Below you will find a weekly reminder of our Rules and partial FAQ. It's definitely a long read, but it's worth your time, especially if you are new to the community, or dropping by as a result of a link you found elsewhere. We periodically revise our rules, this weekly notice will help keep you informed of any changes made.
NOTE: These rules are guidelines. Some moderation discretion is to be expected.

Community Rules

1. Kindness Matters

Advise, don't criticize.

• Post with empathy, thoughtfulness, and constructive commentary rather than judgment. Don't be an asshole.
• Name-calling, slurs (including gender or race based slurs), and insults towards other community members will not be tolerated. Do not attack others for their personally held values, custody situation, marital status, physical distance from stepkids, or economic status; or on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, or ethnicity.
• No name-calling toward children, including the above-mentioned insults or the term "skids", or terms such as "mini-wife" or "mini-husband."
• Comments advocating spanking or any mention of wanting to harm children are not allowed.
• This is a support sub, not a judgement sub, assholes are not tolerated. Comments with terms used in other subs to pass judgement on assholes will be removed.

2. No Drama

This is a support sub.

• Bickering, nitpicking, and thread derailment will not be tolerated and will be subject to removal at moderator discretion.
• Do not repeatedly badger a poster demanding answers, or refuse to acknowledge an answer that's already been given.
• Do not use sensitive issues from past posts (either from this sub or other subs) to attack another user, as we are all discussing vulnerable topics.
• Crossposting anything from /stepparents to any other subreddit might result in a ban and may result in the original thread being locked. Brigading our sub will result in an immediate ban.

3. Report, Don’t Rant

No backseat modding.

• If you see someone breaking the rules, report the post or comment to the mods rather than engaging them in an argument. Failure to do so may be subject to comment removal at moderator discretion.
• No meta posts complaining about rude comments, DMs, or general sub issues.
• If you think someone is a troll or previously banned user, either use the report function or message the mods to direct their attention to the issue.

4. No Naming & Shaming

No userpings or links.

• Tagging/pinging users or other subreddits in an attempt to bully, harass, or complain will not be tolerated. Do not tag other subs, ever.
• If you want to complain about another subreddit being hostile to stepparents, do not name the subreddit. "Other parenting/advice/judgement subs" will suffice.

5. No Platitudes

Nobody knew what they were getting into.

• Comments like "You knew what you were getting into", "Love them, love their kids!", "They're a package deal!" and "You have to love them like your own!" will be removed.
• Comments suggesting that OP is not cut out for stepparenting will be removed at moderator discretion.
• Comments like "This is just a part of parenting, deal with it!" will be removed at moderator discretion.

6. No Trolling

We have zero tolerance for trolls.

• This is a support sub. Our subscribers do not have the time, nor inclination, to provide support to internet trolls. Posts that are suspected to be trolling attempts will be immediately removed, and the poster banned.
• Concern trolling, devil's advocating, gish-galloping, sealioning, and general asshattery are subject to immediate removal and banning without warning or notice.
• Any attempt to circumvent the ban by creating a new username will be reported to reddit admins and possibly result in account suspension.

7. No Personally Identifiable Information

Use discretion when posting.

• We highly recommend using a separate account for support subs to help prevent being doxxed. Do not post any information that may allow others to figure out your identity.
• Do not post photos of children, or any other photo that could be used to identify you or another user on the sub.
• Any image that contains a name or other identifying information should have the name or identifying information blurred out. This includes drawings, notes, and screenshots.
• Do not link to social media or any articles/blogs where you or another user on the sub is mentioned by name.

8. No More than 2 Posts per 24 hours

Use the daily threads.

• We are not a huge sub, but we are no longer a small sub. If you have multiple grievances to air, use the daily discussion threads instead of multiple posts.

9. Follow Reddiquette

Remember the human.

• Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life.
• Read it in full here.
• Downvoting is reserved for comments that don’t contribute, and shouldn't be used to indicate disagreement.
• If you believe someone is in violation of the subreddit rules, please either use the report function or message the mods to direct their attention to the issue.
• Suspected brigading will be reported to reddit admins.

10. No Porn, Spam, Blogs, or Research Studies/Surveys Without Mod Approval

Just don't.

• This is a SFW subreddit. Posting pornography will result in immediate post removal and permanent ban.
• Advertising on the subreddit (outside of Reddit's own advertising) is not allowed.
• No personal blog posts are allowed without express moderator permission.
• No advertising without prior mod approval.
• No asking for money/posting fundraisers/etc.
• For links to parenting research studies or surveys, please message the mods for permission before posting.

11. Disputes in Modmail Only

Don't argue with the mods on the sub.

• Any issues specifically related to how a mod is moderating should be addressed to the full moderating team via mod mail. This ensures that all mods are aware of any concerns and prevents disintegration of the topic thread at hand.
• This means to do not message or send chat requests to individual mods. All discussion and complaints about mod actions need to be done in mod mail ONLY. Failure to follow this rule can result in an immediate permanent ban.
• Comments in threads asking about mod decisions are subject to removal without notice.

12. Moderator Actions

We aren't kidding.

• Users are expected to know the rules before posting. If you are warned or banned for violating the rules, ignorance is not an excuse.
• Moderators will remove posts and comments and/or lock threads in accordance with the rules above. Typically this happens when threads have gone off-topic in a way that is not productive for the OP, or comments overall have become contentious or disrespectful.
• If a poster continues to argue or to willfully violate these rules, temporary and permanent ban procedures will be followed. Any attempts to avoid or bypass temporary bans will result in a permanent ban. User bans will not be discussed in the sub. Questions posted about user bans are subject to removal and the poster subject to warning/ban procedures. The mod team will not discuss a specific user ban with anyone other than the user involved.
• New accounts are subject to manual approval until they are no longer deemed "new" by the mod team. This helps to weed out trolls and ban evaders.
• We rely on Automoderator to scan for specific words and phrases that are not welcome here and notify the mod team to review the comment or post. This includes slurs of any type and platitudes such as "Love them as your own!"
• The mod team uses a combination of blacklisting and banning when dealing with trolls.
• We employ the use of a bot that automatically bans anyone who comments in subs that have historically harassed our users. If you are picked up by the bot for telling trolls to get fucked, reach out via mod mail and we'll get you sorted out.
• The rules above as well as ban procedures are considered guidelines only; some deviation may be necessary on a case by case basis and/or at the mod team's discretion.

13. Ban Procedure

These actions are at moderator discretion.

• Pornography will result in an automatic permanent ban.
• Extremely egregious content will result in an immediate permanent ban.
• You may receive a 7 or 30 day temporary ban for first and second rule violations, depending upon severity.
• Continued rule violations will result in a permanent ban.
• Willful attempts to avoid or bypass temporary bans will result in a permanent ban.
• We recognize the reddit site-wide rules of using alt names to get around bans and will ban those as well as report them to reddit admins.

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FAQ - About the Rules

What does Kindness Matters mean?

• Shortest version? Don't be an asshole. People come here for support and advice, they do not come here to be yelled at or told they are the reason everything is going sideways. There are ways to point out that someone may want to do some reflection on their own actions and reactions without being an asshole about it.
• The purpose of this subreddit is to provide support and a sense of belonging for struggling stepparents. We aren't here to pass judgement, but rather to offer support, empathy, and constructive commentary. That does not include "hard truths" or "tough love." Stepparents get enough of that in every other subreddit, we're not passing it out here. Be respectful.
• Remember, most people aren't going to come to a sub like this when everything is going great and everyone is getting along. People are coming here when they are down, when they are feeling defeated and stretched to the limit. Kicking someone when they are down is shitty behavior and we don't tolerate it.

What about being kind to the kids?

• "Won't somebody think of the children?" Pearl clutching isn't needed here. If you read the Kindness Matters rule closely, you will see that there is a clause in there about name calling children. We don't allow it. We also don't allow people rolling in telling OP that they feel sorry for their stepkids because OP is feeling overwhelmed and overloaded.
• If anyone is advocating slapping, spanking, or any other form of violence, report the comment immediately. We do not advocate violence towards children of any sort. The mod team does not advocate any sort of physical punishment at any time.
• Venting about behaviors is not the same as insulting the kids. However, if you see a post or comment where kids are being name called or dragged to the point of no return, use the report button. We try to catch the posts and remove them before they hit the sub, but we cannot see every comment without your help. Use the report button to bring problematic comments to our attention. Don't engage in a war of words on our subreddit.

Why is this sub such an echo chamber?

• Not allowing contributors to pile on and tell OP that they are a terrible human being who should never be around children does not equate to being an echo chamber. Many contributors here will offer OP suggestions to help them work through their resentments and frustrations, and the most egregious situations are called out. We simply ask that it be called out with respect.
• If you feel that a post is simply too much for you to handle without following the rules, move on to another post.
• If you believe that a post itself is crossing the rules report it. If the mod team has approved the post, it is because the mod team believes that the OP needs help from the community or needs a moment to vent and move on from their vent. That does not give you license to pile on disrespectfully. Unless it is proven that OP is a bot, assume that OP is a human being with real thoughts and feelings and has posted from a place of vulnerability.

Why can't I tell OP that they are an asshole?

• Because this isn't a judgement sub. We aren't AITA, we don't want to be AITA.
• Comments with terms like YTA, NTA, ESH, NAH will be removed.
• Don't start your posts with INFO either. We generally recognize that as a fishing attempt for more information to pass judgement on OP, and again, we are not a judgment sub.

But OP asked if they were an asshole?!

• Their post somehow got past our automoderator. Just use the report button. We will address it with OP.
• If you've asked if you are an asshole, a-hole, a*hole, a**hole, whatever, don't be surprised if your post is removed without warning. This isn't a judgment sub. If you want judgment, you know where to go.

What is a gendered slur?

• While it seems that everyone understands what racist slurs are, people struggle understanding the concept of gendered slurs. Generally speaking, we are talking about derogatory nouns or verbs that are used to negatively describe people or situations based on gendered terms.
• We've gone back and forth on this a few times, and the truth is, we get it, it's your safe space and you want to be able to vent about BM/BD how you want to vent about them, without us telling you how to vent about them. Fair enough. Vent away. What we are going to stick to here how people are referring to other users and to stepchildren.
• Examples that are not allowed:
  • "My SD is such a little bitch."
  • "She dresses/acts like a slut."
  • "My SS acts like a pussy."
  • "My SS is such a beta male."
  • "You are all fucking whores."
  • "Any dude who is raising some sluts kids is a cuck!"
  • "Little Lord Fauntleroy over here thinking he runs the house!"
  • "You're just the bangnanny, get used to it."
• Don't call users here names, don't call stepchildren names.
• Masking the term with asterisks or other neat little tricks might get you around the bot, but if we see it, we're removing it and quite possibly giving you a time out. The intended word is still there and you deliberately tried to skate the rule.
• As there is not enough space to list every term that is offensive and does not belong, nor every situation in which term or phrase may be allowable in context, this rule is enforced based on moderator discretion.

Seriously? You are the language police now?

• We're here to talk about stepparenting. And we would like for that to happen in a respectful way. Attacking each other doesn't help. Belittling stepchildren draws in trolls who don't understand your frustration, all they see is an evil stepmonster talking shit on the internet about a poor, innocent baby. Yes, even if that "poor, innocent baby" just robbed you blind and set fire to the house on their way out the door. That's just how it goes.
• We are aware that this is a relatively new rule and a lot of older posts and comments contain a lot of problematic language, including some from mods themselves. We are growing and evolving, and rules change as the sub grows and evolves.

What does No Drama really mean?

• Pretty much what it says, do not bring drama from other subs into this sub. Do not engage in vote brigades. Do not try to incite other subscribers to riot in a different sub. Don't follow posters into this sub from other subs to continue to harass them. Do not badger someone or derail threads. Do not harass community members because you don't agree with them. There's enough drama in the daily lives of subscribers, more isn't needed.

What is thread derailment?

• When a comment chain has devolved to the point where all you are doing is arguing back and forth with someone about the same thing over and over again, you have derailed the thread. Also known as bickering. It's what children do. We assume if people are in a stepparent role they are adults. We expect you to act like it.
• If you aren't a stepparent, or in a stepparenting role, consider that perhaps this subreddit isn't for you. If you want to participate, do so with respect. Thread derailment, arguing, bickering, and nitpicking are not allowed.

But what if they didn't answer my question?

• No one has to answer your questions. This is a support sub, not an inquisition. Jumping on a bandwagon with "OP is evading the question" in a 20 comment long chain is the epitome of thread derailment. You'll find more information about trolling below and how this might be considered such.

Why am I being silenced? I'm just asking for a back and forth!

• Thread derailment, badgering, and nitpicking are considered harassment. Continued harassment of either community members or mods will get you banned.

Why can't I look at someone's post history and comment about it?

• No mod in the history of this sub has ever once said post histories are forbidden. What we do frown upon is using someone's post history to attack, belittle, or otherwise harass someone.
• Example Post: "My stepkid's mom really hates me. How can I make this better?"
  • Okay: "Based on the timeline and your post history, it looks like this may have started as an affair. Unfortunately there's going to be outstanding issues for a long time due to that. Try focusing on yourself and how you can move forward without worrying about how someone else feels about you."
  • Not Okay: "Holy shit! You were the OW! What the hell do you expect, homewrecker?!"
• Example Post: "I am completely overloaded and feeling very down about myself."
  • Okay: "In your post history you mentioned that your spouse wasn't really helping around the house. Has that changed at all?"
  • Not Okay: "LOL, you already got the answers you need in your post on relationships. You are stupid for sticking with your lazy spouse."

Why can't we crosspost stuff to other subs?

• We can't stop you from doing so. The problem isn't that something has been crossposted, it's when the community that it's been crossposted to feels the need to come over here and harass OP. When we see that happening, we lock the post and start passing out bans. If you did the crossposting, you'll be banned. If you participated in the brigading, you'll be banned.

What if it's my own post?

• Again, we can't stop you from doing so. We prefer that you don't technically crosspost, but rather just copy and paste your post. Why? Because inevitably the above will happen. Redditors from other subs will follow you back to /stepparents and start attacking users here. It just happens.

What is "brigading"?

• Reddit defines vote manipulation and brigading as follows:
• Using multiple accounts, voting services, or any other software to increase or decrease vote scores.
• Asking people to vote up or down certain posts, either on Reddit itself or through social networks, messaging, etc. for personal gain.
• Forming or joining a group that votes together, either on a specific post, a user's posts, posts from a domain, etc.
• We, along with pretty much every other subreddit that has ever had to deal with this nonsense, further define brigading as this: You saw a post on another sub that linked to our sub either via a link in a comment or a crosspost. It was basically saying something along the lines of "OMG, check out these assholes over on /stepparents! They literally hate all their stepkids!" And then you and your friends come over and start hammering on OP and telling OP how much they suck. Congrats, you have just participated in a brigade.

What is this whole Report, Don't Rant thing about?

• If you see a post or comment that breaks the rules, instead of engaging, report it. When you report it, it sends notification to the mod team. We will act on it where appropriate. Engaging with bad faith users may result in your comments being removed. If you repeatedly do so, you may end up being banned.

What if I see an obvious troll?

• Report it.

What if they are being really mean in comments?

• Report it.

What if they are harassing me in private messages?

• Step 1: Report them to admins. You can report harassment to reddit by using this link or send a DM to reddit admins. Include the link to the DM, admins can see your inbox and providing a direct link is helpful for them to weed out bad actors.
• Step 2: Block the person so they cannot directly contact you again.
• Step 3: Send us a mod mail and let the mod team know. Tell us who they are and what they said, send us a screenshot if you can - admins can see your DMs, mods can't. We'll take action where necessary by banning from the sub if they aren't already banned.

What do you mean by No Naming & Shaming?

• Just as we prefer to not be linked to or crossposted from, we do not allow linking to or calling out other subs by name. If you see something you want to share, say it's a hot post that has hit the front page and a stepparent is being absolutely flayed, just refer to it as "that hot post that hit the front page." If you want to complain about other places in general, "other parenting/advice/judgement subs" will suffice. Absolutely under no circumstances should you link to anywhere else.

I can't link to other subs?

• Do not directly link to another sub. (e.g.: "/insertsubnamehere is ridiculously hostile to stepparents!")
• Do not name other subs. (e.g.: "I won't link to it directly, but insertsubnamehere is ridiculously hostile to stepparents!")
• Do not abbreviate other subs. (e.g.: "I know that ISNH is ridiculously hostile to stepparents!")

I can't ping other users?

• Do not summon another user with a username ping/tag. (e.g.: "insertusernamehere was being an asshole.")
• If you are agreeing with someone, it is okay to link to them. (e.g.: "I agree with insertusernamehere, you need to take a couple of steps back and reflect on this.")

What does No Platitudes mean?

• Sanctimonious, overused clichés that grossly oversimplify the stepparenting experience are neither wanted nor allowed here. We have all heard it a thousand times before, we don't need to hear it again. It's not nearly as insightful and wise as some would like to think.

Why don't you people understand it's a package deal?

• Any comment that suggests that OP should have known what they were getting involved with, or that they needed to understand that the kids were part of some package they needed to accept before signing up for marriage is subject to immediate removal.
• This is one of the most insensitive things you can say to a stepparent. Most stepparents were aware of the children, but they were probably not aware of all of the family dynamics.

Why can't you just love them like they are your own?

• Demanding that a stranger you do not know love children that are not biologically theirs as if they were theirs can be incredibly damaging to someone who is already in a vulnerable situation. Any comment that falls along these lines will be removed.

What do you mean by No Trolling? I was just...

• No means no. No trolling. No pretending to be a stepparent and then whipping out the Greatest Hits Bingo Card of The Worst Stepparent in the History of Stepparents. We see you. We've seen you a thousand times.

What does "concern trolling", "gish-galloping", and "sealioning" have to do with stepparenting? This isn't a debate sub, why are you using debate terms?

• That's absolutely right, this isn't a debate sub. And yet, here we are, day after day, having to defend ourselves against this sort of thing. So, enough. No more. Usage of any of these things will get you banned.

What is "Concern Trolling?"

