Mariners @ Royals - 01:10 PM CDT

Game Status: Scheduled

Links & Info

• Venue: Kauffman Stadium
• TV: Mariners: ROOTNW, Royals: Bally Sports Kansas City
• Radio: Mariners: KIRO 710, Royals: KCSP 610
• MLB Gameday
• Statcast Game Preview

	Probable Pitcher (Season Stats)	Report
Mariners	George Kirby (5-5, 4.05 ERA, 73.1 IP)	No report posted.
Royals	Cole Ragans (4-4, 3.21 ERA, 73.0 IP)	No report posted.

ALC Rank	Team	W	L	GB (E#)	WC Rank	WC GB (E#)
1	Cleveland Guardians	41	22	- (-)	-	- (-)
2	Kansas City Royals	39	26	3.0 (96)	2	+5.5 (-)
3	Minnesota Twins	33	31	8.5 (91)	3	- (-)
4	Detroit Tigers	31	33	10.5 (89)	5	2.0 (97)
5	Chicago White Sox	17	48	25.0 (74)	12	16.5 (82)

Division Scoreboard

MIN @ PIT 12:35 PM CDT
CLE @ MIA 12:40 PM CDT
MIL @ DET 12:40 PM CDT
BOS @ CWS 01:10 PM CDT
^{Posted: 06/09/2024 04:00:01 AM CDT, Update Interval: 5 Minutes}

should have posted didnt think it was gonna hit tbh

I’ve been trying to forget my Ex after we split up around 2 months ago but this has been one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my life. For context: we dated for 2.5 years and we did everything together. We were also basically each others first everything. We began dating senior year of highschool and now are going into our junior year of college together. We also lived together in an apartment for a year as SHE was the one that insisted on it while I wanted to live with my friends. We ended up getting the apartment together but slowly and surely started to face problems and small disagreements. It first started with me not doing enough around the apartment, which I did not think was true as my parents always instilled in me to treat our relationship as 50/50 give and take and I truly tried to respect her and not take advantage of her. Often times I would wake up an hour earlier than her to make her breakfast and also shower and get ready so she could sleep in and take her time getting ready without having to make herself breakfast. I also would usually end up making us dinner around 3-4 nights a week and was usually the one who would wash the dishes and clear our apartment, bathroom, and make the bed each day. My parents also payed for all of our groceries all year and I would drive us to school 95% of the time. After around 5 months and her bringing up probably once a month how somehow I was not doing my part, I decided I had enough and stood up for myself. This ended in a huge argument and I told her I was done being in a relationship with her and she stormed off. For some odd reason even against my sisters advice which I usually always go to, I ended up buying her chocolates and flowers and apologized for our argument and agreed I would help more. After this argument things were going great, or so it seemed for the spring semester of us living together, although i feel at this point I was doing about 75% of the cooking and she stopped helping even more around the apartment. I was exhausted physically and mentally and could barely keep up with my school work while she was able to do whatever she needed, while always making me feel bad about “needing to do my part”. However I was happy that we weren’t arguing and it seemed we were getting along better then ever. She even expressed how much she was grateful for me and being one of her only support systems and that she wouldn’t be able to survive college without me and that she was looking forward to living together again about a week before we broke up. The night we broke up all started because I simply asked her if she could put a fucking microwaveable pizza in the oven for us as I had been studying for 8 hours for an exam I had the next day and was mentally and physically exhausted (while giving her a back massage!) She then blew up on me and told me that I didn’t respect her and her time and that I was trying to take advantage of her somehow. Without trying to argue I just simply got up made the pizza for us myself and did all the dishes. After I ate and she finished what she was doing, she came over and tried to act like nothing happened but never apologized to me. I did not allow this and simply got up and went to my friends apartment. I came back around 2 hours later and it was almost 12 o clock. I noticed she was in the shower so I turned off all the lights and decided to go to sleep. When she got out of the shower she turned on the lamp and started to read a book. I was not having this and simply got up and turned off the lamp so I could sleep. She again got mad at me and said “I’m not doing this shit tonight”. So I literally slept on the floor with just a sleeping bag and my pillow giving her the entire bed to herself. The next day I got up super early to give us both space and also so I could study for my exam while still leaving her the parking pass so she could park her own car without having to worry about getting a ticket. When I got home after my exam my full intention was to just move on so we didn’t have to argue. However she was waiting for me and decided it was time to break up. Of course I begged and pleaded for her not to and promise I would change and even give even more of my attention to her while she basically said she didn’t have fun with me anymore and didn’t see a future with me. After this I decided to give up and just see out the last month of us living together and then go our seperate ways once summer started and our lease ended. However the next day when I got home from school she started crying and telling me how she thought she might of made a mistake breaking up with me and even wanted to look for an apartment together, however I was strong and suggested it was probably the best if we just moved on. Throughout the next month of having to live together, (where at first I was totally prepared to never speak to her again) we seemingly became closer again and started talking and spending time together. I did set boundaries however and stated I would not pay for her groceries or cook for her anymore. Soon however we were back to cuddling at night and going on dates together “just as friends” and eventually ended up having sex a few times (I originally tried to shut us down having sex but eventually gave in as it was too good) she would go on to tell me she still wanted to give it a try next semester with us living separate and promised me she would still want to go on dates and be with me. Even on my last day while moving out she was bawling her eyes out trying to get ever last bit of kisses and cuddles possible before I left and even said that I shouldn’t be sad as she knows she’ll be back with me again. She also suggested we take a class together next semester and of course I agreed. I suggested we go no contact for the summer to give ourselves both a chance to heal and decide what we really wanted and we agreed. Since then however she has deleted almost every photo of us on Instagram except for two and potentially has followed a couple of guys (I’m not certain as I’m trying not to stalk her IG too much and am not going to go through every person she follows. Her brother also unfollowed me and everything even though I thought we were friends. I explain all of this to my sister and she thinks my ex is a bitch and I should just move on with my life and she’s most likely trying to keep me around as a back up option if her next relationship fails or if she just wants attention. My other person I talk to however thinks I should give her a chance when we go back to college in the fall since I did agree to take the class with her and am bound to run into her again if she is willing to make the necessary changes herself. However I am so conflicted to what I should do as it seems like she’s trying to move on from me and appear single on all of her social media. I don’t want to appear needy and have been strong with not contacting her as it’s been 30 days and I intend on keeping that up. I can’t tell if everything she told me after we broke up is true as I really want to believe it is, and every day am fighting the urge to txt her. I need an unbiased outsiders opinion on this matter as I have no idea what to do anymore. The only thing saving me is my sister from texting her. I know only time will tell and eventually we will have to see eachother again and the ball is totally in her court, however I truly am confused about the whole situation and how she acted after we broke up. Any advice?

So I'm embarking on building two armies. One is a Vamgiard Spearhead Ultramarines army with six "centurions" that are basically little dreadnoughts, one or two actual dreadnoughts etc.. that all have a myriad of metal parts amd tones.
The other is grey knights which will have two Dreadknights, A land rader, and multiple tech-marines etc.. so a ton of metal variety as well not to mention that my current recipe for my grey knight infantry armor is Metal Color Silver mixed with Grey Knights Steel shaded with space wolves grey.
So TLDR, I'm using iron warriors for my dark metal parts like gears, "burnt barrels" of cannons or flames, exhaust vents etc.. but despite me LOVING the tone of it it has basically zero shine and isn't the smoothest paint out there. I'm trying to decide which vallejo metal color goes best as a replacement. I have silver and am buying copper amd gold tp mox my own golds but wondering between things like gunmetal, exhaust manifold, steel, jet exhaust etc.. or one that looks super cool is the dark slightly blue hue of magnesium.
Anyone have photos of these colors that I can compare on actual MODELS? I find that swatches or airbrushed spoons etc.. just don't accurately convey how they look on real plastic models ya know?

Is this a realistic itinerary? Or will we just be exhausted the whole time?
My partner and I have flights booked through Athens (coming from the States) and are trying to plan details. He wants to do a lot of these places and I feel like it's an ambitious itinerary given travel times. It is our first time in the country so we want to do a little bit of everything (beaches and sight-seeing) and we want to include some wine travel hence the travel to up north to Xjnomavro country (Naoussa). Dates are late August to mid September (currently we have 12.5 days but I'll likely adjust flights so we have a full 14 days in country with flights adding an extra 1.5 day of travel):
Day 1: arrive in Athens (late afternoon)
Day 2: fly to Kefalonia
Day 2-4: stay in Kefalonia
Day 5: fly from Kefalonia to Crete (stopover in Athens)
Day 5-8: stay in Crete
Day 8: ferry to Santorini
Day 8-9: stay in Santorini
Day 9: fly to Thessaloniki
Day 9-11: visit wineries in Naoussa
Day 12: travel back to Athens
Day 12-14: Athens
Day 15: Athens to home

Was hoping for a clean 100 souls but have 75 instead. Maybe the last 25 can be filled with other DM's/Party's ideas/adventures. I like something unfinished, honestly.
There's some obvious influence/thievery from OSR heavy hitters in here but I've attempted to keep it at a minimum just to inch my way to a clean 75 since 100 is proving troublesome. And honestly I've forgotten where some of these stolen/restructured ideas have come from. Feel free to credit link any so others can know their great works.
(e.g. P. Stuart, D. Selle, Coins and Scrolls, Goblin Punch, Vivien Feasson, S. Princess, Z. Cox/B. Brown, B. Milton, L. Rejec, P. Nilsson)
I doubt all the aforementioned are present in this list but I just wanna cover bases and/or call out incredible minds and effort in the hobby who I've really enjoyed. Call out any unlisted if you please. Credit where credit is due.
Edit: Whoof, formatting again
Edit 2: Cant change some numeration here it seems. Sub-traits are counted as independent entries. Italicized and emboldened sub-traits to help differentiate.
The Stilletto of The Imperator Scum (Trident)
On an (un)natural 20, consume a soul randomly from the table activating its effect, removing it from the table permanently
On a (un)natural 1, the target dies immediately and is resurrected as an undead. Pores on its body explode with rapid growth fungus and it’s health, and spell slots if applicable, are restored to their maximums. Their soul then becomes one with The Stiletto and is added to the table.
Soul of the…:

