Since the Dissolution of the Liberal Party in 1965, the Republican Party has become the new home to much of its members, like Governors Nelson Rockefeller and George Romney; or Senator John Kennedy. The Republican Party, for all intents and purposes, has become a big tent coalition of fiscal conservatives, social conservatives, “mixed baggers”, and political moderates that don't fit the more progressive beliefs of the Labor Party. If the 1960 election for the Republicans was about moderating the former dixiecrats, the 1964 election is all about whether they can steer the party in a direction that would please most of the new voter blocs.

Former Vice President Richard Nixon

Vice President from 1961 to 1965 (Mixed Bagger)
The several-time candidate for both the Presidency and Vice Presidency, Richard Nixon is back again. Despite his history of electoral losses, he's been the only Republican on a winning Presidential ticket since 1945; as well as the last Republican Vice President since 1953. He is known to have served as a competent advisor to Margaret Smith during her Presidency (1961-1965); despite his mental state coming into question since the passage of the Executive Faculties Act of 1964. Nixon, despite being the beginning frontrunner for the nomination, rumors of mental instability hold him back as candidates like Rockefeller and Reagan enter the top contenders in January. Nixon has increasingly been flip-flopping on certain issues, particularly environmental issues, and overall failing to talk about his campaign strategy to the media.
Nonetheless, Nixon takes after former President Margaret Smith, who has since rejoined the Senate in 1967, by appealing to all mainstream blocs of the big tent Republican Party. While being unclear on the issue, he seems to lean more liberal with economic issues, though he has placed emphasis on the dangers of collapsing SMEs. Nixon has supported President Jackson's recognition and move toward détente with China, arguing that “Any enemy of the Soviet Union is an ally we need.”

Governor Nelson Rockefeller

Governor of New York since 1959 (Mixed Bagger)
A former member of the Liberal Party before its dissolution in 1965, Governor Nelson Rockefeller has been a main-stay of New York for 9 years, with no signs of stopping anytime soon. He has worked hard on the expansion of civil protections on top of supporting federal laws on the issue; including advocating for the NY State law that outlawed discrimination in the sale of all forms of insurance. Over the course of his governorship thus far, Rockefeller was expanded and built a large number of State Parks, and is expected to continue methods of conservation as President. On the conservative side, Rockefeller has always been a “law and order” man, advocating for stop-and-frisk, no-knock, and capital punishment laws; himself overseeing 14 executions as Governor until he signed a bill to outlaw most instances of the Death Penalty in 1965.
Rockefeller has increasingly fought for easier access to higher education and the building of Public Universities while Governor; on top of doubling primary and secondary schools statewide.

Governor Ronald Reagan

Governor of California since 1963 (Conservative Populist)
Former Hollywood actor and sitting Governor of California, Ronald Reagan has united much of the Conservatives and even a handful of moderates under his campaign so far. Appalled by the rise in taxes for middle class Americans under the Jackson administration, Reagan aims to appeal to the median voter by promising universal tax cuts, cutting “the fat” from government agencies, and “putting control of the market back into the hands of the people.” “Government spending is what nearly got us bankrupt seven years ago, and jacking up taxes isn't going to cut it,” Reagan said, “It's far too early to fund all of these massive programs, we need a stable debt situation before we should even consider spending our tax dollars into feeding those that refuse to work for it, like the rest of us.”
Reagan campaigns on a strong NATO, arguing for the need to readmit France as soon as possible, “lest they stumble into the next Warsaw Pact luncheon.” In an interview with ABC News while campaigning in April for the nomination, he stated, “The Soviet Union is neither for the people, nor by the people. It's an evil empire, that's what it is. And what are we doing about it? Scoop [Jackson] campaigned on making our country stronger and dominant. Look where we are, driving France away from us and making deals with the People’s Republic [of China].” He would continue, saying, “No other candidate is taking the Soviet threat seriously, we must treat it and its allies like we did Nazi Germany; surround and threaten until it gives-way.”

Governor George Wilcken Romney

Governor of Michigan since 1963 (Moderate)
Despite Romney's lack of concrete foreign policy, his accomplishments as Governor of Michigan and domestic policy dominate the moderate bloc of the party. Endorsed by former presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Margaret Smith during his governorship, Romney had handedly won reelection as Governor three times. A strong supporter of Civil Rights, he is known for his strong enforcement of the Civil Rights Act of 1956, and a big proponent in keeping the Steel Belt's black vote away from entirely going to the Laborites in 1960. Overall, he has supported greater access to public accommodations, expansion of civil rights and protections; as well as advocated for better and climate-friendly urban expansion.
His looks and midwestern accent helped gain support in the early primaries, but has become noticeably gaffe-prone on camera. His ties to the Church of Latter-day Saints has held him back quite a bit, facing much backlash from well beyond the Conservative wing of the party. His country of birth, Mexico, has also caused his candidate eligibility to be under question. Nonetheless, Romney goes on making speeches arguing in favor of “American multiculturalism”; even releasing his tax returns to the public. A statement such as that has proved quite popular with the average voter, and no other candidate has yet to follow him in releasing their own tax returns.
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I’ve always always wanted a beard but I’ve had to settle with what resembles a chinstrap for the longest time, I’m 21 currently and I’ve always had an issue filling this area under my chin. I understand that’s where most of my face fat would be in regards to beard area but I just want to make sure it’s still a possibility and maybe this area just takes longer to see growth. My beard’s been slowly thickening, I used to have something that resembled elvis presleys killer burns but the chin strap connected and the line thickened, I assume my beard can still fill in but I’m losing hope and patience 😂 (Beard hair recently trimmed, just derma rolled the area I’m talking about so at least you know where to look at 😂) Be nice, I know this isn’t a flattering angle lol

I think my face shape has always been like a square, but I don’t know what kind of hair fits it. I’m also aware that the left side of my face is a lot more bloated compared to the right side. I’m hoping to draw attention away from the asymmetry of my face shape. Any advice on what hairstyle I should go for?

