to give thoughtful answers he would say "did you ask" and then I would say "ask what?" And get frustrated when he didn't give me a straight answer. When I got upset for not getting an answer to my question, he said I was making it about me again.
At some point he asked for examples of me asking accountability. I sent screenshots of when I said I messed up and hurt him and I should've done differently and he got upset and said "those are from yesterday and don't impact how I feel today". I tried taking accountability again today in multiple sentences. He seemed grateful that I did and was glad to hear me list the things I messed up and take the blame for. But then when I brought up something i was hoping we could still do (a surprise party for him) he got really upset and said I was only thinking about what I wanted (to see him and get him to the surpise) instead of what he wanted (to not go out). This led to him skipping his own surprise party today. We haven't had a conversation since he skipped it.
A chunk of yesterdays convo, word for word: M: "I felt so small when you gave me a 10 word response I felt like I didn't explain enough or wasn't good enough . And to not really have a response, it hurt me so bad."
F: "I'm sorry for hurting you so much and giving so small of a response. I'm really sorry for the things I did to make you feel small."
M: "thats not what I'm worried about or bothers me"
F: "What are you worried about or bothered by? You shared it Made you feel small when I sent a 10 word response, so I thought that was a part of the problem."
M: "Not really related and makes me feel worse about getting the love I need/want"
F: "i don't understand. You brought up how much hurt you and how low it made you feel, how is it not related?"
M: "Did you ask?"
F: "I'm asking now"
M: "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you being hurt negated everything I've felt?"
F: "What? Where did I say I'm hurt?"
M: "You're asking a question so you could feel good or secure but I dont feel I'm afforded the same"
A convo chunk from today:
M: i spend so much energy and get so little in return. When I reach out and ask for help everything gets focused on how you felt. When do I matter?
F: I'm sorry. I hope you can get to feel like you matter now. I have been trying to do what you need and put very little focus on myself and I'll keep trying
M: If you can't try or listen to what I'm saying or asking for just leave me alone and make this whole situation easier. I'm exhausted and tired from giving you grace and somehow things always focus back on you.
_--- Then In several texts asked him if he explain how things kept coming back to me and he said the focus just keeps coming back to me.because I won't take accountability. He is embarrassed and doesn't feel good enough. Because I don't show him support when he needs it and don't show i care in the ways he wants or needs the way he supports me when I'm low.
F; I'm sorry and I wish I had afforded you the same. I'm trying to give thoughtful answers, sorry if they have to be short because I'm at work. Can you explain how you feel like the focus has been coming back to me in today's convo. M: did you ask? F: ask what? M: dude we aren't doing this again F: dude I asked for clarification becuase I don't get your question M: It's not about you. I don't think you're ready or capable of loving me the way I want or need. I feel like I've given you grace and afforded you the space to make or acknowledge mistakes. I can't keep begging to be heard and feel like I'm overreacting or misunderstood. It's fine to ask for clarification, but when you do it hijacks the conversation and we never revist what I said.
F: because I don't get an answer so it's hard to revisit the topic when I'm still confused
M: I'm sorry , I didn't realize that me spiraling or being in a bad place was only continued because you didn't get a response. This isn't about you.
I want to get him to couples therapy because I care about him SO much and he has a really big heart and a good soul. But once he feels hurt, it's like he's stuck being the victim and can't see how horribly irrational our conversations are going. I am not perfect at conflict either - I get defensive if he keeps talking about being hurt, and I end up crying a lot to him about how bad I feel for hurting, and sometimes he has to help me calm me down from my intense crying over the problem I caused, which is draining for him. But I think at least in this case he is really stuck in a victim complex where he isnt doing any wrong and I'm not doing much right to him. I genuinely feel like therapy could really help, I want to support him, but I'm nervous to just outright ask for it. What do I do? How could I ease into the topic?
TL;DR: Although I have tried to be very patient and take accountability there are a lot of things I do that hurt my boyfriend. I have worked on improve some concrete things but our most recent conflict (detailed above) has me feeling anxious and lost because I try taking accountability throughout but he is still upset no matter what I say. I don't think he knows how to handle conflict and I'm not perfect at it either but i am very willing to name everything I do wrong and try to change it. I want to suggest couples therapy so he can see we can both do better. Not sure how.

Solving Attachment Corruption Issues in Episerver

When integrating email functionalities within Episerver applications, developers often rely on the MimeKit nuget package for its robust handling of MIME types and email attachments. However, a peculiar issue arises when users attempt to open .xls and .doc file attachments sent from such applications: the dreaded "The file is corrupt and cannot be opened" error message. This problem not only hampers the user experience but also poses a significant challenge for developers striving to ensure seamless document sharing and communication through their applications.
The root of this issue generally traces back to the way MimeKit encodes and attaches files to the email, coupled with how certain email clients and programs interpret these MIME types. Addressing this error requires a deep dive into the nuances of MIME encoding, attachment handling, and potentially adjusting how these files are packaged and sent within the Episerver framework. By understanding and troubleshooting these key areas, developers can find effective solutions to maintain the integrity of .xls and .doc attachments, ensuring they open flawlessly for the end-users.

Command / Package	Description
MimeKit	A .NET library for working with MIME messages and email attachments.
MimeMessage	Represents an email message that can be sent using MimeKit.
AttachmentCollection.Add	Adds an attachment to an email message.
ContentType	Specifies the MIME type of the email attachment.

Troubleshooting Attachment Issues in Episerver

The challenge of dealing with "The file is corrupt and cannot be opened" error in Episerver when sending .xls and .doc files as email attachments using MimeKit stems from a complex interplay of MIME types, file encodings, and the security settings of email clients. Typically, this error arises not because the file itself is corrupt, but rather due to the way the email client interprets the MIME encoding of the attachment. Email clients like Microsoft Outlook have strict security settings that scrutinize attachments more rigorously, especially for formats prone to carrying malware, such as .xls and .doc files. When these files are encoded or attached improperly, it triggers the client's protective mechanisms, leading to the corruption error.
To mitigate this issue, developers must ensure that attachments are encoded in a manner that is compatible with the broadest range of email clients. This involves setting the correct MIME type for each attachment and using base64 encoding to ensure that binary data is transmitted over the email protocols without corruption. Additionally, ensuring that the MimePart ContentType is explicitly set to match the file type can help prevent misinterpretation by email clients. Implementing these steps requires a thorough understanding of MIME standards and a careful approach to testing with various email clients to ensure compatibility. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that users can open attachments seamlessly, regardless of their email provider, thereby enhancing the reliability and professionalism of communications sent through Episerver applications.

