https://www.academia.edu/117903694/Scythian_mp_Draft_
The river called Exampaîos was translated as ‘sacred roads’ in Scythian (or one of the languages/dialects spoken by the group called Scythians, since not all words seem to have the same sound changes) by Herodotus. This would show *pathya- ‘path (adj.?)’ > *pa(h)ya- (3). The cognates of Greek póntos ‘sea’, pátos ‘trodden/beaten way / path’ all mean ‘path / crossing / ford’, etc. (Skt. pánthās ‘path / way / road’, OCS pǫtĭ ‘way / road’, OPr pintis ‘road’, L. pōns ‘bridge’, Arm. hun ‘ford / way’). This implies G. póntos got its meaning from a shift ‘path > ford / river / sea’ or similar. The same shift in Scythian would imply that Exampaîos was ‘sacred river’ and a good but imperfect understanding of Scythian led to a small mistranslation. The first part would be cognate with *yaks- > Kho. gyaṣ- ‘sacrifice / make offering’, Skt. yakṣá-m ‘a kind of supernatural being’, *ya(H2)g^- > Skt. yájate ‘sacrifice / make offering’, Av. yaz-, OP yad- ‘worship’. Compounds in IE sometimes change u- & i-stems to o-stems, and o- to i- or yo-, so *yaxša- + *path(a(:))- > *yaxšapathya- makes sense. Where would -mp- come from?
​
Keeping the languages/dialects termed Scythian separate seems best. Trying to analyze each group of words, sometimes with similar semantics, in accounts/stories one at a time allows more certainty in which sound changes existed in each group. The Bactrian Ardokϸo, a goddess equivalent to Fortuna (7), seems to be
​
*arti-xši- > Bactrian Ardokϸo [ardxǝš(ǝ)]
​
cognate with Av. arti- \ aṣ̌i- ‘reward?’ and *xšay- / *xša:- ‘rule’ (Middle Persian pādi-xšāy ‘rule(r)’), making her ‘lady of fortune’. This allows the same analysis for Scythian Argímpasa (a goddess equated with Aphrodite) :
​
*arti-patni: > *arḍi-paθna: > *aRgi-pasna > *argi-pasa > Argímpasa
​
We can be fairly sure that *rt > rg was regular, since a god mentioned in the same list is put in Greek as Thagimasádas (a god equated with Poseidon). Since the 2nd part must be Iranian *maza(n)t- ‘great’, Thagi- would only match
​
*twrk^tor- > *twǝrs^tar- > Skt. tváṣṭar- ‘carpenter’, Av. θwōrǝštar- / etc. ‘fashioner’
​
making *θwaRšta:-maza(n)t- > *θwaRta:-maza(n)d- ‘great creator / god of sky/rain/ocean’, which would then be “Lord Creator” or similar (reasonably = Ahuramazda = Varuna ); later with the same *-rt- > -rg-. But again, where would -mp- come from?
​
Having 2 examples with relatively certain *-p- but attested -mp- suggests some kind of sound change. This would match data in Scythian: the Scythians gave the Persian king Darius, who was chasing the the Scythians but unable to catch them (never fighting them, running out of supplies, etc.) the gift of a bird, a mouse, a frog, and five arrows. They’re message that he could understand their meaning “if he was clever” makes it likely that it was a pun (see full evidence below) for
​
*vi-m mūš-ǝm magandra-m panča išū-nam
​
which was meant to sound like:
​
*vi-mōš-ǝm maga-n drampanči šūna-m
​
I gave a gift, they run in vain.
​
Here, it is *-v- that would become -mp- (or *-m-, since Skt. drámati ‘runs’ & drávati both exist). With evidence that Indo-Iranian had many nasal sonorants (5), including many *ṽ > v / m and even *-p- > *-v- > *-ṽ- > v / m :
​
Skt. náva- ‘young / new’, A. náaw, Ti. nam, Dm. nõwã, Ks. *nõra > nõ.a, Kh. nóγ ‘new’
​
Skt. náva ‘9’, Dm. noo, A. núu, Ti. nom, D. no, Sa. no, Kv. nu, Kt. nu, Ni. nu, Kh. nyòf
​
Skt. lopāśá-s > *lovāśá- \ *lovāyá- > Kh. ḷòw, Dk. láač \ ló(o)i ‘fox’, fem. *lovāyī > *lomhāyī > A. luuméei, Pl. lhooméi
​
Skt. śubha- ‘bright/beautiful/splendid/good’, *śumhâ > A. šúwo ‘good’, šišówo ‘pretty’, Dm. šumaa ‘beautiful’
​
IE? *kswiP-to- > Av. xšvipta-, *xšvufta- > Ps. šaudǝ ‘milk’, šómle ‘buttermilk’
​
PIE *g^hew- ‘pour’ > G. khéō ‘pour’, Skt. juhóti ‘pour a libation / sacrifice’, *goü- > B. goi- / gom- ‘sacrifice’
​
I say that Scythian evidence supports that they were similar in this way to modern Dardic languages. Thus, any labial P became v > ṽ between vowels. Later, this ṽ > mv in Scythian, > mb > mp (prenasalized?). No other reasonable explanation would produce so many “coincidental” cases of -mp- for likely -p-. Since these groups show even more clear evidence that -t- > -d- and -nt- > -nd- existed, how would *-p- or *-mp- in all these cases not become **-mb-?
​
Scythian Puns
Herodotus has been accused of being inaccurate, but some odd incidents involving the Persian king Darius might show the reality of weird actions brought about by completely unexpected causes. The Scythian king Idánthursos had an odd response to Darius’ challenge, that seems to make little sense without context. Darius told him to either stand and fight or else acknowledge him as his master. Idánthursos said, “In return for saying that you are my master, I say to weep”. In the Greek account of this is added “this is Scythian speech.’ Manaster Ramer & Schwartz (1) took this to mean it was only understandable when spoken in Scythian, a dead Iranian language. If so, it would be a simple pun based on two roots with the same form, *xšay- ‘weep’ (Sogdian xšēwan ‘weeping’) and *xšay- / *xša:- ‘rule’ (Middle Persian pādi-xšāy ‘rule(r)’, English Padishah, Sogdian pāt(i)xšāwan). It is possible that the cognates of xšēwan and -xšāwan were pronounced the same in Scythian, which would make the most sense here.
​
Though this pun is simple, basic, short, and easily seen (when you know Iranian), it establishes an important principle. Manaster Ramer believes other seemingly inexplicable words and actions taken by Scythians in other histories have a similar reason based on words and pronunciations in the Scythian language. In another later incident, Darius runs out of supplies while chasing the Scythians, who still refuse to engage in battle. The Scythians send an envoy carrying a bird, a mouse, a frog, and five arrows. When asked the meaning, the envoy said it was up to the Persians to figure out the meaning of the gifts “if they are clever”. Since there is no, I repeat, NO reason for this based on any rational strategy, it must be a joke. I do not insist it was an actual historic event where a Scythian rider somehow transported several small animals across the empty land, but even if it was a later tall tale (such as tend to cluster around famous people and events, making them more clever or amusing than they actually were), it was certainly the Scythians who told the tale, since this again forms a pun in Iranian. Herodotus and others must have accurately passed on the stories, whether they were true or not. There was no real way to know more in the ancient world.
​
Manaster Ramer (2) saw that since ‘5 arrows’ would be *panča išūnam (with standard grammar, noun in genitive after ‘5’) it provided a source for moving the word boundaries, needed for any long pun, to produce *ūnam ‘(in) lack / in want’ (both Skt. ūná- ‘insufficient / lacking’ and Latin vānus ‘empty / void’, English vain are cognates < PIE *w(a)H2no-) or my šūna-m ‘in vain’ (Skt. śūnyá- ‘hollow / empy / vacant’ < *k^uH2- ‘swell / become inflated’). In the same way, since ‘bird’ was simply *vi- in Iranian, it would sound the same as the prefix vi- ‘away’ found in many, many verbs. With no other possible purpose, these gifts (real or apocryphal) provided a way to put together another phrase made up of these simple parts. That their languages had sound changes (both within Scythain and with standard sandhi) added would be required for any such interpretation, not restricted to my analysis or different just because this was a pun.
​
Even with this taken as fact, I can not agree with many of Manaster Ramer’s ideas on how to interpret the pun. He posited *makata- ‘frog’ when evidence for *mantraka- exists in IIr. instead (*mantruko- ‘frog / toad’ > Dk. maṇúuko, Kt. maṇúk, Ni. âv-maṭrakog, D. maṭéeq, A. maṭróok; many IIr. words add diminutive suffixes -ika- / -aka- / -uka- with no distinction). This would obviously completely change the meaning. Since these words for ‘frog’ often show metathesis and other unexplained changes (6), I would think that *mantraka- > *makantra- would fit here best (or else it woud produce no recognizable words at the ‘frog' . Instead of his elaborate sound changes that remove Scythian and Ossetic from a close relation, I support this traditional view and only use a few sound changes common to many Middle Iranian languages (k > g between vowels or sonorants, etc.), sandhi (m deleted before m, V deleted before V) and the particularly Ossetic *p > f (then, like Kassite, > *x; likely *Cx > *C). This produces:
​
bird mouse frog (acc.) five arrows (gen.)
​
*vi-m mūš-m makantra-m panča išū-nam
​
*vi-m mūš-ǝm magandra-m panča išū-nam sound changes > Scythian
​
*vi mūšǝm magandram panč išūnam sandhi
​
which was meant to sound like:
​
*vi-mauš-m magha-m dramanti śūna-m
​
*vi-mōš-ǝm maga-n drampanči šūna-m sandhi, sound changes > Scythian
​
I gave a gift, they run in vain.
​
Since this describes the situation at the time, when Darius keeps moving in search of a fight but never fulfills his purpose, it seems to fit the context. Since the root *mauš- ‘take’ (Skt. moṣ- ‘steal / take away’), *vi-mauš- ‘give’, is fairly rare it’s possible that it was *mausH- / *muHs- and would give *vi-mūš-ǝm to match *vi-m mūš-ǝm (or, if *ū became *ō under certain conditons, such as when followed by C and a non-high V), so they might be even closer in sound or identical. Other parts:
​
*dram- ‘run’
​
*-anti ‘3rd pl.’
​
*magha- ‘gift’, Skt. maghá- ‘gift / reward / wealth’
​
1
Manaster Ramer, Alexis & Schwartz, Martin (2019) Some Interlinguistic Iranian Conundrums
https://www.academia.edu/38499565
​
2
Manaster Ramer, Alexis (draft?) Scythian Rebus
https://www.academia.edu/117487565
​
3
Manaster Ramer, Alexis (draft?) Wörter und Schla(n)gen, or Marquart and Manaster Ramer in Scythia: Greek μάραγνα, Syriac maragnā
https://www.academia.edu/117824786
​
4
Whalen, Sean (2024) Greek Pottery, Pkpuphs & Khukhospi (Draft)
https://www.academia.edu/117645949
​
5
Whalen, Sean (2023) Indo-Iranian Nasal Sonorants (r > n, y > ñ, w > m)
https://www.academia.edu/106688624
​
6
Turner, R. L. (Ralph Lilley), Sir (1962-1966) A comparative dictionary of Indo-Aryan languages. London: Oxford University Press. Includes three supplements, published 1969-1985.
https://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/soas/
https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/soas_query.py?qs=ma%E1%B9%87%E1%B8%8Du%CC%84%CC%81ka&searchhws=yes&matchtype=exact
​
7
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardoksho
​

Hi! I enjoyed reading about everyone's experiences while studying for the GRE, and so I thought I'd write about my own experience now that I'm done.
As context for the lack of quant background: I'm early 30s and went to art school, and my career has been in the arts/management. While I was never bad at math, the last math class I took was in 2009. I now have a demanding job that requires extensive travel and odd hours. Most of my study throughout this process was after 10 PM, which was the only distraction-free time I could get. While I had aimed for a higher score, I'm ultimately very happy with my 328. I hope that my experience can help others who also worry that they're too old/don't have enough time or smarts to get the score that they're targeting.

Timeline

(4 months total; total of 122.92 hours studying)

• December 2023 - I had flirted with the idea of taking the GRE before, but this is when I started studying in earnest. I took a diagnostic test a week into studying (PP1) and scored 168V, 156Q (324 overall). This score honestly made me nervous because I could see how much of my overall score was propped up by the high verbal score, and I knew that I'd have to maintain a pretty much perfect verbal score going forward to offset my weak quant. I really wanted a 330+ and believed that it was possible given my diagnostic score.
  
• Mid-December 2023 - I started studying with Gregmat's 2-month plan but honestly got overwhelmed by the number of videos and wasn't sure how much of it I was actually absorbing. I realized that I needed an actual person to hold me accountable, so I got a tutor (shoutout to Brooklyn!). My tutor devised a rough schedule for me: 1) January - learn all quant basics, 2) February - back off on studying (busy work month for me), 3) March - solidify my understanding, 4) take GRE at the end of March or in early April. Looking back, I think this schedule was perfect for me. It gave me enough time for information to soak in unconsciously, while also stopping before I got burnt out.
  
• January 2024 - This month was painful, though I was only studying ~3 days a week. I speedran 40+ Gregmat quant videos at 2x speed, took notes, and did the exercises as they came up in the lesson. Each week, I would talk to my tutor and discuss the concepts that I had issues with. By mid-January, I had at least seen all of the quant topics on the GRE, even if I didn't really understand them.
  
• February 2024 - I started doing strictly timed quant problem sets from the Manhattan Prep 5 lb. book, along with taking a practice test every other week and keeping an error log of all the problems I got wrong. Looking back, I think this was a little too early to do timed problem sets for me. I didn't understand the fundamental concepts and I was getting so many quant questions wrong that it wasn't really useful. I highly recommend starting with untimed problem sets for at least a couple weeks and just treating the problems as brainteasers that you can pick at until they start to unravel. At this point I was studying about 5 days a week, but not very long on weekdays (about ~1 hour on weekday evenings, 2-3+ hours on Saturdays, and ~1-2 hours on Sundays). As a side note, I hadn't done much verbal up to this point, but I started to realize at this point that I could not take it for granted. I still focused 90% of my effort on quant, but this is when I started to do Gregmat's vocab mountain flashcards on the app.
  
• March 2024 - My test date at the end of the month lit a fire under me and I committed to studying every day until my test date of 3/30/24. I also took a practice test every week and I made my own quant flashcards for every question I got wrong to improve my quick recognition. For verbal, I finished all 34 currently existing sets for Gregmat's vocab mountain. I also spent some time improving my critical reasoning skills - I found the Princeton Review really helpful in particular for this (Chapter 7, GRE Premium Prep, page 164). Overall, I felt frustrated during this time because I was finding it difficult to break out of the mid-320s. My most common practice test score was 324, which was exactly where I had started and felt like a bummer given the amount of time I had spent studying. I scored 331 on one practice test (PPP3), but then was back to 324 the next week.
  

The Day Before the Test

• I took the day off work and did about 2 hours of easy problems to build my confidence. But, overall, I just tried to hydrate, not eat anything weird, and distract myself with non-GRE-related activities.

The Day of the Test

• I had no idea what to expect on this day. My most common practice test score was 324, so I felt that this was the most likely outcome.
  
• I drank water in the morning and ate bland food. About ~3 hours before the test, I stopped drinking water. I have a tiny bladder, so one of my deepest fears was having to pee in the middle of the test. I do think that this ended up being a good move for me.
  
• I usually am a coffee drinker but only drank a cup of black tea on this day. I can get jittery with coffee, and I was nervous about excessive caffeine mixing badly with the adrenaline that I knew I'd be feeling as well. Again, I think this was a good move for me - I felt calm and clear-headed during the exam.
  
• At my testing center in Brooklyn, you get a locker for your personal belongings, including your phone (which must be turned off during the exam). You also have to remove all jewelry, go through a metal detector, and raise your pant legs/sleeves/turn your pockets inside out to show that you haven't hidden anything.
  
• One thing I did not realize was that, at least at my testing center, you could start early if you arrived early. (Within reason, like within ~30-45 minutes of the official test start time.) This was cool.
  
• One minor quibble: I wish they gave you slightly more scratch paper. You get essentially 4 sides of paper (meaning, 2 blank pages, so you can use the front and back of both sheets). You can get more paper if you request it, but getting the additional paper comes out of your exam time, so that sucks. I barely made the 4 sides work, and I suggest writing small-ish if you're a big note-taker like me. On the other hand, I was nervous about the No. 2 pencils breaking or otherwise malfunctioning, and that turned out to be an absolute non-factor; the pencils were fine.
  
• I got QVQV.
  

Resources I Liked and Didn't Like

Liked:

• Gregmat - At $5/month and more material than you could ever use, it's got to be the best deal on the internet. I used Gregmat primarily for quant basics, quant flashcards, the quant problem bank, and vocab mountain. Note: I only realized partway through my studying process that Gregmat has an app - this is a gamechanger, use it.
  
• Manhattan Prep 5 lb. Book - Really helpful for quant as the questions are similar to the actual exam. The hardest 5 lb. quant problems are, in my estimation, harder than the actual ETS exam. And, as a side note, Gregmat hard/extreme quant problems are way harder than the actual exam.
  
• Tutoring - This may be controversial, but I think having a tutor was critical for me. In full transparency, I ended up doing 11 Zoom tutoring sessions at $90/hour. It's a lot of money for me, but I figured it was both cheaper and more personalized than a class.
  
• ETS Practice Tests - Whodathunkit... the best representations of the actual test, are ETS's official practice tests. ETS is a racket but I don't regret the $79.90 I spent on additional practice tests from them, as they were by far the most helpful in preparing for test day.
  
• The Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep, Chapter 7 - This chapter is what made reading comprehension and critical reasoning click for me. I did every exercise in this chapter.
  
• Making my own quick recognition flashcards - I made a physical flashcard every time I got a question wrong and periodically reviewed them. This was so, so helpful. I actually wish I had started this earlier.
  

Didn't Like:

• Magoosh free quant flash cards - Nothing wrong with these per se, but you don't need them if you use Gregmat as the Gregmat quant flashcards are similar.
  
• Error log - I'm gonna be real, I hated keeping an error log. I also rarely reviewed it anyway. Later, the flashcards almost functioned like a better error log for me, since I actually reviewed them. If I studied for this test again, I would just start with making my own flashcards instead of doing the error log.
  

Final Thoughts

• Stick to ETS material if possible - I did many free practice tests from various companies and they were helpful in the sense that taking them kept me accountable, but none of them were quite like the real thing. (Some of the non-ETS tests I took were: Princeton Review, Manhattan Review, and Manhattan Prep.)
  
• If you're getting overwhelmed, focus on one topic at a time - Simply put, it's okay to dedicate one day to one topic and focus on mastering it - especially when you're starting out. Once you've solidified your base, then you can start rotating between lots of different kinds of questions in a single study session.
  
• Do lots of practice tests under test-like conditions - It helps to numb yourself to the test conditions and practice being bored. I didn't stress too much about creating an environment exactly like a testing center, but I did try to take my practice tests in a quiet environment with no distractions.
  
• Quant time management - Obviously, I didn't get the best quant score ever, but these are my two cents if you also don't come from a quant background and are just trying to scrape by like me. First: practice the fundamentals, untimed, until you have an 85-90% accuracy rate in your problem sets. Then, on test day: I kept an eye on the timer and tried to spend no more than 60 seconds on each problem. At 90 seconds, I would guess, mark the question, and move on. This resulted in having about 5 minutes at the end of each quant section to go back and check each quant question and/or attempt questions that I had guessed on earlier.
  
• Don't be afraid of backsolving as long as you can plug in numbers quickly - Of course, don't rely on this for every problem either, but there's nothing wrong with solving some questions the quick and dirty way. You can often narrow it down so that you only need to try a couple answers.
  
• Gregmat vocab mountain - Even though I started with a good vocabulary, I'm still glad that I did this. My exam definitely had some tough vocab words on it, including a few words that I had only learned the previous week. Note: by the end I was rushing vocab mountain, so I did not review all 900+ words every day but only the most recent vocab sets. This was fine.
  
• Verbal - Process of elimination is an essential tool for the verbal section and I used this for every single reading comprehension question. When I was eliminating RC multiple choice answers, I also briefly noted down why I was eliminating them. Most of the time, you're eliminating answers because they're out of scope and/or simply not supported by the passage.
  

Finally, I echo others in this forum in saying that your quant fundamentals have to be very, very good to score well in quant. I was only able to raise my quant score by 2 points after all that studying, and I think that's because I didn't study as much as I could have and my quant fundamentals were not that good. I am OK with letting it go, but that's my main takeaway for quant!
And thanks to anyone who read this novel! I wish you all the very best on your GREs.

Welcome to another Indie Sunday! This event starts at 12 AM EST and will run for 24 hours.
Please read the below guidelines carefully before participating. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to send us a modmail.
A reminder that Rule 8 is not enforced during this event for submissions which follow the participation guidelines.