Hello again everyone, I’ve decided to put the baking tips here this time. This is one that has been a huge help for me when it comes to cutting cakes. It’s much easier and cleaner to cut a cake when it’s been chilled for a few hours. So, once your cake has baked and firmed up in the pan (about 15-20 minutes, you want to make sure it’s set but still slightly malleable), take it out, let it come to room temperature, and then cover with foil or plastic or something to prevent it from drying in the fridge. Let it cook for a few hours to finish solidifying, and then cut. Also, if you have the means, a sheet cake cooks and cools a lot faster and more evenly and a cutter can be used to make perfect even circles.
Now, it’s a bit strange to start with the baking tips, I know. But, those are saved as a reward for making your way through my ramblings about youth and glory and adventures. This time, I wanted to put it here as a sort of apology for what’s to come. The last two stories have been very positive, very upbeat, very fun. However, the next century of my life I’m about to share with you all…
I wouldn’t blame any of you if you looked at me differently, I’ll just say that.
I’ll stop beating around the bush, and get right to the point.
So, my immortality was secure, I’d have my perfect body for as long as time existed or until I was killed by a stronger, more capable opponent. I had a good group of friends who knew they could depend on me whenever they needed help with something, and I got to kick the ass of a lich! I had accomplished so much in just over 100 years of life, and now I had a supposedly infinite amount of it to spare if I played my cards right! I felt unstoppable, and wanted to help others like I had helped my companions.
I became a mercenary, a witch for hire for adventures that might be too dangerous for parties. I stopped lying about my strengths, making sure it was known I held Master rank in two magic fields. Most people do not like to play the role of support, and it’s never a bad idea to have extra healing, so I started to hone my craft in Healing and Protection magic as well. I was a force to be reckoned with, and I would make sure the world knew it!
I had wished to continue adventuring with my previous companions, but each of them had decided to take their own path in life. Har decided to take a more involved approach with his church, Ralin returned home to overtake her brother as chief of her clan, and Vex was heading back to the mountains to further hone her building expertise and learn to become an artificer for enchanting! It was sad parting ways, we had been together for such a short time but we had accomplished something so impressive! Oh well, that’s life, you know? I made them promise to keep in touch, and we did for the most part! Har became a bit hard to reach at times due to moving around, so it was always a treat to see him when I could.
Anyways, I soon began to gain some fame. I was a topic of conversation now who had been promoted to expert in the matter of a month after I helped some newbies on their quests. I was someone who everyone knew was dependable and talented. Best of all, I was a cutie, and everyone loves to have a cute witch on their team!
I had all but abandoned my previous life’s calling in favor of glory seeking, which is something I still look back on with regret. I was becoming more selfish, more focused on building myself up instead of using my powers for the good of those who might not be able to ever have access to these powers. The Phoenix Rebirth had become a popular spell among us in the community, though, so people were still getting help. I had published it free to all magic shops, all magical teachers, even sent the entire process and methods for casting it through the OrbNet before I left to go on my mission to fight the lich. I just wanted to be sure it was in the world, pending the potential worst. It was at a huge loss, but it has now become the platform by which a lot of Gender spells are cast, so it was all worth it.
My time as an adventurer was amazing, I met so many cool people, fought so many horrifying and awesome beasts, even got to kiss a dragon! They don’t have lips, so it’s not the best kiss, but it’s still something worth bragging about. I felt so good helping people in a different way, and I was becoming more and more popular through the years. I was now Catherine, Lady of Flames, Master of Forms, a stable in the adventuring party call list. It felt amazing.
The excitement lasted for about 15 years of being called to help on missions, but then it was quickly soured after a single mission. Nobody mentions this, but once you become a powerful enough fighter, you start to garner the attention of those in need of protecting. This is definitely not a bad thing, especially when it is someone who is in genuine need of it, but that is not usually the case. Particularly, you garner the attention of the wealthy, who believe all problems can be solved with money. I would liken them to devils or demons, but that isn’t fair to them…devils and demons at least have codes they follow.
Anyways, one such noble approached me. Well, not actually her, one of the elves she had employed in her service. Her name was Duchess Cordelia, Lady of Farlon, Heir to the Rose Throne, Daughter of Zavier Goradel and Collector of Fine Arts. Yes, she made you say each one of those every time you addressed her, and in the correct order. She was…there’s a word I don’t like to use to describe her, a word that to me is very offensive but to others means nothing. I’m sure you can guess the word of which I speak, I simply refuse to say it outloud. She was, though, and a massive one at that.
She had called upon me after an omen in the sky had warned her of an invasion by some of the forces of hell. It was something we all saw, and while it was a terrifying experience, I’m not going to pretend it wasn’t the coolest and most spectacular shit I had ever seen. Whoever had cast it had placed some illusion magic to make the sun look like a flaming skull that called specifically her and her family out. I still remember what it said because it was just that cool.
‘Cordelia, Zavier, Helena…you have toyed with forces beyond your control, and for that you will be punished…My legions will march on your town, turning it and everything your pathetic hands have dared to touch into naught but a fine ash. You cannot stop me. You cannot persuade me. You cannot survive…’ and then it was over, the sun was back to normal. Fucking baller move, right? That’s how you threaten some assholes’ life!
So, I was called, along with Magnus Haradel and Desdamona Torres. Magnus was another high ranking member of the guild, an older Drow chap who still remains the most talented sword wielder I’d ever seen. His white hair was always tied into a neat bun, and he dressed simply. His armor was enchanted, but looked similar to any generic armor you could buy. He held a very respectable air about him, a sense of power that told anyone he could easily defeat them, but a calming sense that assured them he would only do it if he was threatened.
