So, I posted this theory a while back but it seems that most people didn’t read through it due to it being too long. So here I am back again with my best to briefly summarize the theory with the major points of evidence from the comics that I have found. It’s still going to be a lot but, hopefully, this will help get the broad idea across. Then if you have any specific points you can hopefully find them answered in the sections beneath it.
For context, you only need to read the Basic Premise section to get the basic gist of the theory, all the remaining sections are where I outline the evidence to support it.
~Basic Premise~

Nightcrawler is the Winding Way is basically the idea that X-Men’s Nightcrawler got his soul ripped in half when he was a child by his adopted mother – Margali Szardos – who used the magical half of Kurt’s soul to form the source of her power, the Winding Way.
Nightcrawler would have inherited this magical power from Azazel, who he is still technically biologically related to, as well as potentially the combination of genes from Mystique, Destiny, and Baron Wagner.
Amanda Sefton – after seeing Margali use Illyana’s Soul-Sword to obtain power in the Winding Way, took over Limbo to study it before fusing it with Kurt’s soul in the hopes of being able to use the Soul-Sword to undo her mother’s work and restore Kurt to being whole again.
Ultimately, Destiny gave the baby Kurt to Margali knowing full well she would do this to him to hide his true power from Enigma (the Nathaniel Essex that became a Dominion), who she had Kurt concieved in order to defeat.
Additionally, she told Margali of a prophecy about a Soul-Sword falling into Margali’s hands knowing that Margali would attempt to steal Belasco’s Soul-Sword, that Belasco would turn his attention to Nightcrawler to steal that magical power for herself which would result in Illyana being kidnapped by Belasco after he gave up trying to steal the power from Kurt and thus create said Soul-Sword as well as – eventually – the Hope-sword.