1. Ardent Giant - +2d6 dmg. to your attacks towards the target. Change the weather to which you desire
2. Befouler - target fucking stinks, if within 15ft Con. Sav 12 every round to keep from vomiting.
3. Gnarled Oak - that target lives the life of a tree in an instant. Witnessing love of child and pet. They see the first kiss of young love with the tip of the blade within their trunk declaring theirs eternal. They bear the burden of parenthood, choked with a child’s swing. The same swing their groom or bride will swing on, in remembrance, decades later. A generation of someones else’s life wears on them in the span of seconds. T
   1. Take 1d4 dmg. from the blade
   2. -2 Wis. as the dog pisses on them (1min duration)
   3. 3d8 dmg. as their branches are cut for a treehouse
   4. They will fall asleep in winter temperatures unable to wake up
   5. As long as their corpse touches soil they will resurrect in unspecified time
   6. If the target is killed within a city (soil or not) they will die sobbing with such penetrating sobbing. Within a mile radius, it lowers all CHA and WIS scores within range by 2 for 24hrs.
4. Devil - the target’s eyes wash with color and your reflection is upside down. They provide you a contract/offer that is too good to pass up. You literally can’t resist it but it’s also a really great deal. Other than the fact that your soul is lost at failure of completion. Unless the killing blow dealt to the Devil is holy damage, they arrive at The Nine Hells to bide their time before they continue their cursed bargains upon the mortal realm.
5. Claviger - The target is compelled to open the nearest door. If not the door, then box/barrel, chest, bag, pocket. Consume their next action. If the object doesn't open, spend each preceding action until it does.
6. Scion of the Slithering Soil - the target embodies the nameless soul of a god-fearing priest of Mi-Shao-Shur. Dedicated fully to Serpentine Ascension by committing acts of gratuitous depravity. They become a beacon for the resurrection of Mi-Shao-Shur by consuming their own flesh, restoring their health to its maximum. Revealing underneath their now-true serpentine forms. Their intelligence increases by 4 and from their mouths can cast the Poison Spray cantrip. The target can now communicate with nearby creatures and convince them to do their bidding.
7. Exploding Toad - target explodes. Dex Sav 13 or take 5d6 fire dmg.
8. Dwarf - target becomes one. Genderless. Immune to all compulsions that play on a desire for sex. No sexual organs. Instead of urinating you excrete waste through sweating, explaining the odor.
9. Tahlia - the target’s soul becomes trapped on the most worthless item on their person that isn’t a weapon or armor. Their body begins to thrash and scream mindlessly. Bodies are full of life and feelings but suffer the penultimate separation anxiety from the soul. The terrified shell will attempt to consume the item worth most to someone nearby with supernatural capacity. If they do so, your item is lost forever and the target becomes whole once more, restoring full health.
10. PorteBasin Filler - Nothing satiates the target’s desire to serve, will seek out more and more challenging tasks for such a talented valet
11. Abhorrer - target is unable to be targeted with any malice. The hate within you boils still but physically you are unable to be anything but be cordial and polite to the target. The creature knows every law and obeys them. It will use the law (if there is any) to destroy you.
12. Cannibal Critic - target is no longer able to communicate in normal language. Of their cursed race the target can only howl bestial war cries of generic criticism. And hastily consume flesh. Successfully answering a question can cause the target to pause and grunt in reflection before screaming another random question.
    1. WHAT’S THE MESSAGE
    2. WHAT DOES IT MEAN
    3. IS IT IRONIC
    4. IS IT KITSCH
    5. DON’T YOU FIND IT PROBLEMATIC
13. Dragonborn - If the dmg. dealt is to a non-dragonborn creature then the creature takes dmg. from their innate breath weapon, held within glands of which no non-dragonborn is prepared. 6d6 acid and poison dmg as their insides boil with draconic bile.
14. Gargoyle - FUCK BIIIIIRRRRRRRRDSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
15. Duergar - roll a d2 to Enlarge/Reduce target. Acquire sensitivity to sunlight regardless.
16. Untermensch - the target’s muscles atrophy and their mind begins to falter as all of their ability scores reduce to 8. If one of their scores is less than 8 it does not rise to 8. Apply a -2 mod. to every dice rolled. The only thing of which they can be relied upon is to either fail or clumsily execute every task.
17. Drow - target adheres to a woman’s word almost unwillingly and acquires sensitivity to sunlight. Incessantly mutters consequence for someone under their breath for whom they despise.
18. Githzerai - target casts Plane Shift unwittingly on self.
19. Bedlam Bird - The target knows when it is being looked at. The target loses all alliances and registers as “Evil” to spells and senses that detect such. It is compelled to commit pranks that are utterly fucked.
20. Wizard - Your weapon moves through the air at your exact command. Gains Antimagic Susceptibility. Lasts 2 min.
21. Azer - The target’s head ignites, it’s skull a torchlight shining bright light in a 15ft radius and dim light for an additional 10ft. It cannot be put out with water. The target takes 1d8 per round for 3 rounds.
22. Banshee - the target casts Wail. All within 30 ft. (including target) Con sav 13 or drop to 0 HP. On a success 3d6 psychic dmg. After the Wail, the target goes mute as their vocal cords are stretched to leather and can only emit a poor whine if exhaustion.
23. Androsphinx - The target’s body explodes and from within erupts a Heroes’ Feast. The depleted carcass turning into a gorgeous royal table spread.
24. Basilisk - Bestowed upon the target is a basilisk’s Petrifying Gaze.
25. Revenant - The target will rise as a Revenant 48 hrs after it’s death for the one who killed it.
26. Cat - The target has to be killed 8 more times.
27. Eigengrau - The target loses all memories from the last 24 hours
28. Zoanthrop - Target strips naked. Immune to all mind altering effects.
29. Wizard Hunter - Do you cast spells? You’re FUCKED.
30. Wild Magic Sorcerer - Roll 3 times on the Wild Magic table. All within 60ft radius are affected by the wild magic emanating from the target
31. Unseen Servant - Target turns invisible. Acts upon every command you give to it flawlessly. Limited only by its ability scores (they don’t change). Loses ability to speak or think for itself. Will not be around whenever you wake up from your next period of sleep.
32. Nabassu - target acquires a soul stealing gaze, anyone to look at the target must make a DC 16 Cha saving throw or reduce its maximum hit points by 13 permanently
33. Giant Squid - the target, upon this successful attack and when panicked or fleeing, squirts copious amounts of ink from their eyes, nose and mouth. Mixed with blood because that’s not supposed to happen, 1d8 dmg. with each use
34. Werewolf - the target shreds their outer layer of skin revealing blood soaked fur underneath, taking the form of a werewolf and using a werewolf’s stats, with their skin they also shed any physical and mental conditions
35. Gazer - the target gains the Gazer’s ability to mimic any simple sounds of speech in any language, with the target’s weak eyes it casts Dazing Ray and Fear Ray on itself and collapses into a depressive slump on the floor, screaming in fear in the last voice it heard, unable to flee
36. Virgin - the target becomes the crucial object in the ritual of the nearest carnal, gluttonous, murderous or heretical cult for their petty god, monster or demon of chosen worship. What will their death summon?
37. Nupperibo - the target acquires an insatiable hunger consuming any organic material within reach and easy enough to chew if no living opponent is within 30 ft. If the target attacks or is attacked by a living mortal then it can track that opponent flawlessly as it hungers for its flesh. Greater meals or death will cause it to leave you alone
38. Phoenix - the target explodes and each creature within 60ft must make a DC20 dex save, taking 4d10 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. The explosion destroys the target's body and leaves behind an egg shaped cinder that weighs 5 pounds. The cinder is lukewarm seeing as the target isn’t an actual phoenix. It is not immune to anything seeing as the target isn’t an actual phoenix. After 1d6 days, it hatches into an infant of whatever race the target was.
39. Oblex - target becomes amorphous if it isn’t already. Unfamiliar with it’s new form the target slumps into a pile of ooze unable to move, eat or breathe.
40. Gauth - the target begins to float into the air uncontrollably. With fewer eyes than the Gauth the target is blessed with only Pushing Ray and Sleep Ray, both of which it casts on itself, as it floats snoring into the clouds
41. Bullywug - the target becomes so repulsive that nature itself will reward you for its demise. If or when the target is killed you are healed to your maximum and your Con. increases by 1. It will be difficult though, because the target can talk to frogs and loves lording their power over you and has absolutely no shame. They immediately give themselves a shitty title that means nothing and will love talking about how every swamp ever is theirs to rule. Oh and they fucking reek, if you get within 10ft you’ll vomit automatically and uncontrollably
42. Hivemind - the target’s spinal cord vibrates and emits pheromones to call any swarming creatures (rats, insects, birds, etc.) nearby into a frenzy causing them to fall into chaotic bloodlust and whomever the target chooses
43. Modron - the target loses all mercy and remorse and will fight for their current objective even putting their own lives at risk. The target becomes immune to mind-affecting, emotion-affecting, and magic that draws upon the Positive Energy or the Negative Energy plane. You could quell its pursuit if something with 4 sides or more was able to give orders for it to stop.
44. Obliviax - you must make a con. save (DC 12) or else the target eats your memory of the last 24hrs and heals for d20+4 health. If you fail, you also lose 1 spell slot if you have one to lose and forget 1 spell randomly, if you know any, each for 24 hours. If you save they still heal as all they have to eat are things that you know but forgot you knew, like that play you really liked that one time
45. Strandvaskaren - the target is infected with the soul of one who drowned at sea but the waters preserved him in the inch worm gap between life and death and they float neither alive nor dead. The target feels heavy, cold, lungs weak, aware but able to move. The pressure of uncharted waters sits heavy on their chest and their strength is reduced by half rounded down.
46. Impartial Anima - the target solely relies on a pair of wolf bone dice (or another pair of dice if those go missing) to tell them how to make decisions. 1-10 is a no or negative response. 11-20 is a yes or positive response.
47. Adventuring Party - the target grows a magnificent mustache as steel armor sprouts from their skin and their hands glow with arcane magicks. Their pockets grow fat with religious symbols as a toddler’s diaper would when it’s stomach is upset. Or when it’s angry. Or even flirty. You sense a celestial presence hover over them as they grip their newly found sword and bow they are obviously skilled at using. You thought you had a fair amount of gold to possibly bribe them with but you realize you walk with a lighter step and at their feet your valuable currency lies in a burlap sack
48. Seraphim - the target knows nothing but their own feelings and nothing worth nothing ever came out of a book. The only true things, now, are feelings. Anyone who attempts to attack it must save or hesitate in it’s presence. The environment around the target begins to convert into things beautiful and pure. Roll d4
49. All metal within 50ft turns to gold
50. The target bleeds from sacred stigmata and the blood turns to rose petals as it falls
51. Grows wings and if already winged they are instead, actually, held aloft by a flock of doves
52. They lose their clothing and double in size as their skin turns alabaster white and they wear only a ribbon
53. Animated Barrel - the target attempts to grapple the nearest opponent and once successful begins to throw itself against walls, down stairs and out windows; enjoying the process. The target takes half damage while the opponent grappled takes double.
54. Panther - the target speaks all languages and becomes evil (if not already), honorable and utterly merciless. Will chat up it’s victims or give them a head start before murdering them.
55. Djinn - the target is imprisoned in the nearest vessel and must do their best to fulfill 3 requests for the one who frees them. They are given no additional power to accomplish this.
56. Barnyard Chimera - the target's head bends backwards horrifically making room for it to grow the heads of a cow, pig and goat. It grows the tails of a goose that spews blinding shit. When killed it splits open, spilling out 3d6 featherless, bloody chickens with red eyes and sharp talons. It runs on malformed horse legs speaking but only repetitious mindless phrases. "How about that weather, huh?" "Well, let's finish up and then have supper." "Aw hell, she's coming out breech."
57. Psychopomp - the target will become a guide/beacon for one of the hostile souls devoured by The Imperator Scum resurrecting it and freeing it from the trident.
58. Bell Dragger - the target is imbued with the soul of a wronged martyr. Their eyes go sickly white and they walk on their hands and knees dragging them to bloody stumps. Solely focused on the path to the afterlife, they will forever crawl until they find it. But Bell Draggers are both the summoners and chariot horses for death’s arrival. She will arrive soon.
59. Watch Lark - the target blooms a random amount of additional eyes all across their face above the nose. They can see through thick foliage and thin walls and all attacks have disadvantage on them as they always see you coming. Disadvantage against being blinded.
60. Remorhaz - the target’s stomach bubbles a heated secretion that spills from their mouth. The heat from both their mouth and body is strong enough to melt any nonmagical metals. 2d20 dmg. for every turn spent within 5ft of them. The bile is useful to alchemists in making heat related magical items. The target also becomes highly resistant to magic.
61. Arolohnso, Petty God of Labyrinths - the target using 3 fingers on each hand encircles themself drawing angular, snaking lines in the soil around them. Creating an elaborate maze of which they are the end. The borders drawn become invisible, impenetrable walls that protect them from all things but protect the target of their wrath from nothing. To reach the target, and make them vulnerable, you must draw a line through their maze solving it.
62. White Lion - the target becomes a Queen/King of a fallen kingdom. No serfs nor servants to pretend to care for them. They’re safer now than they’ve ever been (at least from the dangers of someone else’s hands). Their name and legend and royal blood is all lost to a land that has no gods nor masters any longer. Roll for effect:
63. They take their life as all of their worth was found in their property. Either by claw, royal dagger or casting themselves off a cliff or into the ocean, etc.
64. Their crimes as Queen/King are unforgivable and heirs to the wronged will appear behind the target and murder them in cold blood
65. The conquering challenger to their name/bloodline appears and disembowels them splashing you with their old, freshly-poor blood. They are an unpersuadable antagonist and the target is a pathetic remnants of a now dead kingdom
66. You are the new Queen/King. To a country side, people and riches unknown. When you find your kingdom your blood will lead you to wine and fresh fruit. The throne will be warm for your arrival. The target feels their royal blood leave them and they become desperate to drink it fresh from your veins to maintain their deific right. Their hostility is doubled.
67. The Whisperer - Trees whisper. The noise is low, tectonic, incomprehensible. Dial tone static bleeding through the vines of the deepest holts and groves. Spirits dance and gather around antler crowned gods who rule the brazen forest. Soft sounds bloom to life. Elves who hear this music sing to it wringing melodies from the resonances of the treesong. The target collapses into a sobbing heap. They are being wrung dry (poetically) from the beauty of the woodsong. When you’ve obtained comprehension of such extravagant, egoless harmonies what petty life squabble is worth donating your energy towards? The target cares not for your childish conflict any longer. They are possessed by the inability to remember the words to such an old song. One they recognize but do not remember. You can’t help them. They are no ally but no enemy. Pain cures all curses of the mind, though. Do not fetter them with continuing aggression lest you help them lose their place. If so, their hostility will quadruple.
68. Brave Explorer - the target has a distaste for the beaten path. So much so that it is unable to repeat any action, starting from this effect, becoming more and more unpredictable over time.
69. Leper - the target’s flesh becomes warped and scaly becoming an offense to your gaze. You can barely look upon them without vomiting on yourself. Unwilling to project your bile in any direction less it crosses your gaze once more. The Target gains expertise on stealth checks both active and passive. DC 14 Con save to resist puking at the sight of them. Once you succeed a check, remain immune to their image for 24 hrs.
70. Antithetical Spirit - the target’s emotional attachment for the world and its inhabitants become reversed to their present disposition. Do they hate you? Now they love you. Do they want to kill you? Now they want to fuck you. Do they want to eliminate everything you love and make you watch? Now they will kill everything you love in tribute to your limitless beauty and knowledge. Careful how you treat people.
71. Chadwick - the target is just...un-fucking-bearable to listen to. When they say your name it feels dirty afterwards and you just want to wash your parent’s mouths after the fact. They go on about bird calls as if they don’t have to take a breath to keep going. The target becomes an energy vampire and drains you of any optimism you have for the day and all you want is for this goon to go back to their home to watch the paint dry and not inform you of the oxygen reacting to the resin causing polymerisation of the paint leading to it’s lack of sheen once it’s settled. The rage in you is that equal to a Berserker and you gain the Frenzy trait. But you also suffer the effects of the Slow spell until you save on a Wis DC 15 at the start of your turn or kill the target.
72. Johann Smiff - the target immediately becomes a stranger to you and anyone who can see them. Their face and identity are so familiar and on the tip of your tongue but sooner to become dismissed as deja vu then remembered. They know who they are. But they are a face in the crowd before anything else to you. The one you knew them to be still exists in your mind but it is certainly not the target. The effect will wear off after the next long rest.
73. Bay Dolphin - saltwater, freshwater, the target can breathe in either and requires one or the other to do so at all. The target remains highly intelligent, as dolphins are, and retains it’s motor skills and muscle memory. The target will rush to find itself a suitable environment to be able to breathe once more, as a blowhole begins to peer open upon their scalp, but will be able to do so without panic for several minutes. Once they get into the water their constitution and dexterity both become 20 and they are immune to fear.
74. Atticus Aurelius - the target is imbued with the soul of a famed gladiator from several eras passed. Skilled with any weapon as Atticus was, the target becomes proficient with all physical weapons (improvised or not). Able to command the applause of an audience at the drop of his helmet. If a crowd surrounds you (of any humanoid, undead/constructs or not) the target can command them to boo you and your allies causing you to suffer from the effects of Bane. Or they may cheer the target applying the effects of Bless. No saves. If the audience is unsatisfied at a poor showing or cheating habits their boos and riot will suppress you further applying the effects of Slow. Put on an absolute banger of a show with flourish and skill and their cheers will apply the effects of Haste. No saves.
75. Jäegerjog - the target’s soul becomes the one born to die at your hand. Sewn into the never ending tapestry of time it is their fate to perish by your influence alone. They know it though you may not. They also know everything about you and they have advantage against you in every aspect as you suffer disadvantage in every reflective aspect. They also can’t be killed by anyone but you.
76. Dracolich - the target becomes an unwilling phylactery of an ancient Dracolich. Watch the skies…
77. Rook - the target and all who can see them become one within The Parliament. Each individual is now on trial and must provide a story to be judged by their peers. As the anecdotes unfold more and more blackbirds will arrive and encircle the lot of you to listen in. At the DM’s discretion the one who told the least captivating tale will be pecked to death by the encircling birds, and attacked by any affected N/PC, for 15d10 dmg before they flutter off. No save can be made less you reveal yourself as an outsider and ally yourself with the guilty. (WIS DC 14 for the most rebellious of you). Any shiny trinkets you can throw within the circle will decrease the DC by 1.
78. Nymph - the target becomes a beacon of inequitable beauty. Their form becomes statuesque to each individual who gaze upon them. Their desire to fight dissipates and they become concerned only with judging others for their beauty. Weak in the knees to the target’s newly bestowed sex appeal, you unwillingly confess to them which part of yourself you hate the most. Confused by their Nymph aura, though they are none. Whoever they take pity on most reduces their CHA score by 1. The target then runs away, believing the mere presence of such filthy, struggling adventurers despoils their presence just by being near. The air of death and rot on you is more present than it’s ever been. You cannot help but stay on your knees as you watch them flee. You are free from their hold once they leave your sight.
79. Übermensch - the target can perform any action perfectly with mathematical efficiency. Consider every one of their ability scores and rolls a 20 without the proficiency modifier. The target lacks heart and chaos in their soul from this point forward. They can execute all required of them perfectly. There is no surprise in their execution. They will always perform at maximum potential except in the dealings of art. They can be taught, certainly, but without thorough guidance all of their CHA rolls equate to zero regardless of modifiers.
80. Star-Crossed Lover - a soul torn asunder, the target becomes one half of a harmonious pairing that will bring light and love into this world. A larger piece of the puzzle than you are at this moment. The union of the target and their mysterious lover are victims, but vital players, in a blood feud. Their death(s) will shift the tide in a grand conflict unseen...
81. Woodland Eidolon - the target's eyes become ovaled and protrude subtly from their head as a nervous fawn’s would. Their skin molts and grows fine ivory hairs as they shiver and freeze. Unblinking. Shallow sharp breaths. A spirit of the woods stands before you and you have the span of a blink to claim your kill or else they are lost to legends told around the campfire once more. Their DEX Skill becomes 20 and all DEX checks and saves are criticals made with advantage. They can outrun your magical influence and know when you’re going to act before you do. But….if the stars are aligned and you land the killing blow (any successful attack is a killing blow)...their trophy will bring you gifts of which you only dreamed
82. Antlers - netted in a spider’s web wet with morning dew, the glistening beads and weave act as a dream catcher for the most malicious nightmares protecting you from magical influence as you sleep
83. Pelt - it warms you as a campfire would and as long as you are blanketed by it you are immune to cold and your health regenerates for 4 for every round of combat it’s equipped
84. Horn - left lying in the dirt it is a sign of something terrible and conquering walking the grounds, an obelisk of bone that prevents predators and ambushes alike within a mile radius. But if you are caught carrying it you are seen as a dishonorable scavenger and your name will be besmirched within the wilds. The pheromones from it act as a subtle aphrodisiac amongst humanoids (not including undead/constructs) and you have prof. in CHA checks
85. Scrimshaw - an ivory tusk from a Mother Walvis decorated with a sailor’s tale of his time on the seas. The carvings are half finished leaving most of the tusk bare. All stories have an ending and this sailor’s is now yours to tell. This tusk will bring you a boat when you have none. All you must do is find shore. It will also allow you to hold your breath for up to an hour.
86. Broken Night - the target becomes bored by all they know well. Any extraordinary item they have on their person that they are well acquainted with will equal the value of trash immediately. If they know you well, then their pursuit of you, or risk thereof diminishes entirely. They will respond to threats accordingly but otherwise would prefer something strange and rare to busy themselves. Especially if it is of a teasing nature. If they hold something of interest to you then they are always willing to trade for a more interesting object. Or even a story perhaps.
87. Neogi - A Neogi can smother a weak mind with some ease. The target’s mind becomes weak. Prey for any who have the ambition to use it for their own bidding until the body collapses. The target becomes cowardice prey. If so inclined, you’re welcome to impose your will upon them. Though so can everyone else. The blank-canvas-welcome of their mindscape has too much potential to pass up. Greedy minds can sniff out the glove-fit of their embryonic potential like a shark for blood. Who says no to a soft body that asks for it?