Mona was an alchemist who concocted and brewed the strangest potions I had ever seen. Some of them would cause an opponent to explode, some would freeze them in place, some when opened and poured onto the ground summoned these giant venus fly-trap looking creatures with razor sharp teeth that would devour whatever she commanded. She was a half-goblin, parents being a full goblin and an elf. Their genes worked together very well, because Mona herself was truly stunning. She has black hair, lime green skin, and wore a long back robe that flowed down her slender body. More impressive, however, was that she was Archmage levels in her Alchemical field, the highest one could get back in the day.
It was our job to protect Cordelia and her parents, Zavier and Helena. They would not share any information with us about what they had done, how it had pissed something off, or what to expect, but they did tell us we’d be ‘handsomely compensated should you survive’. Assholes…we needed information to do our job! Holes in information leads to holes in strategy, holes in strategy leads to unnecessary risk, and unnecessary risk leads to uncertainty and potential death! Ugh, whatever, it was just one job, then hopefully we’d never have to deal with them again and they’d descend into obscurity.
So, the job was set. Magnus, Mona and I got better acquainted with each other and started to plan our defensive means and offensive responses. We had no idea what we were facing, how many it would be, where it would be coming from, or when! We had one of the five answers we desperately needed, so we had to do the best we could. Magnus suggested we employ the help of additional adventurers; clerics, paladins and the like who are good at protecting and supporting. Their job would be to round up the town to a safe location and watch over them until one of us gave the all clear. Mona and I agreed, and I decided to spread the word that the people needed to be taken to safety and guarded until whatever was going to happen had happened; he did threaten the entire population, so better to be safe.
Mona started to lay a protective parameter around the Goradel mansion in the form of explosive concoctions that seeped into the ground and bottles of Acid Arrow that, when broken, would attack the nearest hostile creature. She had also managed to brew a few potions of invisibility for the townsfolk, given the guards potions of strength, mana regeneration, health regeneration and spell boosting, and gave herself, myself and Magnus potions of regeneration, potions of Free Casting (basically downing one allows you just have a reserve of mana to pull from without worry), and potions of Iron Skin that would give us amazing defense without slowing us down. She was a really, really talented Alchemist, even crazier was that she was only 30, very young for a half-elf/half-goblin. She definitely had a gift.
I, meanwhile, decided to try something new. I had been toying around with a few things in my off-time, and with my knowledge of Shifting Magics I decided to try out something that could prove beneficial. I had come across many beasts in my time, some of them easy to understand and study, others so wildly complicated that it took me years of dissecting, studying and charting to get a solid understanding of what the hell was going on internally. I had taken some lessons from Grandmaster and Archmage Shifter’s who were willing to teach, and with enough practice I was finally able to harness the form of other, less common creatures! I had mastered the standard offensive animal forms like tiger, wolf, bear and eagle, but didn’t know how dangerous our targets were going to be, so I decided that we needed to go hard, fast, and leave no possible room for error.
I downed the two bottles of Free Casting that Mona has brewed, and began my shift. I had again mixed my Phoenix Rebirth with these form changes, so the only pain I was receiving was to my mana pools. However, thanks to Mona’s amazing abilities, I was able to shift without trouble!
I got down on all fours, and soon my size began to expand. My teeth turned from their normal human color to a stained and dark brown. My face started to extend forward into a muzzle, my teeth being replaced by sharp, deadly fangs. My canines extended further than the rest, creating a deadly row of fangs. My lips retracted back, and my face began to turn scaly and red as my face became more and more canine. The only thing unchanged on my face was my eyes, as they were my Keepsake (many Shifters have a certain aspect of themselves they keep permanent, no matter what, to remind themselves of their true form).
The scales continued down, a large, fleshy tail sprouting from my back and extending out. From snout to tail, I was now 30 feet in size, but I was not yet finished. The scales extended down my whole body, but they looked more like regular sinew and flesh as my body was covered in a protective coat of blood red scales. My legs began to crack and bend as muscle appeared to support my now larger weight and size, and my toes extended a double set of claws on each foot. The form was complete, now for one final touch.
All across my red tail, bones began to jut out like my sharpened fangs, covering it from my hindquarters to the very tip of my tail. It was definitely an easy target should something decide to attack my tail, but the shards and spikes allowed me to slice through weaker enemies that dare to try. Even better, I could slam my tail against the ground to loosen some of the shards and fling them towards my target. I was a true beast, an imperfect dragon known as a fanged drake. While not near as strong as a true dragon, I had seen first-hand the damage and strength they possess, and now it was all mine. Magic was a bit harder to cast in this form, but I still had access to Apprentice level Pyromancy and some support spells like Enhance Speed, Feather Fall and Enhance Ability.
The stage was set, we were ready to fight whatever came our way. Magnus had enchanted his greatsword with every enchantment he could cast without overloading it, Mona held potions in her hands, and I stood at the front, smoke coming from my body as I waited. We were ready, we were going to defend these poor villagers and the shitty people who barely even gave a shit about their safety!
We waited, and waited, and waited. Seems I had used my change too early, and turning back would just be a waste of mana, so I decided to travel into town and help with carrying or leading others to safety. I had modified the vocal cords of this beast to be more in-line with standard humanoid ones, so it allowed me to speak. It was just not very fun, given my voice was incredibly gruff and deep due to the creature's size. I ran to the guards, my now muscular legs allowing me to jump great distances, my long claws able to help me climb with relative ease. It didn't take long to find the groups and their protectors as they were leaving town.
