Syria – After the fall of Germany, 9th January 1946 protests erupted in Syria calling for independence, reaching its peak 18th January. France answered by force, eventually killing over a thousand Syrians by January. Shukri al-Quwatli escaped French arrest and contacted Winston Churchill. As the Conference of Foreign Ministers was held in Paris, Syria became a point of discussion also, French military action was condemned by all and by diplomatic means France was forced to retreat from Syria and Lebanon and recognise their independence (15.2.1946). Britain used the crisis to strengthen its influence, however unlike OTL did to directly occupy Syria as events in Syria are at the same time as the Conference in Paris. The British promised the French they would withdraw as well. Syrian independence was officially declared on 14 June 1946.
In 1947 Syria held its first parliamentary election, and a year later Shukri al-Quwatli was re-elected president. Syria had a rocky relationship with neighbouring Hashemite monarchies. Nationalist Quwatli manoeuvred in more and more hostile relations between powers and its interests (US, UK, USSR). Syria opposed the partition of Palestine and co-founded “Arab Liberation Army''. Defeat in Palestine heavily damaged the popularity of Quwatli, he regained some of it by refusing singing of Armistice with Israel (unlike others) and voicing support to anti-American riots (Summer 1949 due to Taft’s recognition of Israel). 28 September 1949 Quwatli demoted army chief Husni al-Za'im and replaced him by Sami al-Hinnawi. Major is shift is that due to American non-intervention the US backed 1949 coup never occurs. Under international pressure an armistice was eventually signed between Syria and Israel in November 1949. No demilitarised zone in Golan Heights as OTL. Syria adopted a neutralist policy, seeking relations both with the British, USSR, India, USA and Yugoslavia, but was most seen as a pro-British state. Syria became close to Egypt after the Egyptian Revolution. In 1952 parliamentary elections brought victory for the oppositional People’s Party and the rise of Ba’ath and SSNP. April 1953 presidential election, as Syrian constitution limited president to two terms, Quwatli handpicked Sabri Al-Asali as his successor.
Egypt – 2-3 November 1945 anti-Jewish riots in Egypt, since it was still during the war, riots were violently put down by the British forces. Since 1946 large anti-British demonstrations and riots. During 1947 negotiations about British withdrawal were held, however collapsed after Winston Churchill’s opposition to withdraw troops as response massive violent anti-British riots erupted (June 1947), forcing Churchill to agree to withdrawal to Suez Canal but keeping there large force, Churchill attempted to sign treaty that would guarantee British presence in Suez, but Egyptians rejected it. By end of 1948, British presence was limited to the Suez area. May to 20 July 1949 (signing of armistice) war in Palestine. After the war anti-British sentiments grew. 3 January 1950 victory of conservative and nationalist Wafd party, Mostafa el-Nahas became the new prime minister. His government refused to push any important reforms and was also very corrupt, further strengthening resentment amongst Egyptian people. Unlike OTL CIA is not attempting to persuade Farouk into reforms (it was codenamed “Fat Fucker” LMAO) 17 November 1951 Nahas unilaterally abrogated the 1936 Anglo-Egyptian treaty, wave of nationalism, Britian refused to leave Suez, tensions escalated into Battle of Ismailia (25 February 1952) – a violent clash between Egyptian militias and British forces. 26 January 1952 news resulted in massive anti-British protests that set Cairo on fire and greatly damaged support of the king and government. Country fell into instability, the government was dismissed and several different ones followed, as in our reality.
The Free Officers Movement (formed already in the 1940s) successfully orchestrated the Egyptian Revolution (23 August 1952). Power was transferred to nine-member Revolution Command Council (RCC), king Farouk abdicated, went into exile and was replaced with regency. RCC launched large scale reforms: land, tax, reducing privileges of government officials. First post-revolutionary prime minister Aly Maher Pasha resigned due to disagreements with the military coming from his traditional political background. He was succeeded by Abd El-Razzak El-Sanhuri, legal scholar promoting transition to civilian rule (10 October). Political parties were purged, however due to Sanhuri’s influence not banned. During spring 1953, conflict between Sanhuri and Naguib escalated. Camps began to develop, one was represented by Naguib and his loyalists who aligned themselves with Muslim Brotherhood, and other headed by Nasser and Sanhuri, aligned with HADITU and Wafd.
Newly created Provisional National Assembly, approved a new secular constitution, Nasser was named president (18 July 1953) with support of Wafd and HADITU. In summer 1953 Muslim Brotherhood started large riots and demonstrations against the new constitution, they gained outside CIA support, as they were sceptical of Nasser’s alliance with HADITU. Power struggle between Naguib, who still had key positions in RCC continued.
Lebanon – 7 June 1946 withdrawal of French forces, independence declared already in 1943. Around 100,000 Palestinians came to Lebanon after the war. In 1951 prime minister Riad Al Solh survived assassination attempt and remained prime minister until 1952, when he was replaced by Chamoun with Saeb Salam. 18 September 1952 first president Bechara El Khoury forced to step down after anti-corruption protests, 23 September Camille Chamoun became president, under his leadership country experience growth and stability. Chamoun also secured the majority of power in his hands.
(Trans)Jordan– Achieved independence 25 November 1946, as in our reality a large number of Palestinian refugees and annexation of the West Bank. 20 July 1951 king Abdullah was assassinated by Palestinian radical. Prior to his assassination Britain unlike OTL supported Abdullah in promoting his other son Naif to become new heir (due to Britain being more anxious about losing influence, rather favouring openly pro-British monarch) Naif is unpopular amongst people due to being seen just as a British puppet. 1 January 1952 new constitution – Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Iraq – Britain wants to maintain military presence in Iraq and Nuri al-Said his power, since 1946 large left-wing protests and strikes, that resulted in massacre of workers. Government instituted severe repression, banning Communist party and arresting many communists, including leadership. 29 March 1947 Salih Jabr became prime minister, under his rule 15 January 1948 Anglo-Iraqi treaty was signed, making Iraq de-facto British protectorate, Iraqi oil controlled by Iraq Petroleum Company. To protest this treaty massive protests erupted – Al-Wathbah uprising – all Iraqi opposition joined – Communist, Independence parties, Liberal and National Democrats. Salih’s government fell, and the prime minister escaped to London, the new government under Nuri responded with martial law and massive crackdowns, numerous massacres. This timeline demonstrations got so intense that in February British troops entered Iraq to “pacify” them. Parties involved unlike OTL were formally banned after 1948 uprising and Nuri consolidated his power and firm support of Britain. In 1948 Constitutional Union Party was formed by Nuri and it became dominant ruling party. Unlike OTL Nuri remained in position of prime minister since 1948 to 1952. After Palestine war, Nuri expelled all Jews from Iraq (1950). Since 1951 terms of treaty were changed with the new Labour government and Iraq got 50% of its oil revenue.
23 September - 23 December 1952 another major protests inspired by Egyptian revolution and Iranian protests erupted – Iraqi Intifada. Nuri was dismissed by regent Abd al-Ilah and replaced by reformist general Taha al-Hashimi (30 September), who negotiated with protestors. However, under British pressure Taha was ousted and replaced by general Nureddin Mahmud (3 December), who instead rejected negotiated terms, started harsh repressions and crushed the uprising. Power was transferred into civilian leadership after the 29 March 1953 unfree election, independent Mustafa Mahmud al-Umari became the new prime minister, while Nuri still controlled the country from the shadows. In May 1953 Faisal II assumed power as king. Since 1952 the idea of unification of Jordan with Iraq was often discussed.
Saudi Arabia – Nothing to change, post-war rise due to finding of oil revenues, US keeps close relations even under Taft. 9 November 1953 reign of king Saud began.
Oman&Muscat – Nothing significant in this period.
Kingdom of Yemen –failed al-Waziri coup attempt, Iman Yahia was killed (17 February 1948), however Ahmad bin Yahya ascended to the throne instead. Autocratic rule. He was opposed to the British.
British Arab Colonies – 1952 Trucial States Council formed, British supervised body.
Iran
Long Iranian Crisis
Occupied by Allied powers in 1943. Western powers are less keen to withdraw from Iran, due to the stronger Soviet Union (and also due to Churchill). According to treaty all troops shall withdraw after 6 months after the war’s end (10 November 1946). This was approved by the Hamburg conference in May 1946. By November thanks to rising suspicions nobody starts doing that (Soviets would stay anyway as they did in our reality, major change is that West stays too). The Iranian Crisis became a key event showing those deep tensions in the early cold war and it was a great mistake to overlook it. Truman doctrine is also connected to Iran.
United Nations Resolutions pushed by Iran tried to deal with the situation (Autumn 1946), however without success. Another point that almost solved this crisis was Ahmad Qavam’s proposal to give Soviet Union oil rights in Northern Iran and official Iranian proclamation wishing withdrawal of all powers, this was approved by Stalin, but rejected by Pahlavi and the West (November 1946), Qavam was dismissed in January 1948 after election, replaced by Ebrahim Hakimi. With that crisis escalated to the creation of the Azerbaijan People's Government (20 February 1947) and Republic of Mahabad (18 March 1947).
Through 1947 Kurdish and Azerbaijan states in Northern Iran started to emancipate and establish popular support. Situation seemed to develop along the lines of Austria, talks stalled after the US occupation of Greenland. With hostile relations between powers in 1948, Iran continued to be a hotspot of tensions. The Pahlavi regime and separatists both obtained military aid.
In March 1949 US troops withdrew from Iran, during the Geneva Conference (September 1949 to May 1950), states agreed to finally withdraw all troops (Soviets agreed presumably to secure their interests in Germany during negotiations), so Soviets and British finally left in March-June 1950. In 1949 also an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Shah took place (4 February 1949), it was blamed on communists and Tudeh Party was banned and communists persecuted.
Beginning of the North Iran War and British-Iranian Treaty
As Soviets finally withdrew, Shah and prime minister Haj Ali Razmara started offensive operations towards the North (31 August 1950), however separatist states were better equipped, because they received Soviet aid in previous years and thus managed to repeal the first offensive. While fighting against what was presented as continuous Soviet occupation, utilizing nationalist wave as redirection of attention of Iranians from it, Razmara signed the AIOC-Iran agreement, which institutionalised British control over Iranian oil (7 March 1951). However, it still created massive resentment, riots and protests that led to violence. During spring 1951 massive opposition against Razmara, who sought to become a strongman leader, emerged, encompassing everyone from Islamists to liberals and communists. The National Front led by Mohammad Mosaddegh became the main opposition platform.
In April Majlis rejected Razmara’s decree granting him de-facto limited dictatorial powers, which he sought to obtain to “restore order”, so it was dissolved by Shah in response (20 April) and Razmara secured power with declaration of martial law, it was met with Ayatollah Kashani calling for holy war against Razmara and the British, leading to another massive wave of upheaval in April-May 1951, that was brutally repressed with many deaths. 9 June 1951 Razmara was assassinated and killed by radical Islamist member of Fadaiyan e-Islam, Hossein Ala was installed by Shah. Pahlavi used this crisis to boost his own power. National Front was banned in July. These events left great resentments in Iranian society against ruling regime. Tudeh started armed insurgency, it was however between 1952-1953 completely crushed. Mosaddegh escaped to France. In late 1952 to early 1953 an election was held to elect new Majlis, it was rigged and all elected were “independents”.
Through 1951 the front moved in favour of Iran, however separatists with Soviet support continued to hold on. After the Iranian-British Treaty, Stalin began to see Iranian re-conquest of the North as danger for the USSR and provided significant aid, leading to stalemate in 1952.
Afghanistan – Nothing significant in this period, tribal revolts in the 1940s.
Libya – Occupied by the UK and France. 1949 UN resolution about its independence, it was achieved 24 December 1951, it became a constitutional monarchy under king Idris I.
Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria – After the Paris Conference of 1952, voices calling for independence are stronger. Tunisian Habib Bourguiba and Farhat Hached entered negotiations with the Thorez government in June 1952, after which France agreed to immediate widespread autonomy Tunisian and pledging to give it full independence before 1954. The same agreement was reached with Moroccan sultan Mohammed V. More difficult situation was in Algeria. Political party calling for independence National Liberation Front was formed 23 April 1952 led by Ferhat Abbas. Negotiations about Algerian status started, in the next month. This topic was too sensitive in France, so agreement was limited to giving Algeria autonomy as part of France for now with further negotiations about independence being open. Algerians were unhappy, as neighbours got a much better deal. Algeria was still de-facto part of metropolitan France, more power was given to the Algerian Assembly, to which a free election was promised to be held in spring 1953.
Cyprus – After the fall of the mainland, the Kingdom of Greece advocated for union. In 1952 an unofficial referendum about unification with Greece, led by Orthodox Church was held, over 80% voted for union. Unlike OTL Britain was supportive of the idea of union (to strengthen the Greek state), but as it was a viable military base, they did not want to retreat.
British India
On 10-20 November 1945 British and Indian leaders met during Simla Conference; these talks stalled due to question of Muslims. Wavell Plan proposed to Churchill by viceroy Wavell, promoted Indianisation and postwar independence, however, was rejected by Churchill (December 1945). During 1946 elections to central administration were held. After Churchill’s victory, the British prime minister (May 1946) replaced Wavell with Louis Mountbatten (5 August 1946). Summer of 1946 was marked by massive protests for independence, mutinies and violence. In Autumn 1946 Cabinet Mission was sent to discuss granting more autonomy and dominion status. Eventually they planned to create one federal state, however it was strongly opposed by the Indian Muslim League. Hindu-Muslim tensions were escalating with 16 January 1947 “Direct Action Day'' massive Muslim riots and violence. In early 1947 provincial elections were held that resulted in victory of INC or IML according to ethnic and religious lines. Results of the provincial elections clearly show opposition towards British rule.
Inspired by events in Burma and Vietnam, Communist Party of India initiated nationwide anti-British “Indian People’s Liberation Uprising” (May 1947 to 1951), its estimated over 150,000 peasants joining it. Its strength shocked Britain, attempting to crush it; the British relied on local militants and Indian forces. In May 1947 Churchill officially announced that British Raj would be transformed into two dominions. Britain established the Radcliffe Commission that established the borders of two dominions (April to August); the demarcation line was published 18 August 1947. Population transfer in Punjab was organised by Britain from August, however mass migration (that started even before partition itself happened) in other provinces shocked British officials, however Britain quickly took over migration and regulated it (thus it is lesser humanitarian catastrophe, but still it is a huge humanitarian catastrophe, estimated from 100 000 deaths to half million), migration lasted from August 1947 to 1950.
1 January 1948 – two British dominions – India and Pakistan came to existence. British forces remained present here, and the British monarch remained its head of state. British officials spoke about “autonomy within the Empire'' while Indians spoke about Independence. The Kashmir deal proposed by India is also pushed by the UK and is successful (in real life Pakistan rejected it) – All of Kashmir is Pakistani, while Pakistan stops claiming Hyderabad, this nullifies the existence of Sino-Indian War.
Dominion of India – Mountbatten remained a powerful governor-general, and the first Indian prime minister became Jawaharlal Nehru. Radical Hindu nationalist assassinated Gandhi as in our reality (30 January 1948) during the first month of creation of divided dominions. 1948-1949 integration of princely states, in some cases with help of communist rebels. Communist rebellion continues as Dominion of India is considered by them just another British colonial state. Nehru successfully passed the Constitution of India (26 January 1951) and expelled British troops. In April 1951 an agreement was reached with communists to end (already weak) uprising and to participate in political life in democratic independent India. 25 June– 21 October 1952 democratic general election was held, victory of INC, compared to our reality CPN get more support. Neutral foreign policy.
Dominion of Pakistan – First Pakistani prime minister Muhammad Ali Jinnah (position of governor-general, that was much more powerful compared to Canada for example, remained in British hands, was held by Cyril Radcliffe) died 11 September 1948, he was succeeded by Liaquat Ali Khan. Pakistan became pro-British oriented, but also established relations with socialist states. Ali Khan wanted Pakistan to become a parliamentary democracy. Muslim League faced major leftist opposition, in March 1951 socialist attempted coup (Rawalpindi conspiracy), which was exposed and failed. He was assassinated 16 October 1951. The British governor general named Malik Ghulam Muhammad as new prime minister. In August 1951 first elections in Pakistan were held, communists and socialists were not allowed to participate, victory of the United Front (East Bengal). Urdu was the only official language, while all eastern part spoke Bengal. In March 1952 Bengali protesters were massacred by police and military. From February to March 1953 large (in reality anti-Ahmadis, this timeline against British rule) riots in Lahore, ended in bloody military crackdown. In the aftermath of riots Cyril Radcliffe was recalled by Attlee and replaced by Frank Messervy.
Burma – After the surrender of the Japanese in April 1946, military rule was reinstated in Burma. On 27 January 1947 British governor Reginald Dorman-Smith ordered the arrest of Aung San, this led into a massive rebellion of the AFPFL (Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League) and its armed wing People's Volunteer Organization with membership over 100,000 which started the Burmese Emergency. Moderates advocated for the governor to release Aung San and start negotiations, however this was shut down by Churchill, who preferred to use force. British forces failed to deal with the uprising and in 1947 large parts of Burma were controlled by AFPFL. During this uprising period and the arrest of Aung San, communist gained substantial influence. Churchill responded with increasing military presence, however after the eruption of another major anti-colonial rebellion in Malaya, British forces were with priority sent there. In 1950 AFPFL defeated colonial forces in several major engagements. Attlee decided to abandon Burma in favour of Malaya, Aung San was released (7 April 1951) and entered negotiations with Attlee, together with other leaders of the war of independence (June-September) and later negotiations between AFPFL and minorities (12 October, Panglong Agreement). Ceasefire and election on 9 March 1952, that resulted in the victory of AFPFL, Aung San became prime minister and officially declared independence of the Union of Burma (10 March 1952).
Aung San became the first prime minister, while Kyaw Nyein the first president. CPB left AFPFL and became the main opposition (Unlike OTL there is no communist insurgency against Burmese government or split in the communist party). Burma focused on social reforms, welfare state and industrialisation. Burma adopted a neutral foreign policy, however inclining more towards socialist bloc, closer relations with Yugoslavia and surprisingly Israel. Burma still has to deal with KMT remnants in the North and Karen insurgency.