Here is a picture of my legacy 6 months ago, since then I've torn it apart to do some upgrades since I blew the head gasket. Here is my up to date mod list (June 8th 2k24) all part numbers that I could find are also included! If you have any questions/comments/concerns lemme know! There's always more to learn! My instagram/tiktok is @hotboi_lgt . . .
Engine
• Cylinder 4 Cooling Mod (Tbest9oe7upagw3) • FEL-PRO VS 50620 R Valve Cover Gasket Set (VS50620R) • A-Premium Power Steering Reservoir Hose line (APPSH2006) • Ground Strap Kit Braided Copper (94528) • Vgate Lead Acid Battery Terminal Clamps, 8AWG up to 4/0(XL) AWG Gauge, 12-Way (SED-A12) • 2x Subaru OEM Intake Manifold to TGV Gasket (14075AA161) • 2x Subaru OEM Water Pipe O-Ring (806933010) • Torque Solution Thermal TGV to Engine Gasket Pair (TS-IMG-030-1) • Subaru OEM Crankshaft Rear Seal (806786040) • Killer Bee oil pickup and baffle combo (070-EJWT) • TGV delete •
Heads
• OEM Castings Machined by Drakes Engines • GSC Stage 2 Cams (gsc7026S2) • GSC P-D Chrome Polished Exhaust Valve 32mm Head (STD) (gsc2011-8) • GSC P-D Chrome Polished Intake Valves 36mm Head (STD) (2012-8) • GSC Power Division Beehive Spring & Titanium Retainer Kit Subaru EJ (gsc5043) • JE Proseal Cylinder Head Gasket Set Of 2 0.039" 100.mm (SB1001-039) • {installed using a COP553 Company23 EJ DOHC Cam Seal Installer} (COP553) • ARP Head Studs 2000s (260-4701) • (4) IAG Performance Half Moon Valve Cover Cam Seals (IAG-ENG-2000BK) • Subaru OEM Cam Seal 42x55x8 (806742160)
Turbo, Induction, and exhaust
• VF40 Turbo • ProcessWest TMIC • GrimmSpeed 08+ Limited Downpipe • 3" invidia catback • 3" G-Reddy AxelBack with a 5" Burnt Titanium Tip • Grimmspeed UpPipe • GrimmSpeed Electronic Boost Control Solenoid • HKS Fully atmospheric BOV • Borla UEL Headers
Tuning
• ProTuned by Kevin "K-Nasty Tuned" at Circuit Demon Performance LLC
Lighting
• Strobe light Rocker Switch DC12V (JIANFA1989) • Strobe lights- ASPL Sync Ultra Slim 12-LED-white (B08PYYBZCX) • Circuit Demon 1of1 custom headlights - Hex halos - Blacked out - JDM depot housing - Custom Rose Print "LGT" ecting • Moddiction Blue Tinted Convex Side Mirrors • MachV Motorsports LEDs (Dome and map lights) • Diode Dynamics LEDs - Puddle - sun visors - license plate - trunk - reverse lights - 3rd brake light
Drivetrain
• Cobb Tuning Double Adjustable Short Throw Shifter • Kartboy Front and Rear Shifter Bushings • Whiteline Transmission Crossmember Bushings (W0584)
Engine bay
• Redline Tuning Hood QuickLIFT Elite System • Grimmspeed Radiator Shroud Cover-black- • Gutted Hood Scoup
Suspension
• Hotchkis Front and Rear (25mm/22mm) Sway Bars
Wheels, Brakes, Tires
• Prodrive GC-010E 18x7.5/+48 (British Black) • Ray's Valve Stem Caps (Black)
Exterior
• JDM Legacy Rain Visors • Tint (35% Front/Rear, 20% Sunroof) • Hella Supertones (YELLOW) (-118db) • Hella Twin Trumpets (Red) (-110db) • Subimods Hella Mounting Bracket • Subimods Relay Harness x2 • GrimmSpeed License Plate Relocation Kit • BlingLights LED Halo fog light kit • JDM strobe accessory light kit • Circuit Demon custom taillights • Paint matched fog light bezels • Paint matched trim • Paint matched front lip • OEM Wingless TrunK • RPG Carbon Fiber Grille • Fresh OEM paint job by Alliance Collision ®
Interior
• Rodack Garage custom weighted shift knob (blue and black epoxy) • Armrest Cover (Black Perforated Leather) • Mach V Motorsports Billet Aluminum Pedal Set • WeatherTech Rear Floor mats
Audio
• Pioneer AVIC-X930BT • JDM LGT Double Din Bezel and JDM Hazard Switch • Viper 5902 2-Way Security System • Focal Access 165 A1 Component Speaker Kit • Focal Access 165 CA1 Coaxial Speaker Kit • Pioneer ND-BC5 Rear View Camera • Stinger SPC505 Pro 5 Farad Hybrid Digital Power Capacitor • Axxess ASWC, i88 adapter harness, 14 pin FWD harness and i85 adapter • BOSS Audio Double din • Stinger Pro Sound Deadening (trunk and floor)
Other
• Sparco performance tow strap 01638AZ - Blue - max. 2000kg (01638AZ) • Prodrive Racing "For track use only" dash lid • Akina Speed stars license plate frame (000000002)
Maintenance
• Oil changes with Motul • New PINION/Rack and Pinion assembly 80318 • PUMP/Power Steering Pump 5618 • SEAL/MT Transmission Output Shaft Seal 223050 • Fresh ATF PS Fluid • 2 NEW WB/Wiper blades DLF18 • New from Vanbortel Subaru - 99071AC020 (VACCUM) - 99071AC010 (VACCUM) - 99071AC240 (VACCUM) - 99071AC260 (VACCUM) - 99071AD140 (VACCUM) - 99071AD210 (VACCUM) - 11810AA040 (VALVE CP CONTR) - 14065AA250 (PIPE CP WATER) - 807612011 (HOSE) - 807615182 (HOSE)