Submission Restrictions

• Games may be unreleased or finished
  
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• Title: Game Name - Company (or individual) Name - Short description (for example: "classic turn based RPG" or "platformer inspired by Metroidvanias")
• Flair: Indie Sunday
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Weekly Spotlight

• Slider - boomo - Challenging puzzle adventure where you move chunks of the world (free demo!)
• Into the Necrovale - Casey Clyde - My roguelike/ARPG hybrid, focused on finding unique items and making builds. It's out in early access now, and on sale. Also, there is a free demo if you want to try it first.
• Drug Dealer Simulator 2 - Movie Games - first-person co-op sim set in a dynamic open world. Make contacts, cook drugs, and manage your cartel on Isla Sombra, where power is the only law.
• The Cerpan Project - Red Monkey Studio - An original graphic adventure inspired by the classics with a fun and crazy story
• Throne of Bone - Windmill Slam - A Necromantic Amalgam of Roguelike and Autobattler
• Shape Shifter: Formations - Castec Studios - Twin-stick shooter roguelite with overpowered builds, challenging bullet hell bosses, and 2-player local co-op.
• ASTROSWARM - ClumsyQuark - A horde FPS with tons of weapons, turrets and powers, inspired by TF2's Mann vs. Machine and Killing Floor
• Runaway Farm - Beedy Beeper Games - An "Innocent" Farm Game
• Anominal - XlashGames - A difficult game about teleporting
• Discolored 2 -Godbey Games - Puzzle-horror where you restore color to the world while evading capture by a shadowy organization.
• The Last Flame - Hotloop - Roguelike Auto-Battler that focuses on build creation and strategy - Released in Early Access
• Astronaut Assault - DalyForge Games - Third Person Arena Tower Defense
• Mayhem Brawler II: Best of Both Worlds - Hero Concept - A beat 'em up with a '90s arcade vibe, modern rogue-lite/RPG mechanics, and a time transition theme!
• Ale Abbey - Hammer & Ravens - A Monastery Brewery tycoon set in the late Middle Ages
• Repterra - Chute Apps - 100,000 angry dinosaurs trying to devour your base - Survival RTS
• Wendigo Hunter - Black Deer Games - Action roguelite dungeon crawler with mysterious atmosphere and minimalistic visuals
• CritterGarden - Minjonia Studios - A creature collector where you play as an astrobiologist restoring life through evolution (Playtest now open!)
• Quantum Odyssey - QI - Immersive Sim+ Puzzles: gameplay rules = quantum computing
• Regrowth - Tibor Udvari - A puzzle game where you race against time to save islands from sinking! Now also on mobile!
• Ground of Aces - Blindflug Studios - WWII Base Building Game inspired by "Rimworld"
• Nonograms - Oleg Sereda - Puzzle, relaxing and brainteasing at the same time :) - RELEASED!
• Temporal Shore - Overhead Games - A blend of roguelike deck-building and survival strategy where you lead a team on a mysterious island trapped in a time loop.
• Delven - NikZ - [Demo Available] Mining exploration game with deep itemization and skill trees, inspired by Factorio, Terraria and Path of Exile
• Hunt of the Reptorians - Gibbonfiend Studios - A space-battling, crew-managing, deckbuilder where your crew are your cards. A mix of Slay the Spire and FTL with deliciously destructible ships and detailed crew management.

Previous Indie Sunday

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Discussion

• Any of these games catch your eye?
  
• Any games you want to personally highlight that haven't been shared yet?
  
• Any projects that have had interesting development journeys?
  
• What indie game recommendations do you have?
  

Lalafell. This is a conlang I made for the Lalafell race in Final Fantasy XIV, an MMO RPG. From proto lang to modern lang, Lalafell was a language I took almost 2 years to make and am proud to show it to the world. I have a document detailing the proto lang and the modern lang in full detail, but here on this post, I will be only showcasing an overview of the modern lang.
Google doc for the Lalafell language: The Lalafell Manual
​
Brief Overview of the Language's History In-universe
In the game of FFXIV (Final Fantasy XIV) the Lalafell are a race of short humanoid people that live on a small continent surrounded by island chains. Sea faring, trading, farming, and family are top priorities to the Lalafell. These details gave alot more character to the language both in word creation and in more cultural aspects like idioms.
The change of the language follows the history of the Lalafell people. In the game, the Lalafell began their lives on that small continent that was called the Southern Seas. This is were the proto lang was spoken.
Eventually they began to start trading with other races on different continents and some even decided to build settlements on these new lands. At this time, the Lalafell spoke Old Lalafell and wrote in a logographic script.
Two notable settlements turned cities were called Nym and Mach; however, a calamity happened and the two cities were abandoned. The people of Mach settled into another city that became known as Ul'Dah, but the people of Nym went back to the Southern Seas. The sudden migration of the Nym people who lived in a different land for generations and far removed from their ancestral language and culture, sparked the Middle Lalafell period. Here, alot of change occurred in the phonology, morphology, and grammar of the language. Also in this period, due to the lack of standard education, people began using the rebus principle which morphed the script into a syllabary.
After much time had passed, the Southern Seas standardized the writing system, which marked the start of the Modern Lalafell language.
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Classification and Base Description
Modern Lalafell is an agglutinative language that's head-final. It features SOV word order, alternating pitch, 4 grammatical plurals, 7 grammatical aspects and 2 moods, it has a with-possession, and a base 60 number system with a 12 auxiliary base, gap strategy used for relative clauses, a very flexible purpose and reason clause system, and to top it all topped off with unique use of pragmatics in the use of idioms and insults/taboo words.
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Notable features
Given the Lalafell are inspired by Polynesian cultures according to my research, I gave the conlang a Polynesian inspired sound with its vocabulary that was mainly taken from Hawaiian, some Māori, and a few original words. The main goal however, was to make the language sounds very sing-songy, which I did with adding alternating pitch and creating longer words to have that alternating pitch ring out. This fits into what little description the wikis have of the Lalafell language.
There are four grammatical plurals in Modern Lalafell: Singular, paucal (2~9), multitude (10+), and collective (everything). There are also 4 different declensions of plurals which we be talked about further below in the grammatical number section.
Modern Lalafell has elision on word boundaries. When a word ends with [a], and the next words start with a lowed pitched [a], speakers will used elision and “fuse” the two vowels in a single short [a]. A phrase like “akéha akéha” would be pronounced as, [akeha ͜ keha].
There is no stative or locative copula are articles in Modern Lalafell.
There is an alternating pitch system, meaning that when the high pitch either starts on the first or second mora of a word, the next mora goes low, the next goes high, low, high, etc. until the end of the word. Hence, alternating. Words with multiple syllables work like this: a word like "wawamama" -- meanings "many boats" -- would be pitched as "wáwamáma". Many words in Modern Lalafell have an [a] at the beginning of the word that does not receive a pitch accent and instead have their high pitch on the second mora of the word. For example, there is the word "aká" (and) and "adini" (twelve at a time). Single mora words take the pitch of the previous mora; however, if a sentence starts with a single mora word, the mora is high pitch by default.
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Phonology
Consonant Inventory

	Bilabial	Labio-dental	Alveolar	Post alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Uvular	Glottal
Plosive	p, b		t, b			k, g	q	ʔ <'>
Nasal	m		n
Tap			ɾ
Fricative	(ɸ)	f	s	ʃ				h
Lateral Fricative				(ɬ)
Affricate			t͡s	t͡ʃ, d͡ʒ
Liquid			l		j	w

Notable allophones in Modern Lalafell
f > ɸ / _u
ʃl > ɸ / _#p,b,m
ʃl > f / _#f
ʃl > ɬ / _#, _#C[-bilabial] [-f]
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Vowel Inventory

	Front	Mid	Back
Close	i		u
Mid	e		o
Open		a

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The syllable structure of Modern Lalafell is (C)V¹(V²)(C)(C).
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Basic Words and Concepts
Personal Pronouns

Grammar	Modern Lalafell.
1P Singular	apú
2P Singular	atú
3P Singular	akú
1P Paucal	apúba
2P Paucal	atú
3P Paucal	akúga
1P Multitude	apá
2P Multitude	atá
3P Multitude	aqá
1P Collective	apápa
2P Collective	atá
3P Collective	aqáqa

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Basic nouns

Modern Lalafell	English
lel	Person
safa	Animal
akíga	Rock
apáqa	Man
mul	Carbuncle (A cute animal in FFXIV)

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Grammatical number
As said before, there are four grammatical numbers. Singular, paucal, multitude, and collective. There are 4 declensions as well: common, second pitched, common suffix, and irregular. It sounds like alot, but once understood they are extremely predictable for any other word you come across in Modern Lalafell. I will explain how they are done after each chart.
1. Common Declension

Modern Lalafell	English	Singular	Paucal	Multitude	Collective
wama	canoe	wama	wawama	wawamaqa	wama wama
fufel	lip	fufel	fufufel	fufufelel	fufel fufel
ashim	sun	ashim	awashim	awashimim	ashim ashim
auha	gate	auha	awauha	awauhawa	auha auha

Words in the common declension start with a high pitch mora and do not have a common suffix. The singular is unmarked. The paucal is created by reduplicating the first mora of the word. The multitude is made by reduplicating the first and last moras. The collective is formed by simply reduplicating the whole word. Any word here that starts or ends with a vowel will have the vowel reduplicated with a /w/ between between the root word and the reduplication.
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2. Second Pitched

Modern Lalafell	English	Singular	Paucal	Multitude	Collective
atáli	river	atáli	atádali	atádaliwi	atáli atáli
apábel	helmet	apábel	apábabel	apábabelel	apábel apábel
aqá	price	aqá	aqáqa	aqáqawa	aqá aqá
akí	image	akí	akígi	akígiwi	akí akí
akín	cup	akín	akígin	akíginin	akín akín
akú	back	akú	akúgu	akúguwa	akú akú
akúm	ring	akúm	akúgum	akúgumum	akúm akúm
akéha	toga	akéha	akégeha	akégehaha	akéha akéha
aqél	oil	aqél	aqáqel	aqáqelel	aqél aqél

Words in the second pitched declension start with a low pitch on the first mora. The singular is unmarked. The paucal takes a special CV syllabled infix after the first high pitched mora. The C is simply the voiced version of the first consonant and the V is the same vowel as the high pitched vowel. The exception is with the consonant /q/, which stays /q/. If there is a final consonant, the infix comes before the final consonant. There are some extra rules, like "aqél" to "aqálel", but I will gloss over them in this post for the sake of brevity. The multitude is made in two different ways. If the word ends in a vowel, /wa/ is added on the end. If the word ends in a consonant, the last mora gets repeated. The collective is formed by full reduplication of the word.
A more thorough explanation of the extra rules are on the google doc.
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3. Common suffix

Modern Lalafell	English	Singular	Paucal	Multitude	Collective
mahimahelel	warrior	mahimahelel	mamahimahelel	mamahimahelalel	mahimahelel mahimahelel
wamafel	gulf	wamafel	wawamafel	wawamafalewa	wamafel wamafel
lulunuyi	wing	lulunuyi	lululunuyi	lululunuyida	lulunuyi lulunuyi
funi	wave	funi	fufuni	fufuniuwa	funi funi
atálialel	kinsman	atálialel	atádalialel	atádalialalel	atálialel atálialel

Words that have certain common suffixes are declined differently in their multitude forms; however, words with these suffixes are still subjected to 1st or 2nd declension in the words’ paucal form. The common suffixes and their respective multitude plural endings are:

Suffix	Multitude Form
-lel	-lalel
-fel	-falewa
-yi	-yida
-ni	-niuwa

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4. Irregular

Modern Lalafell	English	Singular	Paucal	Multitude	Collective
os	mountain	os	ocuwa	owufuwa	osu
heflel	child	heflel	hehfelel	hehfelalel	heflel heflel
li	dog	li	wel	welwa	le'el
olel	tongue, word	olel	owulel	owulaluwa	olela'ulel

The complete list of irregulars are on the google doc, but here are four common ones.
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Classifiers
In Modern Lalafell, classifiers are words that come before nouns that give extra description to the noun they modify. Only one classifier can modify a noun at a given time. Multiple classifiers can be assigned to a single noun, as each classifier can give a different meaning to the modified noun. This usually helps narrow down possible definitions of the word or give an extra connotation to the noun.
There are three main types of classifiers that every nouns fits under and there are subclasses within them. The three main types are: Animate, inanimate, and abstract. Here is a chart of the subclasses and what they semantically cover:
Animate

0 - tal
Any human, humanoid object, or animal
Rivers
Any clothing items and accessories that are flexible such as: Scarves, shawls, tassels, etc.
Certain body parts such as: Skin, waist, face, etc.
Gods, spirits, saints, any supernatural/magical being

The animate classifier is the most often used classifier, but also covers objects that would not be normally counted as "animate" in certain cultures.
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Inanimate

0 - nawa	Catchall for any concrete object that does fit in any other inanimate classifier
1 - nan	Linear objects; Gatherings of liquid (lakes, oceans, etc.)
2 - apáw	Objects that are: Circular, spherical, curved, coiled, ovular, cylindrical; Anything related to trade like money, currency, etc.
3 - mafin	Curved and flat like a crescent moon or scythe; Units of time such as: Years, months, hours, etc.
4 - apái	Edible foodstuff: Bananas, fresh water, etc.
5 - obu	Inedible/Bad tasting foodstuff like: Rotten food, poison, medicine, fat, etc.
6 - yida	Containers; Places of living
7 - ofuwa	Triangular objects like mountains or leaves; Groups or crowds of something like a pile or people; Flat objects or locations like: continents, buildings, cities, etc.

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Abstract

0 - fuwa	Catchall for any abstract noun that does fit in any other abstract classifier
1 - mal	Negative emotions or ideas like: Anger, sadness, stress, etc.; Negative character traits like: Selfishness, workaholic, etc.; Used as a negative title for people
2 - leli	Positive emotions or ideas like: Happiness, boredom, etc.; Positive character traits like: Laidback, cunning, wealthy; Use as a positive title for people; Congregated bodies of people
3 - oa	Any gas or gaseous substance like: Air, smoke, odor, etc.
4- apáhi	Any sound that does not hurt to hear like: Talking, soft winds, singing, etc.
5 - la	Any sound that hurts to hear like: Crying, screaming, explosions, etc.

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Verbs & Adjectives
Verbs and adjectives are the same word class in Modern Lalafell. Here is a list:

Modern Lalafell	English
laus	to talk (to)
hauba	to eat, to drink
apéqa	to go
ajír	to see
waba	to sit
suha	to be big; to be strong
achéya	to be fast; to run
feli	to be weak
fun	to be slow
ashima	to kindle; to ask (a question)
u	to give
a	to do, to work
olalulaus	to be poetic; to be likeable
ajígun	to want

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Verb & Adjective Conjugation
Both verbs and adjectives can receive conjugation. Modern Lalafell grammatical marks 7 aspects and 2 moods. The stative and the momentaneous aspects are not used in normal conversation, so I will not be showing them here. Any tense distinctions is shown via context with exception to the delayed imperative.
Certain aspectual suffixes will require that verbs be in their inflected form and take a vowel -- marked as (V) -- in order to properly take the aspectual suffix. As far as what is known about Modern Lalafell, this vowel is irregular and must be memorized on a case by case basis with each verb; however, the (V) that the word uses will be the same inflected vowel used in every other aspect that requires a (V).
Note that if the verb ends in a vowel, the inflected vowel will replace the final vowel. For example, the (V) for aqága (to split) is “e”. So aqága > aqáge- before taking an aspectual suffix that requires (V). The (V) cannot replace single voweled mora words like "a" (to do) and "u" (to give).

Aspect	Suffix
Imperfective	Unmarked
Progressive	-(V)yulun
Perfective	-(V)wa
Habitual	-apeqa
Repetitive	Irregular, root word is always modified
Delayed Imperative/Jussive/Future	Imperfective Verb + C-i/V-y
Immediate Imperative/Jussive	-way

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Postpositions

Modern Lalafell	English
waba	At, on, on top of; From (origin)
atá	Towards, to
akún	By, with (instrumental)
ha	At, by, since (a certain time)
apáwur	Around, surrounding, encompassing; Along
i	To have (via with-possession)
apáu	Across
lelyur	Through; For, while, during (duration of time)
lunui	After; Behind
hul	Onto, into, downwards

Conjunctions

Modern Lalafell	English
apám	Yes/No question marker (place at start of sentence)
a + N/NP + pam + N/NP	Or; Either…or (for two options)
N/NP + apám + N/NP + apám + N/NP…	…Or…or…or… (for three or more options)
N/P + aká + N/P	And (with nouns or phrases)
yu-C/y-V	And (with verbs/adjectives)
apéka	But
atá	For, for the benefit of; In order to, so that

N = Noun, NP = Noun Phrase
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Negation
The universal negating particle is "adé". To negate a verb, noun or any phrase, place “adé” after what it negates.
Verb/noun/phrase + adé

apú	atá	apái	haubawa	olalulaus	adé
1P Singular	for	CL.IN4 (Inanimate Classifier #4)	vegetable	likeable	NEG

‘I do not like the vegetable.’
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“Adé” only negates the phrase it is put after, and not the entire statement; therefore, Modern Lalafell can have multiple negations in its sentences.

apú	tal	nadel	wabu	adé	apáw	obuwuni	ajígun	adé
1P Singular	CL.AN	seller	from	NEG	CL.IN2	iron	want	NEG

‘I don’t want any iron from the merchant.’
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Basic Syntax & Grammar
SOV Word Order

tal	lel	tal	safa	ajír
CL.AN	person	CL.AN	animal	see

‘The person sees the animal.’
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Adj - Noun: Verb-like Adjectives

tal	lel	suha	tal	safa	ajír
CL.AN	person	big	CL.AN	animal	see

‘The person sees the big animal.’
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Postpositions

tal	lel	apáw	akíga	waba
CL.AN	person	CL.IN2	rock	at;on

‘The person is at the rock.’
‘The person is on the rock.’
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Possession: Possessor + "an" + Possessee

tal	apáqa	an	tal	mul
CL.AN	man	GEN	CL.AN	carbuncle

‘The man’s carbuncle.’
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Possession more direct when the possessor is a pronoun. Simply put the possessor pronoun next to the thing it is possessing.
Possessor Pronoun + Possessee

apú	yida	wama
1P Singular	CL.IN6	canoe

'My canoe.'
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To be, To have, & With
There is no “to be” copula. To show “to be”, you put the subject directly next to the predicate.

akú	apú	tal	yuya
s/he	I	CL.AN	sister

‘S/he is my sister.’
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To show the locative, there must always be a postposition at the end of the predicate.

aqá	ofuwa	apáhefuni	waba
3P Multitude	CL.IN7	building	at

‘They are at the house.’
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For the concept of “To have”, Modern Lalafell employs the “with-possessive”. That is, after the noun phrase that is being possessed, a special participle is placed. Since it is only used for possession, it functions as an unconjugatable verb expressing “to have”.
With-Possession

tal	nadel	apáw	aqá	i
CL.AN	merchant	CL.IN2	money	have

'The merchant has money.'
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Although Modern Lalafell has its “with-possessive”, there is a similar participle that expresses pure accompaniment. That is “asápa”, which means “to walk”, but also works as a postposition meaning “with” and “beside”.
Accompaniment

apú	ofuwa	aqádafel	atá	apú	tal	wuwa	asápa	apéqa
1P Singular	CL.IN7	market	towards	I	CL.AN	brother	with	go

“I go to the market with my brother.”
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Numbers
Modern Lalafell has a base 60 counting system with base 12 auxiliary. I.e. 13 = 12+1, 70=60+10. Numbers from 0 to 23 are unique words, but 24 and up till 59 are predictable. Multiples of 12 have special names [24, 36, 48, and 60]. Numbers come before modified word.
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Numbers 1-23 are unique and must be memorized. Numbers 24 follow a predictable pattern from thereon.
1-12

Modern Lalafell	English
adé	zero
apí	one
mu	two
fa	three
achí	four
nu	five
la	six
wi	seven
yu	eight
aqá	nine
i	ten
u	eleven
a	twelve

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13-23

Modern Lalafell	English
aqáb	thirteen
aqám	fourteen
asáq	fifteen
aqát	sixteen
aqán	seventeen
aqél	eighteen
aqáwi	nineteen
aqáya	twenty
aqáqa	twenty one
aqáy	twenty two
aqáw	twenty three

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24-35

Modern Lalafell	English
fumu	twenty four
fumuaqab	twenty five
fumuaqam	twenty six
fumuasaq	twenty seven
fumuaqat	twenty eight
fumuaqan	twenty nine
fumuaqel	thirty
fumuaqawi	thirty one
fumuaqaya	thirty two
fumuaqaqa	thirty three
fumuaqay	thirty four
fumuaqaw	thirty five

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Conclusion
If you are interested after coming this far, there is a full book-length document on this conlang that delves into the nitty gritty much much more than what has been discussed on this post. Here is the link to check it out: The Lalafell Manual
Beyond that plug in, I am extremely happy if you have gotten this far. Thank you for looking at my long held personal work. Any criticisms, comments, and so forth are welcomed and I hope that this finds you as an interesting conlang that's worth exploring and learning fully.

here’s my personal picks (with quick write-ups cause i’m bored at work):
2020: Deleted Schemes Vol. 1: Brainteaser - James Ferraro
—one of those few albums that can transport me to a whole different headspace. the way this thing is produced (the whole Deleted Schemes bootleg, actually) is so hazy and unique, as it draws upon childhood nostalgia of technology that feels so alien but at the same time familiar, from old “second life” MMOs to straight-to-dvd B movies, this thing is ambient as all hell. while the nearly 10 hour long deleted schemes bootleg as a whole can lull, the first disc, Brainteaser, is near perfect hypnagogic pop. It’s that feeling of waking up in the middle of the night to strange unsettling MTV videos playing on the TV.
HMs: Shrines - Armand Hammer, how i’m feeling now - Charli XCX
2021: The Turning Wheel - SPELLLING
—i know it’s the fantano subreddit but COME ON. this thing is perfect and i no longer even associate it with him. this is probably in my top 5 albums of all time. the production, singing, instrumentation, all of it is so gorgeous but what i think people miss out on is just the emotion and openness on display in the lyrics. after a long struggle with my own mortality, this thing still brings me comfort with its themes of peace in death, of legacy and of a generational curse. it’s a very beautiful and very NATURAL album. it’s the sound of trees, fungus, the mystical and the human. the most deserving 10 fantano’s ever given. i saw her live last year and it was probably the best concert i’ve ever been to. i was the only one in the crowd mouthing every word GOD. i am the #1 spellling stan i don’t care.
HMs: LP! (Offline) - JPEGMAFIA, SIMBI - Little Simz
2022: Aethiopes - billy woods
—another perfect album, this genuinely might be one of, if not my favourite rap album ever. trying to understand this album is like entering the densest bottomless hole on the planet, that stretches all the way from the new york inner city to rural zimbabwe. i’ve barely even scratched the surface of this thing and already feel twice as smart as i was before hearing this thing. and lord the beats are insane, with traditional african instruments and vocal samples of kongi’s harvest that warrant 3 essays worth of analysis on their own. and even without the genius behind the layers on this, it just sounds, flows, and feels damn perfect, and cinematic as hell. billy woods is my favourite lyricist and favourite rapper of all time, and this is, in my opinion, his strongly contested best.
HMs: Man Plays The Horn - Cities Aviv, Hellfire - black midi
2023: Girl in the Half Pearl - Liv.e
—i feel like i fully saw her vision with this thing and felt perfectly what she wanted to convey. she sure knows how to pull an atmosphere through on this one. crazy diverse, masterful production that pulls from so many different sounds that shouldn’t work and makes them absolutely work. it’s insane. this album is like hazily swimming through a woman’s diary, as she puts her full desires and darkest secrets openly on display. these little journal entry sized cuts throw together nu jazz, break core, spacey synths, reverberated sax solos, and sirens and somehow, SOMEHOW makes them work. it’s really a flex in production skills if i’m being honest. and every cut on here is brilliant in its own unique way and absolutely fulfilling idc what anyone says. this sounds like the future of RNB, at least i hope it is.
HMs: Hearth Room - Frost Children, Burning Desire - MIKE
2024: obviously the year has barely started but i wanna give a shout-out to the new Moor Mother single, Guilty, which was incredible. she’s an artist that’s always kind of eluded me but after hearing her new song i went back and revisited her old stuff and it absolutely clicked. if she can pull through with the same diversity as Jazz Codes with the density and quality of Guilty we might have an album of the year on our hands. also every shitty cam rip i’ve heard of the new black midi stuff at shows has been amazing (despite the recording quality obviously) so i’m excited for that. especially the magician (if these songs are on lp4). same with earl sweatshirt.