Adding Attachments Correctly with MimeKit

C# programming language

using MimeKit; MimeMessage message = new MimeMessage(); message.From.Add(new MailboxAddress("Sender Name", "sender@example.com")); message.To.Add(new MailboxAddress("Recipient Name", "recipient@example.com")); message.Subject = "Your Subject Here"; var bodyBuilder = new BodyBuilder(); // Add the body text bodyBuilder.TextBody = "This is the body of the email."; // Create the attachment var attachment = new MimePart("application", "vnd.ms-excel") { Content = new MimeContent(File.OpenRead("path/to/youfile.xls"), ContentEncoding.Default), ContentDisposition = new ContentDisposition(ContentDisposition.Attachment), ContentTransferEncoding = ContentEncoding.Base64, FileName = Path.GetFileName("path/to/youfile.xls") }; // Add attachment to the message bodyBuilder.Attachments.Add(attachment); message.Body = bodyBuilder.ToMessageBody(); 

Understanding MimeKit for Email Attachments

Handling email attachments in applications, particularly when dealing with traditional formats like .xls and .doc files, presents unique challenges. These challenges are compounded when utilizing libraries like MimeKit within the Episerver framework. MimeKit is designed to facilitate the creation, manipulation, and sending of MIME-encoded messages, making it a powerful tool for developers. However, the "The file is corrupt and cannot be opened" error that users encounter when trying to open attachments sent through MimeKit-integrated applications can be perplexing. This error often results from discrepancies in MIME type handling, encoding methods, or how email clients interpret attachments' MIME types. Ensuring that attachments are properly encoded and that their MIME types are correctly set is crucial for compatibility across different email clients.
Moreover, security measures implemented by email clients, particularly those targeting office file formats due to their vulnerability to malware, can exacerbate these issues. Developers must navigate these challenges by adhering to best practices in MIME encoding and attachment handling. This includes using base64 encoding for binary files, accurately setting the ContentType property of attachments, and rigorously testing email functionality across various clients. Understanding and implementing these practices can significantly reduce the incidence of errors and improve the user experience, ensuring that attachments are accessible and secure.

FAQs on Email Attachments in Episerver Using MimeKit

1. Question: Why do I get "The file is corrupt and cannot be opened" error with MimeKit attachments?
2. Answer: This error often occurs due to incorrect MIME encoding or because the email client's security settings flag the attachment as unsafe, especially if MIME types are not properly set.
3. Question: How can I ensure my attachments do not get flagged as corrupt?
4. Answer: Ensure attachments are properly encoded, use base64 encoding for binary files, and set the correct ContentType for each attachment.
5. Question: Are .xls and .doc files more prone to this error?
6. Answer: Yes, due to their susceptibility to malware, email clients have stricter security checks for these file types, leading to more frequent errors.
7. Question: Can I send .xls and .doc files safely using MimeKit?
8. Answer: Yes, by ensuring proper MIME type setting and encoding, you can minimize errors and safely send these files.
9. Question: Does MimeKit support HTML email bodies?
10. Answer: Yes, MimeKit supports HTML content, allowing for rich text email bodies alongside attachments.
11. Question: How do I add multiple attachments to an email with MimeKit?
12. Answer: Use the Attachments collection of the BodyBuilder class to add multiple attachments.
13. Question: Can MimeKit handle inline attachments?
14. Answer: Yes, MimeKit can manage inline attachments, enabling images or files to be displayed within the email body.
15. Question: Is MimeKit compatible with all email servers?
16. Answer: MimeKit is designed to be server-agnostic, focusing on MIME standards, making it broadly compatible with email servers.
17. Question: How does MimeKit improve email security?
18. Answer: MimeKit emphasizes correct MIME practices and encoding, enhancing security by reducing the risk of corrupted or malicious attachments.

Mastering Email Attachments in Episerver with MimeKit

As we conclude, it's clear that overcoming the "The file is corrupt and cannot be opened" error in Episerver applications requires a nuanced understanding of MIME types, encoding, and the intricacies of email client security. MimeKit serves as a powerful ally in this endeavor, offering the tools necessary for developers to ensure their attachments reach the recipient as intended. Through diligent application of best practices in MIME encoding and attachment handling, developers can enhance the robustness and reliability of their email functionalities. Furthermore, the importance of thorough testing across various email clients cannot be overstated, as it ensures that all users have a consistent and positive experience. Ultimately, the key to success lies in the careful balancing of security and usability, ensuring that email attachments are both safe and accessible. This journey through MimeKit's capabilities and the resolution of common attachment issues not only enhances our technical toolkit but also underscores the ongoing evolution of email communication in the digital age.
https://www.tempmail.us.com/en/mimekit/resolving-the-file-is-corrupt-and-cannot-be-opened-error-for-xls-and-doc-attachments-in-episerver-with-mimekit

TLDR: I'm trying to figure out if Home Assistant would make it easy to set up a complex automation where multiple motion sensors and a contact sensor turn on the light if one of them is triggered, and only turn off the light if all of them are not triggered and a smart button was not used to turn the light on, and wait three minutes before they actually turn the light off.
Hello. After switching our smart Home over from Amazon Alexa to Apple HomeKit, as far as automations go, around eight months ago, I was able to have much more flexibility in my automations. However, using Jenkee workarounds is still a thing in Apple home. Most of my automations can easily be taken care of But there's one major automation, actually group of automations, which might actually push me over the edge and make me at least take a go and installing Home Assistant onto my 2017 MacBook Air to try out in our smart home.
This automation is a complex automation which involves two motion sensors, probably three soon,, a contact sensor, a smart button, and a light., When any of the sensors detect motion, I want the light to turn on. When the door closes, I want the light to turn on. If the door is opened and motion is not detected, and the button was not pressed to turn on the light, I want the light to turn off after three minutes, but only if all of the conditions listed in the start of the sentence are false. If the button was used to turn on the light, or even if the light was on and the button was pressed, I want the light to stay on.
I'm not going to provide a breakdown of my current set up, but I will happily do so if it would help out. I am very much struggling to balance this properly using Apple Home and the Homebridge plug-in that I'm using, magic occupancy, which has helped a lot but hasn't brought me completely there. The main issue I'm facing is that the light will either turn off right after the button is used to turn it on or that it will randomly just turn off, I'm guessing that this is more user error both on my part when I was trying to fix the issue where the light was flickering on and off when the button was used to turn it on and also in my family, as they constantly don't completely latch the door and so the contact sensor thinks it's opened. It's gotten to the point where I've actually considered ripping it out, and either starting all over again or just completely scrapping the idea of motion lights in the bathroom, which is where the automation is, and eventually just getting a simple smart switch in there. Tonight, I think I might have finally fixed it for good, but I still don't know.
I'm guessing that the inability of HomeKit to have proper complex automations is making this harder than it would be if I just used Home Assistant, and note that I will not be using Node Red as I am not familiar with JSON and I am blind as well so use a screen reader, and the web editor is completely unaccessible.