Hey all,
Re upping my post with additions and with updated images! Looking to see if there is interest in potentially trading away my whole death guard collection, about 5,500 current points, for another army that suits my play style more. Would also include some 30k DG dice, about 20.
Failing that I'd be happy to sell the whole lot for 2.5k, but willing to negotiate some.
I'd be interested in trading for the following armies of relatively equivalent size. The DG army is fully painted except for the terminator sorcerors, and about 6 on sprue poxwalkers.
Interested in trading for the following: Drukhari Sisters of Battle
Really only interested in painted armies that I could get on the table, so please don't reach out with unbuilt or grey armies. As i mentioned I'd also be potentially interested in selling the army, but would prefer a trade if possible.
I'm also looking to sell the following kingdom death monster items

1. The Frog Dog Expansion
2. The plastic showdown board
3. The role survivors

Also available is a 30k predator NIB and a painted storm of celestus underworlds warband.
Heres the army list
3 bloat drones (2 magnetized with blight launchemower) 4 myphetic blight haulers 3 plague burst crawlers 15 blightlord termies (with magentized arms for when axes and swords mattered) 12 death shroud 40 plague marines with assorted weapons, including 1 full set of the blind box marines 80 poxwalkers (6 on sprue, the rest built and painted) 2 rhinos 1 contemptor dreadnought for use as a helbrute (resin, possible recast) 1 daemon prince (finecast) with magentized wings Mortarion 1 converted chaos lord 1 converted chaos lord in Terminator armor Lord of virulence 2 foul blight spawn 2 biologious putrifiers 4 chaos spawn (3d prints) 1 death guard sorceror in Terminator armor (converted) 1 plague surgeon 1 tallyman 1 noxious blightbringer 1 Malignant plaguecaster 1 typhus 1 icon bearer 2 lord of contagion
Images here https://imgur.com/a/jdFGqAi
PM me if interested!

For context ex (36m) married me (33f) 14+ plus years ago we have 2 children boy and girl. (We are still technically married only separated.)
(Back story) 15+ years ago I met my ex and we started dating all was good and so 1year later he proposed and I said yes. We were engaged 6 months and then got married in January. (It was raining that day).
For the first 2 years all was good and from day 1 of being married I we both agreed to start trying for a baby. Now we were both unemployed at the time. But we were very young at the time and didn't think much of it.
After 2 years of trying for a baby still no baby. We had an appointment with the fertility clinic just to make sure all was OK. Then a week before the appointment I found out I was pregnant. We were excited and so we cancelled the appointment and then made a doctors appointment to confirm my pregnancy. (Now trigger warning this next bit is sensitive for some people.) 10 weeks into the pregnancy I had my granddad on my dad's side visit he lived in a different country. And that was when things got scary. We had just come back from a meal out when I had a shock of my life and ran ahead to my apartment to go to the toilet. And I had lost the baby. I was devastated but my granddad was fantastic in this situation. My ex just was useless in a crisis. So my dad takes me to the hospital to get checked out to make sure everything was OK. And then my ex finally shows up and my dad heads back to our apartment. Fast forwards a few months and we have decided to try again and that is when I got pregnant with my son. Now before I told my ex I had noticed some changes in him. He was drinking more getting more angry at himself and felt even more pressure to get a Job. I just brushed it off to he was still grieving for the lost baby. (First red flag)
Now this pregnancy goes really well no problems at all. In fact he was born 2 weeks after his due date. Healthy boy. His first year was amazing and we enjoyed every moment of it. His first birthday came around and then second red flag was 2 days after my boys birthday when our son was staying at MIL for a sleepover. My ex had gotten really sloshed. A decided to bug me for sex I said no. But he ended up doing it anyway. (I know he was in the wrong and my mind had actually blocked it out for years and now I am just dealing with it now. Fast forward a month and I feel abit off so I take a pregnancy test. And you guessed it I was pregnant with my daughter. Again a good pregnancy no problems but this time I was chasing a toddler around. Anyway she was born a healthy baby. Now this is where I start to notice some red flags but because I was struggling with depression and I had a toddler and a new born I ignored it. My daughter is 2 days old and my ex goes to a gig with his best friend to see his favourite band live. I was ok as my son was staying at MIL and it ment I got some 1 on 1 time with my new born. That weekend went well I had a great time bonding with my daughter and my older sister was in the apartment below us at the time. He comes back and all is ok naturally ex is tired and I am exhausted from having a new born but I don't mind I'm enjoying every moment of it. Fast forward 6 months and I have to go to my granddads funeral which is in another country and my daughter doesn't have a passport.( I was breastfeeding and she hated a bottle but she eventually accepted the bottle. Me and my younger sister went to the funeral and then we got back all went smoothly with my children. My daughter decided to learn to crawl while I was away. I was gone a week. However my older sister had filmed it so I didn't miss it.
A year goes by and ex is slowly getting more concerning with his behaviour towards me. To the point where I am concerned about his drinking habits now almost every night. And it was also when he had started getting aggressive towards me. It got so bad that a couple of years later I had a mental breakdown and ex decided to send me to a mental hospital of which I spent a month wishing I could be home with my children.
The day I get discharged ex comes to pick me up to bring me home and then I can start to get my life back together when I had loaded my stuff in the car and got in the passenger seat and we had left the car park the first thing ex said to me was it is all your fault you were here.
I was confused and extremely upset. I was silently crying the entire trip home 3 hour drive. And refused to look at him.
Then the next day he wants bedroom tango and at this point just said yes to shut him up. The whole time closing my eyes and wishing it to be over with.
Fast forward to last year and I had another mental breakdown in and out of ER until I eventually went to stay with my youngest sister. And it was then that my best friend had help me realise what had been going on for 12 years with ex. And it was like a vail had been lifted I everything ex did or said was just screaming why did you put up with ex that long. Now after 2 months i had finally decided I am not going back to that toxic relationship with ex. And as hard as it was I had to leave the kids behind as I had nowhere to take them and with me my sister and her 2 dogs her little apartment was quite full. Fast forward another 5 months and my sister had decided we are getting to the point where we can barely tolerate each other. So she said I would have to leave and so I am officially homeless with nowhere to go. So I go to my cities homeless team and they put me up in a very very basic room and I'm not even allowed my children come visit me there.
Anyway I'm thinking it's ok I won't be here foe long I will probably have my own place by christmas.( oh how long I was) I'm still in said place now.
Now this is where it gets interesting. It is about February and after speaking to my support worker I make the decision to report ex to the police for all the BS he put me through the last 12 years. And so it begins a long process of me telling the police then getting in place all the support I needed fast forward to ex's birthday and I get a phone call. It was the police stating that they had arrested ex that morning and he is being released with bail conditions to follow.
Now I'm not gonna lie I did feel a whole will wind of emotions but most of all I felt like laughing that it was his birthday.
I should note that the agreement I had with the police is that they were not to arreste hi. Infront of my children however they had turned up at his address when the children were getting ready to leave for school that morning. But they did wait till exs dad had walked them round the corner towards school before arresting him.
So AITA for him having ex arrested on his birthday. (I didn't get to choose when he got arrested, that was down to the police.
Now I'm waiting for some details about my own place I can call home and eventually get my children (the only good ex did give me) back living with me.
My relationship with MIL is a whole other story.

I’m trying to join the marines, I’m about 20 pounds over the max weight and it’s going well. However, I need to get runs into my workout but my job makes it hard. I work at a theme park, and we have a conveyor belt we walk along the entire shift, so it’s like being on a treadmill for 8 hours. So 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, 48 hours a week, im walking. My legs are always exhausted and I just can’t get a run going.
Any suggestions? I’ve been doing a PPL system at Planet Fitness with removing the legs aspect. I just don’t know how to transition into running. I know my leg strength isn’t an issue and that by losing weight and working out I’m gaining endurance, but I’ve been told the only way to get better at running, is running.