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Odin, the Eikon of Darkness, and its Dominant, Barnabas Tharmr
Thank you so much for checking out my post on the real-world inspirations for the Eikons of FFXVI. If you would like to check out any of my previous posts on the Eikons, they can be found here:
#1.) Phoenix
#2.) Ifrit
#3.) Shiva
#4.) Ramuh
#5.) Garuda
#6.) Titan
#7.) Bahamut
Norse mythology is one of my favorites, so I am really excited to talk about this one. There are so many references to Norse mythology with the warrior-king Barnabas Tharmr, his Lord Commander Sleipnir Harbard, and the Kingdom of Waloed itself; so this one is a real treat for me (though I do apologize if this is too long). Let’s dive in!
A warrior with a horned-helmet riding on the back of a multi-legged horse, the Eikon of Darkness Odin is very clearly based on the Norse god Odin and his horse Sleipnir, though with a lot of liberties taken. Odin is one of the most revered Norse gods, being the patriarch (or All-father) and ruler of the Aesir tribe of gods who reside in the heavenly realm of Asgard. A plausible explanation for why Odin was so venerated by the ancient Germanic people is because he was considered a deity with dominion over a vast array of subjects and as such was given a large swathe of names and titles in accordance to the roles he fulfilled; with his biggest contribution to the Germanic people being that of a culture hero along with his son Thor. This is evident by the fact that according to the Norse, not only did Odin help fashion the human realm of Midgard from the corpse of the original jötunn (giant) Ymir, but the All-father also aided in the creation of the first two humans alongside his brothers Vili and Vé.
One of Odin’s most recognizable features in Norse myth is his missing eye, which serves as a testament to his unending quest for knowledge and wisdom; as the god threw his own eye into Mímir’s well and hung himself from the cosmic tree Yggdrasil for nine days and nine nights in order to learn the secrets of sorcery and runes, the written language of the ancient Germanic people. I believe this is why after Clive defeats Sleipnir, he can craft the Rune Blade and rune armor pieces, which mention in their descriptions that when runes are placed in certain arrangements, they can create magic; with the prevalent belief of the Norse being that words hold power.
Odin’s self-sacrifice is meant to represent the quest for discovery, with the All-father blinding himself so that he can gain insight into the secrets of the universe, a concept not too dissimilar from the third eye/mind’s eye. The All-father was also said to make frequent pilgrimages to Midgard in the form of an old, bearded vagabond alongside his raven familiars Huginn (Thought) and Muninn (Mind/Memory) in search of further knowledge. The imagery of the old, wandering sorcerer Odin is partially what inspired the appearance and personality of the character Gandalf the Grey from The Lord of the Rings series; which itself draws numerous inspirations from Norse mythology and the Old English epic Beowulf. This I think is also why Orcs are the prevalent race of beastmen native to the continent of Ash where the Kingdom of Waloed is located.
Though primarily considered a god of wisdom and sorcery, Odin was also thought of as one of the many gods of war and death; which is the aspect of the deity that FFXVI leans heavily into. Odin was known to frequent battlefields with his wolf familiars Geri and Freki and was thought of as the overseer of not only Valhalla, a hall in Asgard fashioned for heroic souls who died in battle called the Einherjar to await the war that would ensue during the apocalyptic Ragnarök, but also of the Valkyries; female warrior spirits who would bring said warriors to Valhalla. Odin’s status as a death god is also evident in his famous trips to the underworld Helheim) on the back of his horse Sleipnir, such as in the story of Baldrs draumar (Baldr’s dreams) where Odin tries to retrieve the soul of his dead son Baldr, as well as in more modern folkloric conceptions as the leader of the spectral Wild Hunt.
When discussing Odin’s role as a war god, one must also mention Gungnir, a magical spear crafted by the dwarven) Sons of Ivaldi that would never miss its target; according to the Gylfaginning of Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda. This spear is the weapon used by Sleipnir and occasionally by Barnabas during their clashes with “Mythos” in FFXVI. One of the most famous records of Odin using Gungnir is during Ragnarök at the battle of Vígríðr in which Odin fights, but is ultimately consumed by the giant wolf Fenrir, who in the context of FFXVI is thought to be the ancestor of our good boy Torgal from the frigid Northern Territories. Why I brought up Gungnir is because the spear actually makes an appearance in most Final Fantasy games as Gunge Lance); one of the Odin summon’s attacks that deals tremendous damage to enemies immune to the Instant Death status ailment. However, the Odin summon’s typical weapon is the Zantetsuken); a sword whose name means “Iron-Cutting Blade” and translates the idea of Gungnir’s foolproof accuracy in the context of a turn-based RPG video game by being able to cause instant death to most enemies (or cut through just about anything In FFXVI’s case). The fact that in FFXVI the Zatetsuken looks to be a blade made out of pure aether) that grows stronger by stealing this quintessential element of life from those it slices brings to mind the legend of the Japanese swordsmith Muramasa, who in some accounts forged evil blades that thirsted for violence and could only be sheathed after drawing blood. Though a similar concept can also be found in Norse myths with the legendary sword Tyrfing, which was forged to be able to cut through anything, but was cursed to always kill whenever it was drawn and eventually led to the death of its wielder King Svafrlami.
Odin’s horned helmet in Final Fantasy XVI is very much meant to invoke the imagery associated with the Vikings, a seafaring group of Norse people whose primary activity ranged from the 8th century to the 11th century in what would be known as the Viking Age. While the imagery of Vikings wearing horned helmets is what most people will think of when hearing the word “Viking” and while there are some pieces of ancient Germanic iconography that display horned helmets, such as the imagery on the Golden Horns of Gallehus and the tapestry found at the Oseberg burial mound; it is believed that this consensus on what the Vikings wore may not actually be historically accurate. As this article states, there has been only one complete helmet from the Viking Age found, called the Gjermundbu helmet, which lacks the famed horns of the Vikings. Some believe that what popularized the imagery of Vikings wearing horned helmets was actually the Bayreuth Festival’s first production of Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen in 1876. Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) is a series of four German opera dramas loosely based on Norse mythology, with the four parts being Das Rheingold (The Rhinegold), Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), Siegfried), and Götterdämmerung (the German translation for the Norse Ragnarök, both meaning Twilight of the Gods). One of Sleipnir’s attacks with the Gungnir spear is called Scars of Nibelung, which I believe is referring to Wagner’s Ring cycle.
Speaking of Sleipnir, it is revealed that he is in fact an extension of Barnabas’ power as the Dominant of Darkness, possibly being the personification of the horse that Odin rides upon. It has been pointed out by this person on Twitter that Sleipnir’s hair is in the style of a horse braid, and that his pants look like those of a horse jockey’s; further reinforcing the idea of his connection to Odin’s horse. But what I really want to point out is his surname Harbard, which translates to “Greybeard”. This name most likely comes from Hárbarðsljóð (The Lay of Harbard), a poem from the Poetic Edda, in which an old man (the eponymous Greybeard) gets into a verbal debate with Thor. It is believed by several scholars that the old man in this poem is actually Odin in disguise, in no small part because one of his many monikers was in fact Hárbarð.
Fun fact, several days of the week are named after Norse gods, with Wednesday being Odin’s Day; stemming from the Old English Wōden. Why I bring this up is because when Barnabas transforms into Odin for the last time, the impending onslaught is called “Woden Worhte Weos”, an alliterative phrase that comes from a gnomic poem called Maxims I) found in the Exeter Book. This phrase means “Odin made idols/sanctuaries”, while the full verse from Maxims I translates roughly to “Odin fashioned idols, the Ruler of all fashioned heaven and the spacious skies". This statement is comparing Odin, who was the chief god of the proto-Germanic people, to the Christian God, and thereby denouncing the former as a lesser or even false deity; most likely due to the sentiments felt during the burgeoning Christianization of Scandinavia in the Early Middle Ages. I find this very fascinating as the phrase fits perfectly with Barnabas’ character as the religious zealot for what he believes is the one true God, often using Christian-sounding terms like the Almighty, the Creator, and the Lord when referring to Ultima. Odin in the context of FFXVI is a god-like being, yet submits to the rule of another as Barnabas knows that the Eikons are merely icons or idols; Jungian archetypal manifestations of Ultima’s power born from humanity’s devotion to the Mothercrystals. The game even makes a not-so-subtle allusion to the biblical prophet Moses who famously parted the Red Sea when Odin splits the waters of the Naldia Narrow with a slice of his sword. With all of this in mind, Ultima and the old religion devoted to him called the Circle of Malius give off very Gnostic vibes. To elaborate, Gnosticism is a collective offshoot of medieval Jewish and Christian ideals in which it is believed that the material world was created by an arrogant and malevolent god called the Demiurge that considers itself to be the supreme ruler of the universe. However, the metaphysical world and the Demiurge itself were created by an even higher power called the Monad), which the Demiurge is not aware of. Barnabas believes he is following the path of salvation set out by God, but what he really did was fall for the lies of a false idol.
And for some more interesting miscellaneous information. There are some names from Norse myths used for several of the locations in the Kingdom of Waloed, such as Eistla, the coast of Frigg’s Calm, the fortress Gjallarhorn, and the prison Balmung Dark); as well as some locations that at least sound Nordic like Stonhyrr, Wolfdarr, and Skaithfarr. Sleipnir even has an attack during his boss fight called Ratatoskr, named after the eponymous squirrel that travels along the world tree Yggdrasil, relaying messages between the four stags that graze amongst the world tree’s branches and the dragon Níðhöggr that gnaws on the tree’s roots.
Another cool detail which is laid out more thoroughly in this tweet is that the music for the last part of Barnabas’ fight is called “The Riddle” (one of my favorites), with the title and the lyrics referring to a story from the Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks (The Saga of Hervör and Heidrek) in which Odin disguises himself as a man named Gestumblindi and challenges King Heidrek to solve several riddles, with the final brainteaser being one that only Odin himself could answer. And a curious detail that I would like to mention is that Odin’s Chronolith Trial is titled the Hand of Enceladus. Enceladus) was a giant) that fought the Greek war goddess Athena during the Gigantomachy#The_Gigantomachy) and was thought to have been buried under Mt. Etna in Sicily after being defeated; similar to how Zeus also bested and buried Typhon under the same mountain. Like the failed vessel Typhon, Barnabas is nothing more than a puppet to be used by Ultima, a man who cast off his humanity long ago in the promise of salvation, which is what I believe to be the association that the developers wanted the player to make between Barnabas and the name of the Chronolith Trial.
Finally, I would like to point out that Barnabas could also be considered the villainous archetypal black knight character, who acts as the foil to the knight-errant or white knight characters of Clive Rosfield and Dion Lesage, respectively. Barnabas contrasts with Dion in terms of elemental affinity (dark vs. light) as shown at the Battle of Belenus Tor, while Barnabas is presented as the philosophical antithesis to Clive (fatalism, predestination, existential nihilism, and servitude vs. free will, optimism, and rebellion). The character archetype of the black knight seems to stem from Arthurian legends such as Le Morte d’Arthur, before being adapted to other works of literature and media throughout history. In fact, FFXVI has its own version of the Arthurian legend; as suggested by the sword Excalibur, the fable called The Saint and the Sectary, and the play titled The Adventures of Sir Crandall.
If you’re interested in learning more about Norse mythology, I highly recommend checking out the excellent website called Norse Mythology for Smart People as well as the book “The Viking Spirit: An Introduction to Norse Mythology and Religion” both by Daniel McCoy. I also recommend playing Santa Monica Studios’ God of War (2018)) and God of War: Ragnarök; two excellent games that put a creative spin on the Norse mythos while also staying relatively faithful to the source material.
I thought this may be my last post in this series, but thankfully with the announcement of the Rising Tide DLC that will introduce the missing Eikon Leviathan, I will be able to make one more post. Till then, this is farewell for now. Thank you so much for all of the nice comments left on these posts, it means so much to me that so many other people found this stuff informative and have indulged my interests. Thanks again, happy holidays, and have a wonderful new year everyone! See you next time!

Subtitle: Merlin has to imagine John is a rebus.As a main topic, your hosts officially introduce their concept of "Best, First, Favorite" (or "BFF"). An exegesis ensues on the distinctions and purposes of this powerful new Thought Technology.
This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: - Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code DIFFS.
Links and Show Notes:Things kick off with Merlin catching John up on the various conditions that have recently been causing so much compression in his life.
Merlin cops to a fevered reverie that contributed to his purchasing some fonts. John thinks Merlin's wife should have been warned he'd eventually own and operate a Segway.
In something like Follow-Up, John has a RecDiffs-related assignment for Merlin. Merlin agrees to try and stay in compliance with John's aggressive timetable.
As a main topic, your hosts officially introduce their concept of "Best, First, Favorite" ("BFF"). An exegesis ensues on the distinctions and purposes of this powerful new Thought Technology.
At length, BFF is applied practically to the oeuvre of The Original Peaches.
(Recorded on Thursday, November 2, 2023)
Credits - Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf

• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
  
• Music: Merlin Mann
  
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley
  

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.BinaxNOW COVID testThe Talk Show: The Smoker ChannelsThe episode of The Talk Show podcast where Merlin talks about the ridiculous Xfinity service outage graphic.
The ridiculous Xfinity service outage graphicContact (1997)The Gilded Age)The Phantom Menace on Blank CheckBlank CheckNot just another bad movie podcast, Blank Check with Griffin & David reviews directors' complete filmographies episode to episode. Specifically, the auteurs whose early successes afforded them the rare ‘blank check’ from Hollywood to produce passion projects.
Chris Gethard Loves Kit FistoYou Look Nice TodayATP Top Four: LaptopsWe play Top Four: Greatest Laptops of All Time. And, just like with the real Top Four, everyone is playing their own version of the game. Simultaneously. 😵‍💫
The Flop HouseElliott Kalan, Dan McCoy, and Stuart Wellington watch a bad movie and then talk about it.
The Flop House Episode #133 – Bullet to the HeadWalter Hill has made several great movies in his career. Is Bullet to the Head one of them? Meanwhile, Stuart unveils a new impression in his repertoire, Dan inspires a discussion about the horrors of gorilla sex, and Elliott keeps missing our special celebrity guest.
The Flop House The Flop House: Episode #31 – Swing VoteWhat happens when a movie that feels like it was written in 1984, and was inspired by the 2000 election, is made in 2008? You get Swing Vote. Meanwhile, Dan reveals an uncomfortable new use for tweed, Elliott explains his new game show, and Will busts out the world’s most accurate Paul Schrader impression.
The Flop House Episode #124 – StolenWith movies like this in the world, every day is like Cagemas. Meanwhile, Elliott discusses the troubles with carrier Con Air, Dan makes reference to commercials you’d only see if you watch cable news in the middle of the day, and Stuart’s giant penis reemerges for spring.
The Flop House Episode #138 – Foodfight!Hey, you guys ever think to yourself, “I like Toy Story, but I wish it could be more commercial, ugly, and frenetic?” Welcome to Foodfight! Meanwhile, Dan points out the movie’s one “goof,” Stuart brings it back to “Just One of the Guys,” and Elliott introduces his new “Southern Tin Tin Enthusiast” character.
The Flop House Hannah Montana: The MovieIncludes the first salvo in what would evolve into "dingdonggate."
Chopin Goatablessee also: Words that Sound Like Other Words
Cat on a Hot Tintin Roof The Flop House Wiki FandomIn this movie pitch (never officially called a pitch, but pretty clearly meant as a film) the guys spin a yarn about an old Southern woman who loves the comic book character Tintin (pronounced "Tantan" due to her accent.) The film will be credited to writer Tentennessee Williams. According to Dan, she is his "most favorite character who exists in the world! This old lady who doesn't exist: an old lady southerner who loves Tintin."
Dingdonggate The Flop House Wiki FandomRepeatedly since Episode 53: Hannah Montana: The Movie, host Stuart Wellington has insisted that a "ding-dong" is ripped off during the course of his oft-recommended movie Castle Freak. He cites it as a prime reason to watch the film and as an attraction comparable to the classic scene in The Invisible Maniac in which a guy gets choked with a submarine sandwich.
"The Stallone Tangent" - Episode #133 - The Flop House Podcast - YouTube"Whoa, whoa whoa—did Sly Stallone just walk in here?"
Butterick’s Practical TypographyMB fonts Butterick’s Practical Typography
from Relay FM All-Network Feed http://relay.fm/rd/221

While you might know that you need to exercise your body, did you know that it might also be important to exercise your mind? You've probably heard the old adage "use it or lose it." Many researchers do believe that this maxim applies to your brain health.
Brain training is often touted as a way to sharpen your mind and even boost intelligence. While many cognitive scientists suggest that the claims surrounding brain training are both exaggerated and misleading, there is an abundance of research suggesting that certain types of activities can be beneficial for your brain's health.1
1

Take Care of Your Body to Take Care of Your Mind

​
If you want to take care of your mind, you need to start by taking care of your body.
Research has time and time again shown that people who engage in healthy behaviors such as exercise and proper nutrition are less susceptible to the cognitive declines associated with the aging process.
One study suggested that exercise can protect your brain from shrinkage as it ages.2 Researchers have also found that exercise can promote neurogenesis, or the formation of new brain cells, in the brain's hippocampus.3
One study published in 2013 looked at healthy behaviors in nearly 2,300 men over the course of thirty years. Researchers looked at the participants' behaviors and cognitive abilities starting in middle age and tracked their progress throughout old age.4
The researchers found that men who practiced certain healthy behaviors were around 60% less likely to experience cognitive impairment and dementia as they age.
These healthy behaviors included not smoking, maintaining a healthy BMI, regularly exercising, consuming lots of vegetables and fruits, and consuming a low to moderate amount of alcohol.4
So if you want to build a better mind, start by working on your physical health first. Go for a walk, start incorporating more fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet, and try to give up any bad habits like excessive alcohol consumption or tobacco use. Some of these might be more difficult than others, but your brain will thank you for years to come.
What Is Alcohol Use Disorder?
2

Draw a Map of Your Town From Memory

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While you might feel like you can navigate the streets of your neighborhood with your eyes closed, try challenging your brain by actually drawing a map of your town or neighborhood from memory. No cheating! Try to include major streets, major side streets, and local landmarks.
Once you are done, compare your memory map to a real map of the area. How did you do? Are you surprised by some of the things that you missed? If you found this activity too easy, try drawing a less familiar area from memory, such as a map of the entire United States or Europe, and try to label every state or country.
Navigating your way to the supermarket or doctor's office might seem simple and almost automatic when you are behind the wheel of your car. However, forcing yourself to remember the layout of your neighborhood as well as draw and label it helps activate a variety of areas of your brain.
3

Learn Something New

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This brain exercise requires a bit of commitment, but it is also one that just might give you the most bang for your buck. Learning something new is one way to keep your brain on its toes and continually introduce new challenges.
In one study, researchers assigned older adults to learn a variety of new skills ranging from digital photography to quilting. They then did memory tests and compared the experimental groups to control groups. Those in the control groups had engaged in activities that were fun but not mentally challenging such as watching movies and listening to the radio.5
The researchers found that only those participants who had learned a new skill experienced improvement on the memory tests.
They also discovered that these memory improvements were still present when tested again a year later.
Some things you might want to try include learning a new language, learning to play a musical instrument or learning a new hobby. Not only will you be stretching your mind, but you will also be continually learning something new as you keep expanding your skills and becoming more accomplished.
4

Try Using Your Non-Dominant Hand

​
Up next is an interesting brain exercise that one neurobiologist suggests might help "keep your brain alive."
In his book Keep Your Brain Alive: 83 Neurobic Exercises to Help Prevent Memory Loss and Increase Mental Fitness, neurobiologist Lawrence Katz recommends using your non-dominant hand to strengthen your mind. Because using your opposite hand can be so challenging, it can be a great way to increase brain activity.
6
Try switching hands while you are eating dinner or when you are trying to write something down. It will be difficult, but that is exactly the point.
The most effective brain activities are those that are not necessarily easy.
5

Socialize

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Studies from 2019 suggest that people who are socially active are also at a lower risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease.7
Socializing tends to engage multiple areas of the brain and many social activities also include physical elements, such as playing a sport, that is also beneficial to your mind.
Even if you are an inveterate introvert, seeking social interactions can be beneficial to your brain in both the short and long term. Some ideas for staying socially engaged include:

• Signing up for volunteer opportunities in your community
• Joining a club
• Signing up for a local walking group
• Staying in close touch with your friends and family

6

Meditate

​
One brain exercise you might not have considered might actually be extremely effective—meditation. Mindfulness meditation, in particular, is often espoused by positive psychologists for its beneficial effects.
Research suggests that mindfulness and meditation are associated with greater neuroplasticity, reduced brain aging, and improved cognitive abilities.8
If you ready to try this brain exercise, you can read a quick guide to practicing mindfulness meditation. You can also check out some handy tips for incorporating mindfulness into your everyday life.
7

What About All Those Brain Training Games?