~Part 1 – Margali Szardos is the Worst Adoptive Mother of All Time~
Margali Szardos is a powerful witch in Marvel comics who has shown being particularly hungry for magical power – doing everything from manipulating her daughter, Amanda Sefton, into getting her Illyana’s Soul-Sword so that she could use it in a killing spree to obtain magical power from her victims (Excalibur #85), to attempting to steal the power of a demon living under London nearly destroying it in the process (Excalibur #100), to forcibly mind-swapping with her daughter to save herself leaving Amanda to be tortured by Belasco (revealed X-Men: Unlimited #19), opening a magical rift to the World Beyond to obtain its power which forced her daughter to sacrifice herself to close it (4^th Nightcrawler series #1-4), to finally selling Nightcrawler out to ORCHIS to obtain the Hope-sword that was lodged in Kurt’s chest (Legion of X #7-10).
All of these villainous actions raise an important question – why did Margali adopt Nightcrawler? After all, it’s not like Margali went around adopting children – only Nightcrawler. In fact, outside of Kurt, the only other child that Margali has ever displayed an interest in obtaining was a young Scarlet Witch (Mystic Arcanum: Scarlet Witch) which is concerning given just how magically powerful Scarlet Witch is.
This all points to the idea that Margali only took Kurt in because she got something out of it – very likely magical power. This wouldn’t be nearly so concerning if Margali Szardos wasn’t also the Sorceress Supreme of one of the most mysterious and unexplained magical systems in all of Marvel.
~Part 2 – The Winding Way is WIERD~
So, I’m just going to come out and say it - the Winding Way makes no sense in the current understanding of magic in Marvel Comics. Even characters like Dr. Strange – one of Marvel’s masters of magic – has basically no idea how the Winding Way actually operates. There is a data page in Legion of X #9 that outlines the basics of what the Winding Way is and how it operates.
According to the data page, the Winding Way is an exocentric magic system – that is to say a form of magic that is powered by an external source to the user – which its various wielders experience cycles of power and powerlessness. As far as characters like Strange are aware, it remains unclear if there is a physical “Way” or if that is simply metaphor.
The strange thing about the Winding Way is that there is no other magical system in Marvel where this cycle of users having powers and being powerless is even a thing. Whenever an exocentrically powered sorcerer loses their powers, it is always a form of punishment. This is true with Dr. Strange when he lost 99% of his powers back during the War of the Seven Spheres story. This is true with Juggernaut who loses his powers whenever he and Cyttorak – the entity that powers the crimson gem that Juggernaut uses for his powers. It’s even true for someone like Thor and his hammer. No where else in Marvel is there a system of magic where cycles of power is a thing.
All of this raises the question of whether the fluctuating cycles of power the Winding Way are actually a natural part of the Winding Way or whether they due to something else – like, say the power source of the Winding Way trying to continuously punish the various practitioners but being unable to due to their attention being split up.
Ultimately, the only truth that we can glean about the Winding Way is that nobody but the practitioners of the Winding Way ultimately know how it works and even then, characters like Margali and Amanda have proven time and again that their word cannot be trusted.
~Part 3 – the Szardos Family, Cthon, & Wundagore Mountain~
Interestingly, a different Sorcerer Supreme Sgt. Sebastian Szardos – the Sorcerer Supreme of World War II – has his own insights about the Winding Way, though they are rather vague. Firstly, in the 8^th series of Avengers #50, Sebastian claims that the Winding Way has ties with Mt. Wundagore – which was famously the tomb of Cthon before Scarlet Witch absorbed him. This seems to suggest that the Winding Way originates either via Cthon or his creation – the Darkhold.
What is more interesting is that the Winding Way doesn’t seem to be practiced during the time of the Second World War as Sgt. Szardos states that only his great grandmother on his mothers side even knew about the Winding Way – Sebastian himself clearly wasn’t a practicing member. This is peculiar as Margali Szardos demonstrates an unusual amount of familiarity with the position of Sorcerer Supreme in Uncanny X-Men Annual #4 when she stole the Eye of Agamotto off of Dr. Strange with a mere gesture. Given that Sebastian and Margali share the last name and Sebastian was a known former Sorcerer Supreme while Margali – as far as I can tell – has never been, this would seem to suggest that there is some sort of familial connection between Margali and Sebastian. This in turn seems to suggest that the Winding Way experienced some sort of revival with Margali.
My theory is that the Winding Way started out as a sort of ritual that originated with the Darkhold and was initially practiced by the Szardos family over the centuries to siphon power off of Cthon to keep him in check and imprisoned - hence why there are other Szardos clan members such as Theodosia as shown in that run of Avengers. This would mean that if my theory of Nightcrawler being the Winding Way is true, then it would mean that he is only the current source of the Winding Way.
~Part 4 – Nightcrawler is still related to Azazel (and Azazel is a demon)~
Now a major aspect in this is that Nightcrawler is where exactly would Nightcrawler’s magical powers come from? After all, he’s the son of Mystique and Destiny – two mutants with no sort of magical capabilities, right? Well, that’s… complicated.
Firstly, it’s important to note that the X-Men Origins: Blue retcon is… frankly, not very well thought out. There are a bunch of things that it just gets plain wrong and contradict a bunch of previously established X-Men lore – everything from the fact that Destiny would have been too old to give birth to Nightcrawler, to Rogue’s age being way too young (she was adopted by D&M when she was 13 not 5), to the fact that Mystique canonically cannot mimic mutant x-genes - meaning Nightcrawler shouldn’t have teleportation with this retcon, and much, much more. On top of all that, the fact that the only evidence supporting the idea that it ever even happened is from Mystique and Destiny – two of Marvel’s most notorious liars – and you got yourself an extremely messy and rather dubious retcon.
Putting all that aside, going based on what the retcon has established there are a few ways in which Kurt might have inherited some sort of magical power.
Primarily, Kurt is still technically related to Azazel – yes, Mystique “mimicked” Azazel’s DNA in Kurt’s conception but given that in genetics it is the sequence of DNA that matters and not the source of that sequence, Mystique’s “Mimicked” DNA is still ostensibly Azazel’s DNA. Azazel is an established master of dark magic – specifically soul magic – and used to rule over a legit Hell Dimension during the time of Kurt’s birth – making him a legit hell lord similar to Mephisto or Dormammu. Given that Hell Lords are also considered the Sorcerer Supremes (as in the strongest) of their respective dimension, this would suggest that Azazel once held some major power, regardless of if he’s a demon or not. And as it has been established, magic is inheritable as shown with Clea (the daughter of Umar), Daimon Hellstrom (son of Marduk Kurios), and at least half the cast of Strange Academy, it would stand to reason that Nightcrawler could also inherit magical power from him.
Now, I know what you are saying – “But, Azazel isn’t a demon! Chuck Austen said so!” And while, yes, Chuck Austen has clearly gone on record to say that Azazel is only a demonic looking mutant instead of an actual demon, it’s been kind of invalidated by the thing that every other writer for Azazel – including the likes of Chris Claremont – have referred to Azazel as a demon at least once either on-panel or in interviews. And frankly, there’s nothing in the lore that says that Azazel cannot be both a demon and a mutant – after all, Magik is both a demon and a mutant at the same time. And let’s be real here, Chuck Austen doesn’t deserve nice things when it comes to the X-Men.
However, Azazel is not the only DNA that Mystique apparently mimicked – Baron Christian Wagner was also added onto that list for some reason. This is odd as why would Destiny and Mystique feel the need to include Baron Wagner at all in the genetic makeup of Nightcrawler unless there was something special about the Baron. However, the only uniquely genetic thing we learn about him is that he’s seemingly infertile – which may suggest that there is some sort of genetic anomaly going on with him, such as maybe a repressed X-gene.
~Part 5 – Amanda Sefton/Jimaine Szardos history in Marvel Comics~
Another aspect of this theory is that – if it is true – it suddenly explains a lot of what Kurt’s ex, Amanda Sefton has been doing in comics since she was first introduced in 1976. You see, Amanda Sefton followed Kurt back from Germany and began dating him under a different name – which Kurt was not aware of. She only reveals the truth after the events of Uncanny X-Men Annual #4. This unfortunately supports Kurt’s accusation in Uncanny X-Men #206 that Amanda used a spell to make Kurt fall in love with her to begin with – an accusation which Amanda has never confirmed nor denied.
Amanda’s peculiar behavior continued into Excalibur where she was manipulated by Margali into obtaining Illyana’s Soul-Sword from Kitty Pryde – who had previously given the Soul-Sword to Dr. Doom and then Darkoth, with it returning to her both times. Upon obtaining the Soul-Sword, Margali then used it to go on a killing spree against the other members of the Winding Way to obtain their power for herself. Following this, Margali’s failed attempt to steal the power of a demon beneath London, and Kurt and Margali rescuing Amanda from Belasco after Margali body-swapped with her daughter to save her own skin – Amanda ended up taking over Limbo, supposedly in the name of protecting earth.
However, then we have the smoking gun of Amanda’s meddling – during the 3^rd Nightcrawler solo series, it is revealed that Amanda fused the Soul-Sword with Nightcrawler without telling him. Her reason for doing so? “To protect the Soul-Sword from falling into the wrong hands.” This lie is so glaringly bad that not even Nightcrawler buys it and he calls Amanda out for not being honest with him.
~Part 6 – Amanda’s Bad Lie and What it Means~