When solving a mystery, one has to make some assumptions if one wishes to go beyond a surface level solve attempt of From's mystery. Which effectively means, one must pick an answer to a clue one is fairly certain of, and use that as one might use a jigsaw piece to solve the next clue that connects to it.
For any interested, I share my opinion on what the key strands of clue clusters and the twisted threads therein that I believe need to be woven together into a narrative to form an origin story for Fromland and solve the show.
1. The first strand is historical figures from North American history (and the end of the War of the Roses), falling roughly on the dates on Tabitha's dream sequence. Some historical figures are given far more clues than others, suggesting they might later become characters on the show. In particular Caroline Dye's hoodoo magic, and Alma Hayes the strongwoman.
There are six threads in there as not every timeline will be explored in the series - the main ones are 1930s, 1880s, 1860s, 1770s, 1670s, and 1498.
1498 is by far the most prevalent and perhaps the easiest to start with. Most are from England and to a lesser extent, Italy/Venice, Scotland, Germany, Portugal, Spain, France, Burgundy, China, Iran, Iceland, Greenland/Newfoundland. It's also the best one to solve first, as the historical figures in the 1498 origin story are the archetypes that the historical figures in the other timelines mimic.
For example, I'm absolutely certain one is Richard Amerike - Sheriff of Bristol. There is a lawman/sheriff in every timeline - Boyd is the sheriff now.
Each new historical figure discovered in any timeline is a great puzzle piece. If you find out Emmett Kelly, the Hobo Clown is in the 1930s timeline, you can search for other "clowns" and discover Triboulet, the court jester in the 1498 origin story.
2. The second strand is the sequence of events in the origin story specifically. These clues are far more vague, and easier to explain what I mean by example.
Let's look at Kelly's head spiked to a tree with Boyd yanking it out instead of using the gun. The reasoning was: Kristi did not want Kelly to see or experience the gun, when Kelly is currently blind and the gun is a far better "experience" than the yanking. I contend this is quite a pointed clue that he's recreating a scene in the original timeline. In my opinion, a botched execution by a crossbow at a time where there were no guns to use.
There are threads within this strand. Two are practically strands of their own, with witch trial and torture methods and christmas / lent traditions from the countries of the various historical figures being the most prevalent. The traditions bit is a lot easier if you solve the origin story characters first, since you can then surmise which countries the traditions to look out for might come from.
3. The third strand is the mythology of the show. Ultimately, if one assumes North East Canada is where it all begins, you might make the leap it relates to the mythology related to that area. This has two main threads, the bogeyman, and the fairies. What I came to find were, there were clues pointing to practically every kind of bogeyman and fairy legend in that region. I was wondering if these were red herrings, or maybe it was all of them at once? It took me a long time to figure out what we're being asked to do here - but I figure there are 7 bogeymen and 4 fairy types the monsters and entity are mimicking, and a type of bogeyman and fairy that they really are.
4. Apotropaic magic - specific to the cunning folk of England. Witch's bottles and ladders, that sort of thing.
5. Medieval board and card games, as well as a few other adult medieval games, like stoolball. Main thread here is French tarot cards, but not their witchy meanings and connection to fortune telling, just the playing cards and what they look like. Other substantial threads involve Game of Goose and Pachisi.

When solving a mystery, one has to make some assumptions if one wishes to go beyond a surface level solve attempt of From's mystery. Which effectively means, one must pick an answer to a clue one is fairly certain of, and use that as one might use a jigsaw piece to solve the next clue that connects to it.
For any interested, I share my opinion on what the key strands of clue clusters and the twisted threads therein that I believe need to be woven together into a narrative to form an origin story for Fromland and solve the show.
1. The first strand is historical figures from North American history (and the end of the War of the Roses), falling roughly on the dates on Tabitha's dream sequence. Some historical figures are given far more clues than others, suggesting they might later become characters on the show. In particular Caroline Dye's hoodoo magic, and Alma Hayes the strongwoman.
There are six threads in there as not every timeline will be explored in the series - the main ones are 1930s, 1880s, 1860s, 1770s, 1670s, and 1498.
1498 is by far the most prevalent and perhaps the easiest to start with. Most are from England and to a lesser extent, Italy/Venice, Scotland, Germany, Portugal, Spain, France, Burgundy, China, Iran, Iceland, Greenland/Newfoundland. It's also the best one to solve first, as the historical figures in the 1498 origin story are the archetypes that the historical figures in the other timelines mimic.
For example, I'm absolutely certain one is Richard Amerike - Sheriff of Bristol. There is a lawman/sheriff in every timeline - Boyd is the sheriff now.
Each new historical figure discovered in any timeline is a great puzzle piece. If you find out Emmett Kelly, the Hobo Clown is in the 1930s timeline, you can search for other "clowns" and discover Triboulet, the court jester in the 1498 origin story.
2. The second strand is the sequence of events in the origin story specifically. These clues are far more vague, and easier to explain what I mean by example.
Let's look at Kelly's head spiked to a tree with Boyd yanking it out instead of using the gun. The reasoning was: Kristi did not want Kelly to see or experience the gun, when Kelly is currently blind and the gun is a far better "experience" than the yanking. I contend this is quite a pointed clue that he's recreating a scene in the original timeline. In my opinion, a botched execution by a crossbow at a time where there were no guns to use.
There are threads within this strand. Two are practically strands of their own, with witch trial and torture methods and christmas / lent traditions from the countries of the various historical figures being the most prevalent. The traditions bit is a lot easier if you solve the origin story characters first, since you can then surmise which countries the traditions to look out for might come from.
3. The third strand is the mythology of the show. Ultimately, if one assumes North East Canada is where it all begins, you might make the leap it relates to the mythology related to that area. This has two main threads, the bogeyman, and the fairies. What I came to find were, there were clues pointing to practically every kind of bogeyman and fairy legend in that region. I was wondering if these were red herrings, or maybe it was all of them at once? It took me a long time to figure out what we're being asked to do here - but I figure there are 7 bogeymen and 4 fairy types the monsters and entity are mimicking, and a type of bogeyman and fairy that they really are.
4. Apotropaic magic - specific to the cunning folk of England. Witch's bottles and ladders, that sort of thing.
5. Medieval board and card games, as well as a few other adult medieval games, like stoolball. Main thread here is French tarot cards, but not their witchy meanings and connection to fortune telling, just the playing cards and what they look like. Other substantial threads involve Game of Goose and Pachisi.

To start off, this game is a slightly twisted version of World of Darkness. The game is based in the year of 2070 ten years after the big war. The war lasted 20-30 years. It isnt clear how long because once time mages got involved time became just another weapon. Before the war, however, there was another war.
The war that many historians in the current world can all agree started the big one, was a smallish one. In 2015 a certain group of mage hunters that covet technology fell to the forces of the King of Vampires and god of Paradox. Afterwards there was no organization hunting mages and when they figured this out. Things started changing. Not always for the better and without the steel grip of the technocracy concensus changed. Magic became more accepted and though out right vulgar stuff like flying still wasnt within concensus no one ever questioned telekenisis anymore. The world started spinning into a better future and at the helm was the country of Rokwandia.
Rokwandia was what the King of Vampires and lord of Paradox created from the ashes of the technocracy. An island nation in the center of the Atlantic Ocean. Rokwandia produced such devices as food printers and kooshballz. The kooshballz was a stroke of genious by the King of Vampires and was what helped him keep power. It's a lump of flesh the size of a fist that has a tough exteriour skin and filled with blood. When watered and set in sunlight with a sprinkle of vitimins it will produce blood forever. This had a major effect on the vampire population of the world.
Many vampires didnt trust the "kooshballz" but just as many did. This gave the King many allies and also insured many would never harm him. As Rokwandia grew it's ideas grew aswell.
From the compeating magical Universities to the magical factories Rokwandia was starting to scare the world. It was a surprise, however, when Rokwandia wasn't where it began. According to many "witnesses" the Great War started when Iran accidently nuked itself and blamed it on China. the world fell apart after that. Because that was when China introduced its supernatural soldiers -basically were-animals and mages trained to work together with mundane soldiers- There are few records of what happened during the war because of how much was destroyed by either EMP or magical or other means.
It is clear when the tribes of were-animals and the mage traditions steped in. The war picked up, instead of slowing down. To make matters worse the forces of Rokwandia joined in halfway through the war. They brought with them Vampire and Ghoul regimints whom had cut there teeth, so to say, on the Technocracy. The Vampires of Rokwandia were allowed to turn all those soldiers close to death. So they may continue the fight. It was said that Rokwandian Mages made it so that there forces always fought in the dark no matter the time.
The war finally ended after many decades or just a few, depending on how much time enfluince you went through. Now the population is starting to rebuild after the war. Some countries like Zimbabway and Greenland came out pretty good. Others like the United States, Russia and China came out very diffrently. The USA lost the entire west coast to a Matter and Forces mage wanting to do as much damage with as little effort as possible. The Rockies have been claimed by one of the new sects of vampires and the oceans have risen by 20 feet.
The population of the world has fallen steeply though the populations of mages, vampires and were-animals have increased.
In this new world U.N. Headquarters are in Rokwandia and there is one "official" currency. People now live in a world where your neighbor could be a vampire and thats why he mows his grass at 3am. Or the crazy cat lady is actually a were-cat lady and her cats tell her everything. This is now just accepted because of how many heroes of the war were supernatural. The Technocracy just wasnt there to change the narrative and Rokwandia made sure it was public about it's supernatural beings.
So this is the world that my and the other DM's players came into. A world tired of fighting and just wanting to lick it's wounds and heal. Though this makes the entire world volnurbal to threats from the stars.
-let me know if ya'll would like to hear about this game more. I tried to sum up the current world and will try to expand on bits in the future. For now I just wanted to get out this kinda simplified version of a previous game that lead to the events that led to this game-
be well mates and thanks for reading
tldr: friends and I based a wod game off of a wod game we finished up years ago. think ten years after supernatural ww3

In the 1960s, literally half of Greenland's eligible Inuit female reproductive population (9,000 in total) were fitted with contraceptive IUDs without their, or their parents’, consent. This occurred when they were teenagers. This was facilitated by teachers and doctors employed by the Social Democrat-led Danish government. Respectable, socially progressive Danes, held their noses and basically ignored the issue until the 1990s.
A formal investigation was (finally) authorised in 2022, the 'Spiral Case', with compensation to follow.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2024/ap19/the-chilling-policy-to-cut-greenlands-high-birth-rate-podcast
The Guardian won’t acknowledge this, but the forced sterilisation practices in Scandinavia’s population (typically against criminals) throughout the 20^th century is shocking in its scale, with the Greenland girls being just one group of many. This ‘eugenics’ ideology, also present in the far-right as well as the progressive left, held sway over the Anglosphere in the 20^th century; the best example being the horrors inflicted on Australian Aboriginals as the ‘Stolen Generation’.
As Jordan Petersen pointed out in the Forward to the 50th anniversary edition of Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag Archipelago, “We come to realize that the twin [Marxist] categories of “guilty oppressor” and “justice-seeking victim” can be made endlessly inclusive”. With Marxism as their guide, Danish Social Democrats would have considered the forced fitting of IUDs for Inuit girls a necessary step toward their liberation from a backward traditionalist culture. They were doing the girls a favour! Similar arguments are trotted out today by social progressives in favour of radical treatment of minors for gender dysphoria. “Trans lives matter you bigots”! Now that the 'trans' child is in an oppressed group, it is in their best interests to liberate them through medication and/or mutilation, before their oppressors (i.e. parents) can prevent it.
Looking into the future, it is possible that there will be comparable investigations into the sterilisation of minors that has been facilitated by trans ideology, largely by progressively-minded medical professionals, teachers, psychologists (the Cass review in the UK is the tip of the iceberg).
Despite its allure to the ‘well-educated’, social progressivism is a dangerous, inherently antinatalist, ideology. Social progressives, in Marxist fashion, replace longstanding religiously-based communitarian values and practices with ever-changing and unachievable goals of social, economic and cultural equality, which ultimately require implementation by government force. Similarly, Fascists attempt to replace religious-based societies with a race-based view of the world. Hence the need for child theft and forced sterilisation for such societies to function; something few admirers of Nordic progressives in the ranks of the American Democrat Party will admit unless they are outright antinatalists. Similarly, the authoritarian right, despite claiming to be natalist, is anything but in practice, with Nazi Germany engaging routinely in the sterilisation of ‘undesirables’ (yet unable to boost its own national fertility rate).
As Petersen also points out, the ultimate game that Karl Marx was playing was 4^-dimensional chess aimed at atomising and exterminating humanity. Once the ever-changing enemy is “destroyed” and its innocence stolen, oneself is also on the chopping block from the all-consuming hatred sewn.
You cannot be a natalist AND a social progressive. You cannot be a natalist AND a neo-nazi. You cannot be a natalist AND an authoritarian of either left or right-wing origin. A fickle, secular, liberal progressive, who dwells on issues of equity cannot square the natalist circle. Neither can a rabid racist. There is not a single solitary progressive and secular society, or a Fascist one, that actually produced, or produces, children at the rate that a more traditional, religious society can.

Hey guys,
I'm back with some of the best longform profiles I've found this week. You can also subscribe here if you want to get the weekly newsletter in your inbox. Any feedback or suggestions, please let me know!
***
💸 Jeff Zucker’s Probably Doomed Quest to Buy the Telegraph
Michael Wolff // New York Magazine

A veteran cultivator of the press with, conversely, a notably thin skin, Zucker was immediately pummeled and vilified — not least by the publications he now effectively owned, waiting only to take formal control. Overnight, he seemed on his way to becoming a kind of business and social cautionary tale, a fatuous overreacher out of a Trollope novel.

🔫 The Insanity Plea That Shook a Small Town (🔒 paywall link)
Molly Langmuir // Rolling Stone

This was the moment the masked man had been waiting for. He stepped out from the trees and shot Rodney multiple times from behind with the rifle. Rodney ran toward the house but only made it to the door before the man caught up to him and shot him in the head with the handgun.

⚾ Ronald Acuña Jr. Thinks He's Got a 50-50 Season in Him
Adam Caparell // GQ

The Braves right fielder has all the tools to back up his beliefs: a need-for-speed attitude on the base paths, to start, plus a swing that’s as sweet as it is vicious. (Acuña succinctly describes his swing as “Fantastic!”). He’s young, commanding the strike zone like few others, thriving under the recent rules changes, and displaying the kind of power normally reserved for bulky sluggers. If anyone can create a new club, it’s Acuña.

🏛️ Will RFK Jr. and Other Third-Party Candidates Help Doom Democracy?
David Corn // Mother Jones

This year, Moscow will undoubtedly try to intervene in the American election. Third-party and independent candidates—who, of course, have the right to run and be considered on their merits—offer the Russians and other bad-faith actors avenues for meddling. These schemers can exploit attempts to expand democracy in order to undercut it.

🎢 Sam Bankman-Fried’s Dream Came True (🔒 paywall link)
Will Gottsegen // The Atlantic

SBF and many of his more explicitly anti-government competitors are out of the picture, the NFT-driven hype bubble has summarily popped, and more and more crypto-backed investment products are making their way into the mainstream. Maybe now crypto is finally ready to grow up.

🔍 Who’s Behind All the ‘Pussy in Bio’ on X?
John Herrman // New York Magazine

In short, this is why PIB accounts exist: If just one unfortunate X user clicks through — and through, and through, and through — and ultimately signs up for a scam dating site, the site’s owner makes bank, and maybe a freelance PIB spammer gets a few bucks.

🏙️ A Dutch Architect's Vision of Cities That Float on Water
Kyle Chayka // The New Yorker

He envisions persuading cities around the world to install hundreds of thousands of floating affordable-housing units to help alleviate overcrowding and gentrification. “It’s a lifetime of trying to connect the dots toward that future,” he said.

🤖 The Tech Plutocrats Dreaming of a Right-Wing San Francisco
Gil Duran // The New Republic

“The techno-optimist movement is a backlash to a kind of exhausting constant naysaying, constant reaction of ‘this is bad and will only be bad,’” said Nellie Bowles, a San Francisco native whose 2022 essay, “How San Francisco Became a Failed City,” became an instant classic of the “S.F. doom” genre.

🌟 Jess Hong Enters Her Chaotic Era
Jessica M. Goldstein // Marie Claire

Hong wants this for herself, too: To hold on to her sense of humanity no matter what comes next. As nourishing as it is, her work as an actor “is not who I am as a human being,” she says. “I am also a daughter, I'm also a sister. I'm also the child of an immigrant.”