• A concern troll is someone who disingenuously visits sites of an opposing ideology to disrupt conversation by offering unwanted advice on how to solve problems which do not really exist.
  • Example Post: OP expresses concern that she will feel, and possibly act, differently towards her stepchildren after her husband decides that no, he doesn't want anymore children after all.
  • Example Concern Troll pulled from actual mod mail after their comment was removed: "Possible child abuse claims need to be sorted out well before whatever empathy you believe the OP was looking for."

What is a "Devil's Advocate"?

• "I'm just playing devil's advocate here, but have you considered that maybe BM is just really tired and needs a break, too?" BM has dozens of different mom based subs alone on reddit she can complain on, this sub is for stepparents. The stepparent doesn't need to consider that maybe BM is just really tired and needs a break.

"Gish-galloping?" What does that even mean?

• The Gish Gallop is the fallacious debate tactic of drowning your opponent in a flood of individually-weak arguments in order to prevent rebuttal of the whole argument collection without great effort. The Gish Gallop is a conveyor belt-fed version of the on the spot fallacy, as it's unreasonable for anyone to have a well-composed answer immediately available to every argument present in the Gallop.

And "sealioning?" What's that?

• Sealioning involves jumping into a conversation with endless polite, reasonable questions and demands for answers, usually of entry-level topics far below the actual conversation (e.g. "please prove sexism exists"). This tactic differs little from harassment; instead of discussion, the point is to derail discussion, receive criticism (for their ignorance) so as to look like a victim, or to make someone feel overwhelmed and quit talking.

Who gets to define what is considered asshattery?

• The mod team, of course! If we feel that comments are out of line, are trolling, are leading up to a fight or "just asking questions", we are going to remove them and most likely ban the offender.

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FAQ - Sub Questions

Posting Guidelines for Stepparents

• Body text is required, we suggest you use line breaks between paragraphs as a wall of text is difficult to read. Posts that have only a title are likely to be removed. Instead of using names (even fictitious ones), try to use the sub acronyms. It helps our users to follow along if you use the acronyms and not names.
• Assign a post flair that accurately describes what your post is about and what you are seeking. If you are posting an update from a previous post, include a link to that post.
• Flairs are applied to posts to determine what a person is looking for. When submitting a new post, you should choose a flair that specifies if you are looking for advice, support, etc. The following link flair is available and is color coded with side bar links so that you can search by flair:
  • Advice - For when you are specifically asking for advice or help.
  • Announcement - Mod Use Only, for subreddit announcements.
  • Daily (Formerly TTP) - Mod Use Only, for our daily discussion threads.
  • Discussion - A little advice, a little "How does your family handle this?"
  • JustBMThings - Pretty sure this is self explanatory!
  • Legal - Asking for legal advice? Tag it with this!
  • Miscellany - Just a sort of off topic thing? Use this tag.
  • Resource - Sharing a good resource or asking for one? This is the tag you need!
  • Support - For those days when you want nothing but a good old fashioned cry and some community love.
  • Update - Updating us on something that you posted about previously? Use this one!
  • Vent - We all need to vent sometimes. Respect the tag as a vent. This isn't how OP talks all day every day.
  • Win! - Celebrate those wins with us with this tag!
  • Megathread - Mod Use Only, for large mega threads (typically around major calendar events.)

Posting Guidelines for Bioparents

• Stepparents is a support community for stepparents, by stepparents. As bioparents, you may want to have more insight into how the stepparent in your life feels or thinks. You may have questions on how to ease the transition for your partner. However, please keep in mind that this community was not created for you. It was created for your partner or your ex's partner. If you are seeking support on how to deal with a stepparent, there are other subs more suited for your situation and your post is subject to removal.
• There are some posts from bioparents we will accept:
  • Seeking advice on how to support your partner as they navigate stepparenting
  • Seeking resources to help you better support your partner
  • Seeking resources for your partner
• There are some posts from bioparents we will not accept:
  • Complaints about how the stepparent is too involved in your kids lives
  • Vents about how the stepparent is not involved enough in your kids lives
  • "Cautionary tales" advising stepparents to back off
  • Seeking advice on how to tell the stepparent to back off
  • The Do's and Dont's of Stepparenting
  • How your kid's stepmom is literally The Worst
• Comments from bioparents that are helpful and supportive are welcome and appreciated. Comments from bioparents that are not helpful or supportive are not welcome and subject to removal. There are several other subs that may meet the needs of bioparents better than we can. We recommend /coparenting, /parenting, /parents, /blendedfamilies, and /singleparents as starting points.

Guidelines for Stepkids

• At this time, we do not generally accept posts from stepkids. Comments from stepkids that are helpful and supportive are welcome and appreciated. Comments from stepkids that are not helpful or supportive are not welcome and subject to removal. If you are a stepkid seeking support, we highly recommend /stepkids. It is a very supportive community specifically for stepkids. We also recommend /blendedfamilies as another potential group for support.

What the heck are all these acronyms? I'm confused!

• Check out the Common Acronyms wiki page. We try to keep this updated as new terms are introduced to the sub.

Why aren't my posts or comments showing up?

• New posters and accounts go through a waiting period before their posts will show in the sub and the comments on posts automatically. During the new account approval period the mod team will check posts to be sure you aren't attempting to circumvent a ban with a shiny new account. Please be patient while the timer runs down on your "new" status and the mod team approves your posts and responses.

Why was my comment removed?

• Comments are removed when they do not follow the rules of the sub. These rules are published in several places for your reading pleasure.
• Comments are removed at moderator discretion. In some cases your comment may be removed while another remains up. If you find this to be the case, and you believe the comment to be violating the rules, instead of arguing with mods or demanding they remove the additional comments, just report it.

This comment/post is really offensive! Why is it still up?

• All moderators are volunteers and have busy real lives. Sometimes things get past us. The best thing you can do is report anything you find offensive or inflammatory. It's the quickest and most reliable way of alerting us to an issue.

I've received a hurtful/unwanted PM from someone about my recent post. What should I do?

• If you receive an unwanted/hurtful PM from a name you don't recognize, please report it to Reddit Admins using our handy pre-populated form. Be sure to include the permalink to the message. We've been dealing with a few unhappy folks who like to attack stepparents, and reporting it to the admins is the only way to make it stop.

What are the general moderator guidelines?

• Users are expected to know the rules before posting. If you are warned or banned for violating the rules, ignorance is not an excuse.
• Moderators will remove posts and comments and/or lock threads in accordance with the rules above. Typically this happens when threads have gone off-topic in a way that is not productive for the OP, or comments overall have become contentious or disrespectful.
• If a poster continues to argue or to willfully violate these rules, temporary and permanent ban procedures will be followed. Any attempts to avoid or bypass temporary bans will result in a permanent ban. User bans will not be discussed in the sub. Questions posted about user bans are subject to removal and the poster subject to warning/ban procedures. The mod team will not discuss a specific user ban with anyone other than the user involved.
• New accounts are subject to manual approval until they are no longer deemed "new" by the mod team. This helps to weed out trolls and ban evaders.
• We rely on Automoderator to scan for specific words and phrases that are not welcome here and notify the mod team to review the comment or post. This includes slurs of any type and platitudes such as "Love them as your own!"
• The mod team uses a combination of blacklisting and banning when dealing with trolls.
• We employ the use of a bot that automatically bans anyone who comments in subs that have historically harassed our users. If you are picked up by the bot for telling trolls to get fucked, reach out via mod mail and we'll get you sorted out.
• The rules above as well as ban procedures are considered guidelines only; some deviation may be necessary on a case by case basis and/or at the mod team's discretion.

I've been wrongly banned/Why can't I comment here?

• Due to an influx of harassment from users with specific user histories, we have employed a user history ban bot as described above. If you think this has affected you and wish to appeal, please message the mods.

Why was I banned without warning?

• There are numerous reasons that the mod team might opt to move perm banning without warning. Message the moderators if you have specific questions.