Space Dogs Of Zeta 9 Mini chapter 1
Written by Pixel/Rat
NoP belongs to Space paladin
Fallout belongs to Bethesda
Memory transcript: Ziak, Farsul Technical Archivist
Date: August 12th, 2275 local [human time]
Local ship time: 10:00 [time of early light and work]
Human weapon catalog: “Energy Light Rifle”
Ziak clutched his head as the Predator energy rifle laid on a mounting in front of him, the damned gun didn't just make no sense, the fact it worked was a insult to federation weapons technology itself.

As Ziak let out a defeated whine the sound of the heavy security door opened as Ziaks partner and friend M'aiq entered holding two cups of steaming Gojid Mohi tea and a plate of warmed Venlil Strayu, something the crew had stocked up on in excess due to there extended mission. M'aiq noticed his whining companion and approached him. “Ziak? Is something wrong? You've been working on that new predator weapon we acquired from the last capture, is something wrong?” His companions' sudden speech made the lanky Farsul yap in surprise and let out a low frustrated growl before noticing the morning meal his friend had fetched for the two, eagerly taking the tea and taking a few long sips of the potent stimulant. 

“Oh i can find many things wrong with this damned laser weapon if i can even call it that to begin with” he growled smacking the remarkably durable yet blocky thing with a spiteful paw, it did little but make it wobble a bit on its perch.

“Oh? What have you learned while i grabbed us what was left of morning meal?” his curious companion asked as Ziak growled. “For one, it has no internal moving components, the ONLY moving pieces on this are the trigger, and the battery release, everything else is closer to an archaic laser drive than a weapon!, i mean, its a laser magnetron firing into a compression array, farsul engineering students in primary make these in basic astrometric engineering and somehow not only do predators have the technology, but theyve weaponized it” Ziak spat indignatly as his companion nodded, Ziak taking a sip of his tea and a nibble of Strayu as M’aiq pondered the weapon quizzically, i twas a matte green and gunmetal weapon with its main…body? A simple rectangular cube. “Well…i cant imagine the weapon is all that powerful, it is just a laser after all, we have lasers, mostly used for mining or point defense on space stations or planetary outposts and they cant even effect civilian energy shielding.” Ziak simple stood up, picked up the bulky rifle that took him a short time to adjust to the in-farsul design and pulled its trigger, without warming a sharp CHOOM was heard as a bright red, near white beam of searing light is heard burning the air in the ship as it hit and burned through an aluminum target located in the lab, the laser was not just pinpoint accurate with no recoil but it was STRONG, able to flash cook 8 inches of aluminum and another 4 inches of solid federation steel. M'aiq jaw dropped “HOLY SMEG” M’aiq shouted and ran over to the still glowing target in shock. “How, how could they get THAT much energy into a laser that small?!” Ziak sighed and pressed a lever on the side of the gun and released the bright, nearly fluorescent yellow, fat cylindrical battery from the side of the laser weapons rear. “I had the computer analyze the components of this battery…its a small nuclear fission battery, y’know, like the kinds our warships use as emergency power?” Those words struck M'aiq, although Ziak knew his friend lacked that kind of specific knowledge. “Wait aren't those kinda…..really big?” M’aiq asked quizzically and with a twinge of fear as Zaik let out a sigh of frustration. “There twelve tons on average and are typically housed in a easily ejectable section of a ship, this battery is about….75 percent as potent as that, the other twenty five is compensated by a advanced and complex magnetic confinement system that….that's more advanced than anything i've seen and its just so CONFUSING” 

The Farsul growled in frustration, tossing the weapon back to the mounting where the emergency containment field kicked in, catching the gun in zero gravity and gently placing it back down onto the pedestal.

“Its lens array is just a inferred fused silica compound and babies first laser magnatron, but the high powered electro magnets and battery capacitors are so advanced and powerful that it makes the best federation tech in comparison look like, LIKE” Ziak looked like he was about to explode as M’iaq interjected “Hey hey, maybe this is just….some tribal weapon? Something slap dashed together out of spare parts?” M’iaq questioned as Ziak seemed to try and compose himself and lets out a deep aggravated sigh. “It isnt….when we interrogated the predator about it he said the weapon was of ‘pre-war’ design and had actually been fabricated recently by some weapon smith a part of his war tribe, the “Enclave” or whatever, and its STANDARD ISSUE!” he howled in frustration and contempt “I even did a micron scan of the thing! There are SERIAL NUMBERS, I even cross referenced it with some of the other Laser light guns we captured and they MATCHED which means not only are these things being produced but that predator was telling the truth!” Ziak, now dejected, smacked his muzzle into the table. “So…what does that mean?” M’iaq asked as Ziak looked up frustrated at his friend and colleague “I means M'aiq” he said coldy and with clear frustration “That these humans can produce weapons that can reduce any federation armored vehicle to molten slag with a few volleys….lets be grateful these things aren't automatic, ancestors shield us if these damned predators figure out what a PULSE LASER is….” 