❤️ Long Covid isolation won’t break my marriage — in fact, it’s made it stronger
Lygia Navarro // The Sick Times

Constantly preoccupied about my ill and disabled body, I’ve often felt subconsciously guilty that my family has to live on this island with me – as if they keep masking and isolating only to protect me. My sense of culpability is infinitely compounded by my disabilities requiring H to do all of the cooking and housework to keep our family afloat, all while he works a stressful job with long hours.

💿 The film fans who refuse to surrender to streaming: ‘One day you’ll barter bread for our DVDs’
J Oliver Conroy // The Guardian

Some film fans never gave up physical media: they’ve spent years quietly buying thrift-store discs, discarded by the many US households that no longer have DVD or Blu-ray players, and waiting for their chance to rise again. Other fans, frustrated by streaming’s limitations, have recently rediscovered physical media and trickled to join its rear-guard army.

👮‍♂️ How It All Went Wrong for Eric Adams (🔒 paywall link)
Michael Powell // The Atlantic

November brought a more ominous turn for Adams. Federal agents waved aside his security team, handed him a subpoena, and seized his cellphones and iPad as part of an investigation into his campaign fundraising. And FBI agents late last month searched two homes of an influential aide to Adams who has also raised money for him.

🦆 The Eider Keepers
Devon Fredericksen // bioGraphic

Like all wild birds, eiders can survive without human assistance. But across much of their range—including Iceland, Greenland, Alaska, the Russian North, and Canada—humans and common eiders have forged a unique, mutualistic bond.

🎥 Oppenheimer Actor David Krumholtz Is Still Waiting for a Career Bump
Brian Davids // The Hollywood Reporter

I’m a journeyman actor who consistently has to find ways to prove himself. Is it a burden? Yeah, it’s a burden, sometimes. I wish it was easier. So I’m trying to stay out of expectation. The hardest part of being in the film that won everything and made $1 billion is that you go into this place of expectation.

📚 A Conversation with Louise Erdrich
Sterling HolyWhiteMountain // The Paris Review

To begin with, if you’re not working in your traditional language, you are working in the colonial language, an automatic influence. I can barely speak to a four-year-old in Ojibwe, let alone write in it. But I own the curse and glory of English, a language that has eaten up so many other cultures and become a conglomerate of gorgeous, seedy, supernal, rich, evocative words.

🎭 "There's No Place I'd Rather Be": Victoria Pedretti on Her Broadway Debut
Jake Nevins // Interview Magazine

I think the challenge really does grow you as an actor. I had some muscles that had weakened or frozen up or just weren’t functioning with as much strength and agility as they used to. And this process has definitely reawakened something in my body and in my brain and soul.

🇺🇸 The Trump machine: the inner circle preparing for a second term (🔒 paywall link)
James Politi // Financial Times

2024 Trump is vowing a much more profound break from what used to be his party’s orthodoxy. As well as a push for Ukraine to settle with Russia, the potential measures include tariffs more sweeping than last time and an even more overwhelming crackdown on immigration. Trump has also threatened to launch purges of the federal judiciary and bureaucracy, which, in the view of many critics, are a sign of a greater authoritarian bent to a second term.

🕵️‍♀️ A Chronicle reporter went undercover in high school. Everyone is still weighing the fallout (🔒 paywall link)
Peter Hartlaub // San Francisco Chronicle

The “narc” accusations — students accusing Jones of being a cop — are sometimes played for comedy in the series, but presented a very real problem for the reporter, especially after students from the Peer Resource Center started defending her. Not only was Jones being untruthful to classmates and teachers, but she was forming real friendships, and the moment she had to confess to the betrayal was a ticking clock.

💰 How Fergie Chambers Went From Cox Media Heir to Communist Revolutionary (🔒 paywall link)
Rich Cohen // Air Mail

In this, Fergie personifies a type as old as income disparity: the rich kid who betrayed his parents, turned on his class, and used his part of the bonanza—ill-gotten gains, according to his ideology—to fund the storming of the Bastille.

🏠 ‘Mum knew what was going on’: Brigitte Höss on living at Auschwitz, in the Zone of Interest family
Thomas Harding // The Guardian

Brigitte said she knew that the people who worked in the villa and garden were prisoners in the camp. “They were always very happy,” she said. “They called my mother, the Angel of Auschwitz.” Seeing my surprise, Brigitte said: “My mom was just a nice person. Period.”

***
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This subreddit is pretty dead, but I want to share.
I recently finished a year-long game of Continuum, covering around twenty play sessions. I was a player in this group, and the GM or other players might chime in, but I wanted to talk about my group’s experiences and my thoughts about the game.
We weren’t quite playing the game according to the rules, but the differences weren’t super severe. For the sake of sanity, we reduced the leveling requirements considerably, both for traditional learning and instant skilling. This contributed to how insane things got, but it didn’t make or break anything (except for psychic powers- without easier stat XP gain, we wouldn’t have ever had access to clairvoyance, telepathy, or pyrokinesis).
The modified XP system that we used was that if you fill in 10 “clocks” you level a skill, the instant skilling times are for one competency level, and that filling in 10 small clocks levels a stat as well.
Tips and Tricks:
Our group figured out some horrible things. In approximate order of introduction:

1. Roleplaying – Time Combat gets a lot easier (and harder) when you don’t abstract it out.
   
2. The Internet – Fruning and oracling is nearly impossible at low span, but you can just google stuff. This can be incredibly helpful for time combat.
   
3. Booze Spanning – If you get spanners drunk, it becomes considerably more dangerous for them to span up or down, but it doesn’t block level spans. Still useful.
   
4. Fentanyl Dart – Seeking to capture some targets alive, we realized that using a strong drug could reliably knock people out, if we then applied first aid. It didn’t let us interrogate people, but it did allow for nonlethal attacks, at least for a while (eventually, the GM started introducing immune characters to nerf this).
   
5. Starfishing – If you want to travel a long distance, outside your span range, including over water, you can simply do it one bit at a time. The original idea was to lay on your back in the ‘starfish float’ position and then span towards your destination as fast as possible, floating in the water in between, but this isn’t needed. You can simply span vertically upwards into the sky and then span towards your destination, making sure to span vertically upwards to cancel your falling between spans. If you’re worried about being seen, I would recommend carrying a piece of diffractive material, which will camouflage you against the sky, or flying above visual range.
   
6. Hypnosis – Hypnosis is incredibly useful for post-misadventure cleanup, since you can use it to clean up the memories of witnesses. It can also be used more directly, but it’s not very effective against high-level spanner enemies.
   
7. Span Bombing – If your GM allows you to span with the fluids surrounding you (the book’s guidance is contradictory, we decided), then you can span with a room’s worth of air. Air masses approximately 1.25 kg/m^3 at sea level, so you can calculate the maximum size of room that you can span with the air in. When you span into wherever you’re going you instantly double the air pressure, causing the room to explode. The GM vetoed this one and it seems to be against at least the spirit of the rules.
   
8. De-timing Time Combat – Time Combat becomes considerably simpler and easier if you immediately kill the opposing combatant (i.e. shoot them before they can span out).
   
9. Massive Overkill – In conjunction with step 8, it is often important to kill your enemy in one stage of combat. This becomes trivial once you hit Quick 5+ and a rating in a firearm of 10 or greater (this is actually surprisingly easy to get- if you’re at Mind 7, the minimum for psychic powers, then you only need a rating of Master) then you can reliably do at least 1 lethal IP per person per stage, but as high as 7 if using assault rifles. Similarly, body + high martial arts skill can be absolutely deadly. If the environment permits it, the use of explosives, flamethrowers, and other AOE weapons can be extremely useful, especially when fighting darters.
   
10. Using Vehicles – Want to move something too heavy for your span? Just drive! Or fly!
    
11. Clairvoyance Spam – Clairvoyance is the first really, really broken trick. By spamming clairvoyance, you can avoid traps and unexpected enemy encounters. It can also be used to find enemies fleeing from combat.
    
12. Pyrokinesis – Pyrokinesis is really, really strong. At mind 8, you get to Journeyman and can manipulate 8 cubic feet of space, changing the temperature by 1 degree Celsius per second. With this, you can kill any baseline human being, or an entire room of human beings, in about 4 seconds (2 stages), by raising the temperature of their brain to lethal levels AND you can lower body temperature to nonfatally knock people unconscious. Furthermore, if you have time, you can use this to create a powerful bomb, by using a pressure resistant container full of water and heating up the water to an extreme temperature (i.e. plasma) over the course of a few hours while holding the container temperature constant. Also, at this level, you can only fail on a blunder. With grandmaster pyrokinesis, you are a god of destruction and can instantly boil anyone that pisses you off.
    
13. Just Breaking Their Neck – Our party had a character who was heavily spec’d out for martial arts, and we realized that since his body was still average, he would have to have a good mastery of pressure points and technique. The logical implication, permitted by our GM, is that with a good roll he could nonlethally break the neck of an enemy. Per the GM section, an intact spine is needed for spanning, which provides another way to contain spanners.
    
14. Fentanyl Dart 2, Polonium Boogaloo – If you’re worried about someone spanning, we realized that injecting a strong radiation emitter (we went with polonium) into your target would inflict frag on span. Of course, you need to get polonium, which opens you up to a lot of frag later on. Also, we weren’t sure if you would be fragged from spanning with polonium carried in a lead-lined container (the book was unclear on it).
    
15. Superconducting Frag Machine – Strong EM fields can cause frag (and it’s a pain in the ass to have fixed!), so using superconducting tape cooled with liquid nitrogen (which can be purchased online IRL) lets you cause frag to anyone who spans in a certain area. We didn’t get around to it, but we talked about using it to contain spanners (with appropriate physical restraints).
    
16. The Almighty Slipshank – Warning: Read no further if you are a player and don’t want to be tempted with evil powers. >! I’m serious, this is horrible and it makes nearly anything trivial if you’re willing to pay the price.!< A careful reading of the Slipshank rules says that you can “find any known object to be wherever [you] [want] it at the Level [you’re] currently at.” This is horribly broken. In one example of this, a fight was ended summarily by slipshanking an explosive device under the enemy combatant’s feet- in the process of exploding. This is because there are no rules about the disposition of a slipshanked object, and logically you could set up a device to explode when you place it, knowing the time you want it to explode. This is simply rules-as-written and can be used to do some absurd things, as will be discussed later.
    