Chances are probably pretty good that you've at least heard, or even tried, some of the many brain training games, websites, and apps that are out there. Many of these tools claim that these computerized brain exercises can increase your mental flexibility, keep you mentally sharper as you age and even make you more intelligent.
While there is still plenty of debate about whether or not these claims are true, there is a chance that playing these types of mental games might is good for your brain.
How much exactly is still up for debate. If you think you would enjoy such games, you can find a nice list of brain training resources that you might want to check out.
If, however, you already spend too much time staring at your computer screen or smartphone, your time is probably much better well spent going out for a stroll, enjoying a new hobby or even visiting with a friend. All of these activities can have major long-term effects on the health and vitality of your brain.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• What is the best exercise for my brain?The best exercise for your brain is moderate to vigorous physical activity. Research suggests that aerobic exercise is best for cognitive ability, while resistance training is the most helpful for memory and executive function. Aim to get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and two days of muscle-strengthening exercise.9
• How can I exercise my brain everyday?Try incorporating brain-strengthening activities throughout your day. Get some exercise, do a crossword puzzle while you eat breakfast, and read a book before bed. Practicing good self-care, including ensuring you are getting adequate sleep and eating a balanced diet, may also be helpful.
  
• What exercises improve brain memory?Some ideas include memory card games to boost short-term memory, doing jigsaw puzzles to strengthen working memory, and learning something new to help enhance overall memory.
  
• How can I sharpen my brain?If you want to sharpen your brain, focus on doing brain exercises that target some of the areas measured by IQ tests, such as working memory, executive function, and spatial reasoning.10 Helpful brain exercises can include Sodoku, Scrabble, brainteasers, and mazes.
  

What is the name for a fear of never being understood? This anxiety is perhaps best described third person in Mark Leyner's 1993 mindblender, "Et tu, Babe". And I quote:
"Many of the great American poets of the late 20th century murdered Hollywood stars (perhaps to silence their shrill insipidity), but what were their writing habits?
The man who killed Kevin Costner, flayed him, and wore his skin eschewed the computer keyboard; he preferred to write his poetry in longhand, producing and indecipherable rebus of printed letters, script, numerical formulae, and pictures.
But Jesus! What a strange rich beautiful music was frozen in the inscrutability of these hieroglyphs, waiting to be awakened by the warm kiss of an expert's exegesis, like cryonically preserved Vedic birds, thawed, and tweeting recondite ragas!
After a day of painful labor (he was a rigorous, fanatically self-critical, self-flagellating slave to his muse, and his progress from line to line and stanza to stanza was tortuously slow), he would drive to town and stand in the middle of 7 Eleven, garbed in Costner's flesh from head to toe - in a unitard of Costner's skin - and he would affect Costner's bovine gaze and Costner's uninflected speech pattern, and recite those weirdly buoyant and long long lyrics to hapless customers, many immobile with horror, some amused and snickering.
How profoundly sad that he considered these often chemically dependent nocturnal nomads his public!
How profoundly sad that during his lifetime only isolated and ineffectual academics would apprehend the preternatural vivacity and divine fabric of his mind."

1. If you have me, you want to share me. If you share me, you don't have me. What am I?
2. You're escaping a labyrinth, and there are three doors in front of you. The door on the left leads to a raging inferno. The door in the center leads to a deadly assassin. The door on the right leads to a lion that hasn't eaten in three months. Which door do you choose?
3. If I am holding a bee, what do I have in my eye?
4. An old man dies, leaving behind two sons. In his will, he orders his sons to race with their horses, and the one with the slower horse will receive his inheritance. The two sons race, but since they're both holding their horses back, they go to a wise man and ask him what they should do. After that, the brothers race again — this time at full speed. What did the wise man tell them?
5. Turn me on my side and I am everything. Cut me in half and I am nothing. What am I?
6. A farmer needs to take a fox, a chicken, and a sack of grain across a river. The only way across the river is by a small boat, which can only hold the farmer and one of the three items. Left unsupervised, the chicken will eat the grain, and the fox will eat the chicken. However, the fox won't try to eat the grain, and neither the fox nor the chicken will wander off. How does the farmer get everything across the river?
7. If you have a 7-minute hourglass and an 11-minute hourglass, how can you boil an egg in exactly 15 minutes?
8. You are walking down a road and come to a fork. One path leads to certain death; the other leads to eternal happiness. You don't know which is which. In the middle of the fork, you come across two brothers who know which road is which. One brother always tells the truth and the other always lies. You can only ask them one question. How would you determine which road to take?
9. What is next in this sequence of numbers: 1, 11, 21, 1211, 111221, 312211, ______?
10. Four people arrive at a river with a narrow bridge that can only hold two people at a time. It's nighttime and they have one torch that has to be used when crossing the bridge. Person A can cross the bridge in one minute, B in two minutes, C in five minutes, and D in eight minutes. When two people cross the bridge together, they must move at the slower person's pace. Can they all get across the bridge in 15 minutes or less?
11. A rebus is a pictogram that represents a word, phrase, or saying. For example, "Ci ii" represents "See eye to eye." What word or phrase does the following rebus represent: OER_T_O?
12. During a recent census, a man told the census taker that he had three children. When asked their ages, he replied, "The product of their ages is 72. The sum of their ages is the same as my house number." The census taker ran to the man's front door and looked at the house number. "I still can't tell," she complained. The man replied, "Oh that's right, I forgot to tell you that the oldest one likes chocolate pudding." The census taker then promptly wrote down the ages of the three children. How old are they?
13. You're in a dark room with a candle, a wood stove, and a gas lamp. You only have one match, so what do you light first?
14. There are five bags of gold that all look identical, and each has 10 gold pieces in it. One of the five bags has fake gold in it. The real gold, fake gold, and all five bags are identical in every way, except the pieces of fake gold each weigh 1.1 grams, and the real gold pieces each weigh 1 gram. You have a perfectly accurate digital gram scale and can use it only once. How do you determine which bag has the fake gold?

Link to article

1 Aug Update: i noticed Esplanade has new free gigs *

21 Jul, Fri

• Marquee: A$AP FERG, marina bay sands, $90
• Jacky Cheung 张学友 - Show 4/11, indoor stadium, $168
• Electronic/Orchestral Strings: From Outer Grey by KoFlow (ft Mervin Wong, David Loke, Ryan Yee, May Loh, Saenghaengfah Tosakul, Shan, Bekhzod Oblayorov & Anrev), pasir panjang power station, $25-$35
• Michelle SgP ft rhyu & Classique - YOLO Album Launch Day 2 (jazz pop/singer-songwriter), ESPLANADE, $48
• Jazz Loft: Natasya Elvira (IDN) - 1st Day, blu jaz at bali ln (bugis), $22
• Esplanade Jazz: Date Night Friday: The Chosen Few, free
• Esplanade Jazz: Sinclair & His Rhythmakers - At the Jazz Band Ball (jazz swing), free
• Esplanade Jazz: Mischief Jam, Mischief bar esplanade, free
• Maduro Jazz: Essence of Jazz ft. Rachma Lim & Maya Raisha, Sofitel Sentosa, $65 drink credits
• Cool Cats Jazz: Latinfest Day 1! Montunico: From Cuba with Love!, 32 Beach Road NCO Club, $30
• Chinese OperaA Show of Prowess: Peking Opera Excerpts 大显神通 - 京剧舞与武 by GuoGuang Opera (TW) 国光剧团 (台湾), ESPLANADE, $38
• SSO: In Your Community. ACS (Independent), free
• Indian Dance: Raga 2023 Nava Nartanam – 9 emotions of dance, ESPLANADE, $30
• Candlelight: The Best of Zelda by pianist Gabriel Hoe, The Arts House (city hall), left $52
• UV Art/Electronic: The Analog Girl x Your Artist Neighbour Exhibition, Blk 78 Guan Chuan Street (tiong bahru), free
• Singapore Street Fest 23: Performances at Somerset, 313 somerset, free

 

• DJ, CULTURE X ZYRUP: Pop Queens 3.0 ft Drag (DJs Ayekay, JJ, Marshmallowman, SoundsOfFai, Clammr), hard rock cafe orchard, $31
• DJ, WastedSG’s Come on Barbie Lets go Party ft YinYang, Electron, Caitlyn, Roy of Canvas (hiphop pop party anthems), club iki at Ikigai izakaya riverwalk, $35
• DJ, Ringtone 002: beansclub, blaire coucher, truesanju (hyperpop, queer altpop party), Cafe Tailor Made 100 Turf Club Rd (6th avenue), $23
• DJ, DUTTYWINE 2: DOS (queer reggaeton party), Cineleisure Orchard (New Projector X: No Spoilers), $20
• DJ, Thugshop X FomoHomo - XOXO feat. JONNYVICIOUS KL (queer friendly), MDLR 62 Cecil Street, $36
• DJ, Tuff: Ma De. James Riach, Nino Blink, tuff tech-house club 138 robinson rd cbd, $35
• DJ, Yang: Ministry of DJs Anniversary Gemstarr, red, kennerve, hanif, madjeester, effen, nomi, yang club clarke quay, $20
• DJ, Back to the 90s ft DJ Jag, Big, Soul, blu jaz at bali ln (bugis), $11
• DJ, AfroDesi Singapore Vol 2.0 ft DJs K2, Triple S, MC SWTLKR, Dirty Blonde Suntec City, $27
• DJ, Offtrack: Mesmé (US), beside hong lim park, music gastro bar
• DJ, Zouk: 100% bulletproof : ghetto & eswag (Hardstyle, Hip-hop, Big room), zouk clarke quay, $45
• DJ, Drip: Chambers: Chapter VIII ft joon, keagan (hiphop rnb edm), drip club 100 Orchard Rd Concorde Hotel, $30
• DJ, Prism: ΨΣ (Psi Sigma) III - Shut Down ft DJ Raw, Cherish, Ling, Ethan (hiphop, top40s, edm), prism club marina square, $32
• DJ, HQ: ANTHONY PARASOLE, Dean Chew, Halal Sol (underground, deep house, techno), headquarters club 66A boat quay,$36

22 Jul, Sat

• MIYAVI, marina bay sands, $88
• Jacky Cheung 张学友 - Show 5/11, indoor stadium, $168
• Anxious (US Emo), Scape Orchard L3, $58
• Anime Festival Asia: Creators Super Fest Day 1 - ft MindaRyn (TH), Amelia Khor (MY), Ladybeard (AU), AniBeats x GoldenMix Rave, Singapore Expo Hall 5, $19
• Singapore Symphony Orchestra: Symphony in the Gardens , Shaw Foundation Stage @ Singapore Botanic Gardens, free
• Dark Alt: GLITCH//\WITCH Fest: Sangriento, Microchip Terror, Gonemune, Falling Islands, VYLT, Poetriot, Switchblades, Duckdeleuze, 3amenities, Kult Kafe The grandstand (6th avenue), $20
• Indie pop: Hongjoin's Album Release - I'M SO FAR FROM YOU ft rhyu & zzzat, Gateway Theatre bukit merah, $32
• MANTRAVINE - Nartana LP Launch ft CERATONE, Toastybiskit, Phoeniks, Golisounds, Tiabenie, Anastasiya (psych, ethnic, electronic), Blackbird Gillman Barracks 8 Lock Rd, free reg
• Rock: Bands Arcade by One Jam ft Sigygis, 1800 Wicked, Grizzly Bears, Dimension 248, Festivo Mr Gallop 100 turf club, $25
• Esplanade Jazz: Gecko&Tokage Parade (JPN jazz fusion/post-rock), OUTDOOR, free
• Esplanade Jazz: Sharik Hasan & Chok Kerong,free
• Esplanade Jazz: Nadine Adrianna Trio (IDN) ft. Barry Likumahuwa, Sandy Winarta, free
• Esplanade Jazz: Stage Jam, outdoor, free
• Jazz Loft: Natasya Elvira (IDN), blu jaz at bali ln (bugis), $22
• Maduro Jazz: An Evening of Jazz Treasures ft. Rachma Lim & Sarah-Kei Lauw , Sofitel Sentosa, $65 drink credits
• Cool Cats Jazz: Latinfest Day 2! Montunico: From Cuba with Love!, 32 Beach Road NCO Club, $30
• Indian Music-Dance: Niranjan Pandian's My Identity - Beyond Artistry ( என் அடையாளம்) with Bhaskar Arts Academy, aliwal arts centre, $28
• Jankaar Beats 2023: A Journey on Musical Waves (ft Sivamani, Stephen Devassy, Naresh Iyer, Seethalakshmi, Steven Samuel Devassy ), ESPLANADE, $50
• SMU Symphonia - Grandioso IV: Once Upon A Dream, singapore conference hall 7 shenton way, $17
• Chinese & Malay Trad Vocal/Poetry: Longing 遥望 by Siong Leng Musical Association, Drama Centre Black box (national library), $28
• Canto Opera: A Lighter Side of History: Memoir of Woo Wai Fong and intro to Cantonese Opera, national museum of singapore, $5 sold out
• Music Theatre/ComedyOur Tampines Hub: DIM SUM DOLLIES & Hossan Leong, free 1st come
• Parliament: Lets Rock Out to Rad Dad (retro rock , yacht rock) - Toto, Journey, Phil Collins, Hall & Oats, 18 teck lim road (outram), US style dive bar
• Singapore Street Fest 23: Academy of Rock Showcase, 313 somerset, free

 

• DJ, Revision presents Tamen (AU Breakbeat, Jungle, D&B), Gahmen, Helios XL, Dexter Colt, club iki at ikigai izakaya riverwalk, $30
• DJ, GrooveTop: Manila Takeover ft. Secret Pals, ManilaJunkie & Margàchi (PH funk, soul, hip hop, r&b, Afro, disco, house), ETTA 66 Kampong Bugis, $35
• DJ, TOSKA AND FRIENDS 360, SKYFALL ROOFTOP RESTROBAR (harbourfront), $11
• DJ, Prism: Entity Volume 3: DJs Limmy, Kiara, Raw, Cherish (EDM, 00s pop, Hiphop), prism club marina square , $32
• DJ, Straight Outta Kampong: Kampong Boogie, babyrascal 30 maxwell rd, $20
• DJ, Neil Conversion: Mandopop Night ft DJ Elvin (hk), 43 Neil Road (maxwell), gay bar-club
• DJ, Crash Cartel: y2k Rewind (ft Momentaro, shaney richochet, KZ, MC Sxsi), club limelight 79 Circular Rd (boat quay), left $22
• DJ, DESI THUMKA at Magic Carpet Lounge (Bollywood, Bhangra, Punjabi), 7500E Beach Rd, $37
• DJ, Yang Club: Reggaetonight, yang club clarke quay, $20
• DJ, Majesty Chen: Hard Ascension Live - Paramercy Birthday Bash, 138 Robinson Rd L20, $27
• DJ, Capital: Reload: Casey & Ghetto. MC T Fresh (00s EDM), capital zouk clarke quay, $50
• DJ, Offtrack: Kevin Sy, beside hong lim park, music gastro bar
• DJ, Potatohead: Kaye (house tech), 36 Keong Saik Rd
• DJ, Moonstone: Ya5th (90s 00s hiphop), 103 Amoy St
• DJ, Drip: Brett Allen (tech house, edm, hard, psytrance), drip club 100 Orchard Rd Concorde Hotel, $27
• DJ, Element Presents: Techno Edition 1 ft Mr Gray, Hou zi, Kevin Punx, Furious Styles, blu jaz at bali ln , $26
• DJ, EATMEPOPTART: ABSTRACT RELATIONS w Adrian Wee (techno), Cineleisure Orchard (Projector X: No Spoilers), $12
• DJ, Thugshop XXL: JONAS SAALBACH (DE melodic techno/prog), MDLR Club 62 Cecil Street L2, $42
• DJ, Tuff: Thugshop X Midnight Shift - ANSWER CODE REQUEST [DE Techno, OSTGUT/Berghain], tuff club 138 robinson rd cbd, $36

23 Jul, Sun

• GARNiDELiA, Singapore Expo Hall 5, $108
• Anime Festival Asia: Creators Super Fest Day 2 - ft Masaharu Yamanouchi & Mitsuo Mitsui (Bocchi The Rock!, Vivy), REGALILIA (JP), Ladybeard (AU), Eric Ng of TSMC, Ben Hum, Aijou etc (SG), Singapore Expo Hall 5, $19
• Jacky Cheung 张学友 - Show 6/11, indoor stadium, $168
• Esplanade: Swar Pravaaham – A Musical Voyage by Nawaz Mirajkar (NUS Indian Instrumental Ensemble), $30
• Esplanade Jazz: JOSHUA WAN feat. ALPACA, concourse, free
• Esplanade Jazz: Big Band Sunday: SWS City Swing Band, outdoor, free
• Esplanade Jazz: Free Jazz Night with More Molecules (experimental), annexe studio, free w reg
• Esplanade Jazz : Dance Authentic Jazz Dance Taster Classes, free
• Chinese Opera Chun-cao's Intrusion at the Court – World's Best Comedy 春草闯堂 – 天下第一喜剧 by GuoGuang Opera (TW) 国光剧团 (台湾), ESPLANADE, $38
• Theatre Re: Assembly, ESPLANADE, $23
• Jazz Loft: Sunday Jam Session, blu jaz at bali ln, free
• Choral: CATHARSIS by EVOKX Chamber Choir and The Chorallective, Victoria Concert Hall, $25
• Candlelight: Tribute to Mayday 五月天 by pianist Gabriel Hoe, the arts house city hall, left $52

 

• DJ, The Weekend Hangout Vol 4: Sunday Service - ft Tunes by KC (R&B, Latin), 39 Ann Siang Rd, $16
• DJ, Driguo (latin house, disco) at Levant,32 Tras St (maxwell)
• DJ, Potato Head: Rooftop: In The Wild (Pearl) - underground housey party, 36 Keong Saik Rd, bistro rooftop bar

24 Jul, Mon

• Esplanade Jazz: Namie and Ann Gie, free
• Candlelight: Best of Joe Hisaishi (by Vocalise String Quartet), CHIJMES City Hall, left $63

25 Jul, Tue

• THE Inn Livehouse Grand Opening! - DREAMZ FM 梦飞船, Joanna Dong, Alfred Sim, Bugis Plus L7, New Mando Liveband Bistro
• Esplanade Jazz: Sean Hong Wei Trio, free
• Talk: Conversation with Chong Li-Chuan: Designing Sound, asian civilisations museum, free
• Candlelight: Rings & Dragons (LOTR vs GoT) by vocalise string quartet, CHIJMES city Hall, left $48

26 Jul, Wed

• Jasmine Sokko & brb. - Mediacorp indieGO, Capitol Theatre Outdoor Plaza, free
• The Inn Livehouse Grand Opening 2! 插班生The Freshman, 高美贵 Gao Mei Gui, Bugis Plus L7, New Mando Liveband Bistro
• Esplanade Jazz: Hot, Hot, Hot Latin Jazz by Anson Fung Quartet, free
• Jazz Loft: Sinclair Ang & His Rhythmakers, The Jazz Loft @ Blu Jaz, $22
• Drag: MOISTNESS: midweek cabaret, the projector golden mile tower, $30
• Candlelight: Best of Joe Hisaishi (by Vocalise String Quartet), CHIJMES City Hall, left $65
• DJ, Wild Pearl Community Night - Pre Boiler Room, 195 pearl's hill terrace L3, free
• DJ, Potatohead: Prav (hiphop rnb nite), 36 Keong Saik Rd
• DJ, Club Rich: DJ Ye (MY Manyao) & MC Sonorus, 114 middle road (bugis), asian club
• DJ, CULTURE presents Taylor Swift 5.0 (ft dj pin, vall), hard rock cafe orchard, $31

27 Jul, Thu

• Sabrina Carpenter, marina bay sands expo, $98
• Dhruv, theatre at mediacorp one-north (1 star avenue), $88
• Charlie Lim, shye, Yung raja - Mediacorp indieGO, Capitol Theatre Outdoor Plaza, free
• THE Inn Livehouse Grand Opening 3! - 郭美美 Jocie Guo Mei Mei, 黄俊融 Jarrell, Bugis Plus L7, New Mando Liveband Bistro
• Cool Cats Jazz: Latinfest! Hector Infanzon: Special Concert, 32 Beach Road NCO Club (Esplanade), $48
• Jazz Loft: Bright Eyes Series - The Jazzlings from NUS - Jazz In The Attic, blu jaz at bali ln (bugis), $22
• SSO: Chloe Chua and He Ziyu - Mozart Violin Concerto: Day 1, ESPLANADE, $15
• Esplanade Jazz: The Alina Ramirez Trio (afro Latin jazz, folk), free
• Level Up: 53A, Clarke Quay Arcade & Live Music Bar
• DJ, Offtrack: Orio (IL), beside hong lim park, music gastro bar
• DJ, Partydrops SG: ESCAPE - DJs Raven, Yam, Hans, Modern Bass Boy, Sharkboy (Hip-hop, Top 40s, 00s edm), yang club clarke quay, $15
• DJ, Prism: Gucci Nights ft Skilla, PRISM Club , Free