im so happy that im getting ppl interested in my weird crossover fic, and for all the helpfull feedback im getting! dont worry the girls will be breaking out soon
edit, im so sorry i ended up having to repost this due to a error with the title -_-;
Previous
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First Previous Wiki
Ezeonwha was walking down a long hallway. The dry and plain painted walls and the pure white lighting of the lower levels of the 102nd Visitor Welcome Office helped to frame the dingy realities of those who could only afford these floors. Not even capable of having windows, these were for those who were the cheapest of the cheap or those who mingled with them. He'd passed several Guides on the way in, their claws echoing in the halls as a sign of authority in this lawless land.
Here, mediocrity was king, and he was a loyal servant. He drew his cloak closer about his neck, unwilling to reveal himself to those who weren't already equipped to see through it all. He was famous enough to be an abduction target if he let his guard down. This place was no exception, though Justicar tried to make them such. Too much security on the higher levels and too little on the lower levels. That was the way of things.
Another hallway, this one marked with bullet holes. Two contractors and a Guide were discussing the pricing of the fix project when he turned the corner. Their voices quieted to nothing, the stillness pressing down upon them with the same intensity as the false lighting. Ezeonwha clacked his jaws, giving them a low bow before continuing on his way. He saw the Guide's eyes light up with the sign of his implants getting a reading. It was another impromptu way of tracking via facial recognition, but it was an ancient practice.
Nothing was new about what the Guides did; only how many of them seemed to be on general patrol. Had Justicar hired more of them or actually done full conversions for all of them? Those arm cannons surely weren't cheap or ethical to insert into unwilling participants. And giving a victim a gun they couldn't be disarmed of was a very bad idea, even for Elders. And Justicar was better than most Elders when it came to abject stupidity. He'd likely only been dropped a few hundred times as a child versus the more likely Elder average of a few thousand.
Ezeonwha chuckled at his internal joke, heading deeper underground into the complex. He was going to a certain meeting, and it would be best not to be late. Even if the Guides tracked him, it wouldn't be negative. The group he had been approached by a few days ago wasn't a terror group. He'd looked them up. They dealt in 'freedom and liberation from all chains.'
The Eyes Of Liberty had focused upon Penny as their latest propaganda target and perhaps as a valuable ally in their fight against all tyranny. Though such a flowery message was likely steeped in idealism for the lower ranks, with more pragmatic and likely richer inner circle elites and leaders ensuring the pot would always simmer but never boil or grow cold. That was the way movements such as these managed to skirt the line between inaction and terrorism.
It was a dangerous thing to do. But these were dangerous times. If Penny left, he'd die. Someone with a grudge would kill him. It was a given, and he'd made peace with it now. He needed to get to work, to help others like him and those worse off, with just a small piece of the meager time he had left.
He was in the system as a friend of Penny, so little scrutiny would fall on him as he came and went. He had a new friend, one who was very interested in connecting to Penny.
The offer had come through his communicator, and he'd answered it given its interesting title. After a lengthy discussion about their goals for him and Penny, he'd agreed to at least have a meeting. He didn't tell them that he had a tracker from Phoebe, which would 'be impossible to miss' if things went badly. He knew the value he had, which was why one of the androids was also accompanying him under the guise of being a Sprilnav.
The android was 'walking' on all fours, its mechanical motion entirely silent. It was obscured by a wave of holograms and hard light holograms that would ensure that it wouldn't be considered suspicious beside him. His only guard was a capable one, and Phoebe had all the confidence of an AI who knew that the destruction of her android would only be an inconvenience for her.
Ezeonwha came to an unmarked door with a well-worn door frame. One knock. One pause. Two knocks. Another pause. Four knocks. He waited, and the door swung open. Eight Sprilnav greeted him warily but warmly, their eyes shifting to Phoebe.
The inside of the room was a dull red, coming from a pair of lights in the center of the ceiling that cast dark shadows near the edges. The whole room felt dark and dangerous, and the walls were lined with guns, computers, and several drones. Shelves and drawers were neatly stacked against the wall, as well as five couches and four double beds with ladder access to the top portions.
Bags of food rested atop a trash compactor unit, and the room service button on the inner side of the wall that Ezeonwha could see in the mirror was worn down to the raw metal. No paint jobs here, only grit and business. The room faintly smelled of body odor and assorted foods. Not entirely unpleasant, but also not what he'd expected from a group with sich a flamboyant name. Perhaps they worked in cell-based units. And that was another thing.
Minds were visible in the distance of the mindscape, but the people here were huddled together mentally. They appeared to be haphazard, but Ezeonwha recognized an old army-type defensive formation a mere step from each of their positions. They were more than they appeared. Though based on how their room looked, they probably weren't veterans, just decently trained.
As they walked through the doorway, a scanner activated. One of the Sprilnav, wearing a headset with numbers and letters swirling on the inner side of the visor, called out: "Phoebe android. Commando variant. Risk assessment: Certain Death. Ezeonwha. Carrying two pistols, one hidden in the pack on his left, and the other tucked inside a strap near the lower bottom of his chest."
That made them all pause, sizing each other up. Ezeonwha smiled nervously, failing terribly to break the building tension once again. His nerves started to get to him, but finally, Phoebe spoke. "Well, friends. I, for one, am happy to talk of the business of liberty. Tell us, what do you have in mind for my friend Ezeonwha?"
"It is not about him, AI. It is about the freedom all sentient beings deserve, and which we shall bring to the galaxy no matter if we are alive or dead."
"An honorable goal to strive toward," Phoebe said.
"Thank you. Your words are quite kind for your type."
"I didn't know I had one," Phoebe replied. "But thank you."
Ezeonwha turned his head toward the Sprilnav with all the fancy equipment.
"What is the best way for me and Penny to help in the fight?"
"The best way would be for you to start killing the gang leaders you come across. Barring that, have Penny ignore the graveyards, and continue freeing the slaves as she ought to. The dead have their freedom; the living need her work more."
"I agree with my companion," another of them said. "So far, Penny has done more for the fight for justice than any other on Justicar in generations, so it is a terrible thing to ask more, but we must ask. Even knowing the terrible toll it would have if she loses the Judgment, Sprilnav are at stake."
"People are at stake, you mean," Ezeonwha said. "There is no need to bring species into this."
"There would not be, but it is still a clear factor," another of them said, a female who looked more shifty in her gaze and demeanor. The Eyes of Liberty seemed like one of those groups with too much division.
"Do you disagree with each other often?" Ezeonwha asked innocently.
"Here and there," the tech guy said. "Not often enough to be a problem, and not when what matters is at stake."
"But that is the thing. How can you agree on when something that matters is a stake?"
"Is this a test?"
"Why would it be? Think of it as a genuine concern," Ezeonwha said. "To associate with your group, I have to be certain it will be resilient to change and risks escalating in the future. If the gangs cannot strike at Penny, they will pick the next best targets. Currently, that is me. If I associate with you in a way they can find out, and I assure you they will find out eventually, you all may be at risk as well. And your group's seemingly cell-based design also means large scale mobilization is difficult, ineffective, and risks severe coordination issues which cannot be quickly or safely remedied without changing core security features of it."
"You deduced all of that from context? You are smart, Ezeonwha. And have a good brain in your head. Everlasting knows we need one of those between all of us."
They all shared a laugh.
"I am not as young as I may look," Ezeonwha said. "Penny is not properly learned of the danger that faces us here. I am. The Underground will kill me when this is over. Do you want to die alongside me, all for your beliefs?"
Silence descended again. Ezeonwha kept the pressure on them when one of them stepped forward. "For freedom and liberty? Yes. I would die for that."
"As would I."
"And I."