My name is Rory Fars, and my little sister, Lily Fars, is the last family I had left.
A heavy sense of dread settled over me like a suffocating blanket as I sat in the worn leather seat of Lily's old jeep. The car, a relic of our happier days, seemed to groan under our shared sorrow. Beside me, Lily, my best friend, and confidante, absentmindedly twirled a strand of her long, dark hair, which swayed gently in rhythm with the haunting melodies from the oldies station on the radio. This car had seen us through countless joyful journeys when our family was whole. Almost three years had passed since that fateful Christmas trip in Texas when our parents were tragically killed in a horrific multi-car pileup. The memory of their loss was a constant ache, a wound that never fully healed.
My dad was from Amarillo, Texas, so my parents often took trips down there, visiting the places that held so many memories for him. During one of these trips, just before Christmas, a sudden blizzard struck while they were on the freeway. The snow fell in blinding sheets, making the world outside a disorienting white blur. As they tried to slowly pull to the side, their vision obscured by the relentless storm, they never saw the car barreling toward them at least forty miles an hour. The impact was devastating, an abrupt and brutal end to their journey and, in many ways, to our lives as we had known them.
My parents were always sticklers for safety, insisting on seatbelts every time we got in the car. So, of course, they had theirs on during that fateful trip. The initial impact wasn't what killed them, the coroner explained to me. Not even the first hit from behind, which was going at least fifty miles an hour, was fatal. I had to practically shake the information out of him—they were so resistant to tell me anything at first. By the time the third car hit, with an unknown speed, their survival was already in jeopardy. The coroner said that by the fifth car, they were likely dead. But it didn't end there. Another twenty-three vehicles slammed into the back of the pile, each collision further crushing their bodies, reducing them to a horrific, unrecognizable state. Each jarring impact pushed my parents deeper into a gruesome amalgamation of twisted metal and shattered lives.
I don't know why I felt compelled to demand those details at the time, but I deeply regret it now. I wish I had never asked. Almost every night, unless I drink myself into oblivion, I am haunted by nightmares of what they endured. I dream of driving up to save them, only to be caught in the same deadly barrage of cars, ending in a twisted metal tomb for all of us.
Lily is never in those dreams. Even in my most horrific imaginings, I can't envision her being hurt. Lily is my little sister, younger by eight years and three months. Whenever I mention our age difference, I see the judgment in people's eyes, but what can I say? Our parents never stopped loving each other. They had Lily late in life; she became our shared joy, our living reminder of the love that had bound our family together.
Lily wasn't my twin in the literal sense, but ever since she was born, it felt like we shared the inexplicable connection that twins often describe. As she grew up, our bond only deepened—we acted, sounded, and even looked remarkably alike. She became my rock, especially after our parents' tragic deaths. We leaned on each other, cried into each other's shoulders, and somehow found the strength to move forward. We eventually moved in together, finding solace in a two-bedroom apartment that became our sanctuary.
Lily seemed to handle our parents' deaths better than I did, or maybe she was just better at distracting herself with technology. Even before their passing, Lily was addicted to any kind of digital screen she could manipulate. Her ability to navigate the digital world was unmatched; she was the most intelligent person I had ever met. Her intelligence was a beacon of light in the darkness that had enveloped us, a testament to her resilience and brilliance.
After my parents' death, I embarked on a quest to find my spirituality by delving into paranormal investigations. I hoped these pursuits would bring me closer to my parents in the afterlife, spiritual realm, or whatever you want to call it. Instead, it created a chasm between me and any sense of spiritual existence. Each investigation seemed to push me further from the answers I sought, leaving me feeling more isolated and disconnected than ever.
I had hoped that by exploring these paranormal claims, I would discover a way to reach out to my parents and feel their presence again. Yet, as the years have passed, this endeavor has only deepened my loneliness and sense of loss. Despite knowing how detrimental it is to my mental health, I can't bring myself to stop. The hope that the subsequent investigation will be the one that proves the existence of an afterlife and that I'll find a way to contact my parents keeps me going. It's a desperate, unrelenting pursuit for a connection that remains heartbreakingly out of reach.
I should have accepted their death and moved on like any sane person would. Instead, I let my grief fester and dragged my sister and a stranger, Mark, through my obsessive quest for answers. My relentless pursuit of the paranormal didn't just alienate me; it consumed us all, leading to their untimely deaths. My name is Rory Fars, and I am here to confess my side of the story about the missing case of Lily Fars and Mark Lawrence.
This is the truth about how my desperate search for a connection with the afterlife led to a nightmare from which none of us could escape.
To start off, no, Lily was not a student of Mark's who fell in love with him and then got jealous of me hitting on him, leading her to kill him and herself. I know that sounds ridiculous, but given some wild theories circulating online, I need to address this one specifically since it seems to be the most popular.
First and foremost, Mark Lawrence was not, nor has he ever been, a professor at a university. Lily and I met Mark at the Local Museum in Redlin, a town nestled deep in the Appalachian Mountains. He was the curator of an exhibit showcasing the history of Raven's Nest, a forgotten mining town that neither Lily nor I had ever heard of. This is where our story begins, in a place steeped in history and mystery, far removed from the convoluted theories that now cloud the truth.
We were constantly searching for new ideas for our podcast about paranormal claims. Each of our twenty-five episodes so far had concluded with a rational explanation, so when Mark told us about the curse of Harper, I was immediately intrigued.
Mark was an older man, likely in his mid-sixties, with a full head of silver hair and a beard that stubbornly clung to its youthful color, only lightly dusted with grey. He had a presence that commanded attention, and his stories about the curse were delivered with an intensity that drew me in.
On the other hand, Lily was always more interested in the technical aspects of the paranormal. She had her own theories and was determined to debunk every claim we investigated. She wasn't easily swayed by Mark's tales about the curse of Harper, but she was willing to listen and give him a chance to prove himself. Her skeptical mind constantly checked my enthusiasm, and together, we hoped to uncover the truth behind yet another paranormal mystery.
"Hello ladies, care to hear about the mysterious town of Raven's Nest?" Mark asked with theatrical enthusiasm.
Lily and I exchanged a knowing glance, trying to stifle our amusement. Despite our attempts to remain composed, a smirk played at the corners of our lips.
"We're all ears," I replied, my tone laced with a hint of sarcasm.
He sighed, almost as if he was disappointed that we said yes. Taking a deep breath, he seemed to steel himself for the task ahead. "Well, you see," he began, his voice tinged with uncertainty, "in the early twentieth century, a man named Harper Franstein exploited many men and children in the coal mines. By the mid-1920s, he had established his own settlement in a secluded valley, which he dubbed 'The Raven's Nest.' It was never officially recognized as a town, but that's the only name we have to go off of."
I could see the beads of sweat forming on Mark's brow as he struggled to recall every detail. Despite his initial enthusiasm, he now appeared flustered, his confidence waning. Eventually, he resorted to consulting his damp and crumpled notes, a sign of his growing unease.
"Um, anyway, yeah, um," he stuttered, audibly gulping as his nerves got the better of him. Lily couldn't contain her laughter, emitting a snicker that earned us a glare from Mark.
"Hey, just relax," I interjected, trying to diffuse the tension. "We're not here to judge or intimidate you." With a gentle touch on his forearm and a chuckle, I attempted to reassure him, hoping to ease his obvious discomfort.
He paused, sharing a chuckle with me, while Lily struggled to suppress her laughter and eventually excused herself, leaving just Mark and me. Evidently, he felt more at ease with fewer listeners, so he pressed on with his narrative.
"Anyway," he resumed, "Harper held complete control over the town and the mine, and he made sure everyone was acutely aware of that fact. When the disappearances began, he tried to sweep them under the rug, attributing them to anything but his own negligence in mining practices."
"What do you mean by 'negligence in mining practices'?" I interjected, eager to delve deeper into his intriguing tale.
He looked up, clearly pleased by my question. "Yes, exactly," he affirmed. "Harper adhered to a mining technique outlined by Dwight Brunst in the mid to late nineteenth century. This method mandated only one entry and exit point into the mine."
"Wait, so they were forbidden from creating additional exits?" I pressed for clarification.
"Not explicitly," he explained. "The practice advocated for just one entry and exit as it was believed to minimize the risk of cave-ins, at least in theory. However, there were instances where miners, feeling uneasy about this restriction, took matters into their own hands and carved out what they called 'Emergency Exits' for themselves. After about half of the town started going missing, Harper couldn't take criticism about how he responded, but most people say he was losing money quickly and didn't want to live in a world where he was poor. He walked into the mine, never to be seen again, much like the cave's past victims. Visitors report seeing and hearing Harper, trying to get them to leave."
As I stood there, listening to Mark's enthralling narrative, I found myself captivated by the mysterious allure of Raven's Nest. Unable to contain my curiosity, I decided to pose a question.
"So, what does the town look like now?" I inquired, eager to learn more about the present state of this enigmatic place.
Mark's demeanor shifted slightly as he rifled through his notes, a subtle indication that he didn't have a straightforward answer to my query.
"You've never been there?" I asked, my tone softening with genuine curiosity.
He flinched as though my question had struck a nerve. "Shhhhhh... shut up," he demanded, his voice tinged with unease.
Suppressing a chuckle, I leaned in closer and whispered, "Okay, hear me out. My sister Lily and I are investigating paranormal phenomena. Your story about Raven's Nest sounds like the perfect addition to our podcast. What do you say we compensate you for your guidance? Let's say, three hundred bucks?"
He straightened up, contemplating my proposition for a few moments. Without uttering a word, he extended his hand, and I met it halfway with my own, sealing our agreement with a firm handshake.
Our journey to Raven's Nest was no easy feat. Situated a good twenty miles from town and nestled deep within a dense valley. After all of the tight turns, narrow dirt roads, and steep inclines, it took us a grueling two and a half hours to go twenty-something miles, but we finally reached the outskirts of the infamous settlement. As we stood at the edge of the "Nest," anticipation mingled with trepidation, setting the stage for the eerie exploration that lay ahead.
I glanced at my phone; the time read 11:56 pm, signaling the late hour. Sensing the exhaustion weighing heavily, I suggested we catch a few hours of rest in Lily's jeep. Mark, though visibly unsettled, remained silent from the back seat, his arms folded tightly across his chest as he slumped against the window like a sulking child.
Drifting asleep in the passenger seat, I soon found myself ensnared in a nightmare. In my dream, Mark was being dragged away into the darkness, his desperate attempts to claw his way back to safety only resulting in broken fingertips. Despite his struggles, he was powerless against the unseen force pulling him inexorably into the abyss. Suddenly, I was alone, engulfed in utter darkness, my heart pounding with fear as I ran blindly from an unseen terror that seemed to pursue me relentlessly, its malevolent presence palpable but unseen.
I jolted awake, gasping for breath, my heart racing as the remnants of dread lingered in the pit of my stomach. It was morning, and I was struggling to adjust my vision. Lily's frantic but comforting voice broke through the haze of my terror, grounding me in reality. With her comforting embrace, I gradually calmed my racing thoughts, drawing deep, steadying breaths.
As we sat there, enveloped in each other's embrace, Mark approached the driver's side window with an unexpected question, "Alright, what's for breakfast?" His nonchalant tone and casual demeanor were a stark contrast to the harrowing nightmare that had just consumed my thoughts, momentarily dispelling the lingering specter of fear that had haunted my dreams.
Lily and I both look up at him and back at each other as we burst out into laughter.
Amidst our shared laughter, Lily and I exchanged amused glances before turning our attention back to Mark.
"Ha...ha, yeah. No, but seriously, what's for breakfast? Eggs, bacon, toast, at least?" Mark pressed, hoping for a more substantial response.
His earnest inquiry fueled our laughter further, our giggles echoing through the quiet night air. Eventually, we regained our composure and stepped out of the jeep, stretching our limbs after the cramped confines of the vehicle.
Mark awkwardly moves to the side, still waiting for an honest answer. Lily tossed him a granola bar, eliciting a bemused chuckle from him. With a shared understanding, we set off on foot, embarking on the hike into the town.
The path ahead was clear: a single dirt road that wound its way from the abandoned coal mine into the heart of the small settlement. The road, now overgrown and muddy from years of disuse, bore the marks of neglect and isolation. Wary of the treacherous conditions, Lily opted to forgo the risk of getting stuck, steering clear of the decrepit road that likely hadn't seen a traveler in at least half a century.
We parked Lily's jeep at the entrance to both the mine and the town of Raven's Nest, opting to proceed on foot from there. Standing at the mountain's peak, gazing down at the desolate town below, I couldn't help but ponder the history beneath the dilapidated structures. I imagined how this valley must have once been a pristine landscape cherished by the indigenous people who roamed its lush terrain.
"Jesus, this place is more like a shit nest," Mark muttered in disgust, his disdain evident in his tone.
Lily shot me a knowing glance, silently communicating her skepticism toward Mark's assessment of the town.
Deciding to put Mark's knowledge to the test, I casually inquired, "So, what year was this area founded?"
Mark's reaction was almost defensive as if my question had caught him off guard. He hesitated momentarily before fumbling for his note cards in his pocket, a telltale sign that he wasn't as knowledgeable as he let on.
Before he could respond, I interjected with another question, "Mark, how long have you worked at the museum?"
As Mark froze, his gaze locking onto mine like a deer caught in headlights, I watched him closely, waiting for any sign of hesitation or discomfort. My narrowed eyes bore into his, silently urging him to be honest.
Finally, breaking the tense silence, Mark confessed, "Look, this is only my first week. I... I haven't had the greatest time lately, and I really need the extra money. I'm sorry I lied, but I'll help however I can."
I met his gaze unwaveringly, sensing the sincerity in his words. Clearly, he was a man in need of redemption, grappling with his own personal struggles.
"Alright, alright, don't cry too much," I teased lightly, trying to ease the tension. Gesturing towards Lily, who was busy preparing her wireless motion cameras in her backpack, I continued, "Lily and I already figured that was the case. Honestly, we're surprised you agreed to come along."
Mark remained frozen, but the tension seemed to melt away from his expression, replaced by a tentative smile. It was a moment of shared understanding, a silent acknowledgment that he was still welcomed into our expedition despite his initial deception.
"Alright, I have the cams and portable batteries to make sure the cameras and anything we have with power can last," Lily said, her voice brimming with determination.
We began our descent into the town, our hiking boots struggling against the thick, clinging mud produced by the constant light rain and years of disuse. Each step was a battle, the mud threatening to swallow our boots with every move.
After an eternity of trudging through the muck, we finally reached the town's only paved road—the main road. It had taken us only about fifteen minutes to hike down, but navigating the muddy slope had sapped our energy. We paused for a break, taking a few minutes to clean off our boots and catch our breath.
As we rested, I noticed Lily rummaging through her bag with a focused intensity. Curious, I asked, "What are you looking for?"
"I brought five motion-detecting cameras that I want to set up strategically throughout the town," she replied, pulling out one of the cameras. She walked over to the nearest building, a structure that served as a post office, police station, and fire station. She positioned the camera outside the building so it was pointed at the only road leading in and out of the town.
"We need to cover all potential points of interest," she explained, securing the camera in place. "This one will monitor any activity on the main road. We should place the other cameras around key locations like the mine entrance, the town square, and some more intact buildings."
I nodded, appreciating her thoroughness. "Good idea. We need to make sure we capture anything unusual."
Mark, having finally caught his breath, joined us. "Alright, let's get these cameras set up and see what we can find," he said, a hint of excitement in his voice.
"Look," Lily said, turning her tablet screen toward us. She waved her hand in front of the camera she had just placed. The tablet displayed five squares on the interface, each meant to show a feed from one of the cameras. Since Lily had only set up one camera so far, only the bottom right square showed any footage pointed at the road leading out of town. She stopped waving her hand, and the feed went to a blue screen.
"What happened? Did we lose connection?" Mark asked frantically, his eyes wide with concern.
Lily cackled, struggling to contain her amusement. Composing herself, she waved her hand in front of the camera again, and the bottom right square showed her hand waving once more. "It's motion-activated. It's the best way to save on battery life," she explained.
Mark seemed to relax, though he was still catching his breath after the brief panic.
I glanced at my watch, noting the time. "It's 8:30. We're behind schedule. If you want to place the rest of your cameras, we better move now," I said, walking down the street.
Lily immediately got up and followed me, with Mark struggling to keep pace behind us. We reached the market building, and Lily positioned her second camera on the side of the road, pointing up at the market.
It's not much longer before we make it to the Town Hall. I suggest Lily place a camera nearby. She nods and heads into a building across from the Town Hall labeled, "Slaughterhouse: LOCAL ANIMALS ONLY."
As Lily explores the building to find an adequate spot for the camera, I wait for Mark to catch up. While I wait, I can't help but imagine this town in its prime, picturing the streets filled with families who loved each other.
My thoughts are abruptly cut off by a sound echoing in the distance—a roar unlike any I've ever heard. It was a mix of a human screaming in pain, the roar of a lion, and, near the end, the howl of a wolf. The chilling sound sent shivers down my spine.
I jump to my feet and immediately call out, "Lily, you okay?"
There's no response from Lily, but I'm interrupted by Mark finally catching up, panting heavily.
"Holy... shit... did you... hear that?" Mark said frantically between breaths.
"Yeah, we have to find Lily," I say, bolting into the slaughterhouse. I glance back to see Mark bracing himself on the steps of the Town Hall, struggling to keep up.
As I enter the building, the stench of rotting flesh hits me like a wave, causing me to gag. The smell is too fresh to be decades old.
"Lily? Lily, where are you?" I yell, using my shirt to shield my nose from the overwhelming odor.
"Rory, I'm in here!" I hear Lily yell from a room two doors down. I pass the first door, peeking in to ensure I hadn't misheard, but I wish I hadn't looked.
Inside the first room, I catch a glimpse of what appears to be a pile of animal carcasses, their decayed bodies arranged in a grotesque display. The sight is horrifying, the flesh still disturbingly fresh. The bile rises in my throat, but I force myself to focus on finding Lily.
I rush to the room where her voice came from, pushing the door open. Lily is there, setting up the camera, seemingly oblivious to the horror in the adjacent room. Relief floods through me as I see she's safe.
"Lily, did you hear that roar?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Yeah, I heard it," she replies, her eyes wide with concern. "I was just finishing up here. Let's get back to Mark and figure out what that was." She had placed the camera in a window, pointing directly at the Town Hall.
We hurry back outside, where Mark still catches his breath as we meet between the buildings. "We need to stay together from now on," I say firmly, looking at both of them. "Whatever that noise was, it's not something we want to face alone."
"Let's check out the Town Hall!" Mark says excitedly as he slowly clambers through a broken window.
"Did he not just hear what I said?" I mutter under my breath, shaking my head in disbelief.
Lily gives me a shrug, her eyes reflecting a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Guess we're heading into the Town Hall then," she says, adjusting her backpack and walking towards the broken window.
I sigh and follow suit, hoisting myself up and carefully maneuvering through the jagged glass. Inside, the air is musty, filled with the scent of old paper and decaying wood. Dust motes float lazily in the beams of sunlight streaming through the cracked windows.
The main hall is vast and eerily silent, with rows of empty chairs facing a stage draped in tattered curtains. The walls are lined with faded portraits and yellowed maps of the town, remnants of a time when this place was alive and bustling.
Mark is already at the front, examining a large, decrepit desk. "Look at this," he says, his voice echoing in the empty space. "It's like stepping back in time."
I walk over, glancing at the old papers scattered across the desk. Most are mundane—meeting minutes, maintenance logs—but one catches my eye. It's a letter dated June 1925, addressed to Harper Franstein.
"Harper, the disappearances are becoming more frequent. The townsfolk are getting restless, and I fear they may take matters into their own hands if we don't act soon. We need to find out what's causing this before it's too late."
I read the letter aloud, and the room fell silent. "Sounds like things were getting pretty tense," Lily remarks, her voice subdued.
As I'm distracted by the time capsule in front of us, Mark sneaks off.
I'm not sure how long it was before she noticed, but I saw Lily looking around before saying, "Where the hell did Mark go?" breaking me out of my trance.
I look around, turning my head in all directions, and shrug at Lily. I hear shuffling in the second room down the hall, so I slowly walk toward it.
"Mark?" I call out.
Just then, a loud crash reverberates through the building, making it sound like the whole place was about to come down.
We run in and see Mark struggling to keep himself from falling into a giant hole that must've broken under his weight. Trying not to laugh, I glance at Lily. We help him up as he dramatically falls onto his back, wheezing as he catches his breath.
Lily and I can't contain our laughter anymore as we bust out laughing hard. Startled by our sudden outburst, Mark jumps in fear. He looks around, confused for a few seconds, before realizing that we are laughing at him.
"Jesus, thanks, I guess," he says, clearly thankful but annoyed by our reaction.
After we contained ourselves, we headed back outside, exiting through the window Mark entered through. He struggles to climb out, but after Lily gives him a hand, he is safely out of the Town Hall.
"Alright, Ror, where should we put the next camera?" Lily asks me.
I stop to think momentarily, trying to picture the town's layout. "I think the only place left is the neighborhood," I respond confidently. I always talk like that with Lily. Over the years, I've realized she is the only person I can have that much confidence around. With anyone else, I'm worried about saying something stupid or wrong or how they'll view me, but with my sister, everything is easy.
As I look at the replica map of the town in its heyday from the museum, I determine that the neighborhood is to the East. "Okay, looks like we head East past the Library. Let's go." I say, walking away.
It only takes about eight minutes to get to the long strip of road that housed the town's workers. According to the map, there were fifteen houses along this strip of road.
The houses stand eerily silent, their wooden frames weathered and decayed by time. We walk down the road, our footsteps crunching on the gravel and echoing in the stillness. The air feels heavier here like the past is watching us, waiting to reveal its secrets.
"Let's put the last cameras on that house at the end of the road," I suggest, pointing to a house that looks slightly less dilapidated than the others, "another one at the last house on the other side, and the last we can save for a spot you choose."
Lily nods and heads toward the first house, pulling another camera from her backpack. She sets it up on the porch, positioning it to capture the entire street, and does the same in the opposite house. As I stand with Mark breathing hard, still unable to catch his breath since we first got here, I can't shake the feeling that we're being watched. I glance around nervously but see nothing out of the ordinary.
"All set," Lily says, breaking my reverie, "Still no ideas for the last cam?" Lily asks me.
"Like I said, wherever you think it would be best. I feel like we have enough good spots and angles, so go wild with that one," I told her.
She smirked and kept walking next to me. Mark was still struggling behind, but after the town hall mishap, he was trying his best to keep up. I looked at my watch, and it read '12:30 pm'.
"Holy shit, it's already 12:30," I said in amazement, but no one else seemed fazed. It felt like we'd only been here thirty minutes, not almost four hours.
We walked back down the street. Lily and I had been discussing on the walk that she should put the last camera at the town's only stoplight in front of the Library.
As we made our way to it, I could have sworn I was seeing something moving fast past my vision in the corner of my eye. Every time I turned to look, it was gone. I chalked it up to being my imagination until Lily and Mark both experienced the same thing.
"What the fuck was that?" Mark asked as he ducked, bracing for something terrible to happen. Lily and I looked back at him and then at each other as we shrugged. It was after that that I started seeing things, too.
I confided in Lily about the unsettling visions and sounds, and she admitted she had experienced the same phenomena but had kept quiet, fearing Mark would dismiss her as paranoid.
"Well, it's probably just a cat or something," I said, attempting to downplay the situation, but neither seemed convinced.
We continued our trek, and I noticed that the more we walked, the more frequently I caught fleeting glimpses of movement in my peripheral vision. It was beginning to grate on my nerves.
Finally, we reached the light in front of the Library. As Lily mounted the camera, I felt a sense of satisfaction. We were making good progress, and it seemed like a suitable moment to start exploring the town more freely. We decided to split up and cover different sections of the town.
"Wait, we have to go alone? Why can't we stay together like you said?" Mark asked frantically, but Lily and I ignored him as we headed in separate directions. He continued to protest, but we paid him no mind. Eventually, I was either far enough away to not hear him anymore, or he had given up. Either way, I was happy to enjoy the eerie silence of the town.
As I wandered, the stillness of Raven's Nest enveloped me. With its decrepit buildings and overgrown streets, the town exuded an unsettling charm. It was as if I had stepped into a forgotten world, a place frozen in time with secrets waiting to be unearthed. The ambiance reminded me of an amusement park's haunted town section—artificially eerie yet irresistibly intriguing. Despite the creepiness, the mysterious vibe of the town kept me engaged and eager to explore its hidden corners.
I glanced at my watch again, only to find the time glaring back at me: 3:19 pm. It couldn't be right. There was no way it had been that long since I last checked. Panic seized me, and I called out for Lily, my voice tinged with urgency. She appeared beside me in a matter of minutes, her expression mirroring my concern.
"What's up, Ror? You okay?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.
"How long would you say it's been since you put the last camera down?" I inquired, my heart pounding in my chest.
Lily's brow furrowed as she struggled to come up with an answer. "Uh, I don't know, thirty minutes?" she hazarded a guess.
I held up my watch, displaying the time: 3:20 pm. Lily fell silent, her eyes widening in disbelief. She was never great with time, but missing almost three hours of our memory was unprecedented.
"There's no way. Your watch must be—" Lily began, her voice trailing off as she checked her own watch, only to freeze in shock when she found it displayed the same time as mine.
"Lil, something is going on," I stated, my voice tight and apprehensive. I glanced up at the sky, my stomach churning as I noticed the clouds darkening and rolling in from all sides of the valley.
The sky closed rapidly, ominous clouds obscuring the sun as thunder rumbled ominously against the mountains.
"Mark? Mark, where are—" I began to call out, but before I could finish, Mark emerged from behind a wall, appearing as if he'd been too frightened to venture far on his own.
"We have to get inside!" Mark exclaimed urgently, his voice tinged with fear.