28 Jul, Fri

• J BALVIN, marina bay sands, $138
• Jacky Cheung 张学友 - Show 7/11, indoor stadium, $168
• SINGnopsis Concert 梦乐之旅 - Hua Chen 陈华. Ben Hum 范平庚, Jarrell Huang 黄俊融, Lennerd Lim 林健辉, Lin Si Tong 林思彤, Sherman Lim 林胜文, Sherman Zhuo, Yang Min 杨敏, Yokez 叶玉棂, Zann 郭璟萱 , 48 Boon Lay Way, The Chevrons, rsvp/soldout
• indie: Last Minute Gig: Islandeer, Woes, 730Bedside, haldi honey, Lithe House 23 Madras Street, left $20 door
• Timbre Eastside: Bushmen (punky reggae), singapore expo food court, free
• SSO: Chloe Chua and He Ziyu - Mozart Violin Concerto: Last, ESPLANADE, w Meet n Greet $15++
• SOTA solo and chamber music: Let There be Song!, SOTA, $11
• Jazz Loft: Christian Bucher & Rick Countryman: the force of gravity - 1st Day, blu jaz at bali ln (bugis), $22
• Maduro Jazz: A Super-Sonic Jazz Discovery ft. David Loke Trio, Sofitel Sentosa, $65 drink credits
• Esplanade Jazz: Date Night Friday: Alemay Fernandez & Sharik Hasan - A Diary Of Us (vocal jazz, bossa, soul), free
• Esplanade Jazz : Tropic Green, outdoor, free
• Esplanade Jazz: Mischief Jam, Mischief Bar at esplanade outdoor, free
• TheatreThe Mining Trilogy: Mining Stories by Silke Huysmans & Hannes Dereere (BEL) , ESPLANADE, ~$35
• Cool Cats: Gman: Day 1 (r&b, soul), 32 beach rd The NCO Club, $30
• John Molina at La Salsa Dempsey (rock), 11 Dempsey Rd
• Level Up : Good Vibrations, Syltra, DJ Kohsh, blk a clarke quay L2, Arcade & live music bar
• Expo Market Halal Twilight Flea & Feast Day 1 - Brass Nation band, Shaun Jansen, suntec city expo L4, free
• LaLang Chinese Bistro Bar 2nd Anniversary - Elva Su Yan 苏妍 (MY), 7 Mohamed sultan rd
• Movie: Meet Me in the Bathroom (2000s NYC nu rave indie rock documentary), Projector golden mile tower, $15

 

• DJ, Window Sessions by hippies@war - DJs Sho(&Tell), Mukou, KKantra, Howr0ng (house, techno), Kurasu cafe The Stand at 1 Grange Rd opp Cineleiseure (semi-outdoor), free
• DJ, NORTH EAST SOCIAL CLUB x Thugshop - salute (AUT Speed Garage, UKG, Wonky), Kindergarchy, Tashasan, GTHB, tuff club 138 robinson rd, $37
• DJ, CULTURE X Who Hurt You Anniversary - Avenged Sevenfold party & Friends, club iki @ ikigai riverwalk, $29
• DJ, Unfiltered: One Night in Seoul (k-pop party), capitol theatre city hall, free reg
• DJ, Cherry Kitchen: Strange Weather x Tropical Futures (dj yetpet, jeanut, rtf, blockchain Algoriddims), 133 Cecil St, $27
• DJ, flow 6.0: the reunion, 100 Turf Club rd (6th avenue), $25
• DJ, Retro Night: 70s 80s 90s, Furama RiverFront Waterfall Lounge, $22
• DJ, Retrospective Anthems Party by AUPE Club, 295 Upper Paya Lebar Rd, free
• DJ, Neil Conversion: Miley Cyrus Night, 43 Neil rd, gay bar-club
• DJ, Epi: TG!F diva night ft Dj Amprsnd (queer friendly), 47 neil rd
• DJ, Yang Club: Back to the Old School, yang club clarke quay, $20
• DJ, Black Horse: 525 Fridays - Guest DJ Liya (TW), ming arcade orchard L7, asian club
• DJ, Party Social: Mambo Night (80s, 90s), RUBATO STEAKHOUSE 2 Teck Lim Road, $20
• DJ, HQ: Barren Sector, EJ Missy, headquarters techno club 66A boat quay
• DJ, Habouji Reggaeton Vol IV: Unofficial J Balvin afterparty, MDLR 62 cecil street, $31
• DJ, Latino Anthem ft OLLIE DES x NADDZ x YENN x JAG x MC Hadi (Reggaeton x Latin Pop), Dirty Blonde Suntec City Sky Garden bar, $11
• DJ, BLASÈ ft Sweezy, DJ K, Piratheeb (90s, hiphop, rnb, reggaeton, dancehall), blu jaz at bali ln (bugis), $15
• DJ, Offtrack: Senthil, beside hong lim park, music gastro bar
• DJ, Potatohead: Stephen Day (disco funk), 36 Keong Saik Rd
• DJ, Zouk Phuture: .WAV(Y) with Prav & xG (hiphop, rnb, afro), Phuture, Zouk, $22
• DJ, EATMEPOPTART: WHATEVER ft KiDG & Fantastic Dinosaur (90s/00s boygirlband eurodance rnb indie rock & emo), hard rock cafe orchard, $22
• DJ, Marquee: GRYFFIN, marina bay sands, $45
• DJ, BOILER ROOM SINGAPORE Day 1: Alex Kassian, Jenn chunes, Bongomann, A'lely, PetYet, Dean Chew ft Kaye, tanjong pagar distripark, $38

29 Jul, Sat

• Luck Life x STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION, gateway theatre bukit merah, $108
• Weng Li You 翁立友, marina bay sands, $78
• WINGS (the Malaysian band) - the rock emperor, the star theatre at star vista (buona), $88
• LATINFEST 23: Hector Infanzón, Steve Thornton's Afro Asia, Marcio Mendes, Junes, Montunico, Havana Social Club ft Lilly.V, Ireson ft Veronica Barboza, marina bay sands expo, $28
• Jacky Cheung 张学友 - Show 8/11, indoor stadium, $168
• FIG (bedroom pop/alt pop acoustic set), SimpleArte 27A Arab Street (bugis), rsvp
• Indie: The Stripped Down Show - Kelvin Tan of The Oddfellows, ryfkiherdi of Uranophobia, goneMUNE, Bowden, Capo3 of Circle Line Kid, Andi Aziz, Crane (Arab Street), $15
• World Strings Day: 150 String Musicians at South Beach (classical, national day), South Beach Avenue, 26 Beach Road, free
• EK SHAM RAFI SAHEB & KE NAAM, 2 Tessensohn Road, Singapore Khalsa Assc, $35
• SCO: SNYCO20 Legacy 承 (Singapore Chinese Youth Orchestra x SCO), SCO 7 Shenton Way, $22
• Cantonese Opera: Kreta Ayer People's Theatre Foundation & Tung On Opera National Day Opera - REGRETS . REJOICINGS - 粤韵荟萃迎国庆 , 28 Kreta Ayer Rd, $20'
• A Cappella Championships '23, Hollandse Club 22 Camden Park, $25
• Singapore Saxophone Symposium 2023, NAFA Campus 3 151 Bencoolen Street, $40
• Jalan Kayu Jazz Festival - NUS Jazz Band, Sinclair & His Rhythmakers ++, Open Area at Blk 950 Hougang Street 91, $5
• Jazz Loft: Christian Bucher & Rick Countryman - the force of gravity: Last Day, blu jaz at bali ln (bugis), $22
• Maduro Jazz: Iconic Jazz Evening: The Feather Squashers, Sofitel Sentosa, $65 drink credits
• Maduro Jazz: An Evening of Jazz Treasures ft. Rachma Lim & Sarah-Kei Lauw, Maduro, Sofitel Sentosa, $65 drink credits
• Esplanade Jazz: A Workshop with Fred Hersch (US), $10
• Esplanade Jazz: Tokyo Blue (JP Progressive jazz fusion), free
• Esplanade Jazz: Greg Lyon's Omniform, outdoor, free
• Esplanade Jazz: Soojin Suh Quartet (KR), free
• Esplanade Jazz: Stage Jam, outdoor, free
• TheatreThe Mining Trilogy: Mining Stories by Silke Huysmans & Hannes Dereere (BEL) , ESPLANADE, ~$35
• Cool Cats: The Gman Show Last (r&b, soul), 32 beach rd The NCO Club, $30
• Discussion: Ctrl + N' - An Unorthodox guide to Freelancing ft. Fauxe (as school of altruism) & Speak Cryptic by ATOM podcast, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre 1 Straits Blvd (cbd)
• Pokemon Party at Daijoubu SMU (aka the recently cancelled tsundere cafe), SMU 80 Stamford Rd, B1 School of Computing
• Standup Comedy: Elena Gabrielle - My Best Bits tour , blackbird music bar at gillman barracks (labrador park), $37
• Classic Rock at Festivo Mr Gallop - The Black Dogs (GnR, AC/DC etc), 100 turf club road (6th avenue), bbq restaurant & bar
• Katong Dreaming: A Musical Tour, 111 E Coast Rd Rumah Kim Choo, $68
• Our Tampines Hub: LET'S ROCK - Divine Band (80s & 90s Rock), free but see reg
• Level Up : Nation One, Too Much Drama, DJ Kohsh, blk a clarke quay L2, Arcade & live music bar
• Food & Flea Market Halal Twilight Flea & Feast Day 2 - ft Ralph Alvern, Dominic Chin, suntec city expo L4, free
• LaLang Chinese Bistro Bar 2nd Anniversary - Dior 大穎 (MY), 7 Mohamed sultan rd
• Ice Skating: Last Disco Night at THE RINK JCube (& cosplay), JCube jurong east
• Concert Movie: David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars ft Jeff Beck: The Motion Picture, the projector golden mile tower, $20

 

• DJ, DAYDREAM NATION by Ginette Chittick (indie, rock, shoegaze, post-punk), the projector golden mile tower, free
• DJ, Wild Pearl: DARKER THAN WAX x Strange Weather - Bilik Rebus Afterparty Port Temasek ft DEAN CHEW, A'alely, Kindergarchy, wild pearl microclub at 195 pearl's hill terrace L3 (chinatown), $25
• DJ, Teenage Pop (top 40, indie-pop, indie dance) for Yeastside 3rd Anniversary, at lyf Farrer Park 2 Perumal Rd, free
• DJ, WALLICH MANOR 's House Party ft Josh M, Sofitel City Centre 9 Wallich st (cbd)
• DJ, Club Hell: Mambo in Hell (retro ft salome drag), 113 telok ayer, gay club $30
• DJ BEACH CLEANUP: Pasir Ris Park with Wild Pearl Studio, pasir ris park car park E or chinatown, free?
• DJ, Pagoda Beats 003: Reverb - DJs Nino Blink, AKA Sounds, AMIR, JAS, BUCCI (darker underground electronic party), Orchard Cineleisure - Projector X: No Spoilers, $27
• DJ, C.L.U.P (combined local uni party): Playground, On1 Sports Bistro , The Grandstand (sixth avenue), $5-$10
• DJ, Two Queens Asia: Old School retro ft DJ JenX (queer), Bar Nkd @ 95 Club Street, no cover
• DJ, AFROGROOVE Afro Club Night DJ Sam, DaBishop (afrobeats, dancehall, hiphoprnb), blu jaz at bali ln, $15-$20
• DJ, Sober Desi Nights - DJ InSayne - Glitz & Glam (bollywood, english r&b pop), ???, $30
• DJ, Void debuts. Euphoria - DJ Ez Rawr, Waii, Konta (hiphop pop edm), 121 serangoon rd, $25
• DJ, BABY BOY vol 25: TOTES REQUEST LIVE (pop, lgbt), hard rock cafe orchard, $20
• DJ, Two Queens Asia: Old School Retro ft JenX (queer night), Bar NKD 95 Club Street
• DJ, 🏖 Fuego Nights presents: Life's a Beach! (Reggaeton, Dancehall & Afrobeats), Sand Bar Sentosa, 53 Siloso Beach Walk, $30
• DJ, 🏖 Manifest Pool Party feat HIMMAT + JEEVAN LEROY + JAMES SELVA + MIKKI S, 1-Altitude Coast Sentosa, $35
• DJ Silent Disco: Pelago's Full Moon at Marina Bay Sands SkyPark, MBS Hotel, $38
• DJ, CÉ LA VI: AMY DABBS (deep house, Atmospheric Drum and Bass), marina bay sands tower 3, $38
• DJ, Tuff: Thugshop X Art Beyond - KHEN (progressive, house, techno), tuff club 138 robinson rd cbd, $35
• DJ, HQ: Haan, Amber H, Emma SS, headquarters techno-house club 66A boat quay
• DJ, Potatohead: THERAPY ROOM (disco funk nite), 36 Keong Saik Rd
• DJ, Offtrack: Brendon P & Matty Wainwright, beside hong lim park, music gastro bar
• DJ, Freebird x Paris2Tokyo ft. DJ Sappychill - Bar & Food, freebird Katong Shopping Centre, craft beer bar
• DJ, Last Saturdays: Sean T, Hi-kel, Mari, HBN, Haili (with Alive Brewery), Puck Provisions Cafe 618 Serangoon Rd, free
• DJ, Solid Ground: ALAN DIXON (UK House, Nu-Disco) + luca, bunny ross, sivanesh, anwar, stephen day, club iki @ ikigai izakaya riverwalk, $28
• DJ, Yang Anniversary: Sick Individuals (festival edm), yang club clarke quay, $20
• DJ, ZOUK ANNIVERSARY: Dimatik, zouk clarke quay, $50
• DJ, BOILER ROOM SINGAPORE Day 2: Kamma & Masalo, Helios XL, Zig Zach, Sivanesh, Kindergarchy, tanjong pagar distripark, $38

30 Jul, Sun - International Friendship Day

• Jacky Cheung 张学友 - Show 9/11, indoor stadium, $168
• Esplanade Jazz: Fred Hersch (USA), $38
• Majulah Music Night 2023 ft J. Sheon, DOLLA, JASMINE, Glenn Yong, Hongjoin, Feez and 同理Zunya, Somerset Skatepark, $38
• JASSO Ethno-Jazz Ensemble: Kaleidoscope – An Asian Jazz Odyssey ft Jeremy Monteiro, Chok Kerong, RitXu & more, SCCC 1 Straits Boulevard (cbd), $38
• SSS FEST: Live JPop by locals - by SG Street Festival (ft Aijou, Kirameki Future, Yoshimi, Nyoombaku & more) , JEM (Jurong East) L2, free
• "Vivesco" by Soulshallovercome - Odelia Rei, Amari, LUQ, Elevern, Jakob, Ili Aye, Dylan Kyle, Geez Louise, reilly, r0bbin, simplearte 27A Arab Street L2, $20
• Timbre Eastside: East Coast Rockers, singapore expo food court, free
• Mediacorp Battle of the Buskers: 《游走的歌王》Top 16 ft Gaston & lucas, Lyla Ng, T junction, Evantellstories et al, PLQ Mall Paya Lebar, free
• Classic Metal Gig Metal Gallop starring Trooper, 123 Kaki Bukit Ave (kaki bukit mrt), free
• Esplanade Jazz: Louis Soliano and friends, free
• Esplanade Jazz: Big Band Sunday: Jazz Extravaganza with the Music Elements, outdoor, free
• "EL Moro" (Colombia) Live at The BlackBird, Gillman Barracks 8 Lock Rd (labrador park), $20
• SOTA String Ensemble: STRINGS, Victoria Concert Hall, $11
• Jazz Loft: Sunday Jam Session, blu jaz at bali ln (bugis), free
• Soulful Sunday Soul Jam with Mama Patricia, 59A Haji Lane L2, $22
• Chinese Opera Workshop: Opera-Me: A Make-Up Experience, 5 Smith St. (chinatown), $80
• Food & Flea Market Twilight Flea & Feast Day 3 - ft Arshad Sunday, Yanni Ruth, suntec city expo L4, *free
• DJ, 🏖 Drip Pool Party ft DJ Shai, K Faith, Knrck, Ange (Hiphop, R&B, Latin, Afrobeats), 1-Altitude Coast. Outpost Hotel Sentosa, $20
• DJ, PRISM: Sundiu Nights (Hard dance, Manyao, Psytrance, Eurodance), prism club marina square , free
• DJ, Oonik : The Divine Feminine by Club Kiki (ft. Aya, Jas, EJ MISSY, Muttiah Ashnim, Kara Elle) , 36 Club Street, The Backroom, QueeFemme, $20
• DJ, SYNDICATE at Sneaktopia Closing Party - Intriguant, Kiat, weish, Cherry Chan, calvin phua, marina bay sands, $25

31 Jul, Mon

• SOTA Voices sing Disney, SOTA (dhoby ghaut), $11
• Esplanade Jazz: Goodnight Heartache by Mario Serio, Anson Fung, free
• Standup Comedy: The KUMAR Show July, ikigai izakaya riverwalk, $42

01 Aug, Tue

• FKJ (French Kiwi Juice), pasir panjang power station, $158
• SOTA Music Faculty: Process, SOTA (dhoby ghaut), $11
• Esplanade: inch chua's songsmith - Exploring Singapore Songs and Songwriting, $27
• * Esplanade: Paper Divers (twee indietronica, math pop-emo), free
• * Simply Jazz: Ravi Campbell Quartet, jazz bar at CHIJMES city hall b1, book or walk-in
• * Molly Malone: Traditional Irish Music Session, 56 Circular Rd

02 Aug, Wed

• THE STROKES, marina bay sands, $148
• Esplanade Theatre: The Mining Trilogy: Pleasant Island, $30
• * Wheeler's Estate: new resident band - Shockwave (mando canto hits), 2 Park Ln (bs seletar airport)
• * Esplanade: yams (alt rnb), free

03 Aug, Thu

• THE STROKES DAY 2, marina bay sands, $148
• * Dru Chen at Molly Malone's Irish Pub, 56 Circular Rd
• * Esplanade: 榴梿忘返Durian Durian (poetry), free
• * DJ, Offtrack: bongomann. beside hong lim park, music gastro bar
• * Dance/Theatre Esplanade: MILIEU, $38

Other Events

• 20 Jul - 4 Aug: SOTA Showcases (Plays, Classical Music, Choral, Ethnic), each $14
• 28 Jul, 4 Aug: Drag + Movie Glory Hoes present That Pink Movie, the projector golden mile tower, $34
• 26 Jul - 9 Sep: Kids TheatreGoldilocks and the Three Bears 金发姑娘和三只熊, KC Arts Ctr, $27
• 28 Jul - 5 Aug: Musical Theatre: UNFORGOTTEN The post-ww2 Musical, Drama Centre (national library), $45
• 28 Jul - 6 Aug: Sojourners: Poetry Festival 2023, 100 victoria st, national library, free reg

 
Updates on telegram link -

i'm not talking about a rebus, but rather, for example, instead of texting somebody "f*ck you", sending them a picture of you giving the middle finger. instead of writing out your disapproval or otherwise negative feeling(s) towards something, using a picture of a sad, pouting face.

Hi all, here is version 2. Thanks for the comments last time out. Extremely helpful. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment!
--------
Dear agent,
All Garda Diarmuid Kelly wants is a quiet life. But life’s funny that way, sometimes your potential reaches for you, not the other way around.
Bone lazy. A waste of talent. Laid back? He’s near horizontal. Most officers would be sweating if their higher ups talked about them like that. Not Kelly it’s just how he wants it. Keep the head down, expectations low and retire by fifty. When the idyllic life he's engineered for himself gets upended, it’s time to put that dormant talent to work.
A big fish in a small pond, wannabe internet sleuth Niamh Naughton is ambitious, fatally ambitious. Secretly broadcasting live on TikTok Niamh interviews a mystery tagger taken to scrawling dark cryptic messages over village landmarks. With astonishing secrets revealed the village's dark past unravels and two gruesome murders follow.
As the reluctant Kelly struggles to solve a genuine case for the first time he finds himself at the center of a manhunt that goes viral overnight. The world’s media watch on and reddit sleuths point fingers from afar. Suspicion falls on a young priest with a Hollywood smile who seems too holier than thou to be true; even for a priest.
The charismatic priest's behavior gets more and more bizarre as a murky past comes to light. But things don't add up. Kelly enters a tangled web of deceit and mystery leaving him determined to not let anything –not a techified Hare Krishna cult out of San Francisco, not the powerful influence of the Vatican, not a disgruntled Police commissioner nor a wailing polish ayahuasca shaman – distract him from uncovering the truth and the identity of the murderer. His career, reputation and life depend on it.
I'm seeking representation for my first novel, THE SECOND DEATH, a thriller novel at 65,000 words is set in a lonesome part of Connemara in the west of Ireland. The book works as a standalone but has series potential. I'd be honored to secure the representation of someone of your standing in the industry.
Written as fast-paced commercial fiction, I would describe the book as “Holding” by Graham Norton meets “The Night Shift” by Alex Finlay.
A Connemara native, I studied xyz
Thank you for your consideration
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v1 below:
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Dear Agent,
I’m writing to seek representation for THE SECOND DEATH, a thriller novel, complete at 60,000 words, that takes place over a murderous weekend in a lonesome part of Connemara, in the west of Ireland.
Written as propulsive commercial fiction, I would describe the book as Hawley’s "Fargo" meets Rankin’s “Rebus”, with "Banshees of Inisherin" sensibilities.
Wannabe TikTok sleuth Niamh Naughton is ambitious, ambitious enough to get in to serious trouble. Secretly broadcasting live on TikTok, she interviews a mystery tagger taken to scrawling cryptic messages over prominent village landmarks. The tagger has axes to grind, secrets to reveal. One of those secrets, is enough to drive someone to murder.
The wrath of powerful forces unleashed, two gruesome murders follow. Niamh and Garda Diarmuid Kelly, a talented, but bone lazy officer of the law with a track record in drinking pints, not solving cases, are bang in the middle of a manhunt, that goes viral overnight. With the world watching on, reddit sleuths pointing fingers from afar, suspicion falls on a handsome young priest with a Hollywood smile, who seems too holier than thou to be true, even for a priest.
Tracking down the killer, gung-ho Niamh and a reluctant Kelly are dragged through a tangled web of secrets and mysteries, leaving both determined to not let anything – not the powerful influence of the Church, not interfering parents, not a techified Hare Krishna cult out of San Francisco, not a disgruntled Police commissioner nor a wailing polish ayahuasca shaman – distract them from uncovering the truth and the identity of the Connemara Killer.
Niamh’s burgeoning career depends on it, Kelly’s reputation depends on it, and both their lives just might too.
This is my first novel, the book works as a standalone but has series potential.
I’m seeking your representation based on xyz.
Thank you for your consideration.