The Story (Spoilers Ahead!):
I was invited to the Continuum game by a friend of mine, who I was in a different campaign with. Initially, I felt like it wouldn’t be possible, but when I found out it was a game of Continuum I made time.
My character was Jacob T. Schweikert, who I was setting up as a lovable rogue, a thief (cat burglary style) and electrician’s apprentice from 2006. My friend played as Beau Dixon, a schoolteacher who was very smart but physically inept. We had an intentional self-insert (with a good faith attempt to stat out the character accurately) with Jack and then a less experienced player created Rowan, who was an arms dealer and ex-special forces character.
My thought at the beginning was that we were going to be a pretty balanced party, with different archetypes and niches. It didn’t quite work out like that.
The campaign started in 2021, in Cincinnati, Ohio, just after we were Invited to Dance and woke up at a transchronal spanner party, during the COVID-19 pandemic (taking advantage of the empty buildings). It was the four of us, and a man from the 70s named Bart, who showed up in disco garb.
We relaxed, got some (nonalcoholic) drinks, and tried to enjoy the party and introduce ourselves, but then, there was a commotion outside. Everyone ran out, and saw an older version of Bart span in, panicking, while Rowan spanned in and shot him in the head.
The Bart that was there with us immediately freaked out and spanned away, leaving us all rather confused. We tried to gather some information, and there was a cool little bit where the bartending was being collectively done by a bunch of geminis of the bartender, who was just called “Bar Tender”.
We saw a few interesting faces, including an apparent neanderthal spanner and a Joan of Arc Gemini who showed up to investigate the shooting. There was also a concert going on, with famous artists collected from across time. The neaderthal told us to go backstage, so we did, and we saw Bart show up, shoot at the stagehands, and chop ones’ hand off, and when we investigated the body from earlier we found this strange bracelet device, along with plans for it.
After picking it up, a bunch of Exalted rolled up and got all mad about us having it, and basically told us that it was our mess, giving us the bracelet back. Apparently, it was a high power artifact that lets you span with levelers, and if we misused it we were promised a personal-style fragging out.
Then, we were dumped in 1992 by one of the Exalted, and Jacob took a point of frag. After contemplating as a party, we realized that Jacob’s family had a breakin that day, and nobody was hurt, so we broke into his child self’s house to see what was going on.
One trick I liked here is that since we were dumped in 1992 with no prep, there were a lot of difficulties that were fun to work around. We couldn’t really spend money, use our IDs, or anything, and most of the characters weren’t even born yet!
Turns out, there was this creepy guy in the front yard with a van, so we kicked his ass and drove away with him, while staging the house like Jacob remembered it being. We also did some spanner shenanigans to rob a liquor store and got the dude absolutely wasted, to prevent him from spanning out (first goofy trick!). Turns out, Bart had been breaking convicted criminals out of prison who were still imprisoned in the consensus timeline, so we’d have to return them to prison.
We realized that we’d probably have to time combat Bart, so we got in touch with the local corner, which, as it turns out, was our corner, located out of Generic Apartment Complex (its literal name). The man in charge was called Doug, the Question Man, and he was a complete jackass who would span with people by kicking them in the shins. A fun character! We also got some basic supplies, and Jacob got his hands on a copy of Continuum™. Besides the PCs, there was another person in the corner, a woman named Angelique, a 6’6” or so amazon who was a middle Aquarian from some time in the future, and who was on “house arrest” for unknown reasons. The party then realized that being an early/cusp Aquarian is the worst of all worlds, since the non-aquarians hate you for being an aquarian, and the “real” aquarians hate you for not being psychic.
Jack got some information on Bart using “research”, which I’m pretty sure was using the abstract time combat mechanics. Turns out, he just spanned in, grabbed people, and spanned out with them, for 5 prisoners total. Apparently they worked together after relesaae, and they were all held in solitary confinement, so we only know what happened because Bart spanned in and out of the hall a bunch.
We oracle the prison, and we found blueprints and got the names of the prisoners along with the security systems, with motion and hourly IR sensor checks. Turns out, one prisoner was ONLY known as Prisoner #5, and there were no photos of him, which was ominous. We spent some time looking into the prisoners more, and got armed up, and went in.
We spanned directly into Prisoner #5’s cell, between the IR checks. He wasn’t there, so we were looking around, everybody was super paranoid.
Turns out, he was on the ceiling, wearing one of those creepy “comedy” masks. He jumped on us and turned out to be a serious death machine, easily thrashing everybody in the party. We realized that we had to move him out to avoid running into Bart while fighting him, so we spanned to the corner and talked to Doug, who was like “oh god oh fuck” and had us bring Prisoner #5 to him using the Atlantean bracelet. Then, he gave the override code: one. As it turns out, Prisoner #5 was some sort of weird future android, and he would span to his cell when it was safe.
Then, Bart pulled up, and we kicked his ass. This should have caused frag and forced us to go to a whole bunch of trouble, but the GM was new at running the system so we didn’t see the issue. The day was saved!
Then, because we beat up Bart, we kept him sedated and went with him to Doug, who helped us artificially up-age him with the bracelet, and then we put the bracelet on him and spanned to the party. There, the bartender revealed himself to actually be “Bart Ender”, and woke him up and sent him to die.
We all went back to our lives for a while, doing the cover story thing. Jacob graduated from electrician’s apprentice to a full electrician and things went well. The cover story thing never quite made sense for Rowan, since he was a spec ops supersoldier arms dealer or something, but you know, we did non-Continuum character stuff.
Then, we got a letter in the corner, with coordinates, which were for an apparently uninhabited island in the Pacific.
I proposed that the group starfish to Hawaii, and this led to extreme controversy. Everybody thought the idea was ridiculous, which is fair. Instead, our characters flow commercial. In the airport, we saw three people following us.
There were two men, who were doing their best to look inconspicuous wearing 1800s clothes through an airport, and a woman in a suit, and she actually clocked one of Jacob’s geminis in the airport, so we realized we’d have to clean that up. We also investigated the two Victorians, who were named Henry Holmes and James Watson, and found out the woman was FBI Agent Enola Pistole which is about my favorite name ever.
Once we got to Hawaii, we bought a boat, but then we realized that it had been sabotaged before we were ready to depart. We stocked up on gear (lots of guns, four large empty crates that we left unguarded for a while. We investigated the boat, and found out that Watson was the one who sabotaged the boat, and agent Pistole came up to us and tried to interrogate us, but we boated away before she got around to it.
As it turned out, the island wasn’t anything like the Google Earth pictures, it was aa whole archipelago, with a big volcano, too. Most islands were barren, but one had trees, and we saw a fire on the beach and some guys in SWAT gear. They tried to take us prisoner, but we knocked them out. I think that might have been the first use of the fentanyl dart but it might have been more “manual”. Interestingly, their uniforms had an eye of providence logo, which we thought was weird.
Going onto the island, there was a primitive village, and there was a kid and a samurai. We tried to quietly knock out the kid but he ran for the guards, and the samurai started fighting us, along with a whole bunch of people who started running through the village and fleeing the scene.
The samurai was a darter, so he would dodge bullets and stuff, which was a pretty cool fight. In the end, we lobbed a grenade at him and that did the trick. Beau actually got downed in the process, so we brought him back to the ship, and put him in a closed room. Then, a gemini occurred.
Beau’s elder arrived, and stabilized the junior (a whole new kind of self-care), before joining the adventure. The time loop was that after Beau recovered in Hawaii, he went back, learned medicine, stowed away aboard the ship to go to Hawaii, and then joined the adventure.
There were a few other fights, and we made our way to a cave in the center. The village was still in chaos, but it seemed like they were guarding the cave.
Naturally, Jacob knew what to do. He spanned back to the ship, and slipshanked a flamethrower. Then, he walked back, and cleared out the cave.
I didn’t realize this at the time, but the cave was actually full of defenseless civilians. This is where the evil part of the campaign began, assuming we didn’t kill the child earlier (I might be misremembering). So Jacob had a kill count in the dozens.
Investigating the cave, we found a mysterious device, and we called Doug about it. He told us to smash it, and then when we did, the Continuum showed up in FORCE. Hundreds of spanners showed up and spanned out with the different people on the island, clearing things out. The party was commended for our good work while Beau had a mental breakdown about all the dead kids.
We went back to Hawaii and Agent Pistole had questions for us. We knocked her out and gave her the extraordinary rendition treatment, bringing her out to sea. Apparently she had an anonymous tip involving a photo from the future and an old woman, involving a “murder hotel” in Cincinnati. She was also shocked to see Jacob, who was apparently a missing person since the early 2000s, somehow, which meant that his yet was going to get interesting.
The Holmes thing was apparently a copycat of the H. H. Holmes murder castle- at least from her point of view. As it turns out, our Holmes was the original guy, too, pulled into the future.
To deal with the Agent Pistole situation, we contacted Angelique, who rolled up in a sportscar. Being an aquarian, she hypnotized Agent Pistole, and that was when I realized that hypnosis is actually stupid OP.
To deal with the Holmes/Watson problem we jumped Watson when he was sabotaging the boat, hit him with the fent dart, and then dragged him to some random shed to interrogate him after boozing him up. He had a creepy vintage surgical set, and said he was taking orders from someone in a group called the Order of the Hourglass. Then, he tried to span out, vanishing for a moment before reapparing and splitting into two parts, before those parts caught on fire.
After that, we went back to Cincinnati to investigate the murder hotel ourselves. It was in a strange mixed-use building, with a McDonalds and stuff, and seemed medium-nice. We considered renting a room, but then we realized that Holmes was running the counter.
We hit him with the ketamine dart and he went down, and a gunfight broke out. Some civilians were killed by Rowan. We assumed that Holmes was down for the count, but then, he was fine again- a new trick by the GM to nerf the fent dart. Then, he hid under his desk, and disappeared, leaving his clothes behind.
After a minute of confusion, we realized that he had spanned down, under the building. There was a strange maze of passages down there, and he wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Clearly, his span range wasn’t very good, but he was hiding somewhere in the maze.
But we realized that we could simultaneously search every space at once, by spanning down. So Jacob immediately found him running for an exit, buck naked, and we gunned him down. Watson also showed up, and revealed himself to be Jack the Ripper. The idea of a killed antagonist showing up again isn’t that shocking, but we weren’t totally sure what to do about him. We ended up knocking him out and dragging him outside, before setting the building on fire and leaving him.
The next session, we were in the corner, and there was an explosion that demolished a high-rise downtown, and we all took a point of frag. After investigating, we found that a janitor had been persuaded to place a bomb in the building. We got the bomb, and it turned out to be covered in a bunch of gear that we’d used, including darts, bullets, a grenade, and some dynamite (which belonged to Doug). We replaced it with a bomb that didn’t include any of our personal equipment, and found out that the janitor was given the device at the local airport.
So we went there, and of course, it was Bart. By this point in the campaign, our party’s appearance was enough to give Bart a panic attack, and we dragged him into a bathroom to talk to him. He basically said that we told him to set it up, which confused us, and he said that he wasn’t going to cause us any frag and spanned away.
We realized that Bart was probably hiding in one of the two remaining crates aboard the ship (there were a lot of jokes about that). We went there, gave him the stuff to make the bomb (which we got from different places), and then threatened to frag him out if he didn’t set up the bomb, so it all worked out.
Jack, who started with a rank in dreaming, had an ominous dream where he saw some ominous shit. Specifically, a gigantic crack splitting open the night sky. This was considered to be “very bad”.
Jacob got a letter from a hospital, addressed to his fake ID. Turns out, it was Prisoner #5, who had gone into a coma in prison. He was in the hospital, and Jacob was the emergency contact.
So we pulled up, feeling very paranoid about the whole thing. Turns out, Prisoner #5 just wanted to talk, and we spoke with him. The nurses were VERY freaked out, because the comedy mask thing was fused to his face on the skeletal level, but other than that he appears perfectly human, which was freaky.
Prisoner $5 explained that some bad shit was going to go down, and that his usual job was to kill people who weren’t supposed to exist- those born because of time manipulation. The people on the island were like that, too. He also said that some things were going to happen, and eventually we’d need to fight him because he would be subverted, but he said that whatever he did, his actions would never cause frag.
He also told us to investigate a company called Hourglass Inc., a shipping company, and we were told to leave before he made his escape.
Hourglass Inc. turned out to be a shipping company, with headquarters in town, so we broke in. We were all keyed up, but the place was totally empty, except for a single security guard (hit him with the fent dart) and the boss, who was just working in his office.
We pulled up on the boss and figured that we should talk to him before we fight him. He seemed like he didn’t know what was going on, and started panicking, so we tried to talk to him.
Then boom, he hits Jacob with a magic wand type vessel, doing a whole bunch of damage. He’s also able to stop us from shooting at him when he looks at us. We’re freaking out, but Beau’s player has an idea, and says everyone should leave.
Turns out, Beau was carrying a bandolier of grenades, and talks for a while, before spanning away. Leaving a whole pile of grenades behind, cooked and ready to blow.
The office is full of meat paste, along with the magic wand vessel and a sonichu medallion medallion-shaped vessel of cursed energies that makes him impossible to target when he concentrates. Beau puts on the medallion and blacks out briefly, with voices speaking to him and walking in the desert, and we decide it’s best to give it to the Quickers, who pull up and put it in Cold Storage, along with the wand.
I was concerned that he faked his own death, so Jacob spanned back down and shot Machiavelli through the head the moment after Beau spanned out, before he had the chance to disappear. The GM confirmed that Machiavelli was going to fake his death, so chalk a win up for paranoia.
From documents we found at Hourglass, Inc. we knew that the island was a lot more serious, but we came up with a plan. Using our “One Big Score” money, we bought an An-26, hazmat suits, and chemical weapons, along with nerve agent treatments, skydiving equipment, and guns.
Our plan was to fly over from Greenland, since the island was in the Atlantic, after bribing an airfield to let us fly out. Around this time, Beau developed clairvoyance, which proved to be OP. A spanner showed up on the wing, and we ended up grabbing him and defusing a bomb he planted, and the guy was carrying a shitload of knives and a blade fan, with order of the hourglass tattoos, too. Turns out, he was from Shogunate-era Japan. He told us that they had hostages, and ended up spanning away, which was fine.
It was fine, because we dispersed nerve gas over the island and then parachuted in, wearing hazmat suits and dosed up to the gills with BCHE in case we ended up getting hurt.
Searching the island, we found three buildings which were protected against nerve agents, and we broke in, fighting our way through. Once your characters have instant skilled up to master in firearms, the combat becomes really easy, so we were just powering through these guys.
We found strange devices, and a room with clerks (gave them an “antidote”- in truth, nerve agents do have treatment regimens but they won’t save your life on their own). There was a comms array on the roof, which Jack shut down and took the computer for, and there was a particle accelerator in the basement and a span jammer. We destroyed the span jammer, but this time, the Continuum didn’t show up. And worse, it was guarded by a man with a spear, who was teleporting all over the place. He ended up getting killed, but Jacob had a spear in his side, so he spanned out to the ocean since he was very close to death, and floated there, waiting for the end of the fight and calling for backup.
Meanwhile, the spear guy was actually still fighting, in a huge swarm of geminis, and running around in the nerve gas cloud without any protective gear. Shitloads of his geminis were dying, but he just kept going, ignoring the frag. Not sure about the mechanics of that, but it was a cool scene. The rest of the party ran underground to avoid fighting him, and they found the other span jammer, guarded by Machiavelli!
When confronted, he said that he had been killed, and killing him there would lead to second death, but we didn’t believe it, since we thought he had been replaced by a body double. So we killed him, causing a second death and giving us all hella frag. But the span jammer went down, and the Continuum showed up again, and this time along with a single Inheritor ship, doing who knows what. All the survivors were spanned out, and it turns out that the hostage thing was just a bluff. The frag from the second death was also suddenly resolved, and we got a first-edition copy of The Prince for our trouble. The Inheritors left after grabbing all the really weird tech, but also endowed us with span two.
Due to player absence, we retconned that Beau had been KO’d by a falling coconut on landing (with a body of two, it was plausible). He had bizarre dreams of stars moving in the sky, being stalked by semi-human figures, and explosions. Very ominous. Very scorpiod.
We searched the island, and found some stuff, but nothing super significant.
Then, we realized that we could get more information about what was going on by investigating the spooky dream. We all instant skilled dreamsharing, and we went down. Then, we did some fuckery , and Beau dreamshared his junior, unconscious self, getting access to the dream, letting us double check that they were, in fact, scorpiods.
As a little diversion, we then had to pay off our debt to the moneychangers for the whole plane-nerve agent thing. They asked us to do a favor, intimidating some IRS agents that were involved in moneychanger laundering schemes and thinking of betraying them.
It was in DC, so we flew over using the starfish method. It was fun, since we were like “yeah we’ve killed hundreds of people, we know where you live,” yada yada. Also one of the guys in the IRS asked us to kill his coworker for being a bad person, and the Continuum agreed that she was so horrible that we had to do it, and she really was that horrible. So we killed her.
At span 2, it was about time for Jacob to fake his death, so we wrapped that up to avoid future confusion about the missing persons thing. Then, the whole party got an invite to Foxhorn, and we decided to call our corner “The Waffle House”. And picked up a waffle maker.
Of course, the corner was always foxhorn, an we got some welcome gifts (defusal kit, mind reading machine, scannesyrxis). The mind reading machine was a HUGE benefit for our party, since it meant that we went from “shoot first, ask questions of the junior” to “shoot first, ream the dead body with the mind scanner”.
Another ominous dream happened, this time about a child crying in a hospital, while shadowy figures stands around, Beau also dreamed of being in a desert, watched by 7 figures…
We realized that we could find out more by investigating the vessel dream, so we went back in time and dreamshared with Beau while he was blacked out. Turns out, the vessel was mae from a boy named David, and he dreams of wandering in the desert. He’s from another time, and doesn’t know of any other part of history. Said some ominous shit about “the hour approaches” and “the door will open”.
Jack and Beau investigated Machiavelli’s office, did some stuff that Jacob wasn’t told about (due to his rather questionable ethics), and Angelique taught Jacob hypnosis in exchange for mind wiping some random preteen girl (he didn’t ask questions). At this point, Jacob was being characterized as a dangerous maniac and psycho.
Turns out, there was some dangerous kid that Angelique was holding in a containment field in an abandoned warehouse. She was a crasher, and Beau was trying to cheer her up with dreamsharing, which didn’t work at all. Some conversation involving the kid also confirmed that a scorpiod king was involved, which had us all spooked.
Jacob was called in after a bunch of smoke grenades showed up, so he pulled up in HAZMAT and with a gun. Turns out, warehouse is being attached by some ninja looking individual, and they’re trying to shut down the field and free the child.
Jacob resolves the situation in the simplest way possible- he shoots the child. The ninja spans away. We take down the field, and the girl’s cells aren’t decaying, for unknown reasons.
Suddenly, there’s a knife at Jacob’s throat, and a buzzing magnet against his back. He spans anyway, and domes the person in the head, a dangerous Narcissist operative called the Shadow. Reaming shows that the ninja has a memory that’s largely been wiped, leaving only her skills, so good for us. The child resurrects and spans out, but we recovered the vessel that let her resurrect, an old musket and musket ball. If you’re shot with the musket ball, it creates a ‘save state” for your body, that you can return to, and Machiavelli had it. Pretty cool stuff, it goes into cold storage.
Jacob spends like a year in recovery after this. There was a sidequest where Angelique asks us to pick up a loaf of wonderbread from the store, and we end up having to fight the staff of a Walmart, one at a time. Turns out, it’s a creature called a Dream Ghoul (named by the players) which was released by dreamsharing with the vessel. The ghoul possesses sleeping people, but we end up trapping the ghoul in a body and have it sent to cold storage, hopefully this time for good.
We get the bread to Angelique- resolving some frag that she had- and we’re not totally sure what to do. We consider tracking down the shadow, but we decide to do a little diversion- investigating the decades of the 21st century.
We jump into each decade, and we find that the Waffle House is eventually succeeded by another group, The Evils of War, who carried on our legacy of war crimes. Beau gets pyrokinesis around this time. In 2040, we met an early inventor of time travel, an Aquarian, who is being blackmailed by the president. The Continuum tasks us with stopping this, so we threaten the future president, Yevin (pronounced Kevin) Carlsbad into letting him go. Pyrokinesis is used horrifically for this. To prepare for future shenanigans, we pick up a super-pressure-resistant container that can become less resistant on command, and bring it to the past- fortunately, no nanotech, and we just keep it in the corner.
Jacob gets a bloodstained letter on special letterhead, but preempts the plot point by spanning there, writing the letter, getting blood on it, and sending it down in time. We were very nervous about the scorpiod kings, although I had a theory for beating them.
Instead, we visited Bart, since he did leave us with a bit of a loose end.
We found a bar, where dozens of geminis were all enjoying themselves with geminis of a woman, named Cassandra. He was very on edge to see us, but we talked to him for a while, and out of character I was glad that he had some good things happen to him in his life.
One of the geminis told us about a secret Order of the Hourglass base- the last one- which he’d give us the address to if we agreed not to visit a hospital room in a maternity ward at a specific date and time. We agreed. Jacob immediately contacted the Continuum, and went to the coordinates, which were for an island in a lake in Northern Canada.
We took the plane again, and Beau filled the container with water and then concentrated on it for the entire trip using pyrokinesis. The flight was long, and the temperature rose by 3600 degrees Celsius every hour. When we got to the island, we threw the container out the back, and switched it into “weak to pressure” mode, causing every building on the island to be flattened and all structures destroyed.
Mission complete, we returned to Cincinnati, and Bart was aghast to learn that, in fact, every time we went to one of those islands we really did a lot of murdering.
There was a brief intermission where we defused a problem in our yets. In the Shadow’s memories, we fought her and lost. So we talked to the thespians and they helped us fake losing the fight, in exchange for getting good footage of it to post on DreamHub (explained below).
Then, there was only one thing left to do. We showed up to the maternity ward. Bart wasn’t there, but his partner (or wife?) was, and the shadow showed up, and took away the newborn child. Beau briefly put the woman into hypothermic shock while we tried to fight the shadow, but she skedaddled, and so we decided to talk to Cassandra.
But as soon as she was unfrozen, she downed Beau (body of 2) instantly and hurt the rest of the party with a psychic screech. It was the first fight where we didn’t land the first hit,and it was brutal because of the quick penalties. She fled the room, and I decided to unveil my secret ace in the hole: the slipshank strategy. This instantly killed Cassandra, ending the fight, and we did a brief cleanup and took the time to rest before we tracked down the Shadow.
Clairvoyance let us find the Shadow’s span destination, and we tracked her for a while, until we found where she left the baby, at an orphanage.
We went there, and were going to take the baby, when Angelique showed up, working at the orphanage.
She explained that the baby was her, and she was forbidden from spanning while she was being retrained by the continuum. And she said that we actually missed the real plan of the Order of the Hourglass. She gave us a time and a place, and told us to come loaded for bear.
The group set up a particle accelerator for polonium manufacturing and got prepped. At this point, we were feeling pretty strong, so we weren’t worried. I also came up with a demented scheme to deal with Prisoner #5, since we knew we were going to fight him in the final battle, and that he was pretty strong.
There was another strange machine, and the Shadow, and Prisoner #5, in an abandoned railyard. When they saw us, the Shadow started working, and Prisoner #5 approached, but I activated my stupid bullshit plan to immediately resolve the Prisoner #5 problem: beaming a “factory reset” into his brain (this is something that’s indirectly established as possible in the GM section of the rulebook). This instantly took him out of the fight, although sadly didn’t turn him to our side.
In the meantime, the shadow activated the machine, and it began to pulse. Beau froze her brain, knocking her unconscious, but the machine was already active. We hit her with the fentanyl/polonium cocktail dart, for good measure. Another gemini showed up, and we did the same thing. We also tried destroying the machine, dropping rubble on it, whatever we could find.
Angelique was actually there for the fight- but she was occupied with fighting the gemini spear guy, and we were pretty glad that she was holding that down.
Unfortunately, the machine reached completion, shrinking down into a singularity and then exploding outwards.
There was a man with no eyes standing before us. The scorpiod king had arrived.
Now, this was the failstate of the campaign, but I think that we actually didn’t reach it naturally. I told the GM that I had a plan to defeat a scorpiod king, and he didn’t believe me.
So I executed the plan.
Now, in Continuum, spanning at ground zero of a nuclear explosion actually applies frag if you do it before the explosion, so it’s impossible to slipshank a nuclear explosion to your location if you’ve spanned. But the slipshank doesn’t have to be close.
In the 1960s, the United States government was big into nuclear weapons research, and one of their more interesting project was the Casaba-Howitzer directed nuclear weapon. There are details on Wikipedia, but basically, it’s a nuclear weapon that shoots an intense plasma beam in one direction. From what I’ve read, it was never built in real life. But Continuum establishes that there is a nuclear war in the future, and this weapon is considered technically plausible. We traveled to the future.
The plasma beam created by a Casaba-Howitzer nuclear device travels at nearly the speed of light. Therefore, it could be extremely close to you without you knowing. Scorpiod Kings have high stats. But not that high- No Eyes has a body of 15 and a quick of 25. The quick of 25 means that he goes ~2.5 times in each stage. That means that his reactions are fast. But not nanosecond fast.
A body of 15 is tough. But 9 IP is stated as the damage for a “LAW rocket to the face”. Compared to a gigantic pillar of plasma, reaching down from the heavens?
So, Jacob spent one frag, slipshanked a nuclear strike, and prayed for Inheritor intervention. It came. The party was transported into space, watching the enormous flash of light. The beam was relatively directed, but inheritor cleanup would be needed just for the satellites ruined alone.
Then, they were returned to Earth. But Jacob was presented with his own dead body, a piece of rebar forced through his chest.