I jumped down to check and make sure everything was okay, and even got to meet Har again! He looked so much more mature, his black hair and green eyes showing a bit of age, but it seemed he was happy. We used a few minutes of walking time to catch up, and I got to hear all about his journey.
After our mission, he made it his job to find undead who had been driven mad, and help them see the light again. He had seen many undead who had been brought back against their will, and many who suffered purely because they weren't allowed a choice in their rest being disturbed. He had helped them find peace, shown them the light of Theia, his goddess, and allowed them to return to their peaceful slumber in their designated afterlife. He had even married the cute man at the bar that I had convinced him to chat up, and they had a daughter named Athena! Apparently she was 7 years old and the sweetest thing, according to Har. I told him he better let me visit her once this was all over, and he happily accepted.
Our sweet reunion was cut short, however, as the clouds in the night sky started to swirl and gather. Once again we saw the decrepit and harrowing skull that we had seen yesterday appear again. Except, this time it didn't talk. It merely let out an ear-splitting screech that rattled your very soul. A few of the people were so terrified they had fainted, so I yelled at them to carry all they could, and run! Fast! They were quick to agree, those who could carry grabbing the unconscious and those from my back with haste so that I could rush back to the mansion.
I arrived right in the nick of time to see absolute hell spewing from the mouth of this skull. We heard horrid shrieks and cries of birds, the hissing roars of giant snakes, and the unholy screams of Abyssal Spiders.
The birds were like Corvids, but towering in height. They easily reached 30 feet in size, their beaks sharpened and rigged with teeth-like bumps running down the entirety of their beaks. Their eye sockets were sunken and shallow, small eyes giving off a haunting and piercing glow. Parts of their body showed their exposed, fleshy bodies underneath. Their skin was red, and covered with scars, exposed bone and sinew from what looked to be countless battles.
The snakes were unlike anything I've ever seen, they were black and blue striped, with arms and legs, and stood upright! They were not as tall as the Corvids, only measuring 15 feet tall, but they possessed a whip-like tail that flowed almost the same length as their bodies. Their mouths oozed a green venom that coated their fangs, and their necks were able to flare into hoods like a cobra.
Finally, were the spiders. Along with being giant, like the size of a Clydesdale giant, they possessed hundreds of eyes across their entire body. Their fangs dripped with venom, and thick hairs were present across their entire bodies. Each hair on their back was able to pierce skin and inject with the same poison in their fangs, and their webs were known to carry a necrotic slime that would eat away at skin.
We definitely had our work cut out for us, this horde of creatures was coming right for the Goradel residence and they were ready to kill anything and everything in their path. The crows rushed through, their massive size crushing smaller houses and easily breaking through larger ones that were in their way. The spiders simply crawled over them, leaving a trail of webs and venom in their wake, and the snakes…apparently their tails were going to be quite the problem, as not only were they long, they were sharp enough to slice trees, wildlife and building cleanly with just a single slice of the tail.
We were truly, without a doubt, up a fucking creek with this one.
We sprang into action as quickly as we could. We saw our foes pouring out, and our objective was simple protection of the village, her people, and the asshole nobles that caused all this. I ran right towards the spiders, knowing that they were the threat that could cause the most damage with their necrotic webs and flesh-melting venom. The smoke coming from my mouth started to turn black as I approached one of them, letting out a blast of fire from my mouth that quickly set it and its attempted web in flames. It shrieked as it skittered and writhed in pain, trying to attack me in retaliation. I was quick to slice one of its legs off with my claws, and sink my teeth into the back of its head. It gave a few more twitches and finally fell still.
I threw it to the side as I continued doing my best to draw them towards a common area, minimizing the potential risk of them running out of town and tracking down the other parties currently in hiding. It worked very well, as once they notice a threat, they will continue to attack! The problem was, it worked very well, and once they noticed a threat they would continue to attack until it died! The horde of spiders was gaining on me, all I could do was use some flames to burn the webs they attempted to ensnare me with and use my claws to slice any that came from the front. I was not doing well by any means, but I was now at least within sight of my companions.
My joy was quickly cut short as I felt a burning string of web wraps itself around my tail. I had gotten careless, and was definitely paying the price. If you’ve never been hit by necrosis, allow me to explain the feeling as best I can. Imagine a hot knife being thrust deeper and deeper into your body and feeling your cells, muscles, tendons and fat dying around it. Not just cut, or severed, dying with little chance to repair it without some heavy magic. If it goes around a vital part, like a shoulder, leg or neck, you will start to slowly feel yourself losing all feeling as it just falls. It’s a truly horrible experience, avoid it if you can.
This is to say, I was currently in for absolute hell as I felt this experience being run through the part of my tail that carries most of my projectile spikes. I could feel each tendon snapping, my skin burning away, and the discs of my now expended spine starting to crack and rip. I had to make a choice, fast. My desperation led me to only one single solution; I knew the tail had to go.
With a pained howl I raised my claws, and sliced clean through the tail on my back. I cannot explain how truly horrible of an experience this was, mostly because I think my mind has blocked it out to protect itself. It fell to the ground with a wet squelch, blood pouring out of the open wounds on my back. I sent a breath of flame onto the spider and his silk, and sent another onto my nubbed tail. Again, another experience I believe my mind has blocked out to protect itself!
Don’t get hit by necrosis, kids.
I ran to Mona, who was currently being swarmed by a group of Corvids, and offered my assistance. I was pissed, I was angry, and I wanted to kill! As one of them dived down, I jumped onto its chest and sunk my fangs directly into its neck. It let out a pained screech as I felt its blood fill my mouth, my claws wildly slashing at its chest through skin, flesh, bone, whatever I could scrap and slice, I did. I had truly let this creature’s feral nature take over my mind for the time being, but I did not give a damn, we needed to win.