Hi all, lurking away here for ages, love the camaraderie in this group. Would appreciate your critique on this query.
Dear Agent,
I’m writing to seek representation for THE SECOND DEATH, a thriller novel, complete at 60,000 words, that takes place over a murderous weekend in a lonesome part of Connemara, in the west of Ireland.
Written as propulsive commercial fiction, I would describe the book as Hawley’s "Fargo" meets Rankin’s “Rebus”, with "Banshees of Inisherin" sensibilities.
Wannabe TikTok sleuth Niamh Naughton is ambitious, ambitious enough to get in to serious trouble. Secretly broadcasting live on TikTok, she interviews a mystery tagger taken to scrawling cryptic messages over prominent village landmarks. The tagger has axes to grind, secrets to reveal. One of those secrets, is enough to drive someone to murder.
The wrath of powerful forces unleashed, two gruesome murders follow. Niamh and Garda Diarmuid Kelly, a talented, but bone lazy officer of the law with a track record in drinking pints, not solving cases, are bang in the middle of a manhunt, that goes viral overnight. With the world watching on, reddit sleuths pointing fingers from afar, suspicion falls on a handsome young priest with a Hollywood smile, who seems too holier than thou to be true, even for a priest.
Tracking down the killer, gung-ho Niamh and a reluctant Kelly are dragged through a tangled web of secrets and mysteries, leaving both determined to not let anything – not the powerful influence of the Church, not interfering parents, not a techified Hare Krishna cult out of San Francisco, not a disgruntled Police commissioner nor a wailing polish ayahuasca shaman – distract them from uncovering the truth and the identity of the Connemara Killer.
Niamh’s burgeoning career depends on it, Kelly’s reputation depends on it, and both their lives just might too.
This is my first novel, the book works as a standalone but has series potential.
I’m seeking your representation based on xyz.
Thank you for your consideration.

Age: 30
Occupation: Healthcare Hometown: London
Number of PTO days: 25 + bank holidays. Accrued at the beginning of each year Number of PTO days used: 5
My only significant change since my initial money diary is that my income is now £38,000. Still delaying the joint income with partner as he is about to change jobs, but we pay towards holidays in proportion to our salaries, so my total actual personal spend was ~a third of the total of the holiday. I’ve split the total in two just for a “what this holiday is per person” for ease. I have kept the prices in GBP £ for the UK side of travel, and in SGD $ for the Singapore side of travel, but converted the totals into GBP at the end. £1 is approximately £1.65 and all numbers are rounded up.
Accommodation: My partner G paid for the accommodation as a birthday/Christmas gift. It was around £1,000.
Flights: Direct with Singapore airlines £620 per person. It was £100 cheaper to fly with a layover, but we decided that the layovers were so long that the savings wouldn’t be worth it. We went in February which meant that the flights were cheaper than at some other points in the year.
Pre-vacation spending: £0 (maybe a couple of clothes bits but I would’ve likely bought those things anyway…)
Day 1: 6.00: Get an Uber to Paddington £16 and get the Elizabeth line to the airport £12 each
7.00: Arrive at LHR 8.00: Grab a satay chicken rice bowl for G and I have a chicken burger, we split a large waffle fries with Korean Mayo £18
8.45: stop at the boots to grab some bits and bobs (deodorant, Imodium, some face wash) £12
21.30: We have a window and middle seat next to a friendly woman (but not chatty!). I have a tactical pre dinner nap and G writes a list of the films he wants to watch.
23.00: I wake up to a chicken curry and rice dinner with chocolate mousse for dessert. Really delicious and quite spicy…I go alcohol free for the flight as I never feel quite right on a long haul flight. Settle in for another nap
???: The rest of the flight is a bit confusing with the changing of time. I have a couple more (unintentional) naps, as does G, and we watch a children’s comedy film, and the start of a drama. Stick to water and a tea, and the very friendly air hostesses give us extra snacks including a chocolate muffin and sandwiches. A while before landing we get “breakfast” even though it is 7pm at our destination. We both chose the chicken noodles with some bread and yoghurt.
Day 1 total : £70 (my share £35)
Day 2: 19.00: time warp! It is now Saturday evening and 7pm. We get through security within minutes and wait for our suitcases.
19.40: Buy travel cards for our stay $10 each and head straight to the hotel.
20.20: We arrive at our hotel and get checked in very quickly. By the time we leave our things in the room all the local restaurants are shut and our stomachs are a bit confused time wise, so we just grab some local snacks and drinks from a nearby 7/11 $8
23.00: Finally a real bed!
Day 2 total : $18 (my share $9)
Day 3 10.00: We go to one of the local breakfast spots on our list to have a traditional Singaporean breakfast. We share chee cheong fun, kaya toast, French toast and two very soft boiled eggs with soy sauce which we dip the bread in. I get an iced tea and G gets an iced Milo $15
10.30: We stop into a Singtel store to get a SIM card, wish data was this cheap in the UK! $12 for 100GB valid for a week. Get on the MRT to Raffles place $1 each.
10.45: Head to Chinatown following a path set out by our guidebook. This takes us through the winding streets, main temples, and shop houses.
13.00: Make it to the Chinatown complex for lunch for some hawker stall food. Everything smells amazing and it is all a bit overwhelming in a great way. We queue up in different stalls for a wanton pork noodle dish with a broth $5 and a hokkien mee $4, both must haves.
13.40: Head back for a rest on the MRT $1 each, via DAISO for some snack and drinks for the mini fridge $12
16.00: Head to Little India on the bus $1 each and go straight to the cultural centre for the history of the area and Indian migration to Singapore $16. We then tour the backstreets on another tour from the guidebook stopping into some lovely temples and taking in the sights.
18.30: Go to the local Tekka Food Court and get slightly overwhelmed by the amount of choices available. We settle on a huge sharing thali with mutton masala, black daal, two garlic naans, rice, sour lime drink and a bottle of water $15. The masala and daal are next level amazing, and not too spicy and the naans are buttery and freshly made, weirdly the rice isn't great!
20.00: Walk back to the hotel slowly via an ice cream stop $1
Day 3 total : $86 (my share $43)
Day 4:
7.00: We haven’t quite beaten jetlag and we were both up for different bits of the night. G makes me a cuppa to have in bed.
8.00: We head out to the same breakfast spot as the day before. I get the kaya toast with eggs and a condensed milk tea, G gets an iced lime drink and a laksa, and we share a chee cheong fun $16. I could really get used to eating so well for breakfast, especially at these crazy prices.
8.30: Stop by a pharmacy to get some insect repellent $5 and hop on the MRT out to the north shore of Singapore for a hike $2 each. We do the last section of the journey via taxi for ease as the buses at this time of day to that area aren't regular $12 including tip. G bonds with the taxi driver over UK football teams, football is truly an international language.
11.00: There are three main walks in the hiking area and we start with the main bird watching route. I get startled by a huge monitor lizard early on. The most exciting animal you ever see in London is a fox, so a metre long lizard sunbathing feels very out of the ordinary. We don’t get too lucky with the birds but G gets a shock when he spots a large crocodile centimetres away from the path behind a very unsecured fence. . We then do the mangrove walk which leaves us back at the entrance. We get a cold apple fizz drink $1 to cool us off. We are unsuccessful in getting a taxi back to the station so we walk to the nearest bus stop through another walking route and only wait 10 minutes for the bus $1 each.
13.10: Get the MRT to a hawker stall halfway to the hotel $1 each. G gets a charcoal honey roast pork rice dish and I get a hainanese chicken rice, both come with a broth $9. Although we are stuffed G saw a recommended dessert place around the corner so we buy two buttered crusty buns one stuffed with kaya $6.
14.30: Go back to the hotel $1 each MRT for a shower to get off the deet and suncream and have a rest.
16.00: Make it to the national museum of Singapore just as a huge thunderstorm rolls in. G buys a fresh orange juice on the way $2 and we borrowed an umbrella from the hotel to avoid having to buy one here. Entrance to the museum is $30 for both. We spend a couple hours learning about Singapore from the 1400s to present day.
19.00: Leave the museum as it is closing up and walk until we get to a bus stop that takes us towards the waterfront, which takes 15 minutes $1 each. We go to a food court and wait in several lines for satay skewers, duck rice, carrot cake (this is made of radishes and is a savoury main!), and fresh sugarcane juice $22. Top marks for the satay and carrot cake. G then gets us a shaved ice with mango $3.
20.30: We walk along the waterfront to marina bay sands passing through the giant mall. We try to check out the casino but the queues are too off putting so we head back to the hotel $1 each.
21.30: Showers and asleep by 11!
Day 4 total: $102 (my share $51)
Day 5:
7.00: G can’t get back to sleep, I keep snoozing until 8ish. G gets me a cup of tea in bed and we decide to have a swim in the rooftop pool before breakfast. Ok fine it is more of a dip and a paddle, but a lovely way to wake up with views of the city.
9.00: Showered and off to the national museum. We get breakfast at a small restaurant in a hidden corner of a mall from the 80s which was recommended by a food YouTuber. I get a char siu wanton mee with ice tea and G gets a lor mee and Milo $14. Ridiculously good value and delicious. The man behind us in the queue is perplexed that we are here and asks us how we know about it, turns out it is a local secret gem.
10.00: Arrive at the museum moments after it opens. The ticket seller (without prompting) asks if we flew with Singapore airlines, which bags us a big discount $26 for both tickets. We spend around 3 hours at the museum which covers modern Singaporean art from the 1900s, a section on the history of their constitution, and several smaller exhibits.
13.00: we walk to the nearby Outram Park hawker centre. We aren’t too hungry so agree to get a quick curry puff (we don’t know what the filling was) $2 a large sugarcane juice to share $2 and get in a big queue for a chicken curry bowl $6. We wait around half an hour for what is allegedly the best dish in the centre, it is was great but not sure I’d queue that often! I saw a sweet stall on a different floor so we pop up for dessert and manage to nab the last steamed peanut slice before they close $1. We aren’t quite sure what it is…but it is delicious.
14.30: We head back on the bus $1 each and shower before heading to the poolside for a couple hours.
17.00: We use a walking guide from our travel book to visit the main temples in Little India. Unfortunately some of the temples are closed, but we get to learn a lot about the different religions and layout of the area.
19.00: We have dinner at the iconic scissor cut curry rice where we get one large plate to share with chicken, tofu, beansprouts, and veg $6. We walk a bit further and stop in a popular biryani place where we share a large biryani, naan, raita, lassi $23.
20.00: We have a long but leisurely walk back to the hotel, picking up some jalebi and fresh fruit on the way home $4.
Day 5 total: $86 (my share $43)
Day 6:
8.30: I managed to lie in, success! G did not…and gets me a cuppa in bed. We get out of the hotel to the usual spot where I get the same as always and G tries the mee rebus $17. Singapore is definitely a place where you should skip the hotel breakfast, especially at a hotel like ours where it was $50 per person to add to the room cost.
9.30: We take the MRT to Faber $1 each and walk up to the views. Amazing to see how many shipping boats are heading in and out of Singapore. Sections of the walk are pretty lush and we spot some creepy crawlies.
12.00: Walk back down and grab an iced lemon drink $2 and sit on the pier. We walk across to Sentosa but decide against going to the theme parks, maybe if we were here for longer!
13.30: We try out the giant food court in the mall and share a beef pepper rice with sweet corn $8 as well as a vegetarian thali spread with curries, a pastry, chapati, and rice $6. The thali involved pointing at 3 choices from about 10 behind a glass screen so we aren't totally sure what each dish is, but they're delicious (especially the one we have identified as paneer). A small patisserie is advertising ‘Croof’ which are a sort of compact croissant, can’t help but try out the chocolate pistachio one $3.
14.00: We go to a giant miniso to buy some little present bits and loads of Japanese rice seasoning $30. Head back on the MRT $1 and spend a couple hours by the pool again.
17.30: Head to Chinatown again for some more walking $1 each before having dinner at Maxwell food court. G gets a Hainanese chicken and rice with chicken broth and I get a duck noodle dish with a delicious but unknown soup $12 for both. We take a beautiful walk back, everywhere feels very safe in the evening. We get a special flavour McFlurry on our way $2.
Day 6 total: $85 (my share $42.50)
Day 7:
8.00: The delicious mystery soup I had last night did not agree with my stomach and I was up all night throwing up or with stomach cramps. G feels absolutely fine so I encourage him to go out without me. He goes out for breakfast and brings me back a range of plain breads and yoghurts, and some extra camomile tea bags. I spend the whole day in bed sleeping, watching Netflix, and rehydrating. He spends about $50 on his day out visiting some smaller museums and having amazing food which I sadly miss out on. His top tip of the day was to visit the free Sky Garden at Capitaspring, this can get some big queues but he got lucky with the timings and didn't have to queue at all.
Day 7 total: $50 (my share $25)
Day 8:
8.00: I’m back in action! (Almost…) we booked a pricey lunch a month ago which we have to pay 75% of if we don’t show up so going slow and steady this morning. We get some plain pastries for breakfast $4 and get the bus $1 each to the orchid collection. While googling the other day I found a special offer pass for people flying in with Singapore airlines to go to some key sights within 24 hours for $25 each, we think we can make it worthwhile. Entrance to the orchids would have been $15.
11.30: Head back to change after a nice slow stroll through the botanical gardens. The orchids were gorgeous and well worth seeing.
12.15: Running late and get a taxi to lunch $15.
12.30: Arrive at Labyrinth for their lunch tasting menu. It was one of the only fine dining Singaporean restaurants we were able to find (there are a lot of fantastic tasting menu options but lots are French, Japanese, and Australian), as we tend to try one splash out meal whenever we go to a new country. We get around 12 courses all inspired by hawker food, and famous Singaporean dishes. I play it safe and don’t eat some of the more out there combinations/textures to make sure I don’t upset my stomach further. Bill comes and it is a whopper $350. We get the bus back $1 each wow so frugal.
15.00: Get in, quick shower, and have a power nap.
15.30: Take a bus $1 each to the arts science museum next to the bay. We go to the FutureWorld exhibition (free with the Singapore airlines pass, would have been $15 each) and spend an hour and a bit there. We then go to Watson’s for me to buy some Korean skin care that is cheaper here than in London. I get two of my favourite face sun creams, snail mucin, and a 40 bumper pack of face masks $80.
17.30: We get to the Cloud Forest area of the gardens by the bay, the whole area feels almost like a Disneyland as it is all recently build from reclaimed land. The Avatar Cloud Forest experience is included in the Singapore pass but would have cost us $50 each! This means the pass cost $25 each where the individual entrances would have added up to $80 each. The dome is interesting, but would recommend the orchid gardens more as the plants were more interesting and varied.
19.15: Arrive at the famous treetop area (where the reception was in Crazy Rich Asians) for the light show. We nab a good spot on the floor and chat about the travel home while we wait.
20.00: Show over and we head to Satay by the Bay where G gets some noodles $6. I’m not feeling up for food sadly so instead I have a yoghurt from the fridge when we get home after a ride on the MRT $1 each.
22.00: Packed and straight to sleep!
Day 8 total: $484 (my share $242)
Day 9:
5.45: Finish packing and take the MRT to the airport ($2 each). We spot two tourists looking for a place to purchase MRT passes and gift ours to them seeing as we won’t get the card deposit back anyway.
7.30: Easy bag drop off and security, so we stop for a last meal. G gets a huge pork noodle soup, and I go for a last cheong fun $15.
8.00: We try (and succeed) to spend the cash we have left on kaya jams for our families and a dried Chinese jerky $35.
9.00: time to board! We get a spare seat next to us, score, and I immediately have a nap. The next 14 hours are spent snacking, watching films, reading, and more napping.
14.00: Land at what feels like 10pm Singapore time but is only 2pm UK time. We hop on the Elizabeth line home £12 each and spend the afternoon putting on washing machines and trying to stay awake!
Day 9 total: $52 +£24 (my share $26 + £12).
TOTAL SPEND (excluding flights): $963 (approx £580 at time of writing)+ £59 for both of us = £639 = My share £319.50
Total spend plus flights = £939.50
This was an amazing trip and you can really see and do a lot in Singapore on a low budget. The problem is that the flights and hotel are not budget-friendly, and my total was only so low because of G's generosity. If anyone has a connecting flight that goes via Singapore, I would definitely recommend spending a few days there!