When the Norse began settling in Orkney and Shetland, they brought with them them their traditions and concepts of the Saami.
But it has also been suggested that a number of "finnar" also made the trip across the North Sea and settled in the Northern Isles, possibly even arriving prior to the main Viking invasions of the late 8th and 9th centuries.
It has been suggested by Orcadian scholars, in the past, that the traditions surrounding the Norway Finns were brought to Orkney by “Finnar” slaves or thralls. This, however, seems to go against certain Old Norse texts which often place Saami in positions of influence, even marrying into prominent Norse families and dynasties. In many cases having a Saami ancestor was a prized part of family trees, something that remained in Orkney until the 19th century.
Healing and prophecy, control over the weather and the ability to shapeshift are all magical abilities attributed to the Finfolk and selkie-folk of Orkney and Shetland folklore thus the legend of fnnfolk could have come from misremembered accounts brought by Norwegian colonists. Orkney was under Norwegian and Danish control for centuries until 1472.
Between 1693 and 1701 three books were published in Edinburgh and London that have been cited as evidence of sightings of Inuit people fishing in boats off the coasts of Orkney. These three texts have by-and-large been taken at face value, with scholars, antiquarians and folklorists seeking to determine how the Inuit could have got to Orkney, not whether the texts in question bear the weight of this interpretation. The texts seem to indicate an unheimlich form of reverse colonization, a mysterious encounter with the primitive which has proved to be both compelling and distracting for subsequent commentators. These texts also contain the first printed mention of the term “Finnmen” .
Finnmen from Orkney were used by folklorists like Samuel Hibbert and Jessie Saxby to construct supernatural mythologies for Orkney and Shetland and how, by 1881, the anthropologist and linguist Karl Blind had conflated early-modern accounts of mer-folk, seal people, sea trows and Finns to create a very modern mythology. The Finnmen legends thus constitute a distinctive mythos in the Northern Isles down to the present day, with explanations of who or what Finnmen were hovering between the mystical and the mundane.
Finn-men, also known as, Muckle men, Fion and Fin Finn, were Inuit sighted around the Northern Isles of Scotland, Finn-men were said to have been spotted off Westray in Orkney where inuits from Davis Straits may have settled during the Little Ice Age when seas around Greenland became solid and impossible to hunt.
In Dundee during the late 1800s, Inuits were put on show in public halls after being brought to Scotland on ships returning from whaling expeditions.
Norman Rogers, author of Searching for the Finmen, wrote in a 2014 article that he believes the Aberdeen Inuit who came ashore in Aberdeen “probably escaped” from a homebound whaler.
He added: “I think the solution to the riddle of the Finmen in Orkney lies elsewhere.”
The Orkney Finnar are the Finno-Ugric speaking indigenous of Northern Scandinavia rather than the inhabitants of Finland. Orcadians, also known as Orkneymen, are an ethnic group native to the Orkney Islands, who speak an Orcadian dialect of the Scots language, a West Germanic language, and share a common history, culture and ancestry.
The dialect spoken in Orkney was apart of Insular Scots language with many words base on the Orkney Norn and other lexical items used throughout Scotland. However, Norn is thought to have become extinct in 1850, after the death of Walter Sutherland, the language's last known speaker.
Orkney was a home to Inuit settlement.
Additional History: It is believed that Orkney has been inhabited for at least 5,500 years. The first inhabitants were Neolithic tribes who originally came from the Iberian peninsula.
The Bronze age inhabitants were 'Beaker People", named after the peculiar clay pottery left in their burial chambers. The Ring of Brodgar is a Neolithic henge and stone circle in Orkney. The ring of stones stands on a small isthmus between the Loch of Stennes and Harray. Originally there were 60 stones.

They seemed like the penultimate adventurers, settling in nearly every region of Europe (and parts of America). There are the obvious examples like their settlement of Iceland, Greenland, and America but the more you read about the Norse, the more you see their legacy. The Norse invasion of England with the Great Heathen Army, Norse-Gaels of Ireland and Scotland that eventually spawned the Gallowglass in Ireland, the conquest of Normandy in the 9th century which in turn led to the Norman conquest of England, but also the establishment of the Kingdom of Sicily along with some incursions into Ireland, the Rus Vikings which essentially started the Kievian Rus as well as the Varangian Guard of Byzantium. There is even evidence that they settled in the Canaries before Spanish settlement. Were these people unique in their ability to spread? What made them so keen to hybridize with other cultures? How did a notably poorer part of Europe birth such a keen group of people?
The Turks are one such group that feels similar but they seemed to hold onto their culture and traditions more so than the Norse. Ottomans obviously, but the Mamluks were once Turkic slaves, then there are the Turkoman tribes in Kurdistan/Mashriq area, and the varieties of nations of Turkic decent across the Steppe. If there are any other examples of prolific peoples like this then please share!
Anyways, l'd love to hear your theories:) Share

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Best Of Park City This WeekApril 3 - 10

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NON-PROFIT OF THE WEEK
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Wine for Wildlife Thursday, April 4, from 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Come to the second annual "Wine for Wildlife" event, organized by Park City’s Twilight Rotary. Half the proceeds will benefit the Swaner Preserve's mission to maintain its 1,200-acre haven, enhance exhibits, and bolster both adult and youth educational programs, such as free Sunday crafts and weekly nature walks. The remainder supports the vital community service initiatives of the Park City Twilight Rotary Club.
Prepare for a fun night filled with:

• Expert wine education from Pamela Wood, President of the Park City Wine Club.
• Live performances by The Fuse.
• A silent auction showcasing unique items and experiences.
• A lavish spread of heavy hors d'oeuvres.
• A gourmet sit-down dinner crafted by Joi Thomas, the creative force behind Seasoned with Salt.
• An exquisite selection of wines and beers to savor throughout the evening.

Tickets are $200 each, offering you an opportunity to indulge all while contributing to meaningful causes for our community.
GET TICKETS
FOOD & DRINK
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"Fruit Day" with Antiquum Farm Wine Dinner @ Tupelo Wednesday, April 10, from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Tupelo invites wine enthusiasts to toast to “Fruit Day” with the Antiquum Farm Wine Dinner. Winemaker Stephen Hagen showcases his innovative “Grazing-Based Viticulture” alongside four courses of Tupelo's culinary delights. Indulge in four wine pairings, including Daisy Pinot Gris, Alium Pinot Gris, Luxuria Pinot Noir, and Passiflora Pinot Noir. Cheers to a memorable evening! COST: $120 PP
RESERVE
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Table for Twelve @ PC Creamery w/ PC Wine Club Thursday, April 11, @ 6:00 PM
Explore exciting varietals and cheese pairings that tantalize your taste buds! Discover four to five wines paired with PC Creamery cheeses and yummy accoutrements, with some take-home recipes. Limited to 12 persons, reserve your spot for $70.
Park City Creamery 1200 West Lori Lane Heber City (NOT - near Kamas), UT 84032
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GET TICKETS
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Gracie’s Farm Dinner Series Summer 2024
The Lodge at Blue Sky is a beautiful escape, just a 15-minute drive away, yet it feels like many miles from the bustle of Main Street. I'm excited to attend some upcoming events and listing the series early, as they may sell out closer to the date. This dinner series showcases a different seasonal ingredient at each gathering, allowing guests to hear the stories of the hardworking people and animals at Blue Sky.

• 6/11 Baby Roots and Greens
• 7/16 Garlic
• 7/25 Women in Food & Farming
• 8/20 Tomatoes
• 9/18 & 19 Harvest Dinner