And frankly why would anyone believe Amanda’s claim? Amanda is a sorceress – which means that she is infinitely more qualified than Nightcrawler to keep the Soul-Sword safe than he is. Even if she couldn’t do so, why didn’t she take the Soul-Sword to someone like Dr. Strange?
On top of that, Amanda took the Soul-Sword away from Kitty Pryde claiming that Kitty wasn’t qualified to keep the Soul-Sword safe due to her not being a trained sorceress. Well, guess who’s also not trained in sorcery and thus – by Amanda’s own logic - would not be able to keep the Soul-Sword safe? Nightcrawler.
Except, Kitty technically was able to keep the Soul-Sword out of the wrong hands – back during Excalibur #37 she phased the Soul-Sword into a rock which even Rachel Summers channeling the power of the Phoenix Force was not able to remove it from – it wasn’t removed until Doom came knocking and got Kitty to willingly remove it for him. So why couldn’t Amanda do something similar? Why fuse it with Kurt and endanger him?
And to top it all off, Amanda still needed the Soul-Sword. She was ruling over Limbo – a dangerous hell dimension full of power-hungry demons. Her magical powers are of the Winding Way – meaning that they wax and wane. So quite literally, Amanda needs the Soul-Sword – a weapon which every demon in Limbo fears – to keep herself in power; something which was proven in New X-Men #37 when Belasco walked back into Limbo and ousted her.
~Part 7 – Amanda took over Limbo to learn about the Soul-Sword~
So, what was Amanda really up to? Well, to understand Amanda’s actions in the 3^rd Nightcrawler series, we first need to go back to Amanda’s actions in previous series. What’s interesting is that Amanda’s interest in the Soul-Sword was first manifest through Margali – who reveals in Excalibur: Minus One that there is a prophecy that the Soul-Sword would pass first into Margali’s hands and then into Amanda’s hands but would result in both of their dooms.
However, Amanda doesn’t really demonstrate any sort of interest in the Soul-Sword until after Margali used it to obtain power in the Winding Way during Excalibur. While she didn’t get the opportunity to act after the events of Margali’s failed London project due to her mother mind-swapping with her, Amanda’s actions in taking over Limbo after X-Men: Unlimited #19 was more likely due to Amanda wanting to obtain and learn more about the Soul-Sword than about her trying to protect earth.
You see, as Limbo was in no position to even threaten earth until Belasco had obtained the Soul-Sword following Margali ending up there – meaning that if Amanda had simply obtained the Soul-Sword and left Limbo, Limbo would not have been able to endanger Earth. Instead, Amanda stayed. Why? Because if there was anywhere in the universe where you wanted to learn about a Soul-Sword and how it works, Limbo is the dimension to do so.
~Part 8 – Nightcrawler and Magik are… Soulmates?~
So, why did Amanda fuse the Soul-Sword with Nightcrawler? Well, ultimately because a major function of the Soul-Sword is that it can be used as a countercharm which can undo other spells – potentially meaning that Amanda could use it to undo the Winding Way and restore the two halves of Kurt’s soul back together again.
However, another aspect of the Soul-Sword is that it is dangerous to magical creatures and Kurt’s magical soul would already be weakened after years of being separated. Amanda must have figured that if she bonded the non-magical half of Kurt’s soul to the Soul-Sword would allow for her to bypass the more dangerous aspects of the Soul-Sword and allow her to restore Kurt.
And as a result of Amanda’s meddling, when a demonically possessed Pixie ripped the Soul-Sword out of Nightcrawler during X-Infernus, it left behind a void in Kurt’s Soul as established in Legion of X #10, which allowed for the Hopesword to later form. This also seemingly gave Illyana’s Soul-Sword a new ability to damage Techno-Organic beings which it did not possess before. This also means that Nightcrawler and Magik are… soul-mates(?) for the lack of a better term, as they are both bound together through the Soul-Sword after Amanda undid Illyana’s bond with Kitty, though this fact has never been established or confirmed in the comics.
~Part 9 – Destiny caused Magik to be kidnapped by Belasco~
Now, I noted in an earlier section that Margali’s fascination with the Soul-Sword was as a result of a prophecy – one that has at least partially come true. The prophecy as laid out during a flashback in Exalibur: Minus One was that the Soul-Sword would pass from into Margali’s hands and then Amanda’s but would result in both of their dooms. Illyana’s Soul-Sword was indeed obtained by Margali back in Excalibur #85 before she lost it to Belasco after falling to Limbo and the Soul-Sword was obtained again by Amanda after taking Limbo over in X-Men: Unlimited #19.
Now, this whole situation is peculiar as Margali herself is not a precog – outside of this one time, we never even hear her do anything similar ever again. However, we know that Destiny is a precog and we also know that she was the one who gave Kurt to Margali, as per the X-Men Origins: Blue retcon, meaning that this prophecy more than likely originates with Destiny. And really, this shouldn’t be a surprise – Mystique hinted at having some sort of a connection with Margali as far back as UXM #142 when she first met Nightcrawler, it was just never clarified what that connection was.
However, this prophecy would have been given to Margali before the Soul-Sword was ever made and before Illyana was even born, which means that either Destiny could predict Illyana being kidnapped by Belasco and creating the Soul-Sword as a result… or she caused Belasco to kidnap Illyana and create the Soul-Sword as a result.
Now, you may question how that’s even possible? After all, how could Destiny cause someone like Belasco to do something when the two haven’t even canonically met?
Well, for this, I would like to point out the unexplained animosity going on between Margali Szardos and Belasco. This is a rivalry that has been mentioned quite a few times – such as back in Excalibur: Minus One, X-Men: Unlimited #19, and the 3^rd Nightcrawler series. For some unexplained reason, Margali Szardos and Belasco have a lot of enmity for one another.
So, what’s the cause of this rivalry? Well, during the Dark Web event, Mary Jane Watson and Black Cat were captured by Belasco and sent to retrieve his Soul-Sword – which, as it is explained in the story is something that Belasco could not potentially use up until the events of Dark Web.
So here’s an idea – what if Destiny didn’t specify which Soul-Sword would end up in Margali’s hands, causing Margali to immediately assume that she was talking about Belasco’s (as that would have been the only one in existence at that point) and try to steal it from him.
This then drew Belasco’s attention and caused him to realize that Nightcrawler was somehow the source of Margali’s powers. This would be why Belasco even had his eyes on the X-Men to begin with and why there was a soulless Nightcrawler back in the original Magik series – Kurt was Belasco’s original target. However, the soulless Nightcrawler and Belasco’s obvious shift in attention to Illyana clearly points to the idea that whatever experiments Belasco tried to use to obtain that magical power from Kurt, it only ended in disaster – causing him to turn to Illyana as a replacement.
~Part 10 – the Big Picture… stopping Enigma~
So, if Destiny was ultimately the cause behind all of this – from orchestrating Kurt’s birth, to handing him off to Margali, to telling Margali the prophecy about the Soul-Sword, what is it all ultimately for?
Well, what it is almost certainly not for is the given answer of defeating Azazel. Simply put, Azazel has never been so major of a threat that creating a super special prophecy child was needed. Heck, he was killed in Dark X-Men by the demonic version of Nightcrawler, so how difficult would it have been for Mystique and Destiny to do it? No, Azazel’s defeat was a bonus that Irene used to justify Kurt’s birth to Raven, not the focus.
Ultimately, there’s only one answer as to who Kurt was conceived to stop – Enigma. The original Nathaniel Essex who transcended space and time and who Irene knew to be an existential threat to all Mutantkind.
This answer even explains some of Irene’s other past actions, such as why she was involved with the Black Womb project – yes, she was keeping an eye on Sinister, but she was also learning as much about the mutant x-gene in preparation for Kurt’s birth.
It also explains why she handed Kurt over to Margali at all – the Winding Way is described in the datapages of Legion of X as being something akin to a No-Place – something that Enigma and other Dominions famously have trouble seeing into. Thus, by hiding Kurt’s magical half in the No-place until the time was right and creating the means by which to release him from that prison, Destiny ensures Enigma’s defeat.
Or does she? Because as far as the current X-Men comics have been going, there is nowhere near the development needed to have my theory take place. At this point, only the Hopesword is established which begs the question of whether the Winding Way is meant to be the thing to stop Enigma or if the Hopesword is. As of this point in X-Men Forever (2024) #4, the Hopesword is what was needed to stop Enigma… for some reason. So far, all that the sword has accomplished is being handed off from Kurt to Exodus to Hope… who was then killed by the Phoenix and sent the Hopesword back to Kurt. We’ll have to wait and see if anything else comes of it.
Personally though, I kind of like the idea that everything Destiny did in orchestrating the creation of the Hopesword and/or the Winding Way was kind of a pointless thing in the end. It’s kind of poignant for Destiny’s character – being the same woman who thought that killing Senator Kelly would prevent the Days of Future’s Past Timeline when she was in fact going to cause that very timeline to happen – to have all her manipulations and schemes to create this weapon against the existential threat that Enigma presented… only to have that threat be dealt with in some other way, leaving Irene to deal with the consequences of her own actions and question whether it was worth putting Kurt through all of that. Maybe that’s just me though.
Conclusion
So yeah, that’s most of the evidence supporting this theory. There are a few other things – such as Margali potentially being the reason why Kurt was killed during Second Coming and potentially causing his mental break down during the Extraordinary X-Men story, but those are more auxiliary to these major points.
But yeah, let me know what you guys think down below. Do you think this theory is onto something or is it way off base?