I want to preface this post with the fact that a lot of it will be heavy speculation. Although I use in-game evidence to support my arguments, a lot of it will draw upon literature and analysis of it, since I strongly believe FromSoftware drew heavy inspiration from this particular author, his life and works.
Putting Radagon and Frenzy in the same sentence together isn’t something you probably didn’t expect to see. Neither did I, but I will argue a Frenzy different than the one we all know possessed Radagon during his life, one that would have far-reaching consequences for the Lands Between later on:
The Frenzy of Love.
I’ll need to explain some of the truths of Elden Ring’s world first before we can get to Radagon.
PT I: The Divine Truth
The Flame of Frenzy, is the influence of the associated Outer God that possesses those who experience overwhelming despair to show them the truth of the world.
“All that there is came from the One Great. Then came fractures, and births, and souls. But the Greater Will made a mistake. Torment, despair, affliction… every sin, every curse. Every one, born of the mistake. And so, what was borrowed must be returned. Melt it all away, with the yellow chaos flame. Until all is One again.” - Hyetta
All was one, until the Greater Will brought about life. This dialogue about Hyetta is crucial not just because it reveals a great truth of Elden Ring’s world, but is the most explicit gnostic sentiment expressed in the entire game. The idea that all was one and the creation of the material realm by a Demiurge or god-like figure is a mistake, and that life in it is a prison that is to be escaped through spiritual knowledge to achieve gnosis, or ascension to divinity where one truly belongs, shares many similarities with Hyetta’s telling of the Greater Will and One Great to the Tarnished.
The game is saturated with alchemical symbolism and imagery in-game such as the “Red King” and “White Queen”, (Radagon/Marika), a lion purifying the sun (Serosh and Godfrey), Gold, Marika as a (hermetic) vessel for the “vision” which would be the equivalent of a great alchemical work (creation of the Philosopher's Stone), flasks, talismans and more. Alchemy’s roots are in Gnosticism and the Hermetic tradition (founding texts such as the Pimander and Asclepius), with the spirit, mind, and body represented in alchemy as sulfur, mercury, and salt.
Examined through this religious and historical lens, there is one more truth in my opinion, that permeates the world of Elden Ring, yet is never outright stated.
“They have also, by a name based only on resemblances, called this matter Lac Virginis, and the Blessed Blood of Rosy Colour, which, nevertheless, suits only the prophets and sons of God. Hence the sophists gathered that this philosophical matter was in the blood of animals or of man.” - Paracelsus
In “The Aurora of the philosophers”, the alchemist Paracelsus spoke on the true nature of the Philosopher’s stone, and the ways in which men erred in pursuit of it. He calls those who seek the stone in “animal” or blood, and references the tale of Mercurius, (or Morienus) the alchemist summoned to King Calid’s (He was actually only a prince, whose real name was Khalid Ibn Yazid, of the Umayyad Dynasty, and an alchemist) court to explain the mysteries of the stone to him.
“This matter that you have requested cannot be attained by any one by force and cannot be gained by violence and can only be acquired from a scientist by kindness, affection and true love.” - Mercurius to Calid
A prince of a Dynasty, who was historically shunted aside, practiced alchemy, shares a name similar to Caelid and sought the mysteries of the Philosopher’s Stone in blood? It parallels Mohg too much for me to be a coincidence in my opinion.
“...in their final operations the virtue of this most excellent fiery mystery caused an obscure liquid to exude drop by drop from the matter in their vessels. Hence they predicted that, in the last times, there should come a most pure man upon the earth, by whom the redemption of the world should be brought about; and that this man should send forth bloody drops of a red colour, by means of which he should redeem the world from sin.” - Paracelsus
An alchemical work called the Viridarium chimicum shows the infant Stone being fed with white ‘virgin’s milk' (known also as the cleansing mercurial waters, and is also known by the name Celestial Dew) and red blood to nourish it, and since I believe Miquella is a ‘philosophical child’ (nascent stone) of Marika/Radagon (product of the union of the Red King and White Queen), then it fits in line with Mohg kidnapping Miquella for the special properties of his blood. His only diet was blood so maybe the reason Miquella is a vegetable is because Mohg forgot to also feed him celestial dew.
“The mother of truth craves wounds. When Mohg stood before her, deep underground, his accursed blood erupted with fire, and besotted with the defilement that he was born into.” - Bloodboon incantations
Morgott’s Cursed Sword
In alchemy, the process of sublimation is (purification and clarification), where the volatile spirit is extracted from an impure body, producing many colors. This process is done with rapid vaporization through applied heat. This is what the Formless Mother does for the Omens in my opinion. And so, when she illuminated Mohg with the truth in his blood through fire, he would then seek a suitable consort for his coming dynasty, and he found one in Miquella, who had attempted to redeem the world by creating an age of abundance (this may not be true in the current version of the game I'll admit) through his Haligtree, watering it with his own blood.
What was the truth the Formless Mother showed Mohg? In “the Aurora of the philosophers”, Paracelsus speaks of “...the ancient wisdom...the occult wisdom found in all things.” In Elden Ring, the occult is heavily tied to Arcane, the innate life energy found within oneself.
One of the core beliefs of Gnosticism is that Nature (God or divinity) is found in all things, that God in two equal substances (universal Intellect and Matter) is both “outside” and “inside” everything at once. To put it more simply, Deus In Rebus (God in all things) and I believe the same is true in Elden Ring, and is the true nature of Arcane: the divine in all things, not merely the domain of Outer Gods. This would certainly be a heretical idea in the Lands Between, and another reason the those who exist outside of the current order such as Albinaurics are so despised, channeling their powers through their arcane blood that I believe makes up their weapons, or a substance similar to it. The Formless Mother in an apparent act of love in my opinion, attempts to ascend spirits from impure bodies to Oneness, or at least, show them the divine exists in all, even in accursed blood.
To achieve gnosis, one must understand the state of the world, all Ideas (or Powers) are One (One Great) and the truth of divinity within and in all things (Arcane), to ascend and join the divine realm, escaping the prison of that is the material world.
“The philosopher’s soul yearned to pass beyond these shadows to the Ideas of which the Universal Intellect was the unity and so 'attune its thoughts and deeds to the symmetry of the law inscribed in all things' " – Giordano Bruno, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
So how could an individual soul gain the divine knowledge needed to achieve gnosis if God (and the universe) is infinite and the finite rational mind is unable to grasp this?
Divine Madness. The Frenzied Flame shows the truth of creation and suffering that arose from it through the madness of despair. The Formless Mother set Mohg’s blood aflame in an act of prophetic or perhaps telestic (relating to religious mysteries, rites of purification) madness to show him that the divine exists in all, even in his accursed blood, empowering him greatly.
For Plato, the soul has a knowledge that has been forgotten by the rational mind, and that learning is merely the soul remembering such knowledge. The highest form of knowledge that cannot be grasped by sense data alone is divine, similar to gnosis. This knowledge is sent by the gods and reveals fundamental truths of reality to those who become possessed. For Plato, the most important mania was erotic: Love. Mania in this platonic sense is more akin to a divine state of inspiration than madness as is used today, or can be thought of as an altered state of consciousness. - Source
Others such as Ficino during the Renaissance would expand on this Platonic thought influenced by ancient Hermetic texts to explain how divine madness could give one the spiritual knowledge needed to ascend back to Oneness.
Ficino assigned deities to the four Frenzies:
Venus - Love
Apollo - Prophecies
Dionysus - Mysteries
Muses - Poetic
Interesting that Mohg’s madness could be telestic (relating to mysteries) with Dionysus in mind. Others have already noted similarities between this god and Miquella, so this particular madness seems fitting for the Luminary.
PT II: The Heroic Lover
Now here I turn my attention to Radagon, who I strongly believe is heavily inspired by the Renaissance-era The Heroic Enthusiasts, Gli Eroici Furori [The Heroic Frenzies]: An Ethical Poem, part dialogue and part sonnet, a philosophical and poetic work on the madness of Love, by the philosopher Giordano Bruno. I will be quoting from the book extensively un-italicized with the relevant sections (big numbers in middle of page, not small page numbers on the side), either from PI or II of the dialogues for reference so you can follow along if you wish. The most important sonnets will be listed, with lesser ones linked as images to prevent clutter. Link to Frenzies here
Bruno was a philosopher, theologian and cosmologist who was burned at the stake by the Catholic inquisition during the early Renaissance for his heretical ideas about God and the transmigration of the soul. His works were heavily inspired by hermetic and neoplatonic ideas, though he did not consider himself Gnostic or Platonist. He paved the way for secular thought in later centuries, and heavily criticized the institutions of the church and Christianity during his life. He defended Copernican theories of the sun during a time when they were widely disbelieved, but only as far as to uphold his own unique cosmology of an infinite cosmos, not giving much thought to the man himself. A fascinating man who lived a storied life during a time of religious turmoil.
In the first part of the dialogue, two men (Tansillo and Cicada) discuss the nature of the heroic lover, with love being symbolized by fire:
“...as love converts the thing loved into the lover, so amongst the elements fire is active and potent to convert all the others, simple and composite, into itself.” (3)
Sonnet
It is then explained (by Tansillo) that the captain represents the human will (dwelling in the soul), calling with his trumpet to guide his inner self against more primal impulses, who are ‘warriors’ because they are in perpetual strife and opposition. He burns with one affection and love towards an object, knowing one paradise: consummation.
“...there is nothing pure and unalloyed; and some have said that no mixed thing is a real entity, as alloyed gold is not real gold...Almost all things are made up of opposites, whence it comes that the success of our affections, through the mixture that is in things, can afford no pleasure without some bitterness; and more than this, I will say, that were it not for the bitter, there would be no sweet...separation is the cause of our pleasure in union and, examining generally, we shall ever find that one opposite is the reason that the other opposite pleases and is desired.“ (I,9)
Tansillo explains that it is the “mixtures” of opposites and contraries in things that allow the feeling of Love to succeed. This also causes people to be displeased with their own state, except for the ignorant, for with increased knowledge comes increased sorrow.
In my opinion, Miquella is able to create his unalloyed gold needles, with Malenia able to complete it (sorta), because they are philosophical children (from the union of the Red King and White Queen), nascent Philosopher’s Stones that have yet to mature in the process of “The Great Work” in alchemy^[6], thus having the ability to create pure gold. Malenia’s Great Rune was supposed to be “the most sacred of all”, and Miquella did not possess one at all. All of this, I shall expand upon in the course of unraveling Radagon’s storied life.
This opposition explained by Tansillo “...is symbolized by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”
The Erdtree. With this in mind, perhaps “The fallen leaves tell a story…” of how the Heroic Radagon sought perfection after experiencing divine love, and the war between the selves that ensued.
Dualism is a massive theme in Elden Ring, and in other Fromsoftware games. Many have already noted such symbols in-game like the Sacred Relic Sword or Godslayer Greatsword resembling DNA or the caduceus.
In my opinion, the spiral symbolism (caduceus) in-game represents the circular journey towards divine knowledge, represented in the Heroic Frenzies. Everything is made up of their opposites, and one cannot exist without the other, with the emotions the Hero feels on this journey being no exception.
All things are made of contraries, and because of this composition in all things never do the affections (emotions) which engage us bring us delight without also bringing something bitter, according to Tansillo. (I,9)
"...heroic love is a torment, because it does not rejoice in the present, as animal love does, but in the future and the absent; and its contrary awakens in it ambition, emulation, suspicion and fear” (I,9)
This highest form of experiencing contraries (divine love) is what awakens the Hero. It is through temperance and teetering between the extremes of such emotions (excess of contradictions) using the Intellect, that they become not vices, but virtues through the rationality of the intellect. This intellectual endeavor is the disposition of a Hero according to Bruno. - Serverius
“...he is alive in his own lamentations; and like him who no longer belongs to himself, he loves others and hates himself; because matter, as say the physicists, with that measure with which it loves the absent form, hates the present one.” (I,9)
"Hefty whip woven from the flame-red hair of a Fire Giant.
Every giant is red of hair, and Radagon was said to have despised his own red locks. Perhaps that was a curse of their kind." - Giant's Red Braid
Radagon hated his red hair and perhaps lamented the absence of something else.
The fire of Love is divine to Bruno because “...since this fire is the ardent desire of divine things, this arrow is the impression of the ray of beauty of supernal light, these snares are the species of truth which unite out mind to the primal verity, and the species of good which unite and join to the primal and highest good.” (I,12)
The truth; that all things desire to be united.
“Incantation of the Golden Order fundamentalists. One of the key fundamentals.”
“The fundamentals describe the Golden Order through the powers of regression and causality. Regression is the pull of meaning; that all things yearn eternally to converge” – Law of Regression
Thus the Law of Regression is the law of Love; describing the yearning of rejoining with the One, spurred by the universal Love that unites everything, in my opinion.
“The divinity is the final object, the ultimate and most perfect, but not in this state, where we cannot see God except as in a shadow or a mirror, and therefore He cannot be the object except in some similitude, but not in such as may be extracted or acquired from corporeal beauty and excellence, by virtue of the senses, but such as may be formed in the mind, by virtue of the intellect." (I,15)
In Bruno's view of the world, only the Intellect is capable of grasping the divine, since it can be envisioned inside the mind (imagination). In contrast, it is an Idea that cannot be grasped by the soul’s ability to only grasp sensibilia (what can be understood with the senses). Even then, the intellect can only grasp its shadow. The heroic lover thus ascends the chains of divine understanding higher and higher in his journey to reach the divine.
“...the nature of shadows of Ideas, intermediaries in the middle place between Intellect and Body, links in the chains by which the Neoplatonic Magus operates his magic and marries higher things to lower things." - Francis A. Yates
“In Nature is one revolution and one circle, by means of which, for the perfection and help of others, superior things lower themselves to things inferior, and, by their own excellence and felicity, inferior things raise themselves to superior ones." (I,17)
“Therefore the Pythagoreans and Platonists say it is given to the soul that at certain times, not only by spontaneous will, which turns it towards the comprehension of Nature, but also by the necessity of an internal law, written and registered by the destined decree, they seek their own justly determined fate; and they also say that souls, not so much by determination of their own will as through a certain order, by which they become inclined towards matter, decline as rebels from divinity; wherefore, not by free intention, but by a certain occult consequence, they fall.” (I,17)
In the above dialogue, I believe the Golden Chain (of Homer) is possibly being referred to here, and is what the golden star known as the Elden Ring is in-game, “a mythical Golden Chain that binds heaven and earth, a chain every mortal man can climb if he desires to ascend to the realm of the gods.” The symbol in the image is an alchemical one from a Renaissance text by Anton Josef Kirchweger.
From the sky it comes, To the sky it rises, and down to Earth it must come again, eternally changing.
In alchemy, it is the symbolic representation of the creation of Quintessence (completion of the Great Work), or the Philosopher’s Stone. The bottom of the chain represents the spirit at peace with All, the return of mankind to God, the goal of the wise, the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone.
There’s a lot I can get into, including the fact that in Bruno’s other work the The Expulsion of The Triumphant Beast, Jove (Jupiter) forms a council with the other gods reform the heavens, thus the world too below, by banishing unwanted constellations by creating a personality in the form of a beast composed of such constellations, who is sent down to the material realm below. This to me sounds just like the Elden Beast (the Ring), a golden chain connecting the world to the gods (Greater Will) above with its interconnecting Runes in my opinion. The work mentions Sophia (wisdom, and a major gnostic figure) who is sent down to enforce the heavenly law of the gods. Sounds real similar to Marika to me, since Sophia has a consort who is her mirror image in some gnostic myths. However, my focus is on the Heroic Frenzies here, so Bruno's other work will have to wait another time, so let us return to the quote from page 17.
Based on the quote about Nature, I believe Marika represents the soul of the hero Radagon (who is the Intellect) in-game (later sonnets make the distinction between soul and intellect more clear, which I will get to eventually). With this in mind, the soul has an internal law, written and registered by the destined decree (of the Greater Will), which I interpret to be the Elden Ring residing within, and it is the nature of souls to decline ascent towards the divine, for Fate pulls them down towards that second, lesser nature: generation or creation, since the soul forms the body and vivifies it. For all the glory being an Empyrean of the Elden Ring brings, it is at the same time a prison that binds the vessel to earthly matters. The stars command fate, and the golden star that is the Elden Ring commands Marika’s (Amber Starlight).
Through Fundamentalism, Radagon would study the divine, or Nature (God in all things). The studies would take form in a mathematical and practical study of the Elden Ring, Order itself that dictates the laws of Nature. Thus, the golden chain (Elden Ring), linked to the gods, is ascended higher and higher through its study by Radagon in his quest for perfection.
Cic. "It appears to me that...the highest felicity of man consists in perfection through the speculative sciences."
Tans. “It is true, and they say well; because we, in this state, cannot desire nor obtain greater perfection than that in which we are, when our intellect, by means of some noble and intelligible conception, unites itself either to the substance of things hoped for, as those say, or to the divine mind, as it is the fashion to say of the Platonists." (I,15)
“As the husband of Queen Rennala of Caria, the red-haired Radagon studied sorcery, and as the husband of Queen Marika, he studied incantations. Thus did the Hero aspire to be complete.” - Radagon Icon
Bruno’s conception of the philosopher as a heroic figure in their pursuit of knowledge was a very novel one during his time, and Radagon fits the mold quite well, always referred as heroic in item descriptions, who studied both sorceries and incantations in his quest for perfection. But what moment spurs the hero in the Frenzies, and Radagon, towards this pursuit?
PT III: Frenzy of Love
Now I will show the most important sonnet of the dialogues (the fourth of part one); the main reason I see this work by Bruno to be the primary inspiration behind Radagon of The Golden Order in Elden Ring, and perhaps even the rest of the game:
To the woods, the mastiffs and the greyhounds young Actæon leads,
When destiny directs him into the doubtful and neglected way,
Upon the track of savage beasts in forests wild.
And here, between the waters, he sees a bust and face more beautiful than e'er was seen
By mortal or divine, of scarlet, alabaster, and fine gold;
He sees, and the great hunter straight becomes that which he hunts.
The stag, that towards still thicker shades now goes with lighter steps,
His own great dogs swiftly devour.
So I extend my thoughts to higher prey, and these
Now turning on me give me death with cruel savage bite. (I,18)
In the original myth, Actaeon the Hunter comes upon the nude Artemis, (Goddess of the hunt, often heavily identified with the moon) and for his transgression is torn apart by his hounds when he is turned into a stag.
Bruno beautifully re-imagines the classic myth in the sonnet above. The interlocutors in the Heroic Frenzies explain that in his search for the divine, Actaeon signifies the intellect, intent on the pursuit of divine wisdom and the comprehension of divine beauty. He lets loose the mastiffs (his will) and the greyhounds (his intellect).
"In the doubtful road of uncertain and distorted reason—a disposition assigned to the character of Pythagoras—where you see the most thorny, uncultivated, and deserted to be the right and difficult path…" (I,18)
I feel this could have inspired Radagon’s seal, since the symbol for Pythagoreanism (heavily mentioned in the dialogues) is a tetrad made up of ten points just like Radagon’s. The mathematical and philosophocal works of Pythagoras also seem to fit nicely as a counterpart to Golden Order Fundamentalism in-game.
And in Part II of the dialogues, it is said that the search for Truth is symbolized by thorny thickets obscuring the path “...for it is in a thick, dense, and deserted solitude that Truth most often has its secret cavernous retreat, all entwined with thorns and covered with bosky, rough and umbrageous plants; it is hidden, for the most part, for the most excellent and worthy reasons, buried and veiled with utmost diligence, just as we hide with the greatest care the greatest treasures, so that, sought by a great variety of hunters, of whom some are more able and expert, some less, it cannot be discovered without great labour.” (II,63)
"Mask with the mouth sewn shut with gold thread"
"Increases arcane"
"When Radagon married Rennala, he ordered the Carian magic preceptors to don these masks. To make it clear that all of their matters were to be kept strictly private" - Mask of Confidence
With Radagon’s symbol associated with his secrets, and the great pains the Tarnished labours through to clear the thicket that is the seal at the entrance to the inner Erdtree, it seems very appropriate in my mind to link the thorns in the passage to what we see in-game.
In the waters, Actaeon encounters his own image, “’of red and alabaster and gold,’ because that which in bodily beauty is red, white, and fair, in divinity signifies the scarlet of divine vigorous power, the gold of divine wisdom, the alabaster of divine beauty.” (I,18)
Seeing himself as divine, he transforms, a metaphorical death of his old self, his thoughts (the hounds), tear him to pieces in a Frenzy of Love, since they have found what they seek (the divine), and thus the hero becomes exalted after his transformation.
“...he becomes rare and heroic, his habits and ideas are strange, and he leads an unusual life. Here his great dogs ‘give him death,’ and thus ends his life according to the mad, sensual, blind, and fantastic world, and he begins to live intellectually; he lives the life of the gods, fed on ambrosia and drunk with nectar." (I,18)
Radagon has hounds of his own, the Red Wolves, and is referred to as a hound himself by Marika as “leal hound of the Golden Order”. It’s a shame we never really get any real information on any of the wolves. We have to sort of fill in the blanks when it comes to where they’re located, other than the one at Raya Lucaria probably protecting Rennala.
In PT II of the Heroic Enthusiasts, the different interlocutors this time, Cesarino and Maricondo, discuss the sonnet and speak of Actaeon encountering Diana during his hunt, and not just his own visage in the water.
“Lord Radagon was a great champion, possessed of flowing red locks. He came to these lands at the head of a great golden host, when he met Lady Rennala in battle. He soon repented his territorial aggressions though, and became husband to the Carian Queen.” - Miriel, Pastor of Vows
“Rare, I say, are the Actæons to whom fate has granted the power of contemplating the nude Diana and who, entranced with the beautiful disposition of the body of nature, and led by those two lights, the twin splendour of Divine goodness and beauty become transformed into stags; for they are no longer hunters, but that which is hunted.” (II,54)
Sonnet (I,49)
The two lights in the sonnet are the greater intelligences (celestial bodies), with the moon being the second because it is the shadow of the first intelligence, the Sun. Diana and Apollo thus illumine the hero with their rays doubly (which is why Diana herself is divine), despite his resistance. This too is also an example of contraries at work, the Sun and Moon.
In Bruno’s cosmology, there is a Universal Intellect (Mind) that all things draw upon to act in accordance with their nature (how a rock knows to fall to the ground, etc). There are three orders below this. Disembodied intelligences that are known as “separate” which embody one Idea absolutely. Below this are “embodied” or principal that contemplate God without the senses, such as the celestial objects in the sky (more intelligence than animal), and then below this are humans (where the animal surpasses the intelligence), who use reason and the senses for their intellection. Then there are those who possess an equal amount of both (I, 23): the heroic lover and demons (I wonder if creatures like Astel are like this, since demons in Bruno’s cosmology exist in the realm of space if I remember correctly).
Here is Bruno's ontology. It's...complicated. I don't fully understand either. I hope it helps since I did find it useful for making sense of his cosmology and worldviews.
"This is that Diana, that one who is the same entity, that entity which is comprehensible nature, in which burns the sun and the splendour of the higher nature, according to which, unity is both the generated and the generating, the producer and produced." (II,54)
Just as Rennala was said to bewitch the academy, so too did she bewitch Radagon with her power, beauty, and divinity:
Sonnet
“See how contented he is under that yoke, that marriage which has joined him to her...Diana, the splendour of the intelligible species, and huntress; because with her beauty and grace she first wounded him, and then bound him and holds him in her power, more contented than otherwise he could possibly have been.” (II,54)
In the beginning of the Heroic Frenzies, Bruno apologizes to the ladies for his tone (misoginistically), and there is one lady in particular he met during his life who is presented as the divine and beautiful Diana in the sonnets: Queen Elizabeth I.
Queen Rennala of the Full Moon, of the royal Carian line
Queen Elizabeth I, of the royal Tudor line
I can see the resemblance, and find it fitting to have the divine Diana be based on Queen Elizabeth in-game. Bruno got around in prominent social circles during his life, and even may have even met her as a guest of the French ambassador at the time. Unfortunately for him, all of the simping for her in the sonnets was for naught, as Queen Elizabeth the “Virgin Queen” died a virgin.
Poor Bruno.
And so “Giovanni Gentile conclusively remarks that ‘the knowledge of divinity, as championed by Bruno, is not ecstasy, or immediate union, even though it is union that it has as its end.... It is a rational process, a discourse of the intellect.” Giancarlo Maiarino
This is what separates Radagon from Mohg, the rational, tempered mind versus that “deluded maniac” who bleats “about the revival of his precious dynasty”, in the words of Gideon Ofnir. Where one seeks greater perfection utilizing his intellect, the other soaks the world in blood, seeking to take by force the vessel to bring about his perfect age, the ‘philosophical child’ Miquella. To Bruno, the divinely possessed fools that show “blindness, stupidity and an irrational impulse” (I, 11) are unworthy because although they are divine and powerful, they passively received (blood erupting in fire) it from an external source (The Formless Mother), as opposed to the heroic enthusiast who embodies divinity due to their intrinsic character. It may seem like the enthusiast passively received his from Diana, but his intellectual character and the heroic love he feels within, spurs him higher and higher up the chains of the divine, truly making him a hero.
PT IV: The Split Within
"The uncertainty in the treatises about the nature of conscience adds to the complexity of the soul’s already composite character and the split it causes in the self. In the treatises as in the Frenzies, our earthly selves are somewhat puzzled by this divine presence, which causes division in the soul, or, in Bruno’s model, warring opposites." - Serverius
"The macro-level on which this war within the soul is played out is between the earthly and divine aspects of the soul." - Serverius
My solitary bird! away unto that region
Which overshadows and which occupies my thought,
Go swiftly, and there nestle; there every
Need of thine be strengthened,
There all thy industry and art be spent!
There be thou born again, and there on high,
Gather and train up thy wandering fledglings
Since adverse fate has drawn away the bars
With which she ever sought to block thy way.
Go! I desire for thee a nobler dwelling-place,
And thou shalt have for guide a god,
Who is called blind by him who nothing sees.
Go! and ever be by thee revered,
Each deity of that wide sphere,
And come not back to me till thou art mine. (I,19)
“The progress symbolized above by the hunter who excites his dogs, is here illustrated by a winged heart, which is sent out of the cage, in which it lived idle and quiet, to make its nest on high and bring up its fledglings, its thoughts, the time being come in which those impediments are removed, which were caused, externally, in a thousand different ways, and internally by natural feebleness.” (I,19)
“Amber Egg clutched by Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon Great Rune of unborn demigods"
"Perfects those who have been born anew"
"Children who have been born anew by Rennala are all frail and short-lived Imperfect beings, each and all” – Great Rune of The Unborn
I strongly suspect the ‘winged heart’ sent away is the amber egg, Great Rune sent from the cage of his body, Marika’s body, which he imparts, as ‘that region’ (Rennala) overshadows and occupies his thoughts. Marika (the soul) is ‘adverse fate’ (I,19 & 20), not wishing to part with the Rune perhaps. I can’t think of anything applicable for the last verse of the sonnet telling the heart to ‘not come back until you are mine’. If we accept the framework that I have laid out so far, then maybe Radagon/Marika planned to use it after joining as one body again at some point. Or perhaps he planned to reunite with his ‘heart’ once he became complete. This is just pure conjecture though.
“He dismisses his heart then to make more magnificent surroundings, urging him to the highest propositions and intentions, now that those powers of the soul are more fully fledged, which Plato signifies by the two wings, and he commits him to the guidance of that god, who, by the unseeing crowd, is considered insane and blind [by the soul], that is Love, who, by the mercy and favour of heaven, has power to transform him into that nature towards which he aspires, or into that state from which, a pilgrim, he is banished.” (I,19)
So the Amber Egg, armed with the power of Love (Law of Regression, that which yearns to return to Oneness), can rebirth sweetings and others anew, either towards perfection or whatever crippled state the girls and Boc end up as. Before speculating as to why he imparted the egg, we should examine the egg itself. I believe it is Miquella’s Great Rune, that he does not possess because he never had one, as Radagon and/or Marika plucked it from their body. With Miquella being a ‘philosophical child’, the egg allowing one to perfect themselves is in line with his nature as a baby Philosopher’s Stone. I’m not sure why the sweetings and Boc end up as they are, but I suspect like the Nox trying to create a Lord of Night with their silver tears, one may need to be truly illumined by the divine first to get the results you want. Or it could be that one needs to be of fine stock, such as our Tarnished, who are plenty strong (or just possess the Rune).
As Francis Yates points out in her analysis of Bruno's work, the sonnets with the winged heart reference the Pia Disiderea by Herman Hugo.
"One of his emblems (P1. 34b) shows the soul being released from the cage of sense by divine love, with an allusion in the empty cage hanging on the tree from which a bird has just escaped to the theme of the escaping bird. This is very close indeed to Bruno's emblem, although there are certain differences. The author of Pia Desideria felt the emblem of the winged heart to be so typical of his aims that he uses a winged and burning heart on his title-page." - Francis A. Yates
This image, and other emblems, "render how the penitent heart is cleansed by Christ, and made into a dwelling befitting Him and filled with His presence; thus, all fear and distress are substituted by a rejoicing, burning love for Him and the state of Grace which obtains the Crown of Life." - Visions of the Invisible: Seventeenth and Early Eighteenth Century Emblems in Norway, by Henrik Von Achen
Since the birth of the Philosopher’s Stone in alchemy is frequently compared to the hatching of an egg, which needs to be incubated with fire, I then posit that Radagon’s new divine nature allowed the gestation or transformation of a Great Rune in Marika’s body, perhaps similarly to a mending rune, creating an ‘egg’ to be hatched. My notion is that this occurred during the Age of Plenty, when sap still flowed freely from the Erdtree. The main reason I believe could be the case is that the winged heart in the sonnets is transformed by the fire of divine love, allowing it to grow wings. Thus, Marika may have recalled Radagon to birth the twins (Philosopher’s Stones) using the newly conceived amber egg (or at a later time after its conception), which he could have gifted to Rennala as a farewell, perhaps in the hopes that she too would use it to perfect herself as well.
As it is getting late for me tonight, I hope to post Part II of Radagon's Heroic Frenzy tomorrow, since I have also reached the character limit.