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Karghol stepped forward. As Rob he might be scared, but he'd been the leader of the group for a long time, operating as our main tank across a ton of games, and now, I could see him taking that step again, "Okay, first thing's first. If they're gonna pop us out of this from the outside, then that's not on us, but we've all seen this anime. If they're not coming, then we need to get to the endgame as fast as possible."
"Nope," I shook my head, surprising even myself at how quickly I'd said something.
He turned, "What? I mean, we gotta get out ahead of this."
"In most games, I'd agree, but not here, not in this game. Also, side-point but decision time for everyone: Real names or character names? I can't keep flipping between them. Lugh is what's on my party registry, so I'm sticking with Lugh," It seemed small but wasn't.
I'd learned well enough that giving people all of the information was most often counter-productive at best. Giving people a small, immediate choice was far preferable and got them on the path to understanding better. Temur snorted slightly at the absurdity, "Well, I suppose you can call me either Temur, or Temur. Whichever floats your boat."
Several groans came out, and finally, some laughter. I mean, it was dad joke humor to be sure, but jokes were probably going to become a much more specific thing for us. From there, everyone chose their character names, either because it was simply easier given the nametags in our party rotation, or because they just didn't want everyone knowing their real ones. Khargol however, was a slight agitated, "Alright, so why not speedrun it?"
"Because speedrunners die and reset constantly."
The slight mirth died out in the room, but Khargol wasn't ready to yield the point, "I've watched you do a no-death run of Dark Souls!"
I nodded, "And do you have any idea how many times I died in that game getting to that level of skill? Look, this isn't Dark Souls. That game has set difficulty levels. Yeah, it's got solid AI, but here? The AI adapts to tactics, and I'm pretty sure the beta test players are about to learn that the hard way."
Everyone was a bit curious at the statement, but it was Shelara who spoke up, "What does that 'adaptive AI' mean?"
I sighed, and took a seat at the head of the table, with Khargol finally sitting down next to me, "It means the AI of the system is learning. Beta testers essentially get to play ahead of the general public to try and stress test the system under actual play conditions. Most usually, they'll try to learn as many exploits as possible, so even if they start out on brand new characters, they're still going to be far ahead of the pack, getting gear and coin ahead of others. Assume that the beta testers have watched things like SAO or other 'trapped in a video game' style series, and they're doing the same as Khargol is suggesting. Problem is, that's exactly what a bunch of them already did, and if the AI works like it's supposed to, then it's ready for them.
"For Valorian Saga, one of the biggest selling points was its adaptive AI system, a system that learns. What that means is that the system behind bosses has already learned those exploits from beta testers and has some sort of answer for them, and they're going to run dead into them."
Chrysta sat forward, leaning her elbows on the table, at least in part to show off her biceps, "Well if a speedrun is out of the question, then what do we do instead?"
Shelara cut back in, "But... shouldn't we try and go save the beta testers?"
I considered, "Shelara, in answer to your question, we can't. Even assuming we could catch up to wherever they're at, there's almost no chance they'd listen to us if we did. They're just as likely to assume we're rivals, or to think we're idiots, but regardless they won't be following our instructions just because we say so. As far as they're concerned, they already know this game, and we're a bunch of sprouts who are panicking. Even if we could get past that point, we don't know the game like they do, and we're more likely to end up needing saving before we ever get to them.
"As to the other question, Chrysta, what we do now is finish up the starter quests, then we use our flyers to join the militia."
Every MMO veteran groaned openly. Arkadi especially was annoyed at the concept, "Come on, man, faction-grinding on day two? We're not even out of the gate yet!"
I'd expected this, and checked my in-game clock, and swore under my breath. We needed to get moving, with only roughly eighteen minutes of daylight left, "Guys, that's why we need to join the militia. It's safe, and grinding up our faction rep with Valoria opens a lot of doors, not least of which is giving us barracks space to live in free of charge, basic equipment upgrades, and getting coin. That's just the short-term gains. Yeah, not much, but it gives us a foundation. We get the lay of the land, and we build up our strategies. There's another reason though, and it's important."
Khargol nodded, "As militia, we get arrest powers in line with the laws of Farrelston."
"Wait, we'd be cops?" Shelera seemed slightly hyped about the concept.
I nodded, "More or less. We aren't out in the main room right now cause everyone's losing their minds out there. They're all coming to terms with the idea that this place is where they might die, and that breeds desperate reactions. Fourteen million players split between fifty servers, giving an average server population of... two-hundred-eighty thousand per server give or take for server popularity. Assume maybe one percent of that go fully around the bend and get violent, and that gives us two thousand eight hundred violent criminals that just hit the city on this server that have the ability to level up within the system.
"Farrelston has to be a safe space for players to return to, but that can't happen if there isn't order, and that means law enforcement."
One of our newcomers made her presence felt, the elf woman from the cathedral, shaking as she spoke, "I'm Layala. What about my brother?"
Tom... "I don't know. I don't what happens to those who die in the game. Maybe they wake up, maybe they're just comatose in a hospital somewhere, or maybe they're gone."
I let it sink in for everyone. Layala's eyes fell to the table as she slowly wept. I hate this, but sugarcoating the thing wasn't good for anyone, "All I can work on right now is keeping us all alive. This is a fantasy RPG, so for all I know, there might be another way to get them back, but I don't want to get anyone's hopes up. Anyone who knows someone who didn't respawn, we'll keep a journal of names, to see that they're remembered. We chronicle the dead, and if the opportunity to get them back presents itself, we go all-in on it.
"I know we all have questions... but we can't stay here to answer them all, and I don't have all the answers for you. We need to start moving, and moving now. We've got thirteen people here, our five and the eight we added on. We've got enough people to form a guild when the time comes, so we should start acting like a guild now."
Layala's voice cracked, "I-I nominate Lugh."
I was startled. I've been very game-knowledgeable, but I wasn't the leader type. It was never my role in the group.
"I second the nomination."
Khargol. My head whipped around, "Look, guys, I'm not a leader. I know stuff, that's what I've got. Khargol's the one who leads."
Khargol shook his head, "Not here, not in this game. I'm all good for the tanking, but you're the only one of us who's putting out a plan of attack, and I'm getting more lost by the minute. It sucks dude, and it hurts to admit it to myself, but you're the guy this time."
Nods occurred, and by show of hands, I was almost unanimously elected to command the 'guild', minus my own dissenting vote. Well.... crapbaskets, "Alright, fine. I won't argue it, but we've gotta get a move on. Get the starter quests going, and when we unlock the job change system, we'll work things out from there. Until then, we'll break into three parties, two four-man parties, and one five-man. Khargol, you're in charge of the five-man, Temur and myself are the other party leaders for now. We'll meet at the barracks come sundown. We spread out the neos amongst the three parties so they're all protected, and we get started. Don't do any combat quests alone."
I picked up Shelera for my party's neo, along with Chrysta and Layala, and the parties agreed to meet up in front of the barracks around sunset so we could join up together. We fought the press of bodies in the tavern to get out into the streets, and headed off for our quests. I could feel my heart racing a bit, the whole thing feeling like some sort of bad dream, but we would need a minute to get things together, "Okay, let's check everyone's quest logs. Any shareable quests, share them with the group so we can all help out and get rewards. We tackle them from lowest to highest."
We moved through the streets to the first quest, running messages around the city for the heralds. The quest was designed to get new players oriented with the larger city of Farrelston and what factions existed within it. The vast majority of players though, were barely moving, either pressed into the tavern or milling about in front of the cathedral. This was a huge problem, and we were finding clusters of people around, hiding and trying to just deal with the enormity of it all. We were running messages to guards, merchants, and nobles on what was a very low-key questline while watching people crying or raging. Shelera moved up next to me, close to tears herself, "We can't do anything?"
a I halted, and looked around again, and noticed some people who weren't in groups. Solo players who had come in by themselves, the same as you'd see in any MMO, and now they were cut off from the world, friends, family, and no party. Solo players really only existed in MMOs, people who would just fill in the gaps, and otherwise keep to themselves, and it worked in the world of video games. In the real world, though, it wasn't good, "We can do a little."
I jogged over to where a powerfully built Dracon with a sword and shield was balled up on the ground, weeping, purple-scaled head buried in his arms. I knelt down next to him, laying a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, what's your character name?"
The Dracon boy looked up imploringly, his voice quavering, "Umbaar..."
"Hi, Umbaar. I'm Lugh, and these are my friends. Why don't you come with us? You can join our party," I kept my tone even by pleasant.
He nodded sheepishly and accepted the party invite, "My mom's gonna kill me. I wasn't even supposed to be playing the game."
Oh God, no, "How old are you, Umbaar?"
"I'll be fourteen in December."
Due to the nature of the game, the minimum age for Valorian Saga was eighteen. He'd likely gotten access to the rig, and just jumped on, and now he was trapped, "I'm sure right now, your mom's just worried about you, but we'll keep you safe. Come on, we've got quests to do."
The absurdity of our questing was fully growing with each step we took. After running messages, we helped the watch with investigating some local crimes to learn the search system, worked with merchants on trading to get the economy down, and along the way, we found some more solos to fill us out to the party cap of eight. The jobs were immaterial to me, but Shelera and Layala both found comfort in picking up more people, with the latter taking over care of Umbaar. NPCs went about their day's work, and I started to catch on to something, "Hey... is this day... running long to anyone else?"
Games don't use full twenty-four-hour days, using a shorter day and night cycle to give the impression of a world without having to artificially inflate the game to make it feel like a full day. Valorian Saga had, in the videos, been shown to have a twenty-minute day, and twenty-minute night, but as we ran around, it had been far more than twenty minutes now. The sun had barely moved in the sky, which given the rest of the game's level of detail wasn't something they would've ignored. Chrysta spoke up after counting her clock, "Uh... well dearheart, I do believe we've got us a twenty-four cycle now."
There were several possibilities to this, perhaps either our minds changed gear to work with in-game time, or the game had altered to have twenty-four-hour time. Either way, we had no answers for it. I was getting a bit sick of having more and more questions I couldn't answer, but I couldn't focus on it in the here and now. I called a halt, and we found a small corner tavern to get food and drink. I took some time with the menu system, and up popped the character status window.
By statistics, we were moving up a bit, but the main stats of our jobs weren't changing very much at all. My basic stats for movement had risen, but not by much, and the gain was tapering off. That was probably from all the walking around the city we were doing. Reputations were going up in the city guilds attached to our quests, but again, they were minor improvements, and the effective XP was tapering off from doing them. I took out my character journal, a system conceit by the devs that the game world was simply too grand in scale to not allow a lot of notetaking, and did stat-math just like when I would spreadsheet my builds at home. From what I could see, the game had no true 'leveling' system. Instead, skills and attributes were built up by how you played, sort of like in Skyrim, but the same actions would not keep getting you the same degree of XP. A common enough point, or else someone could pull a South Park and just merc wolves until they hit the cap. Abilities would unlock as your stats rose, some coming online automatically like Sprint, while others you had to find a trainer for, such as the Double Knock ability for archers. From what I'd seen online, the abilities would unlock advanced jobs, and certain combinations would unlock hybrid jobs, so a Paladin would be a combination of a knight and acolyte. None of the testers had gotten that far, however, they'd just seen the possibility of it.
I noticed Shelera leaning over to look at my journal, and I smiled, "Just doing nerd stuff, plotting my progression to figure out what jobs I need."
She smiled back, "That seems weirdly normal. What are you thinking of doing?"
"Well, for now, I need to move up my abilities as a Hunter, right? Hunter eventually leads to a few choices, so I'm thinking I'll probably go for a Ranger build. That means I can train up Yndress here as a battle companion."
Yndress had been flying about with me, and sometimes resting on my shoulder, and now, she was curled up by my arm on the table as I continued. Shelera reached over and petted Yndress, "That is so cool. She's so warm. I totally should've figured out a way to get the limited edition... so what should I be leveling up?"
"Well, you're a vagabond, so you might look at something like Bounty Hunter since we're working with the militia. Combine that with another job.... huh."
"What?"
Daeva grinned, "Oh, sweetie, he just worked somethin' out. What do you need, Lugh?"
"Give me a minute. I need to go to the scrivener," I shot up and stepped out of the tavern.
It wasn't far to the scrivener where I could buy the supplies I needed. We'd just done an ink delivery there, and now, I would need paper and ink to work with. Returning, I cleared off the tavern table and laid out a large scroll used for maps, currently unmarked, "Okay, I need everyone to bring up your character pages and stand where I can read them."
Gamers generally do have a sense of when someone's worked out an exploit, and this was one of those times. They brought up their screens so I could start marking down abilities, attributes, and skills. Of note, my Scibing ability was ticking slowly upward as I laid things out. Scribing could turn into runic writing and other more arcane and mundane pursuits. What I was working on became a skill tree system, with the various jobs being grouped together. I had to move things around, and in real life I wouldn't be able to do that with ink, but in the game sense, it was pretty simple. I kept moving around my drawing, finally starting to come into a workable initial system of abilities, jobs, and other things that built off of one another. It look a bit mad, like if no one had stopped the devs on Path of Exile's skill tree, but it was there, "We're thinking about this wrong. We need to get to the barracks. I don't want to explain this twice."
Banded back up, I stopped by our newest unlock: Carriage Stations. The city was entirely too big to be running around it all the time, and for just half a silver, we could go to any other ward in the city. I signaled the coachman, handing him my flyer, "Take us to the militia barracks."
The coachman nodded sharply, "Right you are, sir."
The coaches held four, so we split between the two, and I rechecked my numbers. I was pretty certain I was right by the math, but these things didn't always pan out like you wanted, so it was best to recheck. It still seemed to be working out like I thought, but I needed Temur for a blind study of it. We got out at the barracks, a building made up of fortified walls and barred windows with internal shutters. Militiamen NPCs were standing guard out front, while we could just see some working in the training yard to the side. From what I could see, however, we were the only players here.
Temur's party arrived first, and apparently, I wasn't the only one picking up strays as two carriages emptied of people. He was running a full party as well now, and grinning in his uniquely Temur way, even if he did have draconic features now, "So, I see we're all taking in the lost little lambs?"
"I mean, sure, why not? That's how we met, so why not do it here, too?"
He nodded, "Questing went well, if a bit hum-drum, but you have a look in your eyes that says you've worked something out. You got math time!"
I nodded, "Waiting for... yeah, Khargol went off-road, I see."
Temur and I had shown up with two carriages each, only for Khargol to pull up with four, all packed. That put our new numbers at thirty-two players as he practically bounced up to us, "What?!"
We both shook our heads, "Nothing, man. Never change. I've got some news for everyone."
The full mass moved over to the side of the building so we weren't obstructing the entrance, "Party people, I worked something out at lunch."
I rolled out my map of the skills tree, "Okay, so I was going over my character screen, and did some math. I know what we need to do: We need to move up on every job."
Khargol shook his head, "Isn't that gonna leave us as jacks of all trades? We'd be running pretty average."
I gestured with my hands a bit in dismissal, "Usually, you're right, but here, it's different. The stats aren't really separated here, they're intended for cross-classing, and it's not just the combat jobs. I moved up a bit at Scribing here, and it looks like it'll be the same for crafting and gathering jobs. Move up in X, Y, and/or Z jobs and you unlock a hybrid. So like, say you move up as a blacksmith, armorer, and weaponsmith. All three have abilities building into one another, and that can unlock further abilities, other jobs, a whole classification of things we can't see yet.
"Using abilities works up the stats associated with that ability, and the higher the ability, the more XP it generates for the stats. Those stats still stay there when you do a job change, so you could be a Gladiator working up strength by working the forge."
Shelera looked over the drawing, "Okay, so you think if we take every job up, then that'll make us a lot stronger? But won't we end up with a bunch of usless stats?"
I shook my head, "No, for two primary reasons. For one, what if instead of Paladin, you went something like a Hexblade in D&D terms? Or, Shelera, you take Bounty Hunter, then build up your hunter job to Scout, and you have something akin to a Justicar class? Or Khargol, what if you master every weapon group?"
Temur's interest was peaked at mention of Hexblade, "And what is the second reason?"
I sucked in a breath, "It's a job change system. There's a job change skill, and every basic skill I've seen has upgrades, even if I can't see the end of the trees yet. The adaptive AI is going to adapt to our individual tactics, but even if all of us were playing hunters, we'd all approach hunting differently, maybe more reliant on archery, or snares, or pets. It would force the AI to keep readapting its own tactics on the fly. If we build up, we might just be able to get to something better than the sum of our parts."
Karghol nodded, "And that makes it doubly important we get going on the militia stuff. Shall we?"
The lot of us went over to the barracks, where a guard greeted us at the door, "Hold, citizens. What is your business with the thirteenth Valorian militia?"
I stepped forward, "We're here to enlist for service."
The guard perked right up, "Ah, good. Greetings and well met! I am Sergeant-at-Arms Brant. We are in need of stalwart folk to help protect Farrelston and wider Valoria in these trying times. Dark things are afoot both at home and afar, and it speaks well of you that you would choose service. Please, enter the hall, and register yourselves with Yeoman Granger. Welcome once again, may the purple dragon fly eternal!"
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A little over a decade ago I had gotten married and we secured our apartment after my cousin moved out of state. She said that the place was good nice, and never mentioned anything else. The layout was pretty simple, it was a duplex with a very large living room, attached to the kitchen/dining room combination, with the back door at the kitchen. Where the living room met the kitchen, you can go right and there is a hallway that leads to the smaller back bed room immediately to the left on the opposite wall of the kitchen, a small room for laundry and such, then the bathroom, followed by the bigger bedroom that was at the front of the house.
When we first moved in, I had my PC at the front of the house, next to the window so I could see anyone coming to our home, know when the mail had arrived, etc. While there, I would ALWAYS feel cold - also with a feeling of being watched. It didn’t matter how much clothing I wore, that cold feeling would not fade. I opted after a week of being there to move my PC to the other side of the room, next to the opening to the hallway, where I could see into the back room very easily.
During this time, I could never sleep. I always felt like someone was there in the room and this level of uncomfortability was unshakeable. I started to feel extreme levels of paranoia and constantly feeling nauseous. I told my wife (now ex-wife but for easier typing I will continue to say wife) that I didn’t like the back bedroom and that I wanted to move the bed to the front bedroom instead. She was confused why I felt that way, but I just explained myself and she agreed because she was now on edge. Her reaction to me telling her this came off as odd.
While streaming (now a retired streamer) Minecraft one night, my wife was visiting her family in Missouri but was watching and for a moment I thought I had seen someone in the back bedroom. I froze completely because I was certain I saw a black silhouette. I collected myself, thought that being alone was getting to me and I was just seeing things so I got up and closed the door and then went back to my business.
A few days later after that, while on the toilet I heard someone walking up and down the hallway. I froze in place again, but was frustrated and with a very authoritative voice said “stop it”, and the foot steps stopped.
Once she was back, she had noticed that I was closing any door when I slept, and would often times lock the door (like this was going to actually do anything) and I would only sleep during the day. My paranoia had gotten bad, but I knew something was wrong.
One night after I cooked and we did the dishes together, we were watching a movie and then heard the dishes moving around at times. Out of fear of bugs, or rats, even though this wasn’t a bad place to live, I just figured I didn’t sit the dishes up properly and they fell over. This started to become a regular thing, even when dishes weren’t out.
So now feeling this level of paranoia that the place is haunted, I tell my wife directly that when the lease is up, we are out. She then tells me that it MAY CONTINUE even if we moved places.
She then tells me that her stepdad was treated poorly by her mom and he was like a real dad to her. To spare the full details, he would sleep under the porch because she wouldn’t let him in the house, and my wife’s connection with him was strong. He ultimately passed away, and she did something that blew my mind. She had experimented with things before we were together to “try and get him to speak to me”. I don’t know everything that she did, but I know it involved a pentagram on the ground and “other things”.
So now I am in this state of mind where, “is it him? Does he not like me? Did she summon some sort of demon and not him?” She never told me this during our dating phase, and apparently she never was going to tell me until this happened. Stupefied was an understatement.
We continue to live there and I try my best to deal with it while counting the days down to move out. I had eventually become so use to things that I just didn’t pay too much attention to it anymore, and people would make jokes about our “ghost room mate”.
Even on the day where we moved out, my cousin was helping us and she said, “say bye to the ghost” and while I was not there for this moment, they (cousin and wife) both swear they saw two dishes move.
Here is the part that I skipped on purpose, because it’s just best you see the proof that I am not lying. My paranoia got so bad that I started researching where we lived. After we moved out, I finally found out the landlord’s husband died there a decade and some change before we lived there.
I tried to attach photos of a convo with me and my cousin who lived here before us but apparently it doesn’t let you in this subreddit.
If you read this far, thanks. All of this is true, and you can look at my account to see I am no bot. Happy Saturday. I will answer any questions if possible.