Please use this thread to discuss anything related to today's game. You may post anything as long as it falls within stated posting guidelines. You may also post gifs and memes, as long as it is related to the game. Please keep the discussion civil.
Discord: Seattle Sports

Line Score - Game Over

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E	LOB
SEA	1	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	4	7	0	5
KC	1	1	0	0	3	2	0	1		8	9	0	5

Box Score

KC		AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA
3B	Garcia, M	4	2	1	0	1	1	.260
SS	Witt Jr.	4	0	1	0	0	0	.322
1B	Pasquantino	4	0	1	2	0	0	.244
C	Perez, S	4	0	1	1	0	1	.304
LF	Melendez	4	0	0	0	0	2	.163
DH	Velázquez	3	1	0	0	1	1	.212
RF	Frazier	2	2	2	1	0	0	.227
RF	Renfroe	2	0	1	0	0	0	.194
RF	Blanco	0	1	0	0	0	0	.255
2B	Loftin	2	2	1	1	2	1	.286
CF	Isbel	2	0	1	3	0	0	.210

KC	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	P-S	ERA
Marsh	5.0	7	4	4	0	8	90-60	4.05
Long	1.0	0	0	0	1	2	20-11	0.00
Smith, W	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	11-8	5.66
Schreiber	1.0	0	0	0	1	0	16-8	2.67
McArthur	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	10-8	4.73

SEA		AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA
SS	Crawford, J	4	1	2	2	0	0	.220
3B	Rojas, J	4	0	0	0	0	0	.267
CF	Rodríguez, J	4	1	1	0	0	2	.266
C	Raleigh	4	0	1	0	0	2	.201
1B	Raley, L	3	0	0	0	1	2	.262
DH	Garver	3	1	1	1	1	1	.180
LF	Moore, D	3	0	0	1	0	0	.212
RF	Canzone	4	1	1	0	0	2	.175
2B	Bliss	4	0	1	0	0	2	.200

SEA	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	P-S	ERA
Castillo, L	5.0	6	5	5	1	4	84-62	3.35
Snead	1.0	1	2	2	2	0	22-10	4.66
Snider	1.0	1	0	0	0	2	12-9	3.60
Thornton	1.0	1	1	1	1	0	16-8	3.62

Scoring Plays

Inning	Event	Score
T1	J.P. Crawford homers (5) on a fly ball to right center field.	0-1
B1	Salvador Perez singles on a sharp line drive to left fielder Dylan Moore. Maikel Garcia scores.	1-1
B2	Adam Frazier homers (2) on a fly ball to right field.	2-1
T5	Mitch Garver homers (7) on a fly ball to left field.	2-2
T5	J.P. Crawford singles on a ground ball to center fielder Kyle Isbel. Dominic Canzone scores. Ryan Bliss to 3rd.	2-3
B5	Nick Loftin singles on a sharp line drive to right fielder Dominic Canzone. Adam Frazier scores.	3-3
B5	Vinnie Pasquantino doubles (18) on a sharp ground ball to right fielder Dominic Canzone. Nick Loftin scores. Maikel Garcia scores.	5-3
T6	Dylan Moore out on a sacrifice fly to right fielder Adam Frazier. Julio Rodríguez scores. Cal Raleigh to 3rd.	5-4
B6	Kyle Isbel doubles (5) on a ground ball to left fielder Dylan Moore. Nelson Velázquez scores. Nick Loftin scores.	7-4
B8	Kyle Isbel out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Julio Rodríguez. Dairon Blanco scores. Nick Loftin to 2nd.	8-4

Highlights

Description	Length
Alec Marsh against the Mariners	0:09
Luis Castillo against the Royals	0:09
Bullpen availability for Seattle, June 8 vs Royals	0:07
Bench availability for Kansas City, June 8 vs Mariners	0:07
Fielding alignment for Kansas City, June 8 vs Mariners	0:11
Bench availability for Seattle, June 8 vs Royals	0:07
Fielding alignment for Seattle, June 8 vs Royals	0:11
Starting lineups for Mariners at Royals - June 8, 2024	0:09
The distance behind J.P. Crawford's home run	0:13
The distance behind Adam Frazier's home run	0:12
The distance behind Mitch Garver's home run	0:13
Analyzing Mitch Garver's home run through bat tracking	0:11
Breaking down Alec Marsh's pitches	0:04
Alec Marsh's outing against the Mariners	0:25
Breaking down Luis Castillo's pitches	0:04
Luis Castillo's outing against the Royals	0:23
J.P. Crawford's leadoff home run (5)	0:20
Alec Marsh strikes out Cal Raleigh	0:06
Salvador Perez's RBI single	0:17
Adam Frazier's solo home run (2)	0:23
Luis Castillo K's Nick Loftin	0:09
Mitch Garver's solo home run (7)	0:27
J.P. Crawford's RBI single	0:17
Nick Loftin's nice spinning play	0:10
Nick Loftin's RBI single	0:22
Vinnie Pasquantino's two-run double	0:29
Dylan Moore's sacrifice fly	0:24
Alec Marsh fans eight batters	1:00
Kyle Isbel's two-run double	0:20
Trent Thornton In play, run(s) to Kyle Isbel	0:28
Ryan Bliss grounds out softly, pitcher James McArthur to first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino.	0:12

Decisions

Winning Pitcher	Losing Pitcher	Save
Marsh (5-3, 4.05 ERA)	Castillo, L (5-7, 3.35 ERA)

Attendance	Weather	Wind
	85°F, Partly Cloudy	6 mph, L To R

HP	1B	2B	3B
Phil Cuzzi	Tony Randazzo	Alex Tosi	Dan Bellino

Game ended at 3:36 PM.

Mariners @ Royals - Sat, Jun 08

Game Status: Final - Score: 8-4 Royals

Links & Info

• MLB Gameday
• Game Graphs
• Savant Gamefeed

	Mariners Batters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	LOB	AVG	OBP	SLG
1	Crawford, J - SS	4	1	2	2	0	0	0	.220	.306	.377
2	Rojas, J - 3B	4	0	0	0	0	0	2	.267	.333	.395
3	Rodríguez, J - CF	4	1	1	0	0	2	0	.266	.317	.344
4	Raleigh - C	4	0	1	0	0	2	0	.201	.286	.392
5	Raley, L - 1B	3	0	0	0	1	2	2	.262	.313	.430
6	Garver - DH	3	1	1	1	1	1	1	.180	.292	.348
7	Moore, D - LF	3	0	0	1	0	0	0	.212	.323	.412
8	Canzone - RF	4	1	1	0	0	2	2	.175	.247	.388
9	Bliss - 2B	4	0	1	0	0	2	0	.200	.333	.350
	Totals	33	4	7	4	2	11	7

Mariners
BATTING: HR: Crawford, J (5, 1st inning off Marsh, 0 on, 0 out); Garver (7, 5th inning off Marsh, 0 on, 1 out). TB: Bliss; Canzone; Crawford, J 5; Garver 4; Raleigh; Rodríguez, J. RBI: Crawford, J 2 (17); Garver (22); Moore, D (22). 2-out RBI: Crawford, J. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Rojas, J; Canzone. SF: Moore, D. Team RISP: 1-for-4. Team LOB: 5.

	Royals Batters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	LOB	AVG	OBP	SLG
1	Garcia, M - 3B	4	2	1	0	1	1	2	.260	.310	.389
2	Witt Jr. - SS	4	0	1	0	0	0	3	.322	.374	.563
3	Pasquantino - 1B	4	0	1	2	0	0	2	.244	.317	.433
4	Perez, S - C	4	0	1	1	0	1	2	.304	.377	.500
5	Melendez - LF	4	0	0	0	0	2	2	.163	.228	.331
6	Velázquez - DH	3	1	0	0	1	1	0	.212	.283	.402
7	Frazier - RF	2	2	2	1	0	0	0	.227	.322	.320
	a-Renfroe - RF	2	0	1	0	0	0	1	.194	.269	.345
	1-Blanco - RF	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	.255	.323	.364
8	Loftin - 2B	2	2	1	1	2	1	0	.286	.373	.286
9	Isbel - CF	2	0	1	3	0	0	0	.210	.256	.331
	Totals	31	8	9	8	4	6	12

Royals
a-Grounded out for Frazier in the 6th. 1-Ran for Renfroe in the 8th.
BATTING: 2B: Frazier (6, Castillo, L); Pasquantino (18, Castillo, L); Isbel (5, Snead); Renfroe (10, Thornton). HR: Frazier (2, 2nd inning off Castillo, L, 0 on, 1 out). TB: Frazier 6; Garcia, M; Isbel 2; Loftin; Pasquantino 2; Perez, S; Renfroe 2; Witt Jr. RBI: Frazier (10); Isbel 3 (18); Loftin (8); Pasquantino 2 (43); Perez, S (42). 2-out RBI: Isbel 2; Perez, S; Pasquantino 2. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Perez, S; Garcia, M 2. SAC: Isbel. SF: Isbel. Team RISP: 4-for-11. Team LOB: 5.

Mariners Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	P-S	ERA
Castillo, L (L, 5-7)	5.0	6	5	5	1	4	1	84-62	3.35
Snead	1.0	1	2	2	2	0	0	22-10	4.66
Snider	1.0	1	0	0	0	2	0	12-9	3.60
Thornton	1.0	1	1	1	1	0	0	16-8	3.62
Totals	8.0	9	8	8	4	6	1

Royals Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	P-S	ERA
Marsh (W, 5-3)	5.0	7	4	4	0	8	2	90-60	4.05
Long (H, 1)	1.0	0	0	0	1	2	0	20-11	0.00
Smith, W (H, 5)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	11-8	5.66
Schreiber (H, 15)	1.0	0	0	0	1	0	0	16-8	2.67
McArthur	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	10-8	4.73
Totals	9.0	7	4	4	2	11	2

Game Info
Pitches-strikes: Castillo, L 84-62; Snead 22-10; Snider 12-9; Thornton 16-8; Marsh 90-60; Long 20-11; Smith, W 11-8; Schreiber 16-8; McArthur 10-8.
Groundouts-flyouts: Castillo, L 4-4; Snead 2-1; Snider 0-0; Thornton 0-1; Marsh 4-3; Long 0-1; Smith, W 1-1; Schreiber 2-0; McArthur 3-0.
Batters faced: Castillo, L 22; Snead 6; Snider 4; Thornton 5; Marsh 22; Long 4; Smith, W 3; Schreiber 4; McArthur 3.
Inherited runners-scored: Long 2-1.
Umpires: HP: Phil Cuzzi. 1B: Tony Randazzo. 2B: Alex Tosi. 3B: Dan Bellino.
Weather: 85 degrees, Partly Cloudy.
Wind: 6 mph, L To R.
First pitch: 3:10 PM.
T: 2:22.
Att: 18,351.
Venue: Kauffman Stadium.
June 8, 2024

Inning	Scoring Play	Score
Top 1	J.P. Crawford homers (5) on a fly ball to right center field.	1-0 SEA
Bottom 1	Salvador Perez singles on a sharp line drive to left fielder Dylan Moore. Maikel Garcia scores.	1-1
Bottom 2	Adam Frazier homers (2) on a fly ball to right field.	2-1 KC
Top 5	Mitch Garver homers (7) on a fly ball to left field.	2-2
Top 5	J.P. Crawford singles on a ground ball to center fielder Kyle Isbel. Dominic Canzone scores. Ryan Bliss to 3rd.	3-2 SEA
Bottom 5	Nick Loftin singles on a sharp line drive to right fielder Dominic Canzone. Adam Frazier scores.	3-3
Bottom 5	Vinnie Pasquantino doubles (18) on a sharp ground ball to right fielder Dominic Canzone. Nick Loftin scores. Maikel Garcia scores.	5-3 KC
Top 6	Dylan Moore out on a sacrifice fly to right fielder Adam Frazier. Julio Rodríguez scores. Cal Raleigh to 3rd.	5-4 KC
Bottom 6	Kyle Isbel doubles (5) on a ground ball to left fielder Dylan Moore. Nelson Velázquez scores. Nick Loftin scores.	7-4 KC
Bottom 8	Kyle Isbel out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Julio Rodríguez. Dairon Blanco scores. Nick Loftin to 2nd.	8-4 KC