They all declared the rest in orders that followed the patterns Ezeonwha was noticing. There were variances in their levels of belief and faith in their purpose. Each person had a different level of value difference, which meant that their lives would be worth more or less comparatively.
Cohesion was weaker, too. Not a full defector team, but likely pieces of several. Was that by design from a higher up leader, or was that just circumstance? Another thing to figure out later, that wasn't critical yet, but he would know before he truly went on any missions with them, if he did at all.
He suspected running messages to Penny would be the majority of their tasks. The quality of intelligence the Eyes of Liberty had offered was substantial. Perhaps enough for Penny to turn herself from a major annoyance to the gangs into an actual existential threat. With Justicar's swarming protection of the Fort Court and the 102nd Visitor Welcome Office, there was a limited amount of things that even the gangs could do. And if the rumors were correct, a Progenitor would be partaking in the trial.
"To be clear, if I join up with you, Phoebe would come too."
"Why would we let an AI join us?"
Phoebe smiled. "Without me, you'll die in this fight. You have trained for around 2000 days. You're acceptable combatants, as is Ezeonwha. But you are fighting in a city, and underneath it. You need to know how to keep a low profile. You need to know how to move through a crowd, get in and out. And you need to keep collateral damage to a zero, or the gangs will use you like they have others who had your purpose and were less careful to justify their 'protection' continuing. If you march in there and kill 50 slavers, if you kill a few slaves or a single bystander in the process, your credibility will be smeared. And frankly, with me on your team, you won't get blown up by an IED when you try clearing your first room in a fortress."
"IED?" One of them asked, while the rest digested her statement, going through various levels of offended looks.
"Your translator is too cheap. Improvised explosive device. Here, that can be old engines, reused oil, cracked plastic, frictional fuel bombs, circuit extruders, sodium splash grenades, as well as the more military style attacks they can pack, from small micro rockets all the way up to lower level fission or fusion bombs. Though if you're in a fight with those things involved, you're already dead."
"Why?"
"Because unless you're Elders, or holograms, a nuke will kill you whether you're right next to it or just inside the same shield. They concentrate the thermal pulse, so your bones would be ash before the pain hit your eyes."
"And what protection could you bring against that?"
"Telling you it's there before you start the attack. That is, if you listen to me. I value your lives over that of this android, but also I value Ezeonwha over all of you combined. I will not prevent him from doing this, but I will have you all know the risks involved."
"We are prepared, Phoebe. We have done much of the training you say, though we do not believe the gangs would plant explosive devices in their own fortresses. There is too much risk around that, with betrayals so common. However, the minefields we have scouted are easy to defeat with the right tactics. Perhaps you can give us a briefing on those, too?"
A challenge.
"I can, depending on how long you wish to do this for. But I have the stamina for either hours or weeks, depending on which you choose."
"What of your batteries?"
"They are of sufficient quality," Phoebe assured.
"I hope so."
Their tech guy nodded, more numbers flashing on his visor. Ezeonwha hoped he had a different way of display, like through an implant or something, for the missions in darker areas. The Underground was, by its name, not a place where much natural light was to be found. And the gangs controlled all the power systems in their territory. It was another part of the racket.
"Why aren't you guarding Penny?"
Phoebe's back straightened, a subconscious posture change to make her seem more confident. Ezeonwha caught the tactic for what it was, though without extensive knowledge of bipedal forms, it was less likely the surrounding Sprilnav knew it.
"Penny proved before a trillion eyes she's capable of fighting Elders, Progenitors, and a Dreadnaught Captain. Not to mention her immense power. I can shoot bullets, but she can literally snatch them out of the air and eat them. She has her own way of doing things, and it is a good way."
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Penny landed in the rubble and headed for the Vaquah with a trail of survivors behind her. Many of them, she could recognize the marks of slavery on, with numbers or brands on their skin or just the trauma crouching in their eyes dulled by the pain of a long life in a work camp. Penny went through the wreckage to the shield surrounding the rubble and the defining line between the rest of the city and the destruction. Several news drones flew above her.
More were arriving from various directions. The soft footsteps grew into a constant drumming sound, like a beating heart of doom. Penny marched with them, heading to the spaceport. A large medical operation there quickly rerouted many of its various branches to the most injured freed slaves.
Penny pressed her considerable psychic energy on the entire group, accelerating their healing, slowing bleeding, and generally repairing their bodies and cells from the trauma they'd suffered. But the cloud over their heads did not brighten. The atmosphere remained tense and mournful. Many of them had lost friends, family, and more. She had no right to ask them to feel any different.
She had freed them, that was all. They were not her servants. She was not their ruler.
Several of them came up to her, offering thanks in the small ways they could. Kind words. Attempts at hugs. Even offers of devout prayer and worship, which Penny respectfully declined. She knew, as did most of them, that veneration for her deeds was inevitable. She didn't want to be seen encouraging it at all, since this was a public place where many eyes were upon her.
She knew that it would be misconstrued as a threat if she did. Religions were some of the most major threats entrenched powers could face if not properly co-opted by the state to suit their needs. And here, the 'state' was a military dictatorship billions of years old, ripened with corruption, money, and the immortality of Elders sporting technology beyond any other in the galaxy.
The sky was blue with shields overhead. The Vaquah hung in the distance, its thrusters gently burning to keep it aloft. A trail of shuttles linked the massive ship with several spaceports, including this one. Penny watched the freed Sprilnav get on it one by one, promising themselves to a new life aboard her ship. Technically, they were citizens of the Autonomous Peoples' Stars.
That protection, Penny knew, was why the Vaquah and its innocent inhabitants were still intact. Elders already had hired mercenaries to attack it. They'd failed, thanks to Rimiaha and Penny, but also the defenses of Kashaunta's Grand Fleet when it was in higher orbit. Kashaunta, despite her willingness to use Penny as she would, also had a certain intelligence and empathy. It was highly selective, and only money and power seemed to flip that switch.
But Penny needed the Elder, and Kashaunta only had use for her as an asset. She palmed the new communicator Kashaunta had issued her after the last one's destruction. Kashaunta's hologram appeared. It looked around, noticing the news drones in the air.
"Not here."
"Where?"
"You will know."
In the mindscape, a Sprilnav appeared on Penny's layer. They felt odd to her, almost like the minds of certain humans high up in the hivemind's network. Penny greeted the Sprilnav warmly.
"Hello."
"Queen and Elder Kashaunta requests your presence on her flagship."
"Very well."
In reality, Penny looked around at the crowd. She waited until it dwindled to nothing, and then spoke.
"Displace."
Conceptual energy twisted, and she stood on Kashaunta's flagship, though nearer to the edge than she'd expected. The Elder was waiting for her in an outfit that looked much like pajamas, though they were under a few armor pieces that appeared anything but decorative. Now that Penny noticed it, it was the same sort of armor that Yasihaut had worn to their last encounter, which interfered with conceptual energy. The Sprilnav were highly advanced. She wondered just how far their technology could go. She'd heard mentions of some ships having artificial gravity, and of nanites and programmable matter. But nothing certain.
"Hmm," Kashaunta said, giving Penny a once over. "You have come back. Shall I assume you are still my ally?"
"Nervous, are we?"
"Nervous is what you should be, Penny. The Judgment is coming. Ten days. Indrafabar and Justicar will both be on the court as High Judges. That is not good for us at all. So I figured a bit of prudence was in order. I have thought long and hard about this, and with the great battles of our time so fast approaching, I figure it is time to mend our relationship before the chasm grows any wider."
Kashaunta motioned to a special looking sword sheath on her back. Slowly, she drew a sword. A Soul Blade. Penny began to draw up her armor.
"Oh, I am not wishing for a fight, Penny. I know the damage you could do, even in my sanctum in the sky. Tell me, do you know how Soul Blades are forged?"