A little over a decade ago I had gotten married and we secured our apartment after my cousin moved out of state. She said that the place was good nice, and never mentioned anything else. The layout was pretty simple, it was a duplex with a very large living room, attached to the kitchen/dining room combination, with the back door at the kitchen. Where the living room met the kitchen, you can go right and there is a hallway that leads to the smaller back bed room immediately to the left on the opposite wall of the kitchen, a small room for laundry and such, then the bathroom, followed by the bigger bedroom that was at the front of the house.
When we first moved in, I had my PC at the front of the house, next to the window so I could see anyone coming to our home, know when the mail had arrived, etc. While there, I would ALWAYS feel cold - also with a feeling of being watched. It didn’t matter how much clothing I wore, that cold feeling would not fade. I opted after a week of being there to move my PC to the other side of the room, next to the opening to the hallway, where I could see into the back room very easily.
During this time, I could never sleep. I always felt like someone was there in the room and this level of uncomfortability was unshakeable. I started to feel extreme levels of paranoia and constantly feeling nauseous. I told my wife (now ex-wife but for easier typing I will continue to say wife) that I didn’t like the back bedroom and that I wanted to move the bed to the front bedroom instead. She was confused why I felt that way, but I just explained myself and she agreed because she was now on edge. Her reaction to me telling her this came off as odd.
While streaming (now a retired streamer) Minecraft one night, my wife was visiting her family in Missouri but was watching and for a moment I thought I had seen someone in the back bedroom. I froze completely because I was certain I saw a black silhouette. I collected myself, thought that being alone was getting to me and I was just seeing things so I got up and closed the door and then went back to my business.
A few days later after that, while on the toilet I heard someone walking up and down the hallway. I froze in place again, but was frustrated and with a very authoritative voice said “stop it”, and the foot steps stopped.
Once she was back, she had noticed that I was closing any door when I slept, and would often times lock the door (like this was going to actually do anything) and I would only sleep during the day. My paranoia had gotten bad, but I knew something was wrong.
One night after I cooked and we did the dishes together, we were watching a movie and then heard the dishes moving around at times. Out of fear of bugs, or rats, even though this wasn’t a bad place to live, I just figured I didn’t sit the dishes up properly and they fell over. This started to become a regular thing, even when dishes weren’t out.
So now feeling this level of paranoia that the place is haunted, I tell my wife directly that when the lease is up, we are out. She then tells me that it MAY CONTINUE even if we moved places.
She then tells me that her stepdad was treated poorly by her mom and he was like a real dad to her. To spare the full details, he would sleep under the porch because she wouldn’t let him in the house, and my wife’s connection with him was strong. He ultimately passed away, and she did something that blew my mind. She had experimented with things before we were together to “try and get him to speak to me”. I don’t know everything that she did, but I know it involved a pentagram on the ground and “other things”.
So now I am in this state of mind where, “is it him? Does he not like me? Did she summon some sort of demon and not him?” She never told me this during our dating phase, and apparently she never was going to tell me until this happened. Stupefied was an understatement.
We continue to live there and I try my best to deal with it while counting the days down to move out. I had eventually become so use to things that I just didn’t pay too much attention to it anymore, and people would make jokes about our “ghost room mate”.
Even on the day where we moved out, my cousin was helping us and she said, “say bye to the ghost” and while I was not there for this moment, they (cousin and wife) both swear they saw two dishes move.
Here is the part that I skipped on purpose, because it’s just best you see the proof that I am not lying. My paranoia got so bad that I started researching where we lived. After we moved out, I finally found out the landlord’s husband died there a decade and some change before we lived there.
I tried to attach photos of a convo with me and my cousin who lived here before us but apparently it doesn’t let you in this subreddit.
If you read this far, thanks. All of this is true, and you can look at my account to see I am no bot. Happy Saturday. I will answer any questions if possible.

A little over a decade ago I had gotten married and we secured our apartment after my cousin moved out of state. She said that the place was good nice, and never mentioned anything else. The layout was pretty simple, it was a duplex with a very large living room, attached to the kitchen/dining room combination, with the back door at the kitchen. Where the living room met the kitchen, you can go right and there is a hallway that leads to the smaller back bed room immediately to the left on the opposite wall of the kitchen, a small room for laundry and such, then the bathroom, followed by the bigger bedroom that was at the front of the house.
When we first moved in, I had my PC at the front of the house, next to the window so I could see anyone coming to our home, know when the mail had arrived, etc. While there, I would ALWAYS feel cold - also with a feeling of being watched. It didn’t matter how much clothing I wore, that cold feeling would not fade. I opted after a week of being there to move my PC to the other side of the room, next to the opening to the hallway, where I could see into the back room very easily.
During this time, I could never sleep. I always felt like someone was there in the room and this level of uncomfortability was unshakeable. I started to feel extreme levels of paranoia and constantly feeling nauseous. I told my wife (now ex-wife but for easier typing I will continue to say wife) that I didn’t like the back bedroom and that I wanted to move the bed to the front bedroom instead. She was confused why I felt that way, but I just explained myself and she agreed because she was now on edge. Her reaction to me telling her this came off as odd.
While streaming (now a retired streamer) Minecraft one night, my wife was visiting her family in Missouri but was watching and for a moment I thought I had seen someone in the back bedroom. I froze completely because I was certain I saw a black silhouette. I collected myself, thought that being alone was getting to me and I was just seeing things so I got up and closed the door and then went back to my business.
A few days later after that, while on the toilet I heard someone walking up and down the hallway. I froze in place again, but was frustrated and with a very authoritative voice said “stop it”, and the foot steps stopped.
Once she was back, she had noticed that I was closing any door when I slept, and would often times lock the door (like this was going to actually do anything) and I would only sleep during the day. My paranoia had gotten bad, but I knew something was wrong.
One night after I cooked and we did the dishes together, we were watching a movie and then heard the dishes moving around at times. Out of fear of bugs, or rats, even though this wasn’t a bad place to live, I just figured I didn’t sit the dishes up properly and they fell over. This started to become a regular thing, even when dishes weren’t out.
So now feeling this level of paranoia that the place is haunted, I tell my wife directly that when the lease is up, we are out. She then tells me that it MAY CONTINUE even if we moved places.
She then tells me that her stepdad was treated poorly by her mom and he was like a real dad to her. To spare the full details, he would sleep under the porch because she wouldn’t let him in the house, and my wife’s connection with him was strong. He ultimately passed away, and she did something that blew my mind. She had experimented with things before we were together to “try and get him to speak to me”. I don’t know everything that she did, but I know it involved a pentagram on the ground and “other things”.
So now I am in this state of mind where, “is it him? Does he not like me? Did she summon some sort of demon and not him?” She never told me this during our dating phase, and apparently she never was going to tell me until this happened. Stupefied was an understatement.
We continue to live there and I try my best to deal with it while counting the days down to move out. I had eventually become so use to things that I just didn’t pay too much attention to it anymore, and people would make jokes about our “ghost room mate”.
Even on the day where we moved out, my cousin was helping us and she said, “say bye to the ghost” and while I was not there for this moment, they (cousin and wife) both swear they saw two dishes move.
Here is the part that I skipped on purpose, because it’s just best you see the proof that I am not lying. My paranoia got so bad that I started researching where we lived. After we moved out, I finally found out the landlord’s husband died there a decade and some change before we lived there.
I tried to attach photos of a convo with me and my cousin who lived here before us but apparently it doesn’t let you in this subreddit.
If you read this far, thanks. All of this is true, and you can look at my account to see I am no bot. Happy Saturday. I will answer any questions if possible.

Maybe it was going in with sky-high expectations. I avoided all spoilers except I knew it had a great RT score.
Maybe it was expecting the same kind of movie (fast and gripping action sequences, intense music, lots of interesting negative space in the story-telling, stylish-as-hell visuals).
Maybe it was the crappy small screen I saw it on—no one in my city was showing it in IMAX. Did I miss the IMAX showings already? Admittedly I was late to the party but didn’t expect it to get small-screened by the theaters so quick.
Maybe it was that I re-watched Fury Road at home 2 nights ago and that made the contrast all the greater.
But in my opinion, the film constantly showed instead of told (don’t open the gate, something is off…OK open the gate!!)…the sandstorm will hide your tracks!…the voiceovers, my goodness did they feel tacked-on!), had inexplicable character decisions (why’d she grow her hair out if she was hiding? Why were lips suddenly red and why didn’t she mask them with something darker to better hide? Why didn’t the love interest slip through the portcullis and jump in her car (I suppose he was suiciding to buy her time? That’s believable I guess)), forced character beats like Furiosa removing her mask while under the truck (to me this felt like an undeserved and forced moment), silly plot armor (Gastown’s front gates are only armed with short range flamethrowers? Don’t they trade weekly with the Bullet Farm?), visual miscues (seemed to me like Dementor’s army was routed when initially trying to take the Citadel, only to show full force again when taking Gastown. And when did Dementor have time to get his cape before pursuing Furiosa out of the Bullet Farm?)
The pacing at the end felt like they had to try to fix it in post. What felt like an impending epic battle as the Dementors thought they could move in and capture The Citadel turned into…a voiceover montage?
Did she name herself Furiosa for the first time as she arrived one-armed at the Citadel and clambered onto the platform? They seemed to know both her and her rank (or were they just responding to her tone of authority, something that happens in Fury Road a few times)?
Mad Max is on the same ridge in this film as in the last film, just watching the Citadel. So, he wasn’t a stranger to the region and knew the locale by the time Fury Road begins? I thought it strongly implied he was passing through and that’s in part why he was captured unawares.
The entire initial War Rig action scene was overlong and slow. And why would you attack using parachutes when someone can shoot anywhere in your shoot and you’ll go down?
Honestly, almost every action scene felt about half speed compared to Fury Road.
Note: I love slow movies and usually don’t go in for action movies much—films like Fury Road are an outlier for me—so visually compelling and with stories told at such breakneck speed—so maybe I have to be a wider enjoyer of action movies to have liked Furiosa?
BTW, I’m a huge fan of Taylor-Joy (loved her since The Witch), and I think her and Helmsworth’s performances were fantastic. Also thought the first couple of scenes were good.
Also, a question: How much time is meant to elapse between the films (excluding the last scene or two which clearly are right before Fury Road)? I assumed she had another 20+ years at the Citadel before leaving, right?
She seemed to have no negative interactions with Immortan Joe. Obviously he’s a monster but the relationship feels like a total mismatch between the two films.
Also, tell me I’m crazy, but didn’t they pass the crow/tree area many miles into the desert—the place that is later a swamp and meant to be the remnants of the Green Place? Maybe the scene just looked super similar or was meant to be a harbinger of what would happen to the Green Place, dunno.
The actor playing Rectus was clearly much older, and this was when Furiosa was a child. He seemed younger than Furiosa in Fury Road, so that felt jarring to me.
Probably no one read this far but thanks if you did. I’m just mad bc I loved Fury Road (one of my top action films ever) and was hoping for another adventure in that universe.

Top 3 are the ones I pulled. Bottom 3 are the ones that fell from the deck as I was shuffling.
Long story short. Met a man after leaving a abusive ex. Feel deeply for him and I still care for him to this day. He made me feel the most comforted, safe, and understood. But I ended it because i began to see I wasn't mentally ready (and tbh i thought I was a lot less compared to him. He deserved better) but (from my pov) we ended on good terms but haven't really spoken since.
So I think (my interpretation) is that the top 3 is how I feel and the bottom 3 is what my matron (who I was praying to) was trying to tell me.
Top 3.
The Magician(x)- me letting my anxiety and ptsd from a past abusive relationship control me and mostly my fears. How this is overcoming me.
Page of wands- this would be the person I want to reach out. (Initials from here on are N.B.). The page strongly represents N.B and my strong feelings for him and how I see him. Confident, stable, and (in a weird mental image) a protector of me when I was with him. How he had his whole life together, and I didn't at the time.
Six of Wands(x)- The fear of reaching out to him is letting in the fear of rejection. Letting it control me. This fear will ultimately be my demise if I let it take over and control me. I might miss out on something/someone good.
(So top row is mostly shining light into how I am now, and to not let the fear control me, and If I do it will lead to something worse, thay something worse possibly being a deel seated regret)
Bottom row now, my matron I was praying to at the time was Santa Muerte.
Two of pentacles- new things are on the way, mainly new obstacles and new connections with people forming. I believe this card is jer way of saying I should reach out, reconnect as it will form a new bond. Something good. But with this new connection... there will be new obstacles and things to overcome. So i must be prepared and ready for them.
Eight of pentacles-Im not 100% sure what this is saying since this mostly comes up with any money/business readings I do and this isn't one of them. But i think its just telling me two things. (I just don't know which is correct) 1.) This new connection with NB will take hard work to maintain and I must be willing to put the effort in. 2.) All my hardwork and shadow work has lead to a new doopath opening in my life, which would be NB which is why my feelings for him have become stronger and why I feel such a strong pull, compelled even to reach out to NB.
Ace of Sword- All these obstacles will be overcome. All the forces against me I will overcome. Fear and anxiety I will overcome. Basically, if I do reach out to NB I would have over come a very large obstacle or trial that was set in front of me and it will lead (based on the other cards) to a postive outcome.
So Santa Muerte is basically saying "go for it. But be prepared for hard work to maintain this connection"
My own feelings and heavy emotions are obviously blinding my sight so I need someone from the outside to read this as well... I feel like as I read this im very biased.
I will however note, and Im unsure how to take this but, The Lover, The Hermit, and The Two of cups "popped" out of the deck as I shuffled. They didn't fallout but they got flipped showing to me on the edge (nearly falling out but i caught them) but idk how to take this. It could either be a message, or my small hands struggling to shuffle the full deck lol.
Tysm for any help/advice you may offer :)

Not including Shifty Stations and Salmon Run stages, there are 45 stages in the series (including two pairs of different stages that happen to share names with each other). I will rank all 45. Keep in mind, I play mostly rollers, so the ranking will probably be biased towards roller-friendly stages.

C Tier

• (45th) Brinewater Springs: This stage is if Moray Towers and Inkblot Academy had a child, if that child inherited all the bad traits and none of the good ones. Clam Blitz is fine here. Otherwise I don't really like any mode here. Games end up boring because of limited options.
• (44th) Shipshape Cargo Co.: This is one of two stages I cannot picture the layout of off the top of my head despite having played on it countless times (the other is Barnacle & Dime). It's just... blegh. There isn't anything that stands out to me as unique. It's fine to play on, I guess?
• (43rd) Barnacle & Dime: This map is very boring. I had to look at the wiki to remember its layout. It's just bland and honestly made me wonder if they were running out of ideas. I see they've reworked it but have not played it nearly enough since the rework to say anything on that.
• (42nd) Goby Arena: This one's just okay. It was fine enough in each mode, I just didn't enjoy it as much as most other stages.
• (41st) Mincemeat Metalworks: Fine enough, but it's rather bland and without many unique gameplay options compared to other stages.
• (40th) Saltspray Rig: I don't remember playing TC or RM on this one before they were removed from rotation. It's fine in Zones, I guess? Unique concept with the reflectional symmetry but it was done much better in Splatoon 2 and 3.
• (39th) Crableg Capital: It's alright, though it could stand to be wider, and the Rainmaker path is much too short. Design-wise it's also pretty uninspired, but not as much as some other stages.
• (38th) New Albacore Hotel: I like the climbability of the map in Rainmaker. Otherwise this map is just okay, and a little bland compared to some other ones.
• (37th) Eeltail Alley: It's fine, but too narrow for my liking. This reminds me of (OG) Hammerhead Bridge if it was flattened, especially in Zones. Rainmaker is good here.

B Tier

• (36th) Umami Ruins: For a Splatoon 3 map, it's good. But like the others, it still suffers from a lack of paths and a cookie-cutter layout without much verticality.
• (35th) Mahi-Mahi Resort (2022): I guess when they were making stages for Splatoon 3, they couldn't think of a name for this one and decided to reuse an old one. I kid, but when you try to "remake" a stage, at least make sure it improves on the original. This one is not bad, but it went from unique to boring. I enjoyed Rainmaker in the original because of the side paths, which are no longer in the map.
• (34th) Wahoo World: This map is fine, I just get annoyed each time I want to climb up a rotating wall but get blocked from going to the top lol.
• (33rd) Hammerhead Bridge (2015): I like being able to walk on the girders, and all the barriers down at the middle section of the map made for lots of fun chases. If I'm not mistaken, this map had one of the longest Tower Control paths.
• (32nd) Urchin Underpass: Fun stage. I particularly remember enjoying Tower Control on here. I like being able to cut through that area directly ahead of spawn to get to the middle. Design-wise, it's a bit bland, but that's the point.
• (31st) Hammerhead Bridge (2022): Like Mahi-Mahi Resort, they weirdly reused the name of an old map for some reason, even though this map has nothing to do with it. Strange. This one is fun, but is hurt by a lack of side paths.
• (30th) Bluefin Depot: I liked it more in Splatoon 1 because of the grate action, but still liked the changes in 3, especially in Zones. Rainmaker was always fun here.
• (29th) Mahi-Mahi Resort (2015): Not much to say other than that I wish they brought this map back. Rainmaker was very fun here, though the other two modes were just okay.
• (28th) The Reef: This map feels like Splatoon 2's version of Urchin Underpass, vibe and game-wise. Not a bad thing. I love having the side path in Clams and Rainmaker, and I think the zones are well placed if a little small. Nothing special or unique in its concept, though.