Are you looking for a free to play game with no in-game pay to win purchases? Then Pixel Quest is perfect for those that want to join this newly created server!
Those that achieve the role as gym leader will be allowed to build their own gym (that fits the theme of their gym) while the Elite Four will have their own custom built building (those with these roles are still allowed to freely battle other gyms and Elite Four members, including the Champion).
We have an In-game currency system with vendors & a Pokemon TCG League and offer In-game rewards for those that participate in our community minigames (events).
Roleplaying is not required but welcomed!
Message awesomeaspie on Discord if you would like to be white listed (required)
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Minecraft version: 1.16.5

Boardwalk expos are undoubtedly the best farm right now if you’re looking for legendary modules, EXP, stamps (600 stamps for full union armor next big patch in June) and random legendary drops (I got a unyielding SS piece from there). When done right, you get all these juicy goodies AND 20000 completion exp (with lunchbox buffs) under 5-7 mins.
I’ve been hosting my own runs for a while now and just thought I’d do a little tips and tricks for the community.
For newbies:

1. Join the Fallout 76 discords! This includes the Market76 discord as well. There’s a looking-for-group channel which always has people advertising for Boardwalk groups.
   
2. Don’t be afraid to try it out! Fun is subjective yes but it’s free content that’s thrown into the game! If you don’t like it after trying it, no problem! Community is also really nice and will help you out
   
3. Don’t worry too much about your gear for now. Build > gear (most of the time) and it doesn’t take much to get set up. Most players in the community are strong enough to solo all the enemies in boardwalk anyway. You can help out by learning objectives and doing them promptly
   

For veterans looking to get better:

1. Do the MAIN objectives and leave the emoting after killing competitiors to only AFTER you get into the aquarium. The best way to keep each run short is for the leader to be able to get into showman’s pier as fast as he can. See Overgrown Moonflower? Kill that shit, Unlock Keeper’s prisoner cages? Unlock that shit, fireworks? Wait at the next firework location to minimise time. You can do the competitor killing objective in the Aquarium while waiting for the escortee, waiting at Sharks Den and also while throwing Tatos.
   
2. Learn the teddy bear locations. There’s only 5. A quick YouTube search teaches you where all 5 of them will be and their location is always the same. Ideally the Leader shouldn’t be the one getting the teddy bear as he/she will be beelining to Jucchi/Jullian and then to the Aquarium. Thus, team members should be the ones gunning for the teddy bear
   
3. Power armor users STAY THE F*^% away from the escortee! The escort is probably the worst objective ever and you blocking them in the doorway is only going to make them slower! Instead you can run around opening doors and killing enemies to make the escortee AI smoother. I’ve also tested doing the escort in Private Sessions vs Public Servers and felt that the escortee is smoother in Private Sessions.
   
4. Hosts if you are stuck on the bench after waking up after talking to Mother Charlotte, open up your map, hover your cursor to a empty black diamond objective and click “Show on Pip boy” and make sure your view is on the animation where your character actually raises their hand to see the pip boy. It should unstuck you and let you get off the lawn chair.
   

Ultimately play how you want, the game is easy and casual enough for anyone to hop into but this post is meant for those who want to take it a step higher and maximise your expo runs for that sweet sweet exp or legendary modules.

Are you looking for a free to play game with no in-game pay to win purchases? Then Pixel Quest is perfect for those that want to join this newly created server!
Those that achieve the role as gym leader will be allowed to build their own gym (that fits the theme of their gym) while the Elite Four will have their own custom built building (those with these roles are still allowed to freely battle other gyms and Elite Four members, including the Champion).
We have an In-game currency system with vendors & a Pokemon TCG League and offer In-game rewards for those that participate in our community minigames (events).
Roleplaying is not required but welcomed!
Message awesomeaspie on Discord if you would like to be white listed (required)
24/7 Hosting with stable servers and offering support for all players.
Minecraft version: 1.16.5 Server IP: pixelquest.secure.pebble.host

Hey yall!
I am looking for a couple of players who would like to play a One Shot based on the Curse of Strahd campaign.
Below is some info on game / character parameters.
Important Guidelines & Suggestions for Our Adventure
Mature Content Advisory:
Our adventures will explore mature themes, including but not limited to: sexuality, substance use, murder, and bigotry. We aim to handle these responsibly and sensitively, avoiding any extremes. Child abuse will not be featured. If there are specific topics you’d prefer to avoid, please communicate this to me privately.
Daily Posting Requirement:
You are required to post at least once a day to keep the game lively and engaging. If you're unable to post on any day, that’s completely fine—just let me know in advance. Your spot in the game could be at risk if you consistently fail to post without notification.
Response Time Consideration:
Please be considerate of each player's full 24-hour window to respond. I'll send friendly reminders around the 12-hour, 16-hour, and 1-hour marks before the window closes.
Gameplay Pace:
Remember, Play By Post (PBP) games are naturally slower, designed to fit into our busy schedules. Try not to monopolize interactions, such as interrogating NPCs extensively or searching every nook and cranny before others have a chance to participate.
Pinging Etiquette:
Please refrain from pinging others merely to prompt action in the game. Everyone is aware they should check in daily. Pings should be reserved for specific questions or important discussions. I will handle reminders to keep the game progressing.
Variant & Homebrew Rules Overview for Our Campaign
We'll be incorporating several dynamic options to deepen our game experience:
Variant Encumbrance
Side Initiative
Cleave
Morale
Injuries
Massive Damage
Fear and Horror
Additionally, we'll use these specific variant rules:
Healing Surges: In the heat of battle, characters can use an action to spend up to half their Hit Dice for healing. For each Hit Die spent, roll the die and add your Constitution modifier to regain hit points. This action is available once per short or long rest, with Hit Dice replenishing fully after a long rest and partially (one-fourth your level, minimum one die) after a short rest.
Slow Natural Healing: After a long rest, characters do not automatically regain hit points. Instead, you may spend Hit Dice to heal, just as you would during a short rest.
Character Creation Guide for Our Epic Adventure!
Starting Level: Everyone begins their journey at Level 1.
Background Restrictions: The Outlander background is off-limits for this adventure.
Spell Limitations: Please note that the Light cantrip and Create Food and Water spell are not available.
Ability Scores: 4d6 drop lowest
Hit Points: We'll use fixed HP to keep things straightforward.
Magic Item: Start with one free common magic item. Opt for something that enhances your character's story or personality rather than combat prowess. No weapons or armor.
Experience Points: Level up through XP earned in encounters. Extra XP for those who dazzle with creativity, strategic prowess in battles, and stellar role-playing!
Character Mortality: Remember, if your character meets their demise, they will forfeit any acquired items.
Customization: Tasha’s customization options are all yours to explore and utilize.