"No."
"Good. And tell me, do you know why they draw so much power to swing, even for Elders and beings as capable as us?"
"I have a few theories."
"I am sure you do," Kashaunta said. "But here is the thing. Soul Blades are typically weapons assigned to highly promising Elders, or even Progenitors. Filnatra, undisputed sword master that she is, can wield them as easily as breathing. If I were to swing this blade, there would be no drawback. Why?"
"Because you own that Soul Blade."
"Because this Soul Blade is mine. It is not just something I own. I own around seven or so more Soul Blades, with some weapons nearing their quality lying in my various vaults even now. You did not detect them, because I willed that not to be. I need you to understand this, Penny. You have power. You have might. But you are not invincible. My Soul Blade, if it struck you, would not cutely separate Nilnacrawla or Cardinality from you. Nor would your speeding space entity be able to block this blade with his flesh. If this cut you, it would release unending agony upon you before you exploded in a burst of burnt gore."
Penny sighed. "There is no need to threaten me. Allies do not threaten each other."
"But you do not see me as an ally. You see me as your means to get through the Judgment. You believe I see you as nothing more but a linear singularity maker, and perhaps a passing curiosity I'm backing on a whim. You neglect to imagine that there might be firmer reasons why I back you, and why more Elders are getting drawn into this conflict. You believe I am comfortable with showing you my more pragmatic and ruthless sides because I am comfortable with the fact that you cannot harm me. That you would not dare to do so, when you need my assistance so badly. That I might even be aiming to normalize my 'new' self with you."
"That is hardly my belief alone."
"Is it now."
Kashaunta grinned. There was no warmth in her gaze.
"Nilnacrawla," Kashaunta said. "Cardinality. Exile. Come out and show yourselves. You are being rude as guests."
Exile detached from Penny's head. He grew into the shifting array of fractals and shapes she was more familiar with. What had once grated on her eyes did so no longer. Kashaunta stared at the speeding space entity for ten seconds, then looked back up at Penny.
"He will not work on us. I will cover his form with holograms if he walks through my ship out of courtesy for my workers and crew, if he cannot."
"I am capable, Queen Kashaunta."
"You are quite knowledgable, aren't you?" Kashaunta mused, looking at him hungrily. "Oh, how I wonder what secrets you have in your head. How many of ours do you know?"
"I will not be taken as a hostage," Exile said.
"You will not because I decide not to," Kashaunta said. "Formally, our species are still at war. There is no treaty."
"The Sp'rkial'nova no longer exist."
"Yes, they do," Kashaunta said. "The name was discontinued for use regarding the lesser specimens we created. But I can assure you, Exile, if you wish to go by that name here, that we still do exist. I am a Sp'rkial'nova in the flesh. In the blood. In the mind. In the soul."
"Say what you will, Sprilnav. It changes nothing."
"On that I agree. Though our views on how things are may differ, and yours is wrong, your opinion is not valuable enough to matter."
She turned to Penny. She would have defended Exile, but he gave her a simple shake of his head area.
Nilnacrawla formed out of psychic energy in front of Penny. Cardi did the same beside her. Kashaunta tapped a claw on the ground. Tables and chairs appeared. A chef brought in food that looked passable and a few decent attempts at human cuisine.
"We do not have to eat, though I would expect that all of you at least sit at the table. We will discuss our grievances, and how to solve them before we proceed with the future. We shall first go to the matter of the Alliance. Penny, many in their number wish to establish contact with you. Do you agree to this? If so, I will add their communicator numbers to the translation program I have reserved for your personal use, in case your own device needs another sudden replacement."
"I agree."
"Good. A first step of diplomacy, I would say. Agreement. Now, Nilnacrawla, you look like you have something to say to me. What is it?"
"Free Meridia."
"Meridia was detonated by planet cracker during the 139th Sector 9 Border War. I am sorry more could not be done."
A cold draft of air rushed out of Nilnacrawla's nose. He glared at her. "You let them die."
"I did not. A Grand Fleet was defending that star system, and three came to lay siege. I am many things. A tactician, a queen, an Elder. But I am not a god. I cannot perform miracles. I evacuated 30 billion people from that world and its surrounding stations before the planet crackers hit it. 4 trillion more souls died in that blast. The best I can do is to offer an apology."
"That will never be enough for what you did. If you had never established your nation, they would still be alive."
"They would be slaves. Chattel slaves, not that cute little 'wage slavery' concept privileged people throw around. Perhaps I should remind you just how much darker that reality would have been for your female descendents, specifically. I am a brutal warlord, a dictator with an iron fist. But my claws do not squeeze nearly as tightly as I could. Metrics say that I could extract at least 370% more profit from my people if I simply enslaved them. But despite the shock this may bring to you all, I do have principles. The Autonomous Peoples' Stars are my people. My nation. My empire, if you think I'm imperialist. But I protect them as best I can."
Nilnacrawla's cold anger didn't lessen. Penny placed a calming hand on his front left thigh. He blinked. He let out a long, pained sigh. And he bowed his head to her. Not to Kashaunta, but to Penny.
"There is no need to be cruel."
"My language was accurate, Penny. He is a strong Elder. Everlasting knows he's stronger than most of these fools. Nilnacrawla was and is a hero of the Source war. I respect him enough not to mince words, or to give platitudes. Coddling is for babies. Nilnacrawla is far more mature."
Kashaunta turned to Cardi. "You have been remarkably silent in this, concept."
"I have."
"A wonderfully succinct statement. Perhaps you can shorten it further. But nevertheless, you and I will be working together with Penny much more in the near future. Rest assured, if you refuse to become more independent, you will be nothing more than a crutch for her to rely on before leaving her to fall when you are ripped away."
"When, Elder? I would like to think your protection is sufficient."
"I am sure the truth is quite the opposite, dear. I will now get to the point. Penny needs to move faster, and needs to break out of her shell. She needs to be pushed to do more. She has signed a binding treaty, which shows she is capable of more than barbarian aliens, as some Elders would call her. You, Cardinality, will help her be a high achiever. To do this, you need to learn more about your own history.
That is the theme of the year, after all. History. My history, Penny's history, Sprilnav history, and even Gaia's history, it would seem."
"Gaia? What do they have to do with all of this?" Penny asked.
"Oh, you don't need to worry about that."
"Excuse me? You don't get to decide that, Kashaunta. You will tell me. I refuse to be coddled, like you say. I demand the respect I am owed."
"You forget yourself, Penny."
"I remember myself, actually. I am all I need to be. I can become all I need if I must. You can hold your backing against me all you want, but you won't withdraw it. As you said, more binds you and I than mere money and ideology."
"And if you're wrong?"
"Then I've doomed my species and my nation to war, and this planet to the full power of my wrath."
"Wrath, Penny. Wrath. The Sprilnav have many words for anger, rage, hatred. There is the desire for vengeance, in varying degrees. There is that for justice, which does differ. And that for belonging. I know you believe you are standing up to me as a way to assert your own authority in this relationship of ours. You believe I see you as inferior, and will pull back my help when it is profitable for me. I will not offer you the consequences of what your words could mean.
You already know them, and that argument is as stale as your view on us Elders. I will say this once, Penny. You are the Champion of Humanity. The apex predator of your planet, the only one mostly in charge of an Alliance that does more than merely dream of overthrowing us. It is easy for me to say you are not a threat, though I do not ignore the threat you and your nation are trying to become. Gaia will be a part of your movement, but even my information is not entirely complete. I will not mislead you by claiming I know Gaia's link to this, just that there likely is one.
And I am not unreasonably petty. I am willing to put all our animosity behind us and start anew. Even if you are not willing to do the same, I am willing to make this work for us. You have more people to care for than just the Alliance, now. Do not forget them."
"A lot of words that mean nothing."
"Because you heard, but did not listen. Perhaps it will be easier this way, Penny. I want you to win."
"Explain."