I'm a huge Planescape fan but coming up with adventures for it has always been something of a pain in the ass. So I decided to try to make a bunch of ideas for the setting, berk. If you have the time, feel free to add your own or give any feedback!

1. A young girl is kidnapped by a group of magically grafted individuals and the player characters are hired to get her back. They actually are from a world where psionics and artificers reign and are collecting her as "spare parts" for their artificial godlike being. The PCs note this may be the only actual world that needs a Power to take over and get them off their cargo cult. Either that or the planet get absorbed into Mechanus.
   
2. The player characters are approached by a Drow priestess who proceeds to explain that she wants the PCs to serve as guards for the smuggling of refugees into Sigil. They're enemies of Lolth and believes Sigil safe from her wrath. However, a bigger issue is the Harmonium does not want a large number of refugees from such an evil and chaotic race.
   
3. An Aasimar Paladin wants the PCs help to try to recover the soul of her friend in the Wall of the Faithless from Abeir-Toril. She's a member of the Athar and hates gods but still Lawful Good and powered by her righteousness. This seems fairly straightforward except she plans to free a "lot" more and use this as proof of the gods' evil.
   
4. The player characters inherit some property in Sigil and it is a extra-dimensional enhanced mansion that seems perfect to their needs but is given a wide birth and seemingly no one will speak of it. This is because the previous owner was Mazed and, worse, the mansion actually leads to the Maze.
   
5. See #4. Oddly, the PCs find that man inside the Maze figured out how to leave ages ago but finds its nice to live and makes him immortal. He offers the PCs use of his mansion if they can stop people seeking to "free" him.
   
6. See #4 The Lady of Pain actually wants the PCs to get the imprisoned man out because someone WANTING to be Mazed defeats the purpose.
   
7. A male PC is approached with an unusual offer: a chromatic dragon wishes to mate with them. Specifically, engage the various acts regarding (shapeshifting) coitus then collect their fluids as part of their "research."
   
8. See #8 The PCs end up as the father of a clutch of dragonborn after the experiment is concluded.
   
9. See #8, it was all to make their Gold Dragon ex-boyfriend jealous as he didn't want kids and she did. It's worked incredibly well and he's furious.
   
10. A PC is informed that they are actually the child of a god and that said gods progeny are being sent on a quest to murder each other in order to assemble their power into a new deity. A group of them are in a "gathering" here to do just that and killing each other off in ritualistic duels. This is all nonsense and someone is setting this up based on a Prime folk tale.
    
11. The PCs attend to Free League Bazaar and find Harmonium patrols engaged in police brutality. If they intervene, they find themselves in a court case over whether the former were there illegally or not. Shady lawyers and idealistic ones get involved.
    
12. See #12, this was all a set up by the Free League to get the Harmonium some bad publicity.
    
13. See #13, the same except it's a set up by the MERCYKILLERS because these Harmonium agents are THAT bad.
    
14. A group of Vistani from Ravenloft arrive and strangely claim they are able to pierce the Mists back and forth easily. Many would pay for an accurate map of this Demiplane and what the hell is going on inside it.
    
15. See #15, it's a set up by Strahd Von Zarovich to get some planars to torture and interrogate.
    
16. See #16, Strahd has bitten off a lot more than he can chew because the Lady of Pain moves Castle Ravenloft into Sigil as punishment for his crimes. The Dark Powers just replicate him like they did in The House on Gryphon Hill. This Strahd is fucked.
    
17. A Dustman is chasing after a man who got out of the mortuary and is getting killed repeatedly but always coming back from the dead. He's now immortal but that just means people want him for themselves.
    
18. See #18, It is in fact the Nameless One who is somehow back and very confused about this.
    
19. Factol Rowan Darkwood wants to hire the PCs to rescue the Princess of the Unicorns set to be the victim of a great hunt on the Prime Material Plane by an evil wyvern-riding Duke.
    
20. See #20, this is actually all an elaborate wager where the PCs are scryed and bet on the entire time by the Takers. They get rewards ala the Hunger Games if they overact or take challenges like a Twitch stream.
    
21. See #20, the evil wyvern-riding Duke is Rowan Darkwood in the past. This is actually an experiment in time travel.
    
22. See #21, the PCs probably end up killing the Duke and the past and return to find Sigilian history dramatically altered.
    
23. A serial called "The Midnight Slasher" is targeting victims throughout the city, leaving lovers with their loved ones dead in their arms. Weirdly, the perpetrator is invisible to scrying or divine answers and taunting the authorities of Sigil. Is the Revolutionary League at fault or something more sinister. The Free League presses are making bank publicizing it, though.
    
24. See #24, the serial killer is a paladin targeting demons, Alu-Fiends, Cambions, and Tieflings. The paladin still has his powers as long as he believes he's righteous.
    
25. See #24, the serial killer is a publicity stunt by the Free League to drum up newspaper business and make the Harmonium look week.
    
26. See #26, the serial killer didn't exist but rumors have caused one to emerge into existence from all the fear.
    
27. It's a nice day for a blood red wedding as the PCs are invited to a marriage and probably show just for the free food. It's only when they arrive that they find out it is wildly inappropriate (A Deva and Fiend, a Tanari and Baatezu, a Gold and Red Dragon, or a Fraternity of Order member with an Xaocist). What is going on here?
    
28. See #26, the wedding is at the behest of two feuding pantheons who have made it abundantly clear saying no isn't an option. The bride and groom disagree and Sigil is the best place to make a break for it.
    
29. See #27, the wedding is going to be hit by both factions of the bride and groom and it's actually a hit on their extremist members.
    
30. The Lady of Pain shows up at the player character's most frequent haunt and a Dabus says they need to acquire an object for them: the Key of Aoskar.
    
31. See #28, it's not the Lady of Pain but a gnomish illusionist who is FANTASTICALLY stupid.
    
32. See #30, It is the Lady of Pain but the Key of Aoskar was stolen by one of her Dabus who is attempting to revive the dead god over a lack of a promotion.
    
33. Factol Erin Montgomery commissioned a living statue of herself in the nude. However, the Golem came to life and is now running around Sigil getting into all manner of mischief. Erin wants the PCs to shut it down because she acts like a teenage brat. The sculptor and a sigilite with inappopriate fixations want it for their own reasons.
    
34. Factol Sarin's 16 year old daughter has run off with a Tiefling and he would very much like you to return her before she gets hurt.
    
35. See #32, the Tiefling intends to sell her into slavery to the Nine Hells.
    
36. See #33, the Tiefling is actually her prisoner and she intends to sell him into slavery for a position in Asmodeus' armies.
    
37. The Revolutionary League pays the players a great deal of money to nab an Ortho nobleman visiting from their home planet. They claim he is a genocidal war criminal who masterminded the extinction of the elves and gnomes on the world.
    
38. See #35, he actually did but came to Sigil to reveal all of the crimes of the Harmonium in public to discredit them.
    
39. See #36, the Revolutionary Leaguers are actually corrupt Harmonium guards there to stop him from doing so.
    
40. Factol Terrence is suffering a vote of No Confidence as his Athar Factorum have decided the Greater Unknown is, in fact, a real god and he's a traitor to the cause. He begs them to go to where he came up with the idea and prove, in fact, the Greaker Unknown isn't real but a metaphor for goodness and ineffability.
    
41. See #38, unfortunately for Factol Terrence, the Greater Unknown is, in fact, a god.
    
42. See #39, even worse, he's the ghost of Aoskar.
    
43. A barmy inmate claims that a demigod named Vecna took over Sigil, rewrote reality, and almost got away with it. Now no one remembers this happening and he wants your help finding the artifacts left in the city that prove it.
    
44. See #41, the inmate is, in fact, Vecna himself stripped of all of his magical knowledge and divine abilities. He is quite annoyed by this but the Lady doesn't like what he tried to pull.
    
45. See #41, the artifacts are the Head of Vecna that contains the deity's essence. The inmate wants to kill himself and put it on, which will restore Vecna (the Lady will consider the lesson learned).
    
46. The PCs have been given a watch that allows them to time travel. Unfortunately, this has put them in the sights of celestials who really hate time travelers.
    
47. See #44, the watch was actually used to reverse the Faction War.
    
48. See #46, the PCs can't un-reverse it because they died in the Faction War.
    
49. A man claiming to be Raistlin Majere says he was dumped out of his world of Krynn when he became too powerful (Note: This was an actual rule in the Dragonlance handbook). Now he needs to find his way back and doesn't know very much about Planes beyond the Abyss (and he thinks Tiamat lives there).
    
50. See #47, he will be quite annoyed to find out his world has been utterly trashed in his absence by what appears to be an exact copy of himself.
    
51. See #48, this Raistlin is actually a result of kender interfering with the timestream.
    
52. A young boy of the Sign of One is seemingly omnipotent and wrecking havoc like the Twilight Zone. He seems to have infinite Wish spells.
    
53. See #50, he's the king of a Feywild domain called Fantastica and is slowly losing his memories every time he does a Wish.
    
54. See #50, he's Asmodeus' son. The Lord of the Nine would appreciate his return until he can be educated into being a proper Archdevil.
    
55. See #50, the PCs can get the Lady of Pain to wipe him out just by praying to him. No gods allowed. This is a nasty way to resolve the issue, though.
    
56. The players are asked to help a demented old gnomish woman who just so happens to be living on a newly discovered portal the city is confiscating. Unfortunately, in her basement, is a monstrous aberration from her dalliance with Orcus during her days as a CE Warlock. She often forgets to feed it now.
    
57. A Mercykiller breakaway sect of costumed vigilantes (or maybe just one) have started punishing the guilty of Sigil despite this being very not lawful. The Harmonium is furious but the public loves them. What if this causes the Mercykiller creed to change?
    
58. The PCs meet their alternates and this is very confusing, especially if they're from a world like Athas or Krynn.
    
59. The player characters are willed a Tomb of Horrors. Yes, that Tomb of Horrors. Or at least an exact replica in its own pocket dimension. They're given an exact map of the thing with a listing of all the traps as well as a request to use it for good.
    
60. See #60, it's the actual tomb of horrors by an alternate Acherak and it was stolen from him as a prank by a god of trickery.
    
61. See #60, it's actually part of a horrifying amusement park by a deranged Archdemon, god, proxy, or Lich fanboy on the plane of Gehenna. He'd like to buy it back so he can complete it then open it to the public.
    
62. See #62, How he plans to get idiots to murder themselves in an amusement park of death? He'll put treasure in it. Voila! Instant endless stream of victims!
    
63. The PCs are invited to a funeral for a god by his last remaining worshipers. It's on the Astral Plane. On said god's corpse. The guests will include the avatars of gods, enemies come to gloat, and the curious.
    
64. See #64, the Githyanki attack and try to take everyone as slaves.
    
65. See #64, It's a mass suicide event by the worshipers.
    
66. See #64, all of the attention for the funeral in Sigil causes the god to wake up during the funeral.
    
67. See #64, there's a protest by the Athar present deliberately designed to start a fight and in very poor taste.
    
68. A man claims he's got a bomb built by the God of Evil of his world that can destroy an entire planet. He's trying to sell it.
    
69. See #69, he's wrong. It's a relic of the Primordial War and can destroy an entire divine domain or planar layer.
    
70. A race of cybernetic abominations created by a mad scientist on a planet called "Skarr-o" (or something) are some of the most feared killers in the multiverse. The PCs are asked by some Yugoloths to negotiate them to join the Blood War.
    
71. See #71, this is because the Yugoloth was hired by a Time Wizard to divert their race into an impossible war against invincible enemies. They've made a mess in his Prime Material plane.
    
72. See #71, the Yugoloths are actually hoping to harvest the atheistic LE pepper pots' souls (as much as they exist) to make serious bank for the Nine Hells or Acheron.
    
73. See #71, the Totally-Not Daleks actually arranged this themselves and the whole thing is subtly (by their standards) interrogate the PCs before invading the Outer Planes.
    
74. See #71, this is actually a horrible idea as the Baatezu LOVE these guys and will happily assume "perfect" Not-Dalek forms and introduce them to Asmodeus (who they perceive as the Dalek Emperor of Emperors) and support them in their galactic genocides. The PCs have to stop this from happening.
    
75. See #71, the PCs will be hired by demons or Devas to introduce the Not-Daleks to the Beholders instead and start another part of racially motivated pointless war.
    
76. The player characters end up getting teleported to a dark and terrifying dimension full of nightmares and hallucinatory monsters. It is a layer of the Abyss ruled by a fallen paladin who has absolute power but only over illusions. A group of Taan'ari offer to help kill him. Oddly, the fallen paladin might be persuaded to abandon the path of evil if you're silly enough to appeal to his goodness.
    
77. The PCs are invited to a flying citadel in the middle of the Outlands which the owner wishes to open as a hotel and casino to the discerning gambler. Unfortunately, there's a half-dozen Faction-based plots against him going on simultaneously because he didn't exactly acquire this location fairly.
    
78. The PCs are invited to the Church of Contrary Personalities which is a secular temple for fallen angels, tiefling paladins, Aasimar thieves, and risen devils. The Bleak Cabal, Free League, and Athar love it. The Harmonium and Fraternity of Order hate it. The PCs are hired to protect or destroy it or both.
    
79. An Athar member has a scroll with the true name of a deity, Archdemon, or Archmessenger on it. He planned to use it to murder the Power but is gutted in a bar. Now it is the hottest item in Sigil--and the PCs have access to it.
    
80. A prostitute and her boyfriend want to run away from a corrupt and vile gang running a brothel as casino in the Hive. The prostitute wants the PCs to help her escape.
    
81. See #80. Notably, the prostitute is a succubus and her boyfriend may or may not be charmed.
    
82. See #81. The casino/brothel boss actually has the title to her soul and that needs to be acquired first.
    
83. See #80. This is all a cover for the prostitute and her boyfriend carrying out a massive heist while the PCs are the fall guys.
    
84. A Dabus approaches the PCs and speaks in perfect Common rather than Rebus. A Dabus has switched souls with them and he's now terrified that the Lady of Pain will take offense. Can the player characters reacquire his body?
    
85. An auction of holy artifacts is being hosted by the Free League, an arcanoloth, and a fallen Deva. The player characters have been asked to acquire one piece, the Holy Scrolls of Grundark, by any means necessary. They are necessary to stopping a war back on their Prime Material World.
    
86. Blackmail! A high ranking member of the Bleak Cabal wants the PCs to clear up her secret past as a member of an evil cult before she became a notable proponent of charity work as well as NG humanitarianism. There's something fishy going on because she belongs to a faction that, by definition, would not care.
    
87. See #86, she's actually a member of the Revolutionary League and murdered her way into the Faction.
    
88. See #86, she's abandoned her old Revolutionary Ways and just wants to do good works now. So berks gotta die to keep her secret.
    
89. One of the PCs have been informed they are now Factol of the Sign of One. They all imagined it to be the case and now it is official. Clearly something weird is going on here and their protestations fall on deaf ears.
    
90. A Believer of the Source has ascended to godhood...in Sigil. Well sort of. He's inside his Bag of Holding that he leapt into as it happened. So, he's technically not violating the Lady of Pain's edict. He wants the PCs (who he contacts in dreams) to transport him to his divine domain that he envisions is in Arvandor. Because he believes he's trapped, he's trapped and quite a few people want to get a hand on this bag.
    
91. The player characters are informed a previous Factol of the Fraternity of Order is hiding out in a Gatetown (probably one linked to Carcei or other wretched hive). There's a massive bounty on his head that no one knows the reason for as he disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The player characters are contacted by people who want to deliver him to freedom instead.
    
92. The PCs are being followed by a big animal. Dog, cat, cappybarra, whatever. It's the size of a cart and intelligent. It is the loyal companion of a now-deceased god and isn't sure what to do with itself.
    
93. The player characters are invited to an extradimensional mansion for the reading of a will by a prominent Taker. Of course they find themselves trapped in the mansion when a murder takes place and they're all suspects.
    
94. See #93, it was the dead Taker himself who is disgusted his relatives and friends expected GIFTS post-death.
    
95. See #93, it's the mansion itself that has become a horrifying Dungeon trying to kill them.
    
96. The Harmonium is fired from the job as City Watch. This comes out of nowhere and not even other Sigilites are sure who is responsible or how. However, they've been replaced with a non-faction based replacement.
    
97. The player characters end up in the belly of a massive Illithid planar vessel under attack by the Githyanki or Githzerai. It becomes a mammoth escape attempt before you get stuck in whatever location you're in.
    
98. A Rogue Modrone has claimed to have mathematically mapped chaos and is kidnapping Xaocists, turning them LN whenever he's done with them. Is he just brainwashing them or does he have proof of his theories? The Fraternity of Order and Harmonium are interested either way.
    
99. A Dustmen Lich has decided he finally wants to experience the true death and plans to destroy his soul with a Wish spell. However, he kind of is out of luck on that because he entrusted his soul jar with a third party who very much doesn't want it to happen. The PCs need to get it back.
    
100. The first Sigil Mayorial election is being run! The candidates are limited to those people who think the Lady of Pain WON'T Maze whoever wins. However, the fear over that and low voter turnout means even the players might win.
     
101. Sigil's interior has started making contact with the rest of the Torus. It turns out it has an Underdark, massive sewer system, and other set of levels that reveals it is a far larger city than anyone expected.