**Homebrew Rules:**

To tailor our campaign to our unique style, we have implemented the following homebrew rules:

• **The Light Cantrip:** This spell is not allowed to ensure our game emphasizes more natural and strategic uses of light and darkness. All other light producing abilities and spells are allowed.
  
• **Resurrection Mechanics:** All resurrection spells are elevated to 9th level, making the act of bringing back the dead a rare and significant event.
  
• **Vision Adjustments:** No character has dark vision by default, emphasizing the challenge and importance of light in our campaign.
  
• **Hide Action Modifications:**
  Hide action works with vision and cover.
  

There must be enough space to cover you in dimlight, darkness or behind cover. If none of that exists you can not take the hide action.
With 1/2 cover you get disadvantage on your hide check.
With ¾ cover you get a normal roll for your hide check
With Full cover you have advantage on your hide check.
Hiding in bright light w/no cover is impossible.
Hiding in dim light with no cover is a straight role on your hide check.
Hiding in darkness with no cover is advantage on your hide check.

• **Initiative:** We're using group initiative to determine order of action. We'll take the average of the PCs' initiative rolls compared to the enemies'. The highest individual initiative within our group gets a bonus.
  
• **Death Saves:** These are rolled privately, known only to the DM, adding an element of suspense and uncertainty to combat outcomes.
  

If you got this far and are interested let me know by filling out our application. https://forms.gle/UhKHSmceN1rMaMXb9
See yall in the game!

Are you looking for a free to play game with no in-game pay to win purchases? Then Pixel Quest is perfect for those that want to join this newly created server!
Those that achieve the role as gym leader will be allowed to build their own gym (that fits the theme of their gym) while the Elite Four will have their own custom built building (those with these roles are still allowed to freely battle other gyms and Elite Four members, including the Champion).
We have an In-game currency system with vendors & a Pokemon TCG League and offer In-game rewards for those that participate in our community minigames (events).
Roleplaying is not required but welcomed!
Message awesomeaspie on Discord if you would like to be white listed (required)
24/7 Hosting with stable servers and offering support for all players.
Minecraft version: 1.16.5 Server IP: pixelquest.secure.pebble.host

https://preview.redd.it/4lu5b7qmbb1d1.png?width=1414&format=png&auto=webp&s=c5847f143c79e5b95af6ef5b47b51bff8c9841aa
https://preview.redd.it/rtuqu06nbb1d1.png?width=1414&format=png&auto=webp&s=ecdabc1f93136c50d66501104a0679f234564db6

I feel like the way crit works is pretty unhealthy and toxic for the game. Having a chance of randomly chunking or getting chunked is pretty cringe which is why I thought of an idea to rework the crit system:
Doran’s blade is now a quest item (like the support and jungle item)
Upon reaching 80 or so minion kills you absorb the item and receive its stats ( lifesteal, AD, and hp) and are given 100% crit rate.
(There could be an AD caster version of Doran’s blade except with ability haste instead of lifesteal)
All crit items now give 45% critical strike damage instead of 25% crit chance. Crit cloaks give 20% crit damage.
IE gives 60% critical strike damage
At 5 items without IE you have 225% crit damage. At 5 including IE you have 240%. If you sacrifice a crit item for defense you have 195% at 4 items including IE.
This system would make it so crit isn’t just luck in the early game BUT it still has to scale so you aren’t dropping bombs at 1 and a half items.
It also makes it to where regular bruisers who go Doran’s blade don’t just have insane crit attacks without actually investing in it.
In ultra late game you would unfortunately be sacrificing 30% crit damage that you would have now assuming you had a non crit defensive item, but I’m thinking that maybe the stats from Doran’s blade and the consistent damage scaling you have throughout the game makes up for that 30%.
You would however be rewarded for going full crit as you’d have 15% more crit damage than what we have now at full build.
I haven’t thought about how this affects the wind shitters or tryndamere yet but I’m sure the pieces will fall into place
Thoughts?

About me
Hello there, my name is Coach Chesster(Yes, an obvious Chess reference, which is, by far, my favorite game). I've been playing League of Legends since season one, I've experienced everything from full AP Yi one-shotting my entire team to Tryndamere mains spinning around with a needlessly large rod instead of a sword. You could say I've been there during all the important historical moments of the game. I've been at the top of the ladder in Season 6 (Going between high Diamond and Challenger, based on how much time I've had to invest). I've competed in various tournaments, even being able to win a number of them, before I decided to get myself into coaching.
Coaching
I started the entire coaching thing during season 7 when one of my friends asked if I wanted to help him get out of that Diamond 4 hell. Ever since then, I was having a consistent number of sessions on a weekly basis, with my network of people slowly increasing(One of them actually gave me the idea to advertise on Reddit, which I did eventually accept!) I've coached more than 700 individuals ever since I started and I can proudly say I've had more than 500 sessions this year alone! So, if you are looking for someone who is around for more than 5 days actually add me.
Some of my personal coaching achievements include
Getting a player from Silver 1 to Platinum in just 5 weeks
Getting D2 to Masters in 2 weeks
Bronze 1 to Diamond, yes, this one happened as well, though it took slightly more time
Helping Duo players on NA reach Gold(They were actually stuck in Bronze 2 prior!)
Creating a coach from hard-stuck D2 after he got GM
Community
In addition to my services, I am proud to present to you our Educational community, which is steadily growing on a daily basis. Aside from Coaching, it is an amazing place to connect with other people, find friends and talk about the game all of us love and enjoy. Various events are held on a weekly basis, from 1v1 tournaments to Team Contests, with nice rewards being given out! Hint, you might win a free session!
All of our coaches have been vetted and verified, being certain all of you guys get the best service available! Every single one has peaked at least Grandmaster, with a minimum of 250 Coaching Hours to their name.
Discord Community: CLICK HERE

• Upon joining, message me in order to have a Role assigned!