RESERVE
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EPC Brunch @ Hyatt Centric Every Sunday Through End of May
For a local-friendly spot away from Main Street traffic, check out the Hyatt Centric. They're rolling out a new brunch special and inviting locals to dive in. Indulge in Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Waffles, Hawaiian French Toast, Black Forest Ham & Beehive Chili Cheese Quiche, or Pan-Seared Scallops. Plus, enjoy Friday night trivia from 6-8 PM until mid-April!
RSVP
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Pasta by Hand u/Mindful Cuisine Saturday, April 13 from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM / Sign-up Deadline April 8Experience the art of pasta-making by hand, from dough to dinner! Roll out dough sheets, create colored pasta, and craft hand-formed shapes. Dive into a culinary adventure making three pasta varieties paired with seasonal sauces. This interactive class promises a hands-on culinary journey.
Appetizers: Burrata with Dandelion-Pistachio Pistou Salad: Spring Panzanella Pastas: Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni with Crushed Tomato Sauce, Farfalle with Citrus Pistachio Pesto, Lemon Tagliatelle with Roasted Cauliflower, Swiss Chard and Panko Crumb, Hazelnut and Pecorino ToppingDessert: Dessert: Lemon Curd Tiramisu\
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Taste of Luxury with Chef Silvia Regi Baracchi @ Deer Valley April 5 - 7
Deer Valley's Taste of Luxury Series is back so get ready to enjoy the vibrant flavors and traditions of Italian cuisine with Chef Silvia Regi Baracchi. Enjoy a VIP Meet and Greet Reception at 6 p.m. followed by a six-course dinner at 7:30 p.m., hosted by Deer Valley's Jacob Musyt. Delight in Tuscan-inspired cuisine paired with exceptional wines, celebrating the fusion of Utah's finest ingredients and Italian culinary expertise. COST: $295 - $350
And if you are looking for a more hands-on experience, well you're in luck. You can get personal instruction from Chef Baracchi and learn to craft signature Italian dishes and explore the art of wine pairing. You will even get to take home your very own pasta maker. COST: $350
April 5-7 @ 6:00 PM Dinner & Reception April 7 @ 2:30 PM Cooking class with Chef BaracchiSIGN UP
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SPORTS
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Pond Skim @ PCMR Saturday, April 6, @ 12:00 PM
Make a splash at Park City Mountain's 3rd Annual Pond Skim! Unleash your inner thrill-seeker at the Eagle Super Pond for a day of excitement. With only 150 spots available, the list is already full, but come watch! This is a great local event.
Ken Block Day Annual Block Party + Fundraiser 2024 Wednesday, April 3, from 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM A tribute to Ken's legacy and the launch of the 43 Institute. Get ready for an immersive experience celebrating Ken Block's legacy and supporting the 43 Institute's mission. Evening tickets include an introduction to 43i, panel discussions with speakers like Travis Pastrana, music by Beastie Boys' DJ Mix Master Mike, a Ken Block legacy zone, interactive games, a social mixer, dinner, and auctions. This game-changing event promises an unforgettable experience celebrating Ken's impact on the community. Hosts include Todd Richards, Chris Cote and Eddie Wall. And experience snowboarding with DC Mountain Lab's from 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM. COST: $143RESERVE
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Summer Strong: Early Summer Workout w/ Sarah Histand (Online) April 8 - May 17
Summer is around the corner! Prep now for the upcoming season of hiking, biking, and running. Led by Sarah Histand, creator of Summer Strong, the program emphasizes a mental-health-informed training style, ensuring fun and empowerment. Try her free 45 minute all-level bodyweight workout.
If you like this, she's also offering a six-week online training program with downloadable PDFs. It will include weekly Mindset & Nutrition modules, and access to the supportive online Summer Strong Community for connections and accountability. Enjoy exclusive bonuses like Healing Track Somatic Practices, Follow-Through Series, Paddling Skills Workshop, Mountain Biking Skills Workshop, Modification Series, Outdoor Allyship Sessions, and a Bonus Library of online Active Recovery classes. Sign up now and save $20 with code SHEJUMPSSTRONG, while supporting SheJumps! COST $187 SIGN UP FREE CLASSSIGN UP
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Town Series & Carnaval Friday, April 5, @ from 3:30 PM - 7:00 PMExperience the ultimate combo at the 2024 Spring Carnival, as the Town Series races merge with the Pond Skim at UOP! Celebrate PCSS's winter season with family-friendly fun. Enjoy discounts for dual event participation. Dress up for the costume party and indulge in food trucks, a beer garden, music, awards, and swag.SIGN UP📷Beauty & The Beast w/
Ballet West @ Eccles Theater Park City Friday, April 5, @ 7:00 PM Enjoy timeless performances at the Family Classics Series in Park City, featuring Ballet West II and Frederick Quinney Lawson Ballet West Academy students. Delight in ballet's beauty as talented dancers bring classic tales to life on stage, creating magical moments for audiences of all ages.GET TICKETS
FAMILY FUN
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Park City Mountain Bike Team Meeting Wednesday, April 10, @ 5:00 PM Merch Fittings/ 6:00 PM Meeting
Attention to all 2023 State Champions!
As the upcoming season approaches, it's essential to stay informed. This gathering offers both new and returning riders an opportunity to connect and engage. Discussions will cover new registration procedures, practice schedules, squads, and race details. Additionally, attendees can preview the new race kit and merchandise; arrive at 5 pm for fitting and ordering. Plus, riders who complete PITZONE registration by April 10th at 5 pm will be automatically entered into a PITVIPER Raffle. Mark your calendars and be part of the excitement!
And, the application is open for 2024 Captains. This is for next year’s Juniors and Seniors who are excited to be team leaders. Applicants must attend a 5:00 PM meeting on April 10th.
St. Mary's Catholic Church Hwy 224 Park City
PITZONE REGISTRATION
TEAM CAPTAIN APPLICATION
Free Movie Night: Disney Pixar's Elemental @ Timpanogos Valley Theatre Friday, April 5, @ 7:00 PM Join in for an evening at the movies, sponsored by Wasatch Behavioral Health and Timpanogos Valley Theater. Disney Pixar’s Elemental will be screened. While tickets are free, reservations are required to ensure everyone can be accommodated. Don't miss out on this fantastic family movie night—reserve your tickets now📷
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Heber Valley Railroad Taylor Swift Train Friday, April 5, @ 7:00 PM
Attention all swifties! Gather your friends for a night of singing and dancing aboard the historic Heber Creeper. Taylor look-a-likes are encouraged for this 90-minute round trip. Dress up, grab a soda and some snacks on board and sing your heart out. Arrive early to catch the Old West Gunfights at 6:40pm before boarding. Tickets are $25 pp/ $160 for 4 people.
GET TICKETS
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You and Your Adult Child Workshop @ The Christian Center Wednesday, April 3, from 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM Rob & Leah Harter specialize in empowering parents with adult children, offering guidance on navigating life's complexities with wisdom and resilience. Their mission is to help parents avoid common issues, work through ups and downs, and build stronger bonds with their children. With insight and expertise, they foster fulfilling and harmonious family dynamics.GET TICKETS📷
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Kid's Paint Days @ Inspiration Haven Art Studio Saturday, April 6 @ 1:00 PM
Ideal for art-loving kids seeking fun! Each 1.5-hour class provides all supplies and step-by-step instructions. While techniques are taught, the primary goal is fun! Parents can drop off their kids, aged four and up, for a creative session on 11x14 canvases. Parents are welcome to sight up and join the fun. This week's theme is about Daisies and Lavender.
SIGN UP
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Ladies Night @ Woodward Wednesday, April 10, from 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Gather your squad and enjoy discounted tickets for just $20, whether you're hitting the slopes or chilling at the Hub. Join monthly group sessions led by female Woodward coaches, with DJ Sadie the Lady providing the perfect vibes. Get tickets onsite.
MUSIC THIS WEEKGo to KEPT CURRENT MUSIC for show times, tickets, and future concerts.
4/3 Gary Numan @ The Depot
4/3 Naomi Harlan & Randin Graves @ The Spur
4/3 David Wilcox @ The Stateroom
4/4 DB Howes Band @ The Corner Store Pub & Grill
4/4 Kate Chanson @ Alpine Social Aid & Social Club
4/4 Drew Fink @ Silver Star Cafe
4/4 Jimbo’s Drag Circus World Tour @ The Complex
4/4 High Fade @ Stateroom
4/4 Shannon Runyon Duo & Dueling Pianos
4/4 Tom Segura @ Delta Center
4/4 The Spinners @ Egyptian Theatre
4/5 James Hardy @ Riverhorse
4/5 3 Deep @ Dejoria Center
4/5 Tim McGraw @ Delta center
4/5 Mich Doughty @ The Stateroom
4/5 Royal Bliss @ The Cabin
4/5 Scott Foster & Steven Bosco Band
4/5 George Brown @ Sundance Resort
4/5 Kublai Kyan TX @ The Complex
4/5 The Spinners @ Egyptian Theatre
4/5 Lavelle Dupree @ Downstairs
4/6 DJ DYFI @ Canyons Village
4/6 Cosmic Possum @ Canyons Village
4/6 Steven Bosco @ Riverhorse
4/6 MxPx w/ The Ataris @ The Depot
4/6 Skitour: Monster Energy Aprave’s Tour @ The Cabin
4/6 Charlie Parr @ The Commonwealth Room
4/6 DJ Mary Paws & The Truffle Incident @ The Spur
4/6 Nate Robinson @ Sundance Resort
4/6 Super Bent @ The Notch
4/6 Bob Moses @ The Marquis PC
4/6 The Spinners @ Egyptian Theatre
4/6 DJ Chris Cutz @ Downstairs
4/7 Nate Robinson Solo @ Sundance Resort
4/7 The Spinners @ Egyptian Theatre
4/7 Teresa Cooke @ Riverhorse
4/7 Aspen Anonda & Dueling Pianos
4/8 Steven Bosco @ Riverhorse
4/8 Rylee McDonald & Daniel Torriente @ The Spur
4/9 Set it Off @ The Depot
4/9 Peter Frampton @ Riverhorse
4/9 Alli Brown & Radio Roulette @ The Spur
4/9 The Veronicas @ The Complex
4/9 Sampha @ The COmplex
4/10 Nate Robinson @ Riverhorse
4/10 Steven Bosco & Morgen Call Duo @ The Spur
4/10 Jon McLaughlin @ The Stateroom
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ARTS & CULTURE
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Clothing Swap @ FulFILLed Lifestyle Co. Wednesday, April 3, @ 6:00 PMReady for some spring cleaning? Join this event to refresh your wardrobe! Bring 10 gently used clothing items and swap them for something new. It's a great way to revamp your style consciously while decluttering your closet.
If you haven't visited this store yet, you're missing out on a gem in our community. Stock up on their array of sustainable products that you can feel good about purchasing. Not only are you supporting a local business, but you're also choosing environmentally-friendly options for everyday use. Plus, Kimberly is lovely.
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Liberty Sanctuary & Burns Cowboy Shop Friday, April 5Spring is right around the corner, and Liberty Sanctuary's horse rescues eagerly await the melting snow. To celebrate the changing season, Burns Cowboy Shop in Park City is hosting a sales day for their horsey friends. Visit their Main Street flagship store, and 20% of your purchase will go to support the sanctuary's care, feed, and training of horses. Shop with purpose and spread good juju! The horses thank you!📷
Cacao Ceremony with Sound & Reiki Healing Thursday, April 4, from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
This ceremony will be led by Cheryl and Curtis who will guide everyone through a meditative experience using caçao as a tool for spiritual and emotional healing. Caçao is believed to have medicinal properties that can help open the heart, connect with inner wisdom, and enhance creativity. Think of it like a chill and heartwarming get-together with good vibes and a touch of magic. Plus, who doesn't love chocolate? Cost $49 Tickets are going fast!
And, if you are looking for some Reiki, you are in luck! Experience extended Reiki healing sessions with Cheryl, a level II Reiki practitioner. Delve deeper with Cacao, Oracle Card readings, and Chakra drumming. Text 703-599-8791 or email [cherylamirabella@gmail.com](mailto:cherylamirabella@gmail.com) to book. Special offer: $299 for 3 sessions.
GET TICKETSMORE INFO
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Heber Valley Horse Sale @ Heber Valley Indoor Event Center April 4 - 6
This annual event showcases the finest selection of horses, from ranch-ready steeds to kid-friendly companions. Don't miss this premier opportunity to acquire your perfect equine partner. As Utah's leading horse sale, this event draws buyers from the western and eastern states alike, all seeking top-notch horses. It is curated by Brent Kelly and family. For phone bidding, call 435-503-2178.
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Positive Behavior Norms Monthly Lecture @ Peace House Wednesday, April 10, from 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS
Most people would agree that few things impacted their school lives as much as their relationships with their peers—friends, acquaintances, or otherwise. Peer relationships play an important role in children’s school lives and become even more influential as children enter adolescence. In this presentation we will learn about SEL Social Emotional Learning and explore a breakdown of specific skills for each of CASEL’s five competencies (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, responsible decision-making). Contact the Peace House Director of Prevention and Education at [emma@peacehouse.org](mailto:emma@peacehouse.org) for more information.
JOIN HERE
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Watercolor Class @ Coalville Library Thursday, April 4, @ 6:00 PMJoin local artist Amber Louder for a relaxed and enjoyable watercolor class, following the Let's Make Art tutorials. No prior experience necessary! Supplies will be provided for teens and adults. RSVP at 435-336-3070 to secure your spot as space is limited.📷Local Speaker
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Series: Maya Silver’s How to Get Off the Beaten Path in Utah Thursday, April 2, from 4:00 PM - 5:00 PMDiscover Utah's hidden gems and escape the crowds with Maya Silver's expert advice. Learn about 10 lesser-known destinations, gleaned from her extensive travels and research for her new Moon travel guides. Gain insider tips, favorite spots, and clever hacks for avoiding crowds in Utah's popular attractions, including its renowned national parks.
Park City Library 1255 Park Avenue
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Workshop Series: Floral Arranging with Spring Blooms Wednesday, April 10, @ 5:00 PM
I'm listing this early because these classes almost always sell out!
Ready for spring flowers to brighten up your home? Get creative with this season's finest blooms and flowering branches. Enjoy locally sourced flowers, beverages, and snacks, along with expert guidance to create your own spring masterpiece. Limited spots available📷
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Dark Sky Celebration at Wasatch Mountain State Park Saturday, April 6, from 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
The Dark Sky Celebration takes place at the Wasatch Golf Course Clubhouse, featuring indoor astronomy activities, outdoor stargazing, treats, and astronomy items for purchase. Get ready for some epic stargazing and hands-on activities. Tickets: $6 for adults (12 years and older) and $4 for children (under 11 years).SIGN UP
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An Indigenous Spring: A Health and Wellness Gathering Saturday, April 6 from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Join SLRC and IHAWC for a health and wellness gathering in collaboration with The Utah Museum of Natural History and the Urban Indian Center. Bring the whole family for a day of connection, celebration, and health. Experience a Bear Dance Demo by the Ute Tribe, go on a run, walk, or hike, try out shoes from top brands like Saucony, Altra, Brooks, and Hoka, and explore health and wellness booths. Enjoy post-run refreshments and receive free entry to the Utah Museum of Natural History. Registration is free but required.
Utah Museum of Natural History 301 Wakara Way Salt Lake City, UT 84108REGISTER
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Pride Ride 2024 Saturday, April 6, from 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Get ready to celebrate Pride in style as Pride Ride Utah 2024 returns to Brighton Resort! It's a full day of riding, dancing, and community as they come together to support the LGBTQIA+ community. Don't forget to sign up for the after party too! Their mission is to build community, increase access, and break down barriers to LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the outdoor community. This year, they're proud to raise funds for Rock Camp, SLC!
REGISTER
From Murder to Atonement: Confronting my Son's Killer @ Summit County Library Tuesday, April 9, u/12:00 PM VIA ZOOM
Join Author Colum McCann and Diane Foley, whose story inspired "American Mother." The book explores a mother's journey of forgiveness after confronting her son’s killer, crafted by McCann's compelling narrative. Diane Foley is the mother of Jim, a freelance journalist captured and beheaded by ISIS in 2014, an image that became one of the most iconic of the 21st century. This is a story about strength, resilience, and radical empathy.
REGISTER
Going Greenland & Downstream Movie: Citizen's Climate Lobby Wasatch Back Wednesday, April 10, @ 6:00 PM
Outdoor enthusiasts are invited to an evening of ski and climate movies showcasing "Downstream," a backcountry ski film delving into the diminishing Salt Lake, and "Going Greenland," a documentary exploring our relationship with nature and the balance between pursuing our passions and preserving the environment. Donations aid student lobbying efforts in DC. Admission is free, with donations welcomed. Join them for skiing, film viewing, and climate action discussions post-screening.
REGISTER
IO Capitano @ Park City Film April 5 - 7 / Fri & Sat @ 7:00 PM / Sun @ 6:00 PM
In this acclaimed film which won top directing and acting prizes at the Venice Film Festival, writer-director Garrone presents a “reverse shot” of the immigration experience while unfurling an epic, cinematographically magnificent odyssey from West Africa to Italy. The story is told through the mind’s eye and experiences of two Senegalese teenagers living in Dakar who yearn for a brighter future in Europe. Yet between their dreams and reality lies a treacherous journey through a labyrinth of checkpoints, the scorched Saharan desert, a fetid North African prison and the vast waters of the Mediterranean where thousands have died packed inside vessels barely fit for passage.
GET TICKETSFOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM
@ kept_current_parkcity
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In the harsh winter morning, the summer eve rose with the bodies of dead men while the nights howl with yellow rays as passengers of death fly overhead, creating craters with roaring thunder while dogs die and crops wilt. It has been a long couple of years of conflict, the dragons locked behind doors of morals were broken open, legends emerged from their slumbers and snakes became hydras and leviathans.
It all started when Russia and China annexed Mongolia and South Korea and brought out their secret alliance with all nations from Vietnam to Australia, in one night. Engaged in complicated negotiations while they bought time China and Russia created information blockades that allowed them to rapidly assimilate the included nation within the weeks. All forces that didn't submit were massacred, leading them to lead penal legions made of the various nations' prisoners and occupied nations' armies. Eventually, the peace-driven nations and fake-faced leaders from America, Africa and Europe finally couldn't take it. An all-out war began, leading to the Asian powers creating a united military structure between nations that could attack with immense unison.
Though Asian nations didn't like the seeming lack of individualistic identity in the Asian Alliance, Japan knew that they were not only in enemy territory but that the other powers wanted to carve up Asia, already causing Japan to see repercussions. With no other choice, all of Asia joined the Asian Alliance, along with various allies in Africa and several political plots that turned the mistreated Middle Eastern nations into a galvanised force. On the world stage, battles quickly broke out without any wait, Alaska saw a fairly equal fight between Russia and America, Australia and New Zealand were on their own, leaving their relatively small populations to be overrun. Europe finally joined in the defence of Ukraine, causing fights on the borders, making up for America's military superiority and aid with top teams to reverse engineer enemy tech and the enormous amount of bodies supplied by India and China. Yet, while the world was bathed in blood, one nation stood among the rest, not for their fierceness, ferocity, power or lack thereof, they stood out for their stance of neutrality that NO other nation had in this World War. That nation was Germany, surprising everyone who beckoned for their aid from all sides and nations, yet they stood still, not moving, not fighting, stopping anything from entering their airspace.
The war continued, nations were nuked, cities were bombed, fleets were sunk, armies filled oceans and entire states lay in pollution and rot from chemical warfare and corpses that couldn't be cleaned away. Everyone was exhausted, but no one stopped, even when America fell, Africa was rendered unable to send aid by destroying itself and the Middle East only had 13% of its original population, no one stopped. Though America had fallen, it wasn't done fighting, leaving the gun-filled populous to take up arms in guerilla warfare, the only ones that still stood against the Asian Alliance were half of Canada, South America which was blockaded and forced to deal with giant forest fires and Europe. Australia, New Zealand and island nations had been conquered, leaving Europe on its own, coming to Germany for a final talk.
"Adelheid, hello, old friend" Said Damian
"Hello Damian, it's nice to know that you were able to flee" Adelheid said while smoking a cigar, blowing his smoke to the window sill that had snow pilling impossibly high over a graveyard that still showed the tall monuments for accomplished soldiers.
"This shall be the last time I visit" said Damian, looking down at the table before searching in Adelheid's eyes with his own sunken sockets.
"Given up have you? Y'know the offer still stands, we are always welcome to offer those seeking asylum, Jews, Africans, French, despite our history." Said Adelheid, moving his body forward to look at Damian's eyes in kind
"Ha, no, I do not think anyone will find my body" said Damian, finally breaking his cigar rule
"What, is Mr. Rich man from Mars going to board a rocket?" Adelheid said in a mocking tone
"No, there is a missile that was in a British museum which is still under my name, I intend to add a steering and hope to drop it on enemy lines." Damian said, more confident than ever
"ARE YOU INSANE?! YOU WILL DIE! THAT'S IF YOU EVEN MAKE IT THAT FAR" Adelheid spoke in a rushed tone, now unable to keep calm
"Adelheid, before I leave, there is something I must ask from you, not to join the war, not to render aid, not to fight. What I want is... a rather hard thing to ask" Said Damian, even more hesitant than before
"Sigh~ I know I can't stop you, what is it... Damian" Adelheid said, knowing that what Damian said was true and that stopping him would do little but cause suffering in Damian's heart
"I need you to be the monster"
"...What?" No longer flustered or human in his speech, he asked Damian to confirm as directly as he could, changing his form into that of a black demon of the abyss, without actually moving or transforming.
"WE need you to be the monster, to conquer, to WIN" Damian asked, getting up to leave
Just before Damian could leave, Adelheid answered, "Fine", smiling at Damian he said in an assured tone, "We will be your monster".
In less than 3 hours, all of Germany took up arms, everyone was shocked as they took over command and directed the troops to pull away from Turkey, allowing the Asian Alliance to take over, instead, choosing to send those troops to America. Hearing about this, the Asian Alliance thought that Germany was on their side as they sent over delegations, becoming surprised when Germany shot the messengers, an ultimate sign of disrespect. But when the Asian Alliance made a major push to the South, South East and Eastern borders of Europe, everyone was shocked when, instead of expecting the traditional armies of Europe who were battered and beaten, they came up against Germany's soldiers, clad in complete black, wearing gas masks and their iconic spike helmets. As agents of death, they launched at the enemy from the quickly built fortifications that gave them the high ground in reliably built structures.
Like the nemesis of old, Germany brought out weapons of mass destruction and creations that shocked the world with their revolutionary creations behind the scenes. From genetically modified hounds and wolves that could wear full body armour and specialised helmets that allowed them to bite while being 7 feet tall, to hidden visors and well-stocked arsenals behind the, initially thought to be archaic equipment. Entire castle fortifications would be built out of bullet-proof sheets that would come down once the metal frames uncurled from their rolling positions that were the size of a house and became as long as a trench line. Nothing was off limits as Germany sent out flame thrower battalions which could have enough fuel for 17 straight hours in a single oxygen-can-sized container, like ones used in scuba diving. Drills were used to cause volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, fighter jets and aircraft carriers dropped vermin species that would breed rapidly and explode after 3 weeks of life, soldiers shot bullets that would melt the corpses and rapidly release toxic gas or would act like harpoons, shooting nearby enemies and pulling them in which killed them or made them easy targets. Grenades were covered in poisons, combat knives could shoot out with more pressure than a tank, boots had extendable knives under and at the front, guns could shoot further than a sniper, with more accuracy. Tanks exemplified the classifications of light, standard and heavy, having the light tanks move light sports cars, the standard tanks carry a significant kick that worked well in formations and a heavy category for ones that could destroy entire towns.
What made the fight worse was how the ploy by Germany worked, allowing America to create several large organisations that began giving the Asian Alliance trouble and supplying Europe with their better quality goods thanks to securing military sites and factories. Though a shell of its former self, losing 13 of the 50 states and having Hawaii completely occupied, America was now a significant issue to the Asian Alliance who couldn't forget the old threat it posed, allowing guerilla warfare to become 10x effective thanks to reinforcements and the crowded Asian Alliance lines, on top of Germany's instant trap deployment technology. The forces, now bolstered by Germany's untapped power and America's support, were able to retake Turkey thanks to planted spies and rebel groups. Pushing into the Middle East using a special military group that utilised buggies and sand sailers to cover rough terrain. At the same time, a massive campaign was launched against South America, clearing up the blockades and replacing them with their own, cutting off the Asian Alliance's troops' support.
With their power seemingly crumbling, the Asian Alliance decided to gather their resources and direct an attack on the Gulf of Bothnia and all nations that surrounded it, finally giving them access to Greenland and Iceland and another way to attack North America. From there they would move directly by sea to Germany, this plan was dangerous, but with their current power and supplies, there was no way they would lose. This was a true thought, breaking through the North Sea and invading Sweden, since they already conquered Finland a long time ago, gaining significant holds and moving through, causing the European powers to draw attention. But it was all futile, the Gulf of Bothnia was taken in 3 weeks, allowing them to directly attack Germany and the borders of Poland, also gaining some territory from the eastern border. All their successes and efforts were honest, with no plans nor deceit, but there didn't need to be when Germany unleashed their naval power that was unable to be reported on by the South American blockade. Combined with shoreline artillery and ocean mines, the Asian Alliance's fleet was taking a significant beating, only barely managing to get to Hamburg before the German fleet arrived. Sending their speed boats which were like torpedos, shooting on the water too fast to be shot as they caused ships to sink through slashes of pressurised water. Finishing off the battle, they unleashed the King's Crown, the name of their capital ship that was the size of 20 warships and carried all sorts of weapons to man and more.
Now losing a significant amount of their forces on this gamble, the Asian alliance began to see issues, needing to pump out less trained soldiers like the nations they destroyed. In an attack of its own, Germany launched a solo crusade into the heart of the Russian empire, paving the way with blood until they took the capital, expanding deep into undefended Russian territory and cutting off major supply lanes, declaring the taken territories as German territory. Calling upon their allies and the allies of their friends, the nations of Japan, Afghanistan and India rebelled from the alliance using their private soldiers and sneaked in troops from Germany. Other nations and rebellions followed suit, breaking up the strenuous control that the Asian alliance had and allowing Germany to take more and more territory. In order to not lose everything, whether that be Mongolia and their rocket launcher cavalry brigades or Taiwan's growing traction for a capitalist society, these rebellions needed to be squashed, forcing the Asian Alliance leader to cave. Signing a pact of non-aggression, the Asian Alliance was forced to dissolve but was allowed to keep Mongolia and Afghanistan (not that they could).