The beast fell back to the ground, and I let out another challenging roar to the other beasts nearby. My claws and fangs erupted in flames as I continued to wildly attack the ones threatening Mona, knowing I needed to protect her as she concocted and threw brew after brew onto what she could. Magnus was doing absolutely amazing, without a doubt the best of us. He was handling the snakes by himself, expertly dodging and slashing at them each time they tried to grab him, bite him, slice with their tails, or trample him. He would wait for them to attack and in the blink of an eye, whatever they tried to attack him with would be gone. Heads, tails, legs and arms started to litter the ground near him as he showed absolute power and authority.
Mona, meanwhile, had been mixing something special while I distracted the snakes and corvids. Her alchemical traps had mostly been activated already, melted and bubbling piles of what were some of our enemies scattered through the warzone. She yelled at me to give her a boost, and I managed to snap free from my feral state. She held something in her hands I cannot even begin to describe. It was completely dark, but…empty. The energy that came from it was unlike anything I have ever seen since, it was like staring into the nothingness of space while being surrounded by it on all sides. She slammed it onto the ground, and the darkness surrounded her.
Flesh and feathers from the Corvids started to break from their destroyed and lifeless bodies, attaching itself to her back and clothes. One of their skulls burst into pieces as it flew towards her, reassembling itself onto her face in a makeshift mask. Their bones and talons began to collect into her hands, and within a matter of seconds she was holding a powerful, pulsating scythe. In that moment I saw something I truly hope to never see again. I saw death. The truest form of death was standing before me, and its energy chilled my very soul. I could feel the contempt the energy had for me, as if it knew I had extended my life outside of its natural reach.
She ordered me to come, and I knew I had to obey. I grabbed her with my fangs, and placed her onto my back. Her body was cold, I was terrified of what I saw before me, but so was everything else. I felt a hand rest onto my head, and I could feel…warmth. Mona reassured me that it was going to be okay, and pointed her scythe forward. I collected myself again, and sprinted towards our enemies.
Mona sliced and slashed them each with one clean swipe from that scythe, each of them falling dead in our path. I used my flames to burn any webs that had been placed, focusing on the ground while she focused on taking down these enemies with the grace and power of a god. As I saw this, I truly understood how far the gaps between Master and Archmage truly were when it came to the arcane arts. I still had so much to learn…
Our combo attacks came to a screeching halt, however, as we heard a pained scream from behind us. We both looked to where Magnus was, and we could see that he had been injured. One of the snakes had managed to sink its tail through his shoulder, and another currently had its fangs embedded into his side. We let out a scream as we charged towards them as they bit, stabbed, and slashed poor Magnus. I tackled one of the snakes off, sinking my burning fangs into its neck and ripping its head off in one solid motion. Mona jumped from my back, holding her hand out as she said…something, and the snake was turned to dust.
Magnus fell to the ground, howling in pain as he regained his footing. I cried out that he needed to be healed immediately, and begged Mona to throw him something from her belt. He paid me no mind, and just ran back into the fight. He was so badly injured, but that did not stop him for a second. He continued fighting as if nothing had happened, and we knew we had to do the same.
The fight lasted for hours, the hordes of enemies seeming endless. The town had been turned to rubble at this point, any signs of life save for the Goradel mansion had vanished from this now tarnished and barren land. As the sun rose on the next day, we saw the warzone in fresh light. Mona had returned to normal, her breathing short and labored as she laid on the ground. I had turned back to normal, wounds covering my body and in desperate need of healing, but I didn’t care. I saw Magnus sitting on the corpse of one of the Corvids, a cup of ale in his hand and blood pouring from him. I rushed to him, begging him to let me help him, but he just shook his head.
He took a long, slow sip of his ale, let out a deep sigh and motioned for me to sit with him. I got down as best I could, every instinct telling me to heal me, but he continued to refuse. Eventually he spoke as we stared at the sunset. ‘Catherine,’ he said to me, ‘everyone has a torch to burn. Some burn longer than others, and we don’t get to decide how long they burn…’ He leaned against his sword with a smile, taking one last sip of ale. I asked him what the hell he was talking about, but as I looked at him, I could tell…
He was gone…
The light had gone from his eyes, but that smile remained on his face. As I saw this, all I could do was cry. I had lost people before in my life, but I was always able to help the ones that could be helped from injuries! I just hugged him as I sobbed, and sobbed, and sobbed. Even worse was having to heal Mona back to consciousness with the remainder of my magic and share the news with her. We cried together; we hadn’t known each other for more than a day, but we all held a deep respect for each other. Knowing that we had failed him and caused his demise, the town being destroyed, our barely achieved victory…none of it felt worth it in the end.
As we cried, we heard the doors to the Goradel manor open. Out stepped Zavier, Cordelia’s father. He looked at the scene, nodding as he saw our handiwork and commended us. ‘Weren’t there three of you?’ he asked as he looked at us with such lack of regard. ‘Magnus…he’s dead…’ Mona said as I helped her up, wiping the tears from her eyes. ‘Hm, pity…very well, would you like his share? We had already set aside 3 payments, we will split it between you both should you wish’. I still don’t know why what he said caused me such anger, but I could feel my blood boil. Our comrade that had been one of the best members of the guild, the one who had fought to defend his worthless ass, the reason he was standing here right now and not a pile of meat being devoured by beasts didn’t even give a shit that he was gone!
‘This isn’t fair’, I thought to myself, ‘we protected them and they are treating us like pawns!’ Mona could tell I was getting angry, so she answered that we’d take his share and have it sent to our accounts at once. She pulled me away from this pitiful excuse for a human, and I just screamed in anger. She told me that she agreed, that it wasn’t fair to Magnus, or us, or the people of this village, but that we couldn’t let his sacrifice be in vain. With his share of the cash and ours, we could afford to build a new settlement for the displaced of this village. She managed to talk me down from my anger, she was really talented like that. I took a few deep breaths, patted my cheeks, and nodded. It would be better to use the money for good in Magnus’ honor, all the stories I had heard of his exploits usually ended with him donating a large portion of his earnings to those affected by disasters such as this.