Prices?
Prices for my sessions are negotiable and I can guarantee, they fall onto the affordable part of the specter!
My coaching sessions are oriented and tailored to each student's specific needs, and they do cover everything from theory to live coaching, in-game mentality, etc.

Hello, I'm selling my my old SFF PC build Cerberus X tired of working in the cramped space and low PSU wattage's SFX offers wanted to move to a Full Tower.
GPU RTX 3080 Founder Edition 10GB $380+Ship TimeStamp
CPU/MB 12700K w Contact Frame / TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI D4 $300+Ship TimeStamp
CPU COOLER Arctic Liquid Freezer II 240 used, no fans, new Mounting Kit $30+Ship TimeStamp
RAM Patriot Viper Steel DDR4 RAM 32GB (4X8GB) 4400MHz CL19 - PVS416G440C9K $110+Ship TimeStamp
PSU Corsair SF Series, SF750, 750 Watt, SFX, 80+ Platinum Certified, Fully Modular Power Supply $120+Ship TimeStamp
CASE Sliger Cerberus X Comes w (3) Vented Side Panels (2) Are Used (1) Is Brand New, ATX PSU Mounting Kit, SFX PSU Mounting Kit $200+Ship TimeStamp
Headphones Sennheiser HD 650 $145+Ship TimeStamp
Please feel free to send offers also.

About me
Hello there, my name is Coach Chesster(Yes, an obvious Chess reference, which is, by far, my favorite game). I've been playing League of Legends since season one, I've experienced everything from full AP Yi one-shotting my entire team to Tryndamere mains spinning around with a needlessly large rod instead of a sword. You could say I've been there during all the important historical moments of the game. I've been at the top of the ladder in Season 6 (Going between high Diamond and Challenger, based on how much time I've had to invest). I've competed in various tournaments, even being able to win a number of them, before I decided to get myself into coaching.
Coaching
I started the entire coaching thing during season 7 when one of my friends asked if I wanted to help him get out of that Diamond 4 hell. Ever since then, I was having a consistent number of sessions on a weekly basis, with my network of people slowly increasing(One of them actually gave me the idea to advertise on Reddit, which I did eventually accept!) I've coached more than 700 individuals ever since I started and I can proudly say I've had more than 500 sessions this year alone! So, if you are looking for someone who is around for more than 5 days actually add me.
Some of my personal coaching achievements include
Getting a player from Silver 1 to Platinum in just 5 weeks
Getting D2 to Masters in 2 weeks
Bronze 1 to Diamond, yes, this one happened as well, though it took slightly more time
Helping Duo players on NA reach Gold(They were actually stuck in Bronze 2 prior!)
Creating a coach from hard-stuck D2 after he got GM
Community
In addition to my services, I am proud to present to you our Educational community, which is steadily growing on a daily basis. Aside from Coaching, it is an amazing place to connect with other people, find friends and talk about the game all of us love and enjoy. Various events are held on a weekly basis, from 1v1 tournaments to Team Contests, with nice rewards being given out! Hint, you might win a free session!
All of our coaches have been vetted and verified, being certain all of you guys get the best service available! Every single one has peaked at least Grandmaster, with a minimum of 250 Coaching Hours to their name.
Discord Community: CLICK HERE

• Upon joining, message me in order to have a Role assigned!

Prices?
Prices for my sessions are negotiable and I can guarantee, they fall onto the affordable part of the specter!
My coaching sessions are oriented and tailored to each student's specific needs, and they do cover everything from theory to live coaching, in-game mentality, etc.

Hi all! With less than 3 weeks until my Kickstarter "Let The Games Begin" launches, I thought I'd share with you how I run a Tavern Drinking Contest.
If you enjoy this and want to see more, sign up to get notified when the project launches at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/avasadventures/let-the-games-begin-50-mini-games-for-dandd-5e
Overview
Nothing riles up and excites a packed tavern quite like a drinking contest, especially when there are free drinks on the line. A row of eager competitors take their seats along the bar table, encouraged by their friends and companions.
Introducing the wide variety of beverages on offer, the barkeeper measures out the drinks and acts as arbitrator of the game to ensure fairness and civility. A rowdy crowd of drunken fools can quickly devolve into a bar brawl if not handled carefully.
Mug after mug is handed to each of the contestants, as they guzzle down the foamy liquid, continuing until only one person remains at the table. The game is a great event for merriment and a bit of gambling on the side. Hopefully, a cure for hangovers is available nearby.
Mechanics
Gathering at the table, each Player begins with one extra life to save them from elimination. The round of drinks is passed across, and each player rolls a Constitution Saving Throw. The game begins with a DC of 8 and increases for each round. If a Player fails the save, they lose their extra life and will be eliminated if they fail another round, through either vomiting, passing out, or calling it quits.
Throughout the game, the rounds increase in difficulty in increments of +1 and +2 to the DC. For example, the first round is DC 8, the second is DC 9, third is DC 10, but fourth jumps to DC 12. The last person remaining wins the game.
Variant Game
An alternative drinking game revolves around the different brands and intensity of alcoholic beverages. Here the objective is to be the first to reach 21 points. The points are acquired by successfully consuming different drinks without falling unconscious or throwing up. The value of the points correspond with the ferocity of the drink.
On a Player’s turn, they will decide which drink they will try to consume that round. With the drink in hand, the Player will roll a Constitution Saving Throw to determine if they successfully guzzle the booze or not. The DC is determined by the strength of the alcohol. If the Player succeeds, they are rewarded with the corresponding points, if they fail, they receive only half the points that round.

Drink Name	DC	Point Value
Ale	10	1
White Whistle	12	2
Red Dog	13	3
Barrage No. 4	15	4
Snake Brew	17	5
Nighty Night	20	6

With each failed Constitution Saving Throw, a contestant falls dangerously closer to unconsciousness. A Player has 3 strikes before they succumb to sleep and are eliminated from the game. Victory is achieved by being the first contestant to accumulate a total of 21 points.
The strategy of this drinking game lies in the balance of risking stronger drinks to reach the goal quicker, with avoiding falling unconscious too soon. If a Player only chooses the lighter beverages, they may accumulate points too slowly to win, or might be the only person left standing. There is also the factor of still receiving at least half points on a fail, to add into the strategy.

Recommended watch: XG vs Falcons game 1, G2.iG vs Liquid game 1
Note: No meta section because there were too few games. I included the portraits for G2.iG vs Spirit but I wasn't able to watch the series.