A Tier

• (27th) Humpback Pump Track: Clam Blitz goal is well-placed, Tower and Zones are good too. I like Rainmaker here but would prefer if the goal was higher up. I don't like when large sections are inaccessible to the other team (like the area by spawn) as I enjoy being able to come root out campers.
• (26th) Marlin Airport: The fans gimmick works well here (though not as well as Ancho-V Games). This gives it some uniquity in design that has been missing from a lot of recent maps. Overall, it's good.
• (25th) Port Mackerel: In Splatoon 1, the Zones were very far from each other which made some of my matches reach overtime still tied at 100. Luckily they fixed that in 2. Fun map to play in basically all modes.
• (24th) Starfish Mainstage: Clams is fantastic here. The other modes are good too. Not much to say other than that they should bring this map back.
• (23rd) Blackbelly Skatepark: I like the expansion it underwent in Splatoon 2. TC games always ended really quickly in 1. This one was among my favorite maps for Zones because the Zones are so small that the matches were always very volatile. Knockouts were rare.
• (22nd) MakoMart: So many inkable walls around the center makes this map very fun. This is a great map for Clam Blitz as well and has a very well positioned goal in Rainmaker.
• (21st) Scorch Gorge: Clam Blitz is fantastic here, as is Rainmaker. I'm normally not much of a fan of one-zone stages but like Inkblot, the big inkable walls at the middle make this one work fine enough.
• (20th) Hagglefish Market: I love being able to cut across the back in Rainmaker and Clams. In Clams especially, the goal is well-placed enough to make both attacking and defending super fun. I like to ink the ramps real quick then eurostep (squid roll) from level to level to lay the clam into the basket.
• (19th) Walleye Warehouse: I enjoy Rainmaker and Tower Control here a lot, but Splat Zones always ends in a knockout here. This stage would benefit from having two zones.

S Tier

• (18th) Undertow Spillway: Very good map in pretty much every mode. The depressed central paths to the side of the middle work well due to the inkability of the slanting platform.
• (17th) Skipper Pavilion: A much better attempt at reflectional symmetry than Saltspray. What I really like is the middle path you can take with the Rainmaker as well as Clam Blitz where you can go straight right/left from spawn. This gives the middle section of the map some relevance. Zones is good here too.
• (16th) Ancho-V Games: I like the fans mechanic. My only gripe here is that they changed the Rainmaker goal in Splatoon 2 to be directly in front of the opponent's spawn, instead of off to the side like it was. Cutting across to the left was so much fun and made getting a knockout feel so rewarding.
• (15th) Flounder Heights: Great map. I love verticality, which this map has lots of, and Clam Blitz here is pretty much exactly what I hoped for after waiting for this map for a long time.
• (14th) Inkblot Art Academy: Zones is great here because of the inkable wall in the middle providing versatility for attacks. One-zone stages end in knockouts too often. While I've had more knockouts here than in two-zone stages, I think it's easier to retake the zone than most other one-zone stages. Clams and Rainmaker are very good here too.
• (13th) Robo ROM-en: Verticality? In Splatoon 3? I must be seeing things. This is one of the best new maps due to the side/botto
• (12th) Musselforge Fitness: I like the different levels you can climb to, and the Tower Control path going right under the main path to the middle always makes these matches dogfights. I love Rainmaker here. Rainmaker is best on maps where you have to climb high to the top to reach the goal.m paths adding many gameplay options, rather than funneling everything through one choke point like a lot of new maps do.
• (11th) Lemuria Hub: This stage just came out and I already love it. Zones reminds me of The Reef (which is good because I loved Reef Zones). It's very fun in Clams too, just ride the platform and you can score. I'm still learning this stage but it's perhaps the best new map.
• (10th) Camp Triggerfish: I only don't like Zones in here. I think it could do with another path connecting the two sides, maybe from the grate to the left of the middle. Otherwise I loved all other modes here, especially Rainmaker.

S+ Tier

• (9th) Manta Maria: I'd prefer if the Rainmaker goal was higher up (for shades of Museum Rainmaker in Splatoon 1) but it's still good as is. I enjoy every mode here, and design-wise it's up there with the very best too.
• (8th) Kelp Dome: I'd like Zones here more if there were two on each side of the main thing instead of a big one. This is one of the best maps for Rainmaker and Clam Blitz because of the variety of things you can do.
• (7th) Arowana Mall: Now this is quality. So many paths, so many options. Zones and Tower were kinda meh here but I always loved Rainmaker and Clams because of all the routes you could take.
• (6th) Moray Towers: I confess I mained chargers in Splatoon 1, but even in 2 (where I pretty much only played rollers) I still loved this map. The layout is very unique and like many of the maps I've ranked highly, offers many different routes to the objective.
• (5th) Piranha Pit: Versatile map. I like the way the different modes take advantage of the different directions the stage is oriented in. The conveyer belts add a lot in every mode as well. This is peak stage design.
• (4th) Sturgeon Shipyard: A masterpiece of paths. Splatoon 2 was very good at designing maps like these where you can go left, go right, or go straight ahead and all of them are viable. Zones is great too because of the length of the zone. The platforms gimmick works very well too.
• (3rd) Museum d'Alfonsino: This stage has one of the most unique designs with the rotating displays. Clam Blitz is great here, I think the goal is perfectly placed. I much preferred Rainmaker in Splatoon 1, though, when the goal was on the big rotating platform at the start.
• (2nd) Snapper Canal: You can do so much on this map that there's never a dull match. The inkrails are a good touch to connect the different halves. And I've talked about paths so much: this map has so many. In Rainmaker you can go right, or left, or super left. Even in Zones you have multiple options to attack the zone.
• (1st) Shellendorf Institute: Another masterpiece of paths. Common trend in this tier, notice? You can go left or right or straight, you can go high or low, it gives you so many options. The non-inkable surfaces on the top are great to keep the paths balanced. They need to bring this back ASAP.

So this is my first time posting a DnD story here. I'm not sure how long I can make these but I just think this was funny and so far has been a highlight of my relatively short DnD career.
So I was DMing a 1 on 1 game a few months ago with the premise of the PC and a bunch of people getting isekaid into this fantasy world and accidentally taking over the bodies of people in the forgotten realms. One by one at seemingly random times throughout the month, a random person from our world would die horribly to get forcibly borrow the body of a fantasy character. And coincidentally, the PC was thrown into the body of an elven woman with a missing older brother, Eize, who apparently got a reputation after his disappearance. And PC believes that guy might have some clue how to get back home and plus the girl she's accidentally taken the body of, Luna, is now in her head and wants PC to carry out her task and find him. So both of their paths are set on finding this one guy. Perfect. The whole time, the fact that this elf woman was actually this random human from another world hijacking her body was kept a secret to most characters she came across. Including an NPC party member who I just kind of made to guide her through the basics of DnD.
It was her first time playing so I made the elf she was hijacking have an archer roommate friend who tries to see if she can shoot an arrow well, lift, and other stuff that would translate into different rolls at the start. Turns out the PC really liked him so he tagged along to help her find her missing brother not knowing that the person in control of her body and voice was... someone else entirely. Occasionally, since she's in the body of someone who already has a history with the weapon she's using (A bow. She picked a ranger) we'd just let any exceptionally good rolls be explained by the trained muscle memory of the woman whose body she's possessing kicking in and doing the heavy lifting for the PC. And occasionally, said elf woman would appear in her head for commentary, ideas, brief explanations and just another outlook on whats happening. Sometimes even throwing in a random wisdom save for select moments to see if the elf would momentarily take over. Small things like when PC is trying to get drunk, a failed random wisdom save would make the normally lightweight elf refuse to lift that mug to her lips for a brief moment. Or in another scenario when she successfully rescued tutorial NPC from being captured (which is a... whole other story), a failed random wisdom save made PC lunge forward and wrap him in a hug since the actual elf has known him for a long time so naturally she'd want to hug him. Just to remind that these were people with their own lives before they were bodyjacked. But these were just very fleeting moments of free will... fun for flavor though!
But anyways after meeting another isekaid soul who's using his host's magical powers as a means to steal and be a pretty shady dude, PC and Luna get a little tip that the guy isn't on the same plane thanks to a magic map that can track anyone in the world. PC used it on herself and someone she met but couldnt find the one they were after. So where to go next but PC a school of mages that can take her to other planes via a staff they have made specifically for this. But in exchange she has to jot down anything she can find to help them document the creatures since one of the students casted fireball in their library. Its a deal! The downside to this staff was that it needs 24 ingame hours to recharge so she has to make sure she knows where shes going. But... she doesnt. And theres like 16 planes in DnD.
So she guesses! And after a little bit of body horror explaining how the staff melts and sucks the PC into itself before teleporting to the other plane and spitting her out, the PC's sent to an area where only what is directly in front of her is visible. If its a little in her peripheral, it'll just disappear into a void. The main reason for this was because I got bored or lost trying to study what the actual planes are like and just kinda made something up for one of them. But after looking around what was basically a desolate landscape with a few abandoned towns, she finds this tall.... thing just kinda standing in a grassy field looking off somewhere. So of course, she decides now is as good time as any to draw the big fella. Was her first time drawing anything ingame. Nat 20. Turns out the person she took the body of is a Davinci-level artist and she didnt even know it and every single art PC wants to draw after this was an automatic masterpiece
But then, when she turns around to at least look for a resting point, theres something off. Roll perception: passed! Something following her.
Due to the nature of this area, she cant tell exactly what or who unless shes looking directly at it so she cant even sneak a glance over her shoulder. So she turns. Dex check: failed. Nothing.
Instead, her one and only party member NPC pointed behind her. And what she sees is the man of the hour; a big tall creature arching its freakishly long neck and spine downwards to get a better look at her with a huge array of masks with different expressions lining his back and somehow staring right at her. And on its face was a joyous mask described as being akin to one of those old tragedy/comedy plays.
PC asks "who... what are you."
And this is where I finally got to cement the name and the creature answers, "I am Gay... Though, this word has a varying meaning though does it not? Call me Happy."
We did not call them Happy. Because me and the PC were both 12 at heart and Gay is just funnier. So Gay is a Aasfaraaba, creatures who are basically just named an emotion so legally, by the books own admission, I can name a character in the most serious context, Gay. He's Gay. And that just makes me smile.
And despite the PC trying to keep the fact that she's hijacked someones body and the fact that the real elf is kind of just a bystander in her own mind a secret, the first thing Gay does is stare directly at the PC and ask "why are there two of you" completely ignoring the NPC party member and nudging forward the idea that Gay can see both people inside her. And no im not rephrasing that because I dont know how to for this one. Gay gives her some information on where the guy she's looking for is while politely says that Eize and his "parasite" are in a different plane entirely called Baator. Frankly, what else could you call these isekaid bodysnatches if not parasites? And as the creature explains this, the joy mask switched seamlessly to a different one with the only real sign its not just the mask physically changing was the discarded expression suddenly being in their hand. With more being added the more the conversation went on and the expressions had to change.
Despite Gay being a weird eldritch creature, me and the other player loved the dude and the fact that fact that their presence meant i could seamlessly make gay puns. Turns out the dude just like to come here to listen to the stories of lost souls that find their way to this place. And that they just like the weird phenomena like chocolate rain appearing at a certain time and shows off how magic simply touching the air makes a bunch of weird and random effects like summoning a simple ball of light and watching as it slowly morphs into pink strawberry icecream. Dude was just here for fun and noticed these people who dont belong here.
And after a short interaction, Gay said they didnt want to miss the chocolate rain starting soon and asked if PC had any other questions. The NPC party member is freaking out still and the actual elf woman forced as a bystander is weirded out but PC really likes him and says "I like him! Her? Um… do you have a gender by chance we can call you by?" Gay's response?
"What is that?"
Gay was just Gay. And Gay had no gender.
And that was it. A character made from a monster i thought was cool and a joke i thought was funny that quickly became a favorite among me and the player despite the dude not even showing up much. He did appear another time much later after this when she went to a different plane, Baator, which to my knowledge is basically Hell. And Gay was just kinda sitting by a river of blood and rapidly moving, outstretched arms. PC runs over to the mask enthusiast screaming, "Hey! Gay!" which of course got a nice out of game chuckle cause we are once again both 12 mentally, and this dude pulls out a mask with a guy cupping his chin and says "do I know you" And after a short awkward shift in tone with PC thinking she was racist thinking all weirdly tall mask collectors were the same person, Gay cackles, swaps to a mask of wild laughter, and says "Did you appreciate my joke?"
Turns out PC caught Gay sitting by a river of souls, stating they find it "relaxing." And proceeds to turn a piece of one of their shattered masks into a beach ball that gets tossed around by the flailing souls being whisked away. Gay gives her a hint, light plane lore, and directions on where to go when asked at this point, Gay was just the PCs very hands off guide when she goes to other planes so as to give her SOME kind of hint as to which direction her main goal is. But mostly sticking to a few random spots far away and immediately leaving to do whatever they came here for in the first place after a bit of talking.
And the FINAL of the three Gay events happened when PC finally found the elf's brother and bested him in an incredibly close boss fight with a very confused party member. Turns out the one hijacking Eize was body to- somehow successfully gain a pact with nearly every demon including Glasya, who in DnD lore, I think? is a big deal since shes the daughter of the big boss of DnD Satan. And the PC isnt fond of Eize's "parasite" using his body for evil. PC is upset. The elf whos watching her brother being puppetered like this, is upset. And the NPC is completely clueless as he lacks the context of wtf they're both talking about.
But loyal to the end, NPC helps his friend beat up her suddenly evil brother and with just a bit of health left, she tries to teleport them back home...? Back... to the normal DnD plane. i don't know what its called. But she forgot to bring Eize and the NPC tutorial friend. The guy she spent all this time trying to get and several irl months trying to find. Because all creatures need to touch the staff to teleport to a new plane and she thought that simply holding hands with someone else would drag them along. It didnt. So now she has to wait several in game hours while her ally is in literal Hell with the enemy while she has a measly 2 hit points left after the battle. So she goes back to the wizards who give her a health potion and casts a plane spell. I dont remember if thats a thing they can do but i did mention they could do it once months ago so PC just asked them to just teleport her there.
With limited time and limited health, she's spawned right back to where she did before in Baator with Gay still just chilling by the river of souls. PC desperately asks Gay to take her to Glasya's castle where Eize and her friend are still probably laid out. Gay just looks at her and says "...You're still here?"
And so engages an attempt to persuade Gay to help.... and it fails. Because I, in my brief and probably flawed readings, understood devils in DnD to be really into the idea of only helping IF you have something to offer, Gay says, "I must obey the rules of this plane, and that requires me to only help you in return of something of value. However there is nothing of value you have for me. So I cannot aid."
She tries again, saying that if she doesn't get to her brother soon, they could start a massive war against the other planes. Which... didnt need a roll. Aasfaraabas dont really give a hoot about any of that. So that one just automatically failed. "Oh, my sweet girls. The safety or conquer of the planes does not concern my kind." Didnt work either.
So in a huff PC was about to just leave. Then one more idea comes to mind. In the form of the elf shes hijacking asking her to trade knowledge about PCs non-fantasy homeworld. A persuasion roll here and it actually works!
So Gay yells something in another language and just stops time so they can hear her story. For Gay has Wish. Any spell is theirs to use including the one to stop time. "Very well. If you wouldn't mind, I will take my payment now." So they sit down and after telling Gay all about her own world with bikes, trains, cars, and a bunch of technology, And so Gay is content and simply snaps her around the proper location she needs to be. Not the exact area since theres no way to know exactly where to put her but Gay had a general idea and made the trek significantly shorter.
And that was it. Thats the final appearance of the most powerful random NPC i've ever created who just so happens to be a favorite among me and the player AND a very fun character to write. Half of the time, the descriptions of what the guy were just vague and confused as though I, the DM, didnt know what to call him. Saying things like "the tall.... thing stared down at you." "The masked.... thing" The word Aasfaraaba was foreign to the player since i didnt tell her. It was her first game and I wanted things to be naturally told via the game and the species name was never brought up in Gay's 3 whole appearances. Gay was just Gay. It became a little joke that "Gay was just Gay" The other player didnt want to know what Gay was. Didnt need to know Gay's gender. Gay was just Gay.