Mona left to inform the survivors that the victory had been achieved, but at the loss of Magnus. While she did that, however, I began to plan. I don’t know if it was the loss of a comrade, the pain still coursing through my body, the stress and trauma of what we had just gone through, but letting it go was not an option for me at this point. I knew I had to show these fuckers torment, I knew that they needed to pay for the callous disregard for anyone who wasn’t themselves. So, I gathered samples. I had a bag of holding on my side and began to stuff it with the bodies of our defeated enemies. The spiders had all been burned and crushed beyond study, but many of the Corvids and Serpents were still able to be studied and understood. Once I had my samples, I looked at Magnus with more tears.
I was going to avenge him, I was going to show these rich pieces of crap just how insignificant they were, and I was going to make sure they paid the price…
There was no way I could carry his body with my strength, he was far too bulky for me, so I used my magic to carry him. Even with my weakened state I couldn’t stop myself from giving him a proper burial. He deserved it, he deserved so much more than what he got. I summoned a shovel into my hands, and began to dig. I think I made it about 3 minutes of digging before my body finally gave up on me, and I fell. I don’t remember much of what happened after that, I guess I had passed out from exhaustion.
When I awoke, I heard Har’s voice calling to me. I was so tired, my body aching and burning in such pain as I tried to move every muscle I could. I looked up, and we were in a cemetery. I could see Magnus’ body laying in a now dug grave, dressed in his elegant but simple armor, eyes closed and mouth still holding that same smile as I had seen before. A ward of protection was currently being cast around his burial grounds, designating this land as sacred ground that could not be touched by any means. No necromancer could get to his body, and no thieves could rob him of his belongings. I was sitting next to a patched up and tired looking Mona, and we both just sobbed gently as we watched him being buried.
Hundreds had gathered to pay their respects, all of those that Magnus had saved, protected, worked with, allied, even some who I later came to learn saw him as a rival. All of them were paying their respects to this true paragon of an adventurer, and all I could think about was getting revenge for him…
Ah, sorry, I didn’t realize how long I had been sending through the OrbNet. It might be best to end this part of my life here for the time being. Thank you again for reading, if you managed to find an old witch’s story interesting. Once I work up the courage to share the next part with you all, I hope you will continue to view me in a positive light. You will hear things that…well, you’ll see. Thank you for your time, I love you all, my siblings in the arcane.

Great breakfast to start the day! My waitress was working so hard to make sure I was happy. One of the fastest waiters I’ve had. Kept filling my orange juice on time and was very nice. Made sure to leave my gratuity by saying thank you.
Didn’t tip. Made sure to outline a FAT ZERO on the receipt. I wont fall for that tipping scam everyone gets tricked into. Always leaves a smile on my face when I save a few dollars.

[Self-note: (///) 3 slashes means a scene change] "...I came to this city just a few months ago… and I'm from…" Rakvill".
Everyone gazed at Abhi with a stunned look, which was continued by a period of absolute silence, making the atmosphere feel almost deafening. There was no sound inside a room full of dozens of people. Even then one could not even hear the ticks of a clock, because it seemed as if time itself had frozen over….
Ms. Oxlong expresses a subtle smirk, and suddenly speaks up and breaks the eerie silence.
"Okie Dokie, so we are finally finished with the introductions, so let's start with our history lecture, for today I and all other subject teachers will just give you the schematics of their respective subject's curriculum".
The class got to writing down the teacher's instructions, but all of them were still subtly observing Abhi like vultures eyeing their prey. The reveal of him being from the one place anyone was forbidden from entering or leaving was unforgettable. The class went through the day but the gossip about Abhi didn't stop. Near the end of the fifth hour-long period, the gossip had calmed down but wasn't dormant.
Ding! Tring! Tring! A 1-hour break starts as the 5th period comes to an end. Students were told to leave in an orderly cue rather than rush outside of the class. All students followed this rule, well except Veer, Kevin, and Dep. The same kids who made the 'triangle of disturbed faces' rushed outside as soon as the recess bell rang. Unlike them, Abhi decided to follow the protocol and leave the class In an orderly manner.
While walking towards the exit, Abhi suddenly gets pushed and crashes against the blackboard and falls down hard. It looked like a fat kid pushed Abhi.
"Oh hey, didn't see you there." Said the fat kid with a subtle grin on his face.
"It's alright." Said Abhi as he moved forward his hand, so he could be assisted in getting up.
"Hmph." Instead of helping Abhi stand up, the fat kid just snorted a condescending laugh and went out the exit ignoring Abhi and leaving his hand hanging in the air.
"Welp, it is what it is." Said Abhi to himself while getting up on his own.
Abhi reached the hallway, and for a minute he just stood there, sometimes even losing his balance and shaking heavily; suddenly his eyes sparked with a sense of purpose. He then turned left, walked past a few crossways, turned left again, and then finally turned right.
"I guess the washrooms are easy to find". After Abhi was done with his business in the washroom. He found the school's kitchen and lunchroom as easily as he found the washroom…. Almost too easily.
Kolar was a Giant establishment; sometimes even the people working there were lost in the maze of its corridors, but that didn't seem to be a problem for Abhi.
Kolar served a free "Mid-Day Meal" to all of its subjects. The students didn't have to bring their own food, but as Kolar was a school filled with privileged rich kids, most of them brought their own food. The free food was great, Kolar kids were tripping. Abhi collected the community plates and the Mid-day meal from the kitchen and walked into the lunchroom.