Team	Highlight
SEA	J.P. Crawford's leadoff home run (5) (00:00:20)
KC	Salvador Perez's RBI single (00:00:17)
KC	Adam Frazier's solo home run (2) (00:00:23)
SEA	Mitch Garver's solo home run (7) (00:00:27)
KC	Nick Loftin's nice spinning play (00:00:10)
KC	Nick Loftin's RBI single (00:00:22)
KC	Vinnie Pasquantino's two-run double (00:00:29)
KC	Kyle Isbel's two-run double (00:00:20)
KC	Kyle Isbel's sacrifice fly (00:00:28)
SEA	Condensed Game: SEA@KC - 6/8/24 (00:08:19)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E	LOB
Mariners	1	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	0		4	7	0	5
Royals	1	1	0	0	3	2	0	1			8	9	0	5

Decisions

• Winner: Alec Marsh (5-3, 4.05)
• Loser: Luis Castillo (5-7, 3.35)

Division Scoreboard

MIN 0 @ PIT 4 - Final
BOS 1 @ CWS 6 - Final
MIL 5 @ DET 4 - Final
CLE 0 @ MIA 0 Warmup
Next Royals Game: Sun, Jun 09, 01:10 PM CDT vs. Mariners
^{Last Updated: 06/08/2024 06:35:22 PM CDT}