Number	Question	Answer	Topics	Answer Link
51	What happened to the coc/supercell support? They are just closing the Tickets (to many cases bla bla.)	There's been an unfortunate bunch of situations behind the scenes that have impacted our support recently. It's not good enough and its frustrated us on the Clash team too. Supercell's Player Support team does have a bunch of great smart people and with recent new joiners, I believe they will figure out better ways to give you all the high quality support you deserve.	Player Support Issues	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dg3so/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
52	Do you guys have some idea or plan to update the XP system in Clash of clans I mean other supercell games have already done that so, can we see some updates to the XP system? Also are you guys planing to add more leagues in the game?	Your individual player XP isn't very meaningful or important in the game. I'm not sure we'd remove it but it's more likely make it less prominent and not on the main screen than make it more important.	Player XP System	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dk9l3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
53	The last couple AMAs you guys talked about the Invitation of new members getting a revamp, can you give us a little bit more info about that?	We've been working hard on this and had been hoping to get this in for our June update. Unfortunately it wasn't quite done in time. We probably will share the idea in the next few eeks and get some feedback before launching it in a future update this year.	Quality of Life	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d1lm9/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
54	Hello Stuart. What is the difference between a general manager and a community manager? Do you make the updates for the game? Also when will customer support for clash of clans be improved? People have been complaining about customer support and how hard it is to actually get to a human to help them with their problem	My role as General Manager is to make sure we have the right team to take care of everything that goes into making and running Clash, and making sure the team has everything they need to do their best work in all of their individual fields. Our Community managers are focused on being the bridge between our team and you players. Making sure we hear your thoughts on what we're doing, as well as making sure you hear what we're up to. Whether that's through our own channels directly or by helping our creator community. The only hands work for updates I do today is writing a bunch of the in-game texts still. The funny jokes, those are the ones I write honest, the ones that aren't funny, yeah those are somebody else. 😅	Quality of Life	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d392x/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
55	Esteemed Sir I do beseech thee, with all the humility and earnestness of my heart, to consider the addition of a confirm button for the purpose of signing up to the revered "Legend Leagues" within thy esteemed game. Such a feature would surely be a boon to all who partake in the grandeur of thy creation, providing clarity and assurance to the valiant players.Thy consideration in this matter would be met with the deepest gratitude and enduring loyalty of thy devoted community. Yours in earnest supplication, Andy	Esteemed Andy, I must kindly ask, is this a problem one has been encountering since farming in "fake legends" to get that little bit extra sweet ore? Your faithful servant, Stuart	Quality of Life	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d4wd5/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
56	Why does quick army queue fixed troops, instead of building the army I want, discarding and recylcling what's already there ?	We've got revamps to army training planned which should solve this problem for you (and some others). It'll probably launch alongside the TH17 update if things go to plan.	Quality of Life	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d62fa/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
57	Can we perhaps see more QoL changes/editions to clan capital in the future such as co leaders and above being able to see who donated last to a building (to see if there are trolls purposefully putting their gold in expensive stuff/obstacles that the leaders don't want to invest into for now), being able to save army compositions, buttons to help navigate through the districts more efficiently, among other things? 1.5. When capital hall level 11 comes and new buildings and district hall levels being added, where do you think players would get the new buildings? Are we gonna be getting a shop of some kind for those, since having more ruins wouldn't make much sense and could ruin base layouts? 2. With the recent balance changes nerfing a lot of the defenses, players have been complaining that the game is getting too easy and the strategic aspects of the game is being compromised in favor of catering to a more general audience that doesn't have the time to learn complex attack strategies. What do you think about that, and do you think you guys can find other alternatives to create a balance between being strategic gameplay and casual appeal? 3. What year do you think was the greatest for Clash of Clans, and has 2024 been a great year for the game so far? 4. Do you keep any pets, and if so, what is it? 5. What do you think about the mobile gaming scene nowadays, and what factors do you think have made Clash of Clans be able to stand out from its competitors? 6. Are there any concepts that you (or the team) really like, but ultimately couldn't make it into the game due to it having fundamental issues that makes it either very difficult to balance, going against the game's inherent designs, or other reasons?	Picking a few to answer We're currently focusing on the Home Village but figuring out how we'll keep on top of Capital QoL and other improvements. 1.5 In the past we've talked about doing some kind of defence swapping mechanic where you could move defenses between districts (similar to swapping defenses in Builder's Base). There'd need to be some kind of restrictions as we do like each district having its own identity and specialities. We had a troop concept based on the Blob, which absorbed things and got stronger and stronger. It was impossible to balance as it was getting stronger whilst the base got weaker.	Quality of Life, Clan Capital	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d8frz/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
58	Thanks Stuart for this AMA. I have a few questions: Will supercell continue to cater towards the casuals? I understand that casuals are the high spenders but back in the days, coc used to be a strategy based game. Let's say you have the capacity to make any changes to the game you want. What would you change and why? I'm sure you play the game. Do you support strategic rushing or maxing every townhall? Why? How exactly are balance changes done? Like based on what data? Can we expect another collab anytime soon?	Clash has and always will be a game for a ton of different people for different playstyles. We'll do our best to keep adding things for different folk and let people customise their own experience. I'd love for Clash players to be able to make their own troops + defenses and come up with their own wild creations. This is a game where y'all make stuff for one another and it'd be great to go even more in that direction. I've always moved up to the next Town Hall when I feel done with the current one. I think that's the best way to play and that's gonna be different for different players. It's a combination of subjective feedback and looking into the use and 3 star rates of different things. Root Rider isn't the troop with the highest win-rate in legends, that's Super Barbarian, but it is used more often. We never want one strategy to be so dominant that you feel you must play that way.	Quality of Life, Game Development	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dbkoy/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
59	Hello there Stuart, thanks for taking the time to do an AMA, I have several questions, both in and outside the game. I'm an Alliance Admin, can we see changed to the reddit recruitment system? I have spoken with many different large and small families or alliances, we all agree that the Reddit Recruitment System needs changing, some moderators seem to abuse their power and only favour Recruitment posts from Reddit based clans, many alliances and families have been banned from recruiting there without much reasons. Root Riders. They have been a challenge to balance, have you ever considered changing the housing space capacity? I don't understand how Root Riders are 12 housing space less than Electro Titans. Any plans to potentially revert a nerf or two and increase the housing space? That would balance the meta out and see other attacks shift back into the meta. Coming from an Alliance point of view, can we see love for the larger Alliances and Families in the community, currently supporter codes are only for Clash Content Creators and other significant parties like Clash King, but I feel like us Alliances and Families do create strong communities and provide a lot for the community. If the larger communities could be allowed Creator Codes we could create more events and host more giveaways for our members. Long story short, any plans to add larger Communities to the Supporter Code system? Or working with the larger Communities in other unique ways that can be positive both on a small and large scale? What is the Clash Teams plans for Quarter 3 and 4 of the year? Anything big we can keep our eyes out for?	We'll keep an eye on how the Root Rider does after the current balance changes. But housing space adjustment is for sure an option, and it's been something we've done in the past.	Recruitment, Troops, Alliances	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d51eq/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
60	Why is Supercells activity on Reddit so low since Darian left?	I just went over to Ferri and Frame's desks to pass on this message and they promise to be more active!	Reddit Activity	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dgake/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
61	will there ever be some reduction in the time/cost of laboratory upgrades, or possibly an opportunity for a 2nd lab upgrade slot outside of just using the goblin builder? lab upgrades tend to take longer for me than anything else. secondly, in town hall 16 i can see an attempt to save space in the base by combining defenses. are there more planss to compress the base further so new defensive buildings can be built without overcrowding being a problem? finally do you think there will be a crimson and black themed town hall because that would be sick	Lab times take a bit longer than buildings because most players don't use every troop/spell/siege so don't worry about finishing those before moving on up to the next Town Hall. We added Research Potions for Raid Medals so players wanting more balance could get there. But we'll keep monitoring player progress to make sure this stays healthy (and there's definitely some Town Halls more unbalanced than others).	Research Upgrade Times	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dkv7a/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
62	Hey I’m pretty sure you already heard this but the RR nerf didn’t work.	It's early days but in the stats it does seem to be working. We'll see where it settles and decide what to do next.	RR Nerf Effectiveness	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dqape/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
63	Any plans to increase the 30s scout time in legends league / friendly challenges? With all of the decisions to make at th16 it’s becoming increasingly difficult to come up with a suitable plan in time	We have something coming in the June update that can help you use the scout time more effectively. But we discussed increasing it at the same time and ultimately decided not to. The worry of having too long a scout time is everyone feels they have to use it, and attacking takes longer. We will see how things go after the June update and decide if further changes are needed.	Scout Time in Legends League	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dpq8q/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
64	Will we ever get more housing space for spells?	We don't plan to but I'd never say never.	Spell Housing Space	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dn703/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
65	Would you consider allowing players to use one supertroop per week for free? I feel like they are very underused due to the 25k DE price, and this would make attacks more fun	Yeah we're not happy with the Super Troop system either. Trying to think of how we'll change it so they're more widely enjoyed.	Super Troop System Changes	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7de3gn/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
66	Is there going to be a possibility to test out new equipment on a high/maxed out level before having to invest resources into them? For example in friendly challenges? Or with a magic item that maxes equipment for a certain time period? I was thinking about letting us play with them in the playground like super troops	That's an option we've been thinking about too.	Testing New Equipment	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7diop?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
67	Hi Stuart, do you plan on implementing a tournemant mode or some other kind of mode, where troops and buildings are differently balanced, so it is more challanging for the top players and the casuals are still able to have fun?	Answered this elsewhere but we're adding a Hard Mode for this purpose. Hope you enjoy it.	Tournament Mode	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dboqa/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
68	How far in advance do you think of the next town hall’s theme?	Our art team had something rough in mind even while thinking of the TH16 theme. They started refining that more earlier this year.	Town Hall Themes	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7ddt4t/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
69	Was the design of any of the troops based off anyone that worked in Supercell? For example, if the giant was an exaggerated caricature of a large redhead in the Clash team	I don't think so, but I only joined in 2017 so didn't meet everyone who was here in 2012	Troops	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dabhx/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
70	Hey! Why don't we have the Clash of Clans user interface good looking as any other supercell games out there. I mean every other supercell game animations and user interface are an absolute pleasure to watch. How do you feel about these things to be added into the game. Redesigned Clan Chat with better functionality and animations. Emotes availability in clan chat, War spectating etc. Clan Name Change Clan Banner Change with some sort of animations and other added features. Do you think the overall game user interface needs an overhaul. I think it has become sort of boring interacting with the same user interface over the years. Adding specific eye candy elements could make it a little bit more eye pleasing. Thanks!	We're one of the company's oldest games and we also have the most screens and features. We have recently hired some more folk to help us improve our UI/UX and are also working on some technical improvements to make it easier and faster for us to refresh our UI + UX.	UI/UX Improvements	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dp6gu/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
71	Maybe think of other creative ways to merge defenses, like turning wizard towers into superwizard towers, maybe 2 teslas into a megatesla and so on, the more unique defenses in the village, the better!	[ Removed by Reddit ]	Unique Defense Ideas	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dillj/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