"You wish to overthrow the current Sprilnav led order of the galaxy. Your path to that will likely be through mass slave revolt. A viable strategy that I could spread far beyond just this planet. And I actually agree with you. This Judgment, this utter insanity around the Alliance and your species has shown me the truth. The Elders as a class and a species cannot be trusted to rule any longer. We need new leaders. Better leaders."
"And yourself?"
"As the hypocrite that I am, and the power-hungry ruler of the Sprilnav, I would obviously exclude myself from that number. Let's be realistic. The Sprilnav will never accept a non-Elder ruler. If you wish to see what our insurgencies would be like, imagine the 2090s Struggles of Asia. Expand that to billions of planets, large and small. Countless ships and space stations. We have more collective ships than you have people. And as your military planners know, there is no such thing as an unarmed ship. Without us, without me, your plans are stillborn. Your galactic Alliance or whatever you make will fall to pieces without proper counseling. In essence, my offer to you, and you alone, is this. The galaxy, for the Sprilnav."
"Who backs your offer, with the power to give it?"
Progenitors Lecalicus and Nova appeared in the room.
"I back Kashaunta," Lecalicus wheezed.
"I observe her offer, and wish it a proper outcome," Nova said.
"Thank you, esteemed Progenitors," Kashaunta said, standing just to bow to them. Penny stared at Nova, balling her fists.
"There will be time for battle later," he said. "But not now. Hear out her request. She does not make it lightly."
The Progenitors disappeared.
"If I accept your offer, it will be on a written record."
"No. It will not be, because if that record is written, my nation will be facing war on all sides. A better idea would be for us to keep this under wraps."
"Perfect for betrayal," Nilnacrawla muttered.
"It would be, yes. But consider the second part of this situation, Nilncrawla. If word of this galactic offer, not just the Pact, were to get out, which is why two Progenitors who know the price of interference were called here, it would mean the deaths of Penny and all her kind. Or do you forget what rapidly approaches us?"
Nilnacrawla frowned. "I did. I apologize, Penny."
Kashaunta spoke up again.
"Penny. You believe I will betray you. So I make an offer of collateral. An offer so unbelievably sacred for us Elders that many would recoil at the mere thought of it. Now that you have signed a backed treaty, you are fully qualified."
Kashaunta grabbed her Soul Blade and presented it to Penny.
"What does this mean?"
"Nilnacrawla, tell her," Kashaunta said. "She will trust your mouth more than mine."
"Bonded Soul Blades are priceless artifacts," Nilnacrawla said. "To offer one to another is the ultimate gesture of trust and respect among many martial Sprilnav cultures. It can also allow for a mind bridge, a soul pact, or a proposal for marriage between two great houses, martial families, or Elders of great wealth and power. To offer this to a human... to anyone... is an ultimate sign of backing, and one of trust.
It is a sacrosanct honor, the absolute agreement of speaking truth and respect. The words I can use in any human language are insufficient to describe the weight of this honor. This gesture is one of absolute truth. Family lines with hatred going back millions of years would never dare to violate this honor."
"Only one Elder in history did so, one who once led a group known as the Stannic Resistance. He does so no longer. Penny Balica, Champion of Humanity... if there is nothing else I can give you to prove that I do really back you, there is this."
"...Just how low are my chances in the Judgment for you to resort to this?" Penny asked.
"They are not zero, but your battle with be incredibly difficult even with this boon of mine. The future of the galaxy, I now realize, hinges on the outcome of this. If we do not have enough trust, they will sniff it out, and we will fail."
So she had no choice. But as Nilncrawla continued to explain in her mind, Kashaunta was getting the worse side of the deal. Which meant she was throwing her backing behind Penny for real, beyond all reproach and retraction. Kashaunta, the most powerful Elder in the galaxy.
"And if I reject this gift, or your reasons for it?"
"Circumstances would demand that I kill you and then myself using this blade as a way to cut apart the dishonor, before my remains are dumped into a black hole to be forgotten forever. I would not do this."
"A dark and archaic custom," Penny said. She would have said more, but she looked at Nilnacrawla's face. He was clearly deeply uncomfortable. Her five words had shaken him more than anything she'd ever said to him before.
"You do not understand," Nilnacrawla said. "This is not something to joke or lie about. With a Soul Blade Pact in play, all else must cease. Right now, there is you, and there is her. Accept or decline. The choice, your only choice, is yours."
"How will this look to the Elders in the court? To the Sprilnav, and the people who back me?"
She could see how it would be a boon and a curse.
"You, and I," Kashaunta said. "The whole of the universe between us right now is you and I. No others exist until this one act is done. There will be trust or there will be death. No in between. No middle ground. The nature of this bond will be a Pact of Blades."
Conceptual energy swirled between them. Penny's natural translation, as part of the hivemind, failed for the first time ever. Her communicator likewise did not translate the words Kashaunta spoke.
"Eis nama kaste Penny Balica, sun lanci Dorima Kashaunta. Ko'ri, lanci nupa bes na Dorima'Pecunyanova. Sp'rkial'nova. Sun. Homo Sapiens."
The air grew thick with tension. It was not just emotional, either. Psychic and conceptual energy gathered. The mindscape started to distort as more and more eyes began to view Kashaunta and Penny. But all of them were Sprilnav eyes. All of them were Progenitors. Nova's appeared brightest and largest, nearly six times the size of the next largest pair. They stared at her, sending psychic and conceptual energy down upon her in waves that forced her and Kashaunta to kneel to the ground.
"I apologize for my earlier words," Penny said. "I should not have denigrated this."
Penny stood for an hour, deeply contemplating the Pact. If it was as Nilnacrawla was describing to her, it was a promise that Kashaunta would not break. If she was offering it at all, especially to Penny, it meant she had a level of trust in Penny's capability far above what Penny had previously thought. Apparently, there were even higher agreements than this that were possible, with this Pact being the lowest level of bond and considered unbreakable with the enforcement of consequences coming from the Progenitors themselves.
She thought of her place in Justicar and the wider universe. Hours passed like water. And then, by the end of it, after nearly 19 hours, Penny finally had decided. She gave a short nod to Kashaunta, who had been kneeling to Nova all this time.
Kashaunta gestured at the sword. "Tol, nopa shikai."
Nilnacrawla fed her a few suggestions on what she would need to say.
"I come to this Pact seeking peace, justice, and hope," Penny said. "And a promise not to betray one another, by lies or by treachery."
Nilnacrawla translated Kashaunta's next words to her.
"I come to this seeking trust, understanding, respect, and peace," Kashaunta said. "And a promise not to betray one another, by lies or by treachery. I make this Pact before the gods, those who equal them, and those who surpass them. I bind them to an oath of silence regarding this event, until I directly instruct them otherwise, in a state of a sound mind, body, and soul. Here, we shall step into a future that needs both of us, casting aside that which is unimportant to focus on the ultimate goals we have. I offer my Blade to Penny Balica, of species Homo Sapiens. In this way, we forge a new future, and walk a new path. I accept the Pact."
"I accept the Pact."
Nova and a hundred Progenitors descended. Nova grew larger, and Kashaunta knelt to him. Penny remained standing. His sharp teeth glittered in the light. He pressed his claws to Penny's chest, and to Kashaunta's chest.
"The Pact of Blades is made before the Progenitors. We agree to your vow of silence. The penalty of breaking it will be dismemberment and disposal into a black hole. Penny Balica, Engineer Kashaunta. To break this Pact without mutual agreement is to call down our collective wrath upon yourselves. You both have agreed, and are of sound mind, body, and soul. The Pact is forged. By sword, by word, by action. I, Nova, Everlasting, Lord of the Progenitors, King of all Sp'rkial'nova, Heir to the Mantle of Power, Heir to Narvravarana, Progenitor, Elder, and Sprilnav, declare the deed done, etched in time, space, and Reality."
They winked out of existence one by one, leaving Penny and Kashaunta alone, to ponder the future. Penny's thoughts turned to the Judgment, and her confidence she could win it began to waver. How much worse was this Judgment going to be than before?
Penny stared at Kashaunta's Soul Blade. With careful fingers, she took it. Kashaunta sat up, satisfied.
"Now we can begin. I shall compile all the news about you I can find, and we shall see how to address the questions the High Judges will ask. Now that you trust me, I cannot betray you."