Thus, wounded, and less victorious than they might have preferred, but victorious nonetheless, the royal three returned to the Macedonian capital. The army returned to Philopolis in triumph, the trio at their head. Leonidas on a replacement for his slain mare, Cassandra astride a titanic black stallion which was exclusively used for parades, and Seramis in her full diluvian glory. Cassandra might have been disappointed that the battle hadn’t been as decisive as she preferred, but she wasn’t about to miss an opportunity for propaganda.
So the group returned to the cheers of their people, the cavalry shining in the summer sun, and the army marching in strict formation. Trumpets heralded their return. Banners flew from the corners of houses. The men sang bawdy songs, as is the tradition of soldiers. Not a spec of blood or rust nor dust was allowed, presenting the image of a spotless, unconquered army. It was all a magnificent production. It was all a lovely welcome home.
When Seramis had first seen Philopolis and Macedon, it had been a very different place. The realm had struck her as grey, very grey, and a place without much beauty. Then, under the rule of the wicked regent Tyndareus, it was a place of iron and blood, a totalitarian state dedicated primarily to a massive conscript army. The hills had been torn open by great pit mines for iron and copper. The forests had been cut down to fuel the fires of industry. The fields were endless, uniform masses of oats, grain, and hay, worked by uncounted slaves, or landless peasants just a bit better than slaves. Over it all, the ancient fortress of the Alexandrian dynasty had loomed as a great edifice; a leviathan of hewn stone and barred windows representing the absolute military power that held all of it in place.
Now, two years hence, it was more alike to how she had first found it than she would have preferred. But transforming a society was hardly a swift process, and the work done was already substantial. Once the place had been a land of iron and blood, and though industry remained, now the smell of olive oil, the sound of potters wheels, and the hawking of merchants filled the air. The monolithic collective farms had shattered into a patchwork quilt of small holdings. The men working them might still have brands, but they and the lands were their own.
Of course, there were still some great expanses of oats and wheat. Those were Cassandra’s lands. She’d been generous with the lands she’d confiscated from the nobility, and in turn with their wealth which now filled her treasury. But she hadn’t given up any of her own family’s territory, and had expanded them substantially. Something like a quarter of the land in the country was the Queen’s personal fief, and she managed it very carefully. The economies of scale she alone had access to provided much needed stability for staple food prices during the transition from a slave-based command economy to a citizen market economy. Beyond that, the lands also provided a substantial portion of government income.
Said income was further complimented by a wide-scale reform to the tax structure. Rather than outsourcing the work to tax farmers, or to any nobility, as that had been liquidated, taxes were collected from a variety of small, but inescapable requirements. The primary tax was simply the surplus tax, an in-kind tax taken from all production. Farmers gave a share of their produce, potters a certain number of pots for each produced, blacksmiths a certain number of finished goods, and so on and so forth. Only the merchants would return hard currency from the surplus tax, the rest a great cross-section of produced goods. These in turn went into great warehouses, which the government might release from to control prices, or sell abroad to bring in further profits. The majority of currency entering the coffers either came from selling such produce, Cassandra’s personal lands, or a variety of import and consumption taxes. No less than a tenth of the entire bureaucracy was funded by the consumption taxes on oil and salt.
Of course managing all this was a good lead more complicated, not least of which because Cassandra had liquidated the aristocracy. This required a rather extensive increase in the bureaucracy, which brought in quite the expense of its own. Overall revenue was vastly increased from the reign of Tyndareus, and indeed all former kings of Macedon. The problem was that expenses had increased in turn. Macdeon was a military stratocracy, and Cassandra was in the process of trying to reform that into a sort of enlightened bureaucratic autocracy. The amount spent on papyrus alone nearly rivaled the payments to the many new government servants, which were not cheap. Educated men and women, able to read, understand the laws, and understand mathematics were not common, and commanded higher prices.
Cassandra had responded both by working to increase the supply of educated citizens, and cut costs in other areas. Firstly, she enacted a massive increase in education, beginning with the orphans of Macedon’s many wars and educating them. Secondly, she had begun offering to pay for the education of the children of public servants as part of their compensation. This allowed her to cut down on salaries and ensure a future educated workforce. Third and finally, she had begun to subsidize educators throughout the kingdom, and begun work to gather and copy many books and tomes to further improve the kingdom’s educational outcomes. Unfortunately, this was work that would take years to bear fruit.
The second arm of this had been to cut costs in other areas, most notably the military. Under Tyndareus, the Macedonian army had grown to a terrifying, if bloated, leviathan. Between the use of conscription, and counting reserves, the former army could have raised nearly thirty thousand men under arms. Cassandra had slashed that, and abolished conscription for the regular army. After intensive cuts, purging Tyndareus’s loyalists, and serious reforms including the near complete reconstruction of the Macedonian Cavalry Corps, the Macedonian Army now numbered a mere nine thousand, with the ability to call upon a further ten thousand former soldiers, now spread out to create a variety of local militias.
Leonidas had taken charge of many of these reforms, bringing in military advisors from Marathon and Achaea. The young prince, in his role as Minister of War, set to work with vigor to refine the Macedonian army down to its purest and strongest form. His high standards might have earned him ire, if not for the personal virtue and discipline he showed to meet those standards. He demanded the best not only from himself and his soldiers, but even from his suppliers and quartermasters. Most of the Macedonian military exports were those arms and armor he found below standard, though many less discerning customers would gladly accept them.
More than simply focusing on the logistics, Leonidas sought to infuse in his army a certain esprit de corps and moral focus. He drew heavily on the legendary philosopher Aristotle, particularly regarding that philosopher’s education of Iskandar, the famed conqueror king who had defined Macedon for the past two centuries. Outside the direct military applications, the young prince kept an eye on the future, sponsoring the growth of sports leagues throughout the kingdom, particularly a great hunting association. The Hunter’s Guild was a particular passion project of his, and he worked tirelessly not only to cultivate skilled hunters to recruit for his scouts, but also to preserve what remained of Macedon’s wild lands, ensuring game populations remained stable, and dangerous animals were quickly eliminated. The prince’s skill at the hunt had even earned him the right to attend the games at Olympus, though it was his mastery of wrestling that had seen him returned crowned with the ultimate honor of the laurels.
Such participation with the rest of the Hellene world had been part of Sera’s work. The young dragonness had held no official position at first, as Cassandra worked to develop her talents. Seramis had loathed etiquette as taught as a set of rules to be followed, but Cassandra revealed their nature as tools and tricks as part of the great game of politics. Allowed to treat the illusion of statecraft as just that, Seramis thrived. Soon appointed as Minister of State, her talent for gathering information, forming schemes, and comprehending languages saw her unleashed as Macedon’s greatest diplomat. All the while, her true title was one that delighted her greatly. Master of Shadows, she wielded the diplomatic corps and her own personal stable of agents like a scythe, harvesting a hoard of secrets she feasted upon. They became as arrows in her quiver, aiding her as she stood alongside Cassandra to carefully guide the ship of state.
On a much less sinister note, Seramis had engaged in quite public work to revitalize Macedon’s stagnating cultural sphere. The dragoness was chiefly known not even as a diplomat, let alone a spymaster, but rather as a patron of the arts. She courted and drew playwrights, actors, bards, conductors, and composers from across the world, placing a great deal of personal effort into producing a cosmopolitan cultural sphere. Though diplomacy, culture, and her eternal scheming, she worked to put the sword of Iskandar in a flowered sheath, in hopes it would never need to be drawn.
The peak of her work in that regard was a mere week away, a grand festival of the arts such as had not been seen in Macedon before. It would be a great festival as if that of the Athenians, now long brought to ruin. For the first time since the wars of the Diadochi, Hellas would come together to celebrate the arts. Naturally, Macedon would be participating, represented by Sera’s own personal theater company: The Mount Ararat Company.
Seramis quickly moved through her remaining business for the day. She met with the Master of Investigations and also her deputy, who had been working to manage her department while she had departed on campaign. Pleasantries were exchanged, and reports given. There was little new, but there was confirmation that the Latins, a curious people from across the western sea, would come to attend the festival. This would have been of little concern, if not for how they were coming.
A long-standing problem of the western coast had been the pirates of Illyria. These seafaring brigands proved a routine nuisance for not only Hellene trade, but all throughout the seas. Achaea and Macedon had both extended offer to the king of Illyria to come and help remove the pirates, but had been rejected. However when the Latins offered, the king accepted. So, the Latins came in force, bringing with them a four mighty legions of men, and crushed the pirate havens by attacking from the land. The problem was, they didn’t leave. While three of the legions returned to Italia, the fourth remained to protect against the return of the pirates, and to protect their Illyrian allies from Achaean or Macedonian aggression.
This was already a provocative move, as the barbarian army now sat on Hellene soil, diplomatically shielded by the cowardly Illyrian king. However, now the Latins made a further move. They had informed the court at Macedon previously that they wished to send a delegation to observe the festival and improve relations. All this was well and good, and naturally they did request to send bodyguards to protect the delegates. This was agreed, but the unscrupulous Latins had interpreted the mention of bodyguards broadly, and deployed a third of the legion infantry as “bodyguards”. Seramis’s reports indicated that these were in fact the Triarii, the third and strongest line, composed of veterans. The remainder of the legion remained encamped alongside the Ilyrian-Macedonian border.
The presence of the legion was concerning, to say the least. It numbered some four thousand five hundred men, about the size of a Macedonian army. The Macedonians held a local advantage, as they maintained two armies. One was directed northwards, towards the barbarians, and the other towards the east, to ward off their Selucid rivals. So they outnumbered the legion present two to one. However, the problem arose with the Latin’s ability to deploy a further three legions, which would reverse that advantage. With aid from Marathon, the Hellenes could match the Latin’s numbers, and with Achaean aid, they would outnumber them. Unfortunately, the Latins had spent much of their recent war with the Phoenicians of Carthage demonstrating an ability to raise new forces frighteningly quickly. Sera’s analysis suggested that if they wished to, they might be able to triple the might of their armies to twelve legions. The sheer military mass of the Latins would be enough to equal all Hellas, but Hellas was still divided, and some, such as the Illyrians, preferred them as allies to their fellow Hellenes.
The simple arithmetic of war indicated that if the Latins wished to conquer Hellas, they probably could. The simple arithmetic of war neglected to account for the power of dragons. But, Sera had observed, it was rare to lose money betting on the arrogance and avarice of humans. The fortunate side of dealing with the Latins was that for all their military might, they had a peculiar custom. They were permitted by ancient law and religious principle from launching a war of aggression, and so only declared war when they or their allies were threatened. This iron law of ancient Roman kings aught to have kept their swords sheathed, but in practice it often meant that an ambitious man of that city would seek to provoke an attack or aggression, that they might have reason for war. This incident with the “bodyguards” was likely such an attempt at provocation by a glory hound.
So, the trio met, and considered how to deal with this. It was decided that they would monitor the Latins closely, and place forces in such a way that they could not be aggressive, but would certainly be ready. The Army of the North was still recuperating from their recent battle with the Scythians, and would remain on standby in the capital to respond to any moves from the Latins or Scythians. At the same time, the northern militias would be stood up, and reinforced by militias from the south. These southern reinforcements would travel along the roads that would place them directly between the two parts of the Roman Legion, ensuring that if hostilities began, the separated legion would be able to be dealt with in parts. Unfortunately, Leon was unable to deploy as many of his scouts to that region as he would prefer, and Sera’s own intelligence assets were likewise pointed northwards. Better to deal with the actively aggressive barbarians, and then the imminently aggressive ones.
So, it was with great care, and no small amount of tension, that the Latin delegates arrived, joined by some three hundred of their Triarii. This was the first that Sera had seen of the Latins, and her initial impressions were somewhat mixed. They moved with distinct discipline, and were in all senses quite well ordered. The Triarii were older, veteran soldiers, generally more in their thirties. As such, they were somewhat more moderate, and avoided the wicked behavior common to many young soldiers. However, this rendered them with an increased air of unmistakable danger. Be wary of old men, even relatively old ones, in professions where men die young, and particularly of a soldier without an obvious vice.
The leader of the Latin delegation introduced himself to the court with a somewhat imperious nature. It likely would have been more imperious had Seramis not taken on her true form. It is difficult, even for a roman, to remain arrogant when there is a fourteen-foot-tall (measured at the shoulder) dragoness looking down at you. He declared himself as Military Tribune Gaius Mummius, representing the Praetor Lucius Cornelius in command of the IV Legion. Though the head of the delegation, he was simply that by right of his military rank. The actual diplomacy was handled by diplomats, not soldiers, though by their attitudes, Seramis might have taken them for sergeants in fancy togas. However, one who did catch her interest was distinct among the delegation, an old man, and truly old, dressed as a seer. He remained close by the ear of Gaius, and the tribune heeded him. Sera watched him warily, for she smelled magic on him, an old magician, and that would be trouble.
Despite her concerns, the Latins did not cause trouble, not even their old magician. They established a small camp for themselves outside the walls of the city, and largely kept to themselves. They came into the city only in small groups based around some member of their number who spoke Greek. They paid with honest coin, and seemed intrigued by the preparations for the festival. They seemed unusually preoccupied with finding barbers, as they were each clean-shaven, in contrast to the bearded Hellenes. Leonidas found this utterly hilarious, as he had spent more time than he would ever admit trying to find ways of improving his own facial hair. Now that it had finally come in, he spent more time managing his admittedly impressive beard than he ever had dealing with his actual hair. Sera, lacking any hair whatsoever, found the human preoccupation with it utterly confusing.
Bearded or otherwise, Hellene, Latin, and miscellaneous others soon came to attend the great drama festival. The idea of cancelling was briefly considered, and summarily rejected. Continuing to have a great celebration in the face of Latin provocation and Scythian Assault showed not only the power of the kingdom, that its people could act without concern, but also its prestige through mastery of the arts. The fact that many of the participants in the festival were from elsewhere in Hellas was politely overlooked. After all, Macedon had gathered them, and thus got credit.
The festival went on for three days, and proved to be a generally joyous, if somewhat chaotic time. Even the dour Latins eventually became swept up in the atmosphere. While this wasn’t technically a Bacchanalian festival, mostly due to the fact that Bacchus was very dead, it certainly carried some of that legacy. Of course the highlight, at least for men who considered them cultured, was the great drama productions. All manner of productions were put on display, from great recreations of the Athenian classics, to new twists, foreign productions, historical plays, retellings of myths, and of course many a comedic tragedy and initially tragic comedy.
Seramis’s own company had three productions, set into place over three days. The first two were well known, and practiced. Sera’s company had begun expediting the revitalization of the cultural scene with regular performances. Some of these had been well-worn classics, but the Mount Ararat Company would bring none of these to this stage. Instead, they brought two original, but already tested plays, and one of excellent ambition.
The first was a Satire, in the style of The Clouds which Sera had dubbed Tartarus. This piece was set in the depths of the underworld, that darkest pit where wicked men and monsters alike were tormented. These tormented souls took on the role of the choir, being intensely irritated by the antics of the four main players. Those four were of course the three great Greek philosophers: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and their own tormentor; Diogenes. The play largely consisted of the main three wandering through Tartarus, further tormenting the tormented souls with long winded and pedantic arguments about the torments they witnessed. All the while, Diogenes routinely appeared to torment them in turn. The play as a whole made light of philosophies, and generally teased out the problems with focusing overmuch on the world of the mind while actual suffering could be addressed.
This play was well received, for it was humorous and mocked philosophers, which few people cared for. The humor wavered between high and low brow, with both clever jokes sprinkled in amongst the arguments of the philosophers, and cruder humor delivered by the tormented souls and Diogenes. A certain degree of slapstick was involved as well, often involving a great paper-Mache boulder being rolled by Sisyphus.
The second of Sera’s plays was a somewhat grander production, though was likewise satirical. It turned the classic play Oedipus Rex somewhat on its head with The Choir’s Apologia. The original play was an archetypical tragedy, following the story of Oedipus, son of the King of Thebes. Due to a prophecy, his father cast him out to be slain, but he would live, and later unknowingly slay his father, and wed his mother. The play detailed how the gods smote the city with a plague as a result of this kinslaying and incest. Oedipus sought the answer to this, and in doing so discovered the terrible truth, and blinded himself for shame.
The Choir’s Apologia put a twist on this, as the Choir itself determines to get involved. This broke their usual role as mere background singers, and saw them take the stage to try and prevent the tragedy. The play played out as usual, but regularly, the mortal actors would freeze in place before a great event. The Choir would then step to center stage, and petition the gods for redress. First they asked Apollo, bidding him not deliver the ruinous prophecy, for without it nothing would come, but he rejected them. Next they implored Hermes to warn Oedipus against his folly, but Hermes declared he was helpless before Zeus. Finally, the Choir dared to approach Zeus himself, demanding that he cease to punish all Thebes for Oedipus’s mistake.
This proved a failure in the end, as Zeus rebuked them and struck the choir down one by one. The message was clear, that the gods were cruel and arbitrary, delivering unjust judgements. They did what they would, for they were strong, and the choir suffered what it must, for it was weak. At last only Oedipus remained, able now to see Zeus and his murder of the choir. Oedipus and Zeus contested one another in song, and while Zeus struck down the king, it was not before the hero doomed by prophecy delivered a defense and a prophecy of his own. Oedipus defended his record as king of Thebes, how he had overthrown a tyrant, protected his people, improved their lives, and sought their good even at terrible cost to himself. He, the one the gods judged, had been a better ruler than the gods. If indeed the gods would persist in their arbitrary wickedness, then one day this would be their doom, for the world would not abide such tyrants. Zeus struck him down, but went in dread because of the prophecy.
This production produced some degree of controversy. It always had, and such was the intent. It was well understood that the gods were dead, and Olympus was silent, but this play indicated such was not a bad thing. Given it was written by a dragoness, a natural enemy of the gods, the take was not unexpected. Beyond this, its use of another play as a framing device gave it a rather meta feel, and some found it pretentious. Others, by contrast, found the reframing of a classic play refreshing, and enjoyed the novelty of the choir acting as a major character.
The third play was a new production, and meant to be the one to blow the sandals off the audience. It was a bigger, grander, and of much more spectacular production values. All of this was in theory. In practice, it was put on at the end of three days of performances and partying, and became more of a farce than an epic. The Davidiad told the story of the legendary Hebrew king David, of both his rise to power and fall from grace. It was told in three acts, and all three had some manner of disaster.
The first act told of the heroic youth of David before he was king, and how he defeated the giant Goliath. Goliath himself was a complicated costume made by having three already tall men standing on one another’s shoulders. When struck by a sling, he was to topple over onto his army, which would catch the performers and prevent any harm. Unfortunately, due to an earlier scene involving David being anointed with oil, there was a slick patch on stage. Goliath’s lower third slipped, and the towering giant fell flat on his face and collapsed into himself in the middle of a monologue. This was considered absolutely hilarious by the audience, and Seramis, upon seeing this, physically shrank from embarrassment.
The second act saw the conflict between the good future king David and the wicked king Saul. Saul was meant to begin more coherent, but gradually jealousy and fear would twist him into wickedness. Unfortunately, Saul’s actor had been out late, and showed up to the production very hung over. This made Saul’s descent far more predictable and robbed the second act of much of its drama. Unfortunately, the actor in question attempted to remedy this by using a hangover cure involving undiluted wine. This made him less hungover, and more drunk, so Saul went from being scowling and sickly to very obviously drunk. This became a minor peril during a later scene where Saul threw his spear at David. Not only did Saul miss, as intended, but he proceeded to hurl the (thankfully fake) spear into the audience, where it proceeded to hit a man in the chest. He was unharmed, but believed he had been slain and fainted, causing a minor panic.
The third act was nearly canceled, but went ahead anyways. The cursed production continued to be cursed, as a major set piece exploded earlier. The third act was meant to show how the throne gradually corrupted David, and led him to murder a man to cover up an affair with his wife Bethsheba. This would climax with the death of a son produced from that affair, and the collapse of a great temple edifice David had been constructing. The play would end with David weeping, but repentant, and turning to begin rebuilding the ruined temple, representing his disgraced morality. Instead of this, the temple collapsed immediately the moment David and Bethsheba locked eyes, which somewhat gave the game away.
Sera did not bother to see the audience’s reaction when the curtain closed. She’d already left from sheer embarrassment. She was helping the troupe pack up, so the lot of them could scatter to cope with this catastrophe in their own way. Once the curtain closed and the actors departed the stage, she handed Saul his last payment, a polite, if curt, farewell, and departed. She avoided the rest of the festival, marinating in her disappointment at the bottom of a nearby lake.
Eventually, evening did come, and Sera slunk her way back into the city. She spoke briefly with her troupe, congratulating them on the work they did, and laboring to encourage their spirits. The production of the Davidiad had gone horribly wrong, but these were technical and production errors, not fundamental flaws. They would try again, after taking time to rest, recover, and focus on building back up to such a grand production with greater skill and experience. Their reach had, quite simply, exceeded their grasp, and ruin had come because of hubris. They would recover from this, and move forwards.
Much as she managed the speech, she felt like she was having to put on her own performance to manage that. Privately, the failure on such a massive stage hung over the young dragoness. She quietly made her way into the palace, and made her way to where Leon and Cassandra were. Unfortunately for her, the pair were currently in the process of discussing the festival. Glumly, she sat silently, nursing a large bowl of wine as Casandra and Leon deliberated a victor.
“The first step is that we can scratch off any troupes that simply re-enacted an existing play. Those were simply derivative, and giving a victory to that in our first festival sets an unfortunate precedent.” Cassandra remarked, working off a clay tablet listing the various performances. Lines went through about a third of the participants. “We can also do away with anything that tried to relate to Iskandar or my own dynasty, and especially that gods-awful recreation of our little scheme to destroy Tyndareus.”
“I personally found that one funny.” Sera piped up, remembering the comically inaccurate play. “Though they did manage quite the trick with their costume for me, I’ll need to get in touch with their costume department to see how the internals worked.”
“It was funny, mostly because it was inaccurate enough we could probably bring a suit for slander, libel, and slanderous libel against them.” Leon grumbled with arms folded. He had been made the butt of many a joke in that production, with the comedy of the valiant warrior being utterly surpassed by two women being a common refrain. “Beyond that, we don’t want to give the wrong impression about what exactly is acceptable to say about a queen.”
“The Corinthians have something of an irreverent streak, that much is for certain. Unfortunately we can only bring slander, libel, and slanderous libel and not treason, as they are presently foreigners.” Cassandra demurred. “Still, delivering sanctions on the Ember Island Company could be an effective way to get the message across to Corinth that a more peaceful Macedon is not a pushover.”
“With regard to the reproductions, what about The Choir’s Apologia?” Leon asked, throwing Sera a metaphorical bone. She ate literal bones as well, but if Leon threw her one he’d soon find out what it was like to skydive before the invention of a parachute.
“Disqualified as well. It deviates from the standard formula, but relies on you already understanding it. Really, if you didn’t know much about theatre to begin with, at lot of it would be lost on you. It ultimately came off as pretentious, and despite its inherently kind of ridiculous premise, was more depressing than anything. This sort of meta-commentary might work better for the sake of humor rather than trying for serious drama. Trying it here simply made the play exhausting and the sort of thing Tartarus really felt like it was mocking. That said, its pretention and grim character could give a good impression that the Macedonian theatre scene is serious and educated, but then I’d have to watch so many more like it. I don’t have enough absinthe to get through more than about one of those in a single festival.” Cassandra replied to that, and drew a second line through Apologia to emphasize her point. Seramis shrank into her cushions.
“Ah, so you enjoyed Tartarus then?” Leonidas asked in turn, trying to navigate the conversation to something less liable to torment the dragoness.
“Oh I most certainly did, but we can’t give it the win. As amusing as it is, it’s ultimately a very limited production. I like it, but giving it the victory would indicate a degree of “small scale” theatre in Macedon. I don’t want to give anyone else opportunity to degrade the work that’s been done here by suggesting that the Macedonian theatre lacks ambition.” Cassandra said with a sigh, and began crossing out any plays of similar scale.
“Which would be possessed by the Davidiad, but we all know how catastrophically wrong that went, so pray spare me whatever salt you were going to pour into that wound. I know that with all the bacchanalian delights available, you probably have managed to find someone who enjoys being tormented, but I am not that someone. So please, if you’re going to continue trying to murder me with words, use the ones that summon that lightning ball that nearly splattered me across the wall. It was a gentler execution.” Seramis grumbled, finally speaking up for herself.
Cassandra realized she’d gone to far, and put down the tablet. “I’m sorry Sera, I meant to tease, but not be cruel. I actually would agree that the Davidiad’s ambition was most impressive, and if not for some production hiccups, I think it might have had a chance at winning. I do tease, but I really do appreciate all the work you’ve put in to this, not just your company, but allowing this whole festival to go off. So, please forgive me if I’ve stepped too far from jest into mockery.”
“It’s fine, simply a very fresh disappointment. I’m afraid I missed most of the festival as I was busy running things or, well, pouting in a lake.” Seramis replied, waving away the problem with her tail. “So aside from everything you’ve disqualified, what do you think actually won?”
“I do have a personal preference.” Cass admitted, though she seemed a touch embarrassed by it. “The Court of Autumn.” The other two looked at her carefully with that. The Court of Autumn had been a much more romantic retelling of the story of Hades and Persephone, focused on the courtship of the pair, and the conflict that arose from a disapproving and overbearing Demeter. Neither of the pair had expected Cass to favor a romance, and their expressions showed it plainly. Cassandra merely shrugged. “We all desire what we cannot have, and it comes to a question of character whether we become envious of those lucky enough to have it, or delight sorrowfully that another is so blessed, even if they might not realize it.”
“I mean, I can’t deny that it was very well done. If I didn’t know better then I’d say that the two leads actually were a couple.” Leon replied with a nod. “It certainly doesn’t lack for ambition either, nor courage to speak the names of the Dread Queen and Lord With Many Guests so commonly.”
Cass smiled at that. “The fact that they do so is also part of why I like it. Persephone and Hades are dead, all the Olympians are. The reverence shown to corpses is illogical.”
Seramis processed this information, and considered her memory banks. “The company behind it, they’re one of the Theban companies, the Men of the Muses, correct?” She asked, and Cass checked, then nodded. “Ah, then yes, the two leads are actually husband and wife, they’ve got something of a specialty for romances as a result.”
“Write, or as the case may be, act, what you know.” Cassandra said with a shrug. “So we concur, The Court of Autumn is the victor?”
“I can’t argue against it.” Leon replied.
“Nor can I, but that’s more due to the aforementioned lack of context. One can make arguments without information, but I have a bit too much respect for the pair of you to engage in full sophistry.” Seramis admitted begrudgingly.
“Well, that absence may actually work to our advantage, returning from these pleasant distractions to the business of rule.” Cassandra said with a smile. “The Latins were particularly delighted with Tartarus, and actually wished to see the director. Said director was currently indisposed, but they have extended something of an open invitation. I think that accepting would provide quite the opportunity. It isn’t often one has a chance to walk right into the midst of a potentially hostile camp and see what they’re up to under guest-right.”
Seramis rose in interest at the idea, and cracked her neck. Cracking such a long neck was a process, creating a rippling crackling sound as vertebrae popped along the serpentine trunk. She grinned in anticipation. “I’ll melt myself a new dress.”