Number	Question	Answer	Topics	Answer Link
1	Can we expect a collaboration with an Anime series or a cartoon ?	Is there any particular series you'd love to see us collaborate with?	Anime Collaboration	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7demrc/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
2	When will u make more archer queen skins with the feet out	There's a wonderful deco we have coming out in July I think you'll love!	AQ Feet Decoration	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dqqd1/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
3	I'm actually really curious about this one.. whats the reason behind the decision to implement such game changing balance changes in the middle of cwl?	We wanted to get the balance changes out before the June update but we ran late on getting them finished. It's unfortunate and we'll try and avoid this in future.	Balance Changes Timing	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dcap3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
4	What does the future of builder base look like?It seems we went silent yet again after rework. Also now that versus battle has been removed, is there any scope for clan based event for builder base?	Although we're proud of the work we did with the BB2.0 update and made its core gameplay much more fun, I think we still didn't answer the question of what is the Builder Base is for and why couldn't we just do the cool stuff there in the Home Village. And that's something we need to figure out still. In the meantime we felt the focus on Builder Base and Clan Capital in the last few years had come at the expense of long overdue improvements on the Home Village, so we decided to focus this year just on the Home Village.	Builder Base and Clan Capital	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dnl9n/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
5	Will there be something new in Builder Base or Clan Capital related to Main village that will urge players to play more Builder Base and Clan Capital. Currently we have - Builder Base - Gear Up,Gem Mine Clan Capital - Raid Medal for Reinforcement and Trader shop	We're not sure on the team if this is really the right way to proceed. We don't want players to play BB and CC just to get a benefit in the Home Village. That's not respectful of your time and it's unclear if it's better for the game. We're still thinking about how these three parts should relate in future.	Builder Base and Clan Capital Integration	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dpdyz/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
6	Hey Stuart! Im a th15 strategic rusher and I was wondering: -are going to be ways to catch up with ores if you missed out on events in the past? I got back to playing clash about 3 month ago, just after fireball equipment so I used my saved up gems to buy gg fa and fb. -is it possible to add all epic equipment in new events so that people that missed out could get them without spending 1500 gems? Make them the same price as the new epic so that you can catch up by buying the pass or extra event resources.	Hey welcome back! For making equipment available, we have talked about having a selection of epic equipment for medals as you described. But the pricing and when we haven't decided yet.	Catching Up with Missed Events	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dc4qj/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
7	Hi Stuart, Apologize if some of these have been already asked. Feel free to answer any or all: 1: Any plans to address that annoying "Clan name covering up inferno mode glitch"? There's workarounds for regular wars but in legends and when attacking you really need to zoom in and even then it's hard to tell. 2: Any possibility of changing replays so that they show the real time relative to the attacker? For example, if my clanmate clutched out an attack with 1 second left the replay won't really show that (unless you're counting the full 3 minutes from the start) 3: Continuing on with replays, is there any possibility of an updated UI to show which hero equipment are being used? This is moreso for when you're on youtube or some other media player and can't click on the hero to see. This would be a great addition for spectators of esports for clash 4: Will there be any more updates for the tutorial levels? Those could go a long way for some of the newer players. They could even teach "fundamentals" rather than full-on attacks. 5: Last question, more of a curiosity: What is the tiebreaker for war weight when 2 players are the exact same. Subsequently, what is the tiebreaker for when 2 clanmates both have 4,000 clan games points, and also when they both have the same number of stars/destruction for cwl? Cheers!	Not sure it exactly solves your problem but we have a feature coming up in the June update that maybe helps a bit with your annoyance with Clan names. It'll let you tap on anything to see its range, level and mode more clearly.	Clan Name Covering Glitch	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dnyb7/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
8	Will there be new Perks for Clan Levels? Like Level 20 Clan having Perks of donation level +3.	We're extremely unlikely to introduce new functional perks but possibly some cosmetic perks might come at some point.	Clans	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d3cwv/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
9	Will there be any member space increase for Clans? May be 60/70?	Probably not.	Clans	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d8wne/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
10	Hi Stuart! More and more communities are growing around clash of clans, from clan families/alliances to community esports groups. Being heavily involved in both, are there any plans to help expand and support these types of communities? Recent QoL changes have been great on both fronts (updated chat, friendly wars during regular wars). Just curious if anything else is on the horizon. Very excited for an update on in-game recruitment as well. Current systems outside of the game are difficult to navigate as a large group.	On families/alliances. We still want to focus on the individual Clan experience with more changes and improvements before thinking about how families/alliances might work. On recruitment I answered that in another question.	Clans, Alliances	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d9nae/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
11	I just looked at the image you posted a bit closer and the posters in the background seem to be from the clash fest mini games :0. Is there any chance those games will return at some point? I personally really liked them, especially the kart one	Let's see what we do for our next big anniversary when we turn 15 in 2027!	Clash Fest Mini Games	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dlyka/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
12	Star Wars X Clash of Clans collab possible?	Which Star Wars character would you want to see each Hero skinned as?	Collaborations	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d548t/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
13	Hey Stuart, how do you see the competitive scene shaping up in Clash this year at Worlds? Will we see similar 3 star rates?	In another post I talked about the Hard Mode we're introducing. We'll work with the competitive scene and others to tune the difficulty there so we have a Worlds as exciting as last year.	Competitive Scene	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7ddk9l/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
14	Are Supercell affiliated content creators with creator codes allowed to speak their mind about Supercell games? I've always wondered if they are allowed to cover certain issues and say negative things about Supercell games.	Yes, and lots of our creators do bring up issues they hear from their audiences and it's always super useful to us when they do.	Content Creator Freedom	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dm5q4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
15	Is there any consideration towards giving the Air Sweeper new levels that are either purely cosmetic to match the base, or perhaps have a very minor hit point upgrade and a new cosmetic design? It matches pretty well with TH16 currently, but not with multiple town halls before that and probably not with most future town halls.	Yeah we've had considered the cosmetic/HP only Air Sweeper levels a few times on the team but it always felt like an unsatisfying upgrade. We also briefly experimented with giving the Air Sweeper an extra damage effect BUT we didn't find something that was meaningful without killing certain air strategies.	Cosmetic Upgrades	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dlmdw/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
16	What's the big update team is working on? Like Clan War League,Clan Capital was being worked on since long time.	Currently we're working on a mix of more medium sized things than another megaproject like Clan Capital. That's working better for us to bring y'all improvements and cool things steadily. Capital took about two years of development and that was a bit much, especially given how small the team was then.	Current Projects	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dd2t6/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
17	Hello Stuart, I have 2 questions I want to ask you about CWL. Is there a reason why in CWL there can only be 15 people or 30 people at once participating in rounds? And is there plans to make options for 20 to 25 people participating in CWL (Below champions league), to be a thing in the future?	It basically comes down to making sure we have enough Clans at different sizes in each League for things to behave sensibly. That's the reason we didn't extend the 30 size group into Champions League. It's something we've talked about making more flexible but no concrete commitment yet sorry!	CWL	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d5mzz/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
18	Hi Stuart, are there plans to add more leagues above Champions 1 to CWL, like Titan 3 etc? Also, any plans to add tiers on the Legend League based on trophies?	More CWL leagues and multiplayer leagues is something we've discussed doing but there's no concrete plan for when that might happen. With Legends League there's many different reasons people are there and it currently isn't so well serving all of those needs from folk seeking the best competition, to folk who are just very active ending up there. We need to think how this could work better for everyone.	CWL, Multiplayer	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d2mg4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
19	when will we get epic equipment for Royal Champion?	Soon!	Epic Equipment for Royal Champion	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dc6a3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
20	Hi! I believe this will be a great opportunity to ask this question! For the future of Clash of Clans, since there are now many event troops added to the game, will there be a possibility to add a barrack for those troops? As bases gets more and more complex throughout the updates, having a bigger variety for attacks would not only encourage players to play more, but also to have a crazier and more amazing attacks to watch in the pro scene! I do understand that some event troops may be OP, so some could be reworked/nerfed and it could work similar to the super troop barrack, where you can only activate a certain amount of those troops	One of the things we like about event troops is that they're only around for a short while. That lets us go a bit wilder and weirder sometimes than if something was gonna be in the game forever. Sorry to disappoint but it's very unlikely we'd let people use event troops "out of season". Maybe if we had the equivalent of a "creative" mode we could let players try out all the chaos though? Then there's no worries about balance.	Event Troops, Game Modes	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d8ry0/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
21	yo nice to see you chatting with the public whats your fav hero?	Currently it's the AQ but I think some of the new hero concepts we've playtested have the potential to dethrone her.	Favorite Hero	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7ddxuw/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
22	Can we have Final Fantasy theme including all heroes’ skins?	Which Final Fantasy characters would you want to see skins for each Hero as?	Final Fantasy Collaboration	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dn5g5/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
23	Is archer queen freaky?	Not as freaky as the way some of you out there talk about her feet 🙈	Freaky Archer Queen	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7depw3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
24	Hi Stewart! Few Q’s for you, appreciate whatever you’re able to get around to answering. State of the game: How do you envision the state of esports going forward & how do you plan to tackle the current state of balance - for example are there any plans to create a separate balance state for players competing in leagues / tournaments & how far would this extend to everyday areas of the game? i.e cwl / legends / war Both wars & legend league have remained largely unchanged since their inception & whilst they’re both still enjoyable cornerstones of the game, they’ve grown to become repetitive / stale in their current format at times - does the team have any plans to breathe new life into these modes? QoL: Obstacles that have been previously moved with a shovel but are not currently stashed are required to be re-placed every time you open a new layout through the link feature. Would it be possible to change this so that they remain fixed in position by default? Any plans to revamp donating to make it less awkward so that you’re not required to manually retrain & drag & delete your army every time you donate? i.e some sort of auto-queue feature Could we see more skin randomiser customisation options / presets in future? i.e a day / night scenery randomiser & a toggle for matching hero skins & sceneries? Any plans to finish pre-existing skin lines? eg. clockwork champ I’d love to have the option to listen to the ambient scenery background sounds unique to each scenery w/o the scenery music, is this something you’d consider implementing if feasible? Furthermore some of the older sceneries lack custom scenery music - is something you plan to extend to the rest of them?	So many questions. I'll answer the first one! We're planning to introduce an optional Hard Mode that can be used for Friendly Challenges and Friendly Wars. This will be introduced in our June update. The exact settings of what that mode will be are still TBD and the plan is to make further adjustments to it based on community feedback. It would be used for the world finals this year. We'll think about if and how we might use this in other areas of the game. The skill gap in our players is extremely wide. Some are wanting a really tough experience while others, who are still very loyal active players are looking for something more chill. It was clear from TH15 that we overshot the mark on what that more casual audience were looking for. We're hoping to give players more choice in difficulty and their experience in future.	Friendly Challenges, Competitive Play	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d4bwv/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
25	Hello Stuart. How come your team has decided to nerf the defence at th10-th15 even when the game has already been made easier in December 2023? Surely with the new hero equipment which gave a massive boost to the heroes the game didn't need to get any easier right? I am asking since there was a big backlash after the first wave of defence nerfs so nerfing the defences for a second time wouldn't that make the game too easy for those who are looking for a challenge? Lastly, will there anything be added to clash of clans in the future to those who would like a challenge? Like a challenge mode to clan wars (one attack clan wars or clan wars that remain the same but with buffed defence or restricted cc etc). Thank you so much for hosting this AMA Stuart and I wish your team the best when it comes to developing clash of clans in the future.	We have set targets on the 3 star rates we'd like to see at different Town Halls. As we add more Town Halls and speed up the progression, what used to be the endgame hardest content ends up actually turning up pretty early in player's time with the game. Town Hall 12 actually had the 2nd lowest 3 star rate for a while recently. So we will always need to go make adjustments to get things back on track. Part of the long-term solution here is also to build better tools for players to learn better strategies. The game actually does a terrible job of making that discoverable right now without going outside of the game and watching creator videos. We'd definitely want to improve on this and happy to hear people's ideas on what might work here. I've posted elsewhere about our Hard Mode idea we're testing out for those looking for a harder challenge. Hopefully this lets players tune their experience better, and we hope in the long-run we can help more players level up their skills and enjoy the game's full challenges.	Game Balance, Competitive Play	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d7l83/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
26	Do you like the way the game is going?	Yes. I wish I could time travel a few years in the future to bring you back all the cool stuff we've been talking about on the team. But unfortunately that's not possible. More than doubling the size of the team last year was tough and it gave us a bunch of issues. Unfortunately some of those spilled out to you all in the form of more bugs/oversights than we would have wanted. But we've improved our processes and the bigger team is needed for us to improve the game. I think we are doing more at once than we've managed in the past so we can bring you that dream future version faster. Thanks for the patience bearing with us while we get there.	Game Direction	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dekep/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
27	Why isn't there a mechanic that incentives game time or time on app? As an active player, I am almost always ONLY waiting for builders and almost always with full storages (or close enough that there's zero point doing anything). It actually incentivizes me to play less or not at all. Why not a small builder boost per attack star earned (relative to league placement)? Eg. if you 3 star a base in Titan, you get a 10 minute builder boost or something. Seems counterintuitive to voluntarily limit play time and time on app. There should be some reward, even small, for wanting to play more.	Our timers are too long and we are working to bring them down. We agree too often active people get blocked with nothing to do by timers. But we also don't want those active players to run out of things to upgrade and are playing for. So we want to introduce more systems to the game that let us add more to do and play for. It'll take time to build those systems but as we have more of them our average timers will shrink. At the same time at Supercell we don't believe infinite play time is healthy for players in the long run either. So having timers and similar mechanics is needed somewhat. We don't want Clash to be a game where people feel they have to play X hours a day, as that discourages people from even trying it.	Game Timer Balance	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7doxrf/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
28	How are you	I'm pretty good. Thanks for asking. It's been fun answering questions. How are you?	General Well-being	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dnr1h/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
29	Why did you remove the little grass overlay from th16 buildings? They look like they float now. This is what it looks like in buildings for th15 and below. Can you bring it back please?	The grass overlays looked really odd on those smoother floored sceneries (Shadow Scenery). But the floatiness on grass sceneries without em isn't ideal. We're trying to figure out a technical solution that won't involve having double the download size of all our buildings.	Grass Overlay Issue	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dddfg/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
30	Can you colab with gundam please?	Maybe a mecha PEKKA?	Gundam Collaboration	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dq1r4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
31	I just came to say hello.	👋	Hello	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dqt2x/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
32	Are there or any plans at all to improve heroes? Like I wanna be able to still use heroes whilst they're upgrading. I think that speeds up or atleast makes the process feel just a bit better.	Yes. We've got a plan to try something out in the summer. Hope you like it!	Heroes, Quality of Life	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d7p0g/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
33	Why Archer Towers,Cannons are not getting new level in Th16?	We plan to eventually merge them all away into Multi-Archer Towers and Ricochet Cannons. But we didn't want to drop the number of buildings too much from TH15 to TH16. So it might take a bit. Apologies to those disturbed by the disharmony in the aesthetics!	Home Village	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d1ej0/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
34	As per latest report, coc would be releasing new townhall level after every 12 month. Even though there are curs being made at cost or time for upgrades, for low level townhall catching up sure seems impossible. And walls after th14 is a nightmare unless the game has already been beaten. How would this be addressed? 2. Due to the limited size of home Village, with new Townhall levels, there will be limited building that can be added, there's not much fun in it, if new buildings or elements don't come in from time to time right? How will this be addressed	We will keep up with cost and time cuts to upgrades in order to help lower level folk catch up. We have quite a big set coming in our June update. I agree Wall costs are a bit silly and we should probably think again. Originally they were a bit of a stretch goal for loot to get sunk in. But maybe the game doesn't need that now there's more things to do. Our plan is to use merging more in future to keep the number of buildings in the Village reasonable. That gives us the space to introduce more new buildings with future Town Hall releases. Our current thinking is new defenses are exciting for a few Town Halls and then become less interesting. So your village should always be filled with relatively new and interesting defenses, even if that means sadly waving goodbye to that first Cannon you upgraded way back when you started.	Home Village	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d28ac/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
35	Hi Stuart, Any hints/clues you could give the community for TH17? And how is the progress going on with the TH17 project, have you decided a theme, signature defence, possible new hero etc...? Thank you!	We've decided on the theme. And we're maybe 80% sure we're gonna merge the Eagle Artillery into the Town Hall so we move on from infernoy beams after 4 Town Halls with that. But don't worry, we'll come up with something new and signaturey (though we don't know what is yet)	Home Village	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d4qi3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
36	Hi Stuart! Thanks for the Q+A, I had a few questions myself. Is merging required to upgrade to TH17? is this the plan from now on when creating new THs? That everything has to be merged to get new buildings? Clash thrives on a social battlefront, and I knew I have more fun in clans with my friends, it can make any grind less tedious. But it has always felt like it was lacking that little bit EXTRA you know? Some possible updates that my friends have made up were: Self Clan Wars: Start a quick war within your own clan to practice without the stress of needing a 3 star every time. It could be a separate tab, similar as to how you can see prep day for the following day in CWL. An auto-Donate replacement feature (can be toggled on and off), where the troop you donate is instantly remade and shuffled to the front, would be a nice QoL change This sounds really stupid, but like, maybe a friendly mode where you can attack with modifiers to spice it up. IE: Defenses do 1.5x damage BUT you have 10 xtra spell slots, or the defensive targeting is switched. just stupid crap like that can bring a little life into an attack. I'm so glad you are doing this Q+A and if you get around to reading mine, thank you so much. We all love your game and are excited to see what's to come!	Hey! Yes, merging all possible buildings will be an upgrade requirement for TH17 and beyond. So all of you out there, get upgrading those rushed archer towers and cannons. We have talked about letting players do more weird stuff with custom modifiers to create your own ridiculous scenarios to goof about with (or get super serious and keep cranking the difficulty higher and higher)	Home Village, Quality of Life	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d6ify/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
37	Where is ice wizard	[ Removed by Reddit ]	Ice wizard	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dpty?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
38	I would like to be a part of clash of clans or to be precise, I would like to work for supercell. I am a product designer ( not UI ). Where should I start	Check out https://supercell.com/en/careers/ to see if there's anything that sounds like it matches your skillset and our company social media accounts share new job openings.	Job Opportunities	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dltmz/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
39	When can we expect the june update ?	We're aiming for June 17th. The team's working on bug fixes at the moment and plans can always change. So if it's later please don't come by with pitch forks. The last time I think we confirmed a date we had to postpone, that was April 1st 2019 when we were planning to launch Season Challenges. But we found a last minute bug and had to re-submit for the next day. And of course nobody believed us that we were really postponing/really planning to release on April Fool's day.	June Update Timing	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dn0g3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
40	Hi Stuart, Could Legends League get a little love? E.g, first eight attacks count towards trophies but you could still attack after that for loot but no trophies are gained for those attacks. Legends League base are for the trophy attacks and home village base for the ’loot attacks’. This would make ’fake legends farming’ pointless. Thanks!	It would be pretty unbalanced since you couldn't lose any loot. Legends should be mostly about competitive trophy pushing but a whole ton of people are there for loot. It's more likely we will make multiplayer looting better throughout the game + split out Legends to be more focused on competition.	Legends League Changes	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dk3f9/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
41	Is there a chance for a collaboration with lego? I would love to see clash sets and lego skins!	I own far, far too much Lego and would absolutely love to do a collab with them.	Lego Collaboration	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dpzgf/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
42	What about the geared up archer tower and cannon? Will they get their own new levels?	Maybe we'll mash em together into a geared up monstrosity? Who knows what Builder will think of next.	New Defense Ideas	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7ddnr3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
43	Are you going to add new villages to the game? Develop the game in this direction?	We're pretty unlikely to add any more permanent villages. This is already a huge game and there's a lot already for players to do across Home Village, Builder Base and Clan Capital. And there's a ton for our team to do still in those three areas.	New Features	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d6msj/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
44	Hi Stuart! First off thank you for helping keep Clash of Clans alive for so long, it’s my favorite game personally. I wanted to know if at some point we could have customizable goblin maps to share with our clan mates to attack, or if anything like that might be in the works for the future?	Yeah we've talked about a creative mode/custom challenge level creator feature. It'd be cool to see what sort of wild things you'd all cook up with it.	New Features	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dafat/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
45	Do you think it is a good idea to do a new townhall every year.wont it be hard on the people in lower townhalls.	I think it's good for it to be something that players know when to expect, rather than being quite arcane speculation. I would like us to be much more transparent with our roadmap and timings in future, and we'll get there eventually. We are also in control of how quickly people can catch up. And we will keep making improvements so more and more of our players can enjoy the fun of being at the latest hall.	New Town Hall Frequency	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dqnqd/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
46	What do you have in mind for the general direction that the game is going in? Can we expect any new fundamental addition (i.e. another system like ores)?	We've got a few ideas in early stages of being thought about. My fave is troop mastery where by completing quests using a troop well you could unlock some extra abilities/buffs to that troop. It'd be a nice way to encourage players to try out different troops and let folk go deeper on the troops they really enjoyed. But important disclaimer it's not my decision and if the people doing the work think of something better they'll do that instead!	New Troop Mastery System	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dmkdj/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
47	Which troop is getting the Super troop next?:9416:	It's maybe Yeti	Next Super Troop	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7ddzjz/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
48	y u no wear clash merch ???? but seriously those posters look dope! what else do you have in your office which our eyes would probably never see !	We've been seriously negligent in ordering new team merch recently 😅 A ton of whiteboards with secret upcoming things, stats, dates, plans. Lots of cool statues. Our office is incredible and we're very lucky to work here. Every time people visit for the first time they're amazed and I hope I never get used to how cool it is.	Office Decorations	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dcjtx/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
49	What should I eat for lunch today?	Something that makes you go "now that was a good lunch"	Other	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dajjj/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
50	How has player numbers changed since you started implementing monthly events and equipment into the game?	⬆️	Player Numbers	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dnoc3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

Trigger warning: body horror
I was a believer, A worshiper, a priest. I spent my life in church, from before I could walk till I was the priest looking down at the pew. I was. Now it is different, now I am different. I followed blindly until It ripped my blindfold off and I saw who we were following. What we were following.
I wish I could say it started easy but it didn't, it started slow. During my morning prayers, I heard my voice whispered back to me. Like a faint echo but it mocked me, as if my words were jokes. I thought maybe it was the young children outside or some rowdy teenagers fooling around.
But then it happened at night, in my bed. I was saying my nightly prayer and heard It again. Louder. Like a conversation of my worship but once again It made a mockery of me.
At the end when I said ‘Amen’, It replaced it with a laughed. Laughs of a thousand laughs layered upon themselves, mocking and mimicking what I could only assume is centuries of people. Needless to say, I did not sleep well that night.
Then, the illusions started. At first, it was faces in the back pews. My own congregation seemingly against me. Figures of people i couldn't recognise who looked at me in fear or insane interest. Once during the Eucharist, the bread tasted of flesh. A foreign and foul taste and texture melted in my mouth as I tried to remain calm in front of a full church. It was hard to swallow, the bloody flavor stayed in my mouth for the rest of the service.
After I rushed to the bathroom, I fell to my knees. It felt like a mockery of worship as I tried my hardest to vomit what I had unwittingly consumed. I started crying, hysterical at the terrible thought of eating the flesh of my savior. I tried to pray but it felt hopeless, like if I prayed it would be worse. I just laid there until someone found me.
For a while, I lived my life in constant anxiety. What cruel torture did my god have for me? Was this a test of my faith? Even worse, was I failing? Did my god have plans for me that I couldn't foresee? Of course but what purpose would it serve to have me make a mockery of prayer in front of a toilet. There was no answer. Until It showed me. I say It because that was no he. My god used to be an all knowing man in the sky that always believed in me as I believed in him. But that was no man, It knew all but It did not care to share in Its plentiful knowledge.
The day I saw It, I was kneeling down in prayer for the first time in a while. I was too scared of the voice and too worried of what joke it would make of me again. With my head bowed and my eyes closed, I whispered a small prayer. The same voice as always taunting me as I spoke. This time, I made a foolish attempt to open my eyes.
When I did, I looked up at the massive crucifixion of Jesus but it was not Jesus. It was an amalgamation of eyes, pus and what I assume was organs where a face should have been. The pus oozing down what was Jesus's body, there was no injury or opening for the pus, it was like sweat. Blood dripping from the many eyes covering the ‘face’ of it. the eyes blinking with no flesh, the organs acting as false eyelids. I wish I could say it didn't look alive but it did. Every bump on the intestines moved as its pus grew to drops and fell. To say I was sick would be an understatement. My stomach was in knots, my throat tightened and my hands shaked.
“This could not be my god” I sobbed. I bowed my head once more, not praying but crying. At this point what is the difference, it seems crying makes it more intrigued.
That very night, as I held my hands together, they shook. I don't know why I tried to pray again, i had stopped my nightly prayer months ago. IT made me. It forced me. I raise my right hand to my forehead, with a gentle tap.
“In the name of the father” I near sobbed. The taste of the flesh overwhelmed my mouth.
“In the name of the son” I say now crying. The image from earlier that day of Jesus in my head once more. It felt wrong touching my chest thinking about it.
“In the name of the holy spirit” I did that part quickly, trying to get it over with. Another mistake. It showed itself to me. Actually, it forced me to look. I had no choice but to stare.
And It stared back, with its countless eyes. Unblinking, watching. Covering those eyes like fake eyelids, were lips. But it had tongues, in fact, I think it was mostly tongues. Its skin itself was tongues, dripping a mixture of saliva and blood. It felt large, It loomed over me like it were large. It's body like a mountain of solidified blood, It had veins but no organs. It wasn't just a mountain in description but also in size. Too large for me, It was overwhelming.
It was obvious what was Jesus took leftover parts from It. It oozed what I assume is blood as It bent down to me. Bent isn't the right word, congealed is better. It created a hand. No, grew a hand. From start to finish, first it was just finger bones coming from the mush. Then Its bones combined and stretched like a baby's bones. It proceeded to grow muscle tissue and veins then finally flesh. But it wasn't done, It grew its gross tongues over the familiar sight. Taking whatever humanity it had made. It was agonizing to watch, like it was happening to me. It stretched Its fingers like it was new to it and reached down to me. I flinched and screamed but it was like a dream. I could try to scream with my body but here, wherever that was, I could do nothing. Before it could make contact with me, my eyes opened.
“Amen” slipped from my lips like drool. I sat in my bed horrified, my eyes staring into nothingness.
How? How could all of that, which felt like hours staring at ‘God’, be less than a second? How could that have been God? It looked wrong like a bits and pieces thrown around haphazardly. Could It even think? Was It a fake? A prototype of god? A failure?
What happened to me? Has anyone ever experienced something similar? I'm scared, it's been a few days and I've given up on praying. Cause if that thing is the one listening, I don't want to say anything.
We are not made in the image of God, we cannot be.