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

"The Sewed King is the name given to an hypothetical entity that originated from a corrupted fable weaved by editors, it all started with a world being written by one of those meta entities mentioned in Tales We Weave. Originally the story was supposed to be cheerful and happy, with not many details but being a narrative that could embody joy and happiness. It started with a brave and happy king living in a kingdom located near a beach, the king didn't had a queen or even kids but he was still happy as well his kingdom who was considered the strongest and happiest kingdom among all, no monarch could even understand the secret the king had to have such a perfect happy place. Eventually the king met a beautiful woman in which he fell in love and decided to marry her, and so the already happy kingdom won a new queen to rule over them"
"Though the narrative seemed short, simple, and cheerful something went severely wrong when it suddenly started self writing bad plots and replacing happy parts with horrific sentences, some sentences being extremely disgusting and horrible even for editors to read. Attempts to edit the narrative and rewrite it back as it used to be didn't seemed to work, and the narrative somewhat always returned to self write bad things. Seeing that nothing seemed to be working, the editors decided to rip and terminate the narrative of the happy king, deleting the story and ceasing it's existence. However this would only prove to be ineffective when several stories from the Collective Webs started behaving and presenting bad plots everywhere, with tragic and horrific scenes happening consecutively. Most of the times the story ended with the protagonist or either the people losing their limbs and members, and so the once simple narrative became a nightmare for editors to remove and purge since the influence of the Sewed King was spreading exponentially like a virus through the endlessly stories of the Collective Webs, attempting to rewrite all stories to become horror narratives instead. Aiming to stop the problem for once and for all, many editors gathered together in a final attempt to counter attack the horrific influence of the Sewed King before it could spread to the Primary Webs. It demanded more than eight thousand editors to purge the bad influence that was harming the Collective Webs and so the problem seemed to be once again terminated and closed (or at least is what they believed)"
"Due to the lack of informations it is almost impossible to describe when exactly the events of the Sewed King happened but it is assumed shortly after the narrative of the happy king was terminated. The Sewed King Is apparently only believed to be a event that corrupts narratives and creates horror stories wherever it's infection has spread further beyond the multiverse. While only believed to be something and not someone, the idea of the Sewed King being a entity wasn't discarded by editors due to patterns being observed in different stories, with them always ending with the characters being torn apart and a mysterious figure watching in the background. However nothing was confirmed and the idea of them being a actual entity remained hypothetical. When manifested in the story, The Sewed King will change the plot of the story and turn it into a horror story instead, making it end tragically for the protagonists most of the times"
**Trivia: -The name "Sewed King" was created by editors after noticing that most of the stories that were corrupted and infected by the horrific plot, had dead people with their limbs or members being sewed like if it was ripped off their body and sitched back into them
-There are currently no solid evidences to confirm the Sewed King is a entity instead of a event
-Things such as personality or appearance are also inapplicable to the Sewed King due to the fact of them having never appeared psychically, remaining as an hypothetical being instead
-Reports points that this anomaly somewhat embodies horroterror plots and writing, representing the detrimental side of the narrative's plot**
------Poem of the Happy King-------
Once upon a time, there existed an kingdom located near an beach where it was ruled by its brave and happy monarch, the king didn't had offsprings and neither a queen but he was still happy and confident in eventually finding a woman to give continuation to his bloodline. Everything in the kingdom was always cheerful and happy, the residents were satisfied with their monarch and so peace ruled over the kingdom for decades till the most happiest day when the king found the perfect woman to be his queen, and so the marriage happened with the entire kingdom being invited for the ceremony and crowning of the queen. After the crowning of the queen and days celebrating the new queen the kingdom thrived and grew in prosperity and power becoming even happier than it was. And so The King and the Queen lived happily together and forever.
----------------------The end-------------------