Lower Bracket Quarterfinals

Spirit vs Boom

https://preview.redd.it/hvg5ywry8b1d1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=bc480066d32d8f7ca8b14c2d90441ab0f9e33a4c
Both sides were neck and neck in terms of networth in the early to mid game despite Boom boasting a better kill count. The game turned in Spirit's favor in the 27th minute when the fight for the second Rosh saw Boom use their big ultimates and only got 1 support kill for it while they had 3 casualties including Naga & Enigma. Spirit would get the Aegis and most of the momentum. All 3 cores on Spirit would become huge while only Naga scaled well for Boom. The introduction of hex on Lina meant quick exterminations. The Pango was a recurring victim of Lina's fiery show. The Enigma was never given a chance to have a game-altering Black Hole. Boom on top of being beaten down by Slardar and Lina had an enormous Chrono problem which they don't have an answer for. Once all 3 cores on Spirit had their BKBs the fight went one way. This was an outmatch. Spirit 1-0 Boom.
https://preview.redd.it/jqxs06i19b1d1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=8f48387a825ae4a290bc5b5d928c9a72666d462b
Boom felt powerless against the onslaught that came their way. Bristleback, Dragon Knight, and Doom kept charging relentlessly. Boom tried to offer some resistance but they got run over. Pakazs' Gyro valiantly participated in the fights but he died in each one. Solar Bind & Corrosive Haze were countered by the upgraded Ink Swell. Yatoro's Bristle was unanswered and he had no problems taking his team to the next round. Spirit 2-0 Boom.

Liquid vs G2.iG

https://preview.redd.it/e7e99iq89b1d1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=961347ff80cf525c743bc78bd9e3f9340c23a394
This was a pretty back-and-forth game but it was Liquid who did most of the initiative. By the 52nd minute, Liquid had brought down 2 lanes of racks and were attempting to get Megas but they got deterred by G2.iG. Liquid still looked like they had the upper hand as their side had the necessary tools to shut down Weaver but all it took was one moment of brilliance in the mid lane where Weaver + Rapier & Disruptor with Aghs caught & killed 3 overzealous players. With no buyback on Monkey King, the Dire were able to demolish Radiant's base and get the dub. This was G2.iG snatching victory from what looked like a game Liquid should have won. G2.iG 1-0 Liquid.
https://preview.redd.it/r1h9pzxa9b1d1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=151e7862956d4536b61615f88c24136ca6c03642
This time around, the roles were reversed. Liquid were playing from behind and G2.iG were the ones on the front foot. Liquid tried the recipe from the previous game of buying a Divine Rapier on their carry (Luna) and it did deter the opponent momentarily but if you keep letting your opponents take multiple swings at you, one haymaker is bound to hit and knock you out. The Radiant were stuck in their base and the Dire had complete control of the map. G2.iG bided their time, waited for Roshan, and only sieged with an Aegis. With Mega Creeps, 3 obese cores, and only Luna being the real threat to their side, G2.iG waited for the Glyph to go down and simply went all in on the throne. There wasn't much Liquid could do except type gg. G2.iG 2-0 Liquid.

Falcons vs Xtreme Gaming, Upper Bracket Finals

https://preview.redd.it/uhku7byg9b1d1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=5e7e1e355ae14734658d37e150a2432428f29657
Things were looking grim for XG. Falcons won every lane. Bristleback was killed 3 times before 10 minutes. Falcons didn't let up. They kept hunting and they kept finding the fights. XG were relegated to responding to what Falcons were doing on the map. But somehow, Ame found his farm and one wrong jump on the Bristleback changed the complexion of the game. A smoke play from FLC at minute 25 ended as a disaster when they jumped Bristleback who was farming in his triangle. FLC were not able to bring anyone down in the chaos. XG took advantage and brought down 4 on the side of FLC. Falcons would learn their lesson and go for Bristle's teammates at the next hunt. FLC would find 3 successive kills on their next smoke play. In a 2v5 scenario, FLC tested the high ground and got a kill on Ame but they overstayed their welcome as the rest of XG respawned before they could take any significant objective. FLC could not exit cleanly and lost 3 lives. XG would then trade out their mid barracks + tier 2 top + their tormentor for an Aegis on Viper. The game became passive and this benefitted XG (Midas on Viper + Bane). Marci eventually got to her BKB and at that point, even Davion didn't want to mess with her. A skirmish in front of Radiant's Tier 3 ended up as a complete annihilation with Marci getting 3 kills. FLC then smoked up, only found Ame, and decided to have a go at him. They couldn't finish him off (déjà vu). Marci once again went for the Enigma to make sure no Black Hole could be used. It was a 4 for nothing and that was it. This is an incredible statement from XG. They lost all their lanes and were getting beat up early on but their resilience and ability to come back was a joy to watch (Having xinQ's Marci helps too). XG 1-0 FLC.
https://preview.redd.it/ozq57czi9b1d1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=fc98df6a449720bc8926e012c4338f777cce3422
I was hoping for a closer game but XG were just too good. Falcons didn't have as good of a start as game 1 and XG were more than happy to slowly take over. The Bane and Earthshaker were such good picks against the opposition. The Black Hole could be stopped from a distance. The Pango had to be careful with his positioning against the Fiend's Grip. The 3 cores on XG had incredible damage which synergized very well with the control of their supports. Ame had a relatively free game. Once he had his Daedalus, taking objectives and the lives of his enemies became a breeze. Falcons weren't given any openings so XG continued their unbeaten streak to 12 games. They have yet to drop a single game in this tournament. XG 2-0 FLC.

G2.iG vs Spirit, Lower Bracket Semifinals

I wasn't able to watch the games but it looks like Spirit gave them a drubbing.
https://preview.redd.it/q9wcn2en9b1d1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=0f43f4a050b07f1f1902c871aa61312cd053bd83
https://preview.redd.it/dmp99sxs9b1d1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=afca27f88a4d81eaa84cbdc790ad3e4ec54b57c5

Shoutout to this man for the second week in a row he was my Finals MVP in Unlimited for my ring. I suggest everybody grab him unless you’re an all DM I spend thousands of dollars on the game so there’s no room for him player. I still say even then he should have a spot on anybody’s roster even in that last spot.
I started shaky in Unlimited Friday had him out of my lineup after getting Glen and Jimmy. I said screw that I’m getting Korver back into my starting lineup…and since then I ended up winning 4 out of my next 5 games. He had 34 in a sweaty game against a guy that was going toe to toe against my Kyle with his Glen. Korver ended up getting the upper hand. I was running him off plays and then bombed a couple logo threes to ice the game when he was on fire. Lol
He might have the best release in 2k history IMO. He reminds of those old Klay Thompson cards that felt like they had this hidden tendency where they just don’t miss. Hes freaking amazing

So I am using the latest version of MO2 Linux and trying to manage Starfield but am having issues.
MO2 installs without issues but when I try to open it via launching the game on Steam I get the popup to select game and Starfield is not in the list at all and the MO2 browser I open to try and find Starfield actually does not allow me to browse for the Starfield install location as the MO2 File explorer does not allow me to display hidden files and directories.
Every single other BGS game gets detected flawlessly in MO2 Linux build and this build is said to support Starfield.
I would really like to be able to test mods I am working on on my linux machine but can not at the moment because of this which is slightly frustrating.