As he was walking, other students placed their bags on empty chairs or shifted their chairs away if Abhi came near their table in an attempt to disprove his sitting with them. The rumors had spread, and Abhi was now not only infamous in his class but also in the entire school for being from Rakvill. Abhi didn't seem to notice this and kept walking. He was walking even though his legs were wobbly and he was moving in a way that lacked any resemblance of direction or balance and yet still his eyes displayed a sense of purpose almost as if he knew where he was going.
///
"Can you believe what just happened!?"
"Holy crap I was so scared."
"I know right, I almost thought he was onto us."
Said Veer, Dep, and Kevin respectively. They were sitting under a large old tree which had an elevated stone plateau covering its roots. The plateau acted as a bench for them to eat lunch at. This place was in an unpopular spot on the outskirts of the HS Kolar campus. The three of them had taken this spot as their secret meeting place.
"When out of nowhere the President said that. I almost shat my pants." Said Veer in a frantic yet relieved tone.
"Yeah, and to top it all the camera was zoomed to his eyes…. It felt like he was looking into my soul, I'm feeling chills just thinking about it." Said Dep.
"I wasn't scared or anything but I was surprised too yeah," said Kevin, in a pretty… unconvincing tone.
"Ha-ha, sure buddy," replied Dep while laughing at his unconvincing claim.
"Anyways, I don't think he was talking about us." Veer intervened.
"Ha-ha, if he really knew about us researching the 'Incident 99' of Rakvill we would've been in Jail by now." Replied Kevin.
"Yeah, but forget that and get serious. Dep, did you transcribe everything the president was saying?" Said Kevin.
"Sure did, as soon as the President was done greeting us, I immediately got to work." Replied Dep while she pulled out a sheet of paper from her school bag with some… scribbles. No writing, some writing on it...
"Great work. Let's analyze what that bozo had to say." Said Kevin.
"Ok but let's keep it down, someone might hear us," Dep told Kevin.
"Now, why in God's Green Earth would the goddamn president of the country tell such a critical piece of information to a bunch of students. Also, your handwriting sucks ass Dep." Said Veer while looking at the transcription paper.
"Shut up! Or you can become the transcriber." Said Dep while scrunching her eyes and looking at Veer.
"Shhh! You are the one who told us to keep it quiet. Anyways he really tried to say that the freaking government needs help from a bunch of teenagers to "collect information". Who the hell is going to buy that." Said Kevin.
"I know right, it seems so fishy, like why was this video so well made? It came with all the well-researched graphics and visuals one could find, wasn't this supposed to be some kind of emergency message? It's so obvious that it's propaganda." Said Veer while laughing in an irritated and smug manner.
"Let's be honest, most of them are still going to blindly believe in the president and try to unironically act like some kind of agents doing research to save the country. Said Dep while grimacing.
"Ha-ha what a bunch of NPCs." Said Veer. "Wait, isn't that exactly what we are doing though?" Said Kevin.
"Well, now that you say it like that…. Didn't we start our research by calling ourselves the 'Agents of Information abduction'." Said Dep while laughing at herself upon seeing the irony.
"Ha-ha. Let's just not think about that… Anyways, let's go through the transcription chronologically to research clearly. Also, give me some of that Paneer Tikka Veer." Said Kevin while licking his lips like it was his first time seeing food.
All 3 of them were sitting in a triangle on top of the bench with the Tree in the middle, their tiffins were in the middle. They were sharing each other's meals and enjoying each other's snacks while talking.
"Alright, so to start off he tells everyone the war with Pakistan is not truly over or at least the danger isn't over, and that we are still in danger of getting attacked by freaking terrorists." Dep Narrates the transcription while paraphrasing it.
"Why would you risk instilling fear in some teenage students like this, there has to be a special reason behind the president telling us about this." Said Kevin.
"Agreed, I have a theory that this whole video was made TO instill fear. Fear wasn't a negative byproduct but the desired outcome. I don't have anything to base it off of as it's just a hunch, but a strong hunch I'll tell you that much." Replied Veer while chomping down some of his Paneer Tikka.
"Also, if we take the president's claims that this is being revealed for that "task of collecting information" seriously, why would he tell all the details to a bunch of 11th graders? Kolar has branched into being a university as well, wouldn't it be a far better idea to only let the students over 18 hear this? Why would he involve us minors?" Said Dep while also chomping down some of Veer's Paneer Tikka.
"Also, the forces of both Pakistan and India tried their best to push Incident 99 under the rug. Seems weird for the two countries going at all-out war to stop and cooperate to cover up something and then just a few months later the president tells a bunch of students that the war really isn't over yet... what the hell?" Said Kevin while also chomping down some of Veer's Paneer Tikka.
"For real, this has some deeper agenda behind it. Also, what do you guys think about the agents spread over the entire city? That seems like a good excuse to make his claim about us being in danger sound more genuine. AND LEAVE SOME PANEER FOR ME!" Said Veer while snatching back his food before its devoured.
"It's also a good way to keep an eye on us… It's going to be far harder to conduct our research now isn't it." Said Kevin. Come on one more bite
"Whatever the agenda might be, it has been well planned out. Nixtom being near the western border, and having a weak military would be sufficient precursors to warrant a safety measure for a terrorist attack." Said Dep.
"Yes, the precursors are valid, but I still don't think we are really in danger of getting attacked anytime soon." Said Veer.
"I agree, it sounds like another attempt at brainwashing. A well-planned attempt though, because I can't even tell what the goal of all this is. Regardless, there is realistically no reason for us to believe that we are truly in danger of a terrorist attack." Said Kevin.