Hey guys,
I'm back with some of the best longform profiles I've found this week. You can also subscribe here if you want to get the weekly newsletter in your inbox. Any feedback or suggestions, please let me know!
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💸 Jeff Zucker’s Probably Doomed Quest to Buy the Telegraph
Michael Wolff // New York Magazine

A veteran cultivator of the press with, conversely, a notably thin skin, Zucker was immediately pummeled and vilified — not least by the publications he now effectively owned, waiting only to take formal control. Overnight, he seemed on his way to becoming a kind of business and social cautionary tale, a fatuous overreacher out of a Trollope novel.

🔫 The Insanity Plea That Shook a Small Town (🔒 paywall link)
Molly Langmuir // Rolling Stone

This was the moment the masked man had been waiting for. He stepped out from the trees and shot Rodney multiple times from behind with the rifle. Rodney ran toward the house but only made it to the door before the man caught up to him and shot him in the head with the handgun.

⚾ Ronald Acuña Jr. Thinks He's Got a 50-50 Season in Him
Adam Caparell // GQ

The Braves right fielder has all the tools to back up his beliefs: a need-for-speed attitude on the base paths, to start, plus a swing that’s as sweet as it is vicious. (Acuña succinctly describes his swing as “Fantastic!”). He’s young, commanding the strike zone like few others, thriving under the recent rules changes, and displaying the kind of power normally reserved for bulky sluggers. If anyone can create a new club, it’s Acuña.

🏛️ Will RFK Jr. and Other Third-Party Candidates Help Doom Democracy?
David Corn // Mother Jones

This year, Moscow will undoubtedly try to intervene in the American election. Third-party and independent candidates—who, of course, have the right to run and be considered on their merits—offer the Russians and other bad-faith actors avenues for meddling. These schemers can exploit attempts to expand democracy in order to undercut it.

🎢 Sam Bankman-Fried’s Dream Came True (🔒 paywall link)
Will Gottsegen // The Atlantic

SBF and many of his more explicitly anti-government competitors are out of the picture, the NFT-driven hype bubble has summarily popped, and more and more crypto-backed investment products are making their way into the mainstream. Maybe now crypto is finally ready to grow up.

🔍 Who’s Behind All the ‘Pussy in Bio’ on X?
John Herrman // New York Magazine

In short, this is why PIB accounts exist: If just one unfortunate X user clicks through — and through, and through, and through — and ultimately signs up for a scam dating site, the site’s owner makes bank, and maybe a freelance PIB spammer gets a few bucks.

🏙️ A Dutch Architect's Vision of Cities That Float on Water
Kyle Chayka // The New Yorker

He envisions persuading cities around the world to install hundreds of thousands of floating affordable-housing units to help alleviate overcrowding and gentrification. “It’s a lifetime of trying to connect the dots toward that future,” he said.

🤖 The Tech Plutocrats Dreaming of a Right-Wing San Francisco
Gil Duran // The New Republic

“The techno-optimist movement is a backlash to a kind of exhausting constant naysaying, constant reaction of ‘this is bad and will only be bad,’” said Nellie Bowles, a San Francisco native whose 2022 essay, “How San Francisco Became a Failed City,” became an instant classic of the “S.F. doom” genre.

🌟 Jess Hong Enters Her Chaotic Era
Jessica M. Goldstein // Marie Claire

Hong wants this for herself, too: To hold on to her sense of humanity no matter what comes next. As nourishing as it is, her work as an actor “is not who I am as a human being,” she says. “I am also a daughter, I'm also a sister. I'm also the child of an immigrant.”

❤️ Long Covid isolation won’t break my marriage — in fact, it’s made it stronger
Lygia Navarro // The Sick Times

Constantly preoccupied about my ill and disabled body, I’ve often felt subconsciously guilty that my family has to live on this island with me – as if they keep masking and isolating only to protect me. My sense of culpability is infinitely compounded by my disabilities requiring H to do all of the cooking and housework to keep our family afloat, all while he works a stressful job with long hours.

💿 The film fans who refuse to surrender to streaming: ‘One day you’ll barter bread for our DVDs’
J Oliver Conroy // The Guardian

Some film fans never gave up physical media: they’ve spent years quietly buying thrift-store discs, discarded by the many US households that no longer have DVD or Blu-ray players, and waiting for their chance to rise again. Other fans, frustrated by streaming’s limitations, have recently rediscovered physical media and trickled to join its rear-guard army.

👮‍♂️ How It All Went Wrong for Eric Adams (🔒 paywall link)
Michael Powell // The Atlantic

November brought a more ominous turn for Adams. Federal agents waved aside his security team, handed him a subpoena, and seized his cellphones and iPad as part of an investigation into his campaign fundraising. And FBI agents late last month searched two homes of an influential aide to Adams who has also raised money for him.

🦆 The Eider Keepers
Devon Fredericksen // bioGraphic

Like all wild birds, eiders can survive without human assistance. But across much of their range—including Iceland, Greenland, Alaska, the Russian North, and Canada—humans and common eiders have forged a unique, mutualistic bond.

🎥 Oppenheimer Actor David Krumholtz Is Still Waiting for a Career Bump
Brian Davids // The Hollywood Reporter

I’m a journeyman actor who consistently has to find ways to prove himself. Is it a burden? Yeah, it’s a burden, sometimes. I wish it was easier. So I’m trying to stay out of expectation. The hardest part of being in the film that won everything and made $1 billion is that you go into this place of expectation.

📚 A Conversation with Louise Erdrich
Sterling HolyWhiteMountain // The Paris Review

To begin with, if you’re not working in your traditional language, you are working in the colonial language, an automatic influence. I can barely speak to a four-year-old in Ojibwe, let alone write in it. But I own the curse and glory of English, a language that has eaten up so many other cultures and become a conglomerate of gorgeous, seedy, supernal, rich, evocative words.

🎭 "There's No Place I'd Rather Be": Victoria Pedretti on Her Broadway Debut
Jake Nevins // Interview Magazine

I think the challenge really does grow you as an actor. I had some muscles that had weakened or frozen up or just weren’t functioning with as much strength and agility as they used to. And this process has definitely reawakened something in my body and in my brain and soul.

🇺🇸 The Trump machine: the inner circle preparing for a second term (🔒 paywall link)
James Politi // Financial Times

2024 Trump is vowing a much more profound break from what used to be his party’s orthodoxy. As well as a push for Ukraine to settle with Russia, the potential measures include tariffs more sweeping than last time and an even more overwhelming crackdown on immigration. Trump has also threatened to launch purges of the federal judiciary and bureaucracy, which, in the view of many critics, are a sign of a greater authoritarian bent to a second term.

🕵️‍♀️ A Chronicle reporter went undercover in high school. Everyone is still weighing the fallout (🔒 paywall link)
Peter Hartlaub // San Francisco Chronicle

The “narc” accusations — students accusing Jones of being a cop — are sometimes played for comedy in the series, but presented a very real problem for the reporter, especially after students from the Peer Resource Center started defending her. Not only was Jones being untruthful to classmates and teachers, but she was forming real friendships, and the moment she had to confess to the betrayal was a ticking clock.

💰 How Fergie Chambers Went From Cox Media Heir to Communist Revolutionary (🔒 paywall link)
Rich Cohen // Air Mail

In this, Fergie personifies a type as old as income disparity: the rich kid who betrayed his parents, turned on his class, and used his part of the bonanza—ill-gotten gains, according to his ideology—to fund the storming of the Bastille.

🏠 ‘Mum knew what was going on’: Brigitte Höss on living at Auschwitz, in the Zone of Interest family
Thomas Harding // The Guardian

Brigitte said she knew that the people who worked in the villa and garden were prisoners in the camp. “They were always very happy,” she said. “They called my mother, the Angel of Auschwitz.” Seeing my surprise, Brigitte said: “My mom was just a nice person. Period.”

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I am beyond grateful for all the helpful tips from this sub, so I wanted to share some of my thoughts and tips from our magical trip. Researching and planning was key to having so much fun in a short amount of time. We were extremely fortunate to have perfect weather our entire trip (3-6C and sunny) and witnessed Aurora Borealis TWICE! My report is broken down day by day and we were able to see/do everything as planned, once again due to great weather. We had early mornings and stayed out until dark each day, splitting the driving each day. Couldn’t have asked for a better trip and am already planning a summer itinerary!
About us: Male and female in our 20s from Boston, spontaneously decided to visit Iceland and only had 2 months to research/book everything: Flights were booked at the end of January with Play airline (I was flight watching and got an alert for a cheap flight) and hotels via Expedia. Most hotels were completely booked, so I suggest booking 3+ months in advance. Lagoons and ice cave tour were booked 2 weeks in advance. Did 90% of my research on this sub along with Guide to Iceland. All linked photos throughout this post were taken on my iPhone 11.
Scroll to the end if you just want a list of random tips.
Day 1: Arrived @ KEF 5:45am (5.5 hr red eye flight)
-Customs, duty-free, Trawire hotspot and car rental pick-up all took <1 hr. We booked a Suzuki Vitari 4x4 through GoRental and opted for self pick-up/drop-off, so we walked 3 min to the Aurora hotel, grabbed the car key from the lockbox and was on our way. An N1 discount card also came with our rental, which we didn't realize until mid-trip lol.
-Drove 20 min to Blue Lagoon: We had 45 min to rest in the car before it opened and were one of the first to arrive - best decision to stop here right after our flight. It was crowded/touristy by 9am, but worth experiencing at least once. Spent an amazing couple hrs here; the blue water was incredible and we loved the face mask.
-Explored downtown Reykjavík on foot for a few hours: Very walkable, cute and colorful town with a touch of rogue cats lol. The Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (famous hot dog stand) was good, but overrated in my opinion. Sun voyager was gorgeous with mountain views over the water. Spent some time admiring the swans at Tjörnin park. Parking lot was full at Hallgrimskirkja Church so ended up just walking here from the Rainbow Road. We didn’t go to the top of the church, so maybe next time.
-Grabbed drinks at Lebowski’s (cheap happy hour beers) and met some fun people.
-Checked in to Viking Hotel and had dinner at Fjörugarðurinn, the Viking Restaurant next to the hotel. The atmosphere and Viking style decor was lovely. Food was delicious; we got the Icelandic meat soup, Viking wrap and the catch of the day which was the Blue Ling fish.
-After an hour nap, we spontaneously decided to go back to Lebowski’s at 9pm, paid $25 to spin the wheel & won 10 beers, met people from the same town as us (small world)! Loved the vibe there.
-Surprisingly did not experience terrible jet lag our first day, but we both work night shift so that might’ve helped with the time difference. If you have a red eye flight, I suggest staying busy the entire day and not sleeping until night or it will mess up your sleeping schedule the rest of your trip.
Day 2: Self-drove the Golden Circle
-Þingvellir National Park: Very cool to learn about the Alþing and walking between tectonic plates. It was touristy, as expected and we spent a few hours here by choice, taking time to admire the landscape and reading all the different info signs. Walked up to Oxarafoss, which was beautiful and roaring. Walked to the Silfra and watched snorkelers snorkel between tectonic plates! Plan to spend at least 1.5 hrs and get here early if you want minimal crowds.
-Gullfoss: Easy 5 min walk from the lot. You will get a bit wet standing at the viewpoint, so be sure to wear a waterproof jacket and have a cover for your camera.
-Geysir: Interesting seeing all the different geysers and watched the Strokkur Geyser erupt 7 times (erupts every 5-15 min).
-Secret Lagoon: The only lagoon we went to that didn’t have private shower stalls. Yes, you do have to shower without your bathing suit just like every other lagoon. I understand privacy concerns, but literally no one was paying attention and these people are never gonna see or remember you. The lagoon was small, but still not overly crowded like Blue or Sky and we watched a beautiful sunset, so no complaints!
-Next stop would’ve been Kerid Crater, but we decided to skip it as it was getting dark and we allocated most of our time to Þingvellir.
-The entire Golden Circle is an easy and doable drive in one day if you start early and plan accordingly.
-We had a private room booked at the Bakki Hostel in Eyrarbakki right on the beach and had no issue checking in late. Large room with a kitchen countemini fridge. When we arrived ~9pm, we saw the Aurora Borealis for the first time! She was initially barely visible to the naked eye, but by 10pm, the sky was lit up green as she danced along the beach for another hour. We knew the Aurora wasn’t guaranteed, so I truly feel blessed we had such a magical experience on our second night in Iceland!
Day 3: Chasing waterfalls as we drove down the coast to Vík
-Left Eyrarbakki at 7am and watched the most beautiful sunrise as we drove to our first waterfall, Seljalandsfoss. There were only 2 other people when we arrived ~8:30am and basically had the waterfall to ourselves the first 30 min. Walk a few min to the left of Seljalandsfoss and you’ll see a small stream, leading to the Gljúfrabúi waterfall hidden inside a cave. You do have to walk through the stream to get to the waterfall, so bring extra pants/socks/shoes to change after. The stream wasn't that deep; I wore a waterproof winter jacket, waterproof pants and socks and was soaked but worth it.
-Our next stop would've been the Seljavallalaug Swimming Pool (one of the oldest pools in Iceland since 1923), but ended up skipping as we wanted to prioritize getting to Vík before dark.
-Waterfall #3: Skógafoss was amazingly powerful, we walked 527 steps to get to the top view, but I personally thought the view from the bottom was better. There were many tourists by the time we got here ~10am.
-Spent a few hours at the Skógar Museum (next to Skógafoss): Beautiful open museum with 18,000+ regional artifacts. Recommend stopping here to learn about Icelandic history.
-Waterfall #4: Kvernufoss: The start of the trail is in the same parking lot as the museum, the trail is ~10 min walk that leads to the waterfall hidden in a gorge. It was breathtaking walking behind the waterfall and we caught a beautiful rainbow right over the falls as we were leaving.
-Drove up to the Dyrhólaey Viewpoint: I now understand why it literally means “the hill island with the door hole.” We were mesmerized by the views, got some photos and left as it was extremely windy and rainy at the top. I was originally told the road up to Dyrhólaey is usually closed in the winter including during the week we went, so plan accordingly. You can also see puffins here in the summer!
-Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach: Spent 20 min here, it was crowded, but am still amazed by the black sand and the formation of the basalt columns. Worth repeating: don't underestimate the sneaker waves; we saw some people close to the water for photos, but it's definitely not worth dying over.
-Víkurfjara Black Sand Beach: Less crowded with only about 15 people, another stunning black sand beach 15 min from Reynisfjara where you can see the spiky Reynisdrangar Sea Cliffs.
-Yoda Cave aka Gígjagjá in Vík: We were the only ones there ~6pm. Cool to see if you’re a Star Wars fan, but the “path” leading to the cave is unpaved and not safe to drive on in winter conditions.
-Dinner @ Smiðjan Brugghús in Vík: Fun brewery with great burgers. Not usually a burger gal, but loved their chicken burger. We got 2 beer flights to try their craft beers. Best we’re Wet All Day IPA, Wet Spot IPA and Haltá Ketti Milkshake IPA.
-Spent the night at Hotel Katla and enjoyed the hot tub/sauna. Beautiful hotel with spacious rooms and amazing views of the surrounding landscape. We started watching "Katla" on Netflix while we were here; an Icelandic mystery-drama series set in Vík - only a few episodes in, but sooo good! They had an amazing breakfast bar with a large eating area. In the morning, you can ask the front desk to pack you "lunch bags" which included a generous amount for about $25. Each bag was packed with 2 sandwiches, fruit, candy and a juice box, which was perfect for our drive the next day.
Day 4: Fjallsárlón, Jökulsárlón, Diamond Beach and Vestrahorn
-Met some new friends at our hotel who recommended Fjallsárlón Glacial Lagoon. Made a pit stop here and it was absolutely stunning witnessing large blue icebergs atop the water. We only walked ~10 min from the lot to see the icebergs since this was an unplanned stop and we didn’t want to run behind on time, but it appeared you could walk further along the water.
-Stumbled upon the Skeiðará Bridge Monument along the Ring Road; Iceland’s longest bridge that was wiped out by volcanic heat and glacial floods in 1996 when the Vatnajökull volcano erupted.
-Made it to Vestrahorn aka Batman Mountain (3.5 hrs from Vík without stopping): I can see why this would be dangerous to drive up in snowy conditions. Even with clear skies, the narrow winding switchbacks were still slippery and nerve racking! The mountain itself was absolutely stunning and well worth the drive. We didn’t have time to check out Viking Village (film set that was never used), but was able to see it from the beach area. If you have an extra day, I’d recommend spending the night in the area or near Hofn. We got incredibly lucky with the weather and is the only reason why we were able to make it here and back to Vík in one day.
-Drove 1.5 hr back to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach. The parking lots are directly across from each other. No “diamonds” on the beach, but there were plenty of icebergs you can see from the Jokulsarlon Glacier lot.
-This was also our meeting point for the Blue Ice Cave Tour. We booked on GetYourGuide with “Guide to Iceland” and it was one of the best tours I’ve ever experienced. A truck drove us onto the glacier (20 min) and then we walked 10 min to the opening of the ice cave. We were provided with safety helmets and crampons prior to entering the cave. It was truly mesmerizing to be surrounded by the intricate ice crystal formations glistening with blue hues. When we got back to the truck, we found out another vehicle backed up into ours and broke the tire hose used to inflate/deflate the tires (needed for off-roading). Our tour guide, Alex, gracefully took care of the situation and made sure we got back safely and on time. Highly recommend booking with Guide to Iceland if you’re looking to just do an ice cave tour and not an entire glacier hike.
-Drove back to Vík to retire for the night. Most kitchens close at 9pm and our GPS had us arriving in Vík at 9:20pm, so we called Ströndin to place an order and they were kind enough to have our food ready when we arrived. The restaurant/bar didn’t close until 11pm, so we sat down and enjoyed our fish/chips and char. Cute and cozy with a corner for darts/couches; perfect spot to lounge after a long day of driving/hiking.
Day 5: Making our way back to Reykjavík
-Hung out with some Icelandic rams on a farm along the Ring Road
-Hiked 1 hr to Reykjadalur Hot Spring Thermal River: Prefacing that we’re both fit and experienced hikers. All the reviews said it was an “easy walk,” but it definitely gets steep and still snow/icy on certain parts of the trail. Very scenic hike with mini waterfalls along the way and reaching the river was a treat for sure. The further you go up, the hotter the water is. We reached the river by 1pm and there was a good amount of people but not overly crowded. Plenty of space to spread out and wooden barriers to change/leave your stuff. Bring a towel and bag for wet clothes unless you don't mind hiking in a wet bathing suit lol. Walking down took about 45 min as it was mostly downhill. We saw multiple groups going up as we were leaving so I suggest going earlier in the day to avoid large crowds.
-Made our way back to Reykjavík and did some souvenir shopping on Laugavegur street. My partner got a beautiful Lopapeysa at the Handknitting Association shop and he loves it! Prices for a Lopapeysa ranged from $200-450 depending on the pattern/colors.
-Visited the National Museum of Iceland to learn more about Iceland’s history and culture. The National Museum was awarded as the most beautiful museum in Reykjavík with numerous artifacts and exhibits showcasing the entire history of Iceland.
-Phallological Museum: Hilarious and quirky with an impressive collection of all things penis. We only had 45 min here before they closed, but had so much fun and it was the perfect place to grab fun souvenirs!
-Sky Lagoon: Made it for one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen! We watched the sunset in the lagoon for 30 min, did the 7-step ritual and got back in the lagoon for another 30 min. The extra cost for the 7-step ritual was well worth it, which is embedded in Icelandic bathing tradition and consisted of: detoxifying in the lagoon, cold plunge, sauna, body scrub to exfoliate, steam room and cold mist. You can do the steps as many times as you like before getting back in the lagoon.
-Dinner at ROK in Reykjavík (across from the church), the best food we had in Iceland. They serve tapa style portions so we tried a bit of everything- favs were the char and plokkfiskur, the traditional Icelandic fish stew.
-Stayed at the Fisherman’s Village hotel ~20 min from Reykjavík for our last night: Checked in online and they left our key in the room so we didn’t worry about checking in too late. This was my favorite hotel; not only because it was on the water but I was blown away by the Viking style decor. Just when I thought our trip couldn’t get any better, we were once again blessed with clear skies and saw Aurora Borealis for the second time dancing the night away for a couple hours! I would’ve been content not seeing the Aurora during our trip, but twice in one week… it was truly a dream come true.
Day 6: Flight home
-We only had a few hours before our flight on our last day, but still made the most of it. Checked out by 11am and continued our adventure for a few hrs right up until our flight. We planned to visit these museums last as they’re both on the way to the airport.
-Visited Viking World: Smaller museum, learned about Viking history with cool Viking props and a life size replica of a Viking ship, “The Icelander.”
-Our final stop before the airport was the Icelandic Museum of Rock ‘n’ Roll: Quick, fun interactive museum to learn about Icelandic rock and pop culture - grabbed myself an Of Monsters and Men vinyl for $40!
-Flight home: Dropped off the Trawire hotspot in the mailbox at the airport. We waited in line to submit our VAT refund and got through customs in <30 min. When we got to our gate, a bus drove us directly to our plane which was interesting. I’ve never been on a runway, not sure if gate was broken? An hour into our flight, we saw Greenland’s terrifying glaciers and mountains right below us!
More random tips:

• Book everything 3+ months in advance especially if you travel on a budget. There were cheaper hotels we saw initially, but all booked up 2 months out.
• Sit on the left for a chance to see Aurora if you’re flying in at night. If you’re flying back to the US, you might see Greenland’s mountains and glaciers on a clear day.
• Duty-free at the airport for cheap beers on your way in and souvenirs on your way out (there are 2 duty-free areas when you're departing). We got a variety of beers, favorites were Einstok White Ale, Bondi IPA and Viking Paskabjor.
• Do NOT buy water. We brought reusable bottle and drank out of every faucet we had access to - the freshest water I've ever tasted.
• CC and apply pay accepted everywhere - no need to exchange cash unless you want some Krona to take home as souvenir. They only exchange at banks (ATMs charge high fees).
• Picking up the Trawire hotspot at KEF at the “10-11” food counter was quick & efficient - highly recommend; worked everywhere we went. Return in any mailbox (there’s one inside the airport).
• Blue vs. Sky: Completely different experiences, but if I were to choose one, it would be Sky Lagoon with the 7-step ritual. Sky offers jaw-dropping views of the ocean and the city and was a bit more luxurious. Both provided private stalls to shower in, towels and waterproof phone covers if needed. We brought our phones out for some photos and placed them back in the locker after. If able, they're both worth visiting at least once in your lifetime.
• Packed more clothes than we needed, layers are key! My daily outfit consisted of: winter jacket, thermal shirt, fleece leggings, waterproof socks, hiking boots, scarf and gloves (sneakers and jeans when walking around town).
• Icelandic breakfast is unlike the usual eggs/waffles/pancakes stuff in the US. The continental breakfast at our hotels served an array of fresh veggies, deli meat, bread and hard-boiled eggs.
• Helpful apps/websites: vedur.is for weather, Aurora app, Safe Travel app (road conditions, closures, safety alerts, check-in at your hiking location with ability to send your location to 112, Iceland's emergency number in case of an emergency), Barhopp app for HH bars, Parka app for parking, Drops app to learn Icelandic language (everyone spoke English, but I like to learn the native language when traveling). We used Waze and Google Maps to navigate with no issues, changed MPH to KPH.
• Most store hours are 10am-6pm, restaurant kitchens close at 9pm, bars 12-1am
• Get snacks and other food for your trip at Bonus (cheapest). We got a bunch of omnom chocolate, hraun lava bites and other Icelandic snacks to bring home. And of course, the infamous reusable Bonus bags (been using it for all my grocery trips back home)!
• Lived off of N1 gas station subs during our drive - best cold cuts I’ve ever eaten (get the pepperoni taco sub).
• Gas: green is gas, black is diesel, don't press "fill up," put in the exact amount you want or it’ll place a large hold on your card. You will need a debit card or CC with a pin.
• If you're visiting museums in Reykjavík, buy the Reykjavík City Card for $37 which gives you free admission/discounts to various museums and free community pools.
• Speed limits ranged from 70-90 KPH; even at 90, everyone was passing us but we didn't want to risk getting a ticket. Driving on the Ring Road during the day was enjoyable and much easier than we expected. It was definitely dark and a little scary driving at night since there were no lights, but not impossible.
• We sent some fun postcards to our friends/fam; most stores or gas stations sold stamps and there were red mailboxes everywhere. Took about 2 weeks to arrive in the US.
• We didn't feel the need to pay for an Aurora tour, which I'm glad we didn't since we did plenty of research beforehand and ended up extremely lucky! Might make a seperate post with just Aurora tips - let me know if you're interested.
• Everyone travels differently, but highly recommend doing tons of research and planning an itinerary with timestamps to make the most out of your trip. Here is the post with our initial itinerary. I know planning an itinerary can be overwhelming and have had multiple people ask if they can use my exact itinerary; please feel free to do as you please with it!

Budget: I am usually a budget traveler, but were willing to splurge on shopping. Budgeted amounts are for two people. Planned $3,665 total ($1,830 each), I spent closer to $2,000 and my partner $2,500.

• Flight + seats + carry-on bag: $680
• Hotels $775
• Food/bars $300
• Car rental w/ liability waiver $570
• Gas $200
• Lagoons & Ice Cave Tour $660
• Museums $130
• Trawire Hotspot $50
• Shopping/Misc: $300

I hope this was helpful and I’m happy to answer any questions! Until next time Iceland...

SSTV signals ring aloud throughout the night. For the fourth time since the Crankotoriums first returned from the heavens, all four Automatas have met in the capital to discuss many policies and foreign affairs.
On the matters of domestic affairs, the Crankotorium of the Five Settlements has returned from inland surveying of the island once known as Baffin. It deems the coastlines fit for settlement, though the interior of the island yet lacks infrastructure necessary for permanent habitation.
The Crankotorium of Ystad has returned, as well, from Niaquornat, one of the few settlements of old to have survived the aftermath of the Great Impact. Though the settlement and its people hold, new threats are apparently emerging from the uncharted wasteland and Greenland’s core. Due to this, The Crankotorium of Ystad will return to the city, explore the surrounding tundra, and work to expand both territory and defences of the de-facto province.
The Crankotorium of Lauenburg remains sedentary, still recovering from the damage encountered in re-entry. Legs 6, 5, and 3 have been repaired, though legs 8 and 1 are to be completely removed and replaced as many sensitive components melted.
The Crankotorium of Enschede, being much well suited for travel inland, will take on the duties of the Crankotorium of The Five Settlements, laying a railway surrounding the island of Baffin before gradually extending the lines inland. The Crankotorium of the Five Settlements will remain with the Sedentary Lauenburg, using its many forges to help with the overhaul of Lauenburg’s leg modules.
This switch around of the roles of Automatons has led to uproar from the Crankotorium of Enschede as their manufacturing facilities, and therefore economic strength, will be hindered. It is as a result that the Crankotorium of Lauenburg’s manufacturing plants will restart operations to provide the materials for the Baffin Circle Line, now that they have the Crankotorium of the Five Settlements assisting in their rebuilding.
On matters of foreign affairs, the Confederation of the Crankotorium continues to condemn Valhalla for their savage occupation of the traditional homeland of Lauenburg, with the Hall of the High Seas avoiding its own declaration of war against Valhalla by a margin of a mere 12 representatives. Discussion in the Lower and Upper Chambers of the Hall are still ongoing about how much support should be given to the brave Scots, fighting the savage Norsemen.
With Regards to the numerous offers from many alliances to join their ranks, the automatas have unilaterally agreed to not join an alliance, believing that the integrity and safety of the vast scientific research and development done by Lauenburg and Ystad specifically would be put at risk by the prospect of all out war. The Human cost of being dragged into a war, given the nature of the Confederation’s settlements, would be vast and greatly ill advised.
In matters of research and development, new Polymers synthesised in Labs aboard the Crankotorium of Ystad has the ability to adsorb dissolved Uranium Dioxide to its surface and then release it with a mere wash in dilute sulphuric acid. This breakthrough has lead to the full implementation of Oceanic Uranium Extraction aboard the Crankotorium of Ystad, requiring the Automaton to perform mining runs a lot less frequently and thus, better preparing it for any further defences of Niaquornat.
With that, The SSTV cease and the Automatas separate to engage in their allotted tasks.

I boarded a ferry one afternoon in Ilulissat with a duffel bag of belongings, and began the final leg of my journey to the world’s most remote Michelin starred restaurant. This was the height of summer, in July, and the temperature was a balmy 44F/7C. The ride to the small town of Ilimanaq (population 50) took over an hour. I ogled at the endless icebergs floating in Disko Bay, while freshly harvested iceberg ice floated in my drink.
Upon arrival, I was welcomed by the staff with snacks and hot drinks, and I settled in my bungalow. When you book the restaurant online, you also have to book a one night stay at Ilimanaq Lodge, which hosts the restaurant while it’s temporarily in Greenland. The cost of food and lodging with free breakfast and round trip ferry was 8700DKK (about $1267, for just myself), drinks excluded.
At 6:30PM, dressed in my finest winter hiking clothes and muddy hiking boots, I walked the short distance from my bungalow to the restaurant. It was raining. The hostess took my Arcteryx rain shell as if it was Max Mara and this was a fine dining restaurant in Manhattan, and I gladly changed into the comfy sealskin slippers provided by the restaurant. At my table, sitting in a sheepskin covered chair, I could see the icebergs outside. Oftentimes, if you are lucky, you might even see whales in the bay.
The tasting menu at Koks Greenland is truly one of a kind. It’s a gentle introduction to Greenlandic cuisine, with a few dishes paying homage to Koks’ Faroese roots. The ingredients are of course all seasonal and mostly locally sourced, made more palatable and easier to accept for the strangers visiting this strange land. Here are some highlights:

• Mattak: (minke whale skin and blubber): Traditionally, Greenlandic people eat raw cubes of whale (can be minke, narwhal, or others) skin and blubber with the layer of ligaments in between. This middle layer is chewy like gum, you just have to swallow it. At Koks, the gummy middle layer is removed and cooked into a glaze with sugar kelp and soy, and then this glaze is placed back on the cube of skin and blubber. The taste was nutty, fatty, and fishy, and it was balanced by an accompanying fresh salad grown in a greenhouse.
• Sea snail and fermented green gooseberries: Tastes very New Nordic
• Capelin with Arctic roseroot and whale blubber in squid ink shell: Cwispy. Hyperseasonal fish, only available for 3 weeks in July every year.
• Capelin (or known in Greenland as ammassat) with mountain sorrel: tender and acidic
• Ptarmigan, black currant, reindeer lardon: Very tender, gamey, tasted like pheasant to me, or a more flavorful duck.
• Suaasat: Koks’s interpretation of the Greenlandic national dish. A delicious and comforting stew made of potato, onion, minke whale meat, and barley. The taste and texture reminded me of New England clam chowder.
• Snow crab, kale, dashi, mushroom, with truffle seaweed on the side: the crab was made into an umami bomb, and the fragrant seaweed smelled and tasted like the earth and the sea at the same time, think of truffles but briny.
• Reindeer neck meat ravioli
• Razorbill in blue mussel glaze: Razorbill meat was milder than the ptarmigan. This was one of the most popular dishes at Koks.
• Musk ox and pickled celeriac: A lean meat that reminded me of braised beef shank in Asian cuisine.
• Sheep’s wool (you read that right) with cream and crowberries: A dessert from the Faroe Islands
• Blue mussel: A candy made from mussels! It tasted like licorice but waaaaaaaay better.
• Reindeer blood meringue with smoked pear and barley caramel: Arctic desserts are metal.

I never wanted this meal to end, because I knew very well I won’t be able to replicate this experience anywhere else. This was something special, like sitting in the Richard Rodgers Theatre with an electrifying crowd in 2016 and seeing the original cast playing Hamilton, like hiking to The Wave and seeing a rainbow there. The food was as delicious as it was unique. Many Michelin starred restaurants later I’m discovering new things again, at 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle. I could not sleep that night. It didn’t help that the bungalow had no curtains at all against the ever-present midnight sun. I watched the iceberg outside for a while and suddenly it calved with a thunderous sigh. And then I watched it turn and slowly drift away.
Next morning after breakfast I walked around the tiny village. A puppy rolled over at my feet and begged me to pet her. We are really not supposed to pet any of the dogs in Greenland because they are all working dogs, but I would commit crimes for this puppy if she asked, so I did pet her. I also met the little boy whose family owned this puppy and a dozen other sled dogs. He made friends with a young restaurant guest, and we all ended up chilling with the dog behind the kitchen. I ordered a salmon sandwich from the restaurant for lunch and then killed time by learning how to make Greenlandic earrings from the lodge staff. All the guests either went on a guided hike or attended some arts and crafts session. The once daily ferry would come again in the afternoon to pick up the diners and return to Ilulissat.

The Dene-Yeniseian theory is mostly language based, kind of a fringe theory that claimes the Dene, IE the Navajo of the American southwest, and related peoples are A. The last people to have crossed over from Asia into America (Which is somewhat supported by the fact that even intheir own traditions, the Dene have only lived in their current homeland for 6 or 7 hundred years) and B. That they share a common wjth the Yenessian linguo-cultural group in Siberia, which includes extinct languages like Yatso and Arin, and survives now only in the endangered Ket language.
Various other theories on this peoples distribution link them to the Inuits of eastern Siberia, the far north of North Americac and of course Greenland, and to Turkic and Mongolian peoples due to their word for sky being similar to the Eurasian sky god Tengri. From there this has also linked tjem to the legendary Xiongu empire of Northern China, enemy of the Han dynasty and Mulan, and also to the infamous Huns that poured into Europe.
But the theory that theyre related to the Dene is probably the hardest to prove, but to me the most interesting. There are sparce indications of shared words, but I dont know much anout either groups mythology, if any of you all do, would you say it supports or refutes the theory?