• (Short story time)

Might be hard to believe, but growing up I had never played a Zelda game (yes people like me exist haha) so I figured better to start late than never. I had recently found and dusted off my old 3DS I found in the back of the closet and took the opportunity to look at old games I missed out on growing up. As I combed through the 3DS' most popular games and people's recommendations, one that kept sticking out was "Ocarina of Time 3D", universally praised and ranked number one on a lot of people's lists. So as someone 26+ years late to the party, I thought I'd finally play my first Zelda game.
So far, I'm loving the game. It's fun and charming, the atmosphere is so nice and immersive, and I finally discovered all the iconic music and sound effects I've heard for YEARS in other stuff LOL. Currently I'm still early on in the game, just landed into the Royal Family's Tomb in Kakariko Village.

• (Main Topic - Me getting stuck)

I've got a huge question though, is the game supposed to be frustrating and hard to follow? I'm no stranger to these types of games and am used to exploring, backtracking and traveling, but I kept getting stuck ALOT.
In the beginning of the game at Kokiri village, I got stuck immediately. I was told to go find a "Sword and Shield" before I could see the great deku tree. So I went to the shop and bought a shield, and then thought "Well they got a stick for sale in here, so maybe that's the make shift sword for now?" but obviously that wasn't it. After running around the village more, I found the entrance to the The Lost woods. Being such a grand opening of an entrance I thought I was supposed to go in there to find a sword. After running around for 15 more minutes and getting lost over and over I realized this wasn't it either. So after running around the village more I found the crawlspace to learn how to dodge the moving boulder and found nothing again? But I figured that couldn't be it so I keep running around in circles and missed the chest THREE times because of the game's camera controls (maybe this is just a 3ds version issue?). Was I supposed to have a hard time finding the first sword? No one told me it would be at the back of town, behind a small crawlspace, past a moving boulder. The only clue I got was "You need a sword and shield to pass through here". I thought it honestly seemed more like a place to find a secret item, rather than an important story piece?
When I progressed to Hyrule Castle to try and see the princess, I got stuck again. During the portion where you have to sneak past the guards, I found the vines growing on the side of the wall. And after sneaking past to the side of the castle, I found an old guy sleeping? He wouldn't wake up no matter how many times I talked to him and I couldn't figure out what to do. So I thought I missed something and went back to town. When I couldn't find anything different in town I went back to the castle and noticed there was a girl named Malon standing next to the vines now. I talked to her and she said her dad fell asleep on his way to the castle during a delivery and asked if I could "wake him up". I thought "ah, now that I've talked to this girl I can wake up that guy". I did think it was really weird how she wasn't there before hand though, shouldn't she have been there the first time I tried to sneak in? Anyway I snuck to the side of the castle again and the guy WOULDN'T WAKE UP. I was super confused why he wouldn't wake up after I talked to Malon. After running around for 10 minutes and finding nothing, I decided to look up a guide. It turns out Malon gives you an egg, but only after you talk to her TWICE. She only gives you the important item you need if you speak to her again, after she finishes talking the first time?? Wouldn't it make more sense for her to say "hey can you wake up my dad if you find him? Also here is an egg" all in one? Why would I need to talk to her two times in a row for the progression item I need? Anyway, I got the egg and snuck past the guards again and when I made it to her dad it hatched into a chicken. I'm going to be real here, I got stuck again lol. I thought I would just talk to Malon's sleeping dad and he would finally wake up and I would give him a chicken as a gift? I knew chickens were animals in Zelda (and that you're never supposed to attack one) but it didn't even occur to me that the chicken in my inventory was an item to be equipped and used to wake up Malon's dad. I had to look at another guide for that one.
My third time getting stuck was after I talked to Zelda for the first time. After I talked to Zelda for the first time, I got to see the cool cutscene and spy on Ganon in the window. Afterwards, I get the Princess note thing and Zelda stops talking to me (I'm free to move around). At this point, I had been playing for over 2 hours so I saved and closed the game. When I came back to it later in the day, I was SUPER CONFUSED why I was back in Kokiri village. After looking it up, I get sent back there every time I save and close the game unless it's a dungeon?? Shouldn't that be a warning when you save?? "Warning, closing your game will have you awake in your bed in Kokiri village the next time you continue". I was really frustrated that I had to run back to Hyrule on foot, sneak past all the guards AGAIN, and then when I talked to Zelda I had to watch the cutscene AGAIN. It only took like 17 minutes, so it wasn't a huge deal but it was really frustrating how saving and closing the game made me lose progress.
The most recent time I got stuck was at the graveyard in Kakariko Village. After entering Kakariko village, I couldn't find anything to do since I couldn't progress into the mountain without the King's permission. I kept hearing about the graveyard though, so I figured that's where I should go next. I found the graveyard at the edge of town and read the gravestones one by one. When I got to the royal family's tomb some ghost popped out and I defeated them. The ghost told me some things and then disappeared afterwards. After that, I thought I was done in the graveyard, no chests, no branching paths, just the graveyard tour which I assumed was a minigame to get some rupees?. My train of thought was, okay so now maybe the king will be in town and I need to find him so he will give me permission to enter the mountain, I'll probably need to play my ocarina for him since Impa said the song will give me credibility for knowing the royal family. Guess who was wrong lol. I spent 30 minutes running around town checking every nook and cranny for something that would progress me forward. I gave up and looked at a guide again. Turns out I needed to play my ocarina at the royal family tomb to progress forward. Was I supposed to know to do that??? Did I miss some dialog at some point that tells me if I see a triforce symbol to play my ocarina on it? No one told me to do that. It seemed obvious when I thought about it, but there wasn't any tutorial or hints from Navi about it.

• (Conclusion)

Am I just incompetent?? Is progression in OOT supposed to be smooth sailing and I'm just fumbling the bag? I'm genuinely confused why I got stuck so many times this early on in the game. It's just really frustrating and disrupts the flow of what would other wise seem like a great story. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to keep playing, I love the gameplay and the visuals so far, plus it's kind of exciting since it's my first Zelda game. But man, is it supposed to be this frustrating for me? Are all Zelda games like this? Or is this just how games were in 1998? Am I just bad at this game? Lol