"Fair, so Dep, what else can you see in that transcribed paper." Said Veer. I can't read that 'handscribbling' on my own
"Let me see…Wow! I didn't realize this while hearing it, but now that it's put in front of my eyes on a paper, did you guys see just HOW much our school and the students are being complimented…,". Said Dep
"We can't read that; it seems to be written in an obscure ancient language." Said Kevin while giving a smug look to Dep.
"Shut up, my handwriting is not that bad… Also, the President is even calling us the 'future of the nation', 'some of the most educated people in this nation'. Even saying stuff like 'HS Kolar will triumph over any task', etc."
Said Dep while pointing at the transcription paper.
"Seems like an attempt at convincing the students that they are capable of handling a task such as this." Said Kevin...
Veer said to Kevin: "No… Okay, maybe to some extent that was the intended outcome. But I feel like the president would have kept the compliments much lower and far vaguer if that's the only thing he wanted to achieve. I believe his goal with those compliments was something bigger, something more, sinister" ...
///
"Did the plan succeed?"
"Yes, it went even better than we could have anticipated. The information I got from my agents tells me that he is already being treated with indifference." Said Vishva Pratap Raghavan, The President of India residing in the Capital: Delhi.
The president was sitting behind his desk in a grand room filled with important articles such as government documents, photos of his party plastered all over the wall, a tricolor flag of India beside his desk, etc.
Facing the president sat the only other man in the room. This unknown man had bandages wrapped around his head masking his eyes and ears.
A symbol of a large and detailed eye was present on the frontal region of the bandages, exactly between the place his eyes should've been. The bandages didn't cover the top of his head and this opening showed a head full of stunning silvery white hair. The man spoke:
"You call that a success? How was the necessary information revealed to the students, did I not make myself clear when I said we are to reveal his background at a later date through rumors?"
"I apologize, but we weren't the ones who revealed this information." Said Vishva the president.
"What! Then who did?"
"'It' did…. It revealed the information itself."
///
"Something more sinister? And what is that?" Said Kevin.
"I can't really put a finger on it, but it felt like the president was trying to invoke a sense of… patriotism? Or some form of mob mentality amongst the students, by praising our land and school." Replied Veer.
"Interesting, why do you think he would do that?" Asked Dep.
"I thought so too, why would the president intentionally try to make everyone more patriotic for no reason?" Said Kevin.
"I'm not sure, it's also entirely possible that we are just over-analyzing this and the president did really only glaze our school and land to make us feel more capable of doing the given task.
There are some other possibilities though. At the start of the war, these types of over patriotic promotions were all over the media, we even saw some propaganda posters right outside our houses too." Said Veer.
"True, this over-patriotic propaganda also led to the spread of religious hatred, which actually worked out well for the government as more people started joining the military. For both the increased patriotism and the hatred for the other group." Said Kevin.
"So, are you trying to say that the president made the video as a catalyst of hate towards a group? Or maybe even an individual?" Said Dep.
"I see where this is going. We thought that the sudden talk about "Researching Rakvill being forbidden" was directed towards us as a warning to stop our research, but it wasn't. What the president could have been doing is encouraging indifference towards someone specific, not us, but him..." Kevin said.
Dep intervened while nodding her head after coming to a realization. "You guys are talking about that kid from Rakvill aren't you."
///
"What do you mean 'it' revealed the information itself?"
"Apparently, the class was having an introduction session. And when it tried to introduce itself, it blurted out where it came from..."
"Interesting…" The Masked man lets out a sigh and started to grimace ear to ear.
"Did I… did I say something wrong this time too." Said Vishva the president.
"No Vishva, you did not make a mistake this time. Maybe… Maybe it was me who did.
"I don't seem to understand."
"Our plan was to spread rumors about 'it' being from Rakvill, so it would be treated with indifference and hate by all which would've led to 'him' reaching the necessary 'Highs' or 'Peaks'."
"Has anything changed with the plans, with these turn of events I mean?"
"It has… if it were to hide about its previous 'home', and we were to spread rumors about him being from Rakvill it would have still been treated with indifference but along with that most people would've also not trust in it, but now that it has revealed such an important aspect about himself in pure nativity itself. It has created a potential for 'trust' and therefore by extension opened up a room of potential for acquaintances… Acquaintances who could be obstacles in reaching our desired 'Peaks'."
"So…. Has our plan failed?" Asked Vishva
"Not in the slightest. It has just become more… interesting."
"I am glad."
"But we may need to use that boy now"
"It would be my pleasure." ...
"Just a matter of time now, soon
we could use 'it' as a…
///
"Yup, I was flabbergasted when he said he is from Rakvill in front of the whole class. And bro was literally standing next to me, so it hit me way harder than it did for you guys." Veer said.
"Yep haha, I could totally guess because your face definitely showed the emotion you were feeling. Your mouth was wide open like comically WIDE! Open." Replied Dep while her and Kevin laughed.
"Bruhhhhh"
"On a serious note, do you guys think he was telling the truth?" Asked Kevin.
"I mean why would he lie; it didn't seem like he was joking either." Answered Veer
"True, why would he tell a lie that would cover him in such bad stigma." Said Dep.
"Ok, so if he really was telling the truth, he would be of great help to us as a lead. Can we trust him to maybe join us?" Asked Kevin.
"No way man, just the thought of that scares me. You do realize we would be charged with treason if our research was leaked. I am not taking any risks with people I don't absolutely trust." Said Veer.
"Honestly I'm going to have to agree with Veer here, it's far too risky to let him join us, we don't even know for sure if he is from Rakvill or not." Said Dep.
"Alright maybe not join us but, we could still use him as…
///
...as a key to unlock the TRUTH!"" ....
///
Suddenly an unknown person appears behind Veer.
"Yo! Mind if I sit with you guys for lunch".
...…