Allen & Ginter Smoke Break! Pick One Team, Get one Random Team!
Boxes: ⚾️ 3X - 2023 Allen & Ginter Hobby (3 of: Autos, Relics, Rip Cards, Printing Plate, or Book Cards per Box) 💨 Bonus Live Giveaway! 💨
Team Prices Below. You Pick Your First Team Plus get get 1 Random Team. Comment or DM to choose your team! Pay when filled. 💥PLEASE, NO NOTES on payments other than your username. This helps me keep track of payments.💥
ADD $5 for BMWT Combined Shipping. Stack shipping to save on future breaks! 📫 $5 covers your first 2 Breaks, any additional Breaks add $1 each 📫 ⚠️IMPORTANT: I don't ship until you tell me to. This way you can combine shipping and save money.⚠️
🏅 Every Shipment Gets at Least 1 Wax Pack FREE!! 🏅
NEW!!! ⚾️ Add a Pack to Your Stack! Add a Sealed Wax Pack to Your Existing Stack! All Packs come from Sealed Wax Boxes. See pinned Instagram post for available packs and details. ⚾️
Paypal, Cashapp, Venmo, and Zelle accepted. Linktree in Profile to help.
When Break is full, I'll start a group chat with everyone participating. The Team Randomization and Break will be streamed live on Instagram and posted on YouTube asap when it is over.
🗣💬⚾️💰 NEW!! Referral Program: Earn $5 Break Credit When You Refer Someone to Our Breaks! Referring Person Has to Have Joined at Least 1 Break. New Person Can Use Credit on Their Second Break. Maximum $50 Credit per Person. 🗣💬⚾️💰
Questions? Please ask, just send me a DM and I can answer any questions you have. Thank you!
(Cross-Posted on Instagram)

1. D'Backs 29
2. Braves 29
3. Orioles 32 - @frankrizz83
4. Red Sox 28
5. Angels 31 - @gerrad.grant
6. Mets 29
7. Yankees 35 - @parksthai
8. Mariners 30
9. Rangers 27
10. Non-Sport 32
11. Other Sports or Any Available 22
12. Reds 22 - @griffeycardsfan
13. Dodgers 22 - @griffeycardsfan
14. Any Available 22
15. Any Available 22
16. Any Available 22

Hey everyone. So to be brutally honest between some personal things & the pandemic I've developed pretty bad anxiety which keeps me from finding people to play MP games with. I'm hoping to meet some people that are chill and will possibly help me overcome this hurdle (like by reaching out and asking if I want to play because I feel like I'm bothering people/have been pretty introverted lately)
Right now I have Hell Divers 2, Destiny 2, Diablo 4, Granblue Fantasy: Relink, and GTA 5. I'm getting NCAA 25 when it drops as well as the new 40K Space Marine game coming out. I'm sure I have a ton of others too.
Anyway personality wise I like to joke. My humor can go from corny to dark. I'm married and our "kids" are our 4 dogs, multiple chickens, multiple turkeys, and multiple geese (my spouse has a side business). Also...I'm sick of politics and if that's your thing that's fine but it's just something I find exhausting lol.
TLDR: 38 YR old wants to overcome anxiety and wants to make new friends 18+.
Thanks everyone for taking the time to read. I hope to hear from some of you!

Allen & Ginter Smoke Break! Pick One Team, Get one Random Team!
Boxes: ⚾️ 3X - 2023 Allen & Ginter Hobby (3 of: Autos, Relics, Rip Cards, Printing Plate, or Book Cards per Box) 💨 Bonus Live Giveaway! 💨
Team Prices Below. You Pick Your First Team Plus get get 1 Random Team. Comment or DM to choose your team! Pay when filled. 💥PLEASE, NO NOTES on payments other than your username. This helps me keep track of payments.💥
ADD $5 for BMWT Combined Shipping. Stack shipping to save on future breaks! 📫 $5 covers your first 2 Breaks, any additional Breaks add $1 each 📫 ⚠️IMPORTANT: I don't ship until you tell me to. This way you can combine shipping and save money.⚠️
🏅 Every Shipment Gets at Least 1 Wax Pack FREE!! 🏅
NEW!!! ⚾️ Add a Pack to Your Stack! Add a Sealed Wax Pack to Your Existing Stack! All Packs come from Sealed Wax Boxes. See pinned Instagram post for available packs and details. ⚾️
Paypal, Cashapp, Venmo, and Zelle accepted. Linktree in Profile to help.
When Break is full, I'll start a group chat with everyone participating. The Team Randomization and Break will be streamed live on Instagram and posted on YouTube asap when it is over.
🗣💬⚾️💰 NEW!! Referral Program: Earn $5 Break Credit When You Refer Someone to Our Breaks! Referring Person Has to Have Joined at Least 1 Break. New Person Can Use Credit on Their Second Break. Maximum $50 Credit per Person. 🗣💬⚾️💰
Questions? Please ask, just send me a DM and I can answer any questions you have. Thank you!
(Cross-Posted on Instagram)

1. D'Backs 29 - u/piercebro
2. Braves 29 - @phxbourbon
3. Orioles 32 - @frankrizz83
4. Red Sox 28
5. Angels 31 - @gerrad.grant
6. Mets 29 - @toasterstrudellcards
7. Yankees 35 - @parksthai
8. Mariners 30 - u/sowetanamerican
9. Rangers 27 - @scottyfnbakes
10. Non-Sport 32 - u/usherluvr69
11. Other Sports 22 - u/Hikes83
12. Reds 22 - @griffeycardsfan
13. Dodgers 22 - @griffeycardsfan
14. Blue Jays 22 - u/Hikes83
15. Cardinals 22 - @phxbourbon
16. Padres 22 - @frankrizz83